My View on Texting

Going way back to the flip-phone days, I was 15 when I got my first cell phone and I was absolutely obsessed with texting.

It was an unhealthy obsession I will admit as I recall constantly checking for new messages and feeling obligated to answer every text within 30 seconds of arrival to my inbox.

I texted everyone possible as much as possible. It was an exciting new addition to my life but one that I was unprepared to handle appropriately.

Having my own phone enabled me to connect with people even though I was not physically with them and I felt so independent and free but at the same time I was also trapped. Trapped in this persistent obligation to reply to these constant text messages as fast as possible lest the people on the other side feel forgotten or think that I don't care.

I use texting a lot still today and I really enjoy using my iPhone to connect with the people in my life and I have learned a some things about texting over the years that I would like to share:

1. Texting is both a great and also a terrible communication tool.

Let me explain. Texting is great when it is used to inform people about meetings or events going on. Texting is terrible when it is used for regular every day conversations and even worse for deep and intimate ones simply because of the risk of miscommunication. 

2. Texting is both polite and rude.

A polite example of texting is sending someone a Bible verse or a simple note of encouragement to brighten their day but it is very rude to do this while out for coffee or supper with someone else. 

3. Texting can both save and waste a lot of time.

Instead of phoning ten people individually to let them know about an event, which can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour or longer... you could just send a mass text in less than 1 minute. Also instead of taking 15 minutes to type out that story about what happened to you at work today in a text you could just phone that person and deliver the story through speech and take 2 minutes.

4. Texting is both personal and impersonal.

Sometimes a simple "I'm thinking of you" or "I'm praying for you" or a Scripture verse in a text can make someone's day but then just think about how much more personal it would be if someone called you to share the same things.

5. Texting can both create and destroy intimacy.

It is easy to text constantly with someone and get to know facts about them really well but, if texting is your main mode of communication, you won't actually get to know who that person is. You can say anything in a text and, without body language and tone of voice present, things can easily be misinterpreted and misunderstood. 

To summarize my thoughts, I think texting is useful but only if used wisely within reasonable limits.

Everything Is Yours by Audrey Assad

When all the world is blossoming
When everything around is bursting into life
And I don't have to strain to hear the beat of Your heart

When all the world is under fire
And the skies are threatening to thunder and rain
And I am overcome by fears that I can't see

If everything is Yours
Everything is Yours
I'm letting it go
No it was never mine to hold

Who could command the stars to sing?
Or hold the raging seas from breaking through the doors
And tend the fragile roses with the very same hands?

If everything is Yours
Everything is Yours
I'm letting it go
I am, I'm letting it go

Cause everything is Yours
Yeah everything is Yours
If everything is Yours, God
If everything is Yours
I'm letting it go
It was never mine to hold

Heart and Flesh by Starfield

My soul longs, even faints for the courts of the Lord

Oh my heart and flesh cry out for the Living God

And I am satisfied, satisfied in You Lord

And I would trade it all for one day in Your courts

Oh I am satisfied, Lord I am satisfied in You

Roller Coasters

Once upon a time my family travelled to Wisconsin Dells and stayed at Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park.

When we arrived at the hotel and got our park passes the first thing my Dad said to me was, "Will you take the kids to the park?"

Now I was really tired from the long drive and had almost zero motivation to take anyone anywhere. But I caved under the intense pressure of eager expectations plus parental prodding and down to the park I went with four siblings in tow. Just kidding. My siblings were way ahead of me :).

There was an indoor park which contained the more "childish" rides and a much larger outdoor park full of race tracks and more intimidating rides.

We (I) decided to start small and try some of the indoor stuff before moving on to the "real" rides outside.

The most exciting thing indoors was a small roller coaster with mice for cars and we soon decided that we needed something a little more challenging.

I'm going to focus in on my little brother Daniel for a moment.

Bravest kid ever.

There were three roller coasters outside. Pegasus was the smallest of the three but it was still super fast and fun. My whole family ended up riding Pegasus (even my Dad who hates roller coasters!).

