Saturday Six

Another meme for today. This one came from here.

Q. What are your six favorite beverages and why do you like them so much?

1. A&W Rootbeer. Because it is delicious! And when I was a kid and we went to visit my grandparents in La Junta we would go to the A&W drive in. We would get the root beer in frosty mugs and it was better than any root beer in the world. Well, in my world.

2. Lemonade. Because it's tangy and sweet. Old-fashioned, yellow, and happy. It refreshes.

3. Dr. Pepper. Because I'm a Pepper. Although it has so much sugar and caffeine that I seldom drink it. It is a unique drink that cannot be duplicated. No matter what Mr. Pibb thinks.

4. Sweet tea. Because it's tea and it's sweet. It is old fashioned and makes me think of front porches. But again, I seldom have it.

5. Water. Water is the stuff of life. Can't live without it. Nothing quenches quite like it.

6. Black Cherry Koolaid. Takes me back to childhood. This was my favorite flavor. I haven't had any in years.

If I were to tell you the favorite beverages I actually drink, that would be water. Everything else has too much sugar. Now and then I drink unsweetened tea, though.

friday fill-ins

And...here we go!

1. _Watermelon____ is my favorite summertime __treat___.

2. My favorite John Hughes movies is _Ferris Bueller's Day Off___.

3. _Almost everything__ is something I love to touch.

4. The full moon _makes me smile____.

5. _I want food___ right now.

6. When daylight fades _is my favorite time of day___.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _resting____, tomorrow my plans include __family time___ and Sunday, I want to _sing___!

word count and contest

There have been short stories for a long time. Short stories are 1,000 to 7,500 words.
Then there came flash fiction. The word count for that is 100 to 1,000 words.
Also, there is micro fiction. Less than 100 words.

But here is a contest for hint fiction. Write a story that hints at a bigger story in 25 words or less.

desperation

Have you ever been desperate? I mean really? Have you ever suffered extreme need?

Once, I thought I was drowning and I was desperate for something to grab on to. Or for something to grab on to me! My mom did, finally. After about three hours, so it seemed.

In some countries they know desperation on a daily basis. Fights break out over a scrap of food. People huddle for shelter. Clean drinking water is beyond their reality.

I'm thinking about this because of one of my favorite songs, Michael W. Smith's Breathe.

This is the air I breathe
This is the air I breathe
Your holy presence living in me

This is my daily bread
This is my daily bread
Your very word spoken to me

And I, I'm desperate for you
And I, I'm I'm lost without you



Then it repeats.
It seems simple at first, but then I see the complex beauty of it.
Breathe and air refer to breath which is the same word as Spirit. His Spirit is my life. Without Him, I am a walking dead person (Eph 2:1-2).
Bread refers to Christ. Without food I die.

And God the Father is over all. I am desperate for Him. If somehow He could be taken from me, I honestly don't know how I would survive. Some would call that a crutch. I would agree. He is my support, my very life.
I cannot make my heart beat even one time on my own. So literally, He gives me life.
But beyond that, I rely on Him to get through each day. I struggle with my own inadequacies and I think they are there to keep me mindful of my need for Him. Sometimes I feel desperate.

What about you?

books

I am mostly a fiction reader, but I have read many wonderful non-fiction books, too.
I thought I would share some of my favorites.

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. The story of her family as they hid Jews from the Nazis in Holland.

A Chance to Die by Elisabeth Elliott. The biography of Amy Carmichael, missionary to India.

Loneliness by Elisabeth Elliott. A wonderful book, full of many good lessons.

A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Van Auken. A beautiful love story that leads to the truest Love Story.

Our Covenant God by Kay Arthur. I am leading a study using this book. Every Christian should study Covenant. "Everything God does is based on Covenant." Kay A. says.

The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennen Manning. A simple message of God's love and grace.

Touch by Pastor Rudy Rasmus. An example of how the church should function.

What are some of your favorites?

just wondering about stuff

So, we are supposed to obey those in authority over us, right? I try my best to follow the laws. But is it an actual sin to break the law? What about the law that says we have to wear seat belts? Is it a sin to not buckle up? Maybe the sin is in disobeying the authority over us? Of course, history has proven that there are times when obeying the authority is the greater sin. God's law always comes first.

What about rules? Is it a sin to disobey rules? Do the movie theater people have authority over me? Am I obligated to obey their rules? If I sneak a candy bar into the movie, am I sinning? Maybe it is unethical. But is it ethical for the company to put such a rule in place for the sake of their own greedy gain?

Is every unethical action also sinful? Can a person be unethical without sin?

Just wondering. What do you think?

about my heart

I grew up with animals. That sounds weird.
What I mean is, we always had animals around--pets.
We had dogs, cats, chickens, a pony, a rabbit, a duck, maybe others.

I always has such a soft spot for them and would bawl my eyes out over animals being hurt, sick, or killed.

I've hardened. It's odd. We just watched Marley and Me and I only cried a little. I've grown very pragmatic about all that and I feel sad about it. Sad because that part of me is missing and I don't know why or where it went. It makes me feel like I'm mean.

I like animals. I enjoy them. I think they know God. I think they are amazing.
I still miss my kitty that died almost 20 years ago. I understand when people grieve them, so don't get me wrong. But the emotional aspect has changed.

On the other hand, I used to watch the news cold-heartedly. I was never moved by appeals to feed the children or news of genocide.
Now, those are the things that bring the tears. I read the headlines every day and feel my heart crumble a little more.
People in slavery. Fathers who sell their daughters to feed the rest of the family. Children accused of witchcraft. I can't imagine now how I used to be unmoved by these things that wreck me now. I can't even type it without tears.

Maybe my heart only has so much room. Maybe I only have a certain amount of love to give. Maybe for me it's an "either/or" situation. I know people who have both, a deep compassion for animals and for people.

For some reason, for me, it seems it had to be a trade off. I guess that's ok.