Archive - March, 2011

Bloggy Obedience School

March 30, 2011 in Culture 29

Pikake, My First Born Pup

 My first born is not a child, but a weiner pup named Pikake.

She is a little on the crazy side, especially when it comes to anything round, free from angularity, spherical, or even slightly curved. 

Even when she hears the sound of a ball bouncing, she gets a little excited.

When she sees someone holding a ball, she can’t sit still.

She sits at your feet, and sort of shifts her weight from leg to leg, trying very hard to keep herself from jumping in delight.

The funniest part is that her bottom lip will quiver.

The adrenaline gets pumping and she can barely contain herself.

It is all very intense.

Here is a pic of her crazy face:

 

Ikaika, the Scaredy-Pup

 My 2nd born is also a dog, another weiner pup named Ikaika.

He isn’t crazy for the balls, he just gets crazy because Pikake gets crazy.

He really doesn’t care a thing about the ball.

He just wants what she wants.

And, he completely freaks out about it.

He barks like a mad dog when she is running around with her little tail wagging, chasing after her precious toy.

We try to give him his own ball, but he insists on having the same ball that Pikake has.

Funny thing is, he’s a total scaredy-pup.

Even though he is bigger than her, and stronger than her, he doesn’t try to take the ball from her.

He just runs circles around her, chases her all over the yard and barks at her.

It’s quite annoying.

And, this is his scerrrred face:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Pretty vicious, don’t ya think?

Obedience Training

Last week, I took a little bloggy break because I had become completely overwhelmed with the blogosphere.

I have a tendency to let my life get quite out of balance.

I don’t know if this is peculiar to me as an individual, or if everyone has this propensity.

But, balance is not something I’ve mastered.

Usually what happens is that I dive into something new, and then come to regret my excitement later when I realize it’s gotten out of control.

I’m quite like Pikake in that sense.

I get super, duper excited.

My lower lip quivers as the adrenaline pumps through my body.

Sometimes this happens in an Ikaika like fashion.

I’ll see what someone else has, and want a piece of it. 

I run circles around them, trying to figure out how they got so good at _______ (fill in the blank) and try to replicate it in my own life.

Never quite works out the way I planned.

I usually end up frustrated with myself, and end up killing the original plan.

In Pikake’s world, that means she kills the ball.  Tears it to shreds. Makes it completely unrecognizable that it ever was a ball to begin with.

I realized this was starting to happen with my blog, so I took a break.  No writing blog posts, reading blogs, commenting on blogs, or thinking about blogging.

I was going to breathe.

Rest.

Pray.

::

When I started to pray, I immediately sensed that God was telling me to stop talking.

He simply said:

STAY

I tried to ask Him what that meant, but He just repeated,

STAY

 

Then, I told God it wasn’t nice to talk to me like I was a dog.

He got really loud then, saying,

STAY

I shared this word with my dear friend and fellow blogger, Melissa. 

My sharing was out of desperation and also wondering if it could be confirmed that I’m not crazy, and yes, God does sometimes speak to us in simple, one syllable words that seem to have little meaning.

Melissa confirmed an awareness that had been growing in my heart.

God was telling me to STAY, yes, like I tell Pikake to stay.

To wait for His cue.

To stop acting like a crazy dog.

To stop chasing after what someone else has.

 To stop doing what I was doing before I ended up tearing it into unrecognizable pieces.

He has something specific in mind for me.

But, it’s not time yet.

So, for now, I’m just gonna STAY where I’m at, until He speaks the word GO to me.

Huh?

What does all that mean?

Before I started Pop Parables, I heard this from God:

While in worship one Sunday morning, God spoke to my heart.  He said that if I was willing to hand over the reigns to my bloggy dreams, He could turn it into something meaningful, useful and fruitful.

I honestly beleive with my whole heart that this blog is a ministry.

I wouldn’t put as much time and effort into it if I didn’t believe it was a way in which I could share my faith and God’s truth could be proclaimed.

But, I have another ministry in my life: my family.

My loving husband, my three boys, and even my weiner pups.

They are my first ministry.

And, everything else has to fall around that priority.

