crossingclarity's Xanga

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Thu, 08 Sep 2005 05:48:34 GMT

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???

Saturday, August 27, 2005

Sat, 27 Aug 2005 04:23:21 GMT

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...

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Wed, 24 Aug 2005 04:29:33 GMT

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.

So...in this crazy sinful world we live in...you need to constantly ask yourself the question of... How does this influence my walk with Christ? It's a crazy world out there we live in, and people are just waiting to see what you do. Do you take the popular route...and avoid looking at the bigger picture...or do you let Christ lead you in the righteous path and live it up for the Lord. I don't know about you...but I think being a Christian is pretty freaking awesome...and I don't plan on letting anyone else persuade me different. So as you continue to walk with Christ, consult him heavily on your daily decisions...you'd be surprised the effect it will have on your life. I'm cool with Christ... ARE YOU???

Thursday, August 11, 2005

Thu, 11 Aug 2005 04:13:21 GMT

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

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:34:23 GMT

" 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...

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Thu, 28 Jul 2005 05:23:57 GMT

Friendship

True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends, but in
their worth and value.
- Benjamin Johnson

All through life people tell you that friends are important. Make lots of friends and life will be sooo much better. The problem we run into is not necessarily the quantity of friends, but the quality of friends. Sometimes we get so caught up in making as many new friends as possible that we forget to truly build strong bonds with the ones we already have. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have a few really close intimate friends than 30 friends I never hold a serious conversation with. Don't get me wrong, having many friends and having the ability to make friends easily is great, but you just can't go too far over your head.

Once you reach this point of too many friends, the people you call "friends" don't really qualify as such. Webster defines the word "friend" as...

< FRIEND: A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts >

The whole TRUST issue seems to affect the majority of the population. You call so many people your friend, but who do you ACTUALLY TRUST??? And what can you even trust them with??? Even you know that you can't trust your closest friends with certain information b/c you know they'll end up doing something you'll regret in the long run. So your best bet is your church family as fitting the true defination of friends. We must bond together in fellowship towards the trust purpose of our creation...to provide the wisdom and knowledge of God's works and love to those who can't seem to grasp it.

God has a few words to say about how we live our life and about the whole friends issue:

(John 15:10-15) " ¹⁰If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. ¹¹I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹²My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."

So...our basic instructions towards life itself is to be true friends to one another with brotherly/sisterly love for each other and to God. Good friends can be hard to come by, but once you find one, you're never the same. God wants to be your friend as well...I'm pretty sure you can trust him with anything...he already knows everything anyway, haha. God teaches us to be the prime example of friends to the world. Are you up to the challange of being that friend to those you know? You know what it means to be a friend and what it's like once you are lucky enough to have one. Go out and make God proud as well as your church body and be the wholesome caring honest person you know God made you to be. I want to be your friend...do you???

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Wed, 20 Jul 2005 19:13:40 GMT

WHAT'S YOUR ATTITUDE

"The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives." - William James

How you doin today? An age old question that many just use as a common greeting without even taking any thought into the question. What about those who truly wonder how their fellow brothers and sisters are feeling? The answer to this question may be a simple..."I'm fine...or OK" You may even get the occasional brave soul who steps up and says..."Well...not soo great." You may be asking yourself, "So...what does this all mean about anything...?" I'm so glad you asked.

Attitudes contribute so much to our lives experience. Depending on your attitude, one of your worst days of your life can be bareable and easily forgetton. You can change the world through your attitude and how you carry yourself. I'm sure many of you have been taught that one of the keys to life is A Positive Attitude! Your teachers weren't joking believe it or not. Studies show that people who start each day with a positive attitude perform better on tests, make more friends, and succeed further in life than those who don't by over 65%. That figure might astound you...which it should cause I made it up, but other than that...honestly...studies have shown that a positive attitude makes life easier to deal with and much more productive in the long run.

What might the book of life's knowledge have to say...

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:" (Philippians 2:5).

