I heard a song tonight called "Meant to Be" by Steven Curtis Chapman. The story behind the song is found here. The song is fantastic (as are all of his songs), but it was especially powerful because he sang of God's perfect plan for your lives. As many of you may know, the Chapmans are adoptive parents (multiple times!) and Steven Curtis Chapman wrote this song specifically for the VeggieTales movie, "It's a Meaningful Life" (based on "It's a Wonderful Life" and about being content). He said that he related to the main character of the movie because they both are adoptive parents.
The song mainly is about how we are meant to be everything we are and we are meant to touch all of the lives we are touching. He even spoke of all the lives touched by his daughter who died fairly recently in an accident, and he was happy to say that she is in Heaven and that she has touched millions of lives.
Back on track, SCC's song, "Meant to Be" reminded me of the couples I know (and ones of whom I know) who are progressing through the adoptive process. It also made me think of the people (some of which are now categorized in the "currently adopting" category) who are struggling with infertility. One of those couples in particular feel very strongly now that adoption was always in God's plan for them; they were always meant to be adoptive parents. I bet they're right!!
The lyrics to the song are below, as is the video for the song. Really pay attention to these lyrics, and know that God is setting a path for you in your life. He's created His plan; we just need to listen and be part of the plan's execution. :)
"Meant to Be"
Steven Curtis Chapman
Long Before You Drew Your First Breath
A Dream Was Coming True
God Wanted to Give A Gift To The World
So He Wrapped It Up In You
Every Step That You’ve Taken
Every Move That You Make
Is Part Of His Plan
You Were Meant To Be Touching
The Lives That You Touch
And Meant To Be Here
Making This World So Much More
Than It Would Be Without You In It
You Were Meant To Be Bringing
The Gifts That You Bring
And Singing The Songs
You’ve Been Given To Sing
You Are Perfectly, Wonderfully,
Beautifully Meant To Be
You Were Meant To Be
Long Before You Took Your First Fall
You stumbled to the ground
God started telling the story of you to the angles around
Every failure and victory
Everything in between
Its all in his hand
You Were Meant To Be Touching
The Lives That You Touch
And Meant To Be Here
Making This World So Much More
Than It Would Be Without You In It
You Were Meant To Be Bringing
The Gifts That You Bring
And Singing The Songs
You’ve Been Given To Sing
You Are Perfectly, Wonderfully,
Beautifully Meant To Be
You Were Meant To Be (yeah)
Meant To Be
You are
You are
You are meant to be
You are
You are
You are meant to be
For every breath that your taking
And every move that you make
It’s a meaningful life you’ve been given
Live it well
You Were Meant To Be Touching
The Lives That You Touch
And Meant To Be Here
Making This World So Much More
Than It Would Be Without You In It
You Were Meant To Be Bringing
The Gifts That You Bring
And Singing The Songs
You’ve Been Given To Sing
You Are Perfectly, Wonderfully,
Beautifully Meant To Be (yeah)
You Were Meant To Be (yeah)
You Were Meant To Be (yeah)
You Were Meant To Be
To Be
You Were Meant To Be
Friday, December 10, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Deliverance
All of my favorites are amazing people, but one of my newest besties briefly shared something with Cru (Campus Crusades for Christ, for those of you unfamiliar with it) tonight so I thought I'd write a little bit about it. :)
Tonight at Cru, the microphone was left open all evening for everyone who wanted to share something. One of those people was my good friend. She got up and talked about a struggle she'd been having for the longest time. She couldn't seem to get past it, but this semester changed everything. She recently was delivered from this sin in her life, and she now feels amazing knowing that God is in control and nothing can keep Him away now.
One part of this testimony that blew me away was that this young woman is so incredibly filled with joy (and I really could see her genuine excitement!) over this deliverance that she was glad to share her experience with an auditorium full of 200+ people. She wasn't worried that people might judge her (in which case, in my opinion, those people wouldn't be acting very Christ-like!) or think differently of her. In all honesty, the fact that she opened up tonight and shared the way that God has worked in her life this semester has made me love her even more! She knew that she had nothing to be ashamed of anymore, because she is FREE of the chains that were keeping her from feeling the true love of God each and every day. :)
Nothing can match the overflowing love, forgiveness, and grace from our Heavenly Father, that's for sure!
In closing, I want you to read some song lyrics (and listen to the song below, please!). I remembered this song as I heard my friend's testimony, and I think it perfectly expresses the rescuing power Jesus Christ. <3
My Deliverer, You rescued me from all that held me captive
My Deliverer, You set me free. Now I'm alive and I can live,
And every moment I will give You praise
My Deliverer
:) Love to all
Tonight at Cru, the microphone was left open all evening for everyone who wanted to share something. One of those people was my good friend. She got up and talked about a struggle she'd been having for the longest time. She couldn't seem to get past it, but this semester changed everything. She recently was delivered from this sin in her life, and she now feels amazing knowing that God is in control and nothing can keep Him away now.
