vwagenjetta's Revelife

What's on Your CHRISTmas list?

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:59:37 GMT

I'm a Christian. Christmas is about God and His message of giving is central to my Christmas activities, because in God's eyes giving is better than receiving. My Christmas wish list is as follows:

1. Jobs for the Unemployed. Over the past few years, millions of people have lost their jobs due to the current economic state. I've gone from working 12 hour shifts 3-4 days a week, to working 8 hour shifts 5 days a week, and over 200 people will be laid off next year. I can't imagine the pain these people are going to face. I lost a lot of hours, and a lot of money with the switch to 8 hour shifts from 12 hour shifts, and my income is barely covering my bills which has been a very stressful transition, but every day I thank God I still have a job.

2. Homes for the Homeless. Not only is the unemployment rate at an all time high (and still growing), but there are also millions of people who have lost their homes. My apartment is tiny, too small for the four of us that live here, but at least we have a place to call home. If I could I would invite as many affected people as I could fit to live here with me so that they might be able to share in the luxury of having a roof over their heads.

3. Food for the Hungry. Losing hours and income has sincerely fractured my diet. Over the past few months I've lost almost 25 pounds, which puts me at 6'0", 143lbs. I'm making just enough to cover bills, and have been getting my groceries from the food shelf. With the unemployment and foreclosure rates skyrocketing alongside grocery prices, there's no doubt in my mind that there are millions of people out there who can't afford to feed their families, and are far worse off than me. In going from living at home and eating three good meals a day to living on my own and eating very little has been a very humbling experience. Don't take a single thing for granted, because there are people out there that can't afford even the little things. Thank God for your food, and keep these hungry people in your thoughts and prayers as if you were one of them.

4. Gas for those who need it. I would like to add this one to this list, because I just went out to defrost my car and noticed that I'm out of gas. I remember the days when I would complain about how much it was costing to fill my tank, but now, even though gas prices are back to where they were before people started complaining, I don't have any money to put gas in my car. Losing money at work has really shown me some of the things I take for granted, and it's been a truely humbling experience. People need gas to get back and forth to work, and there are some people out there, like me, who just can't afford it.

So before you go asking for everything in sight, and/or getting angry because there was a 5 minute wait on your McNuggets, take a moment to consider the condition of a good bit of Americans in this financial crisis.

I could write a book! But I won't.

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:29:21 GMT

For some reason I was recently thinking about all the things in life I have to complain about. I hate whiners, even the ones who have real reasons to bitch, and I've never really complained (publicly) about anything. I've known so many people who do nothing but complain about everything either to get attention, or find people who agree, or sometimes for no obvious reason at all. But I took a step back from myself just now, looked around, and noticed that if anyone should be complaining, it's me. I don't want to write a whiney post about all the complaints I have, but I am instead going to use them as examples of why people shouldn't complain.

My apartment sucks. A lot. The windowsill in the second bedroom is rotting out, there's mold in the walls next to my bed, most of the appliances in the kitchen are close to useless, the heater runs 24/7 through the winter keeping my apartment at 90 to 100 degrees all winter long, and through the summer there's more spiders in, on, and around the place than you could possibly imagine (EEK!). I could write a book! But I won't. Why? Because the reason I'm living in a place like this is my fault. If I had saved my money, rather than spent it, while I was still living at home, I could've been in a very nice apartment, or a fairly decent house, at this point. My mistake; lesson learned.

My car is in far worse shape than my last car (which I could've gotten $4000 for, but traded in for $100; another terrible mistake). My dad had to buy me new tires, because the ones it had were within 30 miles of blowing out, the mass airflow sensor is "experiencing some blow-by" sucking all of the oil out of the engine, and sending it out through the exhaust system making it rattle quite loudly, the center console is totally busted (which is a huge pain in the butt), the glove box (which houses my proof of insurance) will no longer open, the key hole to open the trunk doesn't work, and the upholstery is absolutely filthy. I could write a book! But I won't. Why? Because when I was looking to get into a different car, I got really excited when I found this one and completely overlooked all of it's faults in my own impatience. I wanted a 5-speed Jetta more than anything in the world, and I had finally found one at a price I could afford. If I had taken a second to think, or even a second to look the car over, I wouldn't have made the terrible mistake of buying it. My mistake; lesson learned.

