Posts Tagged ‘blog carnival’
living with strangers
Posted on: November 30, 2010
- In: blog carnival | my life
- 4 Comments
they say to watch the company you keep because you tend to become them or something. i always try to surround myself with good people, and i think i’ve done very well so far. god has brought some super awesome people into my life.
sometime this year i was going through some hectic spiritual stuff – lots of doubt, which i’d never really experienced before – so it was really scary, but the people from church helped me through it.
str
a few years ago i read donald miller’s blue like jazz and shane claiborne’s irresistible revolution and fell in love with the idea of living in community. i decided then that i didn’t want to live alone anymore – at that point i was living in a batchelor flat all by my lonesome. anyway, the following year i moved in with my friend lindri and that was really good. i think i needed that transition of moving in with just one person first to get me out of my “bubble” space mentality…and it was a really huge bubble. anyway, by the end of the year i was so used to lindri coming to my door all the time to talk that i’d so miss it when she wasn’t around. i got to a point where i didn’t just put up with being around people but i actually wanted and craved to be around other people.
the next year i moved in with 2 strangers. even more growth. atleast with lindri we’d been friends before we moved in together so i kinda knew what to expect but with these new flatmates i knew nothing. i only met them once i’d already moved in. and although there were some disagreements here and there – mostly about housekeeping: washing the dishes, cleaning the bathroom, etc etc – it was a really cool group of people so it all worked out in the end.
i just moved into a new house last week that i will be sharing with 4 other people – eek. 4 stragers. i lucked out though because they all seem like genuinely great people and we get along quite well. i actually went away with one of them this past weekend – after only knowing her for a week – to a music festival…she’s also a fan of music and dancing – yayness!
i think my biggest problem this year is going to be being farther away from my church people, especially since my flatmates aren’t Christians. i think i took that for granted while i had it. lind would always come to my room when she got something new from the bible and share it with me and we’d have hectic chats on the Bible and God and pray for each other and stuff. and last year, while that didn’t happen, knowing that my flatmates where Christians and being close to my friends whom i could always call on for coffee and a chat when i was feeling down or whatever was really encouraging.
i think church attendance and cell group are going to play an even bigger role in my life next year. i’m gonna be more dependent on that christian fellowship. and i’m gonna try to remember not to take it for granted but to really appreciiate it.
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this post was written for the one word at a time blog carnival. this week’s theme is “fellowship”. Click here to read other posts from some awesome bloggers.
Blessed
Posted on: November 16, 2010
this past sunday at church we watched the Louie Giglio dvd on prayer (remix or something like that). anyway he was talking about how often when we pray it is so me (or us) focused – God bless me, God be with me, God forgive me, God keep me safe and watch over me…he used a trip to florida as an example: when we go somewhere we always pray that God will bless the trip and go with us and keep us safe and watch over us (and forgive us our many sins – maybe as a precurser to all that’s gonna happen in florida…ha ha…Louie is funny.)
anyway the dvd was about remix’ing prayer…so not praying in the same way we always do. instead of asking God for blessings, how about we bless God. “God, help me a blessing to you on this trip”…
Ephesians 1: 3 says “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” and 2 Peter 1: 3 says “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” we’ve already recieved the blessing – he gave us everything we need to live a godly life – 2000 years ago. all those promises of blessing in the old testament, they were culminated in the person of Jesus. instead of running around asking God for more blessings, maybe it’s time we said thank you for the greatest blessing he could give. maybe it’s time we use the blessing he’s given us to bless him…
Praise the Lord, oh my soul! Praise the Lord!
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this post was written for the one word at a time blog carnival. this week’s theme is “gratitude”. Click here to read other posts from some awesome bloggers.
