The mind and soul of Ian

Posting...Finally! My creative nemeses....

2009-11-09T16:57:00.001-08:00

Wow. It sure has been a long time since my last post - in fact, that's the longest postless stretch this blog has seen since its creation.

I've been fine recently, although I did injure my elbow playing hockey a few weeks ago - a chunk of bone got chipped of, but it doesn't really hurt anymore. The only issue I have with it is that I can't play ice hockey again until next month. :( Not being able to straighten my right arm isn't too fun either.

Since I don't really have anything too insightful to post on at this time, I'm going to talk about writing. That's always fun, isnt' it? Just make sure to throw in a dose of (Flying potatoes! Run for your life!) insanity.

I'm attempting NaNoWriMo this year, which even in the first week has helped with several aspects of my writing (Discpline being the number one thing its taught me, as well as the number two thing, and number three....). That being said, I wish I had some helpful knowledge or insight towards writing, but I've recently found out that I have a WHOLE LOT to learn about it myself. Descriptions don't come naturally to me at all, so I always wonder if I've given enough of them to engage readers in the story (but at least I don't describe too much or too frequently, or at the wrong times ;). I've just begun writing short stories, both for publication and for applications to scholarships and university programs I'd like to get into, and I find that I have considerable trouble coming up with good plot ideas; a lot of the things I come up with are either too much of a copy of someone else's idea, or they're just too silly or ridiculous and even my creative/insane genius mastermind can't figure out how to make them work. Although maybe if I tried a bit harder...hmmm.

Anyway, that's about it for me talking....the comment section of this post is hereby dedicated to discussing writing techniques and assistance, etc. Have fun!

Ciao!

FIRST EVER....

2009-06-26T15:31:00.000-07:00

Have you ever submitted something to someplace, and then been thrilled when they respond saying that they loved it and accepted it?

Yeah. Me neither.

But I have recently recieved my first *REJECTION LETTER*. (Or email, but whatever.)

Here's the poem I submitted to Mindflights a few weeks ago:

Disturbance rules the world tonight
When not one ear has heard the sun’s last cry
While the leaves and branches tremble
As cold harsh wind of fear and doubt blow by

Among the trees no light remains
To find a path to freedom’s final spark
Yet still they clamber like blind wolves
To try and reach a way to end the dark

All around the blazing flames die
Snuffed out by the sudden streams of tears
And their torches forever trapped
In an endless darkness no fire can pierce

Yet something soars above the trees
Gleaming like an eagle in the moon’s cry
Seen by all, hushed as a serpent
And perched untouched among the starlit sky

Instead of boring you with my own analysis, I'll just share a part of the letter I got that wasn't automated. Here's what some of the editors had to say about it:

*****

I think this one is good.

*****

The meter doesn't scan well in some places and I feel like it could be a little longer and expand more on the thing in the sky -- what it is and what it means to the people who see it. I did like this line:
"Snuffed out by the sudden streams of tears"

*****

There are some nice lines in this poem, but I have to say that I find the sf/fantasy element so faint that I'm not sure it's even there. Also, I agree that the meter is not quite right in places, which weakens the poem as a whole.

*****

This didn't feel sufficiently SF for me, as it felt more metaphorical.... but I also kinda didn't like how it felt vague and a touch too emotive for so little substance. A "meh" from me. And a no.

*******BACK TO IAN...

So this is what it's like to be rejected. I feel like I've hit a milestone. :P

:)Ian(:

Thoughtful Question #1

2009-06-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

If you were to suddenly meet someone you had never seen or heard of before, how long would it take you to change their life forever?

Ciao

Aaaah!

2009-05-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't posted in a while, I'm sorry, I am hoping to post again on Friday.

In the meantime, I'm just dropping in to ask if some of you could pray for me. I have my first-ever job interview tomorrow (Thursday), and I can't say I'm not nervous. ;)

Thanks!

Ciao!

Not a Religion

2009-05-03T22:09:00.001-07:00

There are a lot of people who call themselves Christians, and probably fewer who, without a shadow of a doubt, believe that the Bible is true and that all other beliefs are wrong and will lead their followers to Hell.

There are probably even fewer who can back this claim up against onslaughts of reason, logic and experiences that might be thrown at them in an aggressive maneuver to displace them from their seats on their pillars of faith.

Many such people are likely among the ones who Jesus said would fall away and be swayed from their faith. Though they believe to have built their pillars on the solid rock of God, their faith’s foundation has no basis, and is an easy target for the relentless storms and tides of this world.

There are some who, even without knowing why, have their faith solidly placed in the Rock of God, and will not be easily persuaded away from that – in fact, such persuasion is nigh impossible. These people are not simply clinging to a hopeful belief system that they believe will take them to heaven – they made the decision to follow that path, and as they progressed, they began seeing with their spiritual eyes to the point where they no longer need doubt their decisions and their faith. If asked why they believed what they do, they will probably have some sort of answer based on their journey and explorations.

From reading things on the internet from atheists, Christians, and people of different religions, I’ve found that answers such as “you just have to have faith” are extremely frustrating to others. Hopefully, those people who once decided to “take a chance” and follow Christ’s path now have the ability to formulate different answers that are based not only on their own experiences, but also on what God has taught them. If they have been truly following God long enough, such an answer would be sufficient to let another person see clearly enough what it means to be a Christian, and allow them to make a fully educated choice about it. Of course, by no means should we assume that everyone will come to the conclusion that they should be a Christian.

I’ve thought about it, and if someone questions my motives for my faith, I will not be caught without an answer. And I refuse to let my bottom line be “you just have to have faith.” To do so would put my beliefs on the exact same pedestal as every religion in the world.

