tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15119997570169767722024-03-12T23:04:27.817-07:00Off the Mark?Just some stuff that bounces around in the wide open spaces known as my mind...Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-79096259345908369112010-09-19T19:50:00.001-07:002010-09-19T19:51:10.686-07:00Ocean > Pond.I’m a Kansas-girl. I used to look out across land that is so flat you can practically see tomorrow coming. Mountains, obviously, were a big deal to me, the first time I encountered them. I remember when we first came over to New Zealand to tour the country and look for a place to settle down, going through areas like the Gorge, or even just Hibiscus Coast, where the roads are all over the place, going up and down hills and suddenly curving in a way that makes you wonder if the people who designed the road were just a little bit drunk at the time! Not to mention the altitude change! It was a big shock for a five-year-old.<br /><br />The change in landscape wasn’t just limited to land itself. Growing up for the first five years of my life in a state in the middle of a very big country, I had never actually seen an ocean. Near the house I grew up in, we had a massive pond. It wasn’t a little perfect circle of water with a couple of goldfish in it. This thing divided our land from our neighbors’ in a couple of cases. My dad and uncle went fishing in it, and we have pictures of me holding up their catch of fish almost as tall as I was. I really want to make a point that this body of water wasn’t small, especially to tiny little me. At the time, I couldn’t imagine any bigger container of water. My experience was limited to my little inflatable paddling pool, the public pool by one of my friend’s house and this BIG pond.<br /><br />So imagine the look on my face when we arrived in New Zealand, an island completely surrounded by not one, but TWO oceans! Standing on the beach, I was looking over the most water I had ever seen in my life. On the plane ride over, I had looked out the window and seen a vast amount of blue. Mom probably told me it was the ocean, but I had no comprehension about what that meant. To me, from so high above, it was simply a blue version of Kansas - flat and unmoving. But the ocean from the beach? That is a completely different story! Looking out to Rangitoto, a little volcano completely encircled by deep, vast water, my mind was blown.<br /><br />Now, at the time, I probably didn’t show how impressed I was. In fact, to hide it, I would just continue my bratty ways, which is how Mom would certainly remember the experience. However, I would like to suggest that I have grown up since then. I would like to go public with this revelation: the ocean is WAY bigger than I could have imagined it! If we were to go out into space and look at Earth from an outsider’s perspective, I could point out Kansas to you. With a telescope and some effort I could point out the area that I lived in. But I admit it, I would have trouble finding that pond without a pretty high-powered telescope. To the opposite effect, I would also have trouble showing you all of the oceans at the same time. The pond that, in my experience was so massive, can’t even begin to compare with the ocean. Regina Spektor sings,<br />“Blue, the most human color,<br />Blue lips, blue veins,<br />Blue, the color of our planet from far, far away.”<br /><br />The beach is now a place of refuge for me. I love the sound of the waves and their consistent crashing, even on a bad-tempered day. I like looking out and not being able to see where the water stops and the sky begins. More often than not, this scene always directs my attention to love. I want to avoid cheesy-ness in this part, so let the reader understand.<br /><br />I would like to suggest that our experience of love is more limited than we think we know. We know love, even big love. Parents, best friends, lovers; depending on your life situation, but we all have people in our lives that have, at one point or on-going, showed us big love. It’s undeniable, it’s there. It’s big. Well, about as big as I thought that pond was before I met the ocean. Yeah, at the time, it was massive! And it’s still there, it still divides properties, it still has decent sized fish in it. But when I had an experience of the Love of G-d, my judgement of love had to evolve. The only difference between what I knew was big then, and what I know is big now is experience.<br /><br />Listen carefully, I am not patronizing the love between parents and children, spouses or any other kind of relationship. However, in the same way that I cannot consider that pond to hold a candle to the massiveness of the water that covers 71% of our planet, we cannot consider that human love and G-d’s love are in the same weight class. Again, the difference is in experience. If you haven’t experienced G-d’s love, it will probably be a little difficult for you to understand what I’m getting at, so all I can encourage you to do is search. He isn’t hard to find, and He is quick to love. In a MASSIVE way!<br /><br />Also, this hymn (and blog) is great: http://mybloginthenet.blogspot.com/2006/03/here-is-love-vast-as-ocean.html. Enjoy!Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-65400846040742637512010-02-05T23:20:00.000-08:002010-02-05T23:21:00.292-08:00Small thought..I feel like I don’t talk about Jesus enough anymore.Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-56637231961549280562009-11-22T20:16:00.000-08:002009-11-22T20:45:59.729-08:00Blogging is a sort of study... sort of...I have tried studying today. It’s not really something that comes very naturally to me. I’d much rather bake peppernuts, and talk about Thanksgiving and rationalize that there is far too much pounding from the deck building happening directly outside my room for me to concentrate. Apparently that is not completely true, no matter how much I want to believe it.<br /><br />So I sat down and started reading through one of my history-help books. I got stuck on the third page when it was talking about Elizabeth’s reign. Many historians consider her reign from 1558-1603 to be characterized by her lack of decisions, rather than strong, confident leadership in the bad situations she encountered. On the surface, I would have to agree that it certainly looks that way. For Pete’s sake, Mary of Scots was a prisoner in her England for eighteen years. It was a tough situation, but it seems like Elizabeth’s answer was to simply not do anything - not return Mary to her throne, not kill her, not bring her to court, not marry her off. However, I can’t help but think that some of this indecision led to an end solution.<br /><br />I especially have this notion with her decision not to marry or name an heir. Not knowing what to do, as it was an increasingly hard decision to make, Eliz. simply decided not to do anything. If she was unsure, she didn’t move forward. As a result, when a solution was demanded of her, she turned her seeming indecision into a confident, non-negotiable decision. When Parliament demanded that she chose I husband, she declared that she had — that she was married to England, as the Virgin Queen. She commissioned paintings to be done of her that reflected her in this supreme way.<br /><br />However, her rule was not completely done this way. The decisions that had to be made that were less personal to her (in the way that they might not DIRECTLY influence her in the way that marriage or murder of a Queen would) where always made with great confidence. There were very astute laws that she passed, such as the Poor Laws of 1601 and at the very beginning of her reign she drew up a Religious Settlement that defines England even until today.<br /><br />In looking at this history, I am finding a lot of myself. At the moment, we are selling our house in preparation for my parents moving down to Tauranga. I am currently actively looking for a job and a place to live, as I really want to stay in Auckland. However, if I can’t find the resources to stay, I will have to go down South with my ‘rents. I am giving it a lot of thought and some prayer. This is a big decision for me, one that will define the next part of my life. The answer is important. My indecision may lead to a decision I don’t want to make. I can’t help but wonder if this is how Elizabeth felt too.Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-27160985656888170152009-09-09T03:55:00.000-07:002009-09-09T03:58:34.191-07:00Righteousness and Social Justice.<span style="font-style: italic;">This is part of an email I was sent tonight. Because I’ve been so busy lately, I haven’t had much mental space for blogging, but I did think this was worth posting:</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Righteousness and Social Justice</span><br />One of the main themes of the Bible is righteousness. One dimension of righteousness is that we repent of our sins and do what is right. A parallel dimension of righteousness is that we are cleansed of guilt by the atoning blood of Yeshua (Jesus).<br />These two “halves” of righteousness can be seen in Abel, who was the first “righteous” man. He was righteous because of the blood sacrifices that he brought before God.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hebrews 11:4 – By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">He was also righteous because of his good deeds.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I John 3:7, 12 – Let no one deceive you. He who does righteousness is righteous.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cain was of the evil one and murdered his brother. Why did he murder his brother? Because his deeds were evil and his brother’s deeds were righteous.</span><br />We need to see both sides of righteousness. Believing in blood atonement without a demand for repentance and right actions is deception; attempting to do good deeds without the intervening grace of God is vain.<br /><br />Righteousness also comes in a third dimension: social justice. Social justice is extremely important in the Bible, and is often ignored by modern preachers. Social justice is determined primarily by judges in the courts. The foundational rule of social justice is very simple: convict the wrongdoers and acquit the innocent.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Deuteronomy 25:1 – Approach the court that the judges will judge them. They will justify the righteous and condemn the wicked.</span><br /><br />If the biblical principle of justice is so simple – convict the wrongdoers and acquit the innocent, so is the biblical principle of injustice simple as well: convict the innocent and acquit the wrongdoers.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Proverbs 17:15 – He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them are an abomination of the Lord.</span><br /><br />Moral justice is a foundation of the kingdom of God. David was chosen by God to be king, not only for his faith and psalm-writing, but for his righteousness in running the government.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">II Samuel 8:15 – David ruled over all Israel and David did justice and righteousness for all his people.</span><br /><br />The mistake can be made on either side. We can be too “light” on criminals, or we can be “condemning” of those who have not done wrong.<br /><br />In Israel today, five major government leaders are under criminal charges: Former Prime Minister Olmert is being indicted; current foreign minister Liberman is under investigation; former president Katsav has been charged with sexual abuse; two cabinet members, Benizri and Hirshzorn, went to prison this week.<br /><br />Some would say that the federal prosecutors are “head hunting,” trumping up charges to attack these leaders for political reasons. Others would say that corruption is finally being purged out of the government. In either case, a new “fear” of being caught for corruption is certainly spreading throughout the Israeli political system.Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-3277067764282210642009-05-24T21:17:00.000-07:002009-05-24T21:18:07.089-07:00Igniter Media.Subscribe. They’ve got some really good stuff from both the comedy side and the serious.<br /><br />Here’s a serious one:<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNLYW13177g<br /><br />I think when we watch this video and also watch what’s happening to the world around us, it’s important to ask the question: “Who is this G-d that I serve?” There’s no denying that He’s real or that He’s in control. It’s not about how WE PERCEIVE G-d, it’s all about WHO HE REALLY IS.<br /><br />Just a thought.Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-22231581845486859802009-02-06T15:41:00.000-08:002009-02-06T17:25:29.097-08:00Righteousness.After a discussion about righteousness on Thursday, I felt the need to go look up the word to make sure I knew what I was talking about (actually a really good idea!). <br /><br />Wikipedia was the first on the google search, and it came up with some interesting facts about the word. I learnt a few things, such as how righteousness is important to not only Christianity, but also to Judaism and Islam. “It is an attribute that implies that a person's actions are justified, and can have the connotation that the person has been "judged" or "reckoned" as leading a life that is pleasing to God.” I find it interesting that another god demands righteous living.<br /><br />Also, there was a man called William Tyndale who came up with the word righteous from a previous, silly looking word that would take me forever to learn how to pronounce. In modern language it would mean something like, “rightwise” or “rightways”. I later looked up Tyndale on Wiki and he is pretty interesting himself. He came up with many “christianese” words and phrases such as: Jehovah (yes, I thought this was a Jewish word, but apparently not. Don’t tell the JWs...), atonement, scapegoat, passover, “let there be light”, “the powers that be”, “the salt of the earth” and my personal favorite; “the signs of the times” ( I have a thing for phrases that rhyme..) among others. In fact, check out his Wiki page: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tyndale">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tyndale</a><strong>.<br /><br /></strong>Anyways, as I was reading along, this line really hit me. “In the Book of Job the title character is introduced to us as a person who is "perfect" in righteousness. This does not mean that he is sinless."Perfect" in this sense means that his righteousness permeates every relationship of his life as his working principle.” For some reason, this brings the word a little closer to earth, a little easier to attain. So what does it mean to let righteousness permeate every relationship?<br /><br />According to some concordance that Wiki found, it means “’tzedek’ —righteous, integrity, equity, justice, straightness. The root of tseh'-dek is tsaw-dak', —upright, just, straight, innocent, true, sincere. It is best understood as the product of upright, moral action in accordance with some form of divine plan.” Notice that this is what G-d was trying to achieve out of His people when he gave His Law. How can we separate the Old Testament laws with the New Testament’s teachings? It’s all trying to attain the same thing: Righteous living. Imagine if everyone lived this way!<br /><br />So, basically, taking all that upright, innocent, true and sincere living, focusing and purposing it towards being just and full of integrity while going after the heart of G-d and following His plan and ta-da! Righteousness.<br /><br />Easier said than done.<br /><br />So how did Job do it? I don’t know. So I’m gonna go through Job and look for it and get back to you, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t have the magical formula written in chapter something, verse whatever.<br /><br />From another, just as important perspective, G-d is talked about as being righteous. (Nehemiah 9:8b “And you have fulfilled Your promise, for <strong>You are righteous</strong>.”) There is no way that we can call Him our saviour without Him being righteous. There’s no way we could trust Him to be a holy G-d if He wasn’t righteous.<br /><br />He stands for justice - He is our Judge - He must be righteous.