FOTR and More Good Stuff

• OK, if you ever want to see a fantasy film, go watch The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. I believe is has the most substance and meaning of any fantasy (or any other film) I have seen . . . well, I suppose The Passion of the Christ might be hard to beat, and praise God that it is!
  
  I guess the problem with FOTR is that, well, it doesn't actually resolve the story . . . you kind of have to watch Two Towers and ROTK to get the full feel, but FOTR is cool and edifying nonetheless.
  
  
• Ephesians 4:1-2: [1] I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, [2] with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
  
  As fellow prisoners, slaves, bondservants, workers of Christ Jesus, we are to be humble, gentle, patient, and lovingly bearing one another. "Bearing one another in love"--this is a more difficult statement to understand than the other things we see here. " Bearing one another" sounds like giving support, helping with needs or work, or taking full responsibility for the needs or work of one another. I think love is doing a good work that results in the benefit of someone other than yourself with the possibility of the not getting anything in return. So, "in love" sounds as if we are to give this support, help, or responsibility without taking into account or thinking that we may receive something back.
  
  And since I'm familiar with Ephesians 1:31-32^a, it's fairly easy for me to write about it. . . . (Never mind that comment. Pretend I never said it.) We are not to be harshly reproachful, cynical, or ill will (bitterness). We are not to have hate with vengeance in mind (wrath). We should not express hostility toward men (anger). We should not be rudely offensive (clamor). We should not talk about evil all the time (evil speaking). We should be caring of spirit (kind). We should be easily moved to love (tenderhearted). We should give up our resentment and our desire for requital when someone sins against us because before we could forgive them, our Father forgave us for the infinite sin we committed against Him (forgiving as God forgave us).
  
  ^a = Ephesians 1:31-32: [31] Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. [32] And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Bit of NT, a Never-really-was-finished Essay, and Origin of Words

• John 4:24: ". . . [24] God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
  
  God does not care where, when, or how someone worships. He cares that they worship truthfully from their hearts. There are some activities that never can be done with purity; thus, those activities never could worship God. But that is not my point. My point is that worship is of the heart and not of the body. Worship occurs when you turn yourself over to God. (John 1:21-24^a)
  
  Take heart when the produce of your labors is hidden! The sown shall be reaped. (John 1:34-38^b)
  
  a = John 1:21-24: [21] Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. [22] You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. [23] But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. [24] God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
  
  b = John 1:34-38: [34] Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. [35] Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! [36] And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. [37] For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.' [38] I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."
  
  
• Mark 9:35: And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
  
  It's interesting how this verse has both spiritual and physical implications. If we are humble and wholly trusting of Christ, we may look physically lowly, we may travel the ends of the earth with the gospel, and yet in heaven, our reward will be great. On the other hand, if we are humble, work hard, and persevere in the real world, people respect that, and in due time, the humility in work pays off: you get the job, the money, the high position, etc. (Yes, some seize these things selfishly, but God blesses godliness in many, many ways. One of those seems to be physical reward, though it should never be our focus.)
  
  I lacked any other valuable thought, so you can view Mark 9 here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%209;&version=50;.
  
  
• Here's a [likely] weak essay:
  
  Colleges have changed much over the years. Where bastions of free thought and godly principle once resided, now fortresses of liberalism and atheism stand. Many professors, teachers, and scholars set themselves against Christianity and even the thought of God. Because Christian students hold ideals, principles, and beliefs defined in Christianity by God, scholastic professionals have taken up their cause against these students, and since Christian students are under attack, they can least afford to be ignorant of how their teachers and professors are aligning themselves against traditional beliefs. As light shows cracks and potholes in a road, so awareness reveals the intentions men. The ignorance of Christian youth regarding what the world desires for them likely causes many to fall away.
  
  Keep in mind that though ignorance may be an aspect of fallen men, awareness alone does not prevent or save men from falling. Men cannot be saved by going through college without “falling,” or by getting good jobs, or by buying fancy cars. Men are saved by God's grace through the perfect, cleansing blood of Christ Jesus. The purpose of salvation is also not so that men can have a college education, jobs, or cars. Men are saved so that they may bring glory to God. Lack of ignorance is not the corner-stone of getting through college; Christ is the corner-stone of getting through college. But for men to be ignorant, or for men to know the ignorance others and not to relieve them of their ignorance, is not good. This essay does not exist to provide or to give an opinion that solves the issue of young Christians going astray but to make people aware of their ignorance, to free them from ignorance of their ignorance.
  