It was not enough for Daniel.

He insisted on moving on to bigger and better and dragged me along to Zeus. As the second biggest roller coaster at this park, Zeus was quite a bit bigger than Pegasus. I was a little bit nervous to try it out but my parents (mostly Mom) insisted that I not let Daniel go it alone. It wasn't so bad and I became a bit addicted to the adrenaline rush I obtained from the experience and rode it at least 3 more times in a row with Daniel.

But the largest coaster remained unridden by the Eiswerth clan...for the first few days at least.

Hades 360 was the largest roller coaster at the park and is known for being the world's first upside-down wooden roller coaster. It also had a drop of 140ft and hit 70mph speed straight down into the world's longest underground tunnel. I did not want to leave this vacation without having conquered Hades at least once. I knew that Daniel would ride with me but, to our dismay, Mom would not allow it. She insisted that herself and Alexander (my oldest brother) come with me to scope it out first.

We began the long trek uphill to ride Hades and it took us about ten or so minutes to reach the entrance. The seats in the cars held only two people and so one of us ended up sitting by herself...

Me, myself, and I sat together...

Alone.

Now I really did not mind all that much because I was too excited to care. Right before the ride began I looked back at my family members and my Mom met me with a facial expression that said I would rather be anywhere but here, while her mouth shouted rather aggressively, "Turn around, you!" So I turned back around with a huge grin across my face and the ride started...

I would describe the ride in excruciating detail but I've decided that I will only mention that the drop was super steep and ferociously fast, the tunnel was literally long and dauntingly dark, and there were a lot of high-pitched screams and panicky breaths coming from the seat directly behind me ;). Then suddenly it was all over.

Mom and Alexander assured me that they were never going on that ride again and then proceeded to act a bit angry toward me for "convincing" them to give it a shot.

The saddest part of the whole trip happened next...

Daniel was waiting with eager anticipation to ride Hades but Mom said, "Sorry Daniel but I don't think it is safe for you to ride that one, I'm afraid you'll slip right out of the seat!" I have to admit that I do support my Mom's concern for her youngest child but I still think I could've taken him with me and held him in place if there was a need for that. Daniel's hopes and dreams were seemingly crushed for a moment at my Mom's words as he hung his head...only to look up seconds later with a gleam in his eyes as he said to me, "Back to Zeus then!"

We rode Zeus at least fifteen times that week.

Out of respect for Daniel, I only rode Hades that one time...

I'd take him on Hades (not to mention also any other roller coaster) anytime because his bravery led me to conquer my slight fear of heights and also to feel the incredible adrenaline rush that roller coasters incite.

You Are Faithful by Jessica Eiswerth

A bit of an intro to this song because it is one that I wrote about four years ago when I was doubting and questioning a lot about my faith but the Lord has always been there, always faithful. Hence, this song was born...

When I'm feeling alone because no one's around

My mind starts to wander for there is no sound

I start thinking about the things that I'm scared of and I worry

But I know that You are faithful


And I cry out to You

For You are faithful

You are faithful


There are people in this world that are just like me

Broken and lost longing just to be free

But many don't know You and it can cause me to doubt

But I know that You are faithful


Thank You for Your mercy and unfailing grace

I'm so undeserving

You have poured out on me unconditional love

Lord I praise You

You are faithful

What Does it Mean to Rest?

Going on vacation for one week per year and you have no specific plans? How about some rest?

I need to be forced to rest because I pride myself in being busy. God knows this about me and so through failed exams, unexpected injuries, concerned friends, and decreased energy, the Lord has been showing me this year that I am stubborn and that sometimes I need to take some time to rest.

Even God rested and He commands us to take a day of rest each week.

"And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation." - Genesis 2:2-3

"But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." - Exodus 20:10-11

So am I ever really taking a sabbath? What is that supposed to look like? What qualifies as work?

