Jane's baby brother got married last Thursday to a most wonderful girl. They are the most adorable couple ever. They have been positively glowing for the last three weeks in preparation of their special day. It's truly an inspiring thing to watch and be a part of in some small way.
Jane has seen a lot of dicouraging things in her life, not to be melodramatic. But it's nice to see such happiness and hope and doing things the right way. Jane is inspired to follow their example and again believe that things can be good.
She just wishes she were more poetic in expressing all this...
I love you two!
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Friday, October 14, 2005
Making it Right
Jane is always (sometimes overly) concerned about "choosing the right." The song says "there's a right and a wrong to every question." Jane's not sure that it's always so black and white. Even more confusing, sometimes what seems to be logically the right/best choice, is not what the rules would say is right.
Even the scriptures have examples of exceptions. Thou shalt not kill but David killed Goliath and others were commanded to kill to serve God's purposes. Thou shalt not steal, but the Israelites took all they could from the Egyptians when they were freed because all is God's and He will provide.
In our lives? What if a couple wants to get divorced? Let's even throw out the not so simplistic reasons of they just don't love each other anymore or don't get along well and say it's for big reasons like one of them cheated or is an alcoholic or committed a big crime. Divorce isn't right and we're taught that people give up too eaily. But, especially in cases like these, wouldn't one, if not both, be better off and better able to progress and do right things if they split?
What about a couple before marriage who are so in love they have a hard time keeping their morals in check? Jane belongs to a church that teaches that almost any physical relationship is wrong before marriage. In fact, if a couple truly loves each other, they wouldn't want to "hurt" each other by doing those things. (This seems a bit contrary to nature- like you'd want to do those things with someone you don't love?! But anyway...) It almost seems like the "right thing" in order to follow the rulse would be for the two people to stay away from each other and run from the temptation. Wouldn't this just bring about a lot of running and not getting anywhere?
It seems to Jane that if the real goal is love and marriage, running away is not the answer. Perhaps the "right" thing is for the couple to do the best they can and work toward loving each other and getting married and then these things, in a sense, will fix themselves.
The church does say that if a couple gets pregnant before marriage the first choice, if possible, to make it right is for the couuple to get married. Why is that? It seems to Jane that if whay they did was a sin, the first choice would be to place the child for adoption and probably the couple should break up- maybe as retribution or to avoid further sin or something.
That there could be the point. Perhaps repentance isn't about being punished for our sins, but about following through with our choices and making things right. There probably isn't a right and wrond to every questions, but a whole lot of shades of gray in between.
In reading scriptures lately, Jane has encountered a lot that basically says God is in control, don't forget Him, and let Him be in your life. Perhaps this isn't about fate/destiny and God controlling you like a chess game. Perhaps it's so He can help you distinguish all the gray areas and make the most out of whichever shade you choose.
Life suddenly got very complicated.
Even the scriptures have examples of exceptions. Thou shalt not kill but David killed Goliath and others were commanded to kill to serve God's purposes. Thou shalt not steal, but the Israelites took all they could from the Egyptians when they were freed because all is God's and He will provide.
In our lives? What if a couple wants to get divorced? Let's even throw out the not so simplistic reasons of they just don't love each other anymore or don't get along well and say it's for big reasons like one of them cheated or is an alcoholic or committed a big crime. Divorce isn't right and we're taught that people give up too eaily. But, especially in cases like these, wouldn't one, if not both, be better off and better able to progress and do right things if they split?
What about a couple before marriage who are so in love they have a hard time keeping their morals in check? Jane belongs to a church that teaches that almost any physical relationship is wrong before marriage. In fact, if a couple truly loves each other, they wouldn't want to "hurt" each other by doing those things. (This seems a bit contrary to nature- like you'd want to do those things with someone you don't love?! But anyway...) It almost seems like the "right thing" in order to follow the rulse would be for the two people to stay away from each other and run from the temptation. Wouldn't this just bring about a lot of running and not getting anywhere?
It seems to Jane that if the real goal is love and marriage, running away is not the answer. Perhaps the "right" thing is for the couple to do the best they can and work toward loving each other and getting married and then these things, in a sense, will fix themselves.
The church does say that if a couple gets pregnant before marriage the first choice, if possible, to make it right is for the couuple to get married. Why is that? It seems to Jane that if whay they did was a sin, the first choice would be to place the child for adoption and probably the couple should break up- maybe as retribution or to avoid further sin or something.
That there could be the point. Perhaps repentance isn't about being punished for our sins, but about following through with our choices and making things right. There probably isn't a right and wrond to every questions, but a whole lot of shades of gray in between.
In reading scriptures lately, Jane has encountered a lot that basically says God is in control, don't forget Him, and let Him be in your life. Perhaps this isn't about fate/destiny and God controlling you like a chess game. Perhaps it's so He can help you distinguish all the gray areas and make the most out of whichever shade you choose.
Life suddenly got very complicated.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Babble
I learned long ago to trust my intuition when I first wake up in the morning- my very frist most honest impression. But in the last while, I'm not sure that's always true. Sometimes I think all my intuition is saying is that I'm scared.
Fear plays a big role in my life and is very influential. The other night, I had some phone calls to make for church and I just about didn't get it done. I wasn't avoiding it on purpose, I just kept forgetting or thinking of reasons why later would be better. I HAD to get them done, so I just told myself to be friendly and positive- now they're done and I can quit thinking about it.
I need to talk to my boss about next quarter and that makes me nervous too. So I keep waiting. I HAVE to get that taken care of too! My first impression when I think about that in the morning is I want to get back in bed. That's not intuition that I ought to wait or think things over- that's just avoidance.
Another thing that's a problem for me is settling my own mind when someone says something different. I'm so quick to say I'm wrong- they MUST know more/better than I do. Says who!?
Ugh. I get tired of thinking and acting and reacting in a way that's different than what I really think. Honestly, sometimes I think one thing in the very moment I'm saying or doing something else. That's so weird and frustrating!
Fear plays a big role in my life and is very influential. The other night, I had some phone calls to make for church and I just about didn't get it done. I wasn't avoiding it on purpose, I just kept forgetting or thinking of reasons why later would be better. I HAD to get them done, so I just told myself to be friendly and positive- now they're done and I can quit thinking about it.
I need to talk to my boss about next quarter and that makes me nervous too. So I keep waiting. I HAVE to get that taken care of too! My first impression when I think about that in the morning is I want to get back in bed. That's not intuition that I ought to wait or think things over- that's just avoidance.
Another thing that's a problem for me is settling my own mind when someone says something different. I'm so quick to say I'm wrong- they MUST know more/better than I do. Says who!?
Ugh. I get tired of thinking and acting and reacting in a way that's different than what I really think. Honestly, sometimes I think one thing in the very moment I'm saying or doing something else. That's so weird and frustrating!
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