So I have been helping out with a homeless ministry on Friday nights at a place called The Bridge. It is a shelter and transitional housing facility here in Dalla. (It is about 3 minutes from where I live, less than 2 miles.) I have been a few times now and I really enjoy it, but I feel really overwhelmed also. The need they have is so great and I'm such a fixer. I just want to put my arms around them and tell them everything will be OK and then fix all their problems.
For example, I have befriended this one woman Elaine who is bipolar and either a current or former addict, I'm not sure yet. She asked me to pray for her jaw because someone beat her so bad on the street a couple of months ago they broke her jaw and the hospital put some sort of plate in it, but it has been giving her lots of pain. Another guy I met is Michael. Michael was military and got out and was a truck driver I believe. He lost everything because of prostitutes and strip clubs. He lost his wife, his job, his money, everything and now he is homeless. Michael now knows the Lord now and he knows he is where he is because of the choices he made, but the climb back up is hard, especially in our country's economic conditions. Then there is Jody. I love Jody. He looks just like Santa Claus. The kind of guy you just want to give a big hug. I won't go into it all because the list of Jody's problems is long, but Jody's mom was a prostitute and she didn't want him so she dropped him of with his grandparents. Shortly after that his grandfather died and his grandmother dropped him off at the local children's home because she didn't want him either. He did well at the children's home but they had to kick him out when he was 18. He has some sort of learning disability so he has the intelligence of about a 12 or 13 year old. He is obviously a former drunk. He just turned 50 and he looks like he is about 65 or 70. He has been looking for his sister for over 20 years. He goes back to the same house where she used to live every year and every year the family tells him they haven't seen her. He forgets that he went back the year before. I only know this because Wayne, the guys who started this ministry, told me. This is just a drop in the bucket of the people I serve and meet with on Friday nights. Just a drop! I could write pages on the stories I have heard of abuse, neglect, drugs, prostitution, rape, you name it, I have heard it now. My heart breaks for these people and I want to show them love, but it can be really overwhelming and I don't know what to say sometimes.
I was talking to Wayne about this one day and he made a very good point that I want to share with you. He said, "When people go on mission trips to let's say Africa and they go share the gospel with a local tribe that is living in huts, killing wild animals and eating them, practicing cannibalism, wearing nothing but some small cloths; they don't say oh these people need food and clothing. They say, these people need Jesus. It is the same with the homeless. They need Jesus." He is right. Jesus is the biggest need we all have whether we are homeless or rich. The gift of eternal life, the gift of a relationship with their Savior is something I can teach them about and share with them. Yes these people need lots of help, but ultimately they need Jesus and so I will continue to go and share with them. If you would like to check out this ministry or pray for them check out www.ourcalling.org. Wayne's wife posts the homeless prayer requests on there and you can read them and pray for them. I hope you will take the time to check it out. Our greatest need can only be filled by one thing, our Lord and Savior. Nothing else will fill it. Not money, food, a spouse, children, a boyfriend or girlfriend, clothes, drugs, a job, alcohol, sex. . . Nothing. Just Jesus.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Go!
I just love it when God's perfect timing smacks me in the face. It just makes me smile at how good He is and how easily we can forget that sometimes.
We are now starting the last third of this semester and in my BE (bible exposition) 101 course the first third was on Observation, the second third was Interpretation and this last third is about Application. Our professor was talking to us today about applying what we read and study in scripture to our lives. He reminded us that we should be different from the people we are ministering to, we should stand apart. We are examples of change that Jesus can do. He also reminded us that sometimes people know what scripture says, but don't know how to apply it to their lives and we need to be examples of that for them and aware of areas of our lives that we are not applying it. He made a great comment, he said, "if you are wondering what area of your life you are not applying scripture, just look at the cleanest pages in your bible". He went on to say that sometimes things are not always black and white and we should always be prayerful that we are staying in the will of God. If God calls you do something or to go somewhere and you don't listen and follow you are out of the will of God. He went on to give an example about when he came to this seminary and they would not allow blacks in. The seminary was biblical but not in the will of God. This is something we all need to be aware of. He also gave the example of people leaving church and telling the pastor that the sermon was great and then never doing anything about it. He said he gave a sermon one time about sharing the gospel with your neighbors and people in your community and this young couple told him they were convicted by it. So they went home, prayed about it and immediately walked across the street and invited their neighbors to dinner. A couple of weeks later they lead the entire family to Christ. This family continued to invite people over and lead hands full of families to Christ. This is such a reminder that we have a responsibility to share the truth with those around us. They may never hear it if we don't.
