Chapter 1- First Date

May 9th, 2012-

I pull into the restaurant parking lot more excited about the amazing sushi this place serves than about my impending date. It's nothing against the guy. Isaac, was it? Yeah, Isaac. He seems nice. At least, I think he seems nice. How much can you really tell after only having talked online? 

Yes. Online.

Don't worry, I cringe too. Statistically, 20% of all relationships start online nowadays, but there is still some weird, self- and societal-inflicted twinge of shame that rises to my cheeks every time I think about or tell someone that I have succumbed to the online dating trend. Dating online is comparable to liking McDonald's. Tons of people do it, but NO ONE wants to admit to it. Oh, well. I guess the secret is out now. 

So, I pull into the restaurant anticipating yet another boring first date. 

"Where are you from?"

"Oh, I'm from blah blah blah. What do you like to do in your spare time?"

"I like to duh duh duh. You?"

"Oh, you like to duh, duh, duh? Fascinating. I've always wanted to know more about duh, duh duh!" (Not).

And so on and so forth.

At this point, my outlook is nothing short of despondent. I have only been on this site a month, though, so maybe I'm giving up too quickly. Besides, I've only been on three other dates. (My pessimistic demeanor on date four should be indicative of how much I enjoyed dates 1-3.) Ok, so the other dates weren't that bad; they were pleasant, even. That's the great thing about online dating: you can weed out most of the crazies before ever going out with them. It's nice to talk to people first-- it eliminates that horribly awkward moment on a terrible date where you excuse yourself from the table only to sneak into the stall of a restaurant bathroom and text your bff with pleas that she call in 10 minutes with some fake emergency that will give you a good reason to end this misery early.

I mean… wait… what… I've never done that… ummm….

Moving on.

As I arrive at the restaurant, I look around for him. He offered to pick me up, but we did meet online (safety, safety!) and I was coming straight from school. Ah, the work of a teacher is never done. 

I look like a mess. 

I smell like tenth graders. 

In case you're wondering, that's NOT a good thing. 

Suddenly, just before I reach the door to the restaurant, I spot him walking from his car. He is a giant! I had seen pictures, but apparently none in which he was standing next to a normal-sized human. 

Ok, I'm exaggerating, of course. 

But seriously, six feet, four inches tall! He approaches with a smile that is completely charming.  I saunter all five feet, two inches of myself towards him and introduce myself to his bellybutton. If this is the man God has for me, I think to myself, I'm going to either need taller shoes or a good neck doctor.

He is a perfect gentleman: He opens the door, waits for me to be seated, and speaks to me with an indescribable sense of gentle honesty. 

He compliments me. Genuinely. 

We sit down at our table and begin the normal first date chit-chat. I've never been that into redheads, but he is very handsome. His warm smile makes the mood of the night casual and easy. He looks strong but safe. Apparently, he's a choir director and sings opera, but he's also this outdoorsman/Mr. Fix-It type. Oh, and he used to be a sous-chef. He is kind, but I can see that he could hold his ground if push came to shove. He's wonderfully multifaceted and perplexing. 

"Sometimes women don't like it when a man opens the door for them. Sometimes they won't let me pay for dinner. In fact, sometimes they even get mad if I try." He says matter-of-factly.

"I know. We had an issue like that when I was in college. Several girls on campus made a fuss about the corps men standing up so that the ladies could have a seat on the buses. Sometimes I wonder if chivalry is dying or if we, as women, are slowly killing it." I reply, trying to be understanding.

"Well, I won't let anyone kill it in me. I like opening doors. I like paying for dinner. It's my way of respecting women. In fact, I'll be paying for dinner tonight and opening the door for you when we walk out. I hope this is ok with you because that's just the way I am."

I can't help but smile. His resolve is cute, and I know he isn't kidding.

Something about this exchange stands out to me. He knows who he is, and strives to be a man that respects women. After further discussion, it is obvious that he knows the Bible and understands what kind of man he is called to be. I can somehow tell that he has a past-- something about the eyes. He is far from perfect and knows it, but I can also see that he has no idea what a rare and truly admirable man he really is. 