I hate my job. Each and every day is absolutely the same, my back is beginning to hurt badly, I'm fighting to keep things normal while working 12-hour nights, I'm barely making ends meet and my job security is headed in a very negative direction. We're losing hours, we're losing money, and we're no doubt headed for disaster. I could write a book! But I won't. Why? I was young, and still living at home when I first started this job, and the level of income I was drawing was absolutely massive, given the fact that all my previous jobs were part time, $100-$200 a week jobs. It was a temporary gig, at first, but when was offered full time and decided to take it, rather than going back to college, was when things took a turn. It was great, for a while, but when I moved out of my parents house, and things began to unfold as they are now, I realized that my income wasn't as massive as I thought it was, and that I had royally screwed myself by taking on this job over college. If I hadn't been so stupid, I could've been out of college and into the real world with a real job by now. Can't complain; my mistake; lesson learned.

Do you see how constant complaining will keep you from understanding just how your complaints came to be? Philippians 2:14 says, "Do everything without complaining or arguing." Sure, I could whine to everybody I came across just how bad off I am, and maybe they would tell me how dumb apartment management companies are, or how evil used car salesmen are, or how greedy CEO's spit on the little guy to put money in their own pockets. But what would any of that help? If you spend your life complaining and seeking out those who can agree you'll end up nowhere, and you may in fact worsen your situation. It's important that we do everything in our power to get ourselves into the situation we want to be in, and figuring out the real reason behind your being in a terrible situation is the only way to get out of it. If it's your mistake, take it as a lesson and fix the problem.

The Unforgivable Sin

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:11:26 GMT

Exodus 20:7

"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." (NIV)

"Do not misuse my name. I am the LORD your God, and I will punish anyone who misuses my name." (CEV)

What Exodus 20:7 means by "misuse my name" includes:

Breaking promises
Telling lies after swearing to tell the truth
Using the Lord's name as a curse word

The definition of a promise is, "a verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future." The word "promise" is mentioned over 200 times in the bible, and every time it comes up it is in the context of a statement made before God. Say I promise my wife that I will be faithful to her for the rest of my life. When I promise that to her, what I'm really doing is telling God that I will be faithful to her. If I'm not faithful from that point forward, the statement I made before God would become untrue, and this verse says that I will not go unpunished for lying to God.

The second point, telling lies after swearing (or promising) to tell the truth, is quite the same as the first. If you promise (swear before God) to tell the truth, and instead tell a lie, you have lied not only to the person you swore to tell the truth to, but also to God; a sin which this verse says you will also be punished for.

As offensive as it probably should be, I don't even take notice when people say "Oh my God" or even just "God". It's when people come out and say "Jesus Christ" (or "Jesus" or "Christ" alone) that really, sincerely brings me a feeling of tremendous pain meaning both awkwardness and physical discomfort. I hate it, I despise it, and there is nothing that offends me more. I've pondered the reason for my not caring about those who say "God" verses my feelings toward those who say "Jesus" and I've come to the conclusion that "God" is far less specific than "Jesus" is. When I say "oh, god" I honestly feel I'm not taking the lords name in vain. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the word "god" is really just that; a word. When I'm talking to God I say "Father" or "Heavenly Father" or something equally as specific and/or honorable. With all the 'religious diversity' out there, "God" is just to non-specific for me and I think that's a major factor in why it doesn't strike me as offensive when people say it.

No matter the exact meaning, this commandment has always been a favorite of mine. It really brings into perspective how serious God's rules for man are. Sure, we can all walk around saying "You're going to Hell if...." or "God will punish you for eternity if...", but this message isn't just someone saying God will or might punish you, it's God himself saying I will punish you.

What do you think? Is taking the Lord's name in vain unforgivable?

Fear of Judgement

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 04:45:17 GMT

by vwagenjetta

As you read this, please consider the following quote:
"We probably wouldn't worry about what people think of us if we [only knew] how seldom they do." - Olin Miller

I've noticed a type of fear in some of my closest friends that is holding them back from living full lives, and recent events have inspired me to come out and say something about it. The fear I'm talking about is that of offending others, and of others' judgement. People with issues such as these are so worried about others being hurt or upset by their actions, or even their presence (amongst a specific crowd), that they will avoid even the most enjoyable of situations because of it.

