Here's a slightly sillier thought for ya:
~~~~~
Assume the words "different," "weird," and "abnormal" are synonymous here.
A lot of people get accused of being abnormal by others who typically consider themselves to be normal.
However, by my observations, and general consensus, most people, if not all, have some sort of abnormality about them.
This being so, it is more normal to be abnormal than it is to lack abnormality.
Therefore, so-called normal people are the truly weird ones, and those they accuse of weirdness are more normal by commonality, if not popularity.
~~~~~
And there ya have it, you fellow weirdos.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Off Guard
"...On the other hand, surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of a man he is? Surely what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth? If there are rats in a cellar you are more likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats, it only prevents them from hiding." (Mere Christianity, p.163)
I never really thought of it this way before, how when I act or react in ways I shouldn't (that is, ways that aren't Christlike) it isn't that I can be excused by having been caught off guard. No, rather, it's that my core self sprang up first. This is the self that needs to be traded in each instance for Christ-likeness, since it's a remainder of my old self which must not be allowed to remain.
I never really thought of it this way before, how when I act or react in ways I shouldn't (that is, ways that aren't Christlike) it isn't that I can be excused by having been caught off guard. No, rather, it's that my core self sprang up first. This is the self that needs to be traded in each instance for Christ-likeness, since it's a remainder of my old self which must not be allowed to remain.
Feelin' It
Because my faith isn't based in or founded upon emotions -- though they truly are a result or side effect of things revealed by this faith -- I have no excuse for my actions or attitude on the basis of emotions. "I just don't feel like being Christlike today." "I'm not feeling up to praying (or spending time in God's Word, or sharing my testimony, or being joyful) right now. Maybe I'll be more in the mood for that later."
Seriously, what is that? Why is this even an issue? It certainly is an issue for me, at least, and I'm sure I'm not alone here.
Regardless of where it comes from, why it's there, and all that, I firmly believe it is a remnant of the old me -- my fleshly, worldly self. And therefore, this attitude absolutely must be discarded and replaced with a spirit of submission to God's will and an attitude of joy and thanks.
Seriously, what is that? Why is this even an issue? It certainly is an issue for me, at least, and I'm sure I'm not alone here.
Regardless of where it comes from, why it's there, and all that, I firmly believe it is a remnant of the old me -- my fleshly, worldly self. And therefore, this attitude absolutely must be discarded and replaced with a spirit of submission to God's will and an attitude of joy and thanks.
Be Infected with Christ
"There are lots of things which your conscience might not call definitely wrong (specially things in your mind) but which you will see at once you cannot go on doing if you are seriously trying to be like Christ." (Mere Christianity, p. 161)
If this is so, then stands to reason that I ought to -- indeed, I believe I am obligated tot -- conform and reform my conscience to match biblical, Christlike behavior. By God's grace and a great deal of His help, this is a realistic goal (unattainable in this life, though it is).
And remember: I am (you are) not alone in this transformation process!
"If there were no help from Christ, there would be no help from other human beings. He works on us in all sorts of ways: not only through what we think our 'religious life'." (MC, p. 161)
If this is so, then stands to reason that I ought to -- indeed, I believe I am obligated tot -- conform and reform my conscience to match biblical, Christlike behavior. By God's grace and a great deal of His help, this is a realistic goal (unattainable in this life, though it is).
And remember: I am (you are) not alone in this transformation process!
"If there were no help from Christ, there would be no help from other human beings. He works on us in all sorts of ways: not only through what we think our 'religious life'." (MC, p. 161)
Heads up!
It's been a while since I last posted, but here's a heads up:
I've been slowly inching my way through C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, and have some thoughts I'll be sharing that I wrote down as I've been reading. Please let me know what you think, and what your thoughts are.
There will probably be some posts mixed in, as well, that don't really have anything to do with Mere Christianity, but the same is true for them: Speak up! :)
I've been slowly inching my way through C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, and have some thoughts I'll be sharing that I wrote down as I've been reading. Please let me know what you think, and what your thoughts are.
There will probably be some posts mixed in, as well, that don't really have anything to do with Mere Christianity, but the same is true for them: Speak up! :)
Thursday, February 27, 2014
TBT
It seems that at least half my Facebook friends do TBT (Throwback Thursday) most every week. I find it fun and interesting to see what everyone posts, but never considered getting in on the whole thing until today... Mom's doing it, too.
I don't know whether I'll actually do this regularly or not, but here's today's TBT:
This is from June 2008, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.. Mom and I went by ourselves so we wouldn't feel rushed onward by Dad and Chaela. ;)
This, of course, is the Japanese Footbridge by Claude Monet, one of my favorite artists at the time.
I figured this was an appropriate photo to share today because I'm just about done prepping and studying for a DSST: Art of the Western World. :)
Happy Thursday!