I watch him treat our waiter with the utmost respect, an action that greatly impresses me. I shamelessly sneak a peek at the tip he leaves; he's generous. I think only people who have worked in food service can fully appreciate this trait.

After about two hours, we decide to call it a night. We both have work in the morning. He keeps his promise and opens the door for me on the way out. He walks me to my car, tells me "goodnight," and leans in for a brief hug. 

On the way home, I process the events of the night. 

I like him, but I don't know if there is any real spark.

Am I too old for butterflies?

Is wanting them an unrealistic expectation? 

Maybe things like that were just high school stuff.

He definitely checks out on paper: good, Christian man; has a steady job; treats me with respect; doesn't leave me guessing; believes in living out biblical manhood; is handsome; etc.

Why, on paper, he's just about perfect!

Definitely worth a second date… if he even calls… he seemed like he had fun… 

Still, what about the spark? 

Pastor Greg Matte once told me and a bunch of other college-students-turned-summer-interns, "The only thing you have to decide on a first date is if there will be a second date. For some reason, young Christian daters put more pressure on themselves than that. Don't."

I spend the rest of the way home praying that if there was meant to be a second date, Isaac would call. 

-Chapter two coming soon-

If you made it this far, here are some fun links as a reward:

Isaac's Opera Skills:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h64Z_hAzpsI&feature=relmfu

Jim Gaffigan's take on "McDonald's shame":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YDTfEhChgw

My Love Story- The Prelude

Hello all!

I’ve decided to allow myself to take a bit of a “blogging detour” for the next several posts. As you may or may not know, I AM ENGAGED! I am so excited and thankful that the Lord has brought me to this sweet chapter in my life. My loving God has already begun teaching me so many valuable lessons, drawing me closer to Him, and raining beautiful blessings over my future husband and I. 

After growing up in what one would nicely call "a broken home," seeing and experiencing things that can only be described as traumatizing and horrific, and making plenty of mistakes of my own along the way, I truly thought this day would never come. Even though Jesus Christ has rescued me from my sins and called me His own, even though He has given me joy unimaginable, I am ashamed to say I have caught myself believing these joy-sucking lies at one time or another:

"The odds have been against me from the start. I don't know what love in marriage or love between parents and children is even supposed to look like." 

"I have messed up too many times. I have made too many bad choices. I deserve nothing, and that's probably exactly what I'm going to get." 

"I am irreparably damaged."

What I was forgetting was that God is bigger than all of that. He has already healed me of my past. He has already forgiven me of my sins, and to say that I am damaged goods is not only untrue, but a slap in the face of my Savior. Ephesians says I am His workmanship. Psalms says He knit me together in my mother's womb. Who am I to say that I am powerful enough to mess all of that up? God is good and loving. 

Looking back on the events that brought me to this wonderful place, I am reminded of a story in which God did something similar, but on a MUCH larger scale: 

In the book of Joshua, chapters 3 and 4, God leads His people across the Jordan River, a task that had at first seemed completely impossible. Crossing the Jordan was the final obstacle in an almost half-century-long endeavor by the Israelites to reach the glorious Promised Land. Of course, life was not always rainbows and butterflies once the Israelites reached the Promised Land; in fact, these people faced some of their toughest challenges after said arrival. Nonetheless, the Promised Land was good; it was what they had been waiting for; it was overwhelmingly… right. 

Anyway, back to the Jordan River. When God revealed to the Israelites that they had FINALLY arrived, that they were at long last in the beautiful land they had been searching and hoping for, do you know what He told them to do first?

“Go, enjoy the land! Have fun and be back for dinner! Oh, wait, there’s food here, so I won’t have to do that ‘raining bread from the sky’ thing anymore…”

“Divvy up the land, making sure everyone gets and equal piece! Be nice and share, guys. Don't make me send you to your desert! LOLZ.”

 “Take a naaaap. You people have been working hard. You had a long trip. You’re probably exhausted.”

