The last few days this word has really been bothering me. It all started with listening to a series by John MacArthur called An Uncompromising Life. This series is based on the book of Daniel.
Daniel was uncompromising. The man stood his ground and followed his beliefs and faith no matter what. I admire that and in all honesty I thought I tried to do that in my own life. Now, I thought I compromised in certain situations where I thought I should and didn't think it was a big deal. But now it is just nagging at me.
I compromise regarding things that I didn't really know I was compromising with. Take movies and tv. I thought I was doing well. I research movies and tv shows and am picky about what I watch and what Patrick watches. But I do compromise and looking back it may not have been a good thing, thus the whole nagging feeling that has been around lately.
In the beginning of Daniel, after they have been taken to Persia, Daniel states that he will not eat or drink the kings food or wine. Now he compromised on receiving a new name and on learning what the Persians wanted him to learn but he wouldn't compromise on eating the King's food or wine. Why? Because that is the one thing that would be against his beliefs (law). It is more detailed than that and I suggest you listen to the series http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Grace_to_You/.
But going back to my nagging inner self. Guilt - I think that is what it really boils down to. I compromise on things that 1.) I don't know that I'm compromising on because I have taken on a worldly attitude and 2.) I compromise on things to avoid a struggle or conflict. But it comes down to me compromising on things that if I were a stronger person and had a stronger faith I would not. Things like tv shows, movies, music and I'm sure loads of other things.
As a Christian, child of God I should really analyze what I watch and listen to and allow myself to be around or party to. So that includes shows that I like and am going to miss when I say I won't watch. No more 3 strikes and it's off. It's one strike and the channel gets changed. I should be uncompromising. In situations when it is against my beliefs I should not compromise, yet when it agrees with the bible then it's ok. Well that sounds easy right?
Yeah not so much. The world and fleshiness get in the way. So the key is to keep the fleshiness away or at least in control. From a fleshy point of view that is going to be hard. Not to be whiney or anything, BUT, wah!
I can do this though. So it has begun.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
What!!??
Over the last few days, there have been several news items that have spurred a resounding "WHAT!!!???" from me. Here are 2:
Associated Press
Man gets probation for mailing cow's head to wife's lover
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A judge has sentenced a Pennsylvania man to probation and community service for mailing a bloody cow's head to his wife's lover.
Jason Fife's lawyer acknowledges his client stepped over the line, but says his frustration was understandable given the affair.
Police say Fife got the cow's head from a butcher shop, claiming he wanted the dried skull for decoration. Instead, he mailed the head while it was frozen. The box became bloody after sitting on the victim's doorstep on a warm day.
Fife must complete two years of probation and 50 hours of community service.
Fife's lawyer says the man and his wife have reconciled.
WHAT!? Ok, I understand the probation. But they've reconciled!! Would you reconcile with a man that mailed a cow's head to your lover? Let alone ANYONE!!!
Knoxville News Sentinel
Rock ruling lessens sentence
Boulder not considered destructive device, state appeals court rules
In a landmark decision Monday, a state appeals court has removed a rock from the list of weapons deemed under state law as destructive devices.
The ground-breaking ruling comes in the May 2004 death of Barbara J. Weimer, 69, who was slain when a 10-pound rock heaved from an Interstate 75 overpass smashed through the windshield of the van in which she was traveling.
The ruling does two things. One, it fills a gaping hole in a state law that made it a case of first-degree murder to cause a death by throwing a destructive device. Two, it cuts the prison term of Weimer's killer, Alford Lee Morgan, from a minimum 65-year prison term to 18. With credits for good behavior, Morgan could be eligible for release now in as little as six years.
"This is a great day for Alford Morgan," defense attorney Russell T. Greene said Monday. "This has been a four-year battle to finally get to the point we said we should have been all along."
Morgan and three other young men went out in May 2004 for what they would later tell Knox County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Jeanette Harris was a night of "redneck fun," tossing bricks, rocks and chunks of wood at cars, businesses and homes.
