So it's been an awfully long time. I feel like my adoring fan base, which I admit I may have made up, has been sorely disappointed until this very moment. Now they can breathe easy and smile with joy at a new post from me.
Okay, so now that I'm done boosting my self esteem, I think it's time to look at the reason I decided to write today.
I just got back from a road trip. I left Ohio and traveled to St. Louis, MO and enjoyed two days of sightseeing and almost no time of relaxing, just as vacation should be? But it's a 9 hour drive to St. Louis, which means a 10 hour drive back (thank you time zones), and 6 of those were by myself- inevitably I had a lot of time to think. So sit back, relax and enjoy this small road trip into my mind.
I see a lot of people wearing these W.W.J.D. bracelets. I see a lot of people, when noticing someone getting upset, say "What would Jesus do?" And I was thinking, how many people really follow this? How many people are speeding down the highway, look at their wrist and say, "You know, Jesus probably wouldn't be doing 90 and gave the bird to a guy who was doing 70 when the speed limit is 65." It was some brash realization in my life when I thought that and then thought "What would Jesus do?! Do I want to do this?" You see, asking what Jesus would do leaves us with a very difficult choice. Chances are what Christ would do is really difficult. And requires us to F.R.O.G., or fully rely on God, and we, as a whole, really suck at this.
See, it's really cute and fun to say, "Hey man, I'm F.R.O.G.in' it. That's right, me, I'm fully reliant on God." We're not. If we were, I don't think we would worry. I think we would give of ourselves more. I'm not perfect, I know, and I have a long way to go with this, but I think we should all try. How many times do we not do the right thing, or kind thing, or Christian thing, because it's tough. Because it takes time. Because it may be an inconvience. If we really F.R.O.G.ed it, none of that would matter. We would trust God in his promise that he would take care of us.
For me, a big thing is tithing. I have been making more money, but haven't really been use to giving back to God. And so I'm really starting to look at this. 10% is what is asked. 10% of our first fruits. The first check you write, should be a donation. Ten percent, in all reality, is not much. Yet sometimes, ten percent can seem like a huge donation. Like if we give that money up, we may not be able to make another payment. But when give God a portion back of what He has given us, He will bless us abundantly.
So I guess we all need to do a little better D.W.J.W.D. (that's Doing What Jesus Would Do) and F.R.O.G.in' it, because I can tell you that it's a struggle for me. But maybe if we did, just maybe, we could change this world, we could set it ablaze for Christ. I'll be praying for all of you and hope you can find some time to pray for me as well, as I am in need.
I'm hoping to update more often. Hopefully within the next week or two I can take a look at how being saved by faith is so very closely related to becoming a new creation.
I hope you found this mind opening, in that you are thinking more deeply about Christ.
God bless you all.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
I'm Still a Guy
So I was sitting in my Social Problems class as we discussed Gender Socialization. One of the issues we were discussing was the differences between men and women and the social problems involving masculinity and femininity. And one of the reasons preseneted as the problem was that the original differences between the gender roles of men and women has caused greater social problems today. And so to fix this problem, the idea was presented that we must redefine the gender roles.
So I guess to start this out, we should have a short history lesson. Way back before the industrialization of everything, men and women had specific roles that were necessary for survival. Since women were the ones who would birth children and be necessary for their survival in the first few years of the lives, it was imperative that they were relatively safe from harm. For this reason, women would stay behind in whatever encampments the community had set up and also gathered herbal food from nearby. Men, who were not as integral to the survival of the children, would be the hunters, leaving camp and risking their lives to bring back food for their families. This was done with a specific design and purpose, it was not demeaning to women, saying they were unable to do this. Quite the opposite, it was saying they were so important, that a man could not do the job a woman did, so the woman must survive. Interesting note of point, is women did then, and still do if in close proximity to another for extended periods of time, cycle together so if a woman should die, the other women could care for her children, but I digress.
So fast forward a long time and we arrive at today. This type of life is not really needed anymore. Instead of going out into the wilderness and killing one's own food, we merely go down to the corner market and pick up dinner. So, we need to completely redefine the roles of men and women because over the years, this has become outdated and anything a man can do, a woman can do. False. I'm told every day that I cannot get pregnant and I have yet to meet a women who can impregnate a man. Which means, that we were designed with a specific purpose to our lives.
Now I'm not saying here that women should be making less than men or that there are certain jobs that only men can do in the work force. But I am saying there is a fundamental difference between male and female and we need to respect that difference instead of just trying to forget it. As much as we hate to admit it, men and women are different. And we have been since the days when it was required. Men still have retained their single thought process. We needed it to survive in the days when we killed our own food because if our mind wondered, we were dead. Women still have this amazing ability to multitask and see many things at once, they needed this because they would have to worry about raising children, gather vegetation and making sure that all the jobs needing done at the encampment were done. So we are different in the ways we approach things, including relationships today.
But as happens with most thing, this got me thinking. If there is a definitive idea of what a "man" is, then how do we define it? Is it by physical strength, intelligence, ability to survive or what. As I was pondering on this point, I thought of Christ. There is this wonderful site called truemanhood.com. It is dedicated to helping men find true manhood by looking at Christ, who was true God and true man. And while I think this "man" that Christ was is the general term for mankind, I also believe it's the exact example of where us men should look to find what a real "man" as in male is. And so there are a few things that I would like to point to as to who Christ was that inspires me in my manhood:
1. Jesus wept for his friend Lazarus who had died. Wept. Real men cry.
2. Jesus became angered when there were merchants sellings things in his father's house. Real men have righteous anger over injustices and wrong doings.
3. Jesus loved his friends with all his heart. He never berated them, belittled them or lost his patience with them. He was always ready and willing to aid in their understanding. Real men are patient.
4. Jesus loved his mother. He performed his first miracle because Mary asked him to. Real men love and respect their parents.
5. Jesus forgave those who wronged him. He asked His Father to forgive those who crucified Him. Real men are forgiving and don't hold grudges.
