Peregrin Took

By popular demand, here are some pictures of the newest denizen of the Cantrell home. We found this little cutie wandering around the grounds of the church building almost three weeks ago--scared to death, obviously lost, and totally dimwitted when it came to staying away from traffic. We thought she must be an indoor cat, and that maybe someone was looking for her...but we also figured it would do Someone no good to find her smooshed on the street. So we brought her home.

The first day was a bit rough for all of us. She was nervous and starving and having serious digestive issues. Ed was concerned that she might have fleas that would get in the carpet. I went up to the attic to get some of Ripley's old toys and broke down in tears as soon as I opened the box.

But after several visits to the vet; after we administered all the necessary medicines and preventative ointments; and after I got used to the sight and feeling of having a cat in the house again, all became well. Thinking we might not have her for very long, we resisted giving her a name; but since we didn't see any missing cat posters in the neighborhood, and no one came around the church building looking for a cat, we decided she was here to stay.

We named her Peregrin Took--yes, after the hobbit in Lord of the Rings! The name seems a perfect fit, as she is very happy and nearly completely clueless most of the time. Naturally, we call her Pippin. ;o) She loves people and shows every sign of being a total lap cat when she gets a few more months under her belt. (The vet says she's about 6-8 months old.)

Currently, Pippin's hobbies include sleeping, playing with a destroyed mouse toy, eating her food, and eating my plants. We're going to have some serious heart-to-hearts about this issue--especially if she starts going after my monstera deliciosa again!

But enough of my long-winded warbling. Here are Pippin pictures for you to enjoy!

the power of Christ's touch

The last week or so, I've been reading an interesting book: "Out Of the Saltshaker and Into the World--Evangelism As A Way Of Life" by Rebecca Manley Pippert. A caveat emptor: As with all books, I'm taking Pippert's text with a grain of salt (yes, pun intended). ;o) I appreciate many of her thoughts--in fact, I'm finding her book an excellent read as well as a motivating challenge--but there are a few points at which I disagree with her on a scriptural basis. That said, here's what I read a few minutes ago and just had to share with you:

"When we find ourselves in situations that seem beyond our limits (actually we should look for such situations!), we must not hesitate because we feel inadequate. We must not complain about our limited resources. God tells us he is glorified in our weakness. God's Spirit will take and multiply what we have.

"...Because of who he is, when Jesus touches anything, there is blessing.

"But what about us? When we follow Jesus, his Spirit abides in us. That means he is a part of what we do. Everything we touch Jesus touches. If he touched the fish and multiplied them, then how does he touch our activities? He is with us when we gather for Bible study, when we eat and dance and work. And Jesus reaches out and touches others through us.

"...When, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we let Jesus reach [out], he will create a family atmosphere. Jesus will give people a sense of worth. And his love is contagious; people will imitate it. They will be drawn to us at first without knowing why. What we must not forget is that we incarnate Jesus! Whatever our life intersects with, so does Jesus. Whomever we touch Jesus touches."

(emphasis added)

again and again, this is my happy thought

Recently, I've run across a few websites (mostly discussion boards and forums) and have had a few live conversations that have inspired the following thoughts in me:

I am not perfect.
I do not have a perfect understanding of God's Word or will.
I do not have all the answers.
I am a sinner.
I make a lot of mistakes.
I'm often hypocritical without realizing it.
I have earned eternal death.

BUT:

I am a Christian.
I am a member--meaning a body part, an organ, not an associate on a list of names!--of the church of Christ, the church of God, the body of Christ, the Way, the bride of Christ, the Lord's church, the called-out, the children of God, the spiritual heirs of Abraham, God's holy and royal priesthood, the living stones (sounds like a rock group, ha ha), God's chosen race, God's holy nation, God's holy house, God's kingdom.

I can call myself by all these names because my Father has given me the privilege by adopting me into his holy house as a sister of his eternal Son Jesus.

I can know that I am saved.
I do know that I am saved.

I don't care what anyone teaches about it--I know that I am saved, I know that God finds me infinitely valuable. I have no doubts that he loves me and that I will spend eternity in heaven with him. Call me arrogant if you will, but nobody can take that away from me.

stealing matt's blog topics

I just read this post about blogging on Matt's blog, and most of the following is the comment I left there:

I don't get the fly-on-the-wall itch very often, but when I do, the "Next Blog" button is my friend. Of course, this is risky, as I sometimes stumble across sites that I'd rather not see. But usually, I end up reading something that sparks my interest enough to leave a comment or write about my resulting thoughts in my blog or in my personal journal.

As for why I blog....I'm finding that blogs provide a better way for me to touch base with friends far away, better than email, anyway. I guess I blog for the contact with those I can't see face-to-face on a regular basis. Emails are nice....but blogs and resulting comments can be more like conversation, and I enjoy that. Besides, it's an easy way to share pictures!

What's interesting and odd to me is that my friends tend to have far more interest in my blog than most of my family does. I'm thankful for cousins who comment! ;o)

I also find it interesting that I get more comments on my silly posts than I ever do on my serious posts. That makes me sad sometimes, because I'd like to get feedback on some of the serious stuff I write--I'm just interested in hearing what other people think about the topics that interest me. If I can't find out what people think, it's not as much fun.

I've long believed that the words "Tell me what you're thinking" are another way of saying "I love you."

Many of my posts end up in my journal, though. I truly enjoy going back and reading through things I wrote a long time ago. I print out my journal at the end of every month, and it's fun to page through the hard copy, too. Of course, my journal contains much more personal stuff than my blog. There are some things I cannot share even with you, my Faithful Readers! ;oP

Blogging is just fun. It motivates me toward introspection, and that's an important part of my life and part of what makes me Me. :o)

the worth of a woman

I just read this great post about women on Amy's blog. It's a great encouragement to me, so I thought I'd point it out here.

If you're a believing woman, it's a good reminder of the infinite value God places on you. If you're a believing man, I can guarantee that the woman in your life will love you all the more if you see her in this way. ;o)

my other blog

I have made a new post on my other blog. I read Hebrews 11-13 this morning, so this post is specifically about faith. This brief study was a reminder to myself, but someone else might benefit from it as well. As always, feedback is welcome.

feel like flying

Life was odd earlier this evening. I was driving to the grocery store and back, and then later to the church building, and I felt somehow restless inside. I wasn't doing anything unusual, and it's not like I was on the Autobahn, with the option of kicking it up to 120 miles per hour......But still, I had trouble keeping the speed limit. There seemed to be a connection between taking my eyes off the speedometer and pressing the gas pedal to the floor.

I don't know what was going on--all I know is that I wanted to go fast. I wanted to fly down the road with all its curves and twists and turns, with the wind in my face and nothing to stop me. I wanted wings.

two random Feltmoss pictures

Just had to share this one. This is me (obviously), right after I got back to my room and flung myself on my bed after delivering my lesson/sermon/whatever at the retreat. As you can perhaps see, I was happy and relieved that it went well. ;o)

And, last and least, here's a picture of the shower in the room April and I shared. I'm posting this because I thought certain people might appreciate it. As you can see, the shower head was attached to the wall in a rather odd location. When I stood in the bathtub, it hit me just above the waist. It seems that this shower was designed for people much shorter than your average Caucasian female.
Made for midgets, perhaps? ;o)

Feltmoss Free-Time Thoughts

Below you'll find another excerpt from my journal. This one covers my thoughts on being one of the main speakers at the Ladies' Retreat in Filzmoos last week. Just so you know, this is one of my longer entries, so undertaking this reading journey is not for the faint of heart! ;o) I've bolded certain sections to make skimming easier. I post this here because several of you regular reader-type people have asked me about my experiences....and also because I hope the process I went through will be an encouragement to someone out there. God has made me a better person than I was before he challenged me. He's still working on me.

October 1, 2005

Where to begin?
…beginnings are often difficult. Especially for me, and especially when it concerns the first sentence of anything. I guess I’ll just have to go back in time a little bit and start there—I sure wouldn’t know where to begin if I just jumped into describing how the past week has affected me. And changed me.

When Joy Pschierl called me and asked me if I’d be willing to be one of the four main speakers at the Filzmoos retreat, my initial thought was, “Absolutely not! How can she ask me this? I’m no public speaker!” I remember vividly the initial jolt of panic that shot through me when I first heard her question.

