INSERT INTO `wp_d8mand_comments` (`comment_ID`, `comment_post_ID`, `comment_author`, `comment_author_email`, `comment_author_url`, `comment_author_IP`, `comment_date`, `comment_date_gmt`, `comment_content`, `comment_karma`, `comment_approved`, `comment_agent`, `comment_type`, `comment_parent`, `user_id`, `comment_subscribe`) VALUES
(1090, 260, 'Cindy', 'cynsewell@gmail.com', '', '209.117.148.2', '2009-02-09 10:04:41', '2009-02-09 14:04:41', 'Speaking from the perspective of 22+ years in a one bathroom house with 2 daughters and having toyed with the idea of an addition on and off over the years. This to shall pass. Now the house is "just right", the girls have grown up and moved out. We all survived and everyone knows the art of taking a 3 minute shower. This experience has proven invaluable for the daughter who is a new mom while the other has 4 roommates now so she is always balancing bathroom time. But the real question is this - would I ever buy a one bathroom abode again? NOOOOOOOOOO but at least I know I could survive.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1092, 258, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '76.227.78.8', '2009-02-09 12:18:25', '2009-02-09 16:18:25', 'TJ, it''s taken me SO long to realize that it''s OK to say "I''m not sure, but this is kind of what my gut is telling me," in regards to faith questions. I always feel like people will call me out if I admit I can''t explain something, 100%, but I''ve found they actually seem relieved and respect me more. I''ve also found it really helps me to be able to admit that I often feel a bit embarrassed by this topic. Little by little, very slowly, I''m learning how to talk about these weighty topics. :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(399, 213, 'Kandie Waggoner', 'kandiewag@mac.com', 'http://kandiewag@mac.com', '76.226.230.95', '2009-01-10 18:19:50', '2009-01-10 22:19:50', 'Hi Kristin, Perhaps you will remember me, I am Brent''s mom.  He said you had become friends on Facebook.  I have been reading your blog and find that you are a gifted writer.  Your latest one about remembering when critical things happen and you turn a corner struck a cord.  I have been at that place many times in my life and  have come to believe that corners just keep coming and that it is a good thing as that is how we grow in our knowledge of ourselves.  Keep up the beautiful writing.  Please say hi to your mom and dad and feel free to share this e-mail with them.  You can see what I have been up to on Facebook if you want to become friends.  \r\nTake care.  Best  Kandie', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_5; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.2 Safari/525.20.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(739, 233, 'Joi T.', 'joitennant@verizon.net', 'http://TrackBack', '98.115.32.153', '2009-01-25 20:13:53', '2009-01-26 00:13:53', 'I think what happened to you, Kristin, is what Debby Topliff is talking about.  Yes, certainly in life coincidences or synchronicity happen to everyone in ways that sometimes knock your socks off.  But if you are intentionally "keeping a channel of the brain tuned to God''s station," as Debby calls it, and you turn off the other noise and confusion in your brain occasionally, then the "still small voice" of God will nudge you.  I honestly believe that God does not steer us around, puppet fashion, but when we are ready and open to listening, we will begin to realize that over and over again we have previously ignored the gentle nudging to which we now are tuned in and listening.  This is an amazing discovery that comes as we purposefully seek relationship with God.  And I do think that God''s voice is almost imperceptible for the very reason that God does not cross the line that gives us freedom to live totally independent from him until we choose to come to that decision to listen.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/312.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Safari/312.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(742, 143, 'Betty Duffy', 'bettyduffy2@yahoo.com', 'http://bettyduffy.blogspot.com', '67.177.100.218', '2009-01-25 22:49:26', '2009-01-26 02:49:26', 'Sorry for all the dangling participles, split infinitives, and passive tenses up there.  I''m a grammar freak, but writing with a frustrated nursing baby on my lap has allowed me to let it go tonight (in spite of my shame).', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(743, 233, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-26 00:34:04', '2009-01-26 04:34:04', 'Anne, thanks for your stories. The one about the tree is so wild. Regarding your MIL, although I don''t think angels are actually "whispering" to me, I do really like thinking about these moments as whispers, that we''re often to busy to listen to. And I really like this conclusion you came to: "It’s our job to stand back and be open…"\r\n\r\nWendy, you inspired me to look up the definitions of "synchronicity" and "serendipity"—they''re both words I tend to not use, and I realized I didn''t really know exactly how they are different. You are absolutely right, "synchronicity" is the right word for these instances. It''s too bad I can only think of The Police album when I hear the word, though!\r\n\r\nJessica, that''s a really difficult thing to sort through. When I married my first husband because I thought I "was supposed to," and then when we moved to a place I didn''t want to move to, because I thought I "was supposed to," I was really angry for a while. Since then, two important things have shifted in my understanding. One has to do with time passing, which has allowed me to see the bigger picture and understand things that I couldn''t grasp when I was in the middle of the mess. The other is that I don''t really believe in "fate" any more—at least not in the idea of a single destiny laid out for each of us. We have a lot of freedom, and I believe God has a lot of power to redeem anything we hand him, if we''re open to it. \r\n\r\nDebby, "strolling with the lamb" is a great image. I''m also really glad you brought prayer into the discussion, and I like how you referenced "keeping a channel of the brain tuned to God’s station." Thanks so much for contributing your pieces of wisdom.\r\n\r\nJoi, this seems exactly right: "...when we are ready and open to listening, we will begin to realize that over and over again we have previously ignored the gentle nudging to which we now are tuned in and listening." It is clear to me, when I look back on the most difficult times in my life, that I consciously did not want to listen. But at the same time, I was being cared for by God then too, in many subtle ways I probably did not even recognize at the time. It''s very complicated!\r\n\r\nChristine, with every comment I read, I am given a slightly new way to think about this, and wrap my mind around the issue! Your comment about "open[ing] ourselves up to the remarkable" reminds me that we need to believe that these moments can happen—even the most absurd, surprising of them. It''s really a form of extra-creative hope, isn''t it?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(744, 143, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-26 00:49:57', '2009-01-26 04:49:57', 'Betty, thanks for following up. I''ll have to think about this a bit more—a follow up post is a great idea. \r\n\r\nI wonder if maybe I don''t have a problem with the idea of "shame," but perhaps with the word, which is so often directed towards children ("shame on you!") and dogs. :) And maybe when the word "shame" used in connection to sex and sexuality, it makes me particularly worry about all of the damage that can do later on. \r\n\r\nI do appreciate this thought, though: "[shame] is a signal to me that my life requires some examination and change..." Can we come up with a word that''s better than "shame," though? "Guilt," as a word, has its own problems, but it seems more introspective to me, while "shame" seems more often directed from one person to another.  Maybe we should make up a new word! Christians could use some new words. So many of the old ones have too much baggage.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(763, 241, 'Megan', 'dryas@theedge.ca', 'http://www.snowcoveredhills.com', '216.108.4.72', '2009-01-26 12:29:41', '2009-01-26 16:29:41', 'I like the change.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; GTB5)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(762, 241, 'mommyknows', 'kim@mommyknows.com', 'http://mommyknows.com', '68.150.199.3', '2009-01-26 11:59:57', '2009-01-26 15:59:57', 'I love the new design! The header is fabulous :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(772, 241, 'Rebecca', 'rlthorman@gmail.com', 'http://modite.com/blog', '69.128.50.90', '2009-01-26 17:25:45', '2009-01-26 21:25:45', 'It looks fabulous! You should always announce celebrations, successes and changes. People are busy and grateful to have been notified so we can share in the happiness :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(767, 241, 'Jamie Simmerman', 'mt12mindset@gmail.com', 'http://blueduckcopy.com', '75.219.245.71', '2009-01-26 13:30:02', '2009-01-26 17:30:02', 'Oh, I think I could hang out here! I love the new look. Ryan Rocks!  :D', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(770, 241, 'Laura', 'delightedscribbler@gmail.com', 'http://delightedscribbler.blogspot.com', '66.141.187.102', '2009-01-26 16:56:22', '2009-01-26 20:56:22', 'Congrats on the "redecorating". I especially like the color pallet. It''s comfortable.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X; en-US; rv:1.8.1.14) Gecko/20080404 Firefox/2.0.0.14', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(771, 231, 'Laura', 'delightedscribbler@gmail.com', 'http://delightedscribbler.blogspot.com', '66.141.187.102', '2009-01-26 17:12:08', '2009-01-26 21:12:08', 'Love your post. And, yeah, physical affection matters. Holding hands, leaning on each other, arms wrapping around your waist... The comfort of it makes you feel like you can take whatever life throws at you, doesn''t it?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X; en-US; rv:1.8.1.14) Gecko/20080404 Firefox/2.0.0.14', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(769, 241, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.12.145.37', '2009-01-26 16:05:28', '2009-01-26 20:05:28', 'Oh boy. I''m must be going through half asleep. I didn''t notice the design until you mentioned. Then, I scrolled up and it was obvious it had been redesigned. Thanks for waking me up. Ha. I really like the subscribe and twitter icons. The design is so clean. I like it.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(415, 211, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-11 16:46:37', '2009-01-11 20:46:37', 'Lance, thanks so much for sharing your own stories. I love seeing how they add complexity and meaning to my experiences. I''ve also been thinking about how much lessons like this one--that small can be big and numbers aren''t everything--apply to so many aspects of my life, from my work to faith to how I see myself. This is why I can''t write a blog that''s just focused on one aspect of who I am--it''s all connected!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(416, 213, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-11 17:07:20', '2009-01-11 21:07:20', 'Elaine, your story is an amazing one--you can share it with me as many times you want, in as many different ways as you can think of. What''s so amazing about these stories, and is a big part of why we must remember them, is that how we understand the stories and what we learn from them changes as we change. New life lessons and new perspectives can keep emerging from the same "old" stories, along with new healing and hope. Pretty amazing.\r\n\r\nI''m glad, too, that you said what you did about not even being able to pray. I''ve learned that it''s OK to be in that place from time to time, in our darkest moments. \r\n\r\nKandie, I''m so glad you found my blog and left a comment. Thank you for your kind words about my writing, and for sharing your wisdom about corners--how they keep coming and how they allow us to "grow in our knowledge of ourselves."', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(417, 206, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-11 17:19:46', '2009-01-11 21:19:46', 'Jennifer, how wonderful that you discovered this aspect about your personality when you did, and that you had someone tell you clearly and firmly what to do with that information. Having the support of your husband along the way is key, I think. As someone who has been through a divorce, I feel very strongly that half the struggle of marriage would fade if couples simply took the time to really understand and accept the other person''s individual quirks and needs. As humans, we spend far too much time trying to change ourselves and others.\r\n\r\nThanks for reading--I''m a fan of your blog!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(780, 233, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-26 23:52:10', '2009-01-27 03:52:10', 'Urban Panther, I agree with you—these moments are probably happening or on the verge of happening far more often than we realize. And maybe once we start noticing them, it triggers a snowball effect. Wouldn''t that be cool?\r\n\r\nJenx67, you''re good when you''re short on time. :) So many great references for me to look into further (and you even threw Oprah in, for good measure!). Yes, the power of the soul is huge. I believe in it because I don''t see any other explanation for many experiences I''ve had and stories I''ve heard. Thanks for so many good thoughts and ideas to ponder.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(779, 231, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-26 23:41:18', '2009-01-27 03:41:18', 'Laura, thanks for reading and commenting. Life throws plenty at us, doesn''t it? We need a good store of whatever strength and fueling we can get.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(423, 211, 'blackwasp19', 'joshuacanada@gmail.com', 'http://www.blackwasp19.wordpress.com', '67.162.88.111', '2009-01-11 23:35:17', '2009-01-12 03:35:17', 'I general, don''t value large churches, but I have learned that come in different forms. I have been humbled by friends/acquaintances who work in large churches that really are having an impact in their community. \r\n\r\nI think we can easily make the size of a church and idol (be it wanting to have a big or a small church). There are churches of both sizes that aren''t being what they should be. I think the important issue is focusing on the quality of our Christian communities. When size trumps quality we begin to veer off track.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(781, 241, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-27 00:09:51', '2009-01-27 04:09:51', 'Jen, thanks! I need all the cheerleaders I can get!\r\n\r\nTJ, yes, you said "cute." And remember, my husband created those icons for me—I''m not sure how he''s going to feel about "cute." (Although he''s super cute, so he should be fine.) I highly recommend making yourself think about categories. I really resisted, and just wanted to let everything run all together, because that''s the way my life works, but now I''m glad I sorted it out a bit. It was an interesting process.\r\n\r\nmommyknows, thanks! There''s a story behind the banner illustration. A friend created it about two years ago for our wedding invitations. The building on the left is our church, where we met and got married; the building in the middle is a bar/club we really like, where we''ve danced and had fun with friends, and where we had our post-wedding party; and the house on the right is home. Finding balance and being myself in these three realms is what Halfway to Normal is all about!\r\n\r\nMegan, thanks for saying so! Change is good, isn''t it?\r\n\r\nJamie, I hope you do lots of hanging out here. (And yes, three cheers for Ryan and Sarah.)\r\n\r\nJenx67, isn''t that funny? That''s what I''m realizing more and more: we ARE really overly conscious of self and underly conscious of others. We should all get into the practice of waking each other up more, don''t you think?\r\n\r\nLaura, comfortable is important, isn''t it? Sometimes it seems vain to focus too much on how I look or how my blog looks, but when I feel like myself in my skin and my spaces, it really matters.\r\n\r\nRebecca, yes! As I said to Jenx67, we should help each other along more and bring others into the celebration, rather than take it personally when people don''t notice on their own.\r\n\r\nKelvin, seriously?!? That''s pretty funny, and sort of sad, too. Do you think people noticed but felt strange mentioning it, the way people avoid telling others they have food in their teeth?\r\n\r\nLisa, thanks for detailing what you like best about the new design. When I look at your avatar, I always imagine that you''re very observantly taking in the world as you walk. :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(783, 241, 'Matt Cheney', 'matt@gopherdogs.com', 'http://www.alt-mba.com', '75.191.186.14', '2009-01-27 02:34:29', '2009-01-27 06:34:29', 'I just started reading your blog through <a href="http://www.chuckwestbrook.com" rel="nofollow">Chuck''s project.</a> I really enjoy the flow of your writing. It''s light and serious at the same time. I also feel like you are letting us get a sneak peek of (your) real life.\r\n\r\nAnd I absolutely love the blog design. Great use of colors and logos. It feels very clean and organized, and makes it easy to read. It''s a bummer that 95% of the time I''ll be reading your posts through my RSS reader. Thanks for sharing your stories!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) NetNewsWire/3.1.7b4', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(788, 241, 'Lance', 'lance@jungleoflife.com', 'http://www.jungleoflife.com', '65.29.12.59', '2009-01-27 07:53:33', '2009-01-27 11:53:33', 'Hi Kristin,\r\nI love the new look and feel!  You did well (the Oktober5 gang did well!)!  You know what I really like - it''s the little green circles that appear when I hover over the header and the different pages that you have - that is very cool!\r\n\r\nOh, and nice glasses too!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(793, 247, 'mommyknows', 'kim@mommyknows.com', 'http://mommyknows.com', '68.150.199.3', '2009-01-27 12:47:25', '2009-01-27 16:47:25', 'We struggle in the mornings. I strive everyday to stay cheerful, even through the lost mittens, hats, and homework. I am actually getting really good at it. I think it''s important for the kids to go to school without being yelled at. My husband is way behind me! I think they forgive him, because in general he is the nice, happy one! Right now, he is in the ''silent'' stage ... if you can''t say anything nice, don''t say anything at all.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(794, 247, 'TJ Hirst', 'tj@tjhirst.com', 'http://www.tjhirst.com/', '97.112.31.244', '2009-01-27 14:27:33', '2009-01-27 18:27:33', 'My mornings start early because I teach a religion class to high school students at 6:45 a.m. so I only have a few minutes with my younger children before we go off to the day. Like you said, the tone makes all the difference not only in how I start my day but in how they start theirs. I''ve been glad to see the best days are the ones when I don''t take that time to remind them of all the things they need to get done.  I think the opportunity to accompany my oldest daughter to the class as her teacher gives my husband opportunity to experience this, too. It has also changed mornings into more independent times for them to learn how to get their own attitudes "up" for the day.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(795, 233, 'The Modern Gal', 'themoderngal@gmail.com', 'http://themoderngal.blogspot.com', '75.148.60.50', '2009-01-27 15:33:12', '2009-01-27 19:33:12', 'I find it uncanny -- coincidental? -- to read this post now (I stumbled over here through Chuck Westbrook''s project). I''ve had two moments very much like this happen in the past two weeks with the same person. The first moment I passed off to coincidence. The second one, well, had me thinking that God was up to something. At the same time, because that person is sort of a love interest I''m worried about reading too much into it.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(804, 247, 'Urban Panther', 'urbanpanthers@gmail.com', 'http://www.urbanpantherslair.com', '24.202.155.36', '2009-01-27 19:43:54', '2009-01-27 23:43:54', 'Our mornings were going very smoothly. Then the Grandfather got the Little Lion a nerf gun for Christmas. Not a nerf gun pistol. NO! A super duper high powered machine gun. The Little Lion is so thrilled that he is getting up EARLY to stand in the kitchen and fire off rounds right past my ''dear lord I haven''t had my coffee yet'' head. \r\n\r\nMornings are not what they used to be.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SU 3.1; GTB5; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(440, 215, 'Lori-Lyn', 'lorilyn@gmail.com', 'http://www.lorilynh.typepad.com', '12.162.183.231', '2009-01-12 19:05:21', '2009-01-12 23:05:21', 'Oh, I love you and I love this blog. Thank you for writing so well about the things that are in my head (but that I can''t figure out how to write about.)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_5; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.2 Safari/525.20.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(839, 246, 'Rachel Cotterill', 'red83temp-blog@yahoo.co.uk', 'http://rachelcotterill.blogspot.com', '87.81.38.196', '2009-01-29 15:52:27', '2009-01-29 19:52:27', 'I wouldn''t see any people passing if I sat in my front porch, but I might see a deer or a fox or a woodpecker.  It''s all good :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(838, 246, 'JR Moreau', 'James.R.Moreau@gmail.com', 'http://notsoliteral.blogspot.com', '208.83.124.80', '2009-01-29 15:13:00', '2009-01-29 19:13:00', 'This was a beautiful piece. It really made my day.\r\n\r\nThe sense of "place" that I am searching for and have found at various points in my life, is a location that has a combination of still and moving features to it. A tree, a little bit of street traffic, some foot traffic is even better. The porch pace is the snow melting off a neighbors roof and the sound the melt water makes as it flows down to the street gutter. \r\n\r\nYou really inspired me with this post :-)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1160, 263, 'LisaNewton', 'lisajnewton@gmail.com', 'http://www.travelinlocal.com', '76.166.207.239', '2009-02-12 03:46:58', '2009-02-12 07:46:58', 'I couldn''t agree more with your post.  Parents and kids seem to be so wrapped up in planned play time that they have forgotten that unstructured play is also a learning experience.\r\n\r\nI''m not sure if this fits, but just the other day, I was talking to a friend of mine about a birthday party for his 8 year old daughter.  She wants to go horseback riding or rent some big time activity, neither of which he can afford.  I told him, at my kids birthday parties, we used to do arts and crafts activities.  \r\n\r\nIn fact, at one such party, we told all the girls to bring a plain white T-shirt, and we supplied the fabric paints and markers.  The girls first planned their designs on paper, then put them on the shirt.  They had so much fun, plus they got to take home a memory of the day.  My daughter was 8 at the time, and now she''s 22, but she still has that T-shirt.\r\n\r\nBTW, if you''re interested, I have a book I''m no longer using entitled, Teachables II, which is subtitled, Homemade Toys that Teach.  It''s full of projects using everyday household materials.  I''d love to send it to you.........................:)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; GTB5; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1639, 282, 'Rebecca', 'rlthorman@gmail.com', 'http://modite.com/blog', '69.128.50.90', '2009-02-27 19:37:03', '2009-02-27 23:37:03', 'I''ve commented before, obviously, but here''s something new about me that''s related to this post. I love blogging. Love, LOVE. But I''m worried that I''m building online relationships at the expense of real ones, and since I''ve never been good at letting people in in the first place, this is extra scary. Sigh. I feel better saying it out loud :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1637, 282, 'Cobalt-Blue', 'michelle.feelingroovy@gmail.com', '', '69.221.250.6', '2009-02-27 18:17:48', '2009-02-27 22:17:48', 'Hi KT,\r\n\r\nThis is a great idea-- finding out about your readers. I eat, breath, and sleep music. I teach it, perform it, and listen to it, and most of all LOVE it! Being classically trained, my new venture is playing in a jazz band. I read how your dad played his clarinet at your wedding. That must have been special. \r\n\r\nI enjoy reading your blogs because they make me think. \r\n\r\nTake care!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.2 Safari/525.20.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1632, 282, 'Laura Tamayo', 'delightedscribblers@gmail.com', 'http://delightedscribbler.blogspot.com', '66.140.47.35', '2009-02-27 16:02:53', '2009-02-27 20:02:53', '@Ashley - Chuck rocks! Thanks to his little experiment, I have several new great blogs on my reader, this one included.\r\n\r\n@Kristin. This idea isn''t stupid at all. I always wonder who''s lurking on my blog--other than my mom.\r\n\r\nSo here are three completely random things about me. And I just might follow TJ''s example and make a blog post of it. But that''s for another day. Here we go.\r\n\r\n1- I LOVE coffee. It''s not just the drink, it''s everything it encompasses. There are a million little lessons I learned overhearing my family talking over coffee. And so many moments with my husband, my friends, strangers, mentors, etc. Coffee is an experience... that tastes good with cream and sugar.\r\n\r\n2- I dream of having my own private library some day. So far I have about 500 books. \r\n\r\n3- There''s a whole mess of things I wish I wanted, but I don''t. You know, like I wish I wanted to be a vegetarian. It sounds so healthy and appealing. I especially think about it when I detox. But in the end, I don''t actually want to be one, I just wish I wanted to be one.\r\n\r\nAnyway, nice to meet you!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X; en-US; rv:1.8.1.14) Gecko/20080404 Firefox/2.0.0.14', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1631, 282, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-27 15:11:31', '2009-02-27 19:11:31', 'Quick note to all: When I wrote this post I was sort of worried it was a dumb idea, but I have to say how much I am LOVING hearing about all of you. Amazing. Keep it coming!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(821, 219, 'Laura', 'delightedscribbler@gmail.com', 'http://delightedscribbler.blogspot.com', '66.141.187.102', '2009-01-28 16:36:05', '2009-01-28 20:36:05', 'Great post and great saying. It reminds me of meditating. Of course, coming from the Buddhist Sherpas, that should be no surprise.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X; en-US; rv:1.8.1.14) Gecko/20080404 Firefox/2.0.0.14', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(822, 247, 'Alli Butler', 'alli@sydtech.com', '', '98.111.91.17', '2009-01-28 16:43:07', '2009-01-28 20:43:07', 'Oh, you just so hit the nail on the head with your "I set the tone" observation. Honestly, this is the area in your blogs where I truly feel a kinship with you and strain my neck from the nodding. You have mentioned this before - how spontaneous parties are often better than the well-planned ones, etc. You and I both seem to have this "lower your expectations" notion, but I think it''s more about allowing yourself to not be a total control freak and to not get worked up by chaos and frenzy. It''s sort of like a riptide - when you stop trying to swim against it and just go with the flow you are able to survive and maybe even enjoy the ride! :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(3479, 369, 'Genevieve Charet', 'genny_charet@ameritech.net', 'http://thealchemistblog.wordpress.com', '69.213.175.119', '2009-06-04 13:25:15', '2009-06-04 17:25:15', 'All hail the sherpa! Why is it that there are always exactly seven comments by the time I get to your posts?  New goal in life: be #6.\r\n\r\nQuick thought: when I remember myself as a child and the various things I "endured," I am struck by how little a concept I had of "being grateful for it later," of a "long-term" future in which I may be glad I had to do Activity X.  Heck, I even look back at some of my college classes, thinking, "My prof was right--I should have been collecting my work for a portfolio...I never would''ve thought..."  Which leads me to believe that the, "you''ll be glad when you''re an adult that you did this" thing isn''t great at motivating.  That being said, you still have to say it, because you want your kids to grow up and be all like, "Man, Mom and Dad were wise...I''m never going to tell them they were right."\r\n\r\nOne thing that I think does work is leveraging peers.  My best childhood friend had no interest in music until I started playing the flute---then she was all about it.  I almost dropped out of my watercolor classes--until my mom set me up on playdates with other young painters.  Suddenly I belonged somewhere--I had peers who were into it; and maybe it was a little bit of a competition, too.  And so the incentive to do it suddenly became my own, and I was motivated.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_4_11; en) AppleWebKit/525.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.2 Safari/525.22', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(3480, 369, 'Trina', 'colour144@yahoo.com', '', '75.159.46.147', '2009-06-04 14:03:34', '2009-06-04 18:03:34', 'Well, I havent found one perfect fit, and just when I think I have it figured, my child throws me a curve ball (without having practised :-) ) I am a firm believer in teaching them to love themselves, encouraging delayed gratification, and being proud of their accomplishments with out needing external acknowledgement.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-GB; rv:1.9.0.10) Gecko/2009042316 Firefox/3.0.10 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
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(3477, 369, 'Dorie Morgan', 'doriemorgan@gmail.com', 'http://www.dorieannmorgan.com', '64.205.169.122', '2009-06-04 11:25:32', '2009-06-04 15:25:32', 'Growing up, my mother was the task master. She made sure I practiced and had follow through and I resented her for it. She never made me start anything but she made me commit to it for one year. At the end of each year, I got to make the decision if I wanted to keep going (and I had to make that decision knowing she would probably push me harder the next year).\r\n\r\nI''m sure it wasn''t a fun job for her. It was probably made tougher because she let her father be the one to encourage me to do things for the love of doing them. My grandfather was the one who inspired me to work to be my best but he couldn''t have done that without the foundation my mother put in place.\r\n\r\nI may have been bitter over it when I small but as an adult, I really respect the way that my mother sacrificed my short-term love as a child for love and respect from me as an adult.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(836, 246, 'Jody', 'reviews@singleoftheday.com', 'http://singleoftheday.com', '69.228.4.216', '2009-01-29 13:00:24', '2009-01-29 17:00:24', 'I think I would have to move to a different location to get a cool porch. The amount of neighborhood that I can see from my front house area is pretty limited. Probably why I like to go out exploring via bike or car. As for the iPod walking by, I wonder, did it have music I wrote on it. :-)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(837, 241, 'Michael Van Houten', 'michaelvanhouten@sbcglobal.net', '', '64.199.9.162', '2009-01-29 13:45:19', '2009-01-29 17:45:19', 'Kristin...looks great! And the new site design isn''t bad either. Sorry, I couldn''t resist. Seriously, though, I noticed the new site design right away. Very nicely done.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_4; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.2 Safari/525.20.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(805, 247, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-28 00:06:04', '2009-01-28 04:06:04', 'mommyknows, that whole "if you can''t say anything nice" standard is a good one for us to set as parents, isn''t it? Especially in the mornings. If my kids can learn true kindness, I''ll be happy, even if they''re perpetually running a few minutes late for the rest of their lives.\r\n\r\nTJ, I''m still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that you have to be somewhere, all put together and ready to go, at 6:45. Yikes! I really like, though, what you said about mornings being a chance for your kids to learn some independence and to set their own moods for the day.\r\n\r\nJennifer, the joys and challenges, indeed! Although I''m a working mother, I have the benefit of starting my work day in sweat pants, at the dining room table, as needed. Thanks for reading and commenting.\r\n\r\nDaisy, this is just right: "All is well, except when it isn’t. And then, we cope. Don’t we all?" Yes, we do. It sounds like you''ve learned to take life as it comes, with grace.\r\n\r\nAshey, I like the idea of your dog getting riled up, although I''m sure the idea is more fun than the reality. :) The Emerson quote is PERFECT for this post. Thanks for sharing it with us.\r\n\r\nUrban Panther, like I said to Ashey, I''m really amused as I imagine your morning, even though the reality probably gets old. The Grandfather will have to pay, won''t he? (Btw, I too have a "‘dear lord I haven’t had my coffee yet’ head" in the morning.)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1638, 282, 'Pam', 'Pam_Sawyer_Ryan@yahoo.com', '', '98.212.139.125', '2009-02-27 18:49:25', '2009-02-27 22:49:25', 'Just discovered your blog and find it to be a great delight. Aside from the fact that we must be neighbors (I guess that makes me halfway to Normal also), I also just enjoy reading your perspective on spiritual issues and everyday life.\r\n\r\nLooking forward to enjoying your blog for a long time to come. Not sure if I will ever cross that line from “audienceâ€ to “friendâ€, but please know that I am an appreciative reader and a like-minded soul, nestled in this city-in-the cornfields.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; GTB5; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1176, 263, 'Ronnie Sue', 'apodacasue@yahoo.com', '', '76.251.215.183', '2009-02-12 18:49:23', '2009-02-12 22:49:23', 'Oh, you and your Little House on the Prairie...(hee, hee), but seriously, what fond memories I have of being at your house while you read a chapter to the girls each night, for the first time in their young lives, and they listened with such care to the story of Laura and her family''s daily adventures. And how excited they were waiting for the next night so they would hear more. \r\nYes, "The Last Child in the Woods" is a must read, in my opinion. Growing up on a farm, that also had many acres of wood, my childhood friends and I were able to spend entire days (packed lunches and all) completely free to enjoy all that nature had to offer us each day. And each day was unique in the very best of ways. It is my opinion, (along with a few Native Americans I know), that a kid has not lived his/her childhood unless they''ve broken a limb falling from a tree. I''m not wishing for this be any means, for my own kids, rather making a point. \r\nUnstructured time IS essential to our very health. And, unstructured time with a cat, dog, or a horse...all the better! Indoors or out, if anyone infringes upon my "free play time" they''ll be sure to see a bear. I protect my kids free time just a fiercely. There is enough time for the "should dos" in life.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(462, 215, 'Jen', 'jkluit@yaoo.com', 'http://jenluit.tumblr.com', '24.253.247.173', '2009-01-13 10:04:03', '2009-01-13 14:04:03', 'Kristin,Living in the Bible Belt, my opinions are kept close to the vest. I love that you are getting out there and getting after this guy. My favorite thing about old George is his constant gift of a laugh. While you are exactly right to call him out on his inability to identify true mistakes, you gotta give the guy credit. He is hilarious! Too bad we don''t need a National Comedian, but rather a leader. I''m excited about the next four years. \r\n\r\nI''m sure you''ll remember the last time he was asked that questions and literally could not think of even one singular mistake. \r\n\r\nI love catching up this way but I''d really rather sit down with you. I am fulllllll of questions.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X Mach-O; en-US; rv:1.8.1.20) Gecko/20081217 Firefox/2.0.0.20', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(465, 211, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '76.199.12.229', '2009-01-13 11:37:38', '2009-01-13 15:37:38', 'blackwasp19, that''s a great point--size can be an idol whether we''re idolizing big numbers or small ones. The quality of the Christian community is what counts, not the size of the community. \r\n\r\nI think your point applies to the practice of blogging, too (at least for me). By recognizing that numbers don''t always mean what they seem to mean, I''m more readily able to put them aside, give them less cred, and just focus on the quality of the content.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(466, 215, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '76.199.12.229', '2009-01-13 11:47:17', '2009-01-13 15:47:17', 'Lori-Lyn, you made my day with your kind words! Thanks for not just thinking them, but for also sharing them with me. \r\n\r\nJen, sharing our thoughts via blogs and comments is the next best thing to sitting down over a cup of coffee (which we also must make happen, asap).', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1180, 269, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.227.97.30', '2009-02-12 22:51:28', '2009-02-13 02:51:28', 'I really enjoy twitter and the small community i''ve developed on my blog and the communities i participate in on other peeps'' blogs, but i cannot stand facebook. don''t like it one bit. one, great big fake high school reunion every. single. day. chuck tweeted about it one day. did you catch it? the well-worded status updates that are like, "stressing out becaues i have to fly to rome on business." and, of course, the endless pictures people post of their perfect lives. this is why my profile picture is a horse. my insignificant rebellion. i might be crazy.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(470, 219, 'Jon Swanson', 'jnswanson@gmail.com', 'http://300wordsaday.com', '66.170.39.134', '2009-01-13 19:34:58', '2009-01-13 23:34:58', 'i don''t comment here often, if at all. Sorry. but i had to let you know I''m here.\r\n\r\nAnd the image is a wonderful one, and a necessary one. We (okay, I) rush. i decided what I need for MY spiritual sprinting. And I run ahead of myself (and God). \r\n\r\nSo thanks.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(824, 247, 'San Diego Momma', 'debawriter@yahoo.com', 'http://sandiegomomma.com', '99.132.70.181', '2009-01-28 20:52:25', '2009-01-29 00:52:25', 'Great reminders. I''m the master of beating myself up over "I could have done better," and I think being kind to others really does start with being kind to yourself.\r\n\r\nI love your thoughts on the body language and setting the tone in the morning. I know that''s absolutely true in my family and I aim to be more aware of the "vibes" I put out.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N');
INSERT INTO `wp_d8mand_comments` (`comment_ID`, `comment_post_ID`, `comment_author`, `comment_author_email`, `comment_author_url`, `comment_author_IP`, `comment_date`, `comment_date_gmt`, `comment_content`, `comment_karma`, `comment_approved`, `comment_agent`, `comment_type`, `comment_parent`, `user_id`, `comment_subscribe`) VALUES
