Saint Augustine. If you don't know the name then I feel sorry for you. He is one of the most profound theologians of the Christian Faith and his most famous work "Confessions" is a beautiful story of his transition from sinner to saint. At the moment I am about half-way through this seminal work, but it has challenged me in my personal walk with God in a way that few books have.
The most interesting point of note I have come across recently was an observation that Augustine made while trying to discern where evil comes from. He writes that he began with the assumption that "God allows evil to happen" and then worked from that idea. This is a very human thing to do. It is so simple to attribute to God the mistakes that humans make, and this is exactly the conclusion that Augustine comes to. He states that it is not that God allows evil to happen, rather it is that God allows humans to choose our own actions, and we choose evil. Evil is easy, it is simple, and in the modern world it often gives the most immediate benefits. The man who lies to an employer will gain the job over the one who tells the truth (if the liar is not found out). The spouse who has an affair will reap the immediate rewards of carnal pleasure. The person who cheats on an exam will receive a better grade than the one who took their test honestly.
Evil is simple, and it works perfectly in a fallen world. God gave us a choice to do good, or to do evil, and we naturally choose evil. (Romans 3:23). It is a struggle to choose good, no matter what hollywood tells us with their heroes in white hats who always choose the right thing to do. The world is not so black and white. We sin. It's our nature. God does not wish it so. He does not allow evil to happen, we do. If we blame God for the bad things that happen in this world, then maybe we should go out and try to fix it instead of spending all our time wearing holes in the knees of our pants trying to "search out God's reasons" God is unsearchable; however, he has given all of us the tools to choose good and fight evil, but when we do nothing we are allowing bad things to happen simply by way of our own inactivity.
Now, before you jump on me, I am not belittling prayer in any way, shape, or form. Prayer is one of, if not the most important parts of life. It has real-world power that cannot be contested, but James wrote, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead." (James 2:26) We must act upon what calls us to action, because all of the conviction in the world is absolutely worthless if we do nothing.
St. Augustine may not have had the perfect answer for why evil is present, but it is still something to think about.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
100 Meter Dash
I was reading from Aristotle's "Ethics" today and I came across this passage, "Hence the young man is not a fit student of Moral Philosophy, for he has no experience in the actions of life, while all that is said presupposes and is concerned with these: and in the next place, since he is apt to follow the impulses of his passions, he will hear as though he heard not, and to no profit, the end in view being practice and not mere knowledge." Now what Aristotle is getting at in the larger picture is that we should define a certain point or goal that we wish to achieve, and only once this goal has been set can we move forward in life. He is asserting that young men (such as myself) should not strive to form their own ideas, but rather to learn from those who have gone before them.
As I was reading that I thought of the passage in the book of Matthew which says "This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand." Matthew 13:13-14
How many times in life do we think that we are ready for something, but in reality we are fooling ourselves? Jesus knew that the people he was speaking to were not ready for deep seated theological conversations, but he also knew that only those who were truly receptive to his words would be given the power to understand what he was saying.
God is continually speaking to us, sometimes in the smallest details of life, sometimes with something more substantial. In our fast paced, iphone addicted, Facebook addled world we are more focused on keeping up with the Jones's than we are with keeping our relationship with God right. God is always there, waiting for us to open up and be receptive to his words, but we put him off and tell ourselves that we will get to our devotional time later, but then never do.
Now, i know that all of this has been said before, and it will definitely be said again, but we are in a culture that is devaluing religion in favor of more profane activities.
The Apostle Paul writes "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." 1 Corinthians 9:24
If we keep our eyes set on earthly things, then our prize will be the things of this earth. The traditional theologian would tell you that the prizes of this earth are despair, being unfulfilled, and things like that, but I have a different opinion. I have had many friends who can only be described as "happy pagans". These people aren't religious, they live very fulfilled (in their opinion) lives through their work and their families, and the small things in life bring them joy. So if they keep their eyes focused on these earthly pursuits then that is what they will receive on this earth. . . . but then one day they will die and lose all of it.
Those who keep their eye fixed on the prize that Paul is talking about; Jesus, will receive all that he has to offer, which is so much more than the earth can give. Jesus offers us joy, peace, fulfillment, a treasure that will not pass away or be eaten by moths, a friend to the friendless and all of those trite expressions you've heard in church. Those who follow God will one day live with him in paradise.
This is all just a thought, do with it as you will, but I would recommend running harder and further than you ever have, because in this race there is no prize for second place.
Have a great day, and God Bless.
As I was reading that I thought of the passage in the book of Matthew which says "This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand." Matthew 13:13-14
How many times in life do we think that we are ready for something, but in reality we are fooling ourselves? Jesus knew that the people he was speaking to were not ready for deep seated theological conversations, but he also knew that only those who were truly receptive to his words would be given the power to understand what he was saying.
God is continually speaking to us, sometimes in the smallest details of life, sometimes with something more substantial. In our fast paced, iphone addicted, Facebook addled world we are more focused on keeping up with the Jones's than we are with keeping our relationship with God right. God is always there, waiting for us to open up and be receptive to his words, but we put him off and tell ourselves that we will get to our devotional time later, but then never do.
Now, i know that all of this has been said before, and it will definitely be said again, but we are in a culture that is devaluing religion in favor of more profane activities.
The Apostle Paul writes "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." 1 Corinthians 9:24
If we keep our eyes set on earthly things, then our prize will be the things of this earth. The traditional theologian would tell you that the prizes of this earth are despair, being unfulfilled, and things like that, but I have a different opinion. I have had many friends who can only be described as "happy pagans". These people aren't religious, they live very fulfilled (in their opinion) lives through their work and their families, and the small things in life bring them joy. So if they keep their eyes focused on these earthly pursuits then that is what they will receive on this earth. . . . but then one day they will die and lose all of it.
