Christ Animated

Spending a week with your children, when you don't get to see them every week, reminds you of certain things you have taken for granted.  Like silence. But one of the greatest sounds in the world that I know is the sound of my children's voices - their laughter, their "I love you, Daddy" comments, and all the noise they make!  They're spending the day today with 4/5 of their cousins on my side of the family, as I go to work.  Today is Good Friday. It is so very good! I asked my youngest daughter this morning if she knew what was going to make this day a very good day. She thought for a minute, and answered, "My attitude?" I was very happy with that answer! And she is so very right.  But other things that will make this day good for me include: * knowing my children are safe and well * knowing that all my yesterdays are over * knowing that tomorrow hasn't come yet, and so I don't need to worry  about it * knowing someone loves me * ...

What is "peace"? "World peace" is 'an ideal of freedom, peace, and happiness among and within all nations and/or people. [It] is an idea of planetary non-violence by which nations willingly cooperate, either voluntarily or by virtue of a system of governance that prevents warfare. The term is sometimes used to refer to a cessation of all hostility among all individuals' [from Wikipedia, the always-trustworthy source. *ahem*]. Metta World Peace is an NBA pro-basketballer, with the LA Lakers. Before he legally changed his name in Sept. 2011, he was Ron Artest, Jr. Mr. World Peace is known by his reputation as an athlete (as one of the NBA's premier defensive players) as well as his reputation as a person (as a part of several controversial on-court incidents/brawls, as well as his somewhat eccentric, outspoken behavior). Interesting, Mr. Peace. "God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no s...

Okay, I have asked my other daughter to give me a few words, so I can write a short story for her here. Her words are: beautiful, horse, blue, ocean, and dad. I have fifteen minutes to write the story. Here goes: Donovan was a beautiful blue horse. Though not the  'horse of a different color' in the Emerald City in the Land of Oz, he nevertheless was a horse of a quite different color than that of a 'normal' horse. I say 'normal' in those annoying quotation marks because the word normal  can mean so many different things to different people. Normal  can mean eating beans three times a day and living in a cardboard box with the words "Whirlpool" and "3.0 cubic foot capacity" on the sides. Normal  can mean being the most famous ballet star ever to have lived who can also play Chopsticks on the piano with her bare toes (very nicely). Normal  could also be the name of your pet gerbil. If you wanted to name it "Normal", that is.  A...

What a cute child!!  Not mine. I debate at times whether to share the names of my children and/or their photos. I tend to be pretty private about that. If you know me personally, you've more than likely met my kids and know their names, or at least have seen my updates on Facebook that pertain to them.  I don't particularly like to advertise my kids' names on the back of my vehicle, etc., even though I want them to know I'm proud of them and their accomplishments. I have written, "Congrats, [Child's Name]!" on my windows, have worn t-shirts with a child's name on it and their ball team's, and will likely do so again in the future, but ... I dunno. Online?  Timid about it. Anyway ... the point was my children. My oldest son is in college, but I will get to see him when he comes to visit me (that's the plan, anyway) the week after Easter! I'm really looking forward to his visit! My youngest son lives with me, so I thankfully get to s...

Why do people behave in evil ways, like those who murder innocents in high school cafeterias? Because of sin. That's why. I've said it hundreds of times, and will continue to say it: We can never expect lost people to act as if they are not lost. Period. Let me put an illustration in your head, if I may.  Picture a pizza, cut into 10 pieces. Let's say one slice of that pizza represents all of the people alive right now who have accepted God's free gift of grace through Jesus Christ, and are "saved" [Romans 10:8-10]. That means the other 9 pieces represent all the people in the world at this moment who have not accepted Christ Jesus as Savior.  No matter how you look at it, that includes Muslims, Jews who reject Jesus as Messiah, atheists, Buddhists, etc., etc., etc.  Take any sin you can possibly think of that a lost person may commit.  Pour those sins onto your 9 slices of "lost" pizza. Why do lost people commit those sins?  Because th...

