The Haves and Have Nots

So lately I have been thinking about the idea of having and not having.  This idea is a truth in our world that we all must face.  All of us have things that we do or don't have case closed.  I think however that we spend so much time thinking on what we don't have instead of what I see as the more logical of haves.

Why are we so obsessed with this idea of not having something.  Often in the First World the things that we are obsessing over having are not things that we need, but things that we desire.  I know that it is not bad to have desires, but I think the problem begins when we are so caught up in those desires that we forget the blessings that we already have.  Even if you are relatively poor in the United States you will have much more than those around the world.

I am not saying that we should all be hermits and just live off the land.  I am saying to we need to reexamine our own lives for our priorities.  If we are sitting there complaining that things don't go our way, then asking ourselves does it really have to go that way?  If we are given something but it is not really what we wanted, should we be upset about that or be happy with the gift?

These things on this earth that we amass are meaningless in the grand scheme of things.  How is it that a child in deepest poverty in another part of world can be sooo happy, but a child here in the United States can be so upset with having so much.  I know that this is a much bigger issue than this, and this tiny blog post does not even touch the surface.  These are things that have just been rumbling in my head.

I also know that I am guilty of this same thing that I am complaining.  When I saw how much my tax return would be my first thoughts were not how could I use this money to do good, but it was how can I spend it on myself.  I need to keep asking these question and know that there may not be an easy answer that can fix all things.

Poverty

So I just finished another Quarter of my seminary career!!!!!  It is hard to believe that by August I will be done and ready to move on to whatever the Lord has for me.  This whole things called my life has been an adventure, and I hope that it never ends being one.  One of the things that I love about seminary is that I often get to write papers over things that I am very passionate about.  Here is one of the those topics (don't worry I am not posting my whole paper, just the highlights)

So I wrote on the churches responsibility in poverty, and this is a subject that I thought I knew a lot about.  I have been on both sides of the coin, and have loved to see how God has provided in that.  One of the things in the research for my paper that was "Do the poor feel welcome in your church?"

My first reaction was of course, most churches I have attended have always been open to the poor.  Then I continued to read...the next major question was "Does everything that you do at your churches ask people to spend money to do it?"  It could be asking people to pay a fee, bring food, or a donation.  This struck me that often that is what we do.  If we as a body are going to hang out often it is going to eat together, or doing some type of activity together that you have to pay to get in.

If a person is in poverty, then can they fully participate in the body's activities without having the means to pay for the events.  This helps perpetuate the cycle that they do not always belong.  That they just don't really fit in. Now I know no church is actually saying that, but it is what it can cause for those in poverty.

So what is the answer, I thought ohhhhh well offer scholarships, or discounted rates for big events to help them feel like they can come.  Then as I read even more and also thought back over my own life, it is not fun having to go ask for a scholarship because I can't afford something.  There are times I would just rather not go than to ask for that kind of help.  It is hard for some that at every event they have to ask for the discount. This can again continue the idea that you are not really a part of the body.

This got me thinking there has to be a solution...however I don't know what it would be.  This topic of poverty stretches across more than just the church.  We however sometimes sit by and watch it happen.  We as the body should be reaching out to those in need in any way that we can.  Even though we may not cancel every event that has a fee to it, maybe we could work on having events that are free.  This means that there will be extra planning or even extra budgeting, but I think that it is something that we need to work on to better serve those in need.

Ok stepping off my soap box :)

I hope that you are having a wonderful holiday season, and that you see the Lord move in great ways.  He is so big and has so much in store for us when we run to him.

PS here is a pic of me and a friend.  I baked him cookies for finals week.

"Don't blame us...blame the consumer"

Be prepared....here come a bit of a rant!


Ok so the title of this blog post is something that I actually heard said at a meeting for my work.  I just found out this week that I will be working on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday.  I don't have to go in til the evening on Thanksgiving and in the afternoon on Black Friday  but still.  I just don't understand this mentality that we have to spend all kinds of money on gift that most people will not use that often.

I think another thing that I have heard lately that interest me is that on Thanksgiving we spend all day saying what it is we are thankful for, but then we spend that night being greedy and mean hearted.  Now I know this is not everyone, but really it is a large number of people.  Why oh why must we be so concerned with keeping up with the latest trends and toys.  Just by the fact that we are called consumers show that all we do is consume.  We are constantly trying to consume more of what is around us.  This covers a wide gambit of things, but just stuff in general.

I know that for some families this is part of their Thanksgiving traditions, but in the end would it be better to be home enjoying company?  I just don't understand this mentality in any way shape or form.  I know that some people will say that "well I am doing it to save money", but is that the real reason?  Or is the reason that we cannot stand to think that someone else got the better deal on the same product?

