My Onderstroom

Knock Knock...

2010-09-10T12:00:00.000-04:00

Are you ready to open the door when you hear the knock? (Rev 3:20)

To Thine Own Self be True

2009-09-19T15:58:00.006-04:00

There is a magazine aimed at women of "a certain age" that is supposed to be focused on their concerns, interests and needs. If I could grade them, I'd give them a D. For all their efforts, they failed on so many levels that I cancelled my subscription.

This magazine assumes women over 40 have "made it" career wise, income wise. They publish preposterous stories about female lawyers, doctors, executives etc who take year long sabbaticals to "find themselves" in the Yukon, Africa, Timbuktu -- or quit the working rat race altogether to reinvent themselves by following their long lost dreams. They leave their jobs to make jewelry, crafts, design handbags, whatever ad nauseum.

Well, good for them but the average working woman I know can't chuck it all to follow pixie dust trails or give in to the itchies of wanderlust. The women I know are working hard to send their kids to college, pay their mortgages, and many find it a luxury to have their hair and nails done. Who are these women who can afford to chuck it all? I don't know them and I can't relate to them.

The other thing that bothers me about this magazine is their push for us to all look like what we're not. You can't be 50 and look 50, no you must look 40 and 40 is the new 30 and so on. The message is to not to be all you can be intellectually or personally. The message is all about the physical. And, to drive in that point month after month like a wooden stake, are the the "this is what 40, 50 looks like" spreads. Of course they don't look like any of the woman I work with or see on the street. These "models" showing off their age are well preserved Dorian Gray types who must either have plastic surgeons on retainer, great genetics or are sucking someone's soul via a painting stuck in their attic!

This section doesn't inspire me, it makes me feel bad about myself and worse--it also makes me feel sad. I feel sad that women are put under such scrutiny and pressure to be what they are not; to continually surround themselves with smoke and mirrors. In the end the message we get is that it doesn't matter how good a person we are, how loving, giving or how accomplished. No. In the end what matters is what size you are, how many wrinkles you smoothed over and hid and whether or not you were able to fool others in to thinking you are far younger than you really are. What a brass ring to strive for!

Whatever happened to celebrating our true selves? Shakespeare said, "to thine own self be true" but we aren't and we're not encouraged to be either, not by society, not by the media, not by one another. Now, I'm not saying we stop covering our grays or wearing makeup. What I am suggesting is that we embrace who we are, wrinkles and the lumps and bumps that come with years of gravity. Let's remember its all the years we've lived that made us who we are inside our hearts and minds: women of courage, faith and love.

If we allow this path to continue, our daughters and grand-daughters will continue to buy into this plastic culture that equates personal worth with beauty, not character or intellect. Already we are witnessing the effects with young women starving themselves in the name of "beauty," young women devaluing their bodies by sex-texting images of themselves to boys who could care less about them, never mind love them. Sadly, what these women don't "get" is that unless they value themselves first, no one else will.

It's the women who need to raise the bar, not men. (men are at fault too, but that's another post). If young women didn't voluntarily take their clothes off to pose nude, there would be no porn, no Playboy etc. If young women didn't want to play into the "sex sells" mentality, there would be no Hooters or risque ads. But, somewhere along the way women bought into the idea of being validated through sexuality. For all the brave generations of women who fought sexism in order to gain the vote and equality, what a let down. This was not what they fought for.Why did things go so wrong?

What young women may not realize is that they hold alot of power. They can rise up and reject being used as sexual objects for men's entertainment or business profits. They can stop being expendible by not giving themselves so easily and freely. They can and should expect fidelity. They should just say NO. It's a simple as that. And, while I'm at it, young women shouldn't live with anyone prior to marriage and commitment. Let men work a little harder for your love and body before you so easily share it. Most of all, let yourself be cherished.

That message also can be applied to women of other age ranges. Let's cherish who we are--from age 6 to 86 and beyond! With each age comes new growth, adventures, wisdom and lessons. Let's embrace who we are at every stage in our lives otherwise one day we'll start seeing magazines making octogenarians feel badly about themselves too, telling them that this "is what 86 looks like" and strutting someone who looks 20 years younger because the are air brushed, photoshopped and is really the exception to the rule, not the norm.

Ladies, let's live and love who we are! We may not be size 0's, might have a few wrinkles, lumps and bumps but I predict that once we start loving and accepting our true selves, men will too--and eventually, dare I say it, so will the magazine and entertainment industry.

A song by Jonny Diaz, "A More Beautiful You"

Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazineSays she wants to look that way But her hair isn’t straight her body isn’t fake And she’s always felt overweight
Well little girl fourteen I wish that you could see That beauty is within your heart And you were made with such care your skin your body and your hairAre perfect just the way they are

There could never be a more beautiful you Don’t buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump throughYou were made to fill a purpose that only you could do So there could never be a more beautiful you

Little girl twenty-one the things that you’ve already doneAnything to get ahead And you say you’ve got a man but he’s got another plan Only wants what you will do instead
Well little girl twenty-one you never thought that this would come You starve yourself to play the part But I can promise you there’s a man whose love is trueAnd he’ll treat you like the jewel you are

So turn around you’re not too far To back away be who you are.To change your path go another way It’s not too late you can be saved If you feel depressed with past regrets.The shameful nights hope to forgetCan disappear they can all be washed awayBy the one who’s strong can right your wrongsCan rid your fears dry all your tears

And change the way you look at this big worldHe will take your dark distorted viewAnd with His light He will show you truth And again you’ll see through the eyes of a little girl...

AMEN

Lifelong Learning

2009-08-15T22:19:00.005-04:00

When medical students graduate they are doctors but they still must do 3 more years of Residency to practice, hone their skills and grow. They are doctors in title but in reality, doctors in training.

It's no different with Christians, especially those new to the faith. But, like doctors, our training isn't finished after 3 years. In fact, we should consider ourselves in training and growth every day for a lifetime, not just once a week for an hour or two.

Why go to church?
Isn't God everywhere?
Why go to school?
Aren't books everywhere?

People who aren't ready to commit spiritually always use the argument that they can pray "anywhere" and God is available "everywhere" so why bother with church. They say this to excuse not going to church and even though what they say is truth (ie God IS everywhere), this truth is distorted to suit their needs. What they aren't grasping is that "the church" is a living, thriving community of fellowship, not merely a place of 4 walls and a roof. It isn't the structure that helps you to dive deeper into faith, its the members, the growth groups, and the Pastor. These people are the tools who help us to connect with God's Word.

So, that argument is an incomplete pass.

Can you imagine if your child decided he didn't have to go school anymore because "information" is available everywhere, on the internet, in the library, and on tv." Would you say "ok" and let him educate his mind this way? I bet not.

But why? Isn't it true that information is everywhere? Yes, of course. But, how can we filter, digest and make any sense of it?

Teachers.

That's what the church offers too-- a teacher in the form of a Pastor to help us filter, digest and make sense of things when we can't; to help us stay on track, keep walking our walk and to stay in God's Word. the church also offers us mentors who are experienced Christians to help lead us in growth. And, then there's the members who volunteer their time, help, support and encouragement to one another.

How can you learn, encourage and grow by yourself? Think about it. Yes, God is everywhere. He is God! But God also wants us to have fellowship, pray together and be the church so we can spread the good news as instructed in the Great Commission.

Don't go it alone, thinking you don't need to belong to a church community. Reach out and pray with others every Sunday and other times. God will still hear you, really He will.

Decyfer Down Review

2009-08-02T17:59:00.003-04:00

Decyfer Down

“Crash”
by Brielle Coronet (reprinted from my music review column in ChristineEzine July 2009 issue )

Last night I was totally engrossed in trying to build something in Second Life (not too well) and as I hyper-focused on the task at hand, I began humming absentmindedly to a song playing on the television.

After a few bars, I realized with a start that the song was, “Forever in You” by Decyfer Down! The kicker was that it was playing over a promo for a show on the Soap Network! (don’t ask) It was sort of a déjà vu moment for me. After all, this is almost exactly how I was introduced to The Afters a couple of years back. That time it was the theme song, “Beautiful Love” from the popular teen soap drama, 8th and Ocean.

This got me to wondering how many Christian bands are played on tv without much fanfare. More so, was it by chance or choice of the producers? When you consider how secular Hollywood is, it does raise an eyebrow. But, no matter what the reason, it’s refreshing that Christian music is getting airplay on tv.

Decyfer Down is classified as alternative metal, alternative rock and post-grunge. They’ve toured with the likes of Thousand Foot Krutch and Skillet. This summer in New York City, they will be sharing the stage at Rock the Sound with Red, Pillar and Remedy Drive and yours truly will be there rocking out with the best of them!

As of this date, Decyfer Down is the 20th most requested artist of 2009 according to ChristianRock.net. Their last cd, “End of Grey” had no less than four singles reach the coveted #1 slot on the Christian rock charts. I predict “Crash” will have equal or more success. The song, “Fading” moved up the charts quickly and has already reached the top.

Don’t let this band’s genre labels scare you off. If you appreciate good vocals, strong driving rock (sans the metal core screaming), you’ll enjoy DD. “Crash” offers a nice balance of hard rock music and slower ballads. And, most importantly, all of us will identify with their soul searching:

I am made new,
I want to live like every breath matters.
I wanna love what you love,
I want to see what you see,
I want a heart that burns like a fire in me.
I want a light in my life,
I want my heart renewed,
Here I am…
Forever with you.

I can’t wait to see them August 1 at Rock the Sound! **

addendum 8/2/09

Saw DD last night and they rocked the roof off the Manhattan Center's ballroom! They are truly hard, driving rock with octane energy---the perfect band for the Red/Pillar lineup!

Weekend Warriors

2009-07-17T22:03:00.006-04:00

Did you know that you have 640 muscles in your body? That's alot of muscles to move but if you exercise regularly they respond and grow. But, if you exercise every once in awhile and push yourself hard like a "weekend warrior," you will get sore. So, what happens? You stop exercising, only to start the cycle again.

People used to use the mantra, "no pain, no gain." We know that's not true anymore. If you feel pain, that's not so good and you are probably injuring yourself. However, some soreness is to be expected. If you don't push yourself, you won't grow. The soreness is caused by tiny tears in the muscle causing lactic acid. When these tears heal, this is what creates muscle. So, a little pain ain't so bad.

The key is consistency because if you do this off and on without a pattern, nothing much will happen in the long run. Setting some goals also might help. Why are you exercising at all? If it's to get strong and muscular, then the off/on program won't acheive this. The only thing that will is a steady-as-you-go approach, upping up the program levels as you grow.

The very same concept applies to spiritual growth. Your soul will atrophy if you don't attend to it on a regular basis. There will be no growth without regular attention to scripture. Are you an on and off again Christian, much like the weekend warrior? Do you only "grow" once a week at church, then forego your walk the other days of the week? Much like exercise, this won't help you to grow nor make you strong in faith. Your soul needs consistent exposure and immersion with God's word, just like your body's muscles need to be consistently challenged in order to grow.

So, what are you? A committed person looking for growth or someone just passing the time treading water until Sunday comes rolling around again? Where is your commitment level and why?

Think about it but don't tell me, there's a Man Upstairs you need to discuss this with. After all, in the end, it's your soul and your walk, not anyone else's.

To Be or Not to "Be": Is there really any question?

2009-07-07T19:17:00.008-04:00

Today while driving home I was listening to a talk radio show to pass the time. The story they were discussing was disturbing on many levels but even more disturbing were the call in responses from the listening audience.

Apparently police were called to a domestic dispute. Once on the scene they found a young mother seated on a couch nursing a 6 week old baby. The problem? She was drunk. She was drunk enough to be arrested and charged with neglect.

The amazing thing is that caller after caller defended this woman's behavior and choices! One caller said it was a free country and she could do whatever she wanted to do, including being a drunk nursing mom. Another took the pity route and said maybe she could only afford beer and not formula! Ok, now let's stop at that one. Let's pick that argument apart: if she were really strapped for cash, would alcohol really be the drink of choice to consume and feed her baby through nursing? Why not Kool-Aid? Doesn't that cost under a dollar or less for a packet of that high caloric junk drink? Think how far it would go for the baby, never mind the sugar high as an added bonus. Plus, there are all those pretty colored flavors to choose from. Beer is just pee gold. Well, maybe not on St. Patrick's Day but for the most part, it is. Even milk, that good ole fashioned stuff that comes from the cow has got to be cheaper than a six pack.

Then a lawyer called into the show. She said neglect isn't defined by one incident and that maybe the mother didn't have the resources to make better choices for herself blah blah....it was all about the woman being the victim, not the baby. It was all about her needs, her issues, her needing understanding. The baby was a nonentity, not even a blip on the moral radar screen.

And, so it seems to be in this society. It seems we are a culture that has devalued life, especially the young and defenseless. Trust me, if this had been a story about a drunken woman who was feeding beer to a puppy, people would have wanted this woman tarred and feathered and locked up in a jail cell. Seems to me that people value the defenseless and dependent only if they are covered in fur.

But, a defenseless, dependent human being seems to be considered expendable. The woman's needs, wants, desires, conveniences, choices all supercede that of her child, whether that child is a fetus or an infant.

Yes, a fetus. There is a huge chunk of society that regards budding life as nothing more than a clump of cells--but not human being cells, just cells. What they think these cells will become is beyond me but maybe they can't (or won't) consider that these cells are human because to do so would define it as a person; a unique being with its own DNA. To accept that idea would mean changing what they believe are their "rights" with choice; in other words whether or not these cells live or die.

To peel away the illusion of what these cells really are, legislation has been introduced in South Dakota to have doctors explain that abortion is procedure which ends human life. Whoa...harsh, eh? Not as harsh as to the fetus being destroyed. Reality checks can really suck sometimes.

Judge To Hear Arguments On S.D. Abortion Law Requiring Statement That Procedure Ends Human Life

So my question is, when do rights for being human begin? In the womb, at birth or later? And, if we don't step up to protect the defenseless and vulnerable (at any age or state), then who will?

Genchi Genbutsu

2009-06-28T18:42:00.005-04:00

Genchi genbutsu means "go to the trouble spot." It does not mean go around it, hunt for it or go past it. No, it tells us to go directly to the spot with the big X on it.

After 10+ years of training in the martial arts, I've acquired a fondness for the simplicity and directness of the Asian culture. They call it as they see it.

The phrase genchi genbutsu got me to thinking how often we circle around the root of our problems because we don't (or can't) take the time to pinpoint it's epicenter. Yet, everything, when you think about it has an origin; a catalyst if you will that births the process.

Epidemiologists refer to Patient Zero as the source of infection, 9/11 is called Ground Zero, the birth of a star is a nova and the ultimate beginning of all time is named Genesis. Even tumors have a primary beginning that causes the spread of cancerous cells. No matter what it's called, it all boils down to the same concept: a creation or event that heralds the beginning of what didn't exist before. In other words, cause and effect.

For instance, maybe we have continuing trouble with relationships--either picking the "wrong" partner or subconsiously messing things up ourselves. Relationships crash and burn as a result. This might be something that is repeated over and over again until the root of the problem has been identified, dissected and treated. But, in order to do that, we have to become transparent to ourselves. We have to get figuratively naked.

Don't know about you but that's hard. It's hard to strip away our emotional defenses and be totally vulnerable. But, remember to "be strong and courageous" as advised to us in 1 Chronicles 23:12. With God by our side, we can face what needs to be faced, cut out what needs to be cut out so we can live fruitful, loving lives. God promises to "keep you from all evil" and "he will keep your life," so there is nothing to fear. (Psalm 121:7-8)

Going to the spot of trouble can bring healing and with healing will bring change. Are we ready for change or do we want to stay with the status quo, no matter how much it hurts or is not working? Not worth the trouble, you think? Well, think of it this way: if you keep sticking your finger in a dike will that fix the leak permanently? If all you want is a temporary fix, then you won't take the time to dig deep in prayer to heal your "spot of trouble." Permanent fixes usually take alot of work. It usually requires dismantling and rebuilding, like a cracked foundation. Yet, in the end, isn't all that work worth it?

Aren't you worth it?

