Unsatiated

The leech has two suckers that cry out, "More, more!"

There are three things that are never satisfied -

no, four that never say, "Enough!":

the grave,

the barren womb,

the thirsty desert,

the blazing fire.

~Proverbs 30:15-16 (NLT)

When I read this proverb this morning, I was captivated.  

I began to think about the idea of satiation.  This is defined simply as "the state produced by having had a specific need, such as hunger or thirst, fulfilled." (Dictionary.com)  The things referenced in the proverbs can never be satiated; they will always require more.  

We are beings that have moments of satisfaction.  We are hungry, we eat, and then we feel full.  We are thirsty, we drink, and then we are satisfied.  In time, the satisfaction dissolves, and we crave more.  If we repeat the cycle, we are satisfied again.

What if you had an addiction that left you with a feeling that you could never satisfy, not even for a moment?  Imagine for a moment that feeling of thirst after working outside.  Imagine if you could not get to a water source, but had to remain outside continuing to work; continuing to thirst.  Finally, someone brings you water, but the water is only a four ounce cup.  You drink, but you remain thirsty.  The desire for water never goes away.  If this went on all week, you would continually think about water.  You would constantly wonder when the next four ounce cup would come, knowing it would relieve the thirst, just a little bit.  Not much work could be done in these conditions.

An addiction takes hold of us in this same manner.  It doesn't matter what the addiction is.  What matters is that something has taken over our minds and/or bodies to consume us.  We long for the desired item, but it can no longer satisfy us.  It doesn't matter if someone tries to talk us out of the addiction, the longing is still there.  How do we overcome this?

I believe we are made to long for God.  We are made to never feel satisfied here.   The more I learn about God, the more I desire Him.  I long for the things in heaven that He promises.  I am never satisfied.  I believe my constant desire for the things of God has helped me manage my old longings for earthly things.  

I lift my hands to you in prayer.

I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain.

~Psalm 143:6 (NLT)

Just for a Laugh

This just made me chuckle.  

How many of us use that bathroom mirror to get psyched for a challenge?  

A Lesson About Hope

Charles Xavier talks sense into his younger self

I went to see "X-Men: Days of Future Past" yesterday at my favorite movie theatre.  Normally I wait until a movie is out on Blu-Ray, to get the full experience via the closed captioning.  However, after reading the rave reviews, I just couldn't wait.  This one is definitely worth going to see at the theatre (especially if you have the special "Avon mix" popcorn - a blend of caramel, cheese and butter!).

Honoring our Veterans

I found this online recently, and it just seems like a great song to sing today.

Generalization

How can we tell if we truly learned something?  It isn't a rote memorization that helps us prepare for a test.  That kind of learning is easily forgotten.  How many of us can really recite all the presidents in order, or name all the state flowers?  Most of us forgot that stuff 20 minutes after we took the test.  We can truly know we learned a concept when we apply it outside of the context we learned it.  This is the concept of generalization.

For example, I once taught students who traditionally have difficulty learning new concepts.  To teach a new skill, I needed to break down a task, teach it repetitively, and in the setting the student was likely to use the skill.  I taught older students, so I focused on teaching the independent living skills they would likely need as adults.  We broke down the task of going to the grocery store into units of instruction.  For math, we worked on the concept of determining which item would be cheaper, and how to determine how many and which dollar bills to use to pay the cost.  For reading, we would work on the vocabulary words of food items, and have them write out a shopping list.  All of the units were taught in the classroom, but the real test for knowledge was if the student understood what to do in the store at the end of the week.

Graduation

Graduation.  This is a moment of life that brings many mixed feelings for all involved.  This is the time of transition for the child who finds himself graduated from high school, facing life as an adult.  Kids long for the day they no longer have to go to school.  Life ahead seems golden.  Parents face the challenge of the empty nest.  While facing uncertainty is inevitable, most people look forward to graduation as a sense of completion.  My own son graduated last year from high school and next year, will graduate simultaneously from the local community college and the Emerging Leaders Network (ELN) program at our church, preparing for some type of full-time ministry.

Finding Joy

Yesterday, I noticed I was a little grouchy and rather annoyed with almost everyone that I came upon (family, friends, and strangers in the store).  At first, I thought to myself, "Boy! Everyone sure is in a grumpy mood!"  Then, I realized the common denominator was me.

I was the Grouchy Ladybug (children's book by Eric Carlson).  I was the one that had a sour outlook on everything.  As the conviction took hold of me, I asked God to help me find joy in the moment.  I needed a smile to break my sour mood.

Just the very next moment, God fulfilled my need.  A car rolled past me with the happiest dog sticking his head out of the window.  I don't know what it is about dogs in cars, but they always makes me smile.

And, the rest of the day was great!

He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. 

~Job 8:21 (NLT)