Well, I haven't posted in almost a month. I have been quite busy with things that have been keeping me from blogging. I must admit, I have missed it. I enjoy blogging not only to get my thoughts out but for the joy of knowing that other people are reading my words and are sometimes inspired by them.
Over the next few days, my goal is to post a few blogs about the things that have been going on in life since December 19. For now, I will share just a few updates.
1. School has begun again. I am back to being a full time student at CUDS. I love my classes, although they are going to require A LOT of work.
2. I am going to Atlanta for the Celebration of the New Baptist Covenant at the end of January. I am looking forward to being a part of this historic event with many of my friends.
3. A lot of things have been going on with my family. In the next few days, I plan to share some of these things.
4. My computer died. I am waiting on a new one to arrive (hopefully next week) and in the mean time I am relying on my work computer and my roommates extra laptop. I am thankful for these resources.
Until I write again, be blessed. Happy 2008!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Sunday, December 2, 2007
In public
When I hear the word "public" my mind automatically thinks of comedian Ron White and the way he used to talk about being "drunk in public". He didn't say the word public in any normal way...in fact I found the way he said it to be quite obnoxious. I remember seeing him on TV several times and every time he said the word public I cringed. I believe that stuck in my mind because now whenever anyone says the word "public" I am reminded of the obnoxious way of saying it.
Lately, I've heard a lot of talk about public. We talk at work about going public with decisions that have been made. In class we often talk about how we are to act in the outside world (or the public). At church, I heard about inviting the greater public to a Christmas service that would be taking place in December. As you can see, I've been hearing the word a lot.
Not only have I heard it in these places, I have heard the word from my boyfriend. For a while now he has made a joke that I don't like to be seen with him in public. Well of course I interject my feelings and exclaim that that is not the case. He gets this smile on his face and says something like.. I know the truth, you don't like to be seen with me in public. Well today, as we were walking into a restaurant to have lunch with some friends, he made the comment that I don't like to be seen with him in public. Of course, I responded but this time he got a smile on his face. He said of course he knew it wasn't true, he just liked to see how I react to such things.
Well, I decided...I want the world to know I really do like to be in public with my boyfriend. If you didn't know that already...now you do. I love to be in public with him and in fact, I am a better person for being around him and with him. So the reality is quite the opposite...being in public with him means that I can show off the person that makes me a better person and that makes me "one happy woman." :-)
Lately, I've heard a lot of talk about public. We talk at work about going public with decisions that have been made. In class we often talk about how we are to act in the outside world (or the public). At church, I heard about inviting the greater public to a Christmas service that would be taking place in December. As you can see, I've been hearing the word a lot.
Not only have I heard it in these places, I have heard the word from my boyfriend. For a while now he has made a joke that I don't like to be seen with him in public. Well of course I interject my feelings and exclaim that that is not the case. He gets this smile on his face and says something like.. I know the truth, you don't like to be seen with me in public. Well today, as we were walking into a restaurant to have lunch with some friends, he made the comment that I don't like to be seen with him in public. Of course, I responded but this time he got a smile on his face. He said of course he knew it wasn't true, he just liked to see how I react to such things.
Well, I decided...I want the world to know I really do like to be in public with my boyfriend. If you didn't know that already...now you do. I love to be in public with him and in fact, I am a better person for being around him and with him. So the reality is quite the opposite...being in public with him means that I can show off the person that makes me a better person and that makes me "one happy woman." :-)
Saturday, December 1, 2007
These are a few of my favorite things...
As I lay here tonight watching the 40th Anniversary edition of The Sound of Music I am reminded of the later years of my childhood when I first saw this movie. I don't remember where I was or who I was with, but I remember falling in love with this movie. I remember wanting to go to Salzburg (which is still a dream) and I remember learning the words to all of the songs in the movie.
When I was in the 5th grade, my mother purchased the piano music for me so that I could learn to play the songs. I started with the famous tune "These are a few of my favorite things..." I practiced that song everyday for weeks so that I could get it perfect. I wanted to be able to play it at my recital. I finally go it and my piano teacher was so proud of me.
Several years ago the 40th edition of the movie came out on a 2 DVD special edition. I asked for it for my birthday and my aunt got it for me. I was so excited that I watched it that night. Since then, I haven't watched it much, but lately that tune of favorite things has been on my mind.
Tonight after finishing one of my take home exams for school I decided to put the DVD in. As I laid here watching the movie, I was reminded of some of my childhood thoughts. I remember writing down some of my favorite things. At the time they included my dog, my mom, pizza, church, and Mexican food. As I lay here watching the Sound of Music, I have a smile on my face. There is just something about Maria becoming the governess of the VonTrapp household and making them clothes and teaching them to sing. The songs put a smile on my heart.
