Friday, October 29, 2004

Freedom of Speech

Today I was sitting at a table by window finishing up my lunch when people started gathering in the courtyard outside. They were mostly older and middle aged people, and they were all carrying huge signs. As they set their signs up, I realized with a jolt what they were. Almost every poster had a huge picture of an aborted baby.

My stomach turned and I put my spoon down. How can you eat when you're looking at a bloody head held in a pair of tongs? Tears began welling up in my eyes as I watched.

I was situated in a perfect spot. The protesters were out the window to my right, directly in front of me were the stairs coming down from classrooms and the student lounge, and to my left was the cafeteria with student coming in and out with their lunches. I was able to see the reactions of everyone as their vision was assaulted by those horrible images. Some, like me, looked to be on the verge of tears and turned from their lunches in disgust. Others were outraged, and asked,"What are those people doing here?" I even heard a few attempts at jokes, but it was no laughing matter. These pictures showed everyone the true outcome of abortion: a dead baby.

A crowd began to gather near the people. Many argued with them, but others turned their heads as they passed. They couldn't deal with the atrociousness of it, so they "passed by on the other side."

I couldn't decide what to think. I agreed with the end that they were trying to achieve, but the means? All they were doing was stirring up more controversy on an already controversy-prone campus. They people that they actually did end up talking to were the ones with strong pro-choice ideas...the ones that can only change their minds through an act of God. But the others, the ones who didn't know what to think, how did they react?

Did the gruesomeness push them away and make them mad at the pro-lifers? Or did it make them think that abortion truly is something horrible? The next edition of the student newspaper will definitely be an interesting one...that at least is for sure.

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Car Troubles

You'd think that since my dad is a mechanic, my cars would always run beautifully, right? Not true. Yesterday morning I had my worst morning of the entire quarter so far. Everyone left my house by 7:45; Caleb and Audrey for school, Dad for work, and Mom for jury duty. I had a Spanish quiz, so my plan was to go in early and study at the library. This plan probably saved me much pain...

My car got a flat tire sometime over the weekend and my dad hadn't had a chance to fix it yet. I had no idea how to fix it because I always just think, "Well, why do I need to with a mechanic for a dad?" So the plan was for me to drive the Ford F-150, which hasn't been used since we went camping in August because it's a gas hog. At about 8:00, I walked out to the truck and tried to start it. It wouldn't do anything.

I had expected as much because it hadn't been started in so long, but I still had hoped that it would start. I considered my options. Push the huge truck up the driveway to my car and jump it, push the car with a flat down to the truck, drive the car with a flat down to the truck, or call my dad. Guess which I chose?

It was about 8:20 by the time my dad got there and used a spiffy little machine thing to jump it. Then I sat there and revved the engine so it would warm up. Finally, I decided it had been long enough and put it in reverse. It promptly died. I got out and used the machine which my dad had left to jump it again, then tried to put it in reverse again. No dice. I repeated that process, and then finally jumped it and sat in the truck for about 10 minutes doing the homework I was going to do in the library. Then I tried reverse again, and yet again it died. By this time I was incredibly frustrated and began calling the battery some pretty mean names. (You know, idiotic, moronic, stupid, etc.) I jumped it again and called my dad. "I think you should be able to put it in gear now," he told me.

Great, I thought. It's fine as long as I'm on the gas, but as soon as I brake for a stoplight on the Guide, it's gonna die on me again. Jolly. It was about 8 minutes til nine, and I was beginning to panic. I needed to be to class by 9:30. Again considered my options. I thought of all my friends at school and if they were in class yet or not. Finally I called my friend Caleb who wasn't at school yet, but was at work and needed to be at school at around the same time as me. Even though he was also having car and alarm troubles, he sped out to my house and we got to school at 9:25.

I was so stressed out the rest of the day because of my eventful morning, which is why this is the blog I'm posting rather than the deep and eloquent one I was thinking up over the weekend. Oh well.

Thursday, October 14, 2004

Who I Am


Philippians 3:12-14 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

What better way to start my blog than my favorite verse--the verse that stirs every part of my soul and encourages me as I daily strive to "press on"! I love this verse not only because me souls thrills to hear it, but also because of the deep truth it contains. This verse reminds me of the very reason I'm here, of the core of my existence, which is taking hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me...for living every day to His glory.

I also love this verse because of the words in it. Words are very important to me and part of the reason I started this blog. I love finding the right word...the word that perfectly encapsulates all I want to say. And this verse found some of those "right" words: straining, forgetting, obtained, take hold, and, most importantly to me, press on. So many times I have to remind myself of the truths this verse contains, and I sum it up in those two words.

There's so much more to who I am, but I'm going to leave it at that, the reason I get out of bed in the morning, the reason I am still on this earth, and even the reason I started this blog: Pressing On.