Monthly Archives: April 2013

…And We’re Back

Posted on 8 April 2013 by mcheney628

Who knew how hard it could be to not reach for your smart phone every time someone asked a question. The question could be as simple as “what time is it?” or “what are you doing two Saturdays from now?” I found out yesterday just how much I depend on technology. I admittedly did not go the whole day without it, but the only times I used it were to check the weather, listen to music and play games. I did not use it to do anything work related or even remotely stressful, simply to relax. Of course all of this excludes what was necessary for worship. It made a great excuse to put off my seminary homework one more day, but it also gave me time to be by myself and with God. I did not have a constant stream of text messages from my family and friends, as much as I love them, to distract me from what I should spend Sundays doing, praying and worshiping God. I went from “so groggy I back into my sister’s boyfriend’s car as I was leaving for church” to “refreshed and relaxed” through the course of the day. This, of course, made going back to work this morning and homework this evening (which I am still working on) much more difficult because I had felt so good after spending all that time with the Lord. I can’t wait to have time with Him again later this week! If you have never taken a day to just retreat from society and be with the Lord, I strongly recommend that you do so, it is extremely revitalizing.

-Michael

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Sabbath

Posted on 6 April 2013 by mcheney628

Well, tomorrow is the first Sabbath of this journey and it shall be an interesting experience. We will be turning off our cell phones and computers. The exception will be for me during the worship services at my church as the computer is my part in Sunday morning worship. Some may think that this could be considered work, but to me any work done in worship of the Lord is just that, worship. So yes, I will be behind the computer tomorrow morning and playing in the praise band tomorrow night. Stephanie will also be playing the organ all morning at her church. Everyone has their method of worship. For us, it is in our service to our churches, the people who make up their congregations and most importantly, to God.

May God bless you this Sabbath and may your only work be in the spirit of worship. We will be back on Monday (possibly with an updated picture of my uncut hair and untrimmed beard).

-Michael

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The Little Things- a Female View

Posted on 6 April 2013 by the88keys4me

Day six, and I’ve been doing well with my all-modest-and-skirt wardrobe so far. The only exceptions came today while I was WEDDING DRESS shopping. I can honestly say that most of the dresses did not fit my strict modesty rules, but I had plenty of fun trying on as many as I could. And, if you were wondering, I did pick out and buy a most beautiful wedding dress, but I certainly cannot describe it here- Michael can’t know what it looks like!
I will admit, it was a bit of a bummer to get back into my street clothes after that.

Speaking of street clothes, I got a brand-new, long jean skirt and was so excited to finally wear it this past Thursday! It fit great, and I started to walk down the stairs when I realized I wasn’t getting anywhere very quickly- the opening of the skirt wasn’t very wide, so I was confined to taking small steps the whole day. Michael and I went to have dinner at the apartment of friends, and I had to keep telling him to slow down! I think God may be telling me to slow down and smell the roses a bit…

The scarves have been another issue- that is, when I remember to cover my head when I pray. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I pray in the shower. It just isn’t practical to place a scarf over my head then! Sometimes the ends of the scarf dangle in my food, or get zipped up in my jacket. I have seen many people stare in public as I place my scarf over my head to pray, but these things don’t bother me as much as I might have thought when beginning the month. Phil. 4:13!

So, even just after the first 6 days, I’m finding that there are many common-courtesy things that are missing from society. How many guys open doors (and car doors!) for women? I’m still finding it tough to remember to let Michael open the doors! I try to smile at everyone I see during the day, even though it is not an official rule, because you just never know who could use one! Being pleasant, kind, and forgiving is not always taught often in our society either. After Michael was grumpy today because he could not see my dress (wait until the wedding day!!), he realized how he was acting and apologized. Forgiving him for being grumpy? Much harder than I thought, but I did… having Michael as my partner (and knowing we both make God our priority!) makes my future seem brighter. I view Michael (and all my friends and family) as a gift from God, and it’s our job to love, cherish, and forgive all people, even our enemies!

I have to agree with Michael: “even the little things count to God.” A smile, opening the door, or even sincerely forgiving someone all make a wonderful difference in the world.

-Stephanie

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The Little Things

Posted on 6 April 2013 by mcheney628

It has been a few days since I have had time to sit down and write something. This week has been interesting. Remembering to stand for elders is still very difficult, but some of the other rules have gotten easier to follow. For example, I have stopped thinking about trimming my beard in the mornings. This may seem like a small feat, but if you have ever had to change your daily routine, then you know how hard it is to not fall back into the old ways.

I was raised to be a gentleman so when Stephanie told me I was going to have to open doors for her (and other people in general especially women) it didn’t strike me as a big deal since I had been doing that as best I could all my life. The funny thing is, it has gotten harder to do. The hardest is car doors as most women are used to getting them theirselves, they don’t usually think to let a man slip around on front of them and grab the door. I have had to learn to say things like “let me get that for you.”

