I spent the afternoon and evening with my landlord's family yesterday.  I am so thankful to have a family like theirs that looks after me like they do. I have really grown to adore them.


Ever since I have been in a funk. Well, FUNK, more accurately. I think I was on the edge of funkiness yesterday morning but now it has fully on set...

God transcends culture right? So how do we determine what things are right personally, socially, or culturally when the world is so diverse?  I feel as though there are days when living in this culture battles with EVERYTHING I have ever known. But what is it that makes this "this" culture and not "my" culture? Geography. How come I was born in "the land of the free"? How can 1 billion people live according to the ways of this land and I sit here in the middle of it all, so different? It seems that life tends to be a lot easier when you are born and raised without a knowledge of the fact that your way is not necessarily THE way. Well, the one area of "my" way being "the way" is Jesus as the way to God, but other than that? When you never move beyond where you have always lived or what you have always known you are free to do as you always did and are more than likely never challenged to see...and find out for yourself.  I feel as though I can adapt to this culture in many ways externally, but internally will I ever adapt to it? Or should I?
Imagine being the bearer of the knowledge at the age of 7 that you are promised, through arranged marriage, to marry the boy who lives next door that is 7 years your senior.  Imagine this boy is the son of your father's sister. Should this bother me? And if it does, is it because of an air of arrogance that "my" way is better than "their" way? Should I let it bother me that people here look down on me because I am living here single and, even worse, without my parents? Is there anything I can do about that?