The Gospel According to Calvin and Hobbes

Sometimes I see life in this way. I have a preconceived notion about one thing or other, and I'm comfortable with my frame of mind; but then, when I'm finally pulling together the loose ends, some wise-guy philosopher has to come along and rattle my cage. Actually this sort of experience happened to me last summer. It all started over a frying-pan full of omelette. My and one of my best buddies were chilling in the kitchen and making breakfast when the subject of life origins came up. My bro isn't exactly a Christian so this is an area we don't exactly agree on. Now I was pretty psyched about this conversation because the semester before I had taken Defending Your Faith class from Mr. Lemon and I felt like I at least could throw down a few good points. Well was I ever mistaken! Unfortunately for me (and the rest of my class), most of the points in Defending Your Faith were from the angle that Atheists don't know what their talking about. Well just for the record, some actually do. (Hey FV people, you should talk to Mr. Lemon about this. Ask him for some arguments from both sides. I'm not saying the class is bad or anything, I just think some more relevant points could have been brought up.) Now this shook my faith a bit and honestly, I guess it probably should have. It seemed to me that by believing in what I did, I was essentially saying "It's complicating my life", I don't wanna think about it. Because I don't have an explanation for what I believe, let's just call it "faith" and chuck it into the supernatural realm. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to belittle faith, but I do think this mistake can and is made a lot... simply because I know I do it. In Isaiah 1:18 it says "Come now, let us reason together saith the Lord". God gave us a brain for a reason, and although I may not have all the answers now, neither does science, and I'm not about to give up looking for the answers simply because I don't want to make myself a little uncomfortable.

Gather Up Your Dreams/One Thing More

Recently, I've felt that my life is in standby mode. Each repetitive day comes, goes, and comes again. College and work is set down like a template in my life, a shell of something that could be much better. It's like I'm building a house, a nice house. The framework has been put up, nothing else, I just don't seem to be getting around to finishing it. The interior needs to be completed and I've still got to put in all the things that make a home, a home. What's built simply keeps me out of the rain, it isn't embellished; there is no flair, no depth. It's like trying to dive into a refreshing mountain pool, and yet somehow not getting fully submerged.

"Hope is comfort, if not relief" 
-Matthew Perryman Jones-

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Togetherness

I love Christmastime. I wish that I could fully express the feelings associated with the holidays, but I simply cannot. The joy of togetherness, decorating the tree, reliving traditions, it really cannot be equaled. And honestly, I actually had fun shopping this year (although the traffic tonight made me a bit cynical). Now never having believed in Santa, I can imagine that when most children learn the truth about him, a bit of the Christmas magic is lost for them; the truth hits home and a little bit of their faith is imperceptibly squashed. The childhood wonder is stripped away revealing the "true" meaning of Christmas: Commercialism. (I'm not saying this is what everyone who believed in Santa thinks.) I guess growing up in a family that doesn't uphold the Santa tradition helps me love Christmas even more. Although we do go a bit overboard on the presents sometimes (and I'm not complaining), that's not what my family loves about Christmas, we simply love being together.

Togetherness takes love to another level, it points out that love isn't simply expressed, it is put into action. In our case, we put up the tree (it's fake :( when I have a family, we'll have a real one), decorate it, take earring pictures (we still have to do that this year),  drink festive drinks, and listen to Christmas carols. The fact that we have such a great time together indicates how much we really love each other. I think this love is simply a typification of Christ's love for us. Jesus coming to earth as a baby shows His love of togetherness. In Matthew 1:23 it reads: "'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' Which is translated, 'God with us'" The name that God gave His Son shows how much He loves being with us. He risked the fate of the universe to come down to earth, spend some time with humanity, and ultimately sacrifice Himself for Me. 

Why do I enjoy Christmastime so much? Because I can be together with those I love, and the One who loved me first. 

Merry Christmas.

Green Tea

This is a quotation from the book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller. I got this book from my dad and have been reading it sporadically over the past months. Last night, right before I went to sleep, I picked it up and opened it randomly to the following passage. It couldn't have come at a better time for me.

"Paul in writing to the Christians at Corinth warned them of this danger. "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" (1 Corinthians 10:12)

Admittedly this may appear as one of the paradoxes and enigmas of our spiritual lives. When we examine it carefully, however, we will not find it too difficult to understand.

As with sheep, so with Christians, some basic principles and parallels apply which will help us to grasp the way in which a man or woman can be cast.

There is, first of all, the idea of looking for a soft spot. The sheep that choose the comfortable, soft, rounded hollows in the ground in which to lie down very often become  cast. In such a situation it is so easy to roll over on their backs.

 In the Christian life there is great danger in always looking for the easy place, the cozy hardship, no need for endurance, no demand upon self-discipline.

The time when we think "we have it made," so to speak, is actually when we are in mortal danger. There is such a thing as the discipline of poverty and privation which can be self-imposed to do us worlds of good. Jesus suggested this to the rich young man who mistakenly assumed he was in a safe position when in truth he was on the verge of being cast down. 

Sometimes if, through self-indulgence, I am unwilling to forfeit or forego the soft life, the easy way, the cozy corner, then the Good Shepherd may well move me to a pasture where things aren't quite so comfortable -- not only for my own good but also His benefit as well." (A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 page 76 & 77)

Never, never, never, NEVER let your guard down.

p.s. 

I have no idea what it means for a sheep to be "cast", but I am assuming it is a bad thing!

A Visit

Should I be posting right now? Probably not! Why? because I have a Comp 101 final in like 4 hours and although I think it'll be pretty straight forward, I'm still nervous. Maybe because this is my very first final exam in college, or maybe because it includes writing an essay and I have to write perfectly within the time frame. This said, I should be studying right? Well I would, but my good friend procrastination stopped by for a visit and I simply cannot run him off without spending a little time with him. So here I am, posting and listening to the Noisetrade fall sampler!
Question of the Week: When procrastination stops by to hang out with you, how do you run him off?

Christmas!!!

Christmas is coming you guys, and I'm super pumped!! I put up some music to celebrate           -------------
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Death by Mud!!!

Holy Crap! What have I gotten myself into?

February, here I come!