Online Journal - Page 20 of 45

Why I Don’t Talk About Politics

My husband posted this on his social media:

I think this is a great example of how the media may actually be harming the country. Joe Bastardi a meteorologist for weatherbell.com started warning media of hurricane Harvey 1 week before it hit. But because of the media’s hate and obsession with Trump 24/7, nobody mentioned it until 2 days before it hit. Its things like this is why most have lost all faith and respect for the media. By the way, after it hit, that same media slammed the local government for its response. Any thoughts?

Shortly after President Trump was voted in, many Christian and non-Christian middle to left leaning people went on a rampage. Likewise, many conservative Christians began to act like the left-leaning Democrats they complained about. In all this political soup, I wondered when the church would see we needed to put our desire for others to know Christ above our desire to talk about politics and get into debates?

In this post, my husband was making a point about how powerful our words are and how they can sway people into action. This is why Hitler had a book burning festival. He knew the power of words. He used them himself. History has shown the effects of the power of words. They can influence to peace or violence, racial equality or division, and love or hate. People are swayed by story in video or picture form with few words. Even my high school’s slogan said the pen was more powerful than the sword.

The church has a challenge: Be a part of the changes in technology or be left behind. Leadership can inspire the use of Social Media and technology by sharing more positive stories about it. They can be examples themselves on how to use Social Media well. They can lead the church congregation to representing Christ online instead of their favorite political candidate. We need to act like a Christian online as well as in the face-to-face world. The two are no longer separate.

I want to inspire the church to become involved in technology and social media. Ask me about it. I’m happy to speak to your church or ministry group on the subject.

TRC Magazine: Publishing September 1

TRC Magazine was created over a bowl of salsa and chips in 2012. Since its first edition in June, 2013, TRC Magazine has grown from 200 readers to anywhere from 800 to 2,000 readers a month globally through the heart and passion of its volunteers and interns. When I became an international worker with WorldVenture in 2015, TRC Magazine became a part of a new social media movement.

TRC Magazine doesn’t operate like other magazines. We believe in reaching, not preaching—A combination of sharing Gospel stories, stories that are happening in the world, giving a voice to the voiceless, engaging our readership for deeper conversations, and exploring the arts and literature.

We are seeking to bring soul back to a soulless world, training up our volunteers and interns to understand social media, cross-cultural communication, and the human aspect of social media. We seek to lead the church body in doing social media differently and give non-believers a different viewpoint of Jesus and His people.

In giving a voice to the voiceless, TRC Magazine goes after the stories most commercial ezines don’t publish. We are not interested in big followings, but in quality communication with our readers from all over the world. Our writers represent a biblical diversity that is in the church today. We seek to point the way to the Jesus of the Bible and encourage through discipleship movements holy living through culturally and biblically diverse ways.

On September 1, we publish another edition. I am also excited to announce a new way to serve with TRC Magazine as a church on that edition.

In Phoenix Friday

If you would like to learn more about what I do with WorldVenture, leave a comment and I will email you. I would love to meet up with you in Phoenix. I am at 29% (give or take) support which includes a verbal support. Besides working 40-hours a week to pay the bills, I am also doing active ministry as a worker with WorldVenture.

Someone once said, “I thought all you did was write online devotionals?” When they saw one of my presentations, they said, “My head is spinning.” Another person had a better picture of what I am doing in Social Media after a presentation. Oftentimes, I meet with others to help them strategize or teach them how to share their faith online.

How to Act in Love

Even as I write this, I am reading political posts online that are the opposite of what Jesus teaches. Jesus did the hard work of showing up where people hung out. That’s half of the battle really. We can point the finger at others for their lack of truth, but they can point the fingers at us for our lack of love.

Love is…

Showing up when you say you’ll be there.
Actually praying the moment you say you are praying for something.
Auditing your social media. What is it NOT saying? Are you reflecting Jesus in your posts? Posting online is an action. Your actions need to reflect your biblical teachings.
Putting someone first above your preferences.
Altering your schedule for someone else.
Giving.
Being other-oriented.

We will fail at always loving others, but let’s try to succeed more than fail.

A Life Church post yesterday taught me how most people ought to act. Someone expressed their doubts about the Bible. Instead of getting defensive and angry with the person, the online congregation engaged the person in light-hearted, but deep conversation about faith and the Bible. It was refreshing.

