Christians: Warriors or Wimps?

I've got a new thought on my mind. Christians, everywhere, ARE NOT ACTING LIKE CHRISTIANS!

I've got some news that might be very shocking to many of you, but if you are consistantly drinking, smoking, doing drugs, having sex and all other kinds of bull crap and you don't feel as if you're doing anything wrong, then stop calling yourself a Christian, because you're making me look bad, and I don't appreciate it at all. Having the time of your life and then "repenting" afterwards is not being a good Christian, it's called being a hypocrite. If you aren't even attempting to stop your bad habits, then I respectfully ask you to never call yourself a Christian until you actually "want" to get your freakin' act together. Being a Christian is not about doing whatever you want and being able to tell people that they are going to Hell because they don't believe in God, it's true, but it isn't your job to tell them that straight up to their faces, so don't do it....EVER.

We have fallen so far from what being Christian truly means, that it is just ridiculous. The Christian people use to be warriors. They were one of the greatest groups of people in the world because they fought for their rights to live out their beliefs and now all we do is sit in a corner while people take away our rights. It's sad, and we don't even respect our fellow Christians of different denominations. We make jokes about each other and speak badly about each other. And in reality, we shouldn't even be seperated in any way at all. We may be Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist, or Catholic, but we should really just be Christians, meaning, we should follow the Bible as it's written and see one another as brothers and sisters, come together and forget that we're different, because we really aren't that different from one another. What I'm really trying to say is, shut up and don't act snobby because nobody is better than anyone else.

Going back to the "respect" thing, don't bash or criticize my religion or beliefs if you're going to say something that is incorrect. The most irritating thing to me is when someone tries to bash God by turning Scripture around on me, but they take it so far out of context that I'm pretty sure that they've never even opened a Bible. If you're going to say something, don't be ignorant about it. Chances are that people aren't going to show you any respect if you don't know what you're talking about.

List of things every Non-Believer should know:

1. God does not cause bad things to happen.

2. God doesn't "hate" anyone.

3. Homosexuality is a sin (I don't care if you use that Greek/Hebrew language doesn't absolutely translate to English bull crap, you're wrong, get over it.) But since it's a sin, remember, God forgives sins.

4. If it is against the law of the land, you're committing a sin...which is bad.

5. If a someone who claims to be Christian tells you that you're going to Hell, it is safe to assume that they are not really a Christian.

6. If you don't think God is real because you can't see Him, try to see Him without using your eyes...just think about it for a while, it'll make sense soon enough.

　

I think this is all I've got for the night/morning....so if I missed anything or pushed your buttons too far, feel free to comment, message me on facebook, or text me and we'll discuss stuff.

So in closing, Christians, read the Bible more and pay attention to Jesus' teachings better than you currently are....and Non-Believers, give us TRUE Christians a chance, you might like what you see once you find the genuine article.

Thousand Years

Okay, this will be a fun thing to post.

God says that a thousand years is but a day to Him. And people always try to make the connection between the verse in which He says this and Creation, or Genesis. Which would mean that it took God about six-thousand years to create everything around us. Sounds reasonable, right? Noooope. I disagree with this theory completely. In fact, I don't even know why people try to make this connection.

Now I will tell you why this theory is dumb and wrong.

God is described as infinite, all powerful, amazing and awesome in every sense of the words. God said it took only a "day" to make the universe, animals, humans, ect., for a reason. To show how great and mighty His power is. If it took Him thousands of years to create these things, then we may not have been as impressed, even though we ourselves can't come close to creating a universe. He used the word "day" to describe how long it took Him to create the world to show how great He is, so it didn't take thousands of years. Furthermore, He says that He rested on the seventh day, or the Sabbath day. So to the crazy theorists, this would mean that He rested for a thousand or so years. Sounds like a good amount of time to rest after all the stuff He just spoke into motion. But, why then, would one of His Ten Commandments be for "us" to rest on and honor the Sabbath day? Are we suppose to rest for thousands of years? If so, then we screwed up our days of the week and we have run into a serious problem. God, not having defined the Sabbath as anything more than just one day, must have wanted us to simply rest on one day because it took Him one of our human weeks to create us and everything around us. Okay? No more thousand years theory crap, it's dumb and doesn't make sense.

That's about all I got for today, so, bye.

Words of wisdom for today: "You can either agree with me, or you can be wrong."

Friends

My name is Steven "Gonzo" Gonzales, I attended Flight 32, and I sat at the table of The Legion of the Lord.