  Some people suggest that a Christian's ignorance or unpreparedness is peripheral to where the young person should go to college, whether the person should attend a secular or a Christian school. The people who suggest this may be missing something: all people are sinners. The problem of falling away is not honestly solved by going to a Christian school rather than a secular school. Take, for instance, a piece of moldy bread. A single piece of moldy bread can cause a whole loaf to become moldy. Unless each piece of bread is protected, the whole loaf will go bad. Unless each student protects his mind, unless he is aware, a single bad student can cause him to go astray. Because of this, picking a Christian college over a secular college cannot really solve the problem of straying students.
  
  But colleges and students are the least of our worries. Watching, guiding, directing professionals are most damaging to young Christians, more dangerous than peers, a college atmosphere, or society as a whole. The reason is simple: most students go to college so that they may learn, and unlike peers or a college campus, teachers teach. Professional appearance combined with seemingly unending knowledge can cause many to question whether or not what they believe is true, that is, cause many to doubt. In and of itself, doubting is not bad. Doubting should cause men to wonder, study, and think about the thing doubted until a decision of belief can be met. College promotes doubting. Professors and teachers stimulate doubt, the first step in the process of allowing students to think freely, but these elders of thought, and thus college as a whole, fail to take the next step: providing diversified, related subject information to allow students to logically and fairly weigh ideas so as to make up their own minds.
  
  Professors could be failing to provide diversified information, such as the possibility of their own ideas being wrong or Christianity having worthy aspects, for multiple reasons. They could be ignorant. They may believe that time spent on such subjects is wasteful, or they could simply despise Christian or traditional ideas. But neither ignorance, perceived wastefulness, nor hate of something are legitimate excuses for not knowing, showing, or allowing information to be fairly represented before students. As teachers, not only are they responsible to provide and to teach about related information, they are supposed to separate their personal beliefs or views from what is presented by the information. As a calculus teacher would not withhold from his students the text book that helps them understand a principle, so a sociologist teacher should not disallow a student from using traditional philosophies, or even a Bible, to help his students decide, argue, or understand whether or not something as peculiar as unisex bathrooms should be allowed in professional work environments.
  
  College is dangerous for Christians. Knowing this and being aware of it is a good thing, but even awareness cannot remedy or prevent failures of colleges and students. Nothing apart from God's grace can improve anyone's college experience. If any student ever wants to be safe and wise at college and throughout his life in this dangerous world, he must continually commit his life to God through the redemption found in Christ's blood. History proves how the wisdom of men so often fails. Christ has promised that He “will give . . . wisdom which none of [our] opponents will be able to resist or refute” to those who are His (Luke 21:15). Indeed, He has fulfilled this promise for Christ is “wisdom from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
  
  
• Origin of Words - "dibs": The word derived from dibstones, a type of game involving assorted pieces that are thrown and collected. Since the game is related to gaining possession or taking possession, "dibs" is a method of slang (possibly developed in the later half of the 19th century by schoolchildren) meaning that the speaker has certain rights or ownership over something.
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dibs; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knucklebones

Ephesians

OK, in-line Scripture's going to appear in NKJV.

Ephesians 6:12-13: . . . [12] For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. [13] Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Our striving and warring should be against the evil that attempts to pervade our hearts, the hearts of others, societies, organizations, and every other man-made institution. Because evil comes from without, very easily tempting the heart of men, we fight and direct our enemies toward combating those things that will drag down our brethren, and indeed our fellow men.

But given the situation of our lives, Ephesians 6:1-3^a caught my attention. We are to obey our parents. God has given us godly parents to exercise their will for His purposes. Honoring our parents brings peace and joy to God and men, and in time, we will receive the benefits of our labor. We have nothing to fear; we have everything to trust and hope for.

^a = Ephesians 6:1-3: [1] Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. [2] "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: [3] "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."

Little but More Than the Last

• James 4:10: Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
  
  In ways, my time for work today has been lessened, but it is wrong for me to not put Scripture out there as an incentive to delve into it; thus, I recommend the reader take a look at James 4 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%204;&version=49).
  
  
• Anyone out there ever wanted to custom build an assault weapon? Well, I have. =P

A Phrase

Does anyone know the origin of "tickled pink" or "tickle me pink"?

From Mastication of Mind to Mouth

• Matthew 7:7-8:
  ". . . [7] Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. [8] For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. . . ."
  
