Opening a gift can be an exciting time. What comes after can be anything from amazing to downright terrifying.
Thank God for gift receipts.
While nobody is obligated to keep a particular gift, there is still that initial moment of opening it. Everybody is watching you to see how you react, and most likely this small crowd includes the person who got you the gift in the first place! You open it, and behold, a pink bunny suit. Don't get that reference. Stop reading. Go watch A Christmas Story. Have your life changed. Come back and pick up where you left off. Good job.
What was I writing about? Oh, yeah...
There's several different ways you can respond to this situation. You can freak out and rip it to shreds, pass out in embarrassment, lie and say you like it...or, you can try and see the positive. Maybe Aunt Ruth went to the store and saw that there was a special sale on pink bunny suits. Does this change the fact that you are currently mortified beyond all reason? No. Does affect whether or not your aunt will ever speak to you again? Yes.
Surprises are not always positive. Sometimes, we're expecting a new bicycle and receive a pink bunny suit. We need to decide how we will respond to these surprises. Let's say you lose your job. Will you sit around complaining about how you don't have a job, or will you get up, brush yourself off and look for a new one? Will you sit around and mope about your pink bunny suit, or will accept that you received one and try to move forward? With the help of God, we can make an effort to change the bad circumstances we end up in. The question is, do we see it that way? The truth is, God knows exactly why something happened to you, and He knows a way out of it. Maybe it's freedom from grief or stress. Maybe it's regaining something you lost. Maybe it's getting your family in a position that's healthy for them. God knows all our surprises! He saw the gifts as they were being wrapped! Let me encourage you, the reader, to not allow yourself to be struck down by surprises. Allow them to be opportunities to discipline yourself, and ultimately bring you closer to God.
Don't mope over your pink bunny suit!
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28
Colin
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Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Saturday, October 13, 2012
To Heaven and Back?
Note to the reader:
While it may seem that I’m writing this as a direct attack on a certain writer, speaker or teacher, I’m not. My intention here is to bring us back to the Bible so that we can have a biblical understanding on the issue you are about to read. My opinion is flawed, but God’s Truth will never fail. Please take this into account as you read.
The afterlife is something that both believers and unbelievers have marveled over for centuries. The great mystery of what exactly Heaven and Hell will be like is something that not everyone is willing to wait to die for it to be solved. Now, though, we have people coming on the TV, writing books and making radio appearances talking about how they were actually taken to Heaven to tell about how wonderful it is, or Hell to tell everyone how terrible it is. Some of these people have died and were brought back by doctors, and others were simply revealed in dreams. So, all our mysteries are solved, right? We no longer have to wonder, do we? As with any issue, we need to look at what the Bible says, or doesn’t say, on this topic.
The first thing to look at is what it doesn’t say. There are several places in the Bible that speak of people being raised from the dead. Some Old Testament references would include 1 Kings 17:17-24, 2 Kings 4:20-37 and 2 Kings 13:21. While there are too many to list fully, New Testament references include Luke 7:11-16, Mark 5:35-43 and one of the most popular being John 11:1-44. All of these passages have something in common. None of them involve someone coming back and speaking of what the afterlife was like. They simply come back. In fact, in the account found in Mark 5:35-43, the first thing the girl raised from the dead indicates is that she’s hungry. It’s almost as if she didn’t fully realize what had happened. Several more passages can be found in the Bible dealing with people being raised from the dead, and all of these passages share the same thread.
So, what does the Bible say? Well, a great place to start would be in 2 Corinthians 12:3-4. Paul is speaking of a time in his life when God actually took him up to Heaven in a dream. The catch is what follows. Paul goes on to say that he heard things no man should ever speak. In the later verses, he even says he will not describe Heaven to the people he was writing to out of fear that he might boast and sound like a fool. Paul was one of, if not the most influential Christian who ever lived, and someone of his level saying that he might boast is eye-opening. Apparently it is rather difficult to speak of these things without it overtaking you, and yet people today are very open about these experiences, giving specific details of what it was like. As for people who are dead and brought back, one has to wonder what actually happens. It could be that they are made so they can’t remember. It could mean they don’t go anywhere, and it’s like a dream. I’ve had a moment in my personal life in which I stopped breathing for at least a couple minutes after falling and hitting my head. My dad found me and had to get me breathing again. I have absolutely no recollection of ever getting close to Heaven. In all honesty, I imagined I went to a fair with my family. It was quite fun, and the hospital bed that I woke up in paled in comparison. Not saying that this is a sure reason to not believe anyone coming forward and stating that they’ve seen the afterlife, but the Scripture pulled should be enough to at least make us wary of these claims.
As always, Christians need to turn to the Bible before they buy into something. I’ve found myself surprised time and time again by things I’ve never even thought to be wrong turning out wrong when compared to Scripture. Seeking God’s guidance through the Word, and always have an answer just as 1 Peter 3:15 says. We may not know something for sure until we get to Heaven, but that doesn’t mean we have nothing to point us in the right direction.
While it may seem that I’m writing this as a direct attack on a certain writer, speaker or teacher, I’m not. My intention here is to bring us back to the Bible so that we can have a biblical understanding on the issue you are about to read. My opinion is flawed, but God’s Truth will never fail. Please take this into account as you read.
The afterlife is something that both believers and unbelievers have marveled over for centuries. The great mystery of what exactly Heaven and Hell will be like is something that not everyone is willing to wait to die for it to be solved. Now, though, we have people coming on the TV, writing books and making radio appearances talking about how they were actually taken to Heaven to tell about how wonderful it is, or Hell to tell everyone how terrible it is. Some of these people have died and were brought back by doctors, and others were simply revealed in dreams. So, all our mysteries are solved, right? We no longer have to wonder, do we? As with any issue, we need to look at what the Bible says, or doesn’t say, on this topic.
The first thing to look at is what it doesn’t say. There are several places in the Bible that speak of people being raised from the dead. Some Old Testament references would include 1 Kings 17:17-24, 2 Kings 4:20-37 and 2 Kings 13:21. While there are too many to list fully, New Testament references include Luke 7:11-16, Mark 5:35-43 and one of the most popular being John 11:1-44. All of these passages have something in common. None of them involve someone coming back and speaking of what the afterlife was like. They simply come back. In fact, in the account found in Mark 5:35-43, the first thing the girl raised from the dead indicates is that she’s hungry. It’s almost as if she didn’t fully realize what had happened. Several more passages can be found in the Bible dealing with people being raised from the dead, and all of these passages share the same thread.
So, what does the Bible say? Well, a great place to start would be in 2 Corinthians 12:3-4. Paul is speaking of a time in his life when God actually took him up to Heaven in a dream. The catch is what follows. Paul goes on to say that he heard things no man should ever speak. In the later verses, he even says he will not describe Heaven to the people he was writing to out of fear that he might boast and sound like a fool. Paul was one of, if not the most influential Christian who ever lived, and someone of his level saying that he might boast is eye-opening. Apparently it is rather difficult to speak of these things without it overtaking you, and yet people today are very open about these experiences, giving specific details of what it was like. As for people who are dead and brought back, one has to wonder what actually happens. It could be that they are made so they can’t remember. It could mean they don’t go anywhere, and it’s like a dream. I’ve had a moment in my personal life in which I stopped breathing for at least a couple minutes after falling and hitting my head. My dad found me and had to get me breathing again. I have absolutely no recollection of ever getting close to Heaven. In all honesty, I imagined I went to a fair with my family. It was quite fun, and the hospital bed that I woke up in paled in comparison. Not saying that this is a sure reason to not believe anyone coming forward and stating that they’ve seen the afterlife, but the Scripture pulled should be enough to at least make us wary of these claims.