Change is scary. Sometimes the familiar is easier, even if it fails or promotes hurt; even if it is toxic. If you are too scared to make that first step to fix your genchi genbutsu, think of these words from Jesus:

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

and the flames shall not consume you."

Isaiah 43:1-2

I don't know about you, but to me that's some incredible warranty! Jesus has our backs at all times. There is no way we can fail. So, why not take a moment to identify your spot of trouble and go to it, face it and destroy it?

You've got everything to gain by doing so! Why not start now...

This Way, That Way with God's GPS

2009-06-25T19:48:00.009-04:00

There was a time when I thought of life like one big chess game. In my mind's eye we'd plot our strategies, and execute our moves and countermoves. If we weren't careful and aware, we could be checked at any given moment.

What an exhausting mindset!

Now, I live differently. I know better. My heart accepts and understands that we are usually right where we are supposed to be. I say "usually" because many times even the most seasoned believers get impatient with the Lord's timeline and go after what they want because they think they know better. Waiting and staying in faith during a holding pattern can certainly test the best of us.

Have you ever been in a plane waiting and waiting to get clearance to take off --or even worse, circling high in the sky above your destination point, anxious to land and get where you're supposed to be? Can you imagine if you took matters into your own hands and took over the cockpit controls because you wanted--no, needed to land or take off now?

Well, in a way, that's exactly what you're doing when you decide you know best and take the reigns! There will be times, perhaps many times, when where we are isn't random or without purpose. In other words, we possibly could be precisely where we're supposed to be because God is setting up a divine appointment.

When I first learned about divine appointments (or DA's), I automatically associated them with incredible "can you believe it" tales. A part of me was wow'd by the stories and intense declarations of the blessings people had experienced....but I have to admit there was a small, secretive part of me that was...um, envious. I mean, I kept hearing stories left and right from fellow Christians about all these death-defying interventions, last minute saves from financial ruin or miraculous healings and I had nothing to share; nothing, nada, zip! My DA cupboards were bare.

How could this be, I wondered? Wasn't I worthy of a DA moment myself? Yesssss, I know we aren't supposed to expect them or heaven forbid, demand that God wave his magic wand and conjure one up for our benefit so I could have my own DA story but still....how come I didn't get one?

I pondered what I perceived as the Lord's oversight when gradually the mental fog lifted. Well, shifted is a more accurate description. Wait...hmmm...maybe I hadn't been deprived after all!

Maybe I had overlooked subtle, arranged situations. Shifting my perspective suddenly revealed a world full of DA's once I turned down expectations from visions of floodlights and angelic choirs. The DA's had been there all along but I had needed to quiet my soul in order to "open the eyes of my heart."

I tried that approach. I wasn't good at it at first. Ok, I'm still not that good at it. I still tend to fill my head and heart with "noise." Yet, it's exactly this mental busyness that filters out the gentle whispers of the Holy Spirit.

So, once I stripped away my expectations of dazzle and bling and shock and awe, what happened?

Well, to be honest, nothing much at first. I think the eyes of my heart needed some time to adjust to the light once I took off the rose colored glasses. But, soon I started to notice little things, like maybe feeling a certain way and then hearing just the right words I needed to hear from a song on the radio. Or, struggling with a faith issue and then having someone pop up out of the blue with an email discussing the very same struggle and offering insight without even knowing my own private issues. Or, hearing a right-on sermon the very day and hour my heart was heavy and full of doubts.

These, I've learned, are my divine appointments. They aren't as grandiose as other peoples' maybe but I'll take them just the same. They were designed especially for me by my Lord and Savior and since I am his creation, I know he knows how best to not only reach me---but to teach me as well.

Newboys "In the Hands of God" cd review

2009-06-11T18:59:00.002-04:00

I bought two new cds the other day. Yes, I have an ipod. I just like the real thing. Call me old fashioned but there are always a stack of cds in my car. For some reason, the sound quality seems better to me with a real cd. Another reason is I detest the whole cd-transfer-to-itunes-to-ipod-with-cable process, a major pet peeve of mine. Come on, we are nearly out of the first decade of the 21st century and they can’t figure out how to offer wireless transfers of music data in a less cumbersome setup?

But, I digress, back to the cds. So, while driving along one of the busiest interstate roads in my state, I blindly plucked one of the new cds from top of the pile. Head bobbing, foot stomping, good ole solid rock worthy music immediately streamed out-- not too heavy, not too pop. I was getting into it—and then the singing started. I stopped mid-head bob from shock.

I quickly ejected the cd. Instead of it being the band I thought it would be, it was the other band’s new cd; a band better known for fun pop/rock songs like, “Go (I Wanna Send You),” “Wherever We Go” or slower worship music like “Presence (My Heart’s Desire),” “He Reigns” or “Devotion” but sure enough, the cd label said Newsboys. After I heard the distinctive vocals of Peter Furler, I knew this cd would earn membership in my personal favorites hall of fame. The cd’s first cut, “The Way We Roll” starts off with a bang and instructs us to:

Put on your backpack,
Throw out your roadmap,
God’ll use anything, check it and see.
He’s using us more than we could ever ask for,
That’s the new way we roll cause we’ve been set free!

Another fun song that gets your heart pumping and singing in the car is Dance. The song urges us to shed our self-consciousness.

Dance like no one is looking
Sing like no one can hear
Love like you’ve never been hurt before,
Live like there’s nothing to fear

Ok, I know Chris Tomlin said basically the same thing in one of his hit songs but it doesn’t hurt to reiterate this message to the masses.

One of my favorite songs on the cd , “Lead Me to the Cross” is one I sing in church. They didn’t fiddle with the original Hillsong arrangement too much either so it comes off pure and sincere, just the way it should.

With busy lives, we tend to forget we are mortal with a “finite number of heartbeats.” The song, “This is your life” doesn’t sugar coat its message. I may put these words in my profile:

This is not a warm up round…
This is your life
Treat yourself right,
Treat others right.
Live like you know you should…
Fight the good fight,
Fight for what’s right.
Do what you know you should.
Every living soul completes a finite number of heartbeats…
The devil knows you get just one shot…
Did you forget that heaven’s calling for your best shot?

That’s a good question to ponder. The Newsboys cd, “In the Hands of God” is a great addition to your collection.

Update: On March 9, 2009 the band announced that Michael Tait (formerly of dc Talk) will replace Peter Furler as the Newsboys lead singer.

No Right on Red

2009-05-28T19:27:00.004-04:00

There was a time not so very long ago when I thought of life as one big chess game. In my mind's eye I'd plot out strategic moves, then make counter strikes for the desired outcome. I always felt that if I weren't careful or mindful enough, I was in danger of being checked at any given time.

What an exhausting mindset! If Dr. Phil had been in my head, he would have asked his infamous, "so how's that been working for ya?" question. Not having Dr. Phil to nudge me, my learning curve proved a bit long and steep.

However, I did eventually learn to live differently and I now know better. My heart now accepts and understands that despite what we may think, we are usually right where we're supposed to be. I say "usually" because many times even seasoned believers get impatient. Even though we know we are not in control of things, our wants and desires urge us to go for it anyway because in that flashpoint moment, we think we know what's best. We say to God, "I'll take it from here" with the hope that he not only understands but agrees with us too! Are we delusional?

Yes, I know waiting and staying in a holding pattern can be tough. Been there; done that, designed the tshirt. It's alot like sitting in a plane waiting on the runway for takeoff clearance --or even worse, circling high in the sky above your destination point when you are anxious to land and get to where you are supposed to be.

Can you imagine how much easier it would be for you if you took control over the cockpit? Things would then happen according to your needs, wants and timeline. Sounds good, right? Wrong! When you take control you are essentially taking control over God's cockpit and flight plan. But wait, what if you were being delayed for a reason? What if God wanted you right where you were at that very moment? Maybe it was for your safety, maybe you were supposed to talk to someone or maybe he was moving things on the other end for your benefit. This is a time for trusting in faith, not cursing your misfortune or inconvenience. When delays or detours happen and you don't underestand why, pray on it.

"...he will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:6

Or, maybe God is setting something up and positioning people and events like a heavenly chess game-- not for you but for someone else. Maybe, you are someone else's divine appointment. You never know what God has planned but make no mistake, there is a purpose and nothing is random.

Not too long ago a single mom somewhere in Tennessee stood by her car off a busy hightway in the pouring rain looking at a flat tire with a sinking heart. With little money and no one to call, she didn't know what else to do but pray. She asked the Lord to help her out because she was alone and scared. On the other side of the highway, a man from out of state was driving on his way to a job assignment. He normally wouldn't have been traveling on that road at that time but had decided to get to his hotel earlier in order to be rested for the next day. He looked over to the other side of the highway in time to see the woman standing by the side of the road. Something about her looked familiar to him so he made the first u-turn to get to her side of the road. And indeed, they knew one another! He recognized her as a waitress from the restaurant he frequented when working at the out of state assignment. He wasn't supposed to have been on that road at that time yet God had put him there in answer to her prayer. God put him there so she wouldn't be in danger from strangers.*

Some may think this was simply a case of good luck or merely coincidence. Those of us with faith see it as divine intervention. So, the next time you want to take matters into your own hands, wait. Wonderful things may come your way, things you never imagined nor dreamed of. Or it just may be as simple as an answer to a prayer for help to change a flat tire. Whatever God's reason, let him be at the steering wheel and be patient. It's not your trip, it's his.

"Wait for the Lord," Psalm 37:34

*true story told to me recently by one of the people involved in that incident

Music to Soothe your Soul

2009-05-27T22:16:00.001-04:00

Tenth Avenue North
By Brielle Coronet

I don’t always read every part of a cd’s insert. You know, the places where the band gives all the obligatory thank you’s to friends, family, producers etc. I generally stick to the heart of the music; the lyrics. For me, seeing those words in black and white brings a new understanding and appreciation most of the time.

But, for some reason I decided to read what Tenth Avenue North had to say. I was curious about this band hailing from West Palm Beach, Florida because their music brought me great comfort during a time of need.

A few weeks ago I was all alone in a busy hospital emergency room thinking I was having a heart attack (and so did everyone else for that matter). All I had with me was my i-pod jam packed full of Christian music. Shaking from fear and with my heart racing like I had just performed in an Olympic track and field event, these words from the song, Hold My Heart brought me quiet comfort:

“One tear in the driving rain
One voice in a sea of pain
Could the maker of the stars
Hear the sound of my breaking heart?
One life, that’s all I am
Right now I can barely stand
If you’re everything you say you are
Would you come close and
Hold my heart?”

I listened to those words over and over again, praying for my Lord’s healing touch. After maybe the umpteenth replay, I realized with a start that for the first time since my conversion nearly four years ago, my professed faith was being tested. This was my moment of truth. With the rubber hitting that proverbial road, was I really ready?

I was.

And, so with my eyes closed, acutely aware of my body doing its own thing, I relinquished earthly control and submitted to Jesus. I was in His hands and whatever His will, so be it.
Soon, I felt a warm presence by my hospital bed. Was it our Lord or an angel? I can’t say. All I know is I felt no fear, just peace. At this time, I was listening to another song. I believed the promise of Tenth Avenue’s #1 2009 hit, By Your Side. This song was still at the top of the charts this past February.

“I’ll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
Please don’t fight
These hands that are holding you,
My hands are holding you…
And, I want you to know
That I,
I’ll love you
I’ll never let you go”

You don’t have to be experiencing crisis to enjoy the music of Tenth Avenue North but should you ever need music to soothe your wounded heart or soul, they are the right band for the job.

If you like Jars of Clay, Mercy Me, The Afters, Snow Patrol or Rush of Fools, then Tenth Avenue North’s cd, “Over and Underneath” will become a favorite in your collection. Enjoy!

Maelstrom

2009-04-13T22:05:00.001-04:00

Maelstrom: in the Scandinavian language is a very powerful whirlpool; a large, swirling body of water....

Matters of the Heart

2009-03-03T15:15:00.007-05:00

For many years I ran out of my house to go save people. It didn't matter what the weather was like. It didn't matter if was day, night, weekend, a holiday or my birthday. I was a volunteer emergency medical technician and my job was to respond to a stranger's call for help.

So, when on February 27 I started to feel slightly dizzy, with a racing pulse, short of breath and began sweating, my first thought was denial. Despite all my training, which included CPR and AED certification (automated external defibrillator), despite working in a hospital, despite all my knowledge, I made all the wrong decisions. And, I realize I am very lucky to be writing this blog as a result.

Monday morning quarterbacking is lots easier than to be in the midst of crisis for sure, however I knew better. I knew better and I still made wrong choices. I thought I was invincible; that my head could control my body. But, with that misplaced arrogance I endangered not only my life but those of others as well.

Last Friday I was at lunch with a group of friends, although a few left for a meeting. One of our group, a cardiac nurse was not there that day and now I can't help but wonder if the chain of events might have have been altered if she had been. I had been feeling under the weather with a flu like illness the past week or so and still exhausted and not well despite being on antibiotics. So, like a good little soldier, I kept going into work thinking I could beat it by "being strong." I was "too busy" to be sick anyway. I had things to do and miles to go before I could go to sleep.

Mistake #1

But, while listening to my friends chatter over lunch I began to feel strange; shakey, light headed, slightly sweaty, hard to catch my breath and my pulse felt like it shot through the roof. Instead of saying anything, I got up and said I had to get back to the office. My only thought was to get out of there, a weird sort of flight or fight psychological response. I remember thinking the hallway to my office seemed oddly long and it felt like it took forever to get there. As soon as my assistant saw me, she asked if I was all right and that I looked awful. I said I felt awful and announced I was going to go home to lay down and promised to call the doctor. So I grabbed my coat and left, walking right past the Emergency Room! Now, going home is not as easy as hopping into my car. Because we aren't allowed to park on premises, I have to catch a shuttle bus to go across the city in order to get to our employee parking lot. Imagine doing this feeling this awful. But, I managed to do it.

Mistake #2

Feeling faint I still made the decision to drive home. Like a heat seeking missile, I was totally focused on that task. What you don't know is that this commute takes a minimum of an hour on congested highways and a fast paced toll road. Of course I hit every red light trying to get to the toll road. All I kept thinking was why were there so many people driving at 3pm in the afternoon? Why weren't they at work or home--any place but on the road, holding up my journey home. All I could think about was home. For some reason I felt that if I could get there, I could think clearly and maybe miraculously feel better. How stupid this decision was! I could have passed out while driving and killed or harmed not only myself but others.

Mistake #3

I arrived home and collapsed on the couch. Sweaty, my pulse racing, my chest started to feel heavy. I was not feeling better, I was worse. Still, my mind would not let me even consider the possibility of a heart attack. No, not me. It had to be pneumonia or even a pulmonary embolism--anything but a heart attack! I took my pulse. It was 120! Still, I didn't think of calling 911 or taking an aspirin. I did everything you were not supposed to do and I'm an E.M.T. Instead, I called my doctor, described my symptoms and said I needed to be seen. They said come in immediately. Unfortunately, the doctor's office is 30 minutes away. I called my daughter to talk to me all the way there because I started to get scared. Why didn't I call 911 then? I don't know. I kept thinking that if only I could get to the doctor's office, everything would be ok. They would tell me that it was an anxiety attack or something, anything else but a cardiac situation. Dumb, dumb, dumb!

Mistake #4

I was given an EKG at the doctor's office. My blood pressure was sky high (194/98), pulse still 120 range, sweaty, pale, short of breath and chest heavy with slight pain in my upper back every once in awhile. Doctor decided I had to go to the ER. I was not given an aspirin yet and he decided I could drive myself another 5 miles to the hospital. Instead of saying no, I'm really feeling bad, I say ok. Because in my mind, if the doctor thinks I can drive myself, then I can't be that bad. I should have asked for an ambulance. Driving to the hospital I realized I was taking a big chance. I felt very faint and only wanted to get there as soon as possible. But it was now 4pm and traffic was very heavy. I hit every red light again.

In the ER they gave me baby aspirins. I was hooked up to heart monitors and blood was taken. A few hours later I was admitted to the cardiac observation floor. By now I had an IV pole too. Long story short, I was one lucky lady. The cardiac enzymes came back ok. I didn't have pneumonia. According to the cardiologist I was exhausted and dehydrated from that flu like illness. What a relief!