No. The first thing God commanded of His people was that they build something to help them remember. He didn’t ask for anything fancy. He didn’t ask for anything unreasonable. In fact, all He really requested was for one of each member of the twelve tribes to pick up a big heavy river stone and put it in a giant pile. Why? So that they would remember what God had done to get them to that wonderful place AND so that their kids and grandkids would walk by the river someday and ask, “Hey pops, why is there a big ole stack of unusually well-placed rocks in this random spot by the river?” and they could remember again... and again... for generations.

All of this to say, I’m taking a blogging detour. I want to stop and create something to help me to remember what God has brought me through to get to this place. I want to testify to what God has done. Most of all, I want to thank Him for writing Isaac and me such a beautiful love story, bringing me such an amazing man, and putting people in my life that can train me and support me as I grow and strive to be the woman of God he deserves. 

This is my random rock pile. 

-Chapter one coming soon-

The moment you stop looking...

If you have been a single Christian for any period of time, you have probably heard something close to that age-old quote, "Don't worry. God will bring you someone. The moment you stop looking, God will bring you that special guy...." 

I, for one, think this line is a load of poo.

Ok, so I don't really because I know it happens this way for some people, BUT whenever my godly counsel would feed me this line, my first emotion was frustration:

"The moment [I] stop looking"?!?!?! Welp, I guess that God will NEVER bring me that "special guy" then.... I LITERALLY don't think it is possible for me to simply "stop looking." It's a "don't think about _______" scenario: the moment someone says don't think about __________, you can't NOT think about ____________.
 I am a woman who desires to someday be a good wife and mother. I am a woman that is both a Christian and has a frustratingly unsatiated sex drive. (What? Women in the church struggle with lust? *gasp*) Most of all, I am a woman that believes marriage is one of the most beautiful examples of Christ's love for the church, and I want to have the privilege and honor of being a part of said example. I'm supposed to just "not think about it"? That's the solution?

My theory: When we offer this adage as a solution for discontented single girls in the church, not only are we not taking advantage of an opportunity to speak great truth into these young women, we are heaping shame on their heads for having a desire that God most likely put within them in the first place. This line communicates "you are not being patient, trusting God, being satisfied, showing contentment etc." Because of this, many girls and single women are afraid to speak up about this longing (and sometimes hurting) in their hearts, because they've been programmed to believe it's wrong.

My suggestion: I propose that when girls or women approach us, the church, with their struggles in singleness, we embrace this as a great opportunity to share the gospel. "Don't worry, God will bring you someone if you just stop looking..." is a far too succinct answer. It is another example of LAZY, quick-fix Christianity. "Ugh! Another overly-dramatic boy-crazy teenager. How do I get her to leave so I can get on with my ministry?"


A better answer:
If a single girl or young woman approaches you with a heavy heart about being "alone," here's what I, in my infinite wisdom of course, think we should do:

1. Point her back to the gospel- One of the greatest desires of humanity is to know and be known. The Greeks have a word for it: Ginosko. Basically, Ginosko works like this:
-I want to know everything about you, both good and bad, and I want to be a person who is good enough and strong enough to love you unconditionally in spite of what I may find out about you in the process.
-I want you to know everything about me, both good and bad, and I want you to be able to love me unconditionally in spite of my sinful past, moments of complete insanity, and ongoing insecurities. I want to know that regardless of all of my flaws, you can still see beauty in me.

The Great Gatsby, although an INCREDIBLY BORING book, has a beautiful quote that describes the desire for Ginosko, even amongst a secular culture:
"He smiled understandingly- much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced-or seemed to face- the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresisble prejudice in your favor. It understood you just so far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey."

The desire to no longer be single is, for many people, innate. A relationship holds a promise of knowing and being known; however, no earthly relationship will provide a true and satisfying sense of Ginosko. The truth is, the ONLY truly unconditional love we shall ever experience this side of heaven is that which put an innocent savior on the cross to take on the sins of all mankind. Anyone can know about our "crazy", and maybe a few people are capable of loving us through it, but only Jesus Christ can heal and redeem it.

When a female approaches you with this type of struggle, whether she's a Christian or not, remind her of the gospel. Her heart is searching for an intimate and unconditional lover, but mostly, it is searching for a savior. No human can be that for her. Putting that expectation on a potential mate is both unrealistic and dissatisfying. Marriage is supposed to be a fantastic earthly example of the gospel. If she does not understand the gospel, she will not understand the true purpose of marriage.