One part of this testimony that blew me away was that this young woman is so incredibly filled with joy (and I really could see her genuine excitement!) over this deliverance that she was glad to share her experience with an auditorium full of 200+ people. She wasn't worried that people might judge her (in which case, in my opinion, those people wouldn't be acting very Christ-like!) or think differently of her. In all honesty, the fact that she opened up tonight and shared the way that God has worked in her life this semester has made me love her even more! She knew that she had nothing to be ashamed of anymore, because she is FREE of the chains that were keeping her from feeling the true love of God each and every day. :)
Nothing can match the overflowing love, forgiveness, and grace from our Heavenly Father, that's for sure!
In closing, I want you to read some song lyrics (and listen to the song below, please!). I remembered this song as I heard my friend's testimony, and I think it perfectly expresses the rescuing power Jesus Christ. <3
My Deliverer, You rescued me from all that held me captive
My Deliverer, You set me free. Now I'm alive and I can live,
And every moment I will give You praise
My Deliverer
:) Love to all
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Trust, Honor, and Betrayal
Well, I'm not really sure how this whole blog will end up since I've decided to not bother organizing my thoughts (thanks, Mike) on this one. I'm just going to wing it, so bear with me!
I've been thinking A LOT recently about the topic I'm about to address, so I guess I just want to express some of those thoughts.
First, I think that trust is one of the most important properties in a relationship--whether it's a friendly or romantic one--and I believe that if you don't have trust, you don't have a relationship that's even worth having.
Promises are included in this trust. If you trust someone, you'll believe them when they make a promise, vow, or commitment. What happens when the TRUST is broken? What happens when PROMISES are broken? What about when another aspect of your relationship is violated--does that impact trust as well?
Suppose a friend/boyfriend/etc. violated your trust in some way one time. You expressed your distaste for such behavior/actions/etc you experienced with this person. They apologized; you forgave. They asked for another chance; you granted it.
But WHAT IF they do it again? Second chance is blown. They apologize more. You forgive more, but less enthusiastically than the first time. They ask for yet another chance, and you feel inclined to give one to them because you don't want to end such a great relationship(friendship/romantic relationship) over something you think they couldn't POSSIBLY do again. 3rd chance=check! Things are back to normal, trust is back, and everything is fine and dandy again. :)
Okay, but they hurt you a fourth time. Now what?? A fourth chance? Suppose you've forgiven them (as the Bible suggests you should!) and you're not even mad anymore. However, you just can't trust them anymore. You feel completely betrayed and disrespected. You don't know what to think. You don't know how to feel or maybe how to act towards the person anymore. Perhaps you don't even feel excitement or even just general comfort talking to them. Well, how would you handle that? Would this be the point in your friendship/relationship at which you need to go your separate ways? Are you just two conflicting lives that don't mesh as well as you had initially hoped?
I guess I don't really have a conclusion to this blog. Usually I offer some sort of hope or insight, but I think I'd rather hear all of your input! Care to share?
Tell me what you're thinking after reading.
Have you been experiencing something similar?
Maybe someone you know has been going through such a predicament?
Any profound or inspirational thoughts on your mind?
How many chances are too many?
Share anything. I haven't intended my blogs to be strictly my own thoughts. I love discussion!
I've been thinking A LOT recently about the topic I'm about to address, so I guess I just want to express some of those thoughts.
First, I think that trust is one of the most important properties in a relationship--whether it's a friendly or romantic one--and I believe that if you don't have trust, you don't have a relationship that's even worth having.
Promises are included in this trust. If you trust someone, you'll believe them when they make a promise, vow, or commitment. What happens when the TRUST is broken? What happens when PROMISES are broken? What about when another aspect of your relationship is violated--does that impact trust as well?
Suppose a friend/boyfriend/etc. violated your trust in some way one time. You expressed your distaste for such behavior/actions/etc you experienced with this person. They apologized; you forgave. They asked for another chance; you granted it.
But WHAT IF they do it again? Second chance is blown. They apologize more. You forgive more, but less enthusiastically than the first time. They ask for yet another chance, and you feel inclined to give one to them because you don't want to end such a great relationship(friendship/romantic relationship) over something you think they couldn't POSSIBLY do again. 3rd chance=check! Things are back to normal, trust is back, and everything is fine and dandy again. :)
Okay, but they hurt you a fourth time. Now what?? A fourth chance? Suppose you've forgiven them (as the Bible suggests you should!) and you're not even mad anymore. However, you just can't trust them anymore. You feel completely betrayed and disrespected. You don't know what to think. You don't know how to feel or maybe how to act towards the person anymore. Perhaps you don't even feel excitement or even just general comfort talking to them. Well, how would you handle that? Would this be the point in your friendship/relationship at which you need to go your separate ways? Are you just two conflicting lives that don't mesh as well as you had initially hoped?
I guess I don't really have a conclusion to this blog. Usually I offer some sort of hope or insight, but I think I'd rather hear all of your input! Care to share?
Tell me what you're thinking after reading.
Have you been experiencing something similar?
Maybe someone you know has been going through such a predicament?
Any profound or inspirational thoughts on your mind?
How many chances are too many?
Share anything. I haven't intended my blogs to be strictly my own thoughts. I love discussion!
Monday, December 6, 2010
I see (and smell?) dead people.
Disclaimer: This blog may not be for the faint-hearted or squeemish. :)
I thought I'd take a moment to tell you about one of the most amazing learning experiences I've had this semester:
I visited a
CADAVER LAB!
Yes, its true.
