She loves her mama’s lemonade, Hates the sounds that goodbyes make.She prays one day she’ll find someone to need her.She swears that there’s no difference, Between the lies and complements. It’s all the same if everybody leaves her. And every magazine tells her she’s not good enough, The pictures that she sees make her cry.And she would change everything, everything just ask her.Caught in the in between of beautiful disaster, And she needs someone to take her home.She’s giving boys what they want, tries to act so nonchalant, Afraid they’ll see that she’s lost her direction. She never stays the same for long,Assuming that she’ll get it wrong.Perfect only in her imperfection. She’s not a drama queen, She doesn’t want to feel this way, only seventeen but tiredShe would change everything for happy ever after.Caught in the in between of beautiful disaster,But she just needs someone to take her home.Cuz she’s just the way she is, but no ones told her that’s ok.And she would change everything, everything just ask her. Caught in the in between of beautiful disaster, And she would change everything for happy ever after. Caught in the in between of beautiful disaster, But she just needs someone to take her homeAnd just needs someone to take her home.

Mandee,

Thanks so much for your letter.  I really appreciate knowing what students are thinking.

I'll try to respond to your comments – keep at me if I overlook something.  There are a lot of translations of the Bible, but most of them are the same, it's just the word choices that vary.  The example I used today of the JWs was extreme.  As long as you choose a mainstream translation that works for you, I don't think you can go too far wrong theologically.  The reason I steer students away from a paraphrase is that there is a lot of interpretation already done in the text that reflects the view of the "paraphraser."  We will talk a lot more about translations later and I think that will make more sense to you.  

I didn't specifically mention the gay issue today, but it was what I was thinking.  It's pretty hard to get around that one theologically, but it is one that is being challenged now in our society.  And, yes, it is an especially tough one for you because it is personal, and that will color how you look at the issue.

Personally, I believe the gay lifestyle is a black and white issue.  It's fairly clear throughout Scripture and not a translation issue.  I'm not saying the tendency toward being gay is wrong, but the active lifestyle is.  Or to put it in another context, men are not monogamous by nature.  That's not wrong, that's just the way they are put together, but sleeping around is wrong.  Any sexual activity outside of marriage is forbidden.  Having said that, so is gossip, so is a critical attitude, and perhaps so is abusing my body by lack of sleep or whatever.  We all would like to do things that are not good or right, but we need to restrain ourselves. 

God doesn't differentiate or "grade on a curve."  We all sin and fall short of the glory of God.  God deals with each of us on an individual basis and He alone knows what is in our hearts.

I'm not surprised that you never got the same thing about thinking you should be rich from reading the verses I read today, but I would guess that's because you weren't coming to the verses with a preconceived idea.  Generally, the people pushing an agenda are looking for verses to fit their agenda.  In a way, that is what the gay community does as well, and perhaps what your Grandma was doing when she came back with another scripture.  But then, perhaps we all do it in some area to some extent. 

As far as your youth group wanting you to reach your grandma, I can understand their position, but it is a very difficult task and a tough one to put on you.  It's difficult, but the only thing we can really do for others is to love them, pray for them, let them know how we feel and be open to share with them when the opportunity arises.  This is something that becomes even more difficult when you are a parent, but that's where Christ calls us to serve Him first and foremost and to love Him more than mother or father, sister or brother, son or daughter.  Believe me, I have struggled with surrendering my children to Him…but I don't have any other choice.  I trust in the fact that He loves my loved ones even more than I do or can imagine.

Yes, scriptures will hit you differently depending on what is going on in your life at the time you read them.  I find this exciting.  I can read something I've read over and over and go "Wow! I've never seen that before!"  I think that sometimes the Holy Spirit illuminates a familiar passage to speak to us in a particular situation – and that's really cool.  That doesn't mean you didn't understand the passage before or that you are interpreting it wrongly now, it just means that there are layers and layers of understanding in the Word.  I think that's what the writer of Hebrews meant when he said the Word of God is living and active (4:12).  God can continually use it in ways we might not have originally have conceived.  Does that make sense? 

I don't know if I've properly responded to your comments and perhaps you didn't even want me to say anything, but let me know if I've opened more cans of worms for you!

Again, thanks so much for writing.  I hope this class will be something you will find useful in the future.  Keep asking the difficult questions!