So last night there was a crazy thunderstorm! The thunder and lightning were ferocious! There was one strike that woke me up and a crash so loud I thought I was going to die. I am not kidding. I literally though the lightning was going to hit a tree and it was going to fall on me in my sleep. I was pretty scared. I began praying in the middle of the night that God would protect me.
The interesting part though, was my emotions when I thought the end was near. Part of me was like, "ok God, I am coming home." The other part was, "No, please don't take me now. I am not ready to go." I was a little surprised by the second part of my emotions. I always thought that when death is near, I would take it like a soldier and embrace the next part of my journey. I think the big reason I was hesitant to be taken was Laura. I immediately thought about Laura and how I would miss her and how I want to spend my life with her. I didn't want to be shorted out of that experience.
This is kinda a heart check. Are my priorities straight? For the most part I would say yes. I think this view of death, take me now, please don't take me, is healthy as bi-polar as that sounds. We should be prepared for death at any point in time because it can happen at any point in time and eventually it will happen. But I don't know if we should want to die. I know there are greater things to come, but there are good things here. God gave us life and we should live it, but we should not cling to this life. I remember reading the Psalms and David spoke about how we should enjoy this life and something about grandchildren are a good thing, no reference :)
I remember when I first came to Christ. There were several occasions when I told my parents seriously "I would rather die." Or I would say, "it is better to die." Not in a suicidal way, but in a "To die is gain" way. I neglegted the first part of that verse in Galatians "To live is Christ." I did not realize that life is beautiful and that we should want to live on this earth. It is godly to desire to live a long life.
I have reconciled death. I am comfortable with it, and I know that heaven will be awesome. Seeing God will be the pinnacle of any experience we can fathom. But at the same time, I want to live a long life here on earth and see my children, grandchildren, and Lord willing my great-grandchildren grow.
What I am trying to say is we should not take anything for granted, life or death.
Live like you will die, but also like you will live.
The problem with live like today is your last, is that we tend to make really stupid long term decisions if there will be no consequences for those decisions.
So I say "Live like today is your last, but also your first." For we don't know what the next day has in store.
One Love,
Danger
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
LeBron James
I am in serious doubt that LeBron will sign with Cleveland. Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh said they were going to play in Miami. There was no agreement on the contract. This leads me to believe LeBron will sign with Miami too because usually they agree upon terms before they release that they are signing. The reason is, I think they are waiting for LeBron to declare who he will sign with. He is holding a live press conference at 8pm CST tonight. Wade and Bosh are respecting James by not coming out with their terms because that would let us know where James is signing and that would decrease the ratings for this one hour special on ESPN.
The three: Wade, Bosh, and James met in June regarding playing together and just to hang out because they are friends. I have a feeling they will be playing together and will win several championships together.
There is still a chance James will sign with Cleveland, but it looks less likely. As far as my prediction from the last post...we will see come 8pm tonight...
One Love,
Danger
The three: Wade, Bosh, and James met in June regarding playing together and just to hang out because they are friends. I have a feeling they will be playing together and will win several championships together.
There is still a chance James will sign with Cleveland, but it looks less likely. As far as my prediction from the last post...we will see come 8pm tonight...
One Love,
Danger
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
NBA Free Agency
I don't know if you know what is going on in the NBA right now, but many say this is the deepest free agency since the current salary cap started in 1984. Some of the marquee names who can switch teams and sign a new contract are: Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, David Lee, Dirk Nowitzki (IDK if this is spelled right), Paul Pierce, and many other key players to their current teams. This summer has the potential to completely shake up the NBA. Powerhouses can become bottom feeders and bottom feeders can become contenders. There are many scenarios about what COULD happen, but what will happen might be quite different.
Amare already verbally agreed to join the Knicks, that means Lee is probably not going back to New York.
Rudy Gay, who the Timberwolves were targeting agreed to resign with the Grizzlies.
Dirk is back in Dallas.
Paul Pierce took a pay cut to return to Boston, I expect Ray Allen to return as well, he may move though.
Joe Johnson agreed to a max contract with Atlanta.
The big names: Lebron, Wade, Bosh, Boozer, and Lee have not agreed to go anywhere yet.
This is what I expect to happen:
Lebron will resign with the Cavs, Bosh will not play with Wade or Lebron, and Wade stay with Miami who will get Lee or Boozer.
Mark my words, Lebron will retire a Cav. He is not leaving Ohio. The summer of change will be the summer of resigning and there will be no power shift in the NBA the same way there will be no polar shift in the year 2012, but there will be a lot of speculation up until then.
Lebron will bring a championship to Cleveland, which has not won a championship in 40+ years. It is just a matter of time, maybe Hickson will be his second hand man when he matures a little. They will win the title though. These are strong predictions, but this is just what I think will happen.
One Love,
Danger
Amare already verbally agreed to join the Knicks, that means Lee is probably not going back to New York.
Rudy Gay, who the Timberwolves were targeting agreed to resign with the Grizzlies.
Dirk is back in Dallas.
Paul Pierce took a pay cut to return to Boston, I expect Ray Allen to return as well, he may move though.
Joe Johnson agreed to a max contract with Atlanta.
The big names: Lebron, Wade, Bosh, Boozer, and Lee have not agreed to go anywhere yet.
This is what I expect to happen:
Lebron will resign with the Cavs, Bosh will not play with Wade or Lebron, and Wade stay with Miami who will get Lee or Boozer.
