Simply Christian - Chapter 5

Before going into my review, just a quick note. I've noticed that each chapter I write my review differently. This time, I wrote all of this as I read, so I think it contains more of my actual thoughts while reading than previous posts; at least that's what I was going for. And now, the review.

“Sometimes, when people are asked whether they believe in God, they picture and image… [of] an old man with a long white beard, sitting on a cloud, looking down angrily at the mess we human are making of the world.” This sentence reminds me of the old Disney cartoons, or the Far Side comic strip. When I think of God my mind is blank. Well, I shouldn’t say blank, but there are no images, only memories of experiences, definitions of words, and memories of actions run through my mind.

In Chapter 5 Wright goes about describing God. As I started reading this chapter I thought to myself, “I sort of wish I was a non-Christian reading this book so I could follow better what he is saying. I feel like he’s skipping around the point.” It’s a little confusing for me to be reading this book and think I know the point that he wants to make, but then he doesn’t make it, he says, basically, ‘we’ll get to that later’.

First Wright looks at the question, where is God? Ecclesiastes 5:2 (paraphrased) says, “God is in heaven and you are on earth; so let your words be few.” Basically, Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 is talking about fearing God; however in verse two the writer of this book states that God is in heaven. So where is heaven? Wright answers this question, in a way, a few sentences later when he writes, “’Heaven’ in this later, very common biblical sense is God’s space as opposed to our space, not God’s location within our space-time universe.” I read that and thought to myself, yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking. But honestly, if someone had asked me I would have never been able to verbalize that. Does that mean that I really wasn’t thinking that and I’m just taking Wright’s ideas for my own? Hmmm, something to ponder for awhile.

How do heaven and earth fit together? Option one, the two spaces completely overlap, they are two ways of talking about the same thing. God is everything and everything is God, pantheism. Or there is the slight differentiation, panentheism, which states everything exists within God. Either way there is no outside force, there is no way to be rescued so the only escape is death. Option two is to hold the two spaces away from each other, the two never overlap. This options states that humans are alone in the universe, any divine being will not intervene to help or to harm. Again, there is way to be rescued to the only escape is death. The third option is that the two spaces overlap and interlock in many different ways. “God makes his presence known, seen, and heard within the sphere of earth.” Wright brings up many examples of this, Abraham, Jacob’s ladder, Moses and the Exodus, David, the holiest of holies (which kept the Ark of the Covenant). Wright states, “When pilgrims and worshippers went up to Jerusalem and into the Temple to worship and offer sacrifices, they wouldn’t have said that it was as though they were going into heaven. They would have said that they were going to the place where heaven and earth overlapped and interlocked.” How often do I think this when I worship? It’s not just little ol’ me here on earth, it’s where heaven and earth overlap. “The one true God made a world that was other than himself, because that is what love delights to do. And, having made such a world, he has remained in a close, dynamic, and intimate relationship with it, without in any way being contained within it or having it contained within himself.” I know this is the basis of my faith, relationship, but it still blows me away every time I read it. Christ wants a relationship with me, this selfish, arrogant, prideful, spiteful, lying, sinful person.

The last thing that Wright goes over in this chapter is the name of God. He addresses how the personal name of God was written in ancient Hebrew and how we got from that point to “the LORD”; a very interesting little history lesson. He talked about the three meanings of this phrase, first it could mean ‘the master” or who we’ve promised to obey, second it could mean ‘the true Lord’ (as opposed to Caesar), third it could mean “the LORD” as spoken of in the Old Testament

My Trip

Well, this past weekend, I visited my grandparents in Arizona. We left Friday early afternoon and got back home Sunday late afternoon. This is my attempt at putting together a slide show of the pictures I took (with my phone) while we were driving and once we got there. While driving out there it poured rain for about five minutes and then was all sunny again. It rained on Saturday while we were in Arizona as well. There was a beautiful double rainbow that my little camera phone couldn't do justice to. Anyway, hopefully it works.

Reunion

Last Saturday was my 10 year high school reunion. It was nice seeing people that I haven't seen in 10 years and seeing what they have been up to, but it was also nice to go home and know I won't talk to most of them for another 10 years (if I decide to go to the 20 year reunion). It was like a night of high school all over again, I've tried for 10 years to forget most of that junk. What was most interesting, to me at least, is the fact that almost everyone was married or in a serious relationship. Out of about the 60 graduates that made it to the reunion there were 5 of us not married, that's 12%, so 88% of the people at the reunion were married. I have to admit that I'm incredibly glad I'm not married. I can't see myself having to think of another person; I've discovered lately that I am very selfish. However, seeing as I'm fast approaching 30, I am starting to wonder if I will ever get married. Last month I sat down and started a list. If I ever do get married, what type of husband do I want to have? So, I've decided that I'm going to post it here so when/if I start dating someone, those of you who actually read my blog can hold me accountable.