As always, Christians need to turn to the Bible before they buy into something. I’ve found myself surprised time and time again by things I’ve never even thought to be wrong turning out wrong when compared to Scripture. Seeking God’s guidance through the Word, and always have an answer just as 1 Peter 3:15 says. We may not know something for sure until we get to Heaven, but that doesn’t mean we have nothing to point us in the right direction.
Monday, October 8, 2012
How Close is Too Close to Sin?
As Christians, we all know the consequences of sin, as well as where it gets us if we don’t repent of it. Sin without a doubt is something we should stay away from. The problem lies with how far away believers should stay away from it. A common idea, though it never directly appears in the Bible, is being “in the world but not of the world.” This is a concept derived from several passages throughout Scripture, and is correct if viewed from the right perspective. However, since this phrase came about, people have used it to extremes. Believers have used it to excuse putting themselves in sinful situations and at the same time stay away from the sin. These situations include bars, clubs, drinking parties, and so on. This has also made its way into how believers view media. It’s become a reason to watch explicit movies, listen to perverse music, and enjoy all kinds of other things that neither honor or glorify God. How does this affect our witness? Furthermore, how close is too close to sin?
One of the most clear verses depicting the phrase “in the world but not of the world” would be in John 17:14-15. John is saying to keep a group of believers in the world but away from evil. Not only does this best communicate the phrase, it takes it in an entirely different direction. We’re no longer called to not commit evil, but to stay away from it.
Another thing to take into account is what you’re actions say to other believers. In 1 Corinthians 8:7-13, Paul talks about how he won’t eat food that was offered to idols or eat in an idol’s temple if it caused a fellow believer to fall into sin. This example can easily be used today. There’s plenty of things we could be caught doing that could both destroy our witness and cause people to sin. True, is could be we aren’t doing anything wrong at all, but just as Paul says, other believers could either view us in the wrong way or take it a step further to say that some form of sin is okay. It’s hard, and many times inconvenient, but it’s something that every believer needs to take into account.
For church leaders, the Bible has an even higher standard. 1 Timothy 3:2 calls leaders to live “above reproach.” This means not doing anything that believers could take to be something sinful. Testimonies are one of the most powerful weapons we can have, but they are also the most fragile. A leader who puts his or herself in situations that could communicate something other than holiness in Christ would find it difficult to lead successfully.
On the topic of media, the best passage to look at is Philippians 4:8. This passage outlines what we should spend our time on, as well as what we should stay away from. Notice that this doesn’t say “whatever is Christian.” It doesn’t mean to only watch Christian movies or listen to Christian music. Some people might do that out of personal conviction, but it’s not necessary. There is plenty of secular media out there that communicates Christian morals. The key here is to look at both what’s in it and what it’s communicating. If it’s pointing you in a direction contrary to what the Bible says, we’re told to stay away from it.
A common rebuttal for most if not all of what I’ve just said is that we can’t be an effective witness if we don’t put ourselves into these potentially dangerous situations. Not true. Think about it. Unbelievers don’t spend all their time at parties, at bars and at clubs. They don’t spend all their time talking about explicit movies and perverse music. There are plenty of situations to meet unbelievers, and few of them are situations that could cause us or other believers to stumble. Jesus modeled for us to spend much of our time with unbelievers, but He never put Himself in situations that compromised His integrity. He always held Himself to a higher standard, and set Himself as an example to everyone around Him. This is exactly how we should be in this sinful world. We are already close enough to falling into sin with our sin nature, so let’s not get any closer.
One of the most clear verses depicting the phrase “in the world but not of the world” would be in John 17:14-15. John is saying to keep a group of believers in the world but away from evil. Not only does this best communicate the phrase, it takes it in an entirely different direction. We’re no longer called to not commit evil, but to stay away from it.
Another thing to take into account is what you’re actions say to other believers. In 1 Corinthians 8:7-13, Paul talks about how he won’t eat food that was offered to idols or eat in an idol’s temple if it caused a fellow believer to fall into sin. This example can easily be used today. There’s plenty of things we could be caught doing that could both destroy our witness and cause people to sin. True, is could be we aren’t doing anything wrong at all, but just as Paul says, other believers could either view us in the wrong way or take it a step further to say that some form of sin is okay. It’s hard, and many times inconvenient, but it’s something that every believer needs to take into account.
For church leaders, the Bible has an even higher standard. 1 Timothy 3:2 calls leaders to live “above reproach.” This means not doing anything that believers could take to be something sinful. Testimonies are one of the most powerful weapons we can have, but they are also the most fragile. A leader who puts his or herself in situations that could communicate something other than holiness in Christ would find it difficult to lead successfully.
On the topic of media, the best passage to look at is Philippians 4:8. This passage outlines what we should spend our time on, as well as what we should stay away from. Notice that this doesn’t say “whatever is Christian.” It doesn’t mean to only watch Christian movies or listen to Christian music. Some people might do that out of personal conviction, but it’s not necessary. There is plenty of secular media out there that communicates Christian morals. The key here is to look at both what’s in it and what it’s communicating. If it’s pointing you in a direction contrary to what the Bible says, we’re told to stay away from it.
A common rebuttal for most if not all of what I’ve just said is that we can’t be an effective witness if we don’t put ourselves into these potentially dangerous situations. Not true. Think about it. Unbelievers don’t spend all their time at parties, at bars and at clubs. They don’t spend all their time talking about explicit movies and perverse music. There are plenty of situations to meet unbelievers, and few of them are situations that could cause us or other believers to stumble. Jesus modeled for us to spend much of our time with unbelievers, but He never put Himself in situations that compromised His integrity. He always held Himself to a higher standard, and set Himself as an example to everyone around Him. This is exactly how we should be in this sinful world. We are already close enough to falling into sin with our sin nature, so let’s not get any closer.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Awkward Cops!
Alright. I may sometimes say that I like some excitement in my day, but pretty much always in the back of my mind I'm anticipating a normal, uneventful day of earthly existence. Every now and then, something happens that interrupts my normality zen thing. This one happened on my way to work.
So, you know that moment when you're driving and are trying to get into a turn lane at a red light? Every now and then, traffic stops JUST far back enough to prevent you from being able to merge.
I. Hate. That.
This is especially true when I can look over and see that the turn lane is completely empty. Well, I needed to get to work, and I got thrown into this situation as well as the driver directly in front of me. Not cool. The driver in front of me was in an SUV, and eventually decided to get up on the median a bit and cut around to the turn lane. I don't normally do this, but with me needing to get to work I did the same. As I got into the turn lane, I suddenly saw that there was a cop in the straight lane next to me. He was watching us both closely. At the time, I had forgotten that what this other driver and I did was illegal. The cop's light turned green. Now, if the guy wanted to nab me, he could have waited for the person in front of him to move forward, and then pull in behind me. He didn't
What followed was one of the most awkward and hilarious moments of my life...
