Back to School

Just a little double rainbow to brighten your day! 

Well, it seems that I am returning to my roots and heading back to the classroom.  No, not literally.  But definitely figuratively.

I was one of those weirdos who enjoyed school.  Maybe enjoyed is not the right word.  I really loved school.  I am a curious bird and loved the challenge of following unknown paths to arrive at a breathtaking waterfall.

I admit -- this isn't something I was doing in 3rd grade or even as a junior in high school.  There, I was frankly only obsessed with sports and boys.  But by the time I rounded out my college years and all through law school, I developed an interest and curiosity for deep research into many different areas.  And I spent most of my legal career performing complex research for an appellate judge.

One surprise for me -- law school radically changed how I read my Bible.  Beforehand, I read it almost out of obligation or responsibility.  I picked up the surface applications and went about my day.  But in law school, we learned (and were required) to dissect and scrutinize every single word.  What is the background?  What are the rules of interpretation?  Why did the author choose NOT to say something?  Asking questions such as these helps us get a stronger and more beautiful understanding of Scripture.  As my history professor always reminded us, "Truth Never Fears A Challenge."

{I have just begun Beth Moore's study on James, and she is doing just this -- digging and digging through each and every word of Scripture to try and gain a better understanding of Jesus and the Great Story He is writing.}

And now, my curiosities have been piqued again, and my mind's researching wheels are a turning!

What am I eating?  What am I feeding my kids?  Where did it come from?  How did it get into my home?

Just a few basic questions that have prompted me to begin the dig.

And I'm uncovering quite a bit of stinky stuff.

I would have labeled our family's eating habits as "pretty healthy."  We ate whole grain bread, kept fruits and vegetables as part of every meal, handed out granola bars and "nutri" grain bars as snacks, and ate popcorn with no butter.

We live in the United States of America, for crying out loud.  Stores are surely not allowed to sell food that is bad for us, or harmful to our kids, right?  And with all of these labeling requirements, and the good 'ole FDA, we would surely know if they did so, right?

Well, if you want to have your world rocked a little bit, just start googling "genetically modified organisms."  Or better yet, watch a video explaining what "xantham gum" is (one of the regular ingredients in "gluten free" foods sold in stores).  And if you're wanting some extra credit in today's class, take a look at this video.


(I'm not taking any credit for these things.  I am definitely not the original source.  But, again, thank you to those who have been educating me on some of the basics and pointing me down the right paths of research).

Learning some of this makes me plain mad.   And, at first, it made me almost start to hyperventilate.  What in the world would my 4 growing kids, marathon-training hubby, and food-loving self eat??

Well, tonight, for example, we had a delicious chicken and veggie dish, and I made the kids "ice cream" for dessert.  (coconut/almond milk, frozen banana, frozen strawberries, 2 spoons of honey)

They approved!

(she was giving it "2 thumbs up"  =)

And I am munching on yummy frozen grapes right now.

It would have been a perfect evening.  Would have been.

But it concluded with sweet Caleb running through the playroom (while playing a game with daddy) and ending up like this.

There was blood everywhere, and we will be making a trip to the doctor for sutures in the morning.

My new motto for this stage of life:  Embrace the Crazy.