Thoughts on the Sermon on the Mount

I found this blog post on Jason Upton's website (Upton is one of my favorite worship leaders). This was written by Eberhardt Arnold.

How do we respond to the Sermon on the Mount? The Sermon on the Mount is
the first step on the way of discipleship, and it is of decisive importance to
me that our church consider this deeply. If we grasp the Sermon on the
Mount and believe it, then nothing can frighten us - neither our own
self-recognition, nor financial threats, nor our personal weakness.
The
dedication demanded in the Sermon on the Mount is not a new law or moral
teaching. Instead it is forgiveness. Its vital element is the light
and warmth of the Holy Spirit. Here is Christ: the essence of salt, and
the strength of the tree that bears good fruit. The Sermon on the Mount
shows us the character of a community, which shines like a light for the whole
world.
The Sermon on the Mount is not a high-tension moralism, but we must
grasp it as the revelation of God's real power in human life. If we take
our surrender to God seriously and allow him to enter our lives as light, as the
only energy which makes new life possible, then we will be able to live the new
life.

To read more visit this link

Let Every Heart

I am counting down the days to Graduation and my wedding. Everyone says and knows that this semester is going to go fast and yet we are still surprised that, in fact, it is. This is a interesting time in my life, a strange and significant time where their is a natural tension between making decisions and waiting.

This last week in my alone time and time with God, this theme that had been recurring in my mind was finally made clear. For some time this theme was just lingering there, kind of like background music. This theme is "Prepare Him Room".

I know it is not longer advent season, but somehow the words "Let every heart prepare him room" seem to resonate with me. I guess I'm in some sort of advent season. It's a time of waiting that is not empty or static, but is filled with hope and is preparatory. I know that somehow there is a change coming in my relationship with God. I feel that the answer to my often frenzied schedule and desire to somehow be less busy (a.k.a in charge) is going to be answered. I know it may look different than I expect, but I know that advent means that Christ is coming.

After long years of praying, serving, leading, and letting those things run me down instead of filling me up, I desire to be closer to God and I know I need it. I really want Christ to be the center of my life. I have let other things grab my attention and keep it. I have taken on responsibilities that may be good but not the best fit for me. I have let my own pride and zeal, along with things I really do enjoy, call the shots of what I am involved in.

So here I am. Tired. Ready to move on. Needing some time to reflect and be restored. And I feel called to "prepare him room". I don't know exactly what that will look like. I guess I'll be trying to listen to God and act boldly as I hash that out with Him. But I'm also really encouraged. God will bring me to that most necessary place of rest, 'shalom', and restored relationship with Him.

YES!

Do you ever read something and you feel like your heart leaps up and shouts, "Yes!"? Well, this hit me that way:

God loved you before you were born, and God will love you after you die. In Scripture God says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love." This is a very fundamental truth of your identity. This is who you are whether you feel it or not. You belong to God from eternity to eternity. Life is just a little opportunity for you during a few years to say, "I love you, too."

If you dare to believe that you are beloved before you are born, you may suddenly realize that your life is very, very special. You become conscious that you were sent here just for a short time, for twenty, forty, or eighty years, to discover and believe that you are a beloved child of God. The length of time does not matter. You are sent into this world to believe in yourself as God's chose one and then to help your brothers and sisters know that they also are beloved sons and daughters of God who belong together. You're sent into this world to be a people of reconciliation. You are sent to heal, to break down the walls between you and your neighbors, locally, nationally, and globally. Before all the distinctions, the separations, and the walls built on foundations of fear, there was unity in the mind and heart of God. Out of that unity, you are sent into this world for a little while to claim that you and every other human being belongs to that same God of Love who lives from eternity to eternity.

Henri Nouwen. Finding my Way Home:Pathways to Life and the Spirit. pg 129-130. Crossroad Publishing Company.

Be informed

I get to vote this year and am trying to make the most of it. I'm still seeking out information on candidates and I strongly encourage you to do the same.

