the end...
I have worked my last day for Old Navy. It's been good, but I'm pretty glad I'm done. Retail is tough! I don't plan on having any future jobs in the industry. Speaking of future jobs, I was talking with my mom yesterday and I was like "How in the world do people ever decide what they want to do with their lives?" and the basic conclusion that I got from her was that people just do what makes money, and nobody ever really gets a job they love or even one they have dreamed about. That's depressing. It's my goal to enter into a career that I love that can also support me, but I haven't quite decided what that is yet. I have come upon one pretty cool opportunity, however. I'm probably going to stay the summer in Atlanta and work with Rex and Marti in their furniture shop! I'm really excited about that. We haven't worked out all the little details yet, but it is looking more and more like a definite possibility. I'll most likely be working on the "finishing" portion of the furniture-making, like staining and varnishing the wood and checking over last-minute details. Maybe that sounds boring to some people, but I really think I'll enjoy it. I've always been into stuff like that anyway.
Summer's still a while away. Current plans are to pack up this weekend to get ready to move back to school on Tuesday. I'm so ready to be back! According to my tentative schedule, I should have all the classes I signed up for, which is good. I'm to the point now that if I don't get exactly what I signed up for, it could possibly throw everything off. I've got a little extra space in my final semester of classes though, so hopefully that will be like a buffer if anything gets thrown off. I have the feeling I'll be INCREDIBLY busy this semester with my 18 credit hours and two seperate practicums. If you don't hear from me often, that's probably why! Anyway, for now I need to get to bed for church in the morning. Sweet dreams!
Jan 10, 2004
Jan 7, 2004
so here's the story of New York... this will be long!
Monday, December 29: Andrew's train was four hours late!
Tuesday, December 30: Our train was basically on time. The train ride was LONG. Through the night none of us could sleep. We would all lay there with our eyes closed for 30 minutes or so, and then we would turn to each other and we were like "did you sleep any?" "no, did you?" "no." During the day though we dozed off here and there. We got into Philly on Tuesday around 6:00pm. Erica and her mom met us at the station and drove us back to her house in Atlantic City, NJ, which is about an hour and a half away. We stayed there for the night.
Wednesday, December 31: We got up and headed to the bus station. We planned on taking the 7:00am New Jersey Transit bus, but we missed it by like 2 minutes, so we took the 8:00 Greyhound. The ride to NY City is about 2 1/2 hours. When we got there, we took the subway to Erica's cousin's house. (Her cousin's name is Jackie, and she and her fiance Neil live together in an apartment on 71st just off Broadway.) We dropped all our stuff off at the apartment and went to Central Park and just wandered around a bit. We came back to the apartment and ordered a "real New York pizza" for lunch. I'm not personally very impressed by them. We hung out around the apartment for a while until it was time to go set up camp in Times Square for the big event. We got settled in at Times Square around 6:00. After a little confusion of where to go when we first got there, it wasn't too chaotic for the rest of the evening. Every hour there is a countdown, which is like a short-term goal to look forward to while you're out there freezing in the middle of the street. The five of us eventually decided to make a theme for each hour, among which were "20 questions" and "the group hug"... meaning we played 20 questions for a straight hour, and then stood in a group hug to conserve body heat for a straight hour. Finally midnight rolled around. Music played, confetti flew, the ball dropped, and fireworks went off. It was terrific. We all tried to call the people we had promised to call, but cell phone service was apparently overloaded because most of our calls wouldn't go through. So for those of you who didn't get a call, or got one an hour later, that's why, and we apologize. After it was over, we headed back to the apartment for the night.
Thursday, January 1: We took the opportunity to sleep in a little late. Jackie (who is incredibly awesome) cooked breakfast for us. We left and went down 5th Avenue to see a few shop windows. We made a quick stop in Sacks, only to be completely astonished by the price tags, and continued on to Rockefeller Center where we saw the famous Christmas tree and the ice skating rink. From there we went to the Empire State Building. From start to finish, that alone was a four hour ordeal. Needless to say, we were hungry by the time we exited the building. We subwayed back to the end of Jackie's street and called to find out the location of a nearby Chinese place she had suggested. She told us it was called Ollie's and we headed in its direction. The food was terrific. After dinner, we were completely beat, so we just went back to the apartment and watched a movie and a few tv shows and went to bed.
Friday, January 2: We woke up early (reasonably) and got ready. Jessica and her family live in Orange County, New York, and they came into the City and met up with us. We loaded our stuff into their cars that morning to get out of Jackie's way, and spent the rest of the day doing stuff around the City. We went to Ground Zero, the Statue of Liberty, The Pier mall (near the fish market), and made another stop in Times Square. Erica had to leave half-way through the day to go back home for a retreat. At the end of the evening the rest of us drove back to Jessica's house, which is about an hour and a half away. They live in a really cool log cabin style house. We watched a movie and then spent a little time in the hot tub. When we finally came back inside, we put in another movie, but three of the five of us were out in seconds, so we decided not to finish it. Christina and I woke up the other three and we all headed down to the basement room where we were staying for the night. We all got to sleep in beds! That was nice!
Saturday, January 3: We bummed out around Jessica's house for a while, and then caught the 3:30 train back to the City. This is where the story really begins. We arrived into Penn station and we had to find a place to keep our luggage because we had reservations at a comedy club that night. We weren't staying in the City that night, so we couldn't just leave our luggage where we would be staying. We needed somewhere to keep it until after the show when we would be catching the bus back to Atlantic City. None of the bus or train stations in NYC have lockers anymore since 9-11, so we left Penn station and went up to the Penn Hotel which is on the street above it. We asked one of the bell hop guys if we could store luggage at the front desk and he told us that it cost $4 a bag, but that we could. So we got in line and waited for like 15 or 20 minutes. When we got to the desk, they informed us that we could not keep our luggage there since we were not hotel guests. We were really ticked at the bell hop guy. Andrew and I sat with the luggage on a bench over to the side while Krissy and Christina ran around trying to find somewhere for us to keep our stuff. Finally they found out that we could check it at Penn station, so we took it back down there. We checked a map to figure out where we were going for the show. It looked really close, so we decided not to take the subway but to walk instead. We had about 30 minutes till we were supposed to be there at this point. We started walking, and within a short time we realized it was a lot further than we thought but it was too late to turn back and take the subway, so we continued on a frantic power-walk through the heart of New York City. We finally got to Caroline's (the comedy club) and all was well. The comedian was great, and the food and drinks were good, too. Afterward, we walked back to Penn station (which is not nearly as far when you're not in a hurry and sorta know where you're going!). We got our luggage and took the subway to the bus station. We got on the 11:30 bus to Atlantic City. You would think the story ends there, but alas, it has only just begun. We were on the highway and passed two other Greyhounds on the side of the road. Our driver pulled over and informed us that it is company policy that if she passes two other buses she has to pull over to make sure they're okay. (Not that there's anything she could have done for them, but it's their policy.) So she got back on the bus after checking on them, and within 5 minutes our bus died and we were the ones on the side of the road. What luck. The Jamacian woman in front of me saw the water in the grass on the side of the road and insisted that we were in the swamp and were going to be eaten by snakes. I thought to myself, "We're from Florida. That's no swamp. That's a puddle." The driver called the head office and they instructed her to pull off the highway, so she did. They told her a mechanic and another bus were coming. So we waited. The other passengers started getting really worked up. They were all tourists on their way to the casinos in Atlantic City, so they weren't happy about a broken bus taking up their gambling time. Among other things, one woman demanded that the driver call the police. What did she think the police would have done for us?! Another woman complained about how she was tired and hungry. The driver offered her ham sandwich to her, but the woman said she didn't eat ham. Several irate men from the back wanted phone numbers and addresses for the Greyhound offices, apparently so they could call and complain about the driver, as if it was her fault the bus broke down. Eventually a second bus came for us. It was 4:30am by the time we reached Atlantic City. Erica's mom graciously met us at the bus station and drove us back to her house. What a day.
