My Answers

I was slightly afraid of this... however...so many of you wonderful people have emailed me asking what some of my answers were to Andrews questions on my previous post "Questions and Car Rides" that I will oblige.
So, forigve my imperfect parenting and perhaps off-the-cuff but genuine answers. Perhaps I need to be better prepared to "always give an answer"; however while my mind was racing toward my deadline at work, Andrew's mind was reeling on a completely different level. I will try to be brief, though some of the answers were slightly more extensive...you'll get the idea.

In an answer to "where are the upside down people?"(in regard to if the earth is round...) We had a slight discussion on what gravity is...he seemed to get that. I racked my brain and tried to picture my fifth grade science book, but seriously my answer was less than stellar...seriously..why aren't we upside down? haha. Anyway, I did seem to satisfy his question with gravity keeping us grounded and while the earth turns we are kept from turning upside down...could you imagine if we did have to spend a certain part of our day everyday upside down?


As to where God's mom and dad are we had to get a little deep with that one. I tried my best to explain God's eternal state. No beginning and no end. That is hard enough for me to wrap my head around and even more difficult to put on Andrew's level. Our faith has to carry us past the point of not being able to quite understanding EVERYTHING.

If God loves everyone...why doesn't everyone love God? That question was the biggest one of all. Simply put: we are given the choice. We can choose to love or to not love. You know the next question was...Why would anyone not love God? My answer was simply because its a choice. No one is forced to love Him. He desires our love, he created us to love Him, but he also gave us all the choice to do our own thing. He didn't make us robots (a slight giggle from AMJ on that one) There was a long silence.

God didn't get burned by the sun when he made it because he simply spoke it. He didn't have to touch it. It's called a miracle. (response) "I like miracles, they are cool."

What does our soul look like? I shake my head...what does it look like? Great question. We briefly discussed what is inside that makes us who we are. What makes Andrew, Andrew and that its our soul that is forever. We went over going heaven and our eternal bodies...and he seemed to take it all in. I so wonder what was running through his little mind.

Do we get wings if we ask nicely? Hmmm, well when you get to heaven honey..you ask God and see what he says. (response) "I'll make sure I say please."

Can God see us through the roof? Yup, you can't hide from God. He see us...even under our blankets. We will see heaven someday, just not right now.

Why didn't God answer my question to make it stop snowing: When we ask God to answer our prayers...he always hears us...he just doesn't always answer them the way we WANT him too. His plans are ultimately better than our own.

How did Jesus get up on the cross: Like I said, not everyone loved Jesus and what he stood for. Some very angry men did that, but despite how mean they were, Jesus still loved them. (response) "That still wasn't very nice"
No. It wasn't.

I am thinking that the "Where do babies come from" question is looking a WHOLE lot easier to answer....

My Life Flashed Before My Eyes...

Ok, so...maybe that is a SLIGHT exaggeration! Seriously, though....this is the picture I shot just before I got tackled. For the record....I can't complain too much about my job. I get paid to photograph sporting events and then write about them. Not bad..well, it would be if you don't like sports...then the job wouldn't be that great. But, for the most part I like it...especially photographing the big games like this one, when things get crazy in the gym. However, I have been photographing for seven years and I have only been hit by a player or a ball maybe five times due to where I stand on the court. However, last week, in one game I was hit three times! WHAT! After I snapped this shot, the one kid's momentum was going my way and never stopped. He got the rebound, but was going so hard for the ball he came right out of bounds and right toward me. In an effort to spare me injury or for goodness sake, my camera!!! he grabbed me and just about carried me three feet. Too bad I wasn't like 16 - woulda swept me off my feet..haha. Instead, it was a sweaty 17-year-old that almost killed my camera!!! Priorities!!!

Questions And Car Rides

"There's nothing that can help you understand your beliefs more than trying to explain them to an inquisitive child. "~Frank A. Clark

I will not enumerate on the perplexities of children, but I will open a window to just a few moments I have had recently. My six-year-old has this uncanny knack of settling into the back seat of the car as we drive and thinking up those very questions that leave me staring at the road with my mouth agape and wondering if I am really adequate to be a mother to this child.
I wanted to share just a few of the questions that have fallen in my lap recently: feel free to send me your answers…I will gladly deepen my theological tactics in trying to put them at a six-year-old’s level.

Andrew’s Top Ten List:

Question 1a: Mom, if the world is round, where are all of the upside down people?
2b. When will it be our turn to be upside down?

Question 2: Where do God’s mom and dad live?

Question 3: If God made the sun, why did he not get burned?

