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Jordilicious
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Name: Jordan
Country: United States
Birthday: 10/6/1986
Gender: Male
Interests: Being ridiculous, just as God intended me to be...
Expertise: Life? (Or possibly the lack thereof...)
Occupation: GAP slave...
Industry: Retail...
Message: message me
AIM:  CursoryTangents
Member Since:
9/30/2005
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| So...It's been a while since I've posted. I'll summarize everything just to get you up to speed.
1) My relationship with my boyfriend is going fantastically.
2) I'm slowly but surely getting more hours at Le GAP (thank God)
3) I cannot beat my boyfriend's score on Bubble Breaker to save my life.
4) I'm learning Hindi
5) Christian Formation classes start up again soon at church...
6) I'll be confirmed just as soon as the Bishop comes to my parish.
Now that you're all up to speed...
I had a nice lengthy chat yesterday with both my surrogate mother (the mother that I adopted), and my grandmother. My living in Chicago was the topic of our conversations. I had so many goals when I moved to Chicago. To save money, since it was going to be cheaper. To work off my debts, to spend less, get in school, and get a degree. But... that's not the case. I've been here for almost seven months now, and I have done nothing, absolutely nothing to get close to those goals.
So, in a nutshell, I was told that I'm being selfish. Here I am being offered all of these chances, and I'm not taking them. All these chances to live at home and go to school, and yet I prefer to be a gypsy and live in Chicago while not going to school at all. However, when people are selfish, they're doing it to gain something. Other than gaining the right to live in Chicago, I'm not gaining anything.
I'm not stupid; they both brought up valid points, and they should be respected and more thoroughly prayed upon and thought through. But deciding to move home is not the hard part. I've moved home before from California. However, when I lived in California, I was not dating an amazing guy that likes me for who I am, rather than what I seem. I didn't have anyone that would be devastated if I were to go home... Maybe I'm putting too much emphasis on what he may, or may not feel. He might not be devastated, that's putting way-y too much stock in me, now isn't it?
But why can't I have my cake and eat it too? Why can't I have the most amazing guy that I've ever had the privilege of dating, and move back to North Carolina too? Again, I'm not stupid; I know he could move to North Carolina of his own accord and we could be together there. I also realize that in the back of my mind (probably the voice of God reassuring, and comforting me) saying, "If it's meant to be, you'll be together again."
Is it blasphemous to tell God, "No, you're wrong"?
Obviously it's my own stupid human brain and emotions telling me, "Ohh, don't leave, you like the boy. Stay in Chicago. See where it goes." But my brain and my emotions can't see the bigger picture. They're not omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, I can only think of one that is... and that's God.
It's also amazing to me how I can sit here and start a blog being completely irritated and upset. But it's also amazing to me how I through the course of writing the blog, I get calm, cool, and collected.
Odd, isn't it?
So, I leave you with this... and it's mostly for my benefit, but maybe someone will derive some sort of reassurance from it...
Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
Now I have to figure out how to get more money in Chicago, to finance this... move. More money in Chicago to buy a car at home, yadda, yadda, yadda. Maybe someone will let me smuggle drugs back to NC for a tidy sum.
HAHAHAHAHA... I kid, I kid.
-Jordan
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| Gay adoption...I just posted all of an hour ago, but at the same time, I need to post something else about the, "Featured Question of the week." Ok, when I first had Xanga almost five years ago we didn't have a 'question of the week' to incite the entire website membership up in arms. So yeah, the question this week was, "How do you feel about adoption of children by same sex couples?"
The first blog I read on the subject was nicely done. Tugged on the emotional heart strings pretty well. The only problem that was pointed out (and that I agree with) is that the first girl didn't really cite any studies or... what have you to prove her point. So, her argument was completely based on someone having a heart, or being a monster if you didn't agree with her (you can read the first post here).
As I was reading the comments left on the first post (which I'll refer to Emotional Post from now on), I came across a girl who comments expressed my sentiments... slightly. So, I clicked on her and she had a post about it all too. Wow, talk about crazy! Right, so I read her post on the entire thing, and she brought up a valid point that the author of the Emotional Post didn't cite any sources. But then the second girl also referenced some 'study' some where out there but didn't cite it. So, now we've got two people posting things and referring to studies which agree and disagree with homosexual adoption respectively. But neither one of the bloggers have cited any works that would enable someone completely unbiased on the situation to make an informed decision (you can read the second post here).
