As I was writing this post I was trying to come up with a clever title. Something catchy, memorable. The more I thought about it the more I realized that thirty hour famine is the only title that will do. I mean really, hearing about someone not eating for thirty hours - that's a pretty good attention grabber.
Thirty hours. I watch the seconds slowly tick by. I can physically feel the energy drain out of my body; I leave it behind me. We keep going. Ten hours left. I can hardly stand up without the room spinning, the floor slips from beneath my feet . . .
Just kidding! It wasn't that dramatic. But at the same time it was, but not in the way I expected.
We arrived at the church on Friday sometime around five o'clock. I was already feeling hungry. What else do you do on the weekends except eat? Plus the fat girl inside of me likes an after school snack (more like a pre-dinner). Thirty hours without food. It was all my friends and I could talk about that day. How were we going to survive? Just like those starving children in Africa who survive every day with little to nothing in their stomachs.
We all congregated in the teen room and gave each other looks: "What are we doing here?" and "Why are doing this?" I know. For the starving children in Africa. We watched quite a few videos about children who have nothing. (What else are we going to watch a video on? Children who have everything? Uh, yeah, no.)
After being moved to almost-tears we received a card with a child's name on it. We were to be that child for the weekend. My child's name was Kasia from Afghanistan. Each child had a disability and along with that disability came a story. Kasia was in a firefight that devastated her village. She was placed in a camp with thousands of other people who had lost their homes. She has a severely damaged eye. The aid workers tell her she will never regain her vision.
In order to act out my child I had to wear sunglasses with duct-tape over one lens. I thought it would be easy, no problem. But you know what? It was really hard to see with one eye, and a shaded one at that (they were really dark sunglasses!). As I ran into chairs and people, I squinted to see what my friends disabilities were. They received limps and burnt hands and damaged vocal chords.
We hobbled down to service and waved at all of the adults who were watching us. I found my way to a chair without smashing into anyone and the music started playing. Just like any other worship service I began to sing. It's so easy to let your mind wander when you're singing. I am constantly thinking about homework that isn't finished or that guy over there who keeps staring at me. (Keep your eyes to yourself!) But since I was half-blind this time I just closed my eyes and swayed to the music. Before I knew it I was completely and totally one with the lyrics I was singing. The song that was playing was "Marvelous Light." How ironic. My favorite line from that song: "Lift my hands and spin around/See the light that I have found/Oh the marvelous light, the marvelous light." I was able to shut out the world and focus on worshiping my God. The God who loves everyone, even the starving, even Kasia.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Don't You Know You're Beautiful
I was looking up music on YouTube when I came across the song "Don't You Know You're Beautiful" by Kellie Pickler.
What a great song! It just makes me happy. Kellie explained her song on her MySpace page. She wanted to share with all the girls out there that they are important and they do matter. She said, "In today's society we, including myself, often compare ourselves to that person or model on the front of the magazine, and we all want those expensive clothes that are displayed. I think that is just human nature. I will be the first to tell you all of that is not real."
This song was Kellie's first single and it shows that she is just like every other woman out there and she too struggles with insecurity. Her song empowers women to have confidence in themselves and that there are more important things in life than fitting in.
You are beautiful! Know it. Live it. Love it.
This song was Kellie's first single and it shows that she is just like every other woman out there and she too struggles with insecurity. Her song empowers women to have confidence in themselves and that there are more important things in life than fitting in.
You are beautiful! Know it. Live it. Love it.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
I Dare You Look Up and Try to Mold The Skies
I'm pretty sure that in the past week I've listened to this song over a hundred times. I love it. Beauty Redefined by Jules Morrow was written for the Beauty Redefined website created by Lindsay and Lexie Kite. Their goal is to help women recognize and reject the harmful messages in the media about our bodies. Their Beauty Redefined program has been running for two and a half years and has gone from a simple blog to a (almost) government sponsored "business."
Their new song was written especially for people like you and me. It was written in a way that shows you how beautiful you truly are. Like I said before, I love it!
The first line: "Take back what we let fade away." Let's take back healthy and search for true beauty within ourselves instead of beauty on the outside. Let's be the "voice of tomorrow" and stop depending on the "product of yesterday" to make us beautiful. Because we already are beautiful. "And once you feel it, you will never be the same."
I love the chorus. "All that we can do is strut, now make it loud." If we're going to change the world we need to make it LOUD! "Toss passion to the proud whose views are simply misaligned." Decide for yourself what beauty is, don't let others tell you what is or isn't beautiful. "Ask the brave: 'Step forward help us straighten all that's been misshapen, torn and barely left alive.'" Love! I challenge you to be brave and redefine beauty with me. Life live beautiful-ly
"We need beauty redefined."
"You're captivating, don't be captive to the lies." So true. Don't fall into the trap of "fake." Be real. Be beautiful. "I dare you look up and try to mold the skies."
Make up your mind that you are beautiful, don't let anyone tell you otherwise! "Make up your mind and not your face, we all know it is a happier chase. And in the end you'll finish out the race."
"We need beauty redefined."
1 Peter 3:3-4 says, "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."
Their new song was written especially for people like you and me. It was written in a way that shows you how beautiful you truly are. Like I said before, I love it!
The first line: "Take back what we let fade away." Let's take back healthy and search for true beauty within ourselves instead of beauty on the outside. Let's be the "voice of tomorrow" and stop depending on the "product of yesterday" to make us beautiful. Because we already are beautiful. "And once you feel it, you will never be the same."
I love the chorus. "All that we can do is strut, now make it loud." If we're going to change the world we need to make it LOUD! "Toss passion to the proud whose views are simply misaligned." Decide for yourself what beauty is, don't let others tell you what is or isn't beautiful. "Ask the brave: 'Step forward help us straighten all that's been misshapen, torn and barely left alive.'" Love! I challenge you to be brave and redefine beauty with me. Life live beautiful-ly
"We need beauty redefined."
