{Meet - Ethan}

This little guy is my 5-almost-6- year-old brother, and he's simply a joy to count as one of my siblings!

Last night, some of the little people decided they were going to camp out in the backyard.  We kept the windows open so we could listen for all those "just in case" instances.  Dad and I were in the study having a very weighty conversation when all of a sudden, through the open window drifted the giddy sound of this little guy's laughter!  Dad and I paused, listened, and laughed in response!  You just can't help but laugh when Ethan gets going!  :D

He's very protective of his little sister, and is constantly looking out for his little brother.  It's so neat to see!  The maturity that my brother has at this age is utterly astounding!  I am SO glad that God decided to place him in my family.  :)

-- And I just noticed that he, Clairy, and I all smile the same way, with one eye half shut!  :P

Change in Values

{photo credit}

I have an interesting American literature class this semester.  "Interesting" refers to the various things we discuss in class and not necessarily the material we cover.  Anyway, we've been reading about Benjamin Franklin and some of the founding fathers of our country.  My professor flashed these questions up on the screen and had us answer them:

How important to contemporary America are the ideals of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness?  Have we lost sight of them?  Or are they still elements in our society?

Those are interesting questions to ponder.  After all, our country was founded on those ideas, and the American people did cling to them as rights that they were entitled to.  However, I came to the conclusion that while America still says that she values these things, they're really only valued on the surface.

It is my belief that those terms and ideas are now defined by the government where once they were defined by the people.  There is so much regulation on everything now, including the Patriot Act of modern day America. Sure, it was put into action under the guise of "We're doing this for the good and protection of the American people" when really, how many American people care to be spied on?  Isn't that kind of infringing on our Liberty just a little bit?

My point is that, yes, I do think that America has lost sight of those ideals.  We say that we still operate on the rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, but they aren't necessarily the driving force behind our actions anymore.  The main drive is now whatever whims the government may have.

There's also the issue of how we as Christians define those rights and how much power we think the government should have, but that's another discussion entirely.  :)

Anyway, food for thought...

The Foundations of Youth

Influence upon the private character late in life, is not only an influence late in life, but a weak influence.  It is in youth that we plant our chief habits and prejudices; it is in youth that we take our party as to profession, pursuits, and matrimony.  In youth therefore the turn is given; in youth the education even of the next generation is given; in youth the private and public character is determined: and the term of life extending from youth to age, life ought to begin well from youth; and more especially before we take our party as to our principal objects.

-----Benjamin Vaughan

What Do I Know of Holy

I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

Oh how often this is my cry to heaven.  Do I really fear God?  Do I really view Him as being the Almighty, the Creator of all things?  How often do I forget just Who it is that I'm talking to?  How often do I doubt that He's even listening?  Oh to be past this faith-without-sight phase and to move on to the place where I will finally be able to behold my Savior's beautiful face!

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life "its" name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?

~Addison Road's "What Do I Know of Holy"

Skewl

I tend to find science labs utterly boring, and I decided that in order to enjoy myself, I would have to make it fun (this term is used loosely).  We had to look at a ton of specimens under the microscope (I loathe microscopes!  They're such a pain!) and then draw what we saw (something else I loathe) and write down observations.  Let's face it, for a nonscience person, there's not much you can observe from a glob of algae, and there aren't really observable differences between 20 such globs.  I decided that in order to keep my sanity, I would identify them by other things in the world that I was familiar with.

My most entertaining descriptions:

• Euglena: It is a green algae that looks like a miniature manatee
• Closterium: It looks like a mix of a pickle and a leech.  It's green and oblong
• Spirogyra: Green, moving somewhat.  I looks like a glorified spaghetti noodle
• Polysiphonia: It's a red branchy thing with pink splotches
• Sargassum: Greenish-brownish seaweed that looks more like a holly sprig than anything else
• Kelp: It's got a long "spine" with "tentacles" growing out of it

While I wouldn't necessarily call it a "fun" lab, I was able to make it more enjoyable for myself.  Now only 10 more labs to go!

Siblings are the Best!

And that's the truth!

Pictured are some of my best friends

With these two people I have shared heartache, laughter, inside jokes, deep conversations, arguments, good times, embarrassing personal stories, and lots of great memories.  Yep.  My brother and my sister are pretty much amazing.  :)

Letting Go

"Alex, you just need to learn to let go!"
"My whole life over the past 2 years has been learning to 'let go', so don't you tell me about 'learning to let go', buster!"

This was the argument I had with an unnamed sibling this afternoon.  And what I said was true, but maybe I shouldn't have been as upset as I was ... or should I?

It seems like every time I turn around, I have to let go of something or someone else.  Not again, is the thought that usually circulates through my head nowadays.  It just feels like I've had to give up so much over the past 24+ months!  And that's not even counting having my van in the shop, getting a flat in the truck, driving the toyota around (which I really like, actually), having a broken oven, and dropping a class ... which all happened over the past 10 days or so!!!

What you need to understand is that I live solidly under the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" policy.  Quite honestly, life was perfect the way it was, and there was no good reason for it to change.  NO.  GOOD.  REASON.  PERIOD.

I got several comments about my "George Bailey" feeling yesterday, and I'm going to try to explain it today.

Every time I turn around, it seems like my friends are the ones who get to expand their horizons, meet new people, see new places, and experience new and exciting things.  Meanwhile, I'm the one who still hangs out with the old friends (who I LOVE, mind you, DON'T GET ME WRONG), works at the same job, and goes about the same old activities.  I have a simple, mundane life, the one I've led for 18 years, that hasn't changed much at all ... until now.  But even then, the only thing that has changed about it are the people who move out of my small, little world.

I get the "yeah, well life is hard" comment a lot, but hearing it doesn't make it any easier.  I miss the way life was 10 years ago with a passion!  In a way, I'm glad life is painful right now because it means that I've developed strong relationships with others and have come to love them very much.  But on the other hand, I'm not really one for pain.  :P

And so, I thought I should explain myself.  :)  I know life will all of a sudden seem wonderful to me again, but I'm still waiting for that moment.  In the meantime, I'm going to stop moping about and look for joy in the little things.

God bless!