Once he got into the intersection, he pulled into the middle of it with his lights on, waiting next to the left hand turn lane...MY LANE. It's a two lane left hand turn, and I was in front on the outside lane and the guy in the SUV was in front on the inside lane. Our light then turned green. Now, it was obvious at this point that the officer was going to pull over the first one he could. So what did we do? We sat there, staring at each other, each refusing to be the one to go first. This went on for a good 30 seconds. The funny thing was none of the traffic behind us honked. They were either sympathetic or stoned. Hopefully the first one. Finally, the cop gave up and pulled back into the straight lane. Oddly enough, he turned on his warning lights to do so. I guess police lights aren't enough anymore.
I totally get now that he had the right to give me a ticket, but who would voluntarily get themselves pulled over? Instead of getting us in a situation where we had no choice but to be pulled over, he put himself and us in this extremely awkward moment. Not only that, he let us decide who got to be pulled over. Seriously??
In the words of my mom: "He's straight out of police academy!"
So, you know that moment when you're driving and are trying to get into a turn lane at a red light? Every now and then, traffic stops JUST far back enough to prevent you from being able to merge.
I. Hate. That.
This is especially true when I can look over and see that the turn lane is completely empty. Well, I needed to get to work, and I got thrown into this situation as well as the driver directly in front of me. Not cool. The driver in front of me was in an SUV, and eventually decided to get up on the median a bit and cut around to the turn lane. I don't normally do this, but with me needing to get to work I did the same. As I got into the turn lane, I suddenly saw that there was a cop in the straight lane next to me. He was watching us both closely. At the time, I had forgotten that what this other driver and I did was illegal. The cop's light turned green. Now, if the guy wanted to nab me, he could have waited for the person in front of him to move forward, and then pull in behind me. He didn't
What followed was one of the most awkward and hilarious moments of my life...
Once he got into the intersection, he pulled into the middle of it with his lights on, waiting next to the left hand turn lane...MY LANE. It's a two lane left hand turn, and I was in front on the outside lane and the guy in the SUV was in front on the inside lane. Our light then turned green. Now, it was obvious at this point that the officer was going to pull over the first one he could. So what did we do? We sat there, staring at each other, each refusing to be the one to go first. This went on for a good 30 seconds. The funny thing was none of the traffic behind us honked. They were either sympathetic or stoned. Hopefully the first one. Finally, the cop gave up and pulled back into the straight lane. Oddly enough, he turned on his warning lights to do so. I guess police lights aren't enough anymore.
I totally get now that he had the right to give me a ticket, but who would voluntarily get themselves pulled over? Instead of getting us in a situation where we had no choice but to be pulled over, he put himself and us in this extremely awkward moment. Not only that, he let us decide who got to be pulled over. Seriously??
In the words of my mom: "He's straight out of police academy!"
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Interesting Customers
As you may know, may not know, or may not know and not care to either, I work retail. My first job being fast food, I had no idea how much experience I lacked coming into this new vocation, mainly when it came to weirdos. In fast food, we had plenty, but we would just hand them their food and send them back on their weird way to their weird lives. Now, I actually have to experience their weird lives. In honor of my boredom, I shall now give you the privilege of reading some of my past experiences. Please enjoy my pain.
Experience #1:
This happened when I first started working. It was me and two other workers that night, and it was around Christmas. A lady comes in, and literally on her head is strapped a stuffed turtle. I wish I could say that was the end of it. She goes into our gift section and says loudly, "I'll just tell you guys this for all it's worth!" Never a good sign. She then proceeds to bring us a Christmas ornament depicting a turtle laughing as he slides down a snowy hill with an equally joyful mouse sitting on his belly. It was quite a happy scene. I almost wished I was there. She then says, "This is uncalled for! Turtles die when they are on their backs! They struggle for life!" She then stormed back over to the gift area, broke all the mice off of these ornaments, and left the store. Remind me to never become obsessed with turtles.
Experience #2:
Like most retail stores, we maintain a little mailing list. General procedure for each customer is to ask them for their phone number to see if we can pull them up in our computer. If they're not there, we take a couple minutes to add them in if they permit. Easy, right? I never thought that this would give me one of the scariest stories ever. A guy comes in and was in the store for quite some time. He comes up to me at the counter, and dumps a large pile of $1 toys in front of me. Um...okay. I ask him for his phone number, which he gave without hesitation. He didn't come up. I asked him if he'd be okay with me adding him in. Ever seen Hulk, The Incredible Hulk, The Avengers, or any other movie starring our little green hero? Well, I'm pretty sure this was Bruce Banner. He immediately started yelling, saying he was in there and I had to find him. I tried about five different phone numbers. I tried his name. NOTHING. I assured him that I could fix this problem by simply taking a couple minuted to re-add him. He pointed at my face and said no, and that he was going to leave and get to the bottom of this. The next day (no, this is not done), he comes back, approached the assistant manager, and tells her, "Look at me! I will find out who deleted me from your computer. I will get in touch with corporate if I have to. And then...I'M COMING FOR ALL OF YOU!" So, apparently I have a hit squad out to get me. Lovely.
Experience #3
I actually have a poem based on me. Seriously. It's going to be featured in a book this next customer was apparently publishing. She walked into the store one day and came right up to me at the counter. Cutting right to the chase, she told me, "I've written you a poem." She then proceeded to "recite" a nonsensical "poem" about nothing. For TEN MINUTES. The bad part was the fact that I had to stand there with a straight face the entire time. At the end of the poem, she reached across the counter and said, "Take my hand, and we'll run away together!" Dang. I missed my chance.
Experience #4
It's always interesting hearing overly conservative people talk about sketchy things. I had this one older lady talking to me about the need for better security in stores. She then wanted to tell me about how another store in the area had men and women going into the same bathroom regularly to do things other than use it. Obviously trying to be careful how she put it, she said, "This one store near you all has whites and blacks going into the same restroom!" I was in shock. Not only did she make an unintentionally racist comment, she said it loud and clear. Then I looked to my right. There was a big black man standing there, staring us both down. Ever get the feeling that you have 30 seconds to live?
Experience #5
The final experience I'll mention today happened most recently. I was talking with a lady who comes in regularly. We were carrying on a normal conversation, when she said, "I notice you're folding your arms." I quickly unfolded them and apologized, remembering that can be a turnoff for some people. She then said, "It means you're under a lot of stress." Fair enough. School, work and other responsibilities do sometimes take a toll. She then got tears in her eyes. Oh boy. Where is this gonna go? With tears in her eyes, she began to beg, "Don't give up hope! Don't give up!" I assured her I was fine, but she continued to say this. Literally within a matter of a few seconds, I went from being someone who crossed his arms to someone who was apparently under a lot of stress to the point of being suicidal. I seriously learn more abut myself every day!
I'm hoping there will be more of these to come in the future. For now, I hope these five have amused you as much as they caused me pain. I hope you find joy in my pain, you sick people!
