The semester is finally coming to an end and I could not be happier! This has been a very difficult semester for me, both with school and my personal life. I have learned so many things and grown in so many ways. This class specifically has helped me grow. I have learned how to think on my feet when the deadline is coming and I have no story and I have learned just how important it is to not procrastinate! I have always had a major problem with that. *Hence why I’m writing this blog so early, haha* I think it is mostly because in high school I never did any studying and would get A's and last year at CBU I again never did any studying and waited until the night before to write my papers and I would still get A's. But, after being in this class I have learned the importance of not doing that. I have also learned how much fun the interviewing process can be. I very much enjoyed going out and finding people and in some cases totally hunting them down and facebook stalking, haha. It was an interesting experience, but cool none the less. The interviews were fun and light-hearted which was really cool. I also loved having the opportunity to write my stories any way I want. I love being creative and it was awesome getting to play with my creative writing a bit. Working with people has also been a good experience and a big motivation to get my work done because of the fact that I have people depending on me. All in all it has been an awesome semester and I am looking forward to what else I have to learn by being in yearbook next semester. :)
*Posted for credit for JRN 212
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Such a little phrase... yet so much meaning
I was asked by Mocha Club to write about the concept of why ‘I need Africa more than Africa needs me.’ Mocha Club [www.mochaclub.org] is a community-based website where members can start a team and invite friends to join them in giving $7 a month – the cost of 2 mochas – to support a project in Africa. Mocha Club's vision is to provide a way for people who don't have hundreds or thousands of dollars to make a difference in Africa.
“I need Africa more than Africa needs me.”
The first time I heard that phrase it didn’t hit me any special way at all. But then the words “extra credit” came up and it suddenly had my attention. I’m ALWAYS down for extra credit! So, I scribbled down the sentence and shoved it in my binder and went about my merry way forgetting about it until today…. the deadline. That happens so often it seems. I’m so drowned by life and just keep going from one thing to the next and not ever getting anything done till the last second. It’s not out of choice, but such is life I suppose. I believe I have gone far off topic, so let’s see if I can get myself back on track here… oh, yes, Africa. It seems like such a simple phrase… “I need Africa more than Africa needs me.”…. but what does that really mean? How does it really hit you? Does it even strike you at all? It didn’t strike me at first, but then I found myself fighting with this in my mind. And I realized something; I am a very selfish person. I am so caught up in MY life and what I’M doing and what I need. Everything is about ME. And even when it’s not about me specifically, life keeps me so busy that I never have time to see outside my little bubble. How does that happen? How do we allow ourselves to even have a bubble? I think this little phrase has opened my eyes to so much. It showed me what I am not really seeing and what Ireally need to see. I NEED Africa MORE than it needs me. Even then that sounds so selfish… I think I have a lot more to think about when it comes to this topic... I feel another blog coming on in the near future...
Share your thoughts in my comments, and even blog about it yourself. Join in the worthwhile cause of recasting the damaging images that force pity over partnership. Come back Dec 1st to see what Mocha Club is doing about reforming that image.
*Posted for credit for JRN 212
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Ramblings of an equestrian
http://www.carolynresnickblog.com/
http://gentlenaturalhorseman.blogspot.com/2008/10/horse-training-cues.html
http://eventing-blog.com/
Nothing beats the rush of galloping down the final turn of the course, the sound of each stride hitting the powdered dirt below you, hearing every huff and puff leading up to that last jump and the ever so flawless take off and smooth landing of eventing.
Equestrians don’t quite have the spotlight they used to, which is quite a shame. I was one of these eloquent athletes for quite some time. Waking up at five a.m. to feed my furry friend then heading back out again at seven or so to do morning lounges and warms ups, dressage and ground training in the afternoon and finishing the day off with a quick run or two around the cross country and stadium jumping courses was my routine it seemed, and I was quite happy with that. The different styles of training always intrigued me. Everyone did things so differently. Some, such as myself, used the natural approach when it came to working with these heavenly creatures. Being firm and letting it be known that you are in control is vital when working with a 1300 pound animal under you or at your side, but it can very quickly become a power struggle and many people take advantage of that power in some not so great ways. Some are straight up abusive.
