This Project We Call Life

365 Days of Christ: Day 79

Happy New Year!

It’s been awhile since I posted anything, partly because I haven’t been taking pictures, and partly because I’ve been in sort of a slump lately.

Anyways, despite having an awkward start to the new year, I’m glad I can look forward to things to come.  Since I don’t even remember my resolution for 2011, I’m not going to bother making one for 2012, but what I will treasure is learning to love God more everyday.

Even though there weren’t kisses at midnight or champagne being poured, I’m glad to have finished the year. The year was full of new challenges, changes, joy, laughter, friendship, and love.  I don’t ask God for an easier year, but rather a tougher one.  I want to be able to see how God can test me and how I would respond to the trials he throws at me.  I want to be a stronger person. 

We all want blessings and happiness, but on top of that, I want more reasons to praise God even in the difficulties.

He is my umbrella in the rain, protecting me from the cruelty of the world.

He is everywhere I go, and he’ll never leave me.

It’s nice to know that the world will fail us, and God is the only one that will remain the same.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
   and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
   the night will shine like the day,
   for darkness is as light to you.

Psalm 139:7-12

365 Days of Christ: Day 78

Rant

I’m just testing what I know on Photoshop or basically graphics design… which is not a lot. 

Now I guess this post will mostly be filler or a rant.

In my media class we’ve discussed a lot about media coverage and bias.  With all the crazy news that’s been going on in the past couple weeks, I couldn’t help but formulate my own opinions.

One of which is Occupy Wall Street.

Now I support anyone who has a voice and is willing to do something about it, but this whole movement in itself is unnecessary… well in my opinion.  I’m no economist, politician, journalist, or any of that, but I am human and I believe according to the movement I fall in the 99%.

The whole concept of the 99% is ridiculous.  Yes, you’re frustrated with corporatism and in some sense capitalism.  I understand you work very hard, many hours, and for some reason you aren’t making as much money as the 1%.  I think we should be thanking the 1% in a sense.  Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t the top 1% paying for a little more than 40% of all income taxes? 

It seems to me that they’re paying their fair share.  Granted in the smaller scheme of things, each individual millionaire or billionaire is only paying a small fraction of their enormous wallet. 

I don’t think we should be upset with them, but a lot of the 1% worked extremely hard to get where they are at (or at least their ancestors did).  Basically SOMEONE worked for that money.  It may seem like they were handed the money, but throughout time someone earned it. 

What the 99% should be upset about is the WAY that money is acquired.  There are a group of the 1% that earned the money through unjust means.  Now don’t be upset over Wall Street in general for the few greedy ones.  But sitting around Wall Street with signs won’t do anything.  Hit them at the core.  If they’re exploiting cheap labor in sweatshops internationally, then fight for human rights. 

Be upset over character.

Now what upsets me the most about this protest is that in light of the whole world, they aren’t the 99%.  The 99% are those suffering from hunger, poverty, homelessness, crime, trafficking, war, thirst, disease.  Be upset over lack of human rights.

So put down those signs and use your hands and feet to move.  Protesting works if you all have a common desire, but everyone wants something different.  If you’re upset, do something about it instead of yelling.  Fix the problem with your own hands.

Money is something that’s always been a touchy subject, but if you want true economic freedom, justice, get rid of all your money and follow after God.  Because when you do, you’ll be extremely rich in his kingdom for ETERNITY, which is a heck lot better than a few thousand for a few years.

365 Days of Christ: Day 77

True Love.

I’ve never been the kind of person who obsesses over finding THE one nor have I ever liked the cheesy love stories or romance nonsense.  But tonight during our amazing worship/prayer night, the most encouraging thing that happened was witnessing this old couple holding hands.

Sitting in the pews in front of me, I see an old couple probably in their 50s or 60s and worshiping side by side, holding each others’ hands, while their other hands lifted up to the Lord.

In that moment I witnessed two people madly in love with each other, even in their old age, but more than they love each other, they are madly in love with Jesus.

I guess this is what every Christian should want.  Not a significant other who can sing or one who is a doctor.  I don’t want someone who’s got everything in line for them, a great future, a wonderful personality, if they don’t love Jesus more than any of that.

Seeing the couple worship together gave me hope.

The ideal relationship should be like a triangle.  With the man and the woman both taking the bottom corners and God at the very tip.

I’d rather be single my whole life than have a loving relationship without a foundation on the Lord.

As long as two people love the Lord more than each other, divorce shouldn’t be an issue.  I mean, Christ conquered death, I think he can help two people get over their disputes.

For those who feel like they need a boyfriend/girlfriend to feel important:

That’s the biggest lie in the whole world.  God is there at all times basically begging for your undivided attention.