"You're captivating, don't be captive to the lies." So true. Don't fall into the trap of "fake." Be real. Be beautiful. "I dare you look up and try to mold the skies."
Make up your mind that you are beautiful, don't let anyone tell you otherwise! "Make up your mind and not your face, we all know it is a happier chase. And in the end you'll finish out the race."
"We need beauty redefined."
1 Peter 3:3-4 says, "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Give Thanks
I was reading this blog (which I totally love!) and came across a blog post about gratitude. It was so refreshing to read about someone being thankful for the little things in life.
When you give thanks it helps release stress. Being thankful helps increase the immune system, increase energy, lower heart rate, you are more likely to live longer, and it decreases stress.
Ten things I am grateful for:
1. I am so thankful for the warm weather and the sunshine. It was such a wonderful day!
2. I hardly had any homework tonight so I was able to work ahead and relax, which is always good for a Monday.
3. I am grateful for my blog. As hard as it can be and even though somedays I just want to call it quits, I really think it is making me, dare I say, wiser? Maybe not, but it is definitely helping me be more aware of the things around me.
4. I love words. They are amazing!
5. I am thankful that you are reading this right now!
6. I am so appreciative of my youth group and my amazing friends who are always there for me.
7. I am thankful for phone conversations.
8. Even though I hate raking the leaves, I am so grateful for the changing season and the beautiful colors it brings. Plus, for some reason, I am super excited for winter!
9. I am so grateful for e-mail. I love getting e-mails!
10. I am thankful that God sent His Son to die for me. I am so thankful that because of Jesus' shed blood, we are made clean.
What are ten things you can give thanks for today?
When you give thanks it helps release stress. Being thankful helps increase the immune system, increase energy, lower heart rate, you are more likely to live longer, and it decreases stress.
Ten things I am grateful for:
1. I am so thankful for the warm weather and the sunshine. It was such a wonderful day!
2. I hardly had any homework tonight so I was able to work ahead and relax, which is always good for a Monday.
3. I am grateful for my blog. As hard as it can be and even though somedays I just want to call it quits, I really think it is making me, dare I say, wiser? Maybe not, but it is definitely helping me be more aware of the things around me.
4. I love words. They are amazing!
5. I am thankful that you are reading this right now!
6. I am so appreciative of my youth group and my amazing friends who are always there for me.
7. I am thankful for phone conversations.
8. Even though I hate raking the leaves, I am so grateful for the changing season and the beautiful colors it brings. Plus, for some reason, I am super excited for winter!
9. I am so grateful for e-mail. I love getting e-mails!
10. I am thankful that God sent His Son to die for me. I am so thankful that because of Jesus' shed blood, we are made clean.
What are ten things you can give thanks for today?
Monday, October 24, 2011
Fighting for Our Rights
For centuries women have been fighting for equal rights. Fighting to be heard; fighting for a public voice. It wasn't until August 26, 1920 that women finally gained suffrage.
It wasn't until the 1800's that the women of American began to truly fight for their rights. On her deathbed, Mary Walker Ostram said, "Don't be afraid, not afraid, fight Satan; stand up for Christ; don't be afraid." Ostram began her fight for women's rights during the Second Great Awakening when the spiritual activities of the church became the responsibility for the women. During this time, they found a "sphere of influence" in numerous areas of their family life that they didn't have before.
In 1834 women in New York founded the Female Moral Reform Society. The goal of this society was to end prostitution and moral corruption of women all over the country. Not only did they demand chastity for women of their group, but also for men. This society soon had members in the North and the Midwest and founded homes across the country for prostitutes.
Angelina and Sarah Grimke were sisters who supported abolition and women's suffrage. These women became antislavery lecturers, to the disappointment of Congregationalist clergymen, and often used the Bible to support their lectures about abolition and suffrage. "Men and women are created equal. They are both moral and accountable beings and whatever is right for man to do is right for women," wrote Sarah Grimke.
Susan B. Anthony was one of the few women of the 1800's who had the opportunity to attend school alongside her brothers. She was born into a Quaker family in Philadelphia and her father believed in equal treatment of genders. Her family supported the temperance movement and also the anti-slavery movement. During the Women's Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, Susan, along with her family, signed the "Declaration of Sentiments." In her adult life, Susan continued to be an advocate of women's rights. She wrote the Susan B. Anthony Amendment that became the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution and gave women the right to vote. She led the only non-violent revolution in our country. Susan B. Anthony led women to freedom.
Women's rights advocates like Susan are still needed around the globe. In places like Africa and in the Middle East, women are fighting for their equality. They are often mistreated and abused by the men of their society. We need to stand up for those women and fight for those who can't fight for themselves.
In the words of Susan B. Anthony: "Nothing is impossible."
Galatians 3:28 says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
It wasn't until the 1800's that the women of American began to truly fight for their rights. On her deathbed, Mary Walker Ostram said, "Don't be afraid, not afraid, fight Satan; stand up for Christ; don't be afraid." Ostram began her fight for women's rights during the Second Great Awakening when the spiritual activities of the church became the responsibility for the women. During this time, they found a "sphere of influence" in numerous areas of their family life that they didn't have before.
In 1834 women in New York founded the Female Moral Reform Society. The goal of this society was to end prostitution and moral corruption of women all over the country. Not only did they demand chastity for women of their group, but also for men. This society soon had members in the North and the Midwest and founded homes across the country for prostitutes.
Angelina and Sarah Grimke were sisters who supported abolition and women's suffrage. These women became antislavery lecturers, to the disappointment of Congregationalist clergymen, and often used the Bible to support their lectures about abolition and suffrage. "Men and women are created equal. They are both moral and accountable beings and whatever is right for man to do is right for women," wrote Sarah Grimke.
Susan B. Anthony was one of the few women of the 1800's who had the opportunity to attend school alongside her brothers. She was born into a Quaker family in Philadelphia and her father believed in equal treatment of genders. Her family supported the temperance movement and also the anti-slavery movement. During the Women's Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, Susan, along with her family, signed the "Declaration of Sentiments." In her adult life, Susan continued to be an advocate of women's rights. She wrote the Susan B. Anthony Amendment that became the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution and gave women the right to vote. She led the only non-violent revolution in our country. Susan B. Anthony led women to freedom.
