Lately, I've been meditating on (and now I'm working on memorizing)1 Peter 3:3,4...
3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.
And then listening to the Bible this afternoon, I discovered this passage to add to my thoughts (2 Peter1:5-7)...
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In my little bit of studying the first passage, I discovered something rather fascinating... the word adornment is, literally in Greek the word kosmos, ie, world. I find this helpful to know as I tended to skip over this passage because, to be honest, I'm not always very good about caring about how I look. (!) And so I never really thought about how it could apply to me. But, if you apply this to your whole "world" or what you hold important to you, than that makes it much easier to apply!
I also used to read this passage and think "a gentle and quiet spirt?!, how boring does that sound?" I know, so bad, right? But, I'm learning that when one has a gentle and quiet spirit, it doesn't mean you can't still have fun and laugh loud, it means that it's actually much easier to do those things. Because if your spirit is right with God, then you are not weighed down with the cares of the world. And that's a lot more fun!
As for the second passage, I haven't mediated on it a lot yet, but I feel like as of late, the standard variety of temptations/trials I used to face are fading away - of course, maybe this is just asking for them to come back... or at least until I've forgotten the lessons I've learned, right? ;) And now as of late, I am beginning to discover another bouquet of trials that require the learning of more lessons. Oh, thank God for variety!
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
The Simple Life. (Part One)
Lately, I have come to realize that I don't believe in choosing to live "the simple life".Which, considering the amount of blogs I see out there about living the simple life, or about choosing simplicity, this may be somewhat of a shocker statement to put on a blog. But let me explain...
Now, granted, if you live a life where a) you're never at home and b) you have tchotchkes lining your shelves like can-can dancers, you might need to simplify your life some.
But, my worries are, that all too often living the simple life, means living the selfish life. The question is, does living the simple life equal living the Godly life?
I doubt it.
Also, I worry that there are wonderful women out there, feeling guilty that they are not living up to someone else's standard of the perfect life, the simple life.
I think the magazine, Real Simple, with the motto, "life made easier" pretty much sums it up. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for reducing repetitive tasks or finding clever solutions. And I like anything that involves efficiency and effectiveness. Although, much to my own sinful dismay at times, I've noticed that God isn't a huge fan of efficiency. But, life made easier, isn't what it's all about.
Looking at these terms personally leaves me with no desire to simple. In fact, it makes me want to be pretty much the opposite.
In the Bible, no where does God call us to simplify our lives. Nor does he call us to be simple. Usually, women in the Bible have lives that are just the opposite. Most gals in the Bible are, gasp, rich. That's right rich. And that wasn't in opposition to being Godly! I've been reading through Acts lately, and I'm amazed how often Paul visits a city and the prominent women of the city are mentioned.
These women in the Bible had anything but simple lives,yet they were considered Godly. In fact they had undoubtedly had way more complicated lives than most people living in America. They had servants. And if there's one thing that makes life complicated and that requires wisdom, it's people.
Simple & easy isn't what the Christian life is. Simple and easy does not force us to cry out to God for help. In fact, often he calls us to the opposite in our lives. The people I admire the most have usually had great hardships that have had to overcome. And what classic literature is about the hero decluttering his closet?* Classic literature is all about hard and complicated situations.
Instead of Simple & Easy, God often gives us Complicated and Hard. Because Complication in our life brings wisdom. Hardness brings perseverance. Both bring growth and depth to our life. And dependence on God. Often it seems like you've just mounted one hurdle and then God brings another need, another person, another problem into our life. Should we run away from these, because they'll ruin our Simple Life? Our family often says "Life is Tough and then you die." And while we say it with half a smile, there is a great amount of truth to that. Life is tough, and that's okay. Praise the Lord.
Are people going to remember you for having the time to do everything that was important for "you" or
are they going to remember you for having the time to do everything that was important for others?
What story are you leaving behind?
*Yes, yes, there is balance in managing our possessions wisely. More later...
Now, granted, if you live a life where a) you're never at home and b) you have tchotchkes lining your shelves like can-can dancers, you might need to simplify your life some.
But, my worries are, that all too often living the simple life, means living the selfish life. The question is, does living the simple life equal living the Godly life?
I doubt it.
Also, I worry that there are wonderful women out there, feeling guilty that they are not living up to someone else's standard of the perfect life, the simple life.
I think the magazine, Real Simple, with the motto, "life made easier" pretty much sums it up. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for reducing repetitive tasks or finding clever solutions. And I like anything that involves efficiency and effectiveness. Although, much to my own sinful dismay at times, I've noticed that God isn't a huge fan of efficiency. But, life made easier, isn't what it's all about.
 |
| Kitties complicate life. |
Another beef I have with this movement is the word "simple", itself. Look it up in a dictionary. It isn't exactly a compliment. Or you can read the definitions below from Merriam-Webster...
