There’s much we don’t know about this church and this pastor, but just taking her story at face value, it’s worth thinking about.  Is this symptomatic of what’s happening in most churches?  And if so, is it a problem?

Well, I was being patient, I think.  In fact, I started to worry that I was being too patient, waiting too long to identify the problem that was holding things up.  I’m not much of a worrier as a parent.  I’m the mom who says, “Let’s wait this out rather than going to the doctor,” or “I’m not forcing her to wear a coat.  If she freezes maybe she won’t argue  about wearing one next time,” and “He’ll be fine.  We’ve all got a few scars from childhood, don’t we?”

That’s me.  So when I say, “I think something’s wrong,” it means I’ve been ignoring warning signs for all long as humanly possible.  I’ve also watched four other children in our family learn to read, and I know some things about how that typically works.  So when my extremely bright, thoughtful 7-year-old was still laboring to sound out “dog” at the end of “Go, Dog, Go!”, I really felt something was amiss.  It was also painful to hear her confidence sinking.  She would report to me with a combination of admiration and perplexity that younger friends were reading chapter books.  “But I can’t read.  I hate reading.”

I won’t give you the long version.  The short version is this:  I began to suspect dyslexia but was still in my avoiding-paying-a-professional mode.  I found some strategies online for teaching children who are dyslexic and followed the easiest possible suggestions, involving lots of homemade flashcards and lots of colored markers.

And it happened!  Something clicked.  It’s been about a month and Bee is reading to me now.  Not chapter books, but she’s certainly conquered “Go, Dog, Go!”, as well as “Green Eggs and Ham”, “The Foot Book”, “In a People House”, and many other classics.  She’s also reading the instructions in her math book (she’s a math whiz), and reading signs we pass on the road, and just generally discovering that there are words everywhere.  She’s stopped saying that she can’t read.  She’s stopped saying that she hates reading – and thank God for that, because that’s one of the saddest things anyone can say, as far as I’m concerned.

Was I worrying over nothing?  Was it all just a matter of time?  I don’t think so.  I think something about those flashcards and those bright colors triggered something in her brain to see words as more than jumbles of discrete symbols that were out to make her life miserable.

And so I say thank God for the Facebook friend who mentioned the website, and thank God for the website where I found help, and thank God for the little blonde sitting next to me as I type who is so radiantly proud of herself as she reads to me this morning.  We have some catching up to do, and I suspect reading may never be the easiest subject for her.  But Bee is reading and it feels like a miracle.

You may have heard about the Catholic church’s stand against a Health and Human Services policy that will require religious institutions (not churches) to provide provide health insurance to their employees which includes subsidized contraception, sterilization and coverage for abortion-inducing drugs.  In it’s grandiosity, the Obama administration thinks that giving the church an extra year to comply with its policies will be enough to satisfy the poor benighted bishops. I think Obama miscalculated on that one, and I pray that the church will continue to stiffen it’s spine and resist this overreach.

If the story wasn’t bad enough when it was just the administration telling Catholic institutions to go stuff their principles, it got worse when it was revealed that Catholic military chaplains had been censored.  The letter that was read in Catholic churches all across the U.S. on January 29th was not, as it turns out, read to every Catholic congregation.  Catholic army chaplains were instructed not to read the letter, because it hadn’t been approved by the army’s office of the Chief of Chaplaincy.  A version edited by the Secretary of the Army, John McHugh, has now been approved for the chaplains to read.  Seriously?  We have a member of the administration editing pastoral letters?

I am not a Catholic.  I am not a conservative.  I am someone who believes that our personal freedoms will disappear over issues like this, and this, and this.  They’ll disappear because we only pay attention to what immediately affects us, and Obama seems like a decent guy, and there aren’t any better alternatives, and we’re busy driving our kids to soccer and paying the bills and trying to keep our jobs.  We can’t be bothered to worry about what’s happening to the rights of others.  Except, of course, that their rights are our rights, as well.  We thought our Constitution would protect us, but that requires a government that respects and upholds the Constitution.  We seem to be lacking one at the moment.

Pay attention.  Say something.  Strengthen what remains.

