Welcome to Ireland, Kat.

Let's just talk about wifi for a minute. Wifi in Ireland is available pretty much everywhere. You can get wifi for free in restaurants, the airport, and even on buses! But do you know where you can't get wifi? Our hotel room, our tour bus, and the Cliffs of Moher. And do you know where I was when I needed wifi? Our tour bus and the Cliffs of Moher. You see, our American credit card is extremely helpful to have with us so we can pay for things... unless we can't pay by card. And then, well, the card isn't so helpful. So, you know, we needed to call home to get the pin for the card.

So there I am at the Cliffs of Moher, where the free wifi doesn't work, and the buses are coming and going. I logged onto wifi from some bus and spent probably 2 or 3 minutes filling in the log-in form just to connect. Once I was online, I pulled up Skype, dialed the number, and called. Just as John answered the phone, guess what happened. No, really, guess.

The bus drove away.

I finally get through on the phone and the bus is driving away.

Really??

So there I am at the Cliffs of Moher, chasing after a tour bus so that I don't lose my wifi connection, yelling into my phone, "John? John!? It's Kat! Hello!?" and then the connection was gone.

So there I am at the Cliffs of Moher, trying desperately to find another wifi source. I found another bus, logged on, and called again, this time actually getting through and getting the pin number! We went inside to the ATM and slid in the card, put in the pin, and selected a withdrawal... only to find that the pin was wrong.

Awesome.

So there I am at the Cliffs of Moher, once again stalking tour buses to find a good wifi connection, logging into servers only to have them drive away. Stupid mobile technology.

When I finally got through to John again, he gave me the pin number, and I literally jumped for joy. But then... wait for it... he asked me questions. And I answered them. And I forgot the pin.

I. forgot. the stupid. pin.

Seriously!?!?

So there I am at the Cliffs of Moher, wandering through the parking lot trying to find another bus with wifi, all while still not having the pin and not seeing the stupid freaking Cliffs of Moher! There I am at the Cliffs of Moher, and I haven't even seen the cliffs. And we can't get money off our card.

So many times the buses drove off, and so many times I was so close to getting what we needed, and I still. just. couldn't. And as I'm sitting on the sidewalk in defeat at the Cliffs of Moher, I declare, out loud, that I do not appreciate God's sense of humor. And I think I heard God laugh.

To wrap up a very long story about a very long day, we did get the pin, and we can get cash at ATM's. God came through in the end, as he always does.

Welcome to Ireland, Kat.

Bigger Plans

I'm sure that everyone is aware of the government shutdown last week. Or is it still shut down this week? Does anyone know the current status on that? I guess I'll have to Google that one. Anyways... I'm betting very few of you know the real reason the government shut down. No, it wasn't because of funding disputes, or fighting between political parties, or the fact that so-and-so is wrong and such-and-such is right. Actually, the reason behind the government shutdown is much much larger than a little political debate. It was so Chase could go to church with me on Sunday.

Now I know what you're thinking. "The government did not shut down so you could see your boyfriend, you narcissist," and my response to you is, you're right. The government did not shut down so I could see my boyfriend. It shut down so he could go to church. And not just any church, but the church I was also attending. Because God makes all things work together for our good.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 NLT

For those of you who don't know, my boyfriend, Chase, just returned home from basic training for the National Guard and was wanting to come visit me at school this last weekend, but he was going to have to go to drill. In light of the government shutting down, however, his drill was moved to October 26th, allowing him to come down to Kentucky for the weekend. He left early Saturday morning and arrived around lunch time, giving us most of the weekend to just hang out and be together.

But God had much bigger plans for the weekend than we did.

God has been working on Chase's heart since he left for basic training, and I've been blessed to be a part of that transformation. The more we talk about it, the more I see Christ revealing Himself in Chase's life, and it's been really exciting to watch.

