Emotions: What the hell are they?

For those of you who don't know me I am an extremely logical person and not necessarily in tune with my emotions like some other people I know. My natural personality along with life circumstances have made me more so logically yet I am fascinated with emotions and how they impact our lives everyday. Like they do not make logical sense. I don't understand how people can make decisions or have opinions purely based on emotions because they are extremely biased and fickle. Don't get me wrong I consider myself a romantic kind of guy and like all the cheesy cornbally things just as much as the next guy BUT i don't take it to the extreme like some people I know. Life is full of many difficult decisions and i just don't see how people can completely make decisions on their emotions. 

Race

A social construction of history and society that has had detrimental effects in both realms. Since I can not speak for the world and their individual opinions I will only speak about my personal interaction with this idea of "race." Being a product of an interracial couple this idea of race has always perplexed me. When I looked in the mirror there was no definitive answer to my question of what color or race am I? I mean was I black, white, both and what were the repercussions of the decision I decided to make? To say the least there were and still are at times questions of what racial group I identify with. I began to realize that this idea of race was really the product of societal and historic events and mentalities. As I grew up I noticed that particular personality traits, or preferences were taken into consideration as the world determined what race to associate you with. I mean personally I know that I am both black and white (whatever that means) but I grew up with an affinity to being black. Even though people will constantly remind me that I was half white on the whole I always associate with my "blackness." When you really think about it this whole idea of race is pretty crazy. After you get past the point of decided who is what race/color then within that race/color there are even more distinctions to be made. Now I know that trying to make it so people don't see others as a color or stereotype is impossible I think we can definitely change our mentality towards race. People are people and they are who they are. The color of their skin does not dictate the music they like, the people they enjoy spending time with, or anything else. People have beliefs and ideologies that are not rooted in skin pigmentation but in the minds that we all as humans possess and hopefully utilize. I understand that our history and society has made race a HUGE issue but we still have the ability to affect the present and future perception and understanding of this social constructed concept. 

How are you doing?

Everyone in the world has been asked this question at one time or another. The conversation usually goes as follows:
John: Hey Jane how are you doing today?
Jane: Good John. How are you doing?
John: Good thanks.
And that is the entire conversation that revolves around asking another human being "how are you doing?" What puzzles me about this interaction and even this question is that nine times out of ten people don't answer truthfully. The probability that they will answer truthfully to an acquaintance is much lower than if that person was a close friend but even then the response may still be the same. Some people in this world will lie about how they are doing because they have an expectation that that particular friend should know already what is going on in their lives. On the flip side the person asking the question could just be following a social norm of asking how someone is when you see them even if you really could care less. I have two challenges for you as you finish reading this post. First, only ask this question if you genuinely care about that person and the response they may give. Second, if you are asked this question answer truthfully. I am not saying you have to pour your heart out to a random person who may ask, use your discretion. When are you are dealing with your close friends though just be honest with them, who else can you be honest with if not with them?

Deadmau5 "Ghosts 'n' Stuff"

Choices

 I was just reading Luke 15 where Jesus gives the parable of the lost son or prodigal son as it is usually called. Half way through the parable I had a minor revelation. Everything in life comes down to choices. Everything that makes you who you are, the legacy you build, and where you will spend eternity is the culmination of all the choices you have ever made in your entire life. From simple things such as eating that slice of cake to major things like choosing a wife; each choice is another step down a certain path. In regards to this parable the lost son made two very distinct and life altering choices. The first was to ask for his inheritance early and squander it on a life of "luxury." This life of "luxury" was very short lived and resulted in the son eating with the pigs. The second choice was just as important as the first but had a different result. He decided to return to his father's house and beg for forgiveness. Even though he knew the potential repercussions of his actions he MADE the choice any way. As you may or may not know the result was a welcome party like non other. This idea of the severe gravity of the choices we make every second can be extremely stressful to think about. There may always be fear in the back of your mind that you made the wrong decision. Making wrong decisions is inevitable in this life but it is what you learn and how you choose to live after that is what is important. I can understand when people, especially in movies, saw the reason they killed some one for example was because they had no choice. You ALWAYS have a choice it is whether or not you are willing to live with the consequences of that choice is what makes you who you are. People also often think that once they make one bad decision life is over or they have permanently ruined something in their lives. Some choices do have permanent consequences but there is always tomorrow; another day to make the right choices. So use the divine gift of choice everyday because it is one of your greatest strengths.    

