What is FRUGALITY?

According to our man Noah Webster, in his 1828 Dictionary:

 

FRUGAL'ITY, n.
1. Prudent economy; good husbandry or housewifery; a sparing use or appropriation of money or commodities; a judicious use of any thing to be expended or employed; that careful management of money or goods which expends nothing unnecessarily, and applies what is used to a profitable purpose; that use in which nothing is wasted. It is not equivalent to parsimony, the latter being an excess of frugality, and a fault. Frugality is always a virtue. Nor is it synonymous with thrift, in its proper sense; for thrift is the effect of frugality.
Without frugality none can become rich, and with it few would be poor.
2. A prudent and sparing use or appropriation of any thing; as frugality.

 

 

Just a little something to think about, eh?

Passionately Curious 4- Einstein on how to make a change, to solve problems and eliminate insanity.

...no subtitle...sorry...just not witty enough to produce something for this one. I try people, I really do...

 source 1, source 2.

"No problem can be solved 

from the same level of consciousness that created it."

-Albert Einstein 

Intellectuals solve problems, 

geniuses prevent them. 

"It is not that I am so smart, 
but that I stay with problems longer"

source 1, source2.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results

Passionately Curious 3- Einstein on IMMAGINATIOOON and Fantasy

...this post doesn't have a subtitle, but it has a hand motion. That spongebob episode where Patrick and Spongebob are playing in a box and everytime Spongebob says "Imagination" he moves his hands in an arch and a rainbow appears over his head? Yup. That is what I am thinking right now.

On another note, I cannot believe I just in cooperated Einstein and Spongebob Squarepants into the same post....

source 1, source 2.

"Imagination is more important

than knowledge" 

source

 

"The gift of fantasy has meant 

more to me than my talent 

for absorbing positive knowledge."

source

Passionately Curious 2- what is, and isn't stupidty.

...I feel a great need to subtitle this post as "mama always used to say 'stupid is as stupid does...'" (and no, Einstein didn't say that one. That was Forrest. Forrest Gump.)

What is NOT stupidity...

 source 1, source 2.

 What IS...

(come on, don't even tell me that the above quote isn't incredibly witty!)

source

 "The difference between stupidity 
and genius is that genius has its limits."

source

Passionately Curious: Quote-ables from Albert Einstein...

SOURCE1, SOURCE 2.

I think I am going to begin a new series on this blog. Sort of a remake of my old Quote-ables  posts.

Everyone knows who Albert Einstein is. The fellow with the wild hair and the previously- impossible- to-solve math problems. E=mcsquared...whatever that means...

He is basically the first person to come to everyone's mind upon mention of the word "genius."  But he was also horribly witty and said ever so many highly intelligent, well phrases, and dry-humoured things. Which makes ME really like him.

He (up there with Churchill and Rev. MLK) is one of my favorite people to quote. So, without further ado, I give you my first "Passionately Curious" quote post from dear old Al...

As my first quote (not counting the one above), I wanted to post this. Someone said it at my youth group (MERGE AHEAD!) this past Sunday and I really liked it.

 SOURCE 1, SOURCE 2.

In other news, and also having to do with education and intelligence, I FINALLY WENT BACK TO SCHOOL! I only had one class so far, American Literature II, but it seems like it will be a good one. My one complaint thus far is that the Prof is going to make us study The Great Gatsby. I really hope that it is better the second time around, cause I sure didn't like that book in high school.  But other than that, seems like it will be a fun and challenging class! Hopefully my other 3 (Digital Photography, World Religions and Math for Liberal Arts...whatever that is?)  turn out as well. I was just so happy to be back on campus again. I do complain about college sometimes, but secretly I LOVE it. I thrive on structure and challenges. Really excited about this semester!

Possibly/maybe/perhaps Final New Blog Look!?

So...I think I have done it. I think I have created a new layout that I like and a header that I LOVE. The one thing I may mess with now is the text font. But other than that, I may actually be happy. What you are looking at right now my friends is what may very well be the NEW look of My Name is Not King.

I am using just the blogger SIMPLE template, with a barn wood background image blogger provided as an option. I was really liking the wood part, but obviously the plain text and beige background was makin' for a real boring header.

As it has been snowing here nonstop and I have nothing better to do, I decided to do a little messing around with header designs.

I went a googlin' for designs that would match my wood background and I was able to find this header from the Background Fairy site.

  

It was cool to begin with, and it had the vintage feel I like. Plus it had a crow (*which we can just pretend is a raven to make me happy.) But it wasn't QUITE what I wanted. The colors were a little off and obviously the whole blog title need to be worked in there.

  

I am no pro, and I no longer have photoshop, so I stooped to the picnik level, but I am actually quite pleased with how I things came out. Photoshop is much more elaborate and has many more options, but picnik is quick in simple (but unfortunately will no longer exist when April comes around.).

The final product is what you are looking at right now:

A darker, more stained, embellished, and with text version of the original. And I am actually really pleased and I don't *THINK* I will be changing it again. But still, I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter. And check out the previous post to see the other designs I was playing with. 