But Christianity is not like those religions. Religions are merely systems of beliefs designed to prepare people for a life after death. The focuses of following Christ are not getting to heaven or going to Hell, and Christianity is not a set of beliefs and commandments that we are supposed to follow without question and without real purpose. All of the things commanded in the Bible are not meant to merely appease some god and get us into heaven. They are meant to keep us away from harm, because all the things commanded against have very real consequences. Anyone, even those who don’t follow the Bible, should be able to see that.

The real focus of Christianity is not appeasement, or fear, or reward: it is building God’s Kingdom. It is rescuing the world from the darkness of sin that has seized it. It is about Jesus Christ saving US from what we have all done to ourselves.

And unlike the gods of other religions who apparently sit around and expect everyone to follow their pointless, hollow commandments, Christ shows His power through His followers. Everyone who accepts his sacrifice, follows His path and is cleansed by His blood in dying with Him will shine clearly in the world. Jesus gives them the power to be fully and ultimately freed from death and sin, and they have the courage to do the craziest, wildest, most unfeasible things anyone’s ever heard of. God even works miracles through people’s faith! THAT is the faith of Christianity, not blindly believing that there is some God up there and hoping we are right. Really following God means that we KNOW God, and have a relationship with Him, and are becoming like Him, and have His power working through us to show the world who he is. He does not sit invisibly in another universe or dimension – He works here on Earth, even though He does not show Himself to many people the way they want Him to prove that He exists. He still wants people to have faith in Him, because faith is more powerful than sight, and it will eventually weed out the weak pretenders from the strong and courageous followers of Christ.

The God we serve and believe in created everyone with a set purpose. His kingdom is based on love, not on appeasement. God is not ready to throw us away to eternal fires on a whim. He does not enjoy destroying people. He spends lifetimes trying to call people to Himself and out of the lies and darkness that they have fallen into. Yet many resist the call, and he must destroy them, or they would destroy His kingdom and the faithful and the righteous who gave up their lives to serve Him.

And this is what our God wants; this is what Christianity is: a life, not a change in certain habits. A true Christian has counted the cost and given up everything to serve the Creator who loved him enough to give up His own life to free him. It is a decision to live for God that is based on ancient truths that have stood strong through all the tests of time and are also present truths. These truths are not a belief system that we hope to be right, and they are not truths that seek to freeze us in stone as we try to satisfy the seemingly pointless demands of a higher being. They are the things and values that were set in stone long ago, and will surge us forward, past the destruction of this world and to the completion of the Eternal Kingdom of God.

Everyone God creates is created with a purpose. God will use everyone for something whether they choose to follow Him or not, but nothing compares to the awesome power that God can show through those who give their lives to the One who knows exactly what is best for them.

Every one of God’s commandments has a purpose. They keep us from falling into evil or being swept away by the world, they light our paths in times of struggles, and they keep us safe from consequences. They are not a box that we must stay inside, as other religions are – they are the truths that will ultimately set us free from the box we were once trapped inside.

And God Himself has an ultimate purpose, to build a perfect Kingdom free of fear, darkness, and pain, a kingdom that will end evil and sadness forever.

Oh, and guess what? You can't convert away from true Christianity. Anyone who "converts" away from following God was very, very, very likely - in fact, almost positively - never a true follower of Christ to begin with. No religion can honestly say that, or this: being a Christian is a state of being. It means that you have been changed by God, and are being molded into who He meant for you to be. Religions, on the other hand, only have their followers obey sets of commands and believe certain things. Christianity has real power, no matter who, no matter where, no matter when - God is with us. In everything. And He shows His presence and His power.

Ciao!

Challenged Faith

2009-04-24T23:26:00.001-07:00

I’ve been thinking a lot lately. I mean, a lot. Mostly about this: why am I a Christian? Why do I believe in God? Out of all the ancient texts out there, why do I believe the Bible?
For a couple of weeks, this drove me crazy. For a time, I think I actually stopped being sure that I did believe it. Everyone always says to “have faith”, right? Well, I simply couldn’t blindly have faith in something that I had absolutely no idea why I had faith in it. There are lots of other people who have complete faith in their religions. Muslims and Buddhists, for example; I doubt that the Muslims who are out killing people don’t believe that their religion is true. And the people who spend their lives trying to become “enlightened” don’t believe that they are wasting their time on something false.
So why would I put my faith in the God of Christianity? The question wouldn’t stop haunting me. Why? Why?
This “phase”, as I’ll call it, kind of went on and off in my mind. But it was always there to spring up whenever something arose that might cause doubts. I think the initiator was probably my observing of the world, which I had never really used to do the way I started to. I saw how people were fully convinced that there was no God, how they simply saw me and others who did believe in the spiritual and supernatural as “religious” people who were chasing after some hopeful dream that there might be something more.
I’ll tell you something about me here. Sometimes this is a blessing, and other times it feels like a curse. In nearly every debate I have ever seen, heard, or participated in, I can almost always see and understand both sides of the argument. I am able to figure out what both sides are saying, why they express it the way they do, what they want to get across, and a few other things. It always baffles me that others can’t see this stuff when it often seems so clear to me.
Please understand that I’m not at all bragging. Unless I’m delusional and only think I can see all of this, it’s a gift that was given to me by God. And even then, I haven’t used it very effectively. If I had, my house might be a lot more peaceful, and some people I know might have better relationships with each other.
Anyway, here came the problem: looking at the big picture of the world, I started to see the big debate going on about theology. And yep, I began to see and understand every side of it.
Now technically, there are millions of sides to this debate, with all those countless religions that some people subscribe to. But really, all of them can be reduced down to four: religion, atheism, allegiance to God, and knowing allegiance to Satan (i.e. being against God). Soon after I saw this, I found myself being tested by each one of these. The rules, as dictated by my own view of the world, thoughts, and realizations: I could not use the Bible to directly prove reality, I could not base anything on my own experience, and I had to prove everything in a way that did not involve “just having faith” or anything completely incomprehensible. Basically, I could only use tools such as logic and reason to decide and understand my beliefs.
Boy, was that ever an interesting time.
The “test period” lasted for one week. Since it would probably take a long, long time to post them all at once, I’ll post each “test” separately in my next few posts.

