oh no you di'n't

Some things have been showing up on my Facebook news feed lately that are super critical of the wrong-doings of a well-known Christian.  Yes, Christians do & say things that may be offensive to others.  Yes, Christians cross lines that shouldn't be crossed.  Being a Christian isn't slapping a label on our forehead that says, "I'm a Christian, so I'm perfect and I will never do wrong again."  To expect perfection from anyone, be whatever religious family they belong to, is setting them up for failure and you for disappointment.  Why?  Because no one is good, no not one (Rom. 3:12).  Therefore, don't be surprised if you are hurt or offended by a Christian.  Christians are still broken people despite what we believe.  Being a Christian is acknowledging our sin, believing that Christ died to save us from what we deserve because of our sin (an eternity in hell), and confessing that belief to the Creator.  Yes, it is a life-changing decision.  No, it does not make us perfect.

This does not offend me because I understand that as humans, we (myself included) expect people to live by certain standards.  But by whose standards are we living and expecting others to live?  Society's?  Our own?  We are critical and quick to judge and condemn those that fall below the line of of our definition of "acceptable."  Based on what I believe as a Christian, the standards are set for us in Exodus chapter 20.  Do I live by those standards every day?  I certainly try to.  Do I succeed?  Hardly.  My flesh and my heart are contradictory in that my flesh chases after worldly things while my heart longs for heavenly things.  And God knows this.  By His grace I am still saved through faith, even though I continue to fall short of His commands.

But there's something that DOES offend me.  Deeply.  I've wondered for the past few days why I was so upset after reading certain comments.  Here's why:

The focus in the posts soon shifted from "the Christian who did something wrong" to God and his Son.  To bash my Creator, to say that He doesn't exist, that He is a hoax, and that He has never loved or done anything for anyone is just plain offensive.  I'm not offended because your beliefs are different than mine.  I respect people for in whatever it is they choose to believe.  I'm offended in a sense that you are speaking ill of my Father.  I compare it to the "you can talk about me, but don't you dare talk about my sister" kind of thing... but bigger.  God isn't just someone in whom I believe.  He's someone with whom I have an intimate and personal relationship.  He does exist.  He isn't a hoax.  He loves everyone.  Always has, always will.  And He's done way more for me than I will ever deserve in that while I am still a sinner, He sent His Son to die for me (Rom. 5:8).  This is the kind of relationship that I wish for you so that you may know just how cool God really is.

It's one thing to talk badly about imperfect people.  But to talk badly about a perfect God is another thing.  I'm sad for the person who doesn't know Him, and I'm hurt to see God so blatantly denied.

In conclusion, I guess I'm ultimately writing this post to stand up for my God to the people I don't even know that deny Him.  Yes, you have the right to believe in whatever you choose.  But don't talk about my God like that.  He has done nothing wrong... literally.  I hope with the deepest part of my heart that you come to know Him one day.  I hope that one day you will be my brother or sister in Christ.  If you just TRIED to know Him, you would love Him.  I promise.  He's seeking you.  He wants you to love Him.  And He already loves you.



"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." - John 15:18

Fort Fever

I wanna build a fort.  A fort with sheets and blankets.  And an abundance of string lights, oh how I love string lights.  And lots and lots of pillows.  And I want it to storm.  Preferably at night.  Maybe a weekend night, so I can stay up late and sleep in in the morning.

 

 

 

I love the outdoor forts, too!

blessed.

I thought about making a post with bulleted "things I'm thankful for" points, but this late at night, my brain can really only focus on one.  So here goes.

This Thanksgiving I'm [still] thankful for my family.  One thing I learned when I went off to college was how blessed I was am to have my parents.  Six years later, I'm still speechless and in awe at the blessings God has given me:

He's given me parents who not only love each other, who not only love me, but who love God above all else.  I'm so thankful for the example they've set for my sister and me.

He's given me healthy parents.  My heart is heavy for those who are dealing with sick parents; I think you've got to be extremely strong to handle that!

He's given me parents who disciplined me and taught me right from wrong... of course I'm still learning a lot of that for myself!  Nevertheless, I eventually learned that disobedience wouldn't be tolerated.

He's given me parents who try to let me learn about life on my own, but who are a phone call away if when I have absolutely no idea what to do, where to go, or how to cook [hey, we all have our struggles!!].

They are smart, funny, kind, caring, compassionate, stern, loving, giving, secure, faithful, loyal, honest, weird [yea], witty, creative, stern yet flexible, and beautiful both inside and out.  Not to mention they let me have my very own dog when I was 11.  That was pretty cool :).  I'm not saying that you're less fortunate than I am if you were brought up in a home different from mine.  I'm not saying that at all.  What I'm saying is that I'm muy muy grateful for what God has put in my cup.

I hope this Thanksgiving that you can look at your life and really dig deep into what you're thankful for!  Count your blessings, for they're new every morning!