Mark my words, Lebron will retire a Cav. He is not leaving Ohio. The summer of change will be the summer of resigning and there will be no power shift in the NBA the same way there will be no polar shift in the year 2012, but there will be a lot of speculation up until then.
Lebron will bring a championship to Cleveland, which has not won a championship in 40+ years. It is just a matter of time, maybe Hickson will be his second hand man when he matures a little. They will win the title though. These are strong predictions, but this is just what I think will happen.
One Love,
Danger
Thursday, June 24, 2010
"No Greater Love"
I just finished reading "No Greater Love" by Mother Teresa. She was an amazing woman and had some amazing things to say. I found this quote in the section on love to be very powerful. Many people are looking to do the next big thing, like be the next Mother Teresa. This shows our pride in wanting to be famous. Mother Teresa became who she was by doing little things with love.
"Always be faithful in little things, for in them our strength lies. To God nothing is little. He cannot make anything small; they are infinite. Practice fidelity in the least things, not for their own sake, but for the sake of the great thing that is the will of God, and which I respect greatly.
Do not pursue spectacular deeds. We must deliberately renounce all desires to see the fruit of our labor, doing all we can as best we can, leaving the rest in the hands of God. What matters is the gift of your self, the degree of love that you put into each one of your actions.
Do not allow yourselves to be disheartened by any failure as long as you have done your best. Neither glory in your success, but refer all to God in deepest thankfulness.
If you are discouraged, it is a sign of pride because it shows you trust in your own powers. Never bother about people's opinions. Be humble and you will never be disturbed. The Lord has willed me here where I am. He will offer a solotion."
This next quote has such power and motivation in it I cannot explain it, you just have to read it.
"We must keep His interests continually in our hearts and minds, carrying our Lord to places where He has not walked before, fearless in doing the things He did, courageously going through danger and death with Him and for Him; ready to accept joyously hte need to die daily if we want to bring souls to God, to pay the price He paid for souls -- ever ready to go to any part of the world and to respect and appreciate unfamiliar customs of other peoples, their living conditions and language, willing to adapt ourselves if and when necessary, happy to undertake any labor and toil, and glad to make any sacrifice involved in our missionary life.
This imposes a great responsibility on us to fight against our own ego and love of comfort that would lead us to choose a comfortable and insignificant mediocrity. We are called upon to make our lives a rivalry with Christ; we are called upon to be warriors in saris, for the church needs fighters today. Our war cry has to be 'Fight not flight.'
The church of God needs saints today. We shall go freely in the name of Jesus, to towns and villages all over the world, even amid squalid and dangerous surroundings, with Mary the Immaculate Mother of Jesus, seeking out the spiritually poorest of the poor with God's own tender affection and proclaiming to them the Good News of salvation and hope, singing with them His songs, bringing to them His love, peace, and joy. In spirit, to every part of the vast creation of God, from the furthest planet to the depths of the sea, from one abandoned convent chapel to another abandoned church, from an abortion clinic in one city to a prison cell in another, from the source of a river in one continent to a lonely mountain cave in another, and even into heaven and the gates of hell, praying with and for each of God's creation to save and sanctify each one for whom the blood of the Son of God has been shed."
I would say everyone should read "No Greater Love" by Mother Teresa because it can strengthen your faith, change your views, confront your sin, and bring love to the corners of your life. If you do what Mother Teresa says, this book will bring you closer to the heart of God; hence salvation. For God's sake (and yours) do it!
One Love,
Danger
"Always be faithful in little things, for in them our strength lies. To God nothing is little. He cannot make anything small; they are infinite. Practice fidelity in the least things, not for their own sake, but for the sake of the great thing that is the will of God, and which I respect greatly.
Do not pursue spectacular deeds. We must deliberately renounce all desires to see the fruit of our labor, doing all we can as best we can, leaving the rest in the hands of God. What matters is the gift of your self, the degree of love that you put into each one of your actions.
Do not allow yourselves to be disheartened by any failure as long as you have done your best. Neither glory in your success, but refer all to God in deepest thankfulness.
If you are discouraged, it is a sign of pride because it shows you trust in your own powers. Never bother about people's opinions. Be humble and you will never be disturbed. The Lord has willed me here where I am. He will offer a solotion."
This next quote has such power and motivation in it I cannot explain it, you just have to read it.
"We must keep His interests continually in our hearts and minds, carrying our Lord to places where He has not walked before, fearless in doing the things He did, courageously going through danger and death with Him and for Him; ready to accept joyously hte need to die daily if we want to bring souls to God, to pay the price He paid for souls -- ever ready to go to any part of the world and to respect and appreciate unfamiliar customs of other peoples, their living conditions and language, willing to adapt ourselves if and when necessary, happy to undertake any labor and toil, and glad to make any sacrifice involved in our missionary life.
This imposes a great responsibility on us to fight against our own ego and love of comfort that would lead us to choose a comfortable and insignificant mediocrity. We are called upon to make our lives a rivalry with Christ; we are called upon to be warriors in saris, for the church needs fighters today. Our war cry has to be 'Fight not flight.'
