Hope

For the past couple months I have been striving to blog once a week. I spend a good deal of time on the internet and I figured I could dedicate some of that time to something I thoroughly enjoy doing: writing. So often one can get consumed with scrolling through social media and retweeting/posting/sharing everything they seem to agree with. I have noticed a disconnect between how often people post online and how present they are in the lives of people they are with. This is often evident in a family get together during the holidays. After the festivities are over you can look around and see family members gathered around TVs, I Pads, and other devices. I am no exception. Social media is an addicting past-time. So starting on Sunday, December 3rd, 2017, the beginning of Advent, I will fast from social media. I have begun this process already--I have started fasting from social media when I am at home. My goal is to become more present with those around me and less dependent on the internet. I will chronicle my thoughts in a weekly post. Some posts may be about my social-media-free time or it may just be a reflection on the Advent season. My goal is to become more present in my community and to allow those actions to permeate into the rest of my life after this season.

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Hope.

The first candle of Advent is for Hope. It is so fitting that we would end "Ordinary Time" in the Christian Liturgical calendar with a reminder of Christ's call for us from Matthew 25. Now as we begin this new stage of the calendar we are reminded of the Hope that is to come. Of the hope for the coming kingdom. In today's day and age with all the trials, tribulations, and catastrophes, it's always nice to be reminded of the hope we can have in Christ.

This coming Sunday's Gospel reading comes from Mark 13:24-37 which can at first glance seem to be a heavy passage. One can read this and become fearful of what is to come. I, however, would like to point out that sometimes it's the big picture that we should look at not the minute details. The big picture in this passage is that we should be ready; awake and ready. We know that Christ will return to make everything right again and we are called to be ready. That is the hope we are given in the Advent season. There is a hope that it is true that Christ will renew all things and with that hope we can be ready.

So how can we be ready? How can we be awake? What is it that we must do?

Work to help renew the world. Yes, Christ will come to rebuild and renew the whole universe, but until then He has charged us to work towards the Kingdom. We were reminded of this charge just this past Sunday on Christ the King Sunday. We are moving towards this week of Hope with the knowledge of how we can be awake. How we can be ready. Renewing the world is more than just helping people, it also has to do with the actual world. YHWH commanded us to care for the world we are put in. The world is not going to be destroyed, but it is going to be renewed. We were made from the earth and so we must care for it. In the words of N.T. Wright, "Jesus is coming so plant a tree." But in all honestly, that's exactly what we must do. Care for ourselves, others, and the world and together we can help usher in the Kingdom as we hope for the day when all will be restored. 

Grace & Peace.

Resources:

https://www.plough.com/en/topics/justice/environment/jesus-is-coming-plant-a-tree 

biblegateway.com 

5 Ways to Save Money during the Holiday Season

Within the past few months my wife, Brianna, and I have had recent college graduates reach out to us on advice on budgeting and finances since we were able to pay off our college debt in under two years. We strive to give our best explanations on how to best pay off loans and still live an enjoyable life, while keeping in mind all of the specifics and complexities that may come with each individual situation. This has led me to decide that this week's blog, during the week of Thanksgiving, would be on how to save money during the Holiday season. There are many "tricks of the trade" out there that claim they are the most efficient way to save money, but today I would like to propose a simple list of 5 practical ways to not break the bank during the holidays.

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1. Make and Keep a Budget:

The number one way to save money is to start by knowing where your money is going. This can be done by creating a budget. A budget is, simply put, a record of where all your financial resources are going. One does not need to make a certain amount of money to budget, but they simply need to keep track of their expenses. Once you have your budget the key is sticking to it. Oftentimes during the Holidays we can be tempted to splurge a little, but if you are struggling to stretch your dollars on a regular basis then I would advise against splurging. Ask yourself do you really need that item or do you just want it?

2. Make a Shopping List and stick to it:

Another great way to save money is to create a shopping list with all of your needs first and then your wants if you have left over money. When you are creating your list you want to determine what your needs are, like milk, verses what your wants are, like coffee. It is even more vital to stick to your list in the holiday season; just because something is on sale and seems to be a 'great sale' does not mean that it is something you should purchase. If it's not in the budget then the sale may not be that 'great', especially if it causes you to go over budget.

