Full of contradictions

Today was interesting, I will show you my wit by writing this short poem:

The sun shone down upon my face
As the rain poured down like gentle (some word that rymes with face, like maybe grace)

And there it is people, sun and rain are contradictions and when I went to my last class of the day sun was shining and it was also raining. This broke into some very serious thought about life. Those serious thoughts I will not tell you. This blog has been way to serious lately and I need to break up the monotony (Not to be confused with martimony which is the word I almost typed there). Unfortunately nothing particularly funny happened today and I have been told by one who will remain nameless that my posts aren't funny anyway. That's ok, I never claimed that they were. But that brings me to my next point of instant classic. We are vintage, there is something about us that warrants a comment. For instance I will refer you to here and here. Why is it that in the blogging nation those two posts had over 20 comments? Granted much of those are posted by the writers that may help, but seriously folks why is it that instant classic recieves so many comments? We weren't here first and we don't analyze things the most. It's not that we were the first ones who posted an IM conversation or have brilliant insights to the female mind. We have no where near as much typed in our blog as Evan's does. Also there are no fancy graphics here. Just orange, just orange my friends. And that's about it. So as far as I can tell, I have no idea why we get the most comments. It's a phenomenon to be sure. And if I missed any other's, man they're sure to be funnier than this stupid post so go there too.

Oh yeah, I have never ever acted like a pirate.

So isn't dorm life great?

Yeah for those of us who can get to school. But as for me I can't, I'm stranded at my parent's house. And to think, this is just a glimpse at what next year will be! Does anyone have an extra $6,500 lying around? I'm desperate here. But seriously home isn't that bad. I mean my parents do care for me, I mean they let me drive their care all week because my brakes are bad, they didn't charge me for gas or anything. That's cool, but then again, they did yell at me for not working on scholarships, oh wait, I did! So I guess they yelled at me for not working on them for several hours at a time, oh wait I did! So it must have been for not spending all day Wednesday on them, yeah that has to be it, well now that I think about it I spent all day Wednesday, Thursday and Friday working on them. Hmm, it must have been because I didn't go looking for jobs, cause they did say I didn't seem very focused on finding a job, I mean it's not like I went and applied to 6 places on Saturday or anything. So it must be my attitude that's what it has to be it's not like it doesn't take a long time to right a stupid essay on the future of long distance learning or anything. Ahh! Yeah so I'm obviously frustrated right so pray that I can see all the good things my parents did this week cause i'm not seeing them right now, I just want to get out of here!

Could we live without it?

Due to the graphic nature of this blog, reader discretion is advised.

