Recently, a movie called The Bucket List illustrated the goals that two terminal patients wanted to achieve before the end came and they "kicked the bucket". I'm not writing mine because I expect to die anytime soon, since the chronic malady of whatever nature seems to be waning on the whole, but because I had this question in my heart for some time that keeps asking me 'what do you want?' rather persistently. In the past, interesting things that shouldn't have been possible (or simple, at least) have unfolded before my wondering eyes when I've dared to ask for some of the things that I deeply wanted to experience. I'm thinking that I should step over the disappointments and start asking again.
1. I want to go back to school, and get a degree that's an active choice rather than the best of a small and limited selection of choices. The longer I go, the more I lean toward some sort of human service or Sociology degree. There are a lot of people who need a lot of help. I would like to become a licensed clergyperson, whatever major I took. For a lot of the things that I want to do, it might be a helpful door-opener. I would also love to pick up whatever study tools they could show me. A lot of the people I've known have done that through correspondence.
2. I'd like to have the energy to get out all the instructional material that I've got for such things as guitars and piano and various languages and put them to use. I think I'll make that one happen to some degree, eventually.
3. I would like to be healthy again--enough said there. I would particularly like to be at a healthy weight. I've actually found some things that substantially help, so that's encouraging.
4. I would like to meet all of my online friends in person, at least once.
5. I would like to have a stable, secure living situation that "felt right". I'm very grateful for the present degree of stability that I have after what's happened in the last two years of my life, but it's not the best fit. I hope that's not too terribly ungrateful.
6. I would like to put my feet on two lands for which I've done a lot of prayer: the Omaha reservation, and Israel. The former may happen within the next few weeks!
7. Appropriately in the "7" slot is my dream of seeing the 77s live and fully staffed, and getting a copy of the new album as the moment unfolds. That also actually has a chance of happening if I can find a way to get to Ames, IA on June 24th!
8. I would like to see my son in a stable and enjoyable career. I put this in the "8" slot, because it's said to be symbolic of new beginnings.
9. I wouldn't mind being in a stable career myself. I'd like to have one that complemented the type of ministry into which so much of my heart has been invested.
10. I would like for the isolation created by the astronomical gas prices and my income of late to be resolved. It somehow doesn't feel right to be missing this much of people, events, opportunities, etc.
11. As my father's child still, I would love to own a good horse that lived right outside my window.
12. I want to have my inner man strengthened to know the height, depth, breadth and length of the love of Christ, according to Eph. 3. I'd really like to be so convinced that it never entered my mind to question it. When I read the life of Paul and some others that were 110% serious about God, I find it easier to grasp that He loves despite all the things that have happened.
13. I would like to figure out the nature of this vast, unmet, nameless need in the depths of my being, and have it fulfilled.
Showing posts with label Thursday Thirteen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thursday Thirteen. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Thursday Thirteen #9: Lively Stones
1 Peter 2:5
"you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
I was thinking the other day about how some of the people I've met have seem to stick. That's not happened with everyone I've met, but some have gone the distance. I wanted to list thirteen characteristics that I think are important to building relationships that last.
1. Honesty--You know when someone's not being straight with you (or find out in unhappy ways), and it creates discomfort and distrust.
2. Consideration--Paul tells us in Eph. 4:15 to speak our truth in love. Love thinks the best, and puts things in the most harmless light that it can.
3. Listening--Another good scripture on relationships is James 1:19. It starts out, "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak...."
4. Patience--The rest of the verse says, "....and slow to become angry." A valuable person merits some self-control on our part when they're not at their best.
5. Loyalty--We can sometimes hear unflattering things about our friends in the oddest places. It behooves us to present their good side, whether or not it leaves the conversation comfortably flattering to us.
6. Diligence--Our circumstances sometimes make it hard for us to do a good job of keeping regular contact, but the effort that someone takes to send the briefest greeting are so appreciated!
7. Helpfulness--Life can be a handful. Coming alongside a friend that's struggling tells them that they're not alone. I'll be at a horse funeral this weekend for a friend that's had the old guy for well more than 20 years, because that's what friends do. Friends also help put the fence back up after the backhoe leaves.
8. Sharing--Among my most meaningful possessions are my books and albums. I've passed out copies of several friends' albums to several friends so that they could share the experience.
9. Laughing--I love the times when a conversation takes off into gales of glee. Those moments get remembered long after others are forgotten. I have a sense of humor that ranges deep into the theatre of the absurd at times, and I value the people in my life that don't look at me funny when I'm weaving strange tales.
10. Weeping--True friends are the ones that don't leave when things aren't fun anymore. I it when I have people suffering states away that I can't be near.
11. Planning--Fun is often more fun in groups. I have a concert coming up next month that I just might be able to make if all goes ideally, and am wondering if I should seek out a travelling companion.
12. Remembering--It's possible to rehash the event for years after the fact, particularly if someone brings the camera.
13. Praying--I try to wrap prayer in and through everything. With prayer, we form the threefold cord that's not easily broken. We help carry the weight of career transitions and troubled children, and draw farther into the presence of God together. He is the best friend that makes it possible for us to know how to be good friends. We become His lively stones, built into the temple of His immediacy in us and among us.
"you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
I was thinking the other day about how some of the people I've met have seem to stick. That's not happened with everyone I've met, but some have gone the distance. I wanted to list thirteen characteristics that I think are important to building relationships that last.
1. Honesty--You know when someone's not being straight with you (or find out in unhappy ways), and it creates discomfort and distrust.
2. Consideration--Paul tells us in Eph. 4:15 to speak our truth in love. Love thinks the best, and puts things in the most harmless light that it can.
3. Listening--Another good scripture on relationships is James 1:19. It starts out, "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak...."
4. Patience--The rest of the verse says, "....and slow to become angry." A valuable person merits some self-control on our part when they're not at their best.
5. Loyalty--We can sometimes hear unflattering things about our friends in the oddest places. It behooves us to present their good side, whether or not it leaves the conversation comfortably flattering to us.
6. Diligence--Our circumstances sometimes make it hard for us to do a good job of keeping regular contact, but the effort that someone takes to send the briefest greeting are so appreciated!
7. Helpfulness--Life can be a handful. Coming alongside a friend that's struggling tells them that they're not alone. I'll be at a horse funeral this weekend for a friend that's had the old guy for well more than 20 years, because that's what friends do. Friends also help put the fence back up after the backhoe leaves.
