Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Sylvie's Birthday in Charlottesville
My birthday (#34!) was this past Monday, and Jeff took me to Charlottesville for a one-night getaway........ We took the scenic way down on Monday morning, winding through gorgeous Virginia countryside - horse farms lined with white fences, rolling hills covered with fall foliage... mmmm. After arriving in Charlottesville, we walked along the pedestrian-only Main Street lined with shops and restaurants. We meandered through the University of Virginia, took tons of photos of the gorgeous grounds, and discovered some lovely gardens hidden behind a row of wonderful old brick buildings. That night we went to a fantastic restaurant on Main Street called Maya (you have to go if you're in the area sometime!) where the food was incredibly delicious and the ingredients organic and locally grown, and where they have a fun outdoor seating area under a canopy and surrounded by plants and candlelight. We stayed at a historic B&B downtown (which, to be honest, was a bit of a disappointment... It's not nearly as nice as Mom & Dad's in Lexington). And the next day we visited Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's home) which neither Jeff nor I had been to before. That was the highlight of our trip - so beautiful!
Here are a few shots of the University of Virginia:
A tightrope walker practicing his skills:
I love old doorways.
Here's the front of Monticello. We went on a tour of the inside of the house, but taking photos wasn't allowed inside. :( We saw Thomas Jefferson's library including some of his original books... his bedroom where he died... his dining room painted in a garish yellowish gold color... the small family room used as a schoolroom where his eleven grandchildren were taught by Thomas Jefferson's daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph... and more. :) So interesting.
On the back steps of the mansion:
My studly husband:
The back of Monticello was a large grassy yard surrounded by a path that was lined with flowering plants... It was lovely.
Recognize this from the back of the nickel?? Of course this shot is off-center. And it has me in it. But fix those things, and you've got the nickel image. :)
This walkway led right into a sunroom on the side of the mansion:
On the south side of Monticello was Mulberry Row which included extensive vegetable gardens, a vineyard, and an orchard, and overlooked the valley in the distance.
I tried having a chat with Tom, but he wasn't too responsive. He wouldn't even look at me so I had to get on my tip toes to get in his line of vision.
And I just had to capture these trees on our way out... The foliage wasn't at its peak, but what we saw was lovely.
If you ever have a chance to visit Monticello, I highly recommend it!
Here are a few shots of the University of Virginia:
A tightrope walker practicing his skills:
I love old doorways.
Here's the front of Monticello. We went on a tour of the inside of the house, but taking photos wasn't allowed inside. :( We saw Thomas Jefferson's library including some of his original books... his bedroom where he died... his dining room painted in a garish yellowish gold color... the small family room used as a schoolroom where his eleven grandchildren were taught by Thomas Jefferson's daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph... and more. :) So interesting.
On the back steps of the mansion:
My studly husband:
The back of Monticello was a large grassy yard surrounded by a path that was lined with flowering plants... It was lovely.
Recognize this from the back of the nickel?? Of course this shot is off-center. And it has me in it. But fix those things, and you've got the nickel image. :)
This walkway led right into a sunroom on the side of the mansion:
On the south side of Monticello was Mulberry Row which included extensive vegetable gardens, a vineyard, and an orchard, and overlooked the valley in the distance.
I tried having a chat with Tom, but he wasn't too responsive. He wouldn't even look at me so I had to get on my tip toes to get in his line of vision.
And I just had to capture these trees on our way out... The foliage wasn't at its peak, but what we saw was lovely.
If you ever have a chance to visit Monticello, I highly recommend it!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Ruffling a Few Feathers?
So I'm in a weekly women's discipleship group, and this past Tuesday our study was on an article called "Relationship Evangelism" - so you can guess what it was about. Lots of unsaved people out there... we need to befriend them and win them over to salvation... who else will do it if we don't....
My (and Jeff's) perspective on the topic of evangelism is so fundamentally different from that of this article, so during the discussion at my group I basically kept my mouth shut. I felt that if I voiced my opinion, it would open a can of worms. Well, I decided the next day to send out an email to the ladies telling them why I was silent the day before - that I disagreed with the premise of the article, and I didn't want to rock the boat. A few of them wrote back and said they were sad that I felt I had to keep silent, and that I got their curiosity up, and that I should feel free to explain my perspective.
