Better but not new

One of my favorite things as a kid was a brand new spiral notepad. Freshly lined sheets of paper, blank and waiting for me to pen a creative narrative or doodle some awe-inspiring portrait of my 10th grade Algebra teacher who hated me with everything she had (she once told me to pee my pants because I had asked to use the restroom so you can imagine how flattering that drawing was).

Every year at this time I purge closets, reorganize and rethink the arrangement of furniture in our home.  It's as much of a symbolic gesture as it is a physical one.  Releasing what is old and no longer functional and putting things in an order that will suit a growing family (in stature and maturity, not in number, thank you very much) must be done.  Otherwise we become weighed down with jackets too tight at the shoulders, jeans too short at the ankles (or too narrow at the waist, thanks Christmas cookies) and dusty old papers that no one has picked up during the course of the year.  Sometimes it's that way with resolutions.  We make them thinking we know what will be best for us but eventually they just don't fit.

The ending of one year and the anticipation of the coming year always feels like that fresh spiral notebook.  I strategically plan with anticipation events that will pass and actions I will take in the next twelve months.  Last year, after a hectic season of shooting I vowed that I would spend more time with my family.  I was good for a while and then became completely consumed with making my business bigger and better.  In October, I realized that my bigger and better business wasn't making money and was causing far more strain in my home than it was ever worth.  Sometimes passion and doing something well just won't pay the bills.  I went back to working a 9 to 5 job and I haven't looked back.

There is nothing wrong with being a "resolutioner" and I hate that people have tagged some ugly stigma to it.  Frankly, after the holidays when no one is in a routine, it's nice to use the disruption to change habits.  Eat better, work out, blog more (who said that?!), work more or less, make more time for your family or deciding that you will throw all of that out the window if it just isn't possible.   That's the magic of a resolution.  Sometimes it just doesn't work.  And that's okay.  The point is not "new year, new you" but "new year, better you."

Big

Saturday evening we watched Big.

Throw back to a time when kids acted like kids.  A 13 year old boy was far more innocent than he is today.  Watch any Disney show for tweeners these days and you'll see a stark difference between entertainment for kids of the 80s and kids now.

As a matter of fact, the lack of quality acting and somewhat crude or cruel jokes has gotten some of these Disney shows banned from our home.  Jessie being one of them.

But I digress.

As we watched Big, Hadley and I reenacted the FAO Schwartz scene.  Elizabeth Perkins recaptured the essence of innocence by unknowingly dating an overgrown 13 year old and as they stood in front of a booth at the fair, beautiful music floated through the air and Hadley and I decided to dance with the characters of the film.  We twirled around the living room.  Hudson began to sway and I scooped him up in my arms as Hadley danced with Daddy.  When Hudson had enough dancing, John swooped in to fill his place in my arms.  I closed my eyes, nestled my head onto his shoulder and took in the moment.  The music of the movie began to fade and was replaced by the sound of the dishwasher as it whirred and the kids laughed and ran circles around us, their little feet pattering across the tile,  creating a whole new orchestra of sound.

These moments used to only happen in retrospect for me.  Typically these moments are marred by a "to do" list a mile long and thinking about the piles of dirty laundry lined up in the hallway or the fact that the car battery may be dead.  As I am getting older and my children are growing faster than I'd like, I've found myself stopping far more often and appreciating the moment I'm in rather than worrying about the things that are keeping me from enjoying them.  I've stopped planning the future fun and living for this minute.

My babies will only be little for such a short time.  Why am I wasting it?

Insanity

Everyone knows the definition of insanity.

Doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results.

America is insane.

At least once a week I get a news notification on my phone about another mass shooting somewhere in America...yet nothing changes.  There have been 74 school shootings JUST THIS YEAR, and if you're keeping track it's only June.  That's 74 incidents in six months.  We shake our heads, wipe the tears of our mourning (unless you're Joe Plumber) and keep everything else in place.  After all, what is America about without the Second Amendment?

