Wednesday, November 28, 2007

The Right Stuff

As I write the title of this post, I'm thinking a little about my days as a New Kids on the Block fan back in the fourth grade (sing with me--Oh oh oh oh oh...).

But more than that, I'm thinking about the importance of the right timing. At small group this week, we were talking about one of God's promises for those who tithe--to protect us from doing the right thing at the wrong time.

To be honest, I don't think I ever realized this was one of God's promises. I've prayed before for "the right things at the right time"--especially when it comes to big decisions about my career, relationships, college or finances.

But I don't think I actually saw "the right things at the right time" as a promise I could stand on. And there's definitely a difference.

If I had my way, I would have "the right things right now" (See "The Waiting Game" post for more on that). But I'm not God--and "right now" might be all wrong.

Thank God He's smarter than me. We can trust in His promises and protection.

I actually have specific stories in my life where He has protected me from having the right thing at the wrong time...and there are probably a countless amount of other examples I don't even know about.

It's pretty cool to think about, actually--so much cooler than me in my leggings, slap bracelet (does anyone remember those?) and flourescent t-shirt rollerskating around singing "Oh oh oh oh oh. The right stuff" along with Jordan, Joey and the NKOTB gang back in the day. I guess there's a right time for everything--and that time has definitely passed. :)

Friday, November 23, 2007

The Day My Cat Caught On Fire

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a sane holiday ... but not at my parents' house this year. Thanksgiving 2007 will be forever remembered as the day our cat caught on fire. Really.

It started out as a typical Thanksgiving--a house full of people, great food and laughter.

But some time between dinner and dessert, one of my parents' cats decided to jump up on their piano. This is not normally a hazardarous event. But this Thanksgiving, my Mom decided to light some candles amidst the decorations on top of it.

I didn't actually see the tail of the cat in a blaze of glory, but I sure smelled it. It was enough to make my uncle--hypnotized by one of the football games on my Dad's new HDTV--actually get up off the couch.

But the cat survived--and I guess that's just one more thing we can all be thankful for.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Random Things I'm Thankful For - 2

It's almost Thanksgiving ... and time to celebrate some of the things I'm grateful for. Of course I LOVE my family (they pretty much rock!), friends, church and career. But today I thought I'd blog about more of the random things I'm thankful for at the moment.

(And if you missed my first list--including my smiling dog--you can see it here: "Random Things I'm Thankful For").

Here's the new list:



Snow



Encouraging text messages

Birthdays - Because everybody needs their own holiday. I think I probably have about 10 family members or friends with b-days in October and November ... but I love to celebrate all of them.




Peppermint hot chocolate or mochas - If I'm at Starbucks, I'll typically just ask for 1 pump of peppermint in my non-fat versions of these drinks. If I'm at home, I might make my own ghetto versions with some crushed candy canes.



The Dunder Mifflin Web Site - This just makes me smile-- it's a fake Web site for the fictional paper company featured on The Office. Check out the store (under "Corporate" and "Shop")--I definitely have at least one friend (and fellow Office fan) who will be receiving a "Dundie Award Winner" coffee mug this Christmas. :)

People who smile

Christmas music (well, except for "The Little Drummer Boy") - I like a wide variety--from Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey to Diana Krall (jazz) and Nat King Cole ... and maybe even a little Alvin and the Chipmunks (thank you, '80s childhood!).

Facebook - Because it helps me stay in touch with friends ... from Malawi to London (yes, really) ... and helped my mini TWU 3F-dorm reunion happen.

Good customer service

Lip gloss

Creativity - Thank God there are so many different people in the world who create things that are mind-boggling to me ... or just simply just useful like ...

Post-it notes - They keep me sane and organized at the office.

Secret Santas - I love giving (and getting) fun random little gifts and notes at the office.

Monk e-mails - Oh my word - this Web site is seriously fun! You can customize your own funny and quirkly e-cards for friends, co-workers, whoever--even with personalized audio. So cool.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Apathy and Contentment: What's the Difference?

"There are things Christians should hate.
We should be intolerant of some things.
People have this picture of Christianity that is all nice and warm and fuzzy--
but if there are some things God hates, we should hate them, too."


It was not a typical Sunday message (but then again, most things at my church aren't very typical). As our pastor was preaching, I started thinking about some of the things God hates, but that many Christians tolerate--and based on a few conversations I had last week, apathy came to the top of my list. Here's why:


Apathy is deceptively dangerous.


When most of us think of things God hates, we think of the 7 deadly sins or things we're commanded not to do in the 10 Commandments. On the surface, apathy doesn't seem as bad as murder or greed, for example. But sin is sin. And apathy could actually be the chief cause of other sins in our lives. Think about this:


  • Apathy robs us from daring to be the people God has called us to be.

  • Apathy can be a root cause of greed--a kind of greed that says, "I'm okay with what I've got and what I give today." (Notice the emphasis on I versus a giving heart to help others).

  • Apathy stops us from standing up to injustice.

  • Apathy silences us when we should speak up.

  • Apathy keeps us in our comfort zones.

  • Apathy hinders us from forming new friendships or relationships.

  • Apathy is a form of selfishness--it's a focus on what's convenient, safe and easy for me alone.

  • Apathy stops us from helping others.

"But I'm not apathetic. I'm just content."

Gosh, that sounds spiritual ... but how do you know if it's true?

"Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith.
Don't drift along taking everything for granted."
(2 Corinthians 13:5 - The Message)

Contentment is about gratitude (fitting, since this is the week of Thanksgiving!). It's about recognizing what you have today comes from God. It is impossible to be both apathetic and grateful. Contentment is also about hope--it's about hoping for God's best for your life and for others.