The last thing I’ll say for now, is this: when Jesus proved who He was to Thomas, He was very right when He said “Blessed are those who believe without seeing.” If you can have that total and unconditional faith in God’s existence, without having to have anything proved by yourself or by anything or anyone else, you truly are blessed.

Ciao!

Filler

2009-04-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

I know that some of you, if memory serves, have been wanting me to post a picture of myself. So, while I'm in the process of writing my next post, I figured I'd humour you, and this time I won't be so cruel as to post a picture of my jacket.

And so, without further ado, here are a couple that I took of myself in the mirror:

NOW, if you look REAL CLOSE. . .

And also, I would like you all to jump over to Elliot's revamped-ish blog, which is now at www.countercultural-blog.blogspot.com. From what I know of him, he his humorous, friendly, and very committed to serving God with his writing.

Ciao!

Finally following a Tag

2009-04-04T22:48:00.000-07:00

I must congratulate Araken for being the first person to ever actually tag me and have me follow through with it...:P

1. What's your favorite school subject? Possibly English. If there were a creative writing type class at my school, it would definitely be that. :D

What's your favorite movie? *blinks* I liked the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe...The Lord of the Rings was good, too...Madagascar was great...so was WALL-E....hmmm.

3. What's your favorite Bible verse and why? Right now, it's probably John 8:34-36: All who sin are the slave of sin. A slave does not stay in the house forever, but a son does stay forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

4. What's your favorite day of the week and why? Friday's great; I love Thursday, too; Tuesdays are good because it's the day after Monday; Saturday and Sunday are the weekend, so they're good by definition; so I guess it's anything that's not Monday or Wednesday. I just don't like Wednesdays.

5. What's your favorite color (yeah, I know that's a lame question-so typical! :P) If you take any colour and put it on it's own, you'll find that it gets incredibly boring quite fast. Therefore this is a question that I cannot answer; all the colours need each other. :)

What's your favorite band? I don't follow bands a whole lot...

What's your favorite kind of music? Any music that I enjoy. It usually has to have a melody that's somehow forceful in order for me to like it. I don't listen to music too much.

What's your favorite book? Outside of the Bible, The Bones of Makaidos sits very strongly at the top of my list right now.

What'r you planning to do after this? Go to bed.

10. Who'r you tagging? I don't know. I've been out of it too long for me to know who's already been tagged...so here are a few shots in the dark: Judy, Flinn, and....Earwen.

Oh, and just a note, I'm going to be disallowing anonymous comments on my blog soon. I'll probably eventually turn them back on, but for now I want people to take credit for the opinions they are stating.

Ciao!

The Bones of Makaidos

2009-04-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

Seeing as how today is the offical release date for The Bones of Makaidos, I figured I'd post my review:

I could not imagine anyone being able to write a better series than Dragons in our Midst and Oracles of Fire. Yet somehow, Mr. Davis still managed to completely outdo every other book in the Dragons series with The Bones of Makaidos. To call it a stroke of genius would feel like an insult to this unmatchable work of literary art. It takes you on an incredible journey with the amazing characters through mysterious worlds both old and new, and I can almost guarantee that it will have a huge emotional, spiritual, and mental impact on everyone who reads it. You’ll find old revelations and new surprises, some shocking, some relieving. There is practically no way that any reader could walk away from this story without a feeling of satisfaction and a head full of wonder. At nearly thirty thousand words longer than Eye of the Oracle, The Bones of Makaidos was worth every page. Don’t even bother buckling your seatbelt for this wild ride!

Definitely read it, every one of you, as soon as you can. It's powerful.

Stepping in

2009-03-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

I'm just stepping in for a minute here to say hi, and that I haven't gone anywhere. I don't know when I'll put up a big new post, because I haven't really been in much of a posting mood lately. It could be a couple weeks, it could be tomorrow. Till then, see ya!

I'm 0n spring break right now, and boy did I need it...

Ciao!

Heading Up!

2009-02-26T18:50:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of year again! I've been packing my bags (with a little parental prodding) to head up with my trusty, awesome youth group to our annual youth retreat! I'll probably be exhausted afterwards from all the jumping around, listening and learning, junk food and fast food, and bucketloads of sugar and caffeine, but hey, it's always worth it! And hopefully, I'll learn some stuff that will motivate and inspire me to unleash a certain "post wave" that I have been planning and plotting! Heheheheheheheheheheh.

And the best part is, our bus leaves at 1:00, so I will be skipping almost the entire school day! Woot!

Ciao!

YCF Issues

2009-02-20T12:09:00.000-08:00

Just over twelve months ago, a small group of just four bloggers was dubbed the Young Christian Force. The group grew to over 25 members within five months, and built up an awesome group of friends over the Internet. Laughs and fresh thoughts were plentiful, as well as a few debates – but there was one problem: we were all already Christians. Though many of our posts were great, insightful, amazing thoughts, we remained far less effective than we should have been as a Christian group.

Now, over a year after the YCF’s formation, an issue has arisen that was never thought of before: taking the step of electing leaders.

I have thought about this for a while now, and my opinion has come to this.

I don’t think we should have the elections.

