Vote in this straw poll! Let's win the evangelical vote!

You MUST REGISTER AND DONATE AT LEAST $1 to vote in this CRITICAL straw poll. This will have a direct and profound effect on the swing of the Christian vote. Ron Paul needs to win this one.

Go to https://www.frcaction.org/index.cfm?incl=not_logged_in and register and vote NOW! (And don't forget to post this on your blog, your website, email this link to friends, and help your elderly grandmother who supports Ron Paul to vote).

Elite Athletes, Mediocore Training

This is a very good article written by one of the trainers at my work, Tim Skiawt, commenting on the often below-average and outdated workouts that many professional athletes still incorporate into their training regimen.

Time is Precious: So how do we use it? Part I

Today, at the pool, Bryan Legault and I talked about a subject that has really kept me up at night (metaphorically speaking) the last couple of months. I have attempted to discuss this subject with others before, however I am usually unsuccessful in my efforts to explain it in a way that makes sense to people. Needless to say, it was quite refreshing for me this afternoon when I could tell that Bryan understood exactly what I was saying. So what were we talking about? I am so glad you asked.

I started off by saying, "Bryan, I don't know what to spend my time thinking about". (Let me clarify that when I say "thinking about", I am NOT saying thinking about something for the sake of thinking about it. Rather, this is spending time reflecting about a specific issue that will hopefully result in having confidence about your stance on this issue, which will then in turn enable you to reach the ultimate goal: to act and live in a way that is reflective of your position.) To prevent this post from turning into yet another unsuccessful effort at explaining this concept, I will just use an example.

As many of you are well aware, I strongly support Ron Paul in the upcoming presidential election. As a result, I have joined the grassroots Ron Paul meetup group here in Austin, in order to contribute to getting him elected in 2008. At our most recent meeting, we discussed ways in which we could make this goal a reality. Now if someone had just walked into the meeting, with no awareness of what it was or who was sponsoring it, and those speaking used the name Jesus instead of Ron Paul, they could easily have mistaken it for a group of Christians discussing how to evangelize to the greater Austin area. Among the striking parallels were: Talk of rallying the voters in Iowa, in which we could "plant seeds and win converts", stories of people staying up late at night working on the local campaign website, conversations that had taken place in local restaurants which resulted in sparking people's interest in Ron Paul (in which they were encouraged to "follow up" with them), not forcing Ron Paul on people but "having it flow naturally out of your conversation", donating as much as could to the campaign, creating "organic groups of Ron Paul supporters" and elevating his name among the American people, not to mention encouraging people to get together and travel to Iowa for a couple of days (do I hear "short-term mission trip"?).

Now obviously, most Christians would agree that there is nothing inherently wrong with the Ron Paul meetup group nor the efforts we are taking to getting him elected. However, the problem arises in my mind when I consider the practical implications of being an active member of this group (or any other cause that happens not to be evangelism). Most people are familiar with the concept of "opportunity cost", and there is no better situation to apply it to than this one. The opportunity cost of being active in this meetup group means that I will spend more time familiarizing myself with Dr. Paul's policies, volunteering on many of the local projects, and attempting to speak about Dr. Paul as often as I can. Which in turn means that I will be spending less time reading apologetics, thinking about reaching the campus, reading spiritual books, missional communities, dealing with my doubts, evangelism, etc. etc. etc. And this is not just limited to spiritual things, but includes all the other things I desire to spend time on, like kiniesiology, strength and conditioning, girlfriend, depression, etc..

So, it seems I struggle with how much time should be alloted to each thing. Obviously, I understand that I must not have anything other than Christ consume my life, but I am not entertaining the idea of being obsessed with these things--just dedicated to them, being competent in them. And please don't ask me "Which is more important, telling people about Ron Paul or telling them about Jesus?" Using that logic, we should never feed the poor, since certainly telling people about Jesus is more important than feeding them. I welcome comments, in fact I beg you to give them to me. Part II will come soon. Farewell for now.

P.S. To Daniel Spenrath, I think I know what your answer will be :).

Demand Ron Paul

Christ must be reasonable

"Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind" Colossians 2:18

As I read this verse last night, it really made me stop and ponder the implications that Paul is setting forth. It seems that the one of the reasons why Paul considered the false teaching circulating in Colosse to indeed be false, or at least disqualified it from being truthfully considered by Paul (aside from his apostolic authority), was that it was "without reason". In other words, the was no reason to believe that this teaching (which called the Colossian Christians to worship the earthly and heavenly spirirts in addition to Christ in order to be justified before God) was indeed true. These teachers had no way of defending the veracity of their truth-claim. Consequently, this must therefore mean that Paul believes the Gospel DOES have the ability to defend itself against skepticism and verify its central truth-claims.