So last night I spent a few hours drafting an email and after Jeff's review and approval :) I sent it out to the ladies. I thought maybe I'd post it here, just in case any of you wanted to read it and comment with your thoughts. No pressure, though. :) Here it is:
Okay Ladies... :)
I've put a lot of time and thought into this. I want to ask you ahead of time - please forgive me if I offend you in any way. I don't mean to!! And I tried to be as brief as I could, but it ended up being a little longer than I intended. Sorry. :) I made it kind of thorough because I'm reacting not only to the article we read, but also to the attitude toward evangelism that I see permeating the church these days - something I've disagreed with for years. So as you read my thoughts, please don't think any of this is aimed directly at any of you. It's more a reaction to a popular idea in the church that I disagree with, and this article just brought it out again.
My view on evangelism is based on Scripture's description of the body of Christ and the believers' various roles within it. (I don't believe the correct way to look at any doctrine is to come up with an idea, and then find scripture to try to support it. The best way, as I think we all would agree, is to go straight to Scripture and see what it says. I think looking at what the body of Christ is is the best way to illuminate the topic of evangelism.)
Many times, Scripture compares the Church to a physical body; Romans 12:3-5 is one example:
"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."
The passage in 1 Corinthians 12 is particularly relevant too, but it's long so I won't include it here. I'll just quote verse 18: "But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be."
So we've got different parts in the body ~ arms, hands, eyes, ears, legs, feet, etc. Each part has its unique function within the body. Arms aren't made to see; they're made to hug! :) Legs aren't made to smell things; they're meant to walk places. Ears aren't meant to paint pictures; they're meant to listen... and so on. I believe so it is with the body of Christ - we all have our roles to play based on what our strengths and gifts are. (And what a beautiful picture of how much we all need each other!!)
I've heard many people say that Scripture commands each one of us to evangelize the lost, based on the "great commission" at the end of Matthew. But as it's always important to look at the context of any scripture, so it is with this passage. It documents the time when Jesus was speaking to the 12 disciples right before His ascension. They became, as we all know, the 12 apostles and went all over the world establishing the first century church. Of course their job was to fulfill the great commission; that was the point of their being apostles. But I just don't think that to transfer that command to all New Testament believers is legitimate. It was spoken in a unique place at a unique time for a unique purpose. And I think that taking that scripture and applying it to all believers puts undue pressure on us - pressure that God never intended.
I was noticing that the lesson we studied was based on an article and not on Scripture. It was someone's logical strategies for how to win as many lost people as we can. Yes, it quoted a few verses here and there, but I don't believe they supported the basis of the argument the article was trying to make. Human strategies and plans are alright I guess, in some circumstance; but to base a doctrine on them is, I believe, unwise. Sure, the ideas that the article puts forth make a lot of logical sense... It makes us feel like "Oh man, I really should be out there evangelizing... How else will my neighbors (or whoever) come to know Christ?!" And it gives us a logical, manmade strategy to make it all happen.
The article's argument puts pressure on people to get out there and make a few recruits - to befriend unsaved people with the hidden motive of eventually bringing up 'the conversation' challenging them to consider their spirituality. I'm not saying having this kind of strategy is always wrong... I guess it can be very effective. But while this lifestyle may come quite easily to some people gifted in evangelism (and I say, more power to them!), I believe this approach for all believers is fundamentally incorrect because:
1. Saving unbelievers simply isn't up to us. That's God's job. (And I believe Scripture would strongly support the idea of letting Him determine how to reach people, not take the responsibility on ourselves to help Him out. He's the head of the body, after all. Let Him direct the parts of the body as He wills.) Of course evangelists are vital to the growth of the church, and those who are gifted should be encouraged and equipped to go out there and use their gift and tell people about Jesus. "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" They should be honored among us. But my argument remains: not everyone is gifted in that area, and God's the one in charge not only of who is gifted for what in the body, but also of saving people.
2. It puts undue pressure and false guilt on those of us who aren't gifted evangelistically to try to be someone we're not.
I was made to glorify God and to walk humbly before Him and to use the gifts He's given me. With all due respect to anyone who disagrees, I would humbly resist any responsibility other than what God has given me. And if, in the course of my life as I live to glorify God, someone sees, maybe even asks questions, is won over to faith in Christ - wonderful!! Praise God for orchestrating that!! It's just not my job to try to orchestrate it. And it's not my job to try to force myself into the evangelist's role, because evangelism simply isn't my gift.
