I have to admit there is one project that I have fallen short on: The Why? Project.
I put a lot of thought into what I was going to study at the beginning of the semester. After a few weeks I decided on studying the Apocrypha. I am a Christian and I have never really read any historical and religiously significant texts that go along with my religion besides the Bible. Sure it is included in some special Bibles, but I have never really been exposed to it. I did not even know these other texts existed until a few years ago. I do not know much at all about them, therefore I felt it would be beneficial to research them more throughly this semester.
However, time really got away from me and I didn't get to immerse myself in studying the Apocrypha. I did enjoy a nice discussion on the Apocrypha during a Bible study early on in the year. In my World Literature class we briefly touched on the Apocrypha and other texts from the same time period. So I did learn little tidbits of information about my why project, but not enough to satisfy my curiosity.
Therefore, I will be studying the Apocrypha over Christmas break since I will have more time to focus on it.
12.13.2007
12.10.2007
What MOTIVATES me?
Think about your life.
Think about the greatest thing you have ever done, and think about
the worst thing you have ever done. Try to remember what motivated you to
do the former, and try to remember what motivated you to do the latter.
How similar are these two motives?
Chuck Klosterman, IV
I believe the greatest thing I have ever done is realized that I have a higher purpose than just being a human living however I choose on this planet. With this realization, comes more concrete action on my part. If I was not created for this world, but yet I do have a purpose here?!? It is such a confusing concept. I feel that my purpose on earth is to further the Kingdom of God. I feel that furthering God's Kingdom and ultimately bringing God glory should be the motivation behind every single action in my life.
Therefore, I must disagree with Klosterman here. He feels that what motivated you to do your best or your worst have something in common. If my motivation for doing my best is glorifying God, I do not see how that could have anything in common with being my worst. If you had to define what motivates me at my worst moments, I believe it would be selfishness though, it would simply be the absence of living to glorify God.
Impacting the World: Additional Information
I forgot to add that the Bethshean Mexico Mission has a current running website that has information about all their work, including the medical missions.
Here is the link for the the hospital/clinic project:
http://www.bethsheanmexicomission.org/index_files/Page540.htm
Here is the link for the the hospital/clinic project:
http://www.bethsheanmexicomission.org/index_files/Page540.htm
Impacting the World
I have formalized my impacting the world project since I last blogged about it.
Project Running Title: Fundraising Effort for Bethshean Mexico Mission Clinic/Hospital
Official Dates: Spring Semester (January-May)
Purpose: To raise money in helping to build clinic/hospital in rural Mexico.
Why: Because there is a great need for medical care in this rural area, with people having to travel several hours to go to the nearest hospitals.
Who: The main project is that of Bethshean Mexico Mission, under Cris Garcia. A local doctor, Freddy Martin is also very involved in medical missions in the area and being outspoken about the importance of building this facility. FAME has partnered with Bethshean Mexico Mission, promising $50,000 of the needed $250,000.
For my fundraising project, Katie Coppinger and Alissa Rockney will be working together. We are partnering with the Christian Student Fellowship, who has been to work with Cris Garcia in this area of Mexico multiple times in the past few years.
How: We will be setting up a booth in the culp center at least once where people can purchase "bundles of bricks" for $5 of donate money.
The second possibility is speaking to the clubs associated with the medical field.
A third possibility is to speak at a colloquium, or host a fundraising gig in the Great Room.
The fourth and most promising possibility is going around and speaking to each of the ministries on campus about the hospital and its need.
We will most likely show the video that Freddy Martin has made for the project because it shows people receiving medical care as well as specific blueprints of the hospital. It would even be ideal to get Freddy to speak at our main fundraising event.
Project Running Title: Fundraising Effort for Bethshean Mexico Mission Clinic/Hospital
Official Dates: Spring Semester (January-May)
Purpose: To raise money in helping to build clinic/hospital in rural Mexico.
Why: Because there is a great need for medical care in this rural area, with people having to travel several hours to go to the nearest hospitals.