6. Jesus loved all those who came to Him - beggars, prostitutes, tax collectors - it didn't matter. Real men do not judge.
7. Jesus fed 5,000 people with two loaves and five fish. Real men are charitable.
These are just points that I look to apply in my life. I think it's awesome how we have this example of how to be a real man and how many men may feel like some of these qualitites are signs of weakness. All I have to say is that if in being weak Christ was able to carry a cross after being beaten as far as He did and die for crimes He did not commit, then I will take that image of weakness over the image that this culture presents as masculine any day of the week.
So to conclude, I think that there was merit in what was presented in class. We do need to seriously look at how we define gender roles. But I do not think that what we need is a blurring of the lines of what is masculine and what is feminine, but instead a redefintion of what is male and what is female. I think we need to work on promoting equality, not sameness. Because we are NOT the same, but the does not mean we cannot be equal.
God bless, everyone.
So I guess to start this out, we should have a short history lesson. Way back before the industrialization of everything, men and women had specific roles that were necessary for survival. Since women were the ones who would birth children and be necessary for their survival in the first few years of the lives, it was imperative that they were relatively safe from harm. For this reason, women would stay behind in whatever encampments the community had set up and also gathered herbal food from nearby. Men, who were not as integral to the survival of the children, would be the hunters, leaving camp and risking their lives to bring back food for their families. This was done with a specific design and purpose, it was not demeaning to women, saying they were unable to do this. Quite the opposite, it was saying they were so important, that a man could not do the job a woman did, so the woman must survive. Interesting note of point, is women did then, and still do if in close proximity to another for extended periods of time, cycle together so if a woman should die, the other women could care for her children, but I digress.
So fast forward a long time and we arrive at today. This type of life is not really needed anymore. Instead of going out into the wilderness and killing one's own food, we merely go down to the corner market and pick up dinner. So, we need to completely redefine the roles of men and women because over the years, this has become outdated and anything a man can do, a woman can do. False. I'm told every day that I cannot get pregnant and I have yet to meet a women who can impregnate a man. Which means, that we were designed with a specific purpose to our lives.
Now I'm not saying here that women should be making less than men or that there are certain jobs that only men can do in the work force. But I am saying there is a fundamental difference between male and female and we need to respect that difference instead of just trying to forget it. As much as we hate to admit it, men and women are different. And we have been since the days when it was required. Men still have retained their single thought process. We needed it to survive in the days when we killed our own food because if our mind wondered, we were dead. Women still have this amazing ability to multitask and see many things at once, they needed this because they would have to worry about raising children, gather vegetation and making sure that all the jobs needing done at the encampment were done. So we are different in the ways we approach things, including relationships today.
But as happens with most thing, this got me thinking. If there is a definitive idea of what a "man" is, then how do we define it? Is it by physical strength, intelligence, ability to survive or what. As I was pondering on this point, I thought of Christ. There is this wonderful site called truemanhood.com. It is dedicated to helping men find true manhood by looking at Christ, who was true God and true man. And while I think this "man" that Christ was is the general term for mankind, I also believe it's the exact example of where us men should look to find what a real "man" as in male is. And so there are a few things that I would like to point to as to who Christ was that inspires me in my manhood:
1. Jesus wept for his friend Lazarus who had died. Wept. Real men cry.
2. Jesus became angered when there were merchants sellings things in his father's house. Real men have righteous anger over injustices and wrong doings.
3. Jesus loved his friends with all his heart. He never berated them, belittled them or lost his patience with them. He was always ready and willing to aid in their understanding. Real men are patient.
4. Jesus loved his mother. He performed his first miracle because Mary asked him to. Real men love and respect their parents.
5. Jesus forgave those who wronged him. He asked His Father to forgive those who crucified Him. Real men are forgiving and don't hold grudges.
6. Jesus loved all those who came to Him - beggars, prostitutes, tax collectors - it didn't matter. Real men do not judge.
7. Jesus fed 5,000 people with two loaves and five fish. Real men are charitable.
These are just points that I look to apply in my life. I think it's awesome how we have this example of how to be a real man and how many men may feel like some of these qualitites are signs of weakness. All I have to say is that if in being weak Christ was able to carry a cross after being beaten as far as He did and die for crimes He did not commit, then I will take that image of weakness over the image that this culture presents as masculine any day of the week.
So to conclude, I think that there was merit in what was presented in class. We do need to seriously look at how we define gender roles. But I do not think that what we need is a blurring of the lines of what is masculine and what is feminine, but instead a redefintion of what is male and what is female. I think we need to work on promoting equality, not sameness. Because we are NOT the same, but the does not mean we cannot be equal.
God bless, everyone.
Monday, February 15, 2010
With Every Passing Second comes a Second Chance
Forgiveness has been on my mind a lot lately. It could be the plethora of forgiveness themed songs I've been listening to courtesy of Relient K. Or it could be the fact that I've been pretty upset about things lately.
I'm 22 years old and I'd like to think pretty easy going about most things. Although everyone seems to think differently because I get told I need to relax, smile and have more fun... a lot. But irregardless, the forgiveness that I'm talking about it because I have had feelings of anger towards other individuals, and I have to keep telling myself to forgive them. When I look at their transgressions agaisnt me, I know I'm just being silly, it is not a big deal at all. So why? Why do I seem incapable of forgiving? More importantly, why do I let the little things get to me so much?
I came to a huge revelation. My anger is not at them. My anger is at me. It is not those who I perceive as wronging me who I am truly mad at. It's myself. And while I may be struggling to forgive those people who have done wrong to me. The one person I can never truly forgive, the one who I am hardest on is myself.
Who the hell am I? Seriously. Am I really that great that I have sinned so heavily that the price Christ paid on the Cross was not good enough for me? Am I so vain I think my sins are unforgivable. That I am the first one who has and the only one who ever will commit them.