There have been times when I've let some things slide in my life because I didn't want to offend those involved (simply to avoid unwanted or unnecessary conflict). I believe all of us have at one time or another. Avoiding embarrassment is human nature. But going out of your way to avoid any and all embarrassment, or judgement, or offense is a pathetic way to live. Really pathetic! Here's why...

#1 - It's selfish. When we hold our tongue instead of speaking up, or keep away from situations where people might think less of us for whatever reason, we no longer care about helping others move forward in life. We only care about dodging conflict and keeping things comfortable for ourselves.

#2 - It's cowardly. The refusal to voice our opinion regardless of who might be offended shows our lack of courage. It reveals the ugly truth that we allow others to intimidate us into submission, and basically lead our lives for us. Proverbs 29:25 says, "Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety." If we flee from, or dodge, the judgement of others rather than trust in the Lord's safety, we are not at all living in the way God calls us to live. Isaiah 44:9b says, "Those who [speak up for sinners] are blind; ignorant to their own shame." I believe that not speaking up against sin is no different than speaking on its behalf.

#3 - It's dumb. Offending GOD, whose judgement is far more important than that of mere humans, is a lot worse than offending a friend, a community, or an individual; especially someone you don't know, and will probably never see again. Offending God has eternal ramifications. THAT should concern us more than someone's precious little feelings getting ruffled (yours included).

#4 - It's arrogant. You are a sinner. I am a sinner. Everyone is a sinner. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, "Bad company corrupts good morals"; avoiding contact with someone for fear of being seen with a sinner, however, is not at all what this verse is talking about. You shouldn't be afraid to be seen with someone who's "sinful lifestyle choices" you don't approve of because you're no less of a sinner than they are. Just because you sin less, doesn't mean you're sinless.

Here's my point. Don't let fear (or low self esteem) hold you back from living out God's purpose for your life. Proverbs 19:21 says, "You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail." God's plan for your life cannot be avoided and putting it off will only give you less time to fulfill it in the end. Be bold in your faith, avoid and speak out against sin, and trust the Lord's judgement rather than fearing the world's.

CD's I Bought at Sonshine

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:26:33 GMT

I bought 11 new CD's at Sonshine before I realized that my car didn't have a CD player. I was gonna tough it out, but that didn't last long. I ran to Wal*Mart and grabbed what's called a "Portable CD Player." Seriously, people actually used to carry around a device that played a physical CD. Weird. Anyway, here's the list.

*Note: Anorexia and Nervosa are two seperate CD's which is why the list only goes to 10.

