It's Only a Step, but Stretches a Great Span

40 years ago today we touched the moon. 40 years ago the impossible became possible as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. From that moment on Neil's name went down in history along with his famous phrase: "One small step for man, One giant leap for mankind" but what made this moment possible? Was it not the numerous calculations, work, and everything going correctly. Just the same, we live we work and we strive to achieve a leap for mankind. It is not because we can, but because we want to, we have too. We always seek to know, to learn, to understand, to explore. We all eat, breathe, drink, and are human. We are all human and part of humankind, but more importantly part of this world, and yet we are separate. What makes the human different from the animal? Could it be our connection to God? Are we the only species that believes in the afterlife. What makes us different? or are we truly as different as we think?

We as a country reached the moon, we as a country unite under one flag, we as Christians unite under a loving and just God. We as Christians took a step, and made our commitment to God. We as Christians took one giant leap of faith and gave our lives. We died to this world we call home for the eternal one. We entered into an embrace with the father, just as the world embraced these heroes we remember on this day. Just as these men's loving families wepted with joy and embraced their loved ones when they reached the earth, So Christ and the Father will do when we reach Heaven.

So remember this day. Remember it as a day when man achieved the once impossible. But it is a day in the past, one of great importance that shows how far we have come. But look forward to the future, to the heavenly mansion, to a day of far more importance and celebration.

Refresh

It's been a long time since High school. It feels just like yesterday I was traveling the halls among my friends and life was much different. The world was smaller, everything seemed so far away, and everything we seemed not to matter in the long run. But these days life is different. The world is larger, with so many possibilities and choices to be made, and every choice has a bearing on where you decide to end up. Choices is the truth of life. You can choose anything, but its with what you can live with, what you want, or what can happen. Life is now quickly changing from the comfortable surreal world of the comfortable home we've grown in, to that of a large expanse with roads leading everywhere and a plethora of questions.

"I'm no longer in Kansas"
In two years schools over, the real world begins, and it will more than likely completely disconnect me from most if not all of my high school connections. In two years The surreal world ends and another one begins to be created. We are creatures of habit, we love routine, and more than likely many of you I'll never see again. I challenge all of you to not always stay in routine your entire life, for what is a life with no adventure or without following your dreams. To all of you if I see you again please take the opportunity to say hi, don't forget to introduce yourself. I will miss many of you in the years to come, and I hope many of you I can stay in contact with. But this is a post about where I am in life. I'm on the verge of transformation. I'm on the verge of the real world. I'm on the verge of leaving the surreal. Life moves fast I realize that now, but I've been lucky enough to enjoy it. I've been lucky enough to be able to slow down and enjoy it with friends and I am thankful for the friends I have made. But I'm looking to the future and I know things will change and I know new memories and friends will be made and I can't wait to embrace the future, but I want to take it slowly one step at a time to enjoy all I can.

Connections

The mind is a marvelous thing. It allows the person, if allowed, to imagine, create and connect things from the past and present. One idea from years ago can come running back and be lifted into a new idea in a matter of seconds, only to be lost in half the time.

I have spoken of reaching for goals, and letting the mind wonder, and thinking outside the box. This blog is merely and outlet of thoughts with connections I can scarcely describe or begin to understand. It is an outlet and free flow of consciousness the begins with an unknown ending that causes me to wonder where it may go and end.

With time I think I'm learning much to the secrets of life. What per say can these secrets be? well I feel they are not truly secrets, but really the overlooked and the opposite of what we might think. It seems the common expression today is I don't understand, I don't know, or what if? What if we dug deeper, by digging less. In our information-ally enriched society we long to dig, to read between the lines, or find the hidden understanding. I feel however we miss the point many times or skip past to the ending.

We don't need many words, like solomon a simple saying can be more insightful and challenging than a dictionary or terms. We have learned to react. We have learned to do as much by doing as little as possible. We have learned not to take some things at face value before we peal back the layers.

Many people have asked me what I want to do in the next few years, what job I want to get, or what my goals are. And without a doubt I can say I will go, where I end up; because I am, who I am. I have many possibilities, options, and goals I want to accomplish, but only one truly matters. And that is becoming who I truly am. My actions, my goals, and possibilities will be formed around who I am and value. But you only become who you are by letting yourself believe in your true values and desires.

