Lessons Learned. February 19, 2008

So, for the past 4.5 years of my college career I’ve been worried about one thing: “Am I one of those people who is never happy and will always long for the next stage of life?”  And I’m very satisfied to report, no, I am not. 

 

I kept telling everyone around me that not being in school would make me so much happier than I’ve ever been.  And I was told time and time again that I would eat my words.

 

I know I’ve only been out for two months now, and only one month has been spent in “the real world,” but I can’t describe the absolute peace of mind I’ve discovered that I never had before.  With the exception of really, really wanting to marry Craig as soon as possible I have no worries, no anxieties, and life is just peachy.  Not that I think life should be all roses and puppy dog kisses all the time; I have my problems still and my trials, I have to worry about things that are far more serious than tests now, like bills and food and other things.  But that’s just it; I’m not worried about them.  My biggest concern going through my day is whether or not I’m doing things that are helping the Kingdom, and I think that’s how life should be led, and I’m glad I’m finally able to be at this point.  School hampered that so much…it’s almost like it forces you to make it the number one priority, or you just won’t make it.  I’m so glad to have that behind me because I very sincerely felt like I was being selfish and committing idolatry every step of the way.

 

And it’s not that I’m sitting here feeling perfect and that life can do no wrong to me and I can do no wrong to life, or that I think I will never screw up again, because I will; but I suddenly feel this enormous freedom to choose Christ that I’ve never felt before.  I’m no longer in an environment that treasures test taking over life living.  Fair enough; in the work environment you’re faced with quite a bit of temptation toward materialism and other things, but if I choose not to get wrapped up in it, I don’t feel like I’m going to fail at my job or be dismissed from my position. 

 

When I was in school there were times when I literally felt like if I chose to do too much other than study and think about math I would  not make it; maybe I picked too hard of a major.  I probably should have dropped out of school if it was coming between me and God, but I am now so thankful and feel so loved that He brought me through the college years and saved me from losing my relationship with Him altogether.  And all the lessons learned!  I’m sure that I am slowly coming off the wacky weed of academia I smoked during those 4.5 years, and I’m sure I’m far more of a “radical” now that I will probably ever be in my lifetime, because that’s just the way things happen.  Academia breeds a (sometimes way too) open mind, and then you typically swing back to conservatism once you’re an “adult.”  I don’t know if I will always be a “Christian Anarchist” of sorts…I don’t know if I’ll end up deciding it’s ok for me to vote again someday.  But I can say I’m thankful for the “sabbatical” I had from thinking like I was raised to think so that I could develop into my own person and maybe even come off with some good and original insights about life and religion from time to time. 

 

And I’m so excited about all of the other lessons I will get to learn in life as I “…grow in wisdom and stature and favor in God and man.”  (Ok, maybe not so much stature.)

Toys February 11, 2008

“I love technology, not as much as you, you see.  But I still love technology, always and forever.  Always and forever.”

 

I’ve never considered myself to be ahead of the game technologically, or in most cases, even with the game.  (My brother and I were definitely the last kids at school to own a computer, then the last to have internet for said computer, and of course last again to get wireless internet for the computer.)  But recent events in my life have resulted in me being a little more on the “up and up” in the world of technology than I’m typically accustomed to being.  It all started Christmas day when my dad bought me a new IPod Classic, and for the first time I a) owned an MP3 player and actually knew what one was and b) had (I think) the newest MP3 player on the market.  (Of course Apple is so hard to keep up with these days that it seems like every two minutes there’s a newer, better, faster, smaller gadget than before.) 

 

And then I came to work for Fairfield and they gave me a cell phone, the first cell phone I’ve ever owned that wasn’t a “I came free with a new plan and am the cheapest and crappiest thing on the market to date” cell phone.  It actually has a camera, something I had not had on my cell phone before.  And today, they gave me one of those earpiece thingies that I’ve been making fun of people for wearing for the past five years.  (Come on, it’s a cell phone, you can’t hold it up to your ear?!?!?!)  (But in my defense, I will be working with greasy hands trying to figure out what’s wrong with gearboxes while talking to customers on the phone at the same time, and driving places while talking as well, so I “justifiably” need one.) 