Weimer was on her way back from a wedding, riding in a van with her daughter, Malissa Grande, and son-in-law, Christopher Grande.
As the family's van approached the Brushy Valley overpass to I-75, Morgan decided to heave a 10-pound rock from that overpass onto passing vehicles. The rock smashed through the windshield of the Grandes' van, striking Weimer with such force her head was nearly severed from her body.
At Morgan's trial, Knox County Assistant District Attorney General Bill Crabtree cited a rarely used version of first-degree murder by destructive device, arguing that the chunk of rock Morgan tossed certainly should be classified as a weapon of destruction. Jurors agreed.
There was one problem: State law did not define exactly what the legislature meant when it deemed a killing by destructive device as first-degree murder.
Greene contended a rock could not qualify as a device. It has no moving parts and is not constructed by man, Greene argued. Crabtree countered that the rock at issue wreaked deadly destruction through its use and, therefore, rated billing as a device.
In its ruling, the appellate court sided with Greene.
"The definitions of destructive device all include some language that defines a destructive device as some sort of explosive or chemical weapon," Judge Jerry L. Smith wrote in the opinion.
Although the court opined that the behavior of Morgan and the others rated outrage, state law limits the price they must pay for their misdeeds.
"The actions of (Morgan) and his cohorts are nothing short of reprehensible. … Nevertheless, as repugnant as (Morgan's) conduct was, it does not, under current law, constitute a killing (by destructive device)," Smith wrote.
Attorney Wayne Ritchie II, who represented the Grandes in a civil lawsuit over Weimer's death, said Monday, "No court ruling can mollify the horror and loss this family has been forced to experience. The Grandes appreciate the continuing hard work and dedication of the Knox County Attorney General's office."
The state could ask the state Supreme Court to review the mid-level appellate court's conclusion. Crabtree could not be reached Monday for immediate comment. It would be up to the state Attorney General's Office to pursue an appeal.
Meanwhile, the midlevel appellate court is ordering Knox County Criminal Court Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz to dismiss the murder conviction against Morgan and instead impose an 18-year prison term for convictions of reckless homicide in the slaying of Weimer and related crimes involving the Grandes and a trucker whose rig was pelted with a chunk of wood thrown from the same overpass by a cohort of Morgan.
There remains one other appeal in this case involving the definition of a rock as destructive device. It's not clear yet whether the ruling in Morgan's case will benefit defendant Matthew J. Carter, the getaway driver convicted of second-degree murder in Weimer's slaying.
WHAT!? I'm sorry - but I disagree - loudly and wholeheartedly! Any item that is used as a weapon should be defined as a destructive device. He meant that rock to be destructive or he wouldn't have been tossing them at cars on the interstate. I understand that as of right now it does not match the law - I hope our legislators change that. This whole story just makes me so ANGRY!!!!!
Associated Press
Man gets probation for mailing cow's head to wife's lover
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A judge has sentenced a Pennsylvania man to probation and community service for mailing a bloody cow's head to his wife's lover.
Jason Fife's lawyer acknowledges his client stepped over the line, but says his frustration was understandable given the affair.
Police say Fife got the cow's head from a butcher shop, claiming he wanted the dried skull for decoration. Instead, he mailed the head while it was frozen. The box became bloody after sitting on the victim's doorstep on a warm day.
Fife must complete two years of probation and 50 hours of community service.
Fife's lawyer says the man and his wife have reconciled.
WHAT!? Ok, I understand the probation. But they've reconciled!! Would you reconcile with a man that mailed a cow's head to your lover? Let alone ANYONE!!!
Knoxville News Sentinel
Rock ruling lessens sentence
Boulder not considered destructive device, state appeals court rules
In a landmark decision Monday, a state appeals court has removed a rock from the list of weapons deemed under state law as destructive devices.
The ground-breaking ruling comes in the May 2004 death of Barbara J. Weimer, 69, who was slain when a 10-pound rock heaved from an Interstate 75 overpass smashed through the windshield of the van in which she was traveling.