Especially since I’m still working on that whole Mommy Fail thing.

So, I’m pulling back a little with the blog.

But, this is all in anticipation of great things I know God is bringing to Pop Parables later this year. 

By pulling back I mean:

  • Spending less time reading and commenting on other blogs (I’m so sad about this one!)
  • Focusing on increasing my technical knowledge so I can blog more efficiently and productively
  • Exploring ways I can earn a few bucks through my blog, so I can support my first ministry, my family

Unless you have a blog that I frequent, you probably won’t even notice these changes.

But, I still thought I would let you all know because you have become a unique part of my faith community.

I have been so blessed by the people I’ve come to know through Pop Parables.

I’ve formed meaningful, lasting relationships here.

I’ve gained a new sense of confidence about sharing my faith.

I’ve been reminded of my gifts and my calling.

Most importantly, I’ve deepened my faith.

And, if you’re reading this, you’ve been an instrumental part of that journey.

So, I thought you should know.  :)

The Verse

The passage God gave me for this period of time is Psalm 46:10-11 (NIV),

10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
   I will be exalted among the nations,
   I will be exalted in the earth.”

 11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.

I loved the words of the NASB version of this passage:

10“Cease striving and know that I am God;
         I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
    11The Lord of hosts is with us;
         The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

When I combine the meaning from both versions, I see 2 separate commands:

Be still and Cease striving.

Settle down and stop trying to get the ball.

Just wait for Him.

Allow the Lord to exalted, not me.

And, finally, SELAH, which scholars say means

pause,

crescendo or

musical interlude.

I’ll take all of the above, please.

::

Has God ever told you to stay?  Or perhaps to wait for something?  How long did it take?

What did you do while you were staying or waiting?

How do you keep your life in balance?

 

In Your Words: Pole Dancing for Jesus

March 28, 2011 in Culture 58

I’ve been on a little bloggy break for the past week, so I thought I’d ease myself back into it by starting off with my favorite kinda post: the one where you do all the writing!

And, I think you may have a lot to write about this one.

Fellow faith based blogger Kristin of Messiah Mom  informed me of a new kind of pole dancing in Houston, TX.

You can view the newstory for yourself here.  WARNING: May Not Be Suitable for Anyone.

Former exotic dancer Crystal Deans  of Houston, TX offers pole dancing classes on the 2nd Sunday of every month, to the tune of  upbeat contemporary Christian music.

Some interesting things Deans mentions:

  • Class is for women only; entrance granted upon submission of your church program
  • Classes are held on Sundays as a continuation of the whole worship thing
  • An effort to teach women to feel good about themselves and be empowered

Deans explains the purpose of pole dancing for Jesus is God gives us these bodies and they’re supposed to be our temples and we’re supposed to take care of them and that’s what we’re doing.

One participant acknowledges that when pole dancing for Jesus, she feels a spiritual connection.

It’s too bad that neighboring Christian gift shop, Lord and Nature, does not share the sentiment. 

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I thought this would be an interesting tie-in to my ongoing sex series.  If you’ve missed it, be sure to check out the following posts:

::

So, what are your thoughts about pole dancing for Jesus?

Would you ever pole dance for Jesus, even if it was just for fitness?

What’s the most unique workout you’ve ever taken part in?

And, if you’re a blogger, link up to your best post I missed last week!  I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.  :)   I’ll post later this week on what I did while on my bloggy break and why I did it.

  

    

Friday, Friday, Gettin’ Down on Friday

March 18, 2011 in Culture, Media 14

Last night I expected a little too much of myself.

I incorrectly assessed that after a rousing St. Patrick’s Day celebration with Mike’s fam, I would be able to return home and quickly get to work on my latest sex post. 

But, alas, I set the bar too high and instead welcomed this distraction from my bff Cindy,which of course turned into a late night chat. 

WARNING: This video may be hazardous to your health.

I’m certain inspiration for Rebecca Black’s “Friday” was drawn directy from How I Met Your Mother’s Robin Sparkles “Let’s Go to the Mall“.

I honestly could NOT stop laughing at this video.  Mike and I immediately called Cindy and serenaded her in gratitude for opening our eyes to the real days of the week and their proper order.

