R.I.P. (For real this time)

So I realized today that my post yesterday may have been somewhat callous as it was entitled R.I.P. and was a joke about my car dying, when, in fact, there was a tragic school shooting in Ohio yesterday in which 3 kids, as of now, were killed.

So, I just wanted to take this time to offer my condolences to the families of those who were killed, and say that I am praying for them, for all of the students at the school, and for the student who comitted the shooting, as well as his family.

I may never understand why things like this happen, and it is so tragic when it does, but regardless of whetehr or not we understand the darkness in this world, I know that there is a light that pierces through the thickest darkness, that light is Jesus. He is hope, peace, comfort, and salvation when everything else is falling away.

R.I.P.

On February 24th, at approximately 21:20, HX passed from this life. A last ditch effort to save him on the afternoon of February 25th proved unsuccesful. He was 12 years old. He is survived by Hybrid. During his life, HX was a great car. He provided transportation for many people to and from work, church, movies, putt putt, dates, restaurants, and much more. He transported concrete, sod, furniture, clothing, wood, presents, books, and more. He was ridden in by babies, children, teenagers, young adults, adults, and seniors. Unfortunately, during the course of his life he experienced several accidents, which caused permanent damage and scarred his appearance. As a result of these accidents, he received life ending injuries, which, while allowing him to live and function for several more years, eventually took his life. He will be missed.

(My 2000 Honda Civic HX finally died on Friday. The transmission went out. I will now be looking for a new car, but for now I am driving my mom's baby blue bug.)

Speak the Truth in Love

Today is SWAT Seminar 2012! I know I already wrote a blog about it, and I'm not going to duplicate that, but I did want to write a quick blog about apologetics in general. In case you don't know, SWAT stands for Spiritual Warfare & Apologetics Training, and the focus of the seminar is exactly that, spiritual warfare and apologetics.

So a few quick things to note about Christian apologetics. Apologetics is the study of defense of your faith, in this case Christianity. This means using science, yes science, (astronomy, geology, biology, etc...) history, archeology, philosophy, logic, etc... to show evidence and proof for different claims about Christianity, the Bible, and God.

If you are a Christian, a few important things to note about apologetics:

• It is important to be able to show why you believe what you believe, to be able to give a defense for your faith.
• There are many things that the Bible claims that actually can be proven, much more than most would assume.
• Critical thinking, logical reasoning, and having an open mind are essential.
• You do not have to completely abandon science, history, archeology, etc... to be a Christian.
• Not everything about Christianity, the Bible, and God can be proven, and not everything will be able to be. There are some things that must be taken on faith.

If you are not a Christian, a few important things to note about apologetics: (Mostly are the same):

• There are many things that the Bible claims that actually can be proven, scientifically, logically, etc..., much more than most would assume.
• Critical thinking, logical reasoning, and having an open mind are essential. Don't let bias cloud facts.
• You do not have to completely abandon science, history, archeology, etc... to be a Christian, and there are many extremely educated people, and scientists, who hold many degrees, who are Christians, and are able to combine their faith with their education without compromising on either.
• Not everything about Christianity, the Bible, and God can be proven, and not everything will be able to be. There are some things that must be taken on faith, but an important thing to remember is that an absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

One more thing to remember as you dive into apologetics. The purpose of apologetics is to provide proof and evidence for your faith, but it should not be used to beat people over the head with all the facts and proof you have. First and foremost, God is all about love, and while it is important to learn and educate yourself and be able to provide an answer when people say your faith can't possibly be true, it is important to do so in love. "Speak the truth in love." Ultimately, it was God's love for us that caused Him to sacrifice so we could be with Him, and our most important directive is to love Him and to love others, and while it is incredible how much we can prove and how much evidence God has left. God does not need us to defend Him. He stands alone.

So learn about how to defend your faith, learn all the incredible things we have evidence for, learn to think logically, about God and the world around us, but in it all don't forget to love those around you!

If you want to come to SWAT, it is tonight (Feb. 24) from 6:30-9 and tomorrow (Feb. 25) 8:30-3:30 (lunch provided) at the Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum. Admission is $25. Speakers include J.P. Moreland, Craig Hazen, and Luke McKinnon. Topics include: Christianity Among the World Religions, Case for the Existence of the Soul, Evidence for the Resurrection, Apologetics & C.S. Lewis, and In Defense of Truth & Ethics. www.swatseminar.com

"DuckTales, Woo Ohh ..."

I came home yesterday, and my mom had bought TaleSpin, DuckTales, and Rescue Rangers for "Mallory" or Manda & I, whichever. This is incredibly exciting! I used to watch all of these as a kid, and I absolutely loved them. Thinking about it now, however, I can't really remember much about either TaleSpin or Rescue Rangers. I do remember, however, that I had a plastic TaleSpin plane with all the characters that I would play with when I was younger. :) Fun times.

