Soul mates

I don't believe in soul mates. When someone asks me that, I say, "Jesus is my soul mate." He saved our souls, and our souls belong to Him if we accept his free gift of salvation and believe in His blood. That's as far as my belief in them goes, at least along the lines of modern understanding of soul mates.

See, while some people who lose their spouse never remarry, some people do, and they are just as happy with their second spouse as they were with their first spouse. God doesn't expect us live alone our whole lives. God made Eve for Adam so that he would have a companion and wouldn't be alone. God cares about our needs, and someday I expect to get married, but right now I am enjoying being single!

I do believe in soul ties (made when people have sex with each other) which are different than soul mates. This results in confusion and an inability to be away from each other, and a longing to keep on having sex despite the guilt and feelings of sin that result from having it outside of marriage (unless that part of the conscience has been murdered or deadened). A study stated that the happiest people are Christian, monogamous women.

And that is my belief in soul mates.

Praying you have faith, hope, and love always,

Rachel

Studying

OMG! I am so tired. I need to be studying because I won't have much time tomorrow, but I just want to curl up and go to sleep for a long time. I have a test tomorrow. I'm so full of anxiety and worry...God, just take it all away and give me peace. I may do a quick review of the chapters we read and then head to bed, or hit the sack early today and study in the morning and before I go to the Arrow for like an hour, leave for a luncheon, and go back, and then go to take the test. I really, really need God to be with me. Even as I'm typing this I feel that I am probably asleep at the keyboard. Who knew I was such a confident typist? I'm a decent writer without looking at the paper, I'm proud to say. Ah, I'm off on a rabbit trail!

Anyway, please pray for silence on my floor, and that I will have a great test. I'm sure it will be easy, but memory is a great assest to have.

Praying you have faith, hope, and love always,

Rachel

Wish List

When in doubt about what to get me for a holiday, look at the below list.


A gift card for iTunes, any amount.

A gift card to Walmart, any amount.

A gift card to Barnes and Noble preferrably, any amount.

Or buying one of the below:

Esther Study by Beth Moore

Daniel Study by Beth Moore

The Matrix on DVD

The Poseidon Adventure 1972 version with Gene Hackman (NOT THE NEW ONE); (only available on amazon.com so far as I can find it)

The Adventures of Huck Finn (Elijah Wood)

Audie Murphy movies (Already have "No Name on the Bullet")

Francine River's "Lineage of Grace" series (I already have "Unspoken")
 

Any of the above would please me.

Praying you have faith, hope, and love always,

Rachel

Too Young

Although I am almost 21, I feel that I am too young for marriage. I used to get saddened not having dated in high school, but now I am grateful I did not. It's all very pointless in high school, unless you get lucky and find the one you will spend the rest of your life with! I do not want to date until I start thinking about getting married, and I still have three semesters of college left!

And that's just to get my B.A. degrees in English and Journalism. I'll probably spend four or five more semesters getting a grad degree. In fact, much as I long to be a wife and mother, I don't see it happening for a bit. So why should I be caught up in the world of dating and boyfriends, Valentine's Day and romance? And yet, I do want to be a mother and not an old mother, either. God will show me when the right time is, and I am sure that He will hit me in the gut when I see my other half. I want to be prepared.  

People can call me whatever they want, I am content to wait, continue my education and advance in my abilities until the time comes. The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren really impacted my heart.

The Esther Bible Study I'm involved in on campus also shook my core. I'm not waiting for the event, for it makes me miserable to wait and compare myself to the others around me (who have not waited and who do not seem very happy). I am waiting on God, and I know I won't be miserable. I have a very special destiny, even if that's just training up the next generation, and I intend to fulfill it.

My grandfather goes, "Will you marry the preacher, or will he marry the preacher?" I didn't get it at first, but now I do! He was asking if I was going to be the preacher. Wouldn't it be funny if I ended up a preacher? I think I would not be very unhappy with that. (But I think I will be an evangelist. But I could be a preacher. We will see.)

There's a great line I heard once. "I don't want you to give up your dreams for me," he said.
She said, "I'm not giving up my dreams. I have new dreams now, and they include you." That's what I'm saying to God. I'm not giving up my dreams. I have new dreams now, and they include you.

Praying you have faith, hope, and love always,

Rachel

Titanic

It is a great movie! Just watched it tonight with some girls. Of course it was on TV, which makes it an interesting experience...

