Hello friends!
So, I'm a complete slacker and haven't published a blog in quite some time. My life has been bombarded with exams, work and now pneumonia.. Yes, that is right, I have pneumonia. I think that I am the only one in the world that could manage to get pneumonia... in the summer! Thanks to a great doctor, three different steroids, an inhaler, a great antibiotic, a shot in the butt, loads of chicken noodle soup and endless amounts of hot tea, though, I feel like I am finally on my way to getting better. :). Enough about that, though.. Who wants to hear about pneumonia when you can hear about what is on my heart today? Ha!
Today's blog is about the ever so controversial subject of race. This subject is on my heart currently for a number of reasons. The main reason, however, that it is currently on my heart now, more so than typically, is due to a conversation that I had with a good friend a few days ago. He is an African American male and I am, obviously, a white female. I honestly can't remember what started the whole conversation about our different races, but it was a conversation that lasted well over four hours. I find it crazy that two people can manage to carry on a conversation about race for that long, but some how we did. We talked about everything concerning race. It was such a refreshing, yet disturbing conversation.
We both shared stories about how we had experienced racism in our lives and how our race had been the cause of various things. It is so shocking to me that racism is still an issue. It is 2009 and people really still care about something as small as skin color? It breaks my heart to think that racism is still an issue. Not only does it break my heart that people are still being persecuted and looked down upon because of their skin color, but it breaks my heart even more that those who are the 'racist' are missing out on the opportunity to get to know GREAT people.. because of their SKIN color.
I've been very, very blessed with eyes that have never seen skin color as anything more than beauty. How dull would this world be if we were all one color? I praise God that we aren't all the same. It would be so boring. Now, I realize that I am from a very different generation with very different views than those older than me. I've tried to understand how racism could still be an issue for older generations but I just don't get it. I also REALLY don't get how ANYONE in my generation has issues with race. It's just ridiculous to me. Racism is the one thing that manages to get under my skin, break my heart and make my blood boil all at the same time.
I don't really have anything big to say or famous last words to write.. I just had to get this whole race issue off my chest. With all this said, though, please know that I am praying very hard for a few things. First, I am praying that God will give me more patience in dealing with the never-ending issue of race. I am also praying that every new generation will continue to become more accepting and as time continues to pass race will become less and less of an issue.
-Rissa
30 days 'til Kenya... OH MY GOSH!!! :-D
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Passion
Hello world,
If you can't tell already, I'm a very passionate person. It is very difficult for me to just be indifferent about something. There are very few subjects that I don't have any opinions on. I can't tell you why I am like this, I just am. I've tried many times before to not have opinions and just be one of those people who simply smile and nod at everything. It does not work, though.
It wasn't until recently that I became grateful for having this passionate personality. I was put into a group this semester with two other people. One of these two was the type of person I was just talking about.. The type of person who just smiles and nods and doesn't ever express any type of opinion. She was hands down the dullest person I've ever met. I mean, the girl wouldn't even tell me what background for a power point she liked more. I just wanted to slap her so that I could see some type of emotion come out of her. Terrible, I know, but very true.
After being forced to meet with this very lame and dull girl at least once every week for the past semester, I developed a love for my passionate personality. I am so glad that God did not create me dull and boring. I'm so happy that I have opinions and passion.
Anyways, I'll write another "passionate" blog soon. My life should calm down once exams are over and I'll be more consistent with my blogging. :)
-Marissa
42 days til Kenya!!
If you can't tell already, I'm a very passionate person. It is very difficult for me to just be indifferent about something. There are very few subjects that I don't have any opinions on. I can't tell you why I am like this, I just am. I've tried many times before to not have opinions and just be one of those people who simply smile and nod at everything. It does not work, though.
It wasn't until recently that I became grateful for having this passionate personality. I was put into a group this semester with two other people. One of these two was the type of person I was just talking about.. The type of person who just smiles and nods and doesn't ever express any type of opinion. She was hands down the dullest person I've ever met. I mean, the girl wouldn't even tell me what background for a power point she liked more. I just wanted to slap her so that I could see some type of emotion come out of her. Terrible, I know, but very true.