Those who keep their eye fixed on the prize that Paul is talking about; Jesus, will receive all that he has to offer, which is so much more than the earth can give. Jesus offers us joy, peace, fulfillment, a treasure that will not pass away or be eaten by moths, a friend to the friendless and all of those trite expressions you've heard in church. Those who follow God will one day live with him in paradise.
This is all just a thought, do with it as you will, but I would recommend running harder and further than you ever have, because in this race there is no prize for second place.
Have a great day, and God Bless.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Why Valentine's Day is Awesome
Boxes of chocolate, proposals, fancy dinners, tiny little heart shaped candy that say words like "be mine" and taste like chalk. This, ladies and gentleman is Valentines day, or a small part of it.
Valentines day can also be one of the saddest days of the year, suicide rates are actually the highest around this time of the year, which is a tragedy that shouldn't happen. People try to cope with this day by calling it "Single's awareness day" or satirize the whole process as the popular TV show "How I met your mother" did in the episode "Desperation Day". Those of us who are single laugh about how much money we will be saving and how we can just enjoy this time of year, while an equal number of us bemoan our single status and think that we will be forever alone.
I don't believe in this version of Valentines day. If you've ever met me you know that I am a happy person (if I've had my coffee), so even though I am single, I love this holiday. Everyone who is in a relationship is almost invariably happier during this time of year when hopeless romanticism is out in full force. Big romantic gestures become the norm, and for one day at least, many people get to enjoy the type of love that they have seen in romantic comedy's and disney movies alike. This is also the time of year to be thankful for the people who do love you, even if it is in a strictly platonic sense. We all have friends and family who love us and care about our happiness. If you really think that you are alone then that is simply an idea that you have generated in your own mind because you enjoy being lonely, or get a rush out of wallowing in self-pity. Love is all around you, even if you are not a Christian, God still loves you and His is the greatest love you will ever know. So at the very least, look to God on Valentines day and thank him for the Love that He gives.
Love is a powerful emotion. "Love is patient, Love is kind, It does not envy, It does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. . ." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
That is probably one of my favorite verses in the Bible, because it so succinctly sums up the Love that God has for us.
Many people who are in relationships look at those who aren't and think that there is no possible way that they could be happy on Valentines day, but I beg to differ. Love encompasses so much more than Romantic love, and I am more than happy to enjoy my Valentines day surrounded by those who love me and expect nothing from me in return.
Here's hoping you have a very happy Valentines Day!!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Societal Cloak of Invincibility
Guess what guys (and gals, to be pc)? I am INVINCIBLE!!! I discovered this while I was driving a tractor doing what I do. I was reflecting back on how I'm not necessarily the safest driver in the world, but then again who doesn't text while changing songs on their ipod all while trying to finish off a burrito and wash it down with pepsi? okay, maybe it's just me. . .anyways, I discovered that I don't really have a huge concern towards my own safety when I'm driving, but it doesn't matter since i'm invincible. Why am I invincible?
Well it's simple. James Bond. . .Jason Bourne. . .Die Hard. . .Medal of Honor. . .Halo. . .Assassins Creed. . .Medicine . . .hospitals.
What do these seemingly random things all have in common? (besides the fact that they all have letters in their names) well, all of these are things from society that cause us to believe that we are invincible. . .and by we I of course mean all of us male specimens doped up on abnormally high levels of testosterone, the side effects of which include more hair in. . .everywhere, enough muscle to make us think we can take on a WWE star, and lets not forget the ability to focus on one object at a time, usually of a feminine nature. . .oh and the ability to ignore any ideas that we may be susceptible to skin cancer, high blood pressure, car wrecks, and randomly getting shot in drive by's.
Back to my list of random objects, James bond and Jason bourne (and of course the bald guy from die hard) all of these are action stars who never die. . .in fact, most of them never even get shot. they are invincible. . .Medal of Honor, Halo, and Assassins Creed, in each of these video games we can die, yeah. . .but we can respawn every time that we do. Medicine and Hospitals. . .these have given us the ability to survive almost anything that nature can throw at us. . .(except MRSA, cause you actually GET that in hospitals. . .go figure). . .in addition, medicine and hospitals have prolonged the average life expectancy by almost 20 years since the beginning of the 20th century.
In light of al this, the belief that we can't die at a young age is perpetuated by Society.
Well it's simple. James Bond. . .Jason Bourne. . .Die Hard. . .Medal of Honor. . .Halo. . .Assassins Creed. . .Medicine . . .hospitals.
What do these seemingly random things all have in common? (besides the fact that they all have letters in their names) well, all of these are things from society that cause us to believe that we are invincible. . .and by we I of course mean all of us male specimens doped up on abnormally high levels of testosterone, the side effects of which include more hair in. . .everywhere, enough muscle to make us think we can take on a WWE star, and lets not forget the ability to focus on one object at a time, usually of a feminine nature. . .oh and the ability to ignore any ideas that we may be susceptible to skin cancer, high blood pressure, car wrecks, and randomly getting shot in drive by's.
Back to my list of random objects, James bond and Jason bourne (and of course the bald guy from die hard) all of these are action stars who never die. . .in fact, most of them never even get shot. they are invincible. . .Medal of Honor, Halo, and Assassins Creed, in each of these video games we can die, yeah. . .but we can respawn every time that we do. Medicine and Hospitals. . .these have given us the ability to survive almost anything that nature can throw at us. . .(except MRSA, cause you actually GET that in hospitals. . .go figure). . .in addition, medicine and hospitals have prolonged the average life expectancy by almost 20 years since the beginning of the 20th century.
In light of al this, the belief that we can't die at a young age is perpetuated by Society.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Is all scripture God breathed/inspired?
