Here I Stand

For as long as I can remember, I have believed the five points of Calvinism to be Scripturally sound. Not because John Calvin said it, but because I believe that the teachings of John Calvin were the result of Calvin's ardent, prayerful and accurate study of the Word of God. [side note: something interesting that I learned not too long ago was that John Calvin did not actually coin the TULIP, or the five points of Calvinism--they were gathered together after his death, in response to the "five points of Arminianism."] For those unfamiliar, the five points of Calvinism, fondly called the TULIP, are:

• Total Depravity of Man
• Unconditional Election
• Limited Atonement
• Irresistible Grace
• Perseverance/Preservation of the Saints

I won't try to expound on these points, because I'll be here all night, and I have a lot of sleeping on which to catch up. The bottom line is, I believe in these five things as five points God made in His Word. I prefer not to call myself a Calvinist, because over the years I've seen the stigma attached to the term, and I don't like it. "Calvinists are closed-minded...Calvinists are so pleased with their own theology...Calvinists are theological elitists." No thank you. Unfortunately, in some cases, I'm inclined to agree. So I prefer to call myself a Christian, and that's all. My theology comes second to my relationship with Christ.

Years ago, when I was even more of a pain to listen to than I am now, I used to post on Christian message boards and debate/argue theology with many other Christians. It started out innocently enough...new Christians asking questions of the "more mature" [12-16-year-old] Christians on the site. Naturally the topic of predestination/election came up, and of course I got involved, being the feisty 13-year-old that I was. It got very out of hand many times, and at the end of each discussion I felt both attacked and furious that the person on the other end could be so ignorant. Yep, sounds like Calvinism all right. So at one point I decided to stop it. I can hold fast to my beliefs about Scripture without being offended or angry when people don't agree with me. I wonder how many people I could have been witnessing to while I was busy cyber-yelling at other Christians that they obviously didn't understand God's Word as well as I did. So I did stop. I promised myself I would not shout my theological beliefs to or at anyone.

For a few years now, I have been content to be reformed in my own heart and not worry about reforming the Christ followers around me. I would just smile and think to myself, "It's okay that my friends don't agree with me...I know that the man I marry will agree with me." Well...that has yet to be seen. Tonight I yelled at my very wonderful, and very non-reformed boyfriend about Christ only dying for the elect. It was out of character for me and I am sorry I did it. More than anything, I wish he and I agreed on this, but we don't. It's not the end of the world. All of my hopes are not dashed. We do not need to raise our voices and say goodbye curtly because we believe different things about the Christ in whom we both do believe. But that does not mean we smother what we strongly believe for the sake of smooth sailing.

I firmly believe that God, in His sovereignty, predestined His people for eternal life with Him through no action or choice of our own, but through the faith that He gives us, according to the greatness of His grace and mercy and love for us. I believe that apart from being chosen by God, there is nothing Man can do to be saved. I believe Christ died for His people and His people only. I believe God is completely sovereign, and there is nothing that happens outside of His perfect plan. I am more than well aware that there are many who disagree with me here. I'm cool with that. But I hope I never again yell those things to anyone, let alone someone who means so much to me. If you believe differently from me, by all means let's talk about it. But let's not yell. I'm not a fan of yelling, even when it's coming from my mouth.

I forgot with which point I was going to end. I'm not sure all of this flowed together or even makes sense. The important thing is that Christ died for us, and in Him we have redemption. Let's talk about that!

"Unless I am convinced by proofs from Scriptures or by plain and clear reasons and arguments, I can and will not retract, for it is neither safe nor wise to do anything against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me." Martin Luther said that.

Love,

Shelley

a grateful people

Thanksgiving is here...I'm giving thanks. I have been blessed with so much--more than I could ever ask for. It's definitely been a rocky year, and God knows I've not been quiet about it, but today, I'm reflecting on things I am thankful for.

