Bows head in shame
I know its approaching a month since my last post... (see Robbie's comment)but, I've been extremely busy the last few weeks here at GE trying to get everything in before I head home.

I do miss Virginia, Virginia Tech, my family and friends back at home... but I've really grown to like it up here... you know... no homework, getting a paycheck, hanging out with my friends from up here... And now its my last week here and I'm wishing I didn't have to go home yet.

Anyway, maybe eventually I'll get back into posting... though I'm trying to work on myself a lot and that takes time... I've started working out and being a LOT more active. I'm hoping to keep that up once I get back to Virginia. I also want to work on my college scrapbook some this summer (I have to catch up... my mom and dad got me this nice book in VT colors for me to keep a scrapbook for my college years and now I'm 2 years behind!)...

In other news, I'll be a rank captain for the MV Horns this year in band... this is surely going to be the best year yet, as VT's joining the ACC and we have 3 definite road trips on tap -- Aug. 28: vs. USC at FedEx Field, NCState and Wake Forest. Plus an immenent bowl trip (crossing fingers... knocking on wood). And being rank captain now adds to the excitement...

Now I have even more reason to keep up with my 'points to work on' (see March 21st entry) so I can be a good rank captain and a good role model for those who I will be put 'in charge of'.

Anyway, seeing as I'm still at work, I better get back to the grind... I'll be back sometime in the future... hopefully not so distant! :) Of course you can kinda see what I've been up to at www.geocities.com/mittensatvt.

Addition to Super Crazy Stefie Thinking Time
Inspired by my friend Eileen, I finally added commenting and trackback capability. So now if you have something to say in response to my posts, feel free. awesome!

Update
I was going to post an update to yesterday's entry, but once I finished writing it I realized that it wasn't really all that thought provoking and I remembered that half of yesterday's entry wasn't either.... I'm attempting to not venture too far off the path I set for this blog... I don't want it to turn into the same sort of "write-about-every-detail-of-your-life" blog so that everyone in the world can read about it kind of thing. So, please don't think that yesterday's entry was typical. If you do wish to read my update to yesterday's rants I'll share it with you if you ask (Oh how I wish this had voting buttons like Outlook at work).

Note bene: I have made progres on the 'things I need to work on' enumerated on March 21st here in this blog, especially item 2 and somewhat on 1 and 3.

Happy Easter!
Hello all you out there in the e-world! It's been a while since I've made a real post... I mean, not to discredit the ones I've been posting about the "40 Days of Purpose" study I've been doing, but those weren't the normal life-inspired entries that I usually write. I don't know that anyone actually still reads this considering how irregular my entries are, but whether or not someone stumbles upon my writings, I've found that its best for me to write it anyway....

Hey... its my 20th Easter! And my 2nd year in a row, I've been away from home during Easter. Its kinda weird not to be around family or even good Christian friends over the Easter holiday... for some reason its just not the same. Last year, I went to northern Virginia with my lovely roommate Lindsay, but she's not quite the chruch-goer and so I didn't attend either (although, I can't say that I was much of a church-goer last spring either). But I still felt an emptiness for not spending this holiday with my family (biological or spiritual). This year, I am in Cincinnati, Ohio and since it was a long weekend, having Good Friday off from work and all, a good number of co-ops went camping in southern Kentucky... basically everyone else went to be with family... which left me and my roommate Trisha to hang out in Cincinnati by ourselves... Trisha is an AWESOME roommate! I'm so glad I've met her and I'll probably hang out with her a lot when she gets back to Tech next year. BUT, she's not a morning person like me and also isn't much of a church-goer... so I went to church on my own this morning... then spent most of the rest of the day on my own as well, including going to see the Passion again.

I definitely feel like I did more to focus on the spiritual aspects of Easter this year than last, but there's still that whole aspect of 'family' missing. I don't get homesick very easily... but I hope that next Easter I can spend it with my family. I miss getting to see my church's Easter pageant and my brother playing his Trumpet for Easter sunday worship services.

Anyway, I'm going to move on away from the Easter talk to other rants. This entry is beginning to sound depressing.... but PLEASE don't let that lead you to believe that I am depressed, because I am most DEFINITELY FARRRRRRRRR from being depressed or sad... I'm one of the happiest people I know. But a girl's got to have her moments, eh? Besides I've had a lot of time alone to think this weekend.

I miss being at Tech to do stuff like go to symphony band and pep band and to hang out with my friends... Heck, I miss Dietrick too! However, being here in Cincy has actually grown on me a LOT more than I had ever expected it to. I really like coming home from work and not having to think about it again until the next day. I like that I'm responsible for me... I can stay up late but I have to make sure that I get sufficient sleep to be a good little GE worker the next day. I really like a lot of the co-ops... some get on my nerves for being so wrapped up in drinking all the time, but other than that they're good people and fun to hang out with regardless. However, I miss not having someone I'm really close to. It seems like most everyone here has one other person they've latched onto and are close to, but I'm kinda an outsider... I'm friends with everyone, just don't have my one person to latch onto.... I miss having deep, REAL conversations, not just small talk... "so did you have a nice day?"

