More about Time

Let me elaborate on this idea.

We spend so much time focusing on the past.

As people, we tend to either look back on our mistakes or to bask in past accomplishments.  I guess it's fine to do so from time to time, since one often learns from mistakes and accomplishments are experiences to be remembered.  But it is only fine as long as you don't wallow in the past thus incapacitating you for anything else...

From a Christian perspective, we can't settle in our old sinful selves. If our decision to follow our LORD was sincere, we cannot continue to live in that time when we didn't follow Him.


We spend so much time thinking about the future.

We're the same way with the future.  Looking ahead too far and trying to systematically plan out everything in your life will only stress you out when things don't go as planned.  Likewise, constantly predicting things like the end of the world (2 days, y'all) doesn't get you anywhere either...

On top of that, thinking too much about the future creates a lack of faith in our LORD.  Of course, I would say that it's good to have a general direction to go in, and goals are good too.  However, if you put so much into all of your own plans, you leave no room for His plan.


We spend so much time living in the "now"

Finally, we also tend to focus on the present day so very much.  Of course, one should focus on what's going on presently, lest they be swallowed up into the past or future like the above cases.  However, many people "live in the now," adopting phrases like "You Only Live Once" and "Nothing ventured, nothing gained," and like "It's five o'clock somewhere" and a "now or never."  These people act on impulse, doing things they may regret, but doing it for the sake of the present.
We are told that our "now" should be spent on following Jesus and preparing for his return (throwing a little bit of future in there, but the "now" is preparing).  We're not really called to pay so much attention to "living in the now."


What about the "Forever"?

So what about "Forever"?  Do we spend enough time thinking about eternity? Do we spend enough time anticipating the complete and satisfying joy that awaits us with God?

Are we ready for "Forever"?  Since people are bound by time, we cannot even begin to comprehend all that the word "Forever" entails.  But, somehow, "Forever" covers the whole spectrum of the past, the future and the "now." 

In the past, we were so bad--so dirty, so sinful-- that we could be nowhere near our Perfect God.  But we cannot stay in this sinful past, for in the "now,"  we are cleaned up by Jesus Christ, our Perfect God's Perfect Son.  Because we are clean, we can get close to God and feel His Love for us.  And in being clean now, we can prepare for the future, when Jesus will come back so that we can not only be near God, but so that we can be with God!  And once we are with God, we will be with Him FOREVER.

We spend so much time focusing on the past.

We spend so much time thinking about the future.

We spend so much time living in the "now"

What about the "Forever"?

Time

We spend so much time focusing on the past.
We spend so much time thinking about the future.
We spend so much time living in the "now"

What about the "Forever"?

All our being through the Cross

Way back a long time ago when such establishments existed, my dad and I were walking around Blockbuster. Looking down the rows of movies, I saw a one about the life of Christ and yelled, "JESUS!" My dad spun around, this incredible look of excitement on his face, and asked, "Where!"

A number of years later, though still a while from today, there were sounds of loud explosions outside our house. My mother ran outside looking up into the heavens. When I ran out after her, she said, "I thought it could be Jesus coming back!"

Well in fact it was just a movie called 'Jesus' that I had seen, not my Savior. And it was not the second coming making explosive noises; it was the neighborhood's grand opening of the pool house, celebrating with fireworks (which happened to be echoing off the houses in a strange end-of-the-world way). 

These moments could have easily have been lost in my mind. Or vaguely remembered with a little laugh. Recently though, I have thought on the treasure each of these moments holds. 

Oh to be so in love with the God of All...

What would you have thought? I can ashamedly say that I am not sure if my immediate thought would have gone to my Lord in either of these cases. Of course with the "JESUS" one, maybe, but still....

Do I expect my Lord to come at any moment? Am I ready to bow before the Glorified Son? When I am at a Redbox (to draw a parallel with modern application) going about my weekend, am I preparing my heart for Him to come at any moment? 

I am of course in no way going to start preaching that the world is ending in approximately a month and a half. As Christ himself speaks, only the Father knows the exact time He shall come back to Earth. I do however want to grab the beauty that comes with living in the certainty that Christ WILL come again. That could be soon. Relatively speaking, soon could be 4 years or 45 years (relatively to God that is...I guess if we're gonna go there we could say 45 THOUSAND years!) 

