What Good Is One Glove Without The Other?

Hudson proposed, and I said yes! For your viewing pleasure I have uploaded a picture of our rings made from Birch and Tropical Walnut from Africa. Wonderfully simple and warm.

Also, a video of how he proposed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj-1HVg8mjU

I like this new feeling of security in our relationship...it is just right. I'm glad God asks us to join in a covenant that is reflective of his covenant with us. I am excited to learn more about God's love through our married life.

I am still daily going through this little process of shock: Am I really engaged? Yes, I'm Engaged. AH! ENGAGED! I wonder if I'll ever get used to it.

I Remember You...

This morning it was dark and rainy, and after driving with Neutral Milk Hotel playing through my speakers, I got to work feeling like I had had a good conversation with an old friend. I long for familiarity in my life. Familiar things like the sherbet orange gecko who, without fail, greets me by the front door when I come home at night. Or Sunday morning coupon-cutting dates with Hudson at the nearest waffle-house. Consistency keeps us sane in an ever-morphing world. Just think about how much people still talk about weather. The seasons are the same, and they always come, but if the weather falls out of it's typical rhythm, we are quick to complain - we have certain expectations, you know.

The reason I bring this up is because I hope you can find peace in those little consistencies. That gecko at my door really does make me smile every night - what simple things bring you back to reality? I think we were designed this way - to find great joy and comfort in something we've seen or felt before. It creates a pattern in our otherwise chaotic lives - little anchor points that remind us another day has been completed.

You Are A Soul

Creation of Light, John Martin

"You don't have a soul, You are a soul, you have a body." - C.S. Lewis. This was a quote posted on my boyfriend's status recently. I really like it. Really, our bodies just give us something to look at while we're interacting. True relationships are built soul to soul. I sometimes wonder why God even created bodies for us, he could've just breathed a bunch of spirits to walk upon the earth. And this may sound weird, but recently I have been picturing people without bodies when I talk to them. Yes, that is what my reflection of this quote has come to. But, it helps me see everyone differently and keeps me focused the inner soul and not what I'm looking at. I picture a really abstract wisps of light and color - actually more like contour lines that are flaming, ah! which I won't go into (cause I only think Haley would be interested in my visual interpretations) - but it reminds me that I have come in contact with something other than just another one of those bodies walking over this earth that isn't me. I'm talking with something that isn't confined to form or mass, but fully spiritual that is going to keep burning past its body's death. Think what you may about my methods, but I just thank God I can imagine things that cannot be seen with my eyes.

And really, I think God created us with minds that can imagine supernatural images, because they do exist. God has just created things that we can't see, but our souls often feel them, and sometimes our minds can see them. I mean, if I was created in the image of God, I was also made to think in ways that are beyond the materials of this world. As an artist, I know that God has given me more than paint and charcoal to create, cause he used more than just the physical when he created us. Just like I have paints and those paints are various colors that I mix to make an art piece, God uses some un-named medium with its various categories (colors) that he mixes to make a personality, a character, a passion. I can't wait to learn the names of things that I can't see, or that I have no knowledge of. Really...God is working with mediums that we can't even name! Love it.

Hope I didn't lose you at the end there...I wish there was someone on the carpet next to me who could just bask in this mystery with me right now. Those are my favorite kind of conversations.

"I watch it so I can start conversations"

I was watching The Book of Eli, an apocalyptic movie that just hit my Netflix new release list. It was hard to watch, and in fact I only made it past the first few scenes. After the first woman was raped, I couldn't imagine watching two full hours of similar occurrences. I started asking, "What was the purpose of this movie again?" If I was placed in the time of Judges, I'm sure reality would have been similar to this movie, and I bet critics will try to align The Book of Eli with the same purpose of the Old Testament. However, I think you would have to be very creative to convince me they were parallel. The Old Testament is a collection of many accounts of man's journey through disobedience, judgment, and redemption. Does the Book Of Eli have that same purpose? I think it would be a stretch, because The Book Of Eli only cycles through man's disobedience, one painful scene after the other. I'm guessing this film on it's own could not support a redemptive conclusion.

