I just counted that Jasmin has 3 1/2 weeks before she goes to Mexico with Young Life. She will be going to help change a family's life by building a house with the YL team there, but I have a feeling her life will be changed more. I know that Jesus can really use this week to touch lives and I am looking forward to what is in store for her. She/we are raising money for the trip and she, obviously, does not have the money. Why her parents won't pay is beyond me (maybe she didn't even ask them - who knows) but we are out to find people who are willing to donate. If you are willing, please let me know.
We went to San Diego this weekend and had a good time (her parents paid for the entire thing). That was my frist time on Express Jet and it was fabulous. And San Diego has a little commuter terminal so we didn't even have to fight the big crowds. Saturday we flew in and had dinner at Red Lobster. It was Jasmin's first time there and she was immediately hooked on the amazing garlic and cheese biscuits.:-) Yum! Sunday we went to Sea World (the polar bear was my favorite part) and that night went to the gaslamp district. We visited Old Town yesterday morning and flew home yesterday afternoon. The flight down was 45 mins and back was 54 mins. Amazing! Sure beats a 6 hour car drive!
I saw my niece yesterday evening and she said, "Ash" for the first time. She is so cute!!!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Dear Husband,
I don’t know your name, where you are, or what you are doing at this very moment…but I know that I love you. I know that I can’t wait to marry you and be your wife and the mother of your children. I know that I am so excited to serve the Lord together with you. I know that I look forward to using our marriage and family as an example of Christ and His love. I am anticipating how God will use you in my life and better teach me how to love Him and you, our kids, and others more sacrificially and vice versa. I also foresee many adventures, laughs, meaningful conversations, special moments, etc.
Today is Valentine’s Day. I don’t know how many more Valentine’s Days I have to go through without having you by my side. God in His perfect timing has it all planned out. In the meantime I am praying for you, thinking of you, and hoping that you are on His path and kept safe.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Love your future wife,
ashley
I don’t know your name, where you are, or what you are doing at this very moment…but I know that I love you. I know that I can’t wait to marry you and be your wife and the mother of your children. I know that I am so excited to serve the Lord together with you. I know that I look forward to using our marriage and family as an example of Christ and His love. I am anticipating how God will use you in my life and better teach me how to love Him and you, our kids, and others more sacrificially and vice versa. I also foresee many adventures, laughs, meaningful conversations, special moments, etc.
Today is Valentine’s Day. I don’t know how many more Valentine’s Days I have to go through without having you by my side. God in His perfect timing has it all planned out. In the meantime I am praying for you, thinking of you, and hoping that you are on His path and kept safe.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Love your future wife,
ashley
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day...or as I like to call it, Single Awareness Day. Seriously, this holiday does get on my nerves a bit. Not so much that I don't have someone special to celebrate it with, but that it is a huge marketing ploy (I guess just like every other holiday is turning out to be). I also have an issue on how it promotes romantic love so much. While romantic love does have its place, I wish Valentine's Day could reinforce real, genuine, self-sacrificing love. This is the love that I strive for, but clearly need to work on... This is love that is life changing and not self serving. This is the love that Christ has for us. This is the love that goes the deepest. Sure, romatic love can be a part of that...but tomorrow that is the type of love that I am going to be celebrating - and thankful for. It will also serve as a reminder of how I can try to best love others.
The weather here has been beautiful. I was thinking back to Valentine's Day last year and how (if I remember right) I was snowed in for the day. We have had weather in the 60's and the 70's...although the fog has been really bad in the mornings for the last three days. Yesterday the freeway was closed in both directions due to a car pile-up (there was zero visibility) in Kingsburg. Praise the Lord I did not get on at that time as I had already decided to stay home until it cleared. I am thankful that my work is concerned about my safety too and allows me to come in late when needed!
This weekend Jasmin and I are flying down to San Diego. We will be going to Sea World and I'm sure Old Town and the ocean as well. I am looking forward to it - and praying for patience at the same time. If you have been talking with me you know what I mean!!!
This is officially my last week of cheer. I am soooo excited! If the basketball team goes to playoffs we will have to go but that's OK. Our last practice was last night so we now only have games to worry about. Tonight is senior night and the girls are looking forward to that. I think I will even be watching my niece tonight so it will be fun to have her with me.
Today is Hannah's 30th bday...Happy Birthday Hannah! My 30th is less then 6 months away. Crazy, I tell you. But that is a whole different blog.
The weather here has been beautiful. I was thinking back to Valentine's Day last year and how (if I remember right) I was snowed in for the day. We have had weather in the 60's and the 70's...although the fog has been really bad in the mornings for the last three days. Yesterday the freeway was closed in both directions due to a car pile-up (there was zero visibility) in Kingsburg. Praise the Lord I did not get on at that time as I had already decided to stay home until it cleared. I am thankful that my work is concerned about my safety too and allows me to come in late when needed!
This weekend Jasmin and I are flying down to San Diego. We will be going to Sea World and I'm sure Old Town and the ocean as well. I am looking forward to it - and praying for patience at the same time. If you have been talking with me you know what I mean!!!
This is officially my last week of cheer. I am soooo excited! If the basketball team goes to playoffs we will have to go but that's OK. Our last practice was last night so we now only have games to worry about. Tonight is senior night and the girls are looking forward to that. I think I will even be watching my niece tonight so it will be fun to have her with me.
Today is Hannah's 30th bday...Happy Birthday Hannah! My 30th is less then 6 months away. Crazy, I tell you. But that is a whole different blog.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
I watch the Today show every morning (and love it) and yesterday, being Super Tuesday, the show was heavily centered on politics. Barack Obama (of course) came up and they were talking about how many young voters are supporting Obama because he is young, fresh, exciting, different, etc. However, they were also stating how many people are voting for him but when asked why they supported him (basically asking them to give examples from his political career or his personal history) they could not. It scares me that these people are so easily swayed by charisma and good looks. Now anyone who knows me knows I am on the Huckabee train, but this was a good reminder for me that I also needed to well equip myself on the politicians I choose to support. While there never will be politicians I agree with 100%, it is very important to me that I not choose a candidate blindly just because he is a conservative Christian, but rather because his (or her!) history, objectives, and plans for the future most closely follow what I want for our country. It just kills me that women are voting for Hillary simply because she is female, for example. Are the voters really that ignorant to make such a naive choice? Anyway, this article came my way today, and I was not aware that Obama was a strong supporter of Obdinga who is responsible for the persecution of Christians and many senseless murders.
http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/290390
After researching this a bit I also saw some very heated debates over Obama and Israel and how he equally supports Israel and Palestine?? Hmmm… I think I have that to learn about and research next.
In any case, whomever you support, I hope that your decision is well researched and that you go vote after careful consideration and much prayer. I am so thankful to live in the country where we do!!
http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/290390
After researching this a bit I also saw some very heated debates over Obama and Israel and how he equally supports Israel and Palestine?? Hmmm… I think I have that to learn about and research next.
In any case, whomever you support, I hope that your decision is well researched and that you go vote after careful consideration and much prayer. I am so thankful to live in the country where we do!!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
This is very accurate (at least to me and my dad who did it). Let me know who your "candidates" are... Mine were #1 Huckabee, #2 Brownback, and #3 Romney. USA Today got it right! Try for yourself...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/candidate-match-game.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/candidate-match-game.htm
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
I don't know why, but today I thought of these delicious cookies. Let me tell you, I pray every time I step onto a plane that they are giving these out. Because I am a nerd, I googled them and found out that Walgreen's sells them. Oh my goodness - guess where I am going after work? And from the day I am having...I need them! Who else loves these cookies? Aren't they THE BEST EVER?
So, yeah, the day I am having... I was driving back to work after lunch and got a call from Doug Davis. He is the athletic director at KHS, so that makes him my boss, but he was my personal friend long before then (we used to go to the same church and do YL together). Anyway, he asked me if I had videotaped (with my camera) the opposing team's cheerleader's last night. Apparently Selma's cheer coach called him and went off about how I totally taped everything they did and how she was scared I was going to put it on the Internet. I was stunned to say the least. First of all, I did have my camera out as I was recording MY girls. Secondly, if I did tape them, which I didn't, she couldn't say anything anyways as it was a public event. Third, why didn't she put two and two together...like how I only had my camera out when my girls were out on the court and how I didn't have it out during Selma's halftime performance, which if I was recording would have been the key thing I would have wanted. Fourth, I think Selma's cheers/dances are usually skeezy and I am known by my girls and the community for being ultra-conservative - meaning they couldn't copy Selma anyway. Fifth, why would I play any part in a stupid high school rival? I am 29, thanks, and quite past that. UGH! Anyway, I can't believe some people. That she would actually make up that huge lie about me. If she only knew me and knew who I was and what I was about she would know that that thought would have never entered my mind...which it never has!!! Tonight we play Selma again, this time at home, and Doug said I should be careful about being around her. I swear, I have done absolutely nothing wrong. I even have tons of witnesses last night who viewed what I was taping after I taped it. This whole cheer season has simply become way too much. Seriously, I never thought it would be this much drama.