• Christ
• Freedom
• Grace
• John and Cathi Warren...for everything and more
• Siblings: Aubrey Russell; Kristen Slaughter; Annie Welty; Cathryn Longenbaugh; Nathan Warren; Beth Warren; Caleb Warren; Timothy Warren...I couldn't begin to imagine a better group of people to call my brothers and sisters
• In-laws: Dirk Russell; Dave Slaughter; Caleb Welty; Tony Longenbaugh...for taking such good care of my sisters
• Nephews and nieces: Jonathan; David; Joshua; Isaac; Abigail; Samuel; Molly; Warren; Henry; Carrie; Liam; Baby Slaughter; Erin; Judah; Savannah; Longenbaby...you light up my life
• Dear friends: Cheyenne Sabo; Hannah Cisarik; Chris White; Hayden Fletcher; Cristen Gauthier; Rachel Wells (and many others)...I can't tell you how incredible these people are
• My job and the fabulous girls I work with...I know God put me there and with them for a reason
• My piano...for still being there for me, whenever I need it
• My church family...what an excellent, loving group of believers
• The girl at the Starbucks in Barnes&Noble at La Cantera...she always knows what I'll order, and she always makes me smile
• Lewis Wells and Hillary McFarland...God uses these amazing Christians in such astounding ways
• My red platform heels...they make me feel pretty
• My adorable pink computer...for not dying...yet
• This blog...for helping me keep track of my rambling, disorganized thoughts

I hope your Thanksgiving Day is filled with 100000000009 reasons to be thankful.

Thank YOU.

In love and thanks,
Shelley

no change of heart, a change in me

Very few things make me quite as happy as cool weather. Yes, summer is nice for flowy skirts, greek sandals and tank tops, but oh...what I'd give for a year-round fall. Time to pull out the sweaters, black tights, boots, and, of course, my red plaid coat. :) Fall and winter agree with me.

As I walked outside this morning and was met with the 60 degree air, I was immediately flooded with memories of last fall--the feel and the smell of the air took me back to a time when my life looked so different, even just a year ago. I was reminded of being at Northwest Vista, the people there I hung out with, all the time I wasted, all the mistakes I made, all the laughs I had. I also remembered Black Friday shopping...deathly cold, running on absolutely no sleep, crying from exhaustion, falling asleep at Starbucks...not the BEST shopping trip ever, but it makes for a hilarious memory. So all of this made me think about all that has happened since I last felt chilly walking outside. This has without a doubt been the busiest, craziest, happiest, saddest, most wonderful year of my life. So much that I never could have imagined happening happened. All of this realization made me catch my breath. I serve a sovereign God. This busy, crazy, happy, sad, wonderful year is everything He planned it would be. What a beautiful reminder. I say this all the time, but it bears repeating: nothing surprises God. When life surprises you, remember that. It's such a relief. God made me who I am today, and He used the best and worst of circumstances to do it. I am grateful.

Trust me

Ever noticed how loosely we throw around the word "trust?" It's a big deal to put your trust in someone. To have faith in them. To believe that they won't let you down.

I have a "childlike trust in the goodness of others." Unfortunately, it sets me up for disappointment more often than not. I simply force myself to believe that people, in general, are good, and that they won't disappoint or hurt me. Of course, that is generally not the case. People, in general, are bad. People are not trustworthy, and they will disappoint you.

Last night, sister Beth, almost-sister Cristen and I were having a somewhat melancholy discussion about trust. The conclusion we came to was that God must have made us all so untrustworthy on purpose. If people could be trusted, no one would need to trust in God. That is the comfort in which I rest. When people inevitably fail me, God will never.

However, even after coming to this realization, I still tend to place my trust in faulty, fallen people. I can't exactly help it. After all, I am part of that faulty, fallen people. I trust too easily. I suppose it goes along with being an optimist. There's nothing wrong with wanting to assume the best in people. I'm not saying I think that one should never trust another person. What I'm reveling in is that I know there is One who will never, ever give me a reason not to trust Him. He gave me the gift of faith in Him, and I can always rest in that. It's an amazing feeling.

To hear with my heart

To see with my soul

To be guided by a Hand I cannot hold

To trust in a way that I cannot see

That's what faith must be

~Michael Card

Love,

Shelley

it can be a girl's name...

In case you don't know, my father is one of the greatest men who has ever lived. And as such, he never, ever runs out of wisdom which he lovingly imparts to his children. His most famous phrase (except for maybe, "I said to myself, 'self!'") is "Give grace." Those two words have built my family.

Dad has been saying them for years, but I never fully understood the concept of "giving grace" until about a year ago. Someone permanently close to me had done me a great disservice (or so it seemed at the time). My dad was not with me, so my natural thought was, "What would Dad do?" Immediately, I answered myself. Give grace. It didn't matter what this person had done, it didn't matter that my feelings were hurt, it didn't matter that I "knew" I was in the right. I needed to give grace. It was so easy and suddenly seemed so natural. It was a watershed moment for me. I began to deconstruct this idea of giving grace.

