The Blessed Sinner

Where Are You Wearing?

2009-02-03T17:34:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting article that I found on Relevant magazine (usually a fairly liberal Christian magazine). I've often sympathized with sweat shop workers and talked about what a tragedy it is that people are abused in such a way. This story makes the idea seem much more personal than mere facts, though. The author of the article brings into the spotlight a family in China who work hard in a Teva manufacturing plant (this makes me feel a tad guilty, because I have supported this company). This brings into sharp relief my ethnocentric (and ego-centric) ideals. I'm at a loss for a solution to this dilemma, though. Does anyone have any ideas for ways that God would have us remedy this problem? I know I will be praying about it.

Noah

Statistical Morality

2008-12-22T20:45:00.000-08:00

Recently I read an article in the Colorado Springs Gazette that was very thought-provoking. The article focused on the current speed limit on the Interstate through the city. Apparently, the limit on the Interstate is being raised from 55 mph to 65 mph (don't worry, this isn't just an article about local affairs; it has real-life application).

The main consideration taken by the city of Colorado Springs when deciding whether to raise the speed limit was that 80% of drivers were already driving at 69.5 mph. If a majority of the drivers on the Interstate were already speeding, why not just raise the speed limit?

To many this may seem like an appealing method of changing laws. To me, it seems like a very dangerous method of reasoning. It is what is called 'statistical ethics': legally considering something ethically and morally right because a majority of constituents are found to consider it right.

But this brings up a lot of questions in my mind. Why didn't the city decide to change the speed limit to 69.5 mph? When the limit is changed to 65 mph, will 80% of people start driving at 79.5 mph? If 80% of people were breaking some other law, would the city change or amend that law?

But it is hard to legislate when there is no clear definition of what is right and what is wrong. The majority arbitrarily decides on these definitions, and subsequently chooses a punishment for any crime.

This leads us to a point where there is no logical basis for our government besides statistics. But using statistics in legislation is meaningless: statistics are the basis of the laws, but the basis of the statistics is mere arbitration. Laws are determined by mere whimsy; the majority's feelings decide what is right and what is wrong.

This argument presupposes a fundamentally humanist perspective - man (or at least the plurality of men) is basically good and makes right decisions regarding fellow humans. If this is a person's worldview, that person should, by definition, be satisfied with the implementation of statistical ethics in the making of laws.

But I must differ. Mankind must rely on a supernatural source (namely, God) to define good and evil. God, in His very existence, demonstrates what is good and what is not good. Without Him and His word to define good, mankind would be lost in a whirlwind of self-fancy.

So forget statistical morality - our lawmakers need to start (dare I mention that taboo phrase?) legislating morality. Without God and His definitions of good and evil, a government is doomed to self-destruct.

Sadly, most of the people in Colorado Springs probably found nothing inherently wrong with raising the speed limit because a majority drivers were speeding. But I, for one, will not become too quickly enamored with this idea of statistical morality that pervades our society.

More Hints for my 10 Books

2008-12-20T19:16:00.001-08:00

Here are some more hints for the 5-5-6 blog.

1) But as things are, nothing but grief is left me by my companions.

This is the translation. The book was written by a Greek author.

2) However much an Aberdeen terrier may bear 'mid snow and ice a banner with the strange device Excelsior, he nearly always has to be content with dirty looks and the sharp, passionate bark.

Author's last name contains a synonym for 'domicile.'

3) "No; but I don't know everybody yet. I haven't lived here quite two weeks.

Already correctly identified as 'Huckleberry Finn'

4) Whatever unfortunate entanglement my dear boy may have got into, I will never reproach him with it after we are married.

Already identified as 'Importance of Being Earnest'

5) Once, I had been taken to see some ghastly wax-work at the Fair, representing I know not what impossible personage lying in state.

You all figured out that this was from 'Great Expectations'

6) They are not holy.

Book was written by the founder of Ligonier Ministries; title contains a derivative of 'holy'

7) That hot toast soaked in soup was delicious, only there wasn't much of it, and as Father particularly like it, we had to leave it for him.

Correctly identified as 'Life With Father'

8) "And sure as I am a Christian woman," said Mrs. Shelby, "you shall be redeemed as soon as I can any way bring together means."'

From 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'

9) "Now, you are a nice young fellow, ain't you?"

Identified as 'Oliver Twist'

10) But at last she said: 'Lords, you are weary and shall now go to your beds with such ease as can be contrived in haste.'

Correctly identified as 'Lord of the Rings' (Return of the King, to be exact)

I hope this helps you all!

Tagged

2008-12-18T19:47:00.000-08:00

The Bessingers tagged me for the seven interesting things blog. So I'll try to think of seven things that you all will find interesting about me. This could be hard for me (and will probably be boring for you), but here goes...

1) Bach is my favorite composer.

2) I like to reorganize my room every few months.

3) I love French bread.

4) I will not wear button-down shirts (dress shirts) untucked.

5) I have an inherent love for golden retrievers. I don't know why; I just do.

6) Snowy weather is growing on me.

7) I don't have any interest in hunting or fishing.

I can't think of anyone to tag, so I'll continue my tag-killing trend and not pass this one on. I feel terrible, but my whole family has already been tagged.

In Christ,

Noah

Tagged Again!

2008-12-18T19:29:00.000-08:00

I thought I would do the book tag since Sarah tagged me a few days ago. So here goes...

1) But as things are, nothing but grief is left me by my companions.

2) However much an Aberdeen terrier may bear 'mid snow and ice a banner with the strange device Excelsior, he nearly always has to be content with dirty looks and the sharp, passionate bark.

3) "No; but I don't know everybody yet. I haven't lived here quite two weeks.

