Feeling threatened, the razor-sharp quills come out.
Irritability,
hostility, blame-shifting and lack of sensibility can be the behavior
of a drug-addict, but the rest of the story is that “Porcupine behavior”
of others, can also be a contributing factor.
This
is the true story of a depressed, suicidal drug addict who found his way
and the healing of his family. Their story helps answer these
questions:
What is the root cause of addiction?
How do I face my own death without fear?
How do I live without guilt when I know I’m guilty?
How do I live without regret when I’ve hurt so many that I love?
How do I live without shame when I’ve made such a fool of myself?
How can I ever be happy after a loved one has knowingly committed suicide or died from an overdose?
Can I really live free from worry and anxiety?
Can I really live free from disappointment?
How can I know all of my needs are being met?
How can my life really make a positive difference?
How can I not die of a broken heart?
How do I overcome stress?
〰First Thoughts〰
I met Mr. Bob and his wife, Miss Patti, when I was around 15 years old. There were part of my home church and, at the time, were helping out at a local group home for the mentally challenged. Bob was like that: always going above and beyond to include the excluded...including me. He never met a stranger and never made anyone feel unwanted. He had a heart for prisoners, drug addicts, and anyone else who was down-and-out. Our friendship, which was more like a parent-child relationship, instilled a similar attitude in my heart. I know it sounds like a cliche, but this book is his heart on paper. He mailed me a copy of the book in 2020 and I added it to my ever-growing "to read" pile. I had no idea that Bob would pass away a year later. I found out from a mutual friend that he knew of the medical condition that could take his life at any time. I'm honored that with all that going on, he thought of me...and still refers to me as his "daughter." I look forward to reading the stories I'd not had the pleasure of hearing before.
So, what's the first line of the book you're currently reading?
Title:Conversations With My Dog Author Zig Ziglar Genre: Humor / Memoir
〰First Line〰
───────────────────────────────────────────────── If you're familiar with me and know my basic outlook on life, you're probably wondering, "What on earth is Zig going to do with a title like Conversations With My Dog? The answer is simple, I chose this format because it gives me the freedom to move in many different directions. ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Most people talk to their pets (some people even
talk to their plants), but Zig Ziglar does more than just talk to his
dog. He has conversations with him. Taffy is Zig’s little Welsh Corgi.
Taffy moved into the Ziglar household in early 1995, and it didn’t take
him long to endear himself to Dad (Zig). Over the years Taffy has been a
part of the Ziglar family—including some really painful years of
mourning. Dirty Dog (Zig’s affectionate nickname for Taffy) and Dad have
talked about many facets of life—from faith to health to relationships.
They decided (collectively) it was time to write a book.
〰First Thoughts〰
I have been a fan of Mr. Ziglar for decades. His simplistic explanation of the complex subject of leadership has always fascinated me. Since I'm in the midst of several heavy theological works, this lighthearted look at Ziglar's life is a much needed respite. The author is narrating this particular selection. So far, he seems to have a knack for reading his book with the same inflection, passion, and Southern twang present in his audio series. I don't know much about Ziglar's life, so this may give me some fun insights.
So, what's the first line of the book you're currently reading?
Pantone's color of the year for 2023 is Viva Magenta. Etsy's color(s) of the year are indigo and honeycomb.
Your thoughts? Would we find any of these three shades in your home or
wardrobe? Is there a room in your house that needs painting this year?
Will you do it yourself or hire out?
I find it funny that when I saw the name of the Pantone color, my first thought was, "that's just a bougie shade of crimson." Then I read Pantone's description of it as a "nuanced crimson." Ha! Red (and it's various shades) is one of my favorite colors. I do have shades of red in my kitchen and office area.
When did Etsy start presenting a color of the year? I shop on Etsy occasionally, but didn't know the website had news on trends in the artist community. Indigo and honeybee are beautiful colors, separately and in concert. I do not have any of those colors in my decor or wardrobe. I look good in blue, but not yellow.
Our apartment complex does allow us to paint the walls. However, upon moving out, we are required to return the walls to their original white. That's just not a good use of time or resources. Oh, but wait until I have my own house; there may not be a white wall anywhere in the place.
Something you had to do recently that could be described 'as exciting as watching paint dry'?
Compiling assessment data for the deans for whom I am their administrative assistant. The randomness of the lists and numbers, the monotony of the task, and the erroneous inconsistency in the results of the process was boring enough to put coffee to sleep.
Who would you most like to sit beside on a 10-hour flight? Tell us why? Have you ever taken a 10-hour flight?