Check out these websites for more information:

www.glassbooth.org- Take quizes to find out which candidates you agree/disagree with and why.

www.rockthevote.com

St. Bernard of Clarivaux

Was an interesting cat. Right now (literally. I am 'taking a break' from my paper) I am writing a paper about his theological contributions. Here are a few quotes from him that I found particularly beautiful or interesting:

"I ask no further pledge of righteousness if he is one my side whom alone I have offended. If he decrees that a sin is not to be imputed to me, it is as if it never existed."

"You will not pray aright, if in your prayrs you seek anything but the Word, or seek him for the sake of anything but the Word; for in him are all things. In him is healing for your wounds, help in your need, resotration for your faults, resources for your further growth; in him is all that men should ask or desire, all they need, all that will profit them. There is no reason therefore to ask anything else of the Word, for he is all."

"Although the creature loves less, being a lesser being, yet if it loves with its whole heart nothing is lacking, for it has given all."

I heart adoption

The concept of adoption can be tricky to grasp sometimes. For me, it was always a natural knowledge of my adoption and my parents love for me. However, there are times when I tell people I'm adopted and their reaction is usually :
1.) What? No way!
2.) The look that almost says, "Wow. I'm so sorry." (surely some images of orphans comes up in their minds)
and
3.) Barrage of questions regarding my adoption.
If it weren't for some good books to help straighten us out, our society would still have a weird look regarding adoption. Just kidding about that last part. In reality, adoption is seen more as a last resort for couples that cannot conceive. However, that is starting to shift, especially in the church. That makes me excited! My outlook on abortion and adoption has changed significantly in the last few years.
I grew up in a fairly liberal home and remember the family getting excited about bumper stickers that said, "Keep your laws off my body" and the like. Though my parents clearly supported adoption(my sister and I are both adopted) they also were (and still are) pro-choice, something that confused me, especially as a teen. It was natural for me to follow my parents lead and I considered myself pro-choice from a young age. That started to change after I became a Christian, went to a high-school that became the safe-haven for pregnant teens from the large city 30 miles away, and started to pray about these issues. I'm coming out of the liberal closet and letting you know I am pro-life (some people don't know that).
Before you get your panties in a bunch I want to explain some of my beliefs concerning adoption and abortion and why. I am not going to try argue the old arguments of "When does life begin?".

1.) Pro-life for all ages If you are going to be pro-life that includes babies as well as murderers. If you shouldn't have the choice to abort then you shouldn't have the choice to kill adults either. Pro-life means being anti-death penalty. I hope that you agree.

2.) A Culture of Life-If we want an end to abortion we need to cultivate, encourage, and participate in a culture of life now. It seems that a lot of people are upset with Christians who picket against abortion because they seem so apathetic towards the actual people dealing with these decisions and situations. If we want make abortion illegal or limit it through legislation we need to support adoption agencies, homes for teen-mothers, and the women in our everyday lives (tithing? Just a suggestion). We as the Church especially need to set the example of taking care of these women and children. We who have experienced the adoption into God's family( look here and here) can and should be the first to adopt and support this act of love and mercy. That means support families that are adopting and even adopting children into our own families.

3.) No child is illegitimate to God- I really hate this term' illegitimate' that our society uses for children born out of wedlock. In reality the word is defined as being born out of wed lock or illegal and unlawful. However, the unsaid meaning of this word can mean something as no good, worthless, or unwanted. No person is any of these things to God. He delights in His creation, "Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind." Proverbs 8:30.
With that being said, that doesn't mean that God delights in sin. I think that's pretty clear. Henri Nouwen says it best ,
"We often confuse unconditional love with unconditional approval. God loves us without conditions but does not approve of every human behavior. God doesn’t approve of betrayal, violence, hatred, suspicion, and all other expressions of evil, because they all contradict the love God wants to instill in the human heart. Evil is the absence of God’s love." -Bread For the Journey, 1996
4.) Judgment=death- "Wow! That is quite a bold statement", you might be thinking. Well, let me explain. From personal experiences I have see first hand the judgment upon those who have had a child out of wedlock. Sadly, I saw this mostly within the Church. While many were supportive of these people, many were not secretive with their opinions at all. At one point I had announced the birth of their child and asked for prayer as the baby was still in bad shape at the hospital. I think the prayer request was lost as they reeled in shock and objection of the situation. It was at that moment while I was sitting in my church pew, disappointed with the congregation that had shown a lot of love to me, that I realized how much I did the same thing.