A lot of these things I miss aren't just cause I'm out here in Cincy... I've noticed that I was lacking these more recently back at Tech at well... I really do miss having deep, thoughtful conversations... partially my fault because I've not put the effort keeping myself informed. I miss having someone I'm really close to. For example, two of my closest friends from freshman year seemed more distant this fall... one because he found a 'romantic interest' and the other I'm not quite sure why... but they were more distant... maybe I was too, I'm not sure. But I miss having those close friends that I feel comfortable talking to about just about anything. I'm tired of being the cute little sister all the time... I've spent my whole life being that... I mean, there's nothing wrong with being just good friends with all these guys, but I've kinda reached the point where I want to try out this whole 'dating' thing.... I don't feel in a rush to get married by any means... that's just weird. I know that a lot of my friends are getting married/engaged... but, I dunno... maybe I've been to 'prude' (as Jay puts it) my whole life and I've shut myself out from having these opportunities... but I doubt it. I'm not ugly, but I'm not "HOT" either. I'm aware of that, but I am me and no one else is ever going to be that... I mean its not like I think I need some guy to date in order to have my life fulfilled, but I think that it would be something I should try out. That's the point of dating right... to kinda 'test drive' guys to find the right one to spend your life with. Maybe they're not the "perfect guy" and maybe they're not exactly the type of person you were looking to date, but you never know what might surprise you if you just give it a try.

Anyway, I don't know where I'm going with all of this... nowhere really... just ramblings I suppose. I guess I better call it a night and be responsible for myself so I won't just be a potato in front of a computer tomorrow! :) Happy Easter ya'll!

March of Dimes

Support me in the March of Dimes! I'm walking on Sunday, April 25th in Cincinnati, OH!

Click here to Support the March of Dimes and Sponsor Me!

Things I need to work on
There are some things in my life that I've been 'slacking' on and want to fix... so here they are.
* watch what I say - being around the people I'm around, I've noticed I've picked up some habits that aren't exactly pleasing to God... a lot of people gossip and I've noticed myself joining in on this here occasionally... also, language is something I've never struggled with.. still don't, but I have noticed that slips of the toungue have crept up occasionally up here in Cincy
* Don't join in on conversations about stuff that isn't pleasing to God - I shouldn't be involved in these conversations about drinking and sex... I don't do that stuff... and my participation in these conversations gives me an image of knowing what I'm talking about... projecting that image of sin onto myself... hindering my ability to be a soldier for Christ.
* I don't need to have something to relate to in every conversation - though I might make a connection to something I hear being said in a group situation, I don't need to tell everyone about every little detail of my past... its just craving attention, and sometimes its better to step back and just listen to people.

Update on Purpose: Sanctification
While I haven't written about it in a few weeks, I have been keeping up with the Purpose Driven Life study I've been doing. I've just been busy going here and there and haven't been able to update this page in the meantime. I'm on day 29 today and have gone through the first three purposes... worship, fellowship, and sanctification. This week I'll be on the 4th purpose: servanthood.

There were some things I read this week about sanctification that stood out to me. So as usual, I will discuss those here. This is going to be a long one, so be prepared for a read!

Sanctification is kinda a 'churchy' word... I don't know that I'd just be like, "Hey, I really need to work on my sanctification." I mean what exactly does that mean? According to the book, sanctification is the process of changing us to be more like Jesus. This cannot be done without the power of God... most of the time the Holy Spirit's power is released into your life in quiet, unassuming ways that you aren't even aware of or can't feel... as a gentle whisper. God waits for us to act first... we should move ahead in our weakness, doing the right thing despite our fears and feelings. Because Christ inhabits us once we become Christians, we have the inherent ability to be Christlike and do the right thing... we just have to choose to 'tap into' that part of ourselves.

We have three main responsibilities in becoming like Christ. First we have to let go of our old ways of behaving. Secondly, we have to change the way we think. And third, we must develop new, godly habits to take the place of the old habits we give up... All of these responsibilities are rather interconnected and kinda fall into place once you really work at it.

God uses his Word, people, and circumstances to mold us. The Bible, God's word, provides the truth we need to grow; God's people provide the support we need to grow; and circumstances provide the environment we need to practice Christlikeness. You can't grow very much if all you rely on is Bible study and prayer. Many issues in life will NEVER be changed by solely Bible study or prayer. God uses his people immensely to mold the lives of others and you can't grow in Christlikeness if you live in isolation from other believers. True spiritual maturity is all about learning to love like Jesus, and you can't practice being like Jesus without being in relationships with other people and learning to LOVE them.