8. Sharing--Among my most meaningful possessions are my books and albums. I've passed out copies of several friends' albums to several friends so that they could share the experience.
9. Laughing--I love the times when a conversation takes off into gales of glee. Those moments get remembered long after others are forgotten. I have a sense of humor that ranges deep into the theatre of the absurd at times, and I value the people in my life that don't look at me funny when I'm weaving strange tales.
10. Weeping--True friends are the ones that don't leave when things aren't fun anymore. I it when I have people suffering states away that I can't be near.
11. Planning--Fun is often more fun in groups. I have a concert coming up next month that I just might be able to make if all goes ideally, and am wondering if I should seek out a travelling companion.
12. Remembering--It's possible to rehash the event for years after the fact, particularly if someone brings the camera.
13. Praying--I try to wrap prayer in and through everything. With prayer, we form the threefold cord that's not easily broken. We help carry the weight of career transitions and troubled children, and draw farther into the presence of God together. He is the best friend that makes it possible for us to know how to be good friends. We become His lively stones, built into the temple of His immediacy in us and among us.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Thursday Thirteen #8: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
I was trying to think of something that I could write quickly, due to the brevity of time available. After spending six or seven years on the Internet, I thought that it would be very easy to come up with thirteen advantages and disadvantages of e-mails, blogs, and message boards.
1. IT'S GOOD!--You can go all over the world from your typing chair.
2. IT'S BAD!--People that you don't even know and that have no frame of reference for your remarks can completely misconstrue what you're trying to say can erupt into a ball of flames (which is why it's called "flaming") and denounce you for having an idea that you would never even consider.
3. IT'S GOOD!--Depending on how you're set up, it can be a lot cheaper than calling.
4. IT'S BAD!--Spammers can use your carefully crafted message board for cheap advertising. Some of the things that they're selling are pretty tough to look at, much less endorse.
5. IT'S GOOD!--You can do mass e-mails and tell a group your wonderful news with one note and one SEND.
6. IT'S BAD!--If they don't check their e-mail for awhile, or there among those that regard their e-mail as being more like a newspaper than a phone call, you may never know what they thought about the wonderful news, or if they ever got it.
7. IT'S GOOD!--Sometimes, people are more candid when they don't have a face in front of them to intimidate them. Some of the deepest and most personal conversations that I've ever had have been held over the Internet.
8. IT'S BAD!--The opposite is also true--caution gets thrown to the wind when you don't have to look at a pained reaction (see #2).
9. IT'S GOOD!--You can throw a question onto a forum and have a variety of people from all walks of life look at it. Your odds of finding an answer to a question increase.
10. IT'S BAD!--There seem to be some in every crowd that can't imagine how a functional human being wouldn't have that information already, and they feel the need to be insulting (see #2 and #8).
11. IT'S GOOD!--It's the cheap and easily accessible venue for publishing your writings.
12. IT'S BAD!--It's also a cheap and easily accessible venue for misinformation. You have to learn to check out the veracity of some of the amazing and shocking bulletins that you receive before you forward them to everyone that you know.
13. IT'S GOOD!--During a particularly introverted time in my life, I collected some of my best friends ever through my message board involvement. The healing and guiding presence of God in our life can tip the scales in our favor!
1. IT'S GOOD!--You can go all over the world from your typing chair.
2. IT'S BAD!--People that you don't even know and that have no frame of reference for your remarks can completely misconstrue what you're trying to say can erupt into a ball of flames (which is why it's called "flaming") and denounce you for having an idea that you would never even consider.
3. IT'S GOOD!--Depending on how you're set up, it can be a lot cheaper than calling.
4. IT'S BAD!--Spammers can use your carefully crafted message board for cheap advertising. Some of the things that they're selling are pretty tough to look at, much less endorse.
5. IT'S GOOD!--You can do mass e-mails and tell a group your wonderful news with one note and one SEND
6. IT'S BAD!--If they don't check their e-mail for awhile, or there among those that regard their e-mail as being more like a newspaper than a phone call, you may never know what they thought about the wonderful news, or if they ever got it.
7. IT'S GOOD!--Sometimes, people are more candid when they don't have a face in front of them to intimidate them. Some of the deepest and most personal conversations that I've ever had have been held over the Internet.
8. IT'S BAD!--The opposite is also true--caution gets thrown to the wind when you don't have to look at a pained reaction (see #2).
9. IT'S GOOD!--You can throw a question onto a forum and have a variety of people from all walks of life look at it. Your odds of finding an answer to a question increase.
10. IT'S BAD!--There seem to be some in every crowd that can't imagine how a functional human being wouldn't have that information already, and they feel the need to be insulting (see #2 and #8).
11. IT'S GOOD!--It's the cheap and easily accessible venue for publishing your writings.
12. IT'S BAD!--It's also a cheap and easily accessible venue for misinformation. You have to learn to check out the veracity of some of the amazing and shocking bulletins that you receive before you forward them to everyone that you know.
13. IT'S GOOD!--During a particularly introverted time in my life, I collected some of my best friends ever through my message board involvement. The healing and guiding presence of God in our life can tip the scales in our favor!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Thursday Thirteen #7: Why I Say It
Today, I was thinking of one of those distinctive things that I do that make me a little bit different. I wanted to give thirteen reasons why I do it, even though I have to accompany it with a lot of musing on what's appropriate in a given situation, and occasionally end up being misunderstood.
I tell the people in my life "I love you" as often as I can.
That doesn't sound all that strange, until you realize that very few of the people in my life are blood relatives, and that about half of my platonic friends are male, and that none of the males in my life are "relationships"--I don't see where "relationships" would fit into the present dynamic, and I'm not actively seeking for such. I try not to use those words specifically with those that seem uncomfortable with the phrase, since there are other ways to express it, but I do try to convey the idea. Part of being quick to hear and slow to speak is the search for wisdom that goes on in the interim.
1. One thing that got the ball rolling is when a young man that's more like a brother than a friend said "I love you" to me on the message board in his typical uninhibited Latin manner. We both knew that he didn't mean it "that way". (I generally have the brains not to do such an exchange with someone that might take it "that way".) He has a highly developed concept of the family of God, and an appreciation for the people that God's put in his life.
