So far, only THREE people have sent submissions to this edition of the Lutheran Carnival! And it's Wednesday! Where are all of the regular contributors? This is going to be a really
lame carnival if only three people have submissions. So, start typing, people! You have until 7 p.m. Friday to get your submissions in. THAT'S TWO DAYS AWAY!
Come on, people. Don't let us down. For directions on how to submit your posts, see the link in my post below.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Sunday, May 28, 2006
IT'S CARNIVAL TIME!!!
All right, so it's been a while since I've posted anything. But I'm about to make up for it... Carnival style!
That's right, I'm hosting the next Lutheran Carnival right here on Journalistic Jargon. There are no house rules, so whatever Lutheran stuff you have, especially if it has to do with the upcoming church season of Pentecost, which starts Sunday, please send in your posts. If you have more than one post you'd like to send in, please do. If you have more than four, please pick your best four and send them in.
Make sure you follow the directions on the main Carnival site, and e-mail your summaries to lutheran carnival at gmail dot com. Let's make this a great one.
That's right, I'm hosting the next Lutheran Carnival right here on Journalistic Jargon. There are no house rules, so whatever Lutheran stuff you have, especially if it has to do with the upcoming church season of Pentecost, which starts Sunday, please send in your posts. If you have more than one post you'd like to send in, please do. If you have more than four, please pick your best four and send them in.
Make sure you follow the directions on the main Carnival site, and e-mail your summaries to lutheran carnival at gmail dot com. Let's make this a great one.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Update on my mom
Tuesday, my mom got rid of her non-weight-bearing cast and traded it in for a walking cast. She is doing very well, and is thrilled that she no longer has to hop along. (Hopalong, that's funny! Just kidding. Sort of.) She'll be in the walking cast for a month, after which, she gets a cam walker, which is a plastic shell brace with a fabric insert that straps onto the leg for removable support. She'll have the boot for two weeks, so right now, she's half-way back to normal.
Thank you for all your prayers!
Thank you for all your prayers!
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
God is on my side
You know, you hear people say that a lot, mostly when they are trying to intimidate others or brag on their good luck. But God really is fighting for you more often than you give Him credit for.
Disaster was avoided today, but by less than one car-length. God was truely looking out for me and the other drivers around me. Here's what happened:
I was heading home from my parents' house after helping my mom out today, driving on the highway at 70 mph, when some girl in a small Honda car pulled out onto the highway from a side street right in front of me. I had to slam on the brakes. In fact, I did so so hard that my tires squeeled for about five whole seconds. I honked at the driver of that car, and she seemed to be slowly speeding up. I had to slow down from 70 to about 35 or 40 mph in less than five seconds. I came within less than one car-length of smashing her back end in and disabling my pick-up. A crash like that would have totaled both vehicles, and would have seriously injured us both.
Before you ask, no, it was not possible for me to move into the lane next to me: there were other cars there, and at the rate of speed I was travelling and braking, had I tried to swerve or switch lanes, I could have rolled my truck. I'm just thankful that God was there to guide me and make me realize this in the split seconds it happened in.
Yes, God was protecting all of us who were driving on that highway today. Had he not, several people could have been in the hospital right now.
See, I could say, "God protects me from stupid drivers," but then I would also have to say that God protects them from me, and that he protects them from themselves and others who might not react in the same collected way that I did.
Whenever I'm afraid or uncertain of something, I try to always remember my Confirmation Bible verse: Joshua 1:9. It says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
It seems to work in almost every situation in which I am uncertain or afraid of something or someone. I always know that God is on and by my side. He guides me and the people around me. And although we're not always the best at listening to Him, He protects us and only allows those situations and people into our lives because He has a plan.
I have shared that passage with a lot of people, and it is always a comfort. Who wouldn't want to know that God is always there? I mean besides our sinful nature, which always wants to believe we can do it all without God's help?