The Life I Know (Gwen Stacy) - These guys are UNBELIEVABLY AMAZING in concert. If you get the chance, check them out.
The Everlasting [EP] (Hands) - We had never heard or seen Gwen Stacy before, and our seeing them was kind of by accident. They weren't on the bill, and they were playing when Hands was supposed to be on. After careful research, we found that the awesome on-stage band was Gwen Stacy. This CD (Hands) is pretty good though, too.
First Came the Law (Once Nothing) - Buy four CD's, get the fifth at half price. After staring at the table at the Tooth and Nail booth for a solid 15 minutes, I finally decided on this one. It's pretty good. They have kind of an old school sound to them, instrumental wise, and the vocals aren't too shabby either.
Anorexia/Nervosa (Showbread) - I may not have known it before, but I am a die hard Showbread fan. Josh Dies is a lyrical savant. Some of his music has changed the way I view God's love for me. These two CD's are really good. They are "not a conventional audio recording, but a soundtrack to the story in the booklet." There's a "how to listen to this album" disclaimer in the booklet, and throughout the story it'll say (2:31) meaning that's where you should be in the song when you reach that point in the story. Really good stuff.
Arise & Conquer (War of Ages) - Much thanks to the girl who noticed my Mortal Treason shirt last year at Sonshine and asked me if I was going to see War of Ages, a band I'd never heard of one of whose members is an ex-Mortal Treason member. These guys are totally amazing, both in concert and on CD. This particular CD comes out today, but I got it last Thursday at the Best Buy booth as a "pre-sale" deal for twelve bucks!
Children 18:3 (Children 18:3) - I've been an unintentional follower of Children 18:3 for a while now. They are a local band that opened up for just about every band I've seen at Club 3 Degrees and they just recently released their debut album on Tooth and Nail records. You should totally buy it. The chick in the band is barbie-doll hot, their drummer is some serious eye-candy for the ladies, and their lead singer is as talented as he is weird looking....yea. Buy their CD.
To Burn Again (No Innocent Victim) - The Facedown Records table was selling all their artists' CD's for two dollars. I indulged. Although I haven't had much of a chance to listen to this album all the way through, what I've heard so far is pretty good.
The Raven and the Reaping (The Famine) - I saw this CD at the Tooth and Nail table and the picture on the album cover screamed "rip your face off" metal. I was perusing the table, and this one caught my eye several times. I finally asked the guy about it, and he confirmed my assumptions. He said, "That album will blow your socks off." I immediately bought it, and I'm glad I did. Although it's not as hard as I hyped it up to be, it's still pretty darn good.
Lost Memories and Faded Pictures (Symphony in Peril) - A while ago, I bought a SiP CD at Northwestern bookstore. It was called "The Whore's Trophy" and the album cover was just so friggin cool, I couldn't pass it up (I'm an easy sell, if you haddn't noticed). I played it when I got home and was sorely disappointed. I put it up on the shelf where it would stay for a few months. I found it one day, put it in, and rocked out to it's awesomeness for a solid three hours. Things get better with time, I guess. This is their first CD (The Whore's Trophy being their second), and it's equally as good.
Show's Over (Jesus Wept) - I've been to Sonshine four times now, and every time I've gone, this CD has caught my eye. Jesus Wept. What an amazing name for a Christian metal band. I wanted to listen to them before buying their CD, so after my first time seeing it I went online to find some samples. After searching the internet over, and not finding any, I gave up. I saw it this year, and decided to just buy it. After all, it was only two dollars. I'm really glad I did. I listened to it the whole way through at work last night, and it's quite good.

And there ya be. Going to Sonshine, especially this year (for many reasons), was amazing. I haven't been to a concert since like September of last year, and Sonshine went above and beyond just "clearing the cobwebs" (get it?) of my need for a concert fix.

Christian Hypocrisy and Forgiveness [Featured]

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:46:02 GMT

by vwagenjetta

There are some who say that the most hypocritical people are those who sit in church every Sunday. This relates to the Brennan Manning quote used by DC Talk (and War of Ages), "The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is simply what an unbelieving world finds unbelievable." Although some believe this statement goes against everything Jesus taught, I do believe it holds some truth in today's world.

In today's society, being the kind of Christian God wants you to be can be extremely difficult. Around every corner is an opportunity, if not a legitimate reason, to sin. Sex has lost it's sacred value and become an acceptable pastime for "people who love each other" (see 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8); in some circles knowing the personal lives of others (e.g. celebrities) as well as you know your own has become necessary to retain a feeling of acceptance, or popularity (see Romans 1:29); and sharing the word of God with a non-believer will often get you the response, "religion is so yesterday." That being said, I believe Christianity, in its intended form, is the most difficult faith to be a part of in this, the age of "absolute freedom."

I myself have been a hypocritical Christian. I've engaged in premarital sex, drunkenness, lying, cheating, and stealing, among other things. I do of course try my best to stay away from such things, and the weight of the guilt that follows them is crushing to say the least. God forgives our sins, but that doesn't give us a reason to keep on sinning, as so many so-called Christians do. Sins are mistakes, and like any "mistake maker" (sinner), Christians can learn from their mistakes, or sins, and reap the benefits of the guilt that follows by making sure the same mistake is not made twice. Suffice to say, I have learned my lessons, and I'm extremely thankful for God's forgiveness of my sins.