Any time I read Scripture that tells us what God's will for every believer's life is, it's to live justly, love mercy, walk humbly with our God, rejoice, be thankful, show hospitality to each other -- that kind of general command. I say let's just humbly leave it at that (in terms of what we are ALL called to do), and trust our sovereign God to orchestrate everything else (including who's gifted for which specific jobs).
*whew* Did you last all the way to the end??? Thanks for reading my dissertation on evangelism!! I'll be applying for my doctorate shortly......... ;)
My (and Jeff's) perspective on the topic of evangelism is so fundamentally different from that of this article, so during the discussion at my group I basically kept my mouth shut. I felt that if I voiced my opinion, it would open a can of worms. Well, I decided the next day to send out an email to the ladies telling them why I was silent the day before - that I disagreed with the premise of the article, and I didn't want to rock the boat. A few of them wrote back and said they were sad that I felt I had to keep silent, and that I got their curiosity up, and that I should feel free to explain my perspective.
So last night I spent a few hours drafting an email and after Jeff's review and approval :) I sent it out to the ladies. I thought maybe I'd post it here, just in case any of you wanted to read it and comment with your thoughts. No pressure, though. :) Here it is:
Okay Ladies... :)
I've put a lot of time and thought into this. I want to ask you ahead of time - please forgive me if I offend you in any way. I don't mean to!! And I tried to be as brief as I could, but it ended up being a little longer than I intended. Sorry. :) I made it kind of thorough because I'm reacting not only to the article we read, but also to the attitude toward evangelism that I see permeating the church these days - something I've disagreed with for years. So as you read my thoughts, please don't think any of this is aimed directly at any of you. It's more a reaction to a popular idea in the church that I disagree with, and this article just brought it out again.
My view on evangelism is based on Scripture's description of the body of Christ and the believers' various roles within it. (I don't believe the correct way to look at any doctrine is to come up with an idea, and then find scripture to try to support it. The best way, as I think we all would agree, is to go straight to Scripture and see what it says. I think looking at what the body of Christ is is the best way to illuminate the topic of evangelism.)
Many times, Scripture compares the Church to a physical body; Romans 12:3-5 is one example:
"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."
The passage in 1 Corinthians 12 is particularly relevant too, but it's long so I won't include it here. I'll just quote verse 18: "But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be."
So we've got different parts in the body ~ arms, hands, eyes, ears, legs, feet, etc. Each part has its unique function within the body. Arms aren't made to see; they're made to hug! :) Legs aren't made to smell things; they're meant to walk places. Ears aren't meant to paint pictures; they're meant to listen... and so on. I believe so it is with the body of Christ - we all have our roles to play based on what our strengths and gifts are. (And what a beautiful picture of how much we all need each other!!)
I've heard many people say that Scripture commands each one of us to evangelize the lost, based on the "great commission" at the end of Matthew. But as it's always important to look at the context of any scripture, so it is with this passage. It documents the time when Jesus was speaking to the 12 disciples right before His ascension. They became, as we all know, the 12 apostles and went all over the world establishing the first century church. Of course their job was to fulfill the great commission; that was the point of their being apostles. But I just don't think that to transfer that command to all New Testament believers is legitimate. It was spoken in a unique place at a unique time for a unique purpose. And I think that taking that scripture and applying it to all believers puts undue pressure on us - pressure that God never intended.
I was noticing that the lesson we studied was based on an article and not on Scripture. It was someone's logical strategies for how to win as many lost people as we can. Yes, it quoted a few verses here and there, but I don't believe they supported the basis of the argument the article was trying to make. Human strategies and plans are alright I guess, in some circumstance; but to base a doctrine on them is, I believe, unwise. Sure, the ideas that the article puts forth make a lot of logical sense... It makes us feel like "Oh man, I really should be out there evangelizing... How else will my neighbors (or whoever) come to know Christ?!" And it gives us a logical, manmade strategy to make it all happen.
The article's argument puts pressure on people to get out there and make a few recruits - to befriend unsaved people with the hidden motive of eventually bringing up 'the conversation' challenging them to consider their spirituality. I'm not saying having this kind of strategy is always wrong... I guess it can be very effective. But while this lifestyle may come quite easily to some people gifted in evangelism (and I say, more power to them!), I believe this approach for all believers is fundamentally incorrect because:
1. Saving unbelievers simply isn't up to us. That's God's job. (And I believe Scripture would strongly support the idea of letting Him determine how to reach people, not take the responsibility on ourselves to help Him out. He's the head of the body, after all. Let Him direct the parts of the body as He wills.) Of course evangelists are vital to the growth of the church, and those who are gifted should be encouraged and equipped to go out there and use their gift and tell people about Jesus. "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" They should be honored among us. But my argument remains: not everyone is gifted in that area, and God's the one in charge not only of who is gifted for what in the body, but also of saving people.
