A Sinner Beholding the Incarnate Word of God

This is supposed to be my Christmas post, but with family in town and work (I work for a UPS Store, so business explodes around Christmas. And no, it is not our fault you didn't get your packages before Christmas or got stolen off of your front porch, like what happened to my new hockey pants...like that thieving jerk will ever use them!).  I usually got up around 9 AM, left for my grandparents house 45 minutes later, went to work (except on Christmas Eve and Christmas day), went back to my grandparents' house for dinner, and got home around midnight and hung out with whatever roommates were randomly home until 1 AM.  Thus, I did not have time to put my thoughts into Times New Roman until now.

I just hit play, and when the record comes to an end, I'll listen all over again.

Please excuse me as I step off my theological soapbox and step onto a musical one.

Some Brief Thoughts about Death

I am a 23 year old young man who will eventually die.  I may be in relative good health and may have only lived one-third or even one-quarter of my life (or, on the other hand, 99 percent of it), but I will inevitably die.  It is a thought that one may call pessimistic, morbid, or even say is on the brink of suicidal, yet  it is a thought that is infinitely realistic.  The Western mindset (as far as I can tell) seems to be avoidant of death—it says that death is unwanted, and therefore it is something that we put out of our minds and spend millions of dollars to delay.  Nevertheless, all our efforts are for naught, and we die.

...in the twinkling of an eye, at the Last Trumpet.

One night last week, I was sitting alone in my apartment at around 9:00, I felt the sudden urge to get up and get out of my lonesome confines.  After weighing my options, a bike ride to Atrim Park--which consists of a lake with a circumference of about 1.5 miles and probably the clearest water one could find in Columbus--won out.  I arrived there after a six or seven mile ride with the sun's light all but gone, sat on a bench a stone's throw away from the water's edge, and humbly conversed with my Lord.  After soaking in the placidity of the lake and hearing what my Lord wanted me expel from and receive into my soul, I rode that same six or seven miles in the darkness of the mostly-wooded Olentangy Trail.  The little light on my handlebars only allowed me to see the turns a few feet beforehand, but I made it out alive.  What let me know I was still alive was knowing that I was finally near Union Cemetery of all places.  With my spiritual- and adrenaline-high, I decided that my night's adventure was not quite over.

What I think about the DOMA and Prop. 8 rulings.

A "conservative Christian" talking about the "progressive, liberal" political shift taken today--sounds like fun, right?

Humility will be the death of me

I usually have my soon-to-be-published mother look over what I write for editing purposes, but I did not for this one (sorry, Ma!).  I felt entirely scatter-brained as I tried to write this, and that is due to the fact that it felt like I was writing both on-topic but also writing about the humility that I am desperately praying God grants me so that I could read the words myself.  The words may feel all over the place because I was truly all over the place.  If one reads this and feel any encouragement, that is due to the Spirit working in the heart and not from the words that either meandered or flooded from my mind.

Barriers

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” --Matthew 16:21-23

What this is all about...

This is my new blog.  I had a Tumblr but, after realizing (after two years...) that it wasn't quite the format I was expecting, I decided to make this one.
I thoroughly enjoy writing, and there are times where I think my thoughts should actually be published for willing eyes to read.  I don't want to put any limits on what I will write and how I will write; anyone who truly knows me that I can be anywhere on the spectrum between completely serious to completely ridiculous.  But, whatever I write, it will be through the lens of the Gospel--whether it is me reflecting upon Scripture or current events or personal struggle, for the Gospel illuminates every aspect of life in a way nothing else can.  I want to write in a way where Believers can see and learn more about the Cross and the life to which it calls us, and also so that a nonbeliever can see truly what the Cross is.

I have a couple ideas in mind of what I want to write about, and I hope I can make this a serious enough discipline to write a little something once a week at least.  Do with it what you will, and feel free to give me comments on my theology or writing style.

Also, the title of the blog comes from my favorite hymn, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross."  If you want to hear my church's worship band perform it, go here!

Homosexuality in the Eyes of This Bible Believing Christisn

            Regardless of what one believes, the title of this essay almost assuredly made anyone approach it while walking on eggshells.