So I saw Starsky and Hutch last night. It was pretty funny, an overall good movie. One thing that was dumb though was one part had some girl take her shirt off and get naked in front of them (it showed her from behind but you could tell that she was naked) and another part had Carmen Electra and Amy Smart kiss. During the movie it bothered me and was kinda awkward seeing as I was sitting next to Allison and Joanna and Gen were down the row. Then after the movie Allison said something that would get me thinking later on, "Yeah, that wasn't really my type of movie, I usually don't see PG-13 movies, but that one wasn't so bad." So nudity and two girls kissing right before they have sex with a guy isn't that bad. Which, I have to agree with her, isn't really that bad compared to some movies, PG-13 or otherwise. But the thing that got me thinking was not necessarily just that movie, or what anyone said but really how sex is sold to us. And I hate it. It's so stupid, if you add a pair of big breats the movie is estimated to make somewhere around 10% more because of it! Then I hear my 7th graders who are going to see movies like Starsky and Hutch and it makes me sick to think that they are being told that it is acceptable to just have sex whenever we want. Last Tuesday I took a break from studying and turned on the tv for a dew minutes I stopped at VH1. They were having a countdown and I thought it was the countdown about why the 90's was the best decade (unfortunately I didn't get to finish that show so I wanted to see the top 10) so I stopped. Well it wasn't the top 100 reasons why the 90's was the best decade it was the top 100 hottest celebrities. The only reason I stayed on there was because one of the commenters was Paris Hilton and I wanted to laugh at her for not being on the list, ha! Personally I think she is very ugly but that's for another post. But anyway the person that was being talked about was Jessica Simpson and they mentioned howshe decided to remain abstinant before mariage and stuff. Of course I was intrigued, what were they going to say about that? Well, they didn't disappoint. I forget who it was but she went on to say that it's good that Jessica got married early because if she didn't then guys might start think there is something wrong with her. She went on to say, "Hunny, if he hasn't done well in the bed before your wedding night, there's something wrong with him, I don' t care what anybody says, stay away from that boy!" Needless to say I was completely disgusted with that, quickly turned off the tv and went to play video games. But hold up here, what was she saying?! Unless I have had sex, preferably multiple times with multiple partners, then there must be something wrong with me! Ahhh, is everyone on crazy pills!!! This is our pop culture you guys, this is what the "general" public believes. Do I think that is what most people think, no, but is it what a lot of people, especially younger ones are thinking that most people believe yes! What happened to love being sacred! It's not really the girls fault either, that's what get's me so upset. Guys we are so freakin sex crazy can we just stop for a minute. God created us with certain needs, girls want to feel loved and protected and cared for. I don't care who they are, deep down that's what they really want. That's why there is such a pressure for girls to look good, be skinny, have that perfect "look". Guys look what we have done to these ladies! Because we are so obessed with body parts we have made them obessed with body parts! For all you girls who are reading this I am so sorry that you have such a pressure to look good. Granted I will say that a lot of you may want to look good for your self because it makes you feel good, that's great but many times it comes down to that 5 pounds you have to loose or you won't look pretty! From what I understand many of you feel bad about your weight and many times when you look in the mirror wish you could change something. I am so sorry. Forgive us guys. I know we struggle with lust and a lot of us are trying to defeat that but the societal standard to be perfect is still there in general. Of course not all the blame goes to the guys because girls do need to find there worth in God and not in what guys think about them but that must be so hard! I wish there was something that we could do to change this. I think there is. Man this is so frustrating to me! Can't we all see that there is something better than this? At this point I guess I have to say that this is where I understand Paul the most when he said, "To live is Christ and to die is gain." I think Paul understood that "to live is Christ" meant hard work. He could have said it other ways like "live live is sacrifice" or "to live is the cross" or "to live is not only having to put up with sin but being convicted and called to go out into the world and love the unlovable while dying to yourself daily and fighting your own sin nature and to die is gain." How sweet a picture it is to be with Jesus. But back to the original topic we got to do something guys. We need to pray for the Church that it will be able to reclaim the minds of those who are being decieved. I'm talking about Christians who have been decieved not non-Christians. I'm sorry I'm ranting but obviously this was very frustrating to me, not only because of how it corrupts others but also because how much I struggle with lust in my own life. I hope this has helped someone but really it was more to get that off my chest than anything else. Please pray for this though. Pray for the guys that are in your ministry. Nothing is to big for Jesus. God Bless.
- Luke

Q & A

I was thinking about something, with all this talk about girls and guys' roles in relationships (romantic or otherwise) and about being honest with each other, I wondered, girls, if you could ask us guys one question, what would it be? Just wondering, and thinking that it may help me understand why girls think we are so complicated. Oh, and no promises on answering these questions, trust me, I know little to nothing so don't expect anything. Just wondering.

More than a Song

To be with God is greater than we can possibly imagine. Is that it? Is that flippant sentence all that I can say? No my friends. I, along with many other brothers and sisters, went to see a concert last night. I went in feeling normal. Feeling drained of spiritual energy from lack of time spent with the Lord, feeling down on myself for failing in certain areas of my life because I was not letting God's grace flow over me. Feeling strangely numb to all that, my heart hard and calloused by a life not living with God continuously, being fed scraps of food on weds. and sundays. God definitely had plans for that night. I am not going to say that it was a concert, meaning musicians and instruments put together in song, that changed my heart. Rather it was the God who is the source of all change that challenged me in new ways.

