Break!

I apologize for the length of time since my last post. Although it seems like I would have more time over break, it somehow seems that I have less! It's amazing how much time you lose when you get to sleep in and then don't have a routine. This has proved true for everything I used to have no trouble getting done while at school - blogging, reading my daily Bible readings, working out, etc!

Despite my inability to manage my time while away from school, I've had a delightful break hanging with family, seeing old friends, and laying around reading. This is my first break EVER that I haven't had to worry about finals right around the corner. My only school responsibility during this month off is to order my books for next semester!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas (despite what everyone thinks, Christmas really is 12 days long!) full of celebration of Christ's birth and life and love and death and resurrection. I know this holiday is really about his birth, but I have a hard time only celebrating one part of the life of Christ when I know the whole story! Like I've talked about in other posts, I love the liturgical year, but we can't completely recreate the feelings of the Israelites because we are lucky enough to know the story of our Savior!

Well, that's all I have to say for now! I have a bananagrams date with my brother, and I'm blogging on my iPod touch, so it's a little slower than usual (and pretty darn trendy!). For now, I'll end with a few pictures from my break. Merry Christmas!!

Chicago at night is beautiful! 

Kyle concentrating on Words with Friends ;)

The giant Christmas tree at Macy's in the city. Awesome!

It's been a Bananagrams kind of break :)

DONE!

I'm officially done with finals and my first semester in college. WHOOHOO! It's such a weird feeling to be done. This semester flew by - it honestly feels like I've only been here a week! I'm super excited to have a month off to relax though, even if I'll miss everyone here!

I'm busy gathering up stuff to go home, so I'll post something for real later. I just wanted to share my excitement and share with everyone how truly blessed I am to be in college surrounded by such amazing people. SO BLESSED! My roommate says it best on her new blog - check it out, it's awesome!

And now a few pictures from the last couple of days!

My beautiful roommate trying to figure out how to sell her books!

The laundry I did last night. 4 LOADS! I think that's a record!

'Tis the Season

As all of you know, the Christmas season is well upon us! We are more than three weeks into advent - the day of our Savior's birth in less than two weeks! How exciting :) With the season, however much we try to avoid the materialistic side of Christmas, comes gift giving - giving and receiving gifts, a part of Christmas I have always loved and cherished. There is nothing like picking out a special gift for your loved ones and watching their surprise and joy as they open it! Ever since I started working during the summers a few years ago, I started spending more on gifts for people - after all, why work if I can't buy things for the ones I love? Lately, though, I've really been questioning this.

I don't think giving gifts in itself is wrong! (just clarifying) I feel that giving gifts is just another way to show love to others. But let's think this one through... when you receive a gift from someone, do you feel less loved when they spend $50 on you instead of $10? Would you rather have a general, expensive gift or something less expensive and more personalized? I love personal gifts, but I've always gone for the extreme end, setting myself a price limit and then trying to go as close as I could to that limit, just because I can! I would always say that my friends and family deserve my money! I believe that they do, but will they actually notice if you spend $15 instead of the $20 limit? Not because you're trying to be cheap, but because the perfect gift for them was $20! Money isn't everything. Maybe this holiday season, we should focus on buying reasonable and thoughtful gifts - gifts that people will remember and appreciate, not for their monetary value but because it made them feel loved and special :)

Lo siento for rambling, but my thoughts on gifts have just really been flowing lately! Another thing that's been on my mind is what a great opportunity gift-giving is. There are so many awesome fair trade products, products that help save the environment, etc! The holidays are a great time to buy someone a beautiful gift that helps make them and others aware of social justice issues around the world, or even gifts that just spread the Gospel :) I was looking through the Not For Sale Store earlier, and found this t-shirt that I absolutely love and would LOVE to get for someone for a Christmas or a birthday:
 Love love love it. Honestly, what a great gift (maybe this is a gift for someone who is more passionate about ending Human Trafficking already, but they have a lot of other products on their website that aren't quite this loud!).

That was fun to post those pictures! Maybe I'll make a post in the near future about top Christmas gifts for a socially aware consumer. Look for that in the near future! :)

So, in short, my conclusion about gifts this year: spending less is more, and buying gifts that bring God's Kingdom to earth is the BEST!

And now, for my daily picture...

My love - just taking a snooze. Lazy day after my today's finals were done :)

to plan or not to plan?