Okay, this one will be short. I promise.
There are a lot of people who state that all scripture is inspired by God. Where do they get this idea? well it comes from 2 Timothy 3:16 which states "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness".
Solid right?
Unfortunately not so much.
Paul was writing this to Timothy in the early first century. . .almost 200 years before the council of Carthage (which is what decided which books made it into the bible)
In other words, the 'scripture' that Paul is referring to is the Torah, Septuagint, etc. . . The Jewish Scriptures. He wasn't even referring to the Gospels, Acts or the Epistles. So in other words. Is the rest of the Holy Bible God-breathed? you decide. (But just remember that whether or not the New Testament is God inspired is not something adressed in the Bible so it is open for interpretation)
As a disclaimer, I still believe in Jesus, God and the Holy spirit. . . I just think that questioning our faith makes us stronger.
There are a lot of people who state that all scripture is inspired by God. Where do they get this idea? well it comes from 2 Timothy 3:16 which states "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness".
Solid right?
Unfortunately not so much.
Paul was writing this to Timothy in the early first century. . .almost 200 years before the council of Carthage (which is what decided which books made it into the bible)
In other words, the 'scripture' that Paul is referring to is the Torah, Septuagint, etc. . . The Jewish Scriptures. He wasn't even referring to the Gospels, Acts or the Epistles. So in other words. Is the rest of the Holy Bible God-breathed? you decide. (But just remember that whether or not the New Testament is God inspired is not something adressed in the Bible so it is open for interpretation)
As a disclaimer, I still believe in Jesus, God and the Holy spirit. . . I just think that questioning our faith makes us stronger.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Midnight Musings (also Theological Thoughts)
So, just to forewarn you, this blog isn't going to be funny. If you are looking forward to a comedic relief from your drab existence, then go watch a brian regan video.
Tonight I was reading through Hebrews (one of my favorite books) and Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (keep that one in your head for a moment) then as I went through the passage I came upon verse 6 which states "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Let's focus on that last part of the verse. . . no I'm not throwing out the first part, i'm narrowing my focus.. . "he rewards those who earnestly seek him." This got me thinking about the people who follow the teachings of men like Kenneth Copeland and Joel Osteen, in other words, The Prosperity Gospel. Now, I don't necessarily agree with this type of teaching, but are these preachers wrong? I mean. . .to be honest, they are pulling straight from the bible, and not just in Hebrews, but in other places as well (mountains being thrown into the sea, anyone?). These guys are just a rag-tag team of men touting cardboard signs and selling a get rich quick scheme, they are selling (for the sake of the metaphor I'm going to say selling), they are selling THE get rich quick scheme. God not only rewards believers on Earth (not necessarily in material posessions, mind you) but also in Heaven. So, tonight, I have turned somewhat of a 175 degree turn, I don't beleive that those who worship God will never face trouble, (that's unbiblical), but I do think that there is something to what these ministers are saying. SO PLEASE. . .stop decrying the work that these ministers are doing. Their hearts are in the right place, and lets be honest. They are fulfilling the great commission,(something many of us fail to do, if you think that you are doing a good job of it, let me ask you a question. . .have you converted thousands of people to christianity? No? oh i'm sorry, would you like a consolation prize? oh. . .you would? well too bad. . . untill you are the cause of thousands of people converting to christianity, I don't want to hear another word about "watered down preaching" or "weak doctrinal issues" or anything of the sort. Only God can read a man's heart, only God knows if someone is truly saved or not, and does it really matter how the individual reaches this point?
Speaking of points, I have another one. . .(I know, you all thought that I was done, well guess what? I'm not.. . sorry)
My final point is that of seeker services. . .some of you know exactly what these are. They are services geared towards people with little to no background in christianity, and they focus on saving people.. . .That sounds great right? well, there are people who disagree with these forms of worship because they don't believe that "the people know what they're getting in to" or that "They won't be very strong in their faith". Well, let's stop right there. Many of the people posing these arguments have been christians since childhood (my apologies to the rest of you) yes thats right. . .CHILDHOOD. These people who accepted Christ as their savior before they could read, before they could vote, and before they knew what the difference between Apostle and Epistle meant, These are the same people complaining that the progeny of seeker services don't know enough about christ, or that the services are watered down. Watered down? Jesus had to turn morality into fictional stories so that the people could grasp what was going on. . .Jesus didn't start spouting off the hundreds of Jewish laws that existed. . .NO, he watered down his teachings and when the man asked him "what must I do to be saved" Jesus didn't spout off Temple law, or even start quoting Leviticus, he simply gave him five.
Christianity isn't a -dive into the deep end of the pool without swimming lessons- kind of religion. It's a growing experience where you are expected to throw aside your old self so that you can make room for all of the new parts that you will be gaining as you walk daily with Christ. Rome wasn't built in a day, and I have yet to meet the man or woman who can read through the bible in an hour, or even adhere to half of what it says for more than a day. Because no matter how much we kid ourselves, the best of us are still dirty, rotten, no good slimeballs from the dregs of humanity. and yet we are Gods creation. God desires for each of us to know and love him. So who cares how we get to know him? If someone watching a televangelist is inspired to go pick up a bible for the first time then thanks be to God.
So in closing, I hope that my post at least made you think, and i'm dead serious. . .until you have saved a couple thousand souls from damnation**, I don't want any of you to speak ill of someone who holds the high position of teaching the Children of God about their father.
**In reference to damnation, I refuse to use the words eternal, and damnation together, because I'm still working that out, if you are curious to know my views on this subject, then I would be more than happy to discuss this with you, but until then, Adieu.