Why not? Well, first of all, one of the original rules was that everyone in the YCF was equal, no matter what. That would be rather difficult to wholly maintain if we elected leaders, wouldn’t it? But even if we did somehow overcome that and manage to keep everyone in equality, what would it do?

I don’t think that we should have a few certain people telling everyone what to do with their blogs. Blogs are personal, for one, though I am confident that the leaders would not go so far as to command everyone to post certain things (I doubt they would even have that authority). But so that you all don’t think that I want to lay back and be as apparently ineffective as we have been, here is what I do think.

I think that it’s time for all of the members of the YCF to band together under the banner that sits in the corners of our blogs, the banner that seems to have become nothing more than a token or a symbol. The YCF should not be like a Facebook group, where all you can do is display your membership and nothing more. We should join together and go out, with the promises and weapons of God in hand, and strive to conquer overwhelmingly as Christ said we would. Not by sword or fire, but with the Word and the Love of God. If we try to do it separately, without helping one another, how much less effective would it be than if we all, all thirty or forty of us (however many members the YCF is supposed to have right now), joined our efforts under the glorious name of Christ?

I have no doubt that God wanted this group to be formed for a reason even if it has taken us over a year to live up to that purpose.

One thing, however, that we should not forget, not for a minute, not for a second.

The YCF was formed as a group of friends, who were there to encourage each other. Fellowship is hugely important for Christians, and we should not forsake that in our quest to push forwards the Lord’s Kingdom. We have to continue doing what we have done for the past year, to share our thoughts with each other, to help one another, and to encourage each other. But now, we have to do more.

“6Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7if (service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12)

If anyone among us has the gift of leading, then let him lead; not with commands, but by his example, by encouraging words, and with truth. And if anyone has the gift to show the love and compassion that we will essentially need to accomplish anything, then let her show it to everyone that we come across. We all have gifts, each one different and each one important. We cannot have gained so many members and not have accumulated amazing potential. Pray for each other, and for our success. Be there for each other in defeats. Be a support to one another.
It was established a long time ago that the ultimate leader of the YCF is Jesus, and will ALWAYS be Jesus. So before we elect leaders from among ourselves, let’s try following His lead. We never really gave His leadership a chance to guide us before now. I say we give it a shot before we go and try something else.
Ciao!
P.S. By the way, I think we should organize some kind of census, to figure out how many members we have and who all of them are.

I can't think of a title and it's taking too long so please just read the post.

2009-02-02T17:47:00.000-08:00

I know full well how long it's been since I posted, but I couldn't motivate myself to get those poems done, and I don't like to break promises. Oh well. I got one of them finished. Here it is. (It's not yours, Judi. Sorry. I'll try to work on yours - eventually.) So here it is, a poem about aliens and the middle ages:

The aliens said they’d stay out of my hair
But it seems to me now I’m not safe anywhere
When I was sent back in time by a magical bear
I looked to the sky, and behold, they were there

They hovered above me and gave me this glare
They seemed to be wondering why I was there
A tractor beam lowered, my shoes it did snare
No matter, I thought, as I rose through the air

I lifted my arms, and my head I did wag
My sweater fanned out, and a branch it did snag
To cancel our meeting was truly a drag
I remorsefully thought as I mounted a stag

I ran ‘round in circles, pursued by my hosts
They soared o’er the fields like jet propelled ghosts
Hooting and hollering, offering toasts
Throwing down sausages, pheasants and roasts

Then finally they caught me and forced me to rest
And out came an alien, quite unimpressed
“We know how to help you, and we’ve tried our best
“But if you want to stay here, then fine, be our guest.”

He nodded his head, and with that, he withdrew
Their saucer spun ‘round and backwards it flew
They left me right there in a field wet with dew
As I tipped them my hat and bid them adieu.

Also, I missed my blogging anniversary this past Friday! *bows* I may or may not do some sort of post concerning that in the near future. I'm also going to try to start a) posting more frequently and b) posting more meaningful stuff. So please, don't abandon my blog just yet!

Ah yes, last of all, if you would like me to post a short story I recently wrote, just tell me - if I get at least five requests, it shall soon appear on this blog.

Ciao!

Ian's Poetry Challenge

2009-01-19T19:46:00.000-08:00

I've decided that I need to exercise my creativity. Therefore, I am issuing this challenge to myself, in which my faithful readers will have to help me.

You post a comment dictating what I will write my poem about and how I will write it - whether it will be rhyming or free verse, the rhyming pattern I will use, the rhythm scheme, the genre (comedy, spiritual, etc.). Keep it within reason, but other than that, dictate as much or as little as you want. If you can, try to make it about something that you think I can't possibly write a good poem about. I consider the greatest test of creativity to be in one's ability to utilise the extents of their imagination while working inside a box, so please try to make it as difficult as you can.

Provided anyone does this, I will post my poems on my next post.

Ciao!

Holiness

2009-01-14T16:07:00.000-08:00

I'm so sorry for not posting in such a long time. You see, with the slow moving pace of blogging activity lately, I have been suffering from blethargia, which is a condition that leaves me unmotivated to post anything.

However, a new issue has arisen here on my blog, so let's get right to it.

I don't intend to offend anyone with this post, nor do I have any desire at all to alienate any of you. You've been great friends for these past eleven months, and I would not at all wish to sever any friendships. I say this because I know that this will likely be a delicate topic, so please, you are free to disagree - but let's all stay civilized towards each other. (Not to suggest that anyone might be uncivilized - but I just wanted to make sure ;)

So, I've had this poll up in my sidebar for a while now that asks about Christians and whether or not they can be holy after they are saved. Since Elliot has kindly brought up several major points, I would be happy to address them and clear up a few apparent misunderstandings. For the sake of simplicity, I would like to refer to your post directly, Elliot, and I hope that this is okay with you.

