Two little lines...

My friend, Lauren posted this on her blog, and it really convicted me. I thought I'd share it with you too.

--

“Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life’s busy way;

Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done;

Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgement seat;

Only one life,’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice

Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God’s holy will to cleave;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;

Each with its clays I must fulfill, living for self or in His will;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore, When Satan would a victory score;

When self would seek to have its way, Then help me Lord with joy to say;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep, In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;

Faithful and true what e’er the strife, Pleasing Thee in my daily life;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn, And from the world now let me turn;

Living for Thee, and Thee alone, Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;

Only one life, “twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;

And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;

Only one life,’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

C.T. Studd

Rant: 3 Kinds of People

Yes. I'm a writer and a nerd... I title my rants. Okay, here it goes...

There are three kinds of people. Those who know everything, those who are always right, and those who aren't either. I'm sure if you thought about it long enough, you could sort all your friends into one of those three categories.

Those who know everything are characterized by the following traits:
Everyone always asks them what they want to know. See, by "know everything" I don't mean that they are a walking encyclopedia, but that they are connected with and educated about their social sphere at extreme levels. They seem to know what everyone said, did, and even thought on any given day. They are good thermometers of a crowds leanings and can inform you about any social tidbit you might need to know. Because they know everything.
If you want to know, say, why someone wasn't at a class on Friday, and you go up to your friend and ask them, and they say, "I don't know, ask Fred," then Fred is probably someone who knows everything.

Those who are always right are characterized by the following traits:
They always tell you exactly what you are thinking and what your motives are and seem to understand them better than you. They cut through the chase in any given conversation and get to the heart of the issue. They have an irritating habit of making pity-parties feel absolutely ridiculous. They have an amazing capacity to not only have the right perspective, but make sure you have it too. Excuses mean nothing to them. They read you like a book. They sympathize with you, but they don't let you complain for very long before setting you straight. And no matter what they say, you can't help but like them anyway. Probably because... well... you know they're right. Whenever you start to complain, they tell you exactly why it is unreasonable, silly, or just plain wrong of you to feel that way, and what you are really doing. And the creepy thing-- They're always right.
If you start complaining about, say, feeling like nobody likes you, and your friend says, "You know, you're just seeking the praise of man," then you've probably got someone who's always right on your hands.

Those who are neither are characterized by the following traits:
You are like me. You're sometimes right and sometimes know something, but never always. You regularly seek out those who know everything to help you accomplish or find out something, knowing that they are willing to help you. You often find yourself venting to the people who are always right, knowing you'll find a sympathetic ear, and they will set you straight when you're done. You regularly get irritated with both categories for knowing things you don't know and pinpointing your ulterior motives. You can't, however, stay irritated with them for very long, and usually end up seeking out their company again and again.

So that's my rant. It's tough being in category 3... but then again, most of those people are in one of the other categories, and just don't know it. Who's in which category, it seems, often depends on who you ask. :)

The Story of St. Patrick

This is, personally, my favorite telling of the story of St. Patrick. Enjoy!



If you want to read another retelling, you can do so at my friends blog, here.

"I have this weird feeling I'm being watched..."

Okay, I admit it, I just really like that picture. But all joking aside, sometimes it really feels like people are watching us. Maybe not because they want to eat us, as is the case for our little friend Goldie, but they are watching us. Watching to see how we react. How we act. What we say.

I've gotten a little taste of that over the last couple weeks. Between being in a leadership position through TeenPact and having been rather successful in debate, I've gotten a chance to feel what it's like to be watched. Not with malicious intent, but watched, all the same.

Have you ever been in a position like that? Circumstances, whether up to you or not, have thrust you into the public eye, or to the forefront of your circle of influence, and suddenly people are watching you. It feels like every move you make is scrutinized, debated, and maybe even judged. And it's kind of disconcerting.

A great example of this happening on a broad scale would be the lives of politicians and celebrities. Have you ever noticed that seemingly insignificant actions that would mean little in our lives suddenly take on some stupendous meaning when carried out by someone famous?

"Princess Kate goes out for coffee."