Looking back now I realize how stupid my decisions were at every step. While I am calm and decisive in a crisis for others, for myself that paradigm is obviously flawed. I think of myself as independent and invincible. I am neither. I was blessed with an angel watching over me. That is my only explaination how I managed to drive a total of 90 minutes and 47 miles with those symptoms. Even the cardiologist said it was a miracle I didn't pass out.

The symptoms of a heart attack in women are not always the classic chest clutching pains men get. You might not have pain in your left arm or in your jaw. It might start as exhaustion, indigestion, a pain in your back or your stomach, you may break into a sweat, feel short of breath. If you feel this way, call 911. Have aspirin in your purse or house at all times if you or your family has a history of heart disease. If 911 tells you to take the aspirin, chew it do not swollow it. Do not wait, do not second guess yourself thinking it will go away. "Time is muscle" as they say in medicine.

And, lastly, don't do as I did! Don't take a chance with your life! Listen to your heart and live.

Cleaning Out Your Spiritual Closet

2009-02-07T11:42:00.002-05:00

If you were hanging off the edge of a cliff, tired and scared, how long would you hold on? Would you hang on long after your body felt like giving out?

This was the scenario my martial arts instructor would describe for us as we held our legs high up in the air, toes pointed and poised for attack; our muscles aching and on fire, sweat pouring from every pore. He would keep us in that position until our legs turned to jelly. It was his way of instilling in us the concept of “non-quitting spirit.” I trained that way for over ten years until an injury three years ago benched me forever.

Sensei’s message of never giving up or letting go influenced my mental makeup. I was and always have been a driven type A personality but this mantra took me over the top. I became quite successful as a result. Consequently, I acquired lots of stuff in my life -- physically, mentally and emotionally. As the years passed, I held on to it all with dear life. But, I never took the time to evaluate what I was keeping or why.

I know someone who has held on to a house long after becoming a financial burden due to a ballooning mortgage. It was way too much house for her to begin with, but she had been seduced by the initial low payments. Unfortunately, you don’t get something for nothing and soon the payments began to escalate. Instead of cutting her losses, she held on by the skin of her teeth by working three jobs and renting out portions of her living space. After two years of this, she’s finally realized the cost of keeping the house outweighed any loss. It was time to let go.

Do you know how they capture monkeys? I read that trappers take a pot with a narrow opening and bury the pot until the opening is just above ground level. The hunters put pieces of food in it to attract the monkeys. When the monkeys reach inside the pot, their fist full of food cannot be pulled back out of the opening. The monkey begins to scream with frustration as he desperately tries to pull his hand out. Even when the hunter throws a net over the pot, the monkey won’t open his hand to drop his prized treat. The monkey chooses capture over freedom when all he had to do was let go!

In the children’s story, The Berenstain Bears and The Trouble at School, Brother Bear tries to cross a shallow creek but his bike keeps getting stuck deeper and deeper in the mud. Instead of admitting this path wasn’t a good choice, he presses forward until he is so stuck he can’t move. All Brother Bear had to do was let go of the bike but he stubbornly held on to it, just like the monkeys.

We all know people who have held on to hurts, grievances, dead-end relationships or jobs long past their time. It might even be you. I know I have. Instead of letting them go, we held on to them as tightly and passionately as Gollum clung to his “Precious” ring in Lord of the Rings. If you are familiar with the book or movie, Gollum’s ring was anything but precious and was nearly the ruin of them all. How much easier it would have been had he relinquished the ring but like the monkeys, my friend with the house, Brother Bear and his bike, Gollum held on to it and wouldn’t let go, even when holding on caused pain and suffering.

At what price do we hold on to things that we should let go of? The Casting Crown’s song, “Let It Fade” asks the same question and gently reminds us that “things” are just temporary.

Have you been holding on to what this world has offered?
Have you been giving in to all these masquerades?
It will be gone, forever gone.
It will be gone, it will be gone…
Let it fade

We can hold on to material possessions that eventually break, rust or go out of style. We can hold on to hurts and bitter roots, too but none of that will allow our lights to shine. When we hold on to those things, we imprison ourselves and dim our spirit. It takes courage to clean our spiritual closets but what if you did? What would fill that empty space? Emptiness can be scary because you can feel vulnerable and exposed. Letting go to “let God” is not an easy thing to practice. Life is tough. It is a lot easier to hide behind a force field of “stuff” so we don’t get hurt, have to feel or grow. Or, we can replace that stuff filling up our lives, hearts and minds with other things; things that may not have worldly value per se but in the spiritual realm are deemed priceless. Like what? A song by Jeff Deyo gives us these suggestions:

More love, more power
More of You in my life…
More faith, more passion
More of You in my life…

How about filling your life with more of that? What would your life be like then? Of course, embracing a sense of “nonquitting spirit” isn’t entirely bad. We shouldn’t give up easily when the Holy Spirit urges us to continue with a mission placed on our heart. We shouldn’t give up on family and friends who are not walking their walk or who haven’t begun their walk yet. But, we need to learn what to hold on to and what to let go of. However, the one thing we should never let go of like we were hanging over the edge of that proverbial cliff is our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Without that, nothing else really matters. The bible promises that if you “…cast your cares on the Lord, he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” (Psalm 55:22 NIV)

We all hold on to things way past their prime, even when we know it’s better to let it go. So, how about making time to spring clean your spiritual house? Stop and take a moment to examine what’s taking up space in your hearts, minds and souls. Why not start today? Even if you only let go of one thing, it’s the journey that counts. Let me know if you do. I’d love to know what happens when you let go to let God refill you.

I’ll leave you with this thought. When God leads you to the edge of that cliff, trust in him fully and then, let go. Only one of two things will happen—either he will catch you when you fall or he’ll teach you how to fly!

Birthday Girl!

2008-12-10T21:02:00.002-05:00

What better way to celebrate a birthday than to go to an amusement park with my honey? Here we are riding the flume and having a blast. At least we don't get wet in SL!

Another year to look forward to---and that's something to be grateful for :)

Unplugged!

2008-11-26T13:46:00.004-05:00

I was suddenly and involuntarily unplugged from all my vices last night. I had no phone, no tv, no internet. Hmmm you know those very attractive discounted "packages" that the cable company offers? Well, caveat emptor should be written in red across them. One glitch and wham! you are cut off! Now, we all have lost our internet connection at some point. Sometimes we've had cable tv outtages and now that I've made the switch to cable phone, now I have to add phone issues to that list. But, problems with all three? At once? No, that's a first.

Ok, I took a deep breath. I live in a black hole with limited cell phone service. No towers or something I've been told, but "they're being built." Uh-huh been waiting for 4 years and not a new tower in sight. So anyway, I have a few hot spots around my house where the cell will work--like a foot above my head in the middle of the living room, near the rear window ledge and across the street. Oh yea,practical, especially when its near freezing temperatures outside. But, I had no choice.

Operator number 1 could care less about my predicament. Her attitude said it all. The best that could be done was sending a repair tech 3 days from now. When I made a fuss she said she'd "call me back" after she looking into what could be done. An hour passed, no call back. Well, I'm sort of the impatient type so I decided to take matters into my own hands and called back. I got Operator number 2. She seemed a bit more interested but assured me that nothing was wrong on my account (well I knew that already!) so I'd just have to wait. When I protested a bit more vocally that surely they could do a systems check on their end, she transferred me. Operator number 3 at least volunteered to do a systems check. Now remember I'm on my cell and the minutes are ticking away on my basic calling plan. I was put on hold while they "checked" for nearly 30 minutes listening to horrid drive-in style music. Even as the minutes ticked away I was hopeful.

Then, the lights flickered on my modem! All green at last! But, as fast as they turned green, they shut off again. It's my modem the technician declared. However, he then told me that the technician would be out "tomorrow morning between 8am-11am." After being first told it would take 3 days, this news sounded good to me! Now, what to do with all the time in between? It was only 7pm, cold and dark outside...

I discovered my laptop had games. I played chess, solitaire, mahjong and hearts. I really wanted bejeweled lol The computer beat me at all the games over and over again. So, I decided to watch a DVD on my laptop. It was great! I loved hearing the movie through my headset. It was all in my head! One movie later I was quickly growing bored. After a few more games of chess I was frustrated AND bored. Sleep sounded like a good way to pass the time...

The next morning everything was still off. My fantasy that things would miraculously "right" itself by magic were not fulfilled. So, I waited for the technician to arrive...and waited...and waited. Hmmm 3 hours later I called the cable company again. I was told I did not have an 8-11am window, I had an all day window until 5pm! No way. Now, I threw a hissy fit. Ok, not a real hissy fit but a stern "I-am-not-a-satisfied-customer" rant. I even threw in mention of Verizon's Fios cable alternative for added effect. That didn't work either.

It was time for the big guns. I demanded to speak to a supervisor, who of course was busy and would call me back. Uh-huh mister, I've been promised that before! Well, long story short the supervisor did call me back and he took names and promised to make heads roll. Now we were talking! He gave me just enough empathy and validation to make me say "viva cable!" Well, almost lol Supervisor Man promised that the technician was amazingly in my neighborhood. Oh really? wow! And no one knew that before? Even more amazingly, he'd would be knocking on my door very soon...

And about 5 minutes later he was! He said he'd be back in 2 secs. He disappeared outside and then returned. All fixed, he declared. Oh? but you haven't seen my modem, I frowned skeptically. No need he said, your service had been turned off, just like a few other neighbors.

Ooops. Someone had flicked a switch and turned off our accounts. No apology, of course. I'm supposed to just be grateful I'm plugged back into the world again....

Now, where was that Fios advertisement?

Happy 2nd Rez Day to Me!

2008-11-16T01:06:00.004-05:00

November 16, 2007 was the night I first signed on to Second Life, not knowing what to expect or not to expect. Good thing because I landed in a volcano hub! I had no instructions, had no idea what to do or not to do so I sat...and sat...and sat. Still, something fascinated me enough to draw me back the next day and the next and the next...but still I was in that dreadful volcano. I noticed people appearing and disappearing but I had no idea where they were going or how.

I wonder why I kept coming back. It probably has something to do with making things a quest not if mastered quick enough. The "failure is not an option" mantra comes to mind lol

How I eventually got out of that volcano hub is another story. But suffice it to say I did and went off to discover a whole new world. Alice, finally found her way past the rabbit hole!

I'm glad I did keep coming back though. 2 years and many adventures later, many houses later (dare I even count? could I even count them?) a long history of friends (some still friends, some not, some left, some drifted, some parted ways), work from RL now in SL and of course finding my wonderful partner, I find SL is very much like RL. Nothing is constant in RL...nothing is constant nor predictable in SL. It's really all a parallel world no matter how you slice it; not perfect, sometimes bumpy but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I look forward to another great year! viva SL!

I'm baaack!

2008-11-15T12:18:00.005-05:00

So many weddings, so little time! In the mad, whirlwind world of Second Life love is definitely in the air! Just like in the real world, weddings in SL are as unique as the people saying their vows.

In the past few months I've been in 2 weddings as maid of honor. One was held in a castle high in the sky, the other on the edge of a cliff in an elegant, traditional setting to rival any in the physical world. I've attended lavish weddings and simple ones on the beach with only a few guests. One wedding was abruptly cancelled on it's eve with only the cryptic explaination of "technical difficulties." It was not rescheduled and I noticed that the pair were no longer partnered shortly thereafter. Yes, even in a virtual world couples get cold feet.

But, by far the most fun wedding was our own! Bo proposed on one knee on the balcony of our island home on September 24, 2008. I had expected it at some point but despite knowing that it would eventually happen, I was nevertheless very emotional when the moment actually came to pass. In fact, I was so excited I said yes before he even asked! Fortunately one of us had the presence of mind to focus. "Let me ask you first, darling," he reminded me patiently. Well, oookay....geesh, details, details lol

What followed in the following days was a fun, albeit sometimes frustrating hunt for a church. We had both decided that we wanted a traditional wedding with all our friends witnessing our union, complete with an officiate to marry us with vows, a blessing and a full works reception. In other words, the whole enchilada.

If anyone has planned a wedding in real life, it's about the same. Couples still have to discuss and agree and make decisions. What type of church, what type of ceremony, traditional or personalized, Christian or civil, chapel, church or cathedral, music, flowers, color theme, bridal party, tuxes, dresses, bouquets and boutonnieres (or button holes as they are called in Europe). And, that's only for the church. There's also the reception, DJ and music selections, first dance song, to throw the bouquet and garter or not, cutting the virtual cake (yes) and the best man's toast. Needless to say, there was very little time to go dancing (although we did manage to plan "nonwedding" days to keep ourselves from getting frazzled).

Everything actually fell into place fairly easily for us at first. It only took a few days to find "the perfect church" which also happened to have "the perfect reception" area. Plus, they also happened to have the date we wanted open! The very last time slot! We grabbed it. With that booked and done, we could breath a collective sigh of relief and enjoy the next few weeks of engagement plotting out the other wedding details.

Ha, as they say the best laid plans...As it happened, Bo and I were Best Man and Maid of Honor for a couple's upcoming wedding. Because the European way is to not fuss over your own impending wedding until a friend's wedding is over, we didn't mention the date nor our plans to our friends. That is, until the night of their bachelor/bachelorette party when, I could hold it in no longer and blurted out that our wedding invitation would be arriving shortly and to make sure it was opened outside because it was quite large (a major understatement). When I said the date it quickly became known there was a "problem." Uh-oh our intended Best Man was going to be out of town! Big uh-oh. So we had to quickly decide if we wanted to change the date --that is, if the reception place had an opening for the night before. The good news is that they did--the last spot again but it could be ours. The bad news was that because it was now a Friday night instead of Saturday, many of our friends would not be able to attend because of time zone issues, including a long time friend who had offered to DJ our reception.

We weathered all the challenges with a humor, patience and lots of love. Little did we know that one of the biggest challenges was still ahead of us--the quest for the perfect wedding ring set! In SL hours are like days so to say we spent days and days looking for wedding bands is no exaggeration. I think we visited every jeweler in SL and saw every possible ring set. Then, we finally decided...or so we thought. I exercised my female prerogative to change my mind and so the hunt began again. I'm glad we did. I love my wedding ring set and wear it proudly. It was worth every minute of the hunt.

My wedding dress had to be perfection. No, it had to be beyond perfection. I found the perfect gown very early in the search but of course I kept on looking...and looking...and looking. I think I tried on every gown demo in SL but I kept coming back to "that" one. I thought about it and realized it just needed a few extra customized touches and it would be my perfect dress. So, I contacted the creator at Adiva Bridal and asked could she do this and that? And, amazingly she said yes. Now, if you knew how rigid and/or finicky most SL designers are, this was no small feat. I asked her to add long, fingerless opera gloves. Done. Then I asked her to add a ring of crystal flowers around the waistband to match the headpiece. Done. I had my perfect creation!

In the end, on October 24, 2008 Bo and I exchanged vows in front of over 25 friends at the church at Fanatasia Island. Our attendants were Simon, Charlie, Cirrus, Apache, Anna and Gen. Our first dance song was supposed to be "The Power of Love" by Celine Dion but the DJ goofed up and played "Falling Into You" instead. It's a beautiful song but we've decided at our 1 year anniversary to have a recommitment ceremony and have "The Power of Love" officially played as our song. Wouldn't that be lovely? Maybe Celine Dion will be in SL by then :)

So, that's what I've been up to. I've lots more to report, more fun times, more events and lots more memories. Stay tuned as my SL journey continues!

<--Puglet (USA) & Jim (Australia)'s wedding Oct 2008

<-- Our wedding Oct 24, 2008

<---first dance

Two Hearts

2008-09-28T21:49:00.001-04:00

September 24, 2008

September 11, 2008 in Second Life

2008-09-17T22:07:00.006-04:00

We will never forget!

Hey, No One Asked Me!

