I'm attempting to pick a church to visit tomorrow.
Sigh.
I shall not call the process church "shopping" because I'm not doing it to see where I can get the best deal. What's a better word...hunting? I'm church hunting, I suppose.
On to the options. The first choice is only a 1/2 mile down the road- big plus, but their only service is labeled "traditional" at 930am. And it's E-Free, so I don't really know what traditional means.
The second option is labeled a "Worship Center" and at first I thought it was a Jewish Temple. They seem very passionate and Spirit-filled, which are two good things, I gotta say.
The third option has a Pastor that has written several books on the Emergent Church. I also see guitars in the background of some of the preaching photos, and I saw the word "hermeneutics" on one of the slides. Both good signs.
Maybe I'll just do eenie-meenie-miney-moe.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
the lonely "if only"
The long-anticipated day has arrived: moving day! I am all settled in my new apartment in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. I've been waiting for this day for two years, and it finally arrived!
Over the last few months I've thought a lot about my first apartment in the big city. In the grand scheme of life, it's one move to one apartment with one roommate out of many, many living experiences. It's a big deal to me now for many reasons.
As the summer wore on, I found myself day-dreaming about how 'perfect' life would be if I could just leave Vermillion...leave the farm...put down roots. Move on to the next stage of life.
It was fun to dream about it, but every time I found myself going down the lonely "if only" road, I reined in my thoughts like Pa Ingalls trying to keep his team of horses from speeding downhill out of control. There's a sentence I've never typed before...
I so wanted to believe the "life would be perfect if only ---" thoughts that were circling in my head. If only I moved to my apartment, if only my support was raised, if only I had more money in the bank, if only I had a husband/boyfriend/merely a potential date sometime.
Silly, really. Life won't be magical and happy and candy and flowers and rainbows when I achieve the next milestone in life. The milestones are important, but they are dots on a line. It's what happens in life in between the dots that matters the most.
Tomorrow marks the beginning of the line after the 'first apartment on staff/in the Cities' dot. The thousands of little choices may not seem like a big deal, but there are several within that thousand that will create and build momentum for many things to come in my future.
Good-bye, lonely "if only's." I don't need you anymore.
Over the last few months I've thought a lot about my first apartment in the big city. In the grand scheme of life, it's one move to one apartment with one roommate out of many, many living experiences. It's a big deal to me now for many reasons.
As the summer wore on, I found myself day-dreaming about how 'perfect' life would be if I could just leave Vermillion...leave the farm...put down roots. Move on to the next stage of life.
It was fun to dream about it, but every time I found myself going down the lonely "if only" road, I reined in my thoughts like Pa Ingalls trying to keep his team of horses from speeding downhill out of control. There's a sentence I've never typed before...
I so wanted to believe the "life would be perfect if only ---" thoughts that were circling in my head. If only I moved to my apartment, if only my support was raised, if only I had more money in the bank, if only I had a husband/boyfriend/merely a potential date sometime.
Silly, really. Life won't be magical and happy and candy and flowers and rainbows when I achieve the next milestone in life. The milestones are important, but they are dots on a line. It's what happens in life in between the dots that matters the most.
Tomorrow marks the beginning of the line after the 'first apartment on staff/in the Cities' dot. The thousands of little choices may not seem like a big deal, but there are several within that thousand that will create and build momentum for many things to come in my future.
Good-bye, lonely "if only's." I don't need you anymore.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Peace through Education
I just finished "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. I saw the sequel to this book in the USD Alumni Magazine (Mortenson earned Chemistry and Nursing degrees from USD) and thought I'd check out the first installment from my local library. (Random facts: he was born in Minnesota, and grew up the son of Lutheran Missionaries in Tanzania).WOW was it good. Couldn't-put-it-down, wished-there-was-more-than-385-pages good. I'm not one to be interested in foreign films or nonfiction books about other countries, especially the Middle East. But this book had an interesting up-and-down story line laced with factual and historical information.
The most surprising part of the book was Mortenson's knowledge of the relations between America and the Middle East, specifically Afghanistan and Pakistan. When 9/11 occurred, I was only 15. I honestly don't remember much about it, but I do remember that I didn't know much about foreign relations. I've never cared that much, which is fairly typical for an American teenager, I guess.
And now, after my 24 years of life experience, I still don't know much. But I look at the world more objectively, especially after taking a few journalism classes and realizing the power Media has in supplying information in mass form (I'm sure most people find out the media is biased without having to take college classes, but I wasn't one of them). Mortenson cites example after example of Muslims who want peace in their countries, and how providing a place for all Pakistani and Afghan children to receive an education really can promote peace.
Most of what I know about Muslisms comes from the news. And after an awful, horrific event like 9/11, it's hard to resist the belief that any Muslim is a terrorist. We rarely hear about the effects of terrorism on people who are unfortunate enough to live in a country where the terrorists actually live. Three Cups of Tea opened my eyes to the battles that Pakistani and Afghan Muslims fight every day.