I think the most practical application is this: Christ is the forefront of our thought every minute, second, instant. Then when He does come, we don't waste a second getting our thoughts to HIM. They are already there. 

Him as the forefront of our mind is not a burden, though it does take some adjusting to. I could understand how it may be difficult to see how one thinks about every day life when also considering the magnitude of the Cross. That's why we work for the Cross to become the lens in which we live all our life through. All our being through the Cross. 

All our being through the Cross. 

This is my prayer. 

All our being through the Cross. 

Introducing.....VOGUEMIND!

Very soon, Voguemind from www.voguemind.blogspot.com is going to become a guest blogger on here. Even though Voguemind is my only official follower, I think there are some more of you guys who just occasionally glance at this page and haven't had the chance to follow me. (Now is your chance! )

Look forward to that. Voguemind will rock your socks off.
In other news, my finger hurts. And it's good to have friends

Daily Recitation

Today is the very first day of the rest of my life.

I have been given this day to use as I will.

I can waste it...or use it for good.

But what I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it!

When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something that I have traded for it. 

I want it to be gain, not loss; good, not evil; success, not failure; in order that I shall not regret the price that I have paid for it.

__________________________________
In 7th grade, I had a teacher who had us memorize this recitation.  

What Is a Man?

Exposition III.  Coming soon.  Don't think I've forgotten!

Psalm 69 (the parts in bold are what resonate with me right now)

Psalm 69

English Standard Version (ESV)

Save Me, O God

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. Of David.

69 Save me, O God!
    For the waters have come up to my neck.^[a]
2 I sink in deep mire,
    where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
    and the flood sweeps over me.
³ I am weary with my crying out;
    my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
    with waiting for my God.

⁴ More in number than the hairs of my head
    are those who hate me without cause;
mighty are those who would destroy me,
    those who attack me with lies.
What I did not steal
    must I now restore?
⁵ O God, you know my folly;
    the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.

⁶ Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,
    O Lord God of hosts;
let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me,
    O God of Israel.
⁷ For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach,
    that dishonor has covered my face.
⁸ I have become a stranger to my brothers,
    an alien to my mother's sons.

⁹ For zeal for your house has consumed me,
    and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
¹⁰ When I wept and humbled^[b] my soul with fasting,
    it became my reproach.
¹¹ When I made sackcloth my clothing,
    I became a byword to them.
¹² I am the talk of those who sit in the gate,
    and the drunkards make songs about me.

¹³ But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord.
    At an acceptable time, O God,
    in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.
¹⁴ Deliver me
    from sinking in the mire;
let me be delivered from my enemies
    and from the deep waters.
¹⁵ Let not the flood sweep over me,
    or the deep swallow me up,
    or the pit close its mouth over me.

¹⁶ Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good;
    according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
¹⁷ Hide not your face from your servant;
    for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.
¹⁸ Draw near to my soul, redeem me;
    ransom me because of my enemies!

¹⁹ You know my reproach,
    and my shame and my dishonor;
    my foes are all known to you.
²⁰ Reproaches have broken my heart,
    so that I am in despair.
I looked for pity, but there was none,
    and for comforters, but I found none.
²¹ They gave me poison for food,
    and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

²² Let their own table before them become a snare;
    and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.^[c]
23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see,
    and make their loins tremble continually.
²⁴ Pour out your indignation upon them,
    and let your burning anger overtake them.
²⁵ May their camp be a desolation;
    let no one dwell in their tents.
²⁶ For they persecute him whom you have struck down,
    and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.
²⁷ Add to them punishment upon punishment;
    may they have no acquittal from you.^[d]
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;
    let them not be enrolled among the righteous.

²⁹ But I am afflicted and in pain;
    let your salvation, O God, set me on high!

³⁰ I will praise the name of God with a song;
    I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
³¹ This will please the Lord more than an ox
    or a bull with horns and hoofs.
³² When the humble see it they will be glad;
    you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
³³ For the Lord hears the needy
    and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.