First and foremost he must be a man of God. I want a man who is going to lead me, who will be the head of the household who will support me as I will support him. Someone who, being the head of the household, will not let me take control or be completely independent of everyone.


He must be honest and trustworthy. I've had so many men in my life who have lied and told half-truths or just avoided the sensitive subjects. I want someone who will not be afraid to tell me that I really shouldn’t go out looking like that. Someone who will call me on my bs, who when I say I’m doing ok will say “how are you really doing?”


He needs to be smart. Not necessarily book smart, but he needs to make me think. I need to be challenged both spiritually and intellectually. I don’t want someone in the same field as me. I want someone in a totally different area, someone who will help me grow in areas that I wouldn’t grow in on my own.




He needs to make me laugh. I’m much too serious if left to my own devices. I want someone who will bring out the kid in me, who seems to be hiding in the deep dark recesses of my being.


He needs to be sensitive and appreciate the beauty that God has given us. For all of my tough exterior (which hasn’t been that tough lately) I am extremely sensitive and need someone who will take that into consideration when being completely honest with me. Someone who can sit with me in a comfortable silence to watch the sun set (or rise); someone who can stare at clouds on a clear spring day and dream up stories for the shapes we see.




Also, I want to be courted. I want someone who will make me feel feminine, much too often I feel like “one of the guys”. I want someone who will open doors for me, who will place his hand on the small of my back to lead me into a room; someone who won’t be ashamed to hold my hand in public or let me place my arm through his.

This is what I’ve come up with so far. If he had some musical ability it wouldn’t hurt, but that one’s not a requirement. ☺

The Latest News

Well, I had my doctor's appointment yesterday. It was the most awkward and painful doctor's appointment I've ever had. But it's over, I survived, and now I wait once again. He's sending me in to get another ultrasound. The first appointment I could get was August 16th. Then I'll wait a week for him to get the results in and go see him to get the results. If there are still cysts there (which I can't see any other reason for all my problems at this point) then I have to schedule another ultrasound 6 weeks after the first to see how the cyst progresses in that cycle. Apparently that's the cycle for all that junk.

On a slightly different note. I have decided that I'm taking myself off of my medication. I talked with the doctor about it, well let me clarify, I asked him what would happen if I stopped taking my medication, and he said to go ahead and try it. I figure since it's not working why keep taking it? So, I didn't take my medication yesterday and I didn't take it today and today's the first day in a long long time that I haven't had a major mood swing in the middle of the day or break out into tears over nothing at all.

This is Me!

I saw this and just had to post it. It reminds me of myself.

I'm better informed now

I go in for appointment tomorrow with the specialist. They requested that I bring in a copy of the last ultrasound that was taken so I stopped by my doctors office today and picked up copies of both of the ultra sounds that were taken. This is the first time that I've actually gotten to look at what my doctor was seeing. I had one ultrasound last August and then another one in October. If I'm reading them right one cyst grew from 2.6 cm in length to 3.7 cm in length. I've heard (from others) that anything 2 cm or larger is supposed to be incredibly painful. Thank you God for no agonizing pain!

I've had an interesting couple of hours looking up medical terms online and discovering what it is that these reports say exactly. I now have quite a few notes for when I go in tomorrow.

Simply Christian - Chapter 4

For the Beauty of the Earth

This was by far the most difficult chapter for me to get through, to this point; although I can not figure out why it was so hard for me to get through.

There were four parts to this chapter, the transience of beauty, beauty and truth, beauty and God, and the glorious complexity of life. The transience of beauty section was all about how we can never catch beauty, just the memory. Even as we see something beautiful it leaves us longing for more and unsatisfied. So the world if full of beauty but that beauty is incomplete, we’re not fulfilled by what we experience. Wright uses and example that (because I am such a nerd) really hit home with me. “The teacher for whom the geometric proof possesses an almost transcendent elegance discovers that, to the class, it is nothing but numbers, lines, and angles.” I don’t know how many times I get so incredibly excited during a lecture about some physics concept about how amazing it is that it all fits together so nicely and it works the same way every time! And I look out into the classroom and they’re just staring at me like I’m some freak of nature because I’m excited about physics. Is beauty really in the eye of the beholder or is there some ‘absolute beauty’ that everyone will look at or experience and say to themselves, “that was exquisite, absolutely beautiful”?

