This is where I come... to breathe... to find calm amidst the storm that I call living... to process the challenges thrown my way...

Follow along. Maybe you'll find a fresh breeze, or a calm spring day, or a challenge for yourself.



June 15, 2011

The things you learn in school...

In reading the first chapter assigned for my Sociology course, I came across a list of technology communication terms - you know, things like "lol" for "laugh out loud" and "jk" for "just kidding."  The list had about more than a dozen terms.  Most of them I had never heard before.  So, I guess I've learned that I'm old and out of touch with American culture.  Either that or the authors are (I could make a case for this - they did not include jk, lol, bff, ttyl, or omw which are, in my friend circle at least, some of the most common abbreviations).

In reading the next chapter assigned, I came across several statistics such as
- the average American eats 3 hamburgers and 4 servings of french fries per week!
- the money spent on fast food in the United States is greater than the amount spent on newspapers, magazines, books, music, movies, videos, computers and - get this - higher education... combined!
Again, I discover I am out of touch with American culture.  I have not spent more than $50 on fast food this year (and that is including Subway, the 'healthy' fast food) and I have probably consumed that many fast food hamburgers and french fries in the past 6 months, not in the past week!  Yet the amount of money I spend on books and education are, well, a whole lot higher...



Oh, the things you learn in school.

June 14, 2011

The Love Dare

I am contemplating trying out The Love Dare.

My boyfriend, Matt, has been in Mexico since the 1st and will be returning at the end of the month.  Being apart for a month is - well, interesting.  I am not sure how to describe it.  We hit a really rough spot right before he left and not being able to communicate has been challenging.

But it has also been good.  I've had time to reflect on myself and our relationship and I'm realizing that I'm not a very good friend.  Being a good girlfriend can be far too convoluted, so I try not to make any evaluations on that level.  Expectations vary far too much.

But after reading this blog I realized that if I want to move towards marriage in this relationship (and I do), I need to be a better friend.  And Hyatt's advertisement for a best friend brings out several of my shortcomings as a potential mate.

Enter The Love Dare.

I had already been thinking about this book for a few weeks and in reading Hyatt's article I realized that I need some assistance in becoming a better friend.  While The Love Dare is focused on helping marriages improve, many of the Biblical concepts presented can apply to all sorts of relationships.

But I still worry.  When it says "Love is patient" I find I have a small doubt which asks but how long will I have to wait?  There is a delicate balance between taking the risk in a relationship which allows the opportunity for love to grow and protecting myself by evaluating if this relationship is worth the risk.  I don't want to put my whole heart into a relationship with someone who doesn't reciprocate.

Am I selfish?  Where is the Biblical response to this?  As far as I know, there isn't a clear response because ancient methods of courtship were designed to handle this balance for us.  But in today's society, how do we strike the balance... and is there a Biblical response?

I suppose I should wrestle with this a little more before I decide whether or not to give The Love Dare a try.

(Also, as a disclaimer, in glancing through the different "dares" throughout The Love Dare I realize that there are some dares, such as initiating sex with your spouse, which I would not do.  The Biblical principles involved with those dares are clearly designated for marriage relationships only.)