2008-09-17T22:07:00.003-04:00

Polls are a strange thing. In today's local newspaper a big, bold headline announced that 52% of my state's female residents back Obama. Hmmm...ok, I thought but you know, no one asked me! How come? So I read all the way down to the fine print.

Oh yea, buried in the body of text toward the very end they offered up the goods: 689 people were polled. Hold on! 689 people? In a state of over 8 million people?

Hmmm...ok I'm no math whiz but isn't that like way below 1%--so low in fact, that the number hardly is a blip on the radar screen?

Yep. So, 52% of 689 people say they are voting for Mr. Obama. Now, why didn't the paper just say so?

What? Oh right. Because if they did, the paper's sneaky bias towards a particular candidate may be uh, noticed?

Ya think?

A Different Kind of Friday Night

2008-08-31T12:03:00.003-04:00

August 29, 2008. The gang gathered tonight but it was not our usual theme party. There was a real life death in the family of one of our gang so we got together for friendship and support.

We still had some laughs though! Friends can be a help for healing, even in the virtual world.

Pictured left to right: Apache, Simon, Bo, me, Karina (and her bunny), Cirrus, Kayla. Not pictured but were there: Krpt, Emalee, Katia, Dirk, Jaelyn.

Also not seen too well is the lovely 3 diamond past, present, future ring I was given earlier that evening :) Virtual life is full of suprises!

It's Friday Night Again!

2008-08-25T22:33:00.004-04:00

Another Friday night theme party! Whether its surfing or togas, we love our Friday night tradition! Many aren't in these pictures but as we know it's so hard to get everyone posed and facing forward! Top picture: Simon, Apache, Kayla, Bo and me. Bottom picture: from left to right Arlow, Kayla, Bo, me, Nathan, Anna, Bridget and Simon. Missing from the picture (but present) are Apache, Karina, Mauro, Cough, Cirrus, Charlie and Angel.

We've added "destination" parties so that's why we all went surfing. In the weeks to come we'll go racing, biking, skydiving, dress like olympians, 80's rock stars and nekkos.

Oh, what's a nekko? ha ha stay tuned...you'll see!

More Love...

2008-08-15T16:28:00.006-04:00

Ik hou van jou means I love you in Dutch. All I can say is that Bo had me from hello...some things just can't be planned---in real life or Second Life. Neither of us were looking, in fact we were more not looking than anything else! But, sometimes fate has other plans for you despite your best intentions to just go along your merry way solo. And, isn't that the most sweetest surprise of all when your best laid plans go belly up? I'm smiling again, singing again and my heart skips a beat when we're together.

Yeah, I've fallen...and this time I'm not getting up!

Love is in the Air!

2008-08-15T16:20:00.004-04:00

It's August and love is definitely in the air! My SL sister, Anna and her love, Gus got married in their castle with a few friends around to celebrate their SL union. I was honored to be one of her witnesses.

It was a lovely, romantic wedding and the groom even sang a song to his beloved :) You can't get more romantic than that! Many happy times to you both, Anna and Gus!

This isn't the last wedding for us to attend---this weekend is my old friend Haley's wedding and a new pair of friends, Endo and Anastasia. Last, but not least (and maybe not the last of all the parties!) is an engagement party for Puglet next week.

Wonder what is in the SL air or in the water? Pass me some...

An Evening at Phat Cats

2008-08-08T16:27:00.003-04:00

Despite the best of plans, SL can sometimes (oftentimes?) throw you a curve ball. Out the window were plans to attend a best in wings contest, then a red or black contest. Since winning my Queen of the Month crown last week I am on a quest to win more contests and titles! But SL had its own mind last night. Events were cancelled or empty because people could not tp nor log in.

So, the 4 of us (Apache, Simon, Bo and me) wound up at the uber formal place, Phat Cats where romance and bluesy sounds fill the air. It tends to be a quiet place with most people in private IM or voice chat. Changes in plans are frustrating but they can also result in unexpected adventures and fun. We hadn't planned to go to Phat's, there were no contests to win there but sometimes it's not a title or lindens you can win...sometimes it can be much more.

Sometimes you can win someone's heart :)

BFFs

2008-08-06T23:50:00.004-04:00

One thing about Second Life is that it can be a very lonely place unless you make connections. Tonight Bo and I went with our friends to Bedrock for bowling, racing, and a game of miniature golf. But, I lost my golf club before I even started. I fared much better in bowling, however...and held my own in racing. Ok, fine. I admit it. I drove 30 mph but hey I made it to the finish line!

SL is an incredible social networking medium. But the most amazing thing about SL are the connections you make that you would most likely never make in your real life.

For instance, our friends Apache & Simon. Apache is from New England area of USA and her partner is from Germany. Cultural divides fade, friendships are forged and accents become things of interest. Could they have met outside of SL? Maybe, but most likely not. Fate does have its own ideas though and perhaps SL was one of its vehicles.

Bo is from way up from Scandinavia country. Would we have ever bumped into each other in the physical world? I doubt it. Yet, we delight in discovering one another and talk for hours, sharing and laughing.

This mix of accents is delicious to the ear.Accent? Well, their accents, that is. What? Who has an accent? Moi? Hey, I'm just a Jersey Girl from the northeast who goes down the shore in the summer, walks the dawg and drinks cawfee. Accent? Nah...

Really. You ought to hear me speak Dutch. No accent at awl. Nope.

Everyday's a Parade

2008-08-06T16:37:00.003-04:00

Ok, it doesn't look exactly like a Macy's Parade at Thanksgiving and yea, the NYC area seems a bit "off" but it's the thought that counts I think.

Where but in Second Life can you have an ongoing Macy's Parade strutting their stuff down main street any time you want it?

Where else can you sit on King Kong's shoulder on top of the Empire State Building?

They say all the world's a stage. I think no where else is that truer than in SL. This wonderful, vast virtual immersive world is an ever evolving canvass and our imagination is the paint. Whatver you think can become.

Explore, enjoy, laugh, love...it's all possible here in the home I call Second Life!

King of the world!

2008-07-31T17:46:00.005-04:00

I have to admit that ever since seeing the movie, Titanic, I've always fantasized about doing this "king of the world" stunt. Now, just having been on board a cruise ship a couple of months ago, I can tell you I'd be terrified to try it in real life...but isn't that what a second life is for?

So, aboard a crude imitation of the Titanic ship, Bo and I tried it out under the sisterly watchful eyes of Anna. Could we have fallen overboard?

Yep. But it's Second Life and nothing would happen save a bruised ego and a laugh or two. Then, you'd fly up and try it all over again! You can't always do that in real life but here, in this immersive 3D world you most certainly can--and with friends from around the world by your side!

Life, whether real or virtual can be sweet :)

Salsa, baby!

2008-07-26T13:45:00.005-04:00

The Friday Night Gang gathered at Kayla's island paradise for a night of Salsa last night. Toro! And, we even had a bull! There was dancing, laughing (as always) and for some reason the boys brought out their toys.

Soon there were alien avatars, transformers, little deputys, cars, weapons,motorcycles and even a Zeppelin balloon. Yes, you read that right!

I had an unfortunate accidental "wardrobe malfunction" moment too. At least it was amongst friends! Ha ha but methinks Krpt, Apache and Bo saw a wee bit too much more of me than ever planned. Simon thankfully missed it and Charlie...hmmm where was Charlie?

It all ended with Bo becoming a model. He sweetly modeled my beach shorts line for pictures for my newest store. Muuuah, Bo!

Next week it's Christmas in August at my house! Maybe Santa will come so I can sit on his lap and whisper my Christmas wishes...never too early to start!

Rock of Ages

2008-07-26T13:35:00.004-04:00

You can take the girl out of the 80's but you can't always take the 80's out of the girl :)

Ok we all have vices, 80's hair bands are mine lol and fortunately, in Second Life life seems to be in a time warp. Most of us boomers must dominate the demographics because 80's concert venues abound. Great for me!

So, I spend lots of hours doing the rounds at concerts by tribute bands, sometimes alone, sometimes with friends but no matter I always have a great time! This past week alone I heard Alice Cooper, Bon Jovi, 3 Doors Down and a german band called Kreation. I missed Evanescence but will catch them another time.

And, I'm even thinking about being a singer in a cover band....hey, why not. Isn't that what a second life is all about?

Stay tuned...

A Devil of a Time!

2008-07-20T13:01:00.007-04:00

Every Friday night our gang holds a theme party. This week I hosted an Angels, Devils, Sinners and Saints dance. No one came as a saint but I think the angels outnumbered the devils!

It was a great time. People came from all over--from as far away as Australia to Germany, UK, Portugal and the USA.

Our crowd keeps growing --the more the merrier: Albi, Leo, Coughdrop, Simon, Apache, Kayla, Tomcat, Charlie, Anna, Genevieve, Third, Marimar, Paribus... did I forget anyone? MIA were regulars Bo and Enkryptor. Next week's theme is Salsa--Ole!

Points of View

2008-07-12T13:54:00.005-04:00

While riding a ferris wheel today, I thought about a movie I once saw called Roshomon. The film is about how several people recall an event from their own vantage points, which influences their perspectives. On the ferris wheel, when you are ground level, you don't see much more than what is before you...but as you rise higher and higher, you begin to see buildings that you didn't know where there and pathways never explored.

It is like a whole new world yet it is the same world. It's all how you see things really. Life can be narrow, like a tunnel where you can't see left or right but only ahead. But, we need to see things in shades of grey. We need to see the periphery in order to gauge the larger picture. To only march on, eyes straight ahead is to rob yourself of scenery and people you would not have seen otherwise.

There is a street in San Francisco. It's the most winding road ever built. It's not practical but it's fun. The narrow twists and turns force you to slow down to enjoy the experience. We should do that in our lives as well. Slow down and enjoy different views of your world. Sit on the other side of the road, change where you are seated on the couch, sleep on the other side of the bed, drive to work a different way. Change it up!

And, perhaps like the ferris wheel, you will see the world in a whole new way---full of wonder, potential and possibility :)

Life Goes On at Inishmore

2008-07-06T21:23:00.004-04:00

July 7, 2008 will be the first anniversary of owning Inishmore. The island is not the same as it once was, the dreams are different too but life goes on. Had an impromptu party with some friends and we had a great time until...well, don't know how I did it but I accidentally deleted the ground we were all dancing on and we all tumbled into the ocean! haha everyone loved it!

Later on a few friends, Enkryptor, Anna and Tom joined me for some chat in my underwater cove. No, things are not the same but the one thing you can always count on is change. Whenever I start to get a bit melancholy, I think of how the apostle Paul endured all sorts of change in his life and endured what I will never experience. And yet, despite his torture and persecution, he had the courage to say...

"I have learned in whatever state I'm in, to be content." Philippians 4:11

How many of us can say that? How many of us practice that? It is a simple gift to ourselves to be content despite whatever life throws at us. So, do we take that gift or do we sour when things don't go our way? Let's not wither on the vine of discontent. Why not grasp life and be content...no matter what...no matter where...no matter in what state. Go for it!

Can you Support Abortion and still be a Christian?

2008-07-01T11:24:00.006-04:00

I read the following article and thought to myself, "how can this be?" How can Christians park their faith on the curb just to support a popular candidate? How do they justify this to themselves---and to God? I am incredulous...ok, perhaps naive to believe that all Christians who say they are Christians will embrace,practice and follow the tenant's of the teachings of Jesus, but stunned all the same. How can one support extinguishing life yet in the next breath pray to the God who gives us all life?
Read on:
Most Members Of Obama's Catholic Advisory Council Members Support Abortion Rights, Opinion Piece Says25 Jun 2008
Wall Street Journal columnist William McGurn writes in an opinion piece that Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) "sent a clear message" to Democrats who "gravitated" toward Republican candidates because of their opposition to abortion rights by appointing Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) as the head of his National Catholic Advisory Council. According to McGurn, although the council's National Leadership Committee does include some Roman Catholic lawmakers whose "pro-life credentials are impeccable," such as Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), most members of the council have a "seal of approval" from NARAL Pro-Choice America, with 17 of the 21 senators, members of Congress and governors on the committee having a 90% to 100% approval rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America.To further support his thesis that Obama's Catholic advisory council would be better suited to informing voters about how "extreme" Obama's position on abortion is rather than encouraging Catholic voters to support him, McGurn points out that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D), one of the committee's co-chairs, recently was asked by her bishop to stop receiving Holy Communion because of her support for abortion rights.Obama has said that although he supports abortion rights, he acknowledges a "moral dimension" to abortion, and has said that he is willing to listen to abortion-rights opponents and that he wants to work to reduce the number of abortions, according to McGurn. However, Obama's arguments are a "tough sell" to Catholic voters, McGurn writes, adding that Catholic voters who are supporting Obama "have to get around" the Catholic Church's position that abortion is an "intrinsic evil" and is "always and everywhere wrong"

(McGurn, Wall Street Journal, 6/24). Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company. © 2008 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112655.php

Actions Speak Louder than Words!

2008-07-01T09:44:00.001-04:00

Obama: Equal Pay for Women... Just Not on My Dime
Posted by Bobby Eberle
July 1, 2008 at 6:00 am
Sen. Barack Obama talks a good game. There's talk about hope and change, and hope and change, and even more hope and change. What exactly is he hoping to change? No one really knows, but one thing is clear: the more we get to know him, the more we realize that his actions are quite different than his "hope and change" rhetoric.
As an example, take his recent speech about pay discrimination between men and women. Obama told the audience in Albuquerque, NM that he supports "a Senate bill to make it easier to sue an employer for pay discrimination." Yet, upon a review of Obama's payroll, we learn that women are paid less than men. Keep talking Sen. Obama.
As reported by CNSNews.com, "While Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has vowed to make pay equity for women a top priority if elected president, an analysis of his Senate staff shows that women are outnumbered and out-paid by men. That is in contrast to Republican presidential candidate John McCain's Senate office, where women, for the most part, out-rank and are paid more than men."
In his speech, Obama spoke about how his single mom worked to raise her family. He spoke of hardships of his grandmother, and also his wife. He set the stage beautifully by noting the successes of these women... then what did he do? He blasted Sen. John McCain, saying, "But when you look at our records and our plans on issues that matter to working women, the choice could not be clearer. ... It starts with equal pay."
It starts with equal pay? Did he seriously say that with a straight face? As CNSNews.com notes in their analysis, "On average, women working in Obama's Senate office were paid at least $6,000 below the average man working for the Illinois senator." CNSNews.com also points out that "of the five people in Obama's Senate office who were paid $100,000 or more on an annual basis, only one -- Obama's administrative manager -- was a woman."
In contrast, women outnumbered men on McCain's Senate payroll by 30 to 16. The women were paid an average of $3,000 more than the men.
Obama sounds less and less like an advocate of hope and change, and more and more like a typical politician. In his speech Obama said, "We can't afford an economy where folks keep working harder for less. We can't let the women in our workforce get paid even less for doing the same work." Oh really? It appears that Obama, as an employer, has no problems doing exactly what he is speaking against. I guess he means "other" employers. Certainly we shouldn't look at what his own hiring practices really are, right? This is just one other part of his record that he'd prefer be kept out of the spotlight.
Near the end of his speech, Obama said, "I want my daughters to grow up in an America where they have opportunities that are even greater than their mother had, or their grandmothers, or their great grandmothers -- an America where our daughters truly have the same opportunities as our sons."
Note to Obama's daughters.... Don't go to work for your dad.

sad, isn't it that in this new century, already nearly a decade into it that women are still behind in the game!

My Little Piece of Eden

2008-06-28T19:01:00.004-04:00

Different views of my new little piece of paradise, Isla Bonita which is a small island off of Island of Eden. I wasn't sure what it would become when I first began its design but eventually it came together. It is a place for relaxation, meditation, prayer, friendship...we all need our own space for things like that. As time goes by I will enjoy it more, I'm sure. For me, that's what Second Life is all about: creating, enjoying and communing.

Doomsday

2008-06-24T17:51:00.004-04:00

There is a popular prediction right now that pinpoints December 21, 2012 for the End of Times to happen. Apparently many major ancient prophecies stop at this date. Even the Mayan calendar stops there. Well, ok maybe it will be Doomsday but how about considering other options.

