The other day I was over at a resort snowboarding. As always I was working on learning new tricks or improving ones I already knew. This day I decided I would finally try and land my first switch backside 540 single cork. Now I'm sure that means little to you who are reading this, but just see where I'm going.
I had tried the trick last year at the end of the season and this year I attempted it before, but I kept on landing on my stomach. One day I decided to ask one of the guys I knew could cork for some tips and suggestions. I found out that one of the main things I was doing wrong was I would open up and let my arms and legs out. What I needed to do instead was to keep my body compressed.
This is what I thought and how I felt while trying to land this trick. - I was ready to take off and it all felt pretty comfortable, I was confidant, and had faith in the advise I was given. As I left the snow and flipped around in the air my thoughts started to change, I started to feel uncomfortable I started to doubt whether I was doing it right, I doubted whether or not the advice I was given was correct. I decided to trust my fears and think I was right and knew what I was doing. I opened up and once again practically fell on my stomach almost getting the trick, but still too far away to land.
Recently I have happened to realize that the process I went through while flipping in the air is very much like a process I go through in life.
I read God's Word and see how He is so good those He loves. I realize that I can trust Him with my life, He knows what is best for me. Then when I have my newfound trust and faith in what God says in His word about His caring love, I go and try a "new trick". I realize that what God has said about His faithful care is true and it feels good, but then He does something I don't feel comfortable with. I then start to think that what I know is good, is good. However, God has a different plan that is so much better even if it doesn't seem so at first. If I start to trust myself and go my own way trusting in my own knowledge I will just belly flop again. However, if I decide to hang in there, have faith in what God is doing in my life I will come around and see that He was right all along. I will know that He is good. I will know I can trust Him with my life.
Are you going to trust God to care for you, or are you going to believe in yourself? We should profoundly realize that God knows best and He has the best planned for us. We may not see it that way because we don't normally like going through hard times, but in the end when you land, once again you will know that God greatly loves you. His purpose for your life is so much greater than any attempt at a good life we can make.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Controller or Controlled? - The One About Technology -
Over the past few months or so I have thought more and more about the influences of technology on culture and people. Just over the past decade crazy advances in technology have occurred. At this point in time just about everybody has a cell phone, a computer, and maybe a tablet. Now of course not everybody has a cell phone, but many do and I think I can also say that at least 50% of those who have cell phones have smart phones. They also rely on them quite heavily. I remember back in 2008 when I first held an iPhone, I remember thinking it was really cool, but I didn't think there was much of a reason to have one. I thought that you wouldn't really need all those features in normal practical life.
Less seven years from the time that phone was released in 2007 we now wonder how we live without our smart phones. How did that happen? How does something that seems maybe useful, but completely unnecessary later become so "necessary"? The labeling of an item as a necessity is merely a result of the changing of our minds ability to understand life with or without the said item.
Cell phones, computers, laptops and other advances in computer technology are quite useful. They help us to accomplish things faster and easier. They make it possible to accomplish certain feats and gain more knowledge. However, the overuse or incorrect usage of such technology isn't good for anyone.
I don't really have a cell phone, but from my observations of others that do I have come to the realization that cellphones are really a bother. At any moment of the day and even the night anyone can get a hold of you. That is nice for important things and predicaments of emergency, but that also means that whenever you hear your phone ring or ding you feel compelled and obligated to look at what it may be. If you don't believe me just try and not look at that notification on your twitter, facebook, and whatever else. Most likely its not important anyways.
I also have another hypothesis about the affect of cell phones and technology on us. I feel like we may be becoming more forgetful and easily distracted. Here is why; when you are reminded at the right time when you need to do something by your devise why do you need to exercise your brain's ability to remember? When we are so easily distracted by the ding of a notification, how do we not get distracted when it comes to anything else? I know this for myself really. I think that our giving in to all the distractions online is changing out mindset to a point where we have a hard time focusing on anything. Is it causing us to get distracted easier when reading God's Word or hearing the sermon at church? Have we given control over to our devise?
I'm not saying we should all get rid of our cell phones, tablets, and computers, but I'm saying that we should evaluate how the presence of such devices affects our lives and mindsets. Are we being distracted by our devises when we are focusing on something that is actually important, like living for God? Do we control our live, does God control our life, or do our devices somehow profoundly change us into someone we don't wish to be? Are we controlled by the very things we control?
