Thought for the day

Exactly...

"This is the true joy in life -- being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."
~ George Bernard Shaw

P.S. I am a nerd; I can't WAIT for the "Lost" finale tonight

No substitute for substance

Opinions -- we each have a million. There's nothing wrong with them. But I get a little suspicious when they're fired off in rapid succession. Strong opinions are no substitute for true substance.

Sometimes I wonder if people rattle off their likes and likes to prove they are interesting. Opinionated and interesting are not synonymous, however. There's much more to being a fascinating, cultured individual than being able to verbalize what turns you on and off.

You think "Gone With the Wind" is overrated? OK, that's all well and good. I'd rather know how old you were when you first saw the film. You say swing music is better than blues. But what role has music played in your life?

The other danger in being obsessed with opinions is that it can predispose you to accepting or rejecting something new all too easily. If you "hate" Toyotas, you might not test drive a potentially great car for you. If you "love" any movie Matt Damon is in, you might soon find yourself bending over backward to defend a decidedly terrible movie.

Like I said -- there's nothing wrong with having opinions. Many of them are legitimately earned. Just don't use them to kill time because you don't know how to talk about the world objectively and intelligently.

The 7 things meme

Queen Heroical tagged me for this, so here we go...

First, the Rules: People who are tagged start by thinking about 7 random facts/habits about themselves. Each player then must write about those seven things on their blog, as well as include these rules. Players then need to choose 7 people to tag and list their names. Don’t forget to leave each person a comment telling them they’ve been tagged.

1. I have a difficult time saying anything or anyone is ugly -- not because I have some keen eye for beauty, but because it takes a lot for me to think something/someone is wholly unattractive.

2. I was born boy-crazy, and all those years of boy-chasing finally paid off in college when I landed the big one. The fact that I've never been pursued by any guy carries its fair share of insecurity. But the fact that I set my sights on the man of my dreams and married him says a little about my tenacity, I like to think. Oh, and I'm only crazy about one boy now!

3. Sometimes it's hard for me to read the Bible for extended periods of time because I have ADD due to HCRS (Hyper Cross-Referencing Syndrome). It's literally a struggle for me, which is why I LOVE devotionals that have entire passages baked right in.

4. I have zero tolerance for bullies -- bullying is one of the most despicable things. In addition I (unfairly) judge people by their driving skills. Also, I have no problem with people discussing their personal struggles, but I become very impatient when it turns to whining or complaining (there IS a difference).

5. If I leave the house without pearl studs in my ears or a watch on my wrist, I will feel practically naked. In all the truth I can't remember the last time I even took my faux pearls out!

6. Make-up is a drag to me, so I rarely wear a stitch. Then of course it's all the more affirming (insert sarcasm here) when the one time you wear make-up in a month, people comment on how pretty you look. Sheesh!

7. When I was young, I dreamed of always living with my brother -- just like Matthew and Marilla in "Anne of Green Gables." This would crack him up to read, but probably wouldn't surprise him; he knows he's one of my all-time favorite people. Afterall, he set the standard for me in finding a good husband, which I'm happy to say my very own Superman passed with flying colors. (Get it? Flying colors ... Superman ... Is this thing on?)

I will now tag Girlfriday, Amila Rate Ibid, An Everyday Anne, Serinekat, Lone Prairie, Living in His Mercy and Duregger.

"Grudges in old jars"

I love that line. It comes from the Newsboys song, "Million Pieces," about letting things go and giving them up to God. Here it is in its lyrical context:

Why you holdin' grudges in old jars?
Why you wanna show off all your scars?
What's it gonna take to lay a few burdens down?
It's a beautiful sound

Songs like this convict me -- I don't want to be a scar show-er offer. And I certainly don't want to keep my grudges nice and fresh in a dusty jar.

Emotional scars are important for two reasons: They are the sign of a healed wound, a reminder of God's grace in our past. Secondly, they are useful as part of our testimony to others. Outside of these two occasions, I'm hard-pressed to find a compelling reason to whip 'em out.

We ought to be discreet with our non-physical scars. Why? Because they came about when someone did us harm, and if we're not careful, those reminders turn into grudges.

I find myself in awe of people who speak Victimese exclusively -- the language of eternal victims. Everything in their world has been done TO them. Watch for it in a conversation; it's very strange. What a pity that 90% of the things these victims recall as being done to them is negative. How many more good things were done FOR them, or did they themselves do, that will never be recounted?

But I have to be careful here. As evidenced by this very blog, I can be all too eager to share my "injustices." I pray I'm not one to point out the spec in my neighbor's eye while ignoring the plank in my own. Lord, teach me to keep my pantry clear of grudge-filled jars, and may I only roll up my sleeves to reveal a scar when it demonstrates the healing balm of Your grace.

Man crush

I'm sure I've been over this before, but it is entirely possible for a woman to have the same kind of "man crush" that a guy does. A man crush can be defined as a completely platonic admiration for another dude. As in, my husband has a man crush on almost anyone who's played for the Husky basketball team. Or my happily married straight brother has a man crush on The Sports Guy. You get the idea.

So in my case, wouldn't this be called a "woman crush," you ask? No. Because my man crush is in fact a man. Confused yet? A girl's man crush can be defined as the kind of admiration for a man that makes you wish he were your uncle. As in, I have a man crush on Bono -- am not particularly attracted to him physically, but can't think of anything cooler than if he were my uncle. Any clearer?

What about you -- who's your man crush? Or woman crush for that matter?