The church of God needs saints today. We shall go freely in the name of Jesus, to towns and villages all over the world, even amid squalid and dangerous surroundings, with Mary the Immaculate Mother of Jesus, seeking out the spiritually poorest of the poor with God's own tender affection and proclaiming to them the Good News of salvation and hope, singing with them His songs, bringing to them His love, peace, and joy. In spirit, to every part of the vast creation of God, from the furthest planet to the depths of the sea, from one abandoned convent chapel to another abandoned church, from an abortion clinic in one city to a prison cell in another, from the source of a river in one continent to a lonely mountain cave in another, and even into heaven and the gates of hell, praying with and for each of God's creation to save and sanctify each one for whom the blood of the Son of God has been shed."
I would say everyone should read "No Greater Love" by Mother Teresa because it can strengthen your faith, change your views, confront your sin, and bring love to the corners of your life. If you do what Mother Teresa says, this book will bring you closer to the heart of God; hence salvation. For God's sake (and yours) do it!
One Love,
Danger
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Bob Marley quotes
I was reading some Bob Marley quotes today and some of them made me reflect and think about my own life. He had some really interesting things to say.
"One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain."
"Who are you to judge the life I live? I know I'm not perfect -and I don't live to be- but before you start pointing fingers... make sure you hands are clean!"
"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds."
"Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life."
"The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for."
"You may not be her first, her last, or her only. She loved before she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters? She's not perfect - you aren't either, and the two of you may never be perfect together but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can. She may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break - her heart. So don't hurt her, don't change her, don't analyze and don't expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she's not there." (I really liked this one)
"Wake up and live "
"The good times of today are the sad thoughts of tomorrow."
"The people who were trying to make this world worse are not taking the day off. Why should I?"
"You have to be someone."
"Live for yourself and you will live in vain; Live for others, and you will live again."
"I don't stand for black mans side, I don't stand for white mans side, I stand for gods side."
"If you get down and you quarrel everyday, you're saying praises to the devil, I say."
I followed reading these quotes with listening to his music on Pandora.com Lets just say I am in a good mood.
One Love,
Danger
"One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain."
"Who are you to judge the life I live? I know I'm not perfect -and I don't live to be- but before you start pointing fingers... make sure you hands are clean!"
"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds."
"Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life."
"The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for."
"You may not be her first, her last, or her only. She loved before she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters? She's not perfect - you aren't either, and the two of you may never be perfect together but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can. She may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break - her heart. So don't hurt her, don't change her, don't analyze and don't expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she's not there." (I really liked this one)
"Wake up and live "
"The good times of today are the sad thoughts of tomorrow."
"The people who were trying to make this world worse are not taking the day off. Why should I?"
"You have to be someone."
"Live for yourself and you will live in vain; Live for others, and you will live again."
"I don't stand for black mans side, I don't stand for white mans side, I stand for gods side."
"If you get down and you quarrel everyday, you're saying praises to the devil, I say."
I followed reading these quotes with listening to his music on Pandora.com Lets just say I am in a good mood.
One Love,
Danger
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Time of Reflection and Random
One year ago today I closed on my first home. Since I have been doing a lot of work on it, I think I will review what I have all done over this past year.
-painted several rooms from sin stained white to pretty and soothing
-completely remodeled bathroom
-tore down old ugly chimeny and patched the roof
-replaced a couple windows and front door
-new siding and painted siding (added 1 inch foamboard insulation to old part of house)
-painted trim
-insulation added to attic
-evicted squirrel
-cleaned up squirrel mess (removed chewed wires, tore off basement ceiling and swept up pine cones and nuts stored within, ripped up sub-floor only to realize I need to tear out the basement ceiling, replaced sub-floor, many air freshner absorbers to remove stinky little pest piss smell)
-tore out secondary furnace (only to realize I will put it back because plans changed on layout)
-removed overgrown bushes, trimmed trees, and cast them into the fires of sheol
-installed stone surround gas fireplace (beautiful)
-began wiring new addition (to be completed August/September-October)
-ordered cabinets for kitchen remodel (to be installed July/August)
-began knocking out kitchen wall (to be demoed late June/early July)
I would say I have accomplished a lot this last year, but so much more needs to be done. Here is a small list of the big projects to be done in the future:
-kitchen (late summer)
-complete wiring (hopefully by October)
-new floor in new addition (possibly September, may wait until November with less humidity for hardwood floors)
-patio (September/October or May/June 2011)
-deck (May/June 2011)
-expand master bedroom (November/December)
-install secondary furnace and ductwork (September)
-basement new addition (winter)
-basement old part (fall-winter 2011)
-decorate and furnish (fall 2010-winter 2011 and beyond)
-enjoy all work accomplished (winter 2011-sale date TBD [interested?])
Good thing I enjoy being task focused otherwise I would be really stressed with all of the work I need to do on the house, planning the wedding, and preparing for my future life with an amazing woman. Hahaha, I am fine, no stress, hmmmhmmm, oh man....ok, I am fine now. Life is good, God is great, and people are crazy. Enough said. I don't really like country even though I referrenced a country song.
Random thought of the day: I don't like the name of my blog because it is too descriptive and not very fun. I think it is pretty common to not like the name of your blog unless of coarse it is super creative like "Z" or "Zz" or "Megatron destroy" or ":)" not sure if you can do the last one. Blog names are also good if they are all encompassing while not being too descriptive such as "updates from planet earth" or "The everything blog" or "Z" or "Zz" Can I change the name of my blog without destroying it? Hmmm...I will check.
