So this Thanksgiving is shaping up to be very different than last year's. This time last year, I was at my apartment in Florence by myself, getting ready to turn a story on Thanksgiving, while my family was all together elsewhere. I actually didn't mind working that day, I got to do a 'feel good' story about helping the hungry on Thanksgiving. But, last year, having to work all the holidays, I realized one thing: being with my family is the most important thing to me. I love it. I mean, I eat it up! How could I not? Have you met these people?
There's my Dad. He can wake up on the wrong side of the bed sometimes and he can be quite harsh. But, he works so hard all the time to provide for his family. He can't stand it when we're sick or in pain, and he loves to help us with anything.
There's Momma. If you've met her, you know why I love her. She's selfless. She's a role model.
There's my big sis. Not only is she beautiful, but she's intelligent and funny. And she roots for the underdog (big plus if you ask me), she's compassionate, persistent. God has given us a special bond that I'm so grateful for.
Oh, lordy. My extended family. I've often thought God must've favored me a little, because why else would he surround me with the most wonderful people on planet earth? Seriously! He gave me Robyn. She's more than a best friend, she's a sister. He gave me my crazy, smart, lovable, beautiful, fun cousins in Alabama! He surrounded me with the good-hearted, good-looking, Christian role models, loyal, fight-for-you, always-be-there-if-you-need-them Zorns and Renews in South Carolina. Whew! See what I mean? I think God kinda likes me...a lot.
So, as I sit here in Canada, thinking about how much has changed since this tine last year, I realize this holiday is about more than tryptophan, expanding tummies, and turkey. It's about enjoying time together and giving THANKS to The one who deserves it more than one day a year.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
What Goes Around Comes Around...Or Does it?
I'm listening to one of my current fav songs: Josh Hoge, 360. My bff Tori took me to see him when he was in Columbia a while back, and I fell in love with this song. He sings about being hurt by a girl but says that he's not worried about it because 'what goes around, comes around.' Karma. Such a popular word right now. It's something I never thought about until recently, but with so many people claiming karma all the time, I asked myself if it's something I believe in.
Nope. I kinda wish I did. It'd be nice to believe that when someone does you wrong, good ole karma would come around and whop em for you.
I do believe you reap what you sow. Sometimes that can look like karma. You make a foolish decision, you suffer consequences. You do something good, you feel great about it, or someone repays the favor. I know though, that Satan twists the truths of biblical principles just enough so that they're still believable, but still dangerous to those who live by them. I think this is the case with karma...may not be obviously 'dangerous,' but it is if it makes you forget about grace and mercy.
These are the two glorious reasons I don't believe in karma. Because THANK GOD we don't all get what we deserve, every time we deserve it! God grants us mercy, and with-holds some of the terrible consequences of things we get ourselves into. He mercifully let His only son die for the things that we would do wrong, so that He could forgive us.
And grace! It blows my mind that even when we are faithless to Him, he remains faithful. He shows us kindness and compassion when time and time again we turn from Him, ignore Him, disobey Him. Sometimes we get what we deserve, but very often, God gives us great things we will never deserve.
So Josh Hoge and I may not see eye to eye on the whole karma thing...but the boy sure can sing! Oh, and while we're on the topic of some great songs, ya'll listen to 'My Happiness,' by PowderFinger. It's an awesome song by an Australian band.
Nope. I kinda wish I did. It'd be nice to believe that when someone does you wrong, good ole karma would come around and whop em for you.
I do believe you reap what you sow. Sometimes that can look like karma. You make a foolish decision, you suffer consequences. You do something good, you feel great about it, or someone repays the favor. I know though, that Satan twists the truths of biblical principles just enough so that they're still believable, but still dangerous to those who live by them. I think this is the case with karma...may not be obviously 'dangerous,' but it is if it makes you forget about grace and mercy.
These are the two glorious reasons I don't believe in karma. Because THANK GOD we don't all get what we deserve, every time we deserve it! God grants us mercy, and with-holds some of the terrible consequences of things we get ourselves into. He mercifully let His only son die for the things that we would do wrong, so that He could forgive us.
And grace! It blows my mind that even when we are faithless to Him, he remains faithful. He shows us kindness and compassion when time and time again we turn from Him, ignore Him, disobey Him. Sometimes we get what we deserve, but very often, God gives us great things we will never deserve.
So Josh Hoge and I may not see eye to eye on the whole karma thing...but the boy sure can sing! Oh, and while we're on the topic of some great songs, ya'll listen to 'My Happiness,' by PowderFinger. It's an awesome song by an Australian band.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Stayin Up Late...11pm?
Seriously? I'm only 25 folks. I'm still a spring chicken, right? Could someone please inform my internal clock of this before it's too late and I have no social life? It's 11:15pm on a SATURDAY night and this gal is ready for bed! And actually very glad not to be at a college football game in the cold. (I mean, I lived for that stuff EVERY Saturday in college!)
To my defense, I did get up at 5:30 for our yard sale this morning, but now my lil man and I are cuddled up, ready to sleep. And my brain just knows when it's 10pm, it's bedtime!
I've never been a morning person. Maybe you don't understand the extent of this statement. I repeat: I'VE NEVER BEEN A MORNING PERSON. Ask any of my dear friends, who amazingly still love me after they've been squeaked at, ignored, or even shot laser-death looks when they've tried to talk to me before 8am. Something in my brain just doesn't crawl out of bed until about an hour after my body has gotten the memo.
Sooo, I've always assumed I'm a night person. Right? You go to bed late, sleep late. Wrong.