I think this is a point often not emphasized enough in our evangelistic efforts or even those of discipleship. As a result, I think this is one of the reasons that such a popular stigma placed on Christians from those in the secular realm is that we live by "faith" while the rest of the intelligent lives by "reason". However, according to Paul, it seems that instead of these two virtues being divorced (as seems to be the belief of our current culture) they are in fact intimately intertwined with each other. Indeed, for Paul the sign of true faith is that it must be reasonable--and if it is not, it cannot be true.

The Lost Art of Contemplation

We need to spend more time being quiet, on our knees in our closets. Or just being silent for an hour, and just to think. Maybe with a notepad or laptop close by to write down things that come up or that we learn. It is ironic that what we are searching for when we avoid meditation is what we only find when we do meditate.


I understand this post is horribly written and badly thought out...I am so so exhausted right now (as usual) and just don't care at the moment. Please forgive me.

The three Turkish Martyrs: Aboslutely Horrifying

When I saw Ravi Zacharias last week, he mentioned this letter written by the Turkish Church in Smyrna concerning the recent martyrdom of three Turkish Missionaries. Here is the link to the letter: Church in Smyrna

I must warn you, the letter is very graphic, so prepare yourself.

Father

I feel like before I can do anything (schoolwork, career exploration, focus on Christ, etc.) that I have to figure out how politics really work, who really controls this country (or the world), the truth about 9/11, and choose which activism association I really want to get involved in. I want to find refuge in you, knowing that there is no deception in your revelation, so that I can be able to give all of my worries and anxieties and confusion to you and your care. Take for instance, this 9/11 thing or discovering who to trust in mainstream media. Or, which news sources to listen to or being completely overwhelmed with the astonishing abundance of information and opinion on the internet--and knowing who is reputable and who is not. At the end of the day, I want to know that although I might be completely ignorant of what is going on in politics, I can still rest assured that the Gospel is true, that you, Jesus, are alive and that you are governing the world from your throne. I want to still have confidence in apologetics and that what I believe is true, because it provides me with confidence, that even if my whole life's work on a specific issue is completely false that I my foundation is not shaken because you are true.

The problem that arises from this, is that I think it tends to provide me with the opposite of its intention. Namely, I won't really put all of my effort into deciding what is true and who is lying and what not in politics or fighting for a specific cause (like school vouchers or tax-free textbooks) because I just think to myself "it is in God's hands". And so I put some effort into it but not all of my effort. And I feel guilty for doing this.

Maybe what I really want is for the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers to be true. The idea there is no one vocation or field that is more important than the other. That way, even if I believe everything the government tells me about everything, and I am a strength and conditioning coach and don't really worry about politics a great deal, I don't feel inferior to those who do. Or to those who may be running the world through corruption or other sinful means. But the truth is it is very hard to feel that way.

Why is it so hard for me to right out my feelings? Or even not to be rushed. I know that this post is poorly written and highly unorganized, but the reason behind this is that I am so tired that I don't want to go back and edit it or take my time to really think about what I am trying to say. In reality, I just want to eat. That's all I ever want to do now.

Wars and Worldviews

I slowly learning the magnitude of the implications an individual's worldview has on every aspect of life. Take the Iraq War for example. No matter your feelings on the politics on the war (Yes, this even includes Alex Jones), every one must agree the prime cause of all the secretatian violence is not political power, tribal loyalty, or American animosity. Indeed, these are certainly manifestations of the prime cause, but they are still not the prime cause itself. The prime cause, or what some may call the "root of the problem", is that their hearts are crooked--filled, as it were, with evil. I am fully aware that this is no new discovery, as this is obvious to any thinking person. But, what is not so agreed upon and obvious to the remedy to such a problem. In short, it all comes down to answering this question: How do you change heart that is contaminated?

This is, as hinted at by my first statement, where the worldview becomes such a divisive factor. For instance, for those who don't believe in God, the answer is insuring that children are given a proper upbringing, and that those whose hearts are already contaminated to either provide some sort of motivational sermon on living ethically or else preventing them from carrying out their heinous acts via law enforcement. However, there is no rest that it will all work out, that despite his failures, justice will be served and peace will triumph. Because, unless he does it, then hope is unattainable.

For the Christian or the Muslim, the case is a little different.

Justification and Green Beans

One of the most foundational doctrines of Christianity is our justification before God. That through Christ's death and ressurrection, "we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1) and we are now presented "holy and blameless and above reproach before him"(Colossians 1:22). In fact, Romans speaks of Christ's death has being a propitiation, which literally means that through Christ God's wrath towards us was satisfied.