I posted a comment on the second person's post (Which I'll refer to as Second Post from now on) and I think that it turned into some sort of sermon-ette. Which, I tend to do when I comment on different people; hence why I typically refrain from such a practice. So, I made a comment which stated that I'd like to read the sources and the studies that both authors had cited. It's just like Aristotle said, "It is the mark of an educated man to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." So, show me the proof of both claims, I want to look at both of them... although, to be fair, my mind is completely already made up.
Then in one of the comments on the second post, someone turned it into a religious argument. Which of course irritates me. Because for someone to assert that they know the will of God because they've read the Bible (the English translation I'm sure mind you) without praying on it. Or without consulting the Lord on it in any way, shape, or form, asserts themselves to the level of God. His ways are not our ways, and our minds cannot even begin to comprehend what He has in store for His world. So, I used some Biblical quotes, and I think I made my point pretty clearly.
But, then of course, later on in the evening, I came across another person's blog. Someone who is so sure of the will of God. Preaching the rhetoric of "Love the sinner, hate the sin." You know, the same rhetoric that got me thrown out of the church I grew up in and sent me packing in a completely other direction from God (you can read the third post here).
So, now I'm on my soapbox...
Now don't get me wrong, if someone says that they disapprove of same-sex couples adopting children because they feel convicted by God to feel such a thing, I'm fine with that. You're being led to believe something and, yeah. But if you haven't actually prayed about it. If you haven't actually sat there and dwelt on the Word, pondered its meaning (in context and in its original language), and brought it to the Lord, then you're just being an ignoramus. God wants us to bring everything to Him. Every thought, every decision, every opinion, to Him.
James 2:10 clearly states, "For whoever
keeps the whole law but fails at one point has become accountable for
all of it" (The New Oxford Annotated Bible [NOAB]). Also, Romans
3:22-23, "...For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God" (NOAB). Ok, so, we've now established
that all sins are equal in God's eyes, and that we've all sinned at
some point and we all, collectively, are not worthy of God's glory.
Moving on...Romans 2:1-3 states, "Therefore you have no excuse,
whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on
another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the
very same things. You say, 'We know that God's judgment on those who do
such things is in accordance with truth.' Do you imagine, whoever you
are, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them
yourself, you will escape the judgment of God?" (NOAB). Therefore,
let's put all the pieces of the puzzle together, and keep in mind, I'm
not claiming to be the end all, be all, authoritative word on the Word,
but merely sharing my opinion. All people have sinned, and all sins are
equal in God's eyes. Also, when you judge someone for something
inappropriate, you're brining judgment on yourself; you're not God, and
you never will be, but you're acting as if you wish to be Him. Well,
that's what I got from it... In conclusion, for someone to say
that homosexuals shouldn't adopt because they are sinful is Biblically
wrong. Because we are taught that every one sins, and that all sins are
equal in God's eyes. As such, who are we to say that homosexuals should
or should not be allowed to adopt? Doesn't God love them just as much
as he loves you? And what about the children? God especially loves
little children (as was evident when Jesus had His ministry) and
wouldn't someone in federal houses of legislation and in state houses
be wrong to deny children a home? (the proceeding four paragraphs are verbatim what I commented on the Second Post) So, I ask you, I ask you and I pray that you who profess to be Christians... I ask you to pray about everything. Every issue even trivial stupid issues, God wants to be a part of the process. He will lead you down the correct path; His path. So, give him everything, everything from your stance on gay relationships, Iran, same-sex adoption, parking spots, women in the priesthood or the Bishopric, the bus coming around the corner, that you won't be late for work, and the list goes on, and on, and on.Until next time, for real this time. HAHA.