The Holy Spirit does funny things sometimes. In the forefront of my thoughts and on the tip of my tongue was the word “no,” but what I actually heard myself saying was, “Let me think about it a few days and call you back.”

Here’s where confession time starts. I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t actually do much praying about whether or not I should agree to Joy’s request or not. Oh, sure, I asked a lot of fellow humans what their thoughts were….but for some reason (hmm….Satan, perhaps?), it didn’t occur to me to talk to God about it very much. Yes, I did pray…..but did I spend a significant amount of time in intensive, deep meditation to find out his opinion on the subject? No. Did I spend a significant amount of time kneeling before his throne and asking him to allay my fears as I made my decision? No. If I had, perhaps I wouldn’t have spent the last few months with butterflies in my stomach every time I thought about speaking at the retreat.

I’m such a fool sometimes. God is there for me, waiting to help me, waiting to bless me, and still I insist on navigating the traffic of my life by myself. Will I ever learn?

Most people probably wouldn’t call my decision process agonizing. I didn’t weep and wail over it, I didn’t feel the what-should-I-do-what-should-I-do desperation. But for my standards, I suppose I agonized over the decision. I wondered how I would feel about myself if I refused this opportunity. I didn’t like the possibilities, so I told Joy I’d do it. She asked me to take on the topic "Jesus and the Great Commission."

When I finally sat down to work on it, I felt completely overwhelmed at the task of putting all my thoughts onto paper (or, rather, into laptop). There were so many scriptures I wanted to use, so many evangelistic opportunities I wanted to share, I had no clue where to begin or how to impose structure on this teeming mass of ideas. I jokingly told Ed that I could just get up in front of the ladies and say, “If you want to know about the Great Commission, read the Bible,” and sit down again.

I took to calling it a sermon instead of a Vortrag (presentation / speech); after all, what would I be doing if not proclaiming the word of God? Just because I’m female (instead of male) and would be speaking on a Thursday (instead of a Sunday morning) didn’t change the nature of what I’d be doing. Some people chuckled at that, but I didn’t bother to elaborate. I think I was trying to bolster my own confidence.

Several Sundays in August and September, Larry preached sermons on the necessity of preaching itself and on being an effective evangelist. I knew he wasn’t necessarily aiming those lessons at me….but I gleaned a lot from them. Like I said, the Holy Spirit works in funny ways sometimes. I finally started praying more.

What began working its way into my heart was the idea that others have been in my position many times, and they submitted themselves to God’s will and allowed him to lead them. Moses was no public speaker, and he was scared to death to go before Pharaoh as God’s representative. But he went. Jeremiah and Timothy were considered “too young.” I could relate to that; after all, most of the ladies at the retreat have been Christians for longer than I have been alive. What could I possibly share with them that they haven’t already been doing for decades? But Jeremiah and Timothy evangelized in spite of their perceived youth, and they preached God’s word to those older than they. By his own account, Paul wasn’t a public speaker either. But he went. And then there’s Isaiah, who had no qualms about saying, “Here am I. Send me!” I started wondering if my priorities were at all as correctly ordered as I’d led myself to believe.

On Sunday, September 25th, I left for the retreat feeling mostly prepared but knowing I still had some work to do during free time over the next few days.

How can I describe the power of God to change a human heart? I don’t have the words, but I have to make an attempt at verbally praising him for his infinite patience with me and his incomparable ability to teach me the things he wants me to learn. All I can do is describe my experiences and hope my descriptions come across in the right way.

On Monday, Becky Schwarz gave us a sermon on relying fully on Jesus in every situation and aspect of our lives. Her perspective is that when we are baptized, we receive something like a spiritual implant: the Holy Spirit, which the Bible describes as our “down payment” from God. And if the Holy Spirit is like an implant, it means that the implant merges with our own “spiritual tissue” over time, becoming ever more a part of us and a part of our spiritual functions. In our discussion group afterward, I realized that a big part of my problem—not just with my sermon, but with all of my work in the church—is that I’ve been trying to perform the wrong spiritual function. I’ve been trying to be the hand, instead of the tool. I need to stop trying to be the hand, and instead become the tool, allowing God’s hand to be the guiding force.

On Tuesday, Angelika Jones spoke to us about Satan’s influence on us and how subtle he is in deceiving us. Not to mention that the only power he has over us is the power that we choose to give him. I began thinking about Satan’s simplest, subtlest, and most effective message, which he spreads to us humans through media, through each other, and through our own weaknesses. The message is: “Without __________________, you’re not good enough.” I began wondering….how many times did he whisper that message in my ear? “Without more maturity, you’re not good enough for this sermon of yours.” “Without more experience, you’re not good enough.” “Without more spiritual depth, you’re not good enough.” Did he send me this message many times? …..Or was one time all it took to shake my trust in God? That afternoon, I practiced my sermon and ignored the doubts. The butterflies tried to rise in my stomach, but I ignored them.

On Wednesday, Kathy Düsel spoke about letting Jesus help us deal with difficult people in our lives. One of her points is that sometimes, we avoid such people. And sometimes, we also avoid God because we consider him to be difficult or inconvenient. Was I guilty of that? And to what degree? Later that day, Joy told me that one of Kathy’s brothers was killed in a motorcycle accident only a few months ago. That hit really close to home, and I felt speechless. Not only did she come to this retreat so soon after such a tragedy, she was also one of the main speakers! Isolde Neumann, who lost her husband to cancer last year, was also there, and led one of the discussion groups. I thought that if these amazing women could put such losses behind them, even for a few days, in order to spread the word of God, then surely I could put my doubts aside and do the same. I felt ashamed of my unbelief, my lack of trust in God. After all, if he didn’t think I could do it, he wouldn’t put me in this situation.

When I stood up to speak on Thursday morning, I still had butterflies. But they weren’t as active or numerous as I’d expected. The week had been full of encouragements and you-can-do-its from my sisters at the retreat, and I knew that they were glad I was there. I knew that they were praying for me. As I started speaking, I still felt nervous…..but after a few minutes, the nervousness faded away, and all that was left was this amazing energy! I know that all of my preparation at home was vitally important for speaking that day….but more important, I believe, was the preparation that had gone on the few days before I spoke. At home, God helped me do all the technical preparation, and he did some spiritual work on me. But the bulk of the spiritual preparation occurred during the first few days of the retreat.

When I first heard that mine would be the last sermon of the week, I was mortified, thinking that I’d have to live up to the example of the speakers who came before me. But in retrospect, I understand that God knew what he was doing. He knew that I’d need those days of spiritual preparation and anticipation.

As I spoke, I looked out at the faces of my Christian sisters before me, and I saw their reactions on their faces. I remember thinking, “Hey, they’re hearing what I’m saying, it makes sense to them, and they’re responding to it. How did that happen?” The key, of course, is that it didn’t just happen. Though I’m not Pentecostal/charismatic in the least, I’ll say that I’m convinced that the Holy Spirit was working in me. The reactions of the listeners were the Holy Spirit working in them. And it all happened through the word of God. I quoted Isaiah 55:10-11, in which God says that his word will never return to him empty. What I witnessed at the retreat—in myself and in others—was God’s word, returning to him in the ways that please him, according to scripture.

I think that as I spoke, I let go, letting him be the hand and myself be the tool. I don’t know if I’ll be able to let go like that again, the next time I’m in an evangelistic situation. But I will try, and I know that God will be there to guide me. After my sermon, so many women—including all of those whom I respect greatly and keep in a special place in my heart—they all told me what a wonderful job I did and that I looked calm and confident and poised as I spoke, a natural public speaker. I told them that I could hardly believe that—but if the message was in any way effective, it was the work of the Lord, not me. Several of them mentioned that they were encouraged and inspired by my words on evangelizing. I tried to be polite and thank them but at the same time take no credit. I was only thankful that God’s word was doing what he designed it to do.

Last week, I told Ed that if anyone asked me to be a speaker like this again, I would give them a categorical negative for an answer. He said, “No, you won’t. You’ll do it again, if they ask you to.” This week, I can say that he knew me better than I know myself. I know that if God chooses to present me with such an opportunity to serve him again, I’ll take it. How could I not, when I know that he is picking me up out of his toolbox and telling me that he wants to use me for a particular job?