As a mentor, my job becomes harder when Christians post against any people group. Angry political rants stir up anger and unforgiveness. That anger causes many people to not participate and connect with people who are different than them. With one worker for every one million unreached people, it’s imperative that the church engages more with people than against them. It’s not the worker that should do everything. The worker and the church work in tandem.

I know it’s hard. You feel threatened and America isn’t the same. But when has that ever stopped us from living differently than the world? Either Jesus will rule our hearts or our bitterness will…we serve only one master. Who will that be?

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers,^[a] what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. – Matthew 5:43-48

Finding Love in a Book Shop

How to Find Love in a Book Shop by Veronica Henry is an interesting menagerie of stories written in third person from various points of view. The main story threaded throughout is from the point of view of Emelia, the daughter of a deceased bookstore owner, who loved his daughter, the books, and the town of Peasebrook.

Emilia’s mom died during her birth leaving Julius to raise her on his own. He wasn’t a savvy businessman as Emilia would discover following her father’s death. He gave away as much as he made in books that the debt left behind hung on Emilia’s heart like a millstone. The tension in the story comes from Ian Mendelip who sends his employee to seduce Emilia to sell the bookstore because the property would allow expansion. The charm of Emilia and the bookstore work its magic on Jackson. The books cause him to re-think his life.

How to Find Love in a Book Shop is You Got Mail meets Sleepless in Seattle. Love writes its own stories as the town of Peasebrook faces the past and the future, embraces change, and mends relationships. You can’t help, but smile in the end.

*Book given by publisher to review.

A #Memphis Cultural Adventure

Memphis is like a patchwork quilt, tightly threaded together by streets, highways, and history. In learning about different cultures, we visited a place that served Senegalese food and spoke Wolof, a dialect in Senegal, Africa. A Yemen restaurant called, The Queen of Sheba, served large discs of bread and homemade hummus. The dishes were ordered and shared among our group while in the background Arabic conversations hummed. Next door to the Queen of Sheba was a Middle Eastern market called, Jerusalem market. You can find the best homemade baklava served by a smiling young man.

Driving along the streets, you pass through hipster towns that open to project housing to mansions to old homes in quiet, tree-lined streets. Sidewalks reach out and trip you from tree roots growing beneath the cement. The historic town is like a shoe broken in and creased in the right places. Old and new buildings sit side-by-side in harmony, like a quilt with its different fabric squares.

Bluff City Coffee sits in downtown Memphis near the Civil Rights Museum and the Blues Hall of Fame, and I learned the difference between graffiti art and graffiti. Graffiti art give brightness and color to old walls and sagging fences. Graffiti just defaces, adding nothing to the town. Graffiti art reminds the town to love each other as we walk this human experience together. But human relationships are complex. Old wounds continue to bleed. Monuments and museums remind us of our mistakes to teach us something new today.

Take time to sit and converse over catfish sandwiches at the Germantown Commissary. Don’t park at the Methodist Church. Even after hours, the signs say, “Church parking only.” You’ll have to drive around the block a few times to find a place to park your car.
Don’t go too fast. Life doesn’t wait for you to make a decision, but that doesn’t mean you have to rush through the day. Driving in Memphis has been compared to a third world country. I think it’s comparable to Nascar, too. Everything is fast and reckless. Off ramps come quickly and you have to pay attention or you won’t be able to make that turn. It’s okay to slow down and take in the scenery. Pay attention to new opportunities to show Christ’s love.
Eat pie. Muddy’s Café sits atop of a low hill. It has outdoor seating and it is adorable. The cakes and pies are fantastic. The plugs are few though. Be patient. You can plug in your phone and enjoy a slice of heaven while you wait for the next thing to do on your list. But don’t put your dirty plate on someone else’s table. Be considerate of others around you. If you practice consideration and other-thinking, your heart will be lighter.
Rosa Parks stood for something. Her bus is at the National Civil Rights Museum. She didn’t opt for violence, but sat in her seat, refusing to go to the back. Caste systems and classes exist in our world. Don’t sit in the back. You are valued. Jesus shed His blood for you. No matter how people treat you, remember who you are in Christ. Experiences will change you. Make wise choices.
A job is only as mundane as you make it to be. The tour guide on the Ferry made us laugh with his anecdotal stories about the Mississippi River as we cruised through a rain storm. Work so people can tell you love your job. When you love your job, you bring joy to your customers and to your co-workers.
Listen to people. You may learn something. As I sat in my host’s living room, I couldn’t believe I was here. I couldn’t believe people listened to me. I listened to them. They had much to offer to our group. They take risks.
Listen to people and learn something. You are never too young or too old or too educated.