Tonight I was reading through Hebrews (one of my favorite books) and Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (keep that one in your head for a moment) then as I went through the passage I came upon verse 6 which states "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Let's focus on that last part of the verse. . . no I'm not throwing out the first part, i'm narrowing my focus.. . "he rewards those who earnestly seek him." This got me thinking about the people who follow the teachings of men like Kenneth Copeland and Joel Osteen, in other words, The Prosperity Gospel. Now, I don't necessarily agree with this type of teaching, but are these preachers wrong? I mean. . .to be honest, they are pulling straight from the bible, and not just in Hebrews, but in other places as well (mountains being thrown into the sea, anyone?). These guys are just a rag-tag team of men touting cardboard signs and selling a get rich quick scheme, they are selling (for the sake of the metaphor I'm going to say selling), they are selling THE get rich quick scheme. God not only rewards believers on Earth (not necessarily in material posessions, mind you) but also in Heaven. So, tonight, I have turned somewhat of a 175 degree turn, I don't beleive that those who worship God will never face trouble, (that's unbiblical), but I do think that there is something to what these ministers are saying. SO PLEASE. . .stop decrying the work that these ministers are doing. Their hearts are in the right place, and lets be honest. They are fulfilling the great commission,(something many of us fail to do, if you think that you are doing a good job of it, let me ask you a question. . .have you converted thousands of people to christianity? No? oh i'm sorry, would you like a consolation prize? oh. . .you would? well too bad. . . untill you are the cause of thousands of people converting to christianity, I don't want to hear another word about "watered down preaching" or "weak doctrinal issues" or anything of the sort. Only God can read a man's heart, only God knows if someone is truly saved or not, and does it really matter how the individual reaches this point?
Speaking of points, I have another one. . .(I know, you all thought that I was done, well guess what? I'm not.. . sorry)
My final point is that of seeker services. . .some of you know exactly what these are. They are services geared towards people with little to no background in christianity, and they focus on saving people.. . .That sounds great right? well, there are people who disagree with these forms of worship because they don't believe that "the people know what they're getting in to" or that "They won't be very strong in their faith". Well, let's stop right there. Many of the people posing these arguments have been christians since childhood (my apologies to the rest of you) yes thats right. . .CHILDHOOD. These people who accepted Christ as their savior before they could read, before they could vote, and before they knew what the difference between Apostle and Epistle meant, These are the same people complaining that the progeny of seeker services don't know enough about christ, or that the services are watered down. Watered down? Jesus had to turn morality into fictional stories so that the people could grasp what was going on. . .Jesus didn't start spouting off the hundreds of Jewish laws that existed. . .NO, he watered down his teachings and when the man asked him "what must I do to be saved" Jesus didn't spout off Temple law, or even start quoting Leviticus, he simply gave him five.
Christianity isn't a -dive into the deep end of the pool without swimming lessons- kind of religion. It's a growing experience where you are expected to throw aside your old self so that you can make room for all of the new parts that you will be gaining as you walk daily with Christ. Rome wasn't built in a day, and I have yet to meet the man or woman who can read through the bible in an hour, or even adhere to half of what it says for more than a day. Because no matter how much we kid ourselves, the best of us are still dirty, rotten, no good slimeballs from the dregs of humanity. and yet we are Gods creation. God desires for each of us to know and love him. So who cares how we get to know him? If someone watching a televangelist is inspired to go pick up a bible for the first time then thanks be to God.
So in closing, I hope that my post at least made you think, and i'm dead serious. . .until you have saved a couple thousand souls from damnation**, I don't want any of you to speak ill of someone who holds the high position of teaching the Children of God about their father.
**In reference to damnation, I refuse to use the words eternal, and damnation together, because I'm still working that out, if you are curious to know my views on this subject, then I would be more than happy to discuss this with you, but until then, Adieu.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Why School is at Odds With Christian Belief
Matthew 6:34 says "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own".
According to this passage I shouldn't worry about the next day. Let me ask, how many of us have worried about an upcoming test, or a paper that we've procrastinated on, or a teacher assigning 50 pages of reading in some obscure book like Thomas Kuhn's "Structure of Scientific Revolutions" due by tomorrow? In accordance with this, homework is a source for a lot of stress and worry, therefore it goes against my religion. If something like homework causes me to start sweating from pores that I didn't even know I had.
Another example of why school is against Christian belief is because of the separation of Church and state that is imposed upon the public school system. Mark 16:15 says "Go into all the world and preach the good word to all creation". Teachers are not allowed to preach the gospel to their students, which makes the public school system unbiblical. Because of this, I don't think that I should have been required to attend all those years. And besides, I think that we can all agree that middle school was a living Hell, and since Hell is separation from God, I think that we can all draw the conclusion that Middle School is the anti-christ.
Some could say that the private school system avoids this, and it does, but it still gives homework. So there fancy private christian schools.
**I'm sure that someone somewhere who is much smarter than me could easily turn my argument into swiss cheese, but those people should just shut up. I mean come on, do they really want homework?
Well, If anyone wants to use this argument on their teacher, then you will have to pay me a royalty fee of 10 dollars, or take me out for pizza. (I'd prefer the pizza).
Adios!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Fake Forum
Forum: a place, meeting, or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged. To those of you who read this, or just happened upon it, you might be wondering why i started off with a definition of a word, especially given my distate for the human language, i mean seriously forum. it sounds like a UPS worker can't make up his mind.
Worker: Hi I have a package FOR. . .UM. . .UH. . . nevermind.
See?!?!
