This is something of which I need constant reminding. I must admit I like the mall more than I should... This video was shown at church last week and it really drives the point home...
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Advent Conspiracy
My church is taking part in the Advent Conspiracy- a movement that encourages people to focus on the real meaning of Christmas and decrease the amount of consumerism usually occurs. The Advent Conspiracy asks people to "spend less, give more." Our church is encouraging its members to reduce the amount we spend on Christmas gifts and donate the money we saved to an organization that drills wells for towns in Africa without running water. It really is staggering when you find out that a relatively small amount of money could provide so many people with a huge quality-of-life increase.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Apartment Pics!
I haven't posted in awhile because I've been too busy! In the past 60 days I have moved, traveled to North Carolina, DC, Florida (and back), gotten bitten by a spider and spent 10 days on antibiotics that made me feel AWFUL (plus the spider bite itself was pretty gross), moved 3,000 junior high fiction books (all by myself), and spent 3 weekends in Salinas.
So, I'm finally getting around to posting pictures of my new apartment. No pics of my bedroom yet, as it's still mostly undecorated and boring. Will post more pics after my next trip to Ikea!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Praying
I’ve been thinking a lot about prayer lately. A lot of things are happening in my life that need to be covered in prayer.
I’m also thinking more about it because we’re encouraged to pray atwork (such a blessing!). I’m re-reading a book called Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? by Phillip Yancey. And finally, my small group is about to start a study on prayer.
I think prayer is a touchy subject sometimes. When our small group was debating which topic to study next, everyone was really passionate about studying prayer or not studying prayer. Some people find it difficult to pray out loud, so studying to do so might be uncomfortable. Others have a hard time asking for and receiving prayer.
When I think about asking for prayer, an instance from about 3 years ago often comes to mind. I asked some girl friends to pray that God would give me wisdom concerning a promising relationship still in its beginning stages. One girl told me she didn’t feel comfortable “praying about guys.” I was too taken aback to ask her to explain further, but I got the impression she thought my request was silly (She, of course, was already married. I resisted the temptation to tell her I felt uncomfortable praying for her marriage with her). Luckily, none of the other girls present (fellow singletons!) were uncomfortable, and they prayed for me. However, since that incident I've been reluctant to ask people to "pray about guys" with me.
Sometimes I wonder if my requests are too trivial even for God, or if I ask for too many things instead of spending time giving thanks and praising God during prayer. Obviously, my “Please let the Miami Dolphins squash the New York Jets” prayers probably aren’t at the top of God’s list (if they even make His list at all). But I have a hard time believing that my prayers for wisdom concerning any relationship are too frivolous, especially when Ephesians 6:18 says to "pray on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." I also take comfort in knowing that God accepts our inadequacy in prayer, and allows the Holy Spirit to help us pray (Rom 8:26), even if it's about "silly" relationships.
I'm sure I'll have more thoughts on this as our small group studies continue...
I’m also thinking more about it because we’re encouraged to pray atwork (such a blessing!). I’m re-reading a book called Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? by Phillip Yancey. And finally, my small group is about to start a study on prayer.
I think prayer is a touchy subject sometimes. When our small group was debating which topic to study next, everyone was really passionate about studying prayer or not studying prayer. Some people find it difficult to pray out loud, so studying to do so might be uncomfortable. Others have a hard time asking for and receiving prayer.
When I think about asking for prayer, an instance from about 3 years ago often comes to mind. I asked some girl friends to pray that God would give me wisdom concerning a promising relationship still in its beginning stages. One girl told me she didn’t feel comfortable “praying about guys.” I was too taken aback to ask her to explain further, but I got the impression she thought my request was silly (She, of course, was already married. I resisted the temptation to tell her I felt uncomfortable praying for her marriage with her). Luckily, none of the other girls present (fellow singletons!) were uncomfortable, and they prayed for me. However, since that incident I've been reluctant to ask people to "pray about guys" with me.