2. Encourage her to cultivate the qualities of a godly wife-I've never been married, so I don't know for sure, but apparently, signing a marriage certificate doesn't magically make you a good wife. As it turns out, the characteristics of a good wife have to be cultivated within a woman's heart long before she says "I do." Truly, there are some things in marriage that we will simply have to learn along the way, but there are also many qualities that can be developed in singleness.
-Encourage your inquirer to seek out what makes a godly woman within the scriptures. This includes knowing who God is, who God says she is, and looking to examples of women within the Bible.
-Spur her to practice these qualities on the people God has placed in her life now. Kindness, gentleness, selflessness, humility, etc. are all things we can demonstrate now. Our families are one of the best practice grounds, because they delight in seeing us grow and tend to put up with more of our failed attempts at grace than others. If she is like many young women nowadays, including me, and does not have a strong family background, encourage her to implement godly characteristics by practicing with people in her church, workplace, or pretty much anywhere else.

3. If she is at an age that she can be married, discuss godly ways to move towards her goals- This is probably the most controversial point and will need several future blog posts in which I will elaborate, but here's the gist:
-If she's not old enough to marry, encourage her to wait on the dating. Dating when marriage is not feasibly on the horizon creates frustrating situations of sexual temptation. The pattern of date-breakup-date-breakup also creates within us the habit to push people aside when they are no longer satisfying our needs instead of working through the hard times. This, in my opinion, lays fertile ground for the temptation to divorce later on in life.
-If she is old enough to marry, explain to her that while she should be the one being pursued by the man, there are godly ways for her to move towards her goals. Yes, a man should pursue, but a woman who sits sulking in front of the TV in her one-bedroom flat is not putting herself in a position to be pursued. I will go into great depth on this point in future blogs, but for now, I would encourage you to point her towards the example of Ruth, who loved Boaz and positioned herself (without scandalous dress, inappropriate flirting, or sexually manipulative behavior) in way that he would be able to see and pursue her.


Whew. I know this was a long blog, but it's been on my heart for a LONG time. Hope it is helpful! :)

Every Family has a Crazy Uncle

It's true... But in this case, the "crazy uncle" also happens to be one of the best people ever! (Funny, selfless, caring, compassionate, wise...)

My Great Uncle Fred, a former military man and current ROTC teacher, imparted some very valuable wisdom to me today that I thought I might share...

The Setup: 
Sitting around after a fantastic lunch made by one of the best ladies in the world, my Nino, Fred and I were discussing the feeling of "always being under the microscope" or never feeling like you can please some people.

His Wisdom:
If you live in a glass house, it's not the stones you should worry about. Your glass is bulletproof. What is really scary is when the manure starts being thrown. Not only does it hide the beauty of your house to others, it changes how you see the outside world as well. Cutting people down and judging others hurts everyone in the process.

What I Think:
His words were so true. In my meager experience, I've decided that people judge for two reasons: they love themselves too much or they hate themselves too much. Either way, cutting others down produces the same "result," which is to make the accuser temporarily feel good. Unfortunately, what we fail to realize is that we not only hurt the other person, we hurt ourselves as well because we rob ourselves of the wisdom and blessings God is trying to bestow upon us through that person.

We also hurt future relationships.  
In the case of the victim, we weaken their ability and desire to trust and love unconditionally. I think every reader has met at least one person who had a really hard time loving others because they had been so hurt in the past.
In the case of the accuser, people who allow themselves to freely judge and mistreat others train themselves to be heart-breakers, morale destroyers, and joy thieves. Of course, this is not what God has called us to be.  For more insight, read and practice James 3.

The Bad News:
I've been on both sides of this predicament, and I find myself often paying the consequences for such behavior.

The Good News:
I am saved by an amazing God who forgives and forgets! The damage I've done and the damage that has been done to me can be forgiven and healed if I just ask.