Anyways, I gave the definition because my college has a place known as "The Forum" it's simply a nice area that is semi-closed off from the rest of campus and sits right in front of the bible building. Oddly enough, it is not a place where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged. Unless of course you count the exchange of communicable diseases by way of saliva. I mean seriously, this is like couple's central 340 days out of the year. It reminds me more of a High School Hallway than a forum. Thankfully I am the only person sitting here right now and if anything happens to change that I will promptly leave and go vomit into my hat. Actually probably not....I kinda like my hat. Anyways. For all of it's faults, the forum is a great place to sit and think, do homework, or just escape the world for a while. . .Especially since the internet reception is spotty at best. It's like a leprechaun is holding the router just out of range of my computer and then suddenly decides to run by really fast giving me about 5.6 seconds of internet. Thankfully that is enough time for me to post this.
well, it's getting dark now, but i'm kinda enjoying it. The sound of the water trickling down the fountains, combined with the narnia-esque lamposts makes me feel like i'm in my own world, which currently, consists of procrastinating and doing everything I can to avoid homework. Well, That's the end of my stream of conciousness writing. Hmmmm.....wait.....nope that's it. or is it? who knows.
Time for a quote
""
Profound isn't it? I thought so...the empty space represents whatever the heck you want it too cause I don't feel like searching for a quote.
Until we meet again!
Worker: Hi I have a package FOR. . .UM. . .UH. . . nevermind.
See?!?!
Anyways, I gave the definition because my college has a place known as "The Forum" it's simply a nice area that is semi-closed off from the rest of campus and sits right in front of the bible building. Oddly enough, it is not a place where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged. Unless of course you count the exchange of communicable diseases by way of saliva. I mean seriously, this is like couple's central 340 days out of the year. It reminds me more of a High School Hallway than a forum. Thankfully I am the only person sitting here right now and if anything happens to change that I will promptly leave and go vomit into my hat. Actually probably not....I kinda like my hat. Anyways. For all of it's faults, the forum is a great place to sit and think, do homework, or just escape the world for a while. . .Especially since the internet reception is spotty at best. It's like a leprechaun is holding the router just out of range of my computer and then suddenly decides to run by really fast giving me about 5.6 seconds of internet. Thankfully that is enough time for me to post this.
well, it's getting dark now, but i'm kinda enjoying it. The sound of the water trickling down the fountains, combined with the narnia-esque lamposts makes me feel like i'm in my own world, which currently, consists of procrastinating and doing everything I can to avoid homework. Well, That's the end of my stream of conciousness writing. Hmmmm.....wait.....nope that's it. or is it? who knows.
Time for a quote
""
Profound isn't it? I thought so...the empty space represents whatever the heck you want it too cause I don't feel like searching for a quote.
Until we meet again!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Language and Learning
Once again I'm sitting in class, it's like totally super fantastic and exciting and stuff. Okay so that was sarcasm, but at least I understand what is going on a little better. . .Understand. . .Under--Stand. How the heck does understand mean "to know"? it sounds like I'm standing under a bridge or something. once again let me express my distate for the english language, and the word again. again--"to repeat" a gain "to obtain more".....anyone else see a problem here? no? okay well maybe i'm just imagining that I speak a flawed language. Besides, everything sounds better when spoken in a foreign language. For example, let's say something in French. . . L'ectriture est pour les ecrivains. For those of you mortals who don't speak french, I just said that writing is for writers, but it sounded cooler. And let's just all agree that everything sounds better in Latin. Hodie diu. (This day is long) not only did it sound cool, but it was shorter, so I didn't end up with finger cramps from typing too much.
On a different note. Today I had to sit and listen to a fellow student give a presentation on some type of fancy Chemistry stuff. All I remember is something about copper combining with CO3.- to make symplex 3. . .In other words I had NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON!!! Although I'm sure it was very interesting to 3 people. 1.) the speaker 2.) my professor and 3.) people who knew what was going on. . . I was not in any of these categories. While the student was speaking I was off in la la land thinking about which route back to my dorm would get me back fastest so that I could avoid the 75 mph gusts of wind. and no I'm not exaggerating. And when I wasn't thinking about that I was trying to not fall asleep. So overall it was a very productive class.
Hmmm, well It has come to my attention that this blog has no real substance, it is pure rambling. so....for your academic enjoyment, I give you. . . . . *drum roll* *applause* cheering* A quote of the day. (cliche? yes. but who cares)
crede quod habes, et habes. (Believe that you have it, and you do)
Not only was that insightful and biblically accurate (Mark 11:24), but it was also in Latin
Sayonarra!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Perception and Pokemon
Rationalized perception is my basic view of the world (and it's also a great way to annoy my roommate). If I simply disagree with him by saying that I percieve the world differently than he does, then he is immediatley annoyed. It's great!
This brings up an interesting point.
Perception.
How do blind people percieve the world? Do they dream in feelings and sounds?
Do deaf people dream people speaking in hand signals?
Why can I never have the same dream about flying twice, but the sludge monster that suffocates me seems to be in weekly installments? Hmmm, okay, so I kinda made that one up, but who cares. Maybe now that i'm writing my perception of the past has changed. In fact if I think long enough I could probably construct a dream about a sludge monster and punctuate it with witty commentary and outline how I defeated it by using a combination of telekinesis and Ju Jitsu. And on the subject of superpowers, there has been a recent infatuation with pokemon among my circle of friends. My roommate has been playing for almost 16 hours, stopping only to sleep. I'm pretty sure that he was humming the theme song in his sleep and periodically yelling pika....CHU! Ohwell. who needs sleep anyways.
Seriously, who needs sleep. Napolean conquered the world and he only slept 4-5 hours a night. of course he was short so his metabolism was probably independant of sleep. Coincidentally, the people in the pokemon game are really short too. in the opening monologue, your character gets zapped by a laser straight out of "Honey I shrunk the Kids" and voila, you are now the size of a hobbit.
