http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/ en Copyright 2010 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:58:48 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 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]]> http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2010/01/stuck_in_the_third_world_1.html http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2010/01/stuck_in_the_third_world_1.html Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:58:48 -0600 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 http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2010/01/2009_my_ebenezer_1.html http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2010/01/2009_my_ebenezer_1.html Fri, 01 Jan 2010 13:44:40 -0600 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]]> http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/12/christmas_reminders.html http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/12/christmas_reminders.html Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:50:46 -0600 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!!]]> http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/11/bible_giveaway_winner.html http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/11/bible_giveaway_winner.html Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:21:38 -0600 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]]> http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/10/anyone_need_a_new_bible.html http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/10/anyone_need_a_new_bible.html Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:00:00 -0600 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]]> http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/09/a_question_for_you.html http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/09/a_question_for_you.html Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:25:04 -0600 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!!]]> http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/09/phil_and_the_snowbeast.html http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/09/phil_and_the_snowbeast.html Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:00:00 -0600 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. ]]> http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/07/so_you_think_you_can_dance_1.html http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/07/so_you_think_you_can_dance_1.html Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:22:29 -0600 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.]]> http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/06/phil_1.html http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/06/phil_1.html Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:25:23 -0600 "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? ]]> http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/06/if_necessary_use_words_1.html http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/06/if_necessary_use_words_1.html Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:56:51 -0600 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. ]]> http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/05/thats_1_for_the_girls_1.html http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/05/thats_1_for_the_girls_1.html Tue, 19 May 2009 17:22:05 -0600 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. ]]> http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/05/stuff_you_should_know_about_my_1.html http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/05/stuff_you_should_know_about_my_1.html Fri, 01 May 2009 14:00:00 -0600 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.]]> http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/04/what_if_jesus_twittered.html http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/04/what_if_jesus_twittered.html Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:00:00 -0600 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. http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/03/stuff_you_should_know_about_ce.html http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/03/stuff_you_should_know_about_ce.html Sun, 01 Mar 2009 08:00:00 -0600 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.]]> http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/02/happy_balumtineth_day_1.html http://www.virtuousreality.com/blog/2009/02/happy_balumtineth_day_1.html Sun, 01 Feb 2009 08:00:00 -0600