WAVING
I traveled to work this morning, as usual. It wasn't anything special but I was in a particularly great mood! Anyway, as I traversed the roads I've come to know and love I was waving (lifting my pointer finger) to everyone who passed me. It's a Kansas thing, I suppose but I've transplanted it to good ol' Iowa. My hope was and still is that everyone I meet will wave back in some fashion. Most people don't wave back and that's fine. They don't HAVE to. But my reasons for doing it are listed here. Although the people I pass don't know why I wave, I think it would be good for you to read this so you know why I do it.
1. It's Kansas tradition. People are constantly waving in Kansas. Not everybody, but several folks. Maybe it's the small town that makes it easier to identify who you're actually waving at and therefore makes you more willing to do so. So, I've grown up with it and it's become a habit, which leads me to the next reason.
2. It's a habit. It's a good thing to keep in mind as I'm driving in my car. I've done it for so long, I hardly think about it; it's instinct. Plus how much effort could it take to literally "lift a finger"? Little to none!!
3. It's selfless. Granted, it takes little to no effort but for that split second I'm thinking more of another person than I'm thinking of myself. I think that's a good thing plus it's easy to do so why not try it? Sure, it's not in Scripture: "Thou shalt be selfless and wave at people." but it definitely is a small way to put selflessness into practice.
Just think if we all practiced a selfless habit which let others know we were thinking about them, even if we don't know them!!
Also on the way back from work I noticed two motorcycles pass each other. I've seen riders stick their hands out and down towards the road to signal to each other. I guess it's just a motorcycle-riding-thing...who knows! But this particular time only one rider waved. I felt bad for the rider who waved and got nothing in return...
SINGING
It was such a blessing this morning. I was stopped at the light trying to listen to the words of the Christian song on the radio. I had heard the song previously but never listened to the words. A car pulled along side me and I glanced at the driver. She was singing to herself and I couldn't help but notice that her mouth appeared to be singing the same lyrics as I was hearing in the song. Then I realized they WERE the same lyrics! Same station! And while that might have been cool if we were in the middle of nowhere, I loved it because she knew the words! The song might have been meaningful to me but how much MORE was it meaningful to her! And that's really what worshipping God is all about, right? We might know the words to songs and love them dearly (whether for the tune or the lyrics) but in the end, it's not about us! It's not even about the people next to us or around the world! It's about glorifying God with what we sing and why we sing it! I'm going to LifeLight this weekend. It's my first time there since I was a wee-little-freshman! At camp this summer it was Christian music all the time! I played drums for morning chapels and listened to songs while the kids came into the chapel! It grew on me and I realized that listening to Christian music was not only fun but it helped me through the day! So now I'm lovin' it and listenin' to it ALL the time! And while I'm thankful it motivates me, I'm even more glad that it glorifies God! I can't wait to see thousands of people (a total number of people MORE than attended Obama's speech last night!) worshipping the TRUE leader of this nation! It's gonna be amazing! See you there!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Self-fulfilling Prophecy
If I write a blog stating that this year will be one of transition, odds are I'll think it's a prayer and then if it's a prayer God is sure to answer it in some fashion. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I've never liked transitions, unless of course they're easy and/or selfish ones. I'd prefer the easy ones. I'd prefer the ones where everything is laid out and recognizable. There have been times where hard decisions during transition times are easier to make because of the signs being shown.
Such as when I was failing my science classes at Dordt, I began to question God's call on my life to do clinical laboratory science. I began to understand that He wanted me to do ministry but I wasn't sure. I kept looking for signs. I begged and pleaded and prayed to Him that He might reveal His Will. It finally came down to that one day when I went to the registrar to ask about how to change majors and how my classes would work out. The registrar's secretary and I had been talking for a while and she finally just asked me, "Do you want to change your major?" It hit me then that I did want to change to ministry and I've never looked back.
Also during transition points you are torn between tradition and the comfortability that comes with it and the future and uncertainty that comes with it. They are both positive things. I could stay around Sioux Center and work for Hope Haven all my life. I could try to get a job at Dordt doing spiritual guidance and counseling. Those would be the easy choices. The hard choices involve moving and getting a place of my own and getting a real job that I may or may not be great at.
One way I've legitimately justified waiting around to make the transition is this: spiritual strength. I know the story of salvation and I can put Scripture into good words for sermons and messages. But I don't truly KNOW Scripture. I met some amazing people this summer who have memorized parts of Scripture for various reasons. But here's the thing: no matter why they memorized it, they can still apply those memorized verses to numerous situations during their days. It's an amazing thing to not only look to Scripture when you have a sermon in mind but it's more amazing to know Scripture and let it lead your day and actions.
