The Waiting Game: A Ramble?

I want you to think about the thing you love most to do.
The thing you would make time for in your schedule, cancel other plans for, and may make you forget things like sleep and (dare I say it?) food exist.

Now, I want you to think of the thing you are the best at.
Not in comparison with other people. The one thing that you can say "Hey, I'm ok at racquetball, but I'm a boss when it comes to _____." If you're that guy playing Call Of Duty for six-hours a day but has sub-par averages, then you cannot fill that blank with Call of Duty. If you're a beast at making Mac N Cheese, and you are legitimately good at it, put Mac N Cheese in that blank. I want you to think long and hard about this question before you fill in the blank.

The two things you've named above may be very different. They might be the same thing. However, are you willing to commit the rest of your life to doing one of both of those things till, say, your head no longer grows hair, you have wrinkles all around your mouth and you die? If you chose food or sleep for either of them, you're cheating. I could eat hummus and pizza till the Rapture happens, but you also need food to survive. If alcohol was your answer, I highly recommend you check yourself into a program that can help you safely enjoy alcohol. Or that death thing may happen sooner than you want it to.

What are you willing to do all day, every day, for the rest of your life? A few of you twentysomethings reading this blog might be freaking out right now. "The rest of my life?!?! I don't even know if I'll be in the same major next week!!!" said the dude with a YOLO tattoo.
It's a big question. An important question. Lots of people don't know the answer. Sometimes that answer is scary. If you don't know your answer, THAT'S OK.

If you answered all three of these, I'm so glad you have patience and are willing to be challenged in an ever so strange way.

If you answered all three of these in under five minutes, not only are you a faster reader than I am, but you've got something very special.

My answer for all three of these is linguistics. (surprise!) Specifically, field linguistics and language development. How that will practically look (i.e. translation, literacy, survey) I'm not sure. But, I believe in my heart of hearts that I was born to use linguistics to reach people for Christ.

This is what is more commonly known as a Calling. Most people spend an usually large proportion of their lives trying to figure out what their calling is and the other portion of their lives figuring out how to execute it. My problem is not finding this calling, although that stage was rough, but actually getting to the point where I can do said calling. I'm thankful for knowing what my calling is. I had a conversation with a coworker at Vector where I was expressing my great desire to go overseas ASAP when he said, "At least you know what your calling is." He then proceeded to look distantly with a 'you have something that seems impossible for me' expression.

I know what I want to do. But can I ever get there? As the days roll into weeks and weeks into multiple months, I feel like I'll never be where I want to be. What ifs start to surface and I pay a visit to the Stewarts' and play Settlers of Catan or a few rounds of Nertz in order to stop freaking out. I'm not sure what's worse: not knowing your calling or not being able to pursue that calling. (yet?) I'm sure this story, like so many others, will have a happy ending. I may be the one speaking at a banquet when I'm seventy-years-old talking about how I became a widow at a young age (not at this rate) because my husband was killed in some sort of guerrilla war against Christians but I stayed on the field anyway and if I can do it, you can too! and dozens of young adults will join the fight to end Bible Poverty.

It's frustrating. In the mean time, in the land between, in my desert, I desire so earnestly to do the work I've been trained for and called to do. And can't. Maybe there's a particular reason I'm being held back. Maybe I'm not ready for the mission field. Maybe my mission field isn't ready for me. Maybe there are people I'm not done ministering to here yet.

Until then, I'm playing the waiting game. While I wait, I'm working two jobs, hopefully going to start a masters degree, leading a Biblestudy (soon), planting a tree (so maybe that's a joke), and letting people know I'm passionate about this work.

I'm just really hoping I don't pull a Moses and wait forty years to be assigned to my duties.

But we'll see.

Top 5 College Movies

When I started college, I knew there were going to be a few movies that ev-ery-one had seen and maybe some movies that were borderline cult films. I assumed Star Wars would be one of them, but the disgust the hipster geeks had for the prequels squelched any hope of that. The Ring was another guess I made, but apparently that was more of a high school era film.

Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, I have composed to the best of my ability the top five movies of my college experience. These movies were the most quoted, the most seen, and the most likely to be played in the background to a game of euchre or with 'Sunny D' in-hand. 




 #5

 Zombieland

I'm pretty sure this movie reminded us how much we love Twinkies. I'm also pretty Zombieland is why we freaked out over the Hostess scare last year. Thanks to Zombieland, we now have numerical rules for life, we realized how B.A. Emma Stone is, and we remembered how much we love Bill Murray. Oh. And how much we hate clowns. So get past the gore and have a laugh.

P.S. Be a hero. 

 #4

 

Super Troopers

For all it's weirdness, I have to admit, I enjoy this movie. Totally thought it was the dumbest thing ever when I saw it for the first time. It's vulgar and the story line is weak, but hey, you gotta love the classics, right? If you hear your twenty-something saying the word 'meow' a lot, it's because they've seen this movie.

P.S. You may need more Maple Syrup. Or powdered sugar.

#3

 

Zoolander

Sadly, I've only seen this one once. But I hear about it. ALL THE TIME. In my opinion, the best installment of Ben Stiller/Owen Wilson ever. So if you're really really really good looking and you want to read good and do other things good, you should watch it sometime.

P.S. Will Farrell is also in it. *yesss!*

 #2

 

The Breakfast Club

As I said earlier, the classics never die. John Hughes was pretty ahead of his time. The older I get, the more I understand the themes of this movie. The less I hate Bender and the more I hate Richard Vernon. We've all got our own problems, our own brokeness. Sometimes you need your own group of misfits to admit that and start working through it.

P.S. Don't you forget about me.







#1

Mean Girls

"On Wednesdays, we wear pink" and "Boo you whore" were too very important lines to take away from this movie. Tina Fey managed to (mostly) reconcile a whole gym of high school girls and a dude in a blue hoody was brave enough to point out the fact that "she doesn't even go here!"

P.S. Fetch is never going to happen.








Do you agree with my top 5? If you've got movies you think I missed or you totally think I was off base with a few, let me know! I want to know about your college experience.

Keep Calm & Stay Fetch

What I learned in 2013

I have a more thoughtful post on the slate, but it's taking a large amount of time and effort to finish.... So today, I give you a list of things I learned in 2013.

1. I'm starting to feel old
2. Having more than two roommates can get really messy
3. Sometimes, even though you pray selflessly for someone(s) repeatedly, God's plan is different
4. The BMV is stupid
5. North Dakota isn't always super hot
6. I-29 does not have 24-hr convenience stores until you get to South Dakota
7. Even the best plans can seriously backfire
8. I have trust and jealousy issues
9. Survey is not like I thought it would be
10. When you reach out to bless someone, you are usually blessed more than they
11. I don't remember what happens in The Hobbit
12. My manager, Barry, is amazing to work for.
13. I am Gomer (Hosea reference)
14. Tattoos hurt
15. Just because you live at home doesn't mean you'll see your family more
16. Intentions are great, but only if you follow through
17. Key West is not a family vacation destination
18. Key Lime Pie on a stick dipped in chocolate is amazing!
19. Lobster isn't all that great
20. Aunts and Uncles are
21. Honestly is tough. Even with your best friend, but it's always worth it
22. Brian Adams will make you sentimental
23. So does Coldplay
24. And Matt Kearney
25. Retail is the slowest job ever
26. Just because you found your dream, doesn't mean you're ready to execute it
27. Not all dreams are meant to be fulfilled
28. Being an adult is hard
29. It's possible for someone you only met once to change your life. Forever.
30. Bloomington is gorgeous
31. Most relationships end. Make the most of your break-up
32. Even lava lamps need some TLC sometimes
33. Whether you realize it or not, you have baggage. Unpack with someone regularly
34. Don't rush. Rushing is bad!
35. Forgiveness is hard
36. The Bronte sisters are not all they're cracked out to be
37. Leading a Bible study is awesome
38. Feeling pretty is important
39. Whether you're scheduling someone for an interview or asking someone out, it's important to build rapport
40. It's possible to age ten years in a matter of months.
41. Babies are expensive
42. Saying goodbye is hard
43. What we have is a huge blessing. If it's forgiveness, health, healing, grace, mercy, redemption, salvation, reconciliation, trust, honor, respect, a good reputation, a positive outlook, it's way more than what you could have had.