Yeah - I need me some cookies. The diet can resume tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
It’s almost lunchtime and I am excited! I am ready to eat - no breakfast for me today so I am starving. I am going to try to make this a quick entry…
For sure I need to tell you about my trip to VA. It was great and I am sad it is over. We saw some movies, went out to eat, went to see Argonautika in DC, went to church, spent time with some of Kristin’s friends, went shopping, spent time with Holli (who drove down for the day), scoped out some possible neighborhoods for me, had Starbucks, saw Kristin’s new office, talked and talked, laughed, and more. It was freezing cold but that did not stop us. I really enjoyed my time there and look forward to the big move this summer. I now have a better idea of what I will be transitioning to and I am looking forward to what this year has in store for me.
For sure I need to tell you about my trip to VA. It was great and I am sad it is over. We saw some movies, went out to eat, went to see Argonautika in DC, went to church, spent time with some of Kristin’s friends, went shopping, spent time with Holli (who drove down for the day), scoped out some possible neighborhoods for me, had Starbucks, saw Kristin’s new office, talked and talked, laughed, and more. It was freezing cold but that did not stop us. I really enjoyed my time there and look forward to the big move this summer. I now have a better idea of what I will be transitioning to and I am looking forward to what this year has in store for me.
A couple of my friends have taken on themes for their blogs lately and I really like it. Sometimes I feel like all I post is a recap of what I have done lately. And while that does serve a purpose I want to expand my horizons with this blog. Most of all I want to write about what you want to know so any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. So leave me a comment with some ideas on what you would like to read about my life.:-)
He is 3 months on Feb. 1 and quite the character!
I'm off to lunch now. Yippee!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
SOOOO much to update you on!
First of all, I hope you like the look of my new blog. I decided it was time for a change. I’m not so sure that I will keep it pink…but for now it is fun. I also was able to put up links to all of your blogs again. If I left you out, please let me know ‘cause I definitely want to add you to my sidebar! The newest blog is my brother and sister-in-law’s. Check it out!
December was a good month. I was so proud of myself that I got the majority of my shopping done and wrapped early (I mainly did all of my shopping online – it was awesome!) so I wasn’t stressing at the very end. I went to the Christmas program at Amy’s church in Reedley, which was a lot of fun and a great way to get into the Holiday spirit (thanks, Amy, for taking Jasmin and me!). They did a great job and I’m sure it took a lot of work and preparation. My grandma’s birthday was last month as well so I spent one weekend with her, my mom, and my aunt in San Luis Obispo at the Apple Farm. That place is sooo cute and I loved hanging out there, shopping, and of course eating all of the good food. It is a girly place and I highly recommend it. It has been a female family tradition to do that for the past few years so I was glad to join them now that I am a West Coaster. The following weekend I got the gift that keeps on giving…more on that later.:-) Cheer, Valley Teen Ranch, and family holiday parties kept me busy…and getting Jasmin ready for her first American high school dress-up dance (the Winter Formal) had me hopping. (There is a really long...and frustrating but had a good ending, kind of… story to that and if interested let me know and I will tell you…way too long to write.) I got Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off which meant a four-day weekend. Yay! Christmas was pretty low-key this year…and I really like it that way! I actually prefer staying in Kingsburg as opposed to going anywhere and not having to worry about getting all dressed up and having to be somewhere at a certain time. Santa was very good to me this year and I got more then I imagined. :-) My family was also very, very generous to Jasmin so I know that she enjoyed her holiday as well. Jasmin’s parents emailed me and asked if I would put together their gift to Jasmin for Christmas, which of course I said I would. They are flying me and her down to San Diego to go to Sea World over President’s Day weekend. I was pretty happy to help with that gift.;-)
So the gift I was referring to, that keeps on giving, is my new kitten Jersey. I know I said in my previous post that I was going to name him Clinton, but I didn’t want to have to explain to everyone how he was named after a town I lived in…and not Bill and Hillary. So, I settled on Jersey. I really wanted to save that for my future puppy, but realistically that is years off. Jersey has been so much fun – and is soooo full of it! He is super fluffy and very, very cute. He weighed 1.5 pounds when we got him. He is growing fast and purrs very loudly. But, he only wants to snuggle when he is tired. The rest of the time he is racing around my house and getting into everything. He loves to play and is a very, very curious kitty. I have scratches all over my hands from him "batting" at me. When he is in a cuddling mood he is very sweet. He sleeps on my bed with me and has to be right against my face. If I turn my head he will get up and lie right by my face again. He has been a wonderful addition. I am waiting for him to get bigger before I let him outside. I would like for him to be an indoor/outdoor cat but I am worried about 18th street, which is only one house away. Perhaps that is too busy of a street for him… I don’t know. If (when) I move he will most likely be an indoor cat then, so I wonder if he should just stay indoors. But I don’t want him to get bored? Any suggestions? Come meet him, you will fall in love with him too. He squeaks instead of meows, and has gotten stuck in the refrigerator (by my dad who found out by the muffled meows) and loves to race into any cupboards I open. He is entertaining and a joy…most of the time!!!
I don’t know if I mentioned this but I have been attending First Baptist Church here in Kingsburg. It is the church I decided on when Jasmin got here. Jerelyn usually comes in and goes with us which has been a delight (cause I get to see her every week) and I do enjoy the services there. Several people have mentioned the Well…but I think I am a bit old to go there…I don’t know. But I am going to stick with the Baptist church for Sunday mornings. It has been a good fit…not perfect, but what church is?
Work has been really, really busy. It has kept me very occupied. I enjoy having a full schedule at VTR so I haven’t minded it. I had to remove some kids from a foster home that wasn’t complying with my requests which was the hardest thing I have had to do yet, which for confidentiality I can’t really talk about, but on the other hand I was able to help place 4 siblings who were staying in the shelter downtown in a really great foster home together so that was a great thing to be a part of. My other job, cheer, has been really rough. The majority of the girls are out of control and I have had to discipline them right and left. It just isn’t enjoyable anymore and I don’t know what is going on. To top it off, a mom wrote an email about me and accidentally sent it to me, instead of forwarding it on to whoever, so I got to read about how she “really can’t stand” me. Ugh! I can say in my heart of hearts that I have tried my best and given my all to these girls. Mr. Davis, the athletic director, is coming tonight to practice and I am hoping that he can help me whip these girls into shape. Regardless I have only six weeks left…thank God! If I didn’t need the money so badly, or lived in the town I do where I would run into the girls and their families, I would quit in an instant. It is that bad.
Over New Year’s Jasmin and I went with Young Life on their Winter Blast trip. It left on Dec. 30 and came home on Jan.1. My boss was nice enough to let me have Dec. 31 off and I got Jan. 1 off as a holiday so it worked out really well. We went to Soda Springs for one day and Sugar Bowl for two days and stayed at YL’s Mountain Lodge. I had never been to the Tahoe area so I really enjoyed seeing the sights and being in snow. I hadn’t been in snow since NJ so I was happy to hear it crunch under my feet and fall delicately from the sky. Jasmin had fun skiing and making new friends. I gave that trip to her as her Christmas present and it went over well. Plus it gave her something to do over vacation, which was an added bonus. (Not to mention the most important reason – hearing about Jesus!) I didn’t ski and hung out in the lodge for the three days. (I didn’t ski due to being hurt in Sweden the last time I attempted skiing. I told myself I couldn’t ski until I got lessons. Again, long story which I am happy to tell you some other time.:-)) I didn’t mind hanging out in the lodge because kids were always in and out and it gave me lots of social time with them. I particularly got to know a group of underclassman girls, which was very special.
I spent my first week of January very sick. I came home from Tahoe on the 1st feeling like I was getting a cold and low and behold it was a full blown sinus infection the next morning. I stayed home from work on Wednesday. On Thursday morning I woke up with a nice added issue – the flu. I have not had the flu in a couple of years and it was no fun. I couldn’t believe that I had the luck of having a sinus infection (did I mention my ear infection too?) and flu at the same time. I spent a lot of time in the bathroom, but I think God was helping me get a head start on my New Year’s resolution – losing weight…lol (Which, I must say, I have stuck to so far!) I stayed home from work on Friday and felt much better on Saturday. I went to the doctor on Thursday, (my new insurance is Kaiser) which was my first time to the clinic in Selma and must say that I was pleasantly surprised with the HMO. While I still think that insurance package that VTR offers is crap, Kaiser isn’t nearly as bad as I expected.
Last Saturday we had our annual ADX holiday potluck at my house. I am very glad that I was well enough to host it. It was an adventure as Emily decided to redecorate my office with my gold paint pen. (Thank you so much to the magic eraser and its makers as it totally cleaned it all up!!) Many people showed up which was wonderful as I love my sisters and hanging out with them. It was a full house but we all seemed to manage. I wish we could see each other more often. That night I got to spend more time with Carrie and Kristin and do a bit of shopping. Fun!
