Here was the response:
A metaphor is like, when you like, don't use the word *like* when comparing two things that are alike.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Priceless
Overheard in the hallway at school today...two 8th grade boys studying for an English test. They were taking turns quizzing one another when up came the question, "What is a metaphor?"
Here was the response:
Here was the response:
Monday, February 2, 2009
"Living in the Shadows"
My mother sent me a piece she recently wrote, expressing gratitude for those who have made an impact on her life and she gave me permission to share it with you all. Thank you, Mom, for sharing your heart with us! What a treasure! What a treasure you are! Keep on writing!
Living in the Shadows by Dorothy Overstreet
I have known many outstanding people in my lifetime of 78 years. Those who had great influence in my life were family; Mother, grandparents, Aunt and my older brother and a step-brother and my dear husband of 55 years. Friends through the years when you need one are remembered and cherished.
It is a blessing in life to have deep roots of love and support in a positive way. Those who encourage us look for our gifts and build us up and help us to use our gifts. I am most thankful and grateful for those who encouraged me when I was in the darkness and needed someone. They showed me someone greater than myself and encouraged my faith in God and His love for all mankind. I was given the opportunity to learn the piano during one of those dark days and I shall always be grateful for this. It gave me some confidence in myself and joy in life. I advanced rapidly and continued throughout life to avail myself of music opportunities both vocal and in the piano. Not only to participate but to hear others with musical gifts. Someone to help you believe in yourself amidst a much troubled world and to give you some hope for day to day living are much appreciated and needed. There is no perfection in our world although we work to improve and achieve greatness. It takes a lot of love and forgiveness along the way.
I have always believed in prayer and quiet times for strength, renewal and direction. Nighttime is a time of quiet and rest for the next day. I receive ideas and think through my life during those quiet moments and hours. Sometimes it is a time of release of tension that may build up with stress of problems and activities and concern for loved ones. There is a spiritual being within us that stirs us in constructive ways and helps us over those monumental mountaibs that build up with trials and misunderstandings and expectations beyond our understanding. There are angels watching over us and help us when we are struggling with unknowns. I am thankful for God's world and His help through it. I am thankful for family and friends and their love and caring and contacts.
How truly blessed we are in this world and beyond and the strength we are given to keep on keeping on in spite of our weaknesses. I am thankful for the shadow of folk so much bigger than myself to help me through the difficult times and unknowns, the remembrances of loved one who preceded me and feeling their presence along the road of life and their positive influences that keep us going when we are down.
I could not give recognition to all those special people in my life, but our Lord God knows who they are and gives credit each day for me and gives me hope. He knows my daily walk and the many shadows of outstanding folk I have looked up to through the years of my life and the hope and encouragement they have shown through their love and their lives and their caring for me and others.
God bless you each one. Thank you for the positivie influences and caring. Help me to be a shadow for others and pass blessings on to give loved ones and friends joy and strength in their everyday lives.
Living in the Shadows by Dorothy Overstreet
I have known many outstanding people in my lifetime of 78 years. Those who had great influence in my life were family; Mother, grandparents, Aunt and my older brother and a step-brother and my dear husband of 55 years. Friends through the years when you need one are remembered and cherished.
It is a blessing in life to have deep roots of love and support in a positive way. Those who encourage us look for our gifts and build us up and help us to use our gifts. I am most thankful and grateful for those who encouraged me when I was in the darkness and needed someone. They showed me someone greater than myself and encouraged my faith in God and His love for all mankind. I was given the opportunity to learn the piano during one of those dark days and I shall always be grateful for this. It gave me some confidence in myself and joy in life. I advanced rapidly and continued throughout life to avail myself of music opportunities both vocal and in the piano. Not only to participate but to hear others with musical gifts. Someone to help you believe in yourself amidst a much troubled world and to give you some hope for day to day living are much appreciated and needed. There is no perfection in our world although we work to improve and achieve greatness. It takes a lot of love and forgiveness along the way.
I have always believed in prayer and quiet times for strength, renewal and direction. Nighttime is a time of quiet and rest for the next day. I receive ideas and think through my life during those quiet moments and hours. Sometimes it is a time of release of tension that may build up with stress of problems and activities and concern for loved ones. There is a spiritual being within us that stirs us in constructive ways and helps us over those monumental mountaibs that build up with trials and misunderstandings and expectations beyond our understanding. There are angels watching over us and help us when we are struggling with unknowns. I am thankful for God's world and His help through it. I am thankful for family and friends and their love and caring and contacts.
How truly blessed we are in this world and beyond and the strength we are given to keep on keeping on in spite of our weaknesses. I am thankful for the shadow of folk so much bigger than myself to help me through the difficult times and unknowns, the remembrances of loved one who preceded me and feeling their presence along the road of life and their positive influences that keep us going when we are down.
