Coming Soon...

I have a massive post about free will coming. As in, I was getting ready to post it when I just kept adding and adding, and my muddly brain wouldn't stop to let me organize as I kept typing, so it turned into a huge out-of-order mess that's still wanting to get bigger....

Anyhow. I love the topic of (non-existent) free will - in fact, I even wrote a speech about it once, but I'm starting to even disagree with that... but back to topic - so it will be long. In fact, I'm thinking I'll just break it into a few parts. Just because. No one likes mammoth blog posts. :D

So you could read up. If you care. Examine your own position on free will and actually take time to think about why you hold it. Because I might just attempt to take down some of your arguments... ;D

Until then!

On Little Girls and Princesses

How strange it is to be a celebrity.

I'm not a very big celebrity, that's for sure, considering most of my fans are diminutive females under the age of eight.

Yes, this is me. This is what I've been doing lately - being Cinderella. After the musical, I'm swarmed by mothers with their little girls and cameras in hand. The girls walk up to me with huge eyes, not believing they're actually seeing Cinderella - who they've just watched sing and dance in REAL LIFE for the past two hours. When I bend down to give them a hug, some return it... but most just stand there in shock.

"Look over here, honey!" Their moms hold the phone up and I smile. My cheeks hurtafter the first 10 girls, but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. These girls look up to me. There mouths are open and eyes are disbelieving as they finally greet their heroine, a real princess.


Why?  Why is meeting Cinderella the highlight of their month? Why is being a princess their ideal existence?

Every little girl dreams of being a princess. (Well, mostly.) Why is that? Even as a "grown-up" I have a fascination with beautiful dresses. We go from being entranced by mini sparkly princess gowns to trying to hide our squeals as we drive by the sumptuous dresses displayed in the bridal store window. Why is that?

I wish I could remember why. All I can do is smile at these little girls wonder - and wonder myself what they're thinking. Marveling at their innocent sense of idealism. So soon they'll learn that it takes more than the wave of a wand to live in a castle. That Prince Charming will not be a perfect prince. That happily ever after is not attained by magic.

But they'll still never really let go of the little princess in themselves.

Picture credits:
My mom
Rack of dresses
Mirror

It's 70 degrees again

I was sitting at the dining room table. I looked outside. We have a smallish backyard, and here's what I saw.

A couple plastic chairs. Behind them, one of our sweet gum trees. Behind that the old fence. Behind that the neighbor's house. Behind that a big tree. Behind that a huge green mountain. Behind that the sky. Piercing blue sky.

And everything was brightened by the sunlight. It was so beautiful that I just stared at it. Why. Why was it beautiful? I don't understand! A very common problem with me is the lack of ability to explain things. But I'll try...

It was just the fact that the world was so ... 3-D. Everything was so real, and so bright, and so vivid, and so ... Earth. It was just Earth and Earth is so beautiful. I can't get over it. I couldn't stop looking at that mountain, tree, plastic chair, blue sky, because God made the earth so beautiful. How do I explain this? Are we not all blessed with this ability to enjoy what He made for us? I know I'm not the only one, but I also know I forget to look most days.

Really, people. Just take a second and look. It is so easy. I know this probably sounds really cliche, but I am so, so serious! It's too easy to pass by. It's too easy to let God fill you with wonder at ordinary things. They are everywhere - literally everywhere.

And then there was the little bush by the fence; it's sprouting buds now. Wow. I love spring! The sun was so warm on my back and arms that when I opened the door to come inside - to write about all this - I couldn't step inside. So I shut the door and just stood there. Basking in the sun and the light and God's magnificent goodness to me! Yes, to me. It's all a gift to me. That's not even possible to wrap my mind around.

I think I'm rambling, and I'm sorry, but I'm still not over Earth. And I pray I will never get over it. God is the one who gives me the ability to enjoy it after all. Hm. What a lovely thought.

I'm dead serious about this: you need to take a minute - or five or ten - and step outside. Don't dare tell me you don't have one minute. Just stand there, and whatever is there, however cold or hot or boring or beautiful... take it in. Soak it in. Soak in God's Earth. Stand there in silence and let your soul sing thanks to him. Go. Go!