(826, 247, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '65.48.4.170', '2009-01-28 22:00:26', '2009-01-29 02:00:26', 'Alli, I love the "riptide" metaphor—the idea of deciding to put an end to the struggle and maybe even enjoying ourselves. (And I like the image of you nodding your head vigorously as you read my blog. :)\r\n\r\nSan Diego Momma, yes! We have to learn to be kind to ourselves, and to think about the effect that can have on our children, along with the vibes we put out to them. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(474, 219, 'Lance', 'lance@jungleoflife.com', 'http://www.jungleoflife.com', '65.29.12.59', '2009-01-13 21:31:40', '2009-01-14 01:31:40', 'Hi Kristin,\r\nThis one resonates with me, too.  We race along (just today at work, I was thinking about how slow our Internet connection seemed) - frustrated by waiting.  We''ve become a society of "NOW".  And when NOW doesn''t happen fast enough, we get impatient.  And yet, like the sherpas, we should stop, look around, enjoy the view, and wait for our soul to catch up - I love that idea!  Thank you, Kristin, for this today...', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(825, 219, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '65.48.4.170', '2009-01-28 21:56:06', '2009-01-29 01:56:06', 'Laura, it''s interesting—I often think of meditating as some very complex, mystical practice, but it really is just about slowing down and waiting, isn''t it? When you think about it like that, it seems much more doable.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(477, 219, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-13 23:57:20', '2009-01-14 03:57:20', 'Jon, thanks for reading and for letting me know this idea connected with you. It sort of fits with your post today about focusing, which struck a chord with me. I guess we''re not alone in these daily struggles. Let me know if you have any luck in the upcoming weeks becoming more focused and slowing down, and what made the difference for you.\r\n\r\nLance, I''m glad the idea resonated with you, too. One of the things I like about it is how realistic it is. It doesn''t ask us to slow our pace overall, thus losing momentum in our climb. It allows us to be the driven people we are, in bursts, as long as we remember to pause along the way. Now if I can only figure out how to practice this wise concept!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(831, 246, 'Ari Koinuma', 'ari@ourbestversion.com', 'http://ourbestversion.com', '71.220.113.249', '2009-01-29 07:55:57', '2009-01-29 11:55:57', 'Along the same lines, it was important to us that we live in a neighborhood where we can walk to: a grocery store, a library, and a park.  We pay the premium for such a location, and our rented condo is small, but we are very much in touch with where we live.  \r\n\r\nari', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.4; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(830, 246, 'Kool Aid', 'grits336@yahoo.com', 'http://butterfliesinmyhand.blogspot.com', '76.114.65.183', '2009-01-29 07:48:20', '2009-01-29 11:48:20', 'I have really enjoyed your blog since it was introduced with Chris'' blog project.  This one in particular.  I love, love, love front porches.  The bigger, the better.  We haven''t ever lived in a neighborhood that sounds like yours and I think I would love it.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_4_11; en) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(829, 246, 'Zoe', 'zoe@zoewesthof.com', 'http://www.essentialprose.com', '125.25.83.62', '2009-01-29 07:45:28', '2009-01-29 11:45:28', 'Lovely little slices of life you''ve posted. \r\n\r\nI am always intrigued by the jobs here in Thailand that you would never see in the States now. The woman who rides down the street selling brooms from his cart; the man who sells ladders along the side of the road; the woman cooking noodles at a night market. \r\n\r\nThese little snippets are what form our memories of a place.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(832, 246, 'V-Grrrl', 'veronica@v-grrrl.com', 'http://www.v-grrrl.com', '72.196.223.218', '2009-01-29 08:14:56', '2009-01-29 12:14:56', 'My current neighborhood is a quiet one and the streets don''t see a lot of action. I used to live in a small apartment in the center of Brussels, Belgium, not far from the EU building. The best part of living there was getting to watch protesters fill the street. I loved all the marches downtown and the way Europeans zestfully participated in democracy.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; SU 3.1; .NET CLR 1.0.3705; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; IEMB3; IEMB3)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(835, 246, 'LisaNewton', 'lisajnewton@gmail.com', 'http://www.travelinlocal.com', '76.166.207.239', '2009-01-29 11:54:28', '2009-01-29 15:54:28', 'Love, love, love this post.  We often forget the beautiful places we live in, many times thinking it''s greener on the other side of the pasture.\r\n\r\nIt only takes a few minutes to stop and see the wonders right outside our front door, or porch as the case many be.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; GTB5; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1190, 269, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-02-13 19:00:01', '2009-02-13 23:00:01', 'I don''t go for the numbers on Twitter and Plurk, either. I''d rather follow people I''ve grown to know and like than strive for a mythical number goal. That''s not what it''s about for me.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2929, 353, 'Jon Swanson', 'jnswanson@gmail.com', 'http://300wordsaday.com', '70.106.166.22', '2009-05-18 17:00:10', '2009-05-18 21:00:10', 'nice summary, Kristin.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.10) Gecko/2009042316 Firefox/3.0.10', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1200, 269, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-14 03:23:26', '2009-02-14 07:23:26', 'jenx67, I really appreciate your profile picture—especially now that I know what''s behind it. :) And yes, I loved Chuck''s series of over-the-top Facebook status lines. It made me think of that famous job interview question—what is your biggest weakness?—and how people typically answer it (I''m a perfectionist, or a workaholic, etc.).\r\n\r\nDaisy, it''s good to know that people like you are out there, gradually getting to know others rather than trying to hit a goal. I''m sure there are plenty of other people who approach it like you do; unfortunately, the ones who are into stats and scores tend to be more in-your-face.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(492, 211, 'Heather', 'hmdillon@gmail.com', '', '76.195.221.204', '2009-01-14 17:29:10', '2009-01-14 21:29:10', 'This reminded me of our church in Bloomington--very small (approximately 20 people), but very active, having a major impact in people''s lives all around the world. I agree that our focus should be on quality, not on numbers, but something seems to happen when you are part of a small community. You feel a greater sense of responsibility, thinking, "If I don''t step up, get involved, take action, etc., then who will?" While I certainly think larger churches have the capacity to make an impact, I also think it''s easy to become a passive bystander, assuming that you don''t need to take action because someone else will.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(494, 219, 'Nick B.', 'nbreems@dordt.edu', '', '199.165.141.214', '2009-01-14 18:19:37', '2009-01-14 22:19:37', 'Hi Kristin:  Thanks for the reminder.  \r\n\r\nThere''s a North African proverb that the soul can travel no faster than a camel can walk.\r\n\r\nWith our busy lives and our computer-driven obsession with productivity and efficiency, some mental and/or spiritual camel-plodding might be just the thing.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(847, 246, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.12.145.37', '2009-01-29 23:39:31', '2009-01-30 03:39:31', 'p.s. my favorite tweets were the one from june 25. priceless', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(844, 246, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-01-29 20:15:33', '2009-01-30 00:15:33', 'I love front porches, and you would enjoy my neighborhood! Most houses on our block have old-fashioned porches. Ours doesn''t - any more. A neighbor found a historic photo of our house (from the 1940s, we think) and it has a classic porch across the front. \r\nSome day, we''ll put it back.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(846, 246, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.12.145.37', '2009-01-29 23:38:42', '2009-01-30 03:38:42', 'I live in a neighborhood that looks very similar to the one in the picture above. I''m a big believer in porches, too. I know a sociologist who wrote an entire dissertation on the disappearance of porches. Life changed for sure when we all started pulling into our garages. I once lived in a house for four years and saw my next door neighbors TWICE. Just one of the many reasons I returned to the urban frontier.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1206, 268, 'Dorie Morgan', 'doriemorgan@gmail.com', 'http://www.dorieannmorgan.com', '64.205.169.122', '2009-02-14 10:28:03', '2009-02-14 14:28:03', 'We use Valentine''s Day to bake cookies together but beyond that, my husband and I don''t celebrate it for each other. I''d rather gifts happen because one of us had an overwhelming urge to give than because we''re supposed to give a gift. And we treat Christmas the same way.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(853, 246, 'Christine', 'mrschattypants@gmail.com', 'http://mrschattypants.blogspot.com', '74.233.240.82', '2009-01-30 10:17:58', '2009-01-30 14:17:58', 'Loved your post about porches.  I , too, love porches and would love to have a house with a wrap around porch, some rockers and hang with my friends and family.  The only difference is we would be drinking margaritas!! LOL!! Great piece!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(850, 246, 'Barbara Swafford', 'barbara@bloggingwithoutablog.com', 'http://bloggingwithoutablog.com', '208.100.162.249', '2009-01-30 05:09:16', '2009-01-30 09:09:16', 'I also love porches.  I always wanted a farm house with a wrap around porch. I thought that would be so neat.  Maybe, someday.....', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1207, 268, 'Ryan', 'oktoberfive@gmail.com', 'http://oktober5.com', '69.247.78.160', '2009-02-14 10:51:50', '2009-02-14 14:51:50', 'I can relate to the feeling pressure associated with Valentine''s Day. It seems like a gauge for a relationship--how good Valentine''s Day is equals how good your relationship is. But the only reason we feel that is because we know people who believe it, having given in to the messages of florists and chocolatiers.\r\n\r\nI like what you said at the end, about Valentine''s Day being a reminder to spread love. That''s what it should be, I think. That''s the true meaning of Valentine''s Day :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009020911 Ubuntu/8.10 (intrepid) Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(854, 246, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '76.199.11.163', '2009-01-30 12:34:26', '2009-01-30 16:34:26', 'Zoe, the slices of your own life in Thailand are so fascinating! Thank you for giving the rest of us a glimpse.\r\n\r\nKool Aid, if you ever have a chance to live in a neighborhood with the kind of pedestrian activity mine sees, DO IT! I really think it increases my quality of life, in significant ways. (I''m glad you''re enjoying my blog, too!)\r\n\r\nAri, I couldn''t agree more. This is the third house I''ve owned, and for all three, being able to walk to stores, etc. was my #1 priority. Many days, our second car doesn''t leave the driveway, because we can walk to the bank, library, food co-op, farmer''s market, post office, bakery, etc. Our 10 and 12 year-old girls have even started to go on little adventures together, like to the library for an hour. Such a wonderful freedom.\r\n\r\nV-Grrrl, as I said to Zoe, I love getting glimpses of life in other countries. It''s so colorful, and refreshingly different from what we see—not better, just different. Thanks for sharing your memories of Brussels.\r\n\r\nLisaNewton, you are so right about how often we overlook and fail to appreciate the beauty around us. And I often think the beauty depends on the scenery, and forget the people and moments that populate the surroundings, whether they''re stunning mountains or flat prairies. \r\n\r\nJody, you''re smart to go off in search of activity, if it doesn''t come to you. (And I wish I knew what that girl with the i-Pod was singing!)\r\n\r\nJR, I hope you''re writing your own porch post. :) It sounds like you have a great start. I love the way you described the sense of place you long for in your own life. Thanks for being open to inspiration, and for sharing with the rest of us.\r\n\r\nRachel, yes, it is all good. As long as we''re aware, and taking it all in, right? I also think different people are drawn to different settings and scenes, which is only right and natural. \r\n\r\nDaisy, you really should put that porch back! What a noble cause that would be. :) \r\n\r\nJenx67, the photo is of my street—our house is about halfway down the block. (Didn''t you say to Chuck that he found your soul mate when he picked my blog? Sounds like we live parallel lives!) But back to porches, I think attached garages, privacy fences and big back decks are evil! I know that sounds extreme, but when you think about what it''s done to our neighborhoods and interactions with others, I don''t think it''s too strong a statement.\r\n\r\nBarbara, that wrap-around porch sounds like a good dream to have. :)\r\n\r\nChristine, we have the rockers on our porch. And a small table, where I set up shop with my laptop on days that aren''t too hot. I should also clarify that we''re big fans of margaritas on our porch, too. Mojitos are our signature porch drink, though, which is fitting because the mint and our other herbs grow in the garden surrounding the porch. (OK, now I''m really longing for summer. Look what you''ve done!)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(510, 211, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '76.199.12.229', '2009-01-15 12:12:33', '2009-01-15 16:12:33', 'Heather, thanks for bringing up that important difference between "small" and "big." Being a part of a smaller group or organization of any type does increase both your sense of ownership and responsibility. Even people who live in smaller towns vs. large cities can feel more responsibility AND feel more empowered to actually put their skills to use and have an impact.  Maybe that''s why it''s important to create a sense of identity as neighborhoods, within larger cities, and small groups within mega churches.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(511, 215, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '76.199.12.229', '2009-01-15 12:19:43', '2009-01-15 16:19:43', 'Brent, thanks so much for sharing your own experiences around this issue. As a freelancer, I often forget about that whole corporate piece, and it''s a daily reality for so many people. The learning and growing piece that you bring up is critical, too. I love the idea of leaders following their recognition of mistakes with a statement about what they learned. Very powerful.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(512, 219, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '76.199.12.229', '2009-01-15 12:24:12', '2009-01-15 16:24:12', 'Nick, it''s good to see you here! I love thinking of this as "mental and/or spiritual camel-plodding." Of course, my first, inward response to that image is impatience, but I know it''s good for me to struggle against that impatience and try to gradually recalibrate myself.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(855, 250, 'Lorna', 'lornae2@gmail.com', '', '128.174.138.78', '2009-01-30 15:07:07', '2009-01-30 19:07:07', 'I almost jumped right in before your twitter reply...so now that you''ve laid down the gauntlet I will be first anyway! \r\n\r\nHave you ever taken family vacations anywhere besides Michigan? Has the whole family been out to see Bill? (that doesn''t count as 2 questions by the way!) \r\n\r\nOk, your turn.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(868, 250, 'CJ', 'cejay@christopher-williams.com', 'http://cjw666.wordpress.com', '80.30.118.3', '2009-01-30 19:12:19', '2009-01-30 23:12:19', 'OK, if you insist ... how about a big question then? Your faith. Why do you feel the need for a faith at all? I''m agnostic (to make light of it), but I''m interested to know how you feel and, more importantly, why?\r\n\r\nOh, and if you really want to know - coffee - strong and black (one sugar please) :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(867, 250, 'The Modern Gal', 'themoderngal@gmail.com', 'http://themoderngal.blogspot.com', '67.187.116.24', '2009-01-30 19:02:32', '2009-01-30 23:02:32', 'Ok, I''ll ask a heavier question ... what do you find to be your most surprising lesson about love after all you''ve been through?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(866, 250, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-01-30 18:37:36', '2009-01-30 22:37:36', 'If we sat down for coffee, I think we''d have a great time talking! Oh, wait, you wanted questions. Creme or sugar? Regular or Decaf? Straight up or latte?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(869, 231, 'jessica', 'bernzee@mac.com', 'http://bernthis.typepad.com', '71.156.61.145', '2009-01-30 19:57:46', '2009-01-30 23:57:46', 'Holding hands means everything to me. My mother is very touchy feely so I guess that is where I get it from. When I was married, every time we went to a movie we held hands. It was just automatic', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.1) Gecko/2008070206 Firefox/3.0.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(871, 241, 'Mike', 'mike@fixmyuglycredit.com', 'http://www.fixmyuglycredit.com/blog', '96.254.190.89', '2009-01-30 22:50:46', '2009-01-31 02:50:46', 'Hey Kristin, \r\n\r\nLove the new design--from the header to the footer. So much attention to detail...very clean with a "readable" font size (do most website owners have 20/20 vision? At most blogs, the font size is soooo small, I might need a magnifying glass.) \r\n\r\nI''ve not seen a footer so well utilized...instead of reading &amp; clicking away, a reader faces more enticing posts. Clever!\r\n\r\nCongratulations, Kristin. You''re a very talented writer with a beautiful blog.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(870, 250, 'Anne', 'annewillis2@gmail.com', '', '70.230.190.217', '2009-01-30 22:10:49', '2009-01-31 02:10:49', 'Would love to sit for a cup of coffee-\r\n\r\n I would ask about freelancing and your work/home balance. Does it get easier as your kids get older? How do you "turn off work" at the end of the day? What advice do you have for other freelancers - what lessons have you learned.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(525, 221, 'Writer Dad', 'seanmichaelplatt@gmail.com', 'http://writerdad.com', '71.109.248.221', '2009-01-16 10:51:43', '2009-01-16 14:51:43', 'HAPPY 100!!!!\r\n\r\nDon''t worry, we''re all still toddlers at this blogging thing.  John Chow, Darren Rowse, etc.  - they''re just kindergartners.  : &gt; )\r\n\r\nIt is a milestone and there''s no reason you should swig from the bottle alone.  Happy 100 and happy Friday!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(881, 250, 'Jody Wells', 'jodyrae4msu@yahoo.com', 'http://jodyrae4msu@yahoo.com', '71.238.232.133', '2009-01-31 12:33:13', '2009-01-31 16:33:13', 'This is a very intersting way to go about this......Very creative. It took me an hour to do my 25 random things and then I ended up with 38! Anyway, if you had only one wish what would it be?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_5; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(528, 221, 'Jody Wells', 'jodyrae4msu@yahoo.com', 'http://jodyrae4msu@yahoo.com', '71.238.232.133', '2009-01-16 13:46:26', '2009-01-16 17:46:26', 'Congrats! Happy 100! I very much look forward to the next 100-keep up the good work!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_5; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(529, 221, 'PsychMamma', 'psychmamma@hotmail.com', 'http://psychmamma.wordpress.com', '67.163.45.93', '2009-01-16 13:57:36', '2009-01-16 17:57:36', 'Happy Bloggiversary!!  from a frequent "lurker."  Here''s a present:\r\n\r\nYou have an award waiting for you at:\r\n\r\nhttp://psychmamma.wordpress.com/2009/01/16/and-the-award-goes-to/\r\n\r\n{wink}', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(530, 221, 'Ginger', 'ginger@rambleramble.com', 'http://rambleramble.com/', '65.115.107.61', '2009-01-16 15:38:59', '2009-01-16 19:38:59', 'Happy 100! I lurk constantly, but wanted to come out to say hi for your anniversary!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X Mach-O; en-US; rv:1.8.1.13) Gecko/20080311 Firefox/2.0.0.13', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(531, 221, 'Jason', 'jason.a.berg@gmail.com', '', '66.209.215.226', '2009-01-16 15:43:50', '2009-01-16 19:43:50', 'Wonderful post, it reminded me of a T.S. Eliot quote: "We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." I love the quote and your post because they recognize what we fear but do not say, which is that we are who we are no matter what we accomplish, no matter how high we go, what titles we wear, who we know, or what we own. Its not always about the goal, but the journey matters, we will return time and again to the same themes, same challenges, but as a changed person, hopefully for the better.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_4_11; en) AppleWebKit/525.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Safari/525.18', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(532, 221, 'stef', 'sriehle@gmail.com', 'http://me-unplugged.com', '65.29.216.208', '2009-01-16 16:00:06', '2009-01-16 20:00:06', 'happy 100th!  :)\r\n\r\ni''ll be honest, i have no friggin'' idea how i found your blog. i''m guessing that it was from a link on someone else''s blog, and then i read a few entries and liked what i read.  most likely it was a combination of factors; the story of your house (which gave me chills, i''ll admit), your faith, and the fact that you aren''t all "puh-RAISE jeezus!" and talking about god all the time. from a born again christian-turned-agnostic, i can appreciate the need for personal spirituality, but i don''t like it shoved in my face.  \r\n\r\nplus, you always come across as very real, or genuine, in your writing.  which is probably the main reason why i subscribed in the first place. :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(533, 221, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-16 16:00:52', '2009-01-16 20:00:52', 'Writer Dad, thanks for swigging out of the wine bottle with me (or wait, do we have glasses now that it''s a real party?). It''s funny to think of the "big" bloggers as kindergartners. It makes me think of how my 3rd grade daughter said the other day that being in chorus at school (only for 3rd-5th graders) makes her feel little, not big, because the 5th graders seem SO big. It''s all a matter of perspective.\r\n\r\nJody, thanks for being a regular reader and supporter these past few months. It''s so great to know that someone I played with almost every day when I was 8 knows all of my deepest thoughts 30 years later.\r\n\r\nPsychMamma and Ginger, I love knowing I have lurkers (especially because knowing that means you''re not lurkers any more). What a great bloggiversary gift! (And extra thanks for the link love, PsychMamma.)\r\n\r\nJason, I know you''re a true fan, but you''re also my husband, and I wanted everyone to know what an amazing, constant support you are of this blog. You''re always interested in knowing what I''m working on, always willing to let me think out loud with you (or at least you''re good at faking it), and I trust your opinion and feedback more than anyone else''s. The T.S. Eliot quote is a great one to bring into the conversation, too. Thanks for everything.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(534, 221, 'T Edwards', 'tmecars@yahoo.com', 'http://www.poverty101.net', '99.8.96.230', '2009-01-16 16:04:29', '2009-01-16 20:04:29', 'Congratulations on hitting 100.  I just returned to writing after a several month hiatus as well.  I didn''t realize how much I missed it.  I hope I can stay motivated to hit the 100 posts mark.  \r\n\r\nI can''t wait ''till you hit 200!\r\n\r\nT', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X 10.4; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(535, 221, 'Anne', 'annewillis2@gmail.com', '', '70.237.214.110', '2009-01-16 16:21:44', '2009-01-16 20:21:44', 'LOVING your blog and thought it was time I let you know! So, just thought I would say "hello" from one freelancing mamma to another. \r\n\r\nSome days seem so strange trying to work creatively (graphic design) alone in my house or at the coffee shop - but taking a quick break to read your latest post is the perfect boost. And nice to know I''m not workin'' alone...\r\n\r\nYour writing style is exactly the kind I love to read - funny, witty, intelligent, insightful... and always leaves me thinking and I like that! \r\n\r\nHappy #100 and thanks!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(536, 221, 'Elaine Tolsma-Harlow', 'reoharlow@hotmail.com', '', '24.231.153.71', '2009-01-16 20:37:06', '2009-01-17 00:37:06', '100??  You don''t look a day over 30!  It has been a blessing rediscovering you!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1250, 268, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-15 23:53:42', '2009-02-16 03:53:42', 'Susan, the cookie monsters who live at my house are ALWAYS happy to have cookies delivered—whatever the occasion. We devoured all but two of yours last night. :) I love what you wrote about your V-day tradition with Kevin: "I don’t mind at all that we do the same thing every year. Life is full of the unexpected, sometimes the known can be dependably delicious." So very true.\r\n\r\nblackwasp19, you''re so right to point out how as a culture we seem to have trouble focusing on the original intention behind ANY holiday, not just Valentine''s Day. And yes, the point of any holiday should be to "readjust, remember..." etc. I guess that''s what''s nice about birthdays and anniversaries. Although you can always find cards and gifts for those days, the commercial nature of the holiday doesn''t smack you in the face when you walk into a store—even a month or more before the holiday! Because it isn''t in your face, it allows people to celebrate in the way that feels right to them. (By the way, on the 14th we enjoyed a Valentine''s Day dinner with our girls, then had people from our small group over to play games. It was a great way to celebrate love.)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(892, 219, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-01 02:21:19', '2009-02-01 06:21:19', 'Daisy, I know that "treading water" feeling all too well. And although I''m still working on slowing myself down from time to time to wait for my soul, I also like your perspective—that my soul is probably waiting for me, too. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(893, 241, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-01 02:23:09', '2009-02-01 06:23:09', 'Meg, thanks for the feedback. All the words you used are exactly the ones I hope to hear—"simple," "elegant," "inviting" and "super easy to get around." :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(895, 250, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-01 03:07:06', '2009-02-01 07:07:06', 'I''m having a good chuckle here, over that so-called "bonus question." (If anyone''s concerned, Jason is the only one who''s allowed to ask such a question, seeing as how he''s my husband.)\r\n\r\nSo, on that fine note, I have 25 questions to work with (counting one that was left for me on Facebook). Thanks everyone, for jumping in with the great questions!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2303, 312, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-04-17 12:33:51', '2009-04-17 16:33:51', 'Joi, it''s so exciting to find out that this topic is deeply important to you! It must have rubbed off on me in some way. :) I''d love to hear about some of the other words/terms you think are problematic for seekers. Maybe I can write a series of posts, with your help.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.8) Gecko/2009032608 Firefox/3.0.8', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2304, 320, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-04-17 12:37:12', '2009-04-17 16:37:12', 'Mothershaffer, how funny—it sounds like we have sibling dogs, in attitude, if not entirely in breed. Maeve is all about chewing her bed to pieces. That, along with scraps of stuffing pulled from her toys, is definitely giving our house a more "tattered chic" look. So what exactly is the "pug ''tude" all about? I need to know what I''ve gotten myself into! :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.8) Gecko/2009032608 Firefox/3.0.8', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2305, 328, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-04-17 12:47:45', '2009-04-17 16:47:45', 'Jeb, I love that you''ve connected what happens in your online community to how you relate to your real-life community. I tend to put them side-by-side, to do a compare and contrast. But they''re very related, as you point out. I love this: "it took connecting with people all over the world to bring me back around to what I firmly believe is the natural human state. Namely, the desire for communion with others. Here, there, everywhere." I''m so glad I can be a part of it all, too.\r\n\r\nCheryl, you bring up many great points. And maybe I''m thinking about it this way, because I just responded to Jeb''s comment, but I see a pattern, here. It''s not about either-or—real life or online. It isn''t about comparing and contrasting, which is better, which is worse, how should one change the other. It''s about finding ways to bring the two together, making each of them more powerful. The sum is bigger than its parts sort of thing. I think this is true of blending on line and real-life giving, too.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.8) Gecko/2009032608 Firefox/3.0.8', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2306, 330, 'Krissy', 'krissy.thomas@gmail.com', 'http://www.blissfullykrissy.blogspot.com', '208.45.78.67', '2009-04-17 13:02:15', '2009-04-17 17:02:15', 'Thank you for posting this today. There is such truth in what you are saying and we often forget that we have the same ability to speak to God that the so called professionals have. If only, we would listen to God''s voice and not the voice of those who think they are his chosen, select spokes-people. \r\nI love this, "I don’t think he’s a God of amputations." \r\nThe same God who created us with all of our giftings and talents would not then decide to strip or cut off the very things be gave to us to fit the "ideal" of who people think we should be, but like you said, sometimes we need to be softened and smoothed to be used.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9) Gecko/2008051202 Firefox/3.0', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(1713, 282, 'ChristinA', 'rockingham@netzero.net', '', '18.103.12.45', '2009-03-03 13:16:16', '2009-03-03 17:16:16', 'When I was in fifth grade you helped me try out stringed instruments in the SJHS Orchestra room.  I chose the VIOLA, and played all through school, including undergrad.  Your (wonderful) dad told me about your blog in December 2008, and I have enjoyed following it ever since.  Thank you, for both!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(894, 250, 'Jason', 'halfway@jason-berg.com', '', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-01 02:48:24', '2009-02-01 06:48:24', 'How has your experience with social media (twitter, facebook, blogging, etc..) changed your understanding of community? And special bonus question, why do you look so good from behind?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.4; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1975, 300, 'Julie Hammonds', 'julie@juliehammonds.com', 'http://juliehammonds.com', '68.3.229.78', '2009-03-18 18:12:30', '2009-03-18 22:12:30', 'Growing up the child of divorced parents, I never could have imagined one day being divorced myself, much less contributing an essay to a book with the bravura title "Ask Me About My Divorce." Its central message: We can make the best of what life hands us, each in our own unique way, building a better future for ourselves and our loved ones.\r\nIf you''re reading this blog, you know what a heartfelt, gifted communicator Kristin is. I join her in inviting everyone to find the book''s fan page on Facebook. Think of this as your invitation to an online party celebrating all that is resilient in the human spirit. See you there!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X Mach-O; en-US; rv:1.8.1.20) Gecko/20081217 Firefox/2.0.0.20', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(2189, 312, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.227.97.30', '2009-04-02 18:49:14', '2009-04-02 22:49:14', 'Kristin, the word than continually works for me is \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nJesus.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nBut, you won''t get many followers. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nAnd, honestly, neither does He.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1977, 300, 'Natalie Hart', 'nataliehart@sbcglobal.net', '', '70.226.88.210', '2009-03-18 19:07:42', '2009-03-18 23:07:42', 'I''m glad to hear you have an essay in this book. As soon as I saw you became a fan of the book I tried to find the TOC, but it wasn''t anywhere. Congratulations! I look forward to reading it.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/312.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Safari/312.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2309, 330, 'Kelley', 'javensmom@comcast.net', '', '68.43.56.118', '2009-04-17 20:32:55', '2009-04-18 00:32:55', 'I agree that only God can speak for God and I appreciate the way you address that. It is painful to see or hear of someone turning their back on God, not because of who He is, but because of sinful, flawed human beings who represent Him. \r\n\r\nI like the sound of the amputation line but I believe He is a God that amputates. I believe He wants to amputate the things that are displeasing to Him and harmful to us. He also prunes us so that we can continue to grow and thrive spiritually and develop into the person He has called us to be. God desires the vey best for our lives . . .\r\nJohn 15 says \r\nJesus Is the Vine--Followers Are Branches\r\n1" I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.\r\n2"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X 10.4; en-US; rv:1.9.0.7) Gecko/2009021906 Firefox/3.0.7', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(6387, 503, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-10-15 01:47:07', '2009-10-15 05:47:07', 'Dave, that''s a good connection. As a freelancer, the world of committees and meetings is somewhat distant, but I know enough about them to know how easy it is to get sidetracked or slip into auto pilot mode. And it applies to church, too. Life metaphors tend to be very versatile. \r\n\r\nAngela, I''m so honored and generally speechless! In other words, I''m not writing at all like Donald Miller right now. :) I do have a book proposal, though, and have been trying to find the right agent and/or editor. Thanks for all your encouragement and support along the way.\r\n\r\nTrina, yes, the moment was what it was, and I enjoyed it for what it was. I guess I like to mull things over, after the fact, and expound on those moments in my mind. Maybe it''s a way of making them last, as they continue to feed my thoughts and future actions.\r\n\r\nCarmen, yeah, that feeling that no one is in control or has an idea of where we''re heading is a bad feeling. It can paralyze the whole group, whereas one person with a vision and focus can propel everyone.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.14) Gecko/2009082706 Firefox/3.0.14', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1267, 269, 'Sara', 'sara@sarahealy.com', 'http://www.sarahealy.com', '71.203.106.151', '2009-02-16 18:46:39', '2009-02-16 22:46:39', 'Kristen -- I envy you. How perfectly you got me to from laughing out loud to really thinking about friendship and how it has changed in many ways. \r\n\r\nI''m older and my contacts with people have been mostly face-to-face. I like this as it gives me a FULL sense of the person. When I was a life coach, however, I was amazed at how easily I felt connected to people I only spoke with over the phone.  Now, I have good friends I''ve never met in person. I didn''t think this was possible...but it is...for me, at least.  Great post. Thanks for making me laugh and think at the same time :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(545, 221, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '76.199.9.209', '2009-01-17 19:07:37', '2009-01-17 23:07:37', 'Stef, your comment made me happy on several levels. First of all, it made me laugh. It''s also very genuine and makes me feel like I''ve "met" you, which is what I''d really love to have happen with all of my readers. It''s SO good to know that what I''ve set out to do with this blog is actually translating—even to people who have never met me.\r\n\r\nT Edwards, I''m glad you''re writing again. It feels good, doesn''t it? I''ll definitely have to check out your site. Thanks for taking the time to congratulate me!\r\n\r\nAnne, I can completely relate to the challenge of working "creatively alone," as you so aptly put it. Now I can think of you as a freelancing mamma colleague! Also, I couldn''t be more pleased that you chose the four adjectives you did to describe my writing. \r\n\r\nElaine, it is a blessing knowing you''re out there, and thinking of you as part of my community again. Thank you.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(906, 250, 'Brent Couzens-Schultz', 'brent.couzens@att.net', '', '70.241.127.62', '2009-02-01 21:02:29', '2009-02-02 01:02:29', 'OK - I''m totally late, but I was wondering what are your favorite and least favorite things about growing up in a small midwestern town like St. Johns?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_4_11; en) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1283, 262, 'Scott', 'scott@tecthought.com', 'http://tecthought.com', '68.52.44.200', '2009-02-17 07:25:24', '2009-02-17 11:25:24', 'I''ve been reading here for a few weeks and I must say, you''re part of the "anti-brand-brand" that I want to be a part of, and I think I''m getting there.  I love writing about my faith, how I have blown it in the past, how I blow it now, and how each time Jesus is there to pick me up.  It is, as you say, all about Jesus.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2209, 316, 'Betty Duffy', 'bettyduffy2@yahoo.com', 'http://bettyduffy.blogspot.com', '67.177.100.218', '2009-04-03 15:53:50', '2009-04-03 19:53:50', 'I feel like I''ve been waiting for the medium, this "Blogging" medium, my whole life. I know that my writing, that didn''t seem to fit into any other genre fits just fine here. Is it useful?  A better question might be, "Is it quality?"\r\n\r\nPersonally, I wish there were more "useless" blogs that contained quality writing--like yours. I don''t care whether or not I agree with the author, or whether the author leads a novel-worthy life. I want thoughtful, well-spoken posts that carry ideas to completion, or at the very least, set forward earnestly on the path to completion. \r\n\r\nAnd it helps if the writer can make uninteresting things seem interesting.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SU 3.21; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(2210, 316, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-04-03 16:06:44', '2009-04-03 20:06:44', 'Rebecca, thanks! I feel like this is a good opportunity to clarify something I was fuzzy about in my post (although I''m pretty sure you don''t need the clarification). There''s nothing wrong with so-called useful blogs, packed with helpful tips. I''m not saying blogs that focus on storytelling are better in some way than other types of blogs. I''m just saying there''s plenty of room for a variety of approaches, rather than one "right" way (and I just happen to be drawn to stories that make me think and smile and *feel* something).\r\n\r\nWriter Dad, when I''m on Twitter, I like to get news and current events and commentary about it all, too. I like to find out what people are reading and listening to, and what movies they''ve seen. In other words, I do appreciate a broad mix of tweets, particularly when that mix provides a good snapshot of the multifaceted nature of individuals. I guess what it gets down to, is that I want people to really be themselves on Twitter and their blogs, and write about everything that really matters to them, rather than subscribing to a formula or narrow personal brand. Maybe that''s what''s so great about stories: they''re able to encompass the wide scope of who we are.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.7) Gecko/2009021906 Firefox/3.0.7', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2211, 316, 'Arathi', 'arathi.kylasam@gmail.com', '', '128.174.60.182', '2009-04-03 16:21:43', '2009-04-03 20:21:43', 'I guess I''m wondering -- why does it matter what the so-called experts say?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.3) Gecko/2008092417 Firefox/3.0.3 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2212, 316, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-04-03 16:42:46', '2009-04-03 20:42:46', 'Well said! To me, logs aren''t a "how-to" collection. They''re an enjoyable pastime, a way to connect with people I might not otherwise know. My blog isn''t a "useful" type, unless you count my recipes and gardening posts. That''s not what I''m all about, though.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2213, 316, 'Shell', 'disappearing_mist@hotmail.com', 'http://shelfie.blogspot.com', '209.193.21.202', '2009-04-03 16:48:30', '2009-04-03 20:48:30', 'Oh boy, my blog is pretty useless then too..:P I enjoy reading about people''s lives. Oftentimes, I learn through their experiences. Or I just enjoy coming along for the ride. There are many blogs that I read that I can''t tear myself away from because I have been watching the authors'' kids grow up and I can''t wait to see what happens next. That''s totally "useless" but it is great for community and relationships!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.8) Gecko/2009032609 Firefox/3.0.8', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2214, 316, 'Ashley', 'ashleygvelez@gmail.com', 'http://www.ashleygraceless.com', '68.153.33.3', '2009-04-03 17:11:01', '2009-04-03 21:11:01', 'If you stop by Chuck''s blog today (or read his tweets), you''ll know that I''m stopping by just to say "insert blog applause here."  :)\r\n\r\nAnd that I read your blog because I feel like I can relate to it.  Isn''t that one of the main reasons people blog anyway?  For the relatability factor?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.7) Gecko/2009021906 Firefox/3.0.7', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1988, 300, 'Ashley', 'ashleygvelez@gmail.com', 'http://www.ashleygraceless.com', '68.153.33.3', '2009-03-19 16:13:27', '2009-03-19 20:13:27', 'Kristin, \r\n\r\nCongrats to you on getting an essay in the book!  That''s a great achievement.  \r\n\r\nI didn''t come from a divorced family but I thought my parents were going to get divorced when I was about 10.  Even just having my Dad move out for a while was traumatic.  I can''t imagine what a full-on divorce does to a child, much less the parents.  Good for you for writing about it and being able to face your demons.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.7) Gecko/2009021906 Firefox/3.0.7', '', 0, 0, 'N');
INSERT INTO `wp_d8mand_comments` (`comment_ID`, `comment_post_ID`, `comment_author`, `comment_author_email`, `comment_author_url`, `comment_author_IP`, `comment_date`, `comment_date_gmt`, `comment_content`, `comment_karma`, `comment_approved`, `comment_agent`, `comment_type`, `comment_parent`, `user_id`, `comment_subscribe`) VALUES