Interesting Notes

I noticed a couple things: the little girl that Cal grabs so he can get on a lifeboat does indeed survive, you can see her in a corner on his lifeboat. He was not holding her. (And did anyone notice that ALL the kids in that movie were quite unresisting to adults grabbing them? Ah, hail to a gentler, better time!)

When Jack is yelling, "You know me, Rose!" as Lovejay (who dies) is yanking him away because he is arrested, the audience is thinking to themselves - but she's only known for a few days! Well, think of that term more in Biblical terms - "and he knew her and she had a child" - and you get the irony and double meaning of that phrase!

Foreshadowing

1) When the ship goes under Jack is torn away from her and falls, but he comes up. Later, Jack falls the exact same way when she lets go of him and pushes him over the side of the door she's floating on to his watery grave.

2) Cal says to Rose, "I should have kept that drawing. It'll be worth a fortune in the morning." Cal, of course, making the jacka** assumption that Jack will die. This is foreshadowing, for remember that Jack does die, and the painting does survive - underwater. And when the people in the present use it to find Rose, they do discover the drawing is attached to a fortune, in the form of the heart of the ocean.

Interpretations

And can we find God in it?

Well, if we think about it, Jack saves Rose's life in the beginning and she spends the rest of the movie dedicated to him and doing everything in her power to either die with him or stay with him. He dies, essentially giving his life for hers, because they cannot both be on the door and he lets her get on it. She lives and she discovers a treasure that she keeps for the rest of her life, as she goes about doing what Jack says she should do. At the end of the movie she dies (I declare she dies) and re-joins Jack.

Jack sounds a bit like Christ, if we stretch the imagination hard, and Rose could be the Church. Christ gave his life for ours and we live according to His will. Eventually we will die and go to Heaven and live with Him forever. Rose's mother and fiance could be the devil and the earth, both of which try to bind us and keep us from Christ and becoming Christians.

Ok, it may be stretching the imagination and putting a sign where there's no hole, but it could happen!

What do you think?!

Praying you have faith, hope, and love always,

Rachel

Confessions of a Facebook addict - The Arrow

Confessions of a Facebook addict - The Arrow

Praying you have faith, hope, and love always,Rachel

The Eagle review in the Arrow

http://www.capahaarrow.com/the-eagle-isn-t-just-gladiator-2-0-1.2000480

In “The Eagle,” Director Kevin Macdonald turns an action-packed novel into a gripping movie that explores a young Roman centurion’s drive to redeem his family honor by finding and returning a famed golden eagle to Rome. 

The eagle was lost when Flavius Aquila and his legion disappeared in northern Britain 20 years earlier. The younger Aquila’s loyal slave, who hails from Britain, Esca, accompanies him on the brutal journey, and they must cross Hadrian’s Wall and enter the wilds of northern Britain [modern-day Scotland]. In the process they discover the goodness of humanity – and the brutality of it.

Injured in battle, the younger Aquila is tired of suffering because of his father’s loss. He tells a Roman senator he will either find and return the Eagle and the remaining legionnaires, or die trying. He finds the Eagle of the Ninth, learning of his father’s bravery and honor in his final moments of battle. As they flee to safety, the people of the Blue Seal tribe hunt Esca and Aquila for stealing the eagle back.  They feel Esca betrayed them. When Aquila’s old injury resurfaces, and he cannot go on, he tells Esca to go without him.  Esca says he will not leave unless Aquila frees him. Aquila frees Esca, who then runs away and returns with the remnants of Aquila’s father’s army to make one last stand as Romans against the tribe. 

Channing Tatum stars as Marcus Aquila. Tatum isn’t just eye candy like people might assume but has an actual backbone, although he does do a good deal of preening.

Tatum’s character does some brutal things, like stabbing a soldier who couldn’t have been more than 13-years-old. He also does some great things, like saving Bell from certain death in the gladiator ring. He also risks his life to save his men multiple times, and he is an intelligent, great and brave commander, even though in some scenes the audience seems to wonder if he’s going to make a terrible mistake just like his father and shame his family forever.

There was no female lead character at any point in the movie, and the scenes with women were of them either attending gladiatorial games or standing outside silently while the male members of their tribes tramped past.

There was only one noticeable cuss word.  However, the movie does include extensive scenes of violence and war. Considering this takes place in Britain when military-minded Rome wanted to conquer the world, it makes sense

The costumes looked as if they received a small budget, and the set design of the houses looked far too modern. The indigenous tribes were portrayed as total savages and were painted light blue, which served to make the Romans look less brutal, but in truth the Romans were extremely vicious and ordered soldiers who let nothing stand in the way of conquering everyone.

