At the Risk of Looking Like an Idiot…

- Melody

http://www.ketknbc.com/news/special-report-breaking-tradition

I posted that link on Facebook yesterday in a bit of frustration with… well, with a lot of things. Watch it (and read the comments) and then come back, okay?

Watched it? Good.

Remember that part about the financial aspect of churches? Remember when that lady said there should be some give and take if you tithe? Remember my face getting tomato red when I heard that?

I paused the video, backed it up, shrieked, and played it again. I could not believe my ears, you guys. One doesn’t tithe to a church to expect something in return, other than for that money to do God’s work. One tithes because it is commanded of them.

We, as Christians, love because we are called to love. Even if you aren’t a Christian, normally one doesn’t do something nice to expect something in return. That kind of takes away from the genuineness of the nice act, doesn’t it? Unless you believe in karma, which is a whole other can of worms. Yikes.

Remember when that lady said “contemporary”* music isn’t reverent? Remember when I busted a blood vessel? Me too.

If you’ve ever been to a Passion conference, I bet you no one there would describe what goes on as irreverent. Now, I’m not knocking organs, hymns, or anything that isn’t “contemporary”* music. Half of the choir concerts I’ve performed in use strictly organ. It’s a gorgeous instrument. But, you guys, it isn’t the only instrument.

I guess my question is, when did Christians become so dang judgmental? When did we start judging the way another Christian worships? When did we begin to say that using drums in church is irreverent or unhealthy? I’d love to get your thoughts on that video and what I’ve said. I’m not the wisest person so I’d love your input.

I guess my challenge would be, for you and me, to catch ourselves when we start to judge someone for how their church service is formatted. (Actually, let’s catch ourselves when we begin to judge someone period.) Church isn’t about the format. Let’s get back to the root.

Jesus.

(Congrats, you made it all the way down! Sorry for the abrupt shift in content, hah. I just got pretty upset with that news story and felt like something should be said. Even if my voice is small.)

*(Oh, and I put that asterisk because I don’t really care for that word contemporary in reference to worship music.)

There Was a Dead Bird Just Out of Shot

- Melody

hat: F21, shirt: F21, necklace: Rue21, skirt: F21, sandals: F21

When I got home yesterday Jason was finishing up mowing the yard. The weather was gorgeous so I sat out on the porch while he weed-eated. (Is that a word?) He trimmed our bushes and then we hauled sticks, limbs, bricks, rocks, and anything else we deemed a blemish on our yard, all the way to a big burn pile a ways behind our house. I’m sore. Mostly because I was the one that got up in the bed of the truck and slung everything out onto said burn pile. I was unbelievably paranoid about a snake or black widow or ant crawling up my precious porcelain skin and biting me. Jason assured me that nothing is going to be in there that we didn’t put in there. Yeah, whatever.

So pity me. The poor, depraved wife that only had to unload the bed of one truck while her husband mowed an acre of thick grass and trimmed bushes and loaded the truck.

Mmm… Spider Berries

- Melody

top: thrifted, necklace: Rue21, jeans: Old Navy, shoes: F21

Look away. I’m hideous!
Any of you guys use Picnik? I’m sure you know they’re closing next week. BOO! HISS! But in an email today they recommended PicMonkey.com. It’s set up just like Picnik but with more filters, more options, and a prettier layout. They don’t have a collage setting yet, but they say that and more is coming soon. Yippee! Oh, and it’s free.

Last week when I was outside I noticed that we have blackberries growing on our front porch! Yum! On our stairs no less, where a black widow and 3 egg sacs happily reside on the other side. (Don’t worry. Jason doused him (her?) with a healthy dose of bug spray. Not pretty.) He took care not to spray the berries. So in a week or two we will be eating the six berries from our steps for dinner. We’re on a strict Porch Berry Diet. Heidi Montag is doing it so it’s safe, right?

That Time I Ate My Weight in Yeast Rolls

- Melody

necklace: ?, dress: Target, shoes: F21

Happy Resurrection day! (yesterday, I guess!) We had an incredible church service and celebrated our RISEN Savior! After church Jason and I headed back to my parents house for a delicious lunch of ham, roasted green beans, hashbrown casserole and yeast rolls. We topped it off with lemon ice-box pie. Uh, yum. I love spending time with them. 🙂 How was your weekend? Jason and I have a lot of candy to eat. 🙂

The Day We Become Grown-ups Because IT’S DISHWASHER DAY

- Melody

lace top: Liz Claiborne via Goodwill, belt: thrifted, skirt: Old Navy, shoes: Cole Haan via Goodwill

I remember when I bought this skirt. I thought it wouldn’t fit, but I bought it anyway because I never try on clothes in the store. That’s dumb, right? Anyway, when I found it in my closet and put it on and it fit, it became one of my favorite skirts.

So here’s some news. Jason bought this really fancy recording microphone so he could start streaming himself playing Minecraft. (It’s this computer game that you build stuff on…? Don’t ask me. I don’t play it.) He got the mic in today, hooked it up to his computer, started streaming, AND already has 8 subscribers. That’s crazy, right!? It’s like insta-blogging.

Today is a glorious day. Jason and I are going to buy a dishwasher. The one we have is probably from the early 1800s and smells like fire when we use it. So it’ll be nice to actually wash dishes from a week ago. Also because all we have are spoons left. And mama can’t cut her chicken with a spoon.

Awkward and Awesome

- Melody

blouse: thrifted, jeans: Target via Goodwill, shoes: Target

Awkward:

-Sitting in my car yesterday a cop comes up and taps on my window. After checking my drawers I roll down my window with all kinds of thoughts running through my head. Is it not okay to just sit in my car? I have a parking sticker, right? Wait–am I speeding? He asks me if I’m having car trouble because a girl told him I couldn’t get my car to start. Uh, no. I apologized saying that no, the car was fine and that the air conditioner was what was making that horrific noise. After posting this on Facebook my classmate, Shelley, comes forth and confesses that it was indeed her that told copper I couldn’t start my car. Thanks again, Shelley. 🙂
-We went to buy a dishwasher Tuesday night and got netted by the salesman for 20 minutes telling us his life story. Though he was really helpful, I could have done without the stories about you making $300,000 a year when you were younger. (Congrats…?) (Also, why are you working at Lowe’s at 71?)
-How intense Jason gets with his basketball game. Dear, your character is like 85. Also, it’s a game.
-Hearing people complain when I don’t agree. I bite my tongue. A lot.
-Singing on recital last week and having to go to the bathroom so bad. Usually you leave the hall two or three performances before yours to make it backstage. I was going to leave an extra one early to go to the bathroom but decided too late and it was so silent in there that I couldn’t get up and leave. I’ve never concentrated on a performance so hard.
-Because we aren’t getting a dishwasher until Friday (see below) we’ve let the dishes pile up for about a week. I spread Nutella with a spoon today.

Awesome:

-We are FINALLY getting a dishwasher tomorrow!! (Did you know that Lowe’s puts up their sales on Thursday mornings? Thanks, Ben from the appliance department for the heads up!)
-How quickly my hair curls now that it’s short. It really is a miracle.
-Being debt free.
-How much daylight there is now. Hooray!
-There are only five weeks of school left. I should start my history paper…
-My collection of colored jeans is growing rapidly. I am liking this.
-How slow and empty this week is for me. It’s so nice!
-How many episodes of Scrubs I’ve watched this week. It’s a sickness. I use to make fun of Jason when he knew which episode belonged to what season. Now I’m right there with him quoting every single line in time. My life is pathetic.
-Finally getting to see my sister this weekend!!!

Happy Thursday!