Women's rights advocates like Susan are still needed around the globe. In places like Africa and in the Middle East, women are fighting for their equality. They are often mistreated and abused by the men of their society. We need to stand up for those women and fight for those who can't fight for themselves.
In the words of Susan B. Anthony: "Nothing is impossible."
Galatians 3:28 says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Be Courageous
The other day I was having a "religious" conversation with one of my good friends. We were driving on the highway, listening to a Christian radio station. About halfway through the song "Courageous" by Casting Crowns, my friend commented on how she didn't know any of the songs that were being played and then she asked why there weren't any Lady Gaga songs played.
I think I laughed out loud.
How could she think Lady Gaga is Christian? She talks about God in a few of her songs and she claims to be religious but being religious and being a Christian are totally different things. Just because Lady Gaga believes in Jesus and God doesn't mean she cares. It doesn't mean she believes the Bible is true.
And then I read this.
I've heard a lot about Max Lucado. My dad loves his books and I've probably read a book of his myself. My Sunday school group just started a Bible study written by him. His quote, "There must be in God's great world a soul who has never doubted God's existence or questioned his goodness. But that soul is not writing this book," took me by surprise. It's good to know I'm not the only Christian who has questioned God's existence.
It's easy to think that you're better than someone because you know what you know, and you know that the person you're better than is wrong. (If that makes any sense at all.) But is it possible to know, is it possible to be one hundred percent positive, that you're going to heaven?
I am not saying it's okay to support Lady Gaga by purchasing her music. It is a fault of mine to argue vehemently with you if you suggest that Lady Gaga is indeed a Christian. (She isn't!) But I think she understands that something is missing from her life. Maybe you do too, and maybe you're searching for something to fill the hole.
But maybe you do know what you know you believe. If that's true of you, then you need to find the courage to live out your faith. Walk the walk and talk the talk. It's cliche, I know. But maybe it's cliche because it works. Go! Be a missionary to your school. Shine God's light in your classrooms. Share the love of God with the people who are searching, people like Lady Gaga.
I think I laughed out loud.
How could she think Lady Gaga is Christian? She talks about God in a few of her songs and she claims to be religious but being religious and being a Christian are totally different things. Just because Lady Gaga believes in Jesus and God doesn't mean she cares. It doesn't mean she believes the Bible is true.
And then I read this.
I've heard a lot about Max Lucado. My dad loves his books and I've probably read a book of his myself. My Sunday school group just started a Bible study written by him. His quote, "There must be in God's great world a soul who has never doubted God's existence or questioned his goodness. But that soul is not writing this book," took me by surprise. It's good to know I'm not the only Christian who has questioned God's existence.
It's easy to think that you're better than someone because you know what you know, and you know that the person you're better than is wrong. (If that makes any sense at all.) But is it possible to know, is it possible to be one hundred percent positive, that you're going to heaven?
I am not saying it's okay to support Lady Gaga by purchasing her music. It is a fault of mine to argue vehemently with you if you suggest that Lady Gaga is indeed a Christian. (She isn't!) But I think she understands that something is missing from her life. Maybe you do too, and maybe you're searching for something to fill the hole.
But maybe you do know what you know you believe. If that's true of you, then you need to find the courage to live out your faith. Walk the walk and talk the talk. It's cliche, I know. But maybe it's cliche because it works. Go! Be a missionary to your school. Shine God's light in your classrooms. Share the love of God with the people who are searching, people like Lady Gaga.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Fat Talk Free Week!
Fat Talk Free Week. Take a guess at what that is. This week is meant to be a week of absolutely no fat talk, which includes thinking your fat or talking about how you've lost weight, or thinking about how you wish you could be as skinny as another person, etc.
I wish I would have found out about this at the beginning of the week; however, I am pledging, right now, to go a week without "fat talk." Forget that, I am going to try to go for a month, starting today. Zero fat talk.
When I found out about Fat Talk Free Week, it was brought to my attention how often we use fat talk. It's all around us! No wonder even the skinniest of us want to be skinnier. Fat talk reinforces the thinness ideals that our society revolves around. Everything we see on TV, what we read about in magazines, how "thin is in," it lowers our self-esteem and our self-worth.
I found a good way to reinforce Fat Talk Free Week; Anytime someone says something negative about their body, they have to list five things they like about their body. You guys have to help me stick to this, alright? And I'll do the same for you.
Another reason to participate in Fat Talk Free Week is to support those struggling to recover from an eating disorder. As a society, we place too much value on body image, and it shows. If you don't feel the need to stop the fat talk for yourself, do it for a friend who's struggling with her self-worth.
I hate how negative we are about body image. It is so hard to be content with how you look when everything around you is telling you that you should NOT eat that second cookie.
You know what? I am going to eat that second cookie and I will be happy about it!
I wish I would have found out about this at the beginning of the week; however, I am pledging, right now, to go a week without "fat talk." Forget that, I am going to try to go for a month, starting today. Zero fat talk.
When I found out about Fat Talk Free Week, it was brought to my attention how often we use fat talk. It's all around us! No wonder even the skinniest of us want to be skinnier. Fat talk reinforces the thinness ideals that our society revolves around. Everything we see on TV, what we read about in magazines, how "thin is in," it lowers our self-esteem and our self-worth.
I found a good way to reinforce Fat Talk Free Week; Anytime someone says something negative about their body, they have to list five things they like about their body. You guys have to help me stick to this, alright? And I'll do the same for you.
Another reason to participate in Fat Talk Free Week is to support those struggling to recover from an eating disorder. As a society, we place too much value on body image, and it shows. If you don't feel the need to stop the fat talk for yourself, do it for a friend who's struggling with her self-worth.
