Well, this blog started the night before I left the comforts of home for parts unknown while I should have been packing, so it is only fitting that it should conclude (at least take a summer haitus) on the night before I return to the comforts of home while I should be packing. Whew what a sentence, I'll try to not do that to you again.
I feel like I should have something profound to say about my (almost) year spent here, but anything I can scrape together just feels pretentious. The bare-bones, non glossy truth of the matter is that living here has become regular for me now. It feels natural to walk to the beach, to have kids say clever things that cause me to stop and think, to go for a hike and find a bomb.
What I'm saying is, the newness has worn off. I debated writing that as several things; ..."the magic/ luster/ wonder/ whatever has worn off", but I really want to be careful with my word choice. While all of those other things may sound more eloquent, the more I think about it, it's really only the newness that's gone.
There is a new kind of wonder, of luster that comes with certainty. With regularity. Over my time here, I've come to realize that I am blessed to have this as my life. And that's what it is. It's not an escape, it's not a vacation, it's not a break from reality, it's not a publicity stunt, it's just what I do.
And the crazy thing is, I'm learning that the real adventure is sometimes found between the lines of the other 'adventures'. Sometimes the real adventure is getting up every day and doing something 'regular'. I've found that sometimes you gotta put in a ton of tiny brushstrokes before you can step back and look at the masterpiece.
Will I keep finding new things to be amazed by? Yes. And I guess that's the point. Maybe it's not to live as hard and fast as you can in search of new thrills and amazing discoveries, it's discovering that every day is full of adventure and excitement no matter what, if you keep your eyes open.
I guess that wraps it up for now.
The future is bright.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Tabouli or not to be
The women of Duplex 1 have long insisted that in order to be a suitable mate one day I must learn how to cook.
They have dropped several subtle hints along the way; such as giving me numerous large, weighty cookbooks, countless cooking magazines, and mentioning politely that I will be a miserable failure as a husband if I cannot produce from fresh food items some semblance of an edible dish. I protested at great length (not unlike Martin Luther) that I could already make SO many dishes, but they made it clear that numerous varieties of 'sandwich' and cereal-based options did not count.
So I knew what I had to do.
The other evening (in private- I wished to appear infallible), I paged through one of the aforementioned large, weighty cookbooks looking at all the delicious sounding gourmet treats that I knew would result in catastrophic failure if attempted. All the recipes were either too complicated, had too many expensive ingredients, or didn't sound awesome enough... And then I saw it. The perfect selection.
Tabouli.
Not overly complicated, yet exotic enough to potentially impress my estrogen-rich neighbors and perhaps most importantly, it sounded easy enough for a culinary novice such as myself to actually reproduce. I collected the necessary ingredients from a selection of fine grocers (Joetan Superstore, Joetan medium-sized-store, and Superfresh). I was careful to select only the freshest produce and least outdated bulgar wheat. Everything had to be just right. That night, I completed the first step of the process. "Mix bulgar wheat and water. Let sit 6-8 hours or overnight". That completed, I blissfully dozed off to sleep.
The next day, I sliced and diced. I minced and mixed. I shed great big crocodile tears as I cut up green onions. Everything was going swell. Eventually, all the ingredients were mixed properly and I set it in the fridge for the final step in the eternal recipe, which was to "Chill 1-2 hours before serving".
***
A young man, ruddy and handsome, enters deserted living-room/ kitchen area.
Eagerly he walks to refrigerator with a purposeful look in his eye.
Opens door, reaches in and withdraws covered saucepan.
Grabs spoon from counter.
Removes covering.
He hesitates. A look of uncertainty momentarily clouds his face.
Brief pause.
He regains his composure, takes heaping spoonful and stuffs it into his open mouth.
His countenance falls.
Sullenly, he replaces the covering, places the saucepan back in the fridge, and exits apartment.
***
So what went wrong? I did everything correctly, right? All the right ingredients, assembled them in the correct order, followed the directions exac- oh. There was one small detail I erred in. The bulgar wheat and water mixture. It was supposed to sit 6-8 hours or overnight. I let it sit 6-8 hours, then overnight, then the next morning, then all afternoon and the rest of the day. 24 hours. Instead of Tabouli, I was apparently on the way to brewing up cheap beer.
