I Stand by the Door

I really like this poem from Sam Shoemaker. My pastor read it during his sermon last Sunday and it made quite the impression on me. If you're a Christian already, be careful when you read this. You might be convicted to act like one.

I stand by the door.
I neither go too far in, nor stay too far out.
The door is the most important door in the world -
It is the door through which men walk when they find God.
There is no use my going way inside and staying there,
When so many are still outside and they, as much as I,
Crave to know where the door is.
And all that so many ever find
Is only the wall where the door ought to be.
They creep along the wall like blind men,
With outstretched, groping hands,
Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door,
Yet they never find it.
So I stand by the door.

The most tremendous thing in the world
Is for men to find that door - the door to God.
The most important thing that any man can do
Is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands
And put it on the latch - the latch that only clicks
And opens to the man's own touch.

Men die outside the door, as starving beggars die
On cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter.
Die for want of what is within their grasp.
They live on the other side of it - live because they have not found it.

Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it,
And open it, and walk in, and find Him.
So I stand by the door.

Go in great saints; go all the way in -
Go way down into the cavernous cellars,
And way up into the spacious attics.
It is a vast, roomy house, this house where God is.
Go into the deepest of hidden casements,
Of withdrawal, of silence, of sainthood.
Some must inhabit those inner rooms
And know the depths and heights of God,
And call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is.
Sometimes I take a deeper look in.
Sometimes venture in a little farther,
But my place seems closer to the opening.
So I stand by the door.

There is another reason why I stand there.
Some people get part way in and become afraid
Lest God and the zeal of His house devour them;
For God is so very great and asks all of us.
And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia
And want to get out. 'Let me out!' they cry.
And the people way inside only terrify them more.
Somebody must be by the door to tell them that they are spoiled.
For the old life, they have seen too much:
One taste of God and nothing but God will do any more.
Somebody must be watching for the frightened
Who seek to sneak out just where they came in,
To tell them how much better it is inside.
The people too far in do not see how near these are
To leaving - preoccupied with the wonder of it all.
Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door
But would like to run away. So for them too,
I stand by the door.

I admire the people who go way in.
But I wish they would not forget how it was
Before they got in. Then they would be able to help
The people who have not yet even found the door.
Or the people who want to run away again from God.
You can go in too deeply and stay in too long
And forget the people outside the door.
As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place,
Near enough to God to hear Him and know He is there,
But not so far from men as not to hear them,
And remember they are there too.

Where? Outside the door -
Thousands of them. Millions of them.
But - more important for me -
One of them, two of them, ten of them.
Whose hands I am intended to put on the latch.
So I shall stand by the door and wait
For those who seek it.

'I had rather be a door-keeper
So I stand by the door.

Boats and Ho's!

Simplify

I LOVE this poster! I came across a story on the news yesterday where a dumpster diver found some old newspaper clippings from 1944 thrown in the trash. First, who would throw away something so old and cool? And second, what a great motto to live by!
Of course, I already live that way, or at least, I try really hard to. Painted above my mantle is the word "Simplify" and I try to stick to it. It's hard, but I'm working on it. For instance, the pair of shorts I'm wearing right now, I bought in 1999! The fact that they still fit is something to be proud of on it's own! But, they're still in good shape and I'll make them last. Then again, I might end up on Dr.Phil one day on a show about hoarders.
But we are a nation of consumers- a "throw it away, I'll just buy a new one" mentality. I hate that. There was a documentary that came out last year called "What would Jesus buy?", about a group of anti-consumerists that would go into stores and malls and practically harass the employees and customers. I love it! I HATE malls and all the over-priced junk people think they have to have. Every once in a while, I fall for it (iPhone). But I pride myself on not really ever buying anything I can't eat. My goal for my closet is to whittle it down to a few white t-shirts, one pair of jeans, one pair of shorts, and some flip-flops. Oh and of course, my soccer uniform.
I mean how much do we really need? We can only wear one pair of shoes at a time. How big a house do we need, when it's just more to clean and furnish? I don't know about you, but I can only be in one room at a time. Why do I need 3 living areas? So I can put furniture in it that I'll never sit on anyway?

Can't drive 55?

Me either...until now. About 2 weeks ago, I was driving down Highway 360 to a friend's house and it suddenly hit me that maybe I should SLOW DOWN and try to save some gas (money) like those crazy Hypermilers you see on the news. And contrary to my belief that faster is better, I actually enjoyed driving 60 or 65 instead of 70, or 75 (who am I kidding- or 80). It was very calming on the nerves to have cars screaming past me at 90 and flipping me off for trying to go green. I just smiled and waved and chilled. But truly, it was a nicer drive not to have to worry about which lane was moving faster or how to negotiate a lane change at 75 miles an hour. And you know what? I have already upped my mileage- from 18.3 mpg to a whopping 18.8 mpg (no, I didn't figure that myself, my car does it for me.) So, you see, it works. Kind of.

