I had to literally find something to do in order to stop myself from doing my paper. So what did I decide to do? I took a shower and decided to blog! Hah! After all, I need to keep up with my pace of a post every three days. I was slow to start studying and do my paper, so I'm going to pay for it on Tuesday and Wednesday. But I feel that I needed to stop because my brain is all fried and mashed up. So I think if I kept on working on my paper, everything I write wouldn't be flowing very good. I'm very picky about how I write, so if there is something that's out of place, I get annoyed. And with the state that I am in now, that is more than likely to happen.
Although, I have to say that I've really enjoyed engaging and writing this paper that has to do with how heaven is related to earth. A lot of times, the profs only want to make sure that you understand the things and don't want you to give a brand new "never-before-thought-of" ideology. It's pretty hard to write from my brain and not from my heart. But I guess wanting to write from my heart is not entirely a bad thing because it lets me know that I'm doing theology for theology, and not religious studies. I've been warned before that I shouldn't treat my studies as studies, but rather a passion. After all, faith is what springs theology, so it's important that I'm not doing this like I used to do grade school or first year at the UofA. I know the profs probably feel the same because they're only supposed to tell you the truths and not let their colors out by going into preach mode. Nevertheless, I'm loving these assignments because it lets me get out what I feel have been bottled up inside of me for the last few years but never got to share them.
It always feels like people generally don't really have that interest to talk about a lot of things that do with God. Or I should say that people want to talk about God, they just don't have the right people to talk to. So they don't.
Anyways, I can't really remember what else I wanted to blog about. There was something, I just don't remember.
Oh yeah, many people have asked me if I get home sick or do I miss Edmonton. I'd be lying if I said I don't. I'm not, and never will be, one of those people from Edmonton that move to Vancouver and never look back. Whenever something exciting is happening up there, I do feel disappointed that I don't get to be part of it. A lot of times, it's not because I want to be part of that event, it's the people that I want to do it with. Lifelong relationships are called lifelong relationships for a reason, and nothing will ever change them. I've mentioned many times before that it sucks that I don't get to go through this Bible college thing with my family and friends. But at the same time, I've also said many times that I'm not going to be bitter and depressed about it; it's just not my thing. I think I've lived long enough to be able to know that nothing good ever comes out of being down in the dumps. All you do is look for more reasons to be depressed, and nothing more. I've been there and don't want to go back. So that's why I'm always going to choose to live life the way that I do.
Anyways, I'm curious. If you have an opinion, and you don't mind sharing with me, what is your view on how heaven relates to earth? Is earth the same as heaven since God is omnipresent and God is everything and everything is God. Or is heaven a completely different state of universe as earth because God is perfect, the world is not, and God can't comprehend sin, so he doesn't intervene? Or is it a bit of a hybrid?
Tell me what you think!
EDIT: I have more to add.
It seems that kids are the same no matter where I go. Case in point: the leg grabbing.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
When I'm Calm, I Feel Good
Today, I figured out why I've been a bit "angsty" lately. It's because I haven't had a good worship in a while. I normally take time out once every week or two to play guitar and sing a bunch of songs to clear my mind and just praise God. But I haven't done that more than once or twice since moving here. Why? I think I just haven't been able to do it without much distraction.
I think whoever came up with this "Spiritual Emphasis Day" at AUC was the smartest person to ever attend the school. Take two days off to put emphasis on your spirituality? I think so. What it really is, is just a tiny two day conference. One of the breakout sessions I went to today was a worship one. Even though there were only a handful people that showed up for the one I went to, it was really nice for me to forget about everything and sing some songs. There's a lot of times where I want to go to church and just worship. But I haven't been able to do that because I have to teach Sunday School every week. And once a month I do worship. As fun as leading worship is, I sometimes just want to be one of the members in the congregation and soak everything in. I had two communions this month. I don't know why I just said that, but I did. Anyhow, I have two midterms and a paper due next Tuesday and Wednesday. Finding that out yesterday made me a little uptight.