Remember Cain and Abel? They both received the same (simple) instructions. God was pretty clear. One followed the directions, the other did not. Ergo, one sacrifice was accepted, one was not. Cains sacrifice was probably a tasty one. He was a farmer, and we're talking about earth shortly after the Garden of Eden. His produce was probably amazing. But it wasn't what God had asked for. How many times do we think "OK so it's not EXACTLY what's right but it's close, I'll probably be fine"? How often are we close to following the directions in Gods word, but not 100%? How often do we take what we know to be right and put our own spin on it, just because it's easier or more convenient to do so? Sometimes it's the simplest, the smallest deviations from right that have the most impact.
All I'm saying is, if I had followed the directions EXACTLY, my Tabouli would have surely turned out differently. Instead of writing about having learned a lesson, I would undoubtedly be basking in the glowing warmth of feminine satisfaction and admiration.
Something to think about, hm?
They have dropped several subtle hints along the way; such as giving me numerous large, weighty cookbooks, countless cooking magazines, and mentioning politely that I will be a miserable failure as a husband if I cannot produce from fresh food items some semblance of an edible dish. I protested at great length (not unlike Martin Luther) that I could already make SO many dishes, but they made it clear that numerous varieties of 'sandwich' and cereal-based options did not count.
So I knew what I had to do.
The other evening (in private- I wished to appear infallible), I paged through one of the aforementioned large, weighty cookbooks looking at all the delicious sounding gourmet treats that I knew would result in catastrophic failure if attempted. All the recipes were either too complicated, had too many expensive ingredients, or didn't sound awesome enough... And then I saw it. The perfect selection.
Tabouli.
Not overly complicated, yet exotic enough to potentially impress my estrogen-rich neighbors and perhaps most importantly, it sounded easy enough for a culinary novice such as myself to actually reproduce. I collected the necessary ingredients from a selection of fine grocers (Joetan Superstore, Joetan medium-sized-store, and Superfresh). I was careful to select only the freshest produce and least outdated bulgar wheat. Everything had to be just right. That night, I completed the first step of the process. "Mix bulgar wheat and water. Let sit 6-8 hours or overnight". That completed, I blissfully dozed off to sleep.
The next day, I sliced and diced. I minced and mixed. I shed great big crocodile tears as I cut up green onions. Everything was going swell. Eventually, all the ingredients were mixed properly and I set it in the fridge for the final step in the eternal recipe, which was to "Chill 1-2 hours before serving".
***
A young man, ruddy and handsome, enters deserted living-room/ kitchen area.
Eagerly he walks to refrigerator with a purposeful look in his eye.
Opens door, reaches in and withdraws covered saucepan.
Grabs spoon from counter.
Removes covering.
He hesitates. A look of uncertainty momentarily clouds his face.
Brief pause.
He regains his composure, takes heaping spoonful and stuffs it into his open mouth.
His countenance falls.
Sullenly, he replaces the covering, places the saucepan back in the fridge, and exits apartment.
***
So what went wrong? I did everything correctly, right? All the right ingredients, assembled them in the correct order, followed the directions exac- oh. There was one small detail I erred in. The bulgar wheat and water mixture. It was supposed to sit 6-8 hours or overnight. I let it sit 6-8 hours, then overnight, then the next morning, then all afternoon and the rest of the day. 24 hours. Instead of Tabouli, I was apparently on the way to brewing up cheap beer.
Remember Cain and Abel? They both received the same (simple) instructions. God was pretty clear. One followed the directions, the other did not. Ergo, one sacrifice was accepted, one was not. Cains sacrifice was probably a tasty one. He was a farmer, and we're talking about earth shortly after the Garden of Eden. His produce was probably amazing. But it wasn't what God had asked for. How many times do we think "OK so it's not EXACTLY what's right but it's close, I'll probably be fine"? How often are we close to following the directions in Gods word, but not 100%? How often do we take what we know to be right and put our own spin on it, just because it's easier or more convenient to do so? Sometimes it's the simplest, the smallest deviations from right that have the most impact.
All I'm saying is, if I had followed the directions EXACTLY, my Tabouli would have surely turned out differently. Instead of writing about having learned a lesson, I would undoubtedly be basking in the glowing warmth of feminine satisfaction and admiration.
Something to think about, hm?
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Castings
I love collecting cowrie shells.
This admittedly is not the manliest of hobbies, so I'll excuse that chuckle that just slipped out. In actuality, the lengths sometimes required of me to acquire these shells really do put my manliness to the test. But this post isn't about masculinity.
I'm not the only person that wants these shells. Therefore, sometimes I have to get up early, or swim out far, or deep, or hike to a beach that is relatively secluded if I want to find good specimens. I have to carry them in pockets back, sometimes a long walk, and sometimes (not often, because I feel slightly bad about killing them) I have to clean the stinky snail out of the shell.