1: free from guile : innocent
2a : free from vanity : modest b : free from ostentation or display <a simple outfit>
3: of humble origin or modest position <a simple farmer>
5a : sheer, unmixed <simple honesty> b : free of secondary complications <a simple vitamin deficiency> c (1) : having only one main clause and no subordinate clauses <a simple sentence> (2) of a subject or predicate : having no modifiers, complements, or objects d : constituting a basic element : fundamental e : not made up of many like units <a simple eye>
6: free from elaboration or figuration <simple harmony>
Looking at these terms personally leaves me with no desire to simple. In fact, it makes me want to be pretty much the opposite.
In the Bible, no where does God call us to simplify our lives. Nor does he call us to be simple. Usually, women in the Bible have lives that are just the opposite. Most gals in the Bible are, gasp, rich. That's right rich. And that wasn't in opposition to being Godly! I've been reading through Acts lately, and I'm amazed how often Paul visits a city and the prominent women of the city are mentioned.
These women in the Bible had anything but simple lives,yet they were considered Godly. In fact they had undoubtedly had way more complicated lives than most people living in America. They had servants. And if there's one thing that makes life complicated and that requires wisdom, it's people.
 |
| And so do brothers who play with your camera and take pictures of kitties. |
Simple & easy isn't what the Christian life is. Simple and easy does not force us to cry out to God for help. In fact, often he calls us to the opposite in our lives. The people I admire the most have usually had great hardships that have had to overcome. And what classic literature is about the hero decluttering his closet?* Classic literature is all about hard and complicated situations.
Instead of Simple & Easy, God often gives us Complicated and Hard. Because Complication in our life brings wisdom. Hardness brings perseverance. Both bring growth and depth to our life. And dependence on God. Often it seems like you've just mounted one hurdle and then God brings another need, another person, another problem into our life. Should we run away from these, because they'll ruin our Simple Life? Our family often says "Life is Tough and then you die." And while we say it with half a smile, there is a great amount of truth to that. Life is tough, and that's okay. Praise the Lord.
Are people going to remember you for having the time to do everything that was important for "you" or
are they going to remember you for having the time to do everything that was important for others?
What story are you leaving behind?
*Yes, yes, there is balance in managing our possessions wisely. More later...
Saturday, September 10, 2011
The moors and the theology of writing stories
Over the past week, I've been working on adding a little blog roll page...and I think I'm done for the moment, so it's up! I have a feeling I'll be tweaking it...
I haven't been able to bring myself to add blogs of people I know. Maybe I'll add a separate section? I don't know, it just seems a little creepy to publicly link to people you know on the internet... of course, is it less creepy to link to people you don't know? So maybe my thinking is backwards...
One blog I enjoy is Attic 24. It's crafty/yarny blog, plus she lives in England. I love international blogs that give you a glimpse into another world. I especially enjoyed one of her latest posts that featured pictures of the moor. I grew up reading Famous Five books (about four kids and a dog in England) that often featured adventures on the moor, so I love seeing pictures of it. Just beautiful.
Another one, Conversion Diary, just had a fantastic article on leading a purposeful life. I feel like I've been seeing a lot of internet buzz along this line, but this post really spoke to me. I had just read recently about the rule of only using dialogue in a story if it moves the story line forward, but hadn't thought about applying it to my life until I read this post.... So what's your story and what's your dialogue?
Also, talking about story writing... While reading Poe, which is written in the first person, I was stuck by the fact that I never seem to read books written in the first person. Twilight was the only book that I could remember reading that stands out in my mind as being written from the 1st person, and it seems like that's becoming really common, whereas formally most books were written in the 3rd person. Or maybe I'm just really unobservant about these things?
If my observation is true though, it makes me wonder about the theology of writing books. In writing narrated by a third person, with the focus being on a) the story and b) the creator, does this style imitate reality? That we, too, are characters in a story which we are not writing?
It seems like writing in the first person ultimately points to humanism.. Everything in the book revolves around them... they are the center. Which with the decline of Christianity in our country, could explain a movement towards writing in the first person.
Of course, blogs are mostly written in the first person....eeks. So um, never mind, right?
Or it made me wonder if most books (especially older) books were written in the 3rd person so it was much more natural to read it out loud? I dunno!
I haven't been able to bring myself to add blogs of people I know. Maybe I'll add a separate section? I don't know, it just seems a little creepy to publicly link to people you know on the internet... of course, is it less creepy to link to people you don't know? So maybe my thinking is backwards...