Colin
Experience #1:
This happened when I first started working. It was me and two other workers that night, and it was around Christmas. A lady comes in, and literally on her head is strapped a stuffed turtle. I wish I could say that was the end of it. She goes into our gift section and says loudly, "I'll just tell you guys this for all it's worth!" Never a good sign. She then proceeds to bring us a Christmas ornament depicting a turtle laughing as he slides down a snowy hill with an equally joyful mouse sitting on his belly. It was quite a happy scene. I almost wished I was there. She then says, "This is uncalled for! Turtles die when they are on their backs! They struggle for life!" She then stormed back over to the gift area, broke all the mice off of these ornaments, and left the store. Remind me to never become obsessed with turtles.
Experience #2:
Like most retail stores, we maintain a little mailing list. General procedure for each customer is to ask them for their phone number to see if we can pull them up in our computer. If they're not there, we take a couple minutes to add them in if they permit. Easy, right? I never thought that this would give me one of the scariest stories ever. A guy comes in and was in the store for quite some time. He comes up to me at the counter, and dumps a large pile of $1 toys in front of me. Um...okay. I ask him for his phone number, which he gave without hesitation. He didn't come up. I asked him if he'd be okay with me adding him in. Ever seen Hulk, The Incredible Hulk, The Avengers, or any other movie starring our little green hero? Well, I'm pretty sure this was Bruce Banner. He immediately started yelling, saying he was in there and I had to find him. I tried about five different phone numbers. I tried his name. NOTHING. I assured him that I could fix this problem by simply taking a couple minuted to re-add him. He pointed at my face and said no, and that he was going to leave and get to the bottom of this. The next day (no, this is not done), he comes back, approached the assistant manager, and tells her, "Look at me! I will find out who deleted me from your computer. I will get in touch with corporate if I have to. And then...I'M COMING FOR ALL OF YOU!" So, apparently I have a hit squad out to get me. Lovely.
Experience #3
I actually have a poem based on me. Seriously. It's going to be featured in a book this next customer was apparently publishing. She walked into the store one day and came right up to me at the counter. Cutting right to the chase, she told me, "I've written you a poem." She then proceeded to "recite" a nonsensical "poem" about nothing. For TEN MINUTES. The bad part was the fact that I had to stand there with a straight face the entire time. At the end of the poem, she reached across the counter and said, "Take my hand, and we'll run away together!" Dang. I missed my chance.
Experience #4
It's always interesting hearing overly conservative people talk about sketchy things. I had this one older lady talking to me about the need for better security in stores. She then wanted to tell me about how another store in the area had men and women going into the same bathroom regularly to do things other than use it. Obviously trying to be careful how she put it, she said, "This one store near you all has whites and blacks going into the same restroom!" I was in shock. Not only did she make an unintentionally racist comment, she said it loud and clear. Then I looked to my right. There was a big black man standing there, staring us both down. Ever get the feeling that you have 30 seconds to live?
Experience #5
The final experience I'll mention today happened most recently. I was talking with a lady who comes in regularly. We were carrying on a normal conversation, when she said, "I notice you're folding your arms." I quickly unfolded them and apologized, remembering that can be a turnoff for some people. She then said, "It means you're under a lot of stress." Fair enough. School, work and other responsibilities do sometimes take a toll. She then got tears in her eyes. Oh boy. Where is this gonna go? With tears in her eyes, she began to beg, "Don't give up hope! Don't give up!" I assured her I was fine, but she continued to say this. Literally within a matter of a few seconds, I went from being someone who crossed his arms to someone who was apparently under a lot of stress to the point of being suicidal. I seriously learn more abut myself every day!
I'm hoping there will be more of these to come in the future. For now, I hope these five have amused you as much as they caused me pain. I hope you find joy in my pain, you sick people!
Colin
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Final Thoughts on Chick-Fil-A
Apart from something I shared a while back on the issue, I've kept pretty quiet about the Chick-Fil-A controversy on Facebook, or the web in general for that matter. This won't take very long, but I wanted to take some time to share my thoughts.
When the Pilgrims came to America, they came from a country that had them in slavery. Not in the traditional definition that we might be used to, but in the sense of a dictatorship. They were told exactly what to believe, what not to believe, what to say, and what not to say. When independence was won for this country, we were given, among many other rights, the right to freedom of speech. This is the same right that allows the Westboro Baptist Church to stand on the street and yell that "God hates fags," or the same right that allows the KKK to exist for that matter. That being said, this is also the right that allows men and women all over this country to stand up and support what they believe in without being put behind bars or butchered in the streets.
Honestly, I don't think there's a single business that I will ever shop at that stands for everything I believe in and support. I find that beautiful. It tells me that we live in a country of diversity. It tells me we live in a country that allows people to come and support a business that financially supports pro-marriage organizations one day, and then allows homosexuals to make their own demonstration only a few days later. Maybe you're reading this and absolutely disagree with Chick-Fil-A supporting these organizations. Brilliant! You have a right to not do business with them. Better yet, you have the right to fight harder for what you believe in! Exercise the freedom you have been given. Just understand that opposition has the right to, and will, take the microphone.
Obviously, those of you who read a previous blog post of mine know where I stand on the issue of homosexuality. That hasn't changed. What I am doing here is showing how, however unpopular it may seem at times, we are free to stand for what we believe in in this country.
When the Pilgrims came to America, they came from a country that had them in slavery. Not in the traditional definition that we might be used to, but in the sense of a dictatorship. They were told exactly what to believe, what not to believe, what to say, and what not to say. When independence was won for this country, we were given, among many other rights, the right to freedom of speech. This is the same right that allows the Westboro Baptist Church to stand on the street and yell that "God hates fags," or the same right that allows the KKK to exist for that matter. That being said, this is also the right that allows men and women all over this country to stand up and support what they believe in without being put behind bars or butchered in the streets.
Honestly, I don't think there's a single business that I will ever shop at that stands for everything I believe in and support. I find that beautiful. It tells me that we live in a country of diversity. It tells me we live in a country that allows people to come and support a business that financially supports pro-marriage organizations one day, and then allows homosexuals to make their own demonstration only a few days later. Maybe you're reading this and absolutely disagree with Chick-Fil-A supporting these organizations. Brilliant! You have a right to not do business with them. Better yet, you have the right to fight harder for what you believe in! Exercise the freedom you have been given. Just understand that opposition has the right to, and will, take the microphone.
Obviously, those of you who read a previous blog post of mine know where I stand on the issue of homosexuality. That hasn't changed. What I am doing here is showing how, however unpopular it may seem at times, we are free to stand for what we believe in in this country.
Monday, July 30, 2012
How Young is Too Young for Salvation?
One thing that I’ve both thought about myself and discussed with other people is how old someone has to be before they can be genuinely saved. The common argument against young children getting saved is that they couldn’t possibly understand what they’re doing. I want to start out by saying that in some situations, this is the case. But, does that mean we hold them back if they insist they’re ready? As with any spiritual issue, we need to turn to the Bible.