The point is, I want the shell so I go to great lengths to get them.
Now. What does the snail do to create this neat item that I so desire? Basically nothing, outside of living. It could be argued that in the ocean living in and of itself is quite a task, but thats not what I'm going for here. All the snail does is scoot around eating stuff and wa-la! Beautiful shell.
I was thinking the other day about that; What am I doing to leave something worthwhile behind?
Am I leaving anything of value (whether concrete or abstract) behind for future generations, or even the people in the room I just left?
Will people seek out anything that I'm leaving behind or will it all like "dust in the wind", blow away and be forgotten?
What's worth leaving behind, anyway? According to Proverbs, the answers are...
A GOOD NAME
Proverbs 10:7 says that "The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot". What you and I do today will effect how we are remembered. We are to live our lives in such a way that just the memory of our life is a blessing to people. Have you ever thought of someone, not necessarily deceased, but just someone who has been in your life at one point and when you thought of them you smiled, or felt good just remembering how they treated you or what they accomplished? We're supposed to be that person.
FAMILY
Proverbs 17:6 says "Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their family". Let me be careful here.. There are plenty of people whose genes don't need to be duplicated. However, if we live Godly lives, are wholesome reasonable, and are determined to pass on these characteristics, we are told to "Be fruitful and multiply". In other words, if you're a good person, make more good people.
INHERITANCE
19:14 "Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord". So what's supposed to take care of those kids (family) left to continue our legacy? Well, we shouldn't leave them penniless setting them up for failure. How many pro athletes, movie stars, etc make millions only to die in debt? It's not about spending your life in pursuit of making a mint- it's about being responsible.
As an (hopefully not too morbid) aside, think of this: whenever I write anything and 'publish' it (make it available for anybody besides myself to view), I think about how it might be the last thing ever that I write. If you think of things in that light, it makes the concept of your 'legacy' a little different. Imagine your funeral... Somebody says "The last thing he ever had to say was..."
What are YOU leaving behind?
This admittedly is not the manliest of hobbies, so I'll excuse that chuckle that just slipped out. In actuality, the lengths sometimes required of me to acquire these shells really do put my manliness to the test. But this post isn't about masculinity.
I'm not the only person that wants these shells. Therefore, sometimes I have to get up early, or swim out far, or deep, or hike to a beach that is relatively secluded if I want to find good specimens. I have to carry them in pockets back, sometimes a long walk, and sometimes (not often, because I feel slightly bad about killing them) I have to clean the stinky snail out of the shell.
The point is, I want the shell so I go to great lengths to get them.
Now. What does the snail do to create this neat item that I so desire? Basically nothing, outside of living. It could be argued that in the ocean living in and of itself is quite a task, but thats not what I'm going for here. All the snail does is scoot around eating stuff and wa-la! Beautiful shell.
I was thinking the other day about that; What am I doing to leave something worthwhile behind?
Am I leaving anything of value (whether concrete or abstract) behind for future generations, or even the people in the room I just left?
Will people seek out anything that I'm leaving behind or will it all like "dust in the wind", blow away and be forgotten?
What's worth leaving behind, anyway? According to Proverbs, the answers are...
A GOOD NAME
Proverbs 10:7 says that "The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot". What you and I do today will effect how we are remembered. We are to live our lives in such a way that just the memory of our life is a blessing to people. Have you ever thought of someone, not necessarily deceased, but just someone who has been in your life at one point and when you thought of them you smiled, or felt good just remembering how they treated you or what they accomplished? We're supposed to be that person.
FAMILY
Proverbs 17:6 says "Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their family". Let me be careful here.. There are plenty of people whose genes don't need to be duplicated. However, if we live Godly lives, are wholesome reasonable, and are determined to pass on these characteristics, we are told to "Be fruitful and multiply". In other words, if you're a good person, make more good people.
INHERITANCE
19:14 "Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord". So what's supposed to take care of those kids (family) left to continue our legacy? Well, we shouldn't leave them penniless setting them up for failure. How many pro athletes, movie stars, etc make millions only to die in debt? It's not about spending your life in pursuit of making a mint- it's about being responsible.
As an (hopefully not too morbid) aside, think of this: whenever I write anything and 'publish' it (make it available for anybody besides myself to view), I think about how it might be the last thing ever that I write. If you think of things in that light, it makes the concept of your 'legacy' a little different. Imagine your funeral... Somebody says "The last thing he ever had to say was..."