And also, up for grabs I have this NEW and IMPROVED blog button! I use a tutorial over at the blog (Live. Love. Craft.) of my new bloglandria buddy Alyssa, as I had forgotten how I had done it the first time (ohh HTML, you're so silly...). Feel free to take it off of here, or over on my sidebar, underneath my "who I am pictures". I will be working on one for my photoblog- Sometimes I Shoot Things- next!

<center><a href="http://mynameisnotking.blogspot.com"><img border="0" src="http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/ac252/MyNameisNotKing/BUTTON1.jpg" /></a></center>

"When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. "

Isaiah 43 is one of my all time favorite bible passages.
This is the passage I read over and over again when JoJo went off to boot camp.
This is the passage I cling to when I am overwhelmed and uncertain.
Verse five is on an orange index card hanging next to my bed. It was the first thing I saw this morning. "FEAR NOT, FOR I AM WITH YOU."

I need to know it especially now, just like I need to know it always.
I am between rocks and hard places, as well as several other uncomfortable, scary locations.
But I have been bought with the highest price. I have been called and redeemed. 
I am made to know that He is I AM and who He is.
I am chosen. I will not fear.

Bit of a long passage, but...ladies and gentlemen...

Isaiah 43

The Message (MSG)

When You're Between a Rock and a Hard Place

 ^1-4 But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,
   the One who got you started, Israel:
"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you.
   I've called your name. You're mine.
When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you.
   When you're in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you're between a rock and a hard place,
   it won't be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
   The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
   all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That's how much you mean to me!
   That's how much I love you!
I'd sell off the whole world to get you back,
   trade the creation just for you. 

  ^5-7"So don't be afraid: I'm with you.
   I'll round up all your scattered children,
   pull them in from east and west.
I'll send orders north and south:
   'Send them back.
Return my sons from distant lands,
   my daughters from faraway places.
I want them back, every last one who bears my name,
   every man, woman, and child
Whom I created for my glory,
   yes, personally formed and made each one.'"
 ^8-13Get the blind and deaf out here and ready—
   the blind (though there's nothing wrong with their eyes)
   and the deaf (though there's nothing wrong with their ears).
Then get the other nations out here and ready.
   Let's see what they have to say about this,
   how they account for what's happened.
Let them present their expert witnesses
   and make their case;
   let them try to convince us what they say is true.
"But you are my witnesses." God's Decree.
   "You're my handpicked servant
So that you'll come to know and trust me,
   understand both that I AM and who I am.
Previous to me there was no such thing as a god,
   nor will there be after me.
I, yes I, am God.
   I'm the only Savior there is.
I spoke, I saved, I told you what existed
   long before these upstart gods appeared on the scene.
And you know it, you're my witnesses,
   you're the evidence." God's Decree.
"Yes, I am God.
   I've always been God
   and I always will be God.
No one can take anything from me.
   I make; who can unmake it?"

You Didn't Even Do the Minimum

 ^14-15God, your Redeemer,
   The Holy of Israel, says:
"Just for you, I will march on Babylon.
   I'll turn the tables on the Babylonians.
Instead of whooping it up,
   they'll be wailing.
I am God, your Holy One,
   Creator of Israel, your King."  ^16-21This is what God says,
   the God who builds a road right through the ocean,
   who carves a path through pounding waves,
The God who summons horses and chariots and armies—
   they lie down and then can't get up;
   they're snuffed out like so many candles:
"Forget about what's happened;
   don't keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new.
   It's bursting out! Don't you see it?
There it is! I'm making a road through the desert,
   rivers in the badlands.
Wild animals will say 'Thank you!'
   —the coyotes and the buzzards—
Because I provided water in the desert,
   rivers through the sun-baked earth,
Drinking water for the people I chose,
   the people I made especially for myself,
   a people custom-made to praise me.
 ^22-24"But you didn't pay a bit of attention to me, Jacob.
   You so quickly tired of me, Israel.
You wouldn't even bring sheep for offerings in worship.
   You couldn't be bothered with sacrifices.
It wasn't that I asked that much from you.
   I didn't expect expensive presents.
But you didn't even do the minimum—
   so stingy with me, so closefisted.
Yet you haven't been stingy with your sins.
   You've been plenty generous with them—and I'm fed up.
 ²⁵"But I, yes I, am the one
   who takes care of your sins—that's what I do.
   I don't keep a list of your sins.
 ^26-28"So, make your case against me. Let's have this out.
   Make your arguments. Prove you're in the right.
Your original ancestor started the sinning,
   and everyone since has joined in.
That's why I had to disqualify the Temple leaders,
   repudiate Jacob and discredit Israel."

Britishness. And humor.

We all know I have an affinity for all things British...so obviously I found this to be funny.

*Dagsson, via A Cup of Jo

And for the record? I love tea.

A little story for you...

Once upon a time an overachiever, whose name we shall change to Allebasi Ssik to protect her (still obvious) identity, decided to take 3 college classes over the summer- an 8 am math class and 2 late evening English classes. It all seemed like a good idea at the time of registration. She would get ahead and knock some of the more boring, general and required classes out of the way. Yes, she would have more or less no social life, and no summer fun but... life's not fair anyway. Gotta have priorities, right?