It's sad when governments can't (or won't) provide education for their children. But what do you do about it when a terrorist group like the Taliban controls everything with money and violence. Without traveling to the area myself, or performing extensive research about the Middle East, it seems obvious that Mortenson's problem-solving techniques are actually helping quite a bit.
I had several favorite stories and quotes from the book, the explanation behind the book's title, for one, but I'll let you find that out for yourself. So, read the book. Or don't. But if you've read it, I'd love to know your thoughts.
"If you just fight terrorism, it's based in fear. If you promote peace, it's based in hope." - Greg Mortenson, quoted in the Fairfield Citizen News, 2008
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Spiritual Jackpot
Last week, I ventured off the farm to do some work at a local coffee shop (I'm still amazed there's one within a 20 mile range of my house! (Only one, though!)). First, though, I decided to get some lunch. I grabbed a burger and fries at the McDonalds, and took it to a local park to enjoy the beautiful weather. I turned off my car and folded my hands to pray for my meal. As soon as I said the words, I was struck with how odd they sounded: Bless this food to my body. Really?
I seldom remember to pray for my food when I'm out and about, which is an issue for another day. But I found it so odd to pray for a greasy burger and salty fries to bless my body and bring glory to God. There were much healthier options available, I just didn't think twice about it, which is yet an issue for another day. (Guess I know what I'm blogging about down the road...)
How often do I pray for something, knowing God will bless it? The burger isn't a great example, but I think it leads to an interesting question- is it silly to ask God to bless something we know isn't good for us?
I feel like this question brings off the top of the can of worms. Why don't we ask God what He has already blessed, and just do that? Why do we do things we know aren't the best for us?
Then comes the musing: How do we know God's will? How might we know what actions or choices He's blessed?
I've had moments during raising support that I can only describe as hitting a spiritual jackpot: seeing God bless something I feel Him prompting me to do. Whether it's taking a small step of faith or a huge one, seeing immediate rewards is not something we always get the privilege of doing. But I do, I get such a great feeling- that I'm being obedient to God and trusting Him to work things out -- whether I get to see rewards immediately, or be blessed at all in the decision.
Maybe I should pray for God to bless my greasy burger because it is what is is: greasy, and unhealthy, and it would be nice for Him to make it into good. Seems silly. Maybe God doesn't care about a measly little burger I ate at one meal. Maybe He does? A thousand small choices add up to mammoth consequences. A thousand burgers and fries over the course of 20 years (which is only a burger a week!) might lead to a deadly heart attack.
There's probably a lot of theological issues in this post, but it's just some general thoughts I have had lately about being obedient to God when we hear His voice.
Maybe we don't need to know what God's will is in the every day situations to hit the spiritual jackpot. His Word is clear what is beneficial and what is not. Perhaps I should not concern myself with figuring out what He'd bless in daily life, but fixing my eyes on Him.
"whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." {Philippians 4:8}
I seldom remember to pray for my food when I'm out and about, which is an issue for another day. But I found it so odd to pray for a greasy burger and salty fries to bless my body and bring glory to God. There were much healthier options available, I just didn't think twice about it, which is yet an issue for another day. (Guess I know what I'm blogging about down the road...)
How often do I pray for something, knowing God will bless it? The burger isn't a great example, but I think it leads to an interesting question- is it silly to ask God to bless something we know isn't good for us?
I feel like this question brings off the top of the can of worms. Why don't we ask God what He has already blessed, and just do that? Why do we do things we know aren't the best for us?
Then comes the musing: How do we know God's will? How might we know what actions or choices He's blessed?
I've had moments during raising support that I can only describe as hitting a spiritual jackpot: seeing God bless something I feel Him prompting me to do. Whether it's taking a small step of faith or a huge one, seeing immediate rewards is not something we always get the privilege of doing. But I do, I get such a great feeling- that I'm being obedient to God and trusting Him to work things out -- whether I get to see rewards immediately, or be blessed at all in the decision.
Maybe I should pray for God to bless my greasy burger because it is what is is: greasy, and unhealthy, and it would be nice for Him to make it into good. Seems silly. Maybe God doesn't care about a measly little burger I ate at one meal. Maybe He does? A thousand small choices add up to mammoth consequences. A thousand burgers and fries over the course of 20 years (which is only a burger a week!) might lead to a deadly heart attack.
There's probably a lot of theological issues in this post, but it's just some general thoughts I have had lately about being obedient to God when we hear His voice.
Maybe we don't need to know what God's will is in the every day situations to hit the spiritual jackpot. His Word is clear what is beneficial and what is not. Perhaps I should not concern myself with figuring out what He'd bless in daily life, but fixing my eyes on Him.
"whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." {Philippians 4:8}
Friday, July 09, 2010
Hibernatic July on the Farm
If June was nomadic, July is hibernatic. I rarely leave a 20 mile radius of the farm- and when I do, it's only to get provisions.
I don't know the proper word to describe life on the farm. Interesting, I guess. No- a more accurate phrase is: The way life is lived on the farm is very interesting.
The days are long; by 7 am, Dad laces up his boots for a 12 hour day. My parents are getting older, though. Those 12 hours include at least one nap at some point.
Holidays are spent at home, and if we do venture off the farm, it's to a nearby American Legion or small-town bar for supper (maybe even a drink).
But just because we don't get excited about special days doesn't mean we don't get excited. At any instant, the phone can ring. A neighbor, with bad news- "Your cows are out!"
Within minutes, we hop into the truck and speed down the road. More than once I've thought of the ramifications of someone hitting one of our livestock- injuries, possible death- a lawsuit, for sure.
But perhaps more dangerous than loose cows on the farm are fires. The 4th of July, the phone rang- within 30 seconds, I had my shoes on and the car started, while Mom ran to get the fire extinguishers. The contraption that bails hay into round stacks was producing smoke, presenting the potential for fire. (No actual fire, luckily).
Another phenomenon: we pick rock. I can't believe how many people don't know what this means- even people who grew up in towns and cities in more rural areas. This act is comparable to a seasoned shopper in a high-end store. She does not waste her time, but she selects her items carefully, very sure of what she wants. She can tell what items are treasures.
The farmer has a similar trained eye- he can spot a rock from 16 rows of corn away, (sometimes more). He takes one look, and heads back to the tractor for a shovel. That rock is like an iceberg, with a majority of its' mass underground.
Life on the farm seems so different now, after returning from 6 years in the "city" (if you can use that word to describe Vermillion). I may not always love it, but it's home.
I don't know the proper word to describe life on the farm. Interesting, I guess. No- a more accurate phrase is: The way life is lived on the farm is very interesting.
The days are long; by 7 am, Dad laces up his boots for a 12 hour day. My parents are getting older, though. Those 12 hours include at least one nap at some point.
Holidays are spent at home, and if we do venture off the farm, it's to a nearby American Legion or small-town bar for supper (maybe even a drink).
But just because we don't get excited about special days doesn't mean we don't get excited. At any instant, the phone can ring. A neighbor, with bad news- "Your cows are out!"
Within minutes, we hop into the truck and speed down the road. More than once I've thought of the ramifications of someone hitting one of our livestock- injuries, possible death- a lawsuit, for sure.
But perhaps more dangerous than loose cows on the farm are fires. The 4th of July, the phone rang- within 30 seconds, I had my shoes on and the car started, while Mom ran to get the fire extinguishers. The contraption that bails hay into round stacks was producing smoke, presenting the potential for fire. (No actual fire, luckily).
Another phenomenon: we pick rock. I can't believe how many people don't know what this means- even people who grew up in towns and cities in more rural areas. This act is comparable to a seasoned shopper in a high-end store. She does not waste her time, but she selects her items carefully, very sure of what she wants. She can tell what items are treasures.
The farmer has a similar trained eye- he can spot a rock from 16 rows of corn away, (sometimes more). He takes one look, and heads back to the tractor for a shovel. That rock is like an iceberg, with a majority of its' mass underground.
Life on the farm seems so different now, after returning from 6 years in the "city" (if you can use that word to describe Vermillion). I may not always love it, but it's home.
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
some quick thoughts on 2 Samuel
I was watching a new show last week- "I Get That A Lot." It's one of those hidden camera shows where at the end, the people get all embarrassed in front of the camera.
Have you had that feeling-that something's so ironic, there must be a hidden camera around to capture your reaction? Once in awhile I'll be reading a verse or passage in the Bible and something will jump out at me, so applicable to my life or exactly what I need to read. Every time it happens I think about these hidden camera shows. (Now I'm picturing Jesus popping out from behind a door and said "Gotcha! You're on TV!" ...)
Anyway, all that to say I read something yesterday that hit me square in the eyes. I've been reading through the Bible Chronologically; I just finished off 2 Samuel, and was struck by this passage:
1 Once again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he caused David to harm them by taking a census. “Go and count the people of Israel and Judah,” the Lord told him.
2 So the king said to Joab and the commanders[a] of the army, “Take a census of all the tribes of Israel—from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south—so I may know how many people there are.”
3 But Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God let you live to see a hundred times as many people as there are now! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this?”
4 But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab and the commanders of the army went out to count the people of Israel.
10 But after he had taken the census, David’s conscience began to bother him. And he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt, Lord, for doing this foolish thing.”
11 The next morning the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, who was David’s seer. This was the message: 12 “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’”
14 “I’m in a desperate situation!” David replied to Gad. “But let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands.”