Well, we aren't about being first in Education.  That's for sure.  Because if we were we would know enough to read the Second Amendment within the context of the time of which is was written (much as the Bible has been neglected out of context but that is another post for another time).  Redcoats, Revolution...anyone?  No one is taking away your right to have a gun but everyone is wondering why nothing has changed in regard to how they are obtained and where the line of absolution is drawn in the wake of a tragedy.

Something HAS to give.  There are double locks on the doors at my child's school.  I have to be buzzed in to see her at lunch.  No, there is nothing wrong with added safety but what happens when the threat is already inside the school with her?  We live in Texas so I would venture to say that the vast majority of the children at her school are in homes where more than one gun is owned.  Should I send her to school armed with one of these bullet resistant blankets and hope I'm able to pick her up alive?

This image is heartbreaking.  This idea that we must teach our kids to protect themselves from an active shooter so that Joe Plumber can avoid change.  It's pure torture that a parent must consider these alternatives in today's world ALL because people are so worried about their entitlement being removed.  I'm so sorry to inform you that my child is also entitled.  She's entitled to a childhood.  A childhood where her only fear should be of the shadows in her closet and NOT the ticker on the news.  I should not have to answer questions about kids her age dying because someone took their mother's guns and showed up on campus that day.  I should not have to leave Target because some nut job thinks it's his right to show up with an assault rifle and expect me and my kids to get over it.  Who's to say HE isn't the next Elliot Roger?

Changes can and have been made in other countries after these events happen and the statistical changes in those countries should be enough to instigate a thorough investigation into what we can do to prevent any further loss of life.

Australia
The U.K.
Canada & Japan

Contrary to popular political beliefs (especially in the South), Obama has a terrible record on gun control.  As a matter of fact, our political biases and our inability as a nation to come together on anything has most likely made the situation worse.  But, no, we're too busy concerning ourselves with what goes on in the bedrooms of homosexuals than we are protecting our children from clear and present danger.  You can't change others but you can certainly change legislation to prevent kids from dying.  I'd say that something worth looking into.

What do we do?  If you're a parent, what would you do?  I certainly don't want to homeschool my child.  I don't want to feed the fear monster that lives at the bottom of my television screen.  Yes, bad guys are going to get guns no matter how strictly regulated but shouldn't we do what we can to slow the tidal wave?

Keep your guns.  By all means, that is one of the foundations of our freedoms.  But let's consider some alternatives to helping keep others safe from those who intend harm.  Is that too much to ask  I'm sure the parents of Allison Wyatt wouldn't think so.

And the family of Rachel D'Avino wouldn't complain.

Place your child's image in this thread.  Or your spouse.  Consider how you would feel if they were gone because a registered gun owner went nuts one day.  Would you tell me that you would say, "Well, they obtained it legally so I guess it's okay by me."

I highly doubt that would be your answer.

Let's get personal

Some days I find myself standing in front of the mirror wondering who the reflection because I don't recognize her.  Those days come closer together than ever it seems.  My hair is longer and darker than it's ever been, usually pulled back.  I rarely wear makeup anymore and the closet is no fun for me to look into because my work wardrobe has dwindled to a uniform of t-shirts and comfortable pants.

I am at home with my kiddos every day.  This is hard work and the most rewarding "job" I've ever had but it's very easy to lose your identity in the day to day tasks and the overwhelming responsibility of molding future stewards of this world.

When I'm not with my children I am shooting other families, weddings and portraits.  I'm wearing tennis shoes and shorts.  I generally come home with grass stains and twigs sticking from my hair with fresh new mosquito bites.  I love what I do but it's easy to become a ghost behind a lens, as though I never really exist.

Days when I'm not getting along with my husband, when there's been one too many tantrums, when the paycheck didn't stretch far enough, it's hard to remember just how blessed I am.  The saying goes that a picture is worth a thousand words.  Scanning through my folders upon folders of family images and scrolling through all the pictures on my Facebook feed make today so much easier to get through.  No matter what comes our way,  no matter how much deeper the lines around my eyes get in one day, no matter how dark I color my hair to cover the gray, I can sit and look at images of my family and know that I am loved.