The section on beauty and truth addresses that statement, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty.” But what one person considers beautiful is different from what another person considers beautiful. Even the same person several years down the road will have a different opinion of beauty than they did when they were younger. Wright uses the example of Plato’s men in the cave, although not using the exact story using the philosophical theory, to talk about our world and the world of “the Forms” (or Ideas). In other words, our world is just a shadow of the “real thing”. But if this world is just a shadow does it really exist? What about the whole “I think therefore I am” statement?

The section on beauty and God asks if this world is a reflection then what is it a reflection of? Wright makes the statement that “We [Christians] say that the present world is the real one, and that it’s in bad shape but expecting to be repaired.” I liked this statement. I know I need to be repaired and I’m only a teeny tiny fragment of this world.

The glorious complexity of life. This section title stands alone all on its own. Life is so incredibly complex and yet it’s also so simple. Wright quotes a scientist as saying, “whether we are looking into a microscope at the smallest objects we can discern, or gazing through a telescope at the vast recesses of outer space, the most interesting thing in the world remains that which is two inches or so on the near side of the leans – in other words, the human brain, including mind, imagination, memory, will, personality, and the thousand other things which we think of as separate faculties but which all, in their different ways, interlock as functions of our complex personal identity.” There are five things (to start with) that we do to show our complexity and our simplicity; we tell stories, we act out rituals, we create beauty, we work in communities, and we think out beliefs. If we take away any of these things then human life seems to be diminished. How boring would life be if we couldn’t tell stories? We wouldn’t be able to share about our days so we wouldn’t have any outside information other than what we ourselves experienced. What about not working in communities, not being able to do things with other people, having to always do things on our own? I don’t know about you but I would go “stark, raving MAD!” to quote the snake from Disney’s Robin Hood (I’m hearing the echoing voice as I type it).

Wright ends the chapter, and the first section of the book, by saying, “We must begin to talk about God. Which is like saying that we must learn to stare at the sun.” I’m very interested to see where Wright is going to take these concepts that he’s set up in the beginning of his book and how exactly he’s going to tie them all together.

Medical Update...sort of

So, I thought I should keep those of you interested in the medical marvel they named Diana updated. I go in to see the specialist this Wednesday on the 25th. I'm not sure exactly what's in store, more than likely another ultra-sound (so not looking forward to that). I'm really hoping that he'll take me off the birth control since it hasn't been working and I'm really tired of having all the negative side effects and none of the positive ones. Ok, sorry that wasn't a very Christian statement, but it really is frustrating to be on so many medications, especially since they seem to not be working.

If you could keep me in prayer as I go in for a visit with the new doctor for two things. First that I won't totally freak out on him since it's a he and my yearly's have always been with a female doctor. Second, that this new doctor will find some solutions for me to this problem that has been going on for way too long.

I am such a nerd

I ordered the best movie EVER on Amazon.com the other day. Unfortunately this movie is only available on VHS; Disney has not put it out on DVD as of yet. So I ordered a VHS copy. I got it today in the mail. I was incredibly excited so I popped it in to watch it. Then came my disappointment. The picture bounced through the entire thing! So I emailed the person who sold it to me through amazon to see if there was a way that I could exchange it for a good copy. I really hope so because it really is a good video, and it is an excellent teaching source.

So that was my excitement for the day, and then my disappointment.

Simply Christian - Chapter 3

Made for Each Other

Chapter 3 deals with relationships. I definitely need help in the area of relationships. Wright states, “…we all know that we belong in communities, that we were made to be social creatures. Yet there are many times when we are tempted to slam the door and stomp off into the night by ourselves, simultaneously making the statement that we don’t belong anymore and that we want someone to take pity on us, to come to the rescue and comfort us.” I don’t know about you but knowing that I belong in a community is much easier for me than actually taking part in a community. I have trouble being in a group and actually being part of the group, not just a bystander. I feel like I need to be asked to be part of something, I have trouble just jumping in.

Wright also deals with sexual identity, maleness and femaleness; how people today seem to be at one end of the scale (denying that there is a difference between males and females other than biologically) or at the other end of the scale (looking at every member of the opposite sex as a potential partner). Where exactly is the middle ground? How does one embrace their sexual identity without crossing the line into flirtatious behavior? I know I seem to bounce between the two extremes, how do I balance myself out?

