Christmas is Coming

Hey all! We finally put up our Christmas tree! And now that I'm on Christmas break, I can finally begin to appreciate all that is coming up soon. However...

I'm starting to feel...enveloped. I feel like I've lost the true meaning of Christmas.

Even without the commercialism, the controversies, and the confusion, it's still all too easy to forget. I can quote a thousand sayings that Christians have come up with: "Jesus is the reason for the season," etc. But that's all but head-knowledge. I need heart-knowledge.

A few nights ago, while I was journaling, I think I finally got it. I just--wow--felt it. I understood the significance and was awed.

And then came the big decision--should we watch White Christmas or Miracle on 34th Street? To be honest, I simply want to spend time in my room reading and rereading Luke 2. I am definitely going to before I go to bed tonight.

What do you all think? How do you all feel? Have you ever thought about what Christmas means to you? I've been thinking a lot. I hope you do too.

God Bless

America's Favorite Pastime

Don't you just love exam season? I think they should just skip all the pretense and call it the Teacher's Revenge, but that's just me.

Anyway, I have a lot of studying to do, and I apologize for not posting for the past two weeks. Please pray for me, and let me know if you need prayer as well. Thanks!

God Bless

Around the World in 80 Days

I love this book by Jules Verne. Written in 1873, it followed the travels of Phileas Fogg and his valet Passepartout (pronounced pass-PAR-too) as they seek to win a bet worth twenty thousand pounds; they must circumnavigate the globe in exactly eighty days or else Fogg loses the money.

What I love about this book is the constant adventure that finds the travelers. They experience different cultures, meet new people, and come up with ingenious solutions to aid them in their race against the clock.

What I also love about this book is the character of Phileas Fogg. His most noticeable trait is his seeming inability to worry. No matter what situation the adventurers find themselves in, Fogg never so much as bats an eyelash, even when he is running hopelessly behind schedule. While reading, I was reminded of Philippians 4:6~

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

If we can train ourselves not to worry, we will see God's hand much more; we will be stepping back and giving Him room to work. After all, Matthew 6:25-34 asks us this: can worrying add a single day to our lives? Nope; in fact, worrying shuts us down so that nothing gets done.

So don't worry, and don't try to do God's job for Him. He's had a lot more experience than anyone else, and He does it perfectly.

God Bless

Jules Verne

If you have no idea what to read next, here's a subtle hint: JULES VERNE!

I've always loved his 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but could never seem to find other stories penned by him. I had heard of other great classics, but where were they?

A few days ago at Half Price Books, while looking for The Lays of Beleriand by Tolkien, I found Jules Verne several shelves above. Inside this compilation were Around the World in 80 Days, From the Earth to the Moon, Around the Moon, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and more! I immediately started reading.

If you've never read anything by Verne, you need to start by next week. Though some of his work is scientifically inaccurate, I am constantly amazed by how closely he guessed space travel, submarines, and more--considering he was writing in the 1860's!

I'll be going over each soon!

God Bless

Belief

I heard a story about a man who thought that belief was for the weak and insecure. He had a convincing argument--until someone asked him a simple question: "Do you believe that?" If he said, no, then he was a hypocrite, and if he said yes, he was weak and insecure, and his argument was gone.

But it made me think. Does the fact that we believe something mean that we are weak and insecure?

First off, what is belief? As I see it, belief is trusting that something is. I have never seen Europe, but I trust that it exists. I have never seen my great-grandparents, but I trust that they exist, else I would not be at this keyboard right now.

The way I see it, believing in something means that we were weak and insecure, but have seen that there is a better or different way of achieving what we are trying to accomplish. After all, if we did not believe in anything, we would have nothing.

If I did not believe what I am typing is, in fact, English, why then would I be here? Could I even be asking this question? It (English), so far, is the best way I have found to communicate with others, as opposed to the grunts and wails I employed as a baby.

If engineers or mathematicians or scientists did not believe in their equations and research, things like medicine, cars, planes, skyscrapers, etc. would not exist, for no one would believe they were structurally sound--they would not even believe they exist.

All in all, belief is a necessary thing. It makes us strong, inspires us, and keeps us going.

Furthermore, everyone believes in something.

What do you believe?

God Bless

Quick Help Reference

Hello, Araken here. Have you ever been trying to share your faith with someone and run up against a wall? I have, and it is so frustrating.