::

This video is so ridiculously baaaaaaaaaad that I thought it was a joke, until Mike looked it up on Wikipedia. 

We related the important facts to Cindy, amidst my uncontrollable bouts of laughter.

But, that’s when Cindy totally Jesus Juked me and said, “Keri, you know there’s a pop parable in this right?”

All credit for this one is owed to Cindy, the secondary writer who never writes on this blog, but is almost always present at brainstorming sessions.

Famous for Being Famous

Rebecca Black’s single “Friday” was released on itunes on Monday (how’s that for irony!?), which was the day before Tuesday in case you didn’t know. 

The video went viral on YouTube, soaring from 3,000 views to over 16 million in just a week’s time.

::

Here are some of the things being said about Rebecca Black around the Internet and on her Wikipedia page:

  • Matthew Perpetua from Rolling Stone magazine reviews her vocals as having a peculiar tonality that inadvertently highlights the absurdity of boilerplate pop lyrics, further stating that her sound is not entirely agreeable to listen to, and sounds like a distinct singer with an alluring sort of anti-charisma.
  • Others have said that Rebecca Black is bizarre, inept, hilariously dreadful and a YouTube laughing stock

I feel sorry for this poor 13 year old girl who was apparently ill advised. 

To endure such criticism on the Internet has got to be much worse than any other kind of middle school shame.

::

Cindy pointed out that the worst part is that Black is gaining notoriety for precisely the things for which she does not want to be known: anti-charisma, a terrible singing voice, and absolutely no talent.

For someone seeking to break into the music business, this episode could be the kiss of death for Black.  Some have even tweeted her as the Black Plague.

What are you known for?

Are you known for the right things?

Or, is your presentation of the Gospel the complete antithesis of what a follower of Christ should look like?

Some adjectives that are often used to describe Christians and Christianity:

Self-righteous

Judgemental

Stone thrower

Useless religion

Irrelevant

exclusive

Bigot

Hateful

Hypocritical

Bible-thumpers

 

If only the word Christian could be inseparable from these terms:

hands and feet of jesus

mercy

GRACE

genuine

relationship

LOVE

humility

peacemaker

light

::

13 “You are the salt of the earth.

But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?

It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.

Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others,

that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16

 

Are you retaining your saltiness or have you turned into a YouTube laughing stock?

What three words would you most like others to speak about your faith?

When given the option do you prefer Kickin’ in the front seat or Sittin’ in the back seat?

::

For cleansing of your auditory pallette and a little Friday morning dance party, I offer one of my boys’ favorite songs by Israel Houghton, called “Say So“….all about showing the world His Likeness.

 

Pop Parables Movie Night: Winter’s Bone

March 16, 2011 in Media 19

This week I watched 2 movies that were nominated for Best Picture, one of which was Winter’s Bone.

It was further vindication for me that The Social Network really wasn’t that great of a movie when compared to the other options for Best Picture!

Although Winter’s Bone has been out on DVD since October, I had avoided it because it looked like a horror film (more appropriately labeled a suspsense film.)

I’m also pretty moody when it comes to movie selection.   

The appropriate mood for Winter’s Bone  finally struck me this past Monday.

What’s so bony about winter?

Take a gander at the haunting trailer (not suitable for children) to see what the movie’s all about:

Here’s the synopsis of the plot straight from the film’ site:

Seventeen-year-old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) sets out to track down her father, who put their house up for his bail bond and then disappeared. If she fails, Ree and her family will be turned out into the Ozark woods. Challenging her outlaw kin’s code of silence and risking her life, Ree hacks through the lies, evasions and threats offered up by her relatives and begins to piece together the truth.  Based on the novel by Daniel Woodrell.

What the Professionals are Saying

Here are a few reviews of Winter’s Bone that I found telling. 

Take your pick based on your preference:

The Quick and Dirty Review, by Peter Travers of Rolling Stone magazine

The Thoughtful and Lengthy Review , by David Edelstein of New York Magazine

The Focus on the Family Review, by Plugged In magazine

The Pop Parables 

I think a Bible study could easily be written based on the story of Winter’s Bone. 

I could derive a pop parable from just about every single scene in this film and the many correlations to the Christian life.

But, we don’t have time for that.  :(  

So, I simply offer to you the parable that immediately popped into my mind.

::

I’m currently doing a study on David, so I’ve been reading and thinking a lot about David, his character, his struggles, his relationship with God.

While viewing Winter’s Bone, I just kept thinking over and over again of Psalm 27, penned by David while running for his life from King Saul.

If you’ve already seen the film, I encourage you to take the time now to read through Psalm 27 slowly and purposefully, pausing to recall specific scenes that relate to the words.

Or, you can take the guided tour below.

Pop Parable #1: Truth

This is a story about a search for truth in an effort to gain freedom,

freedom from the past,

freedom from a family’s curse,

freedom from judgement,

 freedom from the bondsman,

freedom from the law.

Jesus Himself tell us in John 8:32, Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

He explains further to a doubting Thomas in John 14:6, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

It is only by discovering the truth of her father’s whereabouts, that Ree will be able to keep her home, keep her family together, and keep her life.

Turning to Psalm 27, we can substitute David’s use of the word Lord for the word Truth.  Think of it in terms of Ree’s situation,

 1The Truth is my light and my salvation;
         Whom shall I fear?
         The Truth is the defense of my life;
         Whom shall I dread?
    2When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
         My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
    3Though a host encamp against me,
         My heart will not fear;
         Though war arise against me,
         In spite of this I shall be confident.

 

Pop Parable #2: My Family has Forsaken Me

Ree is rejected over and over again by her own family, who in all likelihood killed her father.

Jesus was rejected in his own town (Luke 4:24), and David says he was forsaken by his family (Psalm 27:9-10),

Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
         O God of my salvation!
    10For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
         But the Lord will take me up.

 

Despite being rejected, turned away, or broken by our family of origin, those who trust in the Lord will be adopted and renewed, taken up by Him into His family.

He promises that He will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5-6),

for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you”

 6so that we confidently say,
         ”The Lord is my Helper, I will not be afraid.
         What will man do to me?”

Pop Parable #3: Take Courage

Ree could have easily become full of despair.  She could have resigned herself to being a victim of her circumstances.

But, what is so striking about Ree is that she is confident, she is courageous, she stands up against her enemies.

As Christians, we can grab hold of this same courage,the courage of David in the face of difficulty (Psalm 27: 13-14)

13I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD
         In the land of the living.
    14Wait for the Lord;
         Be strong and let your heart take courage;
         Yes, wait for the Lord.

::

Maybe you’re thinking that your circumstances pale in comparison to David or even to Ree.

Certainly you’ve experienced a period when it seemed like everyone was out to get you, no one was on your side.

When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,

Surely there has been a time when you’ve felt forgotten, mistreated, or condemned by those who were supposed to love you most.

For my father and my mother have forsaken me

Chances are you have had times of depression, when it seemed as if life couldn’t get any worse and there was no hope.

I would have despaired

But, in those times, He is standing, waiting, with open arms to offer you refuge, comfort, hope, and joy:

 5For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
         In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
         He will lift me up on a rock.
    6And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
         And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;
         I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

::

 

Alisha from Unusual Passions recently told me how much she loves the song, “Run In the Night (Psalm 27)” by Jars of Clay off their latest album, The Shelter.

The joy, freedom, redemption, courage and peace expressed in this song so perfectly sums up Psalm 27 and this post that I can’t leave without sharing it.  I hope you enjoy it!

Just in case it wasn’t clear, I LOOOOOOOOOVED this movie and I hope you’ll watch it, too.

Do you get moody over movie selection?

Is there a particular Psalm that holds special meaning for you?

Lifetime TV’s Redeeming Quality: Army Wives

March 13, 2011 in Culture, Media 13

I’ve shared about the soft spot in my heart for the Lutheran church.

And, also that I have a soft spot for Starbucks.

But, what’s the biggest soft spot in my heart reserved for?  

The Military (Air Force, to be exact)

I was a proud military spouse while Mike served our country for almost 8 years. 