As far as DuckTales goes, I remember that one the best of the three. I think my favorite episode, and I can't remember if it was a single episode or a movie or what, was the Hand of Midas one where they had a golden duck, or goose, or something like that, that would turn anything it touched to gold, but before long it started to go crazy, and they had to get it back on this fountain before it turned the entire world, and everything in it, to gold. :) Not sure if that is included in this set or not, but I'm excited to watch and find out.

One thing I can't remember about DuckTales, however, is the theme song. "Duck Tales, Woo Ohh ... duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh ... Duck Tales, Woo Ohh ..." Does anyone else remember the lyrics?

Happy Wednesday!

Fat Tuesday

Today is Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, a day to indulge before Lent, 40 days of fasting. I've never really participated in either of these events, Mardi Gras or Lent, but I find it interesting that they are so closely tied together. Today is a day of revelry and partying, embracing everything from fatty foods to alcohol to sex. Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with throwing a party and having a good time. Unfortunately, there is a lot wrong with many of the activities that take place along with the parties and celebrations on Mardi Gras. What I find so confusing about this celebration is the fact that it is so closely connected with Lent, with a time of fasting and worshipping God. So many people in the world give up something for Lent, and tomorrow marks the beginning of that with people placing ashes on their foreheads to mark mourning and repentance to God for their sins and faults. Now, what seems odd to me is why have a day in which you purposefully indulge in everything that you will then repent of the next day?

People are messed up, and people screw up all the time, but as a Christian, Christ has freed us from sin and given us salvation. The freedom does not mean that we can now indulge in whatever we want, whenever we want, because all we have to do is repent and everything will be ok. Repent, afterall, doesn't mean to say, "I'm sorry." It means a turning of the heart, true remorse over your actions and a desire and commitment to change. If you repent and fast for 40 days, but all the time knowing that the next year you will indulge again, this is not true repentance.

"For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love." -- Galatians 5:13

"Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?" -- Romans 6:1-2

I find it so sad that the parties and celebrations revolve around the fact that people are indulging in .. whatever. Essentially, it is a celebration of the sin in our lives, and almost a mourning over the fact that it will be going away for the next 40 days. Instead of throwing a party as a last hurrah for our sin, as Christians, we should be throwing a party every day in celebration of the freedom and salvation we have in Christ, not mourning or missing the old life that we gave up, and not using our freedom as an opportunity to sin more, but using it as an opportunity to love those around us! So today, instead of showering others with beads, shower those around you love.

God Bless!

Heaven: Part I

In addition to random thoughts I may have throughout the week, I am going to start writing the lessons from X-session each week. That way, if any youth didn't make it they have the opportunity to read it, but I will also have the opportunity to go a bit more in depth than on Sunday mornings. So, that is what this blog is, and subsequently, Heaven: Part II will be coming next week.

Heaven: What comes to mind when you hear that word? Pretty much everyone has some idea about what Heaven is, what it looks like, who will be there, where it is, what we will do there, and often you will find almost as many ideas about Heaven as people you ask. For some, Heaven is a fluffy place in the clouds where everyone floats along with angles. For some, it is a paradise of doing whatever you like for eternity. For some, everyone will be in Heaven. For some, it is a perfect version of Earth. For some it is streets of gold. For some, it is eternal singing. There are tons of ideas about Heaven, but what does the Bible say? What does God say? He would, after all, know best, right?

Revelation 21:1-5, 21-27

¹ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea no longer existed. ² I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.

³ Then I heard a loud voice from the throne:

Look! God’s dwelling is with humanity,
and He will live with them.
They will be His people,
and God Himself will be with them
and be their God.
⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Death will no longer exist;
grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer,
because the previous things have passed away.

⁵ Then the One seated on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.” 

²¹ The 12 gates are 12 pearls; each individual gate was made of a single pearl. The broad street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

²² I did not see a sanctuary in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its sanctuary. ²³ The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s glory illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb. ²⁴ The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. ²⁵ Each day its gates will never close because it will never be night there. ²⁶ They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. ²⁷ Nothing profane will ever enter it: no one who does what is vile or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Revelation 22:1-5

¹ Then he showed me the river of living water, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the broad street of the city. The tree of life was on both sides of the river, bearing 12 kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations, ³ and there will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His slaves will serve Him. ⁴ They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. ⁵ Night will no longer exist, and people will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever.

So, that's a lot of info there, but let me point out a few things that I find pretty cool.