Monday – frozen pizza
Tuesday – fried chicken from the deli
Wednesday – a box of tacos from Taco Bell
Thursday – spaghetti and meatballs
Friday – subs from the deli
Saturday – leftover anything
Sunday – eat out

It is neither healthy nor economical.  It’s barely appetizing.

So one of my resolutions this year is to plan ahead, by the month, and cook more frequently.  I’m planning five dinners per week, which, if I stick to the plan, will be a major improvement.  I’m not attempting to become a foodie overnight.  We have one of those in our family, but we sent him to England.  When he gets back, I demand Beef Wellington and Pork Chili Verde.  Until then, I’m just aiming for easy and palatable.  If I try a recipe and it’s good enough to be a keeper, I’ll post the recipe on the blog.

I’m looking for accountability, and I’ve learned from last year’s resolutions that the blog  actually does provide some.

So here’s the report from month one.  I cooked far more meals than I usually do, but I also  had some days when our schedule kicked my fanny.  I’ve been trying to make Hoedown Meatballs for a few days now, but life won’t let me.  Today I used the ground beef to make a fast batch of sloppy joes, instead.  It’s food, but it’s not the food I wanted.  I also had a few meals that were not worth repeating.  But here are the keepers, just the best of the best:

Easy Pleasing Meatloaf.  I mean, really easy, as meatloaf goes.  It was fast assembly, and everyone liked it, so that’s good enough for me.

2 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. stuffing mix for chicken
1 cup water
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. barbecue sauce, divided

Heat oven to 375.  Mix all ingredients except 1/4 c. barbecue sauce.  Shape mixture into loaf in a 13×9 baking dish.  Top with remaining barbecue sauce.  Bake 1 hour or until done (160 degrees).  See?  Easy.

Cuban Chicken  Good, and again, it was a hit with the family.  I wish it had more kick, though.  Maybe I can add something for that affect.  BONUS – it’s a slow cooker recipe.

2 medium onions, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic
12 chicken drumsticks and/or thighs, skin removed
1/2 cup each lime juice and orange juice
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp each, salt and pepper
chopped cilantro (optional)

Place onion and garlic in slow cooker, arrange chicken on top.  Stir juices, cumin, paprika, salt & pepper together; pour over chicken.  Cook on low 5-8 hours until chicken is cooked through.  Serve over rice, spooning juices and onions on top.

Pecorino Chicken Fingers  Good enough, though I wish they had more flavor, too.

1 c. panko, toasted
1/3 c. freshly grated Pecarino (or other) Romano cheese
1/4 tsp. ground red cayenne pepper
salt
2 eggs
1 clove garlic, crusched with press
1 1/2 lbs. chicken tenders

Preheat oven to 475.  Place rack on a jelly roll pan; spray pan and rack with cooking spray.  On a plate combine panko, romano cheese, cayenne pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt.  Set aside.  In a pie plate or other container whisk egg whites or whole eggs with garlic until well mixed.  Dip chicken tenderloins first in egg mixture then in panko mixture to coat evenly.  Press firmly so that mixture adheres.  Arrange chicken on rack in jelly roll pan.  Spray chicken lightly with cooking spray.  Back chicken 10-12 minutes until crust is golden brown and chicken is no longer pink throughout.  Marinara or other sauce may be used for dipping.

....as opposed to the usual kind

Simple Sausage Lasagna  This is one of my favorite recipes, and it produced enough to feed the entire family, plus two guests, and every had seconds.  Fattening, but yummo.

1 lb. bulk pork sausage (preferably salciccia)
1 26 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 c. water
2 eggs, beaten
1 24 oz. carton cottage cheese
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. each garlic powder, peeper, dried basil and oregano
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage until no longer pink’ drain.  Stir in the spaghetti sauce and water.  Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the eggs, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley and seasonings.  Spread 1/2 cup meat sauce into greased 9×13 baking dish.  Layer with three noodles and a third of the cheese mixture, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Repeat layers twice.  Cover and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.  Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until noodles are tender.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Hungarian Goulash  Mr. Right loved it.  Bee thought it had too much onion, but she has an issue with onions.  BONUS – Slow cooker recipe.

