Hmmm....

I wrote a blog about influence a week or so ago. After which my dear friend Scott Kenneally decided to write one of his own. We each have had very different influences in our lives that have shaped who we are, and ultimately will become. Below is a comment that was left by someone on his blog. It made me angry at first, but after reading it a few times I began to think what a blessing this person writing was. How often does one get to share his/ her faith with a complete stranger, who doesnt believe in anything you believe in, and thinks you are ignorant for believing that way.... check it out, and check out my response... if you have anything to add leave a comment... Its interesting... if we dont have people who dont continually challange our faith, will our faith ever grow stronger??


One thing about media. It depends on person what influences and how.About the other influences, I'm going forward as I can make an influence on that. Besides, how come God influences us? I don't personally believe in him, so he doesn't make any influence on me. Why should he? God might influence people in a good way or a bad way. The bad way is losing your mind, for the whole God-Jesus-gay thingy is totally schizophrenic. Why should I believe in God when it's certain that agent people liked to create imaginary creatures to give them some hope? I can believe in flying rabbits that cause thunder storms, and let those imaginary rabbits (which I believe to exist) direct my life. How stupid is that? At the moment I'm the one who's very strongly directing myself, and I don't really consider it useful to create holy books or dead people to tell me what to do.We are all based on physics and the brains make us to work. The brain should also tell us what's true and what's not, and it should be a certain thing that fairy tales are only for entertainment. How do you explain your faith? What if you believe in nonsense? What if you have limited yourself, your thinking and your living your whole life for nothing? And everything just because once you actually thought nothing.
September 30, 2008 12:07 PM





Ashley said...
I think it is all about influence. To the person who left this comment all I can say is thank you. It is people who dont believe and who search for enlightment on their own terms that make Christianity all the more real to me. In a world filled with darkness, it is God, his blessings and his miracles that give those that believe in him hope for a future beyond this world. How can we live day to day encountering all forms of influence without a belief in our heart that there is more beyond our world and our own minds. It is an interesting concept for one to think that our lives are our own... I however, disagree. Christianity is not the lack of thinking, but rather a progression to think and believe in something that you cannot see in front of you, but you can see all around you. To the person that wrote this comment: you may not believe in God, the bible, or the concept of church... and you may think that anyone that does is less smart or ignorant, but those who believe in God, are given a purpose and a hope for their lives. I will pray for you, that you find the same hope that can only be found through Christ. To Scotty: you inlfuence so many of us... your such a blessing.. love you man... never stop.

Influence...

Influence... its a word used often in our vocabularies. Im sure if we stop to think about it, there has been one or more people who have come into our lives and drastically changed us as human beings simply by their influence in our lives. But what about negative influence? Or the media's role in our lives? How does the media influence us? We have become known as a "fast food" generation in the sense that we want everything fast and delievered to us.. how much of that concept is derived from the media? What about the way we choose to dress? The way we speak? Or even the music and movies we subject our eyes and ears to? As much as we would like to think that we have escaped the media's influence in our lives, it is all to apparent. Take the hip hop industry for example. In almost every song, women are denegrated and refered to as "hoes" and "bitches". Upon questioning, many women just brush it off saying, well they're not refering to me. Yet if you spin the situation around, and say instead of a rapper saying something it was George Bush, and he wasnt talking about women but about black people, describing them using the N word... would the same standard apply? Would people accept that we wasnt talking about ALL black people... I think not. In our society we have been conditioned to think that the way people think, speak, and act is acceptable. Do you think it is a considence that the percentage of teenage girls with eating disorders has risen 60% in the last 20 years? The idea that "thin is beautiful" is directly taken from the media and its influence. So that leaves the question, how do we shift the influence of the media from negative to positive? Can it be changed? And if it is changed, will society change? A few questions to ponder... Upon thinking of this topic my mind raced 20 years in the future... when i have children what will the chain of influence be? The truth is, our world cannot be exposed to anything we dont create. Why do we constantly as a human race insist on feeding off of negativity? Influence... its all about influence.

Its not what you take when you leave this world behind you... its what you leave behind you when you go.

The purpose of life is not to be happy - but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all. ~Leo Rosten

Ever since I was a child I had always hated watching the news. I would often ask why the news could never broadcast good news. It wasnt until I grew up that i realized the reason why i never watched good news is the simple fact that our world is emmersed in chaos.

