Wednesday, December 22, 2010
We Are Okay
We Are Okay - Joshua Radin
We are grown but cannot see
Lost our world of make believe
Simple times now seem so far
Used to be in my backyard
yeah, the world was still in my backyard
But, we are okay, we are alright
we sing very loud,
yeah, we're singing
we are okay, we are alright
close our eyes, close our mouth
yeah, we shut our eyes though we're in doubt
Build me a home from a cardboard box
Many windows never locked
This is how we used to play
Shorter nights and longer days
With faith we would not fade away
But we are okay, we are alright
We sing very loud
yeah, we're singing
We are okay, we are alright
Close our eyes, close our mouth
Yeah we shut our eyes though we're in doubt
And so it goes
We can never seem to find the time we lost
Though we try at any cost
We try, we sing
We are okay, we are alright
We sing very loud
Yeah, we're singing
We are okay, we are alright
Close our eyes, close our mouth
yeah we shut our eyes though we're in doubt
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Today's Devo from Andrew Wommack Ministries
John 20:21 "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."
JOHN 20:21
The dictionary states that to reconcile means to re-establish friendship between; to settle or resolve, as a dispute. The key to reconciliation is to effectively deal with the enmity, ill will, hatred, or hostility that caused the dispute, etc.
The enmity between man and God was sin. God took the initiative to remove this barrier through the means and agency of Jesus Christ, thus leaving man and God as friends once again.
We have received the ministry of reconciliation. That means we are in the ministry of reconciling people to God. Much of what people call the gospel today is actually alienating man from God. True, we need to show people their need for God to get them to receive His forgiveness and reconciliation, but the angry and bitter attitude some people have when confronting the sinner, is not correct.
Imputing people's sins unto them was not the way God used Jesus to reconcile the world unto Himself. We should not focus on the problem of sin, but on the answer of God's grace (Rom. 5:20).
When you read a newspaper, you read about things that have already happened. They are not reporting prophecy. They are reporting the news. So our real job as ministers of reconciliation is to announce the good NEWS, which is an accomplished fact - that sin has already been dealt with through the person of Christ. We should say, "Now we beseech you, be ye reconciled to God. Change your mind and believe the gospel so that you may partake of what has already been done on your behalf."
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Let's get over ourselves...
Why is American culture so focused on independence? It's all about doin' it yourself and taking all the due credit. It's okay to give assistance to someone who asks, but Good Heavens! you better not be the one asking. It's no wonder Americans have such trouble with free grace and salvation in Christ. Accepting God's provision means we are admitting dependence on God. Our impressive independence could end up being our down fall. We really are such a lonely people! I ride the bus every day to school and hardly anyone says a word to another person. Most people, young and old, go about their commute with headphones on that clearly send the message of DO NOT DISTURB. It makes me sad. I try to make a point to always greet and thank my bus drivers and I don't wear earphones while on the bus. I may have a tired look on my face, but I want to be approachable and offer a smile to those around me. We really are all in this together and the sooner we realize that, the better.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Taking the reigns.
I've started my 3rd week of class and I'm still having fun. The subject matter is really interesting to me and the social dynamics of the group are really entertaining. I do wish I was more studious and could keep up with the work load better. At least I'm aware of my time managment weakness and admission is half the battle, right? Ideally, I'd like to use my morning train ride as devo time. Perhaps my lunch hour or my ride home can be my blog time. It's easier to write a post when the topic is fresh on my mind.
Last Wednesday at the Youth Church I volunteer at I gave the message for the evening. It started off a bit bumpy but then I hit the part I was most passionate about and the kids quieted down. I'll post my notes on here eventually. This last weekend was the Youth Conference for the AOG Northwest district. I felt like an old person. I wanted to complain about the music volume and the encouraging of high energy and yadda yadda. Thankfully, the Lord ebbed me a few times to stop complaining and just join in the fun and be an example for the teens who were there. It's humbling when you hear God whisper "Hey, this is about ME, not you." He's never rude about it, just a gentle reminder.
Sometimes I can be so negative about church conferences. I don't like the idea of going away for a couple days to get high on Jesus only to come back home and drop from that high. I've seen it happen too many times and a resulting bitterness is planted, or a misunderstanding of how our faith should feel begins to grow. I do believe should go to events like that (or church even) expecting God to be there, but we should also know that while an emotional high itself isn't a bad thing, we can distort it into something that it is not. We need to learn to live out our faith reguardless of how we feel. The Truth of the Word is what we should stand on and live by. If you're feeling lonely, that doesn't mean God isn't there. The Word tells us that he will never leave us or forsake us. We must reign our emotions, not let them reign us.