What if the guy who chisled the dates into the Mayan stone calendar got fired before he could finish? What if he got tired of the whole thing and quit? What if he got his bosses mad and they ripped his heart out as punishment (hey, didn't you see Apocolypto?) Or what if he keeled over from a heart attack? Geesh and then 2,000 years later we're putting more meaning into it than really what happened.

Ok but now go with the idea that somehow the Mayans tapped into a crystal ball. December 21, 2012 is now a few days less than 4.5 years from now. I don't know about you but that's enough to give me pause. I mean, I haven't visited Stonehenge, the Northwest, taken an Alaskan cruise or danced at the Palms in Vegas yet. I have things to do and places to see and now I have a Doomsday Clock ticking down.

Do I believe it? Nah. Do I care? Not really. All kidding aside, sure I'd love to fulfill everything on my life's wish list but I'm fine with whatever happens. So, if the world ended tomorrow, whether naturally, by man made stupidity or if Jesus makes his second appearance, I'm ok with it because my soul is not going to be left behind no matter how it happens.

So, bring on whatever is supposed to happen December 21, 2012. I'm ready.

But you know what, I think I'll buy my Christmas presents that year on December 22 just in case...but uh oh, just had a thought--what if that Mayan chisler was dyslexic! 12/12/12?

Definitely something to think about...

Ka-Ching!

2008-06-23T09:50:00.003-04:00

I can be the Queen of De-Nial. Case in point are the gas prices. Instead of filling up, I used to plunk down 20 bucks at a time (now increased to 35) because it didn't seem to be "as bad" as it really was. Well, today I decided to bite the bullet. It was time to face things head on!

I heard myself say (through clinched teeth), "Fill'r up with regular, please." The gas station attendant looked at me with what I thought was controlled horror. I quickly looked away and applied some lipstick while peering in my driver's side makeup mirror. As long as I didn't look nor pay close attention I figured it wouldn't be so bad...right?

Wrong! I nearly fainted when he annouced, "$68.53 ma'am." He must've seen the color drain from my face because he pointed to the gallons used as if to defend himself. I was speechless. Now, I know it probably seems silly and a bit naive but honestly, putting in a few dollars here and there really truly did seem to add up to less. Ok, in my world it did.

That got me to wondering how often we pull the switcheroo in our lives to fool ourselves into thinking something isn't quite as bad as it is? Even worse, how often we refuse to fill up our emotional and spiritual "tanks" on a regular basis because we might have to pay up.

To be a Christian means we are supposed to spread the good news. Not only on Sundays, not only to each other---but to everyone, everywhere, all the time no matter how uncomfortable it makes us. But to successfully serve the Lord we must also work on our own walk--all the time. That means reading, studying, joining ministries, belonging to groups and committing ourselves to getting a full tank of spiritual gas.

Yea, it's a lot easier on us if we just put in little chunks of spiritual gas, like just going to church on Sundays and then not doing much for the Lord for the rest of the week. Wait, you say, I did my bit for workship! I came, I listened and did my duty what more do you want from me? Well, my brother and sister, you received about a 1/4 tank or so of Holy Fire. There is so much more to being a Christian than just going to church!

But, you have to first ask yourself: do you want a full tank of Jesus or 1/2? Are you willing to pay the full price or do you just want to spend some change on Him? It's your soul, your salvation. Still, you have to ask yourself what the cost will be if you don't pay the full price and fill yourself up?

C'mon don't you want more? What will you ask for the next time you pull up at the well? Will you say, "Fill me up, Lord?" Or will you drive away with a half full tank?

Lament for the Old Neighborhood

2008-06-20T21:39:00.004-04:00

Years ago when the kids were little and my life was a blur of soccer games, tournaments, little league, ballet and the like we used to always stop by at our favorite neighborhood pizzeria/restaurant afterwards. Sweaty and still in uniform, my son would gobble down pizza like it was manna from heaven. We did this for years---years!

You think I'm exaggerating? We started on this whirlwind journey when my son was in first grade, barely coordinated enough to kick or hit a ball much less get it in a net or blast a home run and we ended with the travel-team circuit with an olympic class ranking at age 12. It only "ended" because of problems with ankle growth plates and even then it was a hiatus. As soon as we got the green light, add high school level baseball, football and karate to the mix. If you think I can remember 1987-1998 you've got to be kidding! Anyway, I digress...

Basically the pizzeria guys watched my kids grow up. By the time we moved my son had graduated high school and his sister was ready to go in. It was with a sad heart we moved to a town that did not have a pizza that rivaled the one we coveted. It was only 6 miles away but you'd think we had moved to Siberia. But, soon we found a substitute. Yea, it wasn't as good but the pizza guys were very friendly and made us feel at welcomed. Son goes off to college and now our lives have morphed into an every-other-weekend thing with daughter's dad.

I hadn't been alone since...well, since maybe birth? I mean, I went from home to a college dorm with lots of roomies to marriage. Along came the kids and that pretty much summed up my life until the-big-breakup. No where had I ever experienced being alone. This was brand new and I wasn't sure if I liked it. So, I started a comfort ritual. Every other Saturday when my daughter went away, I'd go and get take out Chinese. Ok, sounds pathetic and probably was but it was all I could think up at the time. The weekends my daughter was home we'd go to the pizza place where I soon discovered they had "the best" ever grilled chicken salad platter!

Fast forward six years. That's alot of Chinese take out and pizza/grilled chicken salad, I know but by now daughter is in college (still living at home though so no, I wasn't totally alone yet). She no longer goes away every other weekend but we keep up our pizza "date" routine whenever she wasn't with her boyfriend.

Then, it came time to move again. I had gotten so attached to the Chinese food lady and the pizza guys that I actually got hugs from them and I swear I saw a tear or two. I promised the pizza guys we'd "be back" to say hi and I told the Chinese food lady that she had the best Chinese in town. And, so we returned to the town we had left six years prior. Well, let me clarify that--same township but on the other side. In a township that is 56 sq miles the other side of town can be pretty far away! Still, once settled we made a trip to see the pizza guys from the "old days." And, sure enough they were still there--and they remembered the kids! "We watched them grow up," one of them said. And, when I would tell them how old they were now, we'd go through the "oh no, can't be!" routine.

But across town is across town and with the price of gas I rarely get there any more. Plus, the kids are now both gone and I am, for the very first time since birth alone. It's part time right now as the daughter returns about every 3 weeks or so, dog in tow and usually the boyfriend too lol Unfortunately, despite having lived on this side of town for nearly 4 years, I have yet to find a friendly we-know-your-name kinda place. No one says hello or recognizes me when I walk in places. I feel very disconnected and only a face in the crowd.

However, I thought that might change. I found a Subway on the way home a few weeks ago. I've decided that I'd try doing the Jared kind of diet a few times a week. Hey, it's cheap, it's calorie controlled, it's cheap (oh did I say that already?) and I hate cooking for one. The second time I stopped in I was the only customer (again) and made small talk with the lady behind the counter. It was the same lady as from day before yesterday. I ordered the same thing I did then. I'm a creature of habit, boring to others but comforting for me. I like what I like and why try something different? Anyway, this goes on for a couple of weeks equaling at least 7-8 visits now (I'm serious about this Jared Diet thing). Same lady, same order. Yet, each time she looks at me with blank eyes. There is no flicker of any kind of "oh yea, you're the turkey-on-whole-wheat-light-mayo lady." Nothing. Nada.

How can that be? I am usually the only customer walking in around 5pm. I guess most are eating with their families or even cooking (new concept) while I, the now alone, needs to cook for no one. So, it's not like I am in a huge line and she is rushed or stressed like they are at Coldstone Creamery. Sometimes the line nearly goes out the door for Coldstone's gooey, high calorie, hand rolled concoctions!

I miss the Chinese food lady, the pizza guys from the old neighborhood and the pizza guys from the now new-old neighborhood. There are no smiles for me at Subway's counter, not even recognition. Hey, I will make this a challenge. How long do you think it will take for the Subway Lady to know my usual order? Bets are now open...

Home of the Brave

2008-06-18T17:53:00.004-04:00

Last weekend I was honored to be asked by a family friend to come to his National Guard unit's farewell ceremony. And so I went--in 90+ degree heat and yucky humidity, I joined about 10,000 family and friends to proudly watch these brave volunteers give their final march lap around the field before going off to war---for the second time in 2 years.

While thousands sat on the bleachers or on the grass, the soldiers stood at attention like statues for over 2 hours, not complaining, not flinching. How do they do it, I wonder? We were sweating in shorts and these soldiers were wearing heavy camaflauge gear, high boots and hats. I was melting and they were standing ready to serve. Yet, I didn't hear one complaint from anyone nearby. These were soldiers' families and they live at the heart of sacrifice. Braving extreme heat, long traffic jams and sunburn is nothing compared to what these 3,000 soldiers will be facing very shortly--something they know all too well now that they've already experienced a tour already.

I will pray every day for these men and women of all ages, races and faiths. I will pray and support them each day until they return. It's not about politics, it's not about whether this is a "right" war or not...for me it's all about these brave souls who are volunteering their physical, mental and emotional selves to protect us back home so that my family can feel safer.

Thank you all for doing that, for me, for my family, for my friends and neighbors that you don't know or ever will. Your selfless sacrifice makes you shining stars in my book.

A Bend in the Road

2008-06-16T18:25:00.004-04:00

As I have often quoted, a bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn!

Right. Life throws us lots of bends and curves all the time. If we aren't watching, these curves can catch us by surprise and we can suddenly find ourselves fighting for control of the steering wheel. We may even land in a ditch. Since life isn't perfect, we know that these hairpin turns will happen from time to time no matter how much we prepare. The trick is not being in a continual flight or fight mode but rather in a fluid state of mind where we do not attempt control everything and everyone.

Sound contradictory? Well, for many years I trained in Aikido. That is a martial art of flow and circular movements. It's an art that uses your opponent's strength against them. Think Steven Siegal and you'll get what I'm saying. And, although he studied Hapkido it's pretty much the same concept. The trick is in not tensing up. You go with the flow of energy instead of fighting it. But, that is not a passive response by any means. It's actually control by relinquishing control.

And, the same can be said with faith. When I try to control everything, when I curl my fingers tight against the steering wheel, that's when I lose my ability to cope with change, disappointment or a shift in direction. I forget that I am not in total control at all. I am just the driver cruising down that proverbial highway. It's when I resist that I have the most troubles, the most profound hurt, the feeling of being overwhelmed. It's a knee jerk response. I'm still new at this and finding myself dwelling in a pit when things don't go "my way" is a very familiar place.

Then, I realize I have a Higher Power in my life now; a Savior who not only put the stars in the sky but knows them all by name---a God so powerful and loving that he died for my sins. Oh, it's not easy this Christian thing, this living by faith-and-not-by sight thing, this releasing of doing things for myself and by myself. I am still a toddler, learning my walk.

So, I look for my encouragement in the only place that is guaranteed to give all the answers I will ever need. This is what I found:

"But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13 NIV

Exactly! You can't drive without crashing if you are always looking in the rear view mirror! From now on I am looking forward out the windshield and leaving the rest to God. I trust he will get me where I'm supposed to end up-- I just hope he remembers where I'm going. He's a busy man, you know.

Just in case, psst it's exit 9, Lord :)

Being Left Behind

2008-06-08T17:19:00.004-04:00

I heard about a website on the radio the other day. It's called http://www.you/
It's a place to leave your loved ones notes in case they were weren't saved before Tribulation Day. Now that's an interesting concept.

Apparently, there will still be a small window of time afterwards to run to the internet and declare faith. Well, good intentions but somehow I think that if Jesus did come down and took the saved, the first thoughts of those left behind might not be about booting up their desktops! Then again, in these days of Twitter and mobile internet, perhaps there would be a flurry of IM's, postings and emailings going on!

What would they say, do you think?
Twitter: Whoa! Everyone just left! No really left! I can't text anyone. Dang, this sucks.
Myspace: no new friends to add
Facebook: Whoever is left we don't want to know
Blog Catalog Thread Discussion: So what are you going to do with that great parking spot?

Don't know about you but I don't want to be left behind to find out! I am trying to walk my walk every day. It's not easy. It's a struggle. None of us are perfect. God knows that. But, there are still a number of people who think that because they are "good people" or doing good things, that this is the Willy Wonka golden ticket. Yet, it clearly tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9 that good works alone aren't enough.

We all want our loved ones to go with us when the end happens. Maybe we should instruct them to go to that website if they find themselves left behind. Couldn't hurt...and might possibly save them.

In the meantime, keep on planting those seeds! None of us know when the End Times will happen. It could be tomorrow or in another 1,000 years. The trick is to prepare as though it were coming any day. Just like we prepare for possible future terrorist attacks and have jugs of water, plastic, duct tape, batteries etc we have to do the same for our souls. A terrorist attack may never happen again in our lifetime. The End of Days may never happen while we are on earth but in either case you don't want to be caught unprepared.

Preparing for a terrorist attack takes lots of planning and items. Preparing for the Tribulation only requires asking Jesus to come into your life and heart as your Savior. Both preparations are necessary, but you have to admit the latter is lots easier!

All you have to say ask for Jesus to become your Lord and Savior and from that moment on you have been given a brand new spiritual heart and have been reborn! That's it!

Don't be left behind, but if you are keep that website in your wallet.

Friendship Drums

2008-06-05T22:06:00.006-04:00

Good friends are alot like comfy sweaters. You may not need them for awhile as you go about your business and day to day lives but when you do need them, they are there for you, offering their shoulder and ear. They say if you can count on one good friend or two you are very lucky.

Anna and I met about this time last year. Both of us were passing time away, each nursing a bruised heart. I thought she had a really cute outfit on and Im'd her about it, but also teased her about wearing a fur outfit in hot weather. She laughed and we quickly started chatting. Then, we decided to play a game. Only we two knew we were playing it but we had fun seeing who would "win" by the end of the evening. I'm not sure who exactly "won." Maybe it was a tie. It doesn't really matter though. We were both winners because we each now had a new friend.

Time passed and we each moved on and our hearts mended. We shared secrets, fun and wedding plans. And, throughout the rest of the year we saw relationships end, new ones bloom and there were more times ahead for that proverbial shoulder.

We've been through thick and thin, Anna and I. She is one of the constants in my Second Life world when other things change around us. Sometimes we can foresee the changes, other times change is thrust upon us without warning like a storm off the radar screen. You know those kinds of storms. They are the kind where in its aftermath life can emerge ruined, with broken dreams. Not always, but sometimes.

And, when it does, it's hard. Because SL is supposed to be an idyllic world. It's supposed to be your refuge, sanctuary. A vortex of sorts against the harsh reality of real life. When things happen in SL that rock your world, I think the reason the fallout can feel so painful is because SL is not only in your head but also in your heart.

In your heart grows a world where dragons fly, where you can live underwater without needing oxygen and where fairy dust and unicorns really exist....really. So, when painful things happen your heart really feels it, too.

To borrow a line from a David Crowder song, "...There seems no end to where you begin and where I end now You and I, collide."

But thankfully, friends can help cushion that collision. Like angels with a safety net, they catch you when you are about to fall....and hopefully your world rights itself again. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow...but sometime in the shadows of time.

Stress Gone Wild

2008-06-04T12:51:00.005-04:00

Trusting Mapquest has nearly been my undoing the past two days. Last night I trusted it to guide me to a restaurant for a dinner meeting. The directions seemed simple and straight forward enough to not raise any red flags. But, something went awry. Although I had kept to the chartered course, I had undisputable evidence by way of a street sign that the road I was promised would lead me to a prime rib dinner, was indeed not the correct path.

Where had it gone wrong? A few streets ago? A mile back? At that fork in the road? I was lost. Since I had given myself ample time to leisurely sip a drink at the restaurant, I still had some time left to back track. So, I turned around, which in itself was no easy feat during prime time traffic.

As I navigated a jughandle turn (for those of you not familiar with this peculiar setup, it is a turn that looks like a handle because you have to exit to the right of the road only to curve around to make a legal turn again. I think New Jersey may have the patent on this) I pondered my plight. It got worse. Now I was facing an intersection beckoning me to follow it towards my hunted quest but it wasn't on my printed out directions.

