Thursday, December 22, 2011

The Tangibles and The Intangibles

What is tangible? What does the word mean? Well, dictionary.com defines it as capable of being touched; discernible by the touch; material or substantial. real or actual, rather than imaginary or visionary: the tangible benefits of sunshine. definite; not vague or elusive: no tangible grounds for suspicion. (of an asset) having actual physical existence, as real estate or chattels, and therefore capable of being assigneda value in monetary terms.

So tangible is something that can be touched, something with a "physical existence". Rutherford is tangible. My Mac is tangible. Two things that I love and am thankful for. My pretty white car is tangible. She's such a good car. My Bible is also tangible. I'm sure by now, you are getting the point of the tangibles. I love the tangibles, they're fun and they make my life easier (sometimes).

Now let's see what intangible means. Dictionary.com defines it as not tangible; incapable of being perceived by the sense of touch, as incorporeal or immaterial things; impalpable. not definite or clear to the mind: intangible arguments. (of an asset) existing only in connection with something else, as the goodwill of a business.

Intangible is something we can't touch then. Love. Friendship. Curiosity (I put this because I am curious about everything!). Morals and values. Joy. Again, you're getting the idea of the intangibles.

Now on to the reason for the blog and these definitions and examples. It's Christmastime and there are presents involved. I love presents, I love getting stuff. I think that's a hard thing for us to admit. We fear it makes us seem greedy and materialistic. It can if you take it too far or obsess about it. But I think it's ok to want things. We just can't let it consume us. We often though see the tangibles and want them, but we forget about the intangibles and how important they are.

I'll relate it to football (I know, it always comes back to football). The intangibles are what make a player great, the intangibles separate the good players from the great players. Lets take a biased example. Tom Brady was the 199th pick of the draft. In football that sucks, usually it means you are destined to serve as a backup or the practice team. His rookie year he backed up Drew Bledsoe. His second year in week 2 (I think) he had to come in for Drew Beldsoe who was injured. That year Brady took the team all the way to the Superbowl. Pick 199 who nobody wanted or thought could do it proved everybody wrong. Wanna know why (I know you do)? He had the intangibles. At the combine everybody thought Brady was too skinny or slow or had an average arm. So maybe his mechanics weren't perfect. But the intangibles? He had those in spades. Intelligence, quick thinking on the field, field awareness, pocket presence. Everybody says that's what makes Brady great.

Ok, so I'm done with the football analogy. What I'm getting at is that we should be thankful for the intangibles in our lives. They make us great, they make us who we are. We should desire to have the intangibles more than the tangibles. Don't get me wrong I love my electronics. Rutherford and Ambrosia are beautiful and wonderful, but I would give them up in a heart beat if it meant Derek could be completely healthy again. That is another intangible we take for granted: our health. I've seen and experienced what happens when your health fails you. It sucks to put it bluntly. Love, friendship, joy, laughter, etc... are all intangibles and without them our souls and spirits would slowly die, leaving us with an empty and miserable shell.

I implore you this Christmas season to count your intangibles and thank God for them. If you're having money troubles and aren't getting the tangibles under your tree, try to think of the intangibles you have and smile. If then you still feel you have nothing, always remember God loves you. You have His love forever and that, my readers, is the greatest intangible of all.

Merry Christmas! May God bless you and your family!

Sunday, December 18, 2011

You Know, Whatever

Do you ever suddenly feel angry or irritated? I really hope not because it is a helpless and upsetting feeling. The pills I'm on cause mood swings and all of the sudden I'll find myself angry or irritated with everybody around me. I've been able to recognize it now and I just have to get by myself and pray, read, or write. Sometimes all three. The problem too is once I know I'm angry for no reason I get even angrier! So frustrating. I'm not an angry person at all. Passionate? Yes, but angry? No. This is one of those times and because I don't want to ruin anybody's Sunday I decided to retreat to my room and sit on my messy bed to write it all out.

Remember how I told you I took my finals? Well, I checked my grades for the millionth time and saw my math grade. Before I reveal my math grade I'm going to re-iterate my tendency for perfectionism. Perfect in this case would be an A. This tendency gets so bad sometimes that I actually feel embarrassed to tell people grades and what not that aren't perfect. I know I tried my hardest and I should be proud I even passed my math class with how much I struggled, but anyway. I got a B. I missed getting an A by 15 points. I go through and think of all the areas I could've done more to make up those 15 points. I will struggle with this for awhile, but I'll eventually get over it. Poor Derek has to hear me lament my B. I know he's proud of me though and that makes up for a little bit of my shame.

My sister had surgery on Friday, I'm happy to report she is hungry, but doing well. I wish I could of been there to help, but my prayers from afar will have to suffice.

Well, I should finish getting ready for church. I don't want to hold the show up. Thanks for listening.

On a side note...7 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!

Friday, December 16, 2011

One Of My Favorite People Ever!

My Dad is here. We picked him up from the airport yesterday and I'm so happy. My Dad is an amazing person and I can say he is one of the people I feel closest to. My Dad and I just get each other. Our sense of humor is the same and we bond over our obscene love for all junk food. He'll be here until January 4th and I intend to cherish this time.