When you watch a film that's purpose is to show you reality with no limits (by "no limits" I mean uncensored language, scenes, content) - like The Book Of Eli, Crash, or Requiem for a Dream, we continue watching because we're astonished that the people can act so cruelly or fall so hard. We're so shocked that there is some reality to it. We just can't believe someone would make a movie about this! So we keep watching. These movies make our stomachs knot, our hearts ache, and sometimes we're caught thinking like the criminals. And I think we sometimes explain to ourselves - well if I watch these actors having sex, killing people, snorting drugs, hitting their kids, then I can appreciate how much better my situation is - or it will make me never try those sins -or I can reach people with this good conversation starter - or it will help me understand the struggles of this generation. Well, I would beg to say the the gravity of entertaining our minds with these kind of scenes is much more destructive than your conversations afterward will be redemptive. You don't have to sink yourself deeper in the mud to appreciate God's cleansing. I think we too often justify our harsh words, our filthy movies, and are dirty music with the claim of it being "honest." We proudly defend this entertainment claiming it's true to reality - and that anyone willing to admit that reality sucks has guts. But I think we tend to dwell on the wrong reality. There is a reality that says our world is fallen and imperfect, but we are called to live in the reality to come, God's reality.

Here is a sampling of my most recent photos from my photo blog. I share the blog with my best friend and artist, Haley Manning. Check it out sometime!


Ducks
By Robin Holtom



Baby Ducks
By Robin Holtom




Perched
By Robin Holtom


Turtles Attacking Tortillas
By Robin Holtom

A Beautiful Dance

You should watch this video. It made me cry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SdYuTSbDFg

A Big Adjustment

Aside from discovering that I am lactose intolerant, I have also discovered I have an intolerance for products with gluten in them (wheat, barley, rye). My symptoms where becoming more aggressive, so I've just started cutting bread-products out. What's funny is that one of my friends mentioned that we often crave what we're allergic to - and I can definitely say that I almost always craved pasta and bread. But who knows the validity of that?

Hudson has been such a champ putting up with my lamenting the past few weeks - cake balls, french bread, chocolate chip cookies, muffins, pastries - no more for me. He's started trying gluten free products with me...and I even managed to find some good (but expensive) all-purpose flour that has no gluten. I celebrated by making my first gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies. They tasted normal too! I've heard that some people cut out gluten just because it's supposedly healthier - but I don't know why they'd go to all the hassle. It's not easy changing your diet in such a dramatic way. But at least I can eat rice.

Saturday evening Hudson took me out to a delicious restaurant called Ruggles Green. When possible, they use organic products, and we came to discover that almost all of their meals where gluten-free! We enjoyed a delicious chicken pizza. The waiters were very conversational, and our meal together only cost about $16 - and that included drinks! If you're in Houston, make the trip, it's worth it.

I'm suprised I didn't crash.

The storm was silent and brilliant. Driving down Beamer from Frankie Carter Randolph Park, I was fronted with a dazzling lightning show. I think what makes Texas sunsets and skies so beautiful is that the land is so flat, you can see more of the expanse above. And I can assure you, this storm would not have been the same any where else but Houston, TX. I was in the right place at the right time. My first thought was that I felt like I was thrown into Disney's Fantasia (which forever has been a secret fantasy for me). I turned my radio station to the classical music station, which enhanced my Disney dream into perfection, and prayed that my drive down Beamer would never end. The storm didn't make any noise, but the lightning still quivered and rumbled before shooting a silvery streak into the somber sky. It was an exciting display of God's terrifying beauty. I wish you could have been there. I recorded a short video clip on my cell phone, but I'm afraid it does so little justice to the actual event, that I'd rather just leave you to your imagination.