2. Another issue that came up at about the same time was the stories I would hear about people on their deathbed that expressed their regret that they hadn't told the people in their life more often that they loved them. Well, that's easy enough to fix. You have to be willing to take the risk of making a moment uncomfortably real, but that's probably better than having last-moment regrets.
3. Peter tells us "....see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently...." (I Peter 1:22). That would probably surface somewhere. We may as well let it out.
4. I know from experience how much random acts of kindness mean to someone who's feeling empty and alone. That also makes it worth the risk.
5. Every day is full of put-downs from many different sources, some of them internal. It's good to give someone a place to come in out of the rain with a few words.
6. Love has to be the purest reflection and glory of a God who is not described as having love, but as being love. Of course, our actions have to match our words, and we have to have the humility to apologize when they don't.
7. One of the greatest ways to demonstrate to the world that something genuinely different is going on is to live out the one big, happy family concept. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35).
8. In the middle of the night, when life is trying to crash in on their heads, people know that they can probably get you out of bed without a rebuke if you care enough to actually say the words. Trust me on that one.
9. We tend to assume that those we love will assume that we love them. We should instead assume that most would rather not be left just to assume. I think that this is particularly true of women, but is probably the case with everyone to some degree.
10. Love heals. I've watched it happen. Those most damaged most need to not be left to assume.
11. Love casts out fear. It's harder to feel alone and helpless with the words of community still freshly filling your soul.
12. Love takes us beyond self-interest. We can choose to be more focused on the needs of the person that we love for affirmation than our trepidation that we may lose face.
13. Love never fails. It's stronger than death. We can breathe more real life into the living with three simple words. Who wouldn't want to do that?
I tell the people in my life "I love you" as often as I can.
That doesn't sound all that strange, until you realize that very few of the people in my life are blood relatives, and that about half of my platonic friends are male, and that none of the males in my life are "relationships"--I don't see where "relationships" would fit into the present dynamic, and I'm not actively seeking for such. I try not to use those words specifically with those that seem uncomfortable with the phrase, since there are other ways to express it, but I do try to convey the idea. Part of being quick to hear and slow to speak is the search for wisdom that goes on in the interim.
1. One thing that got the ball rolling is when a young man that's more like a brother than a friend said "I love you" to me on the message board in his typical uninhibited Latin manner. We both knew that he didn't mean it "that way". (I generally have the brains not to do such an exchange with someone that might take it "that way".) He has a highly developed concept of the family of God, and an appreciation for the people that God's put in his life.
2. Another issue that came up at about the same time was the stories I would hear about people on their deathbed that expressed their regret that they hadn't told the people in their life more often that they loved them. Well, that's easy enough to fix. You have to be willing to take the risk of making a moment uncomfortably real, but that's probably better than having last-moment regrets.
3. Peter tells us "....see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently...." (I Peter 1:22). That would probably surface somewhere. We may as well let it out.
4. I know from experience how much random acts of kindness mean to someone who's feeling empty and alone. That also makes it worth the risk.
5. Every day is full of put-downs from many different sources, some of them internal. It's good to give someone a place to come in out of the rain with a few words.
6. Love has to be the purest reflection and glory of a God who is not described as having love, but as being love. Of course, our actions have to match our words, and we have to have the humility to apologize when they don't.
7. One of the greatest ways to demonstrate to the world that something genuinely different is going on is to live out the one big, happy family concept. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35).
8. In the middle of the night, when life is trying to crash in on their heads, people know that they can probably get you out of bed without a rebuke if you care enough to actually say the words. Trust me on that one.
9. We tend to assume that those we love will assume that we love them. We should instead assume that most would rather not be left just to assume. I think that this is particularly true of women, but is probably the case with everyone to some degree.
10. Love heals. I've watched it happen. Those most damaged most need to not be left to assume.
11. Love casts out fear. It's harder to feel alone and helpless with the words of community still freshly filling your soul.
12. Love takes us beyond self-interest. We can choose to be more focused on the needs of the person that we love for affirmation than our trepidation that we may lose face.
13. Love never fails. It's stronger than death. We can breathe more real life into the living with three simple words. Who wouldn't want to do that?
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Thursday Thirteen #6: Transported
It's time I got back on the horse with my Thursday Thirteen list!
The subject of art having a satisfying depth sent me on a quest to identify 13 songs that have that something extra that actually transports me as I listen. I hope there's a song in there that will either be one to which someone else can also relate, or discover one among the lesser-known titles that can transport them.
1. "Hold Dearly to Me"
This one has held the position as my favorite for years....hide me, drape me, closely and safely. The place of connection to God with all of our heart and mind is the safest one that we'll ever find. We have these comments from Mike on the 77s message board: "This song was a desperate prayer written at 3 AM in a very frightened frame of mind. For some reason, I decided to try and perform it as a Van Morrison "period piece" circa 1970-72, so the whole approach to the guitars sprang from that vision. I was fortunate enough to have seen Van's live show a number of times in the early 70's so I remember the vibe very clearly.The electric guitar part is pure John Platania, his guitarist from back then, while the acoustic strumming is a direct inspiration from Van The Man himself. The piano and horns were arranged and mixed accordingly."
2. "Carry on Wayward Son"
Besides being representative of Kansas' unusual and intricate arrangements, the song also carries an important message --in a very superficial world that puts pressure on you to put on your own charade, remember Whose opinion really counts in the end.
3. "Lean on Me"
It's another one of my all-time favorites. When I hear this one, I remember moments of give and take with friends that are the stuff that give life depth.
4. "Drift Away"
Dobie Gray performs one of the two songs that I've included that are directly on the subject of the power of music to lift the listener out of a dark state of mind. For me, it not only discussed but achieves that end.
5. "Jazzman"
Carole King does an extended live performance of "Jazzman" that describes the transporting quality of good music as a spiritual encounter. It's rather telling that she relates to scenarios from Christian revival meetings, which haven't to my knowledge ever been part of her own philosophical outlook.
6. "Baker Street"
The bridge, and really the arrangement as a whole, is a launch pad to some amazing place. The lyric is about the practice of "busking", or street performance. It's an interesting commentary on the uneven process of recreating hope from disappointment with ourselves and how our goals have materialized. It's a shame that Gerry Rafferty and Stealer's Wheel bogged down in legal battles--it gives a vaguely prophetic quality to the lyric.