When I, the tool, am in his hand, how can I possibly say no?

Women Free Time in Feltmoss, Austria

Directly translated from the German "Frauenfreizeit" (Ladies' Retreat) in Filzmoos, Austria. ;o)

This was my third time to attend this retreat, and it was wonderful, as usual! Since I was one of the main speakers this year, I had a few added adventures that haven't happened in previous years. However, I'll write more about that sometime later in the week. For now, here are a few pictures that I wanted to share with you:

Welcome to Filzmoos! I don't know why the town is called "felt moss"--there are secrets of the German language and of the Austrian culture to which I am, unfortunately, not privy. ;o)

The view from Filzmoos of the mountain known as "Bischofsmütze"--the Bishop's Cap, based on the shape of the highest peak(s). Two years ago, Jennifer and I climbed about a third of the way up. I'd love to climb to the top someday!!!

Here are some samples of the gorgeous Austrian architecture that are part of what make Filzmoos such a special place:

Flowers bursting with color and cascading over every balcony!

I'll have to explain this poor dear. ;o) Our second day in Filzmoos was also the day the farmers drove their cattle down from the mountain pastures so the cattle can spend the winter in the warmer valleys. On this day every year, the whole town celebrates, and everyone "dresses up" their cows for a parade. We missed most of the festivities but were able to find a valley pasture where some of the cows posed for us (not altogether willingly). ;o)

And here, a few shots of the decorations in and around the town:

Looks comfy, eh? ;o)

Amy and I found a new friend. We recommended a good moisturizer.

April and I, doing the tourist bit.

On our last night in Filzmoos, after all the serious work was done, all the ladies gathered for a "Bunter Abend"--a "colorful evening." Basically a combo of talent show and after-dinner entertainment. Here, Amy, Allison, Bri, Kristi, and Marion each spoke lines from TV channels, while Pam (down front) channelsurfed, making the lines flow into each other with hilarious results!

Stay tuned for further Feltmoss-Free-Time thoughts.

more cooking wisdom

Rule #211.

Heat tends to cause plastic to melt. Don’t try to make scrambled eggs using a plastic spatula.

--from Courtney's Rules for Living and Points to Ponder

continuing the no-wheat-or-milk-products diet....

......and, as a result, lost another 2 pounds this past week. That makes a total of 11.5 pounds I've lost in the last two months. I don't know if this new diet is going to affect my health in a positive way or not...but I sure am enjoying the weight-loss side effects.

I now have only one pair of jeans that still fits right: the pair that used to look spray-painted on. All the others are now a size too big.

I like it. ;o)

Addendum: Bri suggested that this post is lacking the fact that I am also avoiding white sugar and anything containing it, and I must say that she is absolutely right in her assessment.

a statement of opinion related to a random frustration

I know I haven't been overwhelmingly perky lately (I dunno, some of you might be sighing in relief), but I've just gotta vent about something that happened today. Please bear with me. Or tiger or lion with me, I don't care. As long as I can just get this out. ;o)

It really, really annoys me that so many people absolutely refuse any sort of psychological therapy or counseling on the grounds that “they're not crazy.”

WHAT IN THE WORLD??? You don't have to be totally psycho or maladjusted to benefit from therapy! If I recommend it, it's only because you, like every other human being on this planet, have trouble dealing with some area in your life......most likely in the area of communication with other people! It doesn't mean I think you're crazy, it doesn't mean I don't like you, it doesn't mean I think there's something inherently wrong or sick or evil about you.......It means that I've been listening to you, and I hear the pain that you can't seem to get rid of, and I think you might get some good out of talking to someone who's been trained to help people find healthy solutions to their problems! It's because I recognize that you need someone to talk to besides me!

After all, I majored in Psychology for three years, and I have a minor in the field. That doesn't mean that I am qualified to do any sort of counseling—I acknowledge freely and happily that I have no business going around analyzing everybody—but I do have experience that has shown me the positive ways therapy and counseling can change people's lives. Not only do I have some experience through education, but I also have quite a bit of personal experience in that I've gone to a counselor/therapist/psychiatrist/psychologist/alloftheabove myself. And it helped me. So, believe me, I'm not telling you anything I haven't already told myself.

I guess I'm just tired of the prejudices people have against professional counseling/therapy. They're more than happy to skedaddle off to a physician when there's something physically wrong.....but when it comes to taking care of their mental/emotional/spiritual health, they turn stubborn and claim they don't need help with it at all, because “only crazy people need a shrink.” Oh, and those who claim not to need any help at all are perfectly well adjusted, is that it?

Okay, I feel better now. See? That's what therapy does: You talk to somebody about your difficulties, and afterwards you feel better. I gripe to regular blogreaders and assorted anonymous lurkers about what's irritating me, and afterwards I feel better.

I'm sure a professional counselor wouldn't do anything remotely like this. ;o)

Audioblogger Vexes Eternal Optimist Woman....details at 11

a short story

One rainy Saturday afternoon, as cars whizzed past at 120 mph, Ed and Courtney stood at the side of the Autobahn and watched the mechanic loading their car onto the tow truck.

"We had a low tire anyway," observed Ed.

Courtney replied, "Then it's just as well the engine quit."

And the moral of this story is: Either a head gasket is blown, or the timing belt broke. Whichever it is, it's expensive, and we're now walking.

I. Corinthians 10:13
I. Corinthians 10:13
I. Corinthians 10:13 ;o)

something I'm thinking about

"I believe that much of our evangelism is ineffective because we depend too much upon technique and strategy. Evangelism has slipped into the sales department. I am convinced that we must look at Jesus, and the quality of life he calls us to, as a model for what to believe and how to reach out to others."

--Rebeca Manley Pippert
Out of the Saltshaker

a few thoughts

FYI, I've answered all comments, as far as I can tell. If I've missed any, y'all are welcome to point 'em out to me.

We started and almost finished painting the church building this week. Pictures to come soon. We wanted to finish today, but it's raining, so we're hoping to get it done over the weekend.

There's a serious situation developing in Ed's family. I can't give you any details, but I'm asking those of you who pray, please pray for strength and wisdom and guidance for Ed's family and for Ed and me. Just trust that God knows what you're praying about. Thanks.

Love to all,

C.

Courtney on the web

Credit where credit is due, I got this idea from my Honorable friend Patricia. ;o) I typed my name into Google. What follows is my Top Ten List of Google Items Related To My Name. Google yourself and see what you come up with!

Courtney, Googled

1. Courtney…protected under United States and International Copyright Laws.
No cloning, please. I'm ticklish.
2. Courtney plays jazz in the UK.
Yes…I’m really wicked on the tenor sax.
3. Courtney…gives seminars on EMF Balancing Technique an energy system designed to work with the "Phoenix Factor", a model of the human energy anatomy.
Did you know I’m one of the original Ghostbusters?
4. On Motorsport Images, Courtney covers rallying in Ireland.
This is on the weekends, when I’m not toting my saxophone around the United Kingdom.
5. Courtney wants to talk about piracy and music.
Arrr, matey…what be them sweet notes you be singin’ thar, ye yellow-livered landlubber?!
6. Perhaps you are looking for Courtney?
Oh, I found me a long time ago. But if anyone else is looking for me, please let me know.
7. Courtney is in the second half of her weight loss journey.
The first half must’ve been rough…I seem to have blocked it from memory.
8. Courtney often engages in scandals and obscene actions.
The truth comes out…that’s just the kind of girl I am.
9. The company must just know that Courtney is a hussy.
I think I read a memo on that.
10. Gabriel is a SATAN detector, similar to Courtney.
That’s much better! Even archangels are compared to me. ;o)

pretty dumb for a human

a blogging etiquette question

For those of you reading this, I've got a few questions for ya. For those of you not reading this...it's not gonna affect you one way or the other, so stop not reading. ;o)

Anyway...I'm just curious:

Do you leave comments on the blogs of people you don't know?
If so, then why?
If not, why not?

apology

Gentle Readers,

I want to apologize to you for inconveniencing you by enabling word verification on my blog. It was a necessity, as the volume of spam I was getting increased by 100% over the last 10 days. Since I loathe such infestation--about as much as I loathe the real-world infestation my sinuses are suffering--I felt compelled to fight back the only way I know how. I know it makes commenting a little less quick-and-easy, but I do hope you won't let that deter you from flooding my blog with your witty and generous responses to every single post I make here.

