What American Accent Do I Have?

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland   "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The West
The South
Boston
The Inland North
North Central
The Northeast
Philadelphia
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Encouragement...via Chris Rice

So I was listening to some of Chris Rice's music the other day, and I got the hankering to read a little about the guy. I went to his website first, and then I perused some interviews he had done for Christianity Today. I already knew that Rice was a singer/songwriter, and I also knew he had done some youth pastoring. I guess the thing I knew best about Rice is that he is still single. You don't get to be a 28-year-old single adult in ministry without knowing who else is "like you" out there. While I have been content in my singleness for quite some time now, it is always good to get a dose of encouragement from someone who is a bit farther down the road than yourself.

Here is an excerpt from the article found at www.christianitytoday.com. Please read below...and BE ENCOURAGED!

CT: You mentioned writing songs about love. Since you're not married, where do you get the inspiration from?

Rice: It's a very human thing. People always ask me, "Have you ever been in love?" I really don't think I have. But...there's so many things that I haven't experienced that I see in humanity, and I can write about those things. These songs express a lot of what I imagine it would be. What I long for. What I'm waiting for. Love is such a common thread and topic, that I don't think I'm exempt from writing about it. A lot of the songs that I write, people go, "What was the experience that caused that song?" And I say, "Well, this isn't autobiographical." Whether it's a love song or a song about losing someone or a song about heaven—-people often say, "You really must have been devastated by the loss of someone to write something that deep." And I'm like, "No, I haven't, but I've met so many people who have, that I want to communicate truth to that."

CT: You said you're longing for love. Are you still waiting for it? Have you given up hope?

Rice: A lot of people think I've given up hope. Of course, we all long to be loved and to love. It's built into us. I don't have any clue as to when or how or what the detail is going to be. This is one of the areas in my life where I'm content. But God knows what he's up to, and I really rest in that.

CT: Do you believe that one must sit around and wait for that special someone to come, or that one must be proactive about it?

Rice: I'm not a person who's proactive about it mostly because of my life and my work. But I don't have any big theology about that. That's just my style and the way I am. I have people always trying to set me up with people. People are just way too concerned about what's going on with me in that area. But I'm a content, laid-back, non-stressful person. But I'm also very introverted. There are other people who are passionate about everything, and they're excited about everything, and they're outward and they're proactive and go-getters. And that's legitimate and that's fine, but I'm just a laid-back guy.

Pondering John Donne at Dawn

Holy Sonnet XIV by John Donne (1572-1631)
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Batter my heart, three person'd God; for, you
As yet but knocke, breathe, shine, and seeke to mend;
That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow mee, and bend
Your force, to breake, blowe, burn and make me new.
I, like an usurpt towne, to'another due,
Labour to'admit you, but oh, to no end,
Reason your viceroy in mee, mee should defend,
But is captiv'd, and proves weake or untrue.
Yet dearely I love you, and would be loved faine,
But am betroth'd unto your enemie:
Divorce mee, untie, or breake that knot againe,
Take mee to you, imprison mee, for I
Except you enthrall mee, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish mee.

As I sit here this morning reading my favorite John Donne poem, I can't help but identify with these words from long ago. For the lines seem to capture the state of my fallen, sinful heart. I long for Christ to enthrall me daily and to imprison me to His yoke. While the shackles of sin are oh so heavy, "[His] yoke is easy, and [His] burden is light" (Matt 11:30).

Review of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful"

Christine mentioned the whiny James Blunt song "You're Beautiful" in a post the other day...so i thought I'd post my review of that song that I had up on my Xanga site a few months ago.
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So I was listening to the radio the other day, and the song "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt came on. Now, this song has been WAY over-played as of late, but I guess that's what happens when a song is #1 on the charts for a few weeks. Anyway--I was listening to the lyrics, and I must say I have a beef with this song. Bear with me, this will be a rant.

[DISCLAIMER: I realize this song is not written from a Christian perspective, but do think that believers can get hooked into this mentality, though.]

For most out there, I'm sure "You're Beautiful" seems to be an oober-romantic song about an unrequited love gone by; however, I see the song as a subtle yet identifiable attack against a godly pursuit of marriage. In our culture, we've taken to a "I see it...I want it...I've gotta' have it!" mentality. God tells us this type of attitude is A) covetousness and B) adultery of the mind.

Well, back to Blunt's lyrics--the first line of the song states, "My life is brilliant; my love is pure." Okay, my first problem is that his love is not pure. As you listen to the following declarations, you'll see that there's NO WAY that can be! Second, he sings, "She smiled at me on the subway; she was with another man. But I won't lose no sleep on that 'cause I've got a plan." So...is his plan to break them up? To have an affair? What? Sounds a little shady to me. Next, the chorus focuses solely on the woman's outer beauty, saying that he "saw [her] face in a crowded place," bemoaning the fact that he's so in love with her, but it'll never work. From the words, "She caught my eye as we walked on by," did anyone catch a conversation taking place? Time spent getting to know each other? All of these feelings he says he has are based on brief, chance encounters where he only catches a glimpse of this girl. I don't think that a true pursuit of committed love is characterized by the "[lust] at first sight" image I see in this song. Blunt continues with, "I don't think that I'll see her again, but we shared a moment that will last 'till the end." Which moment? 'Till the end of what?