I hate how negative we are about body image. It is so hard to be content with how you look when everything around you is telling you that you should NOT eat that second cookie.
You know what? I am going to eat that second cookie and I will be happy about it!
Finding True Happiness
Happiness: 1. The agreeable sensation which springs from the enjoyment of good; that state of being in which his desires are gratified by the enjoyment of pleasure without pain; felicity; blessedness; satisfaction. 2. Good luck; good fortune.
Our society today, teenagers especially (sorry!), place their happiness in worldly things, items, activities, physical appearance, or sports, maybe even a lifestyle. When we can't obtain the new iphone four (is there an iphone five now?) or be the absolute best at our sport we tend to react negatively towards everything. "If I can't be the best at something I just won't try" or "If my parents won't buy me a car I'm just going to spend the rest of my existence hating them" or even "Since I'm not pretty enough or smart enough I'm just going to give up all together, life like a hobo, take the easy road out." Have you ever thought any of these?
My mother has often pointed out, and I know she's right, that I am so much happier when I'm getting ready for school in the morning when I feel pretty. Pathetic, right? And definitely not okay!
I know some people out there that are unhappy if, during their sport, they end up sitting on the bench for the whole game. It's hard to realize you're not the best, but at least you get to be a part of a team. I love that I can still be a part of my volleyball team, even though I don't get to start in a game.
Do electronics make you happy, really? I guess I can't really relate with this one. I know nothing about electronics! I mean, yeah, it would be awesome to have an iphone and I would greatly appreciate a new lap top (preferably one that isn't so incredibly slow) but I don't base my happiness on electronics. They aren't very reliable. Of course, if I feel pretty then I'm happy, so I have no room to talk.
If you place your happiness in your friends, you're going to be disappointed. Your friends are human. They make mistakes just like you do. They aren't perfect and they never will be. Stop blaming your unhappiness on them.
Unhappiness is different than sorrow, but sorrow can lead to unhappiness. If a loved one passes away you can feel great sorrow, but you can also be happy, especially if you know your loved one believed in Jesus and is in heaven. You don't have to let your sorrow be unhappiness because you know that they're in a better place and that you'll see them again soon. I realize it's hard when someone close to you is suddenly gone but you can't stop that from you living your life. You have to be able to find joy, even though it hurts.
"The best way to cheer yourself up is to cheer somebody else up." -Mark Twain
No matter how happy or unhappy you are right now, remember that whether you feel happy or not depends on YOU! No one else. You are responsible for your happiness.
Are you unhappy? Go do something about it!
Our society today, teenagers especially (sorry!), place their happiness in worldly things, items, activities, physical appearance, or sports, maybe even a lifestyle. When we can't obtain the new iphone four (is there an iphone five now?) or be the absolute best at our sport we tend to react negatively towards everything. "If I can't be the best at something I just won't try" or "If my parents won't buy me a car I'm just going to spend the rest of my existence hating them" or even "Since I'm not pretty enough or smart enough I'm just going to give up all together, life like a hobo, take the easy road out." Have you ever thought any of these?
My mother has often pointed out, and I know she's right, that I am so much happier when I'm getting ready for school in the morning when I feel pretty. Pathetic, right? And definitely not okay!
I know some people out there that are unhappy if, during their sport, they end up sitting on the bench for the whole game. It's hard to realize you're not the best, but at least you get to be a part of a team. I love that I can still be a part of my volleyball team, even though I don't get to start in a game.
Do electronics make you happy, really? I guess I can't really relate with this one. I know nothing about electronics! I mean, yeah, it would be awesome to have an iphone and I would greatly appreciate a new lap top (preferably one that isn't so incredibly slow) but I don't base my happiness on electronics. They aren't very reliable. Of course, if I feel pretty then I'm happy, so I have no room to talk.
If you place your happiness in your friends, you're going to be disappointed. Your friends are human. They make mistakes just like you do. They aren't perfect and they never will be. Stop blaming your unhappiness on them.
Unhappiness is different than sorrow, but sorrow can lead to unhappiness. If a loved one passes away you can feel great sorrow, but you can also be happy, especially if you know your loved one believed in Jesus and is in heaven. You don't have to let your sorrow be unhappiness because you know that they're in a better place and that you'll see them again soon. I realize it's hard when someone close to you is suddenly gone but you can't stop that from you living your life. You have to be able to find joy, even though it hurts.
"The best way to cheer yourself up is to cheer somebody else up." -Mark Twain
No matter how happy or unhappy you are right now, remember that whether you feel happy or not depends on YOU! No one else. You are responsible for your happiness.
Are you unhappy? Go do something about it!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Follow the Leader
I graduated eight grade from a small private school. When I say small I mean two hundred students, pre-school through eight grade. Small. I never would have thought that three years later I would be back, mentoring seventh and eight grade girls.
How can I be a mentor? I have no idea what I should be doing (or not doing). I'm only sixteen! How am I supposed to help middle schoolers when I don't even know how to help myself?
By setting a Christlike example.
As I was watching these girls, trying to remember names and faces and getting to know them, I realized how amazing they are. We were standing around the fire in a circle doing a popcorn prayer. One after the other, they began to pour out their hearts to God, sometimes interrupting each other because they all wanted a chance to pray. I know I didn't have the courage in eight grade to pray out loud, I'm not even sure I'm always brave enough now.
I want to do right by these girls. I want to be able to set a good example. I want them to be able to ask the questions that I was too afraid to ask going into high school, about what it would be like. I want to be able to tell them the truth.
So I'm going to be watching myself more carefully, judging my actions with more scrutiny, all while remembering that no one is perfect except God. So I'll turn to him, he who is always ready to forgive and always perfect, I'll turn to him for the answers, and hope that I have the patience to await his response.
How can I be a mentor? I have no idea what I should be doing (or not doing). I'm only sixteen! How am I supposed to help middle schoolers when I don't even know how to help myself?
By setting a Christlike example.
