I skipped a week. I know, I'm so sorry. But to make up for it, this week's post has a video!
Last Sunday I was on my way to church, driving in my cube, no worries. Then, on the side of the road, what do I spot? A roadwork sign... but not just a regular road work sign. This particular bright orange sign had a nice, black swastika spray-painted over it, with a little "wp" written next to it, presumably standing for "white power."
I was appalled. Not because of the content of the sign, but because this was the third time I've seen such markings on this same stretch of road. Frankly, I've grown tired of it. Tired of the ignorance, the hate. Why do people have to be so mean?!
I'm currently reading Love Wins by Rob Bell. I wanted to see what all the hoopla was about, and frankly, I'm not into judging something until I've read/heard/seen it for myself. Personally, I haven't found anything he's said in there particularly offensive. I'm only half-way through, but I think as usual, people are making a big deal over something that may very well be a whole lot of nothing. What I did find interesting is one thing he says won't be present in heaven- racism.
"Imagine being a racist in heaven... and realizing that you're sitting next to them. Those people. The ones you've despised for years. Your racist attitude would simply not survive." His point is that heaven (whatever he may regard that to look like) is going to be filled with all kinds and colors of different people. There's no room for bigotry in heaven. And there shouldn't be any room for it in the body of Christ.
If we are to follow the example of Jesus Christ, we have to love everyone. Everyone. Even our enemies. The Gospel makes that very clear. In fact, the only people Jesus ever showed anger towards (besides the people misusing the temple of God), were the Pharisees. The religious leaders of the day. They were the hypocrites; they were the racists. Which is why Jesus felt it necessary to speak in parables like the Good Samaritan. Why He informed us that the second greatest commandment is loving your neighbor as yourself. I've said it before- love is not an option. It's a command.
In Paul's letter to the Romans, he writes, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." At peace. With everyone. Not name-calling. Not picketing. Not arguing. Living in peace. It shouldn't be that hard. I don't know... maybe it's just because that's how I was raised, but I don't think it should be a chore to be civil to your fellow man. Sometimes when I see all the hate people can spew at each other, it seems so childish. Isn't so very "high school" of us to form cliques and shun the weaker/nerdy/different from the group? Maybe it's time we all grew up.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Moving Week
I'm not going to lie to you. I don't have time to write this post. I have to have all my possessions out of this townhouse and have it spic and span by Saturday. Sure, my roomies will be helping, but I really don't have time to sit down and write a blog. Although, that's what I'm doing right now.
Anyhoo - if you're desperate for something to read, my BFF just wrote a new blog post about "embracing the suck." Go read it here.
And finally I'll leave you with this, from Ecclesiastes 3:
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
So there's a time to move and a time to blog. I've gotta get back to packing. Will resume normal blogging next week!
Anyhoo - if you're desperate for something to read, my BFF just wrote a new blog post about "embracing the suck." Go read it here.
And finally I'll leave you with this, from Ecclesiastes 3:
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
So there's a time to move and a time to blog. I've gotta get back to packing. Will resume normal blogging next week!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Everybody Hurts... Sometimes
Everything hurts, and everything is sore right now. I think it’s mostly stress… but also, that’s what happens when you’re in a car accident. The BFF and I were being good, little Christians, on our way to Bible study yesterday, when- BAM! Some loser-face jerkwad child of God flew through the stop sign and slammed right into us. Had it not been for her swerving, it would’ve crashed right into the driver’s side. I shudder to think what would’ve happened to my best friend if that were the case. Thankfully, God chose to spare us and we veered off to the side of the road- right between a telephone pole and chain link fence.
You’ve probably heard the phrase that God’s got you right where He wants you. Well, I think in that situation, He wanted us right between those two objects. Not a foot to the left or a foot to the right. In fact, had anything happened one millisecond off the way it did, my bestie and I could be toast right now. But we’re not. ‘Cause God’s got our backs… and our fronts.