But, let's face it.  Some days are just plain hard.  Some days it's easy to forget.  Today is one of those days.

Eat A Sandwich

I have fought writing this for months.  Considering my last post was a few months ago and it was on the topic of excuses as to why I don't look like a fitness model, I really didn't want to write another post on body image.  Unfortunately, I can't seem to escape it.

There's a new term hanging around these days.  You may have heard it in the media.

Shaming.

Fat.
Skinny.
Slut.
Parent.
Kids.
Bullies.
Pets.

The list goes on and on.  People are not only using the mainstream media to shame others or outcry against shaming but they're taking to social media.  Parents post images of their kids after they pooped in the crib (because Junior will really appreciate that being brought up at his job interview in 20 years).  Pets are holding signs declaring that they tore up the living room.  Teenagers are holding signs saying they stole money from mom's purse (also, great interview material).  Trolls scan images of girls in half dress or girls who are not the ideal societal body type and rip them to shreds.

She's tall and thin.  The angle the photo was taken makes her appear even taller.  It wasn't Health's use of this woman as a model for an article titled, "Walk off 10 pounds in 3 weeks with this routine" that I found appalling (that was just poor planning on the part of social media director), it was the comments found below the picture that made me sick.

How about put on 20 pounds. She looks like a piece of rope.

Anorexia nervosa

Excessive use of Photoshop.

Looks like she walked off her ass

She needs to walk herself to the donut shop and find herself ten pounds to put on...

That girl is way too skinny

This girl looks ill

This chick needs a cheeseburger, plain and simple.

Not attractive, not what you want to crawl up to in bed. Those boney limbs poking you would hurt. Cheeseburger, fries, shake and cake. I'm surprised she has enough strength to walk. My biggest fear is that something would break during sex!

The last comment was my personal favorite.  Wonder if my husband feels that way?  To be fair, I've walked around my whole life and I've never broken anything.  And if this guy delivers, I'll be happy to take a cheeseburger, fries and a shake.

Do you know how many times I've heard these exact same things?  As a matter of fact, I stopped wearing all forms of skirts, dresses and shorts in middle school because I was tired of hearing the term "chicken legs" and I didn't start wearing them again until long after I graduated high school  I was tormented by everyone for having a "flat chest" and I rarely wore sleeveless shirts because of the "toothpicks" I had for arms.  This isn't a blog about how terribly I was bullied, because adolescence just sucks and everyone is teased about something.  This is moreso how we treat one another based on ideals conditioned by society because to this day I still get comments about how skinny I am.  

For some reason, it's okay to shame a skinny girl because she's skinny.  It's okay to poke fun at stereotypes like the one where we somehow "forget to eat," is a skinny person problem.  Oh, we're so funny because we're anorexic.  Haha.

Stop telling us to eat a sandwich.  Stop telling us that we need to put on a few pounds.  We can't.  My husband can tell you that a few years ago I tried to gain muscle mass.  Protein powders, heavy protein meals, supplements, work outs...nothing worked.

Also, don't assume that a skinny girl has an eating disorder unless you see without a doubt that she has symptoms of one (and contrary to popular belief, it's not a "lucky" disorder to have).  Here's a list you should check if you think someone is struggling:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anorexia/basics/symptoms/con-20033002

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bulimia/basics/symptoms/con-20033050

On the other hand, it is not okay to tell someone they need to lose a few pounds or to tell them they need to eat less.

Having any kind of comment to make about someone else's body, a generalized meme to post on social media, a comment on the way someone looks or dresses is not appropriate unless it is a compliment, and no, I don't consider remarks about how skinny I am to be a compliment.

