PIc

Baby?

I suppose I have a lot to catch up on here... I always feel like I write whatever fluffy stuff comes to mind and nothing really as serious as I'd like because a fear that someone I know from the day-to-day will read this. Anonymity in the whole grand scheme of the online world is somehow preferable. Strange. Oh, what difference does it make? I just ate catsup from the bottle.

So, I'm trying to include this way-cute picture of my nephew Jeremiah, but I'm, frankly, being thwarted.

Hmm... potential topics of discussion:

-Something delightfully biological
-Books I've read or plan to read
-What's up with Barack Obama
-Breakdancing
-God stuff

Egad, my hands are freezing, South Park is a rerun, and I have just gotta finish tomorrow nite's Bible study on the assurance of salvation, spiritual failure, and eternal life. I haven't brought the Good Word to adults since I was in missionary land. Now THAT was high pressure, folks. So, I just pretty much shaved my head back then to deal. No can do here, eh?

Seriously, this is all just filler until I have a truly enlightened moment that coincides with my presence in front of l'ordinateur.

Peace out, yo.

Howdy

Wowzers, it's been approximately 8.5 billion years since I've posted anything.

Hmm... doesn't look like anyone's noticed. For shame.

I gotta go work on a Bible study lesson.

Like I says, rock on.

The Little Man

Aww, look at the little guy. Jeremiah Isaiah Layne was one large and in-charge baby, weighing 9 lbs, 5.5 oz. At 21 inches, that's a good-sized baby, though my older bro Kevin certainly trumped that at 10-odd pounds, and 22 inches. We Layne babies are, apparently, huge, even the twins. We all tend to stay in the oven a little longer than normal, and Jeremiah was no exception. See? It's okay that we're always late to everything, since it's written in our DNA, no? Oh, and I am already the best aunt in the world. I'm not exactly sure how, at this point, but I think it has something to do with actually being related to such an achievement. I mean, check out that chin! Let's all hope that he gets the Layne eyes, and Tina's sweet as honey personality and sense of adventure. Woohoo!

Words of Wisdom for this July 2nd.

The Conditions of Discipleship

by Oswald Chambers

"Great crowds were following Jesus. He turned around and said to
them, 'If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father
and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, more than your own
life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And you cannot be my
disciple if you do not carry your own cross and follow me....

'So no one can become my disciple without giving up everything for
me.'" Luke 14:26-27, 33

If the closest relationships of a disciple’s life conflict with the claims
of Jesus Christ, then our Lord requires instant obedience to Himself.
Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person— our Lord Jesus
Christ. There is a vast difference between devotion to a person and devotion to
principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause— He proclaimed
personal devotion to Himself. To be a disciple is to be a devoted bondservant
motivated by love for the Lord Jesus. Many of us who call ourselves Christians
are not truly devoted to Jesus Christ. No one on earth has this passionate love
for the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Spirit has given it to him. We may admire,
respect, and revere Him, but we cannot love Him on our own. The only One who
truly loves the Lord Jesus is the Holy Spirit, and it is He who has "poured out
in our hearts" the very "love of God" (Romans 5:5 ). Whenever the Holy Spirit sees an opportunity to glorify Jesus through you, He will take your entire being and set you ablaze with glowing devotion to Jesus Christ.

The Christian life is a life characterized by true and spontaneous
creativity. Consequently, a disciple is subject to the same charge that was
leveled against Jesus Christ, namely, the charge of inconsistency. But Jesus
Christ was always consistent in His relationship to God, and a Christian must be
consistent in his relationship to the life of the Son of God in him, not
consistent to strict, unyielding doctrines. People pour themselves into their
own doctrines, and God has to blast them out of their preconceived ideas before
they can become devoted to Jesus Christ.

So, remember that your devotion is to be focused on Christ above any person--whether friend, relative, or leader-- or thing--idealology, possession, cause, job, etc. Always honor God first.