One Love,
Danger
-painted several rooms from sin stained white to pretty and soothing
-completely remodeled bathroom
-tore down old ugly chimeny and patched the roof
-replaced a couple windows and front door
-new siding and painted siding (added 1 inch foamboard insulation to old part of house)
-painted trim
-insulation added to attic
-evicted squirrel
-cleaned up squirrel mess (removed chewed wires, tore off basement ceiling and swept up pine cones and nuts stored within, ripped up sub-floor only to realize I need to tear out the basement ceiling, replaced sub-floor, many air freshner absorbers to remove stinky little pest piss smell)
-tore out secondary furnace (only to realize I will put it back because plans changed on layout)
-removed overgrown bushes, trimmed trees, and cast them into the fires of sheol
-installed stone surround gas fireplace (beautiful)
-began wiring new addition (to be completed August/September-October)
-ordered cabinets for kitchen remodel (to be installed July/August)
-began knocking out kitchen wall (to be demoed late June/early July)
I would say I have accomplished a lot this last year, but so much more needs to be done. Here is a small list of the big projects to be done in the future:
-kitchen (late summer)
-complete wiring (hopefully by October)
-new floor in new addition (possibly September, may wait until November with less humidity for hardwood floors)
-patio (September/October or May/June 2011)
-deck (May/June 2011)
-expand master bedroom (November/December)
-install secondary furnace and ductwork (September)
-basement new addition (winter)
-basement old part (fall-winter 2011)
-decorate and furnish (fall 2010-winter 2011 and beyond)
-enjoy all work accomplished (winter 2011-sale date TBD [interested?])
Good thing I enjoy being task focused otherwise I would be really stressed with all of the work I need to do on the house, planning the wedding, and preparing for my future life with an amazing woman. Hahaha, I am fine, no stress, hmmmhmmm, oh man....ok, I am fine now. Life is good, God is great, and people are crazy. Enough said. I don't really like country even though I referrenced a country song.
Random thought of the day: I don't like the name of my blog because it is too descriptive and not very fun. I think it is pretty common to not like the name of your blog unless of coarse it is super creative like "Z" or "Zz" or "Megatron destroy" or ":)" not sure if you can do the last one. Blog names are also good if they are all encompassing while not being too descriptive such as "updates from planet earth" or "The everything blog" or "Z" or "Zz" Can I change the name of my blog without destroying it? Hmmm...I will check.
One Love,
Danger
Monday, May 10, 2010
Life and Death
I have fantastic news! On May 4, 2010 at 4:30 pm, a child by the name of Lauren Katherine Maciej was born. She was 6lbs and 17 inches. And she is my new, adorable niece!!! She is my first niece or nephew and I love her :) I visited her in the hospital and I held her for a long time. It was really refreshing seeing new life and holding her in my hands. Her world is full of opportunity, adventure, and learning. She has many discoveries to be make about herself, God, and this world, and she began that journey on Tuesday. Seeing that in her reminded me that I am on that same journey. I am 24 years ahead, but on the same journey nonetheless.
Regarding that journey, I realized something in myself while the music played at church this Sunday. I have been holding in my heart judgement. I have been very critical of people's financial decisions lately in my own heart. I haven't expressed this in a way that I have to appologize for, but it is something I have to kill before it becomes a dangerous thing. I am not sure where this came from or why I am experiencing this, but that doesn't matter as much as stopping it where it is.
I think it stems from my desire to help people, and in this specific case financially. I want to see people free from debt so that they don't have anything that can hinder them from experiencing God or relationships with others. I am not saying that debt DOES hinder our relationship with God and others, I am saying that I don't think it makes it easy. I guess I see being debt free as just that, freeing. That may be because I have never lived paycheck to paycheck, and that is something my parents made sure wouldn't happen to me and I thank them for that. My desire is not for people to be rich either because that also comes with its own difficulties, you know the whole camel and needle thing Jesus talks about.
I think what was going on in my mind was that I was defining what financial freedom is for people. I can't do that because it is different for everyone. Financial freedom means one thing for me and another thing for you. What someone does with their money is between them and God and I shouldn't be the one to determine what is right and wrong for them. I think that is where judgement might come from. One person defines right and wrong one way, and the other person defines right and wrong another way. The first person thinks that their way is the only way and therefore judges the other person when they don't live up to the first person's expectations. We see this with many grey area topics such as the use of alcohol, and what sexual immorality means.
The problem is that person A and person B are right! I believe that we are to walk in the Spirit, meaning that we obey God when He convicts us of something or is leading us somewhere. Walking in the Spirit means being attentive to what God is telling us. This is where what I believe is not Relativism, but Absolute Truth, God doesn't tell us the same truths at the same time. See, we are works in progress. That means we aren't done at this moment, we like to think we are completed and that the truth we have now is all. Well, it is not. God is still revealing Himself to us and He is still destroying the sin in us. We are changing!! When we think that our salvation is complete we define truths for everyone, this causes judgement.
We are at different places at different times, spiritually speaking. God meets us where we are at. That means that God is teaching person A something different than person B. Now it is possible that person A and person B were taught the same thing in the past at some point, but it is also possible that person A was taught something and person B was not taught that thing yet.
God doesn't expect us to be perfect in everything immediately, and we shouldn't expect that of others either. God is more patient than we can know, and we should be that of others too. Although, God is not complacent; He is working, and working very hard in a loving way. Sometimes that way if aggressive and sometimes that way is gentle. It depends on the situation. God reacts to what He is faced with. He doesn't have an equation chart that He follows for our situations. We shouldn't try to make equation charts to follow either because every situation is different and what happened in the past does not define the future. The past can help the future, but it does not define the future.