What are YOU leaving behind?
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The case of Free speech vs. Discretion
*From a Yahoo News article*
FEASTERVILLE, Pa. – A high school English teacher in suburban Philadelphia who was suspended for a profanity-laced blog in which she called her young charges "disengaged, lazy whiners" is driving a debate by daring to ask: Why are today's students unmotivated — and what's wrong with calling them out?
As she fights to keep her job at Central Bucks East High School, 30-year-old Natalie Munroe says she had no interest in becoming any sort of educational icon. The blog has been taken down, but its contents can still be found easily online.
Her comments and her suspension by the middle-class school district have clearly touched a nerve, with scores of online commenters applauding her for taking a tough love approach or excoriating her for verbal abuse. Media attention has rained down, and backers have started a Facebook group.
"My students are out of control," Munroe, who has taught 10th, 11th and 12th grades, wrote in one post. "They are rude, disengaged, lazy whiners. They curse, discuss drugs, talk back, argue for grades, complain about everything, fancy themselves entitled to whatever they desire, and are just generally annoying."
And in another post, Munroe — who is more than eight months pregnant — quotes from the musical "Bye Bye Birdie": "Kids! They are disobedient, disrespectful oafs. Noisy, crazy, sloppy, lazy LOAFERS."
She also listed some comments she wished she could post on student evaluations, including: "I hear the trash company is hiring"; "I called out sick a couple of days just to avoid your son"; and "Just as bad as his sibling. Don't you know how to raise kids?"
Munroe did not use her full name or identify her students or school in the blog, which she started in August 2009 for friends and family. Last week, she said, students brought it to the attention of the school, which suspended her with pay.
"They get angry when you ask them to think or be creative," Munroe said of her students in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday. "The students are not being held accountable."
Munroe pointed out that she also said positive things, but she acknowledges that she did write some things out of frustration — and of a feeling that many kids today are being given a free pass at school and at home.
"Parents are more trying to be their kids' friends and less trying to be their parent," Munroe said, also noting students' lack of patience. "They want everything right now. They want it yesterday."
One of Munroe's former students, who now attends McDaniel College in Westminster, Md., said he was torn by his former teacher's comments. Jeff Shoolbraid said that he thought much of what Munroe said was true and that she had a right to voice her opinion, but felt her comments were out of line for a teacher.
"Whatever influenced her to say what she did is evidence as to why she simply should not teach," Shoolbraid wrote in an e-mail to the AP. "I just thought it was completely inappropriate."
He continued: "As far as motivated high school students, she's completely correct. High school kids don't want to do anything. ... It's a teacher's job, however, to give students the motivation to learn."
A spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Education Association declined to comment Tuesday because he said the group may represent Munroe. Messages left for the Central Bucks School District superintendent were not returned.
Sandi Jacobs, vice president of the National Council on Teacher Quality, said school districts are navigating uncharted territory when it comes to teachers' online behavior. Often, districts want teachers to have more contact with students and their families, yet give little guidance on how teachers should behave online even as students are more plugged in than they've ever been.
"This is really murky stuff," she said. "When you have a teacher using their blog to berate their students, maybe that's a little less murky. But the larger issue is, I think, districts are totally unprepared to deal with this."
Munroe has hired an attorney, who said that she had the right to post her thoughts on the blog and that it's a free speech issue. The attorney, Steven Rovner, said the district has led Munroe to believe that she will eventually lose her job.
"She could have been any person, any teacher in America writing about their lives," he said, pointing out that Munroe blogged about 85 times and that only about 15 to 20 of the posts involved her being a teacher. "It's honest and raw and a little edgy depending on your taste. ... She has a deep frustration for the educational system in America."
Rovner said that he would consider legal action if indeed Munroe loses her job.
"She did it as carefully as she could," he said about her blog. "It's so general that it applies to the problems in school districts and schools across the country."
___
Associated Press writer Dorie Turner in Atlanta contributed to this report.
FEASTERVILLE, Pa. – A high school English teacher in suburban Philadelphia who was suspended for a profanity-laced blog in which she called her young charges "disengaged, lazy whiners" is driving a debate by daring to ask: Why are today's students unmotivated — and what's wrong with calling them out?
As she fights to keep her job at Central Bucks East High School, 30-year-old Natalie Munroe says she had no interest in becoming any sort of educational icon. The blog has been taken down, but its contents can still be found easily online.