As I said before, our high school became a haven for pregnant teen mothers who need a place to live out their pregnancy without friends knowing about it. I judged those girls harshly, thinking, "How could they be so stupid!" I realized that I should have been supporting these girls in their decision to keep their child or give it up for adoption. It dawned on me that it was judgments like this, attitudes like this, actions like this, that motivates women to abort their children. We as a society and as the Church so harshly condemn them, showing no grace, that out of shame, fear of rejection and humiliation these women feel like abortion is the only choice. (I know that there are special situations, but I think this is the majority of cases, especially among teens.) Once when I was talking with a pro-choicer they said, "Nobody, wants babies to die." True. So why don't we do something?

That being said, being pro-life is more that waving picket signs, protesting, bombing abortion clinics. In fact, I think it is none of those things. Being pro-life outwardly may look like supporting adoption agencies or people who are adopting, or helping mothers who choose not to abort. But mainly, being pro-life is an attitude and overflow of the heart. We can look as pro-life as possible on the outside even while our hearts are filled with judgment, indifference, and a lack of compassion. We need to examine our own hearts for "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" John 3:17 (we usually stop at 16. It's time to move on)

Sidenote: another great post about adoption:Finding Intercession in the Craziest Places by Randy Bohlender

Things to get stuck on

Lately when I have been studying the Bible (sadly, this often gets pushed aside when my schedule gets crazy) there have been some things that I've gotten stuck on.
I think sometimes as Christians, or looking at Christians, there seems to be this unsaid rule that one should automatically understand scripture right as they read it and then be able to apply it immediately. Though the Holy Spirit definitely helps us understand the scriptures and give us revelation (sometimes, right away), I think it is good to be stuck sometimes. It is good to be frustrated, to really wrestle with a passage, to let it sink into your mind and bug you. It is good to read the Bible and be uncomfortable. Maybe it's uncomfortable because it seems to simple or because the wording just throws you off. Maybe it's uncomfortable because you know that you don't follow it, you fail when you try, and then you know you need help.
Here are a few things that I have been stuck on lately:

The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:29)
It feels better just to skim it and move on, but it's worth it to read it, want it, try it, fall short, ask for help and repeat over and over.
Here's an excerpt from my journal:

"The Sermon on the Mount is an unashamed challenge to the human heart. It challenges our stubborn selfishness and challenges us to reach towards the beauty, freedom, and wholeness we've always desired but never thought we could have."

One of my Religion and Philosophy/Christan Ministry professors said something regarding the Sermon on the Mount and it's message that struck me:
"The law says, "This is what I expect." Grace says, "I accept you anyway."-Dr. Craig Smith.

Something else I stumbled across today which resulted in some cognitive dissonance was John 12:44-50:
And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me.
"He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me.
"I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.
"If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
"He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.
"For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.
"I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me."

This makes sense, but I'm still wrestling with it, in particular, how it effects John 13:1-20, when Jesus washes the disciples' feet. It is good to take things in context. Any good exegete will tell you that.

So I say to you, any readers of this blog, when/if you read the word-let it bother you. Don't feel guilty if you don't get it right away (even if it takes years). Keep wrestling. Keep letting it bother you. Mostly, keep asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom, revelation, and discernment.

More on time management

Again, I am linking this post from Shawn Blanc's website www.thefightspot.com .
Read this if you are interested in finding a healthy balance managing you life in God, school, work, family, and friends, and all the rest.

