Currently Reading Human Error By James Reason see related

What is Considered Human Error?

   We live in a society that is surrounded in sin.  No matter where you go, it follows you like a plague.  Sinful temptation will surround us for the rest of our lives...so where am I going with this???  Because sin is so plentiful in all that we are engaged in, we use our own lifestyles to justify our actions...even if they may not coinside with the rules and regulations we say we go by as a Christian.

   Think about all of your daily activities that you are involved in during the week.  Does sinful temptation choke the christian principles that you want to live by???  Now I know what some of you might be thinking..."but...I'm human, nobody's perfect."  The problem with that statement is where to draw the line???  I'll agree that no one on this earth is perfect or close to it.  BUT...the fact of the matter is...when are our actions purely accidently human error???  Or was the action actually just our worldly lifesytles telling us to go after that sweet tempting sinful pleasure and just blame it on being human???

   This is a serious issue that continues to grow and grow as our generation continues to progress in life.  What movies, songs, activities, are appropriate for our christian brothers and sisters in our generation???  I blame the media for a lot of the confusion on this issue in the past several years.  You can't go anywhere or do anything without sex coming up into the picture somehow somewhere.  Our world's moto is "Get in, get it, get out..."  We live in a fast paced world based on the thrill of the ride.  Well...I can tell you where this ride will send you if you don't be careful...I'll give you a hint, it's not Disney World.

   So...this is obviously a problem that we are facing...so what do we do about it?  We must surround our lives with the word of God, fellowship in him, and try out best as humans to stick to purely human error and not our own sinful justification.  People are going to make mistakes...but when we get to the point of saying it was an accident after the 30th time...it just doesn't make any sense.  We must be able to take responsibility for our actions, no matter what the consequences.  We must rise to the occation as soldiers of Christ's Grand Army.  We can conquer this enemey called sin.  It will take time, patience, dedication, and inteligence, as well as every ounce of your being.  But...anything is possible thru Christ Jesus.  I believe that...the question is...do you???

   Are you ready to join the fight towards ACTUAL PURITY in the eyes of GOD...or are you going to continue your silly blame game on human error.  I know the path I plan to take...where are you headed???

Currently Listening Dream Big By Ryan Shupe & The Rubberband Dream Big see related

DREAM BIG!!! - Ryan Shupe & the Rubberband

An' when you cry, be sure to dry your eyes,
'Cause better days are sure to come.
An' when you smile, be sure to smile wide,
An' don't let them know that they have won.
An' when you walk, walk with pride: don't show the hurt inside,
Because the pain sill soon be gone.

An' when you dream, dream big,
As big as the ocean, blue.
'Cause when you dream it might come true.
But when you dream, dream big.

An' when you laugh, be sure to laugh out loud,
'Cause it will carry all your cares away.
An' when you see, see the beauty all around and in yourself,
An' it will help you feel okay.
An' when you pray, pray for strength to help to carry on,
But when the troubles come your way.

An' when you dream, dream big,
As big as the ocean, blue.
'Cause when you dream it might come true.
But when you dream, dream big.

Instrumental break.
       (Dream big.)
       (Dream big.)

An' when you laugh, be sure, (Dream big.)
                                           to laugh out loud,
'Cause it will carry all your cares away.
And when you see, see the beauty, (Dream big.)
                                                   all around and in yourself,
An' it will help you feel okay.
An' when you pray, pray for strength to help to carry on,
But when the troubles come your way.

An' when you dream, dream big,
As big as the ocean, blue.
'Cause when you dream it might come true.
An' when you dream, dream big.

This song is truly amazing if you look at the words.  It speaks so much volume to the lives we live as Christians.  It gives us the desire in our hearts to achieve our dreams, and not setting our standards too low.  Makes us strive to keep a positive attitude at all times and just let out laughter and our beauty within us to sustain us through the hard times.  Christ pretty much promised us hard times merely from the fact that we call ourselves Christians.  But just because we are to face hardships in the future is no reason to shield ourselves from the promises of wonder that God has provided us.  This song, although a country song, speaks so strongly about what our lives should reflect in Christ.  We as a society should strive towards success in everything we do (job, social life, community service, walk with Christ...etc), and not let the temptations of this world tear us down and interrupt us from reaching the mountain top.

Christ gave you life...so live it.  Depression is something that has been eating at the hearts of people all over the world.  No matter what the depth of sorrow, we cannot let our problems hinder our will for happiness.  Besides...if we didn't have sorrow, our happiness wouldn't taste so sweet.  So, we can all learn from listening to this mellow country song, that life is precious, and it's definitely worth living...and no matter what Life throws at you, take it in stride and prepare yourself for the happiness that's soon to come.  So...when you dream...Dream Big...as big as the Ocean Blue :)....cause you never know what might come true...

Currently Reading Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry By Doug Fields see related

Popularity vs Purpose

First of all...I've always wanted to know how claims something to be cool or uncool.  It's always seemed to me that the popular kids were the ones who had the most money, and then whatever actions they did were deemed quote "cool".  I was always in between the really cool kids and the not so cool kids I guess you could say.  During middle school and high school years, being popular seemed so important...you just didn't want to be uncool...that just wasn't acceptable.  So what did we do?...we conformed to whatever appeared to be popular during that time period.  People jumped on the bandwagon on so many aspects of life that revolved all around popularity.  If we were popular...everything would be perfect...we'd have no problems in life...we would be complete...