What a great night.

The Falsity of Photography

Today I was browsing through some photos on Facebook. Smiles, sunsets, new places, old places, familiar places. My heart started aching to experience the same feelings and emotions those friendly photos seemed to capture. I caught myself comparing my life now to how glorious it seemed to be in previous years.

But then I remembered what happened right before that perfect photo, and what happened in between the albums of June and August. I just didn't have a photo for it. Thank goodness those photos did not have sound clips, because I remember less than godly conversations going on while I pressed the capture button. Well, some of those photos were honestly "golden moments," but in reality, it was the one "golden moment" of the day, or week, or month. All those other moments just weren't accounted for.

It's interesting how we can choose to edit our lives through our pictures. It's as if we choose to water down or completely wash out those mundane days or dry spells in our life. It is like we choose to paint those ugly moments with light pastels, but dip our brush in permanent black ink to paint the glorious moments. I think we all might have a hidden motive behind our profile pictures. We'd like to be remembered a certain way, and we'd like others to think we have our life perfectly wrapped and tied with a ribbon.

I am ashamed to think I carry a perfect facade with a rotten heart underneath. I hope that when people encounter my story, it will not be reflective of my perfect Facebook albums. I pray that they will understand my humanity which is never captured in my photos.

It is good to know that one day I will be living a spotless life. That my record will be wiped clean, and Jesus will show others my photo albums and it won't be a falsity. That will be the best day.

Knitta Please

My first sighting of Knitta Please was here in Houston! Knitta Please is a bunch of knitters who create costume-sized sleeves of fabric and stitch them on objects, handles, sculptures, etc in public areas. Bringing art to the city?

Their blog: http://www.knittaporfavor.wordpress.com/

God is walking with me through a time of grieving my sin. I wanted to share with you my story in poetic form.

I, Your Vessel Of Destruction

I, your vessel of destruction,
Was hardened for your purpose.
You bottled me for your pouring
And withheld the burning coal from my lips.

I, your wolf in sheeps clothing,
Decieved my brother, and devoured your flock.
My seed was sown in the mud
And dried up in the heat of confidence.

I, your self-righteous child
Was shaded with the qiqayon*
And covered with your mercy.
You brought death to the green, my rotting soul.

I handed you the gavel.


*qiqayon - the hebrew word used for the plant that shaded jonah

The Morphing of Fears

Illustration by Matt Mahurin

Fear is a paralyzing state of mind. As a child, I might have been scared of clowns, or heights, or of a tree branch scratching my window. A clown, once a character that stood for foolishness and laughter, has now become a horror movie maniac with a long nails and fangs. Who isn't scared of the movie It? Heights are a very rational thing to be scared of, that possible slip that leads to death or injury. And a tree branch hitting your window at night, that can be extremely startling when you're entering that cozy state of rest. Now, I am not really scared of those things anymore, because I have learned what their "true faces" are. That movie was simply a film writer with a wild imagination, heights are only scary when you are stupid enough to step beyond the railing or unhook yourself from the safety rope, and that startling noise on my window was just the cause and effect of wind. I came to realize that those were irrational fears. Things that could be easily explained with a little education. Then how is it that as adults we can still be tricked, spooked, or terrified? We're more knowledgeable now...so why aren't we fearless?

For me fear has simply morphed from irrational fear to rational fear. Rational fear is something that would make sense to be scared of, something that isn't masked, but just simply is. Rational fears of mine are that of evil, emotional pain, and the unknown/future. I fear the paranormal and breaking down into tears. I can especially work myself into a paralyzing state of fear by cycling through every negative "what if" scenario my mind can project into the future. These are all subjects that cannot be so easily predicted and I cannot always wrap my mind around them. It is rational to be afraid of something that cannot be explained with logic or by simply turning the light on.

