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| Running from fears |
| 04.27.05 (7:53 am) [edit] |
It's hard not to run from the things you're afraid of. I try so hard not to be afraid, but sometimes I can't help it. Generally I'm not afraid of pain, rejection, or otherwise any kind of hurt. But I am afraid of humiliation, embarassment, and scorn. So I try to avoid those things as best I can, by being quiet and easily intimidated, but it doesn't work very well. Being withdrawn is a sure way to get yourself strange looks. Not that it's obvious that I'm withdrawn, but because people are used to me being outgoing and talkative. So they get very suspicious when I'm quiet, and then rumors start going around that I might be doing drugs. It's a bugger.
Therefore, I find that the only solution worth working out is to face your fears, and deal with them accordingly. If it's heights you're afraid of, go climb a huge tree and dangle from a high branch for a while. If it's commitment, make it a point to let your significant other how much you appreciate them and want to be with them. Don't be afraid of the things you used to, I guess is what I'm trying to say. You need to get over them and deal with them.
--- Redman
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| A quote |
| 04.24.05 (2:52 pm) [edit] |
"The things I want to do, I do not do, and the things I do not want to do, I do."
By the Apostle Paul. It's one of my favorite sayings by him. Doesn't it perfectly depict the nature of man? You want to do good, but you do just the opposite and hardly even realize it. There is hope, though: we all can pray for deliverance. Yay.
--- Redman
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| Recooperation |
| 04.24.05 (5:33 am) [edit] |
I'm finally getting better from a serious cold which lasted over 3 weeks. Yowza!
If you want prayer for anything regarding any sort of illness or disease, please e-mail me at:
sheeposaurus_rex@hotmail.com
I would sincerely love to help you in any way I can.
:D :D :wink:
--- Redman
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| Fantasy Novels |
| 04.23.05 (8:06 am) [edit] |
There are few things I love more than to sit down and read a good fantasy novel. Problem is, so many of them are sketchy these days. Too much dark and evil, not enough light and good.
So, two years ago I decided to write my own. And boy, has it ever paid off! The first in the series is finished and I just need to finish polishing it up. The second in the series is already in the works. It's very exciting to actually be able to plan all of it out without getting distracted like I used to - I have ADD. But it's been wearing off lately, and I feel more focused, concentrated.
Praise the Lord for the ability to read and write. Praise Him for literature, for that matter! It's one of my favorite things.
--- Redman
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| Nitpicky People |
| 04.22.05 (10:14 am) [edit] |
It's no one's right to be nitpicky about a pastor's sermon. When they do that, all it can do is bring that pastor down.
The pastor is the leader of a flock, the shepherd, the one in the lead. It's his duty and responsibility to bring teachings about God and His ways to the people he leads. If the pastor is truly a strong believer, then his words will be inspired by the Holy Spirit. Therefore what right have we to judge him?
If it doesn't hold up to Scripture (and thus is out of line), then we have right to question what is being said. But if it is only our personal opinion, we need to keep it to ourselves.
--- Redman
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| Thank God for cheese |
| 04.21.05 (4:05 pm) [edit] |
I love and thank my sweet Lord Jesus for the invention of cheese. It's yummy and delicious and delectable.
My favorite kinds of cheese, in order:
Sharp Cheddar, Gouda, Edom, Provologne, Munster, Mozzerella, Monteray Jeck, Pepper Jack, Colby, Colby Jack, Bleu Cheese, Brie (I loooovve brie - it's great at wedding receptions and such), and lots more I just can;t think of them all right this minute.
But the point is, next time you're praying and your stomach growls, thank the good Lord Almighty for??? You guessed it! CHEESE!
--- Redman
PS. Perhaps I should lay off on the caffiene...
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| Church is NOT Christianity |
| 04.21.05 (9:12 am) [edit] |
I'll stress this point pretty hard: Church is not Christianity, it is merely a small part of it.
The New Testament actually doesn't talk very much about church, at least in my opinion. It's mostly about Christ and our relationship with Him, also there's some prophecy scattered among the books.
The Epistles that Paul wrote to the churches are particularly useful in making my point. Read them, all of them, and you'll find that he's encouraging most of them to stay away from religiousness and legalistic practices, and is more concerned that they have a healthy, intimate relationship with Christ.
Also with what Christ said about those matters (read the parables), I believe that church isn't his biggest concern.