This past Friday I (along with 15ish others) went on a trip to UMES and visited the cadaver lab. A bunch of Physical Therapy students were in the middle of their Gross Anatomy lab--the last one of their semester--and they were able to show and teach us pretty much anything we wanted!
We were allowed to touch anything we felt inclined to touch, so naturally...I touched several things! Allow me to describe what I touched (with gloves, mind you!):
1. A heart
2. Some lungs
3. Cancerous growth (Mesothelioma)
1. Okay, starting with the heart!
The PT students had just removed the heart and lungs from their cadavers; there were 12 total in the lab. ((Side note: Since the heart and lungs were removed, I witnessed empty chest cavities with no heart/lungs present. Weird!))
The heart is pink and squishy, and kinda heavy! I saw the aorta (the largest artery in the body, starting from left ventricle of heart and extending to the abdomen where it becomes 2 smaller arteries) of a heart--actually, I saw a segment of it which was connected to the heart removed from the body. Anyway, the aorta is HUGE! It's super big in diameter--that's a lot of blood pumping through that artery. Wow!
2. Lungs!!
I held both healthy and unhealthy lungs.
The healthy lungs were pinkish (a slightly lighter pink than the heart) and also kind of heavy ((When I say "heavy" for these organs, I mean heavier than I had expected)). The unhealthy lungs were also pinkish, but they had a bunch of dark--blackish--spots all over them. I was told this was due to either smoking or other lung disease (the students had only been told the main cause of death and no other conditions present in the future. This person died of organic brain disease. This also was the same body from which I held the heart). Lungs are squishy too!
3. I touched a cancerous growth from Mesothelioma!
This was on a different cadaver from the 2 I described above from which I touched the lungs and heart. The growth had been up against the lungs and it was surprisingly hard. It wasn't squishy by any definition of the word. I can see why cancer can be so painful! I also understand now why a surgeon may feel around with their hands when looking for cancer to remove surgically. To my surprise, this cancer wasn't even the main cause of death. I'm not sure what was the MAJOR cause of death, but that person also suffered from COPD (a lung condition).
Some other notes about the cadaver lab I visited:
-There were 12 cadavers in the lab.
-Most of the bodies were from the elderly, and most died from cardiovascular causes (which is expected of the elderly). The oldest was 96 years old!
-The cadavers have a distinct smell and it is NOT pleasant! Some bodies had a stronger odor than others, but I got over the smell alright. The worst part of it was leaving the lab and having the smell stuck in your clothes and hair! Yuck! The moment I got home, I threw all of my clothing in the washing machine (with no other clothes for fear of it spreading!) and showered thoroughly!
-I also saw the layers of muscles in the foot, some tunnels (including the carpal tunnel--they described what happens when someone has carpal tunnel syndrome), and all of the skin had been removed from the cadavers so when parts (likes arms) were moved, we saw ALL the parts that move inside!
-Every body is different, so all of the students were tested on every body in the lab, not just the one they've been dissecting (about 4 students per cadaver). They have to recognize different parts on every body. For instance, one group had a cadaver who had one particular part on the left side of his chest cavity, while the other cadavers had it on the right!
-Umm I don't know what else, but ask me something and I might have more to tell! :)
I can't wait to visit next semester after they've dissected the head and removed the brain/spinal cord!!
Alright, I hope I didn't gross you out or anything, but for the record: there was a disclaimer at the beginning.
Ahhh I just can't wait to have a cadaver of my own to explore and study. Medical school, hurry up and get here!
I thought I'd take a moment to tell you about one of the most amazing learning experiences I've had this semester:
I visited a
CADAVER LAB!
Yes, its true.
This past Friday I (along with 15ish others) went on a trip to UMES and visited the cadaver lab. A bunch of Physical Therapy students were in the middle of their Gross Anatomy lab--the last one of their semester--and they were able to show and teach us pretty much anything we wanted!
We were allowed to touch anything we felt inclined to touch, so naturally...I touched several things! Allow me to describe what I touched (with gloves, mind you!):
1. A heart
2. Some lungs
3. Cancerous growth (Mesothelioma)
1. Okay, starting with the heart!
The PT students had just removed the heart and lungs from their cadavers; there were 12 total in the lab. ((Side note: Since the heart and lungs were removed, I witnessed empty chest cavities with no heart/lungs present. Weird!))
The heart is pink and squishy, and kinda heavy! I saw the aorta (the largest artery in the body, starting from left ventricle of heart and extending to the abdomen where it becomes 2 smaller arteries) of a heart--actually, I saw a segment of it which was connected to the heart removed from the body. Anyway, the aorta is HUGE! It's super big in diameter--that's a lot of blood pumping through that artery. Wow!
2. Lungs!!
I held both healthy and unhealthy lungs.
The healthy lungs were pinkish (a slightly lighter pink than the heart) and also kind of heavy ((When I say "heavy" for these organs, I mean heavier than I had expected)). The unhealthy lungs were also pinkish, but they had a bunch of dark--blackish--spots all over them. I was told this was due to either smoking or other lung disease (the students had only been told the main cause of death and no other conditions present in the future. This person died of organic brain disease. This also was the same body from which I held the heart). Lungs are squishy too!
