As part of my annual new year inventory, I've decided (after months of being a terrible blogging slacker) that I need to incorporate themes into my posting days.

Participating in Patty Wysong's meme a2z4u&me last year not only brought me into contact with an entirely different community of wonderful writers, it made me realize that SOTP (seat of the pants) blogging is not the best way to go about having a blog. Perhaps, at some point, this will carry over into my fiction writing, where SOTP continues to win, hands down, over plotting, but for now, I'll work on the planned blogging.

At this point, going with the things that are most often "on my heart" (whatever that means) to write about, I think Mondays will be devoted to Mental Health at Mid-Life, because that covers a huge variety of topics... empty-nest syndrome, perimenopause, enduring the teen years, marriage at mid-life, body image at mid-life, becoming a grandma, etc. Good things, challenging things, and s*** we simply have to put up with, like it or not.

I work Wednesdays at the newspaper office. It's our production day, which makes responding to comments difficult. Therefore, Wednesdays need to be set aside for posts that don't require much response. I suppose that's why so many bloggers do "wordless Wednesdays," but since I'm a word-person, I think Wednesdays may become the day I set aside for promoting OTHER people's words, whether Bible verses or famous quotes or books or blogs worthy of sharing.

Fridays... Because I don't work a full-time day job, and because my kids are mostly grown, Fridays have lately become an experience fraught with boredom, loneliness, and a bad case of "I wish I was doing something." Therefore, I hereby declare Fridays to be FREE FRIDAY. In other words, Friday could be a craft project (yes, those are on my list of things to do in the new year) or a freakishly fun activity (like 'how to go to a movie alone and still have a good time) or a quasi-political rant or some opinion I just can't keep to myself...

There you have it, dear readers, the plan for 2012. At least right now. It could change. I hope you'll join me, and invite others along for the ride.

Thank you for reading, for following, for commenting, for reminding me that I am not just talking to a volleyball named Wilson whenever I post something. You are appreciated, and I pray that the words you find here will encourage, inspire, enlighten and bring you joy and peace!

You might think "ark" came up today because of all the rain we've been having, or the flooding, or the crazy weather patterns. Or you might think I have something to share about Noah's ark.


(Have you ever considered what a sad and horrific tale Noah's ark really is? Or how odd it is that we decorate nurseries and children's church rooms in Noah's ark themes?)

Actually, the ark I've been thinking about is the infamous Ark of the Covenant. Yep, the one that terrorized us at the end of the first Indiana Jones movie, "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

Moses was directed to construct the first ark, a wooden box overlaid with gold and topped by a "mercy seat" and two cherubs. Within the ark Moses placed the Word of God, a sample of the manna that sustained the Israelites during their 40-year trek through the wilderness, and Aaron's rod - a stick which budded and blossomed to life supernaturally.

The ark was placed in the innermost chamber of the tabernacle, the Holy of Holies. The presence of God rested upon the mercy seat there. (God is a God of incredible mercy, in spite of the opinion of some.)

For the New Testament Christian, I believe the ark represents Jesus, our Savior and Lord. When Jesus was crucified, the veil (more literally a wall of fabric, some 8-12 inches thick) was torn in half from top to bottom ... declaring the time for God's covenant to become available to all who would believe, not just a few who were born into it.

Setting aside the melting faces from Raiders, consider the following: 

• Jesus came in an physical, natural body... like a simple wood box.
• He brought the mercy of God to a lost and dying world. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
• He is our source of supply and provision, the One who meets our needs according to His riches in glory.
• He is incorruptible and unchanging, like the gold that covered the ark.
• To believe in Him is to receive everlasting, eternal life. You might feel like a dead stick, but God can give you a blooming, fragrant life.
• A host of angels accompany Him, commissioned to carry out His will. In other words, you've got HELP!
• God has sworn to be true to His word. His word is His will. What He has promised, He will perform.

Although there's significant debate about whether the cross of Christ was made of cedar, olive, or acacia wood, we know from Scripture that the ark was made from acacia wood. Interestingly, acacia trees were common trees in the region. Easton's Bible Dictionary surmises that the burning bush Moses encountered in the desert may have been an acacia. And as various species of the tree produce long, tough thorns, it's possible the crown of thorns worn by Christ before His crucifixion was made from acacia limbs.

The Israelites knew that as long as they had the ark, they had protection and power and safety and peace. When the ark went with them, they had victory over their enemies. When the ark was, for a time, lodged in the household of Obed-Edom, his household prospered.
And now we have a "new and better covenant" with greater promises than the Israelites had, our own personal "ark," Jesus.  

I've been considering taking part in a meme for several months. But every time I come across one I like, it's almost over! Enter Patty Wysong (author of one of the first blogs I ever subscribed to) and the brand-spanking new a2z4u and me meme) I'm pleased to announce that my Wednesday posts for the foreseeable future will be part of this meme, beginning today with the letter "A." (I love A-Z things. They remind me of Sesame Street and alphabet books and Indian Chief tablets.) Are you a blogger? Want to blog but don't know where to start? Come and play!
 



 

The speed at which information comes our way is increasing daily. New terminology, buzz words, and catch phrases crop up faster than dandelions in springtime. Having to ask someone what these words mean can be humiliating, especially if the only person who knows is (a) at least a full generation younger than you, and/or (b) your child, student, or someone who still needs a babysitter.  



So in an effort to keep up, from time to time I'll post one of these newfangled words and its meaning, that we might all be better educated, able to interpret what we read, and less likely to embarrass ourselves through misinterpretation.




You may have seen this word in reference to a YouTube video that "goes viral" or a new trend in business or entertainment. The word itself is taken from the ancient Greek word mimeme, meaning something imitated or copied.

photo by richardmasoner	via PhotoRee

Do you recall those weird-smelling copies of worksheets and tests and business correspondence printed in purplish ink? Those copies were made on mimeograph machines, or mimeos, for short. Today we're using the other half of that Greek word to say approximately the same thing.
 

photo by robzand	via PhotoRee

Officially, a meme is defined as an idea, behavior, or style that spreads rapidly from person to person throughout a culture. Sounds like a virus, or some other contagious disease, right? Yep. It's where we apply the term "going viral" to videos on YouTube and hashtags on Twitter. (A hashtag is a number symbol - # - followed by a word, or tag, that identifies a tweet as part of a topic, or category.)

Remember the girl who came to school one day with a bandanna tied around her thigh for no apparent reason? And the next day two more kids sported thigh-tied bandannas? Or the guy who sported a safety pin earring one Monday, and by Friday afternoon a half-dozen other kids had safety pins in their ears, too? If you can think of an example like that, you've probably witnessed the birth of a meme. 

photo by bloomingdalelibrary	via PhotoRee

Memes aren't exclusive to the Internet, either. The prevalence of vampire/werewolf-themed fiction on bookstore shelves is a literary meme gone mad. Reality television shows are another meme. Come on, how many programs about men surviving in the wild by eating fish goo and drinking their own urine do we REALLY need on TV?   

Know Your Meme is a website dedicated to tracking current Internet memes. It's a good place to find a laugh or two, most days. It's also a way to stay somewhat current. No one wants to be the friend who posts the "dancing baby" video on Facebook and comments,