The act of giving grace is universal. It doesn't matter if someone has treated you poorly, you have been wrongfully accused, you have been judged harshly, you have been taken advantage of.... Giving grace is realizing that you are no better than the one who offends you, that you are capable of making the same mistakes as them, and that you choose to forgive them and treat them with love rather than bear a grudge against them.

After coming to this great moment of realization, I immediately started seeing the world differently. Instead of seeing what the world could do for me or what the world had done to me, I saw the world as being filled with opportunities for grace. In the past year, I have been wronged by many people. And every time, when anger, resentment and bitterness would well up inside me, I would hear my dad..."Give grace, Shelley." And each time, it got even easier. No wonder my dad can do it without batting an eye. At some point (probably learning it from his most excellent parents), he learned to give grace. And that's how he and my mother live their lives. My parents (and my whole family) have had run-ins with not-so-pleasant people. People who think we live under a rock, people who think we're going to hell because we watch movies or wear pants, and many other kinds. But every time, it's the same. Give grace. We don't need to be concerned with how others view us or treat us. All we can do is extend grace to them and pray that we are a ministry to them.

God saved us by grace alone. If He imparted saving grace to us, why shouldn't we give grace to others?

Always, always give grace.

Love, Shelley.

more on comparisons

I've never been very into formulas. I see big pictures, not details. I prefer to do things "off the cuff" and just see what happens. However, I work very well with guidelines and strategies. So I've drawn some more comparisons between working for Ann Taylor and witnessing.

In a recent store meeting, we were given some guidelines on how to work with clients:

-Get to know the client. Be familiar with her lifestyle, know where she's coming from, her background, etc. Befriend her, let her get to know you. Create an emotional connection with her. In doing this, you'll know what to offer her, what will appeal to her, what will work for her, and most of all, make you care about what you bring her. If you don't know or like your client, you won't be motivated to help them.

-Be knowledgeable about the product. Know what you're talking about. Be excited about it. A mirror can convince a client to buy a product, but a stylist can convince her to try it on with how good she makes it sound. Make the client trust you--f she doesn't think you know about the product, she won't. Also, care about the product. If the client doesn't think you love it, she'll second guess it.

-Have style credibility. Wear your words. Follow your own advice. A client will be much more inclined to buy something if a stylist is wearing it, and wearing it well. This is another huge factor in establishing trust with your client. Look stylish, and [at least act like you] know it. She's the client, you're the stylist. If you look sloppy, and you're trying to sell her a chic dress, she won't do it.

Any of this sound familiar? Of course, talking about clothes is a huge leap away from talking about Christ, but apply these same principles in a different context, and what do we get?

-Get to know the unbeliever. Learn their story, their background, their lifestyle. Care about them. We are called to love the lost. So love them. Let them know you love them and want to help them. The unbeliever will be much more inclined to listen to you if they feel like you care about them.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3: "If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am a noisy going or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing."

-Be equipped with the Sword of the Spirit. Know what you're saying, and know why you believe it. It's not enough to say, "Christ died for your sins. Believe in Him, repent of your sins and you can be with Him." Why? How? Where is that found? If the unbeliever doesn't feel like you know what you're talking about, they won't take you seriously. Give examples, give reasoning, always take it back to Scripture. The unbeliever will see evidence that not only do you know what you're saying, but that you truly care about it. Evangelism is about showing God's love to the people you love.

2 Timothy 4:2: "Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."

-Be credible. Be in the world, not of the world. The unbeliever won't listen to you if you act like "everyone else" while preaching something different. I'm not talking about modesty (although standards of modesty are, of course, important). I'm talking about your attitude. How you live your life. Do you demonstrate God's love and grace in everything you do, or only when you're trying to win people to Christ? The unbeliever will observe you in everything, and if you talk about love, mercy, graciousness, repentance, freedom in Christ, etc. but don't carry it out, what kind of credibility have you established? Live out your faith.

Matthew 28:19-20: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."

If you read my blog, I pray that you find this helpful. Like I said--I don't like formulas, but I like strategies. I'll end today with another verse from Paul's second letter to Timothy:

"As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." 2 Timothy 4:4

Love,

Shelley

leaning on Him

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 1 Peter 4:12-13

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:3-4

Love,

Shelley

waiting on the world to change

I've recently been feeling very convicted by my lack of evangelism. I can very easily say I have a "heart for evangelism," and a "love for the lost," but at the moment, since I'm not in school anymore, I haven't been living that out. My wandering mind has led me to draw comparisons.

