Blog – Page 3 – Jennifer Grashel

The Kingdom of Noise

So did you survive the great Facebook outage of 2021? The platform went down for several hours the other day. Wiped from the internet as if it didn’t exist. It likely was due to a boneheaded IT glitch, but theories about hacking and conspiracies – both internal and external – abounded.

We’re so addicted to mindlessly scrolling. Mindlessly checking out to the tune of whatever’s on the internet or television. The outage was a nice reprieve from the noise that dominates too much of many people’s time.

It’s all just noise.

Whether it has decibels or not, it’s all just noise.

Sometimes we choose the noise, consciously or inadvertently.

Often obligations and responsibilities bring noise with them.

Sometimes the noise seems to be chasing us down, despite our best efforts to escape.

Sometimes there’s not a pillow thick enough to block it all out.

Sometimes our love affair with the kingdom of noise seems to be more about the sound of our own gums flapping, either audibly or silently posting on the interwebs.

Not sure if I’m the wise or the fool in these passages (probably depends on the day), but here are some verses on the subject …

“Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times, for the times are evil.” ~Amos 5:13

“The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.” ~Proverbs 10:8

“Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.” ~Proverbs 17:1

“The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools.” ~Ecclesiastes 9:17

“Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense, but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.” ~Proverbs 11:12

“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”” ~Psalms 46:10

And now … images from the animal kingdom, some quieter than others.

I could probably use more quiet time at the spa.

Dazed and Confused

Yeah, last week I was pulled in too many directions to get anything written.

This week … a thing I thought wasn’t starting until October 1 … started Monday.

Pray for me.

If you don’t hear from me next week, assume I’m busy doing the things.

Much of the time I’m wandering around in a stunned, saddened daze over the current state of the Covid wars and latest surge. (When not in a stunned, saddened daze over the current levels of ragweed.) Oh how we humans don’t like to be told what to do.

Speaking of theology.

I finally finished watching Season 2 of The Chosen. If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon of this crowdfunded, really well-done tale of Jesus and the disciples, you need to take the leap. Watch for free on their free (did I mention free) phone app or find episodes on YouTube. If you have an internet-connected television, it’s easy to get the show to play on your tv using the phone app. (The app guides you through how to.)

The True Tunes podcast recently did a three-part series on the music of The Chosen. (Dan Haseltine from Jars of Clay is a key player.) Go look for it wherever you listen to podcasts or search on the web.

I was struck by a Dallas Willard quote mentioned on James Bryan Smith’s Things Above podcast the other day …

“Satan didn’t hit Eve with a stick, he hit her with an idea.”

Let that one sink in.

Maybe we should all let that one sink in on a regular basis.

When a container of almond milk takes a header off the top shelf.

Natural glitter loss!?! Say it ain’t so!

Wet Logs and Dry Kindling

“You know that blog you wrote the other day? It’s doing it again.”

“Doing what again?”

Which blog? What did I write? I don’t remember these things. There are so many things to remember. I was expecting some tech issue.

“It’s raining walls of water.”

“Okay, then I’m going to wrap up quickly here so hopefully I don’t get soaked in the parking lot.”

I was in Wally World, wearing my mask, calling with a meat related question.

Avoided walls of water in the parking lot. Not so much in the driveway. Here I am watching the grass grow while waiting for a break in what’s left of Hurricane Ida.

I had stopped wearing a mask in stores … and in most places other than healthcare settings where they’re still required. I was really enjoying getting back to normalish life, and then the Covid numbers exploded and hospitals are filling up and people are dying who didn’t have to. I thankfully tested negative after a recent exposure. It can happen to anyone. That delta variant has surprised a lot of people with a giant, contagious wallop.

I’m back to being selective about what gatherings I attend in an effort to protect my family and to remain unquarantined for some upcoming events that are important to me.

And still I continue to be bombarded with bogus information … that masks don’t work (OMGosh how many times do I have to explain how they work) … why should I care if someone is unvaccinated if I am … my rights my rights my rights … my beliefs … my freedom.

In the freest country in the world, you still don’t have the right to yell fire in my theater, endanger my health, or assault me with your Covid breath. Socially distanced peace and love, friend.

A friend shared a great analogy (not sure of the original source, but hat tip to the friend who shared it) about vaccination. Vaccinated people are wet logs. Unvaccinated are dry kindling. Can you get wet logs to burn? Yes, but it’s difficult. If a wet log is surrounded by a bunch of wet logs, it’s extra difficult. If a wet log is surrounded by a bunch of dry kindling, light that kindling on fire and the wet log is likely to catch fire as well.

That’s why I care if you’re vaccinated. Also I don’t want you to die or suffer from long Covid. If you are medically able, please get vaccinated. If a loved one is medically unable to get vaccinated, maybe you should try surrounding that dry kindling with wet logs.

