Category Archives: Perspective

Awake in the rain…

So tonight is our 18th night at shelter 127 and I haven’t gotten much sleep. Not sure if it’s the coke I drank before bed or just the insanely loud vehicles as they are passing by. It’s raining which may have something to do with it as well, but ultimately I am unsure.

All that to say that I am glad to be here. Even though I have not been getting nearly as much sleep as I was used to, and even though the bed is pretty much a slab of plywood. Even though it has been remarkably inconvenient at times.

I have not yet been to Haiti, and to be honest probably saw less of the earthquake on tv then most people, but I have seen enough to know that every little bit that I can do will help. When 1,000,000 people do not have safe homes or places to stay I feel like God is calling us to do something. For me this means giving up a few of the comforts of home to draw attention to the problem. Sacrificing some of my blessings to help rescue someone else from the physical poverty they are stuck in.

It’s as easy as $1. It’s the widows two pennies given joyfully! It’s seeing a need and meeting a need.

The United States has been blessed immensely. Even during our economic crisis we are still at the top of the world.

Lets imagine for a moment that you have several brothers and sisters. We will also imagine that your father has enough money to feed and clothe all of you but has left on a trip. Before he leaves he hands you enough money to support the family while he is gone. He is counting on you to take care of everyone at home.

When your dad comes back from his trip he discovers that you have a new wardrobe, an iPod, all the latest movies, even a bunch of movies that you don’t really like, 18 pairs of shoes, 8 new video games, an xbox, playstation, and wii, and a bunch of new CDs.

One of your brothers starved to death while he was gone…his bones are laying in a chair by the kitchen table. Your sister was too weak to bury him because she hasn’t had a good meal in weeks, and you were too busy playing Mario Kart.

Don’t worry though…your sister has been eating a little better since she started working for the neighborhood pimp. Sometimes she even gets to keep a little bit of the money that guys pay to use her. You don’t see her very much anymore, she is in high demand because she is only 14. You can always check up on her on the internet though, all sorts of people have posted videos.

Your father would be furious.

Do you think he really cares how many times you prestiged at Call of Duty while he was gone?

Go look up the economic statistics for African or Asian countries…read about how girls are being sold for sex by their families just so they can stay alive.

Then realize that we can change this. I know I can’t do much, but we can do alot together.

Father forgive me for how I have lived so far. Give me wisdom to do better.

Entropy is a killer…

Entropy can be loosely described as the measure of “disorder” in a system. It is also a measurement of how much energy has been “lost” to the universe. Now physical laws state that energy can not be created or destroyed, only changed in form. When the concept of entropy states that energy is “lost” forever, the energy has simply become so disordered, that the energy can no longer be harnessed. It is “lost” to the system.

Spontaneous changes result in an increase in entropy.

Entropy is an increase in disorder.

Entropy also makes it clear that things can not create themselves. Spontaneous changes can not result in a system that is more ordered.

Unguided events increase entropy.

To create order, energy has to be expended, and something has to guide the process.

Many times the process of creating order is guided by physical laws…such as gravity…things fall, or other physical rules like…when you compress something, its releases energy in the form of heat. There are millions of examples.

The concept of entropy is particularly notable as it is applied across physics, information theory and mathematics.

The concept of entropy can also be applied to our minds and lives.

Without expending energy, and something guiding you…you can not make your life ordered.

You can not release bitterness and begin healing until you accept that you have to work at it.

You can only become smarter by exercising your mind… by expending energy teaching yourself new things.

You can only love people more by expending energy. You can love people more by doing things that are hard. You can love people more by being forgiving, by not being easily offended, by being patient and gentle and kind.

You can only have a better relationship with someone by working at it. You can not simply expect them to do the work for you.

You can only have a better relationship with God…by working at it.

Please forgive me Lord…I repent of what I have done.

Mr. Obama, does Jesus love you?

Yes…as a matter of fact, Jesus does love Mr. Obama. Jesus died so that Mr. Obama could be given a chance at eternal life. If Mr. Obama had been the only person to ever walk the earth, and Mr. Obama was in need of a savior, Jesus would have come to pay the penalty of sin in Mr. Obama’s life. I am not going to argue about whether or not Jesus would have voted for Mr. Obama, because the election is over, and its not going to help anything.

We “pro-lifers” talk about respecting human life…in the womb and out of the womb. How many of us “respecters of human life” have not respected Barack Obama? You hypocrites! How can you claim to respect human life, and hate another human? Jesus says in the gospels (roughly paraphrased) that if anyone hates his brother, he has already murdered him in his heart. How many of us are guilty of murdering Mr. Obama in our thoughts? You can not claim to respect the sanctity of human rights and life and hate your brother.

I am not excusing Mr. Obama’s behavior…there is no reason to support some of the things he supports. As christians, we are under a responsibility to speak out against evil in the world, all while remembering that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against “powers and principalities” (wierd words that mean spiritual forces). As you speak against evil in the world, make sure you know what your real enemy is. Satan comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but God has sent his Son to bring life, and life abundantly.

What of your responsibility? Why should it really matter who the president is? Is Barack Obama going to stop YOU from doing what God wants you to do? Will abortions stop if God’s people do not take the time to care for the people who feel the need to have an abortion? Most mothers who choose to get an abortion are not “evil beings” who have no heart or soul. Mothers who have abortions are loved children of God who have gone astray, and WE do not go after them to save them.

Did you know that there are an estimated 130 million orphans worldwide? Do you care about them? They are children, babies even, that HAVE been given a chance at life. What sort of life do they have ahead of them? Who will protect them? What are YOU doing to help them? What are YOU doing to care for them? People will always choose to sin regardless of the laws that are in place in a country. Kindness, goodness, gentleness, against these things there IS NO LAW, and yet we neglect them. We sit on our butt watching TV while children sleep in the streets. We eat ice cream while they walk 5 miles for a glass of dirty water. We play video games were we pretend to shoot each other, while they are forced to really shoot each other.

Being politically active is a great thing, I wish more people would take voting more seriously. I hope that one daythe United States will elect a president that cares for widows, orphans, and aborted babies. The United States is STILL a government by the people, of the people, and for the people. When the people of the United States live a life above reproach, we will have leaders who are above reproach. When the people of the United States live like they care about orphans, widows, or aborted babies, we will have leaders who care about orphans, widows, and aborted babies.

Judgement is coming, for Mr. Obama, and for me. Will I choose to live my life in a way that honors God?

Stop blaming other people for the way YOU live.