The other day I read a blog post and got inspired. It was called Ten on Tuesday (or something like that), the basic idea being that you share ten things on every Tuesday. I’m not entirely sure of the rules of “the ten” what they should be about etc. But, I liked the idea, mostly because I like making lists. So I’m going to try and start my own version to share with you – it will be Four for Friday. Why? Well Friday is the end of the week, I have time in the mornings and I like alliteration almost as much as I like lists!
1. I’ve heard and heard & read and read this week about politics and the election. Some good, some not so good, most just down right confusing. In conversations with students I feel a lot of frustration on their part and mine that the options we have are so formulated and boxed in. Students feel confused and lost in all the information that they hear. What is the right way to vote? Who do we listen to and why? Why is there is so much focus on making the decision on November 4th? I encourage students to vote on Nov. 4th, but also to be aware of how we vote on Nov. 3rd and Nov. 5th and every other day of our lives. A recent article in Relevant Magazine got me thinking about this idea of every day voting. How do we vote with what we buy? Where we go? How we spend our time and energy? There’s no national campaign for these kinds of votes. Or maybe there is and we have become so used to it we don’t realize we are being persuaded any more.
2. Acorn Squash Bread – Amazing!! I love fall and I love baking. Acorn squash bread marries these two loves in a beautiful and delicious union! I’d never made acorn squash bread before, but we had two left over acorn squash from dinner a few nights ago. So instead of letting them go bad, I looked up a recipe and got to work. I had two squash and ended up with three loaves – not bad!
3. After listening to a discussion on Race and Religion in the Presidential Election, I had to come home and look up a few words. One being plutocrat, a word used several times in the discussion. A plutocracy is: rule by the wealthy, or power provided by wealth. In a plutocracy, the degree of economic inequality is high while the level of social mobility is low (thank you Wikipedia!). What I also found in looking up this one word was a host of other “cracies” or ways of ruling. From the familiar anarchy to the not so familiar kritocracy (rule by judges). I was amazed by two things. One, the vast and numerous ways we as people have created to rule and be governed. It seems to say that we know we need to have governing in our lives, but how we go about that is still up for debate. Two, you can waste a lot of time on Wikipedia . . . I found myself reading about the Spartans of Ancient Greece and their political structure at 12:30am. At that point I knew it was time for bed.
4. His delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:1-3
What does it mean to have yourself planted by streams of water? To have your roots sank so deep in the goodness of God’s word and will that your life is a lush and beautiful expression of His love and laws. I am wondering why the tree in these verses is planted by streams of water? Why not a pond, or a river or an ocean for that matter? I am also wondering this week – What if my roots were in that richest of rich soil? The soil that is by those streams of water.
These are just my own thoughts and ramblings on this Friday! Enjoy your weekend!
This is great – thanks for the idea – you rock!