Here is where God's timing comes in. . .
After class I went to chapel and a young man spoke about what it means to live missionally. He made a great point that you don't have to go over seas and yes there is a need in your back yard, but that need does not always include people just like you. He made a joke about himself saying he was just looking for white, middle class, republicans. Then he gave stats on the number of Muslims living in Dallas and the number Asians and Russians and so on and so on. He made the good point that we feel safe in the comfort zone that we have created for ourselves. He really challenged us to pray and not just pray for missionaries, but to pray that God will be glorified and worshiped in south Dallas, the poorest area, North Dallas, the rich area, the Muslim area of town, that God will be glorified in parts of Northern India where they have not heard the gospel and parts of Saudi Arabia where we are not legally allowed to go. You get the idea. He made fun of all the excuses we make to not go and evangelize and it they do seem silly, but they are excuses we have all used including me. Then he talked about how if God is calling you to go overseas then listen. If you say to God I think that maybe you are calling me to Muslim Iraq, God may say that is wonderful that you have a heart for Muslims, but I really want you to go teach to them in northern India. Either way God will honor that desire. Maybe you have seen Monty Python and maybe you haven't, but in that movie there a group of knights called the knights who say ni. If you say the word "it" in front of these knights they run away into the bushes, (you really need to see the movie). He made a joke that if God says "Go" in front of a group of Christians they all run into the bushes. Then he challenged us (without knowing what we talked about in class) that if God is calling us somewhere and we aren't listening or aren't going then we are out of the will of God. It was a very convicting morning, but I loved it. I know my words are not doing my professor and the chapel speaker justice, but hopefully you get the point. If you are interested you can download the chapels off of the school's website. www.dts.edu. I hope this post ministers to you today.
We are now starting the last third of this semester and in my BE (bible exposition) 101 course the first third was on Observation, the second third was Interpretation and this last third is about Application. Our professor was talking to us today about applying what we read and study in scripture to our lives. He reminded us that we should be different from the people we are ministering to, we should stand apart. We are examples of change that Jesus can do. He also reminded us that sometimes people know what scripture says, but don't know how to apply it to their lives and we need to be examples of that for them and aware of areas of our lives that we are not applying it. He made a great comment, he said, "if you are wondering what area of your life you are not applying scripture, just look at the cleanest pages in your bible". He went on to say that sometimes things are not always black and white and we should always be prayerful that we are staying in the will of God. If God calls you do something or to go somewhere and you don't listen and follow you are out of the will of God. He went on to give an example about when he came to this seminary and they would not allow blacks in. The seminary was biblical but not in the will of God. This is something we all need to be aware of. He also gave the example of people leaving church and telling the pastor that the sermon was great and then never doing anything about it. He said he gave a sermon one time about sharing the gospel with your neighbors and people in your community and this young couple told him they were convicted by it. So they went home, prayed about it and immediately walked across the street and invited their neighbors to dinner. A couple of weeks later they lead the entire family to Christ. This family continued to invite people over and lead hands full of families to Christ. This is such a reminder that we have a responsibility to share the truth with those around us. They may never hear it if we don't.
Here is where God's timing comes in. . .