7. "The Road"
The link contains the original lyrics by Terry Talbot and clips of a recorded version by our friend Kyle Knapp that illustrate the haunting quality of the music behind stories of offering Jesus to tired runaways that haven't found that for which they went searching.
8. "The Theme from 'Peanuts' "
I get happy every time I hear the opening bars of this piano piece.
9. "Love Like Gold"
I have some complicated mixed feelings on the subject of romance. I remember thinking the first time that I heard that song that I'd found some empathy. It gets me on a train of thought about what could be.
10. "Summer Breeze"
Here's another one on the simple joys of living in a romance that speaks to me even though I've never had the experience.
11. "Shine"
Besides the fact that it contains some really hot guitar licks in my humble opinion, it puts me much in mind of the search that's described in this passage in Acts 17:24-28:
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'
12. "Grace Like Rain"
Todd Agnew's takeoff of the classic "Amazing Grace" has afforded me an emotional connection to the acceptance communicated in the grace of God to us every time I've heard it. I thought that the set of slides on this video carried some compelling images.
13. "Do It for Love"
I wish I could find a sound clip for this one--it's full of contagious joy, and will really get a live show audience up and moving. It reminds me of Jesus' exhortation to the disciples to throw that net out just one more time, even though they were tired of trying. Sometimes we have to choose to grab onto hope again after a long dry spell, because we are well-loved.
The subject of art having a satisfying depth sent me on a quest to identify 13 songs that have that something extra that actually transports me as I listen. I hope there's a song in there that will either be one to which someone else can also relate, or discover one among the lesser-known titles that can transport them.
1. "Hold Dearly to Me"
This one has held the position as my favorite for years....hide me, drape me, closely and safely. The place of connection to God with all of our heart and mind is the safest one that we'll ever find. We have these comments from Mike on the 77s message board: "This song was a desperate prayer written at 3 AM in a very frightened frame of mind. For some reason, I decided to try and perform it as a Van Morrison "period piece" circa 1970-72, so the whole approach to the guitars sprang from that vision. I was fortunate enough to have seen Van's live show a number of times in the early 70's so I remember the vibe very clearly.The electric guitar part is pure John Platania, his guitarist from back then, while the acoustic strumming is a direct inspiration from Van The Man himself. The piano and horns were arranged and mixed accordingly."
2. "Carry on Wayward Son"
Besides being representative of Kansas' unusual and intricate arrangements, the song also carries an important message --in a very superficial world that puts pressure on you to put on your own charade, remember Whose opinion really counts in the end.
3. "Lean on Me"
It's another one of my all-time favorites. When I hear this one, I remember moments of give and take with friends that are the stuff that give life depth.
4. "Drift Away"
Dobie Gray performs one of the two songs that I've included that are directly on the subject of the power of music to lift the listener out of a dark state of mind. For me, it not only discussed but achieves that end.
5. "Jazzman"
Carole King does an extended live performance of "Jazzman" that describes the transporting quality of good music as a spiritual encounter. It's rather telling that she relates to scenarios from Christian revival meetings, which haven't to my knowledge ever been part of her own philosophical outlook.
6. "Baker Street"
The bridge, and really the arrangement as a whole, is a launch pad to some amazing place. The lyric is about the practice of "busking", or street performance. It's an interesting commentary on the uneven process of recreating hope from disappointment with ourselves and how our goals have materialized. It's a shame that Gerry Rafferty and Stealer's Wheel bogged down in legal battles--it gives a vaguely prophetic quality to the lyric.
7. "The Road"
The link contains the original lyrics by Terry Talbot and clips of a recorded version by our friend Kyle Knapp that illustrate the haunting quality of the music behind stories of offering Jesus to tired runaways that haven't found that for which they went searching.
8. "The Theme from 'Peanuts' "
I get happy every time I hear the opening bars of this piano piece.
9. "Love Like Gold"
I have some complicated mixed feelings on the subject of romance. I remember thinking the first time that I heard that song that I'd found some empathy. It gets me on a train of thought about what could be.
10. "Summer Breeze"
Here's another one on the simple joys of living in a romance that speaks to me even though I've never had the experience.
11. "Shine"
Besides the fact that it contains some really hot guitar licks in my humble opinion, it puts me much in mind of the search that's described in this passage in Acts 17:24-28:
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'
12. "Grace Like Rain"
Todd Agnew's takeoff of the classic "Amazing Grace" has afforded me an emotional connection to the acceptance communicated in the grace of God to us every time I've heard it. I thought that the set of slides on this video carried some compelling images.
13. "Do It for Love"
I wish I could find a sound clip for this one--it's full of contagious joy, and will really get a live show audience up and moving. It reminds me of Jesus' exhortation to the disciples to throw that net out just one more time, even though they were tired of trying. Sometimes we have to choose to grab onto hope again after a long dry spell, because we are well-loved.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Thursday Thirteen #5: The Innovation Superhighway
I'm without my trusty laptop until the AC adaptor can be replaced with the kindly assistance of the tax return sometime around the first of the month, so I needed a fairly simple topic for TT that I could bang out quickly on a friend's computer. I got to thinking about some of the ways that the information superhighway has bettered my life, and came up with the requisite thirteen improvements.
1. It's provided me with virtual travel opportunities. I've physically visited eight states during the course of my lifetime, but have friends or friendly acquaintances in eighteen states and the United Kingdom. If you count our UK scholar's home state of New York, it's nineteen states. The North Carolina friend was actually on an extended missions trip to Japan when we started to correspond, but she's been a stateside pastor for awhile now (and recently married--congrats again, Joe and Pastor Parato, if you're reading!)
2. These far-flung contacts built my confidence, since this bunch thinks I'm pretty cool. It gave me a foundation to develop more friendships with people that I could see!
3. It's sometimes easier to reach the busy local friends by e-mail than it is by phone. E-mail also doesn't cost three dollars a gallon to transport.
4. I've written a lot of confessional passages that have taught me some things about myself that I hadn't allowed to surface. It seems to be easier without a face there.
5. We used to spend all kinds of time wondering what our "ministry calling" was years ago. I found out what mine was through a combination of all of the things that I just said--finding people who asked my opinion and helped me to develop confidence as I fielded prayer requests, provided encouragement, and taught on prayer or the subject at hand from the scriptures as the situation may have warranted.