Then I woke up from my dream world and actually pondered a meaningful thought.  Who seriously gives a crap what people think is cool or not?  Why does it really matter???  Shouldn't we be who we are...you know...be the individuals that God created us to be???  Some of you may read this and think..."Oh...I bet Clark wasn't popular...and he's just jealous of the wonderful life I've been living..."  I wish you could personally witness me laughing in your face.  But seriously...why do we conform to what the TV, or Mr. Rich Guy things is a good idea???  People in thie world comment so much on being a rebel, and being out on their own...doing their thing.  What are you talking about???  You are doing somebody else's thing...what's so "rebellious" about doing what 50 others are doing?  People don't want to be Christians because they don't want to have to conform to something and weigh down their free spirit.  So...what is this lifestyle of following what MTV has to say doin for ya?  Guess you aren't conforming to any rules or guidelines there.  You won't go to Church on Sunday morning, but you won't be dead caught out in public without your collar popped...

The only good conformity in this wonderful world we live in is conforming to Christ.  God made us...so you figure if we follow his guidelines, we'll probably function better than if we didn't.  God doesn't ask too much...when the disciples asked which commandment was the most important...Jesus said only 2, Love the Lord God with all your Heart, Soul, and Mind...and Love Your Neighbor.  I think I can be pretty cool and follow those rules.  God's a straight shooter...and he'll carry you on through anything.  That sounds like my kinda of friend.

Currently Reading ACTIVE FAITH : How Christians are Changing the Face of American Politics By Ralph Reed see related

What are YOU Doing for Christ???

Well...Summer is pretty much at it's end, and people are making the wonderful transition from Summer to Fall.  I have to admit, I definately enjoyed my Internship at Foundry UMC and I felt that God sent me to that church and allowed me to share experiences with the followers in that community that I will remember for a lifetime.  I got great experience, built many relationships, and had a heck of a lot of fun.  The Lord has opened up my eyes a little more after this summer towards my life ahead.  This summer has influenced my life greatly towards the continuation of my goal of becoming a youth pastor.  I accomplished a lot this summer and I feel that God has provided me an awesome opportunity to impact the lives of many youth around the world as well as have tons of fun in fellowship.  I encourage all of you to find your true calling in the ministry...whether it be an occupational decision such as becoming a pastor, or even volunteering your time and talents in a variety of ways to help fellowship and bring people to Christ.  It doesn't have to be huge, but God calls us all to use our gifts in respect to his Kingdom.

Speaking of finding your call...have you thought about your call this fall?  Think about all the things you did last year...how did your life look?  I'm sure you can improve on a variety of things that could make life go smoother and could generate a deep relationship with the Lord Almighty.  We all want to make decent grades, make new friends, and cherish all the moments we have together...but do we reevaluate our walk with Christ to the point of action more than just thought?  Before my 1st year of college, I told myself that I was gonna stay active in church and do my best to glorify God all that I could.  Funny thing is...it didn't happen like i planned it.  I fell out of rythmn, I wasn't too active, and I didn't spend enough quality time with God.  Believe you me, my life definately was impacted because of my decisions.  I think my freshman year would have gone a lot smoother and I would have been a lot happier if I kept my relationship with Christ in check.  Sometimes I forget that he doesn't want to just sit there up in heaven waiting for me to talk to him when I really need a huge favor.  Christ wants to be involved in our daily lives and wants to hear from us often.  He wants that relationship with us...it's basically just our own ignorant fault of not giving him the time and effort he deserves.  He does a lot for us everyday, even little things you don't realize...do you think you thank him enough for even the small things?

Hopefully you go from here with a spark in your head to stay active as you can during this Fall and continuing on for the rest of your life.  Life without Christ isn't much a life afterall.  Make the smart choice by depending on him towards your success and enjoyment of life.  Life may come with hard times, but with Christ, things go a lot smoother over the bumps.  Rely on Christ and USE the GIFTS & TALENTS that God has given you to glorify his kingdom...he wouldn't want it any other way...

 1 Corinthians 12:5-13

Currently Reading Nothing but Gossip By Marne Davis Kellogg see related

" HEY!!!  Did you hear about this... "

Gossip...man do I hate that word.  People that you thought were trustworthy of handling certain information just go off and blurt the most personal information to those who have no utter business of knowing it.  Even those so called "Friends" of yours are likely to fall into the same trap of hot gossip.  Here is a quote I find interesting relating to gossip and us as fellow brothers and sisters of Christ...

"It is required of us that we be tender of the good name of our brethren; where we cannot speak well, we had better say nothing than speak evil; we must not take pleasure in making known the faults of others, divulging things that are secret, merely to expose them, nor in making more of their known faults than really they deserve, and, least of all, in making false stories, and spreading things concerning them of which they are altogether innocent. What is this but to raise the hatred and encourage the persecutions of the world, against those who are engaged in the same interests with ourselves, and therefore with whom we ourselves must stand or fall? Consider you are brethren. "

- Matthew Henry

The problem with most people divulging information to the public is the fact that many don't realize the complexity of what they are dealing with.  To one person, telling someone that your friend a particular secret might seem no harm, but to the person being talked about...it could change his or her life in drastic ways.  People can have families torn apart, people can be fired from jobs, and friendships can be broken and never repaired.  All because you heard something from somebody else that you can't even back up and decided to tell someone who doesn't even matter to the situation to begin with.  See where this is going???

Your mouth is a dangerous weapon that can be used to hurt people just as much as help.  You may even think you are doing a service for someone, but in actuality you just made their situation 10x worse.  If you get information that seems to be life or death, try to get in touch with that person immediately.  But when it comes to things like other people's personal opinions, crazy experiences, and even relationship matters...it's best to just leave it alone and let the people involved take care it.  Just know that other people's business is not rightly your business.

So...the next time you hear something interesting from a friend, family member, or even complete stranger and you feel the need to talk...what are you going to do?  You gonna tell the masses...or are you gonna think about the effects it might bring once it escapes your mouth...and keep the seemly insignificant information that has more too it than the naked eye to yourself.  You decide...