Just like every human being in existence, I have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). I've done things so horrible in the eyes of God I deserve eternal death in Hell. But thanks to Jesus, who died in my place, God can forgive my sins, washing my slate as clean as freshly fallen snow (Isaiah 1:18). People, Christians even, seem to have lost the ability to truly forgive. We've all reluctantly said "I forgive you" to someone, only to hold a grudge against them afterward. Matthew 6:14-15 says "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if your refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." This verse alone proves that truly forgiving others is a very important part of being a Christian.

Sometimes truly forgiving someone over and over for the same thing can get annoying. Sometimes truly forgiving someone seems out of the question because we feel they've wronged us in a way that couldn't possibly be forgiven. Sometimes we reluctantly forgive someone only because we're forced to. There are many ways we can avoid truly forgiving people. But no matter how many times we have to forgive someone, no matter how unforgivable we feel the sin to be, as Christians we must forgive and forget in order to get on with our lives, and draw nearer to God. Because if we don't forgive others, it would be hypocritical to ask for forgiveness ourselves.

Revisiting the Past

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:27:53 GMT

I came across the other day about what you would say to yourself if you could go back 10 years. However, I'm going to change it up a bit, because 10 years ago, I was 12. What I'm going to do is go through and revisit all of my major mistakes, and maybe a few minor ones, and list what I would tell myself before it happened had I been given the chance.

#1: Don't lie to your parents

Accept the consequences, learn your lesson, and move on. Lying to your parents, or anyone for that matter, does not get rid of a problem for good nor does it put it off. Lying to someone about anything makes it come back exponentially worse later on. Every time you lie about a mistake, no matter how insignificant, you not only worsen the problem, but you break the trust that much more with the person your lying to. Eventually, they will find out the truth, and wil also find out that you've been lying to them all along. Looking back and thinking about how many times I lied about things that absolutely shouldn't have been lied about (not that anything is worth lying about) makes me wanna go back and just punch myself in the face and say, "What the hell are you thinking?" Lying also doesn't leave you better off, not even for a moment. When you lie, not only are you already guilty about what your lying about, you're now guilty about lying, and most deffinately worse for the wear, having not learned a potentially valuable lesson. In hindsight, lies have been the biggest mistake, and downfall, of my life so far.

#2: Spend time at work learning about how to do the job, rather than getting to know your co-workers.

I've been fired from more jobs than anyone I know. Not because I'm a bad worker, but because I'm too socialable, and too easily distracted. The chance to meet new people is, for me, the most awesome thing in the world. When I start a new job, it not only means I'll have money to spend, it also means I've got a load of new people to meet. When I know I'm going to be around a person for a prolonged period of time, I immediately start digging into their personality; who they are. I have the God-given gift of being able to be anyone's best friend, and in order to do that, I need to know what kind of person they are. I start a new job, and spend more time getting to know the people around me, than learning how to do the job I've been given. I've heard, "We really hate to let you go, as you're a really nice guy, but you're just not performing to the necessary level" more times than I can count. This mistake also applies at school, and especially in college. I failed out of college bad because I went to school out of state, lived in a dorm, and was more than ready to bag my first girlfriend. I spent loads of time socializing with my roommate (who happened to be my long lost twin brother) and my new found friends than I ever spent on homework, or studying. This was my downfall, and how I wasted $26,000 of my parents hard earned money.

#3: Don't spend your money!!!

It is my firm belief that I, more so than anyone, have a massive spending problem. I LOVE new stuff, and I only buy really expensive stuff, because I'm also a firm believer in the idea of getting what you pay for. I've picked up only the most expensive hobbies (nitro RC, paintball, computer building, etc), and I've bought some pretty rediculous stuff in my lifetime as well (cell phones, video games, musical instruments, etc) I've struggled with this problem my whole life, and my current financial stand point (or lack there of) is living proof of this. Had I saved even 10% of the money I've made in my life so far, I would be living in my own house, and driving a brand new Jetta, rather than living in a low-income, ghetto apartment, barely making ends meat. Thank God my bank doesn't "return checks," or I'd probably be in jail. For this problem, I could realy use a good bitch-slap.

