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News-y Update and then a short analysis of Depravity
12 years ago
The last couple of days have been utterly bonkers.
Saturday:
1) ExtraLife 2013 from Saturday to Sunday.
Sunday:
1) The end of ExtraLife 2013 (That I did not make it all the way through, unfortunately. Also, Extra Life was DDOS'd 4 times and who on Earth does that to a charity event!!?!)
2) After that, I went to a French play about Jacques Brels. Their audio was messed up so I didn't hear most of the play, which was saddening.
3) Aaand after that I went on a fun trip to the local Emergency Room at nine at night. From there, I get EKG'd, blood tests, X-ray'd, examined, and my chest all felt up.
For those who don't know, I had a surgery in June on the 5th, where a surgical steel bar was placed under my sternum. My sternum has a defect where it dips into my chest cavity, and typically that doesn't present a danger except for the people whose pectus excavatums press too far in. I'm one of those people. If it goes untreated, there's a chance that I could literally just drop dead when I get older (30-40 years of age). So, this bar is in place to keep it in check.
This bar presents issues to some people who get the rather random side effects. In my case, it's the cartilage that's causing issues, and quite possibly torn muscles in my chest. This, although rather minor in risk, fixes me frequently with paralyzing pain. I'm also unable to carry heavy items. Anyhow, I've been to two different hospitals, seen three doctors, and I received bad news.
Aside from taking 800mg ibuprofen for the pain, the only thing I can do is endure through the pain attacks. Literally, all there is to do is just sit through the pain until it goes away.
Also, I watched Ender's Game and cried for the last part of the movie. That's a long time crying. I suppose that's what happens if you read the book beforehand.
I've recently been shown some really bad examples of humanity and because of such, I have a new fear for the world that stems not humanity's depravity, but the praise of such (which is conversely just more depravity, really) (and to be clear this is a broad statement that envelops a fairly large portion of humanity). I know not what to do. I can't argue with some people, because they ignore me, label me, and stuff words in my mouth. There's not really anything I can do about it, except pray and hope to God they realize their material desires and earthly wants and find the change they need.
How do you argue with people that don't listen? How do you show someone God's Grace when they push away for their sinful lifestyle? How do you save someone who thinks they're already saved, and because they think they are saved, that they can do whatever they want?
That's not Christianity. Not one bit. You can't enter Christianity, experience God and His Grace, and then be the same person when you leave. God will transform you, and that's when you know that God's acting in your life. Things will have meaning, you will love others, and you will have all of your desires laid to waste in order to improve the world, yourself, and to ultimately come to know God's Love firsthand.
Recently, I've been labeled a handful of things and that whole situation has turned to ick. Just everything about it is ick. That person makes claims about me and there's nothing I can do to defend against it; and I'm really bothered because they're lies. How do you show someone the real you, your real intentions, and the real Grace of God when they paint their image over you and you have no say in the manner? It's not only unfair, but it's an act of condemnation. I've been condemned by a group with a name that suggests it's for everyone. Apparently not me, though. I read the Bible and don't believe in contradiction, and that means I failed the test.
It's not a game of intentions, it's not a game of Faith. It's a game of change, love, Grace, and holiness (holiness being "like Christ"). Being like Christ means understanding God, what He wants, and letting Him change us so we can be the positive change in the world that removes all concepts of the word "impossible." He saves us from the depravity, the unholy lifestyles we live. We live those lifestyles because we think we have all the answers and that because we enjoy it so much, it must be right. In the end, where will the fulfillment be? In the end, there won't be a thing that's still yours, unless it is one of the few things that God has given us.
But, how do we know what's truly good and what isn't? It should become apparent the closer you get to God's real Grace. If you're already a Christian, you should have a strong community to be a part of and you have God. You have His Authority (His Word) and that Authority is the whetstone to sharpen your blade off of. It also acts as the cure to the infection of depravity that is within you. (See: Jeremiah 17:9)
That infection... It's like an addiction. It calls to you, it pulls on you when you're low. It gives you false satisfaction and you will always want more, but never get it. It will pull you into the darkness, but makes it so comfortable that you will love every second of that darkness, and soon it will be all you know and love. You can't see the light if you don't look for it, or look away from it. It's likely that the sun is shining and all you need to do is open your eyes.
Everybody's looking for answers, and they're handed short-term and shallow fixes by their depravity. Everybody has their depravity, and everybody struggles with it (See: Psalm 58:3, Romans 3:23, Genesis 6:5, and many more). It is God's Grace that saves us, and He doesn't give it out until we really believe (Faith) and want to show it (Works).
Even then, as I've stated before, depravity can give you a false idea of God. A God that fits your earthly nature and it's a God of lies and destruction. A wolf in sheep's clothing. False theology pushed by those who speak lies and will defend it unto their death. That is depravity. It is a dangerous piece of human nature that pulls on Man's inability to assess what is wrong on its own. It's a terribly good thing that we're not alone, at all, and we're given both a measuring tool and the cure-all to fix it.