The natural approach is much more time consuming, but better for both you and your beloved friend in the end. After the training I did with my horse I am able to just turn my head and he will go that way. I don’t even use a bit when I ride anymore, I’ve found that it makes the horse happier and when your horse is happy he’s much more willing to do what you ask of him. I don’t understand why people would choose to use such harsh bits and at time put chains in them as well. They say it gives you more control, but really you shouldn’t have to use that much to get a horse to do what you ask of him.
Another way trainers have gone too far has been in the way they do their work outs. So many people over work theirs horses. Some do it out of selfishness because they have not gotten their fix of horse riding in for the day, while their horse is sitting there foaming and huffing and puffing because of all the strenuous work. Others do it out of nothing more than a power trip. This is so incredibly dangerous for the horse and in some cases that rider. The horse’s muscles can only take so much before they risk injury. So many needless injuries occur and it’s such a shame knowing they can all be avoided.
I seem to be ranting on about this and I think I have said quite enough for now. Plus, it’s late and I’m tired. So, this is the end of this little segment. You will be hearing more in the future on horses and training for sure, it’s a passion of mine and I’m so sad that I have had to give it up. I was training with some of the top trainers in the United States to be in the national circuit, and to know that I was that close and forced to back out do to injury is heartbreaking. But, God has a different path for me and I’m excited to see what exactly that is. :)
*Posted for credit for JRN 212
http://gentlenaturalhorseman.blogspot.com/2008/10/horse-training-cues.html
http://eventing-blog.com/
Nothing beats the rush of galloping down the final turn of the course, the sound of each stride hitting the powdered dirt below you, hearing every huff and puff leading up to that last jump and the ever so flawless take off and smooth landing of eventing.
Equestrians don’t quite have the spotlight they used to, which is quite a shame. I was one of these eloquent athletes for quite some time. Waking up at five a.m. to feed my furry friend then heading back out again at seven or so to do morning lounges and warms ups, dressage and ground training in the afternoon and finishing the day off with a quick run or two around the cross country and stadium jumping courses was my routine it seemed, and I was quite happy with that. The different styles of training always intrigued me. Everyone did things so differently. Some, such as myself, used the natural approach when it came to working with these heavenly creatures. Being firm and letting it be known that you are in control is vital when working with a 1300 pound animal under you or at your side, but it can very quickly become a power struggle and many people take advantage of that power in some not so great ways. Some are straight up abusive.
The natural approach is much more time consuming, but better for both you and your beloved friend in the end. After the training I did with my horse I am able to just turn my head and he will go that way. I don’t even use a bit when I ride anymore, I’ve found that it makes the horse happier and when your horse is happy he’s much more willing to do what you ask of him. I don’t understand why people would choose to use such harsh bits and at time put chains in them as well. They say it gives you more control, but really you shouldn’t have to use that much to get a horse to do what you ask of him.
Another way trainers have gone too far has been in the way they do their work outs. So many people over work theirs horses. Some do it out of selfishness because they have not gotten their fix of horse riding in for the day, while their horse is sitting there foaming and huffing and puffing because of all the strenuous work. Others do it out of nothing more than a power trip. This is so incredibly dangerous for the horse and in some cases that rider. The horse’s muscles can only take so much before they risk injury. So many needless injuries occur and it’s such a shame knowing they can all be avoided.
I seem to be ranting on about this and I think I have said quite enough for now. Plus, it’s late and I’m tired. So, this is the end of this little segment. You will be hearing more in the future on horses and training for sure, it’s a passion of mine and I’m so sad that I have had to give it up. I was training with some of the top trainers in the United States to be in the national circuit, and to know that I was that close and forced to back out do to injury is heartbreaking. But, God has a different path for me and I’m excited to see what exactly that is. :)
*Posted for credit for JRN 212
Monday, October 13, 2008
A Blog About Andrew
So, as I sit in the Angelos office thinking of something to blog about (I hate blogging!) a good friend and fellow work partner Andrew Hochradel wonders into the office to finish up some designing work for the yearbook. Upon asking him what I should write my blog about he responded with himself. So, I am going to do just that.