And I'm not at all shameless about hinting! How dare you insinuate such? ;o)

(P.S. Anybody get the "Gentle Readers" reference?)

update

Well, it looks like I'm headed back up, out of the pit of slime and ooze infesting my head. You liked that mental picture, dintcha? ;o)

Seriously, though....the meds seem to be kicking in. I definitely feel better this morning, though I must add the caveat that mornings and early afternoons are always better. It's evenings and nights that tell the real story. I think the antibiotics keep me awake at night--I wake up several times each night, feeling as though every nerve in my body is just thrumming. Like bugs crawling under my skin. I also have weird dreams anytime I'm on antibiotics. Last night, I was a little kid with a Star-Trek-esque communicator, and I was frantically calling for help while an orbiting satellite shot laser beams at me. What a life.

Anyway, at least my ears are moderately clear today--I can hear again--and my sense of smell is starting to return. I was able to identify a slight taste to my cereal this morning. Woo-hoo.

something that makes me feel better

April and Clint sent me this hilarious e-card, which I wanted to share with all of you. It really made me laugh, which is a rare occurrence when I'm feeling the way I am right now. But, as James reminded me just a few days ago...laughter is the best medicine!

It certainly seems to work faster than any of the pills I've been swallowing. ;o)

So thanks, guys!!!

P.S. I'd say the gooky green color is pretty accurate. ;oP

another excerpt from Courtney's journal

November 11, 2004

The following lyrics are Sting’s song “Dead Man’s Rope” from his Sacred Love album. This album will never be my favorite—it’s too “techno,” too synthesized, not enough variety to suit me. But this song has really touched me deeply. Here are the lyrics, and then my comments:

A million footsteps, this left foot drags behind my right
But I keep walking, from daybreak 'til the falling night
And as days turn into weeks and years
And years turn into lifetimes
I just keep walking, like I've been walking for a thousand years

Walk away in emptiness, walk away in sorrow,
Walk away from yesterday, walk away tomorrow,

If you're walking to escape, to escape from your affliction
You'd be walking in a great circle, a circle of addiction
Did you ever wonder what you'd been carrying since the world was black?
You see yourself in a looking glass with a tombstone on your back

Walk away in emptiness, walk away in sorrow,
Walk away from yesterday, walk away tomorrow,
Walk away in anger, walk away in pain
Walk away from life itself, walk into the rain

All this wandering has led me to this place
Inside the well of my memory, sweet rain of forgiveness
I'm just hanging here in space

Now I'm suspended between my darkest fears and dearest hope
Yes I've been walking, now I'm hanging from a dead man's rope
With Hell below me, and Heaven in the sky above
I've been walking, I've been walking away from Jesus' love

Walk away in emptiness, walk away in sorrow,
Walk away from yesterday, walk away tomorrow,
Walk away in anger, walk away in pain
Walk away from life itself, walk into the rain

All this wandering has led me to this place
Inside the well of my memory, sweet rain of forgiveness
I'm just hanging here in space

The shadows fall
Around my bed
When the hand of an angel,
The hand of an angel is reaching down above my head

All this wandering has led me to this place
Inside the well of my memory, sweet rain of forgiveness
Now I'm walking in his grace
I'm walking in his footsteps
Walking in his footsteps,
Walking in his footsteps

All the days of my life I will walk with you
All the days of my life I will talk with you
All the days of my life I will share with you
All the days of my life I will bear with you

Walk away from emptiness, walk away from sorrow,
Walk away from yesterday, walk away tomorrow,
Walk away from anger, walk away from pain
Walk away from anguish, walk into the rain.

--Sting
“Dead Man’s Rope”

Earlier, for the first time, I listened to this song while reading the lyrics. I don’t know why—maybe because I’m tired, maybe because I’ve felt pressured from many sides lately, maybe because I’ve been doubting self and most people around me lately—but as I sat there, reading and listening, I started crying. The crying turned into outright sobbing, and I just sat here with tears running down my face...

...[T]hat’s what it is to walk into the Lord’s embrace. It means walking away from emptiness, sorrow, yesterday, pain, anger, anguish, from life itself. It means that all my life, Jesus will walk with me, talk with me, share with me, bear with me. And I’ve felt this way for so long: that I’m suspended somewhere, in between somewhere, heaven above me, and the past—my sin, which creates hell for me—below me. I’m waiting on Jesus to fold me to him and hide my soul forever in the cleft of the rock, protected forever from everything. I am walking in his grace, because he has saved me.

still sick

Got 10-day antibiotic from doctor this afternoon. Has cool-sounding name (meds, not doctor): ciprofloxacinhydrochloride 1 H2O.

Since my daily beta-blocker is propranololhydrochloride, I wonder how off-the-charts the level of hydrochloride in my body is right now. Wish I knew more about chemistry. Be fun to draw the chemical structure of the stuff I'm taking. Always liked drawing chemical structures in school.

I remember hydrchloride is HCl. Don't remember if there are + or - numbers that go with it. Don't remember how to draw it, either. Sad.

Think I'm running a fever, so I'm gonna stop writing now.

Stupid-kenupid sinuses. >:o/

image and description of rejected pic

Please disregard the date above. I posted this here for the sake of convenience on August 17, 2006.

Picture:

Description:

'Prophetess of the Dragon'

Painting created sometime in 2001. I saw a glass head in a store. It was one of those glass heads intended for displaying hats. I saw this glass head, and I knew I had to have this glass head. I knew I had to paint this glass head. So I bought this glass head and painted it. Ta-dah. ;o)

I call her "Prophetess of the Dragon" because when I was finished with her, I realized that she's the perfect representation of a race of prophetic, elf-like creatures in the fantasy trilogy I've been writing since my late teens. Exactly what the "Dragon" part means, I don't know yet. (No relation to Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series, I assure you!)

She now sits atop a huge sideboard in my livingroom, surveying her domain from above and weirding out first-time visitors to my apartment. ;o)

Someday, I will buy more glass heads and paint them, too.

Oil paints on hollow glass head-shape, young adult human head size. Photo taken by me; used
with permission. ;o)

Uploaded August 2006.

sites i frequent

Some Writing-Life Resources:

Thesaurus.com, the thesaurus and dictionary that work best for me.
Wikipedia, where I've learned about bellmetal, fencing, Redwoods, archivolts, and lots more!
Leo, an English-German, German-English online dictionary.
NaNoWriMo, where you can undertake the crazy task of writing a 50,000 word novel during November each year! I've NaNo-ed four times now, and am pleased to call it a yearly habit. ;o)
NaNo 2003: over 50k (novel incomplete)
NaNo 2004: didn't make it past 12k :o(
NaNo 2005: over 50k (novel incomplete)
NaNo 2006: over 50k, and new novel complete!!!

Others:

My Other Blog, where I post Bible studies and other helpful materials.
ChessWorld--play chess online.
Oklahoma Christian University, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English/Writing in December 1999.
Ancestry.com--build your own family tree and research your ancestors.
TCK World, which explains a lot about who I am and why! ;o)

announcing two blogs

Gentle Readers,

I would like to point you in the direction of two blogs:

1. Chocolate Fighters
This blog is for (A) all of you health-conscious crazy people who want to join the crusade against chocolate together with Vanessa and me, and (B) all of you possibly more realistic people who'd like (a) to read about how tough it is to give up chocolate and (b) to laugh at those of us who are making this nutty attempt. As part of an attempt to live and eat healthier, Vanessa and I have decided to give up chocolate, and she started a blog about it, which I suspect is going to be more of a support club/therapy group.

For those of you who know me, you already know that my giving up chocolate is more than likely to put me in therapy, anyway. ;o)

Just FYI, most of the Chocolate Fighters blogposts will be in German, but I plan to make mine in English for my non-German-speaking readers. I'll be posting under the name "noMerci."