<br />He was punished even though he was innocent - They couldn’t find fault with Him (Mark 14:55) - He must be righteous.<br />He was filled with purpose and was following a Divine Plan - He must be righteous.<br />He is sincere in His love for people - He came to redeem sinners - He must be righteous.<br /><br />I don’t know. There is so much more to say and discover and go through, but this blog will get insanely long if I keep going. Keep the interest up by googling “Righteousness” yourself! It shows many verses and perspectives. Wiki, as usual, has probably the best grip on explanations; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Righteousness">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Righteousness</a>. Job is my next stop.Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-30817254491705402582009-01-14T15:03:00.000-08:002009-01-14T17:07:13.521-08:00Q: What is your favorite Bible verse about worship and why?<br /><br />As I started to think about that question that I will have to answer in front of people (gulp) in about 7 hours (double gulp), my first thought was the verse in Revelation 4:8 which says:<br /><br />"And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, 'HOLY, HOLY, HOLY <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND IS AND WHO IS TO COME.'"<br /><br />No jokes, that last part, in my Bible at least, is all in cap lock. Perhaps because it is important and therefore, needs to stand out a little more. Or perhaps, and this is just an idea of mine, these creatures are so big and so incredible that what they say can only be written in larger letters because their voices are booming across the heavens, and to make it smaller wouldn't accurately portray what is happening. Maybe both reasons are relevant.<br /><br />But the part of this verse that has always stood out to me concentrates on the part that goes: "and day and night <span style="font-style: italic;">they do not cease to say...</span>" They <span style="font-style: italic;">do not cease</span>. As in, never ever forever. That means right now, while you're reading this on the computer, when you're on the bus going to that place you don't like, at 3am when you're asleep ((...well, when you probably should be asleep...)). When you're buying that cheeseburger for that homeless guy or when you're looking at stuff on the internet that you know you shouldn't. Before the throne of G-D, four weird and amazing creatures who can only be describe in similes that compare them with animals, with eyes that see everything around them and inside them are BOOMING; "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME."<br /><br />Reading or hearing this can only make me think about the eternity that we're currently living in. And how G-d can see all of it spanning out, though it has no end, and no beginning for Him who created us. Actually, in all honesty, even that's too much for me to think about in detail. On a smaller scale I like to think about how there are always people praying, every minute across planet Earth. Because I know there are houses designed for 24/7 prayer in certain places ((www.fotb.com for more info)) I can be assured of this. Besides that, it is always daytime at some place on the planet, meaning the chances are higher for someone, somewhere to be praying, even while I'm sleeping. That thought alone is incredibly encouraging!! But then, when we read this verse in Revelation, and others like it that allude to the same thought, not only is there always someone communing with G-d somewhere on Earth, but there are creatures in Heaven who are also going at it with all their strange beings. There's the connection, "on Earth as it is in Heaven."<br /><br />This piece of scripture speaks to me about worship because I believe that G-d is worthy of worship at all times, by everything. The most awesome worship is when everyone and everything is united and focused.Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-52607399703530683092008-12-18T01:53:00.000-08:002008-12-18T02:20:39.358-08:00The next Hollywood block-buster thriller!After watching "The Happening" and pretty much hating it, I've found a better thriller story for Hollywood to produce. I can imagine it would be a hit! If only they could work in a clever joke about a pharmacy trip...haha.<br /><br /><h4>1 Samuel 5 ((The Message-cuz it's good for storytelling plus some additional director thoughts by me...))<br /></h4><h5>Threatened with Mass Death</h5><span style="font-style: italic;">((The opening scene. There has just been a major battle between Israel and the Philistines. You see the bodies of many men in armor laying on the ground through fog. Daunting music plays to show the audience that the battle did not go well for our friends.)) </span><span id="en-MSG-3245" class="sup"><br /><br />1-2</span> Once the Philistines had seized the Chest of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod, brought it into the shrine of Dagon, and placed it alongside the idol of Dagon. <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />((Camera angles up and follows a train of Philistine carrying the Ark up a dusty hill with some sad, Middle East sounding music in the background. Follows them into a temple of Dagon. Camera angles up on Dagon to show how they regard him with respect and think he's amazingly powerful. Music builds to a climax and suddenly cuts to the next scene, which may look like a party in the king's court or something. After all, they did just defeat Israel.))</span><br /><p> <span id="en-MSG-3246" class="sup">3-5</span> Next morning when the citizens of Ashdod got up, they were shocked to find Dagon toppled from his place, flat on his face before the Chest of <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">God</span>. They picked him up and put him back where he belonged. <span style="font-style: italic;">((May cut to a meeting with the priests, discussing the happening, but deciding it was just a fluke, just to take some artistic license and to make the movie last a bit longer...))</span> First thing the next morning they found him again, toppled and flat on his face before the Chest of <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">God</span>. Dagon's head and arms were broken off, strewn across the entrance. Only his torso was in one piece. (That's why even today, the priests of Dagon and visitors to the Dagon shrine in Ashdod avoid stepping on the threshold.)</p><p><span style="font-style: italic;">((Rumbling noise is heard. Confusion all around. I'm thinking of clips kind of like from "The Prince of Egypt" when the plagues are happening, but with tumors and rats.))</span><br /></p><p> <span id="en-MSG-3247" class="sup">6</span> <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">God</span> was hard on the citizens of Ashdod. He devastated them by hitting them with tumors. This happened in both the town and the surrounding neighborhoods. He let loose rats among them. Jumping from ships there, rats swarmed all over the city! And everyone was deathly afraid.<br /></p><p><span style="font-style: italic;">((Another long meeting of arguments among priests. Insert lots of shouting as some would have probably wanted to keep the Ark and try to persuade G-d to use His divine power against their enemies...after all, the Ark was pretty much housing an insane amount of power!))</span><br /></p><p> <span id="en-MSG-3248" class="sup">7-8</span> When the leaders of Ashdod saw what was going on, they decided, "The chest of the god of Israel has got to go. We can't handle this, and neither can our god Dagon." They called together all the Philistine leaders and put it to them: "How can we get rid of the chest of the god of Israel?" </p><p> The leaders agreed: "Move it to Gath." So they moved the Chest of the God of Israel to Gath. </p><p> <span id="en-MSG-3249" class="sup">9</span> But as soon as they moved it there, <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">God</span> came down hard on that city, too. It was mass hysteria! He hit them with tumors. Tumors broke out on everyone in town, young and old.<br /></p><p><span style="font-style: italic;">((Same kind of thing again...))