Fairies, Over-shares, and other stuff

So it has been a long time since my last update - I blame the majority of this on my new job; which is making me exhausted, but for which I am supremely thankful.

First things first: Are owning ceramic fairies/having fairies tattooed all over your body a dating deal-killer? Absolutely YES! At least for a first date. If we were three months into the relationship and I happened to notice an abundance of "precious moments" dolls all over an apartment it might not be enough to make me jump out - but it's enough to keep me from jumping in. A recent blind date decided to share with me that she had a passion for fairies, which she displayed through her collection of porcelain fairies. Immediately my mind jumped to thoughts of the "unicorn scene" in Dodgeball when Vince Vaughn walks into Christine Taylor's apartment only to find the shelves, walls, counters covered with unicorn paraphernalia. So...that was the end of that.

Last week I decided to have a mini break-down and stress like crazy over the fact that though my job is going well, it's not going THAT well. Much of this was due to the fact that I wasn't getting enough sleep and I was putting all of the responsibility for the results on myself. While I am responsible for the actions I take (i.e. work hard, put in extra hours, study after work), I am not responsible for the results of those actions. I was encouraged by reading through Luke 12 that, among other things, includes the "lilies of the field" verse. It was a great reminder that I am responsible only for what I do today, not to worry about tomorrow.

The other part of this passage though, and one I think I have missed until this point is this: ³²"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom." We already have the kingdom! We already have much more than anything the world can give us, and we can rejoice in that. Jesus goes on to say that we should sell our possessions and give to the poor. This is a harder verse to deal with. He doesn't say "some of you should consider selling your possessions if it's the practical and financially pragmatic decision." He just says to do it. Cut and dry, black and white. I keep trying to figure out a way to interpret this verse so that it doesn't involve me selling my possessions and giving to the poor - if I figure it out I'll let you know, but at the moment I'm pretty stuck.

It gets worse... this isn't even the hardest teaching in this passage! Man oh man, God demands a lot of us - but he has given everything for us. I am coming up against a brick wall: the Bible. The teachings seem unequivocal, having no regard for my own desires. Where's the American dream in all of this? Jesus spoke little of tax loopholes and the financial advantages of real estate ownership. Do I have the faith to step out into God's care alone? I'll leave you with this final word:

(A parable of Jesus)
"The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. ¹⁷He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'

¹⁸"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '

²⁰"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'

²¹"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

Luke 12: 16-21