food for thought

food for thought

Yesterday at church the pastor was talking about stealing and stuff like that. He mentioned something about identity theft. He said imagine all the planning and stuff that it takes to pull off a successful identity theft job. Then he proceeded to say "Imagine how different the world would be if people put effort like that into everything? We would probably have a cure for cancer by now"

I've been reflecting on that since he said it. Imagine the amounts of time we waste watching tv, surfing facebook, myspace, blogspots and youtube. Imagine all the books you can read to better yourself or to fight for a cause. It also really got me thinking about the movie stars of today. Since paris hilton went to jail it seems to be the newest trend in hollywood.

Sometimes i really dont think these movie stars understand the power and influence they have over todays young society. If those 'stars' did ONE positive thing, i bet a lot more people would follow. I stumbled across this article the other day on this band, and how they wear purity rings that their parents gave them, which gave them a chance to speak out against premarital sex. alot of their fans thought it was cool, so they got them too. Just simple things like that could be so influencial.
There are some good stars out there who care about darfur, hunger, abandoned children, hiv and aids, but there is so much more that needs to get taken care of. If these people would stop wasting time partying, DUI-ing, snorting and being thrown in jail, i bet so much more in the world would be accomplished.

When i went to the jason upton conference in april, he said "Imagine how many instruments could be learned if you just turn off the tv?" And its true. This world is slowly becoming more destructive and it starts with people who dont care about their life.



.....His love is boundless

Disclaimer: May be offensive to Christians.

Disclaimer: May be offensive to Christians.

The other day I came across a myspace site that is geared towards Christians to 'live offensively" I thought it was pretty crazy the first time I saw it, but the past couple days I've been thinking about it. Last night it really got me thinking around 3am when I could sleep. Have you ever noticed that God is universal? Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and Jews. They all believe in God, a God or Gods. But once someone brings up the word Jesus Christ, that's where you start getting the crazy looks. The word Jesus is offensive. Jesus lived an offensive life. I try and put it into perspective, if Jesus was alive today what would he be doing? Probably the craziest insane stuff you've ever heard of.

Sometimes I get really tired of Christians playing the 'safe Christian' game and they just hide themselves under the Christian name and don't do anything about anything really. Its people like that, which fit the stereotype of "Christians don't have fun". Im sure we've all heard it, or it have even been said directly to our faces. I know I have. Do you think Jesus didn't have fun back then? I mean he and his 12 closest (and i bet amazingly awesome and fun friends) were at the wedding feast and Jesus made water into wine, im sure it wasn't recorded but he probably busted out some sick break dancing moves and had a really good time at a wedding. Imagine Jesus being at a wedding in today's day? How awesome would that be?

Christians need to know that it's okay to party, and have fun and do crazy things. We have to be an example and show the world that we can have just as good of a time, if not better time partying our way, then the worlds way, with sex, drugs and alcohol.

Christians have to understand that it's okay to live an offensive life, and to not go around being conscious of whose feelings you are going to hurt. Im not saying to go around and start a protest of gay marriage (we've all seen stuff like that on tv and where it has gotten the Christian name) but I am saying that we should be going around to gay conventions, festivals and street fairs to hand out bibles, tracts or anything. Show them love, like how Jesus did There is this church by my old house where the pastor and a few young adults a couple summers ago went down the shore to a gay and lesbian festival to hand out free water. They had a sign at the booth that said "Free water, no strings attached, just like Christs love". (liquid church) How simple is that? But I know a lot of Christians who are afraid of that kind of stuff. "Oh I will just pray for them." Stop being so safe, and go…be extreme and offensive.

If you care about the world and the people in it, then you should tell them that the way they are living is wrong, and there is a better way. Im really tired of the excuse "well I don't condemn because Jesus never did. I want to build a relationship with unsaved and see where it goes from there" and you're right…Jesus didn't condemn people,he spoke to them in love, and he spoke truth. Sometimes truth hurts, and truth is offensive. Truth is saying to a non-believer "hey, what your doing is wrong, there is a better way" When Jesus was doing ministry he didn't say to the sinners "hey lets go hang out and be friends for a while, then I will tell you about myself and see if you want to follow me, if you don't, that's cool, we can still be friends". No. you are wrong. Jesus didn't do that. Jesus didn't have time to do that. The only people Jesus really had relationships with were his 12 disciples. Think of all the bible stories you've heard of in Sunday school. What first came to my mind was the story of the woman at the well. Jesus was just resting when he talked to the Samaritan woman, he asked her a couple questions and he told her what she was doing was wrong, and to drink from the water that never runs dry. He didn't try to make a friendship with her.

Christians need to stop making excuses of why they are not out on the street spreading the Word. I blame the Christians for why the world is the way it is. We aren't doing enough. We need to start living offensively. And we need to start now.