In Mark 10, we see that parents begin to bring their children to Jesus while He is teaching. His disciples immediately try to turn the children away, but Jesus tells them “Let the children come to Me.” The interesting thing here is Jesus wasn’t referring to 10-12 year olds. The Greek word for children that’s used here is one that’s used very rarely in Scripture, and it refers specifically to small children, probably being around four or five years old. Jesus never said to make sure they understood fully who He was and what He was doing before they were brought to Him. Instead, He rebukes His disciples for stopping them and calls them over to Him.
In II Timothy 3:15, Paul writes and commends Timothy for knowing the Scriptures since he was a child, saying that throughout his childhood he has “known the sacred writings.” The exact same word for children from the previous passage is used here, indicating that in the time Paul was referring, Timothy was the same age as the children mentioned in Mark 10. The key word here is “known.” Paul doesn’t say he’d heard the sacred writings. He doesn’t even say he’d read the sacred writings. He says he knew the sacred writings, showing that Timothy had at least a basic understanding of what they said. Not only that, but those writings would have been the Old Testament, which is much harder to understand than the life of Jesus found in the Gospels. If a child is able to read and understand the Old Testament at such a young age, how much more could he understand Jesus’ eternal gift to us?
We also see an instance in the Old Testament that demonstrates God’s desire for children to come to Him. In 1 Samuel, we see that Samuel was called by God three time before Eli finally was convinced that it was in fact God who was talking to him. It’s unclear how old Samuel was when this happened, but he was definitely young enough for Eli to not take him seriously.
Does this mean that a salvation experience with a child is legitimate every time? No. I had two supposed salvation experiences in my childhood, and neither one was real. However, this doesn’t mean that we cast aside children who think they’re ready. God can call anyone at any age. If true salvation is the issue at hand, is this the only age group we have to worry about in that area? Last time I checked, over 80% of supposed Christian teens are leaving the church once they graduate high school. That’s not even taking into account the salvation experiences in the adult community. As with any age group, there needs to be follow-up and nourishment. If we’re just bringing people to Christ and abandoning them, what good are we?
In summation, be careful when judging small children who are coming to Christ. Sure, it might not be for real, but why ruin it for the few that it would be real for? Whatever the case, it’ll be between them and God when they get older. In the meantime,all we can do is accept them and dedicate ourselves to discipling them. Let’s accept children into the body rather than turning them away.
Thanks for reading.
In Mark 10, we see that parents begin to bring their children to Jesus while He is teaching. His disciples immediately try to turn the children away, but Jesus tells them “Let the children come to Me.” The interesting thing here is Jesus wasn’t referring to 10-12 year olds. The Greek word for children that’s used here is one that’s used very rarely in Scripture, and it refers specifically to small children, probably being around four or five years old. Jesus never said to make sure they understood fully who He was and what He was doing before they were brought to Him. Instead, He rebukes His disciples for stopping them and calls them over to Him.
In II Timothy 3:15, Paul writes and commends Timothy for knowing the Scriptures since he was a child, saying that throughout his childhood he has “known the sacred writings.” The exact same word for children from the previous passage is used here, indicating that in the time Paul was referring, Timothy was the same age as the children mentioned in Mark 10. The key word here is “known.” Paul doesn’t say he’d heard the sacred writings. He doesn’t even say he’d read the sacred writings. He says he knew the sacred writings, showing that Timothy had at least a basic understanding of what they said. Not only that, but those writings would have been the Old Testament, which is much harder to understand than the life of Jesus found in the Gospels. If a child is able to read and understand the Old Testament at such a young age, how much more could he understand Jesus’ eternal gift to us?
We also see an instance in the Old Testament that demonstrates God’s desire for children to come to Him. In 1 Samuel, we see that Samuel was called by God three time before Eli finally was convinced that it was in fact God who was talking to him. It’s unclear how old Samuel was when this happened, but he was definitely young enough for Eli to not take him seriously.
Does this mean that a salvation experience with a child is legitimate every time? No. I had two supposed salvation experiences in my childhood, and neither one was real. However, this doesn’t mean that we cast aside children who think they’re ready. God can call anyone at any age. If true salvation is the issue at hand, is this the only age group we have to worry about in that area? Last time I checked, over 80% of supposed Christian teens are leaving the church once they graduate high school. That’s not even taking into account the salvation experiences in the adult community. As with any age group, there needs to be follow-up and nourishment. If we’re just bringing people to Christ and abandoning them, what good are we?
In summation, be careful when judging small children who are coming to Christ. Sure, it might not be for real, but why ruin it for the few that it would be real for? Whatever the case, it’ll be between them and God when they get older. In the meantime,all we can do is accept them and dedicate ourselves to discipling them. Let’s accept children into the body rather than turning them away.
Thanks for reading.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Putting One's Trust in Man
Note to the readers:
I understand that many of you who read this will know exactly who I am referring to. I ask that anyone who reads this and comments would refrain from using the church's name or the pastor's name. The purpose of this blog is not to slander, but to make a point that goes far beyond the situation I'm writing about. Please understand this.
"It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man." Psalm 118:8
A couple years back, a particular church in my area began causing some issues. While their teachings were mostly okay, the practices were nothing short of cult-like. Close friends of mine were sucked into it and soon after completely cut off contact once I refused to join them. I watched a family get torn apart when the same thing happened to their daughter. I watched people instantaneously stop talking to their best friends, and then immediately backstab them, many times going as far as to call them unsaved. All of this was at the hands of one man, who at the time was the head pastor. The members of this church revered him. I actually worked with several of these members, and all I heard them talk about was how amazing this particular pastor was. The entire church website was dedicated to him. He painted himself as someone with no real weakness or struggle, and spent his whole time calling out other people. Anyone who said anything against him was met with anger and hostility from all the church members, no matter how sensible the person was being. This had gone on until a few months ago.
Three months ago, the pastor was no longer being featured on the church website. A few months later, which was recently, a news report came on TV that told about the pastor being arrested on 15 counts of child molestation. He is currently in jail with no bond.
"For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body." James 3:2
If we elevate ourselves a hundred feet above everyone else, we eventually have to either climb down or fall. Nobody is perfect. This blog post puts me just as much out on the line as it does this pastor. The moment we start pretending that we're perfect is the moment we make ourselves God. There is nobody who is incapable of any evil. Just as Psalm had to tell us earlier, man is not worth trusting. People let you down. The moment you put your faith in a person is the moment you fail. Too many times I have relied on people apart from God. There is nothing but disappointment and heartache to come out of it. Let this recent story serve as an example. Never put your trust in man. Put your trust in God.
Colin
I understand that many of you who read this will know exactly who I am referring to. I ask that anyone who reads this and comments would refrain from using the church's name or the pastor's name. The purpose of this blog is not to slander, but to make a point that goes far beyond the situation I'm writing about. Please understand this.
"It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man." Psalm 118:8
A couple years back, a particular church in my area began causing some issues. While their teachings were mostly okay, the practices were nothing short of cult-like. Close friends of mine were sucked into it and soon after completely cut off contact once I refused to join them. I watched a family get torn apart when the same thing happened to their daughter. I watched people instantaneously stop talking to their best friends, and then immediately backstab them, many times going as far as to call them unsaved. All of this was at the hands of one man, who at the time was the head pastor. The members of this church revered him. I actually worked with several of these members, and all I heard them talk about was how amazing this particular pastor was. The entire church website was dedicated to him. He painted himself as someone with no real weakness or struggle, and spent his whole time calling out other people. Anyone who said anything against him was met with anger and hostility from all the church members, no matter how sensible the person was being. This had gone on until a few months ago.