What's new?

Ohhh me gooosh!!!

I can't believe I let so much time pass before updating this thing!  Last I checked, I was supposed to do a follow-up on my job interview in Nashville, TN [as an Arkansan, I feel the need to specify the state].  After a few weeks of anticipation, the job was offered to someone who has more experience than I do.  Which was okay!  During that "waiting period," I was offered a job here in Little Rock, and I had some thinking to do!  Fortunately for me, God answers prayers and He showed me where He wanted me to be, at least for now.  Who knows where I will be in 3, 5, 10 years...  Anyway, about 3 months ago, I started working at ACCESS Schools.  ACCESS is a non-profit organization that serves infants, toddlers, children and youth with special needs.  I provide speech and language therapy to children ages 3 to 5.  After feeling confident in my graduate clinicals, I thought I was well prepared to enter Big Girl World (BGW)!!  Boy, was I wrong.  The responsibilities of a graduate student clinician versus an actual CFY-SLP stretch far beyond what I had imagined and expected.  I wanted a challenge, and I've got one.  Perhaps one of the biggest challenges I'm constantly facing is behavior management.  I love all of my kids, but sometimes I find myself feeling so clueless in the "being the boss" department.  As a young professional, figuring out how to be both the friend and the B-O-S-S is hard to do.  I might be ready to crash as soon as the clock hits 4, but the work is totally worth it!  Luckily, I have an amazing "support system" at work.  There are plenty of SLP's at ACCESS who are more than willing to help me with whatever it is I need: therapy materials, language activities, reinforcement that will hopefully help cease what we like to call "bad choices" and reward the good ones, paperwork, you name it!!  To say I'm lucky would be a vast understatement!  I'm faithful that God will use me there & I'm excited to grow as a speechie4life!!

Another plus, BGW comes with a paycheck!  And a steady one at that!  None of that $2.65+tips waitress salary or a very low-paying graduate assistantship.  It's pretty awesome to be able to still have fun in BGW [something I think people tend to forget!!].  Here's a little bit of what I've been doing, er, where I've been going:

Dallas, TX, for A.Do A.Swad's wedding, where we:

...had a fabulous brunch at Sfuzzi's and then enjoyed the view from SOB's balcony.

...reunited with Delta sisters and had the time of our lives!

...caught the bouquet!!!

Las Vegas!!!! for LindsMcG's bachelorette party, where we:

...stayed at the PH West Towers & implemented the use of a self-timer before our first night out.

...did touristy things on the strip sans $100 fine.  And lost $$.
Garden Party.

...got strangers to take group pictures of us because we could:
Cha, me, Ash, Rachelle, Linds (B2B!), & Mon

...took lessons at the Stripper Bar in PH
(hah, not really).

...met the tallest man on Earth at Tao.

...danced our booties off at Marquee Day Club & met some really fun people!

...stayed out long enough on our last night to take an hour nap before our flights home.

Yeah that's about all for now!!  I hope you all have a fabulous next 3 months because I'm sure it'll take about that long for me to blog again.

Oh, & I'm officially allergic to cats.  And everything outside.

Viva

In precisely 3 hours, I will be boarding a plane flying non-stop to the City of Lights.

The Entertainment Capital of the World.

Sin City.

Las Vegas.

4 years sewed into one blanket

I'll update you more on my life (since it HAS been a month and a half since I've blogged) tomorrow, but I had to share this now :)

I was hardly ever wearing my college t-shirts anymore, especially the bright Starburst-colored ones from freshman and sophomore year, but they were taking up precious and much-needed space in my dresser drawers!  So what did I do?  I got a t-shirt quilt made!!  I actually picked it up yesterday, and with it being UofA Rush Recruitment Week (go Tri-Delt!), it made me a little nostalgic.

There's something sexy about the rain.

Does anyone else find romance in a rainstorm???  I don't mean lovey-dovey kiss-kiss romance.  I mean the "finding beauty in nature" kind of romance.  I love how rain is simple, pure, exciting, refreshing... not to mention I love the smell of it!  ...No?  Just me?

I woke up early and was planning on going for a run jog walk at Big Dam Bridge while it was still cool outside.  That was until I saw it was supposed to rain today.  I'm talking looking-like-it's-nighttime colored skies, lightening, thunder in the far distance rolling in, marble-sized raindrops kind of rain.  Also known as "stay-in-bed rain."

So that's exactly what I did.  I got back in bed, turned on my TV, and am loving this Tuesday storm!  I justify my laziness today with the idea that I should take advantage of this lazy-day weather while I can.

My to-do list for today isn't going to get itself done, which is why I'm going to regret this later and tomorrow during the big move... Oh, well.

Photo courtesy of Pinterest.

Title: "There's Something Sexy About the Rain" by Kenny Chesney.  For real.