Well, that's all that my mind is capable of spewing out for now. well. so long, farewell, aufweidersein goodnight, I hate to go and leave this pretty sight. doo doo da doo doo doo doo doo. doo doo da doo da doo.
This brings up an interesting point.
Perception.
How do blind people percieve the world? Do they dream in feelings and sounds?
Do deaf people dream people speaking in hand signals?
Why can I never have the same dream about flying twice, but the sludge monster that suffocates me seems to be in weekly installments? Hmmm, okay, so I kinda made that one up, but who cares. Maybe now that i'm writing my perception of the past has changed. In fact if I think long enough I could probably construct a dream about a sludge monster and punctuate it with witty commentary and outline how I defeated it by using a combination of telekinesis and Ju Jitsu. And on the subject of superpowers, there has been a recent infatuation with pokemon among my circle of friends. My roommate has been playing for almost 16 hours, stopping only to sleep. I'm pretty sure that he was humming the theme song in his sleep and periodically yelling pika....CHU! Ohwell. who needs sleep anyways.
Seriously, who needs sleep. Napolean conquered the world and he only slept 4-5 hours a night. of course he was short so his metabolism was probably independant of sleep. Coincidentally, the people in the pokemon game are really short too. in the opening monologue, your character gets zapped by a laser straight out of "Honey I shrunk the Kids" and voila, you are now the size of a hobbit.
Well, that's all that my mind is capable of spewing out for now. well. so long, farewell, aufweidersein goodnight, I hate to go and leave this pretty sight. doo doo da doo doo doo doo doo. doo doo da doo da doo.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Redemptive Reflections
I had a thought today. Scary right? well I know what you're probably thinking, this blog is going to be a serious of random thoughts going through this guys head. Sorry, but if that's what you are hoping for then you will be sadly disappointed mi amis. My thought was this, where would we be if the Messiah hadn't come back yet. What if the world was still waiting for the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah and the others to come true. What religion would I follow, if any? would I simply be living according to whatever set of rules I applied to my own life, or would the world be engulfed in another mainstream religion such as Islam or Buddhism. What would the U.S., a country founded by christians, look like today without its original guiding principles as they were derived from Christianity. What type of a person would I be. What type of person would all of us who call ourselves Christians be? Would we be the same? Would we be lesser versions of ourselves? What would our morals entail?
I guess what I'm getting at is this. We don't appreciate, at least not as much as we should, how much our world is impacted by Christianity. Those who think that we live in a totally secular society should stop and look back at how History has been impacted. I think that we should never forget what has gotten us to the place we are now at.
that's all folks, TTFN. (ta ta for now) (Tigger was a boss)
I guess what I'm getting at is this. We don't appreciate, at least not as much as we should, how much our world is impacted by Christianity. Those who think that we live in a totally secular society should stop and look back at how History has been impacted. I think that we should never forget what has gotten us to the place we are now at.
that's all folks, TTFN. (ta ta for now) (Tigger was a boss)
Monday, February 14, 2011
Lilting Listhpe's
Haven't done this in quite a while, so why am I writing it right now? Well, it could be because the stars are in perfect alignment, or perhaps it has always been my destiny to write a blog post at this very moment, or maybe, just maybe, I am sitting in a really boring class and I think that this is a viable alternative to listening to theories on the viability of the Big Bang. (bonus points for using viable twice)!! Nah, it's probably the first one. so what should i say next. Thats a good movie, NEXT, ah the days when nicholas cage was actually decent. hmmm, well this is awkward, I just forgot everything....I was going to write about. Did I scare you for a sec. If I would have ended that sentence after everything then you would have thought that I had amnesia. But I don't, so we're good. Now this girl sitting next to me is elbowing me while trying to answer a question. Oh well. lisp. shouldn't it be spelled listhp, because, you know, that's how it sounds when someone with a listhp says listhpe. and yes the last one was british, like theatre instead of theater, or shoppe instead of shop. silly british people, they can't spell. neither can my roommate, but he's not british, although he does have red hair so maybe he's irish. . . hmmmm. hmmme. hmmsthpe. hahaha, those were american, british, and lisp respectively. Well, I think that that's all that I have to say about that thing that I was talking about in that earlier time in that place on that thing, that was boring until that guy started saying that word, that was funny.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Pulmonary Pizza
Cheezies pizza is delicious, what isn't so delicious is sacrificing it to the porcelain god. Normally pizza doesn't make me puke, but the combination of pizza and working out right afterward probably contributed to this event. hmmm, porcelain god....why? is it because we bow down before it when we puke? if it's a god then why do we give it offerings of another kind whilst sitting upon it's mouth while not wearing pants. If I die i really hope that I don't get that job in heaven, this is how it would probably go. *Gods voice* Stephen! you have failed me, unfortunatley you believed in me so I can't send you to hell, instead i'm going to make you a God! *me* YESSSSS!!!! SWEET!!! WOOOHOOO!!! so do I get to be Thor? Hercules? Odin? Ra? *God* nope, you get to be the porcelain god. heh heh heh. *me* crap. (literally). on a different note, what would life be like without us having to breathe. Because personally i think that would com in really handy in public restrooms, and underwater, and in space. Actually now that i think about it breathing is dumb. what is the point anyways? if evolution was true then clearly we wouldn't have to suck oxygen down our throats every 10-15 seconds. stupid air. well that's it, talk to ya later y'all. yes I just said it.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Canadian Cooties
Well it's official, I'm now back in college, learning new(ish) things, making new friends and striking out with girls. Although that last one is only partially true since you have to actually talk to girls to strike out with them. Darn cooties. Anyways, right now i'm sitting next to a red-haired guy who is watching family guy. That show is a little odd, 'Family guy'?!? that man is the most anti -family i've ever seen. the only thing keeping that family together is the high ratings and viewer satisfaction that it achieves season after season. Why is it called a season? seasons involve weather and don't take random breaks. Television shows take multiple mid-season breaks. what the heck?! If summer took a mid-season break and let winter come in for a short two week period in July I think that Al Gore and his 'Global Warming" advocates would have a massive 'I told you so' party. I wonder what Al is short for....Alfred.....Albert....Alberta? Nah probably not that, since alberta is a place in Canadia. Which by the way offers nothing good to society. Exhibit A. Justin Beiber. Only Canada could produce a 'boy' who remains pre pubescent well into the age of chest hair and a baritone voice. But i digress, as always. The End. Until next time.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Leaving a Legacy