Someday…
Posted on: August 24, 2010
- In: blog carnival | thoughts
- 2 Comments
i plan to have 2 kids. i plan to be the best mother ever! God willing, the plan is to have 1 biological kid and adopt 1…and depending on finances (and my husband will probably want some input on this one) i might even foster a couple of kids. and if i don’t get married, then i’ll just go the adoption route. i have names already picked out – the boy will be Crowder-Morgan (there’s this guy in the band “Surrender Band” named john-morgan who – i think – totally looks like david crowder, and i once said to my friend that i liked his name and my friend said it would be cooler if it was crowder-morgan instead of john-morgan…and after thinking about it i agreed) and the girl Anberlin-Mae or Anberlin Emery (which are all the names of 3 really cool bands: Anberlin, Mae, and Emery – still debating whether to tell her that’s where she got the name…what if she hates the bands?). i once played around with the name Corban (Mark 7:11) which i think is an awesome name, but i got impatient and named my guitar Corban…and i don’t want to name my kid after a guitar…
i remember when my little brother was little. he was the cutest thing ever! i used to babysit a lot cos my mom worked nights so while she slept in the afternoons i watched my little brother. i was there for his first word and his first steps. and we were really close. i also remember the changing of the stinky diapers, and him crying at night while i was trying to get some sleep [my dad had to drive my mom to work and somehow my brother thought that the moment the car left the parking lot was the right moment to wake up and cry his little lungs out but eventually he'd fall asleep in my arms and he'd look so angelic i'd just melt].
there were moments, to be honest, where i felt cheated cos while other kids got to go to malls and such after school i had to come home and watch my brother. but i also knew that my parents were struggling financially and needed me to watch my brother so i did. so i’m not thinking motherhood is going to be all roses. i know at some point my kids will become teenagers and will drive me crazy. i know that i will have to watch them grow up and know the pains they will face and know the world will try to mess them up. i know that i won’t always be around to protect them. and i know it will cut me up to see them hurting.
but i look forward to being a mommy. someday. hopefully.
This post is part of the One Word at a Time blog carvival. Read more posts on the theme of “Children” here.
Thoughts on laughter
Posted on: August 10, 2010
- In: blog carnival | thoughts
- 2 Comments
my laughter has gotten me in trouble a few times. well, maybe not trouble, but my firends have been embarrassed by it a few times. i have a very loud and robust laugh. so when we go out we usually end up either making a lot of new friends who join our group because we seem to be having so much fun, or we end up being “that table”…you know, the one with all the loud drunk people…except we are not drunk.
i love to laugh…seriously, i keep telling people that my spiritual gift is laughter. i feel good when i laugh at someone’s joke and it causes them to feel good about themselves because it makes them think they are funny. sometimes i laugh at the fact that the joke is so not funny. i often laugh at other people who are laughing – even when i myself don’t get the joke. my favorite sound in the world is of a babies laughing…does it get any cuter?
i’ve had people look at me like i’ve gone crazy because i’ll walk down the street and remember something funny and start laughing all by my self. i guess i’d think other people were crazy if they did the same. on that note, don’t listen to the audio version of stuff christians like while walking by yourself…YOU *WILL* LOOK CRAZY.
i love movies/series that make me laugh out loud (oh, just watched “it’s always sunny in philadelphia” this past weekend, and wow did i laugh) and i tend to read blogs that make me laugh.
i have a friend who laughs when she gets bad news. she says she’s always done this – her own special coping mechanism. i love that about her actually, cos i react badly to bad news, but when she laughs, it makes it easier to take…kinda like it’s not that bad. it’s weird, but it helps me deal.
i have another friend who hardly ever laughs out loud. like sometimes he’ll just smile and you know he’s actually laughing on the inside, but it just never transfers into audio…and then there’s those few times when he does laugh and it’s like whoa…except it’s never at the jokes that i think are all that funny…weird.
i have another friend who loves laughing out…quiet. she laughs…you see her laughing…you see her gaping for air…but no sound comes out…which ALWAYS makes me laugh.
one of my pet peeves is when you tell someone a joke and they say “that’s funny”…i don’t get it, if it’s funny why didn’t you laugh. seriously, i’d rather you say that wasn’t funny than you say that’s funny and not laugh…and i know different people react differently, but it just doesn’t seem right to me.
another thing i dislike is when someone says “hey, you should watch/hear this…you’ll totally laugh…it’s your kind of humour” cos then i feel pressured to laugh. i don’t enjoy the joke as much cos i’m thinking “is it really funny, or do i just think it’s funny cos i was told that i’d find it funny”…i know, way weird.
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This post is part of the One Word at a time blog carnival. Check out more posts on the theme of “Laughter” here.