(1989, 298, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-03-19 16:20:03', '2009-03-19 20:20:03', 'Larkinsmom, you get right to the heart of the issue by pointing out the most important aspect of your son''s involvement in sports: "as long as HE is happy." And we have to help our kids be OK with what happy feels like inside, rather than what it looks like outside (in other words, "happy" doesn''t necessarily mean being the star, or winning, or making your parents happy). I love hearing that sports brought you and your ex into more friendly territory, too. And finally, I''d love for my girls to meet Larkin some time, with a soccer ball handy or not. :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.7) Gecko/2009021906 Firefox/3.0.7', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2221, 310, 'Toxic Brit', 'djwsemmens@gmail.com', 'http://toxic-brit.blogspot.com', '70.18.39.135', '2009-04-03 20:38:14', '2009-04-04 00:38:14', 'New York is one of the best places to live in the world, but it certainly wears you down. You definitely need more coffee, ginseng etc to get by. It''s definitely worth it with everything at your finger tips and plus it makes going anywhere else feel like a rest.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.8) Gecko/2009032608 Firefox/3.0.8', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(2383, 339, 'Trina', 'colour144@yahoo.com', '', '66.222.252.31', '2009-04-30 10:57:02', '2009-04-30 14:57:02', 'Plus the requirement for gifts could sure be a burden in these times - though creative/free gifts could then turn into act of service - oh the confusion! I guess the size of the tank would depend on the happiness of the person...just a thought there. Certainly seeking a tank filling elsewhere kinda/sorta goes against the whole relationship aspect of the book.... just sayin'' :-) Then, that could circle back to ones own ability to maintain their happiness, which may be easier on the relationship - right about now, I would say we could discuss this for days like you mentioned :-)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-GB; rv:1.9.0.9) Gecko/2009040821 Firefox/3.0.9 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2384, 337, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-04-30 20:57:47', '2009-05-01 00:57:47', 'Jason, I''m just going  to shout a big AMEN to this: "If we’re feeding the homeless with the left hand, and building walls to keep people out with the right what is gained? There are plenty of Christians out there telling the world how great everything is but far too few dissenting voices that stand up to the power structure and publicly say ''open your ears and hear!''" Maybe it''s not fair that I''m backing you so enthusiastically, seeing as how we''re married, but I suppose that''s one of the reasons I married you—we so often seem to share the same brain. :)\r\n\r\nBlackwasp19, you bring up a good point, about how the picture of American Christianity is too focused on people like the Falwells rather than those like John Perkins. And you''re right, being actively against something can be easier than being actively for it (although the easiest thing of all is to just be indifferent, which is the real problem in our country). When it comes to the issue of stereotypes, and whether we should bring them up, I still have to disagree. I don''t think they would eventually die if we just stopped mentioning them. They''re very deeply rooted, and there''s no shortage of news feeding them. Just today, a story came out about a Pew Research study that found "The more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists." I can''t begin to describe how upset this makes me, and how determined I am to do all I can to both fight against that while showing there''s a different way to be a Christian.\r\n\r\nJason—the one I''m NOT married to :) —your comment gives me a lot of hope and encouragement. Thank you for saying what you said. Sometimes I wonder what I''m doing here with my blog (a question I''m sure most bloggers periodically ask), and then certain readers pop up and remind me what it''s all about.\r\n\r\nAngela, I could just say "ditto" to the comment above, but that might seem lazy. :) Talking about "what''s real in all of us" is just about my favorite thing, although I can''t say I do it fearlessly. As you must know well, writing what you really think and feel stirs up much trepidation and doubt. Thanks for being who you are and saying what you think in the face of all that.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.8) Gecko/2009032608 Firefox/3.0.8', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2370, 339, 'Ron Simkins', 'simkins@Illinois.edu', '', '99.147.7.135', '2009-04-28 15:52:33', '2009-04-28 19:52:33', 'Hi Kristin,\r\n\r\nI agree with you 100%.  Even though the book on Love Languages isn''t very well written, the basic premise is exceptionally insightful.  Everyone I know who has taken it seriously concerning relationships (not just romantic relationships) has found it helpful in practical and insightful ways.  I think there are a few more Love Languages than those Chapman designates -- as you note and then hint -- physical contact or touch is one and sexual expression is another that is not the same though related.  It would be fun to have your readers brainstorm about what Love Languages are missing from the list you give from the book.\r\n\r\nThanks for yet another thoughtful posting.       Blessings,   Ron Simkins', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; GTB6; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2371, 339, 'Jeb', 'jebdickerson@mac.com', 'http://www.howtomatter.com', '71.237.106.69', '2009-04-28 17:18:00', '2009-04-28 21:18:00', 'My poor wife. Our love languages could not be more different. And just knowing it doesnt make me particularly adept at translating. It''s like Spanish...I can read it much better than I can speak it. Had we not found each other in 8th grade and, consequently, built the foundation we have, it''s very possible this difference could have caused a divide.\r\n\r\nBut I need to do better. Thanks for bringing it up KT.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(2372, 339, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-04-28 17:43:38', '2009-04-28 21:43:38', 'Karen, I''m really glad you brought up the issue of love languages for people who live alone. There are so many ways to think about our need for love, and so many expressions of love. Often, particularly in our society, we get stuck in very typical, limited understandings of what love looks like. \r\n\r\nArathi, you should definitely read the book. Jason and I have had so many great discussions around the ideas in the book, even about our parents, our siblings and our kids. Looking at people in terms of how they feel love is really fascinating. Regarding the gender issue, my guess is that Quality Time is a primary love language for more women than men, but I do know several men who fall into that category, and there are examples in the book of others. It''s interesting, Jason really loves spending that kind of time together, it just isn''t one of the main things that makes him feel loved.\r\n\r\nMarie, HA! That''s the last thing we need, more efficient-ized relationships! It might help stimulate the economy, though. My love languages, after all, don''t cost anything so they don''t circulate money through the economy (although we find plenty of excuses to go out for dinner or a drink, all in the name of Quality Time). And yes, I completely agree with what you said about having a "starting point," and some language to use around how we''re feeling and what we need. \r\n\r\nWriter Dad, don''t you love it when you find out there''s an official name or term for something you''ve been doing all along? If only you had written the book, right? I''m curious, do you think you and your wife have the same primary love languages? \r\n\r\nRebecca, what''s so interesting is the whole reverse love language phenomenon—how we tend to express love in the way we want to feel it rather than in the way the recipient needs it. In the book, the author describes a couple that was having all sorts of problems. She was trying to show her husband love by cooking him all kinds of elaborate meals. Her love language was Acts of Service (her father''s was too, and he had always felt very loved through her mom''s food). This woman''s husband, though, was a Quality Time guy, so while she was spending hours in the kitchen expressing her love, he just wanted her to make a simple dinner and spend more time with him sitting on the sofa. It''s easy to see why so many relationships can be so frustrating, isn''t it?\r\n\r\nRon, as I mentioned, the book definitely has transformed how I think about all of my relationships, even with my kids. And I love the idea of my readers sharing their ideas about which love languages might be missing from Dr. Chapman''s list. One that I might add is Advocacy, or something along those lines. I feel very loved when I know someone is looking out for my best interests, so I don''t have to.\r\n\r\nJeb, the great thing about working harder at speaking your wife''s love language, ideally, is that it will multiply and come back to you in YOUR language. When your so-called "love tank" is full, and your wife''s is full, it has the potential of turning into a crazy love fest that can''t be stopped. Not that we ever get it right like that all the time, but it''s worth a shot. :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.8) Gecko/2009032608 Firefox/3.0.8', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(933, 252, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-02-02 21:51:11', '2009-02-03 01:51:11', 'Thanks for these! I appreciate your honesty and courage putting these out in the open. Ah, compassion; it could change the world.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(558, 223, 'Kerri Anne', 'kladish@gmail.com', 'http://kerrianne.org', '24.20.11.110', '2009-01-19 00:58:21', '2009-01-19 04:58:21', 'I, too, very much love my mother-in-law. She is probably the sweetest woman on the face of the planet. And she also makes me cookies for no reason whatsoever. Win, win.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(560, 223, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-19 02:56:23', '2009-01-19 06:56:23', 'Susan, you must really be an expert on the subject! I had no idea (and would love to hear more about your book). You''re right—there are crazies in every category, and wonderful people in every category, too. When you think of how many women are MILs, it just seems impossible that they could be an inherently bad bunch.\r\n\r\nKerri Anne, sweetness and cookies go hand-in-hand, don''t they? I''m glad to hear that you, along with so many others, love your MIL. (I also realize it''s quite possible that those who don''t feel the love won''t speak up in a forum like this, which makes it all very unscientific. But we can pretend.)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(3542, 373, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-06-10 19:36:00', '2009-06-10 23:36:00', 'Daisy, S would probably *love* the environmental charter school, but I was raised to be a staunch supporter of public education. :) (Did you ever see my post "Whose children are we responsible for, anyway?" I think it was published last August or September.)\r\n\r\nTJ, thanks for inspiring the idea of turning this conversation into a post! I probably wouldn''t have thought of it—I''m often surprised by what people find interesting, like which tweets get the most responses. Do you find that, too?\r\n\r\ncobalt-blue, it''s good to see you here again! And I''m glad the post came at a good time. That''s a really interesting way to look at knowledge and wisdom, in relation to how we relate to people. It prompted me think more about my ex from a "wisdom" perspective rather than what I "know" about him. Very wise. :)\r\n\r\nDave, oooh, I really like the idea of "listening" and "watching" being in the front seat. Maybe we can''t speed up wisdom, but I think we can make it more effective—make it stick better—don''t you? That''s one of the things I really enjoyed about thinking more about wisdom: the accumulation of it applies to all of us, no matter what our age.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.10) Gecko/2009042315 Firefox/3.0.10', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(3202, 362, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.227.97.30', '2009-05-26 21:30:26', '2009-05-27 01:30:26', 'what a blessing to gather with friends who are so diverse in background! i <i>luv</i> the photo by the way!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SU 3.22; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(576, 223, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.12.145.37', '2009-01-19 14:33:04', '2009-01-19 18:33:04', 'I try not to be bombastic or hurtful on my blog, but on a loooooooow day I blogged about my MIL - inlaws, in general. Much to my surprise, some writer for Blogher found it and linked to it. I don''t know why I took the risk, except that sometimes, there is nothing to do, but bear witness to an uncomfortable truth. As a writer, it comes spilling out. Inking it seems to relieve some of the agony. I wonder why, since naming it or calling it out of the closet can create new problems. Congrats on your selection. I know I will enjoy your blog very much.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(565, 219, 'Judy D.', 'jdiers@sbcglobal.net', '', '99.147.1.109', '2009-01-19 10:45:47', '2009-01-19 14:45:47', 'Hi Kristin,\r\n   Thanks for this blog.  It made me laugh because it reminds me so much of my Emma (9 yrs old).  She loves to write, but reading her writing is just like listening to her talk.  Her imagination is flying to outer space and back at light speed, and the crazy, funny, but disjointed details that make it onto paper leave us normal humans reading her hieroglyphics on Earth cocking our heads in amused bewilderment!  I know she will slow down as she matures but I hope that in the process she doesn''t stop flying altogether.\r\n\r\nJudy', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(566, 219, 'Judy D.', 'jdiers@sbcglobal.net', '', '99.147.1.109', '2009-01-19 10:48:50', '2009-01-19 14:48:50', 'Kristin,\r\nBTW  Yours is the only blog I read, and that was my first ever comment to a blog.  Does that mean I''m actually joining the 21st century?\r\nJudy', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(567, 223, 'Ryan', 'oktoberfive@gmail.com', 'http://oktober5.com', '68.35.43.6', '2009-01-19 11:03:54', '2009-01-19 15:03:54', 'Moms are, inherently, good people. However, after watching shows like Everybody Loves Raymond, I start to wonder why my mother-in-law is not crazy and overbearing; after all, if she were, life would be a lot more entertaining. I think mother-in-law stereotypes are made up my comedians and others like me who wish there life were a little more exciting.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008121622 Ubuntu/8.10 (intrepid) Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(569, 202, 'Judy D.', 'jdiers@sbcglobal.net', '', '99.147.1.109', '2009-01-19 11:16:55', '2009-01-19 15:16:55', 'Kristin,\r\n   Hi again.  When I think about being unintentional, spontaneous, it makes me want to go hide in my room.. getting back to your blog about needing time alone.  I think that part of my need for "alone time" and my house guest fatigue relates to my need to present a certain image of myself to everyone.  That is exhausting at times!  Being unintentional takes a leap of faith that I will be okay and will be accepted and enjoyed as I truly am.  As a result, those times when I manage it are the least frequent but the most satisfying times of my life.\r\n   So, I guess now I can''t shut up!\r\nJudy', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(570, 221, 'Kathlyn', 'pinkkathlyn@gmail.com', 'http://www.bakelikeaninja.com', '69.228.32.95', '2009-01-19 11:30:42', '2009-01-19 15:30:42', 'Hi Kristen - I enjoyed your 100th!  I especially liked this thought:\r\n\r\nMaybe the more accurate analogy is that I feel like a teenager in a very foreign culture. Set loose with just a rudimentary language phrase book, no map and some spare change.\r\n\r\nI know it''s supposed to underscore the dazed and confused feeling of doing something new, but I liked the idea that even though navigating this world can be disorienting and even scary, it''s an adventure, like traveling.  Thanks for the fresh perspective!\r\n\r\nAnd happy belated 100th!!\r\n\r\nCheers.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.4; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(571, 223, 'TJ Hirst', 'tj@tjhirst.com', 'http://www.tjhirst.com/', '97.112.15.200', '2009-01-19 11:52:48', '2009-01-19 15:52:48', 'Glad to find you. I''ve seen your comments on Oktober5, but silly me, I should have clicked your URL. The mother-in-law issue is a tricky one, isn''t it? I think partly why it is difficult is because of the hype surrounding it. If you tell someone long enough that you are going to a have problem with a certain realtionship, they will probably go into it expecting to have a problem.\r\n\r\nI''ve been married 17+years and have grown to love my mother-in-law. She loves her son. I love her son. And that created some feelings of territory, I think. But like most relationships, if you give it time and space and come back to it, love can develop.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(572, 223, 'Jodith', 'jodith@administrativearts.com', 'http://administrativearts.com', '76.22.103.89', '2009-01-19 12:05:05', '2009-01-19 16:05:05', 'Add me to the list of wives who love their MIL.  My MIL is a seriously great woman.  Strong, smart, talented.  She''s been through more struggle in her life than most people can even imagine, and has come through it, while scarred, strong and intact.  I think she''s one of the most amazing women in the world and has raised three strong, resilient kids through some very harrowing experiences.  I wish you all could know her, because I know you''d be as inspired by her as I am.\r\n\r\nNow, that isn''t to say there aren''t some really horrible MILs out there.  I was very lucky in mine.  I know some that are just a nightmare, and I bless my lucky stars every day that it wasn''t my fate to get one of them.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(573, 26, 'AmyL', 'amyl@earnestparenting.com', 'http://www.earnestparenting.com', '68.188.210.56', '2009-01-19 14:06:51', '2009-01-19 18:06:51', 'Wow.  Came over here from Chuck''s blog and I love your point.  Gotta get back to school now, but will be back tonight to read more!!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.18) Gecko/20081107 Firefox/2.0.0.18 Flock/1.2.7', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(574, 223, 'Jenn B', 'jenniferannburns@gmail.com', 'http://thedailyburns.com', '76.121.44.136', '2009-01-19 14:14:41', '2009-01-19 18:14:41', 'Yup, i love my MIL too.  there was some tension at first, as we''re pretty much opposites...but after finally ''airing concerns'' after my first kid was born (ie. i went on a crazy hormonal rampage that i''m embarrassed about to this day), we''ve gotten much closer.  I just misunderstood her.  and being a mom now, i "get it"...and am SOOO grateful for all she does for us &amp; how much she loves her grandkids.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X; en-US; rv:1.8.1.16) Gecko/20080702 Firefox/2.0.0.16', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(575, 221, 'Jenn B', 'jenniferannburns@gmail.com', 'http://thedailyburns.com', '76.121.44.136', '2009-01-19 14:17:19', '2009-01-19 18:17:19', 'nice! happy 100th!  i just turned 30 a few days ago, and i agree...much less mystical than i was expecting.  ;)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X; en-US; rv:1.8.1.16) Gecko/20080702 Firefox/2.0.0.16', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(577, 223, 'Shell', 'disappearing_mist@hotmail.com', 'http://shelfie.blogspot.com', '66.230.113.137', '2009-01-19 14:58:25', '2009-01-19 18:58:25', 'Just subscribed from Chuck''s blog.\r\n\r\nI love my mother in law! She''s not nosy, and sticks to her own business. \r\n\r\nBTW, I really liked your introduction post on Chuck''s blog!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(578, 223, 'AnnieH', 'artbham91@yahoo.com', 'http://www.tidingspfmagpies', '71.67.101.137', '2009-01-19 15:00:05', '2009-01-19 19:00:05', 'Wanted to say WELCOME. Hubby''s dragging me out the door for a movie--I''ll be back for more reading pleasure:&gt;)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(579, 223, 'Trina', 'colour144@yahoo.com', '', '66.222.252.31', '2009-01-19 15:02:41', '2009-01-19 19:02:41', 'not sure of the source either, except that negative always abounds. loved my MIL, hope to be like her some day - in my own way of course. looking forward to more on this journey...', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-GB; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(580, 223, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-19 15:49:30', '2009-01-19 19:49:30', 'A big welcome to everyone who found me through Chuck Westbrook''s project. All of the new readers and comments have had me beaming all day. In the midst of the beaming, I''m also on mom duty (no school today), and I''m trying to get a new post written. I''ll respond to your comments individually as soon as I can!\r\n\r\nFor my regular readers who are wondering where the sudden flurry of activity came from, I am being featured for the next two weeks in Chuck Westbrook''s underappreciated blog project. You can read about it here (and discover other underappreciated blogs, while you''re at it).\r\nhttp://chuckwestbrook.com/introducing-kristin-tennant-and-halfway-to-normal/', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(583, 143, 'Jody', 'reviews@singleoftheday.com', 'http://singleoftheday.com', '69.228.4.216', '2009-01-19 17:55:33', '2009-01-19 21:55:33', 'I think it''s interesting to read a post like this from some who has a religious background. I''ve always wondered how religion can promote the things they do, then have followers who ignore it or at the very least have followers in an age where intelligence is more prominent than when religion (as it''s known now) started.\r\n\r\nI grew up with parents who belonged to a religion but decided they didn''t want to force it upon their children. Personally I''m very grateful for that. I''m not religious, but I believe in certain qualities of it. When it comes to matters of sex and human sexuality though, I find that religion fails miserably with most people.\r\n\r\nFrom personal experience, the women I''ve dated that came from extremely religious families had one of two behaviors. 1. They were locked up tight and not very happy (no sex). 2. They were promiscuous and though temporarily happy when fulfilling a basic human need, they were still unhappy due to the guilt.\r\n\r\nIn my background it was and is a good idea to be very open about your needs, your wants and desires with someone. Unfortunately in a world where so many are hiding or dealing with a religion it''s often times hard to express those things with others.\r\n\r\nKudos for doing that even from within a religion. It gives those of us hope that not all people partaking in an organized religion are drones.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(588, 225, 'ang', 'athiel@fairsted.com', '', '209.169.87.57', '2009-01-19 20:50:58', '2009-01-20 00:50:58', 'Being messed up makes us human; my findings have been the more perfect one appears the more neurotic they are. Nice Post!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(589, 225, 'Mark', 'Harvey@me.com', '', '99.147.174.184', '2009-01-19 22:14:00', '2009-01-20 02:14:00', 'Can you try to explain your last paragraph more? Sounds profound but I am not clear if you are saying that no matter what you do you have the chance of being better for it or that if you don''t confront your messes you are destined to be mediocre and false (or I am completely missing it).  Don''t mean to be obtuse, just want to understand what you are saying. The mess only saves us if we have the courage to work through it?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5G77 Safari/525.20', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(590, 26, 'Brent Couzens-Schultz', 'brent.couzens@att.net', '', '75.197.78.2', '2009-01-19 22:22:55', '2009-01-20 02:22:55', 'Kristen, What a great story.  I got here via your status on Facebook today.  I know it is an old post but it hit me in two ways.  First, it seems to hit directly on being less intentional.  When you let go and don''t try to force things, good stuff happens.  It is that old "it happens when your not looking for it" concept that people talk about when they are single and wanting a relationship.  Second, it reminds me of the issues I had with Church and me sexuality.  I walked away; but, when I started to really come to terms with myself and not trying to force myself into everyone else''s idea of what is right I came back and found a much better faith.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_5; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.2 Safari/525.20.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(591, 225, 'Julia', 'julia@artofthefirebird.com', 'http://artofthefirebird.com', '66.156.13.205', '2009-01-19 22:38:39', '2009-01-20 02:38:39', 'What a wonderful story -- I would love to meet your mother-in-law someday, just because of you blogging about her.\r\n\r\nI found your blog via Chuck Westbrook''s project, and I can already say that yours is one that will be staying in my feed reader much, much longer than two weeks!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008121622 Ubuntu/8.10 (intrepid) Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(592, 225, 'Alli Butler', 'alli@sydtech.com', '', '98.111.91.17', '2009-01-19 22:51:19', '2009-01-20 02:51:19', 'Plus damn, she''s HOT! :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(593, 223, 'Alli Butler', 'alli@sydtech.com', '', '98.111.91.17', '2009-01-19 23:00:43', '2009-01-20 03:00:43', 'Having not had my own mom for more than 22 years, one would assume that I would cherish and embrace my relationship with my MIL, but I don''t currently have one with her. In the case of our family, the relationship between my husband and his mom is very damaged and I have to step away from my need to fix things and let them deal with it in their own way and time. My MIL is complex and has had a painful life - making it difficult for her to appropriately show love to her children and grandchildren. So call me the exception to the rule - my MIL was not happy with my husband''s choice of me for his life partner. For two years she called me "what''s her name" and then we managed a guarded friendship until events in the past 5 years led to an estrangement. It''s complicated - as family often is.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(594, 221, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-20 00:14:50', '2009-01-20 04:14:50', 'Kathlyn, I love your extension of my metaphor. It''s perfect, and I hadn''t thought to take it further like that. Not knowing everything or knowing what''s next does indeed make life (and blogging) more of an adventure. Thanks for your perspective!\r\n\r\nJenn, I''m glad you can relate! Thanks for reading and commenting.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(595, 225, 'Betty Duffy', 'bettyduffy2@yahoo.com', 'http://bettyduffy.blogspot.com', '67.177.100.218', '2009-01-20 00:37:04', '2009-01-20 04:37:04', 'I''m enjoying your blog.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(596, 223, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-20 00:50:40', '2009-01-20 04:50:40', 'Ryan, you''re right: MIL stereotypes are easy fodder for sit-com writers and comedians, just like step-mothers were easy to peg as female villains in fairy tales. What''s funny is that it''s all fiction—everyone wants to write about it, but not so much if they can''t pretend to be writing about "someone else''s" MIL. Could you really have as much fun as you wanted with a Everybody Loves Raymond-style MIL? :)\r\n\r\nTJ, thanks so much for reading and commenting. You bring up a very good point about how stereotypes and what we might be anticipating end up feeding and even altering our realities. I think a therapist would say something like "you''re projecting" on that person or situation, and even if it seems insignificant, it can really snowball into bigger problems.\r\n\r\nJodith, if you''ve ever written about your MIL I''d love to read it! She sounds amazing. I''d also love to hear what you think about my next post, which describes my MIL''s life. Isn''t it interesting how some people can go through struggles and come out more whole, while others seem forever hardened and broken by their hard life? Thanks for sharing a bit of your story.\r\n\r\nJenn, I have yet to hear of a postpartum "crazy hormonal rampage" that didn''t end up helping more than it hurt. :) How healthy that you were able to clear the air, even if you wish you could have done it a bit differently. Thanks for your honesty and for making me laugh!\r\n\r\njenx67, I SO know about "uncomfortable truths" and the need to "relieve some of the agony," even if my uncomfortable truths don''t have anything to do with my parents or in-laws. You''re right—calling something out of the closet can cause new problems, but they''re probably healthier problems in the end, with more potential for healing. I''m glad you''re enjoying my blog so far.\r\n\r\nShell, thanks for subscribing, and for mentioning my interview on Chuck''s site. Answering those very basic questions ended up being a really interesting process for me, as I continue thinking through and trying to articulate what exactly I''m doing here on my blog. :)\r\n\r\nAnnieH, it''s good to "meet" you! I''ll look forward to hearing more of your thoughts later on. \r\n\r\nTrina, I really liked how you said you want to be like your mother-in-law some day—but in your own way. It sounds like you''re figuring out how to take what''s inspiring about someone you love, and then make it your own. \r\n\r\nAlli, that sounds really really hard, especially when I think how much you miss your own mom and could use a solid, loving relationship with your MIL. As I mentioned in my response to Jodith, isn''t it interesting how a painful life (like you said your MIL has had) can in some cases just breed more pain, while in others, like the case of my MIL, be turned to fierce love and compassion? Anyway, sending a hug...', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(597, 225, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-20 01:04:32', '2009-01-20 05:04:32', 'ang, that''s so true. People who appear perfect are often hiding something much more troubling than the average messed up person has ever dealt with. Thanks for reading and commenting! \r\n\r\nMark, I''m really glad you asked about that. Ideally, I''d like to make sense the first time around, but when I don''t, I really like to have people follow up with a question. My life theme, I guess you could call it, is something like this: Even the messiest messes we can get ourselves into have the *potential* to be made into something beautiful. To me, that doesn''t just mean that we can survive something really difficult and move on, leaving it behind. It means the very mess can be redeemed and made into something more rich and meaningful. When I say the messes "save us, in the end," I''m saying that sometimes we need to reach a sort of rock-bottom place in order to find the escape hatch to something new and better. (For more on that theme, I think I wrote about some of these ideas in my election eve post in Nov.) \r\n\r\nJulia, welcome to my blog! I''m glad you''re planning to stick around. :) I''m also glad I was able to give all of you a glimpse of who Mary is, even if I can''t coordinate personal introductions.\r\n\r\nAlli, yes, she is! \r\n\r\nBetty, thanks for reading and for letting me know you like what you''ve read so far.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(598, 26, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-20 01:11:03', '2009-01-20 05:11:03', 'Amy, thanks for reading and commenting. I will look forward to hearing more from you in the future!\r\n\r\nBrent, I love that you tied this much older post to the themes of some of my more recent ones—my desire to be "less intentional." I hadn''t thought of it before, but you''re absolutely right. The attitude and response is the same. Your own story about your sexuality and the church made me think about the end of the post I wrote today, about my mother-in-law (How Frankie Jean left Cali...). Take a look and see if you think it ties in. Thanks for sharing your experiences. I love seeing how they mesh with mine, even though they''re different in many ways.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(599, 219, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-20 01:12:37', '2009-01-20 05:12:37', 'Judy, what a great description of your daughter! It made me smile. (I''m also very pleased that you left your first-ever blog comment, and honored that you left it here!)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(600, 202, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-20 01:15:14', '2009-01-20 05:15:14', 'Judy, you''re exactly right—I think the bulk of our social fatigue comes from the pressure we put on ourselves to present a certain image. It''s especially an issue for women, I think. Wouldn''t it be nice if we could all just admit that to each other, laugh about it, and agree to let go, together? (Btw, I''m glad you "can''t shut up!")', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(601, 143, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-20 01:21:59', '2009-01-20 05:21:59', 'Jody, I''m really glad you shared some of your own experiences around this topic. I find it so fascinating. Sometimes I think I missed my calling as a sociologist. :) Anyway, your descriptions of the two types of women from religious backgrounds sounds pretty much accurate to me. That''s exactly what my husband and I DON''T want for our three girls, which is why we''re trying to find a balance. It sounds like your parents did a good job of teaching you about the importance of honest communication and expression. Our hope is that we can figure out how to teach our kids that, and also tie it into our beliefs about God''s love for them. It won''t be easy, but it''s a very worthwhile pursuit.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(606, 225, 'Juliet - LifeMadeGreat', 'juliet@lifemadegreat.com', 'http://www.lifemadegreat.com/blog.aspx', '196.31.60.130', '2009-01-20 07:44:46', '2009-01-20 11:44:46', 'Hi\r\n\r\nI think the difficult times are where we grow and they help create our character. They form a foundation and give us depth.\r\n\r\nI like the way you show how difficult times are actually good to relate. I had never thought of it like that. \r\nThat they are stories and are actually harmless enough. That takes away a great deal of the stress and enormity of them.\r\n\r\nPerhaps I have quite a few essays up my sleave that are waiting to slip out.\r\n\r\nGreat insight,\r\nJuliet', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; SU 3.14; GTB5; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; InfoPath.1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506.30)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(611, 225, 'ejly', 'eva.lyford@gmail.com', 'http://www.ejly.net', '207.250.76.6', '2009-01-20 11:23:30', '2009-01-20 15:23:30', 'Hi, I found you through Chuck''s project. Excellent post about MILs. I adore my present mother in law; she works in a jewelry store and my dear husband has never missed a gift-giving occasion - I don''t think that''s a coincidence. Good luckwith Chuck''s project!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US) AppleWebKit/525.19 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/1.0.154.43 Safari/525.19', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(613, 225, 'mommyknows', 'kim@mommyknows.com', 'http://mommyknows.com', '68.150.199.3', '2009-01-20 14:52:56', '2009-01-20 18:52:56', 'She sounds like a fascinating lady. I am hear via Chuck. I''ll be back.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(615, 143, 'AmyL', 'amyl@earnestparenting.com', 'http://www.earnestparenting.com', '68.188.210.56', '2009-01-20 15:14:06', '2009-01-20 19:14:06', 'I have to admit, you pushed some buttons with this post, but I find that we end up mostly on common ground when it comes to how to handle the issue with our kids.  I''d like to offer a few thoughts, with the caveat that I''m still thinking this all through and they''re probably not complete thoughts.  They''re worth considering though.\r\n\r\nFirst: there is an assumption in the "two types of women" comment that there are only those two types.  I disagree.  It is possible to wait for marriage to have sex and not be unhappy.  \r\n\r\nThat does take a great deal of discipline, which leads me to thought number two: we seem to have lost the desire (ability?) in this world to ask discipline of ourselves or our children.  When you''re in a situation that requires you to call on your self-discipline in order to resist temptation, is that easy?  No, not usually.  But it doesn''t mean that you shouldn''t be disciplined, nor does it mean that living a disciplined existence is miserable.  The rewards of disciplined choices are usually not immediate, we cannot always see what we''ve gained, but the standards are still worth pursuing.  \r\n\r\nThird: I see a difference between someone who is religious and someone who is faithful.  Religious-to me, anyway-usually refers to outward behavior that relies on ritual and tradition.  Faithful-again, my definition-means someone who makes choices in a genuine effort to please  God.  As part of my own faithful behavior I make certain choices.  I do not require those same choices of others, however I hope my children will make the same or better decisions.  \r\n\r\nFourth: I wonder about the whole red state/blue state thing when it comes to communication between parents and children about sex.  Doesn''t age and generation have something to do with it?  I know that people even ten years younger than me are much more open about sex and so on.  I haven''t read the study, but I was just wondering.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.18) Gecko/20081107 Firefox/2.0.0.18 Flock/1.2.7', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(616, 225, 'Jennifer Brooks - The Rurban Fringe', 'jennifer@therurbanfringe.com', 'http://www.therurbanfringe.com', '70.75.9.195', '2009-01-20 16:27:58', '2009-01-20 20:27:58', 'I''m also here via Chuck W.''s blog ... and while I''m not an essay writer, this post reminded me so much of a volunteer I worked with - a hilarious, driven, compassionate soul who didn''t let her past define her future actions.\r\n\r\nAnd while I''ve moved on, I still think of her and her adventures (mostly the awesome photo of herself at 19 doing the splits in a bodysuit on a rugged Harley!!) and hope she continues to find a way to carry on and make a difference.\r\n\r\nThanks for the post, I''ll be back!\r\nJennifer', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(617, 225, 'cpond', 'cdpond@gmail.com', '', '141.142.250.211', '2009-01-20 16:30:51', '2009-01-20 20:30:51', 'Finally started reading your blog after intending to check it out for a while now. I can really relate when you say "the difficult messes we face ultimately save us, in the end". I find that it''s often a somewhat paradoxical process: I really wish it weren''t happening, and yet at the same time I know it''s taking me to a better place.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(618, 225, 'Laura', 'peach867@yahoo.com', 'http://peach867.blogspot.com', '24.241.170.38', '2009-01-20 18:09:11', '2009-01-20 22:09:11', 'I am here via Chucks project.  Good post I look forward to exploring your blog more and reading more :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; GTB5)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(969, 254, 'Lance', 'lance@jungleoflife.com', 'http://www.jungleoflife.com', '65.29.12.59', '2009-02-04 20:18:28', '2009-02-05 00:18:28', 'Hi Kristin,\r\n\r\nShortly out of college, I lived in Kalamzoo, MI - and we spent lots of time along the eastern lakeshore of Lake Michigan, from South Haven to Holland - right in the neck of the woods you visit!!!  And I had an orange banana-seat bike.  And...I grew up in s small, small town (in Wisconsin)!  That''s all pretty wild!!  Anyway, I love these posts where you''re answering questions about ''you'' - it''s all very cool!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(624, 229, 'Jen', 'jkluit@yaoo.com', 'http://hollyhousestudio.blogspot.com', '24.253.247.173', '2009-01-20 19:26:59', '2009-01-20 23:26:59', 'I still have chills as I think about IMing my sister while we watched 1000 miles apart and felt the same things. Proud, united, excited, yes, hopeful. In a cynical world (I like to call myself chief cynic) the idea that so many people, different types of people would stand in the freezing cold to see this amazing thing, well. Wow. Even the sports talk guys were talking about despite politics, how can you not be moved by this amazing day. My kids reported that they watched at school and actually did not find it boring. Thanks Kristin, for not being alone today.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X Mach-O; en-US; rv:1.8.1.20) Gecko/20081217 Firefox/2.0.0.20', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(623, 229, 'Elaine Tolsma-Harlow', 'reoharlow@hotmail.com', '', '24.231.153.71', '2009-01-20 19:17:52', '2009-01-20 23:17:52', 'I''ve commented before on how big hope is for me, it is huge for me, in my health, my kids, my dreams, I hope a lot.\r\n\r\nToday as I sat glued to the TV, I saw the whole world hoping with me &amp; it was good!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(625, 229, 'faryl', 'faryl@fearlessblogger.com', 'http://fearlessblogger.com/2009/01/hope-and-pride/', '68.7.255.7', '2009-01-20 19:27:26', '2009-01-20 23:27:26', 'I can totally identify!  My beau and I initially planned to go to someone''s house to have a little party - then that got shifted to evening DVR action.\r\n\r\nI wanted to go somewhere to experience the moment with others, ended up feeling content to listen to the events (watching through my coat-hanger tv signal!) and sharing the moment on Twitter.  \r\n\r\nIt wasn''t what I had envisioned.  But to see how people around the world were reacting, the virtual gathering ended up being enough for me :-)\r\n\r\n(PS - Found you through Chuck''s blog - congrats!  Already loving what I''ve read here!)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(626, 229, 'Jodith', 'jodith@administrativearts.com', 'http://administrativearts.com', '129.230.236.1', '2009-01-20 19:52:29', '2009-01-20 23:52:29', 'I had to work today, and thought I would be watching it all alone over my computer, but a few other''s in the office wanted to watch also, and we all watched the speech together.\r\n\r\nIt wasn''t the same as watching it with someone I love, especially since many of the folks I work with weren''t ardent Obama supporters, but it was better than watching it alone.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; SU 3.13; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506.30; MS-RTC LM 8; .NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152; .NET CLR 3.5.30729)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(627, 229, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-01-20 20:22:14', '2009-01-21 00:22:14', 'This was such an incredible experience. I shared it with my fourth grade students. They (an incredibly hyper group!) were captivated. I hope they''ll tell their children and their grandchildren that they watched history as it happened. \r\nAnd I agree: only Aretha could have sung and worn that hat. Wow!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(972, 231, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-05 02:45:59', '2009-02-05 06:45:59', 'molly, what a great knitting project! I can''t imagine my husband walking around with his hand in one of those (would yours?), but I love the concept. :) Thanks for reading and enjoying, and for letting me know.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(629, 225, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-01-20 21:21:32', '2009-01-21 01:21:32', 'She sounds like an amazing woman.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(631, 229, 'Nicole Feliciano', 'capricornwriter@hotmail.com', 'http://momtrends.blogspot.com/', '75.194.104.186', '2009-01-20 22:36:36', '2009-01-21 02:36:36', 'Finally Chuck picked a winner.  Ok, I did like some of the other blogs, but this is the first one that really resonates.  I like that you have kids and that they are a part of your material.  I also like the fact that you are open about your views--risky to be sure, but most likely exhilarating to get them out there.  I look forward to reading more.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.4; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(971, 181, 'Julie Hammonds', 'julie@juliehammonds.com', 'http://www.juliehammonds.com', '68.3.229.78', '2009-02-05 00:49:46', '2009-02-05 04:49:46', 'One of the best gifts I''ve received from having an essay accepted for publication in "Ask Me About My Divorce," and subsequently connecting with fellow contributors on Facebook, is encountering you and your blog. I appreciate your specific insights about the writing life as well as your general honesty, skill and straightforward writing. It''s some of the hardest writing to do and you do it very well.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 3.0.04506.30; .NET CLR 3.0.04506.648)', '', 0, 0, 'N');
