Coffee. Even on the roughest day, a good cup of coffee can bring a smile to my face. On a great day...well that's a whole new story. Coffee to me is like collecting stamps to other people. I can't get enough of it. Each new flavor provides something new, and every sip brings joy to my taste buds. Seriously, if those bad boys could talk I'm sure they would be thanking me for putting such delicious flavors in my mouth to enjoy throughout every day! And let me tell you, Starbucks is like the king of all coffees. Never in my life have I come across something so wonderful and tasty. And the smell, OH man! If I could wear a Starbucks scented perfume, I totally would. I absolutely LOVE waking up each day to the smell of Starbucks consuming home. There are so many beans to choose from, each with it's own unique touch. Some have an herbal feel to them, like your literally sipping your coffee in the Smokey Mountains watching the most beautiful sunset ever. Others have a richness to it so deep not even the wealthiest man on Earth could touch. Citrus has even made an appearance every now and then, although I can't say it my favorite. But setting aside the fact that Starbucks just cant be beat, one of my favorite things about coffee is that all over the world people gather and socialize over a good cup of coffee. How beautiful is it that a simple drink can bring millions of people together to enjoy quality time with each other?! So what is it about coffee that brings people together?
Over the years, coffee has represented a number of different things to me. It has represented love, friendship, community, a right of passage into nearing adulthood, a welcome to new beginnings, and has even offered a sense of comfort. Every time I pass a coffee shop, I can't help but enter. The smell from the outside hits my nose in such a way that I can't help but go in, even if it's just to get a better smell. I can almost taste the coffee once I enter. As I look around I notice so many people. Students rushing to get last minute studying in as they fill themselves with much needed energy. I see old friends reuniting at tables, taking in the friendly atmosphere. Businessmen come in on their breaks, slowly sipping their coffee, giving them a chance to rest from busy schedules. Others come in looking for a place to hide out and enjoy coffee while they read a good book. In the morning, the final drips and gurgling of the coffee pot sound the final wake up alarm, and the day can finally begin. It's almost as if the unique smells and sounds are necessary for the body to begin functioning properly. And after a long day, sitting back and enjoying a warm cup of coffee can't be beat. As a child, I watched my parents come home from work and discuss the days events over a long cup of coffee. As long as coffee was still in their cups, it meant that we should leave them alone to enjoy the company of each other. Sometimes they would have more than one cup in order to give themselves more time. While they had their coffee, us kids would gather around the table over hot chocolate mimicking what we saw. Now, years later I understand why they did that. Something about coffee makes me feel like I am escaping the rush of the day. The fifteen minutes to an hour it takes to enjoy just one cup of coffee gives me enough time to take in the day and relax for a little while. I can get lost in the smell, and as the warm liquid makes its way down my throat, it warms up my body and comforts me. If someone is joining me, both of us get taken away into coffees tight grip. All over the world people experience the same effects of coffee that I do. Coffee will always hold a special place in my heart. To me and the rest of the world, coffee is much more than a drink...coffee is the perfect escape.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
A long way from home
I love all types of movies, and each one speaks to me differently. The Shawshank Redemption is one of those movies that I can watch a hundred times and get something new each time. That's my favorite kind of movie to watch. The kind where no matter how many times you watch it, each time you can relate it to whats going on in your own life at the time. Earlier I got to thinking about how the entire time Andy is in prison, he is away from his home. He is forced into a new place with no other option than to start over. Andy took his past life experience and used it to help find his identity in a new place. Even though he was in prison, Andy never abandoned his personal values and morals he had for himself. He never allowed himself to become lost in this new environment. In a way, Andy is a hero to me. I look at how Andy dealt with the situation he was put into, and I am encouraged. Encouraged to live life in the present and not focus on what could have been or what might be. Andy lived in prison with the awareness of something better outside those walls, but made the most of his situation until the time was right for him to move on. I want to live my life like that.
The situation Andy finds himself in at Shawshank is a situation every one of us finds ourself in at one point or another in life. He is outside his comfort zone against his will and forced to make the best of the situation. He could have just sat there and not tried to change a thing. He could have let the prison he was in get the best of him. I think it's interesting that Andy overcomes the situation he is in at prison. To me in a rather existential way of thinking, this relates to life. At one time or another, most of us go through that stage in life where we think that we are trapped in a prison. School is awful, your parents are telling you what you can and can't do, and nothing you say or do seems to be right. Your stuck. And like prison, there is no way out until your time is up.
Personally, I think the Christian experience is also similar to what Andy goes through in the movie. As a fairly new Christian, and surrounded by a brand new community of people, I find myself trying to make the new place I'm in home. I'm being forced outside my comfort zone in order to survive with Christ. The minute I accepted Christ as my savior, I became fully aware that I was no longer able to live how I once lived. If I really want to be at ease, I have to adapt to my surroundings and learn to live in a brand new way. At first this was really hard. Actually to be honest, this is still really hard. I have never really been the kind of person to seek out new friends. Like Andy actually, I tend to keep to myself. That's not to say that I don't love being with people, because I do...but I also enjoy time to myself to think. I prefer to take in my surroundings and evaluate them before making decisions. After a while though, I found that opening up to new people became easier. At first the conversation with my new Christian friends was short. I didn't know what to say to them because I felt like my life before Christ was way to different and they couldn't possibly relate to how I see things. But slowly I've been learning that they are no different than me. Even though our backgrounds are different, we are still seeking out the same goal: to love the Lord. When it became apparent that I was accepted even when I still felt lost, it became much easier to get along with people. I started to step out of my shell, and slowly I've been becoming the person I know Christ wants me to be. When Andy was in prison, a lot of people reached out to him. It took him awhile to let them in, but once he did he was able to start sharing experiences with them.
Sometimes being away from home is uncomfortable. We are unsure of ourselves because we are so used to things being consistent at home. Most times at home we are not being pushed outside of our comfort zone. We know what to expect and know how to handle situations. Not only that, the environment is very familiar. There isn't a lot of change. When we are forced outside of our homes, survival mode is turned on. We become much more sensitive to things because they are new to us. Eventually though, we calm down and our senses return to normal. What was scary before is all of a sudden fun. The new people around you don't seem as weird and you find that you have a lot more in common with them than you think once you open up to the situation. Dying to my old self and being born to Christ was exactly like that. Scary at first and then really exciting. Like Andy, the situations I found myself in were different, but I decided to take control of the situation instead of letting it take control of me. Sure, it took me awhile, and it was very difficult...but the end result has been beautiful. I wake up each morning knowing that I have the body of Christ behind me. I know that when I leave this Earth, this so called prison, that like Andy I will experience a paradise far more beautiful than I could ever imagine. But until then, I need to embrace this new home with everything I am, finding ways to make the most out of it, until I am ready to move again.
The situation Andy finds himself in at Shawshank is a situation every one of us finds ourself in at one point or another in life. He is outside his comfort zone against his will and forced to make the best of the situation. He could have just sat there and not tried to change a thing. He could have let the prison he was in get the best of him. I think it's interesting that Andy overcomes the situation he is in at prison. To me in a rather existential way of thinking, this relates to life. At one time or another, most of us go through that stage in life where we think that we are trapped in a prison. School is awful, your parents are telling you what you can and can't do, and nothing you say or do seems to be right. Your stuck. And like prison, there is no way out until your time is up.