Her comments and her suspension by the middle-class school district have clearly touched a nerve, with scores of online commenters applauding her for taking a tough love approach or excoriating her for verbal abuse. Media attention has rained down, and backers have started a Facebook group.
"My students are out of control," Munroe, who has taught 10th, 11th and 12th grades, wrote in one post. "They are rude, disengaged, lazy whiners. They curse, discuss drugs, talk back, argue for grades, complain about everything, fancy themselves entitled to whatever they desire, and are just generally annoying."
And in another post, Munroe — who is more than eight months pregnant — quotes from the musical "Bye Bye Birdie": "Kids! They are disobedient, disrespectful oafs. Noisy, crazy, sloppy, lazy LOAFERS."
She also listed some comments she wished she could post on student evaluations, including: "I hear the trash company is hiring"; "I called out sick a couple of days just to avoid your son"; and "Just as bad as his sibling. Don't you know how to raise kids?"
Munroe did not use her full name or identify her students or school in the blog, which she started in August 2009 for friends and family. Last week, she said, students brought it to the attention of the school, which suspended her with pay.
"They get angry when you ask them to think or be creative," Munroe said of her students in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday. "The students are not being held accountable."
Munroe pointed out that she also said positive things, but she acknowledges that she did write some things out of frustration — and of a feeling that many kids today are being given a free pass at school and at home.
"Parents are more trying to be their kids' friends and less trying to be their parent," Munroe said, also noting students' lack of patience. "They want everything right now. They want it yesterday."
One of Munroe's former students, who now attends McDaniel College in Westminster, Md., said he was torn by his former teacher's comments. Jeff Shoolbraid said that he thought much of what Munroe said was true and that she had a right to voice her opinion, but felt her comments were out of line for a teacher.
"Whatever influenced her to say what she did is evidence as to why she simply should not teach," Shoolbraid wrote in an e-mail to the AP. "I just thought it was completely inappropriate."
He continued: "As far as motivated high school students, she's completely correct. High school kids don't want to do anything. ... It's a teacher's job, however, to give students the motivation to learn."
A spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Education Association declined to comment Tuesday because he said the group may represent Munroe. Messages left for the Central Bucks School District superintendent were not returned.
Sandi Jacobs, vice president of the National Council on Teacher Quality, said school districts are navigating uncharted territory when it comes to teachers' online behavior. Often, districts want teachers to have more contact with students and their families, yet give little guidance on how teachers should behave online even as students are more plugged in than they've ever been.
"This is really murky stuff," she said. "When you have a teacher using their blog to berate their students, maybe that's a little less murky. But the larger issue is, I think, districts are totally unprepared to deal with this."
Munroe has hired an attorney, who said that she had the right to post her thoughts on the blog and that it's a free speech issue. The attorney, Steven Rovner, said the district has led Munroe to believe that she will eventually lose her job.
"She could have been any person, any teacher in America writing about their lives," he said, pointing out that Munroe blogged about 85 times and that only about 15 to 20 of the posts involved her being a teacher. "It's honest and raw and a little edgy depending on your taste. ... She has a deep frustration for the educational system in America."
Rovner said that he would consider legal action if indeed Munroe loses her job.
"She did it as carefully as she could," he said about her blog. "It's so general that it applies to the problems in school districts and schools across the country."
___
Associated Press writer Dorie Turner in Atlanta contributed to this report.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Out of the mouths of babes
I stayed home today to try and lick this cold/ fever that's been hanging around my head for the past few days. In the afternoon, I wanted some exercise so I set off to walk to the beach and as I went past the school, there was a basketball game and all the kids were there. Kristina is one of Mrs. Tiffany's 1/2 grade class.
Kristina: Mister D! Where were you today??!
Me: Home.. I'm sick!
K: Who's taking care of you?
Me: ...Well, my mommys not here so nobody I guess...
K: So just the angel?
Me: ...I'm sorry?
K: It's just your angel taking care of you.
Not to take away from the cuteness of the story, but I should mention that all the girls at the compound have done their share of taking care of me at some point or another lol..
Kristina: Mister D! Where were you today??!
Me: Home.. I'm sick!
K: Who's taking care of you?
Me: ...Well, my mommys not here so nobody I guess...
K: So just the angel?
Me: ...I'm sorry?
K: It's just your angel taking care of you.
Not to take away from the cuteness of the story, but I should mention that all the girls at the compound have done their share of taking care of me at some point or another lol..
