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.