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into 1 in. pieces
1 large onion, sliced
1 14 1/2 oz. can beef broth
1  6 oz. can tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. caraway seed, if desired
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. cold water
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 medium bell pepper, cut into strips
8 c. hot cooked noodles, for serving

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook beef in oil about 10 minutes, stirring ocassionally, until brown; drain.  Place beef and onion in slow cooker.  Mix broth, tomato paste, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, carraway seed, and pepper; stir into beef mixture.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours, until beef is tender.  Mix water and flour; gradually stir into beef mixture.  Stir in bell pepper.  Cover and cook on high setting for 30 minutes.  Serve goulash over noodles.

Onion Chicken Rice Bowls  This might be my favorite for the month.  So easy, and so good.  I doubled the recipe for our family.  The only thing I’d do differently is increase the amount of dressing/juice mix.  I’d like it a bit saucier.  Tastes even better the next day.

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/4 cup Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
1/4 cup orange juice
3 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables
1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Heat large nonstick skillet on medium high heat.  Add chicken, stir-fry 5 to 7 minutes or until done.  Stir in dressing and juice.  Bring to a boil.  Add vegetables, cook 5-7 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.  Serve over rice.  Sprinkle with nuts.

Pesto Crusted Grilled Cheese Sandwiches  An old favorite recipe, taking grilled cheese up a notch. Cheesy worships at the altar of grilled cheese.

1/3 c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. jarred pesto sauce
8 sourdough bread slices (or French or Italian, or whatever is handy)
4 fontina or mozzarella cheese slices
1 12 oz. jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped
4 cheddar cheese slices

Stir together mayo and pesto sauce.  Spread evenly on one side of each slice of bread.  Layer bread (pesto side out) with 1 fontina cheese slice, bell peppers, and 1 cheddar cheese slice, then another slice of bread.  Cook sandwiches on a griddle or in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown and cheese is melting.

Sausage with Peppers and Pasta  Very, very good, and visually pleasing as well.

3 cups rigatoni pasta, uncooked
1 lb. Italian sausage, sliced
1 each red, green and yellow pepper, coursely chopped
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) Italian style diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package.  Meanwhile cook sausage in large skillet on medium heat, 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add peppers, cook and stir 7 minutes or until sausage is done and peppers are crisp-tender.  Stir in tomatoes.  Cook 2 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.  Drain pasta.  Add to sausage mixture with shredded cheese; mix well.  Top with Parmesan.

Crockpot Chicken and Vegetables  After we’d eaten this for dinner I deboned and shredded the remaining chicken and added the leftover rice for a great chicken and rice soup.  Will ate it like crazy.  BONUS – slow cooker recipe

1 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped carrots
4 oz. fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. chicken soup base
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Herbes de Provence or other seasoning, as you like
2 lbs. chicken thighs, skin removed
3 c. water

Put the ingredients in a crockpot in the order in which they are listed.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Serve with cooked rice.

Savory Lentil and Ham Soup – The recipe calls for Canadian Bacon, but I’d served ham one night and had some leftovers to work with.  Tess and I loved this soup.  No one else in our family does lentils, apparently.  Tastes even better the second day.  BONUS – slow cooker recipe

1 16 oz. package dried lentils, sorted and rinsed
2 14 /12 oz. cans ready-to-serve vegetable broth
1 6 oz. package sliced Canadian bacon, coursely chopped – or chopped ham
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 in. pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium stalk celery, chopped
4 c. water
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low setting 8-9 hours, or high setting 3-5 hours, until lentils are tender.  Still well before serving.

Salsiccia Stuffed Shells  I can actually get certain picky children to eat spinach when I fix these.  Score.

1 12 oz. package jumbo pasta shells
1 1/4 lbs. fresh ground salsiccia or other bulk Italian sausage
1 large onion, diced
1 9-10 oz. package frozen creamed spinach
8 oz. shredded Italian style or mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 c. grated Parmesan and Romano cheese
1/2 c. Italian style breadcrumbs
1 26 oz. jar pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 400.  Cook shells according to directions on package.  Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook sausage and onion 10-12 minutes, or until sausage is not longer pink.  Add frozen spinach and cook 5-6 minutes until well blended and heated through.  Remove skillet from heat.  Stir in 1/2 c. Italian style cheese, Parmesan and breadcrumbs.  Spread 1 c. pasta sauce in bottom of ungreased 9×13 baking dish.  When noodles are cool enough to handle, fill each with rounded Tbsp. of sausage mixture.  Pack shells tightly in dish, stacking if necessary.  Spread remaining pasta sauce over shells; sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until cheese melts and sauce bubbles at side of pan.

