Two Decades.

I can't wait for January 30, 2013.  I will be able to have a once-in-a-lifetime facebook status.  It will say "It's my birthday tomorrow.  No one here could know I was born this Thursday, 22 years ago."  I indeed was born on a Thursday just like Mr. Jon Foreman -- who is pretty awesome if you didn't know already.  So, look for this status in a year and 355 days.

So.  Here I sit.  A 20 year old.  A girl in her 20's.  Woah.  This is just weird, strange, and slightly overwhelming. A lot will happen (potentially) in my 20's.  I will most likely graduate... I don't know why I wouldn't.  There's a pretty big chance that, while I don't have a boyfriend, I will get married.  If I do get married, there is a fairly large chance I will have children.  In my 20's.  I am 20.

It's a lot to ponder.  I've never really cared that much about how old I am.  The last time I remember being pumped about being a year older was when I was turning 13.  Come on.  Everyone wants to be a teenager.  But I don't know... There's just something about being 20.  I don't even think I'll care that much about turning 21 since I am not a huge fan of alcohol, and aside from being able to legally drink, what good is 21?  But I digress.

I have successfully lived two decades.  Go me!  And I have to say, I'm feel really great with where I'm at.  I feel like I have great friends, a great support group, a flat out amazing family, and a great life ahead of me.  I just hope that I am living each and every day doing what God wants and that I am pleasing to Him.

Awesome

DISCLAIMER:  This might make you angry/frustrated... But not me.

        So tonight, Rebekah made me go to a women's bible study through Aletheia.  They, well, we, are doing a series on marriage, sexuality, divorce and related topics.  It was just so awesome sitting in a circle with a dozen or so other girls who share beliefs with me.  At first, I thought it was just going to be a decent study with nothing too touchy, until we were talking about Genesis 2:23-24. It reads,

The man said, 

"This is now bone of my bone 

and flesh of my flesh; 

she shall be called 'woman'

for she was taken out of man."

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,

and they will become one flesh.

        We talked about what it meant to leave your father and mother as a woman, and one of the girls said something along the lines of, "It means your parents are no longer in charge of your life. They don't have authority over you." Mary, the leader, interjected there and said, "Yes, because your husband does now."  I just sat there and smiled.  It's nice to know that I am not the only woman (along with Rebekah) who really believes that women are to submit to their husbands.  Men are to be the heads of the households. 

There is a hefty analogy in Ephesians which I love and take to heart.  It says, 

"Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stair or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.  In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.  He who loves his wife loves himself  After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church -- for we are members of his body." 

-Ephesians 5:22-30

        Wow.  So much is said here.  Wives, submit to your husbands.  I mean, I'm pretty sure that means that we are to obey them, which gives them authority over us.  He is head of his wife.  I just don't understand how women have issues with this.  Men are to treat their wives as Christ treats the church.  I know Christ always gives me more than I need, or even realize I want.  Why would I ever have any issue submitting to someone who was going to love me, care for me, treat me with respect, never hurt me, and protect me?  If you can give me a legit answer, by all means, let me know. 

        I guess it just baffles me how people can be "Christians" but ignore whatever they deem "outdated" because the Bible is old.  I, for one, believe the Bible is truth.  It is perfect.  Not all of it is happy and joyful and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  It challenges us.  It gives us hope.  It motivates us.  I, for one, believe the Word. 

        I for one, will be going back to this Bible study :)

Huh.

        DISCLAIMER:  This is a very scattered post.  I haven't completely processed my thoughts, but I just had to get this out there.