I read an interesting piece once about the sign of peace. I'm not sure about other Chrisitan denominations or even other religions, but I know in the Catholic Church we offer the sign of peace to one another after reciting the Our Father at every Mass. And in the sign of peace something amazing happens. When we say, "Peace be with you," what we are saying is actually three things:
1) God, I forgive this person of all that they have done to cause me harm.
2) God, I want you to forgive this person and forget everything that they have done.
3) God, not only that, but I want you to give this person a life full of joy and blessings.
That's some powerful peace you're sending someone else's way. It when you think of the sign of peace is that, it really makes you think. To say that this person may have greviously transgressed agaisnt me, but God, I want you to forget everything about that and create plans for them to prosper. And God wants to do it. And He wants us to want to do that to others. We are called to live as He lives and He forgives. So should we.
But this isn't my problem. My problem is me. What I need is to offer myself a sign of peace. I need to say, "God, I forgive me for all that I've done to cause me harm. And I want you to forgive me and forget all that I've done. And I want you to give me a life full of joy and blessings." Because in all my sin. In all my wrong doing. I am still God's child. And I would not treat another child of God, another of my Brothers and Sisters and Christ as I treat myself.
The Golden Rule is to treat others as you yourself would want to be treated. But you must also treat yourself as you would treat others. We cannot degrade and hate ourselves because we are loved by He who is Love.
So remember, my dear friends, that you are special and beautiful and wonderful and created by a Father who loves you. And so am I. So to end this I'll leave you with some of those wonderful Relient K lyrics I was telling you about:
Don't give up it's not the end. There's hope for every fallen man.
Forgiveness can be given when you think it can
Because with every passing second comes a second chance.
God bless.
I'm 22 years old and I'd like to think pretty easy going about most things. Although everyone seems to think differently because I get told I need to relax, smile and have more fun... a lot. But irregardless, the forgiveness that I'm talking about it because I have had feelings of anger towards other individuals, and I have to keep telling myself to forgive them. When I look at their transgressions agaisnt me, I know I'm just being silly, it is not a big deal at all. So why? Why do I seem incapable of forgiving? More importantly, why do I let the little things get to me so much?
I came to a huge revelation. My anger is not at them. My anger is at me. It is not those who I perceive as wronging me who I am truly mad at. It's myself. And while I may be struggling to forgive those people who have done wrong to me. The one person I can never truly forgive, the one who I am hardest on is myself.
Who the hell am I? Seriously. Am I really that great that I have sinned so heavily that the price Christ paid on the Cross was not good enough for me? Am I so vain I think my sins are unforgivable. That I am the first one who has and the only one who ever will commit them.
I read an interesting piece once about the sign of peace. I'm not sure about other Chrisitan denominations or even other religions, but I know in the Catholic Church we offer the sign of peace to one another after reciting the Our Father at every Mass. And in the sign of peace something amazing happens. When we say, "Peace be with you," what we are saying is actually three things:
1) God, I forgive this person of all that they have done to cause me harm.
2) God, I want you to forgive this person and forget everything that they have done.
3) God, not only that, but I want you to give this person a life full of joy and blessings.
That's some powerful peace you're sending someone else's way. It when you think of the sign of peace is that, it really makes you think. To say that this person may have greviously transgressed agaisnt me, but God, I want you to forget everything about that and create plans for them to prosper. And God wants to do it. And He wants us to want to do that to others. We are called to live as He lives and He forgives. So should we.
But this isn't my problem. My problem is me. What I need is to offer myself a sign of peace. I need to say, "God, I forgive me for all that I've done to cause me harm. And I want you to forgive me and forget all that I've done. And I want you to give me a life full of joy and blessings." Because in all my sin. In all my wrong doing. I am still God's child. And I would not treat another child of God, another of my Brothers and Sisters and Christ as I treat myself.
The Golden Rule is to treat others as you yourself would want to be treated. But you must also treat yourself as you would treat others. We cannot degrade and hate ourselves because we are loved by He who is Love.
So remember, my dear friends, that you are special and beautiful and wonderful and created by a Father who loves you. And so am I. So to end this I'll leave you with some of those wonderful Relient K lyrics I was telling you about:
Don't give up it's not the end. There's hope for every fallen man.
Forgiveness can be given when you think it can
Because with every passing second comes a second chance.
God bless.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
There's Always Time on My Mind
Older Chests by Damien Rice. I love this song. So I'll begin this one by sharing some of the lyrics to it:
Papa went to other lands
he found someone who understands
the ticking of the western's man need to cry.
He came back the other day,
some things in life may change, and other things
may stay the same, like time.
There's always time, so pass me by.
On my mind. I'll be fine, just give me time.
I feel like lately I've been obsessed with time. How much of it is left. What to do with it. Numbers and times seem to fly at me on a daily basis. 3 months. 13 weeks. 90 days. 2160 hours. This is the time I have left here in BGSU. And I feel like I have to live my entire life in this time. Why? What makes this such an obsession? Why do I feel like my life will ends upon graduating? It is possibly the most ridiculous thing in the world. Even typing it out right now makes me feel completely silly. And yet I cannot, for the life of me, shake this. Like there is this giant clock ticking above me, waiting to drop a giant guillotine blade upon my head. How odd.
I reflect on this, looking for meaning. Looking for direction. And it hits me. I'm comfortable. Too comfortable. As much as I dislike a number of things about where I am, it's comfortable. It's amazing how we would rather stay in a place we've grown weary of instead of move on to something new and uncomfortable. Because we fear what we do not known.
I spend a lot of my time giving others advice. Mostly because they ask for it. And one of the things I tend to ell people is sometimes to not be afraid to take a trip into the unknown. Yes it's scary, but it's worth it. And here I am not wanting to leave the comfort of this place where I am. And I dislike myself for not wanting to leave. To wanting to stay where I've come to know so well. And so I ask myself the one question I tend to ask others. What would I do if I wasn't afraid. I love this question. It really gets down to the core of what you want. What you desire. And there's a reason your heart desires something.
If I wasn't afraid I would leave. I would take off. Spread these wings of mine and fly.