But here is the best news ever. I have discovered that what God has to offer us conquers both my rational and irrational fears. When I sit back and remind myself of how enormous God's strength, power, and understanding really are, I can rest and almost chuckle at my fear. Because even if I cannot rationally explain something, it does not mean I have to be afraid, because God has already dissected the situation. There are limits to my logic and reasoning, but God's reasoning and love for me are flawless. It would be terrifying to know that there are things beyond my reasoning and beyond this world if we did not have somebody on our side who understood those mysteries. But we DO have somebody who can worry and think for us when we don't know the next steps.

Fear of anything besides a reverent fear of God is simply a lie. I feel like those who read my blog needed to hear my thoughts on this topic. So please don't stop here. Please read this passage. It's Psalm 91, my go-to when I feel like I am losing my mind with fear.

My Refuge and My Fortress

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge —
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

Customize Your Moleskine

I have started covering my moleskines with frabric. I cut up an old skirt and found some fabric in a second hand shop in the form of napkins. You should try it! I hot-glued one, and used tacky glue for the other. I'm sure anything will work. I like my moleskines so much better now.

From Loneliness To Marriage

There is nothing more painful than loneliness. Even with a good network of friends, I can still experience it. I bring this up, because recently I have discovered that loneliness is not just triggered by the absence of something or someone, but is more importantly prolonged by our own thoughts. Loneliness is a state of mind - for me it has been a fight against myself. The best way to explain it is that I am my worst enemy, my side-kick is Hudson (my boyfriend), and God is my lover. That is the only way I have been able to successfully rise above my negative thoughts. Why is Hudson not my lover if I am dating him? Because Christ is both our lovers. Let me explain.

First, Christ sees our loneliness. His eyes are ever open to our suffering. How does He respond, how does he take action? Well, God has exactly four roles: God is our king, father, friend, and lover. He knows that there is nothing more humanizing, more life-giving than friendship. He is first our Friend. God wants our friendship, for us to share our secrets and our lives with him. With God as our King, he is all authority, we understand that he controls the world as it is and defines what is right and wrong. I don't have to worry about guiding my whole life, I don't have to be in complete control, because God is my King. He also asks to be our Father, a guide, a provider, a care-taker. Do you see how he keeps moving closer? Now, he wants me to consider him family...a relation. The family is an anchor from which we outstretch into society. That's a significant role. He loves us more than that though, he asks to be our Lover. Our lover! A lover is a best friend, a life partner, the most intimate relationship that we as humans can relate to. It is hard at first to consider Christ as a lover. I almost felt like exploring that idea was taboo. But I think that is perhaps that I had the wrong idea of what love is between a husband and wife. Marriage, being united as one, is more than just sex, joint bank accounts, or a shared toothbrush holder. It is living in sync with someone so closely that the only way to describe these two people is to call them "one." It is loving someone past the fullest point. I was thrown off to discover that being God's bride isn't just a metaphor. It is literal. God's goal is to be so close to me, for us to love and enjoy each other so much, that we could be called "one." God is my lover and Hudson's lover.

Hudson wrote a song about this concept and I would like to share the lyrics with you today. This is from the first verse, and I think it visually captures God's roles perfectly:

"You're the friend in the time of need

You're the Father with a bouncing knee

You're the lover who lies next to me

You're the king upon a noble steed."

A Diet Update- This Is Completely Possible

We have found a sweet fix for a no-sugar diet: sugar-free pudding! Here we mixed chocolate and vanilla, and surprisingly it tastes no different than the regular stuff. Not to mention it was under our $2 fast.

We've also discovered that Jamba Juice has a small menu of smoothies sweetened with splenda. Hudson and I usually order a shot of wheat grass at Jamba Juice too to help us get our vegetable quota in. Apparently wheat grass is worth a couple days of your vegetables. Not the best tasting thing, but it's over fast, and Jamba Juice provides a slice of orange to get rid of the aftertaste.

