Year in Review

As 2008 comes to a close and 2009 becomes foreseeable, we can simply look back on the good moments - and the bad. But for now, I think I'll review the spiritual and positive happenings of life in 2008 for me. (In the comment box below, feel free to type up your own retrospective timeline about what God or someone or something has done for you.)


Songs that Impacted My Life in 2008:

- Life In Your Way - Reach the End
- Skillet - The Older I Get
- James Newton Howard - Thought I'd Never Call

Movies that Impacted My Life in 2008:

- Blood Diamond
- The Passion of the Christ

Books that Impacted My Life in 2008:

- Greater Than You Think - Thomas Williams

Timeline of 2008:

- March 2 - First time I paid a visit to my church's Senior High Youth Group, which was one night that truly changed my walk with Christ - through new friends and an awesome small group. This was also a time that God had set me free from an absence of a true heart for Jesus in my life which had been a burden throughout my winter season.

- March 19 - Day that I participated in my first science fair competition, in which I brought home second place in my division.

- April 3 - Day that I participated in the regional science fair, in which I brought home third place and a special award from the Philadelphia Society of Coatings Technology.

- April 20 - The day on which I was baptized - a very blessed day.

- May 8 - Yet there was no real significance to this day, I was unnormally happy throughout the course of the day in which I could literally [feel] God working in my life. That was pretty cool.

- May 20 - The day that I broke a minute split in the 400m - my time was a 59.6.

- June 12 - Last day I was able to visit one of my best friends, Joshua Tibbetts as his family and himself moved to Thailand to work in mission with God - way to go Tibbetts family!!!

- June 14 - My 16th birthday took place when I received my iPod Touch.

- June 16 - School ended as I would then leave Indian Crest to go to Souderton High School - and I would enter the second greatest summer of my life.

- June 22-28 - Week that my family and I visited our relatives in Maine, and also celebrated my Granparent's 50th Anniversary.

- July 14-19 - Week retreat with my church's youth group to Harvey Cedars Bible Conference, which made an internal impact that was inspiring and life-changing.

- July 19-August 4 - The weeks I was able to spend with my Chinese exchange student, Fu Yao. These weeks were powerful not only because they followed Harvey Cedars but also because it gave me an opportunity to share the Gospel with a person who otherwise may have never learned of it. The weeks of Harvey Cedars and Fu Yao totally strengthened my walk with Christ even more.

- August 4-8 - I was a camp counselor for Branch Creek Arts Camp where I was again able to make an impact on the lives of children through sharing the Gospel.

- August 17-23 - My family and I did our usual vacation time in New Hampshire with out relatives from Massachusetts - this was also the week that I suffered from heat stroke.

- August 31-September 1 - Weekend of astronomy at Cherry Springs.

- September 2-18 - The time when school was delayed due to a teacher's strike, which resulted in a lot of family time - such as a trip to Baltimore, Philadelphia, Longwood Gardens and Atlantic City.

- October 4-5 - The weekend that my father and I paid a visit to my Grandparents in Massachusetts.

- October 18 - The day that began my strong spiritual doubt in result of a convincing conversation with an atheist. (Which was also the beginning of my spiritual investigating.)

- October 29 - My father and I paid a visit to the NanoDay convention at University of Pennsylvania, which was inspiring toward my love for science.

- December 7 - The day that one of my best friends, Luke Moyer and I - along with a friend of his - went to New York City to celebrate his birthday.

- December 23-27 - My Grandparents from Maine visited with us for Christmas on their way to Florida, in which we were able to celebrate the birth of Jesus as a family.


And in all of this, God has never left me for a day. Although my spiritual walk with Him - as of now - isn't at its greatest or happiest, know that not always will it be. God will allow obstacles to come into our lives in order to make us stronger in our walk with Him. And as we approach 2009, just remember what God has done for you in your life, and if at all possible, try and comprehend what He may do in the future. Happy New Year!

Candy Cane

As Christmas approaches and 2008 comes to end, I feel that I begin to realize and look back on what God has done in my life this past year. But too begin, because Christmas is merely hours away, consider the following and why Candy Canes are the way they are.

If you take a look at a Candy Cane, you'll notice how it is striped in red and white - unless you buy them from Wal-Mart where it comes in various colors. Anyways, in originality, the red represents the blood that Jesus shed for our sins against God - a perfect man died for imperfect humans so that we could be sinless, and that is why there is white, because our sins were wiped clean. "'Come now, let us reason together,' says the Lord. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they shall be like wool." - Isaiah 1:18.

