The Event of Thanksgiving and the Crazy Events Which Followed

So Thanksgiving is a holiday that is well known. Even in Ireland. So I was pretty pumped about experiencing this for myself. From what I had heard it had something to do with pilgrims, food and football. And this wasn't far off. Before preparations, one should watch the Macy's day parade. I can honestly tell you that while I was watching this I felt like I was on some sort of hallucinatory drug. This had to be one of thee most eccentric things I have ever seen. Preparations began with preparing food. Similar to Christmas dinner back home. A turkey was prepared along with vegetables and then dessert which would follow. So far it seemed sweet and traditional. The Americans are all about the sweet potato's at this holiday. At school they served sweet potato's with marshmallows on top (its actually good ...believe me). I had also observed that pumpkins are a huge deal here. Americans embrace the pumpkin. I feel I had eaten my body weight before I even reached dessert. It was great ;) After the meal and some clearing up, it appeared tradition to watch a game of American football. Apparently pilgrims, Indians and being thankful are directly related to American football. I can say with the greatest confidence that I had no idea what was going on. It seemed that if soccer and rugby had a baby and insisted that it wear as much safety gear as possible it would be called American football. It seemed peculiar that it is disallowed that a player is forbidden to touch another players helmet but is perfectly allowed to pull his hair. This game was followed by a movie and then by another game of American football. This in my eyes was opportunity for napping. After eating such a large volume of food it seemed only natural that one should sleep through a game that one had no idea about. But this napping was in fact crucial to what was about to follow.

After napping, we grabbed some left overs and mentally prepared ourselves for what was about to occur. We were going "Black Friday" shopping. Our first stop? Walmart. Yes the very store America is known for. Like a true American I pulled on pajama bottoms and a t-shirt before heading out to this store. We left the house at 9pm that night. Coming up to this event, booklets are sent to houses all over the area explaining what amazing deals are in store for them. This clearly motivated people and got them pumped. This also made them crazy since they knew they had to get these deals. This would cause them to go to extreme lengths in order to ensure they would get the purchase they desired. This was evident when pulling into Walmart. The parking lot was already filled. The parking lots all around it were already filled. Eventually we would find a parking space around 200 yards from the store. When we got down there we seen around a dozen cop cars sitting outside the store. This was a warning sign that I paid no attention to. When we got in the store the aisles were filled with items, people were standing next to them with one or both of their hands on the item. Since you were only allowed to pick up the items at 10 o'clock you could only claim them. This was made incredibly clear. 10 o'clock was welcomed with screams from around the store. This was when people unleashed their fury. Fights broke out. Shouting was heard. People were everywhere.

I was in charge of the cart. When going Black Friday shopping it is wise to travel in packs. Safety in numbers. Also it is wise that the minute you enter the store you should send one of your members straight to the line for check out since by the time they actually get to the check out you will have done all you shopping in that store. It was at Walmart I realized the true wrath of Mothers doing Christmas shopping for their children. Living by the motto of "Trust no one" and "every woman for themselves". This became obvious when women would leap over boxes prepared to kill for a $15 mini kitchen for their child. Once 12 o'clock midnight would hit the TV's would be on sale at Walmart. TV customers are the top dogs of Black Friday shopping. They mean business. These people have most likely camped out all day in Walmart with their lawn chairs in the aisle (this is true, seen it with my own two eyes). These people know what they are after and will stop at nothing to get it. Trick is that one should try to escape before this breaks out or should simply be out of the way. I have grown up in a country where I have been in bomb scares, I have witnessed riots and other violent acts. But I can tell you that none of that came close to what I witnessed that night in Walmart. Other deals would then open at later intervals throughout the night in different stores. After Walmart we would head to Kohl's. The queue would be of phenomenal length. We sent one of our members into the line while the rest of us raged through the store fully trained from the last experience. This was of course a lot more civilized than Walmart. But still the "trust no one" mind frame remained. After this we would go to Meijer, their bargains would be available at 4 o'clock (am). These were surrounded by caution tape. They knew what they were doing. At 4 the caution tape would be cut and Mothers would leap over to their chosen item, catapulting themselves over boxes and various other Mothers in order for their prize. I remember witnessing a certain Mother jump over to the Angry birds board games, throw herself over the box, take a couple for herself and then continue to throw the rest out to other Mothers. It was truly inspiring.

After this would be a Chik-Fil-A visit. We were running low on fuel and were beginning to head into an auto-pilot state of mind. I can honestly tell you that I remember little after Chik-Fil-A. We went to other stores, but of course when we entered it was obvious that the tornado of people had already struck and recovery was in operation. We would return home and get into bed at 7.30 am in the morning. I realized the craziness of this when we were driving home and the sun was rising. Waking up the next morning at 11.30 am was surreal. We wondered if it really happened. I would imagine this is what a hangover would have been like. We weren't quite sure of what had happened the night before and what we seemed to remember seemed too crazy to accept as truth.