Three months ago, the pastor was no longer being featured on the church website. A few months later, which was recently, a news report came on TV that told about the pastor being arrested on 15 counts of child molestation. He is currently in jail with no bond.
"For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body." James 3:2
If we elevate ourselves a hundred feet above everyone else, we eventually have to either climb down or fall. Nobody is perfect. This blog post puts me just as much out on the line as it does this pastor. The moment we start pretending that we're perfect is the moment we make ourselves God. There is nobody who is incapable of any evil. Just as Psalm had to tell us earlier, man is not worth trusting. People let you down. The moment you put your faith in a person is the moment you fail. Too many times I have relied on people apart from God. There is nothing but disappointment and heartache to come out of it. Let this recent story serve as an example. Never put your trust in man. Put your trust in God.
Colin
Thursday, July 5, 2012
The Circles of Sin
Ever read Dante's Inferno? If you haven't, I should probably warn you that it's a little explicit. Basically, it's a perspective of what Hell might actually be like. It's divided into nine "circles" which are creatively referred to as The Nine Circles of Hell. Each sin carries a certain weight, and each person is judged in a greater or lesser way depending on the seriousness of their sin. Interesting concept, but is that really how it works? Is there any sin that separates someone from the pack?
I began reading the book of Romans today. Romans 1 is probably one of the most infamous passages in all of Scripture, simply because of how it refers to the sin of homosexuality. Pastors across the U.S. and abroad have pounded their pulpits with the passage, yelling against the homosexual community as if they were a bunch of animals.
...Disclaimer...
I am not endorsing homosexuality, nor am I stating that it's not a sin. I believe firmly that the Scripture indicates it being a sin that has corrupted one of the original foundations laid out at the beginning of time: marriage between one man and one woman. Please to not interpret this as me siding with homosexuality.
...End of Disclaimer...
The passage carried out as I remembered it after reading it so many times when needing to answer to homosexuality. Then, I noticed the following verses. More specifically, this is Romans 1:29-31. It begins to talk about the hearts of these people who up to this point all we know is they turned to homosexuality. Go ahead and read it for yourself. Does it say that they were filled with homosexuality? Wait, no?
Surprisingly, it says they were filled with covetousness, malice, envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness, gossip, slander, hate toward God, insolence, haughtiness, boastfulness, disobedience to parents, foolishness and faithlessness. So wait, is this a passage about homosexuality of not? Nope. It's a passage about sin. Isn't it funny how it mentions a sin that we've come to put on such a high pedestal right along with disobedience, foolishness and deceit? What about slander? I was going to list gossip, but I realized that not enough people struggled with that.
If God doesn't see a difference in these sins, why do we? Even if we say we don't, we act like we do. Homosexuality aside, what about people who stubble with alcoholism and addiction? Don't we put them in the same kind of category? We do a great job at pointing fingers at other people, but run and hide if the finger ever points to us. Instead of acting perfect to an imperfect world, we need to come to them as people who are vulnerable, people with struggles, and people who above all need grace. I heard someone once say that evangelism is one beggar showing another where to find bread. Such a profound statement. We have the exact same problems. We just know where to find the Truth.
Now, the finger points at you. How are YOU living?
I began reading the book of Romans today. Romans 1 is probably one of the most infamous passages in all of Scripture, simply because of how it refers to the sin of homosexuality. Pastors across the U.S. and abroad have pounded their pulpits with the passage, yelling against the homosexual community as if they were a bunch of animals.
...Disclaimer...
I am not endorsing homosexuality, nor am I stating that it's not a sin. I believe firmly that the Scripture indicates it being a sin that has corrupted one of the original foundations laid out at the beginning of time: marriage between one man and one woman. Please to not interpret this as me siding with homosexuality.
...End of Disclaimer...
The passage carried out as I remembered it after reading it so many times when needing to answer to homosexuality. Then, I noticed the following verses. More specifically, this is Romans 1:29-31. It begins to talk about the hearts of these people who up to this point all we know is they turned to homosexuality. Go ahead and read it for yourself. Does it say that they were filled with homosexuality? Wait, no?
Surprisingly, it says they were filled with covetousness, malice, envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness, gossip, slander, hate toward God, insolence, haughtiness, boastfulness, disobedience to parents, foolishness and faithlessness. So wait, is this a passage about homosexuality of not? Nope. It's a passage about sin. Isn't it funny how it mentions a sin that we've come to put on such a high pedestal right along with disobedience, foolishness and deceit? What about slander? I was going to list gossip, but I realized that not enough people struggled with that.
If God doesn't see a difference in these sins, why do we? Even if we say we don't, we act like we do. Homosexuality aside, what about people who stubble with alcoholism and addiction? Don't we put them in the same kind of category? We do a great job at pointing fingers at other people, but run and hide if the finger ever points to us. Instead of acting perfect to an imperfect world, we need to come to them as people who are vulnerable, people with struggles, and people who above all need grace. I heard someone once say that evangelism is one beggar showing another where to find bread. Such a profound statement. We have the exact same problems. We just know where to find the Truth.
Now, the finger points at you. How are YOU living?
Friday, June 22, 2012
Being Slapped in the Face
Ever had a metaphorical slap in the face? I can't begin to tell you how many I've had. Right when I begin to think that God has nothing left to show me, it usually happens. Today was no exception.
As always, I worked. Not an uncommon day for me by any stretch of the imagination. I was up at the register ringing up customers, and I look up to see a homeless guy standing in line. To be perfectly honest, I immediately groaned inside. It's hard to know what to expect in these situations. When he walked up, I could smell what was definitely cigarette smoke. The evil judge in me was going crazy. Then, he put a paperback Bible on the counter, followed by a couple dollars that I later found out one of our associates had given him. A little surprised, I began to ring him up. As I did, he began to talk endlessly. Amazingly, he was quoting Bible verses. I'm not talking about your typical Sunday School Bible verses. I'm talking about whole passages, putting many pastors to shame. As I stared at him in disbelief, his smiling face suddenly got really serious. Leaning forward a bit, he said, "Are you a Christian?" A little caught off guard, I told him I was. While I expected him to leave it at that, he then asked me, "What's your testimony?" This put me to shame. How often do we simply take someone who says they're a Christian at their word and not ask them for their testimony? I told him about how I was saved when I was 16, and how my life has radically changed since. He congratulated me with a big smile, and proceeded to tell me his. I honestly only understood a fraction of what he was saying, but I did hear him mention how even through his terrible situation, God is still good.
Wow . . .
Here I was judging a man who was going through a painful time, and here God was using the situation to show me where I was dead wrong. While I looked at him and judged, God looked and saw His child. God loves the unloved. Here I was, refusing to reach out to this man, and he comes up and reaches out to me, genuinely concerned for my soul. There's not much left to say. I'm humbled.
