Hello Everyone and Welcome to my Xanga page!
This is officially the fifth blog I've created. I finally decided on consolidating my thoughts here although the desire to use various nicknames was so strong. I'm sure you know what I mean. I'm hoping to wean myself away from the impulse to write words that are grammatically incorrect but "cute." Without further ado, I give you... Doodles Worth Discussing.
I don't understand boxing... I never have... My knowledge of the sport can be summarized by this blurb from Wikipedia.org (search: boxing):
Boxing (sometimes also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism"[citation needed]) is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. Victory is achieved if the opponent is knocked down and unable to get up before the referee counts to ten seconds (a Knockout, or KO) or if the opponent is deemed too injured to continue (a Technical Knockout, or TKO). If there is no stoppage of the fight before an agreed number of rounds, a winner is determined either by the referee's decision or by judges' scorecards.
How could someone hope for, encourage, and even applaud such a dangerous activity It's a game in which one's success is measured by the amount of harm that one inflicts on another, and my prayers today are for those who enjoy, support, and participate in this sport (and other combat sports).
I watched a minute or so of the Pacquiao vs. Hatton fight just now (my cousin was watching it), and I could hardly breathe as the audience cheered and as Pacquiao hit and knocked Hatton down again and again.
I get that it takes a great amount of skill and technique, accuracy and precision, strength and speed to obtain victory in the sport. I'm not saying that it doesn't. I'm just saying that I just don't get it's appeal. Well, it must be secular because I don't believe that boxing and it's objectives glorify God. Would you be inclined to disagree? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Set Your Compass in the Right Direction by Max Lucado
The problem is not that God hasn’t spoken but that we haven’t listened.
Imagine your reaction if I were to take a telephone book, open it up, and proclaim, I have found a list of everyone who’s on welfare!Or what if I said, Here is a list of college graduates! Or, This book will tell us who has a red car. You’d probably say, “Now wait a minute—that’s not the purpose of that book. You’re holding a telephone book. Its purpose is simply to reveal the name and number of residents of a city during a certain time frame.”
Only by understanding its purpose can I accurately use the telephone book. Only by understanding its purpose can I accurately use the Bible…
The purpose of the Bible is simply to proclaim God’s plan to save his children. It asserts that man is lost and needs to be saved. And it communicates the message that Jesus is the God in the flesh sent to save his children.
Though the Bible was written over sixteen centuries by at least forty authors, it has one central theme—salvation through faith in Christ. Begun by Moses in the lonely desert of Arabia and finished by John on the lonely Isle of Patmos, it is held together by a strong thread: God’s passion and God’s plan to save his children.
What a vital truth! Understanding the purpose of the Bible is like setting the compass in the right direction. Calibrate it correctly and you’ll journey safely. But fail to set it, and who knows where you’ll end up.
The flight to Atlanta went well. It was actually relaxing (minus the initial take off headache). I was able to read a couple of chapters in John and write a good amount in my journal . At one point, I racked my brain--trying to remember a particular verse--and began flipping through the bible. I looked in the only two books that I thought it could be in, yet I could not find it. Then, I stopped, took a deep breath, and asked God to show me where the verse was... Then, I continued flipping.
God led me to Philippians. "Philippians?" I questioned God, "What's in Philippians?" "Just read..." was His answer... So I read... and there it was!... The verse that I had been wondering about - Philippians 4:8
Philippians 4:
1. Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!
2. I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.
3.Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
5. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
6. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
9. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
My friends, God will answer your prayers, reveal himself to you, and open doors for you. Would you just ask, seek, and knock? (Matthew 7:7-8)
Matthew 7:
7. "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
8. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9. "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10. Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
11. If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
12. So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
God answered my prayer in a matter of seconds. He can do that, you know? He can also wait to answer your prayers just as Jesus slept and waited to calm the storm that terrified his disciples in Matthew 4:39-40.
Matthew 4:
35. That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side."
36. Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.
37. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.
38. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
39. He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
41. They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"
As I finished writing my entry, I smiled... Our Father God knows us by name. He knows our needs. He provides. Praise God!
I made it safely to Atlanta and happily began my GA Trip - Spring 2009.
