You probably could, actually. But you've heard the expression...it's like, when someone surprises you by saying or doing something unlike them, they say, 'You just can't put me in a box!" Meaning, basically, you don't know everything about them and can't assume things about them, more or less.
You know where I'm going with this. We can't put God in a box. Obviously. But it's true. Lately God has been really surprising me with the stuff He's blessing me with and telling me...things I don't expect.
Duhh, of course I didn't expect it. That's not the way God works. Just because I think something is going to turn out a certain way, because of my extremely limited experience, doesn't mean it will. God isn't confined to my expectations.
So, just a quick note and reminder..you can't put God in a box. I think He loves to surprise us and He loves doing things just because. Basically, expect the unexpected!
12.26.2010
12.13.2010
You know what I mean.
...I say that a lot. And sometimes, a variation: "I know what I mean." Haha, it's true. Sometimes no one really can really figure out what I'm trying to say but me. Since sometimes I'm less-than-eloquent with my words, I tend to give up and say, "Oh, you know what I mean!" And sometimes even then, the person I'm talking to..does not know what I mean.
So, most of the time I know what I'm trying to say, but what about the things I do? Sometimes I do something and then I'm like.. "Uh, Katie, why did you just do that?" But you know what? God knows why I do things, and He knows what I mean.
Psalm 33:15 says, "He made their hearts, so He understands everything they do." Think about that for a sec. He gets it. He understands the temptation of sin, He understands your struggles, and He knows what you're trying to say better than you do. Sometimes we, or at least I, think that God is so high above everything that He can't really relate to us; He knows all, yes, but He doesn't understand it.
Haha..what?
Of course He understands it. He made our hearts. Nothing surprises Him. He gets it. And that's so encouraging. That's part of His mercy: He shows us mercy and cuts us slack because He understands that we're not perfect, and He knows how weak we are.
God is not sitting up in heaven with a stick ready to beat us when we do something wrong. Why? Because He made us. And He understands us.
You know what I mean?
So, most of the time I know what I'm trying to say, but what about the things I do? Sometimes I do something and then I'm like.. "Uh, Katie, why did you just do that?" But you know what? God knows why I do things, and He knows what I mean.
Psalm 33:15 says, "He made their hearts, so He understands everything they do." Think about that for a sec. He gets it. He understands the temptation of sin, He understands your struggles, and He knows what you're trying to say better than you do. Sometimes we, or at least I, think that God is so high above everything that He can't really relate to us; He knows all, yes, but He doesn't understand it.
Haha..what?
Of course He understands it. He made our hearts. Nothing surprises Him. He gets it. And that's so encouraging. That's part of His mercy: He shows us mercy and cuts us slack because He understands that we're not perfect, and He knows how weak we are.
God is not sitting up in heaven with a stick ready to beat us when we do something wrong. Why? Because He made us. And He understands us.
You know what I mean?
11.24.2010
Don't Be A Hippo.
No, I'm not going to dedicate an entire post to talking about hippos. Sorry.
"Hippo", however, is sometimes short for "hypocrite", and that's a much more interesting topic.
I was reading John Calvin's book, The Institutes of Christian Religion, and this caught my attention: (Which is rare because in general, I don't find this book extremely interesting..)
"...to speak of those who want to be called Christians, although they have nothing of Christ's but his name and sign. How dare they claim his sacred name?...They are guilty of falsely pretending a knowledge of Christ, despite the eloquence with which they talk of the Gospel. Doctrine is not a matter of talk but life."
I think sometimes we forget that being a Christian is more than praying everyday and going to church. If we do that, and talk about Christianity..but then live for ourselves the rest of the time, what kind of Christians are we? What kind of name are we giving Christ?...Not a good one.
You know "All talk and no game"? It's like...let's say there's a person who talks and talks about water-skiing. They talk about how much they love to water ski, they buy all the equipment for it, and they talk about how great they are at it. But when they go out and actually do it, they really stink. It's sort of like that for Christians. No matter how much I talk about Christ, or how many Bibles I buy, or whatever, if I'm not actually living a Christian life, then there's no impact.
