What's More Convincing: the Brain or the Eyes?

I came across these pictures today. They're supposedly of a public restroom in downtown Houston. I'm not sure if it really exists or not, but it's fun anyway. Here's what it looks like from the outside:


And this view from the inside reveals that it's made entirely of one-way glass! Just imagine, you're inside baring all when a stranger walks right up to you, grins, and starts checking his teeth for broccoli!

So, would you use it?

(Oh, and sorry for the sudden and shocking departure from the significant seriousness of yesterday's post.)

Struck By a Thought

I've had an epiphany.

It occured to me the other day that this is what I think: Anyone who thinks something I do is wrong is legalistic, and anyone who does something I think is wrong is ungodly.

Wait a minute!! This isn't right! How can I think that only people who live exactly as I do are right? Am I really so arrogant to think I have some kind of a corner on righteous living? Wow, it's startling to be so vividly reminded of my pride.

I'm still pondering how to get out of this way of thinking. It probably comes down to discernment. Some differences between myself and others should be accepted with joy as a reminder of the various ways God has created us humans. Other differences should just be set aside because they aren't important enough to affect the relationship. Then there are things that can be opportunities for discipleship, in the right time. And once in a while, I have to avoid someone completely because of the truth in 1 Corinthians 15:33.

The tricky part is knowing which situations fit into which categories. For starters, I'm going to try to remember that I'm not the local expert on how to live, and my prayer is:

Lord, may I see the people around me as you see them.

NEW!!!

Check it out on the left: LINKS!!!!!!


Stay tuned for more great links coming soon.

The Newest Member of the Band

We have recently acquired a string bass, which has been a lot of fun. Every single one of us has tried it out, and it remains to be seen who will actually diligently practice it! It sure is huge though. It's living in my room for now, along with most of the rest of the instruments, and I feel like I have an overgrown room mate. My current decorating theme is large black lumpy things.

John very carefully set the bridge when the bass arrived: When the bass was finally tuned and ready, we gave it a whirl. I think the entire family has sore right index fingers now!
You might imagine that a bass would come in a fairly large box, and you would be right about that. My father says it looks like a coffin, and my mother says maybe we should keep it around just in case someone keels over. Becca and Laura have put it to good use as a train, a cabin, and who knows what else, including this banquet table:

Oh, and by the way, (drum roll please) this is post number

Never in a Million Years

Would you sit on this chair??

A Fresh Perspective

This is a very amusing website about what children think about love and romance.

Here's a sample:

THE PERSONAL QUALITIES NECESSARY TO BE A GOOD LOVER: "One of you should know how to write a check. Because even if you have tons of love, there is still going to be a lot of bills." (Ava, 8)

What Makes Life Worth Living?

I recently had a conversation with someone that gave me cause to consider the meaning of life. Yeah, I know. That doesn’t happen every day. This person was struggling with being stuck in a dead-end job that he felt was shameful because he’s extremely over-qualified for it. In pursuing the prestigious career that he wants, he found himself forced to choose between having his dream job and living in a place he enjoys. It was quite a predicament to choose between work and life.

The reason this made me ponder life was that I found it sad to observe a young man whose whole purpose in life seemed to revolve around having a prestigious career. As I thought about his viewpoint, I couldn’t help but consider my own life. I work in an office making a modest salary, I don’t have any letters after my name, and I’m not famous, rich, or extraordinarily talented, yet I’m satisfied. Some people have conveyed to me that I’m not fulfilling my true potential or that I’m not very ambitious, but to me, those things really aren’t that important.

I have work that keeps me productive, I’m able to pursue the things I enjoy, I have a family who cares about me, I’ve learned to find joy in little things, and most importantly, I have a personal relationship with my Creator. Those are the things that life is really made of.

Have a Blessed Easter!!

May God bless each one of you as you celebrate his glorious resurrection!

Enjoying the Great Outdoors

We went on a very fun camping trip this past weekend. We mostly sat around and talked or went on hikes. One of our hikes was to the office to buy ice cream bars, which I'm not sure really counts. Another hike, though, was almost ten miles long! I'm still recovering from that one, but the four of us who went proved to ourselves that we could walk eight miles in two hours.

In addition to all that, we also thought the campout would be a good time to try the drop-some-Mentos-in-Coke-and-make-a-geyser science experiment. It was fantastic fun even though the geyser didn't go nearly as high as the video we saw on the internet. Oh well. It was still exciting. Anna struck a most excellent pose, too. Seth was our official, self-appointed fire builder.
There was a cold wind on Saturday morning, which made it a good time for cuddling in a blanket.
Seth caught a lizard, tried to get it to eat a gnat, named it Fred, put it in a box, then let it go.
We enjoyed playing our instruments together on Friday night. The people sitting around the fire alternated between clapping and laughing. Hmmm.

The Fruit of Gluttony

"So, how was work today?" That's probably what I'll hear when I go home tonight, and I'll have to say something like, "It was really fun, then it was really uncomfortable."

You see, we got a gift certificate for a free half gallon of Blue Bell ice cream from one of our sales reps, and it was about to expire. We decided today was the day for the ice cream, so we went to the store in pursuit of the most excellent flavor. We quickly scanned the Homemade Vanilla, the Triple Chocolate, the Mint Chocolate Chip, and the Strawberry Shortcake, until our eyes fell upon THE ONE. CHOCOLATE BROWNIE OVERLOAD!!!!!! Chocolate ice cream with peanut butter brownies, caramel sauce, walnuts, pecans, chocolate flakes, and whipped cream!! Suddenly time stood still, lightbulbs flashed, and music began to play...or something like that.

We brought the ice cream back to the office and dug in. The only problem was that there were only four people at work today. Now, what are four chocolate-loving office workers going to do with a half gallon of decadent ice cream and no freezer?? Why, eat it all of course!

So now I have a stomach ache.

The Most Fanastic Useless Machine in the WORLD!!

I refuse to tell anyone how long this kept me amused.

Pistachios!!!!!!!!!???

WARNING: TODAY'S POST MIGHT BE A BIT EDUCATIONAL.

Last night, I was leafing through a catalog while eating pistachios. I decided it was dangerous to eat little things while reading because there's no stopping. It was a little distressing to see how many of those nuts I'd eaten. I obviously ate too many, because my brain turned nutty, and I started thinking of all kinds of questions relating to pistachios. Scary.

Are pistachios good for you?

Are there any specific health benefits to eating pistachios?

How are pistachios processed?

Do the shells split naturally? and what do the pistachio flowers look like?

What's the salty powdery stuff that reminds me of dried brine? Do they put the nuts in salt water to salt them?

What does the IRS say about pistachio farming? Okay, I didn't actually wonder that one. I just came across it while googling all this other stuff.

Go eat some pistachios! (or how about giant cashews?)