The moment you turn to Christ, your life will already be taken care of.  You don’t need to worry about “finding the one” because God has prepared someone for you that will take your breath away.  How do you know if that person is the one God has prepared for you?  If that one person is willing to throw away your relationship in order to pursue and give glory to God, then you know that’s “the one.”

365 Days of Christ: Day 76

How to find joy.

I get questions like “if God is so good why does he let bad things happen to good people.”  Though I’m not going to answer that question right now, I will ask the question… who cares?

I don’t mean it in the sense that we shouldn’t care about the oppressed, the ones that are suffering.  What I mean is if God is so good, then why are we stuck thinking about the negative?

There’s so much beauty in this world despite how corrupt it is.  I hear people saying “I suffer from depression,” “I’m bipolar,” “I cut myself,” or other situations that hurt God’s heart.  God LOVES YOU LIKE CRAZY.  Yes, God is “crazy” for loving us, but that’s not the craziest part, he loves us in a CRAZY WAY. 

Just look outside right now.  It may be rainy and dark, or sunny and bright, but whatever it is, it works in perfect harmony.  You may feel that in your current situation life is not going the way you planned it.  But how comforting is it to know that… well, your plans sucks, and God’s plan works for YOUR GOOD.  There’s a reason to find joy.

God doesn’t just stop there, but he has the most elaborate, extravagant, beautiful home waiting for you up in Heaven.  He is ready to lavish treasures upon you if only you’d follow his plan.

I guarantee if you follow God, for the rest of your life, you’ll never lose joy.

You may have nothing on this earth, but you ARE everything to God.

365 Days of Christ: Day 75

Modest is Hottest

It saddens me how some people don’t know how special they truly are.  We all know Halloween is a time for people to bust out costumes and basically put on a facade of who they truly are.  For many girls around the college age, this means dressing in, well, pretty much nothing.

I was walking up and down the streets and I would see girls in 4 or 5 inch heels wearing basically a bra and leggings with holes over their underpants in the freezing cold. There’s nothing else that screams desperation quite like that. 

Do girls really need to exploit their bodies just so a drunken, low-life college boy would be willing to give them the attention for one night?

What ever happened to the “mystery” of the female body? Or the beauty and delicacy of it? 

When girls are dressed like that, they’re setting themselves up for more heartbreak, more rejection, more dissatisfaction than if they were to modestly.

Any relationship that starts off with “dang that girl’s hot” is bound for failure.

Now the greatest part of all of this is that there’s no need to go on dressing up as desperation. 

If you want attention, Christ is there and willing to give you his undivided attention.

If you want love, Christ DIED for you because of love.

If you want satisfaction, Christ conquered the world.

If you want comfort, God knows exactly what’s best for you.

If you want hope, you have eternal life waiting for you in heaven.

If you want honesty, Jesus is the truth, the way, and the life.

Seriously, if you think this “Jesus stuff” is not for you, then that means you need it the most.

This isn’t some ploy for the weak to use as a crutch, but this is a mission that involves constant struggles, trials, and temptations.

Just as this God knows how many grains of sand are on the beach,he knows you better than you know yourself.  In God’s eyes, you are beautiful, worthy, lovely, and treasured.  Don’t give yourself up for temporary satisfaction, but save yourself for everlasting joy.

365 Days of Christ: Day 74

That is a darn pretty sky.

Why I Don’t Swear/Cuss

There are many reasons why I don’t swear, some personal reasons and others “religious.”

First of all, just my personal belief is that swearing makes one sound unprofessional and unsophisticated.  There are countless words in the English language, why must you resort to a word that is demeaning in nature?

Now the reason that trumps all reasons is that swearing does NOT build the kingdom of God.  It doesn’t edify the body of Christ, nor does it set a good example for those who don’t know Him. 

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Ephesians 4:29

God created our mouths to bring forth praise to Him.  He created our mouths to share the great news of his love and to profess his sovereignty and honor through all nations.  The strange thing is that the same organ that professes these praises can also be used to harm his Kingdom.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

James 3:9-10

The scariest part is that many times what we say is a testament of what is in our hearts.

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Luke 6:45

The most difficult part of this is the fact that many times our hearts do struggle with cursing.  When someone wrongs us, the first thing that pops into our heads are more than likely negative emotions.  But Christ called us to love our enemies and bless those who persecute us.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Romans 14:21

Though it’s not easy to instantly think of blessing those who hurt us, but if we ask the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives and truly dwell in our hearts, we will find that it is a lot easier to love our enemies.  By doing so we aren’t relying on our strength, but God’s

But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Colossians 3:8

Many things we can’t control, but we can control our speech.  Next time you feel the need to cuss, think about how it’s not beneficial to the kingdom of God, and ask for God’s help from the inside out.

I don’t swear not because of my religion, but because I want to be a light in darkness and I want to be set apart for His kingdom.