I think that's the transition that needs to happen: take my faith seriously by having outwardly actions. For 5 years at Dordt I studied the Bible for all my classes and I absorbed it. That was truly a good thing because what I believed was detailed on a daily basis. But on a daily basis, did I feed myself by reading Scripture just for the sake of reading it? Did I meditate on it for my own life rather than for journals? Did I learn to LOVE reading the Bible? Did my prayer journal get filled twice a day? No. I truly believe that before I do any sort of full-time ministry I ought to come to that level of spirituality.
Pray that I might reach that level in God's timing and with His blessing.
Such as when I was failing my science classes at Dordt, I began to question God's call on my life to do clinical laboratory science. I began to understand that He wanted me to do ministry but I wasn't sure. I kept looking for signs. I begged and pleaded and prayed to Him that He might reveal His Will. It finally came down to that one day when I went to the registrar to ask about how to change majors and how my classes would work out. The registrar's secretary and I had been talking for a while and she finally just asked me, "Do you want to change your major?" It hit me then that I did want to change to ministry and I've never looked back.
Also during transition points you are torn between tradition and the comfortability that comes with it and the future and uncertainty that comes with it. They are both positive things. I could stay around Sioux Center and work for Hope Haven all my life. I could try to get a job at Dordt doing spiritual guidance and counseling. Those would be the easy choices. The hard choices involve moving and getting a place of my own and getting a real job that I may or may not be great at.
One way I've legitimately justified waiting around to make the transition is this: spiritual strength. I know the story of salvation and I can put Scripture into good words for sermons and messages. But I don't truly KNOW Scripture. I met some amazing people this summer who have memorized parts of Scripture for various reasons. But here's the thing: no matter why they memorized it, they can still apply those memorized verses to numerous situations during their days. It's an amazing thing to not only look to Scripture when you have a sermon in mind but it's more amazing to know Scripture and let it lead your day and actions.
I think that's the transition that needs to happen: take my faith seriously by having outwardly actions. For 5 years at Dordt I studied the Bible for all my classes and I absorbed it. That was truly a good thing because what I believed was detailed on a daily basis. But on a daily basis, did I feed myself by reading Scripture just for the sake of reading it? Did I meditate on it for my own life rather than for journals? Did I learn to LOVE reading the Bible? Did my prayer journal get filled twice a day? No. I truly believe that before I do any sort of full-time ministry I ought to come to that level of spirituality.
Pray that I might reach that level in God's timing and with His blessing.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Chick Flick and Chick Sunglasses
I completed several chores today...much to my chagrin. Then tonight I had a "date" with my friends Brianna and Jamie. Went to go see "Made of Honor" which was glorious. Had a good time cringing and laughing and hoping...
Then Brianna and I ventured to Wal-Mart so I could purchase a set of sweet white sunglasses. From the girls' section...ya know...those pimp-lookin' ones that EVERY girl wears nowadays.
Anyway, got me a pair and they're nice. Can't wait to wear them all summer and have the kids laugh at me for being a huge dork!
Then Brianna and I ventured to Wal-Mart so I could purchase a set of sweet white sunglasses. From the girls' section...ya know...those pimp-lookin' ones that EVERY girl wears nowadays.
Anyway, got me a pair and they're nice. Can't wait to wear them all summer and have the kids laugh at me for being a huge dork!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Back from the dead
Yes, I'm still alive. Just took a break, I guess. School got to be a bit overbearing and I had to cut out something.
But an interesting event yesterday got me thinking I ought to get back to blogging. I was driving to my workplace south of Rock Valley. I've been working there for nearly a year, taking the same road most days to and from. I've enjoyed seeing the Christian signs declaring "Jesus is my Master. Who is yours?" or other ones regarding abortion. But there was one sign at an intersection which I've missed until just yesterday. A small sign, yet still significant. It says "Litter control this mile done by Niessink Group Home" My workplace cleans this ditch? Who the heck knew that????? Not only had I missed the sign but nobody had ever mentioned it to me. That's fine, I guess. I still find it intruguing.
There's another sign about a town north of Sioux Center that I always see but I won't blog about it. I'm planning on writing a song about it. Look for that sometime later.
In the meantime, wish me luck in the last few weeks of school. It's definitely crunch time and I'm sick of crunching, as it were. It'll be over soon and sometimes I wish there was more time.
