A Life That's Good

This song was on the most recent episode of Nashville (don't judge me -- someone's got to watch it..) and I really liked the lyrics so I thought I'd share them with ya'll (see how the show rubs off on me. oh dear.) Also, if you get a chance you should look up the video of it, it's by Lennon and Maisy: two very talented young sisters :)

A Life That's Good

Sitting here tonight

By the fire light

It reminds me I already have

More than I should

I don’t need a thing

No one to know my name

At the end of the day

Lord, I pray:

“I have a life that’s good.”

Two arms around me

Ever to ground me

And family that always calls me home

Four wheels to get there

Enough love to share

And a sweet, sweet song

At the end of the day,

Lord, I pray:

“I have a life that’s good.”

The Precipice

There she stood, 

just a short distance from the edge, 

the gentle breeze dancing through her hair

as she breathed deep 

and let the smell of the salty ocean fill her lungs.

She could see the vast horizon stretched out before her, 

the seagulls playing games on the wind.

She thought of all the time it had taken her to get to this point. 

Each step and every stumble that had made up the road that brought her to this place.

A few more steps and she would reach the precipice

and be standing at the edge: 

ahead of her the vastness of the ocean 

and the endlessness of the sky.

Then there will be no more questions or choices;

she has only one thing left to do, 

the outcome the only uncertainty.  

She imaged that when she leaped 

she would submerge gracefully into the cool waters below;

feeling the freshness of it as the current gently guided her. 

But there was a chance, 

however small, 

that she would hit upon the rocks. 

That it would all have been for naught.

There she stood, 

those few small steps from the cliff edge, 

and she knew that the outcome no longer mattered. 

Every step and misstep will have been worth it

if only for those few brief moments after stepping off the edge

The moments she’ll feel like she is flying.

  

My end, not my means.

Sometimes I lose sight of who God is. I make Him smaller in my mind. Too often I am guilty of using God as a means to an end, rather than seeing Him as my ultimate goal.

This past Sunday, the sermon reminded me of how often we take everything that God has to offer but leave Him standing alone. The passage we read was from Acts 8:18-23. In this passage Simon asks Peter if he can buy the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter answers Simon saying that he has “no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

It is so wrong for us to pursue God solely for the gifts that He so lovingly gives us. And this goes beyond physical gifts and prosperity. If you pursue God just to get that lovey-dovey feeling you are equally guilty of using God as a means to an end.

I have often heard it said that the Bible is God’s love letter written to us. While this may be true, the danger of looking at the Bible that way is that we make it all about ourselves. If it’s a love letter to me it should make me feel good and should always apply to what I’m feeling and going through. That is the wrong way to look at the Bible. We should be reading the Bible as a form of worship. Reading it to come closer to our God and Creator. Reading it to know Him more deeply and intimately.

I want to finish this post with some of the notes I took during the sermon on Sunday, and to remind you that I am not trying to condemn anyone: I am equally, if not more, guilty of using God for my own personal gain rather than for the pure joy of knowing Him and being in His presence.

Notes:

"If you come to Jesus for what He can give and not for Him, you are not a true Christian. Don’t treat God like your witch doctor to get what you really want. HE should be your heart’s greatest treasure."

Judgey McJudgerson

This video has been receiving quite a lot of views over the past few weeks and it’s not surprising why.  One of the women in the clip, Katie, is going on about why she judges children based on their names. Everyone else in the room is quite simply shocked and astounded (might I say disgusted?!) by her conviction that this is a reasonable thing to do. How could you possibly find it reasonable to judge children based on their names?!

What I find interesting is that, while in this situation people are so against judging others because of their names, and by extension their class in society, there are still so many people who find it perfectly acceptable to judge people based on their skin color, religion, sexual orientation, etc.  

The poll taken in the clip shows that only 9% of the viewers agree with Katie and think you should judge a person by their name. And while, thankfully, 9% is a low number, it is still 1 in 10 people judging people based on their names. That's too many for a debate as straightforward as this! What if the question was: “Is it alright to judge someone based on their Ethnicity? Or Religion? Or Sexual Orientation?” What would the results look like? It’s a bit worrying.

