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Last night, I was reading John 20 and came across this passage (vs. 24-30):
Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
There are only a few moments in the Bible I wish I could transport myself to, and this is one of them. What a powerful moment. Simply standing in the presence of Jesus is amazing, but to feel his skin and to touch his nail-scarred hands. And then to realize that He is the Son of God. What a light-bulb moment for Thomas. I wish I could have been there to see his face. To see him realize that he was following the Messiah. To see the man who paid off all my debt, tore the veil in two and rose from the dead.
Far too often, I’m like Thomas; I doubt like he did. I tend to question everything and everyone from their lifestyle to their motives. I doubt things I feel God is telling me. I become too comfortable and when God changes the scenery, I disregard it as a distraction because I unwilling to take a leap of faith and follow Him. This evening during my college group, we say this song by Phil Wing. The following lyrics caught my attention.
“…step out on the wave, step out into faith and fix your eyes on Me, look past the stormy sea, look past your stumbling feet. I know you’re afraid. And I know you’re afraid. But I’ll take your hand and hold you close and hold you in…and though you can’t stand, I still can, I still am. I am. I am.”
Gallup Poll reports:
A new Gallup Poll, conducted May 7-10, finds 51% of Americans calling themselves “pro-life” on the issue of abortion and 42% “pro-choice.” This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking this question in 1995.
Very encouraging to read!
Ted Slater at Boundless Line asks what others have done with the summer months. In the past, I have hosted music camps, taught piano, traveled and done a myriad of other things. This summer, however, I have decided to do something slightly different. I have babysat children for over seven years now, but I have never nannied full-time. In four weeks, I am about to take on this position. When I tell people this, they seem to do a double-take and immediately say something such as “you’re so brave!” But honestly, I couldn’t ask for a better job. I will be nannying four children who are simply amazing. They are also solid Christians, which is even better.
So, that is what I’m doing with my summer. I’m also hoping to spend a fair amount of time reading and have included my summer reading list below.
- The Aesthetics of Mimesis by Stephen Halliwell
Queen Victoria’s Family by Charlotte Zeepvat- Christian Manifesto by Francis Shaeffer
- The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard
The End of Reason by Ravi Zacharias- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- 1984 by George Orwell
- The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
- Practice in Christianity by Soren Kierkegaard
- Fear and Trembling by Soren Kierkegaard
The sun was softly setting.
Children were running to and fro. Their parents were chasing them.
In the distance, one could hear the muffled sound of baseball coaches yelling out commands and directions for the team. “Strrrriiiiiiiiike one,” I heard coming from a particular diamond.
And there we sat on the grassy hill. The wind was whipping our hair and we were enjoying the sights and sounds.
She tugged at my sleeve and broke my relaxing reverie.
“Ms. Kristin, what can I dooooo?” she pleaded. Inwardly, I began complaining. ‘Did she really have to interrupt my thoughts? Isn’t this enough to keep you occupied?’
She began digging through my purse and eventually found my iPod.
“Kristin, can I listen to this?” she asked. “Sure,” I replied. Although she’s only six, this little one is very bright and can read very well. Soon, she had both headphones in her ears jamming out to a song.
I cringed. ‘Should six year old’s really be listening to iPods? Wouldn’t she become attached to it or something?’ I set these thoughts aside and quietly smiled at her.
A few minutes passed and I returned to my relaxing thoughts. Suddenly, her voice cut through again. But this time, she wasn’t nagging me. I almost went back to my own thoughts, but her motions and voice caught my attention.
She was kneeling on the ground. Her arms were raised towards the sky and her voice rang out in song to her Savior. She didn’t care who was watching her. She didn’t mind if her voice was out of tune.
Tears began falling down my cheeks. This is child-like faith. This little girl has been through so much in her short life, and yet here she was praising God. My thoughts began to wander once more, ‘Why can’t I be a little girl again, God? I want to be carefree again….to push everything aside and just focus on you.’ And in the gentle breeze, He whispered to me, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Being a child once more should not be embarrassing. It’s what God wants from us.
An interesting article from the Washington Post:
In my research on young adults’ romantic relationships, many women report feeling peer pressure to avoid giving serious thought to marriage until they’re at least in their late 20s. If you’re seeking a mate in college, you’re considered a pariah, someone after her “MRS degree.” Actively considering marriage when you’re 20 or 21 seems so sappy, so unsexy, so anachronistic. Those who do fear to admit it — it’s that scandalous.
