A Recipe...

1 Book (preferably by Jane Austen, C.S Lewis, or Charlotte Bronte)
1 Cup of coffee
1 Blanket
2 Slippers
1 Sunset (optional)
Candles


Preheat room with heater and/or fire at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix ingredients well. Add candles to taste. Bake for at least 2 hours. Top with plenty of dark chocolate and music of choice (Ingrid Michaelson, Michael Buble, and Regina Spektor come highly recommended). Serve and enjoy.

A Reflection...

It's come to my attention lately that everyone wants one thing: to be the ruler of their own universe. Not that I didn't already know this--growing up, I was often reminded by Mom and Dad that, contrary to my own beliefs, I did NOT control the world--but thanks to Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Blogs, etc...we are daily able to see just how selfish we all are.

Aside from the fact that the Internet Age offers a unique glimpse into original sin (and our collective desire to do anything and everything in opposition to God) it also throws a spotlight on this: we are all huge, giant hypocrites. We all have an opinion. And we're dying for others to know. Whether it be about fashion, the latest Obama speech, a recently-released film, or the coworker we dislike, we want YOU to know exactly what we're thinking and feeling.

But this word-vomit cannot accomplish anything--thereby making us hypocrites unless we're willing to take action. Our culture has lost all interest in the importance of hard, honest work. Need proof? No problem. We just rewarded our President with the Nobel Peace Prize for his expected achievements, not actual accomplishments. To put it even more plainly, President Obama was given a coveted honor because he is a great speaker. He says things that we want to hear. And based on the experience of Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Blogs, etc....isn't that an easy thing to do??

I think this realization affords a great opportunity to live by our words. Especially for Christians. I am extremely frustrated (and convicted) by a lot of the behaviors exhibited by self-proclaimed Christians on the Internet (Facebook in particular). It is dangerously easy to believe that our religious knowledge makes us better than those around us. God-forbid we EVER use the Internet as a means to lord our theology over others. That makes us WORSE than anything or anyone we are railing against; they do not understand the Grace that has saved us. We do (or at least we claim to). So when we beat our fellow non-believers over the head with our convictions (which are rooted in GRACE), that makes us the worst kind of hypocrites. Christ-followers who do not live like Christ. I don't know, but something tells me that hypocrisy does very little to grow the Body of believers.

Just some things to think about.

A Collaboration...

I've always admired teamwork (probably because I'm terrible at it, haha). This video, made by students at the University of Quebec, speaks to some AMAZING collaboration and teamwork. The whole video is composed of one long shot...incredible.

Not to mention, it's just plain fun. Enjoy!

A Rant...

I don't know exactly where I'm going with this post, so bear with me. It is, after all, a rant. I've been extremely upset by something I see happening within the Christian community lately, and I need to get some thoughts out before they drive me crazy.

Let me begin by saying that as a Christian, I have not forgotten the first and greatest commandment Jesus gave us in Matthew 22:36-40: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Knowing, understanding, and living by these verses is hugely important, and something I try (very imperfectly) to do each and every day.

My specific problem is this: I think Christians have misinterpreted and misrepresented the second half of that verse. In an effort to love their neighbors (good), I see a lot of Christians ignoring the TRUTH (bad), in favor of melding in with the accepted cultural norm (also bad). The USA has undergone some major shifts within the last 50 years, the greatest being that our media and celebrity culture are almost entirely responsible for influencing the way we think. There is an overwhelming call from our larger community to live by one rule alone: TOLERANCE. The modern-day interpretation of love.

I think this 21st century concept is one of Satan's most brilliant lies. Instead of allowing for a distinction between RIGHT vs. WRONG and GOOD vs. EVIL, we are taught to accept and "love" everything and everyone. Tolerance, BY ITS DEFINITION, calls us to uphold, accept, and protect where there is NO truth, NO trust, and NO faith.

This way of thinking is SO dangerous, and is one of the biggest problems facing the Church today. We have forgotten that part of LOVING those around us means that we will take a stand AGAINST evil when and where we see it. For example: the overwhelming support for Polanski and his "artistic contributions" is just plain wrong. The man drugged and raped a minor. That is evil, and he should face the proper punishment under the law. The tendency (among Christians specifically) to advocate socialism? Also wrong. It is simply not a Christian concept. We are ALL sinners, and are totally bent on moving away from God. A political theory that bases its success in the inherent GOODNESS of man, therefore, is not only WRONG, it's prideful. Remember the 2 Kingdom concept: Kingdom of God vs. the Kingdom of Man. We need to keep the distinction between the two.

Now, what I'm NOT saying here is that we should ignore helping those in need, stop working with people in opposition to our faith, or forget our calling to be servants to our fellow man. No. What I AM saying is that Christians CANNOT uphold our culture's definition of love and tolerance in PLACE of the Gospel. There is real evil in the world, and we need to take a stand against it. Now.