This got way longer than I was expecting. Yet, I have so much more to say. Sigh, I will wait for another time though.
One Love,
Danger
Regarding that journey, I realized something in myself while the music played at church this Sunday. I have been holding in my heart judgement. I have been very critical of people's financial decisions lately in my own heart. I haven't expressed this in a way that I have to appologize for, but it is something I have to kill before it becomes a dangerous thing. I am not sure where this came from or why I am experiencing this, but that doesn't matter as much as stopping it where it is.
I think it stems from my desire to help people, and in this specific case financially. I want to see people free from debt so that they don't have anything that can hinder them from experiencing God or relationships with others. I am not saying that debt DOES hinder our relationship with God and others, I am saying that I don't think it makes it easy. I guess I see being debt free as just that, freeing. That may be because I have never lived paycheck to paycheck, and that is something my parents made sure wouldn't happen to me and I thank them for that. My desire is not for people to be rich either because that also comes with its own difficulties, you know the whole camel and needle thing Jesus talks about.
I think what was going on in my mind was that I was defining what financial freedom is for people. I can't do that because it is different for everyone. Financial freedom means one thing for me and another thing for you. What someone does with their money is between them and God and I shouldn't be the one to determine what is right and wrong for them. I think that is where judgement might come from. One person defines right and wrong one way, and the other person defines right and wrong another way. The first person thinks that their way is the only way and therefore judges the other person when they don't live up to the first person's expectations. We see this with many grey area topics such as the use of alcohol, and what sexual immorality means.
The problem is that person A and person B are right! I believe that we are to walk in the Spirit, meaning that we obey God when He convicts us of something or is leading us somewhere. Walking in the Spirit means being attentive to what God is telling us. This is where what I believe is not Relativism, but Absolute Truth, God doesn't tell us the same truths at the same time. See, we are works in progress. That means we aren't done at this moment, we like to think we are completed and that the truth we have now is all. Well, it is not. God is still revealing Himself to us and He is still destroying the sin in us. We are changing!! When we think that our salvation is complete we define truths for everyone, this causes judgement.
We are at different places at different times, spiritually speaking. God meets us where we are at. That means that God is teaching person A something different than person B. Now it is possible that person A and person B were taught the same thing in the past at some point, but it is also possible that person A was taught something and person B was not taught that thing yet.
God doesn't expect us to be perfect in everything immediately, and we shouldn't expect that of others either. God is more patient than we can know, and we should be that of others too. Although, God is not complacent; He is working, and working very hard in a loving way. Sometimes that way if aggressive and sometimes that way is gentle. It depends on the situation. God reacts to what He is faced with. He doesn't have an equation chart that He follows for our situations. We shouldn't try to make equation charts to follow either because every situation is different and what happened in the past does not define the future. The past can help the future, but it does not define the future.
This got way longer than I was expecting. Yet, I have so much more to say. Sigh, I will wait for another time though.
One Love,
Danger
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
God, what are you doing?
So I was thinking about the world today, mostly the people in it and what they believe. We are a very interesting creature. We have the capacity to think and interpret and relate and see and believe something we think is true based on these things. In light of these things, there are many religions in the world. Logically thinking about this, since there are differing beliefs about truth there are 4 senarios:
1. One religion is right, the others are wrong
2. All are wrong; atheists are right
3. They are all partly right, partly wrong
4. Some are all wrong, some are partly right
Why such different beliefs? If God loves all people, which I believe He does. And if God is trying to form a relationship with every person, which I believe He is. Then why so many different beliefs about Him. Something is wrong here. Could it be some people misunderstand who God reveals Himself as? YES! Could it be God doesn't reveal all of Himself at once? YES! Could it be some people are not looking for God and still make judgements about Him? YES! Add this all together and you get a messy global view of God. The world is pretty messed up on many levels, but God is patient in His dealing with us. Have you ever noticed that God is not in a hurry to fix our mess? Maybe not, but that is how I see it. God is not worried about us all knowing Him perfectly right now. If he wanted change immediately, He would need to be forceful and dominating because we are stubborn people set on ourselves. The way I see it, God is slow and gentle in dealing with us, even though we are so far from Him. Why? How can this be? Is God not concerned that if we die without knowing Him we will spend eternity in hell away from Him?
Perhaps not, perhaps He is, but maybe He knows the best way for us to love Him is by Him being gentle and slow with us. I don't know. I lean towards the view that God is not in a hurry to save us from hell because that is something that cannot be done immediately in us. Yes, Jesus died on the cross, but with a broken relationship there are 2 sides and they both need to go towards one another. God came towards us through Jesus, but we still need to go to Him. Some of us need to walk slowly towards God before we run to Him. I also lean towards the view that God is not in a hurry because our traditional view of hell as western Christians is probably wrong. The traditional view is hurry save us from hell because when we die in 0-80 years that is it, that is our only chance...that is me being a little sceptical. Mainly because I don't see God being in a hurry, so I question if I should be in a hurry...
Just thinking...