6. When you're up in the Midwest at 1 AM thinking troubled thoughts, West Coast friends are just getting warmed up for an evening online. I have one that's particularly good at showing up and talking about anything and everything to fill the void and restore tranquility.
7. I love research, and I can do more quicker with less clutter by just Googling whatever topic inspires burning questions.
8. I've used my experiences online as a message board member and moderator as references on applications that show that I have marketable skills related to the Internet.
9. Prospective writers have a number of places to publicly display their latest works. If you're brave enough to start trying to sell them after some positive feedback, you can always register with a site like Helium.com.
10. Another expression of artistic sensibility you can develop online, if you're good at visualizing images related to an idea and manipulating the applicable tools, are computer graphics using various programs and languages like HTML, CSS, etc.
11. You can get a lot of news from various sources, including your friends' forwards of the latest alarming information that they received. If it looks a little too farfetched, you can always go check out how verifiable the information has been found to be on Snopes.com.
12. When the news gets on your nerves, you can get a greater variety of radio stations than are probably available for you locally (or that seems to be the case in the rural Midwest, by a large margin), as well as webcasts of topics that may not interest enough of the masses to end up on plain ol' TV. Some of them are on plain ol' satellite stations, but I don't have access to those right now.
13. I will have to doff my cap at this point to Blogger, where it's possible to pull together several of these experiences at the same time--posting original writing, modifying the layout, and communicating with folk far and near that you may not have otherwise ever gotten to meet.
Next week's TT will be some other expeditious topic, and then maybe we'll be back to exciting layouts with photos that take hours to dream up and assemble. Happy TT!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Thursday Thirteen #4: Writers' Workshop
The first poem that I posted here was written based on an exercise that we did in a writing class that involved handling a series of objects with our eyes closed in order to experience the details more individually through the sense of touch rather than taking it all in as a single picture. I thought that it would be interesting to find thirteen things that I would put in my box to bring to class if I taught a writers' workshop, and what might be discerned through touching them.
1. This was my first thought: the milkweed pod. There's such and endless catalog of things going on there--rough walls, silky strands ending in hard seeds, the hinge on which it opens, the flight that initiates when the strands detach.
2. I thought this violin was an great combination of lines and curves. It would be fun to receive this blindfolded and discover the sound unexpectedly rather than knowing it would be there when you plucked a string. (That, and it made me think of mom huebert, who usually drops by!)
3. Would a flower still feel like a flower if the velvet sloped down from the spines rather than up around them?
4. Could a dry winter leaf fool us into thinking that it was a thin piece of parchment for a moment? What took place beneath the tree that would appear on a page of its history?
5. After another hundred years, would a section of this window sill be so light and porous that it felt more like cork than wood?
6. Would man-made beads feel like God-made seeds if you couldn't see the colors, particularly if they weren't all round? What was in the mind of either creator when they were made?
7. Does down feel more like feather or like fur?
8. Wet feathers might seem more like moss. What path does a feather take to find itself in a river with fins and moss?
9. Men have learned to weave spiders' webs. Would any part feel like the original? What do men catch in their webs?
10. Would there be enough variations in the height of the features to piece together the details of Thomas Kincade's wharf in your mind before seeing it, or would it be a surprise?
11. Is the soapstone bear just a very bold wax casting? It would be interesting to see how much difference the theme of the shape made in discerning its nature.
12. Most of us had a doll or bedtime toy when we were very young. Could an old Coke bottle wrapped in a blanket stir up a memory before we reached the top and realized what we actually held?
13. Okay--before complete hysteria sets in, I want to acknowledge that I know that the elephant would definitely NOT fit in the box.
It does remind me of a story about touching what can't be seen. Some blind men were given an object to identify using only their sense of touch. One thought that he had a rope in his hand, when in fact it was the elephant's tail. Another was convinced that he was hugging a tree, when in fact it was the elephants leg. Each misdiagnosed their target. From them, we learn to take a little extra time to look beyond appearances to see the full picture, even with our eyes wide open.
1. This was my first thought: the milkweed pod. There's such and endless catalog of things going on there--rough walls, silky strands ending in hard seeds, the hinge on which it opens, the flight that initiates when the strands detach.
2. I thought this violin was an great combination of lines and curves. It would be fun to receive this blindfolded and discover the sound unexpectedly rather than knowing it would be there when you plucked a string. (That, and it made me think of mom huebert, who usually drops by!)
3. Would a flower still feel like a flower if the velvet sloped down from the spines rather than up around them?
4. Could a dry winter leaf fool us into thinking that it was a thin piece of parchment for a moment? What took place beneath the tree that would appear on a page of its history?
5. After another hundred years, would a section of this window sill be so light and porous that it felt more like cork than wood?
6. Would man-made beads feel like God-made seeds if you couldn't see the colors, particularly if they weren't all round? What was in the mind of either creator when they were made?
7. Does down feel more like feather or like fur?
8. Wet feathers might seem more like moss. What path does a feather take to find itself in a river with fins and moss?
9. Men have learned to weave spiders' webs. Would any part feel like the original? What do men catch in their webs?
10. Would there be enough variations in the height of the features to piece together the details of Thomas Kincade's wharf in your mind before seeing it, or would it be a surprise?
11. Is the soapstone bear just a very bold wax casting? It would be interesting to see how much difference the theme of the shape made in discerning its nature.
12. Most of us had a doll or bedtime toy when we were very young. Could an old Coke bottle wrapped in a blanket stir up a memory before we reached the top and realized what we actually held?
13. Okay--before complete hysteria sets in, I want to acknowledge that I know that the elephant would definitely NOT fit in the box.
It does remind me of a story about touching what can't be seen. Some blind men were given an object to identify using only their sense of touch. One thought that he had a rope in his hand, when in fact it was the elephant's tail. Another was convinced that he was hugging a tree, when in fact it was the elephants leg. Each misdiagnosed their target. From them, we learn to take a little extra time to look beyond appearances to see the full picture, even with our eyes wide open.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Thursday Thirteen #3: Concert DOs and DON'Ts
In the spring of 2004, a number of things just went right that allowed me to actually leave home overnight to attend a concert by 2/3 of my favorite band that a friend of mine put on about seven hours down the road at his church. The 2 of 3 of the current 77s lineup that made it are known as 7&7 Is, or just Mike Roe and Mark Harmon. It was ostensibly a youth event, but the middle-aged fan base had all the serious fun after the kids filed out at their regularly scheduled time.
