I keep expecting them

(the naked people) -so I can hide them (of course.)

Let me explain:

I have best friends who believe it's wrong to be on social networking sites. One told me she deleted her account. Her (current) pastor preached a sermon against Facebook and Blogger and MySpace--against all the social networking sites. She said he had 12 points/reasons with Bible verses for each one.

But they have a website, and do email. (?????????)

I asked to see the verses, then added, "If your pastor doesn't mind sharing his notes we would like to see them... If you are uncomfortable asking don't feel obligated though."

She said she would, but didn't. (And it's ok. You don't have to chase the guy down and ask for his notes. I realize that could be awkward.)

Then later someone told me, "I deleted my account because of all the naked people pictures. They were really really bad for my mind."

"Oh uh... yeah. That is actually a really good reason."

I thought back to girl(space)friend's pictures who my friends added to Facebook while I was at their house. And they were all, "She wears that? I would expect her to dress better. This is awkward." (I know her and would expect her to wear a bikini, but not to post pictures in it. Something is very skanky about posting full body bikini pictures of yourself to networking sites. Even if you wear them it seems like a person could at least pretend to be doing something fun or funny in the picture, so it doesn't look like such an obvious plea for attention...)

"Couldn't you just delete the people posting the pictures?" I asked, (That’s what my other friend did; Accepted then denied her all in just a few minutes.) "You don't have to add everyone. And you can delete them if you're uncomfortable with what they post."

"It wasn't so much my friends, I could hide them, It was all the face-book adds on the side." Then my friend described practically naked girls (except for strategically placed hair or something) laying in bed and staring up at them on the side of their page."

"Oh... I don't know anything about that, but sounds like a good reason to quit facebook to me." I winced inside, and decided to maybe not get a facebook page after all.

I asked Jeff Scott (my co-worker, preacher friend) about it, "You don't have naked people on your page. Is there a way to block bad advertisements?"

He said those adds do show up, but you can click on "like" or "dislike" under each add, and they'll tailor the advertisements to your preferences.

So yeah, I'm awkwardly waiting for the naked people...

To the right of my wall is a dark headed, slightly balding, man staring longingly up at me (it's some dating site advertisement.) I can see the top of his scrawny shoulders, but yeah nothing provocative. Just weird. (Maybe my being 24 makes a difference in the pictures they are trying to lure me with?)

In the world, but not of it.

-Esther

If Anyone Is Gonna Violate My Privacy,

-It's gonna be me.
-
I just joined facebook.

Decided it would be easier to keep up with my out-of-state friends there. Plus a few people were starting to ask about things that I had been up to, and I was like "Yeah, but how did you know."

"Facebook. There are pictures of you." or "_______ was talking about it on facebook."

I wasn't going to tell anyone I was there until I had a picture up. You know a real picture of myself not the hugging character I found in an online search, and I don't know how to tag myself... (What is that thing called? Does it have a name?)

Somehow 30 people had invited me to be their friend by the next day (Not sure who a few of those people are though... And one lady, who I am friends with, keeps giving in detail info about her ob/gyn visits. Nastiness...)

For the last few years random people have tried to get me to join, and I've always been, "Yeah, sure, I will sometime, but don't expect me to live there."

I'm telling you this, so you're not sad if I don't poke you enough, or comment on your wall often enough. Doesn't mean I don't love ya. Just means I don't plan to spend a lot of time there. (And if I start obsessing I will delete myself.)

So you should forgive me for not friending you sooner.

And for being an absent friend in our future facebook friendship.

(I adore the tackiness in that last line.)

Pretentiously, Esther

Assuming Catfights and Much Awkwardness

This week ________  parents were at my house and were talking about their youngest son.

Mom asked if he was in a relationship...

"Yes, we are praying about a couple of sisters." his mom answered.

"Sisters!" I thought "Doesn't he know better?" (But I kept my mouth shut. Yay me!)