3. I touched a cancerous growth from Mesothelioma!
This was on a different cadaver from the 2 I described above from which I touched the lungs and heart. The growth had been up against the lungs and it was surprisingly hard. It wasn't squishy by any definition of the word. I can see why cancer can be so painful! I also understand now why a surgeon may feel around with their hands when looking for cancer to remove surgically. To my surprise, this cancer wasn't even the main cause of death. I'm not sure what was the MAJOR cause of death, but that person also suffered from COPD (a lung condition).
Some other notes about the cadaver lab I visited:
-There were 12 cadavers in the lab.
-Most of the bodies were from the elderly, and most died from cardiovascular causes (which is expected of the elderly). The oldest was 96 years old!
-The cadavers have a distinct smell and it is NOT pleasant! Some bodies had a stronger odor than others, but I got over the smell alright. The worst part of it was leaving the lab and having the smell stuck in your clothes and hair! Yuck! The moment I got home, I threw all of my clothing in the washing machine (with no other clothes for fear of it spreading!) and showered thoroughly!
-I also saw the layers of muscles in the foot, some tunnels (including the carpal tunnel--they described what happens when someone has carpal tunnel syndrome), and all of the skin had been removed from the cadavers so when parts (likes arms) were moved, we saw ALL the parts that move inside!
-Every body is different, so all of the students were tested on every body in the lab, not just the one they've been dissecting (about 4 students per cadaver). They have to recognize different parts on every body. For instance, one group had a cadaver who had one particular part on the left side of his chest cavity, while the other cadavers had it on the right!
-Umm I don't know what else, but ask me something and I might have more to tell! :)
I can't wait to visit next semester after they've dissected the head and removed the brain/spinal cord!!
Alright, I hope I didn't gross you out or anything, but for the record: there was a disclaimer at the beginning.
Ahhh I just can't wait to have a cadaver of my own to explore and study. Medical school, hurry up and get here!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Life and Chocolate
I had a long drive back to Salisbury tonight (and yes, I do have to go ALL the way back home on Tuesday for the start of Thanksgiving break, but oh well. I just love my family tooo muchh!), so I had a lot of thinking time!
The highlight of my evening was a metaphor that crossed my mind. I'm normally not very creative, so I was proud of myself and I hope you'll humor me! ;)
Life is like a box of chocolates:
There's a lot of yucky stuff in there, but sometimes you come across the ones with caramel or the pretty orange cream stuff in them, and that reminds you why the box of chocolate was worth it.
Lame, maybe.
But fun, yes!
Anyway, I'll just leave you with that. Maybe you'll be even 1/3 as entertained as I. :)
Happy Thanksgiving week!!
The highlight of my evening was a metaphor that crossed my mind. I'm normally not very creative, so I was proud of myself and I hope you'll humor me! ;)
Life is like a box of chocolates:
There's a lot of yucky stuff in there, but sometimes you come across the ones with caramel or the pretty orange cream stuff in them, and that reminds you why the box of chocolate was worth it.
Lame, maybe.
But fun, yes!
Anyway, I'll just leave you with that. Maybe you'll be even 1/3 as entertained as I. :)
Happy Thanksgiving week!!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Love like a child
This morning in church, a bunch of people went up to the altar to pray for various reasons. One woman in particular may have been a children's worker (this is my church in Salisbury and I still don't know everyone yet), because she seemed pretty popular with the kiddos. Why? Well that's the best part of my story!
The woman went up to the altar and knelt to pray (along with several other respective individuals who prayed there today). A moment later, I saw a tiny little girl--maybe 5 years old--walk right up to the altar and lean up against that woman she seemed to know. In a matter of probably 2 minutes, 3 or 4 other well-meaning young children walked up there to support their adult friend in prayer.
This small event touched my heart (just couldn't help but have tears in my eyes!) while I witnessed the love that a few small children gave to a hurting adult. I also felt extremely proud of those kids and I don't even know them!
Children have a way of loving compassionately and unconditionally without thinking, will everyone look at me? or does she even want any company at the altar while she prays? They don't have to think those things--they just love.
To summarize my thoughts here, I think it'd be AMAZING if everyone, in this case, loved like a child. How great would someone feel to know that so many people in a congregation (including children) loved them and wanted to offer them their support? I think it'd be pretty incredible. :)
The woman went up to the altar and knelt to pray (along with several other respective individuals who prayed there today). A moment later, I saw a tiny little girl--maybe 5 years old--walk right up to the altar and lean up against that woman she seemed to know. In a matter of probably 2 minutes, 3 or 4 other well-meaning young children walked up there to support their adult friend in prayer.
This small event touched my heart (just couldn't help but have tears in my eyes!) while I witnessed the love that a few small children gave to a hurting adult. I also felt extremely proud of those kids and I don't even know them!
Children have a way of loving compassionately and unconditionally without thinking, will everyone look at me? or does she even want any company at the altar while she prays? They don't have to think those things--they just love.
To summarize my thoughts here, I think it'd be AMAZING if everyone, in this case, loved like a child. How great would someone feel to know that so many people in a congregation (including children) loved them and wanted to offer them their support? I think it'd be pretty incredible. :)
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Fast? Check. New commitment? Check!
Hey all!
