Wrong Church

This is my wonderful daughter! We live in the south, but have never encountered a Pentecostal church..

River Rocks

 I thought I'd post some of my recent artwork between big, meaningful posts..

This is a sculpture I did just for the fun of it, and would be really simple to recreate. I took aluminum foil and shaped it to resemble river rocks and covered them in Sculpey clay..

After baking them, I painted all of them gray, brown, or sienna. After giving them all a single-colored coat, I went in and detailed each one. Some, I watered down blue-gray paint and gave the whole rock a coat, while others I splotched with a paintbrush or gave granite-like stripes..

Then, I got some course-textured painting medium, mixed in some yellows and browns to give it the color of sand, and laid it down on the canvas in a thin layer. While it was still wet, I took the painted clay stones and stuck them in the sand medium, and let dry. Then, I put it in an 8" x 10" shadowbox. Voila! What do you think? 

My Experience Behind Bars

If you live in the Tri-cities, you know of the Busted paper. It features all the mug shots of the arrested in the local counties. And thanks to my bad decisions in the past, I was featured! Not many people want to brag about going to jail, and I can't say I'm anything close to proud(especially in regards to my appearance). Perhaps humbled is the best word, followed by grateful. I would venture a guess that not many people would choose those words to describe being arrested, either.

I almost chose not to include my mugshot with this blog post, after seeing how awful I look in it. But in my defense, when the police arrived to arrest me, I was asleep, in bed. They hardly gave me the opportunity to get dressed. Couple that with the fact that, before taking the shot, I was left in a holding cell with one anti-social psychopath who was being deprived of her pain meds and an overly social woman coming off of some kind of drug that makes you twitch and see things. So, for three hours, I huddled in a corner, pretending to be asleep while secretly fearing for my life as the socialite kept pestering the woman detoxing from her prescription to "get off the fucking bed, bitch." The bed in question was a raised cement block, which they both felt entitled to. After a short while of arguing, they were ready to duke it out and kill one another over it. I prayed they wouldn't turn on me, since I was only taking up a corner in the floor.

    I really was praying, between moments of panic and fear. I couldn't help but wonder why God would allow this, after all I had done cleaning up my life(isn't that an arrogant thought?) Realizing this, I began to pray instead that whatever would come from this would glorify God--that it would make Him look good. Soon, they pulled me out of that holding cell of hell, let me make a phone call, and got me into the fashionable gray and black striped jumpsuit, which swallowed me. Apparently, they didn't have a small size. They gave me a basket with a blanket, a towel, a mat, toilet paper, shampoo, a bar of soap, a cup, and a comb. It was about 4 a.m. when I got put in a cell block. I was stuck in there til my husband could bail me out the next day. I quietly found an empty place on a bottom bunk, and settled in. I was expecting the block to be like the holding cell, full of crazy and/or violent people. Instead, everyone was asleep, except for one woman, who I later found out was the equivalent of the head of the block--the convict who took charge and delegated to everyone. She greeted me, and explained a few things before we both layed down on our respective mats to try and sleep, which I found surprisingly difficult without a pillow.

An hour or two later, they brought in one of the crazies I had been in a holding cell with. She proceeded to act crazy, and woke everyone up. I think a few of the people would have beat her if breakfast hadn't been served right then. Everyone ate, and a few of them spoke to me, wondering what I was in for. I told them--aggravated assault, with a $30,000 bond, which apparently made me a 'badass'. I didn't feel like it, though. If they knew the whole story, they wouldn't think so, either. But I allowed them to think what they wanted, hoping it would keep me from getting picked on for any reason.

Time passes so slowly in there. By lunch time, I felt it should have been evening. Eventually, though, my husband got me out. I thought it would have been 5 or 6 in the evening, but it was only 1 p.m. Thankfully, it was a Monday, so I had my Celebrate Recovery family to go see that evening. That was truly a blessing, having the opportunity to be received by a group of people who can understand and comfort and help and love me unconditionally and be so supportive of me directly after something traumatic. These people had come to be closer to me than my own family.

