Mission: So, So Possible

There are 6 days, 11 hours, and 30 minutes before I officially start Christmas break.

Approximately 26 days of break.

Goal: Read 6 books during said break.

Actually, not just any 6 books. But the 6 books I have bought and been dying to read since school started at the beginning of September.

Plan of Action:

1) Finish "The Master and Margarita".

2) Read "Lineage of Grace".

3) Re-read "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".

4) Read "Gone with the Wind".

5) Read "Mere Christianity".

6) FINALLY! Read "The Red Queen".

This gives me about 4.3 days to read each book. Considering I do want to also have a life, my plan is to read each one in 2-3 days. Wish me luck, fellow bookworms!

5 Things I Love About My Roommate!

God has blessed me in a wonderful and unique way with my roommate this year. Yvonne is not only a roommate, she is there to help me physically- but most of all she is an amazing friend. Hence, I'm dedicating a post solely to 5 of the many things I love about her!

1) She has an awesome taste in music, movies, books, food, and friends. So much of what we talk about is that much more fun because she is super smart and knowledgable.

2) She makes me laugh all the time- literally. In her own words: "If we don't stop laughing, we're gonna grow a six-pack on our face!"

3) She is pretty much up for anything. You will find no complaining, rigid, negative bone in her. Rather, she exudes openness, flexibility, and just the right amount of spontaneity. Midnight Taco Bell or doughnuts anyone?

4) She is one of the few people I know who are truly and honestly caring about others. She means her "How are you?"s and is always open to listen, cry with you, and help in any way- even when she thinks you're having a seizure. ;)

5) Simply, she is a living example of how Christ wants us to live. She is by no means perfect (sorry to burst your bubble everyone!), but she loves God with all her heart and it shows in her life.

Before I go back to my usual avoidance of mushy gushy nice stuff, I just wanted to say love you Yvonne! You are epically amazing. :)

Christmas Traditions: The Weird, Wacky, and Wonderful

Last Saturday, my mom, brother, and I decorated the house. This is probably my favorite part of the season- the magic of Christmas just beginning as we once again unload our precious Christmas memories. Then for the whole month, I get to enjoy what we created!

This night of unveiling has its own set of traditions, little things I wouldn't miss for the world. And this time I recorded some of them to be preserved and remembered forever. Some of them include:

-The most obvious putting up the magnificent tree. Every year my mom tries to convince us to get a fake tree, which is easier to handle. Only amidst threats of running away from home do I get my real tree- dropping needles and all. ;)

-Another tradition is putting up the absolute best ornament we own- my preschool tie-dyed coffee filter. I know you're now jealous, but I'm sorry it's one of a kind!

-Our actual best decoration is probably the stockings. Each one is custom to our personality and I love them.

-To finish off a hard-working day, we make grilled cheese sandwiches, drink Martinelli's apple cider, and watch an epic Christmas movie under the lights of our new tree. Can the holiday season possibly get any better?

Happy Christmas, everyone! I pray that it will be as warm and memorable as my anticipation of this fantastic season! :)

They ♥ Them

I'm starting to realize that 90% of people absolutely love to talk about one thing: themselves.

Whether on the phone or in person, when someone is talking to you- listen! Do not text someone else, do not work on papers, do not look mindlessly around the room. If someone just spent 2 hours listening to everything that's happening to you, now it's your turn. Sadly, this is not the case. Now that it's not all about them, they suddenly develop a chronic case of ADD.

My spiritual gift is encouragement, and I love to use it. It makes my day when I can cheer up someone's day. My love language is quality time, and I love nothing more than the one-on-one time I get with people. But sometimes it's me that needs the quality time and encouragement. Please remember that before you spend an hour talking about your boy problems and hang up before even asking how my day is going. Try talking to your cat next time, they don't talk back.

Sorry for the dripping sarcasm, and this post is not about one person in particular, I swear. It's just that lately I've noticed a trend and it's getting to point where I don't want to care. My prayer is that I will continue to encourage despite opposition and frustration.

