"Who says you are better than others? What do you have that was not given to you? And if it was given to you, why do you brag as if you did not receive it as a gift?" - Paul, 1st letter to the Corinthians, chapter 4, verse 7
I absolutely love this. It's like a spiritual punch to my ego. Absolutely everything I have, whether it be material possessions, a good family, loving friends, a healthy body, the opportunities for academics or traveling or careers has all been handed to me as a gift. I've worked hard to get where I am today, but the truth is I would have never gotten to where I am today if it had not been provided and given to me as a seed. I simply chose how I wanted it to grow.
Therefore, my accomplishments, whatever I may think of myself isn't about me, it's about what I've done with what I've been given. It's not about me at all.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Pretty classic, right?
I would like to start off by saying I love Captain Crunch. Plain, peanut butter crunch, but not the berry kind. Although I love it so intensely, I rarely buy it or get to eat it. This causes food dreams. I will have vivid dreams of me buying Captain Crunch, taking it home, pouring it out and munching and crunching away. The saddest part is waking up and realizing that I don't actually have any Captain Crunch.
So this morning I walk into my parent's kitchen and start searching through the cereal. We have plain Chex, Raisin Bran, some weird granola kind, a little bit of Frosted Flakes and something that my brother is eating at the counter.
"I wish we had Captain Crunch. Our cereal is all so... healthy."
"You could have some of this stuff!" Josh offers, holding up a container of cereal that looks like sugar glazed cocoa puffs with multicolored marshmallows in it. Looks like that cocoa puff bird had too much fun with Lucky charms the night before...
"Um, no. That looks like sugar overload. Ew. Thanks anyway. But no, really, have you ever had a dream where you eat one of your favorite foods and you wake up and realize that you actually don't have any?" I opt for combining Raisin Bran with the remains of Frosted Flakes. (Note: Not a bad combination. I must remember this in the future..)
"I don't think so. I tend to have more of the dreams where food eats me."
"What?"
"You know, like the whole, "THIS IS FOR OUR BRETHREN!!" thing? It's usually cupcakes." He explains, making a violent stabbing motion with his arm.
"I can honestly say I have never experienced a dream like that..."
"Oh. Well, I thought it was something that everyone dreamed of at some point. That's pretty classic, right?"
"Attack of the cupcakes?"
One can only wonder what else Josh dreams of...
So this morning I walk into my parent's kitchen and start searching through the cereal. We have plain Chex, Raisin Bran, some weird granola kind, a little bit of Frosted Flakes and something that my brother is eating at the counter.
"I wish we had Captain Crunch. Our cereal is all so... healthy."
"You could have some of this stuff!" Josh offers, holding up a container of cereal that looks like sugar glazed cocoa puffs with multicolored marshmallows in it. Looks like that cocoa puff bird had too much fun with Lucky charms the night before...
"Um, no. That looks like sugar overload. Ew. Thanks anyway. But no, really, have you ever had a dream where you eat one of your favorite foods and you wake up and realize that you actually don't have any?" I opt for combining Raisin Bran with the remains of Frosted Flakes. (Note: Not a bad combination. I must remember this in the future..)
"I don't think so. I tend to have more of the dreams where food eats me."
"What?"
"You know, like the whole, "THIS IS FOR OUR BRETHREN!!" thing? It's usually cupcakes." He explains, making a violent stabbing motion with his arm.
"I can honestly say I have never experienced a dream like that..."
"Oh. Well, I thought it was something that everyone dreamed of at some point. That's pretty classic, right?"
"Attack of the cupcakes?"
One can only wonder what else Josh dreams of...
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Provided
A kind employee of the coffee shop I visited Tuesday before going to my history class found my school ID and e-mailed me to let me know. She came in on her day off to leave it at the front counter for me to come and get at my leisure.
Got to love how I'm provided for.
(I'm almost 30% through this quarter. Soon I'll be 40% though. Then 50%. Exciting!)
Got to love how I'm provided for.
(I'm almost 30% through this quarter. Soon I'll be 40% though. Then 50%. Exciting!)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Optimism Struggle
Today I didn't get a chance to sit and think for more than 10 minutes at a time. I woke up at 7 and worked at a preschool from 8-12, then a group project at a library from 12-1, the homework from 1-2, then a brief lunch break and then more homework followed by a math class and quiz from 3:15-4:30, from 4:30-5:15 was more homework followed by history from 5:30-7:15, followed by trying to buy a book for one of my classes from 7-8, then getting dinner at 8:30, then working from 9-11.
In this time I have managed to lose my school ID (which I will have to replace asap, I've already deactivated it...) develop a very uncomfortable rash on one of my legs from a pair of jeans I have already broken in but for some reason decided to give me a rash today, and not accomplish all of the homework I need to have done by tomorrow. It wouldn't be that stressful except that I know tomorrow is actually going to be busier than today...
BUT: be anxious about nothing.
I'm telling myself that tomorrow will be better. I hope.
...Now I'm going to go make notecards for one of my presentations that I'm giving tomorrow in class. Eventually I'll schedule myself some time to sleep!
In this time I have managed to lose my school ID (which I will have to replace asap, I've already deactivated it...) develop a very uncomfortable rash on one of my legs from a pair of jeans I have already broken in but for some reason decided to give me a rash today, and not accomplish all of the homework I need to have done by tomorrow. It wouldn't be that stressful except that I know tomorrow is actually going to be busier than today...
BUT: be anxious about nothing.
I'm telling myself that tomorrow will be better. I hope.