I work at Ann Taylor. Every time I go in and start my shift, my manager updates me on how we are doing in terms of sales, Style Rewards, etc. I am good at both of those things. I can add 3 pieces to an outfit in a dressing room and I can convince women to open credit cards. I'm trustworthy and persuasive. I make people like me. So it hit me earlier,

Why am I not capitalizing on this outside of a clothing store??

When I am so good at helping women find clothes that will work for them, why am I not helping people in their walk with the Lord, or helping them to find their walk?

When I am so good at saying, "Have you heard about our Style Rewards program? Here are all the benefits...," why am I not saying, "Have you heard about Jesus? Here's how he died so you could live...?"

Ann Taylor sets a sales goal for every hour, day, week, month. I'm going to set myself a witnessing goal. I'm excited!

Love, Shelley

measure in love

Something that I have been pondering for a while now is the issue of homosexuality and the rights demanded by homosexuals in this country. As recent as a year ago, I would have told you, straight up, homosexuality was the worst offense, that there is no "coming back" from it, and that conservatives should fight to keep gay marriage illegal at all costs. What I would not have said, but would have felt, is that homosexuals aren't worth my time. I am truly ashamed to admit that. The homosexuals I came in contact with were immediately written off and disdainfully ignored.

I don't recall when specifically my mind changed, but after praying, reading and thinking about it, I came to the realization that homosexuals deserve and need to hear the Gospel just as much as every other unbeliever. If, as is so often the case, Christians more often judge and pay less attention homosexuals than to the rest of the world, can we hardly blame them for rejecting Christ? What example do we set?

I do believe homosexuality is wrong. Scripture gives ample evidence to that. But does that mean that I shouldn't love homosexuals? Does that mean I shouldn't pray for them? Does that mean I shouldn't waste my breath telling them about Christ? Of course not.

I would never do anything to assist in the passing of a gay marriage law. However, I am not going to waste energy standing in its way. Marriage was given to Christians as a religious, Scriptural institution. And to Christians, it has remained that way. But in this country, where two people have to get permission from their state to get married, marriage is a civil institution, having nothing to do with religion. For this reason, I don't see the point in conservatives spending valuable time, money and effort into making sure that no two men or women can obtain a marriage license, especially when this law is so inevitable. Gay marriage will become legal very soon. When thousands of children are being murdered legally in this country every day, when Christians are persecuted for their faith all around the world, why are we so concerned about this group of people that simply wants the benefits that come with being "married?" Conservatives need to throw up their hands on this issue and narrow their focus to things on which they have a fighting chance--i.e. Roe v. Wade.

When this does pass into law, homosexuals will forever look back and say, "The Christians tried to stand in our way." And they'd be right. I know that many don't share this same view, but the way I see it, how does it affect me if homosexuals can get married? Oh yeah, it doesn't really. I was not put on this earth to judge homosexuals--or anyone. I was put here by God to a) glorify Him, b) spread His Word, and c) love. First and foremost, I love Christ. I love the Church. And I love the lost. How do I glorify God and spread His Word if I don't overflow with love for those to whom He called me to witness? Equally as important, why would the lost be open to the teachings of Christ if Christians are perpetually antagonizing them? What if Christians gently but firmly stated that we do not agree with homosexuals' lifestyle choices, but that we love them? Why all the commotion that only ends in bitterness on both sides? Why would homosexuals ever be open to the Gospel after that?

As I have said, I think the passage of this law is imminent. But I firmly believe that a necessary caveat to this law be that churches must reserve the right not to perform homosexual wedding ceremonies, or grant church membership to homosexual couples. In talking with my brother-in-law about this the other night, he profoundly commented that more important than churches having the right not to perform such ceremonies will be churches having the courage not to. Hmm.

I have been told that my point of view is too conservative for liberals and too liberal for conservatives. Story of my life.

In peace and love,

Shelley

from where i sit you're one of a kind

I did it. What did I do? I graduated high school, that's what. While I did not have a formal graduation, I did have a formal senior recital, at which my father handed me my diploma.

I started planning this recital a year ago, after my conservatory's Grand recital--I had just wrapped up my junior year. My piano teacher introduced the idea of doing a senior recital to me, and my thought was, "I have a whole year. I can SO do this. This will be fun." Historically, I do not get nervous before piano recitals, competitions, festivals, etc., so what did I have to do except practice and be excited? My other constant thought was, "I wonder what kind of person I'll be at my senior recital." I thought about that a lot.

