Why is There Evil in the World?

"He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning.
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested,
that He might destroy the works of the devil."
- I John 3:8

A Royal Something

I’ve taken to doing some walking on the “walking-only track” at the church across from my apartment. It’s a nice, easy way to get in a good exercise on the cold days. Only 18 times around make one mile. By the three mile mark, I’m a little dizzy but feeling the burn.

The last two days, I’ve broken up every mile with a series of butt-busting squats.

I don’t care what anyone says, squats are one nasty exercise. A certain article named them “King of All Exercises”, I say they’re just a royal pain in the you-know-whaty.

But let’s face it, pain or not, I could use a little help toning up my gluteus maximus. Most women would say the same about their own behind. And if they don’t, they're lying. I mean, I’ve never heard a girl say, “you know, I wish my bum were a little bit flabbier, I’m gonna have to un-firm this thing.” Please.

So, Monday I worked 100 squats. Tuesday, I did 50. And today I can’t walk.

Does Your Nose Know You?

Another snow day (ice, really) has afforded me the chance to watch the extra segments of morning news. Lucky I did, or else how in the world would I have known that I'm shouting certain personality traits to the world simply by showing them my NOSE. Good Morning America has opened my eyes (er, nose?).

OK, so here is a list of the supposed characteristics that you can read from a person’s nose type -

• Bulbous tip: You have a preoccupation with saving.
• Small tip: You do not consider money important.
• Flared nostrils: You are a big spender and an adventurous risk-taker.
• Long nose: Routine work is not your speciality.
• Short nose: You have a talent for old-fashioned, hard work; but you crave emotional stability.
• Broad nose: You have stability and a purposeful nature, and a powerful sex drive.
• Long and narrow nose: You are intelligent, witty and engaging.
• Long and broad nose: You have lots of staying power and concentration.
• Fat nose: You are optimistic and are usually good in business.
• Ski-jump nose: You are intuitive.
• Arched: You are elegant and creative.

I don't know. I'm actually having trouble figuring out which of those noses I have. What do you think? What kind of personality do you have and is your nose accurately portraying you?

How do You View the World?

A world view is a set of presuppositions
(assumptions which may be true, partially true
or entirely false)
which we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently)
about the basic make-up of our world.

Everyone holds their own worldview. The answers you have to the following questions helps you determine what worldview you hold:

1. What is prime reality - the really real?
   
2. What is the nature of external reality, that is, the world around us?
   
3. What is a human being?
   
4. What happens to a person at death?
   
5. Why is it possible to know anything at all?
   
6. How do we know what is right and wrong?
   
7. What is the meaning of human history?
   

Whatever answers we give to such questions will obviously have a big effect on such matters as our goals in life - how we make decisions; the way we treat other people; the way we value ourselves; our attitude to material possessions; the way we face death; what we think is wrong with the world and how we are going to put it right; how we relate to human need, to family structure, to those outside our own community, to human rights, or to government. Though recognising that what we say we believe and how we behave do not always match up, our actions often point clearly to what we really believe.

If you want a clearer understanding of what your worldview is, take this test. It's very interesting!

Happy HeART Day!

There are a few perks to teaching in an elementary school. One of them is holiday parties. As the Art teacher, I am rarely forgotten. This rang true for today, Valentine's Day. The kids were bouncing off the walls with excitement. Lucky for me, they bounced their way down my hall to bring me valentines. Here is my load.






"You know what I realized last night? You spell HEART with ART!" - Nicole, 3rd grade

Hair Uproar

When it comes to my hair, I have ADD. If it's short, I want it long; as soon as I get it chopped, I want the length back. I'm always in the process of something with my head of hair.
Lucky for me (she said sarcastically), I have naturally curly hair. It used to really bother me. I fought it and struggled against it for years, cursing the genes that made what should have been lushish, silky smooth locks morph into kinky, curly strands of frizz.
But as I've grown older and more mature in my hair philosophy, I've learned to embrace my curls as they've been created. I have curly hair. There is nothing I can do about this natural phenomenon.
There are days, however, that I can choose to try to attain those smooth locks I've so coveted. I can spend the extra thirty minutes in front of the mirror and blow dry my hair as straight as I can. It doesn't get that straight, but it works for a change.
Yesterday, my hair ADD kicked in full force. I just had to have something different sitting on top of my head. Instead of shaving to my scalp and grabbing a wig, my choice was to take the blow dryer to my hair and work out those curls.
Little did I know, this decision would have a big impact on my upcoming day.
This was the first time I had worn my hair straight at work and as I walked into my school building, sporting my new look, I immediately ran into a couple of my 8th grade students.
"Is that Miss Rehrig?" one of them exclaimed. Then two more came running down the hall to check me out.
A little later on, my kindergarten class came into my room. Everyone of the girls ooed and awed over my newly straight hair. In their innocent way, they proclaimed me "beautiful".
However, the census was a little different with my 7th graders. After a full minute of explanation as to why I looked different, a boy called out, "I like it better curly. You look like my aunt." Apparently, that was a bad thing.
At teacher's meetings, my boss stopped right in the middle of giving instructions to a room full of teachers, looked at me and stated, "You've done something different to your hair, haven't you?"
And it went on like that the rest of the day.
So, this curly girl has decided that the next time Hair ADD hits and I decide to go down the straight and narrow, I'll remember the uproar this day caused and take a second look at the blessing of my curls.