As I was watching these girls, trying to remember names and faces and getting to know them, I realized how amazing they are. We were standing around the fire in a circle doing a popcorn prayer. One after the other, they began to pour out their hearts to God, sometimes interrupting each other because they all wanted a chance to pray. I know I didn't have the courage in eight grade to pray out loud, I'm not even sure I'm always brave enough now.
I want to do right by these girls. I want to be able to set a good example. I want them to be able to ask the questions that I was too afraid to ask going into high school, about what it would be like. I want to be able to tell them the truth.
So I'm going to be watching myself more carefully, judging my actions with more scrutiny, all while remembering that no one is perfect except God. So I'll turn to him, he who is always ready to forgive and always perfect, I'll turn to him for the answers, and hope that I have the patience to await his response.
With(out) Feeling
I listen to the radio all the time. My favorite station is 89.1 or Air1; they always seem to play the right song at the right time.
The afternoon host, Brant, has his own blog, Brant's Blog (creative, I know). As I was reading a few of his posts I stumbled across Blessed are the Spiritually Bankrupt. I was instantly curious, of course.
He begins by talking about how great the feeling is when you can feel God right there, when you know he is with you and he never left you and he never will leave you. You think, "Wow, Brant, I wish I could feel that way," as he goes on to explain is thinking the exact same thing.
Now wait, this is a Christian radio host. He should be having God moments all the time! Apparently this isn't so. He calls himself spiritually bankrupt. Spiritually bankrupt, not because he doesn't believe, not because he doesn't love God, but because he just hasn't felt him. And he knows he isn't the only one out there.
And so do I, because I'm out there too.
I've had a few God moments. It truly is amazing to know that the Creator of the universe is speaking to you! However, I don't feel spiritual, like I supposedly should.
The definition of spiritual is relating to the spirit or soul and not to physical nature or matter; intangible, untouchable. But God isn't untouchable.
You don't have to be spiritual to be a Child of God. You don't have to get swept up in the moment of "powerful worship." If you aren't comfortable with worshipping, still participate, but also worship God in your own way. Worship doesn't mean just singing; you could play an instrument, dance, write a novel even, as long as it is worshipful to God.
Maybe even my friends, the ones who I look up to spiritually (and physically), my friends who I trust to always be in the "right" with God, maybe they aren't really spiritual either.
But they know he's there. And that's all that matters.
The afternoon host, Brant, has his own blog, Brant's Blog (creative, I know). As I was reading a few of his posts I stumbled across Blessed are the Spiritually Bankrupt. I was instantly curious, of course.
He begins by talking about how great the feeling is when you can feel God right there, when you know he is with you and he never left you and he never will leave you. You think, "Wow, Brant, I wish I could feel that way," as he goes on to explain is thinking the exact same thing.
Now wait, this is a Christian radio host. He should be having God moments all the time! Apparently this isn't so. He calls himself spiritually bankrupt. Spiritually bankrupt, not because he doesn't believe, not because he doesn't love God, but because he just hasn't felt him. And he knows he isn't the only one out there.
And so do I, because I'm out there too.
I've had a few God moments. It truly is amazing to know that the Creator of the universe is speaking to you! However, I don't feel spiritual, like I supposedly should.
The definition of spiritual is relating to the spirit or soul and not to physical nature or matter; intangible, untouchable. But God isn't untouchable.
You don't have to be spiritual to be a Child of God. You don't have to get swept up in the moment of "powerful worship." If you aren't comfortable with worshipping, still participate, but also worship God in your own way. Worship doesn't mean just singing; you could play an instrument, dance, write a novel even, as long as it is worshipful to God.
Maybe even my friends, the ones who I look up to spiritually (and physically), my friends who I trust to always be in the "right" with God, maybe they aren't really spiritual either.
But they know he's there. And that's all that matters.
Re-Defining Heathy
In 1861 Lillian Russel was born. During her lifetime she not only became an actress and singer, but also became known as "one of the most beautiful women on the American stage" (obituary from the New York Times, 1922). During the time of her life when she was most famous she weighed two-hundred pounds and was beautiful because of her "curvaceous figure."
Yeah, two hundred pounds! And people loved her for it! How is it that a hundred years ago that was seen to be a healthy weight when now a healthy weight is half that at six foot two. Russel's weight was a sign of her health and she was not seen as obese.
Are we not tired of wanting to look skinnier? Are we not tired comparing ourselves to others? Are we not tired of looking in the mirror and wanting to crawl back into bed?
Lie: If you are thin than you are healthy and "fit."
Truth: Being skinny does not mean you're healthy. People who are active and "overweight" may be healthier than those who are thin and sedentary.
Everything in the media - television shows, magazines, movies - they tell us it isn't okay to be a healthy weight, that we can never be happy with the way we look. It's like our society is pro-eating disorder.
You know, because it doesn't matter if you die young, as long as you die skinny!
Kate Moss, British "anti-supermodel," was quoted in a fashion magazine, Women's Wear Daily. She said, "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." I'm pretty sure my chocolate bar tastes better than looking like a stick.
I came across this blog, Thinspiration. I scrolled through hundreds of pictures of anorexic girls, all ribs and hip bones and skeleton legs. Why is it that I couldn't help wanting to be as skinny as them? Dangerously skinny.
I have drawn the conclusion that the way "skinny" is viewed in society today began in the nineteenth century. Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quatelet was a Belgian mathematician in the early eighteen hundreds. He graduated from the University of Ghent with a doctorate in mathematics and afterwards began to study "social sciences." A firm believer of statistics, Quatelet discovered the "Quatelet Index," better known as your body mass index (BMI).
To measure BMI you measure your height and weight. You divide your weight (in kilograms) by your height (in meters squared) and voila!, you now know your BMI.
BMI is the statistic of how healthy you are. On the scale, if an adult has a BMI of over twenty five they are overweight, if your BMI is over thirty, you're obese, and if it's over forty, you are classified as extremely obese. (Notice the word "classified," like an animal.)
