FYI, I love it here on campus. You all should go to school here.
Sexcellent - Excellent, and sexy. How has no one thought of this before?
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Don't read this--It's weakness!
What is it I even want out of a relationship anyway? Sure, a WIFE. But prior to that. I suppose I should call it motivation. I guess a pesky reminder is a heavy heavy crush in my childhood seems to be having a very successful relationship. It's not at all that I still like her... haha definitely not. But she is my social equal--and has what I want. It's not frustration, it's anticipation. It's not the angst of being single, it's the love that's pent up and has.. well, obviously, it should go to God at this point. I'm obviously not ready to be a husband, but I want to grow in that area you know? You gotta start sometime.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Loneliness
I'm teaching a small group at my church this weekend... so I thought this would be a good place to publish my ideas.
-----------------------------------------
First and foremost, I am not the most spiritually developed person. I'm very young, and I know I have a lot of growing ahead of me. When Jason called me and asked me to do a lesson for you guys, my instant reaction was fear. I felt under-qualified! I don't get into the Word nearly as much as I should. Then, God spoke as if he was just waiting for me to say that: "Well here's your opportunity."
I'll be talking today about Loneliness as used by the enemy and our God. I chose this topic mainly because it's something I struggle with on a day to day basis. At times, I can find myself surrounded by people and feel like I'm stuck in solitary confinement. Though it should have been obvious, I talked to my closer friends and determined I was not relying fully on God, or at all in some cases.
Loneliness plays a big part in the Bible. In Psalm 22, David cries out to God when feeling forsaken. In verses 7-8 he notes that others have cried for help and were saved, but he felt as a worm, scorned and despised by the people. In verses 12-18 he continues to cry out his troubles, but in verses 19-24 he says:
"But you, LORD, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or scored the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help."
In the midst of his hardship, David relied on his God as the only one that could rescue him, regardless of whether or not he did. We've talked about healing as something God IS, as opposed to something he does for us. Whether or not we receive healing, we know he is our God and our Healer. The same goes for loneliness and spiritual deserts: We are to be still and know that our God is a God that provides in every season. I really like the way this idea is presented in "Desert Song" off of the new Hillsong album. The bridge goes "All of my life, In every season // You are still God // I have a reason to sing // I have a reason to worship." No matter what God wills in our lives, we are to know that he is the only one in control.
Look at Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. He was all alone without food or water. Why was he there? The Holy spirit LED him into a place in his life where he was easily tempted by the enemy. So we know, by this, that loneliness is sometimes brought upon us by God in order set us apart and prepare us for the next stage in his plan. We know that Jesus' only sustenance in this time was the written word, so in these times we MUST rely on scripture when we feel set apart and all alone, because in those times it's easiest to believe the Devil's lies.
I can't talk about loneliness without referring to Job. No one had it tougher in the Old Testament. We know the story: He had everything robbed of him and by remaining faithful, was blessed beyond his original providence. The agony only turned to blessing after Job was done ranting and raving about how bad things were. He still worshiped in the midst of the hardship, but it wasn't until he began to TRUST him and listen, that God moved on Job's behalf.
In closing, we are to follow these three examples in this fashion. First, we must believe that our God IS God, whether or not he acts visibly on our behalf. Secondly, we must rely on the Word when we feel set apart. In addition, we must listen for God to speak instead of whining about how bad things are. Our God loves us, and he hates seeing us hurt, so He'll always be there for us.
-----------------------------------------
First and foremost, I am not the most spiritually developed person. I'm very young, and I know I have a lot of growing ahead of me. When Jason called me and asked me to do a lesson for you guys, my instant reaction was fear. I felt under-qualified! I don't get into the Word nearly as much as I should. Then, God spoke as if he was just waiting for me to say that: "Well here's your opportunity."
I'll be talking today about Loneliness as used by the enemy and our God. I chose this topic mainly because it's something I struggle with on a day to day basis. At times, I can find myself surrounded by people and feel like I'm stuck in solitary confinement. Though it should have been obvious, I talked to my closer friends and determined I was not relying fully on God, or at all in some cases.
Loneliness plays a big part in the Bible. In Psalm 22, David cries out to God when feeling forsaken. In verses 7-8 he notes that others have cried for help and were saved, but he felt as a worm, scorned and despised by the people. In verses 12-18 he continues to cry out his troubles, but in verses 19-24 he says:
"But you, LORD, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or scored the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help."
In the midst of his hardship, David relied on his God as the only one that could rescue him, regardless of whether or not he did. We've talked about healing as something God IS, as opposed to something he does for us. Whether or not we receive healing, we know he is our God and our Healer. The same goes for loneliness and spiritual deserts: We are to be still and know that our God is a God that provides in every season. I really like the way this idea is presented in "Desert Song" off of the new Hillsong album. The bridge goes "All of my life, In every season // You are still God // I have a reason to sing // I have a reason to worship." No matter what God wills in our lives, we are to know that he is the only one in control.