1. One religion is right, the others are wrong
2. All are wrong; atheists are right
3. They are all partly right, partly wrong
4. Some are all wrong, some are partly right
Why such different beliefs? If God loves all people, which I believe He does. And if God is trying to form a relationship with every person, which I believe He is. Then why so many different beliefs about Him. Something is wrong here. Could it be some people misunderstand who God reveals Himself as? YES! Could it be God doesn't reveal all of Himself at once? YES! Could it be some people are not looking for God and still make judgements about Him? YES! Add this all together and you get a messy global view of God. The world is pretty messed up on many levels, but God is patient in His dealing with us. Have you ever noticed that God is not in a hurry to fix our mess? Maybe not, but that is how I see it. God is not worried about us all knowing Him perfectly right now. If he wanted change immediately, He would need to be forceful and dominating because we are stubborn people set on ourselves. The way I see it, God is slow and gentle in dealing with us, even though we are so far from Him. Why? How can this be? Is God not concerned that if we die without knowing Him we will spend eternity in hell away from Him?
Perhaps not, perhaps He is, but maybe He knows the best way for us to love Him is by Him being gentle and slow with us. I don't know. I lean towards the view that God is not in a hurry to save us from hell because that is something that cannot be done immediately in us. Yes, Jesus died on the cross, but with a broken relationship there are 2 sides and they both need to go towards one another. God came towards us through Jesus, but we still need to go to Him. Some of us need to walk slowly towards God before we run to Him. I also lean towards the view that God is not in a hurry because our traditional view of hell as western Christians is probably wrong. The traditional view is hurry save us from hell because when we die in 0-80 years that is it, that is our only chance...that is me being a little sceptical. Mainly because I don't see God being in a hurry, so I question if I should be in a hurry...
Just thinking...
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Fear
I haven't blogged in a while. Partly because I am lazy, partly because I am busy, and partly because I try to go deep on this blog and I haven't been willing to go deep lately. So here are a few updates.
I bought a fireplace and stone surround for the corner of my family room. The good news, it was on sale. The bad news, I have a lot of work to do before I can install it. I think this fireplace might be the cornerstone, no pun intended, of the entire room! I better take my time and do a good job. I am meeting with an interior designer from Home Depot to plan out my kitchen next Tuesday. A lot is happening in a quick time frame. I also went to a lumber yard to size up the header I need to knock out my kitchen wall. This last month has been nothing but planning and shopping, I can't wait until I can finally do work again. Luckily, it is warming up so when I do start working, it is nice outside :)
My roomate Dave got a job in Milwakee, and therefore he moved out last week. He didn't move out entirely because he applied for a job in St. Paul, which he would rather have. So he will be in limbo until he decides which direction he wants to go. I am fine with it because he plans on visiting the cities, and when he does he will live with me :)
I realized that I am afraid of failure. I realized this when making plans for the house. I don't want to do anything until I know how everything is supposed to go. This can be good, but it means I am going very slow on the house work. I think this is because I don't want to do something and not like the way it is. This can be good, but in my case I take it to the extreme. Some things come together as you go, and if I am not going they will never come together! It is quite the conundrum. I am overcoming it by moving forward and not being afraid to make a mistake. The mistakes I will make will not be severe, and really they are just a matter of opinion. The mistakes I will make might not be mistakes for someone else. It is a bizzare thing.
It is not just house work where I fear failure. Every faucet of life I fear failure. I stick to the rules, for most things :), because I fear failure. Most of the time it is good to stick to the rules, but for some things we need to go against the grain. We need to be individual. We need to be ourselves and stick out a little. If we all stick to the rules, we are all just a bunch of rule followers, and we are all the same.
The beauty of God's kingdom is that it is diverse. There are many differences, and that is a testament to how far reaching the gospel is! We are not made to fear being different, if that is who we are. It is good to stretch ourselves out to where it is not known and safe in order to see God more clearly and see ourselves more clearly. I guess what I am saying is that I don't want to live in a box. I want to take chances. They may or may not work out, but God is faithful even through our failures. I don't know, maybe that is just my youth clawing to stay alive, or maybe that is a calling from God. I guess time will tell. As for now, I will stay alert for opportunities to express who I am and not who culture tells me to be.
One Love,
Danger
I bought a fireplace and stone surround for the corner of my family room. The good news, it was on sale. The bad news, I have a lot of work to do before I can install it. I think this fireplace might be the cornerstone, no pun intended, of the entire room! I better take my time and do a good job. I am meeting with an interior designer from Home Depot to plan out my kitchen next Tuesday. A lot is happening in a quick time frame. I also went to a lumber yard to size up the header I need to knock out my kitchen wall. This last month has been nothing but planning and shopping, I can't wait until I can finally do work again. Luckily, it is warming up so when I do start working, it is nice outside :)
My roomate Dave got a job in Milwakee, and therefore he moved out last week. He didn't move out entirely because he applied for a job in St. Paul, which he would rather have. So he will be in limbo until he decides which direction he wants to go. I am fine with it because he plans on visiting the cities, and when he does he will live with me :)
I realized that I am afraid of failure. I realized this when making plans for the house. I don't want to do anything until I know how everything is supposed to go. This can be good, but it means I am going very slow on the house work. I think this is because I don't want to do something and not like the way it is. This can be good, but in my case I take it to the extreme. Some things come together as you go, and if I am not going they will never come together! It is quite the conundrum. I am overcoming it by moving forward and not being afraid to make a mistake. The mistakes I will make will not be severe, and really they are just a matter of opinion. The mistakes I will make might not be mistakes for someone else. It is a bizzare thing.
It is not just house work where I fear failure. Every faucet of life I fear failure. I stick to the rules, for most things :), because I fear failure. Most of the time it is good to stick to the rules, but for some things we need to go against the grain. We need to be individual. We need to be ourselves and stick out a little. If we all stick to the rules, we are all just a bunch of rule followers, and we are all the same.