This weekend I don’t have many plans. I signed up to help out with my church’s workday on Sat and I think I will go to Fresno and tag along with my mom. Sunday is church and I plan on giving Jersey his first bath and maybe seeing a movie. I want it to be as nice and relaxing as possible as I want to be totally recovered for my trip to VA a week from today. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to go back to my beloved East Coast. (I will also be going back over Memorial Day to take Jasmin to NYC.) I haven’t been there in about 8 months. That is too crazy for words. I’m sure by the next time I blog I will either be in VA or home from it.
Well, thanks for hanging in there and reading this very long entry! You now are up to date on the life of Ashley... Love you all!
First of all, I hope you like the look of my new blog. I decided it was time for a change. I’m not so sure that I will keep it pink…but for now it is fun. I also was able to put up links to all of your blogs again. If I left you out, please let me know ‘cause I definitely want to add you to my sidebar! The newest blog is my brother and sister-in-law’s. Check it out!
December was a good month. I was so proud of myself that I got the majority of my shopping done and wrapped early (I mainly did all of my shopping online – it was awesome!) so I wasn’t stressing at the very end. I went to the Christmas program at Amy’s church in Reedley, which was a lot of fun and a great way to get into the Holiday spirit (thanks, Amy, for taking Jasmin and me!). They did a great job and I’m sure it took a lot of work and preparation. My grandma’s birthday was last month as well so I spent one weekend with her, my mom, and my aunt in San Luis Obispo at the Apple Farm. That place is sooo cute and I loved hanging out there, shopping, and of course eating all of the good food. It is a girly place and I highly recommend it. It has been a female family tradition to do that for the past few years so I was glad to join them now that I am a West Coaster. The following weekend I got the gift that keeps on giving…more on that later.:-) Cheer, Valley Teen Ranch, and family holiday parties kept me busy…and getting Jasmin ready for her first American high school dress-up dance (the Winter Formal) had me hopping. (There is a really long...and frustrating but had a good ending, kind of… story to that and if interested let me know and I will tell you…way too long to write.) I got Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off which meant a four-day weekend. Yay! Christmas was pretty low-key this year…and I really like it that way! I actually prefer staying in Kingsburg as opposed to going anywhere and not having to worry about getting all dressed up and having to be somewhere at a certain time. Santa was very good to me this year and I got more then I imagined. :-) My family was also very, very generous to Jasmin so I know that she enjoyed her holiday as well. Jasmin’s parents emailed me and asked if I would put together their gift to Jasmin for Christmas, which of course I said I would. They are flying me and her down to San Diego to go to Sea World over President’s Day weekend. I was pretty happy to help with that gift.;-)
So the gift I was referring to, that keeps on giving, is my new kitten Jersey. I know I said in my previous post that I was going to name him Clinton, but I didn’t want to have to explain to everyone how he was named after a town I lived in…and not Bill and Hillary. So, I settled on Jersey. I really wanted to save that for my future puppy, but realistically that is years off. Jersey has been so much fun – and is soooo full of it! He is super fluffy and very, very cute. He weighed 1.5 pounds when we got him. He is growing fast and purrs very loudly. But, he only wants to snuggle when he is tired. The rest of the time he is racing around my house and getting into everything. He loves to play and is a very, very curious kitty. I have scratches all over my hands from him "batting" at me. When he is in a cuddling mood he is very sweet. He sleeps on my bed with me and has to be right against my face. If I turn my head he will get up and lie right by my face again. He has been a wonderful addition. I am waiting for him to get bigger before I let him outside. I would like for him to be an indoor/outdoor cat but I am worried about 18th street, which is only one house away. Perhaps that is too busy of a street for him… I don’t know. If (when) I move he will most likely be an indoor cat then, so I wonder if he should just stay indoors. But I don’t want him to get bored? Any suggestions? Come meet him, you will fall in love with him too. He squeaks instead of meows, and has gotten stuck in the refrigerator (by my dad who found out by the muffled meows) and loves to race into any cupboards I open. He is entertaining and a joy…most of the time!!!
I don’t know if I mentioned this but I have been attending First Baptist Church here in Kingsburg. It is the church I decided on when Jasmin got here. Jerelyn usually comes in and goes with us which has been a delight (cause I get to see her every week) and I do enjoy the services there. Several people have mentioned the Well…but I think I am a bit old to go there…I don’t know. But I am going to stick with the Baptist church for Sunday mornings. It has been a good fit…not perfect, but what church is?
Work has been really, really busy. It has kept me very occupied. I enjoy having a full schedule at VTR so I haven’t minded it. I had to remove some kids from a foster home that wasn’t complying with my requests which was the hardest thing I have had to do yet, which for confidentiality I can’t really talk about, but on the other hand I was able to help place 4 siblings who were staying in the shelter downtown in a really great foster home together so that was a great thing to be a part of. My other job, cheer, has been really rough. The majority of the girls are out of control and I have had to discipline them right and left. It just isn’t enjoyable anymore and I don’t know what is going on. To top it off, a mom wrote an email about me and accidentally sent it to me, instead of forwarding it on to whoever, so I got to read about how she “really can’t stand” me. Ugh! I can say in my heart of hearts that I have tried my best and given my all to these girls. Mr. Davis, the athletic director, is coming tonight to practice and I am hoping that he can help me whip these girls into shape. Regardless I have only six weeks left…thank God! If I didn’t need the money so badly, or lived in the town I do where I would run into the girls and their families, I would quit in an instant. It is that bad.
Over New Year’s Jasmin and I went with Young Life on their Winter Blast trip. It left on Dec. 30 and came home on Jan.1. My boss was nice enough to let me have Dec. 31 off and I got Jan. 1 off as a holiday so it worked out really well. We went to Soda Springs for one day and Sugar Bowl for two days and stayed at YL’s Mountain Lodge. I had never been to the Tahoe area so I really enjoyed seeing the sights and being in snow. I hadn’t been in snow since NJ so I was happy to hear it crunch under my feet and fall delicately from the sky. Jasmin had fun skiing and making new friends. I gave that trip to her as her Christmas present and it went over well. Plus it gave her something to do over vacation, which was an added bonus. (Not to mention the most important reason – hearing about Jesus!) I didn’t ski and hung out in the lodge for the three days. (I didn’t ski due to being hurt in Sweden the last time I attempted skiing. I told myself I couldn’t ski until I got lessons. Again, long story which I am happy to tell you some other time.:-)) I didn’t mind hanging out in the lodge because kids were always in and out and it gave me lots of social time with them. I particularly got to know a group of underclassman girls, which was very special.
I spent my first week of January very sick. I came home from Tahoe on the 1st feeling like I was getting a cold and low and behold it was a full blown sinus infection the next morning. I stayed home from work on Wednesday. On Thursday morning I woke up with a nice added issue – the flu. I have not had the flu in a couple of years and it was no fun. I couldn’t believe that I had the luck of having a sinus infection (did I mention my ear infection too?) and flu at the same time. I spent a lot of time in the bathroom, but I think God was helping me get a head start on my New Year’s resolution – losing weight…lol (Which, I must say, I have stuck to so far!) I stayed home from work on Friday and felt much better on Saturday. I went to the doctor on Thursday, (my new insurance is Kaiser) which was my first time to the clinic in Selma and must say that I was pleasantly surprised with the HMO. While I still think that insurance package that VTR offers is crap, Kaiser isn’t nearly as bad as I expected.
Last Saturday we had our annual ADX holiday potluck at my house. I am very glad that I was well enough to host it. It was an adventure as Emily decided to redecorate my office with my gold paint pen. (Thank you so much to the magic eraser and its makers as it totally cleaned it all up!!) Many people showed up which was wonderful as I love my sisters and hanging out with them. It was a full house but we all seemed to manage. I wish we could see each other more often. That night I got to spend more time with Carrie and Kristin and do a bit of shopping. Fun!
This weekend I don’t have many plans. I signed up to help out with my church’s workday on Sat and I think I will go to Fresno and tag along with my mom. Sunday is church and I plan on giving Jersey his first bath and maybe seeing a movie. I want it to be as nice and relaxing as possible as I want to be totally recovered for my trip to VA a week from today. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to go back to my beloved East Coast. (I will also be going back over Memorial Day to take Jasmin to NYC.) I haven’t been there in about 8 months. That is too crazy for words. I’m sure by the next time I blog I will either be in VA or home from it.
Well, thanks for hanging in there and reading this very long entry! You now are up to date on the life of Ashley... Love you all!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
A girl from my cheer squad is giving out free kittens. I fell in love with this one and just might adopt it this weekend. It is a big decision. I would love a puppy, but I would feel bad leaving it home so much. A cat is more independent, and I do love all animals. Plus, this little guy reminds me of the cat I had growing up. I think I will name him Clinton after one of the places I lived in NJ (and the cutest little place in West Jersey if you ask me).
