A Toast To The New Year and All It's Mysteries...

So this weekend I went to Gatlinburg with my youth group. With the mix of Family Force 5, Shane and Shane, Matt McCoy, an illusionist, a comedian, a great speaker, great classes, and amazing fellowship with friends proved TCTC to be a great trip. I had a great time and grew even closer to my God.

We were debriefing Saturday night, going around sharing how God spoke to us that day when someone ended up confessing that they think they were just saved that day. We prayed over him and everyone went to bed. Well, not really. Some of the guys stayed up in my room talking about baptism. Some how it turned into a debate over whether or not baptism is necessary in order to inherit The Kingdom.

The debate threw me at first cause I had never really thought about how important it really is. I was raised in the church and was baptized at a very young age. An age in which you don't really give much thought about how important it is cause you are just doing it because you think it is the right thing to do. I decided by the end that it is very important that you do get baptized.

I think that it is a step that you take during the act of repentance. It is one of the final steps you take in saying "Here I am father, clean of my past and ready for my future" of course the last step is living your life fully devoted to Jesus.

I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. -Matthew 3:11

That is all I need to know to make my decision. Baptism is (in my eyes) a necessary step in becoming a saved christian. I don't know about all of the hypothetical "what if" scenarios, but then again that judgement or any judgement for that matter isn't up to me.

Once Again... Why Not

Once, I wrote a post about how I think it would be so great to be stranded on an island, roughing it, surviving. To an extent there was some sarcasm in the post, but in a sense I was being some what truthful. I didn't really know it at the time, but now that I have finished season 4 of lost I realize that, well, it would be pretty cool.

Men dream of the chance to be, Men. That might not make sense so let me try to explain.

What glory is there in a mans life if there is not adventure. A risk. A chance, a chance to prove to everyone that they are men, worthy of a challenge, willing to accept, and able to succeed. I don't think that is too dramatic. I think that is how God made us men. To want to be daring, to live on the edge, that is how I am. God didn't make us men to be emasculated the way we are these days.

Think about it. Do we not have a daring and dangerous God? I think we do. And seeing as how we were made in his image is it wrong to also want to be dangerous, big, bad, and brave? Not dangerous in the murderer, crazed, insane man sense but rather the audacious, honorably noble knight in shiny armor way. I know that is what I want to be.

If you fellow guy readers are interested or intrigued by what I am writing then I suggest you read Wild At Heart by John Eldredge. He puts it a lot better than I ever can. If you have already read it then I hope that you can some how relate to this post.

And after you read the book it is helpful to watch every episode of Lost in a matter of weeks.

Thanking on Christmas...

So this year I have been, well, thoroughly confused on the seasons and such. It doesn't seem like Christmas. It's not cold and we have yet to see some snow. On a typical Christmas season there is the anticipation of opening presents and spending time with family, but this year it just has not happened to me. I took part in the Christmas Eve service at church last night and still, it was not on my mind that I needed to get home cause the family is waiting, anticipating my arrival so we can begin to open the presents.

Call me a Scrooge but I am just not feeling the spirit of the season.

I am however very thankful. Wrong time of the year, [whose to say I can't be thankful anytime of the year, right?] maybe. I am just so happy with where I am at with my life. I have an idea as to what I am going to do once I graduate, and other reasons. My point is, I'm happy.

Maybe that is what I should be doing this holiday season. Just be happy, and thankful at that.

I love you all and I miss a lot of you. Merry Christmas!!!

Oh Yeah!!!

I'm DATEFUL!

Innocence...

I just finished reading a book called Enders Game. It is a really good read. I am looking forward to the rest of the series. Anyways, it has a really interesting story line, one that brought up a few thoughts that I would like to share.

Ender is a kid (as in the beginning of the book) who has been monitored three of the first six years of his life. They monitor him to see if he is able enough to join the International Fleet (which is like the worlds army in space). So he ends up going to school in space at the age of six. That is about as far as I want to go with telling you about the book. What I found so interesting about this book is the age in which he is doing some of the things he does. All that happens in the book (which is a lot) happens before his 12th birthday.

This book was written in the 70's so it is not like the author wrote it knowing of all the crap that is going on in our generation. Kid's are losing their childhood too quickly. They no longer have the chance to be kids. Their parents are loading their schedule with all kinds of extra curricular activities.

It doesn't help when sex and homosexuality and greed and hatred are being preached to us through the media. My nine year old brother is starting to ask questions. Mind that he has already had "The Talk". Where in their tiny heads do they draw the line between what is right and wrong? Sometimes it is even foggy for me.

Random I know, but it is just so disappointing.

Got Milk???

Marvelous Light...

"I can see the light that is coming
For the heart that holds on..."

"Into marvelous light I'm running
Out of darkness out of shame
by the cross you are the truth
you are the life you are the way"

"The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.

John 1:4-5 NLT

Be the LIGHT. Live in the LIGHT. Love in the LIGHT. Be everything that you are called to be in the LIGHT. So that someday, it won't be a challenge to be the light, because you will live among people of light. Living among the brightest light that has ever shone. The Light of God!

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

Philippians 2:14-15