Friendship

According to dictionary.com these are the definitions of friend and acquaintance.

Friend- a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.
Acquaintance- a person known to one, but usually not a close friend. 

        I have been thinking for quite some time the difference between friends and acquaintances and what really makes that distinction. For a long time I thought acquaintances were simply people you met once or twice and maybe talk to once in a blue moon but you did not know them "like that." I thought that friends you talked to on a semi consistent basis, had several similarities, and talked about some deep stuff from time to time; however, my view has slightly changed. This issue of making the distinction between friend and acquaintance has become even more difficult in our society today because of social networking. You meet some one on a retreat or summer vacation, hang out for a little, so you add them on Facebook and you are "friends." Even though you will prob NEVER talk to this person they are still constituted as part of your friends list. Now i often add people I have met and let them sit on my friends list on Facebook. Even though I do this I also go "friend weeding" as I like to call it ever so often. I go through my list and see all the people there and delete those select amount that I never talk to or I don't even really know that well. This may seem mean or unnecessary but to use a drastic example I do not understand how people have 1000+ friends on Facebook and could possibly still be in touch with all of them on a regular basis. I do understand that some people are there for specific reasons such as business or other necessary things; however, we should not be distorted to think every last person is our friend. My definition of a friend is some one that cares for you in terms of emotional, spiritual, and even physically needs that you may have. Now some of you may say that this is a very selfish view of friendship but I also have learned that you being a friend to some one may be for their benefit and not yours but if are going to claim to be some one's friend shouldn't you take the time and energy to care about ALL of their needs. So my challenge to you is go through your mind or even your Facebook friend list and really think who you are actually friends with and who are the acquaintances.

Just a sick picture

"The One"

The idea of there being one perfect person for you to be with has been around for a while. It is primarily a Western ideology because in the most of the East there are still arranged marriages and not so much "freedom" as we Westerners love to talk about. I have talked to many people about this idea about love and relationships and who is the "right one." Some say that there is a feeling you get when you are with this person that you do not get with anyone. Other people, although there aren't many, say that it doesn't matter who as long as you commit to loving that person as long you are alive. On the whole people say that it is a combination of both. Through my experience with the opposite sex, as brief as it may be, has led me to several conclusions. First this idea of "love" being a feeling that is indescribable is a load of garbage. Particular for men that feeling could be nothing more than wanting to get into the pants of the woman you are with. Second love is a decision and a mindset towards another person; to always put their needs before yours. Now this task of loving is no doubt easier with some people than others. In my opinion there is a set amount of women in the world at this moment that would be suitable spouses for me based on mutual interest and capability. However out of those possible women my list is shortened by the life experiences I choose to have and the women I actually have the opportunity to interact with. But at it's base what relationships come down to who is the person that you can be with for the longest possible time with where the pleasure outweighs the pain. Another point I would like to touch on is this myth that love is blind or that it doesn't matter what some one looks like in a relationship. The truth of the matter is that if a person does not find the other attractive they would have no real interest to get to know them to the point of having a long term serious relationship. So in conclusion when you find that person that is most compatible with you and who you enjoy spending A LOT of time with then do it to it and if it doesn't work it just doesn't.

Things We Enjoy

I was thinking the other day "Why is it that in everything we enjoy to do at some point it will be difficult?" I mean if we enjoy it how can it ever be difficult. Shouldn't our enjoyment of the action make us not notice the difficulty. One example that is  pretty common are sports. I personally enjoy playing basketball but do not have a natural affinity to it. Even though I enjoy playing at some point I will have to work harder and harder if I wish to continue to play or excel Well I think i just found the answer, if you enjoy doing something it will only get difficult if you wish to excel at it.I really love math but Calculus 2 is extremely difficult and I need to just suck it up because I want to excel in what I enjoy.

