If you were given a bank card number and pin, and were allowed to spend $1100 anywhere, where would you spend it? An expensive boutique clothing store? At BestBuy on a tv? How about Kmart? No? Not Kmart?
Well then, YOU, my friend, are a higher class citizen than someone who steals a college student's card and pin number!
I went to withdraw $20 out of the ATM this morning, only to discover that there was a little over $1000 missing out of my checking account. I was obviously worried, scared, anxious, and a little bit angry. I called my bank, only to be put on hold for 20 minutes. I didn't have time. I went to class, stressing out the entire time I was there. When I got out of class, I biked down to the nearest bank of mine, and sat down with their customer service. An hour and a half later, I walked out knowing that someone had taken my card number and pin number, made a fake version of my card, and spent over a thousand dollars in Virginia Beach, most of that at a Kmart. Lucky for me, my bank is reimbursing all that money tomorrow, and they're giving me a new debit card with a new pin number.
Needless to say, it was quite a stressful day and I'm very ready for the break I get this weekend.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Redefining Beauty
What do we consider beauty to be?
I typed beauty into Google images and these are some of the things that came up:
Is it the perfect body? Being skinny and tan? Plump lips, prominent cheekbones, small nose, big eyes? Perfect teeth and hair? Eyebrows waxed, nails shaped? Makeup done up just right every day? Elegant clothing?
By these standards, who can be beautiful?
I know I'm certainly not beautiful by the worlds standards. But I try to be so often, and that is where I get into trouble.
We've made beauty, more accurately vanity, a god in our society. It is unattainable, and so many women are trapped into the rut of trying to reach that nirvana of beauty. We pluck, and trim, shape, wax, and starve ourselves to be something that we cannot be.
And I know at times I fall into this myself.
I wear a lot of makeup, and I know that sometimes this can become a vice for me. I get anxious about people seeing me without makeup, and God forbid I go anywhere without it! What would people think if they saw what I really looked like? It's a way for me to cover up my insecurities, to hide from the world behind a mask of sorts.
So, I decided to do an experiment. Can I go a week at school without makeup?
I'm on day three of this little experiment, and I've already gotten a variety of comments.
"You look nice without all that makeup!"
"...Are you feeling well?"
"You look horrible, you should get more sleep!"
"You know, your feminine features come out more without makeup."
It is interesting, if nothing else, how people react to it. I guess I need to just continually reminding myself that God made me beautiful, whether that beauty matches the world's standards or not.
I typed beauty into Google images and these are some of the things that came up:
Is it the perfect body? Being skinny and tan? Plump lips, prominent cheekbones, small nose, big eyes? Perfect teeth and hair? Eyebrows waxed, nails shaped? Makeup done up just right every day? Elegant clothing?
By these standards, who can be beautiful?
I know I'm certainly not beautiful by the worlds standards. But I try to be so often, and that is where I get into trouble.
We've made beauty, more accurately vanity, a god in our society. It is unattainable, and so many women are trapped into the rut of trying to reach that nirvana of beauty. We pluck, and trim, shape, wax, and starve ourselves to be something that we cannot be.
And I know at times I fall into this myself.
I wear a lot of makeup, and I know that sometimes this can become a vice for me. I get anxious about people seeing me without makeup, and God forbid I go anywhere without it! What would people think if they saw what I really looked like? It's a way for me to cover up my insecurities, to hide from the world behind a mask of sorts.
So, I decided to do an experiment. Can I go a week at school without makeup?
I'm on day three of this little experiment, and I've already gotten a variety of comments.
"You look nice without all that makeup!"
"...Are you feeling well?"
"You look horrible, you should get more sleep!"
"You know, your feminine features come out more without makeup."
It is interesting, if nothing else, how people react to it. I guess I need to just continually reminding myself that God made me beautiful, whether that beauty matches the world's standards or not.
Makeup vs. No Makeup
1 Peter 3:3-4 "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner-self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."
Actual Conversation
*Insert Ringtone*
Paige - "Hello?"