Who: The main project is that of Bethshean Mexico Mission, under Cris Garcia. A local doctor, Freddy Martin is also very involved in medical missions in the area and being outspoken about the importance of building this facility. FAME has partnered with Bethshean Mexico Mission, promising $50,000 of the needed $250,000.
For my fundraising project, Katie Coppinger and Alissa Rockney will be working together. We are partnering with the Christian Student Fellowship, who has been to work with Cris Garcia in this area of Mexico multiple times in the past few years.
How: We will be setting up a booth in the culp center at least once where people can purchase "bundles of bricks" for $5 of donate money.
The second possibility is speaking to the clubs associated with the medical field.
A third possibility is to speak at a colloquium, or host a fundraising gig in the Great Room.
The fourth and most promising possibility is going around and speaking to each of the ministries on campus about the hospital and its need.
We will most likely show the video that Freddy Martin has made for the project because it shows people receiving medical care as well as specific blueprints of the hospital. It would even be ideal to get Freddy to speak at our main fundraising event.
12.02.2007
The" Who am I?" question
Earlier in the semester, I wrote about "who I am." I know I probably shouldn't have started answering that question from my current perspective, but I guess I will just work backwards through my life in looking at who I was, and how those versions of me are similar, different, or alien-like to the current me.
Since I already talked about my current definition of who am I, I will reverse until entering college 2.5 years ago.
I am a startlingly different person at this time in my life. I am scared to death, with a side of excitement, regarding the big world that stands before me waiting to be experienced. I'm deathly afraid of going away to college, but I know that if I don't I will never become the person I really wish to become. I've never stepped too far outside my comfort zone when it comes to anything in life. When I look back on this person I was just 2.5 years ago, I thank God that He gave me the courage to go away and learn how to live my life to its fullest. And maybe studying in my dorm, with only emerging for Bible study and food, now seems like such a tragic first year of college. But it was that first year that I learned how I wanted to spend my time. I realized that enjoying things outside of academia and actually building more concrete relationships would be something I would earnestly seek in the future. Over the past year, I did just that. As bad as it may sound that I didn't always make school my number one priority (and my grades even showed it with A-'s that could have been A's if I had just stayed home that night), I feel it has been worth it. So it isn't that I like the me of 2.5 years ago, I revel in the fact that who I was 2.5 years ago brought me to ETSU and enabled concrete relationships that God had in store for me.
Hmm, next we should go back to the "me" of my high school days. What can I say about the me of high school. Several events that defined who am I occurred during high school. I was an overachiever who just had to have the highest GPA, but only because I never thought I would make it that high. I had always believed I was average until high school. I will never forget how much I actually loved to go to class and learn. I wish I still had that great of a passion for putting everything into learning. Although I still have that passion, I don't think it will ever be as great as it was then. Well maybe it really wasn't a passion for learning then, it was more of a great desire to impress people disguised as a love of learning. Now I honestly don't care so much about impressing others as I have learned that if I don't strive for excellence for personal reasons, it isn't worth achieving. Some of my best and worst memories come from my experiences with colorguard/winterguard in high school. The work ethic I learned from practicing over and over again because I was never a natural is something I brought away from the experience. I absolutely loved performing, becoming somebody else out on the field/floor. If I could go back to any me for a moment, I would go back to this me and perform once more. I guess all good things must come to an end eventually, or at least God had bigger plans. The hardest lesson of my life was also learned through my experience with colorguard. I respected an instructor, saw him as an older brother, even idolized him to an extent. It came crashing down, and I realized that I could put no faith in man because he would always disappoint me. Every since that day I have strove to always put my faith in the Lord and look to no human as "perfect." Even though I was not directly affected by what happened, the indirect affects truly changed me forever. [I do apologize for the vagueness here, but the details are better left unsaid].
I really don't know any "me" that is worth discussing through middle school, or even primary school. When I look back at who I was then, what I remember is what I learned from my favorite teachers. Mrs. Nunley was my first teacher that was forthcoming about being a Christian within students; I still remember her inspiring me by praying every morning during our moment of silence. Mr. Reynolds taught me that you really could have a blast while learning. Mrs. Rigg taught me to love writing with a passion. Ms. Kilgore gave me the desire to go out and see the world. As little as the things these teachers once portrayed to me, as purposeful or insignificant as they saw them, they did affect the person that I now am.
