"Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Writing Well"
Another decent family shot (probably because most of my girth is hidden behind Kevin. ha!)
P.S. I can explain my hair – it’s called traveling in small, stuffy airplanes all day.
P.S.S. Look at Dude (kid on far right), he’s like sparkly. Oooooohhh, pretty.
The sound of the drums caused everyone in the store to stop what they were doing.
“What in the …” Tamara stopped ringing up her customer and looked over her shoulder toward the front entrance.
The small marching band began to play and about twenty “customers” began to dance and sing.
Everyone else in the store froze on the spot and watched the ensemble.
Tamara turned to her customer. “Can you make out what they’re singing? I’m too distracted by the swinging umbrellas.”
The customer laughed and nodded. “The umbrellas really do add a little something, that’s for sure.” She tilted her head and listened. “I think they’re protesting.”
“Protesting what?”
The customer shrugged, but continued. “I think your company gave money to some political cause.”
“Really?” Tamara checked her watch. Only one more hour before she could go home. “Do you know what cause?”
“I’m not sure, but I think I read it was Prop 8.”
Tamara nodded. She wasn’t surprised. Nothing surprised her nowadays – the world had gone insane virtually overnight. “Right.” She continued to watch the spectacle a few moments before noticing her boss on the phone. She guessed he was calling the police.
“Well. You know what they say about opinions,” Tamara said and the customer laughed again.
The group began dancing and marching out of the store. Everyone remained perfectly still and watched them until the door closed, then as if on cue, they all started moving again.
It was business as usual.
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This short-short was inspired by this video.
Fiction under 250 words.
I enjoy finding new voices. (Well, new to me, at least). I purposefully ignore links to the “popular” bloggers (though I’m sure what they’ve contributed is equally awesome) and instead focus on the lesser-known voices, for I am so tired of not hearing them. The blog-o-sphere is so full of silly self-imposed get-more-traffic drivel, let’s focus our energies on more raw, amazing, heart-wrenching, populist issues we can relate to, shall we?
“Ignore” from Caissie’s Thing
“At the Red Light” from cribchronicles.com
“For Jessica” from Finding Your Voice
(I have never been more thankful for healthy children in my life).
“My Enemy, Myself” from Wendi Aarons
(Humorous sprinkled with a valuable life lesson – LOVE it).
“Mixed Emotions” from 10% Fiction
These writers, these wonderful PEOPLE, inspire me to be a better writer, a better PERSON.
I’m hungry for more. If you can recommend more great writing, I’m ready to feast.
You can find many more interesting reads at Five Star Friday.
Does anyone else have trouble coming up with something to blog about on Mondays?
Normally, you can’t shut me up, but here lately … it’s like Monday rolls around and I’m all like:
——————————BLANK FACE————————–
Exactly.
So. I thought I’d answer my own meme questions today as well as the “Getting to Know You Questions” from MannLand5.
1. What kind of athlete has the hottest body?
Probably a football player – because they have to bulk up so they have the weight to knock their opponent to their feet, which usually translates into muscle, usually. I’m thinking the running back, specifically. They have the muscle, but it’s lean, hard muscle and …
What was the question?
2. Are you a planner or a procrastinator?
I’ll get back to you on this one.
HA!
Seriously. I’m a procrastinator, hands down. But I don’t like to call it procrastinating, per se, but rather, I like to take a duty, a task, an idea and sort of chew on it for a while, digest it if you will.
You can’t rush genius.
HA!
3. Diet or regular (soda)?
None. I’m not a soda drinker. I used to LIVE on soda way back when, I drank it in lieu of water and well, kidney stones put an abrupt and painful stop to that nonsense.
Now? I rarely drink it. And when I do, I almost always regret it because GAH, that crap is SWEET.
4. What’s your one “must have” for Fall?
Blazers. I LOVE blazers. They look smart and they cover the poochy belly. They look good with slacks or jeans so they’re versatile. In fact, I’m thinking about asking Santa for a leather blazer for Christmas.
*ahem* Santa, are you listening??
Though I don’t know, boots are a close second.
5. What’s your favorite fast food restaurant?
Wendy’s, of course. 😀
(I used to work there way back when and you would think that would make me not want to eat there anymore, but ah contrare, Wendy’s food ROCKS my socks).
P.S. I was not paid to say that but if Wendy’s happens to find this? I am not opposed to accepting coupons – just sayin’.
6. What do you think is the sexiest profession for a guy?
Police Officer.
