How to Not Be Okay With Silence

Does the name Kermit Gosnell ring any bells for you?

I’m going to take a wild guess that it doesn’t. 

The mainstream media has ignored Kermit Gosnell. That’s why you don’t know his name. 

But you should.

You should know that Kermit Gosnell is on trial right now in Philadelphia for his practice of late-term abortions. The defining phrase “late-term” is used rather loosely. He delivers babies, and then “aborts” them—the newborn babies, that is—outside the womb. I could go on, but I might throw up. 

But why haven’t you heard about this? Is it just too grisly—a word used frequently by the few journalists who are reporting on this—to show the American people? That doesn’t seem to stop anything else from being shown. We saw the real-life nightmare in Boston, and the terrifying explosions in western Texas all in one week. 

Now I don’t have decades of journalism experience, but I can spot poor journalism when I see it. The purpose of journalism is to communicate truth, be it glee or gloom. And the politically-pulled mainstream media has completely, blatantly ignored Kermit Gosnell. Where is the truth in that? This is something you should know about. 

This issue has become more about politics than about babies, which is shameful and tragic, if you ask me. And I don’t plan on using this blog as a political platform, but sometimes there are things that need to be talked about.  This is one of them. 

So, political views aside, allow me to ask this question: Is it okay to ignore this story? Is it okay to ignore the truth of abortion practices just because the details make us squirm? Is it okay to turn a blind eye to the violence that is happening around us just to maintain a level of comfort? Is it okay?

You may have heard the adage, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” What are you standing for today? Are you standing for truth? Or are you falling for comfort? 

The Washington Times  is among the media agencies that is reporting with integrity, along with Fox News and the New York Times. To learn more about this story and read related ones, go here and continue to be well-informed. 

How to be Daring Even When You're Not

If you know me at all, you probably understand that I’m not a very adventurous person...unlike some of my friends. I know at least one person who wants to go backpacking across Europe, one who wants to move to Los Angeles just for the fun of it, and one who recently moved 700 miles from home by herself to start her career in the medical field. 

Me? Well, give me some books, my cozy writing desk, and some trail mix and I’m good to go. The past few months have held some adventures—in my estimation, at least—including writing a book, getting involved in a new church, and even a weekend in downtown Chicago. Okay, so it’s not backpacking across Europe, but for this homebody, it’s nearly the same. 

But I’m usually willing to try something new. Like last fall when I jumped on my bike and went for 33 miles in a local trail ride...that was a first! But I loved it, and now I’m just waiting for spring to get here so I can get back on my bike. (What? You mean spring has been here for a month? Don’t tell Michigan!)

I used to go shopping with a dear sweet lady every week when I lived in Pennsylvania. She was definitely more adventurous than me, and would pull things off the rack that I would never even consider. She would say, “You’ll never know unless you try it on!”

My last post discussed the idea of self-discovery or learning about yourself. I told you about the event I took part in called Teens Involved. Many students who come to Teens Involved come with something new they’ve tried learning. Some have been working diligently on a particular skill for several years, but the beauty of T.I. is that it includes students who are advanced and those who are just beginning. T.I. gives students the opportunity to try and learn something new. 

Now that they’ve learned a new skill, they can either decide to keep playing with it, or set it down for a while. They might pick it back up later, but at least they know they have options. As they continue to discover things about themselves, the more things they try, the more they will know what they’re good at, what they’re not good at, and where their passions lie. They’re following Socrates’ advice, “know thyself.”

Trying new things is a catalyst for knowing yourself. And knowing yourself is essential to successful careers and relationships. 

So here’s the big question: When was the last time you tried something new? 

Is there something you’ve always wanted to do but didn’t know if you would be any good at it? You’ll never know unless you try it on!

How to Take Socrates' Advice

I spent the better part of last Saturday hanging out with teenagers. 

[Read: Often, being with teenagers makes me grateful for my current place in life. There aren’t many things for which I would return to high school.]

We were in Canton, Michigan at Regional Teens Involved. If you’re not familiar with T.I. (I wasn’t until about three months ago), let me describe it to you. 

Students spend the months preceding T.I. developing and preparing a particular skill/s to perform before a panel of judges. It could be singing, playing an instrument, writing, graphic design...you get the picture. Students pick a category, prepare, present, and receive feedback to help them develop their skills.

[Teens Involved is part of Word Of Life student programs. Word Of Life Bible Institute, based in Schroon Lake, New York, is a one- or two-year post-high school educational institution that focuses on Bible study. Learn more here.] 

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to spend a lot of time hanging out with my students since I was involved in the event judging, but I did get to watch some of them perform. I know some extremely gifted students! 

The whole idea of Teens Involved is to get students to explore their God-given talents and abilities. From here, they can develop those skills into careers and ministry tools. It’s all about discovery.

The ancient greek philosopher, Socrates, believed this kind of thing was important: “Know thyself,” he said. 

Many people call this “finding yourself.” Personally, I don’t like that phrase, because it implies that you are somehow lost. I know exactly where I am, but I’m discovering some pretty cool things about myself (okay, and maybe some not-so-cool things). 