I know it's hard, and everyone messes up, but I think it would be really cool if more Christians actually lived...Christian. Let's try not to contradict our talk and our claims of Christianity by living for ourselves, because that's hypocritical.
...Let's not be hippos.
"Hippo", however, is sometimes short for "hypocrite", and that's a much more interesting topic.
I was reading John Calvin's book, The Institutes of Christian Religion, and this caught my attention: (Which is rare because in general, I don't find this book extremely interesting..)
"...to speak of those who want to be called Christians, although they have nothing of Christ's but his name and sign. How dare they claim his sacred name?...They are guilty of falsely pretending a knowledge of Christ, despite the eloquence with which they talk of the Gospel. Doctrine is not a matter of talk but life."
I think sometimes we forget that being a Christian is more than praying everyday and going to church. If we do that, and talk about Christianity..but then live for ourselves the rest of the time, what kind of Christians are we? What kind of name are we giving Christ?...Not a good one.
You know "All talk and no game"? It's like...let's say there's a person who talks and talks about water-skiing. They talk about how much they love to water ski, they buy all the equipment for it, and they talk about how great they are at it. But when they go out and actually do it, they really stink. It's sort of like that for Christians. No matter how much I talk about Christ, or how many Bibles I buy, or whatever, if I'm not actually living a Christian life, then there's no impact.
I know it's hard, and everyone messes up, but I think it would be really cool if more Christians actually lived...Christian. Let's try not to contradict our talk and our claims of Christianity by living for ourselves, because that's hypocritical.
...Let's not be hippos.
11.20.2010
What-everrr.
Life has its ups, life has its dips, good thing we have potato chips!
...Okay, maybe not. But it's true. Life has both ups and downs. And the downs have a tendency to get me really down.
It happened again. Something in my day didn't go my way, and because of that, I'm grumpy all day.
Is that a good habit?
No.
So what is?
I think we should have a "whatever" mindset, particularly for the small things. If one of my plans falls through, should I get all mad about it and let it completely ruin my day? No. That's where the "whatever" comes in...Okay, so that happened. Whatever. I have more time to do other things now. See? Whatever! I think if I, especially, learned to accept things as they come..I would be all-around happier, and probably more productive.
The other day, I was thinking about the phrase, "Go with the flow." I like that phrase. Not for any particularly deep philosophical reason, I've just always liked it..probably because it rhymes. But I have a habit of putting things into pictures, or relating things to experiences I've had. So, with that in mind, "going with the flow" makes me think of one time, when my family went to Hawaii, and my dad and I were pretty far out in the water, just floating, and rolling with the waves. When a wave rolled through, it was fun, and easy to roll with it until it faded out. If I tried to fight it, I would end up getting water up my nose, and would usually end up getting carried with it anyways. The point is, obviously...that it's kind of easier to go with the flow.
I think it was C.S. Lewis who said "Some people say to God, 'Let Your will be done.' and others say 'Oh alright, have it Your way.'" Either way, we're going to end up rolling with the wave. So when bad things come our way, it may be easier to accept them with a little grace.. "Whatever You want, God. Let Your will be done."
...Okay, maybe not. But it's true. Life has both ups and downs. And the downs have a tendency to get me really down.
It happened again. Something in my day didn't go my way, and because of that, I'm grumpy all day.
Is that a good habit?
No.
So what is?
I think we should have a "whatever" mindset, particularly for the small things. If one of my plans falls through, should I get all mad about it and let it completely ruin my day? No. That's where the "whatever" comes in...Okay, so that happened. Whatever. I have more time to do other things now. See? Whatever! I think if I, especially, learned to accept things as they come..I would be all-around happier, and probably more productive.
The other day, I was thinking about the phrase, "Go with the flow." I like that phrase. Not for any particularly deep philosophical reason, I've just always liked it..probably because it rhymes. But I have a habit of putting things into pictures, or relating things to experiences I've had. So, with that in mind, "going with the flow" makes me think of one time, when my family went to Hawaii, and my dad and I were pretty far out in the water, just floating, and rolling with the waves. When a wave rolled through, it was fun, and easy to roll with it until it faded out. If I tried to fight it, I would end up getting water up my nose, and would usually end up getting carried with it anyways. The point is, obviously...that it's kind of easier to go with the flow.