The true secrets to life are right in front of our faces and we scarcely recognize the existence of such a simple answer or are willing to accept what it entails.

We are what we are; we will be who we want to be; and we will chase what we truly want to chase, if we let ourselves.

For me, life is the rest, the pause, and the enjoyment of the moment not the activities and the day to day chores.

What is it to you?

Living MY Life

Life is distracting. Life for many is all about what is going on around them; who is wearing what, what the next scandal is, or what is the best way to wear my hair. Life lived in such a way leads to never becoming one's self. Without living your life you never have a life, and without having a life how does one expect to feel satisfied?

These past few months I have been caught up in the game of Life. I've lived focusing on school, or the next event, or that one girl that keeps sitting beside me. It has been an exciting adventure and I have learned and accomplished much, but at what cost? I seem to have put many things on hold and have bypassed many things.

I have learned a lot this past year one of which is to look back on the past and learn, and not give in to the same things that you had before. One great example is the bible. It is a text of repeated blunders. From the beginning it is a story or overcoming and learning. As the story progresses it continues to reflect upon itself. It even points out continued faults of God's people repeated generation after generation for thousands of years.

Just like god's people thousands of years ago we continue to fall into these same mistakes just as we ourselves fall into the same things over and over. Whether they are temptations or sins, or just putting things off until another time. We are human, we make mistakes; but our goal is to learn, to adapt, and to put into practice what we have learned.

I have learned a lot this past year, but the most important thing is to live my life; to chase YOUR goals; and to learn from your mistakes. Without taking a chance on yourself and giving yourself a shot, you will never be completely satisfied. You will always wonder and wish, but you will only be able to act for so long; so stop, think, and reach for your goals.

Come Back After the Paint Dries

This semester in school has been a time sucker. I have little time to do anything, but what is assigned, but it has become a great learning experience. I have grown and expanded and come to know who I am and what I understand much more clearly than ever before. much has happened is these past few months. we've elected a new president, for better or worse, it's who we've gained and now after a splitting of the country we must come together under one flag, under one symbol and under one man. and while he holds not the whole country in his hands, but is a symbol of who and what we represented. He is someone that we have chosen to be our leader for these upcoming years.
Our economy has suffered greatly and has fluctuated up and down and has scared many citizen and other countries around the world, yet it is hanging on still. and numerous other incidents around the global and right down to your own backyard or living room.

But the one thing that has become more and more evident in these past few months is that you have to wait for the paint to dry. When you want to put a second coat of paint on a wall or canvas you need to wait until the first is completely dry. This can be the hardest thing for any designer, artist, homeowner, or politician, but it is a necessity. but what I've discovered its more than just waiting, it also gives you the chance to step back, get your mind off of it, and come back with fresh eyes. These fresh eyes help to find mistakes, problem areas, or rework something to make it more pleasing or stable. These periods or breaks can be more productive than the actual painting or planning.

But this concept applies to more than just painting, it applies to politics, natural human growth, school, religion, etc... Taking a min. to step back get away and come back with fresh eyes can help you clean up the plan, the picture, the mistakes and redirect everything in a more clear, planned and elegant direction. so take a second, stop and smell the flowers, read a chapter of your bible that you've been wanting to read, or maybe wait for the layer of paint to dry before laying another layer on. Take a break in your busy schedule an reflect and remember where you came from, how you got to where you are, and where you want to go.

True Colors

I was reminded of this when an episode on the history of paint came on the history channel, and now even more I can see the significance and power of work camps and symbolically taking down the fence and removing the bushes and trees we put up to block either imperfections (that paint does help cover, yet can not still be seen on close inspection...) or to just be ashamed of the truth of to be associated with that color or whatever it may be.

the church is paint on wood, on metal, on flesh - to show the world the true colors of the underlying reality principles. We are the Paint, Neigh We are the Colors of the world, the reflection of beauty and a creative spirit larger than ourself. We are the true colors of Christianity, the world does not see the words, but they see our lives.

Reality principle number 1 - We are fragile, we need protection from the elements so we don't wear, rust, and become dust. We can not live in the open of the world, we would fade fast and would soon end in misery, and receive all our pleasure and rewards and treasures in that short time here on earth. The paint we coat our lives with as Christians helps protect us, it shows us how to live, and also builds up our inheritance for the long hall where moth and rust will not destroy.