May the Lord be with you and bless you. -Jordan
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| Daily lovemaking...You'll have to excuse me at this particular time of evening. I find that at this time of night is when I do my best thinking, and formulate the best arguments. It is ridiculous, I know, but for some reason, I'm tired and in a sugar stupor. I've had three Push Pops and two ice cream sandwiches. Haha... I just can't stop myself. Typically, I know when to stop with chocolate because my throat will burn, or I know when to stop with some other form of candy because my tongue will swell up (yeah, I'm weird, I know...). But ice cream is a different story. I could eat ice cream each and every day, and I do if it's in the house. And I typically refrain from buying it just to make sure that I don't over indulge. Today was different though; obviously. Hence the overindulgences.
Almost a week ago, I came across a very intriguing article via the blogger TheTheologiansCafe. I'm sorry, I cannot for the life of me grasp as to why that's his user name. He doesn't actually discuss any Theology, nor does he actually discuss anything. He just asks your opinion on a certain topic and you, the reader, go off commenting. Quite ingenious of course, considering you can get a whole slew of things with a certain number of credits (and you get credits for people commenting on you).
(Sorry, off on some tangent, aren't I?) He posted a blog on a woman in England (named Charla, who happens to be from North Carolina. Obviously grabbed my attention, I was in one of my homesick moods ) who couldn't figure out what to give her husband for his 40th birthday. So, she gave him a pretty original gift, one that got a lot of different responses from her friends and even her husband. The gift was sex with her every day for a year. Yes, sex every day for 365 days in a row (thus proving that North Carolinians are ingenious, haha).
In the article she's quoted as saying, "I can't say that it was easy making all the effort. Sometimes it
was awful. But I reasoned with myself that it was important.  How many
things do we do in a day that we don't necessarily want to - from going
to work to washing the kitchen floor? I don't mean that I
saw sex with my husband as a chore (although maybe I did some days),
but I knew that it couldn't possibly always be the candle-scented,
blissful experience we read about in magazines."
She continued by saying, "Because we were having sex so often, it actually took the pressure off, which was really liberating. I gained just as much from this as Brad and, if I'm honest,
it was as much for me in the first place. I needed the boost in
confidence it gave me."
The interviewer then asks, "But did it change their marriage for the better?" 'It
changed completely,' says Charla. 'We started being more attentive to
each other, not just in bed, but about the trivial little things. Brad
would offer to do some chore or run an errand, and I wouldn't be
thinking he was doing it to gain sex points. 'We became so much closer. You can't have that sort of regular intimacy in bed without it spilling over into the rest of life."
What struck me about the article, and what's been resonating in my mind for almost a week now is that she made the conscious effort to have sex with her husband every day for a year. AND, not only is she happy with her decision, but it has made them both so much more intimate.
It's weird, but I think God was speaking to me through that article. No, not telling me that I needed to go have sex everyday for a year. But in telling me that if I or that we would at least approach Him and His Word with the same vigor and resilience, we'll have the same result.
Yeah, you read correctly, I'm equating sex everyday for a year between two spouses to a relationship with God. But, the fact of the matter is this... if you or I would sit here and tell ourselves, "I'm going to read the Bible everyday for a year." Or, "I'm going to converse daily with the Lord," think about how much closer to our God we would be after that year! You'd be more attentive to His will, but also to the 'trivial little things'.
It's funny how God speaks to us in various ways... Hopefully this won't weigh on my heart any longer to share with ya'll. I'm also listening to another great North Carolinian (haha), Kellie Pickler, whom I've had the distinct pleasure of meeting a few times when she worked at the Sonic in Albemarle, NC (Backstory: I used to live in Badin, and work in Albemarle. Badin is seven miles from Albemarle and I would stop at Sonic... A LOT for some decent grub at a decent price, all because the Holiday Inn wasn't paying too too much).
Until next time, you're in my prayers.
May the Lord bless you!
-Jordan
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| Nothing to write...I'll admit I have NOTHING to write about. Usually I sit here and at least ponder what I'll type. And, unfortunately, I have absolutely, one hundred percent, not a damn thing.  Yeah... All I have for this post is to put up pictures of me kicking ass at the watermelon seed spitting contest the other day (Which I won, see previous post) and... yeah.