  This is very interesting. You see, we know that when we ask or do something of the like we don't always get what we were trying to get at. So what is Jesus saying? We can ask, seek, and knock for things to God in prayer, but we don't always seem to get an answer. (I do believe Jesus is speaking especially about our relationship with the Heavenly Father.) This is what I say: God always does answer, show, and open, but we don't always notice it. If we ask God a question, He may not answer the way we think He should because He knows that we only need so much or a certain type of answer. When we ask God for something, He shows it to us, perfectly; we are not perfect, so for us to think that we have the perfect idea about what He will show us is absurd. God always does these things, but since we are oftentimes selfish and inward of thought, we don't see it or appreciate the answers and other responses He gives us. This is very encouraging, and you know why?Because it means that when we ask for all these things--wisdom, understanding, alleviation of confusion, etc--He does answer us. Those little ways we see we've gained wisdom; those little ways we grasp a hold of some understanding; those little amounts of relief we find from confusion--those are all exactly methods by which God is directly answering us! It's great. In fact, it seems to me that God is most glorified when He uses the little, seemingly impractical, or mundane things as mediums of His almighty, eternal, omnipotent words and works in our lives. Think of it this way: we know God can do what He desires with less than a blink of His eye, but instead of doing that simple, easy thing, He does it the "hard" way; He orchestrates all sorts of events throughout the cosmos all the time just so that He can simply show how He loves us, from the beauty of a swirling leaf blown by the wind to understanding why we've been so hateful in recent hours.
  
  Another interesting bit is Matthew 7:21-23^a. No amount or method of good works provides any bettering of our relationship with Christ, and thus God, unless our hearts are in the Spirit, trusting God, loving Him, guarding our minds.
  
  ^a = Matthew 7:21-23:
  ". . . [21] Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. [22] Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' [23] And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' . . ."
  
  
• "The Minstrel Boy"
  by Thomas Moore (1779-1852)
  
  The minstrel boy to the war is gone,
  In the ranks of death you'll find him;
  His father's sword he hath girded on,
  And his wild harp slung behind him;
  "Land of Song!" cried the warrior bard,
  "Tho' all the world betrays thee,
  One sword, at least, thy right shall guard,
  One faithful harp shall praise thee!"
  The Minstrel fell! But the foeman's chain
  Could not bring that proud soul under;
  The harp he lov'd ne'er spoke again,
  For he tore its chords asunder;
  And said "No chains shall sully thee,
  Thou soul of love and brav'ry!
  Thy songs were made for the pure and free
  They shall never sound in slavery!
  [later added:]
  The minstrel boy will return one day,
  When we hear the news, we will cheer it.
  The minstrel boy will return we pray,
  Torn in body, perhaps, but not in spirit.
  Then may he play his harp in peace,
  In a world such as Heaven intended,
  For every quarrel of Man must cease,
  And every battle shall be ended.
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Minstrel_Boy
  
  
• Green beans will make your day better . . . in fact: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnHksDFHTQI.

Philippians, Chapter 4

Chapter 4, Philippians, verse-by-verse commentary/summarization/whatever-you-see-fit-to-call-it, for the purpose of gaining understanding. I used NASB while doing this; you can follow along with whichever version you prefer at BibleGateway (see sidebar). Beware, I have no established form of what I'm doing. I'm just going at it. So here I go:

1. Exhorting our brethren to stay strong in the Lord is good.

2. We should live complementarily toward our brethren in the Lord.

3. We should help those who are struggling or having discomfort because they are working for the gospel of Jesus.

4. Have joy and live to give joy to God all the time.

5. Let all men see your peace, calmness, piety, and kindness.

6. We are not to have "extreme uneasiness of mind or brooding fear about some" thing; instead, pray and ask with thanks to God for whatever regards the thing you would be anxious about.

7. If we call upon God in our anxiety, He will guard our spirits and minds with His peace.

8. Think about the things that are good; there are many, so it shouldn't be hard.

9. the good things we hear, see, and read should be applied to our lives; also, in application of the good we see, hear, and read in this world, God will be with us.

10. Concern for the well-being of our brothers and sisters is good; in our concern, prayer and support should flow out.

11. Everyone should be content no matter their circumstances.

12. Whether with much or little, we should be content.

13. And in Christ, we can do this and much, much more.

14. It is good to share the burdens born by our brethren.

15. Even if our other brothers and sisters aren't being loving and obedient, we can't use that as a justification for our own failings.

16. Readily support those in need.

17. You who receive support: do not become desirous of gifts for yourself; when you receive a gift, rejoice that God is building up your brothers and sisters.

