highlights

Well, we had an awesome time at home with my family. I'm not really sure that I can explain how good it was to be with them. After the whirlwind weekend of my grandfather's memorial service, it was nice to just hang out with them and not be rushing around everywhere. I know I've said it already, but I'll say it again--I have a fantastic family.

I wanted to share a few pictures from our trip. If you want some commentary on the trip, or other more "serious" pictures, check out Joshua's blog--he did a stellar job of documenting it. My purpose here is simply to highlight the fact that I am not the only goofy one in my family. :) (notice that somehow my parents escaped being captured on film while being silly...but they did smile quite nicely upon request)

How Great Thou Art

This is a song that my father has sung at many funerals. And while I sometimes associate it with someone's death, the words are very powerful and true. Every time I hear or sing it, tears come to my eyes--not because I usually hear it at a memorial service but because I am reminded of our amazing God, His love, and that He is always bigger than what is going on in my life. So, read and be reminded that God is great.



O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

grace under fire...

Apparently I don't have much of the above mentioned characteristic. No, this is not some sarcastic remark. It's something I have been thinking quite a bit about. This lack comes down to two of my other characteristics, which can sometimes be a blessing and sometimes definitely the opposite. Firstly, I am loyal. This plays out in many different ways--staying in a job that is physically too hard on my body because I don't want to let down my boss, letting my anger rise probably too quickly when someone attacks my husband in any way, holding tenaciously to my point of view even when I'm wrong. These sorts of things generally aren't the good side of my loyalty. However, if you are a friend you may already know that you can always count on me to stand by your side, no matter what. If you are an employer, you know that I will work hard even to my physical detriment.

My other trait (which is often a flaw) is that I don't do well with blunt criticism. This is due to many factors which I cannot (and should not) go into here. Let it be said that I know I need slightly thicker skin. This trait of mine gets me in trouble because if someone wounds me with their words, I often react like a hurt animal--lashing out--or simply ignoring what has been said. Obviously this is not a good thing, but I recognize it in myself nonetheless.

So, you may ask, why am I baring this part of myself to the cyber world? What reason might I have for sharing all of this with you, who may be friend or total stranger? Well, if you look at some of my earlier posts, you will see that one has been revised. In this post I was more than insensitive and pointed my finger accusingly when I should have just stayed silent. I have revised that post because I've done a lot of thinking since I first published it. Much of this thinking is because of my anonymous cyber "brother." At first, when I read his (or her, I'm sorry I don't know even that) comment to my post I was quite angry and upset. But the more I've thought about it, the more I've realized that he is more right than I was.

Thus, I have revised the post and I invite you to read what God has been doing in me since it was originally put on this blog. I have also cut out the part that Anonymous commented on. This is still accesible under comments for that post, should you desire to read it.

Here is where I would like to thank anonymousblogcomments for giving me a prod and helping me to realize that I am not always right. Thank you for reminding me that I need to be more like Christ and less like a Pharisee. Thank you for caring enough to comment at all, knowing that your voice may or may not be heard. I take back what I said in my original post--that shows quite a bit of courage.

May you be blessed with people who keep you humble and be continually shaped and molded by our wonderful and merciful Lord.

fascinating and frightening...

A friend brought this article to my attention. I find the concept very interesting. Yet the book lover in me...the one who loves the feel of a book against my hands, and the smell of new pages...is a bit worried about what this might mean for the publishing industry as a whole. Granted, there are things that scare me more, like iBooks for your iPod. Read on to discover what may become the newest trend in the world of books...

Publishing: But Can It Make Julienne Fries?
Newsweek

July 31, 2006 issue - Imagine if there were a magic machine that could print entire books in mere minutes. You could go to a bookstore or coffee shop, choose a book online from millions of digital titles and then—poof!—out would come a fully bound book. You could get rare and out-of-print titles, in any language, and for less because the inventory isn't stored on site.

That machine exists—it's called the Espresso Book Machine—and it's currently being tested at the World Bank bookstore in Washington, D.C. (The New York Public Library and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, in Egypt, are each getting one in the fall.) Former Random House editorial director Jason Epstein, a legend in the industry, and former Dean & DeLuca CEO Dane Neller are backing the venture. "We're on the verge of something really powerful here," says Epstein.

The current model of the machine can print the text for a 300-page book, with a color paperback cover—and bind it—in just three minutes and for only a penny per page. It will retail for less than $100,000. If publishers digitize their catalogs and booksellers get onboard (big ifs), the machine could revolutionize the current warehouse-distribution model. "I think that this may, indeed, someday come to fruition," says Jane Friedman, CEO of HarperCollins. "But there's a lot that still has to be worked out."

—Elise Soukup

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13989046/site/newsweek/