men who think they're boys, ba!

Alright I had this crazy thought. Apparently a recent study was put out saying that the Reed Sea was parted during Israel's departure from Egypt because of a massive wind current... The only thing I have to say to that is...maybe. I could hardly imagine a wind that would blow thousands of gallons of water and leave the people "unblown" by the wind.
Here's how it must have happened though: you know that staff that the LORD gave to Moses? Yeah, right! That was an airbending staff, like the one from nickelodeon's Avatar: the Last Airbender. And Moses wasn't just an ordinary bender, he was the Avatar of the age... think about it. He lived as royalty until one day he decided to embrace his own people (maybe because among his people was a master to teach him?). He also broke apart rock and caused water to come out of it (waterbending and earthbending); and come on, how impossible would it be to create a squirting rock fountain, which all of Israel could drink from and be satisfied? Really really impossible. That is unless he was a waterbender.
Moses made one mistake though, he struck the rock and got angry, thus unable to enter the promise land. Now what does the new testament say? The Rock was Jesus. That and.. Jesus also met with Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration, where he may have reached (enlightenment of some sort). Kind of like in Avatar when Aang was able to meet with the Avatars of the past for counsel. Crazy eh? all the connections? Jesus and Moses, and Elijah.. all Avatars. Who woulda thunk?

**P.S. This is very much a joke

muchadoabout nothing

Of late, I've tried writing a few blog posts, but each of them seemed to be engrossed in a bit too much "me" and not enough truth; so here's some truth, haha. "It is not good to have zeal without knowledge" (Prov 19:2). Last year, I wanted to be an RA, but the door was not opened. This year I wanted an internship and I got four, but none of them are seeming to work out. Where at once I may have felt all the control in the world and acted, now I feel an absence of control in almost every regard. The direction of my life is not in my hands; I still do not have a cosigner for my loans (and I can't sign em myself) and the direction of my life would change very dramatically were I to leave school. Part of me always wants to prove reason wrong saying "I can do it even though people say I can't." That's why I like doing things that are a bit dangerous per se; however, it's also what has lead me to do many challenging things, like erecting a porch and laying down a hard wood floor in a barn and that same motivation leads me to become passionate. Because for the most part this is true for everyone: zeal and self-worth are often connected--also life direction is closely tied to where one's passion and self-worth merge (what you think you're good at).

But guess what. It's imprudent to have direction and passion when it's the wrong direction to lead and become passionate about. What's college? That place to find that lead? Nope, not always. Believe it or not, college is man's institution for man's pathways (which God sometimes/often uses...i think) and recently I've felt that I would have more direction in my life were I to leave school. It is not good to have zeal without knowledge "...nor to be hasty and miss the way" (Prov 19:2b)...... As helpless and hopeless as I do feel, I believe where I am in life is a means to an end, and an end to a beginning of a crazy journey, which will have lows-and-highs: highs of the LORD's glory and lows to make me stronger. Such times of decision and lows (also the highs too) are times not to depend on flesh (Jer 17:5) but times to humble myself and appeal as a being that has embraced wisdom enough to not make the same mistakes twice (more like 100x).

consumerist friends

friends use one another, no? I'm not quite convinced of this truth yet, though there is truth to it...We live in a generation that throws out plastic utensils after using them...because washing them would be too difficult (and there may not be anything implicitly wrong with this mentality). however, there is a danger in sifting between friends depending on their pragmatic/intrinsic value at a given moment. making plans is rarely a group activity, though sometimes you can be proactive in inserting yourself in a happening of friends that has already pulled themselves together. I'm not convinced yet that there is anything inherently wrong with inviting yourself along especially regarding the way most plans are formed, informally...ironic eh? informally formed plans, ha!

so what does this say for those who aren't active in making plans and involving themselves--they're often left out. it is a pity, but society moves too fast to even remember them... even at Gordon, it is ridiculous just how many people do fall between the cracks and just how few people care about them. it takes proactivity on behalf of those creating the plans to ensure that such people are included, because, hey it could be (and most likely has been at one point or another) you. :)

the LORD spoke and it was

...sound: it was what came forth from God's mouth when He formed the mountains and designed the heavens....but is that true? Was sound perceivable? ...Now, if a tree falls in the woods (I'm kidding--that would be an odd direction to go in with this blog)....