After coming out of that worship session thing, it felt so good. It felt good right up until I walked out the door of the gym and remembered that I have stuff to do. But that hour of where I just stood there and sang was really refreshing. Uptight people should be introduced to it. It makes you feel good. And when you feel good, you sing, because of the joy it brings. I didn't know a lot of the songs they sang, but just the fact that I got a chance to push everything aside was pretty sweet.
I had wondered why I felt like I had so much tension in me lately, but it's only because I haven't had a chance to worship. So it's all good now. I even feel a bit better about having to study for two midterms and writing a book analysis paper on a book that I haven't even finished half of. I am eating candy at 9:47pm, which probably isn't a very good idea, but I'm doing it anyway.
Uhh, anyway, I think that's about all I can say. What can you get out of this? I don't know, it's your call. Maybe, for the times when you feel like a dink, just take a chance to worship - it does wonders. Worship, and really mean it.
That is all.
I think whoever came up with this "Spiritual Emphasis Day" at AUC was the smartest person to ever attend the school. Take two days off to put emphasis on your spirituality? I think so. What it really is, is just a tiny two day conference. One of the breakout sessions I went to today was a worship one. Even though there were only a handful people that showed up for the one I went to, it was really nice for me to forget about everything and sing some songs. There's a lot of times where I want to go to church and just worship. But I haven't been able to do that because I have to teach Sunday School every week. And once a month I do worship. As fun as leading worship is, I sometimes just want to be one of the members in the congregation and soak everything in. I had two communions this month. I don't know why I just said that, but I did. Anyhow, I have two midterms and a paper due next Tuesday and Wednesday. Finding that out yesterday made me a little uptight.
After coming out of that worship session thing, it felt so good. It felt good right up until I walked out the door of the gym and remembered that I have stuff to do. But that hour of where I just stood there and sang was really refreshing. Uptight people should be introduced to it. It makes you feel good. And when you feel good, you sing, because of the joy it brings. I didn't know a lot of the songs they sang, but just the fact that I got a chance to push everything aside was pretty sweet.
I had wondered why I felt like I had so much tension in me lately, but it's only because I haven't had a chance to worship. So it's all good now. I even feel a bit better about having to study for two midterms and writing a book analysis paper on a book that I haven't even finished half of. I am eating candy at 9:47pm, which probably isn't a very good idea, but I'm doing it anyway.
Uhh, anyway, I think that's about all I can say. What can you get out of this? I don't know, it's your call. Maybe, for the times when you feel like a dink, just take a chance to worship - it does wonders. Worship, and really mean it.
That is all.
Friday, October 15, 2010
So Genius
I'm averaging a post every three days; I must have no life.
Today, it was the first really cold day where it hovered around freezing for most of the day. I am terrified of the cold. When I was going home, I thought it'd be smart if I bought a hot drink to keep myself warm for the ride home. I thought I was so genius for buying a hot drink. Little did I know that the ride from the point that I got the drink to when I get home is an hour long. So this whole time I'm sitting in the bus sipping away, I suddenly remembered that I have the world's smallest bladder. At about the halfway point, I started to need to go. Curses to the liquids that go right through me! Trust me, I've tested myself before; I can drink a cup of something, and within an hour, it's out of my body. When I got to the exchange point to switch buses, and depending on which one I get on, there are different amounts that I would have to walk to get home. Since it's a Friday, and everyone wants to get home fast, I just got on the first one that I saw - the one that required a longer walk, but shorter ride. When I got off the bus, I tried to walk as fast as I could to get home, because a) it was windy, and b) I really needed to go. The first rule for staying warm in the winter is to make sure you don't need to pee. A little bit of a science lesson: water has a really high heat capacity, so it can hold heat really well. Since pee is mostly water, it holds the heat inside your body making you feel colder. With the combination of the wind and the need to excrete, it was probably the worst 6 or 7 minute walk I ever took. Man, I thought I was so genius. But it's now safe to say that I got home without a malfunction in the junction.
