A Quote

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask oursleves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our prescence automatically liberates others.
~Nelson Mandela

A Short Rant (or how to throw traditionalism out the window, and still feel good about yourself in the morning)

Well, I'd make the futile apologies about not putting up enough blog posts, but it would be just that: Futile. So instead of wasting your time on that, I will attempt to eloquently display a rant.
This rant is in direct regard to the discussion (inflametory argument) about dating. My sister and I went to a small seminar for singles tonight about the truth about dating and it's long-lived nemisis, courtship. I knew everything started on the wrong foot for me when I heard him start talking about courtship. After that, we spent most of the evening looking over every detail about how men and women are supposed to act and respond in a relationship.
I don't disagree that culture is going down a road that provides a lot of free love that has great long-term costs. But then again, I cannot, and never will adhere to a form of relationship, even "biblically-based", that is founded on a bunch of reactionary rules.
One of my new passions is the discussion of, and attempt to understand, what it means to live an incarnational life. I talked about it a little in my last post, and I hope it will be something all of you, my fellow bloggers will help me as I try to understand it. But to the point, I firmly believe that incarnational life can readily be used in every area of life. Pretty much to the effect that just as Christ has breathed new life into me, I in turn breathe new life into everything and everyone around me. No, we're not free to live in sin. But yes, we are free to live in Christ, and His goodness. It is for freedom that we have been set free. Our new guide is the Holy Spirit, and if we are truly free in Christ, we are free to pour life into whatever kind of relationship, and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us and convict us. The Holy gets to set the standard now.
Unfortunately, and to my great frustration, we have a tendency as human beings to try to dictate the law for ourselves, and try to act like the Holy Spirit. It's what happens when we take one verse out of the bible and say, 'LOOK! It's in the Bible! If this verse says so, then it must be true and you have to follow it or you're in SIN'! Same idea as Bible thumper. Hitting people with the Holy word of God. Here's some truth for ya! *WHACK*
But living as a new creation, allowing Christ to shine through us, means that we are no longer bound to law, and therefore, we live in the Power of the holy instead. And that's how I want to live when I have a get into a relationship with someone. I want to live in the freedom of Christ, and the guidance of the spirit, rather than creating a nice, small box for all the rules to fit in so that I can have a true, Christian relationship.
Rant over. Really, I wanted to be more eloquent, but I'm so worn out at the end of this week, that you'll just have to salvage the truth that you can out of this disjointed post. But really, what do you, my readers think about this? Perhaps some disagree? Please, let me know!