In June of 2007 I was fourtunate enough to go to Lima, Peru on a mission trip. Peru is considered to be one of the poorest countries in the world. I have always had a heart for philanthropy and the option to go and help in a country foriegn to me was an oppertunity i never thought i'd recieve.

As one can see in the pictures above, Peru although beautiful at points was devestating to see. In the United States, if your parents die when you are born, the government will take care of you until your 18, in Peru, the government does not take care of its children, or its people.

Child prostitution, human trafficing, and drug running are extreme problems in Lima, Peru. After nearly 2 weeks of living and serving there I had grown a new found appreciation for my country and people in general. On my 7 hour flight home I did a little thinking. My mission trip was a huge chapter in my life, but it was just another day to the children of peru. The things I saw brought me to tears and it dawned on me that the images that could bring me to cry was their everyday reality. I began to think more... Before leaving, my father in his infinate wisdom asked why i had made the choice to "waste" $1500 to travel to a third world country. "What can a group of kids do in peru that would make a difference?" I remember him saying. I brushed it off as ignorance, and I began to think, this is the way the majority of people think.

Its like when were driving and see someone on the side of the road with their hoods up. We make up an excuse as to why we cant stop. "ill be late" "they can handle it" "i dont know that much about cars" But when the roles are reversed and we find ourselves on the side of the road with a broke down car, we ask ourselves why no one would stop.

Sometimes a little bit of kindness and a whole lot of heart can make all the difference in the world.

Opinions...

A persons' ideas and thoughts towards something. It is an assessment, judgment, or evaluation of something- this is the definition of an opinion. Throughout the course of my life i have never been one to shy away from expression of my opinion. As a woman, my opinion often has been viewed as unimportant or somewhat downplayed. I have taken it upon myself to be a voice for strong women to stand up for their equal place in society.

I was told upon entering the wide world of dating that during the course of a 1st, 2nd or 3rd date there are three things never to bring up in conversation: Religion, Politics, and Finances. I personally have made it a point during every date to bring up each and every topic for discussion. Is there something wrong with opinions or is it simply the fear of disagreement? I have always thought my opinion was my own, until that thought was questioned. Is my opinion really my own or is it formed and molded by my faith, and the people who surround me?

I guess no thought is ever completely original, but this topic made me question my own beliefs and opinions. Take the topic of abortion: my stance is pro-life, but why? I believe that every fetus is a life and no one, but God, should have that right to take a life; but how can I form an opinion on something I have never experienced? If I were in that situation, would that be the best choice for me? What about the father, should he have say in what the outcome will be? I guess part of growing up is understanding that its ok to question your beliefs and opinions, because when you ask yourself why you believe something, it forces you to truly find out why.

Too often we as people, and more so women, tend to forget that it is ok to step away from the herd and use the voice within. I want to encourage women to remember to use their voices. I want to die, not knowing that I agreed with everyone, but that I stood for what I believe in. That my voice, although not always agreed upon, was heard loud and clear, and perhaps made someone else think a little more about the things they believe in and stand for.

A Look into Blogging...

As a child I always kept a diary of sorts. I would become obsessed with writing. Ideas, thoughts, hopes, dreams, anything and everything. Then there would come a point when it would become old, and it was just another slightly odd looking square occupying my book shelf. As the years passed I would often read back on my thoughts. Laughing at the pity of my problems at the time, or finding myself in a state of deep thinking as I saw the progression of my life through my words. I would write things purposely wishing at times my mother, or boyfriend would stumble upon it, and read the words I too often was shy to express.

Why do I have a blog? It has become apparent to me that this blog I have kept and written has become something more than just an occupation of my time. It has become an outlet, to express my words, thoughts and ideas as I often did as a child. It is a way to cry out, reach out to anyone and everyone who cares to read past the first sentence.

I believe you can tell alot about a person by how they write. A blog for me has become the perfect forum to say the things I often wish I had to courage to say. At the end of my blogging days, whenever they may be, I hope to leave something I can reflect back on and look at the progression of my life thus far, but more importantly, perhaps allow these words to reach someone desperate to hear them. If nothing else, I have at least occupied my mind for more than a minute. In the words of James Earl Jones, "One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you cant utter."