I could not give recognition to all those special people in my life, but our Lord God knows who they are and gives credit each day for me and gives me hope. He knows my daily walk and the many shadows of outstanding folk I have looked up to through the years of my life and the hope and encouragement they have shown through their love and their lives and their caring for me and others.
God bless you each one. Thank you for the positivie influences and caring. Help me to be a shadow for others and pass blessings on to give loved ones and friends joy and strength in their everyday lives.
Monday, January 26, 2009
When a plan comes together
"I love it when a plan comes together." I think more often than not, when we say that, it is after we've had a rather half-baked plan and the stars have somehow aligned and all of a sudden we're looking back a bit dumbstruck, amazed that everything turned out so splendidly.
Today, I had no plan, except to leave for work on time and to make sure I squeezed in my reading for the day. I achieved both goals by 7:05 and jumped into the car pondering Paul's words in Romans 4. Abraham was a pretty amazing guy. He believed the promise of God even when he was stretched to the breaking point. When the angel told him ole' Sarah would be having a baby in her 80's, he took him at his word. When God asked him to sacrifice the son of promise on an altar, he was ready to obey, up to the moment God provided a substitute. He uprooted his family and went wherever God told him to go. Abraham could well point to his record and figure he was in pretty good shape. But God told him it was not his resume that was impressive, it was his faith.
When I am tempted to think I'm all that and a bag of chips, God reminds me that it is not what I do that brings his declaration of acceptance - it is the belief of my heart that he is who he said he is, and my desire to be wholly devoted to him. THIS is the crux of the matter: when we were unable to meet his expectations on our own, rather than lose us altogether, he came himself and took what we deserved on himself so that by grace alone, we could receive his righteousness.
I had completed this whole line of thinking before the garage door was up and was basking in his amazing love.
As I backed out of the driveway and pointed the car to the east, I was met by a nearly unspeakable sight. The layers of rippled clouds were only partially camoflaging the morning sun yearning to burst through. The pinks and orange streaks were painted across the sky and a sole beam of light was penetrating the canvas, shooting straight up, as if it were connecting heaven and earth. There were several other points of light straining like a horse against a bit to break free. I gasped out loud, moved to the depths by this incredible display of beauty and majesty and power.
The words to a favorite song came to mind, and I was compelled to sing as I drove:
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
The magic lasted only a few minutes - not even long enough for me to get past the views obstructed by powerlines to pull over and take a picture. The sun did break through and shine so brightly I could not look upon it. I imagined the face of God and how his overwhelming light-filled majesty will send us to our knees, unable to bear his brightness and his beauty.
It was like the execution of the perfect plan had just played out before my eyes. It was no coincidence that the reading for Jan. 26 was from Romans 4 and that it illicited a response of awe-filled gratitude. That gratitude was met with a spectatular display of light and color which commanded a deeper sense of worship, followed by the inconquerable sun bursting through brighter than ever announcing the day and declaring who was in charge of it all.
What an incredible way to start a day...and for some inconceivable reason known to God alone, I got to be a part of his plan.
Today, I had no plan, except to leave for work on time and to make sure I squeezed in my reading for the day. I achieved both goals by 7:05 and jumped into the car pondering Paul's words in Romans 4. Abraham was a pretty amazing guy. He believed the promise of God even when he was stretched to the breaking point. When the angel told him ole' Sarah would be having a baby in her 80's, he took him at his word. When God asked him to sacrifice the son of promise on an altar, he was ready to obey, up to the moment God provided a substitute. He uprooted his family and went wherever God told him to go. Abraham could well point to his record and figure he was in pretty good shape. But God told him it was not his resume that was impressive, it was his faith.
When I am tempted to think I'm all that and a bag of chips, God reminds me that it is not what I do that brings his declaration of acceptance - it is the belief of my heart that he is who he said he is, and my desire to be wholly devoted to him. THIS is the crux of the matter: when we were unable to meet his expectations on our own, rather than lose us altogether, he came himself and took what we deserved on himself so that by grace alone, we could receive his righteousness.
I had completed this whole line of thinking before the garage door was up and was basking in his amazing love.
As I backed out of the driveway and pointed the car to the east, I was met by a nearly unspeakable sight. The layers of rippled clouds were only partially camoflaging the morning sun yearning to burst through. The pinks and orange streaks were painted across the sky and a sole beam of light was penetrating the canvas, shooting straight up, as if it were connecting heaven and earth. There were several other points of light straining like a horse against a bit to break free. I gasped out loud, moved to the depths by this incredible display of beauty and majesty and power.
The words to a favorite song came to mind, and I was compelled to sing as I drove:
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
The magic lasted only a few minutes - not even long enough for me to get past the views obstructed by powerlines to pull over and take a picture. The sun did break through and shine so brightly I could not look upon it. I imagined the face of God and how his overwhelming light-filled majesty will send us to our knees, unable to bear his brightness and his beauty.
It was like the execution of the perfect plan had just played out before my eyes. It was no coincidence that the reading for Jan. 26 was from Romans 4 and that it illicited a response of awe-filled gratitude. That gratitude was met with a spectatular display of light and color which commanded a deeper sense of worship, followed by the inconquerable sun bursting through brighter than ever announcing the day and declaring who was in charge of it all.
What an incredible way to start a day...and for some inconceivable reason known to God alone, I got to be a part of his plan.
It's the little things
Thank you to my adorable grandson, Carter, who while looking at photos with his mom this morning saw one and said,
"That's Gigi. I love her. She's my friend."
Carter, you made Gigi's day. You're my friend. I love you.
"That's Gigi. I love her. She's my friend."
Carter, you made Gigi's day. You're my friend. I love you.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Aaah, the classics
Some of our dearest friends have a very dear daughter who has grown up to be a lovely young lady and is now a librarian. I follow L's blog and had to chuckle at her New Year's resolution to read this year. This from the girl who read over 100 books last year.
I like to read, too. But I have absolutely no self-control or sense of time when it comes to a good book. Meal prep goes by the wayside, sleep cannot be found, and nothing stands in the way between me and the final page. That being said, I've had to cut back on the books until I can muster a little more self-discipline.
Over the holidays, Heather and I got our hands on a series of books from our church library (there are 7 in all) and both read them all. They're by Dee Henderson and chronicle the O'Malley "family", a group of seven unrelated siblings who grow up together in an orphanage, claim each other, each change their last name to O'Malley, become professionals, and are there for each other to the end. The books are fairly well written, but become predictable after the first few. While we enjoyed reading them, there was a drive to finish whatever book you happen to be on as soon as you picked it up. As I look back on the O'Malley clan, I have to think hard to remember who fell for whom, who solved what crime, and how it all came together. It's kind of a blur.
In the meantime, Heather ran into a copy of Jane Eyre at Barnes and Noble and decided to reread it. She enjoyed it so much the first time (the first reread, that is), that she turned around and read it again. I am rather embarrassed to admit that my literary resume is rather lacking in the fact that I have not read Jane Eyre. When Heather finished it (again), she brought it upstairs and said, "you're going to love it."
I have decided there is definitely a difference between a classic and a pop culture novel. Since starting Jane Eyre I find myself not yearning for the end (which is a good thing, since the book is over 500 pages long) but thoroughly enjoying every page, wanting to stay in the moment just a little longer before moving on. Bronte's 19th century use of the language coupled with her uncanny ability to paint a picture in your mind make for a winsome combination.
I'm savoring it. Jane arrived at Thornfield and has just met her new charge Adela.
Heather says that Bronte didn't do much writing other than Jane Eyre. Definitely our loss.
I like to read, too. But I have absolutely no self-control or sense of time when it comes to a good book. Meal prep goes by the wayside, sleep cannot be found, and nothing stands in the way between me and the final page. That being said, I've had to cut back on the books until I can muster a little more self-discipline.
Over the holidays, Heather and I got our hands on a series of books from our church library (there are 7 in all) and both read them all. They're by Dee Henderson and chronicle the O'Malley "family", a group of seven unrelated siblings who grow up together in an orphanage, claim each other, each change their last name to O'Malley, become professionals, and are there for each other to the end. The books are fairly well written, but become predictable after the first few. While we enjoyed reading them, there was a drive to finish whatever book you happen to be on as soon as you picked it up. As I look back on the O'Malley clan, I have to think hard to remember who fell for whom, who solved what crime, and how it all came together. It's kind of a blur.
In the meantime, Heather ran into a copy of Jane Eyre at Barnes and Noble and decided to reread it. She enjoyed it so much the first time (the first reread, that is), that she turned around and read it again. I am rather embarrassed to admit that my literary resume is rather lacking in the fact that I have not read Jane Eyre. When Heather finished it (again), she brought it upstairs and said, "you're going to love it."
I have decided there is definitely a difference between a classic and a pop culture novel. Since starting Jane Eyre I find myself not yearning for the end (which is a good thing, since the book is over 500 pages long) but thoroughly enjoying every page, wanting to stay in the moment just a little longer before moving on. Bronte's 19th century use of the language coupled with her uncanny ability to paint a picture in your mind make for a winsome combination.
I'm savoring it. Jane arrived at Thornfield and has just met her new charge Adela.
Heather says that Bronte didn't do much writing other than Jane Eyre. Definitely our loss.
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