Saturday, June 05, 2004
Political Mish Mash
Okay, so I don't know what it is specifically, but lately the politics news have really creeped me out. I think it's because I have created the habit of checking the CNN.com page in the past couple of weeks, and everything seems faulty. Why were there Army Officials who didn't say they were sorry about the abuse in the prisons, who actually came off like they were defending those who were guilty? Why did the CIA guy just quit, 3 mos. before the election? I try not to think about these things too much, but they're really getting under my skin.
Thursday, June 03, 2004
Summer Reading
Now that I'm out of school (for a while) I'd like to remind myself of the freedom I have to read what I want and write what I want...
It's funny when "summer reading" becomes "well, if i don't finish it by the fall I can read it then!"
Not bad, people. Not bad.
It's funny when "summer reading" becomes "well, if i don't finish it by the fall I can read it then!"
Not bad, people. Not bad.
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
More Romans
I have been reading Romans, obviously, and I read chapter 14 today. It was so good that I decided to post it, because I think this subject is something God has been teaching me about since I'vebeen following Him.
CHAPTER 14:
"1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. "
I love how Paul calls vegetarians weak! Hahaha. I actually think that word is used because of some word translation problems... or maybe he just thought that it took more faith to eat a steak. It's funny that there's a part in the Bible that instructs how christians should treat vegetarians (and vegans...) But I love that line, "Who are you to judge someone else's servent?" If one man feels called to sacrifice something, be it rated R movies or pork chops, we are not to judge them. This was good for me to read, because I often shake my head at Christians who are always sacrificing things--shutting the world out, I call it.
"5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. "
That last verse here is priceless. If only we could live like that. WHETHER WE LIVE OR DIE, WE BELONG TO THE LORD.
"9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.
11It is written:
" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' "[1]
12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. 14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food[2] is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. 16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. "
DO NOT BY YOUR EATING DESTROY YOUR BROTHER FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED. Don't get nit-picky! We need to hear this constantly, I think. If only we'd all stop wasting our time on issues that didn't matter--can you imagine how unified the Church would be?
"19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. 22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin. "
Keep your opinions between yourself and God. I think that's pretty damn good advice--though, that is my opinion... I love that idea though, that we should not "Condemn ourselves by what we approve." Way to go, Paul.
CHAPTER 14:
"1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. "
I love how Paul calls vegetarians weak! Hahaha. I actually think that word is used because of some word translation problems... or maybe he just thought that it took more faith to eat a steak. It's funny that there's a part in the Bible that instructs how christians should treat vegetarians (and vegans...) But I love that line, "Who are you to judge someone else's servent?" If one man feels called to sacrifice something, be it rated R movies or pork chops, we are not to judge them. This was good for me to read, because I often shake my head at Christians who are always sacrificing things--shutting the world out, I call it.
"5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. "
That last verse here is priceless. If only we could live like that. WHETHER WE LIVE OR DIE, WE BELONG TO THE LORD.
"9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.
11It is written:
" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' "[1]
12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. 14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food[2] is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. 16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. "
DO NOT BY YOUR EATING DESTROY YOUR BROTHER FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED. Don't get nit-picky! We need to hear this constantly, I think. If only we'd all stop wasting our time on issues that didn't matter--can you imagine how unified the Church would be?
"19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. 22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin. "
Keep your opinions between yourself and God. I think that's pretty damn good advice--though, that is my opinion... I love that idea though, that we should not "Condemn ourselves by what we approve." Way to go, Paul.
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Renewing the Mind
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
~Paul (Letter to the Romans, Chapter 12, verse 2)
I've been thinking about this verse a lot lately. In my search for my future (that's what I think I'll call my scraping around for direction) this seems to me the only answer that gives me peace. My thoughts are slowing me down, causing me to waste time by complaining and having regret about things that just can't be helped at this point. My mind needs transformation.
This thought is one of the many rivers that flows into the ocean of following Jesus. Another important one is listening to his voice. But to listen we need to seek Him. We seek Him by calling out to Him. To hear Him we need to stay near Him. We stay near Him by obeying His Word.
Jesus promises us that if we seek His kingdom first, everything else will figure itself out. He'll take care of what brings us anxiety if we focus on Him and put Him first. None of this is possible until we examine who we are, what we're thinking about, and ask Him for renewal.
