What Are You Called To?

Something has been bothering me for a week or so.  We had assessment day at school.  Assessment day is just a glorified complaint day.  It's the one day of the year where the students get to complain about all of the stuff that they don't like.  Some of the comments are legitimate, but some of them are just ridiculous and petty.  We have a class called Foundations of Law.  This class has been the thorn in the side of many law students this year.  I personally enjoy the class, however I hate having to read 80 pages a week for two hours worth of class.  I wish there were more discussion rather than interrogation to see if we read everything.  The object of the class is to try to teach us that this nation was in fact founded with Christian principles.  Our whole bases of law comes from Judeo-Christian principles.  It's also there so we can discuss some of the major assaults on religious issues within the scope of law.  For instance, we have discussed abortion, gay marriage, religion in education, law and economics, and there is a lot of constitutional discussion.  I love stuff like that.  Love it.  My whole undergrad was kind of like that one class spread out over four years.  I feel like it's so important in today's culture for Christians to have a solid political/governmental philosophy to base decisions off of, and this class was helping us achieve that.

The thing that bothered me was that there were so many people complaining about the class because we talk too much about politics and abortion and gay marriage and other important relevant issues.  What?!  I have to keep in mind that most of my class went to state or "secular" undergrads, so what they learned in some cases was vastly different from what I learned going to a Christian school.  However, as Christians I don't think we can talk too much about the culture and where it is headed and what needs to be done to change it.  One of my classmates (he's an older guy, probably in his 30s) actually said he was here at our particular law school for practical reasons only; that he didn't need or want to have to sit through that class and talk about stuff that didn't matter to him.  It wasn't what he wanted to do with his law career so it didn't matter.  All he wants to do is be a real estate lawyer.  That is fine.  More power to him for wanting to do that.  Then he said he didn't want for there to be a stigma against him when he went to look for a job just because he went to our school.  Newsflash for this guy:  THERE ALREADY IS A STIGMA.  I have no idea why he chose to go to our school, but for some reason he did.  Anything dealing with Christianity is going to have some sort of stigma either against it or for it depending on the venue.  What really bothers me is that he used the word "practical" to describe why he was there.  

I consider myself a very practical person, but when it comes to my religious beliefs, practicality will never trump truth.  If I start letting practicality guide me, then my whole worldview falls apart.  Aren't we called to more than just practicality as Christians?  I hate the idea of faith being put in a box; compartmentalized.  You can't compartmentalize something that is supposed to be the foundation for your entire way of thinking.  Faith and religious conviction should be a filter through which everything gets put through and tested.  God doesn't put us off to the side after He saves us.  He works in us, grows us, teaches us, and uses us to continue His will.  We are called to fulfill the will of God.  All He asks is that we allow Him to use us and work through us to affect the world.  We are to be set apart from the world; in the world, but not of it.  Practicality has nothing to do with that.  If that guy is called to be a real estate lawyer, then he should do everything he can to become a real estate lawyer.  But that does not mean that other important issues are not good enough for him to listen to, think about, and read about.       

Currently Plagues By The Devil Wears Prada see related

Optimism: That's the Key

I heard something that made me laugh out loud yesterday, and if I could quote it, I would.  However, I can't so I'll just tell you the jist of what it said.  My mom was watching whatever the evening news show is on ABC and I heard the anchor say that President Obama's top financial advisor said today that Americans just need to have their faith in optimism reinforced.  At least, it was something to that effect. 

That was a close one.  For a minute I thought we may have a serious economic problem on our hands, but luckily it's just a pessimism problem.  That can be easily dealt with with some hand holding and false promises that everything will be okay.  We just need to have more faith in the system. 

I will be the first to admit that I did not vote for Obama, and if I had to choose again, I still wouldn't vote for Obama.  Believe it or not, his race had nothing to do with that decision.  His recent stem cell research ban removal completely reinforces my original voting decision, as well as other events. 

His social policies are not the point of this rant, today.  The economic crisis is.  I would venture to say that the system is not what has let the American people down; it was the people running the system.  The system works fine when people with backbones stop using bandaids to cover up problems instead of dealing with them.  Ignoring something does not make it go away.  Neither will throwing billions of worthless dollars at it.  What do you think is going to happen when this stimulus bill gets distributed?  Do you think these states and different organizations that are receving this money will take it, learn from their past spending mistakes, and reform their ways?  I seriously doubt it.  All that will happen is a new dependency will develop on receiving that money from the government. 

Personally, I remain cautious of any program or bill that creates more dependency on our government, as should we all.  Government is not God.  Government is an institution that can become corrupt at the drop of a hat, and unfortunately it has.  Shall we mention the earmarks?  I think I make my point.  It's no longer about the best interest of the people; it's a "you scratch my back and I'll scratch your's" way of dealing.

We need to suck it up and ride out this wave of economic hardship; not dash to the printing presses to make more worthless green paper just to provide some false sense of security.  What happened to personal responsibility anyway?  This supposedly started to become noticeable with the home loans that couldn't be paid back.  Those banks that gave out those loans to people they knew couldn't pay them back need to live with that decision, not look for a handout.  And all of those homeowners that asked for the loans knowing that they wouldn't be able to afford them need to live with that decision.  That probably sounds really harsh, doesn't it?  I'm not a fan of using my personal tax money to pay for someone else's personal mistakes.  That is what charity is for.  

So, forgive me if I don't have much optimism for this stimulus package.  Looking back at all of the mistakes that have been made, I just don't see how there won't be more of the same in the future.  Then again, I've never been much of an optimist.      

Controlling Worry

I've been thinking a lot about worry, lately.  Mostly, because I'm worried and stressed about things out of my control on almost a continuous basis.  I have heard so many devotions and sermons on how worrying doesn't help anything, God is in control and that should give us peace.  I get that, but at the same time I can't just turn off that worried feeling I get about the unknown.  It' not that easy. 

I actually think I may have come as close as I've ever been to a panic attack today.  It wasn't even over anything that was that traumatic to most people.  It is slightly traumatic to me, but why does it get to me so bad.  There are some things that don't get to me at all and others that make it hard to breath. 

It's true, the less worry the better.  Worry leads to stress and stress in abundance leads to so many other problems.  Also, according to Cameron Diaz via "The Holiday," stress makes women look haggard.  So, apparently, I'm prematurely aging myself.  Wonderful.

So, we all know there is no winning side to worrying.  We have no control over the future, but we have comfort in the knowledge that God will take care of us.  He is in control, and that should be good enough.  Right?  So, why can't I just stop worrying?  Why can't I command myself to calm down and relax?   

Pray for Me...Please

Tomorrow starts a new semester of law school.....and I'm terrified.  I don't have any confidence in my ability to keep this up all semester, much less for five.  We have to present an oral argument in March and I'm scared to death about it already.  It's two months away for heaven's sake.  I shouldn't be worrying about this stuff, but I can't help it.  Since I was tweleve years old, all I wanted to do was be a lawyer.  But now, I'm just not sure that I can do this.  There are other things bothering me as well that I won't divuldge on here, but any prayers anyone could see to say for me would be so appreciated. 

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