Facebook is great for reviewing a trip. I read my statuses and felt sad leaving a patchwork town that welcomed me with its diversity and comfort. In the airport, I knew home wasn’t a place. Home is where my husband lives and where God brings us next. Hold loosely to material goods and tightly to people. Don’t be a consumer.

Finding Out What Really Matters

A book review of, We Stood Upon Stars by Roger W. Thompson

We Stood Upon Stars by Roger W. Thompson attracted me because of its cover of a VW van and a star-covered night sky. The advertisement of 32 maps was a bonus. I had never heard of the author, but an outdoor-themed devotional was attractive to this backpacker.

The book is a memoir of collected memories separated into quick chapters with a hand-drawn map of the areas the book describes in that particular chapter. It is a book that expresses worship in God, adventures in dating, marriage and fatherhood with humor, deep conviction, and a beautiful narrative. Threaded throughout the book are references of his grandfather and their motorcycle adventures. The book is a meditation of relaxation in the middle of a busy day, to get lost in the book’s narrative and dream of adventures yet to come.

Loss is especially poignant in the book. My eyes suspiciously watered a few times in which I blinked and tried to push down the knot in my throat. Some chapters hit too close to home like the loss of their dog and when the author said goodbye to his grandfather. The only drawback to the book was the lack of Scripture references. If there were any, I didn’t catch them. The maps are wonderful for decoration, travel tips, and reminiscing; or perhaps pieces of art that one could blow up into a print and frame.

My husband read the book first. He sped through the pages like a child eating his first cake. “Easy reading,” He mentioned to me. When I reached parts of the book that made me laugh, he would turn to look at me and ask me what part I was reading. The book was memorable to him. While not marketed to men (that I saw anyway), the book is ideal for men’s groups or young men. The wisdom in its pages are timeless. Whole families are difficult to find and young men need good mentors. Any young man might enjoy this book purely for the inspiration to get up from the couch and go somewhere.

*book given by the publisher to review.

Life Measured in Moments

Across the street from our hotel was a Chinese Cultural Center. In the middle of Phoenix, Arizona, a little bit of China beckoned us to cross the street and explore. We walked through a high metal gate and admired the architecture, snapping pictures, and posting them on Facebook.

“They are going to think we are in China.” I laughed after I said this to my husband. Tony stood next to a hobbit-sized doorway with Chinese writing. The bronze plaque said these doorways were used in Chinese gardens to separate different parts of the garden. The still pond with picturesque water lillies floating on the surface had bright colored koi swimming up to the sign that said, Don’t Feed the Fish.

The Residence Inn had a small kitchenette in our room. To save money, we wandered over to a Chinese market. The aisle signs were in Chinese and English. Most of the food items were unidentifiable. The lettuce was a little wilted. This grocer sold live fish–fresh fish from all over the world, especially carp. We loved experiencing the adventure of our trip by experimenting with an American recipe–Hamburgers. The line for the fish was too long.

1 lb of ground beef.
1 package of seasonings unique to Indonesia.
Wok oil.
Korean BBQ sauce that looked like Tiger Balm (according to my cousin).
Two buns from the Mexican-Chinese bakery.
Dessert was Chinese–a rich combination of lemony custard in a soft and lightly sweet hot dog-type bun.

I mixed only a tablespoon of the spice into the ground meat and created two patties. I used the Wok oil to keep the meat from sticking. The BBQ sauce was shaken and poured into the pan. From a practical perspective, the Korean sauce was too watery to use on the hamburger. The bun would have become waterlogged. Breaking every food rule, we had no idea what this combination would taste like, but the results were good.

The combination of the buttery and flavorful beef patties with the faintly sweet bakery buns made the meal quite satisfying and not too alarming for my sensitive system. The Facebook Live videos we took during the cooking process made my friends laugh. But that’s what Facebook is for–building relationships with friends and family.

In the end, it won’t matter what we owned, but how we invested in each other. Life is made up of memories. Memories are the stuff that keep you from completely going cynical in a world that is ever growing dark. It’s not always easy to invest in those important relationships. Selfishness is easy, because Americans are so busy, but it’s worth the effort.

When I kissed my husband goodbye at the airport, we hugged a week’s worth of hugs on the curb surrounded by people leaving for global adventures. I tuck that moment into my mind to savor, like our day in Phoenix–moments more valuable than anything money can buy.