4) Whatever unfortunate entanglement my dear boy may have got into, I will never reproach him with it after we are married.

5) Once, I had been taken to see some ghastly wax-work at the Fair, representing I know not what impossible personage lying in state.

6) They are not holy.

7) That hot toast soaked in soup was delicious, only there wasn't much of it, and as Father particularly like it, we had to leave it for him.

8) "And sure as I am a Christian woman," said Mrs. Shelby, "you shall be redeemed as soon as I can any way bring together means."'

9) "Now, you are a nice young fellow, ain't you?"

10) But at last she said: 'Lords, you are weary and shall now go to your beds with such ease as can be contrived in haste.'

Hints:

1) #6 is by a modern theologian - the sentence reflects the theme of the book

2) 5 of the authors are British

3) #4 is in book form, but I don't know if it actually would be considered a book...

4) One of the books is an English translation

5) Two of the books are by the same author

And I don't know of any other blogs besides those that have already been tagged. Did Sarah tag the Lambs? Sorry, there's no way I can tag six people.

In Christ,

Noah

There Is Still Hope...

2008-12-16T18:09:00.000-08:00

Don't worry my faithful readers, I haven't abandoned you! I'm really busy with finals right now, but I only have one more to go. Once that is over, I'll get back to posting on here.

In Christ,

Noah

An Open Letter to President-Elect Barack Obama

2008-11-05T19:49:00.000-08:00

Dear Mr. Obama,

I learned on Tuesday that you had been elected to the position of president of the United States. On January 20, 2009, you will be inaugurated into one of the most influential offices in the modern world. Though I doubt you will get anywhere near the amount of media attention that you have received during your historic campaign, you will still be under the scrutiny of the American people throughout your term. You have seen for yourself what people are capable of doing to the political figures who have held this office prior to you. You have seen the verbal abuse that President Bush has suffered during his eight-year presidency. For your willingness to subject yourself to public opinion, I admire you.

But there are many things I don't admire you for. In fact, you and I disagree on a great deal of points. But I'll get to that later.

I remember the first time I heard your name. It was in 2004, when you were running against Alan Keyes in a race for one of Illinois' seats in the United States senate. You and your story were inspirational, not only in that race, but also when you gave your excellent keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

I didn't hear much mention of your name again until early in 2007 when you declared that you were running for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 Presidential election. I am ashamed to admit that even when I learned this, I simply shrugged my shoulders and ignored your presence in the political arena. Though I would be able to cast my first vote ever for the president of the United States in the very race that you would be running, I didn't once consider you, except to consider how another candidate could win a head-to-head election with you.

I became very interested in a different political figure who was trying to win the Republican nomination for president. I followed his campaign eagerly, becoming excited any time a news headline appeared about this candidate, and rejoicing when he set fundraising records. I watched live speeches and read live blogs about this man, eager to obtain any new information about him. But I never paid much attention to you, Mr. Obama.

Except when I made snide remarks about your stance on issues like abortion, gun control, welfare, social security, and tax reform. Or when I scoffed at your fundraising totals, and laughed at the attacks shared between you and your biggest opponent, Hilary Rodham Clinton.

Now, Mr. Obama, I'm not saying I agree with you on these issues now. By no means do I support your radical beliefs about killing human beings while still in their mother's womb. I don't support your policies which would reward people for not obtaining employment. I may be a college student, but I would not allow you to bribe me with your plan to pay me a $4000 scholarship every year just for "volunteering" 40 hours of time for my community. I could go on and on about ways that I don't agree with you, but that is not the point of this letter. I know that God can, if He wills, change your heart on many of the moral issues which you take an immoral stance on. I know that it is not the end of the world if you succeed in convincing the US Congress to adopt some of your radical socialist/Marxist policy ideas.

Despite my vehement disagreement with you, even when you won the Democratic nomination to run for president, I still ignored you. I accused you of simply taking advantage of the American people by filling their minds with nonsensical rhetoric, even when all I was doing was talking about you. When it became clear that you and Senator John McCain would be the two major party candidates for president, I began talking about your chances against each other as if this election was all just a big game.

Then, as election day neared, I became even more cynical. I complained about all of the media attention the presidential race was getting. I'll be glad when all of this drama is over, I thought. I talked about how you were really no different than John McCain as far as economic, foreign, and tax policies. I complained that the major media outlets gave you too much air time and commented on how they never provided information on third-party candidates for the presidential election. Though my prayers were sincere, they were always in general terms. I would pray for "the election". I would pray that God would move on the hearts of His people to encourage them vote according to His moral statutes and His Word.

But, Mr. Obama, I have a humbling confession to make.

I never once prayed for you.

I am not by any means proud of this fact. It shames me to no end to know that through all of this, I never once even thought about praying for you.

I could have started praying for you after I saw your keynote speech on July 27, 2004. I could have started praying for you on February 10, 2007, when you announced your candidacy for president. I could have started praying for you on August 27, 2008, when you became the Democratic party nominee for the office of president of my home country. I could have started praying for you in mid-October, when it became abundantly clear that you would win the presidential election. But I didn't. And of that, I am greatly ashamed.

I want you to know, Mr. Obama, that I have now started praying for you. I am praying that your radical view on abortion will change. I am praying that God will give you guidance as you endeavor to lead our country through new and trying times. I am praying that God's will be done in your life, and in our country.

In the first election year that I was eligible to vote, I did not and could not cast my first vote for you, Mr. Obama.

But tonight, I pray my first prayer for you. And I want you to know that my prayers for you will not cease.

Has America Been Too Hard on President Bush?

2008-11-05T15:28:00.000-08:00

I found this article from the Wall Street Journal today that talks about how disgraceful it is for Americans to treat President Bush with the disrespect that they do. I wouldn't be surprised if this is a trend the mass media will begin to pick up on in the coming months.