After being forced to meet with this very lame and dull girl at least once every week for the past semester, I developed a love for my passionate personality. I am so glad that God did not create me dull and boring. I'm so happy that I have opinions and passion.
Anyways, I'll write another "passionate" blog soon. My life should calm down once exams are over and I'll be more consistent with my blogging. :)
-Marissa
42 days til Kenya!!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Image bearers
I'm reading Sex God by Rob Bell along with two of my friends. We just started this book club sort of deal. We've got a list of books that we all want to read and then we get together and discuss them. Last night was the first official night of our book club get-together. It was great. We just sat around and talked about what we've gotten out of what we've read thus far. We picked out various pages and sentences that really stuck out to us. The one paragraph that really got me thinking was:
"The writer of Genesis makes it clear that in all of creation there is something different about humans. They aren't God, and they aren't going to become God, but in some distinct, intentional way, something of God has been placed in them. We reflect what God is and who God is. A divine spark resides in every single human being.
Everybody, everywhere. Bearers of the divine image."
This really got me thinking. It is without question that we are different than every other creature on the planet and that God did make us special. However, I don't know how or why but I've never really thought that deep into that concept.
We are supposed to reflect what God is and who God is? What are flipping responsibility! We really suck at this, don't we? I mean, the fact that I represent the Creator of ALL is just scary. I'm so far from perfect, and He is all that is perfect. I can't even make an A on a Spanish test, but He created the people who speak Spanish! I am just so far from being anything like God that is hard for me to think that I am a reflection of Him.
What if we really took this concept to heart though? What if we really, truly lived as though we are bearers of the divine image? How great would life be if our goal was to truly represent God? How blessed are we that God chose US to bear His perfect and beautiful image? Just something to think about. :)
That is all for now!
-Rissa
63 days til Kenya!
oh, and HEY JENN! :o)
"The writer of Genesis makes it clear that in all of creation there is something different about humans. They aren't God, and they aren't going to become God, but in some distinct, intentional way, something of God has been placed in them. We reflect what God is and who God is. A divine spark resides in every single human being.
Everybody, everywhere. Bearers of the divine image."
This really got me thinking. It is without question that we are different than every other creature on the planet and that God did make us special. However, I don't know how or why but I've never really thought that deep into that concept.
We are supposed to reflect what God is and who God is? What are flipping responsibility! We really suck at this, don't we? I mean, the fact that I represent the Creator of ALL is just scary. I'm so far from perfect, and He is all that is perfect. I can't even make an A on a Spanish test, but He created the people who speak Spanish! I am just so far from being anything like God that is hard for me to think that I am a reflection of Him.
What if we really took this concept to heart though? What if we really, truly lived as though we are bearers of the divine image? How great would life be if our goal was to truly represent God? How blessed are we that God chose US to bear His perfect and beautiful image? Just something to think about. :)
That is all for now!
-Rissa
63 days til Kenya!
oh, and HEY JENN! :o)
Monday, April 6, 2009
"Even the best fall down sometimes"
Hello everyone!
Sorry it has been a while since my last post. This week has been filled with endless projects, major tests, ridiculous amounts of homework and crazy hours spent working at Chicos. However, I have a little bit of time now soo.. Here goes a new post!
Ever since I can remember I've had certain people in my life that I hold to very high standards. For instance, my old youth minister. When I was 13 she was the perfect image of what a woman of God is (and she still is that to me!). I couldn't ever picture her doing anything wrong, never messing up, always being perfect. It was like she was my own personal Jesus. She was perfect in my eyes. To this day I remember how upset I was when I figured out that she had made mistakes in her past and wasn't the person of perfection that I made her out to be. It broke my heart to think that the one person that I desired to be just like, the one person that I loved and looked up to the most makes mistakes like the rest of the world.
I wish I could say that she was the only person I've ever held to such unfair standards, but unfortunately it is something I still struggle with. It makes me sick to think that I do this. I know what it feels like to have such pressure put on you to be this ideal person that people look up to. I think everyone has felt that feeling before. That feeling that someone is counting on you and to mess up would be to break their heart.
I've really spent a lot of time thinking about this lately. I've been let down, yet again, by holding people to these unrealistic standards. I realize that I'm completely absurd to expect people not to mess up, but I'm working on that! After a lot of thinking, though, I've come to two conclusions.
My first conclusion is that Satan completely uses this whole search for perfection in others to his power. Think about it for a second.. We don't hold the drug addicts or prostitutes to these high standards, but rather the Church girls that memorize Bible verses. It doesn't hurt us or let us down when the "bad kids" get caught drinking or smoking. However, if one of the girls from the youth group gets caught drinking the entire town hears about it. Everyone looks to Christians to be great and perfect. Even the Church puts pressure on you to "walk the walk". Don't get me wrong, I completely think that we should be different and try our best to abide by God's laws. However, it is a lot of pressure and Satan is aware of this. Why do you think that the Preacher's kids always have the reputation for being the crazy ones? The whole "goody-goody" role gets old after a while.. Sometimes the idea of being "of the world" seems quite appealing. I think that this is all Satan. He twists the whole good-girl and good-boy reputations into something negative. Also, Satan uses the fall of others to break our hearts and make us loose hope.
The second conclusion I've come to is that we all desire perfection. I think it is without question that everyone wants to believe that there is someone out there who will never let them down or disappoint them. It just kind of hit me today as I was driving down the road that Jesus truly is the only one that will ever fill that void of 'perfection' in our lives. It isn't that I didn't already know he was the only perfect person, but that the whole idea of someone truly never messing up seems to be completely out of my realm of reality.
I think it is beautiful that we desire and thirst for perfection. I think it is even more beautiful that our Father provided that for us through Jesus. It's just one of the many things He managed to accomplish through sending Him for us.
That is all for now. Enjoy the rest of the week!
-Rissa
64 days til Kenya!!!!
Sorry it has been a while since my last post. This week has been filled with endless projects, major tests, ridiculous amounts of homework and crazy hours spent working at Chicos. However, I have a little bit of time now soo.. Here goes a new post!
Ever since I can remember I've had certain people in my life that I hold to very high standards. For instance, my old youth minister. When I was 13 she was the perfect image of what a woman of God is (and she still is that to me!). I couldn't ever picture her doing anything wrong, never messing up, always being perfect. It was like she was my own personal Jesus. She was perfect in my eyes. To this day I remember how upset I was when I figured out that she had made mistakes in her past and wasn't the person of perfection that I made her out to be. It broke my heart to think that the one person that I desired to be just like, the one person that I loved and looked up to the most makes mistakes like the rest of the world.
I wish I could say that she was the only person I've ever held to such unfair standards, but unfortunately it is something I still struggle with. It makes me sick to think that I do this. I know what it feels like to have such pressure put on you to be this ideal person that people look up to. I think everyone has felt that feeling before. That feeling that someone is counting on you and to mess up would be to break their heart.
I've really spent a lot of time thinking about this lately. I've been let down, yet again, by holding people to these unrealistic standards. I realize that I'm completely absurd to expect people not to mess up, but I'm working on that! After a lot of thinking, though, I've come to two conclusions.