Despite a few obvious flaws, I wasn’t asking for my eight dollars back, and neither was anyone else in the theater. 

Praying you have faith, hope, and love always,

Rachel

The Eagle succeeds and pleased me very much

By Rachel Weatherford



Director Kevin Macdonald turns an action-packed novel into a gripping movie that explores a young Roman centurion’s drive to redeem his family honor by finding and returning a famed golden eagle to Rome, lost when Flavius Aquila, Marcus Flavius Aquila’ father, and his legion disappeared in northern Britain 20 years earlier. His loyal slave Esca accompanies him, and they must cross Hadrian’s Wall and enter the wilds of northern Britain (modern-day Scotland). In the process he discovers the goodness of humanity – and the brutality of it.

Injured in battle, the younger Aquila is tired of sitting around and suffering because of his father’s loss. He tells a Roman senator that he will either find and return the Eagle and the remaining legionnaires, or die trying. He finds the Eagle of the Ninth, learning of his father’s bravery and honor in his final moments of battle. As they flee to the safety of the other side of the wall, Esca and Aquila are being hunted by the Blue Seal people for stealing the eagle back and because they feel Esca betrayed them. When he becomes injured and cannot go on, and tells Esca to go without him, Esca says he will not leave unless Aquila frees him. Aquila frees Esca. Esca then runs away and returns with the remnants of Aquila’s father’s army to make one last stand as Romans against the tribe.

Channing Tatum stars as Marcus Aquila. Jamie Bell is Esca. Tatum isn’t just eye candy like people might assume but has an actual backbone.

Tatum’s character does some brutal things, like stabbing a fleeing boy, a soldier, who couldn’t have been more than thirteen. He also does some great things, like saving Bell from certain death in the gladiatorial ring, who becomes his slave and best friend by the end of the movie. He also risks his life to save his men multiple times, and he is an intelligent, great and brave commander, even though at certain parts the audience seems to wonder if he’s going to make a terrible mistake just like his father and shame his family forever.

The movie, surprisingly, has very few sexual scenes, the most disturbing of which was a ritual by the tribes of Britain in welcoming their leader. The movie did have a lot of sexual innuendos and references to outside encounters. There was no female lead character at any point in the movie, and the scenes with women were of them either attending gladiatorial games or standing outside silently while the male members of their tribes tramped past.

There was only one noticeable cuss word.

However, the movie does include extensive scenes of violence and war. Considering this takes place in Britain when military-minded Rome wanted to conquer the world, it makes sense. An interesting note is that the movie does not actually show much of the killing on-screen, except when Tatum drowns the enemy leader of the Blue Seal people, although the viewers are well aware of what is going on off the screen. There’s moments when it seems like they will show something, and then the camera will flip around to one of the other characters and then back to the now dead person. Also, apparently no one in the movie appreciates children, because several of them are killed on-screen and off-screen, one by his own father.

The costumes looked as if they got the smallest budget, and the set design of the houses looked far too modern. The indenginous tribes were portrayed as total savages, which served to make the Romans look less brutal, but in truth the Romans were extremely vicious and ordered soldiers who let nothing stand in the way of conquering everyone.

Despite a couple obvious flaws, I wasn’t asking for my eight dollars back, and neither was anyone else in the theater.


Praying you have faith, hope, and love always,

Rachel

For the Bible Tells Me So

I always find it incredibly disturbing when I hear of a Christian, who really is a Christian and trying, who has been surrounded by teaching - so much teaching that the person is unable to learn anymore. Sermons are supposed to be messages from God, and more of a teaching thing. But we should also be outreaching and giving of ourselves. That way, we give, and we receive.

But our faith should be our own. We should be reading out of the Bible everyday, and learning that thing like the back of our hand. 

But our faith should be own. We should be reading out of the Bible everyday, and learning that thing like the back of our hand. We should be reading out of the Bbile everydayThere's always some new revelation, everyday. I can read the same chapter everyday, and God says something new.

And what's more disturbing is that while we are surrounded by devotionals, self-help books, and more knowledge more accessible more easily than ever before - and yet we really know less of God than ever before. Why do we know less of God? We do not have encounters with the Holy Spirit. We read about other people's encounters with God, and that is really what the so-called self-help books are - other people's encounters with God. It's their Bible studies. Why can't we have our own? We have the same ability as anyone else to accurately hear from God, so long as our hearts are right and we are praying to His Spirit.

I for one am going to follow like one of my pastors said - "I'm a vivid reader. I'm going on a fast from reading everything but the Bible."

I for one am going to be doing a lot better about going to the Bible first if I need an answer.