It started off with a guy name Shaun. This man said the words that I had also been feeling for the past 9 months. Worship is not singing. Worship is not music. We cannot worship God with singing alone. The struggle I have had with worship started when I came to Jam. This struggle was more within myself than from any of the kids. I asked a question to the kids one knight after feeling desperate for some type of emotion from the "worship". "What is worship?" And as I asked that I realized that I had no answer myself. What is worship to the God almighty? What does that look like. Time and time again I kept coming back to the verse Romans 12:1-2, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any long to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." I kept being drawn back to that verse. Worship is sacrifice. It was so hard for me to call the time we had as a group worship because I knew it wasn't. Not that I'm saying that Jam shouldn't have a time of singing but that time was and is not a time of worship. Unfortunately I don't think that it is only Jam and I that has a problem. One powerful thing that Shaun Groves said last night was that when people were asked to set up, they could barely find 12, but when it was time to sing the place was sold out. At church for our 4th anniversary, we had about 12 people to set up but when church started the place had about 1000 people in it. Now I know that all those people couldn't have helped if they wanted to but why didn't they want to? Why did only about 2% of the church volunteer? Worship is sacrifice and the best way to sacrifice is to serve. Read Dan's blog for more on the service aspect. But my thing is that we as American Christians think we can come and sing and get our worship dosage for the day! I do the same thing! I equate worship with the time that is spent in church and at Jam. The time spent singing is the time spent worshiping. How messed up is that? Worship is not an event it is an attitude. I would think singing is the least important part of the big worship picture. God is so much bigger than a song. The church in America is in trouble! We are 5 minute Christians. 5 minutes in the morning, 5 minutes per song and 5 minutes in prayer! What happened to spending time with God?

Singing is a time where we can come and express to God how great He is corporately in a way that couldn't be done during the week. It is the culmination of a week's worth of worship, not a time for worship. We need to stop compartmentalizing our lives. I'll leave you with this song by Ross King, think about the words and what they mean for us as a church.

Clear The Stage
Ross King

Clear the stage and set the sound and lights ablaze
If that's the measure that it takes to crush the idols.
Chuck the pews and all the decorations too
Until the congregations few then have revival.
Tell your friends that this is where the party ends
until you're broken for your sins you can't be social.
Then seek the Lord and wait for what he has in store
and know that great is your reward and just be hopeful

Cause you can sing all you want to.
Yes you can sing all you want to
you can sing all you want to
And don't get me wrong, worship is more than a song.

Take a break from all the plans that you made
And sit at home alone and wait for God to whisper.
Beg Him please to open up his mouth and speak
And pray for real upon your knees until they blister.
Shine the light on every corner of your life
Until the pride and lust and lies are in the open.
Then read the word and put to test the things you've heard
Until your heart and soul are stirred and rocked and broken.

Cause you can sing all you want to.
Yes you can sing all you want to
you can sing all you want to
And don't get me wrong, worship is more than a song.

Anything I put before my God is an idol.
Anything I want with all my heart is an idol.
Anything I can't stop thinking of is an idol.
Anything that I give all my love is an idol.
We must not worship something that's not even worth it.
Clear the stage and make some space for the one who deserves it.

Cause I can sing all I want to.
Yes I can sing all I want to
I can sing all I want to
And still get it wrong, worship is more than a song.

And you can sing all you want to.
Yes you can sing all you want to
You can sing all you want to
But don't get me wrong, worship is more than a song.

Peanut butter and jelly

Man this is the funniest web site I've been to in a while. I was laughing the whole time, everyone should go here. It's added to the links as well.

Does copying count?

Well, after reading Hannah's post, commenting, wanting to say more, reading Dan's post, realizing that he wrote about, pondering whether or not people would appreciate another post on marriage, wondering what the meaning of life is, remembering that I know the meaning of life, to glorify God, deciding to post, going on Blogger, typing in my password... you get the picture. So to make a long story longer I decided to make a post not only repsonding to what Hannah and Dan had said but also giving some input on my thoughts.

But instead of writing just one long post I thought I'd make a list like on Hannah's blog about what a good husband, in my humble opinion should be: Ahem,

- IF your wife has dinner ready for you when you get home make sure to be appreciative and thankful. Don't be expectant, if she hasn't had time to make dinner yet, ask if there is anything you can do to help, do it right away, and then enjoy a meal together.

