Inside leg to outside rein connection.

It's a dressage thing (it has to do with horses:P ). So unless you happen to be Miss Joy, you'll probably get lost...but in case you want to read it, here's the translation: it was a good thing.

...so I got it today! Okay, it only worked ONE time through to canter, but Lilly responded beautifully! We side-passed along the wall, flexed right, did a rollback onto her haunches, and then as I supported inside leg, cued seat and outside leg and held outside rein, she opened her shoulder right up and reached into the right lead canter! It was lovely. She was round, forward, working the bit, and comfortable. I can't wait until tomorrow. I'll keep working on strengthening my left side so that I can cue her correctly, then we'll get it more than once. Lilly has a bad habit and tendency to hollow out going from trot into canter, she braces against the bit instead of staying round. On top of that, she counter-bends. I have been working hard to teach her to move off of leg aids, and she has made good progress. She is now willing to move of my leg at the walk and trot, especially on the 20m circle or volte. The canter has been a struggle from the beginning, but at least we are past the breakneck speeding. She's making good progress. So now that I know she WILL move off the leg, we'll begin to transfer that to her canter as well. I just hope that she will learn quickly how to move off it rather than running through...

Kids, raccoons, cake, and ponies.

I was the substitute teacher for the 1st and 2nd grade sunday school class today, where there is a known little trouble-maker of a fellow. Engaging stories(try Joseph-pits, jail, Pharaohs, the the whole nine yards!), lots of voice inflection, cool questions, pictures, they go a long way even with little boys! The whole hour long class, all the kids were engaged, interested, and involved in the story, discussion, and learning the memory verse. I was impressed. I wrote the memory verse on the white board, and let the kids erase one or two words at a time. Then we all repeated the verse, including the missing words, until there was nothing left on the board. Games DO make learning fun!

So then we got home from church. And there was a raccoon in our side yard. This raccoon proceeded to look at us all, walk over and meet my pony, and then turn around and come rambling over to meet us. NOT normal raccoon behavior. It was walking on it's tiptoes with it's back arched up. Did I mention that it was 1pm, broad daylight?! So we shot it. Maybe the cat food will stop disappearing now...

And then I tried to make apple cake for snack. But I got busy talking about, oh what was it...who knows. So I ended up adding an extra cup of flour to the cake. So now instead of batter, I had a bowl full of thick goo. So I added another cup of flour, kneaded this new form of apple "cake", rolled it into balls, and baked it on cookies sheets. It tastes just like apple cake. Only with the delicious top crust all around each bite! I think I'm never making apple cake the "right" way again :)

So then I took the extra apple out to my pony, and we played tag! (he's learning how, and catching on fast!) Yes, in my very full crazy orange skirt, and cool orange shirt, with my hair loose and the wind blowing, I played tag with my pony for 10 minutes. I ran like I was wild, barefoot, through the mud and everything...I felt like a kid again!!!

Dumped, dragged, and dirty, but delighted!

I had one of those sorts of days today. Where it starts out bad, and then just gets better as you realize all positive things that happened.

I went out to work my pony this morning, to find that it was cold, and windy and of course it started to drizzle after I started riding. Well, much to my surprise, Rocky was very quiet, and obedient. I groomed him, tacked up, and walked trotted and cantered without incident. THEN, the real pony came out. When I was least expecting it, Rocky took off bucking and kicking, he just went nuts. Needless to say, I came of forwards, over his head. Both feet came loose from the stirrups, so I was off clean. (I was glad for those peacock stirrups!) Well, I managed to hang onto the reins, dumb idea. Rocky took off, with me dragging behind him. At least I was smart enough to let go after a bit. Getting dragged isn't too bad on wet grass. (I was grateful for that rain after all.) I got up and my helmet fell off, unsnapped. (The snap wasn't supposed to come undone!!! However, I'm glad it waited to fall off until I was done going places) So Rocky took off and ran all around our 13 acres, losing both my stirrup pads, and one stirrups leather with it's stirrup. (I'm glad we only have 13 acres to look over instead of 40!) He ran like a maniac for about 5 minutes, and then started to slow down. UNTIL, he got his hind left foot caught in the reins. Then he went nuts again, and kept running for probably 3 more minutes. Then the snap on the right rein came undone, and let the reins loose (Thank Fopias for letting me borrow those braided western reins with the snaps!!) So once he was DONE running like a maniac, I got back on him to finish the lesson. What a ride! It lasted about 70 minutes before the battle of the wills was done. By the end, I had a very submissive polite little pony!!! I hope he remembers the lesson...

