Virtuous Reality Blog

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? Meet 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 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?

That's 1 For The Girls

2009-05-19T23:22:05Z

Last Saturday I went absolutely berserk watching a horse race. When I say berserk I mean jumping up and down, cheering and screaming and yelling and leaping for joy with so much abandon that my cat exploded into full fluff and ran into the other room to save herself. No kidding. I should clarify that I don't really follow horse racing but when I was growing up we used to watch the Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont every year with my Dad. So now, if I'm paying attention when those races roll around, I tune in to watch, and this year was one of the greatest races I've ever seen. This year a filly named Rachel Alexandra, the only girl in the race, took the lead early and showed those boys how it's done. She's the first filly in 85 years to win this race and only the 5th in history to do it. Here's the race if you want to see what I'm talking about: Now if you're a guy and you're reading this please don't send me a nasty comment. I'm not saying that girls are better than boys or the same as boys - this isn't a feminist comment at all. To be honest I was rooting as hard for Mine That Bird (the Derby winner who took 2nd place in this race) as I was for Rachel Alexandra. Both were underdogs in one way or another. Nobody ever thought that Mine That Bird would win the Kentucky Derby or that he could pull it off a second time; and a lot of people didn't think Rachel should even be entered in the Preakness because it's a boys' race and she's a girl. So at the beginning of the race I said to Jesus how great it would be if they could come in 1 and 2 and THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED!! That never happens...never. Things never go how I'm hoping they will so when something like this happens I almost can't contain myself. It's a good thing I wasn't watching out in public somewhere...someone could have been killed. Since Saturday I've been thinking about why I love it so much when the underdogs win. And why do I always root for them even if there's almost no chance they'll win, or when others are against them? I think it's because I feel a lot more like the underdog in this life than like the favorite. Horse races always remind me of King Solomon for some reason, because he started well but finished so badly, and I don't want to be like that. I hope and pray that I run this race with all my heart and cross the finish line to the cheers and exuberance of Jesus Himself. I can't wait for that moment. If I cry at the end of an amazing horse race (which I do) imagine the shape I'll be in right then. It's going to be messy but amazing.

Stuff you should know about MySpace and Facebook

2009-05-01T20:00:00Z

Welcome to another installment of VR's Stuff You Should Know! If you've ever gotten irritated with your parents because they know all your passwords and check your e-mail, MySpace, and/or Facebook on a regular basis, this info might actually make you thankful for that. Did you know that in February MySpace kicked 90,000 sex offenders off their site? 90,000...that's just scary. It turns out that many of those kicked off MySpace might have just moved on over to Facebook, and are now free to hunt for young women and men there, although Facebook says it's working on cleaning up their site too. Now think about this. Those are just the ones who had signed up under their own name, making them easy to find. How many do you think are out there disguised as someone else? Many predators hide behind the profile of a teenager or college student (male or female) in order to "groom" young girls into becoming their friends. Once they've gained your trust and started a relationship, they try to trick you into meeting them in person. There is story after story of young girls and guys who have been hurt and even killed by these men. So if your parents seem overprotective and you hate that they're always checking up on you, please understand that they know there are those who want only to hurt you, and they will do whatever it takes to protect you. That's what a loving parent does. Now to be helpful, here are some things you can do to protect yourself when you're online: 1) Log in to your Facebook or Myspace account and change your privacy setting so that only your friends can see your profile and pictures. Think of how scary it would be for some creeper to go wandering through all your pictures and info in order to figure out where you live and how to get to you. 2) Do a yearly cleanup of your friends and get rid of anyone you don't actually know personally. There's no point in having strangers as friends just so you can say you have the most friends. 3) Never start up a relationship with a complete stranger over the computer or your cell phone. Most of these guys pretend to be something they aren't with the intent of using and hurting girls who are lonely enough to talk to them. And NEVER give out personal info like your address, phone number, e-mail, or full name to anyone you don't know well. 4) If someone does start talking to you and you're concerned, show your parents so they know what's going on. Over and over I've heard of girls who were lured away from home by people their parents didn't even know they were talking to. 5) Do a picture cleanup and take any pics offline that show you in a swimsuit or anywhere close to being naked. Again, think about the creepers who might be looking at these pictures. There are so many tragic stories online and this kind of crime is just getting worse so please be careful about what info you're putting out there and who you talk to. If you need help making your profile as safe as possible, ask your folks or, if they can't help, e-mail us and we'll try to walk you through it. You guys are important to us but more than that, you're very dear to the God who made and loves you most.

Would Jesus Twitter?

