Mostly Water-ee Type Photos

Precipitous Phobic Pondering

I love the rain. It's cool, refreshing, and brilliant fun to be out in on a miserable afternoon. I'm sure more than a few people thought me strange the other day; seeing me out in the pouring rain with neither hood nor umbrella, not bothering to circumvent the puddles in my path, opting instead to traverse right through them, stopping on occasion in the smaller ones to make a big splash.

I've never understood why people hate the rain. After all, it's only water. We drink it, are bodies are mostly made of it, we'll even jump from great heights into large bodies of it. Yet we fear a few drops falling from the sky?

"Oh, but it makes everything feel miserable," people will say. But of course it will if you spend all day cooped up inside, afraid to go out, lest you get a bit wet. It's not the rain that makes us miserable, it's our unwillingness to do anything when it's around.

And when we do go outside, we bundle up. We throw on layers of extra clothing, and pull out a massive umbrella. Are we so afraid of a little refreshing water, that we need to shield our entire bodies from its aerial onslaught. Granted one might get sick from being out too long and getting too wet, but don't let that stop you from experiencing such a wonderful gift.

I believe the reason we get sick, is because of all the evil in the world. But why should we have to fear what is good, because sin has tainted it? We are afraid to experience the harmless, even beautiful and wonderful things God has given us, because our own sin might cause something bad to happen to us.

So I say, "So what if I get a little sick." What some may view as a battle, I view as training; strengthening my body against the harshness of our environment. I'm not going to subscribe to the devils fear tactics; I will not hide and shield myself from the good things of this world because he has left his mark on them. Should we avoid art and photography because of playboy. Should we never watch movies, or TV, or listen to music because of Pornography, Reality TV, and (c)rap "music." Just because so much shit has begun to permeate into the good things of this world, does not mean we should avoid those things outright. Instead we should seek to reclaim them; salvage the good back from these gifts God has given us.

Maybe if we all took the time to enjoy the rain, splash in a few puddles, and get a bit wet, we'd see that there really is nothing to fear. God gave us the rain, let's enjoy it.

Born Again!!... and again... and again... and again...

Attending a new church over these past few months has brought forth some things that one is hardly confronted with when attending the same church since birth. Upon coming to my new temporary church and meeting people, they began to ask me when I became a Christian.

I could not answer them.

I would say things like, "Oh you know... there was this time a while back... when I felt like becoming one... so I did." The thing is though, what exactly does it mean to "become" a Christian? I had never been faced with this question before. Attending the same Church since birth, people just naturally assumed I was "christian" and never gave it a second thought.

So how does a "christian" become a Christian then. Is it through a pledge-- an acceptance of a certain doctrine. Is it through a traditional ceremony like baptism or profession of faith. Possibly, but those are just vehicles through which one publicly and symbolically expresses his desire for God-- for God's involvement in his life. So then, to become Christian one must accept Jesus into his heart-- into his life.

It seems though, that over the years, I've done this countless times. Each time accepting God for different reasons.

In my early childhood, because I grew up with Christian parents and because they told me to in Sunday School. Not much to say here. Basically a sucker for institutionalization.

In elementary school because my friend(s) said they were. Pier pressure anyone?

In high school, because that's the customary age at which a young "christian" does his profession of faith. Merely for ceremonial reasons and tradition. It felt real and sincere at the time, and maybe it was, but any any lasting effect of this "change" drowned out after the initial celebration faded away. I was the same person, only now I'd been to some classes and told a bunch of people who already knew me I loved Jesus. Same me, only formally a Christian now.

Then of course there's now. Having moved away from Christian School and into University and the world beyond, I've begun again to feel compelled to give my Heart over to Jesus. This time for protection. Wishing him to safe guard it from the evil that besets me. The corruption of the secular world seeks to draw me eternally away from him. I cannot hold on. Alone I cannot stay this course-- hold my Heart in place. I need Him to do it. I need him to protect my Heart, so that my eyes may see the world, but my Heart may not absorb it. I wish to see the brokenness of this world, but not be consumed into it. Only He, at this time, can safeguard my Heart. I feel I need him too, from the brokenness I see in this world. Having stepped over the threshold from my Christian Cottage into the surrounding Secular Wasteland, I've seen the terribleness of this society we live in. A society in need of God. A society that, if I am to live in it, requires my acceptance of God now more than ever.

Will this time be THE time? Were any of those previous times THAT time? I've never not believed in God, I've always trusted in Him-- in the path He'd lay out for me. Yet I never had that one pivotal moment all people who become Christians are "supposed" to experience. Should I have one of those? Is that the way it's always supposed to work? I suppose I may find out some time. But until then I must give my self up one more time


















I lay my Heart bare at your doorstep oh Lord. I come knocking-- rapping at the door to your safe haven. Keep my Heart safe, and carry my Soul down Your Holy path as this flesh travels the roads that court Hades. Though I cling precariously to these last remaining threads linking me to my previous life, hold me steadfast Lord. Do not let me fall off this precipice into the swirling waters of this society, to have my head crushed against these boulders-- these stones of empty satisfaction. I give up Lord. Hold onto me Lord, because only You can.

Pictures

[Insert random spiritual and thought provoking comments relating to above photos here]

Sorry, but schools got me too stuck in "right brain" mode to say anything interesting right now. I can tell you Phasor value of the current through a 10 microFarad capacitor hooked up to an sinusoidal voltage source of amplitude 5 Volts, frequency of 5kHz and phase angle of pi/6 radians.... -0.5<4pi/6, w = 10kpi rad/s