25 things i hate about facebook

So generally, I'm ok with Facebook. It is fun at times and I do enjoy it. However, it is also a waste of time and it is not void of its annoyances. I'm definitely a minimalist when it comes to fb... I don't care how many gifts someone gives me, I'm just going to delete them. I DO NOT understand "poking" and I think that most apps are just plain a waste of my time. In the same vein, I submit to you this rather humorous video (That I totally found here). Let me know what YOU think... enjoy!

unlearning

This past Sunday's sermon at Grace contained a powerful challenge, one of "unlearning." The statement was made, "Do not come to biblical conclusions based on what you grew up hearing." How many times have we as believers taken things we have heard from the pulpit or our well-meaning parents and friends at face value and never paused to check their alignment with scripture?

So I've been wondering this week: What other things to I need to unlearn and in what other areas do I need to re-evaluate my conclusions by genuinely comparing them to scripture?

02.19.09--a random thursday update

Suffice to say I’ve been very busy as of late and my blogging has lacked a bit. Therefore, what follows is a collection of random thoughts (in no particular order) that have been floating around in my head for the last couple of weeks. Here’s the disclaimer: read at your own risk!

1. Recently on Mike Huckabee’s FoxNews program, he called the new stimulus bill, which President Obama signed this past Tuesday, the Congressional Relief Action Program (or CRAP). You can read his thoughts directly here. I tend to agree with the former Arkansas governor in his assessment.
2. I’ve owned my house for 11 months and I’m refinancing. Yep, if you are a homeowner RUN to check your interest rate now. It might be a good idea for you to do the same.
3. I did my taxes last Friday night. They are done and behind me for yet another year. I might add that TurboTax is amazing and makes navigating the crazy world of the IRS very doable.
4. The Vanilla Macadamia Nut Kona Coffee that my boss brought back from his vacation in Hawaii is heavenly. The last couple of afternoons it has been a very welcomed afternoon treat!
5. Last Saturday I ran a new race or rather one that was new to me, The Valentine’s Day 10k in Bartlett. It was loads of fun and I think I will have to incorporate it into my annual running calendar.
6. Next on the running calendar is the Germantown Half Marathon. I am NOT a big fan of this race. It’s a well run race but it is a boring course. Blah… But for some reason, I keep signing up for it and yes, I continue to run it. Such is the case this year.
7. I REALLY want an iPhone and will probably get one very soon. Yea! I can’t wait!
8. I’m absolutely ready for spring. These warmer days simply make me more antsy for it’s arrival.
9. Since it’s inevitable that spring will come and at some point in the not too distant future, I have begun to think about my gardening agenda for the year. This year, I want to incorporate an herb garden somehow… rosemary, basil, etc. I’m still formulating my plan and trying to decide exactly what herbs I want. I don’t know much about herb gardens though I’m excited about the possibility of learning. Thoughts?
10. And while I’m on the gardening topic, why do pansies always look their prettiest in the last month or so before you are supposed to pull them up? My yellow pansies are blooming and are simply beautiful.
11. I’m reading an absolutely fabulous book right now and it is transforming my devotional time. Melissa told me it is a daunting book to read. She was right. It is. But I’m about 48 pages (out of 694 total with a size 7 font, literally) into Isaac Ambrose’s Looking Unto Jesus and I can say that this one will probably end up making it into my top 10. I don’t really look to finish this one quickly as I have a long way left to go but believe me, it is good. This one deserves its own post, which I will tackle very soon.
12. The goodness of the Lord continues to astonish me in the way that it totally surrounds me and hems me in from every direction.
13. I am thankful in the mist of turbulent economic times, changing government (yes, I do think America is marching towards socialism but that is another post as well), and general instability that Christ is faithful and that my hope rests in HIM.

Ok everyone, I suppose that’s more than enough random info for one post. I’ll try to be a little less overwhelming by posting more frequently but until next time, have a happy Thursday!

better than last year?

As I write this I have just returned from the Tiger basketball game and I’ve been pondering the following question:

Is this year’s basketball team better than last years?

I know that is a difficult question considering the magical season that we had last year but this year is shaping up to be rather stellar in it’s own right. Offensively, the question regarding which team is better is definitely debatable; however, defensively this team has been shutting down the opposition.

Currently, we are at a 53 conference game winning streak! To put this in perspective: The Tigers have only lost one (nope, that’s not a typo… I meant ONE) game since Conference USA realigned a couple of years ago. And to top it all off, the most astounding statistic of all: As of late, The Tigers have become a free-throw shooting machine! Seriously, I know this is hard to believe given last year’s free-throw woes but tonight the Tigers were 90% from the charity stripe and they were frequently at the line.

So here's to another great [fastly approaching] March... we'll see how far this year's team can go. Go Tigers!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Kurt Strassner posted the following last Valentine's Day. It made such an impression on me then that I felt the need to draw attention to it again this year. Happy Valentine's Day!