Mike enlisted in the Air Force when we were both only 19, and at that time “just dating”.

I had always said I would “never marry a military man“.

I figured that just meant steering clear of men who were in the military.

I didn’t consider that I could fall in love with a man, who would then join the military.

Oh, Justin Bieber if only you could have advised me 13 years ago to Never say Never, I wouldn’t have to eat my words every time I tell this story.

I guess, in Brit Brit’s words I had lost ”all my senses, that is just so typically me…Oops…I did it again“. 

And, I’m sooooo glad I did. 

Besides being happy that I married Mike, military life proved to be some of the best and happiest times of my life, with some amazing experiences I would have never had if I had stayed true to my word. 

Army Wives

Even though Army Wives is now in Season 5, I only started watching late in Season 4.

I have a big, big problem with the media exploiting the current world situation and the sacrifice of our military for ratings and cash. 

So, I was pretty much morally opposed to the show and said I would never watch it.  (Again, Bieber was a few months too late.)

But, one day, I gave Army Wives a few minutes of my time and realized the show was much more about showing the world (or, at least middle aged women who watch Lifetime) the truth of the military, rather than exploiting it.

I’m not sure if Army Wives would be your speed if you don’t have a military connection, or…if you’re a guy.

Frankly, I don’t think there is really anything else worth watching on Lifetime, except for reruns of How I Met Your Mother.

But, these are the things that I think anyone would enjoy about the show.

5 Things to love about Army Wives

1. It’s Realistic…okay, mediocre acting aside, I think the producers do an awesome job of portraying military life.  And, they should because they have extensive experience in realistic portrayals of military life.  Mark Gordon (executive producer) also produced Saving Private Ryan, for which he earned an Oscar nom.  Gordon does a great job making sure the characters use lots of acronymns in their proper context, show what it’s like to live in military housing, and even slip in the occasional Polish pottery mug (because you can NEVER have enough Polish pottery, oops…I did it again.)

2.  Depicts everyday problems, but in the context of military life…even if you don’t have a military connection, you can still relate to the problems the characters face.  Things like adjusting to a new baby, putting your career on hold for your spouse, dealing with custody issues, and sending a daughter off to college.

3.  Shows the military in a positive light…a lot of people have stereotypes about military life.  But, I think Army Wives does an awesome job of blowing those out of the water.  They also don’t shy away from the issues, and have episodes “ripped from the headlines”; such as the mother/soldier who went AWOL when her unit was deploying because she had no childcare for her daughter.

4.  Family friendly guilty pleasure…although I wouldn’t let my kids watch such an adult show, it’s still “family friendly” enough and something I can enjoy without having to skip through certain scenes.

5.  Tugs at the heart strings…there’s nothing that can make me cry at the drop of a hat like a soldier coming home from war, or Skyping with his preggo wife.  Even someone as cynical as me can enjoy those moments.  (Side note: there’s a new show on Lifetime airing immediately AFTER Army Wives, entitled Coming Home, a show all about military homecomings, most of which are a surprise-grab your tissues for this one!)

Pop Parables in Army Wives

Military life as a whole is such a direct allegory to the Christian life. 

But, here are the few pop parables that I seem to catch in almost every episode of Army Wives.

1.  Community…putting the needs of others before self, just “doing life” together, knowing one another deeply because of shared experiences

2.  Mission…a greater purpose, a higher calling, something bigger than yourself

3.  Accountability…iron sharpens iron, holding eachother to the highest standard for the greater cause

4.  Authority…submitting to a higher authority, doing everything that is asked of you without complaining, fully surrendering your life for the cause

5.  Identity…first and foremost a soldier, just as first and foremost we should consider ourselves Christians, allowing each and every choice to flow from that place.

I hope you’ll give Army Wives a chance.  It’s on Sunday nights, 9/8 C on Lifetime.  Here’s a little clip from the Season 5 trailer:

Signing off now…I have catch up on episode 2!

HUAH!!!

::

Do you watch Army Wives?

Anything else you’ve discovered on Lifetime that’s worth watching?

Can you share a time you have had to eat your words after not heeding to the Biebster’s sage advice to Never say Never?

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