Great is Thy Faithfulness. November 30, 2007

So I’ll be upfront.  I want to be at work today about as much as I want to staple my foot to the floor.  I’m thankful for my job and the food and shelter it provides, but with finals a week away, I can think of about a hundred things that I would rather be taking care of than SPC charts right now.  But I’m here, and I’ll be here until my class at 1:30, and it’s bigger than I am, so I might as well stop wiggling.  

 

At camp this past year, there was this story that we read about a martyr.  Actually, I’m not entirely sure she was a martyr, but martyred in the sense that she gave up everything with the exception of her life itself, for Christ.  She was Russian, if I recall correctly, and maybe a convert.  Yay!  I found the story from Craig’s old email from Curt before camp with our class material.  Here:

 Nadejda Sloboda was the first one in her village to be converted through Gospel broadcasting in Russia from stations in neighboring countries. Soon, her love for God and her zealous witness brought others to Christ. Although she wasn’t a formal preacher, she formed a church in her village. As time passed, this church grew so mightily that the police had to surround the village to keep people of the nearby collective farms from coming to hear the Gospel message. For this, Sister Sloboda was sentenced to four years of prison. Her five children were forcibly taken away to an atheistic boarding school. Her husband was left alone. In prison, Sister Sloboda told other prisoners about Christ. For this, she was confined in an unheated, isolated cell, where she had to sleep on the cold, concrete floor without a mattress. Prisoners find it impossible to sleep in such conditions: Even the walls are too cold to lean against comfortably. Some report that by standing with just their forehead touching the wall, they could manage to sleep enough to survive for a few days. Yet Sister Sloboda was kept in this cell for two months! Not only that, during the day she was put to hard labor with the other prisoners. The Communists expected that the lack of sleep combined with the hard labor would completely ruin her health and break her resolve to stand for her faith. Yet she never weakened. Everybody asked, “How can you endure it!” She answered, “I fall asleep on the cold concrete floor trusting in God and it becomes warm around me.  

            Our theme for that week of camp was being bold for Christ.  It was a great theme in my opinion, and this story fit in extremely well, particularly for the class it was used in.  But I think there is another perspective we could read it from as well.  God is so faithful to His children, Amen?

 

            I’m pretty confident that Nadejda didn’t have some superhuman genetic mutation or power that allowed her to survive through this situation.  What I am confident of is that God prospered her in this situation.  I think I just said that God prospered someone who was thrown into a freezing cold prison with no mattress. 

 

            Here recently I’ve been thinking a lot about perspective.  What is it to be poor?  What is it to be prosperous?  What is it to look at the world through the glasses of a third-world child?  What is it to look through the glasses of an upper-middle class white girl American?

 

            And this makes me realize, that God prospering us doesn’t come in the form that many Americans view prosper…it’s not in monetary gain or even in good health.  It’s through prospering us in our endeavors to advance His kingdom.  Because really, when it’s all said and done, that’s all that matters anyway.  

 

            I’m slowly beginning to understand joy during trials.  I’m vaguely beginning to feel excitement when being refined by fire.  I think I’m experiencing these things, because I’m starting to grasp hold of what it truly means to be Kingdom-minded…and I’m hopefully not just using that as the buzz word it is becoming.  

 

            Each and every one of our experiences has a purpose in the Kingdom.  And our decisions, whether good or bad, have an impact on it too.  Not to sound too “Spidermanish,” but we’re given a great power to spread God’s love and increase our Family.  And with great power comes great responsibility.  (I can’t believe I just used that line.)

 

I don’t know what happened to Nadejda.  She may have died while still in prison, or she may have lived to be 100.  But I think God kept her alive during those dark hours for a reason.  And maybe it was just so a bunch of goofy 12 and 13 year olds at Spring Mill Bible Camp could feel conviction while listening to me read her story to them.  And if so, I think Nadejda and God will be pleased and most satisfied in knowing that their plan worked. .