Sunday, January 4: We slept. Obviously. Erica was back by the time we woke up, which was well after noon. We spent the remainder of the day watching movies and eating. Then we went back to bed!
Monday, January 5: Not much more exciting than Sunday. We got up, packed, stopped by the store for some snacks, and drove to Philly to catch the train. Luckily it was on time. 18 hours later, we were in Jacksonville.
Tuesday, January 6: Our train got into Jacksonville around 8:00am. Christina stayed on to go to Orlando. The remaining three of us got off. Krissy's dad dropped Andrew and I off at my house where we sat on the couch and watched tv and napped (well, I napped) for most of the day. Around 5:00 I drove him back to the train station yet again. Luckily, this time his train was on time. He got in line to board the train, and that concludes our events of the week. I went home, ate dinner, and crawled into bed by 7:00. A well-deserved full night's rest.
Random notes: When in NYC, be advised, Penn Station is much further from Times Square than it seems on the subway maps. Take the subway. Don't walk. If you plan on moving to the City, I hope you're rich. The apartment we stayed in had one bedroom, a combination living/dining room, a kitchen where you could touch all three walls at the same time, and a small bathroom, and it cost $2,000 a month. When on a trip, be sure to DOUBLE CHECK if you're leaving anything behind. Andrew successfully forgot something at every place we stayed. I also forgot my cell phone at Erica's and therefore didn't have it for most of the week. It's funny how dependent we are on those things! And a final note: if you're thinking about taking the train from Florida to New York, don't. Fly. It's worth the extra money. 18 hours is a long time.
Monday, December 29: Andrew's train was four hours late!
Tuesday, December 30: Our train was basically on time. The train ride was LONG. Through the night none of us could sleep. We would all lay there with our eyes closed for 30 minutes or so, and then we would turn to each other and we were like "did you sleep any?" "no, did you?" "no." During the day though we dozed off here and there. We got into Philly on Tuesday around 6:00pm. Erica and her mom met us at the station and drove us back to her house in Atlantic City, NJ, which is about an hour and a half away. We stayed there for the night.
Wednesday, December 31: We got up and headed to the bus station. We planned on taking the 7:00am New Jersey Transit bus, but we missed it by like 2 minutes, so we took the 8:00 Greyhound. The ride to NY City is about 2 1/2 hours. When we got there, we took the subway to Erica's cousin's house. (Her cousin's name is Jackie, and she and her fiance Neil live together in an apartment on 71st just off Broadway.) We dropped all our stuff off at the apartment and went to Central Park and just wandered around a bit. We came back to the apartment and ordered a "real New York pizza" for lunch. I'm not personally very impressed by them. We hung out around the apartment for a while until it was time to go set up camp in Times Square for the big event. We got settled in at Times Square around 6:00. After a little confusion of where to go when we first got there, it wasn't too chaotic for the rest of the evening. Every hour there is a countdown, which is like a short-term goal to look forward to while you're out there freezing in the middle of the street. The five of us eventually decided to make a theme for each hour, among which were "20 questions" and "the group hug"... meaning we played 20 questions for a straight hour, and then stood in a group hug to conserve body heat for a straight hour. Finally midnight rolled around. Music played, confetti flew, the ball dropped, and fireworks went off. It was terrific. We all tried to call the people we had promised to call, but cell phone service was apparently overloaded because most of our calls wouldn't go through. So for those of you who didn't get a call, or got one an hour later, that's why, and we apologize. After it was over, we headed back to the apartment for the night.
Thursday, January 1: We took the opportunity to sleep in a little late. Jackie (who is incredibly awesome) cooked breakfast for us. We left and went down 5th Avenue to see a few shop windows. We made a quick stop in Sacks, only to be completely astonished by the price tags, and continued on to Rockefeller Center where we saw the famous Christmas tree and the ice skating rink. From there we went to the Empire State Building. From start to finish, that alone was a four hour ordeal. Needless to say, we were hungry by the time we exited the building. We subwayed back to the end of Jackie's street and called to find out the location of a nearby Chinese place she had suggested. She told us it was called Ollie's and we headed in its direction. The food was terrific. After dinner, we were completely beat, so we just went back to the apartment and watched a movie and a few tv shows and went to bed.
Friday, January 2: We woke up early (reasonably) and got ready. Jessica and her family live in Orange County, New York, and they came into the City and met up with us. We loaded our stuff into their cars that morning to get out of Jackie's way, and spent the rest of the day doing stuff around the City. We went to Ground Zero, the Statue of Liberty, The Pier mall (near the fish market), and made another stop in Times Square. Erica had to leave half-way through the day to go back home for a retreat. At the end of the evening the rest of us drove back to Jessica's house, which is about an hour and a half away. They live in a really cool log cabin style house. We watched a movie and then spent a little time in the hot tub. When we finally came back inside, we put in another movie, but three of the five of us were out in seconds, so we decided not to finish it. Christina and I woke up the other three and we all headed down to the basement room where we were staying for the night. We all got to sleep in beds! That was nice!
Saturday, January 3: We bummed out around Jessica's house for a while, and then caught the 3:30 train back to the City. This is where the story really begins. We arrived into Penn station and we had to find a place to keep our luggage because we had reservations at a comedy club that night. We weren't staying in the City that night, so we couldn't just leave our luggage where we would be staying. We needed somewhere to keep it until after the show when we would be catching the bus back to Atlantic City. None of the bus or train stations in NYC have lockers anymore since 9-11, so we left Penn station and went up to the Penn Hotel which is on the street above it. We asked one of the bell hop guys if we could store luggage at the front desk and he told us that it cost $4 a bag, but that we could. So we got in line and waited for like 15 or 20 minutes. When we got to the desk, they informed us that we could not keep our luggage there since we were not hotel guests. We were really ticked at the bell hop guy. Andrew and I sat with the luggage on a bench over to the side while Krissy and Christina ran around trying to find somewhere for us to keep our stuff. Finally they found out that we could check it at Penn station, so we took it back down there. We checked a map to figure out where we were going for the show. It looked really close, so we decided not to take the subway but to walk instead. We had about 30 minutes till we were supposed to be there at this point. We started walking, and within a short time we realized it was a lot further than we thought but it was too late to turn back and take the subway, so we continued on a frantic power-walk through the heart of New York City. We finally got to Caroline's (the comedy club) and all was well. The comedian was great, and the food and drinks were good, too. Afterward, we walked back to Penn station (which is not nearly as far when you're not in a hurry and sorta know where you're going!). We got our luggage and took the subway to the bus station. We got on the 11:30 bus to Atlantic City. You would think the story ends there, but alas, it has only just begun. We were on the highway and passed two other Greyhounds on the side of the road. Our driver pulled over and informed us that it is company policy that if she passes two other buses she has to pull over to make sure they're okay. (Not that there's anything she could have done for them, but it's their policy.) So she got back on the bus after checking on them, and within 5 minutes our bus died and we were the ones on the side of the road. What luck. The Jamacian woman in front of me saw the water in the grass on the side of the road and insisted that we were in the swamp and were going to be eaten by snakes. I thought to myself, "We're from Florida. That's no swamp. That's a puddle." The driver called the head office and they instructed her to pull off the highway, so she did. They told her a mechanic and another bus were coming. So we waited. The other passengers started getting really worked up. They were all tourists on their way to the casinos in Atlantic City, so they weren't happy about a broken bus taking up their gambling time. Among other things, one woman demanded that the driver call the police. What did she think the police would have done for us?! Another woman complained about how she was tired and hungry. The driver offered her ham sandwich to her, but the woman said she didn't eat ham. Several irate men from the back wanted phone numbers and addresses for the Greyhound offices, apparently so they could call and complain about the driver, as if it was her fault the bus broke down. Eventually a second bus came for us. It was 4:30am by the time we reached Atlantic City. Erica's mom graciously met us at the bus station and drove us back to her house. What a day.