And if you take a look at the shape of the Candy Cane, you can see that upside down it is a J, which stands for the crucifixion that Jesus paid for our sins - and out of crucifixion you get the letter C. But standing up, it is a Shepard's staff, which resembles God who guides us and gave us eternal life through Jesus - and out of eternal life you get the letter E. And you come up with CE, which stands for Christmas Eve, being the night and day before the birth of Jesus - the Eve of Hope and Faith.

So remembering why Jesus came to earth on Christmas, I wish to all of you a Merry Christmas and a strong remembrance of the Hope that He gives.

Picture Show #1

Just look at these pictures and consider how majestic and wonderful our God truly is.

Sunset over Greenland

M13

Auckland, New Zealand

Fireworks over Nuuk, Greenland

Northern Lights

Church in Moscow, Russia

Night Look at New York City

Helix Nebula

Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

Prayer Request of the Month - December 08

As I have started the Verses of the Month, also I am going to be doing the Prayer Request of the Month, leaving anything open to people in need anonymously, because truly nothing is better than having people care for you unconditionally - without even knowing you. So if ever there is a need that is on your heart and you simply have to have prayers, you can Facebook, email or call me and I'll post the prayer request anonymously - whether if its for you or a person you know.

This month, a friend of my has been diagnosed with a thyroid condition that is harming his blood pressure. He has been stressed out by it lately and schoolwork has been tough. Please pray for him with an open heart and in hope that he will get better through the treatments he undergoes and that his anxiety will be released. Thanks for being open to read this as it is appreciated by him and myself. May God bless you in your daily walk.

Atheism and Christianity - Part II (Creation)

There is one thing that is for sure in the fate of humanity: neither Atheism or Christianity will be proven fully wrong or fully correct through visual and physical means. We as humans can prove that cars exist because we can physically feel and visually see that they are there. But as for both of these beliefs, neither of them can be proven through humanity's eyesight or physical observation. [That is why it is a matter of believing.]

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In today's time, the topics of Creation and Evolution haunt many as it is a factual debate of how the universe came into existence. This is presently going into my personal belief, but science has determined - through the Theory of Relativity - that our universe expands and separates daily as we are moving in an outward direction. That backs up the Big Bang Theory which has many connections to what many people call the Theory of Evolution. Personally, I feel that the past is tough to determine because we don't have the beginning visual to humans. [That is why it is a matter of believing.] Most atheists deny that God exists because "He simply doesn't" and you can't see him. Well we can't see humans evolving can we? Most say "It takes millions of years." Problem here is that the Theory of Evolution has only existed under 200 years, so how do we officially know it takes millions of years to evolve? We don't. [That is why it is a matter of believing.] And one other thing to consider is that science has had its wrongs many times before. When we think back to Galileo's time when he was arrested for [believing] that the Earth revolved around the Sun, not what the church and scientists believed, which was that the Sun revolved around the Earth. This goes to show that scientific evidence always improves and always has downfalls. So in that sense, how do we know that Evolution truly exists? How do we know that "what carbon dating says is accurate?" How do we know that all mathematics calculations are right? We don't. That is why everything is truly based through believing.

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And although this doesn't correlate much to Creation, just consider that the Bible has existed for so long and its words have never changed. Translation has made it easier to read, but God's word will never change. His messages are clear, and though many scientists and Evolutionists will say wrong against Christianity, we know one thing: that as science comes and goes in theories, God will always remain the same. That is why the subject of Creation has never changed from what it originally was, because that is how God made the Earth.

Book Idea

Recently - on top of school work, track and field and Chinese class - I have been considering to write [another] book in hope to actually complete it and possibly have it published. I know I have written many books before and dropped them during the writing process - in fact all of the lengthy books I have tried to write have failed, but my record is 115 pages. My new goal is to rather than worry about the length and plot, worry more about the message, and nobody could present with me a better purpose and message than God.

I'm going to be writing on the messages God presents in 1 Samuel. That happens to be my favorite chapter of the Bible and after all of this time in enjoying it, I just thought: "What if I based one of my books on that?" But the one thing that holds me back is my distraction disorder. All I ask of you is for continuous support and guidance in what I do, and I know God can help me accomplish this, because in the end I'll admit that writing without help is tough, with support is a piece-of-cake. So in thanks for your support already, I want to say that you can contact me anytime if you need anything such as support, encouragement or guidance. And yes, I mean [you.]

