5 Things I Dig, Love, Revere, Appreciate, Find Fascinating...About Jesus

I love Astronomy Picture of the Day (see my sidebar). Click there everyday and you'll see a new picture from something (nubulae, stars, gasses, planets, etc.) from space. It reminds me how small I am, How great God is, how creative He is and in His greatness and massive creativity how he bends toward earth and loves us.

There's another meme going around the blogosphere. This one is entitled "5 Things You Dig About Jesus". Now I love the idea of one sharing their personal understanding and relationship with Jesus Christ with the world but the use of the word "dig" set me off a bit. It lacks a certain sense of holiness and reverence. And yet in our English language "5 Things I Love About Jesus" doesn't convey the depth of gratitude I think "dig" is trying to communicate. So I'm playing along:

1. He's Creator of the vast universes and cares for me intimately
2. He knows the heart of every person and still loves us.
3. He sees me with His eyes and not mine.
4. He loves creativity - giving us so many different species, varieties (not just one flower, one fruit, one dog)
5. He is patient and wise and even in the midst of trials, His love and perfect plan are made real.

Why Do Truckers Like to Tailgate?

We've made it. Two weeks and some 4000 miles later we are resting comfortably in back in Sparta, IL. Some observations from the road:
1) Eastern Oklahoma is very lush and surprisingly pretty
2) Oklahoma's rest stop toilets are WRETCHED! Do not even need to go when you are in Oklahoma. Avoid it at all costs!
3) There are ALOT of dead opossums, armadillos, cats, dogs, deer, squirrels on the road
4) Emma doesn't like it when Aidan and I sing Elevation with U2
5) Dave Matthews Band is mighty fine music to play on a road trip
6) The Best Western in Weatherford in OK is very nice and serves a filling breakfast
7) Not so much for the Super 8 in Holbrook AZ or the Best Western in Santa Rosa, NM
8) I know there is a beauty to the desert but it surpasses me, kind of like abstract art
9) Gas is to darn expensive right now and come the judgement day someone should be held accountable!
10) I need to call home more often when I take a road trip (I was severely reprimanded for waited until my cell phone had service - a day and a half. Yes I know, my bad. I've already had my hand slapped.)
11) Liam does not nap in the car and
12) Compact Disc holders make great entertainment for a toddler (reflect the sun and make sun spots for him to catch - much like a cat
13) I'll end with what I titled this blog: Why do truckers like to tailgate? Is it to intimidate (ala Duel)? Do they feel perfectly safe hanging one car length behind my itsy-bitsy Dodge Stratus and trust their brakes and their reaction time is quick enough? Any ideas?
I'll write more about the trip later. Right now I'm doing laundry, trying to revive a neglected plant, brushing molting dogs and then scrubbing my kitchen floor. A woman's work...

Tick, tick, tick...

No, this blog entry isn't about time slipping by. It's about ticks. We are facing an infestation of them. Not at the level of Exodus but for some reason this year, in southern Illinois, ticks are abundant. It doesn't help that we have two dogs in our backyard. We've found about a half a dozen plumped-up boogers in the house and I am totally grossed out (do your best valley-girl).
I am from the city. I grew up in a suburb in southern California. Ticks are from the country. I am not used to having nature so close to me, leeching off my existence. I muttered to Dave, ashamed of myself, "I could watch someone give birth but I don't think I could remove a tick from you, hon!"
If anyone has remedies for this plague, PLEASE pass them on to us.

P.S. I though of including of photo of a tick (obtain from flickr) but the idea of looking at that parasite everytime I opened up my blog brought bile up from my innards. So enjoy the clock.

If You Knew Your Cell Phone Was Killing Bees, Would You Stop Using It?

Just one of the many articles out there.