Friday, October 21, 2005
Whitefish, Montana: Police today reported finding the bodies of 16-year "John Doe" and 10-year-old friend. Doe apparently shot the younger boy to death and truned the gun on himself. he left behind a note saying he was "bored with life"(AP News Service). Sixteen years old ...and "bored with life." Literally bored to death. What a statement about our world! Unfortunately, it's not an isolated statement. The sad fact is the suicide is the second leading cause of death among American teenagers today. Many people, including young people, styruggle to find meaning and purpose in life. If you are struggling with this, the book of Ecclesiastes was written for you. The message of Ecclesiastes is brutally straightforward.The writer, Solmon, tells us that he has tried everything life has to offer--wine, women, and song (the ancient equivalent of SEX,DRUGS, and Rock 'n' Roll). His conclusion is this: "Fear God and keep his commands, for this is the duty of every person"(12:13). In other words, the book of Ecclesiastes tells us( and it needs to be read as a whole if we are to understand it properly):God gives meaning to our lives. No God, no meaning. Think of it this way: without God , you just A BUNCH OF MOLECULES THROWN TOGETHER BY CHANCE. If there is no God, you came from --and are headed toward--impersonal nothingness. Any attempt at finding purpose is utterly ridiculous, doomed to failure. You might just as well be a lizard, or a rock, or nothing at all... if there is no God. Sounds pretty bleak, doesn't it? Its is bleak, if we subtract God from the equation. This belief that there is no God and therefore no meaning is what has driven many, including some of the greatest minds in history, to despair.alcoholism, and even suicide. The noted historian Will Durant put it this way: "The greatest question of our time is not communism vesus individualism, not Europe versus America, not even the East versus the West; it is wherther men can live without God." Trina Paulus examines this question from another, wonderfully creative angle in her book Hope for the Flowers. The book tells the storys of a caterpillar named Stripe and his quest for meaning.One day Stripe sees a giant column made of caterpillars standing on top of other caterpillars.All of them are trying to climb over the other to get to the top.So stripe begins to climb, too, until he gets near the top--where he finds he can go no higher. Then someone says that to get any farther, they'd have to get rid of some of the other caterpillars. The colum begins to shake, and stripe sees caterpillars fall and hears them scream. Then --SILENCE. Frustration surges through stripe at the thought that this was the only way up. Then he hears a tiny whisper from the top:"There's nothing here at all!"It's answered by another: "Quiet, fool!They'll hear you down the pillar. We're where they want to get. That's what's here!" Stripe feels frozen. The top isn't so high after all! It only looks good from the bottom. There's another whisper: " Look over there--anohter pillar--and there , too--everywhere!" Angry and frustrated, Stripe moans, "My pillar, only of thousnads. Millions of caterpillars climbing nowhere! Something is really wrong but.. what else is ther?" The good new is : there is something more. We don't have to run pointlessly after illusions like a slightly more sophistricated version of a hamster on a treadmill.There is a personal God who created you, knows you by name,loves you, and wants you to know him intimately. He gives purpose and meaning to life as he calls us to follow him in HIS GRAND ADVENTURE. If you're searching for meaning, follow the writer of Ecclesiasters to its source: a lifelong personal encounter with God.