All may seem well in EducationLand, but like all good tales, this story has an antagonist to go alone with the protagonist. This story actually has 3 antagonists. Prof G, Prof C and Prof L (The triplets of educational doom we shall call them. Or the triple torturers, if you'd rather).

Those three fiends decided to schedule all of Allebasi's large term papers and major tests on three consecutive days. Probably because they hate Allebasi with all of their highly academical hearts and souls, but more likely that they just didn't take her personal school, life (and sleep) schedule into account when they planned the assignment/test dates. On top of that Prof C decided to make her analyze a (near, but heighly exaggerated) ream of poetry, which she greatly dislikes unless it is Edgar Allen POEtry, but this is all besides the point. The point that is this: what selfish, evil triplets of education, torture and doom bestowance!!!!! The world of young adulthood is an unsafe, or at least very overloaded on assignments, place while people such as those still roam it.

Anyhow, also upon the time that was once (a time very much like this one) Allebasi wondered why she decided to take these classes and sell her summer-soul to the life sucking goblins of education that are her professors.

One day she showed up to school and they had shut it temporarily due to a teeny tiny mini-fire going on inside. She secretly hoped that the building would burst into flames, thereby preventing her from taking classes ever again. Or at least that math class would be cancelled for the day.  But alas, it was not. Apparently firefighters take sides with the wicked professors/oppressors and they saved the school and Allebasi's morning math class. Oh huzzah.

So then upon returning home to face her Kilimanjaro of homework, poor, whiny Allebasi sat down at her computer and wrote a totally pointless, altogether unacademic blog post to make herself feel better.

The end.



...now if you'll excuse me, Isabella (who really does like school, but also likes dramatized venting), I need to help my dear, summerless friend Allebasi write some papers...

Blarg.

*LIGHT*

I'm a fan of The Rocket Summer. Quite.

Lately I've head the bridge lyrics to "Light" (off the album Of Men and Angels), so out of lack of other posting material I am going to put them up here.

I am Yours, do what You wish
I am Yours, I am Yours
And I know this
Whatever happens next
Is in Your hands, in Your plans
Nothing less
Every day there is a choice
And through the joy
Through the pain
I will rejoice
I am Yours, do what You wish
I am Yours, I am Yours
And I know this

Good stuff, eh?

Idolatry, Adultery and Me...

*trust me, the title WILL make sense eventually. No one panic yet.*

Oh here there blog that I don't write on anymore because of many reasons. What's up? I haven't posted in a long while, so this post will be a sort of conglomerate of things stirring inside my brain. Things that relate to the above title.

I've been thinking a lot lately.  I've been thinking about my life, my priorities, and my relationship with others as well as with God. It's a complicated situation, I tell you what. Most of this thinking was prompted by something one of my small group leaders say a few weeks ago. She was giving a workshop and said something that really hit hard with me: "YOU WILL NEVER LIVE A GODLY LIFE WITH A CLOSED BIBLE."

Wow. True, but heavy. Particularly heavy at my time of hearing it as my bible had been closed more so than it should have been. My excuse? I've been busy (...worst...excuse...ever... when talking about the God of the universe and the time I spend with him.). Too busy for God apparently. That is a scary place to be in.

After hearing that I began thinking about why I was letting busyness get in the way. What was so important? Simple conclusion: IDOLS.

No, I'm not talking about spending my free time with shiny golden figurines. I'm talking about the things that I was given my attention to instead of God. What you focus on, you worship, I've heard it said.Anything that takes you attention from God is an idol. And I realized I had quite a few of them hoggin' up my focus. Some of them bear resemblance to people in my life. One has green and gold eyes. Sometimes one looks like 52 white keys and 36 black.One is branded with the letters EOS60D. One's name is fourpointoh. One of them is called ME.

Idols can be sneaky little buggers. All the stuff I was letting take my attention away from God were (are) good things. Like school. School is a very good thing and doing well in school is good stuff too. But being so absorbed in school and reading assigned textbooks that I cannot open up my Bible and read that? Well...that is a problem. A stinkin huge problem.

Which brings me to my second point. ADULTERY.

Yes, I confess. I have a problem with that too.

(What whoa? Stick with me people while I explain).

God is my first love. He is supposed to be the center to all of my life. Anything else is supposed to be below him. He loves me desperately and is jealous for my attention. Which, as aforementioned, I am too busy giving to idols. In essence, I am a dirty, rotten adulterer again my God. And I'm a repeat offender. Daily I give other things the attention that should be His. Every day I find some way to tell Him He isn't important enough. At least not important enough to make time for. Over and over again I cheat on Him with stuff which is so much less important than He is-awesome stuff, great people, good grades...but all things that fall short of being the one true God. But still He loves me and is waiting for me to run back into His arms and spend time with Him. That to me is...amazing. Somehow despite my failings, my cheating, my short comings and all my mess my God loves me. Jealously. Always.

Thinking on this topic brings to mind the book of Hosea (in which God has a prophet go and marry a prostitute to prove a point about Israels relationship to their God.), the story of the Prodigal Son, and also a song by Derek Webb (the guy who used to be in Caedmon's Call, if that rings a bell...). It is called Wedding Dress.

