Thursday, April 05, 2007
Monday, April 02, 2007
"No Title"
One day I realized that the people around me at any given time represent pieces of art more complex, more intricate, and more amazing then any painting that was ever painted, any sculpture that was ever formed, any picture that was ever taken or any song that was ever composed.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Monday, March 12, 2007
A Sidewalk Glance
Sometimes when I am walking down a crowded sidewalk I glance at people and just for a second focus on their face. I look into their eyes and time seems to stand still. For that brief moment I see Christ in them. I wonder where they are from, what they have experienced in life, where they are going, and who they care about.
For that short time I feel God’s love for that person. I don’t know their name but I know God does. If they are longing for God I hope they find Him. If they have found Him, I pray they stay faithful to him.
I hope that I will never forget to take the time to see God in others.
For that short time I feel God’s love for that person. I don’t know their name but I know God does. If they are longing for God I hope they find Him. If they have found Him, I pray they stay faithful to him.
I hope that I will never forget to take the time to see God in others.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Whats Love Got To Do With It?
Here are some random quotes regarding love:
"Love is a feeling directed at someone which acknowledges their goodness."- Dr. John Gray
"The willful intent to serve the well being of another."
"To describe love is very difficult, for the same reason that words cannot fully describe the flavor of an orange. You have to taste the fruit to know its flavor. So with love."- Paramahansa Yogananda
"Love is the ability and willingness to allow those you care for to be what they choose for themselves, without any insistence that they satisfy you."- Leo Buscaglia
"When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't Love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still Love you, they Love you even more."- Matthew - age 7
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."- Mary Ann - age 4
"Logic says everything in this world has a cause and an effect. True Love is the only feeling which is its own cause and its own effect. It is something illogical and yet above all logic. I Love her because I Love her, and I Love her so I Love her."- Prateek Kumar Singh
"I was nauseous and tingly all over. . . I was either in Love or I had smallpox."- Woody Allen
"Love seeks no cause beyond itself and no fruit; it is its own fruit, its own enjoyment. I love because I love; I love in order that I may love."- St. Bernard 1090-1153, French Theologian and Reformer
"Can't Buy Me Love!"- The Beatles
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."- 1 Corinthians 13:5-7
Here are some verses in the Bible that describe love:
1. Love is a commandment. (John 13:34)
2. Love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. (Rom 5:5)
3. Love is the fulfilling of the law. (Rom 13:10)
4. Love is the catalyst that gives meaning to speaking in tongues, to prophesying, to understanding, to faith, to charitable works, and to self-sacrifice. (1 Cor 13:1-3)
5. Love is kind. (1 Cor 13:4)
6. Love is greater than faith. (1 Cor 13:13)
7. Love is greater than hope. (1 Cor 13:13)
8. Love is the fruit of the Spirit. (Gal 5:22)
9. Love is the bond of perfectness. (Col 3:14)
10. Love is of God. (1 John 4:7)
11. Love is living according to God's commandments. (2 John 6)
Here are nine things that love does:
1. Love suffers long. (1 Cor 13:4)
2. Love rejoices in truth. (1 Cor 13:6)
3. Love bears all things. (1 Cor 13:7)
4. Love believes all things. (1 Cor 13:7)
5. Love hopes all things. (1 Cor 13:7)
6. Love endures all things. (1 Cor 13:7)
7. Love abides now. (1 Cor 13:13)
8. Love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Pet 4:8)
9. Perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18)
My Two Cents (as of present):
If God is Love, then when we search for what love is, we should be searching for who God is.
So then, what is the nature of love? We know that God is love and that he is the ultimate source of all love. So what about God's character can shine some light on how love works?
One Way Love
I have always wondered if true love could ever be "true" if only one person in a relationship actually loved the other. Then upon studying my favorite piece of scripture, 1 Corinthians 13:5-7, I realized that a one sided love is possible because love "is not self-seeking". Love doesn’t expect anything in return, and therefore true love can be a one sided street.
So where does that leave us? Are we to love everyone, even if they don’t love us back? Loving takes a lot of energy, especially in a one sided relationship where love is not being returned. These one sided love relationships are draining because we do not get something back to help keep our "stock" up. Sometimes we eventually get to the point where we have no love left to give.
I know that this whole loving on a one way street thing is hard and draining, but just like a miner after he sells all of his gold in town goes back out to the mine, we too must return to loves source. GOD IS LOVE. God promises that if we go to him he will provide. He will pour into us enough love so that we can continue on in loving others.