Who is the Creator?

"Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." -John 1:3

Building a Biblical Worldview

This weekend I had the extreme privilege of attending the Code Blue Rally in Jenks, Oklahoma. Put on by Worldview Weekend, speakers like Brannon Howse, Sean McDowell and Jason Carlson spoke on the importance of developing a Christian worldview in our changing, post-modern culture. I was challenged and encouraged by every speaker.

I hope to visit many of the topics in the upcoming months. But the concept I want to highlight today comes from Brannon Howse' book, Building a Biblical Worldview Verse by Verse. In this book, Howse has taken 52 core questions about the Faith and answered them with scripture to explain the doctrinal truth - word-for-word from the Bible. By knowing these verses, you are equipped to answers question of the Faith, not from your own knowledge but from the Word of God.

Howse' 11 years old son gave an amazing example, reciting Scripture answers to the questions from this book.

My family and I have taken up the challenge to memorize these Scriptures as well. Each week, for a year, we will memorize a different verse that corresponds to a question.

May we be found "prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (Peter 3:15)

"Everybody needs to know it's the year of the rat
Every day we've got to hold on
'cause if we hold on we could find some new energy"
- Year of the Rat, Badly Drawn Boys

Tomorrow marks the beginning the Chinese' most important holiday, Spring Festival (or Chinese New Year). So, here are some do's and don'ts as you plan your celebrations:

To bring good luck to you and your family, do the following:

• Opening windows and/or doors is considered to bring in the good luck of the new year.
• Switching on the lights for the night is considered good luck to 'scare away' ghosts and spirits of misfortune that may compromise the luck and fortune of the new year.
• Sweets are eaten to ensure the consumer a "sweet" year.
• It is important to have the house completely clean from top to bottom before New Year's Day for good luck in the coming year. (however, as explained below, cleaning the house after New Year's Day is frowned upon)
• Some believe that what happens on the first day of the new year reflects the rest of the year to come. Asians will often gamble at the beginning of the year, hoping to get luck and prosperity.
• Wearing a new pair of shoes that is bought before the new year, because it means to step on the people who gossip about you.
• The night before the new year, bathe yourself in pomelo leaves and some say that you will be healthy for the rest of the new year.

And don't:

• Buying a pair of shoes is considered bad luck amongst some Chinese. The word "shoes" is a homophone for the word for "rough" in Cantonese, or "evil" in Mandarin.
• Buying a pair of pants is considered bad luck. The word "pants"(kù) is a homophone for the word for "bitter"(kŭ) in Cantonese. (Although some perceive it to be positive, as the word 'pants'(fu) in Cantonese is also a homophone for the word for "wealth".)
• Washing your hair is also considered to be washing away one's own luck (although modern hygienic concerns take precedence over this tradition)
• Sweeping the floor is usually forbidden on the first day, as it will sweep away the good fortune and luck for the new year.
• Talking about death is inappropriate for the first few days of Chinese New Year, as it is considered inauspicious as well.
• Buying books is bad luck because the word for "book" is a homonym to the word "lose".
• Avoid clothes in black and white, as black is a symbol of bad luck, and white is a traditional funeral color.

And remember, everyone ages one year on February 14th (and you thought that day was just special because it's Valentine's Day)!

So, as you enjoy your celebrations on the upcoming Year of the Rat, let me leave you with the wishes of my former Chinese student, Candice --

Hello my best friends:

Spring Festival is coming, and i hope you can have a healthy body and good mind for it. Good luck and keep in touch.

Running the Race?

