Haircuts and Other Improvements

I have to say my favorite gift so far before Christmas is the one that I gave to myself: a haircut. It's been about three months since the last one, and I am loving my hair short again. I know, I know -my hair is normally short to everyone else's standards. It's been having the time to mess with it and try new things.

As for other improvments, a group called the Baptsit Builders came to Christan Challenge a week and a half ago and worked on our kitchen. The volunteered time and and churches around the area pitched in to put in a new sink, fix our cabinets and paint them, paint the walls, and just make the place a lot nicer to look at -as well as being much more functional. It was fun helping them out. And it was very humbling to see these retired couples serving our ministry. I'm very thankful for their kindness and their love for college students and collegiate ministry.

I have a lot to be thankful for at the end of this semester. I survived and thrived this semester and the Father provided for me time and time again. I've got great friends who have supported me and encouraged me through this transition time in my life, and I am so thankful for them as well. I love my "job" and even though it's hard and stretches me spiritually, it's so worth it and I'm learning so much.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Finals

So here I am working with college students, and this is the first winter I have not taken finals in 8 years (I'm counting highschool because I took them there as well). It feels weird, but so freeing at the the same time. No tests, no papers, and no homework. It feels wonderful :) I'm not saying my life is peachy-keen by any means, but I'm thankful that I don't have tests on top of what I'm already doing.

I do feel like I've finished a great semester, though :) It went by so fast, and yet it felt like it was SO slow at the same time. I still don't feel like an adult, and I have a feeling I'm not going to feel like an adult until I'm in the Father's presence...maybe not even then. But yay, I'm still alive, not in debt over my ears. I think I've survived and thrived despite the shock of being out on my own for the first time. Looking forward to the Christmas Break and excited to see what the next year is going to bring. Whatever it is, it will be an adventure....that's what I signed up for :) Have a wonderful week!

The Golden Compass

So I've been getting all these emails about boycotting the upcoming movie The Golden Compass, based on the His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman. And no this is not necessarily a plug in that direction. Ten years ago when the books were first published I read them as a 6th grader and loved them. You might ask why when it's reported that the main protagonists "kill" God.

The world that Pullman sets his story in is ruled by a medieval Catholic-like magistrate, where the main people in the church-like magistrate are hypocrits, where they have religion-but not a relationship with their "god." These people are viewed as saying one thing and doing another. Through a series of events that lead the children find the god these people worship, they discover that the god their world worhips is not God at all, but an imposter. When I finished the novels, I was challenged in my faith. Do I say one thing and do another? Is my faith just traditions, or is my relationship with the Creator of the Universe reflected in my words and deeds? And am I worshiping an idol in my life that I am putting in place of God?

I've been reading these books for a decade and it wasn't until the movie started production that I discovered that the author was an atheist and reportedly wrote the books so that he could pen the death of God. And yet, even this information shed some light on the book and the author. Pullman's characters have animal companions that are part of their soul (like soulmates) if they are parted both will die. As a literature major, I know the author is usually reflected in their works and I was reminded of the "soul mates" in the book. Pullman knows we as people are not whole deep down inside, that we are missing something. I know that someone is Jesus. So I pray that Pullman discovers that wholeness one day, cause I think deep down he wants to be connected to something greater than himself.

Why am I on this soap box? I guess I want to challenge people to read the books so that we can dialogue with the culture, instead hearing about the books and discussing it like we've actually read the thing. Isn't that what the world does with the Bible? They hear what it "says" from others who haven't read it and make a judgment without even cracking it open. I guess I'm using this medium of blogging as a way to think out loud and bounce ideas back at people. I think I'm off the soap box :) I'm glad I'm back to blogging world...I needed this. Ha! Hope you enjoyed the ranting if feedback is welcome :)

I've Found My Way Back

So through some slight peer-pressure, I'm back on the blogging world :) And looking back it's been about a year, so I might be a little rusty. A ton has changed during the last year, so maybe I'll have some better material to write on this here blog. But regardless, I think I'm going to enjoy re-connecting with some old friends and making some new. When I have some more time I'll write a little more about what my life has been like in this new season of "adulthood."

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and I'll chat some more later!