The last "me" I will look back on with be a carefree 5 year old. The summer before I started Kindergarten, I remember swinging on the swing set all the time. I would look at the creek flowing in front of me, as the shadows of the holly tree danced on the ripples. I remember looking up to the clouds and not wanting to ever grow up. I thought the world was going to be such a scary place full of bad things that I never wanted to experience. I just wanted to stay on that swing set forever. So I used to think I was a wise kid, being that I already understood like wasn't going to be perfect and all fun growing up. Just in the past few years have I come to hate that 5 year old me. What was I thinking? Why on earth would I want to miss out on living my life?!?!
Well that is a brief glimpse back to who I was, why I was who I was, and how I changed through the past 21 years to become who I am today.
Since I already talked about my current definition of who am I, I will reverse until entering college 2.5 years ago.
I am a startlingly different person at this time in my life. I am scared to death, with a side of excitement, regarding the big world that stands before me waiting to be experienced. I'm deathly afraid of going away to college, but I know that if I don't I will never become the person I really wish to become. I've never stepped too far outside my comfort zone when it comes to anything in life. When I look back on this person I was just 2.5 years ago, I thank God that He gave me the courage to go away and learn how to live my life to its fullest. And maybe studying in my dorm, with only emerging for Bible study and food, now seems like such a tragic first year of college. But it was that first year that I learned how I wanted to spend my time. I realized that enjoying things outside of academia and actually building more concrete relationships would be something I would earnestly seek in the future. Over the past year, I did just that. As bad as it may sound that I didn't always make school my number one priority (and my grades even showed it with A-'s that could have been A's if I had just stayed home that night), I feel it has been worth it. So it isn't that I like the me of 2.5 years ago, I revel in the fact that who I was 2.5 years ago brought me to ETSU and enabled concrete relationships that God had in store for me.
Hmm, next we should go back to the "me" of my high school days. What can I say about the me of high school. Several events that defined who am I occurred during high school. I was an overachiever who just had to have the highest GPA, but only because I never thought I would make it that high. I had always believed I was average until high school. I will never forget how much I actually loved to go to class and learn. I wish I still had that great of a passion for putting everything into learning. Although I still have that passion, I don't think it will ever be as great as it was then. Well maybe it really wasn't a passion for learning then, it was more of a great desire to impress people disguised as a love of learning. Now I honestly don't care so much about impressing others as I have learned that if I don't strive for excellence for personal reasons, it isn't worth achieving. Some of my best and worst memories come from my experiences with colorguard/winterguard in high school. The work ethic I learned from practicing over and over again because I was never a natural is something I brought away from the experience. I absolutely loved performing, becoming somebody else out on the field/floor. If I could go back to any me for a moment, I would go back to this me and perform once more. I guess all good things must come to an end eventually, or at least God had bigger plans. The hardest lesson of my life was also learned through my experience with colorguard. I respected an instructor, saw him as an older brother, even idolized him to an extent. It came crashing down, and I realized that I could put no faith in man because he would always disappoint me. Every since that day I have strove to always put my faith in the Lord and look to no human as "perfect." Even though I was not directly affected by what happened, the indirect affects truly changed me forever. [I do apologize for the vagueness here, but the details are better left unsaid].
I really don't know any "me" that is worth discussing through middle school, or even primary school. When I look back at who I was then, what I remember is what I learned from my favorite teachers. Mrs. Nunley was my first teacher that was forthcoming about being a Christian within students; I still remember her inspiring me by praying every morning during our moment of silence. Mr. Reynolds taught me that you really could have a blast while learning. Mrs. Rigg taught me to love writing with a passion. Ms. Kilgore gave me the desire to go out and see the world. As little as the things these teachers once portrayed to me, as purposeful or insignificant as they saw them, they did affect the person that I now am.
