and spent 10 dollars and donated 4 pairs of shoes to the cause. How can helping other people be so easy?
11.26.2008
Easy Way to be Thankful
I was reading Bring the Rain this morning and then I clicked on this fancy little icon
and spent 10 dollars and donated 4 pairs of shoes to the cause. How can helping other people be so easy?
and spent 10 dollars and donated 4 pairs of shoes to the cause. How can helping other people be so easy?
11.25.2008
Thanksgiving
I love thanksgiving, and it's not just because I feel like I can eat a lot! I love thanksgiving because I get to spend time with friends and family, I get to relax and I get to spend time thinking and reflecting on all I've been blessed with in life. In honor of thanksgiving, here are some of the things I am thankful for this year:
- good health
- a loving husband
- a home and enough to eat
- mom and vikki both being cancer-free
- a steady job
- a renewed spirit that is invigorating my church
- new friends
- old friends
- God's patience with me
- laughter
- time with those I love
- learning experiences
- my family, both near and far
- a desire to study and know God more
- Him
What are you thankful for this year?
11.20.2008
Sign Question
We recently updated the foyer at work. It looks amazing and is tons of fun to walk through, sit in and all that fun stuff. However, several of us (by us, I mean employees mostly) have noticed something unusual...the restroom signs.
They are....
MENS
WOMENS
exactly as above. Which is odd, considering those are not words. The funny thing is, there are people who don't care about the issue. But, it really frustrates me. A LOT. When we asked the sign people about them, they said something like "but that's how we always make them." REALLY?!?!
I mean, this is only a college town, we are only a well-educated congregation and they are only made up words. Why would it matter?
So, I've decided to put a little poll on my blog. Please take a moment to respond. Because, it annoys me to death, and I want to be sure I'm not being a grammar/English Nazi about the whole thing! (And, as a side note - I just ran spellcheck on this blog, and even blogger doesn't think they're words!)
They are....
MENS
WOMENS
exactly as above. Which is odd, considering those are not words. The funny thing is, there are people who don't care about the issue. But, it really frustrates me. A LOT. When we asked the sign people about them, they said something like "but that's how we always make them." REALLY?!?!
I mean, this is only a college town, we are only a well-educated congregation and they are only made up words. Why would it matter?
So, I've decided to put a little poll on my blog. Please take a moment to respond. Because, it annoys me to death, and I want to be sure I'm not being a grammar/English Nazi about the whole thing! (And, as a side note - I just ran spellcheck on this blog, and even blogger doesn't think they're words!)
11.17.2008
A Bit of a Monday Morning Rant
Sometimes I get really tired of people saying that Christians "just need to be more tolerant and accepting of other people." I get tired of people saying that "Jesus wouldn't act like Christians" and a million other variations of the same thoughts. Now, don't get me wrong. I know there is a lot about Christianity that isn't perfect, and I know there are a lot of closed-minded, hypocritical Christians in the world. However, I would like to propose this - tolerance goes both ways.
Why is it, as a Christian, that I am supposed to be so tolerant of other people and their beliefs, but seem to have no right to have that same tolerance given to me? How is it that my right to believe in the sanctity of marriage, that life begins at conception, and so many other things are not equal to other people's right to believe the exact opposite? Why is my monotheism - my belief in one God, the Creator and Author of life, not something that people of other beliefs are asked to tolerate as I am asked to tolerate their views on religion?
Sometimes I feel there is a huge double standard when it comes to tolerance and acceptance. It seems like every time I turn around, someone is saying that "those Christians" need to be more accepting and less closed minded, but as a Christian, I think I should have the same rights and be offered the same respect as other people.
There is no one thing that happened over the weekend to prompt this post. It's just something that I have been thinking about a lot off and on for years. And today I decided to write about it a little bit. Because, quite frankly, I am sick and tired of being told that I need to be the one to change all the time.