Anjoli and I participated in a Facebook(and other such entertainment on the internet)/phone fast this week per the invite of our good friend Canaan, who was introduced to the idea last year.
You'd be surprised how easily you can forget all about Facebook, etc.!
Here's a brief list of some of the things I did this week while NOT logging on Facebook or texting random people!
1. Had several (3, maybe 4) theological/spiritual conversations.
2. A lotttt of homework (I happened to be extremely productive with finishing homework early this week!)
3. Decided with Anjoli to give up all candy/soda for one year.
4. Went to Cru (I do this every week, but I thought I'd put it up here anyway!)
5. Met some Mormon missionaries (I'm not Mormon, and I don't plan to change my theological views either, if you were wondering).
6. Read some from epistles of Paul, and of course I read James, too (James=favorite)! :)
7. Got an academic minor...??
Hah, the fast was over at midnight last night, and I still haven't even bothered to sign onto Facebook!
Have a fantastic weekend, and tell me what YOU did this week--I have been isolated from the world, after all!
Anjoli and I participated in a Facebook(and other such entertainment on the internet)/phone fast this week per the invite of our good friend Canaan, who was introduced to the idea last year.
You'd be surprised how easily you can forget all about Facebook, etc.!
Here's a brief list of some of the things I did this week while NOT logging on Facebook or texting random people!
1. Had several (3, maybe 4) theological/spiritual conversations.
2. A lotttt of homework (I happened to be extremely productive with finishing homework early this week!)
3. Decided with Anjoli to give up all candy/soda for one year.
4. Went to Cru (I do this every week, but I thought I'd put it up here anyway!)
5. Met some Mormon missionaries (I'm not Mormon, and I don't plan to change my theological views either, if you were wondering).
6. Read some from epistles of Paul, and of course I read James, too (James=favorite)! :)
7. Got an academic minor...??
Hah, the fast was over at midnight last night, and I still haven't even bothered to sign onto Facebook!
Have a fantastic weekend, and tell me what YOU did this week--I have been isolated from the world, after all!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Phone Fast Much?
Okay peeps,
My good friend, Canaan introduced me a FANTASTIC idea! Starting next week (Oct. 11-16), I'm going to participate in a FAST. The short definition of a fast is this: A fast consists of a period of time in which a person goes without doing or having something, and they do this with a purpose.
In this case, we're not using phones or computers, except for academic purposes and a few other big exceptions, and the time we would use doing such things like texting/calling or using a computer (for instance, FACEBOOK) would be utilized for learning something new/praying/reading the Bible/reflecting and spending time with GOD!
All of the true details of this fast can be found here:
Fast 2010
Join the group if you want to participate--it'll be great :)
Thanks, Canaan, for this opportunity!
My good friend, Canaan introduced me a FANTASTIC idea! Starting next week (Oct. 11-16), I'm going to participate in a FAST. The short definition of a fast is this: A fast consists of a period of time in which a person goes without doing or having something, and they do this with a purpose.
In this case, we're not using phones or computers, except for academic purposes and a few other big exceptions, and the time we would use doing such things like texting/calling or using a computer (for instance, FACEBOOK) would be utilized for learning something new/praying/reading the Bible/reflecting and spending time with GOD!
All of the true details of this fast can be found here:
Fast 2010
Join the group if you want to participate--it'll be great :)
Thanks, Canaan, for this opportunity!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Short thought--Life Plan?
Short thought of the day:
On Sunday, Anjoli and a friend, Britta, tried to figure out their life plans (for an assignment). Needless to say, it was almost impossible, but that's my point--this whole "life plan" thing, as much as we wish it weren't so, isn't up to us!
I try to figure out my future plans as much as the next person (believe me!), but we must admit:
It's WAY harder than it sounds!
But I guess that's why God writes our plans for us and guides us through them rather than just telling us we're on our own.
Ahh, what would we do without Him (well you know, besides not existing and all)?? :)
On Sunday, Anjoli and a friend, Britta, tried to figure out their life plans (for an assignment). Needless to say, it was almost impossible, but that's my point--this whole "life plan" thing, as much as we wish it weren't so, isn't up to us!
I try to figure out my future plans as much as the next person (believe me!), but we must admit:
It's WAY harder than it sounds!
But I guess that's why God writes our plans for us and guides us through them rather than just telling us we're on our own.
Ahh, what would we do without Him (well you know, besides not existing and all)?? :)
Thursday, September 16, 2010
It's a hard-sock life
I just put clothes away, and I must say that my dread of that task is never disappointed. The daunting task of putting away clothes after you've done laundry is an annoying endeavor that seems to take ages to complete.
By anyway, my point is as follows:
At home, Anjoli and I have a seemingly infinite, and increasingly growing, collection of mismatched socks. We went through a phase once in which we purposely wore mismatching socks (and that probably did not help the situation at all!), but that phase was the result of an initial inability to find matching pairs in the morning. Sighhh.