First order of business: Your first two points were a) that if I held the view that Christians can live a holy life, then I would assume that a Christian has no trouble resisting temptation, and b) that I would say that a person sinning proves that they cannot be a Christian. To answer the second point, I would say that if a person was consisently sinning in the same ways without an iota of evidence of any self-control, then I would not think him a real Christian. But as for others, who sin occassionally but make honest efforts to avoid it, I am not completely sure; I suppose it would depend on the person's heart and their own relationship with God. Having said that, I am not in a position to accuse anyone of not being a Christian, so I won't focus on that. You also asked about someone who sinned without knowing it. My question is, if someone does wrong without knowing it to be wrong, is it really a sin? I think that sin is a deliberately doing something that we know not right. Remember, man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. And God is just.

Back to the first point. I do not believe for one second that Christians have no trouble resisting temptations. Otherwise we could never be truly tested. I do, however, believe that Jesus can make temptations infinitely easier to resist, and I say this from personal experience.

Let me tell you a story. I used to sin a LOT, and it drove me absolutely crazy, because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop. I hated it when I sinned. I was wondering how in the world I could call myself a follower of God when I couldn't stop rebelling against him.

So I prayed, again and again and again, for him to remove evil desires from my mind. After perhaps a week of desperate prayers, I was able to almost effortlessly resist the temptations that had been haunting me for months. But only after I realized that I was far too weak on my own, and Jesus was my only hope to get out.

I'm not saying that you can just snap your fingers, say a prayer, and suddenly never sin again. Complete cleansing of a person's mind and soul is a process, one which takes time and effort - and, above all, it requires GOD"S AMAZING MERCY. Nor am I saying that this should be our focus, or that I have yet completely stopped sinning - I wish to, and I truly am seeing progress. I sin less and less and less and less. But I still had to learn something else, which is that this could not be the main thing that I was striving for. I needed to be reaching for growth in the Lord; if my heart was in the right place, the rest would come.

Nobody is perfect on their own. We absolutely need Jesus to help us, and to stay with us. And we need to continually grow in our relationship with Him, no matter what. We must never stop growing or learning or following.

And I believe that this answers the next part of Elliot's post.

Christ did not die in vain; his sacrafic was essential for our salvation. Only through this amazing act of love are we able to be forgiven, to be offered a new life in Christ.

You quoted 1 John 1:8, "If we claim to be without sin, we decieve ourselves and the truth is not in us". Okay, but I never claimed that a Christian has never sinned. We all have sinned. But as you said, Jesus gradually makes us into new creations by his unchanging mercy and grace.

I am not completely made up on this topic. There are still a few things in the midde which I am unsure of, that I am trying to clarify as I study the Bible. But I have no doubt that, while it is not instantaneous, holiness is achievable, even while we are still on this earth. A true follower of Christ does not wish to rebel against his Father.

To close, consider this, straight from the mouth of Jesus himself:

"All who sin are the slave of sin", but "if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed!"

Ciao!

Laughter

2009-01-08T15:11:00.001-08:00

Laughter. One of heaven's most powerful weapons. Surely the demons must tremble as it pours forth from the mouths of saints, as the mirth rings out from behind Heaven's walls. And surely this amazing gift has the power to help us as well.

So I had to do a kind of presentation in my English class today. I despise public speaking, and I'm pretty sure public speaking hates me too, as it takes great pleasure in torturing me every time its looming shadow arises....

But anyway, I did my presentation (easier than most, since I was mostly asking questions and the rest of the class was answering). But throughout it, I still felt the relentless pangs of nervousness rattle my bones, wanting only to return to the safety of my seat, when suddenly someone says something ridiculous, and....

The class breaks out in laughter.

Works like a charm. Every single time I have to get up in front of a group of people, if I can somehow get them to laugh while I'm up there, I instantly become almost completely relaxed. It gets so much easier to resume talking.

Laughter. The best medicine. The sound that can ward off or destroy almost any negative emotion or thought, and can slice through numerous ploys of the devil. With one pleasant sound, an entire bad day can crumble, leaving the way open to the freedom of happiness. It is an invitation into the kingdom of heaven to someone who is downcast. Laughter is the sound of heaven.

God has a sense of humour. How could He not? He created us, He gave us the ability and reason to laugh. And for good reason. How could we possibly get through this life, how could we hope to build and fix relationships, how could we ever relax when we are afraid? The Lord's design is flawless. He knew what He was doing when he gave us the gift of laughter. He knew its joys, and He had to share it. Just as we cannot keep our own laughter to ourselves. Laughter is contagious, after all, right?

And remember, it has been proven many time that God does have a sense of humour!

Ciao!

Christmas Shopping

2008-12-22T21:47:00.000-08:00

Call me crazy, call me strange, but Christmas is the ONE time of year when I actually enjoy shopping. I enjoy muscling my way into the packed and crowded stores at the mall, waiting in those long lines that snake throughout all of the aisles, and searching around for hours trying to figure out what everybody on my list might like. I enjoy the crinkling of the money in my hand, knowing that I'll be spending it soon - actually, at Christmas, I usually don't really care about my money - and I'm therefore usually not a very smart shopper. :P

And after maybe two hours of walking around and waiting in lines and spending money, my legs feel like they're going to fall off and I am incredibly tired. This is another part of Christmas shopping that I like. I'll head up to the top floor of the Sears department and flop down in one of they're comfy couches in front of the 50 inch plasma TV's and watch a bit of a hockey game (there is usually one on during the time I go shopping). Then I get up, despite the screaming protests of my legs and the rest of my body, and head down to the food court to grab a burger and root beer from A&W. They have the best root beer...:D

Point is, I LOVE every part of Christmas shopping - the crowded malls (this is totally against my nature, as I usually like being alone and hate crowds....), the Christmas decorations, passing by the Santa display and feeling sorry for all the parents waiting in line with their kids, the smells of the stores that I always visit (especially the bookstore), the smell of the food court, the weariness...and, of course, the satisfaction once I'm finished that I am done for the year.