The point is, there is no point.  In all the energy I pour into making a particular position understood, in the comment threads where I argue passionately for one conviction or another – no point.  I walked in on a conversation yesterday just as a friend was saying that debate only results in people being more entrenched in their own positions.  The more you have to defend your side, the more deeply you hold to it.  I remember hearing about a study that found exactly the same thing to be true.  And this week, it’s certainly been supported by my experience.

image courtesy xkcd.com

I did the stupid thing.  I commented on someone else’s blog.  They had a post up in support of Mark Driscoll, or rather, in opposition to his opposition.  It seemed to me that the author was misunderstanding what drives some of the public criticism of Driscoll, and having just posted about him myself, I thought, “Well, I can speak to this.  I know what my own motives and concerns are.”  So, so stupid.  It’s almost a week later, and I’m still tangled up in this conversation, trying to explain myself, trying to correct misunderstanding.  And it’s a giant, fetid, maggoty pile of wasted time.

Give me a minute to get rid of the vapors.

I’m tempted, even now, to explain the heart of the argument just so that I can defend myself.  But of course, the “other side” feels misunderstood, too.  That’s the nature of these exchanges.  Nuance is lost, motives are questions, camps are formed.  Opinions only carry weight if they come from someone on your team – and I don’t mean Team Jesus.   What starts as a difference of opinions quickly turns ugly.  It’s about as useful as this:

So I guess I should quit commenting on other people’s blog, unless it’s to say, “Right on!  I agree with you 110%, and I think you’re brilliant and awesome and I wish I was you!”

There’s that sarcasm again.  I’m gonna need another minute.

Of course, if debate is not only pointless but destructive – deepening divides that already exist – much of what takes place on the internet is….pointless and destructive.  We need to stick to recipes and funny animals and stories about our delightful children, I guess.  I wish such things came more naturally to me.  Perhaps there’s a Lenten vow I could make that would help; perhaps I need to cultivate the discipline of silence.

This realization, that our online “discussions” usually get us nowhere, doesn’t come as a relief.  I don’t find myself thinking, “Well, now I’ll have time to take up knitting!” (a perfectly good pastime, by the way).  It makes me sad.  Must we stay in our echo chambers and affirm the people we already agree with, in order to have peace?  Isn’t there a way to hear each other, I mean really hear each other, giving each other the benefit of the doubt in conversation, even if we’ll still ultimately disagree?  Shouldn’t Christians be able to do better?

Maybe it’s the medium.  Maybe it’s human nature.  Maybe it’s me.

A “gift” of teaching, a gift of pastor and a gift of apostleship as church planter. And now is being shown the unknown. A convergence? Or a man who has discovered that he isn’t just a pastors (sic) or a shepherd or a teacher or an apostle, no he is a prophet as well. This is the slippery slope that men find themselves standing on when surrounded by worshipers and admirers and when they are lifted up to idolatrous levels by their congregations. Certain species of pride radically magnify into something dangerous.
from “Re.Generation:  My Experience Inside the Cult of Mars Hill”

For months now, I’ve been wanting to blog about Mark Driscoll. When he invited people on his Facebook page to mock “effeminate” worship pastors, I wanted to blog. But I didn’t. When he preached about God hating people, I wanted to blog, but I didn’t. When he and his wife, Grace, released their book “Real Marriage”, I wanted to blog, but I didn’t. Then were were the excerpts from a radio interview he did in the U.K., in which Driscoll went on the attack, not against the interviewer, but against the entire Christian community in England. I wanted to blog about that, but still, I kept quiet. When the full interview was released online, unedited – oh, I really wanted to blog. Especially in light of Driscoll’s clumsy attempts to discredit the interviewer before the audio of the interview came out.