Love: The Two Way Street Type
Ok, so we've kind of talked a bit about "one sided" love. But the more trivial part for us here and now is relational love. We know that the best relationship between a father and son, or a mother and daughter, or a man and a woman in marriage etc. is a mutual love. Two way love is freakin sweet and it shows. Two people can get through anything when they have two way true love (twtl) going on. In fact, if there were more married couples in the world today who had "twtl", then I bet you that the divorce rates would be significantly lower then they are now.
And that is what we are all looking for isn't it… our own TWTL. But how do we find it? Or, how do we even know if we have found it? It’s a trivial process that I'll try and figure out another day when I am not sick and laying in bed. But it is a process that we all go through. Well ok, I lied just earlier when I said I wasn’t going to try and figure this out…cause now I have my own interest. It will be quick, and probably not revolutionary, but I will say it anyway. And I'll do it the best way I know how… using an analogy…
The Love Artist
When an artist paints on a canvas he does so using certain brush strokes, colours, paint types, and brushes. Each painting could be created uniquely, one could be of a flower using water colours and a large brush, and the next of a city street corner using oil based paint and a smaller more detailed brush. These two paintings may look very different from each other, but there will be certain simularities. There will be simulartities because despite the different styles of the paintings, they were created by the same artist. If one was well aquainted with the artist and his or her style, one would most likely be able to pick out which paintings were painted by this particular artist.
Why are there so many similar things in our world? Most animals breath oxygen, have two eyes, some sort of nose or nasal cavity. Plants seem to need sugar and sunlight to survive no matter what species they are. Everything biological needs water to survive, no matter what it is. I could go on with all the things that science has discovered about this world that show us how everything is so closely related. I believe that everything is so similar because it was all created by the same artist. God's handprints are all over the place and we can see his same "artistic" style through out all creation, man, beast, or vegetation. Anyways, my point is that the art of a artist reveals some qualities about him/her that are constant.Take music for another example. Listen to every single U2 album that has ever been released. There are a lot of simularities between their albums. And that is the same with Coldpay, Creed, Metallica, Rush, Queen, or any other band. They may be different songs on different albums, but for the most part a U2 song is a U2 song, and a Metallica song is a Metallica song…you know what I mean. Each artist has their own style that transcends all of their music. And people that like U2 or that like Rush, like them because of that style. And when they go out to look for music they take the style (or styles) that they like and listen to music until they find something that fits that style and then they buy it.
Ok, let me kind of tie this all together here. What I have been trying to say (more or less) is that any artist has a style that goes beyond any one work and that people who know this style will recognize it. God is no different, he too has a style. And if the term "God is Love" isn't atleast a partial definition of His style then I don’t know what would be. My last point was that people who appreciate a certain style will recognize it and if they see a pattern of it (like in the music of a certain band) they will subscribe to that band.I
n conclusion I would like to say this about love. God is love. Therefore if you honestly and wholeheartedly love God and pursue His will for your life, then others (like that special someone that you may be looking for ;) who are wanting the same thing, such as true love, will recognize "God's style" in your life. Because God is your artist, and if you let his style shine through then others who are after Gods style will be attracted to you.
So instead of always being focused on finding your true love…(sometimes so focused that you go crazy)… focus on who you are in Christ…because eventually, if it is meant to be, your true love will recognize Christ living in you and then the rest will be history.
PS - May God bless you in your journey to find true love…cause you'll need it ;)- Jordan
One day I would really like to write a book or two, or do a PhD. on love. Because if God is love, then I believe that the more we learn about love, the more we discover about our creator and vise versa. It is a huge concept and one that most people largely misunderstand. I would love to let God reveal to me His love and what it means to Him!
"Love is a feeling directed at someone which acknowledges their goodness."- Dr. John Gray
"The willful intent to serve the well being of another."
"To describe love is very difficult, for the same reason that words cannot fully describe the flavor of an orange. You have to taste the fruit to know its flavor. So with love."- Paramahansa Yogananda
"Love is the ability and willingness to allow those you care for to be what they choose for themselves, without any insistence that they satisfy you."- Leo Buscaglia
"When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't Love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still Love you, they Love you even more."- Matthew - age 7
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."- Mary Ann - age 4
"Logic says everything in this world has a cause and an effect. True Love is the only feeling which is its own cause and its own effect. It is something illogical and yet above all logic. I Love her because I Love her, and I Love her so I Love her."- Prateek Kumar Singh
"I was nauseous and tingly all over. . . I was either in Love or I had smallpox."- Woody Allen
"Love seeks no cause beyond itself and no fruit; it is its own fruit, its own enjoyment. I love because I love; I love in order that I may love."- St. Bernard 1090-1153, French Theologian and Reformer
"Can't Buy Me Love!"- The Beatles
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."- 1 Corinthians 13:5-7
Here are some verses in the Bible that describe love:
1. Love is a commandment. (John 13:34)
2. Love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. (Rom 5:5)
3. Love is the fulfilling of the law. (Rom 13:10)
4. Love is the catalyst that gives meaning to speaking in tongues, to prophesying, to understanding, to faith, to charitable works, and to self-sacrifice. (1 Cor 13:1-3)
5. Love is kind. (1 Cor 13:4)
6. Love is greater than faith. (1 Cor 13:13)
7. Love is greater than hope. (1 Cor 13:13)
8. Love is the fruit of the Spirit. (Gal 5:22)
9. Love is the bond of perfectness. (Col 3:14)
10. Love is of God. (1 John 4:7)
11. Love is living according to God's commandments. (2 John 6)
Here are nine things that love does:
1. Love suffers long. (1 Cor 13:4)
2. Love rejoices in truth. (1 Cor 13:6)
3. Love bears all things. (1 Cor 13:7)
4. Love believes all things. (1 Cor 13:7)
5. Love hopes all things. (1 Cor 13:7)
6. Love endures all things. (1 Cor 13:7)
7. Love abides now. (1 Cor 13:13)
8. Love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Pet 4:8)
9. Perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18)
My Two Cents (as of present):
If God is Love, then when we search for what love is, we should be searching for who God is.
So then, what is the nature of love? We know that God is love and that he is the ultimate source of all love. So what about God's character can shine some light on how love works?
One Way Love
I have always wondered if true love could ever be "true" if only one person in a relationship actually loved the other. Then upon studying my favorite piece of scripture, 1 Corinthians 13:5-7, I realized that a one sided love is possible because love "is not self-seeking". Love doesn’t expect anything in return, and therefore true love can be a one sided street.
So where does that leave us? Are we to love everyone, even if they don’t love us back? Loving takes a lot of energy, especially in a one sided relationship where love is not being returned. These one sided love relationships are draining because we do not get something back to help keep our "stock" up. Sometimes we eventually get to the point where we have no love left to give.
I know that this whole loving on a one way street thing is hard and draining, but just like a miner after he sells all of his gold in town goes back out to the mine, we too must return to loves source. GOD IS LOVE. God promises that if we go to him he will provide. He will pour into us enough love so that we can continue on in loving others.
Love: The Two Way Street Type
Ok, so we've kind of talked a bit about "one sided" love. But the more trivial part for us here and now is relational love. We know that the best relationship between a father and son, or a mother and daughter, or a man and a woman in marriage etc. is a mutual love. Two way love is freakin sweet and it shows. Two people can get through anything when they have two way true love (twtl) going on. In fact, if there were more married couples in the world today who had "twtl", then I bet you that the divorce rates would be significantly lower then they are now.
And that is what we are all looking for isn't it… our own TWTL. But how do we find it? Or, how do we even know if we have found it? It’s a trivial process that I'll try and figure out another day when I am not sick and laying in bed. But it is a process that we all go through. Well ok, I lied just earlier when I said I wasn’t going to try and figure this out…cause now I have my own interest. It will be quick, and probably not revolutionary, but I will say it anyway. And I'll do it the best way I know how… using an analogy…
The Love Artist
When an artist paints on a canvas he does so using certain brush strokes, colours, paint types, and brushes. Each painting could be created uniquely, one could be of a flower using water colours and a large brush, and the next of a city street corner using oil based paint and a smaller more detailed brush. These two paintings may look very different from each other, but there will be certain simularities. There will be simulartities because despite the different styles of the paintings, they were created by the same artist. If one was well aquainted with the artist and his or her style, one would most likely be able to pick out which paintings were painted by this particular artist.
Why are there so many similar things in our world? Most animals breath oxygen, have two eyes, some sort of nose or nasal cavity. Plants seem to need sugar and sunlight to survive no matter what species they are. Everything biological needs water to survive, no matter what it is. I could go on with all the things that science has discovered about this world that show us how everything is so closely related. I believe that everything is so similar because it was all created by the same artist. God's handprints are all over the place and we can see his same "artistic" style through out all creation, man, beast, or vegetation. Anyways, my point is that the art of a artist reveals some qualities about him/her that are constant.Take music for another example. Listen to every single U2 album that has ever been released. There are a lot of simularities between their albums. And that is the same with Coldpay, Creed, Metallica, Rush, Queen, or any other band. They may be different songs on different albums, but for the most part a U2 song is a U2 song, and a Metallica song is a Metallica song…you know what I mean. Each artist has their own style that transcends all of their music. And people that like U2 or that like Rush, like them because of that style. And when they go out to look for music they take the style (or styles) that they like and listen to music until they find something that fits that style and then they buy it.
Ok, let me kind of tie this all together here. What I have been trying to say (more or less) is that any artist has a style that goes beyond any one work and that people who know this style will recognize it. God is no different, he too has a style. And if the term "God is Love" isn't atleast a partial definition of His style then I don’t know what would be. My last point was that people who appreciate a certain style will recognize it and if they see a pattern of it (like in the music of a certain band) they will subscribe to that band.I
n conclusion I would like to say this about love. God is love. Therefore if you honestly and wholeheartedly love God and pursue His will for your life, then others (like that special someone that you may be looking for ;) who are wanting the same thing, such as true love, will recognize "God's style" in your life. Because God is your artist, and if you let his style shine through then others who are after Gods style will be attracted to you.
So instead of always being focused on finding your true love…(sometimes so focused that you go crazy)… focus on who you are in Christ…because eventually, if it is meant to be, your true love will recognize Christ living in you and then the rest will be history.
PS - May God bless you in your journey to find true love…cause you'll need it ;)- Jordan
One day I would really like to write a book or two, or do a PhD. on love. Because if God is love, then I believe that the more we learn about love, the more we discover about our creator and vise versa. It is a huge concept and one that most people largely misunderstand. I would love to let God reveal to me His love and what it means to Him!
Late One Night...
One night I was kept away from sleep for some unknown reason. As per usual, I started to think about things that never seem to quite make sense unless I am half asleep.
I thought about the relationship between faith and science, relative truth and ultimate truth. I then started to write a bunch of stuff down, not really noticing much of a connection between the many concepts or ideas that I wrote. They go as follows, and please excuse me if they don't make any sense, because they don't make complete sense to me, and I certainly have not brought all of these ideas together wholeistically.
STATEMENT 1:
Reason: "The basis or motive for an action, decision, or conviction." (dictionary.com)
"Faith is our reasoning before logic, logic is our reasoning before truth, and truth is the end result of proper reasoning. Then the conclusive truth that is reached must become reason itself."
STATEMENT 2:
The def. of subjectivity is - Proceeding from or taking place in a person's mind rather than the external world. (dictionary.com)
Therefore...
"Truth must start with subjectivity but continue on and be tested with proper reasoning, or else ultimate truth will never be realized. For if we do not properly study the truths that surround us we will not come to a factual conclusion regarding our assumption of ultimate truth. This assumption of ultimate truth must be made before one can wholeistically think theologically or philosophically. Whether the assumed UT is correct or not is unimportant. As long as one comes to the true conclusion regarding their assumption."
- We all make assumptions, all the time. When we see how a stranger that passes us on the street is dressed, we assume something about him. When we take a course in university, we may have no idea what it is about, or maybe we think we know exactly what it is about, either way we assume that the course will be layed out and taught a certian way. In EVERYTHING we do we make assumptions...I guess we are all asses! :P
I thought about the relationship between faith and science, relative truth and ultimate truth. I then started to write a bunch of stuff down, not really noticing much of a connection between the many concepts or ideas that I wrote. They go as follows, and please excuse me if they don't make any sense, because they don't make complete sense to me, and I certainly have not brought all of these ideas together wholeistically.
STATEMENT 1:
Reason: "The basis or motive for an action, decision, or conviction." (dictionary.com)
"Faith is our reasoning before logic, logic is our reasoning before truth, and truth is the end result of proper reasoning. Then the conclusive truth that is reached must become reason itself."
STATEMENT 2:
The def. of subjectivity is - Proceeding from or taking place in a person's mind rather than the external world. (dictionary.com)
Therefore...
"Truth must start with subjectivity but continue on and be tested with proper reasoning, or else ultimate truth will never be realized. For if we do not properly study the truths that surround us we will not come to a factual conclusion regarding our assumption of ultimate truth. This assumption of ultimate truth must be made before one can wholeistically think theologically or philosophically. Whether the assumed UT is correct or not is unimportant. As long as one comes to the true conclusion regarding their assumption."