• The Bible states here that once in Heaven, there will be no more crying, no more grief, no more pain. Every tear will be wiped from our eyes. Now this doesn't just mean that people will no longer cry, or that all emotions will be stripped. What it means is that there will no longer be those things that make you cry, grieve, have pain. There will be no more physical pain as a result of sickness, or accidents. There will no longer be the emotional pain that is so rampant in the world. When we cry because we are lonely, we feel unloved or unappreciated, we see the pain of others, we are made fun of, we are yelled at, someone dies, etc... we know that none of those things will be present. God has said that they will no longer exist. DEATH will NO longer exist! Basically, all that is bad and messed up with this world will cease to exist. The "previous things have passed away" when we get to Heaven as God makes all things new!
• God's will dwell with us! This is remarkable and amazing! In the beginning, this was God's design and plan. He intended to dwell with us, to walk among us, and then we screwed it up. We separated ourselves from God, and we see from that moment on God orchestrating a plan to bring us back to Him. We see the creation of the Tabernacle/Temple as a means by which God could dwell with His people, among His people, and yet there was still separation. The idea that He was so close, and yet so far. There were curtains and rooms and laws that separated God from us. Then Christ came, and He ripped that curtain down the middle. He separated that barrier that existed. Christ, who was God, physically lived with us, walked with us, spoke to us, and yet there was still a separation. Christ was both fully God and fully human, and yet the total completeness of the glory of God the Father, Son, and Spirit was still not fully present, dwelling with men. We still see that we cannot fully look on the face of God in all His glory. While we now have more direct access to God, and Christ's sacrifice created a bridge to span the gap of separation if we accept it, we are still separated from God because of our sin. Once we get to Heaven, however, that is different. God Himself will be with us, dwelling with us, living with us, and even more WE WILL SEE HIS FACE. How incredible and awesome will that be! There will no longer be a curtain, a veil, any separation. We will no longer see darkly, but we will be with God 100% and see His face 100%!
• To continue on this whole seeing God's face theme: one of the reasons we cannot see His face now is because we cannot look on the full glory of God and live. Yet, in Heaven, His glory will illuminate everything. We see that there will be no need for external light, and night will be a thing of the past. Where as now, we cannot look on the full glory of God and live, then, everything we do, every step we take all the time, will be fully illuminated by this glory, this perfection.
• We see the Tree of Life again. Remember the Tree of Life, that tree in the Garden of Eden that would grant eternal life, the one Adam and Eve were not allowed to eat from after sinning and disobeying God, the one that cherubim and flaming swords guard. Well, in Heaven, we see that tree again, and we get a much better description of the tree. We see that the tree is huge, spanning across a river (A River that flows with living water), that it has 12 different types of fruit, that it bears fruit every month, and that its leaves heal nations and reverse the curse. Now this is pretty incredible! The curse of sin, the curse that was inflicted on humanity when we first chose to disobey, will be obliterated. There are lots of thoughts surrounding the curse that was ingested when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil, but one thing we know that is involved with it is death. Because of the curse, death was brought into the world and into our lives. In Heaven, there will be no more curse, and subsequently, no more death (or disease or pain or grief or crying, etc...) I for one cannot wait to see that Tree, to smell, and taste, its fruit, to be free from the curse.
• Finally, just some cosmetic stuff. Heaven will have gates made from single pearls, the streets will be pure, transparent gold. That's gotta be pretty incredible to see. There will be no single source of light, but an all encompassing illumination from God's glory, and walls and streets made out of highly reflective material, which means, no shadows at all, perfect light. There will be no night or darkness (either in the physical or metaphorical sense). There will be a river flowing down the middle of the street, and the river contains living water, salvation, Christ Himself. I could do a whole study on Living Water in the Bible, but for now it suffices to say that that is going to be beautiful, and then we see the Tree of Life over that river, over the street. I get the idea that this is a huge tree, seen everywhere.

Now, this is only one passage that talks about Heaven, but it gives a pretty good look at what it is like. Not exactly fluffy clouds and floating angels, but so SO much more incredible!

So Heaven is pretty incredible, but what does this mean for us here and now, how does the fact that heaven exists, and what it is affect how we live our lives here and now, before Heaven? That's what we'll be looking at next week.

God Bless!

525,600 Minutes x437,000

More than 437,000 years, that's how long it would take to pay off the national debt if we paid $1/second toward it and didn't increase it anymore. That's basically inconceivable, and it illustrates that there are some serious problems with our government/governmental system. Now I'm not specifically talking about any one politician/president/political party, etc... I'm talking about the whole thing. This is something that my brother, cousin, friends, and I have been talking about recently. There needs to be a serious overhaul of our governmental system because it is failing.