...With Liberty and Justice, for All.

http://www.familylife.com/fltoday/default.asp?id=8013


I caught most of an awesome message on our local Christian radio station while driving home from work tonite. I immediately perked up when I realized International Justice Mission's prez was the speaker for this 5-part series (available online by using the topmost link). During college, at an InterVarsity Christian Fellowship conference, I had the privilege to hear someone from that org speak about justice issues, e.g., orphans, forced prostitution, slavery, unfair imprisionment, and even genocide. IJM is a wonderful, Christ-centered agency that has done much to rectify some of the world's injustices. Wow. Hearing tonite's program reaffirmed the meaning of Oswald Chambers quote from my last post. Social activism has become quite interesting to me in the last few months, as it should be to Christ followers, if you've read anything of both the Old and New Testaments.

"Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight
for the rights of widows." Isiaiah 1:17 (NLT)

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require
of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah
6:8 (NIV)

A Much More Cool O.C.

"Never water down the word of God, preach it in its undiluted sterness; there must be unflinching loyalty to the word of God; but when you come to personal dealing with your fellow men, remember who you are--not a special being made up in heaven, but a sinner saved by grace." ~Oswald Chambers

Excerpt of the June 28 reading from My Utmost for His Highest

Bring it on.

www.sojo.net

Wow, a friend gave me the above link many moons ago, but for some reason I never took a look. Thanks, Bryan, and I'm sorry I keep forgetting the y.

I think it's vital that any peeps who express an opinion about the world's affairs do more than grumble about how things would be different if they were in charge. Remember the tenets of democracy, to which we pay homage every election and/or attempt to blow up something abroad? Well, since we have a government that is for the people, by (some of) the people, and of the people, let's all try actually (gasp!) doing something productive for our funny little, roughly spherical blue orb we like to call Earth.

So, how does one become involved?

Educate thyself! Read, listen, and discuss today's issues, both local and global.

Take a stance! Decide just what it is you believe and want to support, based on Truth. Remember-- truth is not, never has been, and never will be relative. I'm not talking he said/she said antics. Real Truth, by its very existence and definition, is unwavering. And, while it's okay to change your mind about an issue ("Why, I DO now believe that the seal pup cull in the Arctic regions is/isn't a good thing!"), please don't sacrifice or distort Truth (which could be the simple statement, "There are ongoing seal overpopulation concerns.")to please the masses. Don't be a milquetoast. There are, really, only differing opinions about Truth, not different forms of Truth. We cannot always see the whole of Truth in a given situation (e.g., exactly who it was who shot the 2 people tonite in the apartment down the lane from me), but that doesn't change the fact that this murderer did in fact commit a crime. In addition, we may not always like Truth ("What? I can't believe that Edgar Ray Killen, a part-time preacher down in Mississippi, actually helped to murder 3 civil rights workers in the 60s!"), but, there it is (guilty as charged!). Okay, enough of the Kerry brand of philosophical meanderings. C.S. Lewis writes a very simple, readable bit on this subject in one of the first few chapters of Mere Christianity.

Do something! Maybe go to a meeting, lecture, rally, whatever. Pick up trash with the Sierra Club. Volunteer at a battered women's shelter. Adopt a dog from the SPCA. Certainly donate to your causes, but remember that time also equals money, and organizations rely upon the efforts of volunteers to function, not just bling.

Tell others! Share what you're doing with friends and family, and heck, even that bicycle messenger in the elevator. Show people that you care and are striving to make a change. They'll be potentially challenged and see that they can also apply themselves to a cause they support. Don't forget that others are always watching, and will see what you do, where your priorities lie, even if you never mention them. No one has to be a Pat Robertson or a Bono to create an impact.

Stick with it for the long haul! It took years for California Condors and the American Bald Eagle to increase in numbers following conservation efforts, but increase they did. Even when things look desolate, miracles can happen. Take the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker as an example! Heck, Strom Thurmond actually admitted that his profoundly racist leanings were wrong. Who'd of thought that a member of rock group Korn (or Jane Fonda or Deion Sanders) would ever come to know Jeusus? A few years ago, Angola openly allowing the Gospel to be shared would have been as likely as rounding up all of that country's land mines. Apartheid was finally toppled in South Africa, a feat that took the perserverance of many to right a despicable policy of several hundred years... and how amazing that the nation's first truly open elections, held just 10 years ago, were peaceful. My point is that people and situations can change when enough good pressure, attention, publicity, hard work, prayer, lobbying, blood, sweat, and tears are given to struggles and issues in our world. Remember the adage that nothing worth doing in life is ever easy. And, as I like to say, it all builds character and/or grows hair on your chest.

