Books

I absolutely love reading. I love reading anything, factual, fictional, fantasy--anything. As a result, I decided I want to start posting on books I love, or don't love, or am indifferent to, whatever I happen to be reading, etc.

I will also say this--I firmly believe that everyone should find time for leisure reading. By this I mean, take time to read something that you are not required to. I always hear people say they "don't have time" or, in school, were required to read and thought it would suffice. I could go on and on about how much reading benefits a person (benefits such as gaining a greater appreciation for those outside of oneself, or even just a better vocabulary), but I will restrain myself.

Just an example: one of my close friends always has claimed to "just not be a reader," and didn't mind not finding the time or desire to sit and read through a 400 page book. Being the obnoxious person I can be, and just knowing this friend so well, and knowing how much she was missing out on, I followed her around with books for a while. I'd place one on her nightstand, her bed, anywhere. It was a bit of a joke for us, but one day she picked up the first Harry Potter book, and it just went from there. I love it! So READ READ READ!




This week, I'm going to put this book up, because I was discussing it with a friend this weekend. My brother recommended it to me in high school, and since then, I've read it multiple times, and it is still just as good. Orson Scott Card is a very intelligent author, and also penned sequels and complimentary novels to this little gem. You can find more information on it here.

I will say though, it is not for everyone, primarily due to its sci-fi nature (I love it though!). If you don't like that genre, just note that it is a very good commentary on society and politics, if you can force yourself to get past the "Nebula Winner" aspect.

Oh yes, Happy Thanksgiving!

Blogs

One of my old friends from college started a blog a few years ago, after she got married. I just wanted to share it with any of you who read this. If you can find the time, it is definitely worth reading through her thoughts and growth as a fellow sister in Christ.

I also wanted to share with you the reasons behind the choosing of the name of this blog. L and I were discussing what we could express in the address, and somehow found the verse posted on the side:

Psalm 34:14

Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

The phrase "seek peace and pursue it" stood out. To me, the word peace can mean many things. It does not necessarily mean political or international peace (though, if you have ever spoken to any of us, this is something we, especially L, feel very strongly about around here), nor does it mean unequivocal tolerance of all ideas, wrong or right. What I am seeking, above all, is God's peace. It is hard to define this, because it is so many things. It is shalom in all its glory. I hope to write more on this in the future, as it is so very important to me. The process of seeking peace is not one easily laid out.

As was stated in the first post, we wanted this to be a place for exchanging stories, ideas, and lessons we have learned. I also want it to be a place of safe discussion, of questions, of doubts, etc. I am the type of person who does indeed find it hard to put into words every single day what I am learning or feeling (the reasons I have never kept a journal consistently). I would love it if this eventually became a place where people who have the same trouble as I do felt free to write in what they have learned (That being said, if anyone would like to do so, please email at seekersofpeace@gmail.com).

Again, I do not claim to have any superior ideas, or methods, or way of life. I'm simply trying to reach out to those who are also seeking God's peace.

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to read my little thoughts!

J

A Favorite Poem

From In Memoriam, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

L.

Be near me when my light is low,
When the blood creeps, and the nerves prick
And tingle; and the heart is sick,
And all the wheels of Being slow.

Be near me when the sensuous frame
Is rack'd with pangs that conquer trust;
And Time, a maniac scattering dust,
And Life, a Fury slinging flame.

Be near me when my faith is dry,
And men the flies of latter spring,
That lay their eggs, and sting and sing
And weave their petty cells and die.

Be near me when I fade away,
To point the term of human strife,
And on the low dark verge of life
The twilight of eternal day.

History

Ok, so yes, this is my own little plug. I could honestly talk about history all day, and am lucky enough to have found friends who feel the same way. Not only is history incredibly important to know and learn, it can be very amusing as well.

I was reminded of this last night while tutoring my eighth-grade student. We spent an hour or so discussing the American Revolution, its impact on the world, and everything that has come from it. The conversation moved from whether or not George Washington actually cut down the cherry tree (he did not) to what it means to have dual citizenship. I love it! And in the wake of the recent election, I am so excited to see what happens next--living and breathing history.

So, perhaps to spread the joy that is history (and by history, I don't just mean boring old dead guys and random dates), I'm recommending checking out The Living Room Candidate. This website gives you a chance to view all of the major political commercials since the election in 1952. When I was in college, I wrote my thesis paper on the impact of a certain political ad from the 1964 election between Barry Goldwater and LBJ (check it out, it's called "The Daisy Girl" or something along those lines). Some of these are hilarious, and give you an idea of the times. It gives you a chance to see history from a different point of view.

Since I could still go on and on, I'll have to cap it here. But check it out--and enjoy!

Funny

I found this article last week, and I thought it was really funny. Check it out if you want!

