With Christmas now behind us, it is easy to forget the spirit of the season as easily as we dismiss the debate between Merry Christmas versus Happy Holidays.  Having just left this time of “holiday spirit” I have to wonder in earnest on the true giving aspect.  I know there are those who truly give of their time, whether at a soup kitchen, charity project, or other form of service.  I also know there are those who have no time, but instead give in a gift of some sort.  This covers the angel trees, bonus donations in the offering for a couple weeks, ect.  But why are we so intent on this concept of “give a penny, take a penny”?  To be more clear, why do so many today (including myself at times) have an ingrained mentality that if I give of my time or gifts, then I should GET something too.  Why can’t we be trained to just GIVE without any attachments?

Since I’m on the topic and have already riddled myself into using popular phrasing, I have also heard that when your hand is open in giving it is thus open also to receive.  Now this isn’t so bad.  Some people close themselves off and think that every fool should pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.  Reality, everyone needs help at some time or another.

I have been reading 1 John this week and my thoughts culminated on this subject once I read the following verses:

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for one another. ¹⁷
If any one of you has material possessions and sees a brother or sister
in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in you? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 16-18)

Despite the hard workers at the ACLU, Christmas is still a national holiday and it is still (ultimately) about the coming of Jesus Christ to save the world.  Yet in all of the mubo-jumbo of “Happy Holidays” being the politically correct phrase to say, how can we possibly miss that JESUS CHRIST LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR US.  John tells us that “this is how we know what love is.”  Not lust the fills the soul at the shot of the most recent Victoria’s Secret model or the the condemnation of a man standing just of the exit of a highway with a sign saying that he is hungry and God bless.  Love, in it’s truest and untarnished form is sacrificial.  Now, how many can say that they would die for that man off of the highway?  No?  Jesus did.

Just like that.  Thats all there is to it and yet, that all there is to it.  It is by far the hardest task that anyone has ever asked of us.  To love in a sacrificial manner that people will know who we are by our actions.  But why is it so difficult for us to do this?  Why is it so hard to simply love one another as Christ first loved us?

I received this in an e-mail and encourage you all to take the time to read it and hear what this one person is saying.  Continue to pray as a person of such influence is leading so many lost astray.

I feel the need to write more consistently lately, for one reason or another.  Granted the fact that I am exhausted, about 3 hours past when I normally crash, and have absolutely nothing on my mind right now probably does not help.  One of my friends detests blogs that ramble on in diary form, speaking of nothing but air.  He tries to form his around an article, discovery, once a very specific observation he made that he even included pictures to further his explanation.

To be honest, I prefer the to-the-point blog versus…well…this one.  But where I find myself is in somewhat of a rut; somewhat of a very large rut.  I have lost the time to do what I most enjoy doing and find most relaxing.  I use words to express myself on paper rather than in speech to avoid the trouble that is sure to follow had the other option been taken.  I use times like these to delve into and relish in a theory or idea that I play with in my mind and piece apart as best as I am able.  I use writing as a de-stresser, as a soothing mechanism, as a mediator, as a peace-maker.  I know the harshness that comes from words and I know the pure and living power that lives in words.  When misspoken, lives are changed, either for the better or for the worse (profound statement isn’t is?…what I mean is words have the capability of changing the life of someone, sending them over the moon (“will you marry me” or simply, “I love you.”) versus destroying someone or tearing them down (“I hate you” or “don’t bother, you wouldn’t make a difference anyway.”-lies that have been told to too many).

I think that is why I love writing.  In my head I have thoughts that bounce around so many times, they begin to bump and meld into one another.  When I write it, it is as if I immortalize a piece of my idea, something that sounds, well, pretty cool.  So as I begin to fall back into my routine (hopefully, we’ll see how I do), please bear with me.  I used to have a constant 30 or so that checked in each time a new post came up (that was cool!) whereas after two months I had 10 (imagine that).  I never had over 50…I never even had 50.  Perhaps I will peak an interest, who knows.  I might just have something worth saying

I take offense to every man and woman who decides that it is now “uncouth” to say “merry Christmas” and force me at work to say “Happy Holidays” for fear of losing my job or other retribution.  I take offense to every person who decided that suddenly we are no longer allowed to sing carols in schools or hang Christmas decorations, such as a tree, at the risk of a child who doesn’t celebrate Christmas feeling intimidated or pressured by the greenery or pleasant music that most people have waited all year to hear.  I take offense that suddenly the holiday that I celebrate as the birth of my Savior, which had already been commercialized and celebrated by the majority of Americans unless Jewish or otherwise religious (in other words, not the ones complaining) is just now offending people that grew up celebrating the same holiday and will probably receive presents and get a Christmas tree (not a holiday tree).