In the book of Exodus God commanded the Israelites to set aside one day every seven days as a holy day to the LORD. On it they were to do no work.

Though I may not go to work on Sundays, I still find myself working. Doing housework, ministry work, homework... some kind of work is always done every day of the week.

In an article John Piper explains the sabbath commandment as God saying in effect:
"Let my highest creature, the one in my image, stop every seven days and commemorate with me the fact that I am the creator who has done all this. Let him stop working and focus on me, that I am the source of all that he has. I am the fountain of blessing. I have made the very hands and mind with which he works. Let one day out of seven demonstrate that all land and all animals and all raw materials and all breath and strength and thought and emotion and everything come from me. Let man look to me in leisure one day out of seven for the blessing that is so elusive in the affairs of this world."

Furthermore, see what God says in Isaiah regarding the Sabbath:
"If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;
then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;" - Isaiah 58:13-14

It is made clear that the Sabbath is to be a day for us to remember who God is and to delight in Him, not letting anything distract us from enjoying our Lord. We should look upon it as a blessing and a priority, never a burden. If we disobey this commandment it shows that our hearts are more concerned with the things of this world than what the Lord has for us. Piper continues in his article, "It is a day for showing mercy and a day for doing good. It should not be governed rigidly by narrow definitions of what is work and what is not. It is a day to focus on the Lord."

The article summarizes the discussion about the Sabbath like this:

"Accept the gift of one day's rest a week. Humble yourself to believe you need it. And be willing to admit that your wealth and your significance and your true advancement in life depend far more on God's labor than on yours.

Devote one day a week to focus your attention on God in a special way. Keep a holy day and devote yourself to those things that deepen your love for God.

Except where you think obedience to God requires otherwise, let that day of rest and Godward focus be on the first day of the week as a witness to the world that Jesus Christ is the Lord of your sabbath and of your life."

I want to work hard to make this happen in my life for the glory of the Lord :)

If you wish to read the whole article, click the link below:

http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/remember-the-sabbath-day-to-keep-it-holy

Am I Good Enough?

Anyone who believes that there is a heaven and/or a hell has asked themselves this question because it is likely that they also believe that "good" people must go to heaven. But what is the truth? Can we be "good" enough to stand before God and enter heaven when we die?

The Bible says this: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" - Romans 3:23

That statement alone says a lot. All have done wrong, which means that no one is perfect.

Ok so if no one is perfect, what qualifies as being "good enough"?

Thankfully someone in Scripture directs this question to Jesus and this is what He says in response: "No one is good except God alone." - Luke 18:19

Wait a second...but what if I've done insert number good things in my life? God has to let me into heaven. It's not like I'm a murderer!

The problem with that kind of logic is that, in God's eyes, no sin is greater than another. For example, Jesus says this, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment" - Matthew 5:21-22

So basically if you've ever been angry with someone, you are just as bad as a murderer.

But what if my "good works" outweigh the bad things I've done? That has to count for something right?

Actually, "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment." - Isaiah 64:6

God sees all of our perceived "good works" as filthy rags. Why? Because of a self-righteous attitude.

"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart." - Proverbs 21:2

Where is your heart at? Why do you do your good things?

"Beware of practicing your righteousness before people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 6:1

Jesus warns us that any "good" we do with selfish motives does not earn us anything before God. Bragging to others that you give to charity to look "good" in the eyes of others earns only that, the approval of other human beings who have no power to open the gates of heaven for us. Woot.

The truth is that there is nothing we can say or do that can get us into heaven. We can never be "good" enough on our own.

We can only become righteous by an act of God. We "are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith." - Romans 3:24-25 "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9

Until God changes our perspective so we see that we are sinners who have been offered grace and we respond by putting our faith in Jesus Christ, we are not "good." It is only by God's work in and through us that we are able to do true good works because our ultimate purpose here on earth is for the glory of God and only He can make us righteous in His eyes.

"So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." - 1 Corinthians 10:31