Promises

People who believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior are promised salvation.

I know so many people who are all about this. We go to church every Sunday. Sometimes we get really crazy and go on Wednesdays. If we are really holy we throw in a campus ministry another day in the week. We like the free gift.

Have any of us read any of the Bible?

God promises us so much more.

We are always worried about school. life. relationships. money. sports. future. past. popularity. clothes. facebook. music. movies. feel free to add your own...

Why are we so apt to trust God for salvation, yet we refuse to believe his other promises?

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."

That is Jeremiah 29:11-14. Does it not carry the same weight as John 3:16?

His plans for us are better than ours. Hope. A future.

We can call on Him. He WILL listen.

We WILL find find Him.

He WILL bring us out of captivity.

We see this and we start humanizing it. "Yeah, I want God's plan, but I'll find a spouse and have some kids and then follow God's plan."

What would it be like if we just trusted him to do what he says?

He will not fail.

A person will let you down.

I will let you down.

He doesn't know how to fail.

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

That is Psalm 37:4.

God cares about us. Genuinely.

He wants good for us. If we seek him, he will give us all of these things that we selfishly desire.

As usual I am the best example of this. I often trust God to start a situation, and then I take over like I know how to do it better than Him.

Every time I let Him take control he makes things better than I could have even hoped.

Thank you God for keeping your promises.

Thank you God for caring about us.

Life is so much more than all of these goals and milestones.

Let life constantly glorify Him.

Let life be a journey, not a destination.

That's what it is whether want it to be or not.

God is the only one who can truly fill our desires.

And he is doing so for someone even now.

Don't limit God in your life. We have to allow Him to bless us.

And he will.

I promise, because He promises.

Seek wisdom rather than knowledge

We as people know so much about the world.

No, we know nothing. While watching "It's a Wonderful Life" for the second time this year, my friends pointed out that people in the movie smoked without guilt because they had no idea what the side effects were. My friends then joked that cell phones are the new cigarettes, and that one day people will look back at movies and say, "Look how they just just held it up to the ears. They really had no idea."

But we know so much.

We can't even describe color. We don't even know if we all see the same colors. We have been taught to identify what we see. There is no way of knowing what others see because we can't describe what we see.

But science is constantly advancing.

Yeah, and we still cannot explain how wind happens or what it is. We all can feel it. We all know it is there. No one actually knows how or why.

---

Why do we like thinking we have things figured out? We don't...sorry.

Socrates said, "The only true knowledge is knowing that we know nothing."

Someone who is widely known as one of the smartest humans ever was quoted to say that.

Why do we concern ourselves with gaining all this knowledge? Pop culture has news all the time that simply doesn't matter at all. It's almost depressing to know they have such an audience.

---

Here's what I know.

Jesus thought differently than anyone who has ever been on earth. His thoughts matched those of God. He is infinitely wise.

Can you imagine what that would be like??

He was totally aware of everything happening around him all the time. He knew what was happening to each individual blade of grass under his feet. He knew the problems of everyone in the crowds around him. Somehow he was still able to focus on whatever was at hand.

Complete awareness. Constant love. For everyone.

We (definitely including myself) fill our brains with so much junk that we forget to love. We do not stop to encourage the friend who had just failed his final because we have to go study. That extra five minutes really made the difference in our grade...

I am certain of God's love for me. He loves me even though he knows me. His love is all I know.

Death and taxes. Ha. People in some countries are too poor to have taxes, and Jesus beat death.

What do we know?

Slaying the dragon

My friends use this phrase to describe studying in Auburn's library.

Ralph Brown Draughon Library.

What a place. I have spent the last several hours there studying for a psychology test. I think (and hope) I am well prepared. I use to be on the bandwagon that says the library is nothing but a big social time for people searching for a distraction; however, this semester I have found these distractions to be study breaks that prevent me from losing my mind. I am actually a more efficient studier when I have people to help remind me that the world does not revolve around how well I do (or do not do) on my test.

I look forward to future times of slaying the dragon.

It's just so much more fun to say "I'm slaying the dragon" than it is to say "I am studying at the library."

Hooray for learning to let God take control in order to not be stressed.

Don't worry. Be Happy.

:::whistling:::

"Music is what feelings sound like"

I need words
As wide as sky
I need language large as
This longing inside
And I need a voice
Bigger than mine
And I need a song to sing You
That I've yet to find
I need You

Such emotion.
Such understanding.
How does an instrument know the language of my soul?
How can an instrument be a pathway for God to speak and for me to praise Him?

I even enjoy the word we give it.
.music
The word passes through mouths like hands touching silk for the first time.
.music

An escape.
An art.
The art of creating feelings from what would be silence.
One of our best means of expressing to God our desire to worship him.

We condense our feelings into a time frame.
.song
At times we long for a certain song to be endless.
We want the depth of our soul to be touched forever.

The Lord is our great song.
He spreads across our greatest weaknesses and provides strength.
He cures what we think is beyond saving.
God is the music our soul desires.

