"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Deuteronomy 6:5
First of all, can I just say that spelling "Deuteronomy" by memory is quite a difficult task. Even though this particular book of the bible is hard to spell and kind of awkward looking, it's definitely got an important message to share. Over the past couple of days I've really felt the Lord tugging on my heart and reminding me of this verse and how important it is to Him.
Many, many times in my life the Lord has ripped all of my deepest dependencies out from under me. It's usually been a person and where I felt the most confident and secure. Each time was an extremely painful and bloody process, but every time I gained so much more than I lost. I learned how to put the Lord first because I had no other choice, which was so generous and merciful of the Lord to allow. Finding out where my true security lies when all I have left is me and God is one of the most important things I've learned in my life. I wouldn't say that I want it to happen again, but if it comes to that I'd be willing. We are in a good place when our dependency is in God alone. It's easy to feel like we can get our security from people or nice circumstances, but that's not the case. People are imperfect,unpredictable, and unable to give us the security and protection that the Lord wants to give us.
Sometimes I find myself basing how I feel about my day on how the people I care most about have been treating me. I read something today that I really needed to hear concerning this:
"If you let your basic well being depend on another person's behavior, you elevate that person to a position only the Lord should occupy. It is not only displeasing to the Lord, but destructive. Because people are not perfect, your life may come to resemble a roller coaster ride, subject to the mood and whims of other people. Even worse, your intimacy with the Lord may be hindered by your preoccupation with someone else."
I need to be reminded pretty often of these things because when I love people I love them with everything I have. I don't care deeply for many people, but the ones that I do, my entire heart and loyalty is given. This makes it really easy to make people my idol and care more about how they feel about me than the Lord. I know He made my heart to love deeply for a good reason, but I need to make sure I'm using it the way He intended, and not allowing it to be a major cause of footholds in my life.
I'm so glad I was reminded of this tonight because basing how I feel on how other people feel about me can get pretty exhausting. My true security is in the Lord which makes me breathe a sigh of relief because:
1.) I've known God a while now and He is always loving and accepting and 2.) He is never going to leave me, which means He's coming with me after I graduate which is good to know.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
*Biking Mom and The Don'ts of Profile Pictures*
Every morning I open my window to see what's going on outside before I get ready. I usually see a runner or two jogging up the hill with gloomy frowns on and sweat running down their faces. Nobody smiles when they jog and by the looks of it, they must be having a terrifying experience. They look like sheep going to the slaughter and if you don't believe me, stare at some joggers every morning if you get the chance.
Today I happened to see an extremely thin/tan young mom riding swiftly up the hill on a bike with her baby on the back. My mouth flew open and I mouthed to her with a mad face "SHOW OFF!". That's not the kinda thing I like to see when I wake up in the morning. But the cute baby with the little helmet on the back was definitely adorable. Maybe one day i'll dress my baby up like that because it IS so cute, but nix the whole pumping tirelessly up the hill before dawn part.
On another note, I've noticed something over the past few years that needs to be addressed. It is somewhat of a modern day phenomenon if you will. Single men have the hardest time picking out profile pictures that are even a little bit okay. Attractive men find the most revolting picture they can and post it up on their page. Ladies, how many times do we want to show our girlfriends who we have a crush on only to have to say: "Oh wait, let me find another, this is a HORRIBLE picture of him!" Who is tired of having to say this?! I know I am. I think they truly think they are picking a good picture, so I've decided to make a few rules to go by in order to help any single man out there that is guilty of committing some profile picture crimes.
Profile Picture Don'ts:
1.) Don't put a picture of you shirtless showing off your muscles in the bathroom. You love your muscles more than we do, so please refrain.
2.) Don't put a picture up of you surrounded by girls. That's the most unattractive thing in the world, but at least your "boys" may think you're awesome…however,no girls will.
3.) Don't put a picture up of you and your car. We don't even know what that car is or why you happen to have it in your picture. I'm looking to see what you look like, not your car.
