It's Vlog Time!

So, since it's been a bit since I've done a vlog (short for video-blog, all you non-technical people), I decided since I had some spare time to do one.

Some notes before we begin:

1. Please excuse the nasal-y voice and sniffling. I have a cold. And allergies. :)
2. And that "airplane" sound in the middle? That's my computer. I promise no jets landed on my building during the making of this film.
3. And with that...I bring you our feature presentation. Haha. :)
4. [Edit: I have no idea why my mouth and voice are speaking at two different times. I'm pretty sure something went crazy on the YouTube end of the matter because it is fine on my computer. Probably this crazy slow internet in the dorm. I'll see what I can do this weekend at home. :)]

being free.

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen the following that I posted earlier.

I realize the irony about posting against social media on Twitter. But, honestly, it's not that big of a problem. I don't waste hours and hours on Twitter. I maybe check it once a day or so.

True Life: I deleted my Facebook. No, I don't think Facebook is of the devil or anything like that. But, it was definitely affecting my relationships with others, myself, and God. I didn't have to call my friends to see how they were doing...because I could see it on Facebook. I began comparing myself to my "friends" and got upset when I didn't measure up. And because I spent the hours and hours doing absolutely nothing...God kind of got left out of the picture. It's something I've realized. It's something God's been convicting me about. I don't need to forge these fake relationships with people. It means nothing to invest in someone's life by clicking "Add as Friend". I'm sorry, but that's not how you impact someone's life. It is too easy to get caught up in the fake and forget to invest in the real. For example, I have a friend that I recently fallen away from somewhat. She lives in a different state, so it's not like I see her all the time. I was feeling like I kept up with her via Facebook (because I could see what she was doing, recent pictures, etc)....but I haven't called her in over a year. That's ridiculous. 

I'm ready to get out there and form real (face to face) relationships with people. I don't want to "Friend" you or "Follow you". I don't want to be just another email or a text. I want to form a community with people...I want to know what's really going on and form a deep meaningful friendship. That's what it's all about. It's not about the number of "Friends" or "Followers" you have. It's about something deeper and more intimate. If that means I lose a couple of the people that I thought were my "friends"...so be it. If social media is all that is keeping us together...our friendship wasn't that strong anyways. If it means I get left out of the loop sometimes...so be it. (Just make sure to tell me where and when the free dinners are...that's important!)

It's a new start. And I've never felt so free. :)

via

sacrifice.

I've come to the conclusion my generation knows nothing about sacrifice. 

We live in a world of instant gratification. And whenever we want something- we get it. My dad tells the story about how when I was little I saved up my allowance to buy a pair of binoculars. Instead of putting my money in the quarter toy machines, I saved up my money for these binoculars (which weren't that amazing. I mean, I don't even remember any of this). The bottom line of this story being, I sacrificed (in a very small matter) to get what I wanted. But now, in a world of credit cards...there isn't much room for sacrifice. Yes, the interest will add up. Yes, It won't be good for your credit score. But, we see ourselves as invincible beings. I mean, I know that I should save up for life after college. But...I really really want that iPhone. Or I really cannot live without this or that or whatever. We have no concept of the word sacrifice...because we've never had to do it. When all we have to do is call Mom or Dad if we get in a bind and need some help...we're not gonna get it. When all we have to do is swipe that piece of plastic...we're not gonna get it. When we do absolutely nothing and get whatever our hearts desire...we just aren't gonna get it.

Then, we read in our Bibles about Jesus telling his disciples to take up their cross daily and follow Him. We read about how we need to die to ourselves. We read all this stuff that sounds so great...and we just don't get it. I mean, we prefer to think that God would like us to be happy than to think that God may require us to sacrifice something. But, after all...God already gave His sacrifice, in the form of Jesus. The only thing that's left is for us to follow Him. And to do that requires sacrifice. It's a completely foreign concept in America, the world of instant gratification. But, just imagine what life would be like if we lived a life of sacrifice. How would our lives look different? How would our churches look different? How would our communities look different if we all put ourselves and our comforts last and sacrificed for the sake of the Savior?

Just what's mingling around in my little mind.

Off to finish that homework. :)

where i need to be.