A month or so later, my arraignment date was approaching. I was very nervous, but I had maintained in my heart that if I ended up going to jail, then God wanted me there for a reason. Maybe someone in there needed ministering to, or maybe it would help me grow in some way. Being arrested already diminished my pride greatly, so, as hard as it was, I made myself grateful for that. I had always reassured myself in my using days that even though I was bad, I was never that bad. I had never gone to jail, so I was more in control than those who let themselves get caught. Ha ha. That was me, sitting chest deep in quicksand, looking down on the guy next to me who was neck deep, thinking I was better off. God nipped that in the bud.

On the morning of my arraignment, I left for the courthouse with my dad, leaving my husband at home with Kiley. Though terrified, I also had faith that God would take care of me and my family. Solemnly, I walked into the court room, finding seats near the front for me and my dad. Listening to all of the proceedings gave me time to become more nervous. I listened as a woman charged with the same offense was sentenced. At that point, I would have cried if I hadn't been in a 'deer-in-the-headlights' state. Finally, the judge had all those present for an arraignment file for a public defender, should they want one, as he took a recess. The bailiff passed the sheets out as a group of us shuffled from the court room to fill out the paper work. Returning to my seat, I resumed the position of cowering down low, as if it would make me invisible, hoping the judge would forget about the Rodgers, Hailey case, as he returned to the court room. The judge began to call the first in line on the list of arraignments, beginning with the last name of Anderson, but the district attorney politely interrupted him in order to give me a heart attack. "Before we begin, I would like to bring the Hailey Rodger's case to the stand." My heart stopped, and I shakily made my way to the defendant's table. Surely, they were about to throw me back in jail, for whatever reason. Why else would they go out of alphabetical order?

 "The Prosecution moves to dismiss the charges against Mrs. Rodgers." I'm pretty sure my jaw was hanging open at this point. Even as the judge officiated it, "Case dismissed, you are free to go," I remained petrified. After an eternity, it sunk in, and I slunk toward the exit. My heart was finally released from it's prison of terror when my dad pat me on the back. I looked over and finally managed a meek smile. Realizing what had actually happened, my heart swelled with the joy only someone condemned but set free could feel. Reaching my car, I immediately called my husband to relay the grace that God had worked for us. I left the courthouse with a renewed belief that we are all sinners, no matter how good you have been or will be, and that some of us are lucky enough to get caught while others are sufferers of socially acceptable sins(like pride), and a new appreciation for the song Amazing Grace.

Have you ever endured something bad, but come out good on the other side, or experienced something miraculous? How about being humbled?

Sticking Together in a Broken World

     Although we are a young couple and have only been married for a little over a year, my husband and I feel that God has blessed us with a small wealth of wisdom concerning our marriage. We see so many couples, married or not, struggling, and that is the reason I'm writing this. I want to share the insight God has granted us in hopes that this information can help other couples.

     By no means am I writing this because I think I'm an expert, or because I think that my marriage is perfect. Chad and I still struggle, and I am completely aware that we still have the vast majority of challenges to face, and I'm sure that there are many others out there more qualified to write this but Chad and I have experienced a variety of things that many couples our age may not have, though, and  I will say, simply, that I feel like God is leading me to put together this post because of that. I hope that someone will get something out of this, and if so, I hope that they can recognize that it is because of God, not me. I will also say that this information is a compilation of what we have heard, read, and then experienced ourselves, so this isn't new information and I do not claim the ideas as my own original concepts. A list of references is included, should you want to find out more about a certain point. I also hope you can appreciate some of the humor I put in some of these points.. So here we go:

Items of Advice on Building A Healthy Relationship

• Prepare Yourself - I believe that part of the reason marriages don't last is because the people entering into them did not prepare themselves beforehand. We are all born very self-centered. As babies, we cannot care for anyone else because we cannot care for ourselves. As we grow, we become more independent. Children begin caring for themselves to a limited extent, and as children become teenagers, they have a self-awareness. They are suddenly aware of how they interact with others, but not until adulthood are they expected to care for others in a way necessary in marriage. I believe God designed parenting to come after marriage because it is the ultimate test in self-sacrifice. However, the prequel is very important. Marriage means you are no longer your main concern. Most people now-a-days are not raised to think of others before themselves. Therefore, we enter into marriage unprepared. Before you get married, you need to identify and fix your character defects. The prideful person will claim that they don't have any, or that theirs aren't in need of attention. This is something anyone interested in marriage should do well before they even begin dating. The truth is, your possible spouse should not love you for who you are, and you should not expect them to. That is a selfish train of thought. Out of love for your partner, you should acknowledge and work on your faults, so that they won't have to deal with them later on. Remember, when you get married, you and your partner become one, so your character flaws become theirs, and affect them even more than they affect you.
• Love is a Choice - Real, lasting love is not a feeling, but a decision that both people must make every day. Society may make love sound like a feeling, which may come when you meet the right person, but may leave if your Mr. or Ms. Right is no longer the right one for you. For example, I recently saw a car commercial which mentions that love is chemistry. I'm sorry, but no, it isn't. Infatuation is chemistry. Infatuation is a chemical reaction in your brain that occurs when you meet someone who shares interests with you, or who you find attractive, etc. These chemicals trick you into thinking that this human is flawless, has no faults, and will love you and respect you forever, no matter what. I'm convinced that God designed this aspect of the human physiology because, without it, humans would see each others' inherent flaws, quirks, etc. from the beginning. If that was the case, I believe our pride just might cause us to become an endangered species. The purpose of infatuation is to delude us into a relationship long enough for the two to develop an attachment for one another. Once the two have a base for their relationship, we should then follow God's example, and make the active choice to love. I could very easily allow myself to 'fall in love' with someone else. So could my husband. But because we both make that choice every day, we put up appropriate boundaries to protect our relationship. It seems to me that this is the one thing that is lacking in most relationships today, and it is one thing that can save a relationship, transform it, if both parties actively make this decision to love only one another, and put up boundaries for the rest of the world. Agree when getting married that your vows really do mean 'till death do we part'. My husband and I agreed that divorce would never, ever be an option. If he cheats on me and runs off with another woman for weeks, we will work through it. If I relapse and get back on pills, and I blow all our savings, we will work it out. Make that decision, and you will have to acknowledge that love is a choice, not a feeling.
• Men and Women are very Different - The acceptance of this truth, that God made the male and female genders to be very different--almost polar opposites--can make the way you communicate with your spouse much easier, especially for females. This piece of advice is very simple. When you and your husband get home from work, and you want to talk with him for an hour, and he wants some quietude, accept that, and compromise. When you realize and are okay with the fact that the two of you sometimes want different things, feel and cope with stuff in different ways, you can come to a place where the both of you can get a little bit of what each of you desires. However, this fact will only help a relationship if both parties acknowledge it and decide to compromise.
• Love and Respect - This dovetails off of the last point--women need love, and men need respect. This concept cannot be fully explained in a single point in one blog post. I beg you to go out and buy the book Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs. Since I know you are in the process of ordering that book on Amazon, I'll just lay out the gist of the concept (and while you are waiting on your book to arrive, you can check out Emerson's blog here.) Women inherently need love, unconditional love. Men need respect, unconditionally, as well. It seems to me, after reading the book, that this could save so many relationships. In the book, Emerson talks about the 'crazy cycle'. It typically begins when one party(usually the man?) fails to provide for a need. Either the man fails to be loving, or commits an act that is unloving, or the woman doesn't provide respect, or does something disrespectful. As an example, let's say a couple gets married. The man has finally achieved the goal of winning his wife's heart, so he doesn't provide as much affection or attention. As a way to cry out for the attention she is suddenly missing, the wife says something less than respectful. In response, the man continues to act without love. The cycle continues, until divorce. The cycle can be broken very simply. The woman, rather than acting snarky, can explain in a respectful way how she felt unloved.
• Make One Assumption - This assumption is mentioned in the Love and Respect book, as well. It's the only assumption I think you should make about your spouse, and it's really simple. (This does not apply to abusive relationships.) Women, he didn't mean to hurt you. He didn't intend to hurt your feelings, or crush your expectations(I'll talk about that word later). He just wasn't thinking, got distracted, etc. In a non-abusive relationship, you have to make the assumption that your husband has not intended evil towards you. Men, your wife doesn't mean to disrespect you. She doesn't desire to damage your honor. When she has said or done something that makes you feel disrespected, she is most likely trying(and failing) to communicate that she has a need going unmet. If, anytime your spouse hurts you, you decide to make this assumption, apologies are so much easier. 
• Lower Your Expectations - Here's that awful word again. Although it's hard to explain, it's something that my husband and I have struggled with, so I feel it's important. When you enter into a relationship, there's the infatuation to help the two of you out, but eventually that will fade. So, even if it hasn't yet, go ahead and lower your expectations! This doesn't mean eliminate them. There are healthy expectations, but most of us have high expectations. Usually, we expect our partner to attain perfection for us, yet we allow ourselves leeway. If you forget to pick up milk from the grocery store, you aren't too hard on yourself. If your spouse forgets, though, and for the third time in a row! You'd think he'd get better at this! I mean, geez... He probably was just being lazy! If you don't expect him to remember the milk, so you send him a sweet text when he's on his way home to remind him, and he arrives home with the milk, and a rose.. See what I'm getting at? Yes, you should expect appropriate boundaries, but beyond that, if you don't maintain high expectations, and your partner doesn't meet them, no harm done. If you expect something more, and they don't attain it, then you are essentially making your partner start in the negative; not only do they have to get back to zero, but then they have to go beyond that. But, if you don't expect anything from them, and they do remember the milk, then they just went from zero to the positive!
• Lift Up Your Partner - I would argue that this is by far the most important point, but also the most difficult, because if you can do this, the rest will fall into place. This works best when both of you are trying to do it, and in accordance with the assumption and expectation points. By lifting up your partner, I mean put them above you, before you. Act as though your spouse's wishes and desires are more important than yours, but not as if yours are not important. And men, especially, if you do this for your wives, you will get some serious points. If the two of you want to go out to eat, but cannot agree on a place, decide to go with what your partner wants. Little things like this will bring out the same desire in your partner. This is based on the concept of a Biblical marriage, and it works. I will go ahead and say that Biblical marriage is NOT sexist, and I will explain why. Ephesians 5:21-23 are some of the most debated verses in the Bible. It states: "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife as Christ is head of the church, the body, and is it's Savior." Usually, people only like quoting the first sentence there. But it is very important not to separate these verses. It mentions Christ being head of the church. What did Jesus do for the body of believers? He sacrificed himself for us. He died, allowing us to live. So, what does it say again? Though the two of you should submit to one another, and try to agree and live together as one, when there is a disagreement, wives need to allow their husbands to make the decision. Because, husbands, you are to be the head of your family, as Jesus is to the church, which means you are to act out the sacrificial relationship in your marriage. Jesus was not waited on hand and foot by the church. Jesus did not allow the church to treat him as a king. He washed the disciples feet, not vice versa. A Biblical marriage dictates that man and woman treat one another above themselves, but when it comes down to it, the man is to make the decision to do what is best for his wife, regardless of himself. Women, how can you not want a Biblical marriage now? The Bible clearly states that your husband is meant to live sacrificially in the marriage. Not domineer over you. However, women, don't use this as an excuse to demand your way. Submit to one another out of reverence for God, and it will all work out.
  