Andrew and I have been friends since the first day of orientation freshman year. He was one of the first people I met and one of the few I've stayed close to. We've grown quite close and have so many awesome memories together because, well, he's crazy and always has something fun to say. We're Disneyland buddies and go as often as possible. Last year we went three times a week! The business of this semester has put those trips on hold though, which is in fact quite tragic. Through our many adventures together I have gotten the opportunity of meeting people from his life back home in Sacramento and he has had the same opportunity with my world. His parents are freaking awesome and totally love me, which is great. He jokes about how they care more about me than him because when they call they'll ask how I'm doing, what's new, and whether I'll be here when they come down to visit so we can go to dinner. Andrew laughs and is like "They don't even care! I'm sitting here like thanks dad, I'm good too!"
Haha, yep. So that's my blog, kinda lame, just like Andrew ;) Haha, just kidding. He's quite awesome and a great designer, so if you need help with your pages, he's the one to go to!
*Posted for credit for JRN 212
Andrew and I have been friends since the first day of orientation freshman year. He was one of the first people I met and one of the few I've stayed close to. We've grown quite close and have so many awesome memories together because, well, he's crazy and always has something fun to say. We're Disneyland buddies and go as often as possible. Last year we went three times a week! The business of this semester has put those trips on hold though, which is in fact quite tragic. Through our many adventures together I have gotten the opportunity of meeting people from his life back home in Sacramento and he has had the same opportunity with my world. His parents are freaking awesome and totally love me, which is great. He jokes about how they care more about me than him because when they call they'll ask how I'm doing, what's new, and whether I'll be here when they come down to visit so we can go to dinner. Andrew laughs and is like "They don't even care! I'm sitting here like thanks dad, I'm good too!"
Haha, yep. So that's my blog, kinda lame, just like Andrew ;) Haha, just kidding. He's quite awesome and a great designer, so if you need help with your pages, he's the one to go to!
*Posted for credit for JRN 212
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Recent Small Group Topic
A common topic in my life recently has been the ever popular questions on dating. I have had so many conversations with friends and family and have had to deal with this topic recently in my life as well. After having these conversations I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and have so many ideas going in circles in my head that I thought it’d be best to just write them all out somewhere. It is something in which I am very passionate about and have very strong feelings about, so I am going to share my thoughts. And don’t worry, I’ll attempt to make my thoughts appear in order and actually make sense, hehe. By the way, this is geared more towards high school since I am a jr. high/ high school leader at my church and I’ve been talking with my girls about this recently.
Society has such a messed up view on dating. So many people think “Oh, he looks good in his Hollister clothes and has some money…. That’s good enough for me.” or “She looks fine in her baby gap clothes… that’s good enough for me.” This is absolutely ridiculous; have some standards!! Guys need to have a girl they can look to who has good Godly characteristics that they can measure girls up to. And girls need to have a Godly man in their life that they can look up to as well who has good Godly characteristics. We all need SOMEONE to look to and say “you know what, that’s what I want, that’s what I need in a person to date.” Don’t let society dictate to you who or how to date. If you want to do dating right you should be doing it by God’s standards and you should realize that it isn’t about who or how you date. Dating is about WHO YOU ARE and that determines who and how you date.