I'm pretty sure the worst part of sorting clothing is the part when you have to sort your socks. Aside from the fact that it's irritating to go through EVERY white sock to find THE white sock that matches the one in your hand, for some reason I am always missing one of the socks in at least one pair. Why? If you figure out the answer to that question, please do elaborate for me. It's extremely frustrating to take your clothes out of the dryer, sort through them, and end up with one or more socks with no match. What do you do with those socks?? I can't just set them aside in a pile/basket/drawer until the next time I do laundry and hope the other one appears in the next load. I can almost guarantee I won't look at that/those sock/s for a long, long time if I do that. I can't just throw away the sock and hope that it's memory never returns to my mind; we all know that the other sock of the pair would show up the next day or week and I'd be wishing I had the other sock.
So, alas, I am just stuck and doomed to (probably) an eternity of occasionally continuing to wear mismatched socks. After all, they do come in handy when you can't find any of your socks that do match. :)
By anyway, my point is as follows:
SOCKS!
At home, Anjoli and I have a seemingly infinite, and increasingly growing, collection of mismatched socks. We went through a phase once in which we purposely wore mismatching socks (and that probably did not help the situation at all!), but that phase was the result of an initial inability to find matching pairs in the morning. Sighhh.
I'm pretty sure the worst part of sorting clothing is the part when you have to sort your socks. Aside from the fact that it's irritating to go through EVERY white sock to find THE white sock that matches the one in your hand, for some reason I am always missing one of the socks in at least one pair. Why? If you figure out the answer to that question, please do elaborate for me. It's extremely frustrating to take your clothes out of the dryer, sort through them, and end up with one or more socks with no match. What do you do with those socks?? I can't just set them aside in a pile/basket/drawer until the next time I do laundry and hope the other one appears in the next load. I can almost guarantee I won't look at that/those sock/s for a long, long time if I do that. I can't just throw away the sock and hope that it's memory never returns to my mind; we all know that the other sock of the pair would show up the next day or week and I'd be wishing I had the other sock.
So, alas, I am just stuck and doomed to (probably) an eternity of occasionally continuing to wear mismatched socks. After all, they do come in handy when you can't find any of your socks that do match. :)
Saturday, September 11, 2010
God is not a contradiction
Are there any questions a person can ask that God can not answer?
It's an interesting question I've heard time and time again, but what do you think?
That's a hard concept to grasp. God is perfect.
100% Right
100% Good
100% Truth
100% All-knowing
100% GOD.
So if God knows all and sees all, does he always have an answer? Well, I don't know for sure about all of the serious questions, but I have to say "YES" to that one.
But what about the more illogical questions?
-Is yellow square or round?
-How many hours are in a mile?
The Bible says in Hebrews 6:18, "...it is impossible for God to lie."
I guess that could say something about the illogical questions. If we asked God if yellow was square or round, perhaps He couldn't answer that one ((of course, we could go by yellow light, which may allow for a logical geometric answer, but for the sake of argument, we are talking strictly the shape of a color)). As we all know, God is 100% truth. If there is no possible way for Him to answer this question truthfully, without defying all logic which HE has given to us, then maybe--just maybe--there do happen to be some questions He "can not" answer because He will not make, nor will He ever be, a contradiction.
Now, that was just a silly little thought I shared with you, but in all seriousness, God knows all. So bring your questions of faith, doubt, etc. to Him. I bet He does have an answer for you. :)
It's an interesting question I've heard time and time again, but what do you think?
That's a hard concept to grasp. God is perfect.
100% Right
100% Good
100% Truth
100% All-knowing
100% GOD.
So if God knows all and sees all, does he always have an answer? Well, I don't know for sure about all of the serious questions, but I have to say "YES" to that one.
But what about the more illogical questions?
-Is yellow square or round?
-How many hours are in a mile?
The Bible says in Hebrews 6:18, "...it is impossible for God to lie."
I guess that could say something about the illogical questions. If we asked God if yellow was square or round, perhaps He couldn't answer that one ((of course, we could go by yellow light, which may allow for a logical geometric answer, but for the sake of argument, we are talking strictly the shape of a color)). As we all know, God is 100% truth. If there is no possible way for Him to answer this question truthfully, without defying all logic which HE has given to us, then maybe--just maybe--there do happen to be some questions He "can not" answer because He will not make, nor will He ever be, a contradiction.
Now, that was just a silly little thought I shared with you, but in all seriousness, God knows all. So bring your questions of faith, doubt, etc. to Him. I bet He does have an answer for you. :)
I will not be moved
I read Anjoli's blog this afternoon. In summary, it was titled: "Where were you when the world stopped turning?"
She told the story of where she was when the event on 9/11/01 took place, and discussed how that day was unforgettable, and then she said the following:
"But I was told that we had to show them we were strong and we hadn't been defeated...so we were told to go outside, to play, to come together and never let something like that tear apart ourselves or our country."
That statement got me thinking. We are a unified nation, and we will not let terrorists or adversaries ruin that nor strip us of our faith and strength.
So, this is a short point for today, but I just want to encourage you to always stay strong and don't be moved by any rough patched through which you, or the nation as a whole, may go. Whether it be school, health, family/friend loss, an attack on your faith, or an attack on your country, everyone struggles. However, I believe that the United States of America became more united after that day, so I will try to do the same in my own life. I will become stronger in faith, not in doubt, when I struggle. Then, when everything seems fine again, I will know that I will be even more prepared for the next thing that comes my way; I will not be moved.