Peace to you!
Last Wednesday at the Youth Church I volunteer at I gave the message for the evening. It started off a bit bumpy but then I hit the part I was most passionate about and the kids quieted down. I'll post my notes on here eventually. This last weekend was the Youth Conference for the AOG Northwest district. I felt like an old person. I wanted to complain about the music volume and the encouraging of high energy and yadda yadda. Thankfully, the Lord ebbed me a few times to stop complaining and just join in the fun and be an example for the teens who were there. It's humbling when you hear God whisper "Hey, this is about ME, not you." He's never rude about it, just a gentle reminder.
Sometimes I can be so negative about church conferences. I don't like the idea of going away for a couple days to get high on Jesus only to come back home and drop from that high. I've seen it happen too many times and a resulting bitterness is planted, or a misunderstanding of how our faith should feel begins to grow. I do believe should go to events like that (or church even) expecting God to be there, but we should also know that while an emotional high itself isn't a bad thing, we can distort it into something that it is not. We need to learn to live out our faith reguardless of how we feel. The Truth of the Word is what we should stand on and live by. If you're feeling lonely, that doesn't mean God isn't there. The Word tells us that he will never leave us or forsake us. We must reign our emotions, not let them reign us.
Peace to you!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Seattle with Sarah!
More to come later about my "Terp Adventures."
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Doing my duty.
Over the last two weeks I was on jury duty. I served two years ago, but only had to show up for one day and nothing happened. This time it was more interesting. I drove out to the courthouse 5 times over the two weeks. I was put on two different panels, but the first case ended up taking a plea I never got past filling out a questionnaire. Being on a panel means you are part of a group of 35-50 people who will be used to select a jury for a trial. While on my second panel we were questioned by both attorneys in the presence of the judge and the defendant. In the end, I was not chosen as a juror for the trial, but I was very interested in taking an ethics class.
I really enjoyed the questioning and hearing the views and opinions of the other jurors. Many questions were asked that I had never thought about before as something that could make a juror impartial. Some of the questions really made me think about myself and though I knew the proper answer, I had to decide if that was my answer. I even began to question the selection process itself. It was curious that the lawyers were the ones to decide who the defendant's peers were from our panel of 35 strangers. I'm not sure who else would make that choice, but I wondered if the process was being done in the best way possible.
I am curious about how that particular case will turn out and I'd love to be a fly on the wall during juror deliberation, but I'll have to live without knowing. Perhaps one day I will take an ethics class.
I really enjoyed the questioning and hearing the views and opinions of the other jurors. Many questions were asked that I had never thought about before as something that could make a juror impartial. Some of the questions really made me think about myself and though I knew the proper answer, I had to decide if that was my answer. I even began to question the selection process itself. It was curious that the lawyers were the ones to decide who the defendant's peers were from our panel of 35 strangers. I'm not sure who else would make that choice, but I wondered if the process was being done in the best way possible.
I am curious about how that particular case will turn out and I'd love to be a fly on the wall during juror deliberation, but I'll have to live without knowing. Perhaps one day I will take an ethics class.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Twenty Eight
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Last weekend I celebrated 3rd anniversary of my 25th birthday. It was pretty fantastic if I do say so myself. I tried new things, played like a kid, and was blessed by so many who love me. My friends threw me a Pink Elephant Party. We did a normal white elephant gift exchange, only the theme was 'summer'. My darling best friend made me an A-mazing pink elephant cake! She is brilliant :) Heidi brought me some lovely sunflowers that happen to match my shirt perfectly that day, and we had matching sweaters. Jason's sombrero was the big hit of the gift exchange. Many thanks to Comfort Food Cafe for opening their doors for my party!.jpg)
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I love the summer!
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The rest of the weekend was great as well. Jason & I went to Seattle to see the Ballard Locks & Fish Ladder as well as a lovely dinner at Ray's. I even ate Salmon. Then, he gave me a pretty rad gift. An SX-70 Polaroid with carrying case, original instructions, film, and flash bars! It's pretty. We also spent time hanging out in Puyallup; went bowling, caught a movie, lunch at Cattin's, coffee at Forza, chilled with the strawberry man. All in all, it was a fan-spankin-tastic start to another trip around the sun. I am incredible blessed by all the people that love me and I am thankful to each one of them!Friday, July 23, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
How's tricks?