The ruling does two things. One, it fills a gaping hole in a state law that made it a case of first-degree murder to cause a death by throwing a destructive device. Two, it cuts the prison term of Weimer's killer, Alford Lee Morgan, from a minimum 65-year prison term to 18. With credits for good behavior, Morgan could be eligible for release now in as little as six years.
"This is a great day for Alford Morgan," defense attorney Russell T. Greene said Monday. "This has been a four-year battle to finally get to the point we said we should have been all along."
Morgan and three other young men went out in May 2004 for what they would later tell Knox County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Jeanette Harris was a night of "redneck fun," tossing bricks, rocks and chunks of wood at cars, businesses and homes.
Weimer was on her way back from a wedding, riding in a van with her daughter, Malissa Grande, and son-in-law, Christopher Grande.
As the family's van approached the Brushy Valley overpass to I-75, Morgan decided to heave a 10-pound rock from that overpass onto passing vehicles. The rock smashed through the windshield of the Grandes' van, striking Weimer with such force her head was nearly severed from her body.
At Morgan's trial, Knox County Assistant District Attorney General Bill Crabtree cited a rarely used version of first-degree murder by destructive device, arguing that the chunk of rock Morgan tossed certainly should be classified as a weapon of destruction. Jurors agreed.
There was one problem: State law did not define exactly what the legislature meant when it deemed a killing by destructive device as first-degree murder.
Greene contended a rock could not qualify as a device. It has no moving parts and is not constructed by man, Greene argued. Crabtree countered that the rock at issue wreaked deadly destruction through its use and, therefore, rated billing as a device.
In its ruling, the appellate court sided with Greene.
"The definitions of destructive device all include some language that defines a destructive device as some sort of explosive or chemical weapon," Judge Jerry L. Smith wrote in the opinion.
Although the court opined that the behavior of Morgan and the others rated outrage, state law limits the price they must pay for their misdeeds.
"The actions of (Morgan) and his cohorts are nothing short of reprehensible. … Nevertheless, as repugnant as (Morgan's) conduct was, it does not, under current law, constitute a killing (by destructive device)," Smith wrote.
Attorney Wayne Ritchie II, who represented the Grandes in a civil lawsuit over Weimer's death, said Monday, "No court ruling can mollify the horror and loss this family has been forced to experience. The Grandes appreciate the continuing hard work and dedication of the Knox County Attorney General's office."
The state could ask the state Supreme Court to review the mid-level appellate court's conclusion. Crabtree could not be reached Monday for immediate comment. It would be up to the state Attorney General's Office to pursue an appeal.
Meanwhile, the midlevel appellate court is ordering Knox County Criminal Court Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz to dismiss the murder conviction against Morgan and instead impose an 18-year prison term for convictions of reckless homicide in the slaying of Weimer and related crimes involving the Grandes and a trucker whose rig was pelted with a chunk of wood thrown from the same overpass by a cohort of Morgan.
There remains one other appeal in this case involving the definition of a rock as destructive device. It's not clear yet whether the ruling in Morgan's case will benefit defendant Matthew J. Carter, the getaway driver convicted of second-degree murder in Weimer's slaying.
WHAT!? I'm sorry - but I disagree - loudly and wholeheartedly! Any item that is used as a weapon should be defined as a destructive device. He meant that rock to be destructive or he wouldn't have been tossing them at cars on the interstate. I understand that as of right now it does not match the law - I hope our legislators change that. This whole story just makes me so ANGRY!!!!!
Monday, January 7, 2008
Fear
Yesterday, at church our pastor spoke about Hebrews 13:5-8.
Within that sermon he mentioned how one of the biggest reasons that we do not share our faith is because we are afraid. Afraid of what people might say or what they might think of us. Fear, it stops us from doing SO many things. I know a lot about fear. If I examine it I am afraid of an awful lot of things. One of my biggest fears is that I will lose my family. I think since I do not have any relatives of my own, having lost most of them due to one reason or another, that losing someone that I do have is fearful to me. I am afraid to lose friends and get jealous if they spend more time with other people because I have a sense that I might lose them. I am afraid of losing my son because I have based most of my life on him and our bond goes very deep, and he is the reason for most of my decisions.