Hmmm...the sign said Edison with an arrow pointing me that-away. I seized upon that information like a salivating, hungry wolf. Prime Rib nirvana was looming closer! Or, was it? My excited anticipation began to wane after a few miles, traveled at a snail's pace due to the traffic. This was the road, the sign said so. So, where was this place? The road was 4 lanes wide with hungry, tired commuters all wanting to get home and there I was, trying to look at both sides with quick glances and trying to drive at the same time. This is when GPS would be a great thing to have.

Along the way I spotted a police car making a turn at the intersection. It was a Mustang. Now, I don't know about you but I've never pictured a Mustang muscle car as a police vehicle. As I waited for the light to turn, for some reason seeing that Mustang patrol car took me down memory lane, to a time when I was in college and dating the guy who would wind up becoming my husband two years later. That gold Mustang had been the envy of my dorms! It was a Mach I with a 351 Boss engine and hurst shift. Black slats covered the rear window and it boasted a stereo system to boom out the best 70's rock music. It was automobile heaven. Anyway, the thought of the Mustang being a police car amused me for the duration of the light.

When it turned green, I was on my way again. Lost, but on my way. Then, I saw another sign. It told me I was now leaving Edison. Oh no! I looked at the traffic going in both directions and made a decision. I was now officially 45 minutes late for my wonderful prime rib dinner. I was hungry, tired and frustrated. I decided it was time to find my way home. In the end, dinner wound up being Chinese take out last night instead of a fancy dinner with colleagues.

Because I was either dropped on my head while young or am a slow learner, but I trusted Mapquest again less than 24 hours later. I had an important legal appointment and needed to be at the courthouse--a courthouse I had never been to before. The directions promised only 3 turns from the highway. Piece of cake! The first turn brought a sense of relief. Ok, great I would arrive early enough to destress and relax. The next turn was at 0.1 miles on Elm. Wait a minute...where was Elm?! As I passed several streets and watch the odometer go past 0.1 miles from the last turn, there was no Elm. I could feel my stress levels shooting up. I was in city traffic and now lost. Every street was a one way so every time I made a choice, it took several more turns to right myself again. Of course I hit every red light. Finally I saw a courthouse sign. This way it said to parking!

I had to park on the roof. I had made it with 3 minutes to spare but at least I was there! In the elevator I made some small talk and mentioned I needed to be in a certain area by 9am and how grateful I was to have made it in time.

The man frowned, "Uh, hate to tell you but you're at the wrong courthouse. The one you want is over there," He pointed to a tall, windowed building several blocks away. "Better run," he suggested.

The elevator doors slid open. I took a deep breath. I had 1 minute to get there. As I stepped outside, the sky opened up and it began to rain.

I had no umbrella. Where was a Mustang police car when you needed one?

Kids Will Be Kids?

2008-05-30T18:18:00.000-04:00

In America, this is Prom time. It's a time when young men and women get dressed up, go to a catered dinner at a fancy banquet hall and dance the night away. The popular ones will be crownded King and Queen or at least be named for the Homecoming Court. Others will stay home and a few brave ones (at least in my generational view) will go alone. In my day, if you were solo you didn't go. Period. It was a couples function. No more. If you are unattached you can still partake in the evening's festivities. I wonder if they buy themselves their own corsage?

But, one thing has not changed since my day: the rite of passage after-prom trek down the shore. However, while the destination has remained the same, the amount of time spent down there has not. In my day (oh how that sounds so...archaic!), one drove down to the beach on only a few hours of sleep from the evening before. We'd arrive bleary eyed in the early hours of the next day ready for a day of fun. I'm not quite sure why we went so early. Prom for us was usually before Memorial Weekend, the official "opening" of the summer season so nothing was really open yet. But, we all felt so very grown up going off on our own with our own agendas.

So, we'd arrive en masse to the shore location of our choice, although it seemed we all favored mostly the same spots. We'd frolick on the sand, dip our toes in the ice cold sea, eat some fast food somewhere and then call it a day in late afternoon to face the long drive back home. That was sufficient for us back then.

Ah, but that was then, this is now. Nowadays kids make post-Prom an entire weekend. They pile into hotel rooms and party hearty without adult supervision. That most are under 18 and still considered minors by the law of the land doesn't seem to faze anyone. Their parents reserve and pay for the rooms. Someone always knows someone who is old enough to supply the alcohol...and of course, because as I was told today over lunch, "kids will be kids," there will most likely also be sex going on as well.

Kids will be kids, I was told. The group consensus was that nothing much could be done. This was the way it is now, besides kids could have sex anytime. They didn't need to wait for post-Prom weekend!

I was taught that people rise to your level of expectation. If we expect our children to indulge in sexual relations, then they probably will. After all, society says it's ok. Just take a look at what's being offered to our teens on television. There is one show on now that showcases its teenaged characters having sex, drinking and using drugs. There are no adults around, no repercussions for their behavior or choices and certainly no one telling them they shouldn't be doing these things---not on the show, nor the writers. The tone is that this is what kids do, no judgement, no lessons, no punishment.

Really? Is it foolhearty to think that our children could be offered different choices; that their fate is not yet sealed? If we never offer checks and balances, whose fault is it when our children then do what they want or are pressured by peers to join in and have no resources to say no? After all, if their parents don't seem to have a problem with it, then why should they? And, even if the child hesitated or didn't feel ready, since everyone else was going or doing it and even their own parents didn't say no, how could they have the strength and courage to not go along with the flow? It would take a very strong individual indeed.

I think there are more teens than society gives credit to who don't want to indulge in premarital sex. Now, if these teens had the knowledge that there were programs and people backing them up, I wonder how many more would step forward for their convictions?

Having sex isn't a right. It's an intimate act; it's a loving act. Our children need to respect and shelter their bodies right alongside their hearts and souls. We worry about their education, we worry about their feelings so why don't we worry about them offering themselves to someone who may not love them back, may have a disease or impregnate them?

Instead of offering them condoms, instead of renting hotel rooms for them, instead of shrugging it off with "kids will be kids" mentality, why don't we give them reasons to wait? Not with brimstone and fire reasons but reasons that will connect and communicate with them.

Kids are kids, which means they are not adults. We should, as parents and a society, role model for them how to respect, honor and love themselves enough to say no to behavior that is potentially harmful mentally, physically...and yes, spiritually.

Let's turn the tide by continuing to disapprove of parents who look the other way or give subtle permission to behave irresponsibly. Let's stop the message of "it's ok to have sex" aimed at our children by complaining to networks and movie producers who glamorize this type of behavior and fool our children into thinking it's ok and "everyone is doing it" because the truth is, they are not.

Dance Like There's No One Around!

2008-05-16T21:58:00.000-04:00

Fairies, elves, tinies and dragons--oh my! Just another Friday night event at Z9 Christian Rock Club in Second Life. DJ Allan rocked the
house with tunes from Bon Jovi, Toby Mac, Whitesnack, Rainbow, Def Leopard and more. Guests kept the DJ busy with all their personal favorite requests.

At high count, 19 people from around the world danced the night away under a confetti filled moonlit night. Even the dragons (Maggie and Bonnie) boogied the night away, although it did get a bit dangerous with their fire breath!

Next time we'll have to bring marshallows, graham crackers and mmmm chocolate!

S'mores anyone?

Happy Souls

2008-05-15T21:49:00.000-04:00

Elysian fields is a place where happy souls gather. I hope so. Peter and I created a lovely retreat for souls to gather, reflect, commune, communicate and connect. There are nature sounds to soothe the heart and wind chimes softly tinkling in the background. And, in the center is our campfire circle where people from all over the world gather to listen, witness and discuss.

So far we've had two campfire circle gatherings. The first topic was about the power of prayer. The second was a well attended session about spiritual warfare. We will have more in the coming weeks, from life stories to the crucifixtion to miracles and more.

Our next campfire meeting will be Saturday May 17 from 9am-10amSL. We'll be participating in the Center for Digital Story Telling's International Day for Sharing Stories. We have an open invitation to Second Life citizens to join us and tell us their testimonies and witnessing experiences. This will be a special session for Christians and nonChristians alike. We even have a colorful "story stick" to pass around!

Soon, we'll be adding a book discussion group to our spiritual center. Book lovers will be able to share their thoughts with others and gain useful insight.

Elysian fields was designed to be multidimensional. It is a park, a spiritual center, a "library" and a retreat. It is also a place for fellowship, prayer and meditation. But, mostly Elysian Fields is a place for us all, no matter what the reason.

Please come and visit soon. You'll be glad you did. Elysian fields is located right next to Z9 Christian Rock Club on the Wings of Hope sim in Second Life. Just Im me inworld for a tp or landmark.

A Meeting of the Minds

2008-05-07T22:07:00.000-04:00

Tonight was our very first Campfire Circle Discussion Group meeting and by all counts it was a success! We had 2 from England, 1 from France, 1 from Germany and 3 from the USA. Our topic was the "power of prayer" and many offered their comments about how they approach prayer, how to encourage it when life gets tough or why they've fallen away from prayer. It was a time of sharing and understanding.

As time goes on, we're hoping the group continues to grow together spiritually and with trust so that we can offer a safe place to discuss what is on our hearts and minds without fear or judgement.

As usual, SL offers chances for new friendships and limitless exploration of every kind, including transcending time zones. Despite all the negative press of the media, there is good to be found in SL. Just seems to me they don't look hard enough to find it. Still, you have to wonder: what would happen if they did...would they seize the moment and promote it to spread awareness? Or...does God and the idea of people trying to connect across cultures and time zones frighten them?

After all, that would be radical news, wouldn't it?

Sometimes its Good to Rest

2008-05-06T20:48:00.000-04:00

Type A' s never seem to rest. Even when they are "resting" they are thinking, dreaming, planning or discussing their next project.

That's ok, it's part of our DNA but sometimes our "busyness" makes it hard to listen to the quiet, still voice of our hearts and souls. That's the voice that steers us, guides us and nurtures us. If we allow our lives to get too loud and too busy, that soft whisper can get lost.

So, sometimes it's good to just rest and be still. It's even better when you're doing that with your best friend in the world.

When Doors Open You Walk Through

2008-04-29T21:08:00.000-04:00

If someone had predicted last week that we'd have a new club this week, we wouldn't have believed it...but one of the incredible, magical things about Second Life is that your virtual life always changes and offers new opportunities. So, out of the blue, the thought of revitalizing the Wings of Hope sim set off a flashbulb moment. What would bring new life to our lovely, quiet sim?

A new dance club! One of our magazine's sections is called Z9, after Zechariah 9 referencing all the young men and women. Well, what better than to have a fun place to attract all the Christian men and women of Second Life? Add a theme decor, great retro 80's music, fellowship, perpetual confetti and viola! You have Z9 Christian Rock Club!

Our grand opening will be this Friday, May 2, 2008 at 3:30pmSL until the sun sets or rises or whatever time zone comes first. The theme will be Prom Night. And, we'll even crown a King and Queen. Their grand prize will be 100L and bragging rights until the next event :)

Z9 will offer a PG fun place to gather and meet others from around the world. Hopefully, visitors will want to come back and visit the sim's lighthouse, windmill and take the train ride tour. This is only the beginning of what's to come! Wings of Hope is going to be the place to be on Friday nights! See you there in your prom best. Just think, we don't even have to go to the Shore the next day, we're already there!

Heart and Soul

2008-04-25T12:11:00.001-04:00

Many of us are carrying around wounds, some recent, some from very long ago. Sometimes the wounds are physical, the result of illness or injury. We go to the doctor, take medicine and wait for our bodies to heal. Most of the time they do.

Sometimes the wound is mental, the effect of psychological warfare within us, a job, the outside world or because of things done to us. Some will go to a counselor to talk it out, others will read, many will talk to friends, their pastors or priests and some will need medicine to help them through the storm.

The heart, one of our most miraculous of muscles, is often affected by what we do and endure. Heart disease is the number one killer among women. People feel heart ache when they are hurt and betrayed. People feel despair from heart break. People suffer heart attacks when their hearts break down. Many heal from the surgery, the change in diet, a new love or the pills they take each day. The heart may even be stronger afterwards.

We can do many things to heal ourselves but many of us forget to tend to our souls. Without wellness within our soul, it does not matter if our hearts have healed, if our bodies are strong or we are mentally toughened. Our soul is the core of our being; it is who we are after all is said and done in this world. The strongest body in the world will not last if the soul is not as strong. There will continue to be an underlying malaise; a feeling that something is "off" or missing.

Fill that soul with the love of Jesus. That void and emptiness will be filled to the brim and more, that is promised in the bible. All the money, the fancy cars, the designer clothes and handbags, the big houses, the ultra lifestyle will not matter because money cannot buy God. Only your faith and trust in Jesus will get you to heaven.

And, the best part is that His love is free! All you have to do is ask Him to come into your life and make him your Lord and Savior and your soul will shine, today, tomorrow and ever more. Not because I say so, but because God did.

Matthew 7:7

Serendipity

2008-04-22T21:40:00.000-04:00

Part of the fun of working in SL for RL is that you get to find cool, new places quite by accident. Peter and I were hunting for a Readers Garden in Caledon when we stumbled up on this giant chess game! For a moment I felt like Alice and wondered when the white rabbit would race by followed by the Red Queen.
Then we saw the rail road tracks and of course, got side tracked (no pun intended!) when we hopped on the trolley to take the scenic route around the area. We didn't get far when we spotted...

the labryinth! Oh, what a curious sight that was! If work hadn't been pressing on my time, I'd have insisted we try our hand at navigating it but *big sighs* I had to prioritize and work won out--this time.

Yes, we eventually did find the Readers Garden but it paled in comparison to the delights we found in the nooks and crannies of Caledon. We must go back and explore more, perhaps even in Regency era wardrobe. If we do, we'll definitely take pics and post.

The only problem is that in Second Life there is so much to do and see that we never seem to go back to the same place twice. We'll have to make a list...

Pajama Party SL Style!

2008-04-18T22:45:00.000-04:00

He will fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. - Job 8:21

Another fun filled night with our friends, The Friday Night Gang! This time we even invited a monkey! Of course, it's not a real monkey. We all know that behind every avatar is a real life person but for the sake of pretense in Second Life, Banana is a monkey and who are we to question that choice of expression?

Monkeys can live a carefree life. They swing from trees and just imagine a barrel full of them without cracking into a smile :) So, there you go, whoever Banana is in real life, he or she has acheived creating a whimsical persona in SL. Perhaps one day Banana will even speak and reveal why they chose to be nonhuman. But, for now we just accept Banana for who they are.

Wouldn't it be nice if those lessons in virtual reality could spill over to the real world, too?

Oh, the wonders!

2008-04-15T22:12:00.002-04:00

One of the best things in Second Life are the wonderous places to explore and visit! Often, Peter and I are way too busy to take a moment to wander and travel across the sims but when we do...well, the breathtaking sights remind us that SL is a place of intense creativity and imagination.

Each place has been built from the ground up. Each object built, sculpted, colored and designed to the smallest detail by the steady hand and mouse of it's creator. Where once flat, virgin land lay now are monuments, cities, caves, harbors and jungles. These treasures are sprinkled across the SL universe just waiting to be visited and savored.

Tonight we explored several sims, beginning with The Lost Gardens of Apollo. This sumptuous, lavish place is a wonder to behold. Even the music is lush and exotic. It would take hours to explore its every nook and cranny--if you can get in, that is! It's not mistake that this sim is always full. The grandeur is beyond measure.

Aside from the sights, there are also activities such as tai chi, flying carpets and hiking. There are also numerous spots just to meditate, ponder or relax. You can also dance at their salsa themed plaza. It is without saying that it is perhaps one of the most romantic places to take your special someone. But, you won't be alone much lol, this place is packed with visitors. Apollo is PG rated and no voice is allowed. This keeps it safe for everyone and aside from the occasional (ok not so occasional) newbie faux pas of public chat texting, it's pretty much a quiet interlude.