I guess what it comes down to is this: when I was in middle and high school, I had this mentality. I had crush after crush on boy after boy--most girls do. Over the past few years, I've been researching and teaching young girls about godly relationships. The main thing I hate about this song is that I can identify--at least, the 7th grade, the 10th grade, the sophomore-in-college, etc. Leah can. Unfulfilled desire for a boyfriend sucks the life out of young girls every day. Girls cry themselves to sleep at night over guys that should never mean that much to them. So often, I was distracted from growing in the Lord as a teenager because I obsessed about relationships that God never meant to be. Yes, the tune of this song is entrancing, and yes, the timbre of Blunt's voice is appealing. However, as God's children, growing in His truth, we must choose to listen to things that build us up. I refuse to listen to a song that seeks to transport me back into all those old feelings and old memories when the Lord has so much more in store for my life.

Blunt closes with the comment, "And I don't know what to do 'cause I'll never be with you"? I know what he should do: MOVE ON! [And per Christine's blog--QUIT WHINING!]

Photoblog!

Hey ya'll! I have a new--well, I take that back--a not-so-new photoblog I started. I'll be posting my digital prowess for all the world to see! Okay, okay...so maybe it's not prowess. Maybe I just wanted to use the word "prowess" in a sentence. You got me! Cut to the chase, Leah--here's the link: http://www.leahclairephotography.blogspot.com. Since I haven't posted anything of substance on this site as of late, I figured I'd give you something to look at!

"Did ya' ever wonder why?"

I don't know if you grew up listening to Andy Rooney's quips on 60 Minutes, but I sure did. I remember how he started every comedic rant with the phrase, "Did ya' ever wonder why?" My absolute favorite piece he did was on medication bottles. He rattled on and on about why every bottle was filled with more cotton than pills. Anyway...this post is really not about the late Rooney, instead it has to do with my own "why?" topic.

Did ya' ever wonder why you say the things you do? In my case, I've picked up sayings from friends, quotes from movies, and so on. I was taking a mental inventory today on the things I say and why. For example...I often say, "Doh!" after messing up--a phrase that Homer Simpson coined--however, I have never even watched an entire episode of The Simpsons, so I'm not really sure about that one. Also, "Biscuits!" is my curse word of choice. I think I picked that up from my best friend in high school, MegAnn. "Jerk-face" is an affectionate term between me and my sister Laura. I often say, "Yeah, well there's no accounting for taste," which I just realized that I lifted from a quote in Scream 2. YIKES. Anyway...this summer, the whole staff of Snowbird (the camp where I work) started interjecting the phrase "I mean" anywhere they would normally say "um." It was an interesting phenomenon. I mean (ha, ha), imagine a staff of 100 saying "I mean" ALL THE TIME! It was out of control! Also, I lived in a house with seven other girls one year in college. We all started saying "UN-believable" just like that...stress on the "UN," a pause, and then "believable." The pause left a space for additional adjectives as well--which we inserted from time to time ("stinkin' " was our favorite).

Ah well, time to return to memorizing Hebrew paradigms.

Don't Be That Guy

Okay--so I have a bone to pick with a certain behavior I've witnessed here at SBTS. I've briefly mentioned yhe problem to a few of my friends who have replied, "Well, there's always that one guy..." But I am here to tell you that there are MULTIPLES of "that guy" in ALL of my classes!

Alright--I suppose I'll cut to the chase. So as I sit in my classes, my eyes tend to wander around the room. Often, they come to rest upon certain guys who are wrinkling their noses and staring skeptically at the professor. Other times, when the teacher asks if anyone has a question--these guys don't just inquire because they have a question. Instead, they inquire because they want to be heard. I've seen numerous guys this semester who have challenged prof.s on topics that they should've asked about privately after class. I've witnessed countless questions prefaced by statements like, "I was reading so-and-so the other day and was wondering..." I mean, let's get real--statements like that are made just so the teacher knows you're studious. Often times, unbelievable haughtiness is heard in the tone of voice.
I suppose this has all come to a head because, over the past few days, one of my classes has been presenting papers. There are a few guys in the class who outwardly react to things being read--I looked over today and saw a guy laughing and discussing with his neighbor the "stupidity" of the point made by the presenter. Now, I'm not making these comments to dump on the male gender. It just so happens that my classes are often devoid of much female activity. Also, I must confess that I've been "that girl" in years past, and the Lord has broken me of it. The behavior is prideful, and the Lord has really taught me to be silent on occasions when I normally would've lashed out.

I guess, in short, my exhortation is to PLEASE--think before you react. Think before you ask a question that is really more of a boast than an inquiry. Think before you publicly assault a prof. who's studied the subject WAY MORE than you have. Just...don't be that guy.