Our culture tells us to constantly think about the future. As a child, you are asked what you want to be when you grow up. As a Freshman in college who has just started classes, you're asked what you are going to do when you graduate (in four years). When you start dating someone seriously, you're asked when you'll get married. When you get married, you're asked when you will start having kids.
In the last few weeks, I have had to go to academic counseling (where you kind of plan out your next few years and decide what you are going to study next semester) and have had to look through classes, times, schedules, teachers, job shifts, housing, financial aid and everything else for next semester... but I'm only half way through this semester!
So, because of all this, I have been worrying about the places I want to go, the classes I want to take, and many other things about the next four years.
Then, the other day, I got together with one of my Freshman American girlfriends and told her about all the things I'm thinking of doing in the next few years while I'm here at APU. She looked at me and said "What is up with you TCKs! You're all insane over-achievers! Do you do it on purpose to make us Americans look stupid?!?" She was (somewhat) joking, but it still made me sit down and think about it when I got home. And then God made a light bulb go on while I looked at all the things that I'd like to do and all the work it would take to do them. I realized that I really am an insane over-achiever! (Though I'd like to think of it as an over-excitement for learning and taking advantage of this time I have here). But yeah, I need to relax and take it easy. I do need to take advantage of my time here, but I also need to be realistic and make sure to keep myself sane. And, most importantly, I need to make sure to enjoy myself.
I don't know what to think about all this. I thought I had given up on planning my whole future "long ago" (at the age of 18) when I realized that all the plans I had made were not going as I thought and I needed to leave things in God's hands. God's the one who knows everything and has better plans for me than I could ever have.
I feel like our culture is very contradicting. We talk about "living in the moment" but we also want to plan every single part of our lives. I personally don't think many people really live in the moment. Or, at least, they don't enjoy their life now. They keep thinking about the future. And, really, I should not be saying "they" because I am in this group, too.
It's obvious God tells us to enjoy and focus on the present. Psalms 118:24, Matt 6:34, and Ecc 3:11 are just some examples.
Let's take His advise. I'm pretty sure He knows what He's talking about ;-)
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
I Like How God Speaks to Me Using My Mouth
A few days ago I was Skyping with one of my really good friends who's really more like a brother to me than just a friend. We were talking about the passage where Jesus says to leave your family to follow Jesus. Both of us felt a little uncomfortable with that because we know from personal experience and from others' experiences that sometimes our families really need us and we can't just leave them.
While talking with him, a thought came to my mind which then surprised the both of us because it makes sense. Not that I'm saying this is definitely what Jesus meant, but this is my interpretation of it: Jesus tells us to give up our family and follow Him which to me means to take our families away from the center of our lives, away from our focus and to put Jesus as the focus of our lives and our priority over everything else. However, all throughout the Old and New Testament, God calls us to take care of those in need (such as the orphan, the widow, the stranger, the poor), to love our neighbor as ourselves. And our "neighbors," really, are everyone. So, in that case, I feel like as long as Jesus is at the center of our lives, if our parents and family are needy then they are indeed the neighbors we must love and take care of. Of course, if we strongly feel like God is calling us to be somewhere else and do something completely different, then we must do what we are told and trust God. God wouldn't lead us away from the needy and not take care of them. Others will be sent to take care of our families if we are sent somewhere else. God does not abandoned his beloved.
I love having deep conversations with people. God always ends up speaking to me either through me or the other person I am talking with. It's amazing how He wants to be involved in every part of our lives, even in conversations we have with others.
While talking with him, a thought came to my mind which then surprised the both of us because it makes sense. Not that I'm saying this is definitely what Jesus meant, but this is my interpretation of it: Jesus tells us to give up our family and follow Him which to me means to take our families away from the center of our lives, away from our focus and to put Jesus as the focus of our lives and our priority over everything else. However, all throughout the Old and New Testament, God calls us to take care of those in need (such as the orphan, the widow, the stranger, the poor), to love our neighbor as ourselves. And our "neighbors," really, are everyone. So, in that case, I feel like as long as Jesus is at the center of our lives, if our parents and family are needy then they are indeed the neighbors we must love and take care of. Of course, if we strongly feel like God is calling us to be somewhere else and do something completely different, then we must do what we are told and trust God. God wouldn't lead us away from the needy and not take care of them. Others will be sent to take care of our families if we are sent somewhere else. God does not abandoned his beloved.