Often, when crazy things like this happen, we start to focus on the negative: how much damage there is, how much it’s going to cost, all the 1,001 aches and pains going through our bodies the next day. Instead of all that, I want to focus on the positive- the holy crap, I’m alive positive. We didn’t see that car coming. We had no way of knowing he wasn’t going to stop at that stop sign. But God did. He also knew we were going to be fine. I’ve been through things like this before, and to be honest, the first inclination is always, “Why did God let this happen to me?” Sure, He could’ve stopped that other car. He could have slowed us down by making a dog run out in front of the car. But, we sometimes forget that we are subject to this fallen world we live in. The guy who hit us made a bad decision, and now he’ll have to live with the consequences of that decision.
The point I’m trying to make, is that we can’t always see where the road in front of us is going. We don’t know the destination. But we have a Father who can see every side street, every intersection. He knows where it’s going to be gridlocked and where construction is taking place. Are we going to run into some red lights? Sure. A few fender benders? Most definitely. But it makes me feel a whole lot better knowing I serve Someone who can see all the road before me and knows where my final destination is.
Side note: please pray for my friend’s car. The insurance company still has to assess the damage.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
A Full Time Job
My BFF is one smart cookie. Sure, she's deathly afraid of lizards and her hair being too greasy, but she knows a lot about life. Today in the car she told me about when she used to work with kids a lot, she would tell them, "Just worry about yourself... that's a full-time job." Sure, that's great advice for kids. Just pay attention to what you're doing instead of trying to tattle on everyone else. Then, you're more likely to behave and less likely to be upset over what someone else does/has.
It got me to thinking... some adults, myself included, could really use the same advice. If we were only concerned with what we were doing and not into everyone else's business, how much better could our lives be? Jesus talked about not trying to pick out the speck in your brother's eye when you yourself have a plank sticking out of yours (Matt. 7:3-5). The truth of the matter is, if we all payed attention to our own troubles and what we're doing for the kingdom, we wouldn't have time to point out anyone else's faults or start needless arguments over things that are really inconsequential in the light of eternity. My pastor, Randy Humphrey also put it this way- we spend too much time arguing about today, that we don't think about the future. In other words, we're wasting time!
I think this little proverb has other applications to life as well. I'm a musician. My greatest passion (besides Jesus, of course) is music. I love writing, singing, playing it... but sometimes I spend too much time comparing myself to others. I wish I could sing like her; I wish I could play guitar like him. And today I heard God saying to me, "I made you to be you, not someone else. You be the best you can be." I know it sounds simple, but it really brought me such a sense of peace over things I used to really be insecure about. I guess I used to think of God listening to me sing like a heavenly Simon Cowell (that's not blasphemous, right?). Anyway, I used to imagine Him just kind of sitting there listening to Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, and me. I would think, clearly I'm not as good as they are. But God doesn't sit there comparing the gifts and talents He gave us to the ones He gave others, so why do we?
Whether it's comparing yourself to others or judging others for their wrongs, it's not how God intended for us to view the world. I think God cares more about our unity in Christ (Eph. 4:2-6) than our momentary squabbles. Things that are really important, like building encouraging relationships (both with believers and nonbelievers), should take precedence over wondering whether Susie's pineapple upside-down cake tastes better than yours. And you should be listening to the sermon on Sunday morning, not pondering if Jimmy went out drinking the night before. In short, just worry about yourself... that's a full-time job.
It got me to thinking... some adults, myself included, could really use the same advice. If we were only concerned with what we were doing and not into everyone else's business, how much better could our lives be? Jesus talked about not trying to pick out the speck in your brother's eye when you yourself have a plank sticking out of yours (Matt. 7:3-5). The truth of the matter is, if we all payed attention to our own troubles and what we're doing for the kingdom, we wouldn't have time to point out anyone else's faults or start needless arguments over things that are really inconsequential in the light of eternity. My pastor, Randy Humphrey also put it this way- we spend too much time arguing about today, that we don't think about the future. In other words, we're wasting time!