Saturday:
1) ExtraLife 2013 from Saturday to Sunday.
Sunday:
1) The end of ExtraLife 2013 (That I did not make it all the way through, unfortunately. Also, Extra Life was DDOS'd 4 times and who on Earth does that to a charity event!!?!)
2) After that, I went to a French play about Jacques Brels. Their audio was messed up so I didn't hear most of the play, which was saddening.
3) Aaand after that I went on a fun trip to the local Emergency Room at nine at night. From there, I get EKG'd, blood tests, X-ray'd, examined, and my chest all felt up.
For those who don't know, I had a surgery in June on the 5th, where a surgical steel bar was placed under my sternum. My sternum has a defect where it dips into my chest cavity, and typically that doesn't present a danger except for the people whose pectus excavatums press too far in. I'm one of those people. If it goes untreated, there's a chance that I could literally just drop dead when I get older (30-40 years of age). So, this bar is in place to keep it in check.
This bar presents issues to some people who get the rather random side effects. In my case, it's the cartilage that's causing issues, and quite possibly torn muscles in my chest. This, although rather minor in risk, fixes me frequently with paralyzing pain. I'm also unable to carry heavy items. Anyhow, I've been to two different hospitals, seen three doctors, and I received bad news.
Aside from taking 800mg ibuprofen for the pain, the only thing I can do is endure through the pain attacks. Literally, all there is to do is just sit through the pain until it goes away.
Also, I watched Ender's Game and cried for the last part of the movie. That's a long time crying. I suppose that's what happens if you read the book beforehand.
I've recently been shown some really bad examples of humanity and because of such, I have a new fear for the world that stems not humanity's depravity, but the praise of such (which is conversely just more depravity, really) (and to be clear this is a broad statement that envelops a fairly large portion of humanity). I know not what to do. I can't argue with some people, because they ignore me, label me, and stuff words in my mouth. There's not really anything I can do about it, except pray and hope to God they realize their material desires and earthly wants and find the change they need.
How do you argue with people that don't listen? How do you show someone God's Grace when they push away for their sinful lifestyle? How do you save someone who thinks they're already saved, and because they think they are saved, that they can do whatever they want?
That's not Christianity. Not one bit. You can't enter Christianity, experience God and His Grace, and then be the same person when you leave. God will transform you, and that's when you know that God's acting in your life. Things will have meaning, you will love others, and you will have all of your desires laid to waste in order to improve the world, yourself, and to ultimately come to know God's Love firsthand.
Recently, I've been labeled a handful of things and that whole situation has turned to ick. Just everything about it is ick. That person makes claims about me and there's nothing I can do to defend against it; and I'm really bothered because they're lies. How do you show someone the real you, your real intentions, and the real Grace of God when they paint their image over you and you have no say in the manner? It's not only unfair, but it's an act of condemnation. I've been condemned by a group with a name that suggests it's for everyone. Apparently not me, though. I read the Bible and don't believe in contradiction, and that means I failed the test.
It's not a game of intentions, it's not a game of Faith. It's a game of change, love, Grace, and holiness (holiness being "like Christ"). Being like Christ means understanding God, what He wants, and letting Him change us so we can be the positive change in the world that removes all concepts of the word "impossible." He saves us from the depravity, the unholy lifestyles we live. We live those lifestyles because we think we have all the answers and that because we enjoy it so much, it must be right. In the end, where will the fulfillment be? In the end, there won't be a thing that's still yours, unless it is one of the few things that God has given us.
But, how do we know what's truly good and what isn't? It should become apparent the closer you get to God's real Grace. If you're already a Christian, you should have a strong community to be a part of and you have God. You have His Authority (His Word) and that Authority is the whetstone to sharpen your blade off of. It also acts as the cure to the infection of depravity that is within you. (See: Jeremiah 17:9)
That infection... It's like an addiction. It calls to you, it pulls on you when you're low. It gives you false satisfaction and you will always want more, but never get it. It will pull you into the darkness, but makes it so comfortable that you will love every second of that darkness, and soon it will be all you know and love. You can't see the light if you don't look for it, or look away from it. It's likely that the sun is shining and all you need to do is open your eyes.
Everybody's looking for answers, and they're handed short-term and shallow fixes by their depravity. Everybody has their depravity, and everybody struggles with it (See: Psalm 58:3, Romans 3:23, Genesis 6:5, and many more). It is God's Grace that saves us, and He doesn't give it out until we really believe (Faith) and want to show it (Works).
Even then, as I've stated before, depravity can give you a false idea of God. A God that fits your earthly nature and it's a God of lies and destruction. A wolf in sheep's clothing. False theology pushed by those who speak lies and will defend it unto their death. That is depravity. It is a dangerous piece of human nature that pulls on Man's inability to assess what is wrong on its own. It's a terribly good thing that we're not alone, at all, and we're given both a measuring tool and the cure-all to fix it.