Science Nerd Jenn is back to checking case numbers daily and reading a bunch on the subject. (Honestly, most days I want to know where to turn in my credentials because everyone seems to have forgotten basic middle school science.) A few recent articles of interest …

A local superintendent was attributed with a zinger of a sentiment. “ … many people in the district have decided that preventing the spread of COVID is not is of critical importance.”

Hospitalization of children for Covid is increasing, which is sobering.

I’ve been reading lots from The Atlantic and likely will go down the rabbit hole of reading more soon. Their articles tend to be lengthy but thought provoking. Here’s one about the delta variant changing things …

… and here’s one talking about coronavirus becoming endemic versus eradicated.

In the words of Hulk Hogan, take your vitamins and say your prayers.

Plus vaccinate, mask, wash hands, distance, etc.

Stay safe and stay healthy, friends.

And the World Keeps Spinning

A funny thing happened on the way to the cake shop.

I mean, at least I got cake out of the deal. Mini bundts, to be exact.

I headed to the city in the early afternoon to pick up two online orders – one a birthday cake surprise, one the usual groceries. Traffic seemed a mite heavy for midday this far out in the boonies. A slow, possibly nervous left lane driver turned out to be the culprit, causing the general driver sentiment on the freeway to reach the category of Annoyed for miles. And miles.

I didn’t recall storm warnings from my last forecast check or walk-by the news. Late August hot and humid so always a chance of late afternoon thunderstorms I had in mind. The look of the sky, though, said storm warning.

Hmmm. Wonder if I’ll hit rain or if it will skirt north. Or if it will just look threatening but not really do anything.

I hit rain.

And then heavy rain.

Right after most of us had managed to navigate around Mr. Nervous Nellie and get back up to the speed limit.

So I slowed back down. Oh well, I’ll pick the things up when I pick the things up.

And the sheets of rain came down. Walls of rain. Tidal waves of rain. Buckets and cats and dogs and flying cows.

At least my car was getting a good wash.

I glanced at the display panel. The outside temperature had dropped fourteen degrees. I wondered if the barometric pressure had dropped to the lowest level since the Blizzard of ’78.

I settled in for a few more miles of what had turned into a harrowing drive. Hoping I’d be able to see anyone in front of me going super slow. Hoping I’d be able to see anyone who felt the need to pull onto the berm and stop for a while.

A souped up red sport car I’d been sharing the road with passed me. It was quite a few car lengths ahead, but still visible, when suddenly it was perpendicular with its tail end headed for the median.

One of those scenes it takes your brain a second to process.

I slowed way down.

Red sports car dude appeared to be safely parked in the grass in the edge of the median after his spinout. No harm, no foul as best I could tell. Other than to people’s blood pressure.

Hmmm. Life really can change in an instant.

And the world keeps spinning. And sometimes that includes cars and people.

Heavy Lifting

I exhaled and we sighed collectively.

“There are a lot of heavy things going on right now.”

We shared our individual heavy things. The usual stuff of life. Work, family, friends with tough medical diagnoses.

And then there’s Afghanistan. I barely have words for the humanitarian crisis that’s going on. A crisis that perhaps could have been averted. There are effective ways of dealing with evil in the world – ways that won’t be palatable to one hundred percent of the people one hundred percent of the time, and then there are ineffective ways.

And then there’s Covid. Case numbers are surging here in the US, like in many parts of the world. The anti-maskers are still vehemently anti-mask. The anti-vaxxers are still vehemently anti-vax. Since hospitalizations and deaths are about ninety-nine percent unvaccinated (or at least high nineties), my advice is get vaccinated. If you’re among those blessed souls who have been advised against Covid vaccination (now or at all) by a legit healthcare professional familiar with your medical history, I’d say hunker down and return to hermit mode as best you can until this surge passes. Please don’t self-diagnose yourself (yes, that phrase is probably redundant) as ineligible for the shot – ask your doctor.

Here in Ohio our legislature passed a law giving themselves the power to immediately rescind any health orders issued by the governor or public health director. Soooo … in the event of a public health emergency – you know, like a pandemic – basically it’s everyone for themselves. Soooo … when my actions in public can have a profound effect on the health of others …

Now you know why I’ve been living the hermit life through much of the Covid pandemic.

Indeed, if our state had less thoughtful and qualified leaders making public health decisions over the last year+, we would have been in a pickle. Balancing health, individual rights, and the economy isn’t easy. And there needs to be a balance. So I get what the legislature was getting at.

But eh, what’s a few more dead and disabled.

“And then there’s the earthquake in Haiti.”

“That’s it! I knew there was something else big, I just couldn’t remember what it was. Ugh. It’s all a lot.”

A large percentage of the prayers in the bible are laments. There’s a whole book in the Old Testament called Lamentations. Many of the Psalms are laments – the Google gives me quite a range, so we’ll leave that research for another time.