After class I went to chapel and a young man spoke about what it means to live missionally. He made a great point that you don't have to go over seas and yes there is a need in your back yard, but that need does not always include people just like you. He made a joke about himself saying he was just looking for white, middle class, republicans. Then he gave stats on the number of Muslims living in Dallas and the number Asians and Russians and so on and so on. He made the good point that we feel safe in the comfort zone that we have created for ourselves. He really challenged us to pray and not just pray for missionaries, but to pray that God will be glorified and worshiped in south Dallas, the poorest area, North Dallas, the rich area, the Muslim area of town, that God will be glorified in parts of Northern India where they have not heard the gospel and parts of Saudi Arabia where we are not legally allowed to go. You get the idea. He made fun of all the excuses we make to not go and evangelize and it they do seem silly, but they are excuses we have all used including me. Then he talked about how if God is calling you to go overseas then listen. If you say to God I think that maybe you are calling me to Muslim Iraq, God may say that is wonderful that you have a heart for Muslims, but I really want you to go teach to them in northern India. Either way God will honor that desire. Maybe you have seen Monty Python and maybe you haven't, but in that movie there a group of knights called the knights who say ni. If you say the word "it" in front of these knights they run away into the bushes, (you really need to see the movie). He made a joke that if God says "Go" in front of a group of Christians they all run into the bushes. Then he challenged us (without knowing what we talked about in class) that if God is calling us somewhere and we aren't listening or aren't going then we are out of the will of God. It was a very convicting morning, but I loved it. I know my words are not doing my professor and the chapel speaker justice, but hopefully you get the point. If you are interested you can download the chapels off of the school's website. www.dts.edu. I hope this post ministers to you today.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Give Thanks!
I have been reminded a lot lately from different things going on around campus to give thanks in all things and I wanted to share that. We have a student led night of worship once a month and one student shared about being thankful for just the breaths that we breath. Genesis 2:7 says, "And the Lord God formed a man's body from the dust of the ground and breathed into it the breath of life. And the man became a living person." God has breathed life into each of us and we can wake up each morning and breath in and out because it is His will. We are so quick to ask where God is when something bad happens, but yet we don't look for Him in everyday blessings. When something tragic happens like a plane crashing people always ask, "where is God". Well what about giving thanks to God for the hundreds of plans that land safely each and everyday. God is in that just as much as the tragedy, and while we can't always see what He is doing through tragedy, He is there; and we should look for him and praise Him just as much in those situations as we do in the good.
Another student spoke in chapel this morning and gave a brief testimony about his life. He is a quadriplegic now because of a bad decision he made and he just went on and on about all the blessings in life. How God has used him and blessed him. He was not at our night of worship, so without knowing what the other student spoke of, he challenged us to give thanks for every breath we have. He confessed that sometimes the day will almost end before he talks to God and yet God is the reason he was able to get up and live that day. In our flesh and in our selfishness we think our days belong to us, but they are really precious, precious gifts. The Bible says in all things give thanks and I'm just as guilty as anyone else for not doing that. I ask for blessings all the time, but then don't always say thank you for the ones I already have. I am so thankful that my Father has given me breath and allowed me to live another day on this planet and I hope you are too. Be blessed and feel blessed, because we all are!
Another student spoke in chapel this morning and gave a brief testimony about his life. He is a quadriplegic now because of a bad decision he made and he just went on and on about all the blessings in life. How God has used him and blessed him. He was not at our night of worship, so without knowing what the other student spoke of, he challenged us to give thanks for every breath we have. He confessed that sometimes the day will almost end before he talks to God and yet God is the reason he was able to get up and live that day. In our flesh and in our selfishness we think our days belong to us, but they are really precious, precious gifts. The Bible says in all things give thanks and I'm just as guilty as anyone else for not doing that. I ask for blessings all the time, but then don't always say thank you for the ones I already have. I am so thankful that my Father has given me breath and allowed me to live another day on this planet and I hope you are too. Be blessed and feel blessed, because we all are!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Baptism
Yesterday was such an amazing day. One of those times where I'm so thankful to be here even though I'm far from my family and loved ones. It was pretty much a typical day for a student, I took an exam, went to work and came home to do some laundry. The laundry room is on the second floor of our building, so while I was waiting for my clothes I was hanging out in the study area (we call it the living room) with some of my fellow Washington Hall residents; and after a few minutes two more of my friends, Mike and Dylan, two very sweet and amazingly Godly men, came by and they looked absolutely giddy, almost like school girls. They probably wouldn't like it if they knew I was explaining it that way, but I think it is the best description. Well, needless to say we asked them what was up and in turn they asked us if we wanted to go to a baptism. Of course I was like "heck yeah I do"! :) So we grabbed our cameras and headed down to the building pool for a baptism.