We are nearing Thanksgiving, I've noticed. I'm not sure where November went. However, more often than not, around this time my friends and I usually start discussing how this country was created--as in, how colonists came in and shoved aside those already native to the land. I understand that history is not black and white, but I do think it is important to remember our true roots while being thankful for all that God has given you, specifically, in life.

I'd like to end this post with a "fantastic" photo:




How ridiculous is that? I can't even begin to start with how funny this is to me. I hope you find it funny, too. Could be just me, though.

Have a wonderful day!

Late Night Musings

There's a reason people keep dream journals. I hear that usually, the best ideas come to people in that state between sleeping and waking. Since it takes me between a half an hour and an hour to fall asleep at night, I spend a lot of time in the "falling asleep" mode, where my brain is slowly shutting down, but in actuality, it is cranking out more ideas than I could think possible.

All this to say, I had a picture come to my mind last night, and I thought I'd share it.

I was thinking of the tendency some people have to be so introverted that they don't see a need to share themselves with those around them, and once that decision is made, it becomes a very careful balancing act. Once someone has set a precedent for him or herself to not be open, that person is viewed a certain way by his or her close friends, and it seems hard to backpedal and become someone who shares once one is viewed as an introvert. If that person spoke out then, it would upset the balance created in the circle of friends.

Let me draw a picture for you. If you can, recall one of those sets where someone sets up a giant domino display, carefully arranging each piece while trying not to knock any over. It's a very delicate, time consuming, careful task. Being an introvert, it seems to me, is like standing in the very middle, surrounded by a circle of five or six friends (or pieces, for this analogy), and knowing that if you make the wrong move, if you breathe wrong, you knock over the piece close to you, and it all goes tumbling down. So to prevent such things from happening, the introvert withdraws, and makes each move with much calculation so as not to upset the balance.

But then it occurred to me--what happens when one of those domino pieces is knocked over? One of two things. First, it very well could wreak havoc on the whole domino picture. One miscalculation, and the entire thing could be ruined, and it will have to be started over.

Or, one move and it could start a chain reaction. Move one domino, and the next falls, and the next, and then the next, etc. Such chain reactions are usually carefully set up to create a wonderful or fun design (like this one).

I remember once a close friend a few years ago told me about a conversation she had with her mother, where she remembered her mother reminding her that "vulnerability begets vulnerability." I think it's true. Just like with the dominoes, being vulnerable with someone allows them to be graciously vulnerable with you, and then with another person, and another, etc. It can create an environment with no hostility, and draw people closer together.

So the next time you are thinking of the risk of making a false move, think not only that you could destroy the balance around you, but that destroying it could possibly be a good thing.

Bowie

Sometimes, the afternoons get a little long, and I just have to put on some David Bowie.

I love David Bowie.

A little of this and that...

If you are ever bored, and are sitting on the good old inter-web, here's some funny sites that I enjoy:

Found Magazine

A collection of interesting scraps of notes, pictures, and other miscellaneous items that people find in parking lots, used books, etc. I can waste a lot of time on this website.

Unnecessary Quotes

Finally! Someone who shares one of my pet peeves--putting quotation marks where they don't belong.

Stuff White People Like

A very funny, well written social commentary. It's very subtle, dry, sarcastic humor, which I think is hilarious.


I recommend checking them out, if you want a laugh. :)

Peace--

J

Different Gods

Ever since I was about fourteen years old, I have been frustrated as I look around American culture at the watered down versions of religion, faith, and God that are so prevalent. Being from the Midwest, I am very familiar with a particular denominational sect in which many churches have diluted the truth of God to become a "welcome all, we are all good, let's have fun together and reassure each other" building. I do not mean that churches should not welcome all, nor that they should cease to assure their members, but there is a difference between doing so out of love and doing so out of denial of who God is. And this is where the problem lies. We have taken the fundamental idea of God, in his truth, and fashioned him to fit our whims and desires. We have set him on a pedestal, but every now and then we take him down and "tweak" out the parts we don't like, slowly reshaping the God who gave us life in the first place. We change him, then replace him on high, saying that it was him all along. We see ourselves as the potter, he as the clay. How can we get this so wrong? This is nothing new, it is what fell Adam and Eve. The desire to be the one in charge, to be God.

This is something that must be addressed, but for the moment, I want to point out the differences between this reshapen God and the God of the Bible. We need to recognize the differences. The change in American religious belief has not come suddenly or with scandal and controversy, it has been accepted little by little and therefore is far more dangerous. In order to point out the differences, I will show you two scenarios. These came to my mind one night as I laid in my bed, unable to sleep, contemplating just what it is I couldn't put my finger on about the differences. Do not all who claim to be Christian believe in the same God?