INSERT INTO `wp_d8mand_comments` (`comment_ID`, `comment_post_ID`, `comment_author`, `comment_author_email`, `comment_author_url`, `comment_author_IP`, `comment_date`, `comment_date_gmt`, `comment_content`, `comment_karma`, `comment_approved`, `comment_agent`, `comment_type`, `comment_parent`, `user_id`, `comment_subscribe`) VALUES
(633, 215, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-21 00:21:34', '2009-01-21 04:21:34', 'Louisa, thanks so much for telling me about your husband and dad—how encouraging to hear about real people who take responsibility for their mistakes—and for your honesty about yourself. I find taking responsibility for my mistakes much harder than it should be, considering how much I admire it in others. My guess, though, is that recognizing the struggle is half the battle, and we''ll gradually get better at these difficult things.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(634, 229, 'Jenn B', 'jenniferannburns@gmail.com', 'http://thedailyburns.com', '76.121.44.136', '2009-01-21 00:23:56', '2009-01-21 04:23:56', 'yes! i felt similar.  i was watching it with my 4 &amp; 2 year olds.  ha.  so i twittered through it, which made me feel more ''gathered''.  although i didn''t vote for him (nor was i completely ''anti-obama'' either), the Historicity of the day was not lost, and it was very exciting to watch and attempt to explain to toddlers.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X Mach-O; en-US; rv:1.8.1.9) Gecko/20071025 Firefox/2.0.0.9', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(635, 143, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-21 00:28:51', '2009-01-21 04:28:51', 'Amy, I am so glad you took the time to really respond with your thoughts on this difficult issue. As you can probably tell, I''m still trying to work out my own views on this. Hearing views like yours really helps. \r\n\r\nYou''re right—there aren''t just two types of Christian women. As you said, "It is possible to wait for marriage to have sex and not be unhappy." Unfortunately it''s just very rare, probably in large part because of the discipline issue you bring up (although I think the lack of open, honest conversations with our children on the subject is even more lacking, and more important). \r\n\r\nIn regards to your third, point, it''s a very important one, and I really like how you put it. Thanks again for reading and commenting. I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(636, 26, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-21 00:32:36', '2009-01-21 04:32:36', 'Louisa, I''m so glad you can relate and have seen God''s grace and kindness in your life. Make sure you keep reminding yourself and telling your own story. Thanks so much for your comment here.\r\n\r\nnan, I really love your comment. Your use of the word "schmoopy" made me laugh; when paired with the word "sincerity," I think you''ve identified the exact balance I''m trying to find on my blog. Thanks for the affirmation.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(637, 67, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-21 00:35:58', '2009-01-21 04:35:58', 'Louisa, it''s refreshing to hear from someone who has a perspective that''s similar to mine in one respect, but very different in another. Thanks so much for your comment. I''ll look forward to continuing the conversation, since it looks like we''re both able to bring new perspectives to each other. :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(638, 225, 'stef', 'sriehle@gmail.com', 'http://me-unplugged.com', '65.29.216.208', '2009-01-21 00:50:48', '2009-01-21 04:50:48', 'thanks for the story about your M-I-L...i WAS wondering what you were alluding to in your previous post. :)\r\n\r\nalso, congrats on chuck choosing your blog! well-deserved, i think. (plus, i already read your blog, so one less blog to add to my blogrolL!)  ;)  looking forward to reading more....', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(639, 225, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-21 00:52:26', '2009-01-21 04:52:26', 'Dorie, I love that your pre-marital counselor was wise enough to tell you to keep telling your stories. Pretty amazing. I''m also glad you brought up this: "The stories that shape our parents shape our own lives in unexpected ways." When we shut out our children or gloss over difficult stories, we hurt them in deep ways they probably won''t understand until later, if ever. This was something I never fully got in my relationship with my first husband, and his relationship with his parents. Now I can see more clearly how it negatively affected us. Thanks for sharing part of your story with me.\r\n\r\nJuliet, I really like how you put this: Recognizing that stories are just stories "takes away a great deal of the stress and enormity of them." How true. I hope you''re able to write several of your own down soon. \r\n\r\nejly, how wonderful to have a MIL who works in a jewelry store (and stays on top of important dates so your husband doesn''t have to!). I''m glad you made your way to the blog and found me on Twitter, too.\r\n\r\nmommyknows, I''ll look forward to your return!\r\n\r\nJennifer, the woman you worked with sounds amazing, and your description of her is fabulous. It makes me wonder how I might impact people who spend time around me, and how I''d want them to describe me.\r\n\r\ncpond, I''m so glad you made it over, and that you left such an insightful comment. As you said, it is a "paradoxical process," that causes so many mixed feeling, particularly when we''re in the middle of the mess. I think that''s partly why we have to tell our stories to each other, so that people who made it out to the other side can encourage those who are in the thick of things.\r\n\r\nLaura, thanks! \r\n\r\nDaisy, she is wonderful. :) So glad I''m able to "share" a bit of her here.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(640, 229, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-21 01:17:55', '2009-01-21 05:17:55', 'Elaine, I realize I''m a bit emotional today, but your comment made me tear up a bit. To have hope is a wonderful thing. To see it in others and be able to experience it together inspires a feeling that''s almost impossible to describe, doesn''t it?\r\n\r\nJen, I love picturing you and your sister sharing the moment together today, even though you were miles apart. I''m glad to hear the chief cynic is feeling so much hope. :)\r\n\r\nfaryl, I like picturing so many of us being alone, together, hearing the same words and experiencing the same feelings. I''m glad you were able to relax and enjoy the experience, and hope reliving it thanks to DVR made your day complete. Thanks for reading and commenting!\r\n\r\nJodith, one of my favorite parts of the inauguration coverage was when they showed groups of people gathered in churches and schools in various cities across the country. Imagining less organized gatherings of people in their offices (like you!) and at the gym, etc. only adds to that amazing collection of images in my head.\r\n\r\nDaisy, you were helping your students build memories around this day, which is wonderful. This evening we went to a potluck inauguration party, where most of the elementary-aged kids said they were able to see the inauguration as part of an assembly at their various schools (my daughters included). I was so glad they were able to experience that excitement with their peers, and I love thinking about what they might some day tell their children and grandchildren. It gives me chills.\r\n\r\nNicole, how can I not be beaming after a comment like that? :) I''m glad the posts are resonating with you. And you''re right—the exhilaration of getting everything out on the table far outweighs the risk. (Although it helps that I haven''t yet received any nasty comments. It''s bound to happen eventually.)\r\n\r\nJenn, your 4 &amp; 2 year-olds weren''t all caught up in the ceremony with you? Ha, right?!? I wish you had recorded your explanations to your children of what was happening. That would be priceless. At any rate, when they get older you will have a good story to tell them about how they experienced this day. Thanks for reading and commenting.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(641, 143, 'AmyL', 'amyl@earnestparenting.com', 'http://www.earnestparenting.com', '68.188.210.56', '2009-01-21 01:39:34', '2009-01-21 05:39:34', 'I have 4 sons, so we''re in different worlds to some degree.  I agree about the open and honest conversations.  As my boys (the older ones are 10) have gotten to the point of even being able to tolerate the subject we''ve brought it up.  \r\n\r\nBecause I''m with them so much of the day, I usually am the one doing the talking, but so far that''s been okay.  Their dad gives input if it comes up when he''s at home and I anticipate more father/son talks in the future as conversations become more....detailed.\r\n\r\nTwo concepts that are bedrock to my parenting are foundation-building and arming.  Everything I do-everything-with the boys is about laying a foundation for the future.  They get irritated with me for making them learn different things, but I want them to have as much experience in as many areas as possible by the time they''re 18.  I''ve considered adopting Monk''s line: "you''ll thank me later."  Lol.  \r\n\r\nAs for the arming, that''s a biggie too.  I try to explain to the boys in advance what will happen to their bodies over time and how that will affect their thinking and feelings.  (Right now they still think girls are gross.)  When the change does happen and girls start looking attractive, hopefully they''ll think "Hey, mom and dad told us this was coming" and trust us more.  I also plan to be pretty detailed as to the possible costs of pre-or extra-marital sex in hopes of strengthening their own discipline.\r\n\r\nOf course if they don''t make it to marriage as virgins, we''ll deal with it.  It''s not going to make me stop loving them.  I''d probably sigh a bit and roll my eyes though.   I have a friend whose nephew got a girl pregnant and wanted to be a father to the child.  The family was heartbroken when the girl wouldn''t allow him any kind of rights and it was a big mess.  I didn''t hear how it came out, but that was an unexpected scenario.  I hope it''s not one that plays out for us.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.18) Gecko/20081107 Firefox/2.0.0.18 Flock/1.2.7', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(648, 179, 'ejly', 'eva.lyford@gmail.com', 'http://www.ejly.net', '209.43.9.182', '2009-01-21 12:27:48', '2009-01-21 16:27:48', 'thoughtful post. Thanks for sharing. I do wonder if, in Israel one could wear a "Jews against Jews" shirt or if in India one could post a "Hindis against Hindis" sign. The idea of an "Atheists against Atheists" calling card does strike me as pretty funny, though.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(650, 225, 'TJ Hirst', 'tj@tjhirst.com', 'http://www.tjhirst.com/', '97.112.15.200', '2009-01-21 14:05:39', '2009-01-21 18:05:39', 'Whether or not on the surface our lives look messy, to each one of us, I think at some time we feel that way. Hence, your statement: "The difficult messes we face ultimately save us, in the end. They save us from being oppressed and silent. They save us from being mediocre and false. They save us from staying where we are simply out of fear, or lack of inspiration."  is a truth we can all share in. Nice thoughts.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(652, 143, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-21 17:38:26', '2009-01-21 21:38:26', 'AmyL, thanks for following up. You''re absolutely right about how we''re in different worlds, to some degree. Boys and girls need different things and struggle with different issues in general, but particularly when it comes to sexuality. Even with four boys like you have, or three girls like I have, each child will require a slightly different approach, depending on their personality and strengths/weaknesses/needs. That''s one of the biggest challenges I''ve faced as a parent, and one of the most important things to remember. You can''t simply find your preferred parenting method and apply it in the exact same way to each child. A lot of tailoring is required.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(653, 179, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-21 18:14:09', '2009-01-21 22:14:09', 'ejly, these are very good questions (and the mental image of all these t-shirts being worn around the world is very amusing). It seems like one of those things you can only do if you ARE that thing. It''s sort of like how Rev. Lowery, at the inauguration yesterday, could make references to race that a white person wouldn''t be able to get away with. We have to claim something as ours before we can start challenging and altering it. \r\n\r\nI am a Christian, which is a label, so I feel like I''m "allowed" to mess with that label and make sure it''s one I can feel good about using. I imagine anyone who identifies with any certain group feels partly proud and partly embarrassed, because there are always going to be people who fall in the same category but have approaches and perspectives that feel very different from yours.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(654, 225, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-21 18:17:12', '2009-01-21 22:17:12', 'TJ, thanks for your comment. Sometimes it''s tempting to wish for a life we could simply coast through, isn''t it? But I hate to think about how complacent and stagnant I get when I''m able to coast for too long.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(655, 143, 'Betty Duffy', 'bettyduffy2@yahoo.com', 'http://bettyduffy.blogspot.com', '67.177.100.218', '2009-01-21 18:43:15', '2009-01-21 22:43:15', 'I think that Amy L makes a very good point--THE POINT--really.  If we love Jesus, we want to please him.  If we fail in this mission, if we commit sin, we believe in his power to forgive us.  This is the message I want to give my kids:  Jesus has no use for perfect people.  He knows we will sin and that''s why he came.  But we don''t get around guilt or shame by redefining sin--and premarital sex is clearly defined in the Gospel as a sin--not THE preeminent sin, not the worst sin we could ever commit, but a sin, which is worthy of shame. Shame at the act of extramarital sex is pretty much a universal, which leads me to believe that it is not Churches which instill this feeling in us, or parents, or other Christians.  If it were not written in the Gospel, it would still be written in our hearts, because so many people who are not Christians still have shame at the experience.\r\n\r\nI tend to think of it more in terms of what we can learn from our guilt and shame.  Like you, I was once in a relationship where I thought that we were too young and healthy and in love to NOT have sex.  I dated that boy for three years, became engaged to him, and finally, FINALLY realized that a lof of that guilt and shame and incredible sex was distracting me from the fact that I was about to marry the WRONG GUY.  Nevertheless, I made the exact same mistake shortly thereafter with another wrong guy.  Sex is good.  It is powerful.  And by the time I met my husband, we had both been around the block enough to know that we didn''t want to screw up our relationship with the fog of pre-marital sex.  As a result, I have the distinction of being the only girl he ever dated seriously who he didn''t screw, and vice versa.  But the clencher, the key, was that to NOT have sex before marriage, we both had to entrench ourselves in prayer and Sacrament.  We could not have survived chaste courtship (especially as we''d both been sexually active in the past) without a mutual desire to make our relationship pleasing to God.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(656, 143, 'Betty Duffy', 'bettyduffy2@yahoo.com', 'http://bettyduffy.blogspot.com', '67.177.100.218', '2009-01-21 18:58:39', '2009-01-21 22:58:39', 'A caveat:  My husband and I were both raised in conservative Catholic families, and are now, ourselves conservative Catholics.  It seems the single greatest determinant in sexual behavior for both of us was finding someone who shared our faith and values.  When one member of the relationship is not on board, it makes abstinance VERY hard.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1008, 256, 'Alli Butler', 'alli@sydtech.com', '', '98.111.91.17', '2009-02-06 02:37:10', '2009-02-06 06:37:10', 'I found your comments about "virtual friends" particularly interesting. Having been an online gamer to varying degrees of obsession since the late 80''s, I know what it''s like to have online "friends" with whom you "socialize" on a daily basis and even work together in "guilds" towards a common goal. As game technology has advanced from text-based, multi-user-dungeons, such games now incorporate graphic player images, clothing, tattoos, hairstyles and real voice-over-audio chat. Sometimes your guild-mates actually talk to you real-time in-game. And that''s just the gamer geek stuff. I remember when my teen-ager was first using instant messaging and I kept a close eye on his friends list. I would say "who is Jordan?" and he would say "oh, that''s Mark''s cousin in Dallas..." many friends of friends became his online friends. He still keeps up (virtually) with a kid that he met in Mexico about seven years ago. In this era of text messaging, cell phones, email, IM, Facebook and Myspace having a "real" conversation (let alone breaking bread) is beginning to be a lost commodity. I have observed a shift in social dynamics in both my own generation and in the next. I am sure that hundreds of papers are being written about the sociology of this era right now, but I''ve experienced the shift in phenomenon first hand and find it...interesting.\r\n\r\nImagine what an impact the wireless had on communication. Then the telephone. Now look at where we are - you can literally have an immediate exchange with your brother on the other side of the country instantaneously. But at the same time, you can have an instant exchange with someone you''ve never met...or a friend from elementary school whom you haven''t actually spoken to in 20 years. So who quantifies which relationship is actually "real"?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(667, 231, 'Urban Panther', 'urbanpanthers@gmail.com', 'http://www.urbanpantherslair.com', '24.202.155.36', '2009-01-22 20:21:46', '2009-01-23 00:21:46', 'The Lion and I always hold hands. When we are walking, when we are sitting, when we are driving. Before I was with the Lion I was with someone who never held hands. My heart bursts everytime he reaches out when we are walking to grab my hand.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SU 3.1; GTB5; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(668, 231, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-01-22 21:13:43', '2009-01-23 01:13:43', 'Did you see them at the various balls? When they danced, he held her close. They looked so happy, and so in love.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(669, 143, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-22 21:14:29', '2009-01-23 01:14:29', 'Betty, I really LOVE the way you put this: "This is the message I want to give my kids: Jesus has no use for perfect people." I''m going to use that with my kids, if you don''t mind. :) \r\n\r\nI have to admit, though, that while I think I ultimately agree with what you''re saying, some of the ways you word it make me squirm. (And I don''t think squirming is a bad thing, btw!) For instance, calling extramarital sex "a sin, which is worthy of shame" is not necessarily a false statement, but I think it has the potential of being very misleading, mostly because of your use of the word "shame," not your use of "sin." (Someone could write a dissertation on this alone, I''m sure!)\r\n\r\nIn general, I''m not saying we should be avoiding talking about and recognizing sin. I just really wish Christians would focus on a more broad array of both obvious and subtle sins, and look at how they are interwoven and how they play out in our lives in all different ways. \r\n\r\nFor instance, I wish people would talk about ALL of the ways we sin against each other/hurt one another in ALL relationships—married and unmarried. Sex gets too much attention, and as a result many other important issues are ignored. Similarly, marriage is treated like a magic wand erasing sin—it''s as if once you''re married, everything is fine, at least in regards to your sex life. The reality is that a lot of sin, sexual and otherwise, happens within a lot of marriages. It''s time for the married people to stop focusing on the speck in the eyes of the unmarried. \r\n\r\nI also don''t fully agree with what you said about guilt: "...which leads me to believe that it is not Churches which instill this feeling in us, or parents, or other Christians." I do think you''re right in saying many truths are written clearly on our hearts, but I think churches and Christians do play a really harmful role in demonizing and elevating feelings of guilt, particularly in certain areas like sexuality. I guess what I''m saying is that I don''t think the way Christians often experience guilt is the way God actually wants us to.\r\n\r\nOK, now I''m thinking I need to just turn this into a follow up post! :) I want to wrap up my comment, though, by letting you know how much I love being challenged to think and dialogue more about this. I really appreciate your comment, and your very real perspective and voice, and I''m so glad you found my blog.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(670, 231, 'dorie', 'tumblingblocks@gmail.com', 'http://tumblingblocks.net/blog/', '173.23.149.186', '2009-01-22 21:45:59', '2009-01-23 01:45:59', 'And people just want to smile.\r\n\r\nThe lady without a TV ends up on TV--often?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X Mach-O; en-US; rv:1.8.1.2) Gecko/20070219 Firefox/2.0.0.2', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(673, 231, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.12.145.37', '2009-01-23 00:17:47', '2009-01-23 04:17:47', 'I''ve been taken with their love and affection, too, but suddently feel jaded and judgemental. When I think of true love I think of what Hilary Clinton said during the Presidential bid when asked how she handled her husband''s infidelity: "The only way I could handle it - through a lot of prayer."\r\n\r\nThese days, their affection for one another seems even more enchanting than the Obama''s who are riding the high of public approval and general euphoria over being at the center of such historic events. That is not to say I don''t still find their marriage and relationship authentic. I do.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(674, 231, 'Shell', 'disappearing_mist@hotmail.com', 'http://shelfie.blogspot.com', '216.67.53.146', '2009-01-23 00:26:40', '2009-01-23 04:26:40', 'What an awesome post! And that photo is amazing!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(681, 26, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-01-23 20:44:34', '2009-01-24 00:44:34', 'Knowing both what you''re turning from and what you''re turning toward - that''s an incredible challenge. I''m so glad things worked so well for you!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(682, 67, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-01-23 20:47:15', '2009-01-24 00:47:15', 'Stranded together, singing -- this makes a wonderful image.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(683, 157, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-01-23 20:49:34', '2009-01-24 00:49:34', 'Have you read the Friday Night Knitting Club? Its parallels with knitting and life are similar to the tone of this post.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(684, 231, 'Zoe', 'zoe@zoewesthof.com', 'http://www.essentialprose.com', '125.25.23.53', '2009-01-23 23:42:55', '2009-01-24 03:42:55', 'Well, probably not quite so enthusiastic about the different types! But I grew up with a really affectionate family, so holding hands always felt natural. But holding hands with a lover of course adds another side to it :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1497, 276, 'ejly', 'eva.lyford@gmail.com', 'http://www.ejly.net', '209.43.9.215', '2009-02-23 00:03:41', '2009-02-23 04:03:41', 'I think judgment is called for, and I don''t understand the bible verse as you cite and how it applies to this example. Consider instead an example of someone judging the evidence and acting upon it: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100829394 I read that and I don''t see someone turning away and justifying their non-involvement by saying that the bible says do not judge. \r\n\r\nPersonally, I try to live non-judgmentally but perhaps more judgment is indeed called for in many cases.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(686, 231, 'AnnieH', 'artbham91@yahoo.com', 'http://www.tidingspfmagpies', '71.67.101.137', '2009-01-24 00:37:00', '2009-01-24 04:37:00', 'I think the great thing about the Times photo of the Obama''s is their uncensored exuberance of the event. They are clearly having a blast and not trying to hide it. I loved how she kept reaching for his hand as they walked those few blocks along the parade route. The word that keeps coming to mind is "refreshing" which seems odd given our state of affairs.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1091, 260, 'TJ Hirst', 'tj@tjhirst.com', 'http://www.tjhirst.com/', '97.112.9.138', '2009-02-09 11:16:14', '2009-02-09 15:16:14', 'I love what you said about your girls experience painting with you, "so happy to be a part of the transformation that is taking place." When kids work to take care of something, they gain a sense of stewardship in it, and they discover what satisfaction it brings to take care of and respect what they''ve been given. A very important result of "making do."  Great ideas.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(723, 233, 'Susan', 'susan.nisbet@gmail.com', 'http://antiqueteacups.blogspot.com/', '122.108.217.68', '2009-01-25 02:26:28', '2009-01-25 06:26:28', 'I know exactly what you mean. These sorts of situations happen to me a lot. I seem to be in the right place at the right time quite often.\r\n\r\nI have no doubt that He has it all planned out. And I am more than happy to bumble along with my life and let it happen.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(724, 233, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-25 02:51:11', '2009-01-25 06:51:11', 'Steve, I really like that "turtle on a fencepost" analogy. Often we find ourselves in situations that are much more subtle and harder to read, but it is hard to deny a "turtle on a fencepost" when you''re staring it in the face. Thanks for reading and commenting.\r\n\r\nCJ, "how to have good timing" is a really tricky thing. My guess is that it has a lot to do with intuition, which is why certain people are able to make careers out of it (like comedians, actors, dancers, etc.). Without even knowing it, most of us probably condition ourselves away from intuition, towards being rational. But the more we focus on "good timing," it seems the more our timing is off, doesn''t it? Thanks for bringing your perspective into the mix.\r\n\r\nDaisy, what a great story. And I don''t want to get myself into trouble here by bringing up gender stereotypes, but your comment about how you and your husband view this type of thing differently made me wonder if it''s more common for women to look at like we do, and men are more likely to see it as "luck" or "coincidence." \r\n\r\nLisaNewton, that doesn''t sound strange at it. In fact, it sounds really wise. I really like the idea of "things noticing me." \r\n\r\nTJ Hirst, what a great idea to keep a "coincidence" journal. From time to time I have kept a "gratitude" journal, and it''s amazing how much more attentive I am when I''m doing that. And anything that gets us thinking beyond ourselves, as you put it, is a wonderful thing, too. I''m looking forward to reading some of your posts that stem from your journal.\r\n\r\nmommyknows, sometimes when there isn''t a good word for something, it makes me crazy. I''m sure all writers can relate. But at other times, being able to say, as you do, "I don''t have a clue what to call it" is very refreshing. I think when we immediately know what to call something, we''re more likely to ponder it less, make assumptions about it, and move on. Finding ourselves in this type of language conundrum can be good for us.\r\n\r\nSusan, this made me laugh: "I have no doubt that He has it all planned out. And I am more than happy to bumble along with my life and let it happen." I can so relate to that approach! We might try to understand these moments, and try to come up with ways to get more of them, but when it''s all said and done, we''re surely going to bumble along. Thank goodness all of these good moments aren''t dependent on us!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1086, 260, 'Loren', 'lmones@yahoo.com', 'http://coffee-nook.blogspot.com/', '222.127.146.34', '2009-02-09 04:11:46', '2009-02-09 08:11:46', 'Hi! You have an interesting blog here.I guess I''d be your regular reader from this day on. Good day!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1550, 278, 'Alli Butler', 'alli@sydtech.com', '', '98.111.91.17', '2009-02-24 05:37:56', '2009-02-24 09:37:56', 'Kristin -\r\n\r\nYour description of a warm, welcoming and loving church family is inspiring and sweet. It''s also nice to know that you and your husband respect your roles (and those of your daughters) in your extended family and that you are able to kindly and respectfully fit together as supporting cast. Bless you all for your efforts. \r\n\r\nI grew up in a church family that I often miss on an elemental level. However, as I grew older and began to form a more liberal mindset I began to wonder how many of my church "family" would welcome me had I wanted to marry a woman, have an abortion, have an interracial relationship, etc. I sought more "Christ-like" people and avoided piousness and hypocrisy and built my own extended "family" of friends and supporters to replace what was once an important (if guilt-driven) part of my life.\r\n\r\nIt''s wonderful that you are able to have both of those aspects and find a balance that suits you and your family. \r\n\r\nYour story also draws to mind my dad - who married a lady with three teen-agers in the early 90''s and found himself enjoying a warm friendship with their father - eventually liking his second wife''s ex more than his wife. My dad eventually coined the phrase "you don''t divorce children" and to his dying day referred to his (former) wife''s ex as his "husband-in-law". He also chose to coin my (then 5-year-old) son''s phrase in referring to his divorce - and would refer to himself as "dis-married." Kids are wise - let your girls call the new baby what they want - "kin" "kith" "quarter brother" whatever works! As long as you''re all happy and celebrating - why not share the joy? :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1554, 274, 'Cobalt-Blue', 'michelle.feelingroovy@gmail.com', '', '69.221.250.6', '2009-02-24 09:08:49', '2009-02-24 13:08:49', 'At this stage of the game, its par for the course. We are at a stage of our lives where responsibilities and schedules pertaining to family, life, and career fill up our time. Although social engagements have to be planned, you still appreciate the friendships and maintain a good outlook upon finding the balance. In the big picture, when children move on to create their own lives and adult careers are more settled, there will be more opportunity for those ''less-intentional'' gatherings with best friends that you desire. Its all in time.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.2 Safari/525.20.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(736, 233, 'Wendy Edsall-Kerwin', 'wendy@hammerstrokeandfire.com', 'http://hammermarks.wordpress.com', '67.238.30.15', '2009-01-25 12:46:04', '2009-01-25 16:46:04', 'It''s called synchronicity.  When something improbable happens that is the perfect thing to happen to you at that place and time, it''s synchronicity.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(737, 233, 'jessica', 'bernzee@mac.com', 'http://bernthis.typepad.com', '75.4.3.198', '2009-01-25 15:58:49', '2009-01-25 19:58:49', 'I used to believe in "fate" and it all happens for a reason.  Not so much anymore.  There are things that have happened and have not happened that are so painful to me that I find it hard to believe it was all just "fate".', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.1) Gecko/2008070206 Firefox/3.0.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(738, 233, 'debby topliff', 'debby@fireflylife.com', 'http://www.paintingrevelation.com', '98.243.60.184', '2009-01-25 16:48:57', '2009-01-25 20:48:57', 'I call it "Strolling with the Lamb", a phrase taken from a song called “Moving with the Lambâ€ by Sibusiso Ntsala on the Vineyard label. It''s how I seek to live my life. The other night we were driving south on M-55 in northern Michigan. I said to John, don''t forget to watch for deer. Ten seconds later four crossed the highway in front of us. I think this has to do with praying without ceasing, keeping a channel of the brain tuned to God''s station.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X 10_4_11; en) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(740, 233, 'christine', 'mrschattypants@gmail.com', 'http://mrschattypants.blogspot.com', '74.233.240.82', '2009-01-25 21:17:04', '2009-01-26 01:17:04', 'I sometimes call these little coincidences "meant to be."  It seems, in my case, that the people I need the most seem to arrive almost at the exact time I need them.  They may arrive via a phone call, email, text message or some other way, but they are there for me.  Regardless, it does seem we are being steered when we open ourselves up to the remarkable.  Great post!!!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(741, 143, 'Betty Duffy', 'bettyduffy2@yahoo.com', 'http://bettyduffy.blogspot.com', '67.177.100.218', '2009-01-25 22:42:23', '2009-01-26 02:42:23', 'I would love it if you wrote a follow up post, and discussed your feelings on shame a little more.  I think I''m understanding that you think shame is the evil that should be done away with.  I completely get what you''re saying about the primacy of sexual sin as a monument in the lives of the unmarried.  You''re right that marriage is no magic wand, and that there are many many other sins to be concerned with both within marriage and without.  I don''t see how shame for that particular sin (or any sin) should hence be eliminated.  I appreciate shame, for any sin, because it is a signal to me that my life requires some examination and change, whether those changes are to let it go and quit being so scrupulous, or to really step back from the occasions that faciliate a particular sin (and I''m using the word sin so much here, because you said it was ok to do so--did I get that wrong?).\r\n\r\nVery much enjoying the dialogue.  Thanks for putting the questions out there.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1098, 260, 'Susan', 'susan.nisbet@gmail.com', 'http://antiqueteacups.blogspot.com/', '122.108.185.203', '2009-02-10 05:20:03', '2009-02-10 09:20:03', 'pictures of the newly painted room?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1883, 296, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.227.97.30', '2009-03-12 15:29:23', '2009-03-12 19:29:23', 'A beautiful verse, KT. A nice reminder for me.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(6792, 537, 'Paul Vander Klay', 'paulvk@leadingchurch.com', 'http://leadingchurch.com', '67.164.218.110', '2009-11-25 18:19:59', '2009-11-25 22:19:59', 'Nice post. Peter Kreeft says that we sin when something else is more real to us than God is in that moment. Your practices are a way to make the good things more real to us and therefore to turn us in a good direction. Thanks for sharing them. pvk', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US) AppleWebKit/532.0 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/3.0.195.33 Safari/532.0', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(7009, 542, 'Jeanne', 'jmhiggs@gmail.com', '', '98.196.136.214', '2009-12-10 21:23:59', '2009-12-11 01:23:59', 'Fellow 7 here....', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.15) Gecko/2009101600 Firefox/3.0.15', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(6794, 537, 'Ed Brenegar', 'ed@edbrenegar.com', 'http://edbrenegar.typepad.com', '173.20.55.37', '2009-11-25 23:36:15', '2009-11-26 03:36:15', 'Hi, Kristen. Thanks for sharing so openly. I think you are right on each of your lessons. \r\n\r\nI''ve been thinking a lot about gratitude for the past year. Even started a social network called Say Thanks Every Day - http://saythankseveryday.ning.com . I invite you to join us. It is a simple little group of people who want to explore the place of gratitude in their lives.\r\n\r\nOne of the things that has bothered me about the way gratitude is treated in our society is that it seems to be so focused on the person feeling grateful. I think we should be grateful, but genuine gratitude isn''t about us. It is about what we feel about someone else. I''ve come to realize that gratitude''s power isn''t in how we feel. It is what it can do to our relationships. In order for being thankful to make a real, lasting difference, it needs to be mutual. I need to say thanks, and my expression needs to be received and returned in a thankful way. I wrote about this today at my blog - http://edbrenegar.typepad.com/leading_questions/2009/11/mutual-gratitude.html. I hope it will provide some inspiration for strengthening your relationships.\r\n\r\nHope you have a great Thanksgiving.\r\n\r\nEd', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.1.5) Gecko/20091102 Firefox/3.5.5 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1585, 276, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '99.164.175.193', '2009-02-25 18:06:23', '2009-02-25 22:06:23', 'ejly, thanks for taking the time to follow up. I completely get what you''re saying. I think there are just two (or more!) different ways to think about "judging" or being "judgmental." In situations of advocacy, like you describe, I think we are definitely called to judge others and act upon what we know. Jesus did it all the time, especially when "the least of these" (the poor, young, old, sick, and otherwise undervalued outsiders) were being taken advantage of, abused or neglected by people who had some power over them.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1099, 260, 'Elaine Tolsma-Harlow', 'reoharlow@hotmail.com', '', '24.231.153.71', '2009-02-10 10:09:59', '2009-02-10 14:09:59', 'Oh the glories of an old house!  My 104 year old house oozes charm &amp; drips water.  We do the daily morning tango in our one bathroom and my studio space is the dining room in which we eat.  But the mortgage is reasonable and the etched window are drop dead gorgeous. I do dream of a house with good windows &amp; a kitchen that is big enough to eat in, but this is my house and it is home.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(756, 233, 'Urban Panther', 'urbanpanthers@gmail.com', 'http://www.urbanpantherslair.com', '24.202.155.36', '2009-01-26 10:10:58', '2009-01-26 14:10:58', 'Yep, Wendy said it. It''s called synchronicity. And it happens all the time. And once you are clued into it, it happens far more often that you would think. My personal belief is that we are constantly putting out energy (for lack of a better word), which interacts with all the energy around us. You could have taken another route, and so could have Susan, but the energies intermingle and BOOM you turn the corner and there she is. Sounds rather dry and scientific, but this energy is part of my concept of God (for lack of a better word).', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SU 3.1; GTB5; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(760, 241, 'Jen', 'jkluit@yaoo.com', 'http://hollyhousestudio.blogspot.com', '98.184.187.73', '2009-01-26 11:40:16', '2009-01-26 15:40:16', 'I like change. Fantastic job. You go!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X Mach-O; en-US; rv:1.8.1.20) Gecko/20081217 Firefox/2.0.0.20', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(761, 241, 'TJ Hirst', 'tj@tjhirst.com', 'http://www.tjhirst.com/', '97.112.31.244', '2009-01-26 11:44:07', '2009-01-26 15:44:07', 'I like your changes, and I noticed. The little susbribe and twiter circles are cute. Did I just say cute? I especially like the categories pulled together so well. That has me thinking about how to categorize my own stuff.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1580, 280, 'Jody', 'reviews@singleoftheday.com', 'http://singleoftheday.com', '69.228.4.216', '2009-02-25 13:40:56', '2009-02-25 17:40:56', 'I''ve never asked my mom or grandparents what it was like when I ran thru a plate glass door on accident. I''m betting that was their same feelings as I was being cleaned up from the mess. Thanks for sharing.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.16 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Safari/528.16', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1886, 296, 'Jennifer', 'jkluit@yahoo.com', 'http://hollyhouse.blogspot.com', '70.177.70.72', '2009-03-12 21:20:38', '2009-03-13 01:20:38', 'This year it was the Lions, from your old state! They did not win one single game.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.7) Gecko/2009021906 Firefox/3.0.7', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(775, 241, 'Kelvin Kao', 'kelvinkao@gmail.com', 'http://www.puppetkaos.com', '71.160.80.186', '2009-01-26 19:14:37', '2009-01-26 23:14:37', 'I once ran this little experiment.  I shaved half of my face and left the other side unshaven (this is after one week).  Nobody noticed.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 1.0.3705; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506.648; .NET CLR 3.5.21022; 3P_UVRM 1.00.1)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(777, 241, 'LisaNewton', 'lisajnewton@gmail.com', 'http://www.travelinlocal.com', '76.166.207.239', '2009-01-26 20:11:10', '2009-01-27 00:11:10', 'It looks great.  I love the header design and the big RSS, Twitter, and Email buttons.  Plus, I just noticed the great footer.  Congratulations!!\r\n\r\nIt''s funny how we don''t have time to notice what''s in our own backyard.  Taking the time to really look at life is so important.  Thanks for a little reminder...................:)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; GTB5; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(778, 233, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.12.145.37', '2009-01-26 22:41:33', '2009-01-27 02:41:33', 'I have many thoughts about this, but am a little short on time, so forgive my lack of organization of these thoughts. \r\n\r\nFirst of all, I read a blog post the other day that you should check out. It''s by a blogger named Caroline who posts at "The Zen in You." http://thezeninyou.blogspot.com/2009/01/oh-this-is-just-blowing-my-mind.html. She writes a review of sorts of a book by an organic chemist who writes about thought energy and the power of meditation. I think you''ll find it interesting. \r\n\r\nIt sounds so cliche, and I''m sure you''ve heard it before. Coincidence is God working anonymously. \r\n\r\nAnd this, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord..." Psalm 37:23a. \r\n\r\nOprah, who I''m not really in the habit of quoting, although I do admire her, said that the whisper or the nudge telling you to go here or don''t go there - is God. \r\n\r\nAnd, finally this -- Do you believe in the power of your soul? If the soul outlives the body and the mind, then can''t it carrry you where you need to go? And if you are carried someplace you shouldn''t be before your time, then is the flesh jockeying for control, and sometimes winning? Paul wrote, "The Spirit Himself bears witness to our spirit..." Perhaps God whispered to your soul. That part of you heard Him tell you where to go. You rounded the corner and saw your friend. Your soul carried you there. Your body was unaware. Just one theory. \r\n\r\nIt''s also probably worth mentioning that sometimes, coincidence leads to disaster, so maybe God shouldn''t get all the credit for all such things.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(796, 247, 'Jennifer Brooks', 'jennifer@therurbanfringe.com', 'http://www.therurbanfringe.com', '70.75.9.195', '2009-01-27 16:11:15', '2009-01-27 20:11:15', 'aaaaaahh ... those mornings where everything works like a well-oiled machine ... they are becoming more rare in our house although I''m rapidly depleting my reservoir of goodwill ... lol ... the joys and challenges of being a working mother never cease!!  :)\r\n\r\nCheers,\r\nJennifer', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(797, 247, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-01-27 16:29:24', '2009-01-27 20:29:24', 'Those smooth mornings are a gift. Most of my mornings go well. I put my teen on the bus (he''s disabled, still needs company as he gets off to school), and then I climb in the minivan to go to work. All is well, except when it isn''t. And then, we cope. Don''t we all? :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N');