The last "me" I will look back on with be a carefree 5 year old. The summer before I started Kindergarten, I remember swinging on the swing set all the time. I would look at the creek flowing in front of me, as the shadows of the holly tree danced on the ripples. I remember looking up to the clouds and not wanting to ever grow up. I thought the world was going to be such a scary place full of bad things that I never wanted to experience. I just wanted to stay on that swing set forever. So I used to think I was a wise kid, being that I already understood like wasn't going to be perfect and all fun growing up. Just in the past few years have I come to hate that 5 year old me. What was I thinking? Why on earth would I want to miss out on living my life?!?!
Well that is a brief glimpse back to who I was, why I was who I was, and how I changed through the past 21 years to become who I am today.
10.24.2007
10.07.2007
9.24.2007
Revolution
So you say you want a revolution?
Now is the time to go out in the world and live like it.
Everything we do either helps or hinders the impact the Good News has on the world.
So you say you want a revolution...live like it!
You say you want a revolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know you can count me out
Don't you know it's gonna be alright
Alright Alright
You say you got a real solution
Well you know
We'd all love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution
Well you know
We're all doing what we can
But if you want money for people with minds that hate
All I can tell you is brother you have to wait
Don't you know it's gonna be alright
Alright Alright Alright
You say you'll change the constitution
Well you know
We all want to change your head
You tell me it's the institution
Well you know
You better free your mind instead
But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao
You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow
Don't you know know it's gonna be Alright
Alright Alright
~The Beatles
Now is the time to go out in the world and live like it.
Everything we do either helps or hinders the impact the Good News has on the world.
So you say you want a revolution...live like it!
You say you want a revolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know you can count me out
Don't you know it's gonna be alright
Alright Alright
You say you got a real solution
Well you know
We'd all love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution
Well you know
We're all doing what we can
But if you want money for people with minds that hate
All I can tell you is brother you have to wait
Don't you know it's gonna be alright
Alright Alright Alright
You say you'll change the constitution
Well you know
We all want to change your head
You tell me it's the institution
Well you know
You better free your mind instead
But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao
You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow
Don't you know know it's gonna be Alright
Alright Alright
~The Beatles
9.23.2007
College is all about "finding yourself," right? Trying new things and seeing what helps to define your identity in this world.
I've have had my identity set for quite some time, but I'm continually verifying it. I find my identity in Jesus Christ. No matter how much I look to worldly things I keep going back to my love for Jesus to be the only defining thing about me. I hope and pray that shines through to some extent. I hope people do not see me as a lover of science, a lover of cooking, a lover of music, a lover of friends but that people can look at me and see I am a lover of Christ. I'm going to work on turning this love into a more public declaration. Its a relationship that helps me get through the day, to wake up and start anew even if i don't feel like it. I was made by my God to love others and to love Him. To worship and adore a risen King that knows me more than anyone on this earth will ever begin to.
The infamous question of "who am i" was answered before I was ever created, I'm just glad I've already found that answer. Who am I? A child of God, who was created to love and adore a holy God with fierce passion.
9.20.2007
Thinking of A Project
So I have been thinking about the impacting the world project. I have an idea but I don't know if it is entirely plausible. This past summer I went to Mexico on a missions trip. The people in charge of the Bethshean Mission have set up and run a nursing home very successfully for several years. This is a very rural part of Mexico, with people in these tiny towns having to travel at least 2 hours on bad roads to get the least of medical care, with 6 hours to make it to a decent hospital. Every year or so doctors, dentists, and their teams go down to this rural part of Mexico to treat people for a few weeks. They are trying to raise funds to build an actual hospital where visiting physicians can treat patients with better care and facilities. I would like to make my project a fundraising project for this hospital. I do not really know how I will go about this yet, but I think it is an amazing cause.
Until other ideas come along...
9.12.2007
Life gave me lemonade
I love to be optimistic about things, but I feel the world doesn't want us to be that way.
So I struggle with this joy I have and how to expose it upon a world that couldn't care less.
So what if I smile at the kids playing in the park, so what if my heart melts when an old couple is walking hand in hand. I love happy things. I love to be happy. Life was made to be lived with joy.