- After dinner suggest that you help her clean up or, good gracious, clean the kitchen yourself!

- Pick up your crap, this is your wife not your mom (unless you are a very, very sick individual), she's going to get fed up with you if you're a lazy bum.

- If you get home from work stressed, tell you wife you need a little R & R don't expect it, she needs to know if you have had a rough day and I'm pretty sure she can help you unwind, oh yeah, and don't snap at her fellas, I don't care if your stressed or not, don't be a jerk.

- Don't shove the children all on her, they're probably here more because of you anyways, so take responsiblity, she already has a 9 month head start anyway, and it's our job to have the final say. Don't make her deal out the punishments everytime, as leader of the household we need to, oh my gosh, lead. don't make her feel like she is the bad guy when the kids need to be punished.

- Um, what guy really cares if it's noisy? Well, I guess Pat. So girls if you are married to Pat then try to keep it down, otherwise most normal guys could care less. : )

- Be sensitive, if she's not happy when you get home, try to help the situation not hurt it by saying, "Where's my warm smile and sincerity of your desire to please me?"

- Listen to her. You may have a dozen important things to tell her, but take care to consider her first. If she wants, let her talk first - remember, whether or not something really is important or not doesn't matter, CONSIDER her topics of discussion more important than yours.

- Be understanding, she is expecting you home at a certain time, especially if she went out of her way to make you dinner, call you loser!

- Don't complain about her complaining to your friends or to her, can we say hypocritical? Also no one really cares, I mean, i guess God does so if you think your wife is nagging go to him and then to her in a calm collected manner.

- Um, don't stay out all night. Did I even need to say that? I mean, I'd be pissed if she stayed out all night. Don't be an idiot.

- Don't be an idiot.

- Don't be an idiot.

- Got it?

- Don't let your wife ever talk in a low, soothing and pleasant voice, that's how you talk to a dog before it get's neutered.

- Be sure to lead, it is our job to make decisions for the family, that's how God wants it, but He doesn't want us to do it by ourselves, talk things out, compare notes and then decide together, if it comes down to if you disagree with each other, make sure you tell her gently and with respect that it is your decision to make. Don't go on power trips.

But seriously guys all joking aside, we need to treat our wives (when we have them) like gold. We need to protect them, provide for them and be their companion and leader. Remember, a good wife wants and respects and likes a good leader, that's how God made us. Let's be blameless before the Lord guys so we can make sure that our motives are pure in any relationship. Well I've rambled for enough now, sorry I copied.

Dan Statement: That was the best dream I've ever had when I was sleeping

Fact: Dan did not say that. Fact: Dan says stupid things. Assumption: Dan could have said this.

But seriously you guys, my dream last night was really cool. It was a cross between Godzilla, The Hulk, Stargate and any side scrolling Super Nintendo game (think Megaman). Since I rarely remember my dreams this was an exciting event for me therefore you will all be able to share the wonder and delight I had from this dream.

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away...

Ok, well it didn't really begin that way, but I did get the clear impression that this dream was a sequel. Not that I had dreamt something like this before, but I started out the dream thinking that I was a big hero for defeating Godzilla. Therefore, everything was right in the world. Then I had the clear impression that something was wrong. Enter Stargate. For those of you who don't know the bad guy in Star Gate was an alien who had really cool technology that took the form of a human. So the "godzilla" that I had just killed infested (somehow) my wife/girlfriend/girl that just happened to be next to me in the dream. And she turned into the great lizzard. So I ran away and went into hiding, I think before everyone else knew about the new threat because I remember thinking I was really smart that I got away while everyone else was dead. Then I remember walking through a burnt down city and godzilla's cohorts were driving through the streets in magnet cars collecting all the metal, I think they were going to use it for some type of space craft. After that I was found so I started running toward a river and got shot in the back with a shotgun. Somehow I survived (I think that was one of the superpowers I had that helped me beat the original godzilla) but I played dead. So all the bad guys gathered all the other dead bodies and put them into forklift type thing and went to dump us in this river. Right before the bad guy pulled the lever I looked up and smiled and he looked shocked that his shotgun blast didn't kill me but it was too late he pulled the lever and I was in the river. Unfortunately the joke was on me because there was some type of giant snake in the water that came after me. Now at this point in the dream I realized it was a dream, because I got really cold and I thought to myself, "Crap I need to know what happens in this dream, I don't want to wake up and pull my blanket up," But I did and then I went back to sleep and the dream continued. Somehow I escaped the giant snake (don't ask me how, I missed that part when I was getting my blankets over me) and then it was like the super Nintendo side scrolling game. I was shooting stuff and killing the bad guys and there was this one platform that looked really hard to get by because it had so many guns shooting out of it. But I shot it with a super shot and then I went on to the final duel. Now the godzilla was no longer anyone I knew, in fact it changed genders on me so I don't know what happened to the first person, but hey, it's a dream. So I got really mad and then I became godzilla except it was me verses a mega-godzilla. And I had to go into some closet (one that was very large I guess seeing as I was the size of most buildings) and it gave me more powers and I beat the mega-godzilla and saved the day. Now isn't that a really cool dream. Man, I'm creative even when I'm unconscious.

