A spring-like day in February!! Finally!

Well, I guess our weekend plans have changed a leetle beet. It sounds like Hannah won't be coming home until later on Friday night after her leadership community/life group leader apprentice meeting or on Saturday morning--whichever she prefers. She has a test on Monday, so it didn't seem like a very good idea to have the Karen girls over right after she gets home or first thing in the morning, and then have small group in the evening if she has to study for a test and needs some down time. She said she's been saying "yes" to everything lately, and I know the need to slow down for a couple of days and have some time to think!

I facebooked EDD and Ehler and told them the change in plans. I feel a little bit bad since they have Fri/Mon off of school--it will be a long weekend for them, but I'm sure they will find things to do. And then Ehne Thau just called--she knows how to get me. She asked if they could come over for a sleepover tomorrow night, and when I tried to explain all that was going on, she said, "I guess you just don't like us very much." Kind of in an ET joking way, but still--stab, twist! I assured her that I did like her very much, and we would try again next weekend to have them over. She was laughing and telling me about UV after that, so I don't think she's very heartbroken; she just knows how to say what will make me change my mind if anything will. :)

Abby did talk to Kayla, and she and a friend are coming to babysit for small group. That's a relief, because I know it means a lot to the parents to have a few hours to talk without having to worry about what their kids are doing. And, I really didn't want to stick Hannah with it--she needs to rest! And babysitting isn't really her thang...But she can help if she wants to. There will certainly be cute babies to play with and hold! The twins are SO cute! And of course, Eliana continues to be a beauty. And Emerson is a bundle of smiles--he gets around pretty fast for a little guy!

So, I was reading the rest of my chapter in the EHS book for this week's discussion, and I was surprised and rather disturbed to see this: I realized that what Rumi said was true, "Inside you there's an artist you don't know about. If you are here unfaithfully with us, you are causing terrible damage. If you've opened your loving to God's love, you're helping people you don't know and have never seen."

This was to prove/support his point that we need to be who God made us to be. That doing anything else, trying to copy someone else, is not only hurting ourselves, but others. Nice idea and probably true. OK, but to quote Rumi?

I wouldn't have known who he was if I hadn't just read that article in Reader's Digest about the Muslim woman who said that we best accomplish God's mandate by accepting one another, not by trying to persuade others to our religion. She quoted a "beautiful" poem by Rumi (a Muslim mystical poet) which said something like, "God is an ocean, and all religions are like rivers that flow to the same place." Yeah, definitely NOT true.

So, how can we accept "truth" from this Muslim mystical poet even if it is to support what may very well be a true point Biblically? Why do we need him to make God "more true"? We certainly don't. God is true, and He is the only One who is true truth. And I don't mean Allah. I mean God the Father, God the Son--Jesus, and God the Spirit. The One True God. You know, Jesus? "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

So now I have a very suspicious feeling about this author. I was expecting to really like him, I felt a connection to him somehow, having walked by his church in Queens, but I am concerned about his choice in that situation. There is a fine line between "mysticism" and contemplative worship, etc. I think we all need to reflect, to be quiet, to deal with our emotions before God, to listen to God, and I hope to learn more about that. But I still feel leery about it--it's tainted. Maybe I'm being too black and white about it. But truth is something that needs to be carefully considered. There's just so much grey-ness in the world today. I guess we'll see what the rest of the book is like.

I worked on preparing for history and language arts this morning, Abby had driving from 9:30-11:30am, and we had grilled cheese for lunch. Then I worked on SAT prep, went for a walk, had a quiet time, and made quiche for dinner again. Plus banana cc muffins. It's been a regular on the menu for several weeks!

I was trying to save a sweet treat for at Linda's tonight at Bible study--I didn't eat M&Ms today--trying to give my body a break from sugar for a day. But then right before dinner she called and said the others had cancelled, so we did too. But that meant I wouldn't have a yummy treat. So, I made scotcheroos! Only a half-batch. And I made an extra pie crust so that I can make pb pie tomorrow. Abby was wanting that for Valentine's Day, so since we weren't home together all week, and Hannah is coming home, we decided to have it this weekend.

Hannah: if there is anything you want to eat this weekend, let me know!!

The weather today was amazing! 60 degrees and sunny this morning, cloudy this afternoon. I walked with my "spring" coat. Lovely! And I can't believe how much snow melted in the past 24 hours. Truly amazing. And it might rain tomorrow which would certainly speed up the rest. I think by Saturday, it's supposed to be back in the 30's but back up to the 40's quickly.

We're watching American Idol--it's better than I thought it would be. There are always the interesting personalities, the people you want to keep going. And the judges aren't half bad.

Tomorrow I plan to clean, and I don't know what else, so I guess you will have to wait to see! So until then, dear reader!