Do you think this is true?

NEW YORK (Reuters) - More women make New Year's resolutions, but men are more likely to say they keep them, according to a poll of American adults released on Thursday.

What do you make of this poll? True?

How quirky are you?

It's working! My plan is working!

Your Quirk Factor: 59%

You're a pretty quirky person, but you're just normal enough to hide it. Congratulations - you've fooled other people into thinking you're just like them!

How Quirky Are You?

Well, this is a fine how-do-you-do

I just went to get my lunch out of the fridge here at work, to discover that someone stole three of my meatballs. The seal on my lunch had not been refastened all the way, so I know this isn't just a case of me inexplicably remembering incorrectly. Besides, I never forget details. I put 9 meatballs in my lunch, 3 of which have disappeared.

We've had major problems with lunch thieves here at work in the past, and I myself have had my lunch stolen before. This is the first case where someone has actually opened my lunch, taken what they wanted, and left the rest. I guess it would have been worse if they'd have taken the whole thing. I was left with 6 meatballs and the cheese potato casserole.

But oofta. This is NOT what I needed today.

Ain't life a whoopin' sometimes.

New Music

Music page
Bobby Gilles music

Newly-written hymns of mine, all displayed as text-only within the last few months on this blog, now online near the top of that page featuring the music-writing, singing, and instrumental skills of Brooks Ritter, Dan Cassin, and Rebecca Dennison, all members of Sojourn's worship team.

I'm A WeeMee!

Look, I'm a WeeMee, drinking a caramel latte here in downtown Louisville:

Advent

This is the third Christmas season since my divorce. It gets a little easier each year, although "easier" doesn't really seem like an appropriate word. Still, I find that the most difficult thing about it stems from my own wrong perception of what the season is supposed to be about. I take, and often keep, my eyes off Christ and focus on this season as being a time of family and fun. Not that it can't and shouldn't be those things -- families and couples should of course celebrate together. But the coming of Christ represents a new order and the eventual bringing of all creation under the subjection of the righteous and holy king, and a kingdom of peace where there are no more tears. This is cause for rejoicing no matter what your current situation is. In fact, if your current situation isn't all that great, your expectation and rejoicing should be even greater.

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
by Charles Wesley

1. Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.
Israel's strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

2. Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.

Let's go cyber-caroling!

Here is one of my favorite Christmas hymns, packed with meaning, from the familiar first verse to the wonderful but lesser-known second verse, right through the foretaste of second birth and final triumphant refrain. We all know this Charles Wesley poem as set to the tune that was adapted from a Mendelssohn composition about a hundred years after it was written, but try to really meditate on these words as you sing or read them.

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

What's Your Thinking Style?

Here's mine:

Your Dominant Thinking Style: Modifying

Super logical and rational, you consider every fact available to you. You don't make rash decisions and are rarely moved by emotion. You prefer what's known and proven - to the new and untested. You tend to ground those around you and add stability.

What's Your Thinking Style?

Thought For The Day

"If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something."

Thanks to everyone who has checked out the link to "All I Have Is Yours," the new songwriting collaboration with Rebecca Bales (from my previous post). It's been getting tons of hits on the soundclick site.

All I Have Is Yours -- still

While you're still considering the thoughts expressed in my column from yesterday ...

A few short weeks ago you'll recall I posted lyrics here to a new hymn I'd written called "All I Have Is Yours."

A great young singer-songwriter named Rebecca Bales wrote a melody for it and sang/played piano on the demo. I've posted it on my soundclick site for your perusal. Just click HERE and choose the first song on the list you'll see: "All I Have Is Yours." You can also just go to my home page at soundclick.com/bobbygilles and that hymn will load in the automatic main player.

Thanks for listening -- and know that ya'll were the first people to witness the creation of this song, before there even WAS a demo!

Pointless, outmoded customs?

I wrote about this topic last year and it produced some good discussion in the comments section. I'm revisiting it because I was stimulated to consider the topic whilst reading a Miss Manners column in the Sunday Courier Journal (yes, I read the entire paper cover-to-cover except for ads and horoscopes).

A lady had written to her, asking whether there really was a custom that dictated that, when a man and woman are approaching stairs together, the man allows the woman to go up first, and then he himself goes first when heading back down. She said her boyfriend did this and told her it was the gentlemanly thing to do. She thought it was weird so she asked good ol' Miss Manners.

MM assured the ignorant young lady that it IS the proper thing to do, because if the lady is always higher on the steps, the gentleman can catch her should she fall (or, at least, cushion the blow by landing underneath her when they both go careening down like a pair of maniacal Slinky's).

YES! Good for MM. This should be obvious. And furthermore, I would say that this is not just some secular code of chivalry but is rather the Christian thing to do, in light of Biblical teaching on manhood and womanhood. Same thing with letting the man open doors for the woman.

Even Godly young Christian women who talk about Biblical manhood and womanhood, distinct gender roles, headship, etc. sometimes fall for the secular thinking that they don't "need a man to do stuff like that for me." It misses the point, for one thing. For another, you should think about what signal you're really sending and what object-lesson you may be teaching (because let's face it: God uses men and women to mold each other every day -- it's a reflection of our complimentary natures).

YOU CAN'T WONDER ALOUD THAT YOUNG GUYS AREN'T BEING EFFECTIVE LEADERS, EITHER AS POTENTIAL HUSBANDS OR BROTHERS-IN-CHRIST, IF YOUR NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION IMPLIES THAT YOU DON'T WANT THEM TO HAVE DISTINCT ROLES.

