Happy blog birthday

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Today is my blog’s third birthday! I think I will celebrate with a Jim Beam Red Stag and Diet Dr Pepper. (Please note: There is no period in Dr Pepper … I wouldn’t be a good Wacoan if I didn’t point out that lil’ pet peeve!)  😉

Three years ago seems like a time portal. Three years ago, I was finishing my master’s degree (and swearing that I would never, ever, EVER go back to school for my doctorate. D’oh!). Three years ago, I was a mother of three. Three years ago, I was 80 lbs heavier. Three years ago, I didn’t have a clue about what curveballs life could throw my way … and how God could see me through.

God has been good, friends. Does that strike you as odd for me to say? It’s true, though. Even in the midst of tragedy (I might argue even because of tragedy), I am more aware today of God’s presence in my life. Sure, there are plenty of days when I still feel like I’m on auto-pilot or survival mode, but I don’t take my blessings for granted as much as I used to.

*Raises her glass of Red Stag & Diet DP on the rocks* So, here’s to the last three years … and the next however many to come! 😀

Writing Wednesday: A Game of Thrones

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My leisure time for reading isn’t what it used to be, but I have finally finished A Game of Thrones. George R. R. Martin has a gift for descriptive character development and vivid setting detail. I only wish that I had discovered his work sooner!

This fantasy adventure book is the first in a series of five tales of the Seven Kingdoms. Family vs. family, brother vs. brother, good vs. evil … this book is suspense, adventure, romance, war and tragedy all wrapped up in one intricately interwoven package.

A Game of Thrones is not all rainbows and faeries. In fact, there are no faeries. There are, however, The Others — evil creatures that lurk in the forests beyond the Wall. As you might expect in a novel about kingdom-claiming, victorious warriors engage in plenty of pillaging and woman-snatching. Betrayal and conniving are strategies of the game, and (as in life?) it is difficult to know who you can trust.

My favorite characters so far are Ayra Stark and Jon Snow. They are half-brother and sister, but they have taken divergent paths in life. Both are struggling with their places in the world — coming to terms with tragedies they are powerless to circumvent, learning their lot in life and how to find the path to which they are called … perhaps I see a little of myself in both of them.

The summer term is a nice respite from my usual studies (I’m taking two electives), and I’m looking forward to starting the second book in the series, A Clash of Kings. I have to ration it, though … I still have a book review to write about education policy before mid-July. 😉

Why keep reading?

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I’ve noticed that when I post a link to Twitter or Facebook for a given blog entry, my readership spikes over the next several hours into the following day. Fancy that – social networking works! 😉 After that initial upswing, however, it dips back down. I don’t want to flood my Twitter feed or Facebook wall with blog links, so I tend to just post links that I think would appeal to my “friends” and “followers” en masse. My rationale is that if people want to read my blog, then they’ll bookmark it or subscribe via RSS or email.

Not that I mind writing for a small audience (or even no audience, seeing as I kept a private journal for years), but I’ve been thinking about some of my favorite blogs and what makes me continue going back to them. In turn, what would make people want to continue coming here to read what lil’ ol’ me has to say?

My favorite blogs are the ones that have a similar style to each post—the author has created a brand, so to speak, and it is consistent. They also tend to have routine themes, like certain days for poetry (I look forward to Haiku Fridays at Osler’s Razor) or give-aways (Hello, Free Earring Fridays at Lisa Leonard Online!). Since I began writing the weekly devotionals and daily prayer prompts for my church, though, I have slacked off on writing much else. Grad school assignments and five boys under my roof certainly also have an impact on my free time for writing/blogging, but mostly I just haven’t put a lot of thought into it. (At least I’m honest, eh?)

So, following is my attempt at organizing my blog a little better. I don’t want to commit to something that I won’t be able to maintain, so I’m going to pick three theme days for the time being. I figured I would start with three of the categories that I’ve written about a lot, already: Prose & Poetry, Scholarly Stuff and Food & Health. I will fill in the other days, as time permits, with the sort of random drivel you are used to reading here, like silly Monkey Boy business. :p

  • Monday Musings: My favorite poems are haikus and nonets. What are your favorite styles of poetry? We’ll share a few here.
  • Writing Wednesday: It might be a novel, public policy textbook or my own work-in-progress, but I’ll share a tidbit about what I’m currently reading &/or writing.
  • Foodie Friday: People often ask me about how (and why) I eat low-carb, so I will share recipes and ideas here.

There you have it … I’m looking forward to the new format and hope you’ll enjoy it, too!

How can a handicap be a gift? (Prayer devotional for the week of May 29)

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In his second letter to the Corinthians (chapter 12), Paul wrote about how God knocked his pride down a few notches to keep him from getting too boastful. In the world’s eyes, he had every reason to brag: apparently, he was raised in a prominent family, trained in uppity-up schools; he had climbed the social ladder and had made a name for himself among the well-to-do. When Paul (he went by “Saul” back then) decided to follow Jesus, it was a BIG deal. He pretty much turned his back on everything he had achieved in life and started back at square one.

Some translations refer to his ailment as a “thorn in his side,” but I love The Message paraphrase, which calls it “the gift of a handicap.” Paul said that the enemy (Satan) tried to use his handicap to bring him down, and he begged God – three times! – to take away the problem.

I’m not sure exactly what Paul’s “handicap” or “thorn in his side” was, but don’t we all have something in our lives that detracts our attention from God? Maybe it isn’t even a physical problem. Maybe you’re like Moses and feel like you can’t lead, can’t speak in public, can’t stand up to your enemies (Exodus 2+). Maybe you’re like Joseph and have been dealt a rotten hand in life – people who should have cared about you have hurt you; no matter what you try, you seem to get the short end of the stick (Genesis 37+). Maybe you’re like the woman at the well who had to face her deepest, darkest secrets when Jesus confronted her (John 4). Maybe you’re like Simon Peter and Andrew – ordinary, blue collar workers who weren’t trained in the temple like the religious folks (Matthew 4).

Yet, who were the very first ones Jesus called to be his disciples? (Simon Peter and Andrew!) To whom did Jesus offer Living Water that never runs out? (The woman at the well!) Who worked his way up to second in command of the entire kingdom? (Joseph!) Who finally led the Israelites out of Egypt? (Moses!)

Like the other examples, Paul had to face his predicament, and once he realized that God could use it to prove his own supernatural abilities, Paul began to see it as a gift. A gift! When we are tempted to compare ourselves to others who we think are more talented, more attractive, more successful … we would do well to remember that our weaknesses put the spotlight on God’s strength.