Here are the facts. I am a conservative Christian. I believe that life begins at conception. I believe in the sanctity of marriage. I believe that God created the Earth and all that is in it. I believe Jesus is the Way, Truth and Life. I believe that God asks me to be set apart, to be different, to be His. I believe that He asks me to love Him and to love my neighbor. I believe He teaches grace and acceptance and passion and compassion. I believe He hates sin and that disobedience comes with consequences. I believe that, above all things, God loves me and wants my love in return.
Because I believe those things, and only because I believe those things, can I accept that I live in a world shrouded in sin, a world where selfishness and pride are everywhere. And, because of my beliefs, I can be tolerant. I can love and care for people, even if they don't believe the same things I believe. I can respect differences of opinion and I can accept that not everyone in the world is just like me. I can pray for grace and patience when confronted with things I do not agree with, but I can also choose to love, just love, because that is the ultimate call on my life. I can love people and disagree with them - I just wish that it went both ways.
I'm tired of being told that I am the intolerant one - when I speak my beliefs (or when other honest, humble, loving Christians do the same) we are told we are closed-minded, living a lie, and just don't get how the world is. We are told we don't know what love is or how to love. We are told we just need to be accepting. Tolerant. I could say the same thing right back. Maybe it's time more people were tolerant of Christians. Accepting of our beliefs. Accepting that just because we believe something different than what they believe, it doesn't make us wrong.
Maybe it's time to look in the mirror a little more before we so readily judge.
Just a thought.
Why is it, as a Christian, that I am supposed to be so tolerant of other people and their beliefs, but seem to have no right to have that same tolerance given to me? How is it that my right to believe in the sanctity of marriage, that life begins at conception, and so many other things are not equal to other people's right to believe the exact opposite? Why is my monotheism - my belief in one God, the Creator and Author of life, not something that people of other beliefs are asked to tolerate as I am asked to tolerate their views on religion?
Sometimes I feel there is a huge double standard when it comes to tolerance and acceptance. It seems like every time I turn around, someone is saying that "those Christians" need to be more accepting and less closed minded, but as a Christian, I think I should have the same rights and be offered the same respect as other people.
There is no one thing that happened over the weekend to prompt this post. It's just something that I have been thinking about a lot off and on for years. And today I decided to write about it a little bit. Because, quite frankly, I am sick and tired of being told that I need to be the one to change all the time.
Here are the facts. I am a conservative Christian. I believe that life begins at conception. I believe in the sanctity of marriage. I believe that God created the Earth and all that is in it. I believe Jesus is the Way, Truth and Life. I believe that God asks me to be set apart, to be different, to be His. I believe that He asks me to love Him and to love my neighbor. I believe He teaches grace and acceptance and passion and compassion. I believe He hates sin and that disobedience comes with consequences. I believe that, above all things, God loves me and wants my love in return.
Because I believe those things, and only because I believe those things, can I accept that I live in a world shrouded in sin, a world where selfishness and pride are everywhere. And, because of my beliefs, I can be tolerant. I can love and care for people, even if they don't believe the same things I believe. I can respect differences of opinion and I can accept that not everyone in the world is just like me. I can pray for grace and patience when confronted with things I do not agree with, but I can also choose to love, just love, because that is the ultimate call on my life. I can love people and disagree with them - I just wish that it went both ways.
I'm tired of being told that I am the intolerant one - when I speak my beliefs (or when other honest, humble, loving Christians do the same) we are told we are closed-minded, living a lie, and just don't get how the world is. We are told we don't know what love is or how to love. We are told we just need to be accepting. Tolerant. I could say the same thing right back. Maybe it's time more people were tolerant of Christians. Accepting of our beliefs. Accepting that just because we believe something different than what they believe, it doesn't make us wrong.
Maybe it's time to look in the mirror a little more before we so readily judge.
Just a thought.
11.13.2008
God Told Me...