Since leaving for college, I've been super excited and anxious to get to Chase to attend church with me at Quest. Our home church is great and we both love it, and I love Quest, so I figured Chase would love it, too. As it turns out, this week was baptism week, so Pastor Pete preached about the importance of being baptized after accepting Christ into your life and starting your relationship with Him. Throughout the service, I could really feel the Holy Spirit moving in Chase, convicting him, telling him to make his next step, but I could also tell that Chase's next step was not getting baptized at Quest.

Chase accepted Christ into his life this Sunday, October 6th, 2013, and was born again, adding to the Kingdom of God and causing celebration on earth and in heaven.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

I am eternally amazed by God's awesome plans for us in everything we do, from taking the wrong turn at a stop sign to shutting down the American government. I have never been so convinced that everything happens for a reason, and I think salvation is a pretty good reason. 

I am so happy for you, Chase. You continue to amaze me every day, and I love the new person you're becoming even more than the old one that's gone away. I am so excited to see God continue to work in you and through you, and I'm so blessed to be a part of your journey.

Thank you, God, for letting me be a part of Chase's story, and thank you for giving us stories to tell in our ministry. Help me lead more people to know you. And thank you, Father, for designing and ruling our lives, because without You we could do nothing, but in You all things are possible. Amen.

Hiding behind Social Media

I'd like to just start by stating a simple fact: I enjoy social media. I really do. So when I start ranting here in a few minutes, just keep in mind that I check Facebook often, I tweet regularly, and my Instagram is updated frequently. That being said, I do have some problems with social media: it makes it too easy for us to hide. The culture of social media has given us an easy out, an escape from real life.

For example: I was in the school library the other day when I overheard some students cursing and calling each other "sluts," along with various other insults (delivered jokingly, but still disrespectfully). In my conservative, private, Christian college with Christian classmates, this is pretty much not at all what I expected to overhear in the library. I felt oddly called to do something, like maybe let them know that their speech was not glorifying God, or let a librarian know that there were students causing a scene in the back. But then I also felt called to just ignore them. I thought about it for a while, and I sat trying to drown out their conversation. Then I made a decision - a decision that, in retrospect, I realize was definitely the wrong decision. I posted a status update on Facebook. This was, well, stupid. I sat and typed, something to the tune of, "Students cussing up a storm in the library. Not sure how to handle this." And when I hit send, I had done my part. I didn't have to confront the students, or tattle to a librarian, but I also didn't just ignore the situation. In my mind, I had done something about it.

Except the something I had done was cowardly. I took the shortcut. It was irresponsible and immature. The mature response is to confront a fellow Christian when they make a mistake, and to do so lovingly, carefully, and in private. The mature response is not to "subtweet" about it and just hope something is done. The mature response is not to post a status update and pass off the responsibility to anyone who may read the post. The mature response is to follow the guides of Pastor Doug from the latest sermon series, and to practice "active listening," like Ray Ramano in "Everybody Loves Raymond."

What are we doing?

You know that time when you were really down in the dumps about something, so you posted a very vague, nondescript status or tweet? It's ok, you can admit it. We've all done it. Now think about it: why did you post in that way? Why did you write something vague instead of just stating your problems?

When that guy broke up with you, did you tweet, "oh, my poor broken heart," or did you tweet, "Just got dumped. Feeling sad. Prayers, please." I'm guessing you picked the first one. I mean, that's what I did.

And when someone insulted you via text message, did you post, "yah, well you're stupid, too," or did you confront that person directly about their insult? I'm betting you picked the first one. I did, too.

So what's wrong with that?  When we post something like, "oh my poor broken heart," we're being passive aggressive. We're manipulating people into asking us what's wrong. And when we post something vague instead of confronting the problem, we're being too cowardly to take care of ourselves. Facebook and Twitter are great, but not when we use them the wrong way. We need to stand up for ourselves! We need to face a challenge head on, not just tweet about it and hope it goes away.

Subtweeting is never the way to go. I know this is easier said than done, but it's so true. As Christians, we are called to only speak when our speech will build each other up (and in today's culture, speech includes Facebook posts and tweets). We are called to turn the other cheek. We are not, however, call to be passive aggressive and immature.