I don't know whether I'll actually do this regularly or not, but here's today's TBT:
This is from June 2008, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.. Mom and I went by ourselves so we wouldn't feel rushed onward by Dad and Chaela. ;)
This, of course, is the Japanese Footbridge by Claude Monet, one of my favorite artists at the time.
I figured this was an appropriate photo to share today because I'm just about done prepping and studying for a DSST: Art of the Western World. :)
Happy Thursday!
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Hospital Update
On Wednesday I was sent to the ER - I got to go home yesterday evening, but here's what happened as according to our Facebook status updates:
Feb. 19 (evening)
Me:
Enjoying some spontaneous mother-daughter time today! (And by that I mean, "I am so very thankful for a wonderful mom who will not only drive me to the ER but will also hang out there with me and make me laugh and distract me.")
Mom:
Dani's morphine is really wearing off & she's in some serious pain. Of course everythig gets funnier in the hospital & laughing makes the pain worse. Unfortunately Danielle just said in a whimper, "I need more...phine" which just made us laugh harder!
(In fact, I made myself laugh so hard that I cried, which made me laugh harder than ever!)
Me:
CT scans came out clear, but they're going to keep me overnight to run some more tests and try to figure out what's up.
Me:
Sleepover = woohoo!
...at the hospital = ooh.
There's a first time for everything, right?
[ texting while on morphine brings out the punny side of me! At least, at the time I thought so...
Chaela: What else can I bring you? Pajamas?
Me: Nah, I'm covered.]
Me:
You know Mom and I have been cooped up for too long when she starts squirting saline at me and I threaten to tell the nurse on her...
Feb. 20 (morning)
Me:
No real update yet from here at Memorial Hospital, except that I'm *this* close to posting a photo of the lion drawing I've been finishing up here (yay for free time!) that Mom really wants me to show you....
Feb. 20 (afternoon)
Mom:
Hospital room with a view:
Mom:
Tomorrow Dani will have scopes so the GI doc can see what's going on inside. Meanwhile, Danielle hasn't had anything to eat or drink since yesterday about 3:30 when we got here, but she's going to be allowed a few liquid diet items this afternoon. It's the little things, like food & water... Please pray for Dani & for wisdom for her GI doc. Thank you so much.
P.S. Dani still has a lot of abdominal pain, especially when docs press on her or she moves wrong, takes a deep breath, or laughs. This is now a No Deep Breaths & No Laughing zone.
Mom:
(in response to the ever helpful suggested diagnoses from friends commenting on her status)
Last night the ER doc said it's pancreatitis; this morning another doc said he doesn't think so. Not sure...
Feb. 20 (evening)
Mom:
Flowers and balloons and meds, oh my!
(Michaela brought me the flowers with the bear, and the white/yellow/teal balloon; my friend Gabriella's family sent the flowers and balloon I'm holding in the upper left picture; and my high school British lit. teacher and her son/my good friend, Jonathon, came to visit me for a bit and they brought along a book for me. How blessed I felt by all this and so many people around the country and across the world who let me knwo they were praying for me!)
Feb. 20 (night)
Me:
I got it! A typewriter. That's what my IV sounds like. A really, really quiet typewriter.
Feb. 21 (morning)
Dad:
Danielle is currently sedated for the Dr to do her work. Please pray the procedure goes well and the Dr figures out what is going on.
(I had gotten to FaceTime Dad about two hours before being taken down to have the scopes done. It was great to talk and pray with him face-to-face!)
Feb. 21 (noonish)
Me:
Hey everyone! I'm done with the final procedures/tests (I believe) and am just waiting for the doctor to come let us know what's up.
Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement and concern through these last few crazy days! Mom or I will update again once we've heard from the doctor.
Feb. 21 (afternoon)
Me:
Heading home!
Me:
For those of you who are asking what's up, the doctor found a couple places to biopsy during the scopes; the results weren't back by the time we left, but we'll know when we meet up with the doctor later on next week. They still aren't quite sure what caused my pancreas lipase levels to be high.
Thanks for your concern!
Feb. 22 (today)
Mom:
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the prayers & love poured out while Danielle was in the hospital. We'll have the biopsy results in a week.
The docs didn't come to a conclusion as to why Dani's pancreas #s were so elevated! but the sonograms & CT scans showed things look good. Dani's taking it easy at home and feeling much better.
Feb. 21 (afternoon)
Me:
Heading home!
Me:
For those of you who are asking what's up, the doctor found a couple places to biopsy during the scopes; the results weren't back by the time we left, but we'll know when we meet up with the doctor later on next week. They still aren't quite sure what caused my pancreas lipase levels to be high.
Thanks for your concern!
Feb. 22 (today)
Mom:
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the prayers & love poured out while Danielle was in the hospital. We'll have the biopsy results in a week.
The docs didn't come to a conclusion as to why Dani's pancreas #s were so elevated! but the sonograms & CT scans showed things look good. Dani's taking it easy at home and feeling much better.
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