The beauty of God's kingdom is that it is diverse. There are many differences, and that is a testament to how far reaching the gospel is! We are not made to fear being different, if that is who we are. It is good to stretch ourselves out to where it is not known and safe in order to see God more clearly and see ourselves more clearly. I guess what I am saying is that I don't want to live in a box. I want to take chances. They may or may not work out, but God is faithful even through our failures. I don't know, maybe that is just my youth clawing to stay alive, or maybe that is a calling from God. I guess time will tell. As for now, I will stay alert for opportunities to express who I am and not who culture tells me to be.
One Love,
Danger
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
What is sin?
I have a question for you. What is sin? It is a question I have been asking myself all day. At first it may be rather obvious. "Sin is breaking God's commandments," right? I guess that is true. Is there more to it though? And what are God's commandments if that is the definition? I think it is an easy, yet very complex question.
I wonder if sin is an action or condition of the heart or both. What is it about sin that God does not like? Is it the action, condition, or both? So many questions, so little time. The Bible seems to allude that sin is an action and in other places it alludes that sin is a condition of the heart. Which one is it and how does this make sense?
I think it is dangerous to think that sin is merely actions. That is leaving a huge factor out, and that is the condition of the heart. It is from the heart that we act. When we commit murder, idolatry, theft or any other sinful act, it is our heart that leads us to do such. If I did not have evil in my heart, I would not do such things. The same holds true on the other side. When we serve the orphan or widow, give to charity, love, build up, encourage, it is our heart that leads us to do such. What we do is influenced by our hearts. If sin is an action, then it must be accompanied by a certain conditioning of the heart.
So sin is not just an action. Big deal. Well yeah, that is a big deal. I think that a legalistic mentality arises from the idea that sin is just an action. A lot of people talk about right and wrong when they hear the word sin. Those who do right don't sin, and those who do wrong sin. Although this is partially true, the bigger picture is being missed and that is the condition of the heart. A heart that is not in continuous fellowship with God strays from God and that is when the soul is likely to sin, maybe even that is when the soul sins.
I guess what I am asking is if sin is the walking away from God or if sin is induced by the walking away from God. The more I think about this, the more complex it is getting in my head. Do actions influence our hearts as well? I think they do. Man, no wonder we need a Savior :) Anyway, the reason I think about this is because how we define sin forms many, many other doctrines. Actually, I think it is how we define the way God defines sin that affects all of these doctrines.
I want to go back to the idea that viewing sin as strictly an action leads to the legalistic mentality. If sin is defined as a wrong action done against God, then God must punish this act if he is to uphold the law. Right? I would agree, if sin were just an action then in order for God to uphold the law he must punish that sin. The complexity comes when we throw the heart in the mix. If sin is caused by the heart, then wouldn't it make more sense for God to go after the heart in order to take care of the sin issue? That is what he did and does. He transforms our hearts into His likeness. Why? I am sure there are a multitude of answers to this question. I am purposing that one of those answers is to destroy sin and sinfullness. Does that mean that God does not punish the action of sin? That I am not sure of. I know that when I hurt someone, I need to reconcile myself with that person to receive forgiveness.
"For the wages of sin is death." Yes, but is that because of the actions or the heart? What we earn from sin is death. Sin leads us to death. A heart that is far from God dies. "Behold the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear, but your iniquities have made a seperation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear." Isaiah 59:1-2. Sin seperates us from God. Is it the sin or the seperation that God despises? Could it be that God hates sin because sin seperates us from Him? Could it be that it is not perfect little angels that God wants, but rather sold out disciples who will walk with Him no matter what life throws our way. That we will hold on till the end. That we will cling to Him at all times.
Does God punish sin to have a perfect law-abiding society, or does He punish us so that we will see our wrong and turn to Him, repentance? I guess we have to ask the question of what is God's goal and what is the end result for the reasons He does things? This is a large question and I do not pretend to know the answer. I think I need to stop and dwell on this a little more. I kindof jumbled all of my thoughts together and didn't have a clear argument. These are mostly just questions. Perhaps I will be able to form a more coherent argument in blogs to come, but as for now I will chew on these questions and hope that God leads me to the truth. I pray that it is He I seek and not some other motive. I pray that I may know Him more and have a deeper union with Him daily through walking with Him and obeying Him.
One Love,
Danger
I wonder if sin is an action or condition of the heart or both. What is it about sin that God does not like? Is it the action, condition, or both? So many questions, so little time. The Bible seems to allude that sin is an action and in other places it alludes that sin is a condition of the heart. Which one is it and how does this make sense?
I think it is dangerous to think that sin is merely actions. That is leaving a huge factor out, and that is the condition of the heart. It is from the heart that we act. When we commit murder, idolatry, theft or any other sinful act, it is our heart that leads us to do such. If I did not have evil in my heart, I would not do such things. The same holds true on the other side. When we serve the orphan or widow, give to charity, love, build up, encourage, it is our heart that leads us to do such. What we do is influenced by our hearts. If sin is an action, then it must be accompanied by a certain conditioning of the heart.
So sin is not just an action. Big deal. Well yeah, that is a big deal. I think that a legalistic mentality arises from the idea that sin is just an action. A lot of people talk about right and wrong when they hear the word sin. Those who do right don't sin, and those who do wrong sin. Although this is partially true, the bigger picture is being missed and that is the condition of the heart. A heart that is not in continuous fellowship with God strays from God and that is when the soul is likely to sin, maybe even that is when the soul sins.