</span><br /></p><p> <span id="en-MSG-3250" class="sup">10-12</span> So they sent the Chest of God on to Ekron, but as the Chest was being brought into town, the people shouted in protest, "You'll kill us all by bringing in this Chest of the God of Israel!" They called the Philistine leaders together and demanded, "Get it out of here, this Chest of the God of Israel. Send it back where it came from. We're threatened with mass death!" For everyone was scared to death when the Chest of God showed up. God was already coming down very hard on the place. Those who didn't die were hit with tumors. All over the city cries of pain and lament filled the air. </p> And in typical thriller style, you have the few who survive and start trying to mend their lives. The sun comes out as they hitch the Ark to some cows and send it away. I was trying to find an amazing plot twist, but to be honest, G-d is just too cool for that. Read chapter 6 for the sequel!! =).Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-3363489632397233692008-12-07T22:45:00.000-08:002008-12-07T22:47:43.370-08:00Yes, you can quote me.Think about this: The Kingdom of G-d - "The extraordinary normality".<br /><br />Yes, I can be deep. =).<br />I want to go camping.Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-80038405364376413492008-12-07T19:43:00.000-08:002008-12-07T19:44:53.468-08:00Interesting.Well, I still haven't bought my MacJournal, so this blog is being written old-skool! =). ((But not as far back as to waste innocent trees and cramp up my hand...))<br /><br />In addition to my summer reading I have decided to trek my way through 1st and 2nd Samuel and 1st and 2nd Kings. I started yesterday morning over breakfast, feeling slightly confused and cynical with myself about why I had chosen these particular books. Don't get me wrong, I totally love the stories and yes, I've been told they're more than just non-fiction stories-they have relevance to every day life. Uh huh. Well, let's see what we find then, aye?<br /><br />To my surprise, I actually found something I thought was pretty profound! In the first chapter!<br /><br />So, if you don't know, the first chapter of 'The First Book of Samuel' ((that's what my Bible calls it)) is about Elkanah and his two wives, Hannah and Peninnah ((are you seeing the same trend I'm seeinnah..)). Peninnah has tons of children; Hannah's womb has been closed. Peninnah chooses to be a [insert nasty word here] to Hannah because of her lack of children. That's the sitch.<br /><br />So every year they travel as a family to the city to sacrifice animals and worship G-d ((they lived in the country)) and Hannah would get really depressed and wouldn't eat because this is when Peninnah would "provoke her bitterly to irritate her,"-1:6. Of course her hubby gets concerned and asks "Am I not better to you than ten sons?"-1:8. And at this point I'm thinking her husband is silly, not only for choosing to have two wives who obviously can't get along, but he asks silly questions too!<br /><br />Anyways, we're getting to the profound bit...Hannah goes to the temple of the Lord to weep and pray because she wants a son so badly. Eli the priest comes and thinks she drunk, but she says she was just praying ((hmmm, why is it that everyone thinks Spirit-filled people are drunk? See Acts 2:13)). He apologizes and blesses her saying, "Go in peace; and may the G-d of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him." Then she goes and sleeps with her husband and nine months later has a baby whom she calls Samuel.<br /><br />Okay, so after all that background, here's the cool bit. After Samuel has been weaned she takes him to the temple and gives him to the priest so he can grow up in the temple, worshiping G-d, just like she promised. And then in chapter 2 she has this amazing song of thanksgiving that has no bitterness or self pity in it. This is what struck me, she had a different agenda than what is obvious. If I was in her position, I would have gone and prayed for a child too, I may have even taken him to the temple for a little while, but all that would have been to prove <span style="font-style: italic;">my </span>strength. 'I was a barren woman and now I have a child that I can rub in Peninnah's face because she was wrong about me.' or 'I prayed and G-d listened to me and gave me what I wanted so I could be restored in my family.'<br /><br />However, Hannah caught on to something better than that. She wasn't trying to prove her strength, she was proving G-d's. That's the only conclusion I can come to when I see how she not only went to Him first, but offered her son, what she wanted most, her passion, her restoration, her <span style="font-style: italic;">everything</span> to G-d. And then rejoiced about it. She<span style="font-style: italic;"> rejoiced </span>about the hardest thing a mother would ever have to do, because G-d got the glory. Interesting.Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-24048670007864997002008-11-24T15:47:00.000-08:002008-11-24T15:48:56.346-08:00Why are Jewish laws so petty minded?Found this old email while cleaning out my inbox. I still think it's interesting!<br /><br /><p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Question:</span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Why does the Jewish religion seem to obsess over insignificant details? How much matza do we have to eat, which spoon did I use for milk and which for meat, what is the right way to tie my shoelaces? It seems to me that this misses the bigger picture by focusing on minutiae. Is this nitpicking what Jews call spirituality?</span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">(I actually already sent you this question over a week ago and didn't receive a reply. Could it be that you have finally been asked a question that you can't answer?!)</span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Answer:</span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">I never claimed to have all the answers. There are many questions that are beyond me. But it happens to be that I did answer your question, and you did get the answer. I sent a reply immediately. The fact that you didn't receive it is itself the answer to your question.</span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">You see, I sent you a reply, but I wrote your email address leaving out the "dot" before the "com." I figured that you should still receive the email, because after all, it is only one little dot missing. I mean come on, it's not as if I wrote the wrong name or something drastic like that! Would anyone be so nitpicky as to differentiate between "yahoocom" and "yahoo.com"? Isn't it a bit ridiculous that you didn't get my email just because of a little dot?</span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">No, it's not ridiculous. Because the dot is not just a dot. It represents something. That dot has meaning far beyond the pixels on the screen that form it. To me it may seem insignificant, but that is simply due to my ignorance of the ways of the internet. All I know is that with the dot, the message gets to the right destination; without it, the message is lost to oblivion.</span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Jewish practices have infinite depth. Each nuance and detail contains a world of symbolism. And every dot counts. When they are performed with precision, a spiritual vibration is emailed throughout the universe, all the way to G-d's inbox.</span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">If you want to understand the symbolism of the dot, study I.T.</span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">If you want to understand the symbolism of Judaism, study it.</span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">- Rabbi Aron Moss teaches Kabbalah, Talmud and practical Judaism in Sydney, Australia.</span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p> <p class="EC_MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">- To view this article on the Web, or to post a comment, please click here: <a href="http://www.chabad.org/160998" target="_blank">http://www.chabad.org/160998</a> .