• Speak Your Partner's Language - Many people have heard of the book "The 5 Love Languages." It's a wonderful book, and that's what this point is about. I don't feel I need to go into much detail, as you can take a test to find out what your languages are here. I will list and discuss the different languages a little bit, though. Also, you are likely to show love in whatever way you would prefer to receive it. That's a good clue as to what your language is. Though the book states that people usually have one or two languages, I have found that me and my husband appreciate them all, only in a certain order. One language may be at the top of my list, but if Chad acts using the language at the bottom of my list, I can still appreciate it. For instance, when he goes shopping with me(a sacrificial act of service, at least on his part, speaks quality time to me) and then buys an item I was admiring for me(gift giving), I feel very loved, more so than him doing chores around the house for me(act of service.) Language 1: Words of Affirmation - This is your language if your partner's words are more important to you than anything else.  Language 2: Acts of Service - If this is your partners language, you can rack up points by finding out their least favorite tasks, and doing them. Laundry, mowing, cooking, etc. I communicate love to my husband by buying him fast food, which could also fall under giving gifts. Language 3: Receiving Gifts - If this is your spouse's language, it's pretty obvious the way to show love. Buy them things, give them giftcards, make them breakfast, take time to make them a gift if they appreciate acts of service as well. Language 4: Quality Time - If this is what speaks love to your partner, set aside time in your schedule for them. Taking time to talk with your wife, I feel, falls under quality time, rather than words of affirmation. Language 5: Physical Touch - This includes hugs, holding hands, snuggling on the couch, or simply placing your hand on their shoulder as you walk by, but this does not include anything sexual. I will go ahead and say it again: the language of physical touch means anything non-sexual. Most men, and some woman, have a need for sex. It is not a desire, it is a physical need, which I will cover in the next point. It can be perceived, especially by women, with or without the need, as a way their partner can express love to them, thereby a part of the physical touch language. But from the perspective of a woman who has struggled with sexual need and addiction, it is just that: a need. So, do not include sex when looking at love languages. 
• Meet Your Partner's Needs - This point is modeled after the book "His Needs, Her Needs" by Willard F. Harley Jr. This book made a huge difference in my marriage, so I feel it's a necessary read. You can usually find this book at Walmart, as well as Christian book stores. These are separate from the Love Languages, but I feel that if you find out what you and your partner's needs and love languages are, you can use the information to improve your relationship in so many different ways. The book splits the needs into two categories, men and women, but as it states in the book, the listed needs aren't gender-exclusive. My own marriage is a prime example of this. Here are the lists of needs:

Typically Men's Needs

• Admiration (a.k.a. - respect!)
• Domestic Support
• Attractiveness of Spouse
• Recreational Companionship
• Sexual Fulfillment

Typically Women's Needs

• Affection
• Intimate Conversation
• Honesty and Openness of Spouse
• Financial Support
• Family Commitment

Again, this is only typical. You or your partners needs may differ. For example, some men don't have a need for an attractive spouse, and some women may need sexual fulfillment just as much as a man does. Both mine and my husband's needs differ from the list, so it's not a big deal if yours do. Here is a description of the needs listed. The book does point out one thing that I feel is important, especially if your marriage is struggling in the sex area. Women tend to need emotional connection (intimate conversation, honesty and openness) and affection, and the product of fulfilling these needs results in a desire for sex. Men tend to need sex, and when that is fulfilled, emotional connection and affection are usually the result. 

Well, I hope this helped someone out there. Here is a list of the resources I used in putting this together, as well as anything else I have found helpful in my marriage.

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman

The 5 Love Languages Quiz

The 5 Languages of Apolagy by Gary Chapman and Jennifer Thomas

The 5 Languages of Apology Quiz

His Needs Her Needs by Willard F. Harley Jr.

Love And Respect by Emerson Eggerichs

Andy Stanley Videos on Marriage

Summer Activities for the Family

   Summer break is finally here! But it always seems to go by so fast.. This summer, with my husband, a 7-year-old boy, and a 1-year-old girl in tow, I want to make the most of it. It's not always easy to find healthy, wholesome, God-honoring fun. So I decided to put together a reference list of places and things in our area to do over the summer. Our budget is minimal (read: we are broke) so all of these ideas are very affordable, which means these are great for those of us living on minimum wage, a single parent, those trying to save, or the just plain thrifty.

By no means is my list exhaustive, so please feel free to suggest other ideas I can add. These are things that my family enjoys, and I hope your family can find something to enjoy as well. If you want to get an early start on planning, or on things to do throughout the year, I would suggest checking out the book store. Go to the kids or parenting section and find a thick book. Usually, they have titles like 1,444 Fun Things To Do With Kids, and contain a wealth of creative ideas that often cost pennies.