Sunday, January 4: We slept. Obviously. Erica was back by the time we woke up, which was well after noon. We spent the remainder of the day watching movies and eating. Then we went back to bed!
Monday, January 5: Not much more exciting than Sunday. We got up, packed, stopped by the store for some snacks, and drove to Philly to catch the train. Luckily it was on time. 18 hours later, we were in Jacksonville.
Tuesday, January 6: Our train got into Jacksonville around 8:00am. Christina stayed on to go to Orlando. The remaining three of us got off. Krissy's dad dropped Andrew and I off at my house where we sat on the couch and watched tv and napped (well, I napped) for most of the day. Around 5:00 I drove him back to the train station yet again. Luckily, this time his train was on time. He got in line to board the train, and that concludes our events of the week. I went home, ate dinner, and crawled into bed by 7:00. A well-deserved full night's rest.
Random notes: When in NYC, be advised, Penn Station is much further from Times Square than it seems on the subway maps. Take the subway. Don't walk. If you plan on moving to the City, I hope you're rich. The apartment we stayed in had one bedroom, a combination living/dining room, a kitchen where you could touch all three walls at the same time, and a small bathroom, and it cost $2,000 a month. When on a trip, be sure to DOUBLE CHECK if you're leaving anything behind. Andrew successfully forgot something at every place we stayed. I also forgot my cell phone at Erica's and therefore didn't have it for most of the week. It's funny how dependent we are on those things! And a final note: if you're thinking about taking the train from Florida to New York, don't. Fly. It's worth the extra money. 18 hours is a long time.
Dec 28, 2003
I'M EXCITED!!!
Tomorrow's the big day!! Andrew's coming into Jax in the afternoon, and then we'll all meet up at the train station around midnight for our 1:00am train ride. Hopefully we'll all be able to sleep some on the train because that is going to be a LONG ride! Anyway, we'll get into Philly later in the day on Tuesday and Erica will meet us at the station. We'll head back to her house in Atlantic City for the night. Then Wednesday is the big day... NEW YEARS EVE!!!! We'll get up early in the morning and take the bus into New York City, drop our stuff at Erica's cousin's apartment, be tourists for a little bit, then park our butts out in Times Square for the looooooooong wait for the big event. WE'RE GOING TO FREEZE!!!! Toni was in New York last December and she said it's the coldest she's ever been in her life! Layers, layers, layers.... that's all I have to say. After we get out of Times Square, we'll spend the night at the apartment, and I guess the next day will be our official day of tourist stuff. After that, however, our plans are a little foggy. I'm not sure exactly where we're staying or what we're doing!!! But we'll figure it all out, and it'll be a blast no matter what, so I'm not concerned.
Can't wait till tomorrow!!!
Tomorrow's the big day!! Andrew's coming into Jax in the afternoon, and then we'll all meet up at the train station around midnight for our 1:00am train ride. Hopefully we'll all be able to sleep some on the train because that is going to be a LONG ride! Anyway, we'll get into Philly later in the day on Tuesday and Erica will meet us at the station. We'll head back to her house in Atlantic City for the night. Then Wednesday is the big day... NEW YEARS EVE!!!! We'll get up early in the morning and take the bus into New York City, drop our stuff at Erica's cousin's apartment, be tourists for a little bit, then park our butts out in Times Square for the looooooooong wait for the big event. WE'RE GOING TO FREEZE!!!! Toni was in New York last December and she said it's the coldest she's ever been in her life! Layers, layers, layers.... that's all I have to say. After we get out of Times Square, we'll spend the night at the apartment, and I guess the next day will be our official day of tourist stuff. After that, however, our plans are a little foggy. I'm not sure exactly where we're staying or what we're doing!!! But we'll figure it all out, and it'll be a blast no matter what, so I'm not concerned.
Can't wait till tomorrow!!!
Dec 25, 2003
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
I hope everyone had a terrific Christmas today. Mine was great. Mom cooked some wonderful food, and the brothers and respective families came over for a while. Grandaddy's still recovering in the hospital, so obviously he and Granny didn't come over today like they usually do. As for his condition, he's making progress, but they still won't know for a while how he's going to be. He's still pretty out of it from medication, but the more he wakes up the more he fights to get out of the bed. He's never liked doctors, hospitals, medicine, or anything else, so the more aware he is of where he is, the more he gets agitated. I guess that's good in a way, because it shows that he is responsive and aware, but I'm sure it makes him a little hard to deal with at times for the nurses. My personal, un-scientific and non-medical opinion is that he is going to recover quite well. I'm not sure why I'm so confident of this, but I'm frequently right about other things, so maybe I'll be right about this, as well. As for other things, I have two days of work, a day of church, and a day of hanging out before we get on the train for Philly! At the beginning of my 18 day countdown, I thought it would never get here. Now it seems so close!!! I'm unbelievably excited! I'm going to go get a few things done before bed time. Later.
4 days...
I hope everyone had a terrific Christmas today. Mine was great. Mom cooked some wonderful food, and the brothers and respective families came over for a while. Grandaddy's still recovering in the hospital, so obviously he and Granny didn't come over today like they usually do. As for his condition, he's making progress, but they still won't know for a while how he's going to be. He's still pretty out of it from medication, but the more he wakes up the more he fights to get out of the bed. He's never liked doctors, hospitals, medicine, or anything else, so the more aware he is of where he is, the more he gets agitated. I guess that's good in a way, because it shows that he is responsive and aware, but I'm sure it makes him a little hard to deal with at times for the nurses. My personal, un-scientific and non-medical opinion is that he is going to recover quite well. I'm not sure why I'm so confident of this, but I'm frequently right about other things, so maybe I'll be right about this, as well. As for other things, I have two days of work, a day of church, and a day of hanging out before we get on the train for Philly! At the beginning of my 18 day countdown, I thought it would never get here. Now it seems so close!!! I'm unbelievably excited! I'm going to go get a few things done before bed time. Later.
4 days...
Dec 23, 2003
6 days, 5 1/2 hours...
Then I'll be on the train headed to Philly. When we get to Philly, we'll take a bus to Atlantic City. We'll chill out for the night, and then we'll take a bus to New York City. I'M SOOOOO EXCITED!!!! I pulled out my suitcase yesterday so I could just casually start chunking articles of clothing into it throughout the week, and I quickly realized how much space sweaters take up! I'm used to traveling during the spring and summer... in Florida. Tank tops and shorts are a lot more compact! I even proudly went to Europe for eight days in the spring time with only one small suitcase and a carry-on bag. I have a sneaking suspicion that I may have twice that for this trip! Or at least the luggage size may increase. Hopefully I'll be able to find a way to keep it reasonable.
Please pray for my grandad (Mom's dad) and my family. He was put in the hospital yesterday with symptoms similar to a stroke. When they did the MRI they found that he had a tumor on his brain. They took him in for surgery to remove the tumor about an hour ago. No one is sure how long he'll make it after the surgery or even if he'll make it through at all. He's quite old. Along with that, we got a call yesterday saying that my dad's uncle passed away. That one was a little more expected, but with the two things put together, it'll make for a less than cheery Christmas around here. I guess I'm feeling the least impact because I wasn't particularly close to either of them, but it's still a lot for the family to deal with during the week of Christmas. Just keep us in your prayers if you would.
On a lighter note, I had a pretty good day at work today, which says a lot since I was there at 7AM again and I worked for 8 hours when I had the slight possibility of working only 4. I got a break from the register today, which normally would NOT be a good thing because I hate working the floor, but today I did markdowns. Markdowns are fun for me because I get to work basically alone with my own little project (not really so little) and I'm pretty much in the same spot for a while rather than running around the store like everybody else. The only annoying part is that customers don't seem to notice when you're busy on a project; they want you to drop what you're doing in the men's department to come help them find something in the kids department even though there are 5 other employees standing in the kids department already! Ugh! It's not so bad, though. When the store is as busy as it has been lately, it should be expected that you'll get interruped more than you'd like. And it beats the heck out of dealing with the impatient customers who are checking out!