If the media starts talking about how wrong it is for American people to disagree with Bush or speak out against him, it is setting us up for attacks if we speak out against president-elect Barack Obama. Just about anything I hear about Bush anymore is negative - whether it is another student, a co-worker, my bosses, news articles, or the radio talking about our current president. I expected larger media outlets like WSJ, CNN and FoxNews to make Obama's transition to the presidency easy, but I didn't think they would do it by attacking president Bush's attackers.

Anyway, it's an interesting article written by a man who interned with John Kerry during his 2004 election campaign. I have to wonder if this article would have been published had the outcome of the presidential election been different.

Whatever Happened to the Sovereign State?

2008-10-27T19:28:00.000-07:00

I recently read an article from CNN.com that argued for the abolition of the electoral college in America's voting system. Apparently several organizations are arguing that this system is antiquated; that it shouldn't be used because the president-elect might not end up being the American people's overall popular choice for the president. An organization called the National Popular Vote is lobbying to have states give all of their electoral votes the presidential candidate who wins the American popular vote.

My first thought when I read this article was "What about sovereign states?!" It was as if people were considered, first and foremost, citizens of America, rather than citizens of their individual states. The electoral college is meant to elect a president based on the will of the states, not the will of the total population of America. But this blog post isn't about the electoral college. It's about the sovereignty of states.

William Tyler Page, in his historic document titled The American's Creed, once called America "a sovereign nation of many sovereign states." I'm writing this blog post to examine the popular notion which has risen in the post-civil war era that America is simply a sovereign nation. In this post, I will very briefly inspect this very common idea and the disadvantages of viewing our great nation as a single, sovereign entity.

When our founding fathers wrote the foundational document outlining our country's governmental system - the United States Constitution - they established that the federal government was meant to protect and mediate between the individual states in the U.S.A. The federal government would "protect each of [the states] against invasion" and "guarantee every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government" (emphasis added). Notice the recognition of the the Union as being composed of individual states that have their own republican form of government.

The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution also recognizes the importance of the individual States, and is perhaps one of the most enlightening sections of the Constitution. This amendment addresses the issue of what powers are relegated to the States. In it we see that the States are much more powerful than many modern politicians or the modern media would have us think. The amendment's exact wording follows:

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

So we see that all powers that the constitution does not directly relegate to the federal government - our Sovereign nation - are meant to be exercised by the separate states. Despite the view that has permeated popular culture's understanding of this founding document of our country, the States actually hold much more power than the federal government.

We cannot blame the people of the individual states completely for not maintaining sovereign states. As with most of America's political problems, the Supreme Court is involved heavily in this issue ;) . In fact, as early as 1920, the Supreme Court was writing statements like the following:

"The only question is whether ... it is forbidden by some invisible radiation from the general terms of the Tenth Amendment. We must consider what this country has become in deciding what that amendment has reserved."

I don't know about other readers, but the "general terms" of the tenth amendment seem rather specific to me. It's as if the justices who wrote this decision were willingly blinded to the fact that ALL powers not given to the United States by the Constitution are reserved to the states. In fact, many supreme court judges have held this view that the Constitution is a "living organism" and should be interpreted according to societal implications.

It is this loose interpretation of our United States Constitution that results in the federal government taking on too much power for itself and ignoring the power of the States. It is also this same mindset which results in the popular movement to abolish the electoral college as a means of electing a president. Let's not fall into this trap - remember that you are a member of a sovereign state, which is an individual entity in a sovereign nation.

Benjamin Gates, a fictional historian/adventurer, sums up America's current mindset on this issue best in the movie National Treasure: Book of Secrets. "Before the Civil War, the states were all separate," he begins, "people used to say 'United States are.' Wasn't until the war ended, people started saying "The United States is.'" In the movie, this quote is supposed to be inspirational.

Personally, I find it quite depressing.

Meerkat Cam

2008-10-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

One of my new favorite websites to visit is the meerkat camera at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The pictures update every minute, and you never know what the meerkats will be doing next! Here is the wepage:

Meerkat Camera

Enjoy! And look for a new "real" blog post sometime this weekend.

God vs. Man...

2008-09-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

I know that the titular matchup isn’t even much of a battle and it’s obvious who will win, but bear with me for a bit while I amuse myself. This post was inspired by the following passage from 1 Samuel 4:1b-11:

Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek. Then the Philistines put themselves in battle array against Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field. And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.” So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook. Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp. So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before. Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!” So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. Also the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

Now, besides being an interesting passage of scripture, this offers some useful insight into our Christian lives. It shows us the importance of remaining in God’s will, and not making decisions on our own.

The Israelites failed because they did not consult the Lord before going to battle originally. This cost them four thousand men. But after they suffered this defeat, they did not do the right thing and decide to pray to God to determine His will. Instead, they tried to force God’s will, telling Him what to do by taking His sacred ark of the covenant out on the battlefield. Because of the Israelites’ folly in this matter, they lost twenty thousand more men. This shows the consequences of not seeking God’s favor before committing to a matter.

This passage holds an important truth for us as followers of Christ. Sometimes we feel that we are doing the right thing, which may even be a good thing, but we don’t seek God’s will in the decision. Whether what we are doing is morally right or not, if we don’t understand God’s predetermined will for our lives, our efforts are as fruitless as those of the Israelites.

The Israelites became too confident in themselves and their power instead of trusting in and listening to the word of God. Let us not follow their example, and always try to do the right thing and remain in the will of God.

Another running adventure...