 I just think that this idea that we have to get the best deal sometimes is rooted in greed.  "I want the best product for the cheapest price!"  I believe that as American's specifically we have gotten so used to the fact that we can get anything and everything when we want it, that we feel that we have the right to want it cheap. I think sometimes that in this desire to want it cheap we forget to look at the cost for that cheap item.  So like these sales at Thanksgiving, while people are making the conscious choice to go shopping; the people working at that shops have no choice.  At my work, it is next to impossible to get Thanksgiving and Black Friday off.  I am pretty sure I would have to die, or someone close to me die to not have to work.  So while the consumer is getting savings, the employees are missing out of family time.

I think my challenge to all is look at why we are choosing to shop on Thrifty Thanksgiving(my own term) and Black Friday.  Is that savings really worth it?  The consumer is the one that tells the stores if they should be open or not.  If consumers demand it, the companies will gladly supply.  Could we as a people give up on our own desire to have what we want for the price we want, so that others may enjoy the Holiday time with their family and friends?

Sorry for the rant!  I just get going sometimes, and need to get it out.  I hope you all have a blessed holiday season, and know that if you still choose to go shopping on these days I don't think you are a bad person.  I love you all, and hope that my rant has given some food for thought if nothing else.

And your middle name is insanity right?

So today I was talking to a fellow student about our schedules.  When he heard my schedule he asked "and your middle name is insanity right?"  I know that I take on a fair bit, but I guess that I just never notice that I am pushing myself.  I think that it has just always been a piece of my life.  Just so that you guys understand why this comment was made I will give you a brief overview of my schedule.

per week work hours=15
per week class/homework hours=36
per week meeting/intern hours=15
Total =66 hour week(with some changes week to week)

When this schedule was brought to my attention at first I kept thinking that is not that bad, but as the weeks pushed on I started to realize how much work this is.  I often feel like I maybe pushing myself too far.  Then all of a sudden I realize that even though I am tired at times, I still normally have enough energy to keep pushing me forward.  I truly believe that is God, because there is no way that I could have this energy without him.

I love to see the way that the Father provides at times, because of course our normal idea would be that he took away some of the activities so that I have time to rest more.  However his method of providing is in the way of energy.  Also he provides people that can encourage me, and to check on me when I feel like I cannot push anymore.  There are times that I do think that it would just be easier to take things off my plate, but I know that these are all things that the Lord has asked of me.  If I stay in him then I will be able to keep moving toward the work of the Lord.

I think that it is just amazing that the Lord has great knowledge to know what we need and when we need it.  This is something that we have to remember because if we don't it is easy to get pushed down into the darkness of the world.  Even if you plan looks great on paper, if God's plan is different than yours...you should go with his.  I have to remind myself of that daily, that fight God is never a good plan.

Youth Retreat!

So if you have not heard yet I am now interning at my church as a youth leader!  I am getting to work with my awesome friend Steph Obad, and with some awesome students.  Our youth group is mainly Jr High boys so it just makes it an interesting group.  Well this last weekend we took them on the first ever youth retreat.

We decided to go to Steph's parents house which is 5 hrs North of LA.  They live on a cattle ranch, and let us camp out in their pasture.  For some of our kids it was their was a very new experience to camp, and for most it was the first time they had spent time on a ranch.  We were glad to get them out of their norm, and to help with that we banned all electronics from the trip(except for sponsors' phones)

We did the whole camping experience including smores and worship around a bonfire.  On Saturday, we had a friend of Steph and I come to work with the kids and Steph's horse.  This friend has a ministry that she works with horses and kids to help them understand more about God.  It also helped them understand more about themselves.

In this retreat, Steph and I wanted to start having the kids learn more about their identity in God, and that they are image bearers of God.  Our kids seemed to get it at least some, and we just pray that it sinks in more and more as the weeks go on.  This retreat was a great thing, and as soon as it was over all the students were asking when we were going on the next one.  Looks like Steph and I have a big task of making the next one just as awesome!

Home

Hey guys,

Disclaimer here: If I did not see you in the last week it is not that I did not love you, it was that I only had a week and really wanted to spend it with the familia.

So I just got back from Oklahoma.  It was nice to see my family.  It has been a full year since I was home, and I figured it was time.  So the plan began to get home.  I bought my tickets like 2 months ago, and then began to count down the days to coming home.  Once it finally got here it did not really even seem real.

I finally arrived at Will Rogers Airport(which I still find it weird we have an airport named after someone who died in a plane crash!!!) and my mom picked me up.  The drive home was pretty uneventful.  Except when we hit Moore, once we got there my eyes were filled with the left over damage from the tornadoes.  I was glad that it was pretty cleaned up, because that means that Moore is moving on with life.  It was just interesting to see just so much open ground where buildings used to be.

