The Gospel According to Dirt

So today I'm here to talk about dirt.

Please contain your excitement. ;)

Yesterday, in a sermon about trusting God, I somehow wound up thinking a lot about dirt (don't ask how, I have no idea...)

How we try so hard to get rid of it.

We sweep it out of our houses.

We wash it off our clothes, cars, dogs and kids.

It contains some of the lowest lifeforms and creepy crawlies that gross us out.

Dirt is probably one of the lowest substances on earth...

But that's what we're made of.

"...The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." ~Genesis 2:7

Maybe I never really looked into it that much. "Yup, the Bible says God made us from dirt."

But I never put a ton of thought into it.

How did God take something as simple as dust from the ground and create the most brilliantly complex work of engineering on earth?

How could He take something as low as dirt and breathe it into His image?

Not only is it beautifully poetic, but it just shows how amazing and powerful God is.

It's also humbling. We came from dirt. We can be reminded of it by our "dirty" human nature and inclinations to go against God. It's a stain we can't wash out on our own. Through Jesus we have the assurance that although our bodies will return to the dirt, our spirits will be safe with Him.

Oh, and another thing: Dirt is just dirt... unless a seed is planted in it.

Then this can happen:

One of the reasons God created dirt is to bring forth beauty. If Jesus is planted in us, we'll have some flowers of our own springing from our chest (not literally... that could get creepy). :P

So I have some flowers and a few weeds that need plucking... but God is an excellent gardener! :D

Maybe it's a bit cheesy, but... I just love metaphors! Don't you just love metaphors?! I love metaphors.

This post is about Jesus, and if you don't share it you're going to hell.

Did the title get your attention? Did it scare you a little, or did you flippantly pass it by like the heathen you are? (I guess if you did that you wouldn't be reading this question anyway, so I'll assume you were terrified!)

Because this is a post about Jesus. 

Do you love Jesus?
Because if you do, you better prove it by sharing this blog post.

You do know what Jesus says about not forwarding these kinds of things on email, Facebook, or Twitter... right?

Ok. So this is something that's always kind of bugged me, and I wonder why I haven't really written about it before (or why Blimeycow hasn't made a video for it, for that matter. ;) But I think God might have told me "Go for it!" So here I am, writing this post when I meant to write a different one. :D

There are a lot of chain letters on the internet.

Some are just random: 

"Share this if you heart Justin Bieber!!!" 

Some are threatening: "If you don't share this post or send it to everyone you know, your toenails will grow into your mattress while you sleep, you'll never find love, and a demonic warthog will kill your family."  

And some make you feel guilty: "Matthew 10:33 says, '...Whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.' Share this post if you're not ashamed!!!" 

 The first one is harmless (maybe a bit annoying, but harmless), but the second and third chain letters can get really annoying. The second one because they typically verge on ridiculous, and the third one because, well, they're a different kind of ridiculous.

I can't say I know the intentions of the people who make those kinds of pictures or stories that are passed around by religious guilt. Either they want to make something that gains popularity so bad that they feel the need to guilt people into sharing it, or they actually think it's their way of evangelizing or something. Whatever the reason, there is no logic in it. If somebody posts a picture of a sock, and I don't 'like'/share that picture, does that mean I've just denied the existence of socks? Um... no. I like socks. I wear them. People see me wear them. I just didn't happen to share the picture. :P

Living with the internet, there are a lot of interesting things going on that weren't issues before. People can play games about exercising without ever exercising their jiggly behinds. People can convince the world that they're a beautiful blonde twentysomething when they're really a middle aged bald guy with a foot fungus. And of course, people can proudly proclaim they're "not ashamed" of Jesus at a click of a button without having to commit to it in "real life."

How did people prove they loved Jesus before the internet? 

They used their lives. 

They followed His commands instead of following Him on Twitter. 

They shared God's word in love instead of threatening hell to people who won't share a picture.

If you don't want to deny Jesus, then don't actually deny Jesus. If people ask what you believe, tell them. If other people deny Jesus, don't agree with them. That's what Matthew 10:33 is referring to.

So the next time you get one in your email, or your news feed, or your Twitter page, or your blahblahblah... Don't let it make you feel guilty. Look at it as a challenge to prove that you love Jesus by obeying Him! I've shared stuff like that before, so I'll do it too. :D

Ditto

Does this look familiar to anyone?

This creature is called a Ditto. It is a Pokemon. He's what the gum on your shoe would look like if it had a face.

Dittos pretty much do what it sounds like they do: they morph into the shape of any other Pokemon.
"You're a Mr. Mime? Ditto.
You're a Bulbasaur? Ditto.
You're a Pikachu? Me too."

Now you may be asking yourselves why on earth I'm writing about Dittos.
It's because I'm noticing how easy it is to be one.

This lesson has been screaming at me from every direction. I hear it echoing from the voices of people closest to me, and coming from people I don't even know.

Last week my Worldview class ended. The video on the last day gave a statistic, saying that 80% of college students believe there are no moral absolutes. It was sort of interesting to think about. It made me wonder how many of those students just accepted the idea without questioning it. It could be such an easy thing to do.