3.5 Steps to Re-Asses Your Schedule.

Trusting God with Judgment

This is something I wrote a long time ago and I opened it up today and thought, "Hey, that's not bad." I might expound on it more later but I'll just publish it as it is today.

Judgment is a word our culture doesn’t like to hear except maybe in the context of a courtroom drama. Ideas like a harsh judge, an angry parent, or an angry God may come into our minds when we try to understand judgment. A lot of our ideas of judgment come from our misinterpretations and misunderstandings of the Old Testament ideas of judgment. Many times we see ourselves as the ones at the end of God’s wrath and thus shy away from this concept.

First, I want to discuss this idea of being objects of wrath. The Bible says that “God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses wrath everyday” (Psalm 7:11. NIV), so yes, it is something we need to understand. What we commonly misunderstand is who God’s wrath is against. God is a judge but he is also our advocate. God hates anything that gets in our way of getting to Him. God desires to strip away those things in the world and in our lives that block us from Him. God does judge our sin, but it is more out of desire to free us from sin than to condemn us for it.
Ephesians 2:3-5, says,
“All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying our sinful nature and following judge, desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”
It’s clear that though we were objects of wrath, Jesus had covered our sins. Therefore, we can look at Jesus as our advocate and ask him to judge areas in our lives that are keeping us from the fullness of knowing God and bring them into alignment with His word and heart.

Our idea of God also influences the way we view judgment. If we do view God as anything less than He is, basically anything human, than we reduce his obligation and desire to judge. If God is righteous, loving, holy, and is good then He must judge. If He is righteous He will not stand that which is sinful. If He loves He will not allow the world to be consumed and ravaged by sin and the suffering that accompanies it. If He is holy He will not stand for that which profanes the good things He has created. Judgment is necessary for restoration and reconciliation. If we do not believe that these things motivate all of God’s actions then we cannot trust him.

So why else can we trust God to judge? The answer is Jesus. Jesus is our judge. In Revelation 5, a search goes out to find one worthy to open the scrolls that will release God’s judgments on the earth. But no one was found worthy, not “in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look at it” (Rev. 5:3). Finally the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, Jesus, was found to be worthy. What makes Jesus worthy? Isaiah 53 provides an answer. Jesus the man knew our sorrows and suffering as well as taking upon himself our transgression and iniquities. Jesus suffered under the wrath of God and understands the depths of God’s judgments. Also, Jesus, the Son of God, knows better than anyone the heart of the father. He too, desires that none would perish, but would know God (2 Peter 3:9).

Think what would happen if we were responsible for judging our own or others wrong doing. When it comes to human nature the idea of Occum’s Razor applies here, “Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The one who is fully man and fully God is perfectly suited to unleash God’s judgments. He is the truth and can be trusted with the rod of justice.

God, time management, and college: Part 2

No one posted anything as a suggestion on the last post of a similar title, so I'm just going to go ahead with something I've been thinking about and trying to implement in my own life lately. These posts are mainly for my peers who have lately expressed frustration at trying to strike a balance in their college life and spiritual life.

Vision
The vision you have for your life, from what I hear, can really make or break your time-management attempts. Having a vision will help you evaluate in the hours, days, weeks, and months of your life what is really important. It will be the plumb line that evaluates if the walls of your life are being built straight and level. So how do we start? What principles do we need to know? What does it look like?

How do we start?
Pray- Ask God what His plan is for you. Ask this question often. Ask this question regarding the near and far future. What does God have for you this month? What does God have planned for you throughout college? What career/field are you called to? And, perhaps the most important question, "Where do I fit in eternity? What is my eternal purpose?" (note:some of these answers in their more general form can be found in the Bible. Thanks God!)
Evaluate- What are your likes/dislikes? What are you passionate about? What things are you drawn to? Survey your friends- What skills/talents/abilities do they notice in you? Where do you tend to spend your time?