I’m not really sure what I’m trying to say with this blog. I think I’m just shocked that there are even people like this out there who so firmly hold to their beliefs about judging people they don’t even know for arbitrary things. If you look through the comments it’s clear that people are not too pleased with Katie and her stance. I guess the Bible verse rings true: “Judge not, lest ye be judged” (Matt 7:1). 

Foie Gras

I don’t agree with foie gras. It is goose or duck liver that has been “specially fattened” by forcing mass amounts of food down the bird’s throat in order for its liver to grow to an abnormal size. I just don’t like the idea of having things shoved down your throat for any reason.

Sometimes when I feel really passionate about something I will really hammer it home. I’ll go on and on about why what I think is right and why others should agree with me. It’s a terrible habit and one that I’m sure we have all been guilty of at one time or another. We become similar to the farmers who shove so much down the poor bird’s throat that it causes the bird incredible discomfort.

It can be really hard to not go overboard when you feel strongly about something, especially if that something has brought you great joy and has changed your life for the better. But you have to be considerate of the other person’s feelings. Yes, what you have to say might be true and it might even be helpful to the other person, but you have to present it in the right way.

I am certain that if the same food was laid out in front of the geese and ducks they would gladly nibble away at it. It is good food, and their bodies need the nutrients.  The change to their bodies might not come as quickly as it would through force, but the change will come, in a better and healthier way. They are hungry for it, but you have to let them come to it on their own terms.

As Christians we are told to spread the gospel. The good news. However, sometimes we get so excited about sharing this good news that we forget to take into consideration the feelings of those we are sharing the news with. You can’t force it on people. It doesn’t work that way. I think one of the best ways to share the good news is simply by being an example of Christ to people. By loving them for who they are, where they are. And when people start to get hungry for what you have, then you can start to share your faith with them in portions that they can handle and digest.

I don’t agree with foie gras. I do agree with loving people.

An excerpt.

"Will you come with me to the mountains? It will hurt at first, until your feet are hardened. Reality is harsh to the feet of shadows. But will you come?"

"Well, that is a plan. I am perfectly ready to consider it. Of course I should require some assurances... I should want a guarantee that you are taking me to a place where I shall find a wider sphere of usefulness - and scope for the talents that God has given me - and an atmosphere of free inquiry - in short, all that one means by civilisation and - er - the spiritual life."

"No," said the other. "I can promise you none of these things. No sphere of usefulness: you are not needed there at all. No scope for your talents: only forgiveness for having perverted them. No atmosphere of inquire, for I will bring you to the land not of questions but of answers, and you shall see the face of God."

-The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis

Blue Collar

I admire those who work hard every day.

Those whose hands are strong and stained with dirt.

Those who commit their entire lives to their trade.

Those who take the time to hone their craft and skill.

There is something almost romantic about the life of a farmer or butcher.

The life of a carpenter or baker.

Of a fisherman or railroad worker.

I suppose the lives of these individuals remind me of a simpler time, a more honest time.

A time in which people were proud of their craft and it wasn’t all about the money.

It was about being passionate about what you do and giving it your all.

It’s been said that people underestimate the benefits of good old manual labor. 

Some of the happiest people in the world, go home smelling to high heaven at the end of the day. 

I believe that’s true. 

Perhaps someday I will experience it for myself. 

But not yet. I still have too much of the world to see...

It's okay to not have it all figured out.

"Relax. You will figure out your career. You will find someone who loves you. You have a whole lifetime; time takes time. The only way to fail at life is to abstain."

- Johanna de Silentio

There seems to be so much pressure these days for people to have their lives figured out. What career are you going to have? Where are you going to live? How are you going to pay for anything and everything? Luckily, I learned from a fairly young age that it is okay to not have it all figured out. Sometimes it’s even okay to not have any of it figured out. Just relax, you’ll cross that bridge when you come to it.

More and more articles and books have started appearing on the topic of this being a generation that will have multiple careers throughout a lifetime. And even now, my father sits at the kitchen table reworking on his résumé as he prepares to take a new direction in his life. I find it admirable and brave. Who wants to do the same job for their whole life anyway? We need that adventure every now and again: to see the world from a new perspective, to learn new things, and to take a risk.