To sum things up:
I guess today I was given a very loving and timely reminder to speak and act cautiously. It's impossible to predict the extent to which my words affect others. I was also encouraged to remember that whether I'm doing the throwing or it's my glass house that's under attack, Christ can and will wipe it clean because He is good, loving, and full of mercy.


 Some encouraging verses:

"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29

“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." Isaiah 1:18

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chron. 7:14

"O LORD my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me." Ps. 30:2

"He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions." Ps. 107:20

"He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds." Ps. 147:3

 

Hope this blesses you as much as it has me!


(Disclaimer: Please excuse the informality of this blog, as it is more of a musing...)

Political Piety

Remember When I Started a Blog a Year Ago?


Clearly, my undergraduate years were spent grossly underestimating the time-consumption of teaching within the public school system. Nonetheless, it's probably better this way, because now I'm one year older and wiser (somewhat against my will)!


So this morning I was reading an article written by Bill King of the Houston Chronicle assessing the behaviors of Christians in regards to pushing political agendas. I thought it was pretty insightful.  He basically describes two extreme types of believers: the closed vault cowardly christian who never speaks of his faith, and the loud mouth jerk who tries to shove christianity down everyone's throats via political infiltration. King says, and I agree, that a biblical christian falls under neither extreme.


The article, along with some of my own studies on the matter, has led me to come to a few conclusions:


Jesus loves PEOPLE, not politics.

**Let's be honest, many Christians, including myself, are arguing so hard politically because we have been lazy spiritually. If people don't know Jesus, it's the church's fault, not the government's. It's time to take responsibility, because the blame game is getting us nowhere. **

King says it this way, "But [Jesus] also adamantly refused to start a political movement. He famously tossed the Pharisees' Roman coins back at them, telling them to "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's." He declared before Pilate that his kingdom was not of this world. He did not form any political action committees or hold any political prayer rallies. He did not foment revolution or cozy up to officialdom. He did not lobby lawmakers to legislate the people's morality. Instead he appealed directly to our better nature, seeking to change hearts, not laws." 
This is not to, in any way, say that our Messiah did not create some waves during His physical time here. However, his focus was not to change the government, it was to change people. I've said this before, and I'll probably say it a million more times: NO ONE truly changes their heart or mind because a complete stranger is screaming hateful and belittling remarks about their belief system at them. It.does.not.happen. Speaking as a representative of the population of overly stubborn people, if anything, this kind of behavior only makes my own resolution stronger and closes my ears to any future discussions on the given topic. 


Even a perfunctory knowledge of history will tell you that forcing religion via government is ineffective. 
This is true for many reasons, but this I believe to be the primary.
A change of governmental policy does not necessarily indicate the change of a politician's heart on the matter. It certainly does not guarantee an invocation of compliance on the part of the masses. Instead, religion imposed by government breeds bitterness and resentment as well as stirring the rebellious nature within our hearts to which we all, as fallen people, are prone. The book of Romans says that it's God's kindness that leads us to repentance. 1 John 4:19 says that the only reason we love God is because he first LOVED us. Ultimately, it's the Holy Spirit's revelation of God's goodness that changes hearts. 


So, what should we do?
(I'll just say that as I was reading the King article, I had multiple tabs open and accidentally switched to a "Reasons to Neuter" page. Had I not caught this mistake, the following insights may have been VERY different.)


1. Know the truth. Read the Bible. Ask God to show you people the way He sees them. Repeat as needed. 


2. Focus on the people, not the policies. 
This is not to say you should endorse political agendas that spit in the face of biblical truths, but remember that poor governmental policies are often a reflection of a heart problem. If you despise abortion, stop yelling at your senator, and go love a pregnant girl. If you think gay marriage is extra-biblical, care for your gay friends. Love them. Treat them like people because that's what they are.  Dwell on the Bible's definition of true religion: "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." James 1:26-27

3. Understand what love means, BIBLICALLY. 
Keep in mind, BIBLICAL love does NOT mean that you just tell people whatever they want to hear (what scripture calls "tickling the ears" 2 Tim 4:3) but rather that you are truthful with people in a loving way. (Ephesians 4:15) Coddling people's feelings is not more important than honoring and loving God Himself. 


