A shallow gospel

While on vacation I happened to read an article in USA today about how many view Oprah as a spiritual leader. I suppose in a postmodern culture where people piece together their own religion, why not have her as a spiritual leader? In fact, in the article a professor named Kathryn Lofton was quoted as saying, "She's a really hip and materialistic Mother Teresa." Isn't that quite an oxymoron? Needless to say, I've been uneasy about the article ever since.

Just as a quick disclaimer, I don't claim to know Oprah's beliefs nor do I want to judge any good she is trying to accomplish.

However, any good news offered by Oprah is shallow to say the least. The same is true of Angelina Jolie, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and many others. We get carried away by the warm fuzzy feeling but it all falls short. Improving someone's physical conditions is only part of the picture. I even find myself chasing after the gospel of good works, as if the good I do can possibly accomplish anything in the world apart from God. And on another level, my sub-conscious believes that what I do will somehow bring me closer to God.

During Paul's time there were also many false, shallow gospels being preached. In Romans 1 he strives to set Christ's Gospel apart from the others of the time and says in verse 17, "This (emphasis mine) Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, 'It is through faith that a righteous person has life.'" (NLT version) So do not be persuaded by one of Oprah's "Remembering your spirit" segments, the only true Gospel is the power of God at work in you and me.

I think this is a good time to throw in one of my favorite passages, 1 Peter 1: 3-5, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."

Make new friends, but keep the old

"One is silver and the other's gold." I think the Girl Scouts showed some real wisdom in the song I used to sing as a little girl...the real question is how to accomplish it.

This is just one of those things about life that I get hung up on. How do you hang on to friendships when you're forced to move on and make new ones? Similarly, how is it you can know someone so well for a period of time and then a few years later know absolutely nothing about them? About a month ago I ran into an old friend that I hadn't seen in 5 years or so. Things hadn't ended that well but at one point we had been really good friends. It was fun to see them and kinds memories came flooding back to me - but now we are more different than ever. Last night I went to a wedding with a lot of people I knew growing up but hadn't seen in years. Again, it was a little weird but in this case there was enough shared history so it was fun to chat a little. In some cases you can strike up conversations and pick up right where you left off, in other cases it seems like there is nothing in common anymore.

This is definitely something I worry about when I move to London. I know God will take care of it and I'll meet great new friends there...but I love all the friends I have now and I don't want to lose them! I guess when I've seen friendships disappear in the past I wonder what's to stop that from happening again. I think one difference is a lot of those friendships were when I was younger and maybe during a transitional period but I think it is inevitable that when you move on to a new phase in life friendships evolve. In this case I hope it's in a good way. I suppose it just takes a little work on both sides.

"One is silver and the other's gold." Hmm, it's kind of like jewerly. I like both kinds so I'm going to try and hold on to them.

Make This Go On Forever

Check out one of my favorite new cds, Snow Patrol's Eyes Open. I would say Final Straw was one of the best albums of 2004 and this is definitely my favorite new album in 2006. It's a little dark but there is a happy twist. One good reason to move to London...British music.

Escapism

Whenever I go on vacation I daydream about moving to the Caribbean. It is the most beautiful place I've ever been. After some serious contemplation in St. Lucia I have determined that I have 3 plausible options.

The first option is the one I originally thought of. In this scenario I quit my job working for the man, move to an island (I think I still prefer St. John) and become a waitress or tour guide. I would live a simple life in a cheap apartment.

In option 2 I continue to work my butt off and eventually become a millionaire. Once I have enough money I'd invest it in a giant vacation home with a view. I would be sure to include lots of windows, a huge porch, a pool and definitely AC. I wouldn't live there all the time but definitely a large chunk of the year. The rest of the time I could rent it out to the normal people who can't afford to build their own.

The third scenario is to find some friends with money. All I need to do is find a few friends who have already struck it rich and con them into inviting me down for the winter. As long as I'm dreaming I'd prefer it if he was a young, single, cute, Christian guy...yeah, that sounds good. But I'd even settle for some married people who took pity on my poor, single soul. This option is clearly superior to the others in that I don't have to work my butt off and I still get the big vacation house. In economic terms, I'd be maximizing my utility with my scarce resources. Don't worry, I wouldn't dump all of my normal friends, I'm a very loyal person (and I can't live without you!). I'd be sure that you were all invited as well and we could have a big party.

Dream on.

I [heart] coffee

In case losing Alias wasn't enough, now I have to give up my other love (sometimes referred to as an addiction)...caffeine.

I've had some pretty bad headaches lately and have been going to the doctor, dreading the day they told me I really should get off caffeine. And today, my worst fears came true, "You'll be better of in the end," he said. Okay, okay...he's probably right.