Earlier in the evening a group of the guys were sort of having a guys night. They had dinner together and some serious talks about the Lord and the church and life. Part of this deep conversation was about baptism and two of the guys in the group shared that they had never been baptized. They both grew up Catholic and so they had the water sprinkled on them as babies, but never submerged. After talking it through they prayed about it as a group and after the prayer they decided why not do it tonight, they had access to the pool and Dylan happened to be the baptism pastor at his old church. They felt led by the Holy Spirit and so they listened.
Down at the pool we all gathered in a circle and prayed over the guys and then they each shared a brief testimony. After that they got into the cold pool water (it has actually been cool here at night) and Dylan baptized them. After a round of hugs we sang praises to Jesus and then went inside for some celebratory snacks and fellowship.
I was so honored to be a part of that event in their lives. It was so cool to see them light up with the love of Jesus. I know my words are not expressing what an amazing evening it was, but hopefully it gives you a little taste of how great God is. Everyday I'm a little more thankful that I'm here and this definitely added to that feeling. I'm so grateful God has given me this time to process, learn and grow while surrounded by some amazing, amazing people. After Chris, one of the guys that got baptized, got out of the pool he said, "we are a family here and let us not just pass by each other with a hello in the elevator, but let us be real and hold each other accountable and share in each others trials and triumphs". He went on some more, but that is the kind of community that God has blessed me with for this time and I could not be more thankful. I am deeply humbled by how great He is.
Earlier in the evening a group of the guys were sort of having a guys night. They had dinner together and some serious talks about the Lord and the church and life. Part of this deep conversation was about baptism and two of the guys in the group shared that they had never been baptized. They both grew up Catholic and so they had the water sprinkled on them as babies, but never submerged. After talking it through they prayed about it as a group and after the prayer they decided why not do it tonight, they had access to the pool and Dylan happened to be the baptism pastor at his old church. They felt led by the Holy Spirit and so they listened.
Down at the pool we all gathered in a circle and prayed over the guys and then they each shared a brief testimony. After that they got into the cold pool water (it has actually been cool here at night) and Dylan baptized them. After a round of hugs we sang praises to Jesus and then went inside for some celebratory snacks and fellowship.
I was so honored to be a part of that event in their lives. It was so cool to see them light up with the love of Jesus. I know my words are not expressing what an amazing evening it was, but hopefully it gives you a little taste of how great God is. Everyday I'm a little more thankful that I'm here and this definitely added to that feeling. I'm so grateful God has given me this time to process, learn and grow while surrounded by some amazing, amazing people. After Chris, one of the guys that got baptized, got out of the pool he said, "we are a family here and let us not just pass by each other with a hello in the elevator, but let us be real and hold each other accountable and share in each others trials and triumphs". He went on some more, but that is the kind of community that God has blessed me with for this time and I could not be more thankful. I am deeply humbled by how great He is.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Spiritual Formation
Some of you may know this already and some of you not, but it is required of us, in order to graduate DTS, to complete 4 semesters of Spiritual Formation. This is essentially a small group. We meet once a week for about an hour and a half. There are 7 of us in my group and it is all women. At first I did not want to do this. See we don't get credit for it and I was a little erked, if you will, that they would add something else to our list of requirements that fill our schedule and not give us credit for it. Oh yeah, did I mention we don't get credit for it. I guess you could say I had a poor attitude about it. Well as usually happens when I have that kind of attitude, I was wrong, and for those of you who know me well, you know that is not something I like to admit ;) .
Today was the second time I have met with my group and again I throughly enjoyed it. We have a good range of ages and definitely a huge mix of backgrounds, but that is what makes this group so perfect. I can totally see how God brought this group together and I'm so thankful for that. These women are already challenging and stretching me in such a good way. I know I'm going to learn a lot from them this semester and I'm just so excited to see what God does with our group.
I will share just a little of what we talked about today. (Nothing personal because confidentiality is part of our covenant.) At the end of our hour our group leader asked us to think of our "happy place". The place that just makes you feel at peace and closer to God. The place that brings rest to your soul. Do you have a place in mind yet? Go ahead and get one. . . . . .
