Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

For those of you eagerly anticipating the release of Christopher Paolini's latest book, Brisingr:

Do not pay $27.00 (USD) by purchasing it through the main Alagaesia site. I just recently pre-ordered the book through Amazon.com, and guess how much I paid for it? $15.13 . For the hardcover. And another wonderful thing about Amazon.com - if they lower the price of the pre-order item after you've already ordered it and before the item is released, they'll charge you the lowered price. Not to mention the fact that I'm on Amazon Prime, so I get free two-day shipping. :D


Also, in case you didn't notice, there have been a few updates to the template of 'Asking the Answer.' I have added a few more blogs to my BlogRoll, firstly. 'Resolved2Worship' is the blog of a mother of 6 (four boys and two girls) who I have come to greatly admire and appreciate - I have no idea how I found her blog (it's been in my bookmarks for a while) but I am certainly glad I did. I encourage you especially to read her post "Real Life Monday" from a few weeks ago; in the second part (after the photos) she talks about forgiveness and letting go of hurt; it seriously brought me to tears (perhaps because of some things going on in my life at the moment). Anyway, the other addition is the Myspace blog of the band 'Tenth Avenue North' (they also have a "journal" page on their main site that varies a little bit from the Myspace blog). Even if you don't care for their music, I highly recommend their blog - they have a lot of really insightful, encouraging, and challenging posts (especially from the lead singer, Mike D.), plus a few quirky ones thrown in the mix. Perhaps at some point I'll post a few "guest" articles from them, but please peruse the blog yourself if you have time.


I've also added a Shoutbox. ;-) Now you can leave notes about things not relating to the posts and such (or whatever you feel like writing there).


Oh, and by the way, I watched a particular 5 hour movie with my cousin and sister a few weeks ago. *ahem* I think I can agree with the masses now and say that the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice is indeed better than the newest rendition of that story (starring Kiera Knightley). Although there are a few elements and characters (i.e. Jane in particular) that I liked better in the later version. ;)

How much?

This temporary lapse in posting is not permanent, I assure you! Thanks for your patience. :)

Written the week of June 14, 2008.

"To whom much has been given, much will be required."

That verse has been in my thoughts the past few days. Of course, the above is not exactly how it goes, but that's how I remembered it at the time. It wasn't even a verse that I had happened to come upon in my Bible reading, but simply one that popped into my head and refused to leave. Almost as soon as it manifested itself in my mind, it created what you might call an "Ah-ha!" experience in my heart. Suddenly, I felt that I began to grasp, understand, and realize the verse--in a way that I had not done before. It was amazing--like God just spoke to my heart. Such a simple verse, but so important.

Anyway, almost immediately after my initial reaction (which was, in essence, "Wow!") a slightly more unsettling reaction followed--in comparison to the first, this one would have sounded like "Oh...". Upon pondering the verse, I realized something--Jesus isn't simply referring to material possessions; He's not only implying that we should use the monetary and material blessings we have been given to further Christ's kingdom (which might be one common interpretation of the parable in which it is contained). No, more is being required than that.

Perhaps this thought came to me because I happened to be preparing for a piano lesson around the same time; I'm not sure. But have you ever considered that your gifts, your talents (in addition to the aforementioned blessings) might also be the subject of the verse? That the blessing of having many Godly influences (whether it be parents, pastors, or friends) might be included? What about your opportunities? Your resources? Even your very mind? Your desires, passions, skills?

"For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."

Ouch. When I think of all that I have been given--the immensity of my blessings, and the amount that has been "committed" to me, compared with how much I have given back to Him...How much shall be required of me, with what I have been given! How shall I ever account for it all? What am I doing to prepare for Him who has committed all these things to me? What will the balance be? Am I making the best use of all these blessings He has given me, as the first servant in that parable (I encourage you to read it over again), or am I simply holding them to return to Him exactly as they were when I first received them?

At the same time, I in no way am saying that I think we are required to work for our salvation. It is a free gift, given by Christ to all who will reach out and take it. But there is a level of accountability that I think perhaps we too often miss--for those of us to whom much has been given, much will be required. Yes, I believe absolutely and completely that God loves me no matter what I do or do not do; but should I not attempt to at least use that which He has given me in His love and grace in a way that blesses Him and His kingdom? Why else would He have given them to me? No, that doesn't mean that every single one of us is meant to be sent out into the world to do "great and glorious things" that all the world will see. Maybe what's required of some of us is much simpler. Maybe a particular gift you have been given isn't one to bring in hundreds of new believers, but is to be used for your own family--to develop, train, and bless your own children someday--or maybe it has one of a million other purposes, seemingly small and relatively unimportant to the world, but a necessary tool in God's hand. Maybe? Isn't that still giving back to Him? Developing and furthering what He has given us?