I've heard of something called "decaffeinated" coffee and "caffeine-free" Diet Coke although I'm not quite sure what the point is. I mean, it just won't be the same.

I do appreciate that he gave me some medicine that will help with the withdrawal symptoms. Although, I didn't realize I was as bad as a heroine addict or something. Still, I won't be quitting cold turkey, that's brutal. First I'll stop drinking Diet Coke, then I'll have to switch to half-caff coffee in the mornings before finally going to decaf. I'll let you know how it works out. If I'm irritable, that's why (or at least one possible reason).

In Memoriam

In case you missed the series finale of the best show on television, which would be a shame, you can watch it here.

For those of you tired of reading about Alias, this may be the last post you ever have to endure (but I don't make any promises). After 5 great years of TV the spy-antics have ended. The show triggered my interest in espionage. I even applied to the CIA to be an economic analyst. Yes, I know Michael Vartan doesn't actually work there.

I'd like to say a few words to commemorate the end of this cult phenomenon. Sydney, I will miss your outrageous costumes and always so believable stunts. Vaughn, I'm glad you didn't really die, I was always holding out hope all along. I'm glad you and Syd finally got to be together at the end. Marshall, you are "empire strikes back" cool, there is nobody like you. Jack, I'm glad you finally came around and had a heart. Dixon, you are a loyal guy who never lets anybody down. Sloane, I'm glad everyone finally realized you really were evil. Irina, it's fitting that you died grasping for power. Last but not least, Sark, I'm sorry you had to play a bad guy in the show.

Alias is survived by Grey's Anatomy and 24 as my favorite shows.

a must see

A few clips for the Alias fans out there…stay tuned for a tribute to Alias post. In case you're thinking I'm obsessed, I prefer to call myself "loyal." Isn't that a good character trait to have? According to dictionary.com that means I'm a faithful to a person, ideal, custom, cause, or duty. That means I stick with the things that are important to me, most importantly my friends and family. So, you should count yourself lucky to have a friend like me!




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Extraction point

All this time you thought I was just kidding about being a secret agent...but I wasn't. Just before my extraction from St. Lucia I paused for a photo opp.
Sydney and Vaughn would have been in the picture but they were too rushed. They were yelling at me while I was getting my picture taken saying, "Emily, hurry up! There's no time!" But hey, I might only go to St. Lucia once so I stopped for a picture, and a few along the way.






Aren't you jealous you don't have a cool walkie-talkie headset??









Watch out when you exit or you might get sucked into the propeller on the back and that wouldn't be pretty










A view of the harbor at Castries, St. Lucia














Overlooking the rainforest of St. Lucia...







Stay tuned for more pictures of the trip, I'll let you know when I get them posted. Oh, and watch your back, now that I've told you I'm a spy the man might be coming to kill you.

I got the hook-up

So today we're headed on a speedboat down the coast to check out the scenery, see the volcano, swim in the hot springs and snorkel around the coral reefs. Don't worry Mel, I'm not sitting in an internet cafe all day, geesh.

My favorite professor from Miami, Dr. Prosper Raynold (we called him PR) grew up in St. Lucia so the last time I saw him at the career fair I told him we were coming here on vacation. He gave me the name and number of his friend who told me to call when we arrived. So last night we met him and he seems to be somewhat of a big shot down here. Anyway, he set us up with this guy who's taking us on a private boat trip today. He told us "Anything you want to do here, I can do it. The only thing I can't do, and I'm working on it, is raise the dead." So, we'll see what's in store for the rest of the week but I'm looking forward to today, I love boat trips!

Ciao.

The One that Got Away

It happens every year. Remember Latoya London? This year it's Chris. The guy who should have won gets eliminated because people don't vote. Not that I vote... But he'll be better off this way. He'll be the next Clay Aiken- only much cooler (who remember Reuben Studdard?).

Yes, I've found an internet cafe with AC and I'm choosing to spend my time blogging about Chris getting voted off Idol. I, too, like to blog about important social concerns. Now you know where my priorities are...but if I waited til I got home the news would be 10 days old and no one would want to read it.

Anyway, things are great here. Hot and sunny :) I'd post some pictures but I don't have the cord for my camera. You'll see plenty when I get back.

Save the Internet

Save the internet

Check out Steve's blog for more info.