If there were ever a time for lament, now seems like a good time.

Lament, read some laments, and pray over all the lamentable things.

It’s all heavy lifting.

This hummingbird had something to lament the other day – it couldn’t find its way out of the garage.

Heavy lifting, blackberry cobbler edition. Seriously, it weighed as much as a small human.

Apparently it’s all about courtship. Not sure if that’s lamentable or not.

Do you ever feel like your cheese is falling off your cracker? Or the top layer of your birthday cake is sliding off?

Not sure what happened here, but remember cleanliness is next to Godliness.

Barbie looks like she has something to lament.

Keep On Keeping On

Have you ever paused in this whirlwind of a life and wondered, “What was it I did in the last week again?”

Or month, year, etc.

That’s me today.

Well, there was a funeral for a friend’s dad … and calling hours … and lots of laundry … and an overnight trip … and oh yeah, the new fridge arrived, so there was lots of moving around of food to and from the big freezer and coolers while the thing cooled down enough.

And trying to locate specific food items in the meantime.

In other words, life.

I also listened to N.T. Wright’s God and the Pandemic three times. A friend’s post of a quote from the book a couple weeks ago reminded me I had wanted to read it. The audiobook is only three hours long, so multiple listens are quite doable. Three listens and three hours … I guess I’m being extra trinitarian. But erudite Oxford theologian? I probably need to read more of his work.

Some of the key takeaways, without giving away the entire book …

Lament is the first proper Christian response to the pandemic …

“Our culture is afraid of grief” …

Romans 8:28 “is not a Christian version of stoicism” (i.e. anything bad that happens must be for the greater good so it’s fine), but more likely is saying God works through and with those who love him in order to accomplish the greater good.

All good food for thought.

Another friend shared this short video of Brant Hansen speaking about righteous anger. I’ve written here before about righteous anger, wondering whether many or most claims of righteous anger are righteous at all. Hansen wrote a book several years ago called Unoffendable, which I’ve put on hold with the library.

That’s what’s in my head at the moment. Everyone keep on keeping on with life. That’s what I’m gonna do.

I Know Nothing

Some of my faith in humanity was restored this week. A nice lady told me to go in front of her at the self-checkout at Wally World. I had two items and she had half a cart full. We had a lovely conversation while I scanned my things and went on my way.

Later that day a friend shared a truth they were reminded of. I’ve been ruminating on it since.

We can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped.

We can be so sure we know what someone needs or what they should do. Sometimes we’re flat out wrong, of course, but even when we’re right … sometimes our help is unwelcome.

Recall Jesus’ instructions as he sent out his disciples.

If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. ~Matthew 10:14

I mean, who doesn’t need the gospel? Everyone needs the good news, right? I like how The Message translation puts it.

When you knock on a door, be courteous in your greeting. If they welcome you, be gentle in your conversation. If they don’t welcome you, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way. You can be sure that on Judgment Day they’ll be mighty sorry—but it’s no concern of yours now. ~Matthew 10:13-15 (MSG)

That can be a hard pill to swallow. Who doesn’t want to be listened to? Who doesn’t want to be respected for their knowledge and expertise? Whether that knowledge is the good news of the gospel or something else.

And if it’s a loved one who refuses to listen? That can be extra difficult to accept. You’re just trying to help, right?

But some people don’t want to be helped.

I’m reminded of the sick man by the pool at Bethesda. Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed.

Soon another Feast came around and Jesus was back in Jerusalem. Near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there was a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda, with five alcoves. Hundreds of sick people—blind, crippled, paralyzed—were in these alcoves. One man had been an invalid there for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him stretched out by the pool and knew how long he had been there, he said, “Do you want to get well?” ~John 5:1-6

We read that passage and think, “What an odd question. Who doesn’t want to be healed?”

But some, when it comes down to it, don’t want to be.

They may be afraid of change in some way. Healing = good. Increased responsibilities and expectations that might come with healing = scary.

They may resist changing their mind on an issue lest they appear unintelligent. Has anyone seen people doubling down on their positions in the last couple of years, even in the face of new or changing information?

I do think it’s healthy to ask ourselves if we want to be healed. Of whatever it is we’re struggling with or stressing about.

Do I want to be healed and face whatever change might come with it, or do I just want to complain?

Do I want to be healed or do I want to be right?

Do I want to be healed or do I want to look smart?

Do I want to be healed or do I want to win?

Do I want to be healed or do I just not want to change?

I don’t know that any of those things are mutually exclusive. Who knows.

Honestly, even when I know the things … I know nothing.

It used to say “Spam Risk”. Telemarketer? Eh, I don’t want their help.

Whiteness and Toxic Masculinity

“I need more white paint chips to choose from.”

“Okay, I’ll stop by the store soon and get a bunch. How white are you wanting the cabinets?”