Question 4: If God loves everybody…how come everybody doesn’t love God?

Question 5: Did God give angels wings and do you think if I asked nicely, I could have wings too?

Question 6: Why can’t I see heaven right now?

Question 7: Can God see me through the roof of our house? What about now? (Andrew goes under all his bed covers)

Question 8a: Mom! I asked God to make it snow and Look!! (snow starts to fall….seriously!)
8b …one hour later…MOM… I asked God to make it stop snowing and now he’s not listening.
Why is he not listening to me?

Question 9: What does a soul look like?

Question 10: How did Jesus get up on the cross?

Those are just 10 of the numerous onslaught of questioning. I am sure there are more to come. However, his child-like…or perhaps not-so-child-like questions throw you right back into what your belief system is all about. Is God real to me and if so…how real is he? He is as real to Andrew as I am and THAT is something everyone should strive for. God being THAT real, would certainly change the course of our daily activities…sheesh! So, as I clamor and fumble for sound answers I can only pray that my responsibility to answer these questions translate into something real.

"A child can ask questions that a wise man cannot answer." ~Author Unknown

My Ol' House was a CRIME SCENE...Where's Grissom?

Ok, I usually don't have THAT much time to post twice in one day. But as I was organizing and deleting pictures...and TOTALLY had to post this.

We moved last summer and sold our cute lil-before-we-had-two-boys house. Just last week - it became a potential crime scene...yellow tape, forensic vans, the works! Made me sad...nice lil' former Johns' house...making the news for a "suspicious death". Awwww.

Check it out.. I was only allowed to photograph from the road, I'm guessing the nice police man wasn't too fond of a reporter coming around to take picture...but it was the closest I was getting to 007 work. I'm not made for the confrontational, gotta get the story type reporting, especially when big, tall law enforcement man is glaring at me. I would rather shrink back into my car and eat the stashed bag of M&M's I have for emergency only snacking :)

Very sad yellow tape all over the place. Grissom wanna-be's crawling all over the house. Turned out "suspicious death" was ruled out...boyfriend got off the hook and well...no big story here. I had high hopes for 48 Hours Mystery...ah well.

China And Dining Room Tables

Ok, so this is completely and utterly random…but whatever. (how’s that for an opening line) I post the picture of our not-quite-done-still-needs-some-work dining room, to feature the awesomeness of the large round object sitting in the middle of it. There’s a story here. Eight and half illustrious years ago, we traveled to China with my parents. We went EVERYWHERE and I ate foods that I can only tell you about. Out of the entire trip which included hiking the Great Wall, walking through the Forbidden Palace, seeing the Terracotta Soliders, and visiting Tiananmen Square among a hundred other sites…the way we dined was an adventure in itself.
In every restaurant all our food was served on a turntable such as the one in my picture. In China, you had small plates and the turntable spun as people needed something. As the food went by you picked what you wanted off of the serving dishes. It made total sense. There was no "please pass this" or reaching for something and spilling your drink. (not that I would EVER do that). You simply spun the food and took what you needed. I LOVED it. Soooooo…for Christmas my dad fashioned a similar turntable for my dining room table and it works fabulously…it almost makes me want to cook lots :) It works especially well on our table which is a perfect square and unless you have go-go gadget arms, you can’t reach across it. So, props to dad on the international piece of furniture…you rock!























Ok, the other random picture…um..it just makes me laugh. We are all IMing back and forth. It’s all about being able to communicate with your children.
Other random rambling: one of my favorite singers Joshua Radin was Starbucks Pick of the Week. Totally cool. What a delish idea…a mocha frap. and Joshua Radin singing …works for me.

Compassion Part Deux

Ok, so perhaps it was narrow of me to think I could make a general post on how I feel about compassionate people.  Through all of the responses I feel maybe "part 2" was inevitable.  If you look up the word compassion there are several words that fall underneath the umbrella of its meaning.  Forgiveness, love, understanding and sympathy are just a few words that extend out from compassion..or perhaps those are the words that compose it.  

Compassion is certainly a trait that adheres a lot to personality.  Just like some people are more prone to see the logical side of a situation rather than the emotional  Each individual has a unique way of dealing with the world that surrounds them and adapting their internal strengths. 

Some people are blessed with compassion being an innate characteristic that is easily accessible to them.  For others, it is something that has to be adapted.  However, that goes for everything whether it be compassion, common sense, sensitivity and list goes on and on.  

Compassion is one of those traits that encompasses so many avenues of ones character that perhaps one blog about it wasn't enough.  In general and from my point of view (which is the only one that counts cuz this is my blog:) compassion was something that touched me recently and has been a big deal to me in the past few years.   