2009-04-01T14:00:00Z

Do you guys Twitter? I actually thought it was a really stupid idea but then I realized that if you just want to do a quick shout out to your friends or let everyone know about this really cool thing you've discovered, it's a pretty great way to do it. Then I started thinking, what if Jesus Twittered? Jesus' first invitation to some fishermen was simply "come follow me" and since the point of calling myself a Christian is that I spend my life doing the same, it makes perfect sense that He would be out there each day shooting us an encouraging message, or a quick love note, or directions, or an invitation to His next big thing...I can keep going but I won't. So now we're Twittering with Jesus in mind and if you're interested you can follow us @VirtuousReality. Follow us while we follow Jesus.

Stuff you should know about cell phones

2009-03-01T14:00:00Z

It has occurred to me that there is all this information out there that could be so helpful to you guys but you probably don't know it, because the people who put it out there don't put it where you'll see it. So I think we should start a whole "Stuff You Should Know" series and anything that comes my way, I'll pass on to you guys. Sound good? We'll start with some of the latest news coming out about texting and cell phone use. Did you know that the more you use your phone to call and text throughout the day, the more likely you are to suffer from stress, anxiety, restlessness and exhaustion? Did you know that if you use your phone close to bedtime you're more likely to sleep badly all night long? We're also finding out that the more time you spend texting, watching TV, and on the computer, the more likely you are to suffer from depression. People are actually becoming addicted to texting, and the need to be connected to friends 24 hours a day is creating some unhealthy, co-dependent relationships that add stress and anxiety to people's lives. Any relationship can become unhealthy and dangerous pretty quickly if there aren't boundaries in place, so if you're feeling the stress of always being available, try this: 1) Turn your phone in to your parents each night at a certain time and tell your friends that you'll be offline from then until morning. 2) Talk to your parents if you're feeling stressed, anxious or depressed and ask them to help you set some personal boundaries. Remember, your phone and your friends don't own you and you don't have to respond to every text and call in order to be a good friend. Jesus did the exact same thing when He would go off to a lonely place for some alone time. He was God and even He needed to get offline sometimes.

Happy Balumtine'th Day!

2009-02-01T14:00:00Z

I couldn't resist bringing back my dear friend Dave Barnes (never met the guy but I like to think we would be friends) right before Valentine's Day and sharing a little heart-shaped joy with everyone. Again, you're so welcome. Watch and enjoy. I'll be back with something a little deeper soon, but for now let's all talk in bad accents, make up words to songs, and eat pie! I hope you are inspired.

True Beauty Anyone?

2009-01-01T14:00:00Z

Have you guys seen the previews for the new reality show True Beauty, and if so, are you planning on watching it? As a matter of fact I'm curious to know what y'all think of reality shows in general. The basic premise is that there are 10 contestants who think they're being judged on their beauty but they're secretly being judged on their inner beauty. I'm pretty tired of reality shows, but I'm interested in seeing what Hollywood's criteria is for real beauty... the kind that's on the inside... the kind that really matters. So if y'all are planning on watching and want to talk this thing out, let's do it! The show airs next Monday night, January 5th, and you need to make sure your parents are cool with you watching it because it might be totally inappropriate. It could actually be a good one to watch WITH your parents if you're up for working on that whole communicating with the folks thing. Good conversation starter. Let me know what you think and if you're planning on watching. Here's a clip if you want to get the skinny on the show before Monday:

Why I love The Polar Express

2008-12-01T18:00:00Z

I really do love it. And whenever I tell someone that, they look at me funny and then tell me how creepy they think the kids are in the movie...and the elves. And I can't really argue that because they are a little creepy - it's the animation - something weird going on there. But it's only December 1st and already I've watched it 4 times. I even tried to watch it on my ipod last night as I was flying back from family Thanksgiving, but the stupid thing locked up and wouldn't play. Made me want to scream...I didn't though because that just freaks people out on an airplane. So I've been thinking about the movie and why I love it so much, creepy elves and all, and here's what I've come up with: First - When the movie starts, and the soundtrack begins to play and it's snowing on the screen and the narration begins, I feel like I'm seven again, snuggled up in bed waiting for morning and life is exciting and wonderful. I wish it could be like that always...and down in my soul I think it's supposed to be like that always and that Jesus is the key. Second - There's truth all over the place in that movie. Like when the conductor says to the boy "Sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see." - gives me goosebumps. Even Santa says that he's only a symbol of Christmas but that "the true Spirit of Christmas lies in your heart" - that just SCREAMS Jesus to me. And at the end when he can hear the bell but his parents can't he ends with "though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me... as it does for all who truly believe." BRILLIANT!! Most of all I think it's because it's about believing. And that's what it all comes down to. Either we choose to believe in the One worth believing in and this life is an adventure, or we give up and it's just one big disappointment. Like the conductor said at the end: "One thing about trains, it doesn't matter where they're going. What matters is deciding to get on." Because the point isn't that this life goes according to my plan, but that I choose to follow Him wherever He leads me. And THAT is why I love this movie. What about you? What's your favorite Christmas movie and why?

