Tuesday, April 20, 2010

New Testament Biblical Theology Class Last Night

Last night in my NT Biblical Theology class the question was posed about Paul's reaction to today's statistic that 60% of Christians believe that Jesus sinned while he was on earth as a result of today's church leaders not teaching the biblical truth. So if that is true, 60% of Christians believe that Jesus did, in fact, sin, I wonder if they have eternal salvation.

Lets look at the facts:

  1. All through the OT, God's people looked forward to the perfect sacrifice (Jesus) to free them from sin. In looking forward to that, they sacrificed spotless lambs
  2. The bible says, Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, not giving into temptation and living a sinless life.
  3. If Jesus did sin, then how is his death different than mine?
I'm sure there are other truths to look at but if we just take these three, can that 60% still be saved if they believe that, even tho Jesus sinned, he still died for the sin of the world. Is that possible?

Comments welcome.

Anxiety

Like most of Americans, I have anxiety.

I have anxiety over not being able to help my clients, repaying loans, commitment and decisions. I have anxiety over homework and getting things done before on time, picking out the right things. I have anxiety over anxiety sometimes. I have anxiety over the things my friends and family go through and I have anxiety about getting enough sleep on the weekends (although, I will admit that one is subsiding). I have anxiety, probably the most anxiety, over house shopping - the more we, the more serious we get and that creates anxiety in me.

I have anxiety about not being a good therapist. Which is absolutely ridiculous at this point in my life as I have been seeing people for exactly 3 months and 2 days. Of course I'm not good at it. And this is okay, I'm not expected to be great three months into the job! Good gravy!

Well, I work in a therapists office, you would think that I would just take my anxiety to them...well, there probably is a bit of anxiety over that too...somewhere.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Thinking About Specs and Planks

A while back a friend came over to visit. He had been struggling with things for a while and I asked him, "Why don't you just do something about that? ...There are options you know." He (humbly maybe) said, "Well, others have it worse than me and I can live with this."

I have been thinking about that statement for the five months since that conversation because I too, have just been living with stuff.

I have learned, in "my years of counseling experience" (go ahead, laugh) that we as human beings love to just not change. We love to live in our dysfunctional way of being even though there may be a gazillion ways to improve our way of life. But is that really what we ought to do?

Yes, there is a lot to be said for being content and satisfied with the place and ways God has ordained things but I believe that He loves us too much to leave us in our dysfunction.

I couldn't say much to the comment he made. I think I said something like, "Well, one thing I have learned mentoring kids is that even though this is not the worse thing in the world and that people do go through worse things than you are experiencing, this may be the worst thing for you and you only have certain experiences."

So to point out the ginormous plank in my eye, I do settle for less than God's best for me. I sit with anxiety with opportunities for others to help me day after day. I have squandered opportunities to grow countless times before. And as one of my girls said to me a few months ago, "I want to change now and I don't know where to start! I realize I have done what I needed to do to go forward and get through things, and now I don't know where to start! ..."

Monday, March 29, 2010

Diet Starts Tomorrow

All of you are going to cringe when you read this: For dinner tonight, I had fries, fried green beans, strawberry cheese cake, and ice cream with caramel, chocolate, and whipped cream. It's a pretty darn good thing that birthdays only come along once a year!

For the rest of the day, I had animal crackers and a kit kat, coffee, and a water bottle of cherry pomegranate crystal light.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Change I Can Believe In

Those who know their American history can probably recall something called the Boston Tea Party. No, they didn't sit around and drink their tea and crumpets. Instead, they rebelled against taxation and dumped tea into the Boston Harbor. Well, the Tea Party is back! ...And if there is one thing I learned in Fiji, it was to enjoy my TEA!

I have recently been thinking more and more about the whole movement. It's a bipartisan group that is wants to regain control of the government and put back in the people's hands: by the people, for the people. It's goals are that there is fiscal responsibility, limited government, and free market. They want to preserve the economic future for our children, work for a return to the principles that govern our constitution, support the individual's rights and property, and also to provide a platform for like minded people to have a voice. Check out the website of my local chapter: www.teapartyofwmi.org or the national organization's website at: www.teapartypatriots.org. I think it's change that we can believe in, without hidden agendas, price tags, spreading of wealth, "transparency", deem and pass, or any of that other Washington bullshit.

Oh yeah, they also have a petition to 'Repeal the Bill' referring to the ObamaCare go to either of the websites above to sign. The goal is a million signatures. You can also do this through facebook, my facebook wall.

I don't want to have to be forced to buy things I don't necessarily want to have.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

12 Days Later

I'm finally over that whole...7 or 8 bazillion hours of class time.

So Tuesdays I have five clients. Wow...is this really what the real world is like? Tons easier than Grad School!! ...So can't wait to be earning money!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Haven't Done This One In A While

So today, I did something I haven't done in almost 11 years: I was in class for nearly 8 hours.

OMG! I don't know how I ever went years - literally YEARS - having to go day, after day, after day, or even ONE day being in class for that long!

And even then, starting school at 8:00am and getting out at 3:00 isn't even 8 hours...not to mention your morning recess, lunch recess, and your afternoon recess. That boils it down to what...6 hours? then, in the later years, you're in class for 45 minutes and you get a five minute break. Good gravy, I've NEVER been in class for 8 hours straight!

So here is how today went:
10:00-11:55 Practicum Class
12:00-2:50 (minus two ten minute breaks) Research Methodology
3:00-6:00 (minus 15 minutes of break) Ethics and Issues
7:30 minutes of class!

How did I ever survive?! When I'm committed to something for that long at least I get a lunch break and a paycheck! Do you know how much today cost me? Nearly $300! That's like almost 2 weeks worth of work at my part time job! This better be SO worth it.

Ta for now!