However, happiness is a fleeting emotion that can be tossed about by the waves in our lives. True joy comes from deep within. I find my joy in personally experiencing God in my life.
This song just makes me feel like its okay to be joyful about life, because, in reality, our lives are pretty amazing. I cannot say that life has ever truly given me lemons; God has always blessed my life with lemonade.
With no further ado, the lyrics to lemonade by chris rice:
So go ahead and ask her For happy ever after 'Cause nobody knows what's coming So why not take a chance on loving Come on, pour the glass and tempt me Either half-full or half-empty 'Cause if it all comes down to flavor The glass is tipping in my favor Life gave me lemonade and I can't imagine why Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky I live life without pretending I?m a sucker for happy endings Thanks for the lemonade Thanks for the lemonade! Now take your time to answer me For the beauty of romancing Is to calm your trembling hand with mine While begging love to fill your eyes I can hardly breathe while waiting To find out what your heart is saying And as we're swirling in this flavor The world is tilting in our favor Life gave me lemonade and I can't imagine why Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky I live life without pretending I'm a sucker for happy endings Thanks for the lemonade Thanks for the lemonade! I've got it made Rest in the shade And hold my love While God above Stirs with a spoon We share the moon Smile at the bees More sugar please He really loves us after all We're gonna need another straw! We're gonna need another straw! Life gave me lemonade and I can't imagine why Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky I live life without pretending I'm a sucker for happy endings Thanks for the lemonade Thanks for the lemonade!
3.11.2007
Blessed!
So I'm going on a mission trip with the Christian Student Fellowship here at school and I've been all stressed out about how I'm gonna raise all the money and everything. But ya know what? God is awesome and He took care of it....ALL! My church is giving me 2/3 of the money, while the ladies group at church is paying for the rest. And my youth group is doing a fundraiser for me to pay for my passport and have some spending money. Gosh I love them!
Now pray really hard my passport gets back in enough time!
Now pray really hard my passport gets back in enough time!
2.09.2007
Go and Be
Just to let everyone know, the blog address is "goandbe" because it is the title of a song that is important to me.
Go and Be is a song by Audio Adrenaline
and in a way its a lifesong of sorts for me
Here are the lyrics:
Go and Be is a song by Audio Adrenaline
and in a way its a lifesong of sorts for me
Here are the lyrics:
you're like a letter that's never mailed
you're like a hammer without a nail
you've been standing in this place for far too long
you come to the table and you get fed
then you hide it inside your head
so why not open up and start to run
(chorus)
go and be
nothing less than you
'cause you begin in Him
He'll show you what you need to know
to go and be
every single day
go and be
you're like a winner without a prize
like a bird without a sky
you're not into the race until you run
so run with your life and you will find
all the things that you leave behind
don't mean that much when everything's brand new
go and be
nothing less than you
cause you begin in Him
He'll show you what you need to know
to go and be
every single day
who you are in Him
go and be
will you be the one
to come and see
will you be the one
to go and be
go and be
nothing less than you
cause you begin in Him
He'll show you what you need to know
to go and be
every single day
who you are in Him
one who loves as Jesus loves
now go and be
nothing less than you
go and be
nothing less than true
would you come and see
all there is to be
come and see
go and be
(I will go... I'm goin' now... I'll be goin' now...)
Little life, big world
Life is short.
It took a song by Ginny Owens the other day, along with some other events in my life to realize that we need to live in the moment as much as possible, that we need to take chances and make our dreams come true.
So in other words I turned my deposit in to study abroad in Scotland for 5 weeks this summer. I'm thrilled that I am taking advantage of this opportunity, and I can't wait until July gets here.
"you only live once, so don't think twice"- Ginny Owens
It took a song by Ginny Owens the other day, along with some other events in my life to realize that we need to live in the moment as much as possible, that we need to take chances and make our dreams come true.
So in other words I turned my deposit in to study abroad in Scotland for 5 weeks this summer. I'm thrilled that I am taking advantage of this opportunity, and I can't wait until July gets here.
"you only live once, so don't think twice"- Ginny Owens
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)