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Thanksgiving was good. I decided to have my family over for a Thanksgiving breakfast on Thursday morning so I could use my fun fall plates and cloth napkins. I love hosting people and all of that good stuff so I was super excited to have them over. I made a breakfast casserole and cinnamon rolls. I also had a fruit salad. Brooke brought some banana bread and we were all very full by the end of the meal. Good thing we weren’t having Thanksgiving dinner until much later in the day!!:-) I turned on the Macy’s Day parade and told Jasmin how watching it every year was a tradition of mine. I don’t know if she was a nearly as excited about it as I was…hehehe Must be an American thing. Of course the TV was promptly changed when my dad came over to football. Jasmin couldn’t believe that we watch sporting events on a Holiday. Welcome to America my friend…
The day after Thanksgiving I decorated my house for Christmas and had lunch with my friend Amy. It was great seeing her – I hadn’t in a while. I am hoping that once my life calms down a bit that I can see her more often. That night my mom, aunt, and I went to see Enchanted. It was very cute. We were hoping to see August Rush but (stupid me) I read the newspaper wrong and took us to the wrong theater. I am hoping to see that movie. The trailer makes me cry so the flick has to be oh so good!
On Saturday and Sunday we went to San Francisco for the weekend. We showed Jasmin around and tried to do all of the touristy things. I think what we find fun she didn’t – must be a cultural thing. For example she thought the cable cars were old and slow…where I think they are totally fun! We met up with my extended family and cousin Cass and her kids (who I hadn’t seen in years) so that was nice. On Sat. night we went to see Jersey Boys. This was playing in NYC when I lived in Jersey and Hannah and I would always joke about how we wouldn’t be caught dead going to see it. But, I went and it was enjoyable. Like Mama Mia, it is definitely for the “older” generation, but it was still decent and entertaining. The weather was great in San Fran, very clear and somewhat warm, so altogether it was a GREAT trip!
Last weekend my family went camping to Pismo Beach. My parents bought a tent trailer and we were looking forward to camping with it for the first time. My dad went over on Friday and we met up with him and Ryan and Brooke (and Sulli) on Sat. Saturday we hung out and went outlet shopping. That night we went out to dinner to celebrate Brooke’s birthday. Saturday night the heater broke in the tent trailer so we ended up FREEZING through the night. Actually once I got warm in my sleeping bag I was fine. I just didn’t move…or stick my head out into the frigid air. The next morning my mom went and got cinnamon rolls and we decided to eat them at the picnic table outside because it was warmer outside then it was inside. When we were sitting outside all the ducks and pigeons from the lagoon began to make their way over to beg. Pretty soon we felt like we were in the movie “The Birds” as, I kid you not, they were swarming us begging for some cinnamon rolls. My dad was even able to hand feed some – clearly they were very tame and used to eating from campers. My dad gave up though when one pecked him too hard. The funniest part was when a pigeon landed right on Jasmin’s icing on her cinnamon roll and got stuck. We were all screaming and freaking out because at the same time they were landing on our plates and us. I swear they were dive-bombing us. We felt so country bumpkin!! I will never forget that day. If only we had that on tape. The best part of the weekend though was how much time I got to spend with my niece. She is SUCH A DOLL. I wish I could be with her 24/7!!
I am looking forward to this weekend and relaxing. I have been able to do all of my Christmas shopping (for the most part) online so there is no need to hurry to the mall for gifts. I am hoping to wrap the gifts I do have and start on my Christmas cards. I am also hoping to watch my Blockbuster movie, which has been in my living room for like a month, and simply not do anything. That will be very, very nice! I thought I had next week free until I looked on my calendar and realized I am busy every night up until Friday. This week is my last week of cheer so I thought next week would be oh so great – I could go walking when I got home and whatnot – but yeah, guess I was wrong!
I was catching up on blogs today and came across this on Courtney’s site. (She is an AWESOME girl and I love her dearly.) You should totally check it out. www.adventconspiracy.org So, thanks Court for sharing! (BTW, can I just tell you all how much I love reading your blogs? I am so thankful for your friendships and how much you teach me through your daily (or not so daily like in my postings) writings and musings!!!)
It’s supposed to rain tomorrow. I am excited. It has been weird that it is Christmas time yet I haven’t had to be bundled up or I haven’t had the chance to experience snow like the last three years. At least rain will be something like it…
Yesterday was Holli's bday - happy birthday my friend!
Kristin sent this to me today. It really spoke to me. I hope it does with you as well.
REST IN GOD'S PRESENCE
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For He will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit. -Jeremiah 17:7-8
Rest, dear one, in His presence, in His promises. God, and God alone, holds your life and well-being in His loving and kind hands.
The day after Thanksgiving I decorated my house for Christmas and had lunch with my friend Amy. It was great seeing her – I hadn’t in a while. I am hoping that once my life calms down a bit that I can see her more often. That night my mom, aunt, and I went to see Enchanted. It was very cute. We were hoping to see August Rush but (stupid me) I read the newspaper wrong and took us to the wrong theater. I am hoping to see that movie. The trailer makes me cry so the flick has to be oh so good!
On Saturday and Sunday we went to San Francisco for the weekend. We showed Jasmin around and tried to do all of the touristy things. I think what we find fun she didn’t – must be a cultural thing. For example she thought the cable cars were old and slow…where I think they are totally fun! We met up with my extended family and cousin Cass and her kids (who I hadn’t seen in years) so that was nice. On Sat. night we went to see Jersey Boys. This was playing in NYC when I lived in Jersey and Hannah and I would always joke about how we wouldn’t be caught dead going to see it. But, I went and it was enjoyable. Like Mama Mia, it is definitely for the “older” generation, but it was still decent and entertaining. The weather was great in San Fran, very clear and somewhat warm, so altogether it was a GREAT trip!
Last weekend my family went camping to Pismo Beach. My parents bought a tent trailer and we were looking forward to camping with it for the first time. My dad went over on Friday and we met up with him and Ryan and Brooke (and Sulli) on Sat. Saturday we hung out and went outlet shopping. That night we went out to dinner to celebrate Brooke’s birthday. Saturday night the heater broke in the tent trailer so we ended up FREEZING through the night. Actually once I got warm in my sleeping bag I was fine. I just didn’t move…or stick my head out into the frigid air. The next morning my mom went and got cinnamon rolls and we decided to eat them at the picnic table outside because it was warmer outside then it was inside. When we were sitting outside all the ducks and pigeons from the lagoon began to make their way over to beg. Pretty soon we felt like we were in the movie “The Birds” as, I kid you not, they were swarming us begging for some cinnamon rolls. My dad was even able to hand feed some – clearly they were very tame and used to eating from campers. My dad gave up though when one pecked him too hard. The funniest part was when a pigeon landed right on Jasmin’s icing on her cinnamon roll and got stuck. We were all screaming and freaking out because at the same time they were landing on our plates and us. I swear they were dive-bombing us. We felt so country bumpkin!! I will never forget that day. If only we had that on tape. The best part of the weekend though was how much time I got to spend with my niece. She is SUCH A DOLL. I wish I could be with her 24/7!!
I am looking forward to this weekend and relaxing. I have been able to do all of my Christmas shopping (for the most part) online so there is no need to hurry to the mall for gifts. I am hoping to wrap the gifts I do have and start on my Christmas cards. I am also hoping to watch my Blockbuster movie, which has been in my living room for like a month, and simply not do anything. That will be very, very nice! I thought I had next week free until I looked on my calendar and realized I am busy every night up until Friday. This week is my last week of cheer so I thought next week would be oh so great – I could go walking when I got home and whatnot – but yeah, guess I was wrong!
I was catching up on blogs today and came across this on Courtney’s site. (She is an AWESOME girl and I love her dearly.) You should totally check it out. www.adventconspiracy.org So, thanks Court for sharing! (BTW, can I just tell you all how much I love reading your blogs? I am so thankful for your friendships and how much you teach me through your daily (or not so daily like in my postings) writings and musings!!!)
It’s supposed to rain tomorrow. I am excited. It has been weird that it is Christmas time yet I haven’t had to be bundled up or I haven’t had the chance to experience snow like the last three years. At least rain will be something like it…
Yesterday was Holli's bday - happy birthday my friend!
Kristin sent this to me today. It really spoke to me. I hope it does with you as well.
REST IN GOD'S PRESENCE
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For He will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit. -Jeremiah 17:7-8
Rest, dear one, in His presence, in His promises. God, and God alone, holds your life and well-being in His loving and kind hands.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Yes, yes, I know some of you (Hannah!) don't like it when I post pasted articles in here. But, seriously, I was totally unaware of this. Read it...and don't support The Golden Compass!
A gargantuan polar bear bounds through snow dunes. A well-coifed gentleman whispers to the snow leopard at his side. A golden-hued beauty gives her ferocious monkey a furtive glance. And a young girl traces her fingers over symbols on a device vaguely reminiscent of ... a compass.
If you've been to the movies lately (or watched much TV), these images from the Dec. 7 film The Golden Compass (starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig) may have caught your attention ... and perhaps even whetted your appetite for fantasy and adventure.
Which is, of course, exactly what New Line Cinema is hoping.
To stoke the fires of imagination further, the studio's early promotional material went so far as to equate this adaptation of author Philip Pullman's work with The Lord of the Rings. "In 2001, New Line Cinema opened the door to Middle-earth," says one trailer, "This December, they take you on another epic journey." It's a safe bet, however, that J.R.R. Tolkien wouldn't be amused by the comparison of his story to that of Pullman (who, coincidentally, also hails from Oxford).