1. DO make your desires known to God about attending the show after it's announced as you experience a particularly tender moment in prayer about the rather difficult way your life has gone. It won't kill you if He says no, and He just might say, "YES"!
2. DO ask all your friends to pray with you about whether you should go. You'll be amazed how stuff can come together when something is supposed to happen!
3. DO have the biggest bonus you've ever gotten from the company show up two weeks before the show as you're trying to decide if you have enough money to go.
4. DON'T get so wound up in the departure details that you forget to take the bonus check to the bank. It will cost you a bit in overdraft fees later.
5. DO enjoy the trip down in the sweetest ride you've ever owned.
(This isn't the actual item, but is also a very nice black 1989 Buick Skylark.)
6. DO get excited about seeing your cyberfriends in person for the first time. Take them some good teaching materials to help them with the concerns about which you've been posting and praying.
7. DON'T insist on carrying all five of your bags full of books and tapes and your great outfit to your motel room at once because you get there later than you'd planned and are missing part of the pre-show get-together. You may get to see the show with a screaming headache!
8. DO make sure that you get a picture of the fork by the road before you leave, or nobody will believe that it was there.
(Notice that I did say, "The fork BY the road").
9. DO agree to run your buddy's very nice digital camera so that he can battle with the temperamental soundboard, and get as many pictures of the show as possible. Get brave and go right up to the edge of the stage, like you own the place!
10. DO stop shooting long enough to whip out your keys for the traditional multiple-sets-of-keys audience participation sound effects during the intro to "Snake", and to watch some amazing guitar work on the bridges without distraction.
11. DON'T walk in front of the video camera because you're no longer looking where you're going, and have the back of your head needlessly immortalized for posterity.
12. DON'T try to catch another one of your buddies with a camera as he trips and falls in your general direction. The difference in proportions say that you couldn't do anything to help the situation, and he's tough enough to take it.
13. DO somehow manage to sit on the same end of the table with the lead singer at the after-show dinner for the band and serious fans. It will allow you to catch up on prayer request updates, have a good single parent conversation, give him the wind-up dinosaur you brought along for his daughter's dashboard dinosaur collection, and generally serve as another reason to believe that God put you with this cool bunch of people for a purpose.
God sets the lonely in families,
he leads forth the prisoners with singing....(Ps. 68:6a)
Below is a clip from a video taken that night. The song is their version of "Denomination Blues", a song originally released by Washington Phillips in the late 1920s.
1. DO make your desires known to God about attending the show after it's announced as you experience a particularly tender moment in prayer about the rather difficult way your life has gone. It won't kill you if He says no, and He just might say, "YES"!
2. DO ask all your friends to pray with you about whether you should go. You'll be amazed how stuff can come together when something is supposed to happen!
3. DO have the biggest bonus you've ever gotten from the company show up two weeks before the show as you're trying to decide if you have enough money to go.
4. DON'T get so wound up in the departure details that you forget to take the bonus check to the bank. It will cost you a bit in overdraft fees later.
5. DO enjoy the trip down in the sweetest ride you've ever owned.
(This isn't the actual item, but is also a very nice black 1989 Buick Skylark.)6. DO get excited about seeing your cyberfriends in person for the first time. Take them some good teaching materials to help them with the concerns about which you've been posting and praying.
7. DON'T insist on carrying all five of your bags full of books and tapes and your great outfit to your motel room at once because you get there later than you'd planned and are missing part of the pre-show get-together. You may get to see the show with a screaming headache!
8. DO make sure that you get a picture of the fork by the road before you leave, or nobody will believe that it was there.
(Notice that I did say, "The fork BY the road").9. DO agree to run your buddy's very nice digital camera so that he can battle with the temperamental soundboard, and get as many pictures of the show as possible. Get brave and go right up to the edge of the stage, like you own the place!
10. DO stop shooting long enough to whip out your keys for the traditional multiple-sets-of-keys audience participation sound effects during the intro to "Snake", and to watch some amazing guitar work on the bridges without distraction.
11. DON'T walk in front of the video camera because you're no longer looking where you're going, and have the back of your head needlessly immortalized for posterity.
12. DON'T try to catch another one of your buddies with a camera as he trips and falls in your general direction. The difference in proportions say that you couldn't do anything to help the situation, and he's tough enough to take it.
13. DO somehow manage to sit on the same end of the table with the lead singer at the after-show dinner for the band and serious fans. It will allow you to catch up on prayer request updates, have a good single parent conversation, give him the wind-up dinosaur you brought along for his daughter's dashboard dinosaur collection, and generally serve as another reason to believe that God put you with this cool bunch of people for a purpose.
God sets the lonely in families,
he leads forth the prisoners with singing....(Ps. 68:6a)
Below is a clip from a video taken that night. The song is their version of "Denomination Blues", a song originally released by Washington Phillips in the late 1920s.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Thursday Thirteen #2: We are Siamese, if You Please
I used to own two cats that lived up to the reputation that Siamese have for being unusual personalities. Between Ilse and Hannelore (or Hani, as she was known to her fan club) and their people, I came up with thirteen unique quirks.
1. Ilse loved cantaloupe. I didn't know that cats ate fruit.
2. Ilse DID NOT love yogurt. She tried it once, and sat there licking her top lip for at least ten minutes to try to get rid of it.
3. Hani was traumatized by the sound of silverware being put away. She would scream and run for cover when the clanking started.
4. The first endearing thing that Hani did the week that she came home as a six-week-old kitten, besides making Ilse hiss and circle her, was to run up the drapes and watch us from the top of the rod.
5. When she finally got too heavy to climb the drapes, she took to sitting in that big picture window and chewing out the blue jays that would swoop by to irritate her with an un-catlike MAT-MAT-MAT-MAT ratcheting sound.
6. Ilse got irritated by people behavior at times. When she did, she'd run at the offender, pivot on her front legs, mule-kick them in the shin with surprising force, and then regather herself and run for said cover.
7. They had a set bedtime routine. Ilse would lay between my (or Mom's) knees, and Hani curled up right under whomever's chin. She'd roll over onto your face, if you'd let her.
8. Hani had herself well-positioned to do the 5 a. m. wake up call, which usually consisted of licking an eyelid and MROWWWWRing cat breath directly into our noses.
