4.29.09

Getting back into the swing of things.

I'm constipated, metaphorically, and I've just taken a dose of laxitives, so here comes my ranting in the form of explosive, verbal dhiarrea.

Advantages:
I was feeling like people were taking advantage of me. People always ask me for homework, for help on some stuff, and I always do, 'cause it's not right of me to deny their plea for help. But sometimes, it frusturates me so much. People never give me anything in return, most of the times I don't get a thanks. I feel like I need to barter to get anything back, but it shouldn't be like that. When I was feeling like this I read the bible later on that night, and once again it came to my rescue, it said...
2 Thessalonians 3:13 (New International Version)
13And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.

and

Luke 6:35 (New International Version)
35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.


Culture:
It's becomming exceedingly hard to find God in our culture, which as become very secular and sinful. There's violence in movies, and sex on TV (Family Guy haha, bad show .__.) but in literature, God prevails. If you take a look at classical works of literature, especially literature from Europe has been infused with the word of God or His influence. We're reading Lord of the Flies in class, and I realized that there are so many allegories. My teacher said it was a good idea to read the bible, and some people got offended. People may see this influence of christianity in works of literrature such as shakespear, or dante as influence from THEIR culture, but I just see it as a way that God keeps showing up in my life. I'm stuck with this type of lit, throughout college, so yay me (8 Back to the point, LOTFs (Lord of the Flies) often refers to the garden of eden, and I was truly shocked when maybe about 4 (me being one of them) out of about 27 kids in my class raised their hands when asked if they knew about the garden of eden. Many kids consider themselves christian, but don't even know the creation story. It opened my eyes. Ramble ramble ramble. Haha, anyways, I was just trying to point out that God's in a lot of book, and from a strictly educational point of view, the bible is so necessary for understanding lit. But Bible = all purpose guide for dummies (8. Not that we're dumb, just you know those manuals... For dummies, nevermind.

Bigger picture:
So recently, I've really understood what the bigger picture, and sacrifice truly means. Everyone always says that there's a bigger picture, or that God's plan will reveal itself, but It never really clicked, I never understood what this meant. It just came to me. So when Jesus was being persecuted, He knew how it would end, but He still put up with it. He suffered through the pain, sorrow, humiliation, and injustice because He loved us, and wanted to save us; redemption was the bigger picture there. He loved us so much He could put up with it, so why can't we. IDK for example, say we're just having a really bad week, and what makes it bad is this guy at work, this girl at school, this bully down the street, whatever. But if we just put up with it for the bigger goal, it'll be so much more worthwhile. I think we just need perspective, if we can just try and fathom the tip of the emotional iceburg that Jesus went through, I think it could help keep us in check a lot.

I think that's it.

You made it.

I'll finish it off with a verse I'm really loving right now:
14Because he loves me, says the Lord, I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliever him and honor him. 16 With long life swill I satisfy him and show him my salvation.
Psalms 91:14-16

When you're tired and feeling down,
what can make you feel beter than a clown? COUGH, Jesus can (8

I lame (8