I know, I know, clever title. In all seriousness, I have a concern. As a Christian, a person who is called to be different and to be set apart, how do we respond to those who are not Christians?
Hear me out on this. I just had a really disappointing experience with another human being. This person was cruel, rude, a bit sassy, and treated me like I was just a dumb box of rocks standing in front of her. My response: tears. I understand that Christians are supposed to try to live according to higher standards, but how, without being disrespectful in return, do we make our point that we have been hurt? I am sure that none of this makes sense, but it is a question that has haunted me for some time now, even with other Christians. I know that we can use Scripture and try to hold one another accountable, but what do you do when the person who has hurt you doesn't care about your Christian standards or the Bible or even the right thing to do in a given situation?
I know that there isn't always a "right or wrong" choice, but rather a good choice and a better choice. I just have a hard time with wanting everything to be black and white, right or wrong, good or bad, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
It's time to forgive and move on, I guess.
Friday, April 29, 2005
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Thunder=Allergen
Funny story. Maybe it won't be so funny now, but I laughed pretty hard at this.
Today Sammy was asking me why I was coughing (really I was sneezing). I told him that I have allergies and I then asked him if he has any allergies.
His answer: "Yes, yes I do. It's the thunder. It makes me scream."
Anyway, I thought it was pretty cute. It is much better though if you can hear his little voice. Funny stuff.
Today Sammy was asking me why I was coughing (really I was sneezing). I told him that I have allergies and I then asked him if he has any allergies.
His answer: "Yes, yes I do. It's the thunder. It makes me scream."
Anyway, I thought it was pretty cute. It is much better though if you can hear his little voice. Funny stuff.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Loving and Loathing
Loving spring and its fragrance.
Loathing my body's response to said fragrance. Two words: seasonal allergies.
Loving the fact that I have only 13 days of classes left.
Loathing the overwhelming amount of work that I still have to do. Yikes. It could get ugly.
Loving that May 25th is almost here.
Loathing that again, I still have so much to do before I can leave. I don't know how I will finish it all!
Loving the sunshine and the possibilities for a tan.
Loathing my apartment deck and the fact that only a small sliver of it gets sun in the afternoon. Tanning this afternoon didn't really work out for me. Don't worry, I was doing homework at the same time.
Loathing my body's response to said fragrance. Two words: seasonal allergies.
Loving the fact that I have only 13 days of classes left.
Loathing the overwhelming amount of work that I still have to do. Yikes. It could get ugly.
Loving that May 25th is almost here.
Loathing that again, I still have so much to do before I can leave. I don't know how I will finish it all!
Loving the sunshine and the possibilities for a tan.
Loathing my apartment deck and the fact that only a small sliver of it gets sun in the afternoon. Tanning this afternoon didn't really work out for me. Don't worry, I was doing homework at the same time.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Trust
Trust is something that I struggle with. I think that a lot of people do, actually. It is hard for me to let someone else in because I have a deep fear of being hurt. Therefore, it is hard for me to trust God at times. I have been learning, bit by bit, that God won't let me down. I have learned this through classes at LCC, life experiences, and the testimonies of others.
Today I learned a lesson in the classroom of life. I sing with a friend of mine at his church sometimes and I have gotten to know some of the people in the congregation. There is this older man, let's call him Jack. He serves as an elder at this church and he has always been the first to greet me every time I am there. He is such a nice guy! I have been singing at this church all year and I really look forward to seeing Jack when I go.
Anyway, today's sermon topic was on tithing, but I would say that the overall theme was trust. The preacher talked about trusting God with our firstfruits and basically, trusting God with our whole lives. He reminded me that God isn't going to fail me and that if I choose to put God first, everything else will fall into place.
Enter Jack. Like I said, Jack is an older man and he could probably retire soon. Just two weeks ago, he lost his job. He was the only income for his family and their income was quickly cut off. The next weekend, this church body had a banquet where the families that serve as leadership were supposed to give a pledge for an upcoming building campaign. Jack and his wife had already decided that they would give based upon his income. Even though his income no longer existed, they still pledged the same amount at the banquet as they had decided before he lost his job. Wow. That takes courage. That takes trust. Jack and his wife stepped out on a limb. They took a leap of faith, knowing that God was going to catch them no matter what happened.