I’m discovering that I love teaching—that’s new! I’m also finding out that I’m less of a morning person than I originally thought I was. (Which means I’m really, really not a morning person!) And that I never made it in sports because I’m just not competitive enough—at least in sports. Academics, well that’s a different story...something else I’ve learned!

Discovering things about yourself is essential to success in your career, your relationships, and your dreams. Start learning more about yourself by asking some questions...

—What are your pet peeves?
—What are you good at?
—What are you not good at? 
—What do you love more than anything else in the world?

Ask yourself as many questions as you want. Observe your natural responses to everyday situations. Ask a close, trusted friend to help you.

A good resource and helpful tool for self-discovery is a book called Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath. Learn more about it here.

The students with whom I spent the weekend are well on their way to knowing themselves. Are you?

Know thyself.

How to Write the Perfect Blog

Scratch that—there’s no such thing. 

Sorry, but this blog is less than perfect. I know, you’re devastated. Why isn’t it perfect? Because life isn’t perfect.

It’s not perfect because we are not perfect. I’m not perfect, and I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but you’re not perfect either. And unfortunately, that’s how we’re going to stay—imperfect—at least on this side of Heaven. 

That’s why I write. Because life isn’t perfect, and it’s not going to be. But don’t miss out on real life while searching for the perfect life. You’re not going to find it. 

Real life includes funny, awkward, spit-liquid-out-of-your-mouth-and/or-nose things, and what-just-happened things, and some put-on-your-thinking-cap things.  And that’s okay. Without the hard things, we wouldn’t have the right appreciation for the good things, right?

[Before you listen to anything more I have to say, let me properly introduce myself. If you’re just joining us, welcome to my blog!]

Most everybody calls me Emily—probably because it’s my name. 

I’m a graduate of Baptist Bible College in Clarks Summit, PA (near Scranton—yes, The Office Scranton) with a bachelor’s degree in Counseling, but, as you may have guessed, I really like to write. 

Hence the blog. 

I’m an introvert, but I’m okay with that now. I don’t rush into things, and I think too much. And I have a lot of books. A lot. 

Other miscellaneous facts about me: I have experience in print and web journalism. I’m a Michigan fan (Go Blue!). My favorite snack is trail mix. I’m not a morning person. And I love Jesus even more than I love my mom. And I really love my mom. 

Currently, I’m navigating the waters of 20-something life: knocking on doors and seeing which ones God opens and which ones He closes. It’s a fun time. Sort of. I mean, it’s making me be more adventurous which I guess is a good thing. 

But enough about me—it’s time to get going. I’m going to take the space of this blog to ask some questions. I will answer some of them, but it will be up to you to answer most of them. They might make you think, or laugh, or maybe both...I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.

So how do you write the perfect blog? Well, you don’t. But you can write a real one. And that’s my plan. Let’s scrap the search for perfection; it doesn’t exist. Grab your imperfection, hike up your trousers and join me in living real life...and don’t forget the trail mix!

How to Come to a Fork in the Road

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it!” -Yogi Berra

When I left for college not too long ago, I started this blog for you—family and friends at home. 

Admittedly, it has been sporadic ever since, which is blog suicide in the world of instant electronic publishing. Now, I am attempting to resurrect it and be more regular with my writing, which I hope will prove to be helpful for me and at least entertaining for you. (That was me giving you permission to laugh at anything you see here, whether or not I mean for it to be funny.)

If you’ve been following along at home, you know that my writing includes a mish-mash of theology, thinking, life stages, and awkward moments. And I suppose those will continue as I keep writing. (That was a disclaimer. Unpredictability ahead!)

ANYways, I’m done with college and ready for the world ahead. What’s next? Isn’t that the $64,000 question on the day (okay, the year) after college graduation?

Well, since I graduated, I’ve been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a—oh wait, that was Frank Sinatra. I’ve actually been a communications staff writer, a camp counselor, a barista, a youth group leader, a freelance writer, a conference intern, a teacher, and a ghostwriter. Not all at once, but close.

I recently finished a major book project where I actually wrote someone else’s book (that’s what a ghostwriter does, if you were confused). I know it sounds like I just did someone else’s homework for them, but it’s not like that. Basically I took two hours worth of the author’s speaking material and turned it into a book. It’s less like cheating and more like being resourceful.

That was the kick-start to my freelance writing career. That’s a pretty big kick-start if you ask me. People keep saying, “Now you can write your own book!” Well, maybe. How about just a blog for now?

[Speaking of which, I need to tell you that this blog is turning a small corner. I’ll be linking to The Oakland Press, which means I’ll be posting more often, and building friendly relationships with the local journalism community. A new adventure.]

So yes, I’ve come to the proverbial fork in the road. Now what? 

Do I go back to school? Do I freelance and work full-time? Or do I hunker down, get some cats, take a knitting class and thereby seal my fate in singleness? Tempting!

For now, I’m taking each day in stride, doing what God has set before me. Sooner or later He’s going to bust open the door and go, “See? I know what I’m doing. Why, dear daughter, do you ever worry?”