A few random thoughts for the day… November 20, 2007

Ok, so, I know many probably don’t agree with me on the modesty thing, and that’s alright.  I guess.  But as I was looking through some of my facebook/myspace friends pages today, and noticed a few of the senior pictures that are being posted, I can’t help but ask myself, “where is your mother?” 

All I’m saying is, please stop this madness.  Please stop dressing with so little clothes on you look like a Playboy pinup.  It’s only helping further objectify women.  And now that I said that, I realize this rant is coming quite a bit more from my feminist side than my religious side. 

Here’s the thing.  Stop dressing like a street walker, please.  And feel free to argue with me if you want, but I just look at some of these girls and think, “what would I think if that were my daughter?  Would I want the world to see that much of my daughter at the age of 18? (Or any other age for that matter).”  And the answer is screaming inside my head and my heart with a “NO!!!” 

And yes, I’m sure the argument can be made that “modesty is all relative.”  Ok, I’ll give you that.  You can open up a National Geographic and realize that.  But anyone with an ounce of common sense can look at a picture and tell culture from a blatant display of young girls being sexually exploited.  And the crazy thing is, they are exploiting themselves in and of their own free will.  (And I guess that’s an oxymoron, but I hope you see that what I’m getting at here is not that I want to make a bunch of rules, “don’t show this, and this has to be this length, etc etc”…but rather, I wish our hearts would change in this matter.  I wish we would strive toward protecting each other from being objectified, not because of culture, but because we want respect as women. 

Sorry.  I’ve been trying to work on my “getting overly worked up about everything” problem, but this is one of those things that still gets my blood boiling a little.  And don’t get me wrong, I’m not mad at these girls…rather, I pity the fact that women across the board have so little self-respect these days that we’re sinking to new lows.

And in other news…this whole writer’s guild strike thing is totally bumming me out.  I don’t really watch TV…in fact, I don’t even have the basic TV channels at my house.  But I do make room for Scrubs…it’s probably the only show I’ve ever watched religiously since it’s pilot seven seasons ago.  I have all of the DVDs, all of which I’ve watch at least four times through (including season 6 which came out less than one month ago…).  If I don’t get some closure on this show, it’s going to drive me slightly mad.  (Isn’t it sad that I’m this worked up about a TV show?!?!)  I mean, do you know how much class work got neglected these past seven seasons because of Scubs?  Classes were failed people!  (I’m kidding). 

These are a few of my favorite things… November 16, 2007

The original intent of my blogging was not to always talk about religion or the Bible or God or spirituality in general, but looking back on my first few posts it seems like that’s the subject it’s always tied back to, sometimes intentionally and sometimes not.  Nonetheless, I would now like to deviate from that topic for the first time, to share with you some of my favorite things.  And when I say things, I mean actual, material possessions.  Not that I think these things are that important, but since we live in a world where consumption is, well, mandatory, everyone is going to have one product or another that sticks out.  So, I’m not Oprah, and I’m sure most people care a lot more about her opinion than mine, but here they are, in no particular order:

Crocs.  If these were in particular order, Crocs would be numero uno, hands down.  They are the best shoes that have ever, ever been thought up.  If you have a rebuttal for me on this one, please refer back to the blog written on my Xanga not too long ago before you say anything.  Because I will defend them to the death.  (And yes I know that they can be dangerous if you are riding the escalator in an irresponsible way.  But note the fact first that you were the one riding it irresponsibly before you pass judgement on Crocs.)

Panera Bread’s Tomato Basil Bread.  In the words of Rachel Ray, Yum-O.  And the sweet walnut streusal that they put on top is delish.

Razbaby’s “Keep it clean” pacifier.  I know I’m not a mommy, and probably won’t be for many years now, but this is a great product.  I got to play with one on a shopping trek with Sarah to Motherhood and I must say, I was impressed.  It grosses me out a little to watch some of the moms come in to Cracker Barrel and when their kiddo drops the passy on the floor she sticks it in her mouth or in her drink and gives it back (and I’m sure I would do this too, but now there is a solution!).  This solves such problems. 