4. Put down your picket signs and go to work! 
My question is how a person would possibly have time to take care of their family well, spend time with the Lord daily, love and help the lost and/or needy, AND cause an uproar about politics. I suppose if you have time to do it all well and to the glory of God, then more power to you, but if any of the other areas are suffering, prioritize. The Bible says that this is how we make a real difference: "And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one." 1 Thess. 4:11-12 


Chron. Article: http://www.chron.com/default/article/King-An-assessment-of-being-a-Christian-at-2418713.php

Mark Driscoll's- The Tolerance Rant

The Gates of Splenda?

Rather than doing some "introductory blog," where I recant some heartfelt, epiphanal tale of what has driven me to sharing my life over the internet, I'll simply give you the real reason: I talk a lot. I think a lot. I have a lot of opinions. I, like all narcissistic bloggers, feel that what I have to say is worth reading. With that being said, this is my first official entry, so please take it easy with the critiquing. Thanks.

Accepting Imitations


As we forge ahead into 2011's New Year's Resolution season, I have noticed many friends and family of mine trying to improve their health by losing weight or eating better. One way they do this is by cutting sugar from their diets (a nearly impossible task if you read any labels whatsoever). Rather than going cold turkey, many said dieters opt for a low-cal substitution like Sweet-n-Low, Splenda, or my personal fav, Agave nectar. This is all well and good (I have no intention of making some grand statement about nutrition in this particular entry), but as we are now in the 3rd week of January, those sugar-free  imitations are no longer cutting it. I know this firsthand because several of the strongly resolved, sugar abstaining educators I eat lunch with daily are now ready to rip my arms off if it means I will relinquish my sinfully sweet oatmeal cream pie. The truth is, if we have spent a lifetime conditioning our bodies to enjoy the "real deal," all the phonies, despite our efforts, are sure to eventually come up short and leave us wanting.

This whole "imitation" craze doesn't confine itself to our shoddy dieting endeavors; it has infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives. I'll give you a few examples:

Imitation Community: I walk into a room, put on my "church smile," hug a few gal pals, and eat some yummy finger foods. All the while I am struggling through sin, heartache, trial, or pain that God never intended me to handle alone. Do I dare to share? Of course not. We're church people. Church people should have their lives "together" and free of sin, dammit!

Imitation Peace: The absence of conflict = true peace. WRONG! As it turns out, God doesn't really do things half-way. The absence of conflict is only half of what true Shalom really is. In fact, according to Strong's concordance, the original Hebrew word "Shalom" entails much more: "completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord." Trying to pass off a simple lack of discord as a true, God given peace is like pasting a Porsche logo on your Pinto: you're not fooling anyone. 


Imitation Romance: This happens to be a subject near and dear to my heart, particularly as of lately, so you'll probably see a more in-depth explanation of "imitation romance" in a future blog... For now, all you need to know is that if you are:
1. Believing that your dating/marriage partner can fulfill your every longing and satisfy the desires of your heart,
2. Involved in a co-ed friendship that looks like a dating relationship without the commitment (and therefore using each other as temporary pacifiers until that "right" person comes along)...
or
3. Fantasizing about how perfect your life will be if you can only find that "special someone"


then you are accepting imitation romance. Truly fulfilling romance can only come from someone who knows everything about you, can be trusted to love you unconditionally and tirelessly through your flaws, and has your best interest at heart. Good news and bad news: the only one who can do that is God. Other romances may be able to (and should) reflect that kind of love, but no earthly relationship can give you everything you need. 


This is by no means an exhaustive list of the types of imitations we accept every day. The truth is, we all do it. Today, I challenge you to look deeply at your life and "find the phonies." The little imitations we accept as authenticities in our daily lives are breeding discontent and frustration that will zap you of valuable time, energy, and devotion God has given you for Himself. We may be able to feel satisfied by our Splenda lifestyles for a spell, but ultimately, we have been created and conditioned to desire the Real Deal. In my next blog, I'll talk more about what exactly the Real Deal is, and what each of these imitations in our lives says about our view of God.