tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71692531268793561632024-03-04T21:13:41.141-07:00From Doing to BeingKim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.comBlogger460125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-79653782565216361062014-07-09T10:20:00.000-06:002019-09-20T15:20:37.588-06:00Why Jesus Washes Feet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When I think about the story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet, I usually think about what it means from the perspective of the disciples. They are humbled in the face of the Master humbling himself to wash their feet. And they are encouraged to go out into the world and imitate the servanthood Jesus has just shown them. I've written more about that <a href="http://kimturnage.blogspot.com/2011/04/dirty-feet.html" target="_blank">here </a>(alongside a photo of a VERY dirty pair of feet!)<br />
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The verses that popped into my inbox this morning <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+13:1-17&version=NRSV" target="_blank">(John 13: 1-17)</a> included the washing of the feet story. And for the first time, I noticed what came right BEFORE the foot washing.<br />
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<i>Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. John 13:3</i></div>
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It's the first time I've seen the foot washing as a RESPONSE instead of as a CALL TO ACTION.<br />
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<i>Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God....</i><br />
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How does that translate?<br />
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<i>Kim, knowing that Jesus had given everything for her, that he had broken every barrier that separated her from God and that she was going with him to God....</i><br />
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So what will be my RESPONSE?</div>
Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-16932312965467469982014-07-07T15:19:00.002-06:002019-09-20T15:20:33.715-06:00Is God trying to tell me something?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We went to church on Sunday. It's been a while. A long while.<br />
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To be honest, I haven't been feeling it with God all that much lately. But all I had to do was sit down, quiet the noise in my head and in my life for <i>one hour</i>, listen for God...and there he is... loud and clear, saying, <i>"I've been here all along. I've been working right beside you...right inside you...all this time. You haven't been seeing."</i><br />
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On Sunday, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT8GkzyBUlg" target="_blank">Rebekah Layton told the Feeding of the 4000</a> from a perspective I've never heard before. She called attention to how, right after he feeds 4000 people with only 7 loaves and has enough left over to fill 7 baskets, two things happen.<br />
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<li>The Pharisees ask for a sign. Seriously? Can they not see what's right in front of them? Who is right in front of them? What are they looking for? What to they want him to do?</li>
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<li>The disciples, on a boat in the middle of a lake, get hungry and start arguing over why they don't have enough bread. Seriously? When they have, right there on the boat with them, the Bread of Life, the One they just watched provide more than enough for so many more people? How did they miss what Jesus was doing? </li>
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And she recounted the stories that immediately precede and follow the healing of the 4000 story...Jesus healing a deaf and mute man....then Jesus healing a blind man.<br />
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Then she summed it all up like this:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes we can't see Jesus simply because he's not doing what we want him to do. </span><br />
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We are deaf, we are blind, we panic in the presence of the very one, the only one, who can save us. Because what he is doing is not what we expect him to be doing. So we miss it.<br />
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And that just keeps echoing today:<br />
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<li>In this verse that popped into my inbox this morning: <i>They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Romans 1:25 (NIV)</i></li>
<li>In this post from Michelle DeRusha about how <a href="http://michellederusha.com/2014/07/prayer-is-paying-attention/" target="_blank">Prayer Is Paying Attention</a></li>
<li>In this poem/prayer by ee cummings I scrolled over in my facebook feed: <i>I thank you god for this amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes </i> </li>
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God is trying to tell me something. God is doing something right now. I'll be quiet. I'll listen. I'll watch. May he give me eyes to see and ears to hear.</div>
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Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-30518761807360143832012-11-17T16:22:00.001-07:002012-11-17T16:24:42.356-07:00Breakfast on the Run<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Breakfast never looks like this at my house.<br />
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I'm not a morning person, and on school days, "breakfast" has always consisted of cereal, cinnamon toast or Eggo waffles...whatever they can fix for themselves. Lately, my big kids have been skipping breakfast in favor of a few extra minutes of sleep. (They come by this honestly).</div>
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But breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? So I've been plotting ways to let everyone get their sleep while also getting a good breakfast.<br />
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<b>The trick?</b> Make breakfasts ahead that they can warm up in less than a minute and take with them when they walk out the door. Something healthy, nutritious and not processed and pre-packaged. Here are some of our favorites so far.</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Hearty Egg Muffins</b> </blockquote>
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<i>I've been playing with variations on these and don't know where I got the basic ingredients, but this works great and is very flexible to change. Learn from my pain and DO NOT under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES try to make these in a metal muffin tin (even if it's "non-stick"--no matter how much you grease it, it won't be enough). ONLY use a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=muffin+tin+silicone&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=6351735501&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=425541&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1442956781420973995&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&ref=pd_sl_mtz7cc023_b" target="_blank">silicone muffin pan.</a> Trust me.</i><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>6 eggs</li>
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<li>3/8 cup milk</li>
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<li>1/8 tsp sea salt</li>
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<li>1/2 c. shredded cheese</li>
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<li>1/2 -3/4 c. add-ins, finely chopped (ham, bacon bits, spinach, sausage, tomatoes, veggies, chicken...if you have it left over and your people like it, throw it in...it'll taste good)</li>
</ul>
Mix all ingredients, beating eggs well. Dole 1/4 cupfuls into silicone muffin cups. (Place your silicone muffin pan on a cookie sheet to keep from bending and spilling egg mixture). Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until middle of each muffin cup doesn't jiggle. Cool a little in pan, then use a spoon to remove muffins and cool them on a rack. Completely cooled muffins can be place in a storage container and stored in the fridge. Reheat in microwave for 30 minutes before running out the door with them. (Makes about a dozen) </blockquote>
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<i>For <b>even heartier muffins, </b>add a step with hashbrowns. Simply Potatoes would work. I use the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=muffin+tin+silicone&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=6351735501&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=425541&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1442956781420973995&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&ref=pd_sl_mtz7cc023_b" target="_blank">dehydrated ones in little milk cartons </a>from Costco. Just pay attention to how much salt is already added to your potatoes and don't add more. Mix 24 oz. shredded potatoes with 1 tsp. pepper, 2 T oil and 1/3 c. shredded cheese. Press mixture into bottom and edges of your silicone muffin cups. Bake at 425 for 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven, add egg mixture to each cup, lower oven temperature to 350 and bake as directed above. (Note: this amount of potatoes makes more like 18 muffins so you may need to adjust your egg amounts).</i><br />
I usually make 18 of these (because that's how many silicone muffin cups I have). They last about a week.<br />
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<b><a href="http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2004/03/oatmeal_breakfast_clafoutis.php">Oatmeal Clafoutis.</a> </b>(click for recipe)<br />
Not sure how to say clafoutis....I rhyme it with tootie frooties. For my niece, we just called it breakfast cake. Think of this as baked oatmeal with lots of goodies for people who don't like oatmeal. I've made it with blueberries, apples and craisins, pears and craisins, and never any nuts or raisins. I cut the 9x13 pan into granola bar size pieces, wrap them in plastic, and stack them in the fridge. Kids unwrap them and pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds. One pan lasts exactly one week at my house. </blockquote>
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<b><a href="http://beautyandbedlam.com/easy-egg-bake/" target="_blank">Elegant (and easy) Egg Bake</a> </b>(click for recipe)<br />