A couple of days ago, after reading my previous post, my friend Jack sent me the verses mentioned above to comfort me in my worry and anxiety. Once I read them, I was immediately comforted. How could you not be when you realize that Almighty God, who was once consumed with wrath towards you, as now made you holy and blameless before him and joyfully welcomes you into his family? However, be this as it may, I must still admit that I feel embarrassed that I even desire these feelings of comfort or acceptance. It is the age-old problem, especially in males: I don't want to feel like I need someone's assistance to be accepted, I want to feel completely self-sufficient. Besides, (and this is not what I think but what I tell myself) real men don't worry about trying to be accepted, valued, or loved--they are good enough that these types of things just come naturally. For instance, if I was extremely gifted at say sports or music, I would not have these feelings because I would always be accepted because of my great talent. There would be no depression, anxiety, or worry, because I am so valued among those in my field that it is all I need.

Obviously, these assumptions are definitely not the case. And I know that. The problem is figuring out why, if I know these are false assumptions, are my feelings dictated as if they were true? It is like getting depressed that I'm not a green bean because there is an assumption being propagated somewhere that only green beans are worthy of our love and attention.

My Current Situation

I don't know what to do with my life. I am having such a difficult time trying to decide what vocation I want to do. Or, in other words what I am called (not in a special sense, but in a giftedness sense) to be and do. I am so scared and afraid of the future. And the more I ponder the future, the more guilty I feel for getting behind on the present and urgent. Right now is a perfect example, as I take time to try and write out and clarify my anxious thoughts (which I tell myself I should do when I am studying) I feel so guilty for not studying. In addition, I feel guilty for not doing the following:

-Working and making money
-Not being involved in the political process (YCT, PNAC, volunteering somewhere)
-Not taking time attending leisure events (HRC, the blanton, softball, baseball, Texas Relays)
-Not going to teacher office hours
-Not being involved with the strength and conditioning department
-Not being involved with the college of communication
-Not having my dorm room decorated, not having bought the Anxiety and Phobia workbook
-Not taking steps for "revival" on the campus, undergoing/doing discipleship
-Not training myself in apologetics, or dealing more intensely with my doubts
-Not having organized my dorm room kitchen
-Not focusing on gaining weight and learning more about food
-Focusing on gaining weight and learning more about food
-Investing and budgeting
-Not planning out week and days
-Not spending enough time with friends
-Tanning and not tanning, not buying clothes I want
-Not spending more time with Jun, Frank, and Brad
-Not being involved with some human rights activist group
-Not sleeping, not talking to Emily
-Not having my dailiy routines organized (updating ipod, the news, prayer, working out, eating, what to do in the mornings, etc.)
-Not running errands
-Not thinking more about the RLC kids
-Having such a big, nice, and gas guzzling truck
-Not working on improving my academic skills (writing, researching, technology, etc.)
-Not trying to date someone
-Not writing out my thoughts, not getting my pictures developed
-Not working on where I am going to live next semester
-Not having an organized time management system
-Not pre-planning my time with Grooms and Mr. Lambert
-Not emailing Baha'i faith and Muslim friend

A Letter to God: A Plea to heal my anxiety and desires

Dear Jesus Christ,

If you are alive and indeed enthroned at the right hand of God, as scripture claims, I know that you can read this letter. And as a result, I plead you (with tears in my eyes as I write) to hear me. I am at a very difficult and trying time in my life (at least for me) right now. I am more than aware that what I consider difficult and stressful would be considered a joyful utopia by many around the world. People such as the hungry, the cold, the persecuted, the tortured, and those impoverished. But, nevertheless, despite this awareness that I "have it good" as it were, for some reason unexplainable to me this realization provides me with little--if any--comfort. Maybe this is because the physical necessities of human beings are not the only existing necessities that we need. Whatever the case is, I don't know, it is just a thought. I have to go to class right now and I hope that you might reveal yourself to me and help me to cope and be able just to get through the day. I will finish writing later. Bye bye.

Why I'm not like the early church

The reason I don't live fully as if the Bible is true is because not only do I not know if it is true, but I don't know how to find out. Although there are an array and vast number of good reasons to believe and the increase the probability of it being true, there is still that one percent chance it may not be. But, the question then becomes: Why don't you apply this uncertainty to other aspects of life? Like colonial history, or the existence of Homer, or the reliability of Plato. But, I do admit that we cannot not know that what we have of plato is what he really wrote. Actually, it doesn't really matter b/c it doesn't affect my eternal destiny or the reality of life, despite its incredibly thoughtful proposals.