#4: Do not hang out with dependant peoples. You are not a psychiatrist OR a bank

As mistake #2 says, I am a very socialable person, and I enjoy being able to befriend anyone. I also love to help people who really need help, and it's this nicitie that actually draws me toward people who are totally dependant of others. In college, I searched out a girl with psychological problems that to date because I for some reason thought I was capable of helping such a person. When I found one, and dated her for an excruciatingly painful year, I finally came to the conclusion, only after she and I moved back to our respective ends of the country and were forced apart from there on, that I couldn't help her anymore. I would love to go back to before I met her, and make sure I knew that my life would be a living Hell if I were to go anywhere near her. My passion for helping people isn't limited to those with psych problems, however. After college, I got a job making more money than I had ever seen. Of course, mistake #3 kicked in, and I went out in search of people in need of financial help. People who weren't experiencing life because they couldn't afford to go out into the world and have fun. I found a few, and dragged them around with me everywhere, using up all my money keeping them happy with trips to the most expensive bowling alley in the area (because "you get what you pay for"), meals at really nice restaurants (because I love good food, and, hec, who doesn't?), and all kinds of tobacco products (hey, the man needs his fix!). I literally spent thousands of dollars just so I could hang out with a group of people I called my "friends." Real friends don't cost anything, and I now realize, only after going through the pain of it all, that these people were not my friends. They were leeches who were either too lazy, or too stupid to achieve their own independence.

#5: Do NOT have sex before marriage

I could go deep, and get real personal on this one (I am a risk taker like that), but I'm gonna spare you the details. Having sex before marriage, especially for me, being a Christian, is not fun at all. The reason I did it was because I, like my parents before me, am a perfectionist, for one, and for two, I want to be the best husband I can be when the time comes. I thought being "unable to perform to my wife's standards" would be the worst feeling ever, and that doing it right would require much practice and experience. A real relationship, meaning one between a husband and wife (because relationships before that are truely meaningless), doesn't require extreme sexual prowess. Sex is what you do when you want kids, not just something you do whenever you feel like "geting off." Too much? If so, I'm sorry. Next...

#6: Do not start smoking/chewing/drinking

I hate smoking with a passion [lights a cigarette], but for some reason I still do it. It's a social thing, really, and you already know how much I love socializing. Some of the best conversations I've been involved in, and some of the times I've laughed the hardest, have been sitting outside of work, or outside a mall, or anywhere for that matter, on a bench with smokers. I light up a cigarette next to a person I've never seen before, and will probably never see again, and instantly we have something in common, and can be best friends for the two and a half minutes it takes to finish a cigarette. It's killing my lungs, and not being able to quit (even though every day I beg God to take me home me before I light up another one) is driving me up the wall. Having no support, and hanging around people who smoke is probably why I still do it, but being a strong-willed person, I can't help but wonder why I just can't do it. Chewing is just gross, and drinking leads to mistake #5.

I'm pretty sure that sums everything up, at least all that I can think of right now. If you could go back and fix your mistakes, what would you fix? What would your life be like had you not made those mistakes?

Card Tricks

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:41:55 GMT

by vwagenjetta

God is amazing, to say the least. Many a time I've seen people mock God by saying something along the lines of "I'll believe in you if you lift that there house off it's foundation!" and insisting there's no God when the house goes nowhere. We all know God is powerful. So powerful that he can move mountains, part the seas, flood the earth, etc. These things are miracles, yes, but as Morgan Freeman said to Jim Carrey in Bruce Almighty, "Parting your soup isn't a miracle, it's a magic trick." God is not a genie to be wished on at your convenience. If I were to ask God to put a million dollars in my bank account right now, just to prove He's real, it wouldn't happen. Why? Because for one, I KNOW that God is real. If Criss Angel walked up to me, I wouldn't ask him to show me a card trick just to prove he's an illusionist. I already KNOW who he is, and what he does. Although God's power infinately exceeds that of Criss Angel's, let's make the following comparison.

Criss Angel has performed some seriously astonishing things. Walking down buildings, levitation, cutting people in half, what have you. However, this doesn't stop a crowd from being awestruck when he does a "simple" card trick. God does these "card tricks" all the time, and people, Christians even, either completely miss them, or write them off as coincidence or luck. I, however, see these "card tricks" of God all the time and know exactly what they really are, miniature miracles. I've seen these miracles many times throughout my life. I actually experienced one for myself just the other night at work. This one require's some back story, sorry to say, so please bear with me. I'll keep it as short and as simple as possible.

