single!
A P U B L I C AT I O N O F O N M Y O W N N O W M I N I S T R I E S
N OV 1 0
Young Christian Woman
control freaks:
Welcome to Cuba
plus: Are you paying to store garbage?
what’s
wrong with the
thong? Just what you need:
accurate directions
Top 10 Indications You
Might Have Been a Pharisee w w w. o n m y o w n n o w. c o m
single!
NOV 2010
young christian woman
A publication of ON MY OWN NOW MINISTRIES
www.onmyownnow.com
4.
STRAIGHT TALK FROM THE PROVERBS
My Own Personal Cuba By Donna Lee Schillinger
6.
MOVING OUT ... SETTLING IN
Cleanliness
≠ Godliness
By Kimberly Schluterman
CENTER RING
By Robert Beames
8. 11.
Top 10 Indications You Might Have Been a Pharisee
THE RECAP
Ten Stupid Things Christians do to Mess Up Their Lives By Erik Guzman SPARE CHANGE
14. Are You Paying to Store Garbage?
EDITOR IN CHIEF Donna Lee Schillinger
By Julie Ann
16.
www.twitter.com/D_L_Schillinger
ART DIRECTION Daniela Bermúdez
FASHION DIVINA
What’s Wrong With the Thong? By Gwen Schumaker and Donna Lee Schillinger
18.
JUST WHAT YOU NEED
Accurate Directions By Jeffrey Bridgman
Fridge-worthy.
We see high drama in the movies all the time, but in real life, big acting does not win awards.
Straight talk from the proverbs for young Christian women who want to remain pure, debt-free and regret-free. “In this interesting and thought-provoking exploration of the book of Proverbs, Schillinger takes young women along a journey that will help them to make better, safer, and more sound decisions.� Cheryl C. Malandrinos The Book Connection blog Now Available at www.onmyownnow.com, at Amazon, B&N and a library and bookstore near you.
STRAIGHT TALK
MY OWN PERSONAL
CUBA
BY DONNA LEE SCHILLINGER
The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but a woman is tested by the praise she receives. PROVERBS 27:21
4
Does it ever cease to amaze you how movie stars seem to crash and burn when they make it big? I don’t buy the gossip rags, but I confess to reading the headlines while I’m in line at the grocery store. It seems with mathematical certainty that the happy couple on the cover today will be on the cover again announcing their split in a matter of a few years (or less!). It isn’t fame that ruins a person, however, if our proverb is to be trusted. Rather, fame is a tool for testing a person and revealing their true character.
having put out much effort to earn it. Others rise to the top through a combination of natural talent, hard work and perseverance. However it comes about, our bailiwick will become our furnace. People of weak character will go out in flames – some are slow burning, some go in a flash. How long the testing lasts is a divine matter. One wonders, for example, why it takes some horrid world leaders so long to finally get their comeuppance. Rest assured, God is working His plan and purpose.
A little praise and recognition doesn’t feel like going through the fire to me. I may feel a little heat under the collar and turn a shade of pink, but I have never thought of praise as a furnace, as our proverb suggests. Yet with praise, recognition, awards and, in general, rising to the top in work, hobby, sport or community endeavors comes control.
Hitlers and Husseins are exceptional, but you’d be surprised – I always am – at how many people, when given even the most miniscule amount of control, take it on as if they were Castro in their own personal Cuba. Even more frightening is that we see this often in churches. Thank God I go to a small church without a lot of control issues. However, I know of another little church down the road, with fewer than 20 in the congregation, which is plagued by constant power struggles. Almost every adult member of the congregation has some title or office which they take much too seriously. It’s a congregation of a dozen personal agendas. I wonder what God thinks about all that. I don’t have to wonder what God has to do with it though. It’s God’s house, yes; even that little hornet’s nest of a congregation gathers in God’s name, and it seems that God is using it as a furnace for those individuals. I pray they come through the fire purified.