Each one of these women are beautiful.  They all weigh the same.  They all carry it differently.  All that matters is that they are healthy.  No social standard of beauty should dampen that.  Body image is hard enough in the battlefields of our own minds, none of us need anyone else adding fuel to the flames of warfare.  Granted, there are times when unhealthy habits will need to be addressed but there's a difference between concern and being a flat out jerk.  Sometimes it's a fine line but if you have to start the comment with "He/She looks like" and there's something unflattering attached to the end of the comment then it's best left unsaid.

What about you?  Do you have an insecurity that others seem to comment on?  Are you guilty of picking on someone because of the way they look?

Be a change agent.

Oh, and leave Junior's unsavory moments off Facebook.  His future depends on it.

Excuses, excuses

So, I'm late to the party on this one:

Let me just point out, I look nothing like Maria Kang.  I'm thin, yes, but I'm not a fitness model or a wellness coach.  I don't have three kids under the age of three.  That's pure insanity and kudos to those who can manage.  Odds are this woman was in fantastic shape prior to getting pregnant and during her pregnancy.  You don't just pop into the gym with an 8 month old, much less two other small children, and manage to look like this.  But I digress.

What's my excuse?

Well, I don't have one.

I have reasons.  Three really good reasons that fill up my newsfeed or Instagram account on a daily basis.  Three really pretty reasons, if I do say so myself.  I also have a small business and a church that I give some time to.  Up until last semester, I was also in school part time.  By the time I lay my head on my pillow, around midnight usually, my day has been filled with projects, clients, homework, cooking, cleaning and diapers.  And I love it.  That's my life.  That's my reason.

She's recently been under fire again with a new picture and a new "no excuse" campaign.  She's attempting to be "inspirational" and not understanding that her priorities don't equate to everyone else's priorities and that's really what this is all about.  She.  Just.  Doesn't.  Get.  It.

You can read the entire article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/07/maria-kang-photo-excuse_n_4918766.html.

I go for gusto in everything I do.  To look like this I would have to spend a few hours a week in a gym.  That means something in my life would slip.  I'm not willing to give up that time with my family or my business or my church to make sure I'm a "hot mom."  Sister, we aren't all built to be "strong, not skinny."  These images and this "campaign" is unintentionally shaming people into thinking we don't do enough when the truth of the matter is that we all do too much.

In the article she says that to raise a healthy child you must be a  healthy parent.  Well, duh.  But healthy isn't all about the body.  My daughter doesn't need to see me pose in my short shorts and my sports bra to get the idea that eating right and staying active is healthy.  She needs to see me live a life of faith.  She needs to see me take care of her and interact with others in a positive way.

If these images motivate you then by all means use them!!!  If they don't, then don't.  My problem is this: these things have a way of burying themselves in your subconscious.  They pop up when you're doing something as insignificant as putting on your jeans that you don't wear like you did before the last kid.  Let's think about the definition of health and the definition of excuse.  Put these two things in perspective before attempting to "motivate" the world by insinuating that we're all a bunch of fat losers if we don't look like you.

Bitter?  No.  Irritated?  Yes.

My life is not her life.  My path is not her path.  My family is not her family.  I look the way I look and live the way I live because I want it that way.  No excuse to be found.

I Will Follow Him

So I'm using the title to draw you in, because, really?  Who can resist a play on words?  Especially a play on words that was used in Sister Act?  Sister Act!!!  A movie I may have watched about a bijillion times and I still get chills when Tanya Tucker's voice comes from the little red headed nun.  I will never be able to explain that.

In all seriousness, though, I have been truly struggling with the concept of how we as Christians relate to the world around us.  I feel like I have been pushing the first and most important commandment, love, so hard that I've lost sight of His law at times.  I feel so much disdain for legalism that I sometimes forget how important the law is to those who believe.

Mind what I said here and emphasize it, the law is important to those who believe.  While this world may have been made for us we have to remember that it is quiet broken.  It's broken before we enter via birth, it's broken when we get here and it will always be broken until the triumphant return of Christ.  We cannot expect to win every soul to Christ by slamming the law down over their heads.  There is no desire to serve Christ if we start there.