However, the BMI system is flawed. By standardizing weight and height you overlook bone structure, the thickness of skin, and the obvious, whether the person you are categorizing as fat is male or female. Insurance companies began to use this in the nineteen hundreds as a way of deciding how healthy you are for their own selfish reasons and were able to collect more money from those who were "overweight."
As of March 2011, scientists have begun to replace BMI with a system called body adiposity index (BAI). This new way of measuring relies on waist and hip measurements and takes into account whether the person is male or female and if they are of a different ethnicity.
Instead of focusing so much on our appearances, let's put our time and effort into staying healthy. Don't put it off until tomorrow, start today! Put down that bag of potato chips, turn off the computer, and go outside. It's a beautiful day! Your time is now to feel beautiful.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
The Name Game
I love names. I believe that your name takes a big role in defining who you are or who you will become; maybe it describes who you want to strive to be.
I love looking up definitions of people's names and looking for comparisons in their name and in who they are. How is it that parents are so accurate when they name their children?
In the book God Girl, by Hayley DiMarco, it has the definition of grace from the Tyndale Bible Dictionary.
Grace: the dimension of divine activity that enables God to confront human indifference and rebellion with an inexhaustible capacity to forgive and to bless. God is gracious in action.
Wow. That's a lot of power in one word. I pray to God that I can live up to my name.
How do you think the definition of your name describes who you are as a Child of God?
I love looking up definitions of people's names and looking for comparisons in their name and in who they are. How is it that parents are so accurate when they name their children?
In the book God Girl, by Hayley DiMarco, it has the definition of grace from the Tyndale Bible Dictionary.
Grace: the dimension of divine activity that enables God to confront human indifference and rebellion with an inexhaustible capacity to forgive and to bless. God is gracious in action.
Wow. That's a lot of power in one word. I pray to God that I can live up to my name.
How do you think the definition of your name describes who you are as a Child of God?
Friday, October 7, 2011
College Student for the Weekend!
It is never too early to start looking at colleges. There are so many colleges out there and so many factors influencing your decision that I decided to begin visiting college campus' . . . last weekend.
Red Carpet Days is a college visit for sophomores and juniors at Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois. It was nothing like I expected. And now you're going to ask me "What did you expect it to be like?"
My answer to that, "Don't ask!" I honestly don't know what I expected; I just know I didn't expect that.
And that is what I am going to tell you about.
Let me tell you that riding in a fifteen-passenger van, all females, for four hours, it gets pretty crazy. On the way there we stopped three times, mostly for food. Miraculously, we arrived at ONU. I expected to feel an immediate sense of belonging when we drove through the campus gate. I didn't really feel anything, so that was a little disappointing.
We were warmly welcomed by at the front desk as we found our activities packet and map. The really cool thing about being there was that we were able to stay in the freshman dorms, and I know that it really helped me picture myself living there someday.
After we were assigned our rooms we gathered up our many belongings we plodded to our rooms. As we walked through the corridor, one by one, we each found where we would stay the night. I was staying with a friend and we were both eager to meet the freshmen we would be rooming with for the night. When we arrived there was a note on the door, welcoming us and inviting us to make ourselves comfortable.
So we did. Our luggage was everywhere, and once we couldn't hardly walk across the floor of the tiny dormitory we headed back out to eat lunch in the cafeteria.
Not going to lie, it was a little intimidating walking through the cafeteria doors and eating with the college students. And there was so much food! At my high school we have about five choices for lunch; here there were twice that many, and it was all you can eat. My mom said that's why they call it freshman fifteen.
When our stomachs were sufficiently filled, we all left the cafeteria and split up to attend different college classes. I attended a language class and a speaking class.
The language class was pretty interesting. The way they "discussed" wasn't much different from the conversations that we have in AP Lang, except they were God-based. I was surprised to find that I understood everything they were talking about, and was even able to answer a few questions.
I didn't actually mean to walk into a speech class. I have no interest in public speaking what-so-ever, but it proved beneficial. The teacher grouped us in with the college students and we were able to complete an outline for a paper about "How to Successfully be a Freshman." I was proud of myself for being able to contribute to the thesis statement.
During the third class period we went on a tour of the campus instead. It was so much fun to be able to just hang out with my girls and dream about attending Olivet someday. It really is a beautiful campus and all of the buildings are up-to-date, which is fantastic.
All the visiting high school students ate dinner together and were able to meet advisors of the college. When we had finished eating we loaded onto buses and hung out at this PlanetX/YMCA place. It was boring until we decided to play volleyball, then it got intense. We had a lot of fun getting to know the other students visiting Olivet and just getting to know each other better.
Saturday morning we woke up way too early and ate a way too big breakfast in the cafeteria with our way cool freshman dorm-mates. Afterwards, we wandered around campus until it was time for service.
An Olivet football game brought an end to our adventure, if only for the weekend. Maybe in a few years we will all find each other there again, living in the freshman dorms, and finding our place in life. Maybe not.
All weekend I was waiting to hear God's voice, telling me that this was where I belong. While I'm still searching, I know that when I find the right place, the decision won't be hard and God will always provide.
Red Carpet Days is a college visit for sophomores and juniors at Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois. It was nothing like I expected. And now you're going to ask me "What did you expect it to be like?"
My answer to that, "Don't ask!" I honestly don't know what I expected; I just know I didn't expect that.
And that is what I am going to tell you about.
Let me tell you that riding in a fifteen-passenger van, all females, for four hours, it gets pretty crazy. On the way there we stopped three times, mostly for food. Miraculously, we arrived at ONU. I expected to feel an immediate sense of belonging when we drove through the campus gate. I didn't really feel anything, so that was a little disappointing.
We were warmly welcomed by at the front desk as we found our activities packet and map. The really cool thing about being there was that we were able to stay in the freshman dorms, and I know that it really helped me picture myself living there someday.
After we were assigned our rooms we gathered up our many belongings we plodded to our rooms. As we walked through the corridor, one by one, we each found where we would stay the night. I was staying with a friend and we were both eager to meet the freshmen we would be rooming with for the night. When we arrived there was a note on the door, welcoming us and inviting us to make ourselves comfortable.