Personally, I think the Christian experience is also similar to what Andy goes through in the movie. As a fairly new Christian, and surrounded by a brand new community of people, I find myself trying to make the new place I'm in home. I'm being forced outside my comfort zone in order to survive with Christ. The minute I accepted Christ as my savior, I became fully aware that I was no longer able to live how I once lived. If I really want to be at ease, I have to adapt to my surroundings and learn to live in a brand new way. At first this was really hard. Actually to be honest, this is still really hard. I have never really been the kind of person to seek out new friends. Like Andy actually, I tend to keep to myself. That's not to say that I don't love being with people, because I do...but I also enjoy time to myself to think. I prefer to take in my surroundings and evaluate them before making decisions. After a while though, I found that opening up to new people became easier. At first the conversation with my new Christian friends was short. I didn't know what to say to them because I felt like my life before Christ was way to different and they couldn't possibly relate to how I see things. But slowly I've been learning that they are no different than me. Even though our backgrounds are different, we are still seeking out the same goal: to love the Lord. When it became apparent that I was accepted even when I still felt lost, it became much easier to get along with people. I started to step out of my shell, and slowly I've been becoming the person I know Christ wants me to be. When Andy was in prison, a lot of people reached out to him. It took him awhile to let them in, but once he did he was able to start sharing experiences with them.
Sometimes being away from home is uncomfortable. We are unsure of ourselves because we are so used to things being consistent at home. Most times at home we are not being pushed outside of our comfort zone. We know what to expect and know how to handle situations. Not only that, the environment is very familiar. There isn't a lot of change. When we are forced outside of our homes, survival mode is turned on. We become much more sensitive to things because they are new to us. Eventually though, we calm down and our senses return to normal. What was scary before is all of a sudden fun. The new people around you don't seem as weird and you find that you have a lot more in common with them than you think once you open up to the situation. Dying to my old self and being born to Christ was exactly like that. Scary at first and then really exciting. Like Andy, the situations I found myself in were different, but I decided to take control of the situation instead of letting it take control of me. Sure, it took me awhile, and it was very difficult...but the end result has been beautiful. I wake up each morning knowing that I have the body of Christ behind me. I know that when I leave this Earth, this so called prison, that like Andy I will experience a paradise far more beautiful than I could ever imagine. But until then, I need to embrace this new home with everything I am, finding ways to make the most out of it, until I am ready to move again.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
A little lesson on God's timing
Over the last few months, God has really been changing my life. I have never really been one to turn to prayer in too many situations. Personally, it really helps if I am able to see who I am talking to. Because I struggled with that so much my faith started to hit some potholes in the road. I didn't think I could trust a God I couldn't physically see, so why would I pour my heart and soul out to Him? So I became stuck. Spiritually, emotionally, physically drained. And it was awful. Nothing was fun, I had no motivation to change, and worst of all I saw myself crumbling and didn't do a thing about it because I had no motivation...which frustrated me even more. As a Christian, there is no worse feeling than thinking God isn't with you. The thought of Him not hearing my prayers absolutely crushed me. I felt like because life was happening so quick and I couldn't do a thing about it no matter how hard I tried, that somehow God was just ignoring me. Selfish right? Definitely. But at the time, I wasn't thinking how selfish I was being towards God and the people around me...I was wondering why nothing was happening inside of me.
Losing a friend is something that I would wish upon no one. Ever. But like it or not, life is going to end for everyone. And like it or not, we don't control when it happens. God's timing is one of the most irritating things in the world sometimes! I feel like waving my fists in the air and yelling at God "WHY NOW??! WHY TODAY?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?!?!" in hopes that maybe God will change His mind. But he doesn't. He leaves the rest of us here to continue onward, one step at a time. The beauty of God though is that through our pain we learn, grow, and build our character. We are able to become stronger. Death is never easy, and it effects everyone differently. But we all hurt. When Jesus laid his life down for us, the suffering he endured on the cross was far worse than any suffering we could ever imagine. Our savior took our sin and everything that goes with it to the cross with him and went through the most excruciating death imaginable. But he rose again! Jesus defeated death!! It took me awhile after my friends passing to understand this fully. I had looked into it before actually, but experiencing real pain and suffering for the first time was much different than looking it up in the Bible. Like I said before, I just couldn't see God.
But the most amazing thing happened. Just when I was going to give up and walk away from my faith, the body of Christ lifted me up! They carried me and pushed me and refused to let me fall. Had it not been for my Christian brothers and sisters, I don't know how I would have made it through. I had wasted so much time thinking that God wasn't there, when the entire time he was right there in front of me, showing his love through the actions of these people. When I finally let them in to help me and be a shoulder to cry on, I later realized I had just let God back in my life at the same moment. After all, Christ has told us to love Him and love others! That is the greatest commandment! Because I was in so much pain, I had looked right past that. But I tell you what, the minute I let God back into my life, I became a whole new person! A fire was ignited and has been burning ever since!!! I am just so encouraged by the way other people show love. Love is proof to me that God exists. (Well, life is proof too...but love is totally up there.) I am so encouraged daily by my friends and family to love like crazy. The way it made me feel when I fully understood God's grace made me feel incredible! It was like nothing I have ever felt before. And I want nothing more than to watch and be there when other people experience this too!
When my friend died, he left a piece of him here on Earth. In every one of the heart that he touched, he lives on. And through those people other people are being inspired. Lives are being changed for the good. His death taught us all a lesson. For me personally, I learned that keeping the gospel to yourself means there is a chance you won't ever see the people you love again when you go home. It made me realize how important it is to speak up when your gut is screaming at you. I learned that letting fear hold you back could be the difference between life and death. And most of all I learned that through the grace of God, all this suffering ends here on Earth. My friend is no longer in pain. It's very comforting to know that my friend is waiting there with God for his family, me and my friends. But until then he is inspiring the rest of us to live a better life. He has encouraged me to tell my friends about God and has renewed my desire to pursue ministry. By sharing the good news of Jesus, selfishly it means I get to see those people after I die...but unselfishly it would mean that I am helping God's kingdom grow! Those people can go off and tell the good news to their friends and so on!!!!! How beautiful is it that something so miraculous and powerful as life change and spiritual birth came out of pain, suffering and death? Learning a little bit about God's timing turned out to be an amazing experience. I watched friends come to God and doors be opened. There is still pain, but this time I know that God is right there with me. I know everything is going to be OK.
Losing a friend is something that I would wish upon no one. Ever. But like it or not, life is going to end for everyone. And like it or not, we don't control when it happens. God's timing is one of the most irritating things in the world sometimes! I feel like waving my fists in the air and yelling at God "WHY NOW??! WHY TODAY?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?!?!" in hopes that maybe God will change His mind. But he doesn't. He leaves the rest of us here to continue onward, one step at a time. The beauty of God though is that through our pain we learn, grow, and build our character. We are able to become stronger. Death is never easy, and it effects everyone differently. But we all hurt. When Jesus laid his life down for us, the suffering he endured on the cross was far worse than any suffering we could ever imagine. Our savior took our sin and everything that goes with it to the cross with him and went through the most excruciating death imaginable. But he rose again! Jesus defeated death!! It took me awhile after my friends passing to understand this fully. I had looked into it before actually, but experiencing real pain and suffering for the first time was much different than looking it up in the Bible. Like I said before, I just couldn't see God.
But the most amazing thing happened. Just when I was going to give up and walk away from my faith, the body of Christ lifted me up! They carried me and pushed me and refused to let me fall. Had it not been for my Christian brothers and sisters, I don't know how I would have made it through. I had wasted so much time thinking that God wasn't there, when the entire time he was right there in front of me, showing his love through the actions of these people. When I finally let them in to help me and be a shoulder to cry on, I later realized I had just let God back in my life at the same moment. After all, Christ has told us to love Him and love others! That is the greatest commandment! Because I was in so much pain, I had looked right past that. But I tell you what, the minute I let God back into my life, I became a whole new person! A fire was ignited and has been burning ever since!!! I am just so encouraged by the way other people show love. Love is proof to me that God exists. (Well, life is proof too...but love is totally up there.) I am so encouraged daily by my friends and family to love like crazy. The way it made me feel when I fully understood God's grace made me feel incredible! It was like nothing I have ever felt before. And I want nothing more than to watch and be there when other people experience this too!