Of course, this year's theme was "be as cheap as possible to try and save money for the upcoming youth conference that I really want to go to". I don't know why I decided to by Christmas gifts when I am trying to SAVE money...hmmm..<_< Oh well.

Why do I enjoy all of this, you may ask? I'm a very traditional person. I love traditions. I like knowing that I'm doing something that I've done exactly a year ago, and a year before that....

I can't really explain it any better than that. :)

Here is a poem I wrote as a tribute to Christmas shopping:

‘Twas a week before Christmas when Jimmy set out
On a mission quite dangerous and filled full of doubt

He snatched up his gear and assembled his guise
And gathered his cache of battle supplies

A neck guard he wrapped ‘round the base of his throat
And he draped on his shoulders a thick leather coat

Beneath Jimmy’s clothes was a chain mail gown
And he wore a hard helmet on the top of his crown

He picked up his sword and slid it into its sheath
Which he tied to his waist, tucked his shirt underneath

And then squaring his shoulders, he picked up his shield
And bravely marched out the door into the field

Jimmy walked to the mall on that cold winter’s day
Closed his eyes, and then entered the perilous fray

He fought through the masses of people and stuff
Ducking and dodging through all of the rough

And then out of nowhere a fist smacked his nose
A knee clunked his stomach as a foot crushed his toes

Poor Jimmy was hurled from Sportcheck to Sears
He flew to the bookstore and slid to St. Pierre’s

And young Jimmy knew, right there and right then,
He couldn’t survive through this dastardly den

On the floor of the mall, lying battered and bruised,
Our hero was carelessly tromped as he snoozed

But then he arose, all shaking and dazzled
His clothing was torn, he was beaten and frazzled

Yet onward he pushed, through the unyielding horde
He charged and he shoved and he slashed with his sword

For hours he tumbled and pounded and crawled
He clawed his way forward and though he was mauled

He gathered each one of the gifts on his list
And then with his money clutched tight in his fist

He wrestled his way to the final cashier
As shoppers all clawed and tore at his gear

With a heroic leap, Jimmy soared through the air
Over top of the crowd as they grabbed at his hair

He quickly paid for his things and ran out of the door
And then standing up straight, yelled “I’ve done it once more!”

Ciao!

50,000, snow, and Christmas!!

2008-12-20T12:13:00.000-08:00

Howdy!

It's Christmas break! Finally! Freedom! Sixteen straight days without having to run off to school! Huzzah!

Also, I recently passed the 50,000 word mark in my book. Large milestone for me....I'm hoping to almost finish my first draft by the end of the Christmas holidays. With no school, I should have plenty of time for writing.

Another goal for the holidays is to finish the tune for that song that I posted a couple of weeks ago (called "This Christmas"). I have the full tune for the first verse, and a little over half for the second. It shouldn't take long to finish the tunes for all the verses, and after that I just need to write a chorus (and possibly another verse). It will be a short song, but it will be the first one that I've actually ever completed. :D

And...it snowed a couple of days ago! not enough to close the schools, unforutnatley...<_<. But I got to stay home anyway. =D. It wasn't that deep, and it's mostly melted now, but there is supposed to be a LOT more over the Christmas break...(there's a blizzard scheduled for...tomorrow, I believe?)

Anyways, that's all I have to say for now!

Ciao!

Christmas weather

2008-12-15T15:40:00.000-08:00

So it's -16 degrees Celsius out where I am, with the wind chill....and it's a strong wind, too! Our school's power went out not even two hours into the school day, and so an powerless hour and a half later, I was on my way home without any homework. Yay!

I went oustide and played hockey in my driveway for awhile. It was the perfect time to be outside....since it felt like 20 below, everybody else was inside, so it was peaceful and quiet and I could be alone for a while. Sure, there was the whole frozen face and hands and getting blown around by the wind issue, but 'twas worth it.

I remain the only one in my family who is not bothered by the cold - I could stand outside in a T-shirt in 6 degree weather (Celsius of course) and say that it's warm. My family holds to the belief that something is wrong with me. :D lol

So anyways, I posted a poem the other day (whoah, it's been a long time since I posted!), and you all know that my poems come in sets, so here is another one for you. Again, this is a song, and I actually did have a tune for this one...not that good though, and I may change it, if I ever actually get around to writing the music for these things.

CHRISTMAS IN NEVADA

*Disclaimer: I know absolutely zilch about the state of Nevada, and I do not claim that anything in this song is at all accurate about the state or any of its inhabitants*.

*Disclaimer (2): Nobody ever said that any content in the poem had to make senese. Any confusion is the fault of the reader.