2. It puts undue pressure and false guilt on those of us who aren't gifted evangelistically to try to be someone we're not.
I was made to glorify God and to walk humbly before Him and to use the gifts He's given me. With all due respect to anyone who disagrees, I would humbly resist any responsibility other than what God has given me. And if, in the course of my life as I live to glorify God, someone sees, maybe even asks questions, is won over to faith in Christ - wonderful!! Praise God for orchestrating that!! It's just not my job to try to orchestrate it. And it's not my job to try to force myself into the evangelist's role, because evangelism simply isn't my gift.
Any time I read Scripture that tells us what God's will for every believer's life is, it's to live justly, love mercy, walk humbly with our God, rejoice, be thankful, show hospitality to each other -- that kind of general command. I say let's just humbly leave it at that (in terms of what we are ALL called to do), and trust our sovereign God to orchestrate everything else (including who's gifted for which specific jobs).
*whew* Did you last all the way to the end??? Thanks for reading my dissertation on evangelism!! I'll be applying for my doctorate shortly......... ;)
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Organizing Project #1
So you know how I offered to organize a few people's rooms for free in exchange for before and after pictures and a testimonial? Mary was my first taker. :) Here is the little room that she wanted to make into an arts and crafts room.
Before:
And after:
To the left, she's got general crafty projects stored in the cabinet, fabric and sewing supplies in/on the skinny bookshelf, and a table for a workspace...
...and to the right, a painting section (although when she paints she'll take the easel into another room for better lighting) and a shelving unit that stores her gift wrap supplies, more painting tools, and a bunch of frames.
So fun, right? :)
Before:
And after:
To the left, she's got general crafty projects stored in the cabinet, fabric and sewing supplies in/on the skinny bookshelf, and a table for a workspace...
...and to the right, a painting section (although when she paints she'll take the easel into another room for better lighting) and a shelving unit that stores her gift wrap supplies, more painting tools, and a bunch of frames.
So fun, right? :)
Friday, September 17, 2010
Me? An Entrepreneur?
Who would have ever thought that I would embark on a business venture of my own? But here I am, contemplating it.
I love turning lemons into lemonade, and I love turning a messy, chaotic room into a place of order and peace. And it's not just that I enjoy it... It actually gives me a rush of happy adrenaline. If I'm in a bad mood, give me a messy closet to organize and clean, and I transform into a happy person.
When I married Jeff, his (our) home had been without a woman's touch for three years. So maybe you can imagine how much I, as a new wife, longed to not only clean the place up, but also put my own touches on it, making it my own! I remember the first week we were back from our honeymoon, I dove into the kitchen cabinets with passion, throwing away out-of-date cans of diced tomatoes, wiping down the cabinet doors, and re-organizing everything in a way that made things more efficient and aesthetically pleasing. I attacked each room after that with the same passion - the living room, rec room, guest room, office. Oh my, but I loved redoing that office! Last but not least was the basement ~ that scary place full of memorabilia and old clothes, seasonal decorations and junk. And when all of these things are mixed up together, organizing it all is pretty intimidating. After Jeff and the kids helped me separate all their stuff into the various categories (trash, Goodwill, keep), I set myself loose. And oh my goodness, was it fun! I woke up on those days with energy and enthusiasm, knowing that I was going to pour myself into the productive and rewarding project of transforming that messy basement into a place of order and peace.
When the basement was finished, I realized I had run out of things to organize in our home! (Well, there are Kiff's and Phil's rooms, but that's another story - and those rooms aren't really my territory!) And it occurred to me that I could do this for other people too - and make a little money at the same time. So that's what I'm about to try to do.
It's actually a burgeoning business. Five or ten years ago, the idea of hiring a professional organizer wasn't too common. But these days, it's a different picture. And I think I'd like in on the action. :)
I've been thinking I might call it Sylvia Case Organizing. Nice and simple and to the point. (Funny how my new last name fits this idea so well!)