Lately I have been going super crazy with planning stuff out. Planning for when I study abroad, planning for when I graduate, planning my entire weekmonthyear with lunches and study dates and volunteering and budgeting my time ever so carefully so as to get everything done. It finally hit me the other day that maybe, just maybe, I've been planning too much. I was at a meeting about a volunteering opportunity for next semester - working at an after school tutoring program with 4th graders at one of the nation's worst public elementary schools. I strongly believe that a stronger education system would start solving many social justice issues in our country like poverty, obesity, homelessness, and sexual violence. I realized, though, that I couldn't volunteer because of my class load - I signed up for 18 credits next semester so that when I study abroad next year, I will only have to take 12 credits.

How crazy is that?! Am I so crazy that I would give up doing something I'm passionate about, something that would work to build the Lord's Kingdom, just so that maybe in the future my workload would be easier? And that's IF I get the opportunity to study abroad. How horrible would I feel a year from now I'm bored with so little class work, or even if I don't get to study abroad at all? Pretty stinkin bad. We can't wander through our lives with no direction or purpose, but when our planning starts to affect our lives today, I feel that we aren't being glorifying.

This convicts me every time I read it: "Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil" Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." 

-James 4:13-17

So, in case you didn't guess, I've decided to drop a class for next semester! Not only because I don't need to take it, but because it's keeping me from living fully for God today. And that, I woud say, is the most important thing :)

P.S. - I've decided to start posting a picture or two along with my blog to sum up my day! It will probably have nothing to do with the blog, but maybe sometimes they'll be pretty or interesting.

This picture might seem similar to my last post... it is! I have three finals tomorrow, and these notebooks and books have been my good friends this weekend. Wish me luck!

studystudystudy

What I'm doing...

What I'm daydreaming about doing...

wah.

JBIB

For the three or so people who read this blog, I'm sorry that I always post about school. So lame, right?! But I mean, I guess it's a good thing that my classes are sparking enough interest in me that I'd post about it?? Hmmmm. Anyways, English class this time! Our last reading of the semester is from the Jefferson Bible. If you've never heard of it, it's pretty crazy! Thomas Jefferson literally chopped up a King James Version Bible and rearranged and pasted parts to his liking. This isn't the whole Bible of course, just the story of Jesus! He's crazy though! He took the four gospels and mixed them all together into a crazy work. If you don't believe me, just check out this website. It just so happens that the Smithsonian came out with an exhibit about the Jefferson Bible. You can literally see how he used scissors and glue to make this.

For class, we just had to pick one chapter that seemed to exhibit a significant amount of cutting and pasting, compare it to the original version online, and just think about why he would have chosen those specific passages. Our teacher mentioned in class today that Jefferson took out most of the 'spiritual' aspects of Jesus's ministry, like healing and feeding 5000 people. He was instead most interested in the parables. He wanted a picture of Jesus that was merely philosophical. Most think he did this because he was trying to discern how to best run the newly independent, religiously tolerant and free America. He wanted all the little tidbits of advice without all the "unnecessary" spiritual stuff.

I chose to read the last two chapters of his Bible - I was excited to see what His version said about the resurrection! After all, we wouldn't have Christianity if Jesus wasn't resurrected... we would still be bound by sin, separated from God by the temple curtain. This story wouldn't matter without the resurrection. So i get to the end, and this is what I read:

"Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus: and rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed."


The end.

Seriously?? It's like the disciples were walking away saying "oh well, another one bites the dust" and "maybe another prophet will come along next year". That's it! Jesus was just another man who died. Big dealio.

No no no! That's not it at all. The resurrection means EVERYTHING! Jesus defeated sin, he defeated death! If Jesus wasn't raised from the dead in a literal body, then the devil has won. But no! God has won! YAY! Hahah I could honestly talk about this forever, and I wish I had time to. But honestly, I just can't get across how much the resurrection matters and how surprised I was that Jefferson had even excluded that part. Jesus wasn't just another prophet that disappointed his followers when he hung dead on the cross. He wasn't just another false Messiah. No, Jesus was the real deal, changing everything ever by his death and resurrection.

Another thing I found funny about this was that Jefferson said later that one of his main goals was to simplify the Bible "for the Indians". Because obviously an Indian could understand parables but NOT the message of grace, hope, and love? Obviously. That makes soooo much sense. Bravo Jeffy boy!