She told the story of where she was when the event on 9/11/01 took place, and discussed how that day was unforgettable, and then she said the following:
"But I was told that we had to show them we were strong and we hadn't been defeated...so we were told to go outside, to play, to come together and never let something like that tear apart ourselves or our country."
That statement got me thinking. We are a unified nation, and we will not let terrorists or adversaries ruin that nor strip us of our faith and strength.
So, this is a short point for today, but I just want to encourage you to always stay strong and don't be moved by any rough patched through which you, or the nation as a whole, may go. Whether it be school, health, family/friend loss, an attack on your faith, or an attack on your country, everyone struggles. However, I believe that the United States of America became more united after that day, so I will try to do the same in my own life. I will become stronger in faith, not in doubt, when I struggle. Then, when everything seems fine again, I will know that I will be even more prepared for the next thing that comes my way; I will not be moved.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
And what we do in here will fill the streets out there
Tonight in Cru (Campus Crusades for Christ), we sang a song that sunk deeply into my heart. Here are some of the lyrics:
And what we do in here
Will fill the streets out there
Let us dance for you
Let us dance for you
So often we go to church, Sunday school, Bible study, etc. and everyone is so into God, you can't imagine feeling any other way. But let me ask you this: what happens when you leave? What happens when you go to classes the next day and one of your professors puts down Christianity? What happens when you see a pregnant teenager or a person following the Muslim faith?
Do you show love to those people?
When we're at church, or groups like Cru, we feel safe. We feel we can profess our faith, shout it to the rooftops, as loudly and as proudly as we desire. We show love to everyone (I hope). I we welcome everyone into the arms of Jesus. But when we leave and start a new day, do we do the same?
So if you get to school and that professor starts mocking the Christian faith, do you get up and leave? Do you drop the class? Or do you stay and witness the love of God to that teacher every single time you go to class? Do you raise your hand and say "I'm sorry, Mr./Ms./Dr./Professor ________, but I disagree with you." in front of the class (or perhaps right after class)?
When the pregnant teenager walks down the street or hallway, what are you thinking? Perhaps you're thinking to yourself, "well she made a big mistake and now she's going to live with those consequences!" OR do you consider the fact that maybe this pregnancy wasn't the result of willful premarital sex, and rather it was rape and she was strong enough to keep that unborn life inside of her.
And what about the person of the Muslim faith? Do you judge him/her just because others like him/her did something horrible to our country? I sure hope not. There's a group of self-professed Christians going around and protesting even at funerals against things they believe are wrong, rather than showing love to those people. If you, as a Christian, don't associate yourself with other Christians who show no love towards outsiders, who are you associate another human being with the people of another faith who made bad decisions?
A long time ago, I asked my mother what to do when I knew someone who was living in sin. She always told me:
Love the sinner; hate the sin.
After all, every sin is equal to God.
Murder = lying = premarital sex = cheating on a test = treating yourself badly.
If you get nothing else out of this, please know this:
God loves you. God loves them. If God loves them, you should love them, too.
If you show love to these people, they might just come to know Jesus as well!
So here's my challenge to you. I'm going to take this challenge as well; I hope you'll tell me how it works out for you!
Take your faith with you wherever you go. In this coming week, let what you do inside the doors of your church or Christian organization fill the streets outside of those walls. Step out of those boundaries, and proclaim yourself as a child of God to the WORLD. Compliment someone.Talk to someone to whom you normally wouldn't. Make a new friend. Stand up for someone. Tell all of Facebook! Do something that will take you over-the-top. I can almost guarantee that you'll feel GREAT after you do! :)
Have a super terrific evening!
And what we do in here
Will fill the streets out there
Let us dance for you
Let us dance for you
So often we go to church, Sunday school, Bible study, etc. and everyone is so into God, you can't imagine feeling any other way. But let me ask you this: what happens when you leave? What happens when you go to classes the next day and one of your professors puts down Christianity? What happens when you see a pregnant teenager or a person following the Muslim faith?
Do you show love to those people?
When we're at church, or groups like Cru, we feel safe. We feel we can profess our faith, shout it to the rooftops, as loudly and as proudly as we desire. We show love to everyone (I hope). I we welcome everyone into the arms of Jesus. But when we leave and start a new day, do we do the same?
So if you get to school and that professor starts mocking the Christian faith, do you get up and leave? Do you drop the class? Or do you stay and witness the love of God to that teacher every single time you go to class? Do you raise your hand and say "I'm sorry, Mr./Ms./Dr./Professor ________, but I disagree with you." in front of the class (or perhaps right after class)?
When the pregnant teenager walks down the street or hallway, what are you thinking? Perhaps you're thinking to yourself, "well she made a big mistake and now she's going to live with those consequences!" OR do you consider the fact that maybe this pregnancy wasn't the result of willful premarital sex, and rather it was rape and she was strong enough to keep that unborn life inside of her.
And what about the person of the Muslim faith? Do you judge him/her just because others like him/her did something horrible to our country? I sure hope not. There's a group of self-professed Christians going around and protesting even at funerals against things they believe are wrong, rather than showing love to those people. If you, as a Christian, don't associate yourself with other Christians who show no love towards outsiders, who are you associate another human being with the people of another faith who made bad decisions?
A long time ago, I asked my mother what to do when I knew someone who was living in sin. She always told me:
Love the sinner; hate the sin.
