Misconceptions of Christianity

i recently stumbled across a webpage that had some hilarious quotes from "The Christian Tee" forum. it prompted me to look deeper into it! and i found this post, by a teenage guy struggling with certain issues (most likely pornography) and this is what he said.

"Im not sure what im doing wrong... my music library is almost 90% christian, and i only hang out with Christians. but im STILL having these temptations... and still struggling. what am i doing wrong?"

i didnt like it. first off, he is treating Christianity like a calculator. you put in the right things, press the right button, and out comes positive results. so many Christians think this way!! but the truth is, we are completely incapable of pushing the button. we can try, we can listen to only christian music, we can separate ourselves from temptation, but we are not able to stop sinning. not able to help ourselves. like a ball rolling down a hill, it can be stopped. but it cannot stop itself. it must have an external force stop it.

the second thing i didnt like, was that he assumed hanging out with only Christians is a positive thing. while in reality i think it can be negative! we need to model our friend groups after Christ. have the close few, who we can share our struggles with, cry with, and hold accountable. but diversify - as long as your not being tempted - do what Jesus did. hang out with prostitutes, inmates, drug addicts, murderers, sex offenders, child pornographers and terrorists. the most hated people in society. THEY are who need Christ, not the people who already have Him.

Christianity is so off track. at least Christianity as the world portrays it. and as alot of Christians do too. if tonight, i decide to become a chicken. im not a chicken... i need to research, observe, learn, understand how they live before i can become one, and convince other people to do the same, otherwise im just making myself, and possibly all chickens look like idiots!
Tyler Durden once said "Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken!"
equally so, grabbing a bible does not make you a christian.

its a lifestyle, something we need to observe, research, learn and understand. not just decide to try.

God Is Mighty.

Im finaly realizing this! the feeling that "i need to be here, i want to be here, but i cant make myself go there" is fading! im actuly growing in my faith, in my relationship with Christ. FINALY! its becoming a constant mindset, keeping him first and focusing on Him. im a far cry from where i should be, but im so far from where i was just weeks ago - God is using EBC, Malone - Brooke - Brittany and Alise to show me himself, using the internship at church, using my friends.

last week, we didnt get on spiritual topics. hardly ever, and now? since talking with Malone and the girls? i bring it up in conversations! and it fits so well. it feels like all this time has been wasted, when its SO easy to get focused on Christ.

(haha! its shocking how much worship music is on bittorrent.... pirates love God too!)

so God, thank you. thank you for answering my prayers, for showing me you, for getting me back on track, for bringing about the change that i needed! and wanted deep inside. thank you for Tyler and Malone, sharing themselves lastnight/thismorning and being a final push onto course, thank you for taking the time to "waste" being not close to you, and using it to show me what i was missing. God keep me focused on you, im doing great tonight! i even read my bible for the first itme in months, but let this be more than a good week. let this be a new lifestyle! a perminent change father, thank you for taking me through this spiritual valley, and bringing me back out stronger than ever.

mom just called. and wants me to walk over accross the street, so i can walk back with her. and its really annoying me. why? because she called me, and said "hey! i have a favor to ask you...." and then started talking to someone else for a minute, and laughing. and here i am - pissed she interupted my "God Time" hahahha. how weak i am. using this time to focus on God, and reflect, and to let him change me. and then whenever an oportunity to serve pops up, i get angry because its interfering with letting God teach me.
forgive me Father, i am so selfish. so closed minded to what my goals actuly are. God give me a broad perspective of what you want, of what is important.

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Now playing: Chris Tomlin - God Of This City

How could it be any other way?

this song is so perfect!
at first he misses her, and wonders why things went bad




then he realizes that things didnt go bad, they went the right way, and all is good :)

As I walk on down
I feel like a clown
In a circus of my own
Oh my cover is blown
Feel like I got a heart made of tin
I thought of you this morning

Well I sleep into a state
As I awake
Well I start to find
That I can't get your smoke out of my eyes
I guess I lose
I guess you win
I thought of you this morning

Well I think about all the other ways I could've played
All the other simple moves I could've made
All the other cards that I could've dealt
All the books I didn't read upon my shelf
All the other ways I could've sung my songs
I've realized that none of it wen't wrong
It was all play
How could it be any other way?

Now that the chains are off
I'm free to roam
Everywhere I go
I feel like I'm home
Nothing hides
Everything is shown
She is always with me
I'm never alone
I guess you lose
I guess I win
I thought of you this morning

How could it be any other way?
How could it be any other way?
How could it be any other way?
It was all play
How could it be any other way?

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Listening to: Trevor Hall - Other Ways

Back Burner

ohh Taylor. your so confused lately. just when you think you have something figured out, something else comes up. your not going to fulleron this summer, but now other things are driving you mad, other topics confuse you. as soon as your over one, another comes and takes its place. as soon as your ok being single, talking with your neibor, and her obvious intrest floods you with feelings you thought where gone. you LOVE being back at church, working with people, helping out, ministering. but then you realize that your striggling. hard.

my sollace is here, sitting on my patio, with an apple flavored cigar, oversized headphones up all the way, typing out my feelings and thoughts.

this is my vacation.

sometimes i want to just be a different person, i get tired of living with myself, tired of my expressions, my phrases, my way of thinking. my bents, my quirks, my skills and my weaknesses. like a bad roomate, or that feeling when you spend to long with your best friend - you will always love them! but right now you just need to get away.

relient k comes to mind - you know ill always love you, but right now i just dont like you.

what am i doing? God can you change me? nothing spcific, just change me. mix it up, throw in some veriety! im getting bored of myself. maybe this just means im far to self centered that im focusing to much on me. when in reality its not about me, i should be the last person im concerned with! but as usual, thats not the case. as usual im first in my own life. not God, not others. its me again.

Taylor stop! put yourself where you belong. the back burner.

remember your meaning, your purpose, your objective. if something is not furthering the ultimate goal, if something is for selfish gain

you shouldn't be doing it.

God hold me accountable
let me be in the world, but not of this world


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Now playing: Moby - In This World