This past weekend I was able to experience what Chrysalis was like. I met new people, made new friends and strengthened my relationship with my God. I don't have too much to say, but I'd like to thank all the people who've never given up on me. I have no greater friend than the ones who can see past my faults and less attractive qualities and accept the fact that I am flawed. But I AM learning and fixing the things that I can.

I found this in my worship booklet, and it made me cry, and it elevated my heart.

"You have an amazing face. When you smile, I
know how much God must love you. You delight
me-I cannot imagine how much more you must
delight God. I hope you know how much you are
loved.

When you look me in the eye, I know you are
searching for God. I believe you want to know for
yourself, in your own heart and mind, that God is
and that you matter to God.

When you laugh and cut up, I know the world
isn't so bad after all. I know the power of Christ's
resurrection and that nothing will be able to
defeat your spirit of life.

When you cry, I have learned how deeply you
feel pain. Not only do you feel your own rejection,
hunger, failure and loneliness, but you feel the
pain of others' hunger, oppresion, and despair.

When i see you work, I believe God is at work.
Sometimes you reach out to others whom adults
wouldn't even mess with. You are often brave and
selfless.

When you fail or get angry or act selfish, I see
your impatience with yourself and others. You
want the good life now-and I wish it for you.
Sometimes we differ about what the good life
is-sometimes you're right, I'm wrong. Other days
i luck out and have it figured out-and well,
you're wrong. But, dear friend, you do seem to
bounce back and grow.

I always have a tendency to adore you, to
believe the best about you. I think I'm only
following God's lead on that belief. But I do want
you to grow, and that usually requires change and
failure and trouble. On those days I'll risk your
anger to question you, push you, or call you to
Christ. I like you as much off the pedestal as on.

More than anything I want you to know how
deeply God loves you, expects you to love and
serve others, and gives you incredible gifts and
insights to make a difference in our world."

I know I can be stubborn, obnoxious, depressing, loud and annoying. And I greatly appreciate the people who can put up with me. Life is a long hard road, and it's harder for some than others, so friends make things easier. God said that two is better than one, so when one falls, they have someone to lean on, and three and four and five are even better than two.

Thank you for allowing me to lean on your faith when mine withers.

Failures

Not really my own thoughts. But I thought this could inspire at least a few people, and maybe later in life it might give me some inspiration.

If you've ever tried and failed, then you're in good company.

Henry Ford: While Ford is today known for his innovative assembly line and American-made cars, he wasn't an instant success. In fact, his early businesses failed and left him broke five times before he founded the successful Ford Motor Company

Walt Disney: Today Disney rakes in billions from merchandise, movies and theme parks around the world, but Walt Disney himself had a bit of a rough start. He was fired by a newspaper editor because, "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas." After that, Disney started a number of businesses that didn't last too long and ended with bankruptcy and failure. He kept plugging along, however, and eventually found a recipe for success that worked.

Albert Einstein: Most of us take Einstein's name as synonymous with genius, but he didn't always show such promise. Einstein did not speak until he was four and did not read until he was seven, causing his teachers and parents to think he was mentally handicapped, slow and anti-social. Eventually, he was expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School. It might have taken him a bit longer, but most people would agree that he caught on pretty well in the end, winning the Nobel Prize and changing the face of modern physics.

Isaac Newton: Newton was undoubtedly a genius when it came to math, but he had some failings early on. He never did particularly well in school and when put in charge of running the family farm, he failed miserably, so poorly in fact that an uncle took charge and sent him off to Cambridge where he finally blossomed into the scholar we know today.

Orville and Wilbur Wright: These brothers battled depression and family illness before starting the bicycle shop that would lead them to experimenting with flight. After numerous attempts at creating flying machines, several years of hard work, and tons of failed prototypes, the brothers finally created a plane that could get airborne and stay there.

Winston Churchill: This Nobel Prize-winning, twice-elected Prime Minster of the United Kingdom wasn't always as well regarded as he is today. Churchill struggled in school and failed the sixth grade. After school he faced many years of political failures, as he was defeated in every election for public office until he finally became the Prime Minister at the ripe old age of 62.

Abraham Lincoln: While today he is remembered as one of the greatest leaders of our nation, Lincoln's life wasn't so easy. In his youth he went to war a captain and returned a private (if you're not familiar with military ranks, just know that private is as low as it goes.) Lincoln didn't stop failing there, however. He started numerous failed business and was defeated in numerous runs he made for public office.