After all, every sin is equal to God.
Murder = lying = premarital sex = cheating on a test = treating yourself badly.
If you get nothing else out of this, please know this:
God loves you. God loves them. If God loves them, you should love them, too.
If you show love to these people, they might just come to know Jesus as well!
So here's my challenge to you. I'm going to take this challenge as well; I hope you'll tell me how it works out for you!
Take your faith with you wherever you go. In this coming week, let what you do inside the doors of your church or Christian organization fill the streets outside of those walls. Step out of those boundaries, and proclaim yourself as a child of God to the WORLD. Compliment someone.Talk to someone to whom you normally wouldn't. Make a new friend. Stand up for someone. Tell all of Facebook! Do something that will take you over-the-top. I can almost guarantee that you'll feel GREAT after you do! :)
Have a super terrific evening!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
My Eventful Day
If anyone is not aware of this already, my sister (Anjoli) and I are living in Salisbury, MD as we attend Salisbury University until we graduate (I have to add that part, because if I don't specify then that leaves room for transferring YET AGAIN and my mother would develop a permanent eye twitch!). Today was just another fun day in Salisbury filled with class, homework, and random things. Here's a summary of the interesting parts of my day!
1. I had my biology class today. It's the pre-requisite course that Salisbury requires for cell bio and molecular genetics, etc. and I've already learned probably 85-90% of the material that will be covered. But anyway, we ACTUALLY didn't learn the first day! I still got a lot of homework, but I'm pretty much caught up on it already. :)
The exciting part was this:
We had a scavenger hunt!
That's right, a scavenger hunt. In a college course. haha
We went around campus and the Henson Science building looking for random things and people on a list. This a little bit of what I learned:
a. There are 3 guys who work in Henson who go by only their first names. No one really knows their last names:
Bill, Paul, and Chuck
b. I don't know what an oak tree looks like, but I wasn't alone because none of the other 4 people in my group did either. We picked a tree, guessed it was oak, and hugged it simultaneously for our photo scavenger hunt.
d. 4 groups of 4-5 people running around campus looking for the same list of things will get looks and be remembered! haha
2. My dad told us(us being me and Anjoli) to go out and buy lots of water, so we did a little grocery shopping tonight and:
a. I always feel so badly when I accidentally go through a male cashier's line when I buy female products.
b. We bought the water and one gallon each was supposed to go in our cars (per instructions from Dad). We carried it ALL up to the condo because we forgot to leave some it down there. Go us.
c. I pushed the elevator button for the 1st floor (the ground floor, where we started) instead of floor 2. I didn't realize it until Anjoli pointed it out to me as I proceeded to walk out of the elevator after the door opened because it had "reached" its floor destination.
3. I decided that I really like Salisbury University so far. :)
1. I had my biology class today. It's the pre-requisite course that Salisbury requires for cell bio and molecular genetics, etc. and I've already learned probably 85-90% of the material that will be covered. But anyway, we ACTUALLY didn't learn the first day! I still got a lot of homework, but I'm pretty much caught up on it already. :)
The exciting part was this:
We had a scavenger hunt!
That's right, a scavenger hunt. In a college course. haha
We went around campus and the Henson Science building looking for random things and people on a list. This a little bit of what I learned:
a. There are 3 guys who work in Henson who go by only their first names. No one really knows their last names:
Bill, Paul, and Chuck
b. I don't know what an oak tree looks like, but I wasn't alone because none of the other 4 people in my group did either. We picked a tree, guessed it was oak, and hugged it simultaneously for our photo scavenger hunt.
d. 4 groups of 4-5 people running around campus looking for the same list of things will get looks and be remembered! haha
2. My dad told us(us being me and Anjoli) to go out and buy lots of water, so we did a little grocery shopping tonight and:
a. I always feel so badly when I accidentally go through a male cashier's line when I buy female products.
b. We bought the water and one gallon each was supposed to go in our cars (per instructions from Dad). We carried it ALL up to the condo because we forgot to leave some it down there. Go us.
c. I pushed the elevator button for the 1st floor (the ground floor, where we started) instead of floor 2. I didn't realize it until Anjoli pointed it out to me as I proceeded to walk out of the elevator after the door opened because it had "reached" its floor destination.
3. I decided that I really like Salisbury University so far. :)
Okay, so I thought I'd give blogging a try since I have no life and get bored being in college and all. I haven't had a blog since I was 14, so here goes!
Sometimes I write on controversial topics, sometimes I rant about things, and sometimes you'll see random posts about pretty much nothing. Overall, you could be reading something completely unrelated to the topic on a previous consecutive note every time you visit my blog. Be warned, though: I do tend to be blunt, but it's hard to avoid when you're sharing your honest thoughts.
Life is a book filled with pages. God gives us the pages and guides us through His will, but it's up to us live our lives and do the writing!
Sometimes I write on controversial topics, sometimes I rant about things, and sometimes you'll see random posts about pretty much nothing. Overall, you could be reading something completely unrelated to the topic on a previous consecutive note every time you visit my blog. Be warned, though: I do tend to be blunt, but it's hard to avoid when you're sharing your honest thoughts.
Life is a book filled with pages. God gives us the pages and guides us through His will, but it's up to us live our lives and do the writing!
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