17 Life Changing Things Other People Have Told Me

Over the last few months, a 'list of 25 random things' went around in which the author was to write 25 random things about them and send it on to friends. To be honest, I got a bunch of them, read a couple, but just wasn't a fan so never took the time to fill it out.

However, as I've been working on homework today and thinking about things, I decided that I was curious about putting together a list of things other people have told me that have shaped and continue to shape who I am. So, here goes my attempt at 17 key things others have said to me that have shaped my life:

1. 'Keep the main thing the main thing.' - my youth pastor, Rob Shiflet, told me this. I know he didn't coin it, but it'll always make me think of him. It's been a good reminder for me to focus on what's fundamental about our faith, not what's secondary.

2. 'Give thanks in all circumstances.' - an older brother, Doug Holcomb, of a best friend of mine from 9th grade, Philip Holcomb, told me this one night when I was spending the night with his family and he and I had decided it was too good of an African night to not spend the night on the roof. So we did, and Doug shared with me how he had made the most of moving to Kenya his senior year of high school. It's exactly what I needed before heading back to the US and carried me through a really rough few years adjusting to the US.

3. 'Healthy things become unhealthy in the extreme.' - my dad was heavily influenced by his friendship with Neil Anderson, who put forward this idea that most things are healthy until they're taken to the extreme. This idea of moderation has formed the basis of almost all of my thinking from alcohol to school work.

4. 'Don't doubt in the dark what God's shown you in the light' - my dad didn't coin this, but he's been really good to remind me of it throughout my life.

5. 'Your curiosity will carry you far.' - Uncle Wayne Daniel's told me this once when I was standing at his elbow asking all sorts of questions as he soldered something. It's been a huge encouragement to keep asking questions.

6. 'Jesus stopped and listened to her whole story.' A gentleman named Doug, used to be President of Youth For Christ (maybe it was another organisation), but now works with politicians in DC, told me this in reference to Christ stopping and listening to the women who had been bleeding for 12 years. While I'm not sure it's faithful to the text, it's faithful to who Christ was and continues to be my reminder to try and slow down and listen to people.

7. 'Context, context, context.' - I am forever indebted to Dr. Castleman, Dr. Vila, and Dr. Blankenship for 'pounding' this into our heads in Biblical Studies. It has tremendously shaped the way I understand Scripture and the way I study history.

8. 'Geeze Daniel, I didn't bring my sunglasses today.' - My 7th grade history teacher (who I remember very fondly) and my friends who loved to tease me about my white legs. I wore shorts to school one day and remember a couple of them saying this when I came into history class that day. To this day, you won't see me wear shorts very often, maybe they've saved the world in their own little way. :-)

9. 'Please and Thank You should always be a part of our speech' - Uncle Henri Aoun, an amazing missionary from Lebanon who now lives in Paris with an incredible family (I'm fortunate to call his two kids, John and Lily, good friends), told a group of us on a mission trip this once. I'm not good at following it, but it does continue to always come to mind.

10. 'Sometimes Daniel, I think we should wait for God to give us a red light, rather than a green light. Too often we sit around waiting for God to give us the go ahead, when He's saying "Get going and trust me to stop you!"' - Diana, one of the sweetest lady's I've ever known in my life told me this. She, in fact, was one of the high points of my year in California. She'd been a missionary in France for years with Uncle Henri, so she and I would greet each other in the morning in my poor French - which usually ended after 'how are you', because I didn't know any more. This encouragement has been what has spurred me on to try so many of the different things I've had the opportunity to do (including being here in Northern Ireland).

11. 'Take your pictures, print them out in black and white, and put them up in your house. Then when people come over you can tell them about your trips, and you can remember them.' - the janitors and workers at all of my jobs have always been some of my best friends. My year in California was no different. The African-American gentleman (gosh, I wish I wasn't so bad with names!) who came and cleaned our building would always stop and talk to me, since I often worked late. I loved those conversations. Well, he had put pictures up in his house like this, so he encouraged me to do the same. It's been one of the best things I've ever done to remember what incredible opportunities God's given me.

12. 'Now Daniel, his other two friends have both walked out of his life when he told them this.' - In college, a dear friend of mine told me that he struggled with homosexuality. I remember being given the above warning by some of our mutual friends and it broke my heart. Not that I would ever walk away from a friendship because of this, but it broke my heart. Having been teased in high school because people assumed I was homosexual, this just reaffirmed my conviction to be one who would love at all times.

13. 'Oh man, I was hoping you were going to try out for the play. I was hoping to cast you.' - the theater director at my school in Kenya told me this my freshman year, the same year that I chose to go out for the basketball team, rather than theater, because it was more 'macho' (hey, it was the mind if a nerdy 15 year old :-). After that, I ended up being involved in theater and duet acting in both high school and college.

14. 'I've never had someone come and ask me what he could be doing to practice as much as Daniel. So he get's the [a name I haven't remembered since] award for hard working. At the same time, I've never seen someone say 'I'm sorry' so much on the court, so he also gets the Dr. Kavorkian award.' - this was the end of the year 'awards' party for the JV basketball team I was a part of my freshman year of high school. I've never remembered the compliment, but I've always remembered the Dr. Kavorkian award. I haven't played basketball since.