 I learned a lot from that class, but some of the things that stuck out the most in my mind were the stories they told of people who stood up in their college classrooms, all eyes on them, and defended an opinion that was way different from their professors and peers'. They were brave enough to speak the truth, even though it scared them to death.

I've always hated having attention drawn to me. I like to just hang out in the background and blend in with everyone else. Normally if I disagree with someone, I don't go further into the conversation. I just smile, nod, and say, "Oh." That's usually the end of it.

But what good does that do? The conversation either dies off or becomes really superficial because you're too nervous to dive into a deeper conversation with someone who might disagree with you. Who might think your opinions are "weird," "intolerant," or "backwards." Then they go their own way and you go yours, but along with your differences comes this one: You're always going to wonder what would happen if you'd have spoken up, and they won't even know.

 God doesn't want us to be Dittos; it's not how He created us to be. "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58) 

I might touch on this subject in a different post, but one thing that's important to remember too is learning how to stand firm without being a "Bible Thumper." You don't want to be condemning or in peoples' faces. "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel." (Philippians 1:27)

So, yeah... that's my little "mini sermon," of sorts. :P lol If you have anything interesting to share, I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

Happy!

I did a post last week about some things that annoy me. Here's the slightly-more-optimistic follow-up. :)

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY! ...In no particular order. :)

(This may be harder to write than last week's post, because I was fueled by frustration... plus... there are soooo many things that make me happy!)

The sun. It's like all the happiness condensed into a big ball of firey BLISS! When the sun's not out, it just makes my life that much less happy.

Babies. Come on. I dare you to look at a baby and not smile.

Hippos. And please. Don't tell me how ferocious hippos really are... they're cute, and I actually get giddy when we see them at the zoo. XD

Playgrounds that are big enough for me to play on. We went to a playground a couple summers ago like this, and I think I was more excited than my little sisters. I was practically squealing with excitement until we had to leave. I've been dying to go back ever since.

Ukeleles. Music in general makes me happy... but have you ever heard a sad song with a ukelele?

Making people laugh. Making you happy makes me happy. :D

Those times where you're in the car, you look out the window, and just thank God for how *beautiful* everything is. Yeah, this one's pretty specific, but it actually happens to me fairly often. Especially when the sun is out. :)

Jesus. "...And if the devil doesn't like it he can sit on a tack." :P

The satisfaction of actually getting something accomplished. Lately, I wish I could feel this one more often. :P haha

Dancing. Yes, I've confessed to not being able to dance. :P I suck at most dancing, but I'm good at Regency/Civil War era dancing (where you're mostly skipping around and twirling). It's really, really fun. :) Plus... if something makes me really happy, I do indulge in the occasional "happy dance."

Friends and family. You guys are awesome! I don't know where I'd be without you. You've all made me smile and laugh more than anyone else.

Getting emails/IMs from friends. They definitely brighten my day. :)

Finding out that you got a good grade on a test you thought you'd fail. Phew!

Anything remotely cutesy and romantic (especially if it's what I talk about here). I'm a sucker for romance. It's sweet, and it makes me melt in a puddle of sighs and pathetic girly musings. <3

Going to the mall. We rarely go to the mall. When we do... I sort of look like I've been raised in a barn and have just been taken to the mall as an introduction to modern society. I get all giddy and excited. And the pretzels. Oh, the pretzels!

Going to the beach. If you thought I was bad at the mall... you haven't seen me at the beach.

Finding something that's been lost for a long time. If it's lost long enough, it's like it's brand-new. And who doesn't like finding brand-new items in random places?

Roller Skating. I love roller skating. Nothing more to it. :)

The smell of fresh-cut grass. Pure bliss.

Pringles. Thank you, mustache-wearing Pringles guy, for delivering to us your crispy, MSG-plaited deliciousness.

Doing the things I love doing. Learning Sign Language makes me happy, because I'm finally learning something that I've always been interested in. Playing the piano makes me happy, because it's epically FUN! Writing in this blog makes me happy, because I've finally found an outlet for my impulsive urge to write something.

So thanks for reading this! I'm hoping that at this point your joy is busting at the seams, and you're ready to explode into a swarm of butterflies or tapdance with a chimpanzee.

But if not, here's some inspiration. (Keep in mind the ukelele!)

Heaven is for Real

So last night I read a pretty interesting book... (I'm pretty sure you've all heard of it; it's a best seller!)

It's called "Heaven is for Real."

My sister got it for Christmas, and I've heard some pretty cool things about it, so I picked it up at 9:30 last night.

I didn't put it down 'till 3:30 this morning. :P

If you don't know what the book is about, Todd Burpo, a small-town pastor, writes the account of his son, Colton's claims on going to heaven and back after having an emergency operation and almost dying. For months after the surgery, Colton reavealed amazing things about heaven, and knew about things nobody could've told him (his mother's miscarriage before he was born, and his grandpa who died before he was born).

