Cheezy Biscuits

Eating with my family...

A few weeks ago, my roommate and I were enjoying a great American family tradition with my parents: Supper (or dinner, whatever you call it). My parents called me and asked if I wanted to go eat with them at the oh so good Reb Lobster! Of course I said yes!!

We showed up, sat down, and started talking with my parents.

While we were waiting for our food to come, I noticed something that reminded me of the summer I had. There were 4 tv's just in our section of the restaurant. 4 TV's!

Most of you are probably thinking so what 4 tv's, I have 5-8 in my house. Some people don't eat and we have 4 tv's!

Back to Red Lobster.

My mom was talking to me and I will be honest, I wasn't listening. Why? I was watching that new show power of 10 with Drew Carey. I had never seen it before but I was so interested in what percentage of Americans thought they would win a duel against VP Dick Chaney.

The worst part, I knew what I was doing because I was thinking about it in my head.

Here are my thoughts: I am at dinner with my parents and I can't stop watching tv. I am ignoring my mom right now. I am ignoring everyone at the table. There are about 40 people in this room who are probably doing the same thing. We can't eat dinner at a restaurant without having tv's to keep us up to date. I don't know what they are saying on the show because the volume is muted, but I can't stop watching it.

Now there is a question for you Power of 10. What percentage of Americans watch tv while eating supper with their family?

I am not tv bashing. Nor am I bashing America. Remember I try really hard to keep agenda's out of this blog, I am just expressing how dumb I felt.

So what does all this mean. Wow, we are super busy. We talked about stillness at the camp I worked at this summer and it was by far my favorite day. "Be still and know that I am God." Right, try it.......

.................

So you probably just stopped for a second and thought, "oh God you exist. I am being still." Well, I am not sure what the "right" amount of being still is, but being at peace with God is so much easier when we practice stillness.

The fellowship time that I missed out with my mom was due to a tv show. I will be able to buy the first season at Wal-Mart in a few months anyways, but I won't always be able to eat dinner with my mom and have a conversation.

So slow down.....slow....down. This is the hardest thing for me to do. Even as I write this I am typing so fast.

Your challenge, next time you want to watch tv, go to your room. Shut the door. Do nothing. Don't pray, don't read your Bible. Just be still. You might see something you have never seen before. You might hear something you have never heard before. You might be free for the crazy life for the first time in a long time.

As always, remember love is not against the law.

(Special thanks to Red Lobster)

The Title

As I promised to revamp this blog, I have had a hard time making myself write. I have been thinking the last few days about what could I post, what is "post worthy"-for any Seinfeld fans.

I think it is appropriate that I only first talk about the blogs title.

Love is Not Against the Law.

Where did it come from? Well I must thank Derek Webb.

Derek never fails and seems to insist on piercing my heart with the truthful words in his albums. The first time I listened to his CD "the House Show", I hated it. The things he talked about seemed so legalistic and messy.

The more I listened though, the better it got. I suggest you listen to it.

Back to the title...

I picked the title because I think love seems to be again the law these days. I know this is no profound statement and I am not trying to be cliche, but seriously.

Love Is Not Against the Law.

How many times do we talk about "love God and love people"? A lot. Then why do we point and look away when people show love toward our enemies?

Love Is Not Against the Law.

As Christians, our faith is based on love. "For God so loved..." Hello Church. The cross is the picture of love to me. In pain, there was love. In death came victory, and that victory gave us the freedom to love "the unlovable".

Love Is Not Against the Law.

Sidenote: the reason I am " " so many phrases is that I hear them in Christian circles all the time, yet we don't believe.

I admit, I cannot be the first to cast a stone at someone for not loving "those people". I can't even love myself sometime after I have done something wrong, but I shake it off and move on.

I truly believe that love is the easiest gift for Christians, as well as humankind, to give away. The return that you get for loving someone is so instant, so passionate, so intimate that is makes you want to do it again.

Love Is Not Against the Law.

Do you live it?