I have never found an egg casserole recipe I like because they almost always have bread as a main ingredient --until now. My kids love this. If they should ask anything about "cottage cheese" in this recipe, I would deny it. I've used shredded cheddar and either turkey or ham for the meat. This disappears within 2 or 3 days. It makes nice, firm pieces that you can wrap in individual servings if desired. </blockquote>
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<b>Egg McMuffins</b> </blockquote>
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I think mine must be healthier than McDonald's but they're the same basic concept. For each sandwich, you need:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>1 English muffin</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>1 egg</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>1 slice of Canadian Bacon</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>shredded cheese to taste</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>a little butter</li>
</ul>
I've read on the Internet that you can use wide-mouth jar rings for egg rings to keep your eggs round, but I tried them. Again, there's not enough non-stick spray in the world, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-994C-Silicone-Pancake-Round/dp/B001ULC93O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353194050&sr=8-1&keywords=silicone+rings" target="_blank">silicone is your friend.</a> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Melt a little butter on your heated skillet, crack an egg into each ring, break the yolk, and cook until set. Remove the ring, flip the egg and cook all the way. Warm Canadian Bacon in another part of the skillet, put cheese on top of egg, the put warmed meat on top to finish melting cheese. Toast your muffin halves, either in the toaster or with a little butter on your skillet. Assemble the sandwich. Cool and wrap in plastic wrap. Warm in microwave 30-45 seconds before serving.</blockquote>
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<b>I'm always trying new recipes and would love to try yours if you're willing to share it in a comment.</b> Thanks to these ideas, breakfast is looking a little better at my house these days!</div>
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Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-60501599781477913242012-10-01T15:27:00.000-06:002015-04-02T20:36:24.665-06:00Faith Like a Child<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is a picture of Peyton at 15 months, balancing on Rick's hands.<br />
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All three of our kids did this balancing act at about this age. Adults were consistently amazed when they saw it.<br />
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Reflecting on that adult reaction, I have to wonder. <i>Were our kids supernaturally gifted with balance?</i><br />
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I don't think so. All they did was trust, without an inkling of doubt, that all they needed was for their Daddy to hold them up.<br />
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And that when they did fall, he would be there to catch them.<br />
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The faith that is so easy for the littlest child is so, so hard for me.<br />
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<i>I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it. (Mark 10:15, NLT)</i></div>
Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-77693933668182377642012-05-06T20:08:00.000-06:002012-05-06T20:10:39.121-06:00Beautiful ThingsWe sang this song in church today, and I've been carrying it with me since.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TScWzIzT8m8" width="640"></iframe><br />
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<i>You make beautiful things, b</i><i>eautiful things</i><br />
<i>You make beautiful things out of the dust</i><br />
<i>You make beautiful things, b</i><i>eautiful things</i><br />
<i>You make beautiful things out of us</i><br />
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In the beginning...God formed Adam out of the dust. (Genesis 2:7)<br />
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And he promised Abraham, <i>"I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted!" </i>(Genesis 13:16)
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1 Samuel 2:8 says, <i>"He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, placing them in seats of honor. For all the earth is the LORD’s, and he has set the world in order."
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Jesus spit on the dust, made mud with the saliva and used it to restore the sight of a blind man (John 8).<br />
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Jesus drew in the dust with his finger, and the mob threatening to stone a woman for adultery, one by one, dropped their stones and walked away (John 9).<br />
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<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/index.php?search=dust&version1=NLT&searchtype=all&limit=none&wholewordsonly=no&startnumber=1">Again and again in Scripture</a> "dust" represents suffering, grief, even death. And again and again, He makes beautiful things out of the dust.<br />
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<b><i>Where is the dust in your life? </i></b><br />
<b><i>How have you seen God make beautiful things out of the dust? </i></b><br />
<b><i>How much more can he make out of us?</i></b><br />
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<i>Thinking about what I heard today and how to use it tomorrow with Michelle</i></div>
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<i>And joining Jen and the sisterhood</i></div>
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<br />Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-20787531095001450382012-04-17T09:54:00.000-06:002015-04-02T20:36:46.022-06:00Carrying his backpack<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This morning as we were walking to school, Peyton realized he had forgotten something. As he started running back to the house, he handed me his backpack saying, <i>"Here. Carry this."</i><br />
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It nearly pulled my shoulder out of its socket.<br />
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He's only in 5th grade! What can he possibly need to carry around every day that's so heavy??<br />
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And it hit me. Sometimes I forget that even though he's only 10, his load is pretty heavy some days. And if I help him carry it, he can run a little faster.</div>
Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-9150061956957759922012-04-05T09:00:00.000-06:002015-04-02T20:37:19.204-06:00Spring's Identity Crisis<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Spring in Colorado: 85 degrees on Sunday; 29 and snowing on Tuesday.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNthYhdi6283k_F0JHiU1Zvqp7bcYMkmqxhHRvLMUSkTFho1D_vXifpeG_QlAU5XsJM8Mz-ABpqsMaDQEjQbP8j1smq_Lf3vVIIy0Apvjlx7KWavP59CGkht_I-FAdC0kBHLLvQoSXI8/s1600/IMG_6487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNthYhdi6283k_F0JHiU1Zvqp7bcYMkmqxhHRvLMUSkTFho1D_vXifpeG_QlAU5XsJM8Mz-ABpqsMaDQEjQbP8j1smq_Lf3vVIIy0Apvjlx7KWavP59CGkht_I-FAdC0kBHLLvQoSXI8/s640/IMG_6487.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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Our weeping cherry tree, fluffy with blooms on Sunday, is a little more weepy today but still blooming more beautifully than I've ever seen it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGSSv1ZDFzwhwwHzAQfPcw8WOoeKv1zZH60G6QxAbSZS9TCzsMPjXb2tZDEFcXZ7X9eh31QvOiBxq77rkMc6JRKdzSkHCC59UhB5rkKIsprm2JUjbCghkuWKn8Y_AOfj-zFpV9O7qC30/s1600/IMG_6492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGSSv1ZDFzwhwwHzAQfPcw8WOoeKv1zZH60G6QxAbSZS9TCzsMPjXb2tZDEFcXZ7X9eh31QvOiBxq77rkMc6JRKdzSkHCC59UhB5rkKIsprm2JUjbCghkuWKn8Y_AOfj-zFpV9O7qC30/s320/IMG_6492.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAgtTMof98AtqB6ecE_5HUkn8afGyvDEP_6ICd8538jEYZNFU8Ce1knQqOR0bz1PvEzq6Idfhyphenhyphen5Dslvj5aO8nAr8Fy1ahotCnjNErTm2I2BwqJNS8-dv1wOFkkYxmzUXDTKA76FxRfjc/s1600/IMG_6495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAgtTMof98AtqB6ecE_5HUkn8afGyvDEP_6ICd8538jEYZNFU8Ce1knQqOR0bz1PvEzq6Idfhyphenhyphen5Dslvj5aO8nAr8Fy1ahotCnjNErTm2I2BwqJNS8-dv1wOFkkYxmzUXDTKA76FxRfjc/s320/IMG_6495.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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And while I've seen daffodils in the snow, I must say I've never seen tulips! It's gotten so warm so early that the daffs have already begun to fade and the tulips are ridiculously early. But it makes for a beautiful spring garden. And a beautiful contrast with the snow!<br />
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Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-12252643909614488902012-04-04T09:53:00.005-06:002015-04-02T20:43:08.923-06:00Lament<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2052708683"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpaRx60qWR2-sJA2Ag-5_UTN3xwiPlx0DcxPcx3R8EALUmaNnd4x6mE8zAgCxQAX2w4-qsTvJPXjWTyxkqR_qCREfg8bTKcwWoL8kFsky_xCAb1rls_C1W4mYrugUSrsliwhCiCbWWdc/s400/m-paper-red-lament-mm.jpg" height="400" width="315" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.davidsweeneyart.com/works/b/david-sweeney,paintings,lament-1">Number 225 by David Sweeney, Ink on Paper</a></td></tr>
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Like <a href="http://kimturnage.blogspot.com/2012/03/yield.html"><i>yield</i>,</a> lament is a word we don't use too often in everyday conversation. Here's what came up when I googled the word:</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="padding-bottom: 14px; padding-right: 15px;"><em style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">la·ment</em></span><span style="font-size: smaller; padding-bottom: 7px;">/ləˈment/</span></span><div id="sound_flash" style="height: 0px; position: absolute; width: 0px;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="speaker-icon-listen-off" id="speaker_icon" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image: initial; border-left-color: transparent; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: transparent; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: transparent; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; display: inline-block; float: none; height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.7em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 0.55; vertical-align: bottom; width: 16px;"></span></span></h3>