9. Ilse, who detested Hani for the first two weeks or so after she came, one day changed her mind and decided to adopt her. One day, we found Ilse tucking Hani into her side, and maybe letting her fake-nurse a little since she was Mom-cat size and probably reminded her of Mom-cat. They spent the next 13 years napping that way, minus the pseudo-nursing.
10. We thought that qualified Ilse to be a Mom-cat. We took her to her appointment to become a mother, and she decided to practice abstinence instead. Actually, she practiced abstinence, slicing, and dicing. We were very grateful that the tom still had both eyes when we got her out of there, and had them both spayed after that.
11. Ilse was the bright one. I think she had a slide rule in her head. She didn't chase mice--she calculated their trajectory and triangulated onto their projected path.
12. Hani was a bit more....cerebrally challenged. She would sometimes get this wide-eyed look when you tossed her the string, as though she needed to have the game explained first, again. She would also walk through the house letting the world know that something wasn't quite right with her distinctive, somewhat nasal MWAAAOOOOWWWWRRRRRRR. It was generally tough to get to the bottom of the problem, leading us to believe that she wasn't sure what it was either.
13. This is actually behavior on the part of Ilse and Hani's people, and is somewhat poignant as well as a little amusing now that we've gotten some distance from it.
My Mom became their caretaker when I moved to a place that wouldn't allow me to keep them. They were her companions as I slogged through my weird marriage, and she had such guilt when the time came to put them down because of the ravages of old age that it aggravated some preexisting health conditions and she spent a few days in the hospital. My aunt, trying to be careful not to put her through any more heartache, picked them up from the vet and put them in her freezer until Mom could tell her where to bury them. In the meantime, Thanksgiving rolled around, and one of her daughters that had come home for the holiday went to the freezer for some pre-Thanksgiving supper, and....
Don't worry--they're lying safely under her willow tree.
1. Ilse loved cantaloupe. I didn't know that cats ate fruit.
2. Ilse DID NOT love yogurt. She tried it once, and sat there licking her top lip for at least ten minutes to try to get rid of it.
3. Hani was traumatized by the sound of silverware being put away. She would scream and run for cover when the clanking started.
4. The first endearing thing that Hani did the week that she came home as a six-week-old kitten, besides making Ilse hiss and circle her, was to run up the drapes and watch us from the top of the rod.
5. When she finally got too heavy to climb the drapes, she took to sitting in that big picture window and chewing out the blue jays that would swoop by to irritate her with an un-catlike MAT-MAT-MAT-MAT ratcheting sound.
6. Ilse got irritated by people behavior at times. When she did, she'd run at the offender, pivot on her front legs, mule-kick them in the shin with surprising force, and then regather herself and run for said cover.
7. They had a set bedtime routine. Ilse would lay between my (or Mom's) knees, and Hani curled up right under whomever's chin. She'd roll over onto your face, if you'd let her.
8. Hani had herself well-positioned to do the 5 a. m. wake up call, which usually consisted of licking an eyelid and MROWWWWRing cat breath directly into our noses.
9. Ilse, who detested Hani for the first two weeks or so after she came, one day changed her mind and decided to adopt her. One day, we found Ilse tucking Hani into her side, and maybe letting her fake-nurse a little since she was Mom-cat size and probably reminded her of Mom-cat. They spent the next 13 years napping that way, minus the pseudo-nursing.
10. We thought that qualified Ilse to be a Mom-cat. We took her to her appointment to become a mother, and she decided to practice abstinence instead. Actually, she practiced abstinence, slicing, and dicing. We were very grateful that the tom still had both eyes when we got her out of there, and had them both spayed after that.
11. Ilse was the bright one. I think she had a slide rule in her head. She didn't chase mice--she calculated their trajectory and triangulated onto their projected path.
12. Hani was a bit more....cerebrally challenged. She would sometimes get this wide-eyed look when you tossed her the string, as though she needed to have the game explained first, again. She would also walk through the house letting the world know that something wasn't quite right with her distinctive, somewhat nasal MWAAAOOOOWWWWRRRRRRR. It was generally tough to get to the bottom of the problem, leading us to believe that she wasn't sure what it was either.
13. This is actually behavior on the part of Ilse and Hani's people, and is somewhat poignant as well as a little amusing now that we've gotten some distance from it.
My Mom became their caretaker when I moved to a place that wouldn't allow me to keep them. They were her companions as I slogged through my weird marriage, and she had such guilt when the time came to put them down because of the ravages of old age that it aggravated some preexisting health conditions and she spent a few days in the hospital. My aunt, trying to be careful not to put her through any more heartache, picked them up from the vet and put them in her freezer until Mom could tell her where to bury them. In the meantime, Thanksgiving rolled around, and one of her daughters that had come home for the holiday went to the freezer for some pre-Thanksgiving supper, and....
Don't worry--they're lying safely under her willow tree.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Thursday Thirteen #1: Influential Writers
It looks as though Thursday is time for a list. Since I'm in writing mode, I listed thirteen writers that have greatly influenced my own writing, or my life in general.
1. God
I don't know of any other author who can write and illustrate at the same time.
2. C. S. Lewis
There could be so much said here. He added what I would consider to be spiritual perception to sensory images in his works, as described in the book Surprised by Joy. He created apologetics, science fiction, children's stories that could also intrigue adults, and scholarly works that all demonstrated repeated moments of reaching epiphany and translating it into tangible truth.
3. Marguerite Henry
She wrote my favorite childhood story, King of the Wind, about a triumphal outcast. One of my most prized possessions to this day is my copy of the Breyer model of Sham. She was intrigued at how something so large could be so easily guided by modest bits of string, and how important horses had been to human development. Like me, she developed her love of reading and writing during a long childhood illness.
4. Father Henri Nouwen
Father Nouwen is distintive among my best-loved Christian contemplative authors for the childlikeness with which he expressed his wonder at the beauty, and at times the chaos, that he observed the world with heightened awareness made possible by the time that he spent in the presence of the Life that was the Light of men. Profound brokenness led him to profound dependence.
5. James Herriot
Sometimes you just want to read something pleasant. James Herriot was the penname of Dr. James Alfred Wight, a British veterinarian who could both gently laugh at and appreciate both his clientele and their owners as he told stories drawn from his rural practice.
