sick.

I really should go to bed and I am feeling seriously sick.

“Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 5:10) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth … but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” (Matthew 6:19-20) “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wondered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (I Timothy 6:10) “Keep yourselves free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5) “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing what is useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.” (Ephesians 4:2

Since last week I got three emails from three people, three Christians actually. They all sent me the same link. At first I thought that it was a joke, these Christians, talking about becoming millionnaires, telling me the guy who created this new way of becoming rich was a Christian himself. I was not interested at all even though I talked to a friend who knew more about it all and the people themselves and was saying that they were all making money through this thing. When I got the third email, tonight, I thought I should check it out to see what was the guy’s speech so I know where to stand. You can go yourself (www.findthesuccess.com) but please keep in mind that if you choose to live the way the guy is telling you and to make money, well, you’ll probably waste your life. I seriously believe that John Piper, K.P. Yohannan and others would be appalled if they listened to this guy talking. You can waste your life no matter if you’re rich or poor, that’s right, but the way this man presents the whole idea of becoming rich and enjoying life and his motivations, it makes me feel sick, literally. Especially if he is a Christian as some Christians say.

His message (although I haven’t taken up the courage to listen to everything he says because it makes me feel sick) is something like this: You have dreams of a big house? Of an expensive car? Of travelling the world? Of freedom from work? Well, how are you going to get these things if you keep the job you have? Even the richest people in North America are simply the “richest of the poorest” (that made me pretty mad). The real rich people don’t work and don’t worry about what they buy. You can seriously become rich too, I’ll show you how.

This saddens me a lot. That Christians get into that and encourage one another to become rich or simply to have more money. You may say that I am just 22 and have no family to support, I grant you that. But seriously, I’m asking a simple question to these people: What is your real motivation? Why are you taking part in that? It is not that enjoying life is bad or having more free time is wrong. But I’m just saying that this dream of being rich and free in this life does not come from God! It is the mindset of the world. If our motivation for making more money and becoming rich is to live more comfortably on earth, our motivation is wrong, rooted in our self-centered self. If our motivation is to continue to live simply and to give everything else to the poor, our church, missionaries, etc. then it’s great. But it would be dangerous too, even with a good motivation.

Jesus never taught that our job on earth was to enjoy life and live comfortably. Jesus never said that our only job was to live good lives, be good parents, go to church and provide for our family. There is more to that life of ours. People are not just poorer than you and me, people are dying without Christ and we seek more comfort. I think we’re wasting our lives. I’m not saying that I am better than anybody else, it’s a constant battle to be wise with one’s money and make the right choices and be filled with the right thoughts about this world and the next world. What was Jesus response to earthly wealth? There was only one possibility: Share! Share! and Share! If you have money, give it to the poor, if you have two tunics, give one to the one who doesn’t have any. If you used to steal, stop doing that, first you’ll get what you need to live and then you’ll share with the poor. Jesus always told the rich people to give all to the poor and follow Him, Jesus always spoke of sharing. So if our desire is to have more money for ourselves, then, I believe it’s wrong. I don’t want to condemn the people who sent me the emails or the Christians that are becoming “richer” through that thing on the Internet that seemd to be working. I’d just ask all to check their motivations and to place them at the feet of Christ and see for themselves what is the heart of Jesus telling them.

I’d appreciate your comments. I’d be interested to know if what I wrote is wrong and what’s your opinion.

It’s in the air

Hello there.

Seven days ago, at this time of the day I was taking my last meal at the house of my grandparents. I then took all my stuff, tightly packed in my luggage and bags and took the Beaudry metro up to St-Henri. A 15-minute ride depending on how good the transfers go. I have, since then, lived in the St-Henri quarter. It’s been a very different life living around here with people (I got used to living by myself and was quite comfortable with that idea, but I’m enjoying being around people here just as well). It’s not my own little place and I don’t have my own dresser and desk and room. It’s hard to believe but I do all my teaching prep. sitting at the kitchen table with my (thanks dad) laptop. It’s kind of funny to get my printer out of its (original!) box eveytime I want to print something out. So life has been different, but I’m glad I get to experience living here.

It’s neat to get to live in different areas of Montréal. Well, I know I haven’t seen very much of the island at all, but it’s interesting to see the differences in between Downtown and St-Henri. For sure, it’s obvious you might be thinking. But for a little girl like me, it’s fun to see.