Here are some of the ideas that we have come up with to improve things:

• Campaign Fundraising should not be allowed. If you are going to be elected it should be on the basis of your credentials and what you can do for the city/state/nation you are representing, not on how much money you have. There was recently a campaign fundraiser in Albuquerque. It was a $10k-a-plate dinner. Now, I don't know how many plates were present, but I'm pretty sure there were several hundred thousands of dollars dropped at this dinner to support the campaign of a single man, and this was just one event on one day in one city. Imagine how many millions of dollars are being pumped toward campaigning, and then issues like poverty, economy, unemployment, small bussinesses, etc... are discussed ad nauseam. What if all of the politicians took these millions of dollars and applied them toward fixing some of the issues?
• Anyone who can benefit directly based on whether or not a bill passes should have no place voting on it or holding that office. Our Representatives and leaders should be governing and leading based on what is best for the nation and the people they are representing, not on what can get them more money or power. There are way too many Congressmen, Senators, etc... who have vested interests in corporations that clouds how they vote, and this should not be allowed.
• Political positions should be voluntary and unpaid. There is already enough temptation for corruption being in a position of extreme power. There is no need to add to that by paying a huge sum of money to hold this position of power. Members of Congress/Senate make anywhere from $175,000 - $223,000 and the President makes $400,000. These are very large sums to pay out, and are sure to entice temptation. Now I understand the argument that these men/women should be paid for the service they are giving our country, but I wonder, how many would continue to serve if they were not paid? Might we get people in office who actually care about making a difference if that was the only reason to serve? Or, at the very least, if we are going to pay for these positions, why not set the salary the same as the average American?
• Prohibit nesting issues within bills. There are far too many problems that are never resolved because politicians spend so much time arguing and fighting over bills. Even if everyone agrees on the main issue, there are so many small issues that are tacked on to almost every bill that they effectively kill any progress or forward motion. If we need to vote on a specific budget reform, then vote on that alone, and not tack on issues about funding for a bridge or abortion or healthcare or anything else. If you want to pass a Healthcare bill, that should be the only thing being voted on. If you want to pass a bill to increase Border security, there should not have to be a month long debate over whether or not you can also agree to set aside 200,000 acres of land to protect a rare beetle and the finances that go into it. The Nesting of issues only serves to stop all progress and allow members of opposing parties to blame the other one for not allowing things to be done.
• There should be no political parties.  I get that people will have different thoughts, opinions, and convictions, and that people will tend to gravitate toward others that feel the same way, but there is a problem with our system today. If you are not either Republican or Democrat you have no hope of becoming President, and almost no hope of getting into Congress or the Senate. In addition, what if there are 3 "Democrats" who are all better, more qualified candidates than any Republican, Independent, Green, etc...? All 3 will never have the opportunity to run because only 1 gets the party endoresement. There should be no party endoresement. We should have people running against people, whether that is 2 candidates or 20, and it shouldn't matter what their "party" affiliation is. We always hear about "reaching across the aisle," so why don't we just get rid of the aisle entirely. Stand or Fall based on you, not your party or money.
• Prohibit Smear campaigns. I am sure everyone is sick of these, but I can't stand all of the smear campaigns. Sure, we are humans, and we will always talk down against our opponent, but if I am going to vote for you for a political position, I'm going to vote FOR you, not against someone else. I don't care what your opponent has or hasn't done, what are you going to do? As the old saying goes, "If you can't say something good, don't say anything at all."
• Get out of debt. The fact that our nation is over $13,000,000,000,000 in debt is insane, and what is even more insane is that every year we sign into law a budget with an operational defecit. If you or I were insanely drowning in debt and we went to a financial advisor, we would never be told, "figure out what your annual salary is and then budget to spend well above that every year. Go out and get a few more credit cards, buy a new car, go on vacation, etc..." If we are in debt we have to cut our spending, get rid of non-essential expenses, cut back, and yet as a nation, we do the exact opposite. We spend more than we have make, and encourage our citizens to do the same, creating a never ending cycle of debt in our nation. We need to stop this, and we need to get out of debt, which will require a serious overhaul of the government as a whole.

So there you have it, a few ideas to improve our nation. There are more, I'm sure, and if you have ideas go ahead and leave them in a comment. The question now, however, is what can we actually do to make a change?

Be A Man: Part II

*Disclaimer follows.

Ok, so last week I talked about the fact that, like it or not, there are inherent gender roles that men and women are designed to fulfill, and in today's society those gender roles are being abolished in the name of "gender equality," which is resulting in a lot of problems. So today I am going to elaborate a little more on why I see this as a problem, and what I see happening as a result of the loss of gender roles in our society.

Once again, I'm going to be talking a lot about men. So, let's begin.

Men are designed to be fighters, protectors and defenders of our families and convictions. We are meant to fight for those we love, but this is being stripped, and rather than warriors, men are becoming watchers. We are becoming complacent and lazy, but that inherent need/desire to fight for something is still there. So what happens? Here are a few things that I see.

