Last Day of Summer

You know I have no clue how many people actually read this? I am not looking for a count - it just occurs to me that I could be just throwing my ideas into to cyber space for NO ONE to read...

Anyway. :) Today is my last day of summer and to be honest it didn't dawn on my until my niece said something about it today. Tomorrow we have a teacher work day and then the students show up for 180's of higher learning. So how did I spend my last day of freedom? I drank coffee and chatted with an amazing friend as well as biked Greenlake and chomped on some Dick's Drive In food with my amazing niece.

I think chatting is a lost art in our crazy world. Taking time to sit, connect and really talk to those who matter most is harder and harder to do with our crazy schedules. I loved the time I spent today sipping my skinny vanilla latte and catching up with my friend Krista. It is clear to me, that I need to do that more; spend time connecting with people. I think I some times mistake my constant status updates on Facebook as connection with my friends. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Facebook and it actually allowed me to connect with one of my former teachers and spend an afternoon sitting in her beautiful home chatting. It is a valuable tool- but it in and of itself is not connection. I can honestly say I value time just talking over coffee or wine more than anything else and it is the thing I always push to the back burner.

When we look at the model Jesus gave us, we see a man who invested in people, who talked to people. Granted he lived in age before the internet and the modern distraction that draw us all (soccer practice, meetings, TV shows we can't miss etc ;) ), but I would think that if the Savior of the world had time to break bread and talk with people, we do as well. More importantly, I do.

So as I wrap up my last day of summer I look forward to a fall spent connecting with people over Pumpkin Spice lattes (they go on sale tomorrow FYI!) Check your calendar and call me- I'll buy! :)

The Power of Our Minds

As a kid I always wanted to be a superhero! It could have been all the comic books I was reading (thanks Shawn and Jon!)- but I always day dreamed of having some extraordinary power that would help me fight crime.  As I have a bit of a fear of heights, fly was out, and I certainly didn't want any power that would change my appearance (by the age of 13 I was 5'10"- so being more odd didn't really appeal to me). I always wanted a power that would allow me to use my mind to move things (commonly called telekinesis - think Jean Grey from the X-Men... I am a nerd). I love the idea of being able to use my thoughts to impact the environment. Imagine being able to fold laundry without moving from the couch- getting coffee while still in bed- okay those aren't crime fighting related deeds but you get the point. 

As I grew older, I came to realize my powers would never surface (much to my great sadness!) In college I majored in psychology and learned that our brains are truly very powerful. To this day I am intrigued by the power our minds have over us.  More often than not we fail to realize how strong our minds can be. The only thing we have control of in this world is how we react to the events around us. We get to choose  what we think about, what we focus on, how we see events and that is great power. 

Jesus reminds us of this power in John 14:1 when he says "Let not your hearts be troubled..."

He clearly understood that we have the choice on how deal with the world around us. In context he is trying to encourage his disciples as he prepares for death.  He is trying to give them perspective, to help them see past the sorrow they will soon face. But the key to this verse seems to be "Let not"- choose not to let you heart be trouble. Jesus is reminding us that we get to make the choice about how we see situations. We are not creatures who are forced to think, believe, or feel a certain way.  And even beyond that he encourages us to see past the situation, to see it in a broader context- in God's context. This seems so simple, but we all know that sometimes life simply sucks and as a result we hurt. We must remember that we have a choice, we control our minds and not the other way around. We must work to see hurts and joys in God's context. 

I might not be able to hurl cars at bad guys, but I certainly can make a choice about how I deal with the struggles of life- and that is a different kind of superhero! 

I know it is just a game but...

My fierce pitbull mix

So I have to comment this morning on the Eagles signing Michael Vick.  I certainly have a bias related to this issue since my dog is part pitbull and I have a heart for this breed.  But my issue is this- dog fighting is not only illegal- but immoral. 

Pitbulls have gotten a bad name because of people like Vick. If you've not had the chance to be around Leia (my Am Staff mix- Am Staff being a type of pitbull) or some other loving pitbull than you don't know how sweet these dogs really are.

Leia LOVES Kaitlyn!

There are three reasons pitbulls make good fighting dogs:

1- The are very strong- there is no denying that they are a powerful breed!! My big moose of a dog is very strong!

2- They  can be dog aggressive- and yes my beloved Leia has some negative feelings toward other dogs and we are working on it.

3- They are fiercely loyal- this is the key, a lot of breeds are aggressive and strong, but the pitbull breeds in particular love people. I know the media would have you believe something else.  But ask any good pitbull owner- they will all say the same thing- they never owned a more loyal and loving dog!

So what is my point? I understand that Vick has paid his debt to society, and that football is his 'job' and he should be able to get back to it. But I simply wish that they Eagles cared more about the character of it's players then the money and publicity they can get from signing him.  This wasn't a one time event, this wasn't a simply mistake, this man made a choice to run a ring in which dogs where killed, raped and tortured.  To me this reveals his character- this is a man who was making millions of dollars playing football- it is not like the did this because he needed the money. So this is a athlete who not only feels they are above the law, but find enjoyment in the suffering of animals. Yeah that's the guy you want to run your offense!!

If you're interested in learning more about Vick's dogs check out:

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/dogtown/3684/Overview?#tab-Overview

I am just sad that it is easy for people to say "He served his time, now let him score touchdowns and move on!" I wish that people could see his crime was not an accident, it was a choice and reveals a dangerous character flaw and that to me is the biggest issue.

Playing with Ellie when she was 1...such a scary dog!