3. Shop at ALDI:

This is just my little plug-in for ALDI. I am a huge fan of ALDI both for their incredible prices and for their quality. It is not every day that you come across both. My point here is that when you are grocery shopping you want to stick to affordable stores that you are familiar with. Try to avoid stores that will have more distracting items that could try to lure out your wallet. Focus on what you need to purchase. ALDI is a great store for that!

4. Avoid Black Friday shopping like the plague:

This tip is HUGE during this time of year. You will be plagued with ads, coupons, and reminders about Black Friday sales, which now begin way before Friday! This is the time when you really need to differentiate between your needs and your wants. If there is something you need that is on sale for a good price then remember to budget for that at the beginning of the month. More often than not though, many of the "great sales" during Black Friday are items that you would not have otherwise bought. Why clutter up your home with more stuff that you don't need? Especially if you are already struggling with stretching your dollars? Black Friday may seem like a fun experience--especially for people watchers--but my advice is to avoid it. IF you do need to buy something that day, why don't you order it online to avoid impulse buys at the store?

5. Be Creative with your gifts:

Finally be creative with your gifts. Yes, this is the season of giving. People love giving and receiving gifts and why should you be limited because your income is fixed? You want to give your loved ones gifts just like everyone else does. This Holiday season consider how you  give gifts. Instead of just buying another trinket for someone to add to their closet, maybe consider giving them an experience. What resources do you already have that you can use to give someone a great gift. What could you make for someone? Where could you take someone? We were created with the ability to create so use that to give gifts to people.

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I hope these 5 tips help you this holiday season! I know some of these may seem "extreme" to some people and there are always exceptions to rules, but before you go and proclaim that you are the exception it is good to ask yourself if that's really true. Or are you trying to justify spending more money?

Let us focus on saving this holiday season so that we can make sure we have what we need before what we want. 

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Resources:

https://www.aldi.us/

https://celebrateyourplate.org/

https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2013/12/3/stretching-holiday-food-budget-during-busy-holiday-season 

My Top 5 Books of 2017

Anyone who knows me knows that I adore reading. If you walk into my house you'll see piles of half-read books and bookshelves filled to the brim with even more books. Each year I spend time determining which books I should keep and which ones are ready to move on to another grateful reader. This year I felt that I was at a point where I should not acquire many more books until I read the ones that I currently have. It's a hard process, but I have found that by borrowing books I am still able to read books I have wanted to read while not cluttering up my living areas. I know that by borrowing books I am still choosing to read novels that aren't the ones I am currently reading, but that's how my mind works. Borrowing helps to prevent me from filling my shelves with more books. A few years back when I took the Strength Finders quiz I discovered that one of my top 5 strengths is Input. Those with the Input strength are really good at collecting knowledge and things. I collect books and the knowledge that I gain from them. I am a slow reader, but I strive to read 25-50 books a year. For some that may seem like a lot and for others that may seem like it is not many, but for me it is the perfect amount. It is the bed that feels just right.

Not only do I enjoy reading books, but I also partake in the act of reviewing books I like. I have gotten to a point in life where I only read books that I am 85% certain I will enjoy. This has led me to hardly ever give a book a bad review, which isn't a bad way to live. We have enough negativity in this world so let's focus on things that are positive: like good books. For my post this week I decided to share my top 5 books/series of 2017 utilizing my reviews from my Goodreads account. I hope y'all enjoy!

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1. The Familiar Volume 5: Redwood by Mark Z Danielewski. 

Best volume yet. Each volume in the Familiar builds off of the previous one and continues to get better and Redwood is no exception. It far exceeded my expectations and gave me just as many new questions as answers like all the best fictions do. I felt satisfied with many of the answers and anxious to find more answers in the upcoming season. It was the perfect season finale. If you haven't read the Familiar series then you've got to...this Finale makes it all worth it, but you've got to start with Volume 1: One Rainy Day In May. There was not one boring section in the entire volume. It was the most clear in how all the characters were connected and I'm excited to see how this connectedness develops in the future! 10 out 10 MUST read. Also the pages smell like Redwood which is a nice addition to the art of the novel. If you were a fan of the show LOST you will likely love The Familiar.

