"Currency"?

So if you follow my dad's blog, you may have read his post on "relationships being the currency of the kingdom." Here's the link to his blog...

Well, recently, I was reading some comments on a message that had been given at a women's meeting at that particular organization. I chose not to listen to the message, so I'm going to say outright that maybe I just don't fully understand the meaning behind the statement "Relationships are the currency of the kingdom." 

But, with that said, the statement taken at face value is a sad reflection on churches in America today.  And maybe people should think of that before they go and advertise it as some deep and beautiful new catch phrase.

Currency= money.  Money is used to get something a person wants or needs.  My money is thrown into my purse in a rush.  It gets shoved into pockets and run through the washer.  People write all over it.  Its really not something that is treated with care.  Unless of course you got a stack of Benny's.  hmmm.

So why would anyone want to be "currency"?  Why would that be a way to describe a human being, unique and created in God's image?  Why are people falling for this left and right, like its some great new way to look at the Kingdom of God?!  Are people truly that blind and deceived? Sadly, I think many are.

 I wonder what Jesus would do if He saw this new breed of money changers selling their services in the temple courts. Preying on broken and lost people.  Making them feel accepted and valued, only to be focusing on the bottom dollar and building relationships with selfish intentions.

So what should the currency of the Kingdom be?  What should we be giving in exchange to those around us? Probably nothing, but if there was going to be anything, I think it would be love, service, and support for the broken.  Shouldn't we be giving our time, our [unconditional] love for those around, regardless of $$ or personal issues?  Shouldn't we be serving our communities expecting nothing in return?   Shouldn't be about touching people's lives in a deep and life changing way?  Wouldn't those things make us "rich" in the true sense of the word?  Or are we just building as many relationships, with no regard to the depth of them? 

basically, if my cell phone contact list is full, that makes me rich?  Hmm....I never want to be a form of currency, and I never want that to be the reason I make friends. 

Awesome Things about Growing Up

For the most part, growing up is no fun.  You have to pay your own bills.  Your dad isn't around to fix your car or remind you to check the oil.  Your mom isnt around when you don't feel like cooking your own dinner.  You can't sit around with your friends all the time because you have responsibilities like work, which is always lame.  Not to mention all the emotional chaos that comes with being your own person, separate from your family.

I find myself frequently whining and complaining about how much it sucks.  Let's all admit it, nobody has a good time growing up.

BUT.  I have realized that there are a few TOTALLY awesome privileges that you gain when you get to make your own decisions with your money and time.  I thought I would share these with you.

1.  You can use as much toilet paper as you want.  When your parents supply the TP, they notice if you use half a roll in one session.  But when you are the one buying it, there's nobody to tell you not to! Suddenly the simple task of pooping becomes WAY easier, more fun,and rather empowering.

2.  You can eat whatever you want.  Obviously, we are not even going to go into the health issues behind making bad choices.  But you can totally have McDonalds at ten oclock at night, have pho for lunch and taco truck for dinner (not saying I have ever done that... cough cough..) which leads us to our next point...

3.  Dinner is [almost] always something you want to eat.  If you are making food for yourself, its not like you are going to slave away for something that isnt sounding yummy to you. 

4. You can get the biggest pumpkin at the pumpkin patch.  You are the one carving it, cleaning up afterwards, and more importantly, carrying it to the car, so its ok to go crazy! And you can carve a big scary face if you feel like it.  Growing up in a house of small children, we didn't carve pumpkins much, and if we did, it had to be totally G rated.  The first year Micah and I were married, our pumpkin probably weighed 40-50lbs and we made a bad ass vampire.  Totally worth having to pay for it ourselves and clean up the mess.

5.  You get to decide when you want to do chores.  Yah, sometimes my house becomes a disaster, and having to be the one responsible for keeping it clean is not fun, but if you want to blare some music and clean at 7 am, you can.  OR if you want to choose not to mop your floors for a month, thats your deal. You dont have to worry about getting grounded. 

Well, that's just a start of my list of things that actually kick ass about being a grown up...  Anyone got any other ones?