• Because men are no longer fighting or expected to fight for the ones they love, for the heart of the one they love, I believe is one of the reasons that we have so many marriages that are failing, so many men abandoning their families, children, and wives, so many men having affairs, etc... Here's why. When we fight for something and prevail, when we "win" something, we are proud of it. We parade it around and display it for all to see. It is precious to us because we put our blood, sweat, and tears into obtaining it, and we not only want to show the world the precious thing that we have, but we will continue to fight to protect it to keep it pristine. Sadly, for many men in today's society, we no longer fight for the woman we love, for our children. Now, it may seem sexist to say that women are prizes to be won, but think about it, what woman doesn't want to be treasured and prized? If you had the choice of being an invaluable, priceless, timeless, treasured prize to your husband or a ring from a cracker jack box, which would you prefer to be? What is sad, is that, for too many men today, their wives are not treasured prizes, they are are simply a passing fad, getting married was something to do, and even though they may have loved them in the moment, they did not and do not fight for them, so they are easy to leave in pursuit of something or someone else, that maybe they do have to fight for, or maybe is just another passing fad. So many women go after the "bad boy," the rebel, and I don't believe it is because they are "bad" or rebellious, but because they fight for what they believe, even if they are misguided in their belief, and they fight for the one they love. So the first problem I see is that, as men lose their gender roles they abandon their families because they go from something they treasure to something they simply have.
• As men lose this fight for their convictions and those they love, they don't lose the inherent role of a fighter and protector, so we see men acting on this role in violent, rather, than noble ways. This takes many forms. It can manifest in random acts of violence that we hear about on the news every day, but it can also manifest itself in abusive relationships in which men, instead of embracing the honorable, God given role of leader in their homes, stoop to abuse and control, whether physical, verbal, or emotional. Instead of leading in a Godly manner, they violently and abusively control the situation so that they can feel in charge.
• As more and more women move into the roles meant for men, often out of necessity because the men have abandoned these roles, this leaves a gap in the role of nurture and loving caretaker for our children. We can see this in far too many families. We see children who are lacking the necessary love and support that comes from their mothers and fathers. I think that we underestimate how important the role of nurturer is in society. We place so much importance on the more "glamorous" professional/political roles that we forget that "we all wanna be loved" and love is vitally important to development. Sadly, many of our kids are not receiving the love and care that they need because the ones designed to primarily fulfill this role are busy elsewhere.  

These are just a few of the problems that I see arising from the loss of gender roles in our society, and truly, I think that this loss is a root cause behind many more problems.

So men: stand up and Be A Man. Fight for the ones you love, fight for your convictions, fight for the poor, widows, and orphans, fight for God. Lead your families, don't make your wives fulfill your role because you have abandoned it.

*A lot of these statements are overarching generalizations. I realize that. I am in no way saying that all men are violent and abandon their families, that no woman should ever have a professional job, that no man can provide love to his children or cook a meal and do the laundry. We are all made in God's image, and as such we all, male and female, have amazing capabilities and capacity for love, devotion, fight. We see examples in the Bible of women who are strong, courageous, leaders who follow God and save many, and we see that not all men are burly fighters, there are poets, musicians, chefs, gentle fathers. However, there are roles that males and females are better fitted and designed for, and this is my point. We need to not focus so much on what is "politically correct" and focus more on fulfilling the roles that God established. He does, afterall, know best what works! 

Pork 'n Play Thursdays

About 3 months ago my family initiated Pork 'n Play Thursdays. "What is Pork 'n Play Thursdays?" you ask...well...it is a time once a week (Thursday nights to be exact) when all my family (brother, sisters, grandma, uncle, cousins, M&M, mom, dad, and sometimes friends) get together to eat dinner together, play games, hang out, and talk. Sometimes it's all fun and games, and sometimes it's more serious. The last few weeks have been a bit more on the serious side. All in all it's a really nice time to get together as a family and catch up from the past week.

It reminds me how important family is! I don't know what kind of family you have, if they are small or large, close or distant, broken or complete, but regardless, your family is important. You will always have times when you can't stand your family or some member of it, but regardless, your family is often the ones who love you and know you the best. Something that is amazing, as I grow older, my family gets much larger and more dynamic. When Manda and I got married I got a LOT of new family, and that part of my family is much different than the family I was born into, and it's great. When Mallory was born, M&M and I suddenly were our own little family, even more than just Manda and I were, and it brought a whole new dynamic, which is fabulous! My family is constantly growing, and changing, and I've started to realize more and more just how important your family is.

