To my friends...

We're designing our life - writing the intro to our story. Coming out from home, leaving behind that definition that used to be us - and finding a new one. We'll make mistakes, our friends will make mistakes, our brothers and sisters will make mistakes, our role models will make mistakes. But don't lose it now, and don't throw them away; give each other a few years to work ourselves out before making any lasting judgements. Each of us are setting our new boundaries, lets give each other some room to make them. Lets help our friends that way.

But most of all, don't stop trying until you're confident that you've found the best that can be found. And keep in mind that the people we call friends should push us forward, not sit cozy with us, or drag us back...

"...look children to the eastern sky." 

This is who I am

I like being a christian - actually, I am being honest. I now that it isn't always bright and cheery, but it is healthy. And that's that thing; technically, I am in no position to prove that one "religion" is right over the others, but I am able to see what kind of lifestyle each religion encourages. I'm not going to put this in black and white, but the reason why I am staying a christian is because I can find no other world-view that enables people to live in harmony. Now I haven't studied every religion, so at this point this position is only a hypothesis - but it is sustained by all the data that I have received to this point. I like to think that when God created us, the laws He wanted us to abide by were instituted because we could only function harmoniously by following them - in other words, right is right because it allows us to function healthily and wrong is wrong because it introduces dysfunction. Satan is out to destroy God's crowning creation - in one way or another - so he attempts to get people to disobey those inherent rules. So, in my mind, "good' is harmony  - as God intended it to be; and evil is dysfunction - a destruction of all that God created "good". This is somewhat of a different position than many people may be in, so I am not introducing this as the "right" truth, I simply want to show a different perspective of the emphasis of God's plan. He wants to be glorified, and He is glorified by His creation functioning healthily - and we can only do that by following the principles He sets forth. So that's what rules are for, it's not like God chose a "side" to be good back at the beginning, or picked rules out of the air and made them "righteousness"; I think that for some un-explainable reason those rules were there before the creation of the earth; they were there in heaven when Satan rebelled, they were there in the garden - hidden in the fruit, and they are here now. So, suddenly God takes on a completely different look: instead of a King asserting his rule for the sake of power, He becomes a Creator who shows His concern for His creation by desiring them to abide by certain rules which will allow them to live in harmony and peace - He wants us to be whole, complete. He loves us

But the game is changed now...
We sinned and therefore dysfunction and death entered the world. So our game-plan is no longer to obey in order to create that perfect garden that we came from - we obey to spread the hope and light of the coming harmony that God will re-create. We messed up, He's gonna fix it - that doesn't seem fair to Him. Oh, and He's not doing it because it's "right" or because it is His character, He's doing it because He loves us and He wants us to live in harmony with Him and each other.

P.S. It's a long process, but in the end my conclusion with this hypothesis is that I glorify God through my
        interactions with other people - in other words, my faith in God is expressed in what comes out of me
        towards other people. That's why I strive for harmony, that's what glorifies God. This is where I am led
        in an attempt to be like Christ.



Any thoughts?

Humble pie is good

Every so often I must take back something I said, to admit that, yes, I was wrong - and the only thing that makes this worse is that I must admit that I do know the right thing to take it's place.

I want to take back what I've said about marriage and serious relationships - at least some of it was wrong, but I don't know what. All I know is that I am immature and much of my writings has revealed such, if you would happen to notice. So what am I taking back?

Affection is no reason for commitment - all that affection depends on, is who you spend your time with
Similarity is no reason for commitment - in fact, it seems God wants it to be the opposite
Understanding is no reason for commitment - A lifetime is plenty of time to grow in understanding
Convenience is no reason for commitment - God may want us somewhere else

...Anyways, whether it's of any consequence or not, I just want to make sure that what I share here be constructive input, and so I want the reader to be aware of those things that I have prematurely concluded. Oh, and I don't have anything to leave you with; except maybe, in light of this, don't take my word for granted - maybe you don't already, and that's good. I'm twenty, I'm immature and I've got growing to do; thank you for your understanding.

A soliloquy...

I like pictures and music. Each in their own way can be called something like therapy. I suppose everyone has those kinds of activities; the ones they do when they are upset or unsettled. And sometimes we find that we enjoy them enough to think of them as more than just therapeutic - and they become a hobby, or a lifestyle...

I have some honest questions for my peers...

Why don't we just grow up? What is it about childhood that seems so sweet and innocent and attractive? Can't we just move on? Where is the desire for something better? Or have we been so deceived that we accept what our reality as though it is the best we could ever get? What is it that keeps us pursuing vapor trails as though we will find any security in them? Is it blindness? Is it deceit? Is it ignorance? Or is it that, given the choice, we would really rather be a slave and un-responsible than to be free and have responsibility? 

Like I said, why don't we just grow up?

P.S. It's like that. When we're slaves and children, we have no need to think for ourselves. All that difficult 

        mental work and responsibility is left to someone else. If we're free and independent, then suddenly we 

        are responsible for our own choices and that is a weight that many fear to bear. So, if I were to ask myself 

        those questions I stated earlier, my answer would be - we fear responsibility. And the reality of that 

        answer is almost more discouraging than I can bear...

Can't we please just grow up?!?!