Clark Gardens

Recently inspired by one of my friend's trave-blog of her home town (thanks Monkey), I thougth it would be fun to post a few pictures from Mineral Wells, Texas!






These were taken at Clark Gardens. This place is amazing. Acres and acres of exquisite gardens (Over 50!). No one would ever guess that such culture existed in tiny town Texas. It is definitely an oasis of beauty that surpasses any of the botanic gardens I've seen elsewhere.





I know I am Texas proud and, therefore, prone to exaggeration, but... seriously... check out these pictures taken with my cheap little disposable camera. (Having digital issues at the moment).



This is a replica of the local courthouse. There are miniature trains running through parts of the gardens. I was a little bummed they weren't people sized, but, oh well. ;) It's very Mr. Rogers, don't you think?







It's nice to have a place like this to add to my screen/sanity saver collection.

Especially one that takes me back home.

Machu Picchu

Here's another one of the pic's I used as a screensaver. My brother took this while on assignment with the embassy in Lima. He gets all the sweet gigs.

I've always been fascinated with Machu Picchu in Peru. The name means "manly peak", but most of the people that lived there were women, children and priests.
Someday, I hope to see this place for myself. For now, I guess I'll just have to keep staring at my computer all day, thinking about what's outside.

I just love this picture, how the green mountain floats above the mist/clouds. Every time I look at this scene I search for that one, solitary tree and.... ponder it.

The Incans thought their gods would reign forever and would keep them forever as well. They built this place as a temple. Spanish documents of the Indian Archives in Seville record that Incan leader Atahuallpato said to Fray Wicente Valverde, when asked to accept Christ-- "The Christ that you speak of died, the Sun and Moon never die, besides how do you know your god created the world?"

But for the tourists, and occasional goat, the temple stands empty today.

By the Tail

I had this picture as my screensaver for a while when I was practicing family law in Texas. I got a little chuckle out of the irony (lawyers are often referred to as sharks) and I got to see a picture of my sweet niece at the same time.

Isn't she cute!

Her daddy's a Special Forces/Ranger/Old Guard/PsyOp Bad-A... so--don't worry-- she can handle that shark--

... and make it look like an accident. ;)

Backwoods USA

One of the things I love most about living in the DC area is the proximity to the many museums, libraries, conferences, memorials and schools. The free flow of ideas is part of what makes this nation so wonderful and vibrant, yet solemn and reverent as well.

People here, for the most part, share a love for learning along with a general respect for the history of this great country.

This is why I was so shocked to see an article this morning outlining the egregious means some of the leaders of the very learning institutions I so admire, have gone to in order to stifle a certain area in this exchange of ideas.

The article states that some of the top "senior scientists at the Smithsonian Institution" have circulated emails throughout the Smithsonian Institution and to outside sources that are filled with false and defamatory claims against a fellow scientist in order to discredit him. The misinformation runs the gamut from claims that he had accepted bribes, was a sleeper cell spy, even that he wasn't even a scientist at all. The effect of all this malicious character assasination was the "running off" of this previously highly praised scholar.

Why? What had he done to be driven by this torch carrying mob from the halls of learning?

He dared to question something that in their minds was "thoroughly understood."

(Case closed. No more discussion. Any further inquiry into this area will be met with extreme retribution and ostracism. Everything that can be discovered has already been discovered. We might as well shut down the labs and universities and turn them all into museums for what we already know.)

This editor, who holds two PHD's in the questioned area, who draws high praise from his former professors, and was awarded a highly-prized and coveted research associate appointment at the Smithsonian Institution in 2000, has now been ostracized from the same community that had so warmly embraced him.

Apparently, he touched on a very raw nerve for the scientific community to go to such underhanded efforts to discredit him. An independent agency came to the conclusion that he was, in fact, smeared as retaliation.

What could cause such an unethical reaction from those who claim to constantly be searching for truth:

This scientist, Dr. Richard Sternberg, published an article written by a Cambridge University educated philosopher of science in a journal he had been asked by the Smithsonian to edit. Before allowing it to print, he sent the article to three separate scientists for peer review. The consensus among the peer reviewers was that the article should be printed in order to air the views within it and open up the topic for discussion.