I love having deep conversations with people. God always ends up speaking to me either through me or the other person I am talking with. It's amazing how He wants to be involved in every part of our lives, even in conversations we have with others.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
The Ten Commandments Given By a Jealous God
For homework, I had to read the section called "Commandments" in Kathleen Norris' book Amazing Grace and I really liked what this chapter talked about. Norris gave examples of how Christians are very "adept, and remarkably inventive, at interpreting God’s commandments to cover just about anything they don’t approve of." One example of this was her Grandfather who, as a Methodist pastor in the 1920s and 1930s, was fired from one of his first churches in West Virginia for playing hymns on the banjo with the youth group and teaching them to play dominoes. Somehow playing the banjo and dominoes broke God's commandments.
This, therefore, made Norris dread the Ten Commandments and the word that made her cringe was "jealousy." Then, however, she says, "I have begun to see the commandments in the light of an underlying covenant, as essential to the relationship that God is establishing with Israel, and with us."
The author continues by explaining that "human jealousy is a sign of fear. Often, it indicates immaturity, or a maladaption of the ability to love. God’s jealousy is a diffirent matter, more like mother-love, the protective zeal of a lioness or mother bear for her young. The word 'jealousy' has its root in 'zealous,’ denoting extreme enthusiasm and devotion, and God’s jealousy retains the word’s more positive aspects. It helps us to trust. Who, after all, would trust a God, a parent, spouse, or lover, who said to us, 'I really love you, but I don’t care at all what you do or who you become'?"
We have "a jealous God, who loves us enough to care when we stray. And who has given us commandments to help us find the way home." I like that description of the Ten Commandments. =)
This, therefore, made Norris dread the Ten Commandments and the word that made her cringe was "jealousy." Then, however, she says, "I have begun to see the commandments in the light of an underlying covenant, as essential to the relationship that God is establishing with Israel, and with us."
The author continues by explaining that "human jealousy is a sign of fear. Often, it indicates immaturity, or a maladaption of the ability to love. God’s jealousy is a diffirent matter, more like mother-love, the protective zeal of a lioness or mother bear for her young. The word 'jealousy' has its root in 'zealous,’ denoting extreme enthusiasm and devotion, and God’s jealousy retains the word’s more positive aspects. It helps us to trust. Who, after all, would trust a God, a parent, spouse, or lover, who said to us, 'I really love you, but I don’t care at all what you do or who you become'?"
We have "a jealous God, who loves us enough to care when we stray. And who has given us commandments to help us find the way home." I like that description of the Ten Commandments. =)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
God's Desire
Chocolate, hot tea, new clothes, nice food, jewerly and all the other "typical" material gifts that others want are nice and I enjoy them, but they're not the best gifts in the world for me. The greatest gifts for me are friends/family and nature. And God knows that.
It's so beautiful how our Father wants to give us gifts. Every day He gives us the gift of life and many little and big gifts that we aren't even aware of. And then there are extraordinary gifts that we cannot not notice. Every time God gives me such a gift I feel overwhelmed by His love for me. I mean, it truly is amazing that the Creator of the universe cares about giving me joy in all the moments He knows I need it most. He has done so many times in the last half year or so.
Last summer I deeply wished to go to Italy to see the country and friends whom I love who I had not seen in three years. I wanted to see them again before leaving to go back to the States, but I was pretty sure that it was not going to happen because I had no money. Well, God knew how much I wanted to go and He also knew that though I kept praying that it would be possible, I kind of had given up. And yet he surprised me by making it possible! My parents raised the money for me to go and gave it to me at my 21st birthday party. It was a wonderful gift =) And it was so good for my heart and soul to be back in the country I had grown up in, to experience the culture that I had once called my own, and to spend time with friends whom I consider family.
In the fall, I again hoped that I could go somewhere, but, not having found a job (and I applied to 6 different ones!), I was almost to the point of thinking it wasn't going to happen. What I had wanted to do was to spend Christmas vacation on the East coast with my relatives. I hadn't seen my four grandparents, my other relatives, and friends from my parents' home church, in a year and a half/two years and really wanted to spend time with all of them. Again, God surprised me by having my relatives offer to cover my expenses! My time on the East coast was really nice and it was fun to have a white Christmas again (which I definitely would not have had if I had staid in California) =)
During this semester, at different particularly hard times when I really wanted to be in Portugal to be there for my family, God gave me two trips in nature with great people. I was able to go to Santa Barbara where I got to see and walk in the ocean, saw friends who had lived in Portugal, and went to a The Way Much concert; then I got to go up in the mountains with the TCK group on my campus. I really love the ocean and the mountains. I adore nature in general, really. It's healing, refreshing, it gives me peace, it reminds me God's got everything in control and everything's going to be okay. And it was SO nice to spend time with friends.
