God, Emerson, and Scooby Doo

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "The work of God will not be made manifest by cowards." If you're like me, the image that comes to mind when I hear the word "coward" is Shaggy from one of the best cartoons ever made, Scooby Doo. Shaggy is always the one running away from what seems to be terrifying or threatening, but when the mystery is solved, the monster always turns out to be far less menacing than what he once believed. Isn't that how a lot of "Christians" are today? Many people are brave enough to mark "Christian" in the religion section of our Facebook profiles, but lifestyles simply don't reflect it. They fear pursuing a relationship with God because they are afraid of what they will have to give up and who they will have to give up. More commonly, they are afraid of what people will think of them if they stand up for what is right or live a lifestyle contradictory to the norm. But Christianity isn't for cowards. Christianity is for the fearless! II Timothy 1:7 says, "For God gave us not a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control." God has given us power to do his works. If we do what he commands us to do, we will certainly receive our reward. When we understand (or think we understand) the awesomeness of God and the strength of his Holy Spirit, we come to the realization that the only thing that should scare us is separation from God. Nothing on this earth can hold fear over us any longer if we have faith in Him. His word can't be spread to all creation by people that are afraid of what seems dangerous, intimidating, or unpopular. God doesn't call cowards to do his work, he calls the fearless.

Looking Back, Moving Forward

When I think about what I've done this year, I think about the struggle I've had with time management and prioritizing. There were several things that I devoted a lot of time to, such as biology, and things that I didn't devote enough time to, like everything else. Next semester I hope to balance out what I'm doing and spend more time studying for larger-than-life tests than I do trying to figure out the answer to a trivial homework problem. At the same time, I have to make time to go to church, hang out with my friends, and spend time with my family. In the coming weeks and months I hope to manage my time better, spend more time doing what truly matters, and becoming the person that I want to be.

Forgiven

There is never a time when forgiveness is not deserved. That's much easier to say than to put into practice. No matter how much wrong someone has done to us, there is never a good reason not to forgive them. First of all, if you do something wrong, you want forgiveness. No matter how horrible someone is, they want the same as you. Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that God forgives us much more than we could ever deserve, and if we're striving to be like God, the same is true for us. Despite conflict and disputes with friends, family, God, and myself, I've had to find forgiveness in myself because I know that is the only way I'll be able to move on and grow because of the situation.

The Crucible: Play vs. Movie

There are definitely some differences between how I interpreted The Crucible while reading it and how it was portrayed on film. First of all, the plot sequence was completely different. I liked the sequence in the book better because it was easier to understand Abigail when we learn of the truth of what happened in the forest early in the reading. I also liked understanding the relationship between John Proctor, Goody Proctor, and Abigail prior to seeing John and Elizabeth Proctor together. Secondly, I like some characters in the book better than how they are depicted in the movie. I feel like Goody Putnam is portrayed more like a psychotic person than someone overcome with witchcraft hysteria in the movie. I also think that Reverend Parris is shown to be far more violent than what I imagined while reading. I think he should be more prideful than hostile. However, I liked the way Rebecca Nurse and John Proctor were shown in the movie. The setting in both the movie and are very similar.

Wherever I'm with You

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros recently released the duet, "Home," which says, " Home is wherever I'm with you." I think the song between the couple captures the essence of home. When I think about my home I don't imagine a brick structure where I store my stuff, but rather, a place where I am loved by people I love. Anywhere this feeling exists is home. Whether I'm sitting on my couch, taking notes in class, singing down the interstate, or backpacking in a foreign country, I can be home. However, I know that my truest roots lie in Old Hickory, Tennessee. I feel at home when I hear even the worst of redneck dialects or country music playing in the background. I feel at home when I drive down Lebanon Road (which I travel a minimum of 28 times a week) with my friends hysterically laughing as we sing and dance (though we aren't all that talented) to whatever song we have the radio blasting. I feel at home when I'm stuck in Sunday morning traffic. Most of all, I feel at home when I'm with the friends and family I love the most, because the structure, shelter, and warmth they provide far exceeds anything that my house has ever offered me. So, whoever your "you" is, whether it be your friend, your parent, your love, or your God, I hope you find them, because without a home, you're stuck in the cold.

Practice Makes Perfect

Practicing for ACT testing is always a growing experience. I especially liked looking at the answers and being able to see what I missed and learn why I missed it. My results weren't bad but I'm determined to improve until I can get a perfect score, especially since my math and science scores are never as high. The biggest problem I have with testing is that I tend to lose focus or I don't thoroughly read the question. I hope I can develop the ability to focus on the complete question and be able to choose the best answer.

Inexpressible Joy

When it comes to being a person of faith, I would like to say that I'm always faithful to God, but that wouldn't be true. I try my best to follow the statues that God has established for me, because I know that's what's best for me, but I still oftentimes fall into the world's hands rather than holding to God's. My relationship with God grows every day, and I hope that I never become satisfied with it. Like all relationships, mistakes are made, there are problems with communicating, and conflict. All of these problems are my fault, but sometimes I feel like God should take the blame. God is continually teaching me and he strengthens my faith even through doubts and questions. I continually remind myself of one of my favorite verses, 1 Peter 1:8, "Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.."