I just finished an amazing book, London by Edward Rutherford. It's not for the faint of heart as it is 1124 pages long, but it got me thinking. The book chronicles the lives of just a few fictitious families from 54 b.c. to 1997, and shows how the families change along with the world. (this is going to be a little less joyous than most of my posts.) In the grand scheme of things what are we all doing? We have no idea where we came from and (i can only speak for my generation) most of us have no idea where we are going to be in a week, let alone 5 years from now. For the most part no one makes any great contribution to society, we all operate within our own sphere of influence (and yes everything i am saying applies to myself as well). Over the course of time there have been inventions such as the wheel, steam engine, electricity, Steel, and the microchip. Great thinkers such as Aristotle, Jesus, Lewis and Tolkien. These are all people and objects from the past that will be remembered forever, but what are we all doing here? I'm not asking what our purpose in life is, but when we die, what will we be remembered for, if anything at all? Will we even leave behind anything of great significance? To be totally honest, I can't even tell you the names of my Great-Great Grandparents. It's somewhat depressing that this will be the case when I die as well. So what can we all do to leave a legacy? Help the environment? stop nuclear proliferation? Well I can't speak for anyone, but myself, but I hope that whatever legacy I leave is the one that not only lets me be remembered by my descendants and brings me happiness in life, but one that also is the most pleasing to God.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Starbucks and Schizophrenia
Free stuff. Who likes it besides me? oh. all of you, hmmm, that's weird I thought that as Americans we all enjoyed working hard and paying lots of money for everything we get. HAHAHAHHAHAHA, yeah I know you laughed too. But anyways I say this because today I got free Starbucks! It's never happened to me before and probably won't ever again, but anyways I was pretty excited and confused. Why did I get it for free? This is just a guess, but it was probably my ruggedly handsome features. (even though the barista was a man, as am I). Moving on from guys hitting on me by giving me free coffee, lets talk about something else. How about Multiple Personality disorder? Well I think that if I had that I would want one of my personalities to be a paranoid schizophrenic. Then that personality would be freaked out by the others. Then I'd have all them use different accents. Actually, I think I would have one personality be spy and the other be a brain surgeon. That way my spy personality would have tons of cash from the brain surgeon job. and then I could drive around in a brand new Aston Martin like James Bond (i'd probably talk in a scottish brogue like Sean Connery). Yep, that would be the life. Hmmm, should I continue on another train of thought or not? For some reason I feel like this post isn't up to snuff. odd expression. 'up to snuff' why is a popular idiom also a drug reference. Let me once again express my hatred of the English Language. Do you know what is really stupid? All through elementary school my teachers taught me that English is a Latin based language. Then I get to High School and learn that it's actually more Germanic than anything else. stupid. language. We should make up a universal language and all learn it...like Pig Latin. Atthay ouldway ebay away unfay anguagelay otay eakspay allway ethay imetay. Have fun with that one. Goodnight all.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Crazy Hair and Long Life
Today is a great day!!! yes that's right I finally did it. I survived this world for 227 months/990 weeks/6,935 days/166,459 hours/9,987,580 minutes/599,254,864 seconds. Yeah that's right, I'm pretty much a boss. So all I can say is that I hope the next 599,254,864 seconds are just as glorious as the first. So what should I talk about next? hmm, well lets talk about the fact that I just drank a very small cup of coffe and yet i'm still going to be up for the next 5 hours mumbling incoherently like a mindless zombie, and after tossing and turning in my bed for 4 out of those 5 hours my hair will contribute to the zombie look. Actually on second thought, my hair after a good nights rest looks more like the hair on the professor from back to the future. Yeah, I'm that cool. I have a theory that someday I'm going to marry a woman, and then one morning she's going to wake up look at the man with the crazy hair sleeping peacefully next to her and she will hit me in the head with a Louisville slugger. Yes my hair is that frightening. Why am I telling you this? I don't know. Why do I do anything? why do I breathe? well that ones actually pretty easy, I breathe because I can only last 2 minutes and 12 seconds without having to take a breath. (yeah I just timed it) i should really find a better way to spend my time. So I thought that I would end this post with a question. What should I write my next post over? Leave your suggestion in the comment box and I will use all of the comments in ONE post. Why? because i Have 227 months of experience to back it up!!!! alright Later!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Politically Correctness
In case you haven't already noticed, my posts aren't exactly copacetic if you catch my meaning. But try not to catch anything else, I hear that the flu is going around again. Hopefully we don't have a repeat of last year. Darn swine flu. oops excuse me. I mean H1N1. I didn't mean to be offensive to pigs, this blog is nothing if not politically correct, but speaking of pigs, I saw an anti Obama Billboard the other day. Oh. sorry. Was that not pc? my bad. Moving on. Hmmm, well now i have lost my train of thought. That's kind of a weird expression. A train is really hard to stop (like the movie unstoppable, yeah i haven't seen it either), but it's really easy to forget what you're thinking about which I think is quite weird. As is the word weird. I before e except after c, and all that......I think I hate the English Language. so from now on i'll be writing this blog in the language of the eternally victorious France....okay I know, france has never won a battle since.....ever, but I just took a semester of it so i'm pretty much fluent. Donc, ce que nous allons parler maintenant est simple. L'utilisation de Google Translate pour aider à obtenir de bonnes notes de vos attributions français. In case you aren't as bilingual as i am here is the translation (So what we will talk about next is simple. The usage of google translate to help get good grades on your french assignments.) And I refuse to call that cheating, it is an effective usage of resources. A resource that I am lacking right now is sleep so I think that i'm going to hit the sack, saw a log, and all other manner of contrite colloquialisms.