18. Give thanks to God and your brethren for gifts you receive.

19. God supplies for all our needs.

20. May God be glorified eternally!

21. Greet your brothers and sisters with a mindset and an attitude befitting God's ambassadors through Christ Jesus.

22. Take joy in the greetings of others.

23. Bless one another and remind each other of Jesus.

Philippians, Chapter 3

Chapter 3, Philippians, verse-by-verse commentary/summarization/whatever-you-see-fit-to-call-it, for the purpose of gaining understanding. I used NASB while doing this; you can follow along with whichever version you prefer at BibleGateway (see sidebar). Beware, I have no established form of what I'm doing. I'm just going at it. So here I go:

1. We should rejoice to God when brethren attempt, whether successfully or not, to edify or encourage us.

2. Be wary of those who are unsaved.

3. Deceivers do not worship in spirit, and they do not magnify Christ; they put confidence in men.

4-6. If anyone is going to put confidence in the flesh, they must be perfect; in other words, no one will be perfect, so don't put confidence in the flesh!

7. Any good you have ever thought you have done is nothing compared to Christ.

8. God's mercy and grace poured out to man through Christ is a more glorious thing to accept and embrace than, even if it were the case for someone, a perfect man; even the good of men is nothing compared to the good of god.

9. The righteousness of man is from following rules; the righteousness of man in Christ is God's righteousness imputed to us through faith.

10. Through faith and the righteousness that comes from God, we know Him, the might He displayed in the resurrection, and the fellowship resulting from the resurrection; all of this can occur because of our sanctification through Christ's death.

11. Now, through Christ's blood, we can have eternal love from our Father, and with it, every good thing.

12. Until our time is up, we have not completed the race; thus, we must persevere in holiness, as Christ followed in God's will to be obedient and thus being holy, so that we all may be holy.

13. We should not consider ourselves to be in state of having this holiness, and we shouldn't dwell on the past; we should be excited for the future.

14. We should work for that which God will award in heaven because of Christ Jesus.

15. We should all have an attitude for the promotion of God's kingdom; if we have a different attitude, God is merciful to show how we should change.

16. In looking to do more good, do not give up the other good you practice already.

17. Follow in the footsteps of those who live according to godly patterns, but beware.

18. Be careful, brother and sisters can stumble, and there are wolves dressed in sheep's clothing.

19. Those who fall away from Christ will be destroyed; at heart, they are gluttons, proud of their evil, and focused on the things of men.

20. But our city is heavenly, the city of our Savior and King, Jesus Christ.

21. He will transform us from humbled to glorified, conforming with Himself; the same power that puts all things under His authority does this wondrous transformation.

Another Random Sort-of, Kind-of Rant

• So, yesterday, I attempted to make perfect pancakes, but it just don't work none. The no-egg, vegan pancake batter my mother makes just doesn't cook the way normal stuff does. Oh well, the pancakes are still good. I tried thin batter, thick batter, high temperature, low temperature, more time, less time, but to no avail!
  
  
• Is it good or bad that I feel this blog may be taking away from the relationship I've fostered with a real person? Just to put help you understand, say a guy posted all his thoughts on a blog rather than . . . oh, talking to his wife. I guess that basically answers the question: wife before blog. It's a no duh.
  
  
• Boy, who hates it when you actually have to have someone else look at something of yours just so that you realize what's so messed up about it? Well, I do. Welcome, my brothers and sisters! You are not alone! Anyway, this time it was with physics and my wonderful physics teacher (not to be confused with the one that really, really like Hot Wheels). My wonderful Da--physics teacher [hee-heh] had to read out loud a problem, emphasizing one word ("diameter") for me to finally get what I was doing wrong in a resistivity-resistance problem. I was using the diameter rather than the radius to figure out a cylinder's area. =P I'm a very bright boy.
  
  
• U2's coming out with a new album in March! w00t w00t! I heard Get on Your Boots today, and it was . . . sad. The song seems very feminist, and the use of "sexy" is not exactly the coolest thing. Oh well, there'll probably be something good coming from them.

Philippians, Chapter 2

Chapter 2, Philippians, verse-by-verse commentary/summarization/whatever-you-see-fit-to-call-it, for the purpose of gaining understanding. I used NASB while doing this; you can follow along with whichever version you prefer at BibleGateway (see sidebar). Beware, I have no established form of what I'm doing. I'm just going at it. So here I go:


1. We should encourage, console, fellowship, and have affection and compassion toward our brethren.

2. In our encouragement, consolation, fellowship, affection, and compassion, we should be--of mind, love, and spirit--one; we should have unity of purpose.

3. Nothing should be done in selfishness or inwardness; we should regard (and thus, act toward) one another as if the other is more important.