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<tr><td style="color: #666666; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;" valign="top" width="80px"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Noun:</span></td><td style="padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;" valign="top"><table class="ts" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A passionate expression of grief.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="color: #666666; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;" valign="top" width="80px"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Verb:</span></td><td style="padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;" valign="top"><table class="ts" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Mourn (a person's loss or death).</span></td></tr>
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<tr bgcolor="#ddd" height="1px"><td colspan="2" height="1px" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="color: #666666; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;" valign="top" width="80px"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Synonyms:</span></td><td style="padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;" valign="top"><div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #666666;"><i>noun</i>. </span>lamentation - wail - plaint - mourning - moan - elegy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #666666;"><i>verb</i>. </span>mourn - wail - moan - bewail - bemoan - weep - deplore</span></div>
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Funny, most of the synonyms aren't everyday words either, are they? Maybe because we try to pretend that lament doesn't happen. We put on a happy face and say, <i>"Just fine,"</i> when someone who doesn't really want an honest answer politely asks, "<i>How are you?" </i><br />
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Lament is not acceptable social currency. But the Psalms are full of them. When I turned there last night, I was looking for answers to question about how -- why -- horror and evil exist in the world. And I found that the Psalms' laments are a kind of FAQ. Here are a few examples.<br />
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Q: <i>O Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble? (Psalm 10:1)</i></blockquote>
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A: Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them. (Psalm 10:17-18)</blockquote>
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Q: <i>The wicked are stringing their bows and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings. They shoot from the shadows at those whose hearts are right. The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do? (Psalm 11: 2-3)</i></blockquote>
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A: But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven (Psalm 11:4)</blockquote>
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Q: <i>O, Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with the anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will the enemy have the upper hand? (Psalm 13: 1-2)</i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
A: But I trust in your unfailing love, I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me. (Psalm 13: 5-6)</blockquote>
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The questions all hit the same note. <i>God? Where are you? How does this happen?</i><br />
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And the answers all sing back the truth. <i>Hope. Justice. God rules. Trust in his unfailing love.</i><br />
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I went to the Psalms with a hard question. And I got the same answer that has been echoing back through scripture for thousands of years, the one that will echo back from God's essence for eternity: <b><i>"I am" the answer.</i></b></div>
Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-56253709918031015262012-04-03T10:59:00.000-06:002012-04-03T10:59:37.731-06:00How Does This Happen?Sitting in a doctor's office, paging through an issue of Time, I was arrested by <a href="http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2012/03/29/tibetans-self-immolation-casts-shadow-over-brics-summit/">this photo</a> of a <b>man on fire </b>yesterday. <i>(I get it if you don't want to click. I don't have rights to publish it, which relieves me of the difficult decision on whether or not to include the photo in this post).</i><br />
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Is it tasteless of me to link to it? To write about it?<br />
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Are you offended?<br />
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I was. <br />
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<a href="http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2012/03/29/tibetans-self-immolation-casts-shadow-over-brics-summit/">This is a photo</a> of a human being. A person with a name, Jhampel Yeshi, a 27-year-old Tibetan living in exile in India. A young man with a mother and a father and people who love him, running 50 meters down a public street. <b>On fire.</b><br />
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<b><i>And people are taking pictures?</i></b><br />
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Not just one person. I count three -- the person taking the photo we're looking at plus at least two more captured in the background of this shot, cameras lifted, shutters clicking to capture the man on fire.<br />
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<b>How does this happen?</b> How is he not surrounded by people trying to help him? What kind of world do we live in when a man can run blazing down the street and people simply take pictures? <i>(And honestly, I ask myself...what would I do? Would I have had the courage to help? Or would I have stood by helplessly in the moment only to wake screaming at night knowing I should have done something?)</i><br />
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I don't understand the politics of the region Jhampel Yeshi lived in, even after <a href="http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2012/03/29/tibetans-self-immolation-casts-shadow-over-brics-summit/">reading this</a>. <i>(Warning: if you haven't clicked over because you don't want to see the photo, know that the photo leads the article). </i>But I understand humanity. And I'm offended by what I see here. Not just because of the reactions of the crowd <i>(some of whom did, in the end, smother the flames)</i>. I'm also offended that we live in a world where THIS is the choice a 27 year old will make to assert his desperation over his people's plight, the best way for his voice to be heard.<br />
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<b>How does this happen?</b>Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-8872893373487109022012-03-26T11:45:00.000-06:002015-04-02T20:44:35.774-06:00Yield<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The house I grew up in was on a corner so the word, "yield" was used more often than average in our house. As in, <i>"Somebody's going to die on that corner because nobody even slows down for that yield sign." </i><br />
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Yield is a word I had to teach my kids. It doesn't come up a lot in normal conversation. For them and for most of us I think, it's a traffic word and nothing more.</div>
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Over the last week, I've been thinking a lot about that word. Yield. As in giving up my right of way to the right of way of someone else. How often do I slow down, look both ways, and listen...instead of hurling myself headlong down the path I want to follow?</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Being honest with myself, I have to say that if God holds up a yield sign in my life, signaling me to make room for his right of way, it often looks like this seconds later, most likely without my even noticing it was there. I usually have to come up to a bridge out or a complete roadblock before I look up and notice I've gone too far.</div>
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How about you? How do you deal with the yield signs God puts up in your life?</div>
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Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-72015376971561968542012-03-11T22:50:00.000-06:002015-04-02T20:45:47.153-06:00Being a Busy Family this Weekend<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We hit the ground running this weekend (literally) with two Saturday events starting before 8:30am -- Connor's first track meet of the season and a violin "performance" for Arin. SHHHH...don't call it a competition....Arin doesn't like to compete. <br />
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Arin's come a long way from her screechy beginnings with the violin. With three years of playing under her belt now, she's worked hard on this piece for several weeks, and this performance earned her a Superior rating (the highest performance category) at the Douglas County Solo and Ensemble Festival. We're so proud of you, Arin! Special thanks to Arin's teacher, Cyndy Schauer who helped her prepare and accompanied her beautifully.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-EBVoz2W5FA" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Connor started off his sophomore season with a couple of PRs in long jump (20'4") and triple jump (45' 3.5") and a 2nd leg on the 4x100 relay. Peyton amused himself by shooting and narrating video. Try not to vomit from motion sickness. A shout out to all the jumpers on Connor's team! Everyone had PR's this week with three long jumpers going over 20 feet and three triple jumpers going over 40 feet!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gg65B7QyIHY" width="560"></iframe></div>
Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-84242765699136626642012-03-09T07:15:00.000-07:002012-03-09T07:15:38.216-07:00Planting SeedsSpring is the time for planting seeds. You never know what might bloom....<br />
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What could a workshop entitled <i>"Conflict in the Home"</i> possibly have to offer for me, the perfect mom living in the perfect home with one teen, two tweens, and an adolescent dog?<br />
