What is an attitude?

• plays an essential role in the explanation of behavior
• distinctive and indispensable to social psychology
• psychological construct
• closely linked to values, opinions, beliefs
• has an evaluative component
• involve positive or negative responses
• expression of them can be multifactorial (affective, behavioral, cognitive)
• always in reference to something
• serve motivational functions by helping individuals organize their perceptions and make sense of the world

this is deducted from a textbook I’m reading on Clinical Appraisal. it’s got me thinking…..

recent experience

I recently took my memal to the park for a free Gospel singing.  She had a blast, and so that made every second of it worth it!  Perhaps this little song I heard could be a glimpse of my experience from the day.  Confession, I have no idea who wrote it….apologies to the copyright holder.

If I have a habit it’s going to be Jesus
If I have a hangup I’m gonna hang on to Him
If I want to get high, I’ll just pray to Jesus.
I’ll just pray to Jesus.  He takes me to heights I’ve never been.
He’ll never let me down.

how come?

i’ve always found it puzzling how we are afraid of mistakes.  we are afraid of making them.  we are afraid of letting others make them. and i think folks who work for the church think that mistakes just aren’t allowed.  so, if a church leader makes a move that isn’t quite right they do all they can to work it out before anybody notices.  or worse- they sweep it under the rug in hopes that nobody finds out.  yes, I’m speaking from experiences!

i can remember experiences in my first few years in  youth minister when I didn’t have a lot of leadership or mentoring in my life, yet I was horribly thirsty for it.  these years of inexperience were chock full of mistakes.  many to learn from.  others i’ve since forgotten.  some that continue to be relived in my memories with a “what-if” attached.  but, the thing that sticks out the most, today, is how mistakes just weren’t allowed.  to make a mistake is like carving in the pews at the church and establishing a patch in a family quilt.  they don’t go away. and my experiences with folks who don’t allow mistakes continue to make conversation in my head.

but, really!  how unfair and unrealistic is that?  the mistakes of young people in church aren’t huge, generally. the reality is that regardless of life or career experience, maturity, age, or doctoral degree- we all make mistakes.  where is grace?  sometimes we find it moreso outside the realm of ‘church folk’

“you’re studying psychology?”

I walked in.  Saw him there.  I see him here often and he often engages me in random conversation that is off the wall and rather unproductive.  This is how the conversation went down in my favorite coffee shop today….

so, you’re the one studying psychology?

yep, that’s me.

so, what do you think about global warming?

Really, the question is just a ploy to rope me into his need for conversation.  I mean, maybe he’s lonely and just want somebody to talk to?  I’m a sucker for it I guess.  Either way, you should know that it’s all a hoax.  Really, his 1963 world book told him that the earth tilted toward the sun 1 degree.  That’s what’s causing all this.  Our main issue as a society is that we are hunting animals causing them to be extinct.  Nothing about the lifestyle habits we’ve engage in over the last 100 years  that should require some sort of accountability.  Nope- just don’t hunt the whales and sea lions.

Now, I suppose it’s time to get back to studying.

i feel i’m approaching the downhill stretch

with being sort of past midterm season during this summer session, i’m starting to fill the heat of all the things to complete before the end of the semester.  i’ve done really well keeping up, but now is definitely not the time to slack off.  So, this is what I’m facing over the next few weeks! (forgive shorthand terms for book names you don’t know)

working on tomorrow:
work on biblical exegesis study guide (4 hours?)
read chapter 14 and 15 in human growth and development (6 hours?)

and then on Sunday:
finish Yalom chapter 3 and read chapter 4 (2 hour)
finish study notes for group quiz (1 hour)
put together the AME paper and send out (1 hour)
get together a couple articles/ideas for group proposal (1.5 hours)
(if I get all this done in 2 days I’ll be a happy camper)

next week I’ll have this…..
the take home midterm from biblical exegesis
write review for handbook of denominations
write review for apocalypse book
finish reading religious diversity book and write review
get to 1/2 way on group proposal
finalize AME paper and turn her in!
read human growth and development ch 16 and 17
study for group quiz
read Corey chapter 8
journal for group

and then what’s left?
Biblical Exegesis paper on Revelation
read and review Hermeneutics book
finalize group proposal
a few quizzes and journals
finals and study guide preparations
a few chapters for group and human growth/development
I GOT THIS!

a sin is a sin is a sin?

In class today, we are discussing the hierarchy of sin.  Of course, there isn’t a consensus as far as what we in the class believe as a whole.  But, since we’re studying the Roman Catholic Church, I’ll start there.  It is my understanding they believe sins are divided into two categories.  Venial and Mortal.  Confessed sins are venial.  But, mortal are those that are left unforgiven at death.  Yet, our class got wrapped up in the idea of some sins being ‘worse’ than others.  I suppose i can understand catholicism in this respect.  I would add that if I see a hierarchy to sin it’s related to consequences here on the Earth.  Additionally, how does it affect others or is it more an internal struggle?

On that same train, I need some commentary on Matthew 18:6.

places I’d like to travel some day

1. vancouver

2. israel and the holy lands

3. black hills, south dakota

4. africa- specifically Tanzania to meet my compassion kid, Furaha….but there’s some much to see there’s no way to limit it.

5. venice

6. ireland

7. the himalayans

shedances.org

This morning, I was catching up on some blog reading.  (shhh!  I was in class, don’t tell anyone)  I came across Daley Hake’s blog.  He’s an artist and I enjoy viewing his pictures.  Check them out here.  He recently made a post about human sex trafficking and a connection to an organization called She Dances.  They have a ministry for young girls in Tegucigalpa, Honduras who have been caught up in this horrible travesty that has become prevalent in much of the world.   If you know me, you know I have a deep passion for the people and the culture in Honduras.  I also just love the land.  Truly, I don’t have the words to express how much I truly miss it.  On the other hand, recently I have feel convicted to geting involved in the fight against human trafficking.  However, it’s one of the hardest social justice movements to get involved in because it is dangerous and it requires specific skills.

This morning while reading Daley’s blog and the She Dances website, I felt my heart leap to see how all of these passions of mine could converge.  Maybe my connection isn’t today with this organization, yet to see the hope and the possibilities is inspiring.  So…I urge you.  Check out the website.

I have a hard time balancing life with school and family right now.  So, the thought of adding something is a bit overwhelming.  Just the same, I gotta try harder…

thought record

I’ve been studying cognitive behavioral therapy this semester.  And one of the tools that is used is the Thought change Record.  And it’s just that…it’s a focused look on continued thought that invade the brain, heart.  Part of therapy is to see how your thoughts are a symbol of your beliefs which inform your behavior and feelings.  What a great opportunity for accountability.  What a great thing to use to return to journaling after my sabbatical over the last many weeks.  And why wouldn’t I blog while sitting in class?  hehe.

nearly 2 months and counting

I know, I know….it’s time to post. But, all I have time for is school and keeping up with the close friends and family that I love. Perhaps I need to take a break to vacuum though…my floor is begging me. Soon, very soon, I will have a break and I’m going to try to return to the blogging world. And I need to return to the journaling world as well. Not because I necessarily think my posts are life-changing. But, I find that when I take the time to journal (and perhaps when I’m blogging on occasion), I take in more of life.