I think it was C.S. Lewis who said "Some people say to God, 'Let Your will be done.' and others say 'Oh alright, have it Your way.'" Either way, we're going to end up rolling with the wave. So when bad things come our way, it may be easier to accept them with a little grace.. "Whatever You want, God. Let Your will be done."
11.04.2010
The Beauty of Him
God is really beautiful. And he's so good. Psalm 104 just really sticks out to me...he is so good. :)
Psalm 104
1 Let all that I am praise the Lord.
O Lord my God, how great you are!
You are robed with honor and majesty.
2 You are dressed in a robe of light.
You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens;
3 you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds.
You make the clouds your chariot;
you ride upon the wings of the wind.
4 The winds are your messengers;
flames of fire are your servants.
5 You placed the world on its foundation
so it would never be moved.
6 You clothed the earth with floods of water,
water that covered even the mountains.
7 At your command, the water fled;
at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away.
8 Mountains rose and valleys sank
to the levels you decreed.
9 Then you set a firm boundary for the seas,
so they would never again cover the earth.
10 You make springs pour water into the ravines,
so streams gush down from the mountains.
11 They provide water for all the animals,
and the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds nest beside the streams
and sing among the branches of the trees.
13 You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home,
and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor.
14 You cause grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for people to use.
You allow them to produce food from the earth—
15 wine to make them glad,
olive oil to soothe their skin,
and bread to give them strength.
16 The trees of the Lord are well cared for—
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 There the birds make their nests,
and the storks make their homes in the cypresses.
18 High in the mountains live the wild goats,
and the rocks form a refuge for the hyraxes.
19 You made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to set.
20 You send the darkness, and it becomes night,
when all the forest animals prowl about.
21 Then the young lions roar for their prey,
stalking the food provided by God.
22 At dawn they slink back
into their dens to rest.
23 Then people go off to their work,
where they labor until evening.
24 O Lord, what a variety of things you have made!
In wisdom you have made them all.
The earth is full of your creatures.
25 Here is the ocean, vast and wide,
teeming with life of every kind,
both large and small.
26 See the ships sailing along,
and Leviathan, which you made to play in the sea.
27 They all depend on you
to give them food as they need it.
28 When you supply it, they gather it.
You open your hand to feed them,
and they are richly satisfied.
29 But if you turn away from them, they panic.
When you take away their breath,
they die and turn again to dust.
30 When you give them your breath, life is created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of the Lord continue forever!
The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made!
32 The earth trembles at his glance;
the mountains smoke at his touch.
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.
I will praise my God to my last breath!
34 May all my thoughts be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the Lord.
35 Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth;
let the wicked disappear forever.
Let all that I am praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
9.19.2010
Fresh From the Fight
God gets my attention in the most unlikely places.
Tonight, as I watching a movie and trying not to fall asleep, I heard the phrase (from a line in the movie) "fresh from the fight". And I was like...Woah..what does that mean?
I immediately applied it to Christianity. As Christians, we're in a war...everyone knows that, right? But sometimes, we forget. And we also forget how that exactly relates to our lives. I mean, if I'm not fighting for my life in some Communist country, faithfully preaching the gospel...it doesn't apply to me, right?
Ehhh, wrong.
I think fighting in the "war of good and evil" is just as present in your normal, everyday life as it is anywhere else. We fight the war by making choices that honor God, by choosing to say (or not say) certain words, do (or not do) certain things, and treat people maybe a little nicer than how they actually deserve to be treated.
A while back, my friend explained her own interpretation of sin to me: Our sins are forgiven, of course, by Jesus, but when we sin, it still grieves God's heart. But, when we purposely choose not to sin, it's showing our allegiance to God. It's saying, "I'm in God's army, so I'm going to choose to obey Him."
So basically all I'm saying is, everyday is a battle. Everyday, I can choose to say I'm on God's side. I want to be fervently fighting for Him.
...I want to be fresh from the fight.
Tonight, as I watching a movie and trying not to fall asleep, I heard the phrase (from a line in the movie) "fresh from the fight". And I was like...Woah..what does that mean?