4. Look out for what you can do that benefits others.

5. Have the attitude Christ maintained on Earth.

6. That is, though He new he was equal to God, He acted humbly,submitting to the will of others for God's sake.

7. Christ was so humble that He even allowed Himself to be limited by human form.

8. He humbled Himself the way men should have humbled themselves, even to death under God's justice.

9. Because Christ did what no one else could do, God has exalted Him above everything and given Him a name that is above everything.

10. At the name of Jesus at God's appointed time and forever after, everyone will submit to Christ.

11. With their tongues, all will attribute lordship to Jesus, an act glorifying God.

12. Being obedient, we can fully appreciate the magnitude of what God has done for us.

13. We are obedient so that we may please God.

14. Do all things without discontent and struggle against what God has allowed.

15. In not being discontent and in not struggling against God, we will show to be free from evil, appearing as havens and lighthouses to the world.

16. When we hold fast to Christ, we cannot do anything in vain.

17. Even our mental or bodily destruction is not vain if our souls are fixed on Christ.

18. We should let each other know how Christ gives us joy.

19. We should encourage one another by providing information about how good is being done in and through us, according to the power of Christ Jesus.

20. God may use "little" to help you, so that in your "little," you may see that you have far, far more, namely the Holy Spirit from the Father because of His Son.

21. At times, those who should be working with you will, instead, forget you.

22. Child-like service--simple, genuine service--is an attribute proving of character.

23. God may not always allow you to accomplish the good He wants you to accomplish in the manner or timing in which you think it should be accomplished.

24. We should put our trust in the Lord for the manner and timing of whatever we plan or set out to do.

25. God may use something that was designed for you for some one else.

26. God makes what we should do clear when we are trusting in Him.

27. All the joy we have is out of God's mercy.

28. When we hear how someone is doing, we should rejoice and cease from worry if it was a former trait.

29. We should rejoice when God blesses us; we should treat all as Christ treated them.

30. In our deficiency, God provides.

Philippians, Chapter 1

Chapter 1, Philippians, verse-by-verse commentary/summarization/whatever-you-see-fit-to-call-it, for the purpose of gaining understanding. I used NASB while doing this; you can follow along with whichever version you prefer at BibleGateway (see sidebar). Beware, I have no established form of what I'm doing. I'm just going at it. So here I go:


1. Fellow slaves of Christ:

2. May God bestow His grace upon us and give us peace, in Christ and as far as God's desire.

3. It is good to thank God when you remember, or are reminded of, your brothers and sisters in Christ.

4. Praying for brethren, joyfully, because of what God has done through them is good.

5. Joyfully pray because you see or have seen your brothers and sisters participating as tools of God in furthering the gospel of Jesus for God's glory and the advancement of His kingdom.

6. God in Christ will cause godly spiritual growth resulting in refined activity for the gospel until all things are new.

7. It is good that we followers of Christ Jesus feel that god is making us better through grace.

8. Longing for a brother or a sister as Christ long and patiently waits for His bride is good.

9. Pray for the brethren, that their love may have true (and thus, godly) information so that it may be applied in a godly manner, resulting in wisdom and discernment, becoming confident of what should be done in any circumstance.

10. By having the above information and discernment, we may approve things that are of God, allowing us to be peaceful in mind, soul, and body and holy before God.

11. Knowledge, discernment, approving of excellent things, sincerity, blamelessness--these come from the righteousness we receive from Christ, and all of it is for God's glory; it praise Him.

12. Abiding in Christ results in furtherance of the gospel.

13. Abiding in Christ makes known Christ.

14. Abiding in Christ causes other brothers and sisters to trust the Lord more, resulting in action (that receives opposition from enemies) that speaks of God.

15. Sometimes Christ is preached out of evil, and sometimes out of good.

16. Those who preach Christ out of good do so in the Spirit of God; they do so out of love, selfless care.

17. Some or all who preach Christ out of evil do so to cause anxiety, worry, or stress to those who abide in Christ.

18. But whether or not the motives are good or evil, we should rejoice that Christ is being preached nonetheless.

19. We are delivered through Christ's Spirit and our prayer, both according to God's mercy and grace.

20. If God is our deliverer, then Christ will be exalted whether we die or live.

21. Life gives us time to be more like Christ under trial; death allows us to glory in Christ's infinity.

22. Life in Christ on Earth means fruitfulness.

23. But existence in Christ's literal presence is far better than bearing fruit.

24. Still, we should remain in the flesh so that we may benefit our brethren.

25. In Christ, we can continue on in the flesh with joy, for our brethren's progress.

26. Confidence belongs in Christ.

27. We should always live for God's kingdom so that other brethren will take heart and have greater confidence in Christ.