The church family, however, is much more important than the meeting thereof. It's not the event, it's the people involved. Those who follow Christ should understand that.
If you find yourself slipping into legalism, stop the mudslide ASAP, because it's a bad road to go down. Don't be a Pharisee.
Rather, focus more on relationship. It will ultimately get us through these times, and keep us together. Church doesn't. So there.
--- Redman
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| Peace in Knowing |
| 04.19.05 (6:42 pm) [edit] |
I find that there's peacein knowing that everything is in God's hands, in His control. It takes a lot of pressure and anxiety off of me.
Do you feel the same way?
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| Dating and the Christian |
| 04.19.05 (2:51 pm) [edit] |
It's such a controversial sibject, I'm almost afraid to touch it. Yet it must be done.
I'm here to gather thoughts and opinions from everyone Christian, that includes Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, LDS, Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal, and nondenominational. :D
My beliefs:
- It is best to remain a virgin until marraige, but not the end of the world if you don't.
- Marraige is only to be between a man and a woman, PERIOD.
- Only date if you are serious about it. Dating just for "fun" is inappropriate, disrespectful, inconsiderate, and foolish. So there!
Other opinions, please.
--- Redman
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| A complete idiot |
| 04.18.05 (5:49 pm) [edit] |
I feel like such a fool now. Do you ever wish you could just curl up and die someplace cold and secluded? That's exactly how I feel, and I think you all should know because it's so encouraging and uplifting.
God Bless you all.
--- Redman
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| Concerning Church |
| 04.17.05 (9:06 pm) [edit] |
Church is somewhat of a pest, in my eyes. Or at least it can be.
A lot of the general population believe that you must attend church in order to be "good," whether it be Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic, Pentecostal, Baptist, Latter Day Saints, or any quote-unquote Christian denomination.
In fact, I'm going to bash on denomination, too! It's a plague is what it is. Denomination separates people, I believe. It takes a group of people who believe in the same basic concepts, the same God, and divides them into cute little compartments where they must stay or else their reputation is sacrificed. What kind of B.S. is that, anyway?
Christ never would've divided the people. Within the Christian faith there is a great amount of individuality, which is just fine (don't get me wrong about that!), but sometimes it's taken too far, i.e. when a rogue pastor decides that he believes in some occultic, sacreligious, insane, disoriented, or otherwise screwed up doctrine, starts his own little church (or, cult) within that, and you have yourself another clique, so to speak. These cliquescultsrogue churches can be found in a city near you; batteries not included.
I'll be honest: it frustrates me a great deal to see people who claim to follow Christ's ways so wrapped up in doctrine and relgiousness. I wish I could just go up to every one of them, slap them (lovingly) across the face and say, "Snap out of it!" But of course, that would be a very immature and ineffective approach to solve the problem.
So I'm forced to maintain my cool when I'm around certain people who are heavy on religiousness.
Read the Bible ten times through, and you'll never once notice anything that says you have to go to church to be saved. Church is merely a gathering of the Family, so that we can have fellowship together. I know, "fellowship" is such a Christian-ese word, but it literally means, according to the World Book Dictionary, "friendship; comradeship; companionship." As a family, we are to be friends, comrades, companions to each other. This goal is not accomplished through intensive segregation.
Any man can lift his head up high, raise his hand among the crowds and say, "I'm right! I know the answer!" However, it takes one of true wisdom to prove either through Scripture, logic, or otherwise that he is indeed correct (or at least in the perspective of those who agree).
That said, who is a Pentecostal to stand up to a Baptist and say, "You're wrong about this and this and this." It's simply not his place. We can choose to believe whatever we want about the Scripture, but the most important thing is Christ.
There are many ways to interpret some parts of the Word. (Some parts still confuse me, and I've been a Christian for a while now). People have different ways of seeing it, different perspectives, and so it is our duty and responsibility to react in love and kindness, to hear them out in their view (unless it's blatantly heretic), and consider it. It's like in a debate between politicians - I'm sure that many of us would sometimes just love to stand up and shout, "You're wrong, you're wrong!" But it wouldn't help anything. Sometimes when I hear political mucky-mucks talk on the radio I think, "I wish i could just tell them, 'You are so wrong.'" Again, it wouldn't help a thing.
