What do you want to be when you grow up?

So I was thinking yesterday about a question that most of us have all been asked.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Ok, raise your hand if you've hated hearing this question. I mean seriously! EVERYONE asks it. Or now that most of us are older the question is: "So what do you do?" Shoot most of us are still trying to figure out what the heck we want to be when we grow up. Then it started to make me think about, as a child, what I wanted to be when I was older.

Wanna know what it was? ........A singing astronaut veterinarian. Yep! Can't make this stuff up folks. That's what I wanted. You know what? Now that I think about it, no one ever said that I couldn't do that or that it was a stupid idea. Unfortunately not all are so lucky and for those people my heart breaks. However, somewhere along the way we throw away our "childish" dreams and we try to have grown up professions.

When did we lose ourselves? People became so concerned with who we were going to be that by the time most of us get to college we haven't a stinkin clue! We have students that are triple majoring or that change their major multiple times to try to find the perfect fit. Most of us will fall into the category that I fell in which is by the time of graduation you have a moment to stop and think. Crap. I need a job.

So what's the answer. I have no idea. I said I just thought about this yesterday. I wonder though if we should stop asking kids what they want to be though. I don't know. Maybe not. Just a thought though. I didn't need an adult to ask me if I wanted to be a singing astronaut veterinarian. Please! Adults aren't that creative.

Food for thought. Nothing more really.

Raise My Ebenezer

So I know I say this probably every time I write something, but I really haven't done this in a while. I mean like actually write a real post. So here is just a little bit of what I've been learning lately.

Recently I've been thinking about how I would love to...you know the old cliche..."move on to big and better things"

While I am extremely thankful for having a job I just want to start moving towards my dreams. I suppose I am doing that, but at times it just feels like I'm trying to run through molasses. Know the feeling? Perhaps I'm inpatient. I just want it to happen now! I've always been that way a little bit though.....ok a lot bit.

As I was analyzing my work habits, spending habits, etc. I realized that I am not being the best steward of those things. No, not enough that people would take notice. In a lot of cases probably not even enough that people would see anything wrong with them. While I'm not anywhere near going bankrupt I have noticed that I'm much more quick to buy a $5 latte than save it for house repairs. Or go out to dinner with friends rather than stay in and save to possibly buy a coat for someone who is using newspaper as their blanket rather than the plush afghan I nap under. I suppose, as most do, I feel if I have money in the bank then I'm doing something right.

The other day I was talking through some of these things with a friend. Ok I was actually texting it because, you know, texting is totally the new face to face relationship. As I was sharing my thoughts to him he exclaimed to me "Raise your ebenezer!" I wasn't too sure what he was wanting me to do. I'm not sure he knew why he instructed me to do so either. However, it led us in an interesting direction of conversation. We started to talk about the old hymn where that line is sung. The line comes from the bible verse 1 Samuel 7:12

Then Samuel(A) took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen[a] and called its name Ebenezer;[b] for he said, "Till now the LORD has helped us.

Samuel lifted a stone as a mark for what God had done. It was a symbol, a defining point.

Well while I don't have a giant rock to lift up in the air I do have this blog. I hope that in writing this I will think back and remember it and what God has been teaching me when faced with the little decisions. Do I buy a latte and a muffin or an entire bag of coffee that I can make at home that will last a few weeks? Do I go out to the movies or do I rent one for a dollar? Yes they seem like small and meaningless decisions, but I think these are ways to be smart for one and more importantly to honor God in the small things.

After thinking through these thoughts I was reminded of the parable of the talents. We are trusted with time, money, resources, talents and we are most certainly responsible for what we do with them. So:

HERE I RAISE MY EBENEZER!