Reflections ~ 2013

Hey all! I know it’s been much too long since I’ve posted. Honestly, the blog had completely slipped off of my radar this past semester. I’ve had some crazy life changes going on - the biggest being a 700-mile move away from my friends and family. It’s been tough, but can I just say that God has been incredibly faithful? He seriously has taught me so much in the past few months, even when I have not been willing to learn.

As so many bloggers are posting their 2014 resolutions and such, I am constantly reminded of each person’s desire for a fresh start. A second chance at success. A clean slate.

I’m here to tell you that there is not a restart button on life. Of course, there is transformation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:15-17) and sanctification by the Holy Spirit. I am thankful for His work in my life! I am thankful that He has worked through the hard times, and used those times to teach me. But there have been specific events in my life that have shaped me, and also constant struggles and temptations that I face. These struggles are not meant to be forgotten. And the decisions that I make also affect my lifestyle and habits. It is in the everyday decisions that I learn, and in which I also make mistakes.

This song by Jonny Diaz has always made me reflect on these events and struggles, but has also always made me thankful that Christ does not hide His scars. He proclaims the most humbling time of His life and used that very experience to save mankind! That blows my mind when I think about it. He did not use His great and majestic power in the way we would use power - to make things easy. He chose to save us in such a unique and difficult way that no other religious system will ever understand.

Just some thoughts. Check in tomorrow for my personal “New Years Resolution” lists! :) I hope you all enjoy your last hours of 2013! :)

Worship. *Dun-dun-dun...*

Yeah. I said it. Worship.

Now, before you get your knickers all in a knot, hear me out. Or read me out. Whatever. I'm not here to chew you out because you dance in the aisles. I'm also not here to chew you out because you've never raised your hands. (Although, if you're not raising your hand in school, then you may have a problem.) I'm here to say that no matter how you worship, I'm just glad you are worshipping.

Many people will give you a list of guidelines, (a.k.a. rules) that you HAVE to follow! If you don't you obviously aren't saved. And as they wave the threat of losing your salvation over your head, doesn't that just make you want to worship with all your heart? Yeah. Not as much. Alternately, if maybe there was someone who gave you a list of things to worship about. A guideline for new worshipers? Not a behavior book, but a list of awesome things to celebrate!

Because it all really comes down to who and why, not how. I'm sure I worship God in different ways than anyone reading this. But that doesn't make me any better or worse. And it doesn't make either of our ways to worship wrong. Society, and many church members, will never tell us this. But God does. David worshiped God so intensely that, well, you know the story. (2 Samuel 6:12-23) God didn't strike him with fire or anything. God did, however discipline his wife for basically saying that David was wrong to worship that way. This is something that I find reassuring when people around me aren't raising their hands, but I feel like doing so. I mean, it works the other way too. I'm probably not being super clear, but this is also helping me to think this out.

One last clarification. Worship is not emotionalism. Being emotional is often part of worship, but the two are not the same. I can cry a river over something religious, in church, or with other Christians, but that does not make my river worship. That makes my river over something religious, in church, or with other Christians. Feeling is fine but to some extent if that is the only facet of your worship, you are missing something. There is so much more to worship than emotion. There is a knowledge of who God is, His characteristics. His awesome characteristics that make Him who He is.

I worship an amazing God. I know that He loves me no matter what. That's why I worship Him.

Procrastiation and Summer, because those two things go together.

Hey! Yeah.... I know, we're pretty good at the whole procrastination thing, huh? My apologies. We are still alive and talking to each other, but we neglected to write anything about it. We made a summer bucket list one day!

Out of those 17 items, we accomplished three completely. There were six others that at least three muses participated in, but we were always missing one. :( 

Something that didn't get on the bucket list, and was only a three muses operation, was a mud bowl. :) Our church and several surrounding ones, get together and destroy an area behind a church, then have obstacle courses, tug-of-war, and, of course, mud fights. ;) This year one of the girls from our church suggested going in formal outfits. We had a blast! Everyone found dresses at thrift stores and goodwill (I got the best deal, at around four dollars). One of the guys dressed up as well, so we had some fun with that. ;) 

These are blurred for privacy and all that,
 but here we are with clean dresses....

...and not so clean.

One of the other muses has pictures from the glow bubble experiment, and hopefully you can see those soon. We watched Avengers!! *sigh* I like that movie. Hawkeye is totally the coolest. And with our group, movie watching is an experience. We did get matching t-shirts, but haven't really put them to use yet. In the same shoppping raid though, we got hats. :) 

We got fun glitter flowers to individualize them as well! There's a small snapshot of summer for us! (Well, me at least.) 

Farewell, 'til I beat procrastiation again!

      Erato

Baking!

Hi all!