Monday, December 27, 2010
Swell
I went to the ocean the other day.
Not the soft sand- inside the reef- relaxing ocean, I mean..
the OCEAN.
Ten foot swells thundering against jagged, infinitely textured hard-as-iron coral rock.
I watched, listened, and felt as they crashed ashore hurdling rocks, shells, sand, and whatever else happened along with an unimpressed air.
Then I went home.
I took a shower.
I turned the faucet, adjusted it to the proper temperature (from cold to cool), and when I was done I turned it off. I grabbed my towel, and removed the unwanted excess.
Is this what we make God?
Is your God the OCEAN or the shower?
Can you control Him? Do you know what is in His deepest parts? Are you afraid of Him? Do you completely understand Him? Can you be immersed in Him or like the shower, do you keep Him in one place, in a corner of your house? Do you only go to him when you need a little refreshing? Can you turn Him on and off? Can you adjust Him when He makes you uncomfortable? When you are done with Him, do you brush the evidences of His presence from your life? Is He a little sprinkle on your skin or a crushing, overwhelming force in your life?
Maybe it's time to go swimming
Not the soft sand- inside the reef- relaxing ocean, I mean..
the OCEAN.
Ten foot swells thundering against jagged, infinitely textured hard-as-iron coral rock.
I watched, listened, and felt as they crashed ashore hurdling rocks, shells, sand, and whatever else happened along with an unimpressed air.
Then I went home.
I took a shower.
I turned the faucet, adjusted it to the proper temperature (from cold to cool), and when I was done I turned it off. I grabbed my towel, and removed the unwanted excess.
Is this what we make God?
Is your God the OCEAN or the shower?
Can you control Him? Do you know what is in His deepest parts? Are you afraid of Him? Do you completely understand Him? Can you be immersed in Him or like the shower, do you keep Him in one place, in a corner of your house? Do you only go to him when you need a little refreshing? Can you turn Him on and off? Can you adjust Him when He makes you uncomfortable? When you are done with Him, do you brush the evidences of His presence from your life? Is He a little sprinkle on your skin or a crushing, overwhelming force in your life?
Maybe it's time to go swimming
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Eggwhite
*Takes deep breath, writes semi-controversial post*
So the kids are rehearsing for the Christmas program this week quite a bit during the day.
I was making one of my usual office-hang-out runs, chillaxing and fraternizing with the office staff when in walks one of the students. We greet her, make small talk, expecting her to tell us at any moment where her boo-boo is so we can put a band-aid on it and send her back to class. After a minute or two, she sits down, so I just ask her why she's in the office. Turns out, she's sitting in the office because her parents forbid her to VIEW or PARTICIPATE in anything pertaining to 'theater'. For those of you who are SDA, you already know where this is headed. And why, might you ask, is theater (stage plays, in this sense of the word) so bad?
Because the venerable prophetess E. G. White said so.
-Messages to young people- p398/399
"The true Christian will not desire to enter any place of amusement or engage in any diversion upon which he cannot ask the blessing of God. He will not be found at the theater, the billiard hall, or the bowling saloon. He will not unite with the gay waltzers, or indulge in any other bewitching pleasure that will banish Christ from the mind.
To those who plead for these diversions, we answer, We cannot indulge in them in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. The blessing of God would not be invoked upon the hour spent at the theater or in the dance. No Christian would wish to meet death in such a place. No one would wish to be found there when Christ shall come.
When we come to the final hour, and stand face to face with the record of our lives, shall we regret that we have attended so few parties of pleasure? that we have participated in so few scenes of thoughtless mirth? Shall we not, rather, bitterly regret that so many precious hours have been wasted in self-gratification,--so many opportunities neglected, which, rightly improved, would have secured for us immortal treasures?
It has become customary for professors of religion to excuse almost any pernicious indulgence to which the heart is wedded. By familiarity with sin, they become blinded to its enormity. Many who claim to be children of God gloss over sins which His word condemns, by linking some purpose of
399
church charity with their godless carousals. Thus they borrow the livery of heaven to serve the devil in. Souls are deceived, led astray, and lost to virtue and integrity by these fashionable dissipations."
Ok so let me get this all together here and straight in my mind. On a good, conservative day, I can understand the gist of what she's getting at. To summarize, her point seems to be that by engaging in frivolity, you are essentially wasting the precious gift of time/ life that God has given us to further His kingdom; that by participating in activities that cause you to enjoy this earth, you are lessening your relationship with God. And, that more or less makes sense. It's a song that she often sings in fact, even to the degree of saying that such 'frivolous' things as pickles, bicycles, and playing checkers are not to be a part of your life. This is where I start to lose her.