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Conflict? In MY home? No-o-o-o...<br />
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Right.<br />
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So Rick and I went to this workshop at <a href="http://www.waterstonechurch.org/">our church</a>. Here are some of our takeaways from the night:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>We were reminded of what we can teach our children through conflict -- how to give and receive grace. We can see and experience God's love and mercy in each other....(or not). And we're always teaching (Deuteronomy 6:7).</li>
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<li><b>Conflict is normal, </b>not wrong. (That's a relief because we have plenty of it around here!) </li>
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<li><b>Conflict is a process,</b> not an event. I need to pay more attention to the cycle as a whole, thinking of it like a dance where my steps impact the steps my partner takes and vice versa. (I'm not a very good dancer...hopefully the metaphor only goes so far.) Each child (and adult) in our house will approach conflict differently, and we all need to learn to dance with our partners. </li>
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<li><b>When our approach to conflict isn't working, we tend to do more of the same thing</b> <i>(note to self: that is also the definition of insanity)</i>. Here's how I do this. When talking about an issue gets me nowhere, I talk <i>more</i>...or <i>louder</i>...but usually both. If threatening consequences doesn't get the reaction I want, I up the ante and threaten <i>bigger</i> consequences. Instead I should be asking myself this, <i><b>"What about the cycle takes us to the wrong place, and how do I change what I'm doing to change the cycle?"</b></i> This is my primary area of struggle.</li>
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<li>We talk about respect a lot in our house. At least we thought we did. But what Rick and I realized is that we are constantly pointing out what <i>disrespect</i> looks like...without clearly defining for our kids what we mean by respect. Here is a definition we heard ...everyone has the right: 1) to be listened to 2) to be taken seriously 3) to be spoken to kindly and politely. We want to do a better job of positively reinforcing respect (especially between siblings) when we see it.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>We need to shift our approach to conflict to match our kids' developmental needs and abilities. Realistically, with tweens and teens, we need to be less about compliance for its own sake and more willing to engage in discussion and disagreement to help our kids develop the critical thinking skills that will help them grow into successful adults. There will still be some non-negotiables, but we see the value in wrestling with our kids to find middle ground most of the time.</li>
</ul>
<b>What about you? Any conflict in your home? Where are you struggling? Where are you succeeding? What are you learning? How does grace fit in? </b><br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-37503434638012883952011-12-02T08:44:00.001-07:002011-12-02T17:28:31.829-07:00So many books...so little time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I haven't been writing much lately, but I haven't given up on reading. Here are a few I've read recently with super short reviews to whet your appetite if you're looking for something to read by the fire.<br />
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<a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/the-thirteenth-tale-id-9780743298032.aspx" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxhHbnt7mfgnChbPKFIFE7-CrhmTcHz2Er2Iuel6J78YuZsgW6BRSS6kxcq-JsqXVoh7zS7Ambzd-UUaby0IpV8KqvlGbPjLJCw3_sUbvv0IijM-Ze-xbp5cDVMCXgHQ9ERFPqgDhC5I/s200/The-Thirteenth-Tale-Setterfield-Diane-9780743298032.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/the-thirteenth-tale-id-9780743298032.aspx"><b>The Thirteenth Tale</b></a><br />
Think Jane Eyre with less effort. A mystery set in a grand old mansion on the English moors with more than one secret to unravel. Great writing about writing, as the main character is an author, writing the biography of an author. I read this a few years ago, and it was just as good the second time. Definitely one of my top reads for 2011.<b><br /></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/the-prodigal-god-id-9781594484025.aspx" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCN8zxdESMC9sAUn7CAwjoONjSUtNw3CpFlnJdQUz-Gzzn7565kbP_bIHHzcSYryNaxS1rbAkOGbwrwqa3O8cPeHtg08IPDFQl7NYLAYsc_kFzuU-3uLppIkVph0mQbgX6d8TF3SpkTqQ/s200/The-Prodigal-God-Keller-Timothy-9781594484025.jpg" width="121" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/the-prodigal-god-id-9781594484025.aspx"><b>Prodigal God</b></a><br />
This was a church-wide study at <a href="http://www.waterstonechurch.org/">my church</a>, and our small group read and discussed the book together. The book explores the story of the Prodigal Son with a twist, focusing more on the prodigality of God (did you know that prodigal means "spending extravagantly?") and showing how <b>both</b> the younger, rebellious brother and the elder, obedient brother are living far from God. Great concepts about what it really means to be a Christian (turns out it's more about being than about doing). <br />
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<a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/those-who-save-us-id-9780156031660.aspx" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqa6gpA4fNRdy0_HoxUdSs6CEfK4xdXF6AbFugEcSu1VXtrurei0d2MNLAG6QVq0ADnFELFTGnr0rHd1nGacNy1ec3coLA0ocB4eMuSf-t4yCN10452tw2AN8Lj7NMIL6Ec8nl3MYgRw/s200/Those-Who-Save-Us-9780156031660.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/those-who-save-us-id-9780156031660.aspx"><b>Those Who Save Us</b></a><br />
Trudy was only three when she and her mother, Anna, were liberated from WWII Germany by an American soldier and went to live with him in Minnesota. Now a university professor researching the roles of ordinary Germans in the Holocaust, she unearths the mystery, despite her mother's persistent stonewalling, behind the only artifact she has from her past, a family photo of her, her mother, and a Nazi officer, the Obersturmfuhrer of Buchenwald. <br />
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<a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/love-wins-a-book-about-heaven-hell-and-the-fate-of-every-person-who-ever-lived-id-9780062049643.aspx" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTO7iv7MiUGkoDZI0nf7fRGdThW8FhD8omD28-plqn5Zl73E_R62k6fCvwn_Hdo-l4yUuDLSf8yEnMMcjhab_8AI0frCwGxlwTD-bUUQxCfkQ4SYDAx5VtISXT3f6SVFfBBloMrK4BQhE/s200/Love-Wins-Bell-Rob-9780062049643.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<b><a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/love-wins-a-book-about-heaven-hell-and-the-fate-of-every-person-who-ever-lived-id-9780062049643.aspx">Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived</a></b><br />
The title says a lot! Rob Bell has taken some hits from evangelical Christians for this book. Which I think is a great reason alone to give it a read. Bell fleshes out, "God is love," in ways that seriously challenge some of the preconceptions/misconceptions that get in between people and God. In his words, <i>"Often times when I meet atheists and we talk about the god they don't believe in, we quickly discover that I don't believe in that god either." </i><br />
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<a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/the-19th-wife-id-9780812974157.aspx" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBRTAMTnagrQKSq06xbrNoLakKk-7kLS-QArLv9VuOZW8jzlxqGIMK87_yWmIxZkUvlCZtp9O-dwL2UNqfOoFX5gZSS_tjj88qOcTWY_7WQI_5jUsFsJmfL-LPe7BdbkeUTARBHQiukw/s200/The-19th-Wife-Ebershoff-David-9780812974157.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
<b><a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/the-19th-wife-id-9780812974157.aspx">The 19th Wife</a></b><br />
Early Mormonism and its current state -- especially as it pertains to polygamy -- is the subject of this novel. The dual timeline makes reading tedious at times, particularly in long drawn out historical sections. Characterization and the mystery in the current timeline are thin and fairly predictable. The book is though provoking when it comes to examining how a religion begins and evolves. It's important to note that it's FICTION -- even the parts that appear to come from old handbills and Ann Eliza Young's original manuscript. The author is quite clear about this at the end of the book. Didn't love this one.<br />
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<a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/faithful-place-id-9780143119494.aspx" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_qak2bxNzk37e34l7Dy7wDYxKBso8swfjru4F13AgNPnj1sjADNB33uIk8x3_M0CJ2p99c2fzEwQEmN2rSJ3m8cnJzTFxTOEZoMMD_kqPl37zRHhiApWM0be7W2ptvaGKk4_8yszAaU/s200/Faithful-Place-French-Tana-9780143119494.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<b><a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/faithful-place-id-9780143119494.aspx">Faithful Place</a></b><br />
I have loved Tana French's other books. She does a great mystery set in Ireland with recurring characters in law enforcement. This one dragged at times, as it described family dysfunction over decades leading up to a just-discovered decades old murder. Love the author; this isn't her best book, though. I would highly recommend her other books, <a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/in-the-woods-id-9780670038602.aspx">In the Woods </a>and <a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/the-likeness-id-9780143115625.aspx">The Likeness.</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.read52booksin52weeks.com/"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Wmil685vS6ckNYQ5j0_fQQpApaclNHlnDBVJeX9FW5ywbyJWq-OOEl3Vq6H8vBag7GTzSRD9H2mcpMRzAU-CJ3mnaERM37AgHieBVY9VaFV3sMCexUKY4KbUDFth0blUeTk6XkBPQGA/s320/52+books+2011+blog+header.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
These are numbers 34-39 in my quest to read 52 books in 52 weeks. With only 4 weeks left, I don't think I'll make it, but it's been fun trying. <a href="http://kimturnage.blogspot.com/search/label/52%20in%2052?max-results=20">Click here</a> to browse all the books I've read this year.</div>Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-58325092178720457502011-11-07T22:15:00.001-07:002011-11-07T22:36:35.965-07:00Dinner with Jesus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.waterstonechurch.org/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-NCGRN9n3HTBvLdStmvsa3qoE4_CrXBQxGSDq1W2PJG4PLXR30eO9v4Xm8Gxy9v9KcrZj6JfOdjHghRyBRmBn2JKagmKRoCYf0OlKQuMfXl1q99AGKlnDBU4Wxfz-WaaNlWDk0QdPCY/s1600/bulletin_pic.jpg" /></a></div>