Do not love this world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.

I John 2:15-16

So let's break that down.  The lust of the flesh is sexual immorality (let's refrain from being hoochies), the lust of the eyes is materialism or greed (eyes on your own paper people) and the pride of life is position and power (check your ego at the door).  These are the loves of the world.  We cannot serve these things and truly be followers of Christ.  Some of these things are stumbling blocks because, again, we are a broken people.  There's one thing on this list that I didn't see in reference to the world...people.  People are not "the world" but they are in the world.  "People" is a term with which we refer to the weak vessels of clay that house the beautiful, treasured, created soul that God has placed within.  When we discuss issues that pertain to the Christian you must remember that "the world" are things or actions within this sphere while people are something totally separate. 

If you're still with me, I'm going to list a few things that place me at odds with other believers.  But I challenge you to explore the meaning and purpose behind each and see what falls more in line with what God has for us rather than the world.

I believe in the separation of church and state.

• A politician who believes in Christ will allow that belief to effect his job, because that is what believers are called to do, but it should not be the sole reason he is elected.  Who is the best person for said job?
• God gave us free will to decide how we are to live our lives.  Why should our faith impose on someone else if God himself refuses to impose on them?  Let them choose.
• Contrary to popular Christian opinion, this country is solidly based on this premise.  It's historical.  Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Payne and Benjamin Franklin were deists; meaning they believed there was a god but not the God that I believe in.  They included this premise solely for the purpose of freedom.

I believe in the right to choose life.

• I feel as though there should be more transparency and information in the clinics that perform something I myself could never do.  Like what the baby looks like at that stage of development, for example.
• This is someone else's decision to make, the same free will premise applies.
• I completely disagree with this decision on a personal level and I pray earnestly for those I know and have known to make this decision.
• See most of the reasons behind the separation of church and state.

I believe that the poor should receive assistance and that all of us should have the same access to health care.

• After all, what did Jesus say about this?
• Secondly, I have been in this situation.  It's hard to know that you must choose between feeding your family or paying your bills.  Not everyone is expecting a hand out of your hard-earned money that is a blessing from God.
• Perhaps if we truly practiced this ourselves we wouldn't need the government to provide programs and aid to others since that seems to be the most common objective I hear, "I don't want the government to tell me I have to do it!"
• See the parable of the talents.

I believe in gun control.

• I am all for you have a gun if you want but I will never understand the need to have weapons that can mow down innocent people in a theater or children who are in a place of education.
• The second amendment was written to allow citizens the right to bear arms against a tyrannical government.  Not to collect weapons for the fun of it.
• Our current system is just not working.  How many more people have to die before we protect one another?  Why are we being so prideful about this?

I realize that my post is long and if you're still reading I truly appreciate it.  Mostly this blog is for my own personal release of thoughts and feelings but I post it here rather than my journal because maybe, just maybe, it may help someone or provide a different perspective on a tumbling world.  If you have any thoughts or feelings on these points I would love to hear them.  I'm always open for meaningful, thought provoking and respectful discussion.

Much love!

You are doing it wrong

What if I told you that you were doing your faith all wrong?  Would you get angry?  Of course you would.  I did.  But today’s methodology of following Christ is being lost in culture and it irks me to no end until I realized that I was trying to softly love people to God.  Sometimes you have to go all crazy tough love on people to get them to see the truth.  I can do that so easily with my family, my kids or my husband but I struggle with the general masses and most especially on the issue of faith.  Here's what's happening in a nutshell:

Conservative Christianity says you have to go by the law.

Progressive Christianity says you have to go by love.

The Truth says it is both.

It’s so easy to find your faith sucked into one of these two categories; thus the way to perdition is wide and the way to God is narrow.  It's easy to believe you are right when you have a large group that agrees with you on issues, uses the same verbiage or tactics but it does not make your way of going about it right.