³⁴ Let heaven and earth praise him,
    the seas and everything that moves in them.
³⁵ For God will save Zion
    and build up the cities of Judah,
and people shall dwell there and possess it;
³⁶     the offspring of his servants shall inherit it,
    and those who love his name shall dwell in it.

Emotional Crisis

Alas, my friends.  I am not feeling so good.

  

Have you ever been in a car and the driver slams on the brakes?  You fly forward and crash into the seat in front of you, or into the windshield.  That jolt, that shock, that BOOM is what I'm feeling right now.

This weekend was really busy for me.  On top of that, I was kind of disconnected from the rest of the world.  

So, on Friday, I was to meet an old friend from high school, and it was a nice reunion, but it was cut very short due to my friend being sick.

Then, Saturday, all I did was practice and practice--Next Sunday, I'll be playing the piano accompaniment to "Healing is in you hands" while someone sings it.  Also, I went out to do a lot of errands.  Saturday was super busy.

Finally, on Sunday, everything is going very well.  There's church, then there's lunch, then I go back to the church to practice the before mentioned song with the singer.  It was close to perfect!  But soonafter, upon learning that the preacher was sick, I decided to help the Youth Pastor set up to teach that night.  

So far, this weekend has been pretty good, aside from exhaustion and business.  But then, at the end of the service, I finally checked my Facebook on my phone. I had a message from my Chemistry lab partner telling me not to worry about doing anything as far as our lab report went.  

Then the brakes were slammed and I flew through the windshield....

ACK! WE HAD A LAB REPORT DUE AND I TOTALLY JUST LEFT MY PARTNER HANGING!!!

This morning, I received an email in which my partner explained that everything was done and that she would see me in lab today.  Woe is me.  I need to find a way to apologize.   

Intellectual Crisis

Answer...

Which is more reactive toward water, sodium or potassium? Based on your observations, what might you predict about the relative reactivity of lithium, sodium, potassium and rubidium toward water?

Identify...

Ebionism- Docetism- kenosis- cosmology- cosmogony- Sea/ Sea Monster- Leviathan/dragon-Enuma Elish- Torah-composite narrative- Post Mosaica- Julius Wellhausen- Documentary Hypothesis- JEDP- polytheism- henotheism- monotheism

Explain...

Relationship between Truth and History

Theological significance of the Sea in Ancient Israel

Satan and the Sea as opponents of God in the Hebrew Scriptures

Evidence in the Hebrew Scriptures for belief in multiple gods

____________________________________________________

It's been awhile.  Even after the optimism and promise of the last post!  A promise broken... It's a real good thing I'm not God!

So anyway, above is what I've been dealing with.... And since tomorrow's the beginning of my midterm exams on these things, I guess I should be studying rather than blogging about them.  But that's ok.  Just goes to show you how important you are to me.

The first question has to do with Chemistry.  Should any chemically-minded reader of mine feel the desire to help me out, I welcome you!

The other two are for my Biblical Perspectives class.  It's all pretty heavy.  I might talk about it some other time.

Ok. Gotta go. 

P.S. I added new pages to this blog here.  You should check them out. 

K. Bye.

The Return of the Prodigal Blogger

Well met, everyone. 

I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart for the dreadful pause between my last post and this one.  I was out and about, trying to live life to its fullest before the summer vacation was over.  Things were great! Fun times, smiling faces...and then it ended.  

Sadly, I wandered around...getting textbooks, paying ridiculous amounts of money to the Bursar, and I ended up at an all-time low with an empty bank account...

Then I remembered about you, my readers.  And my mind was flooded with the heart-warming memories we have had together-- Of my inspiration to start a blog, of Voguemind's constant support, of my current project-- It all came back to me.  I must return and beg for forgiveness.  

I did not mean to forsake you, my readers.  In any case, I am back, and should you give me a chance, I will start anew and will not leave you in the dark for extensive periods of time without timely notification!   I'm back.  Thank you for having me.

What Is a Man? Exposition II

CULTURE, CULTURE, CULTURE

*Warning! This post is pretty long!*

This is interesting.  "Being a man" means different things in different cultures.  In this exposition, I delved into a couple of cultures and discovered each culture's definition of man. Now, be aware that what I will talk about in this post is the predominant or major characteristic of manhood in said culture.  However, also be advised that sometimes it is not the only view on the subject.  With that being said, let's begin with...