"You are my peace of mind, that old me is left behind"
~Lauryn Hill
~Paul (Letter to the Romans, Chapter 12, verse 2)
I've been thinking about this verse a lot lately. In my search for my future (that's what I think I'll call my scraping around for direction) this seems to me the only answer that gives me peace. My thoughts are slowing me down, causing me to waste time by complaining and having regret about things that just can't be helped at this point. My mind needs transformation.
This thought is one of the many rivers that flows into the ocean of following Jesus. Another important one is listening to his voice. But to listen we need to seek Him. We seek Him by calling out to Him. To hear Him we need to stay near Him. We stay near Him by obeying His Word.
Jesus promises us that if we seek His kingdom first, everything else will figure itself out. He'll take care of what brings us anxiety if we focus on Him and put Him first. None of this is possible until we examine who we are, what we're thinking about, and ask Him for renewal.
"You are my peace of mind, that old me is left behind"
~Lauryn Hill
Monday, May 31, 2004
Wild Obnoxious Behavior
put a theater major and a voice major together and you will get annoyance at high decibals.
I've been hanging around Ian Trevethan lately, and let me just say that my behavior level has gone down three notches. Ian's really into Miss McNeely stories lately, especially the ones about Beowulf, and so he likes to scream BEOwulf! at the top of his lungs at work when there are no customer's around. Hilarious, people--funnier than Hugo and his cucumbers. Anyway, so after work, at 1am, we rode around Ann Arbor and screamed at people from his car windows. What did we scream? "Hey, Grendel!" "Beowulf!" "Ecgetheow!" "Beaver!"
Pioneer HS had just gotten out of their prom, so we also yelled "Prom!"
Obviously, the reactions from these people are the best part of acting a fool. Some people would just give us looks, like, "did you say something to me?" But sometimes people, almost always males, would scream back something like "yeah!!" thinking we had said something like "Go Blue!" But no. We were saying "Grendel!"
I've been hanging around Ian Trevethan lately, and let me just say that my behavior level has gone down three notches. Ian's really into Miss McNeely stories lately, especially the ones about Beowulf, and so he likes to scream BEOwulf! at the top of his lungs at work when there are no customer's around. Hilarious, people--funnier than Hugo and his cucumbers. Anyway, so after work, at 1am, we rode around Ann Arbor and screamed at people from his car windows. What did we scream? "Hey, Grendel!" "Beowulf!" "Ecgetheow!" "Beaver!"
Pioneer HS had just gotten out of their prom, so we also yelled "Prom!"
Obviously, the reactions from these people are the best part of acting a fool. Some people would just give us looks, like, "did you say something to me?" But sometimes people, almost always males, would scream back something like "yeah!!" thinking we had said something like "Go Blue!" But no. We were saying "Grendel!"
Sunday, May 30, 2004
Posts and Comments
Sorry, I didn't check the settings very well for the new blog. Apparently, I had it so you had to be registered to comment.
Not so anymore.
Not so anymore.
Fritos
I need to put this story down.
So, I was working at the pit, and this lady came in with this big paper bag full of groceries. She kind of wobbled in, stumbled in, and she was eating Fritos; when she spoke to me, Fritos poured from her lips and were bunched between her teeth. She ordered a half jerk chicken, regular french fries and some coleslaw. Is that how you spell coleslaw? We just write "slaw". Anyway, when I came back up to her (she was in the upstairs porion of our restaurant and the kitchen is downstairs) she was ripping away at a salad she had in her grocery bag. She dropped an empty Fritos bag and told me that she wanted Fritos. I told her we didn't sell those but she could buy them at the diag party store. And then she walked out of the door.
My boss was pretty annoyed that I hadn't had her pay right away, but oh well. Ian and I got a free dinner.
So, I was working at the pit, and this lady came in with this big paper bag full of groceries. She kind of wobbled in, stumbled in, and she was eating Fritos; when she spoke to me, Fritos poured from her lips and were bunched between her teeth. She ordered a half jerk chicken, regular french fries and some coleslaw. Is that how you spell coleslaw? We just write "slaw". Anyway, when I came back up to her (she was in the upstairs porion of our restaurant and the kitchen is downstairs) she was ripping away at a salad she had in her grocery bag. She dropped an empty Fritos bag and told me that she wanted Fritos. I told her we didn't sell those but she could buy them at the diag party store. And then she walked out of the door.
My boss was pretty annoyed that I hadn't had her pay right away, but oh well. Ian and I got a free dinner.