INSERT INTO `wp_d8mand_comments` (`comment_ID`, `comment_post_ID`, `comment_author`, `comment_author_email`, `comment_author_url`, `comment_author_IP`, `comment_date`, `comment_date_gmt`, `comment_content`, `comment_karma`, `comment_approved`, `comment_agent`, `comment_type`, `comment_parent`, `user_id`, `comment_subscribe`) VALUES
(798, 247, 'Ashey', 'ashleygvelez@gmail.com', 'http://www.ashleygraceless.com', '68.153.33.3', '2009-01-27 16:56:48', '2009-01-27 20:56:48', 'I don''t have children yet, but I notice that I can set the tone for the day with just my husband.  Even the dog picks up on our moods and body language, and she gets more riled up the more riled up I am and she gets worse as I respond.  \r\n\r\nI can only imagine what this is like with more bodies in the house.  :) Here''s one of my all-time favorite quotes that I try to live by - "Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." - Ralph Waldo Emerson', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(799, 241, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '76.227.78.49', '2009-01-27 17:09:10', '2009-01-27 21:09:10', 'Matt, I''m so glad you found and are enjoying Halfway to Normal—the stories as well as the new design. I like that you wrote "I also feel like you are letting us get a sneak peek of (your) real life." My real life looks a lot like many other real lives, I suspect, which is the whole point of writing about it at all.\r\n\r\nLance, thanks for noticing! (The little things, like the green circles, and my glasses.) :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(800, 233, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '76.227.78.49', '2009-01-27 17:16:18', '2009-01-27 21:16:18', 'The Modern Gal, HA! I love it. I know what you mean about worrying that you''re reading too much into things. Twice in my past, I thought God had something very big up his sleeve because of how I met two different men, and it didn''t end up like I thought. At the same time, a number of these non-coincidental moments fill the story of how I met my husband. :) I think the key is to realize that although God might be "up to something," as you put it, that "something" might turn out being completely different than we suspected.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(802, 233, 'Shell', 'disappearing_mist@hotmail.com', 'http://shelfie.blogspot.com', '209.193.46.70', '2009-01-27 18:06:05', '2009-01-27 22:06:05', 'I love those moments. I definitely consider them God moments as well. I think they are just God''s way of encouraging us when we need it. It can also be a great testimony as well, to other people.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(856, 250, 'dennis mc nulty', 'dwmcnulty@yahoo.com', '', '71.80.38.105', '2009-01-30 15:17:01', '2009-01-30 19:17:01', 'my question: of the 255 "friends" listed for you on facebook, how many/what percentage are actually friends? \r\n\r\nconnected to this question is my curiosity about your attitudes towards facebook etiquette; especially with the ny times article i posted on your facebook page, give us your views (perfect example: is it bad form for me to just willy-nilly post something on someone''s page). love to you, the man, and the girls', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.4; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(857, 246, 'Anne', 'annewillis2@gmail.com', '', '70.230.190.217', '2009-01-30 15:57:46', '2009-01-30 19:57:46', 'Where did you live in STL? We''re in Webster - land of great front porches. We love to sit on ours, have a beer and "watch the TV of life."', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(858, 250, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.12.145.37', '2009-01-30 16:15:30', '2009-01-30 20:15:30', 'If you could tell the entire world a story about Jesus what would the story be? You have 3 minutes. Go.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(859, 250, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.12.145.37', '2009-01-30 16:16:26', '2009-01-30 20:16:26', 'oh, and yes, where did the daughters'' names come from. I didn''t know if they were pen names for the Internet or??', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(860, 250, 'Julia', 'julia@artofthefirebird.com', 'http://artofthefirebird.com', '66.156.13.205', '2009-01-30 16:33:47', '2009-01-30 20:33:47', 'If you could have three wishes granted, the first one for the world, the second one just for your family, and the third one just for yourself, what would they be?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008121622 Ubuntu/8.10 (intrepid) Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(862, 250, 'Natalie Hart', 'nataliehart@sbcglobal.net', '', '69.221.248.235', '2009-01-30 17:49:03', '2009-01-30 21:49:03', 'What was the first music you bought for yourself with your own money? (In case you''re too embarrassed to admit yours, mine was the soundtrack to Xanadu).', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/312.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Safari/312.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(863, 250, 'Natalie Hart', 'nataliehart@sbcglobal.net', '', '69.221.248.235', '2009-01-30 17:51:31', '2009-01-30 21:51:31', 'Explain the genesis of a scar (physical) you still have from childhood/teenagedom.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/312.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Safari/312.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(864, 250, 'cpond', 'cdpond@gmail.com', '', '141.142.250.211', '2009-01-30 17:57:09', '2009-01-30 21:57:09', 'When did you first begin to write? Prose and such, not your ABCs.  :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(865, 250, 'Jenn B', 'jenniferannburns@gmail.com', 'http://thedailyburns.com', '76.121.44.136', '2009-01-30 18:15:37', '2009-01-30 22:15:37', 'totally cheating!  (on the facebook 25 things).   i spent 45 stupid minutes on mine...i''m not helping you cheat.  ;)    lol.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X Mach-O; en-US; rv:1.8.1.9) Gecko/20071025 Firefox/2.0.0.9', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(872, 233, 'Cobalt-Blue', 'michelle.feelingroovy@gmail.com', '', '69.221.239.196', '2009-01-30 23:08:20', '2009-01-31 03:08:20', 'Your intuition brought you to Susan. Intuition is knowing something without reasoning or explanation. I assume that you have had many heart to heart talks with Susan, which in essence has created a strong bond in your friendship. I believe you sensed her presence and she may as well sensed yours. Being the intuitive people you are, both of you followed the force until you both found the source...each other. \r\n\r\nLooking at the situation from a different perspective, such as why did you decide to take a walk the same day Susan needed a friend? The answer lies in "Divine Intervention," which is the term I created for such instances. Divine Intervention got both of you out of the house for a walk, but intuition brought you together.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_5; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.2 Safari/525.20.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(873, 250, 'LeslieB', 'CoachLesB@aol.com', 'http://blog.lifeconcoctions.com', '71.252.128.33', '2009-01-30 23:59:08', '2009-01-31 03:59:08', 'What''s your all-time favorite song, and why is it your favorite?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X; en-US; rv:1.8.1.18) Gecko/20081107 Firefox/2.0.0.18 Flock/1.2.7', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(874, 241, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-31 00:29:24', '2009-01-31 04:29:24', 'Michael, thanks for noticing! You''ve always had good taste, so if you say everything looks great, I trust you completely.\r\n\r\nMike, thanks for your kind words. I really like how the footer turned out, too. The credit goes to Ryan and Sarah at Oktober5, my husband for designing the icons and buttons, and my friend Derek who drew the banner illustration.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(875, 231, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-31 00:33:54', '2009-01-31 04:33:54', 'Jessica, I bet you''re passing your love for hand-holding to your daughter now, just like your mother made it a part of who you are. (And I agree—holding hands at a movie is SO nice.)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(876, 250, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-01-31 00:43:51', '2009-01-31 04:43:51', 'Wow. You guys are great. Part of me is thinking "this is SO much fun" and another part of me is thinking "what on earth have I gotten myself into?!?" \r\n\r\nI''m loving the questions, though, especially the variety. But answering them is NOT going to be easy (which makes me think I''m not really cheating, which makes me think Jenn B needs to get back over here and ask a question! :) I''ll start mulling these over while I wait for the other 10+ questions to roll in.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(880, 250, 'Becky', 'b.conekin@fashion.arts.ac.uk', '', '81.107.46.135', '2009-01-31 10:55:33', '2009-01-31 14:55:33', 'What do you most regret in your life? xx b', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1238, 268, 'blackwasp19', 'joshuacanada@gmail.com', 'http://www.blackwasp19.wordpress.com', '99.20.194.99', '2009-02-15 16:32:34', '2009-02-15 20:32:34', 'I despise the commercial nature of V-day, but I also dislike the commercialism of Christmas, 4th of July, Easter and most of the major holidays. I don''t think that most of us properly celebrate holidays, usually they are more about the bells and whistles rather than the intention of the day. \r\n\r\nI value V-Day. For me it is a day to reflect on love. Not only with my wife - though that is primary-, but with my parents and family.  We don''t currently have children, but when we do, V-day will be a day for our family to express love to one another. Making cookies, having dinner together, etc. \r\n\r\nHolidays should be celebratory of its given purpose (i.e.  Christmas - Birth of Christ, Chinese New year - Start of a New Lunar year, Yom Kippur - Atonement &amp; Repentance etc.). It is not that we don''t honor those elements throughout the year, but the holiday is when we readjust, remember, retreat and celebrate in an intentional fashion. \r\n\r\nI V-day''s commercialism gets on my nerves, I like it.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(883, 250, 'Elaine Tolsma-Harlow', 'reoharlow@hotmail.com', '', '24.231.153.71', '2009-01-31 13:16:21', '2009-01-31 17:16:21', 'What is the best present you ever received &amp; ever given?\r\n\r\nMy coffee is non fat latte w/whip cream (kind of an oxymoron I know).  But lately I''ve been drinking tea &amp; a lot of it and I can''t wait to share a real one in real time.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(884, 250, 'Nancy Pagaduan', 'nmpagaduan@aol.com', '', '88.30.7.122', '2009-01-31 13:19:31', '2009-01-31 17:19:31', 'When your daughters ask you "What does it mean to be in love?" - how will you/do you/did you answer?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; es-ES; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(885, 250, 'Nick B', 'nbreems@dordt.edu', '', '199.165.141.214', '2009-01-31 15:52:15', '2009-01-31 19:52:15', 'In an online world where so much is virtual and even many of your friends you''ve never met, how do you decide who is the authentic you, and how do you nourish that self?\r\n\r\n(Oh, did you want easy questions?  What color was your first bike?  :-)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(886, 250, 'leona', 'leona@bigpond.net.au', 'http://http//transformativeliving.wordpress.com', '144.136.116.38', '2009-01-31 16:34:04', '2009-01-31 20:34:04', 'Serious question first; what do you say when your children or a dear friend asks "what do YOU think I should do?"\r\n\r\nLite''n Easy: What''s your favourite magazine?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SU 3.1; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2; InfoPath.1; OfficeLiveConnector.1.3; OfficeLivePatch.0.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(887, 219, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-01-31 18:47:27', '2009-01-31 22:47:27', '"submerged deep in the white noise of life" -- it''s tough to slow down in this speeding world. I use the phrase "treading water" all too often to describe my workload. When I can pull myself out of the water and onto shore, will my soul be waiting there? I hope so.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(888, 241, 'Meg', 'youreallycandoit@gmail.com', 'http://howtomakeadifferencenow.blogspot.com', '118.93.93.19', '2009-01-31 19:03:25', '2009-01-31 23:03:25', 'Hi Kristin\r\n\r\nYour new layout is just gorgeous.  I love how it is so simple and elegant yet inviting.  Its super easy to get around and I just love the categories at the bottom.  Fantastic :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.8.1.18) Gecko/20081107 Firefox/2.0.0.18 Flock/1.2.7', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(889, 250, 'LisaNewton', 'lisajnewton@gmail.com', 'http://www.travelinlocal.com', '76.166.207.239', '2009-01-31 19:30:57', '2009-01-31 23:30:57', 'I might be a little late, but I loved your porch post, and it got me to thinking.  If you could spend an hour doing anything you wanted, something for you, what would you do?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; GTB5; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1290, 268, 'ChristinA', 'rockingham@netzero.net', '', '18.103.12.45', '2009-02-17 12:57:30', '2009-02-17 16:57:30', 'Very Favorite Almondy Butter Cookies???  Recipe, please!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1291, 262, 'Jeb Dickerson', 'jebdickerson@mac.com', 'http://www.howtomatter.com', '71.237.106.69', '2009-02-17 14:11:17', '2009-02-17 18:11:17', 'Very well said KT.  There''s not one thing wrong with having non-negotiables in life. Things we simply wont budge on. What boggles me is when these absolute beliefs translate into intolerance. \r\n\r\nBelieve what you will, own it, preach it. But let me do the same without maligning me for it. I understand that a strong belief comes with a certain amount of righteousness - we wouldn''t believe it so strongly if it didn''t - but nothing elevates one person over another, or gives someone dominion over ''the truth''. Beliefs are simply opinions. Nothing more. You wouldn''t degrade another because their favorite color is different than yours. And you don''t think they''re wrong or evil because of it.\r\n\r\nMy mother said something to me on this topic when I was maybe 14, and I never forgot it. It was in reference to some trait one of my brothers possessed that happened to irk me. She said simply, ''We''re all different, and we must respect one another''s individuality''.\r\n\r\nYes, come to the party as you are...but enjoy others for who they are, and be grateful for the ability to interact with people from different walks of life. Respect their individuality.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(919, 252, 'mommyknows', 'kim@mommyknows.com', 'http://mommyknows.com', '68.150.199.3', '2009-02-02 14:31:07', '2009-02-02 18:31:07', 'Why not link to the people that asked you the questions? There are a couple of people I thought asked really interesting questions, I''d like to read them if they have blogs.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(920, 252, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-02 14:33:45', '2009-02-02 18:33:45', 'mommyknows, that''s a great idea. I''ll add the available links.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(921, 252, 'Becky', 'b.conekin@fashion.arts.ac.uk', '', '81.107.46.135', '2009-02-02 14:34:25', '2009-02-02 18:34:25', 'Thanks for these! They are amazing, insightful and moving, as I''d have imagined they would be. xxxxxxxxb', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1292, 269, 'Social media: Please stand up and be counted | BlueWave Media - BlueWave Media Cafe', '', 'http://www.bluewavemedia.ca/blog/2009/02/social-media-please-stand-up-and-be-counted/', '65.254.224.34', '2009-02-17 15:50:48', '2009-02-17 19:50:48', '[...] is a comment I made earlier on http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/?p=269 regarding social media and Chris Brogan&#8217;s comment regarding &#8220;dammed if you do and [...]', 0, '1', 'The Incutio XML-RPC PHP Library -- WordPress/2.7', 'pingback', 0, 0, 'N'),
(923, 250, 'Leona', 'leona@bigpond.net.au', 'http://transformativeliving.wordpress.com', '144.136.116.38', '2009-02-02 15:29:14', '2009-02-02 19:29:14', 'Whoops sorry techno-typo glitch re my blog address in my previous post...leona with a big L will get you there - blogging on about things that matter to me in the personal development realm and other stuff. Thanks Kirstie for letting me know the link wasn''t working. I love your answer to my question - it speaks to living in congruence with our values and following one''s heart. Kids really take to checking in with what their body knows  but if you are curious a simple yet profound technique called Focusing (www.focusing.org) can teach them how to stay self-connected and self-trusting for life.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SU 3.1; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2; InfoPath.1; OfficeLiveConnector.1.3; OfficeLivePatch.0.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(924, 250, 'Leona', 'leona@bigpond.net.au', 'http://transformativeliving.wordpress.com', '144.136.116.38', '2009-02-02 15:32:36', '2009-02-02 19:32:36', '2nd whoops - apologies for writing Kirstie instead of Kristin - that will teach me for blogging at 6.30am before the coffee cup is empty and the caffeine has filtered through my system, or done my yoga, or had my morning sit. Is blogging addictive?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SU 3.1; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2; InfoPath.1; OfficeLiveConnector.1.3; OfficeLivePatch.0.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(925, 252, 'Lance', 'lance@jungleoflife.com', 'http://www.jungleoflife.com/', '12.175.154.114', '2009-02-02 16:20:33', '2009-02-02 20:20:33', 'Hi Kristin,\r\nI love your answers to these questions - nice job being "you"...\r\n\r\nI''m especially moved by your reply to why you need faith.  And the whole idea of belief.  I certainly can''t claim to have many of the "scientific" answers to support any theory for how this all began.  Belief...that''s it for me too.  It''s a belief in what is good and right in the world.  And of a God who loves us immensely.\r\n\r\nHonest and open writing -- you''re doing it Kristin.  \r\n\r\nAnd it''s this that brings me back...continue to be "real"...', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1740, 286, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.227.97.30', '2009-03-04 20:49:50', '2009-03-05 00:49:50', 'Can I say, "What a great post," one more time? \r\n\r\nI don''t like Facebook. People who stopped talking to me 15 years ago now want to no why I got divorced 10 years ago. Go away. I do, however, LOVE reconnecting with people from high school. Those salt-of-the-earth Kansans. \r\n\r\nI do love Twitter. I tweeted once: Facebook wants to eat your babies. Twitter is for the inteligencia. I''m cruel like that. =0 \r\n\r\nI do wish we could meet for that cup of coffee, Kristin. One day.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2369, 339, 'Rebecca', 'rlthorman@gmail.com', 'http://modite.com/blog', '69.128.50.90', '2009-04-28 13:37:16', '2009-04-28 17:37:16', 'This couldn''t have come at a better time. Ryan and I have been constantly talking about how we express that we like each other in a different way. It''s good to hear of others in the same position and what to do about it...  thank you :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.10) Gecko/2009042316 Firefox/3.0.10', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(934, 252, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-03 00:25:21', '2009-02-03 04:25:21', 'Becky, thanks for asking one of the most difficult questions! :) And thanks for your constant love and support. It''s hard laying it all out there like this, and so good to know someone like you is waiting to receive it.\r\n\r\nLance, you''re a great role model of "honest and open writing," so it means a lot to hear you say it about me. I also really like how simply you put this truth: "It’s a belief in what is good and right in the world. And of a God who loves us immensely." Thanks for adding your perspective to mine.\r\n\r\nDaisy, thanks for recognizing the courage it took. Posts like this one make me feel all squirmy! I''m not sure why it''s so hard for me to put it all out there when it comes to my faith and beliefs, but it is.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1308, 268, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.227.97.30', '2009-02-18 09:50:56', '2009-02-18 13:50:56', 'those cookies, b/f and after frosting, look divine. great photography by the way! \r\n\r\nyeah, so i''m more of a st. patrick''s day kind of gal. hahahahahaha.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(938, 231, 'molly', 'mccracken.molly@gmail.com', '', '72.83.117.25', '2009-02-03 13:19:14', '2009-02-03 17:19:14', 'Hi Kristin,\r\nJust saw this http://cocoknits.com/knit/garments/accessories/smitten.html and it made me think of this blog post.  I am really enjoying your blog, by the way.  :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1317, 268, 'ChristinA', 'rockingham@netzero.net', '', '18.103.12.45', '2009-02-18 14:39:49', '2009-02-18 18:39:49', 'Thanks, Kristin!  They look lovely and I can''t wait to try them!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1318, 274, 'JRMoreau', 'james.r.moreau@gmail.com', 'http://notsoliteral.blogspot.com', '66.100.249.194', '2009-02-18 14:55:05', '2009-02-18 18:55:05', 'It can be easy to slip into a passive existence. Suddenly you realize you''re doing nothing but work and haven''t seen or heard from your friends in a long time. \r\n\r\nIt''s all about waking up and changing your actions. I''ve been forcing myself to call friends after work rather than waiting until the weekend.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(5720, 462, 'Cobalt-Blue', 'michelle.feelingroovy@gmail.com', '', '69.221.236.43', '2009-09-02 20:53:58', '2009-09-03 00:53:58', 'The ''fine spa'' comment made me giggle. Massages and hair styling in a ''real spa'' are big bucks, but for you and Q, the bonding is priceless at ''Mom''s Spa.''', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_8; en-us) AppleWebKit/531.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.3 Safari/531.9', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(5035, 432, 'Jeb', 'jebdickerson@mac.com', 'http://www.howtomatter.com', '71.237.106.69', '2009-08-03 18:12:30', '2009-08-03 22:12:30', 'Hi KT...\r\nFaith is a pretty inclusive word these days, and I''m happy about that. It applies to a wider group of people, all facing varied circumstances.\r\n\r\nMy faith is not your faith...we''re seeking different things. But it all applies. Whether you define faith in religious terms or otherwise...faith in one''s abilities, in the future, in an ideal, in the basic goodness of others...none of it carries with it any weight until we''re helping to do the heavy lifting. \r\n\r\nFor me, faith requires thought first. Because action must be preceded by mental discipline. But if we never transition...we''re dreamers at best. I like to dream of something better, but if I never get to see it, well, what have I accomplished?\r\n\r\nYou''re always a wonderful example KT...thank you.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_7; en-us) AppleWebKit/530.19.2 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.2 Safari/530.19', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(2000, 303, 'Jennifer', 'hollyhousestudio@me.com', 'http://hollyhouse.blogspot.com', '70.177.70.72', '2009-03-20 21:33:49', '2009-03-21 01:33:49', 'I have been following your twitter updates about the dog. I do so hope you find the right one. My middle daughter is the animal lover and she about makes us nuts with her knowledge and zeal for creatures of all kinds. We have two dogs and two cats, one dog being a recent addition to help her through some issues. I have written a blog post as well about our eldest dog, Chewy, whom we "inherited." Its funny how I never wanted a dog but just love Chewy in our lives. http://hollyhousestudio.blogspot.com/2009/03/ode-to-chewy.html', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.7) Gecko/2009021906 Firefox/3.0.7', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(2001, 303, 'Jennifer', 'hollyhousestudio@me.com', 'http://hollyhouse.blogspot.com', '70.177.70.72', '2009-03-20 21:34:53', '2009-03-21 01:34:53', 'And, I forgot to say, you look lovely as ever.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.7) Gecko/2009021906 Firefox/3.0.7', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(6686, 529, 'Jessica', 'bernzee@mac.com', 'http://bernthis.com', '71.156.50.3', '2009-11-11 01:27:22', '2009-11-11 05:27:22', 'I have changed so much since my divorce and it makes me laugh when he and others assume I''m the same person I was and treat me accordingly. It makes me so happy to prove them wrong.  Great post.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X Mach-O; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(6573, 512, 'Lance', 'lance@jungleoflife.com', 'http://www.jungleoflife.com/', '65.29.12.59', '2009-10-26 19:40:52', '2009-10-26 23:40:52', 'Trina,\r\nWell, I kind of think it''s great that #thelovelist goes on here beyond Friday - what fun to come back to and revisit today!  The sights and sounds of nature really are deeply amazing.  As I type this, I think of the sound of the wind, or of gently lapping waves...and then that quickly shifts to an image in my head of what that sound looks like - both so powerful.  Trina, thanks so much for sharing here today.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.1.3) Gecko/20090824 Firefox/3.5.3', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(6574, 514, 'Tracy', 'tracy.oconnor@gmail.com', 'http://www.ihatemymessageboard.com', '70.145.133.65', '2009-10-26 22:02:03', '2009-10-27 02:02:03', 'Hi Kristin, this really is an interesting topic and there is so much potential for conversation if we do not, as you say, draw lines in the sand. As an Atheist, I do feel uncomfortable when fellow Atheists take a combative stance and argue that we have some sort of monopoloy on reason, that religion is a crutch, and so on. I feel no superiority to anyone based on my beliefs and enjoy hearing about the beliefs of others and discussing the differences and similarities.\r\n\r\nEd, I think you bring up a good point that when (mostly in this country) Christians say that you can''t be good without God or some variation of the same that it is very easily rebutted. I think the question I have for those that would have me change my beliefs is if I am just as good, just as happy, just as peaceful and just as fulfilled in my life as you are in yours with religion, why would you have me change?\r\n\r\nI do feel complete and wholly capable of acting with self sacrificial love without any relationship to any Deity. What evidence does anyone have that I am not?  I suppose the good without God was intentionally meant to be a play on words, yes we can behave without God and also we''re fine without it, which is not to say that makes us in any way better, more self-directed, more reasonable than those that say they are better with God. We all come into this world with different needs, and I believe a need for faith or spirituality is present or absent in each of us in different amounts.\r\n\r\nI think this is why, on the whole, I support these ad campaigns, not because I want to change anyone''s personal beliefs but because perhaps it will open up some minds that there are so many ways to lead a happy, moral, fulfilled complete life.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.1.3) Gecko/20090824 Firefox/3.5.3 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(4888, 424, 'Debbie Yost', 'deb.opks@gmail.com', 'http://www.my3weddings.com', '76.92.233.189', '2009-07-25 20:59:26', '2009-07-26 00:59:26', 'I couldn''t agree more.  We don''t always know why something "bad" happens in our lives but we can''t let ourselves sink into that hole and not climb back out.  We can have our bad days, we can have our pity parties, but eventually, we need to move on.  We need to look for the good in our life, even though it may not be obvious in the beginning.  Having a daughter with special needs has taught me that, and continues to teach me that every. single. day.  God gave us one of his very special angels and I feel so blessed to be entrusted with her.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; GTB6; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0; InfoPath.1)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(6676, 525, 'Dave Thurston', 'dave@orangeshirtguy.com', 'http://www.orangeshirtguy.com', '24.223.179.5', '2009-11-08 20:58:51', '2009-11-09 00:58:51', 'It is touched on a bunch, but it is amazing what a change in attitude (even if the change is kind of fake) does for one''s self.  Isn''t that what the love list, or a journal, or heck even just bouncing ideas off of a non-judgmental friend does.  It gets that "stuff" out there so that it can be processed and so that "the good stuff" can be gathered and learned from."\r\n\r\nGranted, during times of great difficulty such as your recent one Meredith, getting to that level isn''t possible . . . but still, it is good to know that somewhere in one''s brain and one''s self that the learning place (and peace) will be reached.\r\n\r\nOh, and (say) ten years from now, won''t it be cool that when you''re reminded of your love list that you''ll also be reminded of your grandmother?  Pretty good connection.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_6_1; en-us) AppleWebKit/531.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.3 Safari/531.9', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(6552, 512, 'Lance', 'lance@jungleoflife.com', 'http://www.jungleoflife.com/', '65.29.12.59', '2009-10-24 21:40:26', '2009-10-25 01:40:26', '@Laurie - Hi Laurie.  Thank you!  And what you bring up - both the very grand and the very miniscule...all parts of this amazing world we live in.  So, just because something is small doesn''t mean it''s just as amazing as something big.  Our God is an awesome God!  And nature, in all its forms, just shines this through!\r\n\r\n@Mary - Hi Mary.  Being I live in the midwest US, mountains aren''t a regular sighting.  When we do visit them, though, they are so majestic.  And thinking of the mountaintop, I recall a skiing trip in the Rocky Mountains that very much felt this way.  Mountains...so, so awesome, their size is just so impressive - it''s hard to fully comprehend.\r\n\r\n@Diane AZ - Hi Diane.  This is beautiful to read...really, so connecting to think about the rain on dry earth, and how that is "home"...  Thank you, Diane, for sharing this.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.1.3) Gecko/20090824 Firefox/3.5.3', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(6553, 512, 'Carmen', 'capisco@verizon.net', '', '24.39.88.98', '2009-10-25 09:49:22', '2009-10-25 13:49:22', 'Lance, I''m reading this while looking at the beautiful fall oranges that cover the trees and hills around Ithaca, New York. Nature is a reminder that beauty surrounds us in all forms if we look up to notice. Thanks for your fog story!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.4; en-US; rv:1.9.0.14) Gecko/2009082706 Firefox/3.0.14', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(5042, 432, 'Lance', 'lance@jungleoflife.com', 'http://www.jungleoflife.com/', '65.29.12.59', '2009-08-03 22:24:45', '2009-08-04 02:24:45', 'Hi Kristin,\r\nFaith...is not religion.  Faith is something that comes from deep within us, that connects us to our God.  That''s not something I always believed.  I used to see going to church as being faithful/spiritual.  Thats not what I see now.  Oh, it can be.  What I really believe, though, it that too many people come to church because it "looks good".  Their one hour on Sunday...and life is good.  Or maybe they have membership at a church, so they can say their members...without even having to go to that place.  \r\n\r\nFaith is so deeply tied to compassion.  And I believe that because when we really connect with our faith, with our own spirituality - on a deep level - that''s when compassion comes to life.  And projects like this you''re working on get started.  That''s compassion at work...doing good...for all our brothers and sisters in this world...', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.1.1) Gecko/20090715 Firefox/3.5.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2006, 303, 'dorie', 'tumblingblocks@gmail.com', 'http://tumblingblocks.net/blog/', '173.23.149.186', '2009-03-21 12:11:54', '2009-03-21 16:11:54', 'Hey Kristin,\r\nI think I get you 100% here.  A dog will be a good compliment for your lifestyle, and a pet is such a stress reliever.  Sometimes I wish I could bring Edgar to work, and always I am glad to have a furry little friend to sit on my lap when I get home.\r\n\r\nDorie', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X Mach-O; en-US; rv:1.8.1.20) Gecko/20081217 Firefox/2.0.0.20', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(3538, 373, 'Dave Thurston', 'dave@orangeshirtguy.com', 'http://www.orangeshirtguy.com', '70.217.136.194', '2009-06-10 14:19:42', '2009-06-10 18:19:42', 'Hmm.  Assumming that St. Augistine was correct that Patience and Wisdom are Companions, I wonder if there is an effiency side of Wisdom as well . . . and a way to improve that.  Maybe Patience and Wisdom are companions, but Listening and Watching are in the front seat.\r\n\r\nAnyway, it''d be great to become a bit wiser with each day and with each interaction, but alas so frequently that darn Subjectivity gets in the way.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; GTB6; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152; .NET CLR 3.5.30729)', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(6866, 538, 'Jennifer', 'hollyhousestudio@me.com', 'http://hollyhouse.blogspot.com', '98.184.176.60', '2009-11-30 18:25:48', '2009-11-30 22:25:48', 'I like you! I like the way you think and the church you attend. I have been thinking similar thoughts these days, which I suppose comes courtesy of great minds, and the holidays. I have been thinking today about helping my kids, each day in advent, look past the gift idea requests from relatives and remember what it is about. Our pastor said the most important aspect yesterday: Christmas is only the beginning. He was born to die and so to me it seems a bittersweet celebration. \r\n\r\nI like the idea you articulate about waiting for some kind of internal growth over a day on a calendar. This kind of thinking emphasizes authentic living, thoughtful decisions, and character development. Just when we get to the one character trait we pursue, there is another waiting to grow. \r\n\r\nBe blessed today as you have blessed me, friend.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.6; en-US; rv:1.9.1.5) Gecko/20091102 Firefox/3.5.5', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(6865, 538, 'Joy', 'joychristin@yahoo.com', 'http://www.etherealjoy.blogspot.com', '65.223.58.226', '2009-11-30 15:49:54', '2009-11-30 19:49:54', 'I think your post really defines Faith--waiting in anticipation for something you believe in fully, yet isn''t tangible or concrete.  I had probably the same book while I was pregnant and I love that it took the unknown and made it clear and real for me--this week expect this to happen, this week expect this and so on.  It took some of my fear away and allowed me to be more relaxed and excited.  I sometimes wish there was a similar manual for living--if you take this particular step, expect this to happen, and so on.....Although I am sometimes so out of the box that if there was a manual I''d probably have my own take on following it:)\r\nI love Advent.  In the midst of the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations, I love the Advent calendar and calendars and celebrations that all remind me what the true celebration is all about.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152; .NET CLR 3.5.30729)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(5555, 456, 'Chuck', 'chuckcdjackson@gmail.com', '', '99.4.165.159', '2009-08-26 15:16:27', '2009-08-26 19:16:27', 'Wow. I agree with the sentiment and yet it isn''t enough. I spent the first couple of days in school with my kindergardener. Of twenty in the class, maybe half were unable to recognize their name. Two were able to copy their name to another sheet of paper. \r\nAs I contemplate the teacher''s work with these children, I know that she also has two special ed students (organically needy students, perhaps others who are "labeled") among the twenty.\r\nWhat can we do to "inspire and excite them... truly pushing them to be the best they can be."? And how come there aren''t people lined up to help out? No, actually, I know why.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X 10_5_8; en-us) AppleWebKit/531.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.3 Safari/531.9', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(4884, 426, 'Lesley', 'lesleymiller1@gmail.com', 'http://barefooton45th.com', '65.78.135.144', '2009-07-25 15:51:06', '2009-07-25 19:51:06', 'I went to BlogHer last year in San Francisco with a few girlfriends. It was only a 2 hour drive from my house, and I only attended Saturday/Saturday night festivities. It was the most surreal/fun/awful experience I''ve had in a long time. On one hand, we had an amazing time. Loved the swag, loved getting inspired, loved meeting a few great women. However, at the time, I''d never heard of Dooce or Twitter. It was all everyone at the conference could talk about. I felt like I was in these odd alien world where I''d missed a few things that were apparently a really, really big deal. And then there was this awkward mommy blogger vs mommy blogger run down in one of the sessions which totally freaked me out. And everyone was on their iPhones tweeting about the incident AS IT WAS HAPPENING. Women were mobbing Dooce like she was Jennifer Aniston. All I wanted to do was hurry to the after party for free Starbucks drinks and shrimp cocktails. The whole thing was like high school in a very odd way. But, I''ll admit, if BlogHer comes back to the West Coast, I will definitely try to go again. This time, I think I might be more prepared.\r\n\r\nI hope to see you there one year!