This afternoon, I went to the stable to train, and had two fabulous rides! Both the horses did well. Three horses, three successful training sessions. I have to admit, I'm a bit sore, but it was totally worth it!

To all you NON-HORSEY people, who don't quite understand that, it's okay. In summary, it was a good thing.

I got my first ticket...

...because the windows in my new car are tinted illegally dark. Yup, going to court on November 18th. Ruined my perfect record... :(

The good news? There's an out. I've already removed the tinting, so now I have to drive 65 minutes to the sheriff's office (in the county south of us, in which I happened to be driving when I got pulled over) and have them recheck the windows. They will be legal now, so the sheriff will sign the back of the ticket. Then in November, I can present the signed ticket to the judge, and she will void it, and I won't have to pay the fine.

The sad news? I'll never be able to say again that "I've never had a ticket." I had no idea there was a law regarding tinted windows. I guess I have some more studying to do.

Prince Caspian

At request of a dear friend of mine, here is my review from back when the movie came out.

In the book that Lewis wrote, each child, as well as Trumpkin, has in individual trial, test of faith, and then resulting deeper faith and trust in Aslan. In the book, Susan and Lucy are cast as women, in the more “homely” helpful, serving role of a woman. In the book, the decisions made are made because they will advance the “agenda” if you will, of Aslan, in Narnia. In the book, the children are fully supportive of King Caspian to help him regain the territory and kingship that has been long lost to Telmarine control. In the book, the hidden Narnians come out in force to help regain that which has been lost. The overall tone of the book is this: Aslan is sovereign in Narnia, he calls the children back to help and assist Caspian in regaining his throne, he uses the weakness of the children as an opportunity to make himself manifest, and to deepen their faith and trust in himself. It is a very Biblical worldview. It is a true allegory to how God works in our lives.

In the movie Lucy is the only one to have a real trial and resulting deeper faith. (Granted, Edmund is strong, but he does not grow. He plods along as he is.) In the movie, the decisions that are made are made by the kids, and Caspian, with their own end in mind (in several cases for their own perceived glory). They were not basing their decisions on the foundation of “”What is best for Narnia, and WWAslanD?” In the movie, Susan in particular is very much masculinized (is that a word?) The place for women is NOT in the thick of the battle doing a man’s fighting work. I don’t care if she does have a cool chain mail dress and outfit! That feminist twist was really disappointing. In the movie, Peter and Caspian are at odds with one another, fighting each for his own standing, position and honor. Peter does not support Caspian, but fights against him. He is not acting in a supporting role, as Aslan intended, but as an antagonist. In the movie, the Narnians come out of hiding, but in small number. They do not seem to rise with the expected amount of enthusiasm and support for Aslan and Narnia. The overall tone of the movie is this: The children are heroes, they came at the call of a Narnian to do there own thing to help Narnia, the weakness of the children costs lives but is never really results in growth of character, Aslan saves the day at the end.

In Lewis’ book, the story revolves around a faith battle. It revolves around the work of Aslan in the lives of the characters. The central theme is that of faith. When you take a story and remove the foundation, there is nothing that can happen beyond the crumbling of the rest of the story. When the producer of the film wrote his story, it was not the story of Prince Caspian as Lewis wrote it. He removed the key element of faith. With the change in the characters, the change in worldview and the lack of faith, the aspects of Lewis’ story that do remain cannot be fully understood. You do have to give the producer credit for writing a well paced action movie. What he did not do was make a movie with correct worldview. He did not make a Christian film. When non-christian directors take control of a film like this, we can expect little more than that the faith missing in the director will also be missing in the film. It is sad, but we should not be surprised. Since when did ripe fruit fall from a rotten tree?