It will take me a year to get over what occurred that night. No wonder Black Friday only comes around once a year. Overall, I had a great thanksgiving! It was a great holiday which I cannot wait to go home and tell the Irish folk all about. Happy Holidays! :D

Relationships

I am about to begin a study into relationships with my small group at school. Tired and sick of relationship issues we all decided to check out this series by Andy Stanley. This is a topic that gets us all. It brings us down, discourages us and has the potential to really damage us. Andy challenges listeners to become the "person they are looking for is looking for". Check it out:
http://www.northpoint.org/messages/the-new-rules-for-love-sex-and-dating

Northern Ireland Mission Trip

So every year at CCU a team goes to Northern Ireland. The team does absolutely class work. They stay at Murlough House, a place I have volunteered since I was 15 and the place that is basically the reason I am here. I am so excited for these people to experience N.I. It means so much to me that they are going to see the reason why I am here. They are going to see the country that I have left a part of my heart in. They are going to see first hand where my passion comes from. They will attend my church. They will meet my family. But most importantly, these people are going to help my community. These people are going to impact my people. I know that for sure. I am literally crying thinking of the amazing things they are going to do there. I know most of these people and know that they are going to do AMAZING things. But I want to ask you something, I want you to pray for all the members of this team, I want you to do this regularly. I want you to pray that they raise the money they need to, that they can prepare for this trip in every way, that they can prepare to have their lives changed by changing the lives of those I hold so dear. So here's the names...get to work :)

Leader: Rick Cherok
Team :  Hannah Steinman
            Curtis Hahn
            Sarah Brown
            Joe Brackemyre
            Kate Haynie
            Becca Duff
            Matt Sweasy
            Aaron Veatch
            Parker Sims
            Josh Morford
            Jessica Pemberton
            Megan Trammel
            Zakk Reddick
            Jordan Bullard

Pray for every single one of the people. They are capable of amazing things. The things they could do back home are limitless. I just want you all to believe in them as much as I do :) 

Amos 5:21-24

The Message (MSG)

 ^21-24"I can't stand your religious meetings.
   I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions.
I want nothing to do with your religion projects,
   your pretentious slogans and goals.
I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes,
   your public relations and image making.
I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.
   When was the last time you sang to me?
Do you know what I want?
   I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.
   That's what I want. That's all I want.

I seen this on friend's Facebook status today. We really do have a talent for making things a lot more complicated than they actually need to be. We feel great about ourselves because we attend church and small group meetings yet forget why we are actually there? When was the last time the only things we sought for were Justice and Fairness for others? When we worship do we get more caught up in what instruments are being used than we do about giving glory to our Father in Heaven?

We need to strip it down. Our lives. Our faith. We need to get back to what it is all about. We need to get back to Jesus.

People Pleaser

One of my biggest weaknesses is that I try to please everyone in every situation. It's a major flaw. Let me tell you this. You can't make everyone happy. Its impossible. In every situation just think about who you are actually pleasing, are you pleasing men? Or are you pleasing your Father in Heaven?

You will get emotionally and physically drained if you are trying to make everyone happy or trying to make sure everyone likes you. Here's something to think about. Jesus was thee perfect person. You couldn't have got a more compassionate, loving and understanding person. He offered hope to everyone. But guess what, He couldn't even get everyone to like him. So, no offense, but you haven't got a chance. Give up on trying to please those around you. Stop trying to be something your not in order to be accepted. Because if you aren't yourself, who are you?

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think"

Galatians 1:10 "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."

You don't get more crystal clear than that. We must make a distinction between loving people and pleasing people. Trying to just please people isn't always the most loving thing we can do for them. Sometimes people need to be told things that may not necessarily make them happy but they still need to hear it. Sometimes the best thing we can do in some situations is to just walk away from them. Yes we need to put others before ourselves but we are not entertainers trying to keep everyone happy. That is not true compassion. 


We are here to please God. That is our purpose. Live FOR Him and BY Him and we cannot go wrong. 

Wow it has been a while

So I have been totally awful with blogging recently. So bad. Truth is, college is causing me to think a lot, think a lot about everything. So lets get updated here.

I'm currently on fall break, a four day weekend which is totally needed in my opinion. The American lifestyle is so fast and can be so overwhelming at times. So many things are happening. So many things going on.

But then I have to grab myself, still myself and remember the real reason why I am here, the real reason I am in this country, at this university, what I am working for and who I am working for.

"Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10

I am learning the importance of this verse.

"Be still" - put down what your doing, take a break, clear your mind of all the worries you're thinking of, get away from everyone around you, do what needs to be done in order for you to clear your mind and distance yourself from the busyness of this world. You need time for yourself, time to think, time to really translate, organize and work out your thoughts.

"know that I am God" - KNOW that you are part of something that is more than this world. KNOW that there is someone out there who could not care more for you. KNOW that He is there. KNOW that He cares. Know He can offer you more than anything or anyone on this earth can. KNOW that He will not desert you. KNOW that no matter what you do, or what you have done, He will welcome you back with open arms like nothing ever happened. But you need to KNOW Him. You need to KNOW that you can trust in Him, for He will never let you down. Ever.

So if your being tossed and turned by the troubles of this life, not knowing what you think, not knowing what to think. Take a step back, take some time out, Be still. Know that Someone is there, Someone is cheering you on, Someone wants you to overcome whatever it is your facing. Know that this person is your God. And that this God is all you need.

Good News

Good News always travels fast. It's true. If someone has just got engaged, you will hear about it within that day. When someone has a baby we are almost instantly aware of it. We know birthdays before they're happening. We all love good news. We text people about it. We post statuses about it on Facebook. We tweet about it. So why is that Christians aren't sharing what they believe is good news? Why aren't they sharing news about Jesus? Closet Christians seem to be pretty common these days. Something I have been really realizing here is that Jesus isn't something we should keep to ourselves. Jesus changes lives. And it is so selfish that people do not want to share that love with others. I know we fear rejection, criticism and negativity. But if you are so utterly convinced that Jesus saves, that there is an eternal life out there for people who seek him , why aren't you telling people about Him? About how he has changed your life?

You see a truck driving right at someone in the street, you know you have to save them or they will die. If you are so convinced as a Christian that Jesus saves, why aren't you showing people that? We are not here to convert people. We are not here to go all super preacher on them. We are here to show them what Christ has shown us. Our job is to love. Our job is to sow a seed.