Christmas in Nevada
Such a Christmassy place
Just saying its name will put joy on your face

The state full of Christmas
The state full of fun
The state full of people preparing to run

The fire is blazing
The town is alight
To warm up a freezing Decembery night

The mice charred to cinders
Their squeaking has ceased
So no one will interrupt this Christmas feast

Oh, Christmas in Nevada
A place you will love
At all Christmas dinners
Are happy signs of

The joy brought by Christmas
To everyone’s heart
They’ll smile while the gathered,
Remorse when they part

Christmas in Nevada
Where Christmas tree shine
And faces of puppies are smothered with pine

The carolers sing
In the crisp snowy air
Their lips are all frozen and so is their hair

The children are playing
There’s ice on their toes
The old man who’s walking has ice up his nose

The wreaths on the doorways
Have shattered like glass
The stars on the treetops have killed all the grass

No greenery lives
On this December’s night
They’re ready for Christmas, the weather’s just right

Christmas in Nevada
The Christmas lights fall
Sounding the morning to wake one and all

It’s finally Christmas
The children all clap
To look upon Santa who’s caught in their trap

The cookies have vanished
To all of their grief
At last they have finally captured the thief

The parents are groggy
The sky is all gray
But everyone’s happy on this special day

The weather is snowy
The cold air must sting
But all through Nevada the Christmas mice sing

Christmas in Nevada
Just look at the snow
The world’s so pretty
When it’s fifty below!

Not one of my better songs/poems, but I was in a fairly random mood when I wrote it (which was actually almost a year ago....) And anyways, it accomplished its goal.
Ciao!

This Christmas...a poem!

2008-12-02T19:22:00.000-08:00

Greetings!

Merry just-under-two-weeks-until-Christmas-break if you live in Canada! Which I know is about zero of you, so you can ignore that. But you've already read it, so it doesn't matter anymore, so now you have just read completely pointless information that will likely stay locked in your mind for a while!

Unless you, too, have only just under two weeks until Christmas holiday. In which case, Merry what-I-said-before to you as well!

It is about time for another sequence of poems on my blog, don't you think? So, since it IS the wonderful month of December, I am beginning a Christmas series which I MAY depart from in some manner or other. In any case, I would like to open up with this poem that I wrote earlier today.

THIS CHRISTMAS

This Christmas, will the world see?
Will eyes be opened, ears be turned?
This Christmas, will the earth be free?
Will people search, will they have learned?

This Christmas, may the people know
The truth about the season
This Christmas, let their kindness flow
May they be joyful for a reason

This Christmas, may we be bring delight
To everyone who sees us
This Christmas, may we be a light
In the blessed name of Jesus

IF YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE OR CRITICISM OR THINGS I COULD HAVE DONE BETTER, DON'T HESITATE ONE SECOND TO INFORM ME. I'M TRYING TO IMPROVE MY POETRY WRITING SKILLS, SO PLEASE, FEEL FREE TO ASSIST. :)

By the way, I want to make this into a kind of song...if I am able to come up with a tune for it, I'll try to post it here.

EDIT:

Judi said she wanted more writing. So here is a short part of a passage that I am currently in process of writing. But this will very probably be the last of my writing posts for a while (I can hear some of your relief from here :D):

Marc traipsed along the lonely road, hearing weeps and wails from every direction. Every mournful sound tore at his heart, leaving a weighty feeling on him that made him want to collapse and cry out the river of tears that burst within his chest. But he had to stay strong, stronger than his emotions; he had to go on. He didn’t know where he was going, but he had to get there, and he couldn’t give in to anything that would make him stop.
Ciao!

ME!!!

2008-11-25T18:26:00.000-08:00

Okay, make absolute sure to read my last post if you have not yet. MAKE SURE!!! I WILL be reading the comments on that post to make sure that you've all read it. *glares around*

Just because I feel like it, I'll post a picture of myself. Here it is:

On the left, with the red and black jacket? That's me at the Motiv8 book signing! That's when I met Christopher Hopper.

Hey, I never said my face would be in it! :P I'm sorry for the teaser...I promise that one day, ONE DAY, I will post a full picture of myself.

Ciao!

A revelation

2008-11-24T20:20:00.000-08:00

The strangest thing happened to me earlier.

I realized how to write.

I was in my English class, and the teacher said something about sentence structure, and I just suddenly understood everything I was doing wrong with my writing and what I had to change.

For the past month or so, I have been wondering how to write a calm, relaxing beginning to a book while still setting the stage for the story and creating suspense. And now I know. And because I know that, I know how to write the rest of a story as well.

More importantly (or perhaps more accurately) I discovered my own writing style - or rather, the refined version of it. So from now on I'll be able to write better, all because of a random revelation.

I can't tell you exactly what it is that I realized, first of all because I don't know how to explain it in a way that would make sense and fully describe it properly, and also because it will only really make sense in my head. Only I can put this idea into my words.

I don't mean to be reserving or selfish - I seriously don't know how to explain it exactly. But I can say that it involves not overusing commas. This is something I am notorious for, even without realizing it. Using short to medium length sentences without commas sets a good tone for the beginning of a story, I think, as well as other parts of a book.

If that last paragraph didn't make sense or doesn't really help, you have my leave to completely ignore and/or forget about it.

It was such a wierd experience...I mean, it just all CAME to me...it was very distracting for the rest of the class. Maybe it's because I was thinking about writing so much for about a week before that, although I hadn't really thought about writing at all in the morning before it.

Ciao!

Madagascar and Hockey

2008-11-11T19:47:00.000-08:00

I am so sorry for not posting for so long - I thought about it several times, but I couldn't think of something that I wanted to post.

I just saw Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa earlier today. The penguins did not disappoint, :D and neither did most of the rest of the movie. Have any of you seen it yet? It was funny. One of the better movie sequels, I think.

In Hockey news, my team just won two games in a row! Yay! I also broke my stick in last night's game....hmmm....I'll have to go shopping soon. More on last night in a moment.

In the three games before these last two, our team scored on goal. Just so everyone knows, one goal in three games is BAD. :P lol. That was not a happy time on our team...

Last night's game was violent - very much hostility betwene our teams. The worst incident was when a player of the other team dropped to his knees, slid into our goalie and started punching him. Four of our players went in to settle things, followed by the refs.

We play the same team again next week. That should be fun.

