Mon 2 Feb 2009
I have logged in at least twice to blog and then gotten distracted with other things. And in the meantime, things pile up to be blogged, and the original blogging topics get pushed out of my mind and they are just unblogged thoughts.
I am here in sunny California - seems like our New England summer, except for the weird trees they have here. It really is nice for a change, although I miss home.
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This morning I made eggs benedict and it wasn’t too bad! Thankfully the eggs and butter didn’t separate, and everything went well. Especially with the help I got from my hosts and my family 
Actually, it’s almost like they made it and I assisted; all I did was make the hollandaise sauce.
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Repeatedly holding back coughs almost feels like dry heaves. In an effort not to wake people, I tried not to cough last night. And now I have a drown-y feeling in my chest. My poor grandfather is really not doing well with his cold, pray that he’ll get over it! It must be worlds worse for him with his asthma and all, and my dad has definitely got it worse because his back hurts so much when he sneezes or coughs.
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Yesterday we sang for a big church in the morning. They had a sign outside of the main meeting place; “No food or drinks. No children under 10. Thank you!”
This sign made me cry. I went out and sat next to the building for a while. It makes me cry now just to think of the children. I saw some of them afterwards, after they had come out of their separate classes. I think if I were forced to go there I would decide to go to the classes of the children instead. And if I had my choice about it at all, I wouldn’t attend there. If I did, it would be a study in humanity or something, not a time to fellowship and worship God.
If anyone from the church is reading this, I hope you think about your attending a place that prohibits children from what is supposed to be a place of meeting together with God in your midst. Or is that what your church is supposed to be? Do not hinder them for the Kingdom of God is such as these. Perhaps Jesus is really in your classes for children and not in the place where you hinder them from coming. Jesus commanded for us to be like them. You will not enter the Kingdom unless you become as one of these.
I have not been angered as much as I should have, probably, but my initial reaction (nor my reaction now) was not anger, it was tears. Tears for you and tears for your children.
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Strong’s Concordance and Dictionary is fascinating. I will have to keep my eye out for one at the thrift stores we stop at. We looked at passages from 1st John this morning and they were amazing. If you have material wealth and see a brother in need and do nothing about it, where is your love? This is how we will know we doing as pleases God. (paraphrased). It was set forth that brothers might only consist of fellow believers, but the word in Strong’s seemed to indicate that it is fellow man. The only problem with Strong’s is that it doesn’t give sufficient meaning, I don’t think. It seems like some words in English have a whole feeling and aura about them to me, because they encompass an idea and not a definition, and I have an idea of the idea. The only way to define a word by words is by more words, and that is useless by itself, but it is also not useless because that is . Maybe a Greek dictionary along with that would be better.
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The Word is amazing. It is beautiful. It is marvelous. And that’s because of everything that is true (and it all is) in John 1. That God is love is amazing. I just feel all full of it this morning. The Word of God is water in any desert. But now, where will I love, who will I love, how can I love today? Where will water bring life?
Posted by Bonnie under Uncategorized
February 4th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Did you ever wonder why they named that group, which is comedian Dennis Miller’s favorite group (and song, Everybody Wants To Rule The World) chose their name, Tears For Fears? Some of us feel guilty for *ever* getting angry, since it is “always” wrong for us, and always righteous for God (we must assume it is), since you have got your steps ordered properly.
You were hurt, inwardly, by their uncaring for the children, and their blatantly self-caring attitude. You don’t need to analyze. I could do it for you if you needed the analysis. Forget the guilt. It is not yours. It is theirs. You cried first. Don’t let anyone tell you not to get angry, if you did it that way. They do not understand. I think I might.
I cry far too much (judgment on that) for someone who has nothing personal to feel all that bad about anymore. Yet, I still do, a lot, and often. Then, I look for anyone else who feels that way, and maybe thinks they should “understand” more about it. You don’t, really, need explanations, but you benefit somehow, maybe.
You already know, in as much of a childlike way as any grown woman or man could: we are here to help those less fortunate than ourselves, not become some “king for a day” nor a queen for a time, but more like exalted servants who work really, really hard to please anyone who needs what we have. Hooray for Oprah. She’s a fool. You are not. Go ahead, get angry at the churches. Jesus will, if he hasn’t already, get very angry, and relatively soon.
I myself, prefer an occasional journey into the Revelation, which is totally weird in terms of being literal. It also says little of how to help my fellow man or woman, other than to tell them, “Don’t worry, you’re one of the ones who make it through unharmed.” I am not supposed to know these details. But I like how you found one of the best entire chapters in the whole entire Bible (any version) if you wanted to focus on just one “chunk” of the scriptures. That is why you love it, like I do. Yet, let me point out, the Bible cannot love you back. It does not love you. Jesus does. God does. Some humans do. I might even think that I do, but that’s because I only partly understand how others actually do feel about you. I’d like to believe that I understand. Who wouldn’t?
Still, I say, don’t worry, Bonnie. You are right to get mad at the wrongdoing. And you do not fly off the handle, after you find that you have eaten too much barnyard fertilizer. That part (taking as much in with your open eyes and not having it simply break your heart) is amazing.
Really, it is. I would have done more than spill on them. Jail doesn’t scare me. I’ve been there, overnight, only once. And that was my lesson. I learn. My ex-wife taught me not to be a wimp, and refuse to fight with her. You wouldn’t think that defending yourself could be called an attack, but so many brutal men have done the manly thing, and made it impossible for a battered husband to be believable. Oddly, some of us would rather be physically tortured, than to abandon or be abandoned by someone who has found the way to be repeatedly cruel to us. You are so very perceptive.
♥
–g
February 7th, 2009 at 4:42 am
Hello, Bonnie. My father passed me a CD tonight, Honey in the Rock, which I added to the resources on my site. Thank you and your family for giving this music to the Church.
I’m tired, and will thus refrain from commenting to the extend that I normally would on such a post; suffice to say, I was blessed to the love for God and others which the Lord is working in you. Taking into account our natural and utter depravity, to see a person turned to worshiping God is beautiful.
I also watched the yodeling video.
Please ignore the email address listed. My blog is theopenlife.com.
God bless you in your service to the Lord Jesus, our Sanctification, Wisdom, and Savior.
-Michael Spotts:.
February 15th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
I ran across your families website from a link on another blog I view from time to time. Anyway, though I’ve never met your family, I have viewed a few videos of your family on YouTube. I especially enjoyed the one of you all singing “Holy, Holy, Holy” acapella…simply beautiful and such a blessing.
Anyway, point of my comment is to say I agree with you about how sad it is that a church would prohibit children from the auditorium. Children’s hearts are as tender as they come…what better age for a child to hear the gospel and accept the Lord. What a shame that any church would have such a rule.
God bless you and your family!
February 18th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Thanks all of you for your comments, and thanks to the last two readers for your leaving “introductory” comments. Always cool to hear about new readers
August 30th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
How did it cost to start up this blog…I want to start my own.