Hottest day of the summer
Posted on: July 13, 2010
- In: blog carnival | my life | thoughts
- 6 Comments
thinking about summer reminded me of my family’s big move in 1995. as you know, summer in the northern hamisphere is winter in the southern hemisphere. in august of 1995, while it was still winter in south africa, we got on a plane and headed to the US. we boarded the plane wearing jeans and turtle necks and huge winter jackets and doc martens on our feet. we had a couple hours lay over in hong kong where we had planned to find a place to take a shower and get refreshed, so we carried an extra set of clothing to change into then, but that didn’t happen.
none of us (me, my younger sister, or my mom) had never come across chinese food before…ever! so on the plane we were served strange food with strange taste and strange smells. and our stomachs couldn’t handle it – especially my mom, who was 8 months pregnant at the time. so we flew from south africa to hong kong with no food and upset stomachs. as soon as we got to the hong kong airport we went on a mission to find a restaurant we recognised, that served food we knew. we finally ran into a mcdonalds and we gobbled that down. but the time it took to search for the restaurant and eat and stock up for the next plane ride took up our lay over so we didn’t have time to go refresh…
we got back on the plane – our next stop: los angeles. it was hot. not unbearably so, but hot. my dad was at the airport already waiting for us, and we hadn’t seen him in a while so the heat and all of that took a back seat. anyway after the “hellos” and “how has your trip been so far” and “wow hong kong is weird”, we got back on the plane and headed for nevada.
we stepped out into the reno airport – in america – to a group of complete strangers we didn’t know, holding up a welcome sign in my home language – tswana. so super surreal. apparently they had asked my dad how you say “welcome to america” in tswana, but he didn’t know what they were planning. so our little welcome party at the airport was a complete surprise – and a beautiful one at that.
anyway, we soon found out that our luggage hadn’t made it to the US with us…and as we walked out of the airport we were greeted by a heat wave – 105*F, hottest day of the summer so far – coming from the cold south african winter, dressed in our cold-winter clothes.
and that was our welcome to the Nevadan summer…unforgettable.
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This post is part of the One Word at a time blog carnival. Check out more posts on the theme of “Summer” here.
by his strength…
Posted on: June 29, 2010
- In: blog carnival | my life | my stuff
- 4 Comments
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11: 28 – 30 (the msg)
Bring me back to the place where i love the cross
Bring me back to the place where i’m on my knees
Bring me back to an undivided heart
Oh Jesus, bring me back to You
bring me back – Thys Meades
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i have been tired lately. i’ve been…over it…all of it. and the above verse and chorus have been my prayer and my petition. and through those two God has restored me. and as i look to him, i’m being refreshed and restored and gaining strength in him. i’m learning that his strength is found in my weakness. in letting go. in letting him. in surrender.
it just feels so good to rest in him and let him. it just feels so good to just be rid of the weight of doubts and religion.
i wrote the following a while ago, and it describes where i am once again and thought it would be appropriate to share.
doubt chokes me
fills my every waking moment
are you there
do you hear
is it really just emotions
just chemical reactions in my brain
i think i know that you are there
i think i know you are real
i believe…or at least i want to
could you give me a sign
could you give me a touch
could you just let me know you are here
i don’t like being here
i don’t like doubting
i need your reasurrance
i need you
and just as i’m about to let go
you send me a reminder
you send me a word
you whisper in that still small voice
and suddenly i remember
and suddenly i’m refreshed
and suddenly i’m in awe
i’m restored
i believe
i have hope
i’m loved
thank you heavenly Father for your faithfulness
thank you that you never let go
thank you that you keep drawing me nearer
thank you for your restoring power
your love
your peace
thank you for your faithfulness
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This post is part of the One Word at a time blog carnival. Check out more posts on the theme of “Strength” here.
Reads of the week – 2010 – 20
Posted on: June 5, 2010
blogs of the week:
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One word at a time blog carnival: Emptiness (One word at a time – Bridget Chumbley – @bridgetchumbley)
The social media sermon pause (Stuff Christians Like – Jon Acuff – @prodigaljohn)
Worrying too much about trends (Stuff Christians Like – Jon Acuff – @prodigaljohn)
Is church the best place for doubters (O me of little faith – Jason Boyett – @jasonboyett)
On being a stumbling block (O me of little faith – Jason Boyett – @jasonboyett)
The scarlett app (Jesus needs new PR – Matthew Paul Turner – @jesusneedsnewpr)
quotes of the week:
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“All thee cooler than thou, all you rock-throwing pessimists — know this: bitterness does not make you bullet-proof. It just poisons what’s left. Yes, we have problems. But problems are not the end of the story. In the words of Gary Oliver, “Cadavers don’t have problems.” With every God-given breath let us remember: those beneath the gravestones would dream to have problems like ours.” – Jon Foreman
“’These three remain, Faith, Hope, and Love, but the greatest of these is Love.’ This doesn’t mean that God’s Spirit doesn’t empower us to do miracles, but it does mean that the greatest miracle that the Spirit gives us the power to do is the ability to love our enemies, the ones who hurt us and keep on hurting us.” – Nick the Geek
“I dnt like food that is arranged like its about to take a photo shoot.” – NomaTQ (twitter)
finds of the week:
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Jon Foreman’s more accoustic vibes (via mike howell – tumbler)
music video the week:
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Empty me till I’m depleted
Posted on: June 1, 2010
- In: blog carnival | my life
- 4 Comments
“empty me till i’m depleted…i’ve got a plan to lose it all”
those are lyrics from switchfoot’s “the loser”.