Friday, December 31, 2010
New Beginnings
Dear everyone (even aliens, dinosaurs who escaped extinction, and Gingers (who aren't actually people)), I hope you have a ..................................................................................................................
Happy New Years! yes it is once again that time of year(s). The junction of time where we spend the entire night binging on junk food and then as a result make a New Years resolution the next morning to hit the Gym five times a day eight days a week. This promise will inevitably be broken the first time you see someone you know at the gym and realize that they are in better shape than you. I myself have never experienced this because I am in prime physical condition*. Other popular New years activities also tend to include kissing someone when the countdown reached zero, hopefully you didn't accidentally kiss a close relative (such as a brother or sister, although if you were drunk at the time then I guess you probably won't remember in the morning) I myself was lucky enough to have been kissed by the ice cream cone I was holding. So yes, I fully expect the rest of you mere mortals to be jealous of this. I mean come on....who else can say that they have kissed an ice cream cone? Okay, probably everyone. But that's not really important. Moving on. In all seriousness, The start of a new year is a time when we should all try to make a positive change in our lives. Go and write that book you've been thinking about. Audition for a movie in Hollywood. Kayak down the amazon with a group of native tribesmen. Learn Underwater basket weaving. Or perhaps you would like to be a copycat and do what I resolve to every new years. I'm sure you've all been wondering what my resolution is. Well i'll tell you. My resolution is to not make a resolution. Why? well, first of it's a very contradictory resolution. And second, why should I tell myself that i'm going to do something and then not actually do it? I think that the year should start out with some integrity don't you? Well, I hope you enjoyed my second entry of ramblings. Have a joyous new year, may it bring happiness, joy, and world peace (yes i'm auditioning for Miss America next week). Goodbye, Audios! and Aufwiedersein.
(*This statement is made when taking into account the amount of physical aptitude required for an eight year old to be considered "active")
Happy New Years! yes it is once again that time of year(s). The junction of time where we spend the entire night binging on junk food and then as a result make a New Years resolution the next morning to hit the Gym five times a day eight days a week. This promise will inevitably be broken the first time you see someone you know at the gym and realize that they are in better shape than you. I myself have never experienced this because I am in prime physical condition*. Other popular New years activities also tend to include kissing someone when the countdown reached zero, hopefully you didn't accidentally kiss a close relative (such as a brother or sister, although if you were drunk at the time then I guess you probably won't remember in the morning) I myself was lucky enough to have been kissed by the ice cream cone I was holding. So yes, I fully expect the rest of you mere mortals to be jealous of this. I mean come on....who else can say that they have kissed an ice cream cone? Okay, probably everyone. But that's not really important. Moving on. In all seriousness, The start of a new year is a time when we should all try to make a positive change in our lives. Go and write that book you've been thinking about. Audition for a movie in Hollywood. Kayak down the amazon with a group of native tribesmen. Learn Underwater basket weaving. Or perhaps you would like to be a copycat and do what I resolve to every new years. I'm sure you've all been wondering what my resolution is. Well i'll tell you. My resolution is to not make a resolution. Why? well, first of it's a very contradictory resolution. And second, why should I tell myself that i'm going to do something and then not actually do it? I think that the year should start out with some integrity don't you? Well, I hope you enjoyed my second entry of ramblings. Have a joyous new year, may it bring happiness, joy, and world peace (yes i'm auditioning for Miss America next week). Goodbye, Audios! and Aufwiedersein.
(*This statement is made when taking into account the amount of physical aptitude required for an eight year old to be considered "active")
Thursday, December 30, 2010
First and Foremost
Well, here I am. It's 12:25 a.m. on December 31, 2010. My name is Stephen. My friends call me stephen the splendiferous....(okay maybe not)....but points for alliteration right? right? hello? oh whatever. Since this is my first post I can pretty much guarantee that no one will read this for a while....if ever. Who know's, maybe no one will ever read this and my words will just float out in cyberspace forever, sad and all alone, waiting for the day when a terrorist attack wipes out all technology so that my post can finally be in cyber heaven. ANYWAYS. Today I spent some well deserved time resting, i'm not sure why it's well deserved but it sounded good in my head. Oh actually I know why. It's well deserved because I finished my finals and maintained a pretty decent GPA...just saying. By the way, I just finished my first semester of college. I'm not telling where. Why? well if you have to ask then you are just a creepy person in general. And if anyone I know reads this, besides my goldfish that is (his name is George) although i'm not sure if it's actually male. so i guess that george could be short for georgina...yeah that's it. This was a well thought out name...I swear. What?!? you don't believe me? well you should. Besides it really doesn't matter since fish, at least in my opinion, are gender neutral. I mean seriously, how can you tell if a fish is feminine? does it depend on how they swim? clockwise around the bowl and it's male, counterclockwise and it's female? (get it? counter.... because women are always wrong). And that joke explains why i'm still single. Regardless, I lost my train of thought. So I guess if anyone out there reads this then hopefully you have learned....oh wait I didn't talk about anything. I think that will probably be characteristic of my blog. The randomness in in this blog is strangely parallell to the randomness in my life. and that, is just THE WAY THINGS ARE. Goodnight and Happy New Year!
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