Three muses got together the other day, (one was out of town) and "experimented". Now most of the muses are wonderful bakers. One, on the other hand, can ruin brownies out of a box. That'd be me. So when I went to this experimentation, I mostly photographed. This meant that we could all eat the food safely. :)

Clio has some biscuits that she makes called volcanoes. (Dun-dun-duun.) This is the documentary of our tweaking them, and making a mess in the process.

See, we did clean up!

We made one peach, but didn't end up eating it.

So, that's about all! Except they were delish, and I couldn't even finish three of them!!
Erato

Interview - Andrew Joyce

Today we have an interview with a very special guest!! I have known Andrew for quite a few years, and would love for all of you to get to know him and what he does. Andrew is a web designer/entrepreneur, a rebelutionary, and is the founder and administrator of Into the Book. Into the Book is Andrew's first and longest-running project, and has always been full of solid content. I would encourage you all to check out Into the Book and take advantage of its resources! I'll let Andrew explain what Into the Book is, and hopefully you'll also get to know Andrew and his heart through this interview! :) 

10 Things You Should Never Say To....

It's been a while now, but Blimey Cow recently posted two videos that complemented each other. They were titled, "10 ThingsYou Sould Never Say To a Girl" and "10 Things You Should Never Say To a Guy", respectively. The one about things guys shouldn't say to us, in a healthy fear for their lives ;) was released first. Soon the Blimey Cow community was beggining for the natural sequel, the other way around.

The first one I watched, laughed, and appreciated the fact that maybe they'd help some poor male floundering in confusion. Some of these were common courtesy, and should go both ways. :)

Then was the one that I felt was more applicable to me, Ten Things That You Should Never Say to a Guy. This one actually impacted me quite a bit. As I've been posting, I like being in charge, and doing things. Well, that also means I'm often guilty of saying, (to both genders) "Here, just let me do it." I've never realized how that really could/does make someone feel. So, I've been trying stop doing that since I've seen this video.

Hopefully, you can see something in one of these videos that you do/say that you could stop. I know I actually have several, but I can only work on one at a time. :)
Erato

The Waiting Room

I was sitting in the waiting room of the orthodontist’s office after my appointment, now waiting for my mom’s appointment to finish.  I pulled out my smartphone to check my emails, facebook, pinterest, my calendar, text a few people.... and then start the whole process all over again.  There must be something new on facebook since the last time I checked it 10 minutes ago, right? ;)   As I’m doing all of this, a family walked in and sat in the same area as I did.  I noticed right away the unusual family structure - a punk-ish looking teenage boy, and what looked like to be his grandparents.  I don’t know their ethnicity, but my first thought was Jamaican, which could be totally wrong.   Anyway, as their grandson walked to check in and went to his appointment, the grandparents had a very interesting conversation.  At first they joked in a reminiscent way about their grandson being old enough to handle his own appointments. Then, as I was checking my social media sites,  I caught snippets of conversation about receiving custody, a girl who was apparently bipolar, and even not having control over what girl their grandson would end up with.  They talked in a kind of wistful way; they were joking about some things, but you could tell that this conversation was rooted in deep concern.   

Side note:  I have to tell you that they were the cutest older couple I think I’ve ever seen.  The man was wearing as suit, large glasses, and a fedora.  The woman was dressed in a similar old-fashioned classy style.  And they seemed super sweet.  I totally would have loved to have had them as my grandparents. :)  

Anyway. ;)  As I was eavesdropping on their conversation (unintentionally, of course. :P) a thought struck me.  They really didn’t have control over their grandson or their various predicaments.  Now, I of course don’t know whether they were Christians or not.  If I see them in heaven, I’ll definitely have to tell them this story. :)  But....I had the feeling that they needed someone to trust these situations to.  They needed Him to trust their situations to.  

And I wanted to tell them.  I wanted to tell them about the One I know who has sustained me through hard times and the One to whom I have been able to trust my loved ones to.   But I didn’t know where to start.  

My mom’s appointment took long enough.  Almost 45 minutes after mine ended, actually.   When the grandson returned, the man made a joke about “Now he needs me. Now that he needs to pay for the appointment.” and winked to his wife, who sat chuckling.  

I had time.  I had the desire.  

But I didn’t know where to start.

How many opportunities am I missing?  I have the desire. I even know what to say. But I don’t know where to start, or how to approach them.  And as I sat behind my smartphone screen, I felt appalled.  Yes, I’m introverted.  Yes, I was finding a way to use up my time.  But I was also wasting time.  Precious time.  Time that could eternally impact others.  Life isn’t a waiting room, for me to just use up time until the next exciting thing happens.  

I need to be equipped.  Conversation starters - yes, I need to look some of those up from the multiple books on evangelism that I know are out there.  And yes, I need to conquer my fear of walking up to a stranger, much less talking to one.  ;)  

But more than all of that - I need to stop wasting time. I need to stop treating life as a waiting room.