Chick-fil-A is still an option for us if we pick the unbreaded chicken and switch to a whole wheat bun. I'm so glad I don't have to say goodbye to Chick-fil-A! It's nice to have an on-the-go option when we don't have time to prepare our meals.

Russell Stover is another new friend of ours, a brand that makes sugar-free chocolates. It made facing Valentine's and Easter candies a little easier. All in all this diet is not so hard. It's not really a "diet," as Hudson would say, because we're still eating normal portions of food, we're just taking out the sugar and a lot of processed things. Hudson has lost a lot of weight since we started this diet, and I'm just happy to have my energy back.

Besides just feeling better and having more energy, this diet has been a great way to make us more conscious of what we're eating. It's also been a great opportunity to be creative and to force us to experiment. I would suggest that everyone try this diet, or at the very least cut out the added sugar in your life. It's really more freeing than restricting.

I'll leave you with one of our favorite new recipes. It was a collaborative effort and fairly easy because it's only partially from scratch:

Whole Wheat Pancakes with Fried Bananas and Blueberry Syrup

1 Box Hodgson Mill Multi-grain Buttermilk Pancake Mix (with flax seed and soy)

1 carton of blueberries

2-3 Tbsp of Splenda

1-2 very ripe bananas

1-2 Tbsp of butter

Mix and cook the pancakes as directed on the box (feel free to add chopped pecans or blueberries to the mix).

To make blueberry syrup, bring water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan. Add fresh blueberries and reduce to a simmer, cooking for 5-10 minutes, or until softened. Boiling the blueberries will allow you to smash them easily. Drain the water from the pan and pour the blueberries into a bowl. Using the underside of a ladle, smash the blueberries until most of the juice has released. Add Splenda and mix well with a fork. Set syrup aside.

Set your stove top to medium heat and use a skillet or small pan to melt the butter. Cut banana into small round slices about a 1/2" thick. Fry the bananas in the melted butter until the outsides show signs of slit browning. Top your pancakes with the bananas and fresh syrup and enjoy!

$2 Fast

"More than 660 million people without sanitation live on less than $2 dollars a day, with one in three living on less than $1 a day." - globalissues.org

Hudson and I are joining our church on a $2 fast. We are only allowed two dollars a day to feed ourselves for the next week. This is going to be a huge adjustment to our lives. We'll have to be smarter with our money - it involves planning. One strategy was suggested: that the church gathers one night for a community meal, with each person contributing their two dollars. The goal of this fast is to slow down enough to see and understand the issue of poverty and how the rest of the world lives. It's going to be a bit difficult with our current diet of no sugar and only whole grains (because processed things we can't have usually run cheaper), but we're up to the challenge. I'll let you know how it goes!

Isaiah 58:6-7
"...the fast I choose:
To break the chains of wickedness,
to untie the ropes of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free,
and to tear off every yoke...

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
to bring the poor and homeless into your house,
to clothe the naked when you see him,
and to not ignore your own flesh and blood?"

Sambuca

Hudson and I went on a date at Sambuca in Houston, which is fancy restaurant with live music! They were featuring a band called Fried Ice-cream with a splendid vocalist. This was quiet an experience. Picture a round booth, just for two, encompassed with red-velvet lined walls that reach the ceiling. There was soft lighting from our personal chandelier, a single flickering candle on a small, wooden round table. Beautiful and very romantic.

Hudson tried the Blackened Red Snapper Etouffee with shrimp and crab over a bed of spinach and dirty rice. I tried the Crab-Stuffed Salmon with lobster veloute, served over asparagus. It was ridiculously delicious.

This might throw you for a loop though - for an appetizer, we ordered the Escargot En Croute. Yup, escargot. I was happily chowing through the dish until I realized that in my mind, I had confused escargot (snails) with caviar (fish eggs), which explained why I didn't taste any fishiness. But, I will admit I had no problem eating three snails before I was aware of this fact. It was prepared with lemon and garlic butter, wrapped in spinach and smoked gouda, and finally topped with these yummy puff pastries. While I was trying to figure out why what i thought were fish eggs looked oddly like a mushroom, it finally all clicked that I was eating snail. After poking my food so much, I don't think I could mentally conquer a second helping. So I guess I liked it cause I managed it each

three...though I wouldn't be able to eat it again.