When Paul speaks about headship, one of the main connotations that would have been understood by the original Greek-speaking audience was "first into battle." A modern way to look at it would be for a man to see a woman safely to her car. Another example, in husband-wife cases, would be where the couple is asleep at night and they hear a bump or something that sounds like someone may be trying to get into the house. The man, of course, checks it out.

Now, you might say, "I'll let my husband (or future husband) get doors for me, but no other guy." As his sister in Christ, you are doing him and his future wife a disservice by not preparing him to take that role. Consider the reverse situation: if you're dating a guy that holds doors open for you, but won't do so for any other woman, you can bet that he won't always do it for you, either. Once the ring is on your finger and the honeymoon period ends, he'll go back to the pattern that has already been established in his life, and you'll be getting your own doors.

What's the big deal about that? Again, think about what signal you are sending. See issues like stair-navigation, opening of doors, carrying of shopping bags, etc. as symbols that stand for larger attitudes. A male is demonstrating, and learning, leadership and protectiveness through these symbolic acts. And while you may say, "My future husband is the only man I'll ever follow," consider that protectiveness is something that every Christian man should feel for every sister-in-Christ.

For that matter, females should also display protectiveness towards their brothers, albeit in different forms (such as taking care to be used by God to shape his character, in part, by expecting that he do simple symbolic acts like hold the door open for you). It's not about your personal preference. It's not about your independence. It's not about you being strong enough to carry your own bags, tough enough to survive a fall down some stairs, and quick enough to get your own doors. In short, it's not about YOU -- it's about him. Just as HE shows that, from his perspective, it's all about YOU when he performs those symbolic acts.

Wesley (John this time, not Charles)

"Orthodoxy, or right opinion, is, at best, a very slender part of religion. Though right tempers cannot subsist without right opinions, yet right opinions may subsist without right tempers. There may be a right opinion of God without either love or one right temper toward Him. Satan is proof of this."

Quote of the Day

"If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments."

Survey

Haven't had much to say lately but someone sent me this so what the heck -- for all my blog friends and visitors:

Eye color:
blue

Shoe size:
11

Height:
6 foot

What are you wearing right now?
Striped-button down shirt, khaki pants

Righty or lefty:
righty.

----------------------------------------------------------

FAVORITES

Kind of pants:
Levi jeans

Drink:
Flavored coffees and lattes, mocha shakes, Diet Mt. Dew and Diet Cherry Coke.

Month:
I could care less.

Cartoon:
Pinky and the Brain, Veggie Tales, Bugs Bunny
------------------------------------------------

HAVE YOU EVER...

Given anyone a bath?
my kids

Broken a bone:
nope

Played truth or dare:
yeah.

Came close to dying:
Yup.

Been in a hot tub:
yeah

Fall asleep in Class:
Yup.

Broken someone's heart:
I think so

Cried when someone died:
yes

Fell off your chair:
Several times.

Sat by the phone all night waiting for someone to call:
Yeah.

Saved email conversations?
Yes.

EVER HAD...

Chicken pox:
yes

Sore Throat:
a few times a year

Stitches:
just for my wisdom teeth

------------------------------------------------------

DO YOU...

Question yourself:
Yes.

Who was the last person that texted you?
My brother Scott.

Who makes you smile a lot:
Connor, who made up his own mealtime prayer: "Lord bless the food and keep me blessed."

Who knows you the best:
In various ways, my parents, brothers, Lorie, Clay, Bob, Stacey.

Do you like filling these out?
You don't really have to think to do it, and then you're done with your blog column.

Do you wear contact lenses or glasses?
Both

Do you get along with your family?
yes

--------------------------------------------

Random Questions:

What did you do yesterday:
Worked, took Garrett to piano lesson, read, watched TV, thought, prayed. Too much thinking and not enough praying, I'm sure.

What car/truck do you wish to have?
One that didn't have a cracked head gasket.

How many remote controls are in your house?:
I have no idea.

Scary or Funny Movies:,
Both. Funny first, scary second (on a double movie night)

Chocolate or Vanilla:
Chocolate

Summer or winter:
SUMMER

Coffee or tea:
Coffee

Phone or in person:
In person.

------------------------------------------------------

Yesterday did you...

1. Talked to someone you like:
yeah, unless by like you mean "have a thing for."

2. Buy something:
Christmas presents (well, they arrived in the mail. Technically I bought them a week or two ago).

3.Get sick:
A bit.

4. Talked to an ex:
Yes.

5. Miss someone:
Yeah

--------------------------------------------------

Last person who....

Slept in your bed:
me

Went to the movies with?
Nightriders

Said "I Love You" to?
Kids

__________________________________

MORE Random.....

what book are you reading now?
I don't know. I have a few lying around in various stages of being read.

What's under your bed:
Journals, stories, songs, poems

Favorite sports to watch?
basketball, football, NASCAR, wrestling, tennis.

Favorite Locations?
with friends and family

What are you most scared of right now?
The future between now and till I go to heaven.

Who do you really hate right now?
no one

Song that's stuck in your head right NOW?
nothing

Random... (again)

Your Favorite Food?
Seafood, Chinese, Indian, Mexican, potatoes ... lots of stuff.

Are you too shy to ask someone out?
No.

Hugs or Kisses?:
both

Dogs or cats?:
cats

Here's something

This great hymn by George Matheson is a source of comfort:

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that foll’west all my way,
I yield my flick’ring torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

Proverb for the day

"Somedays you're the windshield. Some days you're the bug."