No.
Firemen.
I’m not picky. 😉
Seriously. *drool*
Of course, accountants are DEFINITELY sexy.
(My husband is an accountant, I’m sort of required to give that answer. *wink*)
7. Did you wear braces?
Nope. And it’s a miracle, really. Growing up, we couldn’t afford to go to the dentist, but luckily, I didn’t have to. Any cavities I got, came out in with a tooth. And my teeth are pretty straight-ish.
Now my boys? Both have worn, and are wearing, braces. Dude had them for about four years (that poor kid – too many teeth for his mouth) and Jazz is wearing them now (he has the room, but they’re just sort of sticking out, like buck teeth, only not that bad).
Braces are expensive, but worth the investment. My father-in-law had terrible teeth growing up and was extremely self-conscious of them his whole life. Finally, a few years ago, he had them all pulled and now wears false teeth. I wouldn’t recommend going that route, but if you can afford to get your kids’ teeth fixed, I would.
Life is hard enough without having to worry about your smile. You know?
8. Would you rather have a guy that’s super sexy or kind?
How about kind of sexy?
HA!
Okay fine, kind. Sexy is good? But sexy is not always kind, you know? And when you have to live with a person, kindness is a HUGE factor (the sexy can sort of wear off after a while).
1. If you could be any book character, who would it be?
Belle. From the Twilight series.
And not for the reasons you might think. Every time I read any of the books from the Twilight series, I always think, “doesn’t Belle get tired of having this blood-sucker breathing down her neck all the time?”
I’d be all, “Dude. I love you. But seriously, give me space. And though I’m okay with dying and doing the whole immortal thing with you someday, right now? I want to live my life so back off, Jack.”
I always get impatient with characters that put so much of their energies into being somebody’s mate. I don’t care for characters who are willing to lose a portion of their identity – I just don’t identify with that, at all.
There’s passion, which is sexy.
And then there’s obsession, which is not.
2. What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever heard a child say?
Oh geez. I can’t think of anything off the top of my head – probably because I tend to think children are pretty much cute and hilarious all the time, so I took the liberty of Googling it and this little story made me laugh out loud:
Stopping to pick up my daughter at kindergarten…
…, I found out that the topic of “Show and Tell” that day had been parents’ occupations.
The teacher pulled me aside. Whispering, she advised, “You might want to explain a little bit more to your daughter what you do for a living.”
I work as a training consultant and often conduct my seminars in motel conference rooms.
When I asked why, the teacher explained, “Your daughter told the class she wasn’t sure what you did, but said you got dressed real pretty and went to work at motels.”
HAHA! If your kids haven’t gone to school yet, then you may not be able to relate to this yet, but speaking as a veteran mom of school-aged kids, this is a stigma you don’t exactly want to carry with you the 13 years your kids are in school. Because most likely, your kids will be around the same teachers, the same kids and the same parents for those 13 years and you don’t exactly want to have to fight a racy reputation from the very beginning – save that for later years. *wink*
3. Thunderstorm arrives, power outage! How do you occupy your time?
If there’s enough light, read. If there’s not enough light, listen to my iTouch.
And if there aren’t any kids in the house, well …..
Also, stress about the food in the fridge.
4. Do you usually write your blog post first and then the title? Or do you write the title first, and then the blog?
I usually write my blog post first, and then title it. Once in a while, I’ll come up with a title and then write a blog post around that, but most of the time, I write the post, then pick out a juicy title from that.
I probably don’t give my titles as much thought as some people (or as much as I should), but then again, I don’t care much if search engines find me or not.
5. Bonus: Write a caption, poem or short story inspired by this picture:
You smell good. I like you. Can I sit on your lap? Can I lick your face? Do you have any treats? I’m a good doggie. Where’s my tail? You smell good.
It’s back!!
I don’t know if you remember this meme or not, but I thought I’d bring it back to try and give people something to blog about on Mondays. Please join in!
All you have to do is answer the questions below either in the comment section, or on your blog. And elaborate! Make these questions show your unique and special personalities. This meme entry will post at 12:01 every Monday morning and will be the first postentry listed on WFK all day Monday. (This is an all-day Monday meme, so please, play all day!)
