My Computer Has a Vendetta Against Me...

My quirky computer, Blogger.com, and the "enter" key on my computer are not getting along. Thus, my blog posts come out as one long paragraph because Blogger refuses to recognize that I pressed enter (twice). And they remain that way until I can borrow Elizabeth's computer or make it to the library and fix it there. Here's to short blog posts in the near future.

Quoting My Professors...

I am known to quote my professors when they say humorous or profound things. Especially the Torrey professors.

"Only the government could steal an hour of our sleep and call it Savings..."
~Dr. John Mark Reynolds


I think the funniest part of this quote to me is that I read it on the Scriptorium Daily blog (http://www.scriptoriumdaily.com/) under the new Twitter feed they added. My professors tweet. I find that a weird mix of scary, hilarious, and ironic.

FYI...

I have no idea how many people read my blog. I know there are blogs I "follow" but don't always read, and blogs I read, but don't "follow." So I don't know how many people who read this are my friends on Facebook or how many people check this thing even when I don't post a link on Facebook, but I figured I would put an update here: I have deactivated my Facebook account for a week, possibly longer. I am hoping I have the self-discipline to actually keep it deactivated for a week. I feel like I need time away from the "addiction," so to speak, of Facebook. I spend way too much time on there, and it needs to stop. Plus, I have a load of work that needs to get done, and procrastinating it on Facebook doesn't help.

By no means am I trying to separate myself from the world and disappear into the sphere of Biola. Please call me, text me, e-mail me, come knock on my dorm room door, track me down in the library...I love people, and it's hard knowing that I have severed the only connection I have with some of my friends, but God comes first. Way too much of the time I spend on facebook should be spent focusing on Him. I have come to use Facebook as a relaxation and wind-down time after classes and Torrey sessions. Truly, it needs to be God I go to to rejuvinate me, not a website.

Continue to check back here because I still need a creative place to let loose all my craziness and so far this seems to be working. I will update regularly.

Dang it!

I was on the radio yesterday, and I really enjoyed it. But now I can't stop thinking about how I should have said one thing instead of another, or how I didn't mention a certain thing, or how I probably sounded like a ditz. I wish I had mentioned the doubts I went through during my junior year of high school. I had it all written out in my notes, but I was determined not to read off my notes (and I had no idea how long the little bio spiel was supposed to last). That's what happens when you're a debater. You know you could talk forever, so you cut it short, hoping you didn't ramble for too long, but also said at least something half-way decent.

Then I worry that I sounded like this little high schooler who has just the peachy little life and gets to go to amazing colleges because she's a spoiled rich kid. Well, I'm not a high schooler (anymore), and I don't have a peachy little life (which I failed to mention because a) I forgot and b) I didn't want to talk about certain parts of it on live radio). About the spoiled part...I guess that all depends on your perspective. I would definitely call myself blessed, but not really spoiled. And I'm not rich. At all. And I guess people who really know me won't get that impression, or at the very least, won't tell me that they got that impression.

To be honest, I can't even remember everything I said. It went by really fast. I remember trying not to burst out laughing when the host played those nutty sound clips (including but not limited to some Aslan quote from the Narnia movie or the radio drama series or something, the Oompa Loompa song, the "Imagination" song from the old Willy Wonka movie, something about nerds [at least it wasn't in reference to me] and a laugh track.) I also remember laughing into the mic, probably sounding like a giggly little junior higher. Great.

On a similar-yet-not-so-similar note, I got lost in the parking lot trying to find the radio station. How does one get lost in a parking lot?!

Why I Hate Facebook

Yes, I have a Facebook account. Yes, I check it regularly. Yes, I update my status. Yes, I spend way more time than I should on it. Which means that this rant isn't me looking down at all the Facebook users and telling them they're wrong. It's me looking at myself and the world and telling both of us that we need to rethink our priorities. So without further ado...Why I Hate Facebook...

-Facebook teaches us to be concerned with self. Everything is about how the world needs to know about what I am doing at every second. So what? Who cares? How is that going to edify my life? The world does not revolve around you or me, and we need to get used to that idea.

-Facebook has zero censoring. I absolutely abhor getting on Facebook and seeing a load of four-letter words that I could very well do without. If you are not going to use clean language, then get me off your friends list. Nothing personal, but I would rather not have my morning ruined by seeing the f-word all over my news feed, thanks.

-Facebook devalues language. The English language is a beautiful thing, and Facebook teaches users that it is cheap because it can be changed however people choose to do so. No more capitalization, punctuation, spelling, or even thought put into writing. Does anyone use proper grammar anymore? Maybe this part is just because I'm an English major, but seeing "i luv u :)" just doesn't have as much meaning to me as someone telling me why he or she believes I'm special or what made him think to tell me that.

-Facebook is so impersonal. What happened to chats over coffee? What happened to hours spent on the phone? Facebook is instant communication, but it is also cheap communication. I can see what my friend is doing right now, but I can't have a private, deep, spiritual conversation with her like I can when we are sitting face-to-face, or over the phone where I can hear the joy in her voice.

-Facebook eats up the time of so many of us. We each have 24 hours in each day, and we are free to use it as we see fit. Unfortunately, so many of us (myself included) rate Facebook near the top. Why can't we prioritize better? God, family, work/school, friends, recreation. Why do I so often confuse that order?

-In all fairness, Facebook has many good functions. I can keep in contact with friends I haven't seen for ten years. I can bounce my ideas off others. I can share a prayer request or an amazing quote. I can convince people to check out my blog. I can even discover how to find free shipping on Amazon...but still...

Maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but I much prefer a long conversation about books, theology, God working in my (or someone else's) life, the anatomy of truth, C.S. Lewis, ethics, or philosophy more than I could ever enjoy getting all the Facebook status updates, friend requests, or online chats in the world.