Reality vs. Mirage

I've been thinking lately of the beauty of the real, versus the emptiness of mirage. In every area of life, it seems there is reality as provided/intended by the Creator, and there is a mirage that offers nothing more than empty illusion and unfulfilled desire.

As humans, we have innate needs/desires for many good things. Our life is spent in seeking fulfillment of these needs, and frustration and disilllusionment result when we find only mirage.

We seek God, but instead find religious systems; we desire knowledge and wisdom, but are distracted by a school system that innoculates children against the acquisition of both knowledge and wisdom; we require nourishment, but accept faux food substitutes that not only fail to satisfy, but also cause malnourishment and obesity; we want to have fun, but we end up sitting and watching others play; we want our lives to count-- to be spent for things that matter, but we end up with days nibbled away by the mundane and trivial.

For some of us-- mothers at home with children, for example-- mundane details are among the things that matter. We are creating for our children an atmosphere conducive to physical, spiritual, and mental growth. Beyond that, we must be aware of time-stealers so that we have time to embrace reality, and are not deceived into accepting a mirage.

There is so much more to think about, but the essence of my thought for today is that there is solid truth and reality behind life's mirages. You don't have to settle for an unfulfilled life-- you can go beyond to the solidly satisfying reality of life as it can be.

I'll write more about this at some point, but in the meantime, you may want to read "Making Time For Things That Matter," an article that addresses living realistically every day. I also recommend reading anything by C.S. Lewis- a man who illuminates reality in a way few others ever have.

Our Family Has Grown!

We're just back from Texas, and after many years of having a four-boy family, we now have a daughter-in-law! It was a lovely wedding, with many friends and family coming from afar. Here's a photo of our newly blended family- Our family is on the left, and the bride's family-- they had four girls-- including a brother-in-law and two nephews, is on the right. I'm going to enjoy having a girl in the family!

I'll soon be posting a photo of new four-legged family member, plus a new book announcement. But for now, the wedding is all the excitement I can post for one day!

SAT Score Drop

There are some articles that everyone should read, and David Kahn's OpEd piece,How Low Can We Go?, from the Wall Street Journal, is one of them.

His most telling point?
"Students who read widely and often throughout their elementary and high-school years develop the kinds of reading skills measured by the new SAT. Students who avoid reading don't--and can't develop them in a cram course."

He's right, you know. So chuck the remote, and make a trip to your bookshelves or the library. It's what your mind needs now!