Reality principle number 2 - were not the center of the universe - their is something bigger, something greater than you or me. We are not just a structure, or lone being created by an inconceivable small chance, we have a plan a purpose a direction that only could be given to us be the author, creator, writing himself into our story. We just have to learn and accept the fact that we are not really in control. We have control of our decisions and our direction, but the path and stipulations have been set long before our short life. We must give the center, our pride and earthly desires, up and let God work through us to do his purpose that he shows us to accomplish more than we can ever fathom and more than we will see in our lifetime or small scope of senses that he gave us to view this play we are in.

Reality principle number 3 - we do not really have it until we show it, we can't show the world, until we put it on. We can not possible expect to be Christians unless we act like one, sound like one, look like one on the inside and out. Like paint we have to put it on before we can see it all together. We can not know the outcome until its done. We can ponder or in-vision or think we know, but we can not fully see, until it is shown.

Reality number 4 - were not all the same exact color, yet all have the same base. we have a foundation of pure white that not only gives us a firm base and something to draw strength from, but also helps to show our colors better and more brilliantly for the true creator and center of our lives, family, communities and world. We all have strengths weaknesses for a reason, we were all made to help something or someone in a special way, and when we all combine our strengths we cover up our weakness and create a front of more than this world, we create a movement that will change the world.

We make life, religion, and God to hard. We have more than we could ever read or understand about it, but we already have what we need. We have ourselves and a small little book of guidelines and a church, a family, a brother to lean on. we don't truly need that much to understand and grow in faith and understanding. We just need to use the time we have to learn and understand the simple truth of the matter. And to realize we'll never figure it all out or understand why, but to share the gospel we need to make a united front and work as a team, a unit, a family. We need to stop making so many rules and regulations and just look at the simple truth. We are nothing, we are not in control and only one thing will save us. But how do we do that? We dedicate our lives to giving up ourselves for a purpose a being so powerful, mind blowing, and life changing. We don't return to the world, but create a new world of eternity, happiness, and peace.

This all sounds simple enough, and yet is so close to impossible to accomplish. I know for a fact I have as much work as the next to lay on the paint, but first we must set our minds and focus on the goal. Not a number, or figuring out what's "right", or opinions, but on the one who will provide if we give it all to him.

Reflection

The other night I was walking back to my room and looked toward the sky to see a very tremendous sight. The moon shinning in all its glory, yet even then something wasn’t quite right. The clouds and haze had covered it just enough that the light peaked few, but all will still fuzzy. Now this may sound a little Odd, but at the moment I stopped and my jaw dropped, That has been how the world has been for me and in everyone’s lives so much and especially for me recently.

So what am I saying exactly? Well there are so many directions this concept can go, but the main one that applies to everyone is that we see God’s Glory through the stories and writings in the bible, in the people we see, and the world he created, but still we can’t quite get it; Were still a little off or things maybe are just a little fuzzy. We don’t have all the fine details and everyone will never agree on every point.

But we can all see the light, and most would agree that it’s really there and not a figment of our imagination.

But he called us to be a light so that his light might shine on earth, yet we are all separate, and with numbers comes strength. So when we come together as a Christian body we not only are worshiping, but we are also reflecting the very thing God shows us. We reflect a body of light one that is not all completely the same and maybe a little blurry on some thing, but people should not be able to overlook the light. They have the option of ignoring or not accepting it, but if the light is not being shown then we have to ask why?

Why can no one see the light, why can we as a body not even see the light?

We spend enough time looking at ourselves and making sure we look presentable in the Earthly realm, but how often do we look to the spiritual? When was the last time we compared our spiritual lives and activities with what the spiritual world calls for; once a day? Week? Month? Maybe even year or years? And yet God calls you to keep our minds on that continually.

So next time you look in a mirror or the son just stop think, am I going the right direction?

When was the last time I focused more on spiritual perception than earthly? And I’ll admit I fall into this trap over and over, yet with a group of believers tied together with the common bonds of Christ and the bible as a guide we should together build a strong light one that does begin to resemble the spiritual realm and then, will we truly begin to make progress towards accomplishing our goal of spending eternity with our Father in the beautiful mansion he has prepared for us in a land of Paradise.