As always, I worked. Not an uncommon day for me by any stretch of the imagination. I was up at the register ringing up customers, and I look up to see a homeless guy standing in line. To be perfectly honest, I immediately groaned inside. It's hard to know what to expect in these situations. When he walked up, I could smell what was definitely cigarette smoke. The evil judge in me was going crazy. Then, he put a paperback Bible on the counter, followed by a couple dollars that I later found out one of our associates had given him. A little surprised, I began to ring him up. As I did, he began to talk endlessly. Amazingly, he was quoting Bible verses. I'm not talking about your typical Sunday School Bible verses. I'm talking about whole passages, putting many pastors to shame. As I stared at him in disbelief, his smiling face suddenly got really serious. Leaning forward a bit, he said, "Are you a Christian?" A little caught off guard, I told him I was. While I expected him to leave it at that, he then asked me, "What's your testimony?" This put me to shame. How often do we simply take someone who says they're a Christian at their word and not ask them for their testimony? I told him about how I was saved when I was 16, and how my life has radically changed since. He congratulated me with a big smile, and proceeded to tell me his. I honestly only understood a fraction of what he was saying, but I did hear him mention how even through his terrible situation, God is still good.
Wow . . .
Here I was judging a man who was going through a painful time, and here God was using the situation to show me where I was dead wrong. While I looked at him and judged, God looked and saw His child. God loves the unloved. Here I was, refusing to reach out to this man, and he comes up and reaches out to me, genuinely concerned for my soul. There's not much left to say. I'm humbled.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Love Draws Us
Go to Hell.
There, do I have your attention? As profane as that phrase is, I feel it is communicated by far too many people today. The sad part? Most of these people are Christians.
When I’m bored, I’m usually on a YouTube video spree. A while back, I ended up on the “weird part” of YouTube. For those of you who also frequent the website, you probably know what I’m talking about. For those who don’t, you might be better off. Anyway, I ended up watching a ten minute Marilyn Manson interview. The singer’s made quite a name for himself, but to those in the dark, he’s a gothic metal singer who is known for his profane lyrics, graphic imagery and association with the Church of Satan. In short, he’s probably not an artist parents are scrambling to pick up for their kids. Throughout the years, he has caught the attention of countless Christian groups, and his concerts are protested at on a regular basis. He’s been scorned, ridiculed and downright hated by large mobs of Christians. In the interview I watched, he was asked about what he thought of the people who do this. His response was as follows: “The most ironic thing that these people always fail to realize is that the lack of hospitality that they greet someone like me with is just very unchristian, and I think that’s the biggest paradox of all.”
Do I agree with what Manson stands for? Absolutely not. Do I agree with this statement? I absolutely do. Whenever an extremely sinful person steps into a spotlight where they can be seen by Christians, I worry. In fact, the first thought that goes through my mind is that there is a good chance they will never come to Christ. In most situations, I’ll see two groups of people. I’ll see the people who just run away and I’ll see the people who immediately try to smack them with a Bible. The group I almost never see are the ones who come up, introduce themselves and take time to love on them and get to know them. As it is, they come away thinking that God hates them even more than they already did. No one wants anything to do with a religion that hates their very existence. We’ve gotten to a point in our lives where we like to put ourselves on a pedestal and make everyone else feel smaller than us. Did the Christian community forget where they were before they were saved? Did they forget where they could be without Christ? Jesus certainly wanted His disciples to remember. In John 15:5, He told them “Without Me, you can do nothing.” With Christ out of our lives, we’re nothing. We’re sinners wandering the Earth with no purpose.
I never thought I’d write an entire blog about a Marilyn Manson post, but I feel like these things needed to be said. I would normally spend time giving solutions to the issues I discuss, but I don’t think much discussion is necessary here. It’s pretty cut and dry. Do what has been modeled all through Scripture and love other people. They might be people like you, and they might not be. You might feel comfortable around them, or you might feel completely awkward. If Jesus was able to go into sinners houses to eat, you can give a little effort to walking up to someone and talking to them for a few minutes. Forgiveness was bought for us by the love of Christ. If that love is not communicated to the world, there is no Gospel.
There, do I have your attention? As profane as that phrase is, I feel it is communicated by far too many people today. The sad part? Most of these people are Christians.
When I’m bored, I’m usually on a YouTube video spree. A while back, I ended up on the “weird part” of YouTube. For those of you who also frequent the website, you probably know what I’m talking about. For those who don’t, you might be better off. Anyway, I ended up watching a ten minute Marilyn Manson interview. The singer’s made quite a name for himself, but to those in the dark, he’s a gothic metal singer who is known for his profane lyrics, graphic imagery and association with the Church of Satan. In short, he’s probably not an artist parents are scrambling to pick up for their kids. Throughout the years, he has caught the attention of countless Christian groups, and his concerts are protested at on a regular basis. He’s been scorned, ridiculed and downright hated by large mobs of Christians. In the interview I watched, he was asked about what he thought of the people who do this. His response was as follows: “The most ironic thing that these people always fail to realize is that the lack of hospitality that they greet someone like me with is just very unchristian, and I think that’s the biggest paradox of all.”
Do I agree with what Manson stands for? Absolutely not. Do I agree with this statement? I absolutely do. Whenever an extremely sinful person steps into a spotlight where they can be seen by Christians, I worry. In fact, the first thought that goes through my mind is that there is a good chance they will never come to Christ. In most situations, I’ll see two groups of people. I’ll see the people who just run away and I’ll see the people who immediately try to smack them with a Bible. The group I almost never see are the ones who come up, introduce themselves and take time to love on them and get to know them. As it is, they come away thinking that God hates them even more than they already did. No one wants anything to do with a religion that hates their very existence. We’ve gotten to a point in our lives where we like to put ourselves on a pedestal and make everyone else feel smaller than us. Did the Christian community forget where they were before they were saved? Did they forget where they could be without Christ? Jesus certainly wanted His disciples to remember. In John 15:5, He told them “Without Me, you can do nothing.” With Christ out of our lives, we’re nothing. We’re sinners wandering the Earth with no purpose.
I never thought I’d write an entire blog about a Marilyn Manson post, but I feel like these things needed to be said. I would normally spend time giving solutions to the issues I discuss, but I don’t think much discussion is necessary here. It’s pretty cut and dry. Do what has been modeled all through Scripture and love other people. They might be people like you, and they might not be. You might feel comfortable around them, or you might feel completely awkward. If Jesus was able to go into sinners houses to eat, you can give a little effort to walking up to someone and talking to them for a few minutes. Forgiveness was bought for us by the love of Christ. If that love is not communicated to the world, there is no Gospel.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Facebook is Weird
Facebook has some pretty weird things....
1. Poking
I have no idea what the point is of this. What the heck am I telling someone by poking them? Maybe it has some deep meaning. I find it interesting how people I poke on Facebook poke right back, and yet I tried it in real life and all I got was a dirty look. It's true. I was devastated. And then there's Super Poke. That has to be one of the weirdest things I've ever seen. Why in the world would I want to throw a dead cow covered in ketchup at someone? The concept of poking has never ceased to baffle me.
2. Chat
I'll hand it to Facebook. Chat was a great idea. People instant message all the time, and making it so people could do that while stalking their friends was genius. The reason this is on my hate list has to do with the people who use it. The following is an example of the average Facebook conversation.