What principles do we need to know?
There are various types of goals- It can often be easier to set goals for yourself in sections. It could be broken down into things like education, talents, time, career, relationships, financial, health, relationship with God. Mike Bickle of the International House of Prayer said, "Our commitments define us. Without something to die for there is nothing to live for. Getting a clear picture of who we can be can impact our lives. Do you have a vision, not for where your career, family, or schooling is going, but for your heart?" (paraphrase).
Perspective is important- Often times we can use goals as an evaluation of how we compare with others. That will lead to envy and that is never a fun place to be. When it comes to spiritual goals (especially) it is good to set goals that don't deal with things we can necessarily see. For example, some of my goals this year were as follows:

• I want to weep over the word because my heart is tender before the Lord
• I want to be known in the courts of heaven, not the courts of men.
• I want to be found faithful coming before God like Mary of Bethany; sitting before Jesus' feet to hear His word and voice.

What does it look like?
It probably looks more normal than you think. We don't go around noticing the people that really do manage their time well because they seem so normal. A balanced schedule( and therefore priorities) is just that: balanced. You don't have to spend your whole college career in Chapel, in prayer, and Bible Study 24/7. You don't have to move your dorm room into the library either. If you find yourself neglecting your school work and classes because you are spending so much time secluded in your prayer closet either try to adjust your schedule so you have time for school or move to a monastery/convent/24-7 prayer ministry (vice versa for spending too much time studying). After all, if you are in school it's probably because you felt called by God to be there and be a student.
Being faithful in the small things like homework, showing up, and being responsible can mean a lot to God. Believe it or not, being a student can be a ministry. Keep trying. Keep trying. Keep trying! God is faithful and wants you to succeed in this area of your life (note to self: heed your words)

Maybe there will be more to come later. Still accepting comments, personal stories/experience, and or any type of feedback at all. Don't be shy.

Prepare, Sow, Persevere, Reap

Galatians 6:7-9 and Hosea 10:12 are verses that God has really highlighted to me in the past few weeks and I also feel are important to Sterling College :

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Galatians 6:7-9

Sow with a view to righteousness,

Reap in accordance with kindness;

Break up your fallow ground,

For it is time to seek the LORD

Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.

Hosea 10:12

(fallow ground: land that has not been used for a period of time. So....expose and prepare those areas in your life that you have allowed to lie dormant to be used. This referred to Israel's idolatry so today's application could be to bring some hidden on ignored sin before God to seek forgiveness and restoration.)

Let us seek the Lord and sow in faith for things in our future, first exposing those areas that need some attention to God, expecting Him to rain upon them in righteousness.

This is the prayer of my heart: That God would prepare my heart by breaking up the hard ground, exposing and uprooting the weeds, and preparing it to receive His word, Spirit, and love, as well as help me to persevere in my side of tending to my garden.

The God of Restoration

I feel like this is a very important scripture to Sterling College right now. We need to know what God is planning. I feel like this is what is on His heart. In the places of death, God desires to bring life!

Isaiah 35
Joy of the Redeemed

1 The desert and the parched land will be glad;

the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.

Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom;

it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.

The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,

the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;

they will see the glory of the LORD,

the splendor of our God.
3 Strengthen the feeble hands,

steady the knees that give way;
4 say to those with fearful hearts,

"Be strong, do not fear;

your God will come,

he will come with vengeance;

with divine retribution

he will come to save you."
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened

and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,

and the mute tongue shout for joy.

Water will gush forth in the wilderness

and streams in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool,

the thirsty ground bubbling springs.

In the haunts where jackals once lay,

grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
8 And a highway will be there;

it will be called the Way of Holiness.

The unclean will not journey on it;

it will be for those who walk in that Way;

wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion will be there,

nor will any ferocious beast get up on it;

they will not be found there.

But only the redeemed will walk there,
10 and the ransomed of the LORD will return.

They will enter Zion with singing;

everlasting joy will crown their heads.

