Och. How difficult gratefulness can be. I woke up to this fact today. I wasn't purposely being ungrateful but I suddenly realized how much I take for granted all the time. How often I forget to be thankful. I know the phrase can be nostalgic but, "enjoying the moment" is something I often completely forget to do.

And, isn't it ironic, that when you start truly recognizing your blessings and showing your gratefulness, how much smaller and less petty your problems become?

Not too many good things happen when we concentrate too much on ourselves.

I am reading a book on ministering cross-culturally right now. Oddly enough the title is "Ministering Cross-Culturally" by Sherwood Lingenfelter. I'm freaking out about what a North-American I am. Not that that is all bad but I could certainly use some moderation. It's a small book but I think so far a useful one. If applied, I think it could solve more problems than going to other countries and trying to reach out to people. I think it could help a lot of relationship problems by aiding to understand differences.

The weather has been stifling of late. 90's and shooting humidity content which is gagging in the greenhouse since the temp is often over 100. It has rained nearly every day and lots of huge thunderstorms have gone through along with several tornado warnings. They are pretty amazing to watch.

I have resolutioned never to cipher chemicals again. They taste far too gross. Not to mention the stupidity and dangers it involves.

I also am curious how most people handle impressions of people. See, for the most part, I am very positive about peoples differences and I always think the best of them...the only downside to this is that it leads to a lot of shocking facts that can be quite depressing. I guess, especially with my co-workers, as I learn more and more about them (nearly all of them non-Christians) I am often tempted to think, "I wish I didn't know that" or "I know a little too much about this person." These are probably selfish thoughts...but it seems far worse to think bad of people and then have that improved by them not being "quite as bad as you originally thought". Perhaps more what is overwhelming is the lack of any moral reasoning in today's culture. It's so strange when people have absolutely no standard....or only one they make up themselves which often isn't very logical.

I feel like a could write about a million different things right now.

I've had this running argument with a lady at work about Abortion so I've been mulling over that for awhile. I was thinking how much it is treated like slavery was a hundred fifty/ two hundred years ago. What William Wilberforce fought through. Christians and pagans alike thought of and treated slaves horribly. They were inhumane. In hindsight we are disgusted by what they did. But once again, the blood of the innocent, flows....instigated by Christians and pagans alike.

We cannot drop this issue. We must never give in. And we need to take Wilberforce's approach: inch by inch. He knew he would never get the laws passed by stating what he wanted to do in bold letters. It took his entire life. Defeat after defeat. But slowly he slid more and more laws through. He argued and argued and never, ever, ever gave in. His devotion and steadfastness will bring tears to your eyes.

Never forget that: Abortion is murder.


Also, I just finished this incredible book by Steve Saint called, "The Great Omission". He is the son of Nate Saint; a martyr in the Ecuadorian jungles. Steve was baptized by two of the men who speared his father. If you want to read about grace....I have a story for you.

Steve's whole book though is centered on what the Great Commission really entails. Every Christian ought to read it...so simple and eye-opening. Steve grew up with the Waodani tribe who killed his father and eventually became a missionary there as well. At one point he brought two of the tribesman to America with him and I had to laugh and cry at Mincaye's (one of the tribesman) impression of America:

• Foreigners are always in a big hurry but spend most of their time sitting down.
• Some strangers are very friendly, like the ones that "gave" us food, but most of the foreigners seem very angry. They won't talk to anyone for very long.
• Foreigners don't like to talk to each other much. Lots of times they drive away from everyone and then talk to them on little things they wear on their belts.
• In airports, when they can't get away from each other, they all sit close but look away from each other and talk into those same little things on their belts.

Growing up in ones cultural certainly makes one blind to the everyday. Read the list above again...and it might begin to dawn on you just how silly our cultural is. We can hardly function if we lose electricity for even a day. Even if you're not addicted to the internet you rely on it for nearly everything: your freezer, running water, the coffee pot, heat, air-conditioning...the list goes on and on. Of course, you'll only notice it when you have a power outage for a couple of hours.

*sigh* this book totally inspired me though.


Other news:

--I've officially lost my camera USB cord. I could kick myself. How do you lose a USB cord? I've looked everywhere I can think of.

--I discovered I'm dairy intolerant. In certain ways it's been easy switching my eating habits and I feel a zillion times better. But it can still be awful tempting to eat things I shouldn't...I was stupid enough yesterday to eat ice-cream for the first time in weeks and I don't think I will be tempted ever again (or at least for a really long time). I never used to get that sick over it but maybe since I've been off of dairy and suddenly going back on my body threw an absolute fit.

--Pumped for going camping this weekend a couple of hours away.

--Work continues to have seemingly overwhelming disasters. Some of which are just because I work there. Other days I'm just the "handyman" that has to fix all the darn breakdowns. Most of the time I don't mind that...I could spend hours fiddling around but other times it's absolutely infuriating because so many of them are caused by pure carelessness. And nothing is more angering than when "grown ups" just don't care how they treat other peoples property...if they ruin literally hundreds of dollars worth of machinery.

If I ever find my USB cord I will give a few pictures as some rather funny things have happened.