So. Now I can tell you. I didn’t really like it. It was well done aesthetically. But when it comes to the meat, it was definitely lacking. It was GREAT for one thing: brain exercise! It took me a bit to get all my thoughts together regarding this film. Film is a media that can be incredibly dangerous. Bad worldview like this can be put in a pretty (or gory) wrapping and planted in our minds without our knowing it. Unless we are trained to LOOK for the flaws, and then take the time to actually do it, it can be damaging. Movies like this are great for analyzing! Daddy asks us why we have to pick movies apart. This is why. Once I was shown how much is “hidden” in films, I couldn’t sit there anymore knowing that bad stuff was being pumped into my head. I had to look for it. I wasn’t about to be left off my guard. In our culture, film is a media that is used for entertainment. The people producing the films are not stupid. They KNOW that the perversion and sin that is planted in the films is infiltrating the minds of the culture. It is not by accident. We cannot fall prey to the cultural mindset that movies are for fun. Okay, some are. This one is a kind of fun non-Christian action movie. But they have to be analyzed. If we accept them as just fun, we will be falling prey to what the world wants. As believers, as followers of Christ who are sent out to make a difference, we can’t do that. We are called to more. We are being held “accountable”. (don’t you just love the responsibility that comes with following Christ?!)

I've been thinking again...

...about women in political leadership. (and talking to my genius of a big brother!)

It is true, I cannot find a place in scripture where the subject of women in political leadership is addressed.

However, based on my understanding of scripture, there is a clear role for women. Under their fathers, under their husbands, in service/assitant/helper positions. The women in scripture who lead over men, were part of God's work on a cursed nation. There are women in the church who hold servant positions, a sort of deaconess if you will. (the role of deacon and elder are different - elders lead and teach, deacons serve) So, I've been thinking about that.

If there is no scripture that addresses women in political leadership, and there IS a clear role for women, then by default, that role does not include political leadership.

So I guess you could say I'm changing my tune. I guess you could say I didn't finish thinking this through before. The above conclusion seems simple...now :)

Sarah Palin: my thoughts in a nutshell

I think she is an ambitious woman with many commendable views.

I cannot find a place in scripture where women in political leadership is addressed. There are certainly women leaders in the Bible, many of them as part of a process to rescue a cursed nation where no men could be found. (I wouldn't go beyond saying that our nation qualifies as that :) )

According to scripture, there are roles for women to serve, even sometimes lead, but that does not include Palin. She is a wife and mother. Scripture DOES make it clear that as a wife and mother, her role is to be supporting her husband, promoting his agenda, caring for her family. She has forsaken that role in order to promote another man and his agenda. I hate to think of the turmoil in her family. I do not think that it is wrong for all women to be in politics, (this is sticky ground. Another essay? No, I need to quit writing!) but I think that Palin is outside her God-given role.

(side note: I find it interesting that in our culture today, we give high honor to people like Condoleezza Rice and Sarah Palin, for their undying commitment to the men they support. The have given their lives to their efforts. Yet at the same time, we fail to recognize or honor the wives who have done this very thing, this most honorable thing, for their husbands! It bothers me!!!)

Enough said. That's a tiny nutshell, but hopefully clues you in to what I think on that issue :)

In which I counter the Lesser-of-two-evils argument

It's October 2008. The next presidential election is just around the corner, and the question has arisen again, “Why not vote for the lesser of two evils?” In a country founded upon Christian principles, by godly men, it is shameful that this question has arisen. The question has only one clear answer, that is that we cannot vote for the lesser of two evils. In a society where the Christians are the majority voting population, we have a tremendous voice if we would only raise it. A vote for the lesser evil is commonly accepted as the best course, but it is nonetheless, a vote for evil. God appoints rulers in every nation, so we should have confidence in the fact that we can vote with integrity, and leave the results to Sovereign God. As citizens who have the hard earned privilege of voting, we bear a great responsibility in exercising this privilege. By failing to stand up and raise our voice in support of the best and most qualified candidates, we are either condoning the actions of the lesser party, or effectively voiding the importance of standing for integrity and freedom.

Many who hold to the view that says “Vote for the lesser of two evils” base their decision on the assumption that their vote towards a third party candidate would be null. Essentially casting a vote towards the greater of the evils. This assumption may be grounded in the current situation, but there is a factor that has yet to be considered. Based on study done by the Barna research group, it was shown that Evangelical Christians and non-Evangelical Born-Again Christians make up 64% of the voting population. Clearly, the majority vote. If each member of the group would have the courage to vote for the best candidate, I daresay those candidates would have more than a fighting chance. Failure by each member to vote for and uphold the party candidate who best represents their views, is a guarantee that they will be overrun. One voice will not be heard, and will not sway the vote. When Christians, as a whole, recognize the potential they have to change the face of the presidential elections, the majority vote will change. We cannot hold to the idea that there are too few of us to make a difference. This very idea has led to the constraint we currently see, as we sit comfortably within the status quo of two majority parties.