Another wonderful place to visit is Celestial Requiem NYC/WTC. The sim creators and designers work hard to recreate the flavor of New York City in order to honor its history and 9/11 tragedy. And, typical of SL, the work is international. The designer who lovingly created the Statue of Liberty is from England. He even created a 1920's replica of a baseball stadium with a working baseball game script! Lots to see and do in Second Life NYC, including shopping and events. The World Trade Center Towers are incredible structures and gives one pause. Being from near NYC, the memory of those huge monoliths still brings tears to my eyes. It's an honorable thing Mel Regent did to dedicate a sim to one of the greatest cities on Earth.

Yet another very cool sim isn't land at all. It's a sphere! And, inside that sphere is the moon, complete with working equipment, a racing explorer vehicle and offers of free moon boots and spacesuits! To make it even more fun, the moon boots create footprints on the moon's surface. But, really aside from the fun is the realism. This is 3D immersive web 2.0 at it's best. It's simple yet very effective. Elon University created Elon Moon base and I hope they continue to create other planets to land on, like Mars and Saturn. Maybe a black hole....

Where else but in Second Life can you travel from an Arabian style harbor to New York City to the moon all in one night? And, I didn't even have to worry about having 3 oz bottles in a gallon sized plastic bag to carry or a passport!

Now, if Second Life's client viewer would just remain stable with the next upgrade, there will be more places to go and see to satisfy my wanderlust.

Chance Meetings

2008-04-13T15:28:00.001-04:00

One of the amazing things about Second Life is that you never know who you might bump into or see. Peter and I had been invited to a celebration at the World Trade Center sim. They got a new firetruck. In real life, as part of my town's fire department, I have attended many such parties except we call them wet-downs because the tradition is to pour water on the new truck from the fire hoses. And yes, everything and everyone else gets totally wet too! Hard to do in SL though so they held a dance.

But, we couldn't seem to find the people so we wandered and accidentally found a magificient new addition to the sim ---a lovely recreation of the Statue of Liberty! To make things more interesting, the builder happened to be there. He said hello to us and invited us to see more of his work, which was a 1920's baseball stadium! It even had a baseball program! We were fascinated and talked at length with him. Turns out he wasn't American at all, but an Englishman from London. You never know where people will be from in SL, even those respectfully building the recreation of NYC in a post 9/11 world.

We have heard the term "global village." In SL I think we are. The US Congress recently held hearings about the benefits and potential pitfalls of virtual reality. While many educators, scientists and others testified about the positive aspects and applications of SL, the government was still leery of boogeymen misusing it for terroristic missions. They worried it would be a haven for child predators and yes, a sexual den of who knows what...and they have a right to be worried--but not to the end of virtual reality's positive contributions to education, science, medicine and learning!

Every medium has its potential for abuse. We've seen that happen with everything from the radio to tv to film to the internet. Science brought us the atom bomb as well as wonderful scientific breakthroughs in medicine. We shouldn't throw out the baby with the bath water! Instead, we need to monitor what people are doing to taint our good work on every front and lead others to the wonders of what can be explored.

There is a plethora of choices in every nook and cranny of the internet, tv, film, books etc...let's make wise choices to better humankind and inspire minds to think, love and learn today and always.

New Wine

2008-04-13T14:47:00.001-04:00

We are told in the bible not to pour new wine in old wineskins. Another popular suggestion is to think out of the box. You can take each simply as advisements to go out of your comfort zone but it's really deeper.

If you think out of the box, your mind stretches. You are still you but your scope of vision has changed to include new ways to see the same issue or problem. That is good yet we are still the same person with the same heart. All we have is added vision.

In biblical times a wineskin was made out of an animal's stomach lining. Wine poured into it would ferment and the new wineskin would stretch to accomodate that process. However, if new wine is poured into the used wineskin it will burst because it can't stretch any further. So, you have to create a new wineskin and start the process all over again. This is done over and over again and each time you must recreate to accomodate the stretching.

So, it is with us. Once we accept Jesus into our life, we are created into new beings to accomodate our new hearts. The old person is left behind and you are now new.

Through my work at Wings of Hope Magazine, we glorify God through new ways. Each of us stretches out of our comfort zones to spread the Word and bring His teachings and lessons to others. We are new wineskins and Jesus is our wine.

On March 22, 2008 we held an all day event to celebrate our new print format. We blended and embraced the real world with the virtual with a debut concert by real world band, Justpassingthru! Also on stage was Dexter and Noma Falta. We know how to throw a party! It was a great day!

We have a mission and we will plow forth, envisioning a world filled with the love of Christ and hearts full of His passion. It's not been an easy path, but since when was following Jesus easy anyway?

Building Blocks

2008-04-05T21:45:00.001-04:00

One of the most thrilling and challenging aspects of Second Life is being able to create and build. Out of nothing you can create something, although sometimes that something isn't all that great at first. But, as time goes on you get better and better. I still don't like putting structures together or rezzing a flat panel or box but oh boy give me a go at putting textures and colors up and I am in my zone. Let me terraform or put down plants, trees, paint a scenery screen and oh I'm in my element!

But I can't do it alone. I know my limitations :) I know that I am the the accessorizer not the designer. I am the paint, not the brush. It's ok. There's fun in teamwork. Where else but SL could one make a universe all your own, developed in tandem with your partner who is an ocean away?

Peter and I have built a nice world in Inishmore. We've built it up, torn it down, modified and restructured, over and over. And, just when we get it "right" we seem to want to do it a different way.

Why? Because we can...because our synapses fire away, because we get so focused in our designing that we lose track of time, because it's fun, because it's our way to relax. Where else but in Second Life could this be done? Right now that answer is very few places. Soon though, there will be other worlds to build, create and design. Soon, those worlds will invite us to come visit.

And, we will go because we they are there, the same reason why most explorers climb the mountain peaks, trek into forests, dive to the depths of the blue sea or peek into caves. The explorer's mind does not want to stay still in the world they were given. They seek to find something beyond them. Along the way, they also find something within themeselves.

Gender Bender

2008-04-02T22:17:00.000-04:00

Tonight I became a man. Not literally, but virtually. It happened because I like to help others, it's a character flaw of mine of sorts. I have a long history of volunteering, doing everything from getting hundreds of signatures on a banner to fly on a battle ship shortly after 9/11 to picking up body parts after a motor vehicle accident as an emergency medical technician with a local rescue squad to teaching a child's kindergarten to do the Mexican hat dance while their "guest for the day" and lots of other stints. But, this may have been my most bizzare altruistic act.

A friend's band is going to perform in Second Life this weekend. He said he didn't have the time to fix up his avatar so I heard myself saying, "I'll do it for you!" And, so with those words I came into SL as a semi-noob male. After a certain feeling of disorientation melted away, I actually felt something else...control. As a male zipping around SL alone I did not have the watch-around-you feeling I usually have nor the occasional uninvited IM's. No one was going to flirt with me, approach me or whatever else females have to sometimes put up with (in RL and SL). I could strut around and be the guy. It gave me a sense of power too, not sure why.

My partner Peter joined me on this shopping expedition to find new hair for the avi. It was weird on many levels. I was talking to him in voice in private IM so no one could hear us, so here I was a "guy" but it was me. And one time we noticed with a start that Peter was standing awfully close to my host body lol We had to be careful not to say endearments in chat as well. It was downright strange but...it was interesting at the same time.

One thing I noticed right off--the lack of male items to chose from. One tiny corner in a store had men's hair, only a part of a wall in another. Yet, women's choices go on and on and on. Considering that gaming is usually a male dominated arena, seems odd that SL catered right off to women. Maybe that's why so many men pretend to be women? It's fun to dress up your avi. It's like having a living Barbie!

I think I fixed up the avatar pretty good with the few lindens we spent. Nice hair, a little on the shaggy side. I gave him a stronger chin line and made him a wee bit taller and oh gave him another shirt, too. Then I had him pose for a profile picture and we were done!

All in all being a guy for 90 minutes was a pretty tame experience. It was the mental adjustment that was the most fascinating part. I might have to explore that again sometime. I've heard from many men in SL that females in SL are aggressive. No one tried anything with my male self. Hmmm was my avi not cute enough? Not cool enough? Now "I" feel rejected!

Well, I've handed over my host body back to my friend. Honestly, I totally like being able to buy pretty clothes, cool hair and cute shoes.

The bottom line? I think I'll stay a girl :) It's lot more fun!

To Have and To Hold

2008-03-30T21:29:00.000-04:00

Many people don't understand the emotional and mental intimacy virtual reality relationships can create. When SL only offered text it was still an incredibly close experience but once voice became available, oh my that changed everything! The avatar you were hanging out with, sharing your thoughts and dreams suddenly became real. This may have changed some relationships, I suppose-- some for the worse or some became even closer. Once the voice was there it with all the nuances of every day life, where you could hear their joy, frustration, annoyance and adoration (one hopes) all of us took a giant leap from fantasy to reality.

One of the by products of all this mingling is love. Yes, even avatars fall in love! And because we are creatures grounded in our other world rituals, we bring carry this over to our virtual lives. Viola, the virtual wedding!

Now, don't you go rolling your eyes! Weddings are big business in SL. Sure, avis could all live together in moral anarchy but most of us don't. We like commitment just as well as our flesh and blood counterparts! Some things aren't quite the same--the food isn't eaten but it's still purchased and displayed. That's one of the oddities of Second Life. Can't eat it, but you are a bad hostess and a major virtual faux pas if you don't have it for your guests. Go figure. Same goes with the virtual bar. Some guests even fall down drunk if they have the right script. Mostly people just have fun, dance, chat in text, speak to one another in voice IM or public voice.

Let's not forget all the planning! There is a reception place to reserve, music to consider (DJ or stream?), bridesmaids & dresses---oh yes, wedding gowns, flowers and invitations, even marriage certificates. All of this costs serious lindens (money), too!

Linden Labs, the creators of our wonderful world, hasn't offered the ability for their citizens to change their name after marriage. Sighs...so many people resort to posting a group title over their head, ie: Jane's husband, Jim's wife for all the world to know they are an official couple just in case one hasn't taken a peek at their profile. There is such a thing as "partnering" in SL. It's their version of "we are together." It's in the profile but nothing says married like a wedding!

So far there aren't wedding announcements yet in SL newspapers but it's only a matter of time, I think. How long do SL marriages last? Well, the divorce rate is probably equal to real life but that doesn't stop anyone from giving it a try. I do know several couples planning on meeting in real life with the hope that their real world compatability will equal their SL experience. If it is, they all say they will continue in real life with the intention of marrying! Now, that's cool. After months and months of sharing online will the real world transition be any easier?

I'll be following some of these meetings and let you all know :)

All Work and No Play

2008-03-30T17:41:00.000-04:00

After working so hard it was time to play. Of course in order to play we first needed to build our playground: our new dance club.

Our SL lives revolve around building, redesigning, tearing down and building again. It's the cycle of SL life, at least with those who own "land." Owning virtual land affords the owner the opportunity to have their own sandbox; a place to experiment with terraforming and creating, with which we've done plenty.

But, this week we rebuilt the dance club we dismantled when we rented out some of our land. The club is now in the sky, high above the world and amongst the stars. Something you can't do in real life!

So, we had our grand reopening Friday night. Of course, SL is SL and there were glitches. We take it in stride in our virtual world but it's still frustrating. Early on, as soon as our guests arrived, SL went "down for maintenance." Code, for "oops folks we'ze in trouble." And, we were all unceremoniously bounced one by one, until only I remained.

Eventually we all got back on SL but it was late for our European friends so many did not return. However, the following night we tried a grand-reopening re-enactment and this time SL cooperated! Many of our friends came again and we partied late into the night!

Just another night in SL for millions but for us, it was a time to relax at long last with friends. No work, just all play. And that's perfectly all right to do, even for workaholics!

The Wall

2008-03-26T18:42:00.000-04:00

I was working at my desk today, totally immersed in my project when I suddenly hear it. From the other side of the wall came a wail so heart wrenching you could feel the pain of its owner. The deep sobs and mournful cries made me want to reach through the wall that separated my office from the Intensive Care Unit and offer comfort.

But, I couldn't do anything. I couldn't just walk into ICU to track who was emitting those pitiful sounds. So, I stopped what I was doing and prayed for that anonymous person. It's my guess their loved one was dying or had just died. It's a scene that is repeated hour after hour, day after day in a hospital but when you don't work in the clinical areas, sometimes you forget that this is the place of life...and death. It is the place of healing as well, but not always.

On the other side of my office wall there are patients struggling to live. From time to time I hear beeps of machines, moans and unidentifiable noises but never in my 8 years there have I heard this kind of weeping and despair before. So, I prayed for courage and strength for them. I prayed for that unknown person with the broken heart. I prayed for the Lord to wrap His arms around them in comfort. The sobs did not last long. Within a few minutes they faded and once again I was aware of the ordinary noises of my office setting.

But, I don't want to ever become so focused on my work again that I forget that just on the other side of my office wall are real people, with real souls trying to live...or preparing to die. Each and every morning from now on I will offer a prayer for them.

He is Risen!

2008-03-23T20:29:00.000-04:00

Because He lives

I can face tomorrow,

Because He lives

All fear is gone,

Because I know He holds the future,

And life is worth the living

Because He lives!**

**hymn

Happy Easter!

Plan It and They Will Come

2008-03-22T22:05:00.001-04:00

Wings of Hope Magazine's first Networking Business Conference was today, March 22, 2008. It was a smashing success! Puglet Dancer, Alliance Library System and Sioban McMahon, West of ireland were dynamic speakers who offered details about their highly successful business models in Second Life. Nearly 25 vendors displayed their wares and services, showing the incredible creative diversity that Second Life offers.

The stores ranged from a virtual animal shelter to sim management gadgets to lovely antique replicas to motorcycles. There were even pets that sat upon customers shoulders for sale! Everyone's displays were eye catching, informative and inspiring. It is obvious that many people are hard at work in Second Life. Which, when you consider that SL is usually considered a time for relaxation and diversion from "real life," is pretty amazing. Instead of finding respite from the rigors of daily life, people all over the world log into SL to work.

Readers outside of SL think that is pretty strange and I would probably agree if I weren't one of those enterpreneurs myself. My partner and I manage 3 businesses, are opening up a 2nd store location and also work on staff of the magazine all at the same time. One might wonder why. Isn't SL for escape?

Well, yes and no. For me and my many businesses friends, SL affords us a chance to create without limitation, for little or no startup capital and to explore a creative and business part of ourselves we may not be able to tap into our real lives because of responsibilities, age or finances. And, if something doesn't work or goes belly up, nothing was really "lost." There are no bankruptcies in SL and nothing is repossessed. The only thing "lost" may be pride, time or energy but you usually dust yourself off and try again. Or, at least Peter and I did--over and over until we found something that "stuck."

We first tried a sphere first. It was a pretty cool idea of Peter's. Once you stepped inside the sphere, you were in a 360 degree immersion of whatever theme was put in there, but we weren't quite sure what to do with them. Then, we created a beautiful place of romance. It was for people to go and have a private talk and cuddle, maybe even propose. Despite our best adverstising best efforts, the only customers were ourselves enjoying the breathtaking ambiance. Next we became landlords. And, that went rather well for the first few months but we made no profit and were left with few prims of our own. There were more startups that didn't go very far beyond idea stage or a few hours of trial and error. Eventually we found our niche: designing a clothing line and photography.

There were lessons learned, mostly that SL marketing and business does not exactly model real life. Still, while we were learning skills, we were growing and enjoying the process of acquiring our new skill sets. As many in SL dance or explore their time away in SL, Peter and I design, create and push the boundaries within our minds on a daily basis. This isn't the lifestyle for everyone and I am fortunate to have partnered with someone who equally enjoys the challenge of innovative creation.

However, as he will tell you, it wasn't always easy. There was the time he forced me to learn terraforming. I kicked and screamed and whined and stamped my virtual foot. No! I did not want to do it! No,no no! But, he chuckled and told me I was going to do it and must, since he could not do it all himself and we had tenants moving in that day. So, I reluctantly tried my hand at it. What was the worst that could happen he said? Ha! He found out within a few minutes. I wasn't paying attention to where I was pointing and something lead to another and long story short, I managed to wipe out the entire island in one click! When he didn't get upset with me nor yell, I knew I had found my perfect love :) He calmly said, "Try again, darling" in that lovely British accent of his. I did and I succeeded eventually. Not that day, not the next but now I am pretty good at terraforming. Just don't ask me to build a box! The answer will be no. Not because I can't, but because I don't want to. And, isn't the beauty of having a second life that I can pick and choose?

