Stuff I've got Rattling Around
I have this impression that people think this is a mom blog. And that bothers me, because I don't want it to be. Not because I don't like being a mom, it's just that that isn't what I want this blog to be about.
I have a lot of things brewing in my head. The problem is that it takes me a very long time to:
a) sift through all of my thoughts
b) compose something that represents those thoughts adequately.
And a lot of times, it seems like my "real" thoughts don't generate as much discussion as my stories from motherhood. And those, by far, are easier to write about.
So, I often do. I write about the stuff of being a mom, even though those really aren't the things that are on my mind. Perhaps I should not let myself be deterred by lack of discussion. But that is part of the reason that I have this blog - because I want to hear from people who aren't necessarily going to tell me the same things I already hear in my own circle.
Here are the things I am have on my mind:
-More on affluent Christians and how we are called to serve the poor.
-Christian stewardship as it relates to the environment.
-Simplicity
-A rant free assault on a semi-popular method of discipline/child rearing that seems big among some groups of Christians in the US. But I struggle with this because there is a fine line between picking on brothers and sisters in Christ (disunity - not pretty) and pointing out the underlying principles that I believe can be harmful to kids whose parents use this method.
-A sort of odd idea that I have buried somewhere in my cerebral cortex in which I correlate racism with the belief that there are multiple ways for people to "get to heaven."
-A response to the thinking among some Christians that women should not go to college. But the divisiveness it might encourage probably makes the topic an unwise choice.
-My discomfort with the "get to heaven" incentive that is offered as a means of getting people to commit their lives to Christ.
-My distress over the political rhetoric I hear coming from the religious right.
Anyway. I don't know why I am posting this other than to let you know that there is more going on in my brain than wondering what I am going to make for dinner and how to motivate Jonathan to start using the toilet.
There are too many variables in the mix for me to predict if I will ever post about these things.
Maybe you could suggest a topic for me to work on.
Or maybe you could just suggest something I could make for dinner tonight...
I have a lot of things brewing in my head. The problem is that it takes me a very long time to:
a) sift through all of my thoughts
b) compose something that represents those thoughts adequately.
And a lot of times, it seems like my "real" thoughts don't generate as much discussion as my stories from motherhood. And those, by far, are easier to write about.
So, I often do. I write about the stuff of being a mom, even though those really aren't the things that are on my mind. Perhaps I should not let myself be deterred by lack of discussion. But that is part of the reason that I have this blog - because I want to hear from people who aren't necessarily going to tell me the same things I already hear in my own circle.
Here are the things I am have on my mind:
-More on affluent Christians and how we are called to serve the poor.
-Christian stewardship as it relates to the environment.
-Simplicity
-A rant free assault on a semi-popular method of discipline/child rearing that seems big among some groups of Christians in the US. But I struggle with this because there is a fine line between picking on brothers and sisters in Christ (disunity - not pretty) and pointing out the underlying principles that I believe can be harmful to kids whose parents use this method.
-A sort of odd idea that I have buried somewhere in my cerebral cortex in which I correlate racism with the belief that there are multiple ways for people to "get to heaven."
-A response to the thinking among some Christians that women should not go to college. But the divisiveness it might encourage probably makes the topic an unwise choice.
-My discomfort with the "get to heaven" incentive that is offered as a means of getting people to commit their lives to Christ.
-My distress over the political rhetoric I hear coming from the religious right.
Anyway. I don't know why I am posting this other than to let you know that there is more going on in my brain than wondering what I am going to make for dinner and how to motivate Jonathan to start using the toilet.
There are too many variables in the mix for me to predict if I will ever post about these things.
Maybe you could suggest a topic for me to work on.
Or maybe you could just suggest something I could make for dinner tonight...
posted by 
at 12:24 AM
19 Comments:
Are you SERIOUS!!! A mom blog?! Let me tell you right now I've never thought that! Except for the week (or was it two?) that you were in China your blog has not resembled a mom blog.
I love your blog. You make me think. And you have a way of saying things that is non-offensive (at least not to me) and I think that is a gift.
With that being said, you should talk about your kids too. That is your ministry right now. They are the people you see everyday and they are the ones God uses to teach you. :)
On Christians serving the poor: Can we serve the poor as intended, serving a need in our neighborhood as we encounter it, when we live in cul-de-sacs of homogeneous groups whose only need is a 56 inch plasma screen to keep up with the family next door? Serving by leaving our own community has always seemed contrived and safer because you are not putting yourself on the line in front of anyone you actually rub elbows with. Going to the soup kitchen is nice, but seeing particularly deprived people once a month is not really what Jesus had in mind.
...did you want responses or were you just proving that you are not a boring soccer mom? We already knew you weren't :-)
On a related note:
There seems to be no more contentious issue than how we choose to raise our children. No one walks up and critiques your personal hygiene, but people feel free to, not only critique your child rearing techniques, but to alter their opinion of you as a person and as a Christian because of it. Mrs. cup-a-Joe and I are the ones who live with little cup-a-baby, so wouldn't we be the best people on this Earth (and the ones entrusted by God) to make the best decisions about how SHE needs to be raised? God in His infinite wisdom has decided to give each of us the children that He has bestowed on us. He also gave us the wisdom we need to make decisions and lean on His understanding when ours falls short. Thinking that all children need exaclty the same thing, and that all parents should all do exactly the same thing is disrespectful to God's created order. He created different approaches that work, and children of different of temperament that need each approach. At the end of the day, no matter what someone, or some book tells you, YOU and Your SPOUSE will be up at 3:00am, not the outside advice givers. Each of us needs to use the brains God invested in us to raise the children He has entrusted to us. Just like our husbands and wives, God chose our children for us, for a reason.