There is also the fact that even the best relationship will eventually end in death, the laughter will end in tears. “We know it; we fear it; but there’s nothing we can do about it.” Doesn’t this tie in with our rebellion from our Creator? We were created to be in relationship. God created Adam and Eve and walked and talking with them in the Garden of Eden. Yet Adam and Eve rebelled against God and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. To this day we still rebel; some of us more than others. Therefore we have a broken relationship with our Creator. If we have a broken relationship with the One who created us, how can we have a whole relationship with anyone else?

What do you think?

So, for those of you that don't know or never noticed I got a tattoo of a rose on my ankle on my birthday last year in memory of my aunt that passed away 4 years ago.

There was another tattoo that I had been thinking about as well, the tattoo of a butterfly with the text "Rom 12:2" tattooed underneath the butterfly.

Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

I wanted to get a butterfly to represent this verse because butterfly's start out as caterpillars and are transformed into butterfly's. I should be transformed by the presence of God in my life, so as a daily reminder. Anyway, below is the picture of a butterfly whose name is the Diana Fritillary, pictured is the female. This is the butterfly I would like to get tattooed on my inner arm. What do you think?

Sunburns

Sunburns are from the devil!!!! I really have no biblical backing for this statement, but I'm going with it. I really, really hate getting sunburned. It happens at least once a year for me, the one day that I have to do something outside. I know I'm incredibly fair skinned and burn rather easily so I try to stay inside out of the sun as much as possible. This year, it was pool day at Pipeline that did me in. Now, for those of you that are thinking, "Oh, you just forgot to put sunblock on." No, I put sunblock on. Not just the dinky little SPF 15 stuff, but SPF 30, not just once but twice. I did not go swimming, so it's not like it washed off in the water. And the picture you see here does not do the burn justice. It had now had all night to settle in and I'm a nice lobster red. Well, maybe not lobster, but it's definitely red.

A Kitchen Scene

Here’s yet another story. Thanks to Sam for providing my first sentence. Let me know what you think. Also, if you’d like to provide a first sentence for me to write a story with, send it over and I’ll do my best.

A Kitchen Scene

The rose water had a bitter yet pleasant aroma. It filled the air as it spread across the floor. I shuddered with pleasure as my senses seemed to be awakened for the first time. As to what had roused my passionate actions I was unsure. I could feel the blood rushing through my veins, hear my heart pounding in my chest (I was sure someone would hear it if I didn’t calm down soon), smell the many aromas that filled the air, and see the beads of sweat dry on the body of the man laying at my feet.

Suddenly, reality hit with a sharp cold thud. What had I done? I was incredulous of the facts before me. How was I going to get rid of the evidence? Impulsively I called a friend from the old days.

“Yeah, this is ****.”

“Hey, remember me?” I asked. Partially hoping that he didn’t, but mostly hoping that he did so he could help me now.

“How could I forget you? Whaddha want?”

“Well, see, there’s this issue that I need some help with, I don’t want it getting out in the open.”

“So, ya thought of me huh?”

“Can you help me or not?”

“Where do you want me to meet you?”

Half an hour later he stood in the kitchen with me, looking at the scene that still shocked my senses. Why was I not repulsed by the sight? A darkness filled my soul, terrifying me.

We worked quickly, cleaning everything in sight as best we could. Soon the kitchen looked like nothing had ever happened.

How long until he was missed, until people started looking at me like a freak of nature.

My friend’s voice disturbed my reverie, “We’re done here. I’ll send ya a bill.”

“Thanks, I owe you.”

“Whatever, like I said, I’ll send ya a bill.”

He walked outside and was gone.

Here it is many years down the road. I still shudder in terror at the pleasure that courses through my veins in memory of that night anytime I see a bottle of rose water.

Simply Christian - Chapter 2

Well, I finished reading chapter two of the N.T. Wright book. It was titled, The Hidden Spring. Wright talked about the separation of church and state and how some people have enjoyed not having any “religious” interference in their life, some have done their best to find the living water, and even more are still searching for something to quench their thirst.

People searching to quench their thirst are looking in many different areas. Since ‘civilization’ is giving us no guidance people are looking into mysticism (get in touch with nature), Buddhism (a detachment from the world), Celtic things, and many more areas. It seems to me that people are looking everywhere but where they should be looking, however I digress. Wright states, “People who have been starved for water for a long time will drink anything, even if it is polluted…Thus by itself ‘spirituality’ may appear to be part of the problem as well as part of the solution.”