I guess it's been a while, ay? It seems this year I've fizzled out my blogging time. At some point I realized I didn't have a set focus for this blog so it fell through the proverbial crack and was forgotten. There's this part of me that over romanticizes the act of sitting down to a keyboard and clicking out some thoughts on a public forum.
Even now, as I sit alone at a busy coffee shop, I imagine myself as the primary movie character in some loathsome situation that needs narrating in order to convey to the audience some completely irrelevant truth. Somehow, I feel more alive. As if, I have some piece of the answer to life's biggest question and no one has a clue how close they are to the truth that is contained in my finger tips. Suddenly I feel a sermon coming on....
I've always loved the idea of being a writer, but I've never considered myself one. Primarily because I've always heard that writers are those people who can't go a day without putting ink to the page. They have a constant need to express themselves through written word, and that's just not the case for me. I've also never thought myself brave enough to be a writer.
All too often I find myself conjuring up a scene from some story that is rolling around in my mind. Unfortunately, I'm terrible at completing those stories. Maybe one day I'll put all those scenes together and have a masterpiece. Who knows. Meanwhile, I suppose I'll keep jotting down those scenes, if only to get them out of my head.
Even now, as I sit alone at a busy coffee shop, I imagine myself as the primary movie character in some loathsome situation that needs narrating in order to convey to the audience some completely irrelevant truth. Somehow, I feel more alive. As if, I have some piece of the answer to life's biggest question and no one has a clue how close they are to the truth that is contained in my finger tips. Suddenly I feel a sermon coming on....
I've always loved the idea of being a writer, but I've never considered myself one. Primarily because I've always heard that writers are those people who can't go a day without putting ink to the page. They have a constant need to express themselves through written word, and that's just not the case for me. I've also never thought myself brave enough to be a writer.
All too often I find myself conjuring up a scene from some story that is rolling around in my mind. Unfortunately, I'm terrible at completing those stories. Maybe one day I'll put all those scenes together and have a masterpiece. Who knows. Meanwhile, I suppose I'll keep jotting down those scenes, if only to get them out of my head.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Handling a tough situation with poise and compassion:
The following letter is a great example of how to handle a delicate but difficult situation. It’s laced with humor, compassion and genuine interest as demonstrated in the effort it took to craft such a great response. Something to keep in mind the next time you're challenged to respond in a difficult situation.
The back story involves a man in Vermont who digs up items from his backyard and then promptly sends these items to the Smithsonian Institute for consideration. He carefully labels them with scientific names, insisting they are rare archaeological finds.
The following is the actual letter returned in response:
Smithsonian Institute
207 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20078
Dear Mr. Williams:
Thank you for your latest submission to the Institute, labeled “93211-D, layer seven, next to the clothesline post…Hominid skull.”
We have given this specimen a careful and detailed examination, and regret to inform you that we disagree with your theory that it represents conclusive proof of the presence of Early Man in Charleston County two million years ago.
Rather, it appears that what you have found is the head of a Barbie doll, of the variety that one of our staff, who has small children, believes to be “Malibu Barbie.”
It is evident that you have given a great deal of thought to the analysis of this specimen, and you may be quite certain that those of us who are familiar with your prior work in the field were loathe to come to contradiction with your findings.
However, we do feel that there are a number of physical attributes of the specimen which might have tipped you off to its modern origin:
1. The material is molded plastic. Ancient hominid remains are typically fossilized bone.
2. The cranial capacity of the specimen is approximately 9 cubic centimeters, well below the threshold of even the earliest identified proto-homonids.
3. The dentition pattern evident on the skull is more consistent with the common domesticated dog than it is with the ravenous man-eating Pliocene clams you speculate roamed the wetlands during that time.
This latter finding is certainly one of the most intriguing hypotheses you have submitted in your history with this institution, but the evidence seems to weigh rather heavily against it. Without going into too much detail, let us say that:
a. The specimen looks like the head of a Barbie doll that a dog has chewed on.
b. Clams don’t have teeth.
It is with feelings tinged with melancholy that we must deny your request to have the specimen carbon-dated. This is partially due to the heavy load our lab must bear in its normal operation, and partly due to carbon dating’s notorious inaccuracy in fossils of recent geologic record.
To the best of our knowledge, no Barbie dolls were produced prior to 1956 AD, and carbon dating is likely to produce wildly inaccurate results.