Becoming like Christ isn't something that is just going to happen overnight. Its a long, slow process and this spiritual transformation will take the rest of your life. It won't even be completed here on earth... only when you get to heaven or when Jesus returns.

God is far more interested in building your character than he is anything else... sometimes we worry when God is silent on specific issues, careers for example. The book says that in all actuality, there could be many different careers that could be in God's will for your life. What God cares about most is that whatever you do, you do in a Christlike manner. I totally agree with the second part of Rick Warren's view here... However, I'm not sure that I completely agree with the first part. While I agree that during the course of our entire lives there could be multiple career paths God intends for us to take, I think that God has a specific plan for our life at all points in our lives. This matter is complicated because God has also given us free will, so we can choose not to take this path.. but then that is disobeying God. However, when it comes to chosing careers, its not something that is easily changed, so God still has the ability to work through us. But this is still all fuzzy.

Spritual growth isn't automatic. It takes an intentional commitment... we have to WANT to grow, make the DECISION to grow, make an EFFORT to grow, and PERSIST in this decision to grow. God calls us and we have to respond to his call in order to grow. Your commitments can develop you or they can destroy you, but either way they define you. This is where many people stumble... people have a hard time making commitments and sticking to them. So many of us over-commit ourselves and then we can't really give our all in any of them.. so rather getting much of anything out of any of these things we've committed to, we waste so much time.

Christlikeness is a two-part process... it involves us making Christlike choices and relying on his Spirit to help us filfill those choices.

In order to change your life, you have to change the way you think... because behind everything you do is a thought and every behavior is motivated by a belief, every action prompted by an attitude. Willpower may produce a short-term change, but it creates constant internal stress because you never dealt with the root cause. Paul said, "There must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes." (Ephesians 4:23). To be like Christ, you have to think like Christ. This is repentance... which literally means "to change your mind." The first half of this mental shift is to stop thinking immature thoughts, which are self-centered and self-seeking. The second half of thinking like Jesus is to start thinking maturely, which focuses on others, not yourself.

Christian life is far more than creeds and convictions; it includes conduct and character. Our deeds must be consistent with our creeds, and our beliefs must be backed up with Christlike behavior. Christianity is not a religion or philosophy, but a relationship and a lifestyle. The core of that lifestyle is thinking of others, as Jesus did, instead of ourselves. Thinking of others is the heart of Christlikeness and the best evidence of spiritual growth.

Let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God - what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect - Romans 12:2b (TEV)

God's...gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everthing you could possibly need. - Acts 20:31 (Msg)

Spiritual growth is the process of replacing lies with truth. Sanctification requires revelation... the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to make us like Jesus... we have to fill our lives with His Word to become like Jesus. To be a healthy disciple of Jesus, 'feeding' on God's Word must be your first priority... this includes three main activities...

1. Accepting its Authority - the Bible must become the authoritative standard for your life.
Much trouble we have in our lives comes from basing our choices on unreliable authorities such as culture, tradition, logic, or emotion. We need a perfect standard that won't ever lead us in the wrong direction.

2. Assimilating its truth - You must fill your mind with the Bible so that the Holy Spirit can transform you with the truth. This can be done in 5 ways:
A. Receive God's word when you listen and accept it with an open, receptive attitude.
* three unreceptive attitudes enumerated in the parable of the sower include
- a closed mind,
- a superficial mind
- a distracted mind
* unless you want to hear what God has to say, you're not going to.... its like listening to what your parents have to say when they're lecturing you... sometimes you just zone out, smile and nod...

B. Read the Bible.
* we can't watch TV for three hours, read the Bible for 3 minutes a day and then expect to grow... the amount of time spent on TV just outweighs the the time you've spent on God too much.
* daily Bible reading will help you keep in range of God's voice... always keep a copy nearby.
* something helpful is a DAILY BIBLE READING PLAN. it helps to keep you from skipping parts and overlooking sections.

C. Researching/Studying the Bible - differs from just reading by:
* asking questions of the text and writing down your insights.

D. Remembering God's word
* you remember what is important to you. If God's Word is important, you will take the time to remember it.

E. Reflecting on God's Word - MEDITATION
* meditation = focused thinking
* serious reflection on God's truth is a key to answered prayer and the secret to succesful living.

3. Apply its principles. - without implementation, all our Bible studies are worthless.

Its human nature to resist change, so applying God's word is hard work. This is why its important to discuss your personal applications with other people. Other people will help you see insights you'd miss and help you apply God's truth in a practical way. The best way to become a 'doer' of the Word is to always write out an action step as a result of your reading or studying or reflecting on God's Word. This action step should be personal, practical, and provable. Every application will involve either your relationship to God, to others, or your personal character.