But an interesting event yesterday got me thinking I ought to get back to blogging. I was driving to my workplace south of Rock Valley. I've been working there for nearly a year, taking the same road most days to and from. I've enjoyed seeing the Christian signs declaring "Jesus is my Master. Who is yours?" or other ones regarding abortion. But there was one sign at an intersection which I've missed until just yesterday. A small sign, yet still significant. It says "Litter control this mile done by Niessink Group Home" My workplace cleans this ditch? Who the heck knew that????? Not only had I missed the sign but nobody had ever mentioned it to me. That's fine, I guess. I still find it intruguing.
There's another sign about a town north of Sioux Center that I always see but I won't blog about it. I'm planning on writing a song about it. Look for that sometime later.
In the meantime, wish me luck in the last few weeks of school. It's definitely crunch time and I'm sick of crunching, as it were. It'll be over soon and sometimes I wish there was more time.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Underdogs
If you just watched the SuperBowl as I did, then you know all about underdogs. The New York Giants had a great season, shadowed by the Patriots' undefeated season. Granted, I wasn't exactly fanatic, watching every game I could or focusing on a particular team. I watched the Chiefs until their season was done and then watched more of the games because the hype began about the Patriots.
I cheered for the Giants for the following reason: the underdogs winning is a parallel story to the story of Scripture.
SUPERPOWERS
Patriots
They were undefeated going into the SuperBowl. They were assumed to win, as they had proved themselves to be powerful and victorious. It's obvious that they were a good solid team. I don't doubt this.
Rome
They were the superpower of the world. Prosperous and widespread. Just as with the Patriots, I don't exactly know all the details of their reign, but Rome was powerful, no doubt about it.
UNDERDOGS
Giants
They had a great season, but it wasn't perfect. They had legitimate claims to their potential but next to the perfection of the Patriots, they paled in comparison.
Jesus
He led a great life. He claimed to be the son of God; a blasphemous claim. Compared to the rule of the Romans, his future reign of the kingdom paled in comparison.
BUT LOOK WHO WON!! JESUS MAY HAVE BEEN VIEWED AS THE WEAKER POWER, BUT HE WAS ONLY VIEWED TO BE SUCH. HE WAS, IN FACT, THE MORE DOMINANT 'TEAM' AND HE KICKED SO MUCH TAIL!
I'm lucky; I was born into a Christian family. It was easy for me to recognize God as the eventual overall winner of the world. For you, you may perceive it as a bad choice to leave the power behind and accept Christ.
God loved you enough to set up a story to prove it to you. He may even have led the Giants to win so that we could see that power isn't everything. He loved you then and He loves you now.
I cheered for the Giants and I cheer for Jesus.
Who's team are you on?
I cheered for the Giants for the following reason: the underdogs winning is a parallel story to the story of Scripture.
SUPERPOWERS
Patriots
They were undefeated going into the SuperBowl. They were assumed to win, as they had proved themselves to be powerful and victorious. It's obvious that they were a good solid team. I don't doubt this.
Rome
They were the superpower of the world. Prosperous and widespread. Just as with the Patriots, I don't exactly know all the details of their reign, but Rome was powerful, no doubt about it.
UNDERDOGS
Giants
They had a great season, but it wasn't perfect. They had legitimate claims to their potential but next to the perfection of the Patriots, they paled in comparison.
Jesus
He led a great life. He claimed to be the son of God; a blasphemous claim. Compared to the rule of the Romans, his future reign of the kingdom paled in comparison.
BUT LOOK WHO WON!! JESUS MAY HAVE BEEN VIEWED AS THE WEAKER POWER, BUT HE WAS ONLY VIEWED TO BE SUCH. HE WAS, IN FACT, THE MORE DOMINANT 'TEAM' AND HE KICKED SO MUCH TAIL!
I'm lucky; I was born into a Christian family. It was easy for me to recognize God as the eventual overall winner of the world. For you, you may perceive it as a bad choice to leave the power behind and accept Christ.
God loved you enough to set up a story to prove it to you. He may even have led the Giants to win so that we could see that power isn't everything. He loved you then and He loves you now.
I cheered for the Giants and I cheer for Jesus.
Who's team are you on?
Friday, February 1, 2008
Ultimates and Ultimatums
ULTIMATUMS
I've made a few hard-to-keep ultimatums with myself. It's been a year since I've knowingly or purposely drank alcohol. That's been a very good personal decision. I don't picture myself finding a positive reason to drink again. I won't lie to you; every now and then I really desire to have a beer. Just remember that denying those things that you feel you need is a way to glorify God.