Charlie Chaplin: It's hard to imagine film without the iconic Charlie Chaplin, but his act was initially rejected by Hollywood studio chiefs because they felt it was a little too nonsensical to ever sell.

Marilyn Monroe: While Monroe's star burned out early, she did have a period of great success in her life. Despite a rough upbringing and being told by modeling agents that she should instead consider being a secretary, Monroe became a pin-up, model and actress that still strikes a chord with people today.

Emily Dickinson: Recluse and poet Emily Dickinson is a commonly read and loved writer. Yet in her lifetime she was all but ignored, having fewer than a dozen poems published out of her almost 1,800 completed works.

J. K. Rowling: Rowling may be rolling in a lot of Harry Potter dough today, but before she published the series of novels she was nearly penniless, severely depressed, divorced, trying to raise a child on her own while attending school and writing a novel. Rowling went from depending on welfare to survive to being one of the richest women in the world in a span of only five years through her hard work and determination.

Elvis Presley: As one of the best-selling artists of all time, Elvis has become a household name even years after his death. But back in 1954, Elvis was still a nobody, and Jimmy Denny, manager of the Grand Ole Opry, fired Elvis Presley after just one performance telling him, "You ain't goin' nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin' a truck."

Ludwig van Beethoven: In his formative years, young Beethoven was incredibly awkward on the violin and was often so busy working on his own compositions that he neglected to practice. Despite his love of composing, his teachers felt he was hopeless at it and would never succeed with the violin or in composing. Beethoven kept plugging along, however, and composed some of the best-loved symphonies of all time–five of them while he was completely deaf.

Michael Jordan: Most people wouldn't believe that a man often lauded as the best basketball player of all time was actually cut from his high school basketball team. Luckily, Jordan didn't let this setback stop him from playing the game and he has stated, "I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

Babe Ruth: You probably know Babe Ruth because of his home run record (714 during his career), but along with all those home runs came a pretty hefty amount of strikeouts as well (1,330 in all). In fact, for decades he held the record for strikeouts. When asked about this he simply said, "Every strike brings me closer to the next home run."

We're all human, which means that we're all bound to fail. Essentially, we must remember to keep our heads up in the face of dissapointment. A lesson I desperately need to learn.

Rough Draft: Novel Idea

This is a rough draft of an idea that I had for a story (hopefully a novel). Read through this little "sneak peek" and comment and tell me what you think.


Florecent light's buzzed and flickered above the back left side of the room. The lights right above a semi-concious teen whose black nappy hair had fallen in his face while he slept on his hand in the back of the class. His eyes were half open while he listened to the numb sound that floated through his ears as his teacher continued with his boring lecture. Nathan tapped his pencil against the left side of his forehead and wished dearly that the school bell would ring, but then, what teenager didn't wish for the final moments of their school day? Nathan checked the broken watch that he kept in his left front pocket on his duster, collected his things into bag, slung it over shoulder and began to walk out of class.

"Where do you think you're going Mr. Mordred?" asked his teacher, Mr. Jimstone.
Nathan's only response was to point his thumb at the clock on the wall behind him. It was at this moment that the bell sounded and Nathan left the room and Mr. Jimstone with a grim look on his face as he watched the juvinile teen leave the room.

Nathan walked across the fantastic school grounds and took in the beauty of the magnificent flora and fauna that were strewn across and roamed the courtyard. He looked up and saw that storm clouds were threatening at the horizon. He knew if he didn't begin his trek home he would get drenched five blocks before he got to his house. Nathan's Converse and black coat shuffled against the concrete side-walk as he walked down EastWay Street. Nathan shuddered and stopped in his tracks. He swivled his head around looking for what caused his body to shake and his head to hurt. Rubbing his fingers through his hair against his head to ease the ache, he looked up and saw a disppersment among the clouds.

"Sonic boom?" he thought.

That was the moment that the object appeared in his sight. I metallic dome with a breech in it's left side streaking at a tremendous rate towards the earth. Fire surrounded the object like a comet's tail, and dark black and purple-like flame material shot out the hole in the hull. A strange screaming sound seemed to be coming from the thing that was hurtling towards the city that forced Nathan to cover his ears. It seemed like hours had passed while he watched this thing fly by, but at the same time it had smashed into a nearby convience store within only a few seconds and sent a blast wave outwards and sending Nathan on his back.