I immediately applied it to Christianity. As Christians, we're in a war...everyone knows that, right? But sometimes, we forget. And we also forget how that exactly relates to our lives. I mean, if I'm not fighting for my life in some Communist country, faithfully preaching the gospel...it doesn't apply to me, right?
Ehhh, wrong.
I think fighting in the "war of good and evil" is just as present in your normal, everyday life as it is anywhere else. We fight the war by making choices that honor God, by choosing to say (or not say) certain words, do (or not do) certain things, and treat people maybe a little nicer than how they actually deserve to be treated.
A while back, my friend explained her own interpretation of sin to me: Our sins are forgiven, of course, by Jesus, but when we sin, it still grieves God's heart. But, when we purposely choose not to sin, it's showing our allegiance to God. It's saying, "I'm in God's army, so I'm going to choose to obey Him."
So basically all I'm saying is, everyday is a battle. Everyday, I can choose to say I'm on God's side. I want to be fervently fighting for Him.
...I want to be fresh from the fight.
8.28.2010
Keep Your Knife to Yourself
Backstabbing...it's not just for murder mysteries. Lately, I've found it within my own life - in my conversations, my thoughts, my words. My friend Jacalyn was talking with me about it...how can we call people our friends, and then turn around and say how they're so annoying. They're so immature. They're such a flirt. I can't stand them.
Uh. What was that?
Yeah. We have to remember in all that, that God is always watching. And like...seriously? I've done that so many times, and then feel awful about it. How, in good conscience, can we be claim to be "friends" with someone then backstab them like this? It's just wrong.
So, what to do about it...Jacalyn and I came up with three main points to think about when talking about people...(or just..talking in general.)
1. Am I honoring God with my words?
2. If the person I'm talking about was standing right here, would I want them to hear what I was saying?
3. Would I want the same thing to be said about me?
So, I for one, am really going to try to hold to these 3 things, because I want good things coming from my mouth, and not bad. I don't want to backstab anymore, and I don't want you to do that to me either, so, for all our sakes..let's keep our knives to ourselves.
Uh. What was that?
Yeah. We have to remember in all that, that God is always watching. And like...seriously? I've done that so many times, and then feel awful about it. How, in good conscience, can we be claim to be "friends" with someone then backstab them like this? It's just wrong.
So, what to do about it...Jacalyn and I came up with three main points to think about when talking about people...(or just..talking in general.)
1. Am I honoring God with my words?
2. If the person I'm talking about was standing right here, would I want them to hear what I was saying?
3. Would I want the same thing to be said about me?
So, I for one, am really going to try to hold to these 3 things, because I want good things coming from my mouth, and not bad. I don't want to backstab anymore, and I don't want you to do that to me either, so, for all our sakes..let's keep our knives to ourselves.
8.04.2010
Sorry, I'm bad with names.
Actually, I'm not. But I know a lot of people who are.
Recently, a new friend invited me to her birthday party. We had been friends for about two months, and so I was like, okay, cool. I get to her party and I walk in, and she couldn't remember my name. I had to remind her. *Awkward.*
Another example: My mom had been friends with this lady for like 3 years, and I knew her too...so I see her one day and she couldn't remember my name and so I had to remind her she was friends with my mom and I was her daughter....*Also awkward.*
So, it's kind of awkward and embarrassing when someone can't remember your name. You feel like they didn't care enough about you to remember it in the first place, and then the next time they see you, they suddenly remember you. And so then that made me think..
I'm glad God is good with names.
I don't think you'll ever hear Him say, "Oh my gosh, I completely blanked out. What's your name again?" That's just not...Him. He cares more about you than that. It's crazy when you think about it. The Creator of the atom, and the flower, and the human eye, the God who planned out all of history, the One who came up with the idea of gravity...also came up with you. And not only that, but He thinks about us? He knows my name? It's crazy, and it's amazing.
So, just a reminder for today...God knows your name.