Vampires - Take 2

2008-11-19T20:03:19Z

"A thing may be morally neutral and yet the desire for that thing may be dangerous" - C.S. Lewis Ok...(deep breath)...I've been reading all the comments on our last blog and LOVE that you guys are talking this thing out. I also love that almost everyone played nice in responding to each other - those who didn't, did not get posted...because I have that kind of power *flex*. And I've been tempted to chime in a million times (sometimes I exaggerate) with my own thoughts but really wanted to see what you all are thinking before I threw out my 2 cents. With the movie coming out in a few days, it seems like the perfect time to narrow the discussion a bit, so get ready to catch my 2 cents and roll with the comments again. Same rules as last time - let's respect each other and think from a Jesus perspective before responding. Uno - The thought that spends the most time rolling around in my head is this: Anything that consumes us or that we obsess over more than Jesus is most likely something we need to step away from. I had to do this with these books myself, because they are very intriguing and the romance of it all can suck me in faster than a vacuum on steroids, but I heard this quiet voice in my soul ask me to "please walk away". Our world has built up human relationships as the ultimate goal for girls but Biblically the ultimate relationship is always always Jesus. He's the original White Knight riding in on His horse to save us (Revelation 19:11) and He is the only Faithful and True love who will satisfy. So anything that sets itself up against Him as something better or more exciting is only a lie...and I've been hurt by that lie way too many times for me to want to go there again. Deux (see how multi-lingual I am) - Edward and Bella's relationship is not a healthy one even though it may seem like it. It is not healthy for one person to constantly be battling himself to keep from killing another no matter how sexy you make the whole thing. The dangerous and obsessive aspects of their relationship would be unnerving and scary in real life and would most likely destroy both the people and the relationship. The devil has done massive harm to Jesus' people by making what is dark and harmful look sensual and exciting. It also bothered me that Bella was the one pushing the physical relationship because marketers have spent millions telling your generation that it's good for girls to be sexually aggressive and obsessed with sex but the reality is that it only leads to pain and heartache. Three - I do believe that the books can spark good conversation and that God can use even dark things to bring His kids to Himself. However, if you find that you are obsessed with the stories and dream of being swept off your feet by someone like Edward, you probably need to step back from the books and spend some time pursuing the Lover of your soul who died so that you could truly live. We settle much too easily for what the world has to offer and miss out on the one thrilling relationship that we were made for. There's so much more but I want to hear what you're thinking, so now it's your turn again.

Vampires anyone?

2008-11-01T12:00:00Z

A few weeks ago I sent a message to everyone in our Facebook group (Girls Gone Virtuous) asking if you had read the Twilight series and what your thoughts were. It was the biggest response I've gotten yet to a message so I thought maybe we should talk it out here. That way we can have a semi-conversation about these books that seem to be taking over the world in the same way Harry Potter did. I do want to lay down a few blogging rules first though. 1) It is never appropriate to attack someone because you disagree with them. Please think before you respond and be respectful of each other. 2) I will always respond from a Biblical perspective - don't attack me for that either. The point of this ministry is to encourage and point you guys to Jesus every chance we get. 3) Please don't get worked up because we're talking about something you might believe is anti-Christian. God covered some VERY controversial topics in the Bible and my goal is to please Him in how we discuss this. I have read the first book in the series and was very intrigued by the story so I'll kick things off with the two questions I've been asking myself - What do you like so much about the books? And what do you think God thinks of them? Ok, let's go! Who's first?

Following Jesus - part 1

2008-10-01T06:05:00Z

Tomorrow I'm headed to Mexico City with friends to volunteer with the Passion Conference, which is SO VERY COOL because I love what Passion is all about and never thought i would get to work with them, even as a volunteer. Now to make it all even cooler, I'm going with my friends from Makarios who are doing very Jesus kinds of things in the Dominican Republic, and we get to help a little church in the city do some of those Jesus things there. In order for you guys to understand the level of cool we're talking about here, I need to give you a little background. Back in the beginning of the year I felt like God asked me to leave my job as a youth leader in a church and just follow Him. He didn't say where we were going or what I would be doing, He just held out His hand and asked if I would follow. So I did. Now here I am 5 months later, talking to you guys and reading your prayer requests and traveling the world (did I mention I get to go to East Asia in November?) and meeting more and more of this big family I belong to than I ever thought I would. And what I'm understanding more and more is that this God I want so badly to follow really has a much better plan for me than I do...even when I doubt it. And He really is 100% good even when things seen so horribly wrong and messed up. So it comes down to trust. Do I...can I, trust the God who says He loves me even when He allows hard or bad things to happen in my life? Because I honestly believe that everyday He meets me with a big smile and His hand held out asking me if I'll walk with Him today - "Will you follow me today Jamie?" And I think that often I say no, but look at what He does when I say yes and then fight all my doubts in order to trust Him. Tomorrow Mexico...next year, only He knows, but I would rather do this thing His way than my own. How about you? I'll be back with a full report after Mexico City but until then, let me know what's going on with you. It's so much more fun to follow Him with friends than alone. Are you guys following Jesus or interested in maybe following Him?