Circumstances are used by God to develop character. Your circumstances are temporary, but your character will last forever. When you've been refined by trails, people can see Jesus' reflection in you. There are certain ways we can respond problems as Jesus would... Remember that God's plan is good. Rejoice and give thanks, despite our troubles.. God is going through the pain with us and he only allows us to withstand what he knows we can handle, nothing more. Refuse to give up; be patient and persistent.

Happy is the man who doesn't give in and do wrong when he is tempted, for afterwards he will get as his reward the crown of life that God has promised those who love him. - James 1:12 (LB)

My temptations have been my masters in divinity. - Martin Luther

Temptation is a stepping-stone (not a stumbling block) when you realize that it is just as much an occasion to do the right thing as it is to do the wrong thing. Temptation simply provides the choice. Every time you choose to do good instead of sin, you are growing in the character of Christ.

While happiness depends on external circumstances, joy is based on your relationship to God. We learn real peace by choosing to trust God in circumstances in which we are tempted to worry or be afraid. Patience is developed in circumstances in which we're forced to wait and are tempted to be angry or have a short fuse.

Temptation follows a four-step process:
1. Satan identifies a desire inside of you. Temptation starts when Satan suggests that you give in to an evil desire, or that you fulfill a legitimate desire in a wrong way or at the wrong time. If you didn't have the internal desire, the temptation could not attract you.

2. Satan tries to get you to doubt what God has said about the sin

3. Satan deceives you. He offers you his lie to replace what God has already said in his Word.

4. Disobedience. you believe Satan's lies and fall into the trap.

How we can overcome temptation:
-- Refuse to be intimidated. you'll never outgrow temptation... its a sign that Satan hates you, not a sign of weakness or worldliness. Temptation only becomes a sin when you give in to it. Lust is a choice to commit in your mind what you'd like to do with your body... that is an example of a temptation becoming a sin.

-- Recognize your pattern of temptation and be prepared for it. these are your weaknesses and surely Satan will target them. You should try to avoid these so you're not caught in a trap and sucked into sin.

-- Request God's help. Jesus is sympathetic to our struggle. We want to give into temptation even though we know its wrong... we're embarassed to ask God for help because we keep giving in to the same temptation over and over. God's love is everlasting and his patience endures forever.

How to Defeat temptation:
** Refocus your attention on something else. This can mean physically leaving a tempting situation. To reduce temptation, keep your mind occupied with God's word and other good things.

** Reveal your struggle to a godly friend or support group. you need at least one person you can honestly share your struggle with. Satan wants you to think your sin and temptation are unique so you must keep them a secret. But the truth is that we all face the same temptations... the reason we hide our faults is pride. People talk about having an 'accountability partner' which is a great idea. I haven't really found anyone that I can do this with completely. They strongly encourage you to pick a person of the same gender to be your accountability partner, which is kinda difficult for me because I tend to hang out with mostly guys and don't have that many female friends that I'm very close to... especially not Christian ones. I mean, I share a LOT of stuff with Robbie and trust him enormously with stuff like that. He's been a really good Christian friend to confide in, but there are some things I just can't talk to him about...it just wouldn't be appropriate.

** Resist the devil. this can be done by first accepting God's salvationl. Then use the word of God as your weapon against satan. Never try to argue with the Devil.

** Realize your vulnerability. don't carelessly place yourself in tempting situations. This is something I've learned to do, although its tough sometimes to miss out on hanging out with my friends and everything when I do avoid the situations... but in the long run its best for me.

So why does spiritual growth take so long??
1. We're slow learners.
2. We have a lot to unlearn.
3. We're afraid to humbly face the truth about ourselves.
4. Growth is often painful and scary... you have to let go of the old ways to experience the new
5. Habits take time to develop... you have to practice them. habits aren't instant

Some ways to cooperate with God during your process of spiritual growth. Believe that God is working in your life even when you don't feel it. I struggle with this a lot. I know that I've gone through a 'lower' point in my Christian walk recently and basically it was because I was discouraged from not hearing God. Secondly, keep a notebook/journal of things you learned. Then, be patient with God and with yourself. And don't get discouraged. Remember how far you've come not how far you have left to go because though you might not be where you want to be, you're farther than where you began.

So that's what I've learned this week.

Democracy
I received this in an email from my dad... just found it 'interesting'. (Disclaimer: I do not consider myself to be a republican; however, I DO have a conservative ideology, so I imagine that I will tend to vote republican due to the fact that voting for one of the minor parties would basically be a waste of my vote since for all practical purposes we are a BIpartisan nation)


At about the time our original 13 states adopted their new constitution, in the year 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at The University of Edinborough, had this to say about "The Fall of The Athenian Republic" some
2,000 years prior:

"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the
public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship."

"The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage."

Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the most recent
presidential election:

* Population of counties won by:
Gore - 127 million
Bush - 143 million

* Square miles of land won by:
Gore - 580,000
Bush - 2,2427,000

* States won by:
Gore - 19
Bush - 29

And, most revealing of all.....

* Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by:
Gore - 13.2
Bush - 2.1

Professor Olson adds:
"In aggregate, the map of the territory Bush won was mostly the land owned by the tax-paying citizens of this great country. Gore's territory encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off government welfare..."

Olson believes the U.S. is now somewhere between the "apathy" and "complacency" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy; with some 40 percent of the nation's population already having reached the "governmental dependency" phase.

Chapter 11
The bible says to 'Pray continuously'. This can be done by using many 'breath prayers' througout the day; just brief sentances or simple phrases that can be repeated to Jesus in one breath. Practicing the presence of God is a skill... at first you need to create reminders to bring your thoughts back to the awareness of God.

We don't praise God to feel good, but to do good. The goal is not a feeling but a continual awareness of the reality that God is present.

Days 5 and 6
I got two days behind already on the 40 days of Purpose reading, but its kinda legitimate. On Thursday, I injured my hands while belaying one of my friends Rock Climbing and was unable to really do much once I got home from that... Friday I have no excuse... but its Saturday and I'm catching back up.

After a nice conversation with Robbie, I picked up my book and started reading where I left off after Wednesday night... Chapter 5: "Seeing Life through God's Eyes".

Each chapter starts off with a verse from the Bible and then a quotation from a famous (usually atheist or agnostic) person. This chapter contains a quotation from Anais Nin: "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."

This chapter discusses how the way you view life impacts your life. Your sometimes subconscious 'life metaphor' influences your life greatly... it determines your expectations, values, relationships, goals, and priorities. An example the book gives is that "if you think of your life as a party, your primary value in life will be having fun.... if you see life as a battle or a game, winning will be very important to you."

In order to fulfill God's purposes for your life, however, you need to adopt a biblical metaphor for life instead of one of the conventional, worldly ones.

Three metaphors the Bible gives:
* Life is a test
* Life is a trust
* Life is a temporary assignment.


I. Life on Earth is a Test
In the Bible, you can see that God is quite often testing people's character, faith, obedience, integrity, love, and loyalty. Abraham, Jacob, Adam and Eve, David, Joseph, Ruth, Ester, and daniel are just a few that were tested. All of life is a test... character is both developed and revealed by these tests. We don't always know the tests God is going to give us... God gives us pop quizzes (per se), but we can predict some from tests we read about in the Bible.

*this hit me hard* A very important test is how you act when you can't feel God's presence in your life. Sometimes God intentionally draws back, and we don't sense his closeness. "God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him and to see what was really in his heart" (II Chronicles 32:31, NLT). Hezekiah had been very close to God, but at a crucial point in his life God left him alone to test his character, to reveal a weakness, and to prepare him for more responsibility.

*** Okay... I'm taking a quick break from my summary of the highlights from my reading to explain why this hit me... WOW. I mean, I've heard Hezekiah's story before but I'd never really thought of God's tests this way. Before, I was just like, "Oh, God's just testing him"... but I'd never thought about WHY! Looking at Hezekiah's life in this way gives me new perspective on mine... I was at the highest point in my relationship with God during my senior year in high school. Then I came to college, and at first I still was running off the energy from that high point... but as the year drug on, I felt as though I couldn't hear God anymore... I believed that he did speak to people, but for some reason, I wasn't one of those people. Adjusting to college life was the cruicial time in my life... God was testing me... He wanted to reveal weaknesses in my life. And he did... I've been working on overcoming those weaknesses recently, and I think I'm making progress... so sometime soon, I'll be ready for more responsibility, just like Hezekiah! --- Now back to your regularly scheduled blog ***

James 1:12, GWT: "Blessed are those who endure when they're tested. When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."


II. Life on Earth is a Trust
God is the owner of everyone and everything on earth... therefore, we never really own anything on earth; everything is on loan to us from God. The first job God gave humans was to take care of his stuff here on Earth. And that's still part of our purpose today. Our culture says that if you don't own it, you won't take care of it. But as Christians, we are to live by a higher standard: "Because God owns it, I MUST take the best care of it that I can."

I Corinthians 4:2 NCV: "Those who are trusted with something valuable must show they are worthy of trust."

Everything you do has eternal implications... if you treat everything as a loan from God, he promises three rewards:
* you will be given His affirmation -- "well done, good and faithful servant"
* you will receive a 'promotion' and be given more responsibility in heaven. -- "I will put you in charge of many things"
* and finally you'll be honored with a celebration -- "Come and share your master's happiness"

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted wiht much, much more will be asked." -- Luke 12:48b NIV

"Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones." -- Luke 16:10a NLT


III. Life on Earth is a temporary assignment.
Compared with eternity, life is extremely short. And Earth is only a temporary residence. God is very blunt about the dangers of living for the 'here and now' and living by the ways of the world. When we toy around withe the temptations of this world, its spiritual adultery... "You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way." (James 4:4, Msg)

We're warned not to get attached to the things around us here on Earth because it is all temporary. It says in I Corinthians 7:21 (NLT): "Those in frequent contact with the things of the world should make good use of them without becoming attached to them, for this world and all it contains will pass away."

