Everything is Meaningless

You know, I love that the Bible says this...Everything is Meaningless...of course, it's talking about a life without God is meaningless, I still like that it says that. :)
Who would have thought that the book of Ecclesiastes could be so entertaining. So the purpose of this whole book is to show that, yes, wisdom is important, but human wisdom has it's limits. God alone knows the purpose of life. Throughout the book the author sees people laboring and trying to get to the top. Pursuing mearningless hopes and dreams. However, our role in this world is to accept things according to God's purpose and to pretty much be patient and enjoy life as God gives it to us. Sounds like an easy job to me...not! Why? Because these days people are obsessed with time, money, success, and blahbady blah blah crap that in the end isn't gonna matter...
Only God can satisfy.

"Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return."-Ecclesiastes 3:19-20

Two more points: That verse kinda makes it sound like animals are gonna be in Heaven. Why does the Bible have to be so large. Everything is meaningless but we're supposed to work at it with all our heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. But if work is meaningless why do we need to work. The Bible is so confused. That's why people don't read it...just saying...

Hmmm...

You know how Catholics are known for being alcoholics? I think I know why now. In the Catholic (and some Lutheran churches) church after they finish with communion it is customary for the priest (pastor) to drink whatever wine is left over. (Sometimes that can be quite a bit of wine). I can understand that if you drink a lot of that and you do that at least once a week you could get quite a bit of wine in your system. However, they do this because they have already blessed the wine and it is now Christ's blood (shed for you for the forgiveness of sin. This do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me). Sorry couldn't help myself. But what I don't understand is, you know, they don't want to be wasteful and Christ's blood is important, but if you're gonna drink the wine (blood) wouldn't you want to eat the bread (body) too, it's just as important. Can't have the blood without the body.

This is my prayer for every year

Happy (belated) New Year. I hope everybody's 2011's were awesome and best wishes for your 2012.

2011 was a pretty good year I must say. A year of a lot of firsts and I definitely got to cross some things off my bucket list. Here are a few.

-first time driving by myself to St. Louis.
-first time as an aunt of a 1 year old.
-first internship (which was an awesome experience).
-first time watching Panic Room (a good movie, but not a good one to watch when it's dark outside).
-first time taking a summer (May) term class.
-first time going to the chiropractor (I think I'm addicted to going to the chiropractor. love them).
-first time having a car on campus and having to take care of it.

So that was my 2011 in a nutshell, now here's what I hope for 2012.
-witness my niece take her first steps, oh wait, CHECK! :)
-have my first drink (legally) :P
-maybe my first boyfriend. ;) (in God's time)
-lose my sophomore 15 and then some.
-be somewhat financially independent from my parents.
-go and party on a cruise (this summer baby!)
-be a party of a flash mob (pretty please!)
-to sum up a bunch in one simple resolution: Love myself, others, and God

So there you have it....now you all are responsible for making sure these are accomplished this year...jk!
Here's  song that I love and I think sums up what each New Year is about.

The Season of Giving

So after reading "In Style" magazine I was inspired by all the celebrities who chose a charity to support for the holiday. Specifically, inspired by Sarah Jessica Parker who is an avid supporter of the NYC Ballet, I decided this year to donate to Ballet Magnificat! Ballet Magnificat! was founded in 1986 with the desire to share the Good News through the art of dance. *Side note: In Latin Magnificat! means "to magnify Him." Ballet Magnificat! performs all over the world (And I so wish I could see them perform!) and seeks to show their audience Christ's love through dance. A great organization with a great message. 

My goal is to every year around this time (because it's so cliche to do that) is to pick an organization and donate a small portion of money to them. (I'd actually like to do it more than once a year, but I'm a college student with soooo much money). Something else I stumbled upon was that every summer Ballet Magnificat! has a Summer Dance Intensive and so every year they're looking for volunteers to be counselors for the dancers (A.K.A. Dorm Parents). I would really like to volunteer this summer. I think it would be a great opportunity, not only to maybe refine my own dancing skills, but also to grow in faith and help others grow in faith. Sure, I should be concentrating more on getting a job *cough Mom cough* but you know what, I figure God will provide. He provided me with a job a couple summers ago when it looked like I wasn't going to get one. I have to have faith that I will this summer too. And if I have an opportunity to volunteer for a good cause why should I not take it? God commands us to serve others and to love others as we love ourselves and that's what I want to do this summer. Now I just have to come up with roughly $400, money to get me there (Ballet Magnificat! is in Jackson, MS), 3 letters of recommendation, and convince my parents to let me go....good thing I have until May. :)

Find out more about Ballet Magnificat! at their website: www.balletmagnificat.com

I know it's a little late, but...I don't care

The first week back from Thanksgiving break. It was such a good break! And a much needed one!