“Very white.”

Have you ever looked at paint color names and wondered how they come up with them? Or thought you could do so much better? I mean, there were a couple of whites in the white section called something gray, but clearly they were a shade of white.

I have no idea.

Here, for your amusement and mine, are white paint color names I’d like to see used. Any similarity to trademarked names already in use is purely coincidental

White White

Super Duper White

Really Really White

Very White

Extremely White

Brilliant White

Sparkling White

Gleaming White

Pure White

The Whitest White in the History of White

Whiter than White

Ice Ice Baby

Mary’s Little Lamb (You may recall its fleece was white as snow.)

Joel Osteen’s Teeth

Transfiguration

Only White

Nothing But White

So White It’s Racist

I’ll stop there.

In other news, I’ve been listening to the new The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast by Christianity Today. You may or may not be familiar with the now defunct Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington, and its founding pastor Mark Driscoll. (I knew only a little.) Viewer discretion is strongly advised, but if you want some insight into why so many people are fed up with evangelical churches, megachurches, and Christianity in general, it’s important content.

A couple things have struck me so far while listening to the podcast. Abuse (spiritual, verbal) was excused because “look at the fruit!”, meaning large numbers of new church members, baptisms, etc. I’ve heard those exact words used in other settings to justify behavior that was anything but Christlike. While I believe God can and does use / redeem anything to accomplish his purposes, that doesn’t mean we should excuse the bad stuff, that we should have done the bad stuff, or that we should ever do the bad stuff again.

Grace and forgiveness rule, but so do boundaries when necessary.

As I have sat with that “but look at the fruit” line, I came to a realization. Spiritual abuse isn’t committed only by those with conservative views. It may be more common on the conservative end of the religious spectrum, but it can happen in any setting.

The other thing that hit me is … was Mark Driscoll the inspiration for the term “toxic masculinity”? Being conservative and somewhat traditional in certain ways, I have rolled my eyes over that phrase. What’s wrong with masculinity? I like masculine men. But the behavior and the doctrine espoused by this pastor from the pulpit? Wow. I have even more compassion than I already did for survivors of church hurt / abuse.

As with most situations in life, people are almost never one hundred percent bad or one hundred percent good. The lingering question is … how did Mars Hill happen, how was it allowed to happen, and what can we learn from it? Definitely worth a listen.

Love, peace, and grace to you all.

So this was on when I walked past the tv.

Keep looking up, even if it’s hazy and askew.

Prophetic Words

A friend asked for a “prophetic word”.

I don’t think I’ve ever been asked for a prophetic word before. But then I didn’t grow up in a charismatic tradition.

I paused, took a breath, and repeated the first thought that popped into my head.

“It’s all okay. It’s all going to be okay.”

“How do you do that?”

I guess what I said was helpful? I figured it was trite. True, but trite.

“I don’t know. Get quiet, take a breath, and try as best I can to empty my mind.”

“How do you know when you’re hearing from God?”

Um, I don’t ever know one hundred percent.

Do you know how many times I’ve misheard the Holy Spirit?

I do pray often to hear God’s voice only. (And not my own and not the enemy’s and not anyone else’s.)

I don’t know that I have any prophetic words. Maybe just things I’ve learned while living life.

It’s about learning to trust. To trust that He has things handled.

In a world that does anything but breed trust, isn’t that a challenge.

In a world that encourages us all to be control freaks, isn’t that a challenge.

Obedience, faithfulness, dilgence are our responsibility. Results are His.

My prophetic word is that the Whit’s Frozen Custard 3-scoop flight for Restaurant Week is delicious.

Pool Day

Today’s musings brought to you by oh-my-gosh-the-weather-actually-looks-like-a-pool-day. So we’ll keep it short and sweet.

Also happy belated Bastille Day.

The weather around here has been a mixed bag of beautiful summer days and uncharacteristically mild, sometimes even cold, rainy days. While I don’t do great with temperature extremes, some hot weather sans thunderstorms would be nice.

I finished up an audiobook on World War II British women codebreakers, The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, and I’ve been catching up on podcasts. A couple episodes worthy of checking out …

Ragamuffin Band member Jimmy Abegg appears on the True Tunes podcast for a cool conversation about music, art, life, and dealing with blindness. There is a notable interlude by the host discussing Peter Gabriel’s seminal work, the album So from the mid-80s.

James Bryan Smith hosts a conversation with Casey Tygrett on his Things Above podcast “about the impact the pandemic has had on us now that we have been dealing with it for over a year.” A couple of notable points … the importance of recognizing how good God has made the physical world … and the story of Warren Zevon, when asked by David Letterman what he knew when dealing with terminal cancer that David didn’t, responding, “How good a sandwich is supposed to taste.”

Everyone go listen to some cool stuff and appreciate God’s creation. And maybe have a sandwich.