4.) Don't put a picture of you with a strange smile on. Ask a woman if your smile is weird, because she'll know.
5.) Don't put a picture of yourself from years ago. This is considered false advertisement in the worst sense and you should be ticketed by the police. Pick something recent.
6.) Don't put a picture of you and your latest dead animal kill. It does not stir the heart of a woman to see you with blood all over your hands and bambi mercilessly in your arms.
7.) Don't put a picture of yourself not smiling, because it makes you look like a creeper. On the creeper note…make sure you avoid any pictures where you happen to have a creeper mustache. The other phenomenon is what facial hair men think is actually appealing to us. Let me help you out here as well….Fails of facial hair= Soul patch, Random circular hair on your chin, only a mustache, and let's throw the go-t in there as well.
Now for what you SHOULD do:
1.) Do ask the girls around you if you look your best in the picture or not. They know better than you do.
2.) Do put a picture of you and a baby if you are really wishing to look attractive. Infact…there's a book which has a picture of a man shirtless on one side and a man with a baby on the other fully clothed. Studies show that a woman is more attracted to the man with the baby! SO TRUE!!!
3.) How about I just give the ultimate advice to ask the females in your life what profile picture you should choose. Even if you aren't dating, there are still girls that cross your path so use them as a resource. Men who are no longer single usually have a better profile picture and I have a sneaky suspicion that there's a woman behind it all. And if you have no women to talk to…I'm always here for you.
Today I happened to see an extremely thin/tan young mom riding swiftly up the hill on a bike with her baby on the back. My mouth flew open and I mouthed to her with a mad face "SHOW OFF!". That's not the kinda thing I like to see when I wake up in the morning. But the cute baby with the little helmet on the back was definitely adorable. Maybe one day i'll dress my baby up like that because it IS so cute, but nix the whole pumping tirelessly up the hill before dawn part.
On another note, I've noticed something over the past few years that needs to be addressed. It is somewhat of a modern day phenomenon if you will. Single men have the hardest time picking out profile pictures that are even a little bit okay. Attractive men find the most revolting picture they can and post it up on their page. Ladies, how many times do we want to show our girlfriends who we have a crush on only to have to say: "Oh wait, let me find another, this is a HORRIBLE picture of him!" Who is tired of having to say this?! I know I am. I think they truly think they are picking a good picture, so I've decided to make a few rules to go by in order to help any single man out there that is guilty of committing some profile picture crimes.
Profile Picture Don'ts:
1.) Don't put a picture of you shirtless showing off your muscles in the bathroom. You love your muscles more than we do, so please refrain.
2.) Don't put a picture up of you surrounded by girls. That's the most unattractive thing in the world, but at least your "boys" may think you're awesome…however,no girls will.
3.) Don't put a picture up of you and your car. We don't even know what that car is or why you happen to have it in your picture. I'm looking to see what you look like, not your car.
4.) Don't put a picture of you with a strange smile on. Ask a woman if your smile is weird, because she'll know.
5.) Don't put a picture of yourself from years ago. This is considered false advertisement in the worst sense and you should be ticketed by the police. Pick something recent.
6.) Don't put a picture of you and your latest dead animal kill. It does not stir the heart of a woman to see you with blood all over your hands and bambi mercilessly in your arms.
7.) Don't put a picture of yourself not smiling, because it makes you look like a creeper. On the creeper note…make sure you avoid any pictures where you happen to have a creeper mustache. The other phenomenon is what facial hair men think is actually appealing to us. Let me help you out here as well….Fails of facial hair= Soul patch, Random circular hair on your chin, only a mustache, and let's throw the go-t in there as well.
Now for what you SHOULD do:
1.) Do ask the girls around you if you look your best in the picture or not. They know better than you do.