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4:25-32

I should never have posted that message on Facebook about the people in the library. A passive aggressive post doesn't glorify God, and it definitely doesn't show my classmates how to live for Christ. Let's stop subtweeting. Let's stop hiding behind status updates. Let's stop being the flawed humans that we are. Let's instead glorify God in all that we do, from our words, both written and spoken, to our actions, and everything in between. We're never gonna fix anything with vague Facebook posts. So let's stop wasting our breath! We're only given so much time on this earth, and I don't know about you, but I don't want to waste any of that time doing anything not in God's plan for me.

I'm going to confront someone humbly and lovingly when they're making a mistake. I'm going to ask for help upfront instead of posting a passive aggressive status. I'm going to try harder to be all that God created me to be. I'm going to stop hiding behind status updates.

Are you?

Restoration

Today I decided to restore and update my phone. A little restoration just seemed like a good idea.
(Prepare yourself for some geek-talk. You can skip ahead if you like.)
I had 2.41 GB of "other" stored on my phone, and therefore had no room for more pictures or music. Google says the solution is to restore your phone, so I did. I tried to back it up first, but it didn't work because my computer is out of disk space, but it had been backed up this morning on iCloud... yada yada... so I gave up on the back-up and just hit restore, but it restored with an old old old back up... yada yada... so I clicked "Start as New iPhone."
(Resume English here...)
Don't. Ever. Do this.
Yes, I fixed the free space problem on my phone. I cleared up so much space that it's ridiculous. I now have about 4 GB freed up. It's amazing how much crap your phone accumulates that you can get rid of.
It's also amazing how much valuable stuff you lose when you click "restore"... Like the cell phone number for your boyfriend, who is away at basic training for the next three months. Or the text messages between you two that dated all the way back to before prom. Or the letter you wrote him that you drafted on your phone that inspires him on tough days.
Don't restore your iPhone.
Now here I am, at 1 in the morning, crying over my phone. My phone! It's just a thing. Things don't mean anything. They're just materials. It shouldn't be a big deal.
It shouldn't.
I should have just dealt with the lack of free space. No one needs space on their phone. I should have just let it be.
I should...
But worrying about shoulds and shouldn'ts won't get me anywhere, will it? Sure, it shouldn't be a big deal... but it is. And maybe I shouldn't have opted for restoration... but I did. I have to take it and move on. Yah, I can be upset. But ultimately, it really is just a thing.
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
Sure, it's nice to have 4 GB free on my phone now. Yah, it sucks majorly that I lost all of my text messages and notes. But really, none of that matters. This life is just the journey to the real deal. Phones and text messages and .mp3's and extra GB... They won't matter in heaven.
Dear God, Grant me peace. In the long run, none of this really matters... Help me remember that. Amen.

Growing Up

For a long time now I've been saying "I don't wanna grow up." It's scary! Who wants to be independent and self-sufficient? I'd rather just stay a kid. I don't want to grow up. Except... I did.

Last Thursday I turned 18. I'm officially an adult. I can buy lottery tickets. I can drink alcohol in most foreign countries. I can vote. I had to call the bank to get information because my dad can't talk about my account anymore because I'm an adult. I grew up.

Except... I didn't.

What does it mean to grow up? Yah, I can do things legally now that I couldn't before, but does that make me a grown up? Legally, maybe, but not really. Age doesn't make me a grown up. Laws don't make me a grown up. Not even graduating high school and going to college makes me a grown up.

So what does?

I don't know. I look at grown ups around me and wonder how I can be like them. How can I pull my life together? How can I be mature? How can I follow God's plan better? How can I prepare myself for the real world? The problem with these questions is that no one has all the answers. Not a single grown up knows everything.

And that's scary to me! As a little kid I always thought adults knew everything! And now I find out that they don't!?

But I don't need to know everything. Because growing up isn't about meeting specific requirements like age or accomplishments or even maturity level. Growing up is about growing.

So, in the next year of my life, I want to grow more, and here are my new year's resolutions to guide me.