The Great Storm of 1900

So, now everyone knows that I love to go to Galveston. I'm reading this book, "Isaac's Storm" about the hurricane that wiped out the Island in September 1900. It killed 8000 people. The book is fascinating to me, having visited Galveston probably 9 times in the last 12 years. I can visualize all the places he refers to. I've read all the monuments and memorials scattered about the island and I feel connected to it.

I'm also a weather nerd. I wanted to be a meteorologist growing up (and a sports announcer, but that's neither here nor there...) and did science fair projects on tornados. But then, so did half the 5th grade. I'm in awe of storms, be it thunderstorms or hurricanes, tornados or blizzards.

This book is not only about the history and fate of Galveston, but the history and personality of this huge storm. It also tells about the beginnings of the Weather Service and how the science of forecasting evolved over time. It's absolutely fascinating. (I've used that word already, but I can't think of another one.)

I write all this to say, read this book! It's humbling for mankind. These people thought they had it all figured out, the weather, that is. Just when they thought they were on top of things, bam...not so much. Is that where we are in terms of say, global warming (if it exists- but that's a whole other blog entry for another day)?

We think we know, but we have no idea.

Blimey!

Todd picked up a stingray at Galveston! It was so cool!

Galveston

Headed home from Galveston...tired, but tan. Great sun, great sand,
great time... Didn't want to leave!

Sent from my iPhone

You can't handle the Truth!!

So Phil Gram says we've become a "nation of whiners" and everybody is up in arms. But WE ARE. I just caught myself upset that I couldn't get to the Apple store to get the iPhone on the VERY first day it comes out. How pitiful is that? We whine about the cost of gas we have to put in our nice, huge, gas-guzzling SUV's. Or how you're losing your 3000-square foot house you couldn't afford in the first place! I think there's a slight disconnect there. We whine because we're spoiled and we think we're entitled- to everything. It's disgusting.

Debbie Downer

"The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them." -Albert Einstein


I'm bummed out on life today. Two toddlers drowned in my town yesterday and it just upset me to the core. Apparently no one's fault in particular, they just slipped outside unnoticed and the dad found them in the pool. So sad. As I was driving my kids over to their Nana's today for a visit, I just took in their laughter from the back seat as much as I could. Almost trying to burn it into my brain. But that made me sad, too, because those parents lost both their kids, and I don't want to even imagine their pain.
Then I see a handicapped man in a wheelchair in the heat trying to cross a busy street by himself and I got more depressed. And as I looked around while heading home, I just noticed all the down and out people around me. And told myself, all I can do is just raise me kids the very best I can and provide a foundation for them so they don''t end up like those I saw. But then that just doesn't seem like enough. What else can I do to help the world? It's so overwhelming, where do you start?? Will the poor always be among us? Is that an excuse not to help? All I can say is- Jesus come quickly! Save us from ourselves.

Suburbed to death

Todd and I were having one seriously frustrating day and on the way over to our friends' house that evening, half-jokingly he said, "Just put on my tombstone 'The world was too much for me'."
Then he said something about being "suburbed to death". Funny statement, but too true. It's not like we live in a war-torn country where we daily have to worry about survival. We get so frustrated and upset over the little things- totally meaningless stuff. It's not like we're worrying about keeping a roof over our head or food on the table- in the suburbs, those things are pretty much a given. But we get ticked off over stupid things, like whether our iPod works in the car or why are our kids so stinkin' loud! But really, I guess, no matter where you live- life throws a lot at you and you have to have a fairly tough skin to get by.

California Girl?

Weird thing- twice in the past 6 days someone has told me I belong on the west coast. Impossible- I'm a Texan, born and bred. And proud of it. First person told me I LOOK like someone who's from there, next person told me I ACT like someone from there. I guess that's a compliment... ?

Crappy morning

What a freakin' morning. A full glass of apple juice spilled on my coffee table and computer. Then my 4 year old sneezes a snotrocket all over his clothes. And not 10 minutes later my 9 month old dumps an entire bowl of warm oatmeal into my lap. And all before 9am. Have you ever sat in tears with oatmeal in your lap? Well, now I have. Not what it's cracked up to be.....

PK Baby!

We just had our annual Possum Kingdom Lake trip last week. That place rocks! The lake is awesome in scope and beauty! Really peaceful and laid back. I would describe it like a grunge, hippie lake as opposed to a yuppie lake, like, say, Lewisville or Joe Pool. I always have such a good time doing nothing but floating in the water and soaking up rays, which I know is so wrong, but feels so right. Everytime I have to leave there, I'm ready to buy a house on the lake and stay there forever. Yes, I'm in love with Possum Kingdom.