Patience

What is patience?  According to Dictionary.com, patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.  How many of us really have the true definition of patience.  What is a virtue?  Coming from the same source, a virtue is a behavior showing high moral standards.  I think it is safe to say that patience is a virtue.

Taking the definition for patience word by word, we can see that not only do we have to tolerate a delay, but it has to be without being upset or angry.  Many people have managed to be patient while being impatient.  They can tolerate the delay, but not without complaining and showing their irritation. 

How do we achieve pure patience?  Does it come from experience?  Can it be passed down from generation to generation?  Can it become a habit?  Where does patience begin?  Does it have an end? 

There are so many aspects of patience.  I'm not sure that it is even possible to be patient at all times.  Imagine the most patient person, reacting well in every situation, until the day they just lose control.  We are not perfect human beings.  Only a perfect human could be patient all the time. 

This perspective goes for many characteristics.  Joy, happiness (there is a difference between the two), kindness, gentleness, love, peace, and so on.  We were all created with different characteristics.  Those with kindness may not know how to be happy.  Those who are gentle may not be peaceful. 

For some reason, patience has been on my mind lately.  I guess, before I bought my car, I had to have so much patience.  I knew when I wanted the car but God had other plans.  Boy, am I glad I waited.  The car I have now fits all my needs.  I just had to be patient. 

Big Choices

I bought a car today.  I think I am in shock.  This car belongs to me.  I have never spent so much money on something.  It is so exciting.  I get to personalize it and make it my own. 

I worked a full time job all summer in order to make this purchase.  I planned on buying a car at the end of August.  When August came and went, I realized I was not quite reaching my goal.  I started saving even more.  I barely had any spending money.  Thankfully, I am still living with my parents and have only one bill to pay.  That makes things much easier.

After saving up for so long, it was hard to spend the money.  It took so long to get here and now it's gone.  But, I have to remind myself that it isn't just gone.  I have a car now!  It is so exciting.

Buying this car has matured me.  I have learned so much from this experience.  I learned patience when I was not able to buy a car on my own timing.  I learned to be responsible with my money, to save from my paychecks instead of spend it on things I don't really need. 

I can't wait to vacuum it, fill it up with gas, make it smell good, add my personal touches.  I will never forget today.  I am hoping this car lasts through college.  That is my plan.  I know we will just have to wait and see how it goes.  I need to name my car.  I haven't had it long enough to feel it is is feminine or manly.  I'll let you know what I decide. 

Interests

I have felt God changing my heart lately.  I feel that something big is about to happen and I am being prepared.

I tend to be a worry-wart.  I don't like.  I don't mean to.  It is just part of my personality.  When my little sister is playing outside, I have to check on her every so often to make sure she isn't hurt or was kidnapped.  I always check doors before I go to bed to make sure they are locked.  Of course, worrying can be a good thing.  But, just like so many other things on earth, too much of something good creates something bad. 

Lately, I have not been worried.  I have had this sense of peace that I know could have only come from God.  As I have been searching for a car, I feel a sense of urgency.  Then I realize that God will provide the right car in the right timing.  He has already provided temporary transportation in the meantime. 

When I think about having to check on my little sister playing outside, I stop myself and think.  Do I really need to check on her?  Won't God take care of her?  If, for some reason I would not be aware of, something happened to her, it would all be part of God's plan.

My worrying can be translating to a lack of faith.  I worry because I don't really trust that God is in control.  Well, that's what He has been teaching me.  He is in control.  He made the universe.  He created all that exists, including my brain. 

We trust that a lightbulb will work because we trust that the inventor knew what he was doing.  He created the lightbulb in order to create light form electricity.  Or the microwave.  We trust in the microwave working because we trust the inventor.  How is God any different?  Shouldn't we know life will work out because we trust the inventor of life?

I am being rhetorical.  I am attempting to portray the rampant thoughts running through my brain.  Does this make sense to anyone else?

