Lovely Uncertainty

You could say there's a fine line between the God room philosophy and insanity. You could, but not only is it cliche, it's also untrue. God room is genuine insanity. That's why you rarely see God room being lived out among Christians. It's just too crazy. Bob Pierce didn't start this crazy theory, though; those who follow God have lived by it from the beginning of time. The apostle Paul writes: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for" (Hebrews 11:1-2). People have been living on faith in God forever, doing everything they possibly can, but trusting God to do the rest (which always a lot).

However, we're teenagers, and that means old dead people mean little to us. Yes, that was a joke, but seriously, it's helpful to actually see people living on God room. I think about one of the camp directors I interviewed over the summer, Bob Warren. His camp is not affiliated with any association. That means that he doesn't receive money from an association to run his camp. He never knows what he's going to make in a year; he's literally at the mercy of God. Amazingly, though, everything at his multi-facility camp is paid for. Well, it's amazing if we doubt God, but it's normal if we live by God room.

When I think of God room that I've seen in action, I also think of prayer. I can remember praying for things like crazy. I remember begging God to help someone or do something in my life, and I remember being surprised when He answered my prayer. I keep forgetting that God wants to help His children.

Unfortunately, I don't live by faith like I should. Too often I set goals based on what I think I can do. I wonder what I would do if I set goals based on what God could do. I hate living in organized, predictable routines, so God room appeals to me. I guess I just have to start practicing it.

Mazal tov

Preacher's Kid vs. Mental Tragedy

Franklin Graham and George Eastman were both rebels, and both followed the path of the rebel Franklin describes his book. In my mind, though, they weren't exactly cut from the same cloth. For one thing, Franklin was a much milder version of a rebel. Sure, he liked to skirt the system and loved the thrill of not getting caught, but that was the whole of his purpose. His rebellion seemed to be the way he had fun. I'm also a little sympathetic towards Franklin, because he was being forced to live a life he hated at Stony Brook. Some of the things he did, like smoking, were his way of coping. His bad habits left the school with him, though.

Our friend Mr. Eastman however, was not the likable Franklin Graham. I think that's the biggest difference I see in the characters. Franklin has that infectious, friendly, daredevil kind of character, while the minute George starts talking you know something is wrong with him. At first, I felt sorry for George. When he was given the chance of a lifetime at the factory, though, I guess I thought he'd be more grateful. George thought everyone owed him something, and he used that complex to excuse every selfish thing he did. He skirted the system because he thought he was above it. When he got in deep with Al, though, he became something much worse than a rebel. They say a wild animal is most dangerous when cornered. George was cornered, and refused to surrender and face the consequences of his rebellion. That's another line I draw between George and Franklin. Franklin knew when to fold.

Though they're very different, Franklin and George do share some similarities. Like I said before, Franklin was merely a milder version of a rebel. Even though he didn't go as far as George in rebelling, he was still wrong. George's mentality was that of "my choices are justified by my circumstance." Franklin carried this mentality to a point, but past that, he knew he had to take responsibility for his actions. George and Franklin shared the advantage of being able to go home if life fell apart on them. George was simply too proud to go home. Franklin was proud, but knew to admit defeat when he was in over his head.

In the end, I think family was what kept Franklin from following the path of George. His family gave Franklin a sense of honor. George's family gave him a sense of embarrassment. Billy Graham never pushed his faith on his son. George's dad crammed it down his throat. Franklin chose Christ of his own will. George ran from anything spiritual as soon as he could. Influences of the world surrounded George, and he ultimately loved the world to death. Influences for God were with Franklin everywhere he went, and he eventually gave up his life to Christ.

I Don't Have to Know

I'm not convinced of much. It's not that I'm cynical, just skeptical. I think we as humans grow into somewhat jaded beings; we've been lied to so much we're reluctant to trust again. This isn't how we're meant to live. Disbelief of everything is extremely depressing. I hate being depressed. So before I get to the list of my beliefs and convictions, let me make something clear. I don't think you have to know something is a fact to believe it is true. For the jaded human intellect to accept something, it too often has to understand everything about it. The problem is this: Our knowledge is imperfect, and our minds limited by logic. We try to fit the truth into logic. However, the truth enjoys being illogical.

I'm convinced that:

• Snacks make everything better, except maybe a diet.
• As long as there are both men and women on earth, life will be complicated.
• I don't have to know what I want to be when I grow up. Some of you have already picked out a college. Good for you, I don't know if I'll go to college. I don't have to.
• You can only live one day at a time.
• Most facebook fan pages are stupid, and someone else who thinks that will probably make a fan page for it.
• My youth pastor isn't shaving his beard, at least not until it's big enough to cover his bald spot.
• Baseball is better. The only thing the NFL has on it is that it can stand for "Nacho For Life."
• Loud music and energy drinks make weekends better.

I'll probably write again this week. I had to get this one down, I hope you enjoy it and I'll try to get a comment on your posts. Peace you hippies!

This is me...

Since this is my first post, I thought I'd give you all a glimpse of my relatively open mind. I am first and foremost a follower of Jesus Christ, who was the Son of God. He came into the world, forsook His majesty and bore the digrace of public torture and execution in order that by His death, I might have life. On the third day after Jesus died, God raised Him from the dead. He now lives as my Lord and intercedes for me at the right hand of the Father. That is the only thing that really matters in my life, to follow Christ. Anything that is not for Him is worthless.

That said, I love to play basketball, baseball, and music. I don't brag about being good at any of these things, but I still enjoy them. I don't know what I want to be when I "grow up," and I really hope I don't grow old. I like to try things that are sometimes stupid, say things that make situations awkward, and often hurt myself. Life's good though, and I've got a good group of friends who will laugh with me when I fall off of scooters made for children under 10.

The days of my life have some order to them, the order just seems to change with the day. In this respect, I'm definitely a free spirit. I like to take life as it comes; I wake up and ask what's going on.

Technically, my blog is for writing assignments, but as my anonymous friend pointed out, these post aren't homework, they're fun! I guess I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to writing. I love it, and thank God that I have the opportunity to practice it. I hope you'll find my posts to be worth reading, but not over-serious. Anyone who knows me can tell you I don't like to take life too seriously, and jokes (however bad they may be) are not uncommon with me. I'm the bomb dot com when it comes to chatting, so please comment:)

Mazal tov