365 Days of Christ: Day 73

Why responding to hate comments isn’t always the best approach.

At Syracuse University there is a student organization known as Secular Student Alliance.  As a part of their campaign to get their name out there to the whole campus (and hopefully recruiting new members) they wrote all over the quad in chalk to raise awareness.  Some of their creative phrases were: Good without god(s), the best part of believe is lie, and other quirky catchphrases.

Now as a Christian walking around the quad I wasn’t offended, I didn’t get defensive, but instead my heart broke - for them.

Some people vandalized their work writing calling them dumb, stupid, bullsh*t, etc.

Let me say something, atheists who stand up for their beliefs (or lack thereof) are the FURTHEST from dumb or stupid.  In fact, they are probably smarter than most Christians, including me.  They have the guts to go around stating what they stand for, and many times according to their logic they have won an argument.  Some of the world’s smartest people were atheists.  So telling them they’re dumb or stupid is pretty much a slap in your own face, because it’s dumb, stupid, and childish to do such a thing.

Now what bugs me the most is that many of the people assumed Christians were the one to vandalize their work, in fact if one were truly Christian, they would understand that criticizing one’s belief is NOT the way to go.  Jesus never did go around telling people that their logic is wrong, he simply showed his grace and mercy.  Even to Paul, God didn’t call him dumb, but God cried out “Why do you persecute me?”.

For many people they would decided to write remarks like “Jesus still loves you” or kind, merciful, and accepting comments.  That’s great and all, but we need to put our selves in their shoes.  Would you like it if someone went up to you and shoved your religion down their throat with smart remarks?  No, in fact it’ll probably anger them and make them jump to the conclusion that we’re all cocky smart alecs.

Now how would one respond to this then?

I believe the only way is to pray for these people.  They are entitled to their opinion, and there’s nothing we can do to make them “convert”.  But it’s all in God’s timing, by his works, by his love.  If we try to intervene in a hostile environment with hostile actions, then we aren’t showing Christ’s love, but defending our selfish egos.  We must lift God’s name up, and in these times, the only thing to do is to intercede and pray for God to reveal his grace and mercy.

Our goal is not to turn anyone away from God, but to make his truth known.

365 Days of Christ: Day 72

SUNDAY’S BEST.

I often hear this phrase when I go to church.  We used to have rules like “every first day of the month is ‘dress-up Sunday’”.  If not that, I’d hear things like “oh we dress up because we want to give God our best”

Now to me there are many things wrong with that… Primarily four reasons.

1. Jesus never actually says “come as you are” but he does say to come and follow him.  Now from what I understand in Matthew and Luke, when he called his disciples or when people asked to follow him, Jesus said to abandon everything.  Especially to the rich man - to abandon his wealth.  He also called people like Peter who was a fisherman.  I doubt he was wearing fancy suits.  Even Jesus himself didn’t wear fancy clothing! He was described as typical!  Therefore it is implied that we must come as we are because Jesus loves us despite our flaws.  So come dressed as you are, Jesus doesn’t judge you because of what you wear.

2. That leads me to my second thought which is: we mustn’t put on a facade before God.  God knows everything there is to know about us… I mean he knew us before we were even conceived.  God wants genuine hearts.  We don’t need to be the “perfect Christian” before him, we already are perfect in his eyes because of Jesus’ sacrifice.  So if you are the type of person to wear t-shirts and jeans 24/7 or the person who wears a cocktail dress wherever you go, then by all means do that because that’s who you are.  As long as you aren’t trying to impress anyone, dress what makes you… you.

3. No where in the Bible does it say Jesus wants our best.  Jesus does however want our ALL.  There is a clear difference between that.  My all may not be my best.  I mean personally I am stubborn, short-tempered, and lazy.  All of those characteristics are the furthest from the best me, but Jesus wants all of that.  So there is NO NEED for you to wear your best clothing to church, Jesus never asked that of you.  But go to church giving him your all.  All of your worship, all of your praise, all of your devotion to Him.

4. Many times when we are getting ready for our “Sunday bests” we spend so much time focusing on what we’re going to wear.  We think about what people will think of us if we wear so and so.  We are scared of judgement from other people, especially when people say things like “Did you see so and so’s skirt today? It was so short!”.  When we’re thinking of what we’re wearing and what other people think about what we’re wearing that’s a thought that’s used up and wasted.  One less thought used to glorify God.  Going to church should be like going to God’s house.  How many times have you heard the phrase from a host saying “make yourself at home”?  We are God’s children, God’s house is our house.  We are his family, there’s no need to dress up to go to your own home!

So next time you go to church, stop fretting about what you’re going to wear, but wear something that is you.  Come before God with a genuine heart.  At the end of the day God doesn’t care that you preached in shorts and flip flops or passed out bulletins in a sundress, he cares that you brought forth his message and served his people as well as him.