 

But I tell you all of this not to brag about my new toys (because believe me, as exciting as it may sound to have a work phone, you’re pretty well signing your life over to a company when you accept one into your possession, and that’s not too altogether exciting), but to set this up:

 

None of my new toys came with instructions!!

 

(Ok, the phone did, but the Ipod and bluetooth headset did not.). 

 

I *think* the Ipod had instructions for use on the internet.  And I readily admit, even if it did not, the things pretty easy to figure out…at least it is for me.  But if it were my mom, she wouldn’t be able to turn the thing on!  I think our generation takes for granted that we’ve grown up knowing how to do this stuff.  It has infiltrated our lives since the 5^th grade, and if you’re 22 and don’t know how to type at least 40 WPM, you’ve been living under a rock, or you just didn’t do any homework for the past 18 years, or you might be the most uncoordinated person alive, I’m not sure. 

 

But the Bluetooth thing….I haven’t really sat down and started playing with it yet, but as of right now, I have no idea how to use this thing.  And evidently it changes colors to mean different things, like if it’s almost out of batteries, or if I’m in a call, or if it’s charging, and when it’s done charging…but how am I supposed to know what colors mean what without a key? 

 

So I don’t really know what my goal in bloging about this was, but I just thought I’d share with you my fear of technology.  If anyone knows how to use a Motorola H700 wireless, please let me know, and I’ll try to blog with more sustenance next time.

  

Tagged by Justin February 4, 2008

Pick up the nearest book of at least 123 pages

Find page 123

Find the first 5 sentences

Post the next 3 sentences

Tag 5 people

I’m currently reading “Streams of Living Water” by Richard Foster.  I would highly recommend checking him out; I really love his book “Celebration of Discipline” as well.

 ”Needless to say, a sharp line of demarcation appeared between the vision of Seymour and that of Parham.  When it was clear that the majority of the Azusa Street Mission would not accept Parham’s leadership, Parham left with an estimated two to three hundred followers and opened a rival campaign at a nearby Women’s Christian Temperance Union building.  This repudiation of the Azusa work-and competition with it-undermined Seymour’s position and seriously weakened the movement.”

I tag Curt, Kelsey, Mindy, Craig, and Rick.

I’m back! February 4, 2008

Oh what to write, what to write?  Not only have I been dealing with the fact that I don’t have time to write at work anymore, and I don’t have internet at home, but I have also been having the slightest bit of writer’s block here recently.  I need to start carrying around a pad of paper with me, because while I’m out living life I come up with plenty to think about, but when I’ve sat down and stared at the keys nothing comes out. 

 

I guess I can just start by listing some of the things that have been on my mind lately.

 

Children.  No, not having children (although I guess this plays into how I will potentially someday raise mine), but I guess I’ve just been thinking a whole lot about how important it is to bring your children to church.  Yet not smother them with it.  Yet still bring them.  Yet not make them hate it.  Well, you get the picture.  You see, I’ve been talking to my boss, who I found out was raised in a church of Christ.  He said he hated being forced to go to church and that’s why he doesn’t now.  From what I can tell he tries to live a pretty moral, good life, but just doesn’t seem willing to sacrifice his time in order to go to church.  He said, “It’s not that I have a problem with what’s being taught when I go, it’s just going.” 

 

And then there’s Craig.  (I hope you don’t mind if I use you as an example.)  He’s gone his entire life.  He’s been in the same town as his parent’s his entire life.  He’s gone to Elmwood (practically) his entire life.  And I think he’s probably struggled in the past with working out his own faith.  And that’s fine…I’m not saying that’s a bad thing.  He’s probably stayed more devoted to the Father than I have over the course of my lifetime…but he admits that he felt “forced” to go to church from time to time.

 

And then, of course, there’s me.  I can very truly say to you I have never once felt forced to go to church…even when I was at Lipscomb.  (Now, I can tell you I’ve felt obligated to go at times,  but not because of my parents expectations or anyone else’s…more because I feel guilty from time to time that Christ gave us so much and yet we complain about spending a few measly hours of our lives in community with other believers.)  Nonetheless, I have always loved going to church.  I can remember when I was about 7 years old and we were getting ready to build our house; the guy that we were buying the property from kept talking and talking and we missed Wednesday night church because of it.  I took a swing at him.  I was not happy that I was not getting  to go to church and see my “family” and go to Bible class (which I loved at this age and still do love Bible class today; thirst for Biblical knowledge is definitely something I gleaned from my CoC upbringing).  Point being…I don’t know how my parents did it, but I never once felt like I had to go to church growing up.  I never felt like they would be mad at me if I didn’t want to go.  Even though I’ve spent the better half of my life trying to “please” them…my relationship with God was the one thing that I made my own; that no one else pressured me to have and it was always something I wanted.

