The Best of Teen Culture?

So earlier tonight we watched the return of the "Secret Life of the American Teenager."

Stephanie told me I should blog about the shame it is that that is what our succeeding generation has to look at. And, unfortunately, imitate. I mean, I don't want to go all flip out like mothers of the 1950's did over Rebel Without A Cause and the *gasp* sexy James Dean. It is clear that not all teenagers spend their science lab period talking about who is sleeping with who. And, ultimately, it is not a reflection on teen culture if your child does end up acting that way because it doesn't have the power to sit down and have a conversation with your child and say "sex or no sex, you have always been and will always be loved." It doesn't have the power to discipline your child and say "this is not acceptable." A parent does. The real issue is when that is missing from a household. The real issue is that instead, parents sit their hormonal teenage girls down and say "you don't have to wait on sex, you don't even need to have sex, just masturbate."

Literally. On national television. On a "family" show.

I'm not saying we should keep kids from anything ever that might have a harmful influence on them, but I think the world is missing out on ample opportunities to be a good influence on teenagers. It's not so much about sheltering them from the world as it is setting boundaries in it.

So then maybe the contestant on "the Bachelor" might know how inappropriate it is to tell a guy on their first night together that he is welcome to land his plane on her any time. In Cambodian. And since when has love become a contest?

But now you know I really can't call the kettle black, get on a high horse about unwholesome teenage culture since this pot here spent 2 hours of her life watching television of equal value. Or lack thereof. Trash.

Give me back my Father of the Bride. Which I also watched today. It almost redeems my having viewed the Bachelor*.

Maybe my kid will live on videotapes of 90's romantic comedy. There's a plan.

*another redeeming factor is that I watched both varieties of junk tv with one of my besties. And the best sister-in-law ever. And Baby Smith. ;-)

Good and Great

After a very emotional last Saturday night, I had a perfectly giddy evening (... morning.) this past weekend.

It's *almost* like God knew what I needed.

Almost.

Oh, okay. He did. Does. Straight up, all the time, looking out for this wayfarer. Which, in and of itself makes for a giddy evening. Throw in a few long time, long-been-far-away friends and everything is upped to elation. Belly laughter, even.

And on top of this, I get great news from Virginia on two fronts. An exciting announcement that I'm not sure I can share yet about the BCM as well as the i-dont-even-have-words-for-the-excitement call from Katie Jones that I do, in fact, have a for real roommate for next year. I mean, I had to get over the whole "omg now I have to share a room again?!?" disappointment, first ;) THAT was a joke. The two of us don't share, we fuse. And boy do we have a lot to talk about. But right now it's 12:45 and what sort of roommate starts talking loud past midnight?

There are actually so many people who have a phone call from me past due. I could make a list right here, but I wont. Still, I felt like I should acknowledge that fact. It's just that I had an amazing weekend tucked away in Dallas, bonding with some incredible women. Not the least of which being my mother. I can't wait to be in Fredericksburg bonding with some more of you amazing folks, but I only had a concentrated amount of time to live it up with the Gerlachs. And now an even more limited amount of time to cherish the people I love here at home.

I can't even believe it's time to leave.

Even more unbelievable is how prepared I feel to go. The most prepared I've ever felt, I think.

Not really ready. But surprisingly ready.

Got it? Me neither.

Part of the preparedness may have something to with the fact that I bought out the entire kitchen section of Ross: Dress for Less, with side items from the shoe and clothing departments. Mom came home in May with stories of this store, but y'all, Ross is amazing. The mere thought of my new orange mixing bowls makes me want to go whip up something straight out of a Julia Child cookbook.

Which reminds me. There is a moment in the movie when Julia and her sister are getting ready for a big fancy event. They are extremely tall, just plain big built women. So they get all beautified and are standing in front of the mirror observing themselves. Julia says, in an impressed tone, "pretty good." After pausing for a second she follows up with a "not great, but good." And the sisters laugh it off. It's quite a charming little snippet. Honestly something I think about myself a lot here recently. Not just in the looks department, though certainly there. A lot in the service/discipleship realm as well. I have loved this summer. But there are some areas that have been good and I am staring an opportunity to make them great in the face.

That opportunity, of course, being this semester. And by "make them great" I do mean "be made great." Because it hasn't been and won't be me doing the great.

I am ready to regularly exercise again. Not because I think I look bad, but because my body feels bad. I get out of breath on a stair case, I can hardly get half a mile on the treadmill before I have to start walking. Very slowly. AKA crawling. It's not cool. Like literally. It has been so hot and that, friends, does not make a girl want to run. But the um, we'll call them dimples, in my skin that have resurfaced since May are beginning to provide the motivation. I really don't mean to be vain here. I realize that it is a privilege I take for granted to even be able to function properly and run in the first place. That I have the physical and emotional means to get in shape is a gift. My desire to hit the gym has nothing to do with being the prettiest girl at the ball. But it has a lot to do with that as long as I have the means and ability to live healthily, I want to be a good steward of what I'm given.

I am ready to serve in avenues I have previously only thought about. Thinking has only gotten me so far in the past couple of years. I look forward to the doing. At fairview. At Micah. At the BCM. At the VBMB. It may sound stupid, but honestly a cute (that may be pushing it) little (again debatable) 1998 clunker/answer to prayer is going to make this happen. I cannot even begin to tell you how life changing a vehicle will be to me. Told you it would sound stupid. But hopefully my life wont be the only one changed. It is my honest prayer that Arkie be a vessel for me to work for, help, and learn from others. Cheesy as it sounds, my horizon has broadened. And whereas before I knew of needs, I feel like I have 10 times the means to meet needs. And meet people. Good will be great.

I mentioned last weekend that Mom brought up Psalm 86 after she came across it during a quiet time. Well, she did something with it. She pulled out every single quality of God mentioned in the passage and typed it out on a little note card. At the top it reads, "Because the I AM has been, I CAN be." (seriously, where does the woman come up with this stuff? ... right.) It's quite the lengthy list, as can be expected. To me they are the things that make the difference between good and great.

Because the I AM has been, I can be...

- a guardian of life

- trustworthy

- merciful

- joyful

- kind

- forgiving

- abounding in love to all who call my name

- a listener

- part of the answer

- great

- a doer of marvelous deeds

- taught/a teacher

- truth

- a deliverer/delivered

- compassionate

- gracious

- slow to anger

- faithful

- strong

- good

- helpful

- comforting

- encouraging

I'm just ready for God to do great things. Surely I look around and see that He already has. The new is just especially exciting.