Today, I headed out the door for a much anticipated run. It had been a couple weeks since I’d been able to hit the trails, what with the bad weather and me a little under it. I was so excited, though a little frightened, to pull on my SHORTS and run off my stresses.

Now, typically I run 3 -4 miles without much problem. But as before mentioned I had put this activity on the back burner for, oh, about two weeks. I’d done some stair machines and a little walking in between though, so I anticipated a great run.

Ha! Was I ever wrong! From the minute my heart started pumping, my lungs lost all ability to function. My legs felt like dead weights (I blame this on the wind resistance from not shaving in a while. Ew, yuck. Sorry.) I immediately got a cramp in my side, so I slowed down a little. I would have slowed down even more, but then I would have been crawling. I made it through a mile and a half, walked a few minutes and picked up the next mile and a half.

The whole time I was thinking, “What in the world is the matter with me? I can run. It’s the perfect day and I should be able to do this.” (In reality, I just got over a virus of some sort that pretty much zapped my energy.)

But even though I realized this, I was feeling disappointed. We finally got a day of really good weather, the perfect running weather. I WANTED to run; I wanted to run for a long time. I had envisioned myself having a really good run. And then I wasn’t ready for it.

I’d put off my training a little too long, ate a few too many cookies, didn’t drink quite enough water. Instead of being ready to have the perfect run on the perfect day, I was hurting and left disappointed.

I always feel I learn a lot of life lessons when I’m running. And as I was struggling for breathe today; my mind went to this verse:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Just as I wished I wouldn’t have slacked and I’d been ready for that run today, I don’t want to ever find myself being apathetic on the most important RACE and find myself lacking at the end.

Can't Phone Home

I overslept this morning. I use my phone as my alarm. Last night I set the phone to wake me up at 9, plenty of time to shower and prepare for church. Well, the alarm didn't go off because some time during the night my phone died. Oh well, I had my own little service with an online sermon.

I put my phone on the charger and let it do it's thing. When the screen finally lit up "charge complete", I took it off to make a call. I noticed that the screen looked a little different, the icons were in a strange order or something. I didn't think much of it though and continued on with my business. I started to question things when my first call did not go through. And then the second failed.

I took another more scrutinizing look at my screen. Instead of the time printed across the front, the word "Analog" glared back at me. Oh no, that can't be good.

Just so happened that my brother came knocking at my door at that exact moment. He was checking on me since I wasn't in church and wasn't answering my phone. Aww, he's sweet. He offered me the use of his phone to call my company. After several minutes on hold, numerous re-booting attempts with the service girl and multiple questions and answers passed back and forth, my phone was diagnosed as "kapootz". Poor thing.

Good news is they are sending me a new one, delivered through the mail in 3-5 days. In the meantime, maybe if I stand on my head with my tongue sticking out, I can pick up a digital signal. Nope, that didn't work.

The Plumb Line Has Been Set

It’s no secret that I’d like to be married. Putting it in writing here does nothing more than state the obvious.

I’ve been thinking lately on that “wish list” every girl creates when envisioning the perfect guy for her. I remember first making this mental list (maybe even writing it down in a little used journal) when I was in high school. I remember wanting things like strong hands, funny personality, good character, a love for children, and an obvious desire for the Lord (in no apparent order). As I got older, my list has changed and evolved. Things I thought were important moved from needs to wants to indifferences. Other things that I had placed lesser value moved into greater. As I grew and changed, so did my realization of what would make that perfect man.

Recently I was talking with a friend about some standards that I hold for a mate that are non-negotiable. Things not having to do with personality or looks, but things having to do with character, and as a result, actions based on their character.

“Maybe you’re too picky to every get married, Tara.”

Though she meant no harm, my friend’s statement struck a cord. And the words have haunted me ever since.

In retrospect, I’m glad she said what she did. It has made me re-examine my measuring stick a little. This moment could have easily made me lower my standards, fudge on a few things and compromise a little more. But instead, it has challenged me to raise my standards and strive for that excellence.

Now, obviously, I know no man is perfect just as I am not perfect. And before anyone begins to tell me that I am asking for the impossible, know that the perfection I am looking for is only the perfection of what God has asked us to become through Him.

Amos 7:7-8 – “This is what the Lord showed me: the Lord was standing by a wall that had been build true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord asked me, ‘what do you see, Amos?’ ‘A plumb line,’ I replied. Then the Lord said, ‘Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel.’”

The plumb line has been set by the Lord. I am just waiting for someone who is trying to match it.