If we're honest with ourselves, we know that the only way we can survive in a world at turbulent and violent as our own is if God is there beside us, guiding us and leading us, and oftentimes carrying us. Let's face it: if we were in charge and didn't have our Christian faith, we'd be no better off than the agnostics, athiests and non-Christian religions of the world who deny the One True God. One has only to look at the Islamic nations.
I have a reading suggestion for you. (What? This from the woman who hardly reads any book that's not assigned to her to read?) Yes, and I promise you will find it intriguing, one you won't easily be able to put down. It's called "The Great Divide: The Failure of Islam and the Triumph of the West" by Pastor Alvin J. Schmidt.
When you read this and further your understanding of just how wonderful our God truly is, especially compared to the other religion in this world that has millions of followers, you will also see just how powerful it is to know that our God, the One True God, is always with us, no matter where we go or what situations may try to take us from Him. His love is so strong.
Thank you, God, for being with me wherever I go, and for keeping me safe in the shadows of danger and death. Amen.
Disaster was avoided today, but by less than one car-length. God was truely looking out for me and the other drivers around me. Here's what happened:
I was heading home from my parents' house after helping my mom out today, driving on the highway at 70 mph, when some girl in a small Honda car pulled out onto the highway from a side street right in front of me. I had to slam on the brakes. In fact, I did so so hard that my tires squeeled for about five whole seconds. I honked at the driver of that car, and she seemed to be slowly speeding up. I had to slow down from 70 to about 35 or 40 mph in less than five seconds. I came within less than one car-length of smashing her back end in and disabling my pick-up. A crash like that would have totaled both vehicles, and would have seriously injured us both.
Before you ask, no, it was not possible for me to move into the lane next to me: there were other cars there, and at the rate of speed I was travelling and braking, had I tried to swerve or switch lanes, I could have rolled my truck. I'm just thankful that God was there to guide me and make me realize this in the split seconds it happened in.
Yes, God was protecting all of us who were driving on that highway today. Had he not, several people could have been in the hospital right now.
See, I could say, "God protects me from stupid drivers," but then I would also have to say that God protects them from me, and that he protects them from themselves and others who might not react in the same collected way that I did.
Whenever I'm afraid or uncertain of something, I try to always remember my Confirmation Bible verse: Joshua 1:9. It says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
It seems to work in almost every situation in which I am uncertain or afraid of something or someone. I always know that God is on and by my side. He guides me and the people around me. And although we're not always the best at listening to Him, He protects us and only allows those situations and people into our lives because He has a plan.
I have shared that passage with a lot of people, and it is always a comfort. Who wouldn't want to know that God is always there? I mean besides our sinful nature, which always wants to believe we can do it all without God's help?
If we're honest with ourselves, we know that the only way we can survive in a world at turbulent and violent as our own is if God is there beside us, guiding us and leading us, and oftentimes carrying us. Let's face it: if we were in charge and didn't have our Christian faith, we'd be no better off than the agnostics, athiests and non-Christian religions of the world who deny the One True God. One has only to look at the Islamic nations.
I have a reading suggestion for you. (What? This from the woman who hardly reads any book that's not assigned to her to read?) Yes, and I promise you will find it intriguing, one you won't easily be able to put down. It's called "The Great Divide: The Failure of Islam and the Triumph of the West" by Pastor Alvin J. Schmidt.
When you read this and further your understanding of just how wonderful our God truly is, especially compared to the other religion in this world that has millions of followers, you will also see just how powerful it is to know that our God, the One True God, is always with us, no matter where we go or what situations may try to take us from Him. His love is so strong.
Thank you, God, for being with me wherever I go, and for keeping me safe in the shadows of danger and death. Amen.
Friday, May 05, 2006
I've got mail!
Fan mail, that is! When I was at work yesterday, I checked my mailbox, and to my surprise, I had a postcard in it from one of our listeners. Here is what it says:
"Congratulations on having 'Mrs. Swede' as a newscaster! Her diction is perfect. It is a pleasure to be able to understand her."
