new year's resolutions

in

its a new year, and, in true form, i will make new year's resolutions.

i think i heard a survey that said that 90% of all new year's resolutions are broken by march. everyone's new year's resolutions is to lose weight. even my brother wants to drop 25 lbs before his wedding. since i need to (and want to) lose weight, my new year's resolution is to NOT lose weight. (take THAT reverse psychology).

my second new year's resolution is to not die. actually, make that my number 1 resolution. if i die, weight loss won't mean much, unless i died from a weight-related illness, which would be ironic, wouldn't it?

my third new year's resolution is to make the dean's list my last 3 semesters at college. i did it last spring and summer, but i struggled this fall. i need to get back on the wagon and finish strong, or i'll never get admitted to IBC. (that was a joke.)

my fourth new year's resolution is to grow spiritually and develop a relationship with someone that results in them coming to church and getting saved. that might be two, but i want to see my ministry develop, and to see a soul saved.

my fifth new year's resolution is to find a date for evan's wedding in july. any takers?

to recap:
1.) don't die
2.) begin a life-style change that results in substantial, sustainable weight-loss.
3.) make the dean's list through graduation (december, 2007)
4.) grow spiritually
a.) bring someone to church and see them saved
5.) find a date for evan's wedding

lucky and beautiful

in

i'm a humbug.

that's the reality of it. i don't like the christmas season. i've probably been jaded by too many years working retail during this blessed holiday event. i don't like decorations, or christmas carols, or ho-ho-ho's. i am annoyed to no end by my family's x-mas tree (it's an artificial tree; christ isn't in it). i really don't like the excessive marketing that takes place, i hate having to ever venture to a mall for a valid purpose, much less for some trivial present that someone will forget in six weeks, if not sooner.

maybe that's what i don't like about christmas - the fleeting nature of it. i don't like the gifts that don't fit, or are impractical, or are just so materialistic in nature. give me a gift that means something. give me a gift that will stay in my heart long after this season has passed. i want a gift that will last for years, that i can take with me.

this year, the family cut back on our gifts to each other, and we made a family contribution to the building fund. our young adult group raised almost $1000.00 between thanksgiving and christmas to take boxes of food to 18 needy families that we've been working with and praying for. this last saturday, my dad and i and brother and a few other people from the group went out, visiting these homes in a neighborhood our YA group has adopted, and it was heart-wrenching to see how they responded.

as we approached some of the homes, the children would come running out to meet us at the car. we had presents for some, turkeys for others, and food and bread for them all. at each house, though, we asked if we could pray. children were gathered from throughout the entire house, hushed, and we prayed. we went to one house, superman's house, and there were about 10 kids there. the parents weren't home, but superman, the obvious ringleader, helped us unload, and then gathered the kids together, and informed them it was time to pray. he smacked one of the other kids upside the head and said, "shut up! we're praying!" i liked superman.

we went to another house, took in a box of food, and she was dancing, so thankful that we had brought what, honestly, wasn't more than a week or so worth of food, and as we brought in the presents from the church for her kids, she started crying, and then proceeded to give us all hugs. little brother took the presents in, put them under the meager tree, and one of the little boys gave him a pen with a star on the end, and told him, "this is your christmas present." evan is treasuring that pen.

this morning, dad and i stood in the foyer of the church and played christmas carols on our horns. this evening, we went to our neighbor's houses, and played christmas carols around the neighborhood. we visited some friends from work, my mom's boss, friends from years ago ... every house we went to, people came running out to hear us. teenagers would run to the door and belly laugh, so tickled to have someone christmas carol. little children would press their faces against the front windows and the storm door, smiling and singing along. other families stood with tears in their eyes, thanking us for making their christmas season.

i don't know what's in those brightly wrapped boxes under the tree. i don't know what i'll unwrap tomorrow. but nothing will be able to compare to seeing the faces of the children when we brought them food, or even a little bit of christmas cheer. next year for christmas, buy one less gift for people who have everything, and take a meal to a family that has nothing. i promise, your christmas will never be the same.

the greatest gifts i've ever received are the gifts i've given.

Did you know ...

in

... that the US is about 900 billion dollars in debt to China? I think I prefer the tax and spend liberals to the borrow and spend conservatives. At least we wouldn't be in the pocket of the next world superpower.

Reports out now say that, by 2050, China is going to surpass the US as the major economic superpower, and India will be a close third.

I'm incredibly disappointed by the overspending of the Bush Administration; I'd expect more from someone who claims to be a Reagan-Era Republican. Ron would be ashamed to be associated with W. I'm actually relieved that the Dems took back the House and Senate. Maybe something productive will get done about this ridiculous pork-barrel spending.

Altitude

in

After a half hour or so, the passengers begin to settle in, and a stillness rests upon the entire plane. The attendants move from row to row, asking what we’d like, if anything, to drink. As I accept my ginger ale, cup of ice, and package of three honey-roasted peanuts, the source of the airline industry’s financial bane becomes quite clear to me.
I look out the window, and I am comforted to see the layer of clouds beneath us; the blue seems to go one forever, and I smile and sigh. The takeoff was somewhat turbulent: winds on the ground rocked the plane during our ascent. But up here, there is no turbulence; there are no distractions; there is nothing to detract from the serenity of my vacation.
In a few moments, the in-flight movie will start, an R-rated drama edited to “G” level entertainment. In a few moments, I’ll start some homework. In a few moments, time will continue. But right now, I’m on vacation.

Just Friends

in

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him …?” Psalms 8:4

I recently received the “just friends” talk. You know what that is, “You’re a great friend, and I don’t want to lose your friendship, but there’s someone else.” To hear it is the worst possible feeling in the world, and to say it, well, that’s the worst thing that you could ever say to another person.
Now, I’ll admit that I am guilty of using that horrid line to my serve my own purposes, but I started thinking about it, and it really hurts. I am just crazy about this person, and I can’t hardly stand seeing her with another person when I want to be with her. It hurts to think about, hurts to talk about, and she wants to make sure that, even though she is with this guy, she and I can maintain our friendship. Of course, like always, I said yes.
Then God started dealing with me. As much as it hurts me, and eats me up inside to be “just friends,” how much more does it hurt God for us to treat Him simply as our friend? In Psalms 8:4, mindful can be interpreted as obsessed, or passionate about. Jesus is passionate about us; He thinks about us, each of us, individually, all the time, and wants to be part of our lives. It hurts Him when we treat our relationship with Him casually, like we’re just friends. Christ wants to be intimate with us, and He won’t be happy with anything else.
If I, in my carnal, fleshly state, can’t stand to see someone I care about not reciprocating those feelings, how much worse is it for Him? I don’t want to be “just friends” with Jesus.