So that's what was on my heart this weekend, and I just wanted to share it with you--though I'm not quite sure that I worded it in a way that properly explains what I was trying to say...Please let me know what you think of it; does any of it ring true for you?

Lairë

I apologize for not posting for so long--we were preparing for a long car trip and then were en route/in Kentucky until just this afternoon.

Written June 7, 2008


Well summertime is here again in Texas--full force--with all its beauty and misery. :P


Everything is blooming, and has been for about a month now. Our towering palm trees are nearly always moving, rustling in the gentle breeze, dropping their last few blossoms along the rocks and into the pool. The beautiful crepe myrtle branches have been painted with white and all various shades of pink and purple; when the wind blows it seems to catch up the tiny flowers like snowflake flurries--especially during a thunderstorm, when they flow and skitter across the crepe myrtle-lined driveway. The small, dark purple flowers of the Mexican Heather are appearing, as are those of the lighter shaded Lilies of the Nile. The Day Lilies, too, are adding their color to the summer landscape, with tints of yellow, red, purple, and orange. The hibiscus, the Oleanders with their lovely cherry scent, and oh! the fruit trees! Their blossoms smell absolutely heavenly--lemon, grapefruit, lime, peach, apple, pear...*sigh*


My dad's garden is well on its way--we have fresh tomatoes, corn, and peppers (bell and jalapeno), and will soon have watermelon, cantaloupe, beans, and cucumbers. Our herb garden is also providing fresh basil, rosemary, oregano, chives, peppermint, and lavender. :)


The sun is usually peeking its head over the horizon by about 6:30 these days, and doesn't disappear in the west until around eight in the evening. And oh! does the sun take advantage of its full trek across the sky--by 10 in the morning it can be 90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 32-38 degrees Celsius). The humidity can make it so "sticky" that you almost feel like you're suffocating if you step outside. Thankfully there has been a fairly constant light wind lately--I notice the trees in a nearly endless dance most the day. Sometimes whirling around gaily, and sometimes just barely touching fingers, but always moving. I love hearing the wind play the first 6 notes of 'Amazing Grace' as it brushes past the wind chime hanging on the back porch.


It's quite strange, really. When I began writing this post, I thought I'd have much more ranting about the heat, humidity, mosquitoes, and the things that make summer miserable, but instead I've gone on and on about how gorgeous it is. I suppose that I like summer more than I thought I did (though the heat and humidity is still a damper on my enthusiasm for it. ;) ). Do you ever feel, with all the beauty around you, this deep soul-longing?


Well, now that I have rambled on and on about basically nothing...Hmm. What shall I do to redeem this post slightly?


Listen to 'Sunny Days' by Jars of Clay. It's probably my favorite song of that band to date.


'Summer Again' by The Afters is beautiful--look it up if you haven't.


And a random fact of the day: Lairë is the Quenya Elvish word for 'summer.' And I love the Elvish language. Wait, that's two random facts. No it isn't. The second one isn't random--it relates to the first. Hang on. That means that the first one isn't random, now, doesn't it? I'm confusing you, aren't I? I've been on a fast for 9 days now, so I'm entitled to be a little confusing at the moment. There. That's three...semi-random...facts for you. And I bet those will trigger as much conversation as the entire above post. (If there's any conversation at all.)


Enjoy the break from "serious" posts...it won't last long, I'm sure.

Smile--it's contagious. :) God bless.

Pondering in the Blueberry Patch

(Written Sunday, June 29, 2008)

I suppose my thoughts on this post are, in the words of the oft-quoted Calvin, "Who wouldn't be interested in everything we do?!"

Our dad came into the room that I share with my two younger sisters at 6:45 this morning, awaking me from a sound sleep in which I dreamt that, for some strange reason, I was one of 8 or 9 people chosen to be blasted off into space (to the moon, I think). Being desirous of reaching the conclusion of the dream, I attempted in vain to tune out the unwelcome "alarm." When, however, I heard that we had only 15 minutes to get changed, gather our things, and be in the car, I rather reluctantly but quickly threw back the 3 layers of covers (I get cold at night very easily :P).

After getting ready, I grabbed my cell phone and a ring of keys from my dresser, intending to run down the street to a neighbor's house in order to feed their cat (which responsibility I took on for half a month while the couple celebrates their 25th wedding anniversary in Vienna and on a cruise ship among the Greek islands). As I reached their driveway, however, I remembered that their daughter (a year older than I, and a sophomore in college) had left me a note yesterday saying that she would be home until later that morning, and it occurred to me that she might not appreciate my waking her so early. I therefore hastened back to the car, where the rest of the family was just piling in.

As we drove out of the neighborhood, we passed a little family of ducks just preparing to cross the road--with little baby ducklings. A cry of "Awwww!" came from my mom and me, while my dad looked at me (via the rearview mirror) like my cheese had begun to slide off my cracker. LOL

I then picked up the book I had brought with me and attempted to read. This was quite difficult, however, as my mom was reading to my dad from a book about raw milk and the history of pasteurization (we drink raw milk ;) ). I continued my efforts to tune out the commentary in the front of the car and tried to focus on George MacDonald's The Musician's Quest. The difficulty of this increased, however, as Nicole Nordeman's song 'Sunrise' stuck itself in my brain.