What sort of experiences have you had? What questions have you been stumped by? Please let me know. I want to try to help, although I have not encountered every viewpoint on the globe. I think this could be a great opportunity to build our own faith and to better equip ourselves to carry out Jesus' command to bring entire nations into discipleship.

Drop a comment!

God Bless

If you have read the post directly below, you know of the horrors going on in central Africa. I say, let's do what we can to help rescue the child soldiers used by Joseph Kony.

Invisible Children Inc. is trying to get 250,000 signatures on a petition to send to Obama in order to effect the capture of Kony.

Sign your name on the petition here: www.invisiblechildren.com/obama.

Some of you might be thinking this will do no good. After all, Obama has not been prompt in keeping his pre-election promises. But which is better: Complaining and doing nothing, or trying? Even if trying results in absolutely nothing, we will have tried.

Please try.

God Bless

Will You See Them?

In 1986, a new monster walked out of the forest, what is now known as the Lord's Resistance Army. It's head was a man named Joseph Kony. His soldiers are children. More than 10,000 have been abducted by him to serve in his army. Those who resist are mutilated and killed.

However, few knew of the unspeakable acts which Kony was committing in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and Sudan until 2003, when three young filmmakers went to Uganda and came back horrified.

Peace talks have failed. Five times. Whenever armies close in, Kony asks for peace until he can regain his strength. Then, he strikes again.

Massacre after massacre. Hundreds killed. What can be done?

As a result of the 2003 visit, the three young men formed an organization, Invisible Children Inc. Their goal is to bring the child soldiers home and see Joseph Kony brought to justice for more than thirty counts of war crimes.

When I learned of this atrocity, I wanted to go out into the jungle and drag out Kony myself. The film shows the horrors he has wrought upon the people of Africa in the longest war in the continent's history. It churned me up inside. Some of the other kids made jokes, trying to make themselves feel better, trying to make their sense of responsibility go away.

During lunch, I signed a petition. Invisible Children Inc. is seeking for 250,000 signatures to stir Barack Obama to action against Joseph Kony. To sign the petition go here: http://www.invisiblechildren.com/obama

If you want to help, check out http://www.invisiblechildren.com/home.php. Help fund the building of homes and schools in central Africa. Help support this cause.

Will you see the invisible children freed?

Be Blessed

Why the Church Has Been on Crutches for 75 Years

People are killing babies, killing each other, and killing the planet. Ever wonder why the church hasn't stood up and done something about it?

Trouble is, the church has been backed into a corner for the past 75 years. Pastors, hoping to keep their congregations, did not challenge their flocks. In turn, the flocks did not challenge culture. People were told to stay out of government, that politics is full of sin and that Christians should have no part of it.

Stop, take a moment, and think about that.

Doesn't it stand to reason that if Christians stay out of government, politics will only become more corrupt? Yes, Jesus is coming, but since Genesis 3 He told His people to take dominion of the Earth. Until He comes, it is up to us to rule the planet.

The idea that Christians should stay out of government is unbiblical. David was a king. Esther was a queen. The Book of JUDGES is about JUDGES who JUDGED. The majority of major figures in the Bible were those who ruled and influenced nations.

Take a look at the prophets. John the Baptist spoke out against the king's actions. Daniel was the adviser to four kings. Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Obediah, Micah, Nahum, and just about every prophet mentioned in the Bible influenced the government. They got involved.

In the New Testament, Paul talked to governors and kings about Jesus. When he was sick of the persecution, he went to see Caesar, the head of the mightiest of all the ancient empires. The apostles went throughout the Earth to the heads of various nations. Phillip indirectly brought the Gospel to Ethiopia through a government official.

So where did we get the idea that we're supposed to stay out of government?

By the way, Jesus is the KING of all kings.

And now it's our turn to make disciples out of entire nations, and I'm sick of hearing crickets chirping at roll call. I vote we stand up, because if we don't stand up for something, we will fall for anything.

Think about it.

God Bless

I Can't Wait!

Is anyone else as excited as I am that Alvin and the Chipmunks: the Squeakquel is coming out in two months? Talk about a great Christmas gift!

What I loved about the first film was the relationship between Dave and the Chipmunks. Though Dave was reluctant to form any relationship with them, he eventually softened and became part of their family.

I think that is similar to some peoples' relationship with God, at least mine, anyway. I started out not wanting anything to do with Him. Then, I saw the potential benefits of cooperating with Him. Now, I want to know Him for His sake. And even though there are bumps in the road, it's all going to work out fine.

So, who's going to go see the Squeakquel?

God Bless