</span></span></p>Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-24180411760103608282008-11-11T19:25:00.000-08:002008-11-11T20:15:51.981-08:00L to the O to the V to the E.It’s funny where you get deep thoughts. Some people get them in the shower, some while they’re out on a walk. Today, mine happened while I was vacuuming the stairs...<br /><br />“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?”<br />-Matthew 5:43-46.<br /><br />I was just vacuuming those stairs, thinking about the Suite Life of Zac and Cody ((Disney freak, I know...)) and about how in order to marry someone with children you’d have to also love the children ((if you don’t see where I’m getting this, don’t ask. It’s really not that important =). )). This was making me think about the different Greek meanings for love; <br /><ul style="list-style-type: disc"><li>Eros (ἔρως érōs) is passionate love ((romantic)).</li><li>Philia (φιλία philía), which means friendship.</li><li>Agapē (ἀγάπη agápē) means a self-sacrificing, giving love to all--both friend and enemy.</li><li>Storge (στοργή storgē) means "affection" in modern Greek; it is natural affection, like that felt by parents for offspring.</li><li>Thelema (θέλημα thélēma) means "desire" in modern Greek; it is the desire to do something, to be occupied, to be in prominence.</li></ul> As I was pondering this, a little thought dropped into my head. It was something like this: ‘How do you love your enemies?’. <br /><br />First of all, who is my enemy? I thought Mom put it really well the other day ((and Mom, correct me if I’m wrong please)), she said something about an enemy being a person or group of people who aren’t looking for your best interest. Those who are wronging you or are putting you in a bad situation. When I think about enemies, I think of King David. All throughout the Psalms he’s saying things like, “My enemies have reproached me all day long; Those who deride me have used my name as a curse.” ((Psalm 102:8)) and “But my enemies are vigorous and strong ((or numerous)), And many are those who hate me wrongfully.” ((Psalm 38:19)).<br /><br />So how are we meant to love them as Jesus requires? Wikipedia puts it down to agapē, a self sacrificing, giving kind of love. So what does the Bible say about this kind of love? I think you all know it and some could quote it back to me, but I’ll put it in here anyways. In fact, I’ll put it in a list to make later points easier. =).<br /><br />        ❑        “Love is patient, <br />        ❑        love is kind <br />        ❑        and is not jealous; <br />        ❑        love does not brag <br />        ❑        and is not arrogant, <br />        ❑        does not act unbecomingly; <br />        ❑        it does not seek its own, <br />        ❑        is not provoked, <br />        ❑        does not take into account a wrong suffered, <br />        ❑        does not rejoice in unrighteousness, <br />        ❑        but rejoices with the truth; <br />        ❑        bears all things, <br />        ❑        believes all things, <br />        ❑        hopes all things, <br />        ❑        endures all things. <br />        ❑        Love never fails...”<br />- 1st Corinthians 13:4-8a.<br /><br />Wow. How many of those can you really tick off and say you’ve done for that annoying girl at work or that teacher who ‘hates’ you? I always kind of thought that Jesus meant, ‘tolerate your enemies and pray that those that hate you have an okay day and don’t bother you.’ But I think what He is asking for is more self sacrificing and giving than that. It’s more than just giving them a brighter smile or being nice to them externally. It really has more to do with your inward feelings.<br /><br />I’d encourage you to just look through that list, thinking about everyone that you encounter regularly in a week and maybe do some repenting. How well are we loving? If G-d truly is love, and we’re His disciples, trying to be more and more like Him every day, how well are we really doing? I think this is a major task, crucial to changing the culture around us, but it’s also one of the hardest things we can ever attempt to keep up. Love.Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-79454047419547166622008-11-07T19:20:00.000-08:002008-11-07T19:57:52.188-08:00Please pray for elections!<br /><br /><br />As you can see, I found my Photobooth application!!! And these are the only photos I have that are small enough to put into my MacJournal...<br /><br />It’s about time that I wrote another blog I suppose. School is out and besides studying, which I’ve decided to officially put off until Monday ((probably won’t be the best decision of my life, but we’ll see how this one goes...)) I actually have no excuse not to.<br /><br />Besides, today is an important day! Elections are happening in NZ. I haven’t posted anything about the US elections yet, but most of you who know me will know that I’m not very pleased with the way those turned out. And no, it is not because I’m a racist. I do not agree with most of Obama’s policies, especially on important issues such as abortion and civil unions. He is very liberal on these, hoping to make it legal in the USA for abortions at any stage in a pregnancy. Not only is this completely against what I believe about abortion being wrong, but it is also dangerous for the mother who may want an abortion at 7 months, and therefore a stupid thing to try and do. Besides that, I’m in the middle of a 40 day praying endeavor to end abortion in NZ, but also across the world. I know that this is on the Father’s heart, but obviously not on Obama’s.<br /><br />And there have been weird theories going around about Obama being the anti-christ. These I cannot agree with, however I will agree that there are certain aspects about the campaign that prove how easily accepted it will be when he does come. These include how many people voted for him because of his charisma, instead of his policies; people fainted when he came on stage; how he captured the attention of everyone, not only in America, but also across the rest of the world and was well liked all across. Many of these things you can also look at Hitler and say he had, but he was not the anti-chirst, only a sort of prototype, if you will. BUT HEAR ME WHEN I SAY I’m not preaching doom and destruction because Obama got in. He may very well prove to be a fantastic president who brings peace and prosperity ((though I’m not denying that the anti-christ will also accomplish this. Check Revelation.)). In fact, I do really hope I’m am proved wrong in my thinking and that he will bring an end to abortion. After all, as my lovely mother pointed out the other day, G-d has changed the hearts of many kings, and He can do it again.<br /><br />I think it’s important to remember through all this that G-d is ultimately the king. I declare Him King over my life and my country, because He deserves both of those and He is ultimately in control. And He’s the winning side. =).<br /><br />Well, I wasn’t going to get into that, but now I have. =). I’m done now.<br /><br />NZ elections should be interesting. I’ll probably turn on the news tonight and have a squiz at the polls. I have to say, I’m not as excited about these ones as the US ones. And I don’t think it’s an American thing, considering I’ve lived here for about 13 years now... No, it’s just that I’ve noticed that the campaigns here are so petty compared to there. Instead of having debates about important issues it seems to be more of a pigtail-pulling fest. But then, I can’t say I’ve been paying that much attention. Maybe because the US elections may have more effect on the world and this country than who comes into power here.<br /><br />I don’t know. I really shouldn’t have started talking about politics because it always gets everyone ((including me)) all worked up. And that’s not what this blog is for. So I hope I haven’t offended anyone or too sorely pushed my beliefs on you. Though, I don’t apologize if I’ve made you think.. =).<br /><br />Anybody else feel like watching “Scrubs“ right now?Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-39314790166393565672008-11-03T01:26:00.000-08:002008-11-03T01:29:01.806-08:00Songs of Creation.