This year I will lead less and follow more. This year I will vaguebook less and blog more. This year I will worry less and pray more. This year I will gossip less and support more. This year I will eat less and exercise more. This year I will not hate, but love more.

I'm growing up, like it or not. It's happening. Now I have to make sure it happens for the better. I will grow in the direction God leads me, not the way the devil directs or the way I desire. I will grow up His way. And it's gonna be great.

You Complete Me

You complete me. I've never seen Jerry Maguire, but I've heard it's a winner. That line, followed by "You had me at hello!"... Just the perfect romantic movie line duo. (So I've heard.)

The more I look at on-screen romance, the more I see how flawed our culture's take on relationships is. I mean, watch Disney Channel. Typically there's one main character and two best friends, each a different gender. And what always happens between a guy and a girl when they're best friends? Well according to Disney, they have an inevitable love connection and become boyfriend and girlfriend. Apparently you can't have a friend of the opposite sex without being attracted to him or her. And it's not just Disney. Fox sends the same message with New Girl and Glee.

And the movies are no better. Princesses always marry Prince Charming. The guy always gets the girl, and the girl always gets the guy. Look at Made of Honor, The Switch, Life as We Know It, Easy A... I could go on for hours, but I'm betting you'd rather I end the rant and skip to the point.

I don't need a relationship to complete me.

Wait, let me rephrase that.

I need only one relationship to complete me. And that's my relationship with my Father in heaven, Abba, God.

I don't need a boyfriend, no matter what media says. It doesn't matter that Disney Channel raised me to believe this, or Fox led me to believe that. I believe in God. And I believe that He completes me.

God made me as me. Maybe He put a guy out there for me, and maybe He didn't. Either way is fine. His plan is far greater than my hopes and dreams. And right now His plan is for me to wait patiently. So I will.

A guy doesn't complete me. A relationship doesn't complete me. God completes me.

He. Completes. Me.

And He had me at "hello."

Three Goals

Three goals. I had three goals for visiting Asbury today.

Goal number one:

to cure the boredom.

This seems ridiculous, I know, but when I get bored, I just have to do something. And not something like get on Pinterest and find a craft to do. I need to do something right then, right away, with immediate results. Something like driving 3.5 hours to visit a college that I already know like the back of my hand.

But it wasn't just to cure the boredom. Remember? I said there were 3 goals.

So that brings us to

Goal number two

which is probably the hardest to admit: to run into a certain person.

I saw on Facebook that he was visiting campus. And I'm desperate to see him. Not in that creepy stalker way (although after this post, he may see it that way), but in that way of... Well... That other way. The way that's not creepy. I just. wanted. to see him. You know when you miss a person so much that you ache? I have that. And it was worth it to me to drive a few hours if that meant there was maybe a chance that I would possibly see him. It was worth it. Even though I didn't see him, there was the chance, the possibility... and that was worth it.

Anyways... That was an unreasonable goal. Let's move on.

Goal number three:

to show my dad the campus I love so much.

Initially this goal would be worded a little differently. It would be something more like to make my dad fall in love with Asbury, or to convince my dad that this is the college for me, or even for my dad to just acknowledge that I'm going to Asbury. Period. I just am.

But let's be honest. If I set any of those as goals, it would be too easy to leave heartbroken and feeling like I failed. I can't control how my dad feels. Nothing I say can make him love Asbury. That's not my responsibility. I just. can't. do that.

But God can. God can soften my dad's heart toward Asbury. God can show my dad that Asbury is my calling. I can't, but God can.

The real goal for this trip wasn't any of the goals I set. It was the goal He set for me. And I wish I could tell you exactly what that goal is, but I just can't. God didn't tell me yet. But what I do know is that His goal is so much bigger, so much better, so much more than any goal I could ever set.

Sure, I cured my boredom. No, I didn't see that certain someone. And I don't know how my dad feels about my college choice. But those are just my goals.

His goals? They're way better.

Take My Life

Sometimes, life just doesn't make sense. Then I remember. It doesn't have to.