2. Where'd you go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple. 

Great satire on our culture and society! Funny, true, and thought provoking look at what could happen when creativity is stifled by culture and greed. People need the freedom to be creative and innovative! Definitely recommend! 3. What is the Bible? How an Ancient Library of Poems, Letters, and Stories can transform the way you think and feel about everything. By Rob Bell.  Rob Bell does it again! I think this has become one of my favorites--although Love Wins is still up there--of his books! This book is an EXCELLENT look at the Bible and I would recommend this to anyone and everyone: Those who love the Bible, have questions about it, don't like or love it, etc. This is a fun read that re-inspires you to understand and read the Hebrew & Christian Scriptures. I felt that this book perfectly summed up 99% of what I learned and grew to believe during my undergrad at MVNU. It affirmed my beliefs and gave me more thoughts to chew on and think through! I had tried to keep up with his original Tumblr posts, but it was nice to have this all in a book format. I listened to this book and it was a great book to listen to. I felt like I was listening to a giant RobCast. I definitely recommend! 4. The Expanse: Cibola Burn (and all the other Expanse novels) by James S.A. Corey Best book yet. This series keeps getting better. I loved the story line of the colonists verses RCE. It very much shows how humanity acts. Loved learning more about the creators of the Protomolecule and loved that it has left me with more questions. Overall I feel this Sci-Fi series is a great look at the human condition and how we, as a people, respond to crisis and catastrophe regardless of what planet it is located on. The whole series is a great read. I'm currently reading the most recent book, #6 Babylon's Ashes. 5. Everything Wendell Berry. This year I have really started reading the works of Wendell Berry. I have read through Blessed are the Peacemakers, Country of Marriage: Poems, The Art of the Commonplace, and I am currently reading The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture. I am drawn to his desire for us to go back to the land, focus on where our food comes from, and the idea that how we take care of the land matters. I have been devouring all things Wendell Berry because his work is ingenious and some might even say prophetic! As a coordinator of a Community garden and as one who is passionate about healthy and affordable food Wendell Berry's work resonates with me.  ********* Happy Reading everyone! Grace & Peace

FOMO: A Confession

F.O.M.O.

A term commonly used to describe the Fear Of Missing Out. Throughout the past few years I have heard this term and phrase thrown around haphazardly and yet I think there is more truth to it then many let on to. Yes, there will always be people who say they have F.O.M.O. and may mildly have that, but at the end of the day it is just something they say and does not truly affect their lives.

I, however, believe that there are people who do legitimately have F.O.M.O. and have found that I am one of them. I also believe I have a slight tendency to be O.C.D. and I am not sure if these are connected or not. I am sure someone who is much more knowledgeable on the topic of mental health could help me with this diagnosis. I have thus far used my slight O.C.D. as a strength and channeled it into my work ethic, calendars, and organization of my personal life. I have often joked that I am O.C.D. enough that I could be an excellent life planner for someone. I am not intending to be offensive or insensitive to anyone who may have a more extreme case of O.C.D., but I am simply trying to express what I have experienced.

This F.O.M.O. can be paralyzing if you allow it to control you. Throughout my undergrad experience I reacted to this fear through over committing to everything that sounded like it would be "up my alley." It took four years and then some to realize that every yes to something is a no to someone or something else. I knew this intellectually and yet I just kept wanting to say yes to everything. Not only did I want to say yes to everything, but I also had the strange belief that if I was passionate about something or heard about something that I loved, then I would need to work for them one day. I had taken the idea of "doing what you love" to the next level and translated it to "try and do EVERYTHING you love" while simultaneously neglecting the idea of hobbies and extra-curricular activities outside of your career.

Even now while I am in a job that I absolutely love and is stable I often hear about exciting new ventures and just want to drop everything and look into those options. I believe this thought process is how I now struggle with F.O.M.O. I am finding that even though I am completely satisfied and content with where I am at, I fear that I'll miss out on something else if it sounds "up my alley." I also struggle with the thoughts "Am I doing enough?" "Am I helping people enough?" "Does what I do matter?"  I am again struggling with those feelings of "what if" that plagued my undergrad experience.

So my post today does not end with a solution, but rather some questions:
How does one overcome F.O.M.O.? How does one become content and realize that, yes there will be other opportunities out there and yes it is okay to turn those down because you are in a good place right now? 

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Resources on F.O.M.O.

Times Magazine: http://time.com/collection/guide-to-happiness/4358140/overcome-fomo/

Psychology behind FOMO: http://www.slate.com/blogs/quora/2015/09/30/fomo_what_s_the_psychology_behind_the_fear_of_missing_out.html

Another resource: https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2015/10/12/fear-of-missing-out/