Praying you have faith, hope, and love always,

Rachel

OMG: Three Looks at the story of Perez and Zarah

Several years ago, when I was a much younger Christian, and barely knew what personal prophecies were, I met a man named Moses Vegh. He came to our church, and His message transformed my life.

I am now seeing that I am beginning to step into that prophecy, and have acted in that area for several years. I must nurture that gift.

So today I was telling the story of Judah and Tamar's twins, Perez and his younger brother Zarah to my friend. (I am a big fan of Genesis.) Zarah stuck his hand out, and the midwife tied a scarlet thread on his wrist, but then he pulled his hand back. Perez broke through and was born first, and then the baby with the scarlet thread came second. Read the complete story in Genesis 38:27-30: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2038:27-30&version=NKJV

By pulling his hand back and hesitating, not breaking through and pushing for his life, he lost his birthright, and his brother earned it. As a reward for breaking through, he became the ancestor of Christ, whereas it could have been Zarah's if he had tried or made more of an effort to do so. Or it should have been Zarah's, but he allowed it to pass him by.

Or we could interpret it another way.

Perhaps Perez is an example of Christ. Christ does the impossible, he breaches (a military word, goes with conquer) the barrier between God and man, and breaks through our sin and shame through His Blood and water and the birthing process to bring us new life, and becomes the firstborn son of God. Perez had received the word, "This breech be upon you!" And so it would pass onto his sons, all the way to Christ. Zarah is an example of Christians, who come out second bearing the scarlet thread, or sin. So it's a battle in our hearts to fight it, but Christ leads us into the kingdom.

Or there is a third interpretation.

Zarah is an example of Israel. They are the technical firstborns, but when they reached out for God and He went for them, they pulled away from Him, but not before He marked them. When the Israelites hesitated, Christians broke through and realized the truths of God. They did the impossible because they can now believe in God and go to heaven, which was impossible before! It startled everyone. The Israelites came second, and it is harder for them to believe, but they will come eventually! And everyone came from Judah and Tamar, because Judah was the chosen son to continue the inheritance and line of Christ.

Thoughts?

Praying you have faith, hope, and love always,

 Rachel

Stress and Time Management

It's so hard to fit God in, because as you're trying to make time for yet another Person, you realize how little time in this world you have, especially if you don't have a daily schedule, other than classes, but you're more of an on-call, freelancer type more than anything else.

And then there's the times when you get to talking to someone because you do something out of the ordinary, and time passes by, and she's talking, and you're answering, and then asking questions, and your skills are written not veral, and you don't want to be rude and just walk out. But I suppose that either way you are rude, rude to the person you're leaving, and rude to the person you are keeping waiting by staying. So you have to pick who to be rude to, and it's always the wrong person (never be rude to your employer or someone above you).

Or you just have to be a more assertive, aggressive person. I like assertive, not passive, passive-aggressive, or aggressive. But assertiveness is hard to attain.

It can get stressful. Or someone expects you to spend eight hours working when you're only getting paid for five, and they aren't quite doing their job, either, because they feel underpaid, and everyone feels underpaid, or not paid, feel it's unfair, and so it doesn't matter. It seems that if the higher-ups would shut up and be glad they get 15 hours of pay at minimum wage, and do their work, and not procrastinate - because journalists who prostranate will NOT be surviving long in the journalism world. They will either shape up or get fired, or get yelled at, and eventually quit.

And journalists do not get paid well, it's more of their passion, just like most careers in the world. That's why journalists are typically single and childless, especially if they work on a larger newspaper or are actually good at their jobs.

Oh well, you live and you learn.

Back to stress. I guess I need to learn time management. I've decided to start scheduling 15 to 30 minutes between as much as possible, except classes. Don't be too overwhelmed!

Actually apparently I'm just right.

Three outside activities - KRCU, IT, and SPJ - and a paid position at the Arrow eight hours a week, and then 10 at KRCU. 18 hours of work, and two leadership positions. WOW. No wonder I feel a bit exhausted. But as long as I am too tired to dwell, I don't have to get into my heart issues or character flaws - some minor ones others don't have to work through yet because they are not as disciplined as me (and I am not that disciplined)...

And that's a bad thing. So it's great that I'm going through Soul-Shaping with Mandy on Friday Bible studies.

Also, everyone. Please pray that time works out for me. Please pray that things stop interferring with my life and that time, and that if possible, we find a good time that works for both of us, but where I can still get off campus.