2008-08-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

On the same run that I was blogging about the other day (I don’t run that often, so I don’t really have more than one to blog about), I noticed something that reminded me of the natural peer dependence that is inherent in mankind. I was running on down the road, trying to stay awake, and I looked over at someone’s lawn. The grass looked like it had been mown that very day, and the smell of the freshly cut foliage confirmed my suspicions. The lines in the yard looked neat, and the edges had all been trimmed closely around the sidewalk and driveway. I thought to myself, someone must have taken initiative to mow that grass on this HOT day. And I must admit I was impressed by the diligence of the person who cut their grass without waiting for the cooler part of the afternoon.

All of these thought went through my head in the matter of about five seconds, and I then turned my gaze to the next man’s yard. This one was a little less well kept, but still looked rather neat. This man must have mown his lawn one or two days ago, I thought. I was not extremely impressed, but I still admired the neatness of his grass (I am obsessed with order, as anyone I know could tell you).

Nothing seemed extraordinary about this experience until I passed the next person’s yard. And the next one. And the next. The grass in each yard was successively higher and higher, with no yard breaking the pattern. I then realized what had not occurred to me before: each man was mowing his grass because his neighbor had mown!

Now, the motivation would be labeled in our world as “peer pressure” – but we’re going to go a little bit deeper than that.

What if each successive neighbor had realized by contrast that his yard was messy? In other words, what if one man mowed his lawn to start the cycle, and the next man saw how badly his grass needed to be mown just because it was adjacent to a clean-cut lawn? This reminded me of the important scriptural principle found in Proverbs 27:17.

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

As Christians, it is our duty to realize that we have a responsibility not only for our selves, but also for our brothers and sisters in Christ. By allowing God to shine through us, we can show others the parts of their lives that are not conformed to His word. By his grace and influence through us, those other Christians can possibly be changed and renewed in their minds.

Now, unlike the mowing metaphor, in our relationships within the Church of God we are expected to learn from and influence each other. This is a two-way relationship. We cannot ignore God’s work on us through the lives of others.

(Hey, I never said my analogies were perfect, did I?)

And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

-Ecclesiastes 4:12

Question of the Week...

2008-08-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

This is something that I thoughts I would try, and if it doesn't work, it doesn't work :( . It will also be a test of how many people actually read my blog ;).

I'll post the question of the week and you can answer it in the comment section. Maybe you'll even be inspired to write your own blog post about it and link to it in the comment section. Either way, just let me know what you think about the question.

If you were told that you only had one year to live, would you make a conscious effort to live your life differently than you are living now? If yes, what changes would you try to make?

Five Changes for the Worse In the Past Year

2008-08-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

Here it is, as promised...

Well, just as always, a lot of things have changed for the negative and need improving in my life. The first thing that I can think of is that I am not as neat and tidy as I used to be. Before school started about this time last year, I kept my room tidily organized. As the year passed, I seemed to care less and less about how neat my room was and began to get lazy, throwing books and papers everywhere when I would get caught up in my schoolwork. I am currently working on keeping my room neat, and I have been blessed with some family members who help remind me to keep tidy (thanks Sarah, Anna, and Mother!).

The second thing which has changed is my mindset on schoolwork. As I went through the last school year, I began to become a little more lenient on myself about what I needed to learn. I still had a hunger to learn and understand things like Chemistry, which is important to me, but I didn’t pay as much attention to other subjects. I viewed English and Physics classes as a means to a common end – a Bachelor’s degree – rather than as useful tools in my education. This change is frustrating, and I hope that I will be able to focus more on learning than performing in these classes.

The next thing that has changed for the worse was covered in my last blog post. I have oftentimes been focused on works – things like making good grades, making good impressions, reading the bible regularly, and serving in church – as being very important. I have come to this realization and am consciously trying to get rid of this mindset, but it is hard. This is one of the things that I don’t necessarily think about when I do, but is a subconscious thought process. I want things to be about how good I am and what I can do, rather than accepting God’s grace. This is a constant struggle.

Number four regards my treatment of others, especially my brothers and sisters in Christ. I have gotten to the point where I am very critical and judgmental of others. Most of the time, I tend to judge others in areas of personal conviction, rather than blatant sin. If I see someone doing something that would lead me astray or redirect my vision from Christ, I judge them and assume that they are doing something wrong. Before we moved to Colorado, I didn’t have a big problem with this, but now I am overly negative and concerned with the outward appearance of people’s actions rather than their works.

The last change in my life for the worse that immediately comes to mind is my neglect of my musical instruments. I have not set a good example over the last year for my younger sisters, who both play instruments. I have not regularly practiced any instrument except the piano. When I think of how many instruments I have the privilege of owning, I die a little bit inside. Not really, but you get my point ;)

Well, I have finally finished this post that I dreaded. I hate writing about myself, and of course my pride tells me that it’s not a good thing to publish an article about my shortcomings on the World Wide Web. But I think that it is a useful tool for all of my readers (not that there are really that many). It will help you all to know how you can pray for me. And I really want and need that prayer.

2008-08-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

Thud. Thud. Thud.

My feet patted out a rhythm on the pavement as I ran down a hill in my neighborhood. The pattern was soothing, even mesmerizing.

Quite a contrast with the pain brought on by my physical exercise.

I continued running down the hill, the sound of my footsteps the only noise in my immediate vicinity. The sun felt hot as sweat dripped down my forehead. The rhythm of my footsteps continued to daze me, and my eyelids slowly began to close.

I was falling asleep! There, in the midst of pain and a great amount of physical work, I was getting sleepy!

I would never have thought this was possible until it happened to me. But it is, I know that now.

As I continued my run, I began to think about how this event was reminiscent of many things which have happened in my spiritual life. Before, I have tried so hard to do good works and always do the right thing that I have lost my focus on the most important goal in life: staying awake.