So many people end up in nightmares relationships and blame the other person when really it isn’t the other person’s fault at all. It’s your fault, you chose them. And it’s interesting how almost always the reason the relationship is jacked up and your spending every night crying over your relationship is because it does not involve God. Another big reason relationships fail or have major issues is because they are not following what God said in 2 Corinthians 6:14. Christ would NEVER pair a Christian with a non Christian, so neither should you. This cancels out “missionary dating” immediately. I have known several people who have been involved in missionary dating and it always has ended badly. The reason for this, to me, is that it is because you have the wrong motives for the person’s salvation and you are both going separate ways spiritually. Until you are a Christian the bible says you are spiritually dead. How can someone who is living for God grow in their walk when they are carrying dead weight with them? Which brings me to another point, just because you’re both Christians does not mean it’s okay to date. You must be on the same level spiritually and going the same way. Picture it like this, you have a rope which ties you to the other person, kinda like in a three-legged race. You are bound to one another in this relationship, but one of you is a “baby Christian” and just starting on your walk with God while the other is more “seasoned”. The baby Christian will hold the more seasoned Christian back because where one is going the other cannot follow; they are not at that level in their walk yet, get it? One is chasing after the Lord while the other is holding them back. So the question to ask before dating someone is, do your desires for God match?
When to date is another big question. I have seen so many 12 and 13 year olds complaining that their parents won’t let them have a boyfriend. Well, you know what, maybe you should be able to spell boy and girl before you date. And even in high school I see how dating can be seen as a waste of time, money, and putting both you and someone else in needless temptation. Song of Solomon 2:8 talks about not awakening love before it so desires. I know many of you are probably thinking “If I don’t date I will never find ‘the one’.” This is not true. Have you ever heard of faith in God that He will bring that person to you? And in fact if you are not dating and making yourself so available it may make it that much more clear when “the one” comes into your life.
What if everything you knew about dating was wrong? What if everything you’ve been doing and has been taught is wrong? Would you be willing to change it and makes things right before God? I very firmly believe that if you honor God, God will honor you. So would you be willing to change what you’re doing? How you date? My thoughts on dating have always been a little different, as most of you know. I see group dating as a better alternative for the stage of life that I am currently in. Personally I do not see anything that you can’t do in a group date that you either shouldn’t be doing or might be tempted to do if you were one on one. You still spend time with that person and still get to talk, and it protects you from needless temptation. When you do things one on one as society tells you are playing with fire. And 99% of the time, fire does burn you. Proverbs 16:18. Don’t get into a place of “couple comfort” where you are just all over one another Don’t swallow what the world tells you to do, think for yourself and line it up with God’s word. That’s not to say that I disagree with one on one time altogether, though. I think that is a very vital part in building your relationship with the other person, so alone time is important. I just do not think it should be in excess.
Finally, what should you do and how should you act on a date? First, guys MUST be very careful about what they say. Girls take things so much more seriously and different definitions about words than guys do. So, be especially careful about using the “L” word. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. You must also watch what you do physically. Physically, you are not made to stop once you start down a path. So, save yourself the trouble and just don’t even go there. Set up standards BEFORE you enter into a relationship. And if you’re really committed, write them down. And the second one of those standards is broken, the relationship is off because trust has been violated. Always remember on a date, it’s not “How far can I go?” but rather “How pure can I be?”. And remember, one can always lose, but never return to innocence. You should treat everyone you date as if they are your own brother or sister. 1Timothy 5:12. Let’s say you and your family were all having dinner and talking about your day and then suddenly, you slip your hand over on top of your sister’s thigh…. Is that jacked up in your head? It should be! That is exactly how it should be on a date you are not to treat them any different than you would your sister or brother. And be careful because you’re probably dating someone else’s husband or wife. So treat them how you would want someone to treat your future husband or wife. Please God with every one of your actions and keep Him at the center of your relationship.
Well, there you have it, just a few things that have been on my mind recently. I’m sorry if it’s kinda chaotic…
Society has such a messed up view on dating. So many people think “Oh, he looks good in his Hollister clothes and has some money…. That’s good enough for me.” or “She looks fine in her baby gap clothes… that’s good enough for me.” This is absolutely ridiculous; have some standards!! Guys need to have a girl they can look to who has good Godly characteristics that they can measure girls up to. And girls need to have a Godly man in their life that they can look up to as well who has good Godly characteristics. We all need SOMEONE to look to and say “you know what, that’s what I want, that’s what I need in a person to date.” Don’t let society dictate to you who or how to date. If you want to do dating right you should be doing it by God’s standards and you should realize that it isn’t about who or how you date. Dating is about WHO YOU ARE and that determines who and how you date.
