Unto the Pure are all things Pure November 4, 2009

“Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”
Titus 1:15
People often accuse me of being naïve. I certainly know that I am. People say that if you look hard enough and are aware of what is going on around you, you can find drugs, alcohol, the party scene, and questionable Greek initiation activities. So far, I haven’t found them. I am not culturally literate, and I know it. I don’t hear obscenities in songs (I don’t even know most of the songs), I am gullible and don’t often catch sarcasm, and I obviously don’t have the quick wit that I need to converse with many people.

I am often ashamed of it. Even on a Christian campus, I am so different than others, and it can get lonely. I am so grateful to have a Christian environment because in a pagan university environment know that I simply won’t survive. In many ways, I feel that this has to change. While I don’t want to be absorbed by it, I SHOULD be more aware of what is going on in my culture.

At the same time, Titus 1:15 comforts me. So what if I don’t see the bad in everything? Who cares if I am trusting and don’t discount everything as a lie or a joke? Why SHOULD I be cynical? Why shouldn’t I take people seriously? In many ways, this culture has lost its earnestness and we can no longer trust anyone or anything. We read into things and see sin, even if it is not really there.

So I do need to become more involved in my culture. But this verse comforts me by showing that maybe I am not quite as far off the mark as people think.

Lessons Learned at Burger King August 21, 2009

Lessons Learned at Burger King

This summer, I took a job at Burger King to earn some extra money before college. Yesterday was my last day there, and I was actually sort of sad to leave. They liked me enough to tell me to call when I came back on breaks so that I could get in some extra hours this winter. What a victory, considering the fact that I was not the best employee when I first started. The job was not about flipping burgers or making money; it really taught me some important lessons that I must share.

1. Money does no grow on trees. First, you have to get the hours that you need. Then, you work, and work, and work…for money that you could spend in less than an hour trying to get some decent clothes or desk supplies. Every dollar counts.
2. The government does not help. I have already paid I’d say a tenth of my earnings to my overly indulgent Uncle Sam. Then, it is going to be MY responsibility this spring to make sure he gets even more.
3. Kids—that math really IS good for something. The managers seemed to think that I had great potential as a cashier (I don’t really understand what they saw, but oh well). Learn how to add and subtract in your head NOW. Practice quickly giving change in all sorts of scenarios NOW. It will save you a lot of awkward situations.
4. Always, always, always be cheerful. This will rectify a lot of mistakes, allow you to better serve the nice customers, and heap coals of fire on the heads of the grumpy ones. You will stand out among all the managers and employees who get angry really easily.
5. If you are like me, you will make plenty of mistakes everyday. Get used to it and stay cheerful. Be ready with a GENUINE apology but don’t dwell on it more than necessary.
6. Display initiative. Even if you are not the most talented employee, if you find things to do, get things done before your are told, and show that you really want to be there, you will get more hours.
7. Don’t judge people until you really know them.
8. Know which manager is on shift. One will yell at you for putting fries in the bag first while others will yell at you for putting them in last. Some MUST have everything well stocked, some MUST have the dining room spotless, some MUST have each customer served within two minutes, some want someone to talk to…and some send you home early no matter what you do.
9. Be ready to take the job by having a regular, flexible schedule during the rest of your life. You will not have a set schedule at a fast food job, so be sure that you can handle changing hours.
10. As with the rest of life, speed and accuracy are the name of the game.

Envy vs. Contentment August 13, 2009

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5

STUFF AND NONSENSE
Once upon a time, there was a money-grubbing little girl who saved every penny she had in order to buy STUFF. She just loved STUFF, whether it was books, model horses or other odds and ends. Whenever Christmas rolled around, she got excited because she was going to get more STUFF. She coveted the STUFF of others and was always looking for a way to build up her own collection. She was never content with what she had and really didn’t think of donating anything to charity. This lasted until she was about fourteen or fifteen.

IT’S ALL IN THE TITLE
When she turned fifteen, said girl got very, very sick. She realized that when one is sick, one faces the possibility of dying. If one dies, all of the stuff stays behind. Her physical helplessness forced her to rely totally on God during the long summer months of recovery, so spiritually, she passed into a new stage of life. Academically, she passed from the logic stage to the rhetoric stage. (This means that she cared way more about school and was suddenly able to many of the things she had only absorbed before.) Yet as she entered the fall of her sophomore year, another thing attracted her attention—COLLEGE. All of the sudden, she became obsessed with all things SAT, Ivy league, and GPA. While this in and of itself is not a bad thing, she began comparing herself academically to others, gloating when she felt superior, and envious of others who were taking more courses or who got higher scores or who had more raw talent. Everything was about talent and title. She was also extremely jealous of those in their senior year who were going into COLLEGE. She incorrectly assumed that all difficulties were less severe after high school and that seniors got all of the glory. This continued until she actually got into COLLEGE, and the talent aspect, unfortunately, rages on.

THE POPULARITY GAME
Towards the middle of junior year, our friend encountered another difficulty: she had no peers to talk with. Naturally awkward, she really did not know what to do about the situation. She began to envy the looks, fashion, and CHARISMA of the popular crowd. Was CHARISMA that comprehensive answer that she was searching for? Would it not get her everything she needed?

THE FUTURE OUTLOOK
This young woman sees a future for herself. She wants a house, a farm, a horse, tons of talent, and enough money to give away in order to benefit at least three charitable organizations. Oh yeah, and she wants to change the world too.