A little praise and recognition doesn’t feel like going through the fire to me. I may feel a little heat under the collar, and turn a shade of pink, but I have never thought of a praise as a furnace, as our proverb suggests. Whereas men are forever and always trying to be king of the mountain, women are control freaks. It’s the same disease, just different manifestations. We all want control. It’s one of those natural desires that can become a positive force under God’s guidance or a negative, highly destructive force when employed for evil. Anybody can have control – just get a pet and you are lord and master over a helpless kitty cat or puppy dog. It just doesn’t satisfy like ruling people though. That kind of control isn’t as easy as adopting a pet; and yet it’s not so hard to come by either. Most people get some measure of control in life through their job or parenting. Take for instance, the night watchperson, nursing home attendant or hotel maid. Each of these rather humble stations includes its measure of control over people. What if you want an extra shampoo or ice bucket? You’ve got to ask the maid, and if she randomly decides not to give it to you, what are you going to do? After all, it’s her supply cart! Some people have authority dropped in their laps, never
How are you going to handle power and authority? It’s not long before it’s coming your way if you don’t already have a portion. Are you going to be the person people talk about in whispers – a dictator in your own rite? “Everything has to be her way.” “She acts like the world revolves around her.” “The only opinion she cares about is her own.” Or are you going to be the kind of leader that rolls up her sleeves, gets down and dirty with the rest to get the job done and ignores the fact she even has any authority until a real need to exercise it comes along?
Will power unveil in you an ugly ego or will it strengthen your commitment to others?
HOLD THIS THOUGHT: I WON’T LET PRAISE AND POWER GO TO MY HEAD. 5
M OV I N G O U T
cleanliness by kimberly
My mom always wondered why I couldn’t keep my room clean. She said that if I would just put things away when I was done with them, it would stay clean. If I wait until it’s a mess, I’m never going to want to clean it. It’s a chore. But if I keep it clean, it’s always done. As she told me this, I pondered how was it possible that my parents’ room was always clean. (Maybe I wasn’t getting her message?) Occasionally there’d be some clothes on the floor, but they didn’t stay there for long. Despite years of bucking her system, I have finally concluded that my mom’s way is indeed superior to mine. For the longest time, I argued that ours were just different ways. But not anymore. I’m sorry Mom, you were right. My way stinks. Honestly, I still don’t know how you do it. Now I have almost 2000 square feet to keep clean and I can’t even walk to my side of the bed. It’s official; I’m a colossal failure in the housekeeping department. My husband doesn’t mind because he’s even messier than I am. But I’d like to be a cleaner, neater person. I’m a total neat freak at work, and that’s how I perceive myself. It’s quite shocking to get home to the scene of an apparent natural disaster and realize that this mess is mine. By age 25, I think I should have figured it all out by now. But I haven’t, and instead of doing anything about it, I took a nap after work today. But that doesn’t mean I’ve given up. No. Instead, I have devised a brilliant system that is positively foolproof (I think). Here’s my plan: don’t make a mess. If I make a mess, clean it up. Vacuum and dust on the same day every week. Clean the toilets,
6
GODLINESS schluterman
mirrors and sinks no less than once a month. Run the dishwasher on Saturdays and Wednesdays. To be honest, I’ve never accomplished any two consecutive days on the above plan. I guess when it comes to keeping up with my home, I = epic failure. Oh well. If cleanliness really is next to Godliness, I’m in trouble. I don’t know what that adage really means, but maybe there is some truth to it. Certainly cleanliness of spirit is next to Godliness.
My mom most certainly would not think those things are ok, no matter the state of my heart, but I’m trying to make a point here. (Sorry, Mom.) Certainly, cleanliness is not equivalent to godliness, but maybe that saying means that after your soul is in good shape, you should tend to your house as a matter of first priority. Hmm. I’ll think that through as I’m napping this afternoon.
“
Certainly, cleanliness is not equivalent to godliness, but maybe that saying means that after your soul is in good shape, you should tend to your house as a matter of first priority.
“
In Psalm 51:10, David requests, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Whether or not I run my dishwasher on Wednesday or Thursday is incredibly insignificant when compared to whether or not I spend time with the Father each day. If you can eat off my floor, but there are sin stains in my heart, I’m thinking God wouldn’t be very pleased with me. I may have four days worth of dirty dishes piled up, a month’s worth of laundry (guilty), and a bathroom counter that is practically a Petri dish of bacteria, but in the eternal sense, that’s all OK as long as my spirit is pure and steadfast.