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off the old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds." (Ephesians 4:22)

Basically...God is calling us to have a "Christian Attitude" in life, reflecting the attitude of Christ Jesus. We are to love one another and lift one another up in fellowship. When we see one of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ down and out, it's not only a good idea, it's more of our duty to raise them up the best we know how. We were created not just to sit around and be depressed. God created us to have fun, and to enjoy the companionship of other followers. God wants us to smile everyday, regardless to some of the obsticles we may face in any given day. The Lord loves us and promises to take care of us, so why not just smile, relax, and let the good Lord take all your worries and troubles away. I don't know about you, but nothing can beat a smile :D!!!

Thursday, July 07, 2005

Thu, 07 Jul 2005 03:41:00 GMT

What's Driving Your Car of Life?

We all seem to have something driving our lives these days. Whether it be a sport you play, some talent you just really love, or maybe a career you hope to pursue...we all have interests that seem to push us to the limit in our lives.

But is your Faith one of your drivers in the car of your life??? Does your faith move you to do things that no-one on earth could shake you from??? If it doesn't...it should!!! Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyones' lives revolved around their faith and not material objects of this world? We are told to put our faith into action, as in James 2:26 says..."faith without works is dead..."

As Christians, our duty is to put God first...which any normal person would realize that if Christ is #1 on our lives, he should be the driving force of all that we do. The world doesn't paint such a pretty picture of how you should live your life. The world tells you to go out and party, have sex, get drunk, do drugs, and just do anything and everything you can as fast as you can. This is obviously NOT the right force to be driving your life. Grant it we all make mistakes along the road of life, but we should be doing our best to make sure that Christ is always in a heart and definately a part in our decision making processes.

So...what to do to make that driving force strong and secure. Prayer is always a good answer. Talk to God often during the day...it doesn't have to be a big formal ordeal, just saying... "hey God, I'm here for you" is an awesome way to get your heart and mind right for the day. Another way is to get deep in the word...read some scripture, it doesn't have to be a lot. God will reveal amazing things to you just by reading some verses each day. Just staying active in the ministry along with quite time and devotion is your best bet to staying as on track as you can possibly be.

Your car is on the highway of life with many big turns, bumps, and stops along the way. Christ is my driver...who's yours???

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Tue, 05 Jul 2005 21:24:25 GMT

I Believe I Can Fly!

One of the hardest things that people face is how to live their lives. Many feel that they know what’s right, and that they can pretty much handle everything on their own. Many forget that God is actually here to help. This is a little piece on guidance and direction I thought up.

People in today’s world feel the drive from society to live for them and them alone. Get all that you can get, no matter what the cost, and get out as fast as you can. This misconception is one that too many individuals grasp onto without really even realizing the severe consequences that lye ahead. If one could actually look past the mere 2 feet of their life that they are staring at and possibly fathom the whole picture of what their life’s purpose is all about, some clarity might arrive.

When I think of how to describe our lives and how God interacts with us, I think about an air traffic control tower operator being God and us being the many planes flying around the world. The traffic tower knows where we are and what we are doing. It provides us with key knowledge to help us on our journey. It can let us know when severe obstacles are coming soon, and provide us with a way out. God, the Traffic Tower, can provide us with all the helpful hints we need, but it’s up to us, the planes, to follow directions to be successful in life as well as in our walk with Christ. So many people out there feel they don’t need the air traffic control in their lives, and that they can handle anything that pops up into their lives without any superior help. If only these poor lost souls would realize who’s really in control of their lives and would allow something much greater to consume them and provide the structure and guidance in their lives that is so desperately needed.

We all fail every once and a while in respects to allowing the Lord to direct our path. Sometimes we don’t like the direction he wants to lead us in, but our hearts know that no matter what…God’s direction is the way to go, and that he will provide for his children all that is needed to be sustained. So now that you understand who’s truly in charge in life…will you listen to your number #1 control tower operator? Or will you continue to believe you can fly solo?...