Look at Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. He was all alone without food or water. Why was he there? The Holy spirit LED him into a place in his life where he was easily tempted by the enemy. So we know, by this, that loneliness is sometimes brought upon us by God in order set us apart and prepare us for the next stage in his plan. We know that Jesus' only sustenance in this time was the written word, so in these times we MUST rely on scripture when we feel set apart and all alone, because in those times it's easiest to believe the Devil's lies.
I can't talk about loneliness without referring to Job. No one had it tougher in the Old Testament. We know the story: He had everything robbed of him and by remaining faithful, was blessed beyond his original providence. The agony only turned to blessing after Job was done ranting and raving about how bad things were. He still worshiped in the midst of the hardship, but it wasn't until he began to TRUST him and listen, that God moved on Job's behalf.
In closing, we are to follow these three examples in this fashion. First, we must believe that our God IS God, whether or not he acts visibly on our behalf. Secondly, we must rely on the Word when we feel set apart. In addition, we must listen for God to speak instead of whining about how bad things are. Our God loves us, and he hates seeing us hurt, so He'll always be there for us.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Spill Your Guts
Something just now occurred to me. Isn't it funny how our bodies, the inner workings that make it work, are beautiful when they're contained within the body? I think the same thing goes for thoughts or feelings that well up inside. When they spill out they don't look quite so pretty. Isn't that something?
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Train Of Thought: Starlight Edition
-- The shooting stars tonight were really beautiful. It's a shame that kind of thing doesn't happen more often. Well, shooting stars do happen on any old night.. you just have to be more patient--to look harder. It's kinda like Easter, I guess. All of the closet fanatics come out for the one day of the year that EVERYONE is supposed to celebrate Christ, but only the truly saved seek after Him daily. I should go stargazing more often.
-- What compels someone to drive into the middle of somewhere, park his car and stare into the night sky by himself? No voices or bodies near him. It felt like swimming in solitude, reveling in loneliness. What am I going to do when someone actually comes to the rescue?
-- Tomorrow is Tuesday.. and I'm going to Seven. Heck... maybe I'll just go stargazing again. If you want me somewhere, you call me out. I want to see what happens.
-- One reason I love the Olympics is because I get to see people at the very pinnacle of their life achievements. I mean, when it comes to athletics.. nothing beats the Olympics. I wonder what my pinnacle will be like.. who I'll share those moments with.
-- I wonder if I'll ever be a Best Man. Seems unlikely.
-- What compels someone to drive into the middle of somewhere, park his car and stare into the night sky by himself? No voices or bodies near him. It felt like swimming in solitude, reveling in loneliness. What am I going to do when someone actually comes to the rescue?
-- Tomorrow is Tuesday.. and I'm going to Seven. Heck... maybe I'll just go stargazing again. If you want me somewhere, you call me out. I want to see what happens.
-- One reason I love the Olympics is because I get to see people at the very pinnacle of their life achievements. I mean, when it comes to athletics.. nothing beats the Olympics. I wonder what my pinnacle will be like.. who I'll share those moments with.
-- I wonder if I'll ever be a Best Man. Seems unlikely.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
The Wedding Blog
Man. Love is awesome.
Weddings are always the absolute favorite event of the month they're in. But they leave me in such a state of emotional disarray. That! The happiness radiating from the faces of the bride and groom. The honor towards the father and mother of both parties. The sound of a thousand scoots as all the guests rise to see the beautiful figure in white, adorned for the love of her life. All the potential new marriages that begin in receptions, even as they dance. Oh the dancing, the DANCING. Why can't the world have more of it? The food brings many smiles and the sheer spectacle of a fountain with CHOCOLATE amazes all.
WANTED: WIFE
SIGN UP NOW
^_^
Weddings are always the absolute favorite event of the month they're in. But they leave me in such a state of emotional disarray. That! The happiness radiating from the faces of the bride and groom. The honor towards the father and mother of both parties. The sound of a thousand scoots as all the guests rise to see the beautiful figure in white, adorned for the love of her life. All the potential new marriages that begin in receptions, even as they dance. Oh the dancing, the DANCING. Why can't the world have more of it? The food brings many smiles and the sheer spectacle of a fountain with CHOCOLATE amazes all.
WANTED: WIFE
SIGN UP NOW
^_^
Friday, August 8, 2008
Observant Solitude
So, I had a thought today, as I sat waiting for my friend at Chipotle. This is a very big "what if", so forgive me as I postulate from the less analytical part of me.
Imagine, if you will, someone locked in a dark room with food for 2 months, a chair and a large monitor. After their fit of panic, they sit down in their chair, turn on the TV and watch the show. The video is a fixated camera observing a random person of the opposite gender. A message scrolls along the bottom stating "Arrangements for your absence have been made, do not be alarmed. You will be compensated for your time and you are in utmost safety. If we deem your condition hazardous, testing will cease immediately."
When the person in the room has finally cleared their thoughts, they begin watching this person featured on the screen. It's apparent the person is not an actor, and is oblivious to any cameras or observation. There's not a moment where the first person is not right there with the second, though bathing and bathroom breaks use more modest camera angles to maintain the atmosphere of the experiment. This person hears every word, see every facial expression and gesture. We'll assume the first person is a male. He is there as she sleeps, presumably, sleeping at the same time. He might eat as she eats.
