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| Michael - August 22, 2010 |
Greeeetings! We just returned today from a weekend trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with Michael. It was really nice because we saw some dolphins, dive-bombing pelicans and sea gulls along with jumping fish. I've seen dolphins in the ocean before, but it was later in the year when the ocean didn't have so many people in it. But this time Andrew and Michael were jumping over, getting smashed and tossed (Michael) and riding (Andrew) waves when we saw them. Then yesterday we saw the jumping fish which was pretty neat. At one point about twenty of them jumped at once! I was wondering if a shark spooked them.
One night we walked along the beach and saw the moon reflecting off the ocean. I love that! Michael would run ahead and draw Sponge Bob cartoon characters in the sand.
It's good to be home and unpacked. I can now catch up a bit on reading some of the posts I missed while gone.
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| Michael enjoyed the Lazy River |
These are just a few quotes from Primal by Mark Batterson. I copied them a few weeks ago and had them saved in drafts.
"Lack of faith is not a failure of logic. It's a failure of imagination. Lack of faith is the inability or unwillingness to entertain thoughts of a God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine." (pg. 112)
I love how young children imagine! They imagine themselves able to grow up to be superheroes, dog catchers, firefighters and doctors all at the same time. Michael used to think the children of heaven were watching his life as if he were a character in a story or video game. He would sometimes tell them Bible stories at night. I wish sometimes I could hold onto some of my ability to imagine. Maybe God meant for us to be more imaginative than we are. Maybe logic is from the enemy. :)
What are some things you imagine or remember imagining when you were a child? Or what things do your children imagine that make you smile? Do you think some people's lack of faith is simply a lack of the ability to imagine Someone or some Thing is out there bigger than us? Do you think imagination too childish whereas logic is more "adultish"?
"Nonconformity invites criticism, but that is the only option if you're following in the footsteps of the quintessential nonconformist, Jesus." (pg. 114)
Do you tend to be a nonconformist or a rule-keeper? Do you agree that Jesus was a nonconformist? In what ways? Can you think of examples of how he kept rules and/or didn't? For the most part I think I keep rules pretty well, but in some aspects I think I'm more of a nonconformist than people would like me to be. If for instance they had the ideal Susanne in mind, they would change a few things about me. But I guess that's true for all of us.
"Two thousand years ago, Jesus said, 'Go.' So why do we operate with a red-light mentality? It seems like many of us are waiting for the green light we've already been given. As Christ followers we need to take a why not approach to life. It dares to dream. It's bent towards action. And it's not looking for excuses not to do something." (pg. 139)
I just liked this.
Any thoughts?
14 comments:
DOLPHINS! :D I was so excited to be going to an aquarium for part of my vacation this summer, because I love dolphins and hoped to see one. I get there, and no dolphins. Not one. Lots of sharks, though, and they came up pretty cool, which was awesome. But anyway, I think it's really cool that you got to see them up close, and I'm glad you had a good time.
I sort of agree with him on the imagination quote...but I think he makes probably the opposite point he wants to make there. (Although I have not yet looked up the book to see what it is, so I guess I can't be sure.) I think that is exactly the argument you would hear from atheists. They have logic, religious people have imagination, like a kid believing in the Easter bunny. But I really don't think that's all faith is. I think many people with faith also have logical reasons for believing...and some people with faith have no imagination, and stay in the religion they were taught because it never enters their head to think that there might be something more to the world than that. And then there are people with plenty of imagination who don't actually believe in what they imagine and don't belong to a faith.
I like the bit about Michael reading Bible stories to the children of Heaven. :) That's pretty cool. I haven't spent a lot of time around kids lately. I worked at a daycare for a week over the summer, and I got to talk to and play with the kids, but they didn't actually do a lot of make-believe. I didn't think about that till now, but it seems kind of weird. My sister and I used to play on this old wooden...I don't know what it's called. Playground-structure-thing. And it was awesome because it didn't have any definite shape to it, so we could make it a boat, or a castle, or whatever we wanted. We played as a lot of different characters there and the structure was something different every time. I hope kids still do that, that was my favorite way to play.
Sorry for the removed comment. I posted it twice because it told me the first time that it was too long, so I deleted most of the last paragraph...then I saw it had posted them both anyway.
and i was wondering where is Susanne ? , but i am very much glad that you have enjoyed your time at the beach with Michael :)
I'm glad you're back! And I simply loved the pool :) Dolphins are amazing and sharks are awesome! It's good to take a vacation once in a while as it keeps your imagination alive and makes it come true :)
I've got lots of imaginations.I've been like that since I was a kid.Faith has a wide base and I agree with Sanil above.It can go anyway but in the end coming to the same pot.
Lovely post and thanks for sharing your day out with Micheal! He's very cute!
I'm glad you're back! I was beginning to wonder if we needed to send out a search party! :)
My first thought on the second picture? 'Huh? That's not a river...that's a pool...' Clearly, I need more sleep!
Glad you had a good time!
I really disagree about imagination. Science for example cannot progress without imagination. The difference is in believing in the things your imagination can conjure up, versus testing them against objective reality.
Sanil, thanks for the well-thought-out comment. I'm sorry you were unable to see dolphins this year. Well, I wouldn't say I got to see them up close, but just seeing them in the wild is so cool to me! :)
I like kids being imaginative too. I wonder if too many videos, TV shows and such have killed their imaginative qualities. Hope not!
Thanks for what you said about the imagination/logic thing relating to faith. I read this book a few weeks ago and noted that for some reason. I guess I just liked it. :)
Wafa', yep, I'm back and reading posts I missed now. :) Good to see you!
Lat, thanks for your comment! I'm glad you enjoyed the post.
Glad to know you are an imaginative sort! I find those types more creative, I think. :)
Amber, ha! Yes, it seems I named the river Lazy and it was confusing. Michael enjoys swimming around in there like it's a pool. He does flips and just hides amongst the floats and stuff. :)
I had hoped to check in from the beach, but the internet connection was horrible. Glad to be back and catching up on you all now!
Sarah, I like what you said...interesting thoughts! Thank you!
So glad you were able to spend a weekend away with Michael!
I just wanted to say that I LOVE that last quote and I borrowed it and posted it on facebook.
I agree. We often times, wait for God to speak the very same things He's already spoken to us through His word. Us humans are awfully silly sometimes!
Carmen, I'm glad you liked that last quote. I think you'd enjoy Mark's books. Andrew and I both are challenged by what he has to say. And his books are easy-to-read and full of interesting (to us) tidbits. :) BTW, he's from the Midwest and is now in D.C. with his wife and three kids.
Great to see you drop by!
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