'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Things go wrong. Life doesn't also meet my own expectations. And that freaks me out a little. Ok, a lot. But life isn't up to me. It's up to God. And he's gonna do so many much cooler things with my life than I could ever do on my own.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

I trust You, God. You have a plan. And that plan may not make sense to me. And that's ok.

'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' (Jeremiah 29:11)

That thing that went wrong? Yah, it hurts. But you know what? I'll get over it. 'Cause God has a plan. And I'm gonna follow His plan. Not my plan, not your plan, not even my teachers' or my parents' plans. His plan. His.

Here am I, all of me. Take my life. It's all for thee. (Chris Tomlin, Take My Life)

Who Do You Follow?

Have you ever thought about how much impact celebrities have on people's lives? We admire celebrities so much that we are willing to follow them just about anywhere. Girls wear the Dream Out Loud clothing brand just because it's by Selena Gomez. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, we act like idiots at concerts, jumping and screaming and singing just because the artists and singers tell us to. When a celebrity that we look up to tells us about a charity or a cause, we are a lot more likely to contribute to that cause.

Now imagine if all of those celebrities and all of that influence were harnessed and focused toward God. What if every single celebrity pushed his or her fans to follow Jesus? What if public figures preached the Word of God in their speeches and debates? What if every singer or band took a minute of their concert to thank God for the talents they've been given?

Imagine how many more people we could save! I hope that one day I get to see all of the power of influence granted to celebrities used to bring more people to know God. I hope that talking about our faith can become less of a taboo subject. I hope every single celebrity who is a Christian can lead all of their followers to follow Jesus.

Why aren't we doing that already? Why don't we take every chance we can to tell more people that God loves them? In every one of Selena Gomez's CDs, she thanks God. After every touchdown, Tim Tebow thanks God. Even the President of the United States recognizes God's glory and greatness! Why can't we get more of that?

Let's get everyone talking about the grace of God. Let's make sure every single celebrity is bringing people to Christ. And let's make sure that we are ministering as much as possible, as well. Then one day we will hear about God's awesomeness in every song, every TV show, every speech, and every sporting event.

In the meantime, I'll keep using my gifts and my talents to bring people to Christ. Maybe one day I'll gain the credibility and power of influence that celebrities have, but until then I'll just keep preaching in smaller settings like my blog. So here's to changing the world, one concert, one speech, one clothing line, or one blog post at a time.

His Concert

Ever been to a concert? When you go to see a band perform, you will do pretty much anything the lead singer does or tells you to do. "Repeat after me!" and you do. He sings, and you sing along, often at the top of your lungs, even if your voice will crack. He jumps up and down like a maniac, and you do the same thing, regardless of how ridiculous you may feel. He claps to the beat, and you clap, too.

I hope that I can live my life following Jesus the same way. If Jesus tells me to repeat after him, I hope that I have the voice to do so. If he sings, I hope I have the courage to sing along. If he jumps up and down on stage like a maniac, I hope that I am brave enough to do the same. If he claps to the beat, I hope I am moved to clap, as well.

Jesus wants to hear us sing out to him. We're constantly sitting in on his concert, and he wants to hear us singing along out in the audience. He wants us to go crazy. He wants us to be his fan.

When Jesus points that microphone out to the audience, I want my voice to be the one he hears.

A Day's Adventure

When Cecilie and I got home last night, there was quite a debate about what to eat for dinner. Everyone's first choice was Gracie's, the Chinese place right up the road. It's close, so not only would none of us have to cook, but we also wouldn't have to drive very far. There was a problem though: Gracie's is closed on Monday's. Long story short, we decided that Cecilie and I would go to Charlie's - a restaurant much much further away than Gracie's - and get dinner for everyone. I took Mark's car keys and my mom's debit card for transportation and payment. This morning when we got to school, I pulled my phone out of my purse and happened to find my mom's debit card. I laughed to myself when I realized that I'd forgotten to give it back, but then I realized... If I still had the debit card, I also still had the car keys... Oh, @#$!.  And thus my day began.

I went into school with my phone to my ear calling the house phone and Mark's cell phone, but no one answered. Eventually I had to just suck it up and drive home to give Mark his keys.