15. 'Pass Daniel the ball!' - Ms. Bressler, this amazing woman who was my driver's ed teacher and PE teacher in Kenya (as well as my volleyball coach), shouted this from the sidelines at a basketball tournament we were at where she had had girls playing field hockey. I had my hopes up that day because the coach had told me I'd get to play, but I hadn't played all day. Ms. Bressler starts shouting this from the other side of the court and I look at her, through eyes that I'm trying to hold back the tears of dissapointment in, and mouth 'what are you doing? I'm on the bench. They can't throw the ball to me.' To which she's says back, 'I know, that's the whole point. I want the coach to put you in.' Well, needless to say I got to play that game. I've never forgotten Ms. Bressler or her cheering me on that day - it continues to be a moment of great encouragement when I'm blue.

16. 'We're going to do some karaoke and we're going to invite someone up. Daniel Ostendorff, come on up.' - by far, this night at FSM (youth group), was one of the most embarrasing moments of my life when Bobby Girard, the worship pastor and a man I very much respect, called me up, and I tried to sing 'I'm going deeper' - but was so nervous that it was to a whole new tune, rythm, everything. After a few lines, Bobby said, 'Alright, freestyle!' because I was so far off! :-) It has continued to be a funny memory for Justin Adams, Josh Connolly, and all my other friends that I still get to see from FSM.

17. 'The future can be either scary or exciting, just depends on how you look at it.' - a JBU friend, Lauren Raikes, told me this a couple of weeks ago. Not only was it what I needed to hear as I was thinking about what God might have planned, but it's continued to be on my mind since then. It really is a great reminder - if I look at life as God is the one in charge, then it's totally exciting! But, if I'm the one trying to lead the charge, it can get very scary, worrying about what's next. I have no doubt this will be one that will stick with me for years.

There are so many more than this. This is what I was able to come up with tonight, but the reality is that anyone who's reading this has had a significant impact on my life, almost exclusively (with rare exceptions in a few people) for the good. Thanks so much!

Governor Palin and State Politics

For those of you that watched the Superbowl, you saw the above spot with Governor Sarah Palin that came on. When it did, one of my friends wasn't too excited, to say the least. :-) Which led into a short conversation about why it was that she wasn't excited about Sarah Palin. We were both really exhausted after a long couple of days, so the conversation didn't go very far - but, summed up, this friend disagreed with most all of Palin's policies (drilling in ANWAR, purchasing of rape kits, etc.) and thus, really, really just doesn't like Palin.

That all led me into ruminating over the last couple of weeks on the idea of State politics and the main purpose of a Governor. A Governor's purpose is to meet the needs of the citizens of their state. To do the best job governing them they can do. During the election, Palin had a 90% approval rating as Governor, the highest of any Governor in the country and, perhaps, the highest of any state official. That tells me that, for her constituency, the people who elected her, she's doing something right. In fact, to think that she won the gubernatorial elections with 48% of the vote, the high approval rating a year and a half later is incredible.

This weekend, an article came out about actress Ashely Judd's outcry against the wolf-hunting policy in Alaska. Several of the animal rights activists in the 48 states decry the policy as inhumane and, in Judd's words, 'It is time to stop Sarah Palin and stop this senseless savagery.' The reality is that the policy in place is limited to Alaskan citizens who must obtain a permit and the numbers are closely monitored. The whole program is in place to protect the caribou and moose populations - the very populations the same group cries out about when it comes to drilling in ANWAR. I understand that it's the method they object with.

However, fundamentally, it's the question of, who under our Constitution, has the right to tell who what to do? Who's the 'top dog' in the constitution? Is this a country where the Federal Gov't can legislate it's views for the States? Or, do the states have protection from the government to put in place policies that are best for their people? It's the latter. The Federal government isn't supposed to legislate on anything outside of it's jurisdiction as set out in the constitution. Unfortunately, it frequently does.

Once again, another reason I'm a Republican. The best group of people to take care of the needs of a town or city are the elected officials over that town or city. The best officials over the state are the state's elected officials. The Federal government was created to protect the union of this country from inside threats and outside threats - not determine what's best for the states therein. It's also why I'm in full agreement with Republican pushes for Federal Tax cuts. Keep more money away from the federal government and you keep more money in your own state, meeting the needs of the citizens in your state, which includes you.

Okay, I'll step down off my soap box now...

Obama: How does Bipartisan Work?

Quick post, since I really need to be doing some other work. I was reading Reuter's this morning on the Stimulus Package that the Dem's are trying to get through the Senate. There were some things that struck me.

*One of Obama's key ideas in his campaign was the end of partisanship. It seems that this stimulus package is the first test of that, because:

1. The bill passed the House, from what I understand, without a single Republican vote. It seems significant that there weren't even moderate Republicans that voted for it.

2. For the bill to pass the Senate, where it is currently, it only needs two Republican votes - yet it can't even get those from moderates. That also seems really significant.