Instead I want to look at God's word in wonder that perhaps each "thing" was not limited to a single dimension. What came forth was perhaps something that could be seen and heard, touched and felt--had there been cognizant awareness to perceive it. I was conversing with my good friend (Chelsea) last night and it brought me to thinking: perhaps God's transcendence allows him to create an essence, which exists in every (known and unknown) dimension and the effect of each object's existence has a delicate in-working with each other object. Like, light not only allows our eyes to see, its waves create such a white ultrasonic noise that actually carry the sound waves of other sounds. And its particles push along smells and carry energy (heat), which can in turn be felt. Light also has the ability to turn someone's day right around; while conversely, the absence of it may create a nice balance between "depressed" and "self-centered."

But here's the thought: we humans think that we are so special because we can smell things of substance and hear things that vibrate; but imagine this: imagine a smell, which you can touch and a color that you can smell. We humans are the medium of perception as we know it (only the dimensions we are aware of)... but imagine if we were acutely aware of the objects as they were created by God, those superseding dimension. Imagine actually "smelling the color 9" (cf. Chris Rice).

an elected responsibility?

Recently, I've talked to a few friends about the concept of responsibility and what a responsibility truly entails. I know that there are two types of responsibility and I believe they shouldn't be confused for one another: there's the responsibility that exists by the nature of commitment and the type of responsibility each person uniquely holds by nature of the relationships that he/she finds him/herself in. So, in other words, there is both the type of responsibility that you have because you felt the desire/need (or even the innate responsibility) to commit yourself to (like a elected position or less directly, a job) and also the natural responsibilities as a man/woman would have to his/her family (also, a job could fall into this category as well); these are the responsibilities a decent person wouldn't deny, though they may be argued in the sense that natural rights/obligations exist only under a unique set of circumstances (i.e. oral contract--promises). **This is a highly debatable topic and I have debated it, but my post is simply my musings on the topic as they directly relate to my life**

The relationship between the two types of responsibility is where I wish to focus my attention... Natural responsibility should take precedence over not only personal desire but also over elected responsibility. By the nature of responsibility I believe that both commitments (natural and elected) are truly important (and as I pointed out, there are responsibilities that fall into both categories--such as when a father becomes a father, he may have become one by choice but it becomes his natural responsibility); here's the thing though: when you are overwhelmed, it is not your natural responsibilities that have to give. There is another pair of feet to fill the shoes of "most elected" jobs, but God created a person and chose where he/she would live and the unique relationships he/she would have and that is no mere statement to be overlooked.

When I make a promise to someone, by golly, it becomes my elected responsibility (responsibility is still a strong concept whether elected or natural) to see my words through; but really, as I see it, things come up and taking a person's words at face value without understanding that sometimes "things happen" has a coercive nature. I am trying a new thing out, living out this proverb: It is better not to make a promise, than to break it. Even my natural responsibilities can become overwhelming and since I have the uncanny ability of allowing others to use me co-dependently, I have started to monitor the things I say--hopefully leaving no chance for error in interpretation (wishful thinking, I know!). For such a reason, I am trying to abstain from close intimate relationships of the opposite gender, simply because I know that I am not ready for it; even my natural responsibilities can overwhelm me, never mind another (elected) responsibility, which, let me say, takes a whole lot of work! (Not to mention that I am refusing a few leadership positions offered to me at this time just so I can get my priorities in line, my ducks in a row as some would say). Well, yeah, everybody has responsibilities and with them come dependencies--you are not a free being as long as you live--sorry to break it to you. All I am saying is that priorities ought to be ordered!