Quick Takes Time

1) Last week I decided to try a little experiment. I made seven Quick Takes statements and then proceeded to write an entire blog post on each one in the following seven days. It was good practice for me (although not without a little pressure) and it did improve my traffic stats, but I often felt I was slapping something on, not giving it the thought it deserved. What did you think?

In case you missed any, here are the links for last week's seven posts.

True love risks offending.

What can we do to alleviate the fear in this economic crisis?

How much are you willing to sacrifice to reach your goals?

Marriage offers sanctuary and safety.

What do you reveal about yourself in the way you handle criticism?

Without knowing the nuances of Greek or Hebrew and the complete cultural climate surrounding Biblical cultures, how can we gain an accurate understanding of Scripture?

Sometimes love cannot be explained.

2) I finally let the cat out of the bag at Bible study Wednesday night. Whenever the word "balance" is used in Christian circles it takes everything I have not to explode. This will have to be its own post one day, I'm sure, but I am so fired up passionate about it right now I'm afraid of stepping on people's toes and hurting feelings. For now let's just say I think the idea of balance is a man-made concept (not necessarily without merit), but not based on scripture.

Okay, breathe, Tami, breathe.

3) My kids are a kick. Last week it was Fairy Tale night at youth group. My kids decided to be the Princess and the Pea. My SON was the Princess and my daughter was the Pea.



The topper is my son donned the dress I wore in my cousin's wedding when I was pregnant with him! Weird.

4) This weekend is big stuff at our church. My husband put together the Homestead Choral Festival. People from churches in our area will come together in one mass choir, close to 150 voices, to perform a concert together. This year's clinician is Mark Hayes. He's a big gun to bring into our little town and we're pretty excited about it. We've got different church denominations represented and kids from the high school and community college coming as well. It's neat to see such a diverse group of people come together for one purpose--praising God. Go, God, go.

5) Spring is giving me the I-have-nothing-to-wear syndrome, or maybe it's really the I-need-to-lose-weight syndrome. Bleh.

6) My daughter is going on her first real date tonight which got me thinking about mine. My single days were not full of dates, so figuring out the first wasn't hard, but I surprised myself when I realized it was actually with my husband! I remember it being fun and lasting a long time, but for some reason the next one didn't take place until almost two years later. Even then we saw each other a few times over a couple of months, and just quit again. Nothing happened really. We just stopped going out. I didn't talk to him for another six months. And one day, two and a half years after our initial outing, he showed up at my doorstep and we started talking. . .and talking and talking and soon I couldn't get enough of him. I guess the spark took a while to light, but it made for a flame that burns strong.

7) The mind is a fascinating organ. Lately I've been thinking about some memories of years gone by, some twenty-five to thirty years ago, and I am surprised at how much I can recall. Reconstructing scenes in my head brings back this rush of remembrance I tucked away some where. I remember the smells, the tone of voices, the way rooms were situated, even my impressions of what was happening at the time. I wonder how accurate it is.

There's no way to tell and perhaps that's the beauty of memories. No one can take them from you.

My brains' starting to hurt now. Time for some sleep. Have a great weekend, friends.

Be sure to take a peek at Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes.