Oct
5
Egocentrism Has No Age Limit
Filed Under Life
Dictionary.com describes egocentrism as “having or regarding the self or the individual as the center of all things” and “having little or no regard for interests, beliefs, or attitudes other than one’s own; self-centered.” Children usually display this as they grow up, because for many of them, they are the center of attention all the time (cause they’re so stinking cute sometimes!!!) But, unfortunately, this completely described me yesterday. I had planned this hike for a couple weeks…that long, because the day I originally planned to go, it was raining. So for two weeks I had been thinking about going and I think I hyped it all up in my head and made it to be a bigger deal than it was.
But I went.
I love the outdoors, especially right now with the leaves changing color. But then I realized I forgot my other two rolls of film and only had 8 pictures to take (yes, I still have a film camera and I’m currently working on this situation). And then my egocentrism poked it’s ugly head out. When I pulled into the little parking lot, it seemed like everyone in the town of Yellow Springs had the same idea I did. Cars filled the parking lot. I altered my route a wee bit, intent to make the most of my 8 picutres. There’s been an image in my head that I’ve been wanting to capture for about a month now and I just needed to find it.
Then the people.
I could hear them everywhere and all I wanted was to be alone with God, nature and my camera. When people came up behind me, instead of looking around me and enjoying myself, I started to question if I should slow down so they would pass me, but then wondered would they pass me or just slow down, too? Then I got annoyed and just wanted them to leave. I pulled onto this little outlet and got really annoyed when a couple minutes later realized they did too. So, I sat on a tree, pretending to be enjoying the scenery when I was really just glaring at them internally so they would leave. Then a stupid thought hit me that if I backtracked to go a different way…what would the people, who I passed the first time, think of me? Would they think to themselves, “Who is this loser? Is she lost? Where is she going in life?”
Then I stopped. What in the world was I thinking? These people probably didn’t care a lick about me and as soon as I passed them, they never gave me a second thought. It’s amazing how easily we can think we are the center of the universe and we are entitled to certain things…like aloneness in the wilderness. I was disgusted with myself and how selfish I can be. But then I found some grace for myself and gave myself a break. I talked myself out of my selfishness. I looked at these “intruders” now as people who loved the same thing I did – nature. I could smile at them and say hello without secretly wishing they would have stayed home.
And I didn’t get the exact image captured on film that I was looking for, but I got an image that was very, very close to it. Of course I can’t post it now, because I haven’t gotten my pictures developed yet 
Sep
29
Highlight Video
Filed Under AIA Track & Field Ministry
Here is a highlight video from our 2009 AIA Track & Field Projects
Sep
22
God’s Uniform
Filed Under Life
This may have happened to you before. A certain issue or theme will pop up multiple times. You see it in a book you’re reading, you overhear a conversation about it or your pastor preaches on it. Last week, for me, it was using people in the body of Christ to encourage growth. In the past, I’ve dealt with many issues internally or through writing. That was my own therapy. Yet I’ve realized many of those issues weren’t really dealt with or worked through. They were merely suppressed, only to pop up at the the most inconvenient times.
But opening up to people to share your junk with is scary. It’s a risk. If they knew what was inside, would they remain at your side? If they knew what you’ve done or who you were, would they love you the same? Not all will, but there are people God places in our lives for that very thing. God created all of us to need one another. He did not create us to go through life alone. As Dr. Henry Cloud describes it, people are God’s Plan A. Henry wanted God to send down a lightning bolt to quickly resolve his problems. He felt shafted when he realized God used the people in his life to resolve his issues instead. He felt he got a second-hand response. Then he read Ephesians 4:16, which says, From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Henry then writes, I had wanted God to heal me, but thought I had to “settle” for his getting people to do it. But it was God doing it, in and through people. This might seem like a nuance, but for me the idea was life-changing. It helped me realize that God was not far off and uninvolved, just delegating things to people. God did not delegate the process at all. He wore people as his uniforms. He came to live inside people and then lived out his wishes and will through them in a mystery called the Body of Christ. Jesus was with me all along by being in all of those who were helping me.” (How People Grow)
When others help us, God is wearing them as his uniform to act. When we help others, we are the uniform God has chosen.
Sep
8
Posters on the Wall
Filed Under Life
[This post was inspired by a line Pastor Rob said during his sermon this past weekend at Apex Church.]
As a child, I had many posters splattered all over my walls. Posters and newspapper clippings (I was a slightly obessesed fan of the Minnesota Golden Gopher’s men’s basketball team and about every Park High School sport). I had photos of sweet dunks, great defensive stances and eye-catching headlines. But of all of these posters and clippings, not one was of a coach or a general manager or the team manager. They were always of players – always of those on the court or the field or the track doing something. Coaches, GMs or managers are those who support or direct others. No one has posters of them on the walls…we want posters of people doing something amazing.
Too often in our lives, we settle for being coaches or GMs. We support those going out, but rarely do we go out ourselves. As Christians, we are called to go. Robert E. Coleman in his book, The Master Plan of Evangelism states, “We fail, not because we do not try to do something, but because we let our little efforts become an excuse for not doing more.” We don’t all need to go to a third-world country and live in rags to share the Gospel with people whose language we don’t even speak. There are our neighbors, co-workers, people we interact with every day who have never heard the Good News. There are little things we can do to ignite a small fire for Christ. Are we going to continue to be coaches or will we step out and be a do-er?
Aug
31
The Worst Betrayal
Filed Under Life
I love quotes. I love lyrics.
Here’s one for ya:
“…the worst betrayal is that commited against yourself by ignoring the abilities you possess.”
- Liv Arnesen in No Horizon is So Far by Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft
We all have gifts, talents, abilities…Whatever you want to label it, we all have something that no one else has. Yet too often we are unsure of our gifts, we question our talents and we second guess our abilities. So instead of cultivating them, stepping out and attempting to be brilliant, we shove them aside and settle for mediocre or “good”. Why? Because of fear or self doubt? Why do we let these two dictate our lives and hold us back from taking the initiative to hone our skills to make them better…perhaps make them great or excellent or…?
We should not ignore the abilities we possess. Insteand we should listen to them and cultivate them and allow them to flourish.
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