Did you ever notice that when asked this question most people pick a place outdoors? Nobody ever says that their special place is in the bathroom or in the kitchen. Now it may be on a porch or near a window, but usually it is some place in nature, some part of God's creation such as near the ocean, in the mountains, on a lake, looking at the stars, etc. . . It is usually some place where we are in awe of God's creation. Now think about the fact that above all these things You, man, is God's crowning creation. We are His greatest work. Think about that for a second and how amazing that is.
Yes we have fallen short of God originally intended us to be because of sin, but that is why as Christians it is our goal to be more like Christ. He was perfection and without sin. this is our spiritual formation, our growth, our goal to be like Christ. The problem is the more we study and grow closer to God, we realize how amazing, how wonderful, how maginificant Christ is and that there is a huge gap between where we are and where we strive to be. Even with that gap, God still loves us and still considers us His crowning creation. Pretty awesome to think about. What an amazing love.
So for this first semester of Spiritual Formation we are talking about Identity. Our Identity in Christ. And I will write more as I grow and learn. That's all for now. Don't want to be late for class. :)
Today was the second time I have met with my group and again I throughly enjoyed it. We have a good range of ages and definitely a huge mix of backgrounds, but that is what makes this group so perfect. I can totally see how God brought this group together and I'm so thankful for that. These women are already challenging and stretching me in such a good way. I know I'm going to learn a lot from them this semester and I'm just so excited to see what God does with our group.
I will share just a little of what we talked about today. (Nothing personal because confidentiality is part of our covenant.) At the end of our hour our group leader asked us to think of our "happy place". The place that just makes you feel at peace and closer to God. The place that brings rest to your soul. Do you have a place in mind yet? Go ahead and get one. . . . . .
Did you ever notice that when asked this question most people pick a place outdoors? Nobody ever says that their special place is in the bathroom or in the kitchen. Now it may be on a porch or near a window, but usually it is some place in nature, some part of God's creation such as near the ocean, in the mountains, on a lake, looking at the stars, etc. . . It is usually some place where we are in awe of God's creation. Now think about the fact that above all these things You, man, is God's crowning creation. We are His greatest work. Think about that for a second and how amazing that is.
Yes we have fallen short of God originally intended us to be because of sin, but that is why as Christians it is our goal to be more like Christ. He was perfection and without sin. this is our spiritual formation, our growth, our goal to be like Christ. The problem is the more we study and grow closer to God, we realize how amazing, how wonderful, how maginificant Christ is and that there is a huge gap between where we are and where we strive to be. Even with that gap, God still loves us and still considers us His crowning creation. Pretty awesome to think about. What an amazing love.
So for this first semester of Spiritual Formation we are talking about Identity. Our Identity in Christ. And I will write more as I grow and learn. That's all for now. Don't want to be late for class. :)
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Conviction
If you have ever felt convicted by the Holy Spirit then you know how powerful it can be. The last couple sessions of my BE 101 class (Bible Study Methods) have been some of the most convicting moments in my life. My professor is about 80 years old and one of the wisest, loving men I have ever met. He has a huge heart for the Lord and for the word (and for his students). I look forward to attending his class because I know he is going to share not only practical and proven methods of bible study, but also his heart and his life experience.
The last couple of weeks he has had us focus on Acts 1:8 so we can practice the principles of Bible study we are learning class. I think he also chose this particular verse because of the message. If you were to try and summarize the book of Acts, you could easily say that it is primarily about 3 things. 1. Christ going up - ascension. 2. The Holy Spirit coming down - gift from God. 3. The church going out - Christ calling the apostles (and us) to go out as witnesses. Acts 1:8 says that we will receive something, the Holy Spirit, and we will be something, witnesses. We will be Christ's personal representatives to all the inhabited parts of the earth.
After Christ tells the apostles to go be his witnesses, he tells them where to start. He tells them to start in Jerusalem. That is exactly where the apostles were when Jesus was speaking to them. Begin where you are. This was so convicting for me because I thought who have I shared the gospel with that is in my everyday life. Have I had that difficult conversation about who Jesus is with the people I love the most? What about the people I interact with daily? Will they know the love of the Father, the freedom of a life in Christ, will they know grace? Why is it so scary to do this? Jesus said the Holy Spirit will come and inhabit us and give us the power. So as Prof said today and as I have written in my notes: Why be scared to share your faith. The Holy Spirit will do it through you. Trust Him!