7
CENTER RING
k
TOP
10
INDICATIONS
might
HYOU I HAVE BEEN
A
PHARISEE BY ROBERT BEAMES
8
If you were alive when Jesus walked the earth, would you have been a Pharisee? We cringe at the thought. Most of us enjoy the feeling of superiority we have over the Pharisees due to their obvious hypocrisies. But perhaps we have more in common with these teachers of the law than we would like to admit. If you’re walking around with a plank sticking out of your eye, you may already realize you have something in common with this notorious crowd, but for everyone else, here are the top ten indications you might have been a Pharisee.
k 10
You constantly test God – Jesus told the parable of
the Good Samaritan in response to testing by an expert in the law (Luke 10:25). Occasionally God asks us to test Him, such as with our tithe (Malachi 3:10), but more often it is God who does the testing. He is approachable, and He welcomes our questions. However, we should be careful not to use the same approach the Pharisees used with Jesus, as they tried to manipulate Him to say or do things that they could use for their own purposes. God does the testing. Our job is to trust. It works best this way.
k 9
You are motivated by fear – The first time we
meet the Pharisees in the gospel accounts, John the Baptist is asking them, “Who told you to escape the coming wrath?” Apparently, they only desired to be baptized due to their fear. However, we read in 1 John 4:18, “…perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” Sometimes we forget this truth, and approach our service to God with an attitude of avoiding punishment. Yet, our Father truly wants us to be inspired by a zealous love for Him and for others. Fear often motivates us, but God doesn‘t use it to prompt His children.
k 8
You find comfort in your resume – Repeated-
ly, the Pharisees cited their lineage to justify themselves. Most of us don’t have a noble pedigree, but it’s still easy to forget that our spiritual track
record, family, church or denomination, doesn’t provide a trace of entitlement to the kingdom of God. Only our direct relationship with the Father qualifies us to share in the inheritance of His kingdom (Col 1:12). We are qualified by our faith in the work of Christ alone. God isn’t impressed with our efforts, any more than He was with those of the Pharisees.
k 7
Your image is everything – Jesus called the
Pharisees whitewashed tombs in Matthew 23:27. By this He meant that they look clean on the outside, but inside are rotting, dead carcasses. Women strive to keep the appearance of being collected and confident, with everything under control. However, God is much more concerned with what’s going on inside. He continually exposes our motives and compels us to walk in humility, not hypocrisy.
k 6
You justify your disobedience – The
Pharisees were famous for having detailed regulations to protect them from breaking any one of God’s commands, but Jesus exposed their true intent. They made specific laws which were easy to keep, so that they did not have to live by the higher imperatives which were directed at the heart. We might not murder our brother, or even curse him out, but it’s much more difficult to show him love and compassion. How well we perform the bare minimum!
9
k 5
You say, “Yes, Sir, I will,”but don’t – In the
parable of two sons (Matt. 21:28), the first son said he would not do what was asked of him, but later did it. The second said he would do it, but never did. The Pharisees were like the second son. They had a long history of talking about what God expected of them, but rarely did they actually do any of it. In our status quo world, many times we do the same. We tend to be ready to talk, rather than act.
k 4
k
And the number one indication you might have been a Pharisee…
k
You scoff at other’s deeds – The Phari-
sees constantly judged Jesus for His association with undesirables, for breaking the rules or for simply being unconventional. Yet, no one could deny the effect He had on so many. People felt loved. We often find error in the way another group is showing love to others, because it doesn’t square with our theology, methodology or maybe we just want a reason not to do what they are doing. We do well to reserve our judgment and support ministries which share the love of Jesus in unconventional ways.
3
isfy the minimum criteria. But in fact, we cannot do enough, or avoid enough, to be justified. Even if we were “better” than everyone on the planet, we would still miss the mark. Like the tax collector, when we truly believe this, we can be declared righteous by faith in the redeeming power of Jesus’ finished work.
1
You fail to realize the severity of your sin – A woman once washed the
feet of Jesus with tears of helplessness and remorse over her sin (Luke 7: 36-50). It’s a rare moment that we grieve over our sin in the appropriate manner as did this woman, and yet an important Pharisee looked on in disgust at her self- degradation. Admit it; we like to think we’re somebody important. Recall, however, that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Did you see yourself in any of the above? We may fit in more easily with that group of proud teachers than we would like to think. (I believe he wanted me to remind you.)