Another fear is of losing anything personal, because I have lost so many things in the past that were valuable to me. Yet another fear is when I drive. I have had so many car accidents that it is a surprise to me that I even get in my truck. I have learned to control this one, most of the time, due to necessity. However, every once in awhile I get that adrenaline of fear as I am cruising down the road.
I wouldn’t say that I am crippled by these fears, but I guess that I am. I try not to let them get the better of me, but I guess that even the smallest of these fears is one to many. It is partially a control issue; partially a trust issue and I guess mainly a lack of faith.
That brings me back to church. Pastor mentioned lack of faith. That we don’t trust the Lord enough to let go, we want to be in control and think that we can do it better or have a better plan. As If! I mean I know this, I KNOW that there is NO way that my plan is better and yet I am a persistent little thing. Don’t get me wrong I am not a quivering mass and have come a long way on my path and with my walk. BUT, I know I could do better. I could let go. To be honest I have over the years gradually. I think mainly because I knew I had no choice in the matter. I have been on the floor and have just turned things over to God, knowing that I just could not do it. I don’t think I do this enough though. Thus the whole having fear thing.
Going back to sharing faith, I do have fear there. I work in a government office and have often listened to conversations about many things that are contrary to my faith as well as criticisms of faith based people or opinions. I don’t participate in those conversations, mainly because I want to avoid certain situations and arguments. Fear, path of lest resistance, same thing.
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”
The pastor made several slap in the head points, also known as light bulb moments. Unless you know God, TRULY know him, at the end of days he will say to you "I knew ye not". Fear or excuses will not bring "job well done". But what can man do to me? Is it worth it? A resounding YES. No matter the outcome of facing my fear, on not giving in to it, I will live with Christ as he is always with and in me. That help is there to help me face my fears. That help is there for everyone, that hope, that trust is offered to everyone. I just need to step forward and receive it.
Within that sermon he mentioned how one of the biggest reasons that we do not share our faith is because we are afraid. Afraid of what people might say or what they might think of us. Fear, it stops us from doing SO many things. I know a lot about fear. If I examine it I am afraid of an awful lot of things. One of my biggest fears is that I will lose my family. I think since I do not have any relatives of my own, having lost most of them due to one reason or another, that losing someone that I do have is fearful to me. I am afraid to lose friends and get jealous if they spend more time with other people because I have a sense that I might lose them. I am afraid of losing my son because I have based most of my life on him and our bond goes very deep, and he is the reason for most of my decisions.
Another fear is of losing anything personal, because I have lost so many things in the past that were valuable to me. Yet another fear is when I drive. I have had so many car accidents that it is a surprise to me that I even get in my truck. I have learned to control this one, most of the time, due to necessity. However, every once in awhile I get that adrenaline of fear as I am cruising down the road.
I wouldn’t say that I am crippled by these fears, but I guess that I am. I try not to let them get the better of me, but I guess that even the smallest of these fears is one to many. It is partially a control issue; partially a trust issue and I guess mainly a lack of faith.
That brings me back to church. Pastor mentioned lack of faith. That we don’t trust the Lord enough to let go, we want to be in control and think that we can do it better or have a better plan. As If! I mean I know this, I KNOW that there is NO way that my plan is better and yet I am a persistent little thing. Don’t get me wrong I am not a quivering mass and have come a long way on my path and with my walk. BUT, I know I could do better. I could let go. To be honest I have over the years gradually. I think mainly because I knew I had no choice in the matter. I have been on the floor and have just turned things over to God, knowing that I just could not do it. I don’t think I do this enough though. Thus the whole having fear thing.
Going back to sharing faith, I do have fear there. I work in a government office and have often listened to conversations about many things that are contrary to my faith as well as criticisms of faith based people or opinions. I don’t participate in those conversations, mainly because I want to avoid certain situations and arguments. Fear, path of lest resistance, same thing.
