Hope Springs Eternal

Couldn't resist this scene outside my office today of spring flowers blooming victoriously amid a carpet of icy sleet .

Just minutes before, the sky was green-grey, the world subdued under the cold wrath of one of winter's last ragings.

What beauty there is in those who stand strong amidst trials and onslaught, bringing faith and hope to overwhelming dark days.

"Ain't no sunshine when your gone"

Sun, I think I have forgotten what you look and feel like; we have labored under this oppressively cold rain now for so many weeks. This is western Oregon at its worst I would say, not just gray and rainy but COLD rain driving sideways at you as you scramble into your car.

My spring flowers are pushing up through the ground but appear on "hold" like the rest of us, head down, clutching our coats, wondering when winter's grip will be broken.

Days like this I like to peruse my photos of warmer times....like this family picture from Mazatalan Mexico last spring. You can't tell by looking but that is the Pacific Ocean right outside those windows and there is a WARM breeze coming in those open windows.

Those of us who put up with this winter weather from October through mid July should really get some kind of purple heart....we have a "light box" I sit and read under in the evenings that helps get me through the worst "light deprivation" months...but my bones ache for the caress of a warm spring day. How do you cope?

PS I just heard from someone that read my blog but didn't comment. If you read this would you just leave your name in the comments? Since I am new to blogging it would be fun to know you were there even if you don't want to leave a comment. Lin

Does God go to movies?

I just returned from the best film I have seen in 10 years...possibly one of the best films you will see in your entire lifetime.

Rod and were wrapping up our work week on Friday afternoon and decided to go see the new film, "Amazing Grace" on the life and work of one of the greatest British activists/orators of the 1800's, William Wilberforce.
This British Christian, pastored by John Newton, the former slave trader and author of the song "Amazing Grace, grew up to lead that nation in the abolishment of slavery using his political forum in Parliment and the grass roots efforts of a hand full of zealots.

Driven to push through what often must have seemed like insurmountable opposition, greed, and apathy, these faithful few found the grace and strength to persevere in their burning compassion for their oppressed and downtrodden African brothers and sisters.
I believe that in causes like this, (and in our day, abortion), these kind of hearts are made one with the heart of the Almighty as He looks upon the suffering of the innocent and the cries of their anguish pierce His heavens.
This is a true testimonial of how God can use people of faith to do His work wherever He has placed them; in this case politics.

I have never been this moved by anything in a movie theater. This is an uplifting film about a cause so close to God's heart that you can feel His presence in attendance with you.

PS. Go early or pre buy your tickets. I predict that this film will be sold out or you will be on the very front row if you don't plan ahead.

So you want more authority

In conversation with our office partner Vern today, he mentioned a principle that excited me.
He said, "God will only give US as much authority as we are willing to come under ourselves."

This is very thought provoking! His example; Jesus Christ gave up His authority and came under total submission for us. What was His outcome....he gained "ALL authority over heaven and earth"!

."...He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross,. Therefore God has HIGHLY exalted Him and given him THE name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.... and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." (read Philippians 2: 5-11 for the whole context)

How does this apply to authority in the job, home, church, government?
Can we trust God to work through those who hold positions of authority that we do not trust or respect? (If you want a baptism of info on this principle look up "Basic Youth" seminars and attend the next seminar, go to: http://iblp.org/iblp/)
Are there situations where we are obligated to disobey authority?
I invite your comments. Lin

Effective and Natural?

Can these two terms coexist?

In one of my two nursing careers, (before and after staying home with small children), I found myself called upon to give a long lasting birth control injection to a young, unmarried, woman.

The strong hormone was mixed in a heavy, oily substance, something like thick motor oil, allowing it to stay in the tissue for several months thus slowing absorption in order to achieve the desired 3 month, long term birth control. I dreaded giving these shots as anytime you inject something so incompatible with human tissue that it resists being absorbed there is usually some unhealthy insult to the tissues as they try to tolerate what is essentially a foreign if not hostile substance.

As I talked to the young woman before drawing up her injection, she complained to me that she had developed severe and chronic headaches which were probably related to a higher blood pressure than one should have at her age. I asked her if she was aware that the injection I was preparing to give her could cause side effect such as she was describing. She said no one had told her that. I asked her if she had ever considered another less drastic form of birth control and we discussed some other options that might work more compatibly with her own body. I suggested she ask the doctor about her options, esp since headaches could be considered minor compared to more serious risks like stroke, blood clots, etc. for some individuals.

When I talked to the doctor later about the discussion he "flew at me", furious that I had told her to ask about other options as he felt that people such as her (promiscuous) needed a birth control method that required the least amount of compliance on her part to keep her from coming back to us with an unplanned pregnancy.

Now I am a practical, "bottom line", kind of person but I wonder if this kind of approach is what helps society in the long run. While it does solve the immediate problem most efficiently, do we really help society by withholding information, education, and our trust from such individuals?
Are we so tired of seeing people make selfish and short sighted decisions that we have just resorted to control vs education? I invite you to weigh in on this.

The below link is an interesting article on the effectiveness of natural birth control when individuals are properly educated and use what they have learned responsibly.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6375261.stm
Here's a link to an organization that teaches this in the Portland area.
www.nwfs.org

HOW I NAMED MY BLOG

I was on the phone with my 80 something Mom telling her about my week, which I thot had been unusually challenging. Some days/weeks seem to defy one's own wisdom and endurance, even in your 50's and I was looking forward to a little sympathy along with maybe some sage advice.
I was shocked at what came out of my mother's mouth! She said, "Well, honey, that is what adults do."
Now I am telling you, this was not some 20 something looking for sympathy over a broken fingernail. I am in my 50s you know...why, other people come to ME for advice.
I felt like I had come to her on fire and she threw gasoline on me.

The funny thing though is that my husband and I say this to each other now, esp. when mulling over why we have to respond to yet another situation with grace, maturity, and endurance...sometimes biting our tongues until the grooves bleed, rather than saying that thing that is screaming inside our heads.

So if you find yourself doing things that require; the commitment of a new mother, the patience of Job, the perserverence of a saint, nerves of steel, and the restraint of a bomb specialist, it is probably a very adult move in the maturist sense of the word because, "That's what adults do."