A vote for the lesser-of-two-evils is still a vote for evil. It is political compromise to the two party status-quo. Politicians who receive the lesser-evil votes should not surprise us when they fail to perform according to our values and principles. After all, they do not hold these values and principles for themselves. The Republican party has long assumed that conservative voters have nowhere else to turn, and that they are pragmatic enough to not “waste their vote” by voting for a third party. At large, they have been correct. The principles held by the voter begin to corrode as pragmatism takes root and replaces idealism. Each progressive voting cycle delivers less than optimal results, and becomes easier than the one before. This suboptimal result is not a better solution. Reform is the solution, and in order for this to take place, we cannot allow our standards for leaders to fall slack. Edmund Burke paraphrased this nicely, “But his [the candidate's] unbiased opinion, his mature judgment, his enlightened conscience, he ought not to sacrifice to you, to any man, or to any set of men living. These he does not derive from your pleasure; no, nor from the law and the constitution. They are a trust from Providence, for the abuse of which he is deeply answerable. Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.” We must be voters of integrity, and as voters of integrity, we must vote for candidates who possess the same qualities.

We, the people of the United States, have the right to vote. We have the privilege of being able to vote. This privilege is one that has been earned by hundreds of men, with hundreds of lives, over decades of time. It not one to take lightly, and carries with it a tremendous responsibility. This responsibility demands our personal attention, and scrutiny of our own ideas and sentiments. This scrutiny may reveal that voting for candidates who lack integrity and biblical character is one thing not required of a responsible citizen. There are many responsibilities that we do possess, among these are our duty to God, to our conscience, our family, our fellow citizens, and so on. It becomes evident that our privilege bears tremendous weight. When virtually no public official is in office because we the voters have embraced his clear principles and trustworthy positions, we get a government that is easily corrupted. It is our duty as citizens to reconsider the wisdom of how we vote, so that it may be done with the utmost integrity.

As the leaders of generations, there is another thing to consider. We must look beyond the next four years when we consider our presidential leaders and the effect they will have on our nation. It is not good enough to decide that we can merely “live with” a candidate for four years. This attitude is one that is content to remain in the present state, or continue in backsliding patterns of injustice rather than embracing the change and cost necessary to recover the backbone of our nation. We must realize that the decisions, laws, wars and principles set by our current leaders affect more than ourselves. Future generations will feel the impact of what happens now. It should be our aim to appoint leaders of character who will uphold the essential principles of government, based on our country's founding constitution. We should strive to return this nation to it's original roots and foundation as a representatve republic.

When we fail to stand up and raise our voice in support of the best and most qualified candidates, there are two possible results: we are either condoning the actions of the less qualified party, or minimizing the importance of standing for integrity and freedom. Neither result is a good one. Instead of standing against the evil, we are capitulating to it as long as it is a slower evil. As John Adams so aptly stated, we must “Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.” To vote for lesser evil leaders, seems to send a message to our men of integrity that is not necessary for them to offer themselves as candidates. The role of our government is to secure “certain unalienable rights, among them are the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” It is impossible for this to be achieved when we vote for candidates who are openly committed to unsettling these rights. James Madison explains that “There are more instances of abridgment of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachment by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.” How can we possibly rest in the knowledge that we are voting for leaders who have a history of gradual and harmful encroachment on our freedoms? We must be willing to to make the difficult choice to stand, alone if necessary, for leaders of integrity. Our vote will not be lost, rather it will be honest stand for our commitment to see good, strong, godly leaders return to our government.

In a world of human imperfection, there is yet another aspect to be considered. That is that God is the one who ultimately puts rulers in power. As citizens, we are commanded to appoint “Able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness.” We are called to be faithful in the voting process that appoints these men. The results are left up to God. He assures us that He is the one who puts rulers in power, including wicked rulers as judgment when His people disobey. In Proverbs we are told that “The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.” A hands off non-voting approach is not the right response to this, as we have been called to action. We should feel no guilt in casting a vote for the best candidate. In the Lord's sovereignty, He is able to overcome all probability and appoint whom He wills. Whether it means the sudden death of all but one suitable candidate, the rising of a majority vote for a minority candidate, or leadership by a wicked ruler, we must trust that God will direct those placed in power.