August 16th Questions:
1. If you could be any book character, who would it be?
2. What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever heard a child say?
3. Thunderstorm arrives, power outage! How do you occupy your time?
4. Do you usually write your blog post first and then the title? Or do you write the title first, and then the blog?
5. Bonus: Write a caption, poem or short story inspired by this picture:
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The small, insignificant, day-by-day things that happen in my life.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
I currently look six months pregnant. I think I’ve mentioned that I occasionally have intestinal issues – it’s safe to say, I’m having problems!! I woke up several times last night with extreme pressure, one time I even cried because it hurt so much. Without going into too much detail, I think I have IBS – at least, that’s what my Google searches have produced. I’m just about to the point where I’m ready to throw in the white towel and go to the doctor. Fortunately, these “attacks” don’t happen very often, I’ve learned, through trial and error what sets them off – sort of. It’s really hard to explain what I’m feeling, but it’s pressure, bloating and trapped gas, all rolled into one uncomfortable package. It usually only lasts a day or two and things start moving again *ahem*.
It’s hard to live life, let alone focus on any sort of work, when I have these “attacks.” I’ve had to pace myself – get some work done, lay down for a bit. Kevin wanted to go out to lunch (we usually go out on Wednesdays), but the thought of eating just made me ill.
If there’s one good thing about these “attacks” it’s that I usually drop a few pounds before it’s over.
Don’t feel sorry for me, I could go to the doctor, I’m just too stubborn to do that. And if I’m right and it’s IBS, there isn’t a cure for that – only treatments. So I guess, in my mind, why go to the doctor if all they’re going to tell me is, “Sorry. But you’ll just have to watch your diet for the rest of your life.”
Well duh. I know that. Why would I want to fork over a few hundred dollars for someone to tell me that?
Exactly.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
I’m feeling better. Not 100%, but I’m no longer doubled over in pain, either. Whatever it was (or wasn’t), passed. This does not mean I won’t spend some time (later) figuring out what is causing these intestinal problems, but for now, life may resume. Thank God.
I got a lot of work done today. I turned my computer off feeling very satisfied with myself. Though I ran into a bit of a snafu on one project and waiting to hear back on how to handle it, the project is done and ready to go on my end. One of the reasons I got so much work done? I stayed off Twitter. Seriously. I love Twitter, but it’s a TERRIBLE time suck. I’m thinking of just forgetting about it entirely. Well, maybe not entirely, but definitely not as often.
The “Eat, Love, Pray” movie comes out today. I have mixed feelings about this book and I haven’t even read it! I’ve been reading the reviews on Amazon and that has piqued my curiosity. But I heard on the radio that it’s about a woman who suddenly decided she didn’t want to be married anymore and went on a journey to “find” herself. I’m going to have to read this book now, if nothing else, to find out what the story is really about.
I need coffee.
Thursday, August 13, 2010
The thermostat in my car got all the way up to 104 degrees today!!! I was like … shocked! I was also worried that my car would overheat because how hot does it need to get before it starts affecting your car engine?
Speaking of cars, Jazz wanted to go out to lunch today so I thought this would be a good opportunity to take Dude out driving, you know, just to make sure he doesn’t get too rusty because the boy never goes anywhere, hence, the boy never drives himself anywhere. Since it’s been so hot and the car hasn’t been opened up (or started) in over a month, I went out to air it out. I tried starting it: it wouldn’t start. AARGH! I was annoyed. We had just spent a chunk of change replacing the ignition box/starter thingy.
I complained to Kevin, but he couldn’t look at it as he had a luncheon date with an old colleague. So, Dude and I took off in my car and we went up to meet Jazz for lunch. We ended up eating at Steak N’ Shake and though we missed Kevin, it was nice to have my boys to myself. The boys stuffed their faces (okay fine, I did, too), we got Jazz back to school so he could finish out band camp and we came home.
Dude and I drove up to the house and the first thing we noticed? The black car is gone. I didn’t panic, I just figured Kevin got home early and took the car out for a run – and that’s what happened.
However, after about thirty minutes, I started getting worried about him because here is my handicapped husband, (but not for much longer!), out in a car I didn’t trust in 100 degree weather. You can see why I was worried, right? So I checked messages to make sure he hadn’t called to tell me what he was doing and I nearly had a heart attack when I heard the voice say, “You have one URGENT message.”
Say what??? So, I called to check and thank GOD, it wasn’t from, or about, Kevin. Now I’m spooked. So I called Kev’s cell phone, only he didn’t answer. I wasn’t too terribly worried because he has told me that he will no longer answer his phone if he’s driving (I don’t answer mine while I’m driving either. Actually, I never answer mine, but whatever). I leave him a message figuring his phone will notify him he has a message and he’ll check it when he can.