When my friend died, he left a piece of him here on Earth. In every one of the heart that he touched, he lives on. And through those people other people are being inspired. Lives are being changed for the good. His death taught us all a lesson. For me personally, I learned that keeping the gospel to yourself means there is a chance you won't ever see the people you love again when you go home. It made me realize how important it is to speak up when your gut is screaming at you. I learned that letting fear hold you back could be the difference between life and death. And most of all I learned that through the grace of God, all this suffering ends here on Earth. My friend is no longer in pain. It's very comforting to know that my friend is waiting there with God for his family, me and my friends. But until then he is inspiring the rest of us to live a better life. He has encouraged me to tell my friends about God and has renewed my desire to pursue ministry. By sharing the good news of Jesus, selfishly it means I get to see those people after I die...but unselfishly it would mean that I am helping God's kingdom grow! Those people can go off and tell the good news to their friends and so on!!!!! How beautiful is it that something so miraculous and powerful as life change and spiritual birth came out of pain, suffering and death? Learning a little bit about God's timing turned out to be an amazing experience. I watched friends come to God and doors be opened. There is still pain, but this time I know that God is right there with me. I know everything is going to be OK.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
I'm Just a Simple Tree
Over the last four months I have been involved in the most eye-opening bible study of my life. Lead by three amazing ladies and accompanied by many more, we set out every Tuesday morning to discuss the meaning of life and improve our life stories. Donald Miller, the author of the book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, presented me with the idea that each of us is a tree in a much bigger forest. Each one of our lives in a small part of a bigger story! God has really been drilling this into my mind the last four months.We focused on the idea that each of us has a story, and even though every story is different the author is the same. God has placed us here on this earth to create chapters in the most beautiful story ever told! Not only that, he has put us here to create these chapters with each other!! The author of the universe is the same author of love and friendship, suffering and joy...the author of life and death. And I tell you what, at 7:30 in the moring it was quite the feat to accomplish such in depth conversations. Yet every morning I would walk away feeling like I was a part of something bigger than myself. Every one of these ladies pushed me to live a better story, one that matters and makes a difference.
To make a long story short, at the beginning of this bible study I was going through a lot. Life was just throwing me obstacles to jump over. My first response wasn't to pray and rely on God. Actually the thought of going to a bible study and putting my heart on the line absolutely terrified me. So I took a leap of faith and introduced myself and laid everything out on the table right away. I figured if they didn't seem to like what I was going to say or thought that I was too depressed for their group, I could walk away and never see any of them again. Turned out, it didn't matter that I didn't have it all figured out. Everyone was in the same river I was, just paddling in different boats. I found that trusting God to lead me instead of relying on myself, turned out to be the difference between spiritual life and death. Every one of those trees in my corner of the forest lent me their roots!
Thank you ladies for making this last four months possible!! I'm so honored to be a tree in the forest with you all!
To make a long story short, at the beginning of this bible study I was going through a lot. Life was just throwing me obstacles to jump over. My first response wasn't to pray and rely on God. Actually the thought of going to a bible study and putting my heart on the line absolutely terrified me. So I took a leap of faith and introduced myself and laid everything out on the table right away. I figured if they didn't seem to like what I was going to say or thought that I was too depressed for their group, I could walk away and never see any of them again. Turned out, it didn't matter that I didn't have it all figured out. Everyone was in the same river I was, just paddling in different boats. I found that trusting God to lead me instead of relying on myself, turned out to be the difference between spiritual life and death. Every one of those trees in my corner of the forest lent me their roots!
God has really been showing me that Christian community is an essential part of the Christian experience. If we have this idea that we can make it on our own, then the real body of Christ would never have an opportunity to shine its light. Every one of us gets caught up in our own struggles, but God shows us through those struggles we can overcome anything. But we have to be willing to let other people in. Nobody can do life on their own. It’s just not possible. The experiences that we gain when we share life with other people far outweigh the mundane experiences we face on our own each day. I learned that through Christian community we can build each other up and push each other to make those difficult life choices. Through community we are able to show what the real love of Christ is all about. Every one of us was interested in the life of the person sitting next to us. We had a desire to be there for each other. Through that community I was encouraged to ask the questions that don't seem to have answers, only to find out other people had the same questions. And most of all, community taught me to not sit back and let life happen to me. I was forced to get up every morning with the intention of making my story better so I didn't come to group the next week feeling like a slacker. It's SO great that God gives us other people in our lives we can depend on. Sometimes when we feel God isn't walking with us, that community is a refreshing reminder God is right there leading the way.
Thank you ladies for making this last four months possible!! I'm so honored to be a tree in the forest with you all!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The good ol' fat cat
Fat cats. Boy do I love them! Sometimes I feel like there is nothing I am more jealous of than a good fat cat. They always seems to have this smile on their face that says "Yea, that's right. I'm fat and my belly is full and I look good!" And they do. They look darn good. I bet if you ask a group of people which cat they like better, they would pick the fat cat over the skinny one anytime! Humans sure can't say that. We have this thing called judgement. Don't know if you've heard of it, but it's kind of a big deal. Unlike the fat cat, we humans can't eat and sleep all day and embrace our fatty selves because there is a lingering fear of judgement. Well I for one think that sucks! I would like nothing more than to eat, sleep, and be lazy all day, AND feel great about myself for doing it! Can you honestly look at a fat cat and not think to yourself, "MAN! That cat sure is enjoying life!" I know I can't. I wish we could all learn from the fat cat. I feel like they have more figured out than we give them credit for. Sure, they are lazy by our standards, but they also live for a good rubdown and enjoy nothing more than being in the company of their companion's embrace. That's what I call livin' the good life!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Love: It's God's Drug of Choice.
Every human being struggles with addiction of something, be it drugs, sex, money, pride...you name it. I feel like most of us are aware of that. But recently, Brandon Grant, a fella I have great respect for, presented me with the idea that God calls us to be addicted to his love. Taking that into mind, wouldn't that theoretically mean that God trumps all addiction? I truly believe that God has power over anything and everything we do, think, and say, because he created us. That being said, it would mean he also has power over addiction. It's just comforting to know that through the word of Jesus, God's son, we are called to be slaves to his love. What would our world look like if we were addicted to love instead of drugs, sex, money, greed, etc.? What would it look like if we let God take control of our pain and suffering caused by the world? I feel like if the body of Christ would let God take the reins for awhile, his love would explode! As a Christian, I am aware that I have a responsibility to spread the word and love people like Jesus. But as a Christian, I also struggle the same as a non-Christian. I wonder what it would look like if my biggest struggle everyday was that I had more love to give than people in my life to receive it? Would it push me to "sell" love to more and more people everyday in order to get my fix?
Personally, it's great to know that with the help of my creator I can get through anything. Everyone struggles to overcome obstacles, but I believe with the help of God, overcoming such obstacles becomes worth it. It definitely doesn't make it easier, but knowing that he hears my prayers and guides my heart helps me rest every night. God is the creator of our hearts! How beautiful is that?!
Personally, it's great to know that with the help of my creator I can get through anything. Everyone struggles to overcome obstacles, but I believe with the help of God, overcoming such obstacles becomes worth it. It definitely doesn't make it easier, but knowing that he hears my prayers and guides my heart helps me rest every night. God is the creator of our hearts! How beautiful is that?!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Holidays: It's a BIG Deal.
Have you ever sat back and just smiled whilst listening or reading about all the things people are thankful for? I know I sure have! My grandma's potatoes are on the top of that list. They are the worlds best potatoes. Never has anything more delicious and exceptional entered my mouth! They are the perfect addition to any holiday. I think it goes without saying that everyone has their "potato" that they enjoy for the holidays...that one thing that brings the family together.
Everyday life is always so rushed and under a tight schedule. I love that the holidays force us to slow down a bit and allow us to appreciate the little things in life. I think that the little things in life make up the big picture. Life is so full of these mundane experiences and everyone seems to be walking around like they are attached to strings, just going through the everyday motions. But those little moments that pop out each day allow us to really experience life. They break that mundane cycle that we all seem to dread and allow us to really appreciate each other. I think the holidays give us the perfect opportunity to really take in life's little moments.