Imagine you're sitting at work one day, minding your own business, doing whatever it is you do with your day.<br />
<br />
A man walks up. Maybe you've seen him around, heard a few things about him. He stands in front of your desk and says,<i> "Follow me." </i><br />
<br />
<b>What would you do?</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%205:27-32&version=NIV">Luke 5</a> tells the story of what Levi the tax collector did in that situation. Jesus stands at the desk of Levi, the tax collector, the lowest of the low, a government sponsored extortionist, and says, <i>"Follow me."</i> Levi gets up, leaves everything behind and follows him.<br />
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<b>What does this say about the kinds of people Jesus pursues? </b><br />
<br />
The very next thing Levi does is throw a dinner party for all his friends. Here are some things he <i><b>didn't </b></i>do in between following and the party:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>join Extortionists Anonymous and try to clean up his life</li>
<li>take the New Members Class and join a Small Group</li>
<li>run out to Family Christian to buy the New Christian packet, complete with bumper sticker, mouse pad, key chain, bible bag and wall hangings for every room in the house</li>
<li>go to a Christian conference</li>
<li>start writing a Christian blog</li>
</ul>
<br />
Those are the kinds of things a girl like me does. Show me the program and give me the t-shirt because I'm a follower, baby! What do I check off my list next?<br />
<br />
<i>(ahem...could this be one of those times when life is less about doing and more about being?) </i><br />
<br />
Levi followed simply by opening his doors to everyone he knew and inviting them to dinner, to the banquet of grace he found in Jesus.<br />
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The people who came were people like Levi. And Jesus didn't just show up. He was the guest of honor.<br />
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<b>What kind of people does Jesus pursue?</b><br />
<br />
Not the healthy (or the people who think they are). The sick ... who KNOW they are. Those are the people Jesus comes after, those are the people he invites to follow, those are the people he sits around a table with, eating and drinking and laughing.<br />
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Following Jesus is saying, <i>"Jesus, I am sick! Make me well!" </i>And then, being made well, immediately inviting all my sick friends to the table, not with gospel tracts and bible studies. But with parties, banquets where the food and drink and music and laughter make much of the one who has made me well.<br />
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Levi left everything and followed.<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li> Do I know I am sick deeply enough to follow the only one who can make me well? </li>
<li>Do I know it so well that I'll leave everything behind and follow his call? </li>
<li>And in following, will I throw open my doors and invite the kinds of people Jesus loves to pursue to the banquet? </li>
<li>Who can I invite today, tomorrow, next week?</li>
</ul>
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______________________________ </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFx68R8OoGLEYiUia2OXB8qB7amETHIXA00zLMeWtQGa29fpgYDeEWRjgRYVZOXh6PIOxW4nckyWPcTUl8UGQsIpaPrDQmjNI4_n8ZJOaqs3Hd7h0yu0ztS57PWIwgx6X4_XErstzxFs/s1600/Use+it+on+Monday.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFx68R8OoGLEYiUia2OXB8qB7amETHIXA00zLMeWtQGa29fpgYDeEWRjgRYVZOXh6PIOxW4nckyWPcTUl8UGQsIpaPrDQmjNI4_n8ZJOaqs3Hd7h0yu0ztS57PWIwgx6X4_XErstzxFs/s200/Use+it+on+Monday.jpg" width="136" /></a><i>Based on the latest sermon in the Dinner with Jesus series at <a href="http://www.waterstonechurch.org/">my church</a>. <a href="http://www.waterstonechurch.org/component/sermonspeaker/sermon/10159-the-calling-of-matthew.html">Click here for the full sermon.</a></i></div>
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<a href="http://findingheaventoday.blogspot.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae88/jenfergie2000/BloggButton.jpg" /></a>Linking up with Michelle @ Graceful and Jen @ Finding Heaven </div>
</div>Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-83264488499897588132011-11-06T14:41:00.002-07:002011-11-06T14:41:46.295-07:00Dear Blogger,<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As much as I like the concept of the new Dynamic Views, I hate how much control I have to give up to get the new look. I try not to be a control freak. But...<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li> I like to see the lovely smiles of the people kind enough to read and follow my blog</li>
<li>I like using Disqus to be able to reply to comments and keep the conversation going</li>
<li>I like being able to list the blogs that inspire me and send others that way</li>
</ul>
Overall, I like making blogging less about me and my content and more about community and the richness other people have to offer. So...despite the lovely look of Dynamic Views, I'm going back to my old template.<br />
<br />
Thanks for everything. I hope you can make Dynamic Views more community oriented sometime in the future.<br />
<br />
Kim<br />
<br />
P.S. It really stinks that all the great comments people left while I was trying on the new look are lost. I hope those kind souls know that I appreciate every single one of them,</div>Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-182206426645957802011-11-06T10:00:00.000-07:002011-11-06T10:00:05.662-07:00The New Look<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been trying on Blogger's new Dynamic Views for the past few days. I know what I like (it's cleaner, simpler, more engaging) and dislike (NONE of my gadgets work and I've lost all sidebar action -- though that did force me to finally make an About Me page).<br />
<br />
But I'm more interested in what YOU think.<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>What do you LIKE about Dynamic Views? (Did you notice you can change how the blog looks with the dropdown menu at the top left? Which view is your favorite?) </li>
<li>What do you HATE about the new format?</li>
</ul>
And the biggest question....what should I do? Stay with the new or go back to a more standard template?<br />
<br />
I'd love to hear from you!</div>Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-91287285833552848672011-11-05T22:17:00.000-06:002015-04-02T20:52:49.385-06:00Walking through the Valley<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
Driving toward the Grand Canyon I asked, <i>"So Peyton, how big do you think the Grand Canyon is?"</i><br />
<br />
His reply,<i> "I'm gonna say it's at least 200 feet across." </i><br />
<br />
The <i>"at least" </i>saved him.<br />
<br />
But it got me wondering how often I've made the same mistake as I traipse through life. Underestimating the depth and the breadth of the valley, foolishly expecting a little gully when it's canyon-sized.<br />
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And as I think that thought, this passage, one of the first I learned as a child, soothingly reminds me that come what may -- gully, valley or Grand Canyon -- I don't have to walk it alone.<br />
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Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-1957245785840590512011-11-04T17:55:00.002-06:002015-04-02T20:54:59.702-06:00Overlooked and Ignored<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihmTAhuo_wmdwaft_y4uMmIqBfkHUqVQmoKlG6ekMVnmOOQa0KT_RhxS3UFlEl9ApxCSWczhSEzt5DWRRwsw232eqARrzw718Nuu6xUXeBeD1Zk_5m6VeK8nRrnmDZeY6YEa37rRMyx60/s1600/434814994_d1bebd4ca7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihmTAhuo_wmdwaft_y4uMmIqBfkHUqVQmoKlG6ekMVnmOOQa0KT_RhxS3UFlEl9ApxCSWczhSEzt5DWRRwsw232eqARrzw718Nuu6xUXeBeD1Zk_5m6VeK8nRrnmDZeY6YEa37rRMyx60/s640/434814994_d1bebd4ca7.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a> </div>
<br />
In Luke 7, a woman crashes a Pharisee's party.<br />
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The Pharisee had invited Jesus to dinner. In that place, at that time, it was customary for the host to offer a bowl of water and a towel to wash his guest's feet, and perhaps some perfumed oil for freshening up.<br />
<br />
But the Pharisee offered nothing. Jesus sat at his table, unwelcome and unwashed. Overlooked and ignored.<br />
<br />
Except by the party crasher, an "immoral woman" who slipped in and sat at Jesus' feet, unnoticed until, weeping, she washed them with her tears, wiped them dry with her hair, and anointed his feet with costly perfume.<br />
<br />
And the Pharisee derided Jesus for allowing such a sinner to touch him, to even come near.<br />
<br />
What was Jesus' response? A story of course.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="woj">“A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other.</span> <span class="woj">But
neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both,
canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”</span><br />
<br />
<i>“I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt,"</i> the Pharisee replied.</blockquote>
<span class="woj">Which begs the question....</span><br />
<span class="woj"><br /> </span><br />
<span class="woj">Being a sinner and having had a large debt canceled ... day after day after sinful day ... how does this immoral woman show love like that immoral woman did? </span><br />
<br />
<span class="woj">I am not in the presence of Jesus, </span><span class="woj">unwelcome and unwashed, overlooked and ignored,</span><span class="woj"> at the Pharisee's table. </span><br />
<span class="woj"><br /> </span><br />
<span class="woj">Or am I?</span><br />
<br />
<span class="woj">The answer is in another story of course. </span><br />
<span class="woj"> </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I was hungry and you fed me, <br />
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, <br />
I was homeless and you gave me a room, <br />
I was shivering and you gave me clothes, <br />
I was sick and you stopped to visit, <br />
I was in prison and you came to me.' <br />
<br />
<i>'Master, what are you talking about?
