A month without pop.

Today is the last day of February. Over a month ago, I decided to cut out pop for the month of February. This was not a fast (this post would defeat the purpose of that if it was) or something for Lent. I just decided on a whim to see if I could go a month without any pop, so I decided with only 28 days (most years), February would be the easiest. Before I started, I (publicly) challenged my brother to join me, which he did begrudgingly.

A month without pop doesn't seem like much until you consider how saturated our culture is with those carbonated beverages. Nearly every value meal includes one, and there aren't many stores/restaurants that don't carry them. Soft drinks of the fountain variety are a huge moneymaker for the vendor. A lot of sit-down restaurants charge around $2 for a drink that probably costs them less than $0.25. Regardless, soft drinks often are also a source of too much sugar and caffeine for the consumer.

Where was I going with this? Oh yeah, how readily pop is available... Like many people, I stock up on pop when it is on sale. And no, in spite of advertisements trying to tell me otherwise, 3 12 packs for $11 is NOT "on sale." :o] Because I have it on hand, I've found it really easy to just grab one for work but then end up drinking another in the evening.

That said, I didn't have too much trouble going without pop. It was a good exercise in willpower. I really didn't experience additional headaches, other than my usual weekend one, either. My brother, on the other hand, who was likely more addicted than I, therefore had more trouble. I think we're both glad we did it, and he's expressed something about continuing for 3 more days to have a full 31 in. Me? Nah, I'm going to enjoy the best U.S. pop tomorrow--  a McDonald's Coke.

Still, I've also been thinking I need to start exercising more (and to quit making excuses for not doing so). I look forward to warmer weather, which will be awesome for riding bike. I think I'll also check out craigslist or garage sales for some sort of home gym too.

Bank of Gomorrah

I just got off the phone with Bank of Gomorrah, after receiving their Visa bill in today's mail. For some reason, they decided not to accept my online payment until 5 days after I made it, which made it 4 days late. Naturally, there was a late fee that needed to be waived. Their website was giving me issues today, too. I will say that I didn't have to sit on hold waiting to talk to them, though. When I get my taxes done, I'll be paying them off... I don't want to carry a balance anymore, nor do I want my (well, truthfully His) money going into such incompetent hands.

Read the whole letter.

When you receive a letter, do you read the whole thing, or do you just read a paragraph or two and finish the rest at another time?

Today, I got to thinking about how the modern publishers/printers of Bibles have done us a disservice by dividing the books of the Bible down to chapters and verses. Granted, I realize that this allows us to find passages quickly and easily. However, I can't help but think this has given us license to become complacent and satisfied with reading small portions of Scripture, whereby we also lose the greater context of the passage.

Many of the books of the New Testament were written as letters to churches or to individuals. Take Romans, for example. It isn't particularly long, and it was certainly read aloud in one sitting upon its receipt. The problem is that the chapters make them seem longer than they really are. When we read for pleasure, are not chapters much longer than 4 to 6 paragraphs? Aren't they often more like 20 pages? Yet we struggle to "get into the Word." It was a blessing for me to read Romans all at once today.

Perhaps the problem isn't the writers' division of chapters. Maybe the problem is that we've become too distracted, busy and lazy to sit at His feet, to soak up his Word, and to listen and wait (expectantly) to hear His voice. I know that's been an issue for me too, one I don't want to have anymore.

Crappy Valentine's Day!

I think Valentine's Day is a joke of a day. I do not write this out of bitterness due to my relationship status. When I've been in relationships in the past, I felt the same way. Valentine's Day is a lame and pathetic reason to show your love and appreciation for your spouse or significant other. This should be done throughout the year because we want to, not because we feel obligated due to this marketing that has been shoved down our throats every January/February since we can remember!

Think about it... who wants to pay $70 for a dozen roses during a one-week period when they're a max $30 the rest of the year? Ridiculous! Want to know what my mom paid in Bolivia for a dozen roses??? About $1 US. Oh, and you may not want to go anywhere nice to eat on 2/14, because everyone else is doing that too.

Who benefits from this day? Off the top of my head, it would be the flower industry (if you can call it that), candy (especially chocolate) makers, jewelry stores, hotels, online dating sites, Hallmark and other card companies, and people who work in these lines.

What's wrong with this? One thing would be unfair expectations/pressure. No joke, I was in a relationship where the woman knew my strong feelings about the bs nature of the day in question and said she understood, but then she was still upset when I didn't do anything that day! Nevermind the fact that she was many states away and was unable to do anything that day anyway.

This all being said, put your hopes, dreams, sense of meaning/purpose/belonging/worth in the Eternal One, Christ Jesus.

Reasons I haven't blogged much.

If you've read this blog or any of the previous incarnations that were my blogs, you've probably noticed that I struggle to write consistently. I have a lot of reasons (read 'excuses') for this. Here are a few in no particular order.

I studied Christian Ministries and Biblical Literature at Bethel College. My preference would be to take tests rather than to write long papers, but I had to do a lot of the latter. When I graduated, I decided I didn't want to write or go back to school any time soon. Sometimes I equate blogging with writing papers.

I'm too busy/tired/etc... (We make time for the important things.) It's easier and more natural to play Xbox 360, and there is some instant gratification there.

I haven't seen much fruit from it. At the time of this writing, I have 3 blog followers. Not that this is a plea for people to follow, but can a blog make an impact? (I know it can, I'm just saying here that this is a thought I've had.)

I don't have anything to say. Sometimes, this is due to a "valley" in my spiritual life, but other times I just don't want to be transparent. Maybe the first step is to decide that all my posts do not have to "be spiritual" in nature. We'll see...


In the meantime, I need to go to bed. Morning comes quickly.

Different!?!?

I think I'll be different here... I think I'll share some thoughts without sharing the context or the lens from which I've been seeing them. I hope to come back and share more of the context at a later date.

If we are said to be "in the world but not of the world," why do we
1. care how the world sees us?
2. identify ourselves in worldly terms/possessions?
3. view the present in terms of permanence and the eternal in terms of theory?

Why do we get so concerned with the day to day? Do we not recognize that the kingdom of heaven "is at hand"?

Blind man seeing?

In Matthew 20, two blind men were sitting by the roadside, presumably begging. When they heard the crowd (following Jesus), they wondered what was going on. Finding out that it was Jesus passing that way, they began to shout. The crowd tried unsuccessfully to shush them, because they got Jesus' attention. Jesus, of course, asked them what they wanted, and they said they wanted to see. So, in compassion, He touched them, and they could see.

Think about how weird it would be after a lifetime of being blind to be able to see. There would be a whole new world to explore with another sense. But think also of having to connect what you knew through hearing with now being able to see. You would not immediately know what to fear (not so much fear, rather what you would have to watch out for) or what was good or bad...

Now, to Christ's disciples,--I hope that's you-- have you forgotten that you were blind? Have you forgotten the wonder of the sight He has given you? Should we not have more grace towards those who are still blind?

To anyone else--do you want your sight too? He is still compassionate and wants to touch you too.