So for the next year, I worked diligently on putting together and polishing my repertoire. But before I knew it, my year was almost over. As June 5th got closer and closer, the pressure kept building and I was getting more and more worried and stressed about it. But my parents, teachers and friends all assured me that it would be fine. So I practiced for hours every day, even escaping to the conservatory to play uninterrupted.

Finally, I woke up on June 5th at 9 o'clock, after spending a marvelous night with my sister Beth and three of our closest friends. I got up, took a shower, had bean and cheese tacos for breakfast (compliments of Beth and Chey who left the house without us knowing, and came back with armfulls of Taco Cabana), did my hair and makeup, practiced my pieces for the last time as a high school student, we loaded up the cars and were off to Castle Hills. When we got there, I tried to helpful as my wonderful family and aforementioned friends set everything up, but each time I ended up walking around aimlessly with shaking hands and pounding heart and butterflies in my stomach.

4 o'clock got closer and closer. I got dressed and was told to go hibernate backstage as guests started to arrive. So I had Beth (who was out greeting people) put her phone on speaker so I could hear everything going on, while I was locked away, with nothing to do but marinate in my own nerves. I had a couple visitors--sister CJ and friend Samuel came to check up on me and wish me luck one last time. Then I heard Pawpop voice the opening prayer, I heard Mrs. Woodard introduce me, I felt myself walk down the ramp, explain my first song choice, sit down at the piano bench and think to myself, "Well, I guess this is who I'm going to be at my senior recital." I sent one last prayer heavenward for peace and strength, and I played. After each piece, I left the stage and came back to more applause. I don't really remember what I was doing in my 1/2 minute backstage between pieces. I remember that it felt like a dream. A surreal, intense dream in which I was doing what I know best, and all of the people I love and who love me were watching.

Before I knew it, I thundered the last G of Chopin's Ballade in G Minor, lifted my fingers from their ivory friends and breathed an enormous sigh of relief and gratitude. I took my last bow, came to meet Mrs. Woodard and knew that my legs were shaking and my face was flushed. Dad read from Colossians, handed me my diploma with Mom, prayed, I handed my two amazing piano teachers flowers, then went backstage to change for the third time. Sisters CJ and Aubrey were waiting to help me and make sure I was still breathing (I think I was).

Once I had changed clothes, I went out to my reception, where I spent the next 2 hours being hugged and complimented by close to 200 people who I am grateful to call my family and friends. I was shaking and ridiculously thirsty. Once it was all over and the last guests had left, I collapsed into a chair beside my mother and felt the feeling return to my body.

When it was all said and done and cleaned up, some of my siblings and our good friends went to have dinner and see Letters to Juliet (which was terrible, mind you). Then I came home, talked with my parents about the night, and after lying in bed with my mind racing for about an hour, I fell asleep, waking up in exactly the same position the next morning (being an extremely light sleeper, this NEVER happens to me).

Being the human that I am, my recital was rife with mistakes--tripped cadenzas, jazz chords, a [graceful] transition from triplets to sixteenth notes, a clumsy page-turn, and 8 measures that I up and skipped, but the fact that I did it at all is kind of awesome, isn't it? I didn't have to play a senior recital. I didn't have to memorize 90 minutes worth of music. But I did! And I'm so grateful for that. God gave me a talent, and I got to share it with so many people. I'm ecstatic.

I'm also ecstatic that it's over and I feel so optimistic about where my life will take me, post-high school. It's gonna be great. Want to come?

Our God is mighty to save

Hillsong United came to San Antonio two nights ago. While I am not a very big fan of Christian music in general (a story for another time), these guys are amazing. From the moment they took the stage, it was evident that, not only are they phenomenal musicians and showmen, but that they, above all, wanted to glorify God and inspire people to worship with them. The atmosphere was wonderful and full of energy.

The last concert I went to was Jason Mraz's Gratitude Café Tour in Austin. That was the best concert I've ever been to. The difference is that at Mraz's concert, everyone was there solely to see a fantastic musician and hear fantastic music. At Hillsong, everyone was there to, yes, see fantastic musicians, but also to praise God and worship him with this incredible praise band. It was a wonderful experience. Thousands of God's people gathered together to honor and exalt Him.