So we did. Our luggage was everywhere, and once we couldn't hardly walk across the floor of the tiny dormitory we headed back out to eat lunch in the cafeteria.
Not going to lie, it was a little intimidating walking through the cafeteria doors and eating with the college students. And there was so much food! At my high school we have about five choices for lunch; here there were twice that many, and it was all you can eat. My mom said that's why they call it freshman fifteen.
When our stomachs were sufficiently filled, we all left the cafeteria and split up to attend different college classes. I attended a language class and a speaking class.
The language class was pretty interesting. The way they "discussed" wasn't much different from the conversations that we have in AP Lang, except they were God-based. I was surprised to find that I understood everything they were talking about, and was even able to answer a few questions.
I didn't actually mean to walk into a speech class. I have no interest in public speaking what-so-ever, but it proved beneficial. The teacher grouped us in with the college students and we were able to complete an outline for a paper about "How to Successfully be a Freshman." I was proud of myself for being able to contribute to the thesis statement.
During the third class period we went on a tour of the campus instead. It was so much fun to be able to just hang out with my girls and dream about attending Olivet someday. It really is a beautiful campus and all of the buildings are up-to-date, which is fantastic.
All the visiting high school students ate dinner together and were able to meet advisors of the college. When we had finished eating we loaded onto buses and hung out at this PlanetX/YMCA place. It was boring until we decided to play volleyball, then it got intense. We had a lot of fun getting to know the other students visiting Olivet and just getting to know each other better.
Saturday morning we woke up way too early and ate a way too big breakfast in the cafeteria with our way cool freshman dorm-mates. Afterwards, we wandered around campus until it was time for service.
An Olivet football game brought an end to our adventure, if only for the weekend. Maybe in a few years we will all find each other there again, living in the freshman dorms, and finding our place in life. Maybe not.
All weekend I was waiting to hear God's voice, telling me that this was where I belong. While I'm still searching, I know that when I find the right place, the decision won't be hard and God will always provide.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
American Pride
Don't you love meeting foreign exchange students? They have such great stories to share and are always willing to make new friends. It would take so much courage to leave your family for a year, your friends, your school; it would take so much courage to make a "home" in a different country with a different culture.
Props to you guys!
I saw a recent facebook post from a foreign exchange student. She talked about how coming to America has always been her dream. She said it was still her dream to live here.
Hold up . . . How many of us take for granted living in the United States? I know I do! (Of course, that comes from the girl who wants to live in France someday. But that's another story.) We are so blessed to live in a country where we have the freedom of worship (I don't like the word religion), freedom of speech, freedom of the press. We are so blessed to have FREEDOM!
This foreign exchange student that I was talking about, she wrote that she loves the "sweet taste of freedom."
I was at a volleyball game last night and they started the game with the National Anthem. We all stood, which was fabulous, except the guy in front of me stood and continued to eat his hot dog and lick his fingers free of mustard. How disrespectful. Millions of men have fought and died for our freedom and he can't even take a minute to stop what he is doing, put down his food, and place his hand over his heart. Umm, hello? I think we're missing something here!
This foreign exchange student that I was talking about, she knows all the words to The Star-Spangled Banner and she sings them with pride and with her hand over her heart.
I attended a Christian school from the start up until freshman year. We always started the day with the pledge of allegiance to the United States Flag, the Christian Flag, and the Bible. I miss that. Every school should start the day with the pledge of allegiance. Just because it states "one nation, under God" doesn't mean we can't recite it in a public school. Honestly!
This would probably be a good time to tell you this blog post is directed at me personally, just as much as it is you. We all need to take a stand and "re-invent" pride in our country.
1 Peter 2:13-17 says, “Makes Jesus your Lord proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God's emissaries for keeping order. It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of fools. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.”
Props to you guys!
I saw a recent facebook post from a foreign exchange student. She talked about how coming to America has always been her dream. She said it was still her dream to live here.
Hold up . . . How many of us take for granted living in the United States? I know I do! (Of course, that comes from the girl who wants to live in France someday. But that's another story.) We are so blessed to live in a country where we have the freedom of worship (I don't like the word religion), freedom of speech, freedom of the press. We are so blessed to have FREEDOM!
This foreign exchange student that I was talking about, she wrote that she loves the "sweet taste of freedom."
This foreign exchange student that I was talking about, she knows all the words to The Star-Spangled Banner and she sings them with pride and with her hand over her heart.
I attended a Christian school from the start up until freshman year. We always started the day with the pledge of allegiance to the United States Flag, the Christian Flag, and the Bible. I miss that. Every school should start the day with the pledge of allegiance. Just because it states "one nation, under God" doesn't mean we can't recite it in a public school. Honestly!
This would probably be a good time to tell you this blog post is directed at me personally, just as much as it is you. We all need to take a stand and "re-invent" pride in our country.
1 Peter 2:13-17 says, “Makes Jesus your Lord proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God's emissaries for keeping order. It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of fools. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.”
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Faith is Fact
In one of my more recent blog posts, Coasting Through, I made the statement faith is not based on feeling or emotion but on fact. I thought I would take some time to explain what I mean by that.
When I was at camp over the summer we talked about knowing your faith. The camp slogan is "Do you really know what you say you believe? Is this your faith or your momma's faith?"
Unlike believing in evolution or atheism or something, the Christian faith is the most intelligent faith in the world. When you put your faith in God and the Bible you aren't believing without evidence. Contrary to popular belief, the Bible is very consistent. Even though it was written over a period of 1500 years, every copy says the same thing. The Bible was written over forty generations and by over forty different authors ranging from a variety of social positions and occupations such as peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, kings, etc. Something that I find really interesting is that it was written on three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. It was also written in three different languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.
How can something written such a long time a go, in several different languages, and on several different continents be consistent with itself?