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_7; en-us) AppleWebKit/530.19.2 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.2 Safari/530.19', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(5838, 464, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-09-08 23:25:25', '2009-09-09 03:25:25', 'Trina, you''ve pretty much summed it up: people spread fear (and do it in the name of God in hopes of adding credibility), and it''s all about greed and power. People who don''t think very critically about it  either decide the message is somehow from God or assume the person spreading fear is really just trying to generously protect them. It''s very possible that love is the only antidote, but sometimes I just feel too fed up for spreading love!\r\n\r\nMeredith, "We fear what we don’t know" is exactly right. I might take that another step and add that by not knowing or understanding something, we can''t control it, which is what we hate most—helplessness. "Once the unknown becomes known, it’s hard to fear it." Again, you''ve nailed it. Unfortunately, there is that catch 22 aspect of fear at play. Being afraid of something we don''t know makes us put up walls and distance ourselves from it as much as possible. Baby steps, right? Baby steps.\r\n\r\nGenevieve, this is a very perceptive observation: "It’s not fair at all, but these divisions exist inside of Christian communities–not outside of them. The solution, then, has to come from within." I think you''re right, for the most part. But I also think people "outside" of Christian communities need to let go of their stereotypes and assumptions, and open themselves up to unexpected discoveries about people of faith, just as they open themselves up to other intellectual ideas, forms of art, cultures, etc. From my perspective, sometimes crossing that chasm seems utterly daunting if I''m not met halfway.\r\n\r\nSteve, another book for my reading list! It''s getting long—when is my sabbatical? :) Thanks, too, for taking this idea and expanding it by sharing another example, from your life. I love hearing people''s stories and seeing where they fit in with my own.\r\n\r\nSam, I''d love to ask those people who wonder how we can let the government educate our kids how they can let the government handle national defense and safety! Or anything of importance, for that matter! Gah! Anyway, your post-speech conversation scenario between parents and kids is spot-on. Can you start taking some parenting seminars on the road? :)\r\n\r\nJeb, I''m glad I could save you some writing time! :) No, really, I love it when bloggers I follow are able to articulate something I''ve been playing around with in my head, or when they write something that helps me understand a thought that was eluding me. Although your point wasn''t the one I was trying to make, it''s a good one! Of course, you know I disagree with your perspective on some of it. I''m a Christian, and I''m pretty sure I don''t add "guilt and fear" to your life, right? Also, while I don''t agree with all Christians, I do try to put my faith first in God. If I go about it with honesty and humility, I think faith in myself and others flows out of that. But that''s just me, and I know you respect that. :)\r\n\r\nbookhouseboy, thanks for reading and letting me know you''re engaged in all these ideas! The comments people have left are amazingly thoughtful and insightful, aren''t they? I''m loving it.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.13) Gecko/2009073021 Firefox/3.0.13', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2711, 349, 'Writer Dad', 'seanmichaelplatt@gmail.com', 'http://writerdad.com', '71.108.131.118', '2009-05-11 13:11:02', '2009-05-11 17:11:02', 'I love debate, so long as it is constructive. When we disagree, we understand ourselves and others better. I have no problem disagreeing with someone no matter how well I know them and never mind when discussions drift off topic. I do however mind when manners aren''t used. I only had a single melt down in my comment section a few months back. Bad manners were the culprit. I hope it never happens again.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.16 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Safari/528.16', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2712, 349, 'Naomi Munn', 'tieganluv@yahoo.com', 'http://www.naomimunn.blogspot.com', '24.247.161.154', '2009-05-11 13:27:23', '2009-05-11 17:27:23', 'I''m okay with people who disagree. It wouldn''t be the first time! I try really, really hard not to get defensive and figure out instead what button their comments are pushing inside me. I find that if I know the blogger and I see a factual error or a major point of disagreement, I''ll contact them directly rather than leaving a public comment. Saving face is important, and I think blogger solidarity is important, too. Oh, and I''m cool with the wandering...getting lost leads us to the most interesting finds!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; GTB6; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1767, 288, 'Jennifer', 'jkluit@yahoo.com', 'http://hollyhouse.blogspot.com', '70.177.70.72', '2009-03-06 18:52:07', '2009-03-06 22:52:07', 'I am smiling: we both said "I am not a Bible scholar." What a funny disclaimer. Like it takes seminary to think about these things. \r\nI''m also smiling because I love the OT. Okay, maybe not Numbers, but I love most of it. Samuel is a favorite. The reason is because it is always pointing to Jesus. Even in the tiniest details. Anyone who writes knows how difficult it can be to weave a fine thread through a story and have it come out all right at the end, exactly where it was supposed to. That is the Bible; so as one who writes, I admire the thoughtful creativity of God. His inspired Word takes that thread and weaves an intricate and beautiful story, beginning to end. \r\nNow let''s get on with the weekend!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.7) Gecko/2009021906 Firefox/3.0.7', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1389, 276, 'TJ Hirst', 'tj@tjhirst.com', 'http://www.tjhirst.com/', '97.112.35.89', '2009-02-20 11:14:55', '2009-02-20 15:14:55', 'I agree that as a society we are concerned about appearances and hypocrisy and judgment do exist, on a generalized scale and personal ones. But like most over-generalizations, the reason we don''t see the other side is that those efforts are not usually broadcast. The examples of caring and compassion with all the "the negative stuff that goes on behind closed doors," happen "behind closed doors."  Pain is private in our culture. When we are in pain or difficulty, we go into protection mode, which means we escape from public view. Again, while it may appear that many are judgmental, if you look at specific people dealing with specific individuals, you may see most people will connect humanly and humanly, no matter what.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1387, 276, 'Mothershaffer', 'mother.shaffer@gmail.com', 'http://mothershaffer.wordpress.com/', '98.110.225.9', '2009-02-20 09:58:05', '2009-02-20 13:58:05', 'This is exactly why I''m not religious...the level of hypocrisy makes me want to break several commandments.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N');
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(7292, 551, 'suzi aka suzigurl', 'pghgurl30@gmail.com', '', '216.183.185.87', '2010-01-05 15:31:07', '2010-01-05 19:31:07', 'You''re in good company. I call it "better living through chemistry." It is so important to have community, and good on you for "coming out" to yours. It is a hard thing to live with, as no one can "tell" unless you tell them. Like an invisible broken arm.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.1.6) Gecko/20091201 Firefox/3.5.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(7293, 551, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2010-01-05 15:33:30', '2010-01-05 19:33:30', 'Everyone! As I recently said on Twitter, I''m "overwhelmed in the best possible way by all of the encouragement &amp; support I''ve been shown today since writing my difficult post. thank you." Again and again.\r\n\r\nMargo, thanks for recognizing and valuing honesty. It can be hard to come by, but it''s much easier when you have friends/readers who appreciate and embrace it.\r\n\r\nRachel, I love that vision, of us walking together in the light. It''s so peaceful and pleasant, and such a true description of what we should be striving to do. \r\n\r\nJules, I think that''s true of me, too—I''m very extroverted and lively, so I don''t come across as the typical depressed person. Maybe that dichotomy is one of the things I''m having a tough time making sense of. Anyway, thanks for being there.\r\n\r\ned, I know that "sense of despair and feeling overwhelmed" all too well. That''s probably what best describes where I''m at now. I think because I have been clinically depressed before, it''s easy for me to connect the dots between the minor and major bouts. Thanks for being part of my community of support, and be sure to let me know how I can support you, too.\r\n\r\nejly, yes, clearly I''m not alone! And I''m also proof that someone can struggle with depression and still have a very happy, fulfilling life. I realize there are many forms and levels, but we can be well.\r\n\r\nHugh, it sounds like you are wiser than me, and have shared your struggles with your community for quite a while. I am learning and beginning. Thanks for the hugs and prayers, and for the reminder of why God has placed us in community.\r\n\r\nA, I''m glad I could encourage you, just as you have encouraged me. Take care these cold, dark winter months.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.16) Gecko/2009120206 Firefox/3.0.16', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(7294, 551, 'karen/daisy17', 'karennachbar@yahoo.com', '', '72.43.141.253', '2010-01-05 16:04:04', '2010-01-05 20:04:04', 'Oh, my friend, I can so relate to this post. Depression has come and gone for me over the years, and it scares the shit out of me when it rears its ugly head.  To know what helps you steer clear of it is a blessing - there are many people who don''t know how to deal with it and struggle with it for a lifetime without reprieve.  Thank you for sharing this with us - I''m sure that it was difficult, but I can tell you that you are in excellent company - and I know that there are people who will be helped by knowing that there is another path for them to consider.  \r\nxoxo', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.16) Gecko/2009120208 Firefox/3.0.16', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(7295, 551, 'erin', 'espengeman@gmail.com', '', '71.62.166.73', '2010-01-05 16:32:18', '2010-01-05 20:32:18', 'kristin! i saw your tweet this a.m. and have been thinking about it all day....i''m so glad you posted with such honesty. i know that was hard. i really resonated with what you said about "odd red flags." the really great thing is that you''re aware of them. i''ve been thinking today about what mine are: i''m an outgoing, social person....but when i notice that i''m ignoring phone calls or turning down invites to hang for no good reason...that''s when i stop to do a mini-inventory ("why do i keep turning down opportunities to hang with great friends?"). i''ve struggled with depression for years...but when i''ve taken big steps in talking about it like you have today, i discover more and more people who struggle, too, and who''ve really wanted to talk with someone about it....and so they tell me, and the community widens. i don''t really feel a stigma attached to it anymore because i''ve discovered how common it is. there''s a lot of us out there, which makes me feel more normal :-) ....i just wish it was seen as more "normal" in the church. \r\n\r\nkeep noticing your odd red flags, and take care of yourself with the same kind of grace you''d extend to anyone else. you''re worth it. xoxo', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.15) Gecko/2009101600 Firefox/3.0.15', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(7296, 551, 'Vicki', 'vlb@cfcl.com', '', '209.131.62.115', '2010-01-05 17:06:43', '2010-01-05 21:06:43', 'Isn''t it weird that people are "allowed" to have physical ailments - migraine, diabetes, heart trouble, arthritis,the list goes on - that require drugs to allow a "normal" life. That''s ok. But depression is harder to bring up. It''s "all in your head". You should try to get off the drugs. You shouldn''t talk about it.\r\n\r\nMy Dad takes a  daily pill because he had a minor heart attack years ago. Why should it be weird that I take a daily pill to keep my body chemistry in better balance, to avoid breaking into tears over something nonconsequential, to prevent minor frustration and stress from flaring into anger. Eek!\r\n\r\nBetter living through chemistry is right. Thanks Kristin for talking about it and everyone else too. We''re all as "normal" as anyone.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X 10.5; en; rv:1.9.0.16) Gecko/2009120123 Camino/2.0.1 (like Firefox/3.0.16)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(7297, 551, 'Elaine Tolsma-Harlow', 'reoharlow@hotmail.com', '', '97.83.11.145', '2010-01-05 17:29:44', '2010-01-05 21:29:44', 'I think the Christian community has made the subject of depression even more taboo.  I believe it is the perception if we have the joy of the Lord we won''t be depressed...right?  That horrible misconceptions has made it even harder for people to ask for help.  I once saw a church sign that said something to the effect of If you have God in your life, you won''t be depressed.  I nearly drove my car through the sign.  How awful for those people in that congregation if they get depressed, where is their support?\r\nMy mother-in-law suffers from very severe depression that has affected our whole family.  But it has also brought us together and with that comes the knowledge that we are never alone, we have each other to lean on.\r\nI''m glad you have your support group &amp; also glad that you put it out there.  Hugs to you Kristin!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_6_2; en-us) AppleWebKit/531.21.8 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.4 Safari/531.21.10', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(6084, 472, 'DennisS', 'scheibmeir@gmail.com', '', '65.66.85.20', '2009-09-19 21:26:01', '2009-09-20 01:26:01', 'Good idea - though I''ll likely do this with the folks in the church where I''m located.  Starting next Sunday we have a 6-week series about living.  But we start out with asking what we would do if we got the news that we only had a few weeks to live.  Would we reach out to someone we haven''t spoken to for ages?  Would there be some things we always wanted to do that we finally take the time to do?  I think it ties in nicely with the Love List idea.  I''m thinking we might take a large bulletin board type space, and have folks use whatever color of post-it note they want to put up different things on their lists.\r\n\r\nNow, in regard to the church, the first thing I saw when reading the diagram was not the idea for a love list, but instead I saw a reason why folks don''t like change in the church.  Some folks are happy with the way things are (and they likely aren''t being challenged to grow as persons).  Some folks don''t like the way things are, and they''d like to keep it that way because what they really like is complaining.  Only a small percentage will consider changing anything.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.1.3) Gecko/20090824 Firefox/3.5.3 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(4753, 409, 'Is Gen Y losing religion? | Modite', '', 'http://modite.com/blog/2009/07/20/is-gen-y-losing-religion/', '74.220.219.132', '2009-07-19 21:53:45', '2009-07-20 01:53:45', '[...] been reading a lot on religion lately. Some state that they practice religion a la carte and others talk about leaving church and finding a stronger community as a result. And a recent [...]', 0, '1', 'Incutio XML-RPC -- WordPress/2.3.3', 'pingback', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1386, 276, 'Lori-Lyn', 'lorilyn@gmail.com', 'http://www.lorilynh.typepad.com', '12.162.183.231', '2009-02-20 09:07:20', '2009-02-20 13:07:20', 'This is so true. My relationship with Christianity is complicated, but I can always come here and feel it as love and grace that does not turn away from the difficult social issues, but meets them full on with compassion. Thank you.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_5; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.2 Safari/525.20.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(987, 254, 'Rick', 'reodharlow@gmail.com', '', '66.202.123.66', '2009-02-05 13:02:36', '2009-02-05 17:02:36', 'First music purchase:  Cassette tape, Def Leppard, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyromania_(album)" rel="nofollow">Pyromania</a>, October 1983, Crossroads Mall in Portage, Michigan.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1398, 276, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-20 15:02:24', '2009-02-20 19:02:24', 'Lori-Lyn, approaching "difficult issues" with "love and grace" is probably the best way to sum up my whole purpose here. The fact that you see Halfway to Normal as a place where that happens is extremely gratifying. Thanks for letting me know.\r\n\r\nMothershaffer, I completely know where you''re coming from, regarding the hypocrisy. That''s exactly what gets me all worked up and drives me to write a post like this. It''s also what drives me to try to look beyond all of the failed humans who call themselves followers of Jesus, and actually look at what Jesus said and did. Recently on Twitter, someone said they saw a bumper sticker that said: "I want Jesus to come back...and say ''That''s not what I mean.''" I love that. I think most of us are getting it SO wrong.\r\n\r\nTJHirst, I honestly hope what you''re saying is true, about all the caring that goes on behind closed doors. I do know it happens a lot through the church I go to, but in general, I still think there is so much that people keep hidden, in secret, that will never be addressed. That hurts us all. (Somehow, though, I can just tell you''re the kind of person who does lots of caring behind closed doors. We need more of you.)\r\n\r\nKellee, yes, it''s this "shoving people into the shadows" issue that really worries me, along with a general desire to avoid "icky" topics, as you put it. I''d like to hear more about what you mean by this: "I wonder if we shouldn’t be equally concerned with the judgment going on under the surface."\r\n\r\nArathi, thanks for the affirmation. :) It''s good to know there are also many people like you in the world, who would rather not exist in a naive bubble.\r\n\r\njenx67, sorry, I think I was a bit unclear about the Penelope Trunk blog part. I was actually more disturbed by the many critical comments on her post than I was by her having a few sips of wine before work. I''m not saying I recommend that as a great solution to a stressful morning, but it made me think about all the people who sneak drinks all the time. As long as they sneak, they won''t be ostracized. That seems messed up. But what you said about men who beat their wives and maintain their position on the church board? You''re exactly right. It''s sick. And it''s that kind of thing that gets me all worked up. :)\r\n\r\nJaime, yes, I think you read it right. As I said in my comment on Penelope''s post, I think those who were judging her were probably more upset that she blogged about her four sips of wine than they were about her having the wine. That, as you know, is what sparked this whole post (along with things that have happened in my own life, but those are stories for another time).\r\n\r\nRebecca, what a great way to think about blogging! I think when someone approaches their blog like home, as you put it, it really shines through and makes people want to get comfortable, themselves, and spend some time there. This is especially true for "personal blogs." On the other hand, a blog can be a perfect facade. It''s easy to cover up or avoid what''s real, depending on the topics you write about, and what you decide to share or leave out. It''s easy to paint a portrait of yourself as the person you''d like to be rather than the person you are. I think most readers see through that, though, don''t you?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1400, 276, 'i&#8217;m being irrational. stop me. | intersected', '', 'http://www.intersectedblog.com/2009/02/21/im-being-irrational-stop-me/', '66.33.212.242', '2009-02-20 17:10:36', '2009-02-20 21:10:36', '[...] are just beginning. Some just started new adventures (Yay Alice.com). Some are making it work (and writing awesome blog posts). Some are taking words right out of my mouth. And some are navigating the next [...]', 0, '1', 'The Incutio XML-RPC PHP Library -- WordPress/2.7.1', 'pingback', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2019, 303, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-03-22 22:26:12', '2009-03-23 02:26:12', 'Katey, that''s a tough question, for sure. I''m sorry that''s something you have to deal with all the time. Not fun. :(\r\n\r\nAshley, I love hearing your dog story. You and your husband probably learned a lot about each other through the process of training and caring for your dog. What a valuable experience—one that continues to give back to you each day.\r\n\r\nJennifer, I wonder, do middle children tend to "need" a pet more than others? Or is it a personality thing more than a birth order issue? A big part of why we decided to get a dog is because Q often seems somewhat lost in the middle, and she''s always had a strong bond with animals. And you mention a pet as a way to help a child through some "issues." I just heard another mom tell me that''s why they got a dog. I guess this is common? Anyway, I''ll look forward to reading your blog post. (Thanks for the sweet compliment, too!)\r\n\r\nCobalt-Blue, that''s right—you started all of this, didn''t you? :) Well, our kids did, but you are clearly in cahoots with them. As soon as we actually have a dog at home with us I''ll share the news and photos, too!\r\n\r\nDorie, my brother gets to bring his dog Henry to work. Isn''t he lucky? Henry spends much of the day in Bill''s lap while he works. Maybe you could sneak Edgar into the office for a less stressful work day...\r\n\r\nTrina, that whole drug connection is really funny, and interesting, too. Did the article you read say anything about how petting a dog alters your brain chemistry similar to prozac, or was it less scientific than that?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.7) Gecko/2009021906 Firefox/3.0.7', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2246, 318, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-04-07 00:04:12', '2009-04-07 04:04:12', 'Trina, I guess I connect this sort of forgiveness to grace, because I realize it isn''t the sort of thing we''re naturally inclined to do, as human beings. Personally, I believe it''s only with the help of some divine grace that forgiveness and reconciliation can truly happen in this world.\r\n\r\nJamie, I think there''s a lot of baggage surrounding "I''m sorry," and how we were raised to practice those words (or not). So many kids are forced by their parents to apologize for things, making it a humiliating experience enacted for the wrong reasons (not because of a sorry heart, but because of embarrassed parents). Other kids never see the adults in their lives practicing apologies, forgiveness, and the whole "kiss and make up" scene. And then we live in a culture that supports never admitting you are wrong, no matter what, especially if you''re someone with power (like the president we recently had for eight years). It''s no wonder that "I''m sorry" often ends up feeling contrived, is it?\r\n\r\njenx67, you''re right—I don''t think that''s strange at all! It''s beautiful, and it reminds us that although the world (and the human beings in the world) *tend* to behave in certain ways in certain situations, anything is possible—even exes taking shelter from storms together, or attending one another''s weddings. I think there''s a tremendous amount of hope in that. "Forgiveness in action for 10 years." I love that.\r\n\r\nArathi, thanks! We love to say "actions speak louder than words," and we love to teach our children that. But we so often fall back on the "right words" and manners, because the actions are work!\r\n\r\nNatalie, I''m glad you''re providing some balance here. :) I agree—"it can be so good to hear that the other party is sorry that they wronged you." Not good in a "I was right, you were wrong" sort of way, but in the way that clears a path for healing. Then we have to walk down that path, so to speak, rather than abandon it.\r\n\r\nAshley, it''s so refreshing for *me* to hear that someone else has a hard time saying "I''m sorry." :) Thanks for letting me know I''m not alone in that. I experience that whole "self resentment" piece that you bring up, too. It''s a vicious cycle, isn''t it? Let me know if you gain any insight on how to break it.\r\n\r\nElizabeth, what a great way to look at forgiveness—like love. The words do matter, and we need to hear them (Jason and I tell each other we love each other all the time), but they are hollow without actions to fill them. Thanks for sharing that parallel!\r\n\r\nPaul, vulnerability is never fun, is it? And I always worry that being vulnerable equates to being a downer. But at some point I realized how therapeutic it was for me to hear other people''s stories of struggle and progress, and how much hope those stories gave me. I can''t think of a better reason to share what I''ve worked through and learned. \r\n\r\nJeb, I don''t imagine you''re much of a "lip service" kind of guy, judging from the authenticity of your own blog. :) Thanks for all of your encouragement, and for sharing your own authentic stories.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.8) Gecko/2009032608 Firefox/3.0.8', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1004, 254, 'Kristin', 'ktennant@gmail.com', 'http://', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-05 21:58:47', '2009-02-06 01:58:47', 'Lance, it''s amazing how many things we have in common! My parents actually met in Kalamazoo, as students at WMU. Thanks for being interested in so many silly details about me. :)\r\n\r\nRick, YES! That''s all I have to say. Oh, and "rock on."', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 1, 'N'),
(1003, 256, 'Jamie Simmerman', 'mt12mindset@gmail.com', 'http://blueduckcopy.com', '75.218.254.230', '2009-02-05 21:57:29', '2009-02-06 01:57:29', 'Ok, that was one of the "funnest" round of 20 (or so) questions I''ve ever read. :D\r\n\r\nI loved the question about your duaghters'' names, and that last paragraph... :D', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5 GTB5 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1005, 181, 'Kristin', 'ktennant@gmail.com', 'http://', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-05 22:06:47', '2009-02-06 02:06:47', 'Julie, your comment has me glowing. Isn''t it wonderful? Connecting with other people who seem to *get* us can transcend the excitement of being published! That''s what it''s all about, after all. I''m so glad our paths have crossed in this way.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 1, 'N'),
(1796, 288, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.227.97.30', '2009-03-08 01:50:22', '2009-03-08 05:50:22', 'hahahahaha. I actually love Numbers. (Reference Jennifer''s commnet) BACK. IN. THE. DAY. when I was first blogging (no joke - started in 1999; this Numbers thing was in 2001) I wrote three blog posts about the Book of Numbers. I learned so much from that book. One of my favorites was a post I wrote, "The Valley of Trouble and the Door of Hope." Those are words from Numbers. I''ve been toying wtih posting some of those old posts - for myself, really - to have a cohesive unit of my blog ANYWAY! Terrific post. Loved it. You''re so smart. \r\n\r\nI do enjoy the Old Testament for the most part, although there is so much I''ve yet to explore. I do tend to hang out way more often in the NT, but I know - there are so many rich blessings to receive in the Old.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1007, 256, 'Cobalt-Blue', 'michelle.feelingroovy@gmail.com', '', '69.221.239.196', '2009-02-06 00:11:05', '2009-02-06 04:11:05', 'My dog''s favorite hobbies are long walks, playing at the dog park, retrieving balls, riding in the car, and cuddling. I grew up with first a cat and then a dog. Looking forward to the "Puppy-Posts" next year!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.2 Safari/525.20.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(4768, 418, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-07-20 16:06:19', '2009-07-20 20:06:19', 'Elaine, isn''t it amazing when a collection of words is put together in such a way that we MUST share them, write about them, put them in our car or by the bathroom mirror? \r\n\r\nJohn, ah yes, that''s really what the poem is about, isn''t it? Not about the beautiful day so much as the importance of stopping long enough to notice it. This is not a poem I ever "had" to memorize in school, but I think you''ve inspired me to learn it now. It''s one I''d love to be able to recite when the urge strikes me.\r\n\r\njenx67, why am I not surprised you and I like the same poetry? :) Now when I read your blog I''m sure I''ll notice (and enjoy) the subtle E. E. Cummings influences.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.11) Gecko/2009060214 Firefox/3.0.11', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
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(5432, 447, 'Nicola', 'nicolasysyn@yahoo.com', '', '76.115.40.115', '2009-08-19 22:23:41', '2009-08-20 02:23:41', 'I have a 5 year old daughter, and we''re in the stage of body as biological function. Any day, I expect her to ask how the sperm and the egg connect, but so far, we''re on easy street! I''ve read some super books about talking to your kids about sex that have made me think about the actual values I want to impart to her as she grows and matures.I''ve also thought a lot about the conversations my mother had with me when I was growing up (from what I can tell, my mom was super open and comfortable compared to the mothers of many of my 40-year-old peers). \r\n\r\nI am not influenced/helped/hampered by religion in this aspect as I am not practicing anything in particular. So for me, it''s more a question of helping her develop healthy human sexuality in a culture of immediate gratification, sexualization/objectification of young girls (and now, boys), and some alarming trends/reports on teenage sexual activity. I don''t have to be overtly religious to be alarmed at the messages bombarding our children through popular culture and the media!\r\n\r\nAs parents, I think we need to be realistic about teenage experimentation yet set some clear boundaries for our kids about our expectations and values regarding sex (and drinking and drugs). But, first, we need to articulate what our values actually are to ourselves. What do WE believe about healthy human sexuality? What would we have done differently knowing what we do now? What messaged DID resonate with us as we were growing and maturing? How will we handle it if and when our kids take a path that we don''t personally sanction (which I did compared to what my father would have liked for me). How do our personal values on the topic blend with our partner''s and how do we agree on a consistent message for our children? \r\n\r\nIf, as parents, we can think through some of these issues when our kids are young, before they are faced with real issues about sex and intimacy, I think we have an excellent chance of building our values platform for them. If we wait to have these conversations when our kids are 12 or 14, we have squandered the time when we are still the primary influence in their lives.\r\n\r\nMy daughter and I have some amazingly complex conversations about life, death, bodies, love, relationships, and the greater world. Even though these are not explicitly about sex, they are offering her interesting insights into my values and views on some of the best ways to live as a fully actualized human (are at least a human that is working on becoming fully actualized). I''m hoping that our conversations continue throughout her young life and deepen and that we can talk honestly and openly about developing a healthy and robust sexuality in a way that honors the self and, eventually, a partner!\r\n\r\nIt will be an interesting trip, to say the least! I''m looking forward to it!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US) AppleWebKit/530.5 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/2.0.172.39 Safari/530.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1421, 276, 'Akhila', 'akhila.kolisetty@gmail.com', 'http://akhila.wordpress.com', '158.143.169.219', '2009-02-21 06:46:56', '2009-02-21 10:46:56', 'This is a great post. I think its very true that as long as you keep your "shameful" behaviors on the DL, it''s considered fine. But I don''t think it''s that way in America only. It''s a little less that way in Europe perhaps but it''s that way ALL OVER THE WORLD. Every country has its own "shameful" behaviors. Perhaps in some places in Europe it''s more shameful to smoke or to be Republican and so on. In other, more conservative, countries in the ME, Asia, Africa and so on there are even more disparities about what''s considered wrong. To be honest, America is one of the more liberal societies out there, and people are forced to hide even more in the more conservative regions of the world.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1022, 231, 'molly', 'mccracken.molly@gmail.com', '', '72.83.117.234', '2009-02-06 08:14:10', '2009-02-06 12:14:10', 'No way, Vince isn''t a hand holder.  But for someone who really does like holding hands I thought it would be cute.   (Like our older neighbors who live across the street and, until he became ill, would take a walk every afternoon holding hands -- always made my heart smile to see them.)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120122 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1023, 256, 'LisaNewton', 'lisajnewton@gmail.com', 'http://www.travelinlocal.com', '76.166.207.239', '2009-02-06 09:22:27', '2009-02-06 13:22:27', 'I''m with you on the community aspect and online friends, but I have managed to take the online offline a few times.  It''s amazing when you make a connection with someone first online, then email, followed by phone, and then in person.  Trust is a hard won commodity online, but taking it to the next level, if it seems appropriate, is a wonderful way to make online "real."\r\n\r\nThank you for answering my question.  Long walks, taking my camera of course, is one of my favorite activities, too.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; GTB5; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(5060, 432, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-08-05 01:28:59', '2009-08-05 05:28:59', 'Jason, that''s really interesting—that perfect balance between being challenged by something that''s attainable. When I''m focused on something that fits that description, I really do stop focusing on my immediate self and my needs, and can focus more fully on the larger goal. The fact that it can all come full circle, and result in a greater sense of happiness and contentment inside me, is such a great setup!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.12) Gecko/2009070609 Firefox/3.0.12', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(3882, 385, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-06-21 01:37:28', '2009-06-21 05:37:28', 'Meredith, I think anything our parents *made* us do probably didn''t go over very well, did it? :) I realized when you said that about church camp, that going to church camp was completely my idea—my older brother never even went. That probably made a big difference. Also, your description of the dorm basement mass is really moving. "...we all came with intent....Our small group was coming together, learning together in a way that felt like true fellowship." That sounds just right. \r\n\r\nDave, you''re right, there''s something very meta going on here. Camp itself can be so intense and such a unique experience that you end up feeling slightly disoriented and out of it for a while when you go home. Essentially, what''s happening at church camp is you''re talking about life and faith and various struggles, all within the context of this other intense experience. Thanks for helping me link these ideas together!\r\n\r\nLance, the way you acknowledged my love for camp, followed by your own experience ("it was good") makes me realize how individualized these experiences are. I was pretty much wired for that kind of experience, but I know there must have been kids there who were miserable, at the very same camp. Your experience sounds somewhere in between. But then this retreat you went to really struck a chord—it could have been that particular time in your life, or the format and setting of the retreat. The point is, I guess, that we each need our own "camp experience," in a way that resonates with us. And we need different experiences at different times in our lives.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.10) Gecko/2009042315 Firefox/3.0.10', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(6108, 474, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-09-22 00:48:15', '2009-09-22 04:48:15', 'jenx67, thanks for saying that you find my posts provocative. Sometimes I feel like I''m writing stuff that will end up turning everyone off—it''s too "religious" for non-religious people, and has too much doubt for people who believe. (I guess this is a big part of the whole Halfway to Normal concept, eh?) \r\n\r\nBlackwasp19, I really appreciate the way you wrote about death here—that it *should* be hard. I often feel guilty for not being able to say or embrace those things that we''ve been told are a part of our Christian culture (ie: Jesus called her home, it was her time to go, she''s joyfully singing with the angels, etc.). You''re absolutely right—the joy and comfort we claim is not in heaven, specifically, but in a God that''s able to redeem even something as horrible as death. Thanks for sharing a new way to think about that, and for mourning with me.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.14) Gecko/2009082706 Firefox/3.0.14', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(5796, 449, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-09-07 00:45:23', '2009-09-07 04:45:23', 'jenx67, I do have the coolest friends—not only do they have style, they''re full of talent, love and good humor, too. :)\r\n\r\nKevin, I''m so glad you like the post. Jason and I didn''t get a chance to really interact with you (yes, that''s the nature of weddings), but just watching you and Carmen surrounded by the people you love was well worth the trip to Michigan. (That, along with everything that was the State Fair Wedding extravaganza, of course!). We''re looking forward to spending more time with you during trips to New York.\r\n\r\nCarmen, that stinks when you take the time to write a comment on a blog and something goes wrong! Thanks for trekking back over here to share a bit of yourself again. You brought together an wonderful group of people for an amazing celebration. Thanks for including us! I also love what you said about our annual get-togethers being  "markers for me that make me stop and appreciate all that has passed and everything unexpected that will be coming our way." That''s so true! I can''t wait to have one of those visits later this month.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.13) Gecko/2009073021 Firefox/3.0.13', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(4838, 424, 'Cheryl Ensom Dack', 'CherylEnsomDack@gmail.com', 'http://www.livinginabeautifulmess.blogspot.com', '71.132.81.198', '2009-07-23 15:22:19', '2009-07-23 19:22:19', 'This post gives me so much hope, Kristin. Thank you.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.1.1) Gecko/20090715 Firefox/3.5.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(4839, 424, 'Trina', 'colour144@yahoo.com', '', '75.156.142.245', '2009-07-23 16:29:10', '2009-07-23 20:29:10', 'oh, silly me.. I came to see the continued conversation, and now see how I messed up my paraphrasing - good grief. I even looked it over before I hit submit, but occasionaly cant see the forest for the trees... \r\n\r\nThe saying was meant to go ''When one door CLOSES, another opens'' That would have made more sense in context of what you started and I was trying to support. \r\n\r\nAnyhow, as you more clearly stated - interesting about seeing things through a different lense, ending with the same view - just what does that mean? I see two possibilities now, and of course there''d be more. \r\n\r\nFirst I believe it highlights traveling a different ''path'' and yet journeying to the same ''end''. What if that could be generally applied to people of different faiths? Wonder how that thinking would impact world thoughts on our sameness/differences. If, at the end of it all we were all in the same place? Does that make sense? \r\n\r\nSecondly, people not following a specific faith can still be ''good'' people. I do get the feeling that some people of faith judge others ''goodness'' in terms of their faith or lack there of. Of course, I never have that feeling from you, and the way you present your thoughts on faith have opened me up to seeing that not all people of faith are ''judgemental sheep''  :-) In the past, I would have closed my mind and moved on. That says a lot about you personally - but one compliment in a day is enough haha.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-GB; rv:1.9.0.12) Gecko/2009070611 Firefox/3.0.12 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)', '', 0, 0, 'N');