THE STORY OF ST. VALENTINE

Write it in heart-shaped stone. Valentine’s is a certified craze. Card companies, candy stores, and bed-and-breakfasts have turned February 14th into one of the biggest, pinkest, most lucrative days of the year! But I got to thinking…Isn’t the full title Saint Valentine’s Day? Was there really a saint named Valentine? If so, who was he? And is there any Christian significance to this day?

Here are the wonderful answers:

St. Valentine was the faithful pastor of a local church in Rome in the mid-200’s AD. But all around him and his little congregation, controversy raged. About this time a cruel emperor named Claudius II held the throne. Claudius, like most Roman emperors of the day, hated the Christians…and could be ruthless in his treatment of them. He and Valentine, living in the same city, were on a collision course.

Some time during Valentine’s pastorate, Claudius completely outlawed marriage in Rome…concluding that single men made better soldiers. Well, Valentine saw this as an affront, not only to young lovers, but to God. Had not God said, “Be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1.28)? Had He not said, “the marriage bed is to be held in honor by all” (Hebrews 13.4)? And was not marriage a glorious illustration of how “Christ loved the church” (Ephesians 5.25)? What could Valentine do but defy the emperor? He continued to encourage marriage among the youth of his church. And he continued to secretly counsel and marry young couples for the sake of Christ…putting himself under the watchful eye of the authorities.

Meanwhile, Claudius also continued the reign of terror begun by his predecessors. He persisted in beating, torturing, and killing Christians. And again Valentine stood with God, not the emperor. He made the comfort of suffering, dying believers one of his top pastoral priorities. Feeding the hungry, assisting the sick, and comforting the dying saints were among Valentine’s greatest pastoral joys. And he paid with his life. On Feb. 14, 270 Valentine was captured, beaten, and beheaded.

That gives new meaning to the phrase: Will you be my Valentine?! St. Valentine’s Day is actually a day to remember a man who was willing to lay down his life for the sake of Christ and His church! Truly he imitated Jesus who said of Himself: “Greater love has no man than this that He lay down His life for His friends” (John 15.13).

Ah yes, it is not primarily to Valentine that we look for our example of sacrificial love. Rather, we look to Jesus Christ, the God-man who went to a Roman Cross for the sake of us sinners. And it is not a cruel emperor whose judgment we fear; but that of the perfect, benevolent, but righteous Judge of all the earth—a judge who finds us all guilty of ignoring His goodness and breaking His law (Romans 1.21).

So Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to look beyond St. Valentine to Jesus, who willingly went to a bloody crucifixion to stand in our place at God’s bar of perfect justice (1 Peter 3.18).

Valentine’s Day is a chance look away from man, in whom there is no salvation, to Jesus, who alone can save (Acts 4.12). And yes, Valentine’s is a day for receiving gifts of love! “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6.23)!

Have you received God’s “free gift”? Have you entrusted yourself to “Christ Jesus our Lord”? And if not, would you do so today? “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him” (1 John 4.9).

treasures

I have always loved to read. As a little kid I would try (and sometimes quite successfully) to "hide" in my room so I could finish a really great book I was working on instead of doing my chores. Though much has changed since those times as a little girl, my love of a good book hasn't.

So, below you will find two lists. First, my top 10 all time favorite books. This is quite an elite list and I'm sure that as time continues to fly by this list might change a bit but generally, these are the books that have literally changed my life. I wish I had time to comment on each of them but I fear everyone would tire of reading before I could adequately summarize the impact these 1 books have had. Secondly, you'll find just a few of the books that are on my list to read soon (maybe you'll see some book reviews on the blog soon!). This list is indeed every expanding! Lastly, I must make note of the fact that these two lists exclude a ton of amazing books that have had a significant impact on my life... maybe I'll leave that list for another post. Happy Reading!

Top 10 all time favs (in no particular order)
The Valley of Vision, Communion with God (by John Owen), Letters of Rutherford (by Samuel Rutherford), Daily Light, Death of a Guru (by Rabi R. Maharaj), The Knowledge of the Holy (by AW Tozer), The Pursuit of God (by AW Tozer), Because We Love Him (by Clyde Cranford), A Chance to Die, The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael (by Elisabeth Elliot), and Desiring God (by John Piper)

Next on the List "To Read"
The Practice of the Presence of God (by Brother Lawrence), The Believer’s Joy (by Robert Murray McCheyne), The Glory of Christ (by John Owen), Redemption Accomplished and Applied (by John Murray), Born Slaves (by Martin Luther), To the Golden Shore, The Life of Adoniram Judson (by Courtney Anderson), God at Work (by Gene Edward Veith, Jr.), Repentance (by Richard Owen Roberts), The Complete Works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer (by E.M. Bounds), Overcoming Sin and Temptation, 3 Classic Works by John Owen, Looking Unto Jesus (by Isaac Ambrose), The Reagan Diaries (by Ronald W. Reagan), and 1776 (by David McCullough)