I guess what I am asking is if sin is the walking away from God or if sin is induced by the walking away from God. The more I think about this, the more complex it is getting in my head. Do actions influence our hearts as well? I think they do. Man, no wonder we need a Savior :) Anyway, the reason I think about this is because how we define sin forms many, many other doctrines. Actually, I think it is how we define the way God defines sin that affects all of these doctrines.
I want to go back to the idea that viewing sin as strictly an action leads to the legalistic mentality. If sin is defined as a wrong action done against God, then God must punish this act if he is to uphold the law. Right? I would agree, if sin were just an action then in order for God to uphold the law he must punish that sin. The complexity comes when we throw the heart in the mix. If sin is caused by the heart, then wouldn't it make more sense for God to go after the heart in order to take care of the sin issue? That is what he did and does. He transforms our hearts into His likeness. Why? I am sure there are a multitude of answers to this question. I am purposing that one of those answers is to destroy sin and sinfullness. Does that mean that God does not punish the action of sin? That I am not sure of. I know that when I hurt someone, I need to reconcile myself with that person to receive forgiveness.
"For the wages of sin is death." Yes, but is that because of the actions or the heart? What we earn from sin is death. Sin leads us to death. A heart that is far from God dies. "Behold the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear, but your iniquities have made a seperation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear." Isaiah 59:1-2. Sin seperates us from God. Is it the sin or the seperation that God despises? Could it be that God hates sin because sin seperates us from Him? Could it be that it is not perfect little angels that God wants, but rather sold out disciples who will walk with Him no matter what life throws our way. That we will hold on till the end. That we will cling to Him at all times.
Does God punish sin to have a perfect law-abiding society, or does He punish us so that we will see our wrong and turn to Him, repentance? I guess we have to ask the question of what is God's goal and what is the end result for the reasons He does things? This is a large question and I do not pretend to know the answer. I think I need to stop and dwell on this a little more. I kindof jumbled all of my thoughts together and didn't have a clear argument. These are mostly just questions. Perhaps I will be able to form a more coherent argument in blogs to come, but as for now I will chew on these questions and hope that God leads me to the truth. I pray that it is He I seek and not some other motive. I pray that I may know Him more and have a deeper union with Him daily through walking with Him and obeying Him.
One Love,
Danger
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Pray for Haiti, and prayer as a calling
Over the last couple days, I have experienced something of a revival for prayer. There was just something deep within me that spurred me on towards praying. I felt the call from God for his people to pray, and specifically me.
I began by praying for people who asked me to pray for them, and then I moved onto people who I knew that needed prayer. In light of what happened and is happening in Haiti, now I have a multitude of things to pray for. People I don't even know desperately need help, and I am praying very hard for them. I pray that God would build up Kingdom focused people to help the Haitians immediately and in the days to come. The basic necessities to live have been taken away through this earthquake. People are without food, water, and shelter. Haiti already was in poverty before the earthquake. That means that the rescue and cleanup are going to be nearly non-existant unless other countries help.
It is a very scary situation for so many people. My heart has been hurting for them and my immediate response was to get on my knees. Perhaps I will be able to do more in the future, which means donating or going firsthand on a missions cleanup trip to Haiti. Wherever God calls, I will hopefully go. As for now, pray, pray, pray!
I want prayer to be a bigger part of my day. Not only am I communicating to God, which is essential to our relationship, but through prayer God's kingdom advances somehow. I truly believe that lives are changed and circumstances are changed when prayer is involved. I want to be involved in that change. I want to be more of a prayer warrior than I have been in recent months. I believe that God is calling me to this position for now. I think of "Piercing the Darkness" when the angels spur the pastor on to prayer so that battles can be won. I imagine something like that happened in the spiritual realm for me recently. I hope and pray that my prayers would be heard and that they would carry power. James 5:16, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
One Love,
Danger
Please join me in praying for Haiti.
I began by praying for people who asked me to pray for them, and then I moved onto people who I knew that needed prayer. In light of what happened and is happening in Haiti, now I have a multitude of things to pray for. People I don't even know desperately need help, and I am praying very hard for them. I pray that God would build up Kingdom focused people to help the Haitians immediately and in the days to come. The basic necessities to live have been taken away through this earthquake. People are without food, water, and shelter. Haiti already was in poverty before the earthquake. That means that the rescue and cleanup are going to be nearly non-existant unless other countries help.
It is a very scary situation for so many people. My heart has been hurting for them and my immediate response was to get on my knees. Perhaps I will be able to do more in the future, which means donating or going firsthand on a missions cleanup trip to Haiti. Wherever God calls, I will hopefully go. As for now, pray, pray, pray!
I want prayer to be a bigger part of my day. Not only am I communicating to God, which is essential to our relationship, but through prayer God's kingdom advances somehow. I truly believe that lives are changed and circumstances are changed when prayer is involved. I want to be involved in that change. I want to be more of a prayer warrior than I have been in recent months. I believe that God is calling me to this position for now. I think of "Piercing the Darkness" when the angels spur the pastor on to prayer so that battles can be won. I imagine something like that happened in the spiritual realm for me recently. I hope and pray that my prayers would be heard and that they would carry power. James 5:16, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
One Love,
Danger
Please join me in praying for Haiti.
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