The last couple of weeks he has had us focus on Acts 1:8 so we can practice the principles of Bible study we are learning class. I think he also chose this particular verse because of the message. If you were to try and summarize the book of Acts, you could easily say that it is primarily about 3 things. 1. Christ going up - ascension. 2. The Holy Spirit coming down - gift from God. 3. The church going out - Christ calling the apostles (and us) to go out as witnesses. Acts 1:8 says that we will receive something, the Holy Spirit, and we will be something, witnesses. We will be Christ's personal representatives to all the inhabited parts of the earth.
After Christ tells the apostles to go be his witnesses, he tells them where to start. He tells them to start in Jerusalem. That is exactly where the apostles were when Jesus was speaking to them. Begin where you are. This was so convicting for me because I thought who have I shared the gospel with that is in my everyday life. Have I had that difficult conversation about who Jesus is with the people I love the most? What about the people I interact with daily? Will they know the love of the Father, the freedom of a life in Christ, will they know grace? Why is it so scary to do this? Jesus said the Holy Spirit will come and inhabit us and give us the power. So as Prof said today and as I have written in my notes: Why be scared to share your faith. The Holy Spirit will do it through you. Trust Him!
Friday, September 4, 2009
What is Beauty?
One of the classes I'm taking here at DTS is entitled A Christian View of Art. This class begins at 7:45 am and it is on Friday mornings and last for two and half hours. You would think one would need lots of coffee to make it through such a course. So far it has proved to be the exact opposite.
We had a very interesting conversation in class today about Aesthetics and I wanted to share it with you. What makes something beautiful or aesthetically pleasing. I study done by the University of Texas Austin showed that young children (with no influence of culture yet) from all around the world smiled or enjoyed the same set of images. The one thing these images all had in common was symmetry. We know from the Word that God is beautiful (Psalm 27:4, just to give one example). His beauty is the symmetry of all his attributes: omnipresent, omnipotent, eternal, loving, patient, just, merciful, gracious, etc. . . We also know that God created us in his image. Everything he creates reveals His character, something of who He is. Therefore by definition we are creative, all of us. Making choices is a creative act. Difference is God created from nothing and we create from what exists. Ideally we should create in what reveals His nature and character. We should create with Integrity - what is true to it's creator.
This inevitably brought up the discussion of pornography. I was glad that it did because it always makes me angry when people say that pornography cannot be defined. (I'm pretty sure I know what it is when I see it. ) Our professor gave a very good definition of pornography that I don't believe most people are aware of. . .
Porno in Greek means evil, wrong or a "lie". Graphy means to write or portray. Therefore one could safely say that pornography is the portrayal of a lie. It is not the naked body part, it is the lie the work portrays that makes it pornography. Statues of Greek nudes are considered works of beauty, afterall the human form is beauty. It is not a lie. It was created by God. Pornography creates the lie that this relationship is free, it's available, it is self-indulgent. Beauty is found in truth. Pornography violates the truth God has set in place.
This inevitably brought up the discussion of vulgarity. If you are an actor playing a non-fictional character who always used "swear words", isn't it truth then to keep those words in your performance. Hollywood I believe takes this too far and uses this type of language for a shock value, but there can be truth there and in turn beauty in that performance.
This inevitably turned to a discussion of, is a Christian going against what they believe in playing a certain role or using language like this in a song, story or poem? Our professor suggested that there is a reason that Harry Potter was more successful than the Left Behind series. Left Behind classified people as either good or bad, which is not usually the case. Harry Potter deals with real human emotions and real struggles humans have. The classic good vs. evil. So this resonates with us. We have to be careful not to put ourselves or things into the "safe category" or as we like to call it the "Christian category". There is truth in art and truth comes from the Father. I heard Donald Miller speak once and it really stuck with me when he asked, "When did Christian become an adjective?". Anything that is good or true or just or right or beautiful comes from the Father not just those items which are labeled "Christian".
We finished with this and I'm sure we will continue these topics more and I will keep you updated. But our final notes this class period were as follows. . .
If we are a reflection of God himself (imago dei) with a capacity for creativity that imitates His then
- to exercise creativity is a spiritual act.
- the evaluation of creativity is a spiritual act.