Sarah Liu's Story Part 2

Once Sarah returned form bible training, she felt a calling from God to serve those who did not yet know Him.  Sarah was arrested once while telling others about God.  Her dad brought her home and tried convincing her stay with him, where she would be safe.  She said no, that she had to go back out to serve God.  She knew that her love for Jesus had to be bigger than her love for her dad.  Her dad was not a Christian and did not understand this.  He disowned her.

Sarah was arrested a second time.  Her dad came to get her.  He still loved her, even though she chose to leave home.  He tried convincing her again, to stay home.  Still, she did not stay home.  She went back out to tell people about GOd.

Sarah was arrested a third time.  This time, she was held hostage.  He feet were shackled.  She was beaten.  She wanted to give up and prayed to God that He would save her form her torture.  As she prayed, her mind saw an image of Jesus when He was beaten and tortured.  His body was bruised and bloody.  He died for her.  Could she not do the same?  This image gave her the courage to stay strong while they continued to hurt her body.

Sarah was released from prison and is back out there, telling people about God.

I have never suffered this kind of persecution for my faith.  Sarah's story taught me many things.  First, I am blessed to live in a country where I can believe in God freely.  Second, I need to be willing to lay down my life for the One that laid His life down for me.  God will provide for me and keep me safe.  But, the day may come where my safety is no longer on earth but in heaven.   

Sarah Liu's Story Part 1

On September 26th, the Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) organization came to Skyline Baptist, my home church.  VOM is a group of people that are willing to assist Christians being persecuted around the world.  On their website you can find their five main purposes for their organization (www.persecution.com). 

I was able to attend this conference and want to share with you what I learned.  There were four speakers.  I was only able to see two of them.  The second speaker , Sarah Liu, is who I want to talk about.

Sarah Liu's family lived in China.  Her mother became the first Christian in her family.  She would pray with tears every day for her family to believe what she believed.  Sarah was not interested in her mother's new-found relationship with God.  Sarah passed the test to enter college but her family had no money for her to go to school.  Sarah was very upset and depressed that she could not continue her education.

Sarah was invited to a party by her extended family.  The party was three hours away form her home and did not start until 10:00 at night.  She was very confused as to why the party started so late at night.  She wondered, "What kind of party is this?".  The party ended up being three days long.  It was full of prayer and worship for Jesus Christ.  During this party is when Sarah met Jesus for the first time.  This is when she truly understood what it meant to believe in God and know Jesus.

Her old dream to go to college changed when she became a Christian.  She no longer wished to go to school.  Now, she dreamed of serving Christ the rest of her life.  Her mother was able to send her to a three month long bible training.  During those three months, Sarah learned about the four Gospel books. 

???

I turned in my paper for English a few days ago.  I had to pick one thing I believe in and write about that belief and my reasons behind believing.  Then, the four other people in my writing group had to respond to my paper and critique it.  Not to tear it apart, but to help me make it better.

I chose to write on modesty, the important role it plays in my life, and why I believe in being modest.  One person in particular was very blunt when responding to my thoughts.  I am having a hard time breaking down my defenses.  I just recently wrote about taking criticism.  I am not supposed to take it personally, but use their responses to better my paper.

Now, here I am, struggling to find what I can take from his responses to make my paper better.  I understand that I believe in something unique, something out-of-the-blue.  Not very many people will agree with me.  That makes it hard for those people to respond in a positive way.  I get that, I really do.  But, with all that being said, I now have to find a way to use this person's semi--harsh comments to enhance my writings.

I chose this topic because I have strong feelings about being modest.  It is an important part of my life.  So, I was anticipated to hear what others would say about it.  I knew that not everyone would agree.  I understood that it is a rare belief these days.  I did not expect harsh responses, just disagreements.  I definitely got a little bit of both.  So, now my goal is to use the comments, both good and bad, and better my writing.  It may be a challenge, but I believe it will help me as a writer. 

See You at the Pole 2015

This morning, thousands of students around the country gathered around their school's flag pole to pray for America.  That is powerful.