In a country where we maintain a degree of freedom and the privilege to vote, we must consider more than mathematical probability when we cast the ballot this coming November. There are enough voices, enough votes being cast, that we could drastically sway even the mathematics behind the election process if we are willing to each stand for our true convictions. Banded together, the minority will expand to the majority it ought to be. A vote for evil is not a vote for the best candidate, rather it is compromise, and must be left behind to stand for what is best. Abdicating the privilege to vote should not be considered an option, but should drive us to honorably accept the responsibility that has accompanied it. We must look beyond the present, and consider the long term affect of our actions, realizing that only defense and support of the best candidates is worth our effort. God will appoint the president of this election. We are called to stand in support of the presidential candidate whom best fits our understanding of the role he is to fill. This privilege is ours to claim.

If I had a blog...

...I’d post this on it. But since I don’t, oh wait, now I do! So now that I have a blog, you can read what I put on it :)

Have you ever gone through a series of a few days where you seem to just be sort of on overload? You get asked all sorts of big questions, some questions that you only share with your closest friends, some questions you want to ask the whole world, and some questions that are just plain big questions? And then you discover (or maybe just hear it for the 100th time and finally get it) all this cool theological and philosophical stuff? And then you hear some opposing views that make you mad? And life is so busy that this all fits into your spare time? (wait, where did that come from? Oh yeah, that 6.25 hours of required sleep every night...!) And then you’re so busy thinking about this cool stuff that it takes up more of your spare time (read above to find out where I got it!) Well that’d be me. So, since I seem to be suffering an incredible amount of brain work, sleeplessness, sudden understanding, excitement, and general thoughtfulness, I wanted to share a teeny bit of it with you all...

Some cool questions:
~Do I consistently turn to the Source of Truth for answer to my questions?
~Is my quest for wisdom and knowledge self-oriented, people-oriented, or God-oriented?
~What does my outlook on life reveal about God?
~Do heartfelt remorse and repentance figure significantly in my view of myself and my relationship with God?
~Am I aware of the subtle ways in which I deny what I already know about God?
~Do I live my life in the light of God’s infinity and eternity, or am I unduly impressed with human concepts of greatness?
~Am I humble enough to see the speck of selfish ambition in my own eye?

Some philosophical fun stuff:
~What does it mean to exist?
~What is thinking?
~What is reason?
~What is logic?
~What is knowledge?
~If I know something, how can I know that what I know is really real?

Some down to earth real questions:
Like...real questions about me...and my character...and my heart attitudes...so maybe I’ll not share them...since everybody in the world can read this...and I'm not humble enough to bare my heart to the world...

Some cool quotes and philosophical concepts:
~To look at morality is to look at what “is”. To look at ethics is to look at what “ought(to be).”
~Truth is communicated, as Tolstoy says, from one soul to another, just as an endless number of candles are lighted from one. That light need only burn, and the darkness will melt like wax before the fire.
~“You are a king then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. IN fact, for this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” “What is truth?” Pilate asked. John 18:37-38
~Your worldview is determined by your belief about three things. Veritology, anthropology and theology. The questions concerning what is truth, who/what is man, and who/what is God.
~To obey to believe, and to believe is to obey.
~Philospohy – as defined by Webster’s 1828 – “The objects of philosophy are to ascertain facts or truth, and the causes of things or their phenomona; to enlarge our views or God and his works...
~True religion and true philosophy must ultimately arrive at the same principle.
~Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.
~There was a man who built the first postmodern building. He made stair cases that led to nowhere, and pillars that held nothing. He said if there is no purpose and meaning to life, then why should there be purpose and meaning to his architecture? He simply built randomness. R.C. Sproul saw the structure and asked the man if he applied the same concept to the foundation. Interestingly enough, he did not. No matter how far out there we go, we still ultimately build our beliefs on a foundation.
~We are living in the most anti-intellectual period in history, but you cannot bypass the human mind in order to renew and change the heart.
~A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have.

Some things from the opposing worldview that make me feel like...not being very kind:
Carl Sagan – humanist of the year, 1981
“The cosmos is all that is, or ever was, or ever will be.” He’s way off track...
“We’re made of star-stuff.” What an eloquent to say we’re made of dirt.

There are absolutely no absolutes.