Chivalry

I'm not going to say chivalry is dead, because I know that's not entirely true, and I want to give a few guys out there some credit. But I wish chivalry didn't surprise me and catch me off guard when I encounter it. I wish I didn't think twice when a guy opens a door, allowing me to walk through first while placing a hand on my back. Not in a pushy way, just as a common courtesy. Because it is just a common courtesy, it just isn't very common. Whatever happened to giving up your seat on a crowded bus, or walking on the side of the sidewalk closest to the street? What happened to opening car doors? What happened to holding out the chair? I'm not saying I expect all those things. I'm not even saying I would necessarily like all those things. I'm all for capable women. I can cut my own meat, tie my own skates and check my own oil. The point is general thoughtfulness. The point is that I don't expect those things....ever...and that's a little sad. I think there should be a minimum standard of etiquette between men and women. A baseline of courtesy and kindness that everyone is expected to adhere to. Then maybe guys would actually have to step up a little bit to impress a girl. Then girls might feel more widely respected and valued regardless of their relationship status. Maybe then this would translate into more self-respect. Women have kind of dug ourselves into this hole. I'm not a feminist, although I do agree with some of their aims. Feminism just takes this whole equality thing to the extreme sometimes. I don't want a man to treat me like a man. I want a man to treat me like a woman. An equal, but a completely different equal. I don't want to be babied, but I am impressed with good old fashioned manners. Chivalry isn't extinct, but it is on the list of endangered values.

If You Want to Walk on Water, You Have to Get Out of the Boat

So I'm heading off to Haiti in a couple of weeks. My excitement is tainted only slightly be a sense of anxiety over the whole situation that I've been trying to process. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and kind of alongside that comes the fact that Haiti isn't exactly safe. I take me safety for granted a lot I think. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've even seen a gun in real life, or witnessed a display of violence, or probably even the amount of times I've seen a movie with extreme violence. But I've been thinking lately of what it means to trust God with my safety, with my life.

I was thinking, (perhaps a little morbidly), what if I never made it back from Haiti? I realized how much value I place on my earthly existence, and how much of a stretch it can be to get me out of my elbow pads, helmet and airbags, bubble life. A passage from Shane Claiborne's The Irresistible Revolution keeps running through my head. The idea that God didn't call us to live safe lives. I mean, he also didn't call us to be reckless and negligent with the gift of life he gave us, but there are absolutely going to be times when God may call us in a direction that has some risk involved.

I would love to be in the head space where I think, "If God can be glorified more through my death and surrounding events, then in my continued life, then a) maybe my life isn't giving God adequate witness, but b) to God be the glory, take me home." I'm not exactly there yet, and I know that this whole train of thought is a little on the dramatic side, but bare with me. I don't think I'll ever be able to say I'm completed detached from this world as long as people I love are still here. But, what if I'm willing to concede that this journey I've been called on is maybe full of more risks and requiring more courage than I realized.

In Donald Miller's A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Miller talks about the formula for the greatest life story. He says that the greatest stories involved characters that set near impossible goals and have to endure great personal sacrifice to achieve them. Am I willing to sacrifice my safety in order to further the kingdom and spread some love? And not just in Haiti, I means that's only a week of my whole year, which is just a year in a lifetime. Beyond that, am I willing to take risks daily? Social risks? Financial risks? Emotional risks?

The title of this post is the title of a book by John Ortberg. Probably 8 or so years ago, my old church did a kind of series of sermons based on themes from the book. Although I was a little young to fully appreciate the messages at the time, I am really game to dive into the book now. The whole idea is that we have comfort zones, and that we need to break out of these, specifically our spiritual comfort zones. Where our fears begin is one decent indicator of where our comfort zones end. We have to take steps of faith, like Peter, each day in order to expand our comfort zones and increase our overall usefulness. The first step is just having the desire and the willingness to step out of the boat.....check.

Hot Air Balloons 2

I've written about them before, but I don't think I'll ever get over my love and amazement of hot air balloons....at least not until I cross riding in one off of my bucket list. I used to always think they were a Waterloo thing. When I was younger this is where I would see them, maybe 1 or 2 a summer on a visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Ever since then I've developed this fascination.

It's not that I love flying....I'm not exactly the Wright Brother's biggest fan. Because of them I've been forced to sacrifice my beloved road trips in the good old GMC Safari van for flights with less leg room, smaller windows, worse food and recycled air. But I think I could handle a hot air balloon. I think that would be more like flying for real, in the open air, able to appreciate the awesomeness of it. I think I would like the peacefulness of it. I want to be up in a balloon with a camera, a bowl of strawberries, and a boy playing an acoustic guitar...what a combo :) '

There are fewer and fewer moments in my life that make me feel like a kid, but hot air balloons do that. They make me smile. I can't take my eyes off of them, I also watch them for as long as I can, until they drift out of sight. And secretly they're like my own kind of wishing star.

Red Meat

Today I was discussing the value of church with a friend who hadn't been in a while. We ended up comparing church to red meat. As students we found that its pretty easy to forget or eliminate red meat from one's diet. You can get protein in chicken, salmon, meat alternatives etc. But every time I have red meat after going without for a while my body just feels so energized. My body says "Thank you! This is what I've been missing!" Its kinda like that with church. As a student you either get in the habit of going to church, or you don't. Its not that hard to find excuses, forget, and go weeks or months without it. But then you go, and your soul says "Thank you! This is the spiritual nourishment I've been craving! This is the community that re-energizes me!"

So there you have it: Church is like red meat.

Some 2011 Quotes

So the Cold War....was that in the winter? -- Laurel

I kind of just want to rip my clothes off when I'm around him -- Julia

Meg- Laurel do you like pulp?
Laurel- Who's Paul?

Niagara on the Lake! That's such a great place! I went there camping! We bought raisin bread! -- Ricky

Pink isn't even an ffffing colour! Its like Pluto!! -- Laurel

Luke, can we change your name to something more ethnic? Liiiike Zoga?! -- Laurel

Maybe he's planning a threesome? -- Julia

Its like capturing a leprechaun! Hard to do, but will provide a wonderful prize. -- Jer

If he went to a secluded restaurant inside a bedroom, then maaaaybe that's crossing a line. -- Laurel

Laurel - I just farted with my mouth
Megan - That's called a burp Lou

You know what kind of cars I really like? Red cars! They look so nice parked next to green grass! -- Mom

Krista: Well it doesn't matter anyways because its not like you have a lighter in your back pocket.
Jer: *pulls out lighter from back pocket*

Laurel: What country are Dutch people from? Scotland?......Ireland......England......wait guys....Germany!
Jess: what language do people in Germany speak?
Laurel: Germish? Okay... no.....are dutch people from Belgium? Whaleish? Walsh? Welsh? I think its near Scotland...Europe right? Dutch.....hmm....I watched a Dutch movie once....that girl with the curly hair is dutch
Krista: Annie?
Laurel: no
Krista: Shirley Temple?
Laurel: yes her!
Krista: Okay what do you know about Dutch people and their land?
Laurel: Do they make perogies? They wear wooden shoes, there's a dutch store in st. Catharines... Wait! Polish?...no that'd be Poland.....
Krista: 2 names....one starts with an "N"
Laurel: Norway?.......Netherlands!!!!