Ephesians 2:8 says it is grace that saves us.  It is a gift.  None should boast because we are created by Him.  All of these other things are not as important as the true thing which is that we were created as a good work (Genesis 1:31) to perform good works (Ephesians 2:10).  Good works.  We are a good work required to perform good works.  Easy equation.  What about this is so hard? 

Created Good Work = Performer of Good Work

Here are some cultural issues related to what the two sides consider a "good work" and the fallacies that they are.

If your good work is protecting something that was given to you from someone less fortunate then you are lost.  If you feel as though you “worked hard” for something that God has blessed you with then your heart is not in the right place.  Working hard and a good work are two different things.  God placed provision for the orphan and the widow; it is your responsibility to care for them.  Secondly, if you’re more worried about how someone else’s life choices affect you and yours then you are blocking out the sun with the plank in your eye.  There is good news to be shared and that is that He loved the ENTIRE world, regardless of their sin, and sent His precious Son to die.  He DIED.  Why are we objectifying that sacrifice by deciding that sin has variable degrees?  Stop beating people over the head with the law and praying that they come to Christ.  It’s not going to work.

If your good work is making someone feel okay about their sinful choices then you are lost.  If you think that all people can arrive at the same God we serve by exploring other options then you are not a Christian.  It is plainly stated that there is only ONE way.  There are no Buddhist Christians.  That’s like saying you’re a carnivorous vegetarian.  It does not exist.  Stop telling people that sin is okay and hoping that they’ll see Jesus for the love He has for them.  Is it okay for your spouse okay to cheat on you as long as they’re happy?  No.  So don’t expect God to see your efforts as valiant if you cannot stand the thought of being honest and hurting someone’s feelings.  The truth must be spoken and in that regard tact goes a long way.

Jesus was the master at telling people the truth in a way that shocked and provoked thought.  Of course He offended people because the truth can be offensive...why shy away from lighting the way?  But I often ask myself if that was His only intention...to offend.  The answer is no.  He was sent to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10) by the necessary means.  So let's merge these two ideologies and pull the truth out of our rears where we've seemed to have hidden it.  We need to spread the unconditional love of the God with the rebuke of sin on an individual basis.  A change in the heart has the potential to change society.  Make the Gospel a grassroots movement and not a political one.  That is how it started after all.

If something in this message offends you then perhaps you should start digging into it and figure out why it bothers you.  I’d love to hear your thoughts.  You will not insult me if you disagree. 

The woman I want to be

I want to be the woman who is exhausted.

I want to be the woman who has too many lines around her eyes.

I want to be the woman who is not well kept at all times.

I want to be the woman who is never flawless.

I want to be the woman whose hands are rough and dry.

I want to be the woman whose feet and back ache every night.

I want to be the woman who does more than she should.

I want to be the woman who asks for little in return.

I want to be the woman who makes the most of little and celebrates the lot.

I want to be the woman that despite all of these things her eyes sparkle because she knows that the people she loves most are well cared for and happy.  Those things make her happy.  Those things fulfill her day.  It may not be the life that she could have ever envisioned for herself but it's the one that makes her most content.

I want to be that woman.  There is honor in honest living.  Charm is deceptive.  Beauty is fleeting.  Love is eternal.

Proverbs 31:30-31

I broke it.

I would be lying if I said the last two years of my marriage have been easy.  The sad part in all this is that I was solely responsible for the damage.

Anyone who knows my husband knows how personable, charismatic and down right likable he is when he wants to be.  He's very easy going and takes things as they come.  He is more anti-plan than anyone I've ever met because he likes to go where the wind blows.

I know what you're thinking.  What did I do to mess things up?  You want the dirt.  Did I cheat on him (I'd rather die)?  Did I throw away his favorite sweater?  Did I make him stop doing the things he likes to do?  Did I cut him off from the entire world?  Was I too jealous or possessive?

No.

I didn't listen.  I didn't look at him.  I didn't pay attention.