Dear Friends, I know it's been awhile since I've blogged. And it's been even longer since I composed a post that was somewhat meaningful and had some tiny bit of purpose. I would say I'm terribly sorry, but I'm not. I've been looking for the words to say...and they aren't there (well...here). I've been on Spring Break this week, so that could be an excuse. And, well, I've had no ideas or desire to blog...that could be an excuse. Or, I could just share that I was placing undue pressure on myself that needed to be cut out. All of the above are true. So, for now, there's going to be some minor changes to this space. I'm not going to be sharing my Project Life pictures every week. I've been falling behind and feeling guilty...but I've realized that since I'm doing PL for myself, it's not really fair to either of us for me to say I'm going to post them and then not do it. You get disappointed. Those of you that know me in real life ask me when I'm going to post my pretty pictures. And then, I tell you that I've fallen behind and I get all embarrassed. So, for now, I'm taking a short break. Not that I'm not going to still take pictures...and I may even post some on here as non-PL posts. I still enjoy photography...but Project Life is so demanding. I'm trying to refocus on my vision of blogging and the reason why I blog. Yes- it is to share with you all the neat things I am doing. But- it's also a ministry tool. And I need to remember that. :)


Moving forward now, I thought I would share some of the things I'm learning about through my Bible Reading. I know I mentioned a few posts ago that I started a new Bible Reading plan. It's super intense and a little hard for me to keep up with at times, but it's good. I'll be sharing the details on that later. That's not the purpose of this post. As I've been thinking about where God is leading me later in life, I've begun to think about some views that I have about ministry. As some of you know- I have some radical views on topics (in all areas of my life- from politics to religion). While I'm still digesting them, and I try not to judge people that don't interpret things the way I do, there are some things that I believe are non-negotiables. These are things that I believe should not be argued about within the church and should be accepted as fact. Some other things I believe are a little bit more open to personal interpretation. I've really begun to see the roots that universalism has sown in our Christian culture. And frankly- it scares me. I see it in my own life when I don't want to tell people that what they are doing is wrong. And while I believe that judgement is reserved for God, I think it is your duty as a Christian friend to tell your friend when they are doing wrong. When you have a relationship with someone, you also have a responsibility. Ezekiel 33: 12-16 says:

 The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins.When I tell righteous people that they will live, but then they sin, expecting their past righteousness to save them, then none of their righteous acts will be remembered. I will destroy them for their sins. And suppose I tell some wicked people that they will surely die, but then they turn from their sins and do what is just and right. For instance, they might give back a debtor’s security, return what they have stolen, and obey my life-giving laws, no longer doing what is evil. If they do this, then they will surely live and not die. None of their past sins will be brought up again, for they have done what is just and right, and they will surely live.

It's not just saying the words. It's living the life. All the good things you have done in the past can save you if you turn your life over to sin. In the same way, no one is too far lost in sin to turn away from sin and turn towards righteous living.
Another thing I found interesting in my Bible reading is the fact that God calls us to not only evangelize, but also to tell people to change their ways. As I said earlier, it's not just saying the words, it's living the life worthy of the gospel.

If I announce that some wicked people are sure to die and you fail to tell them to change their ways, then they will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn them to repent and they don’t repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself. - Ezekiel 33: 8-9

As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, you abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. And though you were my shepherds, you didn’t search for my sheep when they were lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve.  -Ezekiel 34:8

If we don't tell the people we know about how they are dying in their sin-- WE are the ones responsible! The whole "Go and make disciples" thing isn't just in the New Testament. The whole evangelism thing isn't just Jesus and Paul. It's a God thing in the Old Testament prophets, too! 
Another little verse I thought I would end with. At the end of  Deuteronomy, Moses is about to leave to go die. It is time for the Israelites to enter the Promised Land, but Moses is not allowed to go with them. Before Moses leaves his people, God tells Moses about what is going to happen in the future. How Israel will turn away from God and worship other pagan gods. How they will abandon Him. So, God gives Moses the words to a song to give to the people. It's a song of warning that is echoed in the prophets of the latter part of the Old Testament. He gives Moses this song to give to the people so that it can be passed down and maybe someday they will learn the error of their ways and turn back to God. 

