jLife

*Every week I send a goofy email out to an e-list for my Christian fellowship. Since some of the stuff in them is somewhat funny, I thought it would be worth posting them on here. Note that names have been changed to preserve privacy.

Table of Contents

I. The End of My Emails

II. The Trial of Insanity

III. Woman of the Week

IV. Target X

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I. The End of My Emails

Monday comes around, sadly enough. And every time we end up at the beginning of a new week wondering what happened to the weekend. Personally, I’m already thinking about who will terrorize the E-list after I graduate. No matter how many simulations I run in my head I end up with a, “après moi, le déluge” situation. It’s not good. I need to start training a replacement…

But for now, my name is jPothen. I write pointless emails. I keep saying that week after week so I don’t confuse anyone who is new.

That’s it for now. If you’ll excuse me, I have a trip to Argentina to plan…

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II. The Trial of Insanity

All that is silver does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost

The deepest challenge to man may not lie with the question of death, but with the question of sanity. Do you guys ever watch House? I enjoy that show – can’t get enough. At the beginning of the season the title character was checked into an asylum. He struggled to overcome drug addiction, personality dysfunction, and unresolved frustrations.

Though his case is extreme, it brings to light struggles all of us face. There comes a point where you have to ask yourself if anything makes any sense. The question of “Am I insane?” is not easily answerable. Any lunatic will say, “Of course! I am completely sane!” so that method will not do. How does one test one’s own sanity?

What happens when everything in your life goes wrong? What if there comes a time when your whole world is thrown into crisis. You have followed God, loved Him, served Him and yet something tragic happens. You did everything you were supposed to yet here you are, broken and alone. What will keep you from breaking?

Life is uncertain. That’s seems to be the only thing we know for certain. The only sure thing is that everything changes. Even the tides of the sea with their rise and ebb are eroding the shores, eating the land alive. And how are you going to find meaning in a world like this? We humans wander across the earth, searching for something sure – yet we must face the fact that everything we know will eventually fade.

Forget the world – even we ourselves are subject to alteration. How we feel is changeable depending on the amount of sleep we got, sunlight we see, or the band we listen to first thing in the morning. And eventually, our bodies will change and our hair will turn gray.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Everything down here changes, yes. But there is a great divide. Above us lies the enviable blessed realm where He dwells. And the Unchanging One himself has entered into our world where nothing makes sense. He submitted to the Father and left heaven’s golden light. The Great Hunter came to track down the wayward children of God.

“Well that’s nice jPothen,” you say. “But how does that help me doubt my doubts and believe my beliefs?” Good question! Even a ride in a carriage drawn by Black Beauty and Shadowfax wouldn’t help me change my behavior – or pull me out of a pitch black night of confusion.

• Personally knowing Jesus and His love can pull you out of dark places. Have you ever had someone you trust come under fire? In those times, you need to rely on character. “I know and trust __” is what you say. It’s sort of the same with our loving God once you get to know Him.
• Talking with friends is vital. A therapist once said that if her patients had friends, she would be out of a job. There’s something to having a person in your life who listens to your neuroses and only gives advice when asked. I suggest a mentor – how many of you actually went out and got one?
• Recognize and hold in tension personal contradictions like: “I want to do this, but I won’t.” It is a sign of psychological health.
• Sometimes action is the only way out of doubt. When in faith you step forward and give first things their priority, everything will fall into place and the world will make sense again.
• Water is often the answer – sweat, tears, or the sea. Don’t be afraid to try all three.

If you are out there lost and confused and feeling alone, be assured that you are not. He is in your head and he gets you. He cares deeply for you. And He is carrying you in his arms.

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III. Woman of the Week

I’m not in the habit of giving props to people in this section, but this person deserves a shout-out. So here’s to the venerable Luna Lovegood!

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IV. Target X

By Senior year there is an inevitable falling off of students from the Navs scene. I’ve decided to counteract that by starting a little something called “Target X.”

• “Target” because your task is to find this person, take a picture with them, and send it to me.
• “X” because it is variable, it will change every week or two.

Have fun hunting down the De-Naved, those who have wandered from the fold! Oh and to make things fun, (and for privacy concerns) I won’t post their names, just give a picture or other relevant info. Good luck kids.

Target 1

[Picture not shown here for privacy]