Cup Garden

by Rachel

This may be old news to you - but while watching "The Next Food Network Star," Ben and I learned from contestant Melissa that when you buy green onions, you can save the white parts at the bottom and put them in water, and they will grow again. We thought that sounded pretty neat, so we decided to try it - and in just two days, each onion has grown almost two inches back! This is great and super easy, especially for someone like me who has basically no sense in anything like gardening. And we will have nice fresh green onions the next time we need them, without having to worry about purchasing them or having the excess go rotten. Nice tip.

What a Sad, Weird Day

by Rachel

I am already an extremely emotional person by nature, but today just feels so weird. I have already been feeling sad about the Gosselins (see last post), but with Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson's deaths, I just feel so unsettled. Sadness and grief seem to be ubiquitous right now.

And I feel weird because I am also a sports fan, and I was saddened in a different way by my Longhorns' loss last night in the College World Series. And then tonight was also the NBA Draft, which I was interested in. But then I almost feel not right being concerned about or interested in either of those things in light of the above events.

Also a gross slug greeted me by our front door (inside) this morning when I woke up. Yuck. Thank you to my kind husband for getting rid of it.

What a sad, weird day.

Sad for the Gosselins

by Rachel

I just have to express how sad I am about Jon and Kate Gosselin divorcing. We became huge fans of this show, and just like all the other fans, I've been heartbroken to hear of all their turmoil over the last few months (which apparently has really been happening over the last several months). I feel like last night's episode should have been called "Crooked Houses and Broken Homes."

I know people survive divorces - both the ex-spouses and the children - but there is just so much brokenness that occurs and healing that has to happen. I have been praying for this family and will continue to do so.

Why Does He Even Bother?

I've been reading through the first part of the Old Testament lately - all of the law books where God painstakingly tells the Israelites exactly what methods they are to use to connect with him and honor him. And they still don't get it, and they mess up and complain and whine to him even after he's told them what to do. Obviously we continue this behavior today.

Makes me think of Jimmy Fallon's SNL character "Nick Burns, Your Company's Computer Guy." As many people have experienced in real life, employees ask him to help with their computer issues, and since they're dumb questions to him, he treats them with sarcasm and blatant condescension. I'm no IT expert, but I find myself feeling like this, too, when I get computer questions at work about things that I find simple and that I've explained to people numerous times. Don't they get it?

So I found myself thinking about how we're so much like this with God's instruction, and yet he doesn't treat us like Nick Burns. He's GOD - why does he even bother trying to explain things over and over to clueless, sinful fools like us? What amazing grace. I hope I'll remember that grace and let it sink in more deeply the next time I feel my Nick Burns side coming out.

And by the way, if your company's computer guy(s) or girl(s) are NOT like Nick Burns (mine aren't, thankfully!), consider taking a moment to show them your appreciation whenever you can. I know I couldn't do their job.

Learning to Be Offensive

from CNN site

I'm inspired by my Rockets' big win last night* to blog about something a friend of mine shared a few weeks ago. A group of us were discussing practical ways to share the gospel and why we're often afraid to do so. Susie then talked about how she's watched many youth sports events and how, for example, in a basketball game you can always tell which kids are probably praying that they don't get the ball passed to them, because they don't feel confident about taking a shot or making a big play. They're afraid that if they do, they'll miss, or worse, get their shot blocked back in their face. So they just avoid the ball, stay out of the way, and basically contribute nothing to the team's efforts.

Similarly, she said, we're often like this with sharing the gospel or even coming close to it. We feel like we lack the special gifts, abilities or knowledge that (we think) are needed to share Christ with others effectively. We're paralyzed with fear that our friend or acquaintance is going to feel offended, ridicule us, argue us down, or reject us in some other way if we approach any topic related to our faith in Christ. So to not risk hurting others or getting ourselves hurt, we just avoid it. Ironically, in the comfort of our own homes and circles of Christian friends, we find ourselves praying for opportunities to share the gospel ("playing time," if you will), and yet when God calls us "off the bench," we avoid the opportunity like it's a person with swine flu - err, I mean H1N1. (Hey, I keep up with the news.)

Anyway, I was reminded of this last night with the Rockets and with the NBA Playoffs in general. Take Aaron Brooks. He's often one of the smallest players, if not the smallest player, on the floor, and yet you frequently see him drive to the hoop with no fear, no matter what defender might be in his path. Will he make every shot? No. Will he get blocked sometimes? Of course. But he continues to be confident and assertive, because he won't be able to score points any other way. You've probably heard that saying, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

And for us in our efforts to share the gospel - there's no way we can help steer others to Christ if we don't take risks and try. Even better than basketball, we don't have to have confidence in our own abilities - in fact we shouldn't, really - because we have the power of the God of the universe with us. So going back to the title of this post - I took from Susie's story the reminder that I need to stop being so fearful, and learn to be more "of-FEN-sive" and "OFF-fen-sive." Not to carelessly insult people, of course, but I shouldn't worry so much about how they'll react and what they'll think of me when I express my faith in Christ somehow, especially if it might conflict with their beliefs or lifestyles.

So as you're enjoying the playoffs and watching your favorite players drive to the hoop - how can you be more "offensive" with your faith?

*I know I'm referencing the Rockets' last game against LA and this photo is against Portland. It was just the best one I could find quickly.