Sometimes I wonder if my requests are too trivial even for God, or if I ask for too many things instead of spending time giving thanks and praising God during prayer. Obviously, my “Please let the Miami Dolphins squash the New York Jets” prayers probably aren’t at the top of God’s list (if they even make His list at all). But I have a hard time believing that my prayers for wisdom concerning any relationship are too frivolous, especially when Ephesians 6:18 says to "pray on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." I also take comfort in knowing that God accepts our inadequacy in prayer, and allows the Holy Spirit to help us pray (Rom 8:26), even if it's about "silly" relationships.
I'm sure I'll have more thoughts on this as our small group studies continue...
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Counting down...
The next 30 days or so are going to be nuts. Between now and June 11th, I must do the following:
If any of you feel so inclined to pray for me, please pray for my health during this time. I've been dealing with some health issues that have made me prone to bad fatigue and a weak immune system. I've been getting sick about every four weeks for the past few months, and it's about that time again...
Despite the craziness of the next few weeks, I'm really excited for the trip that comes after it!
- work my regular job (no big deal)
- host 2 day-long textbook buyback events at work (a big deal)
- pack up my apartment & move to a new apartment (a big deal)
- pack for a 2-week trip the East Coast (no big deal), for which I leave less than 48 hours after moving (a big deal)
If any of you feel so inclined to pray for me, please pray for my health during this time. I've been dealing with some health issues that have made me prone to bad fatigue and a weak immune system. I've been getting sick about every four weeks for the past few months, and it's about that time again...
Despite the craziness of the next few weeks, I'm really excited for the trip that comes after it!
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Scared Green
Today I threw out everything in my makeup drawer and medicine cabinet, except for two things. I switched to green cleaning products about a year ago, but today I finally made the leap to cosmetics. I've been very conscious of evaluating the credibility of the websites and books I've been reading, trying to determine if they're legit or just based on paranoid tree-huggers.
There is some controversy, but it appears that many ingredients in lotions, creams, fragrances, hair products and other cosmetics have been linked to some pretty scary health conditions. Many of the ingredients are banned in other countries and controlled substances in cleaning products- so why would I slather them on my body? It was really hard to throw stuff away, since some things were new, and some things I've been using since I was 12. It's also pretty scary to try to find alternatives, as many natural cosmetics are more expensive. The worst offenders in my medicine cabinet for the hair products- a particularly painful discovery for me since I've spent the last several years trying in vain to straighten my God-given perm.
Anyways, if you're interested in learning more, check out this website: Skin Deep.
Also, here are some of the books/websites that have informed my thinking.
There is some controversy, but it appears that many ingredients in lotions, creams, fragrances, hair products and other cosmetics have been linked to some pretty scary health conditions. Many of the ingredients are banned in other countries and controlled substances in cleaning products- so why would I slather them on my body? It was really hard to throw stuff away, since some things were new, and some things I've been using since I was 12. It's also pretty scary to try to find alternatives, as many natural cosmetics are more expensive. The worst offenders in my medicine cabinet for the hair products- a particularly painful discovery for me since I've spent the last several years trying in vain to straighten my God-given perm.
Anyways, if you're interested in learning more, check out this website: Skin Deep.
Also, here are some of the books/websites that have informed my thinking.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Historic Day
I was really looking forward to seeing my students' reactions to the inauguration today. We broadcast it on a giant screen in the library. On normal days the time between 7:15am-9:15am is swamped, noisy, busy- organized chaos. When President Obama was sworn in, it was nearly silent. The most interesting part of the day occurred when the late bell rang during the middle of the President's speech. I had about 120 kids in the room and around 40 risked a tardy to stay and watch the rest of the speech. All of them were boys. Not one girl. I was really surprised (and saddened) by that. However, the boys that stayed warmed my heart because they were so engrossed and interested in the whole day. I did not vote for Obama, but I really enjoyed the reactions of my students and the historical significance of today. I wish I had thought to bring my camera.
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