Beach Reading

Why is it that all these parents are working hard to keep their kids away from TV? It’s books that distort our reality. I mean yes, they distort our reality while stimulating the brain and exercising the imagination. I’m not saying reading is bad. I just never realized that it creates an even more real fantasy land to distort our word view than television ever has.

The books are always better than the movies made out of them after all. I make all the characters perfect in my head of course. If I had read Cinderella before seeing the movie (it’s possible that it was read to me; I just remember the movie more) I would probably still be waiting on Prince Charming. I don’t know why I think I’m not waiting on him, but I like to believe that I know it’s a fantasy.

Maybe I’ve just forgotten how a good book impacts me. I guess I’ve been too busy reading CPA review books and accounting standards (those don’t really create the fantasy I desire). To lose yourself in a good book is truly amazing.  But what struck me the most when I was reading yesterday was how much more real it seemed to me than anything I see on TV. This could be because I’m a 26 year old watching shows on the CW made for teenagers, but still.

So the book I was reading, written by a man, created a grown up fantasy. I just don’t see how this man can write for women so well. I picture him probably being like Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets - a totally detached and unsociable man who just happens to be able to create the illusions that women crave.

My book starts with a 32-year-old man putting a hot tub in place on the deck of his house. His house that is located on an ocean inlet with a boat dock where we can keep his jet ski’s. I got the impression that he kept his two boats at the marina because the inlet was not much bigger than a creek. But he could just take his jet ski’s up to the marina and hop on his ski boat or his other boat (which I picture being more like a pontoon boat, but fast enough to work with his parasail). Or maybe he could take his jet ski’s over to the ocean-front lot that he purchases to build his dream house on whenever he gets a family.

The man is already perfect enough. Of course in my head he’s amazingly attractive, not so much so that all women would have flocked to him. We don’t want him to be too arrogant of course. His friends come over - all young couples with kids. Of course the kids all love him and he’s the favorite “uncle.”

I’m already in love with this man when we discover he’s the town vet. Really? A great job too? You see how the books are ruining reality? As if all this isn’t bad enough. He starts a romance with his new neighbor. They fall madly in love in one weekend of course.

Forget the boy next door. This is the MAN next door! A grown up fantasy for every 26-year-old single woman. I need to buy a house!

This wasn’t even one of those really cheesy romance novels. I mean it had it moments, but it brought in a little reality in part two. I won’t give it all away. Maybe today’s book will have some woman meeting her “Prince Charming” on a beach vacation. Then I can really relive all my childhood fantasies.

Inspirations

I can make it more than just poetry. I'm going to include some of my inspirations. I was looking through TrueFaced this morning and I was reminded of how much it spoke to me. One quote particularly stuck out to me as I will be required to "perform" tomorrow:

"We are all performers. One question remains: Will you perform to gain the acceptance and pleasure of your audience -- and always feel that you have failed? Or will you perform out of a heart of trusting delight, knowing you have already pleased your Audience?"

Some other great quotes from TrueFaced, a book by Bill Thrall, Bruce Nicol and John Lynch.

"...one of God's dreams is that we would influence others far more out of who are than out of what we do."

In the room of Grace.....

"Flawed and broken and fragile people are celebrated for their vulnerability and dogged dependence upon their identity in Christ."

"Grace is the face love wears, when it meets imperfection."

Pre-Mother's Day Posting

Possibility of no internet access tomorrow, so I wanted to get this in.....

Mother

Last night I dreamt that you were gone.

It was only for a day, but you were really gone,

Not just for a little while.

We tried to mourn for you,

But we weren’t ready yet, still shocked,

Hoping it wasn’t real.

I shed tears and felt pain deep inside.

But most of all I felt all alone.

My soul lost, undefined.

No one knows my soul like you do.

Too much of me reminds me of you.

How can I be myself without you?

If you’re gone is the part of you that’s in me gone too?

The next day you came back,

And I begged you never to go again.

You told me you would have to go one day,

But you said that part of you would always be in me, and me in you.

You said I’d have to keep being me even if you were gone,

So someone else can have a part of both of us.

Ruth 1
¹⁶ But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. ¹⁷ Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."

Proverbs 31

²⁰She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.

²⁵She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

²⁶She speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁸Her children arise and call her blessed.

³¹Give her the reward she has earned and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

A little more information....

So I originally made a book of poems as a Mother's Day gift. In the book were many of the poems I post here. For each poem in the book I also put a quote/verse/song that I thought helped convey the meaning of the poem. I'm not really sure if I can post in book format here, so I'm going to add a little excerpt from whatever went with the poem in my book. I have to catch up on all the ones I've already posted though, so here is a list:

I Cry

- "Jesus Wept" - John 11:35

Friend

- "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart: he gently leads those that have young." - Isaiah 40:11

Compared to What?

- "....and all I ever have to be is what You've made me, any more or less would be a step out of Your plan..." - Amy Grant, All I Ever Have to Be

Body and Soul

- "He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul." - Psalm 23:2-3

Games

- "Jesus said, 'For judgement I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.'" - John 9:39

Holes in the Wall

- "When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and took the city." - Joshua 6:20

Face to Face

- "He said to them, 'When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.'" - Luke 11:2-4

Patterns of Intimacy

- "I've come to love the way You cover me with who You are." - Steve Fee, Here I am for You

Some of them don't have quotes to go with them yet. The book is always a work in progress. I also have colorful backgrounds for all the poems in the book. It might be a while before I can post the full picture...I have to save money to get photoshop for my mac. 

Face to Face

I’ve spent long enough being angry with you.

I’ve spent so long trying to understand.

But I don’t understand and being angry doesn’t help.

I’ve thought about forgiving you,

For a long time I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do it.

Now I think I can say it.

But I don’t think I believe it in my heart.

I just wish I could know if you’re sorry.

I can still feel the pain when I think about that day.

I remember the hatred I saw in your eyes when you saw me once again.

Do you know what you took from me?

Not just that day, but since the day I met you.

Day by day you took away little parts of who I was, who we all were.

Did you think if you take away who we are then you won’t have to face who you are?

Does it make you angry that we all recover and discover who we were truly meant to be,

And you’re still scared about who you really are?

Holes in the Wall

Before the wall we played in a big room.

Our differences disappeared in that room.

Then the wall went up.

It happened so fast I barely noticed it.

For a long time I never thought of breaking through the wall.

The big room was gone and there would forever be a wall between us.

Then I could hear you on the other side,

Saying things I never knew,

Because I stayed on my side of the wall.

Later I started listening.

Could I know you through the wall?

When we were beside each other the wall kept us apart.

Now we’re far apart without a wall,

But I’m still trying to break it down.

Sometimes I see you through the holes in the wall.

I’m still trying to get you to help me break it down.