The 1995 book The Golden Compass is the entry point to Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy—a series of fantasy novels aimed at children that loosely draws inspiration from John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost. This time around, however, "God" gets overthrown and the "Fall" becomes the source of humankind's redemption, not failure.
These three books, along with at least one (and presumably two more) movies, constitute British agnostic Philip Pullman's deliberate attempt to foist his viciously anti-God beliefs upon his audience.
A Different Kind of WardrobeThe Golden Compass begins with a precocious 12-year-old girl named Lyra clambering into a wardrobe to avoid detection ... a choice that unwittingly launches her into a universe-altering adventure. (Sound familiar?) Lurking in the wardrobe, she hears her uncle, an iconoclastic explorer named Lord Asriel, describe a mysterious substance called Dust to a group of scholars.
Several events then occur almost simultaneously: Lyra is given a truth-telling device called an alethiometer (the golden compass) and told to keep it secret; she begins to hear rumors of children disappearing without a trace; and she's whisked into the care of a glamorous but ruthless agent of the church named Mrs. Coulter. Lyra soon discovers that the church is also desperate to learn about Dust—a substance they believe is somehow connected to original sin—and that Mrs. Coulter is spearheading chilling experiments on children in her pursuit of "truth." Specifically, she's separating children from their dæmons (pronounced demon), animal spirits that physically embody each person's soul and accompany them throughout life.
As The Golden Compass draws to a close, the forces of good (represented by the church-rejecting Lord Asriel) have begun to array themselves against the forces of tyranny and wickedness (represented by Mrs. Coulter and churchmen who blend the worst of, say, the Spanish Inquisition and Adolf Hiter's dreaded SS). The battle will span not only Lyra's world, but many other alternate worlds. In Vol. 2, The Subtle Knife, Lyra meets 12-year-old Will, who comes into possession of a potent blade with the power to slice portals between those worlds. The Amber Spyglass concludes the series, with angels, armored bears, witches, a shaman, a lapsed nun-turned-physicist and other fantastical creatures marshalling their resources against the hated Authority—the "god" whose reign they can tolerate no longer—even as the mystery of Dust is finally resolved.
The Anti-LewisThere are no shortage of parallels between His Dark Materials and C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series. Lyra instead of Lucy. A wardrobe. Alternate worlds. Talking animals. Cosmic consequences linked to a final battle. Oh, and witches—this time on the side of so-called good rather than evil.
But beyond those superficial similarities, Pullman represents the polar opposite of Lewis. Pullman has repeatedly—and with apparent glee—lashed out at both Lewis and the faith he represents. "I hate the Narnia books, and I hate them with a deep and bitter passion," he told one interviewer, "with their view of childhood as a golden age from which sexuality and adulthood are a falling-away."
Such venom isn't the exception when it comes to Pullman's stance on all things Christian. He told the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph, "Atheism suggests a degree of certainty that I'm not quite willing to accede. I suppose technically, you'd have to put me down as an agnostic. But if there is a God, and he is as the Christians describe him, then he deserves to be put down and rebelled against. As you look back over the history of the Christian church, it's a record of terrible infamy and cruelty and persecution and tyranny. How they have the bloody nerve to go on Thought for the Day and tell us all to be good when, given the slightest chance, they'd be hanging the rest of us and flogging the homosexuals and persecuting the witches."
Given such ferocious antipathy for Christianity, it's only a matter of time before those beliefs sneak into heavy-handed sermonettes, delivered by the story's protagonists, such as this one from a witch: "There are churches there, believe me, that cut their children too, as the people of Bolvangar did—not in the same way, but just as horribly. They cut their sexual organs, yes, both boys and girls; they cut them with knives so that they shan't feel. That is what the church does, and every church is the same: control, destroy, obliterate every good feeling." Without exception, Pullman characterizes churches and anyone connected to them as agents of wickedness, oppression, torture, murder and malevolence.
A Tale of Two InsightsStill, Pullman wants his readers to believe he's more interested in telling a good story (and his is engaging at points) than delivering a particular message. On his personal Web site, he writes, "The meaning of a story emerges in the meeting between the words on the page and thoughts in the reader's mind. So when people ask me what I meant by this story, or what was the message I was trying to convey in that one, I have to explain that I'm not going to explain. Anyway, I'm not in the message business; I'm in the 'Once upon a time' business."
Don't believe him.
Not the least because Pullman contradicts himself when he talks about his understanding of how stories naturally influence people's beliefs. "All stories teach," he's said, "whether the storyteller intends them to or not. They teach the world we create. They teach the morality we live by. They teach it much more effectively than moral precepts and instructions. ... We don't need lists of rights and wrongs, tables of do's and don'ts: We need books, time and silence. 'Thou shalt not' is soon forgotten."
That is a more honest and insightful statement than the first one.
Therefore, it's a fair question for those curious about this story to ask what it is teaching. At the most basic level, His Dark Materials is an attempted refutation of the Christian faith: "The Christian religion is a very powerful and convincing mistake, that's all," says an influential character named Mary Malone, who then goes on to relate her own "testimony" of why she abandoned her calling as a nun.
Other messages woven into this story exalt witchcraft, evolution, divination, homosexuality and premarital sex. Accompanying them are smoking, drinking, occasional mild profanity and moments of visceral violence.
That Pullman's message is blasphemous and heretical goes without saying. What's more diabolical—a word carrying with it an original Greek meaning that literally means to separate into two pieces—is the fact that he's aimed his well-written tale and its messages directly at children. "I wanted to reach everyone," he says, "and the best way I could hope to do that was to write for children." Pullman's strategy for inculcating his beliefs involves planting these bad seeds in the minds of those who may not have the discernment to understand what he's doing.
Beliefnet's Rod Dreher writes that that's exactly why he intends to protect his children from Pullman's poisonous influence. "One expects that religious parents will keep their children away from the [Golden Compass] film. 'But why?' the question arises from liberals. 'What are you afraid of?' My children losing God, especially before they have a firm hold on Him, that's what. At some point they will question the existence of God. I did. It's normal to do so. I want more than anything else I want for my children, even their own happiness in this life, for them to believe in God, who is their salvation. If you believe in God, and that the loss of God is the worst thing that can happen to a person, then you would sooner give your child a rattlesnake to play with than expose him or her at an early age to the work of a man who openly says he wishes to destroy God in the minds of his audience."
Trying to Kill GodPullman has said unambiguously, "My books are about killing God." But despite a great deal of publicity on this subject, the series never addresses the issue of God's existence with any real certainty. There is a character who masquerades as God, known as the Authority. But we discover he was simply the first being to evolve—and there's definitely a heavy emphasis on evolution in this story—out of Dust into conscious existence.
As to whether or not a real Creator is responsible for everything, however, another character says simply, "There may have been a creator, or there may not: We don't know." Ultimately, then, the story remains agnostic about God's existence. And with regard to death and the afterlife, Pullman first imagines a dark underworld where all the dead go, regardless of their actions or beliefs. The dead are then released by Lyra, and their molecules are dispersed throughout the world.
Pullman tries desperately to convince us that this vision of annihilation after death is a hopeful one. One of the dead contemplating this fate says, "This child has come offering us a way out, and I'm going to follow her. Even if it means oblivion, friends, I'll welcome it, because it won't be nothing. We'll be alive again in thousands of blades of grass and a million leaves; we'll be falling in the raindrops and blowing in the fresh breeze; we'll be glittering in the dew under the stars and the moon out there in the physical world, which is our true home and always was."
If that doesn't sound much like happily ever after, that's because, well, it isn't. In the final analysis, Pullman has nothing of substance to offer when it comes to concocting an alternative to the Christian faith he detests so venomously. Which is why, perhaps, flowery-but-empty passages and promises like the one above seem to echo those of a well-known serpent.
And lest that comparison sound too harsh, the author himself seems quite comfortable with the association. "[English poet William] Blake said that Milton was a true poet and of the Devil's party without knowing it," Pullman has said. "I am of the Devil's party and know it."
A gargantuan polar bear bounds through snow dunes. A well-coifed gentleman whispers to the snow leopard at his side. A golden-hued beauty gives her ferocious monkey a furtive glance. And a young girl traces her fingers over symbols on a device vaguely reminiscent of ... a compass.
If you've been to the movies lately (or watched much TV), these images from the Dec. 7 film The Golden Compass (starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig) may have caught your attention ... and perhaps even whetted your appetite for fantasy and adventure.
Which is, of course, exactly what New Line Cinema is hoping.
To stoke the fires of imagination further, the studio's early promotional material went so far as to equate this adaptation of author Philip Pullman's work with The Lord of the Rings. "In 2001, New Line Cinema opened the door to Middle-earth," says one trailer, "This December, they take you on another epic journey." It's a safe bet, however, that J.R.R. Tolkien wouldn't be amused by the comparison of his story to that of Pullman (who, coincidentally, also hails from Oxford).