What might we postulate about this man as time goes on? How would he identify with the girl? How drastically would the man change in order to do this? Could he grow to dislike her? To hate her, or even to love her?
Putting myself in this situation, hypothetically, my guess is that the person observing the other will begin to feel very strongly about the subject, in one of two ways. I might grow to love every aspect of this person.. the way they smile, the way they eat their food, any oddity in their walk. Alternatively, I might grow to hate these very things. I believe these sorts of conditions simulate a perpetuated first impression. If the first impression lasts a whole two months solid, it would garner strong feelings. Imagine the negative repercussions if the first thing the observer hears or sees is something that differs from something he agrees with, say, politics or something similar.
So, I thought all of this in my stool at lunch, right? I turned the idea on its head; imagining myself in the position of the observed. I looked instantly up in the air as if I was being watched. I thought that this person could have been watching me for up to two months.. I wonder how she feels? Does she--love me? The thought was unbelievably heart warming. At this point, I literally sat there smiling until Matt showed up.
Imagine, if you will, someone locked in a dark room with food for 2 months, a chair and a large monitor. After their fit of panic, they sit down in their chair, turn on the TV and watch the show. The video is a fixated camera observing a random person of the opposite gender. A message scrolls along the bottom stating "Arrangements for your absence have been made, do not be alarmed. You will be compensated for your time and you are in utmost safety. If we deem your condition hazardous, testing will cease immediately."
When the person in the room has finally cleared their thoughts, they begin watching this person featured on the screen. It's apparent the person is not an actor, and is oblivious to any cameras or observation. There's not a moment where the first person is not right there with the second, though bathing and bathroom breaks use more modest camera angles to maintain the atmosphere of the experiment. This person hears every word, see every facial expression and gesture. We'll assume the first person is a male. He is there as she sleeps, presumably, sleeping at the same time. He might eat as she eats.
What might we postulate about this man as time goes on? How would he identify with the girl? How drastically would the man change in order to do this? Could he grow to dislike her? To hate her, or even to love her?
Putting myself in this situation, hypothetically, my guess is that the person observing the other will begin to feel very strongly about the subject, in one of two ways. I might grow to love every aspect of this person.. the way they smile, the way they eat their food, any oddity in their walk. Alternatively, I might grow to hate these very things. I believe these sorts of conditions simulate a perpetuated first impression. If the first impression lasts a whole two months solid, it would garner strong feelings. Imagine the negative repercussions if the first thing the observer hears or sees is something that differs from something he agrees with, say, politics or something similar.
So, I thought all of this in my stool at lunch, right? I turned the idea on its head; imagining myself in the position of the observed. I looked instantly up in the air as if I was being watched. I thought that this person could have been watching me for up to two months.. I wonder how she feels? Does she--love me? The thought was unbelievably heart warming. At this point, I literally sat there smiling until Matt showed up.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Train Of Thought
Here are some random thoughts I am going to spout out as they come.
- I really really really wish I could play more of the Final Fantasy soundtrack on piano.
- I miss rain. It's not rained when I could see it in quite a long time.
- I think Karma is just when God employs his sense of humor.
- I can't decide if I'd want to play bass or electric guitar if I were to join a band.
- I should go to bed earlier tomorrow night.
- I wonder if anyone will read this far into my thoughts. They must care :)
- I hope I know that they care that much... tell me!
- I've loved getting all this mail this week.
- Lately, I've been thinking of what sort of teddy I'd have if I had one. Each night as I drift away, I like to imagine some sort of creature tapping on my window, introducing itself and turning into a teddy of sorts. By the time I finish the detailed story in my head, I've fallen asleep. It's waaay better than counting sheep. This was inspired by my dream of Zeke, my lemur teddy. Ask if you like. :P
- I wonder how long it'll be before I find my best best friend at DBU. I'm very excited.. it can't come soon enough.
- To the readers that made it to this last thought.. thank you so much for taking the time. Seriously.
- I really really really wish I could play more of the Final Fantasy soundtrack on piano.
- I miss rain. It's not rained when I could see it in quite a long time.
- I think Karma is just when God employs his sense of humor.
- I can't decide if I'd want to play bass or electric guitar if I were to join a band.
- I should go to bed earlier tomorrow night.
- I wonder if anyone will read this far into my thoughts. They must care :)
- I hope I know that they care that much... tell me!
- I've loved getting all this mail this week.
- Lately, I've been thinking of what sort of teddy I'd have if I had one. Each night as I drift away, I like to imagine some sort of creature tapping on my window, introducing itself and turning into a teddy of sorts. By the time I finish the detailed story in my head, I've fallen asleep. It's waaay better than counting sheep. This was inspired by my dream of Zeke, my lemur teddy. Ask if you like. :P
- I wonder how long it'll be before I find my best best friend at DBU. I'm very excited.. it can't come soon enough.
- To the readers that made it to this last thought.. thank you so much for taking the time. Seriously.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