Paul, in 1st Corinthians 15:10, says this:

But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which [was bestowed] upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

How true this is! No matter what efforts we make, we must realize that we are what we are "but by the grace of God." We must never fall asleep to the spiritual workings of God in our life.

Sometimes, just as what was hard work for me (running) mesmerized me, the works which we perform in an effort to win God's favor can hypnotize us and send us into a state of independence - thinking that it's not so hard to be good on our own, after all.

Some people trust in their good works to keep them out of trouble - to keep them from doing bad things. There is nothing wrong with doing good and kindhearted deeds, but trusting in them in any way is the wrong method of going about life. Whether we are trusting our deeds to save us, make us happier, or even keep us from sinning, we are trusting in the wrong thing. Just as I thought it would be impossible to fall asleep during a good, hard run (something that I still don't quite comprehend), we sometimes think that it would be difficult for one to sin while preoccupied with good works.

But it is, and we need to be aware of this danger.

Trust in God, for he is the most important thing we can know in this world.

Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ,

(Philippians 3:8)

**Oops, I just realized that I never finished my "Changes Since This Time Last Year" post. I'll have to finish it later...**

Changes Since This Time Last Year

2008-08-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

Anna tagged me to blog on this subject, so why not?

It seems like last year at this time was so far away (yet so close). So much has happened since then, but I have done so little. This year has been defined, not by my actions, but by the action of God in my life. These changes have happened so often that it has started to make me feel a little bit less independent and more dependent on my Lord. That's the first good thing which has happened in my life.

God brought me to a job on campus - a blessing in itself. Though there were battles to be fought along the way (including thinking I wouldn't be able to work there as I am not classified as a resident of Colorado), I feel like I have grown in responsibility and knowledge of how to work with others. Many of the people I work with are not Christians, and learning how to interact with and minister to them is the second great change which has taken place in my life.

As I began going to school, I was unsure what I wanted to do with my life. I had been praying for years that God would show me the direction He would like me to go; it seemed like this praying was fruitless. In my slightly OCD mind, I had compartmentalized possible career paths into three categories: Science, Medicine, or Law. I was struggling between these, but one day God reminded me of the career path which He had laid on my heart since I was five (literally). I had somehow lost the idea in the midst of all my efforts to choose for myself, but God gently reminded me that He wants me in the field of Dentistry. I can't say why, but for some reason that is where God has directed the road of my life. Deciding to pursue dentistry was the third great change which God has made in my life.

Though God showed me the career which He wants for me, He was also showing me at the same time that I had become too materialistic. I had placed a great deal of worth on worldly objects and aspirations. While things such as good grades, reading great literature, and becoming accomplished in music are important, they had become much too important in my life. God has, in His kind and gentle ways, slowly ushered me away from the bosom of commercialism and materialism. I definitely still have a very long way to go on this journey to the center of God's will, but He has somehow gotten me off to a good start. This is the fourth change that has taken place in my life for the better.

Since we moved to Colorado, God has been teaching me things that help me to make my faith my own. God has always used my parents as a catalyst in developing my faith, and this year has been no exception. Having long discussions and prayers about important theological concepts has helped me to understand the true nature of God. This greater understanding of God has helped me greatly, and is a part of every other change that I have listed above. God truly has been great to me (but that's not a change, is it?).

Well, I've spent a lot of time writing this far; I think I will wait until tomorrow to write the bad changes that have happened in my life. So expect tomorrow's blog to be much shorter :P .

Entrop-E

2008-07-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

Wall-E: A Review

This post is my first attempt at reviewing a movie (from a biblical Christian standpoint, of course!). I don't think this will become common, I just really felt like Wall-E was a good enough movie to warrant telling people about it and it's themes. I've broken the review down into five subsections titled Entropy, Emotion, Environment, Eve, and Epilogue. Each of these sections discuss an important topic showcased in the movie.

Though the review below does not delve into the storyline of the movie, it does contain some minor spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Entropy

Entropy - a process of degradation or running down or a trend to disorder
From Merriam-Webster's Dictionary

No word describes the overall theme of the movie Wall-E better. The movie focuses on degradation - including the decay of earth, mankind, and innocence. This entropy observed throughout the well formulated movie can be bleak and even disturbing at times.

From the get go, we realize that the world as we know it has come to an end. The only living thing on the planet earth is a cockroach. To make matters worse, the earth is covered in trash that humans have left behind. Our hero is a small robot who is left to clean up this mess the best way he knows how - compacting it into cubes and stacking skyscraper-sized towers so high that they block the sun. If that's not bleak, I don't know what is.

Though things seem hopeless, the movie doesn't seem overly concerned with emotional manipulation. For the first 45 minutes, the movie presents Wall-E's story from a rather objective standpoint, as if we are watching a day in the life of earth's only (slightly) intelligent being through the eyes of a hidden camera. This is when the movie works best, and it's what has made Pixar a household name.

Emotion

Another thing which has helped Pixar build a wonderful reputation is the implementation of believable emotions in conventionally emotionless, thoughtless, and sometimes even repulsive beings. Viewers feel for toys in Toy Story, fish in Finding Nemo, Monsters in Monsters, Inc. and cars, of all things, in the movie Cars. Wall-E keeps up this trend, and, to tell the truth, takes it to another level. As a viewer, I felt even more for Wall-E than I have for most human characters in other films I have seen.

This leads us to the movie's strongest point - and it's biggest warning. I don't want to give too much away, but the last half of the movie shows the importance of personal interaction, as opposed to impersonal digital interaction. Though the movie focuses on a world where earth is falling apart, Wall-E's new found friend has disappeared, and mankind is basically doomed to an unpleasant fate, the most important message to be found here is a warning against becoming so self absorbed that we don't make and physical, vocal, or emotional contact with other human beings.