Sadly, we must also deny your request that we approach the National Science Foundation Phylogeny Department with the concept of assigning your specimen the scientific name Australopithecus spiff-arino.
Speaking personally, I, for one, fought tenaciously for the acceptance of your proposed taxonomy, but was ultimately voted down because the species name you selected was hyphenated, and didn’t really sound like it might be Latin.
However, we gladly accept your generous donation of this fascinating specimen to the museum. While it is undoubtedly not a Hominid fossil, it is, nonetheless, yet another riveting example of the great body of work you seem to accumulate here so effortlessly.
You should know that our Director has reserved a special shelf in his own office for the display of the specimens you have previously submitted to the Institution, and the entire staff speculates daily on what you will happen upon next in your digs at the site you have discovered in your Newport back yard.
We eagerly anticipate your trip to our nation’s capital that you proposed in your last letter, and several of us are pressing the Director to pay for it.
We are particularly interested in hearing you expand on your theories surrounding the trans-positating fillifitation of ferrous ions in a structural matrix that makes the excellent juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex femur you recently discovered take on the deceptive appearance of a rusty 9-mm Sears Craftsman automotive crescent wrench.
Yours in Science,
Harvey Rowe
Chief Curator- Antiquities
The back story involves a man in Vermont who digs up items from his backyard and then promptly sends these items to the Smithsonian Institute for consideration. He carefully labels them with scientific names, insisting they are rare archaeological finds.
The following is the actual letter returned in response:
Smithsonian Institute
207 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20078
Dear Mr. Williams:
Thank you for your latest submission to the Institute, labeled “93211-D, layer seven, next to the clothesline post…Hominid skull.”
We have given this specimen a careful and detailed examination, and regret to inform you that we disagree with your theory that it represents conclusive proof of the presence of Early Man in Charleston County two million years ago.
Rather, it appears that what you have found is the head of a Barbie doll, of the variety that one of our staff, who has small children, believes to be “Malibu Barbie.”
It is evident that you have given a great deal of thought to the analysis of this specimen, and you may be quite certain that those of us who are familiar with your prior work in the field were loathe to come to contradiction with your findings.
However, we do feel that there are a number of physical attributes of the specimen which might have tipped you off to its modern origin:
1. The material is molded plastic. Ancient hominid remains are typically fossilized bone.
2. The cranial capacity of the specimen is approximately 9 cubic centimeters, well below the threshold of even the earliest identified proto-homonids.
3. The dentition pattern evident on the skull is more consistent with the common domesticated dog than it is with the ravenous man-eating Pliocene clams you speculate roamed the wetlands during that time.
a. The specimen looks like the head of a Barbie doll that a dog has chewed on.
b. Clams don’t have teeth.
It is with feelings tinged with melancholy that we must deny your request to have the specimen carbon-dated. This is partially due to the heavy load our lab must bear in its normal operation, and partly due to carbon dating’s notorious inaccuracy in fossils of recent geologic record.
To the best of our knowledge, no Barbie dolls were produced prior to 1956 AD, and carbon dating is likely to produce wildly inaccurate results.
Sadly, we must also deny your request that we approach the National Science Foundation Phylogeny Department with the concept of assigning your specimen the scientific name Australopithecus spiff-arino.
Speaking personally, I, for one, fought tenaciously for the acceptance of your proposed taxonomy, but was ultimately voted down because the species name you selected was hyphenated, and didn’t really sound like it might be Latin.
However, we gladly accept your generous donation of this fascinating specimen to the museum. While it is undoubtedly not a Hominid fossil, it is, nonetheless, yet another riveting example of the great body of work you seem to accumulate here so effortlessly.
You should know that our Director has reserved a special shelf in his own office for the display of the specimens you have previously submitted to the Institution, and the entire staff speculates daily on what you will happen upon next in your digs at the site you have discovered in your Newport back yard.
We eagerly anticipate your trip to our nation’s capital that you proposed in your last letter, and several of us are pressing the Director to pay for it.
We are particularly interested in hearing you expand on your theories surrounding the trans-positating fillifitation of ferrous ions in a structural matrix that makes the excellent juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex femur you recently discovered take on the deceptive appearance of a rusty 9-mm Sears Craftsman automotive crescent wrench.
Yours in Science,
Harvey Rowe
Chief Curator- Antiquities
Monday, March 15, 2010
3D Final!
