I am torn about the prospect of online dating and the internet hook-up. While living back in the Midwest I never would have considered eHarmony or any other internet dating site – and didn’t even really know anyone else who ever used them.
Now that I have moved to California I have met so many people who met their spouse on eHarmony or similar sites. They connect with people, talk, meet to go on dates, and this is how they navigate the whole dating scene.
I just think this is so interesting. In all honestly you don’t know if you are going to meet some creep. True they ask you a whole series of questions and ask you to be really honest – but you never really know. But I guess you never really know when you meet someone face to face either.
I guess it is all the conception I have in my head that somehow it is supposed to work differently. God is supposed to just bring you together and you shouldn’t have to go on some internet site to find it…but who is to say. I just think that it is so interesting how things have changed.
So, what do you think? eHarmony…would you do it????
5.17.2007
5.16.2007
Fight Club
The heart and soul of Fight Club soon became Project Mayhem. Edward Nortan’s character gets frustrated right about the time Project Mayhem begins. He starts to feel excluded and out of control. He yearns for the days he and Brad Pitt had started Fight Club and were the centers of attention. He felt like a bad ass and loved the attention he received.
When he asks about Project Mayhem and argues that he should be more involved because he was one of the creators of fight club Brad Pitt says to him, “this is not about you and me. You choose how involved you want to be in Project Mayhem”.
This is often how it is in the Christian life. Lots of times projects get really big and the social justice issues we are engaged in involve lots of people and we begin to feel like a number or a statistic or insignificant compared to the number of people working on the problem. We start to feel jealous that we don’t get more credit. We start to feel we are loosing control when others start listening to advice from more sources and going in different directions without consulting us first.
But Jesus would say to us that it is not about you and me. It is about what he is doing in the Kingdom that is already but not yet. He chooses to use me in big ways and in little ways – but none of these are about me and what I can do. When I get the idea that I have something to contribute and the success of something falls on my involvement – whoops! We only have so many gifts and abilities – that is the beauty of the body. When we all come together we can make a bigger contribution and a bigger impact.
And then I choose how involved I want to be in Project Mayhem. God always puts opportunities before me – I just decide how involved I want to be. God will do big things and continue to use me if I decide I want to blow things up – steal things – and stick it to the corporate man. ☺
When he asks about Project Mayhem and argues that he should be more involved because he was one of the creators of fight club Brad Pitt says to him, “this is not about you and me. You choose how involved you want to be in Project Mayhem”.
This is often how it is in the Christian life. Lots of times projects get really big and the social justice issues we are engaged in involve lots of people and we begin to feel like a number or a statistic or insignificant compared to the number of people working on the problem. We start to feel jealous that we don’t get more credit. We start to feel we are loosing control when others start listening to advice from more sources and going in different directions without consulting us first.
But Jesus would say to us that it is not about you and me. It is about what he is doing in the Kingdom that is already but not yet. He chooses to use me in big ways and in little ways – but none of these are about me and what I can do. When I get the idea that I have something to contribute and the success of something falls on my involvement – whoops! We only have so many gifts and abilities – that is the beauty of the body. When we all come together we can make a bigger contribution and a bigger impact.
And then I choose how involved I want to be in Project Mayhem. God always puts opportunities before me – I just decide how involved I want to be. God will do big things and continue to use me if I decide I want to blow things up – steal things – and stick it to the corporate man. ☺
5.14.2007
Everyone Wants Someone to Follow
Everyone wants someone to follow if there is someone strong enough or willing enough to lead him or her.
I look at the world and see so much conformity. No one wants to stick out – unless they are sticking out in the “right” or “popular” way. And everyone wants to be accepted by others.
When someone steps up with an idea or movement they feel passionate about calling out others to follow them they will gather many people to themselves in just a short period of time. This is because people are thirsty for direction and meaning in their life.
Sometimes I just sit there waiting for someone else to take the lead and tell me what to do. I feel so unqualified for the passions God has put in my heart that I just stand motionless in the midst of the chaos around me.
What will it take to put me in motion? What will it take to make me that leader others yearn to follow?
I look at the world and see so much conformity. No one wants to stick out – unless they are sticking out in the “right” or “popular” way. And everyone wants to be accepted by others.
When someone steps up with an idea or movement they feel passionate about calling out others to follow them they will gather many people to themselves in just a short period of time. This is because people are thirsty for direction and meaning in their life.
Sometimes I just sit there waiting for someone else to take the lead and tell me what to do. I feel so unqualified for the passions God has put in my heart that I just stand motionless in the midst of the chaos around me.
What will it take to put me in motion? What will it take to make me that leader others yearn to follow?
5.13.2007
Wealth
How much do I let money control me?
Brandon gave a great sermon today on the parable of the rich fool from Luke. He talked about money being the root of all kinds of evil - not of all evil. That's an important distinction.