I'm on school break until the January 3rd. I took my finals this week and although I haven't gotten my grades back for my classes I can say that I feel really good about them. I'm proud of myself for my math class, as you know I'm terrible with math and it's something that doesn't come easy for me. I worked really hard and I know that I'll at least get a B, but I'm sincerely hoping for an A. I made the Dean's list for my classes last semester. I was so happy that all of my hard paid off.

Last bit of news is Alexander lost a tooth! My baby lost a tooth, it seems so crazy to me. He's growing so fast and while I'm trying to hold on to ever precious second it seems to be passing me by.

I'm so excited for Christmas!! It's my absolute favorite time of year. There is so much joy. I put presents under the tree today and I feel so much joy. I can't wait to see the kids' faces when they see their presents under the tree.

I'm going to sign off now, it's almost time to pick Ander and Ashley up from school. If I don't blog before Christmas I want you all to know how much I wish for you all to have such a blessed Christmas-presents or not. Remember the reason we celebrate this wonderful holiday. Jesus was born so that someday He could go to the cross and save us all.

God bless!

Friday, December 9, 2011

In The State Of Being Appalled

I love to read the paper. I also hate to read the paper. I love reading the sports page to find what they aren't saying about Tom Brady and the Patriots. I love to read the funnies each day and I love to be informed. I also hate to be informed. The rest of this blog is probably going to be shocking (I'm going to share some stories I read) to some so if you don't want to read on please exit now, I completely understand if you don't want to read the rest.

I read a story about a mother that after a 7 hour standoff shot her two children who were 10 and 12 and then committed suicide. One of her children died on Wednesday and the other one died yesterday. This isn't the first story I've read even recently about mothers turning on their children. I read another story about a man that lives an hour from Butte who admitted, ADMITTED, to molesting four boys. He received 45 years in prison with 29 suspended. That means he received 16 years in prison. 16 years for ADMITTING to molesting 4 boys. It will take a lot longer than 16 years for those 4 boys to get over being violated. What that man deserves is to be killed. This country can't continue to allow these poisonous individuals to exist in society, prison or not. These are just 2 stories I'm sharing with you, honestly I'd rather not share them, but I had to to make my point. What kind of society are we living in that a mother would kill her children? What kind of society are we living in that our justice system gives an admitted child predator 16 years in prison when several studies have found that sexual offenders can't be rehabilitated? I know that God will have His vengeance. I also know that God has these people in His hands. I'm just so appalled that the state of the human race. The wickedness we humans are capable of makes me sick. I look at God and all His glory and love and can't believe that something He created could be capable of such atrocities. I guess that shows how damaging sin is and just how sick it makes people. I pray for these families. I don't pray for the wicked, even though I know I should. That is something I'll have to work out with God because in my heart I want them to suffer horribly. That is a place my heart shouldn't be.

I had to post about this because of how angry I was. Sorry for my rant. Have a great day everyone!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

My Soapbox Is Out Of The Closet!

You all probably know how passionate I am about the things I believe in. If you've met me then you really know. When it comes to the things I love I roar like a lion. I can't help it, it just spills out. I recently read an article that upset me. A sports columnist razzed Tim Tebow for talking about God. Not only did this upset me as a Christian, it upset me as a US citizen. There are certain rights we enjoy in this country, rights that are guaranteed to us by the Constitution. Coming down on somebody for exercising those rights is wrong and that's why I wrote the letter. Here is the letter I sent in to my local paper, they printed it today. I'm very glad they did.

Letter: Sports columnist misses Tebow’s right to free speech

Posted: Thursday, December 1, 2011 12:00 am | (0) Comments

Font Size:: Default font size; Larger font size

I am writing this letter in response to the article written by Bill Foley on Nov. 22, the second part of the article titled “Tebow Factor.” I was angered and offended by many of his statements regarding Tebow.

What I’m angered and offended by are Foley’s statements regarding Tim Tebow’s postgame interview on Nov. 18 after the Jets game. In the interview Tebow talked about God. From what I’ve seen Tebow is a pretty upstanding guy. I’m offended as a Christian and as a U.S. citizen by Foley’s attack on Tebow’s postgame interview.

This letter, however, is coming from me as a U.S. citizen who enjoys the rights and freedoms guaranteed to me. The First Amendment states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” These magnificent words are what guarantee Bill Foley can write out his thoughts and opinions each week. For him to attack Tebow for exercising his rights is deplorable.

How is Tebow talking about his Lord and Savior any different than Foley writing his numerous opinions on many different subjects, or an actor broadcasting their political affiliations? I’m curious about something though, if Tebow was Muslim and had praised Allah would Foley have been so critical and quick to judge him? I think the answer to that question is no.

Another statement from the article I want to address is this “with all the famine, violence, death, genocide, and war going on in the world, why would his Lord and Savior take such an interest in the Jets-Broncos game?” (para. 10). Nobody is saying the game-winning drive against the Jets was divine intervention. Tebow is expressing himself. I don’t think God is interested in the football game, but I can guarantee you He is interested in the people playing the game.

One of the many great things about this country is our freedom to choose what we believe and expressing that belief through our freedom of speech. Nobody is asking or forcing Foley to acknowledge or believe in God, what I am asking is that he respects the right to exercise our rights.