Horray!

I am not a sports person. I don't usually enjoy playing sports, and watching sports is usually last on my list of things to do. Except on one magical time of the year: the Olympics.
My Dad is a swimmer. He knows all the basics and enjoys the sport, so when Micheal Phelps came along four years ago, he was an immediate fan. I was still too young to care too much, and if Phelps didn't share my birthday (separated by a few years), I probably would have forgotten about him completely, six gold medals and all. But this year, I became a fan of swimming. From the first gold medal of Beijing, to the last relay, I watched Phelps with a quickly beating heart.
There were a couple of times Dad and I got really riled up: That relay with Lee Zak (don't know if I spelled that right) barely in front of Bernard, the hundred fly where everyone though Cavic had won, and of course, Phelps's eighth race.
As Dad and I drove to a place with cable last night, he told me that we just might witness history that wouldn't happen again for a long, long time; perhaps forever. And we did. Leezak finished strong for the U.S. team, Micheal Phelps got his EIGHTH gold medal for the Beijing Olympic, FOURTEENTH total Olympic medal, and SIXTEENTH Olympic medley, and the U.S. still hold the race, along with a world record. All that, accomplished in one race. Dad leapt up from his seat, I got up from my seat, and our smiles were almost as big as the team's smiles.
So that's me, a temporary sports fan. While I'm on an Olympic role, I should say that I also watched a track sprint last night, in which Jamaican Usain (spelling?) Lighting Bolt easily got the gold and a world record. I was a bit disappointed in him, because if he hadn't started celebrating half way through the race, he could have gotten an even better record.
I think that's all for now. I could mention my frustration with the Chinese government, but other people do that better (check my blog list).

Something to Think Over

I just read a blog post at http://www.therebelution.com/blog/. Their was a post about Mark 1:16-18. At the end of the post, they asked what the blog readers have been reading. One girl commented about Isaiah 58. I recommend reading it, and reading her long comment on the Rebelution blog. I posted my response to her comment here.

Unfortunately, I often just open my Bible for my nightly reading, read through my chapter for the day, read a memory verse, and go to sleep. I read this blog post and a few of the comments, and I have been challenged. Too often I read through old Bible stories, especially in the Gospels, and don’t stop to think. I avoid Isaiah and Psalms because they are harder to read.I read _____'s comments, and immediately turned to Isaiah 58 for the first thoughtful reading I’ve had it weeks. Too often, I act like a Christian without thought for God. I dress modestly, I speak politely, I go on mission trips, and I help in Sunday School. Then I go home and act horribly to my sister. Like the Jews at the beginning of the chapter, my actions are ‘good’ because that’s my lifestyle. It makes me feel good. The Jews in Isaiah 58 fast and then fight and “exploit all their workers.” I ‘do good’ and then fight and take advantage of my little sister.Tonight, I think I’ll take a break from speed-reading 1 Samuel and re-read Isaiah 58.

The Culture Around Us

The other day, I finally used the iTunes gift certificate I received last Christmas. It took me a while, but I did it. Among the songs I bought was Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Miley Cyrus. Now, she is a pretty good singer, and I love the sound of her music. However, there was something disappointing about this song. It wan't disappointing in that it was bad, or that it was just another song about boys. It was disappointing because it shows the careless attitude many of us teens can fall into if we are not careful.
This song began with her parents asking her what she was going to do with her life. She responded with something along the lines of, "I love you guys, but I'm just going to have fun for now. That's what girls want to do."
I thought, "Wait a minute. No wonder people have catagorize us as children! No wonder they have low expectations! But not all teenage girls are like that! What about the Rebellution?" I like to have fun, and I'm definitely too lazy for my own good. However, I have my life planned out (Though God might have different plans than me). I have already begun preparing for my future career. So have a few of my friends.
Don't get me wrong; Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is a clean, fun song that I will listen to again and again. Yet it reveals something not only about Miley, but about our generation, that I wish were not true.