I went into my first period class and explained my predicament to my teacher. His response? "I suggest you hurry." Class was supposed to start in 5 minutes. I don't think hurrying would help any.

I ran to my car, still trying to get ahold of Mark to see if maybe there was a way I didn't have to drive home, but he still didn't answer. I opened the garage door, ran in, and threw the keys on his bed, then left as quickly as I arrived. There was no way I was going to get back in time for school, which meant I'd have a tardy, which means no perfect attendance, which means no third exemption form... Long story short, I could not be late.

Solution? Doctor's note. 

I was already planning on going to the doctor today to get my ears cleaned, so it made sense to just go a little early, right? I hopped in my car and drove to the doctor's office, which thankfully opens at 8:00 am, right as I pulled into the parking lot. I checked in and sat in the waiting room for a while reading my Kindle. When the nurse called me back, I followed her to the exam room, propped myself up on the bed/table-thing, and proceeded to have my ears cleaned.

As she squirted water into my ear, I got this odd sensation called pain. You know the feeling? It hurts! After trying to endure it for a moment, I finally said something to her. "Umm... OW!" 

"Oh, sorry, does it hurt?" she responded, to which I thought to myself, oh, no, feels great! I nodded and she said she'd try a different angle. But no, that hurt just as bad. I made some sort of noise that signalled her to try a new angle, which hurt even more. My nose started turning red, my eyes started to water, and all of a sudden I was balling.

"Oh, honey, are you crying!?" As I sniffed and huffed, I tried to get out a no, but it came out as more of a moan. I tried to explain between sniffles and gasps. "It didn't really hurt. I get crying spells and I just cry and cry and can't stop, but I'm really ok, nothing's wrong with me."

"I don't want to hurt you!" she said, to which I thought to myself, too late! 

She explained what she thought was wrong and I nodded and tried to stop sobbing long enough to listen to her. When she had finished telling me that my ear was just too packed with wax (umm, gross!) she said, "I can try to keep working at it or you can go ahead and leave. It's up to you." It took me a second to process what she'd just ask me. That's sort of like saying, "Would you like me to continue to torture you, or would you prefer to go home." I started at her for a bit, then responded, "I think I'd rather you not keep working at it." She nodded and sent me off.

Once I got to my car, I sat and cried for at least 10 minutes. All I could think was that the nurse probably thought I was crazy because I couldn't stop crying, and now she was gonna tell all of her nurse friends about the crazy girl who had waxy ears. Not only can I not control my emotions, but I also have bad hygiene. The other nurses would just love that story.

On the way back to school, the crying started over every time I hit a red light. I was a mess. It was all I could do to hold in my sobs enough to see the road ahead of me. Figuring my crying spell was a result of exhaustion, I decided to stop at home and take a nap.

That's right. Instead of going back to school after my doctor's appointment, I went home and slept. I slept all the way through my 3rd period class. Luckily I set an alarm to wake me up in time for my next class, otherwise I probably would have slept all day long.

And you know what? That nap was the best sleep I've gotten in a long time.

Being In Love

People do crazy things when they're in love.

I've heard this said all the time, but never as a reference to God - not until Ichthus in 2011.
The speaker was... well, I don't remember his name. But I really want to give him credit! Anyways, his message was inspiring. At first he joked around and acted goofy, but after an amazing message he led the audience to kneel in the damp, muddy grass and beg for God to forgive us for our sins. The whole festival allowed me to feel incredibly close to God, and that speech was just the icing on the cake.
But what I remember most from his message was that he was in love with God, and that love made him do crazy things. Because people do crazy things when they're in love.
Now, about 7 months later, I'm finding more and more that I, too, am in love with God, and I'm doing crazy things. Last month I did K-LOVE's 30 Day Challenge. For 30 days I listened only to Christian music. I missed quite a few good songs coming out in those 30 days. There were many instances where I had to awkwardly ask people to change the radio station or to turn down their music so I could hold to my promise to only listen to Christian music.

