Random, just random

I feel compeled to justify some of my random blogs...though I don't know that I actually believe in random. Must be my Presbyterian roots. :)

I can justify blogging about puppies because God is using them in my life, because there are parallels to parenting if you don't get too carried away with behavior modification. Turns out dogs are very relational and love to play and the bonding happens there as much as over leadership and respect.

But the bottom line is that it's ok to share the things you love and the things you hate with the children in your care -generally in age appropriate ways, but not neccessarily. It's ok to go looking for God there together. There comes a point where you might find that your kids have grown to hate the things you love. They've discovered their own individuality or you've worn them out. (I'm guilty.) Leaving them hungry for more is usually more effective than saturating them.

We relate to the people around us for lots of different reasons, but how often do relationships grow over the passions you share? If you've found a way to glorify and honor the God who deserves our honor and praise in the midst of who He's created you to be, isn't that good? All the random threads don't have to make sense.

Connecting kids with trusted adults or older kids who share their passions - for science or for art or for people (for almost anything) and who can share deep-rooted faith just by sharing who they are is pretty special. It may be that someday that child will be a young adult able to share who they are as a person of faith with a expert who shares their passion yet has no faith. Or maybe they share that passion and they just pray and they watch God move.

I have to do some studies. What does scripture say about God's love and His hate? What does scripture say about Jesus and the way He loved people without losing His sense of purpose. Was He empathetic or did I get that from Psalm 139? Maybe the gospels aren't all about love, in the way we think of love. Jesus wasn't a door mat. How did Jesus love? Did He empathize? Maybe He didn't. Does God mean for me to emulate the things that Jesus was passionate about or just a passion to fullfill my purpose? Do I have to know ahead of time or just walk and make the most of every opportunity?

I have a quilt to finish by June. I've made each of my kids a quilt for high school graduation. I'm still in the design phase. Starting to sew yesterday, my sewing machine tangled all the threads. I've only used it a couple of times and had to re-learn how to thread the machine.

My dryer didn't work...water is leaking in through the roof we had put on last summer. My passion for houses and renouvation is not particularly positive.

I have a pile of writing to put in the mail and I keep putting it off. I don't have trouble writing, just getting it in the mail.

I was able to take some very neat winter photos this year.

We have four financial aid applications to get in the mail because we'll have four kids in college next year.

We've had some extended family crisis this past year and some recent medical issues.

I've run into old friends recently.

I get to do a tour and make dog biscuits with (Girl Scout) Brownies at Lollypop this afternoon. They have a neat program for scouts. I get to do the Dog Bite Prevention program next week.

I inherited a pair of cordoroy overalls from my daughter. Pockets for dog treats and warmer than sweaters!

I have buckets of family history to play with (and a very cluttered house to clean out).

My kids are in an urban high school with 100 years of student written newsletters. I got to help go through them for their 100 year celebration before my cataract surgery a couple of years ago. So fascinating.

We got to see the Redwoods this year and Shenandoah Park in January. My husband and I always go to cities for our 3-4 day weekends away. He did the parks for me and he even had a good time. That was the best part. He says the best part was seeing me get excited about it.

Opportunities to give, opportunities with people, opportunities to praise God for what He's created, opportunities to pray, opportunities to trust Him, opportunities to see God working over a long period of time in an institution - so facinating to see the spirit of the place they built in 1903 persist even through tough decades in urban schools.

Someday the way all these seemingly random threads and opportunities to know God better are woven together will make sense. And everyone's random threads are different. Keeps life interesting.

So sharing life and the things you love with kids and sharing the God who is the Giver of Life is good. Somehow, it's all connected. I can't tell you how exactly.

I would think the world would be excited to be around people who love them and who love life. Maybe someday such encounters will even help grow a world willing to acknowledge and be excited about the same God who gives life.

Too spiritual? Or not enough...