When people talk about what they are thankful for, it reminds me that life's little moments aren't to be taken for granted. Sometimes it makes me sad that the holidays seem to be the only time people express their appreciation for one another. But at the same time it make my heart sing for joy that we are still able to see the beauty in the small things in life. When it's not the holiday season, all those mundane experiences just pass us by. But for some reason around the holidays those same moments we look past everyday become significant. They become meaningful memories that we carry with us for the rest of our lives. I think that's why I love the holidays so much. My grandma's potatoes become much more than a delicious side to a meal. They become a small piece of this bigger something that brings us all together again. I think we all walk around looking for that daily. It just becomes more easy to see when everyone is slowed down and really paying attention to the smaller part of the bigger picture.
Everyday life is always so rushed and under a tight schedule. I love that the holidays force us to slow down a bit and allow us to appreciate the little things in life. I think that the little things in life make up the big picture. Life is so full of these mundane experiences and everyone seems to be walking around like they are attached to strings, just going through the everyday motions. But those little moments that pop out each day allow us to really experience life. They break that mundane cycle that we all seem to dread and allow us to really appreciate each other. I think the holidays give us the perfect opportunity to really take in life's little moments.
When people talk about what they are thankful for, it reminds me that life's little moments aren't to be taken for granted. Sometimes it makes me sad that the holidays seem to be the only time people express their appreciation for one another. But at the same time it make my heart sing for joy that we are still able to see the beauty in the small things in life. When it's not the holiday season, all those mundane experiences just pass us by. But for some reason around the holidays those same moments we look past everyday become significant. They become meaningful memories that we carry with us for the rest of our lives. I think that's why I love the holidays so much. My grandma's potatoes become much more than a delicious side to a meal. They become a small piece of this bigger something that brings us all together again. I think we all walk around looking for that daily. It just becomes more easy to see when everyone is slowed down and really paying attention to the smaller part of the bigger picture.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Dinner Time
I don't know about you, but growing up I absolutely loved a good old fashioned family style meal. The kind where everyone sat around the dinner table sharing stories from the past, and the laughter that literally consumes everyone sitting there until stomachs start to hurt from both too much food and the massive amounts of uncontrollable laughter. I think you know the kind I'm talking about. Love it! Even as time fades away and the mandatory every night family dinner tradition starts to kick the bucket, there is always the ever so delightful family dinner outing. Everyone seems to enjoy a good family outing because it brings back that feel-good-feeling you get at the dinner table back in the day, as well as opportunity to share some much needed quality time with each other.
But it saddens my heartsack when families gather and no quality time is shared. I was at Hardee's getting food yesterday morning and saw a family of four sitting there and ALL of them were doing different things. The two small children, both easily under 8, were on separate portable DVD players, their father was on his cell phone texting, and their mother was on her own laptop. Can I just go ahead and say that I've seen some pretty stupid things before...but that had to have been one of the most upsetting stupid things I've ever witnessed! How are you gonna go and take your kids out to enjoy a meal with them if your not going to spend time with them?!?! Isn't that the whole point of eating in at the restaurant?? For Pete's sake they were at Hardee's! Why not just go through the drive thru and eat your meal at home in front of the TV?
As much as it really pains me to watch that occur, I also got to thinking about how those kids felt? Sure, you could argue that at the time they were excited to watch their DVD and enjoying themselves. They probably were. But what values are their parents teaching those two children? Are those kids going to grow up resenting their parents because they don't spend time with them at home? I can only imagine what those kids have to deal with at home. I'm sure they are stuck with the unfortunate parent that babysits their kids by placing them in front of the television. I don't know, but I really hate to see parents that don't "show" they love their kids and leave the children to just assume they do. That really hurts a kid when they have to fight for the love and affection of someone who says the words "I love you", but don't show they mean it. It definitely makes me fight to be a better person though. I'm determined that when the time comes for me to add another awesome half Giese to this world, to be the best darn mother I can. Love is showing your going to be there with the people close to you no matter what. That means showing it ALL the time, not just when you feel like it. Kids grow up to be the depressed and unstable people they seem to be today because they have parents at home that don't show them they care. My biggest fear as a future parent is that my child will grow up feeling like they can't be honest with me because I was never there for them. That's not an option, and it's seeing things like the distant family gathering at Hardee's that make me fight even harder to love people like Jesus!
But it saddens my heartsack when families gather and no quality time is shared. I was at Hardee's getting food yesterday morning and saw a family of four sitting there and ALL of them were doing different things. The two small children, both easily under 8, were on separate portable DVD players, their father was on his cell phone texting, and their mother was on her own laptop. Can I just go ahead and say that I've seen some pretty stupid things before...but that had to have been one of the most upsetting stupid things I've ever witnessed! How are you gonna go and take your kids out to enjoy a meal with them if your not going to spend time with them?!?! Isn't that the whole point of eating in at the restaurant?? For Pete's sake they were at Hardee's! Why not just go through the drive thru and eat your meal at home in front of the TV?
As much as it really pains me to watch that occur, I also got to thinking about how those kids felt? Sure, you could argue that at the time they were excited to watch their DVD and enjoying themselves. They probably were. But what values are their parents teaching those two children? Are those kids going to grow up resenting their parents because they don't spend time with them at home? I can only imagine what those kids have to deal with at home. I'm sure they are stuck with the unfortunate parent that babysits their kids by placing them in front of the television. I don't know, but I really hate to see parents that don't "show" they love their kids and leave the children to just assume they do. That really hurts a kid when they have to fight for the love and affection of someone who says the words "I love you", but don't show they mean it. It definitely makes me fight to be a better person though. I'm determined that when the time comes for me to add another awesome half Giese to this world, to be the best darn mother I can. Love is showing your going to be there with the people close to you no matter what. That means showing it ALL the time, not just when you feel like it. Kids grow up to be the depressed and unstable people they seem to be today because they have parents at home that don't show them they care. My biggest fear as a future parent is that my child will grow up feeling like they can't be honest with me because I was never there for them. That's not an option, and it's seeing things like the distant family gathering at Hardee's that make me fight even harder to love people like Jesus!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
You may not be "perfect", but your definitely good enough!
Ever felt like anything and everything you do just isn't "good enough"? I know I sure have. I think it's really interesting how other peoples standards effect ours so much. I'd like to think of myself as a very strong willed person. I know what things I like, what things I don't like. I am aware of the things that make me feel happy and aware of the things that make me tick. In most cases I make conscious decisions to accommodate my likes and dislikes. But then there are those times where consciously or not, something that someone says or does really messes with me. Maybe I thought I was doing a great job with a project and then someone close to me says "I think I would have done this or that". Really? Because personally I thought I was doing awesome...guess not. Then that person starts to give you suggestions on how they can "make it better". In most cases, the other is person really is just trying to be helpful. But somewhere, at least deep inside of me, I like to feel like I can do it on my own. I think we all have that desire to be the best person we think we can be. When someone else threatens that sense of accomplishment it hurts. And it's not just men that feel the need to be in charge. As a female, I absolutely love it when a man takes the lead on something...but other things I really want to tackle on my own! I don't constantly want to hear that I should have approached something differently. Actually when I end up not doing as well as I would have liked to, I can come to the conclusion on my own as to why I didn't do so hot. But ask yourself this question, has God ever said to you that your not good enough? Nope, he sure hasn't! So why the heck do we care so much about what others think?
I struggle to understand why we all can't agree with each other on certain things. There is a "right" way and a "wrong" way to raise your child. But is there really? I mean obviously it's bad to teach your child that murdering someone is OK, but I feel like that's just common sense. (at least I hope so) But I honestly can't say that one style of parenting is better than the others. I think it's important to look at each child on an individual basis. Some children simply respond better to certain styles of parenting than others. But even with that being said, I also believe it's important to teach every child some basic standards to abide by. The thing is, God has already given us that standard in the form of the Ten Commandments. God also said that none of us is perfect and that we will ALL fall short at some point. The awesome news is that God's grace takes care of our mistakes.
