Snapping More Quick Takes

1) I do my fiction reading while exercising at our local YMCA. Most of the time people don't pay much attention, unless they are readers themselves like me, but this week the book I'm reading has caused people to stop me. On Wednesday alone, THREE different people asked me about it, one of which rarely talks to me there. And I swear ever since I've started this book, another lady has seemed friendlier to me, smiling and saying hello when she didn't before.

It makes me wonder about the impressions we give others without even trying. Even our reading choices say something, don't they? I'm not sure what to make of it because I'm not particularly crazy about this book. What am I saying to others by reading it? I'm going through it purely out of curiosity and am not all that impressed. Should I read something in public if I wouldn't endorse it?

Every action, even something as tame as reading, makes a statement to someone. It makes my head hurt. Too much pressure.

(Before you flood the comments asking, "What are you reading?" I'll tell you--The Shack.)

2) My older daughter turned sixteen yesterday. She is now the proud holder of a Nebraska driver's license, although she keeps saying it is freaky to be driving by herself. The first day she kept thinking her dad or I must be in the back seat and had to continually remind herself it was no longer necessary.

It makes me a little sad. Driving is a huge step towards independence. Now she'll be more grown-up than ever. Yet, I am happy for her too. You should've seen her on her birthday, beaming, cracking jokes, thoroughly enjoying where she is in life. I feel better when I tell myself I'm not losing a daughter, I'm gaining a chauffeur.

3) My daughter's driving escapades remind me of my first driver's test. My birthday is in January and not only was it lightly snowing, but white stuff covered the ground as well. I did the prerequisite checks--seat properly adjusted, rear-view mirror correctly placed, seat belt fully fastened. I backed out of the parking stall carefully. . .and proceeded to drive right over the snow-covered curb. Yep, big fat fail, although the examiner seemed more concerned that I hadn't brushed the fresh fallen snow off the back window and stopped in a cross walk I couldn't see because of the snow. I should of known it wouldn't take long for me to get dubbed "Crash Kubik" (Kubik being my maiden name).

4) Sometimes having four kids can make life crazy. Saturday morning I'm headed with my youngest to a drum line competition for my older daughter about an hour away. My husband is headed to a show choir competition with our younger son in Omaha and then will meet our older son in Lincoln in the afternoon to accompany him in a scholarship audition. Then the whole bunch of us is back home for a drum line competition at our high school that evening. I'm not sure if it's better to jam it all in one day or spread it out. At least this way the madness only lasts one day.

5) My husband chuckled over a commercial for some osteoporosis medication, thinking the senior cowboy girl dance troupe looked a little fruity.

"Don't laugh," I said, "that'll be me in twenty years."

"Sixty-five. You'd be retired," he said.

And the thought hit me.

Retired from what?!

6) Why is it that middle school girls want to become "mature" while their male counterparts only get more squirrely and hyperactive? Is this some sort of divine guard for blossoming girls, making the thought of dating and interacting with boys just plain gross?

7) My husband and I have the rough draft done of our summer musical production, Once Upon a Rhyme. We've taken nursery rhymes and fairy tales and put a spiritual spin on them. Little Miss Muffet is tempted by the spider, much like Eve and the serpent. The Ugly Duckling learns God makes everything beautiful in its time. We sing, "the foolish pig built his house made of straw" to the tune of "The wise man built his house upon the rock." You get the picture.

Our summer production is light-hearted and silly on purpose. We want it to be a fun family show providing lots of laughter to counteract our heavy, hard-hitting Christmas production (HA! I'm kidding. . .well, maybe just a little bit). Our intent is to illuminate God's Word in a fresh way and show people God loves to have a good time. We pray people do not find our goofiness irreverent. We find laughter opens up the soul for God to communicate to us in the same way music does. Once people are relaxed they are more open to the Truth.

This year's show has the potential for a powerful ending with a rendition of Mary had a little lamb, you know, THE Lamb, that saved the world. It's not all fun and games. We take our responsibility seriously and pray fervently God uses our measly human effort to glorify Himself.


Take a little break this weekend and read more Quick Takes posts at Conversion Diary. Our lovely host, Jen, is scheduled to have a baby on Monday and is actually considering "tweeting" through labor. That's commitment, people! Wow. If that's what it takes to be a big time blogger, I'm sunk. Have a great weekend, friends.