Toland and Religion Today

One topic of every class I have taken that has stuck in my head above the rest because of its clear-cut position in terms of an often complex and confusing subject- religion. John Toland’s Christianity not Mysterious is an amazing, direct look into the face of religious people in authority and their manipulation of the Scriptures to fit their specific sect’s desires. As someone who believes that many denominations today- both unknowingly and consciously- still make the same falsehoods and assertions about the Christian faith, this text is universal and should be learned by any who profess to be Christian.

“There is nothing that men make a greater noise about, in our time especially, than what they generally profess least to understand.” This quote starts off the first chapter of Toland’s book, and I think it defines the essence of what he is trying to make his readers think about. People love to talk about what they say that will never be able to be understood, because then their assertions can never be found wrong. He states that the religious authorities try to take reason out of all faith, so that no one person can contemplate and understand Christ without the help of those in charge. Although this is somewhat harder in today’s world to accomplish because of so many widespread and easily accessible resources, some still try to conform those they lead to simply believe without thinking about it with the mind that God blessed them with.

“The worst on’t is, they are not all of a mind. If you be orthodox to those, you are a heretic to these.” This quote struck me as the most relevant to the present state of the church. We are just as disjointed and at odds as they were back in Toland’s day. If you are a Catholic, then the Protestants are wrong in their traditions and beliefs. If you are Baptist, then you are to believe that Catholics are heretical. So depending on where you attend church (or mass or service) that day, you will be expected to hold to a specific set of beliefs that the others will condemn. Toland points out the hypocrisy in this mentality, and I must agree- we are all Christians and need to treat each other as such.

“…They were as injudicious, violent, and factious as other men…they were of the same nature and make with ourselves; and that we know of no privilege above us bestowed upon them by Heaven, except priority of birth.” Toland comments on the fact that those put in positions of authority are just as human as the rest of us, and therefore are just as susceptible to sin and faults as anyone else. Many fail to see this, including those in high positions, and depend too heavily on a flawed man instead of coming up with their own conclusions. He asserts that they have no other advantages except for better economic status, and we are responsible for our faith. This can somewhat be true in the present day. Although many religious leaders do not come from priority births any longer, people still do raise them on a moral pedestal that they should not be put on. The only flawless person to walk the Earth was Christ himself, and followers should always remember this fact Toland brings up.

Toland goes on to describe a few more examples of why we should utilize reason as Christians, and ultimately ends with this conclusion: “There is nothing in the Gospel contrary to reason, nor above it; and that no Christian doctrine can be properly called a mystery”. Whether or not you completely agree with his theory, it is a great topic to think about as followers of Christ. Why did God give us reason, if not to use it? But if we only have reason, where is there room for faith? Personally, I think one should possess both. Always use your mind when pondering God’s word, but in full knowledge that we will never fully grasp His glory with our finite reason. Never complacently accept things at face value, but also leave room for God’s mystery to work in your life.

And The Winners Are...

My career goal is to become an editor in a publishing firm, and to ultimately become an author. I've read so many wonderful (and terrible) books in my life, and I think each one I read helps me hone in my skills as an editor. According to stateuniversity.com, an editor "works for publishing companies to prepare an author's work for publication. They work closely with design artists, compositors, production personnel, marketing departments, and experts in the field to design an attractive product, guide it through the various levels of production, and then promote it once it has been published. Working closely with the author, they ensure that the work being produced has high literary merit and is free from inconsistencies, including grammatical and spelling errors."

One of the most important aspects of an editor's job is to be able to find a novel that appeals to the specific audience. With all the manuscripts that enter their office, they have to find that one or two that shine. The following list is the authors that I most hope to find in other people's work. They differ widely in their talents, but they are each amazing.

Top 4 Author Role Models:

· Jodi Picoult- I have literally read every single book that she has ever written. Some hardcore literature fans might call her too fluffy, but the works she has written astound me. One thing is the amount of research she puts into each book. I can only hope to be that accurate and well-thought out when I write my novels. Also, she always does multiple points of view in her books. You get to pick everyone’s mind, but without the dullness of an omniscient narrator. She is simply amazing.