The 1995 book The Golden Compass is the entry point to Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy—a series of fantasy novels aimed at children that loosely draws inspiration from John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost. This time around, however, "God" gets overthrown and the "Fall" becomes the source of humankind's redemption, not failure.
These three books, along with at least one (and presumably two more) movies, constitute British agnostic Philip Pullman's deliberate attempt to foist his viciously anti-God beliefs upon his audience.
A Different Kind of WardrobeThe Golden Compass begins with a precocious 12-year-old girl named Lyra clambering into a wardrobe to avoid detection ... a choice that unwittingly launches her into a universe-altering adventure. (Sound familiar?) Lurking in the wardrobe, she hears her uncle, an iconoclastic explorer named Lord Asriel, describe a mysterious substance called Dust to a group of scholars.
Several events then occur almost simultaneously: Lyra is given a truth-telling device called an alethiometer (the golden compass) and told to keep it secret; she begins to hear rumors of children disappearing without a trace; and she's whisked into the care of a glamorous but ruthless agent of the church named Mrs. Coulter. Lyra soon discovers that the church is also desperate to learn about Dust—a substance they believe is somehow connected to original sin—and that Mrs. Coulter is spearheading chilling experiments on children in her pursuit of "truth." Specifically, she's separating children from their dæmons (pronounced demon), animal spirits that physically embody each person's soul and accompany them throughout life.
As The Golden Compass draws to a close, the forces of good (represented by the church-rejecting Lord Asriel) have begun to array themselves against the forces of tyranny and wickedness (represented by Mrs. Coulter and churchmen who blend the worst of, say, the Spanish Inquisition and Adolf Hiter's dreaded SS). The battle will span not only Lyra's world, but many other alternate worlds. In Vol. 2, The Subtle Knife, Lyra meets 12-year-old Will, who comes into possession of a potent blade with the power to slice portals between those worlds. The Amber Spyglass concludes the series, with angels, armored bears, witches, a shaman, a lapsed nun-turned-physicist and other fantastical creatures marshalling their resources against the hated Authority—the "god" whose reign they can tolerate no longer—even as the mystery of Dust is finally resolved.
The Anti-LewisThere are no shortage of parallels between His Dark Materials and C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series. Lyra instead of Lucy. A wardrobe. Alternate worlds. Talking animals. Cosmic consequences linked to a final battle. Oh, and witches—this time on the side of so-called good rather than evil.
But beyond those superficial similarities, Pullman represents the polar opposite of Lewis. Pullman has repeatedly—and with apparent glee—lashed out at both Lewis and the faith he represents. "I hate the Narnia books, and I hate them with a deep and bitter passion," he told one interviewer, "with their view of childhood as a golden age from which sexuality and adulthood are a falling-away."
Such venom isn't the exception when it comes to Pullman's stance on all things Christian. He told the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph, "Atheism suggests a degree of certainty that I'm not quite willing to accede. I suppose technically, you'd have to put me down as an agnostic. But if there is a God, and he is as the Christians describe him, then he deserves to be put down and rebelled against. As you look back over the history of the Christian church, it's a record of terrible infamy and cruelty and persecution and tyranny. How they have the bloody nerve to go on Thought for the Day and tell us all to be good when, given the slightest chance, they'd be hanging the rest of us and flogging the homosexuals and persecuting the witches."
Given such ferocious antipathy for Christianity, it's only a matter of time before those beliefs sneak into heavy-handed sermonettes, delivered by the story's protagonists, such as this one from a witch: "There are churches there, believe me, that cut their children too, as the people of Bolvangar did—not in the same way, but just as horribly. They cut their sexual organs, yes, both boys and girls; they cut them with knives so that they shan't feel. That is what the church does, and every church is the same: control, destroy, obliterate every good feeling." Without exception, Pullman characterizes churches and anyone connected to them as agents of wickedness, oppression, torture, murder and malevolence.
A Tale of Two InsightsStill, Pullman wants his readers to believe he's more interested in telling a good story (and his is engaging at points) than delivering a particular message. On his personal Web site, he writes, "The meaning of a story emerges in the meeting between the words on the page and thoughts in the reader's mind. So when people ask me what I meant by this story, or what was the message I was trying to convey in that one, I have to explain that I'm not going to explain. Anyway, I'm not in the message business; I'm in the 'Once upon a time' business."
Don't believe him.
Not the least because Pullman contradicts himself when he talks about his understanding of how stories naturally influence people's beliefs. "All stories teach," he's said, "whether the storyteller intends them to or not. They teach the world we create. They teach the morality we live by. They teach it much more effectively than moral precepts and instructions. ... We don't need lists of rights and wrongs, tables of do's and don'ts: We need books, time and silence. 'Thou shalt not' is soon forgotten."
That is a more honest and insightful statement than the first one.
Therefore, it's a fair question for those curious about this story to ask what it is teaching. At the most basic level, His Dark Materials is an attempted refutation of the Christian faith: "The Christian religion is a very powerful and convincing mistake, that's all," says an influential character named Mary Malone, who then goes on to relate her own "testimony" of why she abandoned her calling as a nun.
Other messages woven into this story exalt witchcraft, evolution, divination, homosexuality and premarital sex. Accompanying them are smoking, drinking, occasional mild profanity and moments of visceral violence.
That Pullman's message is blasphemous and heretical goes without saying. What's more diabolical—a word carrying with it an original Greek meaning that literally means to separate into two pieces—is the fact that he's aimed his well-written tale and its messages directly at children. "I wanted to reach everyone," he says, "and the best way I could hope to do that was to write for children." Pullman's strategy for inculcating his beliefs involves planting these bad seeds in the minds of those who may not have the discernment to understand what he's doing.
Beliefnet's Rod Dreher writes that that's exactly why he intends to protect his children from Pullman's poisonous influence. "One expects that religious parents will keep their children away from the [Golden Compass] film. 'But why?' the question arises from liberals. 'What are you afraid of?' My children losing God, especially before they have a firm hold on Him, that's what. At some point they will question the existence of God. I did. It's normal to do so. I want more than anything else I want for my children, even their own happiness in this life, for them to believe in God, who is their salvation. If you believe in God, and that the loss of God is the worst thing that can happen to a person, then you would sooner give your child a rattlesnake to play with than expose him or her at an early age to the work of a man who openly says he wishes to destroy God in the minds of his audience."
Trying to Kill GodPullman has said unambiguously, "My books are about killing God." But despite a great deal of publicity on this subject, the series never addresses the issue of God's existence with any real certainty. There is a character who masquerades as God, known as the Authority. But we discover he was simply the first being to evolve—and there's definitely a heavy emphasis on evolution in this story—out of Dust into conscious existence.
As to whether or not a real Creator is responsible for everything, however, another character says simply, "There may have been a creator, or there may not: We don't know." Ultimately, then, the story remains agnostic about God's existence. And with regard to death and the afterlife, Pullman first imagines a dark underworld where all the dead go, regardless of their actions or beliefs. The dead are then released by Lyra, and their molecules are dispersed throughout the world.
Pullman tries desperately to convince us that this vision of annihilation after death is a hopeful one. One of the dead contemplating this fate says, "This child has come offering us a way out, and I'm going to follow her. Even if it means oblivion, friends, I'll welcome it, because it won't be nothing. We'll be alive again in thousands of blades of grass and a million leaves; we'll be falling in the raindrops and blowing in the fresh breeze; we'll be glittering in the dew under the stars and the moon out there in the physical world, which is our true home and always was."
If that doesn't sound much like happily ever after, that's because, well, it isn't. In the final analysis, Pullman has nothing of substance to offer when it comes to concocting an alternative to the Christian faith he detests so venomously. Which is why, perhaps, flowery-but-empty passages and promises like the one above seem to echo those of a well-known serpent.
And lest that comparison sound too harsh, the author himself seems quite comfortable with the association. "[English poet William] Blake said that Milton was a true poet and of the Devil's party without knowing it," Pullman has said. "I am of the Devil's party and know it."
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Friday, November 23, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
I had a great weekend. I was blessed to be able to go and spend time with Hannah in Tacoma. It was wonderful and I really, really needed it! I have found that with my crazy life here that I have had to remove myself from the area in order to truly rest and recover. We had so much fun watching movies (Fred Claus - very cute), getting a pedicure, going out to eat, going and seeing Rob Bell (who was new to me), sleeping in, shopping, etc. She is a dear friend and it was great spending time with her. Next time I travel up there I will take Jasmin.
Speaking of Jasmin, the honeymoon is definitely over! I need to be sensitive of her and can't write anything since this is somewhat public - but if you want details let me know.:-)
Cheer has been very, very hard. Last night I had to dismiss a girl from the squad. Even after she had PLENTY of warning, I was literally sick over it and felt like I was breaking up with a boyfriend or something. I did not want to do it but knew it was the right and fair thing to do. Anyway, I am glad it is over but I am praying that she will be able to continue on in her life OK (not that cheer is everything but I don't want her to think that I didn't 'want' her) and that she will be able to make better decisions in all areas. Other then that the girls are tired (as am I) and we are all ready to be done for a while. The good thing is that basketball doesn't really start until after the new year. The bad thing is that we are going to playoffs for football and who knows when that will end.