If you are squemish when reading the word "nipples" don't read any further

So this blog is a conversation me and Pat had at like 11:00, pretty random but some interesting points were brought up that I thought I would open up to the blogging world. Oh and yes, if you are weak of heart or weak of butt consider this a disclaimer as well.

SFs P NUT: hey stupid
Stdly709: hey dumb face
Stdly709: fat
SFs P NUT: O IT"S ON >:o
Stdly709: if i traded it all if I gave it all away for one thing, just for one thing
SFs P NUT: you know what i'd do, i'd choose a different roomie, you know one not nearly as dumb as you, OOOOOOO
Stdly709: hey lay off super smell man, you'd choose one that lived in a bubble in order to not smell anything except your self
SFs P NUT: yea, because i always smell so good man, seriously, and i got the looks, i got it all, what do you have, yea, that's right nothing, NOTHING, hehe
Stdly709: if by nothing you mean "everything that Pat wants and more" then I agree with you
SFs P NUT: hmmmm, interesting, yet far from the truth, all you have that i don't is well, a beard, and glasses, both of which i long not for
Stdly709: you think my beard is dead sexy, and my glasses just excentuate the point
SFs P NUT: ok, fine, you caught me darn it
Stdly709: that's right, hey Pat I have a question for you
SFs P NUT: mmm k
Stdly709: If I came over there, licked my hand and then put it on your face what would you do?
SFs P NUT: i would cut you good, and by cut i mean knee you in the nuts
Stdly709: hmm, that sounds interesting, you know what would be more interesting, what would happen if we lived back in the age of the dinosaurs do you think we could domesticate them?
Stdly709: I mean, seriously, they may be big am dumb, like cows, but I think it would be really fun to ride one
SFs P NUT: yea, but man, they got horns, kinda like playin leap frog with a unicor, you just don't do it man
Stdly709: and even still we could take them on walks but the leashes would have to be really long, and then we would have to have really long pooper scoopers cause man, if they lay a duece, it's gonna be huge
SFs P NUT: true, very true, but i would rather chill out in my cave with my computer, wait a minute, computers wouldn't be around yet, well i sure as heck wouldn't survive, maybe a few hours longer than nippy, but still
Stdly709: yeah nippy, that reminds me, when I was driving today one hand was really cold and the other was really warm, I was afraid that all the heat was going to one side of my body, that wouldn't be cool, I mean holy cow, what would happen if one nipple was warm and the other was cold? It wouldn't be cool
SFs P NUT: well, you would have tho on one side and not the other, that poses and even greater question, what if we didn't have nipples, what would we look like without them
Stdly709: I would be really freaked out
SFs P NUT: as would i
Stdly709: but then where would we get milk, cause cows wouldn't have utters then, because Pat, that's really what those are, big nipples
Stdly709: filled with milk
SFs P NUT: yea, good point, well, then cookies would have no purpose, because without milk, they are nothing, i mean, it would be complete chaos without nipples
Stdly709: choas, but sometimes chaos is good, like chaos hydras those were cool, man we need to play heroes again
SFs P NUT: no kidding man, it's all about that titans though, those things bust a cap, or shall i say a lightning bolt
Stdly709: yeah they bust a lightning bolt
Stdly709: I wish i could get hit by lighting
Stdly709: just once
Stdly709: and live
SFs P NUT: you'd be pretty energized after that one
Stdly709: I think the best place to be hit would be the butt, the most padding
SFs P NUT: good point
Stdly709: it is a good point, and you another good point, wait, I'm on empty I got no other points
SFs P NUT: i have a point
Stdly709: shut up, no you don't
SFs P NUT: yes i do, and it's along the lines of, me sleepy=bedtime
Stdly709: hmm, that's a good point
Stdly709: oh oh , i do have a point, it's funny that we are talking to each other when we are sitting right next to each other
SFs P NUT: i know, ahh, the joys of laziness in college, we don't even have to talk to each other, don't want to stress our precious vocal chords
Stdly709: never, never
Stdly709: I think this would make a good post
SFs P NUT: indeed, it would, and the shortflip is out like a trout