· Phillipa Gregory- The historical fiction queen of the ages: Ms. Gregory. She took my favorite era of history and brought it to life. Once again, the role of research played a crucial part of her series. She took the facts and filled in the gaps with her creativity. The only bad thing I have to say about her is that she beats me to the punch with every idea I seem to come up with.

· John Steinbeck- Forced to read about 5 of his works for school, I encountered this man many times before enjoying him. Of Mice and Men made me want to scream with frustration, and The Pearl was extremely boring to me the first time around. However, after reading Grapes of Wrath, I realized how great he conveys real life situations. The plots may be depressing and sometimes slow, but it clearly represents the truth of people’s situations.

· Jane Austen- I saved this one to last because I know that this is the most popular response. However, I simply cannot exclude the woman who made history with her intricate stories about ordinary people. I can only dream of one day being such a detailed writer as she was. The fact that she could describe the fine details of an ordinary life and not become boring or redundant is astounding.

Ring by Spring...or Else!

If you are a student at CBU, there's a 99% chance that you've heard of the phrase "ring by spring". More impressively, there's about an 80% chance that you've encountered someone who embodies this philosophy. 

But for the far and few between who do not understand this concept, let me take a moment to explain. The "ring by spring" persona means one who comes to college with an intense ambition to find their future spouse- preferably by the end of the year. Hence, a wedding ring by spring graduation. 

This was a completely new concept for me, the eternally single freshman whose only experience with the opposite sex involved high school boys. Definition: immaturity at its finest. Therefore, when I went from most of my friends not being in any relationship to half of my friends engaged or about to be engaged, it was quite a culture shock. This was a realm of adults who were looking for their significant other- a natural instinct that goes back as far as man himself. Now, all I had to do was adjust.

And I have, to be honest, adjusted fairly well. I admire those who have found their love, as a result of searching or not. They are truly blessed, and I hope to be in their shoes someday as well. However, I think the church (and therefore the people in it) have gotten so focused on matching up the Christians with their "God-ordained other half" that they can sometimes miss the value of a person all by themselves. 

I know this might be a touchy subject for some people, and I don't mean to put down any well-meaning people. That's not what I mean at all. I simply think that single people possess a body part in the body of Christ just as much as a married couple. 

This thought process was not brought on by my thoughts alone, but by a friend's blog I read that brought up this topic. Entitled "Surviving Church as a Single", it satirically points out many common experiences that church-going singles endure from their married fellow worshippers. 

Ready to play?

The Surviving Church as a Single Scorecard

1. Your church doesn’t have a singles ministry. = + 1 point

2. Your church has a singles ministry but it’s combined with the college ministry which creates opportunities for conversations like this:
Student: “My roommate bought a microwave for our dorm room. I love being a Freshman!”
Single: “My 401K is underperforming.” = +2 points

3. Your church has a singles ministry but it’s a triad that combines college, single adults and divorce recovery. = + 3 points

4. Your church has a singles ministry but it’s the dreaded quad, combining college, single adults, divorce recovery and retired widowers that refuse to move to Florida. = +4 points

5. Someone pays you the world’s most backhanded compliment, “I just don’t understand how someone as great as you isn’t married yet.” = +1 point

6. Someone told you, “If you stop looking for love you’ll find it.” 2 points for each time you’ve heard that.

7. At church, people give you weird looks if you refuse to sit in the “singles” section of the sanctuary. = +1 point

8. When people introduce you, they say, “This is Matt, my single friend.” = +2 points

9. When people introduce you they feel compelled to list out your accomplishments, “This is Sally, my single friend who owns her own home, drives a luxury sedan and has a very, very stable job.” = +3 points

10. Your friends that have been married for 15 minutes act like they suddenly don’t remember anything about dating and therefore can’t give you any advice. “It’s been so long since I dated, things have changed so much. I’m just out of that whole scene.” + 2 points

11. People are constantly volunteering you for things because, “you’re single, you’ve got so much free time.” = +1 point

12. People at church act a little surprised when they ask you, “How are you doing?” and you respond with, “Things are great right now. I love my life!” = +1 point