Because the Bible is the Holy Inspired Word of God.
The Bible has been translated into 2,400 languages and dialects. How amazing is that? While at camp they told us that all great works of (ancient) literature have several surviving handwritten manuscripts. They gave us examples like Plato's Tetralogies, which has seven surviving manuscripts. Aristotle has forty-nine manuscripts and Homer's Iliad has 643 surviving manuscripts.
The New Testament has 24,633 surviving, handwritten manuscripts.
2 Samuel 22:31 says, "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless."
That is why I believe that faith is based on fact and not emotions. How else can you explain it? The Bible is the truth, it has survived for thousands of years and remained consistent throughout. The Word of God is alive and will speak to His people yesterday, today, and forever.
When I was at camp over the summer we talked about knowing your faith. The camp slogan is "Do you really know what you say you believe? Is this your faith or your momma's faith?"
Unlike believing in evolution or atheism or something, the Christian faith is the most intelligent faith in the world. When you put your faith in God and the Bible you aren't believing without evidence. Contrary to popular belief, the Bible is very consistent. Even though it was written over a period of 1500 years, every copy says the same thing. The Bible was written over forty generations and by over forty different authors ranging from a variety of social positions and occupations such as peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, kings, etc. Something that I find really interesting is that it was written on three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. It was also written in three different languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.
How can something written such a long time a go, in several different languages, and on several different continents be consistent with itself?
Because the Bible is the Holy Inspired Word of God.
The Bible has been translated into 2,400 languages and dialects. How amazing is that? While at camp they told us that all great works of (ancient) literature have several surviving handwritten manuscripts. They gave us examples like Plato's Tetralogies, which has seven surviving manuscripts. Aristotle has forty-nine manuscripts and Homer's Iliad has 643 surviving manuscripts.
The New Testament has 24,633 surviving, handwritten manuscripts.
2 Samuel 22:31 says, "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless."
That is why I believe that faith is based on fact and not emotions. How else can you explain it? The Bible is the truth, it has survived for thousands of years and remained consistent throughout. The Word of God is alive and will speak to His people yesterday, today, and forever.
The Shaman
There are religious experts of all kinds in every generation: pastors or reverends, priests, in Jesus' day his disciples and afterwards his apostles, or any member of clergy. In the days of the hunter-gatherers it was the Shaman or "one who knows."
Shaman have different "powers" depending on which people group you are talking about. In North America they were believed to be possessed by spirits that spoke through them. Another way the spirits would communicate with shaman would be through visions or dreams. Shaman had the power to let their spirits wander and go wherever they wanted or become whoever they please.
It was believed by the Amazonians that their shamans were able to become jaguars and they would growl, pant, and strike the air with claw-like fingers. Shaman paid special attention to illness, the weather, predators, and prey and focused their powers on postponing the inevitable. Scholar Mircea Eliade wrote, "What is fundamental and universal is the shaman's struggle against what we could call 'the powers of evil.' It is consoling and comforting to know that a member of the community is able to see what is hidden and invisible to the rest and to bring back direct and reliable information from the supernatural worlds."
To become a Shaman you had to become a master of num, a spiritual healing energy. In the !Kung San to become a master of num you had to participate in all-night curing dances and enter into a "trancelike state." If they were able to cure the sick or "call down" rain they became more credible as a shaman.
They shaman used their social status to become wealthy. If they were called to cure a fellow hunter-gatherer they would do so only in exchange for an item of their choosing. The Gitskan shaman from western Canada had the dignity to return the gifts if his patient died.
As a whole, shamans were experts at trickery. They used ventriloquism to help spirits speak and performed sleight of hand when curing patients. They would watch their fellow shaman for trickery to expose a rival as a fraud or to simply learn his trick. If a shaman was found to be a fraud it didn't shake the belief of the people in the shaman group as a whole.
Why is it that we believe in trickery and deception without question but we can't see the truth that's right in front of us? Jesus didn't use magic when performing miracles. Jesus wasn't a fraud.
Jesus heals. Jesus protects. Jesus loves.
If you had a choice to put your trust in a shaman or Christ who would you choose?
I choose Christ.
Matthew 9:35 says, "Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness."
Shaman have different "powers" depending on which people group you are talking about. In North America they were believed to be possessed by spirits that spoke through them. Another way the spirits would communicate with shaman would be through visions or dreams. Shaman had the power to let their spirits wander and go wherever they wanted or become whoever they please.
It was believed by the Amazonians that their shamans were able to become jaguars and they would growl, pant, and strike the air with claw-like fingers. Shaman paid special attention to illness, the weather, predators, and prey and focused their powers on postponing the inevitable. Scholar Mircea Eliade wrote, "What is fundamental and universal is the shaman's struggle against what we could call 'the powers of evil.' It is consoling and comforting to know that a member of the community is able to see what is hidden and invisible to the rest and to bring back direct and reliable information from the supernatural worlds."
To become a Shaman you had to become a master of num, a spiritual healing energy. In the !Kung San to become a master of num you had to participate in all-night curing dances and enter into a "trancelike state." If they were able to cure the sick or "call down" rain they became more credible as a shaman.
They shaman used their social status to become wealthy. If they were called to cure a fellow hunter-gatherer they would do so only in exchange for an item of their choosing. The Gitskan shaman from western Canada had the dignity to return the gifts if his patient died.
As a whole, shamans were experts at trickery. They used ventriloquism to help spirits speak and performed sleight of hand when curing patients. They would watch their fellow shaman for trickery to expose a rival as a fraud or to simply learn his trick. If a shaman was found to be a fraud it didn't shake the belief of the people in the shaman group as a whole.
Why is it that we believe in trickery and deception without question but we can't see the truth that's right in front of us? Jesus didn't use magic when performing miracles. Jesus wasn't a fraud.
Jesus heals. Jesus protects. Jesus loves.
If you had a choice to put your trust in a shaman or Christ who would you choose?
I choose Christ.
Matthew 9:35 says, "Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness."
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