Downtown, you see a lot of stuff you don’t want to see. You’re surounded by restaurants, coffee shops, bars, stores of all kinds, beggars (begging for money, for your signature, and all sorts of other things). You see a lot of people with a lot of money and that is where you see the “fashion” concentration. I was personally sick of the way people dressed. Not because it was not appropriate, but simply because, I don’t know, it’s just not … not nice. I don’t know how to translate my feeling.

St-Henri is poorer. Mostly residential with a few shops here and there, but mostly for stuff like doing your laundry, small libraries and little reataurants. Lots of families. People seem to enjoy life because they don’t have anything better to do. They use their ressources and that’s it. People have BBQ’s on Saturdays when it’s nice and invite family and friends, people play tennis and basketball in the parks and that’s the beginning of summer for them. I think this portrays “les Québécois” better than what you see Downtown. Well, it all comes down to the same anyways: the pursuit of our own hapiness to our best and for some they have little ressources, that they only difference.

Anyways, that was an update on me and on the life here in Montréal.

We’ve been everywhere

Hey!

So Sunday afternoon, my two roomates-to-be and I hung out on the Island. We didn’t really have anything specific to do, so we sort of wandered all around the map. We checked different paint stores to find recycled paint, ate poutine, bought Nacho Libre for 5$ and had a slush with caffeine in it… Montreal just opened three new metro stations that go up to the Laval island. We thought we sould go up to Laval just … just for fun. So we started at Angrigon and … 45 minutes later, arrived at Montmorency (Laval). We took pictures of every station we passed by. Here’s my friend’s photo “montage” accompanied by Johny Cash… Oh, when you see me with the yellow tongue, well it’s my slush. I know, SO interesting eh.

And here’s… my roomies-to-be and I being immature in the empty wagon.

Continuing…

This post is a continuation of my last post. Thanks y’all for your comments and emails. I’m not exactly sure what I will make them read but hopefully God will help me find just the right thing.

I’m at my friends’ place right now but nobody’s here for the weekend, so I’ve been looking at different videos on Islam on youtube. Teaching Muslims twice a week, chatting with them about their religion and culture makes me curious, I want to know why they believe what they believe . At the same time, I find it important to at least know a little about Islam and what Muslims and non-Muslims think of it. It’s been very interesting watching these videos and I’d like to share one with you.

The lady was raised in the Middle-East and turned away from Islam, she is now a psycyatrist in the States. She is not a Christian or anything else, but I think what she says can be eye-opening for us Christians. I watched the whole video, but the part I am refering to here is the first few minutes when she speaks of Muslims being prisonners of their own beliefs.

I don’t agree with everything she says, because some of her comments are not stuff that Jesus would say.

Stop It!

Hi there.

So I just came from my Friday ESL teaching, well, it’s more like ESOL I guess but anyways. I was disturbed for the whole two hour because of something very simple that you may think nothing of, but I would appreaciate your prayers and comments about it.

You know how that I give passages of the Bible to the ladies (in their notes) to read, that way they learn about Jesus and they practice their pronunciation. The ladies are Muslims. Well today, it felt very strange but they all seem of the same accord to tell me what they thought. Before the class started, a lady asked me if I could find other texts for them to read, and most of the ladies nodded and agreed with her. They said that the texts are “too deep” and they “can’t relate”. The texts they’d read so far were some parts of the Beatitudes, a parable of Jesus, Paul on love ( Love is…. love is…), and the story of Jesus offering living water to a woman. I told them that I would think about it. A few minuutes later, I handed the text of the day for us to read and a lady said, “Oh, Jesus again…” (negative tone here). She then went on about it and said she’d like for me to find different texts than biblical ones (she was not aware of the previous discussion we had). And everybody again agreed.

What am I to do, please tell me. You’ve read my previous posts and you know that for me, it’s just important to put Christ first, I as so glad they could learn about Jesus, little by little. I seriously believe that the real problem is not that the texts are too deep, but is that it is the Bible, we talk about Jesus and they don’t like i so much (it was obvious by the lady’s comment, “Oh Jesus again….”. I feel that if I keep on using the Word, they’ll bcome cold and closed toward me and the Gospel. I would literaly be going against their will if I’d put another “religious” text in their notes on Tusday. But I am the teacher, I choose the material. I don’t want o break the relationship we have already, I’m scared that they would not be open to hear the Gospel.

What am I to do? What should I make them read?

I’d appreciate your prayers and comments by Tuesday afternoon. Thank you.