2. Opera Singer's Daily
I am most pleased to announce that my dad, Bill Weger, has a blog! Over the last 25 years of living as an American opera singer in Germany, Daddy has gotten multiple thousands of questions from people wanting to know what it's like to be an American opera singer in Germany. So, finally, modern technology has given him the perfect tool for answering these questions all in one fell swoop. Over the years, his operatic adventures have ranged from watching a fellow singer getting her toes cut off, to performing in truly beautiful productions of shows such as Aida, Don Giovanni, Zauberflöte, La Bohème, and My Fair Lady, among dozens of others.

His blog is brand-new, but I'm sure if you ask, he'll be more than happy to regale you with some of the more eye-popping tales of life in the operatic theater. :o)

You'll find links to both these new blogs here.

blah :-P

Hi friends. Just a momentary gripe:

I'm sick of getting sick with these stupid sore-throat-turn-into-sinus-infections. I just wanna say I'M REALLY TIRED OF IT, because I keep getting them, no matter how many positive changes I make to my exercising schedule and eating habits!

What's the point of eating right, eating all this healthy stuff that doesn't taste nearly as good as the unhealthy stuff, WHEN THE HEALTHY STUFF DOESN'T EVEN KEEP ME HEALTHY?!?!??!?!??????????

These are rhetorical questions. I just needed to vent some frustration. I feel slightly better now. Thank you.

Blech.

think about it

There is an old story that one day, Satan gathered his assistants to discuss the most effective method of destroying meaning in people's lives.

One assistant suggested, "Tell them there is no God."

Another said, "Tell them there are no consequences to their actions."

A third proposed, "Tell them they have strayed so far from the right path, they will never be able to change."

Satan considered these proposals carefully...and then a smile slid slowly across his lips. "No," he said calmly. "Such things will not matter to them.

"I think we should simply tell them, 'There is plenty of time.'"

bits and pieces of today

Here are some pics to illustrate this evening's activities, followed by a bit of randomness thrown in for good measure!

Exhibit A: Greek Birthday Follies

Okay, so Karen's birthday was several weeks ago. However, we losers had left her to her own devices (we'd all temporarily departed the country, if not the whole continent), so we "nachgefeiert" this evening. That means we made up for it by celebrating late, but the single German word is just so much clearer than the long English explanation! ;o) Anyway, that's Pam, Karen, and April up there. As is our Chem-merican tradition, we went to Palas Athen, our favorite Greek restaurant, to celebrate. Ed is good pals with the owner, who served us himself! And he gave Karen a free gift, but I won't tell what it was. ;o)

I had yummy ground beef steak called "suzukakia." Mock the name if you will, but I brought home the leftovers to enjoy thoroughly tomorrow evening!

Secondly: The Furry Houseguest:

This is Felix. While Guido and Silke are on vacation with their family, Ed and I are cat-sitting at our house for two weeks. So far, Felix has been a lot of fun. He engages in random, mad dashes through the house and insists on being petted at least every five minutes. He greets with a happy "Mrow?" every human he sees. Though he has already tried to ingest several of my houseplants, I can't really blame him for it--I think he thinks they're grass.
On a slightly less jovial note.....I have to say that having him here isn't necessarily easy. Since he's a cat, everything he does reminds me of Ripley, and I've found myself with tears in my eyes several times since Felix arrived. I know it's good for me, his being here.....but it's hard. I don't blame Felix at all--he's one of the sweetest cats I've ever met, and he and I like each other very much. I just still miss my kitty.
A lot.

Finally, I bring thee tidings of great joy: Courtney In The Kitchen!

Here, I offer you documentation to show that in spite of my recent mishap with kitchen instruments, I still have the courage to face the dreaded culinary domain and attempt to produce something edible therein. Tomorrow is "gemeinsames Essen," i.e. "communal eating," i.e. potluck after worship, so I decided to bring something. Since I need to get rid of all the sugar and chocolate chips in the pantry, thereby eliminating these items from my realm of temptation, I chose to bake some cookies this evening, so as to foist this sweet, delicious poison off on unsuspecting church members. I figure they're all adults, they can decide if they need to be eating said cookies or not. ;o)

And, last but not least:

the sexiest thing about a man...

...is his active faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Two Hooplas In Eight Days--Part III

Well, Faithful Readers, if you've been reading faithfully, you will recall this post, in which I regaled you with the first two tales of our whirlwind trip to Oklahoma. Now, without further ado, I present you with:

PART III--Clint and April: The Wedding

The calm before the storm?

April and Courtney (unfortunately a little blurry!)

Googly-eyed Ed ;o)

Jason and Clint and the sparkly-thingy

What can I say? Tradition lives. ;o)
Left to right:
Mark, Jason, Jonathan, Clint, Ed, Dennis, Peter

April and Amy, her sister and matron of honor

Top row: Peter, Jason, Jonathan
Bottom row: Ed, Dennis, Clint, Mark
On the side: Jared and Zachary, but I don't know which is which! ;o)

Clint's chicken-walk?

A sample of how our bridesmaids' dresses were all wonderfully unique!

Left to right:

Monica, Courtney, April

April the bride

Sarah, Amanda, Amy

April and the guys

Clint and the girls

The Happy Couple

Will the REAL bride and groom please
step forward???

Clint and April Everhart

August 6, 2005

Hear ye, hear ye!

Ed has posted on his blog again!!!

the REAL hampsterdance and "Dragostea Din Tei"

I have always loved these "hampsters". And I guess I always will. They just make me really happy! ;o) (You might have to wait a moment for the music to load properly.)

Also, I just wanted to post a link here to one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I know, I know, this is an oldie, too, but I just laugh hysterically every time I see/hear this. You oughta get a look at me "dancing" along with this guy at my computer! But don't expect me to make a video of it. ;o)
For those who don't know, the song is "Dragostea Din Tei" by O-zone, and the guy performing is not, as commonly believed, Dutch. He's a guy named Gary from New Jersey, and rumor has it he's not too happy with the publicity his little video has gotten.

Gary, if you're out there, be happy: You've brightened up the days of many, many people. :o)

scary televangelist

This is a scary little article. People like Pat Robertson really make Christians and Christianity--and God, to be more precise--look bad, making us out to be radicals howling for the blood of those who don't do what we believe is right.

Jesus never called for the assassination of a politician. And he, more than anyone else, would have had the right to do so. This substantiates my belief that Christians have no business getting involved in politics. That's not why God put us on this earth. We're supposed to be light for the world...we're not supposed to be adding to its darkness.

shellacking my fingers

So. On Saturday, April and I spent an evening with the Dresden girls, i.e. Allison, Amy, Bri, Kristi, Hannah, and Olivia. Chris was there, too, since he doesn't quite qualify as a man yet. ;o) After debating whether we should watch a chick flick or do our nails, we decided on the practical and pleasant option of both at the same time. So we popped "Legally Blonde" into the DVD player and got down to proper manicuring business.

Step One: Remove old, chipped nail polish from nails.
This is where things started to go wrong. Apparently, it's not wise to mix polish removers, as April and I quickly found out. Both of us were using whatever bottle of polish remover was nearest at hand. First, it was an American brand of remover. As we were all using whatever bottle was most convenient, somebody else grabbed the American polish remover. Next time I looked up, a German brand of polish remover was sitting on the table, so I started using that. April apparently made the same mistake.

Step Two: Paint nails.
This, fortunately, we achieved without any major mishaps--at least, none beyond those which elicited the cry of, "Oh no, I just messed up that nail!"

Step Three: Discover that mixing polish removers is a bad idea.
While the movie was still playing, and after I'd finished my polishing (French manicure with sparkle-shiny pink topcoat, if you must know), I began noticing that something was not quite right with my fingers. The thumbs, index, and middle fingers of each hand, to be precise; the fingers with which I'd been holding cotton drenched in polish remover. The skin on all six of those fingers seemed to be getting very, very dry and hard to the touch.

Step Four: Lotion, anyone?
I started massaging lotion into my fingers, but to no avail. Wash, rinse, repeat had no effect. I started to wonder if I'd burned off the top layer of skin or something. Shortly thereafter, April mentioned having the same problem with her fingers. No one else seemed to know what we were talking about.