Of course, s/he used my real name, even though it was misspelled. This postcard came from someone I've never met before, but s/he likes my reports. I've never had fan mail before. I think I could get used to it, though! ;)
"Congratulations on having 'Mrs. Swede' as a newscaster! Her diction is perfect. It is a pleasure to be able to understand her."
Of course, s/he used my real name, even though it was misspelled. This postcard came from someone I've never met before, but s/he likes my reports. I've never had fan mail before. I think I could get used to it, though! ;)
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
An update, at long last
I've been keeping really busy lately. Every weekday, I help my mom do at home and around town what she cannot do herself. Today, it was taking my parents' poodle to the vet to have his teeth cleaned, Mom in tow. It's been kinda nice spending quality time with my mom. To her benefit, she's found out how well I've learned to cook!
As of today, my mom has one week left before she gets a walking cast. Before you get too excited, it's still going to be about two weeks after she gets her walking cast before she can walk without crutches, and she's still not going to be able to drive until she's completely free of casts and splints and everything.
So, that's what I'm doing during the daytime. And if you've been wondering why I've not said anything lately about searching for work, it's because I did find something. It's only part-time, but it's gaining me some attention, whether I really want to be publicly recognized or not: I've been hired as a radio news anchor. I only work one or two weeknights regularly, and I'm also working weekends. All of my hours are evening and nighttime. Most of the time, unless I'm covering for someone, I get off work at midnight, and get to bed at about 1 a.m.
I'm enjoying my work, although I wish I worked more hours and got more pay for my education and experience. On the plus side, my schedule is flexible and my boss is wonderful. I've never heard any of my co-workers speak ill of him. In fact, it's been the complete opposite: they have all said how understanding and kind he is.
The really cool thing is that I almost always know what's happening in the world/community before anyone else does, and it's up to me to get that information out there, and/or send out one of our reporters to get the info. I get to write up stories, record voice clips, and deliver that information to the largest listening audience in all of Kansas.
Now, this broadcasting group and the two stations (FM and AM) that I'm associated with play music, too. However, because of my personal preferences and because I'm way too busy to pay attention to it, I don't listen to the music: I focus on the news I'm reporting. It's important in this industry to make it seem as if you're talking directly to each and every person who's listening. So I pay close attention to the news, completely ignoring the music that's played, if I can help it. ;)
I'll type more later, I promise. :)
As of today, my mom has one week left before she gets a walking cast. Before you get too excited, it's still going to be about two weeks after she gets her walking cast before she can walk without crutches, and she's still not going to be able to drive until she's completely free of casts and splints and everything.
So, that's what I'm doing during the daytime. And if you've been wondering why I've not said anything lately about searching for work, it's because I did find something. It's only part-time, but it's gaining me some attention, whether I really want to be publicly recognized or not: I've been hired as a radio news anchor. I only work one or two weeknights regularly, and I'm also working weekends. All of my hours are evening and nighttime. Most of the time, unless I'm covering for someone, I get off work at midnight, and get to bed at about 1 a.m.
I'm enjoying my work, although I wish I worked more hours and got more pay for my education and experience. On the plus side, my schedule is flexible and my boss is wonderful. I've never heard any of my co-workers speak ill of him. In fact, it's been the complete opposite: they have all said how understanding and kind he is.
The really cool thing is that I almost always know what's happening in the world/community before anyone else does, and it's up to me to get that information out there, and/or send out one of our reporters to get the info. I get to write up stories, record voice clips, and deliver that information to the largest listening audience in all of Kansas.
Now, this broadcasting group and the two stations (FM and AM) that I'm associated with play music, too. However, because of my personal preferences and because I'm way too busy to pay attention to it, I don't listen to the music: I focus on the news I'm reporting. It's important in this industry to make it seem as if you're talking directly to each and every person who's listening. So I pay close attention to the news, completely ignoring the music that's played, if I can help it. ;)
I'll type more later, I promise. :)
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