My first conclusion is that Satan completely uses this whole search for perfection in others to his power. Think about it for a second.. We don't hold the drug addicts or prostitutes to these high standards, but rather the Church girls that memorize Bible verses. It doesn't hurt us or let us down when the "bad kids" get caught drinking or smoking. However, if one of the girls from the youth group gets caught drinking the entire town hears about it. Everyone looks to Christians to be great and perfect. Even the Church puts pressure on you to "walk the walk". Don't get me wrong, I completely think that we should be different and try our best to abide by God's laws. However, it is a lot of pressure and Satan is aware of this. Why do you think that the Preacher's kids always have the reputation for being the crazy ones? The whole "goody-goody" role gets old after a while.. Sometimes the idea of being "of the world" seems quite appealing. I think that this is all Satan. He twists the whole good-girl and good-boy reputations into something negative. Also, Satan uses the fall of others to break our hearts and make us loose hope.
The second conclusion I've come to is that we all desire perfection. I think it is without question that everyone wants to believe that there is someone out there who will never let them down or disappoint them. It just kind of hit me today as I was driving down the road that Jesus truly is the only one that will ever fill that void of 'perfection' in our lives. It isn't that I didn't already know he was the only perfect person, but that the whole idea of someone truly never messing up seems to be completely out of my realm of reality.
I think it is beautiful that we desire and thirst for perfection. I think it is even more beautiful that our Father provided that for us through Jesus. It's just one of the many things He managed to accomplish through sending Him for us.
That is all for now. Enjoy the rest of the week!
-Rissa
64 days til Kenya!!!!
Monday, March 30, 2009
And so it begins..
Hello world!
Welcome to my blog! Obviously, this is my first blog, so, bear with me. Honestly, I probably haven't written a blog since like 7th or 8th grade when xanga was the cool thing to do. This should be neat, though. I've thought about doing a blog for a while and today I finally decided to.. So.. Here it goes!
Steven and Chrissy got married on Saturday.. WOW! They are two great friends of mine. Their wedding was perfect. Chrissy was without a doubt the most gorgeous person I've ever seen and Steven was just glowing! The wedding ceremony itself was beautiful and very sweet. The reception was a complete blast with loads of dancing, a candy bar, a great DJ, some kickin punch and delicious cake. The whole wedding was simply wonderful.
As I traveled back from Spartanburg to Charleston early Sunday morning (had to get back for work) I managed to do a whole lot of thinking. I love the drive from Charleston to Spartanburg and vice-versa. There is absolutely nothing (except for Columbia) between the two cities. I-26 is one of the dullest interstates ever. Why do I love it so much? I love it because I get to just relax and spend some time alone. This particular ride back was extra nice, though. My mind just kept playing the whole day before over and over. I kept thinking about how perfect everything was, how happy Steven and Chrissy were and how genuinely happy I am for them. As I was thinking tears were streaming down my face. I couldn't figure out why either. Then it hit me.. Chrissy was the one that taught me what it was to be a Christian single woman. She taught me to embrace my singleness and enjoy this chapter of my life. She is so in love with Christ that she just bubbles over with joy and happiness. She has a spirit that is captivating. It's impossible not to be completely happy around her. She showed me how to become head over heels in love with Christ.
When Steven entered her life they both taught me what it is to have a Christ centered relationship. He completely respected her in every aspect and she completely respected him. They had such a fun relationship. I've never seen two people laugh so hard and have so much fun together. I hung out with them a LOT before I moved and I don't ever recall them ever being upset with one another. As I was riding down the road and tears were falling down my cheeks it just really became apparent to me.. They are the first couple that I've ever seen that didn't fight over small things, that didn't have off days, that didn't upset each other... They are the first couple I've ever known that truly wasn't trying to see what they could get out of the relationship, but rather what they could give to the other person. There is no secret to why their relationship is so great.. It is completely God. They really do have Christ at the center of their lives and live for Him alone. They haven't been going through the relationship on their own terms, but on His. They've been obeying His rules.. Not their own or anyone elses.