Step Five: Long story short.
Since Saturday, I have soaked my fingers in hot water, rubbed what seems like liters of lotion into them, massaged them with essential oils, and scrubbed them again and again. But the skin of those six fingertips started developing hairline cracks anyway. Only two things seem to have helped so far: I rub Vaseline on my hands every night before bed, which seems to have kept my fingertips somewhat soft. And this morning in the shower, I actually exfoliated my fingertips. Which felt really weird. I have a pedicure tool with a metal file, an emery board, and a pumice stone on it. So this morning, I filed, emeried, and pumiced my fingers. Not one of my more graceful moments, but it had to be done.

The end result is that my skin is still ultra-dry, and it's still developing those hairline cracks. April's is peeling off. I shredded mine, so I don't know which one of us has it worse.

Moral of the story: Don't mix nail polish removers, thereby shellacking your fingers. It's just not a smart thing to do.

What in the world???

crooks, cable, and the county jail

James blogged an interesting post today.

I've always been quite perturbed at the fact that criminals seem to have all the amenities of home, which some of us law-abiding citizens don't even have. (I.e. cable access, hello???) I have always maintained, and will continue to maintain, that a person who breaks the law automatically gives up any rights attached to the law of his country... I don't know if this is still the case, but in many countries in the past, criminals lost a hand when authorities caught up with them.

I'm all for rehabilitation...but the chop-off-the-hand method seemed to have worked fairly well. Make the punishment uncomfortable enough, and the criminal won't repeat his crime. Simple matter of logic.

another FYI

I've posted some new thoughts on my other blog, Have Some Water.

If you read anything there that you find helpful, irritating, or interesting, tell me about it!

dead people don't need pockets

Tonight at English Bible Study, Larry shared with us some thoughts about what's really important in life:

And [Jesus] said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?'
And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.'
But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'
So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."
(Luke 12: 15-21)

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
(I. Timothy 6: 17-19)

Money can buy you medicine...but it can't buy health.
Money can buy you a house...but it can't make a home.
Money can buy companionship...but it can't buy true friends.
Money can buy entertainment...but it can't create happiness.
Money can buy you a bed...but it can't buy restful sleep.

Money can buy a cross to wear around your neck...but it can't buy a Savior to die on it.
Money can buy you the good life...but it cannot purchase your salvation for eternal life.

Funeral homes provide nice suits for the deceased...suits that don't have any pockets. Dead people don't need them.

excerpt from Courtney's journal

July 24, 2005

In the rubble that is too often our office, Ed unearthed the November/December 2004 issue of 21st Century Christian, and I found the following in it which struck me as noteworthy and thought-provoking:

“Mr. C.S. Lewis…said, ‘There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.’ We look at each other and see—what?—nothing special, just a guy, just a waitress, just a cop, just a Sunday School teacher. But Lewis rightly points out, ‘Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors,’ (The Weight of Glory).

“As we walk sleepily and distractedly through this vale of tears, we would do well to recall that these seemingly-ordinary folks all about us are in fact pretty extraordinary (and need to be treated thusly). That woman was made in the image of Almighty God. And this fellow is my brother for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died (Romans 14:15). ‘Next to [communion] itself,’ Lewis wrote, ‘your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.’

“Things are not always what they seem.”

--from Things Are Not Always As They Seem
by Ken Durham

I say that I agree with Durham and Lewis. I say that I believe they’re right, that I believe each of my fellow humans is an immortal with either heavenly or damned potential. I say that I believe that each of my fellow humans is either an immortal horror or an eternal splendor…

…But do I live as though I truly believe this?

If I truly believed this, if I truly believed that my fellow humans are nearly the holiest objects in existence here on earth, how would this belief change my relationships? How would this belief in the holiness of humans change how I see everyone else besides myself?

Would I still mutter irritably under my breath at the guy who rides his bike on the sidewalk where he shouldn’t?
Would I still rant and rave and bluster about how that woman annoyed me and “spoiled my mood” this morning?
Would I still complain or giggle about someone when that person isn’t present?
Would I still point out a fellow human being to my friends so we can laugh amongst ourselves at how that person walks/talks/dresses?
Would I still just say whatever pops into my head when speaking with others, instead of giving a little more consideration to the effect my words are going to have?
Would I ever dare make the statement that another person deserves to die?
Would I ever dare make the statement that another person got what he/she deserved?

I’m a sinner. I deserve to die. But I’m also a child of God. So I will never get what I deserve for eternity.

If I truly comprehended all the implications of these facts, I would treat other humans, these holy, immortal beings—for better or for worse—with an attitude of sacred care. Not with irritation, anger, contempt, or belittling. But with respect. And sincere, honest, devoted, self-sacrificial love.

Can you imagine what the world would look like if only we Christians—not even anyone else, just the Christians—treated other people in this way?

Talk about changing the world.

Chessboard Parleys, Episode I

Since Matt (see links at right) gets so many comments on his blog, I'm going to try getting more comments vicariously through him. I know I'm artificially enhancing the quality of my blog, but I guess I'll just have to admit that I'm comments-greedy. Besides, Matt and I have such fascinating and highly intellectual conversations at Chessworld, the rest of you can't help but benefit. ;o)

So, without further ado, here's one of our best discussions to date:

mgam: Yodeling is fun!!
angeltwist: your mom's fun.
mgam: Especially when she's yodeling...
angeltwist: could she be persuaded to demonstrate?
mgam: Perhaps if you treat her with kindness and respect.
angeltwist: hey, i *always* treat your mother that way. i admire her for her patience.
mgam: I see. Hey it was good to see you while you were in the states!!
angeltwist: hey, right back at ya! oh wait.......no.......i guess that wasn't you, was it. oh yeah, you decided to go *somewhere else* while i was there. for shame, matthew! ;o)
mgam: Hey now, I waited and waited but once Eduardo told me you were banning me for a short while then I had to succumb to the pressure of others and depart qucikly....
angeltwist: what? banning you? io no comprendo, senior. has eduardo been spreading rumors about me again?
mgam: I hate to break it to you, but he has. He told me you were married!!!
angeltwist: oh dear. that's really going to cramp my dating style if word gets out.
mgam: I think George*** will be crushed!
angeltwist: oh no, don't worry. i've been saving him for you.
mgam: He does think I'm rather charming!
angeltwist: he really missed you this summer, you know.
mgam: I know. He writes me all the time and reminds me...
angeltwist: does he call you 'scrumptious'***? that's what he called april.
mgam: Did he really? That's so awesome. I wish he'd call me that!!
angeltwist: i dunno, you might not like it. april wasn't too thrilled about it.
mgam: Did he know what he was saying?
angeltwist: well, he said it in german, so i would hope so!
mgam: That sly devil...... How did Clint feel about that? I'm sure he was very jealous....
angeltwist: well, i think there ended up being a duel, but te pistols were loaded with blanks, so it all turned out okay.
mgam: Aren't 'te pistols' usually filled with blanks?
angeltwist: no, those are 'ta pistols.' the 'te' ones are meant to be loaded, but that's rare knowledge that you can only learn in the german education system.
mgam: See I knew I was missing out. on something by being educated in america.
angeltwist: hey, would you mind if i copy and paste some of our conversations into my blog? i think others need to benefit from the gems of philosophical wisdom we've been sharing.
mgam: No problem at all. The world needs some enlightnment...
angeltwist: then i shall proceed to do it the favor.

*** Changed to protect a certain individual’s privacy.

my blog got spammed!

In my sojourn here on earth, there are only a few things in my personal experience that really make me see red. Arrogance, rudeness, and obstinate stupidity are three of the culprits. UNWANTED ADVERTISING happens to exemplify all three of these distasteful characteristics.

This morning, a Blogger registered under the username glok41kcab arrogantly and rudely spammed my blog with a stupid healthcare ad! When I checked my email, I found that this person had left two comments on my blog, both of them a page-long ad for some health care product or somesuch. This really irritates me. This person just blatantly uses MY blogspot to try pandering their silly product! Good grief, if I WANTED their silly product, I would've gone out searching for it!

Hey glok41kcab , if you want to advertise on a blog, THEN GET YOUR OWN!!! Stay off of mine!

I managed to find one of this intruder's comments and delete it, but I haven't been able to track down the second one. I will send a package of neat German paraphernalia and goodies to any of you, my friends out there, who care to hunt down this elusive piece of sludge for me so I can eradicate it.