When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a
drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' </i><br />
<br />
'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did
one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you
did it to me.' <br />
<span class="woj"> </span><br />
<span class="woj"></span></blockquote>
Do I love him that much? Do I have the courage to crash the party? To sit at the feet of the unwelcome and unwashed, the overlooked and ignored? Do you?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
______________________</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
How can you open your eyes to the overlook and ignored? How can you wash their feet?</div>
<br />
<br /></div>
Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-23794652939370717412011-09-13T10:16:00.002-06:002015-04-02T20:57:18.456-06:00What the fire leaves behind<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last week a wildfire, dancing, licking, devoured the dry grass in the open space near my home. After a white hot sprint toward the dirt road, thwarted by the maintenance worker shoveling dirt off the road onto the grass, the fire surrendered to water when firefighters arrived.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUktgYspEygagYiyfX8cysYe5vpbTikTNGXhYfH9gFhqA2aJQNC7T9XEQflOpNa0qsSp-l4o7ODZELg9w1N4RYMKhXQxEUjBne7_Au_IQ219uczGclxtNp1bEJGvBgzD0jajOdhv_k3jg/s1600/IMG_2236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUktgYspEygagYiyfX8cysYe5vpbTikTNGXhYfH9gFhqA2aJQNC7T9XEQflOpNa0qsSp-l4o7ODZELg9w1N4RYMKhXQxEUjBne7_Au_IQ219uczGclxtNp1bEJGvBgzD0jajOdhv_k3jg/s640/IMG_2236.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Early this morning, I walked that road for the first time since, shocked at the black, charred scar the flames left behind. Blackened earth, surreal, somehow holy, stiff with petrified shadows of grass clumps and wildflowers.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVssHMJiAs-0RZotbmUv6OQJ81o5nQh3Fi7ByKs86II3VWtDKryxkCB9R2fQgUuVmNyvG1-tf0Y8wvgQG6flu1CrxWgF7fxiVXGmbVh8agRfEg_uo7oA7fYy-WIFzUYDzQ7DTMxzF1yIM/s1600/IMG_2238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVssHMJiAs-0RZotbmUv6OQJ81o5nQh3Fi7ByKs86II3VWtDKryxkCB9R2fQgUuVmNyvG1-tf0Y8wvgQG6flu1CrxWgF7fxiVXGmbVh8agRfEg_uo7oA7fYy-WIFzUYDzQ7DTMxzF1yIM/s320/IMG_2238.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
Looking at the ruin, the scar, the somehow holy blackness, I tried to imagine the remains of my home standing in it, blending in. I could not.<br />
<br />
What I cannot imagine is reality today for my cousin and thousands of her neighbors. Their homes in Bastrop County, Texas, 1,700 of them, are petrified shadows, succumbing to the sea of black. Gone. And I cannot imagine.<br />
<br />
15 minutes. The fire is coming. You have to get out. What do you take?<br />
<br />
My cousin and her daughter were trying to come home from the grocery store and couldn't get past the roadblock. Her husband and son were home, making those quick decisions, corraling pets -- dogs and cats -- grabbing a high school diploma and driving their cars away, leaving their home to the possibility of fire.<br />
<br />
And the fire came.<br />
<br />
It always does.<br />
<br />
What do you take with you? <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7jAym-W3ztGizHk9d0MMkBC4GjuNITU0zdhFVBAq8xQTovyHq-xrI9X8-K_6aAZpiNzCCg6EAQZu2sGxvfBkcjUsL19WWHLPjGM3y4Gld2toLbpVPEE64a6TCCQSYFW58jIBwQg4ff4/s1600/texas_025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7jAym-W3ztGizHk9d0MMkBC4GjuNITU0zdhFVBAq8xQTovyHq-xrI9X8-K_6aAZpiNzCCg6EAQZu2sGxvfBkcjUsL19WWHLPjGM3y4Gld2toLbpVPEE64a6TCCQSYFW58jIBwQg4ff4/s640/texas_025.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://totallycoolpix.com/2011/09/the-texas-wildfires/">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The fire comes, the refining fire, burning away all that is not essential.<br />
<br />
And when it is gone, what do you have left? <br />
<br />
Perhaps it's easier to account the loss. The great grandmother's locket. The wedding gift platter that's held Thanksgiving turkey all these years. The family photos, the baby footprints and handprints. The quilt your grandmother embroidered. The ring your husband gave you for your tenth anniversary. All the things you'll reach for because they hold treasures of the heart -- but they no longer exist outside your heart. And I do not diminish that loss.<br />
<br />
Yet, I affirm and raise up what the fire did not take.<br />
<br />
Life.<br />
<br />
Relationships.<br />
<br />
The people (and, yes, most certainly, the pets) that make life shine.<br />
<br />
The families pulling together, the neighbors helping neighbors, the strangers wanting to lend a hand.<br />
<br />
The beauty of a community rising up from the ashes, resisting the flames and the soot, refusing to be blackened, shriveled shadows and choosing to love one another in ways they may have been unable to imagine before.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span class="woj">Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.</span> <span class="woj">Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.</span> (Matthew 6:19-20)</i></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br /></div>
Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-8147368874956793542011-09-12T22:01:00.000-06:002011-09-12T22:01:23.125-06:00Friends Are Good<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnMq34cglzqBBdOxoDuINGEJtMWTLESyu8cG3gHT94PaKOrAWQVgv2T1WcWpqMR4CSW5Xi4XzRavoX2JTY1obl_bHqbKD42RAW0JJffMuiKxVgpmrNbbdAYuDIx4rl98LXI2shJo4PWU/s1600/1362732_67994683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnMq34cglzqBBdOxoDuINGEJtMWTLESyu8cG3gHT94PaKOrAWQVgv2T1WcWpqMR4CSW5Xi4XzRavoX2JTY1obl_bHqbKD42RAW0JJffMuiKxVgpmrNbbdAYuDIx4rl98LXI2shJo4PWU/s640/1362732_67994683.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1362732/?forcedownload=1">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Genesis 1 is a creation story. In it, God made everything. In six days, he made it all, and on every day, he saw that it was good. Except on the sixth day, when he made all the animals and human beings. And on that day, he saw that it was <i>very</i> good.<br />
<br />
God made it all. And it was all good. And you and I...we were <i>very</i> good.<br />
<br />
Until Genesis 2, when God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone."<br />
<br />
God created human beings in his own image. They were good. But it was <i>not</i> good for them to be alone.<br />
<br />
This longing we have for other people.... It's not a design flaw. It's how God made us. On purpose. In his image.<br />
<br />
He wants us to live our lives with other people.<br />
<br />
And that's why the connections we find with other souls created in God's image -- especially the ones we find when all hell breaks loose -- are so precious.<br />
<br />
<b>Where has hell broken loose in your life? What precious connections reminded you it was <i>not</i> good to be alone?</b><br />
<br />
<br />
This September 12 I'm thankful for so many things ....<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Connections like the one ten years and a day ago between <a href="http://kimturnage.blogspot.com/2011/09/on-its-face.html">Victor Wald and Harry Ramos in the North Tower stairwell,</a> who knew that it was <i>not </i>good to be alone. </li>
<li>Safety and a place to call home (her parents' camper in his parents' yard, humble as it may be) for my cousin Deb and her family, whose house burned down last week in the Bastrop County fires. </li>
<li>The way communities pull together, connecting with one another even in their loss, as Deb and her daughter volunteered at the local high school distributing donated clothing...and as their family added one more child to an already crowded camper to help a single-parent family who also lost their home to the fire, just until the mom could find someplace better than the shelter for her family to be together.</li>
<li>Family far and wide pulling together to support Deb and her family.</li>
<li>Baby Caleb, my cousin Amanda's little one, coming home for the first time after a week in the NICU, bringing that new little family together at last.</li>
<li>Time for our small group to connect and new people joining our group next week.</li>
<li>Connection in this crazy blogosphere that are truly precious to me....you know who you are. </li>
<li>And for 10 September 12ths with my family and friends over the last decade.</li>