2.) Do put a picture of you and a baby if you are really wishing to look attractive. Infact…there's a book which has a picture of a man shirtless on one side and a man with a baby on the other fully clothed. Studies show that a woman is more attracted to the man with the baby! SO TRUE!!!
3.) How about I just give the ultimate advice to ask the females in your life what profile picture you should choose. Even if you aren't dating, there are still girls that cross your path so use them as a resource. Men who are no longer single usually have a better profile picture and I have a sneaky suspicion that there's a woman behind it all. And if you have no women to talk to…I'm always here for you.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
*A Little Quirky*
My new bathroom mate has only lived with me a couple of days and has already come to the conclusion that I'm a "quirky" person. Now, I'm not sure exactly what she's referring to, but I have definitely gotten this kind of feedback throughout my entire life. I have taken a little bit of time to search myself and see if these accusations of "quirkiness" have any sort of truth to it, and surprisingly, I found a few….
I admit it. I like paper products, okay? In fact I LOVE them. I love the way a paper towel feels when I hold it and I usually get three more than I really need just for the comfort factor. Besides, this world is a messy place, and paper products are here to help us out. I love all kinds of paper, I'm not particular to any kind. I love print paper, toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, paper cups,napkins, posters, books…..as long as it is paper, I'm a happy girl. People say once I start buying my own paper products, i'll stop using them so much. I'm here to tell you that my budget for paper products will be a major priority.
As I've talked about in earlier blogs, I have a case of halitaphobia (a never ending fear of bad breath). I brush my teeth all the time and never forget if someone else has bad breath. I can forgive a few times, but people smelling good is very important to me. I assumed everyone else was the same way, but apparently not…my obsession is very much particular to me. A few people could use a good case of halitaphobia every once in a while if you ask me. That's a good quirk to have.
I experience the world through my nose which means I smell everything like a dog. I thought this was normal, until someone let me know it wasn't. People are quick to single out these days. I can't function if a room smells funky and I do better on my homework if I have a drier sheet to sniff. I took a drier sheet to the Praxis because those testing rooms smells very, very strange. How could I make a good grade sitting in a place like that? Bad smells are the enemies of learning!
I can't go to sleep unless my cell phone is perfectly strait and I usually take about a minute a night trying to straighten it just so. When i was little I used to have a weird issue where I would have to touch everything with both hands. Like…if my left hand brushed the wall then I had to take my right hand and brush it also. If I touched one side of my face, I had to touch the other. Everything needed to equal out. If I turned on a light switch, I had to pretend to turn it on with my other hand as well. It was a really frustrating time, because living like that is not easy, believe me!!! I remember being distressed and tired at night from my equalling out issue. Thankfully, those days are past me and I have ridden myself of that quirk! If you are a psychologist reading this, I'm sure you're having a hay day. I'm your dream come true!
I have a certain chair at home that is MY chair. I've sat in the same spot at the dinner table since I was little and get very nervous when that changes. My sister's now husband came to our house for the first time and he sat in my chair and I very politely had to let him know how the house works. "That's MY chair." I said with a smile. Everyone started laughing, but I was staring at the chair with a very serious intention of getting it back. Mom gets me in trouble sometimes because she says I need to be able to move chairs, but it's a little more complicated than just "moving chairs".
I love windows. I can stare out windows for a long time and the whole educational department can vouch for me. Between classes I just stand like a creeper at the window looking out. The first thing I do every morning is open my window and look at everything outside for about five minutes. It gets my day started out in the best way. I think I might be an outdoorsy person because I like windows so much, but it's just a better situation if it's inside the glass.
I am a recovering germophobe. I think about the germs crawling everywhere on a daily basis. I love anti bacterial, it's my best friend. I'm not grossed out by the germs of nature, but I am very grossed out by the germs of humans. I wash my hands a TON. If my hands feel in the least bit dirty, I lose all functioning. I like for my hands to smell like soap all the time which can also relate back to my smelling issue. My nose is just really keen and picky.
