Anne Jackson stole my blog topic

Posted January 30, 2009 By Andrea and has 2 comments.

Hehe.

Not really.

Yesterday I read her Ted Haggard post and I was like well I guess my post is gone. If only I had posted earlier. Argh!
:) I am only joking.

I just wanted to go ahead and write what I noted, because like Anne, Ted’s story saddened me on Wednesday. I saw his wife and children with him on Oprah and their support was amazing. But what struck me most about the whole conversation, what knocked the breath out of me because I have been a part of a pastor’s family my whole life, and at that a pastor who had problems that were kept hidden, was when he said “I kept trying to work it out in spiritual circles and I couldn’t.”

He admits that he would start to share, only to be shut down.

How can we as Christians ”shut down” and then say we believe everyone to be worthy of salvation? How can we work so hard to keep some out and some in?

I am faced now with my own prejudices and the dark glasses I have worn in regards to some problems and not others. But to paraphrase another thing Ted said, never have I realized more how in need we all are for God’s redemption and salvation. And he does accept anyone. And on top of that, he loves us.

So I’m not upset that a few people have the same blog topic. For once I’m excited. I think it is a message we all need to be waking up to. 

So today, have a little (spritual) compassion.

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Categories: Church "issues", Compassion
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Stomp!

Posted January 28, 2009 By Andrea and has no comments yet.

So last night Andy and I went to see Stomp! And he looked at me and said, isn’t it amazing that people were born with the God-given talent to do this stuff? And it is. The fluency and precision in all the movements to make music from trash cans, paint cans, rubber, and tapping.

Perhaps we all have the ability to do that….make something special from something that it hardly makes sense to use. We just have to think about it all. After all, the creators of Stomp! did take ten years to perfect the concept.

Either that or we could come up with a Christian version of Stomp… I think it is high time people stop seeing Jesus Christ Superstar and thinking that is what we’re all about. :)

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Little Miss No Sunshine

Posted January 27, 2009 By Andrea and has 2 comments.

 

Okay, so I’m not really. 

But I will say that lately I have been sad about my lack of volunteering and giving time in the last 2-3 months. Number 1, my home church is no longer around to wack me in the head every Sunday morning, nor the youth service where we got to hang for an hour. And after I have been with my students all day I can definitely tell you the younger students at RFS have not been seeing my face. So then I started thinking, what is wrong with me?!? What is my life about?!?! How can I stand for all these things and be doing next to nothing. My job at school certainly does not count because I am getting paid for it (this is what my mind tells me). I don’t know what church to go to or what organization needs my hand more! Now, with all the  messed up churchy things that happened I know I needed a break from that. But my babies at RFS? I don’t want to be sluggish and “not all there” for them, do I? I honestly don’t know what to do. I think that once this tenure is over at school I might be slightly better, but I know that our financial situation won’t! I am so frustrated with myself.

Is this an attack from the enemy? Is this my own head? Or is it really my guilt over evading something God is trying to stretch me to? I see others and I wonder…. I just can’t help myself.

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Categories: Personal
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Obama, Abortion, and Mexico City

Posted January 26, 2009 By Andrea and has 5 comments.

To me, abortion is a sad choice in many ways. Choosing whether or not to give a baby life when you do not think you are able to give him or her the life they deserve could never be a desirable experience. That being said, I choose to not sit on the pro-life or pro-choice side. I can honestly say that in my life abortion would not be an option. But I know that the banning of abortion would cause an uprising in home abortions and deaths or injuries of mothers who would try to get under the table abortions from unqualified people passing themselves as doctors. I definitely do not want to see that. I would like to see easier adoption options and more counseling and support for mothers who are faced with an unwanted pregnancy. Abortion should not be a substitute for birth control. However, like a local pastor who I recently saw on a Christian interview program, I do not think that not having abortions could be a solvent to our economic crisis. The thought is insane. In any case it would burden a system that needs more requirements and fights harder for justice to see its dependents turned around. Affordable childcare, better transportation systems, job placement, etc. There are ways to have a welfare system that does help care for our brothers and sisters and not enslave people to its pattern.

That being said, the one issue I have never been able to fully agree with President Obama on is his abortion stance. I simply cannot think of a world either way. My unrest leaves me unable to take a definitive stance. But, when I heard the Mexico City decision I was thoroughly confused. First of all, Mexico City’s population needs our help in more ways than one. Its overpopulation makes it a dangerous place to live not only for its crime but for its massive air pollution. Second of all, I did not understand why Obama would want to take a stand on international abortion. However, this article at Blogging Faith helped my understanding. Whether you agree with me, Obama, or choose a conservative stance I hope that you might find this article helpful as well. Our media rarely does a thorough job of relating multi-tiered news stories. Here it is.

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Categories: Politics?, Random
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Have a little Compassion…

Posted January 23, 2009 By Andrea and has no comments yet.

 Ay ay ay! i am very behind at work today, so let me be honest and say that I have not prepared ahead my Compassion post. So, today give a smile, give a hug. Show a little compassion to someone who does, or maybe even doesn’t need it. I think we can all agree we have been underserving at times, but still given so much!

Peace begins with a smile.  ~Mother Teresa

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Why ask why?

Posted January 22, 2009 By Andrea and has 4 comments.

As Christians is it healthy for us to question? There are so many different interpretations and messages out there. Should that mean we should question then decide (or remain on the fence), or should we simply ignore all risky or edgy interpretations to find and seek truth only for ourselves.