28. We should not be startled or frightened by opponents of God's kingdom because we have strength in God while they have destruction from God.

29. Suffering for Christ is a unique privilege.

30. We see how it is a privilege through other brethren who suffer for Christ.

Here, once again. . . .

• For anyone who's interested, follow this link to where I used to post some other original material: http://www.youngwriterssociety.com/member6088.html. If you get interested in that story, let me know. I can send a .pdf of it. (Unfortunately, I post all of it online, nor did I fully edit it as I would have wished, and since it is now of the past, I have left it.)
  
  
• Here follows my formerly used YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/Lydighet. Embarrassing? Yes. Low quality? Yes. Worthy of your time? Probably not. While it lasted, doing these YouTube vids was fun, but it got old, and I don't have the patience for it. (Or good equipment or an original mind or anything else that should belong to those who wish to produce quality, visual material.)
  
  
• OK, anyone know what that noise is that we hear in the backs of our necks? It sounds like something is being secreted into the spinal column. . . .
  
  
• You know, I'm mister amazing. Today, I took out the dehydrator, plugged it in, and--voila!--it started smoking. I took off the cover (that's it, just took off the cover), then my dad came along, plugged it in and--again, voila!--it works just fine.
  
  Yes, I was being sarcastic. And I really know I needed to tell you I was being sarcastic.
  
  
• My physics teacher just loves Hot Wheels. Whenever we do an experiment that involves something moving (which is every experiment), he tries to get Hot Wheels in. But he's only gotten to use his special, special Hot Wheel once. You see, kiddie toys don't go as fast as his special, special Hot Wheel: http://www.news-blogs.com/_images/auto/hummer_h2_2006.jpg.
  
  
• OK, so far, I think working with mirrors in physics is the stinkiest. Anyone agree? Hands? Hands? Anyone . . . ? . . . Anyone . . . ? . . . Anyone . . . ?
  
  
• And, OK, OK, maybe I was pullin' your leg about Hans Zimmer. . . . His music is more spooky or adrenaline pumping, I guess. You be the judge.

Observation on Flesh and Dialog on a Bit of Galatians 5

• Last night I came became briefly absorbed with self-pity. Pity and jealousy over my seeming lack of desire to be around many people at once. Absolutely dumb to think thus. It is a negative (and thus, ungodly) focus, and it's preposterous. Other than not having a proper focus (Philippians 4:8) and having "deeds of the flesh" (Galatians 5:19-21), I would say I have another reason to defend my "anti-social" position. My dad's not the most social guy, so naturally as his son, I would only follow in his footsteps. This is not to put blame on him. It's merely an observation. Besides, who ever said there was something innately immoral about not wanting to be around a lot of people? . . . Well, maybe Oprah said something like that, but I don't know.
  
  
• Galatians 5:16:I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
  
  Hallelujah! When we are in Christ, bringing our focus unto Him, His Spirit is within in us, and we cannot falter! What better news is there? Praise God!
  
  Now, I think you should read this whole chapter. It's so good! Galatians 5--it'll do you good. Though resolved on this issue, I bring it up for your sake in regard to fulfilling Saturday Sabbath Old Testament law, as a reminder. Love acted out toward others fulfills the whole law (Galatians 5:14^a). Those who are focused on Jesus, having His Spirit, are "not under the law" (Galatians 5:18^b). I have no clue why I failed to see those two verses in the past, but now I see! Praise our Maker for His mercy to allow us to see and understand!
  
  ^a = Galatians 5:14: For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
  
  ^b = Galatians 5:18: But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

More Extraction

• If anyone's looking for epic music combined with beauty, I say check out Hans Zimmer.
  
  
• Hey, wouldn't it we sweet to have your whole house wired installed with speakers, so that everyone could listen to the same music at the same time, enabling everyone to vote on moving on and such? OK, maybe it isn't such a cool idea. . . .
  
  
• This is a Star Wars related piece of writing, back from '03. I think it's hilarious. Basically, it's raw, un-edited work from a 12-year-old:
  
  Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away there lived a young man named Icaf Zemcoid. This man was a rejected Jedi outcast. In his fourth year of training, he was seriously injured in a T-wing accident. During the accident, he lost all memory of his child hood, his parents, and himself. Once he left the Jedi order, he was left to fend for himself in the dark universe. All that he had was his repaired T-wing and D2-3A his mechanic droid.
  
