AAAHHHHHHH!!!!!
Heres a before and after shot kids...
The couple with the dog are Andrea and P.J. My new roommate and her boyfriend, along with Andrea's dog and Peanut Butter's new best friend (not really), Brutus!
The fella holding my cat is Lt. Gabriel Jenson. He used to be my superior at Valor, but now hes my roommate as well! Look out ladies!! Hes single!! Any takers?
My cat's name used to be peanut, but that just wasnt right after she gained all that weight. So we tried "Peanutbutter" and "stuck".
Life is good mostly. I'm greatly blessed to have so much. My money problems are over. I have lots of new friends. I'm FINALLY starting my career. I LOVE my church! I had dinner and a movie with Jessica last night. I'm looking forward to a visit to Bay City in a few weeks.
Life is just...good.
Meditation of the Day: Chaotic little rant concerning: "living as" a Christian in addition to "Being" one.
Or: A Chaotic rant!
Its Lent. The time of year when we take down the decorations in our Churches and in our Hearts in favor of more sparse settings. A time of fasting in preparation for easter. Through the deprivation of our earthly desires, we are reminded that man lives not on bread alone...
I won't discuss what I've been led to give up. Thats the buisness of me and the big man, and you WOULDN'T be impressed anyhow! I will say however that this small sacrifice is prooving to be more difficult then originally anticipated. My failers however are serving as stark reminders of two things:
1. I NEED God! Whenever I put ANYTHING before Him, I feel the conciquences. I thank Him for giving the direction in life that I asked for, even if it came in a way I didnt expect.
2. I've got a LOT of work to do! The state of our being is most evident in our weakest hours and I fall tremendously short of the immitation of Christ!
I rejoice over God's providance because He has shown me that living as a Christian doesnt end with confessing your sinfulness. If we truely love God, we then must try to keep his commandments.
I MUST testify that God does indeed send us the grace to improve.
Do I believe I'll go to hell if I don't become perfect? Heavens no! Eternal beatitude would be a pretty DEAD party if only Jesus and Mary showed up! (man, I hope I dont get "flamed" for that mary comment.lol)
Do I think that we go to Hell if we don't try to love God? Now here we MUST be careful! We arent supposed to judge others and I try not to. I don't claim to know the circumstances of any man's salvation whether he appears to be a sinner or a righteous man. Whether he professes to believe in God or not. Only God can judge a man and I'm sure that people are surprised at who else they see that "made it" as they enter into heaven.
I will say this however.
Lets all not chance it and just do what Jesus says:
""If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love. "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. ""
-Jn 15:10-12
What kind of faith is one that professes God's supremacy and yet doesnt seek to submit to it? This is not faith at all, but a meaningless statement.
On the other hand, is salvation something gained through "figureing out" WHICH set of commandments are the ones that came from God through our abilities of reason? I think not! Such a belief is reminiscent of the Gnostics. Again, what does Jesus say?:
""I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to infants.""
-Matthew 11:25
So what am I getting at?? This meditation is all over the place, but thats really the point! I don't write these things so they look pretty and prove points. I write them to see what comes out of my head so that I can examine it and I'm quite pleased with this chaotic little rant!
The couple with the dog are Andrea and P.J. My new roommate and her boyfriend, along with Andrea's dog and Peanut Butter's new best friend (not really), Brutus!
The fella holding my cat is Lt. Gabriel Jenson. He used to be my superior at Valor, but now hes my roommate as well! Look out ladies!! Hes single!! Any takers?
My cat's name used to be peanut, but that just wasnt right after she gained all that weight. So we tried "Peanutbutter" and "stuck".
Life is good mostly. I'm greatly blessed to have so much. My money problems are over. I have lots of new friends. I'm FINALLY starting my career. I LOVE my church! I had dinner and a movie with Jessica last night. I'm looking forward to a visit to Bay City in a few weeks.
Life is just...good.
Meditation of the Day: Chaotic little rant concerning: "living as" a Christian in addition to "Being" one.
Or: A Chaotic rant!
Its Lent. The time of year when we take down the decorations in our Churches and in our Hearts in favor of more sparse settings. A time of fasting in preparation for easter. Through the deprivation of our earthly desires, we are reminded that man lives not on bread alone...
I won't discuss what I've been led to give up. Thats the buisness of me and the big man, and you WOULDN'T be impressed anyhow! I will say however that this small sacrifice is prooving to be more difficult then originally anticipated. My failers however are serving as stark reminders of two things:
1. I NEED God! Whenever I put ANYTHING before Him, I feel the conciquences. I thank Him for giving the direction in life that I asked for, even if it came in a way I didnt expect.
2. I've got a LOT of work to do! The state of our being is most evident in our weakest hours and I fall tremendously short of the immitation of Christ!
I rejoice over God's providance because He has shown me that living as a Christian doesnt end with confessing your sinfulness. If we truely love God, we then must try to keep his commandments.
I MUST testify that God does indeed send us the grace to improve.
Do I believe I'll go to hell if I don't become perfect? Heavens no! Eternal beatitude would be a pretty DEAD party if only Jesus and Mary showed up! (man, I hope I dont get "flamed" for that mary comment.lol)
Do I think that we go to Hell if we don't try to love God? Now here we MUST be careful! We arent supposed to judge others and I try not to. I don't claim to know the circumstances of any man's salvation whether he appears to be a sinner or a righteous man. Whether he professes to believe in God or not. Only God can judge a man and I'm sure that people are surprised at who else they see that "made it" as they enter into heaven.
I will say this however.
Lets all not chance it and just do what Jesus says:
""If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love. "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. ""
-Jn 15:10-12
What kind of faith is one that professes God's supremacy and yet doesnt seek to submit to it? This is not faith at all, but a meaningless statement.
On the other hand, is salvation something gained through "figureing out" WHICH set of commandments are the ones that came from God through our abilities of reason? I think not! Such a belief is reminiscent of the Gnostics. Again, what does Jesus say?:
""I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to infants.""
-Matthew 11:25
So what am I getting at?? This meditation is all over the place, but thats really the point! I don't write these things so they look pretty and prove points. I write them to see what comes out of my head so that I can examine it and I'm quite pleased with this chaotic little rant!