Voice - "Hello. Keep listening for what the government does not want you to hear about free health care."
Paige - *Hangs up*
....HOW THE HECK DO THEY GET MY CELL PHONE NUMBER?!?
Paige - "Hello?"
Voice - "Hello. Keep listening for what the government does not want you to hear about free health care."
Paige - *Hangs up*
....HOW THE HECK DO THEY GET MY CELL PHONE NUMBER?!?
Monday, October 4, 2010
When the Darkness Has Robbed You of All Your Sight....
God's been testing me lately.
Will I trust Him with everything?
Do I truly believe that He will provide for me?
Can He really be my everything?
It's a test that we all have to go through at some point or another.
And it's painful.
It sucks.
You feel alone. You feel like you're stumbling around in the dark. When you need people the most, they're not there.
But...
I know my God is good. I know my God loves me. I know my God will take care of me.
I KNOW all of this.
But what I am going through is the translation of knowing to believing.
I know what I know about God, but do I really believe that God is there?
If someone asked me this, I would say yes in a heartbeat.
I just need to hold on to this certainty, this absolute truth that He IS there, especially in the trials and rough patches.
I will not be shaken. I will not be moved.
Will I trust Him with everything?
Do I truly believe that He will provide for me?
Can He really be my everything?
It's a test that we all have to go through at some point or another.
And it's painful.
It sucks.
You feel alone. You feel like you're stumbling around in the dark. When you need people the most, they're not there.
But...
I know my God is good. I know my God loves me. I know my God will take care of me.
I KNOW all of this.
But what I am going through is the translation of knowing to believing.
I know what I know about God, but do I really believe that God is there?
If someone asked me this, I would say yes in a heartbeat.
I just need to hold on to this certainty, this absolute truth that He IS there, especially in the trials and rough patches.
I will not be shaken. I will not be moved.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Scar Tissue
I have a scar on my right pinkie.
I got it when I was a little kid.
It's barely visible, and you have to really look to see it.
99.99% of the time I forget it's there.
The only time I remember it is when something aggravates it.
Like this morning when I was working.
For some reason, the vacuum was able to rub the scar just right and caused it to hurt.
I think this is the way many of our old wounds are.
Someone hurts you, and you ask God to help you heal, and He does!
You forget about the wound and the trauma of the incident in the wave of God's love and healing forgiveness.
Most of the time you don't even think about anymore.
It's gone.
But, every once in a while, something or someone comes along that can rub that scar the wrong way and causes you to remember that old wound.
The good news is that God is still there.
The pain may come up every once in a while, but God has already healed you, and He is always there for you.
I got it when I was a little kid.
It's barely visible, and you have to really look to see it.
99.99% of the time I forget it's there.
The only time I remember it is when something aggravates it.
Like this morning when I was working.
For some reason, the vacuum was able to rub the scar just right and caused it to hurt.
I think this is the way many of our old wounds are.
Someone hurts you, and you ask God to help you heal, and He does!
You forget about the wound and the trauma of the incident in the wave of God's love and healing forgiveness.
Most of the time you don't even think about anymore.
It's gone.
But, every once in a while, something or someone comes along that can rub that scar the wrong way and causes you to remember that old wound.
The good news is that God is still there.
The pain may come up every once in a while, but God has already healed you, and He is always there for you.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Thankfulness
Warning: Harsh truths will ensue. Leave now if you don't want to hear it.
The rest of you, buckle up, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
Lately I have been going through a season of thankfulness. God's been kind enough to give me a revelation of how utterly blessed we are. Every time that I seem to go into a complaining mood or a sense of ungratefulness, this sense of how completely blessed I am comes up again. I may not like my job, but guess what, I am so blessed to have a paying job! I may not like living in a dorm, but I am blessed beyond belief to have a roof over my head, a warm bed to sleep in and a hot shower to bathe in! I don't necessarily enjoy eating at my school's cafeteria every meal, but guess what! I am blessed enough to be able to eat three times a day!
The problem with this though is that because I have been given this concept of how truly blessed we are, I get frustrated very easily when people are disrespectful or ungrateful.