This is my Final for my 3D class. It's not as finished as I would have liked, but I didn't know how to make the final adjustments I wanted to. Oh, well!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The Ministry Dilemma: Where do I fit in?
When it comes to Ministry groups in the Western Church, we have it all! If a person is born and dies in the Church, their experience may look something like this:
This structure has bothered me for some time now. Partially, because I haven't really 'fit' into one of these ministries for a while. After graduating, I jumped into the work-force, by-passing the college scene. Thus, I didn't really relate to the "College Ministry" crowd. Now that I'm several years beyond the traditional age of a college kid, I'm back in class again, but I still don't relate to the Post-College or College Ministry peeps. I am single, but I generally avoid 'Singles' Ministries like the Swine Flu. I find them patronizing, and being hit on with lines like "What's your life verse?" isn't my idea of fun.
I recently discussed this dilemma with a friend of mine and concluded that we are a part of the sliver of folks who have fallen through the proverbial crack in the Ministry Boat. It sucks. Last year I joined a group that I actually felt I belonged to. After a while, there was a change in leadership which produced a schedule change which meant I could no longer attend. I was really bummed. It was rumored that the schedule was going to change again to a time I could attend, but eventually the whole ministry was scraped in order to focus on something more "worthwhile." Apparently, I'm part of a group that is so rare that we are not important enough to have our own ministry. Interestingly enough, Christ would have died for just ONE person if that had been the situation.
However. I am writing this post because it turns out I've found the ministry that I belong to. I belong to the Bloggers Ministry. It is here that I voice my thoughts, opinions, and questions and from time to time I receive feedback. It is here that I am blessed and encouraged by other bloggers who have messages and experiences I can relate to and/or learn from. It is here that I have met wonderful friends such as Jon, Chuck, Matt, Annie, Renee, Dan, Joe, Jason, and Secret Agent L. Not to mention all those in-between folks who read these blogs right along side me. Without them, the ministry would not exist.
One of the reasons I love this ministry is because of how versatile it really is. Instead of going to a church where I can be segregated by my age/gender/occupation/height/background/whatever, I am free to partake in this journey alongside anyone I choose who is will to partake along with me. If I tried to join all the ministries at a church that these blogs would represent, I'm sure I'd get kicked out of them - and possibly kicked out of the church altogether. I am a single, late-20s, female, college student. Generally speaking, I would not be allowed to join a Men's Ministry, a Marriage Ministry, a Parenting Ministry, a working Professional Ministry, or a 30s, 40s, 50s, etc Ministry. And yet, I can get insight into all these areas of life by being a part of the Bloggers Ministry. As it turns out, I can have something in common with someone who isn't "a single, late-20s, female, college student." Imagine THAT!
What about you? Do you consider yourself part of the Bloggers Ministry? What's the craziest Western Church Ministry you've heard of? If there was a Ministry titled just for you, what would it be called?
Age 0-2 - Nursery Ministry Recepient
Age 2-11 - Children's Ministry Recipient
Age 12-14 - Middle School Ministry Recipient
Age 15-17 - High School Ministry Recipient
(Substitute Home School Ministry Recipient where applicable)
Age 18-22 - College Age Ministry Recipient
Ages 23 & up could potentially include the following:
Post-College Ministry, Singles Ministry, Marrieds Ministry, Marrieds w/ Kids Ministry, Mens/Womens Ministry, Growth Ministry, Missions Ministry, Small Group Ministry, Divorce Ministry, Recovery Ministry, Parenting Ministry, Single Parenting Ministry, Seniors Ministry, & finally Funeral Ministry. Not to mention all the side dish ministries that vary by region (i.e. Deaf Ministry, Blind Ministry, ESL Ministry, You-Name-It-We-Got-It Ministry), or those "Under the Hood" Ministries like Coffee Ministry, Janitorial Ministry, A/V Ministry, and the Set-Up/Tear-Down Ministry that you are constantly encouraged to participate in.
This structure has bothered me for some time now. Partially, because I haven't really 'fit' into one of these ministries for a while. After graduating, I jumped into the work-force, by-passing the college scene. Thus, I didn't really relate to the "College Ministry" crowd. Now that I'm several years beyond the traditional age of a college kid, I'm back in class again, but I still don't relate to the Post-College or College Ministry peeps. I am single, but I generally avoid 'Singles' Ministries like the Swine Flu. I find them patronizing, and being hit on with lines like "What's your life verse?" isn't my idea of fun.