Still, I didn’t blog. You know why? Because every time I write critically about a Christian leader, I hear that I’m in the wrong. “That’s your Christian brother, and he’s doing great work, and souls are being saved, and who are you, by the way? You’re a tiny no one with an ax grind.” Okay, they don’t actually say that last part. That was poetic license.

Well, now we’ve had a grim look at the inside of Mars Hill Church; at their disciplinary procedures (aka spiritual abuse) involving harrassment, public shaming and alarming amounts of control. The church is very good at quoting Scripture, but I happen to think they’re misusing it, to weigh people down with burdens they can hardly carry (See? Anyone can quote Scripture).

Matthew Paul Turner has to get some credit for being willing to take on the bombastic, locker room bully that Mark Driscoll has shown himself to be (over, and over, and over again). Naturally, he’s hearing some of what I’ve heard in the past, from commenters eager to defend a Christian celebrity. But one of my favorite comments came from the other side, from a commenter frustrated over what we let our leaders get away with: “In the name of love, should we just keep silent?” I read it and thought I could almost hear the voice behind that question. How long, oh, Lord, how long do we let someone spread their toxins unchecked because they’re “successful” as the world defines success? How long do we pretend that they matter more than the people they demean, abuse, manipulate and control? How long do we pretend that it’s okay for them to corrupt the gospel, little by little, if they’re still bringing in big numbers?  Should we speak?  Or should we remain silent? I know, some of you are reading this and thinking, “Well, Sharon, in your case, the answer to that question is obvious.  You speak.  You always speak.  Have you ever not spoken?”  Yes, I get that.  I’m always tilting at some windmill or another.  But Mark Driscoll has years and years of this behavior behind him, and the situation calls for more than righteous indignation from an infinitesimal blogger

It’s time to speak, church. Mark Driscoll is enormously influential. His church is planting offshoot congregations all over the country, and while I’d like to be happy about that, not every church plant is good news for the gospel. Not if “another gospel” is being preached, one that emphasizes power and control over the way of Jesus (Mark 10:42-45). Driscoll is also involved in leading the Acts 29 Network and The Resurgence, shaping countless other church leaders. For the love of God (seriously!), it’s time that wise, mature leaders in the Reformed movement exercised some discipline in Mark Driscoll’s life. For too long people have assumed that his main problem was youthful immaturity. Well, guess what? He’s in his 40′s now and he doesn’t seem to be making any headway.

I have agonized over this post. Even if only 9 people read it, at least one of them will think I’m a complete jerk because of what I’ve written. And, oh, I do so like to be liked. But I am heart sick over the state of the church in the U.S., where as long as you keep “biggering and biggering” you get a pass for whatever you say and do as a pastor.

And now I commend you to other bloggers who wrote the posts I chose not to write, and did a better job of it than I would have, anyway.

On Driscoll and “effeminate” worship leaders

On Driscoll and how much God hates some people

On what’s troubling about “Real Marriage”

On the interview with Justin Brierley, so well covered you need to read this and this and this.  And listen to the interview.

For insight on what it’s like “on the ground” in a Mars Hill church plant, consider reading this post

Note:  I’ve just realized that my link to the radio interview was the wrong one.  Apologies to anyone I confused, but I think I’ve got the right link in place now.

And finally, on church discipline gone out of control at Driscoll’s church, please read MPT’s posts.

It was really ridiculous.

And then the moment came, and (thank you, Jesus) it was right after we’d finished singing “Jesus Paid it All”.  That hymn includes the lines,

I hear the Savior say,  “Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

My strength indeed was small, approaching the pulpit, but then…it was fine.  I became calm and focused and I had the beautiful sense, which I’ve had several times recently, that I was exactly where I should be, doing exactly what I should do.  It was a gift; that much I know.

I preached on the baptism of the Lord (Mark 1:1-11), having decided to just go with a lectionary scripture, rather than waiting for the perfect sermon idea to drop down from heaven.  It turned out to be just the right scripture, I think, at least for me.  It said what I needed to hear.

My nose started running uncontrollably at one point.  Apparently all the stress left my body by way of my sinuses.  I had to pause and get a kleenex and wipe my nose in front of everyone, which is the sort of thing I’d usually find embarrassing (I’ve got issues).  But even that episode was no big deal.  I kept right on going.