I've been on edge of late. Very irritable as my friend tells me. And I think I've gotten to the root of it. I'm ready to leave. And I'm scared. I'm scared of leaving everything of I've come to know. More importantly, I'm scared of what may happen if I leave. The people I may lose out of my life. The friends I may leave behind. And I do not want to. But I have to trust that when I finally do, God will bless my path. I have to trust that He will guide my path.
So I have 129,600 minutes until I graduate. After that. Well, I have no idea, but I know that whatever it is, I'm not going to be afraid. And I'll be doing what God wants of me.
Papa went to other lands
he found someone who understands
the ticking of the western's man need to cry.
He came back the other day,
some things in life may change, and other things
may stay the same, like time.
There's always time, so pass me by.
On my mind. I'll be fine, just give me time.
I feel like lately I've been obsessed with time. How much of it is left. What to do with it. Numbers and times seem to fly at me on a daily basis. 3 months. 13 weeks. 90 days. 2160 hours. This is the time I have left here in BGSU. And I feel like I have to live my entire life in this time. Why? What makes this such an obsession? Why do I feel like my life will ends upon graduating? It is possibly the most ridiculous thing in the world. Even typing it out right now makes me feel completely silly. And yet I cannot, for the life of me, shake this. Like there is this giant clock ticking above me, waiting to drop a giant guillotine blade upon my head. How odd.
I reflect on this, looking for meaning. Looking for direction. And it hits me. I'm comfortable. Too comfortable. As much as I dislike a number of things about where I am, it's comfortable. It's amazing how we would rather stay in a place we've grown weary of instead of move on to something new and uncomfortable. Because we fear what we do not known.
I spend a lot of my time giving others advice. Mostly because they ask for it. And one of the things I tend to ell people is sometimes to not be afraid to take a trip into the unknown. Yes it's scary, but it's worth it. And here I am not wanting to leave the comfort of this place where I am. And I dislike myself for not wanting to leave. To wanting to stay where I've come to know so well. And so I ask myself the one question I tend to ask others. What would I do if I wasn't afraid. I love this question. It really gets down to the core of what you want. What you desire. And there's a reason your heart desires something.
If I wasn't afraid I would leave. I would take off. Spread these wings of mine and fly.
I've been on edge of late. Very irritable as my friend tells me. And I think I've gotten to the root of it. I'm ready to leave. And I'm scared. I'm scared of leaving everything of I've come to know. More importantly, I'm scared of what may happen if I leave. The people I may lose out of my life. The friends I may leave behind. And I do not want to. But I have to trust that when I finally do, God will bless my path. I have to trust that He will guide my path.
So I have 129,600 minutes until I graduate. After that. Well, I have no idea, but I know that whatever it is, I'm not going to be afraid. And I'll be doing what God wants of me.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
The Insane Musings of a Twenty-Something Year Old Thinker
I hope this finds everyone doing paticularly well. I hope that this day has brought something to each of you that you consider a blessing. I hope that at some point today, there has been something that made you smile. I hope at one point today you have burst out in hopeless laughter.
I am a deep thinker. I have been since I can remember. My mind is always racing with some thought through my mind. And yet the best times in my life are those moments when I just completely let go of all that thinking and empty myself completely. I think it's because these are the times when I'm typically talking intimately with God, and I don't have to have any worries in this moments.
Anyways, my mind has been wandering a lot lately it seems. And I'm not sure where it's taking me. It's hard to explain. There has been so much on my mind that I cannot seem to focus on anything. And yet one theme, one thought keeps coming back to my mind. It's scary when a single thought is all you seem to be able to focus on. I just keep beginning to wonder what the immmensity of this thought is. Why cannot I not get it out of my mind? It is like a fire that consumes my every being and I am not sure how to extinguish it. And it seems that everything I see, everything I hear, seem to only fuel the flames. And how hot they seem to be.
And yet as I sit here on this Saturday night, or Sunday morning depending on how you look at it, I question if I want to extinguish this flame. Or do I just want to let it burn. It's a warm thought, a nice burn. Comforting in a way. But is it good for me? I do not know. But part of me feels like I need to rid myself of this burning. If I play with this fire for too long, I am certain to get burned. But how much is too much? I'm pretty sure this is the wrong question to ask. Yet I feel certain it is the one question we all ask ourselves about anything that can be good. How much is too much? How far is too far? When does it going from being something good, to be being something bad?
Perhaps I'm looking at this all wrong. Perhaps the question shouldn't be how much is too much, but rather how can what I'm doing bring God's greater glory? How can my thoughts bring about God's greater glory? It's a hefty task. To try everything I can to conform my mind, body and life to give praise and glory to my Lord in everything I do. And yet I try myself doing it. And how my faith lets me try this every day. And lets me try again when I fail. I feel sorry for those who see only this beautiful gift that God gives us in Himself as a list of rules. Of what we can and cannot do for some system of rewards versus punishment. That's not what our faith offers us. It offers us so much more. It offers us freedom. It offers us true love. It offers us a chance to being crazy and outrageous and nonconforming to the practices of this world. It offers us a chance to sing and dance and love like there is nothing holding us back. All we have to do is allow God to love us first.
And so as I sat here typing this, my mind became clear and I thougth of my Lord. And I thought of His love for me. And I then thought about you. And how I love you. And I again hope that this finds you well. And that whatever problems you have this day, that you know that if nothing else, you are loved. So I will pray for you and hope that the Lord blesses you greatly.
I am a deep thinker. I have been since I can remember. My mind is always racing with some thought through my mind. And yet the best times in my life are those moments when I just completely let go of all that thinking and empty myself completely. I think it's because these are the times when I'm typically talking intimately with God, and I don't have to have any worries in this moments.