Savior

He can move the mountains

Our God is mighty to save

He is mighty to save

Forever

Author of salvation

Our God is mighty to save

He is mighty to save

Love, Shelley

Purpose

I am a Christian. Why? Because God, though I did nothing to deserve it, called me out of death and into eternal life. I am His and He is mine. Forever. Because of this marvelous grace, I strive to live my life as He commands. It is an impossible task, because He is perfect and I am not (hence the grace). But I still purpose to glorify Him in everything I do. I also identify myself as a Calvinist. My personal beliefs have aligned themselves with the Scriptural teachings of John Calvin. I am aware that most Christians do not hold the same views that I do. I will gladly and enthusiastically enter into a theological debate with you about what I believe and defend it with Scripture, but it is not my calling to make Calvinists of all nations. It is my calling to make disciples of all nations. My non-Calvinist colleagues and friends are no less-saved than I am.

I am a daughter. It is my responsibility as such to respect and honor my parents. I am expected to follow every rule, command and advice from my parents. You would think that seeing as how I have the most wonderful parents in the world, it would be ridiculously easy for me to do so. Unfortunately, this is not the case. God knows I have pushed (and broken) their boundaries countless times. But at the end of the day, I know that they still love me, I know that I love them, and that is enough for me to try my hardest not to make the same mistakes again.

I am a sister. I have been blessed with the eight most fantastic people ever as my siblings. We have our disagreements, of course, but we are each other's family and best friends, and I owe it to all of them to love them unconditionally and forgive every flaw. It is my privilege to be there for all of them when they need me, to buy them a drink, to bring them a bowl in which to vomit, to aimlessly chatter with them, to defend their names to others and to babysit their kids.

I am a friend. Although many times I'm bad at deserving them, I have some amazing friends. As a friend, it is my job always to be there if you need to talk, laugh, cry, curse, sleep or hug. It is my job to be honest with you, about the positive and negative. It is also my job to let you be the same for me. My most treasured friends are the ones who love me enough to tell me when I am wrong. Like I said, I don't really deserve these friendships, but since I am blessed enough to have them, I strive to be as good a friend to you as you are to me.

I am a musician. God gave me talent. I am not afraid to admit that. He gave me the ability to sing and play piano. I was not given talent to squander. I was purposed to cultivate it, to discipline myself and to use it all for His glory. My music is to be for no audience but Him. As such, I strive to be the best musician I can, because I am playing for the King of Kings.

I am a person. This may sound arbitrary, seeing as how we are all people. That is exactly my point. No two people are exactly the same, so stop trying to imitate someone else and try creating someone you. I have a responsibility to myself to be true to myself. It would be an insult to my unique character if I were to emulate another unique character. I am me.

Whatever you are and whatever you do, be purposeful. Leave nothing half-fulfilled. If you're going to do something, do it really, really well.

Love, Shelley.

c'est pour vous

If you see something you don't understand, how do you respond? Do you a) let it go and accept that you are not meant to understand it (negative capability), b) make a concerted effort to understand it (self-improvement), or c) presume that because you can't understand it, you are better than it (arrogance)? The first is my preferred option, the second is very common and perfectly acceptable, the third is dangerous, shameful, and all too common. I am of the mindset that if something is unclear to me (especially when it does not directly apply to me), it is not meant to weigh down my mind. I know many, many people (including my vastly intelligent mother) who fixate upon learning and understanding everything. I am of the opinion that this is unnecessary, but my brain is wired differently than most. This activity works for many people, and they are the more intelligent for it. Unfortunately, still others prefer to "rise above" what they don't understand and deride it in order to make themselves feel superior. I feel that this is a sad and sometimes hurtful attempt to hide personal insecurities.

Ignorance can be fruitful, and it can also be dangerous. Arrogance is never fruitful, and is always dangerous. I prefer to err on the side of caution and shy away from foreboding absolutes.

Peace and love, Shelley.

La vie est sacrée

For my British Literature class, we had to design posters that represented a major theme in the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. Along with introducing a theme, we had to relate it to something currently relevant. Here was the result.

Theme: Life is sacred. Victor Frankenstein succeeded in messing with Nature and creating life by immoral means. After realizing the horrific result of his mistake, he followed it up by abandoning his creation and relinquishing all responsibility for it. Sound familiar? While it may not have been an issue when Mary Shelley wrote this novel, it certainly feels like an appropriate parallel to the controversy of abortion today. One particularly glaring similarity comes when Victor has just explained the epic moment in which his creature first breathed to life, after which he is horrified with it. He wisely says, "The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature." How terribly true.

I think the red LIFE tape and baby feet are self-explanatory.

Love, Shelley.