Dear Blog,
I don't like to get political in this blog, but people frustrate me sometimes. Sometimes it's Christians more than anyone else. I just read "Luther's Address to the Christian Nobility" for Rel 100, and it's crazy that in 500 years, people haven't changed. It's not the Pope people follow blindly anymore, but it's just as ridiculous sometimes. People take the word of teachers, politicians, and pastors without taking the time to verify the statements being made to them.
I know a lot of Christians who are Republicans just because they are Christians, and that's "what they should do," (without actually taking a look at policy and thinking all of it through - if that still leads them to the same conclusion, I'm fine with that - I just want people to be informed) and because they are Republicans, they are obligated to hate the recent attempts at health care reform. But these same Christians would not, outside of this reform, pay for the health care of the poor and the sick and needy and the widows (and if these same Christians read their Bible, taking care of the poor and needy is one of the most frequently cited duties of a Christian in the gospels - though don't take my word for it, read it for yourself!). So, if the right to life - which I'm sure we'll all agree is a far more significant and bigger right than anything so trivial as taxation - is being jeopardized because people's health is not being taken care of, who will defend their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?
A lot of people died for the freedom to so much as read the Bible in English, and so few Christians nowadays actually do. Which is ridiculous. I've been reading it for fourteen years, and still I come upon passages I must have skimmed over before or not understood before, because I go, "Whoa!? Seriously!?" more often than any person who merely listens to the preacher would think.
So, before Christians go on and on about the various things they're going on about, perhaps they should go and read their Bible, and then do what it says (because "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" - James 4:17). I'm not saying I've got this one down - I most certainly do not. But I know that I ought to be helping the poor and the needy - and finding ways I can do so (which I have been trying - most recently, I've decided to donate groceries to Manna once a month. That certainly isn't much at all, but I've no income, and will certainly do more once I am earning). It's just that most of these people who are going on complaining about their "rights" - or at least the people that I've heard complain - are very wealthy, going out to eat multiple times a week, seeing movies for eleven bucks a ticket as soon as they are released, buying brand-new cars every few years. It would only take a couple of lifestyle changes, which would not in any way hamper their quality or enjoyment of life, to provide for the people who are not in a position - financially or physically or mentally - to provide these things for themselves (and not just health care, but healthy food and shelter and education, too).
And if that's too much for a Christian to do, then perhaps they should have considered that before "committing their life to Christ." Following Jesus is not about being a good person; it is about being willing to give up absolutely everything - even your own breath - for Him. In light of that, the things American Christians are arguing over right now, are trivial.
Seriously people.
- Judith
EDIT: Okay, I'm going to add this, because I realize I was ranting a bit in my post. I am not anti-Republican, and I know there are a lot of issues at work in the situation, beyond just "rights." This situation was an awkward example of two principles that have been frustrating me for a long time: people who just do what they're told without understanding why they are being told to do so, and Christians who don't read their Bible - and thus cannot know whether or not they are truly living the life Christ meant for them to live. I'm not going to take down the previous post, but I did want to add a little calm note onto the end.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
The Center
Dear Blog,
Lately, I have developed a theory, and it probably requires some more testing to be proven true or not, but it seems to have worked for the past few years of my life.
The fact is, bad things can happen in your life - big bad things can happen. Stuff that makes you want to cry, stuff that makes you wonder how on earth you can move forward because you sure can't see the road from where you're standing. But those big bad things aren't really all that big.
Not to say that they're not often important things. Majorly important. But not the most important. For instance, recently, there's been so much stuff whirling around in my head it's amazing I can put two coherent words together. But - and I don't know when this happened - I realized that those things whirling around in my head, if I focused on them obsessively, if I let the big bad things take over my life like big bad things, they would become even bigger, badder things than they really were. Because, I've always known - intellectually - that the most important things were the time I spent reading my Bible to make sure I know exactly who God is and how He operates, so that when I pray (important thing number two) I know how to approach Him, and so that my focus is not on the big bad things, but on walking with him through them.
That's how I could have a good week this week. I feel like I should be more depressed, like these things demand more of my self-righteous anger. But I can't do that. If I do that, I'll be sucked under by those things, and then it's good for nobody. I've actually had to remind myself recently that to be joyful in the face of such big-bad-crazy stuff isn't callous; it's confidence in Christ.
Not to say that I always manage to focus on God instead of on my own worries (which, in light of the real, big world full of such injustices I cannot begin to comprehend, are paltry). Too often I say, "Oh, I'll read my Bible later" and then put it off and put it off until it's now - 12:15 in the morning, and all I've done today was read a couple of chapters while killing time waiting to talk to my adviser, and say a quick prayer in the car that today might not suck.
I have to speak to a group of high schoolers on Monday about my story, and I think this might be my focus; the fact is, there is nothing in my life more important than God. And that thought is strangely reassuring - because no matter what happens, whether I'm living in a gutter or a mansion, healthy or close to dead, He is always the center.