Just a few of the myriad of thoughts rattling around in my head after your post.
racisim and mutliple ways of getting to heaven seems to have gotten my attention
JO
Great post! You always make me think, even if I don't comment. Mom topics are just safe. There is a lot more common ground amongst people when you talk about poopy diapers and cheating at Chutes and Ladders.
However, don't shy away from the meatier topics. I thought frequently about your posts on 'Stewardship'. As I went about my day, I found myself re-evaluting my definition of stewardship. I find I do that often after reading your blog.
So I'm still waiting for your discipline discussion, but now I'm also interested in your "odd ieas" too. Especially that one where some people think Christian women should go to college. What?!? Now that's just a messed-up idea!!! ;)
I don't usually comment unless I feel that I have something to add to the discussion, but I'm always listening and processing what I've read.
Oh, and you should make only foods that are the color red for dinner tonight. :P
WOW! Okay, I often read, but the Bible thing has given me less time to post.
Love the idea of Simplicity.
And we probably think along the same lines on Stewardship--although I don't understand the politics involving foreign economies, and I could probably find reasons to boycot any consumer product I purchase. But I agree with you, I do think stewardship is more than being cheap. I've been thinking about how I should live my life as a celebration. (Not Mardi Gras celebration antics, but the kind that God would honor.) How would I spend my money for a celebration? I would give generously (for there is plenty to go around at a party). I would spend money on things that held meaning either for me or for the giver but the focus would be on others. I would spend money to further relationships. I would use money to show what the Kingdom of Heaven was like. Anyway, my two cents worth--at the moment.
When you were not much more than a toddler, at times you you would amaze me with how deep your thoughts were; I love to read what is "rattling around" but my impoverished thought resources really can't keep up with yours!!!!
Almost forgot- that correlation(sp?)of racism with multiple ways to get to heaven is intriguing. I'll put some mental effort into that one.
Well thank you all for your comments. I really want to post about some of these things. I'll be making the effort in the next few days.
RE: college for women. There are some believers who think that, since it is a woman's role to be a helpmate to her husband, sending them to college is a waste. That topic probably isn't worth the effort it would take to write about it, because in the end, we'll all still disagree, and it is hardly an issue of theological importance.
And Joe, I fancy your wife more a cup-of-tea than a cup-of-joe.
REALLY?!? You were serious, that there are a lot of people who think women shouldn't go to college because they're sole purpose in life is to stay home??? I would think, that school of thought would be in the minority. Most of my friends are stay-at-home moms and college grads. I guess I need to get out more!!
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Not "a lot" of people who think that. I don't even know any myself. I'd bet the majority of believers DON'T think that. But, there are pockets of believers who do... which is another reason why it isn't worth addressing.
Ah, instead of the silent majority, it's the ridiculously loud minority. OK, that's more like what I was thinkin'!
!WARNING!
SARCASM AHEAD!
READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
uugg, uugg. Me like woman stoopid...
in kitchen of cave...
barefeets...
no think me stoopid...
On women going to college NOT being a waste of resources:
1) Who is most responsible for the training and education of the next generation?
The stay at home mom.
2) Who is most responsible for making smart economic choices daily?
The stay at home mom.
3) Who is most responsible for answering questions ranging from why does that butterfly have spots to why are there poor people?
The stay at home mom.
4) Who needs to know, and daily use; Algebra, Chemistry, Geometry, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Theology, Economics, Physics, Fluid Dynamics, Phonics, American Literature, etc. etc. etc.
The stay at home mom.
5) Who is the hand that rocks the cradle, thus being the hand that rules the world?
The stay at home mom.
Who then needs a liberal arts education more, husband or wife?
PS Is it just me or is it getting harder to tell what the letters are on the word verification?
I know it's difficult, Joe, but maybe a woman with a higher education could figure it out...
I am really interested to learn more about your thoughts re: racism and ways to get to heaven. I am not sure what you mean by this but think it sounds very interesting.
I also would like to hear more about the environment and Christians...something very important.
Discipline and child rearing is a topic that I'm interested in even though I have no children, and don't intend to any time soon.
I love your blog and I think you have a very clear way of writing. If you want more discussion, I'll give it to you! Your ideas coincide with many of my thoughts.
Angel
There is a training weekend in Chicago for Servant's to Asia's Urban Poor in May. I am not sure about the details, but with all your talk about serving the poor, your love of the Chinese (even though I don't think they have any Chinese programs), and your interests in simplicity, you seem like the perfect fit for this. Tim and I are thinking about going. We participated in a home group in NZ that basically supports the people already serving in the slums through prayer. Thought you'd be interested. Let me know if you'd like info. Most people serve with families!
http://www.servantsasia.org/
Ummm, just picked up Dallas Willard's book Divine Conspiracy (how do you get the italics to work on these comment sections?) He addresses the "commit to Christ and go to heaven" thing.
I'm just beginning it so I can't really tell you much else at this point.
If your blog were a mom blog, I wouldn't be reading it. I think mom blogs are great (and, as you know, I've recently exposed myself to a large number of them). I read your blog because it inspires me to be less shy about articulating my own thoughts about spirituality, the practical aspects of real life, and how the two connect. You have a gift, and I'm grateful to you for sharing it.
Have you read Serve God, Save the Planet, by J. Matthew Sleeth? He talks quite a bit about our stewardship as affluent Christians--not only of the earth, but also of the poor. I highly recommend it.
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