Lo and behold...
On Monday, Jack started applying for more jobs and came across three possibilities. On Tuesday, he sent in his applications. On Wednesday, he had two second interviews. On Thursday, Jack had three job offers! I don't know which job he will end up having, but wow. Isn't that amazing?
Thank you, Jack, for reminding me that God is so much bigger than me. Thank you, Jack, for teaching me through your very life to put God first. Thank you, Jack, for you taught me things today that you will never even know about.
Today I learned a lesson in the classroom of life. I sing with a friend of mine at his church sometimes and I have gotten to know some of the people in the congregation. There is this older man, let's call him Jack. He serves as an elder at this church and he has always been the first to greet me every time I am there. He is such a nice guy! I have been singing at this church all year and I really look forward to seeing Jack when I go.
Anyway, today's sermon topic was on tithing, but I would say that the overall theme was trust. The preacher talked about trusting God with our firstfruits and basically, trusting God with our whole lives. He reminded me that God isn't going to fail me and that if I choose to put God first, everything else will fall into place.
Enter Jack. Like I said, Jack is an older man and he could probably retire soon. Just two weeks ago, he lost his job. He was the only income for his family and their income was quickly cut off. The next weekend, this church body had a banquet where the families that serve as leadership were supposed to give a pledge for an upcoming building campaign. Jack and his wife had already decided that they would give based upon his income. Even though his income no longer existed, they still pledged the same amount at the banquet as they had decided before he lost his job. Wow. That takes courage. That takes trust. Jack and his wife stepped out on a limb. They took a leap of faith, knowing that God was going to catch them no matter what happened.
Lo and behold...
On Monday, Jack started applying for more jobs and came across three possibilities. On Tuesday, he sent in his applications. On Wednesday, he had two second interviews. On Thursday, Jack had three job offers! I don't know which job he will end up having, but wow. Isn't that amazing?
Thank you, Jack, for reminding me that God is so much bigger than me. Thank you, Jack, for teaching me through your very life to put God first. Thank you, Jack, for you taught me things today that you will never even know about.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Mazel Tov!
My two best friends from home just got engaged Wednesday night. I can't believe how quickly time has gone by! It seems like only yesterday that Shawna was secretly pining after him from afar. Look how far they have come! Congratulations are in store!
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Sometimes my camera shocks me and takes a fairly decent photo. This is one of the dogwood trees in my neighborhood. Isn't it beautiful? It's a good thing I took this picture when I did because the next day, my neighbor boys thought it would be cool to swing bats at the tree limbs and knock off a bunch of the petals. I guess it's true...boys will be boys!
Important Numbers
Number of days spent in classes: 19
Number of days spent taking finals: 2
Number of major projects that must be completed: 5
Number of days until I have to move out of the apartment: 32
Number of days remaining at my job: 32
Number of days until I leave for my European adventure: 43
Number of days until I finally arrive in Kenya: 60
"All good things come to those who wait." -I don't know.
Number of days spent taking finals: 2
Number of major projects that must be completed: 5
Number of days until I have to move out of the apartment: 32
Number of days remaining at my job: 32
Number of days until I leave for my European adventure: 43
Number of days until I finally arrive in Kenya: 60
"All good things come to those who wait." -I don't know.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
It's a BEAUTIFUL Day in the Neighborhood!
Man oh man. What a great day outside! The sun is shining, there is a light breeze, the grass is getting greener, I am wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and flip-flops...what more could a girl ask for? I just got back from RIDING MY BIKE to class. It was delightful and money-saving. That's a huge plus. However, for those of you who are avid bike-riders, take note: Don't wear flip-flops that have no thong in them. Your feet slide everywhere when trying to pedal.