Anyways, my mind has been wandering a lot lately it seems. And I'm not sure where it's taking me. It's hard to explain. There has been so much on my mind that I cannot seem to focus on anything. And yet one theme, one thought keeps coming back to my mind. It's scary when a single thought is all you seem to be able to focus on. I just keep beginning to wonder what the immmensity of this thought is. Why cannot I not get it out of my mind? It is like a fire that consumes my every being and I am not sure how to extinguish it. And it seems that everything I see, everything I hear, seem to only fuel the flames. And how hot they seem to be.
And yet as I sit here on this Saturday night, or Sunday morning depending on how you look at it, I question if I want to extinguish this flame. Or do I just want to let it burn. It's a warm thought, a nice burn. Comforting in a way. But is it good for me? I do not know. But part of me feels like I need to rid myself of this burning. If I play with this fire for too long, I am certain to get burned. But how much is too much? I'm pretty sure this is the wrong question to ask. Yet I feel certain it is the one question we all ask ourselves about anything that can be good. How much is too much? How far is too far? When does it going from being something good, to be being something bad?
Perhaps I'm looking at this all wrong. Perhaps the question shouldn't be how much is too much, but rather how can what I'm doing bring God's greater glory? How can my thoughts bring about God's greater glory? It's a hefty task. To try everything I can to conform my mind, body and life to give praise and glory to my Lord in everything I do. And yet I try myself doing it. And how my faith lets me try this every day. And lets me try again when I fail. I feel sorry for those who see only this beautiful gift that God gives us in Himself as a list of rules. Of what we can and cannot do for some system of rewards versus punishment. That's not what our faith offers us. It offers us so much more. It offers us freedom. It offers us true love. It offers us a chance to being crazy and outrageous and nonconforming to the practices of this world. It offers us a chance to sing and dance and love like there is nothing holding us back. All we have to do is allow God to love us first.
And so as I sat here typing this, my mind became clear and I thougth of my Lord. And I thought of His love for me. And I then thought about you. And how I love you. And I again hope that this finds you well. And that whatever problems you have this day, that you know that if nothing else, you are loved. So I will pray for you and hope that the Lord blesses you greatly.
Monday, January 18, 2010
I Have a Dream
About 47 years ago, one man boldly proclaimed in front of God and an entire nation what some of his dreams were. These were radical thoughts to many at the time.
This is a post that I've wanted to put up for awhile, but I knew there would be no more perfect day than today. Today we celebrate the birthday of the man who proclaimed his dreams. While I was in Orlando, one of the speakers I heard, Matthew Kelly, said that we are a generation that has lost our ability to dream. And if we ever want to have direction in our lives, we need to see a picture of where we may want to go. He says that every so often he will give his employees the task to create a dream list. A list of anything they may want to do. And so here is mine. Here is my dream list. Things I want to do.
I have a dream...
1. to build my own guitar, from scratch.
2. to learn to ride a motorcycle.
3. to ride a motorcycle the entirety of Route 66.
4. to travel throughout Europe, hitting such places as Rome, Paris and Dublin to name a very few.
5. to play my guitar and sing in a live venue again.
6. to find a woman and marry her.
7. to raise a family with said woman.
8. to run a half marathon.
9. to take my wife with me across Europe.
10. to find a job in which I will finally be happy.
11. to read the entire Bible.
12. to write a book.
13. to produce a CD with songs that I've written.
14. to learn how to disassemble, clean and reassemble a firearm without looking for the soul purpose of freaking out any suitor my future daughters may bring home.
15. to visit Jerusalem.
16. to experience one day lived in complete enjoyment of life.
17. to go to a wine tasting in California.
18. to go parasailing.
19. to learn Spanish, French, Italian and Polish fluently.
20. to learn how to play the piano.
21. to help bring people back to their faith.
22. to sleep on the beach.
23. to bungee jump.
24. to find a job that I will love going to each and every day.
25. to spend an entire week's salary by giving it to someone less fortunate than myself.
26. to hike through the Applachian trial.
27. to go on a cruise... in Alaska.
28. to spend a few weeks living in the wilderness.
29. to spend a day in total and complete silence.
30. to stop allowing differences between me and my brother's and sister's to matter in a negative way.
31. to learn how to hunt for survival purposes.
32. to take my parents to the house when Pope John Paul II lived.
33. to fly somewhere.
34. to take care of horses.
35. to own a horse.
36. to work on a ranch.
37. to spend a day just listening to others.
38. to toast a friend at their wedding.
39. to repel.
40. to go mountain climbing.
41. to visit each of the 50 states.
42. to go to a beer tasting in Germany.
43. to go scuba diving.
44. to spend a month living a life of service in a different country.
45. to spend a month living a life of service in this country.
46. to be engulfed by children in a dog pile.
47. to spend a day watching movies.
48. to be a regular at a diner where they know what to bring me instead of having to order.
49. to have a child fall asleep in my arms.
50. to love all as Christ has loved them. Or as near as I can get.
So this is a really small list. But they are things I want to do Some big. Some big to me. I hope everyone has had an enjoyable day celebrating the differences we all share and thinking about their dreams. I think we sometimes forget to do that. Hopefully one day at least some of these will come true.
I hope this finds you all feeling blessed and loved. Because you are.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
The Good Things/Blessings List
So I've posted this on other places, but thought I'd post and expand here. It goes like this, I was chatting with a friend one night as she tapped away on her keyboard. Upon inquiring what she was do it, she expressed the desire to want to read it to me. She then read off a number of things she titled, her "Good Things List." The purpose of this list is to really thing about the good things in life. While in Orlando, one of the speakers I heard mentioned something about counting blessings. Really examining the reasons you have in your life to praise God. And I got to thinking, that's is a really good idea, I should make a list of those things. And then I realized I had. So this is my good things/blessings list. This list compiles a number, but not close to all, the things that are good in life, and that I am truly thankful for:
1. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit
2. Speaking in an accent and convincing others that I'm from the country that I'm imitating.
3. A cup of coffee... especially in the morning.
4. Waking up to find that someone has texted or called while you was sleeping.
5. A good conversation.
6. Staying up way late and then realizing that going to bed just doesn't seem worth it.
7. Climbing Trees
8. When you come in from the cold and your glasses fog up so you cannot see a thing. I get the same phenomenon when scooping popcorn out of the popper at work when a fresh batch is popping.