One blog I enjoy is Attic 24. It's crafty/yarny blog, plus she lives in England. I love international blogs that give you a glimpse into another world. I especially enjoyed one of her latest posts that featured pictures of the moor. I grew up reading Famous Five books (about four kids and a dog in England) that often featured adventures on the moor, so I love seeing pictures of it. Just beautiful.
Another one, Conversion Diary, just had a fantastic article on leading a purposeful life. I feel like I've been seeing a lot of internet buzz along this line, but this post really spoke to me. I had just read recently about the rule of only using dialogue in a story if it moves the story line forward, but hadn't thought about applying it to my life until I read this post.... So what's your story and what's your dialogue?
Also, talking about story writing... While reading Poe, which is written in the first person, I was stuck by the fact that I never seem to read books written in the first person. Twilight was the only book that I could remember reading that stands out in my mind as being written from the 1st person, and it seems like that's becoming really common, whereas formally most books were written in the 3rd person. Or maybe I'm just really unobservant about these things?
If my observation is true though, it makes me wonder about the theology of writing books. In writing narrated by a third person, with the focus being on a) the story and b) the creator, does this style imitate reality? That we, too, are characters in a story which we are not writing?
It seems like writing in the first person ultimately points to humanism.. Everything in the book revolves around them... they are the center. Which with the decline of Christianity in our country, could explain a movement towards writing in the first person.
Of course, blogs are mostly written in the first person....eeks. So um, never mind, right?
Or it made me wonder if most books (especially older) books were written in the 3rd person so it was much more natural to read it out loud? I dunno!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Why I like airports (imaginitive title, hunh?)
I like airports. For the most part that is. It probably helps that so far (Lord be praised) I really haven't had a bad experience in one. Maybe if I had to spend a week in a strange land in a strange airport in strange weather I wouldn't like them, but so far that hasn't happened, and I'm praying it never does.
But back to the main subject. I like airports and I've been thinking about why.
I think first off, I love the feeling of anticipation and excitement you get at an airport. If I'm going to go and pick someone up then I'm excited to see them.If they are here for a visit than I am full of anticipation for a wonderful time. If I'm going somewhere, than the excitement is self-explanatory and there's a quiet nervousness/anticipation of setting off into the unknown. And if I'm dropping someone off, well, that can be a little disappointing, but even then I am either a) excited for them b) have fond memories of our visits, or at the very least a little part of me thinks "If I really wanted too, I could just pick a flight and be off!" It provides options and I like options. And day dreaming.
Airports are also fantastic for people watching. And I like to people watch. One time Scott and I stood along the main througoughfare and counted how many people crossed in front of us at the Chicago O'Hare airport. I don't remember, but I think it was around 100 people in a couple of minutes. It was amazing.
It's also fanastic for people watching when you are waiting inside for someone to arrive. Slowly you see who's waiting for whom, see the excitement when they meet and then off they go happy and content.
Airports are also wonderful for running into completely random people that you know from somewhere else. It hasn't happened often, but it's still cool to think about how God must have orchestrated it. My friend Rebekah is visiting this weekend and ended up flying with a friend. Neither one realized that the other was heading to Portland this weekend.
Airports (on layovers) also give you a teeny sample of whatever state you are passing through. I've always wished that airports had an observation tower so you could climb up and see what the city/country looks like...especially if the weather's cloudy when you fly in, but I'm guessing that will never happen. You also get to see different restaurants (well, sometimes) and different peoples.
One time when Mom and I were flying out of San Jose, the sewer truck backed up and bumped the airplane. Everyone had to unload while we waited for an engineer from Oakland to inspect the airplane and make sure that it was okay. We played card games the whole time. I'm thinking it was during rush hour so of course it took forever for the engineer to arrive.
I also love the Portland airport. I haven't done tons of traveling, but so far it's still my favorite airport. It's international, but not too big. It's modern, but it doesn't try to hard. Also, there always improving it, trying new things. There's also an amazing view of the runways, Mount Hood and the river from the top of the parking structure. We almost always park up there and spend a few minutes watching planes take off and land.
We also once got a tour of the outside of the airport. That was pretty cool. Mom had flown in from California and she called me and told me to park the car. I did, and then brought in whatever boys I had with me. We then found out that the airport was having a special public relations day and they were offering free tours of the grounds. We all got in a bus with just one other person and the tour guide (who turned out to be an exec) and got driven all round. It was Awesome. That was the first time they had offered something like that, and as far as I know, the last time. So it was pretty special. I hope they do it again sometime and that we actually hear about it.
So the original picture is from picking up Rebekah on Thursday. She's visiting from Spokane this weekend and it's been loads of fun. We were supposed to have some girl time this evening, but as soon as we sat down, a certain someone called and it's now been an hour and she's still talking. Imagine that. I think I'm going to have to go kick her off! I want to go to bed. Ha!
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