It was certainly a night I will never forget.

A Pleasant Surprise

So this mold is kind of pretty. I love photographers like this man, Martin Scott-Jupp, who explore designs in unexpected places. Here are some of my favorites that he's done.








see more:
http://www.photographyserved.com/Gallery/colony/335921

The Screwtape Letters On Stage

For all my friends in Texas and New York: The Screwtape Letters reaches the stage! Student tickets are $20, and group discounts are available. CALL AHEAD FOR TICKETS. The shows have sold out quickly, and I missed the one in Houston, but thankfully they have a few shows in Austin too. See the website: http://www.fpatheatre.com/screwtape

AUSTIN, TEXAS

Location: Paramount Theatre 713 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701

Dates: Sat, Feb 6, 4PM & 8PM

NEW YORK, NY

LOCATION: Westside Theatre, Upstairs, 407 West 43rd St. (at 9th Ave), New York City

DATES & TIMES: April 15 - July 4. Mon. & Tue. 7PM, Wed. 2PM, Fri. 8PM, Sat. 4PM & 8PM, Sun. at 3PM.

Saying Goodbye

Last night, Hudson and I shed a brief tear as we said goodbye to one of our favorite sodas, Vernor's Ginger Ale. We're giving up all soda and anything with heavy amounts of sugar (desserts, juices, etc) for a trial of one month. We believe that Christ calls us to take care of our bodies so that we can provide our best service to others. We hope that by omitting these food items, along with adding some more exercise, we'll be one step closer to a healthier body, which in turn affects our mind and soul. So I am officially marking our first day in this blog.

Bethany's Recipe

Today I took a stab at Bethany's recipe for Cheesy Garlic Chicken 'n Spinach Twist! I must say, it was extremely successful and probably the best thing I have ever baked. I didn't really get the twisting method right, but it was still very tasty. I altered it a bit, using turkey bacon instead of bacon, half goat cheese instead of all cheddar, no onions, and substituting the dressing with garlic parmesan alfredo sauce. Hudson and Tara seemed to like it well enough, and I will certainly be feasting on it during lunch tomorrow.

Here is her recipe! You should try it. It's impossible to fail.

Cheesy Garlic Chicken ‘n Spinach Twist (I made that title up myself)

prep time: 25 minutes start to finish: 45 minutes

1 box frozen spinach

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic (or less if you are a pansy)

3 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled

1/3 cup chicken, finely chopped & cooked

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup Garlic Parmesan salad dressing

2 cans Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)

1. Heat oven to 375. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. cook spinach in microwave as directed on box. Drain spinach, cool 5 minutes. Carefully squeeze with paper towel to drain well.

2. In skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until crisp-tender. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, bacon, chicken, cheese, and dressing.

3. Unroll dough on cookie sheet and pinch seams to seal. Following this method, spread mixture on rolls and add almonds on the top, seal, and twist. Brush with egg.

4. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve warm.

A New Houstonian

FIRSTS:

I had my first Kolachi, my first Whataburger, and my first Shrimp Poboy. I also had my first Bubble Tea, which isn't necessarily a Houston thing, but it happened here.

PHRASES LEARNED:

"Get'er done."
"Red on yellow, kill a fellow. Red on black, venom lack."

EXPERIENCES:

Houston has beautiful skies. You can see them best when you're driving on the elevated highways. Then it is just road and sky in your vision. I have a liking for large open spaces, they always calm me and give rest to my eyes and soul.