Reflections on the reality of Sin

Derek Chopra, NY times bestselling author of Peace is the Way, claims that sin is not reality and that instead of sin, a more accurate description would be ignorance. However, Greg Koukl definitely refutes this claim. Claiming that we are obviously aware of our sinfulness precisecly b/c we all feel guilty. And the solution to guilt is forgiveness (through Christ) not the denial of it. Chopra responds that we are all trying the best we can to live good lives, so we should not feel guilty. And Koukl accurately explains that we all know that we are not putting our utmost effort in living in how we know we should. No one would honestly say that they have, and are, making every effort to live the kind of life they know they should. You can check out this video at this link

12/31

I'm sorry there is doubt. What do i need to focus on? How do i chart my prayers? In order to see if you answer them, i.e. prayers like, if the Holy Spirit is real then please reveal it to me? But, I could make the case that you have by looking at my life, by realizing the reality of acts of the apostles and of the explicit promise of You Lord Jesus in the gospels and in acts, and finally the reality of paul's explicit usage of the term in his letters. You need to understand, that you are not making an argument to an unbeliever--b/c obviously if you were your justifications for believing in the HS would not be legitimate. But, God, when I'm talking to you, being honest with you and where I am at a point right now where if I didn't believe I would be going against not only my conscience but as well as my intellectual honesty.

Time to focus:

1. The first step is believing that it is true. And, as of right now, based on my previous study and thinking, it is only reasonable and logical to believe in you and the Bible. However, obviously, the skeptics are never going to cease to exist. In addition, the thing that makes me most intrigued is that the long-standing (i.e. old) skeptics are still skeptical despite reading and hearing the same arguments I have by Christian Apologist. And furthermore, they have read more in-depth and exhaustive pieces of work yet still they remain skeptical. What is it that I get that they don't? Or, what am I missing that they get?

Let me just be honest for a minute. Yes, I suppose that if you were not true I could be satisfied with this belief b/c I know that I would be intellectually honest. However, just as I always have doubts about you now, despite the overwhelming evidence, I would likewise have doubts about my agnostic or unbeliving worldview. When I read apologetics, I want them to convince me that my choice in being a Christian was the right choice. And although I have improved much better at being intellectually honest with Christian arguments (like the Isa. psg), at the end of the day I am still going to be christian. In short Lord Jesus, I am scared.

In your name,

Amen.

Emily: Christmas Eve

We sing those songs, you know, those Christmas carols, talkikng about how wonderful the incarnation is and how joyous we are because of our redemption. We sing "cast out our sin and enter in". Do I really mean that? B/c, according to James (which is a whole other story), sin is not just what you do, but what you DONT do. How long will I go without just having a personal conversation with Emily? Or not always feel guilty for not talking to her? Or just be able to relax around her and love her?

It is Christmas Eve, and whether or not Christmas is what it is or not is irrelevant, but what I want those most this christmas is just to be able to share with her my feelings, enable her to understand the reality of the gospel, grow in our relationship together, reveal to her the emptiness of mainstream pop culture, explain to her why I am the way am; but, most of all, I want your spirit Lord Jesus, to remove her blindness of sin--her spiritual depravity (Ephesians 2, Romans 5)--and draw her to yourself. And secondly, that I might seize the opprotunities to build my relationship with her. Like, say for instance, tonight when I got home from Church and it was just me and her awake. But, I was too scared, or rather, I was trying to build and hype myself up in the kitchen. And then, just as I made my sleepytime (sleepytime! sleeeeepytime!), and planned on going in and asking her what I should say to people when they ask me how she is doing (seemed like an innocent conversation starter), she asks me to turn on the fan and off the tv so she could go to sleep. Another wasted opprotunity.

I'm sorry, I don't know how to do it. I get scared. I can so relate to Paul when he talks about doing what he doesn't want to do and not doing what he wants to do. How did you deal with it, Jesus? How did you deal with the people that you knew who didn't "get it"? Certainly, you dealt with struggling how to explain yourself clearly to others, what you where going through, what you felt, etc.? Indeed, i'm sure you struggled much more than me!! but, you didn't go in a shell b/c of it. you never avoided serious conversation. yes, father. i realize that i need to, not a need in a sense like I should, but in the sense that I NEED to, to make it in this life, study and apply your life and your word to my everyday life. Which certainly includes apologetics and writing.

Despite my struggles, blessed be you, the most Holy Child. Bottone's baby, you once were! O my! How!! How! How! Thank you for this time of year. Thank you for your grace and your mercy, redeeming me from my sin (Romans 3, ephesians 2). for the wooden manger and the wooden cross. from the cradle to the cross. The reality of you tonite, in the sanctuary, when two or three are gathered you promised you will be there. thank you for grandpa. Be w/ those less fortunate this Christmas.

I stand in awe of Jesus the Nazarene
A sinner, condemned, unclean

Making a Living from the Internet

As we have discussed in class concerning Second Life, many people actually make a living, with no qualifications required (i.e. a college degree), off of the game itself. This is also the case with online auctions such as ebay and internet sites that pay you for completing miscellanous tasks, such as being a "secret shopper" or taking company surveys. This is really an interesting phenomenon, because on one hand I think it is a wonderful way for people to create extra income, fundraise, give, or give those who are unable to work full-time jobs some sort of work. However, I also feel that it can result in people becoming obsessed with making more money, always causing the anxious thought of "i could spend time with my friends or go to small group tonite, but I would rather gather up items to sell on ebay and make some more money. It's such a great opprotunity". In other words, it allows an unlimited potential of continually making money, which can easily become addictive and blind us to the reality of what life is all about. If we can learn contentment and moderation--being content with our finances while at the same time being able to control ourselves when working for online profie--i think this increasingly popular phenomenon can be a positive think. Can someone say "secular view of technology"?

P.S. Click on the ebay logo for an interesting article and video on this subject.

First Impression of Second Life

The first thought that came into my head when I started Second Life was: People make a living off this? I was, and still am, quite confused on what the point of the game is. In addition, for the first hour I was overwhelmed with all the different features and controls, with a continual feeling of inferiority to other users. After I got the hang of how to move around, I then spent about 30 minutes editing my appearance--I wanted to be dressed in Christmas decor. After the orientation, I teleported to Help Island--I felt very unprepared (i.e. scared) to travel to the "real" (ironic indeed) Second Life world. I went to the Freebie store and got a buggy and some other free things, but I didn't know where the inventory button was (yes, I failed to notice the sign on the corner of the screen titled "Inventory) so I got pissed again. Next time, I plan on finding a Christmas event or display, maybe like making gingerbread houses or caroling. Also, throughout the game I slowly began to feel like a loser who wastes all of his time playing video games instead of being productive or learning. However, after reading the articles about the use of Second Life and discussing them in class, I realize that although this could easily become the case, Second Life can be much more than a entertaining video game--it is a new way of self-expression, knowledge and learning, and exploring new ways to establish community.

My LIfe without Technology

Over the Thanksgiving Holiday, I haven't really had to use the internet at all other than periodically checking my email--it has been quite liberating. Maybe this is just a feeling of relaxation due to the fact that I didn't have to do any work, but still, I wasn't worrying about checking blackboard, responding to important emails, etc. I spent a lot of my time on the patio reading (the book to my left) in the mornings, instead of browsing the net, checking facebook, reading the news, and it was absolutely wonderful. Sometimes, as I have posted before, technology provides new stresses and concerns that would otherwise not be part of my life. However, I still hold a mainly utopian view of technology, realizing that the majority of my stresses are self-influenced--I can get off the computer and read a book any time I want, it just takes self-control. But, certainly, the internet and the atmosphere it fosters encourages a fast-paced, get-it-done attitude which at times is the exact opposite of what I need. As long as I learn how to prepare myself for the influences of the internet and have a good amount of self-control, I think I will be able to use technology for good and not let it bring me down. Praise God for his Son.

Here is an interesting article researching Internet Addiction

Banking

Recently, I've been trying to decide about what to invest in with my money I recieve from my part job. Last night, I was researching on which banks had the highest yield rate for certificat of deposits (i.e. cd's) to assist me in making the best decision possible. I ran across the site Bankrate.com, a website that surveys all the banks and mutual fund companies and then provides its users with the numbers for each respective topic, such as money market savings, mortages, cds, checking accounts, etc, along with overnight averages on mortage rates, cds and investments, auto, and home equity. As I researched more, I discovered that everyone just about everyone knows about bankrate except for me. Apparently, it is considered by many the best resource available.


Despite the wonderful resource that bankrate proved to be, it has a severe negative impact: I never know if I'm getting the best deal or not. In addition, it takes up so much time comparing all the different interest rates, account details, and cd maturity, I think too myself, wouldn't it just be better if I only had two options, and didn't even know about the other ones? That way, although there might be better deals than the first two, I will never know and therefore it won't make me worry so much.

I am realizing that sites like bankrate that compare prices can only do so much, there comes a time where you just do the best you can instead of trying to make the "perfect" investment or purchase--which is not something that can be given to you by technology, rather it is a mindset that must be achieved by a renewed perspective on life.