“If the call to spirituality that we hear can be interpreted as the echo of a voice, it’s one which is lost in the wind as quickly as it comes, leaving us to ask ourselves whether we imagined it or whether, if we really did hear something, it was simply the echo of our own voices.” This brings to mind the verse 1 Kings 19:12 in which Elijah heard God, not in the strong wind, not in the earthquake and not in the fire but in a “still small voice.” The voice does not compel us to listen, we have to choose to either follow the voice or ignore it.

Wright also brings up that skeptics use relativism. The phrase most commonly used is, “Just because it’s true for you, does not mean it’s true for everybody.” But this only works when you use truth to mean ‘something that is genuinely happening inside of you’ instead of ‘a true revelation of the way things are in the real world’. To me that phrase is just the nice way of saying, “you’re full of it and I’m tired of talking to you.”

Wright ends with saying that this echo of a voice, that we can’t drown out with distractions, but does not “compel us to listen” joined with a passion for justice would make it worth listening for further echoes of the same voice.

Callia Adonia Temple

Here's my story on my new character. Let me know what you think.

Here I am stuck in my crib. Well, I’m not really stuck, I know how to get out, but mom just put me in so I have to wait a little bit before I make my escape. There was a banana in the kitchen that I saw earlier that I want. Do you know the best part about bananas? You can squeeze them in your hands and eat what comes out between your fingers. It’s yummy, so much better than the boring “adult” way to eat a banana. Ok, I don’t hear mom anymore, here I go.

Alright, I’m out, now for that banana. Out the bedroom door, down the hallway (so far so good) through the living room and into the kitchen. I made it! Now where’s that banana? Hmmm…there it is, I see it! Man, that looks pretty far up there; I can’t reach it on my own. Where’s that thingy mom always stands on? Well, maybe if I open up this cupboard door I can stand on the shelf.

“CLANG! BANG! BONG! Wahngahngahngahng. Clatter.”

That was a little loud, I hope mom didn’t hear all those pots fall. Ok, if I put this foot here and this foot there. Ouch! Note to self, falling on your butt hurts. Ok that didn’t work. Let’s try…

“Callia Adonia Temple! What are you doing!?!”

Uh oh, mom heard.

“How in the world did you get out of your crib? You are supposed to be taking a nap right now.”

Maybe if I give her the sweet puppy dog eyes, she’ll forget there’s no one else here to let me out of my crib. Ooh, I know I’ll tell her I want a banana. “want ‘nana.”

“You want a banana?”

“Yeh, want ‘nana.”

I think it’s working, she’s going for it. I see her reaching for the banana.

“You can have a banana after you take your nap like you’re supposed to.”

Negative, negative, we’re going down in flames! Man I hate nap time, it wastes so much play time.

“Ok, let’s go little calla lily, back to your crib with you.”

Goodbye banana! I’ll miss you.

“Now, don’t try to get out again. Please take your nap.”

“I try.”

I'm stuck

I'm working on a new story about a two year old named Callia Adonia Temple. Her favorite food is bananas and she thinks potty training is a pain because taking time to go to the bathroom and use it takes time out of her busy schedule of playing. However, I'm stuck after that. It's been 25 years since I've been two and I haven't had any kids myself so I'm not quite sure how a two year old should act. I've heard of the terrible two's, the "no" stage, and the "why" stage but I'm not sure if they're all together or at different ages. I don't know the speech level of a two year old. So if anyone out there can give me some input I would greatly appreciate it. If you have a two year old or a little one not far out of the two's stage it would help me bunches if you could share some insight with me. Or even if you work with little ones on a regular basis (Janie). Thank you.

Good Wife?

Los posted the following picture on his blog. You can click on the picture to get a better view of what it says.

What follows was my response to all the females who gave an outraged cry.

Ok, I’m going to start this reply with a disclaimer, I am single and do not know what marriage is like in the “real world”. That being said, I have seen this picture before. The first time I saw it I was up in arms, how in the world could they expect women to do all of that? But my hot-headedness has cooled.

Point 1: Be happy to see him. - Shouldn’t a wife be happy to see her husband? This is the person she has chosen to spend the rest of her life with, the person she has chosen to be her spiritual head. Also, he should be happy to see her.