The article in question, written by Stephen C. Meyer, argued that "evoluionary theory cannot account for the vast profusion of multicellular species and forms in what is known as the Cambrian "explosion", which occurred about 530 million years ago. (new paragraph) Scientists still puzzle at this great proliferation of life. But Meyer's paper went several long steps further, arguing that an intelligent agent -- God, according to many who espouse intelligent design-- was the best explanation for the rapid appearance of higher life forms." (taken from the Washington Post Article I read this morning.)

But what was the effect of the printing of this article on the Smithsonian leadership? One of the senior scientists in an email stated that Sternberg
"..has made us the laughing stock of the world, even if this kind of rubbish sells well in backwoods USA."

Well, I guess I am from backwoods USA. But I am also an American citizen and I live here in DC-- I frequent the Smithsonian's museums. Why is my opinion one that should be held up as "laughing stock" material? Sure, I'm not a scientist. But, when someone who has spent his entire career as an evolutionary biologist thinks the idea should still be open for discussion, why is it seen as an embarassment that needs to be placed into cement shoes and dumped into the Potomac?


The article closes with what I think is an amazing quote by Dr. Sternberg:

"I loathe careerism and the herd mentality. I really think that objective truth can be discovered and that popular opinion and consensus thinking does more to obscure than to reveal."

The Fattest Dog in the World

This is Baxter. The Fattest Dog in the World.

When my mom bought him, they told her he was a miniature beagle. Something tells me that miniature beagle is code for "his daddy was a hippopotamus".

I keep telling Mom that he's going to explode if she doesn't stop feeding him so much. She says it's a thyroid condition that's the problem (as she's hand feeding him buttered toast).

I say it's because you just can't say "no" to this:




And live!

Like Silver

“I will refine them like silver
and test them like gold.
They will call on my name
and I will answer them;
I will say, ‘They are my people,’
And they will say, ‘the Lord is our God.”
--Zec 13:9


"Dross" is the impurity found in raw metal. To remove the dross, the metal is heated and melted. This separates the impurities and they rise to the surface of the liquified metal. The dross is skimmed off, leaving behind pure, smooth metal.

As a child of God, this purification process happens to each of us in much the same way. We are heated (tested) until we turn loose of the things that are not of Him. Then, those things are taken away by the refiner and we are left stronger and purer.

The goal is to eventually be as pure silver—capable of reflecting the image of our Refiner to those around us.

….


It has been my experience that Nihilism is a both a by-product of and requirement for the study of English Literature in American universities. Granted, I had honed my radical skepticism in High School with my study of the works of Ayn Rand and Neitzsche.
I was a bleak, dark child—fascinated with futility. It was only natural I would eventually become an English major and fan of post-modernist art.
The immersion into extreme pessimism was complete and immediate. I rejected truth, loyalty, and purpose, and embraced existentialism and transcendental idealism. Author after author reinforced this view. I felt justified in my passion for destruction. It was a creative passion after all! “Everything is relative,” and “There are no absolutes,” became my mantras.
Hemmingway, Joyce, Vonnegut, the list is extensive-- and all seemed to echo this nothingness. My professors were all very helpful and dutifully pointed to any correlations I may have missed. I was a model student. Aced every class.
In fact, if I had continued in my pursuit of this world view, I just might have ended up with the ultimate prize awarded to many of the authors I had studied— a dark and meaningless existence capped with a bullet to the head.


I tell you all this to show you what Christ has done in my life. He’s given me hope and a future. He’s taken this dross and burned it away. I know there is Truth. I know there is Love. He has given me values. He has given me a purpose.

And part of that purpose is to reach out to those who are still living in the darkness I inhabited for so long.

Recently, God brought someone like this into my life. So much like me- yet eternity apart. There is a darkness and a sadness that surrounds them and it makes me want to run away; but I know God has put them in my path for a reason. I know all the arguments and all of the resistance I will face. I know it is not my job to argue people into the kingdom… but rather to love them. God has brought us both to this place for His purposes.

"... for, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?"-- Romans 10:13-14

At this point we are both faced with a decision:


Will I be bold and share the Truth, even if it means being ridiculed and rejected?