Yep :)

My Soul

2008-03-21T23:07:00.000-04:00

Today is Good Friday. It is the story of the ultimate act of love by our Savior.

On this day Jesus gave his life,

for my soul, for my soul.

On this day his flesh was ripped open and he was beaten beyond imagination,

for my soul, for my soul.

On this day his blood rained down upon the earth,

for my soul, for my soul.

On this day nails were driven into his hands and feet,

for my soul for my soul.

On this day Our Lord offered us salvation through death,

for my soul, my soul.

And, on the third day he rose again,

for my soul, for my soul!

**picture taken at church in Somerset County, New Jersey 2007

The Looking Glass

2008-03-18T21:22:00.001-04:00

Second Life is a global village in a fishbowl. Others are observing us from the physical world, the residents in SL are looking at what the other is up to and then there are those who are observing from all angles. I happen to be on all 3 levels which sometimes jiggles my synapses and rattles my soul.

Who is Brielle? Is she the part of me who wanted to be the enterpreneur and never took the risk? But wait, the real me always wanted to be a writer, never a store owner. So, what is that? Perhaps SL opens a window in our psyche and allows us to explore sides of ourselves we never knew existed or were too afraid to try in real life. And, what happens once we seize that opportunity? Does the virtual affect the physical? Do the skills I'm learning and cultivating in SL sneak into my real life professional toolbox?

But, SL also affords me opportunities I'd probably never have in real life, such as writing for CNN and a magazine! How totally cool is that? CNN is based in the real world and in SL it is every bit as "real." Wings of Hope Magazine is based in virtual reality and it's now crossing over into the physical world. Both are real in every sense of the word.

Is SL a total illusion... or does the real world hide behind curtains? Are both worlds merging to form a new sense of reality, overlapping and morphing into a new matrix like version of life?

I wonder if these experiences will cause us to redefine who we are and what is "reality"?

"...Red is grey and yellow white,

But we decide which is right.

And which is an illusion?"

Moody Blues, Late Lament

Not Just Going Through the Motions

2008-03-17T21:00:00.000-04:00

I don't wanna go through the motions

I don't wanna go one more day without Your all consuming passion inside of me

I don't wanna spend my whole life asking, "What if I had given everything, instead of going through the motions?"

Matthew West, The Motions

We all lead busy lives. We all have bad days but, what if we made a conscious decision to give "everything" from our hearts? Let's remember our lives glorify God, not any individual --so to that end, let's give everything in energy, spirit and commitment. Let's see where God puts us after we've done just that.

God's opened the door---are we willing to step through it: mind, body, spirit and soul?Let's not just go through the motions: let's give our everything to Him!

Win-Win

2008-03-17T20:10:00.001-04:00

I love win-win arrangements. It 's like you've gotten something of worth for free and gives you that "feel good" state of mind. And, it should. In yester year bartering was the norm. I give you corn, you give me hay or whatever but you get the idea. Win-win is the same concept.

Wings of Hope is just launching into a print format. It's a labor of love but there is a whole business side that writers normally don't usually manage. However, with a small staff, we have to wear many hats.

It's not often a business can find a refreshing, upcoming band to promote--and have them return the favor. But, as we get shown over and over and over, God opens doors and says, "come on in."

So, we did. And, we didn't just walk over the threshold, we danced! We're going to keep on dancing, too. We dare you to sit still when you hear the rocking sounds of Justpassingthru!

Justpassingthru is a local band from New Jersey. They are one of the warmup bands for Switchfoot at Spring Blaze next month and have shared the stage with Mandisa, Sanctus Real and others. None of this has gone to their heads though. They are still the most grounded, humble, nicest group of guys you could meet. They work hard, their songs are creative and they keep their faith front and center without apology.

Hooking our wagons together is truly a win-win for all but sometimes I think we've gotten the better end of the deal since we are the ones who get to dance while they are busy playing the music!

More SL Life Snippets

2008-03-16T21:47:00.000-04:00

There is a whole SL life going on: working, partying, thinking, building, socializing...You can be as busy as you want, as carefree as you want. It's really all up to you. But, sometimes we need to be still...to do nothing, not create, not think, not work, not play...to just be still. If you have a partner, even better. Two still hearts are better than one...dreaming and free floating on that silent onderstroom...

Life on Inishmore

2008-03-16T21:41:00.000-04:00

St. Patrick's Day Party SL Style

2008-03-14T21:17:00.001-04:00

The Friday Night Gang got together at the Cove, dressed in our Irish greens, drank absynthe and frolicked with leprachauns! Of course we did--It's St. patrick's Day (well almost)!

Party on Albi, Cirrus, Cough, Simon, Apache, Kayla, Peter and me :) Next holiday we'll all come as bunnies and hop along the bunny trail for goodies. SL can have its fun, down times. Good friends, good music, an Irish jig and leprachauns--you couldn't ask for more!

Second Life Health Tour March 2008

2008-03-14T15:42:00.000-04:00

I took a few educators, librarians and others on a tour of Second Life to showcase some fine examples of healthcare research and librarianship.

First stop was Info Island where the group toured via a sky car. We did lose a few from the group when they fell off but quickly rounded them up again!

From there we went to Health Info Island where Carolina Keats and Namro Orman conducted a tour of their areas, including Path of Support and the medical library, as well as Ivy Tech's nursing site. Then it was off to Ann Myers Medical Center where several docs, including Vladimir and Austin showed us their virtual ER. Here you can see Brielle listening to lung sounds. I think the patient had pneumonia for the demo. AMMC is a wonderful facility that trains RL medical students, residents and nurses. There is also a great women's clinic on site. Be sure to visit it!

It was a great morning and everyone learned that SL is more than just pretty clothes, great hair and dancing!

If you blog in the woods...

2008-03-11T22:27:00.000-04:00

Ok if you blog in the woods and there is no one around to read it, did you really blog at all? Ok not exactly the same as that old tree falling conundrum but my blog is feeling awfully lonely, unread and unnoticed. How do people get their blogs read by people other than their friends, family or team members? hmmmmm
Methinks there is a social network pecking order I don't know about. It's like being the last person to know about a party. I tag, I post pics, I try catchy titles and still...nothing. Big sighs...so why do I blog? Well, why did I write "dear diary" when I was 13? To be heard, if only by me, myself and I :)
Long live the blog!

2008-03-10T22:08:00.000-04:00

Thought for the Day

2008-03-10T21:55:00.000-04:00

There is a song on the radio right now that sings, "in the end it's not about what you did, it's not about what you had, it's how you lived." I think that goes along with what the bible says about not earning your way into heaven with good works/deeds. Some people think they can buy their way into God's grace but nothing opens those pearly gates like the way you conducted your life. Now, none of us are perfect. Some of us come to God late in life, broken and so full of history that we might wonder how God could ever love us---but He does! The first time you ask for forgiveness it is given. You don't have beg for it or keep asking repeatedly for it, it's given the first moment you ask.
We know that but do we believe that? Or do we hold onto our guilt, thinking on some subsconscious level we are unlovable? If we do, we may indeed try to earn our way into heaven. If we still don't understand what Calvary was all about we may try to buy our way there. None of that will work of course. In the end we will be judged by our hearts and how we lived our short lives on earth no matter when our salvation began. Whether we were saved at 5, 20, 35, 50 or 70 our living the Word begins the day we asked Jesus into our lives as our Lord and Savior.
So, each day let's go about our lives, living them each moment as if it may be our last and all the while basking in God's love for us.

Ask...Believe...Receive

2008-03-09T23:08:00.000-04:00

God sends us angels when we need them. Sometimes we don't know we need them but they are sent nonetheless. Like, the time my daughter nearly walked into the path of an oncoming truck and she felt a "shove" that sent her backwards, a shove hard enough to make her fall on her butt as the truck whizzed by. She was only about 7 when this happened and remembers that day as if it were yesterday. Then, zoom ahead 14 years. This time she survived a horrible car accident, the kind even cops marvel that she wasn't severely injured by hitting the steering wheel. The next day she showed me something incredible on her thigh: a handprint. Not hers, but there it was. An angel holding her back from hitting the steering wheel? Nonbelievers say impossible, believers smile and accept that God sends his angels to help us here on earth.

Sometimes God sends us angels in the form of friends and helpers. We never know why people cross our path. Some stay, some leave, some fade away and come back. But always we have to trust why God brings them our way.

I thank God for all the times angels helped me and my family, watching over us and doing God's work. And, I thank God for all my earthly friends who are angels to me as well.

God bless you all! You know who you are!

It's a Lonely SL Life Sometimes....

2008-03-08T22:40:00.000-05:00

When your partner and best friend isn't there because of RL, SL can be such a lonely, big virtual world. Everyone has something to do, somewhere to go and it can be alot like RL. So, what do I do when I find myself unexpectedly alone in SL? I work lol....spent a number of hours setting up our second store, went shopping, did more work, did some marketing for our upcoming conference, went shopping, bought new hair (I needed that like a hole in the proverbial head!) and worked some more...got another account, voted for a friend who is trying to be voted most handsome in SL or something...and felt lonely. I missed my partner...very much.

So,I watched a movie on demand. Elizabeth I:The Golden Years. Wow, great movie. I loved how she rallied the troops on the horse while staring down the Spanish armada. She had the stuff heros are made of. What a shame she never found love---or love never found her. I think she had alot of love to give. Instead she gave it to her country. Rock on, Elizabeth I, even if you did live in 500 years ago!

A Day at the Beach wearing Enraptured Designs!

2008-03-08T10:06:00.000-05:00

Here's Serena, a Venus fashion model wearing one of my summer beach outfits designs. Cute, sexy without being obvious! Come see more at our store, located on Wings of Hope Sim and now Idiot Rich too!

Photo taken at Venus Photography Studios

more photos from Second Life (Venus Photography Studios)

2008-03-08T10:03:00.000-05:00

2008-03-08T10:01:00.000-05:00

Samples of My Second Life Photography (Venus Photography Studios)

2008-03-08T09:56:00.000-05:00

Second Life Fashionista

2008-03-08T09:43:00.000-05:00

The Christian woman also wants style! That may come as a surprise to some but we do! However, Second Life fashions tend to be uh-hem, well rather revealing, whether you want them to be or not. I recently enrolled in a class from Univ of Illinois which would be held in SL. What to wear, what to wear!

Oh, the dilemma! I ransacked my virtual closet. Nada! Not a single top looked professional. Everything was too tight, too low, too...hoochie mama. So, what was an overacheiver to do?
Design her own clothing line!

And, that's how Enraptured Designs was born. That reawakened my lost love of photography. It's fun using SL lighting and backdrops, like painting a canvass. The photos of my clothes are a bit on the artsy side but I think visually they are fun and creative. Most of all, my clothes are for the budget minded and for the person who wants to look cute and stylish without sacrificing her dignity. Perfect for casual wear or the SL class or office!

In addition, I decided I wanted to create beautiful portraits using only SL tools. None of my photographs are re-touched by PhotoShop or any other software program. The challenge is to produce beautiful photos that are all natural and not doctored up. I'm into realism, not phoney picture "perfect" results. And so, another business was born: Venus Photography Studio!

Come see us inworld! Enraptured Designs and Photography Studio is located on Wings of Hope sim.

PS we just opened up our 2nd store location on Rich Idiot!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

2008-03-07T12:40:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I got handed an amazing opportunity--to interview a real life Dove award winning, number 1 best selling Christian musical artist! I was so excited I could hardly sleep the night before but strangely enough I was pretty calm in the morning.

Then Mr X came into the radio station's lounge where I was seated. He's a young man, well dressed in a very expensive looking suit and he looks a little weary. I wondered if he even knew what city he was in. He signed some promotional cd's and then finally it was my moment. And, literally it was a moment! Between his manager, the radio station DJs and the station manager competing forhis attention, I barely had time to utter 2 short questions and have a picture taken.

And you know what? Instead of taking in this incredible moment, I mentally fussed. Was my hair ok, would the picture angle add more pounds, had I picked the "right" outfit...all that was going through my head as I smiled for the camera. I was even self-conscious of the camera! I had never gotten around to replacing my very expensive professional camera that was stolen. So here I was with this famous artist and all I had to hand over to the radio station manager was a disposable camera purchased at CVS.

It was all over in a few minutes; the picture, the interview and the anticipation. But, later on I remembered we are all made in God's image. I had fussed for naught. God loves us as we are---whether our picture is taken by an expensive camera or one purchased by CVS, whether our hair is perfect or the camera adds a few pounds.

None of that matters, ever.

Silence is Golden

2008-03-06T11:04:00.000-05:00

I heard this on the radio this morning: "you can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips."
That is so true. How many people say "yes" to God then go and do what they want, thinking He doesn't look and hold us accountable? It's a type of mental game. For instance, the cookie crumbs don't "count" as calories, if you are tired and don't want to go to church God will understand and if you feel entitled to fudge a bit on your resume or taxes, well God surely must be supportive because you deserve that job, that refund...right?
But for those around us who are not yet saved, remember we are held to a higher standard. And we should be! If we are walking with Christ, we need to do it every day, every hour not just on Sunday. If we are quoting His word then we need to live it, breathe, feel it and shine it in our hearts and souls. Remember, the unsaved world looks at us through critical eyes.
So, next time you think something you do doesn't matter, try to remember it does matter. And, not because we are measured by our works or deeds. We all know that won't get us into heaven---but simply because we have chosen to be Christians and follow the Way.

Don't Put Off Things

2008-03-04T14:46:00.001-05:00

Last night was the season finale of the new Terminator series on tv and I may be the only person in the USA watching it but I really wanted to see it. However, my time was needed for other things. Yea, I have a DVR but it's not the same as watching it as it happens, not a day or two later. I was torn. Do I do the "right thing" and use my time like a good steward or do I make an excuse to myself (and other people) and cave in to my "need" to see the tv show? hmmm therein lie the cux of the matter. Ok, I know (and we all know) that good deeds do not earn us a place in heaven, still the book of James advises us not to put off doing good to help someone in need. So, what did I do in the end?
What do you think I did?

Blogging is Good for Your Health

2008-03-03T23:33:00.000-05:00

and I have it in writing!
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/03/03/blogging-social-health.html

Ode to Wood Paneling

2008-03-03T14:22:00.000-05:00

According to one website, wood paneling was named as one of the top 10 worst decorating trends of all time. It bloomed in the 50's, was popularized in the 70's and was "perfected" in the 80's. In fact few homes have escaped the horrors of wood paneling. I bet more than a few of us still have dens sporting ye olde wood on the walls. But even so, why is wood paneling is so popular in the SL housing market? Have SL home designers tapped into a need from their childhood psyche? Last night as I stood in my pre-fab beach house, I suddenly realized I was in a Brady Bunch retread! Still, it brought about a certain level of comfort. So much so, I had to ask myself: is wood paneling really so bad? It's warm, it's rustic and low maintenance. Surely, it should gather more respect than say, that awful 80's Laura Ashley "country" phase! Well, no matter if wood paneling has been maligned, I love my SL wood paneling. It's so...Second Life!

Say Yes!

2008-03-02T21:07:00.000-05:00

Have you ever prayed for God to bring you opportunities to use your spiritual gifts, then when the doors began to open you...were too busy, too insecure to try, too rigid in what you thought was the "right" opportunity for you, etc etc? What if you said, yes! What if the next time God threw something your way, you said, "use me, Lord"? Can you imagine how your world might change? Maybe you'd learn a new skill from not saying no from God's call to develop a skill outside your usual gifted area! Can you just imagine if you said yes every time God nudged you in His chosen direction? God would rock your world! So, try saying yes the next time God whispers into your ear and see where it leads you, even if seems off the wall or out of your usual skill base. C'mon, humor God and see what happens!