Gladness and joy will overtake them,

and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

I feel that right now we need to be doing what verse 3-4 talk about: strengthening and encouraging those who are weak and anxious. We need to prepare ourselves as well for this new season. I had this image in my mind of someone in front of Cooper (where the chapel is) and they were raking the ground. The ground was full of cracks and dry,dry dirt. Someone walked by and started mocking the person who was raking. However this encouraging came, "This is wisdom". It is wisdom to prepare in this way, even those places that look hopeless. It will soon be worth it to labor for things that look foolish now. Keep going! Keep praying! Keep fasting! Keep studying! Keep encouraging others!

Heed my (reposting of this guys) words, Sterling College

Hey Sterling College: A massive move of God is coming down the pike. We need to get ready. When it happens things are going to change. It's time for us to plant seeds in the Spirit and not in the flesh (Galatians 6:6-10).
That's why I felt that this article is especially important for what is about to explode:
Let me ask you something: Are you ready for revival?
I really respect the author's (Shawn Blanc) writing. He has a special commitment to write about things that are vital to a steady Christian walk in increasingly important times.
Here are some of my favorite snippets from this post:

"The seed of massive global revival is cracked, and the roots are beginning to sprout. You and I have an incredibly short time to get ready. You don’t know when the “suddenly of God” that is planned for your life will happen. All you know is that your time to get intimacy and personal relationship with God is getting shorter by the minute. Seriously."

"You have to plan ahead for meekness. You have to expect that hard times are coming. Promotion and demotion: They’re both hard to respond rightly to. Pride and bitterness both come from the same apple. Your hope to stay steady and be in love with Jesus after the dust settles is to plan ahead now; and you do that by asking God to help you. Asking Him to give you grace."

Please read, consider, and pray about the things considered in this article. It's about to get really, really important.

Death's Perspective

The other day I was hanging out with Jesus and discussing with Him what this current time in my life is all about. I asked Him whether or not I was headed into another long season where praying and reading the Word seemed boring and if I needed to prepare to press through. Or is this just a hard time of transition for me as I adjust to a new semester, new schedule, new staff that I'll be working under, etc? I wondered why I had to be in this place again, possibly for a long period of time, where I feel so weak and tired and busy and burdened and bad for not spending more time or getting more out of the time I spend. Why do I have to be in this place that is seemingly barren? And then I felt the Lord put this phrase in my head:
"It is only from the perspective of death that He speaks to me about life."
or in other words
"It is only from the place/perspective of death that we can understand life."

That made so much sense to me! Think of all the times where God lead His people into the desert or wilderness and then spoke to them. In Hosea 2, God tells Hosea to tell His prostitute wife (really check it out, it's a cool book in the Bible), a.k.a God is saying this to unfaithful Israel, "Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her." (Hosea 2:14)

It seems like those who are most afraid of death, talking about it, being around it, fearing their own death, are those who don't really know how to live. It is only when we examine and understand that this life really is just a breath, just a vapor, just a moment that we start to live.

So, even though I hate that place of barrenness and weakness I will embrace it, knowing that every time I say 'yes' to putting part of my own desires, dreams, thoughts, strength to death, God will truly bring life, and life to the fullest, to those things. God is the God of the resurrection and the life. I guess I'm ok with that.

(note to self: He is more committed to perfecting you, strengthening you, teaching you, loving you, etc. than you are. Remember that. God is faithful)

"He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. " -Jesus

Matthew 10:39

Let's not be afraid of death (to ourselves) or the pain of death any longer friends. Let's embrace it and find out what living is really all about.

Teeth and Self-esteem

I just found this article and thought it was really interesting. This is dedicated to all of you out there who have crooked teeth or think you do. Apparently it doesn't affect our overall happiness, so let's move on.

p.s. Isn't crooked a funny word? It seems like it should be spelt differently. hmm.

God, time management, and college

It is the normal person's response to react to the title of this post with a laugh indicative of unbelief that these three things could be effectively blended in a way that is, first of all, possible, secondly healthy, and thirdly useful.