Glimpses of heaven can be found in music.
The light breaks into this empty place and delivers hope.
Imagine eternity with God.
Hope--found in its core being.

Love--in spite of my flaws.
In spite of ALL of my flaws.
So much love that he died, so that I don't have to.
My hope is built on nothing less.

Thank you God for music.
Let music glorify you.
Speak to us through it.
Thank for giving us another way to connect with you.



Psalm 96
Isaiah 55:12
Judges 5:3
1 Chronicles 23:5
Ephesian 5:19-20
Exodus 15:2
2 Samuel 4:5
Colossians 3:16

It's a Wonderful Life

Really it is. God pulled me through everything in the previous blog. Never doubted Him.

My family just finished decorating the house for Christmas. Then we watched one of my favorite movies, which, coincidentally, has the same title as this blog.

If you have never seen it, watch it.

From beginning to end.

The black and white version preferably.

When you do, I want you to notice something. When George looks at his father's picture in the office there is a quote below the picture.

"You can only take with you that which you've given away."

Watch the movie if you haven't. You should probably watch it again if you have.

Forget all this politcally correct happy holidays nonsense.

Merry Christmas.

3 speeches, 2 research papers, and a lack of motivation

I have given 2 speeches today.

I have a 10-page research paper due tomorrow, on which I must give a speech.

I have a 7-page research paper due on Wednesday.

What effect will these things have on my future?

If I fail to do them, my GPA will suffer and my parents will be disappointed.

If I do them, I'll get a nice pat on the back.

The gain does not match the loss. I find myself doing school work simply because I am trying not to fail. I wish I knew what it felt like to do schoolwork for the purpose of learning rather than receiving a grade.

Let me also say that I have a terrible outlook on school. We are supposed to do all things for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). I want a desire to glorify God through schoolwork, but I do not see how he is glorified that way.

Please God be glorified through my schoolwork even if I cannot see it. I do not say this selfishly, but out of a sincere desire to glorify you. Honestly, I pray this because I feel like I am wasting time that could be used to serve you, so please be glorified.

I thank God for peace in this situation. Just a few months ago I would be freaking out if i had this much to do, but God gives me peace. Peace beyond all comprehension (Philippians 4:7).

I may not be happy with my schoolwork, but I am joyful because of the Lord. God thank you for joy.

Peace

Joy

Only through Christ.

Salvation for all can be found in Christ. God loves us. We have done nothing to earn it, but he loves us anyway.

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
-Acts 4:12

One name to save a pitiful existence. One name to save me from myself. One name that is love.

Oh, what love

We are the desperate ones...

I finally found a life worth living for
It's not mine
It's yours



Tonight has been one of the best nights of my life.

God is beyond anything I can type.

The above lyrics are from the song "Heaven" written by Daniel Bashta.

The title is a from a song my friends wrote.

Isn't it awesome to sing words and know that other people understand.

As a room full of people sang these words tonight, it was incredible to think that any of us could have written them. We all meant them that much.

The best part is that people across the street were having their own worship service on Samford lawn.

I often hear peope say, "God is going to do something big." or "Pray that God starts a revolution right here."

Brace yourself people.

He is here.



.Heaven is coming down

.We are desperate for Him

"Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name."
- 1 Chronicles 29:13

Put that on your facepage and poke it

Kenny Mayne used this on a commercial for his new webisode thing called "The Mayne Event."

I think this is great.

I may start using it without giving Mayne credit. (I'm sure some other writer had the idea for the joke anyway.) I will however slightly alter it to make it my own.

SO

Put that on your facebook and poke it.

People do care...

..about the wrong things.

People care about things that do not matter. I hear so many people who will argue until their death about sports, music, and movies. What we wear does not matter. We should be thankful to have food and clothing at all. God has blessed us, but we would rather complain to each other and argue with each other than join in praising him for supplying out needs. I am fed up with myself for not caring about what matters.

I am tired of hearing who you like and dislike in football.

I am tired of caring about what I am wearing.

I am the guilty party.

16,000 children die of hunger-relatd causes every day. That's 1 child every 5 seconds.

Slavery is the fastest growing global crime, and we talk about it like it is a thing of the past.

Iggnorance is not an acceptable excuse.

Why don't we care? Why are we more concerned with buying the latest cd? or getting a new jacket when we already have seven? Why aren't we doing everything we can to feed people who are hungry?

One time in Atlanta my friends were talking to a homeless man and he said, "You can't go wrong feeding people."

Why can't we get that?

I am typing this on a computer. I am in a room with an HD television and a Playstation 3. I need to care more.

WE need to care more.

WE are the body of Christ.

WE THE CHURCH

I have friends that get it. I want to get it. I thank God for allowing me to see it. I pray he allows me to hold on to that thought.

Jesus showed us how to live. Love whoever we are around. Feed the hungry. Love the unlovable. Offer hope to the hopeless.

God cares.

We should, too.

Diamonds are made from putting coal under pressure

My Dad said that today.

He wasn't the first the say it, but the point is made.

When things are tough (which should definitely be spelled "tuff"), people become.