You find comfort in rules – The Pharisees had
rules about rules in order to keep them from breaking other rules. Why was this? Probably because following rules takes little faith. Perhaps, we like to have our boundaries just a little too clear, as well. It’s attainable to do a specified amount for God and we can feel justified in this effort. Doing everything He asks us to do, while staying closely connected with him no matter what happens, now that’s much more difficult. Only the kind of faith which comes from God can accomplish these things.
k 2
You feel you are doing alright – It’s easy
enough to use to read the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, (Luke 18:9-14) and scoff at the Pharisee who thinks he is better than the tax collector. But how different are we, really? Do we make it through a day without feeling the need to be justified? We have a natural propensity to compare ourselves to others, so that we feel better about ourselves – as if we could sat-
10
Rob Beames is the contributing editor of Genuine Motivation: Young Christian Man, a publication of On My Own Now Ministries.
THE RECAP
Ten stupid things Christians do to mess up their lives by Erik Guzman
11
I’ve done some stupid things in my short life on this planet. At the risk of incriminating myself, I’ll give you some examples. Back in high school, on more than one occasion, I would grab a friend, get a couple bottles of Boone’s Farm and go driving around drinking. That’s bad enough, but just for the thrill of it, we would drive down winding roads on the edge of a river in the middle of the night… with our lights off. Another time, I took acid with some friends and went jet skiing. I’ll spare you the psycho-delic details, but it’s enough to say, we all could have died. Then, there was the car surfing, and the time I hooked up with my crazy cokedout roommate. Anyway, there are plenty more examples, but you get the idea. The point is that I’ve done some stupid stuff – I hope my parents don’t read this.
1. We think of God as either a child abuser, away on vacation, or Santa Claus instead of looking to Jesus to find out what God is really like. 2. We are obsessed with getting better instead of with God’s forgiveness. 3. We forget the gospel and sacrifice the joy that sets us free. 4. We wear masks instead of being authentic.
Now, the things I just mentioned all happened over 17 years ago before I became a Christian. That means that the statute of limitations has run out and these events are now part of my “testimony.” Now, I can safely share them knowing that God gets the glory for saving a dirt bag like me.
5. We put our leaders on pedestals and thereby demean ourselves.
Even so, there are plenty of stupid things I’ve done as a Christian too. Trust me, if God rewarded us for our good behavior and punished us for the bad stuff, I would not have a successful ministry, a house, a wife and three kids. I’d be dead. I’m a firm believer in God’s grace, simply out of practical experience.
7. We live in fear.
My mentor, Steve Brown, has a list of 10 stupid things Christians do to mess up their lives. He also has a CD album by that name and he wrote a book titled, A Scandalous Freedom, which is based on those same 10 stupid things. Here’s the list:
6. We demonize our enemies instead of acknowledging their humanity. 8. We avoid the reality of pain. 9. We define ourselves by our failures instead of God’s love. 10. We surrender the freedom for which Jesus has set us free.
Trust me, if God rewarded us for our good behavior and punished us for the bad stuff, I would not have a successful ministry, a house, a wife and three kids. I’d be dead. I’m a firm believer in God’s grace, simply out of practical experience.
12
For many Christians, that’s probably not the mental list we would have made for ourselves. We might have come up with a list more like this one:
1. Watching “The Bachelor.”
tupi
2. Skipping church too many times. 3. Not tithing.
4. Not reading your Bible regularly.
5. Not selling everything and giving it to the poor. 6. Being a Democrat – if you’re Glenn Beck. 7. Being a Republican – if you’re Jim Wallace. 8. Cussing, drinking, smoking, dancing, going to movies, etc. 9. Not praying enough. 10. Shopping.