The disciples along with Christ, were some pretty rad people. They were all under the age of 20. Imagine that. How cool is it? Thinking about people my age and how they changed so much back then. It makes me wonder what we are doing wrong today?

...His love is boundless

only 365 days

It's so crazy to think of where I was this time last year. I was in this exact spot, in the same house, with the same people. I was trying to figure out what in the world I wanted to do with the rest of my life. This time last year I have already made up my mind to not go to college. Looking back now I cant really remember why I chose to do that. I think because I was really afraid. I didn't know what I wanted to do in school. I hated the idea of being back in a classroom. I guess I was comparing it to high school, which as any college student would know, is totally not even close to high school.

I am so thankful for my parents who didn't force anything on me. They left the choice up to me. I remember my dad coming down the shore and we went on a really long walk and I just told him why I didn't want to go to school. He was totally supportive and understood every reason why I wanted to stay home. After the walk he told me to go in his car and he played me a song that pretty much said whatever I do, he will be proud of me. Just to think that my parents love is so strong, he would be proud of me if I decided to become like a taxi driver or something. When we got back from vacation, my dad called school to tell them I will not be attending. All of my family was really supportive. I remember going over to the garbos house and talking to aunt lois, she was telling me about her experience, and even what greg went through. I remember one time greg was home and we talked for like an hour about college. He really helped me through a lot and answered a lot of my questions. I was also considering transferring in after taking a semester off. He was the one who talked me out of it, saying it would be an even harder adjustment because people have already formed their core group of friends, and he couldn't have been more right. I also remember talking to Aunt star and her telling me how much fun college was for her. I guess when I was thinking about school I never thought of all the cool fun things that could come from it. I was thinking of the big scary things, like being out on my own for the first time, being in school, worrying about papers, exams and grades. I was never a good student so the thought of failing out was always in the back of my mind, and look what happened, my first semester my GPA was a 3.0.

For a couple days I was not going to college. My plan was to work in the pharmacy and become a tech or something. The thing that changed my mind was actually finding out who my room mate was going to be. When I saw that it was Chelsea, I got really really excited. It was so comforting to know that I had a friend who I could cling to and who I could live with, instead of a total stranger. Once I found out my housing plans I got really excited and I made my parents call the school to tell them that I would be going. Even though I moved out second semester, God really blessed me with Chelsea as a room mate we went through a lot together first semester and without her I really don't know what would have happened.

I couldn't imagine what would have happened to me if I never went to college. I probably would not have made the friends I did, or figured out what I wanted to do, or be half the person I am right now. I wouldn't be so independent or be this 'new creation' I made myself to be. If I hadn't gone to vfcc I probably would still be the same high school minded girl with a bad attitude and a distorted perception of God. Its weird how 365 days can change me so much. I feel so grown up, but at the same time I still know I have so much to learn and I am so excited for this next upcoming school year. I am excited for my next journey with God and where he is going to take me, the new friend's im going to make and the new things im going to learn from amazing professors.

......His love is boundless

most missed memory

Lately I've been contemplating my most missed memory; I discovered what that was today, as I was walking up 3^rd ave to my usual spot on ortley beach. My most missed memory is definitely having the whole family down the shore at once. I miss all 16 of us cramming into one house at one time. I loved when we were all on the beach together, our chairs in a horse shoe shape, talking about really random things. When Ant, Greg, Julie and I were kids we would always dig the sweetest holes. We wouldn't stop until we hit water, then we'd sit in it for a while. Once we got yelled at by a lifeguard because it was too deep.

I miss Julie eating her pepperoni sandwich on Italian bread, and she'd purposely put some sand in it cause she liked it a little crunchy. But don't tell her I told you her secret. We had a lot of people in our family and only one shower so we'd have to call who gets 'first showers' then race back to the house. During the in between waiting time, we'd go into the den and watch TV with poppa Joe. You could hear the TV from outside, because that's how loud it normally was. We liked watching TV down the shore. Even though it was a 'doing nothing' activity. We all did it together most times. We'd try to find somewhere to sit because we only had 1 couch and 2 recliners. The kids ended up on the floor most the time. My personal favorite TV time was Saturday night, watching cops.

I miss being on the beach from 10am until 5pm, then going home and walking in and smelling whatever was cooking for dinner, cause grandma ALAWYS had dinner started by the time we got back from the beach. Then we'd all help set the huge table, of course the kids (even until we were over the age of 16) had to sit at the kids table, outside in the porch. It was okay thought because we'd all have a good time and watch some funny TV show, or movie while we were eating our usual spaghetti dinner. I miss doing the dishes, then Julie and I getting ready to run out to bills. We'd walk, because down the shore you either walk everywhere or ride bikes. After bills, and their amazing slushies, we'd walk up to the beach to take a look at the surf for the next day. We'd go back to the house and play cards until the wee hours of the morning, playing poker, spoons, BS, hearts…all kinds of card games. The kids would always get really giddy that late at night and some funny things would happen. Uncle Robbie would usually get really hungry so of course we'd order pizza. One time it took about 2 ½ hours for the pizza to get delivered even though the place was right down the street.