Hahah. Oh man. I'm so tireeeed. Time to go to sleepy so I can wake up and study my butt off some more for finals next week. Whoot! Gooooodnight :)

Oh, also! This video is probably the saddest thing I've ever seen, but very inspiring! My friend Jessica who goes to Michigan State told me to watch it, and asked me to spread it around if I liked it as well. This guy is a friend of one of her friends. He posted this video just two days ago, and it already has over 60,000 views. It's going viral! God always loves us!

Luther

Today in theo, my professor talked the entire class about Martin Luther. Most of it was pretty boring - he's spent his entire career studying the life of Luther, so he knows a lot about the guy. He said a couple of things, however, that were super interesting and definitely got me thinking a little more about the whole justification issue. I'm not going to discuss it here (my best friend Kyle has a great post about it tho, check it out!) because i'm not well versed enough about it and don't have enough time! Here are just a few things about the life of Luther that made me think a little more about the issue:

1) Luther had a case of scruples for a lot of his life. He had a hard time feeling forgiveness for his sins and feeling God's love. Maybe his reason for putting so much emphasis on faith?

2) Luther believed that having faith will lead to good works - they naturally belong together and cannot be separated!

3) Luther wrote a lot about the law, and what it means for us after the resurrection of Jesus and the beginning of a time of freedom from sin. He said that the difference between following the law and fulfilling the law is faith. Maybe this was why he often wrote of faith alone - faith alone is what transcends the gap between following and fulfilling.

Well, that's honestly all I have to share! For a guy whose theology led to many churches who don't emphasize a life change and only tell the parishioners to have faith, I found it interesting that this is not even close to what he meant. Just something to think about as you wrestle with justification :)

Finally, a little Michael Bublé for you! Love this song and love him, awww yeah.

ThreeWeeks!

I am getting so excited for Christmas it's insane! I really do just love Christmas. All the girls on my floor decorated our lounge tonight - we put up lights and snowflakes and paper stockings and made a fireplace and Christmas trees! It looks gorgeous. I love them all and I feel so lucky that I've gotten to know them this year!

One thing that I find awesome about the Episcopal church (the church I grew up in!) and many other more traditional churches is that they follow the liturgical year. Seasons that rise and fall with the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When reading the Old Testament, we are able to witness the Israelites observe many holidays to remember important events like their deliverance from Israel. Now, in this new age since Jesus, we also show remembrance, but instead of the Israelites to Jesus!

Right now we're of course in the season of advent, the month leading up to the birth of our Savior. The service and prayers change slightly, but my favorite part is the advent wreath - a wreath containing four candles and one candle in the middle. Each week of advent, one more candle is lit. This simple wreath adds to the excitement and build up of the season. I'm better able to understand how the Israelites felt when waiting for the Messiah - so hopeful and expectant! I can't help but be joyful, though, since I know the story ahead of time :)

I encourage everyone to get in the mood of the season this year! And by that, I don't mean by buying lots of presents and stressing out over having the best holiday decorations (although I do believe both of these things can be glorifying when done properly!!), but instead by recreating these feelings of hope by reading the Christmas story and going to church! And other things! Seriously though, following the liturgical year is so rewarding.

I hope everyone is feeling loved this advent! Even if you don't feel it, you are :)

Reclaimers

So I'm sitting on the floor of my bathroom eating cheese&crackers and stalking the world on facebook. Obviously, because what else would I be doing at 1:15am on a Friday morning. Oh wait, MAYBE SLEEPING BEFORE MY 8AM CLASS! Okay, that's all I'll allow myself to rant. Dorms suck sometimes, people are so poopin loud! Oh well, at least tomorrow(today) is Friday and I can nap for a longggg time after class. Or just go to bed early hahah.

I've been thinking a lot lately about Romans 7, where Paul talks about how he does what he doesn't want to do and doesn't do what he does want to do... super confusing! But it makes total sense when you think about it. Everyone can identify with knowing what's right and then doing the opposite. In fact, I would guess that for most people this sort of feeling happens on a daily basis. I know it does for me!