So, while the ideal of bipartisanship seems a good one on the surface, the truth is that partisanship is there for a reason - because all the different parties see the answer to the country's problems in different ways. I refuse (it's the stubborn side of) to chalk this up to "Republicans don't want to vote for a Democratic bill." No, if it truly was something they were comfortable with, I imagine at least a few would have voted for it. It's in instances like that that I'm really glad our government is set up the way it is - that the partisan sides call each other into check. Thank you Founding Father's for checks & balances. :-)

Reuter's article: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN0142074920090206?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest

The Political Reasons I'm Never Getting Married (...or, the reasons I tell myself)

I have this passion and desire to be in politics someday. Long story short, it's one of those things that comes from asking God why I've had some of the opportunities I've had, as well as why it is he gives me such favor with people...but, it's also one of the reasons I don't think I'll ever find a wife. Let me attempt to explain.

When it comes to politics and what I believe, I land pretty contrary to most of the conservative Christian right in which I grew up and for which I have a lot of respect.

Example 1
For example, I don't think the government should make a law that marriage should be heterosexual. For that matter, I don't think the government should make a law about marriage at all - heterosexual or homosexual. Marriage, as understood by the Church, is primarily a spiritual matter. 'Marriage' is a Judeo-Christian construct. Sure, other cultures have forms of union, but not to the spiritual depth of the triune relationship in marriage and the call to unshakable faithfulness that is to reflect the unshakable, unmovable faithfulness of the Father. I really believe the government should honor any union - and should call it a 'civil union' - because it's a government's recognition of two people coming together and vowing a commitment to one another, thus it's a civil agreement. I'm all for benefits coming from that for any union and serious costs coming to anyone for the breaking of that union. But, let's not call what the government recognizes 'marriage' - at least not as Christians. It is fundamentally different in its entirety (at least it ought to be, but that's a whole other thing and gets me into my anger at the lax approach to Christian divorce).

Example 2
Moving on, I couldn't disagree more with the idea that America is 'a Christian nation'. As such, I believe the government's job is to protect its citizens - which includes protecting its freedoms. That means protecting the freedom of both Christians and non-Christians. There are more than a handful of founding fathers that I wouldn't want to set foot behind the pulpit at my church because of their theology and doctrine. The founding fathers recognized a higher power on the most basic level, one for which they were all in agreement. It seems that they recognized it for the prime purpose of defending a person's humanity, dignity, and value, for having been 'indowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights.' It was what value this god gave people. It was not to be god as a defence to create a theocracy.

This leads me to two things:

*one, stop taking down the 10 Commandments around government buildings. It is a historical document upon which most of the Western world's judicial systems are based. Congress convenes under a image of Moses that is seated right in front of the Speaker, along with a host of other historical figures for which Western judicial constructs are deeply indebted. For Christians it's a deeply spiritual thing with ramifications in what Christ came and did - but for non-Christians, it's the recognition - like Locke's work or any other political philosopher - of a historical part of the development of our judicial system. It has nothing to do with separation of church & state - so stop making up conspiratorial connections that are ridiculous.

*secondly, the Church needs to step up and be the Church, irregardless of what the world says. If the government recognize homosexual civil unions, that doesn't mean the Church has to. THAT is why there's separation of church and state, so that the state can't tell the Church what to do - so that the Church is protected.

That's what our founding father's were running from - but so often the Church feels like that gives it free reign to force its values and views on the country. The government's sole purpose is to protect the people and preserve the union of this country. Here's where the strong Republican and small government comes out in me. The gov't was never intended to administrate and organize everything. The Church was called to care for the widowed, the orphaned, the downtrodden. If the body of Christ was tithing 10% we would have no problem caring for the widows, the orphans, and providing free medical care to those who can't afford it - we'd have so much money. So, Church, 'Wakeup!' Let's start doing what we're called to do. For those of us who are Republican's, let's actually push for and act like we want a small government that doesn't hamstring our freedom - but let's not be guilty of pushing through laws that hamstring other's freedom either. Based off the job of government, the Republican party is not a 'Christian' party (neither is the Democratic party, for that matter) - but rather they're perspectives on how the government should function. Let the Church - not the State - be the driving force of compassion, provision, and good in our country - it's not a job the Federal Government was ever intended to do. And it costs us a whole lot more to have them do it (i.e. taxes, jobs, administrative costs, etc.).

So, all that to say....

Throw in the fact that I think alcohol, tobacco, the millenium/tribulation, women in leadership in the Church, etc. are all such secondary issues that they should never stop us from loving or building friendships with people - and I'm pretty much out of luck for a conservative Christian girlfriend.... :-)

Now, that's not true, but I thought I'd let you into this twisted little mind of mine that feels that, because I'm swimming against the stream of the majority of people around me that I'll be left standing alone at the end of the day.

I'm trusting God that he knows what he's doing and he'll provide someone someday that's just as committed to Jesus Christ as I am - and is either willing to put up with my crazy political views or has some crazy political views of her own....we'll just have to see. That's the crazy adventure I'm on and we'll see what God has in store.

(Oh, not to mention most of the above will also get me into a lot of trouble with the conservative Republican base if I ever actually do try to run for a political office...yikes!)