Now that I wasted a few minutes of your time by making you read about urination, I will wrap it up. There were a few topics that I really wanted to talk about relating to the Christian life; but there's been so much information that's been shoved into my brain, I'm having a lot of trouble retaining all of it. After I review a bit, I will get to them.
I've also met two people at Ambrose that are from Dubai. Little is needed to know that there is a huge difference between +50 degrees and -50 degrees. Enough said; I kind of feel bad for them.
Today, it was the first really cold day where it hovered around freezing for most of the day. I am terrified of the cold. When I was going home, I thought it'd be smart if I bought a hot drink to keep myself warm for the ride home. I thought I was so genius for buying a hot drink. Little did I know that the ride from the point that I got the drink to when I get home is an hour long. So this whole time I'm sitting in the bus sipping away, I suddenly remembered that I have the world's smallest bladder. At about the halfway point, I started to need to go. Curses to the liquids that go right through me! Trust me, I've tested myself before; I can drink a cup of something, and within an hour, it's out of my body. When I got to the exchange point to switch buses, and depending on which one I get on, there are different amounts that I would have to walk to get home. Since it's a Friday, and everyone wants to get home fast, I just got on the first one that I saw - the one that required a longer walk, but shorter ride. When I got off the bus, I tried to walk as fast as I could to get home, because a) it was windy, and b) I really needed to go. The first rule for staying warm in the winter is to make sure you don't need to pee. A little bit of a science lesson: water has a really high heat capacity, so it can hold heat really well. Since pee is mostly water, it holds the heat inside your body making you feel colder. With the combination of the wind and the need to excrete, it was probably the worst 6 or 7 minute walk I ever took. Man, I thought I was so genius. But it's now safe to say that I got home without a malfunction in the junction.
Now that I wasted a few minutes of your time by making you read about urination, I will wrap it up. There were a few topics that I really wanted to talk about relating to the Christian life; but there's been so much information that's been shoved into my brain, I'm having a lot of trouble retaining all of it. After I review a bit, I will get to them.
I've also met two people at Ambrose that are from Dubai. Little is needed to know that there is a huge difference between +50 degrees and -50 degrees. Enough said; I kind of feel bad for them.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Before I Wake Up
Hmm, I wonder why I am blogging so insanely frequently recently. Oh well, it's better that I practice what I preach right? I think the difference of this entry will actually have some substance to it in regards to my situation.
When I moved down to Calgary, I had a bunch of boxes that carried all the stuff that I needed. I would say that I had about 4 or 5 boxes of things, and another box of just my shoes. Since having "settled in", all my stuff is still kind of just laying there. In an episode of Chuck a couple weeks ago, there was the conflict between Chuck and Sarah about why Sarah doesn't hang any of her clothes in the closet because she's never really had a "home", so she's never learned to settle in. I'm kind of that same way right now, to a lesser extent; obviously because I'm not a spy. But all my stuff is still kind of in their boxes and I haven't moved much more than my clothes out of them. Why? I don't know. Maybe because I don't really have a place I want to put them, or maybe I'm just too lazy. It's kind of like at a hotel where you try to take as little out as possible so you don't have to repack later. I'm guessing that it's because with just a month in, I haven't really been able to call Calgary home yet. I've tried, and I'm still trying; so it will probably come with time.