Anyway, that's about all for tonight. I'm gonna go get some stuff done and hopefully get to bed at a decent hour. But then again, I get to sleep in in the morning (YAY!) so getting to bed is not as much of a priority today. We'll see what happens...
(6 days, 5 hours!)
Then I'll be on the train headed to Philly. When we get to Philly, we'll take a bus to Atlantic City. We'll chill out for the night, and then we'll take a bus to New York City. I'M SOOOOO EXCITED!!!! I pulled out my suitcase yesterday so I could just casually start chunking articles of clothing into it throughout the week, and I quickly realized how much space sweaters take up! I'm used to traveling during the spring and summer... in Florida. Tank tops and shorts are a lot more compact! I even proudly went to Europe for eight days in the spring time with only one small suitcase and a carry-on bag. I have a sneaking suspicion that I may have twice that for this trip! Or at least the luggage size may increase. Hopefully I'll be able to find a way to keep it reasonable.
Please pray for my grandad (Mom's dad) and my family. He was put in the hospital yesterday with symptoms similar to a stroke. When they did the MRI they found that he had a tumor on his brain. They took him in for surgery to remove the tumor about an hour ago. No one is sure how long he'll make it after the surgery or even if he'll make it through at all. He's quite old. Along with that, we got a call yesterday saying that my dad's uncle passed away. That one was a little more expected, but with the two things put together, it'll make for a less than cheery Christmas around here. I guess I'm feeling the least impact because I wasn't particularly close to either of them, but it's still a lot for the family to deal with during the week of Christmas. Just keep us in your prayers if you would.
On a lighter note, I had a pretty good day at work today, which says a lot since I was there at 7AM again and I worked for 8 hours when I had the slight possibility of working only 4. I got a break from the register today, which normally would NOT be a good thing because I hate working the floor, but today I did markdowns. Markdowns are fun for me because I get to work basically alone with my own little project (not really so little) and I'm pretty much in the same spot for a while rather than running around the store like everybody else. The only annoying part is that customers don't seem to notice when you're busy on a project; they want you to drop what you're doing in the men's department to come help them find something in the kids department even though there are 5 other employees standing in the kids department already! Ugh! It's not so bad, though. When the store is as busy as it has been lately, it should be expected that you'll get interruped more than you'd like. And it beats the heck out of dealing with the impatient customers who are checking out!
Anyway, that's about all for tonight. I'm gonna go get some stuff done and hopefully get to bed at a decent hour. But then again, I get to sleep in in the morning (YAY!) so getting to bed is not as much of a priority today. We'll see what happens...
(6 days, 5 hours!)
Dec 22, 2003
Dec 21, 2003
forgot about this...
I had forgotten all about this until I was talking to Krissy. I'm too tired to re-type it, so I'll copy and paste our conversation.
K: telllllllll me a story
m: just a sec....
m: hmmm....
m: a story...
m: oh here's one...
K: hehe
m: i was at work today, and there were like 5 million people in our store... so i'm ringing up a customer as quickly as possible b/c there's like 25 people in line behind her... and the phone rings...
m: i usually give it two or three rings to see if someone else picks up b/c i hate answering the phone while i'm ringing someone up...
m: but no one else could answer, so i picked up...
K: uh huh
m: the lady on the phone was like "what is the name of the dog in the truck?"... and I paused for a second to think about what she said and to figure out if I heard her right... and I said "Magic"... and she was like "pardon me?"... and I said "Magic".... and she said "Magic?".... and I said "yes ma'am"..... and she was like "M-A-G-I-C?".... and i was like "yes ma'am".....
m: and she said thank you and hung up...
m: i was like, i cannot believe she had the nerve to call on the busiest day of the year to ask the name of the Old Navy dog
I had forgotten all about this until I was talking to Krissy. I'm too tired to re-type it, so I'll copy and paste our conversation.
K: telllllllll me a story
m: just a sec....
m: hmmm....
m: a story...
m: oh here's one...
K: hehe
m: i was at work today, and there were like 5 million people in our store... so i'm ringing up a customer as quickly as possible b/c there's like 25 people in line behind her... and the phone rings...
m: i usually give it two or three rings to see if someone else picks up b/c i hate answering the phone while i'm ringing someone up...
m: but no one else could answer, so i picked up...
K: uh huh
m: the lady on the phone was like "what is the name of the dog in the truck?"... and I paused for a second to think about what she said and to figure out if I heard her right... and I said "Magic"... and she was like "pardon me?"... and I said "Magic".... and she said "Magic?".... and I said "yes ma'am"..... and she was like "M-A-G-I-C?".... and i was like "yes ma'am".....
m: and she said thank you and hung up...
m: i was like, i cannot believe she had the nerve to call on the busiest day of the year to ask the name of the Old Navy dog
Dec 20, 2003
beautiful...
Erin and Phillip's wedding was this afternoon. It was beautiful. Beautiful and perfect. Erin was radient. And Phillip was by far the sweetest groom ever! During the last song, which was called "The Prayer," he and Erin stood at the alter facing each other, and he whispered a prayer in her ear. If it wasn't for Ashlee (the flower girl) goofing off in the background, it would have been a really emotional moment for all of us! Anyway, it was very sweet. The reception afterward was very fun, also. It's cool that most of us who were there are friends, so we all had a great time hanging out and partying. Anyway, that's about all the news for today. Work was LONG, being the last Saturday before Christmas and all. I'm sure next week will be out of control! But then after it's over, it's off to New York we go!!!! I am SO excited!
9 days...
Erin and Phillip's wedding was this afternoon. It was beautiful. Beautiful and perfect. Erin was radient. And Phillip was by far the sweetest groom ever! During the last song, which was called "The Prayer," he and Erin stood at the alter facing each other, and he whispered a prayer in her ear. If it wasn't for Ashlee (the flower girl) goofing off in the background, it would have been a really emotional moment for all of us! Anyway, it was very sweet. The reception afterward was very fun, also. It's cool that most of us who were there are friends, so we all had a great time hanging out and partying. Anyway, that's about all the news for today. Work was LONG, being the last Saturday before Christmas and all. I'm sure next week will be out of control! But then after it's over, it's off to New York we go!!!! I am SO excited!
9 days...
continuing...
The morning road air was like a new dress. That made her feel the apron tied around her waist. She untied it and flung it on a low bush beside the road and walked on, picking flowers and making a bouquet. After that she came to where Joe Starks was waiting for her with a hired rig. He was very solemn and helped her to the seat beside him. With him on it, it sat like some high, ruling chair. From now on until death she was going to have flower dust and springtime sprinkled over everything. A bee for her bloom. Her old thoughts were going to come in handy now, but new words would have to be made and said to fit them.
"Green Cove Springs," he told the driver. So they were married there before sundown, just like Joe had said. With new clothes of silk and wool.
They sat on the boarding house porch and saw the sun plunge into the same crack in the earth from which the night emerged.
-Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
The morning road air was like a new dress. That made her feel the apron tied around her waist. She untied it and flung it on a low bush beside the road and walked on, picking flowers and making a bouquet. After that she came to where Joe Starks was waiting for her with a hired rig. He was very solemn and helped her to the seat beside him. With him on it, it sat like some high, ruling chair. From now on until death she was going to have flower dust and springtime sprinkled over everything. A bee for her bloom. Her old thoughts were going to come in handy now, but new words would have to be made and said to fit them.
"Green Cove Springs," he told the driver. So they were married there before sundown, just like Joe had said. With new clothes of silk and wool.
They sat on the boarding house porch and saw the sun plunge into the same crack in the earth from which the night emerged.
-Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Dec 19, 2003
another quote or two...
There is a basin in the mind where words float around on thought and thought on sound and sight. Then there is a depth of thought untouched by words, and deeper still a gulf of formless feelings untouched by thought.
