Stuck in a mindset

Have you ever felt like you are stuck in a culture, stuck in a mindset, and you don’t know how to get out.

Sunday night I watched Don Millers dvd Free Market Jesus. It was interesting to think about how the economy influences the way we view “the Church” and Christianity. It is also interesting the way we are conditioned to advertisements and how even Jesus and Christianity is marketed.

Tuesday night Don Miller came to campus and talked about his new book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. His book and talk is about stories and conflict and how they go together and how we have this view that God will take all conflict away and it won’t happen. I want my life to be a good story. Not one that doesn’t have meaning, or someone would walk away thinking it was pointless or even have someone feel content and happy in at the end. I want a life that makes people think and question and want to have more out of life.

Wednesday nights I lead a small group for 5th grade girls. There were 11 fith grade girls last night and it was crazy. Our lesson was about Jesus being a party pooper. We were to discuss different aspects of Jesus being at parties and what He would do and how we would react. At the end of the lesson I asked them the same question I started with which was, “Do you think Jesus is a party pooper?” In the beginning, they all said no, because they figured that, it was the right thing to say. In the end, most of them said sometimes because sometimes we know that something is wrong and we know that if Jesus were there with us we would feel bad doing it and so He would be the party pooper.

Tonight I watched a session from this organization called Advent Conspiracy. They are sessions that make you think about different aspects of Christmas. Tonight’s was called “Spend Less” and it was about the materialistic part of the season. How often are we so caught up in the action of having to give gifts that the gifts lose their meaning? I know that I am fully caught up in having a want list and not being satisfied with what I have. It kinda ties in with what was put in my head from the Free Market Jesus dvd and how we as Americans are conditioned that life will be better if we have whatever it may be that we want.

What about the people in other countries and even around here that just have enough to get by or not even that? Here I am wanting more and not being satisfied with what’s in front of me. How often do I take for granted an education, clean water, a roof over my head, warm clothing, three hot meals a day if I choose and the list can go on.

Here I am in college with big plans of what I want to do and who I want to be. What of that is me focused on myself? How can I use what I have and where I am going to help others? How can my story have meaning? Those are just a few of the random thoughts going on inside my head.

A Change

Dear Friend, 4/3/2009

You have so many questions without answers
So many fears that have never been addressed
So much hurt that you have been hiding
That is catching up with you now

You know you have problems
And your fine with the sin you are living in
You don’t want to change
And you don’t understand why people want you to

I hurt when you hurt
I believe that you can change
I have faith that you can do something with your life
I just want you to try

Why do Christians judge?
Why does she feel like she needs to hide?
How can we change the direction we have been going in?
Who will answer her questions?

Where is God in all of this?
He sees her sin
He sees her doubt
He sent His son to die for her

Will she accept Jesus
Will she believe that there is hope for her
Can she get out of the lifestyle she is in
Will she begin a new life?

A Letter to you

Since I'm not very good at writing blogs about what is going on in my life. I am going to start putting letters on here that I have either written for myself or written to others.

I like to think and I normally have something that I am trying to process or find information on. Sometimes its really deep and other times I'm finding out info on silly random things like growing pineapples or raising crickets. All of these things are part of who I am.

I have a good friend who I love writing letters to. She and I have written many notes back and forth during jr. high and we now send long emails back and forth. So as I write it will be like I am writing to her and explaining all the random thoughts inside my head.

We'll see how this works out.

AW