I make 55 gallon, plastic chemical drums, or barrels, at work. When the barrels come out of the machine, they have a big plastic tail, called a "flash," on top and on bottom. There's an article take out that grabs the bottom tail and uses it to carry the barrel (upside down) to the worker. The worker (me) pulls the barrel down while the article take out is still holding onto it, thus removing the bottom tail which is then dropped by the article take out. The top flash is then measured and trimmed off with a razor knife by hand.

Ok. That should be enough. The knifes we trim the barrels with break about every three barrels, and need to be discarded and replaced. I work a 12 hour shift, and spend three hours trimming the drums at the machine, where I'll trim about 70 barrels. Replacing the blade in the knife is really tedius, not to mention annoying, frustrating, and just a major pain in general, and I still have to do it 25 times, give or take, every time I run the machine. The other night, the blades were breaking with almost every drum, a few times I broke two blades on one drum, AND there was no time to keep replacing them due to the massive back up at the shredder, among other things, and I was at the boiling point of frustrated. I took the broken blade out, grabbed a new one, and prayed, "God, if you could please make this blade last until I'm done on the machine, I would really appreciate it." Now, I knew how ridiculous this prayer was. For one, it would take a miracle for a blade to last that long. I don't recall a time in the three years I've worked at this job that a blade has lasted an entire shift on the machine. For two, I didn't really expect it to happen, I just wanted to refocus my mind on God to alleviate my frustration.

God answered my prayer, as stupid as it was, and I used that same blade for the next two and a half hours. When my co-worker came back to relieve me, I immediately went outside and praised God for being there for major issues AND small frustrations.

So, the next time you see something that could be considered one of God's "card tricks," don't write it off. Think about it.

Who would Jesus choose?

Mon, 19 May 2008 21:27:00 GMT

I've seen a lot of people blog about God, Politics, and the Politics of God, and such, but one of the blogs featured on Xanga peaked my interest. It was titled "Who would Jesus choose?" and it was about who, meaning what kind of person, Jesus would choose in the upcoming presidential election. The following is my response.

RE: Who would Jesus choose?

Of course God can use anyone, even a non-Christian, to work out His plan. He is God; He doesn't "NEED" any of us. We need Him, and He chooses to use us. And yes, we need to be Jesus to our neighbors (roommates) and co-workers so they can see by example the transforming work He does in the lives of His children. We are the Jesus that they see on a daily basis, for good or bad. If they don't see something in our life and character that they want and don't have, why would they bother?

I don't agree with the "Bible-thumping" paragraph, saying that Christians want that type of President because that alone would turn the country to God. Changing peoples' hearts is the only thing that will change their beliefs, and going about it in a fanatical way can hurt the cause, just as much as telling others you believe in Jesus but living a life that doesn't show it hurts the cause; a President who is passionate about his beliefs and good at communicating them can go a long way in turning others toward what those beliefs are. That is what would be dangerous about having a President who is NOT a Christian and IS passionate about the things we are against as Christians. Choosing a Christian president is not always an option; however, most presidential candidates ARE passionate about their beliefs, and they all have beliefs, but may temper them while on the campaign trail depending on what is popular at the time.

Satan uses people also. Just as "Bible-thumping" doesn't work for the masses, neither does throwing pornography or illegal drugs into everyones' faces. Satan is much more subtle. He will use powerful people in ALL elected offices, media, and any other means available to confuse and desensitize people slowly until they are disengaged in what they once believed in, or at least more 'open' to such things as pornography, homosexuality, abortion, etc. If you start seeing it and hearing it enough, slowly, over time, and you think it is not affecting you, then it becomes less offensive and more tolerable. Soon after, you may think "it's okay for some, not for me, of course, but for others--whatever."

That's why God is God and we aren't. He never changes, and right and wrong have stayed the same through the ages. So have the consequences of believing and following one or the other. We NEED Him and His never-changing Word more than ever, so that when Satan uses politicians, media, friends, enemies to confuse us, we can get back on track and know what is real and never-changing.

~Josh