-Zora Neale Hurston
We always believe our first love is our last, and our last love our first.
-curtesy of Amber Jolly's profile
There is a basin in the mind where words float around on thought and thought on sound and sight. Then there is a depth of thought untouched by words, and deeper still a gulf of formless feelings untouched by thought.
-Zora Neale Hurston
We always believe our first love is our last, and our last love our first.
-curtesy of Amber Jolly's profile
a great quote...
It was a spring afternoon in West Florida. Janie had spent most of the day under a blossoming pear tree in the back-yard. She had been spending every minute that she could steal from her chores under that tree for the last three days. That was to say, ever since the first tiny bloom had opened. It had called her to come and gaze on a mystery. From barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds; from the leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom. It stirred her tremendously. How? Why? It was like a flute song forgotten in another existence and remembered again. What? How? Why? This singing she heard that had nothing to do with her ears. The rose of the world was breathing out smell. It followed her through all her waking moments and caressed her in her sleep. It connected itself with other vaguely felt matters that had struck her outside observation and buried themselves in her flesh. Now they emerged and quested about her consciousness.
She was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree soaking in the alto chant of the visiting bees, the gold of the sun and the panting breath of the breeze when the inaudible voice of it all came to her. She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight. So this was marriage! She had been summoned to behold a revelation. Then Janie felt a pain remorseless sweet that left her limp and languid.
After a while she got up from where she was and went over the little garden field entire. She was seeking confirmation of the voice and vision, and everywhere she found and ackknowledged answers. A personal answer for all other creations except herself. She felt an answer seeking her, but where? When? How? She found herself at the kitchen door and stumbled inside. In the air of the room where flies tumbling and singing, marrying and giving in marriage. When she reached the narrow hallway she was reminded that her grandmother was home with a sick headache. She was lying across the bed asleep so Janie tipped on out of the front door. Oh to be a pear tree--any tree in bloom! With kissing bees singing of the begining of the world! She was sixteen. She had glossy leaves and bursting buds and she wanted to struggle with life but it seemed to elude her. Where were the singing bees for her? Nothing on the place nor in her grandma's house answered her. She searched as much of the world as she could from the top of the front steps and then went on down to the front gate and leaned over to gaze up and down the road. Looking, waiting, breathing short with impatience. Waiting for the world to be made.
Through pollinated air she saw a glorious being coming up the road. In her former blindness she had known him as shiftless Johnny Taylor, tall and lean. That was before the golden dust of pollen had beglamored his rags and her eyes.
In the last stages of Nanny's sleep, she dreamed of voices. Voices far-off but persistent, and gradually coming nearer. Janie's voice. Janie talking in whispery snatches with a male voice she couldn't quite place. That brought her wide awake. She bolted upright and peered out of the window and saw Johnny Taylor lacerating her Janie with a kiss.
excerpt from Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
It was a spring afternoon in West Florida. Janie had spent most of the day under a blossoming pear tree in the back-yard. She had been spending every minute that she could steal from her chores under that tree for the last three days. That was to say, ever since the first tiny bloom had opened. It had called her to come and gaze on a mystery. From barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds; from the leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom. It stirred her tremendously. How? Why? It was like a flute song forgotten in another existence and remembered again. What? How? Why? This singing she heard that had nothing to do with her ears. The rose of the world was breathing out smell. It followed her through all her waking moments and caressed her in her sleep. It connected itself with other vaguely felt matters that had struck her outside observation and buried themselves in her flesh. Now they emerged and quested about her consciousness.
She was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree soaking in the alto chant of the visiting bees, the gold of the sun and the panting breath of the breeze when the inaudible voice of it all came to her. She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight. So this was marriage! She had been summoned to behold a revelation. Then Janie felt a pain remorseless sweet that left her limp and languid.
After a while she got up from where she was and went over the little garden field entire. She was seeking confirmation of the voice and vision, and everywhere she found and ackknowledged answers. A personal answer for all other creations except herself. She felt an answer seeking her, but where? When? How? She found herself at the kitchen door and stumbled inside. In the air of the room where flies tumbling and singing, marrying and giving in marriage. When she reached the narrow hallway she was reminded that her grandmother was home with a sick headache. She was lying across the bed asleep so Janie tipped on out of the front door. Oh to be a pear tree--any tree in bloom! With kissing bees singing of the begining of the world! She was sixteen. She had glossy leaves and bursting buds and she wanted to struggle with life but it seemed to elude her. Where were the singing bees for her? Nothing on the place nor in her grandma's house answered her. She searched as much of the world as she could from the top of the front steps and then went on down to the front gate and leaned over to gaze up and down the road. Looking, waiting, breathing short with impatience. Waiting for the world to be made.
Through pollinated air she saw a glorious being coming up the road. In her former blindness she had known him as shiftless Johnny Taylor, tall and lean. That was before the golden dust of pollen had beglamored his rags and her eyes.
In the last stages of Nanny's sleep, she dreamed of voices. Voices far-off but persistent, and gradually coming nearer. Janie's voice. Janie talking in whispery snatches with a male voice she couldn't quite place. That brought her wide awake. She bolted upright and peered out of the window and saw Johnny Taylor lacerating her Janie with a kiss.
excerpt from Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
on Catholicism...
PART THREE
Regarding salvation: "Catholics claim that salvation is secured by faith in Christ plus good works." John 3:16 teaches that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ will be saved. It doesn't say anyone who believes in Jesus AND does all the right things. Salvation is a free gift to us. To say that we must do good works -- or works of any kind -- to secure our salvation is to say that we must earn it, and therefore it is not a free gift. Furthermore, the concept that I could ever earn the right to be saved is beyond my comprehension. I am incapable of being worthy of anything in the presence of a perfectly holy God. I will never, ever deserve anything from Him: not salvation, not heaven, not even for good things to happen in my life. In comparison to God's perfect standard, I am completely and totally unworthy. The Bible describes our good works as filthy rags. That's how much value they have in comparison to God's perfection. Many times I have heard "filthy rags" described in more accurate detail. The phrase literally describes the rags that leapers used to clean their sores. After use, the rags were thrown into the fire to be burned so as not to spread disease. Gee, sounds like our good works are really worth something, doesn't it! Aside from the fact that our good works really are worthless, to say that they are required for salvation is to say that Christ's sacrifice was not enough. Not enough?! The God of heaven put on dirty flesh and lived in a sinful world for over 30 years, was brutally beaten and killed by His creation, and still chose to ressurrect so that we could have salvation and a relationship with Him. To call this anything less than enough seems like a huge slap in the face of God to me.
"Catholics blend justification and sanctification into one process as the believer must work to merit eternal life; Protestants believe God justifies the believer by declaring him or her righteous, and that sanctification is a lifelong process of becoming holy as God works within." At the moment we believe in Christ's sacrifice as the means of our salvation, God declares us righteous. He no longer sees us for the sinful people we really are; He now sees Jesus Christ in us, and therefore views us as righteous. That is justification. Justification is often described as "just as if I never sinned." God erases our sins and His memory of them. Sanctification, on the other hand, is basically this: when God enters your life you begin to desire the things of God. From the point of salvation onward, the Christian begins to grow in Christ which is to grow more like Christ. By no means will we ever be perfect as Christ is, but we do begin to take on His characteristics.
Not only do Catholics believe that good works are a necessary element of salvation, they also "believe they cannot pay for all their sins in this life, and at death they go to purgatory for an undetermined time to be made totally fit for heaven." During the life of a Catholic, penances are done as payment for sins. When they die, they go to purgatory for the sins they did not get a chance to do penance for. So basically, not only is Christ's sacrifice not enough, His sacrifice plus their good works is also not enough. While in purgatory, it is believed that individuals cannot help themselves any more. They either complete their entire "sentence" or are helped by other Catholics on earth. The Catholics on earth can gain indulgences for those in purgatory. "When we speak of indulgences we are speaking of God 'indulging' (being kind to) a believer by giving to the believer from an inexhaustible supply of spiritual merits that have accumulated in the Church's treasury through the work of Christ and the prayers and good works of the Virgin Mary and the saints." So the way I see it, this says a person's salvation depends on the work of Christ, Mary, the saints, the individual, and the other Catholics left on earth after the individual's death. This method of salvation seems to depend on an aweful lot.
