The Semicolon and the Soul

"He restores my soul;
He guides me in paths of righteousness
For His name's sake."  -Psalm 23:3 NASB

I have been  granted a new title in the past few months, Communications Guy. Anything that leaves the church office in an official capacity is supposed go through me for approval/editing. My internet history tab used to be filled with potential Bible studies, youth games, and the like. Now I bookmark my favorite grammar websites that I use to help me wade through newsletter articles and bulletin advertisements. All this proof reading has changed how I read. I used to be rather reckless in my reading, skipping over punctuation and carelessly structuring the sentences and phrases especially the more familiar passages.  Now I read with intent and my proof-o-meter always seems to be on even if it is a bit faulty. You won't have to look too hard to find grammatical errors in this blog. Anyway, sometimes this is not so good; it is difficult to read text messages from teenagers and from some adults now. Other times this is good; my Bible study is richer than before. I know why there is a semicolon instead of a period. I see how it radically changes the meaning of the sentence.

Phoebe and the Security Blanket

Phoebe is our 64 lb. doberman...

Phoebe is our 64 lb. Doberman. It came as a shock to some when we got her, probably because our two previous dogs were miniature dachshunds. When I'm asked why we got such a big dog my reply is, "I wanted a dog that wasn't allergic to truck tires like dachshunds seem to be". For all her perceived viciousness, Phoebe is actually one of the most "loving" dogs I've had. She is always wanting to be right up under one of us. It's a regular thing for the kids to spread out a blanket  on the couch so she can sit with them, for Beth to holler at the dog to "quit standing on me" while she sits in the recliner, or for me to gripe about having no where to put my feet because the dog is curled up at the foot of my chair. There are constant wet-nosed hand nudges, push you off your feet leg leanings, and sad-eyed food beggings at our house. But her favorite place to be is in our bed. This silly dog rolls over on her back in between us with her feet up in the air like a dead bug and proceeds to fall asleep. The term "goofy dog" comes out of my mouth quite often.

The Kiss You Give

...the tenderness of a parents heart...

Oh, a kiss! Such variety of meaning can be found in this little gesture. For little ones it is the tenderness of a parents heart; of them finding joy and wonder in their child. As they learn to crawl, walk, and become their own person, it's a wet smack during play time or comes accompanied by a mispronounced "I love you'. In school, a kiss becomes a thing to be wiped off, a "your beard tickles" moment, or the way you get cooties. It conveys safety and security to the sick child, comfort for the wounded knees and scraped palms, and makes monsters shrivel under beds during the wee hours of the night.

Grass Mowing Goats

...I hate mowing my grass...

I hate mowing grass. Let me rephrase; I hate mowing my grass. A good part of our yard is low, so water collects from our yard and from our neighbors' yard. This means it takes twice as long for it to be dry enough for me to not leave holes and ruts when I mow. All the excess water feeds gigantic clumps of crab grass, not to mention a variety of weeds, that grow twice as fast as the centipede grass that is in the rest of  the yard. On top of that, if my grass gets too tall, I run the risk of receiving a fine from the city. So, if it rains on a consistent basis, I find myself in ankle deep marsh sludge using my weed eater to knock the tops off the mutant grass and weeds that infest my yard. There are many days that I have wished I owned some goats to make the whole thing easier.

Juggling Honey

...a "quick " grocery trip...

My wife frequently takes me grocery shopping with her. Now, I love hanging out with my wife, but grocery shopping ranks pretty low on my list of things I want to do. Still, I get to spend time with my wife so I go and try to find ways to amuse myself (as everyone on my social media pages can attest to). The holidays are usually more fun because there is always an embarrassing hat I can wear around the store, or a holiday themed item I can make fun of. I am often amazed at some of the products that companies think people want to buy. I can almost hear them desperately working in some stuffy, windowless room during a week long planning session that has yielded no results.
                "Everybody loves Little Female Explorer Cookies, right?"
                "They sure do!"
                "And people love flavored milk, right?"
                "I like where this is going!"
                "Let's make Mint Cookie flavored milk!"
                "That's an awesome idea!"
And then room erupts into spastic high-fives and weird group hugs. This is how I amuse myself at that big chain store that I won't name for trademark reasons.

Little Sparks

About a year ago, my wife found a journal that she just had to get me (it’s a Star Wars Moleskin). I decided to use it to keep track of the little moments I like to call “Everyday Jesus”. Why “Everyday Jesus”? Well, I’m glad you asked! It’s because I firmly believe that a little bit of spiritual truth can be found in everything we see. The problem is we often do not take the time to notice. In no way am I saying that Jesus is ordinary or uninteresting. In fact, it’s just the opposite. He is extra-ordinary! He chooses to insert Himself into our lives just so He can draw us into a closer relationship. I believe that this is one of the keys to the Christian life. Yes, read your Bible. Yes, pray, tithe, and help the poor. By all means, share the Good News! Do all these things but also build an actual relationship with Jesus. Listen for when Jesus whispers to you during your waking hours. Look for Him in all that you see and wherever you go. Let your mind wander to Him instead of to the latest news headline or work problem. Time spent dwelling on Jesus and his spiritual truths is worth so much more than the paltry things we normally fill our extra time with. Here’s one of the first one’s I wrote back in April of 2014.