Ciao!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T16:24:00.000-07:00

Heh, I'll bet some of you are already ready to pound me! "Halloween is evil - how could you even think about celebrating it?" Well, if you'll hear me through, I shall explain.

For me, Halloween is not a time to celebrate evil. That's that, simply laid out. I do not have any support for the origins of the holiday. But, I do have my own past regarding Halloween, and I have quite enjoyed it every year. I absolutely love traditions, especially personal ones, and I make new ones and discarded old ones almost every Halloween.

There are also things that I once did on Halloween that I can no longer do, but loved doing when I could do them: Trick-or-treating, going to the cornfield carnival at our church, dressing up, the "pumpkin run" at my old elementary school, visits to the pumpkin patch, carving out jack-o-lanterns...All of them were loads of fun, and I get a surge of nostalgia every time I think about them. For me, Trick-or-treating was not just about candy, and when I opened the cupboards to get at my delectable treats, I cherished the smell that met me from my Trick-or-treating bag and the candy wrappers.

To me, it's also a celebration of the time of year. I love fall, though I don't completely remember why until it comes every year. I enjoy the fallen leaves, the wind, the clouds, the rain...everything. And Halloween feels like the peak of it all.

Again, I despise the spookiness and darkness of Halloween. I dislike scary costumes or detailed, bloody masks. And I am strongly against the things that many people do on Halloween, all over the world.

Some might say that it is still wrong to celebrate such a dark holidy. First of all, I'm not celebrating the holiday - at least, not everyone else's. I'm celebrating my own that was created out of the one that everyone else celebrates. And second, celebrating on a holiday with dark origins, as long as I do not celebrate or agree with the evil side of it, does not make me an evil person any more than being an American citizen makes somebody a good person or a Christian. Just because the country has Christian origins, does not mean that every person who lives in it or celebrate the fourth of July has a heart for those morals.

Happy Halloween - Ian's edition!

Ciao!

Swearing

2008-10-28T15:09:00.001-07:00

This is something that really annoys, and even offends me. People have become so completely inconsiderate that they refuse to regard the fact that anyone else who might not want to hear them mindlessly swear could be around, and they spout off swear words anyway. It drives me crazy, especially since I am forced to hear them EVERY DAY.

People swear at each other as I'm passing by. They whisper curse words in classrooms. They swear beside me. They swear behind me. They swear at me. They yell it out in the hallways for EVERYONE to hear. And I gain no opinion of them from this than that they are some of the most ignorant, unthoughtful people there. Furthermore, I know that I am not the only one there who hates it. WHY DO THEY DO IT?

Oh, I know why. They want to put emphasis on what they are saying. They think that it makes them sound "cool" or "tough". They think it will make people listen to them more. But I can testify that it does the exact opposite: it repels and revolts people, and it tears down their view of the swearer.

I don't see why people think that they need to swear. I know that some people are brought up with it, and it's probably a difficult habit to break once you are used to it. But please, TRY. For the benefit of others, and for your own sake, make an attempt to refrain from using those offensive words when you are around those who might not appreciate it, and especially where you are talking with them.

There are probably other reasons people have for swearing. I don't know all of them. But i do know that there are plenty of reasons NOT to swear. Last year, I heard a couple of my friends talking, and one of them asked "what do people have against swearing? It's just a word". It's a valid question, I believe. So I went to the internet to do some research on the history of swear words. I found nothing. Nadda. However, after thinking about it, I came up with some things to say about it:

1) It lessens the value of what your words. When you swear, people have no real reason or obligation to take you seriously, or event to listen.

2) It lowers people views and standards of you and your character. People with throw you into the same category other people that they have heard swear.

3) A larger, more important reason that people find it offensive: the standard of not swearing, or "keeping your mouth clean", orginates from God's law. Lo and behold, that is wear most of our moral standards come from, no? So it is considered by society to be a lack of morality, not to mention demoralizing to those who have to hear it. Also, people consider it a lack of consideration for those certain unwilling listeners.

4) Here's something not many people consider: ya know how people seem to refer to these swear words as curse words? Get the drift? CURSE words?? I believe they might be called that for a reason, namely, that they are, in fact, meant to be curses. If you know the actually dictionary definition of the D-word, you know that it actually means "curse", or something very close to that. So when you use it in reference to someone or something, you are saying, very literally, "curse that thing" or "curse that person" or "curse you". And that is not something that you can take lightly or throw to the side or say, "well I didn't mean it that way". You didn't, huh? Well what came out of your mouth meant exactly that. So guard your tongue, people! Don't let something that your mind isn't saying escape from between your teeth!

Or maybe you did mean it that way? Well, that means you're not ignorant, right? Well, maybe you aren't ignorant, but you are still very much in the wrong. God says that NOBODY except for Him shall curse anyone. And God wouldn't be using those words.

There are many other words. There are so many that the modern language have formed, most of them aren't even just evil and insolent - they are also vile and extremely innapropriate. The English language doesn't even have words strong enough to describe how bad they are. Oh, by the way, swear words aren't really that strong if you use them frequently. For example, I have never sworn in front of my friends at school. And I know that if I did, they would all be stunned. They would listen. I know they would. See, myself swearing would be a hundred time more powerful than the swearing of my other friend who swears every day. That doesn't mean I am going to swear. But it does mean that swearing often makes people pay less attention to you.

There are people who find swearing to be inconsiderate and offensive. And they do have a right not to have to listen to those who refuse to acknowledge them. I really honestly don't have anything personally against people who swear - and I know, that seems like a contradiction to things I said earlier. But swearing mindlessly around others is inconsiderate. It does make you sound selfish. And I, for one, absolutely hate it.

Ciao!