And the sad thing is: I understand the whole thing

Some pretty sweet SNL

* Zoo sitting and 212

If there is anything I will take away from pet-sitting for the week it is this - I possess the faculties for having children, but I so am not ready to (like as in don't wanna). Oy, dogs.

All the animals miss my parents. Of course, I knew this when I told them I would house-sit. I am the mean lady, well at least compared to my mother. Riley couldnt keep up walking with me though - that I found amusing - he was totally spent after walking around for 1/2 hour.

Today I got my walking time, whether I wanted it or not. Although - yea for a mechanic who tells me what's wrong with my car in terms of thermodynamics! Took me a little off-guard with the boiling point of 212, though. And then it hit me - Fahrenheit! Bad news is my $350 car needs a $350 radiator. Now what?

Malachi 3:3 - Thanks Annie ;)

Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest, as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot and then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has eyes on you and will keep watching you until God sees God’s image in you.

*Operation Wedding Band

Not to say that I approve of people dodging immigration laws but hearing about Operation Wedding Band in Des Moines got me thinking...

What exactly defines a fraudulent marriage? I hate to be a cynic, but with marriage what it is today who are we to criticize and arrest those who marry someone for money? I mean, doesn't that happen in many instances that don't involve immigrants? Living together doesn't define a marriage either; married couples separate and unmarried couples share a home. We take a civil contract and define it based on a moral arrangement. Things just don't seem to add up.