I think this little proverb has other applications to life as well. I'm a musician. My greatest passion (besides Jesus, of course) is music. I love writing, singing, playing it... but sometimes I spend too much time comparing myself to others. I wish I could sing like her; I wish I could play guitar like him. And today I heard God saying to me, "I made you to be you, not someone else. You be the best you can be." I know it sounds simple, but it really brought me such a sense of peace over things I used to really be insecure about. I guess I used to think of God listening to me sing like a heavenly Simon Cowell (that's not blasphemous, right?). Anyway, I used to imagine Him just kind of sitting there listening to Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, and me. I would think, clearly I'm not as good as they are. But God doesn't sit there comparing the gifts and talents He gave us to the ones He gave others, so why do we?
Whether it's comparing yourself to others or judging others for their wrongs, it's not how God intended for us to view the world. I think God cares more about our unity in Christ (Eph. 4:2-6) than our momentary squabbles. Things that are really important, like building encouraging relationships (both with believers and nonbelievers), should take precedence over wondering whether Susie's pineapple upside-down cake tastes better than yours. And you should be listening to the sermon on Sunday morning, not pondering if Jimmy went out drinking the night before. In short, just worry about yourself... that's a full-time job.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Aftermath
No, I'm not talking about an Adam Lambert song... Last week, we saw some severe weather in Central Florida, and a couple tornadoes touched down. My mom saw a downed tree in her courtyard, and the porch area in the townhouse I rent saw some minor damage. I heard stories like this from several people- downed trees, small damages here and there. The general consensus was mostly everyone was safe, and thankful for it.
When nature throws us hardballs like this, it's difficult to not notice the devastation. With the earthquakes, tsunamis, and craziness that's been happening around the globe, we think about all that damage. Flooding, destruction, death of loved ones. It's a lot of catastrophe and mayhem to take in sometimes. One can't help but wonder, where is God in all of that?
God never promised that this life would be easy. In fact, just the opposite (John 16:33). But He did say He would be with us. I believe that He is there. In the desperate prayers of the hurting, in the tears of the grieving mothers, in the touch of the ones there to help.
In my experience, I've faced more emotional disasters than natural ones. The aftermath of those kinds of trials can be just as devastating as the physical damage caused by mother nature. When you feel you have no friends or no one to turn to, where is God then? Sometimes the last thing we want to do is admit we need help. That we can't do this thing called "life" alone. But I believe in a God who sees every tear we cry and waits for us to call out to Him to come dry them.
If we truly believe that our help comes from the Lord (Ps. 121), that He is on our side, then we have to not be afraid to call on Him for help. Whether your crisis is personal, financial, emotional, or physical, God is capable of dealing with it. The question is, can you let Him handle it for you?
When nature throws us hardballs like this, it's difficult to not notice the devastation. With the earthquakes, tsunamis, and craziness that's been happening around the globe, we think about all that damage. Flooding, destruction, death of loved ones. It's a lot of catastrophe and mayhem to take in sometimes. One can't help but wonder, where is God in all of that?
God never promised that this life would be easy. In fact, just the opposite (John 16:33). But He did say He would be with us. I believe that He is there. In the desperate prayers of the hurting, in the tears of the grieving mothers, in the touch of the ones there to help.
In my experience, I've faced more emotional disasters than natural ones. The aftermath of those kinds of trials can be just as devastating as the physical damage caused by mother nature. When you feel you have no friends or no one to turn to, where is God then? Sometimes the last thing we want to do is admit we need help. That we can't do this thing called "life" alone. But I believe in a God who sees every tear we cry and waits for us to call out to Him to come dry them.
If we truly believe that our help comes from the Lord (Ps. 121), that He is on our side, then we have to not be afraid to call on Him for help. Whether your crisis is personal, financial, emotional, or physical, God is capable of dealing with it. The question is, can you let Him handle it for you?
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Being Sick Sucks
I promise I didn't push my blog day back to Thursday. I've been sick all this week, and to be honest, it's quite hard to think of spiritual lessons when you're figuring out how to breathe through one nostril. I didn't really feel like doing much of anything, which, in a season where I have so much to do, is not very constructive.
Something that I've come to realize more and more over the years, is that life doesn't fit into the timetable you might have imagined. I know that seems obvious, but I used to think that way. I used to thing A things needed to happen by B time or the world would like explode... or something. But life doesn't work that way. I easily forget that God's ways are higher than mine (Isa. 55:8-9), and I try to take the reigns myself. But that rarely works out for me. It's times like these that I come to understand I just need to trust God. I may not know where I'm going, but He does.
So, that's really it for this week. Hopefully, I'll be back on my feet (and more into my blog) next week. Here's wishing you good weather and good health!
Something that I've come to realize more and more over the years, is that life doesn't fit into the timetable you might have imagined. I know that seems obvious, but I used to think that way. I used to thing A things needed to happen by B time or the world would like explode... or something. But life doesn't work that way. I easily forget that God's ways are higher than mine (Isa. 55:8-9), and I try to take the reigns myself. But that rarely works out for me. It's times like these that I come to understand I just need to trust God. I may not know where I'm going, but He does.
So, that's really it for this week. Hopefully, I'll be back on my feet (and more into my blog) next week. Here's wishing you good weather and good health!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Martha (and no muffins)
I almost forgot to write a blog entry this week. Last night I wasn't feeling well and tonight I need to pack for a weekend of visiting my family on the other side of the state. (Plus, I'm still coming down off the high of hearing that Fringe has been renewed for season 4... but I digress.) I totally pulled a Martha.
No, not Martha Stewart (although, I'm thinking her parents gave her that name for a reason!), but Martha, sister of Mary. Her story is laid out in Luke 10. Jesus came to stay at the home of Martha and Mary while He was travelling through their village. Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet and listen to Him teach while Martha busied herself with all the preparations. She probably cooked, and cleaned, and got distracted with all the little things that start to go wrong when company comes over. And along the way, she probably thought to herself, "I'm the only one who does any work around here; no one appreciates me." In her frustration, she finally asked Jesus to tell her sister to help her.
What did Jesus say? “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (verses 41-42). Martha got so involved in all the work to be done, she forgot that the ultimate Teacher was there, waiting to spend time with her. She could have been listening to Jesus the whole time, but she was too busy.
How often do we do that? Pretend we're too busy for God? I do it more than I care to admit. I did it tonight by almost neglecting to update this blog. I need to remember that my Master is always ready to spend time with me, if I'll just put down the broom and sit at His feet.
On the flip side of that, I wonder... what would have happened if Martha had been sitting alongside Mary, listening to Jesus? How would the food have gotten cooked? The beds made? The house cleaned? We need Marthas. We need people who are willing to work when others are not. Marthas tend to run the world (or at least the household). The thing about Marthas is, they need to learn how to take a break. And that work isn't the only thing in life.
So how about you, are you a Mary or a Martha? I tend to be a bit of both at times.
No, not Martha Stewart (although, I'm thinking her parents gave her that name for a reason!), but Martha, sister of Mary. Her story is laid out in Luke 10. Jesus came to stay at the home of Martha and Mary while He was travelling through their village. Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet and listen to Him teach while Martha busied herself with all the preparations. She probably cooked, and cleaned, and got distracted with all the little things that start to go wrong when company comes over. And along the way, she probably thought to herself, "I'm the only one who does any work around here; no one appreciates me." In her frustration, she finally asked Jesus to tell her sister to help her.
What did Jesus say? “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (verses 41-42). Martha got so involved in all the work to be done, she forgot that the ultimate Teacher was there, waiting to spend time with her. She could have been listening to Jesus the whole time, but she was too busy.
How often do we do that? Pretend we're too busy for God? I do it more than I care to admit. I did it tonight by almost neglecting to update this blog. I need to remember that my Master is always ready to spend time with me, if I'll just put down the broom and sit at His feet.
On the flip side of that, I wonder... what would have happened if Martha had been sitting alongside Mary, listening to Jesus? How would the food have gotten cooked? The beds made? The house cleaned? We need Marthas. We need people who are willing to work when others are not. Marthas tend to run the world (or at least the household). The thing about Marthas is, they need to learn how to take a break. And that work isn't the only thing in life.
So how about you, are you a Mary or a Martha? I tend to be a bit of both at times.
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