I think it's time to start setting our standards to align with God's standards. I feel like the judgement we all place on each other, weather we realize we are doing it or not, really holds us back. Because we are so focused on if the person next to us approves of what we are doing, we are not living up to our full potential. Not only that, when we are too hard on ourselves we begin to think that anything we try to do can't be good enough. But if we are all living by a different set of standards, how can we possibly know for sure who is right or what is best? God doesn't judge us or look at us differently when we do something that he doesn't approve of. He never changes. I feel like aligning our standards with a never changing standard can't possibly go wrong. How can it? If a person messes up and sins, they know exactly what needs to be done to correct it. But if we are trying to correct our mistakes according to the person next to us, we will never know if what was done is actually correct. Why? Because there is a person next to the first guy you turned to for advice telling that guy he's the wrong one, so now you have two people telling you the "right" way when all the while your still confused as to why your "wrong" See how it might be difficult to judge who's right or wrong? With God it's already been layed out in front of you. He has told us all what is OK and what isn't. Realistically it shouldn't be that hard to determine the right thing to do. But because the people around us have such an influence on who we are, it becomes very difficult to align our standards with God's. So when your dad tells you constantly your not good enough, you start to believe him. But God doesn't play that way. He will never tell one of his children they aren't good enough for him. His love doesn't change, we do. Personally, I hope to grow up and make a change for my God and not my dad. I hope to always set my personal goals and achievements to please my creator and not my friends. I hope that my standards can one day align fully with God's standards!
I struggle to understand why we all can't agree with each other on certain things. There is a "right" way and a "wrong" way to raise your child. But is there really? I mean obviously it's bad to teach your child that murdering someone is OK, but I feel like that's just common sense. (at least I hope so) But I honestly can't say that one style of parenting is better than the others. I think it's important to look at each child on an individual basis. Some children simply respond better to certain styles of parenting than others. But even with that being said, I also believe it's important to teach every child some basic standards to abide by. The thing is, God has already given us that standard in the form of the Ten Commandments. God also said that none of us is perfect and that we will ALL fall short at some point. The awesome news is that God's grace takes care of our mistakes.
I think it's time to start setting our standards to align with God's standards. I feel like the judgement we all place on each other, weather we realize we are doing it or not, really holds us back. Because we are so focused on if the person next to us approves of what we are doing, we are not living up to our full potential. Not only that, when we are too hard on ourselves we begin to think that anything we try to do can't be good enough. But if we are all living by a different set of standards, how can we possibly know for sure who is right or what is best? God doesn't judge us or look at us differently when we do something that he doesn't approve of. He never changes. I feel like aligning our standards with a never changing standard can't possibly go wrong. How can it? If a person messes up and sins, they know exactly what needs to be done to correct it. But if we are trying to correct our mistakes according to the person next to us, we will never know if what was done is actually correct. Why? Because there is a person next to the first guy you turned to for advice telling that guy he's the wrong one, so now you have two people telling you the "right" way when all the while your still confused as to why your "wrong" See how it might be difficult to judge who's right or wrong? With God it's already been layed out in front of you. He has told us all what is OK and what isn't. Realistically it shouldn't be that hard to determine the right thing to do. But because the people around us have such an influence on who we are, it becomes very difficult to align our standards with God's. So when your dad tells you constantly your not good enough, you start to believe him. But God doesn't play that way. He will never tell one of his children they aren't good enough for him. His love doesn't change, we do. Personally, I hope to grow up and make a change for my God and not my dad. I hope to always set my personal goals and achievements to please my creator and not my friends. I hope that my standards can one day align fully with God's standards!
Monday, November 15, 2010
In God we trust...or do we?
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
-Matthew 6:24
I went on a hunt and found that the word "money" in the NIV translation is actually the word "mammon". Mammon, I found out is a word from the old language a lot of people spoke is Jesus' time, Aramaic. It was then translated to Greek, then to Latin and finally to English. It's definition translates to mean "wealth as an object of desire and false worship".
If we look at that definition and put it into more simple words, it basically says that money is something that we are putting our trust in. If we are putting our trust into something other than God, then what is that saying about us? A lot of people can't stand listening to the sermon on Sunday morning that talks about tithing. Some of us just sit in our chairs and space out until we hear the music playing again. We think, "this message isn't talking about me. I tithe." Just because you tithe doesn't mean that your putting all your trust in God. I personally know a lot of people that tithe because they feel obligated to give money to the church. So what's the point of tithing then? Why are we giving our money away when somewhere deep inside of us we actually resent doing it? I'm not saying that EVERYONE that tithes does this, but I am saying that this does happen. So I got to thinking...why should we tithe?
Putting our trust is something other than God doesn't really feel right to me. God is my provider. The bible says in Matthew 6 that we should not worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will take care of itself. We should also not worry about today, because God will take care of us. He will provide us food to eat, water to drink, and shelter to keep us warm. But we must trust that he will do that. If we are walking around thinking it's our jobs that are keeping us up and running, we are dead wrong. God has provided that money that is feeding your family. Yes, we are the ones that worked for that money, but ultimately it was God that provided it. If we are aware of that, which most Christians say they are, then why are we not living that out? So much money is wasted on things we don't need or won't use. It's wasted because we impulse buy. But why is there no sudden impulse to give to our creator? Our currency even says "In God we Trust". Do we?
When I give money to the church I think it shows that ultimately there is something bigger than money that has my heart. Taking the definition of what money really means to mind, I came to realize that by putting my money in the bucket, it is showing that I don't have to have it in order to live my life. It also says that money is not something I worship because I'm giving it away. I'd like to start viewing tithing as another form of worship to me. Singing and praying makes me feel close to God because I am giving my full attention to him and proclaiming to him how much I love him! I'm giving away my heart to God in that moment. But, I feel like putting money in that bucket does the same thing. I'm gonna be honest, I rarely have money to put in the bucket. I let it pass almost every time. I feel like that is showing lack of trust in God when I do that. By holding onto that dollar in my pocket, I'm basically saying that I have to have this dollar just in case. But if God is my ultimate provider, won't he give me what I actually need. Just because I want something, doesn't mean I need it.
Maybe money isn't an issue for you. Maybe your already one of those people that regularly give money and feel great about it. But isn't it possible that something else in your life is your "mammon"? Maybe it's not wealth that is your object of worship, but fame instead. Maybe it's self image, power, or greed. Whatever the case may be, if there is something in your life that is being put before God is has to change! We cannot serve two masters. If we are constantly looking at our body image, then our focus is not on God. It's instead being wasted on a false image of perfection. The bible says we are already perfect! Chasing after the wrong God is only going to lead you down a road you don't want to be on. So what is your "mammon"? I know I need to think about this daily and constantly remind myself that God should always be first in my life!
-Matthew 6:24
I went on a hunt and found that the word "money" in the NIV translation is actually the word "mammon". Mammon, I found out is a word from the old language a lot of people spoke is Jesus' time, Aramaic. It was then translated to Greek, then to Latin and finally to English. It's definition translates to mean "wealth as an object of desire and false worship".
If we look at that definition and put it into more simple words, it basically says that money is something that we are putting our trust in. If we are putting our trust into something other than God, then what is that saying about us? A lot of people can't stand listening to the sermon on Sunday morning that talks about tithing. Some of us just sit in our chairs and space out until we hear the music playing again. We think, "this message isn't talking about me. I tithe." Just because you tithe doesn't mean that your putting all your trust in God. I personally know a lot of people that tithe because they feel obligated to give money to the church. So what's the point of tithing then? Why are we giving our money away when somewhere deep inside of us we actually resent doing it? I'm not saying that EVERYONE that tithes does this, but I am saying that this does happen. So I got to thinking...why should we tithe?