Fear

In the new song "Words I Never Said" by Lupe Fiasco he says "Fear is such a weak emotion that's why I despise it." While Lupe is a lyrical genius I do not completely agree with his take on fear. Granted fear is typically viewed as a negative thing that people try to overcome; however, there are types of fear. There are the common types such as fear of heights, or snakes, or clowns. However there are more abstract fears such as the fear of failing, of God, of going to prison. Therefore it is more appropriate to say that fear is appropriate in certain instances and in reality necessary to live in a working society. Could you imagine a world where all the fear was removed. There was a episode of Batman (which is one of my all time favorite cartoons) where the Scarecrow makes a gas that prevents people from being afraid. What ensued was utter chaos. One example was a man trying to leap from building to building because he was not afraid of the height or potential danger in falling to his death. There are certain things which we should not be afraid of and that is understandable but the fear of certain things is not only healthy but necessary to actually live.

Wanderer above the Sea of Fog by Friedrich

This is one of my most favorite paintings. The calm yet powerful presentation is remarkable. Whenever I look at this picture I wonder what this man, whoever he is, could be possibly thinking about or where he just came from. If I had to guess he just came from finding out that his wife was having an affair for 5 years behind his back and this is the only place he can go to think while the thunderous noise of the waves crashes over his mind. It is only him and nature in this picture and that is profound to me. How he is so small in comparison to the world around him. That no matter how big we may think we are there is always something bigger. I want a picture like this somewhere in the world at some point in my life. It will remind me to always take time out to think and reflect and to admire the vast beauty and power of God's creation.

God's Will and Plan

To me God's will and plan are synonymous in nature. I have talked to many people about this and some say that God's will varies from his plan. I can't fully recall how they made that distinction but personally if there is one it is a very very minute difference. This idea is closely related to the idea of predestination. I understand predestination as this: God sees or knows our lives from birth to death. Now he knows all the decisions we will make throughout the entirety of our lives HOWEVER we still have freewill in that we ourselves make those decisions without any knowledge of our future. This is my understanding of when it says in the Bible that some are predestined for heaven and some for hell. God knows what happens at the end and therefore knows who will choose Him and who won't but this doesn't mean he makes people choose him or reject him this just means he simply has the knowledge of who will. So His will and plan for us are synonymous in that He wants the very best for us but knows what we will do and there for has everything planned out according.

Faith and Decisions

A very confusing topic I have been dealing with lately is faith in God and making choices. Now I have heard for most of my life to always pray about decisions I have to make or am not sure about. What I find confusing about this topic is the distinction between us having free will and making our own decision and God helping us make the right one. It is hard for me to see the distinction between praying and asking for God to help with a choice but then in the end I have to make the actual decision. Is the idea about asking God for help is to have peace in the decision you make regardless of what it is? God will not come into your body and speak the words for every or any decision you have to make however He can and will give you peace about your decision if you trust that the decision you made was in conjunction with his will. A topic for later discussion will be if there is a difference between God's will and his plan but I digress. Life is full of literally billions of choices we have to make and as I am getting older I am realizing that the decisions come faster and have greater impact than when I just had to decide which juice I wanted in kindergarten. My problem right now though is my faith in God isn't where I want it to be or it needs to be. Especially in these days where my decisions will dictate how most of the rest of my life will be why wouldn't I want to lean on God who knows more than I can possibly imagine. Faith is not easy and neither is making important decisions but I can only hope that I have the courage to have faith in that which I can not see and there by be blessed through that faith. 

