the credit crisis

i came across this today and thought it was worthy of a post. if you are confused by the credit crisis that we're in... this does a great job of breaking it down.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

lent

Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. the forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the desert, where according to the Bible He endured temptation by Satan (thanks wikipedia).

historically, it is during Lent that people give up something... in order to be reminded of spiritual things when "it" (whatever has been given up) crosses their mind. it is a forty day fast.

i can remember times when i would hear people say that they were giving up something that wasn't a daily part of their life. for example, i remember someone saying they were giving up beer for Lent. for some, this would be a sacrifice... for this person... they had never had a drink. how could that be considered a willing sacrifice made in order to glorify God? that seemed very hypocritical to me.

i am not good at giving things up. i struggle with commitment. for some reason, God continues to work on the lack of discipline that is what i call my life. so for the first time in my 28 years, i am going to give something up for Lent.

the Bible says to not 'broadcast' when you are fasting to people (that's the stephanie paraphrase)... so i have decided to keep this sacrifice to myself. i will reveal what i am giving up after the 40 days... in that same post, i will report to you if i stuck to it. stay tuned... and check back around Easter.

25 things i hate about facebook.

this made me laugh.

a mile high visit

i spent the past weekend in denver visiting with holly and angie, some college friends.  we hadn't been able to spend time together in years and it was great to get to see them.  a significant amount of time while i was at belmont was spent with these two girls.  they are blessings that i continue to thank God for.  after about 10 years of friendship, i can look back and see how God used each of them in my life in ways that they would never know.  

we spent time playing games, enjoying the mountains and trying to catch up on the past few years of life.  lots has happened in each of our lives, and in the midst of the changes and growth, it was amazing how comfortable it was to be together.  that is a rare blessing.

these girls are two of my favorite people in the world, and i wanted you to get to see them.

a backwards glance... provides a glimpse into today.

i was looking at some past journal entries of mine today... here's one from last september (in italics).

“There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.” - Luke 12:2

The affairs of the heart are the most deadly and dangerous, they strangle the life right out of you. The desires, lusts, broken truths and sinful messes that we try and keep locked inside… always find their way out… nothing stays secret.

The affairs of my heart are the hardest to face, pride and judgmental ways creep in when I’m not looking. I am so quick to point out the flaws I see in others and yet so often I try to portray an imperfect perfection – I am more than willing to let people know I struggle, but when it comes to sharing those struggles my pride steps in.

Keeping the dirt inside only makes things dirtier. You can’t dust dirt. You must remove it to find any sign of cleanliness. It is these affairs of my heart that keep me from a constant pursuit of Christ.

I must ask myself, what does my heart say when confronted by my Savior?

Just as Matt (my pastor) said last Sunday, when we share our mess with others it loosens its grip on us. When we are honest and let others in on the struggles that take hold of our lives, we no longer have to fight alone.

-------------------------

as i read my thoughts from that september day, i continue to struggle... but thank God i'm still striving to get through. thankfully, i don't have to do this alone. i have been blessed with some amazing people who gladly step in and walk through life with me. some are new additions, others have had their feet muddied by my mess for years. they ask me the tough questions. call me on my crap. remind me to pray, grow and learn in the midst of everything. they let me be me and love me in the midst of it. accountability isn't just a word with them, it's a needed necessity and they graciously continue to step into that role when needed. i pray that they know how blessed i am to have them in my life.

a facebook phenomenon making an appearance here.

if you are on facebook you know about the uprising known as "25 things about me." i think i'm the only one on facebook who hadn't filled this out yet... so i'm giving in to conformity... here we go, 25 random things about me:

1. i'm originally from oklahoma but i proudly call texas home.

2. i lived with cinderella in college. literally. =) and loved every minute of it. i was blessed with some great college roomies.

3. i have a strange fear of fish... not of seeing them or eating them... just don't want them to touch me while i'm in the water. the thought creeps me out.

4. all but 2 pieces of furniture in my house were given to me.

5. it took me over a year to use my kitchen aid mixer for the first time. i've been told that is a sin, so i pulled it out last week and made banana bread.

6. i love to cook, and for some reason, baking intimidates me.