"My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
they would outnumber the grains of sand. "
-Psalm 139: 15-18
Recently, a new friend invited me to her birthday party. We had been friends for about two months, and so I was like, okay, cool. I get to her party and I walk in, and she couldn't remember my name. I had to remind her. *Awkward.*
Another example: My mom had been friends with this lady for like 3 years, and I knew her too...so I see her one day and she couldn't remember my name and so I had to remind her she was friends with my mom and I was her daughter....*Also awkward.*
So, it's kind of awkward and embarrassing when someone can't remember your name. You feel like they didn't care enough about you to remember it in the first place, and then the next time they see you, they suddenly remember you. And so then that made me think..
I'm glad God is good with names.
I don't think you'll ever hear Him say, "Oh my gosh, I completely blanked out. What's your name again?" That's just not...Him. He cares more about you than that. It's crazy when you think about it. The Creator of the atom, and the flower, and the human eye, the God who planned out all of history, the One who came up with the idea of gravity...also came up with you. And not only that, but He thinks about us? He knows my name? It's crazy, and it's amazing.
So, just a reminder for today...God knows your name.
"My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
they would outnumber the grains of sand. "
-Psalm 139: 15-18
7.22.2010
Things That Don't Matter
Hey. So last Sunday at church, our pastor spoke about being Christ-like and I was like..."Whoa. I totally forgot all about that. I should think about that more in my week." So I did. Fast forward to this evening...I was at a party and my friend was being rather mean to me all night and then the opportunity came to be "mean" to her back and I figured since everyone else was doing it, what the heck?
Ha. Fail.
Yeah, so that wasn't a great decision. So much for being Christ-like, huh? However, in that, I did get something out of it...something that I've always known, but don't always remember:
It doesn't matter what other people are doing.
I like lists. So let's make a list, shall we?
Things That Don't Matter:
-What other people are saying
-What other people are doing
-How other people look
-What other people think of you
Things That Do Matter:
-What God thinks of you
I know, I'm sounding Sunday-schoolish..but it's true. Just because other people are being mean, or saying bad things, or whatever - doing anything that wouldn't glorify God - that doesn't mean it's acceptable for me to do it. We have to constantly remember that God sees everything, and when He judges us, He doesn't see anyone else. When looking at our own actions, we have to use Jesus as the standard, and not anyone or anything else. Just because you're "better than most people", doesn't necessarily mean you're glorifying God, you know?
So just this once, stop thinking about others and start thinking about yourself. Regardless of what other people are doing, what am I doing? Would it be acceptable to God?
Because that's what really matters.
Ha. Fail.
Yeah, so that wasn't a great decision. So much for being Christ-like, huh? However, in that, I did get something out of it...something that I've always known, but don't always remember:
It doesn't matter what other people are doing.
I like lists. So let's make a list, shall we?
Things That Don't Matter:
-What other people are saying
-What other people are doing
-How other people look
-What other people think of you
Things That Do Matter:
-What God thinks of you
I know, I'm sounding Sunday-schoolish..but it's true. Just because other people are being mean, or saying bad things, or whatever - doing anything that wouldn't glorify God - that doesn't mean it's acceptable for me to do it. We have to constantly remember that God sees everything, and when He judges us, He doesn't see anyone else. When looking at our own actions, we have to use Jesus as the standard, and not anyone or anything else. Just because you're "better than most people", doesn't necessarily mean you're glorifying God, you know?
So just this once, stop thinking about others and start thinking about yourself. Regardless of what other people are doing, what am I doing? Would it be acceptable to God?
Because that's what really matters.
6.18.2010
Humble Pie for Dinner
A quick snapshot of my recent thoughts:
For a while now, and especially since I wrote my last post, I've been thinking a lot about humility, and observing it (or the lack thereof) in other people. I don't mean to point fingers, and I'm not going to because I'm one of them, but so many people have so little humility. Part of it is our culture. The media and everything around us tells us how amazing we are, and how much smarter than everyone we are, and how we deserve to be respected.
This is all true to some extent, but we also have to realize how small we are in the grand scheme of things. Especially when it comes to God.
Part of the modern American mindset is independence - that I can take care of myself on my own without any help. But...that's just not true. We can't. God is the one who created us and died in our places. That means we're living borrowed lives. We are at the mercy of the All-Powerful God of the Universe, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. And fortunately, He loves us. We shouldn't just take that for granted, continuing to think that we're better than everyone else.