But Israel soon became fat and unruly;
the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed!
Then they abandoned the God who had made them;
they made light of the Rock of their salvation.
-Deuteronomy 32:15

Does this not sound like us in America today? We are so prosperous on our own, that often we feel that we don't need God. Like the Israelites, we forget that God brought us out of slavery and to the prosperity we enjoy today. We didn't make our lives by our own doing. We are where we are because of God. He's the one that brought us here. Are we abandoning Him by the way we are living our lives? 


So, that's where I'm at. Figuring out where I lie in the spectrum and where that is in relation to God. I'm not perfect at any of this- so please don't take this as judgement. I'm just passing on the truth and spreading the Word that I've found. :)

super moon.

So, I'm not sure how many of you were aware that there was a "Super Moon" last night. Honestly, I was expecting the Big Cheese to take over the night sky, so I was a little disappointed when it was only 4% bigger than a regular nighttime moon.

We went out to the lake to take some pictures with the cameras. I didn't have too much luck with the kind of moon shot I was looking for- no zoom lens- but I still got some pretty neat photos if I say so myself. :)

decisions, decisions.

I'm really struggling right now to figure out where God is leading me after college. As of this moment, I have no earthly idea what I really want to do. I throw around ideas (such as working for an organization like Compassion, writing children's Sunday school curriculum, and being a children's director)...but I really don't know how to get there. When I came to HC, I declared Business as my major. Keep in mind, I'm at my third college and fourth major. For the first time in my college career, I am absolutely in love with my college. I love it here and it is perfect for me. I love the small college feel and the personal relationships I have with my peers and my professors. I know that I want to graduate from here and I cannot wait for the day that I get to walk across the stage out on the Green and get my diploma. It's something I get excited about every time I walk by the Green. In the past, I've always dreaded the concept of graduation. The whole having to sit on a stage for hours and hours was something I dreaded. But, I am excited about graduation now. I'm excited about the new experiences I will encounter after that day. But, in order to get to that day...I've got to complete a major. And that's the part I'm really struggling with right now. I hate my business class. I'm not going to lie. It's not just that it's at 8 o'clock in the morning, but it's the fact that it's dreadfully boring. It's outright torture. And I realize that I'm slowly confining myself to a job that will put me behind a desk for many hours will little or no encounters with children. My goal in life? To help children and lead them to Christ. That is my ultimate goal. I would go as far to call it a calling, but I don't like to get caught up in labels. :)

I know people say that the degree you get really doesn't matter. But, I hate math. And I hate statistics. And I'm really not a huge fan of the classes I have left to take. So, now I have a major decision. To stick with the major that I'm in (by 1 class) or to change (and still graduate at the same time-maybe a semester early). I'm beginning to consider options post-college. This is probably due to the fact that several of my roommates are graduating this semester, and the remainder of my friends are graduating next Spring. I'm beginning to see that there really is a life after college (if Jesus doesn't come back first, obviously). I'm thinking about Grad school- is it for me? Or what about seminary? Where is God leading me? I don't know yet. I'm still in the prayer mode. I'm not officially changing my major...yet. But, it's something I'm definitely considering. Religion or Christian Ed? Psychology or Communication? Or do I stay where I'm at and grit my teeth? Big decisions are in my very near future. I know that technically it doesn't really matter what your major is. But, if I'm going to be studying something for the next two years...should it be enjoyable? I have some preferences towards the faculty in certain majors and would really enjoy taking a class or two with them. But, I don't know. I have no idea what I'm doing. I thought that once I turned twenty and started here- I would know exactly what to do. But now- I'm not so sure.

Have you ever been in this situation? Any ideas of what this girl should do? :)

Project Life: Weeks 9 and 10

Sorry for the delay. Something called life and forgetting to take pictures got in the way. Oops. :)
But, now.
The long-awaited pictures from Weeks 9 and 10 (February 26-March 11)

Week 9:

February 26

February 27

February 28

March 1

March 2

March 3- No Picture. :(

March 4- Picture still to come. :)

Week 10:

March 5

March 6

via Google Images

March 7

March 8

March 9

March 10

March 11- No Picture

Yay for catching up on Project Life! (I promise I'll have a post of some value some time in the upcoming week. As soon as I conquer this stats test tomorrow morning.)