15 So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel that morning, and it lasted for three days.[e] A total of 70,000 people died throughout the nation, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south. 16 But as the angel was preparing to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented and said to the death angel, “Stop! That is enough!” At that moment the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
I don't really understand the significance of some of this, but it reminded me that numbers aren't always important. Maybe that's not the point of the passage; it was just so crazy to me to be praying about focusing on relationships instead of numbers during MPD, and then I read this passage.
So, I there's a loose application of this passage to my daily life (and I'm sure I could go more in depth if I knew my Biblical history better). But what also struck me was David's attitude at the end of the chapter:
17 When David saw the angel, he said to the Lord, “I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what have they done? Let your anger fall against me and my family.”
18 That day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
19 So David went up to do what the Lord had commanded him. 20 When Araunah saw the king and his men coming toward him, he came and bowed before the king with his face to the ground. 21 “Why have you come, my lord the king?” Araunah asked.
David replied, “I have come to buy your threshing floor and to build an altar to the Lord there, so that he will stop the plague.”
22 “Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing boards and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar. 23 I will give it all to you, Your Majesty, and may the Lord your God accept your sacrifice.”
24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silver[f] for the threshing floor and the oxen.
25 David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the Lord answered his prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
Wow. I will not present an offering to the Lord that costs me nothing. That verse needs no explanation.
Have you had that feeling-that something's so ironic, there must be a hidden camera around to capture your reaction? Once in awhile I'll be reading a verse or passage in the Bible and something will jump out at me, so applicable to my life or exactly what I need to read. Every time it happens I think about these hidden camera shows. (Now I'm picturing Jesus popping out from behind a door and said "Gotcha! You're on TV!" ...)
Anyway, all that to say I read something yesterday that hit me square in the eyes. I've been reading through the Bible Chronologically; I just finished off 2 Samuel, and was struck by this passage:
1 Once again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he caused David to harm them by taking a census. “Go and count the people of Israel and Judah,” the Lord told him.
2 So the king said to Joab and the commanders[a] of the army, “Take a census of all the tribes of Israel—from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south—so I may know how many people there are.”
3 But Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God let you live to see a hundred times as many people as there are now! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this?”
4 But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab and the commanders of the army went out to count the people of Israel.
10 But after he had taken the census, David’s conscience began to bother him. And he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt, Lord, for doing this foolish thing.”
11 The next morning the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, who was David’s seer. This was the message: 12 “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’”
14 “I’m in a desperate situation!” David replied to Gad. “But let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands.”
15 So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel that morning, and it lasted for three days.[e] A total of 70,000 people died throughout the nation, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south. 16 But as the angel was preparing to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented and said to the death angel, “Stop! That is enough!” At that moment the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
I don't really understand the significance of some of this, but it reminded me that numbers aren't always important. Maybe that's not the point of the passage; it was just so crazy to me to be praying about focusing on relationships instead of numbers during MPD, and then I read this passage.
So, I there's a loose application of this passage to my daily life (and I'm sure I could go more in depth if I knew my Biblical history better). But what also struck me was David's attitude at the end of the chapter:
17 When David saw the angel, he said to the Lord, “I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what have they done? Let your anger fall against me and my family.”
18 That day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
19 So David went up to do what the Lord had commanded him. 20 When Araunah saw the king and his men coming toward him, he came and bowed before the king with his face to the ground. 21 “Why have you come, my lord the king?” Araunah asked.
David replied, “I have come to buy your threshing floor and to build an altar to the Lord there, so that he will stop the plague.”
22 “Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing boards and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar. 23 I will give it all to you, Your Majesty, and may the Lord your God accept your sacrifice.”
24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silver[f] for the threshing floor and the oxen.
25 David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the Lord answered his prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
Wow. I will not present an offering to the Lord that costs me nothing. That verse needs no explanation.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Nomad June.
As Nomad June comes to a close I find myself at home on the farm in Minnesota. Living out of my car was fun for a month, but I am excited to be home for ... awhile. However long that will be! Here's a final summary of Nomad June:
39 Hours in my car
6 different states
2300+ miles
8 different sermon podcasts played
longest stretch without getting out of the car:
Champaign, IL to Moline, IL (180ish miles)
(not that impressive)
longest drive in one day:
Champaign, IL to Vermillion, SD (589 miles)
Whew. I'm tired just typing all that. In reality it wasn't that major of a trip, but it made for a fun and crazy month!
39 Hours in my car
6 different states
2300+ miles
8 different sermon podcasts played
longest stretch without getting out of the car:
Champaign, IL to Moline, IL (180ish miles)
(not that impressive)
longest drive in one day:
Champaign, IL to Vermillion, SD (589 miles)
Whew. I'm tired just typing all that. In reality it wasn't that major of a trip, but it made for a fun and crazy month!