An additional note: This didn't fit into my two-point outline, so I'll just throw it in here. I'm not comfortable with the high level of focus and attention given to Mary in the Catholic church. Many beliefs about Mary grew from the traditions of the church, but as stated before, the Catholic church holds those traditions to be equally as important as the Scriptures themselves. First, tradition taught "that Mary's virginity continued after the birth of Jesus and that she never had any more children." To begin with, this is very false because the Bible mentions the literal brothers and sisters of Jesus. [Furthermore, some would argue the point that for Mary to remain a virgin after her marriage to Joseph would have been wrong or "sinful" based on the scripture that says a man and woman become one flesh in marriage. I'll save this argument for someone else though!] Regardless, I do believe Mary and Joseph went on to have a "normal" marriage and that they had other children. The Catholic tradition also teaches the Immaculate Conception, which says that Mary "was conceived without sin and lived a sinless life." This would basically put her on an equal level with Christ Himself. Based on the teachings of the Bible, I am convinced that Jesus was the only person ever to live a sinless life. Catholic tradition also teaches the Assumption, meaning that Mary did not die but "was taken up body and soul directly to heaven." While this is possible, the Bible does not mention it. I cannot say that it did not happen; I am just curious where the Catholic church found this information or evidence for it. Here comes the big problem I have with the focus on Mary. The Catholic church views her as a "co-mediator with Christ between God and man." The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ alone is our High Priest through whom we have access to God. It teaches that no man can approach the Father except through the Son. The Catholic church added the phrase "no man goeth to Christ but by His mother." This is never taught in the Bible. The Bible teaches that we have access to God by Jesus, not by Mary first, then Jesus.
In conclusion: I'm not really sure how to wrap this all up, but I think I'll just restate what I believe is my key point. I believe the message of the Bible is simple: faith in Christ alone brings salvation. The Catholic church tries to add things to this message to make it more feasable and comprehensible for us humans. The idea that people who do good works will be the ones who are saved makes sense to us; we like it. But God doesn't work that way. He says anyone who wants salvation can have it; it is equally free to all, regardless of behavior. The receiving of salvation should compell us to be better people for the sake of Christ's name, but our salvation is not contingent upon us actually becoming better people. Nor is it contingent upon any act or deed or accumulation of such that we or any other human (saint or otherwise) could ever do or have ever done. My point in all this research, and in these three lenghty posts, was to help myself determine my thoughts on Catholicism and its doctrine. I believe what I have discovered boils down to this: I am fine with any church that teaches that salvation is through faith in Christ alone and nothing else. I understand that individual churches vary from one another in many cases, therefore this is the standard. I also understand that even in churches that teach a works-based salvation there may be individuals who disagree with the teachings, and chose to believe in salvation through faith alone. I can't understand why these individuals would chose to go to these churches, but that's not my problem. As for those who believe in Christ plus works for salvation, I am in no position to say what their true spiritual standing is. While I do believe they have some things wrong with their faith, to God those things may be no bigger than the things I have wrong with my faith... because I obviously don't believe that I have everything exactly right all the time. All I know is that faith in God is a condition of the heart which other people are not capable of judging. This faith is usually displayed through a person's life, and is therefore often obvious to others, but a person's true standing with God is between the individual and God and no one else. These are my thoughts. Do with them what you like.
PART THREE
Regarding salvation: "Catholics claim that salvation is secured by faith in Christ plus good works." John 3:16 teaches that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ will be saved. It doesn't say anyone who believes in Jesus AND does all the right things. Salvation is a free gift to us. To say that we must do good works -- or works of any kind -- to secure our salvation is to say that we must earn it, and therefore it is not a free gift. Furthermore, the concept that I could ever earn the right to be saved is beyond my comprehension. I am incapable of being worthy of anything in the presence of a perfectly holy God. I will never, ever deserve anything from Him: not salvation, not heaven, not even for good things to happen in my life. In comparison to God's perfect standard, I am completely and totally unworthy. The Bible describes our good works as filthy rags. That's how much value they have in comparison to God's perfection. Many times I have heard "filthy rags" described in more accurate detail. The phrase literally describes the rags that leapers used to clean their sores. After use, the rags were thrown into the fire to be burned so as not to spread disease. Gee, sounds like our good works are really worth something, doesn't it! Aside from the fact that our good works really are worthless, to say that they are required for salvation is to say that Christ's sacrifice was not enough. Not enough?! The God of heaven put on dirty flesh and lived in a sinful world for over 30 years, was brutally beaten and killed by His creation, and still chose to ressurrect so that we could have salvation and a relationship with Him. To call this anything less than enough seems like a huge slap in the face of God to me.
"Catholics blend justification and sanctification into one process as the believer must work to merit eternal life; Protestants believe God justifies the believer by declaring him or her righteous, and that sanctification is a lifelong process of becoming holy as God works within." At the moment we believe in Christ's sacrifice as the means of our salvation, God declares us righteous. He no longer sees us for the sinful people we really are; He now sees Jesus Christ in us, and therefore views us as righteous. That is justification. Justification is often described as "just as if I never sinned." God erases our sins and His memory of them. Sanctification, on the other hand, is basically this: when God enters your life you begin to desire the things of God. From the point of salvation onward, the Christian begins to grow in Christ which is to grow more like Christ. By no means will we ever be perfect as Christ is, but we do begin to take on His characteristics.
Not only do Catholics believe that good works are a necessary element of salvation, they also "believe they cannot pay for all their sins in this life, and at death they go to purgatory for an undetermined time to be made totally fit for heaven." During the life of a Catholic, penances are done as payment for sins. When they die, they go to purgatory for the sins they did not get a chance to do penance for. So basically, not only is Christ's sacrifice not enough, His sacrifice plus their good works is also not enough. While in purgatory, it is believed that individuals cannot help themselves any more. They either complete their entire "sentence" or are helped by other Catholics on earth. The Catholics on earth can gain indulgences for those in purgatory. "When we speak of indulgences we are speaking of God 'indulging' (being kind to) a believer by giving to the believer from an inexhaustible supply of spiritual merits that have accumulated in the Church's treasury through the work of Christ and the prayers and good works of the Virgin Mary and the saints." So the way I see it, this says a person's salvation depends on the work of Christ, Mary, the saints, the individual, and the other Catholics left on earth after the individual's death. This method of salvation seems to depend on an aweful lot.
An additional note: This didn't fit into my two-point outline, so I'll just throw it in here. I'm not comfortable with the high level of focus and attention given to Mary in the Catholic church. Many beliefs about Mary grew from the traditions of the church, but as stated before, the Catholic church holds those traditions to be equally as important as the Scriptures themselves. First, tradition taught "that Mary's virginity continued after the birth of Jesus and that she never had any more children." To begin with, this is very false because the Bible mentions the literal brothers and sisters of Jesus. [Furthermore, some would argue the point that for Mary to remain a virgin after her marriage to Joseph would have been wrong or "sinful" based on the scripture that says a man and woman become one flesh in marriage. I'll save this argument for someone else though!] Regardless, I do believe Mary and Joseph went on to have a "normal" marriage and that they had other children. The Catholic tradition also teaches the Immaculate Conception, which says that Mary "was conceived without sin and lived a sinless life." This would basically put her on an equal level with Christ Himself. Based on the teachings of the Bible, I am convinced that Jesus was the only person ever to live a sinless life. Catholic tradition also teaches the Assumption, meaning that Mary did not die but "was taken up body and soul directly to heaven." While this is possible, the Bible does not mention it. I cannot say that it did not happen; I am just curious where the Catholic church found this information or evidence for it. Here comes the big problem I have with the focus on Mary. The Catholic church views her as a "co-mediator with Christ between God and man." The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ alone is our High Priest through whom we have access to God. It teaches that no man can approach the Father except through the Son. The Catholic church added the phrase "no man goeth to Christ but by His mother." This is never taught in the Bible. The Bible teaches that we have access to God by Jesus, not by Mary first, then Jesus.
