Being Mature

I am positive that there is no magic age to be considered mature. Dictionary.com defines it as: fully developed in body or mind, as a person. I've heard that some people never mature, and as adults they seem lacking in many ways, socially, but mostly in responsibility. My mom recently read an article that said that I cannot make really good decisions until I am 25, I guess the writers were trying to say something about consistency, but nobody makes good consistent decisions even after 25. So, does making good decisions have to do with being mature? I think it does, but what does that mean for me? I feel like me as a person doesn't really exist. Like yes, I can have ideas and opinions but if they aren't consistent with my parents, then they are bad, so my ideas and opinions don't really exist, so then I disappear, because I am basically defined by my ideas and opinions. Well, not completely because that wouldn't be honest, but the things that seem to matter to me and I want respect for, even if it is just a small "what do you think?" would make a huge difference to me. Thats all. If anybody is reading, please comment.

UnChristian?

I was reading World Magazine today, and I wanted to share about an article they published. A Christian survey organization recently "asked young people to identify which perceptions they most strongly associate with Christianity. The three most commonly agreed-upon were: anti-homosexual, judgmental, and hypocritical." The article goes on to question if, as Christians we "are [more] famous for what we oppose, rather than what we are for."
I suppose this is a touchy subject, because Christians are supposed to hate the sin and not the sinner, but are never able to do that perfectly. I guess I sympathize with people who feel judged by the church and are not given the love and mercy that God requires us to give, because they they have problems. It seems easier to try to separate from everything bad and then think that is the right thing, but I disagree. God says we are to be in the world and not of it, which means we are to understand and be there for the people that feel like they have no chance of God ever wanting them. If we think we are so high and mighty, to be haters of homosexuals, judgmental of how others speak, dress and how they use their time, to go around pretending that we are the chosen ones with the best ideas we are the ones with the problem. Yes, God has saved us and we need to share that with others, but we were just as awful as them and even worse, because we claim the name Christian and then are hypocrites. Read the article and please think about whether you are loving unconditionally as Christ commands.

Eighteen

I suppose nothing is really supposed to feel different as a Christian who turns eighteen. I still live under my parents roof, and so I kinda still have to obey them or else they may kick me out. Its never been like my parents have been super strict or super lenient, but its not going to be like suddenly they stop caring and just let me go where ever I want or do what I want as long as its legal. I've always thought it was going to be a big deal, suddenly I could tell my parents that I was an adult and make my own decisions, but not really. I don't feel any different, and I'm still treated as a child. I'm ready to go and make a difference with my life, and I'm tired of being told that I'm not old enough, but when will I be old enough? When am I expected to make good decisions? I guess I'm just at a major in between stage and again I am just called to wait.

For Christian Guys

Okay, so I was wasting my time on the internet, but I found this article/post that I really liked and that I agree with. Please read it. :)


http://homespunfervor.blogspot.com/2007/07/10-qualities-of-21st-century-christian.html

Taking A Stand

Hello everyone,

I've had some thing weighing on my mind in the past couple weeks and I just wanted to share with you. This past month in Indianapolis there was a little girl named TaJanay who was killed. She was put back into her home by the state for a 30 day trial trying to reunite her with her family, however, because of her abusive mother and mom's boyfriend, the day of her next meeting with the judge, she died. Even though this story is sad even without the details, this letter to the editor in today's newspaper really made me think.

One child named TaJanay dies and we are shocked, outraged and saddened. Every death of an American soldier makes us cringe. We ask ourselves how we can make these killings stop. On Jan. 22 we will observe the 35th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision on abortion. Since 1973, 50 million unborn children have been killed. Where is the shock? Where is the outrage? Where is the sadness?

The late Rep. Julia Carson had a reputation for speaking for the voiceless, but she supported abortion. Columnist Dan Carpenter defends every downtrodden cause that comes along, but he won't defend the unborn. I don't get it. We all know these babies are being killed and we don't care as long at they're hidden away at a Planned Parenthood clinic and we don't have to experience it.

The deaths of 50 million children should be the number one issue for every voter who goes to the polls this year. How can it not be? Our American way of life is not going to disappear because our property taxes are too high, or we don't kill enough terrorists or the Dome is not big enough for the Colts. It will be destroyed because we are killing a million of our children every year and we know it and we don't care.

Stephen J. Martin

All of this keeps reinforcing it self on my mind. On Sunday, we had a guy from the Central Indiana Crisis Pregnancy Center come and preach at our church, focusing on the sixth commandment "thou shalt not kill." I really appreciated his sermon, and even though it seemed like review, I was challenged and it really makes me want to do something about it.

The last thing that has to do with this whole post, is that we just finished reading a book called "The Second American Revolution" by John Whitehead in worldview. While I didn't agree with everything in this book, I enjoyed reading it, especially the part where he calls Christian to action. Here's a quote from his book:

"In Matthew 5 Christ states that the church is to be the salt or preservation in society. If not, Christ said, then the church is "good for nothing, but to be cast down, and to be trodden under the food of men." (v. 13) When the church is silent, then there is a need for Christian rebels. With the humanistic consensus gaining a stronger foothold each day, it is not a far-fetched notion to envision a time when we will see the church trodden under the feet of humanists. The unthinkables of yesterday - abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and rational suicide - are here. The church cannot be a spectator in the war that is raging. It must take a stand or there is no hope for a return to a society that cherishes life and seeks meaning."

So where does that leave me? Sometime i feel so inadequate. I know if I was a boy that I would want to be a pastor and to be completely on fire for God and to conquer the world, but I'm not and I can't become a RP pastor, and I can't be in any sort of leadership position because I'm a girl or because I'm not old enough or have enough experience. Its rather frustrating and as much as I want to do something, I suppose my place for right now is to wait. So I'm waiting.