This message comes across in intriguingly simple ways. Wall-E is less concerned about appearances than he is about building personal relationships, one introduction at a time. The most satisfying parts of the movie involve Wall-E shaking hands with new found friends, waving to people and/or robots that he sees, and holding hands (well, claws really, if you want me to be technical) with another robot.

The most touching part of the movie is also the most disturbing: a robot, which was created by humans, shows more human emotion and feeling than any of the people in the movie. It brought to mind Numbers 22:21-35, where Balaam becomes so set in his ways that God uses a donkey to talk sense into him. This is exactly the role that Wall-E plays in his movie. The people are headed on a downward spiral toward completely emotionless communication and interaction, and Wall-E comes to make this evident.

Environment

It wouldn't be fair to discuss Wall-E without talking about what many think is the movie's main message: to take care of earth. I would argue that the main point is the one I stated above about personal contact, but there is most definitely a dire warning about taking care of what God has given us. There really isn't too much too say other than what is very obvious in the movie, but for the record, there is no finger pointing. Mankind in general is blamed for getting lazy and not treasuring the gift that he has been given.

The only theme which is not necessarily readily apparent is that of the fickleness of mankind's consumerist nature. All of the people are controlled by advertisements and peer pressure to be a part of the next big thing - this is illustrated by the many advertisements for silly-looking products which are still left on the deserted earth. In another scene, a billboard on the spaceship which humans now inhabit tells people to "try wearing blue [clothes] - it's the new red!" All of these humans readily change without even questioning the machine's authority. This fad-chasing nature of people, we are shown, is what caused the earth to be polluted with great amounts of trash.

Wall-E is different from the people, however, in that he realizes something is lacking in his life. His innocence keeps him from knowing how to fit in, and his behavior displays some of the movie's most intriguing philosophical statements about materialism. For example, when he is digging through a heap of trash, he happens upon a diamond ring in a felt case. He promptly plucks the ring out of the case and throws it away; he then inspects the ring case carefully, evidently awe-inspired. Though this part is played for laughs, it brings up a question: Are material things really that important just because humans place value on them?
These questions just keep coming, too. Would any humans be as enraptured as Wall-E is when he finds an old boot containing a plant? Or an old dinged up fire hydrant? Or would we just be searching for more diamonds?

Eve

When Wall-E's world is invaded by a shiny new reconnaissance robot, he doesn't know what to do. This robot is far from perfect - she represents mankind in that she is just as likely to destroy something as she is to look at it. The unlikely pairing of the little outdated robot who likes to watch and emulate the dancing in "Hello, Dolly!" and the trigger happy, sleek new robot is one of the best on-screen romances ever captured. Wall-E's dedication to Eve through thick and thin and the sacrifices he makes for her represent such Christlike love that it's almost hard to imagine that those involved in the movie didn't try to make this an allegory. The romance's climax and resolution also echo Biblical ideals. The writer of the story, Andrew Stanton, told Ted Baehr that the essence of the movie revolves around Jesus' statement in John 15:13 : "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

Epilogue

In conclusion, Wall-E can be considered a moving and thought-provoking movie. The movie has many useful messages to offer without being in-your-face or heavy-handed. Admittedly, it is hard to not feel a little bit compromised when you go pay good money to watch a movie that tells you not to fall prey to materialism and consumerism, but the storyline itself is worth the price of admission. Wait, I forgot - this is Pixar. The 5-minute short before the movie is worth that price :)

Hiking Summer

2008-06-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

Did you know that if you shuffle up a deck of cards the chance of them being in order (suited and in sequence) is one in 80,658,175,170,943,878,571,660,636,856,404,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000? Interesting, right?

Okay, now that I've got that little fact out of the way (it had been bothering me for some time, so I finally did the calculation and shared it), it's time for a blog post. Yes, that's right, a BLOG POST!

I know this hasn't happened in a while - it's been over two months since my last post - but I'll try to make it meaningful. Without further ado...

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On Saturday Josh and I took a hike on the Air Force Academy. It was a short hike (2 miles one way) that took us to the Stanley Reservoir. I forgot to take a camera, so I don't have any pictures to post :( . But you can take my word for it - it was beautiful.

I've been trying to enjoy the Colorado summer as much as I can. I remember how fast the summer went by last year, and it's amazing. I want to spend as much time as possible enjoying the weather before it gets cold again. We are so blessed as a family to be living here in this wonderful place.

I'm trying t0 hike as often as I can in order to train for hiking Pike's Peak, a feat which I hope to accomplish this year. I'll probably hike the same trail again tomorrow, so check back here for pictures on Tuesday.

Look for a longer post coming up this week...

My Dream Days [Or, Phariseutical Pursuits]

2008-04-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, I started off a post by making up a word in a title. That can't be a good indication...

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I've gotten into this weird cycle lately where I do school work in my sleep. While I am asleep, I will literally be working out problems in my head. When I wake up, it's almost like I studied the school material overnight. Now this can be good, but it can also be confusing.

For example, the other morning, after a good night's rest, I woke up and got out of bed. I had to be at school early that morning, so I took a shower and got ready for the day. While I was making my bed, my alarm began going off. Just as I was resetting the alarm, I heard my brother's voice:

"Noah, wake up!"

I was a little confused, so I waited a few seconds, and then I rolled over on me bed. One thing was awkward, though - I was under the covers. Just as I realized this, I woke up.

"Woke up?" the reader may ask, "Weren't you already awake?" The truth is that I was by no means awake, but if a dream person had told me that, I would have just laughed at him (or her, or it - I have some weird creatures in my dreams).

