God's Creation

There is many things going on in our lives that we don't take the time to stop and smell the roses. We are constantly looking at our phones or on any screen and we miss the beauty that is all around us. God created this whole Earth from the tiniest plant to the tallest mountain. So I encourage everyone who is reading this to go outside and spend time in the beauty God created, because it is amazing. That and if God can create everything we see and make it all beautiful, how much more beautiful are you.

And since you are staring at a screen, here are a few pictures to give you a glance of God's greatest creation. Enjoy!

Doing What We Don't Want To Do

We all have things in life that we don't want to do. For me it was getting my wisdom teeth out. It wasn't because I was scared of the surgery I just didn't want to have them taken out and be sore and in pain for the next couple of days. The thing is that the stuff that we don't want to deal with might actually hurt us later on in life. In talking with the doctor, if I had left my wisdom teeth in for a long period of time, it would cause more infections and would cause me to remove more than just the four wisdom teeth. So I am glad that I got them out now, so I don't have to deal with those problems later in life.

Now some of things that we are avoiding might not have to deal with getting wisdom teeth removed, but it could deal with, forgiving someone, or talking with someone you haven't talked to in a long time, or a number of other things that we are just putting off. It is better to get these things we are avoiding done sooner rather than later because you don't know how much trouble they are going to cause you later in life. It is a lot better to deal with it today while it is small and manageable, than deal with it later on when it is blown out of control and it is going to be more painful to fix it then. The Bible also talks about how we don't know what tomorrow brings, or if we will have a tomorrow, so it is important to get what needs to be done today done.

So take time today to pray and reflect on what needs to get done that you have been putting off and go out and get it done before it is too late.

Lessons Taken from the Movie "Baby Driver"

Note: Baby Driver is rated R and I don't typically watch rated R films or promote them unless there is much more to gain than is lost by watching the film. 

Spoiler Alert

One thing that stuck out to me during the movie is how easily people underestimated Baby. Several times through out the movie they doubted his ability to drive and preform because he was so detached and always listening to his music. they often thought that he was slow or that he wasn't pay attention, yet time and time again he proved himself to be one of the best getaway drivers there was. It was his music that was a strength to him, and not a weakness.

When thinking about this, how many people do we meet day to day that has a quality trait about them that may seem like a weakness. For example I have this friend at work who is really energetic and can get supper focused on one task and forget about everything else. Now when it comes to her work, it can be seen that she is slow because she focuses on one thing at a time and takes her time completing the tasks, yet she is the best one at selling rewards cards to people. That is because she takes her time with the guest and really explains the whole program to them that they are interested in getting a rewards card. What is perceived as a weakness at first glance is actually a strength and the managers love her for her ability to sell reward card.

The Bible also talks about God made every person just the way they are for a purpose. Each of these traits that we think are flaws, were actually designed by God for a specific purpose. Like my friend selling reward cards, or Baby listening to his music, they work to create them to be the best at that particular assignment. So before you write someone off because they have a different quality trait, get to know them and find out what they can do, and how they use that trait to their advantage. 

Lessons Taken from the Movie "Baby Driver"

Note: Baby Driver is rated R and I don't typically watch rated R films or promote them unless there is much more to gain than is lost by watching the film. 

So this week i just watch Baby Driver and I have to say that it was a fantastic movie. It is a high speed action movie with such a good and meaningful story behind it. I originally wanted to see it because of the editing, but once i did see it I saw that there was so much more to the movie with much bigger implications than just good editing. So over the next couple of posts, I am going to be talking and reflecting on Baby Driver and what I personally got from the movie. You may not always agree with my analysis, but it is interesting to think and talk about the movies that we see.

The first thing I want to talk about is the editing of the movie. Now I know not all my viewers know much about how a film is edited, but even knowing some of why the film was edited the way it was gives a deeper appreciation for the movie.

The reason why I wanted to watch the editing in the movie was because I had talked to the editor while I was in Vegas for a broadcasting convention. After listening and talking with the editor, I knew I had to see the movie. The thing that makes this movie unique is because it is all based of the soundtrack. Every gun shot, every cut, every step and movement that the character makes is to the beat of the music. While you are watching it it is hard to notice, but when you focus on how everything interacts with the beat, it is mind-blowing the precision of the editing of the movie.Watching something like that is inspiration to me to make my cutting so accurate with the music and it gives me something to strive for. It is a well edited movie. 