I found the book pretty interesting. However, I'm almost not sure what to think about it. Amidst the array of interesting, confused, amazed and somewhat skeptical thoughts I had in my head, two rang out the loudest:

1. Burpo is a funny last name. haha, Burpo. Burpo, Burpo, Burpo. To be honest, it kind of grosses me out. It's like "BURP, oh!" :P

and

2. Is this made-up? There are so many accounts of people saying they've "gone to heaven and back." It's easy to be kind of skeptical about a claim like that. When we watch a magic trick, what's our first reaction? How did he DO that?! I think we sort of wind up doing the same thing when God performs miracles. We want to know if there are any smoke, mirrors or trap doors before we believe that God could've actually had any hand in it. :P

But, although I was a little skeptical, as I said, there was information that Colton knew that he couldn't have known. He was also able to tell his parents exactly where they were and what they were doing during his operation. All of his accounts on God, Jesus and heaven were all lined up with scripture (he wasn't saying anything that would give the book away as a made-up account).

Aside from the surrounding controvery of this book, it definitely makes you think. Sure, I've thought about heaven before, but not really in too much detail. It's hard to imagine how amazing any location is if you haven't been there. I've never been to Ireland, but people tell me it's beautiful. So, I guess as the title suggests, the book made heaven more real to me. I was able to imagine for a second how wonderful it must be (and how much more amazing it is compared to my human imagination)!

Have any of you read the book? If so, what are your thoughts?

2 Birthdays

I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas!!!

Mine was pretty good. :)

It started out just about the same as it always does... people groggily stumbling down the stairs for our annual picture on the staircase.

My Grandparents came out to watch us open presents.

...And yes, despite the fact that we had to leave a couple waffles out for Santa because we didn't have time to make cookies, he still came. ;)

...And as far as the presents go, I didn't do too bad this year. ;) (THANKS EVERYONE!)

I got the coolest leather-bound Bible, NKJV, with silver pages (this is what it looks like from the outside...)

A couple of my favorite movies ("Sherlock Holmes," and "27 Dresses."), 5 new diaries to indulge my writing addiction, and this little baby riiiight here:

It's amazing. :D

Also... Kyla got me this for my Secret Santa gift:

I totally love her music the more I listen to her. :D Her voice is so cool!

Ok, my bragging is over with. :D

After present-opening we had a HUUUUGE brunch, and then we went to my grandparents' house. :)

And my mom's cousin James came to visit, too.

...and, as the title suggested, our family celebrated 2 birthdays yesterday.

I think you can guess who the first person's birthday was... ;)

But the second birthday was my sister, Karissa's.

She turned FIFTEEN yesterday. O_o I still find that really weird, since I still vividly remember this:

Also, it seemed like yesterday *I* was fifteen. Pretty soon I'll be all old, covered in wrinkles and sitting in a creaky old rocking chair in some retirement home, fighting with my roommate over a game of checkers........

But I'm getting ahead of myself. :P

She had a good birthday. :) She got her greenbean casserole for dinner (her favorite), and...

She got a cellphone.

I'm not sure, but I think she likes it... ;)

So yeah. Christmas/Karissa's birthday= Awesome. :D

Also... If you've made it to the end of this post, I commend you. :P

^Those cheeks. O_O

Christmas must be something more...

Christmas is only 2 days away!!! I'm so excited!

Have you ever noticed that Christmas day is caught in a time warp? For me, Christmas is always the same: I wake up exhausted due to lack of sleep the night before to all my sisters excitedly waiting for my parents to get up, we take our annual picture on the staircase, tear into presents, have a HUGE dinner, visit with grandparents, read books by the fireplace... <3

It doesn't matter what else has changed in your life and how old you are... around Christmas time every reverts to 8 year olds. :) Everyone tosses and turns in their beds on Christmas Eve, parents and kids alike can't wait to get a tree, drink hot chocolate, go sledding (I know I'd be excited to go sledding... if we had snow where I live...) :P And at 17, I still try to feel up my presents to see if I can guess what it is.

It's that kind of joy and excitement that makes people wonder what Christmas really means. There are some people who like to go all out with big decorations, presents, Santa, etc. There are other people who have a better appreciation for Christmas, but pay more attention to what the movies tell us about the "True meaning of Christmas": "Christmas means something different to everybody." "Christmas is about giving." "Christmas is about loving the people around you and being with family." "Christmas is about what's in your heart...." Whereas some of these are *close*, they're missing a very important mark. They're missing the source.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this." ~Isaiah 9:6-7

It's because of Jesus that Christmas is so amazing. He was put on this earth to die for our sins, giving us the ultimate Christmas gift: A relationship with our creator. It's from this we can be giving and loving during Christmas. If we have Him in our heart, then the feeling of Christmas follows (it may sound a bit cheesy, but it's TRUE!) :)

But... yeah. :) In the next couple of days I'll be addressing cards, hanging out with family and pondering what's in that strange box under the tree... so I probably won't blog 'till after Christmas. ;) Until then, everyone have an amazing Christmas!