A few reasons why yesterday, April 4th, was such a GREAT day (in no particular order):
1. NO MORE SOCKS! Put them away and bust out the sandals because flip-flop season has officially arrived. I no longer have any closed toed shoes here except for my running shoes, because take it from me, you can't run in flip-flops.
2. Turned off our air this past weekend. I love having the windows open and I love saving money.
3. Went to my "kiddie lit" class on the quad yesterday. How cool is that?
4. The quad was packed with people. Very exciting. We had lunch on the patio in the sun.
5. Skin season has officially opened. Don't hear me wrong on this, but everyone starts shedding layers right about now. It is really quite entertaining. It just amazes me what some people wear to class. Enough on that.
6. I watched the Illinois game with my ultra-athletic roommate. I am such a loser when it comes to sports, but it was really fun to get into the game with her. Even though it was a sad, sad ending, it was still a great game to watch.
7. I finally started to feel and sound a bit better yesterday. The sickness isn't gone yet, but we are getting there.
8. I am going to have another cousin in Africa come October! Kelly sneakily sent an email late last night sharing the news. I have been secretly hoping for this news to come for a long time!
9. Sammy and I went to Miller Park yesterday and he was SO GOOD. We spent an hour, I kid you not, looking at these war-time memoirs. There are replicas of cannons, tanks, and such. He even climbed into a hatch on one of the tanks. I am not sure if we were supposed to do that, but oh well. He got to pretendd he was a soldier and he loved it! At any rate, he didn't run away, start screaming, or hit me during our time together. Maybe he has had spring fever since January and the sunshine is finally curing some of those temper-tantrums.
10. My dates have finally been set for the summer. I will have layovers in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Paris, France. Not too shabby, not too shabby at all.
Anyway, those are the reasons I can remember why yesterday was such a great day. Today is going just dandy as well. How could it not when my day started with an invigorating bike ride.
Let the sun shine!
A few reasons why yesterday, April 4th, was such a GREAT day (in no particular order):
1. NO MORE SOCKS! Put them away and bust out the sandals because flip-flop season has officially arrived. I no longer have any closed toed shoes here except for my running shoes, because take it from me, you can't run in flip-flops.
2. Turned off our air this past weekend. I love having the windows open and I love saving money.
3. Went to my "kiddie lit" class on the quad yesterday. How cool is that?
4. The quad was packed with people. Very exciting. We had lunch on the patio in the sun.
5. Skin season has officially opened. Don't hear me wrong on this, but everyone starts shedding layers right about now. It is really quite entertaining. It just amazes me what some people wear to class. Enough on that.
6. I watched the Illinois game with my ultra-athletic roommate. I am such a loser when it comes to sports, but it was really fun to get into the game with her. Even though it was a sad, sad ending, it was still a great game to watch.
7. I finally started to feel and sound a bit better yesterday. The sickness isn't gone yet, but we are getting there.
8. I am going to have another cousin in Africa come October! Kelly sneakily sent an email late last night sharing the news. I have been secretly hoping for this news to come for a long time!
9. Sammy and I went to Miller Park yesterday and he was SO GOOD. We spent an hour, I kid you not, looking at these war-time memoirs. There are replicas of cannons, tanks, and such. He even climbed into a hatch on one of the tanks. I am not sure if we were supposed to do that, but oh well. He got to pretendd he was a soldier and he loved it! At any rate, he didn't run away, start screaming, or hit me during our time together. Maybe he has had spring fever since January and the sunshine is finally curing some of those temper-tantrums.
10. My dates have finally been set for the summer. I will have layovers in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Paris, France. Not too shabby, not too shabby at all.
Anyway, those are the reasons I can remember why yesterday was such a great day. Today is going just dandy as well. How could it not when my day started with an invigorating bike ride.
Let the sun shine!
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Beautiful flowers! My friend Steph was in town last week and I was supposed to have dinner with her. BUT, since I have been so ridiculously sick all week, I couldn't go. Instead, she brought me these lovely flowers. Unfortunately, they are slowly withering away and I have yet to smell them! At least I can enjoy looking at them, right?
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