I've been reading How to Start a Home-Based Professional Organizing Business and doing some online research. My next step is to offer my services free of charge to several friends in exchange for before and after photos and their testimonials. Then I'll start up a simple website and a Facebook page for my business, and go from there! It's nice that my overhead will be practically non-existent!
It's exciting and, to be honest, a little intimidating. But.... one step at a time. :)
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Random September Thoughts & Pictures
See how long my hair is growing, Mom? It hasn't been this long since my freshman year of college... 16 years ago. (Yikes I'm getting old.)
What has been captivating the our attention over the past few weeks: The US Open in New York. Go Rafa Nadal!!! And Clijsters!!
No, that's not Rafael Nadal. That's Roger Federer, who got ousted in the semifinals by Djokovic! Can you believe it?! Heartbreaking for Federer. He's such a pro... Losing to Djokovic was very expected.
My fun toes. I gave myself this pedicure yesterday.
Love those signs of fall.
A yummy apple pie baking in our oven this afternoon... Mm.
What has been captivating the our attention over the past few weeks: The US Open in New York. Go Rafa Nadal!!! And Clijsters!!
No, that's not Rafael Nadal. That's Roger Federer, who got ousted in the semifinals by Djokovic! Can you believe it?! Heartbreaking for Federer. He's such a pro... Losing to Djokovic was very expected.
My fun toes. I gave myself this pedicure yesterday.
Love those signs of fall.
A yummy apple pie baking in our oven this afternoon... Mm.
Sunday in DC
Who doesn't love a spontaneous trip into the city? :)
Jeff has been teaching a Sunday School class over the summer, and I often play and sing with the worship team... Then two weeks ago on Saturday night when we realized Jeff's teaching stint was over and I didn't have any worship team obligations for the next day, we decided to go into DC on Sunday. For a while we've been wanting to visit Capitol Hill Baptist Church (where Mark Dever is the pastor) which, appropriately, is blocks away from the Capitol Building... So we visited there, and I must say, it's always a good thing to experience a different style of worship. I was looking forward to hearing Mark Dever speak, but sadly he wasn't even there that day. CHBC is tame and traditional, but real nonetheless. And it provided meat for some interesting conversation between Jeff and me over our Quizno's lunch. :)
After lunch we visited the National Air & Space Museum, which is always of interest to me and of special interest to Jeff since he's worked on satellites and rockets in the past. He likes to show me all the stuff he knows about it all, and I love to hear how knowledgeable and intelligent my husband is. :)
What do you think - would I have made a good stewardess in the 50s? Hm. My hair isn't too short or styled...
It was a hot day, so we rested for a while by a pool and fountain which was situated among the Smithsonian buildings.
Then we visited the National Gallery of Art. At first I was a little hesitant because I'm not a huge art museum fan... But I have to say I loved our time there; it was peaceful and beautiful.
Here is just a small sampling of the many paintings we enjoyed.
One of my favorites was this beautiful Andrew Wyeth painting. I love his works. (He's the one who did Christina's World.)
Good memories. :)
Jeff has been teaching a Sunday School class over the summer, and I often play and sing with the worship team... Then two weeks ago on Saturday night when we realized Jeff's teaching stint was over and I didn't have any worship team obligations for the next day, we decided to go into DC on Sunday. For a while we've been wanting to visit Capitol Hill Baptist Church (where Mark Dever is the pastor) which, appropriately, is blocks away from the Capitol Building... So we visited there, and I must say, it's always a good thing to experience a different style of worship. I was looking forward to hearing Mark Dever speak, but sadly he wasn't even there that day. CHBC is tame and traditional, but real nonetheless. And it provided meat for some interesting conversation between Jeff and me over our Quizno's lunch. :)
After lunch we visited the National Air & Space Museum, which is always of interest to me and of special interest to Jeff since he's worked on satellites and rockets in the past. He likes to show me all the stuff he knows about it all, and I love to hear how knowledgeable and intelligent my husband is. :)
What do you think - would I have made a good stewardess in the 50s? Hm. My hair isn't too short or styled...
It was a hot day, so we rested for a while by a pool and fountain which was situated among the Smithsonian buildings.
Then we visited the National Gallery of Art. At first I was a little hesitant because I'm not a huge art museum fan... But I have to say I loved our time there; it was peaceful and beautiful.
Here is just a small sampling of the many paintings we enjoyed.
One of my favorites was this beautiful Andrew Wyeth painting. I love his works. (He's the one who did Christina's World.)
Good memories. :)
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