Praying you have faith, hope, and love always,

Rachel

This is a great website to get help making your blogger page look more how you want it to look! It helped me a lot. I did not personally have anything to do with this.

http://www.digitalportfolioguide.blogspot.com/


Praying you have faith, hope, and love always,

Rachel

Video Commentary on Psalm 117

February 8, 2011

This is a short devotional on Psalm 117, which has only two verses. Feel free to comment and share your thoughts with me.
Complete text:

Psalm 117

¹ Praise the Lord, all you nations.
Praise him, all you people of the earth.
² For he loves us with unfailing love;
the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.

Praise the Lord!

Praying you have faith, hope, and love always,

Rachel

Comments Now!

Hey everyone! I'm pretty sure people can now leave comments. Let me know if there is still a problem, and I will do my best to get it solved!

Praying you have faith, hope, and love always,

Rachel

IS IT POSSIBLE: Finding God in Inception, Part Two

The concept of dreams has been around since the Earth was made.

Jacob had a vision of wrestling with God, but he was marred forever after because God touched his hip.

Joseph could interpret other people's dreams. Daniel also had this gift.

Great kings had dreams, a prophet or friend of God would come along, interpret it, and many kingdoms were spared - however temporarily - their lives.

Always God was given the glory when a dream could be interpreted by one of His people.

Dom Cobb doesn't interpret dreams - he creates dreams in order to manipulate people. He deceives them to steal information out of their heads that they wouldn't otherwise tell. He extracts information from dreams - and, as we find out, plants them.

A bit like corrupted heroes of the Bible. Daniel and Joseph could, essentially, "extract" crypted messages/information/secrets from God for people, if you look at it like that. However, they did it to help God save people.

Cobb does it for himself. He's like the patriarch Jacob was before God changed his heart.

That's the one thing Cobb's missing, in all his guilt, cheating, and suffering: God.

And morality.

Yes, he loves his children. Yes, his wife committed a grievous error. But he committed one as well, and he left his children. Surely small children cannot understand their father disappearing without a trace. They must have felt like orphans, since their mother committed suicide. Stuffed animals, as the grandfather puts it, do not make up for a father who doesn't raise his children.

Sometimes humans feel that way. They cannot understand how God can be their father, yet seem so distant. They feel orphaned, cut off from their father except for the occasional "good things." Unlike Cobb's children, though, we are responsible. We are usually the reason why we are isolated from God. He loves us and desires to be with us always (Cobb desired to be with his children as well). Still it makes a good point. It is very, very easy to get cut off from Father (God) and then to wonder when He will come back.

In our case, we should go looking for Him, and then He will find us and come to us and save us and heal us, through the Blood Jesus shed on the cross.

Praying you have faith, hope, and love always,

Rachel

First Video Blog

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Praying you have faith, hope, and love always,

Rachel

Blog update

Updating my blog, trying to make it look more user-friendly and to promote my Facebook. Just add me and say you are from my blog!

Praying you have faith, hope, and love always,

Rachel

Facebook/Internet Addiction

Life is hectic, but I need to exercise more. Today I got more exercise, but my back still really hurts. I am so glad I do not have a fifth class to deal with, although if it was a Wednesday night class I would be all right.

I am now attending more to what I eat, and to my spiritual discipline and life. I have been successfully waking up to study the Bible and pray this week. It's a daily struggle, but one I am striving to accomplish. If I am not in control of my spiritual life, than what am I really in control of? Nothing.

I can see the obvious influences of my spiritual discipline; I am more attentive in my classes, more alert to spiritual things, and closer to God. I have more courage and less fear, although anxiety has a firm grip in my heart. I must rid myself of this A-type personality. And I am beginning to see the emptiness in my life, the part of my heart that I have kept from God and focused elsewhere. I have always known that I am highly addicted to Facebook and the Internet in general, and less to my computer. Since I access Facebook and the Internet through my laptop, I am addicted to it. I can tell I am feeding it because when I try to focus on God I long for the Internet.

I am also finding myself to be a more honest person, and less tempted towards deceit. I am trying to be more transparent. As always, it is a struggle against our nature and darkness.

But waking up and setting a time to read my Bible and to pray (for myself, my future husband, and my companions) is great, and is developing my character. I have also began the slow, constant, and painful battle of bringing my own distorted images, fears, and obsessions to God, for I no longer desire to be unclean and impure. I now use Facebook, the Internet, and watch two TV shows. I cannot go cold turkey, for my soul will soon go through withdrawals, and I need my computer to do work with. I just don't know what to do. God, show me.

Praying you have faith, hope, and love always,

Rachel