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Order of Operations
I was recently talking to one of my senior high students, and we got talking about prioritizing church. He mentioned that he wanted to go on the youth group trip happening soon here but also wanted to make his sports match. He then confessed that he had realized he wasn’t prioritizing church enough, and I told him I was happy that he was able to process all of that for himself and tell me about it. He then said something to the effect of: the order of operations goes church(Christ that is), family, school, sports. We talked through it some more and I told him the group would be glad…
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A Physicist and An Athlete
I watched The Theory of Everything last night with a friend of mine, it was available on Netflix, and looked interesting. Stephen Hawking was a very good physicist, but the movie left me feeling uninspired, but reminded me of someone who leaves me feeling inspired. If you’ve been reading my blog for a long time, you would’ve read about my grandparents, who are all amazing people. My Grandpa Glader has been confined to a wheelchair for about 10 years, but the number of people he has inspired through his life, and his continual trust of God even while sitting in a wheelchair is amazing and inspiring. You see, we may…
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This Little Light of Mine
If you grew up going to Sunday school you know the song: “I’m going to let it shine.” As Christians are lives are supposed to lead others to Christ. It sounds obvious, but it’s so much more than just telling people you’re a Christian. It’s about the conviction and love you have in Christ. It’s about him being the most important thing in your life. That’s hard! There are so many wonderful things that God created, and gifts He has blessed us with that it can be hard to draw the line between worshipping Him and just appreciating His work…and just worshipping the work. I think part of what’s glorifying…
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The Story of the Rich Young Ruler
This morning in Sunday school, we talked about the story of the rich young ruler, from the New Testament. It’s a tough thing to think about. America is amongst the riches of nations, therefore the people in it are pretty well off, especially in light of the rest of history, we live better, eat better, travel far easier, and in general, we’re far better off than anyone else. With that in mind, we have to think about how this story applies to our lives. In class, we did get the chance to talk about how some people who are rich bless others immensely, this is important to consider especially since…
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The Mega Mall
In Minnesota we have a lot of cool outdoor spaces, but sometimes it gets too cold for even us Minnesota natives. So in the 90s, we built a mall with a couple of roller coasters in it, and an aquarium, and theatres – and called it the Mall of America, or MOA if you’re around here…or mega mall if you’re my family. Since then it’s gained more roller coasters, a flying simulator, a go-kart racing track, a hotel, and umpteen stores. I know what you’re thinking, its just a mall, with some extra amenities. Well, you’re about half right. There’s a little more to it. For those of us who…
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A Burrito Bowl, and a Good Friend
My friend took me to chipotle yesterday. It’s one of my favorite restaurants and we got to talk, a lot. We are actually quite different, she has a larger immediate family, mine’s tiny. She is a teacher, I work in marketing. She skied in high school on the same team as my sister, I played tennis, and enjoy the theatre stage. She is far more introverted and a bookworm, I’m far more extroverted and I love a good movie. But what we agree on is that we’re both so thankful for our friendship, and that our Christian faith is the most important, plus even though I like politics way more than…
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Everyone is Weird Until You Get to Know Them
You’ve heard the phrase: “Everyone is normal until you get to know them” Well even though it’s somewhat true, I’d like to turn this phrase on its head quick. I’ve met diverse groups of people throughout my life. Many people have surprised me on just how much they are like everyone else. This isn’t to say they aren’t weird exactly, or that they don’t have their own personality, or they’re not unique in their own right. What I mean here is that I met individuals in my life that I thought were somehow more impressive, or “special”, or “different” in some way. People are just that, people. We’re all created…
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Why Not You?
I saw this question come up on the internet a while back and it got me thinking. You see it challenges you to think not only, why would something bad not happen to you, but also why would something good not happen? Okay its kind of hard to put into words, but stay with me. You see “why not you?” argues that they’re isn’t a good reason why the best or the worst can happen to you (outside of God’s will in your life). It argues that if you put in the work you have the potential to make great things happen, but if you trust God he can do…
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Christ is Perfect, Christian Culture Isn’t
We as Christians live in a fallen world, therefore, even though we have a perfect savior our world is tainted by sin. From the numerous Christian dating books, to confusing Twitter banter, to some misleading pastors, and beyond. Christian culture has its faults, but there is hope. As long as Christ, and His perfect Word are at the center of ministry the church will be far better off. This starts with realizing that Christian books, that aren’t the Bible need to be taken with a grain of salt. From those written about dating as a Christian to even books that talk about those who believe they have been to heaven…
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Style Matters
I’m hardly the most in vogue person, but I see the value in style and cultivating you’re own sense of it. I also think its important for everyone to consider what they’re own style is. Whether you’re a man or a woman there are certain things you can do to figure out what your style is and elevate it through research, and some experimentation. Here’s some tools I’ve found helpful for developing my style, though this is hardly the end all be all. Don’t know where to start with determining your style? Pick out three different stores that come to mind when you think of your style, or the style…