44. Life is a gift. Unwrap it with care and always be thankful.


Soli Deo Gloria

Unicorns & Flannel

A week or so ago, I was having dinner with my boss when I made a reference to something that was very Scandinavian in nature.

"That was such a Minnesota thing," he said while he ate his slice of pizza. "What other types of Minnesota-specific things are there?"

I thought for a second. "Well, there's fishing. Ice fishing. The funny vowels in words like 'aunt'. The Red Green Show---"

"The Red Green Show is flipping amazing," he said staring me in the face. "Is it really Minnesotan?"

"It's actually a Canadian show, but there aren't many differences," I replied. We continued to talk about the Red Green Show and how awesome it is for a while when I came to this realization:
My expectations of men came from the Red Green Show.

Think about it. To me, a man is a guy who meets these criteria:
Wears flannel. Regularly.
Is hairy.
Goes fishing.
Goes ice fishing.
Spends more time in his garage or truck than in the house.
Spends more time fixing your vehicles, lawnmower, weed-whacker, leaf-blower, snow-blower, and ice fishing hutch heater than fixing your dishwasher or air conditioner.
Knows 101 uses (and counting) for the handyman secret weapon: duct tape.
If duct tape doesn't solve it, WD-40 will.
His motto is "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."

Nearly every single character in Red Green meets these criteria.

No wonder Hoosiers think I'm weird. I subconsciously have these expectations which are incredibly culture based. Ahh!

A guy like that is hard to find in these parts, but so is a guy who meets Biblical standards of manliness. Bekah and I have frequently had conversations about the young men in our lives and how we feel, well, disappointed in them. Apart from SIL (which only meets during the summertime) I can only fill one hand with the young men I know who truly love the Lord and are walking in him. Sure, we know plenty of guys who claim to love Christ or claim to be good guys, but in reality they're no different. A young man who truly loves the Lord is about as scarce as a unicorn.

Where are you, young men? Are you working on becoming that Biblical male? Are you growing in the Lord and learning to love Him more? Are you asking for the Lord to give you a greater desire for Him and His Word? Are you becoming the man God wants you to be? Are you becoming the man that I need you to be?

I need you. Our country needs you. The lost need you. Future generations need you. How long will you be satisfied with less than God's best? How many more times will you pick up the remote control instead of your Bible? Brothers, a number of us have lost hope in your existence. We need you to guard us, to guide us, and to encourage us. 

Basics. They're--- well, basic.

Faith.Grace.Prayer.Repentance.Forgiveness.Bible.Justification.

I'm assuming a number of you reading this blog have been Christians for quite some time. Some of you might not be, but I encourage you to continue reading anyway. What comes to mind when you see the seven words at the beginning of this post? Can you remember who told you what those words mean or where Scripture talks about them? Can you cohesively explain them to someone who's new in Christ?

After we've been a part of the Family for awhile, we tend to move on to 'more advanced' subjects like Free Will vs Predestination or Pedo vs Believers baptism or 'Do you receive the Spirit at birth or when you become saved?' All these subjects are important, but when it comes to courses in Christian basics, we tend to think we don't need them. 'Those classes are for infants in Christ.' Are they? When was the last time you thought about what the Bible basis for prayer was? Why prayer? How does prayer work? Who is prayer about? Even professional basketball players routinely practice basic skills (dribbling?).

For the past few weeks, I've been in a Sunday School class called Spiritual Bootcamp. The class has been a wonderful refresher for me. I've also learned a number of things about the subjects above and others. It doesn't mean I didn't know the fundamentals. It doesn't mean I didn't have a biblical foundation. But I've discovered there were places my biblical foundation needed to be refortified.