But first, back to the school play.
From reading her words, the best way I can interpret it even if I wanted to agree with this little girls parents, is that you aren't supposed to go to a theater (a place which at the time of her writing was lavish and full of 'spiritual distractions').
"The true Christian will not desire to enter any place of amusement or engage in any diversion upon which he cannot ask the blessing of God". But the play is being done by an SDA school, and it's about Jesus. So..
"He will not ... indulge in any other bewitching pleasure that will banish Christ from the mind." Again, doesn't sound like a play TELLING THE STORY OF JESUS.
"When we come to the final hour, and stand face to face with the record of our lives, shall we regret that we have attended so few parties of pleasure? that we have participated in so few scenes of thoughtless mirth?" Oh, you mean like... You get the point.
I am most frustrated by this (and these types of people) because they MISS THE POINT BY SO LITTLE. They are so close to getting it, and instead make a slight miscalculation if you will and in the end miss it by a mile.
I hesitate even to say this because it's a slippery slope, but bear with me. The other thing at play here is the time issue. As I mentioned before, theaters in her day were not the same as theaters today. If you live in MD, you would in no way view the BSO to a burlesque show. Likewise, going to the IMAX to watch a film about nature does not strike me as a waste of time or something that would pull me away from my Creator.
Another thing to consider: what does it even mean to live by that standard of seemingly avoiding pleasure in exchange for spending time devoted to growing closer to God? Does that mean we shouldn't go snorkeling? Hiking or mountain biking in the woods? For drives along coastal highways late at night? Didn't God fill this earth with pleasurable things? Good things to see, to taste, to smell, feel, etc? Why do we have senses? What if pleasurable things bring us closer to God? Didn't God say he was the SALT of the earth?! Salt is an additive! You don't NEED salt. It's something FANCY. So ...?
I believe that up until the point where it conflicts with Gods clear law, he wants us to be HAPPY. To enjoy life. To live vibrantly, fully. To skydive (He wants OTHER people to do this, not ME lol). To explore. To sing, dance, yell at the top of a mountain, whisper in a lovers (within the proper parameters) ear, taste hot peppers, drink from a mountain stream. I believe it is the job of the Holy Spirit to impress upon the heart of a person when their pleasure seeking becomes a distraction from their walk with Christ. I really don't feel like eating pickles is going to keep me out of heaven. I wonder which is worse, to indulge in playing checkers, or to be proud of your 'clean record'?
--
All of that being said, theres a side of me that struggles. There are two extremes when it comes to Christianity. Either too conservative, or too liberal; and I have to say, if I had to pick one, I'd go with the first every time. The Amish are a perfect example. They seem to me to be pretty crazy to be honest. Almost masochistic. Why avoid so many modern conveniences such as cars, electricity, etc? But. When was the last time you heard of the Amish mafia? How many abortions do the Amish have yearly? How about theft? They leave their houses unlocked. How about murder? Adultery? Bullies? You can't help but scratch your head. Maybe they're on to something after all. And it's worth noting, that the girl in the office is one of the best students in the school. Well behaved, smart, obedient, helpful, the list goes on and on.
So what do you think? I have to go do work now :)
So the kids are rehearsing for the Christmas program this week quite a bit during the day.
I was making one of my usual office-hang-out runs, chillaxing and fraternizing with the office staff when in walks one of the students. We greet her, make small talk, expecting her to tell us at any moment where her boo-boo is so we can put a band-aid on it and send her back to class. After a minute or two, she sits down, so I just ask her why she's in the office. Turns out, she's sitting in the office because her parents forbid her to VIEW or PARTICIPATE in anything pertaining to 'theater'. For those of you who are SDA, you already know where this is headed. And why, might you ask, is theater (stage plays, in this sense of the word) so bad?
Because the venerable prophetess E. G. White said so.
-Messages to young people- p398/399
"The true Christian will not desire to enter any place of amusement or engage in any diversion upon which he cannot ask the blessing of God. He will not be found at the theater, the billiard hall, or the bowling saloon. He will not unite with the gay waltzers, or indulge in any other bewitching pleasure that will banish Christ from the mind.
To those who plead for these diversions, we answer, We cannot indulge in them in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. The blessing of God would not be invoked upon the hour spent at the theater or in the dance. No Christian would wish to meet death in such a place. No one would wish to be found there when Christ shall come.