- the appreciation of creativity is a spiritual act.
because each enhances or demeans the spiritual act.
Sadly, class had ended at this point. I'm sure we will discuss more next week.
We had a very interesting conversation in class today about Aesthetics and I wanted to share it with you. What makes something beautiful or aesthetically pleasing. I study done by the University of Texas Austin showed that young children (with no influence of culture yet) from all around the world smiled or enjoyed the same set of images. The one thing these images all had in common was symmetry. We know from the Word that God is beautiful (Psalm 27:4, just to give one example). His beauty is the symmetry of all his attributes: omnipresent, omnipotent, eternal, loving, patient, just, merciful, gracious, etc. . . We also know that God created us in his image. Everything he creates reveals His character, something of who He is. Therefore by definition we are creative, all of us. Making choices is a creative act. Difference is God created from nothing and we create from what exists. Ideally we should create in what reveals His nature and character. We should create with Integrity - what is true to it's creator.
This inevitably brought up the discussion of pornography. I was glad that it did because it always makes me angry when people say that pornography cannot be defined. (I'm pretty sure I know what it is when I see it. ) Our professor gave a very good definition of pornography that I don't believe most people are aware of. . .
Porno in Greek means evil, wrong or a "lie". Graphy means to write or portray. Therefore one could safely say that pornography is the portrayal of a lie. It is not the naked body part, it is the lie the work portrays that makes it pornography. Statues of Greek nudes are considered works of beauty, afterall the human form is beauty. It is not a lie. It was created by God. Pornography creates the lie that this relationship is free, it's available, it is self-indulgent. Beauty is found in truth. Pornography violates the truth God has set in place.
This inevitably brought up the discussion of vulgarity. If you are an actor playing a non-fictional character who always used "swear words", isn't it truth then to keep those words in your performance. Hollywood I believe takes this too far and uses this type of language for a shock value, but there can be truth there and in turn beauty in that performance.
This inevitably turned to a discussion of, is a Christian going against what they believe in playing a certain role or using language like this in a song, story or poem? Our professor suggested that there is a reason that Harry Potter was more successful than the Left Behind series. Left Behind classified people as either good or bad, which is not usually the case. Harry Potter deals with real human emotions and real struggles humans have. The classic good vs. evil. So this resonates with us. We have to be careful not to put ourselves or things into the "safe category" or as we like to call it the "Christian category". There is truth in art and truth comes from the Father. I heard Donald Miller speak once and it really stuck with me when he asked, "When did Christian become an adjective?". Anything that is good or true or just or right or beautiful comes from the Father not just those items which are labeled "Christian".
We finished with this and I'm sure we will continue these topics more and I will keep you updated. But our final notes this class period were as follows. . .
If we are a reflection of God himself (imago dei) with a capacity for creativity that imitates His then
- to exercise creativity is a spiritual act.
- the evaluation of creativity is a spiritual act.
- the appreciation of creativity is a spiritual act.
because each enhances or demeans the spiritual act.
Sadly, class had ended at this point. I'm sure we will discuss more next week.
Friday, August 28, 2009
1st down!
Today I finished my first week at school. I'm exhausted, but I made it through the first week! As my mom and I would say, I made a first down. Being from the south we are of course football fans, so it seemed like the perfect metaphor. My mom definitely won her game when she graduated from nursing school this summer. I'm just looking to make it to the end of the 1st quarter at this point. That would be the end of the semester for those of you who are not catching on. ;)
I'm starting to learn my way around and I really like this city. My heart is still currently with Atlanta, but there are some good things I can say about this place.
Classes went really well. I really like all of my professors and I really like that they each begin class with a prayer. Really puts you in the right frame of mind. Also, my professors are really funny. Neat individuals who really love the Lord and who are extremely intelligent; I look forward to getting to know them more. I have read more in the last week than I have all summer! I think I may need glasses because by Thursday night I thought my head would explode if I looked at another book or computer screen. I should start working this week so it will be interesting to see how I balance all of that. I know the Lord is good and He will provide.
I know this is short, but I just wanted to give a quick update. I will write more later because I'm definitely learning a lot and have a lot more to share. :)
Jill
I'm starting to learn my way around and I really like this city. My heart is still currently with Atlanta, but there are some good things I can say about this place.