Honestly, Webb isn't my favorite and musically the song is not that great, but LYRICALLY it is one of the most powerful songs I know. The lyrics tell of how we chase other things and in doing so, whore against God. Repeatedly. But His jealous love still never fails. The song is a bold, but true, statement. Every time I hear it I get pretty messed up. 

Listen.
Read...

If you could love me as a wife
and for my wedding gift, your life
should that be all i’ll ever need
or is there more i’m looking for

and should i read between the lines
and look for blessings in disguise
to make me handsome, rich, and wise
is that really what you want

(chorus)
i am a whore i do confess
but i put you on just like a wedding dress
and i run down the aisle
i’m a prodigal with no way home
but i put you on just like a ring of gold
and i run down the aisle to you

so could you love this bastard child
though i don’t trust you to provide
with one hand in a pot of gold
and with the other in your side
i am so easily satisfied
by the call of lovers less wild
that i would take a little cash
over your very flesh and blood

(chorus)

because money cannot buy
a husband’s jealous eye
when you have knowingly deceived his wife

That chorus has been ringing through my head for weeks. I look at my Bible as I absorb myself in other things and I hear my God say, though I am a adulterous idol worshiper,  "Bella...I miss you."

My new stance of priorities? I am NOT too busy for God. Because out of all the things, places and people in my life, only God can satisfy. Then and only then everything else falls into its place.

Creativity (part 3)- Church is boring?

As promised, here comes part 3 of my creativity rant (see part 1 here) (part 2 here).

Somehow someway there is a very unfortunate stereotype out there that Christians are boring. Hey, maybe I am wrong, but I am a Christian, and great deal of my friends are Christians, and we are for sure not boring. (Religiosity, now that is boring.) If any Christians out there wanna disagree with me and declare that they are, in fact, very boring please leave me a comment.

It is also popularly believed that Church is boring. Again, maybe yours is. But I know that my church is anything but. My church (and youth group, Merge Ahead!) is amazingly awesome. We are passionate. Our worship is vibrant. And believe it or not IT'S FUN! We're crazy about God and crazy about life. No boring to be found. (If you're church is boring it might be because well...you're boring. God is never boring. But people sometimes are...)

"Ok hold up" you're saying. "I thought we were talking about creativity and now your just endorsing church." 

Listen, just follow this rabbit and I on this trail and we'll get back to the point I am trying to make. Stay with me, people.

Why do people think church is boring? Why do people assume Christians are boring?

Because unfortunately some are. I'm not downing any type of denomination or music or anything. I love the body of Christ as displayed by His church. But sometimes we (me, you, any Christian) can be boring. Stagnant. Routine. Religious. Which doesn't really appeal to the rest of the world. When church becomes about rituals and routines instead of the presence and love of God people lose interest. That's just the truth...

We live in a modern, technology and media driven world. Our generation is so highly ENTERTAINED it is just ridiculous. Everyone needs constant stimulating input. Entertainment. This comes from music, movies, the internet, video games, technology, you name it. If it doesn't catch there attention and keep it there they move on mighty fast to something else.

"Whooooaaa Bella, are you saying the church needs to be entertaining? No. I am not. Stop arguing. Just stay with me here.

What would you say is the purpose of church? I'd say the purpose of the local/global church is to expand the Kingdom of God. Grow the body of Christ. Reach the lost.

But the lost aren't going to want to come in if it is boring. Reasonable, I'd say. So this is where we need to get creative. Not so we can entertain people and give them a good time in church, but so that something not so important can catch their attention and then they can experience the love of God, taste and see that His goodness, and they can be so captivated that God keeps their attention.

I'm going to use Merge (my youth group) as an example here. When setting up each week we try and make the building LOOK really cool. We get pretty creative when we do this (see! see!)We set up the lobby with crazy art work. We roll out rugs, put out couches and set up cafe tables. All of our first time visitors ("guests") get freshly baked cooks and a warm welcome. Music, sometimes a DJ, plays in the background. In the sanctuary we hook up all sorts of lights and lasers and blast our instruments through amps. When we worship we jump around ("mosh"), dance, and get undignified.

Why? Because rugs really help to invite the presence of God? Because cookies are very spiritual? Because the Bible says to make sure you set up a couple couches before meeting with each other and God? Because God needs a fog machine and laser lights in order for Him to show up? NO! not at all! ( Trust me, the God of the universe who created the stars in the sky is not impressed with our Scorpion Laser Beam machine.)

We do it because it gets peoples attention. Youth come in and like what they see. And then they get blown away in worship and the word, not because there is so much fog their lives are changed, but because they encounter the love of God! THAT IS WHAT IS ALL ABOUT!

If crazy lights and loud music get people saved then we wouldn't need a church. We could just go to a club and be fine. Were that the case our whole generation of youth would pretty much be saved already if it was about lights and music. But that is not the case.

We try and make it appealing on the exterior so we can catch their eyes. Then we expect that our amazing God who loves us, the lost, and the whole world so much, to catch their hearts. That is why we do what we do!