St. Augustine talked a lot about this in something of his I read recently. I'm not really sure what it's called (since I'm sitting in my bathroom and all), but it's in my Intro to Theology book. It's actually quite strange, because he's writing this long essay/book which clearly states that he believes in God and Jesus Christ, except he says that he's not a Christian yet. Interesting! Isn't that what most people mean when they say they're Christians? They mean that they believe in the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. St. Augustine believed, but yet he was unwilling to call himself a Christian.

You see, Augustine had a big problem in his life, an area that he wasn't quite ready to turn over to God. For many years, he had been living with a concubine, a woman he wasn't married to. He even had a child by her! Although he loved this woman very much, he knew it wasn't right to keep living with this woman while he waited to be officially married off. He just couldn't, however, give up the sex. He prayed "Lord, give me chastity and continence, but not yet."

Augustine struggled with exactly what Paul was talking about in Romans 7. He wrote a lot about it, referring to these two, conflicting wills inside of him:

"The enemy held fast my will, and had made of it a chain, and had bound me tight with it. For out of the perverse will came lust, and the service of lust ended in habit, and habit, not resisted, became necessity. By these links, as it were, forged together -- which is why I called it "a chain" -- a hard bondage held me in slavery. But that new will which had begun to spring up in me freely to worship thee and to enjoy thee, O my God, the only certain Joy, was not able as yet to overcome my former willfulness, made strong by long indulgence. Thus my two wills -- the old and the new, the carnal and the spiritual -- were in conflict within me; and by their discord they tore my soul apart."

Augustine absolutely FEELS the power that sin has in his life. He feels it and is living it so much that he is not even willing to call himself a Christian. Could you imagine if the only people who called themselves Christians were those who felt that they had truly surrendered all of their struggles to Christ? After all, Christian does mean "little Christ". I feel that we would have a lot fewer Christians in this world today.

Thank goodness for Jesus Christ, who died on the cross and defeated sin and death. Hallelujah! Without Christ, Augustine would never have been able to overcome this bondage. He would have been  trapped. Can you imagine living in the times of the Israelites? Where sin seemed to run the show? When looking at it this way, maybe the stories of whole cities gathering to rape travelers in the Old Testament don't seem as crazy. Just today I read the story of the levite and his concubine in Judges 19, how the concubine was brutally raped and left to die, and how the levite proceeded to cut up her body into 12 pieces and send them to the 12 tribes of Israel. Then how the rest of the tribes were so angry that they destroyed the city of Gibeah and all its inhabitants. Revenge to the max. Life before Jesus Christ.

But you might say, hey wait a minute. Sure, all this was going on back then, but have you seen our world today? Have you seen the hate, the war, the poverty, the sickness? Do you know that 27 million people are enslaved in this world today? That little girls - 8 years old 9 years old 10 years old - are raped 20 times a day for years and years and eventually die from disease and malnourishment? What about those girls? TELL ME how that's different from the concubine. Sin has not been defeated because I see it rampant on this earth.

Oh no no no. Wait a second! When I say Jesus died on the cross and defeated sin and death, I mean it. I mean he started it all, he started the sweet process of God joining Heaven to Earth! He flipped the tables in the temple because God no longer resides there! He resides in all of His followers - we ARE the temples, the living breathing walking moving loving temples, able to use the life giving Holy Spirit inside of us to create new temples all around the world, until that sweet day when the entire Earth is made new and Heaven and Earth are one, when it will ALL be a temple. Yes, there is injustice and hardship and hate and poverty and loneliness, children are neglected and starving and the homeless cry out from the streets, but through the Holy Sprit in us we are reclaimers! We are reclaiming this world in the name of the Lord, He is using US to bring His kingdom to earth. I don't know why, but He is! Let's not complain about injustice, but instead work to solve it. We truly ARE the hand's and feet of God! Jesus HAS defeated sin and death and ushered in a new era of hope and love, peace and joy, an era where we are FREE from the bondage of sin and are called to free others from their mortal chains! The evil one has no idea what's coming - he may think he still has a chance, trying to reclaim territory on this earth, but he sure doesn't!!!!!! We are free we are free we are free we are free and God will WIN! Let's use the power of God to CHOOSE to do what we know is right and what we know He is calling us to do, let us lead lives that are worthy of the name Christian! I pray the Lord would help us all to escape from what is holding us back in order to realize our true freedom in Christ and FREE OTHERS! Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty we are free at last!

Amen.