Once I was home the Deb's kids had no idea I was coming home, so they were told that mom was going to get a surprise for them...of course they thought it was a puppy.  When I came inside they just started screaming and were so excited.  Then we told them that the next day we would be going to the zoo.  I had not been to the OKC zoo in forever so it was nice to go back, but it was a bit warm so lots of the animals were not out :(.  Even with that it was so much fun to go with the kids, and they even tried to touch the stingrays at Stingray Bay.

Our next big event was going to see my Grandma.  We had not told her either that I was coming.  So we met her in Tulsa for Cracker Barrel(which they have none of these in California!!! I knew these Californians were crazy) When Grandma saw me she was just like I knew it, and just hugged me all over.  It was nice to see her.  Of course we caused problems the whole time, and had everyone dying laughing from acting crazy.  It was kinda like old times.

my partners in crime!

The next amazing thing was getting to celebrate my sisters birthday! Now this may not seem like a big thing, but I have missed Deb's birthday for around 3 or 4 yrs.  Either I am leaving the country or moving to California.  So I decided I really wanted to be there for her birthday this year.  So to celebrate we went antique shopping in Guthrie.  Which is one of the things that me and my sister love to do, and we always find some awesome things.  On top of the awesomeness we also find lots things to laugh and joke about, such as an item that looks like it comes straight out of a torture dungeon.  The only downside to this day is lots of the shops were closed since the weekend before MUMFORD AND SONS has hosted a giant music festival (aka 35,000 people extra in Guthrie).  So most of the shop owners were trying to catch up on sleep.

One thing that I did was something that I have not done in forever!  I got up early to go to school.  I went to school with mom, since I wanted to say hey to a lot of teachers from CCS that have changed my life.  I ended up getting to spend a few hours up there talking and just enjoying the time in the school

One of the last awesome things that happened was getting to see my Memaw.  This woman is so much fun to chill with.  She just keeps you laughing the whole time!  She is an awesome person.  We did not do anything crazy just sat and watched some TV and chatted.  She did take us to eat some Chinese food, which is a great family tradition.  Me and Deb just love giving her a hard time, and she gives it right back.

Well that is about it...I know other things happened, but if I gave you a blow by blow then you would have stopped reading forever ago!  I loved getting to see the people that I did see, and wished that I could have seen a lot more people.  Thank you to all that have supported me in this time of training, and I pray that you will continue to support me through even more years.

Silence

I know you are shocked and amazed right now...you did not have to wait a month before I wrote an update.  So since you already know what is up with my life I will get right into the new info.

So this last Friday was a very interesting day for me.  I have been in a class where we are studying Spiritual Practices and Tradition of the Christian church.  So we have looked at St Patrick, St Francis, and many others.  One thing that has been common among all the people that we have looked at so far has been they take long periods of silence to pray and hear from God.  So we were going to do the same!

So on Friday we went to Mater Dolarosa which is a monastery in the next town over.  We arrived at 9am, and knew that it would be a long day!  We were told that this was going to be a silent retreat, and we could only talk if we felt we had too.  We were given some basic instructions of where things on the ground were and then we started.  The monastery had some things set up to help people pray through some things, and also just lovely grounds to enjoy nature.

I started praying and walking through their Stations for the Cross.  I took my time trying to hear from God, and was feeling silence.  I started to feel frustrated.  Why had I come out there if I was not going to hear anything.  Then the next thing that happened made me even more frustrated.  I started to feel extremely weak.  I hit a point that I did not even think I could stand.  I kept praying and asking why God was doing this.

I finally got sat down in the grass.  Then the word WEAKNESS kept coming to my head.  I kinda hate that word.  I never like feeling weak.  I know that everyone is not a big fan, but it is something that I will avoid at all cost.  I feel like I have to be the strong one in most situations(even though I am not).  I hate feeling like I don't have the answers to questions.

So I started to pray, and looking into the Word about what the Lord said about weakness.  I was sure that I was going to find that weakness was bad, and that I should do everything to get rid of it.  Instead I found the opposite.  I found so many verses that talked about weakness as a way to show the Lord to the world.  It was this mind blowing thing that this whole time I had been fighting against weakness and now the Lord was saying it is OK to be weak.  So now I am having to let go of my desire to always be strong.  Once I started praying and asking for the Lord's help I felt fine again, and in fact walked around for most of the rest of the day.

This has been a great week, and I am glad that the Lord had such a great message for me!  Thanks for reading and caring for me!