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(2653, 347, 'Jody', 'reviews@singleoftheday.com', 'http://singleoftheday.com', '69.108.116.39', '2009-05-09 16:03:27', '2009-05-09 20:03:27', 'I agree with this concept. It''s amazing to know the feeling when you are wanted, needed and loved. I think it''s true for any species on the planet.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(6661, 523, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-11-06 02:10:02', '2009-11-06 06:10:02', 'Trina, you bring up some great examples, regarding our efforts to "fix" spouses and other countries. My neighbor has a bumper sticker that says "Not every problem has an American solution."  I wonder what makes us so intent on fixing some things and so quick to discard others. \r\n\r\nLori-Lyn and Ed, thanks for letting me know!\r\n\r\nMeredith, yes, we''re generally afraid of the unknown, aren''t we? And one of the things we fear the most is that we''ll regret something—a life-altering decision or a change of course. Rather than deal with the potential for regret, it''s easier to stick with what we know. It''s at least a sure thing, even if it''s riddled with problems.\r\n\r\nLaurachris2, exactly! That shift in understanding how God sees me was at the heart of my own significant reframing. And you''re absolutely right: When you are able to see yourself differently, with more compassion and love, it changes how you see others. Thanks for bringing this into the conversation!\r\n\r\nJennifer, you''re making me laugh, with your "fix dinner" comment. My response to Laurachris2, above, really fits what I want to say to you also, and I''d like to add this question: If God sees the good in us, why do so many God-believers grow up positive that God is always angry, frustrated and disappointed in us? I mean, I know the Old Testament God is a lot of those things, but why does that stick with us more than all of the OT promises God makes to his people, not to mention the entire New Testament?\r\n\r\nJoy, thanks! I firmly believe that most things in life aren''t black or white, but at the same time I think I have a love-hate relationship with the gray. It seems more forgiving and less extreme, but it can easily become a wishy-washy do-nothing blob. As you said, when things are grey, they''re much easier to avoid. \r\n\r\nElaine, that''s such a powerful life illustration for this topic. I love how you put this: "There is a new normal for me that is full of possibilities and I have whole new perspective on everything from the mundane to the profound." I''m so thankful that you''ve reached this place, and that you''re willing to share what you''ve learned with the rest of us.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.15) Gecko/2009101600 Firefox/3.0.15', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1030, 258, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-02-06 20:27:40', '2009-02-07 00:27:40', 'A peace that can''t be pinned down...wonderful phrase.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1037, 258, 'CJ', 'cejay@christopher-williams.com', 'http://cjw666.wordpress.com', '80.30.118.3', '2009-02-07 00:22:07', '2009-02-07 04:22:07', 'I''m glad you found my question scary - not because I wish you any additional unpleasantness in your life (there''s enough of that to go around for all of us these days, without some jerk like me adding to it), or because I have any desire to dent your faith in any way. Your faith is your faith and what each of us believes is what we sincerely believe. Thank you, though, for taking the question seriously and the trouble to think about the answer. My only issue with anyone''s faith is when they "just believe" what they''ve been fed by others without any idea why and are afraid to question it - that way often lies blind fanaticism and THAT can be as evil as your god is good.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1040, 258, 'Lance', 'lance@jungleoflife.com', 'http://www.jungleoflife.com', '65.29.12.59', '2009-02-07 00:57:05', '2009-02-07 04:57:05', '"Just feels right" - yep, not an easy thing to try to explain to someone.  \r\n\r\nI feel the need for faith because I feel something greater than me - from within.  And I simply believe that when I look up into the sky, especially the night sky filled with stars, that how could something so awesome, so grand, so amazing - not come from something greater than us.  And that gives me faith - and that faith is in a God that loves us very much - and has plans for us beyond our time here on earth!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1041, 181, 'The Tongue Untied &raquo; Blog Archive &raquo; A tree is a tree is a tree except when it’s not', '', 'http://www.grammaruntied.com/blog/?p=13', '66.206.84.40', '2009-02-07 03:22:35', '2009-02-07 07:22:35', '[...] was reading a recent blog entry at halfwaytonormal about the unintended confusion that comes when writers forget that their readers cannot see what [...]', 0, '1', 'The Incutio XML-RPC PHP Library -- WordPress/2.7', 'pingback', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1045, 258, 'cpond', 'cdpond@gmail.com', '', '98.220.251.189', '2009-02-07 12:54:11', '2009-02-07 16:54:11', '"Living with a kind of freedom," that is definitely one thing that drew me to God.  Although I need to be reminded of God offering me that freedom on a continual basis...', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1825, 290, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-03-09 21:13:05', '2009-03-10 01:13:05', 'Amazing. I''m so glad I found your blog; you''re staying on my favorite list!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1055, 256, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-07 22:45:29', '2009-02-08 02:45:29', 'Jamie, I''m SO glad you mentioned the last paragraph. It was supposed to be "a funny," but then I had the feeling that people thought I was being vain, or sacrilegious, or both. It''s so nice when someone *gets* you, isn''t it? \r\n\r\nCobalt-Blue, now I''m positive our daughter is paying you off somehow. You''re pretty convincing about how great dogs are. :)  \r\n\r\nAlli, yes, trying to define which relationships are "real" is becoming a fascinating challenge, with many new layers of complexity. But in some ways, the decisive factor is the same as it''s always been, for on-line and face-to-face friendships: We still rely on the intuitive *feeling* we have about a person. We trust our instincts to tell us how they feel about us, and whether we can trust them. \r\n\r\nLisaNewton, I haven''t had that experience yet, but there are several people in my on-line community who I''d love to eventually meet in person. Those friendships feel very much *real* already, but it would sure be nice to celebrate them with a bottle of wine. (And thanks for asking one of the questions for this series!)\r\n\r\nTJ, while it''s true that nothing can take the place of sitting down together in the same room and sharing a meal,  it does make me kind of wistful and sad. I mean, I know I''ll probably never meet most of the people who feel like a part of my daily community. So what''s the next best thing? Talking on the phone? Is there a meaningful way to grow and honor those relationships? Hmmm...\r\n\r\nThe Modern Gal, thanks for reading, and for letting me know that you enjoyed it!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1057, 256, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.12.145.37', '2009-02-07 23:28:08', '2009-02-08 03:28:08', 'Great questions beget great answers. Good job! I enjoyed reading this very much.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(5094, 436, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-08-06 20:58:42', '2009-08-07 00:58:42', 'Have you tried Plurk? It''s a networking site similar to Twitter, but it has a different format. I like the timeline and the dropdown windows for related conversations. This is NOT a sales pitch. :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; Trident/4.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.5.30729; .NET CLR 3.0.30618)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
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(6685, 529, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-11-11 00:37:23', '2009-11-11 04:37:23', 'Laurachris2, yes, we can get stuck in our ways at an early age, either by choice or because others decide to stick us there! (Your poor brother!)\r\n\r\nCarmen, why thanks! Families are wonderful petri dishes that help us study and understand everything that''s more macro (around us) and even the micro (within us). Btw, I loved hearing more about your childhood and family at your wedding! (Not that I was studying them, of course. :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.15) Gecko/2009101600 Firefox/3.0.15', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(6576, 514, 'Joi T.', 'joitennant@verizon.net', '', '98.115.39.183', '2009-10-26 22:57:56', '2009-10-27 02:57:56', 'Something that seems to be missing from this whole conversation is one of the main understandings of Christianity, which could be summed up in Jesus'' statement when the religious authorities were appalled at the fact that Jesus would eat with "sinners"(Matthew 9:12-13). Jesus said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  Go and learn what this means, ''I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."  The billboard''s suggestion that millions of us can be just fine without God isn''t in any way helpful to the millions of people who can''t figure out how on earth to escape who they are and what they do as a result.  Jesus came to give "abundant life" to everyone who otherwise are caught in the quagmire of impossible life/personality circumstances.  Faith in Jesus creates a new beginning, bringing hope to a previously hopeless life.  And by the way, identifying myself as "good" is a real stretch, which any amount of real introspection will reveal.  Looking around at the mess our world is in shows how good we are at being good.  Even Jesus said that not he, but only God, is "good."', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X Mach-O; en-US; rv:1.8.1.20) Gecko/20081217 Firefox/2.0.0.20', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(6112, 474, 'Dave Thurston', 'dave@orangeshirtguy.com', 'http://www.orangeshirtguy.com', '24.223.179.5', '2009-09-22 07:48:10', '2009-09-22 11:48:10', 'You know, how does one comment on something that pulls so strongly on one''s heart without sounding controlling or aloof.\r\n\r\nThe two daughters are the souls that stick in my mind - the guidance that they receive for the years until the age of their majority will be of utmost importance . . .\r\n\r\nThis kind of stuff - life altering events - also makes me reflect, "OK God, if this is part of the Master Plan, I''m good with that . . . but how ''bout a little hint as to why?"', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_6_1; en-us) AppleWebKit/531.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.3 Safari/531.9', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(6683, 529, 'Laurachris2', 'laurachris2@yahoo.com', '', '97.114.153.200', '2009-11-09 22:45:53', '2009-11-10 02:45:53', 'I chuckled about being thought standoffish at age two, and how there were some who probably always thought you were that way. My younger brother threw a tantrum at age two in a store when shopping with our grandmother. She never, ever took him shopping again. When he was a teen he asked her why she took the rest of us and not him; she said, "You won''t behave in a store." Talk about carved in stone.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_6_1; en-us) AppleWebKit/531.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.3 Safari/531.9', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1510, 278, 'Lance', 'lance@jungleoflife.com', 'http://www.jungleoflife.com', '65.29.12.59', '2009-02-23 06:44:48', '2009-02-23 10:44:48', 'Hi Kristin,\r\n\r\nGrace.  It''s what keeps me believing, coming back, and trusting in a God who loves us beyond measure.  No matter what.  \r\n\r\nSo, I love your post today.  Because this is where I think too often we stray toward a righteous side that turns ugly.  I don''t care whether you are gay or straight.  See, I think - even if being gay is indeed a sin (and I''m not ready to fully jump on that bandwagon) - what makes that sin any worse off than the sins I commit - every day.  Who am I to judge?  \r\n\r\nSo, I love that your church is accepting of people no matter who they are or what they do.  That is truly the Christian attitude I embrace.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1837, 290, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-03-10 10:21:00', '2009-03-10 14:21:00', 'Matt, It''s good that you''re comfortable with your quirkiness—that comfort level goes a long way towards enjoying life more, I think. Glad I can bring a breath of fresh air to your day, too. \r\n\r\nShell, me too! Aren''t people endlessly fascinating? \r\n\r\nJonelle, I''m so happy I could make a cold Monday a bit brighter. Thanks for sharing so much of who you are with me.\r\n\r\nTrina, thanks! "Revelation" is the right word, I think. It''s really interesting to see what our minds come up with when we''re given a whole bunch of information. There are so many directions I could have gone in, but this one just came to me and felt right.\r\n\r\nJeb, HA! There''s a compliment I don''t think I''ve ever gotten. So you think I have negotiation skills? Perhaps an ability to balance and bring perspective? That''s what I love about writing challenges, and about getting to know lots of different people. And you''re SO right: "it all goes into the pot and together we share in the sustenance."\r\n\r\nDaisy, I''m so glad you''re a part of this Halfway to Normal community. Thanks for sharing yourself.\r\n\r\nCobalt-Blue, what a great cooking-to-writing analogy! I''m so glad you found the post cohesive and tasteful. I do love to cook, but I think my skill is in having an eye for the right recipes—understanding how they''ll work and taste before I actually cook them. I''m much more free-forming and improvisational with my writing.\r\n\r\nBarbara, yes, I love cyberspace and the friendships I''ve formed here. I was so amazed, too, that your post yesterday fit so nicely with mine. Different angles, but the same general goal—getting to know one another better.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1513, 278, 'ginabad', 'gb@artbytech.com', 'http://www.mom-blog.com', '70.15.28.128', '2009-02-23 11:41:32', '2009-02-23 15:41:32', 'In reading your post, I am so envious of your church. I battle with Christianity DAILY, I''m still working on accepting what Christ is. In my Bible study last Tuesday I can REALLY close, but I cannot believe that this is the only way or that scripture is literal.\r\n\r\nAt the same time, I have to hear talk that infers that Obama is the anti-Christ, and that the world was DEFINITELY created in 6 days, 10,000 years ago, and that science is ungodly.  This drives me nuts and it keeps me from arm''s length at people who could be my sisters.\r\n\r\nMy old church was conservative-evangelical, but it had a different feel. I cannot explain, but we had the most gifted preacher I''ve ever heard in my life. We try to attend but it''s an hour away and it''s tough, plus we can''t really be part of the community at that distance.\r\n\r\nSo I''ve been missing Sundays and that''s fine by me. Sometimes I get a little, but I get way too much of that squirm feeling that made me abandon Catholicism as a kid.  Ah well, maybe God is leading me but I''m not sure where.  Thank you for your post.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1071, 258, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-08 19:22:09', '2009-02-08 23:22:09', 'Daisy, thanks for saying that. Isn''t it nice when the right phrase just magically appears, like it came from some other realm? \r\n\r\nCJ, I totally get what you''re saying. And I really appreciate this: "My only issue with anyone’s faith is when they ''just believe'' what they’ve been fed by others without any idea why and are afraid to question it - that way often lies blind fanaticism and THAT can be as evil as your god is good." Thanks for reading my blog and being a part of the conversation.\r\n\r\nLance, I think accepting what "just feels right" is so much easier for children, don''t you? It''s one of those "childlike faith" qualities I''m trying to get back in touch with.\r\n\r\ncpond, the trick, unfortunately, is finding other Christians who live with that freedom, isn''t it? In my experience, it''s much more common to come across Christians who seem to be living lives of cramped confinement, and that''s not what God wants for us, at all. No wonder we need to be reminded, over and over again.\r\n\r\nAs a general follow up, for everyone, in this post I was focusing on the broader sense of why it makes sense for someone to have a faith in God. In the process of exploring that, I realize I didn''t mention the most important reason I believe: because of the unbelievable beauty God has recreated out of the mess of my own life. I''ve written about it several times before—for starters, you can read the January 9 post "Remind me again," and the December 22 post "I''ll take a side of sadness with my cheer."', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2057, 308, 'Alli Butler', 'alli@sydtech.com', '', '98.111.91.17', '2009-03-25 21:35:17', '2009-03-26 01:35:17', 'Fun! I feel like I was a pioneer for this type of "social media" (ie: having "online friends") in that Scott &amp; I used to play on MUDS (Multi-user Dungeons) which was like D &amp; D on computers. It was a text-based, multi-user environment that eventually evolved into games like Everquest and World of Warcraft, etc. When we first started, we dialed in on our 2400-baud modem! After losing our MUD community (which was hidden on a college mainframe for years) we moved to a new MUD when I was pregnant with my son (who turned 16 today.) We spent hours playing, questing, programming, designing and gaming with our online "friends" and ultimately knew quite a bit about them. When my son was a few months old we welcomed "Sorcha" "Lleldorin" and "Jesse" into our home - and Sorcha''s seeing-eye dog too! Llel and Jess spent the night - even though we had just met "IRL" that same day. We still hear from "Miraclemax" and "Silly" - all these years later! Scott also met a few other people from our MUD IRL at work. We don''t really play text-based-games anymore - they have been replaced. But online social networks have improved, strengthened and been legitimized over the past 18 years since I was first a member of GEnie (2 years before AOL.) :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.7) Gecko/2009021910 Firefox/3.0.7', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1534, 278, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.227.97.30', '2009-02-23 20:49:07', '2009-02-24 00:49:07', 'Today, my oldest daughter asked me if her brother (my son) would have a relationship with her sister (her father''s daughter) when they get older. I said, "Yes, of course!" \r\n\r\nYou demonstrate what I have always believed about my own divorce and that is this - the end of a marriage is no the end of a family. \r\n\r\nYou are living out the love of Christ on the pages of your blog, Kristin. Keep the thoughtful posts coming. I think many people need to hear what you have to say.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2600, 345, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-05-08 01:05:33', '2009-05-08 05:05:33', 'Cheryl, I agree, it''s really hard to imagine the people of Rwanda truly forgiving one another. I guess it isn''t about total forgiveness, like you cross some magic line and all is right again. It must be a matter of degrees. When you think of the alternative, having the people who did the horrendous acts face the people who were hurt by them seems much better than taking the out of sight, out of mind route. What you bring up about the important distinction between forgiveness and reconciliation, and what happens when we fail to make that distinction, is SO important and true. I hadn''t thought of it quite that way before. Thank you for bringing it into the conversation. \r\n\r\nBreanna, I''m glad you found my blog, too! Forgiveness is SO tricky—especially when you''ve been praying for it, and it seems like something God would want to help you grasp, yet it still seems out of reach. And your question about how to measure forgiveness is a really difficult one. I guess maybe it''s more of a process—a continuum we travel—rather than a line we cross, sort of like I was saying in response to Cheryl''s comment. I don''t know, though. With my ex-husband, I just eventually realized that I wasn''t harboring resentment any longer. The strain between my brows was gone after interacting with him, and I realized I had compassion and understanding for him. It''s not like the process is done, and I get a gold star, but I still think I''ve reached a peaceful place.\r\n\r\nSarah, that''s a really good point about the New Yorker article—people in Rwanda aren''t raving about things, and claiming they''re perfect. But the fact that they can live together is the fruit of this rather hacked, imperfect tree. This is SO perceptive: "I think I focus way too often on making everything okay, and miss the grace that might be present in simply living through a hard situation honestly with dignity and civility. I think it reminded me that forgiveness (at least human forgiveness) might not have to be perfect in order to be adequate."\r\n\r\nPsychMamma, the Amish school shooting story applies perfectly—I''m so glad you brought it up! I''d love to read that book and see what the common threads might be. I think one is the idea that in extraordinary circumstances, humans can step completely outside of the realm of our everyday knee jerk responses, into a place that defies reason and understanding. It''s a suspension of disbelief and the act of having blind faith in something better, beyond the pain.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.10) Gecko/2009042315 Firefox/3.0.10', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1543, 278, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-24 01:33:27', '2009-02-24 05:33:27', 'Lance, I''m so glad you brought "grace" into the conversation. I often wonder how so many Christians "know" these ideas we were taught in Sunday School—God is love, Amazing Grace, love your neighbor—but don''t really embrace them. I wish I could pinpoint where and why things got so off track. \r\n\r\nginabad, you are obviously thinking, reflecting, searching, and remaining open. Those are all such important things. I feel quite certain God is leading you to an understanding about him, and a community that embraces that understanding, and who you are. Try to not let the "crazies" distract you from your search!\r\n\r\nJason, thanks for your comment. I completely see what you''re saying. There is a danger of that. But in this case, my gut tells me that every little bit of progress we''re able to make as a church community—in terms of love and forgiveness and grace—will manage to ripple out in positive ways. I just wish we could see some waves at times, rather than so many almost imperceptible ripples. \r\n\r\nLorna, you''re so right. We''ve come very far, but there is always more to learn. I have to admit, I was really nervous, too. I get in "mother bear" mode, just knowing that there were probably people in church during the dedication who were feeling uncomfortable and others who were less than supportive about what was going on. All I can hope and pray is that each experience like that one will work to soften people''s hearts, not harden them.\r\n\r\nmartinj, you''ve introduced into the conversation some very important ways to examine hypocrisy. I am guilty of all the angles of hypocrisy you brought up, and many more. This is both brilliant and humbling: "We all are judgmental of the people who cannot live up to the morality that comes easily to us, and outraged by people who can’t offer grace to failures that hit close to home. We probably just need to work on extending grace to the people we least want to give it to. (gay people and judgmental Christians included)" I definitely need to practice extending grace to judgmental Christians.\r\n\r\nstef, I hear you. It has taken me a very long time to find a church that fits so well with how my head, heart and soul seem to be wired. The church I go to is a non-denominational church with many Mennonite ties and a whole slew of really good people. Unfortunately, there seems to be no perfect church shopping method, other than praying about it a lot and being open. \r\n\r\njenx67, thanks for the sweet encouragement. Sometimes I feel like I''m getting too heavy here, but I also feel absolutely convinced that I''m supposed to be writing about these things, so what can I do? :) If I have to live this crazy life, with all of its unexpected twists and turns, I''m at least glad it can all be turned into stories and shared with people who might need to hear them.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1095, 260, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-02-09 20:09:18', '2009-02-10 00:09:18', 'When my second child was born, we lived in a 2-bedroom duplex. We invested in a cubicle wall to separate the 5-yr-old''s portion of the room from the baby''s (babies don''t really need much space, just crib &amp; diaper table). 5-yr-old daughter used to hang her pictures all over the ''wall'' and it actually made a rather cozy, intimate space for her!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1096, 260, 'LisaNewton', 'lisajnewton@gmail.com', 'http://www.travelinlocal.com', '76.166.207.239', '2009-02-10 00:24:51', '2009-02-10 04:24:51', 'Many years ago, I painted my house, most of the inside.  It was a moderately sized 4 bedroom, and I love painting it.  I used different techiques like sponging and plastic wrap to give the appearance of wallpaper, and it turned out great.\r\n\r\nA few years later, as my girls grew, they wanted to paint their own rooms, which they did.  \r\n\r\nEven in tough times, we all make the best choices we can, and surprisingly, sometimes the less expensive choice is the most fun.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; GTB5; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1097, 260, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-10 02:02:41', '2009-02-10 06:02:41', 'Loren, it''s good to meet you. Thanks for reading!\r\n\r\nCindy, yes, we can "survive" many less-than-perfect situations, can''t we? It''s good to hear that you made it through with one bathroom (but wait, I have three daughters, not two — maybe that''s the tipping point?). \r\n\r\nTJ, "stewardship" is a great word to bring into the discussion, especially when an old house (1914) is involved. It''s good for our kids to see how much work it is to care for something the right way, rather than thinking their parents have magic wands that they wave to get everything done. And showing them the transformations/renewals/redemptions that are possible — there''s a great lesson in that, too.\r\n\r\nJane, *sometimes* we''re good about getting the girls involved and working together. Too often, though, I''m tempted to just let the kids play while we do the work, because I think it will be easier. It''s something we''re trying to be better about.\r\n\r\nJeb, the whole patience vs. instant gratification issue is such an important one, on many levels (a big one being the shocking amount of credit card debt so many Americans, including very young ones, face). I really like that you brought up "creation" as an alternative to "consumption," too. As always, my readers give me so much more to chew on...\r\n\r\nDaisy, your "cubicle wall" sounds a lot like the one we bought. And you''re right — small spaces can be cozy, which can be really wonderful. Large spaces are over-glorified in our culture.\r\n\r\nLisa, it''s interesting (and encouraging) that so many people seem to be rediscovering what you said: "sometimes the less expensive choice is the most fun." That''s a key lesson in this all — that a life of "making do" doesn''t have to be one of angst-filled drudgery.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1584, 278, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '99.164.175.193', '2009-02-25 18:00:53', '2009-02-25 22:00:53', 'Alli, I''m glad the description of my warm and welcoming church was inspiring. I really worry, when I tell happy stories like this, that I will get greedy with the all-too-tempting sugar coating. I try to be realistic about the struggles, while celebrating the good. Our church has had its share of less ideal moments, and I''m sure we will have more. But the redemptive process is just that—a process—and I''m thankful that the people I go to church with are on that path together. (Btw, I loved hearing the story about your dad and his "husband-in-law." I like the "quarter brother" term, too!)\r\n\r\nJamie, I''m glad you''re glad, and I''m also glad you''re thinking on it. I''m looking forward to hearing more from you!\r\n\r\nAri, this is profound: "I think our conflict lies in how undeniably we’re fed by our faith, while witnessing deep flaws in the organization and how it tries to misrepresent itself in an effort to impress others to join the church." There''s so much imperfection, sin and hypocrisy in every single person, whether or not they live by a faith. The problem, as you point out, lies with how Christians tend to misrepresent themselves (and that, I think, is rooted in how often God is misrepresented in churches).\r\n\r\nJay, thanks for reading and commenting. You''re so right. Love is the core of the entire Christian faith, but somewhere along the way things got off track. I like engaging in theological discussions and debates quite a bit, but when we get so heavily legalistic about our faith that our interpretation of "rules" trumps love, we''ve completely forgotten why Jesus was sent to us in the first place.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1583, 280, 'ejly', 'eva.lyford@gmail.com', 'http://www.ejly.net', '207.250.76.6', '2009-02-25 17:50:29', '2009-02-25 21:50:29', 'I''m glad it was a minor injury. I hope she recuperates easily and quickly.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US) AppleWebKit/525.19 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/1.0.154.48 Safari/525.19', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1111, 211, 'Barbara Swafford', 'barbara@bloggingwithoutablog.com', 'http://bloggingwithoutablog.com', '208.100.163.88', '2009-02-10 16:57:04', '2009-02-10 20:57:04', 'Hi Kristen - Thank you so much for letting me know about this post.  Numbers are often used to measure our success (or some will say failure), but your article proves big numbers aren''t needed to make a difference in the world.  Like you said, "staying small has made their impact big".  Thank you for opening my eyes to new possibilities.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1589, 280, 'Alli Butler', 'alli@sydtech.com', '', '98.111.91.17', '2009-02-25 20:02:07', '2009-02-26 00:02:07', 'They say that nobody is an atheist during a plane crash and I think that it is equally true when our children are injured. (It''s also true that nobody drives the speed limit.) When the ice or cloth is removed from your child''s face and his/her injury revealed - our "call to prayer" is almost always immediate: "Oh, God." \r\n\r\nMy mother had strict rules about taking the Lord''s name in vain. One day when she came running down the stairs yelling "ohmygodohmygodohmygod" I knew that something serious was going on. (My 3-year-old brother had tried to avoid taking a nap by jumping out a second story window - breaking both of his legs, an arm and concussing himself.) Thirty-two years later I can still feel the electrical charge of that day - and I wasn''t even the mom!\r\n\r\nOf course, I have been the mom in the ambulance with my injured child and nothing compares to that powerlessness. It is in those moments when we call upon whatever power in the world that we sense and put our helplessness out to the Universe and to God as a means of securing hope and if not control, at least a sense that someone else - someone strong and good and wise and kind - is in charge. \r\n\r\nI also find your contrasting feelings about your ex to be "normal" in this situation. He''s Q''s dad. He loves her fiercely and you know that he will bring her comfort and security, but his role for you has changed. He''s not the person that you want to cling to when you cry, babble incoherently when you are nervous, stroke your hair and hold your hand in the waiting room. That''s Jason. So your ex feels "both connected and distant." I so get it. :)\r\n\r\nAlso, may I say - arnica montana - topically and orally - best herb ever for bruising and swelling. Talk to a homeopath or someone at a natural food market or coo-op. Really. I swear by the stuff.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1588, 280, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-02-25 19:57:12', '2009-02-25 23:57:12', 'Head wounds are scary. Knowing that isn''t much help when you''re facing swelling like that, though! My son was in a car accident when he was 9; he''s 16 now, and that day is still firmly embedded in my collection of motherhood memories.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1121, 260, 'Mark', 'markeharvey@gmail.com', '', '99.147.170.255', '2009-02-10 23:02:24', '2009-02-11 03:02:24', 'This is really sidebar.  I''m an old house fanatic...do you guys use the picture rail in your house (I see it right there in the picture!).  \r\n\r\nWhen I get amped up about our old house I look at this great ad from the 70''s I had framed.  It''s a VW ad for a Beetle.  The header reads: "Live Below Your Means"  and then goes on to extoll the virtues of living a frugal life.  Funny, VW should be pulling that one out again.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1594, 280, 'Jeb Dickerson', 'jebdickerson@mac.com', 'http://www.howtomatter.com', '71.237.106.69', '2009-02-26 00:45:11', '2009-02-26 04:45:11', 'I''m thinking you''ve touched on something more important than meets the eye KT, and maybe my question came from some unconscious recognition of it. \r\n\r\nThere''s an interesting intersection occurring at this moment in time, and I believe it''s unlike anything that has preceded it. Our ability to connect is unprecedented, at least in terms of breadth...though, certainly in my experience, depth as well. P''raps it''s a bit pathetic, but I''ve had more meaningful conversations with you, and others around the web, than I have in years with people I know and talk with in person. Much of that surely is a reflection of me and my own issues with relationships/intimacy, but I feel there''s more at play. \r\n\r\nThe relative anonymity of these online connections creates, for me, a level of comfort that allows me to reveal more of myself than I would in person..again, even with folks I know well. Though I cant prove it, I suspect the same is true for many people, and so I think it''s important that we all properly value these relationships. I know they''re the butt of many a joke, but I''m guessing the folks that write these jokes don''t spend much time reaching out into these communities.\r\n\r\nSo what the hell am I talking about here? Not totally sure. But stick with me for another moment, if you would. We''ve all, I think, heard of the concept of a ''mastermind'', whereby 2 or more people get together to share ideas, and the result is the creation of something that is more than just the sum of the parts. Something entirely new, separate, tangible, is created through the collaboration. The idea that 1+1=3.\r\n\r\nAnd so I''m wondering about our amazing ability to connect, to share ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc. And I''m thinking about how collaboration has a tendency to create a dynamic whereby something altogether new is created. And I''m imagining that the point at which these two things intersect, potential unbounded resides. And finally, I think this potential represents an opportunity for growth, for solutions, for creation...in short, for the manifestation of pretty close to anything.\r\n\r\nThe opportunity this holds, on the macro level, is nearly too big to consider.  But I can envision a time very soon when the barriers to progress begin falling down at a much more rapid pace than they have in the past. \r\n\r\nAnd the application for each of us, on a micro level, is no less impressive. Obviously, you wouldn''t have asked us to pray if you didn''t think there was value in it...a potential benefit to be gained. And whether that benefit comes from God (He of the Christian faith, or Another), the source, the universe, whatever...the point remains. Our collective focus on your daughter, on her well-being, had a benefit. Would the outcome have been different had you not offered your community a glimpse of what had happened? Maybe yes, maybe no (I''m leaning toward maybe yes). But regardless the outcome relating to the specific injury, there was a less tangible benefit for you and, if you didn''t know it, for us as well. \r\n\r\nThe connection. The community. The collective effort in pursuit of a common purpose. There''s meaning here beyond my ability to grasp it. But that''s okay. I like to reach for the things that matter most. \r\n\r\nThanks for indulging me, and inspiring this thought process. I''m very happy to know Q is well.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1127, 260, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-11 01:15:36', '2009-02-11 05:15:36', 'Susan, pictures to come! We finished the trim tonight and have to hit the walls with one more coat. (Btw, that''s the pre-painted room, in the pic at the top of the post.)\r\n\r\nElaine, I love your "oozing of charm" and "dripping of water" descriptors. Those of us who deeply love old houses will never be cured, will we? \r\n\r\nMark, we haven''t used the picture rail in the past, but we''re considering it now that we''ve gone through the process of patching up holes in the plaster and making everything pretty. :) (And I love the old VW ad. It sounds like they had the Mini Cooper branding attitude down long before the Mini did.)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1602, 280, 'Elaine Tolsma-Harlow', 'reoharlow@hotmail.com', '', '24.231.153.71', '2009-02-26 11:38:37', '2009-02-26 15:38:37', 'I''m thankful for the happy ending you have &amp; that all is well that ends well.  Isn''t it a comfort to know that as you swayed &amp; your vision blurred the spirit was interceding for you with groans that words can''t express (Romans 8:26)?   My own difficult turns have been buffered by the intercession when I have been unable to pray.\r\n\r\nThis post &amp; your last, to me, really have the same conclusion.  Isn''t life when all else has been stripped away about love?  When solid ground has shifted &amp; all that is left is our love to others and God''s love to us that is what is real &amp; concrete.  It really is all so basic; love your neighbor as yourself.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.27.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.2.1 Safari/525.27.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1601, 280, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.227.97.30', '2009-02-26 10:33:06', '2009-02-26 14:33:06', 'Not cheesy at all! \r\n\r\nVery engaging post - easy to read all the way through to the end. \r\n\r\nI could very much relate to the part about the ex husband, although we''ve had so much to get through in 10 years, it''s less alone all the time when we have to come together for things like this - celebrations, decisions, etc.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N');
INSERT INTO `wp_d8mand_comments` (`comment_ID`, `comment_post_ID`, `comment_author`, `comment_author_email`, `comment_author_url`, `comment_author_IP`, `comment_date`, `comment_date_gmt`, `comment_content`, `comment_karma`, `comment_approved`, `comment_agent`, `comment_type`, `comment_parent`, `user_id`, `comment_subscribe`) VALUES