Let me first start off by saying I am dead tired; zombie-esque tired. I've been up all night trying to change my sleep cycle to accommodate work. Yes, that's right, you read correctly, Le GAP is making me work from 10pm today (Tuesday) until 7am on Wednesday morning. Why pray tell am I being summoned there by the GAP gods at such an ungodly time you may ask? Well, it's because the GAP is doing a floor set, and given the fact that I work at one of the largest GAPs in the nation, it takes all night to complete our floor sets. Yeah... Also, in my picture I just posted on here of the GAP guy, I apologize if you personally feel that he has Down Syndrome.  He does not, I believe. And if he does, that was not my intent to portray people who have that extra chromosome in such a light. Not my intent in the very least.
Any whos...
It's about 5:30 in the morning now, the sun is starting to peek over the horizon and filter through my blinds into my room. I'll be going to sleep in just a few minutes after I complete this... post. But, whenever I'm in these situations, I always hate the fact that I live in Chicago. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Chicago. I love the city, despite even having the highest sales tax in the country (it goes toward amazing things: trains, free parks and zoos, water, sanitation, police, city services, LAKEFRONT!, yadda, yadda, yadda). However, I loathe living at the intersection of a fairly busy street in a Northside neighborhood. It's by no means the Expressway or a Freeway or... whatever, but it is relatively busy (in comparison to the other streets around the area). So, whenever I stay up to this, (horrific) hour, I find myself hearing, and analyzing every little nuanced sound from the street below my window (I only live on the second floor). Thus impeding my progress toward establishing an REM cycle, but also irritating the living daylights out of me.
But, that's enough of my ridiculous 'pseudo-rant'. You're just dying to see the pictures of me spitting seeds down the street (I know you are, don't lie. You know you want to see them).
Let me first preface "St. Peter's Watermelon Seed Spitting Extravaganza 2008" by saying that we (the parishioners) had known about the contest and its' premise for a week. So, I had a week to perfect my 'technique' and pray (yes, I prayed that if it be the Lord's will, I win the contest. Obviously it was His will, because I owned). Since we'd known about it for a week, we also knew there was a prize involved  (I'm highly competitive, as if getting the Lord involved in a petty spitting contest at CHURCH nonetheless wasn't proof of that). I being the materialist I am thought that the prize would be something cool. A CD, DVD, a gift certificate. Hell, even a pack of Orbit White gum would have been worth the competition.
After the Eucharist, we rushed outside to take advantage of the beautiful weather and the relatively low wind (perfect spittin' weather). I however do not like watermelon, so I resorted to taking a wedge and digging out the seeds with my fingers to gain the prized ammunition. I did however take one bite just to see if my taste buds had changed at all and if I suddenly thought watermelon tasted good now. It does, in fact, not taste any better to me than it did; it's still heinous. Blah, blah, blah. Spittin' time came. We appointed our judges, stood behind a line and lined our spectators up on the front steps of the church.
 Showdowns 1 & 2: Priest Sarah v. Me...
I was actually expecting a little more competition since she is from a pretty bucolic area of Georgia (not as rural as my family's part of Georgia though). I won both showdowns. I spat about 15 feet, Rev. Sarah's: 4 feet.
Showdown 3: Rachel v. Me...
I won again. But this is when Peggy, my surrogate Grandmother (who is also from Georgia!) started cheering me on, "Come on Jordan, you have to win it! Win it for the South! Do it for Dixie! Do it for the Motherland!" Which I found amusing, fun, and quite motivational.
Look at me pulling back my body to spit in that shot. CRAZY!
(How pitiful is it that I'm commentating on pictures of  a watermelon seed spitting contest as opposed to something... worthwhile? I have no life... obviously)
This is the competition getting a little more stiff for me, but if you look at my face, I think I'm just happy that I'm still in the lead.
Also, we found out what the prize was after we started. Look in the foreground of the picture to the lady with her hair tied back holding the plant (Rev. Sarah). The plant is the prize. If you're asking yourself if there is in fact a "Winner's Crown" to make it all truly, come alive... no, there wasn't. I had to make one myself out of a paper plate.
 So, yeah... I won, blah blah blah, go me.
This is me actually getting tired of writing this stupid thing... so, here's one more picture, and I'll bid you adieu. I'm off to Never-Neverland to sleep and drift into a deep REM cycle.
