Tomorrow we’ll spend a few hours huddled in a small sanctuary with family and friends, memorializing and saying goodbye to my 16 year old cousin: the victim of a motorcycle accident that claimed his life in a matter of hours, earlier this week.
The events are still so sudden that they seem unreal for everyone, especially for his mother and father. It’s hard to grasp, and hard to justify the way a life so young can end so suddenly in our modern world. Worse yet, it’s difficult for me to see how we can say goodbye to such a special person in a number of hours…it seems that we should spend days processing this and comforting one another.
During this time of thoughts and questions, I am surprised to see the relevance of my studies: I’ve been translating the book of Ruth this month, a book where a mother looses her husband and two sons. Naomi’s reaction is nothing short of ours: she’s bitter, and she blames God for making her that way. It’s situations like this that I believe God is ok with our anger…and he’s ok with us expressing that anger. The important thing is that we keep our lives open to His response. We cannot shut ourselves off to His voice. He is secure enough not to be angry in response. He will reassure us of His kindness, His trustworthyness, and His love until we see Him again.
Times like these remind me of one favorite song, which I’ll share with you in video and in lyrics:
Wilderness: The Supertones
Click Here for Lyrics
Click to continue reading “Tragic Death, Saying Goodbye, Questioning God…”
One thing we definitely loose in Christianity from time to time, is our ability to worship God with our architecture. We have some of the most amazing portraits of God’s majesty displayed in buildings our brothers and sisters constructed a hundred years ago. This post from a blogger named bored panda, highlights 50 of the most amazing church buildings across the world. I definitely recommend that you check it out in full, just click the picture or link below:
The reasons to dislike Apple keep piling up…and I must vent them out again!
Reason #1 – Everything is Apple’s way or no way!
Today I moved a few videos onto my iPhone. Which ones you ask? Well, I don’t get a choice. It’s all videos, or the latest 5 videos. What if I want my wedding from 6 years ago, and a video from last week? No can do. Can’t you guys just put a darn check box on the videos page? Why does this have to be so hard?!
Need a backup battery for your MacBook or iPhone or iPod? Sorry…there no longer removable. You have to attach some bulky ugly accessory.
Reason #2 – Everything is expensive!
Today I tried to connect a video cable to my iPhone to play back video on the television…yes, the cable was made for the iPhone, but guess what, it didn’t work. Turns out Apple’s latest software update for the iPhone disables any cables not made/licensed by Apple. Can’t buy a $3 cable off of ebay…gotta pay $50 for an official Apple accessory.
Hate hate hate hate hate.
Does anyone else feel the way I do?
Those who know me, have probably heard some of my sentiments on Mac computers. To make it short and sweet–I’m not a fan. This picture shares some of the feelings I have on the subject:
My advice to anyone purchasing one is the following: A basic MacBook costs $900-1000. Go spend $900-1000 on a Windows laptop, and you will be just as thrilled. Just don’t spend $300 at Walmart on some off brand machine and then complain that Macs are better. No, their not better. They just don’t allow people to sell Mac’s OS on cheap machines.
The Hammer Principle: Never Use a Hammer to Swat a Fly off Someone’s Head
When you act is as important as taking the right action.
The real art of conversation
is not only to say the right thing in the right place,
but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.
~ Lady Dorothy Nevill
Ask yourself, “Am I ready to Confront? Is the other person ready to hear?”
“Is my Reaction Part of the Problem?”
The way you treat people will stay with them a lot longer than the words you use.
The Elevator Principle: We can life people up, or take people down
People can be the wind beneath your wings
or the anchor of your boat.
People who add value to others almost always do so intentionally…
If you don’t know how to add to others, then you probably subtract by default.
I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
What is the quality of your intent?
Certain people have a way of saying things that shake us at the core. Even when the words do not seem harsh or offensive, the impact is shattering. What we could be experiencing is the intent behind the words. When we intend to do good, we do. When we intend to do harm, it happens. What each of us must come to realize is that our intent always comes through. We cannot sugarcoat the feelings in our heart of hearts. The emotion is the energy that motivates. We cannot ignore what we really want to create. We should be honest and do it the way we feel it. What we owe to ourselves and everyone around is to examine the reasons of our true intent.
My intent will be evident in the results.”
~ Thurgood Marshall