The longest flight I've ever taken was from Denver to Atlanta. The flight is supposed to take about four hours, but with the changing time zones, who knows for sure?
Do I have to pick just one person?
I'll choose a couple of people according to category.
Pastor Robert Gelinas
Someone I admire and know personally: I would enjoy a ten hour flight sitting with my Pastor and his sweet wife. I've been at Colorado Community Church for more than five years, but still know very little about those who lead. In all fairness, it would take them being stuck with me for a long flight to get to know them. I'm part of a large church and I'm sure that our leadership has hundreds of people pulling on them daily--some for good reasons, some for not-so-good reasons--so I'm sure their friendship circles have to be extremely tight.
I'm not used to that.
Someone I admire but do not know personally: Mylon Lefevre was one of my first Contemporary Christian music heroes after I became a believer. I was a big fan of 80s secular music (still am). Mylon's band, Broken Heart, along with Petra, Carman, and Amy Grant, put out quality Christian music that matched--if not surpassed--their secular counterparts. I'd want to talk music, faith, guitars, and anything else we could think of. I don't know how, but Lefevre was one of the main influences in my pursuit of music. Now, understand, I was one of the least musically inclined, most rhythmically challenged people I knew. I couldn't keep time when we'd have music time in elementary school, I couldn't dance (still can't), and I sang like a tone deaf basset hound (some people think I still do). Somehow seeing Broken Heart, a bunch of country boys from Marietta, Georgia, produce such awesome music that also challenged the listener's faith, gave me the confidence to not only seek to be taught in the Word, but to be taught any musical instruments I thought I could play. Now, 35 years later, I long for my own space so that I can finally own a drumset and vibraphone (I already have my own bass guitar). Until then, I am content to play bass guitar in my apartment during my down time (whenever that is).
Here's a brief snippet of Mylon Lefevre's testimony.
And if couldn't have any of that, I'd love to sit beside my sisters Ida, Clara, and Margie. That would be a riot.
What's something you did growing up that would get you into trouble?
I didn't get into a lot of trouble growing up, but when I did, it was a doozy. Flat-out disobedience would get me into huge trouble with my parents and teachers. Lying was also a big no-no.
According to Google the top searches in 2022 were- Wordle, election
results, Betty White, Queen Elizabeth, Bob Saget, Ukraine, Mega
Millions, Powerball numbers, Anne Heche, and Jeffrey Dahmer. Hmmm...what
does this say about us? How many of these words did you search last
year? What would you guess was your most 'googled'
word/phrase/question.
To me, this says that we are a curious bunch; if we want to know about something or someone, we look it up. The only drawback is that more often than not, if we are not discriminating in our sources, we can be led to incorrect or inaccurate information.
Sorry, my professor voice slipped out.
I did google "Wordle." I'd seen posts about it from some of my friends who were playing the game, but I had no idea what it was. Even after reading about it, I still didn't understand it enough to play it. It seems really complicated.
When people such the aforementioned individuals pass away, I usually look up information about their lives. As a collector of useless pop culture in the 80s, the urge hasn't slowed down. With the advent of the internet, I have more ready access to data.
I think my most "Googled" items were Bible verses, and definitions and synonyms for certain words.
Insert your own random thought here.
In case you missed it:
* My previous Hodgepodge post: "The Dog in the Room" is here. * My latest Five Minute Friday Post: "Ignore" is here. * My latest First Line Friday post "#7: When I Don't Desire God" is here. * My latest Monday Mess Making post on my Auntie's Workshop blog "Don't Forget the Unicorns" is here.
I took a walk at Union Square Park today (Saturday). It's the first outdoor walk I've taken this year. I ignored the urge to stay inside on such a nice day (Sunny and 61 degrees). I ignored the still melting snow and ice from all the January storms. I ignored pace and time and simply took a pleasant 20 minute stroll.
I could ignore the pond still being frozen over and the fountains being turned off, the field of dead grass, and the empty flower bed by the park sign on the corner. Why? I could ignore these things because they only point to what's coming.
Spring.
Yes, I know spring is notoriously short in Colorado, but it's coming. Yes, we're going to get a lot more snow before this is over with, but the birds are already singing. Yes, we may get more below zero temperatures, but some neighborhood flower beds have been dug in anticipation of spring flowers and summer vegetables.
I'm choosing to ignore the ugly in anticipation for the coming beauty.
-----------------------------
In case you missed it:
* My latest Wednesday Hodgepodge post, "The Dog in the Room," is here. * My 2023 Treat Yo' Shelf Reading Challenge introduction is here. * My latest Auntie's Workshop post "Don't Forget the Unicorns: Monday Mess Making" is here. * My previous Five Minute Friday post "Explore" is here.