Later today we're having services, Wilde Theology Tuesdays (it's wild, and it's at Wilde, an Irish restaurant with Oscar Wilde as its' inspiration) with the church and then of course... work. Boo.
I do hope that you're doing well, you're all in my prayers. Also, I feel that this is being pressed upon my heart: If you need or want me to pray about anything, or perhaps talk with you let me know.
Not sure why I'm feeling that, but... I'm just putting that one out there.
Also, I had an IM from someone that complimented my writing... if you're reading this screenname that starts with a K (you haven't been on since from what I have seen), thank you! That makes me feel like a million bucks (which isn't worth that much these days... maybe I should start saying a million pounds £).
Until next time, may the Lord bless and keep you.
Jordan
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| Living water...Today was a magnificent day, truly it was (and it's not even over yet, that's the best part about it). I went to church of course as part of my Sunday routine. Many things happened today. I met a friend with whom I went to middle school, and high school (in North Carolina) and he attended church with me. Then we had a watermelon seed spitting contest at church, and guess who won... that's right, the Southern boy, yours truly, JORDAN! After church, My friend (Philip) and I were invited to my friends Jacob
and Levi's home to have a lovely lunch of fried chicken breast, mashed
potatoes, white gravy, and of course, vegetables.
But also significant today we had a baptism of one of the most preciously beautiful babies in the world.  He was so cute, adorable, and (insert doting adjective here). Honestly, I've been to a few different baptisms and this one was different. Maybe it had to do with the fact that yesterday I had read a few passages about Jesus, and his experiences with water. Not only was the baby baptized in the font pictured at the right, (yes, that's St. Peter's own font pictured) but I dip my fingers into the holy water every Sunday to remind myself of my own baptism (Which took place in California a few years ago. Also, the teachings of the Episcopal/Anglican church are just what we do. I'm by no means saying that if you don't dip your fingers into holy water and do the sign of the cross on Sundays you're going to hell). But I digress.
Water is an important part of life as our bodies are estimated to be 60-70% water. Water is also important to Christianity. Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River (pictured to the left) at the beginning of his ministry. And as he came up from the water, the Holy Spirit came upon him like a dove from heaven. Then a voice declared, "You are my son, whom I love, with you I am well pleased." (Luke 3:23).
Jesus' longest recorded conversation occurs at the side of a well with a Samaritan woman (at the well of Jacob pictured below prior to its' enclosure within a church). Not only is this important because Jews and Samaritans did not converse socially, they actually segregated themselves from one another. So, Jesus, a Jew was talking to this Samaritan woman, and then offered her something. Something different, something no one had heard of before; living water.
Of course, scientifically we can all assume that water is teeming with life, bacteria, amoebas, and other microscopic organisms. However, that's not what Jesus was referencing.  He was referencing something completely different. In the Gospel of John 4:13-14, Jesus declares, "...'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
To me, He's saying that He is the very sustenance of our lives. Just as water permeates and nourishes every cell in our bodies, so too does he when we have a drink of him. Drink of him and you will live eternally. You will have a spring well up within you, and with that spring, you can give this water to other people. Yes, you're offering the water, but what you're offering is Jesus. It's amazing to think about in my mind.
Jesus also goes further, calling Himself the 'bread of life' (John 6:35). So, not only is he going to quench our thirsts for God, with the Holy Spirit. Not only is he going to quench your thirst (I sound like a Gatorade commercial don't I?) but also that of the people that come to you, but he's going to feed you with spiritual food. Yes, yes, we have the communion (My church does it every day if you're so inclined to get on down to the church and take part everyday, other churches do it once a month... whatever they feel led to do by the spirit is fine by me) which is a spiritual food. But Jesus IS the spiritual food. Jesus is telling us that He can be our only sustenance,  that we can survive on Him alone.
So, with that being said, I pose you a few questions, and I think you owe it to yourself to be truthful with your response to the questions. Have you had your Jesus today? Have you partaken of the living water, and the living bread? Have you nourished your spirit with Jesus?
Until next time (I'm off to the Zoo! YAY), may the Lord bless you and keep you in his graces.
-Jordan
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