Summer To-Do List

• Fun Fest - The first activity I think of when contemplating fun in the summer is, of course, Fun Fest. This may not be available all summer, but it does provide Kingsport a wide variety of family-friendly activities all day for over a week straight. This year, Fun Fest will last from July 12th through July 20th. Keep checking their website for a list of this years activities and events. We never miss out on the free admission to Bays Mountain Park, trash barrel painting contest, the hot air balloons, Taste of the Tri-Cities, concerts, and the Splash Dance. Once this year's itinerary goes up, I'll try to do a feature on some other note-worthy events during Fun Fest.
• Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium - This park always has so much going on, we could go every week and never get bored. You can see both local and exotic wildlife here, up-close and personal, including deer, racoons, bobcats, river otters, reptiles in the herpetarium, birds of prey in the raptor center, and lots of different local fish in the watershed room. My favorite animal exhibit to visit, though, would be the wolves.  On many Wednesdays and Saturdays, you can watch the pack of wolves eat a carcass of roadkill, which smells nasty, but it's fascinating! By checking the calendar on the Bays Mountain website, you can attend a wolf howl. One of the trained staff will come out and coax the wolves into a symphony, which is one of the most beautiful and eerie things I've ever heard, and I think this is especially enjoyable if you attend one of the night programs. These last two activities are free, as are several other programs that are featured at animal enclosures. Others, like the planetarium programs, cost a small fee but are absolutely worth it. The planetarium is great for kids because it feels like a movie theatre, but more personal, and more educational. Check the schedule on the website when you plan a trip so you can be sure to catch their daily show in the planetarium. Barge rides are also a favorite of mine, especially during the fall. The ride consists of a guided tour along the lake by a knowledgeable staff member, who always has interesting information to offer. For instance, did you know about the freshwater jellyfish?  Be sure and buy tickets for the barge ride when you first arrive at the park, because they sell out quickly. If you prefer to explore the park on your own, they have an overlook, farmstead, and lake-side trails to explore. If you have the endurance to hike uphill, I suggest checking out the fire tower, which is off the lake trail. A new addition to the park is the adventure course and zipline. Though I can't speak from experience, the price of the zipline seems outrageously thrifty at only $10. Be sure and read about the adventure course elements online; they advertise the low ropes course elements as being free and open to the public, but for only $5 per person, you can plan a guided group session. The high ropes course is off limits to the public due to the fact that it's 40 feet off the ground. Guided group sessions are only $25, which might seem like a lot, but when harnesses and helmets are involved, more expensive means safer to me. And all that is only the tip of the ice berg. Check out their website for lots more to do, like summer camp and astronomy club.
• Get Wet! - There are several options in the area if you want to get wet. One of my son's favorite places is Splashpad in downtown Kingsport. 
  
  The area isn't very large, but it is located directly beside a playground, and it is absolutely free! Splashpad is made up of a variety of different waterworks, including dumping buckets, squirt guns, and geysers. Two shelters are available for reservation, which would be great for birthday parties, or even just a get-together, at a very reasonable price--$10 for three hours, if you're a city resident (or $17 if you're not.) The water turns on at 10 a.m. and goes off at 8 p.m. and is in constant flux throughout the day between these times. I would recommend Splashpad for all ages, even babies. My daughter is 1, and my son is 7, so it's often hard to accomadate them both when planning activities, but at Splashpad, the wild waterworks entertain my older one, and as the water pumps, a small pool forms all over the pad, so my younger one can play in the shallow puddles. For more information, you can look at this website.
  
  If your kids are a little older, and know how to swim, Wetlands Water Park might be a better option. Much larger than Splashpad, Wetlands is also located in Jonesborough, and is somewhat pricey by my standards. Adult admission (ages 13+) is $12 and children 4 and up and seniors 55 and older are $9, as well. Younger children are free. Season passes are available, $80 for adults, and $60 for children and seniors, which equals out to about 6 visits. So, if you plan on going at least 7 times over the summer, get a season pass! If we lived closer, my family would probably invest in one, because Wetlands has so much to offer. Their main pool begins as a zero depth wading area and connects with the lazy river, which is my favorite part. The flume slides empty into the deep end of the pool. Smaller slides designed for young children and toddlers are off to the sides of the main pool, making it easy for you to keep up with the little ones while keeping an eye on the big kids. A 'rain tree' is located near the small slide, as well as geysers and buckets. Beach-style chairs are available at the water's edge, and tables and chairs are also located in the shade of shelters, as well as in the cafe area. Off to one side is also a grassy hill perfect for laying out a beach towel and enjoying the sun, conveniently close to the sand volley ball court. Inner tubes are available for rent, and a variety of water related merchandise is sold there, such as goggles, swim diapers, and floaties, and sunscreen, so if you forget something, the whole trip isn't ruined. If your kids haven't yet learned to swim, Wetlands also offers lessons four times throughout the summer for only $60. Wetlands is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. To check out their menu, find out more about swimming lessons, or any other information, just check their very informative website here. If Wetlands weren't 30 minutes away from Kingsport, we might visit it more often, but recently a new option has come to fruition that I am very anxious to try out: the Kingsport YMCA and Aquatic Center. The Aquatic Center is located just over the hill from our house, right next to Meadowview. I drove by to see how it looked today, and the parking lot was so full, people had to park down the road at Meadowview and catch the shuttle that was going back and forth. I didn't get a great look at it, but from what I could tell, it was smaller than Wetlands, but about the same par. One big plus with the Aquatic Center is that they have an indoor pool with slide open year-round! The outdoor portion has 2 slides and a lazy river, but other than that, I know very little about it, since I haven't had the opportunity to go myself. For more information, here is their website. Their hours of operation are a little eratic, so I will link you directly there, rather than typing them all up again -- Aquatic Center hours. I'd like to point out that if you decide to join the YMCA next door, you recieve free admission to the Aquatic Center, and the YMCA has an adventure play area for children 6-12, so it may very well be worth it, especially since financial assistance is offered for the membership fee.
• Museums and Zoos - Museums may not sounds like the most fun thing to do this summer, but I have to say, the Gray Fossil Site and Natural History Museum has a pretty cool set of exhibits. Not only is it educational, but many exhibits are interactive, and you can go as fast or as slow through it all as you'd like. Take a walk through Basler Hall for close-up casts of real fossils of saber-tooth cats, tapirs, alligators, elephants, rhinos, and red pandas. All along the hall are interactive virtual exhibits, offering children games to learn through. At one point, you can even dig up fossil casts in a large pit of 'dirt' (don't worry, the kids won't get dirty, the dig is made up of chips of rubber.) All of this, combined with touring the actual dig site, makes for a very educational trip. Separate from the permanent exhibit is one that changes on a regular basis and always has something new and exciting. On our last trip, the alternate exhibit was on germs, and had so many fascinating, interactive activities. I believe that adults and kids alike can enjoy this museum. And in the summer, the site has a camp, where kids really get involved, and get to do lots of hands-on things like digging for fossils and casting bones. If you've got younger children though, they may not enjoy the less-than-living. And if you don't have the time, patience, or gas to drive out to Chatanooga or Knoxville, the Creation Kingdom Zoo may be the perfect outing.
  