In earnest, it is something I have had to work on (and still doing so) expanding and stretching to make it more innate and natural.  

I could make several points and get into several characteristics that define compassion, but they would just be words and though I enjoy words, sometimes they don't convey true definition within an emotional context.    So, I will leave compassion in itself alone...and to each person it can be defined differently...to each his own on that one.  I think the concept means a lot to everyone...especially in regard to some of the responses.  So, take it and give it and BA-RING IT!!!! That's all I got...or else I might start rambling( I know, I know.)

Compassionate People Make My World :)

Human compassion, in my humble opinion, might be one of the most valuable and powerful tools we all possess. Of course, some utilize it more than others do and still some ignore its internal composition while others embrace it.
Since my brother’s accident, compassion is one trait I value in anyone and I try desperately to make it more available from within myself. However, I touch on the subject, because it holds such meaning to me. I watched someone today visit with one of my family members in their hospital room. Though, I love and have a compassion for my own family, this person had no real connection making his effort to show his compassion all the more meaningful. His ability to mold within the situation and make his heart available touched my own heart. He prayed with us, he listened when we spoke and his compassion was truly evident.
When my brother was hurt, there were physical therapists and nurses that showed an energetic compassion that I would dare anyone to try and match. It does seem that the darkness of tragic circumstances perhaps enhances the colors and hues surrounding the light of compassionate efforts. So, it’s a challenge to see if compassion can be found in the every day efforts rather than just the tragic downfalls.
I guess this would mean thinking beyond my own world for a moment. It takes "me" out of the equation and inserts "you". Of course, there always remains the necessary platform of balance, but I have yet to see compassion be overrated. It is very much underrated.
Compassion is a verb. It requires action as small as a smile of encouragement to jumping in to the deep murky waters of friends’ troubles to inconveniencing the convenience of your every day existence. It’s requires some effort to extend beyond what is comfortable to comfort someone else. It may even be actively doing something kind or helpful in such a way that recognition is elusive. Compassion may just simply mean asking how someone’s day was and really caring about their answer :)

It seems like an easy concept to express, especially in regard to accident victims or patients in a hospital bed. Compassion may not be so easily indulged in regard to those who have hurt us or others close to us. We may hold back on our expressive efforts when we know they will go unappreciated or even ignored. Compassion can easily become an unwelcome challenge, but its results are not for us to decide. The action of compassion, well, that is certainly our decision and I don't think we can truly regret a genuine compassionate effort.
So, for those whose compassion has overwhelmed me and defined its nature… at least defined its nature to me, thank you.
OH! AND! For those people who brought Starbucks coffee to the cafeteria hospital in Cooperstown….you are truly compassionate people;) Totally awesome and appreciated.

Ok, and how many times did I use the word "compassion"? sheesh.

Change....

"Commonplaces never become tiresome. It is we who become tired when we cease to be curious and appreciative." – Norman Rockwell
I am not fond of change. I know I am not alone in my statement as few people really enjoying being purged from their comfort zone. Sometimes change finds us and we have no choice but to roll with it. Friends move, storms knock out your power for five days and other events happen that are completely out of your control. However, then there are the changes that we choose to make. Sometimes THOSE changes are more complicated and more difficult because the choice to remain the same is still there.
Change is imminent. Life offers changes whether you welcome them or not. The choice to make a change is daunting, but it can be cathartic. The idea to stretch in ways that are not comfortable, but beneficial is a tough choice. I like to be comfortable in every aspect. I like physical comfort, spiritual comfort, I even shy away from challenging the epicurean delights in strange food…because …what if I don’t like it? See…comfort.
So, the journey begins. I didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions…not very fond of doing that, but I did decide on a few changes. It won’t be comfortable, but it will be worth it.
When I was talking to a friend of mine I explained that it was sort of like taking the girls I coach through pre-season. They don’t necessarily like it, I push them way beyond their comfort levels and I dig around to find out how far I can stretch them. The process of change throughout those two weeks is not necessarily enjoyable, but ask them when they are standing in a stadium to play one of the biggest games of the year, and they will say it was all worth it.
I am not sure if that is a clear-cut comparison, but it’s what I know and it’s the best I could do on a Saturday morning:)
This past week was good for that. I went to New York City after a five-year hiatus and visited Lake Placid where, sad to say, I had never been before despite its short three-hour car ride. I did however stray from my traditional Starbucks coffee and indulged in a Peppermint Mocha Twist..and loved it! And I don’t even like peppermint that much. It was small step, but still a change…and I’m going to claim it.