It all started when I was offered the job of hosting the radio show...from SIX AM TO 9AM EVERY MORNING. My parents, friends, everyone asked the same questions: 'ummm...do you have to actually talk on this show?' or 'did you tell em about your squeaky morning noises?' and even, 'ooh, we're going to call in and get you all riled up so we can hear the non-morning person wrath!'
I did it though. I managed to sound cheery (okay, coherent) every morning on-air (though some unfortunate passers by of the station window still may have gotten the laser-death stares). But, that meant my bed-time was 8:30!!! 8:30pm!
And now that I'm not getting up at 6am, my body still wants to be in bed by 9pm. Thus the transformation from night owl to...well...
Apparently, I'm neither and just like my sleep. :) It's 11:30pm now, and I think we've established that that is officially 'late.' Night night.
To my defense, I did get up at 5:30 for our yard sale this morning, but now my lil man and I are cuddled up, ready to sleep. And my brain just knows when it's 10pm, it's bedtime!
I've never been a morning person. Maybe you don't understand the extent of this statement. I repeat: I'VE NEVER BEEN A MORNING PERSON. Ask any of my dear friends, who amazingly still love me after they've been squeaked at, ignored, or even shot laser-death looks when they've tried to talk to me before 8am. Something in my brain just doesn't crawl out of bed until about an hour after my body has gotten the memo.
Sooo, I've always assumed I'm a night person. Right? You go to bed late, sleep late. Wrong.
It all started when I was offered the job of hosting the radio show...from SIX AM TO 9AM EVERY MORNING. My parents, friends, everyone asked the same questions: 'ummm...do you have to actually talk on this show?' or 'did you tell em about your squeaky morning noises?' and even, 'ooh, we're going to call in and get you all riled up so we can hear the non-morning person wrath!'
I did it though. I managed to sound cheery (okay, coherent) every morning on-air (though some unfortunate passers by of the station window still may have gotten the laser-death stares). But, that meant my bed-time was 8:30!!! 8:30pm!
And now that I'm not getting up at 6am, my body still wants to be in bed by 9pm. Thus the transformation from night owl to...well...
Apparently, I'm neither and just like my sleep. :) It's 11:30pm now, and I think we've established that that is officially 'late.' Night night.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Southern Stupidity Solved
Do you ever do what you don't want to do? I know, I know, it sounds dumb. Umm, no, Lindsay, if I don't want to do it, then why would I? But, I don't think I'm the only one who struggles with this.
Usually it's doing something that we know isn't good for us in the long run, but would feel good in the moment. Or maybe it doesn't even make you feel that great, but it momentarily quenches your thirst for something bigger. Or it takes your mind off of something else. There are so many ways this applies. The obvious is food or smoking or alcohol. Now, sometimes, we overeat because Granny just made her (in)famous chocolate layer cake and it's soooo good we just can't stop at four pieces. But, usually, I think it boils down to something inside.
I've seen so many girls who long for that knight in shining armor to come and love them. They want that good guy, the smart one, the honorable one, the loyal one. But, until they find him, they try to satisfy themselves with bedding Mr. Right Now. (Sugarland, anyone?) It's not all that hard to understand, really. Women need to be validated, to feel like someone needs/wants them.
But, it usually doesn't take very long to realize that Mr. Right Now, or all that food or booze, didn't quench anything at all. It just made the thirst for something real even stronger.
When we think of Paul, who wrote Corinthians and Romans, we think of a man of God, right? I know I do. But he struggled with this very same thing:
Romans 7:15 says, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do." I mean, can I getta Amen?! So even if ya'll are perfect, Paul knows what I'm talking about!
Annd...the Bible doesn't leave us without the answer. What do you think about memorizing this verse with me, carrying it around in your mind and heart and throwing it out there when you're about to do something you don't want to do?? Here we go:
Romans 7:21 "So I find this law at work: When I want to do something good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the laws of my mind and making me a prisoner of the laws of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord!
I'm going to tattoo this verse on my brain, so I can say it - even shout it if I need to - the next time I go to do something I don't want to. No matter how many times I fail Him, He will not fail me (or you)!
Usually it's doing something that we know isn't good for us in the long run, but would feel good in the moment. Or maybe it doesn't even make you feel that great, but it momentarily quenches your thirst for something bigger. Or it takes your mind off of something else. There are so many ways this applies. The obvious is food or smoking or alcohol. Now, sometimes, we overeat because Granny just made her (in)famous chocolate layer cake and it's soooo good we just can't stop at four pieces. But, usually, I think it boils down to something inside.
I've seen so many girls who long for that knight in shining armor to come and love them. They want that good guy, the smart one, the honorable one, the loyal one. But, until they find him, they try to satisfy themselves with bedding Mr. Right Now. (Sugarland, anyone?) It's not all that hard to understand, really. Women need to be validated, to feel like someone needs/wants them.
But, it usually doesn't take very long to realize that Mr. Right Now, or all that food or booze, didn't quench anything at all. It just made the thirst for something real even stronger.
When we think of Paul, who wrote Corinthians and Romans, we think of a man of God, right? I know I do. But he struggled with this very same thing:
Romans 7:15 says, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do." I mean, can I getta Amen?! So even if ya'll are perfect, Paul knows what I'm talking about!
Annd...the Bible doesn't leave us without the answer. What do you think about memorizing this verse with me, carrying it around in your mind and heart and throwing it out there when you're about to do something you don't want to do?? Here we go:
Romans 7:21 "So I find this law at work: When I want to do something good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the laws of my mind and making me a prisoner of the laws of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord!
I'm going to tattoo this verse on my brain, so I can say it - even shout it if I need to - the next time I go to do something I don't want to. No matter how many times I fail Him, He will not fail me (or you)!
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