We have been given so much and yet we destroy other people's property, we expect people to clean up after us, we think everything is replaceable!
When you look at the world and then you look at most Christians, they don't look any different. Christians go out together and leave just as big of a mess (if not bigger sometimes!) as the people of this world! We think we're better than them, but sometimes, we're worse. And that directly contradicts God's Word.
My all time favourite verse is Romans 12:2, which says, "Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing, and perfect will."
Did you get that?
We cannot look like the world, we must look like GOD! If we don't look like God, we don't know His will. If we don't act how Jesus acts, we cannot understand God's perfect ways.
We are to be thankful, take care of the things that God has entrusted to us, and look like Jesus.
I am not saying by any means that I am even close to that point, but what I am saying is that I need to grow in it, and I know many many Christians who also need to grow in this area.
Think about it. Let God reveal to you how truly blessed you really are.
The rest of you, buckle up, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
Lately I have been going through a season of thankfulness. God's been kind enough to give me a revelation of how utterly blessed we are. Every time that I seem to go into a complaining mood or a sense of ungratefulness, this sense of how completely blessed I am comes up again. I may not like my job, but guess what, I am so blessed to have a paying job! I may not like living in a dorm, but I am blessed beyond belief to have a roof over my head, a warm bed to sleep in and a hot shower to bathe in! I don't necessarily enjoy eating at my school's cafeteria every meal, but guess what! I am blessed enough to be able to eat three times a day!
The problem with this though is that because I have been given this concept of how truly blessed we are, I get frustrated very easily when people are disrespectful or ungrateful.
We have been given so much and yet we destroy other people's property, we expect people to clean up after us, we think everything is replaceable!
When you look at the world and then you look at most Christians, they don't look any different. Christians go out together and leave just as big of a mess (if not bigger sometimes!) as the people of this world! We think we're better than them, but sometimes, we're worse. And that directly contradicts God's Word.
My all time favourite verse is Romans 12:2, which says, "Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing, and perfect will."
Did you get that?
We cannot look like the world, we must look like GOD! If we don't look like God, we don't know His will. If we don't act how Jesus acts, we cannot understand God's perfect ways.
We are to be thankful, take care of the things that God has entrusted to us, and look like Jesus.
I am not saying by any means that I am even close to that point, but what I am saying is that I need to grow in it, and I know many many Christians who also need to grow in this area.
Think about it. Let God reveal to you how truly blessed you really are.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
A Change in Theme
When I started this blog, I originally made it to be a walk through my life in college, share with my friends and family back home how everything was going and all the great experiences I had along the way.
Lately though, I feel as if that is extremely petty. There are so much more important things in this life that I want to share through this blog. Challenges I want to put out to people. God's words that He speaks through me to the people that read this.
It's not about me. It's about Him.
I may still continue to occasionally post about how life's going (I will post a blog very soon about how this year has been going so far) but for the most part, I feel as if this is all going in a different direction, a more God-driven direction than my original plan. (Isn't that how it always goes) ;)
I have a couple different blogs that I've been mulling over, trying to find a "good" way to say what's on my heart, and I'll probably post them very soon, but they will probably offend some people. But, in the words of a friend, "Sometimes people have to get a little offended for them to grow."
That's where I'm at, and that's where I'm headed for now.
Lately though, I feel as if that is extremely petty. There are so much more important things in this life that I want to share through this blog. Challenges I want to put out to people. God's words that He speaks through me to the people that read this.
It's not about me. It's about Him.
I may still continue to occasionally post about how life's going (I will post a blog very soon about how this year has been going so far) but for the most part, I feel as if this is all going in a different direction, a more God-driven direction than my original plan. (Isn't that how it always goes) ;)
I have a couple different blogs that I've been mulling over, trying to find a "good" way to say what's on my heart, and I'll probably post them very soon, but they will probably offend some people. But, in the words of a friend, "Sometimes people have to get a little offended for them to grow."
That's where I'm at, and that's where I'm headed for now.
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