Vindication

Contrary to popular belief, I am not always right. And this is probably not the most Christ-like statement ever made, but …

Vindication feels really good.

The vindication might be just for a moment, because gloating is unattractive and there is work to be done. But after a struggle or controversy or a period of seemingly beating one’s head against a brick wall, it’s nice to be right every now and then or to be able to say, “Hey that was the right decision after all.”

Sigh of relief.

What next though.

Today’s devotional verse, from the Message version of the bible, is Matthew 7:15 …

“Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity.”

Oh, oh, oh! Who did you think of first? Hee hee. I like a good uplifting smile-fest, but I go straight to the bible for my theology and answers to the important questions. Life on this earth is not all glitter and unicorns. By the way, heaven will have glitter and unicorns and mocha frappuccinos and salty caramel cupcakes. You heard it here first.

So in the absence of all glitter all the time …

Some people will be mean.

Some people will be apathetic.

Some people will betray.

Some people will judge and say they’re not.

Some people will make judge a four letter word.

Some people will say money is the root of all evil when it’s the love of it that really is.

Some people will be lazy.

Some people will choose Jesus.

Some people will not.

Some people will choose Jesus, or so they say, but carry on with the ways of the world. The older I get the more I want to look at people and say, “Really? Reeeaaaally?????” I guess my discernment is growing and my ability to care what people think of me is dwindling. I’ve seen so much of this phenomenon lately – professing Christ but not really seeming changed, or professing Christ but missing the point on some key things – that I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone. Granted, only God knows what’s in someone’s heart, but actions usually reflect it.

I’ve also run into an abundance of the “you don’t understand” phenomenon lately. Sentiments like:

“You’ve never done X, so you can’t possibly understand.”

“You’re not Y, so you can’t possibly understand.”

1. Are you sure?

2. Does that make me an idiot incapable of rational thought?

I’ll let you decide whether I’m an idiot, but be aware I’m prone to unleash vicious rhetoric in response to condescending pats on the head.

I’m working on that one. J

And do me a favor. If you’re a Christian, try to act like it. Don’t just punch your time card on Sunday morning and then give Christianity a bad name the rest of the week. I’m always discovering something new I didn’t have quite right. But if you don’t make the effort to learn and read and discover, you might be stuck in place thinking ten commandments and a handful of memory verses are all you need.

Speaking the truth in love …

Looking for Inspiration

Hello, my lovely people. I have been on hiatus. Or, more accurately probably, in hibernation.

I have been searching for inspiration. And not finding much.

Like most creative types I look to my surroundings, people, God, music, art, nature, happenings, and the randomness of my own mind. I read. A lot. I’ve even done a little reading on the creative process itself.

And I’m always observing. Do you feel at all like you’re being watched?

I read an article yesterday naming my state as dead last in the “percentage of people who report eating healthy” category. Healthy eating in this case was defined as consuming at least five servings of produce at least four days a week. A decent enough measure. And somewhat disheartening.

By produce they mean fruits and vegetables. Presumably of any type. (I traced down the Gallup source.) So a half cup of processed pizza sauce, as offensive as it may be to Food Nazis, would be a serving of vegetables. I couldn’t figure out if French fries count. Hint – in my world they do not.

Not that I never eat them. I do. But they’re in the starch/bread/carb group. And a treat, not a daily occurrence.

So anyway.

Most people by now have thrown in the towel on their New Year’s get healthy resolutions. Resolutions, wishes, hopes and dreams … you make the call. Kudos to you if you’re still going strong or have caught a second wind with the start of Lent.

A lot of people seem to think perfection and complexity are required. They’re not. Healthier choices more often than not consistently over time is what it takes.

Sort of an aside … I was listening to a radio conversation the other day between two people who share one of my pesky health issues. I don’t deny they have problems – I understand first-hand the deal – but a couple things struck me about what they said. They both acknowledged struggling with obesity, but they brushed over the role it might play in their condition or more specifically the role it might play in worsening their health and ability to deal with symptoms. They also talked about using the motorized scooter at the store. Granted, they’re both older than me, but there seemed to be a resignation to this being their lot in life.

It was depressing. I had to turn it off before it was over.

So many of us treat our health and wellness like it’s out of our control, hopeless, and a done deal. It’s not! Don’t let our culture, your own mind, or those who don’t know any better tell you otherwise.