It wasn’t five seconds after I hung up that I saw him driving up. He had not only gotten the car started (duh), but he had taken it to get it washed. He said it was running great and that he had to give it a bit more gas before it would start up. Still, I’m a little nervous; I’m not sure I trust this car very much and my boys will be driving it. We’ll just have to make a point of making sure it’s started/driven once or twice a week.
I had a very productive day, work wise. I’m cranking through my emails and now have them down to about three or four (trust me, this is a good thing). I got permission from the school district to work on another site and will be uploading their brand, spanking new website as soon as I finish here. I can’t tell you how satisfied I am with myself. I still have a lot of work ahead of me, but I’m making progress and not feeling quite so buried.
I’m nibbling on chocolate – I have a feeling I’m going to regret that decision in the coming days. Apparently, I never learn. *sigh*
Saturday, August 14, 2010
“Good morning sunshine.” This is how Kevin greets the boys every morning. This is funny because the boys are anything BUT sunshine early in the mornings. Jazz is naturally a morning person so once he has a few minutes to wake up, he’s pretty much okay. But Dude is NOT a morning person and takes a least a few hours before he’s feeling civil enough to speak. Me? Well, my eyes are open and I can answer questions when asked – I think that qualifies as awake, wouldn’t you?
Kevin and I went sofa shopping today. I know what you’re thinking, “But Karen, didn’t you JUST buy a sofa, loveseat and chair like, three years ago?” Why yes, yes we did and don’t you have a good memory! However, the fabric we selected, though totally awesome and the color is to die for, is not wearing well. We’ve been noticing bald spots. BALD SPOTS! On a set of furniture not even three years old! UNACCEPTABLE!! And now that we think about it, we’re not quite sure we even LIKE this particular style because the seat is too long and you sort of have to sit sideways to get comfortable and the back is not high enough so you get a crick in your neck whenever you try and lay your head back.
We checked out three different places and we found one we really liked. Our problem? We’re not sure what color to get because, wait for it, we’re ripping the carpets out of our living and dining room and putting in hardwood floors. Only, we have oak furniture, so we want a dark floor, which means that our sofa /loveseat combo? Should probably be light, as in either tan or taupe. We plan on looking at flooring tomorrow.
Don’t you love shopping for one thing only for it to lead to something else entirely? I’m pretty psyched out about these changes, but my pocketbook? Not so much.
I love Oh life because they send you an email at 8:00 p.m. every night asking you how your day went. You reply to the email and it automatically posts to your Oh Life account.
These entries are raw, immediate and from the heart. You can expect to see these updates every Wednesday and Sunday (or thereabouts)
Thanks for reading.
Every Sunday I provide videos and valuable links to the Truth or Tradition teachings. We’ve been following the Truth or Tradition teachings for many years now and they have truly blessed our family. We have found peace and happiness through our beliefs and we walk confidently for God. My hope, by passing on this information to you, is that what you find here, or on the Truth or Tradition website, will guide you to a better, more blessed and abundant life.
If you would like to read my views on religion and how we got started with the ministry, you can read this.
Let’s get started:
(Video: Part Two of Six – Watch Part One)
Vodpod videos no longer available.
The death penalty is an integral part of the Old Testament Law. It is in all five books of Moses (Genesis-Deuteronomy), and in other books of the Old Testament as well. Furthermore, the New Testament supports it. The most common reason why people believe the Bible does not support the death penalty is because the King James Version and the versions of the Bible read by most Roman Catholics (including the Douay Version, The New Jerusalem Bible, and the New American Bible) give the Sixth Commandment in Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17 as, “Thou shalt not kill.” The Hebrew word translated “kill” in the Sixth Commandment is ratsach, and it can mean “kill” or “slay,” either on purpose or accidentally.
Ratsach, like many other words, has a wide range of meaning, and thus its meaning in a particular verse must be determined from both the immediate and remoter contexts. Thankfully, the Bible has a lot to say about murder, manslaughter, the execution of criminals and killing in war, and it is easy to tell by studying all the verses on the subject that the Sixth Commandment means not to take a life unjustly. Bible commentators are not confused by the commandment, “You shall not kill.” Maxie Dunnam wrote about the Sixth Commandment in the Mastering the Old Testament commentary on Exodus:
According to Genesis 9:6, this commandment did not prohibit the death penalty. It is obvious in the Old Testament that this [Sixth Commandment] was not a prohibition against all killing, only unauthorized killing. [1]
Because the Bible has clear teaching on murder and manslaughter, and because saying, “You shall not kill,” confuses people about killing in self-defense, in war and the execution of criminals, most modern versions properly translate ratsach in the Sixth Commandment as “murder.” For example:
* New King James Version: You shall not murder.