Vick’s Vaporub and Johnson and Johnson’s Soothing Vapor Baby Bath.  I have bad allergies and sinus problems galore, and these two products have emerged as my two favorites in this department.  Yes, I know it’s technically a product for babies…but it works for adults just as well.  And Vick’s Vaporub is like a cure-all for me.  It eases hurting muscles, gets rid of bad coughs, and cleans up those nasal passageways.  I rub a little right under my nose and my mouth before bed almost every night.  (Yes, I know that I’m not using it “according to directions…but I’ve been doing it this way since the age of ten and I’m not likely to stop a good thing.)

Pond’s Dry Skin Cream.  I don’t really have dry skin, but I imagine if you did it would work well for you too.  I slather this on my face every morning after my shower, and then again at night after I’ve taken off my makeup.  It feels a little like lip-gloss when you first put it on, but after it soaks up into your skin it does a lovely job of leaving your face hydrated all day!  I always make sure to slather some on my lips as well!

The Republic of Tea’s Pomegranite Green Tea.  This is an excellent beverage.  And I know it seems expensive at $9.50 a tin, but that’s a whole 50 bags…consider you would pay for tea at about a dollar a cup at your local restaurant, it’s really only $0.20 per bag…and hot water at home is about as inexpensive as you can get.  On top of tasting good, this tea smells great too!

iTunes.  I’m always about five years behind the technology curve, but I finally broke down and got an iTunes account.  I love it! 

Tide Simple Pleasures Vanilla and Lavender Laundry Detergent.  This makes your clothes feel so soft and smell so wonderful.  There is nothing better than crawling up in bed and covering up with lavender and vanilla scented sheets as well.  And now they’re coming out with little closet hangers that will keep your clothes smelling fresh after they’ve been hanging for awhile!

And finally, I think this will be the last one I do (for now anyway)…

L.L. Bean’s Delux Bookpack.  Back in 1996 when my parents bought this backpack for me, they thought it was a bit excessive to spend that much on a backpack for a sixth grader.  But I promise, out of all the things they’ve bought me through the years, this is the one that got them the most bang for their buck.  It’s eleven years later and I haven’t bought a new bookpack since the sixth grade.  This backpack is ergonomically designed to be easier on your back (and it is!), it has reflective material for safety, and for those of you that love your ipod, there’s even a place to feed your headphone wire through.  L.L. Bean gives a 100% satisfaction guarantee with all of their products…so every time I’ve had a zipper get messed up (which is the only problem I’ve had with this bookbag, and it’s only happened twice in 11 years) you just send it right back to L.L. Bean and they furnish you with a new one.  And since L.L. Bean has been around since 1912 and shows no signs of stopping, there’s not a lot of worry that the company won’t still be there tomorrow. 

 That’s all I have for you!  Try some of these out and tell me what you think!

Creation November 14, 2007

I haven’t been very good this semester about staying on top of my own personal reading outside of Bible study within the “family” setting.  I’ve been busy.  Mostly with stuff for church.  But still, that’s no excuse.

So, I’ve decided, and I need people to hold me to this, that I will embark on something I’ve wanted to do for a long time now, but just haven’t gotten it all together.  I’m going to start, at the very beginning, and read my way through the entire Bible while writing summaries and responses to what I have read every night.  I don’t care how long it takes me; that’s not the point.  I just want to do it.

This has two functions for me (aside from the obvious).  Since Old Testament literature isn’t exactly a prominent lesson topic in the church setting today, this will give me a chance to brush up on all that learning I did when I was younger, growing up in a church that may as well have been Jewish because of all the time we spent there.  (And all though this may sound like a drag, I’m pretty happy for growing up that way; having a good appreciation of the new covenant through the eyes of the old is not something talked about on a very frequent basis these days, but that’s a side rant for another time.)