This week is probably one of the last weeks that my whole family will be at Pork 'n Play Thursday as my sister is most likely moving across the country very soon. In some aspects it is quite sad. I don't really see or talk to my sister except for Thursday nights, but I've also never lived over 10 hours away from her. It's strange to think about, but just like all the other changes, this is just another change in the dynamic of my family. There are a lot of unanswered questions in her move, but I sincerely wish her the best and hope it turns out great for her!

So regardless of how close or far away your family is, why not give them a call, send them a text, go say hi, tell them you love them, and realize that family is an amazing gift that God has set-up for us!

Why I LOVE Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

For some reason, this seems to be one of the most hated holidays on the calendar, which is ironic because it is a holiday all about love. It is called Singles Awareness Day, and people rant and rave about how it's a corporate holiday that only exists to cause people to spend money. One of the biggest complaints that I hear is, "Why do I need a special day to show the one I love them that I love them. If you really love someone you should show them all the time, not just on one day, and you shouldn't need a day to show them."

Now I understand the sentiment behind that, but I disagree. Here's why. I completely agree that when you love someone you should not need a single day to express that love. You should be showing it everyday in your words, actions, interactions, gifts, sacrifices, etc..., but who says we can't have a day to celebrate that love? As Christians, we should constantly be aware of, and grateful for the death and resurrection of Christ. It is, after all, what bought us salvation, and yet we still have a day, Easter, on which we remember and celebrate that. The same holds true for Christmas. We have a single day that we celebrate Christ's birth and celebrate goodwill and joy and all of that, but that doesn't mean that that is the only day throughout the year that we think about it or that it is important. Again, Thanksgiving is not the only day we are to be grateful and humble, and we shouldn't only be patriotic on the 4th of July. All of these holidays serve as memorials, if you will, to these events/emotions/actions that are important to us every day. In the same way, Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate love, something that is vitally important to all of us in our every day lives.

Now I'm not trying to say there is no corporate/retail behind Valentine's Day. Of course there is, but there is behind Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter, 4th of July, New Years, St. Patricks Day, etc... If there is a way for people to make money they are going to do it, and giving gifts to the one you love is a valid way to express that love, hence, people spend a lot of money on this day. Is it necessary to spend money to purchase large gifts or chocolates or flowers or jewelry or stuffed bears or anything else? Of course not! You can show the one you love that you love them in plenty of ways w/o spending money. However, is there anything wrong with spending money to purchase gifts? Of course not! I personally, love to give gifts to people. I want to get gifts, lots of gifts, large gifts, small gifts, for my wife. I love getting her things that she wants/needs. It's one of the ways that I express my love. So I am all for buying gifts on Valentine's Day.

Now to the whole, Singles Awareness Day title, yes, Valentine's Day is primarily focused on romantic love, and that can tend to make those who do not have some form of romantic relationship feel singled out or depressed. However, at the heart of Valentine's Day, it is a day about love, in general, which encompasses both romantic and non-romantic love. St. Valentine, which the holiday is named after, was not some great romantic. I have, since I was a little kid, and still do, receive Valentines from my parents. Kids give Valentines to their classmates in school. I gave Valentines chocolates to the kids in my youth group. I am giving a Valentine gift to my daughter. Non of these are romantic relationships or gestures. They are, with the possible exception of classmates, expressions of love.

God has commanded us to love. 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, has this to say about love. "Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love." In fact, love is arguably the most important theme in the Bible. Christ says that the greatest commandment is to "love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength." and equally important is to "Love your neighbor as yourself." We are called to love, above all else. Christ died for us because He loves us. We are to love God, we are to love our friends/family, we are to love our wives/husband, we are to love our enemies. God established love. God is love. So on this day, Valentine's Day, let's celebrate love, whether that be romantic love or platonic love. Whether you celebrate with heart shaped chocolates or acts of service doesn't really matter, but rather than be cynical and hate this celebration of love, embrace it and show love to those around you, better yet, show God's love to those around you. Let the world know you by your love.

And that is why I LOVE Valentine's Day!

Gun Safety

Over the weekend I attended a gun safety class as part of my church's X-Men men's ministry. I have never really held a gun before or had any desire to shoot, aside from paintball and pellet guns, but in light of my last post I figured I should at least know how to handle a gun if I ever need to use one for any reason, whether that be to protect myself/my family or to go hunting or something like that.

Anyways, next month the X-Men meeting will be held at the shooting range, and therefore, attending the gun safety meeting this month was required for attendance next month. I learned quite a bit about guns that I did not know, and honestly, I feel even more nervous than I did before, but I'm still planning on trying my hand at this whole shooting thing.