Our ultimate goal in life is to be more like Jesus. Or at least it should be. And the Bible says repeatedly that He humbled Himself to come live with us. ('Member the slug analogy? ;)
So shouldn't we do the same?
For a while now, and especially since I wrote my last post, I've been thinking a lot about humility, and observing it (or the lack thereof) in other people. I don't mean to point fingers, and I'm not going to because I'm one of them, but so many people have so little humility. Part of it is our culture. The media and everything around us tells us how amazing we are, and how much smarter than everyone we are, and how we deserve to be respected.
This is all true to some extent, but we also have to realize how small we are in the grand scheme of things. Especially when it comes to God.
Part of the modern American mindset is independence - that I can take care of myself on my own without any help. But...that's just not true. We can't. God is the one who created us and died in our places. That means we're living borrowed lives. We are at the mercy of the All-Powerful God of the Universe, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. And fortunately, He loves us. We shouldn't just take that for granted, continuing to think that we're better than everyone else.
Our ultimate goal in life is to be more like Jesus. Or at least it should be. And the Bible says repeatedly that He humbled Himself to come live with us. ('Member the slug analogy? ;)
So shouldn't we do the same?
6.15.2010
5.24.2010
All Good Things..
Another debate-related post for you.
So, it's been 2 weeks since Regionals, and since then, I've been thinking about debate, missing it, etc. But in the midst of all that, God has really been helping me through my "Post-Debate Depression". Last year after Regionals, I missed debate and all my debate friends so much, I thought I would burst. But this year, God has been getting me to focus more on His blessings and less on myself and what I want.
It's surprising. This year was the best year, success-wise, I've ever had. I made more friends than I had before. I got close to the new ones and closer to the old ones. My partner and I are so close, we're like brother and sister. So..why am I glad the year is over?
The answer: All by God's grace. This year has been so much better for me, because I've been able to hang on to the fact that God has everything under control. Just in case you didn't catch that..God has everything under control. Everything. Your pairings. Your rounds. Your evidence. Your ballots. Your partnerships for next year. Everything. Everything.
I've also been hanging onto this verse:
"There is a time for everything, and everything on earth has its special season." ~Ecclesiastes 3:1
So hey. Remember: All good things must come to an end, but don't worry. The good things will come again. :)
So, it's been 2 weeks since Regionals, and since then, I've been thinking about debate, missing it, etc. But in the midst of all that, God has really been helping me through my "Post-Debate Depression". Last year after Regionals, I missed debate and all my debate friends so much, I thought I would burst. But this year, God has been getting me to focus more on His blessings and less on myself and what I want.
It's surprising. This year was the best year, success-wise, I've ever had. I made more friends than I had before. I got close to the new ones and closer to the old ones. My partner and I are so close, we're like brother and sister. So..why am I glad the year is over?
The answer: All by God's grace. This year has been so much better for me, because I've been able to hang on to the fact that God has everything under control. Just in case you didn't catch that..God has everything under control. Everything. Your pairings. Your rounds. Your evidence. Your ballots. Your partnerships for next year. Everything. Everything.
I've also been hanging onto this verse:
"There is a time for everything, and everything on earth has its special season." ~Ecclesiastes 3:1
So hey. Remember: All good things must come to an end, but don't worry. The good things will come again. :)
4.19.2010
Blessings Pt. 2
So we just got home from the Arkansas tournament yesterday, and I was thinking this morning about it and how truly blessed we were at the tournament and how I didn't fully realize them until today...
