Tonight, my roommate and I were talking about some of our favorite children's books when we were little. The conversation started because of a new movie is coming out called "Where the Wild Things Are" based on a children's book.

So, I decided I would show some of my favorites from when I was little.


The Baby Beebee Bird This was a story about a bird who was nocturnal and would keep all the animals up at night. One day, all the animals kept him awake all day. Then they all slept happily through the night. I would make sure my mom read every single "beebeebobbibobbi". This is the only picture I could find online of the original version. Since then, Steven Kellog has been the illustrator for the new version. He is actually the illustrator for the next book.




I had two of these "Jimmy's Boa" books. The first one I got was one about Jimmy's boa eating the wash. These stories are really funny because the narrator for them is always a child telling a story about Jimmy's boa. The stories are always told backwards, so the parent being told the story is always surprised and asks questions. At the end, it finally all makes sense.








The next book is called "Arthur's Tooth". I believe Arthur was an aardvark. Anyway, this was about Arthur loosing his first tooth.












And last, but not least (I kid you not), this was my potty training book:
Apparently there is an animated version of it HERE

I'm Not a Good American.

I have decided that I wasn't meant to be born in American culture. It's all fast paced, demanding and busy. Much of it doesn't make any sense to me. Here are a few things:

Working:
1) Work really really hard to "get ahead" so one day you won't have to work as hard (when you are dead).
2) Work really really hard so you can make more and more money to buy lots and lots of stuff to fill those extra closets in that bigger new house you bought because your giant SUV made your other house look too small.
3) Work 60 hours a week because if you don't, you must be lazy.

*If you are unsure if you are working hard enough, check and see if you are on your way to having a heart attack by the time your are in your 40's. If not, then you need to kick it up a notch.

Relationships:
1)Try to have as few friendships as possible!! ***This is CRUCIAL!!*** They take valuable time you could use to work to make money and buy stuff for yourself and your estranged children and spouse.
2) It's ok to romance your spouse in your twenties when you are lazy, young and stupid; but you need to grow up and realized that all you need is material things.
3) If your relationships are getting in the way of money, then it's time to call it quits because they may offer support that is detrimental to your stress-induced heart attack.

I think I don't fit into this because I've never cared about money. Since I don't fit into living this way, I've created my own ways to achieve the ideal life:

Working:
1) Don't work to "get ahead". There really is no such thing. Work to make the money you need.
2) Don't have too much money. Seriously, it would be stressful to manage all of that and figure out what to do with it.
3) Work so you can make the money you need, but spend time enjoying things like the sunrise or sunset. Or simply sitting and looking at the ocean. Or reading, or journalling, or creating, or recreating.
4) Take time to travel every once in a while and get to know other people in other cultures.
5) Have a slow start to the morning. Drink some coffee. Eat some breakfast. Watch the sunrise.

Relationships:
1) Spend some quality time with a good friend AT LEAST every other day (preferably over a cup of coffee). And I mean real quality time.
2) Lean on others, and allow them to lean on me.
3) Spend time with people you are close to over making money. Because really, what's they point in making money?

Really, why are we going SO fast? What is the reasoning behind it? I just want to take life slow and enjoy the people and the scenery, and the community. I just want to take it all in, reflect on it, paint it, and feel it.

Psalm 73

Psalm 73:12-14

12 Behold, these are the wicked;
And always at ease, they have increased in wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
And washed my hands in innocence;
14 For I have been stricken all day long
And chastened every morning.

Sometimes, when I am left alone to think, I start to think about how easy life would be if I were not a Christian. Life would be easier if I could follow every desire of my heart. I could follow the mold of society and have few people challenge my views; and if they did, they were the fringe extremists and the intolerant, close-minded bigots. If I believed there were no consequences to my actions and i didn't have to think about the reality of death, life would be a breeze.

Then I think, "Well, I wouldn't have to lose my faith." They idea of abandoning or compromising some parts of my faith for the sake of increased ease can be an extremely attractive thought. There is a constant tension as my heart is tugged in two different directions. Sometimes I think that maybe the "faith vs my desires" dichotomy is false. Maybe the dichotomy doesn't have to exist. Maybe I could reshape my beliefs so faith and all my desires could coexist in peace. I could still choose to die to self and love others as Christ has told me to, and I could still trust that He died for me on the cross. Maybe some of the things, such as inner purity aren't that important. Maybe what I have learned as being impure is actually pure. Maybe some of my desires aren't really impure and are actually from God.

Then I realize the dichotomy is very real. It's inescapable. I could either allow my own desires to determine the direction of my faith. Or, my faith will determine where my desires will go. If I compromise and allow my desires to determine the direction of my faith, I will cease to live a life of faith. Our desires cannot define our faith. If our desires define our faith, we can no longer call it "faith". Our desires must be seen through the lens of our faith not faith through the lens of our desires.

If we viewed faith through the lens of our desires, our faith would cease to exist as real faith, and our fluid, unstable desires would become our only "foundations" of our "faith". Our "faith" would then be in the hands of this world's ideas of life which only leads (if given any serious thought) to nihilism, hopelessness and despair. Our "faith" would then be rooted in the underlying fear that we are missing out, the fear that this is all there is so we should "live it up!" while we are here. All the while, we would be professing the name of Jesus Christ saying, "He is our salvation!" as well as the foundation of our faith when in actuality, it is rooted in fear and self-satisfaction. Fear that this is all there is is not faith.

The tension I feel and the battle I face is only more evidence for me to see that what I believe is true. The tension is an odd comfort to me knowing that it brands me as a child of the Most High God who is battling for the sanctification of my soul and the affections of my heart. I have complete faith that the God who spoke the universe into existence has the strength and power to turn my unstoppable passions and desires from myself to Him. I will place my faith in the everlasting, unchangeable God who has graciously granted me salvation and promised to never let anyone snatch me from His hand. My faith is in the God of Truth: the God who has never broken a promise and promised to finish the work He started in me.

And in case you were wondering, this is the rest of Psalm 73, and I think it's awesome:

15If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
Behold, I would have betrayed the generation of Your children.
16When I pondered to understand this,
It was troublesome in my sight
17Until I came into the sanctuary of God;
Then I perceived their end.
18Surely You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
19How they are destroyed in a moment!
They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!
20Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form.
21When my heart was embittered
And I was pierced within,
22Then I was senseless and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
23Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
24With Your counsel You will guide me,
And afterward receive me to glory.
25Whom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
26My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27For, behold, those who are far from You will perish;
You have destroyed all those who (AS)are unfaithful to You.
28But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,
That I may tell of all Your works.