In order to keep us from becoming too attached to Earth, God allows us to feel a significant amount of discontent and dissatisfaction in life. There will be happy times while living on Earth, of course, but none even comes close to comparing for what God has planned for us in Heaven. We should use Eternal values (rather than temporal ones) in making decisions... Because the end of life is not the End! The greatest heroes of faith in God's yese are those who treat this life as a temporary assignment and serve faithfully, expecting their promised reward in eternity... we see that explained in Hebrews 11!

---

Anyway, that's about all I have for now... I'm caught up again in my reading. And I'll probably be posting more insights I find as I read more in the coming weeks.

Purpose
So life in Cincy's going well... Sorry for the hiatus and lack of posts, but life's busy (I think I said that last time I posted, but that's just the way it is).

Anyway, this morning I went to church for the first time since I've been in Cincinnati. This week, one of the other co-ops was telling me about where he's gone to church a few times while he's been up here, so since I woke up at 7:30 I decided to go check it out. They actually have 4 services, all of which have a different style. I went to the traditional service, but they also have a typical contemporary style service with a praise band and all, a skit/themed service, and an evening service that's kinda like a coffee-house style with an alternitive band. The cool part is that every service has the same message, just presented in different manners (from what I'm aware of).

Anyway, the whole church has just started this 40-day study based on the book A Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren... I really liked what I learned of this study from just today....

Today's message was meant to help answer the question "What on Earth am I here for?" The pastor started off by showing a clip from the movie signs... its where Mel Gibson's brother (or whoever he is) asks "Do you think this is the end of the world?" Mel Gibson's character responds by saying that there are two types of people... one type believes everything happens for a reason and the other type just believes it happened due to luck.

The message went on to answer 'life's 3 greatest questions'...

1. Why Am I alive?
Proverbs 16:4a says that the Lord has made EVERYTHING for his own purpose. God is in control... it's not about me.
Ephesians 1:4 talks about the fact that God desied to make us as the focus of his love and to buy us back in the death of his son.
I was created to love and be loved by God.

2. Does my life Matter?
Important scripture: Isaiah 49:4a, II Corinthians 5:1
If there is no meaning to what we do, it leads to despair.
There are 3 levels of life....
* SURVIVAL = just getting by; symptom - living for the weekend
* SUCCESS = not feeling fulfilled
* SIGNIFICANCE = knowing why you're alive; know purpose
God loves us so much that he wants us forever. And nothing goes unnoticed by Him.
I WAS MADE TO LAST FOREVER WITH GOD.

3. What is my purpose?
"Unless you assume the existence of God, the question of life's meaning and purpose is irrelevant." -- Bernard Russell.
If you don't know the purpose for something, you're likely to misuse it. The best way to learn the purpose is to ask the creator or read the users manual.
IMPORTANT SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 10:19, Acts 10:35, Colossians 1:16
It's never too late to be who you might have been.
I FIND MY PURPOSE GETTING TO KNOW GOD.


Anyway, I found the service very enlightening so I went out and got the book and am going to go try and go through it.... I'll try and update this more often as I go through this book.

Hello from Cincinnati

I know that for the last few months I've not been a very active blogger here... but I have been pretty busy. I am, however, keeping a daily journal at www.geocities.com/mittensatvt.

Anyway, here's what I was posting for...
Marcus Vick -- arrested

He had the ability to quite possibly rank up there with his older brother, who's done a heck of a job making a name for himself while he was in college at VT and now in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. I've not been a big fan of Marcus' character all along, but I've still enjoyed seeing the excitement he'd occasionally add to the games this year.

I don't understand why so many of these football players have to go and do something stupid, ruining their future in the process.

Its not for sure that he'll be suspended from the team if he doesn't have to serve time... but I'm gonna be bold and guess that he won't be back next season... Maybe the rest of the team will step up in his stead!

create your own visited states map
or write about it on the open travel guide

I've visited 22 states! :)

Merry Christmas
Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday!

My dad sent me this link today. Scroll down to near the bottom of the page and click the button to watch the presentation:
* Interview With God

Quotation from my Jeopardy Calendar...

The only history that is worth a tinker's damn is the history we make today.
~~ Henry Ford

Back from Pitt

Well, I went to the Pittsburgh Game with the MV's this weekend. It was a really fun trip... Robbie has a pretty good summation of the weekend on his blog so, I'll direct you there for the details... HokiePundit.