This event started in 1990.  In 2005, it was recorded that over two million students showed up around the country to pray.

Every 23rd of September, this prayer event takes place.  It has changed lives.  Why is this event so powerful?

God has given humans the opportunity to pray.  When we pray God's will, we are releasing His will on earth.  It is already ready in heaven.  Our prayers activate it.  This is not because of any power we have.  We are the ones praying, not because God needs us to but because He chose to need us to pray.

How awesome is that?  God chose to need us.  It is such a humbling thought.  It makes it easier to remember that we are not using our power.  God is using His power through us.

I can't imagine not having the gift of prayer.  It is truly an amazing thing to experience.  We have the chance to talk to God, the Creator of the Universe, the Lord of all the earth, the Mighty Judge, and Savior of the World.  There is not much better than this gift!

Our country is in need of prayer.  America has changed drastically over the years, decades, centuries.  We are not the same country as when the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution was written.  It is no longer a Christian-based country.  We still have freedoms, but they seem to be shrinking day by day. 

America needs prayer.  We should be praying for America every day.  This event is not the one time a year we should pray for our country, but a time to get with everyone else, across the states, and pray. 

My Home Makes Me Think Of...

1) My family

Where my family is is where my home is.  We have moved several times throughout my childhood.  My house itself has not been consistent.  But, my home is always the same.  I come home.  I relax.  I cry.  I scream.  I hug.  I eat.  I sleep.  I go to the bathroom.  I do everything at home.  Can I do these things elsewhere?  Sure, I can.  Does it give me the same feelings as at home?  Of course not.  There is an atmosphere my home offers that is not found anywhere else.   

2) My dog

He is an inside dog.  He has three favorite spots in the house.  Coming home, I know I will find him in one of these spots.  Most of that time, he is too lazy to meet me at the door.

3) Food

I really love food.  Especially when my entire family is home and we all eat together.  We talk lots over our meals.  It ranges from plans being made to theology.  There is no limit to the topics we cover.  My mom cooks for us.  When she has to work late, I cook and it's ready by the time she comes home.

4) Sleeping

My mattress is old.  It's not comfortable.  But, it's still my mattress.  I still sleep on it every night.  I've screamed on it.  I've cried on it.  Many, many years ago, I wet it.  It is an object of many memories. 


I could go through many objects in my house that make me think of home.  All my furniture, my clothes, the walls.  It is all associated with one memory or another.  Eventually I will not have all the stuff I have now.  They are just objects.  They'll break or get thrown away.  I have to anchor my home in something permanent.  Which is why my family is my number one thought when I think about home. 

More Thoughts on The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore

We are half way through reading The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore.  I find it hard to set the book down.  I am scared to keep reading about Wes Moore going to jail and not escaping.  I am excited to read about Wes Moore finding his purpose in life and leaving his bad childhood behind him.

These characters have captured my thoughts.  I wonder what it would be like it I grew up in the same neighbor they did.  I cannot imagine living in fear every day.  I am curious why it was so hard to leave their home.  Why didn't their families pack up and move somewhere safer?  Maybe it was a lot harder for them then it seems.  It seems easy to me, but I am not the one that has to actually do it. 

I wish there was a book from the mothers' points of view.  Mary and Joy suffered plenty with their children's behavior.  I'm sure both mothers felt they didn't do a good enough job raising their sons.  In reality, their sons rejected their mother's warning.  At the same time, both Wes Moore's favorite people were their mothers.  Mary and Joy may not have felt loved, but were both loved and relied on very much.


For Wes, his life was changed when he was sent to military school.  He matured there.  He was shaped into a responsible, respectable man.  For the other Wes, he never had to opportunity to mature.  He never left the bad influences in his life long enough to mature.  He had chances.  They both did.  One Wes took the chance to change.  The other Wes ignored the opportunity.  Was it his fault he ended up in jail?  I would say so.  Should he blame himself?  I would.  Has jail changed him?  I hope so.