 

And don’t get me wrong…I do not feel in the slightest that “going to church” is the be all end all of what it means to be “Christian.”  In fact, I think the view that it is has caused a lot of damage to the body of Christ.  But, being in community with other believers is an extremely important element of our faith.  No one can read the book of Acts and deny the need for Christian community.  And it makes me sad that we don’t see this importance. 

 

So, here’s what I’ve been realizing.  I think we’ve all gotten too tied up in the notion that to be Christian is to be moral or pure.  To not have sex.  To not steal or lie.  To not cheat on our taxes.  And if we can satisfy all these little things on our check list we can go to heaven, where it’s warm and fuzzy all the time.

 

And to that end I must first ask the question, do we really think heaven is all about sunshine and pearls and gold and material satisfaction?  Maybe the writer of the text was merely trying to explain a place where things are so perfect we can’t really fathom the perfection.  Being directly in the presence of God has to be better than streets of gold doesn’t it?   I’ve been to France once…and I can I tell you, as beautiful a place as Versailles was, the beauty of spending a week at Spring Mill Bible Camp is much more wholesome to my heart.  I think if it weren’t for the heat and the natural drama of being surrounded by hormone crazed teens for one week, bible camp would be as close to heaven as I can image earth being.  Why?  Because it’s one full week of worship and escape from the world.  I always leave feeling healed in some way…what if worship was as genuine in my life 365 days a year as it is that one little 5 day week?  I think I’m almost a little scared of living a life that sweet.

 

And then the ever fun idea of living life off of a check list.  There’s so much more to it than that in my experience.  It’s not enough to simply not be racist.  I think we’re called to overcome the injustice of this world on God’s terms.  Remember that whole tower of Babel thing when God confused the languages?  And then the whole Acts 2 thing when the apostles spoke in tongues and what was done at Babel was “undone” by God on His terms?  The Message overcame the social injustice and cultural separation, proclaiming that the gospel was and still is meant for all to hear it and accept it.  And then these communities of believers start springing up and they’re living life together, sharing the blessings of the kingdom and shedding light on the world via their kingdom.  I don’t really see American “Christians” living this way much.  It’s almost like we treat church as part of the checklist, or sometimes even worse, a networking opportunity or country club. 

 

All that to say this; how do you raise children in “The Church” and not in the church building?  How do you get them to experience Christian fellowship outside of the potluck dinner?  (Not that food is bad; food is very very good. J)

 

I slowly see our children’s ministries slipping farther and farther into “entertainment” rather than ministry.  They’re not getting much meat from what I can tell.  I think Bible class can be very entertaining and hold children’s attention…it just may take a little effort and creativity on out parts as teachers.  When I start seeing my kids get bored, I shift gears.  For instance, the same old songs in class were getting relentlessly old for them…so now I’m taking 15 minutes of class that I was using to sing with them, to read The Chronicles of Narnia to them.  (They still get to sing plenty on Wednesday nights, and believe me, they’re learning the Bible and its applications too.)  2 and 3 year olds are notoriously hard to control.  Their class time is slipping farther and farther into “Here, play with these toys.”  I’m just not down with that; 2s and 3s like to sing, they like to move around; why not sing songs with them and tell them stories instead or leaving them to their own accords?  “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”  I love that scripture.  And the beauty of teaching that age is just when you think you’re ready to quit because you’re completely ineffective, they remember a song or question and you realize they really are paying attention to you. 

 

Well, I think that’s all I have for now.  This has been a little bit of a random post.  I planned on switching topics and only writing about a paragraph for each, but I kinda got on a rant about children’s ministry.  I tend to do that from time to time.  Let me know if you have any good tips on teaching children and not smothering them.  I’m not into creating mindless drones here.