Why is Lupe so nice

I really enjoyed this song just thought I would share with you all

Importance of Time

Time is an abstract concept that has very concrete effects on our lives. I say it is abstract because the idea of time and what it is is a very perplexing concept if you really think about it. The Bible mentions many times that our lives are very short and that we do not have eternity to live our lives on this Earth. Although some people (mostly young people) to justify their procrastination or lack of change to the fact that they have "all the time in the world." As a matter of fact this couldn't be further from the truth. I just started college 5 months ago and I feel like my high school years went by in no time. Even larger than that I am 18 years old and have no idea where those years have gone. I can only imagine that people much older than me have this realization much more frequently than I do. Why do I say all of this? I say all of this to emphasize the importance on not taking the time you have on this Earth for granted. Now there are times where you must wait for things whatever they may be but while you can wait for some things you should take advantage of every second you live. I look at my life and all I have done, or haven't done, and I try to see the reasons for both. Things I have done were accomplished because I did them, simple as that, and those I haven't done I just haven't done. People always pass on an opportunity or step down from a challenge because they feel like they can do it when ever they want but THAT IS NOT TRUE. Now this is partially hypocritical because I am one of the biggest procrastinators on the face of the Earth; however, I have realized this past semester that there is no time to waste. If you want to go across the country or even around the world there is no better time than the present. If you want to save money so you can buy that car you always wanted there is no time like the present. If you want to tell that girl in your math class that you would love to take her out on a date there is no time like the present (unless she is already taken). I look at all the famous kids there are in the world who are my age or even younger and think they didn't wait for tomorrow they started fulfilling there dreams today. Granted some of these famous children were rich or had strict parents but you can still accomplish all you want to if you start today. And even if start today and don't reach your goal you will find peace in the fact that you acted. I want every one to be able to tell their grand kids all the things they did in their lives and to pass on the knowledge that there is no better time to start fulfilling your dreams than today. 

Love and Hurt

In order to enter into any kind of relationship you need to understand that you will be hurt by the other person and the other person will hurt you. Although this is true for all relationships I want to focus on the intimate relationships between sexes. Now on both sides (particularly the female side) there is a fear of rejection and fear of being hurt. However when this fear exists in either party the relationship cannot be all that it can be. If both people understand that they may be forgotten at times or ignored at times then the animosity that grows from that hurt will potentially subside. Now it is very difficult for this to happen for two very deep rooted reasons. First the millions upon millions of romantic comedies (or rom coms as my brother so hilarious puts it) that plague this world cause the expectations that women have of men and vice versa to sky rocket past the realm of reality. Now don't get me wrong I enjoy a rom com from time to time but lets be honest, they are the farthest thing from reality. Second, no one likes being hurt or even less admitting that the person they like or "love" would ever hurt them. This disillusionment can cause serious hurt to either or both parties. If we can accept that hurt will happen like it inevitably will then we can cherish the happy moments and accept the hurtful ones. If you can not accept the hurt that is naturally accompanied with a relationship then you will never be able to be in one.  

Knowledge

"Nobody really knows his own father"

The Odyssey Book 1 line 216

This line got me thinking about an interesting concept that I have considered. All the knowledge you receive and gain (except empirical or scientific fact) is passed on from generation to generation and you have no way to be one hundred percent sure that what are being told is the truth. Let's take this line for example. Unless you take a paternity test, which you have no knowledge of in the early years of your life, you have absolutely no reason to call that man who sleeps upstairs and eats food with you your father. But if that hits to close to home lets take any and everything from history. Fact; Julius Caesar lived and ruled the Roman Empire. Now you are taught this every since your first history class but what actually proof do you have as an individual living at this time that he really existed. Now people may say there were witnesses who wrote down what they say and therefore are first hand accounts. However; like it is said about the Bible a group of random Romans could have gotten together and wrote books upon books about this guy "Julius Caesar." Now I am not saying I don't believe that Julius Caesar lived but what I am saying is that it is interesting who has authority to say what is what and why we should listen to them. My friend gave a chapel talk where he lied to us about a verse in the Bible and no one stopped him. This is a prime example that just because you convince people that something is true does not make it so. Think about what people tell you; no matter who it is.

Fear and Greed

My friend recently told me something he learned in his Philosophy class. He told me that every action we commit is the result of either fear or greed. For example if I help an old lady cross the street it is not out of some admiration of helping old ladies or even love of people. When I first heard this my initial reaction was "That can't be true because so many people act out of love alllll the time..... right?" Well I began to question the things that people do out of love on a human to human level. If you buy your mother a birthday present is it really bought out of love or because you are afraid that she will be disappointed or angry at you for not buying the gift. On another level is human to God. Most people I have heard preach or talked to about why we should listen to God or obey his commandments is out of love and not obligation. However at many times in my life I have felt that I follow God's commands out of fear of going to hell. Now although I have found that in many circumstances this idea about fear and greed is true I am still hopeful that there are other motivations to act such as love, sympathy, pity and many others. In conclusion I challenge you to consider how and why you act the way you do, you may not agree but thinking about these things is helpful in personal growth.