What's Your Story?

2008-09-15T14:00:00Z

I just heard a story about a 16 year old girl who sponsors 14 compassion kids. 14. Not one or two, but 14. 14 kids at $32 a month is... $448 a month. She works extra in the summers, "60 or 70 hours a week" she said and keeps a job during the school year so she can afford it. So let me get this straight...here's a teenager who cares so much about kids around the world who are hungry, naked, uneducated and don't know Jesus, that she's willing to sacrifice not just her hard earned money, but her time and energy as well. That makes me want to high-five her like she's never been high-fived before!! Then I started thinking about this guy Zach Hunter. Have you heard this story? He's 16 and was interviewed on ABC because he's trying to end slavery around the world. Here's the ABC story if you want to read it and a YouTube link: ABC News story YouTube video I love hearing stories like this!! Partly because it kicks me in the pants and makes me do stuff and partly because I see something happening in this younger generation. What I'm hearing is that a lot of you are tired of playing the church game and want to actually DO something with the life you've been given. Which sounds a lot more like Jesus than just collecting more information and rules to live by but never applying any of them. So now I'm wondering...who's out there? Who are you and what are you doing with the life you've been given? Is there anyone out there with a story to share that would encourage the rest of us and maybe help us do something ourselves instead of just thinking about it? And before anyone starts to respond that you can't be someone who makes a difference, remember what Jesus said: "Apart from Me you can do nothing" but "I can do all thing through Him who strengthens me." John 15:5b & Philippians 4:13

Meet the Snowbeast

2008-09-10T22:59:26Z

How's it going? I was just sitting here thinking about this blog and what to say and wondering how many of you would actually read it and respond. Then I thought that maybe instead of hitting you with something soul deep and so very convicting, I should maybe introduce myself first since I'm new here and just taking over the big blog. But then I thought of how boring and really self-involved it would be to talk all about myself...God's working me away from the selfish, self-involved thing...so maybe instead of talking about me, I'll just introduce you to The Snowbeast. Before I go there (because "there" can be pretty scary) I will tell you that my name is Jamie and I truly love talking Jesus with anyone who will - so please talk back if you can. On to The Beast. Her name is The Snowbeast ("The" always accompanies Snowbeast, she is never just Snowbeast) and she's roughly 6 years old. One rainy day (I don't actually know that it was a rainy day but it sets the mood you see) she and two siblings were shoved into a plastic bag at the tender age of 2 weeks and heartlessly thrown into a dumpster. At just the right moment a young woman was walking by and heard the sad cries of babies-in-dumpster and rescued them (yay for young women who rescue babies!) Not long after said babies were rescued, I happened to be wandering through the church lobby and saw a tiny little white something being bottle fed by Mother of Rescue Girl. As I approached; it's little, fuzzy, matted, eyes-barely-open face, turned in my direction and let out the loudest little noise she could. And I knew in that moment it was meant to be...or that I just really wanted to bottle feed the kind-of-ugly baby. Six years later she is asleep in the loft and I just finished sweeping roughly one million fur tumbleweeds out the front door. She has earned her name so don't let her pretty picture fool you into thinking she's a sweetheart...she's not...except to me and maybe one other person who also bottle fed her when she was young. God has used her on more than one occassion to show me how ugly I can be toward others and how He continues to love me unfailingly even on those days. Meet The Snowbeast

M is for Modest. Are you?

2008-08-01T09:24:21Z

Between summer fashions and back-to-school dress codes, dressing in style this fall can be a challenge - especially when trying to be modest. You may know what NOT to wear (short shorts, halters, cleavage and navel revealing tight shirts, and exposing of the thong), but how do you gauge modesty in clothing practically? Modesty is most often associated with clothing; however, it goes well beyond our outward appearance. In fact, immodest clothing reveals much about a person’s character, attitude and self esteem – as does the opposite. Think about it, what type of message do you wanted communicated about yourself based upon your clothing choices? Do you want your crush to think you are “easy” and simply viewed as “eye candy” for the male viewing pleasure? Or would you rather gain the respect of those around you without the cheap thrills of exposing too much of yourself? What say you: How do you dress en vogue and maintain a modest wardrobe? Is it really all that important? Additional Reading I Timothy 3:9-10 I Peter 3:3-5 Proverbs 31:25 Ephesians 5:8-10 Romans 14:13 Romans 14:19 I John 2:15