There was a dull ringing in his ears and the world that he viewed vibrated and shook. He struggled to his feet and lurched forward, attempting to keep his lunch down. Dark smoke and ash shroweded the surrounding area from the impact. Though the store seemed to be demolished, the craft seemed to be in perfect shape, despite the hole that must have caused it to crash. Nathan walked closer and inspected the now extinguished metal vehicle. From within glowed a pulsating purpleness that he could not compare with anything on earth. Nathan was cautious and walked the perimeter of the craft instead of moving anywhere near it. It was then that he discovered the real reason the vehicle had crashed when he saw that the piece of metal he was looking at had been a smaller piece of a much larger ship. Such as the captian's helm on a cruise ship is much smaller than the actual ship. Nathan stared at the inside of the control center of something his world had never encountered.

He was unsure of himself, and had no idea what had compelled him to do it, but he moved closer towards the cockpit. He inched his feet across the ground, reluctant to find out what was inside the craft; he feared for his life. But he somehow had the feeling that it was meant for him. In fact, due to the circumstances, that nobody was anywhere to be seen, he concluded that this was something for him to do. A voice whispered within the depths of his mind egging him to get closer.

He stepped inside and his vision was mixed with purple and black. The room he had stepped into had several pieces of metal strips and electrical wiring misplaced and torn out all across the walls. He stepped forward and noticed a strange smell. He looked down and saw that his foot was in a line of unearthly liquid; he looked after the trail of dark liquid and found that it met up with a device that looked like a chair at the forefront of the vehicle. Light shown through near the spot where the trail ended and he stepped into it, afraid of the darkness around him. He felt his heart racing and beating hard against his chest and the voice in the back of his mind grew deeper and stronger and he then realized that he had stepped in front of the captian's chair.

His body had betrayed him, and he now stood in front of a grey skinned, black haired humanoid looking creature. Several glass shards and metallic strips had been sent through the creature's body and his hands had pieces of wire around them, as if someone had tied him down. It took Nathan a long time to realize that the voice inside his head was not his own and this half dead creature was now looking at him. Nathan now understood that this being had somehow urged him telepathically to come save him.

"But what can I do?" Nathan thought to himself, now afraid to allow this creature to die and not attempt to help.

"You can give me a body," the creature choked out in rough English.

Nathan felt a tug on his arm and looking down, he saw that the humanoid's arm had leeched out and turned into a set of tendrils that wrapped around Nathan's arm. A dull purple light consumed Nathan's vision, and his world went dark and his body slummped to the ground.

Inspirational

What's going to inpire you? What is going to make us stand firm? What's going to make us fight?


Wounds, pain, scars. They make us stronger and they're evidence of our experience. If you must remember anything, simply remember that Pain is temporary. Push through the pain, hold onto your friends, and don't give up hope.


"...the world declared in one voice, 'We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight!" ~Independence Day


"The worlds not all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it...

You've gotta hit as hard as life. It isn’t about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much can you take and keep moving forward! That's how winning is done.
If you know what you're worth, Go out and get what your worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits. And not pointing fingers saying you aren’t where you wanna be because of him or her or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that." ~Rocky

"This is where they fought the battle of Gettysburg. Fifty thousand men died right here on this field, fighting the same fight that we are still fighting amongst ourselves today. This green field right here, painted red, bubblin' with the blood of young boys. Smoke and hot lead pouring right through their bodies. Listen to their souls, men. I killed my brother with malice in my heart. Hatred destroyed my family. You listen, and you take a lesson from the dead. If we don't come together right now on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed, just like they were. I don't care if you like each other or not, but you will respect each other. And maybe... I don't know, maybe we'll learn to play this game like men." ~Remember the Titans

"I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folks in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.""What are we holding onto, Sam?""That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for." ~Lord of the Rings

"Wounds heal, chicks dig scars, and glory lasts forever." ~The Replacements

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." ~Deuteronomy 31:6

Poem: "Tainted Dove"

My heart is filled with sorrow when I look upon your face,
You remind me of all the things that could have been,
My heart yeilds to all the pain of the human race,
I turn my eyes from you and see that I've put myself in a lion's den.

Your simple presence once gave me hope,
Now my mind lurches on the edge of sanity,
Hanging now only by the thinest of rope,
I have no concept of any pure reality.

All is not gone, however,
I cling to what I can and still will be,
There is a saying that says one should never say never,
That is what will empower me.

What is lost cannot be regained,
But I still find my strength in your love,
I am one who's world has been forever changed,
My heart flies with freedom now as if it were a tainted dove.