Human Condition

Something I have been thinking about lately is how things that are good for you are difficult and the things that are bad for you are very easy, or so they seem. Let us begin with the things that are good for you. Exercise,  eating right, living for God, even learning. Now for some people in the world particular things on this list are enjoyable and in fact give them meaning. However for all us NORMAL people out there it is difficult. On the flip side bad things for you i.e. eating bad, not exercising, and living wicked lives is sooooo easy. For example you can gain weight in like a week but it will take 3 months to lose that weight. Ok maybe a slight exaggeration but you can relate. Since this is true why wouldn't God just make the easy things good and the bad things hard. Some may say that it is because he wants us to build character and doesn't want weak willed punks in his family. Duly noted and that may be the answer but it goes against everything innate in our fallen condition. This brings me to my next point of how we can be motivated and need some sort of motivation to do any action in our lives. I have talked with many of my friends and they say to figure out why I am doing the action and use that to fuel our action. But I run into the problem of figuring out why I do most things. So I determined you may not know why you do something but should and must do it for your own sake and if you are a believer God's sake as well. For me it is working out and trying (not really) to eat healthy. I hate the gym and it is on my top ten list of places that should be destroyed but I know that it is a necessary evil that I must embrace for my own good. So while those things that are bad for you are easier the price you pay in the long run GREATLY out weighs the pain or unhappiness at the onset of those good things. Life is choices and each one you make will have good or bad consequences so we all need to be conscience of that every second of every day.

Praise Offering in Action

Shout out to Farqu Taylor for showing me this

Messianic Judaism

For those of you that scratched your heads when you read in my About Me section that  I was a Messianic Jew, this is for you. Just as a reminder this is my opinion and view on what I believe to be Messianic Judaism if you disagree or want to clarify I encourage you to do some research. The purpose of Messianic Judaism is to restore the Jewish that the Bible has seemed to have lost in the past 2000 years. Also to call the Jewish people back to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Since I attended a Christian high school and have been confronted on what I believe and why I believe it I have come up with a pretty concise response. There are many Christians in the world, particularly new Christians, that Jesus was a Christian or a gentile. Well to rectify that misconception Jesus was as Jewish as Matzah on Passover at a Bar Mitzvah party. Now there is a lot of debate and skepticism on the law which we as Messianic Jews adhere to. The one with he biggest controversy or so I believe is eating Kosher. Now I have yet to decide what my stance is on following all of the 613 commands that God decrees through out the Torah (first five books of the Bible) however I have formulated a rough idea. Paul says many times that it is by faith not works but that dos not mean that works should be disregarded. I think that when it comes to following the commands of the Bible it is partially a case by case basis. In Romans Paul mentions the weak faith brother and the strong faith brother both have faith but live different lives. What I think is more important than determining what laws you should and shouldn't follow is knowing the history of Christ. The matter of the law is based mostly on peoples interpretations of many texts that are used repeatedly. The history and genealogical past that Christ comes from is far more important. My Dad explained his transition from Christianity to Messianic Judaism as such, "when I was a Christian it was like watching television in black and white, you could get the point but it wasn't complete. With Messianic Judaism it is like watching in color." Understanding the history that Christ came from and in fact lived out is essential in fully understanding his life and the story that God was telling through out the whole Bible and even today. One example of the understanding that comes from this knowledge is the "random" passages that Christ would quote from the Old Testament. Christ would attend service at the Synagogue every week and those passages were from the Torah portion from that week. In Judaism there is a Torah cycle which goes through the 5 books every year and there are specific readings for each week. Another example is the Last supper which was in fact a Passover Sedar. You can more fully understand the meaning of Christ being the sacrificial Lamb if you understand the connection to the first Passover when Moses led the Jews out of Egypt. So personally I don't care if you eat bacon or not but what I do care about is that if you are a believer in Christ that you understand everything he is and represents.