Classes went really well. I really like all of my professors and I really like that they each begin class with a prayer. Really puts you in the right frame of mind. Also, my professors are really funny. Neat individuals who really love the Lord and who are extremely intelligent; I look forward to getting to know them more. I have read more in the last week than I have all summer! I think I may need glasses because by Thursday night I thought my head would explode if I looked at another book or computer screen. I should start working this week so it will be interesting to see how I balance all of that. I know the Lord is good and He will provide.
I know this is short, but I just wanted to give a quick update. I will write more later because I'm definitely learning a lot and have a lot more to share. :)
Jill
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Night before Orientation
Well my mom just pulled out of the parking lot and I cried like a little baby. This is crazy, I'm 30 years old and crying because my mom left. Everyone here has been so so nice since I moved in and I know I'll feel much better once everything gets rolling, I just feel like a little kid without their mommy right now. Uhhhh, why do we have to grow up?! This is a little harder transition than I thought. I didn't realize how comfortable I had become in Alpharetta. :) Like my Mom said though, "the Lord brought me to it and the Lord will get me through it". BTW - Thanks everyone for your encouraging posts/comments. They help more than you know. Oh, and I found out today that I can't wear jeans to class! I about had a heart attack. I am a jeans girl. When I packed for this move I thought, "I won't need dress clothes. I'm a student, all I'll need is jeans and t-shirts". Nope, I was wrong. Oh well, guess I will need to go shopping. That will make me feel better. :) It will boost the economy a little more as well. Not that we didn't do enough of that driving out here, buying books and filling my apartment with just about everything you can get from Target. Thank you God for Super Target. What a wonderful place. :) My apartment is smaller than what I am used to, but it is very cute. I couldn't have gotten it all set up without my mom. She was amazing! I'll take some pictures so I can post them later. I live in a building that is all singles and it is right across the street from campus. Campus is small as well, but very pretty. I'm glad since this is my home away from home for the next two years.
Well orientation starts tomorrow at 8am sharp so I better get some sleep. Night all.
Well orientation starts tomorrow at 8am sharp so I better get some sleep. Night all.
Friday, August 14, 2009
1 Day Out
Well it finally hit me tonight that I'm actually leaving. I have been trying so hard not to cry, but tonight I just couldn't help myseft anymore. I did cry some at the gym saying goodbye to the kids, but tonight was a real hard cry. You know the kind where you make sound while crying. I don't know why it hit me then. I guess because in less than 24 hours my life is going to completely change. New friends, new home, new city, new job, etc. . . I'm not going to lie, I'm nervous. I'm nervous about my knowledge of the bible, about studying and writing papers and being the only one in class who doesn't know the answer. Ahhhh. . . I feel like a kid again. I know that is just dumb insecurity, but still it's there. Keep my mom and I in your prayers as we drive. I'll write more once we get there.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
10 Days Out!
So ten days from now I will be pulling out of my driveway to head to Dallas, Texas. Everyone keeps asking me if I am excited and I am, but it all feels so surreal! I don't feel like I won't be in Atlanta in two weeks. I've been here my whole life so this is all I know really, other than my few years at Clemson. I'm so excited for change and new experiences, but I'm scared too. Scared I won't do well or won't know enough or won't fit in. I know that is not from the Lord and I know without a doubt He is leading me this direction, these are just my insecurities coming out.
My going away party is this weekend at my sister's house. I'm so grateful to her for doing all this for me and I love parties (especially ones for me ;)), but this will be bittersweet. I have felt so loved from everyone this summer wanting to spend time with me and this will be like the last horrah. It will sort of make it more official. I know my mom is reading this and dreading me leaving along with a few others, (Alisa & Thea) not to mention any names ;), and I love them for it! It will be hard to say goodbye, but we all know that November will come fast and I'll be home for Thanksgiving. :) And then a few weeks and home again for Christmas. :) This summer has been so great and I have really truly enjoyed working at the church and spending my last few precious weeks with the kids at the gym, but I feel a calm/peace about this move. So it will be hard and I am nervous/anxious, but it's time and it's right. I'll write more once I get to Texas. For now, just want everyone reading this to know how much I appreciate them!
Much love,
Jill
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