The other function is that it will help me get some organization going for when I do sit down and decide to write that children’s curriculum someday.  One of my life goals is to make a new curriculum for Sunday school that provides children with a more “whole” (and hopefully holistic) understanding of the Bible.  (For instance, I’m teaching the 1st and 2nd graders right now and my lesson plans have jumped from Creation, to the flood, then God moving Abraham, then the birth of Isaac, to Jacob’s dream, to Moses.  No mention of 1) Ham, Shem, or Japheth 2) Esau  3) Joseph, just to name a few.  1st and 2nd graders can handle these stories, I promise.) 

Anyway, I began last night, and I read the first parts of Genesis.  The creation account.  And although I don’t intend to make it a common practice of writing on wordpress about my reactions to the text everyday, last night spawned some thinking for me that is not original to me, but I think I would profit from sputtering about it for a moment.

It seems to me that the creation story has become something of a “cutsie children’s story” here recently.  As though children are the only people that can profit from learning about the creation.  And I know there’s not a whole lot to learn in that first chapter of Genesis…it’s fairly straight forward.  However, I do find that there is much to glean from further contemplating God’s creation and its inner-workings. 

First of all, I’ll state the absolute obvious.  God spoke the world into existence.  Spoke.  That means all the intricacies of the human body, many of which we don’t understand, and those that we do take at least eight years to learn about, He spoke all of that into existence.  And in addition to that…He saw that it was good.  Excellent.

I love technology; I do.  But I really think technology has become a distraction for us in our enjoyment and appreciation for the creativity of God.  I think we’re all guilty of being overly proud of the things humans have “created” in one way or another.  But as I was thinking about creation last night and what it must have been like to speak an entire world into existence, I started to think about how grateful I am for things like art, technology, etc.  I’m so thankful I worship a God that allows us to experience small glimpses of what it must feel like to REALLY create something.  I’m sure parents feel the same way as they look at a child…although that child is a creation of God, He allows us to have a small hand in that, and gives us the responsibility of taking care of that life and helping that child grow. 

So I don’t know about anyone else, but I see a pattern here…God likes to involve us in His creation, doesn’t He?  Whether it be parenting or taking the Word to the lost, He wants our hands in the game too.  I don’t know about anyone else, but that excites me.

Never throw out anyone. November 8, 2007

It hit me yesterday…I am one month away from being finished with college.  How did I get here?  I am one month away from needing a “real” job.  What in the world am I going to do? 

Susan and I talk about this a lot.  We both see this necessity in not being “career oriented” once we have children.  Whether or not you feel a wife and mom should stay at home is irrelevant to what I’m going to say (and I’m not here to debate that…so please, no mean posts, my feelings get hurt)…it is, however, important to the two of us.  She’s given up a lot for Jimmy…PT school being one of them and she also made this huge leap of faith when she decided to stay and work at Harding for a guy she hadn’t really been dating that long.   I guess the same can be said for Craig and me.  Yes, we had been dating for a year when I transferred for Purdue, but I had a lot of “nay” sayers; I heard many times, this will not end well for you.  Anytime a girl follows a guy around they always get dumped in the end.  And I guess we’re not married yet, so it could still happen, but I’ve got my money on “highly unlikely” at this point. 

I get asked this a lot: “When are you and Craig getting married?”  Well, the answer is, we don’t know.  But it will hopefully be no later than 2009, and possibly earlier.  Which gets me back to the job thing.

I feel a lot of pressure to get a good career going as soon as possible.  I feel like I have only five years to do it.  I figure, one more year of rotations for Craig that I wil be working, then getting married, and we might make it five years before we have kids.  And then I don’t want to work.  Ever.  Again.

And don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to be one of those women that sits at home all day and watches soap operas….I have plans.  Plans for doing things that are a wee bit more “volunteer” oriented.  Not to mention, I’m pretty sure God has some plans of His own…they may be the same as what I’m envisioning, they may cause me some epiphanies later on.  But I’ve worked so hard to get my degree in a less-than-easy field…I just want to have the career I’ve always dreamed of for at least a little while.  Is this so much to ask?

And I want to make it very clear that I WANT a career for a little while…I want to carry a briefcase and be in charge of a meeting and give a PowerPoint presentation on a weekly basis…I do.  But here’s the other thing.

