Bring it on.

UPDATE: Voting ends Friday (tomorrow) at 4pm. So far, the only vote is invalid because someone voted for their own. However, both responses made me laugh, so I like them both :)

So, I was recently challenged about my lack of blogging, so I decided to update. The problem with blogs is that when you're busy you just don't have time to write, so unless something really exciting happens you're not likely to do it. I was trying to think of something fun and clever to write about but just couldn't think of anything. However, I did remember how much fun the riddles were (for me, at least) because so many people got to participate. So that got me to thinking about creating another "interactive" blog post. Now this might totally bomb, but I have this little kids' creative writing book in which you can choose 3 phrases at random, put them together, and it makes a silly, easy writing assignment. I thought that would be the perfect way to get people involved and hear some amazingly funny stories (especially since Joel's stories have become famous through the whole riddle thing). I will post stories also when I can, but I will probably be mostly moderating.
Here's the rules:
1.) I will give you a certain amount of time for each assignment, after that we vote on who has the best one.
2.) Submit as many entries for the same post as you want.
3.) Vote for your favorite, but not your own, by simply saying so in a comment.
4.) Winners recieve awesomely sweet prizes (thier triumphant picture on the blog)

READY?!?!?! ok, here's the first one:

Write a thank-you note from an elephant that can fly.

You have until noon on thursday (4/8) then voting begins :)

Conviction Anyone?

Yesterday my church handed out books for the small groups that go along with the sermon series we're in now. I'm not in a small group but I grabbed one and started using it for my devotions. I say "started" because I got a whole 2 sentences into the book before I had to stop. It was one of those moments where the profound truth and conviction of a question just caught me totally off guard. Then after I had recovered from my shock (and fallen on my face before God) I went on to read the rest of the page and was even more deeply affected. Since then what I read has been tumbling over and over in my mind and changing the way I look at practically everything.
It's not that these statements are new, like I never knew this before, but they struck me in a way that I'm not even sure I can explain. So instead of trying to explain it, I'll just share them with you.

The page started off like this:

" 'I count everything as loss.' Money as loss, food as loss, looks as loss, friends as loss, family as loss, job and success as loss, graduation as loss.

"Everything is a loss in comparison with the treasure that Christ has become for me."

Then, the question:


"How do you make Christ look great in your life, so that you don't waste your life?"



"Money is given to you so that you might use money in a way that shows money is not your treasure. Christ is.

"Food is given to you so that you might eat in a way that makes it clear that food is not your treasure. Christ is.

"Friends and family are given to you so that you might live with them in a way that makes it plain to the world that they are not your treasure. Christ is.

"Computers, toys, houses, land and cars are given to you so that you might use them in a way that makes it plain to the world that these are not your treasure. Christ is.

"The way we display the supreme worth of Jesus is by treasuring him above all things and then making choices which make the joy we have in his supreme worth manifest.

"And if he is not that treasure for you, pray - all night if you have to - that your heart would be so changed that you would now treasure Jesus above everything in you life."

That hit me to the core. To love Christ so deeply that everything I do draws attention to him...that's the life that I want. I'm appalled at how short of this my life falls, yet I thank God that I am totally incapable of doing anything right and only have to trust Him to work in me.

So, that's been my prayer and thought for the past two days, just pondering what my life would actually look like if I lived that out.

**All the quoted material in this post is from the small group booklet my church handed out. I'm not sure how to cite an unpublished booklet so I'll just paraphrase the introduction: this booklet, titled [IN]VEST, was written by a team of talented people from Park Community Church, in Chicago, IL**

The Saga Continues...

I know, I know, "part 4?!!? are you serious??"

But THIS post is one of hope!!

Today I finally saw the vending machine guy!!! He was refilling the machine as I walked back to my room and so I casually (meaning that I stumbled over myself and he probably didn't understand half of what I said) mentioned to him that the Famous Amos dispenser was broken. He was super nice and said "Ok! Thanks for telling me!"
I've yet to test it out - I haven't had any change - but my hopes are restored and my faith renewed! The next time I write about Famous Amos's chocolate chip cookies it will most likely be a story of triumph and satisfaction!
Hooray!!
Anyway, I thought you might like to know.


Oh, and by the way, the philosophy idea sparked some heated debate, which was fun, but it also involved a lot of mental work so unless it is something you really wanted to hear I was going to abandon the idea. I will most definitely bring it back though if any of you really enjoyed it and wanted to debate philosophy.