<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Today I was contemplating how cool music is. I mean, not only do we have the ability to sing ((for better or worse)) as well as talk, but we can communicate through song, and not even have to use words. I was discussing this with Jenna and she pointed out another astounding thing: we have the ability to write songs. No matter what genre they end up being classified under, they are an expression on emotion and of our very souls. </p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">When we just hum a random tune or make up a silly song ((as Zandri and Mum like to do that drives Tisha nuts... =). )) we are creating, just as G-d created. Obviously, His creations are a lot more amazing and intricate than we could ever create, but if you think about it, G-d created most things in our world, simply using his voice. He breathed stars. He spoke and waters subsided to show land. Physical things might not occur when we sing, but what we say can also bring life and can change situations for all those who choose to listen. I think it comes down to how we are created in G-d’s own image. It’s His creation creating on a smaller scale in the same way He did.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">How special are we?!</p>Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-2730041018258853532008-11-02T02:23:00.000-08:002008-11-02T02:34:57.418-08:00Just trying out the MacJournal...I have about a 15 day trial with my MacJournal, so I’m excited! I’m not really sure why Mom didn’t think I should just buy it outright, considering I’m pretty sure I want it...but oh well. Why not go for the free stuff first?<br /><br />Besides that note, all I really want to say in this test journal/hopefully a blog is that this past weekend has been amazing.<br />Let’s just say it involved Megazone, free breakfasts, op shopping, swimming, me overcoming a personal fear of cooking chicken, a birthday party, a fantastic movie, long sleepovers and calling some random phone number from a sim card in a phone we found at the deep end of Gfield pools.<br />Good people, good food, good times.<br />Lovely.<br /><br />Let’s post this baby!Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-44762441019633836062008-10-29T03:59:00.000-07:002008-10-29T04:07:03.040-07:00My late night PoalmNot really sure if this could be considered as good as a psalm. But it's not really good enough to just be a poem. So I call it a Poalm. Bear with me, it's late... =).<br /><br />Go forth words of truth<br />Run speedily along the mountains<br />and down into the deepest valleys<br />Declare what the Lord has done.<br />Shout of His majesty and splendor<br />For who is like Him?<br />To whom shall we compare our G-d?<br />He is holy, without flaw.<br />His voice, His touch is enough<br />To heal a broken heart and mend a wounded spirit.<br />He alone is G-d.<br />For He alone is worthy.<br /><br />Let the encouraging words come out<br />Oh, worshipers do not be silent<br />Those who love truth take a stand.<br />The time is coming for Justice to prevail.<br />And who can stand in It's way?<br />Who will dare defy what's right on that day?<br />No one can block His path, for He is already triumphant in His approach.<br />He has already won, though the war has barely begun.<br />And we will stand in the victor's circle, for we have already won.Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-58864573709889288732008-09-28T02:30:00.000-07:002008-09-28T02:40:26.034-07:00Wow.It's been a while since my last proper blog, which I would count as the control one. I just re-read that blog and I decided I really like it. It has no comments though, making me think that no one's really been reading it, but oh well.<br /><br />And this isn't really a proper blog. I can't say there's been any mind blowing thoughts going through my head tonight that has inspired me to log onto my blogger account. Really, I just wanted to change a bit of my layout. Sorry if you're disappointed...<br /><br />But I can say that school is out for the next couple of weeks giving me some time and head space to think. So I guess I'll try and contemplate some big deal tomorrow while I'm spring cleaning my room. Wow, my room is in desperate need of a good clean. I'm getting ants even though there's no food for them to eat. Ew. I'm sure I'll find some interesting things tomorrow. Which is the only good thing about cleaning my room-besides the good feeling I get when the job is FINALLY done. It will take all day and maybe a bit of tomorrow, but it will get done, I will find some stuff I didn't know I'd been missing and I'll be able to sleep better tomorrow. Phew. Finally.<br /><br />Oh, and one last thing. If you've got nothing important to do right now, or you want to procrastinate, and your name is NOT Dan Sheed, you should go check out Dan's blog: http://notjustatickettoheaven.blogspot.com and see his "Jesus is my friend." post. It will apparently change your life... =). Dan, if you're reading this, please do not get that song stuck in your head AGAIN! Haha. "He is like a mounty, he always gets his man..." NOOO!!!!Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-66411105040390105932008-09-15T02:20:00.000-07:002008-09-15T05:40:54.456-07:00Death Penalty.Tomorrow I start another internal in English on Formal writing. It's on a very contriversal and difficult topic: The Death Penalty.<br /><br />Because of it's contriversal nature I just had to stay up incredibly late ((even though the internal is first period tomorrow...)) and blog about some thoughts to do with the death penalty.<br /><br />My first thought is about how death affects people. The way to get yourself a death sentancing from the court is to kill someone and live in a country like America, China or Nigeria. The idea of the Death Penalty is to bring a greater force of justice to those who have done the worst crimes. These crimes committed obviously affect the loved ones of the murdered person. This person is no longer around and has disappeared suddenly, without a sense of closure or a simple goodbye. This is a great injustice, and I agree that it should be judged. Hashly.<br /><br />However, if you start thinking about it, the Death Penalty also affects the family of the murderer. First they are dragged through a grueling trial and sometimes a media frenzy, and then subjected to a sudden realisation that this person that they know and share memories ((good and bad)) with is also going to be killed. I think this is also a great injustice. They may have more of a chance of saying their goodbyes, but otherwise the outcome is the same. Someone else dies. Not just the victim/s, but also the addition of the murderer-turned-victim.<br /><br />Some may say that this is justice. But if someone were to murder someone close to me and he was sentenced to die then this means that not only is my loved one dead, but some other human being. Who does his close person get to kill? It just seems to go on and on if you only look at it from a revengful point of view. As a follower of the King, I cannot agree with revenge, no matter how deserving of death someone is. Romans 12 speaks plainly about revenge-and how it doesn't belong to us humans, but the only truely just King. I believe that one day we will judge with Him. But it must be WITH Him. Right now most of our courts aren't under the leadership of our just and merciful G-d. Without Him we cannot possibly pass judgement on another human being and take their life.<br /><br />This then makes me think of the alternative. Obviously you can't just let a murderer walk free if he isn't innocent. That would just be stupid. That's why we have prisons I suppose. To keep the bad people from the good.