* Revised English Bible: Do not commit murder.
* New International Version: You shall not murder.
* New American Standard Bible: You shall not murder.
* New Revised Standard Version: You shall not murder.
* Amplified Bible: You shall not commit murder.
* New English Bible: You shall not commit murder.
* Tanakh (Jewish Publication Society): You shall not murder.The above versions of the Bible were produced by teams of scholars with differing theological backgrounds, including Protestant, Anglican, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Jewish scholars. It should be clear from the evidence that the Sixth Commandment is not about the death penalty, but about unjust killing, that is, murder.
Although the best single-word translation of the Hebrew word ratsach in the Sixth Commandment is “murder,” ratsach does have a wider application that must be considered. The well-known Hebrew scholars C.F. Keil and Franz Delitzsch write:
Accordingly, in the command, “Thou shalt not kill,” not only is the accomplished fact of murder condemned, whether it proceed from open violence or stratagem (Chap. 21:12,14,18), but every act that endangers human life, whether it arise from carelessness (Deut. 22:8), or wantonness (Lev. 19:14), or from hatred, anger and revenge (Lev. 19:17,18). Life is placed at the head of these commandments, not as being the highest earthly possession, but because it is the basis of human existence, and in the life the personality is attacked, and in that the image of God (Gen. 9:6). The omission of the object [of the verb ratsach] still remains to be noticed, as showing that the prohibition includes not only the killing of a fellow-man, but the destruction of one’s own life, or suicide. [2]
The highly respected commentator Adam Clarke wrote specifically about the Sixth Commandment in his six-volume commentary on the Bible:
Thou shalt not kill. This commandment, which is general, prohibits murder of every kind. 1. All actions by which the lives of our fellow creatures may be abridged. 2. All wars for extending empire, commerce, etc. 3. All sanguinary laws, by the operation of which the lives of men may be taken away for offences of comparatively trifling demerit. 4. All bad dispositions which lead men to wish evil to, or meditate mischief against, one another; for, says the Scripture, he that hateth his brother in his heart is a murderer. 5. All want of charity to the helpless and distressed; for he who has it in his power to save the life of another by a timely application of succour, food, raiment, etc., and does not do it, and the life of the person either falls or is abridged on this account, is in the sight of God a murderer. He who neglects to save life is, according to an incontrovertible maxim in law, the same as he who takes it away. 6. All riot and excess, all drunkenness and gluttony, all inactivity and slothfulness, and all superstitious mortifications and self denials, by which life may be destroyed or shortened; all these are point blank sins against the Sixth Commandment [emphasis his]. [3]
Adam Clarke is correct when he says that the Sixth Commandment prohibits murder of every kind. It has nothing to do with the death penalty, but is a command not to murder or kill another man unjustly. The vast majority of modern versions recognize this, and read “You shall not murder.” Since killing in criminal execution, in self defense, and in war are condoned in Scripture, it is hard to see how “You shall not kill” is an acceptable translation of ratsach in the Sixth Commandment. There is no question that the average reader gets the wrong idea from that translation. Instead of correctly concluding that accidental killing and suicide are being included with murder, the modern reader wrongly concludes that self-defense, the execution of criminals, and killing in war are forbidden by God. Thus, the majority of modern translators have chosen to translate the verse as “You shall not murder” because that communicates to modern Americans. Perhaps an alternative translation which includes the word “kill” would be, “You shall not kill unjustly.”
As Clarke, Keil, and Delitzsch, quoted above, point out, the Sixth Commandment also prohibits the taking of a life through carelessness or wantonness. The thought that God is prohibiting “accidental killing” can be confusing at first, because “accidents happen.” However, a quick review of the history of mankind will clearly show that a lot of “accidental deaths” could have been prevented if people had cared more about their own lives and the lives of others. Accidental deaths often occur in an environment that could have been made safe if proper attention had been paid to safety. We will never be able to assure perfect safety for people, but things could be a lot safer than they are if human life were more highly valued.
This article was taken from “The Death Penalty: Godly or Ungodly?”
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Thanks for reading.
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