Less seven years from the time that phone was released in 2007 we now wonder how we live without our smart phones. How did that happen? How does something that seems maybe useful, but completely unnecessary later become so "necessary"? The labeling of an item as a necessity is merely a result of the changing of our minds ability to understand life with or without the said item.
Cell phones, computers, laptops and other advances in computer technology are quite useful. They help us to accomplish things faster and easier. They make it possible to accomplish certain feats and gain more knowledge. However, the overuse or incorrect usage of such technology isn't good for anyone.
I don't really have a cell phone, but from my observations of others that do I have come to the realization that cellphones are really a bother. At any moment of the day and even the night anyone can get a hold of you. That is nice for important things and predicaments of emergency, but that also means that whenever you hear your phone ring or ding you feel compelled and obligated to look at what it may be. If you don't believe me just try and not look at that notification on your twitter, facebook, and whatever else. Most likely its not important anyways.
I also have another hypothesis about the affect of cell phones and technology on us. I feel like we may be becoming more forgetful and easily distracted. Here is why; when you are reminded at the right time when you need to do something by your devise why do you need to exercise your brain's ability to remember? When we are so easily distracted by the ding of a notification, how do we not get distracted when it comes to anything else? I know this for myself really. I think that our giving in to all the distractions online is changing out mindset to a point where we have a hard time focusing on anything. Is it causing us to get distracted easier when reading God's Word or hearing the sermon at church? Have we given control over to our devise?
I'm not saying we should all get rid of our cell phones, tablets, and computers, but I'm saying that we should evaluate how the presence of such devices affects our lives and mindsets. Are we being distracted by our devises when we are focusing on something that is actually important, like living for God? Do we control our live, does God control our life, or do our devices somehow profoundly change us into someone we don't wish to be? Are we controlled by the very things we control?
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
The Good Life
What is the big question we all as humans ask? Is it who we should marry, where to go to college, what we want to do for a living? Those all are big decisions that bring lots of big and hard questions, but I think that to encompass what we all wonder the question is; What is the good life? What I mean by the good life is the life that it worth it, that means something, and has purpose.
Something that I find to be interesting if I am right is we don't directly ask ourselves that question often. Even though we don't normally ask what the good life is we are always searching and trying to find it. Some think its being rich, others think its about doing good, being kind to others, saving the earth or whatever. I must say that while some of those practices are good, they are not and do not lead to the good life.
Do we really see what the good life is? Or are we blinded by what society tells us it is each and every day? Society and popular desire says that the good life is when you prosper, when life is plentiful, when life is fun, when you are famous, when you are known and loved because of what you do. The world tells us that the good life is about getting the best for ourselves. The world asks; Its our life isn't it, so we should do want we want and what makes us happy.
You know what I have found? I have found that the good life is when you are in deep harmonious relationship with Christ. He is the one who makes your life the good life. Furthermore my relationship with Christ is only right when it is no longer me living, but Christ living inside of me. I think we all as Christians have this problem, we think we know best and we think we know what the good life entails.
When we live out Christ's desires we are living the good life. When we see that it is not our own life, but Christ's we live not according to the flesh, but in connection with the Spirit and according to God's Word.
Christ's life is the standard for the good life, but we are unable to live it without Him because we are sinners. The closer we get to living for Christ, living in deep relationship with him, and living the life He lived on earth, the closer we get to living the good life. In reality the answer to the long asked question of what the good life is can be profoundly reduced to one the simple answer. The good life is when you are in deep harmonious relationship with Christ and are not living your own life, but the life that God has for you.
Something that I find to be interesting if I am right is we don't directly ask ourselves that question often. Even though we don't normally ask what the good life is we are always searching and trying to find it. Some think its being rich, others think its about doing good, being kind to others, saving the earth or whatever. I must say that while some of those practices are good, they are not and do not lead to the good life.
Do we really see what the good life is? Or are we blinded by what society tells us it is each and every day? Society and popular desire says that the good life is when you prosper, when life is plentiful, when life is fun, when you are famous, when you are known and loved because of what you do. The world tells us that the good life is about getting the best for ourselves. The world asks; Its our life isn't it, so we should do want we want and what makes us happy.
You know what I have found? I have found that the good life is when you are in deep harmonious relationship with Christ. He is the one who makes your life the good life. Furthermore my relationship with Christ is only right when it is no longer me living, but Christ living inside of me. I think we all as Christians have this problem, we think we know best and we think we know what the good life entails.
When we live out Christ's desires we are living the good life. When we see that it is not our own life, but Christ's we live not according to the flesh, but in connection with the Spirit and according to God's Word.
Christ's life is the standard for the good life, but we are unable to live it without Him because we are sinners. The closer we get to living for Christ, living in deep relationship with him, and living the life He lived on earth, the closer we get to living the good life. In reality the answer to the long asked question of what the good life is can be profoundly reduced to one the simple answer. The good life is when you are in deep harmonious relationship with Christ and are not living your own life, but the life that God has for you.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Our Accomplishments or God's?
As you probably already know I'm really into snowboarding. A few weeks ago was I started to care a lot about what I could do and what I needed to work on to achieve my goals. I wanted to get better at snowboarding. I wanted to get more famous. But, however much I tried to get better at snowboarding and land tricks I just couldn't do it.
Through that inability God showed me that He is the one who made me. He is the one who gave me the skills to snowboard. He is the one who allows me to be able to land tricks. He is the one who gave me the passion to snowboard and get better at it.
However, then when I would finally land a trick or do something right I would think I was pretty good at snowboarding. I began to worship an idol. The idol of my own abilities. I should instead worship God who gave me those abilities.
1 Corinthians 4:7
For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
This is your life, but God is the one who gave it to you. Will we use our lives for him? Will I use my snowboarding abilities for God or my own selfish gain? Is there anything in your life that you boast over when it is God who gave you that very thing?
We should profoundly realize that what we do is not by our own doing, but by what God does through us. What we accomplish is not a result of anything we can do on our own, but what we can do with God's help and guiding. God deserves all credit, honor, and worship not us.
Through that inability God showed me that He is the one who made me. He is the one who gave me the skills to snowboard. He is the one who allows me to be able to land tricks. He is the one who gave me the passion to snowboard and get better at it.
However, then when I would finally land a trick or do something right I would think I was pretty good at snowboarding. I began to worship an idol. The idol of my own abilities. I should instead worship God who gave me those abilities.
1 Corinthians 4:7
For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
This is your life, but God is the one who gave it to you. Will we use our lives for him? Will I use my snowboarding abilities for God or my own selfish gain? Is there anything in your life that you boast over when it is God who gave you that very thing?
We should profoundly realize that what we do is not by our own doing, but by what God does through us. What we accomplish is not a result of anything we can do on our own, but what we can do with God's help and guiding. God deserves all credit, honor, and worship not us.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Objects of Use? - Collaboration with Love Of Mine
A good friend of mine, who has a similar type of blog, and I decided it would be a good idea to collaborate on a blog post. We then decided the issue of objectification of women would be a great subject to both write a blog post about. That way readers could read about the subject from both a women's point of view and from a man's point of view. To read about the issue of objectification from a women's point of view go and read What Do We Believe is Beautiful? - Collab with Profoundnessity from her blog Love Of Mine.
As you know our world and society today is pretty messed up. Its not that these problems are anything new though, they started when sin entered the world. One of the problems I have thought about lately is how much men and society objectifies women in such a manner that they are more for pleasure and sexual desires than children of God.
I have recently realized how objectifying it is when guys talk about "getting girls." That really makes it seem like girls are just something to be acquired. In addition, what you are around all day, every day doesn't help that mindset to diminish. Tv shows show you that the epitome of a relationship is some physical contact. Music talks about the glamor and pleasures of a relationship with someone special. These are only two contributing examples, but they are partially what cause society to develop a mindset of objectification.
Do we blame the women for how they act and dress? Is what they are doing making us objectify them? The answer is usually yes, but should really be no.
116 Clique - Temptation
Sex is a gift from God but we've taken it and made it idolatry
We've taken it and put it in the place of God
And we worship it and so it comes out in all kinds of profane ways
And so we blame the women for what they're wearing
And we blame the media for what they're producing
But we never blame ourselves For how we've twisted God's gift to glorify us
Don't you think its pretty hypocritical of us men to be the ones pushing women to wear less clothing and act in sexual manners, but then we blame them for the problem we are encouraging to develop. Women wouldn't be wearing less and less clothing if us men didn't say we like it and give them attention for it. So we unknowingly pressure women to put themselves out there for us to "view" and therefore have caused the act of objectifying women.
Understand that it is not the world that is causing these problems and objectification. We are the ones who live on this earth, influence culture, and shape society. We are the ones who have warped the views and ideas built around sexuality and what it should be. Will we work on fixing the problems of objectifying women, or will we just point our fingers at everyone else, saying they are the ones who objectify?
When we as men objectify women we view them as an object, an object of use for pleasure and excitement. Women are not food. We don't use them to fulfill our hunger and then discard of them as if they have become waste. Women are made in God's image, they are made in the likeness of God. Women were made not to glorify and please us, but women are made to glorify God, the one who deserves all glory and honor.
As men we should stand against the warped ideas, practices, and views of women. When we look at women just to look at their beauty we are not loving them, but degrading them. Women are not objects of use, but God's daughters. We should profoundly treat them as daughters of God, with respect and Christ like love, not as objects for us to use.
As you know our world and society today is pretty messed up. Its not that these problems are anything new though, they started when sin entered the world. One of the problems I have thought about lately is how much men and society objectifies women in such a manner that they are more for pleasure and sexual desires than children of God.
I have recently realized how objectifying it is when guys talk about "getting girls." That really makes it seem like girls are just something to be acquired. In addition, what you are around all day, every day doesn't help that mindset to diminish. Tv shows show you that the epitome of a relationship is some physical contact. Music talks about the glamor and pleasures of a relationship with someone special. These are only two contributing examples, but they are partially what cause society to develop a mindset of objectification.
Do we blame the women for how they act and dress? Is what they are doing making us objectify them? The answer is usually yes, but should really be no.
116 Clique - Temptation
Sex is a gift from God but we've taken it and made it idolatry
We've taken it and put it in the place of God
And we worship it and so it comes out in all kinds of profane ways
And so we blame the women for what they're wearing
And we blame the media for what they're producing
But we never blame ourselves For how we've twisted God's gift to glorify us
Don't you think its pretty hypocritical of us men to be the ones pushing women to wear less clothing and act in sexual manners, but then we blame them for the problem we are encouraging to develop. Women wouldn't be wearing less and less clothing if us men didn't say we like it and give them attention for it. So we unknowingly pressure women to put themselves out there for us to "view" and therefore have caused the act of objectifying women.
Understand that it is not the world that is causing these problems and objectification. We are the ones who live on this earth, influence culture, and shape society. We are the ones who have warped the views and ideas built around sexuality and what it should be. Will we work on fixing the problems of objectifying women, or will we just point our fingers at everyone else, saying they are the ones who objectify?
When we as men objectify women we view them as an object, an object of use for pleasure and excitement. Women are not food. We don't use them to fulfill our hunger and then discard of them as if they have become waste. Women are made in God's image, they are made in the likeness of God. Women were made not to glorify and please us, but women are made to glorify God, the one who deserves all glory and honor.
As men we should stand against the warped ideas, practices, and views of women. When we look at women just to look at their beauty we are not loving them, but degrading them. Women are not objects of use, but God's daughters. We should profoundly treat them as daughters of God, with respect and Christ like love, not as objects for us to use.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Speaking Truth
For as long as I can remember I have always held telling the truth very high. I don't care if its a "white lie", cheating on a test, or bending the truth its still a lie.
James 5:12
Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.
There are times when I have overheard my friends talking about something. Due to the seriousness of what they said or were agreeing to, they had to swear by something for the other to believe the earnestness of the other person's words.
Whenever a friend of mine has asked me if I swear I'm telling the truth I have always have been hesitant or disagreed to. Since I have always tried to tell the truth I never understood why they would need extra confirmation. I think that is in a way what James is talking about. If we always try as best as we can to speak truth all the time we will never have to swear by anything to express our sincereness.
If we say that we speak truth, but indeed do not we are essentially taking away the validity of what we say is true. If our truth is not true how do know what is right and true? Our yes should mean yes and when we say no should mean no.
Not only is lying a sin, but when what you say isn't truth, how can anyone ever believe you? See lying is a big deal. "It doesn't matter if its just a "white lie" or bending of the truth" is a lie itself. It is important that others can trust what we say. If what we say isn't always true, why would others believe us when we say that Jesus died for them? We should strive to always be profoundly truthful so that we do not have to swear by anything to express our answers.
James 5:12
Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.
There are times when I have overheard my friends talking about something. Due to the seriousness of what they said or were agreeing to, they had to swear by something for the other to believe the earnestness of the other person's words.
Whenever a friend of mine has asked me if I swear I'm telling the truth I have always have been hesitant or disagreed to. Since I have always tried to tell the truth I never understood why they would need extra confirmation. I think that is in a way what James is talking about. If we always try as best as we can to speak truth all the time we will never have to swear by anything to express our sincereness.
If we say that we speak truth, but indeed do not we are essentially taking away the validity of what we say is true. If our truth is not true how do know what is right and true? Our yes should mean yes and when we say no should mean no.
Not only is lying a sin, but when what you say isn't truth, how can anyone ever believe you? See lying is a big deal. "It doesn't matter if its just a "white lie" or bending of the truth" is a lie itself. It is important that others can trust what we say. If what we say isn't always true, why would others believe us when we say that Jesus died for them? We should strive to always be profoundly truthful so that we do not have to swear by anything to express our answers.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Beauty That Glorifies {Pt. II}
So one night I was out snowboarding down our road. I was out there in the dark, in the cold, in the wind, the snow was blowing and it was bouncing off my face. It was amazing. When I looked around me I saw so much beauty.
Being in the middle of a winter storm has a way of making you feel really small. So I then started to contemplate how big the world is. To answer that question, it is big. I stood there in the middle of the storm and thought I'm really small. I am a small creature on this earth!
We don't think like that. We are always thinking we are the greatest because we have been able to make this, figure this out, and cure this or whatever. We made machines that transport us to other places easily and we have put a man on the moon, but when it comes down to it we aren't that great. Yes, we are made in God's image, but we messed up, we brought sin into the world. By our own work we haven't done anything of value, its only because of God's help that we can do anything.
We shouldn't be afraid to go out there and put ourselves into positions where we must trust in God's love and care. I'm not saying that we should go do something stupid, but instead learn to trust God in times of trouble when we can't do anything by ourselves.
Being in the middle of the storm reminds me of how big the world we live on is and how much bigger is the God that created it all. Even though God is so big and much greater than us He still sacrificed Himself for us because of love. When we are in the middle of a storm (trouble) and see that we have no control over it, God still does. If we then decide to trust Him in that storm, He is the one who gets the glory when the storm is calmed. The profound beauty of storms or troubles is that they Glorify God because of the work He does in and with them.
Being in the middle of a winter storm has a way of making you feel really small. So I then started to contemplate how big the world is. To answer that question, it is big. I stood there in the middle of the storm and thought I'm really small. I am a small creature on this earth!
We don't think like that. We are always thinking we are the greatest because we have been able to make this, figure this out, and cure this or whatever. We made machines that transport us to other places easily and we have put a man on the moon, but when it comes down to it we aren't that great. Yes, we are made in God's image, but we messed up, we brought sin into the world. By our own work we haven't done anything of value, its only because of God's help that we can do anything.
We shouldn't be afraid to go out there and put ourselves into positions where we must trust in God's love and care. I'm not saying that we should go do something stupid, but instead learn to trust God in times of trouble when we can't do anything by ourselves.
Being in the middle of the storm reminds me of how big the world we live on is and how much bigger is the God that created it all. Even though God is so big and much greater than us He still sacrificed Himself for us because of love. When we are in the middle of a storm (trouble) and see that we have no control over it, God still does. If we then decide to trust Him in that storm, He is the one who gets the glory when the storm is calmed. The profound beauty of storms or troubles is that they Glorify God because of the work He does in and with them.
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