<br /><br />To me it comes down to a respect for life. As a woman completely against abortion I cannot agree with the death penalty. Granted, these people have done something that deserves a great deal of judgement, where babies in the womb haven't had a chance to do anything at all except grow, and that's certainly not deserving of death. However, the respect for life should be the same. Our list of Human Rights states that we all have "a right to life" and "no one shall be subject to torture." Both abortion and the death penalty conflict these two basic but fundimental rights. Obviously the death pentalty kills people but it also tortures the individual both physically and phsycologically. Physically because of the brutal nature of executions and in the mind because of the long waiting game played in the cell. In some countries they won't tell the person that they are going to die until the day or within hours of the execution. Every day you wake up and wonder if it'll be the last day you'll be on this earth. It makes me feel sick to my stomache just thinking about it. That's not fair.<br /><br />No matter how terrible the crime committed was you can't take away a human's rights. Who are you to decide when life should end? Granted, the murderer had to right to take another person's life and he/she crossed a clear line between right and wrong, but how can you do the same thing, make the same decision and call it lawful? It doesn't make sense!<br /><br />It's getting really late and I'm not well, so I'll end it here with this really good youtube clip I found. It's funny that I can generally get more information off youtube than google these days!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TVMho2cP1NE&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TVMho2cP1NE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-38116661420326646712008-08-14T02:15:00.000-07:002008-08-14T03:02:10.947-07:00Who has control.These will probably be loose, random thoughts.<br /><br />I was walking to our school's Monday assembly the other day with a friend and I was in a pretty good mood. I mean, the sun was shining, the company was great and I had pushed all my stresses aside so I could have room to smile. As I was skipping along, probably greatly freaking my friend out, I stretched my fingers in front of me and admired. I love my hands most days. Even as I watch them now, furiously typing away, I love how long and slim they are, perfect for instruments, and just the way my purity rings sits. My nails are all peeled off ((it's been a rough week)), but who really notices your nails anyways? There's a little note written on my left hand reminding me I need to bring a sleeping bag and pillow to Dain's tomorrow night.<br /><br />Anyways, I stretched out my fingers before me and simply admired, not only the prettiness, but just the movement. I flexed and clicked, probably grossing my friend out. I wiggled and stretched, flicked and shredded. It made me think about control. As a musician and blogger, I've taken pains at making sure I can utterly control my fingers to do anything they were designed to do. However, as I flexed and flicked, it occured to me that I wasn't really concentrating on making my fingers move. It was just kind of happening. Not in a seizure kind of way, but I wasn't consciously thinking, "move index finger right hand, now pinky finger left hand...etc" It was as easy and free as breathing. No real control.<br /><br />In a way, yes, our brains are in control, reminding our hearts to beat, our lungs to fill with air, our eyelids to blink, but when you really think about it, that's so easily shut down. So fragile. It's not real control.<br /><br />There was a great quote in the Matrix Reloaded about control. It's when Neo is talking to Councillor Hamann. <br />CH: "The power to give life-and the power to end it"<br />Neo: "We have the same power" ... "we control these machines, they don't control us"<br />CH: "Of course not, the idea is pure nonsence but it does make one wonder, what is control?"<br />Neo: "If we wanted we could shut these machines down."<br />CH: "Of course, that's it, you hit it! That's control, isn't it? If we wanted we could smash them to bits."<br /><br />So, who really has control over our lives? I know the obvious answer everyone's probably thinking ((or maybe not, I don't know)) is G-d. And of course, he has the ultimate control. After all, He created the universe and set stars in their places! But the less obvious answer I think is you and me. After all, we're created in His image ((which is another mind blowing thought when you're staring at your hands)). We seem to think we have the power to give life and to end it. We do hold that power, though it's not ours to hold. Power and control are too big for us. It's like giving a toddler a lighter. It's potentially very dangerous. This is why abortion is such a big issue. It's a simple example of us humans thinking we deserve to have control over another life.<br /><br />I'm finding it hard to end this one. I suppose I'll leave it open with these questions:<br /><br /><ul><li>Who is in control of your life? Think outside the box.</li><li>Who should have control over your life?</li></ul>Hmmm... =).Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-37141413765831689332008-07-31T00:18:00.000-07:002008-07-31T00:51:14.389-07:00Food for thought...Here's something else for me to write about and procrastinate studying a little further...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Being saved doesn't make you a Christian.</span><br /><br />Unfortunately the word "Christian" has been thrown around, dug in the dirt, trashed and sometimes put too high on a pedestal. One of my first publishes to this blog was a poem about being a Christian, and I still hold on to that as ringing true.<br /><br />Being a Christian is not about being a better person. It's not about looking the best in a crowd. As D Sheed says, it's not just a ticket to heaven ((check out his blog, http://notjustatickettoheaven.blogspot.com)). It's certainly not a 'get out of jail free' card. Being a Christian should be about following Christ. That's why the 'Christ' part is in there. At the front of the word, no less.<br /><br />Just because you've said a 'sinner's prayer' ((and I totally disagree with most of these because they're just one person repeating another person's prayer, which could be totally irrelevant to the new believer. Jesus said the truth would set us free, to believe and we would be saved.))<br />, doesn't make you a disciple. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Just because you believe Jesus died to save you from yourself is not enough to be called a follower of him.</span><br /><br />This is what Jesus had to say about it:<br />"If anyone comes to Me, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">does not hate by comparison of his love for Me</span> his own <span style="font-weight: bold;">father</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">mother</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">wife</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">children</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">brothers</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">sisters</span>, yes, and even his <span style="font-weight: bold;">own life</span>, he <span style="font-weight: bold;">cannot by My disciple</span>. Whoever <span style="font-weight: bold;">does not carry his own cross</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">come after Me </span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">cannot be My disciple</span>."<br />-Luke 14:25-27.<br /><br />That was not the overly happy Jesus you saw on a picture on your Sunday School wall<br />talking. That was a commander and King.<br /><br />I realise this is beginning to look a lot like my notes from Invasion last Tuesday...but it must be said.<br /><br />Before you decide to convince your friends into this 'religion' or perhaps you're thinking of jumping in, yourself make sure you know what you're getting yourself into.<br /><br />#<span style="font-weight: bold;">Realise the cost</span>. And there is a great cost, not just for those living in China or North Korea, although I'm sure they could tell you all about it. Think of what the 12 disciples had to give up to follow Jesus around.<br /><br />#Be <span style="font-weight: bold;">willing</span> to hand things over.<br /><br />#Be willing to <span style="font-weight: bold;">surrender</span>.<br /><br />#Consider it a <span style="font-weight: bold;">partnership</span>, not just a one way love triangle...yeah, that one didn't work... =).