I think this concluded my creativity series. Maybe. (do you guys have any more thoughts on the subject? Comment and let me know!)  Obviously I have a lot to say about the topic. It's my passion. God created me and I love to be creative because of it. How about you? Go do, think, or make something that has never been done, thought, or made before. Go bring God glory. Go change the world.

Create.

Creativity (part 2)- or our lack there of...

"Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor--sick people do."- Luke 5:31 NLT


That verse right there is what I base a lot of my life on and also my view of Christian creativity on. That is what I base my writing on. That is what I base my opinions of Christian music, literature and all else created by Christians upon. 


 There is a lot of Christian music out there. There are a lot of Christian books out there. There are even Christian movies. I fully understand that we are called to be in the world and not of it and we shouldn't be filling our heads with what the world says is ok, but is so wrong by God's standards. I get that. Really. But I also think we are called to reach the lost.


Jesus didn't come to earth to save believers. He came for the lost. He hung out with liars, cheaters, whores and theives. He hung out with filthy rotten sinners. Jesus hung out with the sick. Not just those physically sick, but those terminally sick spiritually. 


Christian resources are great stuff. I read lots of Christian books and listen to a great deal of Christian music.But I have to say, I don't know a lot of unsaved people, who are living like hell until they get to it, who wake up randomly one day and decide to walk into a Christian book/music store to make purchases.  That may happen once every so often but...not usually. That isn't an effective way of reaching the lost. That is an effective way of protecting Christians from the big bad world. Sometimes so much so that we forget that there are lost people out there literally dying to know what we know.


Again, I do listen to Christian music. I do read Christian authors. But I'm sorry, some of it is...lame.


Yes. I said it. LAME. No worldly person would want to hear or read it, instead of what they already have. I am not going to list any band/books in particular or anything, but some of the stuff out there is so...cliche...so unoriginal, so UNCREATIVE that I feel embarrassed to associate myself with it. Pretty much a dumbed down version of the worldly stuff. Knock offs, minus things like swearing or sex, so it can be considered Christian. Lame, lame, lame, lame.


This may get controversial here, but I think sometimes people in the world do a better job of being creative than some Christians do. I've said it before and I'll say it again; I think Christians should be the most exciting, most creative people in the world because we know THE CREATOR as our Father and creativity runs in our spiritual DNA! But honestly, we're not sometimes. There are nonchristians out there who are using a gift given to them by God to glorify themselves instead of their Creator and they are doing a good job of it.



An example I use frequently to illustrate this point is the well known Lady Gaga. God gave her such a creative mind. She is so talented. She is influencing my generation in a huge way.


*and all the holy people gasp.*


Yes. You're reading correctly. The creativity that Lady Gaga uses blows me away. 


I'm not saying I like her and I don't actually listen to her music (once I hear any song more than twice I memorize most of the lyrics. I have to be careful about my input) or call myself a fan. The stuff Gaga sings about is dirty, perverted, pornographic, liberal and all together everything I am against. The way she dresses (or...doesn't...) is also awful and totally inappropriate and beyond. But she is, no doubt, creative. She thinks of stuff no one else does. She preforms in a way that is totally unique. While the way she dresses is not okay at all, she does create most of the stuff herself. And she gets people's attentions.


One of her most popular songs right now is one called Born This Way. The first time I heard it I was really, really confused. And really, really caught off guard. She is so, so, so, so lost and confused. The song is about being whoever you are and making no apologizes. A lot of it has to do with sexual orientation and equal rights, but one part of the song (pre chorus, chorus) goes like this:

There’s nothing wrong with loving who you are
she said, cause He made you perfect, babe
So hold your head up girl and you’ll go far
listen to me when I say

I’m beautiful in my way
’cause God makes no mistakes
I’m on the right track baby
I was born this way

She says God. She acknowledges Him as the Creator. Lady Gaga, like everyone, was in fact created by my God. God gives everyone gifts and talents. She is definitely gifted in creativity in relation to music and preforming. She is just using the gifts in a self-glorifying way. What God created in her to bring him glory, she is using in a negative way to bring herself glory. Which always leads me to thinking "What if Lady Gaga got saved? What amazing stuff could she come up with? She could change the world!"


People sometimes tell me that is a really weird way to think. Lady Gaga is filth, according to them. But my Jesus hung out with people like her. And he LOVED them.


Lady Gaga is gifted. What could have been a huge asset to the Kingdom is instead being used to influence my generation in a negative way. But she is at least using her gift.


In the first post I talked about the creative potential inside of us all, given to us by God, just waiting to be used. Why does it seem that she is more creative than Christians? THAT IS NOT RIGHT! Where are the Christian Gagas? No, I don't mean we need some Christian musicians to get on a stage half naked, to wear a dress made of meat to make a statement, or sing about things that clearly do not please God. I mean where are the people in the church using their God-given creativity to influence my generation? Where are the creative people who are using their talents to change a lost and dying world!? For the good, not the bad!?


We don't need more Christian music or Christian books. We need some radical Christians who will step outside the church and reach the lost! Being in the world and not of it implies we have to...be in the world! That is why I want to write books. Not Christian ones, published by Christians publishing houses and sold to Christian book stores for Christians to buy and read. No, those are the healthy people. I want to write amazingly creative books (that glorify God and do not compromise what I believe!), get 'em published by a secular publisher and have them sold in big name book stores right next to the big name secular authors who are perverting my generation! I wanna reach the sick.


