Transitions

Honestly, how often do you feel like you're genuinely at a good place, or "platform" in your life? I'll just make it clear that I don't feel that way very often. The majority of the time I feel like I'm in a weird transition phase, facing changes and going wherever God takes me... in my perceived experience, God has taken me to yet another transition. I've felt doomed to live a transition to transition lifestyle with nary a solid place to stand.

It's funny because this shows how limited my human understanding of God is. Yes, there are changes that everyone has to deal with, but unlike how my brain has previously perceived it, I am NOT always in a wispy, uncertain, faceless kind of transition.

Christ is my solid ground. Christ holds me fast. And even with those "Christian-ese" phrases that I try not to use too often when addressing a mixed audience, I just can't proceed without saying that Jesus is my Strength and Solid Ground.

I suppose the event that brought this on was that yesterday the president of my university "retired" effective immediately. This happened right after I finally felt like I was actually in a good, solid place with some time to breathe. In my mind, one of the implications of him leaving in the fashion that it happened was that my place of rest was stolen way from under me and that yet again I was thrown into transition and upheaval. However, when I was reflecting back on it, I realized that my perception has been off all along.

Like when James talks about trials, right? James 2:12 says "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God had promised to those who love Him." Trials are a part of life; they are a part of the path we all have to go down. Like trials aren't a completely separate entity from life, transitions aren't a completely separate entity from a solid platform that we stand upon. (Haha, I'll put a diagram at the end to help me explain.)

All I'm saying is, transitions are bumps in the road, not separate from the road. We are equipped to handle said bumps and if we handle them with faith and perseverance, seeking God with every bit of who we are, we will receive the crown of life, yo.

Woot for transition!
Woot for trial!
Woot for Christ as our solid ground through it all!

The Letter "X"

Today I was thinking about how weird the letter "X" is. Not only is it kind of a pointless letter in the alphabet (Question: what sound does "x" make that other letters can't? Answer: NONE), but there are so many things that are represented by these two crossing diagonal lines.

Let's explore a few things it symbolizes:
- Treasure.
- The number 10.
- Social reform.
- A type of hallucinogen.
- An unknown variable.
- Christ.

And there are lots more! All I'm saying is it's interesting to me that one written character can have so many meanings. It's like people's actions, and furthermore, our REactions... there's almost always a better one to use, and each one can be interpreted in a lot of different ways. This has led me to believe that everyone, myself DEFINITELY included, should be more aware of how we react to things and and how we present ourselves. We never know how others will perceive what we do and say. People can end up seriously hurt, confused, or put off if the "X" we intended as Christ was translated in another's mind as an unknown variable.

I guess what I'm getting at is the need to be intentional about our actions and even our thoughts. Thoughts are the breeding ground for actions. We should put ourselves in the best habits to live the most exemplary lives we know to live.

Let our "X's" always show exactly what they mean.

The Ultimate Bucket List of Ultimate Destiny

Well, since all the cool kids are posting their bucket lists to their blogs, here's the first 80 things from mine. haha i'm ambitious. oh, plus i decided to make some of my list interactive! :)

1. Try every flavor of Campbell’s soup.
2. Learn sign language.
3. Skydive.
4. Fill a small pool full of cornstarch and water & run across it.
5. Learn to be a great cook.
6. Kiss the blarney stone.
7. Travel by gondola.
8. Sail off the coast of Greece.
9. Zip line.
10. Make a scrapbook.
11. Learn to play the drums.
12. Do something drastic with my hair.
13. Adopt at least one child.
14. See Celine Dion in concert.
15. Pay for a family’s meal at a restaurant.
16. Go for a midnight walk in the snow with someone I love.
17. Dance in the rain.
18. Ride an elephant.
19. Eat Mexican food in Texas.
20. Visit every state in the US.
21. Visit the Henrikssons in Sweden.
22. Own a Macbook
23. Drive a turquoise and off-white ’57 Chevy Bel-Air
24. See the world’s largest ball of yarn.
25. Visit the Flea Market Montgomery.
25.1 Price check the dinette sets and possibly buy one.
26. Do something “impossible”.
27. Get something waxed.
28. Use Crest White Strips
29. Teach someone something.
30. Watch a meteor shower.
31. Submit a piece of original art in a contest or display.
32. Attend any Olympic games.
33. England, England, England… whatever that means. Visit, reside, something.
34. Shake the hands of David Tennant, Noel Fielding, Julian Barret, Milo Ventimiglia, Gary Oldman, Brian Williams, Kirk Cameron, and Will Smith.
35. Get a professional make-over.
36. See the Mighty Boosh live performance.
37. Go backpacking.
38. If, and only if married, do the deed in an airplane.
39. If, and only if married, do the deed in a state or national park.
40. Get mom her own private Zambelli fireworks display.
41. Go to Israel.
42. Send the Henrys to Israel.
43. Find out how to correctly use the word “defacto” in a sentence.
44. MEET MICK JONES. (This is him today... still the most amazing man of my life.)
45. Do a psychological analysis of Kurt Cobain.
46. Buy Steve Berkenkemper’s “A Phonic Fiesta” from iTunes.
47. Donate plasma.
48. Donate platelets.
49. Stand up in the middle of a crowded place (subway or something) and try to start a sing-a-long.
50. Panhandle using my flute.
51. Tailgate at an NFL game.
52. Attend The Father’s House Chili campus.
53. Eat a Philly cheese steak in Philadelphia.
54. Eat at the original Skyline in Cincinnati.
55. Donate my hair to Locks of Love or similar association.
56. Watch every John Hughes movie in marathon style.
57. Take a mud bath.
58. Wrestle in a pool of mud, pudding, or jello.
59. Be an extra in a movie.
60. Spelunk.
61. Attend a Star Trek convention.
62. Go to Comic Con, CES, E3, BlizzCon, or something of the sort.
63. Buy season tickets to the Cavs.
64. Wear red lipstick with smoky eye makeup.
65. Read My Name is Asher Lev.
66. Tap some maples and make my own syrup.
67. Make a giant monetary contribution to Heartland.
68. Eat at a hibachi restaurant.
69. Have one of those magical summers.
70. Learn all the words to “The Trapeze Swinger”.
71. Go to Owatonna, Minnesota and find Adam Young.
72. Live in a tiny town like Stars Hollow.
73. Get a dog and name him Boxer.
74. Work in a little vintage store or boutique.
75. Dread my hair.
76. See A Minor Bird rise to fame.
77. Attend either The Lion King, Spamalot, or Wicked on Broadway.
78. Visit James Dean’s grave.
79. Go upstairs in Graceland.
80. Find a movie that makes me sob every time I watch it.

Here's the video that inspired the title of my bucket list! "The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny"