Virtuous Reality Blog

Phil's bookstore

2010-07-01T14:00:20Z

You might remember Phil from this post. He's grown up a bit and is now a long, lean, hunting machine (grasshoppers mostly) who loves to play in the rain and is quite helpful in the bookstore. Weird I know. He also loves boxes. Hiding in them, jumping out of them, leaping over them. One of his favorite games is a little something we like to call Phil-in-a-box, where some unsuspecting victim strolls by on her way to...let's say the bathroom. As Betsy-Wetsy passes by the innocent looking box, out jumps a ferocious white and red cat and she immediately wets herself. Fun game. Anyway - if your mom ordered you something from the VR store recently, like if you got one of the new Betweens, you might have found a little piece (or a chunk) of cat hair somewhere in the book or box or envelope. And this is why: He also likes to attack the printer while it's doing its thing and sometimes his tail feeds in with the shipping labels...which ruins a lot of shipping labels as you can imagine. Here he is in a calm moment waiting for the print monster to make its next move. So if you ordered something from us and didn't expect it to be furry you now know why it is. Just think of it as a little love from Phil to you.

Fashion for the Nations

2010-06-02T04:05:18Z

Do you even get tired of trying to find cute clothes that don't make you look desperate or like you're still trying to fit into the stuff you wore when you were 10? We just found out about Nations Outfitters a little while ago and thought we would pass on the info in case you like their stuff or just need some good ideas. What we like about them is that they aren't just out to sell cute clothes, they want to hear about you guys and what you're doing so they can highlight those of you who are positive role models for your generation. Pretty cool for a clothing store. Check them out and if you're doing something with your life that will encourage others, let them know about it. "After all, we all have to wear clothing, but it’s what you do in that outfit that makes you stand out!" Click here to go to their website.

Longing for Africa

2010-04-17T00:39:25Z

I've been listening to Brooke Fraser on repeat all morning. Albertine, Shadowfeet, and C.S. Lewis song, over and over and over. I'm sure if anyone else were here they would hit me over the head but I just can't stop thinking about Africa. This morning I cooked one last breakfast for three girls from Uganda who've been staying at my place since Saturday. They're 9, 9, and 13 years old and are here with the Mwangaza Children's Choir traveling parts of the states to help raise awareness and money for kids in Uganda who need the help. Imagine that. Imagine traveling halfway across the world at that age, without your parents, and ending up in a country where everyone is white and scary (they did tell me they were afraid of all the white people when they first got here.) Imagine all the food being weird and nobody looking like you and being stuck here for six months without being able to talk to your mom and dad. They're so brave and so beautiful. And boy do they love to sing, dance and make videos of themselves doing those things. As soon as I get my computer fixed I'll post one of them here...they're hilarious! These girls and their love for Jesus (every video on my camera is a song about or prayer to Jesus) along with my obsessive reading of the Kisses from Katie blog has me longing to go to Africa, which is weird because I never really have the desire to do that. I want so badly to be used by God to help orphans. Maybe that's where we're headed. You never know really with this great God of ours. When you take your hands off your life it all becomes one big unknown adventure...and I like it that way.

It's just high school...

2010-04-01T04:25:08Z

I just read ANOTHER story about a girl who committed suicide because she was bullied so horribly by classmates that she thought death was her best option. It makes me sick to read these things. Sick because I know there were other ways out of the nightmare she was stuck in, and that high school only lasts for a little while and then it's over. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to tell every teenager in this country, "It's just high school. It will be over in a minute and it shouldn't get to define you." We seem to have given high school and our teenage years way too much weight, and kids are crumbling under the stress of it all, but it doesn't have to be this way. High school isn't the best time of your life, or the most important time of your life, and it definitely shouldn't be the thing you're living for. The problem is that when you're in it, it seems huge and weighty, and our brains don't learn to think ahead and consider the consequences of our actions until we're in our twenties (scientific fact - I'm not making that up.) So when you're 15 and the world seems to be falling apart (you're pregnant or moving or someone just broke up with you) and you think death is your only way out, you need to remember that you're operating with a huge blind-spot and you just can't see the other exits...but they're there. That's when you need to get someone else involved, but find someone who's older than you and has already been there. Someone who's blind-spot has shrunk considerably so they can see clearer than you, and it helps a lot if they love Jesus like crazy because then they'll be able to give you solid biblical advice and not just a lot of the mumbo-jumbo you hear on talk shows or read in self-help books. Navigating these years between 10 and 20 can be tricky and God never intended for you to try to do it on your own or helped only by friends who are in the same boat as you. One of the main reasons high school is so tough is because everyone around you has the same gigantic blind-spot. When you put a bunch of people in a room together and then turn out the lights, someone (or everyone) is going to get hurt. And one of the really ugly things about high school is that people tend to attack others in order to feel better about themselves. That article made me so sad for the girl and her family and the thousands of other young people I know are hurting and can't see an end to their misery. Then I started wondering how you guys are doing...how ARE you doing? Are you feeling like you're at the end of your rope? Maybe we can take a few minutes to speak truth to each other and encourage each other like Jesus wants us to instead of tearing each other down and hurting each other. We need to remember on a daily basis that God thought we were valuable enough to suffer and die for us. Let's stop following the masses while they destroy each other and instead remember that we are loved like crazy and here for a reason. God made you how He wanted you and put you where you are now for His glory and your good. Anyone who tells you different is lying. We love you guys, hang in there and love each other too.

Learning sign with Isaak

2010-03-01T18:51:40Z

I know the sign for horse. It might be the first one I learned because I've been learning ASL with a four year old. When you're four, horses are better than anything else the world has to offer so of course we look for them and talk about them all day no matter where we are or what we're doing. And sometimes we just get upset that there are no horses in the house or yard. If you look at it from his perspective, why WOULDN'T everyone have a horse in their house if they could? The 4-year-old is Isaak (you can read more about him in the article this month) and he's deaf because the antibiotics they used to save his life when he was a baby, ruined his hearing. So we're all learning sign, which has been pretty cool, and we're on about the same level so I feel like I'm doing ok so far. For any of you who consider yourselves language challenged, you might want to try ASL (American Sign Language). Not because it's super easy, but it makes sense. Some of it is just logical, and you only need someone to show you a sign once for it to stick in your head. Like cat or dog or spaghetti. Look those up on aslpro.com and you'll see what I mean. I was talking about this just the other day with a friend and she introduced me to Stephen Torrence - a college guy who's managed to mix sign with music and come up with some pretty cool song interpretations. If anyone will make you want to learn sign, it's this guy. Enjoy!

Stuck in the third world

2010-01-30T00:58:48Z

I'm sitting in an apartment in the Dominican Republic watching 4 year old Haitian twins (Jakob & Isaak) eat lunch...sort of. There's a lot of messing with each other and every once in a while food flies...which usually ends badly so we try to keep that to a minimum. My friend has been fighting her way through the adoption process with these boys for the last 3 years, and this earthquake, that has been such a tragedy for so many, might just end up being a blessing for them. I'll tell you more about them when this thing is over but wanted to share a few things while I'm here and thinking about it. First - we Americans are blessed beyond what we even understand. To be free to come and go as we please is a freedom so many people don't know and never will. Having to wait on a foreign government, that doesn't know you personally and doesn't necessarily have your best interests at heart, to give you permission to take your boys home is...ummm...less that ideal to say the least. Second - How amazing is our God that He can work all things together for our good in even the worst of circumstances (Romans 8:28)? So while we're here and this small family's future seems to be in the hands of strangers, it's actually secure in God's hands and He asks us to rest in that truth. Easier said than done sometimes but that's what we're shooting for. Third - I refuse to feel sorry for anyone who doesn't get the iTouch they've been begging for (or other new expensive desperately desired thing) because the kids here play with sticks and bottle tops and have a heck of a good time with them. We are a spoiled, whiny nation and I'm not interested in playing along anymore. I'll be back with more later but will you all please pray pray pray for us and the other kids stuck in messy Haitian adoptions who just want to go home. His Jamie

2009 - my Ebenezer

2010-01-01T19:44:40Z

Do you know what an Ebenezer is? It's more than just Scrooge's first name, it means "stone of help" and comes from 1 Samuel 7 where the Israelites are about to get stomped by the Philistines so they beg God to save them and He does. In memory of what God had done, Samuel set a stone in the ground and named it Ebenezer saying "Thus far the Lord has helped us." It's like when you're on a road trip and you see a historical marker to remind you of what happened in a certain place. Yesterday I sat down with my journal (which is rare) and spent some time thinking through the past year and all that God has done for me. I wanted to write it all down as a personal ebenezer so I wouldn't forget. In the Bible He's pretty big on His people taking time to remember all He's done and celebrate it so I thought I should do the same. Here's what I came up with: 1) Free (finally) of a desperate need for love from people - Praise God! 2) Traveled to Belgium, France, England, the Dominican Republic and spent a month in Denver with Dad. God provided the time and resources for all of it - Praise God! 3) Rescued Phil and saved the Snowbeast from coyotes (two of them had her cornered on the front porch) - Praise God! 4) Life is stress free (mostly) and my old anxieties are gone. Christmas was celebrated with family for the first time in years without the sting of death and suffering - Praise God!! 5) I have a deeper love for Jesus than ever before and a great desire to live for, give up my life for, Him alone. Praise God!! He has done great things and my heart is filled with joy. I am deeply loved and cared for. That's pretty much the entry word for word. I could have written more but the weight of a few of those things was enough to fill my heart and make me completely thankful. It's been an incredible year and all because of Jesus. So what about you guys? Have you taken time to think back over the last year and remember all that God has done? Maybe it's been a rough year and you're having a hard time seeing Him in it, but He's there - don't believe anyone who tells you He isn't. He has promised to never leave us or give up on us and He's never once gone back on a promise. And I would encourage you by saying that it's been in the harder years, the painful bits that I grew the most. As things get darker, His face shines brighter and if you just hold on and don't give up you'll see Him come to your rescue. I would love to hear from you guys on how 2009 was and what we can be praying for you in 2010. I'll be praying for you no matter what so you might as well chime in and let me know how you're doing. Love and Happy New Year!! Jamie

Christmas reminders

2009-12-01T19:50:46Z

I was sitting here thinking about you guys and what a rough road being a teenager can be. Then I was thinking about what I was like in high school and junior high and thanking God that I'm not still that person. I sort of hated high school but I think it was mostly because I had walked away from God when I was about 13 and doing high school without Jesus is the loneliest way to do it. So now I'm sitting here at my desk and the tree lights are on and Phil is sleeping behind the computer (it's warm back there) and I'm crazy about Jesus and want to take this opportunity to remind you guys of a few basic truths that can change your life. Things I forgot when I was a teenager but I hope you hold onto. 1) Jesus loves you more than any boy ever will...even if that boy ends up marrying you and stays with you for life. Don't sell out your First Love for anything this world has to offer. 2) God's will for your life is that you know Him and follow Him. It's just that easy. Don't get hung up on the particulars or what that means for your future. 3) God can be trusted with the particulars and for your future. He has all the control in the world and you hardly have any so be still, or relax, and know that He is God. 4) Never compare your life with those around you. God didn't intend for you to look just like everyone else and comparing will suck all the joy out of your life. 5) Be thankful for the gifts God gives you instead of wishing you had the ones He's given to others. If you can't see them, ask Him to show you what is a gift and what isn't. Thankfulness, in general, can make life a whole lot better. 6) Don't judge God by the people around you or the world you live in. Believe what He says about Himself over what you think you see around you. Remember, we live by faith, not by sight. He says He's faithful and compassionate, abounding in love - so He is, no matter what happens in this life. 7) It's just high school...or junior high. Don't believe the lie that this is the best time of your life or get too worked up about how things are going right now. This will be over in a few years and pretty soon you'll look back and it will be a distant memory and you'll wonder why you took it all so seriously. And finally, because it's Christmas and we need to remember what we're really celebrating, 8) Jesus loved you so much that He gave up everything to come down here and rescue you from yourself, the world and the devil. If you knew that this year, on December 25th, the love of your life would finally walk into your house and save you from everything, how would you prepare for that? Would you live differently? Let's remember that Christmas is a celebration of the greatest love story ever told and we're honored enough to get to be in the story. I love you guys! Hang in there and hold onto Jesus - He's the one thing that matters most. Merry Christmas!!! Jamie

Bible Giveaway winner!!

2009-11-01T22:21:38Z

Thanks to everyone who played along in the great Bible giveaway of 09, it was great to hear your stories and get a glimpse of what's happening in your lives. I wish I had enough of these to give one to everyone who wrote in, but since I have only one our Between Pocket Bible winner is...drum roll please...Allie!! Allie is 9 and has been leading her friend to Jesus and wants her to "know about living for Him." How cool is that!! Here's her entry from the comment board if you want to get to know her a little: Hi my name is Allie. I am 9 years old. I don't need the bible for myself, but I would love to be able to give it to my friend who just accepted Christ. She does not know much about Jesus. She came over to my house to spend the night and my mom prays with me at night and she wanted to know why. I told her about Jesus. Another time she was listening to my mom talk to me about not being yoked together with friends that not Christians. She wanted to know what that meant. My mom explained to her that it is very easy to get sucked in to the worlds way of doing things so I needed to be careful who I picked as friends because it is better to be friends with people that live similar to the way I want to be. Anyway, I am telling you all this because I want you see that she does not know about Jesus and her parents do not go to church. She is very interested though. She knows now about going to heaven but she needs to know about living for him. Thank you! Congrats Allie and hopefully we'll have another giveaway soon! Thanks everyone - we're praying for you!!

Anyone need a new Bible?

2009-10-01T14:00:00Z

It's time for a giveaway! I've had this Between Pocket Bible in my house for months now and it's just sitting here in its box not doing anyone any good. If you're a young girl in need of a Bible or you know a girl who needs one, enter the drawing by commenting below. For safety reason we don't publish much personal info about you guys other than first names but I'll need your e-mail address in order to get in touch with you if you win. You could also tell me a little about yourself or the person you would like to give the Bible to. I'll post the winner in two weeks so let's get started!! love, Jamie

A question for you...

2009-09-18T22:25:04Z

I have a question for all of you and would love to hear from as many of you as possible. Please really think about this before you answer because it's a HUGELY (is that a word?) important question. In the Bible (Matthew 22, Mark 12, Luke 10) Jesus said that the most important commandment was to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength". Do you really believe that's possible? In other words, do you think you can really love Him more than you love anything or anyone else in the world including friends, boyfriends, future husbands, children, parents, everyone? I have a feeling this is something we need to talk about but I want to hear from you all and see what's going on in your hearts and heads when it comes to this. Love, jamie

Phil and The Snowbeast

2009-09-01T14:00:00Z

Sounds like a movie title doesn't it? Or a great band name. I'm considering writing the novel tonight when I'm done with this blog. It's going to kick the pants off Twilight and Harry. On to the update. Some of you threw out some great name possibilities for little Phillip Wilson, which is what his name has turned into...I'll explain. When I first introduced you to Phil he was tiny and sick and snotting all over my house. His bones all stuck out because a cat who can't smell won't eat so he hadn't been eating and kittens can't go very long like that. Here's a pic: Poor little sick baby Phil. Doesn't he look miserable? He looked like that for the first month so I decided to wait on a new name until he got better and I could see what his personality was like. The problem with waiting so long to find a name that fit him was that by the time he finally got better, my friend Miranda had started calling him Phillip Wilson and it stuck. And it turns out he's crazy. Sweet, but crazy. He can climb the ladder into my loft and literally tries to climb the walls each day. Sometimes I just call him Monkey Boy. He jumps the Snowbeast every chance he gets because he wants to play from 5am until he drops. Here he is inching closer and closer to her - she hates it. Imagine her growling in this picture and it's like you were there: The angle makes it look like he's the same size as her but he's not. He's going to be huge though. He has giant feet and the longest tail in the world. So I'm praying that he at least stops bothering the Snowbeast because she doesn't mind him when he's not acting like jr high boy. Here's a shot of him playing Phil-in-the-Box which had us all laughing our heads off. He would disappear into the box and when I would peek in he would jump out and grab my face. He's kind of grabby: Cute, isn't he. Cute but a punk. Except when he's being sweet and snuggly. Then I remember to be thankful that God made him and let me have him. Remind me to tell you about the Snowbeast's near death experience with 2 coyotes last week. Scary scary!!