Here is an updated pic of my niece:
I saw her at lunch. She is the cutest ever. She tells me "hi" and gives me a big smile when I see her. Today I heard her say "no" for the first time and I had to force myself to keep from laughing. She is so darn smart too. Such a delight!
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
I read this online this morning. It can be found on Time.com. It is very interesting...to say the least. Thoughts?
By DAVID VAN BIEMA Tue Nov 6, 12:30 AM ET
On questions relating to the Bible's treatment of family and morals, one might expect assurance, if not rigidity, from Evangelical Christianity. So, it may surprise many to learn how "live" the topic of divorce remains in Evangelical circles. Last month, the cover story of the monthly Christianity Today was titled "When to Separate What God has Joined: A Closer Reading on the Bible on Divorce." The heated controversy provoked by the story showed how Biblically flexible some Evangelicals can be - especially when God's word seems at odds not just with modern American behavior, but also with simple human kindness.
As the article's author, the British Evangelical scholar David Instone-Brewer, points out, for most of 2,000 years Christians have viewed divorce through two scriptural citations. In Matthew, the pharisees ask Christ, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?" Jesus refers to the Old Testament and then replies, "Whoever divorces a wife, except for sexual indecency, commits adultery." The apostle Paul adds in the book First Corinthians that a Christian is "not bound" to a non-Christian spouse who abandons him. Simple, right?
Instone-Brewer radically reinterprets the first passage using, of all things, quotation marks. The Greek of the New Testament didn't always contain them, and scholars agree that sometimes they must be added in to make sense of it. Instone-Brewer, an expert in Jewish thought during Jesus's era, writes that Christ's interlocutors were not asking him whether there was any cause at all for divorce, but whether he supported something called "any-cause" divorce, a term a little bit like "no-fault" that allowed husbands to divorce wives for any reason at all. Instone-Brewer claims Jesus's "no" was a response to this idea, and that his "except for sexual indecency" condition was not a statement of the sole exemption from God's blanket prohibition, but merely Christ's reiteration of one of several divorce permissions in the Old Testament - one he felt the "any-time" advocates had exaggerated. Finally, Instone-Brewer tallies four grounds for divorce he finds affirmed in both Old and New Testaments: adultery, emotional and sexual neglect, abandonment (by anyone) and abuse.
Christianity Today has written previously on divorce, often bemoaning how easy it is in today's America. However, the Instone-Brewer essay appeared to be its editors' attempt to offer Evangelicals an escape from a classic dilemma. The "plain sense" of Jesus's words without quotes seems clear enough, but also inhumane: how could a loving God forbid divorce, even by omission, in cases of wife-beating, or of abandonment by a Christian spouse?
Each branch of Christianity deals with divorce in its own way: Catholicism bans it entirely, but many divorced and remarried couples nonetheless find that their conscience permits them to take Communion. Liberal Protestantism accepted divorce some decades ago without much engagement of the scriptural issue. Evangelicals define themselves as being tightly bound by scripture. But besides the humanitarian problem, there are some uncomfortable facts on the ground: The divorce rate among Evangelicals, which first became news after polls released by the Barna Research Group in 2001, has been as high or higher than the national average.
The Evangelical movement has actually made tremendous accommodations given the strictures it lives under. Ministries for the newly divorced are common at megachurches; and on the historically less-rigid Pentecostal side of the spectrum, celebrity preachers Juanita Bynum and Paula White both recently announced their intention to divorce. Most experts interviewed for this story attested that whereas 30 years ago, a pastor might well order a battered woman home to return her husband, that is rare today.
More conservative Evangelicals remain uneasy about divorce. If a split itself is inescapable, notes Christianity Today editor Andy Crouch, "remarriage is where the rubber meets the road," and many remarried couples find themselves denied church membership. Says Russel Moore, dean of the 16.3 million-member Southern Baptist Convention's influential Southern Seminary, "We teach our future pastors that marriage is a lifelong, one-flesh union." Any woman in an abusive marriage should "leave that situation," he acknowledges, and a "majority" probably accept remarriage. Asked if he does, Moore demurred: "Let me think about that for a little bit. I could answer in a way that would be very easily misunderstood."
Evangelical conflict on the topic was obvious in reader response to the Instone Brewer essay. Initially the mail was heavily negative. The most stinging broadside sas a column by John Piper, a respected theological conservative, that called the essay not just weak but "tragic." The magazine's editor in chief, David Neff, felt the need to explain online that "Instone-Brewer's article did not... give people carte blanche on divorce." The mail eventually leveled off at 60% negative to 40% positive.
Still, the controversy suggests that even the country's most rule-bound Christians will search for a fresh understanding of scripture when it seems unjust to them. The implications? Flexibility on divorce may mean that evangelicals could also rethink their position on such things as gay marriage, as a generation of Christians far more accepting of homosexuality begins to move into power. (The ever-active Barna folks have found that 57% of "born-again" Christians age 16-29 criticize their own church for being "anti-homosexual.") It could also give heart to a certain twice-divorced former New York mayor who is running for President and seeking the conservative vote. But that may be pushing things a bit.
By DAVID VAN BIEMA Tue Nov 6, 12:30 AM ET
On questions relating to the Bible's treatment of family and morals, one might expect assurance, if not rigidity, from Evangelical Christianity. So, it may surprise many to learn how "live" the topic of divorce remains in Evangelical circles. Last month, the cover story of the monthly Christianity Today was titled "When to Separate What God has Joined: A Closer Reading on the Bible on Divorce." The heated controversy provoked by the story showed how Biblically flexible some Evangelicals can be - especially when God's word seems at odds not just with modern American behavior, but also with simple human kindness.
As the article's author, the British Evangelical scholar David Instone-Brewer, points out, for most of 2,000 years Christians have viewed divorce through two scriptural citations. In Matthew, the pharisees ask Christ, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?" Jesus refers to the Old Testament and then replies, "Whoever divorces a wife, except for sexual indecency, commits adultery." The apostle Paul adds in the book First Corinthians that a Christian is "not bound" to a non-Christian spouse who abandons him. Simple, right?
Instone-Brewer radically reinterprets the first passage using, of all things, quotation marks. The Greek of the New Testament didn't always contain them, and scholars agree that sometimes they must be added in to make sense of it. Instone-Brewer, an expert in Jewish thought during Jesus's era, writes that Christ's interlocutors were not asking him whether there was any cause at all for divorce, but whether he supported something called "any-cause" divorce, a term a little bit like "no-fault" that allowed husbands to divorce wives for any reason at all. Instone-Brewer claims Jesus's "no" was a response to this idea, and that his "except for sexual indecency" condition was not a statement of the sole exemption from God's blanket prohibition, but merely Christ's reiteration of one of several divorce permissions in the Old Testament - one he felt the "any-time" advocates had exaggerated. Finally, Instone-Brewer tallies four grounds for divorce he finds affirmed in both Old and New Testaments: adultery, emotional and sexual neglect, abandonment (by anyone) and abuse.
Christianity Today has written previously on divorce, often bemoaning how easy it is in today's America. However, the Instone-Brewer essay appeared to be its editors' attempt to offer Evangelicals an escape from a classic dilemma. The "plain sense" of Jesus's words without quotes seems clear enough, but also inhumane: how could a loving God forbid divorce, even by omission, in cases of wife-beating, or of abandonment by a Christian spouse?
Each branch of Christianity deals with divorce in its own way: Catholicism bans it entirely, but many divorced and remarried couples nonetheless find that their conscience permits them to take Communion. Liberal Protestantism accepted divorce some decades ago without much engagement of the scriptural issue. Evangelicals define themselves as being tightly bound by scripture. But besides the humanitarian problem, there are some uncomfortable facts on the ground: The divorce rate among Evangelicals, which first became news after polls released by the Barna Research Group in 2001, has been as high or higher than the national average.
The Evangelical movement has actually made tremendous accommodations given the strictures it lives under. Ministries for the newly divorced are common at megachurches; and on the historically less-rigid Pentecostal side of the spectrum, celebrity preachers Juanita Bynum and Paula White both recently announced their intention to divorce. Most experts interviewed for this story attested that whereas 30 years ago, a pastor might well order a battered woman home to return her husband, that is rare today.
More conservative Evangelicals remain uneasy about divorce. If a split itself is inescapable, notes Christianity Today editor Andy Crouch, "remarriage is where the rubber meets the road," and many remarried couples find themselves denied church membership. Says Russel Moore, dean of the 16.3 million-member Southern Baptist Convention's influential Southern Seminary, "We teach our future pastors that marriage is a lifelong, one-flesh union." Any woman in an abusive marriage should "leave that situation," he acknowledges, and a "majority" probably accept remarriage. Asked if he does, Moore demurred: "Let me think about that for a little bit. I could answer in a way that would be very easily misunderstood."