<br /><br />If you don't keep focused on the King, you'll burn out. Remember Peter stepping out of the boat to walk on water ((Matthew 14)).<br /><br />Dan's questions that I wrote down ((because I'm basically just going from my Invasion notes now, haha.)):<br /><br /># What do I want to be/achieve in the next 6 months...a year...a lifetime?<br />#Who is that ambition centered on?<br /><br /><br />Wow, I put a lot of bold stuff in there.<br />Cool.<br />BYE.Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-28087629377855552932008-07-30T23:50:00.001-07:002008-07-31T00:02:54.451-07:00It's simply not fair.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4lfuX7_NbKm2lwBalUmPs_tiMENXJjuklF8RxSSNkaptCLD5iCj34PdelOHEE_wVW00zigpvsYx1rpBPtXoTRRLfLyQ9RfnXtpOcfgPIMKg5dzF-LxjYYGEFZArddqnvSxe1XhAl3gSC/s1600-h/Photo+51.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4lfuX7_NbKm2lwBalUmPs_tiMENXJjuklF8RxSSNkaptCLD5iCj34PdelOHEE_wVW00zigpvsYx1rpBPtXoTRRLfLyQ9RfnXtpOcfgPIMKg5dzF-LxjYYGEFZArddqnvSxe1XhAl3gSC/s320/Photo+51.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229067299784859218" border="0" /></a><br />It's just not fair. There it sits. Right next to my computer that's on an incredibly messy desk stuffed with anything but study work. Begging to be charged and turned on. Tempting, testing.<br /><br />Yes, I'm talking about my camera. It wants to be taken out for an adventure again, but I haven't had time, mainly because of school.<br /><br />So I've decided to be incredibly brave and maybe take it to school tomorrow. I need to find a bag for it though, so it won't get wet.<br /><br />Argh, something else to carry around. But hopefully it will be worth it.<br /><br />Not that I have time to edit anything anyways. I still have two other adventure days I haven't even STARTED!!! Flip.<br /><br />I can't wait to get out of school. I was talking to a year 13 on the bus home today and she thinks I should stick through one more year. It's like self inflicting torture on my self.<br /><br />Maybe that a little melodramatic...but it is definitely getting to the point where I walk into school or a classroom and think, I love these people, there's nothing wrong with this teacher, but this next hour of sitting at a desk and faining interest in something I'm not interested in really seems like a waste of time.<br /><br />When I could be at home or out on the street, seeing people I want to see and going places I actually want to go, taking photos or writing songs, making memories, doing SOMETHING!<br /><br />But I suppose it's only one more year of waking up earlier than I consider necessary and doing pointless tasks all day. Time to make the most of it, I suppose.Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-41898226251471826042008-07-18T17:58:00.001-07:002008-07-18T18:13:46.923-07:00Catch Up Time...Wow, so, I haven't blogged in forever. Which is kind of annoying. To me.<br /><br />Anyways, I'm basically just procrastinating the assignment that I've been working on all holidays which is really, super, uber boring. If it was more exciting it probably would have been finished by now cuz it's not really that much work, it's just not enjoyable work. This is why I better figure out what I would enjoy to do as a job because, to be quite frank, if I don't enjoy it nothing will get done.<br /><br />Oh, and this post will probably be all over the place because Mom got some really good Fair Trade Coffee and made me some this morning. And now I'm buzzing. Slightly.<br /><br />A couple of posts down I wrote about some goals I had set for myself. I would just like to proudly say I've already achieved the little one about having a song by the next Open Mic Night. Which was last weekend. I think I'll call the song "Wherever You Are", but nothing's really been decided yet.<br /><br />Mom and Dad bought some iPhones recently and are getting them working. They're really impressed. And I think I've finally slightly convinced Dad that I should have a Mac. Which, let's face it, I kinda do need in order to really work on my photography and music.<br /><br />Speaking of photography, I have been wanting to work on more photos these holidays but we've had people over from America and I've had this music assignment to work on. Plus camp, which was AMAZING. So, in the end, I think I've worked on a grand total of two photos. One that I found out later I had already worked on. Good one, Sam.<br /><br />Let's just say I can't wait for a holiday. I can't honestly say I've really had one since the summer. Oh, I miss summer. We went to the Coromandel earlier this week and I fell in love with it again. So, I've decided to roadtrip up there this summer-near Christmas so hardly any of the tourists will be there. And now that's all I can think about, planning out my summer. Which is another five months away. After another term of school and a whole bunch of exams. It's like the light at the end of a very, very dark tunnel.Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-13623594317855359962008-07-06T18:59:00.000-07:002008-07-06T19:00:00.879-07:00My Family!!<p><a href="http://www.pyzam.com/toys"><img src="http://www.pyzamstuff.com/family_images/0/09/095d3eb32cd6a040157c4192912616.png" border="0" alt="Pyzam Family Sticker Toy" /><br/>Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com</a></p><img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/CIMP/bHQ9MTIxNTM5NTg5OTg4OSZwdD*xMjE1Mzk1OTkzNzIyJnA9MzkwMSZkPXB5emFtJm49YmxvZ2dlciZnPTE=.jpg" />Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-5620738542540132972008-06-21T16:50:00.000-07:002008-06-21T16:58:20.730-07:00My Goals.Yes, I know, I'm beginning to look organized or something. Don't fear, if you take a quick glance inside my room you'll see I'm not really... =).<br /><br />So yes, I have three new goals. Oddly enough, they aren't really short term or long term, they're just ranked on how big they are. I think this is so if I fail the two bigger ones I'll still feel like I've accomplished something.. =). Okay, here we go.<br /><br />1.| Write a song and have it ready to perform by the next Open Mic Night. ((small))<br />2.| Write two or more songs and have them ready by the next Open Mic Night. ((Medium))<br />3.| Have a whole bunch of songs written by the summer holidays and convince someone nice and kind like Dan to record them along with some of Kimmy's and Tisha's so we can have a nice compilation of pretty songs. =). ((HUGE)).<br /><br /><br />So there they are. I hope all you motivational speakers out there are happy.<br /><br />I am currently trying to write a song. So...maybe number one will be easier than I think. Maybe..Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1511999757016976772.post-34570521338134141122008-06-07T04:22:00.000-07:002008-06-07T04:36:07.449-07:00Today......was incredible.<br /><br />I went photoshooting with Dad at Milford and Taka. So much fun. I pretty much just want to be a photographer/singer/songwriter/generally creative person. That's what I'm doing with my life.<br /><br />Here's three of my favourite shots from today:<br /><br /><a href="http://s42.photobucket.com/albums/e326/american_rockstar/?action=view&current=Autumleavesedited.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 420px; height: 314px;" src="http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e326/american_rockstar/Autumleavesedited.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s42.photobucket.com/albums/e326/american_rockstar/?action=view&current=birdbluepoles070608-edit.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 420px; height: 314px;" src="http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e326/american_rockstar/birdbluepoles070608-edit.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s42.photobucket.com/albums/e326/american_rockstar/?action=view&current=rangithrougheyesofinsect-edit070608.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 423px; height: 317px;" src="http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e326/american_rockstar/rangithrougheyesofinsect-edit070608.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a>Sam.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17489687784394334569noreply@blogger.com2