i miss what i used to be ;
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Maria was 23 years old, bright, attractive--and headed for divorce. She and Danny had been married two years. Now she sat in her former youth pastor's office and dissolved into tears. "It's not working out,' She choked out between sobs." I don't know what happened. We were really in love, but we've lost something. I don't think we're going to make it..." Tragically, this scene is repeated over and over. Why is it that two people who are "Made for each other" so often end up looking for the escape hatch labeled "divorce"? Maybe a better question is: what does it take to keep a marriage from becoming a casualty? If marriage were just another human institution-- like a corporation or a university--then getting out of it would be no more significant or painful than changing jobs or switching school. Indeed, many people have tried to treat marriage that way, as something to enjoy when it's good or helpful and to terminate when it isn't. But those who have experienced a divorce will explain that failed marriage is infinitely more painful. There's more to marriage that the human dimesnsion. Marriage was God's holy and sacred idea. He perfomed "THE FIRST WEDDING" in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:18-25), thus setting up guidelines for all peole to follow: marriage is for one man and one woman for life. There are valid reason for sometimes breaking this pattern (for example, death or adultery). But the intened pattern is one man, one woman, for life. Unfortunately, in a fallen world is often is difficult to submit to God's standards, especially since his standards do not change. Marriage is a covenant betweena a husband and wife. A covenant is an agreement between two people (or group) that has benefits for keeping the arrangement and penalties for breaking it. Our relationship to God is descriged in covenant language throughout Scripture.The marriage relationship is described as a covenant (Malachi 2:14-15), and is used as an illustration of our relationship with God (Hosea 1:2; Ephesians 5:22-33). Just as our relationship with God is built on his steadfast, unchanging love and commitment towards us, so a marriage relationship is designed to be solid, faithful, and committed. Therein lies another extremely importan--but often overlooked principle for a successful marriage:commitment. M arriage is based on commitment, not emotions. The EMOTIONAL RUSH two people experience when they "Fall in love" and when they decide to marry is wounerful. it also is a terribly inadequate basis for marriage. that "rush"as powerful adn enfoyable as it mey be, will undoubtedly wear off at some point. If that's what the relationship is based on -- physical attraction, romantic ideals, passion--the flame my burn brightly, but it willnot burn for long. Romance, sexula attraction, and passion are tremendous God-given elements of a love relationship. But do not mistake them for the fou8ndation of a lifelong commitment. They are like icing on a cake.icing makes the cake much sweeter, but a diet of 100 percent refined sugar doesn't make for good health. To survive the pressure and temptations that attack a marriage,both husband and wife have to be totally committed to maing it work. Even when the romance is gone ( as it sometimes will be in any marriage), when the money is tight, or the urge to roun out is overwhelming, Christians musht stand strong on the commitment they have made. Instead of allowing the stresses to divide them, they must cling that much more tightly together. "What God has joined together, let no one" -- and no thing--"separate." Marriage, when seen from God's perspective, can be one of heis greatest gifts to his children. It can also, as Maria and millions of others have unfortunately discoverd, be a source of deepest pain. Whethere or not to marry--and what happens if you do marry--is up to you.
i miss what i used to be ;
Thursday, October 13, 2005
why! oh why dose life have to be so hard. I just cant take it anymore.
I go to work and yet something always goes wrong. why is that? Why!!!!
Ok im better now. i just had to say that. But there is always tomorrow. Yup another day to make things bad. Working at the bowling center is good for me. I get to meet new ppl every day. At frist I thought wouldnt like working with some ppl. but hey i was wrong yes i know i said i was wrong. I never say that. OH i cant wait my bday it coming up next yup im going to be 19 boy that sounds old well i know this is short so im going now. I will be get back to writing about my life when i can. ciao everyone
i miss what i used to be ;
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
This is what I dreamed I was walking in the woods I could smell the wild flowers all round. As if I have been wondering for a long time. without sleep, without eating, without talking to anyone I knew. Finaly I came to a river full of fish to eat. But yet I didn't want that. I want seachering for someone, tho I don't know who. A man wondering as I. I knew he was here cuz I saw him everything I dreamed.
I would tell my sister and my mom and my dreamed just cuzs I felt like telling someone. They said that I was silly girl and my life will go one. So I did I started talking to people. In 5th grade I meet my good friend Kat, we were always together. I guess you could say we were the popular girls. Everyone wanted to hang out with us. We didn't mind in fact we let them. They entertained us. Yes we had our ups and down. we even got nasty to one another. To the point that we told our secrets to everyone, and then stopped being friends. That happen in 6th grade.
Can you every imagine if I ever stayed that way? What if I never became nice? I know now that I can be mean. I but I try hard not to go back to my old way. I see popular girls today and see how they treat other, and im like man is that how I was gosh I was that mean. I hated being popular it got to me. So I left them my group and started hanging with nerds and geeks. That was in middle school that is how i meet my good friends bron and mayann and many more.
i miss what i used to be ;