We can so easily discard the basics and fundamentals as 'easy' and 'no-brainers.' But how easy are the fundamentals? Is it easy to deal with the reality that you are a filthy sinner who deserves enduring the eternal wrath of God? Is it easy to believe a righteous God sent His ONLY Son to endure that wrath so you didn't have to? Is it easy to praise God in the storm of reality? Is it easy to leave the future of a loved one living in rebellion to God? Is it always easy to pray?

Brothers and sisters, we live in a broken, fall world. We are attacked on all sides and if we do not perform maintenance on our foundation, it will begin to rot. I encourage you to get back to basics. Talk about the concept of grace or faith or love with a pastor or spiritual leader. Take a course of Spiritual Bootcamp. When have you ever regretted strengthening the most important relationship you'll ever have? It may give you the tools you need to share your faith with someone. You may come to find out that you were not who you thought you were. Anyway you slice it, it's worth it.

<3

Sunday Morning Expansion

^{John 21:4-14 
 4} Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵ Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶ He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. ⁷ That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. ⁸ The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.
⁹ When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. ¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

 This was (roughly) the passage Pastor Glenn preached from this morning. He talked about how God provided for the disciples abundantly even when they didn't know it was Christ, at first. The net did not break, even though it should have from its load. Jesus had a fire for their catch all ready when they got back to shore. 

I love my pastor and he made wonderful observations and the sermon overall was really good. But I couldn't help thinking of how this passage applied to a couple of situations I have been involved in the past few weeks. 

A couple of friends who are dear to me have been going through some of the most difficult experiences in their lives to date. Each of these friends has come to me for advice, for help, for encouragement, or for a shoulder to cry on. Three years ago, two years ago, a year ago, I wouldn't have been able to be there for these friends like I can now. I have the completed picture of my life's tragedy in my past and it's given me the tools I need to help the ones I love go through similar experiences. 

God provided for me abundantly in my trials, but that was not the end of that. I firmly believe God allows bad things to happen to us so that we can share our testimonies with others. Our testimonies give credit to who God is and helps us advice others. My suffering is an avenue of service. Not only was I provided for abundantly, but the ones I care for are also being provided for abundantly. 

Loved one, you may be reading this blog. God is providing for you. Abundantly.
Don't forget.
I love you.
<3

To Lighten the Mood

I'm aware that the last post was rather depressing and melancholy, so I've decided to write about more uplifting topics today.

Over the past couple months or so, I'm happy to tell you that we have a new brother and sister in Christ. I was filled with so much joy to the point of tears on both accounts. The sister is a former Mormon who had been having spiritual discussions with two co-workers at Chick-fil-A.  The brother is a young man who grew up in my home church (First Baptist of Delphi) and had strayed somewhat from his upbringing during college. I've seen so much growth and fruit from this young man in the few weeks I've been back in Indiana. It fills me with tremendous joy.

I was (finally) able to visit a very old friend (pretty much like a sister to me) last week and her family. Her youngest son was born pre-maturely, but now he is a happy, strong little boy. Did I mention he's very inquisitive and loves to take books off of shelves to look at them? We must have a future scholar on our hands, er, laps. ;)

A number of couples are anticipating the birth of their first-born children. One of the ladies was a dear friend of mine in high school and I'm excited that she gets to step into this next step of her life. Two couples I know are not married. I'm comforted to know that God can redeem any situation and that babies born in even the worst of circumstances still bring Him joy and glory. Their conception may have been an 'accident' in our eyes, but they are formed by God. He was not surprised at the result in the pregnancy test. He doesn't think this is a catastrophe.

My allergies are much better today. My eyes weren't sore and raw like they have been for days. Nobody today has asked me if I'm tired or been crying about something. Allergies go, but chronic pain stays. A woman who is almost like my second mother experiences a level six pain on a day to day basis.

God is sovereign and gives us grace to endure what is beyond our control. The bad things, the hard things, the things that break you're heart are not God's weakness being revealed, but our weakness recognizing God's strength.

"7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;" --- 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

God has the victory. We may be near insanity or despair, but we if we have Christ, we have the ultimate victory. It's hard times that make the deliverance significant.

"11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh." --- 2 Corinthians 4:11

Our suffering identifies us with Christ. That is an honor and a joy.