while thinking on the word “emptiness”, everything that came to mind was mostly negative. but i listened to that song and thought about the positives of emptiness. i long for emptiness. i long for simplicity. i long for the only thing i live for to be christ. i long to give it all away and cling to him only.
says that in order to follow him we have to be willing to leave behind all we know, all we hold on to, all that we place our trust in, and trust, cling to and hope in him and him alone.
that is super hard to do. it’s super hard to step out of your comfort zones and into the unknown. no matter how much we know that at the end of the day he’s in control and he reigns, we still want that security of things, of money, of our plans – no matter how fickle that security is.
so today i choose to be emptied…of my will, of my pride, of my plans, of everything keeping me from his will.
Lord, empty me till i’m depleted!
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This post is part of the One Word at a time blog carnival. Check out more posts on the theme of “Emptiness” here.
Reads of the week – 2010 – 18
Posted on: May 22, 2010
blogs of the week:
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One word at a time blog carnival: grace (One word at a time – Bridget Chumbley – @bridgetchumbley)
The Christian d-word (The Church of No People – Matt Appling – @MattTCoNP)
Being more than what I can do (Displaying the inner monologue – Sharne Finn – @sharnefinn)
Taking Stuff Christians Like way too seriously (Stuff Christians Like – Jon Acuff – @prodigaljohn)
Is doubt an eraser (O me of little faith – Jason Boyett – @jasonboyett)
There is no such thing as Christian music (Gungor Music – Michael Gungor – @michaelgungor) (via @rash_ferguson – tumblr)
quotes of the week:
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Some people are settlin, some people are settlin down, & some people refuse to settle for anything less than butterflies. (via @khwezimagwaza – twitter)
tattoo of the week:
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http://fuckyeahtattoos.tumblr.com/post/617811223/this-is-my-newest-tat-half-a-heart-piece
…this is one of those songs…
Posted on: May 18, 2010
- In: blog carnival | lyrics | my life | thoughts
- 6 Comments
sometimes i hear a song and i think that song was written specifically for/about me…this is one of those songs. it exactly where i have been for the better part of this year, and it’s so beautifully spells out the grace God has shown me in this time. sometimes love is all that you can cling to. sometimes you need to forget about doing, and forget about what you’ve done, and just be in him…and let his grace, his blood, cover you.
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Healing Begins – Tenth Avenue North
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So you thought you had to keep this up
All the work that you do
So we think that you’re good
And you can’t believe it’s not enough
All the walls you built up
Are just glass on the outside
So let ‘em fall down
There’s freedom waiting in the sound
When you let your walls fall to the ground
We’re here now
This is where the healing begins, oh
This is where the healing starts
When you come to where you’re broken within
The light meets the dark
The light meets the dark
Afraid to let your secrets out
Everything that you hide
Can come crashing through the door now
But too scared to face all your fear
So you hide but you find
That the shame won’t disappear
So let it fall down
There’s freedom waiting in the sound
When you let your walls fall to the ground
We’re here now
We’re here now, oh
This is where the healing begins, oh
This is where the healing starts
When you come to where you’re broken within
The light meets the dark
The light meets the dark
Sparks will fly as grace collides
With the dark inside of us
So please don’t fight
This coming light
Let this blood come cover us
His blood can cover us
This is where the healing begins, oh
This is where the healing starts
When you come to where you’re broken within
The light meets the dark
The light meets the dark
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This post is part of the One Word at a time blog carnival. Check out more posts on the theme of “Grace” here.