In conclusion: I'm not really sure how to wrap this all up, but I think I'll just restate what I believe is my key point. I believe the message of the Bible is simple: faith in Christ alone brings salvation. The Catholic church tries to add things to this message to make it more feasable and comprehensible for us humans. The idea that people who do good works will be the ones who are saved makes sense to us; we like it. But God doesn't work that way. He says anyone who wants salvation can have it; it is equally free to all, regardless of behavior. The receiving of salvation should compell us to be better people for the sake of Christ's name, but our salvation is not contingent upon us actually becoming better people. Nor is it contingent upon any act or deed or accumulation of such that we or any other human (saint or otherwise) could ever do or have ever done. My point in all this research, and in these three lenghty posts, was to help myself determine my thoughts on Catholicism and its doctrine. I believe what I have discovered boils down to this: I am fine with any church that teaches that salvation is through faith in Christ alone and nothing else. I understand that individual churches vary from one another in many cases, therefore this is the standard. I also understand that even in churches that teach a works-based salvation there may be individuals who disagree with the teachings, and chose to believe in salvation through faith alone. I can't understand why these individuals would chose to go to these churches, but that's not my problem. As for those who believe in Christ plus works for salvation, I am in no position to say what their true spiritual standing is. While I do believe they have some things wrong with their faith, to God those things may be no bigger than the things I have wrong with my faith... because I obviously don't believe that I have everything exactly right all the time. All I know is that faith in God is a condition of the heart which other people are not capable of judging. This faith is usually displayed through a person's life, and is therefore often obvious to others, but a person's true standing with God is between the individual and God and no one else. These are my thoughts. Do with them what you like.
Dec 18, 2003
so tired...
I just got home about 15 minutes ago. I've been gone since 8:30 this morning. That's a long day for me. I worked 9-6 and then I met the girls at Olive Garden for Erin's "girls' night out." I had all intentions of going straight home from there, but they convinced me to come over to Toni's house to learn "the dance" for the reception on Saturday. So I went, and it was fun, but I had to leave pretty early since I'll be at work at 7:00AM tomorrow. Anyway, my posts haven't been showing up on my site lately, so maybe when I post this one the rest will show up. I can always hope. I'll try to finish up my series of posts tomorrow. G'night.
11 days...
I just got home about 15 minutes ago. I've been gone since 8:30 this morning. That's a long day for me. I worked 9-6 and then I met the girls at Olive Garden for Erin's "girls' night out." I had all intentions of going straight home from there, but they convinced me to come over to Toni's house to learn "the dance" for the reception on Saturday. So I went, and it was fun, but I had to leave pretty early since I'll be at work at 7:00AM tomorrow. Anyway, my posts haven't been showing up on my site lately, so maybe when I post this one the rest will show up. I can always hope. I'll try to finish up my series of posts tomorrow. G'night.
11 days...
Dec 17, 2003
on Catholicism...
PART TWO:
The statements to follow are strictly my opinion on things. I apologize for any toes that are stepped on. As I form and explain my opinion on the things to follow, I will do my absolute best to base those opinions on Scripture and to avoid allowing my Protestant upbringing to give me a predisposed negative outlook on Catholicism. As always, I attempt to form and justify opinions on my own rather than simply believing what I'm told. As a further note, there are also things within the Protestant church with which I disagree. Future rants will surely be posted on such topics!
Regarding authority: As stated in the previous post, Catholics believe Scripture and "Sacred Tradition" hold equal authority. I have no problem with traditions in and of themselves, but I do not feel comfortable saying that they have a position of authority in the Christian life. To say this would be exactly like the Pharisees and Sadducees that Christ so often reprimanded. Christ scolded them for holding their traditions and teachings on the same level as the commands of God. In the book of Matthew, Jesus quotes Isaiah saying "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (Matt. 15:8,9). ["Me" refers to God.] I will say, however, that oftentimes in Protestant churches the same thing happens. We begin to value our traditions as though they were "God-ordained." We would never say that this is the case, but indeed it is at times. At least in the Catholic church, in this case their words and actions match up!
Secondly, Catholicism teaches that the church "has been entrusted to interpret the Bible for Catholics, who are not to interpret it for themselves." The book sums up pretty well what I believe: "Protestants say that individual Christians can trust the Holy Spirit for guidance as they read and interpret the Bible for themselves." This is not to say that each person will have a different "interpretation" of what the Bible says; it just means that as individuals read a passage of Scripture, the Holy Spirit may use that passage in different ways for different people. Verses and passages can have various areas of application, especially dependant upon what situations an individual is going through. These various applications are not something the church is able to tell you or teach you; they are simply things that the Holy Spirit must speak to the hearts of the individuals as they read the Scriptures.
"Catholicism teaches that Peter was the first pope...." So far, I have no problem with that. Pope, priest, head pastor, head minister, whatever you want to call it... I believe it is biblical for a body of believers to have some type of human leader. Whether or not there should be one worldwide head leader or not may be up for debate, but I'll skip that part of the discussion for now. The problem I have with the concept of the pope is what the book mentions: "Catholics teach that the pope is infallible...; Protestants reply that no human being is infallible...." All humans are fallible. We all sin. We all make mistakes. We all mess up sometimes. To say that a particular person (other than Christ, who is God in the flesh), even for a particular time, is infallible is completely contrary to the teachings of the Bible.
to be continued...
PART TWO:
The statements to follow are strictly my opinion on things. I apologize for any toes that are stepped on. As I form and explain my opinion on the things to follow, I will do my absolute best to base those opinions on Scripture and to avoid allowing my Protestant upbringing to give me a predisposed negative outlook on Catholicism. As always, I attempt to form and justify opinions on my own rather than simply believing what I'm told. As a further note, there are also things within the Protestant church with which I disagree. Future rants will surely be posted on such topics!
Regarding authority: As stated in the previous post, Catholics believe Scripture and "Sacred Tradition" hold equal authority. I have no problem with traditions in and of themselves, but I do not feel comfortable saying that they have a position of authority in the Christian life. To say this would be exactly like the Pharisees and Sadducees that Christ so often reprimanded. Christ scolded them for holding their traditions and teachings on the same level as the commands of God. In the book of Matthew, Jesus quotes Isaiah saying "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (Matt. 15:8,9). ["Me" refers to God.] I will say, however, that oftentimes in Protestant churches the same thing happens. We begin to value our traditions as though they were "God-ordained." We would never say that this is the case, but indeed it is at times. At least in the Catholic church, in this case their words and actions match up!
Secondly, Catholicism teaches that the church "has been entrusted to interpret the Bible for Catholics, who are not to interpret it for themselves." The book sums up pretty well what I believe: "Protestants say that individual Christians can trust the Holy Spirit for guidance as they read and interpret the Bible for themselves." This is not to say that each person will have a different "interpretation" of what the Bible says; it just means that as individuals read a passage of Scripture, the Holy Spirit may use that passage in different ways for different people. Verses and passages can have various areas of application, especially dependant upon what situations an individual is going through. These various applications are not something the church is able to tell you or teach you; they are simply things that the Holy Spirit must speak to the hearts of the individuals as they read the Scriptures.
"Catholicism teaches that Peter was the first pope...." So far, I have no problem with that. Pope, priest, head pastor, head minister, whatever you want to call it... I believe it is biblical for a body of believers to have some type of human leader. Whether or not there should be one worldwide head leader or not may be up for debate, but I'll skip that part of the discussion for now. The problem I have with the concept of the pope is what the book mentions: "Catholics teach that the pope is infallible...; Protestants reply that no human being is infallible...." All humans are fallible. We all sin. We all make mistakes. We all mess up sometimes. To say that a particular person (other than Christ, who is God in the flesh), even for a particular time, is infallible is completely contrary to the teachings of the Bible.
to be continued...
on Catholicism...