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”
The pastor made several slap in the head points, also known as light bulb moments. Unless you know God, TRULY know him, at the end of days he will say to you "I knew ye not". Fear or excuses will not bring "job well done". But what can man do to me? Is it worth it? A resounding YES. No matter the outcome of facing my fear, on not giving in to it, I will live with Christ as he is always with and in me. That help is there to help me face my fears. That help is there for everyone, that hope, that trust is offered to everyone. I just need to step forward and receive it.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Evolution vs. Creationism
I'm going to come right out and say it... I believe a christian can believe in creationism and believe in evolution.
Ooooo. I know what your thinking or at least I think I know what your thinking. But hear me out. Evolution is defined in the American Heritage dictionary as:
1. A gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex or better form.
2. Biol. - The theory that groups of organisms, as species, may change with passage of time so that descendants differ morphologically and physiologically from their ancestors.
Now if you use that definition then why is it such a big deal to believe in evolution. I believe that God created the heavens and the earth as well as man, women and the animals and everything in-between. I also believe that the same heavens, earth, men, women and animals have evolved from what they were when they were first created.
My belief stems not just from faith but from fact. Scientific fact. Let's take humans. It is a fact that the next generation of humans as an average are taller and live longer than their descendants. Is that not evolution? So I do not see why the two can not co-exist. I may go so far as to say that nowadays it is more the people that only believe in evolution that have the problem with creationism more so than vice-versa.
However, I do see the problem in the reasoning of only believing in one and not the other. In believing that humans evolved from apes (biological evolution), taking a Darwinian approach or believing in the Big Bang Theory - I can see what all the fuss is about concerning creationism or even intelligent design. Partly because they feel threatened in their theories and partly because they are happy in their world thinking that there is not a judgement on their behavior and thus do not have to succumb to a higher moral judgement other than their peers and society - which we all know is in decay anyway.
Anyway, I still do not see what is wrong with believing in evolution AND creationism. The two can go hand in hand. I can believe that the earth, people and animals have evolved and also believe that God had a hand in that. I can believe that evolution is not an accident or just something that inevitably happens.
So having said that, I do not see a problem in teaching evolution in schools as long as it fits with what the definition says and is not taken further. If we are not allowed to speak out about creationism and God in school then it is not right to speak out about biological evolution.
Please find some links that you might find interesting.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
It's a New Year
I've never been big on having resolutions. Each year I say I am not going to make any and YET, I make them. They are usually the same year after year. Lose weight, exercise more, eat healthy. Sometimes I add something more exciting like travel more or something similar, but inevitably it seems I never go very far with keeping them. So, a few years ago I told myself to stop making resolutions. Mainly because even though I did do some of them it wasn't a major change in anything. I haven't lost weight and I don't exercise more. I do eat better and I do travel more but that has to do more with my health and job than any resolution - they were something that were kind of forced upon me.
But still every year I think about it. I feel the need to do "The List". Something about a new year seems to bring out that "I need to make changes" feeling. I go over in my head what I could, should change and debate about doing "The List", but then that voice in the back of my head comes up with very good arguments as to why it would be a waste of time and who needs a list. Of course then the devils advocate voice pipes in and mentions how wonderful I am at making lists and how helpful they can be and wouldn't it be easier if I just wrote it all down.
Then of course the tangents hit and all I can think of is "it's crowded in there with all those voices and opinions" and "who would win the cage match - the first voice in my head or the devil's advocate voice in my head." Then I think how silly the whole thing is and try to focus on what I was originally thinking of and that brings me back to "The List". Maybe if I make it more fun and less predictable, I might have a chance of actually doing some of the things on "The List".
Ok - so here goes:
1. Spend less time in front of the tv and more time outside.
2. Spend more time with my friends.
3. Volunteer at church and other places more.
4. Live more and have less regrets.
I'll start with that and see what happens.
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