Wednesday, May 27, 2009

jon & kate (plus paparazzi plus cameras following your every move plus possible infidelity) plus 8

This whole "Jon & Kate Plus 8" drama is depressing.

I usually love watching the show to see the adorable kids and dynamics between a young couple with twins and sextuplets, but lately the only thing the show is known for is the rumors of infidelity on both ends- Jon & Kate have both been accused of cheating on each other with other people.



The rumors of the past three months haven't helped at all. I watched the Season 5 premiere, and it was so incredibly heartbreaking. When Jon and Kate were together, they barely even acknowledged each other. The paparazzi was hiding in the bushes by the park where their children celebrated their fifth birthday. The family has to come up with aversions to distract the paparazzi.

I think the thing that makes it the saddest is the fact that, as a viewer, you watch the deterioration of a marriage and the destruction of a family. As a viewer you feel as if you are part of the family, and you feel invested in the relationship. Watching it all fall apart is just heartbreaking. To add to that, this is no ordinary infidelity situation. Let's not forget that there are EIGHT- count 'em- eight children involved here, all of whom are below the age of 10.

More than anything, I think this whole hoopla is a great lesson. It shows how important communication is in any relationship. Somewhere along the lines, this couple stopped talking, and somewhere further along that line, something happened that has led to this situation they are currently in. Granted, having camera crews and eight screaming children around 24/7 doesn't exactly facilitate this. But setting boundaries beforehand, and understanding your limits, are both great ways to come to a consensus on the issue at hand.

This family is in a serious predicament. On the upside, this show has given them so many financial blessings in the form of vacations, a new home, etc. In a weird way, this show about their life has become their career. But on the downside, it has taken away their chance for a "normal" life.

So where do you draw the line?

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Mission

Over the past 6 weeks, my church has been doing a series called "Boot Camp", which is aimed at helping Christians focus on the basics of our faith. Today's message was about Missions, and the importance of making God's mission to reach others our mission.

Listen to the CF message here.

We cited Luke 15:1-7, and he mentioned that in the passage, Jesus does three things:

- Pursue Us (Luke 15:4)
-Serve Us (Luke 15:5-6)
- Celebrates our redemption (Luke 15:6)

In the same way God pursues us, we are called to do the same to others in our lives. The pastor cited a video blog by Penn Jillette, who is an atheist. Watch this video blog where Jillette mentions the action of a Christian after one of his shows, and his thoughts on the man.
I thought the video spoke for itself, and is a great example of how we as Christians should treat others. What are your thoughts on this issue?

Friday, May 1, 2009

Summer has begun!

I can finally breathe a sigh of relief! I'm finally DONE with this semester!

That means summer is here!

I'm writing this post from a swanky hotel room overlooking Thomas Circle in the amazing Washington, DC! It's only been one day, but I am completely in love with this city! I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I do. Today's been an excruciatingly long day, but it was all well worth it. We got up at 3am, hopped on a flight at 7am, and made it to DC by 9:45.

First on the list of sightseeing excursions was the National Zoo. And obviously, the number one thing I was there to see was the Giant Panda! This was one thing on my list of things to do before I die, and it was so worth the wait! The pandas were adorable.

Afterwards, we headed to the Washington National Cathedral. This church was. AH. MA. ZING.

Amazing architecture, amazing history, all around amazing. the cathedral takes up about 57 acres, which all includes a girls' and boys' boarding school (very Gossip Girl). President Woodrow Wilson is buried there, and the fact that so many heads of state have sat in this church's pews was just awesome! I definitely recommend it. You MUST see it when you go to Washington.

We've been walking all day, and tomorrow we're heading to The White House and the National Mall. I can't wait.

I promise I shall blog pictures when I get home! :)