Mexico
Mexico is the home of the "macho" man. Yes, you've probably heard of the macho man.  Well, the word "macho" comes from the Spanish word "macho," which comes from the Latin "mascŭlus", which means "male."  And in Hispanic culture, that's what it's about: the male.  The man is the head of the house, and he is proud of it.  The woman should stay home and make sure that woman's work is done (the dishes should be washed, the laundry should be done, no surface should be dusty, meals should be quickly prepared for the man of the house.)  The man goes out to "provide" for the family, bringing food and money into the house.  He must be seen as the one calling the shots, the wife should be subserviant.  Marital tension comes about if the woman goes out to hang out with friends or even to work.  Women really shouldn't be in the workplace, and it's shameful for a man to have a female boss.  Also, being macho also has some things to do with being able to conquer a woman.  The more the better.  This is Machismo, or "macho-ism," in which the man is essentially all that matters. 

This is a lot to take in!  I really do feel for the women in these cultures.  However, it seems this cultural view is slowly on the decline.  With more and more women working places, women are starting to be seen differently.  And then there's the media.

Televisa, a Mexican television network, has an ongoing telenovela (soap opera) called Por Ella Soy Eva (For Her, I am Eva).  This series is about a man named Juan Carlos Caballero, who works at Grupo Imperio, or the Imperial Group.  He is a man, with many physical conquests to boast about and a very macho outlook on life.  However, he falls in love with a woman he met named Helena after he disguised himself to try and steal her ludicrous project idea for a tourist attraction.  He starts to change for her when suddenly, he's framed for a multi-million dollar embezzlement and he's getting chased off a cliff by the police.  So he's believed to be dead, even though he got out and survived before the accident.  Now living incognito, Juan Carlos takes on yet another disguise and becomes Eva María León Jaramillo in order to stay close to Helena while finding evidence to prove his innocence. 

I tell the story of this drama because Juan Carlos, now having to wear heels and a wig, has to see life from a woman's perspective in the culture he once embraced.  It's really interesting to see how he reacts to the way men treat him(her) and how he changes.  I think it's good that this series is out because it seems to shed light on the issue of machismo.  People across Mexico will have to think about the way things are and whether or not they should stay that way.  If you can understand extensive Spanish, you should look for this series.  You might like it.

So, the big point about the definition of man according to Mexico is domination.  I think that's a good word.  Men must be in control of everything-their household, their work positions, other women. Domination. Boom.

 South Africa

In South Africa, there are a couple of ways to become a man.  Apparently, circumcision is the norm.  However, if for some reason or another one is not circumcised, he must prove his manhood by raping a girl.  That's right.  He's got to rape a girl.  According to crime statistics (provided below), South Africa leads the whole world in rape.  Here are a couple of statements I kept finding:

- "A woman in South Africa is more likely to be raped than learn to read."
- "A woman was raped in South Africa every 17 seconds"
-"Rape is an expression of male sexual entitlement," said Jewkes. "South Africa is an immensely patriarchal society. The history of the country has shaped the dominant forms of South Africa's racially defined masculinities."

This is pretty sad.  No. It's not.  This is incredibly upsetting.  (In addition to all this, there is also a significant percentage of baby rapes because "according to legend,"  Having a physical relationship with a virgin will cure HIV/AIDS.  However, it seems that the majority of other rapes occur as a rite of passage into manhood.)

So, that's  what it means to become a man according to South African tradition. 

I would like to stay on the topic of South Africa, but move away from manhood for a little while to say that there is hope for women.  I came across some articles (below) about a man who raped a girl when he was a boy in order to become a man.  However, he felt very bad for most of his life, so he actually tracked her down many many years later to apologize.  The woman said she would try to forgive him, and she charged him with telling others how bad it is to rape people.  So people, let's pray for  Dumisani Rebombo as he goes about his task.  Let's pray for South Africa.
Articles:
-http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-07-09-in-south-africa-rape-is-linked-to-manhood/
-http://www.thebody.com/content/art52662.html
-http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/05/world/africa/south-africa-rape/index.html
Stats:

-http://www.saps.gov.za/statistics/reports/crimestats/2011/crime_situation_sa.pdf
-http://www.rape.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=875:rape-statistics-south-africa-a-worldwide-2010&catid=65:resources&Itemid=137

 

China

I found a book by David Gilmore entitled Manhood in the Making: Cultural Concepts of Masculinity.  I found this book pretty helpful.  It describes the elements of "being a man" in a couple of different cultures.  I will use it to talk about China (if you are interested in any other of these cultures, you can probably find this book at any nearby college library.)