Pirates of the Caribbean

So I'm off to St. Lucia with my family...and I'm going to have no internet connection (gasp!) I'm not sure what I'll do without being able to check my email every day but I think I'll survive. You, on the other hand, I'm praying you can survive 10 days without a post from me. I'll try to hit up an internet cafe so you can get your fix. In the mean time, check out Ryan's new blog, lost in the twenties, (great name!) he should keep you entertained while I'm gone :)

What will I be doing? Everything. And by everything I mean laying by the pool, reading, laying on the beach, snorkeling, laying by the pool, reading, laying on the beach, sleeping, laying by the pool, riding a catamaran, and getting a tan. On a more serious note, I'm sure I'll do a lot of thinking about things as well. Aaron, maybe when I get back we can have another philosophy discussion. I also hope to complete my list of 5 things to do by the time I'm 30 so stay tuned.

Bye for now.

This episode takes place between 10pm and 11pm

"So, it's over?" No Audrey, it's not over. Don't you realize there are still 3 hours left? Not only is it too soon to resolve the entire plotline of 24, but I wouldn't be surprised if they threw in a totally new storyline. And yes, the President- I like to call him the ultimate delegator) is still alive. His favorite line is, "No, you take care of it." He wouldn't actually want to take responsibility for the outcome of his own presidency. He tried to take the easy way out again by killing himself, they actually had me going for a few minutes that he might actually go through with it. Unfortunately slimy Miles emerged to suck up and try to help the President. So the President suddenly saw that he might be able to get away with assassinating President David Palmer (everybody likes the All-State guy). I never did like Miles, you can tell he is evil by his face and his voice. Miles, don't you realize you're dealing with Jack Bauer? Jack Bauer vs. whimpy President Logan. Next time you should bet on the other side of that fight.

Man, I'm going to have a lot of Tivo to catch up on when I get back from vacation. I will be in total suspense about whether Jack Bauer will prevail, who is going to die on Grey's Anatomy and if Syd and Vaughn will ever get back together.

Fore!

You're reading the blog of the next Michelle Wei.

Well, maybe not. I've never had much athletic ability or paid too much attention to golf. However, tonight I made my debut in the golf world. Melody and I went to the driving range at Lunken-- it was a beautiful night and Melody is getting into golf so we thought it would be fun. And, don't get me wrong, it was fun...but I'm terrible.

Now, it was my first time so cut me some slack. I think I have potential and I would definitely like to go back. Near the end one of the guys working walked by just as I took a swing and missed. "Strike one. You get three strikes in baseball...but this is golf." I argued back, "hey, this is my first time." So then I think he felt sorry for me and stopped to give me a few pointers. I kept swinging and finally hit a decent one. "Hey, look at that, even a blind squirrel gets a nut now and then!" Gee, that makes you feel good...Meanwhile, he watched Melody hit a few nice ones and said, "You've got it down. You've got some nice athletic ability so all you need is some practice." So...I'd say that implies I don't have any athletic ability? I'm a blind squirrel. That's cool, I'll just keep workin' it at Curves. He'll be sorry when he sees me on TV at Pebble Beach next to Tiger Woods.

Help me pick my favorite

I've never been a huge sports fan. This year I started getting into football and followed the Bengals through the whole season...I've always liked watching baseball and enjoy going to Reds games, but I don't always make an effort to follow them. In both cases I pick a favorite player to root for throughout the season.

Now, since I don't actually know too much about stats I typically pick my favorite based on how cool their name is. Hey, I'm a girl, I'm allowed. I don't want to pick the best or most well-known player on the team because that's just too obvious (ie. Chad Johnson, Carson Palmer). So, this year my favorite Bengal was Kevin Kaesviharn. He has a cool name and he gets his job done, even if he isn't a starter. I would have picked TJ Houshmandzadeh in a heartbeat but I don't like his long, skinny ponytail (TJ, if you're reading this, you can be my favorite if you cut the ponytail). My favorite Reds player was Willy Mo Pena, you just can't argue with that name. My second favorite was Sean Casey- not really a cool name but he seems like a great guy. Now you can see my dilemma since both of those players are no longer with the Reds. That's where you come in. I know at least a few of you who read this know about sports and are Reds fans...who should my new favorite be???

Would you rather be a puppet or a string?

I'm going to try not to get too sappy on this post but I have to give a shout out to my little sister. She's been putting up with getting called "Em-Melissa" all her life...and that was the least of her worries as my sister, somewhere along the line I heard I was a little bossy??

Congratulations on graduation! (I assume you are going to pass your finals, although Dad is getting nervous). You've made it through 4 years of college and your whole life is ahead of you. As exciting as it is, I know it is also scary. There is a lot of uncertainty but God will be there. It's easier said that done but now that I've been there I can tell you for myself that it's true - that's my job as your older sister. You're going to make an awesome teacher and writer and I know God has great things in store for you!

I'm looking forward to how our friendship will grow and I promise I'll try to be a nice roommate. Hey, maybe if you're lucky I'll leave my Orlando Bloom calendar in your room.