I had dreamed my entire morning routine, thinking that I was ready for the day, but in reality, I was unprepared as I could be. Nothing that I did had mattered. I couldn't change until I woke up.

This reminded me of an important spiritual concept that we see in Luke 18:10-14:

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men [are], extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but
smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other.

On that morning, I was like the Pharisee. I had done everything right: I did the good works which would get me where I wanted to be. In reality, however, I hadn't changed. I was absolutely deceived as to what was going on in my life.

In our spiritual lives, this is important as well. No matter what we do, we have to constantly be aware that it is only by the grace of God. We don't want to be thought of as the Pharisees were. Paul, in Romans 9:32, condemns them for seeking their salvation

...not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone...

More to come later...

Noah's List of Sevens

2008-04-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

7 things I'd like to do before I die:

1) Go to New Zealand
2) Learn to Skydive
3) Read all of Henry's commentaries (I guess I had better get busy right now!)
4) Get a doctoral degree
5) Be in a bluegrass band ;)
6) Own a golden retriever
7) Go whale-watching on an Alaskan cruise

7 things I can't do well

1) Listen to seven conversations at one time
2) Talk with people about unimportant or trivial things
3) Watch movie adaptations of Jane Austen books
4) See the big picture
5) Think about things in realistic terms
6) Give something my full attention without thinking about schoolwork
7) Read other people's blogs

7 favorite movies (in no particular order)

1) The Chronicles of Narnia: LWW
2) Bleak House (I think this counts...)
3) The Lord of the Rings Movies
4) The Maltese Falcon
5) Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
6) Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
7) How Shall We Then Live

7 things I say often

1) Often
2) Really?
3) Yikes!
4) Why does it always have to snow?
5) Amen
6) How are you?
7) Wow.

7 favorite books and authors

1) Wuthering Heights
2) Charles Dickens
3) C.S. Lewis
4) The Bible
5) Jack London
6) Ivanhoe
7) Robert Louis Stevenson (especially Kidnapped and Treasure Island)

7 things I want to see

1) The demise of mass media
2) Crater Lake, Oregon (again)
3) A hobbit hole!
4) The Great Pyramids
5) My favorite band live in concert (sadly, they just went on a permanent hiatus)
6) Every knee bow and tongue confess that Christ is Lord
7) The ruins of ancient Greece and Rome

7 people I tag

1) Doc
2) Grumpy
3) Happy
4) Sleepy
5) Bashful
6) Sneezy
7) Dopey

Photo Blog

2008-02-29T23:23:00.000-08:00

I just created a new photo blog at orfieldpics.blogspot.com . Right now it only has one picture on it, but hopefully it will be easier to keep up to date than this blog.

Fact of the Day: My Posts Are Rarer Than a 30-Second Steak, And They Contain Less Substance

2008-02-21T22:57:00.000-08:00

Wow. I haven't been on here for quite some time. I'll try to make this post meaningful, even though I don't feel like there's much to write about right now.

I've been really busy trying to keep up with school this semester. It's flying by so fast; I can hardly believe that five weeks of school have already passed. I've been busy playing catch-up with all of my work so far. Maybe one of these days I'll get ahead, but I doubt it.

I was really unhappy that I didn't get to see the lunar eclipse on Wednesday. I had been planning to watch the disappearance of the moon for weeks, and then good old Colorado weather set in. Clouds covered the sky, but surprisingly no snow fell. The clouds were just enough to block a clear view of the moon, making it impossible to watch the eclipse.

Oh, well. Maybe I'll see the eclipse in 2010.

I am starting to get tired of the cold weather here in Colorado. It was fun at first, but my relationship with freezing temperatures was doomed from the start. Once the novelty of living in a place where it snows wore off, the realization that with snow comes uncomfortable temperatures (or maybe it's the other way around ;)) set in. I have been dealing with keeping my body warm for months now. It seems like it becomes increasingly harder to keep my hands warm. I guess it's just the Raynaud's acting up.

Well, that's about all of the information I'm going to put in this post. I'll try not to make any more empty promises about keeping the blog up to date. I realize that it must annoy some of you.

I will, however, try to write regular posts. We'll see how that goes.

Noah

Thoughts on a God-Touched Year

2007-12-27T21:59:00.001-08:00

Isn't life funny? We always end up where we least expect, though that's not always a bad thing. This year has brought many unexpected changes in my life and I have grown in many ways. God has been good and has really blessed me this year. He has had His hands all over 2007, and He left some fingerprints that I'll never be able to erase.

I don't even remember much about the beginning of the year. Working at Starbucks was a new experience for me, and I was just beginning to settle down there. I was making my way around Vegas in style thanks to my dad's truck and a driver's license [don't let the gate guards fool you, you are allowed to drive if you have a license at age 16 or 17 ;)]. After much praying and deliberating, I decided to quit Tae Kwon Do altogether because of several incidents which occurred at the school.

I still miss that part of my life, but God knew what was best for me. I soon found that I would need the extra time for my Calculus class. I was also taking Physics, Music and Philosphy that semester, leaving me plenty of time to work ~24 hours per week and still learn the class material well. I made a lot of friends at Starbucks and learned a lot about customer service.

The customer is always right, as I would find out when the hippie lady told me that her milk, which I had just steamed until it boiled out of the pitcher onto my hand, wasn't hot enough. Or the time that the crazy man told me that the first time he had seen the jacket he was wearing it was on James Bond in "Goldfinger." That was the same man that once scared a customer away by telling the frightened gentleman that he deserved to be shot. My personal favorite customer service memory was the time that the older man got feisty because he had ordered a decaf coffee drink, but he could "taste that there was caffeine in it." (I would like to know more about this being able to taste caffeine; it's a totally new concept to me).