7. i put my movies in alphabetical order. my books are sorted into categories and then alphabetized. i won't even mention how i organize my CDs. my students tell me that makes me OCD.

8. i love music but hate listening to the radio.

9. i fell in love with england one summer.

10. i have great parents who are very neat, organized and have degrees and careers in science (pharmacy and medicine). i on the other hand, hate to make my bed and some how convinced my advisor to let me take horticulture instead of biology. i got my 4 hours of science credit by doing lawn work on my university's campus.

11. i went to belmont university... before anyone had really heard of it.

12. i've seen carved wood bears that look like they are peeing... in alabama... and have pictures to prove it.

14. i love road trips with friends. this trips have included... 3 michael buble concerts in 3 days, a zebra invasion, a new kids on the block concert, staying in a W hotel, tons of trips in college, etc.

15. i taught myself how to play guitar and piano.

16. i enjoy keeping in touch with people that have made an impact in my life.

17. i participated in an amazing prank war in college with 2 great friends. it involved a BBQ grill, mini alarm clocks and breaking and entering.

18. i love that my job is investing in college students. i can't believe they pay me to do it.

19. i talk to my mom at least once a day.

20. i appreciate my friends more because i know what it feels like to lose them.

21. i arrange my wednesday nights around top chef... and my DVR is there to back me up if something comes up and i can't be home.

22. i love blogs, facebook, twitter and other social networking things... because i get to see what God is doing around me and keep in touch with people.. and then i usually write about what I read here: www.stephaniegates.blogspot.com.

23. because of skype, it feels like i've visited senegal.

24. i almost had cancer.

25. i thank God for john 3:16.

abide

the Texas BSM Abide prayer conference is this weekend.

Abide is an unscheduled prayer experience for college students, high school seniors, and adults who work with college students. Abide is designed to be a time of retreat. There is a opening session on friday night and a closing session saturday afternoon. everything in between is up to you. there will be various “Abide areas” to help you pray and connect with God. sit by the water. spend some time next to the bonfire. sleep. listen to the quiet. pray for your campus and the world. enjoy the cool weather. take a walk by yourself. have coffee with a friend.

a·bide:v. a·bode or a·bid·ed, a·bid·ing, a·bides

• Digest; to wait; to pause; to delay; to stay; to continue in a place; to be prepared for; to wait patiently for; to remain in a place.; to continue to be sure or firm; endure; to dwell or sojourn.

• “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4, New International Version).

• “Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me.” (John 15:4, The Message).
  

all about the numbers?

i try to not only focus on numbers, but i'm breaking that rule for this post.

january 2009 was my most successful blogging month since i've started. when i say successful, i mean most numerous. by numerous, i mean 15 (16 if you count this one).

i've noticed that my "traffic" has increased as well (by traffic, i mean the number of visitors).

is there a correlation between the two? i'd like to think so.

a prayer

"my Lord God, i have no idea where i am going. i do not see the read ahead of me. i cannot know for certain where it will end. nor do i really know myself. and the fact that i think i am following Your will does not mean i am actually doing so. but i believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. and i hope i have that desire in everything i am doing. i hope that i will never do anything apart from that desire and i know that if i do this You will lead me by the right road, though i may know nothing about it. therefore, i will trust You always though i may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. i will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone."

thomas merton

revisiting.

i spent some time with a friend tonight. it was refreshing to talk about what God's doing and what's He's done, all while enjoying sweet tea. our conversation long outlasted our fast-food meal, and continued as we wandered through target and wal-mart.  we spent some time talking about spiritual markers (how God has moved in our lives), a principle from henry blackaby's Experiencing God that has stuck with both of us... it made my heart happy to think that my God is just as faithful in this moment as He's been throughout every day of my life.  He speaks.  He moves.  He proves Himself faithful over and over again.  it's good to take time to remember.

recently, i've had a song running through my head.  it's a song that has strong memories attached to it.  it's a song that sings a melody that has been in my heart often throughout my life.  i wrote previously this month about being ready to mend and wanting to learn from all that God is doing around me and in me... tonight that is more real than ever.  

here's a quick video of the song, painting pictures of egypt by sara groves:

if you aren't familiar with the song, click here for the lyrics.