13. Married friends try to live vicariously through you, asking questions like, “What did you do this weekend? Road trip? I bet you went on some crazy cool, singles road trip, right?” = +2 points

14. Someone you just met for the first time said a sentence like this to you, “If you want to get married, you need to ______.” = +2 points

15. Whenever married friends call you at noon on a Saturday, they start the conversation by saying, “Did I just wake you up?” = +3 points

16. You assume that if you don’t get engaged by final exams of your senior year in college you’ll never get married. = -2 points

17. You’ve secretly always wanted your own cat but are afraid that ownership of a single kitten will become some sort of gateway drug to becoming “the cat lady.” = – 2 points

18. You’ve ever given an impassioned, enraged monologue on the injustice that men who are single get to age gracefully and be considered “bachelors” while women are instantly judged as “crazy cat ladies.” = – 3 points

19. You’ve got a “don’t perpetuate the cat lady stereotype,” monologue locked and loaded at all times and have already stopped reading this post so you can put it in the comments section. = – 5 points

20. Someone has quoted the “it’s not good for man to be alone” Bible verse to you. = +2 points.

21. When friends invite you to their church they start the invite by listing both the quantity and hotness of the singles that go there. = +1 point

22. That friend was named Jon Acuff and he said, “No one in Atlanta should ever involuntarily remain single with so many awesome single people at North Point Community Church.” (I’ve said this a lot. My bad.) = + 3 points

23. Your married friends tip toe around you during February because they think you’re too delicate to handle the completely made up holiday, Valentine’s Day. = +1 point

24. You are too delicate to handle Valentine’s Day and have been known to describe it with a rich tapestry of words no Christian should even know exist, never mind actually say out loud. = + 1 point

25. The person that leads the singles ministry at your church got married in 1964. = +10 points for each decade they’ve been married.

26. Someone told you, “Maybe you need to focus on being more like a Proverbs 31 woman.” = 2 points for each time it wasn’t sincere encouragement.

27. You didn’t know you were supposed to be unhappy as a single adult until you went to church and found the singles ministry to be akin to a support group. = +3 points

28. Upon hearing that you went on a first date with someone, your single friends at church stop inviting you to the single events because “you’re in a relationship already.” = +2 points

29. Upon hearing that you went on two dates, your married friends at church start telling you, “I’ll be praying that this is the one!” = + 3 points

30. Your best friend of 15 years gets married and then suddenly acts like a magical gap has opened up between you and decides that until you get married too you can’t be close again because you just don’t understand each other anymore. = +3 points

31. To justify giving a four week marriage sermon series to a congregation that is 60% single, the pastor throws out one blanket statement like this at the beginning of the series, “And you single people listen up to this too, this well serve you well when you get married too.” = +2 points

32. You set your alarm to “not going to church today” after the first week of the marriage sermon series. = – 2 points

33. The only time your married friends invite you over is when they need a babysitter. = +3 points

34. Someone throws the “Paul was never married” card on you. = +2 points

35. Friends assume that the only qualification that matters to you when it comes to finding a date is that she’s available and set you up with people you have nothing in common with. = +2 points

36. You’ve ever said the rhyme, “I’m a bachelor til’ the rapture.” = – 1 point

37. During a prayer at church celebrating wedding anniversaries, the person praying says a special prayer for all the people that are still single and lonely. (True story) = +1 point

38. You have a friend that feels like creating a dating profile on eHarmony is a sign that you might not be trusting God enough to provide a soul mate. = + 1 point

39. You’ve developed highly sensitive, “They’re about to throw the bouquet” radar and know exactly when to leave a wedding. = +2 points

40. Instead of saying that you’re “single” your friends describe you as “Not married yet.” = +2 points 

Link to blog: http://2lovenabundance.wordpress.com/page/6/

Not to be taken too much to heart, this list is meant for singles to relate with, married people to check themselves, and everyone to laugh at. It sure worked for me. Until next time, yours truly- splendidly single.