My list of favorite things has changed a bit since the fifth grade. Actually, it has changed quite a bit. If you'd like to know... my favorite things include my boyfriend. He puts a smile on my face and makes me laugh even when I am in a weird or bad mood. He makes me feel comfortable and I know I can be myself around him. He makes me happy when I am sad. I love spending my time with him no matter if it is at the dinner table or sitting in my room. He is one of my favorite things. My list also includes my friends. My friends mean the world to me. I have a group of close friends that I really feel "get" me. I don't have to act around them and I can just tell it like it is. My parent's are on my list. My sister is there as well. The list also includes traveling to places like Vienna, Austria, Prague, Czech Republic, Seville, Spain, and Cairo, Egypt. I haven't made it to Salzburg... but I am trying to get there this coming summer. The list has food on it as well...from Mexican food to pizza to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
These are just a few of my favorite things. As I sit here and sing along (but not too loud) I am reminded that I have a lot to be thankful for and I wanted to share a few of my favorite things.
(Image from www.walmart.com)
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Learning values in their own way.
As I was scrolling through the Time.com website looking at the news headlines one in particular caught my eye. Sunday School for Atheists happened to be at the top of the news. I clicked on the link and saw a picture of a young woman reading to several children. I began to read the article and became very interested in what it had to say.
Groups of atheists all over the United States are starting groups that come together weekly to teach their children values. They have their own version of the Christian Sunday School. The interviews in this article really intrigued me because the people talked of not believing in God at all. Now, I have had my days of straying from the straight and narrow, but I have always believed there is a God.
One of the stories in particular really got to me. A woman spoke of her son talking to someone about the Bible. The son was really interested in this truth that he had been presented and wondered why they didn't believe in it. After that, his mother sent him to a humanist camp to be with other children who had been raised not to believe in God.
As I read further, the article listed the things that these people and their children do in Sunday School. This is where they go to learn values and how to live. The children had studied Stone Soup a book about how a community comes together each person giving one thing to make the soup. If I am not mistaken, I have used this book before in church, or something very similar.
I am not really sure what to think about this Atheist Sunday School. I wonder if they have a class for how to deal with over zealous Christians, like the classes I have seen for Christians on how to deal with Latter Day Saints. I'd be interested in what it would be like to be taught how to live a life of values not believing in God. I'd bet it would be pretty hard.
Groups of atheists all over the United States are starting groups that come together weekly to teach their children values. They have their own version of the Christian Sunday School. The interviews in this article really intrigued me because the people talked of not believing in God at all. Now, I have had my days of straying from the straight and narrow, but I have always believed there is a God.
One of the stories in particular really got to me. A woman spoke of her son talking to someone about the Bible. The son was really interested in this truth that he had been presented and wondered why they didn't believe in it. After that, his mother sent him to a humanist camp to be with other children who had been raised not to believe in God.
As I read further, the article listed the things that these people and their children do in Sunday School. This is where they go to learn values and how to live. The children had studied Stone Soup a book about how a community comes together each person giving one thing to make the soup. If I am not mistaken, I have used this book before in church, or something very similar.
I am not really sure what to think about this Atheist Sunday School. I wonder if they have a class for how to deal with over zealous Christians, like the classes I have seen for Christians on how to deal with Latter Day Saints. I'd be interested in what it would be like to be taught how to live a life of values not believing in God. I'd bet it would be pretty hard.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Weird to us...normal to them
Last week, I was walking through the halls of the Divinity School. I heard various conversations taking place on topics from studying to the weather. As I walked past one of the groups of classmates I heard them talking about weird occurrences. One of the girls said she had seen a headline that a man had wed a dog in India. Imagine that, a man marries a dog in India. I shook my head and kept on walking. The next day, I looked for a news article about this wedding, but could only find the picture on AOL news. I was intrigued by the picture and wanted to know more, but the story hadn't been written yet.
As I was laying here tonight for some reason I thought about the wedding between the man and dog. I googled the topic and found an article. I opened it up and there it was: Man in India Marries Dog As I read the story, I was amazed at why a man would marry a dog.
It turns out that this man married a female dog in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony as an attempt to atone for stoning two other dogs to death- an act that he believes cursed him. As I continued to read the article I shook my head not understanding why any human would marry a dog. It turns out that in rural India deeply superstitious people sometimes organize weddings to dogs and other animals believing it can ward off certain curses.
I thought, what a backward practice marrying dogs. The article says that after the wedding the family had a feast and gave the dog a bun. Who in their right mind would really marry a dog is what my mind continued to think. To us, this seems quite weird. To them, its the norm. As I thought of this, I was reminded that I am thankful for the forgiveness of my sins through Jesus Christ.
(I'm also praying that no one I know will ever marry a dog... I might just have to laugh out loud.)
(photo credit: www.aol.com)
Thursday, November 15, 2007
What I can't say...
Posting blogs has caused a sense of release in my life. When I first started blogging, I was writing almost daily about thoughts or quotes or different things that were happening in my life. I expressed in my ministry journals that I found this blogging to be a sense of release for me. It has been almost like therapy.