  Soon after this, he made the deadly decision of becoming a bounty hunter! Two and half years later he got his first job, he was asked to catch the nitroagen breathing Glimbo Chlang. Glimbo Chlang being of the shi'lek decent was 212 years old, and in the condition of a 25 year old man. The female being who was hiring him was Shelom-Bero. Sherlom-Bero being about 8'10" was the captain of the merchant ship Shap 'es. Sherlom-Bero said that she would pay him 850 credits, also she said if he caught him in less then a fort-night she would pay him a bonus of 150 credits.
  
  Soon he was on his way to the planet Lakaiok, home planet of Glimbo Chang. Although this was his first bounty, he felt as if he had been doing for years. Soon he arrived at the spaceport O'Laka. As soon as he landed, he set his drones on high alert for any evidence Glimbo's whereabouts. Soon he was talking to the spaceport attendant. Approaching him calmly, he said, "Excuse me sir, but do you happen to know were the residents of Glimbo Chlang is located at?" Nervously the attendant he replied "No, he doesn't even exist, and if he did he wouldn't live here." Icaf replied "Oh, he doesn't; well I guess someone isn't going to well then." With that, the man replied quickly, "Okay fine he does exist, but I don't know were his house is." Icaf then said with a force wave, "You say you don't know were his house is, tell me anyway." With that, the attendant said motionless, " Glimbo Chlang lives on Lek Lane-4400." Icaf replied thankfully, "Your generosity is over whelming, thank you."
  
  
• What follows is the foreword to An Autobiography by Theodore Roosevelt:
  
  Naturally, there are chapters of my autobiography which cannot now be written.
  
  It seems to me that, for the nation as for the individual, what is most important is to insist on the vital need of combining certain sets of qualities, which separately are common enough, and, alas, useless enough. Practical efficiency is common, and lofty idealism not uncommon; it is the combination which is necessary, and the combination is rare. Love of peace is common among weak, short-sighted, timid, and lazy persons; and on the other hand courage is found among many men of evil temper and bad character. Neither quality shall by itself avail. Justice among the nations of mankind, and the uplifting of humanity, can be brought about only by those strong and daring men who with wisdom love peace, but who love righteousness more than peace. Facing the immense complexity of modern social and industrial conditions, there is need to use freely and unhesitatingly the collective power of all of us ; and yet no exercise of collective power will ever avail if the average individual does not keep his or her sense of personal duty, initiative, and responsibility. There is need to develop all the virtues that have the state for their sphere of action ; but these virtues are as dust in a windy street unless back of them lie the strong and tender virtues of a family life based on the love of the one man for the one woman and on their joyous and fearless acceptance of their common obligation to the children that are theirs. There must be the keenest sense of duty, and with it must go the joy of living; there must be shame at the thought of shirking the hard work of the world, and at the same time delight in the many-sided beauty of life. With soul of flame and temper of steel we must act as our coolest judgment bids us. We must exercise the largest charity towards the wrong-doer that is compatible with relentless war against the wrongdoing. We must be just to others, generous to others, and yet we must realize that it is a shameful and a wicked thing not to withstand oppression with high heart and ready hand. With gentleness and tenderness there must go dauntless bravery and grim acceptance of labor and hardship and peril. All for each, and each for all, is a good motto ; but only on condition that each works with might and main to so maintain himself as not to be a burden to others.
  
  We of the great modern democracies must strive unceasingly to make our several countries lands in which a poor man who works hard can live comfortably and honestly, and in which a rich man cannot live dishonestly nor in slothful avoidance of duty; and yet we must judge rich man and poor man alike by a standard which rests on conduct and not on caste, and we must frown with the same stern severity on the mean and vicious envy which hates and would plunder a man because he is well off and on the brutal and selfish arrogance which looks down on and exploits the man with whom life has gone hard.
  
  Theodore Roosevelt
  Sagamore Hill, his home in Cove Neck, New York
  October 1, 1913
  
  
• I've read approximately 16,441 pages from the combined works of Terry Brooks, Frank Herbert, and Isaac Asimov. Except for literally a few words in all of Brooks's writing, he is clean. Frank Herbert and Isaac Asimov are lazy with their creative speech pen (though not unrealistic, I may add), and sporadically throughout their work, sexuality is discussed in too much of a logical mindset. Sexuality should not be discussed "logically"; it must be discussed "morally."
  