- We all make assumptions, all the time. When we see how a stranger that passes us on the street is dressed, we assume something about him. When we take a course in university, we may have no idea what it is about, or maybe we think we know exactly what it is about, either way we assume that the course will be layed out and taught a certian way. In EVERYTHING we do we make assumptions...I guess we are all asses! :P
Einsteins Theory of Relativity, Uber interesting.
The Relativity of Simultaneity
By altering your state of motion you can change your perception of "now".
The sports car, laser experiment. (L=laser)
.............(Observer IN)
( Magazines -----L------ Newspapers )
---------(Observer OUT)
The Car accelerates and at a certain point the laser inside the care (in between the magazines and newspapers) fires both directions towards the two stacks. The Observer inside the vehicle witnesses both stacks go up in flames at the same time. Whereas the observer outside the vehicle witnesses the laser reaching the magazines first before the newspapers. Thus creating two different versions of "now".
Very interesting…
- "How can the past and the future be when the past no longer is and the future is not yet? As for the present, if it were always present and never moved on to become the past, it would not be time, but eternity." - Augustine
- "The humans live in time but our Enemy (God) destines them to eternity. He therefore, I believe, wants them ot attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time which they call the Present. For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity. Of the present moment, and of it only, humans have an experience analogous to the experience which our Enemy has of reality as a whole; in it alone freedom and actuality are offered them." - C.S. Lewis' character Screwtape in "The Screwtape Letters"
-"Carpe Diem! Seize the day!"
By altering your state of motion you can change your perception of "now".
The sports car, laser experiment. (L=laser)
.............(Observer IN)
( Magazines -----L------ Newspapers )
---------(Observer OUT)
The Car accelerates and at a certain point the laser inside the care (in between the magazines and newspapers) fires both directions towards the two stacks. The Observer inside the vehicle witnesses both stacks go up in flames at the same time. Whereas the observer outside the vehicle witnesses the laser reaching the magazines first before the newspapers. Thus creating two different versions of "now".
Very interesting…
- "How can the past and the future be when the past no longer is and the future is not yet? As for the present, if it were always present and never moved on to become the past, it would not be time, but eternity." - Augustine
- "The humans live in time but our Enemy (God) destines them to eternity. He therefore, I believe, wants them ot attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time which they call the Present. For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity. Of the present moment, and of it only, humans have an experience analogous to the experience which our Enemy has of reality as a whole; in it alone freedom and actuality are offered them." - C.S. Lewis' character Screwtape in "The Screwtape Letters"
-"Carpe Diem! Seize the day!"
These Walls (Oh Lord)
These walls surround me,
I cant see beyond
Bright light and fresh breeze,
Both seem to be gone
These walls that I’ve built,
Aren’t even that strong
They all come down,
At first moment of wrong
But your house oh Lord,
has walls of mighty strength
My walls of the world,
yours of mercy and grace
Which house will I choose,
Of straw or of stone,
My own inhibitions,
Or your mighty throne.
Chorus:
I put my trust in thee (only you)
Tear down these walls for me (give me peace)
All that I cannot see (oh Lord)
Tear down these walls for me
When I look to your name
I realize jesus came
My debt to pay has seized
All part of his masterpiece
So I come to you in faith
Burdened by the task.
To break down these walls
That I have built to last,
Your spirit oh lord,
I pray that it would come,
And like a great wind,
Blow down what I have done
Strengthen with your spirit
Ground us in your love
For you have shown us this
In everything you’ve done
Its unpredictable
When stumbling blocks come
But the peace you leave me
Can only come from the son
Music and Lyrics written by Matt O'shea and Jordan Todd
- You have one that is powerful,
Like a destructive wind
He will throw down these walls,
And relieve me of my sin.
(Isaiah 28;2)
I cant see beyond
Bright light and fresh breeze,
Both seem to be gone
These walls that I’ve built,
Aren’t even that strong
They all come down,
At first moment of wrong
But your house oh Lord,
has walls of mighty strength
My walls of the world,
yours of mercy and grace
Which house will I choose,
Of straw or of stone,
My own inhibitions,
Or your mighty throne.
Chorus:
I put my trust in thee (only you)
Tear down these walls for me (give me peace)
All that I cannot see (oh Lord)
Tear down these walls for me
When I look to your name
I realize jesus came
My debt to pay has seized
All part of his masterpiece
So I come to you in faith
Burdened by the task.
To break down these walls
That I have built to last,
Your spirit oh lord,
I pray that it would come,
And like a great wind,
Blow down what I have done
Strengthen with your spirit
Ground us in your love
For you have shown us this
In everything you’ve done
Its unpredictable
When stumbling blocks come
But the peace you leave me
Can only come from the son
Music and Lyrics written by Matt O'shea and Jordan Todd
- You have one that is powerful,
Like a destructive wind
He will throw down these walls,
And relieve me of my sin.