Near the end of my short tenure at Starbucks, I was blessed with a visit from someone who I had previously known from Tae Kwon Do. The story that she told me blew me away; I was astonished and humbled by what God had done in her life.

Several months earlier, I had been practicing kicks with this lady at the base community center, where classes were held. On one of the kicks, I somehow brought my knee up into this person's abdominal area. I still don't know how this happened, because I am very careful about minimizing or eliminating contact during kicks, but I hit her rather hard. The kick knocked the wind out of her, but she seemed to be okay. However, in the days after that, she didn't show up to the school to practice. When I saw her later, she appeared to be in pain still, and thought that her ribs may have been broken.

I was overwhelmed with guilt and shame when I learned that I had hit her so hard. I had tried my best not to bring too much power into my kicks, and I had still hurt someone pretty badly. I became convicted about the sport, and never really put my heart back into it. The possibility of hurting someone else was too much for me, and I decided not to fight anyone who was smaller or weaker than me. I should have quit right then, but I felt too attached to the sport to give it up altogether.

God would have it otherwise, though.

Around that time, my Sa Bum Neem started making boys and girls wrestle with each other. I was lucky enough not to be asked to wrestle with a female (I would have refused, anyway). His view about co-ed participation, along with a new attitude toward business because he retired from the the Air Force and took up Tae Kwon Do full-time, caused me to part ways with my teacher.

I have to admit I was rather unthoughtful toward my friends at Tae Kwon Do. I didn't say goodbye to anyone, because I knew that it was best for me not to show my face at the school again. God told me not to go back, and that's what I did.

This brings us back to the part of the story where I'm working at Starbucks. I was busy making drinks one day, when the lady who I had injured showed up in line. She asked to talk to me and I thought that she was going to let me know what injuries she had sustained during the sparring incident.

I was wrong again.

Is anyone else beginning to see a pattern here?

The lady simply told me that she had been to the doctor to get an X-ray, and that the doctor had found something life-threatening when he examined the photographs. She looked me in the eyes and told me matter-of-factly that I had saved her life.

I couldn't see myself when she presented this information to me, but I'm sure I would have set the world record for the farthest someone's jaw has ever dropped. I was astonished that this lady would come in and tell me this. I couldn't believe that something so bad could result in a changed life. At first it was hard for me to accept. But then I realized that it wasn't impossible. God had turned bad things into good ones many times before. That's what He's best at, right?

It's hard to move on from such a memorable event in my life. It may seem trivial to many, but to me it was such an excellent example of exactly what God does. It was a perfect illustration of what He has done in my own life, and how he controls the outcomes of all my actions. I guess you could call that my biggest lesson from 2007.

I'll try to be more concise as I move through the rest of the year. I finished my Associate of Science degree in May, but I didn't receive my diploma until I lived in Colorado. The big move, which had forever seemed so far away, sneaked up on me quicker than a weather change here in Monument, my new location.

I was accepted to the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs for the fall semester, pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry. I only took nine credits while I tried to get used to the city and the campus and get settled into my new job as a loan processor for the college. One of the classes was junior-level, though, and it was nice to be able to make a smooth transition into higher lever coursework (which, believe it or not, really is harder). God blessed me with good grades for the fall semester, and helped me to get to know some of the students and staff in my degree area.

My family and I have been going to Hope church, a small home-discipleship oriented congregation in northern Colorado Springs, since we moved to Colorado. We have been amazed at the friends and fellowship that God has provided us with in the short seven months that we have lived in this beautiful place. We even ran into some friends that we knew from Georgia five or six years ago.

So the year has been full of ups and downs for me and my family. I have learned many things mental, physical, and spiritual as God has nurtured me through another amazing year. I know that there are bigger challenges and tests coming my way in the New Year, but by God's grace I will make it through to be a more mature person.

The Blessed Sinner,
Noah

P.S. Management does not allow me to accept tips. I am serious. I could lose my job if I took that money.

Here's Your Work Of Art!

2007-12-19T21:51:00.001-08:00

Here's the story that you guys gave me. I think it sounds like a fun place to visit!

An amusement park is always fun to visit on a hot summer
philospher. When you get there, you can rent a
snow and go for a swim. And there are lots of
blue things to eat. You can start off with a hot dog on
a dream with mustard, relish, and kittens
on it. Then you can have a buttered ear of microphone with a
nice slice of watermelon and a big bottle of
cold tea. When you are full, it's time to go on the
roller coaster, which should settle your cotamundi.
Other amusement park rides are the Dodge-Em which has little
perambulators, that you drive and run into other air conditioners,
and the Merry-Go-Round where you can sit on a big abacus
and try to grab the gold thesaurus as you ride past.

I've got a three hour open period tomorrow when I won't be busy and will be away from home, so I'll post something a little more thoughtful then...

Here's a fun game...

2007-12-13T21:30:00.000-08:00

Today we're going to do a mad lib! I'm going to give you guys a list of items that I need for the story, and you need to comment and tell me what you want the words to be. Once I've gotten all of the words I need, I'll make a new post with the finished work. (This is really just buying me time until the weekend, when I can write something a little more thoughtful).

Here's the list:

1.Noun
2.Noun
3.Adjective
4.Noun
5.Plural Noun
6.Noun
7.Liquid
8.Noun
9.Plural Noun
10.Plural Noun
11.Noun
12.Noun

Here are the rules:

Please only answer one at a time, and wait until someone else has commented with an answer before adding another one (this may take a while, as there aren't many faithful readers, but I'll bet we can be patient, can't we?)
Please make it easy for me to write up the next post by separating your answer out from the rest of your comment

1.(Like this)

Have fun
Thank You
^^I guess that's not really a rule, is it?

Noah