People clapped when I was done, which we typically do not do in our church.  Weird, but very, very sweet.  I love my church

It’s hard to talk about calling without feeling like I sound narcissistic or faux-spiritual or something.  But really, what I feel is a mixture of humility and confusion and wonder and gratitude.  Not a bad way to live, when it comes right down to it.

I should have known, I guess, but it’s only in hindsight that you see the warning signs.  It’s like the first bird perching behind you on the jungle gym.  How could you know that it’s only the first of a horde of angry fowl out for human blood?  Still, I should have known the day was starting to spiral downward when I picked Cheesy up from her hair appointment and she looked completely miserable.  She’d thought she wanted curls, but now – with her head covered with sweet little Shirley Temple spirals – she looked completely miserable.  As soon as we walked in the door at home she pulled on her new toboggan cap.  Three hours getting her hair washed, set and dried, and all for naught.

One bird.

I sat down to edit the sermon I’m delivering this Sunday.  My first sermon, and I’m nervous, and so I plan to memorize the sermon as close to word for word as possible.  Last night  I read the sermon aloud and discovered that it was 30 minutes long.  That’s too long.  I found a few paragraphs I could eliminate and removed them this afternoon.  Cut.  Save.  Blue Screen of Death.  No big deal:  it happens.  I rebooted the computer and tried to open my document again only to find my sermon now encoded; nothing but hash marks.

Fifty birds.

I called yet again to check on the glasses I ordered for Cheesy and Striker.  Cheesy is nearsighted, Striker is farsighted, and we ordered their glasses from the local glasses-r-us (or something like that) over a month ago.  Delivery in two to three weeks.  The man on the phone cheerfully reported that the glasses have not yet arrived.  “It can take two to three weeks, you know,” he said, as if I was being unfairly impatient.  I explained to him how the calendar works, but it didn’t help.

Twenty birds.

Our new insurance cards came in the mail today.  Thank goodness, I thought, because I really need to get Striker to the doctor for a sports physical.  Soccer training started this week, and I tried to take her for a physical at Walgreens last week.  Using up Flex Spending money before the end of the year, you know.  Turns out the Take Care Clinic doctors have scruples about giving medical clearance for soccer to asthmatic, visually impaired, concusees whom they’ve never met before.  Harrumph.  So we’ve been waiting for the cards since our insurance plan changed on January 1.  There were six insurance i.d. cards in the envelope.  There are seven people in our family.  Guess whose card is missing.  That’s right; Striker’s.

Thirty birds.

Cheesy asked me if she could watch “Dr. Who” on Netflix, through the new Wii.  I entered the parental control code and the Netflix site started loading and then – nothing.  Blank screen.  The t.v. is fine, but the Wii will no longer work.

Forty birds.

In an attempt to relieve stress I started watching “Animal Crackers”, only to discover that I’ve been misquoting Groucho Marx on my blog home page for over a year.

Ten birds for my wounded pride.

Please don’t point out how inconsequential all of these events are, in the grand scheme of things.  If you do, I will be tempted to kick you right in your grand scheme of things.

This is me, pretty much.

2011 Resolutions
(you can read more about them by clicking the links)

1.  I will age gracefully – This was a two-in-one resolution:  to stop obsessing about how I look and to become a more grateful person.  Giving thanks has become more habitual, and I seem to be less concerned with my appearance when I’m occupied with things that really matter to me (see resolution 3).

2.  I will be a hugger – Success!  My name is Sharon, and I am now a hugger.

3.  I will further my education - I certainly took this one to heart.  I’ve completed five modules in the course of study for ordination through Northwest Nazarene University, and I start three more next week.

4.  I’m going on a media diet -  Well, you win some, you lose some.  Best laid plans and all that.

5.  Death to the Crabby Mom – She’s not dead, exactly.  But she’s wounded.  Or chronically ill.  Every day I have to clonk her on the head with a shovel and knock her back into her grave, though.  She’s very stubborn, but I do like the atmosphere when she’s not around.

I also made a late resolution to post every day.  It went swimmingly for a few months, and then…well, life was busy.  WordPress tells me that I posted 173 new post in 2011.  Not bad, on the whole.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 18,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 7 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.