There is a scene at the end ofthe movie little miss sunshine where steve carell shows his understanding of this. He talks about the happy years of life and how they are the most boring. The best years are the tough years. The years that make you who you are. (disclaimer: this movie is for mature audiences)

If you let God take control in tough situations, he will mold you into a better you than you have ever been.

He loves us.

He will take care of us.

There is hope.

There is always hope.

I dont know who reads this. I dont know if anyone reads this. I do know that whoever you are, whatever your situation is, its going to be all right.

Things will get better.

Rescue is coming.

He makes all things new.

*Cue Monday Night Football Music

Garfield is great.

He loves lasagna. He loves to sleep. He is sarcastic. Plus, he hates mondays.

I also hate mondays.

Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for every day I am given. Wouldn't it be nice to skip mondays though?

Rise and shine. What a joke! I am not a morning person. I need 15 minutes of nothing when I wake up just to be able to carry on a conversation. How terrible is the one day of the week that follows to restful days? No one wants to go back to work.

I was once told of a guy who skipped every monday his senior year of high school. Give that man a klondike bar. One, because he's awesome. Two, because I don't really like klondike bars so it's ok to be short one.

I thoroughly enjoy espn's monday night football commercials. They always show the terrible things that we so often see on typical mondays, which sounds like a terrible commercial, but then they offer a slight ray of hope.

Monday Night Football.

Whoever had this idea was/is a genius.

The majority of people don't like mondays. Why not add football to the terrible day in an effort to make it better? Sure the matchups aren't always the best, but it's so awesome to be able to watch football while I study or finish up homework.

Did you notice the random 'it' in that last sentence?

"but it's so awesome..."

I once had an english teacher that hated the random it. She argued that a pronoun must have an antecedent, and that this pronoun was lacking in the area. I think that is stupid. I completely understand her point and that she must teach us rules of proper english. But isn't it more important to communicate than to use proper english?

My dad always told his speech professors that he was "a communicator, not a speaker." I am the same way. Before my speeches this semester I have been sure to remind my teacher of this fact.

The truth is that I like to speak in front of people. I love preaching. I love speaking to youth groups. I hate being graded on speeches. A "proper" speech does not connect with the audience the same way a good speaker does. A good speaker does his or her own thing to get on the audience's level.

I really hate being graded on speeches on mondays...

Homeful

So I'm at home right now.

But really I'm at my parents' house.

I have lived in 5 different towns, all of which had some kind of effect on me. I really don't know where I call home.

I've been told home is where the heart is. My heart goes out to places I have never even been. So how many homes am I allowed to claim?

In Joe Dirt, home is where you make it. I don't like to see homos naked, so I really don't know how that helps me.

I love to travel, and I rarely have trouble sleeping in new places. My senese of home comes from my relationships with people. I am very close with my family. I have close friends all over the country. I quickly create bonds with people I barely know.

Maybe God has a purpose for my sense of home. Maybe I'm not supposed to feel at home until I am with Him.

While I feel nomadic, I am not homeless. I have many homes, which makes me...homeful?

"My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young--a place near your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Selah."
-Psalm 84 2-4

Welcome to the real world; or, perhaps more accurately, an introduction

"Welcome to the real world."

If you are not familiar with the phrase, I'll guess you're not a senior in high school yet.

Yes, I am in my second year of college, but this phrase began to haunt me my senior year. People started asking me if I was ready for the "real world." I had reached a point where everyone felt like they needed to offer me advice. It seemed like I had just been born. My previous 18 years had apparently been some sort of fictional existence only used to keep me from rebelling against the machines...

...or maybe that was a movie.

Either way, I was about to go off into the "real world."

Or so I was fooled to believe...

Not long after coming to college I was informed that college is what prepares people for the "real world."

I was baffled. Was I not there yet? How long would it be before I got there? I didn't like the idea of living in a false world...

So what is the real world? A hit series on MTV that I have never actually watched? The world once you have a family? Or a job? Is the real world a war zone? Is the real world based on the economy like everything else seems to be?

The truth I have found is...

This is it.

No, not this blog.

But the room you are sitting in reading this blog. The people in the surrounding rooms. The choices and decisions we make every day.

The fact that my psychology teacher has no idea how much an A would help my grade. The fact that the last test in the class will probably keep me from that A. The fact that I shouldn't care so much about my GPA because (get ready for a big hit) God can use people who don't have a formal education. (I know, mind-blowing right?)

The real world is when we build walls around God and throw a steeple on Him and say, "Here God you can give me chill bumps in here, but outside is mine."

The real world is that it's okay that I am using improper grammar.

The real world is love. Cheesy love. Free love. Love for all. His love.

The real world cannot be defined. or predicted. or conquered.

The real world belongs to Him.

We are the real world.

We belong to Him.

I did not brainstorm before writing this blog. I did not make an outline for this blog. I had no plan of action whatsoever for this blog. This blog just came from my mind racing and my fingers typing. That is how I want to blog.

I was just thinking, and I wanted my thoughts to go somewhere.

So maybe this blog is the real world.