PART ONE:
To begin with, I'm going to quote straight from one of the books I have been reading, which touches on some of the key issues.
SUMMING UP MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ROMAN CATHOLICS AND EVANGELICAL PROTESTANTS
Regarding authority: Catholics claim that Scripture and "Sacred Tradition" are equal in authority. Protestants say the Bible is the sole guide for faith and practice (see 2 Tim. 3:16,17; 1 John 5:13). Rome says the magisterium (teaching authority of the Roman Church) has been entrusted to interpret the Bible for Catholics, who are not to interpret it for themselves. Protestants say that individual Christians can trust the Holy Spirit for guidance as they read and interpret the Bible for themselves (see John 5:39; 14:26). Catholicism teaches that Peter was the first pope, and that through apostolic succession other popes have succeeded him, each serving as "vicar of Christ"; Protestants insist the apostles had equal authority and there was no "pope"... (see Matt. 18:18; John 20:23). Catholics teach that the pope is infallible when he speaks "ex cathedra" (lit. "from the chair" or with authority) on matters of faith and morals; Protestants reply that no human being is infallible, and only Christ is head of the Church (see Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:18).
Regarding salvation: Catholics claim that salvation is secured by faith in Christ plus good works and grace conferred through the seven sacraments of the Church; Protestants reply that salvation is secured through sola fide (faith alone) in Jesus Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross (see Rom. 3:24; Eph. 2:8,9). Catholics blend justification and sanctification into one process as the believer must work to merit eternal life; Protestants believe God justifies the believer by declaring him or her righteous, and that sanctification is a lifelong process of becoming holy as God works within (see John 17:15-19; Phil. 2:12,13). Catholics believe they cannot pay for all their sins in this life, and at death they go to purgatory for an undetermined time to be made totally fit for heaven; Protestants, believing they are justified by faith in Christ and nothing else, trust that they will go straight to heaven where sanctification is completed in Christ's presence (see 2 Cor. 5:6-10; 1 John 2:28-3:2).
This was the summary at the end of a chapter in the book So What's the Difference? by Fritz Ridenour. [If anyone who is Catholic reads this and disagrees with the information it provides about Catholicism, please leave a comment.]
PART ONE:
To begin with, I'm going to quote straight from one of the books I have been reading, which touches on some of the key issues.
SUMMING UP MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ROMAN CATHOLICS AND EVANGELICAL PROTESTANTS
Regarding authority: Catholics claim that Scripture and "Sacred Tradition" are equal in authority. Protestants say the Bible is the sole guide for faith and practice (see 2 Tim. 3:16,17; 1 John 5:13). Rome says the magisterium (teaching authority of the Roman Church) has been entrusted to interpret the Bible for Catholics, who are not to interpret it for themselves. Protestants say that individual Christians can trust the Holy Spirit for guidance as they read and interpret the Bible for themselves (see John 5:39; 14:26). Catholicism teaches that Peter was the first pope, and that through apostolic succession other popes have succeeded him, each serving as "vicar of Christ"; Protestants insist the apostles had equal authority and there was no "pope"... (see Matt. 18:18; John 20:23). Catholics teach that the pope is infallible when he speaks "ex cathedra" (lit. "from the chair" or with authority) on matters of faith and morals; Protestants reply that no human being is infallible, and only Christ is head of the Church (see Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:18).
Regarding salvation: Catholics claim that salvation is secured by faith in Christ plus good works and grace conferred through the seven sacraments of the Church; Protestants reply that salvation is secured through sola fide (faith alone) in Jesus Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross (see Rom. 3:24; Eph. 2:8,9). Catholics blend justification and sanctification into one process as the believer must work to merit eternal life; Protestants believe God justifies the believer by declaring him or her righteous, and that sanctification is a lifelong process of becoming holy as God works within (see John 17:15-19; Phil. 2:12,13). Catholics believe they cannot pay for all their sins in this life, and at death they go to purgatory for an undetermined time to be made totally fit for heaven; Protestants, believing they are justified by faith in Christ and nothing else, trust that they will go straight to heaven where sanctification is completed in Christ's presence (see 2 Cor. 5:6-10; 1 John 2:28-3:2).
This was the summary at the end of a chapter in the book So What's the Difference? by Fritz Ridenour. [If anyone who is Catholic reads this and disagrees with the information it provides about Catholicism, please leave a comment.]
Katie-Gail has a blog! I'm excited! Give it a look sometime. She's a way-cool girl, so I'm sure she'll have some good stuff to say at times.
Dec 16, 2003
been doing my research...
I was reading up on Scott's posts the other day cause I've been lagging behind a little lately. One in particular got my attention. It mentioned a few things about the Catholic church and some different points of view concerning it. As I read the post, I was reminded that I am not totally sure how I feel about Catholicism. Today I decided to do something about that. After my devotions this evening, I pulled out the two books I have about various denominations and started "doing my research." It has been very informative and thought-provoking for me. I don't want to get started on it tonight for fear that I may stay up far too late writing, so I will share the details of my search tomorrow. Until then, sweet dreams.
I was reading up on Scott's posts the other day cause I've been lagging behind a little lately. One in particular got my attention. It mentioned a few things about the Catholic church and some different points of view concerning it. As I read the post, I was reminded that I am not totally sure how I feel about Catholicism. Today I decided to do something about that. After my devotions this evening, I pulled out the two books I have about various denominations and started "doing my research." It has been very informative and thought-provoking for me. I don't want to get started on it tonight for fear that I may stay up far too late writing, so I will share the details of my search tomorrow. Until then, sweet dreams.
sitting down...
Today was my first day back at work. It was good, but seven and a half hours of standing on your feet takes some getting used to. All went well, though. I remembered all my necessary cashieer skills! I'm glad I'm off tomorrow because that ensures that I can go to church tomorrow night to hear Danny speak. Thursday night the girls are supposed to be taking Erin out for her "bachelorette" night. Then the wedding's on Saturday. I'm really excited about that. I know it's going to be beautiful, and the reception should be a blast! That's about all the new news for now.
THIS is what I will be seeing in a little over two weeks! I can't wait!
13 days...
Today was my first day back at work. It was good, but seven and a half hours of standing on your feet takes some getting used to. All went well, though. I remembered all my necessary cashieer skills! I'm glad I'm off tomorrow because that ensures that I can go to church tomorrow night to hear Danny speak. Thursday night the girls are supposed to be taking Erin out for her "bachelorette" night. Then the wedding's on Saturday. I'm really excited about that. I know it's going to be beautiful, and the reception should be a blast! That's about all the new news for now.
THIS is what I will be seeing in a little over two weeks! I can't wait!
13 days...
Dec 15, 2003
"Come away with me" by Norah Jones
Come away with me in the night
Come away with me
And I will write you a song
Come away with me on a bus
Come away where they can't tempt us
With their lies
I want to walk with you
On a cloudy day
In fields where the yellow grass grows
knee high
So won't you try to come
Come away with me and we'll kiss
On a mountain top
Come away with me
And I'll never stop loving you
And I want to wake up with the rain
Falling on a tin roof
While I'm safe there in your arms
So all I ask is for you
To come away with me in the night
Come away with me
14 days...
Come away with me in the night
Come away with me
And I will write you a song
Come away with me on a bus
Come away where they can't tempt us
With their lies
I want to walk with you
On a cloudy day
In fields where the yellow grass grows
knee high
So won't you try to come
Come away with me and we'll kiss
On a mountain top
Come away with me
And I'll never stop loving you
And I want to wake up with the rain
Falling on a tin roof
While I'm safe there in your arms
So all I ask is for you
To come away with me in the night
Come away with me
14 days...