Communication died.

He didn't point any of these things out to me because he isn't one to do that.  I realized them when I quit my job to stay home and my daily adult interaction was greatly diminished.  Without the distraction of everyone else's drama and the personal stress of working and balancing our home caused I fully realized that he was just going through the motions of being married.  I had killed every ounce of romance with my daily "to do" list and my incessant need to plan and control.

So how do I fix it?

I'm starting by understanding that my love for God should be showing through the love I share in my relationships.  I have to let myself be soft in most situations when the control is not as important as my husband feeling validated.  Does it really matter what we have for dinner?  Does it really matter if he doesn't go where I want him to go when I want him to go ALL THE TIME?  Some things and some decisions are important and he knows when to listen.  I don't have to dictate everything we do and when we're going to do it.  That kind of behavior can wear anyone down.

I have a long way to go to repair and edify the man that I love but I'm determined to do it.  I refuse to let the one person created for me feel like any less than the great gift he is to me and my children.  Sure, we'll get on each other's nerves and we'll disagree from time to time but that's a regular marriage.  The one thing I do know for sure is that with grace and time all can be made right...and that's a truth for any relationship.

But you're just a girl

This morning I cracked my Bible for the first time in 2014.  Every morning, while the boy naps, I open the pages of this book.  There are times when the hustle and bustle of out the scheduled norm takes me away from digging into scripture but I usually find my way back once routine returns.  The funny thing is that the older I get the more focused I am in finding insights and sharing my thoughts on what I read.

Right now, I'm following the study on www.SheReadsTruth.com.  The fabulous thing about it is that even if you only have a few minutes a day the scripture and accompanying discussion is powerful.  It really maximizes your time with God.  I typically have about 30 minutes to an hour during nap time but some days, as toddlers do, he decides that sleeping just isn't on his agenda.

So, the current series is on new beginnings.  What better place to start than creation, right?  Something struck me this morning during my reading, Adam's declaration in Genesis 2:23.

"And Adam said:

This is now bone of my bones

Flesh of my flesh;

She shall be called Woman,

Because she was taken out of Man."

My first thought, "Awww, the first love poem..."  Then I started to wonder about what it actually means to be a woman in Biblical terms and began digging into the commentary at the bottom of my Bible.  What I found there struck me with a profound sense of satisfaction.  

See, I've always felt like people look at me like I'm not capable of specific things because I'm petite with blond hair and blue eyes.  I'm somehow fragile or weak or less intelligent because of the way that I look.  But God says no.  No to the idea that a woman is somehow less than a man.  No to the idea that she isn't capable of being as intelligent or weak simply because she can't bench press a couple hundred pounds of iron or open a jar of pickles.  I'll have you know that I open my fair share of jars in this house.

Earlier in chapter 2, God says that he wants Adam to have a "comparable helper."  I can see all the feminists getting hot under the collar.  Hold up.  The term "helper" is not negative in any way.  In fact, God is also referred to as a help in a time of need (Psalm 33:20) and most of us know that God is the biggest, baddest helper of them all.   Women were not created to be secondary to man like some leftover afterthought but to be a companion to man; hence, the rib.  Women are created to be a just right fit with man.

The truly spectacular thing is Adam's reaction to Eve when she is presented to him.  His love poem extols that she is just like him but different.  This intrigues and astounds him.  She is intelligent, not like any other creature he had seen on the earth.  He gave her the name Woman, which is just like his name but different.  A perfect and suitable match to him.  He is completely enamored with her.

Martin Luther said it best, "God might have taken a bone from a toe and thus signified that Adam was to rule over her; or He might have taken a bone from his head to indicate her rule over him.  But by taking a bone from his side, God implied equality and mutual respect."

The Fall brought a much more pronounced difference between the sexes but I will contend until my dying breath that we are all equal.  We are all worthy of respect without limitation to our ability.

As a side note, I am snacking on an apple as I write.  Coincidence?