Background: So we broke in debate, but only past the first outround and so that wasn't too great. Then we broke in Duo and 5th place, but for some reason I felt like that didn't make up for the debate thing..and I didn't break in my OO, which I felt like I should, and on top of that I didn't get a speaker award which really crushed me. (I know this sounds like not such a big deal, but remember, I was running on about 6 hours of sleep and stressing and tired and pretty much at the end of my rope ;)
So I was thinking about it this morning, and I realized how much God blessed us and how little I realized or appreciated it...for 4 full days, I got to hang around my best friends, I met new friends, and I got to be with people who believe the same things I do and who love me. That is a blessing in and of itself. And on top of that, He also let us break in debate, which so many people didn't, and only by His blessing did we break in duo. He was also there with me every second of it, loving me and cheering me on. And that's the greatest of all. :)
Background: So we broke in debate, but only past the first outround and so that wasn't too great. Then we broke in Duo and 5th place, but for some reason I felt like that didn't make up for the debate thing..and I didn't break in my OO, which I felt like I should, and on top of that I didn't get a speaker award which really crushed me. (I know this sounds like not such a big deal, but remember, I was running on about 6 hours of sleep and stressing and tired and pretty much at the end of my rope ;)
So I was thinking about it this morning, and I realized how much God blessed us and how little I realized or appreciated it...for 4 full days, I got to hang around my best friends, I met new friends, and I got to be with people who believe the same things I do and who love me. That is a blessing in and of itself. And on top of that, He also let us break in debate, which so many people didn't, and only by His blessing did we break in duo. He was also there with me every second of it, loving me and cheering me on. And that's the greatest of all. :)
4.11.2010
Charging by Conduction
So there I am a couple days ago, doing my science, when I come across a definition that I thought was cool..
"Charging by conduction: Charging an object by allowing it to come into contact with an object that already has an electrical charge."
Yeah, this is going to sound completely Sunday-schoolish, but isn't that kind of what we're supposed to be as Christians? The electrical charge? You could almost turn that into a different definition:
"Evangelism: Charging a person by allowing it to come into contact with a Christian that already has the electrical charge (/love/joy/fire/whatever) of God."
I don't know, I just saw a similarity. I think as Christians, we need to be very aware of our actions and words, especially around non-Christians. And besides, God is always watching. :)
Well, that's all...I need to go re-charge my batteries.
"Charging by conduction: Charging an object by allowing it to come into contact with an object that already has an electrical charge."
Yeah, this is going to sound completely Sunday-schoolish, but isn't that kind of what we're supposed to be as Christians? The electrical charge? You could almost turn that into a different definition:
"Evangelism: Charging a person by allowing it to come into contact with a Christian that already has the electrical charge (/love/joy/fire/whatever) of God."
I don't know, I just saw a similarity. I think as Christians, we need to be very aware of our actions and words, especially around non-Christians. And besides, God is always watching. :)
Well, that's all...I need to go re-charge my batteries.
3.24.2010
Blessed.
So I was thinking today, because thinking is a good thing...and I realized just how blessed I truly am. I have an amazing God who's given me AMAZING friends. And if you're reading this, you're my friend and I love you, so I just wanted to let you know how amazing you are. God has blessed me with some of the most gorgeous, (for the guys, uhh handsome? O_o) hilarious, kindest friends on the planet and I thank Him for you everyday. :)
3.15.2010
Star Wars and The Bible
So anyone over the age of 7 has probably seen Star Wars at least once, I being one of them. I went through a Star Wars-obsession a couple years ago, and I was just watching the first one again tonight for the first time in a long time, and I began to notice some similarities between the storyline and the Bible. Warning: The next section is sure to contain some nerdy Star Wars talk. ;)
Just as the whole Bible focuses around Jesus, the whole storyline of Star Wars basically follows the life of Anakin Skywalker. There are some definite differences between these two, but as I watched, I noticed how similar they really are. Anakin is often referred to as "The Chosen One", who is supposed to bring balance to the Force. Isn't that kind of like Jesus? He is definitely the Messiah, who did and will bring balance to the entire world. Hmm. Also, if you're listening close enough, you'll catch that Anakin was supposedly conceived by midi-chlorians (little organisms that live inside your cells who "speak to you about the will of the Force" if you listen close enough...Holy Spirit, anyone?), and that Anakin didn't have a father. Sounds like more Jesusness to me. Don't get me wrong, Anakin eventually went to the dark side and Jesus never did, but you could almost take that as the death of Jesus. After Anakin became a Sith, he was all doing his Sith thing..and then he eventually came back to the light and destroyed the dark side altogether. Maybe this is too large of a leap, but Jesus died, and was dead for three days, but did eventually come back, consequentially breaking the power of sin forever.
I'm also seeing some similarities between the last battle of the Rebel Force (in the last movie) and the end times/Armageddon, but I won't go into that.