When we come to the final hour, and stand face to face with the record of our lives, shall we regret that we have attended so few parties of pleasure? that we have participated in so few scenes of thoughtless mirth? Shall we not, rather, bitterly regret that so many precious hours have been wasted in self-gratification,--so many opportunities neglected, which, rightly improved, would have secured for us immortal treasures?
It has become customary for professors of religion to excuse almost any pernicious indulgence to which the heart is wedded. By familiarity with sin, they become blinded to its enormity. Many who claim to be children of God gloss over sins which His word condemns, by linking some purpose of
399
church charity with their godless carousals. Thus they borrow the livery of heaven to serve the devil in. Souls are deceived, led astray, and lost to virtue and integrity by these fashionable dissipations."
Ok so let me get this all together here and straight in my mind. On a good, conservative day, I can understand the gist of what she's getting at. To summarize, her point seems to be that by engaging in frivolity, you are essentially wasting the precious gift of time/ life that God has given us to further His kingdom; that by participating in activities that cause you to enjoy this earth, you are lessening your relationship with God. And, that more or less makes sense. It's a song that she often sings in fact, even to the degree of saying that such 'frivolous' things as pickles, bicycles, and playing checkers are not to be a part of your life. This is where I start to lose her.
But first, back to the school play.
From reading her words, the best way I can interpret it even if I wanted to agree with this little girls parents, is that you aren't supposed to go to a theater (a place which at the time of her writing was lavish and full of 'spiritual distractions').
"The true Christian will not desire to enter any place of amusement or engage in any diversion upon which he cannot ask the blessing of God". But the play is being done by an SDA school, and it's about Jesus. So..
"He will not ... indulge in any other bewitching pleasure that will banish Christ from the mind." Again, doesn't sound like a play TELLING THE STORY OF JESUS.
"When we come to the final hour, and stand face to face with the record of our lives, shall we regret that we have attended so few parties of pleasure? that we have participated in so few scenes of thoughtless mirth?" Oh, you mean like... You get the point.
I am most frustrated by this (and these types of people) because they MISS THE POINT BY SO LITTLE. They are so close to getting it, and instead make a slight miscalculation if you will and in the end miss it by a mile.
I hesitate even to say this because it's a slippery slope, but bear with me. The other thing at play here is the time issue. As I mentioned before, theaters in her day were not the same as theaters today. If you live in MD, you would in no way view the BSO to a burlesque show. Likewise, going to the IMAX to watch a film about nature does not strike me as a waste of time or something that would pull me away from my Creator.
Another thing to consider: what does it even mean to live by that standard of seemingly avoiding pleasure in exchange for spending time devoted to growing closer to God? Does that mean we shouldn't go snorkeling? Hiking or mountain biking in the woods? For drives along coastal highways late at night? Didn't God fill this earth with pleasurable things? Good things to see, to taste, to smell, feel, etc? Why do we have senses? What if pleasurable things bring us closer to God? Didn't God say he was the SALT of the earth?! Salt is an additive! You don't NEED salt. It's something FANCY. So ...?
I believe that up until the point where it conflicts with Gods clear law, he wants us to be HAPPY. To enjoy life. To live vibrantly, fully. To skydive (He wants OTHER people to do this, not ME lol). To explore. To sing, dance, yell at the top of a mountain, whisper in a lovers (within the proper parameters) ear, taste hot peppers, drink from a mountain stream. I believe it is the job of the Holy Spirit to impress upon the heart of a person when their pleasure seeking becomes a distraction from their walk with Christ. I really don't feel like eating pickles is going to keep me out of heaven. I wonder which is worse, to indulge in playing checkers, or to be proud of your 'clean record'?
--
All of that being said, theres a side of me that struggles. There are two extremes when it comes to Christianity. Either too conservative, or too liberal; and I have to say, if I had to pick one, I'd go with the first every time. The Amish are a perfect example. They seem to me to be pretty crazy to be honest. Almost masochistic. Why avoid so many modern conveniences such as cars, electricity, etc? But. When was the last time you heard of the Amish mafia? How many abortions do the Amish have yearly? How about theft? They leave their houses unlocked. How about murder? Adultery? Bullies? You can't help but scratch your head. Maybe they're on to something after all. And it's worth noting, that the girl in the office is one of the best students in the school. Well behaved, smart, obedient, helpful, the list goes on and on.
So what do you think? I have to go do work now :)
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