</ul>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Linking up with <a href="http://www.michellederusha.com/2011/09/hear-it-on-sunday-use-it-on-monday-when.html">Michelle at Graceful</a>. And with Ann at Holy Experience. And with <a href="http://findingheaventoday.blogspot.com/2011/09/yes-this-is-me-soli-deo-gloria-party.html">Jen at Finding Heaven.</a></div>
</div>
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Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-23392439785954185772011-09-09T05:07:00.003-06:002011-09-09T05:07:00.019-06:00Book Review: The Hunger Games Trilogy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrr7DJqoLX_LOIqxNcjkcXIaox8BRROjRgUucoOIe2La4YctT-ALFNGN_RFIHkKHdTrNd8Ztkz7StoXvHS8w7VgYFajeu29ebasMXMsKAZkv2PJSN1nDyEmL_Qr0tnXHHCfUv-B_InOg/s1600/hunger+games.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrr7DJqoLX_LOIqxNcjkcXIaox8BRROjRgUucoOIe2La4YctT-ALFNGN_RFIHkKHdTrNd8Ztkz7StoXvHS8w7VgYFajeu29ebasMXMsKAZkv2PJSN1nDyEmL_Qr0tnXHHCfUv-B_InOg/s1600/hunger+games.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Technically, <a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/hunger-games-trilogy-boxset-id-9780545265355.aspx">The Hunger Games</a> is youth fiction. But it's quality (quick) adult reading too. And if you have a tween or teen who might be interested in the series, I suggest reading it to help your child navigate some of the larger social and spiritual issues the stories tap.<br />
<br />
The trilogy follows main character, Katniss Everdeen, who lives in an outlying district of the country Panem (in the ruins of what was once known as North America). Panem is composed of an affluent Capitol, where people live in luxury lacking nothing, surrounded by 12 districts that provide all the country's resources while the district inhabitants live in poverty, hunger and oppression.<br />
<br />
Each year, to remind the districts of the power structure and to entertain the residents of the Capitol, the Hunger Games are held, pitting a male and female tribute from each district in an arena designed to challenge them physically, psychologically and spiritually as they fight to the death to become the last boy or girl standing (tributes are always 12-18 years of age). Sixteen-year-old Katniss becomes the tribute for District 12 when she volunteers to replace her sister, Prim, who is only twelve. Peeta Mellark is her counterpart.<br />
<br />
The first book of the trilogy details Katniss's journey to and through the Hunger Games and ends at the conclusion of that year's Hunger Games. The second and third books tell the story of the resistance and revolution that follow. That's all I'll say because details would be spoilers.<br />
<br />
The premise of the story is dark, and the darkness deepens as the stories progress. By the end I was yearning for some kind of light and happiness. This is a good reason to read them before or with your kids. I see the books as a great read for tweens and teens, not only because they are suspenseful enough to entertain even reluctant readers but because they provide a vehicle for thought and discussion about power, resistance, human rights, and the importance of being true to oneself. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Numbers 31-33 in my <a href="http://www.read52booksin52weeks.com/">52 Books in 52 Weeks</a> challenge.<b> What are you reading?</b> <a href="http://www.read52booksin52weeks.com/">Link up</a><b> </b>or share what you're reading in a comment right here.</i> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.read52booksin52weeks.com/"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Wmil685vS6ckNYQ5j0_fQQpApaclNHlnDBVJeX9FW5ywbyJWq-OOEl3Vq6H8vBag7GTzSRD9H2mcpMRzAU-CJ3mnaERM37AgHieBVY9VaFV3sMCexUKY4KbUDFth0blUeTk6XkBPQGA/s320/52+books+2011+blog+header.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div>Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-37397275097406994972011-09-08T08:51:00.002-06:002015-04-02T21:00:09.588-06:00On Its Face<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_783867712" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAfUEV8BCVqZHzC9l9E-lMDjW7CWt_Zk9RmMZkno77Swf6FfSMleo9vGlbpuh46tPcqvUEPciOPndXX9UPbBhlI3CBUqgWegjVxQCFqe7_A_ygXAop0aSpGYqy9hV-saFwGoeGdUaeOA/s1600/september-11-memorial_1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
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I can say with complete confidence that a <i>Scientific American</i> article has never made me cry. Until today. <br />
<br />
On its face, the topic of <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=september-11-memorial#%23">this article</a> might be a curious piece of trivia but nothing more. Apparently, when you look at the 9/11 Memorial there's no obvious order to the 2,983 names etched in bronze surrounding two pools, one north and one south. They're not alphabetical. So how are they arranged?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=september-11-memorial#%23">This story</a> explains that the names are arranged in a way that represents the relational networks among the people whose deaths are memorialized there. It wasn't easy, as <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=september-11-memorial#%23">the article</a> explains. But I'm so glad it's true.<br />
<br />
To me, there's something hauntingly, inexplicably beautiful about the intentionality in this. And about how the interconnectedness among so many people is captured in time and space on the face of the memorial -- from the Vigiano brothers, John and Joseph, whose names connect fire and police squads responding at the South Tower to Victor Wald and Harry Ramos who met for the first time in the North Tower stairwell where they died together on September 11, 2001.<br />
<br />
I don't know when or if I'll get to see the memorial in person. But knowing about this relational network changes the way I think about all those names. What on the face looks random and chaotic has an underlying meaning, defined by the interconnections between people, the way their lives and their souls intertwined. And knowing that could change the way I view a lot of what looks random, on its face, in this world.</div>
Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-33621341262919372262011-08-19T12:40:00.000-06:002011-08-19T12:40:43.586-06:00Two Books I Loved...And One I Could Have Skipped<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I didn't write much this summer, but I did read. Here are quick reviews for the books I read in July:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDU7lC5FTTlFC_EEy4Z-C60sK-o-McKT9CQym431Vt1LXWUvkUPS9eX5i3FYMOARiAo_2Lq0xVlA9TxixbJ9adUUo4-w6VY5s_YWWWWlm2f9x5kWbCZPwh3B6rykoN9I6CF-eSxvqL8ME/s1600/The-Kitchen-House-9781439153666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDU7lC5FTTlFC_EEy4Z-C60sK-o-McKT9CQym431Vt1LXWUvkUPS9eX5i3FYMOARiAo_2Lq0xVlA9TxixbJ9adUUo4-w6VY5s_YWWWWlm2f9x5kWbCZPwh3B6rykoN9I6CF-eSxvqL8ME/s200/The-Kitchen-House-9781439153666.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><b><a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/the-kitchen-house-id-9781439153666.aspx">The Kitchen House</a></b><br />
If you loved <a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/the-help-id-9780425232200.aspx">The Help</a>, try <a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/the-kitchen-house-id-9781439153666.aspx">The Kitchen House</a>, a debut novel by Kathleen Grissom about Lavinia, an Irish orphan who comes to live on a tobacco plantation as an indentured servant. Seven-year-old Lavinia is left in the kitchen house with Belle, who along with other slaves who work in the big house, become Lavinia's adopted family. As Lavinia grows, she straddles two worlds, trying to understand why the color of her skin creates conflict with the bonds of her heart. Grissom deftly juggles a coming of age story with the complexities, cruelties, and unexpected kinships of slavery in 1700's America.<br />
<br />
<i>If you're looking for a book club selection, this is a great one. There's an interview with the author and great discussion questions at the back. </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPs1w4pzDYKOdeZ_lsmDDNLq5pT_ls7VJUC5jOpJHnK7jPUF6TraxI7GNEm6xjFomBsfrLCtfzwcu4OeHGokWGA5mr6gKLcpIG9SfbsVQoT3Aw5CL8mBpwnDF8JKosUuAeb7B-92X3z9U/s1600/Year-of-Wonders-9780142001431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPs1w4pzDYKOdeZ_lsmDDNLq5pT_ls7VJUC5jOpJHnK7jPUF6TraxI7GNEm6xjFomBsfrLCtfzwcu4OeHGokWGA5mr6gKLcpIG9SfbsVQoT3Aw5CL8mBpwnDF8JKosUuAeb7B-92X3z9U/s200/Year-of-Wonders-9780142001431.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><b><a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/year-of-wonders-a-novel-of-the-plague-id-9780142001431.aspx">Year of Wonders</a></b><br />