Putting our trust is something other than God doesn't really feel right to me. God is my provider. The bible says in Matthew 6 that we should not worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will take care of itself. We should also not worry about today, because God will take care of us. He will provide us food to eat, water to drink, and shelter to keep us warm. But we must trust that he will do that. If we are walking around thinking it's our jobs that are keeping us up and running, we are dead wrong. God has provided that money that is feeding your family. Yes, we are the ones that worked for that money, but ultimately it was God that provided it. If we are aware of that, which most Christians say they are, then why are we not living that out? So much money is wasted on things we don't need or won't use. It's wasted because we impulse buy. But why is there no sudden impulse to give to our creator? Our currency even says "In God we Trust". Do we?
When I give money to the church I think it shows that ultimately there is something bigger than money that has my heart. Taking the definition of what money really means to mind, I came to realize that by putting my money in the bucket, it is showing that I don't have to have it in order to live my life. It also says that money is not something I worship because I'm giving it away. I'd like to start viewing tithing as another form of worship to me. Singing and praying makes me feel close to God because I am giving my full attention to him and proclaiming to him how much I love him! I'm giving away my heart to God in that moment. But, I feel like putting money in that bucket does the same thing. I'm gonna be honest, I rarely have money to put in the bucket. I let it pass almost every time. I feel like that is showing lack of trust in God when I do that. By holding onto that dollar in my pocket, I'm basically saying that I have to have this dollar just in case. But if God is my ultimate provider, won't he give me what I actually need. Just because I want something, doesn't mean I need it.
Maybe money isn't an issue for you. Maybe your already one of those people that regularly give money and feel great about it. But isn't it possible that something else in your life is your "mammon"? Maybe it's not wealth that is your object of worship, but fame instead. Maybe it's self image, power, or greed. Whatever the case may be, if there is something in your life that is being put before God is has to change! We cannot serve two masters. If we are constantly looking at our body image, then our focus is not on God. It's instead being wasted on a false image of perfection. The bible says we are already perfect! Chasing after the wrong God is only going to lead you down a road you don't want to be on. So what is your "mammon"? I know I need to think about this daily and constantly remind myself that God should always be first in my life!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Do you Text and drive?
(excuse me ahead of time for being a little harsh...but I'm not apologizing for speaking the truth!)
Can I just rant for a minute? Awesome. I was think about texting and driving...or being on the phone and driving. Actually about doing anything whilst driving other than driving. After much thought, I've come to the conclusion that it's just plain stupid. And when I say stupid I really mean it's one of the dumbest things I've ever seen a human being do...ever. Seriously, WHY on earth would anyone even WANT to text while driving??? Let me just explain myself further. When your texting or doing anything else completely idiotic behind the wheel, your clearly not giving your full attention to the road. Hey, if you want to kill yourself why not jump off a bridge or pull the trigger on a gun? A little harsh? not at all. Seriously, do you not understand that the things your sitting in weighs over a ton? Not only that, there are literally thousands of other vehicles on the road that are trying to get to a destination, most likely without dying. So why would anyone be selfish enough to take the chance of killing someone to have a conversation that can realistically can wait for 15 minutes. There seriously better be blood or death happening on the other end of that line if your talking on the phone whilst driving!
If they cant wait...or you can;t wait then maybe go ahead and work on your patience. Seriously. If your not patient enough to wait to talk to someone for the duration of a car ride, then your clearly not patient enough to be behind the wheel in the first place. Like I said before, maybe you have complete disregard for your own life, but other people on the road don't deserve to be injured because your an idiot. It's definitely not socially excepted to drink and drive anymore. Why? Because we started to understand that it's really freaking stupid. How is texting and driving any different? Plain and simple, your not paying attention.
Not only that, picture it this way. If your a parent, would you give your child the OK to get in the car with a friend with the knowledge that they won't make it back home to you because they were gonna go ahead and be an idiot? Probably not. You would simply not let that child go to where they were going because you don't want to just give your child's life away. If your not willing to do that, then why would you be willing to text and drive yourself? Are you not presenting yourself with the opportunity to run into another vehicle on the road...a vehicle that contains someone else's child? Even if your not a parent, you wouldn't be OK with giving away your best friend would you? This isn't some deep thought out piece of life wisdom here...it's a simple observation. Please just consider the next guy on the road before you decide you want to be an idiot. :)
Can I just rant for a minute? Awesome. I was think about texting and driving...or being on the phone and driving. Actually about doing anything whilst driving other than driving. After much thought, I've come to the conclusion that it's just plain stupid. And when I say stupid I really mean it's one of the dumbest things I've ever seen a human being do...ever. Seriously, WHY on earth would anyone even WANT to text while driving??? Let me just explain myself further. When your texting or doing anything else completely idiotic behind the wheel, your clearly not giving your full attention to the road. Hey, if you want to kill yourself why not jump off a bridge or pull the trigger on a gun? A little harsh? not at all. Seriously, do you not understand that the things your sitting in weighs over a ton? Not only that, there are literally thousands of other vehicles on the road that are trying to get to a destination, most likely without dying. So why would anyone be selfish enough to take the chance of killing someone to have a conversation that can realistically can wait for 15 minutes. There seriously better be blood or death happening on the other end of that line if your talking on the phone whilst driving!
If they cant wait...or you can;t wait then maybe go ahead and work on your patience. Seriously. If your not patient enough to wait to talk to someone for the duration of a car ride, then your clearly not patient enough to be behind the wheel in the first place. Like I said before, maybe you have complete disregard for your own life, but other people on the road don't deserve to be injured because your an idiot. It's definitely not socially excepted to drink and drive anymore. Why? Because we started to understand that it's really freaking stupid. How is texting and driving any different? Plain and simple, your not paying attention.
Not only that, picture it this way. If your a parent, would you give your child the OK to get in the car with a friend with the knowledge that they won't make it back home to you because they were gonna go ahead and be an idiot? Probably not. You would simply not let that child go to where they were going because you don't want to just give your child's life away. If your not willing to do that, then why would you be willing to text and drive yourself? Are you not presenting yourself with the opportunity to run into another vehicle on the road...a vehicle that contains someone else's child? Even if your not a parent, you wouldn't be OK with giving away your best friend would you? This isn't some deep thought out piece of life wisdom here...it's a simple observation. Please just consider the next guy on the road before you decide you want to be an idiot. :)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
If I'm Nemo, then God is Marlin
"Because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy" -Hebrews 10:14
People, including myself get so frustrated when they think that after becoming a Christian things don't just get automatically better. As I was reflecting on this verse awhile back it reminded me that we are constantly growing. It also reminds me that I shouldn't get frustrated or ashamed with myself because God is pursing me daily!! The good news is that Christ has already made each of us perfect in his eyes. Each and every one of us is already perfect. How beautiful is that?! But this verse also says that at the same time, Christ is making us holy. Every struggle, every joy, everything we do each and every day Christ is right there with us, changing our hearts to be more like him. Even when it feels like we are falling away from God, he always finds a way to meet us where we are at, reminding us that he loves us. James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." Walking away from anything is difficult. Staring something new is difficult. Life simply throws us difficult decisions. We cannot sit around and wait a lifetime to figure it out. We must act at some point. All of us would love to take the easy route every time. Let's be honest, difficult decisions suck. But if we never have to struggle, our character is not able to grow. Every trial allows us to discover more about ourselves and gives us an opportunity to grow in our faith. But if we doubt that God is walking with us, we will not grow. When we trust that God will get us through whatever we are facing, we will persevere. We must have confidence God will align our hearts with his desires.
People, including myself get so frustrated when they think that after becoming a Christian things don't just get automatically better. As I was reflecting on this verse awhile back it reminded me that we are constantly growing. It also reminds me that I shouldn't get frustrated or ashamed with myself because God is pursing me daily!! The good news is that Christ has already made each of us perfect in his eyes. Each and every one of us is already perfect. How beautiful is that?! But this verse also says that at the same time, Christ is making us holy. Every struggle, every joy, everything we do each and every day Christ is right there with us, changing our hearts to be more like him. Even when it feels like we are falling away from God, he always finds a way to meet us where we are at, reminding us that he loves us. James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." Walking away from anything is difficult. Staring something new is difficult. Life simply throws us difficult decisions. We cannot sit around and wait a lifetime to figure it out. We must act at some point. All of us would love to take the easy route every time. Let's be honest, difficult decisions suck. But if we never have to struggle, our character is not able to grow. Every trial allows us to discover more about ourselves and gives us an opportunity to grow in our faith. But if we doubt that God is walking with us, we will not grow. When we trust that God will get us through whatever we are facing, we will persevere. We must have confidence God will align our hearts with his desires.
A few thoughts about racism...and the love of Jesus
(side note, this was a note on facebook as well. you may have read it already)
All throughout history humans have been able to progress from the old to what we call the new. We no longer use a horse and buggy, we no longer use phones twice the size of our heads, we no longer live in only log cabins, we no longer wonder what gravity is, we no longer accept disco as music...the list goes on. What I don't understand is why humans are able to make progress in the things that don't realistically matter in life, but disregard human life?
Every car is basically the exact same thing. It has a motor, wheels, and all the other things that make a car a car. We don't look at a black car and think "maybe this isn't a car after all...but that white car. now, THAT"S a car!" We don't treat brown cars different than blue cars. Same thing goes with a phone. All phones regardless of color or size, are still phones. Take a look at a few different guns. A pistol is small. But there is no doubt that it is a gun. A rifle is much bigger, yet still the same concept as the pistol...a gun. All of these things and many many more things we come into contact with in everyday life have differences amongst their similarities. A gun is a gun no matter how big or small. They all have a chamber and trigger. They all still fire bullets.
Why then are people different? How is it that we can look at someone of a different race, different ethnicity, different size, or different gender and say they are not as important and the next guy. Everyone one of us is human. We all have organs, fingers, toes, mouths, faces, heads, bodies, minds...everything is virtually identical, yet the smallest difference is somehow the biggest deal in human history! How is the color of someones skin more relevant than life itself?? When are we going to realize we are the problem and not the solution. We CAN be the solution, but that is impossible if nobody wants to work together
Have you even wondered if promoting such things as Black History month, or teaching children about past indifference is actually causing a problem? Isn't bringing that stuff up only bringing to their attention that we once thought that some people weren't as good as other people? I personally don't think we even need to bring up the fact that we could somehow be different. If you've ever gone to a park, small children don't pay attention to skin color or gender. They see everyone as an equal. It's only when someone brings it to their attention that the other person is "different" that they start to question things. Maybe we should stop making a big deal out of skin color and gender in front of children and then maybe they won't grow up thinking that way.
Jesus teaches us to love one another as we love ourselves. What if we all took on that challenge like we took on the challenge to build bigger buildings or cars? We have the potential to change. If the one thing we will come to regret is lost or broken or non-existent relationships, then why not stop it in its tracks now and make a change today?
All throughout history humans have been able to progress from the old to what we call the new. We no longer use a horse and buggy, we no longer use phones twice the size of our heads, we no longer live in only log cabins, we no longer wonder what gravity is, we no longer accept disco as music...the list goes on. What I don't understand is why humans are able to make progress in the things that don't realistically matter in life, but disregard human life?
Every car is basically the exact same thing. It has a motor, wheels, and all the other things that make a car a car. We don't look at a black car and think "maybe this isn't a car after all...but that white car. now, THAT"S a car!" We don't treat brown cars different than blue cars. Same thing goes with a phone. All phones regardless of color or size, are still phones. Take a look at a few different guns. A pistol is small. But there is no doubt that it is a gun. A rifle is much bigger, yet still the same concept as the pistol...a gun. All of these things and many many more things we come into contact with in everyday life have differences amongst their similarities. A gun is a gun no matter how big or small. They all have a chamber and trigger. They all still fire bullets.
Why then are people different? How is it that we can look at someone of a different race, different ethnicity, different size, or different gender and say they are not as important and the next guy. Everyone one of us is human. We all have organs, fingers, toes, mouths, faces, heads, bodies, minds...everything is virtually identical, yet the smallest difference is somehow the biggest deal in human history! How is the color of someones skin more relevant than life itself?? When are we going to realize we are the problem and not the solution. We CAN be the solution, but that is impossible if nobody wants to work together
Have you even wondered if promoting such things as Black History month, or teaching children about past indifference is actually causing a problem? Isn't bringing that stuff up only bringing to their attention that we once thought that some people weren't as good as other people? I personally don't think we even need to bring up the fact that we could somehow be different. If you've ever gone to a park, small children don't pay attention to skin color or gender. They see everyone as an equal. It's only when someone brings it to their attention that the other person is "different" that they start to question things. Maybe we should stop making a big deal out of skin color and gender in front of children and then maybe they won't grow up thinking that way.
Jesus teaches us to love one another as we love ourselves. What if we all took on that challenge like we took on the challenge to build bigger buildings or cars? We have the potential to change. If the one thing we will come to regret is lost or broken or non-existent relationships, then why not stop it in its tracks now and make a change today?
The tragedy of life, and beauty of death
(side note this was already a note on my facebook wall...you may have read it before)
“To fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise, without being wise: for it is to think that we know what we do not know. For anything that men can tell, death may be the greatest good that can happen to them: but they fear it as if they knew quite well that it was the greatest of evils. And what is this but that shameful ignorance of thinking that we know what we do not know?” Socrates
Over the past week or so, I have been reflecting on this quote I found a few years ago. When I read it back then, I thought to myself "this is SO true!"...but I failed to live that out. At that time in my life I didn't fully understand the love and forgiveness of Jesus. I knew a lot about Jesus because I had attended church and volunteered to council kids at a Christian camp. But through that, I never accepted that God could love ME. I was living for me, myself, and I...and didn't care who I hurt along the way just as long as I was making myself happy. I thought I was actually happy with how I was living my life then, but I was scared shitless. I just put up a front so everyone would think I knew which end was up.
I think most of us, regardless of our past, are scared to live life. We have this fear that if we don't do it the right way before we die, then we wasted it. But what if we are actually wasting it by searching for a meaning? I have been questioning why we are, who we are, what we are, and so on for years now. And every quest for the perfect answer comes up short. Science trys to give us an answer we can be happy with, but they don't really know. So that leads us to putting our faith into something. Shouldn't the fact that we are putting our faith into something completely unknown be enough to drive us to live without fear? Instead, we hide behind drugs, broken relationships, personal sin, the self, and the world around us. It's in those places that we are looking for life's "answer".
But what if we decided to stop asking "why", and started living. I mean, taking life by the reins and leading a life that matters. Focusing on building relationships with one another and showing each other love. Jesus had a mission on this earth: to show the world what Love is. I believe with all my heart that when he died on the cross, he proved that love and therefore I should love those around me. But what happens when we get caught up in the world? Fear creeps back in. Instead of trying to overcome that fear, us humans attempt to hide behind it. Unfortunately, I think sometimes we get so lost in trying to hind behind it, we actually become our own fear. Fear is no longer a part of life...it consumes it. Every decision we make starts to revolve around attempting to make life better ourselves so we don't "mess up". The difference though, is when we accept the love of Jesus we are able to overcome that fear. Jesus took on all of our sin...our drug abuse, our sexual impurities, our tax fraud, even speeding...Jesus took those sins with him on the cross! Not only that, he defeated death and rose again! Which brings me back to the quote...