You don't even have to have money for this to be the case. The love of money (whether you have it or not) leads to all kinds of greed and dissatisfaction.
The important thing is to realize is that God has our best interest in mind - do I really believe that? 1 Timothy 6 tells us that God gives us everything for our enjoyment. Everything we have: our money, our time and our talents - they all belong to God. Everything God gives us he desires we use in order that life may be lived to its fullest and life may be abundant.
It is when we can grasp this and when we can really let go that we begin to live and experience.
I don't think I am there yet. I still hold on too tightly to wealth because I believe that a bank account equals security. As long as there is some money in there I am OK.
God - take my life but my bank account belongs to me.
I want to do so much for the world - for the suffering and the oppressed - but I think I need to let God do a whole lot more for me and learn to trust his best interest for me and his ability to provide - otherwise there will always be something holding me back.
Brandon gave a great sermon today on the parable of the rich fool from Luke. He talked about money being the root of all kinds of evil - not of all evil. That's an important distinction.
You don't even have to have money for this to be the case. The love of money (whether you have it or not) leads to all kinds of greed and dissatisfaction.
The important thing is to realize is that God has our best interest in mind - do I really believe that? 1 Timothy 6 tells us that God gives us everything for our enjoyment. Everything we have: our money, our time and our talents - they all belong to God. Everything God gives us he desires we use in order that life may be lived to its fullest and life may be abundant.
It is when we can grasp this and when we can really let go that we begin to live and experience.
I don't think I am there yet. I still hold on too tightly to wealth because I believe that a bank account equals security. As long as there is some money in there I am OK.
God - take my life but my bank account belongs to me.
I want to do so much for the world - for the suffering and the oppressed - but I think I need to let God do a whole lot more for me and learn to trust his best interest for me and his ability to provide - otherwise there will always be something holding me back.
5.12.2007
Divided
Isn't it hard when sometimes you feel like you are split in a million different directions? You are a caring and passionate person (or you would like to think you are) and you hear about all sorts of issues but your heart struggles knowing which ones to invest in.
Poverty
Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking
Immigration
The Church
Ecology
Education
Medical Ethics
War
Child Soldiers
Slave Labor
HIV/AIDS
Equality
Homeless
Violence
Crime
Housing
Hunger
Terrorism
I could go on and on....
We all have areas that we feel passionate about and called to - but we also see that many of these areas overlap.
So how do you decide? How do you look at the many needs in our communities and the world and not get overwhelmed?
I am deeply passionate about the issue of sexual exploitation and trafficking. But even within the sector you have many areas in which to get involved. Do you want to work with men or women? Do you want to work with women or children?
Let's say I work with children:
Do I work with the prevention: working on legislation, boarder control, etc.
Do I work with the rescue: brothel raids, relationship building, etc.
Do I work with the rehabilitation: psychological care, relationship building, etc.
There are so many avenues you can work with how do you decide? I am so torn. My heart breaks when I hear about what is being done to children around the world and across the United States - but I feel powerless to do anything about it. There is so much work to be done, but how am I qualified to do anything about it?
But despite all of that we must do something. Even though there is an overwhelming amount to be done and we don't know our place in it all - we know that God has called us to minister to the alien the orphan and the widow. What you do the least of these you do to me - Christ said. Even if it takes everything within me - I will do whatever I can to see God's Kingdom brought to earth. I don't know when, and I don't know how - I can only hope God chooses to use me to bring peace and comfort to those suffering.
Poverty
Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking
Immigration
The Church
Ecology
Education
Medical Ethics
War
Child Soldiers
Slave Labor
HIV/AIDS
Equality
Homeless
Violence
Crime
Housing
Hunger
Terrorism
I could go on and on....
We all have areas that we feel passionate about and called to - but we also see that many of these areas overlap.
So how do you decide? How do you look at the many needs in our communities and the world and not get overwhelmed?
I am deeply passionate about the issue of sexual exploitation and trafficking. But even within the sector you have many areas in which to get involved. Do you want to work with men or women? Do you want to work with women or children?
Let's say I work with children:
Do I work with the prevention: working on legislation, boarder control, etc.
Do I work with the rescue: brothel raids, relationship building, etc.
Do I work with the rehabilitation: psychological care, relationship building, etc.
There are so many avenues you can work with how do you decide? I am so torn. My heart breaks when I hear about what is being done to children around the world and across the United States - but I feel powerless to do anything about it. There is so much work to be done, but how am I qualified to do anything about it?
But despite all of that we must do something. Even though there is an overwhelming amount to be done and we don't know our place in it all - we know that God has called us to minister to the alien the orphan and the widow. What you do the least of these you do to me - Christ said. Even if it takes everything within me - I will do whatever I can to see God's Kingdom brought to earth. I don't know when, and I don't know how - I can only hope God chooses to use me to bring peace and comfort to those suffering.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)