I recently discussed this dilemma with a friend of mine and concluded that we are a part of the sliver of folks who have fallen through the proverbial crack in the Ministry Boat. It sucks. Last year I joined a group that I actually felt I belonged to. After a while, there was a change in leadership which produced a schedule change which meant I could no longer attend. I was really bummed. It was rumored that the schedule was going to change again to a time I could attend, but eventually the whole ministry was scraped in order to focus on something more "worthwhile." Apparently, I'm part of a group that is so rare that we are not important enough to have our own ministry. Interestingly enough, Christ would have died for just ONE person if that had been the situation.However. I am writing this post because it turns out I've found the ministry that I belong to. I belong to the Bloggers Ministry. It is here that I voice my thoughts, opinions, and questions and from time to time I receive feedback. It is here that I am blessed and encouraged by other bloggers who have messages and experiences I can relate to and/or learn from. It is here that I have met wonderful friends such as Jon, Chuck, Matt, Annie, Renee, Dan, Joe, Jason, and Secret Agent L. Not to mention all those in-between folks who read these blogs right along side me. Without them, the ministry would not exist.
One of the reasons I love this ministry is because of how versatile it really is. Instead of going to a church where I can be segregated by my age/gender/occupation/height/background/whatever, I am free to partake in this journey alongside anyone I choose who is will to partake along with me. If I tried to join all the ministries at a church that these blogs would represent, I'm sure I'd get kicked out of them - and possibly kicked out of the church altogether. I am a single, late-20s, female, college student. Generally speaking, I would not be allowed to join a Men's Ministry, a Marriage Ministry, a Parenting Ministry, a working Professional Ministry, or a 30s, 40s, 50s, etc Ministry. And yet, I can get insight into all these areas of life by being a part of the Bloggers Ministry. As it turns out, I can have something in common with someone who isn't "a single, late-20s, female, college student." Imagine THAT!
What about you? Do you consider yourself part of the Bloggers Ministry? What's the craziest Western Church Ministry you've heard of? If there was a Ministry titled just for you, what would it be called?
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Allow me to introduce my biggest enemy.....
Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls of all ages! I would like to introduce you to the biggest enemy of my success.
Yup. That's right. Tomorrow. I have such a problem with Tomorrow that it just occurred to me that I should just write this tomorrow. My eyes are heavy. My brain is tired. I'm cold and want to bundle up. See what Tomorrow just did there? Tomorrow gave me a way out. Tomorrow gave me a way to do what's comfortable now. Tomorrow just tried to cut away a sliver of my success!!
Tomorrow constantly feeds me the lie that it will always be there for me. I've believed that lied for far too long. Turns out, Tomorrow doesn't even exist.
(Moment of silence inserted here for reflection or eye-brow lifts.)
Shocking, I know. It's true though. All we really ever have is Today. Every time I wait until Tomorrow to do what I can do today, I lose Today. I have lost Today countless times.
It's time for me rise up and begin to say NO to Tomorrow! The time to fight is NOW. Like those old nasty mops in those annoying Swiffer commercials - I'm tossing you aside, Tomorrow! I've got something better, and it's called: Today!
TOMORROW
Yup. That's right. Tomorrow. I have such a problem with Tomorrow that it just occurred to me that I should just write this tomorrow. My eyes are heavy. My brain is tired. I'm cold and want to bundle up. See what Tomorrow just did there? Tomorrow gave me a way out. Tomorrow gave me a way to do what's comfortable now. Tomorrow just tried to cut away a sliver of my success!!
Tomorrow constantly feeds me the lie that it will always be there for me. I've believed that lied for far too long. Turns out, Tomorrow doesn't even exist.
(Moment of silence inserted here for reflection or eye-brow lifts.)
Shocking, I know. It's true though. All we really ever have is Today. Every time I wait until Tomorrow to do what I can do today, I lose Today. I have lost Today countless times.
It's time for me rise up and begin to say NO to Tomorrow! The time to fight is NOW. Like those old nasty mops in those annoying Swiffer commercials - I'm tossing you aside, Tomorrow! I've got something better, and it's called: Today!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Speaking of dancing.
I came across this excellent animation. May you be encouraged to break free from the mundane! AND DANCE MORE!
The product of roughly 7 months of work from 13 students in the 3rd year of the BAA Animation program at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.