It's fun to see palm trees again. Houston reminds me a bit of California with the huge highways, large Mexican communities, and neighborhoods with one-story houses. I'm slowly becoming a more confident driver amongst these aggressive locals, and I'm sure I'll eventually understand the rhythm (or lack of rhythm) of Houston driving.

I work off of Nasa Parkway right by the Space Center. All the streets around here have space-like names: Nasa Road 1, Space Park Dr., Saturn Lane. Hopefully Hudson and I can take a trip to the Space Center soon. I hear it's pretty fantastic. A couple of people from my church work the Nasa shuttles, and I've heard we have a few astronauts in our congregation, but I have yet to meet one.

I've also never seen so many state flags flying before. Texas is mighty proud. I don't even know what the NC state flag looks like, but I can certainly spot Texas now.

Houston has been fun!

A First-Hand Witness

Today's Breakpoint commentary is celebrating the story of Abby Johnson. In fact many Christian organizations, including Focus on the Family are excited to share her story. Abby Johnson worked for Planned Parenthood as a director for nine years, and after a first-hand experience of assisting an abortion in the clinic, she has turned pro-life and quit her job.

This story is fascinating. Not only did Johnson feel convicted of her experience, she found that Planned Parenthood had financial priorities that seemed to put abortions above family planning and pregnancy preventions. There seems to be a money-agenda that overrides what should be priority, caring for expectant-mothers and their families as a whole.

About a week ago, Planned Parenthood opened one of the largest abortion clinics in America. Where? Here in Houston. The pro-life/pro-choice debate has always been a hot topic, and it will be interesting to see the debate continue so close to my new home. Churches in the area have already marked where they stand and have brought their concerns to their congregations.

Abby Johnson may not be bringing up a new debate, but she certainly brings a renewed strength to pro-lifers. With such a public decision, I hope that America will listen to the evidence Johnson brings forth.

"Lord, break my heart for the things that break your heart." - A Graham

Chuck Colson and Mark Early's commentary: Read

Abby Johnson shares her story in a two day broadcast that aired last week: Listen

The Minnow and The Trout

I like to lull my stress away with Alison Adul's intrancing voice. Her music is vibrant and reminds me of when I could waste time in the woods of Pennsylvania as a kid. It is hard not to think of nature when listening to A Fine Frenzy, because not only do her lyrics speak of the mysteries and beauty of nature, but her voice is backed by a composition of bubbling piano notes that play lightly to the heart, like a soft brook.

As the music eased my tension, I started to listen to the lyrics of her song "The Minnow And The Trout." Now, I was well aware that Alison comes from a evolutionist's viewpoint, as can be seen in her album title "one cell in the sea," but I was further intrigued by her pleads for nature to get along.

The story of the minnow and the trout begins: "Help me out said the minnow to the trout/I've lost and found myself swimming in your mouth." Here, the minnow is clearly in a food chain situation. Alison then draws picture of a interactions that are "not your everyday circumstance": Humming birds having a coffee date with the ants, elephants sharing food with the rats, and a dove helping a baby eaglet. It's a very idealistic view of the world.

That's when i was reminded of Pastor Loren Jone's sermon a few weeks ago at Ecclesia:
For love and fairness to even make sense in this world, it must be based on a loving God. If we look at nature there is no way we can come up with the idea that God is loving and personal. Nature does not reflect benevolence; when we look at nature, we see violence, death, and randomness. And if we look at other world religions, we cannot see a God of love either.

God has revealed himself through time, and this is how love can make sense in our fallen world:

Creation --> Fall --> Redemption

Only with that framework does a loving God make sense. It's kind of like irreducible complexity - all three pieces must exist to understand Him, nature, and our lives.

So, my dear Fine Frenzy, I applaud your pleas for perfection - for, may I dare say, redemption. But the mutations from one cell in the sea will never explain the complexity of earth, or where your desires come from. But, at least Alison feels the tension that God has planted in all of us - the discontent with this world - that something should be different.

Listen to "The Minnow and The Trout"