"Clinton trips on her way down steps."

"President wears a fancy suit."

Come on, really people?!

But it's true. When people rise to a position of power, leadership, influence, or even just fame, what they do is watched. Why is that? Why is going out for coffee, tripping, or buying clothes such a big deal? A big part of it is that they don't just reflect themselves anymore. They come to represent their party, their people, an organization, a position, or even an idea. The way the leader acts displays something about the people they are representing or the idea they are championing.

So, what about us? It is true also, that when we rise to a position of success or leadership, people will be watching us as well. Certainly not on as broad a scale. Your every move won't make Yahoo! headlines. But people will be watching. Weighing. Maybe even judging. Why? Because you suddenly represent something.

When my partner and I debate in finals, we are no longer just a debate team. We represent our club to the rest of the league. Probably more importantly, we represent the league to any community judges who are there. We are scrutinized because the other competitors want to be sure we are being good representatives.

When I am staffing TeenPact, I am no longer just representing Rachel. I represent TeenPact to the students and parents, and they are watching me. Not because they want to see what Rachel's like, but because they want to see what TeenPact is like.

And what about us as Christians? People are watching us too. Not because they want to see what we're like, but because they want to see what Christianity is like. What the church is like. What Christ is like. Just like I need to make sure I debate ethically, or handle a situation at TeenPact well, because I represent other people, we need to live our lives well, because we represent Christ. We are His ambassadors. How we act directly affects how people will view Christianity.

So next time you feel like you're being watched, it's probably because it's true. Hate to freak you out, but that's probably the case.

It's easy, when we feel like we're being watched, to freeze. To be afraid to move because we're afraid of being criticized or doing the wrong thing. But if we "freeze" under pressure, we will never be effective leaders and we will never be good representatives. Being watched, while it is a tough position, is also a unique opportunity to impact people's lives. Being a leader is a burden, it's true. But can be a blessed burden, if we carry it for Christ. Don't be afraid to be watched. Live for Christ in such away that you can be glad when people watch you, because they can see Christ through you.

Don't be afraid of being watched. Use the opportunity to let people know what Christ is really like.

And remember... they don't want to eat you. Most of the time.

"There's no place like home..."

Yes! I am finally home! And it is very true, "there's no place like home."

Speaking of which, I saw Dorothy's red slippers!


But, I'm getting ahead of myself. The Smithsonian didn't come until later. Okay, getting back on track...

I returned from my month of grand adventures on Wednesday. I've been home a total of four days this month (never more than two in a row) and have hit a total of four states (not including my home state) plus one territory. And now I'm home!

If I tried to tell all I learned in one post, it would either be a very long post or a very insufficient summary, so various parts will come out over the next few weeks. We have a lot of ground to cover. God certainly uses experiences like this one to shape and grow us in a very intense way. Let me give you a quick summary of some things I learned about, thought about, or were especially impacting and you will hopefully be getting a post about.

- Leadership, success, and the consequences
- When the common bond is Jesus
- Dealing with change, loss, and nostalgia
- Dealing with criticism
- Patrick Henry College
- Spending time with people who are different
- The Holocaust Museum
- The NEWSeum and other Wasthington D.C. stuff
- Coming home

Yep! So that's what's on the schedule for the next few weeks. In the meantime... I got a lot of feedback that you liked the picture, but that it didn't go well with the background. So... question for you:

• Which is preferable, the picture or the background?

and

• In the instance that you think I should keep the picture, any ideas on a better background to go with it?

Alright, thanks for putting up with my inconsistency and craziness, and for all of your support, faithful readers! I know I've kept you on a terrible diet of quotes and random announcements, but hopefully I'll be getting something more substantial up soon.

Keep striving after Jesus!
~Rachel Lynn

Quote

Heard this one at a cool museum called the NEWSeum. Can you guess what the museum was about? ;)
Anyway... here's the quote. It's my new motto for speaking, writing, blogging, or really anything else.

"To be persuasive, we must be believable; to be believable, we must be credible; to be credible, we must be truthful."
~Edward R. Murrow

I'm back for two whole weeks! It's so exciting!