9. The smell of a fresh batch of popcorn
10. Random adventures with the best of friends
11. Kristen Basore's acceptance of individuals for who they are
12. Hearing Cameron Davis's laugh from 3 miles away
13. Dancing
14. Finding the right chords to the lyrics that have been written for months
15. The smile of a stranger as you pass by one another
16. Christmas carolers
17. Laying in the sun in the grass after getting out of a pool. Or doing the same thing in the sand on a beach
18. Ice covered trees on the campus of Bowling Green after a big ice storm
19. Days off
20. Leaving my phone behind and going off for a while
21. A random letter or note found in my mailbox or hidden somewhere to find
22. Music
23. Rading over old cards, letters and notes from friends
24. Having a good hole of golf
25. Watching the sunrise
26. Watching the sunset
27. The brief moment before you fall asleep at night where there's just a complete feeling of peace.
28. Skipping stones
29. When someone says thank you
30. Helping others
31. The first sip of hot chocolate after playing in the snow
32. Jumping into a freshly raked pile of leags
33. Mispronouncing words just for funsies
34. Using improper plural forms of words such as gooses instead of geese or meeces instead of mice
35. Elf
36. When a song you love randomly plays on your iPod while shuffling
37. Hearing a song for the first time that touches your soul
38. Finding a passage in the Bible that speaks so clearly to the state in life you're in at the moment
39. Realizing God's forgiveness
40. Deep theological conversations late at night at Diana's Deli with Kallie Holzhauser
41. Dinner with the entire family
42. Seeing a child's face when they're smiling
43. Wishing someone a Merry Christmas
44. The anticipation of hiding and waiting in close spaces right before the guest of honor shows up at a surprise party
45. Doing absolutely nothing
46. Star gazing
47. Laying on a rooftop on a warm night and starring into space
48. Carrots
49. Enjoying a beer with a close friend
50. Talking things out with God
51. Palm trees
52. Listening to the rain fall
53. The feeling you get right after you accomplished something
54. The first look of a clean room
55. Lighthouses
56. Sitting on the rocks by the lake and letting time pass slowly
57. Realizing all the little signs that have pointed you in the direction you've been going
58. Being able to give up a bad habit
59. Playing sports with friends for fun
60. The wind in your hair, especially on a sailboat
61. The taste of cold water on a hot day
62. Making a connection with someone
63. Being completely absorbed by a play, musical, dance recital or concert that everything and everyone else in the world completely dissolves
64. Bailey's in coffee
65. Bathing in a river
66. Having mass outside
67. Reading a good book
68. Reading stories and singing lullabys to Gina Bauer and Sarah Acker
69. Catching up with an old friend
70. Carrying a child on your shoulders
71. Realizing the immensity of the statement "One Holy and Apostolic Church"
72. Riding a horse
73. Going on a good run
74. Playing with puppies and kittens
75. Long walks
76. Laughing until you cry
77. Being so exhausted you fall asleep agaisnt your will
78. Someone asking you how your day is going and honestly caring
79. Sunday morning mass followed by breakfast with the entire family
80. Christmas tree farms
81. Bonfires
82. Rollerblading
83. Awesome hats
84. Awkward moments that make days
85. Underwear taped to my door from my Secret Santa
86. Faith being rewarded
87.The easing of uneasiness
88. The moment when you out somebody you're worried about is okay
89. Weddings
90. My dad telling me he's proud of me
91. Playing guitar until my fingers can't take anymore
92. Someone enjoying a song that they have no idea I wrote
93. Jazz nights at 149
94. Spending time in coffee shops
95. Breakfast foods
96. Getting excited for something that is going to happen soon
97. Having a fuse blown in your car requiring you to yell "HONK!" out the window as you travel through tunnels
98. Picking up a conversation with a friend whom you haven't talked to in a while and feeling like nothing has changed
99. Feeling so comforatable with someone that you can sit in silence and still feel like you've spent some good, quality time together
100. Hugs
101. Someone calling out an awkward moment
102. QT with Cuties!
103. Conversations with Mary Alice Newnam
104. Ryan Arnold parodies
105. The way a guitar sounds after it has new strings put on it
106. Ben Folds
107. Listening to someone talk about something they're passionate about
108. Being introduced to a new band that is simply amazing
109. Hearing other peoples' stories
110. Trusting God enough to let go of having to know what comes next
111. Waking up feeling better after being sick
112. Giving to others
113. Facing a fear and coming out the other end
114. People asking you for your opinion and/or advice
115. Jon Schmidt crossovers played on piano and cello
116. Classical music
117. Jason Mraz
118. Praise and Worship music
119. Praying well with others
120. Writing
121. Palindromes :)
122. Soaking in a hot tub after a run
123. Odd painting or pictures that you have in your house that you don't really know why
124. Being completely blown away by a movie
125. Getting messages from Tegan Gahan
126. Sitting around with friends and laughing
127. JonMarc Grodi recording sessions
128. Random Emily McFadden comments made out of the blue
129. Realizing how much your friends truly care about you and your well being
130. Sitting down and actually realizing how many blessings and reasons to be thankful you have in your life
Again, this is only the beginning of the list. Only a small number of reasons why I am thankful to God. He has blessed me abundantly, as you can see, and I haven't even scratched the tip of the iceberg. I would encourage everyone to make something like this and really let this be the beginning of you searching for joy in life.
God bless you all.
1. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit
2. Speaking in an accent and convincing others that I'm from the country that I'm imitating.
3. A cup of coffee... especially in the morning.
4. Waking up to find that someone has texted or called while you was sleeping.
5. A good conversation.
6. Staying up way late and then realizing that going to bed just doesn't seem worth it.
7. Climbing Trees
8. When you come in from the cold and your glasses fog up so you cannot see a thing. I get the same phenomenon when scooping popcorn out of the popper at work when a fresh batch is popping.