- Judith
Lately, I have developed a theory, and it probably requires some more testing to be proven true or not, but it seems to have worked for the past few years of my life.
The fact is, bad things can happen in your life - big bad things can happen. Stuff that makes you want to cry, stuff that makes you wonder how on earth you can move forward because you sure can't see the road from where you're standing. But those big bad things aren't really all that big.
Not to say that they're not often important things. Majorly important. But not the most important. For instance, recently, there's been so much stuff whirling around in my head it's amazing I can put two coherent words together. But - and I don't know when this happened - I realized that those things whirling around in my head, if I focused on them obsessively, if I let the big bad things take over my life like big bad things, they would become even bigger, badder things than they really were. Because, I've always known - intellectually - that the most important things were the time I spent reading my Bible to make sure I know exactly who God is and how He operates, so that when I pray (important thing number two) I know how to approach Him, and so that my focus is not on the big bad things, but on walking with him through them.
That's how I could have a good week this week. I feel like I should be more depressed, like these things demand more of my self-righteous anger. But I can't do that. If I do that, I'll be sucked under by those things, and then it's good for nobody. I've actually had to remind myself recently that to be joyful in the face of such big-bad-crazy stuff isn't callous; it's confidence in Christ.
Not to say that I always manage to focus on God instead of on my own worries (which, in light of the real, big world full of such injustices I cannot begin to comprehend, are paltry). Too often I say, "Oh, I'll read my Bible later" and then put it off and put it off until it's now - 12:15 in the morning, and all I've done today was read a couple of chapters while killing time waiting to talk to my adviser, and say a quick prayer in the car that today might not suck.
I have to speak to a group of high schoolers on Monday about my story, and I think this might be my focus; the fact is, there is nothing in my life more important than God. And that thought is strangely reassuring - because no matter what happens, whether I'm living in a gutter or a mansion, healthy or close to dead, He is always the center.
- Judith
Sunday, April 11, 2010
People don't always think things through
Dear Blog,
Though our house hasn't sold yet, my parents still like to view other houses on the market, to be informed and aware of what's available for when we do sell (though they won't make an appointment to view, because that's a lot of trouble on the sellers part; they just go to open houses). I went with my parents today, desiring a break from my insane-seriously-I-have-no-idea-how-to-write-this-only-compounded-by-how-long-I-left-it paper.
Firstly, if you're reading this blog, then chances are you know me. If you know me, or my family at all, you know that we are clean. Very, very clean. So, of course, the first thing we notice upon walking into the house is that it's an open house, and they haven't bothered to tidy up. You can see that the carpets have been recently (like, within 24-hours) steam-cleaned, and there is visible brown dirt on the white staircase banister. This doesn't bode well for the remainder of the house. In our experience, if you buy it and think nothing's wrong with it, once the furniture's out and the paintings off the walls, there'll be a whole lot you realize you didn't see. So if you can already see that things need repainting and recarpeting - what would you find in those places you can't see?
It was a nice house plan, only a couple of years older than ours, but still owned by the original owners, who had done nearly no work on it since they bought it. The kitchen was all original appliances (and, sadly, a mid-80s fridge isn't exactly cool and vintage), and the cabinets were in desperate need of replacement, or at least resurfacing. Any place that did have upgrades (granite or tile or new sink), had upgrades over the original cabinets or surfaces, that clearly needed some work done.
So, here's the thing. People think my mother is crazy when they find out how much she works to keep our house immaculately clean, but the fact is that no one's going to walk in here and automatically be turned off by the place. A person who cleans their house implies that same person takes care of the place - fixes things when they're broken, replaces them when they become too old to run efficiently anymore. We know that our house needs work; we have two bathrooms that could use a remodel, and a really hideous chandelier. But we've done a lot of upkeep; new carpets, new paint, new windows (all save for a couple unusually shaped ones), new pool, redone the yard, granite in the kitchen and refaced the cabinets, new (and recently refinished) wooden floors, one very beautifully remodeled bathroom, all new appliances when we moved in, refinished the basketball area, regularly trimmed the oak trees, new air conditioning units. Sadly, this is what's frustrating about selling this house; nobody sees those things. They see that a house of similar size is cheaper, and harp on about it. But that same house needs all new appliances and windows and paint and who knows what else that isn't visible; that's why it's cheaper. At least in the housing market, you do get what you pay for.
Though our house hasn't sold yet, my parents still like to view other houses on the market, to be informed and aware of what's available for when we do sell (though they won't make an appointment to view, because that's a lot of trouble on the sellers part; they just go to open houses). I went with my parents today, desiring a break from my insane-seriously-I-have-no-idea-how-to-write-this-only-compounded-by-how-long-I-left-it paper.
Firstly, if you're reading this blog, then chances are you know me. If you know me, or my family at all, you know that we are clean. Very, very clean. So, of course, the first thing we notice upon walking into the house is that it's an open house, and they haven't bothered to tidy up. You can see that the carpets have been recently (like, within 24-hours) steam-cleaned, and there is visible brown dirt on the white staircase banister. This doesn't bode well for the remainder of the house. In our experience, if you buy it and think nothing's wrong with it, once the furniture's out and the paintings off the walls, there'll be a whole lot you realize you didn't see. So if you can already see that things need repainting and recarpeting - what would you find in those places you can't see?