Scenario One

You know him, you love him. He is your God. This particular day, you are coming before him with sin in your heart. You are not naive enough to believe that we are perfect, and know that "by grace you are saved through faith." You confess your sins to God, and have accepted Christ "as your personal savior." You know that God is bigger and far beyond all of this world, and that he has a plan for you. So today, you are burdened with one particular sin, and desire to be washed free of it, convicted by the Holy Spirit.

You are in a room. It is a comfortable, white, soft, dreamy room. You are waiting to see God. Soft, relaxing music plays through the speakers, relaxing you and calming you, almost drowning out the nagging guilt you hold. Your name is called and you rise up to meet a man in long, white, flowing robes who hugs you and leads you through the door. You recognize this man as Jesus, your savior. He smiles at you, his friend, and is so happy to be with you.

And there he is. Loving, smiling, like a grandfather, waiting with open arms. So often you find comfort in these arms. He smiles lovingly at you.

"Welcome, my child."

You are filled with emotion, and so desire to be rid of your guilt. "God, I am so thankful to you."

"It is nothing, it is nothing my child. I love you, and for that, I would give you anything." He sits calmly by you, emanating love and acceptance. Yet still, it is nagging on you.

"God, I need to confess to you my sins. I have been living my life as--"

He interrupts you. "I've told you, I forgive you. I do not need to hear. You are human, you make mistakes. That is why I have given you my son. I love you just as you are, you are perfect to me because of my son."

You sit for a moment, waiting for relief to wash over you. But it doesn't. "But I need to tell you--"

"My child, I do not remember it. You are one of mine. Be at peace now." He smiles at you once again, and stands. He walks you back to the door, and pats your back reassuringly. "You are doing fine." You are ushered out the door, and see someone else enter. Before the door shuts, you hear God say to the next person, "Welcome, my child....." and the conversation that ensues sounds familiar to your own.

God, the ultimate power in the universe, who is love, has just given you the peace and assurance you ask for. Yet you do not feel better. You want him to know who you are, to look at you as a unique individual, not a member of an entity of family. You feel looked over, ushered through, as though God is fulfilling some sort of contractual obligation to you, and is merely waiting till the time is over, so he can clock out. Yes he is love, and forgives you, but somehow you feel....ordinary.

Scenario Two

You are in a room again, waiting to speak to him. Your Father, your Creator. You again, have come with sin in your heart, feeling horribly guilty. You have followed God, recognized his authority in your life, but you have also slipped up.

A door opens, and Jesus steps out to meet you, and stands between you and God. God is both formidable and loving as he stands. You approach with great awe and reverence. At his side is his son, Jesus, who is at the same time both separate yet entwined with his Father.

God greets you by your name. Immediately, your guilt comes pouring out. God listens intently as you describe each and every way you have disobeyed him. You look into his eyes, which flash of both disappointment and righteous anger at the sin that you have committed. You continue speaking until you are finished. You know that this angers God, and rightfully so. You also see the pain it causes him that you have chosen to disobey him and deny him. Yet still, amazingly, God places his hand upon your head. "I know you struggle with such things. I know your every thought. I know your heart. You are mine." He pulls you off of your feet and looks you in the eye. "Because of my son, you are forgiven." Instantly, you feel whole, and rejoice and praise the Father and the Son. You soak up the grace and gratefulness pours from you heart. You feel loved, and you feel at home. He speaks again, to warn. "You know my Word. Follow it, obey me, and you will live in such joy that you are feeling now. Do not allow this sin to become part of who you are." Both Father and Son are beaming at you, and you continue to speak. You know they both know you infinitely better than you know yourself, and you feel no time constraints as you converse freely, forgiven. Through the strength and peace that God has given you, through Jesus, you feel unique. You feel extraordinary.

As you can guess, this is the God of the Bible. This is the Lord Jesus whom you claim to follow. They do not tolerate sin. While people are born sinful, they can overcome it. This does not mean accept the sin, and then justify yourself and the way you are living your life by changing the very God who gave you that life. God does not change. You know, deep down, what is true.

I personally, would not give any respect or authority to a god who is like that of the first scenario. I would feel alone. Yes, God is love, but he is so many other things than that. He is a jealous God, with righeous wrath. He is not one to be "softened around the edges." I warn you, if you are not living as you know you should--do not go to a God who will simply accept and justify you. Go to the true God, the God who will truly forgive you and accept you as you are, but then give you the strength to become more like his Son.

This country is in trouble. Supposedly a vast majority of Americans claim to be Christian, and even more claim to believe in God. Know what you are claiming. What God do you follow? What God should you follow? There is one right answer, and only one.

A few of my favorite things...

The most delicious salsa! I absolutely love green olives and anything spicy, so stick them together into this wonderful Kramer's Garden Olive Salsa mix, and I am happy. Unfortunately, they only sell it in Iowa, as it is from a private company. It's hard to get ahold of--but well worth it!