I could list off amazingly creative worldy people all day long. They are out there and they are changing the world. For the bad. What are we, those called to change the world and extend the kingdom of God, doing? Lady Gaga is not more creative than me. Or you. Stephanie Meyer isn't more creative than me either. Because I know where my creativity comes from and I know to whom the glory goes. You should to.


Start thinking big, people. Start thinking bigger than the four walls of our (safe) churches. Start thinking broader. And once you do, think bigger. Think up stuff so big, so wild, so crazy that there is no way you can get it done without God. And then think some more. Because God is able to do more than we can ask, think, or imagine.

You were created to do something. Now get creative in whatever way you do and do it. The world is waiting.


*part 3 of the creativity post is coming on Wednesday. Stay tuned to hear about creativity and church.

Creativity (part 1)- Do you Know What is Inside of You?

*Alternative title; "NORMAL IS ONLY A SETTING ON A WASHING MACHINE"

I'm done with school now, at least for a week, and I finally have time to write on here. This will be a long post as it has been a long time coming, brewing in my head for weeks.

This post will be about creativity.

Isn't almost every post on this blog about creativity in one way or another? Probably yes. If my middle name wasn't already Kiss, it probably be Creativity. I am a very creative person. Anyone who has known me for more than 5 minutes knows that (dang, anyone who looks at me for more that 5 seconds knows it!). Without artsyness I go crazy. Truly. My constant rebellion against normal is a huge part of who I am.

But I have been thinking about creativity more so than normal lately. A couple weeks back we were talking about it in my psyc class and I had to give a presentation on people who display amazing amounts of creativity. The presentation could only be 5 minutes long, but in creating it I did a great deal of thinking about creative people.

Who are the creative people in the world? YOU are. That's who.

This is where you will begin the mental argument with me that not every one is creative. Blah blah Blah. I disagree. I didn't say ARTISTIC. I said CREATIVE. I believe that very human being has some amount of creativity in them because we were created by and in the image of a creative God. He who created me created the whole world from scratch (ever thought about that? Whenever I make something I have to start with something else. Some supply or material. When God created everything He started with absolutely nothing. That amazes me! If I had been charged with creating the world with nothing to start with and nothing to base my ideas on I would have not come up with much. Or anything. ) He is my Father and THE CREATOR; I am His daughter, so I create. Creativity is in my spiritual DNA.

You're arguing with me again, aren't you? You are. I just know it. Stop it. Just stop.

I'm not talking about creativity and everyone having it in the sense that we all can paint, draw, and had an A in high school art class. I'm not sure what the actual definition of creativity, but I don't think it is synonymous with artistic. Creativity, at least to me, is the ability to think outside of the box. Better yet, to refuse to acknowledge there is a box.  Creativity is not acknowledging the "normal" as acceptable. Creativity is that which does not fit in. Creativity is looking at something that anyone can look at, and seeing it differently.

If you give me a blank page of paper, I am likely to write something, because that is what I do. Might not be good, but I will write anyway.  If I give my little brother a piece of paper he will fold it into an elaborate paper air plane. If I give my friend S.L a piece of paper she would likely draw on it. Some of my friends would be more likely to write song lyrics on the page. What would you do with it?

I have several friends who are passionate about painting, and find their artistic expression on canvas. (Me? The only painting I do is that which involves splattering). Anyone can look at a canvas. Anyone can pop into an art store and buy one. The creativity is what a person DOES with the canvas.  If I gave a canvas to my friends T, L, A, or S (initials) they would take some paint and make something beautiful, because their creative minds see not a blank canvas but a potential piece of art.

But if I gave the same canvases to a group of mathematical, analytical, entrepreneurial, business people they probably wouldn't have the same vision to create something with paints upon it. So are they just not creative?

No.They are creative. They just are not painters.

Scientists are creative. Science wouldn't be useful if people weren't constantly coming up with new things. That is called history.

Mathematicians are creative (I know... I know...). But the use of math within science, or something like engineering requires creativity. 

Any entrepreneur is creative. They have vision. They see a problem, or a potential-holding business venture that no one else see, and they make it happen. They think outside of the box.

The most successful business people are those who think outside of what has already been thought; who dream bigger dreams and think greater thoughts than the less successful people. Their success has come because they did something different. Those who aren't willing to think creatively and instead keep doing what everyone else is doing are very likely to get the same result that everyone else did.

I think each of us has the ability to be incredibly creative, but in different ways. (I write and make stuff. What about you?). I think each person, Christian or not, is creative. Look at some of the people in the media living like hell. They are sure creative, just to their own glory and not God's (more on that later). Personally, I think Christians should be the world's MOST CREATIVE people, because we know who are Creator is and we know that we are made to be like Him!