Well, with this Thanksgiving weekend, I came back up to Edmonton. And as of right now, I'm sitting in the spot where I always have had my laptop. To be honest, it feels really good. I can't think of a much better feeling than being in a place I know and see people I know. I'm going to be heading back to Calgary in a few hours, and it seems like it's all a dream. It almost seems as if all that Bible school stuff was a dream and this is where my life is. It felt so good to come back this weekend, and as I mentioned before, it's so nice to get to say hi to some of my siblings in Christ. Then it kind of hit me that, once again, I have to leave them behind and go back to doing what I'm doing. Although this Calgary experience has been pretty cool so far, the only thing I kind of wish is that I'd be able to go through this experience with everyone with me physically. I know that people are praying for me and all that kind of stuff, but since we're still on earth, there is always going to be that human desire for physicality - something of substance. So even knowing that people have my back, it's tough to not be able to just have that comfort level I get when I'm with the people that I've known all my life. So, yes, it kind of sucks that I'm not able to share, physically, with people about my experience. I think that's been the biggest difference so far. In the past, when we go to church and all that stuff, we're all able to share with each other about our week, our lives, etc., with complete comfortability, "letting our walls come down". I haven't been able to reach that comfort level right now. And I know it's early, but I hope that this will be able to be created over time. These are the results of lifelong relationships that have been created, and I am so glad that I have them. Some people move from place to place every couple of years, and they never really have a feeling of home. Maybe they're okay with it, but I guess it's mostly because they've never had it. You know what they say when you never know what you got 'til it's gone.
Almost time to wake up and get back to my school work! Should be an interesting couple of months for me. Next time: touchy subject of being called into ministry. (=
Happy Thanksgivin'!
When I moved down to Calgary, I had a bunch of boxes that carried all the stuff that I needed. I would say that I had about 4 or 5 boxes of things, and another box of just my shoes. Since having "settled in", all my stuff is still kind of just laying there. In an episode of Chuck a couple weeks ago, there was the conflict between Chuck and Sarah about why Sarah doesn't hang any of her clothes in the closet because she's never really had a "home", so she's never learned to settle in. I'm kind of that same way right now, to a lesser extent; obviously because I'm not a spy. But all my stuff is still kind of in their boxes and I haven't moved much more than my clothes out of them. Why? I don't know. Maybe because I don't really have a place I want to put them, or maybe I'm just too lazy. It's kind of like at a hotel where you try to take as little out as possible so you don't have to repack later. I'm guessing that it's because with just a month in, I haven't really been able to call Calgary home yet. I've tried, and I'm still trying; so it will probably come with time.
Well, with this Thanksgiving weekend, I came back up to Edmonton. And as of right now, I'm sitting in the spot where I always have had my laptop. To be honest, it feels really good. I can't think of a much better feeling than being in a place I know and see people I know. I'm going to be heading back to Calgary in a few hours, and it seems like it's all a dream. It almost seems as if all that Bible school stuff was a dream and this is where my life is. It felt so good to come back this weekend, and as I mentioned before, it's so nice to get to say hi to some of my siblings in Christ. Then it kind of hit me that, once again, I have to leave them behind and go back to doing what I'm doing. Although this Calgary experience has been pretty cool so far, the only thing I kind of wish is that I'd be able to go through this experience with everyone with me physically. I know that people are praying for me and all that kind of stuff, but since we're still on earth, there is always going to be that human desire for physicality - something of substance. So even knowing that people have my back, it's tough to not be able to just have that comfort level I get when I'm with the people that I've known all my life. So, yes, it kind of sucks that I'm not able to share, physically, with people about my experience. I think that's been the biggest difference so far. In the past, when we go to church and all that stuff, we're all able to share with each other about our week, our lives, etc., with complete comfortability, "letting our walls come down". I haven't been able to reach that comfort level right now. And I know it's early, but I hope that this will be able to be created over time. These are the results of lifelong relationships that have been created, and I am so glad that I have them. Some people move from place to place every couple of years, and they never really have a feeling of home. Maybe they're okay with it, but I guess it's mostly because they've never had it. You know what they say when you never know what you got 'til it's gone.
Almost time to wake up and get back to my school work! Should be an interesting couple of months for me. Next time: touchy subject of being called into ministry. (=
Happy Thanksgivin'!
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