        I just got back from playing flute at a Mennonite meeting.  There was a group of about 18 pastors or elders of Mennonite churches anywhere from Harrisonburg, Minnesota and I believe Ohio?  Anyway.  They are having a conference about how to hold political conversations in the Mennonite church.  It was a very interesting experience, and I was just there to hear their introductions and sing some.  I would have been very interested in staying to hear what the talked about, but part of me thinks that I would not have enjoyed it at all.  The introductions got fairly long.  They talked about reasons people were leaving their church.  Some reasons included too much dialogue about peace, why the American flag was no longer flown in front of the church, and various stances the church took, mainly about war.
        One preacher said that he had a few families leave because of how he pushed peace especially, and then he said, "Well, either that, or because I didn't preach about 7 day creation." That floored me.  A Mennonite church.  Not preaching a 7 day creation.  What was he preaching then??  That comment alone made me not want to attend his church.
        Another lady talked about how about 8 years ago, she was part of an 8 week dialogue between Republicans and Democrat Christians.  She said that it was a good experience and that she thinks she recommends it. Thinks.  She then went on to talk about how she is in a group of Christians, Jews, and Muslims that get together and learn about each other's faith and walks of life.  She raved about this.  Once again, my mind went berserk.  She found it easier to talk about religion with two other very different religions than to talk to people from the opposing political party?  That just blows my mind.
        I felt very outnumbered at this meeting.  There was only one brave soul who said he was "more" conservative.  I had to wonder how much they will actually get accomplished this afternoon.  It is such an unbalanced group of people.  They want to know about issues from both sides of the board.  How can you do that with hardly any representation from one of the parties?
        This made me think about a lot of things.
        1.  It made me wonder how much Mrs. Roth's statement in Government my Sr year is really true.  She lived in Australia for a while, and said that the Democrat and Republican parties are the closest political parties in a country.  Let me explain.  She said that the Dems and GOP are more similar than the two opposing parties in Australia, or in Sweeden or Kenya.  I think about the "hot" topics and how Dems and Reps are as completely opposite as can be in my mind.  And then I think about, well, if this really is a true statement, why can't we seem to to talk about politics without getting all in a fury?  I read on one of my peers blogs about how she can hardly even talk to conservatives.  I just don't understand.  We are humans.  Within this context, we are both CHRISTIAN humans.
        2.  How did Republicans get the stereotype of being close minded?? Yes.  I do admit that I am stubborn in my beliefs, and I think it is good to be.  BUT, I have never heard a conservative person talk about how they just can't even hear other beliefs.  Typically, if I try to give my 2 cents in a political conversation with a group liberal and conservatives, I will get cut off.  I'm not saying all liberals are like this.  Meg, for one, is definitely not this way, and I LOVE that about her :)  People make assumptions about me all the time too.  There is a group that just started at EMU called the Student Women's Association.  They encouraged feminists, non-feminists, female and male alike to all come and talk about women's issues.  I was interested in going, being that I am one of the few non-feminists at EMU.  I wanted to hear what people believed, what they were hoping to accomplish with this group amongst many other things.  A guy friend of mine asked if I was going, and I was thinking about how to tell him that I kind of wanted to go, but wasn't sure if it was actually going to really be accepting of all views, and before I could say that, another girl goes, "No she's not.  Janelle isn't a feminist."  Well, okay, yeah, that's true, but it's not true that I wasn't going to go.  But then I didn't go.  The least she could have done was say something like, "Oh, Janelle, you should come! It would interesting to hear your thoughts on feminism."  I guess they'll never know.  I hope someone represented my views that night... but it's very doubtful. 
        3.  Most importantly, it made me realize how much I really appreciate Aletheia, and I know now more of why I do now.  Yes, if I had to guess, the church as a whole probably leans towards the right purely because of how outreach oriented they are.  I really love that about Aletheia.  But, I also love how they put GOD first in their church.  Not Obama, not congress, not what bill is about to be passed that we do or don't want to succeed.  They dive into scripture and focus on GOD and what He wants for us -- how we are supposed to act and treat each other with LOVE.  They go through the BIBLE and say it how it is, not how they WANT it to be.  They don't stretch scripture to try swing your political alliances the other way.

Okay.
I'd better be going to class now.

I just want to leave you with a challenge to truly listen to one another, no matter how different we may be.

Gentleman

I've been doing a lot of thinking about what qualities I think the "perfect man" possesses.  Sure, there are multiple reasons I shouldn't do this -- He probably doesn't exist, and if he did, I probably don't deserve him.  Regardless, I have made a fairly long list of qualities I want my future husband to posses.  Aside from any quality that relates to humor or Christianity, I've realized that this person I've described is essentially Darcy.  I think I may have been born a couple hundred years too late.  I wish I lived in a world where almost every man was a true gentleman. 


I found this list of 10 qualities of a 21 century gentleman which I agree with for the most part.  There are just subtle things that I would change.  So to any male readers out there, which I really doubt I have any, feel free to read this and take it to heart.  


To end, I just want to say that I love it when a guy knows how to dress himself  :)

Questions

        Stressed during Christmas break?  That's exactly what I am.  I am stressed and it's Christmas break.  "Why are you stressed, Janelle?" you might ask.  That's a great question.
        Life is stressing me out.  It's so big and important and half the time, I feel like I'm not ready for it.  I need to start looking for a summer job.  I have three options.  I can work somewhere to make money, I can volunteer, or I can work at a camp.  Which do I choose?  Money would be nice, considering that I go to a private university that is by no means cheap.  Would it be fulfilling?  Probably not, but I guess there could be jobs out there that I really feel like I am doing God's will.  But what would that be?  I don't know.
        Volunteering.  Oh boy. I feel like this is the hardest one, and not because of the lack of money.  I just want to leave.  I want out of Harrisonburg for a while.  So if I were to leave, I would have to find an organization or place to volunteer with that I feel I can support.  I would also either have to rent, which I definitely don't have money for, or live with friends and relatives, and I'm not the kind of person that feels comfortable asking for lodging, especially for an extended period like a summer.  I would feel like such a mooch.  So that leaves camp.
        I've always had a heart for summer camps.  I went to Highland Retreat growing up and have made some great friends and had great experiences through that.  I found out a lot about my relationship with Christ and how I best grow with Him through camp.  I even got baptized at Highland.  But I feel myself getting restless in and around Harrisonburg.  I didn't get away for college, so I really want to get away this summer, and camp would be an easy way to do that.  There are Christian camps all over the US.  So... Where to go?  I have two friends who worked at River Valley Ranch in Maryland, but could I actually do a whole summer around horses? (For those of you who don't know, Janelle + horses = hives.)  Also, by looking at pictures, hearing stories and going to their website, RVR looks like a place where I would either absolutely love it, or just get really overwhelmed.  Am I willing to take that risk?  So, I looked up Mennonite Camps since I am Mennonite and went to Highland my whole life.  I feel like I know what to expect at least a little.  But they all sound the same.  Where is a good fit for me?  Where can I not just be a catalyst in helping others grow in Christ, but grow in Christ myself?
        Oh.  I guess I also have the option for missions, but that requires money that I do not have.  Plus, I can go to Atmore, AL for free :)
        So... If you have the answers to any of these questions, by all means, please let me know.