Can it be scary? Yes. Can it be intimidating to not have it all figured out? Yes. But whenever the anxiety of it all catches hold of me I remind myself that I’m not really in control anyway. It’s all in God’s hands and I know that He has a plan for me. Plus, if He wants something to happen it usually will, regardless of what I do. And with that understanding and trust comes a lot of freedom. Besides, as long as I have God by my side not much else matters anyway.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

- Jeremiah 29:11

Good Riddance

Spring has come, and while for most people this might mean spring-cleaning, for college and university students it means moving. 

At the end of the spring semester we all pack up our belongings and move out of our dorms, either back home or to an apartment or to go travel the world. This process goes hand in hand with something that I have become quite fond of and think everyone should do at least once a year.

A purging.  (or cleansing if you prefer.)

At the end of every school year I riffle through all my cupboards and drawers and find mass amounts of papers, party favors, mementos, etc. that have somehow accumulated within the span of eight months. While some of these things are worth keeping for memory-sake, most end up going to recycling, good will, or the trash.  The thought that I somehow gathered all of this stuff within just a few short months is mind-boggling and I’m so happy that I have a chance at least once a year to get rid of it all.

I don’t know if this is just me, but sometimes I hate having any stuff at all. It’s just a bother. And most of the time it just sits there taking up space. I feel like it ties me down somehow, but that’s a story for a different time.

When I first came to North America I couldn’t believe that people not only had big houses full of stuff, but that they have extra storage containers full of MORE stuff! Why?! If you do not need it often enough to have it on hand, you don’t need it!

Maybe that is my father speaking through me, he used to have me and my sisters go through all our things every so often and get rid of the things we didn’t need. It stuck, and I’m glad.

I love my annual purge and will probably continue to do it even when I do not have to move in or out of some place annually. Just try it, you’ll feel so much better  :)

...to taste it again.

I have steered a tall-ship out at sea.

I have felt the warmth of an udder as I milked a cow.

I have spent the night in a yurt.

I have tasted prawns fresh from the ocean floor.

I have stood on mountaintops.

I have fallen asleep watching the stars.

I have felt the saltiness of the Ocean on my skin.

I have pitched tents.

I have climbed many a tree.

I have smelled the wild flowers of the fields.

I have watched bears mosey on by.

I have shot an arrow from a bow.

I have paddled across the waters.

I have heard the rumble of thunder overhead. 

I have smelled the smoke of campfires.

I have drunk from the streams.

I have caught snowflakes on my tongue.

I have ridden a horse bareback.

I have heard the call of the eagle and loon.

I have danced in the rain.

I have burrowed under the snow.

I have felt the tightness of a cave.

I have tasted the meat of moose and deer.

I have cycled through hills and valleys.

I have tasted adventure. 

I have tasted what it is to be alive. 

I want to taste it again. 

Sweet Goodbyes

Airports tend to get a bad reputation. Not surprisingly so. They are a hassle: security checks, finding the right terminal and gate, lots of waiting around, busy crowds, the list goes on and on. But there is something that happens in airports that you don’t see quite as much in other places. Airports tend to prompt people to show how they really feel about each other. As people head off into the unknown of new adventures they finally show how much they care in that final embrace or last conversation.

In my experience, airports have been places where I do some of my biggest thinking about who is important to me in my life. Possibly because KLM always decides to play the saddest songs on their audio-system that make me think of what I’m leaving behind, as well as what I’m going to. What if I never make it back, have I said everything that needs to be said? Have I told the people I love how I feel? Isn’t it interesting that people tend to only show how much they care when they realize that this might be their last chance?

The next couple weeks in my life will be interesting. While I’m excited about graduating and going into this next part of my life, I also meet this phase with some sadness because, let’s be honest, these next few weeks are the last that I will spend with some of these friends. In my life I’ve already missed out on telling some people how I felt about them before it was too late. I’ve neglected to recognize how precious the time spent with people you truly care about is. So I encourage you, no matter what stage of life you’re in or where you may be, hold on to these moments spent with those you  love and tell them that you care. 

"This is the time to remember 
Cause it will not last forever.
These are the days to hold onto
Cause we won't although we'll want to."