My answer will determine whether or not I am refined when tested, and therefore, more accurately reflect the image of my Savior to the world.


Will my friend believe and call upon the name of the Lord?

Their answer will determine whether they spend the rest of this life in darkness, and eternity separated from Christ.


No decision is still a decision.

Pray for us, if you would.

The Ticket

My co-worker Kyle and I went down to the "hill" to walk around and do some exploring. It was a busy summer day in mid June. Why I thought this would be a good idea on a day when I had on my most uncomfortable pointy shoes, I don't know. Strangely, I didn't stick out in the uncomfortable suited crowd.
As we were walking back to the metro station after lunch, I noticed a man near the entrance who did stick out. When I remember him now, I see him standing there, the color of ash. His gray hair and ragged beard matched perfectly his sooty gray clothes. He was reaching out desperately to people in the crowd. I could hear him say "I just need a little money for a ticket."
I was so excited. I was finally getting my chance to share. I reached into my purse and pulled out a huge handful of quarters and dimes and eagerly handed it to him. But, before I could say anything, I was carried by the rush of people getting onto the escalator. I was sad that I hadn't had a chance to do more, but God turned it into a victory anyway.
"Wow, that was nice." Kyle said, stunned. We started talking about how he had sort of "tuned-out" people like that. I shared my stories about how I used to be that way too but that I had decided to do things differently now. As we were talking and before we reached the bottom of the escalator, Kyle stopped mid-sentence and, looking off beyond me, said "Oh my gosh. He's buying a ticket!" He couldn't believe it. Kyle was so surprised that the man's story was actually true he could say nothing more than "hunh?" to himself a couple of times as he watched the man buy his ticket and board the train.
I could tell the whole experience had given him something to think about that he hadn't considered before. And I like to think that maybe, just maybe, the next time someone asks-- he'll give it a try too.

Compassion

I decided that I knew what I was supposed to do with the ridiculously large stash of coins I had amassed. I filled up a side pocket in my purse with change. I made sure I had easy access to it so as to have no excuses or fumbling when opportunities presented themselves. I had the exact words ready in my mind for the people God put in my path. I resolved to do my best to see these people who were asking for help in the same way that the Lord does-- His beloved and priceless treasures, worthy of love and respect.

Several days went by and-- nothing!

Not one person approached me or asked for a handout. What in the world! This never happens, right?

At this point I sat down and asked myself "What am I missing? Am I really ready?"

The more I thought about it and explored some of my attitudes, the more I realized that I wasn't. God's timing is rarely what we think it should be. I was rushing ahead and trying to do things in my own time and in my own way. I needed to look at clearing up some of the hardened and fearful areas of my heart first. Not fun.

--But necessary--

"You cannot run away from weakness; you must some time fight it out or perish; and if that be so, why not now, and where you stand?" - Robert Louis Stevenson.


For most of my life, I was a cynical and skeptical person. I trusted no one and was actually an extremely mean and bitter individual. In my mind, I was smarter than the con men (or women) who were trying to fast talk me out of my money. Oh, and I was what my brothers used to affectionately call me-- a "miser"-- too. So, you can see where I might have accumulated a little plaque on the old ticker in the areas of me turning loose of MY money to people I didn't even know.

When I turned my life over to Christ, I became a new creation. Those who knew me before were astonished at the miraculous transformation. I suddenly knew how to trust and forgive and love and so many other wonderous things that I never knew before. I wasn't plagued by regret for all of the years I had spent in the darkness, I was thankful for the light, because I knew it was all going to be used one day to help others who were going through the same things.

So why the snag all of the sudden?

Because I needed to remember the way I used to look at people. I needed to feel and imagine how it must have felt for them to have someone like me walk by without even looking at them, or worse, telling them to "get lost". I needed to hurt for these people who were already lost (not necessarily unsaved, but have lost their way somehow) before I could truly look them in the eye and honestly tell them that God loves them and I did too.

I kept on working on a deeper compassion, kept the change ready, and continued to trust and wait on the Lord.

Thankfully, it only took a few more days before I was given my next step....

Change, Continued.

