In, Not Of

For me, and I'm sure many other Christians tis really difficult for us to be in the world and not of it. The easiest thing is to be in the world and become of it as well. For most if not all Christians it is a daily struggle. Some of those that it is not a struggle, don't even try to fight it anymore, they have become in and of the world, yet still believe in Christ. That is a very difficult and dangerous position to be in, if not impossible and spiritually deadly. Another way that most tend to give up is to have almost two separate lives. One is the one they show off at church and with that group of people. The other is the one they show the rest of the world. They are the hypocrites that most of the world takes note of. People who say two different things, and live two different ways. Another danger is what some choose. Being not only not of, but doing their best to be not in as well. Tis a very hard task to do, and people take from these Christians, that Christians are arrogant and uncaring of the world. Most churches as a body are stuck in this mode. To be in, not of a Christian must live the way Christ did. This doesn't necessarily mean going on missions around the world, or even dying for their beliefs. It could simply be taking the step to show the light of the word in areas around them that don't usually see it. But it is not just the individual Christians who need to do this. Churches as a unified body need to step out of their comfort zones and go to the front lines of ministry in their own areas, or maybe a nearby one. Individuals and bodies must come together remembering that we are called to serve and minister to the world we are in. We should not demand that the world come to our places of worship to know God. This can be done through local service projects of varying types, or maybe renting a theater or some other neutral place for a night and having a free concert for their neighbourhood. God is everywhere. Everywhere we go, we take Him with us. To truly be in, not of and be faithful to your belief you must go out and introduce your neighbours to the loving God, their Creator, and Saviour. Create a place where they will feel welcome, and maybe they'll experience God for the first time and acknowledge His grace.

Dating: Can You be Too Picky? And Some Things to Avoid

Is there actually such a thing as being too picky when it comes to finding a mate?
No, there absolutely is not. This peson is meant to be your soul mate, your one and only. You want to be picky! Settling for someone that is less than what you deserve is the worst thing you can do.
You need to take your time and not rush things. Go out on dates, and get to know many different people. Figure out what you like and don't like. Make a list of qualities that are necessary, another of things that you can't stand, a third of what you'd like, and a fourth you'd rather they not have. If your necessity list is bigger than your likes you're in trouble and need to rethink some things. Not necessarily during the date, but definitely after go through your lists and see how that person matches up.
If someone doesn't fit at least ninety percent of your likes and necessities they're probably not right for you. If less than fifty percent definitely not. But just because they don't fit your mate ideal doesn't mean write them off completely. Some of them could end up being your best friends in life.
You may not find your mate, but great friends are always great. If you're really lucky you'll end up with both.

Some things to look out for and avoid whilst dating:
Cheaters! Always be sure you're not helping someone cheat. You don't want to be that person. And if they'll leave someone for you, they're all too likely to leave you for someone else.
People needing rescue. If you help them as a friend, and everything gets fixed then there may be possibilities. But if you get involved when they're still in trouble, then they very likely might leave you once they don't need to be rescued any longer.
Liars. If they'll lie to begin with then they'll never stop.
Jealousy. If they don't want you even spending time with friends when you're dating they'll become even more controlling later on. Beware and get out.
Abusers. Whether its emotional, verbal, or physical never put up with it. Don't even start with someone who is. Walk away if you already are.
And never be with someone just because its easy or to avoid being single. Never know what you could miss whilst you're just settling into a false comfort zone.

Yom Kippur, Fasting, and Eating Disorders

In case you missed it, this Saturday was Yom Kippur. To quote from Wikipedia

Yom Kippur, also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services. Yom Kippur completes the annual period known in Judaism as the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im ("Days of Awe"). Yom Kippur is the tenth day of the month of Tishrei. According to Jewish tradition, God inscribes each person's fate for the coming year into a book, the Book of Life, on Rosh Hashanah, and waits until Yom Kippur to "seal" the verdict. During the Days of Awe, a Jew tries to amend his or her behavior and seek forgiveness for wrongs done against God and against other human beings. The evening and day of Yom Kippur are set aside for public and private petitions and confessions of guilt. At the end of Yom Kippur, one considers oneself absolved by God.

Yom Kippur reminds me of my human frailty and how much I need God's guidance to survive. How grateful I am to know He has a plan for me. I need not doubt, only have faith in Him and His plan, and know that His grace is protecting me.

For me Yom Kippur and the other days of fasting are also difficult times. They remind me of part of my senior year when I nearly died from anorexia. No one around me noticed how much weight I had lost. Luckily, for me, I had a good friend end up hospitalized because of anorexia. She had passed out and they finally noticed she was anorexic. I was almost to that point as well. Her experience scared me badly enough that I began eating again.
The fasting days also remind me of not long later in my senior year when I'd had a migraine every day for a month. Drs. couldn't figure out what was wrong with me, tests were coming up completely negative on everything. So they ordered me to fast for a week. I was worried the whole time that I would end up anorexic again if I got in the habit of not eating. Results were inconclusive, so they ordered me to have another week of fasting. I almost refused, but so badly wanted to find out what was wrong with me, that I went through with it. After that second week, they found I have a liver disorder that effects my metabolism, I need to eat more often that most people or my body stops functioning correctly. Even just a one day fast like Yom Kippur will result in a major headache, weakness, fatigue, and possibly passing out. Due to all that this is the first time in ten to eleven years that I've participate in a fast.

But my experiences have also given me one of my personal crusades, fighting eating disorders.
Very few people realize how many suffer from them. We all likely know at least two people with one, and very likely never noticed that they have one. Anorexia and bulimia are probably the most well known types, but there are many others. There are lots of different causes of them too. They can be caused by psychological, biological, or environmental effects upon someone's life. Even such common things as depression and peer pressure can cause one to occur, and ADHD is known to increase the chances of developing one. Most forms can be easy to correct, and often are totally avoidable in the first place.
The easiest prevention is the person's knowing they have someone who cares for them just as they are. Even a smile could help someone. Who amongst us couldn't use those?

3rd Senator

Do hereby propose that each state be given a 3rd Senate seat. Senate terms should remain 6 years long, with an election for one of the Senators occurring every 2 years. Senator's votes should no longer be counted individually. On each issue whichever side the majority of that state's Senators agree gets the 1 state vote. This should give greater importance to each state as a whole, rather than individual voters, which is the point of the Senate to begin with.


Note: This has been stuck in my head for a couple weeks now and I wanted to try and get it out. The unlikelihood of such actually being taken up is noted. And please ignore the government growth aspect and focus on what it might mean for state's power. This is a piece purely to prompt discussion.