(Isaiah 28;2)
Endless Sacrifice
Cold
Lying in my bed
Staring into darkness
Lost
I hear footsteps overhead
And my thoughts return
Again
Like a child who's run away
And won't be coming back
Time keeps passing by
As night turns into day
I'm so far away
And so alone
I need to see Your face
To keep me sane
To make me whole
Try to stay alive
Until I hear Your voice
I'm gonna lose my mind
Someone tell me why
I chose this life
This superficial lie
Constant compromise
Endless sacrifice
Pain
It saddens me to know
The helplessness You feel
Your lightShines on my soul
While a thousand candles
Burn
Outside this barren room
The rain is pouring down
The emptiness inside
Is growing deeper still
You're so far away
And so alone
You long for love's embrace
To keep you sane
To make you whole
Try to stay alive
Until I hear Your voice
I'm gonna lose my mind
Someone tell me why
I chose this life
This superficial lie
Constant compromise
Endless sacrifice
Moments wasted
Isolated
Time escaping
Endless sacrifice
Moments wasted
Isolated
Time escaping
Endless sacrifice
Over the distance
We try to make sense
Of surviving together
While living apart
Striving for balance
We rise to the challenge
Of staying connected
In spite of circumstance
All You've forsaken
And all that You've done
So that I could live out
This undying dream
Won't be forgotten
Or taken for granted
I'll always remember
Your endless sacrifice
- These lyrics make up one of my favorite DT songs.
Lying in my bed
Staring into darkness
Lost
I hear footsteps overhead
And my thoughts return
Again
Like a child who's run away
And won't be coming back
Time keeps passing by
As night turns into day
I'm so far away
And so alone
I need to see Your face
To keep me sane
To make me whole
Try to stay alive
Until I hear Your voice
I'm gonna lose my mind
Someone tell me why
I chose this life
This superficial lie
Constant compromise
Endless sacrifice
Pain
It saddens me to know
The helplessness You feel
Your lightShines on my soul
While a thousand candles
Burn
Outside this barren room
The rain is pouring down
The emptiness inside
Is growing deeper still
You're so far away
And so alone
You long for love's embrace
To keep you sane
To make you whole
Try to stay alive
Until I hear Your voice
I'm gonna lose my mind
Someone tell me why
I chose this life
This superficial lie
Constant compromise
Endless sacrifice
Moments wasted
Isolated
Time escaping
Endless sacrifice
Moments wasted
Isolated
Time escaping
Endless sacrifice
Over the distance
We try to make sense
Of surviving together
While living apart
Striving for balance
We rise to the challenge
Of staying connected
In spite of circumstance
All You've forsaken
And all that You've done
So that I could live out
This undying dream
Won't be forgotten
Or taken for granted
I'll always remember
Your endless sacrifice
- These lyrics make up one of my favorite DT songs.
A Psalm
The other night I was thinking about you.
Your warmth, love, and authority.
I owe everything to you...
everything that I own,
everyone that I have,
and every dream that I dream.
You are responsible for my life and I am grateful,
but is it wrong to want more?
I have been blessed so much,
yet I still ask for more.
Sometimes I feel like I am asking for to much,
yet at other times not enough.
You are creater of all things and therefore
I should ask you for everything,
but sometimes I feel like I dont deserve it.
In fact I never deserve any blessing that you give me,
but I still expect them because I know that you love me.
Regardless I still look up into the sky and ask for your guidence and for your blessing.
I rest myself in your arms of grace, knowing that you will make me whatever it is that I am to be.
Though I grow impatient, you are patient with me.
I am constantly unfaithful, but you beleive in me.
I cant see past this very hour,
but you see everything that has happened,
is happening,
and will happen.
In you I will trust.
Your warmth, love, and authority.
I owe everything to you...
everything that I own,
everyone that I have,
and every dream that I dream.
You are responsible for my life and I am grateful,
but is it wrong to want more?
I have been blessed so much,
yet I still ask for more.
Sometimes I feel like I am asking for to much,
yet at other times not enough.
You are creater of all things and therefore
I should ask you for everything,
but sometimes I feel like I dont deserve it.
In fact I never deserve any blessing that you give me,
but I still expect them because I know that you love me.
Regardless I still look up into the sky and ask for your guidence and for your blessing.
I rest myself in your arms of grace, knowing that you will make me whatever it is that I am to be.