Evangelical conflict on the topic was obvious in reader response to the Instone Brewer essay. Initially the mail was heavily negative. The most stinging broadside sas a column by John Piper, a respected theological conservative, that called the essay not just weak but "tragic." The magazine's editor in chief, David Neff, felt the need to explain online that "Instone-Brewer's article did not... give people carte blanche on divorce." The mail eventually leveled off at 60% negative to 40% positive.
Still, the controversy suggests that even the country's most rule-bound Christians will search for a fresh understanding of scripture when it seems unjust to them. The implications? Flexibility on divorce may mean that evangelicals could also rethink their position on such things as gay marriage, as a generation of Christians far more accepting of homosexuality begins to move into power. (The ever-active Barna folks have found that 57% of "born-again" Christians age 16-29 criticize their own church for being "anti-homosexual.") It could also give heart to a certain twice-divorced former New York mayor who is running for President and seeking the conservative vote. But that may be pushing things a bit.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Yum, lunchtime. But what to do for lunch today? As I decided I thought I would take a moment to say "hi" to all of you out there in blog world. I hope that you are enjoying your lunch break at this very moment!
Not much to update you on. Things are pretty much the same in my world. I have been painting my house little by little. It is more tedious then anything. I am really excited to see the finished product. My favorite of course is my red kitchen.:-)
This weekend I am going to the Bulldog game with my dad. He has season tickets but my brother always gets the other ticket. He couldn't go this weekend so I got to snag it. It is my first game in four years so I am super excited about going.
Thanksgiving is only three weeks from today. Isn't that so bizarre?
I have been battling many self esteem attacks lately. Instead of giving details, which this isn't exactly the proper forum for that, I can sum it up by just saying that I am feeling rather "unlovely." I have noticed that this is a constant current in my life that just acts up every once in a while. It just seems to be that time again. No fun, but it will subside.
I am going to a work conference in San Francisco on Tuesday and come home on Thursday. On Friday I leave for Tacoma to visit one of my besties, Hannah, and spend the holiday weekend with her. I'm super excited! I really, really need a vacation and this will be a great trip I'm sure.
Sullivan was a lion for Halloween. If you ask her what a lion says she will quickly tell you, "Rawr!" She is pretty much the cutest kid in the world.;-) Can't wait to have some of my own...hopefully sooner rather then later.
OK, I think I am going to go to Subway! Mmmmm...:-) Happy November!
Not much to update you on. Things are pretty much the same in my world. I have been painting my house little by little. It is more tedious then anything. I am really excited to see the finished product. My favorite of course is my red kitchen.:-)
This weekend I am going to the Bulldog game with my dad. He has season tickets but my brother always gets the other ticket. He couldn't go this weekend so I got to snag it. It is my first game in four years so I am super excited about going.
Thanksgiving is only three weeks from today. Isn't that so bizarre?
I have been battling many self esteem attacks lately. Instead of giving details, which this isn't exactly the proper forum for that, I can sum it up by just saying that I am feeling rather "unlovely." I have noticed that this is a constant current in my life that just acts up every once in a while. It just seems to be that time again. No fun, but it will subside.
I am going to a work conference in San Francisco on Tuesday and come home on Thursday. On Friday I leave for Tacoma to visit one of my besties, Hannah, and spend the holiday weekend with her. I'm super excited! I really, really need a vacation and this will be a great trip I'm sure.
Sullivan was a lion for Halloween. If you ask her what a lion says she will quickly tell you, "Rawr!" She is pretty much the cutest kid in the world.;-) Can't wait to have some of my own...hopefully sooner rather then later.
OK, I think I am going to go to Subway! Mmmmm...:-) Happy November!
Monday, October 22, 2007
It’s Monday morning! Oh how I HATE Mondays! How I LOVE weekends… lol
Jasmine has fit in really well with my family, in my household, and into American life. She is a good girl and is really, really, enjoying her time here. She is a very pretty girl and is teeny-tiny! A double zero! Must be rough. ;-) It has been a lot of fun to have her around, although I do admit that being an instant mom to a 17-year-old can be daunting at times. Tomorrow she will have been here for four weeks. Here are some funny, and poignant Jasmine-isms:
“You are going to a baby shower? Is that the baptism?”
“You eat chips with sandwiches? WEIRD!”
“I have never had peanut butter and chocolate together before.”
“People actually buy ice here? Why?”
“Everything is so big here! The streets are so wide, there are trucks everywhere, and everyone has big cars!”
“How do you pray?”
“People in America are all about drama!”
“What is root beer?”
VTR and cheer are continuing to keep me busy. KHS will go to playoffs so who knows how long football season will last. I am looking forward to basketball. It will be nice to watch a different sport and help the girls prepare for something different. I have enjoyed my job as a social worker and think that this is something I could do long term. It gets me out of the office and I like helping kids. It has been a good job so far and surprisingly fairly low stress.
I am painting the inside of my house, which I have really been looking forward to. I just got all of the dark wood painted and now I am going to paint each room one at a time as time allows. My goal is to be done by the holidays so my house will be all ready for all the different gatherings and celebrations. Yay!
I saw the movie “Elizabeth” over the weekend. It was decent and the costumes were beautiful. It must be so fun for those people to work on sets like those! I am looking forward to the holiday movies, which will be coming out soon. This is my favorite time of year for that and so many more reasons!
This goes without saying but I miss the East Coast. I have decided that if Kristin stays in D.C. for another year (past this summer) that I will be moving out to her area as soon as mid June. She is already aware of this and hopefully does not fill any pressure about staying if God leads her otherwise. If she does move then I will have to decide if I want to go anyway. Of course Kristin wouldn’t be the ONLY reason I would move but she would def be a big part of it as those of you who have made big moves before know, having a ready made friend (and she is one of my besties!) makes a world of difference. I want God’s will for her so of course if He leads her elsewhere I want her to go…and yet God still might want me to go there w/o her. So we’ll see…but I just thought I would share that with you as it looks like another big adventure is in store for me. My parents are aware of this and think it is the most ridiculous decision I can make, and as my mom says I am too old to do this again, but we have agreed to disagree. I know God brought me back here to CA. But what I don’t know is for how long. I still feel like the EC is my home and if I go out to D.C. even if for only a year at least when I lie on my deathbed I will feel like I tried, that I pursued all, or the majority, of my dreams. Kingsburg will always be here and I can always come back to it… That’s my thinking anyway.:-)
Gotta get back to work! Blessings to you today!
Jasmine has fit in really well with my family, in my household, and into American life. She is a good girl and is really, really, enjoying her time here. She is a very pretty girl and is teeny-tiny! A double zero! Must be rough. ;-) It has been a lot of fun to have her around, although I do admit that being an instant mom to a 17-year-old can be daunting at times. Tomorrow she will have been here for four weeks. Here are some funny, and poignant Jasmine-isms:
“You are going to a baby shower? Is that the baptism?”
“You eat chips with sandwiches? WEIRD!”
“I have never had peanut butter and chocolate together before.”
“People actually buy ice here? Why?”
“Everything is so big here! The streets are so wide, there are trucks everywhere, and everyone has big cars!”
“How do you pray?”
“People in America are all about drama!”
“What is root beer?”
VTR and cheer are continuing to keep me busy. KHS will go to playoffs so who knows how long football season will last. I am looking forward to basketball. It will be nice to watch a different sport and help the girls prepare for something different. I have enjoyed my job as a social worker and think that this is something I could do long term. It gets me out of the office and I like helping kids. It has been a good job so far and surprisingly fairly low stress.
I am painting the inside of my house, which I have really been looking forward to. I just got all of the dark wood painted and now I am going to paint each room one at a time as time allows. My goal is to be done by the holidays so my house will be all ready for all the different gatherings and celebrations. Yay!
I saw the movie “Elizabeth” over the weekend. It was decent and the costumes were beautiful. It must be so fun for those people to work on sets like those! I am looking forward to the holiday movies, which will be coming out soon. This is my favorite time of year for that and so many more reasons!
This goes without saying but I miss the East Coast. I have decided that if Kristin stays in D.C. for another year (past this summer) that I will be moving out to her area as soon as mid June. She is already aware of this and hopefully does not fill any pressure about staying if God leads her otherwise. If she does move then I will have to decide if I want to go anyway. Of course Kristin wouldn’t be the ONLY reason I would move but she would def be a big part of it as those of you who have made big moves before know, having a ready made friend (and she is one of my besties!) makes a world of difference. I want God’s will for her so of course if He leads her elsewhere I want her to go…and yet God still might want me to go there w/o her. So we’ll see…but I just thought I would share that with you as it looks like another big adventure is in store for me. My parents are aware of this and think it is the most ridiculous decision I can make, and as my mom says I am too old to do this again, but we have agreed to disagree. I know God brought me back here to CA. But what I don’t know is for how long. I still feel like the EC is my home and if I go out to D.C. even if for only a year at least when I lie on my deathbed I will feel like I tried, that I pursued all, or the majority, of my dreams. Kingsburg will always be here and I can always come back to it… That’s my thinking anyway.:-)
Gotta get back to work! Blessings to you today!
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