I Tweeted

Ok, I've given in. I can't put it off any longer, not when I've been applying to social media jobs. I hopped on board and let Twitter join the battle for my free time. When you decide to give in too, follow me here! 

Killing with Kindness

I always thought killing with kindness was a terrible idea. Well, maybe it wasn't the concept that bothered me as much as the motive. When someone told me I should kill with kindness I always thought to myself wouldn't God want me to be kind to them out of love rather than a desire to murder them? 

However, it turns out that the whole idea is a biblical one! God Himself said that by being kind to our enemies we'd be heaping burning coals on their head! (Rom. 12:20) Interesting, huh?

I actually quite like the whole passage in Romans. I know I often find myself asking God how I should live. How I should behave or treat people. Where to start. I think this passage sums it up. This is what God desires of me:

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.' 

To the contrary, 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  --Romans 12:9-21   

Not-so-Small Town America

Yesterday I was driving around my hometown of Lexington, SC (well, more specifically Red Bank, SC) and I started feeling a little nostalgic. I'm generally more of a city girl than a small town one. I prefer skylines and big buildings to mountains or trees. However, yesterday I found myself feeling sad that the town I grew up in has changed so much. As I drove, I saw traces of what used to be. An abandoned tractor under some trees. Some old victorian style houses that have been turned into offices. When we moved into my house more than 22 years ago, we were one of two houses on the street. We grew vegetables in the backyard and the deer would sometimes eat our corn. Now our little street has neighborhoods branching off of it and is filled with houses and cars flying up and down the road. Where there used to be nothing, Red Bank now has a huge high school, middle and elementary schools, a Wal-Mart, Lowes and fast food restaurants growing out of our ears. When did that happen? When did big business come to Red Bank, SC? 

Maybe I want to have my cake and eat it too. I want to go live in a big city and still come home every now and then to trees and tractors and little churches where everybody knows everybody else's business. But that just isn't realistic. So I'll just jump on board and be happy about the fact that now when I need to go to Wal-Mart it's only a 4 minute drive. And I'll leave you with a picture of my favorite city in the world.