One cool thing that has already started to show to me through this process is my awareness of those around me. Tonight Stephanie and I decided to go to Fridays because I had a gift card to use up. When we ordered our food, the waitress had misheard what I was ordering but I didn’t realize until after she had left and couldn’t seem to be able to flag her down to confirm my order. So the food came and sure enough, it wasn’t what I ordered. So I asked for her to correct it and she very politely did and apologized several times. Of course my instinct was to be grumpy and pouty the whole time and to leave a poor tip, but whole I was sitting there and Stephanie was praying before starting to eat her food I realized that I could have been more clear when I ordered and that this waitress is just trying to do her job as best as she can. So instead of shorting her tip or sending my plate back a second time when she came back with the entrée fixed and still the wrong sides, I tipped her just as well as I would have otherwise and thanked her for fixing our mistake. Little things like this go unnoticed by most, but you never know when they may mean a lot to someone and they always means a lot to God. Instead of taking revenge, I showed forgiveness…although I may have still been a little pouty towards Stephanie when the waitress wasn’t nearby…

So I guess the moral of tonight’s post is that even the little things count to God. Do your best to live as He would and to be aware of those around you.

Good night and God bless!
-Michael

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A Christian Worldview

Posted on 3 April 2013 by the88keys4me

I’M A CHRISTIAN!

Well, congrats! Many of us have made that proclaimation, and that really is great- you’ve made God quite happy! Do you attend church every Sunday? Even better! BUT…do you truly strive to live like a Christian the other six days of the week? In your workplace, at school, when going to a football game? Or perhaps, like many of us, you have two seperate realms; you have the Christian life you lead, and then this ‘other’ life that fits better with the culture today.

Think about this a minute. Are we called to sit on our couches and watch tv? Or to go out and make disciples of all? Brian J. Walsh and J. Richard Middleton put it nicely when they asked “If the biblical world view is unique, and if it is radically different from the dominant world view in our secularlized culture, then why do Christians fit so well into our culture?” (The Transforming Vision. Downers Grove, Il: InterVarsity Press, 1984).

Even after two days, I’ve seen some people in the public eye my long skirt and watch me as I put my scarf over my head to pray. When Mike stood up in respect for our professor entering the room last night, I’m sure a few people wondered what he was doing. I’m not suggesting everyone should follow the rules that Mike and I have posted to make their lives more ‘Christian’- no, the changes can be as simple as holding the door for others, praying in public, or even as radical as wearing your faith in 1st century garb.

Now, being a Christian also means having a relationship with God. Being in fellowship with other Christians can be a great way to get in touch with God, along with reading te Bible, devotionals, and spending time in prayer. Some last, wise words come form my mother. “Even lighting a candle during a devotion can help you to focus and give you some more close time with the Lord.”

-Stephanie

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End of Day Report – Day 1

Posted on 1 April 2013 by mcheney628

Wow, this is going to be so much harder than I thought. Today I violated several rules or at least almost did. Rule 11 is one that is extremely hard to do in the work environment. I often get stop by’s at my cubical and it’s hard to remember to stand for an elder when they simply drop in say something quick and are gone again. After much discussion, Stephanie and I decided to refine this rule for the workplace; instead of standing for elders I will stand for those in higher level positions than myself (more often than not they are also elders). Also, when at home or in public I will stand for parent, grandparent, older folks at church, anyone that I know to be significantly older than myself.

In addition to Rule 11, several of the little things slipped by me today too. For example, helping Stephanie with her coat or opening all doors for her and others. I was raised to be a gentleman so I frequently open and hold doors for others as a standard practice, but home doors that do not have auto closers and do not require being held are much harder to remember than one might think.

The other big one for me today (not including the beard trimming as mentioned in this morning’s post) was remembering to thank God for my meals as I ate them. This is not something that is currently built into my routine, so it is hard to remind myself to do so. Thank God for Stephanie and her ‘subtle’ little reminders.

Praise God for an non-catastrophic first day of this journey! God bless and good night!

-Michael

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Snow? Must be an April Fools joke…

Posted on 1 April 2013 by the88keys4me

I wore a turtle neck to my shift at the hospital today. No- not because it was a more modest choice, but because I was COLD! Just a few hours ago, it was snowing. When I decided I wanted to do a month of following the Bible as close as our modern world would allow, I chose April because it would be warm enough (or so I thought) to wear many of the skirts I owned. Luckily, I do own a few long skirts that will be put to very good use these next few days, and sweaters and scarves will certainly help keep me warm!

I volunteer at a hospital, and for saftey and health reasons I am not allowed to wear a scarf or non-approved head covering, so this is the only location where I will not be covering my head while in prayer. As Rachel Held Evans writes in her book A Year of Biblical Womanhood (Nashville, Tennessee:Thomas Nelson, 2012), “…if you’re intent on trying to keep all the commands, you should know ahead of time that you’re going to bump into at least three or four that you simply can’t (or won’t) keep. The Bible is a hundred times older than you are. Prepare to be humbled by it.” (48)

Humbled we are!

-Stephanie

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Day 1

Posted on 1 April 2013 by mcheney628

It’s the first morning and already I find myself struggling with what may seem like a simple rule, not trimming my beard. I’ve been growing a beard for the last few months to protect from the cold, but I have trimmed it on almost a daily basis. Today I entered the bathroom to begin prepping for my day and was about to trim my beard out of habit and realized it was day 1 and I could not do it. So I have decided, to keep myself honest, I need to post regular pictures of myself here to show the progress of my beard and hair growth. Maybe this will help.
-Michael

Michael - Day One

Michael – Day One

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