For the past year or so, I've been gathering my spare change. I'm not really sure why I started doing it. Perhaps it had something to do with an Oprah Winfrey episode on money management, or it was just a return to the hoarding days of my youth when I saved every cent for that chance trip to the store, where I would blow it all on candy and Ms. Pac Man.
Or, just maybe there was another reason.
Whenever I would look at the growing cache of coins, I would say to myself, "I'll just take it to one of those machines in the grocery store." You know the ones where you pour your nickels, dimes, quarters, buttons and lint in and it counts everything for you, giving you bills in return.
Something kept me from it. Partially, I'm sure it had to do with another holdover from my childhood-- Abject Humiliation. The thought of standing in the front of Harris Teeter while that crazy machine makes the most obnoxious racket as I stood by, pretending that I had neither poured the fifty pounds of change in there nor had I just been scrounging through my seat cushions an floorboards moments earlier looking for more-- was not exactly something I was eagerly anticipating.
Why would a grown person need this many quarters?
After college, it becomes extremely uncool to have an excess, even if they do have all the states on them.
I figure I had about $60.00 worth when I arrived here in DC.

One night while lying on the floor, contemplating the bigger things (my furniture is all in storage and the bed I had ordered still hadn't arrived), my thoughts turned to the nagging desire recently placed in my heart to be and do more for others. I felt a lot like one of those beans we all planted in the styrofoam cups as children. I could tell that something was about to break through and take root. It was very exciting, but I had no clue what form this new thing would take when fully grown. I just knew it was going to be something not from me but through me.
I knew I was going to be different. I knew I was going to grow.
Suddenly, it all came together. Clarity.
Of COURSE, the CHANGE!
I knew the new thing that was going to happen was going to come through the change I had been collecting.

I just didn't know exactly how.....

I had my suspicions, but, as it turns out, I was way off on what actually happened.

Change for the Better

I love the Metro. I've been here two months already and I still love it. I really love not having to drive in this crazy DC traffic.
There are so many interesting stories, wrapped in people packages, getting on and off those trains every day. I know it is impossible to put all of these people into neat categories, but, there are three groups of people I've noticed that have particularly grabbed my interest on the Metro.

The "Strivers": These are the ones who are rushing, pushing to get ahead, never looking left or right, but straight ahead and sometimes down (mostly on those in the next group). They need no one else. They are going to make it on their own and woe be to those who dare get in the way. People in this group are never seen without their headphones on, their PDA's whizzing, and something to read.

Looking Around: These are the people who appear to have resigned themselves to being the ones "passed by" in the wake of the strivers. They are looking for help, unsure of their own ability to survive in this world. Perhaps they've made some very bad choices. Possibly, they've never known any other way to be but dependent.



I guess I've been guilty of being a Metro zombie on a few occasions (ok, maybe more than a few). But, I have decided that I wanted to be someone in a third category:

Those who are Looking Up.

Soon after arriving in DC, I decided to begin praying for opportunities to show God's love to those I meet in the Metro (and everywhere else). I knew I needed to have more compassion for all people, and not just the loveable ones who agree with me.
Coming from such a sheltered and wonderful place like Fort Worth, I could go months at a time and never run into someone who didn't think, act, or speak exactly as I did. Don't ge me wrong, I love Fort Worth. The Lord had me there for a reason, preparing me and making sure I was well grounded and solid in my beliefs before He sent me to the very dark place where He wanted me to be salt and light for Him.
I know that each person is precious to the One who created us all. He knows the number of hairs on our heads (even the bald ones), He knit us in our mothers' wombs. We are each a beautiful treasure to Him and He loves us all the same.
It didn't take long for the Lord to show me His plan for how I could be used here in the city.
It has only been a month and a half since my first "mission" and I already have tons of stories to share on how God uses the foolish things of this world (me) for His purposes.

Stay tuned to this blog for more details on the simple things that have made a big difference in the D.C. Metro.



*Tourists fall into their own unique group. They are wide eyed and wonderful. They are looking at everything. I love the excitement and thirst for knowledge they have. I just might write something all about them someday too.
Actually, I've been here such a short time, I probably fall into this category-- but not often enough.*