So here are the 12 Golden Rules for Safe Gun Handling that we were provided:

1. Always treat the gun as loaded.
2. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
3. Always keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
4. Always keep the gun unloaded until you are ready to use it.
5. Never point the gun at anything you don't intend to destroy.
6. Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.
7. Learn the mechanical and handling characteristics of the gun you are using.
8. Always use proper Ammunition.
9. Be sure the barrel is clear of obstructions before loading and shooting.
10. If your gun fails to fire when the trigger is pulled, hold your shooting position for several seconds; then with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, carefully unload the gun.
11. Don't rely on the gun's safety to keep it from firing.
12. Be aware of your surroundings when handling guns so you don't trip or lose your balance and accidentally point and/or fire the gun at anyone or anything.

Let's hope next month goes well and I don't shoot anyone...

Be A Man: Part I

*Disclaimer* -- This post may offend some people, and may be misconstrued by some to be sexist. It is not, but you have been fairly warned. Also, this is a really long blog. I may break it up into a couple sections when I get done, but be warned, it is long.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Over the last couple of days I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be a man/woman, in general, and also how it relates to God. Now, in today's society it is not politically correct to talk about gender roles in almost anyway. Everyone is equal, and, so called, "gender roles" are sexist definitions arbitrarily created and imposed by a male driven culture that seeks to keep women subjugated. We make a huge effort to ensure an equal playing field across all realms for both men and women, and in so doing we are eliminating the old gender roles, or at least attempting to. This, I believe, is one of root causes of many of our society's problems.

Let me explain.

If I were to ask you to define gender roles most of you would come up with similar things. Men are the ones who go out and fight, protect and provide, govern, lead, do hard labor, things of that nature. Women are the ones who nurture, care, love, are homemakers, cook meals, sew, things of that nature. However, there is a huge move to eliminate these roles, and it is done under the banner of equality. For one reason or another, there is the viewpoint that women are not equal to men, that they are somewhat lesser than men if they fall into these roles. I am not at all trying to make the argument that men and women do not have equal value, but equal value does not mean that we are the same, and it is a serious problem when we try to make us the same.

Men are supposed to be fighters. Now that does not mean we go out and beat the heck out of people just for fun. It means we are meant to be courageous warriors who fight for our convictions, our families, those we love. We are supposed to be leaders. We are meant to take the initiative and lead in truth and in love. Tied to that, we are meant to govern, whether that be within our families or on a national scale, we are supposed to seek God's will and guidance, and relay that rule, just as Moses did. We are supposed to be providers. We are tasked to ensure that our families, and those in need have food, have shelter, have clothing, have money, if needed. 

However, for many men today, we are no longer fulfilling these roles. We are complacent and lazy. We do not provide for or protect, we do not fight for those we love, and we do not govern. It is not our "role" anymore, but that does not mean we still aren't meant to, it simply means that we have given up our responsibility, and I see more and more women taking on the role that men are meant to fill. Women are the ones leading their families and providing for their families while men ignore their role because it is already being filled.

Now it may seem that I am way off base, because, after all, if men have these roles, then women do too, and it is really not PC to say that only men should be fighting leading, etc... and women should be nurturing, homemaking, etc... Many will say that these roles really do not exist, that they are only created by oppressive systems, but I disagree. If you look at societies, cultures, throughout history, these roles are in existence. While people may not always agree with them, they have been in existence since the beginning of civilization. Also, you will be hard pressed to argue that there is not a fundamental difference between men and women. You can see it in small children. Look at almost any young boy and you will see a rambunctious little kid that gets into everything, scrapes up his knees, tears things apart, and runs around wild. Look at almost any little girl and you will see a kid who enjoys playing with tea sets and dolls, loves princesses and dress up. Now of course this is not a hard and fast line across the board, but generally, girls enjoy dolls, dress up, tea parties, etc... because they are designed to be nurtures. They cloth and provide food for their dolls, parents, friends, etc... and they take care of their "babies." Boys run around, get into things, take control, and somehow manage to create a gun out of everything they get their hands on, even if they have never seen a gun before, because they are designed to be fighters and leaders. You see little boys playing by building forts because they are designed to protect.

Interestingly, I was thinking about this on Tuesday, and I didn't say a word to Manda that day. Wednesday, during lunch, we were talking about why it is that guys can typically lose weight so much faster than girls and Manda said, "It's because guys have a higher metabolism because you are supposed to be out hunting and fighting and gathering food." Out of a completely different conversation, the same concept came up. We have gender roles and we are not meeting them.

Now I am talking a lot about men, because I am one, and so that's what I'm thinking about, but men aren't the only ones not fulfilling their designed roles. In many cases, women are taking on the role of men, which leaves their roles unfulfilled as well, which again, causes tons of problems.

