Stop Being a Christian

I saw a bumper sticker last week while I was on my way to work. It was a quote from Gandhi that said, "I like your Christ. I don't like your Christians. Your Christians are not like your Christ."

Ouch.

For the rest of the drive in, I thought about that statement. You know what? I can't say I disagree with Gandhi. I'll speak for myself, but I know for a fact that I don't live like Christ. I try, absolutely. I want more than anything to have people see right through me and see only the Holy Spirit. But I lose my temper. I gossip. I stress out about stuff that is so completely insignificant that it's embarrassing. So what does the world think when it hears the words come out of my mouth, "I'm a Christian," and then sees me complaining about a client that's not doing things they way I want them to? What does Jesus think when He hears me worshiping Him at church and sees me go home and immediately start worrying about how productive I'm going to be that day?

You guys - this is a big deal. Calling yourself a Christian isn't a label; it's not a title, it's not a club, it's not a trend. It's supposed to be a way of life. When you call yourself a Christian, you're making a commitment to someone who died for you. Being a Christian means entering into a covenant with the Holy Spirit, and a covenant is a bond that isn't easily broken. You're choosing to put the needs of others above your own, to love people that drive you absolutely insane, to care about people who hurt you. You're making a promise that every day you will put your hope in Someone you can't always see or hear. You're choosing Jesus when you don't always understand why. Being a Christian is the most life-altering experience that can ever happen to you. (I've been learning a lot about the life that God wants for me, so expect a lot more posts like this.)

So here's my stance: if I call myself a Christian, I need to live like it. People need to know I'm different. It doesn't matter if I feel weird. It doesn't matter if I'm uncomfortable. I need to be uncomfortable. I've spent way too much of my life trying to be happy with the job I have, the money I make, the friends I spend time with. I don't want that anymore. I want to live for Christ and forget everything else. And I challenge you, if you call yourself a Christian, to do the same.

Stop being a Christian. Start living like Christ.

Good to talk.

Tia

Man-day Monday: Grilling

Alright, so. I know I gave this big, grandiose speech yesterday about not posting about the things I "do". But honestly, there are some activities in life that really just ought to be celebrated.

As a young woman living in a house with other young women, my roommates and I don't always have the luxury of calling our dads/brothers/guy friends to come do traditional "man's work." But we're modern, independent women, right? Or something like that...

With that brief, vague introduction, allow me to introduce a concept which we at Good to Talk will be referring to as "Man-day Monday;" these posts will celebrate a group of female friends who rely on themselves, each other, and Google to figure out how to take care of things that society would normally assign to our male counterparts. Our inaugural post is appropriately timed with the arrival of the most glorious spring I've ever seen in Minnesota: grilling.

This weekend, my roommate and I had a friend over, and I was itching to be in the kitchen. But with the thermometer reading a whopping 76 degrees, we had to grill. Now, let me preface all of this by saying that my father is the grill-master of the century; he can make anything my little meat-and-potatoes heart desires, and he can make it well. That said, I've always had a bit of trepidation surrounding the grill, because I've got some pretty big shoes to fill. My first attempt at grilling steak literally reduced me to tears and a very long sit on the kitchen floor; ask Kristen. BUT. I'm not one to give up after one (or several) failed attempts. I did some research, asked around at work, and ended up with a stellar recommendation for what promised to be the cure to my steak-grilling woes (Adam, shout out).

First, I dried the steaks and covered them in a dry rub; Montreal Steak Seasoning is quite possibly the best thing you can use, if you ask me. I let them sit in the fridge for about three hours, after which they were transferred to the freezer for 45 minutes (next time I think I might go a little longer, maybe an hour). Next came the scary step: moving the steaks to a freaking hot grill for about 2 minutes per side (again, would probably go about 2 minutes longer on each side next time). After searing the steaks, I let them finish cooking in the oven for about 45 minutes. The results? Tears of a different kind. The steaks had great flavor all the way through, were slightly crusted from the rub on the outside, and incredibly tender in the center. Noms. Take that, you little propane monster.

All in all, I'd say the experience was a life lesson. Persistence, research, courage, and patience all played a part in a lovely Saturday dinner, and I can't wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store. Hope has replaced fear, success has replaced defeat, and happy tommies replaced hungry ones.

Good to talk.

Tia

Getting to Know You

After a solid three years of holding out, I've finally given in and entered the blogosphere. Peer pressure will do that to you. *coughEmilyNixcough* This is my first attempt at blogging, and I hope to make it something that I do on a regular basis (read: at least one a week, for now!)

The goal of Good to Talk is simple, and hopefully a bit different. I'm planning on some posts being dedicated to things I do, but goodness knows that social media has made it all too easy to share every moment of what we're doing. The more experiences I go through, the less I care what I'm doing. What really matters, to me, at least, is building foundations on things that will last; things like fulfilling relationships, just-high-enough goals, thought-provoking questions, and the worldview that loving people is the simplest, most difficult, most rewarding thing that anyone can do.

I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts with you, as well as hearing yours! Thoughts are what make up ideas, which lead to goals and dreams, which lead to action, which ultimately brings about change in some form or another. And isn't change something that this culture needs pretty desperately? I think if we all just slow down a bit and think about what makes up who we are as individuals, as friends, as children, brothers, sisters, coworkers, and human beings, we'll start to worry a lot less about the things that we do. We'll care more. We'll think more. We'll live more.

Good to Talk.

Tia