Taking Criticism

Someone in my English class wrote this in her paper.

"I learned that I didn't have to believe what they said, because I have a mind of my own." 

This is a beautiful statement.  If only everyone was able to grasp this concept.  

We are individuals.  We have our own brains.  We are in control of whether or not other people affect us.  People act as if they have control over us.  In reality, we give them the control.  

We are our own critics.  Isn't that how the saying goes?  Well, I can't think of one thing wrong with this.  Whether we are conscious of it or not, we are deciding whose opinion matters to us.  Their thoughts enter into our brain and two things happen.  It either

Just like people can't  control us, we can't control people.  They will say crazy things.  They will insult and compliment.  They have the opportunity to chance our opinions.  But we have the power to reject that.  

At the same time, negative feedback can make us stronger.  We can take what we hear and work towards fixing that.  What may sound like an insult at first is really helping us shape ourselves into something better.  

Where is the happy medium between rejecting unwanted criticism and using the negative opinions of others to help ourselves?  How can we find this middle?

Here is something I think we could do...


I believe some things are meant to be ignored.  Don't ponder every insult to the point that you are hurting yourself by repeating the insults.  But, if something is sticking with you, and you can't seem to shake it, think on it, write it down and journal your thoughts.  Look at it from multiple angles to see if there is anything you can take from it to help yourself out.  We may be able to take people's thoughts and turn them into motivational tidbits.  We can even be crazy and thank the people after they insult us.  They will think we're going insane, but we can laugh and move on.

This I Believe Essay Draft

            I watched as his eyes traveled along her body.  Her long legs were accentuated by her short shorts.  Her low cut shirt swung down when she bent over so you could see her belly button.  His wife, who was sitting next to him, didn't notice his lingering glare.  Desire for this beautiful stranger danced in his eyes.  The young girl was oblivious to his stares.

Witnessing this event was shocking.  A grown man found this young girl attractive.  Why is that?  She showed her entire body to him.  There was almost nothing left of her that we did not see.  She managed to wear clothes and still be practically naked.

My parents have raised me to dress modestly.  For the longest time, modesty was a set of rules.  Shorts had to be this long.  Shirts had to go up this high.  I couldn't wear this.  I couldn't wear that.  Not until years later did modesty become a conviction, a way of living, a matter of the heart.

I discovered my conviction for modesty after witnessing the scenario I just mentioned.  The young girl's inappropriate clothing caused the married man to look at her body with sinful desires.  I am a firm believer in Jesus Christ.  Stemming from that belief is the belief that the Bible is true and inerrant.  Matthew 5:28 states, "...anyone who looks after a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."  Jesus says that adultery does not have to be physical in order to be a sin.  Lusting after someone is committing adultery at the heart.  This does not apply solely to men.  Women can also fall into temptation of lust.  Our culture makes it very easy for anyone to engage in sinful behavior.  Our world shows that it is okay for people to lust after other people, at any stage of their life, married or not.  Let me clarify that a man lusting after his wife is not a sin, for they are already married.  In the context of marriage, lust is not a sin. 

Although women do lust, men are typically the ones that fall into this.  Why men?  Women wear clothing that show their body parts.  It is easy for men to find a woman physically attractive when women are making it impossible to see past their outward appearance.

Growing up dressing modestly has taught me the importance of what's inside a person.  When I dress modestly, I am covering my body from men.  This way they can see who I am internally: my personality and character.  They aren't distracted by anything on the outside and can focus solely on the inside.  When a man starts to pursue me, I know that it is for my heart, not my body.  I hope they do find me attractive, but in a pure way.

Modesty does not just mean how I dress but also means having a modest heart.  Even with modest clothes on, I could still find ways to flirt or flaunt my body in an inappropriate way.  With a modest heart, I am not interested in doing this.  I am more interested in serving Christ.  A pure heart allows me to do that without the distractions of other men.  Living modestly prevents others from sinning from my errors.  If a man was to sin by lusting after my modestly dressed body, I would not be to blame.  I have done my job of dressing modestly.  Now it is their job to guard their hearts from lustful thoughts. 