Point 2: Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him. - Isn’t that the curse that Eve brought upon us? “And your desire will be for your husband.”

Point 3: Listen to him. (it goes on but I don’t agree with the rest) - A woman should listen to her husband, but that does not mean that he should not listen to her.

Point 4: Don’t greet him with complaints and problems. - Who wants to be greeted with complaints and problems? I know I don’t. This should be a common courtesy to any person you greet.

Point 5: Your goal: try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquility where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit. - Who would not want their home to be peaceful and a place of rest and tranquility? If the home is not peaceful not only will the husband not be able to renew himself in body and spirit, the wife will not be able to either.

Point 6: A good wife always knows her place. - When I read this I think of Proverbs 31, what I look at to see how far away I am from what God wants me to be doing.

As women we are to be submissive to our husbands. This does not mean that we never get a say and have to always agree with our husbands. But it does mean that he gets the final say, as long as it does not go against God’s word.

There are definitely things I do not agree with from the article, such as not questioning him when he’s been out all night, that’s a bunch of bull. However, we are called to be servants of Christ. Christ, God’s only begotten son, served us. Doesn’t that mean that we should serve those around us, and doesn’t that include our husbands?

So, what do you think of it?

Janie's Blog

Just to let everyone know...Janie's blog has been deleted (by Janie). However, apparantly the web address is still active and being used by someone in Thailand.

Writing

I pulled out my writing prompt book again today. What follows is the story that came out of it. I don't think I like it, but I'll post it here anyway.

--->This is a story, fiction, not something that happened in real life.

Writing

“Sometimes I feel just like a gerbil, running around and around on his wheel!” I concluded.

“What sort of nonsense is this, spinning like a carousel, running around like a gerbil on his wheel? Why don’t you just sit down and write your story? Quit making it so difficult.”

My instructor had never been known for his sensitivity. However, he was particularly well informed on what sort of story sold to the masses. The last quarter before I graduated I had enrolled in a creative writing class. Our instructor seemed to not know the meaning of ‘writer’s block’ and had been giving me a hard time since the class began.

The last week of classes we prepared for finals. Our final for writing class was simple, so the instructor said. All we had to do was write a short story that included our favorite fruit. I wrote, what I thought was, a cute little story about strawberries having a conversation in the patch before being picked. I handed in my paper satisfied that I had written a story that would pass and walked out of the class.

A week after finals I went to pick up my final and see how I had done. The department secretary had all of the blue books and I collected mine. Opening the blue book I saw my grade. A “D” stared at me from the front page. I didn’t understand it, I had finished the story, there were no spelling or grammar errors, why a “D”? I asked the secretary when the instructor would be back and she told me that he had just left. I knew if I hurried I might be able to catch him in the outer hallway.

Running down the stairs and out the door I saw him a few yards away.

“You insensitive prick! We can’t all be such asses in our writing!” I yelled out to his retreating figure.

He stopped and slowly turned around. After looking at me for a moment he started towards me. My anger was quickly replaced with a growing sense of dread. What had I said? I couldn’t believe the words that had just come out of my mouth. All of the sudden he was before me.

“That is how you should write,” he stated.

“Huh?” was all that would come out. I was shocked, he wasn’t mad or upset at all, in fact he seemed pleased.

“You have been holding it all in. That was the first time I have seen or heard any passion from you. That is what your writing has been missing, passion. You don’t have to ‘be an ass’ as you put it but you must be passionate about whatever it is that you write. Never forget that.”

“Why couldn’t you have just told me that to begin with? It would have made the class so much easier.”

“Maybe so. But now you’ll never forget the lesson.” With that statement he turned around and again began the walk down the hallway once again.

Suddenly it all clicked. Passion was the key. If I was passionate about something then there would always be words bouncing around in my head. There would never be writers block because I would always have something to say about something I was passionate about.

He’s right, I haven’t forgotten the lesson.

Convicted...

Tonight's sermon was on finances. I don't want to be rich (too much responsibility) and I don't want to be famous (I want to be able to live my life). I don't want designer clothes, in fact levis are the most expensive I go and I go to the outlet to get those. I don't want the newest and best gadget, what I've got works fine. I'm living within my means, nothing goes on credit. So, I should be good right? I should have it all covered. But I don't. I still spend more money than I should on things that I don't need. I still want to make just a little bit more money so I can be slightly more comfortable. So, that statement that Matt had us write down, "I love money," it's true. As much as I hate to admit that, it's true. So yeah, I was convicted tonight.