Title: When I Don't Desire God Author: John Piper Genre: Christian Living / Practical Theology
〰First Line〰
───────────────────────────────────────────────── Christian Hedonism is a liberating and devastating doctrine. It teaches that the value of God shines more brightly in the soul that finds deepest satisfaction in him. Therefore it is liberating because it reveals that no one desires God with the passion he demands. ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
We all want to experience liberating, love-producing, risk-taking satisfaction in God.
But the reality is that we often struggle to find, and hold onto, true
and lasting joy—even when we have embraced the good news of God’s grace.
So we face a crucial question: What should I do when I don’t desire God?
John
Piper aims to help us find joy in Jesus that is so deep and so strong
that it frees us from bondage to comfort and security, and impels us to
live merciful and missional lives. Written with the radical hope that
all Christians would experience the fullness of life in Christ, this
book will help you fight for joy daily by leading you to rediscover the
soul-satisfying glory of God.
〰First Thoughts〰
Though last week's book was also a selection by Piper, I've had to put that one aside for the moment. As I stated in my first thoughts on Don't Overthink It, the narrator of an audio book makes or breaks the book. The narrator of Don't Waste Your Life had a halting reading style that sounded like he'd just picked up the book and began reading it aloud. Because of this, I had a very difficult time following where the book was going. I will have to read a print or e-book version of this tome in order to get anything out of it.
The narrator of this book was an excellent antithesis to the first one.
And there was much rejoicing in the land. Yay.
Until I was introduced to Piper's work, I'd never heard of the pursuit of satisfaction in God referred to as "hedonism." In essence, the term hedonism refers to the pursuit of pleasure. Not to be (or to be) ugly, but pleasure, like happiness, has been so spiritualized and/or maligned by theologians that many Christians don't know whether being happy in God (or anything else) is good or bad. So, they employ the "when in doubt, don't" strategy. This makes for a confusing (and downright depressing) experience. My expectation is that Piper's book will give a biblically balanced explanation of true desire in and for God.
So, what's the first line of the book you're currently reading?
Something you've done recently that might be considered a labor of love?
I'm not even sure how I'm supposed to answer this. Is this one of those mom/wife guilt questions?
What's one thing you love about being the age you are now?
The best thing about being 50 is that I don't look or act my age.
What do you value more: careful planning or the freedom to be spontaneous? Elaborate.
It depends on the situation. Normally, I like careful planning. Part of the reasoning behind this line of thinking is that most of my friends have spouses and/or children to consider when making plans. Even if I can drop everything and go somewhere, my friends cannot. I also like to know what's going on, what to expect, and what's expected of me in these types of situations.
A home cooked meal or a fancy restaurant? pink or red? watch the
sunrise or watch the sunset? wine and cheese or champagne and
chocolate?
What is the context of the question? If you mean a home cooked meal made by someone other than me, absolutely. I don't think I'd know how to act at a fancy restaurant. The fanciest place I've ever eaten was Olive Garden. At one point, I dreamed of getting dressed to the nines and going to a fancy eatery. Now, the thought causes my stomach to lurch. I'd most likely not know what to order or how to eat it. Plus, no matter how careful I am, my clothes are always hungry. I'd most likely spill something on my fancy clothes. Then, there's the embarrassment to whomever would be my dining companion. No thank you; I don't like to be embarrassed over food.
Red or pink? I like both colors, but red is my favorite of the two.
Sunrise or sunset? Either one. I haven't yet found a suitable place to get a good view of the beautiful dawn and dusk skies.
I like both cheese and chocolate, but wine and champagne aren't on the radar.
What's your definition of romance? Are you a 'romantic'?
I ain't got a dog in the fight.
Insert your own random thought here.
I started to opt out of this week's hodgepodge because I knew the theme revolved around Valentines Day--like I said, I ain't got a dog in the fight. Occasionally these thing happen with blog prompts for various reasons. I think I have a solution for when this happens, but I'm not sure Miss Joyce will go for it. On the weeks when the questions don't apply, or don't spark joyful (or even sensible) answers, I'm thinking of going back to previous hodgepodges I missed and picking questions from those. Maybe I'll call it my "Scraps." It's just an idea. What do y'all think?
In case you missed it:
* My previous Hodgepodge post: "Slowing Down to Speed Up" is here. * My latest First Line Friday post "#6: Don't Waste Your Life" is here. * My latest Monday Mess Making post on my Auntie's Workshop blog "Don't Forget the Unicorns" is here.