For the past month and a half or so I have been experiencing so many emotions and thoughts that I cannot post here on this blog. I cannot post them because they are things I don't want to world to know. I cannot post them because they are things I haven't even admitted believing to myself. I cannot post them because I am scared to let go of them. I feel that if I keep them to myself, I have a safer hold on them.
I had shared with a dear friend that I had all of these things on my mind that I couldn't write for the world to see (yet). She told me I should journal them. I agreed and we moved on.
Today when I arrived at Divinity School, I looked in my mailbox and there was a small gift. I thought what in the world? Now, my friend had told me that she had a small gift for me, but I just wasn't expecting it to be in my mailbox. I took it out of my box to check it out. There it was, a brand new journal. Attached to it was a blue sheet of paper with a note. A portion of it reads: "For all of the thoughts that you cannot post..."
So to my friend, I thank you for the encouragement and support. I thank you for being a faithful reader and for giving me creative ideas for ways to deal with my thoughts and emotions. I am glad you are in my life and I am thankful for this gift!
For the past month and a half or so I have been experiencing so many emotions and thoughts that I cannot post here on this blog. I cannot post them because they are things I don't want to world to know. I cannot post them because they are things I haven't even admitted believing to myself. I cannot post them because I am scared to let go of them. I feel that if I keep them to myself, I have a safer hold on them.
I had shared with a dear friend that I had all of these things on my mind that I couldn't write for the world to see (yet). She told me I should journal them. I agreed and we moved on.
Today when I arrived at Divinity School, I looked in my mailbox and there was a small gift. I thought what in the world? Now, my friend had told me that she had a small gift for me, but I just wasn't expecting it to be in my mailbox. I took it out of my box to check it out. There it was, a brand new journal. Attached to it was a blue sheet of paper with a note. A portion of it reads: "For all of the thoughts that you cannot post..."
So to my friend, I thank you for the encouragement and support. I thank you for being a faithful reader and for giving me creative ideas for ways to deal with my thoughts and emotions. I am glad you are in my life and I am thankful for this gift!
Monday, November 12, 2007
The things I did....
Last week a friend was talking about the things we do when we are young. She shared her story about her group of friends in middle school. They all made up a fake story about having play practice after school so that they could all stay after school. Only they weren't staying for play practice, they were staying after to practice making out.
After hearing her funny story, I began to think about the things I did. I think I'll share a few. Maybe they will make you laugh. Maybe they will make you remember some of the things you did when you were young.
When I was in 8th grade, I began to really hate gym. I had this coach that no one liked, but she seemed to like me. I tried to come up with ways to get out of participating in gym. I skipped a few times...and got caught. So, instead of continuing to get in trouble, I needed to come up with a way to get out of it. I came up with a fantastic story to tell my coach so that I wouldn't have to participate. I told her that I was pregnant and couldn't participate in P.E. The funny thing is.. she bought it for about 4 weeks and then she asked for a doctor's note. All that time, I sat on the sidelines laughing while everyone else did the exercises and learned how to play basketball and volleyball. You know, my coach didn't punish me for lying. She just made me participate again.
My hatred of gym continued into high school. Somehow, in 9th and 10th grades I ended up with the coolest gym coach ever. Instead of participating in the sports, he let me clean his office out every week. All I had to do was write a paper on the sport that the rest of the class was doing. I got out of participating and didn't have to lie.
As I think about my time as a teenager, I can remember many fun stories. I did a lot of stupid things. I did a lot of things to cry out for attention.
What did you do that was stupid? What did you do that was crazy? Did you do things for attention? Or did you just get by?
After hearing her funny story, I began to think about the things I did. I think I'll share a few. Maybe they will make you laugh. Maybe they will make you remember some of the things you did when you were young.
When I was in 8th grade, I began to really hate gym. I had this coach that no one liked, but she seemed to like me. I tried to come up with ways to get out of participating in gym. I skipped a few times...and got caught. So, instead of continuing to get in trouble, I needed to come up with a way to get out of it. I came up with a fantastic story to tell my coach so that I wouldn't have to participate. I told her that I was pregnant and couldn't participate in P.E. The funny thing is.. she bought it for about 4 weeks and then she asked for a doctor's note. All that time, I sat on the sidelines laughing while everyone else did the exercises and learned how to play basketball and volleyball. You know, my coach didn't punish me for lying. She just made me participate again.
My hatred of gym continued into high school. Somehow, in 9th and 10th grades I ended up with the coolest gym coach ever. Instead of participating in the sports, he let me clean his office out every week. All I had to do was write a paper on the sport that the rest of the class was doing. I got out of participating and didn't have to lie.
As I think about my time as a teenager, I can remember many fun stories. I did a lot of stupid things. I did a lot of things to cry out for attention.
What did you do that was stupid? What did you do that was crazy? Did you do things for attention? Or did you just get by?
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