And now, this past weekend, after a year and a half being away, I went back to Chicago to visit many friends whom I consider family and to be there for my old roommate's wedding! Again, I did not think I was going to be able to go because of finances, but one of my best friends in Chicago raised the money for me (unbeknown to be) in less than a week and bought my ticket for me! It was ever so nice to be back in Chicago! So, in the last 7 months or so I have been able to go back to all of the places I call home (Italy, Pennsylvania, and Chicago), other than where my parents live, and it has only been possible thanks to God's wonderful provision!
Our God does want to challenge us, correct us, and help us grow, but that's what all parents do! He is our Father who wants the best for us and it does upset Him when we mess our lives up or do something wrong. But He wants to help us. God created us with emotions, feelings, and because He loves us so much, He desires to bless us by giving us little pleasures and joys that He knows are what our hearts truly need. God knew that during this time of change and moving I needed to have time with my families and see my homes again. How awesome is that?!?
Thank you God for taking care of me!
How can I NOT trust my God who knows everything that's best for me?
It's so beautiful how our Father wants to give us gifts. Every day He gives us the gift of life and many little and big gifts that we aren't even aware of. And then there are extraordinary gifts that we cannot not notice. Every time God gives me such a gift I feel overwhelmed by His love for me. I mean, it truly is amazing that the Creator of the universe cares about giving me joy in all the moments He knows I need it most. He has done so many times in the last half year or so.
Last summer I deeply wished to go to Italy to see the country and friends whom I love who I had not seen in three years. I wanted to see them again before leaving to go back to the States, but I was pretty sure that it was not going to happen because I had no money. Well, God knew how much I wanted to go and He also knew that though I kept praying that it would be possible, I kind of had given up. And yet he surprised me by making it possible! My parents raised the money for me to go and gave it to me at my 21st birthday party. It was a wonderful gift =) And it was so good for my heart and soul to be back in the country I had grown up in, to experience the culture that I had once called my own, and to spend time with friends whom I consider family.
In the fall, I again hoped that I could go somewhere, but, not having found a job (and I applied to 6 different ones!), I was almost to the point of thinking it wasn't going to happen. What I had wanted to do was to spend Christmas vacation on the East coast with my relatives. I hadn't seen my four grandparents, my other relatives, and friends from my parents' home church, in a year and a half/two years and really wanted to spend time with all of them. Again, God surprised me by having my relatives offer to cover my expenses! My time on the East coast was really nice and it was fun to have a white Christmas again (which I definitely would not have had if I had staid in California) =)
During this semester, at different particularly hard times when I really wanted to be in Portugal to be there for my family, God gave me two trips in nature with great people. I was able to go to Santa Barbara where I got to see and walk in the ocean, saw friends who had lived in Portugal, and went to a The Way Much concert; then I got to go up in the mountains with the TCK group on my campus. I really love the ocean and the mountains. I adore nature in general, really. It's healing, refreshing, it gives me peace, it reminds me God's got everything in control and everything's going to be okay. And it was SO nice to spend time with friends.
And now, this past weekend, after a year and a half being away, I went back to Chicago to visit many friends whom I consider family and to be there for my old roommate's wedding! Again, I did not think I was going to be able to go because of finances, but one of my best friends in Chicago raised the money for me (unbeknown to be) in less than a week and bought my ticket for me! It was ever so nice to be back in Chicago! So, in the last 7 months or so I have been able to go back to all of the places I call home (Italy, Pennsylvania, and Chicago), other than where my parents live, and it has only been possible thanks to God's wonderful provision!
Our God does want to challenge us, correct us, and help us grow, but that's what all parents do! He is our Father who wants the best for us and it does upset Him when we mess our lives up or do something wrong. But He wants to help us. God created us with emotions, feelings, and because He loves us so much, He desires to bless us by giving us little pleasures and joys that He knows are what our hearts truly need. God knew that during this time of change and moving I needed to have time with my families and see my homes again. How awesome is that?!?
Thank you God for taking care of me!
How can I NOT trust my God who knows everything that's best for me?
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