-Billy Joel

I Will Wait

Today is Holy Saturday, the day on which we reflect on the confusion and sorrow Mary and the disciples must have felt after Jesus Christ’s crucifixion that took place just the day before.  Luckily we know what happens next in the story. Jesus is raised from the dead and tells of how He has made a way for us to come to the Father. Then He left again. We are in a similar situation to that of the disciples and Mary: Jesus has left. But at least we know that He is coming back. We are waiting for His second coming.

A group of musicians that I particularly enjoy is Mumford and Sons. For me, listening to their music is almost a form of worship as so many of their songs have religious undertones. Their honesty about the struggles that faith can bring is so refreshing and I am certain that the Holy Spirit is touching lives through their music whether they know it or not. One song in particular that highlights the idea of waiting for Jesus’ return is “I Will Wait.”

It speaks of the days of dust blowing away with the coming of the new Son. I think that is such a beautiful picture. The world will be made new with Christ’s coming. And until then we will kneel down and wait. We can know our ground in Christ. He is our rock and firm foundation. God has forgiven our sins through Jesus sacrifice on the cross and we will not forget that. We ask God to tame our flesh: to keep us from continuing on in our sinful ways, and to instead fix our eyes on Christ and tether our minds to Him, free from the lies of the devil. So I do not know how you intend to spend you Easter, but as for me, I’ll raise my hands, paint my spirit gold, bow my head and feel my heart slow in the presence of the Lord. 

Where's the Horse Meat?!

Recently a lot of people were up in arms over the fact that horse meat had been found in ground beef. I agree, it's a little unsettling because we didn't know it was in there. But, the idea of eating horse meat didn't bother me all that much at all. In my mind eating horse really isn't all that different from eating cow. And if it is different, here is some evidence that thinks it might even prove to be a good kind of different. Just some food for thought. 

Documentaries//Activism

Over the past few months I’ve been watching more and more documentaries. Voluntarily. When you’re a kid you can’t imagine anything more boring than watching a documentary, but lately I’ve found that they really draw me in. Almost too much so. They always stir up something in me.

The most recent documentary I saw was called ‘Sons of the Clouds; the last colony.’ It tells the story of the Sahrawis, a former colony of Spain that has been forcibly controlled by Morocco for the last 38 years. It was so hard to watch these poor people live in refugee camps out in the desert because the land that was their home was taken from them. And those that did still live in their homeland were tortured on a daily basis. I felt like someone had to do something. I felt like I had to do something.

This is the problem I have most of the time when I watch documentaries. It always hits me so hard that these are things that are actually happening in the world. Whether it’s related to human rights, the environment, animal cruelty, or anything else. This is happening in the world and I’m just sitting there on my couch watching it. I feel so utterly helpless and too small to make a change.

Now I don’t know if you ever feel that way too, but I just want to encourage you that there is always something you can do, even if it’s something small. After watching a documentary about where my food comes from I made a point to only buy free-range eggs and meat of which I know that the animal was treated well. It’s something small, but I think it’s making a change.

There are numerous ways to help in any aspect that might draw you. One example of a website that gives you some cool options is called sevenly.org. Every week they support a different charity, so you can choose to contribute on the weeks that you feel passionate about the cause. That’s just one way to make a change.

Just remember that no matter how small you may think your contribution is, it is making a difference. You can change the world you live in. It’s what we’re called to do.

People.

There are 7,066,671,614 people in the world, give or take a few. 

I've had the number 7 billion in my head for a while. I've technically known how many people are in the world but I don't think I've ever really thought about it. 

Lately whenever I see a picture of someone I've been struck by the idea that it's a real person. Somewhere out there in the world this person is living a life. They have friends and family. They have hopes and dreams. They have memories and a life story. 

I've had the pleasure of knowing some people in this world. I've shared in part of their life story and that's been a real honor and blessing. But in the grand scheme of things I've only had the joy of meeting a small fraction of the people on this earth. 

There are 7,066,671,614 people in the world. And each one has a story. That's amazing. I wish I could meet them all and share in their lives but that's not an option. But I still feel like I'm part of something. We, the human race, are all in this life together. And I'm glad to be sharing the journey with you.

a Word

Perhaps not really the definition of this word, but beautiful nonetheless.