 Our family does the tradition every year of going around the room and saying what we're thankful for after my dad says the prayer and I just wanted to share a few things that I'm thankful for (and what my family said too).

1. My family of course because they're awesome! More specifically Grace. She's been a huge blessing in my life and I never thought I could love somebody (especially a baby, because I'm not very good with babies) this much. And I'm thankful that she remembers me every time I come home from school. :)

2. My puppy Petey because dogs are wonderful and it's proven that people with pets live longer. :)

3. That I am saved through faith in Christ Jesus and can worship freely and that I was raised in a Christian home.

4. The gift of music and the ability to hear. Music soothes the soul and makes me feel good. :)

5. I'm thankful for the caring staff and professors at Bethel that are always there for me when I need them. And that I can actually afford to go to Bethel. :)

6. That I know ASL and can communicate with Deaf people.

7. My friends, both at home and at school. I'm a lot to deal with so anybody that can handle my personality is a trooper. :)

8. I have the ability to read and see the world around me (that God so beautifully created)

9. 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. chances. :)

10. Blogging, I like it a lot and is a great therapy. :)

11. That this semester is almost over. :)

12. Chiropractors! They're life-savers!

13. And my personal favorite that my dad says every year...indoor plumbing and toilet paper because I could never pee outside so hopefully I never get stuck in the woods. :)

"Being rich in money and things doesn't last. Being rich in the Lord and people last forever."

Everyday I recite this quote and try and remind myself of its words. And everyday I try and convince myself that if God knew I needed another job or money, He would make sure I was provided for. But as a college student who's going to be in school an extra year because of a sucky poor life choice I made my freshman year, the youngest of three, stressed out makes okay money parents, car owner, on the verge of becoming a shopaholic, and suffers from chronic stress/anxiety/worry/depression/pain/pity-me syndrome (if you couldn't already tell I made that up. That's not a real disease). So...this combination is not a very good one. And you know I'm not some lazy hobo that sits on my butt all day. I got classes. I have homework. And more homework. And more homework. And you know I don't want to be a pathetic wallflower who has no fun like I was last year, but sometimes I just don't know when to say no to people and then later I regret going and hanging out at the mall instead of staying in my dorm working on homework, but really the only reason I worry about homework is because I want to do well in my classes, but I want to do well in my classes mostly because I want to keep my 3.0 so that I can keep my scholarship. Otherwise I'll have to take out more loans and add another 10 years on to paying them off and I'll being listening to my parents bitch (that's right I said bitch, that's how upset I am right now) about me getting a job and wasting their money and doing better in classes and paying for crap, but you know what, I really don't want to be dependent on my parents. I hate that I'm a spoiled brat that sometimes has to ask for money and usually gets it but would not know how to live without my parents. So you know after I try to remind myself of my dad's quote (yeah, that's right my dad said that) it's followed by a but and this long shpeel that I just gave.......and scene!
I think I'm done venting now.

Ahh...JJ you always know what to say...Remember God will love me for me.

Oh the joys of being a Lutheran

Oh jeez, you know you're a Lutheran when you wish somebody a Happy Reformation day or All Saints Day and they have no idea what you're talking about. So yesterday was Halloween and the chapel speaker, you know mentioned something about today being a pagan holiday or something along those lines blah blah blah...well, you know what, yesterday was also Reformation Day. By no means is that a pagan holiday.

Reformation day was when Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Fives Theses on the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517. This triggered the Reformation movement. Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses in revolt to the Catholic church (no offense to Catholics, I respect you very much!) who believed in things like purgatory, the selling of indulgences, and that we are saved by good works. Luther only intended for his Theses to bring up discussion, but it turned into the Reformation and a lot more denominations than we had started with. Luther did not agree with the Catholic teaching. He believed that we are saved by faith in Christ Jesus and His grace alone (however, good works are how we serve our God and His  people, and can help build up our faith).
I feel like many people view Luther poorly (and I agree that what he said about Jews wasn't very nice) but I do think that we should thank and honor him for his work because first of all, he really did not think that highly of himself, he was always trying to figure out what God wanted from him and to honor him. He did not want to be known as a saint or to have Lutheranism named after him, because it was God's work and God's church. And second of all, if it wasn't for Luther, unless you're Catholic, your church or denomination or whatever you want to call it would not be here......end of story.

Now All Saints Day is a Catholic holiday, but some Protestant churches celebrate it, my church does. Basically, it's one day out of the year that we commemorate all the saints that have gone before us. Our church lists off everybody in our congregation who has passed away within the last year and rings the bell for each. It's kind of like the country's Veteran's Day or President's Day.

Ok, that's all.

Wow, I just realized I am definitely my father's child....a little sad.