  Many people I've spoken with didn't even know it, but just outside of Gate City is a small but colorful zoo. A quaint collection of animals, including tigers, zebras, porcupines, jaguars, and lemurs, is presented in a way that allows you and your children to see these animals up close in a way that may not be possible with larger zoos. Often, its also possible to see the animals with their offspring! With admission only a fraction of the price of larger zoos, $10 admission for those 2+ is a great deal for all you get to see. Monday through Saturday, the zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For a sneak peak at all the different creatures, check out their website, with all the amazing photography.

 Later, I'll add other activities and events to this list.. Until then, I hope you have the opportunity to get out there and enjoy some of these ideas!

Beautiful Things..

Biblical Marriage

 Here is a Video
recently posted on Facebook that I felt I should address. I watched it a couple weeks ago, so I probably missed something he mentioned in the video. If so, please post a comment on it, and I will address what I missed.


Taking examples only from the old testament is a very poor way to research Biblical marriage; there is a reason it is called the 'Old' Testament. It is a book of history, and a lot of the information is there for only that purpose of reference. Biblical scholars, Christians, etc, recognize that this information isn't applicable anymore, as of Christ being crucified for our sins. The reason it was written down is so that we can look back and see that before Jesus, all we had was rules. My church is doing an entire study on Biblical marriage, so we've recently been studying examples like these.