(Bobby is typing)
- Hey
(Craig is typing)
- Hey
(Bobby is typing)
- How u doin?
(Craig is typing)
- Good u?
(Bobby is typing)
- Good
(Craig is typing)
- Cool
(Bobby is typing)
- Hey I g2g
(Craig is typing)
- Cya
And of course, let's not forget...
(Bobby is typing)
- Hey
(Emily has logged off)
(Bobby is typing)
- Hello?
YOUR MESSAGE TO EMILY WAS NOT RECEIVED BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN REJECTED. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ANNOYING AND SEND HER A MESSAGE, CLICK (HERE).
Oh, the joys of Facebook chat!
3. Events
This isn't all bad. I've sent plenty of event requests myself on Facebook. The thing that annoys me is the stupid event requests. Not even kidding you, but one time a couple years ago I got invited to Christmas. I came very close to selecting "not attending" just to be cute. Then there was the time I got invited to 2013. And then there's those people I don't even know inviting me to their birthday parties. Facebook events and I have had a steady love/hate relationship for quite some time.
4. Farmville
Oh my gosh! I love planting corn! Ugh. I fail to see what's so special about this game. Scratch that. It's not a game. It's torture. If the U.S. wanted to torture terrorists for information, they could just sit them down and force them to play Farmville. They can sit there and watch their character move slowly across the screen and create his beautifully pixelated farm. Give them a few minutes and they're sure to scream in pain and agony.
5. Ads
These can go from annoying to downright creepy. No matter what you make public on your profile, Facebook finds some way to make ads match you. The most hilarious ones would probably be the ones telling me to meet Christian singles. The concept is fine, but the photos they pick are hilarious. I have a hard time believing that Christian singles wear mid drifts and show skin that would make Christine Aguilera blush. That's not even the worst. The absolute worst ads are the ones not even related to my Facebook stuff, but rather my internet and iTunes history. If I visit a site, I get an ad asking me to fan it. If I preview a band on iTunes, Facebook asks me to fan them and also lets me know when concerts are coming up. No! I won't go a Rebecca Black concert!
6. Photos
Everyone has that one friend who is always photographing themselves striking weird poses and plaguing your News Feed with them. The funniest ones are the ones taken in front of a bathroom mirror. I never quite understood these. Is the toilet in the background a nice touch? Then there's the artsy fartsy one who is always putting up everything from pictures of the sky to closeups of tree bark. Then there's the one who only has animal photos. My personal favorite is the one who always puts up photos of them making out with their significant other. Everyone loves seeing that.
7. Profile Pics
"Hey, friend me on Facebook!" That's kind of a common line these days. Should be a pretty simple process. Facebook has this amazing feature where you can put up your face next to your name! The funny thing is how much people change on their profile pictures; it makes them really hard to find. I have some who look surprisingly like celebrities. In fact, I'm pretty sure one was even on the red carpet. I look at another, and they look like a dog. Not being mean here. They literally turned into a dog. The most talented are the ones who are able to turn into stock photos. They have mad skills. I wish people would stop transforming in their pictures. I'm glad they have that amazing ability, but using it elsewhere would make network life much easier.
8. The Stalker Box
I don't want to know that you added John as a friend. Thank you.
These are just a few things that make Facebook weird. Don't worry, because I'm sure I can come up with plenty more. :)
1. Poking
I have no idea what the point is of this. What the heck am I telling someone by poking them? Maybe it has some deep meaning. I find it interesting how people I poke on Facebook poke right back, and yet I tried it in real life and all I got was a dirty look. It's true. I was devastated. And then there's Super Poke. That has to be one of the weirdest things I've ever seen. Why in the world would I want to throw a dead cow covered in ketchup at someone? The concept of poking has never ceased to baffle me.
2. Chat
I'll hand it to Facebook. Chat was a great idea. People instant message all the time, and making it so people could do that while stalking their friends was genius. The reason this is on my hate list has to do with the people who use it. The following is an example of the average Facebook conversation.
(Bobby is typing)
- Hey
(Craig is typing)
- Hey
(Bobby is typing)
- How u doin?
(Craig is typing)
- Good u?
(Bobby is typing)
- Good
(Craig is typing)
- Cool
(Bobby is typing)
- Hey I g2g
(Craig is typing)
- Cya
And of course, let's not forget...
(Bobby is typing)
- Hey
(Emily has logged off)
(Bobby is typing)
- Hello?
YOUR MESSAGE TO EMILY WAS NOT RECEIVED BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN REJECTED. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ANNOYING AND SEND HER A MESSAGE, CLICK (HERE).
Oh, the joys of Facebook chat!
3. Events
This isn't all bad. I've sent plenty of event requests myself on Facebook. The thing that annoys me is the stupid event requests. Not even kidding you, but one time a couple years ago I got invited to Christmas. I came very close to selecting "not attending" just to be cute. Then there was the time I got invited to 2013. And then there's those people I don't even know inviting me to their birthday parties. Facebook events and I have had a steady love/hate relationship for quite some time.
4. Farmville
Oh my gosh! I love planting corn! Ugh. I fail to see what's so special about this game. Scratch that. It's not a game. It's torture. If the U.S. wanted to torture terrorists for information, they could just sit them down and force them to play Farmville. They can sit there and watch their character move slowly across the screen and create his beautifully pixelated farm. Give them a few minutes and they're sure to scream in pain and agony.
5. Ads
These can go from annoying to downright creepy. No matter what you make public on your profile, Facebook finds some way to make ads match you. The most hilarious ones would probably be the ones telling me to meet Christian singles. The concept is fine, but the photos they pick are hilarious. I have a hard time believing that Christian singles wear mid drifts and show skin that would make Christine Aguilera blush. That's not even the worst. The absolute worst ads are the ones not even related to my Facebook stuff, but rather my internet and iTunes history. If I visit a site, I get an ad asking me to fan it. If I preview a band on iTunes, Facebook asks me to fan them and also lets me know when concerts are coming up. No! I won't go a Rebecca Black concert!
6. Photos
Everyone has that one friend who is always photographing themselves striking weird poses and plaguing your News Feed with them. The funniest ones are the ones taken in front of a bathroom mirror. I never quite understood these. Is the toilet in the background a nice touch? Then there's the artsy fartsy one who is always putting up everything from pictures of the sky to closeups of tree bark. Then there's the one who only has animal photos. My personal favorite is the one who always puts up photos of them making out with their significant other. Everyone loves seeing that.
7. Profile Pics
"Hey, friend me on Facebook!" That's kind of a common line these days. Should be a pretty simple process. Facebook has this amazing feature where you can put up your face next to your name! The funny thing is how much people change on their profile pictures; it makes them really hard to find. I have some who look surprisingly like celebrities. In fact, I'm pretty sure one was even on the red carpet. I look at another, and they look like a dog. Not being mean here. They literally turned into a dog. The most talented are the ones who are able to turn into stock photos. They have mad skills. I wish people would stop transforming in their pictures. I'm glad they have that amazing ability, but using it elsewhere would make network life much easier.
8. The Stalker Box
I don't want to know that you added John as a friend. Thank you.
These are just a few things that make Facebook weird. Don't worry, because I'm sure I can come up with plenty more. :)
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