Anyway, on the bus ride home, I took the time to sit down and just write about stuff that's been on my mind... I'm not going to post the whole thing, but I'm gong to post a good bit of it so... here we go...


Sunday Afternoon Reflections

Recently, I've had a several things constantly on my mind, and as I'm on this bus riding back from an upset at Pittsburgh last night while the rest of my beloved horn section either sleeps, cuddles with their 'significant other' or quietly watches the horrible selection in cinematic entertainment, I decided to take the time to put some of these thoughts into words.

1. School - The end of the semester is fast approaching and the workload (for the most part) is definitely serving to prove this fact. This week its looking like I'll have three tests to take in addition to whatever homework I'm assigned. I'm to the point in many of my classes that the homework isn't so easy that I can just sit there and write down the answers (given the appropriate amount of time needed to scribe the solution) without having to really think about it. In fact, much of the time I just have to search the examples in my notes or the book to find something that bears some resemblance to what I'm trying to do... and then I have to play around with the given answers (that is if I'm given the answer to check my work with) to attempt to find the method that I originally needed to find the answers. But despite this, I'm doing quite respectably in all of my classes, though I am slightly disappointed with how my intro to aerospace engineering calss is going. As of the end of my freshman year, I'm actually ranked number 5 within the sophomore class in aerospace engineering. I'm enjoying my statics class a lot more than I ever expected I would, and I'm ever leaning more away from specializing in the 'space' side of aerospace engineering, though I still can't give up thinking that someday I'll get to be an astronaut. However, in the back of my mind, I don't see this very feasable since Mission Specialists and Payload Specialists on the shuttle almost always have some super-important experiment they're running and in order to be a shuttle commander or pilot you have to have 'x' (where x is rather large) number of pilot hours which is easiest to obtain through being a pilot for one of the military branches, and the more time that passes, the less I see myself ever joining the Air Force, like I was once so dead set on.

2. Religion - This week I received a delivery from UPS! It was a box of assorted home-baked cookies from my church back home. Though I don't think my moral values have changed ALL that much since I've been at college, over the past year (about), I've really gone on a downward sloping trip in terms of my relationship with Christ. I don't think I believe that you can actually lose your faith if you actually had it to begin with, but I've come extremely close to that this year. (Though I think things are getting better... see October 19, 2003 at Super Crazy Stefie Thinking Time) I've only been to church about 5 or 6 times over the past 12 months and I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. And also, though I don't know of any other 'denomination' that would better suit me, I'm fairly certain that my set of religious convictions conform to that of the Southern Baptist Convention. However, worrying about all these details is being legalistic and the main worry is that the church you attend professes the basic beliefs of Christianity.

3. Relationships - A topic that I've blogged a lot about... As I've said many times before, all my best friends throughout my life have been guys (and all really great ones at that). Sometimes I think I get too close to some of these guys and hope for more to come out of these relationships, but with the exception of this most recent one, nothing ever does. I mean its kinda like they see me as the "cute, fun little sister" figure more than a chick-friend. Until recently though, I really preferred it that way, but I'm beginning to kind of want that sort of companionship - something more than just another of 'the guys'. I want to have guy friends still, don't get me wrong... but I'd still like to date as well! ----- There's nothing I can do about it now, but... I picked the wrong person to let be my first kiss -- I'll be the first to admit that, but I still would've liked for that 'romance' to last more than a day....

Finally, next semester I'm working at GE Aircraft Engines in Cincinnati. And though I know I'm going to have an amazing time there and going to gain invaluable work experience. I still am going to miss it here at VT a lot. I mean the break from classes ig going to certainly be welcomed with open arms, but I'm going to miss all my friends, Southern Virginia, pep band, symphony band, and my other activities...

But, Anyway, I've written enough. Adieu!

Mmmhmmm...
Right so... I've just gotten back from a Hillcrest Community Dinner (can you sense the excitement??.... ...). Anyway, Jack Dudley, the community director made an 'interesting' statement during the course of the discussion (the topic of discussion was related to separation of church and state and its implications on statements made by political officials in response to events related to September 11 and the war on terrorism). Anyway, he posed a question: "Do you think that, in light of policy he has made in the recent days, President Bush should be impeached since policy should not be made on a religious stance?"

Yep, and Jack Dudley was the same person who explained my own political ideology to me...
What are you trying to conserve??
No, I'll tell you... You see, the difference between liberals and conservatives is how they view the future. Conservatives want America to be the best it can be, whereas liberals want America to be better than the best.

ummmm... yeah.

Swingin' and Campin'
That's right... last night was the Horn Camping Trip! But before I get to talking about that (which would be the main part of what I have to say in my blog today), I want to just talk about swing dancing first.