6. Ste. Teresa of Avila
Another contemplative author, she moved through stages of surrender, including one characterized by a depth of depression that nearly drove her to despair and madness, to a union with God that was perhaps as perfect as a mortal can experience. The act of choosing to abandon ourself to the One who already knows all and forgives all that we bring to Him causes joy rather than dread: perfect love casts out fear.
7. Walter Farley
Again, I return to a previous theme with the author of The Black Stallion and its twenty sequels. I started somewhere toward the end of the writing process, so I had enough books to allow me to spend as much time with Alec and the Black and his progeny as I wanted. I'm sure Arabian breeders everywhere wish that they could so easily come up with a lightning fast 17-hand stallion.
8. Charles Dickens
The reversal of his family's fortunes as a child gave him firsthand knowledge of the exploitation and neglect of the poor. He described the futility and desperation, but also the character that can be revealed and refined in suffering. In the end, he generally rewarded the reader with a happy ending, often through someone with critical information finally choosing to do the right thing.
9. Michael Roe
Librettists are writers, too. During my long and traumatic divorce, I had his honest lyrics to assure me that I was not alone in a battle with depression and reversals in life, and the questions about the involvement of God in our lives that come from those dark nights of the soul. The catharsis probably saved my sanity, and appreciation has been expressed accordingly.
10. Dr. Hugh Ross
Dr. Ross is both a PhD astrophysicist and a Christian apologeticist who served as a staff member at his church before starting the ministry, Reasons to Believe. His "old Earth" model of creation that can be both reconciled to scripture and substantiated mathematically has drawn the attention of scientists and engineers that were not open to any other form of evangelism, as well as displaying the glory of creation.
11. Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Referred to as "the Portuguese" by her husband, Robert Browning because of her dark features, she's perhaps most famous for "Sonnets from the Portuguese #43", commonly referred to as "How Do I Love Thee". She was another writer who used her time at home due to physical limitations from a lung ailment to capture wonder and transcendence in words. Her work often refires my own desire to write.
12. Ted Kooser
Dr. Kooser effectively utilizes the other end of the poetic spectrum --the minutiae of his environment--to illustrate that small, common things can intrigue, inspire, and bring fond memories to the fore. As a former U. S. Poet Laureate, he's an encouragement to anyone who feels that their life experience hasn't qualified them to write anything big enough to hold anyone else's interest.
13. The Unsung Heroes
I'm always encouraged when someone who didn't think they could and finally finds the courage, or who hasn't in a long time but finally finds the space to relaunch, amazes those around them with their previously undiscovered talent. Not every moving piece of literature that I've ever read came from a published author! The possibilities are endless.
1. God
I don't know of any other author who can write and illustrate at the same time.
2. C. S. Lewis
There could be so much said here. He added what I would consider to be spiritual perception to sensory images in his works, as described in the book Surprised by Joy. He created apologetics, science fiction, children's stories that could also intrigue adults, and scholarly works that all demonstrated repeated moments of reaching epiphany and translating it into tangible truth.
3. Marguerite Henry
She wrote my favorite childhood story, King of the Wind, about a triumphal outcast. One of my most prized possessions to this day is my copy of the Breyer model of Sham. She was intrigued at how something so large could be so easily guided by modest bits of string, and how important horses had been to human development. Like me, she developed her love of reading and writing during a long childhood illness.
4. Father Henri Nouwen
Father Nouwen is distintive among my best-loved Christian contemplative authors for the childlikeness with which he expressed his wonder at the beauty, and at times the chaos, that he observed the world with heightened awareness made possible by the time that he spent in the presence of the Life that was the Light of men. Profound brokenness led him to profound dependence.
5. James Herriot
Sometimes you just want to read something pleasant. James Herriot was the penname of Dr. James Alfred Wight, a British veterinarian who could both gently laugh at and appreciate both his clientele and their owners as he told stories drawn from his rural practice.
6. Ste. Teresa of Avila
Another contemplative author, she moved through stages of surrender, including one characterized by a depth of depression that nearly drove her to despair and madness, to a union with God that was perhaps as perfect as a mortal can experience. The act of choosing to abandon ourself to the One who already knows all and forgives all that we bring to Him causes joy rather than dread: perfect love casts out fear.
7. Walter Farley
Again, I return to a previous theme with the author of The Black Stallion and its twenty sequels. I started somewhere toward the end of the writing process, so I had enough books to allow me to spend as much time with Alec and the Black and his progeny as I wanted. I'm sure Arabian breeders everywhere wish that they could so easily come up with a lightning fast 17-hand stallion.
8. Charles Dickens
The reversal of his family's fortunes as a child gave him firsthand knowledge of the exploitation and neglect of the poor. He described the futility and desperation, but also the character that can be revealed and refined in suffering. In the end, he generally rewarded the reader with a happy ending, often through someone with critical information finally choosing to do the right thing.
9. Michael Roe
Librettists are writers, too. During my long and traumatic divorce, I had his honest lyrics to assure me that I was not alone in a battle with depression and reversals in life, and the questions about the involvement of God in our lives that come from those dark nights of the soul. The catharsis probably saved my sanity, and appreciation has been expressed accordingly.
10. Dr. Hugh Ross
Dr. Ross is both a PhD astrophysicist and a Christian apologeticist who served as a staff member at his church before starting the ministry, Reasons to Believe. His "old Earth" model of creation that can be both reconciled to scripture and substantiated mathematically has drawn the attention of scientists and engineers that were not open to any other form of evangelism, as well as displaying the glory of creation.
11. Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Referred to as "the Portuguese" by her husband, Robert Browning because of her dark features, she's perhaps most famous for "Sonnets from the Portuguese #43", commonly referred to as "How Do I Love Thee". She was another writer who used her time at home due to physical limitations from a lung ailment to capture wonder and transcendence in words. Her work often refires my own desire to write.
12. Ted Kooser
Dr. Kooser effectively utilizes the other end of the poetic spectrum --the minutiae of his environment--to illustrate that small, common things can intrigue, inspire, and bring fond memories to the fore. As a former U. S. Poet Laureate, he's an encouragement to anyone who feels that their life experience hasn't qualified them to write anything big enough to hold anyone else's interest.
13. The Unsung Heroes
I'm always encouraged when someone who didn't think they could and finally finds the courage, or who hasn't in a long time but finally finds the space to relaunch, amazes those around them with their previously undiscovered talent. Not every moving piece of literature that I've ever read came from a published author! The possibilities are endless.
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