Thoughts

I've been thinking, I know! It's dangerous, but hey, I like to live dangerously...lol. Not really, but you get the idea. Anyway, I've been thinking, and ya'll remember the verse that talks about praying for your enemies and those who persecute you and what not...(sorry, but I don't have a Bible on me and it's the thought that's coming that I want to be specific about - not trying to step on any toes) Well I've been thinking about what it takes for someone to be able to pray for someone who's hurt you.

Crazy as it sounds I've experienced my fair share, although if you're up for hearing me whine I'd tell you that it's really more than my fair share, but you're not and I wont so we're moving on. And I've recently realized the importance and the impact of that verse or set of verses. (I know this sounds like a topic change but it's not - bear with me) There's this song by a band named Barlowgirl where they sing about revenge. And how the only way to get free is to release the need for revenge that's been driving them for so long...That it's the only way to be able to move on with their lives, to be people again. And it occurred to me that the Bible has something to say about this. Now they're right. Completely. But then I thought about this verse and it occurred to me that when you pray for someone who's hurt you, no matter how trivial, it's an act of God. We're human, we say we forgive someone but then we whine and complain about it for like ever. (there you go Jason - I threw the "like" in just for you ;-p) And the simple truth of the matter is that we haven't forgiven them and we haven't "forgotten" or even moved on. We're still stuck on the pain and the wrong of what was done to us. And no matter how much we try to convince ourselves and others that we're okay and we have forgiven and all that we really haven't. You know "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" . . .

My simple point is that it takes character to pray for someone who's hurt you. It's an active decision that says "yes, that hurt but I'm turning it and you over to God so he can deal with you"... And let me say that it's hard to do. Someone told me that you haven't really forgiven someone if you still feel pain when you think about the wrong that they committed against you. And while I don't exactly agree, it bears thinking about. If it still hurts, than we're not letting God deal with it. We're actively saying "No! I can handle this better than you can and I don't need your help dealing with this so move over and let me drive." Which is sin. It's a slap in the face of God and it's just wrong. Having said that, and gotten off of my soap box, as Christians we're called to a higher standard. We're supposed to turn the other cheek and that whole bit. But do we ever really do that? Sure, we tell each other and we remind each other, but it's usually when it's a situation that's easy for us to say that to the other person in because we're not feeling the difficulty of it all.

By praying for someone we're interceeding for them and making that person, or persons take you pick, a priority in our lives. We're telling God that that person means something and we're asking him to take special notice of them. Like Jesus does for us. So I say to you again, isn't it hard to pray for someone who's hurt you?

Who have you forgiven lately? . . .

I'm Back

Well, I'm back... And I feel the need to say that it's been a VERY long break. But I'm back from hiatus and I'm ready to post...Now all I need is something to say!!

Well, I think I'll start this off by mentioning a book that I'm reading. Currently I'm reading The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer and I have to admit to finding it amazing....And I'm only in the first chapter. So you can check back here to see what I think of it as I go along...

I'm going to be jumping on Jason's bandwagon as it were and going through the old messages, from the last 2 years, to get myself ready for this year. Partly because it sounded like fun, there's that "fun" word again ;-p, and partly because I'd actually like to develop a closer relationship to God than I've had in the past...But isn't that what everyone wants??

tHe BiRtHdAy oF bIrThDaY's

Today is an amazing day in the household of yours truly! For today is my the day that my darling mother celebrates her day of birth! And of course she celebrates with her family....Which includes me! (No Squareularness here!! ;-p) Yesterday was, surprise surprise, my birthday...So it, the holidays, have the making of being quite interesting. Of course it stands to reason that everyone far and wide should wish her well on her special day...and if they don't....Well, I'll just have to hunt them down and do "horrible nightmarish visions" to them....(for all you invader Zim fans) Of course I couldn't really hurt them....Hmm...Maybe I could...After all...A doctor does need someone to doctor...of make better...or whatever...

Anyway! Just thought everyone would like an update!! I know I would...

Thanksgiving

Ahh, the joys of thanksgiving... A time for peace..Joy...Family....And for college professors to cackle evilly whilst they bury their poor unsuspecting students alive in homework....without proper warning...But that is the price that must be paid for getting an "education"...especially when it is something as expensive as college. But that is not the point...

But the point will have to come later...As I must now away with me...For the sake of family and peace and all of that wonderfulness....BTW I love this song....Just in case you were wondering.

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Now playing: tobyMac - Ignition
via FoxyTunes

Shannon, you're gonna LOVE this. . . .

Shannon dear, today I had the most interesting conversation with Jason, and Michael . . . .and Natalie and Indya and DeAnna and ....and....You get the idea....ANYWAY! So we were standing there talking....Well I guess I should start at the beginning....

So Jason was about to leave, I was walking out with his sisters, when I decided to tell him something...Well I had actually remembered it and told DeAnna to tell him, but we both agreed that I should probably see his face as it would be priceless...Which it was, but that's not the point at this particular moment...

Anyway so out I went...And I accosted him and told him that I had a confession to make, which made him look at me like he wasn't sure if he should be scared or amused...Probably both. (I'm not that bad am I? I know I tease, but I wasn't aware that I scare people that easily...) Anyway I proceeded to tell him that it's been about 2 1/2 months since I've been on Facebook...Which, oh Shannon I WISH you could've been there to see his face and the subsequent reaction...!! It was absolutely worth standing outside freezing to death because I forgot to take my coat with me when I went outside....I think I laughed for a good 10ish minutes...It was THAT priceless!! I actually managed to make the guy speechless...Granted it wasn't for long, but it's something. Or at least it's a start! Lol!