Even in China, culture dictates that a man should be "dominant."  However, unlike other cultures, this domination is not necessarily seen through the conquest of women or man-centered machismo.  Rather, Manhood is defined in China by Independence and Honor.  Here's what Gilmore wrote in his book:

"The ideal man, according to their informants, must display 'courage, self-confidence,' and other attribues of what the people refer to as ' manly temperament...'This term...is loosely described as having to do with moral bravery and initiative in the workplace.  A 'real man' is disciplined and independent, especially of women...He is never a complainer, a clinger, or a toady.  (Gilmore 171)"

Gilmore goes on to describe that "manly temperament" consists of three things:

1)Firmness/Decisiveness-Important for making choices

2)Strength-Both physical and mental

3)Devotion to Work-"most distinguising" quality

Men must also respect elders, especially those in their families. 

As silly as this may sound, this reminds me of Disney's Mulan.  Everything that matters is family honor.  In Fa Zhou, one can see the firmness, strength (mental, his physical strength is waning) and devotion of a man.  In "I'll make a man out of you," all of the men from the training camp are obviously still learning to become men: Their decisiveness is shaky, their strength is low and they are not very devoted to their task until the end of the song. 

So there you have it.

Mexico, South Africa, China.  These places are on different parts of the globe, yet now we see that the quest for becoming a true man is one the entire human race is a part of. As we can now see, there are many different approaches right now.  Let's see if in the posts to come I can manage to connect them all! 

In the mean time, pray for these places, so that true manhood can be discovered, spread and embraced.  I mentioned South Africa already, but also, pray for Mexico and China.  Pray for the men.  Pray for the women. 

Until next time.

What Is a Man? Exposition I

MUSIC, LITERATURE, POPULAR CULTURE

So. Upon my first google search, I found a lot of material.  As I had imagined, this question has been around for a while, and people have tried to answer it in many ways.  I found a couple of songs about what a man looks like, two of which I have decided to mention here.  

First, I found "whatta man" by Salt n Pepa.  In this song, the singer describes what makes her man a man.  A lot of it is very on-the-surface and does cover what a lot of people think a man should be...

...My man is smooth like Barry, and his voice got bass
A body like Arnold with a Denzel face... 

...My man gives real loving that's why I call him Killer
He's not a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am, he's a thriller
He takes his time and does everything right
Knocks me out with one shot for the rest of the night
He's a real smooth brother, never in a rush
And he gives me goose pimples with every single touch

Spends quality time with his kids when he can
Secure in his manhood cuz he's a real man
A lover and a fighter and he'll knock a knucker out
Don't take him for a sucker cuz that's not what he's about
Every time I need him, he always got my back
Never disrespectful cuz his mama taught him that...
http://www.lyricsdepot.com/salt-n-pepa/whatta-man.html

So.  According to these guys, it's important that a man be physically attractive and skilled in pleasing his lady friend.  That's the biggest thing for these people.  

There's also some attention towards being strong without being violent, and there's a tinge of what feels like faithfulness  and respect in this man, but most of this song is about... something.

I find it interesting that he only spends time with his kids "when he can," but he seems to have plenty of time to pleasure the singer enough so that more babies might come into the picture.


Moving on... I found another song by a group called "The Four Tops"

A man can walk proudly down in the street  

A man’s not ashamed of what he believes  

He knows how to laugh, he knows when to cry  

He knows how to live, he’s not afraid to die
 

What is a man? What is a man? What is a man? What is a man?
 

A man searches for the key to success  

He’d rather be sure than make a wild guess  

He knows how to love, he knows how to hate  

He knows when to move and he knows just when to wait

 
What is a man? What is a man? What is a man? What is a man?