I take offense that Christmas is now a political issue rather than a spiritual issue.  But most of all I take offense that it doesn’t matter what offends me, because I am Christian.  I take offense that my rights are not the same as atheists, agnostics, scientologists, or whatever else people want to call themselves.  I take offense that I am told to keep quiet about my views but am expected to hear others shouting profanities where my children are playing and learning.  I take offense that 5 year olds come home saying the f-word having learned it at public school from a classmate and I am told by others that it is simply freedom of speech, despite how I would want a child raised.  I take offense that I have to lower my morals to meet everyone elses.

I weep for this country that I love because when the men that created it wrote our constitution, they PRAYED TO GOD for guidance and for direction.  I weep for this country that I love because that same constitution is being walked all over by judges who have decided to overstep their boundaries and start creating laws (because our elected officials aren’t doing it anyway).  I weep for this country that I love because I see it falling to pieces and crumbling before my very eyes.  I weep for those who are lost and yell to throw me in jail because I speak against homosexuality (I don’t hate the homosexual..I hate their sin…the act of their lifestyle, I love them as persons and if that is worthy of a hate crime then I am guilty).  I weep for those who are lost and yell that they not only hate this war but hate the soldiers who hate been risking their lives to fight for their freedom to yell.  I weep and cry out to God to come save us from this and yet give us more time to save those souls who are so incredibly lost.

So here I stand wishing everyone a politically incorrect Merry Christmas, praying for the lost, and weeping for my country that is so lost in the sea if sin.

ok…so if you read my post yesterday I was excited about my new page that I had added called “The More you Know…” as you can see…it’s not there.  So confused I went to look at it on the edit page under manage (as I thought was ok) and it only has the 1st paragraph I wrote.  I had 7 verses multiple pictures and all thats left is a measly paragraph!!!  What is going on?!?

I am a qualified recent graduate from the University of Florida.  I have my Bachelor’s in Political Science and have a passion for making a difference (as naive as it might be, I still care about people).  I have tremendous leadership skills that I have been fine tuning throughout my college years by volunteering for my young adult program, called Origins.  This pushed me to think outside the box on a creative team for ideas that would appeal to other 18-40somethings and pull them into the program, interested and more than intrigued.  I also had to be outgoing, talking to people of all cultures and backgrounds; letting them know what we were all about, why we were doing what we were doing and what made us different from everyone else (another creative streak).  Besides this, I have excellent work ethic.  I loved college but still graduated in only three years.  I accomplished this by starting early through duel enrollment my senior year of high school, then scheduling classes each summer.  This required incredible responsibility early on as well as learning the jewel of time management.  This allowed me to not only schedule my classes well (my last semester I didn’t have classes on Fridays) but allowed me time to work when needed and to volunteer as wanted.  I did a lot during my time in school and loved every minute of it.

What I didn’t do excessively was work.  I was blessed to not have to work and so besides holding a couple part time jobs, I didn’t.  I was at college for my education and that was my job.  What upsets me now is that I am being penalized for that decision.  Every employer I have interviewed with tells me, “well…you’re experience is a little weak…”  I’m sorry if this is rude and some-what out of line but when I hear that all I can think is, yeah and what’s you’re point?! I just graduated from college for crying out loud!  I can’t get a job where I want to because I haven’t worked and they wouldn’t have hired me there before because I didn’t have a degree!  Am I missing something?  No, I don’t have any famous connections or incredible networks to get a job for me so I’m trying my best to do it myself and I’m coming up dry.  I’ve been looking for a job for over a year and I still can’t find anything.  Right now I’m struggling to work out a second interview with a sales company (because that is the only experience I have at all much to my dismay).

If you are an employer, please tell me what I am missing because I am obviously missing something huge.  I know people that don’t care, that don’t want to work, that just do the job.  I want a job where I can love what I do, to want to go to work.  Even if it is a administrative assistant position for a company that I care about, that works for me.  What am I missing?

On May 15th I posted a single verse for the day.  It was Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your path straight.”  I keep telling myself this today as I called back about a job interview and heard again that they are concerned about my lack of experience and so it’s “not looking good for me” because of that.

Casting Crowns is a Christian group that writes its songs to minister to the church and people who already call themselves Christians.  On their album, Lifesong, there is a song called “Praise You in the Storm.”  Right now I feel that storm.  I feel the winds of doubt and unqualified drafts wipping me around this way and that.  I feel the rain of not being good enough pelting down on to my head, drenching me with questions, and yet I find myself comforted by the assurance of God being there beside me.  He placed a dream in my heart and I know that I can’t do it on my own, but only through him.  There is a coat of assurance that I put on knowing that I will praise my God no matter what because he can see beyond today and His plans are so much greater than mine and block out the rain and the wind.

God gives us plans that are bigger than ourselves for a reason, so we HAVE to depend on him.  Take Gideon for example.  In Judges 6 we learn about this pitiful “mighty warrior of God” who when we are introduced to him, he is hiding in a wine press!  God doesn’t see who we are he sees who we are going to be through His strength.  For Gideon, he did become a mighty warrior who led the Israelites from their captivity against the Midionites, to the freedom God promised–only through following God’s direction.