Friday night, I finally gave in and to the swing dance downtown for the first time ever. Robbie Bauer was teaching me and a friend of mine how to do a lot of the easier moves. It was a LOT of fun and I'm so glad I decided to go. Plus, swingin' is a good way to get 'physical' with a lot of guys... ;) hehe... j/k. Seriously though, I'm a pretty Independent Woman, so this was a change of pace for me. Robbie keeps saying that 'its always the guys fault', but the girl still has a lot of responsibility in the matter. The girl has to trust the guy and follow his lead. And unless the guy is sitting there verbally telling the girl what he wants her to do, you have to pay attention to the guy's lead. You have to pay attention to the movements in the his body (mainly his arms) and follow his lead. Even if it is 'always the guys' fault', you still have to go where he wants you to go or else you won't be able to do anything and you'll just make him look bad... and the guys certainly don't want that... cause we're there to make him look good! ;)

Anyway... camping... SUCH a good trip. I don't know what it is about the horn camping trips, but I feel like I've gone on these and 2 of the 3 times I've come back feeling more'spiritual' than I left... which is kinda odd if you take into account how much underage drinking, etc. that goes on at these types of things.

Anyway, by the time people were passing out for the night, there were only 3 of us left awake, Robbie Bauer, Brandon McKagen's step-dad (we were using their land out in Floyd County), and myself. Anyway, after a while, I crawled into my sleeping bag to keep warm (since the fire had been put out for the night) and to just lay there looking at the stars. The sky was so clear there... so beautiful. Robbie and I sat there talking until some point past 4am. Not about one single thing... but it was a nice conversation!

The past 6 months have kinda been a 'low point' (if you will) in my spiritual life, and ever since I decided not to go to the Air Force Academy, I've kinda lost touch with the 'passion' I once had for space and flying. But last night, I think the magnamity of the night sky reminded me of these things that had been so important to me but I had lost touch with... my love for going beyond the bounds of Earth and the magnificent power of God.

I don't think I've ever seen so many stars as I did last night... we were so far away from any populated areas, so human-generated lights weren't interfering with the stars; but also, the sky was just so clear that nothing was in the way... So many stars are there... and just think... maybe one day, we'll visit some of them... I want go there -- I always have... at least as far back as I can remember... to be able to pass through the confines of the earth's atmosphere and go out where so many of the physical laws of nature we're so used to just don't apply anymore.

It is humbling to know that there's so much out there that noone's been to... never been touched and never had the chance to be jaded by the human influence. And all of it, God created... its amazing... He knows everything about every one... there are so many we can't even count them. Not only does he know how many there are, but he knew every detail needed to create such a magnificent array of stars, of beings, of plants, of colors... I could go on forever I think.

"... He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good." --Genesis 1:16-18

I don't think I believe that once you are truly a Christian you can loose your faith, but I feel like over the past 6 months, I've come pretty close. And I still can't say that I'm back to the 'strength' I was before... not after one 'spiritual' experience in the most unlikely of places (a horn camping trip...). But there was something about the night sky last night that brought me a lot closer to where I was when I left high school to become a Hokie.

"Is not God in the heights of heaven? And see how lofty are the highest stars!' Yet you say , 'What does God know? ... Thick clouds veil him, so he does not see us as he goes about in the vauleted heavens.' Will you keep to the old path that evil men have trod? They were carried off before their time, their foundations washed away by a flood. They said to God, 'Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?' Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things, so I stand aloof from the counsel of the wicked. ... Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. Accept instruction from his mouth and lay his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored: if you remove wickedness far from your tent and assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines, then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you. Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God. You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows." -- excerpts from Job 22

I'm including one more passage from Psalms at the end of this post. I found it relevant. I don't know that this post has had much organization to it, but there's just so much going through my head that its difficult to put it down in a sensical manner.

But, before I leave... I just want to say that talking with Robbie last night I was reminded of what a great guy he is. He's a completely GENUINE individual... He's an amazing guy and whoever he marries is going to be a incredibly lucky girl! I can only hope to find someone like him for myself!

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise
because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens, teh work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:
all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.

~~~~PSALM 8~~~~

Not sure what my Opinion of this is...

http://objective.jesussave.us/kidz.html

Scroll to the 'Spiritual Safety Tip'.

Two years ago...
Its hard to believe how much has happened in two years. In my life alone, so much has changed. Two years ago today, I was still going to go to the Air Force Academy, I still had braces, I still was in high school, etc., etc., etc. I could go on forever. But two years ago today, the calmness in America was shaken. I walked to Aerodynamics class as usual on a Tuesday passing a few rooms where each teacher stood in the center of his/her classroom glued to the tv. Once I reached, the aero room, I saw the same scene here. My first assumption when I saw that a plane had hit the WTC, I thought, "How stupid of that pilot... he should have seen that tower... it didn't just come there over night."

But how I was wrong! After govie, I drove to my orthodontist appointment where all the tv's were tuned to the coverage. All the radio stations had coverage.

September 11th Montage