Finally, after a few moments, I temporarily set aside Robert Falconer and Shargar; my mind was going at such a rate (writing the beginning of this blog post, actually), that I quickly requested from my mother a piece of paper and pencil. Kara supplied the paper from her notepad on which she was writing Spanish verbs, and the pencil was found in the compartment between the front seats. (I really should remember to carry a pad of paper around with me everywhere I go.) Thus I occupied myself writing for a good 15 minutes until we came close to our destination, when my concentration was distracted by my dad pointing out some horses along the road to the kids--my attention once drawn to the window, I continued to gaze in that direction for several more minutes. Moments later, a very strange thing came into view; ostriches! Why on earth someone had ostriches in their front yard I don't know. :P

As I went to return to my creative endeavors, I was rudely interrupted by a continuous joggling. Looking up once more, I saw that we had turned onto a dirt/gravel road, and therefore postponed the commencement of my writing, lest I be completely unable to decipher it afterwards. My dad must have been highly amused at the sight of us bouncing around in our seats like Mexican jumping beans.

Miraculously, we found ourselves whole and unbruised when we finally pulled into a parking space in front of the "U-pick" blueberry farm. Everyone quickly unbuckled and gathered their things (hats, water bottles, and--in my case--a camera), whereupon we walked up to the main office.

The man that greeted us immediately congratulated our mother for "bringing so many pickers" as he began handing us buckets and ropes (by which to hang the buckets over our necks, leaving our hands free). Strangely, his voice and laugh reminded me of a character from a movie--after a bit of pondering, I realized it was the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland (which I haven't seen in an eternity). The similarity was quite bizarre.

Anyway, the Mad Hatter man then directed us towards the back of the farm, where there were berries to be found. I walked with Daddy, ahead of the others, and he chatted to me about a doctor friend of his, while I listened, swinging my bucket happily. Finally we came to the section indicated by the Mad Hatter man (I never did catch his name), and everyone spread out and began picking.

There is a point to this post, believe it or not! So stay in your seat. :P

Picking the blueberries was harder this year than last. This year we didn't manage to make it to the farm until near the very end of the season, so most of the blueberries within easy reach were gone. The ones that were left were either quite far into the bush or way up on top of it. And I'm short; that made it even harder. Apparently I wasn't the only one, either. I overheard a couple on the other side of the row from me talking, and the girl commented that she wasn't getting many berries, whereupon her husband/boyfriend (I couldn't tell which) teased her for being so short and boasted that he had half a bucketful already (Hey, he must've been over 6', so he had an unfair advantage, which he admitted).

The other members of my family began commenting on the scarceness of the berries as well. This sort of blueberry picking was not for the squeamish. It required diving into the very heart of the bushes, pulling back branches, and (in my case) reaching up and pulling down branches to reach the top of them. My thirteen year-old brother approached me at one point and lamented, through the bushes, "How long wilt thou be content with the middlings? When will thou reach higher?" (Yes, I know his Olde English needs help. :P) Humorous as that was, my mind, being the way it is, took that concept and ran with it.

As I picked, I thought about the fact that in order to get the best berries (for they truly were better--bigger and sweeter), one had to strive for the tops and centers of the plants. Isn't that rather like our spiritual lives? How many people are content to walk through life and catch what they can of God along the way--a bit here, a bit there...Whatever is in easy reach. Heaven forbid that they should have to inconvenience themselves to have more of Him and His presence. Why don't we dive into God--into His heart? Why don't we look up and reach for His face? I think He is calling us to do as Aslan called the Pevensies in the Last Battle, when in the "real" Narnia:

"Further up and further in!"

This thought enkindles me. Will you too join the quest to go "further up and further in" to our relationship with Him? For without Him, where is the joy in the journey?

Feel free to opine...

Well, there is the result of an evening's photo-shoot and another evening's Photoshop. :)


What thinkest thou of mine new banner? Preferest thou the old or the new?

The dream of every little boy...

NASA is offering to take you to the moon for free! Well, sort of--your name, anyway. Read here for more information and instructions on how to send them your info, which will be placed on a microchip, which in turn will go hurdling through space on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) to the moon itself. The deadline for submitting your name is tomorrow, June 27, 2008. (That's American Eastern Time, I assume, for those of you elsewhere in the world--so Mada and other NZers, remember that you're 16 hours ahead of that at the moment. ;) )

What do you think of that?

Choices

Watch your thoughts for they become words

Choose your words for they become actions

Understand your actions for they become habits

Study your habits for they will become your character

Develop your character for it will become your destiny

(Author Unknown)