So many people end up in nightmares relationships and blame the other person when really it isn’t the other person’s fault at all. It’s your fault, you chose them. And it’s interesting how almost always the reason the relationship is jacked up and your spending every night crying over your relationship is because it does not involve God. Another big reason relationships fail or have major issues is because they are not following what God said in 2 Corinthians 6:14. Christ would NEVER pair a Christian with a non Christian, so neither should you. This cancels out “missionary dating” immediately. I have known several people who have been involved in missionary dating and it always has ended badly. The reason for this, to me, is that it is because you have the wrong motives for the person’s salvation and you are both going separate ways spiritually. Until you are a Christian the bible says you are spiritually dead. How can someone who is living for God grow in their walk when they are carrying dead weight with them? Which brings me to another point, just because you’re both Christians does not mean it’s okay to date. You must be on the same level spiritually and going the same way. Picture it like this, you have a rope which ties you to the other person, kinda like in a three-legged race. You are bound to one another in this relationship, but one of you is a “baby Christian” and just starting on your walk with God while the other is more “seasoned”. The baby Christian will hold the more seasoned Christian back because where one is going the other cannot follow; they are not at that level in their walk yet, get it? One is chasing after the Lord while the other is holding them back. So the question to ask before dating someone is, do your desires for God match?
When to date is another big question. I have seen so many 12 and 13 year olds complaining that their parents won’t let them have a boyfriend. Well, you know what, maybe you should be able to spell boy and girl before you date. And even in high school I see how dating can be seen as a waste of time, money, and putting both you and someone else in needless temptation. Song of Solomon 2:8 talks about not awakening love before it so desires. I know many of you are probably thinking “If I don’t date I will never find ‘the one’.” This is not true. Have you ever heard of faith in God that He will bring that person to you? And in fact if you are not dating and making yourself so available it may make it that much more clear when “the one” comes into your life.
What if everything you knew about dating was wrong? What if everything you’ve been doing and has been taught is wrong? Would you be willing to change it and makes things right before God? I very firmly believe that if you honor God, God will honor you. So would you be willing to change what you’re doing? How you date? My thoughts on dating have always been a little different, as most of you know. I see group dating as a better alternative for the stage of life that I am currently in. Personally I do not see anything that you can’t do in a group date that you either shouldn’t be doing or might be tempted to do if you were one on one. You still spend time with that person and still get to talk, and it protects you from needless temptation. When you do things one on one as society tells you are playing with fire. And 99% of the time, fire does burn you. Proverbs 16:18. Don’t get into a place of “couple comfort” where you are just all over one another Don’t swallow what the world tells you to do, think for yourself and line it up with God’s word. That’s not to say that I disagree with one on one time altogether, though. I think that is a very vital part in building your relationship with the other person, so alone time is important. I just do not think it should be in excess.
Finally, what should you do and how should you act on a date? First, guys MUST be very careful about what they say. Girls take things so much more seriously and different definitions about words than guys do. So, be especially careful about using the “L” word. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. You must also watch what you do physically. Physically, you are not made to stop once you start down a path. So, save yourself the trouble and just don’t even go there. Set up standards BEFORE you enter into a relationship. And if you’re really committed, write them down. And the second one of those standards is broken, the relationship is off because trust has been violated. Always remember on a date, it’s not “How far can I go?” but rather “How pure can I be?”. And remember, one can always lose, but never return to innocence. You should treat everyone you date as if they are your own brother or sister. 1Timothy 5:12. Let’s say you and your family were all having dinner and talking about your day and then suddenly, you slip your hand over on top of your sister’s thigh…. Is that jacked up in your head? It should be! That is exactly how it should be on a date you are not to treat them any different than you would your sister or brother. And be careful because you’re probably dating someone else’s husband or wife. So treat them how you would want someone to treat your future husband or wife. Please God with every one of your actions and keep Him at the center of your relationship.
Well, there you have it, just a few things that have been on my mind recently. I’m sorry if it’s kinda chaotic…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
