Ghetto
I’m sure this is quite ghetto, but I did it anyway. My sister asked me what I wanted for Christmas, and I had this great idea of putting it all on here. That way I only have to write it once, and anyone with internet access can get to it. What’s more, they all link to Amazon (most of them are books and games) for easy shopping.
Go ahead and laugh. I’m a geek, and I know it. Which reminds me…ThinkGeek has some really cool stuffs.
-j claus
Attitudes are Important
But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me actually have turned out for the furtherance of the Gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my claims are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the Word without fear. – Philippians 1:12-14
Paul wrote this, obviously from a jail cell. I’ve never been in jail (except that time we went as a field trip), so I can’t really say what my attitude might be in such a situation, but I don’t imagine I’d be too chipper. But here we have Paul writing what will become most of the New Testament from his jail cell which, by the way, probably was a whole lot worse than jails today. They didn’t even have TVs, let alone cable! Something in this account impressed me this time.
When I’m having a hard time, I love to sit around and complain. I enjoy a good mope. When I’m having a *really* bad day, I usually want to sleep the whole day. I imagine being in a nasty jail would, for me, fall into the “really bad day” category. But anyway, when I’m in a bad mood, it generally affects folks around me somehow. Maybe I snap at them and then that puts *them* in a bad mood. What happened in Paul’s case? First off, everyone around knew Paul was in jail for the cause of Christ. But what really gets me is how the other Christians reacted to this. They became more confident! Now, that outrightly defies logic. Why would you become more bold and confident about something that put your friend in jail? It’s crazy! It’s insane! It’s the power of God!
Do you hear me? Your suffering, my suffering, can help other believers become more bold in spreading the Gospel!
No pressure. Paul was able to be this witness because he had nothing better to do. His mind could be completely focused on Christ. Had he moped and slept the whole time, people may not have been emboldened by him. But praise God; we can lift our brethren up without even trying!
Let’s always make sure our attitudes reflect Christ. We never know who needs some lifting up.
-j
I’m Telling You…
…Foxtrot is excellent.
I’ll have another post a little later on spiritual matters. I want to have more posts with spiritual content worthy of discussion. So, stay tuned for them.
-j
Lewis is Brilliant
I have never been into Clive Staples Lewis’ writings, but with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe film coming out soon, I wanted to get the books read before I watched the movie. I’m nearly at the end of The Magician’s Nephew, and I came across a quote that I find just outstanding.
“The fruit always works – it must work – but it does not work happily for any who pluck it at their own will.” – Aslan
Now, anyone knows that Lewis used a ton of Christian imagery in his books, especially the Chronicles. I believe Aslan is obviously an allegory for Jesus Christ, Narnia is either Heaven or a New Earth (or the Garden of Eden – Aslan calls humans sons of Adam or daughters of Eve, for crying out loud), and the creation of Narnia was a wonderful allegory for the Creation of the world (which also greatly resembles Tolkein’s story of creation in his Silmarillion). But the nuances in the books are so subtle, yet so distinct. The quote above is one example. The fruit referenced is an apple-type fruit that would give youth and healing to the one who eats it. This fruit was good – it was created by Aslan himself. But there were warnings with the fruit, warnings that if used in the wrong way, the fruit would produce very bad things. It would give the eater what they wanted, but with it would come eternal despair. How can something created for good have a potential for evil? It all depends on what we do with it.
I was immediately reminded of following God’s will. Have you ever felt that God was showing you a glimpse into His plan for your life, but was telling you clearly that now is not the time to carry out that piece of the plan? He has often given this to me, because I ask for it, and then tells me “But you must be patient.” There is much truth in what Aslan said above. When we run ahead of God, even if it’s in His plan, it suddenly becomes *our* plan, and not *His* plan. I’m also reminded of the phrase “the right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing”. Well, apparently C.S. Lewis felt the same way.
Let’s be excited to know God’s plan for our lives, but let’s also be cautious to listen to His word and wait on His timing. Let Him right your story, and you know it will be the greatest story ever told.
-j
More Foxtrot
I’m just going to leave you with a few more comics. These were in my desk calendar, and what luck…they came two days in a row!
And one more:
(for the non math-inclined, the square root of 2 and the square root of 3 are both irrational numbers, mathematically speaking)
-j