The verses he mentioned, Genesis 2:24, "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." is pretty self explanatory. Deuteronomy 22:28 is the laws given to the Israelites in the wilderness, and therefore being taken out of context. These laws were no longer needed upon the death of Jesus. They may seem harsh, but the Israelite were doubting people, and they had to have some sort of stability to keep the group from being in chaos. They had formerly been slaves, and hadn't ever had experience in managing their own lives. Not to mention you need to look at the historical atmosphere. They were just outside of Egypt, who had no problem with rape, adultery, etc. The law he mentioned, discussing a man who raped a woman having to marry her is designed to make it so the rapist doesn't get away with his crime(sex without the commitment of marriage) and assuring that the woman is taken care of for the rest of her life. The rapist would have to serve out the rest of his life, working to pay off the penance for his crime, the woman benefiting from his hard work, essentially child support, but without the child. At this time in history and in any other group of people, the woman would have been exiled for no longer being a virgin, and the man would have gotten away with it entirely. So, taken in historical context, this law is much more civilized than any in that day and age. Exodus 21:4 is another example of this. The Hebrew people, after being freed from Egyptian slavery, made the decision amongst themselves to allow an indentured servitude to pay off debts. If one of the men working for someone decided to get married and have children with one of his employer's servants, who was purchased in the same manner slaves in early America were, that didn't change the fact that the employer had purchased her. That doesn't mean Christians think slavery is okay. Again, the Old Testament is important in a historical context. And you can't take things out of context and decide not to use a brain when thinking about them. In comparison to the surrounding groups of people, this was a great step in civil rights. Had a man taken a servant for a wife, he would have been ridiculed and exiled, never to see the one he loves again. Concerning the multiple places in the Bible where it states that the husband is head of the wife, and she should submit to him, I will clarify why this is a good thing: It states that the husband should be the head of the wife, as Jesus was to the church(body of believers); Jesus wasn't a ruler. He took on a servant role to any and all that believed in him. He washed their feet, not vice versa. A husband who heads a household like Christ was to the church sacrifices himself so that his wife may be taken care of. Anyone who tries to portray it otherwise is ignoring a very important aspect of Biblical marriage. And a submissive wife is one who does not domineer over her husband. What husband wants a berating, loud, obnoxious wife? Submission is not the same thing as slavery. It's saying,"Okay. I know you're making the wrong choice, and I could probably do it better than you, but out of respect for you, I'm letting you decide." It also states that both husband and wife submit to one another, out of reverence for God. Is that scripture ever quoted by those trying to assault Biblical marriage? Nooo. Because they can't use it in a demeaning way. The whole concept of marriage is that male and female personalities and inclinations are on opposing ends of the scale, and that to be married should reconcile these into both parties, making them both more Christ-like in the end. This is something we went over in church, which, while it is largely true for most humans on the face of the earth, there are always exceptions*:

Men                                Women

- Protect                            -Nurture

              - Task-oriented                 -Relationship-oriented

  - Fear failure                  - Fear rejection

- Desire respect               -Desire love    

- Rational                        - Emotional

- Goal-oriented               - Process-oriented

- Analytical                         -Intuitive

Christians believe in marriage as a man and woman, not because they don't think gay rights are important, but because they believe that the union between a man and woman(and thereby their opposing personalities) is the best way to become more like Christ. My personal opinion concerning the gay rights issue is that Christians put far too much energy and thought into what rights other people should or should not have, when the one thing Christians are called to do over everything else is to love your neighbor as yourself. If you want to get married, it has no effect on me. As a Christian, I am simply supposed to love you, no matter what.

Please feel free to present me with any Bible verses you would like me to go over on my blog, and I will be happy to do so.

*edit.

Images of Addiction

At the last meeting I went to, someone posed the question, "What image represents addiction to you?"

One older woman said it was an ugly demon.

A young man stated in contrast, a beautiful, seductive demon.

Most agreed the Grim Reaper was an accurate representation. 

I see chains.

One kid, a teenager, provided one of the most poignant answers -- a lens. Everything you see is through the lens of addiction, the way you see your family, friends, life in general. When you remove that lens, everything is different. I think that's why it's difficult for a lot of people to remain in recovery. They stop taking drugs, but they continue to see everything through that lens. Suspicion, solitude, distrust, manipulation, they are part of that lens, and it's hard to function like a normal person when that is how you see life. I just thought that was such an effective way to sum it up, I had to record it and share.

Here are a couple images I have relating to the topic:

My husband did this sculpture using an artist's mannequin, the piece is titled "Consumption" and the concept was based on bitterness and how it consumes you, but I can't help but relate it to addiction as well.

 

He lets us fall sometimes.

 

This is a painting I did recently. I actually dreamt this up. My mother's favorite flower is a sunflower. The yellow and white things are morphine capsules, the kind she takes.

"This is where the healing begins
This is where the healing starts
When you come to where you're broken withing
The Light meets the Dark"
lyrics by Tenth Avenue North

 

This is another painting I did, titled "Freedom". The background text is excerpts from the gospels containing the death and resurrection of Jesus.

He protects us..

Here is a sloppy photo of my most recent painting. The lighting is awful, and when I get new batteries I promise to take a better picture. The concept of this photo was the idea that even though most people don't know it, or choose not to acknowledge it, God is protecting us. We may be as unaware of it as the eggs in His palm, but that doesn't change the fact that He is present.