Showing posts with label Habits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Habits. Show all posts

Saturday, January 03, 2009

How to formulate a blog topic.

I go through moments of inspiration. Maybe that's what I should title this blog instead. :) I think it necessary to write about topics that are semi-worthwhile. BUT...when the great discussions of all time do not pop into my head, what other ideas shall I consider? I could...

* Tell you what I had for breakfast.
* Write out my grocery list.
* Elaborate on my very unpractical new year's resolutions.
* Gawk at my nieces and nephews (more than I already do).
* Tell you about my bad habits, like not writing my thank-you notes within a week of Christmas.
* Quote famous people.
* Give you a list of favorites.
* Or write out a fantastic story.

See, I prefer the random and spontaneous over the expected.

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On another note, I think I have finally decided on a trade, of sorts. I have often toyed with the idea of pursuing nursing, never being extremely all for it, but it has begun to grow on me as of late. My friend, CJ, will claim I'm copying her, which is fine. My mother always said, "Copying is the highest form of flattery." Somehow I stilled never liked being copied...oh well. So yes, the plan as of now is to finish at Moody December 09, take some training the semester prior, then hopefully apply for nursing school through a hospital program. In certain cases, a hospital will pay for your training and you are then committed to work for them for a number of years after you finish, much like the military. We shall see :)

The excellent part about Nursing is it's a guaranteed job anywhere in the world. My interests in international work can be much easily to facilitate with certification in a field like that. So...please pray for direction while I look into schools and programs and don't hesitate to suggest anything you think of.

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Lastly, a music recommendation for anyone that needs to update their cds or itunes....look for the Friday Night Lights soundtrack. It's mostly wordless and very relaxing. BEAUTIFUL music. (Compliments to my brother and sister-in-law who bought that for my Christmas gift).

Happy January 3rd!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Random thoughts...

Last night I learned that there is such a thing as "dirty chai." Chai tea+a shot of expresso. I've not tried it yet, but it must be something amazing.

I got my curfew exemption sticker today :) Much to my parent's dismay, I can stay out all night and party if I decided to turn my life that way. But thank goodness for everyone's sake, I like to be in bed before 11. :)

My favorite author is CS Lewis (like a billion other people's favorite). I found a quote of his in the preface of a textbook...

"There is a kind of happiness and wonder that makes you serious."

That's all for now, folks!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Proverbs 23:17
"Do not let your heart envy sinners,
But be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day."

Proverbs 23:23
"Buy the truth and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding."

Proverbs 23:24-25
"The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will delight in him. Let your father and mother be glad and let her who bore you rejoice."

Psalm 28:7c
"Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him."

Psalm 38:17-20
"For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continuously before me.
For I will declare my iniquity;
I will be in anguish over my sin.
But my enemies are vigorous and they are strong;
And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.
They are my adversaries--those also who render evil for good--because I follow what is good."


Thursday, January 17, 2008

"Drink while you swim"

Or kill two birds with one stone? Literal translations sometimes make no sense. An encouraging thought while I study languages for missions. Oh boy...

Oh man, this has been the most frustrating few days, academically. My brain is looking at a mirror and seeing it's great lack of intelligence. I'm taking a philosophy class. Oh my goodness--I thought I knew how to think...I think i was wrong :D It took me (with a partner) 30 minutes to decide if we agreed on a statement about the universe. WHAT THE HECK!? The statement was by a man who believed that in order for divinity to have created existence, it would have had to exist, meaning that before there was divinity, there was existence. Uh...make sense out of that one if you can.

In addition to crazy philosophy, I've started my major-specific classes relating to missions. Cultural Anthropology and Intercultural Comm. If you ever want to be convinced that you DON'T know anything about people and SHOULDN'T go outside of your own, take these classes. They'll scare you pretty good :) On the other hand, if you know that you're suppose to be in cross-cultural work, be prepared for INCREDIBLE realizations. In the first 20 minutes of one class, I experienced the tiniest piece of what it means to be a minority--one that can't understand the language, can't ask for help, is dominated by the ruling majority, and has to play by that culture's rules. SOOO interesting to think through. Like the illustration above--the title is a direct translation to English of a common Sudanese phrase. To an American, "drink while you swim" is a strange phrase, and to a Sudanese person "kill two birds with one stone" or "straight from the horse's mouth" might cause incredible confusion! Let's not even begin to talk about minor tonal differences in languages that COMPLETELY change the meaning of what you're saying. In one of the Sudanese dialects, a slight change in tone could tell the difference of saying, "Fine weather today" versus "I'm pregnant"--not a mistake I want to make! Oh praise the Lord for the funny ways He can humble us in any culture :)

Since school is my life, I will continue sharing from what I'm observing here. Every institution has a statement of beliefs that are composed of the bare-bones, but they of course cannot include EVERY detail of their doctrine. So throughout your time in that institution, however long or short, they will infiltrate their classes, via books and opinion, the rest of the institutional beliefs. At first they're subtle--then not so subtle. It is, essentially, a method of brain-washing. Not necessarily bad, but something to consider.

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Share with me what your personal opinions would be about these questions. Please answer as simply or complicated as you wish:
**Is the Holy Spirit's work of illumination limited to that which is taken from hermeneutics and exegesis of Scripture?

**Just because a method of evangelism produces valid results (meaning souls saved by Christ), does that make it correct and/or a method to be replicated?
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The word of the semester for me is: Consistency. "Reliability; uniformity; the quality of being consistent" (yay wiktionary). My amazing roommate/friend and I have been working through various aspects of our daily lives (yes cliche, but true) and figuring out practically the areas that need work. My general list has mostly to do with time-management and habitual devotions. I was not raised to keep a consistent schedule, though I'm sure my parents would have loved it :) I was the wild child when it came to being responsible and unfortunately I am paying the price. I STINK at making/maintaining habits. One of my favorite pastors preached a sermon series on creating/maintaining godly habits. Talk about conviction! Living a godly life is so interconnected between physical/spiritual! Think about it--more rested means more alert and aware while reading/living out principles of Scripture. It's almost one of those "DUH" moments. You'd think we'd learn after a while! SO...if you think of it, pray for me and Tiffany this semester that we would be consistent in good habits and godly lifestyle. Thanks :)

Alright--I need to get off my blog and get back to work/hw. :) Too many thoughts and not enough getting accomplished.

A great many blessings to you today and hopes of a beautiful evening for you. (PS--it's snowing here. My roommate's happy) ;)

Em