Two bugs flew into my eyes at the same time and I couldn't get them out

Well, that was a pretty long title but it is there for a reason. This is in response to Dan's post on the passion. Not that I disagree with Dan no, actually I agree with everything he said but I was one of those people who got something in their eyes and they just wouldn't stop watering. Well actually I broke down, but I'm definately not ashamed to say so. Actually seeing as i don't remember Dan's blog exactly we will probably end up saying the same thing but in different ways.

Anywho, yeah the Passion was a very powerful movie. Duh. Everybody knows that, but I think the reason that I was brought to tears wasn't necessarily because I was sad that Jesus had to die. Which I was but I realized that he rose again and we should be joyful. But the thing about that movie was that it showed how far Jesus had to go in order to save me. Yes, before I get yelled at, I know we could read that in the Bible, and it is just as if not more powerful. But maybe it's because I'm an American and need to have a movie in order to see things clearly or it's because tv has ruined my imagination but this movie showed me the extreem brutality that was placed on Jesus. It showed me the physical side of crucifiction. And just to clarify from Dan's post, yes hundreds of people got crucified but after a Roman scourging (as they did in the movie) a prisoner was not supposed to survive, and therefore usually would not be crucified. Most of the time they would be like the two other prisoners being crucifed with Jesus. (Obviously they were in pain but, um, there were obvious differences between them and Jesus) So yes there were people who were crucified but the majority of those did not expereince the torture that Jesus went through. But that isn't even what made me cry so much as the reason behind the torture. It's not that I don't have joy and am not thankful for what Jesus did, but the fact that he had to do it made me cry. Really, that should have been me. That's where I broke down, the fact that an all powerful God who could melt the mountains like wax and create a world for us and create us had to not only die, not only be tortured but also be seperated from the Creator whom Jesus had loved with his whole heart, soul and strength. To be abandoned for me, wow. The Father turned His face away. It was my sin that held him there. In light of that, yes the joy that God did that for me is definately still there. But the definition of "not fair" was put up on that screen. So it wasn't so much that I was crying because I was sad that Jesus died. It is so much more that Jesus chose to die for me. Of course not that you had to cry or your a bad person if you didn't but a real sorrow in light of what Jesus did is appropriate. Not that that sorrow cancels out our joy, no, but for me that sorrow increased my joy because for me the understanding of the depths that Jesus went to helps me understand how much I was saved from. Glory to God in the highest for what he did for me. The blood He shed for me deserves deep sorrow and the highest joy at the same time.

Use the Force Luke!

And so I shall. Before the days of LOTR (actually it was after the books but before the movies) there was another cult. They were and are the Star Wars Freaks. Now in light of Luthien T's post on her obsession of LOTR I thought I'd go back to my roots of Star Wars. And yes the Force is with me. Unfortunately it isn't with everyone else so only a select few (who I shall call the Force-attuned) will understand what I'm talking about. But hey, it's funny to me so who cares right. So with out furhter ado, I give you, the list!