Recently, I think last summer or the year before the family made up a new game, but it wasn't a card game. We all sat in our normal hang out spot, on the green front porch, playing the 2 truths and a lie game. We played for a really long time. All of us did. I miss all of us as a family being together. Sadly it would be really really hard for that to ever happen again. My dad said today 'lives change' it's really hard for me to grasp because this is one thing I didn't want to change. Every summer would be so much fun.

Being down the shore is fun, but this year being in our own shore house, without all the family being there, im realizing its not as fun as it used to be. It was only so much fun because we were all together. I think I can speak on the behalf of 'the kids' and everyone else in my family that some of the best family memories are left in that beach house. It was weird today. My dad and I walked up the house that is no longer 'Joes dream' and looked inside. Everything is still the same. The couch, the ugly bean lamps, the huge TV. It's all the same. Our memories are there. I mean my dad spent every summer of his life there. All my aunts and uncles did. We were blessed to have it, and have it in the family for such a long time. If walls could talk, Joes Dream house would have a whole lot to say.

If ya got it, flaunt it.

Being the psychology major that i am, i decided to run a little experiment today. What possessed me to do this? I dont really know, i guess out of sheer bordem, and another attempt for me to figure out the quite disturbing mind of a male lifeform.

Today i decided to go out, so while i was getting ready i did something that is completely not who i am. See- a couple years ago (4 to be exact) I used to dress really differently. I was really into fashion to find out the world of fashion is incredibly shallow and wrong. I had tons of those trashy magazines and dressed in pretty skimpy clothes, when I felt convicted of it and i started to dress a lot more modestly. My experiment today was to see what would happen if I wore clothes that i normally dont wear on a regular basis. It really wasnt as drastic as im making it sound, but for me it was. Normally i wouldnt wear stuff like this in public, maybe its just been so long that it just feels awkward, or maybe its not even that bad. I wore a little tank top (this one exactly )

and a pair of jeans. I did my hair real nice and was on my way to target and the mall to go shopping. Now i've been to these places before and i did not attract this much attention to myself. Why was there this new found attention? Was it because i was showing more skin then usual? As the day went on i tried to figure out why girls even church going Jesus believing women wear next to nothing on a regular basis.

My conclusion: Self-Esteem.Girls like attention. Girls especially like attention from guys.With this attention they recieve, their confidence grows larger, their self image and self esteem also grows. One of my fancy schmancy psychology books defines self esteem as "a realistic respect for or favorable impression of oneself; self-respect." So can i form a theory that girls who dress skimpily are laking self respect? If girls dont even respect themselves, what makes them think a guy is going to respect them?

Whats wrong with this you may say? Well its a condition of the heart really. Where is your confidence coming from? Who is giving it to you? If girls need to wear next to nothing to make themselves feel better, and to draw unnecessary attention to themselves from guys, they are missing out on who they are in Christ. Getting attention from guys makes girls feel better about themselves and feel a lot more confident then usual. Its true cause going on through the day I felt more confident knowing that i was getting attention from guys. Why is this wrong? Because guys just arent looking to check out your cute shirt. Most of the time they are having lustful thoughts. God should give us our confidence, not some sleez-ball guy from the mall who doesnt really care about anything else but our bodies!

In a book called For Young Woman Only (every girl should read it..please!) the woman authors take polls from random guys ranging from the ages of 14-25, Christian and non Christian. They talk about clothes and the battle guys have to go through to keep their mind pure.
A poll was taken on an scenario of a really attractive girl going to the front of the classroom to write on the chalkboard, dressed in a mini skirt and tank top from A&F. The question was "if you're not careful, would there be a possibility that you would picture her naked either now- or later?"
46% of them said Yes, possibly
39% of them said Yes, defiantly
only 15% of them said no, it would never occur to them.

As women we dont understand the battle that guys have to go through everyday because we dont have to deal with it. I've heard a lot of girls saying "well its not my fault if guys cant control themselves" well ladies, sorry but it is your fault. Clearly the Bible says "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." If its our fault that a brother in the Lord stumbles, then we are held accountable for their thoughts. I feel bad for guys with all the images on tv, magazines, billboards...everything really. its like they cant escape it. The least we can do as christian girls is to be modest and help them get some relief!

Plus the guys who only want you for your body, are NOT men you should even consider dating anyways- they are shallow and perverted.

Im not saying that being into fashion is wrong, i am saying dressing immodestly is wrong. I dont mean girls, that you have to go around wearing potato sacks, but you shouldnt go around looking well, like a whore. There are plently of cute styles in fashion that dont show everything off. "If you got it, flaunt it" mindset is wrong, and i am determined to break it.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

...His love is boundless