(1144, 263, 'Jaron', 'jaron.kamin@fpcchampaign.org', 'http://jaronkamin.blogspot.com', '173.9.210.121', '2009-02-11 15:17:32', '2009-02-11 19:17:32', 'I''m totally just guessing, and I don''t have any kids on whom to test my theory at this time, but I bet if a kid grows up with a healthy does of unstructured time, there''s a good chance they will be better prepared to actually know what direction they want to go with their lives later on.  They will know what they really want to strive after, becuase they excelled at figuring out what they wanted to do during their childhood.  I dunno.  I sure would like some of that unstructured time as well...', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1604, 280, 'Susan', 'susanebecker@gmail.com', '', '98.212.170.125', '2009-02-26 16:40:33', '2009-02-26 20:40:33', 'I find myself shaking a bit. I am so glad you quickly got to the part where Q was ok. You put beautiful substance to a difficult, intangible, wrenching experience. Lots of love to you both. \r\n(I will warn C and S to desist from pointing out where Q''s nose is for awhile...ouch!)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X 10.4; en-US; rv:1.9.0.5) Gecko/2008120121 Firefox/3.0.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1147, 263, 'molly', 'mccracken.molly@gmail.com', '', '71.191.133.9', '2009-02-11 15:41:31', '2009-02-11 19:41:31', 'Oh Kristin, this totally hits home.  The DC area is a total pressure cooker and kids are encouraged to work, work, work at a very young age.  I''m sure it is true of other areas as well, but it really worries me.  Of course we want our kids to have a great education, which every child deserves, but I am not ready to sacrifice their play time!  I don''t know if you have read "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv but that is another good book that argues for unstructured outdoor playtime.  When I read it, I cried that our kids may not have the same experiences that we did as kids.  For me in particular, I immediately thought of things like searching all day for agates at Lake Superior, running on the dunes at Wesley Woods, and mucking around in the drainage ditch searching for snails at my parent''s farm.  Anyway, I am sort of rambling, but I loved this post, thanks for writing it.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1148, 263, 'Darryle', 'darrylep@gmail.com', 'http://blog.darrylepollack.com/', '67.188.130.19', '2009-02-11 16:12:53', '2009-02-11 20:12:53', 'I''m so glad you wrote this, and thanks for letting me know about it.  I put the link on Twitter because I think it''s such an important issue to remember---they''re all so worried about finding their talent they barely have time to enjoy just being kids.  I watched mine grow up  under all the external pressure created by schools, society and their peers---and feel grateful that when they were younger, I was given a great piece of advice: be sure to give your kids time to lay back and just look at the clouds.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1149, 260, 'Sara', 'sara@sarahealy.com', 'http://www.sarahealy.com', '71.203.106.151', '2009-02-11 16:49:56', '2009-02-11 20:49:56', 'Kristen, \r\n\r\nI LOVE YOUR FAMILY!!! This post just goes to show that it''s really not the money, but the love that makes a family.  Also, I do understand about girls sharing bathrooms...I had to do when I was a kid.  As the youngest, I usually ended up with five minutes...sometimes less...before I had to leave for school.  Great post!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011913 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1150, 263, 'ejly', 'eva.lyford@gmail.com', 'http://www.ejly.net', '207.250.76.6', '2009-02-11 16:51:40', '2009-02-11 20:51:40', 'We downsized some extracurriculars last year and it really has been for the best. Thanks for posting this well thought out article.\r\n\r\nMy son recently wrote a comic book and is slowly developing it into a series; I don''t know of any Comic Book Writers Class he could have done this in, and I''m proud to see him exploring some off-the-beaten-path creative areas that he discovered through free play. I''m glad to hear your girls are having similar discoveries.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US) AppleWebKit/525.19 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/1.0.154.48 Safari/525.19', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2105, 310, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.227.97.30', '2009-03-28 22:04:32', '2009-03-29 02:04:32', 'Thankful for your traveling mercies, KT. All travel is exhausting - esp. to the Big Ap.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(6942, 541, 'Violet', 'kao2965@comcast.net', 'http://violetinthemiddle.blogspot.com', '128.174.181.159', '2009-12-07 11:11:57', '2009-12-07 15:11:57', 'First of all, over the last couple of weeks, God has been sending me the same message over and over again: He loves me in my imperfection. He loves me just as I am. And NOTHING will ever change that. I didn''t know I need to hear that message, but apparently I do...a lot! So thanks for being His coinduit to me today. :) \r\n\r\nI grew up in the Catholic church - talk about perfection and predictability! I, too, love the more loosey-goosey atmosphere at the non-denominational church where I worship these days. One of the reasons I love it is that it keeps me engaged. I can''t just sit back for the ride like I could during mass, standing, sitting, reciting on cue. I have to pay attention so I don''t zig when everyone else zags - and so I know why everyone is laughing!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; FunWebProducts; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; InfoPath.2; .NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152; .NET CLR 3.5.30729)', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(6943, 541, 'Christina', 'christina.whitehouse.suggs@gmail.com', 'http://cwsuggs.blogspot.com', '68.222.239.34', '2009-12-07 11:29:01', '2009-12-07 15:29:01', 'I love the picture of your current community of faith and totally understand where you''re coming from regarding church perfection...but I also love the "high" church atmosphere.  It might be because I have a new appreciation for the spoken word and well-crafted prayers, litanies &amp; sermons or it might be that I went to one too many crappy "contemporary" services.  I don''t know.  I''m not saying there''s one way to be church - but I love the concept of a beloved community that allows all the quirks and foibles of people who are on a journey of faith together...however that journey looks (ie chaotic or controlled).  :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.1.5) Gecko/20091102 Firefox/3.5.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(6944, 541, 'Lorna', 'lornae2@gmail.com', '', '128.174.138.78', '2009-12-07 11:42:31', '2009-12-07 15:42:31', 'This reminds me of a story shared by a current NCF member who started out as a visitor coming with a friend who attended. The first Sunday the host said, "this isn''t the way it always is, this is not a typical service, you need to come back again". They continued to say this EVERY time the person visited with them. Truth is, we ARE never the same thing twice, and that is part of the attraction for me! Sure, we have a basic "liturgy" but there is so much that can vary within (and sometimes without) that each week. I appreciated Brian''s sharing last night as well, and the obvious fact that it meant so much to him to see us as family. Messy &amp; chaotic sometimes, but family none the less.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.1.5) Gecko/20091102 Firefox/3.5.5', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(6945, 541, 'Trina', 'colour144@yahoo.com', '', '75.159.36.212', '2009-12-07 11:53:03', '2009-12-07 15:53:03', 'What a lovely description of your experience. I identified with what you revealed about sharing/seeing an experience with/through some one elses eyes. All of the sudden one may not be sure if all you said about the experience is coming across, or being received.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-GB; rv:1.9.1.5) Gecko/20091102 Firefox/3.5.5 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(6946, 541, 'Jules', 'mojojules@gmail.com', '', '166.137.133.52', '2009-12-07 12:37:16', '2009-12-07 16:37:16', 'aaaaawwwww...breathe in and out. The beauty of imperfection. Kind of like crazy something or other pilgrim hats. ;)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/7D11', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(2108, 310, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-03-29 00:46:46', '2009-03-29 04:46:46', 'Daisy, I agree—I''m amazed by people who can live in NY and handle the pace. At the same time, though, while I was in the city I was thinking how having a home base—a place that''s yours filled with things that you love—would make a huge difference. IF you ever have any waking time to actually spend relaxing there, that is. \r\n\r\nCarmen, I have always admired both your gusto for the city and your honesty about how it wears on you, and what you miss about the good ol'' Midwest. :) Your approach to life there seems very real. Also, I realized again, on this trip, how much more I enjoy NY when I get to stay in Brooklyn, and poke around your neighborhood. It feels like the perfect balance of big-city-exotic and comfortable familiarity. (So glad I got to see you twice on this trip, though!)\r\n\r\nCobalt-Blue, I have never wished I grew up in a big city, but growing up outside of one, like you did, would have been fun. I can just picture the class trips and first date adventures. :)\r\n\r\nKira, you are very welcome! I did manage to get a few things done in NY, in between subway rides, people-watching, and the search for the next bathroom. :)  I love your snowy memory with your roommates, and how you imagined all the many things happening simultaneously in one big snowy city. A beautiful look at NY.\r\n\r\njenx67, yes, I''m thankful for traveling mercies, too. Most of this past week, the five people in my immediate family were in four different cities (in three different states). It was fun, but also disconcerting, and it feels good to have everyone home together, again. Your comment about travel being exhausting made me think about how much I tend to romanticize my travels and explorations in my mind, especially when I''m planning and anticipating. Some day I''ll figure out how to get my expectations more in line with reality.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.7) Gecko/2009021906 Firefox/3.0.7', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1155, 263, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-02-11 22:32:45', '2009-02-12 02:32:45', 'I love, love, love the creativity!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1156, 263, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-11 23:12:43', '2009-02-12 03:12:43', 'Ashley, I hear you. I''ve never had a hard-core anti-TV stance, but since college I''ve also somehow never had a TV that actually gets any channels! It just kind of happened that way, and then it became something I didn''t even think about needing (except during important games, presidential debates, election night, etc., when we end up going to friends'' houses to watch). Our TV, which we use for DVDs and Wii, is in the guest room in the basement, so it''s often out of sight, out of mind for our kids. It makes a huge difference in the way everyone in the family spends time.\r\n\r\nJaron, I''ve never thought of it exactly that way, but I think you''re really on to something. All of these researchers talk about the critical life skills kids are learning when they have unstructured play time, and I''m sure the one you bring up is a part of the equation. Problem-solving and decision-making are such important skills. Siblings also have to practice negotiating during unstructured time. (And yes, I could use more time like that in my day, too!)\r\n\r\nMolly, I can imagine that DC is really intense, particularly in contrast to the wonderful, relaxed, nature-centric childhood you had in Michigan. Because you had those experiences, though, and because you realize how important they were to you, I know you will find every opportunity you can to expose your kids to similar experiences. I can easily imagine what a great mom you are! (I will have to go to the library and find that book you mentioned.)\r\n\r\nDarryle, thanks so much for drawing my attention to the article about the Yale study. That''s by far one of the best things about Twitter -- having all kinds of interesting articles, sites and ideas brought into focus. (And yes, time to look at the clouds...sigh.)\r\n\r\nejly, I like your use of the word "downsizing" when it comes to extracurriculars. :) And your son''s experience drawing comics is a perfect example of what I''m talking about. You don''t necessarily learn to draw or tell stories by going to a special class for hours each week. You learn it by having time to practice and experiment. It''s so great your son has been able to explore that. \r\n\r\nDaisy, yes, I love it too. Creativity is high on the list of what I wish for my children, right up there with kindness and compassion. I''m sure a lot of that has to do with how much value was always placed on creativity by my parents, but I''ve also seen how well creativity has served me in all areas of my life—even the areas that don''t seem obviously "creative." It''s such an important muscle to exercise.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1157, 260, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-11 23:18:51', '2009-02-12 03:18:51', 'Sara, I love them, too. :) We definitely have our "moments," and I find myself fretting about the girls fairly often. But when I step back a bit, away from the less-than-perfect situations, I realize I have a lot of hope for our kids. They''ve been through a lot, and I also think they''ve had unique opportunities to learn a lot. And as you pointed out, there''s also a lot of love.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1158, 211, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-11 23:25:36', '2009-02-12 03:25:36', 'Barbara, your recent blog post about numbers also opened my eyes to new ways of looking at a topic I''m very interested in. Thanks for reading my post, and being a part of my online community.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1609, 280, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-27 01:54:49', '2009-02-27 05:54:49', 'Arathi, I had forgotten that you connect with other stepmoms on line. That''s so important. That''s one of the things I like best about online community—it''s so much easier to narrow in on specific types of people for specific types of support. \r\n\r\nDaisy, in the long list of parent fears, a car accident must be near the top. It''s hard to imagine what that must have been like. Thanks for the empathy!\r\n\r\nAlli, what you bring up about this immediate, instantaneous "call to prayer" is really interesting. I wonder—is it just the only possible response in the face of our own helplessness? There''s nothing we can do, so we''re grasping at straws, hoping that God does indeed exist? Or when we''re afraid like that, is it possible that our brain shuts down its skeptical chatter enough for God''s spirit in us to rise to the surface? I would love to hear someone who doesn''t really believe but has been in a scary situation like that tell me what they think is going on. (Thanks for the homeopathic advice, too. Does it work best if used right away?)\r\n\r\nJeb, you''ve brought up more really interesting thoughts around this idea of building genuine community with people we''ve never met in person. I think you''re exactly right, that being open and deep and "real" with people can be easier on line than in person. I sort of feel like I can have a much deeper "mid-level" friendship with all the people who comment regularly on my blog than I can with my "mid-level" friends who live in my town, but then I feel this barrier. There''s a ceiling, that keeps these relationships from moving into the next realm. I''m not necessarily saying it''s a permanent ceiling, but right now I feel it. (Do you?) I like what you said about the potential you see for solutions and creation in these communities. I completely agree. Very exciting.\r\n\r\njenx67, thanks for the anti-cheese endorsement! :) Sometimes, as a mom, it''s hard to know how our love for our kids comes across to the rest of the world, isn''t it? I love hearing more about your interactions and relationship with your ex-husband. Yet another way these online connections make me feel less alone in my crazy life.\r\n\r\nElaine, you''ve summed it all up, for sure: "When solid ground has shifted &amp; all that is left is our love to others and God’s love to us, that is what is real &amp; concrete." You always say you communicate best through your art, but I think you have a way with words, too. Thanks for sharing them here.\r\n\r\nSusan, thanks so much for the love and compassion. Q will thank you, I''m sure, for keeping the twins'' hands off her face for the next couple of weeks. :)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2131, 313, 'Matt Cheuvront', 'mncheuvront@gmail.com', 'http://www.lifewithoutpants.com', '66.89.75.162', '2009-03-30 12:39:35', '2009-03-30 16:39:35', 'Kristin - you''re blog is always a breath of fresh air. You are able to both inspire and entertain in almost everything you write. You hit the nail on the head here - the most memorable moments are never created - they just happen. You can plan and orchestrate an event - but the best memories I have are when people went above and beyond expectations - they did something totally unexpected and unwarranted. We all have memories like that, and if we look inward, moving forward, we all should recognize that if we go our of out way every once in a while - we may just have a lasting impression on someone, maybe without even realizing. Great post Kristin - thank you for the personal insight.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; InfoPath.1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Zune 3.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2132, 313, 'jessica', 'bernzee@mac.com', 'http://bernthis.typepad.com', '71.156.59.41', '2009-03-30 14:02:44', '2009-03-30 18:02:44', 'what an incredible memory, indeed. My sister has spent the last 15 plus years desperate to create this family with all these great memories and it just doesn''t work.  Her kids are so exhausted from all these family trips where all they wanted to do was stay at home. my sister has to go everywhere, get there as soon as it opens and pushes so hard it''s almost now working against her. \r\n\r\nwhat a great night, guys and Happy Birthday to your lovely daughter.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X Mach-O; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2137, 313, 'Barbara Ling, Virtual Coach', 'btl@barbaraling.com', 'http://www.virtual-coach.com', '98.109.85.64', '2009-03-30 16:51:52', '2009-03-30 20:51:52', 'Really beautiful post!  I was thinking back on my birthdays and only remember my 13th one because my folks got me a rather nifty sword.  I just asked one of my kids what she remembers, and she remembers just about all ''of em...another doesn''t remember any of ''em.\r\n\r\nHappy BirdieDay to your child!\r\n\r\nBarbara', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.8) Gecko/2009032609 Firefox/3.0.8', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2141, 313, 'Crow', 'crow@nicky510.com', 'http://www.nicky510.com', '66.234.223.166', '2009-03-30 22:55:51', '2009-03-31 02:55:51', 'I so agree with this. My own memories are incredibly random and start from when I was still in a crib. Ridiculously random events, like passing someone in 5th grade while going down a stairwell. Why in the world did that imprint? But it did. \r\n\r\nNice way to celebrate Earth Hour too!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.8) Gecko/2009032608 Firefox/3.0.8', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(2142, 313, 'Trina', 'colour144@yahoo.com', '', '66.222.252.31', '2009-03-30 23:03:01', '2009-03-31 03:03:01', 'Very cool accounting of what was, and what will be. Kudos!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-GB; rv:1.9.0.8) Gecko/2009032609 Firefox/3.0.8 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(3472, 369, 'Jason', 'brechinj@gmail.com', 'http://www.cleverfoodblog.com', '141.142.232.38', '2009-06-03 17:01:51', '2009-06-03 21:01:51', 'What we''ve tried to do with our daughter (6) is to help by exposing her to a lot of things she is (or may be) interested in - dance, acrobatics, swimming, language, art, soccer, baseball, etc.  Some of those she did for quite a while (and still does), some not as long.  We try to enforce that she needs to finish out the current session of things that she''s asked to do, despite how her feelings may have changed.  After all, kids'' minds can change constantly.  If we''ve suggested it, we encourage her to follow through and make it to the end, but we don''t push as hard.  What we care about most is that she has the opportunities in life to discover her strengths and weaknesses.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.10) Gecko/2009042316 Firefox/3.0.10 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(3473, 369, 'Michael Van Houten', 'michaelvanhouten@sbcglobal.net', '', '209.254.27.170', '2009-06-03 17:08:08', '2009-06-03 21:08:08', 'A very well-written and timely post, Kristin! We''re just starting to think about music lessons for our kids and we''ll no doubt need to impart some tough love and wisdom after they figure out that it''s not as easy as learning Guitar Hero. \r\n\r\nMy experience is quite similar to yours. I hated piano lessons, even though I had a wonderful, forgiving teacher. I''ll never forget sneaking into the kitchen during practice to move up the time on the oven clock timer (set by my Mother). Like she couldn''t tell! But had my parents just let me have my way and quit piano, there''s probably little chance that I would have the appreciation or ear for music that I have today. They clearly knew something about me at that age that I didn''t. \r\n\r\nI think the real art in it is knowing how to dish out the tough love in a way that''s effective. And that''s what my parents somehow figured out with me. I''m going to go call them now to see how they did it.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.16 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Safari/528.16', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(2953, 353, 'Meredith', 'meridethdabek@hotmail.com', 'http://ordinarymer.blogspot.com', '155.33.197.219', '2009-05-19 16:38:23', '2009-05-19 20:38:23', '"…put loving God and loving one another above any strict doctrine."\r\n\r\nI''d probably rank this as highest, if only because I have a personal aversion to formal doctrine. I think anyone - of any faith - who puts doctrine ahead of the actual person misses the point. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Gandhi: "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ." \r\n\r\nI envy you having this community to belong to - it sounds like a wonderful place.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.10) Gecko/2009042316 Firefox/3.0.10', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(1618, 282, 'LisaNewton', 'lisajnewton@gmail.com', 'http://www.travelinlocal.com', '76.166.207.239', '2009-02-27 10:51:03', '2009-02-27 14:51:03', 'At first, with online relationships, it''s hard to take it to the next level, like just calling someone on the phone.  Although I haven''t had too many opportunities to take next step (I''ve never attended any blogger conferences), I''ve had three online relationships that went offline.  All three of them are very special and meaningful, and went on for several years, with two of them still continuing today.\r\n\r\nI always try to remember that behind every word written online, there is a face and a person attached to the keyboard typing the words.\r\n\r\nThanks for the invite to share a little of myself (although I''m not too much of a lurker on your site......................:)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; GTB5; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1167, 263, 'jenx67', 'jenx67@cox.net', 'http://www.jenx67.com', '68.227.97.30', '2009-02-12 13:16:45', '2009-02-12 17:16:45', 'I pushed my daughter for eight plus years to be in ballet. I kept thinking of all the good it would produce, but in the end, she just worried her legs were too fat. Of course, they weren''t, but they weren''t pencils either like the other burgeoning ballerinas. I was propelled by the fear that she would grow up like me - good, or great or exceptional at NOTHING. \r\n\r\nBut, these days, I just watch her play, and I see that she is this person I never really knew. She is gentler, kinder and more childlike than I had imagined. And, she''s 11. I savor these last remnants of girlhood. Womanhood is around the corner. Ballet sucked. All those years. This, again, is why I read Amy Tan. I relate to the Chinese mothers and all their good intentions. \r\n\r\nGreat post, KT', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 5.0; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1628, 282, 'Lori-Lyn', 'lorilyn@gmail.com', 'http://www.lorilynh.typepad.com', '64.191.188.252', '2009-02-27 13:47:56', '2009-02-27 17:47:56', 'So often I find that I read a blog post that resonates with me, but don''t comment because I can''t think of anything to say other than Wow or Yes or Thank You -- which, I guess, would all probably be better things to say than nothing.\r\nI read your blog, l love it--it feeds me spiritually. I am in awe of how you can articulate sublte and difficult subject matter.\r\nI''m a writer (mostly fiction) and a Reiki practitioner and a seeker. (I also love my pug. A lot.)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; GTB5; InfoPath.2)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1649, 282, 'Jonelle', 'jonellewarnock@yahoo.com', '', '75.94.19.221', '2009-02-28 00:00:59', '2009-02-28 04:00:59', 'I''m fairly new at online life (Facebook, Twitter, blogs) because my three kids, husband, and tendency to take on more than I should keep me very busy.  I''m also an extrovert with bookclubs and running groups and girls'' night out, so staying tied to a computer makes me a little nervous.  But, I''m finding that I love this time I give to myself.  I love meeting new people, and yes, I do feel like I''m meeting you.  What you share in your blog and your tweets is my chance to see a part of you and share in your life, good and bad.  I was an English major, got my Master in English, and teach high school English, but I''ve never had a lot of faith in my writing ability.  You can tell through your blog that you love words and what they can create.  Wow...I''ve "shared" more than I thought I could.  To wrap up, here''s a few of my 25 things...\r\n1.  I''m always striving to be better...a better wife, mother, teacher, friend, daughter...\r\n2.  I''m training for a half-marathon through Team in Training (the Lymphoma/Leukemia Society).\r\n3.  I don''t like when people don''t like me.  I take things way too personally.\r\n4.  My dad died 10 years ago and I miss him every day.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; GTB5)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1182, 263, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-02-13 01:52:29', '2009-02-13 05:52:29', 'LisaNewton, isn''t that amazing, that the idea of craft projects as the main event at a birthday party is, in some circles, a thing of the past? You are so sweet to offer sharing the book you mentioned. Thanks! Should I DM you my address? \r\n\r\njenx67, your story about your daughter, even told in such a brief comment, is so touching and wise! I especially love what you said about watching her and realizing that she is this person you never knew. That''s another important reason to give our kids some space—rather projecting our understanding of who they are onto them, we can step back and be surprised by who they really are.\r\n\r\nRonnie Sue, I guess you''re allowed to poke fun at me, since I''ve known you for 25 years! You also provided me with all my farm and "country girl" experiences growing up, for which this town girl is forever grateful. :) We sure had a lot of wonderful, unstructured time and space to roam together, didn''t we?', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2135, 313, 'Writer Dad', 'seanmichaelplatt@gmail.com', 'http://writerdad.com', '71.108.131.118', '2009-03-30 14:46:49', '2009-03-30 18:46:49', 'Sigh. This is such a big one with me; the memories we make and how we make them. What a wonderful story. You are right, you had everything that should be present at a ninth birthday party.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X 10_5_6; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.2 Safari/525.20.1', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1203, 269, 'Ribbon', 'smilewaves@yahoo.com', 'http://www.mindscene.blogspot.com', '60.230.214.86', '2009-02-14 05:49:34', '2009-02-14 09:49:34', 'Hi, just popped in.  I like your blog..............Facebook is not for me.  Went there once.............it was horrible :-)\r\n\r\nbest wishes', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; GTB5; .NET CLR 2.0.50727)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2288, 328, 'Cheryl Ensom Dack', 'roseyposeyclothes@yahoo.com', 'http://www.roseyposeyconfections.blogspot.com', '71.138.18.38', '2009-04-15 17:04:28', '2009-04-15 21:04:28', 'Well. LOL :) This is going to be long. I know it already. \r\n\r\nFirst, I think compassion becoming more abstract by the year CAN and WILL make our compassion cease to be truly compassionate if we don''t make some changes, not in our society necessarily, but in our own individual lives. Before I go into my personal experience here''s something I read a couple weeks ago in Jim Palmer''s "Wide Open Spaces: Beyond Paint-by-Number Christianity" (the context is he is talking about tithing):\r\n\r\n"This process implied to the receiver that the church (as an organization) knows better to do with your tithe or gift than you do....The method also complicated the process of getting the gift to the person in need. The giver and receiver were not able to express the reason they gave or their thanks for receiving the gift, both of which God uses as part of the process of transforming both the giver and the receiver. Giving to whom God directs, when God directs, was less likely since people were conditioned to think of giving as an act of organizational involvement" (Palmer, p.29).  You gotta read this book, Kristin! ;)\r\n\r\n\r\nIt seems to me that that totally, easily applies to giving through ANY organization or "middle man giver." My father-in-law says that people get stupider and stupider about nature, the further they get away from the land. An example of this is Sacramento big-shots deciding to protect a tiny little fish that is "endangered" by not allowing water to go to thousands of farms in our area, and thereby hurting not just the farming community but the state and even the world. A tiny fish! And perhaps this same "distance creating dead brain cells phenomenon" applies to giving to people who need it, as well. The further we get from the need, the more hands our gifts pass through, the more impersonal it becomes. \r\n\r\nO.k. so I''m going to get personal now! :) I live in a tiny town I''ll call "E". We live on a street I''ll call "W." The north side of W Street is houses and the south side of the street is the elementary school for one whole block. The next block of the same street is the Presbyterian church we attend. My little family lives at one end of W Street in a house we built a year ago on property belonging to my inlaws, who live next door to us in the house my father-in-law grew up in, as did my husband. A little white gate separates our yard and their yard. It gets better! While my father-in-law was growing up in the house next door, my mother-in-law was growing up in a house 4 doors down, where her father still lives. Both families, as well as most of the other families on the street, attended the Presbyterian church, so it was logical for my in-laws to get married in the church...after all, both THEIR parents had, as well. And we did the same. \r\n\r\nMeanwhile, don''t forget, the elementary school is across the street from all this. My husband''s grandfather was the principal for many years. My husband''s great aunt on the other side of the family taught kindergarten there for many years. My mother-in-law is now a first grade teacher there and my daughter, Emily, was in her class last year. This year my daughter is in Mrs. P''s class. Mr. P grew up on this street and got in trouble with my mother-in-law''s little brother and my father-in-law''s little brother. When Mr. and Mrs. P got married, my husband was the ring-bearer in their wedding. Later my husband worked for Mr. P during the summers. \r\n\r\n\r\nMy husband''s grandfather would most certainly need to be in a rest home, except for the fact that my mother-in-law and a few of her sisters take turns coming in and getting him dressed in the morning, making his breakfast, coming in the evening to make dinner and helping him get into bed. They can do that because they live down the street from him. My daughter, Emily, walks across the street to his house each afternoon (he''s her great-grandfather) and they watch PBS while he feeds her cookies and she shouts things at him he can''t hear! We sit in a certain pew at church each week because...well, we just do!\r\n\r\nSo basically what I''m saying is...we live in a small town that is like nothing most people have ever experienced. We live with, shop at The Big Potato Market (yes, that''s the actual name) with, and attend church with the same people, many of whose families grew up in the same manner as my husband and in-laws. This is a place most people would assume doesn''t exist anymore. We know there''s tiny towns that people stay in for generations, but assume they are all in the Ozarks or something. But this is Central California. Our town borders a very large city, in fact. But somehow, some way, it has endured.\r\n\r\nThat''s the pretty side of the story. The not-so-pretty side of the story is that we are one of probably a couple hundred "middle-class white families" who live comfortably here in our town, but there are far more extremely poor Hispanic families who live in conditions ranging from "poor" to absolute squalor. Emily is one of three Caucasian children in her classroom. Many of the poorer Hispanic families are here because of the farming in our area. They have found work as farmworkers and laborers, which of course makes the population quite transient, as well. But yet, our church is 99% white. We sent a team of high schoolers to do the annual missions trip to Mexico during Easter break, while people suffer just around the corner. Our church has started a "Hispanic Service" that is poorly attended but exists. We have "outreach" programs and events (Breakfast with Santa, Pumpkin Party, etc.) every year and teams of people walk around our town and distribute fliers beforehand. We get a pretty good turn out. We have an Awana program at our church that draws community kids who don''t attend our church, partially because we have a $1 dinner beforehand and parents can leave kids ages 4-12 for 2.5 hours and know they''ll be fed and cared for.\r\n\r\nBut damn it, we tithe. We rarely have more than 100 people on a Sunday morning and yet our tithes keep an old, drafty Presbyterian church building (steeple and all!) running, a full-time pastor, a part-time youth pastor, a secretary and numerous ministries and programs fully funded. After reading Jim Palmer''s book (the one I quoted from above), I have been thinking about our sweet little church with its 100-year-old history differently. I''m not going to quit going. It''s a freaking family reunion every Sunday! But I am feeling uncomfortable with the number of hands my gifts and tithes pass through....and why. So much need is in our very backyard (literally) and yet we (in Jim Palmer''s words) "drive right past them on my way to church (Palmer, p.33)."\r\n\r\nSo what is my point? Hmmm....not sure. I guess I just wanted to say that even in a town that is wierdly small and connected, there is a disconnect, an abstract quality, about my "acts of compassion." We have and will continue to give directly to individuals and not just through the conduit of our church. But I''m not sure that''s enough. What if we try NOT tithing, or perhaps only tithing a limited amount, and intentionally spending the rest of what we would have tithed on meeting needs directly...from one hand to another. I think that''s the only SURE way of preventing compassion from being abstract and ulimately heartless.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; FunWebProducts; .NET CLR 1.0.3705; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; Media Center PC 3.1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; yplus 5.1.04b)', '', 0, 0, 'Y'),
(2153, 313, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-03-31 15:10:25', '2009-03-31 19:10:25', 'Matt, I think you''re exactly right about the importance of the unexpected in our most memorable moments. What I''ve been trying to figure out, as someone who is a planner and envisioner, is how to let go more, in order to allow the unexpected to emerge. I guess this idea fits in with the several posts I''ve written about trying to be "less intentional," which in turn opens my life up to wonderful surprises. Thanks for your generous words and insights.\r\n\r\nJessica, that impulse your sister has lies in many of us, I think. Luckily, not all of us have the resources or determination to force all of the memory-making we envision into reality. I imagine that crafting perfect family moments ends up being stressful for everyone, because the expectations are so high, and the sense that perfection is possible is so tangible. That puts an unbearable amount of pressure on everyone, which is probably what your nieces/nephews are responding to. \r\n\r\nRebecca, I would LOVE to non-plan your next birthday—if only it worked that way! :) It''s interesting that you bring up tradition, because on S''s b-day, when all of the candles were lit around the house, our oldest daughter said "Wouldn''t it be fun if we had cake and played charades by candlelight on everyone''s birthday, every year?" It''s a lovely idea. By mixing tradition with new elements and surprises, our kids build a very rich set of memories to carry through life with them. (I''m still a big Yahtzee fan, btw. Next time you''re in CU, let''s meet for beer and Yahtzee!)\r\n\r\nWriter Dad, yes, this is your kind of post, isn''t it? Rich story and imagery, along with thoughts about how to move forward as parents and people, having learned something about ourselves and how the world works. So glad you enjoyed it, and that your blog is there to feed me in these soulful ways, too. \r\n\r\nBarbara, isn''t that funny, the way memory works? And how it works differently for different people? My brother and I often compare memories of certain holidays or family vacations, and we tend to remember very different aspects and details. We each have our own unique memory lens.\r\n\r\nCrow, my girls are "random memory" people, too. They remember details about houses they lived in when they were two, and certain plates they ate off of, and the CD that was playing when something happened. It''s crazy. I guess there are two things at play here. One is just memory, in the most basic sense—what we remember. The other is story: Which of these memories become part of our personal cannon? Which memories are ones that will be told as stories, for years to come? Now that I think of it, maybe that''s why I had such a nostalgic streak in me, even as a child—I always loved hearing and telling stories, and I longed to have my own stories to share.\r\n\r\nTrina, thanks! I love how you put that: an "accounting of what was and what will be."\r\n\r\nDelighted Scribbler, yes! "...filled with details perhaps no one else but you noticed and really obvious facts you missed because the most lasting part is the feeling of being nestled among the people you love." That''s exactly right. I think it''s healthy and good to long for nostalgia, as long as it''s realistic, not forced, and doesn''t keep us from experiencing the moment we''re in.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.7) Gecko/2009021906 Firefox/3.0.7', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2154, 313, 'Christy', 'christy.grimes@gmail.com', 'http://www.jomaracres.com', '128.174.86.99', '2009-03-31 15:31:16', '2009-03-31 19:31:16', 'My favorite childhood memories revolve around tradition.....and the tradition for my birthday was putt-putt golf. I''m not really sure how it got started, but every year my dad would take me to play putt-putt and then we would save the score cards. We moved several times so there are score cards from different places - and they all hold such great memories.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US) AppleWebKit/525.19 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/1.0.154.53 Safari/525.19', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(2292, 328, 'Kristin T.', 'KTENNANT@GMAIL.COM', 'http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/', '216.43.98.214', '2009-04-16 00:12:34', '2009-04-16 04:12:34', 'Hi all, just a quick note to tell you I''ve been reading, thinking about, and enjoying every word you''ve written here today. I love hearing your thoughts. My plan was to respond before bed, but I just got home and don''t think I have the clarity to put my thoughts together the way I want to, tonight. See you in the morning!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.8) Gecko/2009032608 Firefox/3.0.8', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(5681, 460, 'Robin', 'sheldor@olivetschools.org', '', '24.56.209.49', '2009-08-31 18:04:22', '2009-08-31 22:04:22', 'As a teacher, I can honestly say that I wish more parents approached difficult school situations like you suggest.  You made two important points: choices are essential and we all have to learn to do things that aren''t our favorite sometimes.  Thank you!', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.5.30729; .NET CLR 3.0.30618)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1208, 268, 'LisaNewton', 'lisajnewton@gmail.com', 'http://www.travelinlocal.com', '76.166.207.239', '2009-02-14 10:58:05', '2009-02-14 14:58:05', 'I hate how the commercial industry exploits holidays, but I also understand they need to make money, so they''re just doing their job.  It''s up to us to decide what we do with all of that exploitation.  \r\n\r\nYou hit the nail on the head with your cookie making and crafting ideas.  Just spending time with the ones we love is a great way to spend the day.  Heck, I''m planning on visiting the Farm''s Market today.  Maybe not the traditional way to spend Valentine''s Day, but if you''re with someone you love, or even by yourself, purchasing the ingredients for a great dinner, cooking it, and then enjoying the results is one way of spreading the love (as long as it doesn''t spread my waistline at the same time)......................:)', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; GTB5; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1209, 233, 'Beth', 'beth@urbanamassage.com', '', '76.199.10.246', '2009-02-14 10:58:19', '2009-02-14 14:58:19', 'Kristin,\r\nI think I crossed your path this very day of which you write.  I saw you at the check-out lane at Common Ground.  I hadn''t seen you since Lisa''s party this summer.\r\n\r\nAfter I saw you, I looked you up on FB and then followed your link to this blog.\r\n\r\nIt so happens I am hungry for contact with soul-centered, vibrant, awake people in my immediate vicinity.  I have stepkids and am passionate about sharing what families experience when their bonds are deep within the heart, and not necessarily biological.  Your words inspire me.\r\n\r\nSo our brief meeting last week enriched my life, which I view as no accident.  Now I have the opportunity to read your words.  The more I wake up to the wonder that is possible in every moment, the more I grow my own ability to  make contact with it, in whatever form.   Each moment of life can be a doorway to a new awareness of self.  Imagine living as if each person you met walking on the street had a gift for you.  Suddenly, the "coincidences" would be everywhere.  This is the truth I am trying to impress upon my soul.  Thank you for your contribution.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1210, 268, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-02-14 13:25:48', '2009-02-14 17:25:48', 'I don''t like the negative effect it has on my classroom. The inventor of those little tiny school-style cards ought to be confined to a room full of sugar-laden fourth graders with their ADHD meds wearing off. There''s no educational reason to "celebrate," but if I dared refuse, my car would be egged, my house stoned, my teaching reputation dragged through the mud in the neighborhood...\r\nYes, I feel very negative about Valentine''s Day in school.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1211, 269, 'Chris Brogan...', 'chris@chrisbrogan.com', 'http://chrisbrogan.com', '72.93.19.26', '2009-02-14 14:32:55', '2009-02-14 18:32:55', 'The problem is this: if I choose NOT to follow people back or not to engage them, then I''m seen as snobby and aloof. I''m seen as an elite. So, I''m damned if I do and damned if I don''t. My method of dealing with it? Embrace the chaos and try to stay close to those who matter the most to me. \r\n\r\nNo win, though. But hey, it''s fun trying.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.6) Gecko/2009011912 Firefox/3.0.6', '', 0, 0, 'N'),
(1941, 298, 'Daisy', 'okaybyme@gmail.com', 'http://compostermom.blogspot.com', '75.62.43.76', '2009-03-16 19:46:39', '2009-03-16 23:46:39', 'We''ve had some interesting experiences along these lines. La Petite enjoyed individual sports such as gymnastics and ice skating. She signed up for basketball and softball in 4th grade and played until high school. Now she covers sports for her school paper, and her knowledge helps her get the best photos.\r\nAmigo is blind, and his sporting experiences have come in unusual places. He plays baseball on a team of disabled kids. This angle on the game has given him a perspective that enhanced his enjoyment of the game. He''s an amazing musician; maybe he''ll sing the National Anthem for his favorite teams some day.', 0, '1', 'Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506; Media Center PC 5.0)', '', 0, 0, 'N');