I have recently finished a few books, some started recently, others begun a while ago. Some of them are as follows: Plan B : What Do You Do When God Doesn't Show Up the Way You Thought He Would?  by Pete Wilson. Wilson does a great job of exploring what happens when believers expect God to do certain things, act in certain ways, when tragedy or unexpected change comes in our lives ... but God does something totally unexpected. Or He seems to do nothing at all. It's a great look at the struggle and a biblical approach to dealing with it all, no matter what's going on in your life. He makes no claim to have all the answers -- just some suggestions. If you think this even might be a book for you, it probably is. Lee Child's The Affair . I became interested in the character of Jack Reacher when the 2012 movie Jack Reacher  was first advertised. I borrowed this book, and though it was the newest of the series [#16], I didn't feel I had missed anything at...

Sorry. In advance. 1.      Would you rather have your obituary read at your funeral by Will Ferrell or Robin Williams? 2.      If you were literally starving to death, would you rather eat food you were allergic to and suffer a terrible reaction, or eat nothing and likely die of starvation? 3.      Would you rather have your most embarrassing moments posted by someone else on their Facebook page, or just keep doing it yourself? 4.      Would you rather be humiliated on a reality TV show or on a daytime talk show? 5.      Would you rather be mauled to death by a monkey on crack, or by a crack-head dressed like a monkey? 6.      Would you rather a doctor presented your newborn child to your family and friends in the waiting room in a manner similar to that of Simba in The Lion King , or have Adam Sandler claim to be the child’s father? 7.  ...

My oldest daughter and I just spent some time talking on Skype (so thankful for this program that lets us do this!). I asked her to give me a few things to write about, so she looked around her room and gave me the following: duck, pen, paper, owl, and water bottle.  So, I'll do my best! [Plus, I gave myself a 15-minute time limit to have it done and posted, so she can read it].   There once was an owl named Persimmon. Yeah, an unfortunate name, for sure, but his name, nonetheless. Persimmon was a very rare type of owl - a Tattooed Black-and-White Hill-Dweller, to be exact. As a Tattooed Black-and-White Hill-Dweller [or TBWHD], Persimmon was able to blend well into any black-and-white background, being able to hide very well in any hilly environment that had absolutely no color whatsoever (or at any tattoo symposium). This would explain why the TBWHD owls were very rare. Persimmon was not a happy owl by nature, and was want to search out small hapless mammals on which...

I keep getting these offers from poetry websites and poetry book publishers, saying that they love my writing, and want to publish it. Please submit a previously-unpublished poem! We will feature it in our upcoming [issue/book] in a section of new and up-and-coming poets! If you would like to add a bio to your name on a separate page facing your poem, just send us $19.95. If you would like a copy of the book in which your poem will appear, just send $79.95 and the souls of your children. But I like my children. I admit I have submitted poems to some of them, but I have never purchased anything. Why would I pay a hundred bucks to get someone to print one of my poems and some info about me in a hardcover book that will just sit on my table and make people wonder why I have in my home such a large tome of poems.  I could only explain it by pointing out my poem on page 387 of 700 pages (or whatever) and smiling awkwardly while they read it silently, eyebrows raised, and then c...

What do you do when you've had a tough day? You, personally. Do you complain? Do you keep it all in? Do you gripe about it on Facebook or Twitter or Blogspot? Do you eat more, or eat less? Do you find something to keep you active, or find someplace to relax and unwind? I like to watch a good movie, listen to music, or read a book. I vary between wanting to spend time with a friend (even if it can only be via phone/text/messaging) and wanting to be left alone. As a Christian, I'm always calling out to God, and trying to give myself fully to Him. So that goes without saying that I'm praying. What else do you do? 

Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch His cloak, I will be healed”. Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” He said, “your faith has healed you”. And the woman was healed from that moment. [Mt. 9:20-2, NIV] A large crowd followed and pressed around Him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed”. Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched My clothes?” “You see the people crowdin...