This is a bit of a strange place to stop this blog, but I think I am going to stop it here nonetheless, at least for now, but it is not done and more will be coming. I didn't get into how the elimination of gender roles is causing problems in society, so I will get into that in Part deux, along with more talk about fighting, love, and prizes. So as a final thought, here are the lyrics to the song Courageous, which is what got me to start thinking about this stuff in the first place. And just for fun, some of the lyrics to "Be a Man" from Mulan.

We were made to be courageous

We were made to lead the way

We could be the generation

That finally breaks the chains

We were made to be courageous

We were made to be courageous

We were warriors on the front lines

Standing, unafraid

But now we're watchers on the sidelines

While our families slip away

Where are you, men of courage?

You were made for so much more

Let the pounding of our hearts cry

We will serve the Lord

We were made to be courageous

And we're taking back the fight

We were made to be courageous

And it starts with us tonight

The only way we'll ever stand

Is on our knees with lifted hands

Make us courageous

Lord, make us courageous

This is our resolution

Our answer to the call

We will love our wives and children

We refuse to let them fall

We will reignite the passion

That we buried deep inside

May the watchers become warriors

Let the men of God arise

We were made to be courageous

And we're taking back the fight

We were made to be courageous

And it starts with us tonight

The only way we'll ever stand

Is on our knees with lifted hands

Make us courageous

Lord, make us courageous

Seek justice

Love mercy

Walk humbly with your God

In the war of the mind

I will make my stand

In the battle of the heart

And the battle of the hand

In the war of the mind

I will make my stand

In the battle of the heart

And the battle of the hand

We were made to be courageous

And we're taking back the fight

We were made to be courageous

And it starts with us tonight

The only way we'll ever stand

Is on our knees with lifted hands

Make us courageous

Lord, make us courageous

We were made to be courageous

Lord, make us courageous

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Tranquil as a forest

But on fire within

Once you find your center

you are sure to win

(Be a man)

We must be swift as

the coursing river

(Be a man)

With all the force

of a great typhoon

(Be a man)

With all the strength

of a raging fire

Mysterious as the

dark side of the moon

Baptism and Wine

Last week I was looking up verses and information on baptism for the Bible Study for X-session, and I came across a verse that kinda confused me. I was searching for "baptism Christ" on YouVersion and the verse that popped up was John 2:6. What really confused me about this verse was that it did not contain the words "baptism" or "Christ," and was not in a section of the Bible dealing with baptism at all. Here is what it says:

"Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained 20 or 30 gallons."  

So what in the world does this have to do with baptism? It's actually really cool. In case you don't know, this verse comes from the passage in the Bible dealing with Jesus' 1st miracle, turning water into wine. The six stone water jars that are mentioned are the jars that Jesus instructed to be filled with water, and it was this water that He transformed into the choice wine for the wedding.

In Old Testament Jewish law, ritual washing and purifications were very important, and in some ways, baptism is an extention of this. Baptism is symbolic of ritually cleansing yourself, removing the grime and filth and dirt of your old sinful life and becoming clean before God. Just as the Jews would ceremonially clean themselves to remove the stain of sin, we are baptized, representing the cleansing and removal of sin that Christ has performed in our lives.

Now, what I find to be incredibly interessting about this is the fact that Jesus chose these jars, this water to turn into wine. These were holy jars and important water, and Jesus took that and transformed it into a LOT of wine for celebration. In some ways, this could be viewed as a statement against the old system, a representation of the fact that while, there had been a certain system in place in the past to keep people clean before God, the bridegroom had now come, and it was time to celebrate, to bring out the best wine in celebration of the wedding between the perfect bridegroom (Christ) and His bride (The Church).

Secondly, the symbolism in the use of these jars is incredible! As we see multiple other places in the Bible, wine is symbolic of blood. We see, at the Last Supper, that Jesus directly relates the wine to His blood, which is poured out for the forgiveness of sins and which seals the new covenant. The jars and water that Jesus turned into wine were to be used for purification and cleaning under the new covenant. When He transformed this water into wine it was a statement that the old system of purification was over. People would now be cleaned through the washing with blood, Christ's blood. The wine was not just any wine, it was the best wine. The blood that cleanses us now is not just any blood from animal sacrifices, but the best, perfect blood of Christ. Where we once had to be ceremonially washed with special, holy water, we are now washed, through baptism, in Christ and His blood. We are buried with Him and cleaned through Him and raised with Him in a new, clean life.

One other interesting thing about this: In the OT, one of the 1st plagues on Egypt was the turning of water into blood, and these all led up to the Passover Meal, the salvation of the Israelites, and the establishment of the 1st covenant.
In the NT, Christ's 1st miracle was the turning of water into wine (blood). This began his ministry, which led up to the Last Supper (The Passover Meal) and the crucifixion of Christ, which established the new covenant and brought about the salvation for all.

Just some interesting thoughts.