It was a nice house plan, only a couple of years older than ours, but still owned by the original owners, who had done nearly no work on it since they bought it. The kitchen was all original appliances (and, sadly, a mid-80s fridge isn't exactly cool and vintage), and the cabinets were in desperate need of replacement, or at least resurfacing. Any place that did have upgrades (granite or tile or new sink), had upgrades over the original cabinets or surfaces, that clearly needed some work done.
So, here's the thing. People think my mother is crazy when they find out how much she works to keep our house immaculately clean, but the fact is that no one's going to walk in here and automatically be turned off by the place. A person who cleans their house implies that same person takes care of the place - fixes things when they're broken, replaces them when they become too old to run efficiently anymore. We know that our house needs work; we have two bathrooms that could use a remodel, and a really hideous chandelier. But we've done a lot of upkeep; new carpets, new paint, new windows (all save for a couple unusually shaped ones), new pool, redone the yard, granite in the kitchen and refaced the cabinets, new (and recently refinished) wooden floors, one very beautifully remodeled bathroom, all new appliances when we moved in, refinished the basketball area, regularly trimmed the oak trees, new air conditioning units. Sadly, this is what's frustrating about selling this house; nobody sees those things. They see that a house of similar size is cheaper, and harp on about it. But that same house needs all new appliances and windows and paint and who knows what else that isn't visible; that's why it's cheaper. At least in the housing market, you do get what you pay for.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
An edifying way to waste five minutes (or not)
Dear Blog,
Spring Break is officially over. While I wished it had come a little sooner in the semester, I admit I'm really glad for the break. Plowing ahead till the end now. Anyway, here's the rundown of a fantastic week:
Friday: Early Dinner/Really late Lunch with a friend I don't see often enough
Saturday: Dinner, power-outages, movies, and getting massively lost on the way home with friends.
Sunday: lazy day for the most part, and church in the evening.
Monday: How to Train Your Dragon with another friend - such a good movie!
Tuesday: silly doctor's appointment
Wednesday: sleep and laziness abound
Thursday: Getty Museum with yet another friend; really cool place, and free too (aside from exorbitant parking price). Definately going back.
Friday: sat and talked to my high school Bible study leader for ages, which was nice. My brother had shoulder surgery this day.
Saturday: lazy attempt at homework - ended up at the mall with my sister, and found a really nice t-shirt in the sale rack at Urban.
Sunday: Easter! Bethany in the morning, Cornerstone at night. Far too much candy eaten, not enough homework done. Good times.
Monday: Last day of break. Homework, with a quick trip to the used book store in Simi.
So, I'm sure you really enjoyed reading that list. I'm sure you are now a better person for knowing how I spent my spring break. I'm sure you are grateful to know how boring I am, and won't invite me to any parties in the future.
But, I really did enjoy my break. I needed the rest; I forget sometimes that, after a while, I begin running purely off adrenaline. The knowledge that I've just got "x much more to go" keeps me pushing myself, before I collapse. As much sa my health has improved, I'm too good at ignoring the fact that I'm not as healthy as the average 20 year old.
- Judith
Spring Break is officially over. While I wished it had come a little sooner in the semester, I admit I'm really glad for the break. Plowing ahead till the end now. Anyway, here's the rundown of a fantastic week:
Friday: Early Dinner/Really late Lunch with a friend I don't see often enough
Saturday: Dinner, power-outages, movies, and getting massively lost on the way home with friends.
Sunday: lazy day for the most part, and church in the evening.
Monday: How to Train Your Dragon with another friend - such a good movie!
Tuesday: silly doctor's appointment
Wednesday: sleep and laziness abound
Thursday: Getty Museum with yet another friend; really cool place, and free too (aside from exorbitant parking price). Definately going back.
Friday: sat and talked to my high school Bible study leader for ages, which was nice. My brother had shoulder surgery this day.
Saturday: lazy attempt at homework - ended up at the mall with my sister, and found a really nice t-shirt in the sale rack at Urban.
Sunday: Easter! Bethany in the morning, Cornerstone at night. Far too much candy eaten, not enough homework done. Good times.
Monday: Last day of break. Homework, with a quick trip to the used book store in Simi.
So, I'm sure you really enjoyed reading that list. I'm sure you are now a better person for knowing how I spent my spring break. I'm sure you are grateful to know how boring I am, and won't invite me to any parties in the future.
But, I really did enjoy my break. I needed the rest; I forget sometimes that, after a while, I begin running purely off adrenaline. The knowledge that I've just got "x much more to go" keeps me pushing myself, before I collapse. As much sa my health has improved, I'm too good at ignoring the fact that I'm not as healthy as the average 20 year old.
- Judith
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