I've been up to my eyeballs in the Old Testament lately. Between the current sermon series at church and my current Bible study, I feel like I've learned a lot about Moses...and even more about God. It has been a refreshing time for me and for my spiritual walk. However, the more I study and read, the more I realize I actually have opinions about a few things I've seen, felt or heard in my world.
In discovering the character of God through the OT, I have learned that God is everything you've thought Him to be - jealous, angry, passionate, powerful, gentle, understanding, compassionate, beautiful, strong, believable, encouraging, humbling, grace-filled...glorious. And the more I see the character of God, the more amazed by Him I become. It wasn't long ago in my walk with God that I would have seen words like angry and jealous and thought they were somehow a mistake. My God wouldn't be those things. My God is loving and kind and gentle and perfect. And, He is. But He is also jealous - He wants me to be His. He is angry - God hates sin. He is God, and He is good.
I've also learned that He is pretty specific about His character, and when you think God is telling you to do something that seems completely out of the character of God, it probably is. I don't believe God calls us to do anything that hurts His name or His body. I don't believe God calls us to division and destruction. I believe God calls us to obedience and to be open to doing His will through His name.
Think about it. When was the last time God "told" you something that didn't seem to fit with His character? He "told" you to be mean, cruel, or disobedient. He asked you to do something that was in direct contradiction of the life Jesus showed us how to live. Does that make sense? No, it doesn't, and no, it shouldn't. Because God, my God, calls us to unity, to family and to love. He calls us to make tough choices and to choose His path, but He calls us to do it with grace, revealing nothing but His character along the way.
Have no doubt, God will ask you to do extraordinary things, but they will be things that bring Glory to His name, not things that bring division to His world or His people.
In discovering the character of God through the OT, I have learned that God is everything you've thought Him to be - jealous, angry, passionate, powerful, gentle, understanding, compassionate, beautiful, strong, believable, encouraging, humbling, grace-filled...glorious. And the more I see the character of God, the more amazed by Him I become. It wasn't long ago in my walk with God that I would have seen words like angry and jealous and thought they were somehow a mistake. My God wouldn't be those things. My God is loving and kind and gentle and perfect. And, He is. But He is also jealous - He wants me to be His. He is angry - God hates sin. He is God, and He is good.
I've also learned that He is pretty specific about His character, and when you think God is telling you to do something that seems completely out of the character of God, it probably is. I don't believe God calls us to do anything that hurts His name or His body. I don't believe God calls us to division and destruction. I believe God calls us to obedience and to be open to doing His will through His name.
Think about it. When was the last time God "told" you something that didn't seem to fit with His character? He "told" you to be mean, cruel, or disobedient. He asked you to do something that was in direct contradiction of the life Jesus showed us how to live. Does that make sense? No, it doesn't, and no, it shouldn't. Because God, my God, calls us to unity, to family and to love. He calls us to make tough choices and to choose His path, but He calls us to do it with grace, revealing nothing but His character along the way.
Have no doubt, God will ask you to do extraordinary things, but they will be things that bring Glory to His name, not things that bring division to His world or His people.
11.07.2008
My Generation
One of the things I am most proud about with my blog is that I managed not to talk about the election for almost the entire election season (and that season was about 2 years too long in my opinion).
However, now that the election is over and behind us, I can't help but want to say something about what has happened in the last week here in the good ol' USA. Honestly, I started noticing it awhile ago. Everyone has said it - this was the election that got people interested and excited. This was going to pull out my generation to vote in unheard of numbers. And, I think they were right. What made me sad about that is that my generation was apparently apathetic about politics until now.
Maybe it's an age thing - maybe we all have 'real' jobs and mortgages and car payments to worry about now, so we actually care.
Maybe more of our friends have fought in wars, battled disease or something else.
Maybe we held onto that child-like innocence as long as we could and this was the time we decided it was important to stand for something.
So, my question is this - why did it take so long? Why did we keep our apathy for so many years? I've been an adult of legal voting age for 11 years - and I've voted in every election - but why did so many people decide to care this year?