I trust my God, I trust his plan for me (Jer. 29:11) and I know His plans are so much greater than mine.  So, I cry and pray and lean on God to show me the way that I should go and I continue to fight for a position I feel qualified for (no matter what lies Satan puts in my head otherwise).  Until I get a definite no, there is always hope because there is always God (and even then he sometimes makes exceptions)

After not writing for nearly a week I wanted to come back with something meaningful.  I have plenty of useless ideals and opinions that don’t amount to much but when I look at the world I want to make more of an impact.  BarlowGirl recently came out with their newest CD entitled “How can We Be Silent.”  It is also a “campaign” of sorts for people to not just listen to the music, but to live the life.  They challenge listeners to submit their own stories about not being silent and standing up for Christ in a world that has long forgotten that He is in fact their Maker, Savior, and king of the world that they live so freely in.  It amazes me how simple this can be and yet how difficult we make it.  We create in our minds this idea that we have to travel to the far ends of the earth in order to make a difference.  The we have to somehow be in grave danger and in fact risk our very life for our ministry to be at all effective.  Why?  Why do we need to go into the depths of the world (though those ministries are in deed needed and greatly appreciated if you are in fact called into that work)?  But why do we feel that we can’t minister to our neighbors by living a life that Christ exemplified and being friendly even when they are not?  Why can’t we minister to the workers at the local grocery store by letting them know that it is offensive to see magazines like Maxim displayed openly when all they do is offer substantial temptation to any man who walks by them and can make women feel degraded or not pretty enough by not fitting the prototype displayed?  Why can’t we minister to our local restaurants and servers by respecting the work and service they are trying to provide and simply saying “God bless you” and meaning it before walking out the door?  These minimal actions are things that should be done in our life without over analyzing them but done with the heart of He who lead us in the example.  Why do we insist on being silent when we don’t agree and accept that the society is just going to change that way whether we do something about it or not?  If we all stood up for what we actually believed can you imagine the changes that society would have to make for us?  Christians have too long been silent and accepting of the ever demeaning changes that we are forced to accept without complaint.  God did not call us to be weak (meek, but not weak) and we should be strong for our God until the day of his glorious appearing which may be closer than we think.  Until then, speak up–> Never be silent for what you believe.

I have a little trivia for you.  The Gators won the championship this year in both basketball and football; can you name the starting 5 for the basketball team?  How about the starting quarterback for the football team?  Not that hard for many if you know college sports.

Lets try another thats a bit different; what film won the academy award for best animated picture this year?  Still fairly easy?

Ok, I’ll give you one thats a bit more difficult.  What is the name of the man who was only the 5th person ever to  have won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal?  A little more difficult?  He’s in good company with names like Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Elie Wiesel.

His name is Norman Borlaug and he has made amazing advances in agriculture and he received his awards for saving an estimated one billion people from starving!  Were you even aware that the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony was just a week or so ago?  Interesting isn’t it?  We remember the sports stars that wow us for a few years, we ooh and ahh at the glamor and glitz of the Hollywood crowd but yet, when a man dedicates his life to saving others…we don’t have a clue.  How sad.  How terribly sad.

Oh, if you didn’t know the answers:

starting 5: Noah, Brewer, Green, Humphrey, and Horford (if you said Richards then it still counts)

quarterback: Chris Leak

animated film: Happy Feet

I created this site to be an outlet. At one point in time I believe that I counted a total of 6 different journals I was keeping, each for a different topic. When I finally brought myself to narrow it down significantly (I think to only 3 or so), I knew that I would need a general outlet, therefore, this random and often pointless blog was born.

Now, I took a public relations class as an elective and I switched to poli sci from journalism so I have always known about blogs and I even had a general knowledge how to create one when they first became known a while back, but I just could never bring myself to create one because so much of what I write is personal. Yes, if you have read my stuff you know I ramble a lot about nothing and then I also rant a lot about nothing (translation: my life and my opinions on politics, religion, and society; respectively). But if you have REALLY read my blogs then you would see that I write about me. I write about my confusion, my lack of direction. I write about my frustrations and irritations. I write about my loves and my passions. I write about me. It’s what I know, so thats what I write.

I know that doing this will probably never produce an avid following, nor a whole lot of interest, but thats not what this is about. I titled my blog a journey of a lifetime because I’m writing about life as it happens. I don’t expect to ever sign in and see my page on the homepage for wordpress and I don’t expect to become an author through a popular following started by a blog. I write about life and the life I know is mine. Right now, it’s not really exciting or interesting. More than anything it’s confusing and frustrating, but thats ok. So as my stats show minimal reading, know that I don’t care, thats not why I’m here. I’m here for me, for my time, to say what I need to say. If you want to make a comment, by all means, I invite you too and I welcome it, but if not, I’ll probably still be here tomorrow so check back, maybe I wrote something different that catches your fancy today.