Recently, as I have heard more and more of my peers desiring deeper relationships with God a simultaneous obstacle and question has emerged: "How the heck do we as college students manage our time effectively so that our priorities are actually represented in our use of time?"

Most people struggle with time management but I think it can be especially difficult for college students,who, at the same time as going to class, doing homework, getting involved with different activities, and building new relationships, are also evaluating who they really are and deciding who they want to be (don't forget about all the other distractions). And as Christian students we are feeling the tension between being responsible and faithful in our call as college students and the intense desire to take the time needed to develop and sustain a healthy, vibrant, pleasurable, fruitful, and mature relationship with God.

So how do we strike this balance? I don't have the right answer as I am exploring these issues myself. I hope that this can be a place of discussion and encouragement. Peers, readers, whoever else, feel free to comment on this post and any that are to come with your advice and experience with time management (any experiences are welcome, but if it pertains to college that would be great).

For now I will give you this link to an excellent blogger,Shawn Blanc, and his series of 168 hours to a focused life .

F.Y.I

Garage sales suck. Do all that you can to avoid them. If you've ever tried you know it sucks. Warn as many people as you can.
My advice: Give it away (possible tax deductible) or throw it away. Spare yourself the headache that is a garage sale. Also, take preventative measures like not buying crap.

Check this out!

I just made an excellent find, which some have probably already found. He's an orthodox Jewish reggae rapper. He's Matisyahu. He's released a new album, Youth, which sounds amazing from what I've heard. Right now you can check out his video, "King without a crown", which is Relevant Magazine's featured video. Check him out!

Justice and Injustice in Everyday Life

When we think about justice and injustice in our lives what exactly do we think about? Do we think about the war in Iraq, genocide in Sudan, children starving in third world countries, and other Oprah-worthy acts of social injustice. How do we or should we define justice and injustice?
A few weeks ago in Wednesday Chapel James Cole, the assistant Chaplain, gave his definitions.
First, he defined power. Though power is often attributed to money or position he defined power as influence.
Injustice: the use of power to oppress others.
Justice: the use of power to liberate others.

He further defined oppression as dehumanizing someone and liberation as humanizing someone. This leads to his complete definition of the terms being:

Injustice : The use of power (influence) to oppress (dehumanize) others.
Justice: The use of poor (influence) to liberate (humanize) others.

James continued to say that injustice is not just something that we see on the news but something that we experience in our everyday lives, mostly in relationships with others.

In our relationships with others, whether it be with parents, friends, significant others, or people we lead, we have the opportunity to use our power (influence) justly or unjustly. There are ways in which we act unjustly (dehumanize) : lying, manipulating, gossiping, etc.
And opportunities to act justly (liberate): telling the truth even when it's painful, being supportive, breaking up when in an unhealthy dating relationship, etc.

We have the chance to free people from chains, perhaps even chains we've put them in. No longer is injustice only seen in poor foreign countries, it's in poor western relationships.

It's time to be liberators and not oppressors.

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Jesus. Luke 4:18-19 (also check out Isaiah 61:1-3)

Spring Break: May I have another?

Spring Break. It was fun. I hung out with good friends. I could've used some more lazy/alone time. I want another one. Choir tour went great, except for getting snowed out of our last performance. The Nate Prior and I entertained ourselves with episodes of The Office, Saved by the Bell, and Comedy Central Presents-Demetri Martin. We also doodled a lot.

My friend Ellen stayed with my family the second half of Spring Break. It was great to have some quality time with my best friend, especially with her being in Chicago this summer. Bummer.

Let me relay the rest of my spring break through a photo montage, if you will.


Lesson 1: Don't touch the deer!

Lesson 2: 'Hey Arnold' tattoos are studly and intimidating to others

Lesson 3: Hanging our in various churches is awesome. Example-Generic Bible Man (seen here)








Lesson 4: Don't make Mark Sievert mad.