The approach must be thoughtful. So, if you're a Christian of some variety and you come across someone, perhaps a friend or family member, who has views that are in conflict with your own, don't argue about it, because arguing is fruitless. If you want to delve into the theological issues with them, then go ahead (I never do, but that's just me). Just don't be judgemental, critical, negative, or anything of the sort. I know it's easy to, but resist the temptation to be that way.
Summary:
Church is simply a thing for us to get together and work together for the Kingdom of God. It shouldn't be our only time - it's one them, that's all. With the proper attitude, it can be a very useful and productive gathering. With the wrong attitude, it can destroy lives, families, even entire communities.
"Judge not lest ye be judged. For the same measure that you use unto a man will be used unto you." Basically, keep yer yap shut or else ye'll be sorry. Or: If you ain't got anything good to say, then say nothing. Don't judge other denominations. They're people just like everyone else, with their own problems, ambitions, beliefs, families (hopefully), and life's stories. Leave them be.
--- Redman
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| Life as a... |
| 04.13.05 (11:06 am) [edit] |
Christian! Oh dear, I said it. It's a bad word. It might as well be a vile curse to aa lot of people.
Those nasty Christians, they're either stupid and boring, legalistic and religious, overly charismatic and energetic, doomsayers and dark prophets, or they're just plain annoying.
It's not easy being part of a group of people who are often hated and despised, expecially when you've never done anything to seriously hurt anyone. "Judge not lest ye be judged" is a good motto to live by, especially these days, because of the way the common man views a Christian.
Literally, a Christian is simply an individual who believes in and lives by the Word of God and thus the teachings of Christ. That's it! They don't have to conform to any standard, measurement, or stereotype. They don't have to be what anyone thinks they are or wants them to be. The importance of "owning your faith" is somewhat neglected. Nay, it is VERY neglected.
Sometimes I say, "Why do I even try? Why do I even believe in this stuff - it causes me so much trouble!" It does indeed, but by the grace of God I always remind myself of the Sermon on the Mount, the Beattitudes. If I really truly love my Master and Friend, then I ought not to complain or be wearied when I suffer hard times for His sake.
If you are a Believer, then I'm sure you've heard most if not all of this before. But how does it affect you? It has affected me in countless ways; my entire perspective of life, the universe, love, reality and truth are completely transformed from what they were. If we know the truth, we need to spread it like wildfire - within logical social graces, of course. It might be a bit foolish to prance from cubicle to cubicle at the Department of Enviromental Quality, shouting, "Jesus Christ is Lord! Turn or burn!" Needless to say, there are certain restrictions to how we should go about sharing our faith. But that doesn't mean we need to be silent.
This is an interesting time, the 2000 years. The dawn of a new millenium, a new mindset for some, and a new hope for many people, even some nations as a whole. It's not just new year's resolutions: it's new age's resolutions, new century, new era. New, new, new.
We cannot be new unless we are willing to be shapen. Our own hands (so to speak) are incapable of shaping our spiritual self; that is something that must be done by an outside source. God or Satan - those are your choices there. One or the other is going to have the clearance to mold our spirits, and it's up to us to decide which.
As I was saying: this is a new age, or at least most believe that it is, and a new age calls for new ways of thinking, revolutions, technological breakthroughs, and spiritual breakthroughs.
Combine revolutions and spiritual breakthroughs, and you have what God has been stirring up in a lot of believers' hearts lately. There's no hurry, but at the same time we should act now. If you believe and are not afraid to show it, then do whatever it is God wants you to do. If you have trouble tellign what that is, that's why there's the Bible and other people (such as friends, pastors, others) who might be able to give you some direction due to their own inspiriation or hearing from the Lord. God isn't afraid to speak to us, and I think He does a lot more than we realize, it's just that we often miss it or overlook it as something insignificant.
Life as a Christian is goign to be very *cough* interesting for a good while. Not that it was ever uninteresting, but it's going to achieve some extra peculiarity and excitement in coming times - these times, the weeks and months directly ahead of us.
If you're not a Christian, then by golly it's about time to jump on the wagon. Write to me at: sheeposaurus_rex@hotmail.com. I can answer any questions you have about faith in Christ.
NOTE: Church is not Christianity. (I'll expand on that on an upcoming post).
Take heart! The Lord is ready for big times, big events, big change. Are we ready? I am, and I hope you are too, for the sake of enjoying the ride.
--- Redman
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