I grew up in a place where people don’t care what you do.  You are not defined by your career or major and if you’re a stay-at-mom, that’s just fine too.  I didn’t know what a master’s degree was when I left for Lipscomb four and a half years ago, because I’m not so sure I knew anyone that had such a thing.  And it’s not like I grew up in a rural community…I grew up ten minutes out of Louisville, KY, one of the largest cities in the US.  So I’m sure someone had one…we just didn’t talk about it because no one cared.

But Lafayette is different.  And I’m sure Purdue is the reason.  But I have felt like a perpetual failure since I’ve been here.  Every time I get asked when I will graduate, the next question is always, “and then where do you want to go to grad school?”  “I’m not planning on going.” “Oh…”  Cue awkward silence.  And what I think hurts me the most is that most of these conversations are with people at church.  I want nothing more than to serve beside my brothers and sisters in a community where all are respected for each and every component of the Body that we make up.  And thanks to Susan I know I’m not crazy for feeling this way. 

But then this makes me consider the way I think toward others.  Do I think less of someone because they didn’t graduate from high school?  Probably.  Do I think I’m better than a liberal arts major because I’m in the science department?  Sadly, I think my answer is yes.  And I realize…how much does my thinking this way hurt others the same way I’ve been hurt?  And how much does this hurt the Kingdom?

Caste systems have no place in the Body of Christ, and I need to stop thinking that they do.  All of us were created in the image of God; all of us have different jobs and qualities that add to the Kingdom.  Some of us don’t know what those are yet and some of us are there to help each other figure that out.   I will leave you with my favorite quote of all time:

“For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.” ~Audrey Hepburn.

Food November 7, 2007

My kitchen has been out of commission for about a month now.  For those of you who do not know the story, I will give a quick recap.

I live in a small apartment on 9th street hill downtown.  Its in the basement of a house that was built in 1895.  Needless to say, there are some repairs that could probably be made. 

I came home from Louisville after a nice weekend spend with Craig and my parents to a very damp, very much caving in, kitchen ceiling.  Bummer.

So, after a two week battle of getting the repairs done (the leaky pipe fixed and the ceiling tiles replaced) I was still left with a kitchen that had insulation and debris all over the countertops and floor.  And since it was midterms week, I did not have time to care.

Finally, last Saturday night, Craig and I rolled up out sleeves and got it done.  So, now I can cook again, and this makes me so happy.

 I love to cook; probably because I love to eat.  But more than anything, I think I love the idea of a meal that has had time, love, and effort poured into it, and coming around the table to eat it together, as a family, even when that “family” is friends.  There’s something so wonderful about the communal act of sharing a meal together, even if it is while sitting on the sofa since you’re currently in the process of refinishing your kitchen chairs. 

I think Jesus enjoyed this too.  There are lots of stories about coming around a table together in the Bible.  Maybe Christ realized something about the importance of this that the fast food industry just isn’t getting.  (Don’t get me wrong…I do love a Big Mac from time to time), but I really see this pattern in the loss of family “togetherness” and the rise of popularity in fast food and eating out.  And maybe it has nothing to do with fast food…maybe our busyness is all to blame because it forces us to rely on the “quick” meal.  But as I sit here in my philosophers armchair and develop convictions that I really hope I will stick to once Craig and I do get married and start our family, I really hope that I make it a priority to get my children around the dinner table for the majority of nights in the week.  And I also hope that I will be motivated enough to make their lunches everyday, because school food is sick.  I just don’t want my kids to miss out on all of the stories, laughter, and bonding that goes on around the dinner table.  It’s important to me.

Welcome. November 6, 2007

So, I’ve decided to join the “adult” blog world and give up my Xanga (in which I have given a link if it is the case that you would like to know the story so far…) and join WordPress.  So far, this has been a frustrating experience and I don’t understand how to do anything on here, so if you have tips, let me know.  But I think as I figure this out it will be nice, because the majority of what I read on the internet is on either WordPress or blogspot.  Anywho, I’ll update fo’ real eventually.