I have a sneaking suspicion that the arrival of our president-elect on the scene had something to do with that. I have a feeling he made people excited about something at just the same time that they realized they needed to care about our country. And, I have no qualms about that.
I just hope in four years, in eight years, in forty years, my generation is still inspired enough to vote, to ask for change, and to demand their voice be heard.
I was taught that you didn't ask people who they voted for and you didn't tell people who you voted for, but I can say this - my candidate is not preparing to move to the White House today. So, even though the election may have not gone down like I wanted, I am still glad that more people found their voice, and hopefully that passion will continue on into years and years to come.
However, now that the election is over and behind us, I can't help but want to say something about what has happened in the last week here in the good ol' USA. Honestly, I started noticing it awhile ago. Everyone has said it - this was the election that got people interested and excited. This was going to pull out my generation to vote in unheard of numbers. And, I think they were right. What made me sad about that is that my generation was apparently apathetic about politics until now.
Maybe it's an age thing - maybe we all have 'real' jobs and mortgages and car payments to worry about now, so we actually care.
Maybe more of our friends have fought in wars, battled disease or something else.
Maybe we held onto that child-like innocence as long as we could and this was the time we decided it was important to stand for something.
So, my question is this - why did it take so long? Why did we keep our apathy for so many years? I've been an adult of legal voting age for 11 years - and I've voted in every election - but why did so many people decide to care this year?
I have a sneaking suspicion that the arrival of our president-elect on the scene had something to do with that. I have a feeling he made people excited about something at just the same time that they realized they needed to care about our country. And, I have no qualms about that.
I just hope in four years, in eight years, in forty years, my generation is still inspired enough to vote, to ask for change, and to demand their voice be heard.
I was taught that you didn't ask people who they voted for and you didn't tell people who you voted for, but I can say this - my candidate is not preparing to move to the White House today. So, even though the election may have not gone down like I wanted, I am still glad that more people found their voice, and hopefully that passion will continue on into years and years to come.
11.03.2008
Falling Back
Those of us in most of Indiana have only recently begun observing Daylight Saving Time. It's been one of those things that 363 days a year I still totally forget about. It's only on those days that we have to spring forward (and lose an hour..yuck) or fall back (and gain an hour...yay!) that I really remember that it happens. Well, those two days and the following week when I run into watches and clocks that i haven't changed yet!
So why is this blog-worthy? It is probably not. However, it is a beautiful Monday afternoon at the beginning of November and I don't want to be at my desk anymore. I happened to look at one clock in my office and it said that it was 3:49, which means I could go home in an hour. Then I looked at another clock and it said 2:49, which means there is two more hours to go...and I so desperately wanted the first one to be right! Turns out, however, that it was just one that hadn't gotten around to being changed yet. Bummer.
In other news, it's November. This year has absolutely flown. I have enjoyed most of it, but wow, cannot believe that I'm working on the layout for the Christmas print piece and the Winter issue of the magazine already. Wow.
The rest of 2008 is going to be full of a lot of stuff - family time, friend time, and everything else. It'll be busy, but I'm already looking forward to it! What are you most looking forward to this time of year?
So why is this blog-worthy? It is probably not. However, it is a beautiful Monday afternoon at the beginning of November and I don't want to be at my desk anymore. I happened to look at one clock in my office and it said that it was 3:49, which means I could go home in an hour. Then I looked at another clock and it said 2:49, which means there is two more hours to go...and I so desperately wanted the first one to be right! Turns out, however, that it was just one that hadn't gotten around to being changed yet. Bummer.
In other news, it's November. This year has absolutely flown. I have enjoyed most of it, but wow, cannot believe that I'm working on the layout for the Christmas print piece and the Winter issue of the magazine already. Wow.
The rest of 2008 is going to be full of a lot of stuff - family time, friend time, and everything else. It'll be busy, but I'm already looking forward to it! What are you most looking forward to this time of year?
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