Am I right or am I right? The reason we thought up items on the second list is probably because of the second item on the first list – and perhaps a few others. Here’s the point of Steve’s teaching on the CD album and in his book: Jesus has come to set us free and we mess up our lives by preferring our prisons. We should probably define “freedom” at this point. Basically, free means free. We’re free to live according to God’s standards and we’re free to sin. It means that if we don’t do what God says, He will still love us; and if we do what God says, He won’t love us anymore. That’s because our acceptability is based on faith in Jesus’s finished work, not on our goodness or lack thereof. If we dispute this, we drive a stake in the heart of the gospel. Paul explains, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). He also adds, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). There are some who say that the freedom mentioned in that verse is freedom from sin. It certainly
means that, but if it doesn’t also include the freedom to sin, then it’s not real freedom at all. We may allow that we’re saved by grace, but think we keep our salvation by busting our butts. But that’s not what scripture such as the letter to the Galatians, tells us. It’s difficult to read specific passages like Galatians 3:1-3 and not get this. Does all of that bother us? It should. God’s ways are not our ways. Does it make us want to go out and sin? If we’re Christians, it should not. Why? It’s because of the key to the message of freedom, which both Brown and I teach: The only people who get any better are those who know that if they don’t get any better, God will still love them anyway. Don’t like that answer? How’s trying really hard working out for you? If obsessing on getting better worked, we’d all be Mother Theresa. It’s the goodness of God that leads to repentance (Romans 2:4). We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). It’s God’s amazing unconditional love and the resulting freedom that compels us (2 Corinthians 5:14). If we don’t start with freedom, we will screw up our lives! We will never achieve the obedience we so badly desire if we obsess on our goodness. Instead, we are called to obsess on His goodness toward us in order to be transformed into the image of the Beloved. So now that I’m a Christian, I’m free to do all kinds of stupid things and God won’t love me any less. I might mess up my life or even kill myself, but I’m free. Does that make me want to drop acid and take a spin on a jet ski? Nope. My heart’s desire is to follow the One who loved me enough to set me free to go wherever I want. I don’t expect a reward or anything – just the joy of faithfulness and walking with God.
He set you free too! Now what? I say embrace the freedom and stop messing up your life. Erik Guzman is Executive Producer at Key Life Network. He can be heard on the nationally syndicated talk show Steve Brown Etc. and as announcer for Key Life. He has a wife, three children, a BA in Mass Communication and an MBA. He’s also a drummer, 3rd degree black belt in Aikido, and Master of Theology student at Reformed Theological Seminary.
13
spare change
ARE YOU
paying
TO STORE
garbage? i
I had an epiphany recently about a major money drain in my life that I am currently taking steps to plug. This particular drain opened up a number of years ago when I moved to New Mexico. I had been living on my own but when I came back I combined with another household and therefore didn’t need a lot of my things. I didn’t plan on staying very long so I put my household goods and furniture in a storage unit. To make a long story short, weeks turned into months and months turned into years and I have continued to send in my monthly storage unit payment without thinking much about it. Finally I realized that if I would have gotten rid of all my household goods in the first place, I could have bought brand new things for less than I have paid to maintain my old things in storage.
14
Ah, twenty-twenty hindsight! It may be too late for me, but hopefully I can help you learn from my mistakes by providing a few tips on how to manage your “stuff” – whether you are in between permanent residences or just need it out of the way for a while – without breaking the bank. First, you should ask yourself if a storage unit is necessary and if the benefit outweighs the cost. If I had only stored my goods for a short period of time, say six months or less, the cost would have been less than buying new goods. So unless you are positive you will be a short-term renter or your goods are of extraordinarily high value, skip the rental space and find an alternative option. However, before you store anything, take a hard look at what you’re about to stash away. The contents of my storage unit are quite varied. You can get a good glimpse into my childhood by browsing the boxes of Barbie and Cabbage Patch dolls and accessories, children’s books, school awards and artwork. You can find equipment for all the sports I tried in high school, college text books and dorm room decorations. And then there are the boxes of dishes, kitchen tools and furniture