I hate uninvited advertising! And that goes for all ads on TV and radio, too!

Whew. Okay, thanks for listening. I feel better now. ;o)

********** 4:57 p.m. **********

They got April, too! On April's blog, under the username cboo6jqlt48peir, they posted the same rude, stupid ad! Batten down the hatches, my blogging friends--apparently, we're all under attack from these arrogant spammers!

Never give up, never surrender!!!

answers and the big bang

FYI, I've answered all comments you few dear, wonderful people have made on my blog. For those of you who just lurk, read, and don't say anything...let me hear from you!!! ;o)

In other news, I'm still reading Lee Strobel's The Case for a Creator. It's not exactly "light" reading, so, to my shame, I've been reading it sporadically. But, my fickleness aside, here's something I read yesterday that got me all excited to share some more of this great material with you:

"In arguing for the existence of God, thirteenth century Christian philosopher Thomas Aquinas always presupposed Aristotle's view that the universe is eternal. On the basis of that difficult assumption, he then sought to prove that God exists. Why did he take this approach? Because, Aquinas said, if he were to start with the premise that the universe had a beginning, then his task would be too easy! Obviously, if there was a beginning, something had to bring the universe into existence.

"But now, modern astrophysics and astronomy have dropped into the lap of Christians precisely the premise that, according to Aquinas, makes God's existence virtually undeniable.

"Craig [William Lane Craig, PHD, PHD] offered that story to punch his next point. 'Given that whatever begins to exist has a cause and that the universe began to exist, there must be some sort of transcendent cause for the origin of the universe,' Craig told me.

"'Even atheist Kai Nielsen said, "Suppose you suddenly hear a loud bang...and you ask me, 'What made that bang?' and I reply, 'Nothing, it just happened.' You would not accept that." He's right, of course. And if a cause is needed for a small bang like that, then it's needed for the Big Bang as well. This is an inescapable conclusion--and it's stunning confirmation of the millennia-old Judeo-Christian doctrine of creation out of nothing.'"

--from Lee Strobel's The Case for a Creator, p. 107-108

Two Hooplas In Eight Days--Parts I and II of III

PART I—The Return

Greetings to all you wild and wonderful people out there! Yes, I am back in the land of the blogging, which means I’m also back in the land of the Germing. That is to say, I’m back in Germany. When we left Dallas at nearly 6 p.m. on Monday, we were experiencing comfortable (to me, anyway) temperatures of about 100 ºF (approx. 40-45 ºC, I believe). In the last 31 hours since we arrived in Germany, the local temp hasn’t gotten above 59 Fahrenheit. Right now, it’s raining.

I’m cold. Even Ed’s cold. He just went around turning on the heaters.
IT’S AUGUST!!!

Our trip back, by the way, took 10 minutes less than 27 hours. First, American Airlines apparently forgot that our flight was taking place, because they didn’t bring a plane from the hangar to our gate until about 20 minutes before scheduled take-off. Hence, we didn’t head for the runway until nearly an hour after said take-off was supposed to have taken off. Then, the weather decided to play a few tricks on us, sending what the pilot called a “pattern” shifting from east to west across the northern runway of the Ft. Worth airport. Finally, someone decided it might be a good idea for us to take off to the south instead of the north. When we finally got in the air after sitting on the runway for three hours, there was a line of at least 25 other planes waiting for their turn behind us. Sometimes, it’s really nice to be leader of the pack. ;o) Ed and I were just thankful that we didn’t miss our train to Dresden. Somehow, I doubt we could’ve talked American Airlines into the acknowledgement that our missing the train would have been their fault.

So that, in a comfortable walnut shell, is the Brief Story of Our Return. I’m sure most of you are more interested in hearing about the two events that took us on our whirlwind journey to the US of A. The second event, I won’t write about until the key players are cognito again (meaning, until they are no longer INcognito, ha ha, get it?). Translation: I’d feel weird writing about Clint and April’s wedding before *they* have a chance to write about it and share pictures themselves. So, I plan to wait until they’re back in country before I tell you all about this most beautiful and wonderful wedding I’ve ever been to and about how I sniveled and cried through the whole thing. ;o)

In the meantime…I’ll regale you with a heart-warming tale about the first marvelous event of which we partook, namely:

PART II—The Anniversary: Sixty-Five Years of Marriage

On August 3, 2005, my paternal grandparents, W.F. “Bill” and Frances Weger, celebrated their 65th Wedding Anniversary. I can’t even express how profoundly these two people and their marriage have affected my life. For one thing, without them, I wouldn’t exist. I know that seems like an obvious “duh”-statement, but I have to mention it. Several times during the weekend we were all together, Grandma and Grandpa told us how pleased and grateful they were that we all turned out to celebrate with them. My response is, how could we not? Their children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren owe their existence first to God, and second to the solid foundation of the relationship between these two wonderful people. Not only are these two a great example to all of us in their walk with God, they have a marriage 65 years strong. In these days of drive-thru weddings and ‘round-the-corner divorce lawyers, a 65-year-strong marriage is unusual, if not unheard of. Aside from divine, God-given pattern, I can’t think of a better example to look up to.

Oh, not that my grandparents haven’t had their ups and downs. I’ve seen them fuss and fume and argue and disagree plenty of times. I’ve heard them gripe about each other (as close to griping as either of them get, anyway). From other family members, I’ve received hints of more serious difficulties in the past, trials that my generation was too young to remember. Trials that might even have taken place before my generation came along, I don’t know. But there are shades of tough times in the past.

But still, through it all, past and present, Grandma and Grandpa presented a united front to the world. I’m not talking about a false store front. I’m talking about a front in a war, with my grandparents as two soldiers fighting for their marriage and for the will of God against the evil of Satan, who wants to destroy them. A solid, God-centered marriage is one of Satan’s most deadly enemies. I know that in their 65 years together, my grandparents have dealt Satan some severe and crippling blows. Especially since their relationship has lasted this long, and since with God’s help, they raised all four of their children to be Christians. And since those four children raised all of their own children to be Christians as well.

God has fashioned a great tool out of Bill and Frances Weger. I look up to them. I respect them. And I feel honored that I was able to be present to celebrate their 65th anniversary with them. God has blessed me richly by crossing my path with theirs.

So here are some pictures from the anniversary celebration (held on July 30th) and the rest of the weekend our family spent together:

The Family



This is the Weger Family Tree that I made as a gift for my grandparents. I asked everyone in the family to send me pictures, so it’s something of a collaboration. Aside from hand-drawing the vines, leaves, and roses, I did the rest of it on the computer. I also got it framed and matted, and it now hangs in my grandparents’ den. Sorry you can’t see any details—the image size is huge, and this is the largest I could post here.

The "Ancient" Wegers

Wilborn Foster “Bill” and Frances Lovena Hair Weger
Grandma coined the term “Ancient Wegers,” so please don’t think I’m being disrespectful by calling them that! It was her idea! ;o)

The "Old" Wegers

Grandma and Grandpa with daughter Anita and sons Bill (my dad, left) and David. (Their second son, Mark, passed away in 2002.)

Grandma and Grandpa with Bill and Kay (my parents), Anita and Wes, on the sofa; Elayne (Mark’s wife) and her new husband Clay, Judy and David.

The "Young" Wegers

A family tradition is for all us cousins to line up by age for group photos when we’re all together. I don’t know if other families do this—with us, it’s an Absolute Necessity bordering on a Central Truth of the Universe. I love it! ;o) For this and two other pictures, we were in a Chinese restaurant that was, for some reason, amusingly patriotic. For your viewing pleasure, I cropped out the remains of Kung Pao Chicken and various fried things.
From left to right: Sara, Courtney, Amanda, Luke, Jonathan, Micah, Aubrey, Paul, Josh, Andrew, Nathan.

The "Baby" Wegers

The two ex utero great-grandchildren are Jordan and Piper, Sara’s girls. The great-grand-to-be is Amanda’s, and *she* will be joining us in December!

The Married "Young" Wegers



Somebody let us run wild and get out of age order for this one. Dear me, what is this family coming to.
Left to right: Courtney and Ed; Luke and Lauren; Micah and Marilyn; Jonathan and Sarah; Amanda and Aaron; and Sara, whose husband Jeff unfortunately wasn’t able to be there.