Now you know, and knowing's half the battle.

Goodnite, must sleep before zoo trip and, as it's plain to see, I'm pretty wired right now. Tally-ho!

FYI

For those who are socially conscious, check these sites out:


National Hunger Awareness Day

ONE Campaign to kick world poverty

Global Green USA (affiliate of Green Cross International)

The NRDC's Guide to Greener Living gives tips on how to conserve water, energy, gas, etc.

Don't know where to get started? Check out Earth Share, which lists all sorts of progressive organizations trying to make a difference.

Keith and Tina 

The Englishes, Tina, and Keith 

Who Does #2 Work For?

I had one terrific week, I'm happy, nay, overjoyed to relate. My friend Rebecca rocks. 'Nuff said. Charlotte is not as awful as I thought; today alone, R and I drove (accidentally) all over North Charlotte, Uptown, Myers Park, Dilworth, Pineville, Matthews and whatever is in between. I am uber happy that I was able to make both the Animal Planet Expo outside the Discovery Place AND the South End Arts and Music block party thing. PLUS, we had a absolutely rockin' church service with a strong sermon that I certainly needed to hear-- more on that later. I have completely fallen in love with both Dilworth and Myers Park. Sigh. It all just makes me want to sink some roots into NC so badly. What to do?! I had good one-on-one conversations with several school administrators at yesterday's job fair, and a request for an interview this week! I don't know how typical that is, but it's made me get excited about the possibility of finally getting a lateral-entry position. Scary, though. Is it time for me to finally be stretched once more? I've grown complacent, I know. I'm trying to break free of my Girl in a Bubble mentality, though. Heck, I even mopped my tiny little kitchen floor, I'm so motivated. Ah, I do so very efficiently keep myself humble, however. Nothing like glancing at your resume while it's being read by a principal, and finding a glaring error. Sigh. Perhaps it will make me more memorable? I'll cling to the adage of bad publicity still being publicity. Ha.

In the beginning....

Hmmm... well, my first time of this blogdom stuff. Of course, I should be studying for this lovely Praxis II exam that is a scant 2.5 days away. But, I wouldn't be Kerry if I didn't procrastinate, no?

My Big Cogitation o' the Day? I feel like there should be one, since I'm going to all the trouble to do this. I'm watching Law and Order as I type, well, running back and forth between my living room and my bedroom. I'm rather tense about tonite's episode, since Jesse L. Martin's character, Green, gets popped by a perp's gat tonite. Dig my pole-ice lingo?

Sheesh, I've already made chocolate chip cookies, from scratch, tonite in an effort to not study Ye Olde Physicks or review the evil Kreb's Cycle.

Speaking of science, one of my new little potential hobbies is to study writings on evolution, creation, geology, and God. I found a whole banana bunch of websites dedicated to various views, and I'm eager to peruse them. It does nothing to affect my fundamental core beliefs and faith in God (i.e., I don't know exactly how God did it, how long it took, or how old the Earth really is; I simply trust that he was in charge.), but boy, does it still intrigue me. Another big new plan of mine is to become more active in environmental and social justice issues and areas of concern. I am sickened by the wussiness of the EPA and the disreputable peeps nominated for diplomatic and judicial positions in our government. And don't lemme get started on the evils of Monsanto. Happier idea: I need to get a hold of a tree to plant on Arbor Day, I suppose... but where would I put it in Charlotte of all places?

On a successful note, I got thru my li'l study of physics and astronomy tonite. Only have all the aspects of biology, earth science/meteorology, and chemistry to review. Urgh. Boy, do I have a new respect for the weatherpeeps on TV. Those squiggly lines across the weather map actually mean something!

Okay, that's a take. Over and out, yo.

Oh, a purty painting for the eyes. Exquisite to see 6 inches from my face in real life.

Braids by Andrew Wyeth