It interested me yesterday that Anne Jackson asked a WHY question about being gay. What interested me more were the amount of people listing reasons why it was a sin, and in those reasons listing ways that we probably each sin daily, if not minutely or secondly. I know that shouldn’t take away from the original why question, but to me it did. It made me ask why are we asking why? Isn’t this God’s choice. Isn’t this a personal relationship in which we can have our own beliefs and follow a journey without asking why of other’s sins. It is a fine line. I fully believe in and respect the idea of accountability inside the Christian fellowship. And it trememndously helped me when I was in my own personal struggles. But if someone sees no issue and you have confronted them in love and a spirit of simple accountability, not judgment or condemnation, then isn’t that for them to handle on their own. I do believe that God has different plans for each of us, and maybe in that slower or faster journeys of self discovery. So…if we already know Jesus, I am just wondering, why do we ask why? Maybe it’s not as important as why he loves us, and why we in turn seek to love him.

Maybe it’s how, how do we do that?

How do I do that Jesus? How do I love you to my fullest? How do I go where you want me to go without wanting to run? How do I become others focused in a way that does not point out their flaws but grows me spiritually so that I can be more like you. Thank you for loving me. And thank you for giving me a heart with your desires and passions. Help me to not let my own gritty desires or selfishness get in the way of those. Keep my heart soft to those who need you, and hard to the sins I have most struggled with that are in my past. Continually take the me out and put You in, for without You I am lost and imperfect. Teach me how Father.

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Categories: Random
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This inauguration makes me hungry!

Posted January 20, 2009 By Andrea and has 3 comments.

It is great to see people in high spirits. Whether or not you voted for Obama, this is a blessed day when you see that there is opportunity for a person who 40 years ago would have had very little. People are elated and I just heard some women singing about crawfish on the bayou. Yum. With some corn and potatoes (and cajun spices of course!), I could totally go for that right now!

And yes, I stood outside last night with my husband and good friend and talked about the significance in history in general, that the U.S. is able to have such a smooth transition of power. But you cannot deny that there is a little something extra special this time, you cannot deny that whether or not you agree with the politics of Obama or not, there are some people hanging out today that would never hang out. So maybe it is time to sit and listen to each other’s stories. Maybe this should not even be a day of politics, but a day to sit and remember how far we have come as individuals, and realize all that others are doing and feeling.

Yes, I guess we can.

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On MLK Day, a question…

Posted January 19, 2009 By Andrea and has 4 comments.

To you, what is the difference between justice and charity? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. worked for a specific call to justice that he had. I believe that we as a body of believers are called to justice as well. How and why is this different than charity? I know what I think but I want to know what you think. If you really want to know what I think, just ask. Or peruse around….lol.

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Have a little Compassion…

Posted January 16, 2009 By Andrea and has 1 comment.

It has been a while but I would really like to begin giving Fridays back to solely giving compassion (whether it is this group or another). Whether your days be filled with students (like mine), mad dashes to meetings, customers, twittering or just chillaxing, it is so important to take time for others. Whether it be in small momentary ways, or commitments like this. So I pray that you will consider doing some such thing (in the name of our Savior who has shown us so much Compassion).  The children featured on this site have always been waiting 6 months or longer for a sponsor. These are children who have been approved and are in need, but have waited and waited. If you do not have the money to commit, think about making a one time donation to their Children without sponsors fund. You can do so here.

If you would like to sponsor a child, here is your chance! This is Eliana.

Name: Eliana Carolina Acuña Gonzalez (CO6230083)
Birthday: August 13, 2001    Age: 7
Gender: Female
Region:  South America
Country:  Colombia
Program:  Centro de Desarrollo Integral Mensajeros de Esperanza

Personal and Family Information:
Eliana lives with her father and her mother. Her duties at home include washing clothes, making beds and cleaning. There are 2 children in the family. Her father is sometimes employed and her mother maintains the home.

Bicycling, hide-and-seek and playing group games are Eliana’s favorite activities. In primary school her performance is average and she also regularly attends church activities and Bible class.

Because of your sponsorship, Eliana will have new opportunities to learn and grow physically, mentally, and spiritually. Thank you for your concern and prayers. Please click HERE if you would like to sponsor Eliana.

IMPORTANT: A CREDIT CARD IS REQUIRED as payment because this child has been classified “HIGH PRIORITY”. This child has been waiting more than 6 months for a sponsor. Help make a difference in the life of this child, who is anxiously waiting for a sponsor.

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Categories: Compassion
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It's a New Day

Posted January 15, 2009 By Andrea and has no comments yet.

I don’t particuarly love Avalon, not that they are not talented, it is just not exactly my kind of music. All morning I have had this song in my head though

It’s a new day
Oh, it’s a new time
And there’s a new way
I’m gonna live my life
All the old has, passed away
And the new has come
Thank God, It’s a brand new day

I feel that somehow, although I did not even ask for it, God is replenishing me. 2008 was a year of extreme highs and lows (I got married, my parents got divorced, my grandfather died, I went on an actual vacation- my first in years!).

I was thinking about the new ways I see being thought in church, and the slow push towards the middle in political arenas. Okay, so we are not anywhere close to perfect, and we will probably continue a push and pull over some issues for years. I mean, can you ever believe that Christians thought it right to separate races from one another? Some of our debates are ludicrous, and should be lost. Others might only become more heated. But, needless to say, I am excited for the opportunity I see in several arenas to think and feel in accordance with our call in scriptures. And no, we don’t all agree. But I love what Blogging Faith said yesterday,

…conflict isn’t an end in itself, and we shouldn’t be reflexively distrustful of common ground.

You see, we have it. We just have to find it. I think compromising ones ideals is different than compromising morals. There is more than one perspective around. Everyday is a new day right?

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Categories: Church "issues", Politics?, Spiritual Reflections
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