This show has been playing in our house lately. Telling the story of the Tudor dynasty in England, it begins with Henry VIII. It is on Showtime, though, so keep that in mind (rating-wise) if you decide to check it out.





I just finished this book. I realize it's probably not the most demanding reading, but it was an interesting topic. Not an easy one, either. It kept me thinking, though.


I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Is anyone surprised?

To quote everyone from last night, it would seem, what an historic night! I'll not say much, simply that as part of a younger generation, it was exciting to witness history in the making. Maybe I'm a huge nerd in that sense, but I like to know that when history books print this, I'll be able to say, "Oh yes! I remember when that happened."

Just kinda cool.

Free Stuff!

Everyone, breathe.

I got up early this morning to vote, as everyone seems to be telling me how voting lines are going to be eight hours long, and since I work until eight tonight, I figured I better get an early start. I made it to my district voting place around 7:45, and stood in line a whopping ten minutes. The atmosphere there was a lot more tense and quiet than the last time I voted.

Now, I realize a lot of people will have to wait in line longer, but seeing as this election seems to have everyone on their toes, I just wanted to remind everyone to breathe.

God is sovereign, and he will place whomever he desires into the position of leadership for this country. As Christians, we need to remember that it is not a life or death situation.

This video says it better than I can.

On a less serious topic, there are many businesses giving out free items today! It was found to be illegal for Starbucks to only give free coffee to those who vote, so they are giving it out to everyone. And because we around here love free stuff, I encourage you to take advantage. :)

Be at peace! God is in control.

Growing Up

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween!

This is something I wrote a few years ago, and am just now finding the courage to post it. For me, putting my thoughts in print, whether in a journal or on here, is very difficult (this is why I own many barely started journals). There's just something about seeing what I actually think exposed in front of me.

So with that intro, here it is.


If you are a close friend of mine, or actually anyone within earshot and who has had the "privilege" of hearing me spout my opinions, you will know that entitlement, specifically in western culture, is something I have chosen to be my own personal battle. For me, it is the core of the apathy and selfishness that keeps people from their Creator.

Specifically, I abhor misplaced entitlement. An example of this is a typical spoiled child. A mother takes her son into a store, and he whines and throws a temper tantrum in various aisles. The mother is embarrassed, and decides to leave the store. Her son sees a toy he wants, and voices his desire. The mother, of course, says no, and the kid throws the king of all hissy fits. Why? He feels entitled to the toy. Does he deserve it? No, but he thinks he does. Therefore, his entitlement is misplaced. If the mother knows what she's doing, she will refuse the child his toy, and take him home. After various scenes like this, her son will learn to grow out of feeling entitled to things he has no business feeling entitled to.

This is what the western world, specifically America, needs to do. Grow up, I mean. I find myself appalled by the behavior of teens, twenty somethings, thirty somethings, middle aged folk, and even the elderly. When it comes down to it, it is childish behavior. I see older, wiser people admonishing those who are younger, only to turn around and act the same way themselves. In fact, it is more aggravating to see those who have lived far longer than me act like children.

Thankfully, God has more patience than I do. He sees us for the children that we are, and loves us anyway. He gently reminds us, like the mother in the store should, that we are misplaced when we feel entitled to anything. He reminds us that everything we have, be it material possessions, relationships, family, our rights, our free will we have only because he chooses it to be so.

Yet many of us, like a spoiled child, grow infuriated at this reminder. We act out more harshly. We deny the very God who created us, and all for what? Our false sense that we deserve what we want? Why do our wants always come first? Should we not expect to get what we deserve, whether or not it is what we want? Who do we think we are? To act as though we are the center of the universe is a far worse slap in the face of God than many other things we can do. Again, this is the very center of the human problem--we place ourselves as most important, at the center of our universe, in essence, as our own personal god. How dare we?

Thank Jesus for bridging us and our God. I wouldn't be able to stand the sight of me.


You who deny him--what is the cost? What are you gaining? A false sense of peace? Of entitlement? Your own personal control? Are you happy? Have you gotten everything you want, or are you waiting for something more to happen? Are you sitting in your middle class home, surrounded by evidence of your intellect and great mind, thinking you have it all? Or have you given up all that, because you can see beyond material possessions, sitting quite proud of yourself because you have proven to be so selfless--but still feel discontent? Do you have more wealth and fame than most in the world, completely zen, yet still feel misplaced somehow? What is the cost?

He is a merciful God, but he is also just, and he will not wait forever. You choose, your misplaced entitlement, your essentially self-worship, which is merely a shadow, or the one true God, the living Jesus, who created you unique and desires you to simply follow him.

I'm afraid you cannot have it both ways, but then again, why would you want to?

Let's grow up.