Eye for an Eye

There are quite a few people out there in the world who either do not like the Bible, or don’t understand it. And to be honest, I can see their reasoning for that. Sometimes the Bible can seem like a very strange text that says things that might not seem very wise or helpful. At times the Bible may even seem contradictory. But it’s my belief that it is not the Bible that is wrong, but our interpretation of what it is saying.

One example of this is the phrase: “an eye for an eye,” which can be found in Exodus 21:24. You’ve probably heard it said that an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind (although I think the guy who still has one eye left at the end could easily avoid the other blind people who are trying to gouge it out, but that’s a different story...). The way we have interpreted this scripture does make it seem like horrible advice.

In movies for instance the mentality of “you hurt my girl, so now I’m going to kill everyone you know” is rampant. People tend to play the you-hurt-me-so-now-I’m-gonna-hurt-you-even-more card a lot because they misinterpret what the Bible means by an eye for an eye. We’ve taken it to mean that if someone hurts you in some way, the minimum you should do is do the same thing to them.

Exodus 21:24 says: “eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot”, so why does it give so many examples, each met with its equal? One of my profs here at University explained to me once that this verse was meant to be a limit. God was trying to set a boundary on how people were choosing retribution rather than justice and fairness. However, it would appear that even back in Old Testament times people were a bit confused by this and didn’t quite understand, which is why it is addressed again in Matthew.

In Matthew 5:38-39 Jesus says: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” So here is a good example of the Bible seeming to contradict itself. First they said an eye for an eye, and now they say turn the other cheek?!

What Jesus is saying is that you should not act out of anger or vengeance towards someone, just let it be. As it says in Romans 12:19: “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” I think we can certainly trust that God will be just as well as merciful as a judge and won’t make anyone pay any more or less than he or she owes.

This is just one example of how our misinterpretation of the Bible can make it seem backwards as well as contradictory, when really it is our interpretation that is at fault. Now, I don’t claim to have all the answers, and certainly not all the right answers, the Bible confuses me at times too. But I have faith that God is good and just and that His word is true, not matter what.

//Plans

I’ve heard it said that the best way to make God laugh is to tell Him your plans. Now in my life-plan there was a part that many people have in their plan, the part called “Graduate University//Get Married”. I like to think that when I first made this plan God must’ve had a good chuckle about it because as close as I am to finishing the first part of that plan, I am still quite far removed from the second part.

Over the past few months, and years, it seems that more and more people I know have been completing both parts of this goal (including my 2 older sisters...). And many of those who are in the same situation as I am are getting a little concerned. Luckily for me, I don’t really share their feeling of pressure to wed any time soon. As a Johnny Cash song puts it so eloquently:

“I have been a rover

I have walked alone

Hiked a hundred highways

Never found a home

Still in all I'm happy

The reason is, you see

Once in a while along the way

Love's been good to me”

True, I have never been in a serious relationship. But throughout my life I have been loved. Even if sometimes these feelings were fleeting, it is still something I hold in my heart. I know that for a moment in time, no matter how brief, someone loved me. And I have been blessed to have people in my life who will always love me no matter what, and that is plenty for me for now.

So as I continue to make plans for my life I have decided to omit the part of the plan that is called “Get Married.” Not because I don’t ever want to, but because it is something I cannot plan the timing of. When it happens, it happens, and until then there are a great deal of things to keep me going. And to be honest, God is a lot better at planning my life than I am so I'm putting the cards in His hands on this one.

My Wish for You this Year

I hope you experience things that challenge you this year.

Things that make you uncomfortable with how things are and make you strive for change.

My wish is that you also see things in this world that give you hope, things that keep you reaching for that better and brighter future.

This year, I hope that you seek to learn more about yourself.

That you try to change the things you don’t like and strive to be who you want to be.

But in that, I hope that you are also able to find acceptance of who you are now.

I hope that you meet new and exciting people to help make this journey of life more enjoyable.

I hope that you have the strength and wisdom to let go of the relationships that are weighing you down or holding you back.

That you realize who the people are in your life that really push you and help you to grow, and that you find ways to show them how much they mean to you.

I hope that this year is one in which the good will outweigh the bad. A year you will one day look back on as a good year. A year that was different somehow.

Many blessings and well wishes to you from me as you start your grand adventure of the year 2013.