If any of you assorted Wegers out there want any of these pics (or others that you think I might have), let me know, and I’ll email you better copies. And let me know if there are other pics you want to see in my blog. I plan on posting more later, but for now, this particular post has worn me out. ;o)

Hugs to all,
Courtney

Bill and Frances Weger

married

August 3, 1940

Freud and the Old West: A Short Discourse on the Nature of Techno

Just FYI, this'll probably be my last post for a couple of weeks. As some of you know, I'll be in the States for two really super events taking place during the next ten days, and I'm guessing I might not have much email access. So please forgive me in advance for being incognito.

In the meantime, I leave you with this totally-unrelated-to-my-post but amusing quote from Curt Niccum's blog:

"Music has made a significant impact upon me in the last twenty-four hours. Perhaps this stems from the fact that I was lulled to sleep late last night by the constant thumping of the techno music broadcast from the neighboring hotel room. For those of you unfamiliar with this genre of music, picture fifty Sigmund Freuds hitting their heads on a brick wall in unison on beats one and three to a fast dance rhythm while fifty cowboys expectorate into brass spittoons and one hundred children rub heavy grit sandpaper on a chalkboard on beats two and four. Now, that describes GOOD techno. What I heard definitely never made that category."

--Curt Niccum, posted on July 8, 2005

cursing Christians?

Somewhere out in the big, wide world of Blogland, in someone else’s blog, I ran across a post entitled, “Why do We Swear?”, discoursing on whether or not it is acceptable for Christians to curse. Some commentors responded with yes, some with no. Some said that words are only words and don't matter; some said that God's grace covers all sins, even cursing; some that how we speak has nothing to do with loving Christ.

My thoughts on the matter are as follows:

Words do matter. Words do have meaning. And words can hurt. Even worse than sticks and stones. Ask an abused person if words are just words. Ask an abused child if it didn't hurt him when his parents cursed at him. Ask an abused wife if it didn't hurt her when her husband cursed at her.

II. Peter 2:11-12 and 3:15-16 tell us that as Christians, we represent Christ on earth.
Titus 2:6-8 tells us to exercise self-control, and specifially mentions "sound speech."
James 3:5-14 tells us how destructive words can be, and that cursing does not come from a pure heart.
Ephesians 4:29 tells us that our speech should be for building others up and giving grace to those who hear us.
In Matthew 12:35-37, Jesus himself warns us that our words come directly from what's in our hearts. And that we will be accountable to God for every word that we speak.
I. Corinthians 10:31 reminds us to glorify God in everything we do.

When I think about whether or not swearing/cursing/cussing/whatever-you-want-to-call-it is right for a Christian, I have to ask myself this:

Do I show self-control if I curse?
Am I building others up if I curse?
Do I want to stand before God one day and give account for every bad or negative or discouraging word that I have ever spoken?
Will nonbelievers glorify God because of me, if I curse in front of them?
Am I glorifying God if I curse?

Being a Christian is a process of spiritual growth. I pray for wisdom, that God will change my heart, so that I will not even curse in my thoughts. With God's help, I eradicated cursing from my speech a long time ago, but it's still in my thoughts sometimes. I know that God forgives me for these sins...but I still pray for his guidance and his wisdom, so that I can allow his Holy Spirit to change me fully into the kind of person he wants me to become.

The kind of person who glorifies him in every deed and every thought.

According to God's Word, it is not okay for a Christian to curse. But according to God's Word, he forgives us our sins, and he will help us to wipe them out. If we stop willfully sinning (Heb. 10:26); if we stop using God's grace as an excuse to do what we want; and if we make up our minds to submit to his will and let him change us.

Ed has a blog!

Just thought you all should know. Check it out:

http://edlovscourt.blogspot.com

And it has a cute address, too! ;o)

something stupid

Want to find out what Courtney really believes? Then check out this nutty “church quiz” I did online. If I believe the results of this quiz, then I must conclude that my faith is schizophrenic at best. Or maybe I have “Multiple Faith Disorder.” At any rate, I apparently don’t think at all the way I thought I think. But here are my results, so you can understand what I’m talking about:

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavily by John Wesley and the Methodists.

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan: 82%
Fundamentalist: 61%
Reformed Evangelical: 54%
Neo orthodox: 43%
Emergent/Postmodern: 43%
Roman Catholic: 29%
Classical Liberal: 29%
Modern Liberal: 18%
Charismatic/Pentecostal: 11%

What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

Good thing I’m more Roman Catholic than Anything Liberal or Pentecostal. I’d hate to think my depraved self is anything less than something highly traditional.

Good grief, Charlie Brown. :oP

two random gripes

1. Chessworld is slow tonight, so moving on my boards is a bit frustrating.

2. It's almost midnight, and I'm hungry.

Announcing Free Drinks

For anyone who's interested, I just started a second blog. You can view it here:

http://havesomewater.blogspot.com

This new blog will be my place to post my notes from Bible lectures, seminars, classes, sermons, etc. Since I seem to enjoy taking down practically every dot on every i that the lecturer, teacher, or preacher voices, my notes are what one would call copious. They come in handy on occasion, so I thought someone else might find them useful. If not, that's okay, too.

Feedback on the notes is welcome (especially if I'm wrong about something!) but not obligatory. ;o)

Biblical Scroll Fragments Found In Israel

By DANIELLE HAAS, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 41 minutes ago

JERUSALEM - A secretive encounter with a Bedouin in a desert valley led to the discovery of two fragments from a nearly 2,000-year-old parchment scroll — the first such finding in decades, an Israeli archaeologist said Friday.

The finding has given rise to hope that the Judean Desert may yield more treasures, said Professor Chanan Eshel, an archaeologist from Tel Aviv's Bar Ilan University.

The two small pieces of brown animal skin, inscribed in Hebrew with verses from the Book of Leviticus, are from "refugee" caves in Nachal Arugot, a canyon near the Dead Sea where Jews hid from the Romans in the second century, Eshel said in an interview with The Associated Press.

The scrolls are being tested by Israel's Antiquities Authority. Recently, several relics bearing inscriptions, including a burial box purported to belong to Jesus' brother James, were revealed as modern forgeries.

More than 1,000 ancient texts — known collectively as the Dead Sea Scrolls — were discovered between 1947 and 1956 in 11 caves overlooking the western shores of the Dead Sea.

"No scrolls have been found in the Judean Desert" in decades, Eshel said. "The common belief has been that there is nothing left to find there."

Now, he said, scholars may be spurred on to further excavations.

Archaeologist and Bible scholar Steven Pfann said he had not seen the fragments. If authenticated, they would "in general not be doing more than confirming the character of the material that we have from the southern part of the Judean wilderness up until today."

But "what's interesting and exciting is that this is a new discovery," Pfann added. "This is the first time we've seen anything from the south since the 1960s."

Eshel said he was first shown the fragments last year during a meeting in an abandoned police station near the Dead Sea.

A Bedouin said he had been offered $20,000 for the fragments on the black market and wanted an evaluation.

The encounter both excited and dismayed the archaeologist who has worked in the Judean Desert since 1986.

"I was jealous he had found it, not me. I was also very excited. I didn't believe I would see them again," said Eshel, who took photographs of the pieces he feared would soon be smuggled out of the country.

But in March 2005, he discovered the Bedouin still had the scroll fragments. Eshel bought them with $3,000 provided by Bar Ilan University and handed them over to the Antiquities Authority, he said.

"Scholars do not buy antiquities. I did it because I could not see it fall apart," Eshel said.

The finding constitutes the 15th scroll fragments found in the area from the same period of the Jewish "Bar Kochba" revolt against the Romans, and the first to be discovered with verses from Leviticus, Eshel said.

The Dead Sea Scrolls were written by the Essenes, a monastic sect seen by some as a link between Judaism and early Christianity. The scrolls comprise more than 1,000 ancient texts found a half century ago in the caves above Qumran in the West Bank, one of the most significant discoveries in the Holy Land.
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Courtney's Note:
Here's the news link, if anyone wants to check it out in person.

in honor of Serious Matt

I spilled a pot of coffee on the floor of the auditorium of the church building. Any recommendations?