1. You've 'wielded' a flashlight and made humming sounds.

2. You wave your hand purposefully and 'use the force' to open and close automatic doors or elevator doors.

3. Your significant other dumps you because everytime she/he says, "I love you" you always respond, "I know." ( ha ha, I could see that happening to me)

4. You use a quote from the trilogy at work and nobody else aroundyou gets it. ( Crap how many times has that happened to me? Probably more than you could imagine. ***)
5. You have physically threatened anyone who referred to "Hans Solo" or "Dark Vader", confused Star Wars with Star Trek, or spellied Wookiee with only one "e." (Please people, its not that difficult)

6. You have held up an onion ring and said, "Look sir...droids!"

7. You're date has gotten up and left because held up an onion ring and said, "Look sir...droids!"

8. When nobody else is around, you've seriously tried to draw something into your hand with the Force. ( oh man I've done this more than once, and one time I thought I got the pencil to move, but really I was holding my breath really hard and then I forgot to release and when I did, the wind blew the pencil)

and last but certainly not least...

9. You've gotten mad several times when people have said, "Luke, I am your father," because in reality that line is never said in any Star Wars movie so really it's peoples ignorance and thinking that they are original and that if that line were true I WOULD HAVE 70,000 FATHERS and only a few of them would be a correct age and gender and if they actually WATCHED the movie the would find out that what is actually said is, "No I am your father," PEOPLE COME ON IT'S NOT THAT HARD A CONCEPT AND FOR ALL OF YOU WHO EVER THOUGHT YOU WERE WITTY WHEN YOU SAID THAT GET OVER YOURSELF AND ADMIT THAT YOU ARE A STUCK UP HALF WITTED SCRUFFY LOOKING NERF HERDER! And the Star Wars Freaks said Amen!

*** If any of you got the quote where these stars should be give yourselves 100 points!

The Bane of My Existence

Let's just say that God really pulls things together. I mean, tonight was small group. Small group for those of you guys not hip with it and still in high school (shameless college plug) is the college form of DG. So now that that is cleared up I'll give you some background on what has taken place. First of all the ski retreat was this past weekend and it was a blast. A definitely deserved the 9.5 for my fall. (The guy riding the ski lift above me saw me wipe out and gave me a 9.5) But the focus of the weekend was the treasure of Christ. Now after I got home from the retreat I felt really convicted to give the largest part of my life back to God. AKA: video games. Now I'm the first to say that video games are not a bad thing but they definitely are when the control such a big part of your life. But being my stubborn self I didn't really do anything about it. But after small group tonight God just works things out (totally by His soveriengty) to talk about how our time is spent for Him. So of course I remembered my conviction and long story short I've decided to give up video games for the week.

Now that of course, is the small part of the blog. But I will tell you how I came to that conclusion and how it can apply to all of our lives. Over the weekend Chris talked about making Christ the treasure and selling all we have because of the overwhelming joy of Christ. Now as an added bonus we went to see the Passion and that showed me in a new way how much Christ did for me and the depths he did just to save me. And then coming back tonight to talk about the 4th chapter in John Piper's book Don't Waste Your Life about glorifying Christ through pain and suffering (fun fun). But we then talked about how opposite our culture is and how we try to make life comfortable and easy. Hello! Wake up us! That is not our calling that Paul says and that Jesus says. But of course I said that its the small things that get me. The ones that I know are just going to bring me right outside my comfort level. For instance, I don't think that it would be extremely hard if someone walked into my dorm and put a gun to my head and said, "Denouce God or die," for me to say, "shoot me." But its the small things like getting up 10 minutes earlier to have a devo that makes me uncomfortable that I don't like to do. So its the fear of being uncomfortable, the pain and suffering of being uncomfortable that is what we are caught up on. So what's that have to do with video games? Well, that was what I had as my refuge and was completely in my comfort zone. I am so excited about this week, so excited about what God can do when I give him the place that should be his. One thing that the Passion taught me was that God is so worthy, more than we can say, do or live that we need to go out of our way to take up our cross daily. We need to go out of our way to pick up our method if execution. God will be glorified. God gave it all for us, so that we could give it all away. he is awesome and we need nothing but him. Not even video games, the bane of my existence.