How did we get here? The fault lies less with indecisive young people than it does with us, their parents. Our own ideas about marriage changed as we climbed toward career success. Many of us got our MBAs, JDs, MDs and PhDs. Now we advise our children to complete their education before even contemplating marriage, to launch their careers and become financially independent. We caution that depending on another person is weak and fragile. We don’t want them to rush into a relationship. We won’t help you with college tuition anymore, we threaten. Don’t repeat our mistakes, we warn.
This article is incredibly interesting and I’d encourage you to read the entire piece. I’ll admit, I have bought into nearly every idea presented in this article. While I still intend to finish my bachelors (another two years), this article has caused me to think about the next ten years of my life. I’m beginning to realize that marrying may not be such a crime afterall!
….a picture one would find on Facebook. 
And furthermore, when you give a gift to the Queen, please, please, please give her something better than a stinkin’ iPod. She happens to be one of the world’s wealthiest people and she already owns one. Something more unique might be a good idea.
I have been sick with a nasty cold/virus this week, so blogging has been light. Here are a couple of posts that I’ve found beneficial this week. It’s my hope and prayer that they bless and encourage you too 🙂
Lanier Ivester at YLCF has posted a wonderful series on watching out for wolves. Don’t be fooled by the title, ladies! Be sure to read part one and two!
And while we’re on the topic of series, Hannah and Lindsey at Beauty from the Heart, are starting a series of posts regarding Heaven. I loved the first installment and can’t wait for more! Also, if you live in the Richmond, Virginia or Dallas, Texas area, but sure to register for their one day conference!
Suzanne Hadley at Boundless Line discusses my friend Tim Sweetman’s article regarding Facebook. Interesting stuff! EDIT:: I have decided that it would be wise to disable my facebook account for a very long time. No telling when I’ll return, but for now, I’m relishing the extra time I have to pursue other activities!
And I’ll leave you all with this article. The title says it all: Senate reviewing how college football picks No. 1.
Happy Weekend 🙂 I’m off to get some rest!
The passage from Matthew that reads “love your enemies” has never hit so close to home for me before. Loving others who have hurt you through their actions, words or attitudes can be one of the most difficult things ever. What do we do when those you love shut you out of their life unexpectedly? How can we love someone we no longer speak to or see? I have been grappling with these questions lately and believe one of the best ways to love someone in this situation is to faithfully pray for them. Albeit, it’s hard. Very hard. Getting on your knees consistently for someone who doesn’t care for you anymore can be tough. The Blazing Center recently posted two stories that encouraged me regarding this subject (thanks for sharing this link Hannah). This has been a challenge for me, but no matter how hard, it’s the right thing to do.
I found an article on Boundless about Facebook. In light of my recent post, I’d encourage you to read it completely. This snippet nicely summarizes partly how I feel:
And yet, for all the appeal, I can’t help but think that most of the time I spend on Facebook could be accompanied by Bono singing, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for….” Because for me, at least, Facebook offers a tease of an encounter but not the fullness. It’s like gazing at a window display of another life — you can see just enough to be intrigued, but you can’t get in. I mean, you can poke, or even “superpoke,” but the glass is still there.
Read the rest!
The UK Telegraph reports,
Laboratories across the world are closing in on a “second genesis” – an achievement that would be one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs of all time.
Prof David Deamer, from California University, said although building a new lifeform from scratch is a daunting task he is confident it can happen in five to 10 years.
This article piqued my interest surprisingly. We have been discussing the issue of life in my philosophy class and so far, we have spent two entire lectures on whether or not robots/machines, etc. could or should be considered a lifeform. Other such questions have been asked. For instance, do cocklear implants (for the ears) or small brain chips to cure amnesia, etc. de-humanize someone? What if someone were to have more than half of their brain replaced to correct someone, are they still human at that point? Could robots eventually become a person (something that doesn’t just spit out what it’s programmed, but rather is conscious)?
It’s a very interesting topic and one that is pertinent in todays age. Even though I have some reservations about it all of this, it’s still a reality that will probably happen in the next twenty years.
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