 
A man can be angry and still hold his tongue  

A man don’t give up till the battle is won  

He knows how to win, he’s not ashamed to lose  

He knows his destiny, he doesn’t take long to choose

 
What is a man? What is a man? What is a man? What is a man?
What is a man? Just what is a man? What is a man?
http://www.metrolyrics.com/what-is-a-man-lyrics-four-tops.html 
   

I liked this song a lot better.  It explored the characteristics of a man more extensively than the previous one did.  And I'll leave it at that.  

 Let's move on to Literature.  In my preliminary search on Google, I found a part of Shakespeare's Hamlet, in which Hamlet questions what a man is.  He says:

Hamlet:

What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how

infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and

admirable, in cation how like an angel, in apprehension how like

a god! The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals--and yet,

to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me--

nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so

Rosencrantz:

My lord, there was no such stuff in my thoughts.

Hamlet explores that man is the best thing God created, with angel-like actions and god-like understanding.  Yet, man is not enough to impress Hamlet (this last part has more to do with Hamlet's issues in the play, and not the definition of man. So, in short, what can be learned from this is that man is amazing.)

Then, a friend and reader of mine sent me a very helpful lead.  He sent me "If" by Rudyard Kipling.  This poem is great.

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;
If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son! 

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/if/ 

According to Kipling, becoming a man involves a great deal of maturity and control.  This was possibly the most useful source so far.  Thank you Bradley! 

Finally, I found a meme dealing with the definition of man.

"What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets!" 

is said by Dracula in a Castlevania video game.  It became popular because of the over-the-top voice acting.  I found no help in this for my project, except the knowledge that

a) the definition of man is still a part of modern thought today, and
b) not all definitions are positive and/or optimistic

So.  It's about time I end this post.  this is what I've got so far.  I have some recommendations and an idea of where to look  next.  However, if you would like to help along the way, remember that the comment box and my email inbox are always open for you!  Thanks for sticking with me so far.  Stay tuned for Exposition II.

Prayer For A Friend, or The Groove of Things

Hmm.

It's been so long since I've posted something.  I've got to get back into the groove of things!

The groove of things...what is the groove of things? Are we talking about life?  Live itself is constantly changing up on us, so I suppose getting in the groove of "life" would be learning how to stay above the water when the waves come hard at you.

This sounds simple enough, and it definitely sounds like common sense.  However, it is pretty difficult.  There are so many things that happen in life, and sometimes our decisions don't let us get above the waves, but deeper into them.

I say all of this because I have a friend who is in this very situation.  She is drowning in life, and making decisions that will only push her farther and deeper into a sea of woe.

Please pray for her.  

As I was rediscovering 80% of the music on my iPod that I don't listen to, I came across this song by Casting Crowns.  It is so beautiful, and it's exactly what I am feeling about this friend of mine.  Listen to it:

God just spoke to me through this.  He used this melody to remind me of His power and how I need to entrust this burden to Him.  This is what I"m feeling right now.  The song itself is very sad, because of what is going on in the friend's life.  However, there is a sense of surrender and trust in this song.  I am lifting my friend to God because there's nothing I can do, but I know that He can do anything.

So, please pray for my friend.  And if this song speaks to you; if you or a friend of yours need this prayer, let me know so that I can pray for him, her or you.  

Let's pray for all of us to get into the groove of things.

What Is a Man? - Prelude

Recently my dear friend Voguemind published a post that has provoked a lot of thought in me. You should read it. It's profoundness transcends beyond that of ordinary blog posts.

http://voguemind.blogspot.com/2012/07/mans-world-attempt-2.html

Now. After having read this at around 11 PM the other night, I went to sleep. Then I began to dream. Usually, my dreams don't have a scrap of comprehensibility, but this one flowed coherently. My dream explored what kind of husband and father I would be. And because of this dream, I have been thinking about what it means to be a man. How should manhood be defined?

So I have decided to make this a research project. I will painstakingly analyze different sources on what a man should look like, and I will report it back to you, my reader(s).

(Follow my blog, guys! I don't know who all I'm talking to!!!)

Oh! And should you want to help me in this quest, the comment option is below, and my email address has not changed!