Friday, May 14, 2010

Geek at heart

Ah you intrigue me. The older I get the more I'm yearning to soak up knowledge.

Solomon says in -
Proverbs 1:7 - 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.'
Proverbs 2: 6 - 8 'For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.'

I find that pretty encouraging given that lately I've been trying to read catch up with all the books on my shelves, ones people have given me and magazines purchased. On my trip home I bought two magazines (and no they weren't celeb mags with the latest gossip only because I know most of it already - haha), one was a travel magazine and the other is called Scientific American Mind.

Lately I've been trying to read about history and monumental events but typically most of the books I read are about bettering yourself and becoming all that God would like us to be. Currently I'm reading The Gospel According to Starbucks by Leonard Sweet. In it he uses the Starbucks franchise as an example of how we are as Christians. For example he says, we can stand in line all day at a Starbucks but if we don't participate (in any form of transaction) we won't actually be satisfied. Now if you take that into context with the God's Church it would be like saying that you need to participate and be involved or you won't fully get out of it what you need and what God has prepared for you. Pretty good stuff, I'd say.

The mag's I read on my trip back home were so fantastic! I love to travel and it was great to know that two of the places mentioned for the top 20 places to visit in Europe were places I've been to already. So many places, so little time and money......

The American Scientific Mind was intriguing as well given that I like to read information about how or why we think the way we do, etc. This month it's main focus had different articles on how men and woman converse with one another and why we communicate the way we do. Still working on those articles but if I find out anything earthshattering I'll post it on here.

I remember someone saying something to the affect of knowledge being like climbing a ladder. The more you climb, the more you see the horizon and see how much more there is to know.

Friday, May 7, 2010

My nightmare last night

Last night I had a terrible dream. I'm not sure what caused my thoughts to go down that road but they did. I say 'caused' because I think our dream state is due to things that are in our subconscious and we don't even realize it. This dream was quite disturbing and I'm not sure if I can describe the intensity to reflect the feelings I had. Sort of like reading a book then watching the movie...it's just not the same.

It was dark outside but still lots of city lights and night time activity and I was at the back of a convenience store scanning the shelves. My back was to the coolers and facing the counter but since the shelves were my eye-height I couldn't see the window front. (Of course, from my experience in working at 7-Eleven I realize now that shelf height is much lower than that.) Anyway, there were others in the store as well, some new each other some didn't. Small conversations were about and just normal, regular activity.

Then a few men came in and they started yelling at us in a foreign language and then repeating themselves in English. They we asking us to divide up into races, North American over here, Mexican over there, etc., etc. At this point the blood in my veins was pumping so much with adrenaline I could hear it pulsing in my head. I was so nervous and thoughts were running through my head a mile a minute with ideas of how to get out of there or trying to impress on my mind the details of their face so I could recognize them or describe them later. From my recollection they seemed to be part of the Taliban or something. Who knows! I had never been in a situation like this. This only happens on tv! They didn't ask for cash or anything of monetary value; their prize was us. They had some weapons but they must've been small and I say that because as they were doing that another group of men came in with visibly larger weaponry and took over this group of men and again started asking us to divide up. (I'm not sure what any of this means and I haven't thought long enough about it to decipher it)

I then found ourselves on a dirty old school bus going to another location and then the scene changed to our final destination. The next scene was all of the customers (to whom some had now turned out to be some of my friends), walking in a barn-like building with dirt floors. The light shone from one bulb hanging loosely above the leader of this criminal group and he was carrying a gun resting on his shoulder. I noticed different wooden crates misplaced here and there; to my left was some rope tied to a warnout picnic table that looked like some sort of torture mechanism.

The leader then ordered us to take a seat on some of the crates and at this point our hands were tied behind our backs. There was no way to escape. We were tied up, the tension, nerves, adrenaline, weaponry, and evil roamed about us. Across from me I could see the makeshift torture 'area' to which would soon be my fate. I didn't notice too much of the feelings inside of me and the fear I must've had but it was more like I was having an out-of-body experience and noticing everything around me and the energy in the air instead. (If that makes any sense) I did experience fear but maybe my body was just in shock.

Then we were asked the question: Who would like to be the first to be beaten at the Cat-o-nine table? He called it. Really? Is this how I am suppose to live out my last day? Is this my final moment? There was hesitation in the room and there was a big guy sitting next to me whom I could sort of hide behind his shadow but I felt like I would be picked first. Was it something in me that felt I should take the first hit and help the others from experiencing the pain? Those are some of the thoughts that went through my head.

I then remember again having the out-of-body experience because I was still sitting on the same crate I first sat on but then I was watching myself being tied up at the picnic table and about to be tortured with the Cat-o-nine tails. (sp) My thoughts then turned to Christ. Is this what he had to endure for us? His back split open from a whip that would tear him apart and the rest of the torture all because he longs to be with us. Through all of beatings, ridicule, humiliation and adrenaline pumping through his veins and his only response was: Forgive them.

Whew!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Adjusting to the new digs

Well, I've been in Ontario (and Michigan) for a week now and things seem to be settling down which is nice. When I first got here it was mayhem partly because my mom had just gotten out of the hospital due to hemorraging and within 24hrs had to be moved to a new care facility. She still is adjusting to everything and doesn't talk as much anymore which is very unlike her. Told you, her and I are very alike. ;-)

I'm glad I've been here so I can visit with her even if she sleeps most of the time. I brought a song book with me and have been singing to her once in a while which has been relaxing. Of course, yesterday I asked her if she wanted me to sing or if she wanted to just rest and I would watch tv; she chose me watching tv. I won't take offence to the fact that she didn't want me to sing...we just had a good little chuckle. I think I wore her out a couple days ago with having her walk the hallways a few times so she was pretty tuckered out yesterday. Poor girl.

Aside from all of that, the weather has been fantastic here. The sun is shining, capris and short sleeves are in order and I now dread having to head back to Coldtown...er, Cowtown and face the snowy weather there. ugh! Trust me, I'm there for my friends and church family. That's it!