Each of us has such potential. There is so much creativity inside everyone that is never being released! People are so caught up in the "normal" that often they don't think broadly enough about what is possible if "normal" is challenged. I'm not just talking about uses for paint and paper (which are fantastic), but how long are things like cancer going to be "normal?" Are gas prices climbing towards $5 "normal"; oil crisis, what about that? Are children homeless and starving in other countries "normal"? What about sex trafficking, is that just "normal" too? How about how perverted and filthy (secular) music is? Movie content? I don't think the books being written for young adults are "normal" at all!

So many pieces of art, so many inventions, new business ideas, solutions to worldwide problems, things that have never been done or made before are INSIDE OF YOU!

I don't know about you, but that gets me fired up and inspired to make something. Do something. Be something.And in doing that and releasing that creative potential we are glorifying God! We are being who He made us to be and becoming more like Him!

To keep this post from being 19 miles long I'll stop here. But I've got more coming. In the next part of this rant on creativity I want to talk about it specifically in relation to the Kingdom of God. How we can use it...or how we aren't. That post coming soon!



*phew. It felt so good to write something that wasn't academic, didn't need MLA citations, and wasn't going to be graded!

Quoteables.

I'm currently writing a paper on Just Causes and Justice for English class. This involved a lot of research reading and that reading appropriately included Henry David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience."

Now, some of Thoreau I like. Some of him I don't. He and I have very mixed feelings in our relationship towards each other. But this quote I LOVE. This quote is a great summation of how I feel about rebelling against normal and refusing to accept the commonly accepted just because it is common to do so. This quote is about knowing what you stand for and then standing. This is what I aim for.


 "LET YOUR LIFE BE A COUNTER FRICTION TO STOP THE MACHINE."- h. d. thoreau


I can't get it out of my head.

I liked it so much it even got stuck to my computer monitor via yellow sticky note. As far as quotations and my treatment of them go that is a high honor.

Quoteables.

"IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING."

I don't have tons of time for posting, but doing a quotes post on facing the impossible seems like a good idea today. I have a lot of things going on in my life that feel like they should, by normal worldly standards, should be impossible. But as the missionary Amy Carmichael said "...nothing is impossible if one if meant to do it." That to me is so encouraging, so provoking. Failure isn't an option when impossibility is my destiny.

Couple more quotes on believing and doing the impossible:

"Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools."- Napoleon Bonaparte (yes, just quoted him too).

"Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."- Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland) (and why yes, I haven't had breakfast yet!)

"Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail"- Robert Kettering (and yes, yes it is.)

It makes no sense, but she has come too far to not believe in the impossible.- from a summation of a certain character in a certain book written by a certain passionate chick who happens to be me.

And this one is my fasvorite:

"impossible is an opinion"- Muhammad Ali (yes, I did just quote him.)

  Now go forth and do it.


*"impossible is nothing" quote is a popular Adidas slogan that I greatly enjoy.

This is your brain on college home work...

This Mercedes Benz ad is sort of a good depiction of how I feel right now.
It's my new desktop.

I found this image in a google search (for psychology class) looking for images of the right and left hemispheres of the brain. I saved it to mu computer, because I thought it was really artful, though it had nothing to do with what I was searching for.

You can click the above link to see it enlarged but the captions on either side say this:

"LEFT BRAIN:
I am a scientist. A mathematician
I love the familiar. I categorize. I am accurate. Linear
Analytical. Strategic. I am practical. 
Always in control. A master of words and language.
Realistic. I calculate equations and play with numbers.
I am order. I am logic.
I know exactly who I am."

"RIGHT BRAIN:

I am the right brain.

I am creativity. A free spirit. I am passion.

Yearning. Sensuality. I am the sound of roaring laughter.

I am taste. The feeling of sand beneath bare feet.

I am movement. Vivid colors.

I am the urge to paint on an empty canvas.

I am boundless imagination. Art. Poetry. I sense. I feel.

I am everything I wanted to be."

My summation?

LEFT BRAIN:

this is my brain on college courses.

this is the smart half.

RIGHT BRAIN:

this is who my brain is the rest of the time.

this is me.

Neither dead nor dying...

Hey people of my blog, 

Just a heads up, I am not dead, nor am I dying.

My life is a little bit crazy right now and I sort of feel like there is more stuff to get done then there are hours for me to do it. Just a lot a lot of stuff going on. Not at all like a crisis or anything, don't worry! I'm totally fine! Just lots of school and other important aspects of my life that need to be focused on. 

One day I will post again with some consistency, I promise!

I have so many things I would like to write about and SO many things I want to take pictures of with my new camera.

Right now I just can't focus too much time on blogging. Gotta prioritize. Hurray for adulthood and real life situations requiring my attention!

One day I will live again here on this blog. But for now I have another essay to write and a lot of reading to do. And 46.2 billion other things. 

*sigh.

peace, love, and chaos;

3ella

There is some thing(s) you should know about me...

My name is Isabella Kiss and there are some things you should know about me...

First off, When I tell you my name is Isabella Kiss I am not kidding. It is. Really truly. Says so right on my certification of birth.

Also: When I tell you my name don't say "like in twilight!" and do not inquire about "my relationship with vampires." I get that enough. NO. NOT LIKE IN TWILIGHT! Not at all. Don't make my life worse but adding to the onslaught of Twilight jokes thrown at me upon every introducing of myself.
 