Here's another way to look at the difference between contentment and apathy. Let's imagine that you're married. You would probably be glad if your spouse said that he/she was "content" with your relationship, but continually working to make it stronger. But if your spouse started to become apathetic about your relationship, I don't think either of you would be happy.

Apathy leads to a "drift along" kind of life that may feel empty or meaningless. It's a life void of passion, challenge or a sense of purpose. That's a kind of life I'd hate to live ... and I think God would probably hate for any of us to live that way, too.

Let's be grateful for where we're at, but passionately driven toward purpose. Because that's the only way we can really make a difference.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Quote of the Day: Opportunity

Opportunity comes by being open—to people, ideas and information.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Expect the Unexpected.

I used to live in a barn.
I went on a date with the Bachelor.
I once was a nun.
And I love crazy rides at amusement parks.

Sound surprising? These things are all true about me (and perhaps with a bit of backstory, they may seem more realistic to you).

For the most part, my life makes sense. I'm kind of a "you get what you see" kind of person. And that's okay. But there's part of me that likes to surprise people--that likes some sort of mystery (maybe it was all those Nancy Drew books I read growing up).

Expecting the Unexpected from God?

Sometimes I wonder if God is like that, too. Yes, He's the same today, yesterday and forever. He always keeps His promises. He's always just, always perfect and always holy.

But God is also full of grace--and by definition, grace is surprising. It's undeserved, unexpected. And real love is like that, too--it can catch you off guard. When I've experienced that kind of love from God, my family and friends, sometimes it hits me like, "Whoa! What did I ever do to experience something this amazing?" And the truth is, I could never really do anything to deserve love. Love in its purest form is not about deserving, it's about giving.

Living the Unexpected

So maybe I should rewind a bit and tell you how I started thinking about this topic. A few weeks ago, I was reading during my normal devotional time and saw these verses. And then I heard them again the next week at G2 (church young adults' group). Maybe God was trying to get my attention?

Anyway, I think sometimes we all can get stuck in boxes of expectations--for God, for ourselves, for other people. Yes, those boxes can come from outside influences like family, friends, acquaintances and the media. But most often, they are boxes we've built ourselves.

Don't get me wrong--I know that living a Christian life comes with some boundaries designed to protect me and bring God's best into my life. But those boundaries are miniscule compared to the great, expansive life of freedom that God has called us to--and that's what these verses are about, so I'll let you read them--and dare you to expect the unexpected in your own life.

2 Corinthians 6:11-13

I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life.
We didn't fence you in.
The smallness you feel comes from within you.
Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way.
I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection.
Open up your lives.
Live openly and expansively!

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Why I Love the Elderly


"That will be $10.83," said the cashier, an elderly woman in her seventies, as she rang up my new pair of earrings.

I swiped my debit card and entered my PIN as if on autopilot (which is probably kind of scary!). The cashier turned to hand me the receipt and the bag containing my new earrings, when she stopped abruptly and said, "Oh my! You're attractive."

"Thank you," I replied and then joked back, "It's too bad a nice single guy isn't telling me that."

"Well," she said in a sassy style, "There must be something wrong with them!"

This little exchange made me smile. I love how older people tend to say whatever they think (especially if it's something positive--sorry guys).

There is something particularly powerful about encouragement from a stranger. I think sometimes we believe it's normal that our parents, relatives and friends think we're beautiful, talented and amazing. But when a stranger or new friend tells you something like that, it' s just cool ... it's unexpected. That lady didn't know me or that I had had a particularly stressful week--and her simple, sassy words and spirit encouraged me.

A compliment is a compliment no matter who it comes from.

Extreme Marketing: Toilet or Treasure?

Last week I was out walking with a friend of mine (another writer) when we both stopped in our tracks to behold this oh-so-lovely piece of marketing:


There are no words. :)

Friday, November 2, 2007

Be longing ... and Martian Child


Weird.


It's an odd word, isn't it?



To be honest, I think we're all just a little bit weird ... in some way or another. Maybe maturity comes when you realize your own quirkiness or try to embrace what makes you uniquely you..


But the funny thing is, I think most of us don't want to think of ourselves as weird. We just want to fit in--to belong.



Tonight I saw the movie Martian Child. I had wanted to see the new Steve Carrell flick instead (I love "The Office"!) ... but apparently, so did everybody else. So I ended up spending the evening with John Cusack and a quirky kid who thinks he's actually from Mars. It was kind of a sappy movie, but it made me think about the oddity of all of us and the basic human desire to love and belong.



(Yes, one of my odd quirks is my analytical mind, so I'll let you in on a little bit of what I thought about as I watched this movie...without giving the plot away, of course!)



In my life (so far), I've had the opportunity to actually get to know people leading all kinds of different lives ... multi-millionaires, people from trailor parks, models, beauty queens, geniuses, jocks, punks ... you name it. And no matter where they come from, what they have or what they look like, they are all wanting to belong.



On the outside, some of these people can look like they've got it all together--but when taken to extremes, their desire to belong can drive them to buy things they can't afford, take up hobbies they don't actually enjoy or spend time with certain people simply because it can help them maneuver their way toward power or belonging to a specific social circle.



And then there are those on the other side of the spectrum who have embraced their oddity so much so that it has become a self-protective mechanism for keeping others away. Their "secret" is that they actually care what people think--they actually do want to belong. Like the Martian Child in the movie, they just might have a hard time trusting people to actually love and accept them.



I can't help but wonder what God thinks as He looks at all of us people trying to belong. I bet He would tell us something like, "Be longing ... for Me, for what I've called you to be, for community with others. That's what I created you for."



Hmm ... so maybe I'll make that my mantra for the week--to be longing, not just trying to belong.