Currently I'm working on the Daniel Fast. Although this will only last 21 days, it's much more difficult than the 30 Day Challenge. In these 21 days, I can eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains, but no meat, dairy, or added sweeteners. That means I can't eat the chicken alfredo from Pizza Hut that my family is eating right now. And let me tell you, it smells really good, but this is a sacrifice I'm willing and eager to make. Doing the Daniel Fast allows me to bring myself closer to God, and if that means that I don't get to eat my favorite foods for a few days, I'm totally okay with that.
My walk with God through these crazy things is really cool. But I've found something else really cool in these challenges, too; I'm getting to witness to others. When I ask for a burrito at school with no meat or cheese, I get to explain the Daniel Fast to my friends and tell them about the cool things God is doing in my life. When classmates in English turn up the volume to the local pop music radio station, I put in my headphones and turn up the volume to K-LOVE. Then I get to explain to them all of the cool things God is doing, too.
Sometimes sharing your experience is the most effective way to tell people about Christ, and I am so blessed to have so many cool opportunities to do that. I get to share God with every single person I interact with. If that means giving up some music or some foods, I'm totally cool with that. Because people do crazy things when they're in love.

What's Your Blood Type?

I have a question for you, but I think you'll need a little background information first. And bare with me, because I'm not sure how well I'll be able to explain all of this.

Credits to Wikipedia for this wonderful diagram.

There are 4 blood types (plus the whole negative/positive thing, but I haven't learned that yet), each with different marker proteins and different antibodies. The marker proteins tell the rest of the body what type of cell each blood cell is, and these markers are called antigens. Type A blood has A antigens, B has B antigens, AB has both A and B antigens, and type O blood has no antigens.

Blood also has antibodies, which fight off certain cells. Type A has anti-B antibodies, so it essentially kills off all of the type B blood. Type B has anti-A, type O has anti-A and anti-B, and type AB has neither anti-A or -B.

(That's all a very simplified and probably very confusing version of what we're learning in our biology class. I'm betting Wikipedia will give you a better explanation if you're interested in learning more.)

When giving and receiving blood, doctors must take into account what blood type the patient and the donor are. If John Doe has type B blood and he gets some type A, his body will reject the type A blood because of the anti-A antibodies in his type B blood. His body would gladly accept type O blood, hoever, because type O has no A antigens for the anti-A antibodies to kill. (Still with me? I know this is a tad confusing.)

What's the point?

After learning all about compatibility in blood types, our teacher explained that type O is the universal donor, and type AB is the universal receiver. Someone with type AB blood can accept any other type of blood, and anyone is able to receive type O blood.

So finally, here's my question: would you rather have type O or type AB? Would you rather be the universal donor, or the universal receiver? Would you rather help or be helped?

The X in X-Mas

I initially started my last blog post complaining about the abbreviation of "Christmas" to "x-mas." It all flowed very nicely, and I felt that all of my points were fully conveyed. I was ready to post, so I sent it to a few friends to be sure I didn't make any grammatical mistakes. The feedback, however, was not at all what I had anticipated. The post started with me ranting about the lunch ladies at school wishing us a "Merry X-Mas." This really bothers me. Christmas is about Christ. You can't just shorten it to "x-mas" in order to save a little time and space. It's Christmas for a reason.

I was told that was too harsh, so I added that I do realize that the lunch ladies aren't intentionally taking Christ out of Christmas, but I also think it's worth the extra effort to go ahead and write out Christ instead of writing an X. This made it a little better, but my friend still had some feedback to give.

The term X-mas comes from the Greek symbol ☧ meaning Christ. Many other words use the same symbol (Wikipedia does a fine job of listing those for you). The X was not someone being lazy and shortening Christ to X. The X is not people trying to take Christ out of Christmas - not initially, at least.

I tried to keep all of this in my other post, but it just didn't fit. Once I edited it out, though, I realized it was something I really needed to share. I'd been assuming that people were lazy and sacrilegious when really there is a totally legitimate reason for the abbreviation. I guess the point of this is to do a little research before deciding to judge others. You never know what you'll find.