When I say I am a Christian that doesn't mean I am announcing that I boring and uptight, and/or that I hate anyone/anything non Christian. Quite the opposite. I am mad fun, super not boring. I just choose to have the kind of fun I can remember the next day. And strongly believe that God so loved the world and therefore so should I.

When asked for my "religion" I hesitate to answer. Why? Sound contradictory? Well, I am not into religion. I am into relationship. Like the relationship I have with my heavenly Father who saved me with the blood of His Son Jesus. That is what Christianity really is.

When I say I am a writer that doesn't mean you should say to me "well, have fun starving" or "I hope you marry well." Thanks for your concerns but feel free to keep them in your head.

When I talk of being a "dust assassin" that basically mean I make money by cleaning houses.  I just like to apply the concept of assassination to my occupation. Looks good on forms and in profiles...or not.

When I state that I am a "pescetarian" I am not telling you of my religion or occultic involvement. No, no, no! It simply means that I eat fish and not meat. Don't be confused.

When you say I am sarcastic I will disagree with you and say I am sardonic. There is a difference. Look it up!

When I mention knitting/crocheting/sewing/anything of the like please do not compare me to your grandmother. Creative, awesome, and just all together artistic I am. Granny I am not.

When I talk of that ^^ and things like cooking don't use the word "domestic" to describe me. I am not something that has been house broken and tamed. I do not walk nicely on a leash and I am much feistier than your lapdog and/or Ma Ingalls/Martha Stewart/or whatever female you think of as being domesticated. I am simply well-rounded. Don't hate cause you ain't.

When I mention I am home-schooled in grades 1- 12 that doesn't mean I was a homeschoolER.It involved no long skirts, no tucked in shirts, no life of solitude, and no awkward hair cuts. There are some serious differences such as those that you should just be aware of. And look, I turned out as a functional (and smart) member of society. Points to me (and my mom).

When I say that ^^ do not ask me if I have friends. Really now. Cease with the ridiculousity. Yes, I do. Of course.

When I talk of my family of 10 people, 8 of which are kids that doesn't mean you ought to say "LIKE THE DUGGARS!" Uhmmmm...just no. Inaccurate comparison in so many ways.


When you notice those kiddos who are my siblings and note that we have a broad range on the melanin spectrum (aka there are some serious skin tone differences) don't ask me if I am sure they are my sisters/brothers. Yes, I am sure and no explanation is owed to you if you want to be a racist. Also, no, it is not "weird" that they are adopted and I am not. You're weird and also narrow minded.

on the topic of racism...
When I say I don't really agree with/like the choices and character of our current president don't dare tell me I am a racist. Don't bother. I am anything but and I do respect our president in that he is the President and God put him into his position of authority. I simply agree with some famous guy by the name of King who said "I have a dream that {my four little children will one day live in a nation where} they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." I don't care what color he is. I simply have a problem with his character and a lot of the decisions he makes.


When I don't seem to take a like stance with the activism of groups like PETA or Americans attempting to save polar bears or any other type of wild life it doesn't mean I hate animals, I am just far more concerned the saving of human life and the great injustice of our nations tolerance of abortion. I do however really, really like animals. Love them actually! People just win. If I had to choose I'd rather save babies than furry things. Do don't talk to me about saving whales until we stop this homicide of human life.

When you are sitting there gasping as you read all this thinking that I am much too straight forward, very difficult, or maybe just highly opinionated, please know that perhaps you are right. 

I, Isabella Kiss, am very clear on what I stand for, and by stand I actually mean I take one. 

I refuse to live mediocre. 

I refuse to sugar coat. 

I refuse to be who society tells me that I am. 

I refuse to back off or shut up.

I know who I am and no one is going to change me. 
I will not be labeled, stereotyped or boxed in.

I'm passionate, ardent and ever-so-feisty.

I know what I believe and Whom I believe in and you will not be able to tell me otherwise. I was made by the God of the universe who loves me and saved me so I could live for eternity with Him and live life in abundance here on earth in a way that brings Him glory.

I live on purpose for a purpose.

Thanks for getting to know me. If you found this experience of becoming better acquainted with my person to be less than enjoyable feel free to close your eyes.

I am who I am. I like it that way. And there will be no changing it.

*this post was in my drafts. I wrote it a couple months ago during a blog venting session and am pulling it out as I am too busy studying for midterms to post this week. I hope I didn't scare y'all. If I did I'm not sorry.

"My Name is Narcissist."

Lately I have been spending a lot of time reading Henry David Thoreau's Walden for English class, so my mind if swarmed with deep thoughts of the wilderness and Thoreau quotations.

I shall leave you with one to ponder over the weekend. I like it because it feels like a mild reference to me and how much I talk about myself on this blog (and why).

"I should not talk so much if there were anybody else I whom I knew as well. Unfortunately, I am confined to this theme by the narrowness of my experience. Moreover, I, on my side, require every writer, first or last, a simple and sincere account of his own life, and not merely what he has heard of other men's lives..."- Henry David Thoreau (first page of his journal-style book Walden)

Happy weekend, all!