The product of roughly 7 months of work from 13 students in the 3rd year of the BAA Animation program at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Twenty10
Alright. I think I'm far enough into the new year to write about what it is I'd like to accomplish this year without making too many crazy whimsical goals.
I'm not sure I remember a whole lot of 'moments' from 2009, but it was, for me, a year of pressing on. It was a time of seeing my way through various bumps in the road. Most predominately, the 'bump' of having my school program canceled just as I was getting started. After many years of talking about studying video, I finally got my papers together and started classes. When I was first given the disappointing news that I actually wasn't going to be getting a video production certification, I laughed. The rug had been pulled out from under me.
I've taken what video classes I can, but now I've just been pushing on toward finishing the general media degree. However, if I hadn't started at CPTC, I would have never gotten back into ASL. If I hadn't gone back into ASL, I'd still be looking for what I should be doing with myself.
This comic made me laugh, but then it made me think. There are times in our lives when we seem completely trapped by our circumstances. Life seems hopeless and we can't see anyway out. But that doesn't mean those things are true, and it certainly doesn't mean that NOTHING is in our control. We still have choices to make. We can still choose to be positive no matter what our situation. We can work on the little things. After all, isn't everything just "little things" when we ponder the greatness of our God?
For Twenty10, here are some ideas that have come to mind as 'resolutions,' if you will.
I'm not sure I remember a whole lot of 'moments' from 2009, but it was, for me, a year of pressing on. It was a time of seeing my way through various bumps in the road. Most predominately, the 'bump' of having my school program canceled just as I was getting started. After many years of talking about studying video, I finally got my papers together and started classes. When I was first given the disappointing news that I actually wasn't going to be getting a video production certification, I laughed. The rug had been pulled out from under me.
I've taken what video classes I can, but now I've just been pushing on toward finishing the general media degree. However, if I hadn't started at CPTC, I would have never gotten back into ASL. If I hadn't gone back into ASL, I'd still be looking for what I should be doing with myself.
This comic made me laugh, but then it made me think. There are times in our lives when we seem completely trapped by our circumstances. Life seems hopeless and we can't see anyway out. But that doesn't mean those things are true, and it certainly doesn't mean that NOTHING is in our control. We still have choices to make. We can still choose to be positive no matter what our situation. We can work on the little things. After all, isn't everything just "little things" when we ponder the greatness of our God?
For Twenty10, here are some ideas that have come to mind as 'resolutions,' if you will.
1] Read the entire Bible. I am making this possible by using this service.So what do you think? Can I handle all that? Number 9 is left open because "there's always room for improvement."
2] Keep the conversation going. This refers to keeping active communication with the people around me, including my Savior.
3] Learn to play 2-4 songs a month on guitar. I may possible record these in-house performances so I can see my progression in this area. I love to play, but without practice, I'm just a wanna be.
4a] Keep current with my digital scrapbooking. This means scraping any events within a weeks time so that when 2011 comes around, I'll still remember 2010.
4b] Take more "life" pictures. As a photographer, I actually am terrible at this.
5] Dance more.
6] Once a month Signed Songs - posted online.
7] Be more INVOLVED in Youth Church.
8] STOP complaining. I will most definitely need help with this one.
9]
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
This is NOT a movie review of Leap Year.
This weekend I went and saw Leap Year with my mom. Very cute flick. Chick flick, of course. It was 'clean' except for a scene when Matthew Goode walks in on Amy Adams in her underwear- she half-heartedly grabs something to cover herself. But I digress!
What has the media done to our view of relationships? These two characters get to know each other through the classic "Pride & Prejudice" method. Man & woman meet. They despise each other. Through a series of events they are forced to spend time getting to know each other. From there it's just a hop, skip, and a kiss to falling in love. And all the ladies squeal, "Awwwwwww."
Can someone please tell me, has this ever happened in real life? Have you ever found yourself completely enamored by someone that completely rubbed you the wrong way when you first met? I have never met a couple with this story. This irritates me. Why do we find this situation so appealing as movie-goers? How do the storytellers make us cheer for these people to figure out that they don't hate each other, really they love each other? Is THIS how we want to fall in love?
I know my readership has dwindled, but I'd like to hear your thoughts. I really think Hollywood portrays an incorrect version of true love. I can't quite put my finger on it though. Mainly, because I'm not even sure myself what True Love (in a man loves a woman kinda way) looks like. Seriously, if you're supposed to fall for the person you most love to hate, then we'd all be married to dentists or telemarketers right? Can I get a what, what?
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