Book: Don't Waste Your Life Author: John Piper Genre: Christian Living / Theology
〰First Line〰
───────────────────────────────────────────────── My father was an evangelist. In fact, he still is, even though he doesn't travel now. When I was a boy, there were rare occasions when my mother and sister and I traveled with him and heard him preach. I trembled to hear my father preach. In spite of the predictable opening humor, the whole thing struck me as absolutely blood-earnest. ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
John Piper writes, "I will tell you what a
tragedy is. I will show you how to waste your life. Consider this story
from the February 1998 Reader's Digest: A couple 'took early retirement
from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she
was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on
their 30-foot trawler, play softball and collect shells. . . .' Picture
them before Christ at the great day of judgment: 'Look, Lord. See my
shells.' That is a tragedy.
"God created us to live with a single
passion to joyfully display his supreme excellence in all the spheres
of life. The wasted life is the life without this passion. God calls us
to pray and think and dream and plan and work not to be made much of,
but to make much of him in every part of our lives."
Most people
slip by in life without a passion for God, spending their lives on
trivial diversions, living for comfort and pleasure, and perhaps trying
to avoid sin. This book will warn you not to get caught up in a life
that counts for nothing. It will challenge you to live and die boasting
in the cross of Christ and making the glory of God your singular
passion. If you believe that to live is Christ and to die is gain, read
this book, learn to live for Christ, and don't waste your life!
〰First Thoughts〰
Though this author is a prolific author and bigwig in the Christian community, I've only read one of his books. I was scanning through Hoopla Digital looking for something else when I ran across this volume. What struck me was the title. It's no secret that at 50 years old, I'm a very late bloomer and am just starting to get a mere taste of the life I could have had sooner had I known how to get there. Like Tony Evans' book It's Not Too Late, I hope that Piper's book will show me more of how to not so much make up for lost time, but add immense value to the time I have now. As I said here, I do not want to spend my remaining years living a life of no significance. Life is truly a gift that I don't want to waste.
So, what's the first line of the book you're currently reading?
January has been a hard month for me. After such a fun Christmas season with all the festivities and creativity, the first month of the year seems like a very long letdown. I'm still trying to pull my brain out of Christmas craft mode.
I just realized yesterday (Tuesday) that sundown is now around 5:30 p.m. and the days are gradually getting longer. As I do each winter, I'm employing my SAD Strategies to try to keep my mood out of the dumps. So far, I've only had one really bad day. Too many snowy, cold, dreary days mixed with an episode of someone else's ridiculousness that made me mad enough to punch somebody made for a lousy weekend. Well, on to February.
Lake Superior State University posts a list each year of words they think should be banished from the Queen's English for misuse, overuse, and/or general uselessness. The 2023 list includes GOAT,
inflection point, quiet quitting, gaslighting, moving forward, amazing,
Does that make sense?, irregardless, absolutely, and it is what it is.
Which
of these words/phrases do you use regularly? Which of these words would
you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a
word/phrase not on the list you'd like to add?
Sorry Miss Joyce, but I hate this question. Every time it comes up, my answer is generally the same: Who made Lake Superior University the dictionary's daddy? In all honesty, these phrases, though overused, are better than the Oxford Dictionary's "word" of the year.
February 2nd is Groundhog Day. What's something that feels repeated in your life right now?
Denver's weather at the moment.
What's a food you love that's named after a place?
Spanish rice? No, that's technically not named after a place. Texas toast? Well, it's named after a place, but I don't LOVE it. Sonic ruined it for me.
Ok. Mississippi Pot Roast. One of my coworkers makes this for our annual team Christmas party. It's not hard to make and is scrumptious. I don't know why I haven't made it myself.
What's the best season of the year to visit your city or your part of the country? Tell us why.
Summer, unless you're a glutton for punishment. The warmer months of the year in the Denver metro area are the best. People are out walking, having picnics, taking their kids to the playground and the park; kids out riding bikes, churches having Vacation Bible School, the community having outside events--it's MY most wonderful time of the year. Though I plan to teach this summer, I hope to still take part in as much outside activity as I can.
Insert your own random thought here.
Along with the Hodgepodge and the occasional Five Minute Friday post, I've added a couple of new series to my blogs:
In case you missed it:
* My latest First Line Friday post "#5: Don't Overthink It" is here. * My latest Monday Mess Making post on my Auntie's Workshop blog "Don't Forget the Unicorns" is here. * This year's reading challenge is called "Treat Yo' Shelf." The introductory post is here.
On a sad note. Another one of my siblings has passed away. As you will remember, my oldest brother, Melvin, left us in 2015. My sister, Laura Barlow, died Monday.