Though I grow impatient, you are patient with me.
I am constantly unfaithful, but you beleive in me.
I cant see past this very hour,
but you see everything that has happened,
is happening,
and will happen.
In you I will trust.
J Quoteables #1
"Faith is our reasoning before logic, logic our reasoning before truth, and truth is the end result of proper reasoning."
"In the pursuit for ultimate truth we start by asking why and end with the answer why. We start with why faith (hypothesis) and end with why answer (conclusion). Every other question, including how, what, and where come in between."
"I have faith that God is ultimate truth. As I study the truths that surround me I conclude that the Christian Bible is a logical explanation of who God is. Therefore I believe that the Bible is not a book of faith, but instead a book of logic that explains the source of reason in my life."
"In order to find ultimate truth we must assume one. Then we must strive to prove whether or not our assumed ultimate truth makes logical sense based on truths that we witness through out our time on earth. If our assumed truth is proven faulty, then we must assume another. For we are unable to assume nothing and then come to any fair conclusion, let alone a conclusive ultimate truth.."
"In the pursuit for ultimate truth we start by asking why and end with the answer why. We start with why faith (hypothesis) and end with why answer (conclusion). Every other question, including how, what, and where come in between."
"I have faith that God is ultimate truth. As I study the truths that surround me I conclude that the Christian Bible is a logical explanation of who God is. Therefore I believe that the Bible is not a book of faith, but instead a book of logic that explains the source of reason in my life."
"In order to find ultimate truth we must assume one. Then we must strive to prove whether or not our assumed ultimate truth makes logical sense based on truths that we witness through out our time on earth. If our assumed truth is proven faulty, then we must assume another. For we are unable to assume nothing and then come to any fair conclusion, let alone a conclusive ultimate truth.."
Apologetics
How do we approach others with the Gospel? This question has been debated about for years and is one that people think a lot about or don't think about at all.
I've sat in on a few debates about apologetics and I hear two very clear and very extreme opinions. I've heard fellow Christians say that: "We should not be afraid to voice the truth about God! We should not shy away from the Gospel! We should never worry about offending someone when we speak the truth!" I also hear fellow Christians say that: "We shouldn't force ourselves on others. If people ask about Jesus Christ, then we should tell them, but we have no right to get into peoples faces with our beliefs."
Should we be confident, forceful, and sometimes even offensive to others when communicating the Gospel? Or, should we be passive and only talk about our beliefs when someone else asks us about them? I don't believe that it is a question of whether or not we are to be "offensive" or "defensive".
Those who believe in the "offensive' approach usually quote scripture that talks about Jesus turning over the market place tables in the temple courts. (Matthew 21:12-13) "12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13"It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,'[e] but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'[f]"" Or they refer to verses such as Matthew 3:7, 12:34, 23:33, or Luke 3:7. These verses are examples of when Jesus accused people of being "brood of vipers". These are examples in scripture of when Jesus was forceful, offensive, and direct in his ministry. So, some say that because Jesus is like that, we should do the same because we are called to be Christ-like.
Those who believe in the "defensive" approach usually quote scripture that talks about loving your neighbour. "The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Romans 13:9) "Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13:10). Or they refer to verses such as Leviticus 19:18, Zechariah 8:17, Matthew 5:43, 19:19, 22:39, Mark 12:31, 12:32-34, Luke 10:27, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8, James 2:8. They say that because we are to 'love our neighbour" we have to avoid being forceful or offending others.
Now again, I do not believe that it is a question of whether or not we are to be "offensive" or "defensive" when proclaiming truth. I believe that in realizing one of Christ's greatest gifts we find the answer to the question of apologetics. The gift that I am referring to is understanding. Jesus Christ as the son of God had an ultimate understanding of truth in creation as well as the truth of God's character. Every single person he met and interacted with he knew. He knew who they were and where they were coming from. He understood them, how they thought, how they related to others, what they believed, and what they were gifted in and not gifted in. And, because he knew these things, because he had a clear understanding of the person and the situation, he could approach relationship and communicate to any person in the most effective way. He understood them and because of his understanding he knew how to communicate the Gospel in a way that was specific and most efficient. So when Jesus preached about hell and made accusations, and when he pointed his finger and got angry with someone, or when he showed someone mercy and grace, and when he invited sinners into his house he did so with full knowledge and understanding of that person. So when, where, how, and to whom Jesus preached the good news to, he did so with full consideration of the person or audience.