from when I lived alone. Now the items from my childhood have some sentimental value, so I would like to find a place to store at least some of those memories. However, books, decorations and household goods could have gone long ago. Purging the un-needed items is the key. It may be hard to let some things go, so you may need a friend or two for support and to help you think through things rationally. Once you have separated the proverbial “sheep from goats” you’ll need to decide on a course of action for each group. We’ll start with the easy pile – the stuff you want out of your life. There are plenty of options for getting rid of stuff and the first one I would suggest is the good old garbage can. Toss anything that is broken, disgusting, unusable or valueless. Once you have trashed anything unworthy, try turning the rest into cash. If you have a lot of stuff that will appeal to the masses a yard sale might be the way to go. If you have a few valuable or rare items, you might want to give eBay a try to find collectors and people willing to pay higher prices. Craigslist is also a great way to get rid of big ticket items or collections. Be sure to research all these options beforehand to determine which would be the easiest and safest option and result in the highest yield. With enough hard work and a little bit of luck, you may be able to recoup some of the money you paid for the items and spent storing them. Personally, I decided to give things away
to friends and to charitable organizations that can pass along to the needy. I may not make any sort of “profit” this way, but I can claim donations on my taxes and it saved me a lot of time. Be sure to get receipts and carefully track any donations if you plan to use the tax deduction. Now here’s the real conundrum: what to do with the stuff you still want to hang on to but just don’t have the room for at the present time. I have decided to make room for my boxes in the house or garage. Unfortunately, this means more cleaning and clearing out. If you are storing things short term you may have an easier time finding a place to stash your stuff. One summer during college, my aunt let me store a few boxes in the corner of her guest room, so maybe you are also lucky enough to have a relative or friend with some extra space. If not, consolidate into as few boxes as possible and run everything through the “do I need to keep this” filter again. If you must utilize a rental storage space, opt for the smallest possible unit or consider going in with a friend or two to cut down your individual cost. Of course the number one thing to keep in mind in dealing with your worldly stuff is this:
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” (Matthew 6:19-21) Whereas you don’t want to toss or donate things you will soon have to purchase again because they really are needed and used items, purging your life of excess stuff can be both a practical and spiritual catharsis.
g by Julie Ann 15
Fashion DIVinA
BY GWEN SCHUMAKER AND DONNA LEE SCHILLINGER
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE THONG?
“Make linen undergarments as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh.” Ex. 28:42 NIV
16
Why did we have to choose this underwear? What were our real motives for purchasing a purple paisley thong? Fashion DIVinA on assignment here in Brazil! Todo bem! Fashion in Brazil is drastically different than in the United States. Notably, it includes a lot of black spandex! I can actually abide that, but one renowned Brazilian fashion that gives me considerable pause is… the thong. Far from the passing fad I hoped it might be, the thong has invaded the rest of the world and it appears to be here to stay. I really wonder about this, mainly because I think thongs are gross and I imagine they wouldn’t be very comfortable. My gut reaction when contemplating the thong is “Ew, gross! Ouch!” and “Who would want to wear that?” I also tend to squirm in my seat just thinking about wearing a thong. I have heard some people try to defend the thong by saying it solves the problem of embarrassing panty lines. To that, I might respond, so does wearing loose fitting clothing. And a host of other undies are specifically designed to minimize the panty line. Some say they are comfortable. Yea! For someone who enjoys a wedgy, also known as a snuggie, grundie, gotch pull, or Mervin, according to Wikipedia. Do any of those conditions sound appealing to you? Let’s say for argument’s sake though that there are some girls out there who genuinely feel better with a “snuggie,” – maybe it makes them feel more secure or something – if that’s not what’s wrong with the thong, then what is? Well, if you think for a second that the Being that created every cell in your body and has every hair on your head numbered might not care about what you’re wearing on your backside, you would be quite mistaken. Proving the point, is one of a couple of scriptures where God describes His choice, His mandate really, of underwear – in this case for the priests in Old Testament times. Yep, God’s a boxer man! No whitey-tighties for our Lord. He likes the extended variety too – from waist to thigh.