I am familiar with the whole UPC way of dating, but, sisters that's a bit much. I started picturing these sisters sitting on their bed chatting like Leah and I do, "So your date with _____ last night; did you have fun?" Then the other answering, "Um, maybe, well yeah," before blurting out, "Did you kiss him when you went out on Saturday?" Then there would be a catfight and much awkwardness. Not much sisterly bonding between them I assumed.

I listened for a bit; apparently the prettier one is snooty, and the not so cute one is really sweet, but well, not very pretty. They hope he picks the sweet one. And his parents adore him, so they never said anything about the possibility of these sisters deciding they didn't want him. (I didn't mention that either; Yay me! I'm so nice lately)
After a bit I figured out that she meant 'sisters' to be 'sisters in the Lord' rather than 'they have a lot of sibling rivalry', But it took a while.

(I was glad I didn't say all the snarky things I was thinking. lol.)

Another reason to leave off calling everyone Sister or Brother?

You're My Brother; You're My Sister (Or Not)

I dislike the mandatory 'brother' and 'sister' prefixes that people in our church circles attach to each other’s names.


I think they get it from I Timothy 5:1-2

Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;
The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.

But we don't go around calling the older men 'Father_____' or older ladies 'Mother______.' I shudder at the creepiness of the thought.

I call people sister and brother on a regular basis, so that people don't feel disrespected. I've done this my whole life, but it's still weird. Supposedly it’s to show that people are your family in Christ, and you are as close as siblings. (I think.)

I understand that we are to have a church family.

No one does those titles with their blood family though; if brothering and sistering everyone is to show we are siblings it makes no sense. I don't say, "Brother Seth will you please jump start my car?" or "Sister Leah do you wanna hit the mall tonight?"

When you are closer to people is when you generally lose the tags and titles.

It's weird.

I do it, but only so that I am not considered 'that disrespectful girl.'

I'm quite fond of 'Mr.' and 'Mrs.' and 'Miss'.

So instead I will joke about the weirdness on my blog and continue calling you Brother [insert your name here] or Sister [insert your name here].

But I don't have to like it.

I'm Jealous

Is not that I mind her having a car. I don't even mind him buying her one.

--------------

When my oldest sister started driving Dad bought her a very ugly Volkswagen to drive. (I think I even remember wood paneling) Anyway when it was wrecked he bought another ugly Volkswagen, which was promptly wrecked. (I can't remember who wrecked which Volkswagen. Dad wrecked one. Anna wrecked one.)

Btw I have great memories of sitting in the back of those Volkswagen with all my older sisters & all the Gordon girls. (Yeah all of us--That was before seat-belt laws I think.) Anna would buy us pizza at Little Caesars, and we would split cokes. It was awesome.

Next Dad bought an ugly gold diesel car that we named The Rattletrap. Anna drove that until she was married, then she left that car for my sister Shalom to drive.

Shalom wrapped The Rattletrap around a tree, so he bought her another car. Something blue and sporty that hung a curve really well...(Thankfully.)

I can't remember when that one died. Josh says it was having problems before Shalom got married, but I don't think it died until a few weeks later. Transmission problems we were told... Anyway I drove it for that few weeks.

And then...

Yeah, actually nothing.

I worked for a year until I could afford a car. And I was the loser who rode with her friends everywhere.(But my friends loved me, so it was ok.)

And, well yeah, I was jealous, but I was just kinda, "Oh well. Such is life."

So this week Mom called me, and said, "Hey can you bring Leah home right away. Dad found a car to maybe buy her, and wants to make sure she likes it."

The car is hers to drive, but she can't have it unless she wants to commit to paying for it in the future when she has money.

My parents said, "Well it needs to be this way, because we did it this way with all the other girls.

So now I am all thinking, "And what was I? A boy? (Because the brothers didn't get cars either. Lol.)

So yeah anyway.

I don't know

Is not that I would not like to know, but...

I don't.

And some things I do know.

Still I am not everything you think I am.

And that's not wrong of me.

But you might think it is.