Every time I have explained this book, I get the same response. <i>"Quite the pick me up feel good story, huh?"</i> Well....no. But I loved it!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/year-of-wonders-a-novel-of-the-plague-id-9780142001431.aspx">Year of Wonders</a> is fiction based on an actual "plague village" in England, a village that, when the black plague broke out, quarantined itself to avoid spreading the disease. As the plague ravages the village, it's sometimes hard to tell who is sicker...the ones who suffer and die or the ones who survive, as the quarantine becomes a crucible, stripping away artifice and finally showing people for what they truly are.<br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOaUAVl9Tne2tZOJOzXCjKyHowBy9wBexrioTG26-p1F50sF8_RUyiF8Wr9CQcN_xn2CtOHcYm1oWSF50NN5cf2Q95196z-GsDrM3nsj6klLeFPNh5V1Mhe6a9cTc3cDannKCQgA4hyphenhyphenXM/s1600/The-Birth-of-Love-9780805091540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOaUAVl9Tne2tZOJOzXCjKyHowBy9wBexrioTG26-p1F50sF8_RUyiF8Wr9CQcN_xn2CtOHcYm1oWSF50NN5cf2Q95196z-GsDrM3nsj6klLeFPNh5V1Mhe6a9cTc3cDannKCQgA4hyphenhyphenXM/s200/The-Birth-of-Love-9780805091540.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><b><a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/the-birth-of-love-id-9780805091540.aspx">The Birth of Love</a></b><br />
Intrigued by another reader's review, I tried this book, an award winner in Canada. And I hated it. It's really three short stories, told in three times with three separate sets of characters tied loosely together by the theme of child birth and how it is managed by the medical profession and society in general. The central question of the story is quite interesting....how do advances in medicine and the declining state of the world impact human reproduction over time, through a few hundred years from now? But as I neared the end of the book, I realized....there's no real story here. There was only a loose connection between the three story lines, and no satisfying conclusion. I didn't even find a connection with the characters, which will sometimes redeem an otherwise lackluster read. This one I could have skipped.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Numbers 28-30 in my <a href="http://www.read52booksin52weeks.com/">52 Books in 52 Weeks</a> challenge. Last one was <a href="http://kimturnage.blogspot.com/2011/07/book-review-sentimentalists.html">The Sentimentalists.</a><a href="http://kimturnage.blogspot.com/2011/07/book-review-left-neglected.html"><br />
</a></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> <i><b>What are you reading?</b> <a href="http://www.read52booksin52weeks.com/">Link up</a><b> </b>or share what you're reading in a comment right here.</i> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.read52booksin52weeks.com/"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Wmil685vS6ckNYQ5j0_fQQpApaclNHlnDBVJeX9FW5ywbyJWq-OOEl3Vq6H8vBag7GTzSRD9H2mcpMRzAU-CJ3mnaERM37AgHieBVY9VaFV3sMCexUKY4KbUDFth0blUeTk6XkBPQGA/s320/52+books+2011+blog+header.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div>Kim Turnagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11922217075098912235noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169253126879356163.post-62838133453158628612011-08-17T12:32:00.001-06:002015-04-02T21:02:08.147-06:00If you want to walk on water....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Summer is finally over. The kids went back to school last week, and I feel like I'm recovering some semblance of sanity (as sane as I get anyway).<br />
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With some time to reflect, I've realized how many times over the summer I felt like things were out of control and it was my job to save the day.<br />
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The kids were squabbling (or coming to blows). Bills need paying. Kids wanted to be run hither and yon, have friends over to play, and generally pulled me in three directions at once like some kind of Elasto-girl.<br />
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In the midst of all that need, I felt like it was my job to walk on water. <br />
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When I think of walking on water, Peter immediately comes to mind. Peter. On a boat, battered by wind and waves, trembling as he shouts to what might be an apparition walking on the water,<br />
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“Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
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<i>“Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”</i></blockquote>
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I think of the old adage,<br />
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<i>"If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat."</i></blockquote>
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Only Peter dared step out of the boat (I love him for that), but in the end his fear was his failure (and I hate it when I am Peter). And I think of Jesus' reprimand as he lifts Peter above the troubled waters,<br />
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I“Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
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<i><span class="woj">“You have so little faith,”</span> Jesus said. <span class="woj">“Why did you doubt me?”</span></i></blockquote>
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<span class="woj">Peter wanted to walk on the water. I feel like I have to walk on the water. And neither of us can. </span><br />
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Last time I read <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2014:%2022-33&version=NLT">that story</a>, though, I was arrested by what comes before it, the story of what Jesus was doing <i>right before<b> he </b>walked on the water. </i><br />
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--><br />Do you know it?<br />
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It starts right after the story of the loaves and fishes, the feeding of the 5,000. It's just two sentences. I might have missed it.<br />
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I“Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
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<i>Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. </i></blockquote>
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He went up into the hills.<br />
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By himself.<br />
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To pray.<br />
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How often do I leave that part out? I see trouble and I go out to save the day. <br />
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The wind blows. The waves crash. The children cry out. And I think it's my job to walk on the water.<br />
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But I haven't gone into the hills. By myself. To pray.<br />
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I haven't given the water over to God. Let him remind me that being in this boat is my job. Walking on that water is his. <br />
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I haven't even asked him to call me out. I've just stepped out on my own.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<i><b>My first step out of the boat should not be onto the water.</b></i> It should be to the hills, by myself, to pray. <br />
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<b>No wonder I spent half the summer feeling like I was sinking.</b><br />
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But now I've sent the people away (for a few hours a day) and I have some time.<br />
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Now my eyes look to the hills. (May my feet follow.)<br />
Where does my help come from?<br />
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.<i> </i><br />
<i>(Psalm 121)</i></blockquote>
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