Ok, ok, it is time to stop here—before I make anymore confessions about my life as the ‘greenie.’ Envy and covetousness have always been huge issues in my life, although their forms have changed throughout the year. I would much rather envy talent (because that motivates me to do better) than be a materialist, but any sort of discontent is a sin. As I mentioned, I have many areas of discontent—even though I want to serve God now, I want to do it on my own terms without letting God direct me with the ability and resources that I have. No matter how hard I sugarcoat it, this is a sin. I must admit, that I am pretty encouraged with the shape my envy has taken over the past few years, but I am always asking God to just take some of that want away. Envy is a very common problem because it is part of human nature. If I am not mistaken, John D. Rockefeller, when asked how much was enough for him would reply, “a little bit more.”

But we as Christians should not be overly concerned for the morrow, so we must really do our best to crush that nature of discontent. Is your story like mine? Identify your passions and envies; redirect them to glorify God, and ask him to change your heart. Above all, don’t get discouraged. After all, God is using your struggle to grow you and it took my illness to really break my obsession with stuff. In waiting, you will develop dependence on Him, patience, maturity, and a better understanding of yourself. You might even shed some envy in the process!

Graduation!! May 25, 2009

Out of highschool; into college!!

I will be studying history (for the time being.)

I have been falling down on the job May 22, 2009

Sooo….with a math final, tons of homework, two (maybe three) new jobs, an allergic reaction, and graduation, theclassicalconservative had to leave blogsphere for a little bit. She is back–healthy, happy and with a bit more of life’s experience under her belt. The Quest for Truth will be continued, but first, I want to respond to a very, very good question that someone asked on my blog: Why am I a Christian??

Books are Magical April 3, 2009

Books are magical. Always. But have you ever had an unforgettable experience with a book—one where you associate a certain book with a certain time, place, or person?

Ok, so it is hard to phrase that question. Let me expound. I have only had two of the most memorable sorts of book experiences in my life. That is why they are so special I guess.

The first one was when I was reading Tacitus’ Annals of Ancient Rome. It was a Great Books assignment that happened to occur around Christmastime. I remember sitting in our big living room, next to our big Christmas tree, eating clementines and graham crackers, and downing some gingerbread tea—all the while getting lost in the intrigues of Ancient Rome. The contrast between the cozy atmosphere the present and the hateful world that I was stepping into made it special. But I think that made me remember this moment was that the book took place around the time of Jesus and the early church. Christmastime was a celebration of the coming of Jesus. Ever since Tacitus, I have been obsessed with ancient Roman history.
Who here likes Catcher in the Rye? It is a powerful book with a powerful message—but I hate it. It is filth. I was on my way this fall to visit my top choice school (this visit convinced me to apply early decision btw) and I had finished Catcher in the Rye on the way up to the college. I was so filled that the filth that I had read that when I picked up the Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser, the former dryness of the book turned into a breath of fresh air. That moment was extra special because I developed my love of this fine epic and was filled with its moral message. The very next day, I pretty much knew where I was going to spend the next four years of my life. I will associate the Faerie Queene with college for a long time to come.

So, have you ever really ‘experienced’ a book before?

Look at the Positives (there are alot!) March 17, 2009

“The disease is starting to get more aggressive and persistent. So we are going to have to treat it more aggressively and persistently.”

My heart sank at my doctor’s pronouncement. I was going into my senior year and I was juggling a heavy academic load, college applications, and my sanity. I didn’t really have time for this “aggressive and persistent” condition called Crohn’s Disease. However, I was having a flare-up, whether I liked it or not. It looked as if I would just have to get more “aggressive and persistent” to fight back. After all, this was not my first battle—or my worst.

Ever since elementary school I had struggled against this mysterious condition which affected my appetite, energy level, and overall health. Finally, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in seventh grade. I had lived with my symptoms for so long, I didn’t even remember how it felt to be healthy. However, I soon began to understand what living to one’s fullest meant. Remission allowed me to take advantage of opportunities that I could never have considered before.

Initially, the word “flare-up” was totally foreign to me. That was for other people with the disease. As a new patient, I somehow thought that my remission would last forever. At the end of my freshman year in high school, I realized my mistake. By the time I recognized my first relapse, I could barely eat or drink. It was a terrifying incident. Remission again proved elusive during my junior and senior years. This time the symptoms were less obvious; I just lacked energy and appetite. Again forgetting the possibility of a flare-up, I waged a war against my supposed “laziness,” forcing myself to increase my mental and physical activity during this time. That was when I learned that the disease had become active in my small intestines. I would have to take the next step: Humira injections.

Dealing with Crohn’s Disease has been a constant battle, making it tempting for me to ask, “Why me?” Yet I know the answer: The condition tempers and strengthens my spirit. It has taught me to see even my most negative situations in a positive light. I have learned to value every minute of health; it could disappear in days. Most importantly, I have become more appreciative of what health and ability I have. This, in turn, has endowed me with an intense desire to serve others. In a word, my weakness is my strength—the entire situation matures me.

I never know what will happen next concerning my health or my treatments. However, despite the erratic nature of my condition, I plan to pursue college and eventually complete graduate school. I cannot foresee the future, but I can say that a mere physical difficulty does not have the power to bar me from my education and aspirations.

When I first received my Crohn’s diagnosis, I did not foresee struggle. Yet, maintaining that elusive remission has required constant battle. Living a fully functional life often takes an aggression and persistence that I never knew I had. However, the times of greatest suffering and inconvenience have always proven to be my most valuable times of personal growth. Perhaps I will never quite defeat this “aggressive and persistent” Crohn’s Disease. Yet I can say with great assurance that it will never defeat me.