In the real world, there isn't really an all-encompassing Force that controls the order of the world, but we DO have a Savior who does that and more. And that's something to be thankful for. :)
Just as the whole Bible focuses around Jesus, the whole storyline of Star Wars basically follows the life of Anakin Skywalker. There are some definite differences between these two, but as I watched, I noticed how similar they really are. Anakin is often referred to as "The Chosen One", who is supposed to bring balance to the Force. Isn't that kind of like Jesus? He is definitely the Messiah, who did and will bring balance to the entire world. Hmm. Also, if you're listening close enough, you'll catch that Anakin was supposedly conceived by midi-chlorians (little organisms that live inside your cells who "speak to you about the will of the Force" if you listen close enough...Holy Spirit, anyone?), and that Anakin didn't have a father. Sounds like more Jesusness to me. Don't get me wrong, Anakin eventually went to the dark side and Jesus never did, but you could almost take that as the death of Jesus. After Anakin became a Sith, he was all doing his Sith thing..and then he eventually came back to the light and destroyed the dark side altogether. Maybe this is too large of a leap, but Jesus died, and was dead for three days, but did eventually come back, consequentially breaking the power of sin forever.
I'm also seeing some similarities between the last battle of the Rebel Force (in the last movie) and the end times/Armageddon, but I won't go into that.
In the real world, there isn't really an all-encompassing Force that controls the order of the world, but we DO have a Savior who does that and more. And that's something to be thankful for. :)
2.23.2010
WE DON'T HAVE ANY COOKIES!
So today I was complaining because I didn't have any cookies....or ice cream...or anything "good" and then I remembered...
My friend has a little sister who's about 4 years old who just got put into ICU because she caught pneumonia, has a hole in her heart, and something really wrong with her lungs, just to name a few things. I've been praying for her and stuff but as I was complaining about my lack of cookies....I suddenly thought... Waaaaaait a second....is that really important compared to what that family is going through? Or the people in Haiti? Or all the people who've lost their jobs in the past year?
Not to say that my little troubles and worries aren't important, but I think sometimes we forget to look at the whole picture. Like...is this really worth making a big deal about compared to all the other problems people are having? Just a thought....
So maybe next time you run out of cookies, instead of complaining...say a prayer for all the other people who don't have cookies. Etc, etc, etc. :)
My friend has a little sister who's about 4 years old who just got put into ICU because she caught pneumonia, has a hole in her heart, and something really wrong with her lungs, just to name a few things. I've been praying for her and stuff but as I was complaining about my lack of cookies....I suddenly thought... Waaaaaait a second....is that really important compared to what that family is going through? Or the people in Haiti? Or all the people who've lost their jobs in the past year?
Not to say that my little troubles and worries aren't important, but I think sometimes we forget to look at the whole picture. Like...is this really worth making a big deal about compared to all the other problems people are having? Just a thought....
So maybe next time you run out of cookies, instead of complaining...say a prayer for all the other people who don't have cookies. Etc, etc, etc. :)
2.02.2010
To-Do Lists and Time Frames
Just a quick note to every procrastinator and to myself: To-do lists are wonderful things. Just take a piece of paper, write 3 or 4 things you have to do that day and voila! You have a functional to-do list. Time frames are also very useful for getting things done. When tournament season hits you and you have to write 3 speeches in the span of 2 weeks, and memorize them, and block them, plus do all your other homework, not to mention debate, and you somehow have to keep up your social life.....well, needless to say, time frames are lifesavers.
Just a note. :)
Just a note. :)
1.25.2010
Procrastinators unite!!....tomorrow.
Soo I realized I haven't been on here in ages and decided to stop procrastinating and write another entry. :) It's currently 11:43 p.m., I have 3 more things to do on my to-do list, and I'm majorly procrastinating. To all the procrastinators of the world: I'm glad you feel my pain.
Hopefully I'll be writing more often, now that I've remembered that I do have a blog. Haha, well, I'm off to start writing my paper again. And stop procrastinating...but wait, 10 more minutes on Facebook...
Hopefully I'll be writing more often, now that I've remembered that I do have a blog. Haha, well, I'm off to start writing my paper again. And stop procrastinating...but wait, 10 more minutes on Facebook...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)