A harder ultimatum to keep is cursing. I find no positive reason to curse or use inappropriate or unnecessary language. It truly is unnecessary, even if the situation may dictate it. Most situations could be funnier if they involved cursing which is a huge temptation for me. I love making people laugh.
ULTIMATES
The ultimate after-graduation situation
1. Form a rag-tag country group to tour around and play small shows and bars.
1a. Being the lead singer/guitarist of said-group.
1b. Learning how to sing and play guitar better and at a semi-professional level.
1c. Learning to write the melodies/harmonies to go along with the lyrics I write.
2. Spend the nights hanging out with random people I meet in various cities.
2a. Encourage these people to accept the semi-hidden Christian message in our songs.
3. Use the rest of my free time to write.
3a. Write plays with Christian messages for Dordt's theatre department (and other dept's)
3b. Write movies with Christian messages for Hollywood
3c. Write books with Christian messages for America so that we can actually become a light to the world.
3d. Use my writing to change the world.
I've made a few hard-to-keep ultimatums with myself. It's been a year since I've knowingly or purposely drank alcohol. That's been a very good personal decision. I don't picture myself finding a positive reason to drink again. I won't lie to you; every now and then I really desire to have a beer. Just remember that denying those things that you feel you need is a way to glorify God.
A harder ultimatum to keep is cursing. I find no positive reason to curse or use inappropriate or unnecessary language. It truly is unnecessary, even if the situation may dictate it. Most situations could be funnier if they involved cursing which is a huge temptation for me. I love making people laugh.
ULTIMATES
The ultimate after-graduation situation
1. Form a rag-tag country group to tour around and play small shows and bars.
1a. Being the lead singer/guitarist of said-group.
1b. Learning how to sing and play guitar better and at a semi-professional level.
1c. Learning to write the melodies/harmonies to go along with the lyrics I write.
2. Spend the nights hanging out with random people I meet in various cities.
2a. Encourage these people to accept the semi-hidden Christian message in our songs.
3. Use the rest of my free time to write.
3a. Write plays with Christian messages for Dordt's theatre department (and other dept's)
3b. Write movies with Christian messages for Hollywood
3c. Write books with Christian messages for America so that we can actually become a light to the world.
3d. Use my writing to change the world.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Debby In Winterland
I still remember the day I found out that I could bark like a dog. Not just any bark, but a realistic bark. Since then, this little quirk has followed me like a shadow. "Bark!" here and "Arf" there. And I've accepted the role and taken it seriously at times.
I still remember the day when I first watched Alice in Wonderland. Just another Disney movie about a girl minding her own business on a riverbank and winds up chasing a white rabbit down a hole. Tumbling and tossing into the Wonderland, Alice finds herself without a lot of control of the situations around her. One wonders at the moral of the story and whether it's actually more than just a dream.
I still remember the day when I first chased a rabbit on Dordt's campus, barking like a dog. It definitely attracted attention and caught my friends off guard.
What is my proverbial rabbit? What am I chasing? (If you know me, it's not a hard question) But the conclusion I've already come to is that I don't have a lot of control of what goes on around me. But I want control. I'm not a controlling person by nature. But when you want something so badly and you get curious, you tend to put aside what really matters and pour all of yourself into that endeavor. Passion is good but it works better if it's paired with some sense of how to do it right. I must not have it right yet. I must not have the skills.
I still feel helpless in this Winterland called Iowa.
I still remember the day when I first watched Alice in Wonderland. Just another Disney movie about a girl minding her own business on a riverbank and winds up chasing a white rabbit down a hole. Tumbling and tossing into the Wonderland, Alice finds herself without a lot of control of the situations around her. One wonders at the moral of the story and whether it's actually more than just a dream.
I still remember the day when I first chased a rabbit on Dordt's campus, barking like a dog. It definitely attracted attention and caught my friends off guard.
What is my proverbial rabbit? What am I chasing? (If you know me, it's not a hard question) But the conclusion I've already come to is that I don't have a lot of control of what goes on around me. But I want control. I'm not a controlling person by nature. But when you want something so badly and you get curious, you tend to put aside what really matters and pour all of yourself into that endeavor. Passion is good but it works better if it's paired with some sense of how to do it right. I must not have it right yet. I must not have the skills.
I still feel helpless in this Winterland called Iowa.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
