Centipede Story · 54 days ago by Jake Kauffman
This is a disgusting story (for me), but it does have a point:
This morning, I was walking into my bedroom, but I noticed something small out in front of the doorway. It was what I feared – a centipede, but it was dead, which made the situation only half-disgusting. I hate centipedes and certain kinds of spiders more than any other God-created creature, and both types of insect turn up often in my downstairs bedroom. Indiana Jones hated snakes, but I hate centipedes and wolf spiders – only unlike Indy, I have to live with my fears. But that’s not the point of this.
As I looked closer at the dead centipede, I noticed a swarm of small ants already working away, carrying off limbs and such. What it did was inspire me in a strange way, as I was there at home on a Monday, unemployed and not necessarily being a non-productive glut, but perhaps lacking some of that ant work ethic. This isn’t an inspirational message for all of the unemployed out there to get a job, for I’ve been quite irked internally when I arrived back from college for the summer and the first thing I hear, usually from church folk, is “So where are you working?” Ah, that good Protestant/ant work ethic is still alive and well. But that’s not even the main point of all this.
What I actually want to point out today is that inspiration comes from unlikely sources. It’s sometimes the small, everyday (and sometimes ugly) occurances in life which happen all around us that we should notice more often, because every element of this world is happening for a reason. Yes, you can apply the cliché “stop and smell the roses” here if you want, but roses are lovely. Occasionally we might be able to get value out of what at first seems to be anti-beauty. Apply that how you’d like!
Rubbernecking · 64 days ago by Jake Kauffman
I think that we struggle with rubbernecking throughout life. What I mean is just that we go surface-level; we like to curiously stare and even stop, but do not contribute anything meaningful to that which we stare at. It’s human nature in a sense, to not risk pain by actually getting involved in whatever it might be – people’s lives is what I’m thinking about the most right now. Rubbernecking can be a damaging thing. Investment can likewise be a very dangerous thing, but I think that it fulfills Christ’s commands in the end.
Ephesians 2:10-22 (NIV) · 208 days ago by Bekah Achor
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Luke 2:1-20 (ESV) · 208 days ago by Nick Bloom
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord
appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
A word from God · 209 days ago by Nick Bloom
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.
Proverbs 3:5-8 (ESV)
"The Golden Compass" Debate · 226 days ago by Jake Kauffman
What are your views on this new film, “The Golden Compass”? Nevermind that the book was released over ten years ago; the Christian boycotters don’t seem to jump on things until they get onto the big screen. I guess that you can already sense my disdain for boycotting this movie. I think that it is more worth it to see the movie and be able to intelligently respond to it rather than speculate about it.
Now, I don’t want to imply that I’m even going to see it in theaters, because I don’t make it out to the cinemas that much and it seems as though there are better movies (quality-wise) to see right now anyway. But I have a problem with some Christians trying to distance themselves and hurting their own cause, for athiests can only respect our opinions so much if we have never seen the film.
The issue of financially supporting the film by seeing it has been raised, but I wonder, in that case, which films ARE righteous enough to support, for almost all Hollywood films come from secular directors, writers, and so on, and those could affect the Christian climate just as negatively as “The Golden Compass”.
Flip the coin over and remember when “The Chronicles of Narnia – The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe” came out a few years ago. Christians were excited that such a film was hitting the theaters so as to sort of infiltrate the regular secular smut, so to speak. Am I incorrect? But how would it have made us feel if non-Christians and specifically athiests protested the film and boycotted it. I am sure that some of that did happen, but with almost $750 million in cumulative gross revenue, I think that it’s safe to bet that a few non-Christians did pay to see the film.
The one thing that I do agree with most of these Christian boycotters on is that it is not a children’s film in the sense that kids of all ages should watch it without any parental discretion. Hopefully, loving parents should know their kids well enough to be able to discern whether they are old enough or not to comprehend the athiestic themes and decide right and wrong, and even if the children are deemed old enough, there should be post-film discussion, as with all movies that we see!
Here’s my proposal: pay the piper (“Give what to Cæsar what is Cæsar’s” idea) and see the movie if you wish to see it, think about it, and then intelligently discuss it with athiestic friends. What’s that? You don’t HAVE any non-Christian friends in the first place? Well, then you’re really not doing any good (or bad) by not seeing the movie, for you’re not living IN the world as much as not living OF the world, and the line in which to righteously do both is, I admit, tough.
When God Calls, These Ears Must Hear · 254 days ago by Bekah Achor
Humility certainly comes when your supposed “invincibility” crumbles under self-inflicted stupidity.
Aka, a car accident.
Obvious Quote of the Day · 255 days ago by Jake Kauffman
Mirrors make everyone a little more self-conscious.
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A New Realization · 262 days ago by Jake Kauffman
Yesterday I concluded that I never want to get to the point in life in which I would not be able to lose everything that I owned and start over again.
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Chivarly and Chauvinism Go Hand-in-Hand · 309 days ago by Jake Kauffman
Let’s see here. We all know what male chivarly means in the general sense, but we seem to have a negative picture when it comes to male chauvinism. Well, this is for good reason, considering that the latter term sort of sprung up with the feminist 1960s uprisings. But I’ll redefine the term to mean not that males are superior to females, but that there are and should be key differences that separate the two genders and therefore allow for the guys to treat the girls different from the other guys. And how should guys treat girls? Good. Very good. With chivarly! See how the rotation works?
But feminism has taught us that, at best, both genders should blend as one, and at worst, that females are actually superior to men.
The Bible teaches that all are His equal creation, but that there are vast differences between the dynamics of husband and wife and male and female, for that matter. Adam and Eve, of course, got completely different curses in the Garden of Eden.
Therefore, let’s celebrate and embrace the fact that we’re different and live out these differences.
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