Maybe you say, “No one is going to see me in my thong.” Well, let’s hope not, but you know, your Heavenly Father is looking. God made our wonderful bodies and it’s not shameful to even be naked in front of Him, so we don’t need to worry about whether He sees our butt cheeks. But you know what? When God sees us in a thong, I don’t think He’s checking out our butt. I think what He’s looking at, and frowning on, is our heart. Why did we have to choose this underwear? What were our real motives for purchasing a purple paisley thong? Was the choice made strictly in deference to our preference for that snuggie feeling? Or was there even the most subtle of desires to look sexy and feel sexy – even if no one else knows it. If that motive was even the smallest part of our choice that would be what’s wrong with the thong. For that matter, it doesn’t have to be a thong that makes us feel sexy. I know it’s hard to find plain Jane underwear on the market today, and I’m not suggesting that white cotton granny pants is the only choice God approves of. My point is that our underwear choices, as our clothing choices in general, should be made with a pure heart, not with an eye to what will make us look or feel hot. When I put deodorant on in the morning, I’m putting on more than just a product, I’m putting on an assurance that gives me confidence all day long that I don’t stink! When I put on an awesome new shirt in the color that really compliments my eyes, I’m not just covering up my top half, I’m adding a measure of self-confidence to my day; I look and feel good. How about when I put on a thong, what I am putting on besides a small triangular panel of flimsy material held together at the points by a ribbon? Am I putting on a sexy feeling that will give me an air of sensuality all day long or worse, on that important date? If so, that’s what’s wrong with the thong.
Though these instructions were for priests, it’s not farfetched to generalize that our Heavenly Father prefers a modest choice of underwear for all His children – after all, we’re are priests under the New Covenant.
17
ACCURATE DIRECTIONS by Jeffrey Bridgman
Is there anyone who can honestly say he’s never been lost? Even the best of us get turned around once in a while. But now with GPS, MapQuest and the like, getting lost should be a thing of the past, right? Maybe not; sometimes the tools we rely on lead us astray. Once on a road trip with some friends, we wanted to eat lunch in a town I’d driven through several times before. I remembered seeing a Quizno’s, but couldn’t remember exactly where it was. No problem. My friends had GPS! So we pulled it out, told it we wanted to go to Quizno’s, and started following its directions. Ten minutes later it gently announced: “You have reached your destination.” We looked around and we saw nothing but factories, so we kept on driving. It seemed irritated with our lack of direction-following-skills as it politely announced “Recalculating...” On another adventure, a GPS took us on the shortest route to see the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. We figured the arch was downtown, so we just told it to take us to St. Louis. After a while we realized something was wrong, but we continued to follow the directions. Eventually we “arrived at our destination.” Apparently, we had arrived at the geographical center of St. Louis, which happened to be in the slums. A more reliable way to find the Arch would have been to look and head in the general direction of the towering landmark. And GPS isn’t the only fallible technology. Have you ever gotten bum directions from MapQuest or Google? A friend of mine used MapQuest to find the airport in Northwest Arkansas and was directed down two miles of dirt road and across a one-lane bridge. Experiences like these can tempt us to give up on modern amenities and go back to a reliable hard copy map. Although online directions and GPS’s can be very handy, they do have their limitations. Sometimes, information can be wrong or out of date. Or we can easily input the wrong destination. Although GPS’s come with beneficial information such as the locations of businesses, these can change fairly quickly. The routes they recommend might not hold up to common sense. And the devices often don’t take into account things like traffic conditions and road construction projects. The same is true for pa-
JUST W you HAT
NEED per maps, but since they don’t have as much information, they aren’t out of date as quickly—when’s the last time you heard of an interstate getting shut down for good? Avoid being late or lost by combining two navigation mediums and don’t forget to apply common sense. I try to determine which highways to take ahead of time and make a simple list of the interchanges. MapQuest and other stepby-step directions can be overly complex. Usually we only need to take a handful of highways that can easily be remembered or written down. I always try to keep paper maps on hand as a back-up. Do you have a map in your car of your city or county? Often phone books have them in the center. This year when you get your new phone book, instead of throwing away the old one, put it under the driver’s seat of your car. If you’re travelling between states, stretch your legs at the first welcome center/rest stop when you enter a new state. Many states provide free maps at their welcome centers. But that won’t do you much good if you need directions to a specific place within a city. This is where the various online map services earn their money. Those turn-by-turn directions to our final destination can sure come in handy – when they’re correct. Back up these directions with a phone number for your destination, so if you get lost, you can call and have someone at your destination talk you in the rest of the way. Visiting the boonies where you might not get cell phone service? Then be sure to confirm the online directions with someone at your final destination before you leave home. Mapping technologies are cool and convenient, but don’t rely on them as your only recourse or you may find yourself in a 2001 Space Odyssey moment, Hal. As always, a little preparation and common sense can go a long way in helping to make smart navigation choices while on a trip.
18