9. The smell of a fresh batch of popcorn
10. Random adventures with the best of friends
11. Kristen Basore's acceptance of individuals for who they are
12. Hearing Cameron Davis's laugh from 3 miles away
13. Dancing
14. Finding the right chords to the lyrics that have been written for months
15. The smile of a stranger as you pass by one another
16. Christmas carolers
17. Laying in the sun in the grass after getting out of a pool. Or doing the same thing in the sand on a beach
18. Ice covered trees on the campus of Bowling Green after a big ice storm
19. Days off
20. Leaving my phone behind and going off for a while
21. A random letter or note found in my mailbox or hidden somewhere to find
22. Music
23. Rading over old cards, letters and notes from friends
24. Having a good hole of golf
25. Watching the sunrise
26. Watching the sunset
27. The brief moment before you fall asleep at night where there's just a complete feeling of peace.
28. Skipping stones
29. When someone says thank you
30. Helping others
31. The first sip of hot chocolate after playing in the snow
32. Jumping into a freshly raked pile of leags
33. Mispronouncing words just for funsies
34. Using improper plural forms of words such as gooses instead of geese or meeces instead of mice
35. Elf
36. When a song you love randomly plays on your iPod while shuffling
37. Hearing a song for the first time that touches your soul
38. Finding a passage in the Bible that speaks so clearly to the state in life you're in at the moment
39. Realizing God's forgiveness
40. Deep theological conversations late at night at Diana's Deli with Kallie Holzhauser
41. Dinner with the entire family
42. Seeing a child's face when they're smiling
43. Wishing someone a Merry Christmas
44. The anticipation of hiding and waiting in close spaces right before the guest of honor shows up at a surprise party
45. Doing absolutely nothing
46. Star gazing
47. Laying on a rooftop on a warm night and starring into space
48. Carrots
49. Enjoying a beer with a close friend
50. Talking things out with God
51. Palm trees
52. Listening to the rain fall
53. The feeling you get right after you accomplished something
54. The first look of a clean room
55. Lighthouses
56. Sitting on the rocks by the lake and letting time pass slowly
57. Realizing all the little signs that have pointed you in the direction you've been going
58. Being able to give up a bad habit
59. Playing sports with friends for fun
60. The wind in your hair, especially on a sailboat
61. The taste of cold water on a hot day
62. Making a connection with someone
63. Being completely absorbed by a play, musical, dance recital or concert that everything and everyone else in the world completely dissolves
64. Bailey's in coffee
65. Bathing in a river
66. Having mass outside
67. Reading a good book
68. Reading stories and singing lullabys to Gina Bauer and Sarah Acker
69. Catching up with an old friend
70. Carrying a child on your shoulders
71. Realizing the immensity of the statement "One Holy and Apostolic Church"
72. Riding a horse
73. Going on a good run
74. Playing with puppies and kittens
75. Long walks
76. Laughing until you cry
77. Being so exhausted you fall asleep agaisnt your will
78. Someone asking you how your day is going and honestly caring
79. Sunday morning mass followed by breakfast with the entire family
80. Christmas tree farms
81. Bonfires
82. Rollerblading
83. Awesome hats
84. Awkward moments that make days
85. Underwear taped to my door from my Secret Santa
86. Faith being rewarded
87.The easing of uneasiness
88. The moment when you out somebody you're worried about is okay
89. Weddings
90. My dad telling me he's proud of me
91. Playing guitar until my fingers can't take anymore
92. Someone enjoying a song that they have no idea I wrote
93. Jazz nights at 149
94. Spending time in coffee shops
95. Breakfast foods
96. Getting excited for something that is going to happen soon
97. Having a fuse blown in your car requiring you to yell "HONK!" out the window as you travel through tunnels
98. Picking up a conversation with a friend whom you haven't talked to in a while and feeling like nothing has changed
99. Feeling so comforatable with someone that you can sit in silence and still feel like you've spent some good, quality time together
100. Hugs
101. Someone calling out an awkward moment
102. QT with Cuties!
103. Conversations with Mary Alice Newnam
104. Ryan Arnold parodies
105. The way a guitar sounds after it has new strings put on it
106. Ben Folds
107. Listening to someone talk about something they're passionate about
108. Being introduced to a new band that is simply amazing
109. Hearing other peoples' stories
110. Trusting God enough to let go of having to know what comes next
111. Waking up feeling better after being sick
112. Giving to others
113. Facing a fear and coming out the other end
114. People asking you for your opinion and/or advice
115. Jon Schmidt crossovers played on piano and cello
116. Classical music
117. Jason Mraz
118. Praise and Worship music
119. Praying well with others
120. Writing
121. Palindromes :)
122. Soaking in a hot tub after a run
123. Odd painting or pictures that you have in your house that you don't really know why
124. Being completely blown away by a movie
125. Getting messages from Tegan Gahan
126. Sitting around with friends and laughing
127. JonMarc Grodi recording sessions
128. Random Emily McFadden comments made out of the blue
129. Realizing how much your friends truly care about you and your well being
130. Sitting down and actually realizing how many blessings and reasons to be thankful you have in your life
Again, this is only the beginning of the list. Only a small number of reasons why I am thankful to God. He has blessed me abundantly, as you can see, and I haven't even scratched the tip of the iceberg. I would encourage everyone to make something like this and really let this be the beginning of you searching for joy in life.
God bless you all.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Taylor Swift's "Fifteen" and The New Watch Phenomenon
Alright, so this is my first blog. Something I decided to do just because it gives me one more outlet to put my thoughts and I guess not as many people know of it. First a quick explanation on the name of my blog. It is part of the verse Romans 13:12. I was looking for something that fit me and that would fit my blog. I want this to be a place of hope. Where my hope may spread to others. My faith is a huge part of my life and so when I was looking for Bible verses that would fit, that one stuck out to me and I knew the moment I saw it, it would be the title.