So You Think You Can Dance

2009-07-03T20:22:29Z

I LOVE THIS SHOW. I'm not a dancer - although in Heaven I plan on learning every dance style there is and dancing my brains out. And I'm a bit of a klutz here, but there...I'm gonna have some serious skills. I don't even really like reality shows but this one hooked me. There's something about dance done well that's mesmerizing and makes me think maybe, just maybe I could do that. My soul dances along even if my body can't do it and I wonder what it's like to be able to tell a story using my whole body. I do the same thing watching the Olympic gymnasts. I think maybe, just maybe, if I tried really hard, I could do that too. Before anyone gets all worked up and goes Pharisee on me I will say that I know not all the dancing that happens on this show is glorifying to God, and having been a theater major in college, I know how messed up the world of entertainment can be. God rescued me from the pit of it years ago and saved me from a lifestyle that would probably have destroyed me. I also know that God created dance and that King David danced for the glory of God. I know that He gives His people talents and gifts that He expects us to use to point people to Him, including dancing and singing and acting. Our tendency is to twist it all around and use them for our own fame and glory, which in the end ruins us, but when done right those things can help lift my soul to Jesus - the starting point for all beauty. There were two dances this season that had me absolutely bawling because they touched me so deeply. One was Melissa and Ade's Breast Cancer Tribute, which actually had the judges snotting all over themselves too. For anyone who has fought this battle or watched someone they loved fight it, this dance said more than words ever could. The other dance that really shook me was Kayla & Kupono's dance about addiction. I've lost a few people to addictions and nearly lost a few others. Anything that owns you and rules you, apart from Jesus, has destruction in mind and the fight to overcome any addiction is played out so beautifully and horribly in this dance that it makes me cry every time I watch it. If God has blessed you with the gift of dance, I pray that you dance for the glory of the One who made you and never for your own. Sometimes dance tells the story better than words ever could.

Phil

2009-06-27T21:25:23Z

Phil is a horrible name for a cat. Especially for a kitten. Maybe horrible is overdoing it but seriously...Phil? This is Phil: Cute isn't he? I rescued him from the shelter on June 20th and I didn't give him that name, the shelter did. So far the Snowbeast isn't very excited about him. She doesn't seem to see the possible friendship and good times they could have together if only she would stop with the hissing and growling. Here's how Phil entered the picture. I was listening to Francis Chan (who encourages me so much) and he was talking about rescuing kids from prostitution and the slave trade. and I got all worked up and wanted to rescue someone. It's a bit tricky finding a person who needs to be rescued, so I ended up at the local shelter where they are OVERLOADED with kittens right now, and 2 hours later came home with Phil. He had his little face pressed up against the cage and his eyes closed and he was doing the silent cry, which might be the most pitiful thing in the world. Turns out he was running a fever and had an upper respiratory infection which we are still trying to get under control. The face in the picture - that's what happens when ice cream comes out of the freezer. He loves ice cream with a white hot passion. I think these two rescue cats are just the beginning of something big. For years now I've wanted to start a rescue society where we (that would be me and whoever else loves Jesus and wants to get involved) would come to the rescue of anyone who is being mistreated, abused or neglected by someone bigger and/or stronger than them. I'm pretty sure that's hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people. So I'm going to have to trust the Holy Spirit to make it happen because on my own I can barely get myself out of bed in the morning, but with Him, it could all be taken care of in one day. I want my life to be exceptional in that whatever I do, it only makes sense that God did it and not me. I want to be like Moses who knew and talked to God one on one, and not like the millions of Israelites who were too afraid to go near the mountain and know God personally. And that, my friends, is the story of Phil...which might not be his permanent name. Let me know if you have a better one. And if God asks you to go rescue someone or something, just go do it. We'll start small and soon the whole world will be a better place.

If Necessary, Use Words

2009-06-01T20:56:51Z

I just twittered this but wanted to share it with you too. Check out this article, it's one of my all-time favorites. "As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God" If the title alone isn't enough to get you there I will come give you a personal kick in the pants. Seriously. I love that a man who doesn't believe in God saw God at work through His people in Africa and it made a difference. I love that the difference was so big and life changing that he couldn't miss it. And I love that he shared what he saw with the world. This article was so very encouraging to me because I've been struggling with how much we talk big as Christians but don't often follow through with our actions...I do anyway. I'm sick of sitting through church services and listening to one more sermon but not being moved to get out there and help those who need it the most. I'm tired of myself and my "cheap grace" faith and frustrated that I fit right in with most of the "church" in America. And I think I'm done with that. I think that, thanks to the grace of God and the faith He has grown in me, I'm ready to move on and really live out what I say I believe. St. Francis of Assisi once said: "Preach the gospel at all times -- If necessary, use words." What that means is that I should love Jesus so much that He's visible in all that I do instead of just someone I talk about. So I'm going to hold onto Jesus with all I've got, get out of my comfort zone, take some chances and see what the Holy Spirit can do with someone like me. Are you with me?