Goodbye, Elevator

Lent has arrived once more.  In past years I’ve given up chocolate, meat, and Facebook, and all of them have been challenging in their own way to say the least.  It made me realize that I don’t need chocolate, I hate Facebook, and I would never be a vegetarian.

However, I still consume excessive amounts of chocolate and check Facebook way too many times every day.   During the 40 days last year it was a relief for me to not have Facebook at all.  I didn’t waste my day away doing nothing and it gave me time to do important thing in my day—plus I wasn’t consumed with information about everyone else’s lives. 

This year I decided to do something a little different.  I didn’t give up something that I can consume, and I didn’t give up social networking or media or sweets. 

I gave up the elevator.  Well, elevators period. 

Goodbye, Elevator.

But “the elevator” mostly refers to the elevator in my dorm.  I live on the sixth floor, so six stories of stairs is a sufficient climb.  I figured if Jesus died on a cross for my sins I can easily climb six flights of stairs every time I leave the dorm or come back.

People view Lent in different ways.  Some people get rid of the things that distract them from their faith, while others give up things that are unhealthy for them in order to honor the body Jesus gave them.  I wouldn’t say the elevator distracts me from my faith and I guess it can be considered healthy to not use it, but I mostly gave it up to have a constant reminder of what Jesus did for me. 

I figured I can also use it as I time of prayer.  Taking the stairs takes longer than the elevator, so why not pray every time I’m climbing them?

It’s going to be good for me to get off my lazy bum and add a little more exercise to my life, and a little more one on one time with God.  Sometimes I get so busy running around I don’t take time to thank God for everything I have, or time to pray for my friends and family.

Overall, it’s going to be beneficial.  I’m a little worried I’ll end up going somewhere and having to climb to the 40^th story of some building, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.  And if it does happen, I’ll just be praying the whole time. 

If I like this enough, which I think I will, I might just make it a habit.

It would be a good one to keep.  

The Best Punch Lines

I’m trying to get used to babysitting again.  I didn’t interact with kids at all for more than two months, and I suddenly have my normal babysitting job back.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore the boys I babysit, but I was exhausted after I watched them the other night.  (Being tired after I babysit is normal, but I was far beyond tired.)  Apparently babysitting is much like a playing a sport.  If you don’t stay in shape, you’ll be out of breath.  So I was a little overwhelmed the first time I babysat after coming back from Seattle. 

This is because I forgot rule number one about babysitting.

     1.  Let them entertain themselves. 

I tried too hard to find games for them to play, or encourage them to do a certain activity.  To be honest, letting them do their own thing is much more convenient. 

That was the approach I took tonight—I was much happier, and my night passed by more smoothly.  

And I also found myself laughing more.  Since they did their own thing, they were more themselves.  There were several things they said that I feel compelled to share. 

The younger boy is 4.  He was struggling a little with manners at the dinner table so I asked him, “Where are your manners silly boy?” 

He looked at me, tilted his head and smiled, then said, “At church.”

I had to laugh!  I couldn’t lecture him for that response.  Well played, kiddo. 

Later I was singing you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I’m telling you why, Santa Claus is coming to town!  Both of them were watching me and giggling.

Then the 6 year old said, “He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, and he knows when you talk about bottoms.”  (“Bottoms” happens to be one of the cutting-edge potty words in that household.)

I found myself laughing all over again. 

I’m telling you, the things kids say are absolutely outrageous.

They deliver the best punch lines. 

So Much to Give

Written on Sept. 8, 2011

the moth: caught behind the glass of the fireplace,

its wings frantically fluttering,

panicked, knowing there is no way out.

and i watch, knowing i can’t help him.

he runs along the glass, flying up

then falling.

and he’ll most likely do that

until he can’t

anymore.

Written Today

Sometimes I’m that moth.

I do the same thing over and over and get nowhere.

Then today, I found a quiet place.

I settled down and read my Bible.

I wrote in my journal and prayed.

I left my phone in my room and got away.

When I came out 2 hours had passed.

God has so much to say,

So much to give.

He is ever pursuing me and today I gave him time.

It makes the biggest difference.

It results in happiness & energy.

It fills me with love,

And now I’m overflowing.

Now I can say bring it on.

This won’t be easy, it never is.

But if God is on my side

Who can ever be against me?

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Psalm 139:23

No One Coughs During a Good Sermon

I’ve decided that I’m not going to blog on Sundays—they are going to be my day of rest, my rejuvenation day, the time I really get to spend with God. The day I do the things I love like playing the guitar or piano and drinking tea with all of my newly found friends.

If I get my time management down really well I would love to have no homework on Sundays. I’ll see how that turns out.

Even though I’m not blogging on Sundays, I’m still going to write about them. Especially if I hear an extremely good sermon, which just so happens to be the case.

The church service I went to lasted 2 hours. Normally I’m used to being in church for an hour and 20 minutes and nothing more. When my Dad told me that the service lasted 2 hours I was blown away.

No one coughed. Not once.

My Grandy used to be a pastor and he once told me, “When people start coughing during your sermon you know you’ve gone for too long. You have to wrap it up pretty fast at that point.”

But during the sermon I attended, which was longer than average, no one coughed. It seemed as if people hardly moved.

The pastor talked about how Jesus can be both tender and tough, not just one or the other. Often, we make Jesus into who we want him to be. Most of the time the men want him to be tough and the women want him to be tender, but we have to recognize that Jesus can be both, that he is both.

Then the pastor drew the congregation’s attention to Isaiah 52 and 53. Within those chapters of the Bible lies the prophesy of Jesus’ coming. And it was written 700 years before the event occurred. If that doesn’t prove the truth of scripture, I’m not sure what does.

I took notes during the sermon because the pastor said so many things I wanted to remember. He made sure to look deep into the scripture and not just skim the service. He made a point to say that he doesn’t like to just pull random pieces of scripture and use it to back up his point.

I appreciate that. I like depth. I long to understand and have insight.

At the end of the service I took communion along with many other people. My heart opened during worship. Good worship is the best spiritual therapy for me; I came out refreshed and uplifted.

In my notebook I wrote, “I’m more motivated to be ready for the coming of the Lord not when I’m told to do so or when I’m told to prepare, but when I’m moved by the scripture and fully believe that it is real—that is when I have a reason to be ready.”