The other thing I want to say to all bloggers out there is that you may not agree with everything I say. But if I say something you do not agree with, at least let it be a proposition to a different view than you own. I do not mean offense to anyone with anything I say.
So anyways, moving on.
In her song, "Fifteen," Taylor Swift sings that "when you're fifteen and someone tells you they love you; you're gunna believe it." I think she's only a small fraction of the way there. I believe that no matter what age a human being may find themselves at, when someone tells you they love you, you're going to believe them. Why wouldn't you? We all have this desire to be loved, and we desperately want someone to fulfill this desire. However, no one will ever understand this desire as much as our Heavenly Father who gave us these desires. This is also why no one fills it as well as He does, because He created this desire.
I was riding on a bus back from Orlando where I was part of a large gather of Catholic college students for a conference and I really got to thinking about this. I recently ended a relationship and have been slowly and surely dealing with the hurt that comes with any breakup. Most people, myself included, tend to get very upset when someone fails to fulfill this desire we have. And yet, we must realize, that no one will ever fully fulfill our desire to be loved on this Earth because we are all going into the game handicapped. Each and every one us has a disordered desire for love and that is why we can never fulfill the desire of another human being. I'm not saying this as a negative thing, but merely as what I see as a truth. But why is this? Why can know human love to the capacity of the Almighty Himself?
I'm convinced Boston hit the nail right on the head, if only more people would listen to them. Boston sings "More than a feeling." See to love another is more than a feeling. It's a conscious decision. Everyday saying that you will love this person. I think when people look at love this way, when someone says that they can love someone and not like them, or not like something they are doing, the concept is a lot more easy to understand. So if we do our best to image the Father and Christ, we consciously make the choice to love always. Everyday. Selflessly, always for the good of the other. And this gives me hope because it means that if I can love this way on this Earth, thought I will never do it perfectly, I can obtain a glimpse of the love that I will, God willing, experience one day in Heaven.
On this same trip, it was a long trip, I came up with what I call the "New Watch Phenomenon." What I'm talking about really happens with all new things, at least for me, but I feel I notice it the most when I get a new watch. You see when I get a new watch, I do whatever I can to make it sure it says in the most pristine condition possible. I keep it in a case. I'm careful to not drop it. I'm careful to not rub it agaisnt any way for fear of it being scratched. I won't put in water, even if it's waterproof. I am very, very careful. However, as always happens, I somehow get a scratch or something on it. When this happens, you would think I would have owned this thing for years. I am no longer careful about how I handle it, and the condition deteriorates even more. I wonder how many are out there like me. And I wonder how many people, like myself I sometimes realize, put this same practice into relationships. When I meet someone new, I am very careful with them. You would think I was the most wonderful, amazing person in the world. And then something happens in the relationship. One scratch occurs. And all of a sudden it's like I stop caring about trying to be the best version of myself. It was a giant shock to me. But one that now that I recognize, I can fix. And I cannot wait until the next time I get a scratch. So I can take proper steps to ensure that this scratch remains alone.
The other thing I want to say to all bloggers out there is that you may not agree with everything I say. But if I say something you do not agree with, at least let it be a proposition to a different view than you own. I do not mean offense to anyone with anything I say.
So anyways, moving on.
In her song, "Fifteen," Taylor Swift sings that "when you're fifteen and someone tells you they love you; you're gunna believe it." I think she's only a small fraction of the way there. I believe that no matter what age a human being may find themselves at, when someone tells you they love you, you're going to believe them. Why wouldn't you? We all have this desire to be loved, and we desperately want someone to fulfill this desire. However, no one will ever understand this desire as much as our Heavenly Father who gave us these desires. This is also why no one fills it as well as He does, because He created this desire.
I was riding on a bus back from Orlando where I was part of a large gather of Catholic college students for a conference and I really got to thinking about this. I recently ended a relationship and have been slowly and surely dealing with the hurt that comes with any breakup. Most people, myself included, tend to get very upset when someone fails to fulfill this desire we have. And yet, we must realize, that no one will ever fully fulfill our desire to be loved on this Earth because we are all going into the game handicapped. Each and every one us has a disordered desire for love and that is why we can never fulfill the desire of another human being. I'm not saying this as a negative thing, but merely as what I see as a truth. But why is this? Why can know human love to the capacity of the Almighty Himself?
I'm convinced Boston hit the nail right on the head, if only more people would listen to them. Boston sings "More than a feeling." See to love another is more than a feeling. It's a conscious decision. Everyday saying that you will love this person. I think when people look at love this way, when someone says that they can love someone and not like them, or not like something they are doing, the concept is a lot more easy to understand. So if we do our best to image the Father and Christ, we consciously make the choice to love always. Everyday. Selflessly, always for the good of the other. And this gives me hope because it means that if I can love this way on this Earth, thought I will never do it perfectly, I can obtain a glimpse of the love that I will, God willing, experience one day in Heaven.
On this same trip, it was a long trip, I came up with what I call the "New Watch Phenomenon." What I'm talking about really happens with all new things, at least for me, but I feel I notice it the most when I get a new watch. You see when I get a new watch, I do whatever I can to make it sure it says in the most pristine condition possible. I keep it in a case. I'm careful to not drop it. I'm careful to not rub it agaisnt any way for fear of it being scratched. I won't put in water, even if it's waterproof. I am very, very careful. However, as always happens, I somehow get a scratch or something on it. When this happens, you would think I would have owned this thing for years. I am no longer careful about how I handle it, and the condition deteriorates even more. I wonder how many are out there like me. And I wonder how many people, like myself I sometimes realize, put this same practice into relationships. When I meet someone new, I am very careful with them. You would think I was the most wonderful, amazing person in the world. And then something happens in the relationship. One scratch occurs. And all of a sudden it's like I stop caring about trying to be the best version of myself. It was a giant shock to me. But one that now that I recognize, I can fix. And I cannot wait until the next time I get a scratch. So I can take proper steps to ensure that this scratch remains alone.
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