Sometimes I get so caught up in what everyone around me sees as acceptable that I forget such simple things. I feel like the world puts all this pressure on college students to be in a relationship and settle down with someone. I find myself looking at what the world sees as normal and healthy that I forget what I believe. I should be praising God that I am not in a relationship rather than worrying about finding someone. I know that He will bring me that person in His timing. I'm grateful that His timing hasn't happened yet. I have had some of the best years of my life being a single college girl. Being single has allowed me to learn to value and love myself. More importantly, though, being single has allowed me to grow in Christ and become dependent on Him alone. I know that when God brings the right man into my life I will make sure that He is in the middle of that relationship. Why? Because I know that I am happiest when I am concentrating on Him. I realize that the only way to truly be happy and have a healthy relationship is if He is at the center of it.
So, thanks Chrissy and Steven for being such an example for not only me but everyone else. :)
That is all for now!
-Rissa
P.S. 74 days until Kenya!!!
Welcome to my blog! Obviously, this is my first blog, so, bear with me. Honestly, I probably haven't written a blog since like 7th or 8th grade when xanga was the cool thing to do. This should be neat, though. I've thought about doing a blog for a while and today I finally decided to.. So.. Here it goes!
Steven and Chrissy got married on Saturday.. WOW! They are two great friends of mine. Their wedding was perfect. Chrissy was without a doubt the most gorgeous person I've ever seen and Steven was just glowing! The wedding ceremony itself was beautiful and very sweet. The reception was a complete blast with loads of dancing, a candy bar, a great DJ, some kickin punch and delicious cake. The whole wedding was simply wonderful.
As I traveled back from Spartanburg to Charleston early Sunday morning (had to get back for work) I managed to do a whole lot of thinking. I love the drive from Charleston to Spartanburg and vice-versa. There is absolutely nothing (except for Columbia) between the two cities. I-26 is one of the dullest interstates ever. Why do I love it so much? I love it because I get to just relax and spend some time alone. This particular ride back was extra nice, though. My mind just kept playing the whole day before over and over. I kept thinking about how perfect everything was, how happy Steven and Chrissy were and how genuinely happy I am for them. As I was thinking tears were streaming down my face. I couldn't figure out why either. Then it hit me.. Chrissy was the one that taught me what it was to be a Christian single woman. She taught me to embrace my singleness and enjoy this chapter of my life. She is so in love with Christ that she just bubbles over with joy and happiness. She has a spirit that is captivating. It's impossible not to be completely happy around her. She showed me how to become head over heels in love with Christ.
When Steven entered her life they both taught me what it is to have a Christ centered relationship. He completely respected her in every aspect and she completely respected him. They had such a fun relationship. I've never seen two people laugh so hard and have so much fun together. I hung out with them a LOT before I moved and I don't ever recall them ever being upset with one another. As I was riding down the road and tears were falling down my cheeks it just really became apparent to me.. They are the first couple that I've ever seen that didn't fight over small things, that didn't have off days, that didn't upset each other... They are the first couple I've ever known that truly wasn't trying to see what they could get out of the relationship, but rather what they could give to the other person. There is no secret to why their relationship is so great.. It is completely God. They really do have Christ at the center of their lives and live for Him alone. They haven't been going through the relationship on their own terms, but on His. They've been obeying His rules.. Not their own or anyone elses.
Sometimes I get so caught up in what everyone around me sees as acceptable that I forget such simple things. I feel like the world puts all this pressure on college students to be in a relationship and settle down with someone. I find myself looking at what the world sees as normal and healthy that I forget what I believe. I should be praising God that I am not in a relationship rather than worrying about finding someone. I know that He will bring me that person in His timing. I'm grateful that His timing hasn't happened yet. I have had some of the best years of my life being a single college girl. Being single has allowed me to learn to value and love myself. More importantly, though, being single has allowed me to grow in Christ and become dependent on Him alone. I know that when God brings the right man into my life I will make sure that He is in the middle of that relationship. Why? Because I know that I am happiest when I am concentrating on Him. I realize that the only way to truly be happy and have a healthy relationship is if He is at the center of it.
So, thanks Chrissy and Steven for being such an example for not only me but everyone else. :)
That is all for now!
-Rissa
P.S. 74 days until Kenya!!!
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