Our Own Way To Worship

One thing that we are told since we were children is that we each are unique. That even includes the way we worship. If we look around there are many different denominations of churches and it seems like there is always a competition on which one is the best. I grew up in many different denominations and in many different ways to worship. I went from worshiping all out, to a church that is way more reserved. The thing is too is that when we worship, we look around to see what other people are doing so we can blend in.

One thing I have noticed when I got to college is that it doesn't matter how you worship. Towards the end of the year there is a worship in the library, and because the library is so small there are people on both levels. This year me and my friends were on the second level, and when you glanced on the first floor, it was clear to see that everyone was worshiping in their own ways, and it isn't about trying to fit in, but having time to worship our savior.

This topic came up again a couple of weeks ago when we went back to my old church that my family went to when I was younger. My parents really got into the worship, yet I couldn't get completely into it.  Yet I can get into the music at my current church and my parents can't. It is not that one way is better than the other, it just that we worship in different ways, and that is totally fine. So next time you go to worship, don't worry about what the people around you are doing, but worship that way that you like to worship, for worship is between you and your savior, not the neighbor next to you.

Changes

So as many of you might see when you first click on my blog, that a couple of things have changed. I've been thinking about this for a while, and I want to change the idea behind my blog. When I started this back in tenth grade, I made it a place where I talked about God and tried to teach something about Christianity. However, that became hard to keep up, and it is why there has been a scarce number of posts for a while. Now I am hoping to open it up to talk about my story and events that have happened to me and show how God is working in my life. It is kind of going to be like an online diary. I am also going to make it a goal to post more pictures and videos.

This past week I was at my family reunion. One thing that I learned is that you don’t need a unique family history to make you unique. A lot of the people I go to college with have had their family move to America in the past two or three generations. My most recent family members are from Kansas, so it is not as exciting story to tell as those who have grandparents who can tell stories about moving to America. The thing is hanging with my family and listening to their stories, they are just as exciting but in their own way. There are stories of my dad living in tents growing up, to my parents working on the bridge over the summer, to trips I told to see my grandparents when I was young. And it is in those stories that I come from and that is what makes me unique. So my family history doesn’t have to be like someone else, because God made this unique family history just for me. And he did for all of us. 

So take time to sit down and listen to your family stories and see just what kind of family you come from.  

Biblical Experiences

Starting at the beginning of the month I decided that I was going to read through the Bible over the course of the year. In just the first couple of the days I could draw connections from what I was reading in the Bible to my personal life. In Genesis 22 is the story of Abraham being tested. A recap of the story is God asked Abraham to go to the mountain to sacrifice his son. His son was Isaac, Abraham’s only son and he was to be the one that would be the decedents of Abraham for all the nations. Abraham did as he was told and went to sacrifice his son, for he trusted that God had something in mind. Then at the last moment God provided Abraham with a ram to sacrifice in place of his son. Abraham’s trust paid off and God provided for him.

Now this is a story that happened a long time ago, and it may seem like it has no application on our lives. The thing is we all have things that we love and cherish. That could be a material object, or money, or anything that we place high value in. The thing is that object is not ours but it is God’s and he is just letting us borrow it. When it comes time, we must be able to trust God in what he has given us and when he asks us to give it up.

Now not many of us are going to be asked to sacrifice our sons, but there are ways every day that we have to trust God. For example, I am working hard this summer to earn money for college. I must be thoughtful of how I spend my money. So, the other day an employee asked if he could borrow some money for food. I said sure but as I walked away I thought about the money that I would give to him to eat, because food where I work is not cheap. But I went through with my plan to be able to pay for his dinner. When it was his break I gave him the tips I made thus far which would cover a meal. But then the surprising thing was is that his brother ended up having food for him so he didn’t need my money. Afterwards I went back to work and I made the most tips that I have made this summer. I thought back to this story and how when God calls us to give, whether that be a small amount of money or a son, we should trust him because he can do more with what we have then we can think of.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the material items that you have given me and I place them in your care because I know your will is better than mine. I trust you when you call me to give up something of mine because I know you have something greater in mind. Amen.