Anyway the conversation eventually went to the Jane Austen Facebook Groups that I'm a part of...And don't ask me how we got onto that subject....It's not exactly something you bring up to talk about to your guy friends, but hey! I remember how we got onto that subject! Michael, who was being Michael btw, mentioned that all the groups that he's a part of have something to do with fire arms...Which led me to mention that I have more refined taste....Albeit a more 18th century taste! ;-p So Jason started, we'll say "teasing" but it was more along the lines of "poking fun at" but in the end it's all the same basic thing so I don't care that much! Anyway

So he's going on about the different things that we'd talk about in that group....Which according to him, the height of which would be "talking about writing long letters on paper by hand" that's the gist of it anyway. But that was amusing, even though it led me to point out that what we talk about it wanting to meet guys like Mr. Darcy...And eventually to wonder why no one like Bingley....Anywho, then I said that we also talk about the guys we know who don't fit into that category, as in who doesn't count as a Mr. Darcy...Anyway Michael got it into his head that I was referring to current company....And in a way I was....Michael isn't a Darcy! lol! ROTFLOL!! ;-p but from a guy who absolutely refuses to be interested in what gals are interested in, or read the book, it's not really surprising. (Jason, just in case you were wondering I'm teasing Michael and I wasn't referring to either of you. Just to set the record straight) And they made a big show of being offended....Lol!!

Anyways! Sorry it took me so long to post this....My laptop froze halfway through and it took me a while to get it back up....that and I've had a horrible past couple of days...Shan, I really mean terrible! I swear if I keep getting stressed like I've been through this semester I'm going to get hospitalized or something...Like what happened with Jessie!

Jason, I did try to get it posted that night, Sunday night...But my laptop kinda was against it and then I had to study for an exam in my Chemistry class....The one that's a man-eating monster that also happens to be a vampire that wants to eat me and make me join its legion of the undead....

Game Show

So I'm in a class called Intro to Computer Applications...I wouldn't normally take a class like this, although I would call myself computer/technologically challenged. But I'm taking it for my major, or so I can graduate sometime this century. And it turns out I absolutely love the professor!! He's completely amazing...And I'm considering a minor just so that I can see him more often....Although I already know I wont go with it just because I do want to graduate sometime soon.

Moving along....

This class is like a game show that you take notes during. There's a server, I think he designed it and what not, that we have to interact with and do all the assignments and what not on...But it gives extra credit....And you can buy things with the extra credit...Which is amazing...Oh, and there aren't any exams...Just a quiz every 5 weeks...Can you see why I'm loving this?? Anyway the extra credit that you can get when you're one on one with the server also applies, in a sense, to class - which has like 400 students. The screen goes blank and then a cartoonized character comes on screen and it's extra credit time...Where music and fanfare and confetti and host of other things all come into play to completely embarrass the poor kid who gets picked...Of course the extra credit at the end helps!! I so can't wait till it's my turn....If I took anymore time writing about it I'd be here for a while....And then I'd miss homegroup!!.. So...until next time kids!!

Hopeless Romanticism or Realistic Rationalism?

Bill Ihde recently preached a series of messages on marriage. Not surprising since he's always been the family man...According to my mother anyway, I was WAY to young to remember any of it. And I've been stewing on it and mulling it over and I think I've finally come to a conclusion.

As a girl I spend time, granted it isn't all of my time but it is some, thinking about marriage and the whole nine yards. This shouldn't come as a surprise, anyone who has a sister or is a girl knows and has experience with this sort of thing. But I always just assumed that I'd end up marrying a knight in shining armour or a fabulously fabled prince who would just come out of nowhere and marry me and we'd live a magically and ridiculously unrealistic happily ever after. But I've come to realize that there isn't any realism in that kind of thinking. Sure it's cute and the kind of thing that you'd see in a Disney movie, but how and where does it play out in real life?

When I examine all the ideas and preconceptions that I've carried around about marriage and love and falling in love I really find that things aren't what I thought that they'd be. I don't mean that I have no idea or anything, just that the whole I guess "dream" about the way that I would want things to be ideally just isn't ideal. Actually I realize that it doesn't leave room for what really matters. Even as a Christian my "dream" of it all has been skewed by the way the world looks at things. Bill talked about how a man worthy of marrying would want to leave the girl he's interested in in a better place both with God and in everyday living than when he met her. He would change her for the better, whether or not he actually walked down the aisle with her. He would work with and on her like a garden and treat her like a precious thing that was worth not just protecting but being cherished. So many of us girls in this world haven't been cherished by anyone and the thought that we're worth cherishing and that we deserve and should be cherished hasn't even crossed our minds. But I guess this is just another instance where the Lord knows better than we do.

The kind of guy we ladies like is as different as we are, and that's ok. The interesting thing is that all girls are looking for someone who makes them feel like they're worth something not just because they're beautiful or attractive or an object of desire but because there is something about them, I think it's our souls whether or not the guy in question actually realizes it or not, that they see and can't help but find value and I don't know something special in. It's the ones that make you feel special that make the cut. Personally I believe that in those instances they're not just seeing us, they're seeing a part of God that is speaking to them and blowing their minds away. In Genesis it talks about how the creation of the world wasn't complete until God made woman. Ladies, we're the crown of creation, if it wasn't for us things wouldn't be "good" or complete. So I have to believe that being a hopeless romantic isn't such a bad thing after all. I'll leave off with a quote, from Hitch - which was a moderately ok movie, "Any man can sweep any woman off her feet, he just needs the right broom." Or in this case he needs to have the right idea of who to use the broom on!! ;-p