Modesty has changed my life.  Covering my body in appropriate clothes has built up my self-esteem.  I am not concerned about looking good enough to show my entire leg or my midriff.  I don’t have to fit into tight clothes.  I can be comfortable with my body by dressing comfortable.  I still have issues with my body.  There are still days I don’t like the way I look.  But, no one else’s opinion matters to me.  Only God’s opinion matters.  I dress myself daily in order to gain His approval.  How would He want me to dress?  Striving for His approval is another way to ward off negative thoughts.  God will never let me down.  Humans will.  People make mistakes.  They aren’t always reliable or trustworthy.  They change.  God never changes. 

It is not easy to dress modestly in a world like ours, where all the stores sell clothes I would never wear.  Because of it being more of a challenge, it is more fun to succeed.  I feel that I have accomplished much, managing to cover most of my body while still looking attractive.  I enjoy putting outfits together that are pretty and mature while being modest at the same time.  Modesty is an art form.  Since the stores don’t have much to offer for a modest girl, I have to work with what they do offer and create a modest outfit.  I have to adapt to our culture.  I do not cave in and give up. 

I am a leader in my church’s youth group.  Young girls look up to me.  They watch my actions, listen to my words, and observe my clothes.  I do not say this to elevate my decision, but to draw attention to the importance of my role in their lives.  I was once their age.  I was influenced by older girls I know: good and bad.  The way my mentors spoke, acted, and dressed played a role in the way I speak, act, and dress.  I understand the power of a mentor.  Therefore, I strive to be the best influence I can be.  I use my words to build people up, instead of tearing people down.  I use my actions to show my love for Christ by helping others and being selfless.  I use my clothes to be modest.  I show other girls that modesty is a challenge, but a worth-while challenge.  Modesty is not the easiest way to dress, but the more Christ-like way to dress.  Modesty is not the most convenient way to dress, but worth the struggle.

All in all, modesty has gone from a dreadful set of rules to an enjoyable way of the heart.  I have fallen more in love with God because of living modestly.  I do not have to worry about my body, therefore I can fully focus on God.  My conviction to be modest has not stemmed as much from my parents as it has my mentors.  It is easy to forget that parents do things out of love, so a set of rules makes me want to rebel.  But, when I notice other girls following the rules my parents gave me, I realized the importance of modesty. 

I have never regretted my decision to be modest.  I am so thankful I had the influences I did, because, without them, I would not be who I am today. 

 

Remebering 9/11

To those who lost someone September 11, 2001.

I cannot begin to imagine what you have had to go through these past fourteen years.  Not only do you remember every year on that day but the entire country remembers.  Even those that were blessed to not lose anyone still feels the pain you are suffering. 

You may have lost someone trying to save others.  It may have been someone coming home from work.  It may have been someone going on vacation.  It may have been someone going to work.  It could have been anyone.  Did you get to say goodbye?

America has done a good job ensuring no one ever forgets that day.  It is a reminder for those who did not lose anyone to take a moment and comfort those who did lose someone.  Maybe, these annual reminders are not good for the ones that did loose someone.  You don't need a reminder.  You remember every day.  You live without that person.  You grow without that person. 

America has worked diligently to increase safety because of this event occurring.  Since 9/11 we have not had an attack that big.  We have managed to protect our country from suffering another lost like this.  Are we doing all we can do?  Is there something we can be doing better to prevent another attack?

I did not lose someone so all I can do is encourage you.  I can only pretend I know what you have had to go through.  Anger.  Bitterness.  Grief.  Sorrow.  Regrets.  I know those feelings individually but not together like you do.

What do you do to encourage others?  You are able to connect more because you know how it feels.  Since this event, what has changed in your life for the better?  How has this loss shaped you into the person you are today?