  
• Athletes race to win. Some have ill motives, some have honorable motives, but they all share one mentality: “I compete.” In their competing, they become stronger and healthier. As the athlete competes, resulting in strength and health, so competing students enrich their mental and interpersonal well-being.
  
  Many people believe that competition degrades students, that competition brings students down to a base mode of humanity, a single-mindedness of “I must be better than you.” In part, they are correct. Competition frequently causes destructive rivalries. “Victors” flaunt and gloat over the “defeated.” Elitism develops. The gloater's actions may even cause the “failure” to lose hope or to feel worthless. In the eyes of many people, competition ultimately causes students to do worse because it belittles equality, fair-treatment, and justice.
  
  Fortunately, this degradation is only one side of a many-faceted gem. Yes, some students will form rivalries. Yes, some students will gloat. But because people desire to have good relationships with others, it is unlikely that all students will be only rivals. As in a relay race, some students will encourage one another to “run harder,” to be on time, to listen attentively, to study consistently, and to not cheat. The good attitudes, discipline, work, and leadership of these students will stimulate those who would otherwise be of low motivation.
  
  Competition does not remove all possibility of having proud or discouraged students; it provides a gateway to help develop selfless, stimulated students. Simply put, the carnal things of humanity cannot be avoided. There will always be students who cannot stop gloating and bullying. Competition, however, can offset these undesirable characteristics. With or without competition, students will naturally tend toward selfishness, pride, mediocrity, and worse, but with competition, they are at least provided with incentive to improve themselves and others.
  
  In conclusion, competition has ups and downs. The runner cannot know if he will finish the race, but he has every right to utilize the proper tools to do so. Whether in a race or in a classroom, competition is one of those “proper” tools.
  
  
• John 8:31-32: [31] Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. [32] And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
  
  If we listen to Jesus' words, have faith in God, and apply them, God's Holy Spirit will become manifest to us, and we will know truth. God's Spirit is truth. Now, I have explained what I believe to be the case, but what does it mean? I do not pretend to know how God reveals truth to us. A whisper in the ear? A prodding in a particular direction? A surety of heart and feeling? A gifted logic that reasons us to the truth? Maybe all, maybe some, maybe none. For myself, I have never felt that someone supernatural was literally speaking to me, as with prophets, but I believe that, whether I feel it or not, am prodded to make appropriate decisions when I am prayerfully depending on Christ. In Scripture, logic seems to be a predominate trait of getting into the meat of Scripture, though I also know Scripture can be understood by everyone, whether or not we are strong or weak in our logical reasoning skills. (And whether gifted or humble, neither is areason to brag. "Love is patient; love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant" [1 Corinthians 13:4].)
  
  
• And yes, I pulled a whole bunch of this stuff from previous writing. =P

My First Post

• I've only done a small amount of blogging in the past, so we'll see how this turns out. I'm not sure how often or how consistently I'll be posting. What follows will be a random assortment of what I've written today.
  
  
• 1 John 4:20-21: [20] If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? [21] And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
  
  Love is the perfect bond of unity (Colossians 3:14), the greatest commands (Matthew 22:37-40), God's reason for sending His Son (John 3:16), the greatest gift (and thus the greatest fruit [Galatians 5:22]) of the spirit (1 Corinthians 13:13). Here in 1 John we see that if someone is not loving (hates) his brother, he is most definitely not loving God. In a manner of speaking, Jesus restates the second greatest commandment (Matthew 22:39) in John 13:34-35: "[34]A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. [35] By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Those two verses are essentially "pre"-statements of 1 John 4:20-21. The love we show specifically does two things: 1.) shows non-believers that we are followers of Christ Jesus and 2.) shows believers that we love God.
  
  
• Check out this cuddly little critter: http://www.gavetafilmes.com.br/chucknorrislevandomuitaporrada/chuck_norris_03.jpg. Whoops, I meant this: http://novah-naigafah.deviantart.com/art/Squee-39703469. This furry squee is from the game Myst V: End of Ages. The Myst video games are solely about using the mind. Memory, logic, and patience are key to beating these games. I cannot stand them, but one of my younger brothers has found them quite enjoyable.
  
  
• Yesterday, I felt a strange sensation in the back of my leg while running. Recently, I've been putting my feet up on the rail under my desk while doing school. This action is causing my knees to extend backward slightly, slowly bending them back more and more. I'm basically hyper-flexing my knee, I guess. As long as I stop doing that, I should cease to have this uncomfortable (and likely bad) sensation. (I'd remembered the sensation before, but I couldn't remember why it'd stopped. Now I remember: it stopped when I stopped using the rail.)