I can't help but wonder what would happen if we stopped living life in fear. I think the point of Socrates' quote was to tell us that fearing death is stupid because we don't know what will happen to us after we die. We just think we do. But I think it also goes one step farther. I think Socrates is also telling us we shouldn't live our only life in fear. I think if we stopped living in fear, then the self wouldn't be able to hold us back from the love of Jesus. Death doesn't have to be final. The irony is, the death that a lot of humans fear is the death that can actually bring us life. Instead fear makes our human experience painful. Death has become our worst enemy the same way life has. I don't think the two are as different from each other as they appear. I think they are one in the same. Life would stop being a tragedy and death would be beautiful if we looked at it through Jesus' eyes like he intended us to.
“To fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise, without being wise: for it is to think that we know what we do not know. For anything that men can tell, death may be the greatest good that can happen to them: but they fear it as if they knew quite well that it was the greatest of evils. And what is this but that shameful ignorance of thinking that we know what we do not know?” Socrates
Over the past week or so, I have been reflecting on this quote I found a few years ago. When I read it back then, I thought to myself "this is SO true!"...but I failed to live that out. At that time in my life I didn't fully understand the love and forgiveness of Jesus. I knew a lot about Jesus because I had attended church and volunteered to council kids at a Christian camp. But through that, I never accepted that God could love ME. I was living for me, myself, and I...and didn't care who I hurt along the way just as long as I was making myself happy. I thought I was actually happy with how I was living my life then, but I was scared shitless. I just put up a front so everyone would think I knew which end was up.
I think most of us, regardless of our past, are scared to live life. We have this fear that if we don't do it the right way before we die, then we wasted it. But what if we are actually wasting it by searching for a meaning? I have been questioning why we are, who we are, what we are, and so on for years now. And every quest for the perfect answer comes up short. Science trys to give us an answer we can be happy with, but they don't really know. So that leads us to putting our faith into something. Shouldn't the fact that we are putting our faith into something completely unknown be enough to drive us to live without fear? Instead, we hide behind drugs, broken relationships, personal sin, the self, and the world around us. It's in those places that we are looking for life's "answer".
But what if we decided to stop asking "why", and started living. I mean, taking life by the reins and leading a life that matters. Focusing on building relationships with one another and showing each other love. Jesus had a mission on this earth: to show the world what Love is. I believe with all my heart that when he died on the cross, he proved that love and therefore I should love those around me. But what happens when we get caught up in the world? Fear creeps back in. Instead of trying to overcome that fear, us humans attempt to hide behind it. Unfortunately, I think sometimes we get so lost in trying to hind behind it, we actually become our own fear. Fear is no longer a part of life...it consumes it. Every decision we make starts to revolve around attempting to make life better ourselves so we don't "mess up". The difference though, is when we accept the love of Jesus we are able to overcome that fear. Jesus took on all of our sin...our drug abuse, our sexual impurities, our tax fraud, even speeding...Jesus took those sins with him on the cross! Not only that, he defeated death and rose again! Which brings me back to the quote...
I can't help but wonder what would happen if we stopped living life in fear. I think the point of Socrates' quote was to tell us that fearing death is stupid because we don't know what will happen to us after we die. We just think we do. But I think it also goes one step farther. I think Socrates is also telling us we shouldn't live our only life in fear. I think if we stopped living in fear, then the self wouldn't be able to hold us back from the love of Jesus. Death doesn't have to be final. The irony is, the death that a lot of humans fear is the death that can actually bring us life. Instead fear makes our human experience painful. Death has become our worst enemy the same way life has. I don't think the two are as different from each other as they appear. I think they are one in the same. Life would stop being a tragedy and death would be beautiful if we looked at it through Jesus' eyes like he intended us to.
Dirty Love
In my opinion, love is probably the greatest thing any person can experience. But if we're being completely honest, I'm not a fan of love that comes easy. My favorite kind of love is the love that is worth fighting for. All of you that know me, also know that I love Starbucks coffee. That beautiful bean knows how to get my heart beating...and not because of the massive amounts of caffeine in each glorious cup. Every sip produces a carnival of flavors in my mouth that make me want to drop everything I'm doing just so I can focus my full attention on such a wonderful creation! But sadly, my love for Starbucks ends there. Starbucks coffee does not love me back. So I guess the question could be raised...do I really "love" Starbucks? The technical, and sad answer, is no. I think that love is two way street. I'm also going to be bold and say that I think all real love can only be fully experienced if it has been fought for.
The idea was recently brought to my attention that love is not an emotion, it is something that comes from experiencing our emotions. Taking that into consideration, just because I tell you that you make me really happy and things of that nature does not necessarily mean that I love you. On the opposite end, just because I tell you I'm angry with you, does not mean I hate you. Love is a bond between two people that is experienced differently for each individual. But I think it's safe to say, that each loving relationship takes work, time, and a lot of effort. I don't automatically love a person the first or second time I've met with them. I may like them, but chances are in those first few meetings the other person didn't do something to offend me. I've actually noticed that when I have a conflict with a person it becomes easier to love them. It gives me the opportunity to understand where that person is coming from and form genuine feelings for who that person is and what that person stands for.
Take my dad for example. That man makes me SO angry sometimes, but experiencing that anger with him also gives me the chance to make amends, find out better ways to communicate with him, and pushes me to find a way to connect with him in a way that makes him feel loved. The same goes for him when I make him angry. Through the process of conflict, we find ourselves and become vulnerable to others around us, giving them the opportunity to really and truly love us. If we all went through life and only let people see the "good side", then once that person says the words "I love you" how can you be sure. Does that person really love you, or do they love the person your facade lets them see? But, what if instead, we let everyone see the real us. The sinful, mean, angry, prideful, lust driven, hate filled people we are? After all, doesn't every one of us feel these things at one point or another in our lives? If so, then why are we hiding behind what we can all see past anyways? Isn't hiding behind a glass door kind of pointless? I think I'd much rather someone see the real me, instead of this fake picture I want to be. Actually, i think if I were to walk around as the fake me I would make it impossible to truly be loved, or feel love for myself. If we can't be honest with our own self, then how the heck are we gonna be honest with someone we desire to be close with? So as for me, I'm gonna continue to be ME...the sinful Sarah Giese that tries her hardest to love people...the dirty people we ALL are, and not just be a somebody that has the ability to say the word "love" to someone.
The idea was recently brought to my attention that love is not an emotion, it is something that comes from experiencing our emotions. Taking that into consideration, just because I tell you that you make me really happy and things of that nature does not necessarily mean that I love you. On the opposite end, just because I tell you I'm angry with you, does not mean I hate you. Love is a bond between two people that is experienced differently for each individual. But I think it's safe to say, that each loving relationship takes work, time, and a lot of effort. I don't automatically love a person the first or second time I've met with them. I may like them, but chances are in those first few meetings the other person didn't do something to offend me. I've actually noticed that when I have a conflict with a person it becomes easier to love them. It gives me the opportunity to understand where that person is coming from and form genuine feelings for who that person is and what that person stands for.
Take my dad for example. That man makes me SO angry sometimes, but experiencing that anger with him also gives me the chance to make amends, find out better ways to communicate with him, and pushes me to find a way to connect with him in a way that makes him feel loved. The same goes for him when I make him angry. Through the process of conflict, we find ourselves and become vulnerable to others around us, giving them the opportunity to really and truly love us. If we all went through life and only let people see the "good side", then once that person says the words "I love you" how can you be sure. Does that person really love you, or do they love the person your facade lets them see? But, what if instead, we let everyone see the real us. The sinful, mean, angry, prideful, lust driven, hate filled people we are? After all, doesn't every one of us feel these things at one point or another in our lives? If so, then why are we hiding behind what we can all see past anyways? Isn't hiding behind a glass door kind of pointless? I think I'd much rather someone see the real me, instead of this fake picture I want to be. Actually, i think if I were to walk around as the fake me I would make it impossible to truly be loved, or feel love for myself. If we can't be honest with our own self, then how the heck are we gonna be honest with someone we desire to be close with? So as for me, I'm gonna continue to be ME...the sinful Sarah Giese that tries her hardest to love people...the dirty people we ALL are, and not just be a somebody that has the ability to say the word "love" to someone.
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