The Fish Tank

Did any of you watch the Kiefer Sutherland show, "24"? If not, let me give you a short synopsis. Kiefer played Jack Bauer, a field director for a counter-terrorist group. Every week, Bauer would chip away at solving a terrorist threat. Each episode was one hour of the 24 hours. It was intriguing and suspenseful. While we may not be leading a coalition against terrorism (although many of us may feel that way), we all have the same 24 hours. I am a (very) white girl with light eyes and blond hair. I grew up in an affluent primarily white community. Before you leave this blog because you think I am going to talk about race and are tired of it, be comforted that this is not the case. I am just trying to give you a little background and perspective. Even though I lived in this environment, I was never taught to see anyone differently than myself. I had friends of various cultures and ethnicities and some with special needs. I never saw any of that. They were just my friends. Unt

One of my very best friends is not a Christian. We met in college in our credential program and then got our Masters in Education together. That was sixteen years ago. We have seen each other through school stresses, beginning our careers, advancing our careers,travel, marriages, babies, and all of life's other happenings. She's my "talk-me-off-this-ledge-give-me-a-different-perspective" girl. We are very similar so we get each other's crazy. While we have many similarities, we are also vastly different. Kind of like the odd couple. And you know what? I kind of like it. A couple of weeks ago, I was struggling with some big-ticket items in my faith. Some well-known Christians came out with some stuff and were immediately attacked by numerous people. What got me down was that they were quickly berated by fellow Christians. I had friends texting and messaging asking me my thoughts challenging me in every way. My husband and I are also studying church history. While

I stopped abruptly in the middle of my kitchen. I felt as if my feet could not move. There I had to hold back tears. I was thankful; so very thankful. I had just scrolled through my Instagram pictures. Not the feed, but the pictures I posted that day. I had also just read the fourth encouraging text message of the day. I stopped because in that moment I realized my life does not mirror what I am being told it should look like right now and I like it. My Instagram story from yesterday is one of service and good people. It tells a story of how people of varying ages, races, cultures, families, and lives came together to do good in this world. This Insta story was not fabricated or edited to make more beautiful. The beauty was there; unaltered. My day started as most Thursdays do: preparing for the ladies Bible study at our church. I am deeply honored and so completely humbled that I get to be a part of this incredible group of women. Christians are getting a bad rap these days. The

'But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the sunagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belongings to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" And he said, Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ANd for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank... "Brother Saul,, the Lord Jesus who appeared t

I was a freshman in high school. My mom was driving me to school the morning I said, "I wish I knew everything there is to know." My mom's response, "Not me." At the time, I couldn't understand why she wouldn't want to know everything. I mean, how cool would that be? I didn't want knowledge for power. The human brain intrigued me then and still does today. I wanted to know everything to understand us better. She, on the other hand, knew a protected mind was a blessing. Now that I am a mom and an adult, I can understand my mom's perspective. Why on earth would I want to know all the bad stuff? This world is harsh at times and it's difficult to wrap our brains around the atrocities. I am learning that I know and want to know far less than I did when I was younger. I am also realizing that I am okay with not knowing. I recently started a study of the Church. Not my church, but the Christian church as a whole. My husband started researching