Time Management -- the least talked about sin

Lust, gossip, envy, anger... All of us admit we do these things, and we confess these things to each other, we pray about them...but what about time management? This seems like more of a "non-spiritual" issue. It's something you go to seminars about or learn during job training. Yet I'm being more convicted that it is a real, chronic sin that is destroying many in our generation, soaked as we are in a distraction-filled world. I especially think it is endemic in young guys. It's been a destructive force in my life.

Does this sound familiar? Sleep in, go to class only when there's a quiz, spend the day playing computer games, checking your fantasy team, and watching youtube. Then go hang out with your buddies. As deadlines get closer, pound dozens of coffees and redbulls and a few all-nighters. Afterwords, celebrate and then start the cycle all over again. I think this pattern starts somewhere in middle school and high school, gets hardened in college, and by the time you get your first job, is pretty hard to shake. Yes, it works...but there's something like a slow disintegration going on inside. You might not admit it, but you feel it.

Why do we do it? Is it just because we're lazy? Yes, but I think you have to go deeper than that. For me, there is a nagging fear of failure. I avoid the difficult tasks because I know as soon as I tackle it, I will feel frustrated. Frustrated because it's not easy, because I feel incompetent. So I avoid. I turn to things that are easy, that are controllable, where I feel competent. Soon I begin to see that this is not just why I'm lazy...it's also why I avoid confrontation with people and why I avoid deep relationships.

Titus 2:11-12 says that "the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age." The Grace of God trains us. The NIV says that Grace teaches us to say "no." What does this mean? It means that self-control doesn't come from mustering up enough will-power and guilt to change ourselves. It means that God breaking through into our reality and saving us from ourselves is the only way we will ever change. It's the reality of the fact that Christ did the hardest task of all, facing and taking all our evil so that we could be free, that can break through our fears. Remembering who we are in Christ slowly weans off our fear of failure. Why? Because even if I fail, I know that my identity doesn't rest in my accomplishments. It rests in being a child of God, won for me by the Redeemer. It frees me to try the hardest things, and it frees me to fail and not be destroyed.

This deeper battle must first be fought. The grace of God is our power and strength in the battle. What does this look like for you? I don't know. But for me, I've seen that accountability with others and identifying the big time-wasters in your life -- the things you turn to avoid the difficult things, are part of the battle. One thing for me is being very cognizant of how I partake of the Internet, e-mail, TV, TV on the internet... Our generation just turns on the computer, flicks on the tube, and lets it wash over us, basically until we're bored. For me, these are the first places I go to when I'm avoiding something. One of my goals is to check email only twice during the day, and do all my "recreational internet" in the evening. My friend's goal is to be on the internet no more than one hour per day. That's harder than it sounds...but do we really need to be on the internet for four hours every day? Whatever it looks like for you, I pray that the reality of grace will break through into our lives and train us into freedom.

Fearless Humility

Rachel's post has reminded me that it's been awhile since I've blogged as well. So here's something that's been on my mind recently.

I think it's fair to say that many people either tend to be Confident, yet prideful, or Humble, yet cowering. On the one hand, some of us are naturally more assertive, fearless, speak their mind, and are the "go-getters." But along with that usually comes arrogance, and ultimately self-destruction. Why is that? I think because even if we don't admit it, we begin to base our identity on our own achievement, our own discipline...and that identity is pretty fragile. We must defend it, so we lash out when we feel threatened. And in the end, our own achievements just don't seem to really cover up that nakedness we feel so deeply. So I've worked my butt off and have made something of myself...but why do I still feel so inconsequential?

On the other hand, some of us are gracious, humble, caring...but also very fearful. We genuinely don't like building ourselves up and like to build others up. Yet, often we find ourselves trapped by our fear. Deathly afraid of conflict, or being rejected by others, we cower when we need to take initiative and step out in confidence. Though we love to serve others, our compassion towards others also doesn't cover up our nakedness. In the end, often we realize that we are slaves to people's approval. Our self-image is also fragile, and we also protect it all costs, and thus we never take risks or step on anyone's toes.

How can I live a life that is both fearless yet compassionate? Confident yet humble? I'm far from actually seeing both of these traits really fleshed out in my life. At times, I feel like I'm always defending my own sense of accomplishment. Other times, I just feel like a compassionate coward. And I've discovered there just is no easy formula to help me out of this mess. But yesterday I was reminded again by a simple promise that God keeps repeating through Scripture. He said it to the self-starter Paul who needed some encouragement: "Do not be afraid...for I am with you." (Acts 18:9-10) The doubtful Moses when asked to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, asked God, "Who am I?" God said, "But I will be with you." (Ex. 3:11-12)

I am once again reminded to remember that the story of Bible teaches me that I am indeed inconsequential. Yet God is my Father who came into our history to bring me to life, to give me a new heart. I have nothing to fear, because no one can condemn me. Christ was condemned on my behalf! I have nothing left to prove, because Christ proved it all on the cross on my behalf. Only when I remember this am I able to move past my cowardice to take risks, and stop trying to prove myself, because I know I'm just a vapor, soon to evaporate. But I'm also a child of God, given a life to live, freed to love others because I am loved. The Father who proved his love to us on the cross says to us: Do not be afraid...for I am with you.