I always think that I have a terminal illness or something medically wrong with me. When I hear about a sickness, I feel like I'm getting it myself. It's not like I want to be this way, but my body really does start hurting!!! It's like something I can't control. If your foot hurts, my foot hurts….literally.
I guess you could call these things "quirks". But I think that everybody has them, but maybe are too afraid to come out and say it. That's what I tell myself anyway. In my world, EVERYBODY is a quirky person. It's what makes life interesting.
I admit it. I like paper products, okay? In fact I LOVE them. I love the way a paper towel feels when I hold it and I usually get three more than I really need just for the comfort factor. Besides, this world is a messy place, and paper products are here to help us out. I love all kinds of paper, I'm not particular to any kind. I love print paper, toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, paper cups,napkins, posters, books…..as long as it is paper, I'm a happy girl. People say once I start buying my own paper products, i'll stop using them so much. I'm here to tell you that my budget for paper products will be a major priority.
As I've talked about in earlier blogs, I have a case of halitaphobia (a never ending fear of bad breath). I brush my teeth all the time and never forget if someone else has bad breath. I can forgive a few times, but people smelling good is very important to me. I assumed everyone else was the same way, but apparently not…my obsession is very much particular to me. A few people could use a good case of halitaphobia every once in a while if you ask me. That's a good quirk to have.
I experience the world through my nose which means I smell everything like a dog. I thought this was normal, until someone let me know it wasn't. People are quick to single out these days. I can't function if a room smells funky and I do better on my homework if I have a drier sheet to sniff. I took a drier sheet to the Praxis because those testing rooms smells very, very strange. How could I make a good grade sitting in a place like that? Bad smells are the enemies of learning!
I can't go to sleep unless my cell phone is perfectly strait and I usually take about a minute a night trying to straighten it just so. When i was little I used to have a weird issue where I would have to touch everything with both hands. Like…if my left hand brushed the wall then I had to take my right hand and brush it also. If I touched one side of my face, I had to touch the other. Everything needed to equal out. If I turned on a light switch, I had to pretend to turn it on with my other hand as well. It was a really frustrating time, because living like that is not easy, believe me!!! I remember being distressed and tired at night from my equalling out issue. Thankfully, those days are past me and I have ridden myself of that quirk! If you are a psychologist reading this, I'm sure you're having a hay day. I'm your dream come true!
I have a certain chair at home that is MY chair. I've sat in the same spot at the dinner table since I was little and get very nervous when that changes. My sister's now husband came to our house for the first time and he sat in my chair and I very politely had to let him know how the house works. "That's MY chair." I said with a smile. Everyone started laughing, but I was staring at the chair with a very serious intention of getting it back. Mom gets me in trouble sometimes because she says I need to be able to move chairs, but it's a little more complicated than just "moving chairs".
I love windows. I can stare out windows for a long time and the whole educational department can vouch for me. Between classes I just stand like a creeper at the window looking out. The first thing I do every morning is open my window and look at everything outside for about five minutes. It gets my day started out in the best way. I think I might be an outdoorsy person because I like windows so much, but it's just a better situation if it's inside the glass.
I am a recovering germophobe. I think about the germs crawling everywhere on a daily basis. I love anti bacterial, it's my best friend. I'm not grossed out by the germs of nature, but I am very grossed out by the germs of humans. I wash my hands a TON. If my hands feel in the least bit dirty, I lose all functioning. I like for my hands to smell like soap all the time which can also relate back to my smelling issue. My nose is just really keen and picky.
I always think that I have a terminal illness or something medically wrong with me. When I hear about a sickness, I feel like I'm getting it myself. It's not like I want to be this way, but my body really does start hurting!!! It's like something I can't control. If your foot hurts, my foot hurts….literally.
I guess you could call these things "quirks". But I think that everybody has them, but maybe are too afraid to come out and say it. That's what I tell myself anyway. In my world, EVERYBODY is a quirky person. It's what makes life interesting.
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