...Now I'm going to go make notecards for one of my presentations that I'm giving tomorrow in class. Eventually I'll schedule myself some time to sleep!
Monday, January 19, 2009
I'll give you a hint!
I was at work the other day when the younger brother of the girl I do therapy with approached me as I was preparing to leave.
"Hello Beth!"
"Hi there! How are you?"
"Oh, I'm just great. I have a surprise for you!"
"Oh, really? What is it?"
"Well I can't tell you. Or else it wouldn't be a surprise."
"That makes sense."
"But I'll give you a hint! It's something that you can put in the book that you're reading so it will hold your place so you can shut your book... Then the next time you open it, you'll know what page you were on!"
"A bookmark?"
"No. Hold on, I'll go get it."
He runs into the kitchen and returns in a moment, holding a paper star and a paper rectangle covered in bright paints and glitter with ribbons tied to the top.
"See? The star is an ornament, because it's tied as a loop on the top. You hang it on your christmas tree. And this one is a bookmark!!"
"Thank you, I love it! But didn't I guess bookmark?"
"And I painted it myself! And I used the glitter! And it's for you! Merry christmas!!"
He's three years old. So ridiculously cute.
I love kids.
"Hello Beth!"
"Hi there! How are you?"
"Oh, I'm just great. I have a surprise for you!"
"Oh, really? What is it?"
"Well I can't tell you. Or else it wouldn't be a surprise."
"That makes sense."
"But I'll give you a hint! It's something that you can put in the book that you're reading so it will hold your place so you can shut your book... Then the next time you open it, you'll know what page you were on!"
"A bookmark?"
"No. Hold on, I'll go get it."
He runs into the kitchen and returns in a moment, holding a paper star and a paper rectangle covered in bright paints and glitter with ribbons tied to the top.
"See? The star is an ornament, because it's tied as a loop on the top. You hang it on your christmas tree. And this one is a bookmark!!"
"Thank you, I love it! But didn't I guess bookmark?"
"And I painted it myself! And I used the glitter! And it's for you! Merry christmas!!"
He's three years old. So ridiculously cute.
I love kids.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Proving Ghandi wrong
"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." - Ghandi
There are times when I can completely and totally agree with this statement... Which makes me really angry. I know that no one is perfect, and everyone will fail from time to time, but part of dedicating your life to Christ and calling yourself a Christ-follower is so other people can see Christ in you and the way you live your life and let it change you.
So come on, people, let's prove Ghandi wrong.
There are times when I can completely and totally agree with this statement... Which makes me really angry. I know that no one is perfect, and everyone will fail from time to time, but part of dedicating your life to Christ and calling yourself a Christ-follower is so other people can see Christ in you and the way you live your life and let it change you.
So come on, people, let's prove Ghandi wrong.
Monday, January 5, 2009
2009
Happy new year! I have some questions for you:
Do you believe in new year resolutions?
How do you feel about the game Apples to Apples?
Would you rather age backwards or forwards?
Do dreams have meaning?
What's the best flavor of Laffy Taffy?
Everything has multiple meanings depending on how you twist them. Example A
Hee hee.
In other news-
I turned 20 years old. Normally birthdays don't make me feel any different, but 20 is a little scary. It means I'm definitely not a teenager anymore. I'm not twenty-teen, I'm twenty. Not saying I'm old, but I know people who have gotten married, had babies, had full time jobs... You know you live in a fast paced world when you feel behind when you're only 20. I'm trying not to think about it. Here's the thing-
I've decided my first plan is to have no plan. The future is completely out of my hands, my control. By planning anything too far in advance is to assume I'm going to have some kind of control of my future. Not saying that making plans is bad, just saying that it's better to mentally prepare myself for if it doesn't work out. Example: To assume I'll have children one day is to assume I'll be married. But what if I never do? Cool. If I plan on getting married then I'll be super bummed out when I don't. All I'm saying is set the bar low for expectations, because then there will be little disappointment. Plus, who plans my future anyway? Me? Or someone that actually has my entire life, future, plans, everything in His hands?
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Because boy, it's certainly been a ride so far in 2009! I'll keep on keeping on, giving thanks for the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Do you believe in new year resolutions?
How do you feel about the game Apples to Apples?
Would you rather age backwards or forwards?
Do dreams have meaning?
What's the best flavor of Laffy Taffy?
Everything has multiple meanings depending on how you twist them. Example A
Hee hee.
In other news-
I turned 20 years old. Normally birthdays don't make me feel any different, but 20 is a little scary. It means I'm definitely not a teenager anymore. I'm not twenty-teen, I'm twenty. Not saying I'm old, but I know people who have gotten married, had babies, had full time jobs... You know you live in a fast paced world when you feel behind when you're only 20. I'm trying not to think about it. Here's the thing-
I've decided my first plan is to have no plan. The future is completely out of my hands, my control. By planning anything too far in advance is to assume I'm going to have some kind of control of my future. Not saying that making plans is bad, just saying that it's better to mentally prepare myself for if it doesn't work out. Example: To assume I'll have children one day is to assume I'll be married. But what if I never do? Cool. If I plan on getting married then I'll be super bummed out when I don't. All I'm saying is set the bar low for expectations, because then there will be little disappointment. Plus, who plans my future anyway? Me? Or someone that actually has my entire life, future, plans, everything in His hands?
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Because boy, it's certainly been a ride so far in 2009! I'll keep on keeping on, giving thanks for the good, the bad, and the ugly.
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