Now I realize that Jesus was and is the son of God, so his understanding of others was and is far greater then ours is. However, I think that because we are called to be Christ-like, we should strive for a greater and deeper understanding of others that we are sharing the gospel message to. We should consider others in regards to who they are, where they came from, what their world view is, etc. before we through the Gospel message in their face. Now I know that in passing we meet people that we should share the gospel with and that it is not always possible to know and understand someone in passing. We should then treat those situations with great care. I believe that our knowledge and understanding about someone has a direct connection to how accountable we are in explaining the gospel. We must strive to understand others around us, and then reveal more and more about the truth that we have come to know through Christ to them. This is how God relates to us. God knows where we are and where we have been, and he treats us accordingly. He also reveals more about himself to us when we grow deeper in our relationship with him.
My prayer for you is that you would strive to understand and love the people around you. Treat each person specifically, because everyone is created unique and special by God. Truth is universal, so don't be afraid to communicate it in different ways to different people.
"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." - Galileo
"You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him discover it in himself." - Galileo
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." – Galileo
I've sat in on a few debates about apologetics and I hear two very clear and very extreme opinions. I've heard fellow Christians say that: "We should not be afraid to voice the truth about God! We should not shy away from the Gospel! We should never worry about offending someone when we speak the truth!" I also hear fellow Christians say that: "We shouldn't force ourselves on others. If people ask about Jesus Christ, then we should tell them, but we have no right to get into peoples faces with our beliefs."
Should we be confident, forceful, and sometimes even offensive to others when communicating the Gospel? Or, should we be passive and only talk about our beliefs when someone else asks us about them? I don't believe that it is a question of whether or not we are to be "offensive" or "defensive".
Those who believe in the "offensive' approach usually quote scripture that talks about Jesus turning over the market place tables in the temple courts. (Matthew 21:12-13) "12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13"It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,'[e] but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'[f]"" Or they refer to verses such as Matthew 3:7, 12:34, 23:33, or Luke 3:7. These verses are examples of when Jesus accused people of being "brood of vipers". These are examples in scripture of when Jesus was forceful, offensive, and direct in his ministry. So, some say that because Jesus is like that, we should do the same because we are called to be Christ-like.
Those who believe in the "defensive" approach usually quote scripture that talks about loving your neighbour. "The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Romans 13:9) "Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13:10). Or they refer to verses such as Leviticus 19:18, Zechariah 8:17, Matthew 5:43, 19:19, 22:39, Mark 12:31, 12:32-34, Luke 10:27, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8, James 2:8. They say that because we are to 'love our neighbour" we have to avoid being forceful or offending others.
Now again, I do not believe that it is a question of whether or not we are to be "offensive" or "defensive" when proclaiming truth. I believe that in realizing one of Christ's greatest gifts we find the answer to the question of apologetics. The gift that I am referring to is understanding. Jesus Christ as the son of God had an ultimate understanding of truth in creation as well as the truth of God's character. Every single person he met and interacted with he knew. He knew who they were and where they were coming from. He understood them, how they thought, how they related to others, what they believed, and what they were gifted in and not gifted in. And, because he knew these things, because he had a clear understanding of the person and the situation, he could approach relationship and communicate to any person in the most effective way. He understood them and because of his understanding he knew how to communicate the Gospel in a way that was specific and most efficient. So when Jesus preached about hell and made accusations, and when he pointed his finger and got angry with someone, or when he showed someone mercy and grace, and when he invited sinners into his house he did so with full knowledge and understanding of that person. So when, where, how, and to whom Jesus preached the good news to, he did so with full consideration of the person or audience.
Now I realize that Jesus was and is the son of God, so his understanding of others was and is far greater then ours is. However, I think that because we are called to be Christ-like, we should strive for a greater and deeper understanding of others that we are sharing the gospel message to. We should consider others in regards to who they are, where they came from, what their world view is, etc. before we through the Gospel message in their face. Now I know that in passing we meet people that we should share the gospel with and that it is not always possible to know and understand someone in passing. We should then treat those situations with great care. I believe that our knowledge and understanding about someone has a direct connection to how accountable we are in explaining the gospel. We must strive to understand others around us, and then reveal more and more about the truth that we have come to know through Christ to them. This is how God relates to us. God knows where we are and where we have been, and he treats us accordingly. He also reveals more about himself to us when we grow deeper in our relationship with him.
My prayer for you is that you would strive to understand and love the people around you. Treat each person specifically, because everyone is created unique and special by God. Truth is universal, so don't be afraid to communicate it in different ways to different people.
"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." - Galileo
"You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him discover it in himself." - Galileo
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." – Galileo
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