Thanks for hearing out my newest book idea. God bless!

Atheism and Christianity - Part I (Invisible God)

Atheism... Atheism... Atheism... Definitely a difficult subject to talk about publicly as Christians. For one, it is merely the right thing to do just by loving them and respecting them for their beliefs. Jesus even said it, "'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.'" - Matthew 22:39. That verse is spoken of all over the Bible, so it is pretty clear that God wants us to care for the atheists rather than argue with them.

So for now, I just want to bring up the topic as a comparison rather than a debate. Because truly if there are any atheists reading this text I wouldn't want it to be offensive in their view. To begin, I'll start with: "God being invisible" and later move onto Creation and Messages.

If there is one thing I struggle with myself it is the fact that my loving and caring God is invisible. And this invisible figure helps me go through my day pleasurably. That is common for Followers of Christ and Atheists alike to struggle with: believing in an invisible God and living for a figure in history (Jesus.) For one, many accuse Jesus of never existing. Personally I feel that it is hard to believe history but it is also out of denial that one would not believe Jesus existed yet believe - for example - that Julius Caesar existed. Julius Caesar was simply a recorded figure in times past that many wouldn't say: "He never existed!" So if it is this way with Caesar, then why would Jesus be any different? Many write books on why Christ [never] existed, but has one ever written a book on why Caesar didn't exist? There is obviously a point here that relates to what the Bible says:

"For certain men whose condemnation as written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord." - Jude 1:4

That is the point right there about God's word being denied. And there is much denial in our world. For example, atheist author Christopher Hitchens wrote a book known as "God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything." ... Really? Poisons [everything.] So I guess religion apparently poisons my pet dog and fish. But according to God, my dog and fish will be alright, because God says that there will be [denial.]

And one last point is that God is invisible. He will be invisible as long as we are here on Earth. But He exists within us. "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." - John 4:13-14. He exists within us because if we believe that Jesus [is] history and was truly real, we won't need to search nor will we need to thirst. It is that many atheists have never truly felt the presence of God, but there are plenty of people who say they have felt the workmanship of God on their life. I am one of those witnesses. That is why God says to minister to the world, because there are so many who haven't felt the work of God; they haven't fulfilled their thirst. Because only God can fulfill it.

And one last thing to consider is that God is great. It says in the Bible so many times about how the workmanship of God always works for the better, and how stupid we are as humans to assume our ways are better. So when many claim that God doesn't exist, just remember that we are puny and dumb and that the definition of a God is: A Supreme, Everlasting Being that has control over Everything. So as God is defined, what makes an individual claim of the absense of God any better?

Verse of the Month - December 08

What I'll do from here is once a month there will be a verse posted just in relation to provoking thought. Things to consider are "what does the verse speak to you, or maybe what kind of message could it have not only on you but on other individuals too?"

"The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy from the ash heap, to seat them among princes, and to make them inherit a throne of honor: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them." - 1 Samuel 2:7-8 (King James Version)

So how does this verse resonate with you?

Inspiration

Instead of trying to define "inspiration," why not define it for yourselves? So here's the question: what does inspiration mean to you? And where do you seek your inspiration?

In a general perspective, I seek my inspirations - usually - through science, running and astronomy. I simply love to conduct experiments and to take many hours just staring at the sky sometimes, and too did I enjoy running to the point that I could keel over. I also am in love with worldly culture, and whatever chance I'd get at traveling the world I would take it. And too am I in love with music. Although my favorite song changes often, as of now my favorite bands are Life in Your Way, Hillsong, Skillet, Newsboys, DC Talk and Sanctus Real, in which every one of these band's message's bring me closer to God as I listen to their songs.

So now it's your turn. What are your inspirations? Do you seek God in them? They're not easy questions always, but the point is that God [inspires] people to do good for his name. "He said to them, 'This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.' [Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.] He told them, 'This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. [You are witnesses of these things.]'" - Luke 24:44-48.

Here is an example of inspiration. It may not be a super-clear-and-evident message, but it stands as an example for what God calls us to do with our inspirations. And emphasizing the phrases with [blocks] around them stand as messages in which how inspiration can be applied to our lives. God does this: He opens our eyes to the things we love, and then He asks of us that we stand as a witness of His workmanship, we stand as a living inspiration of Christ. Now the real question for you to ask yourself is this: How can I use my inspiration to serve God?

"I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." - Eric Liddell; Olympic Gold Medal Winner in the 1924 Olympics in Paris and a Christian missionary in China.

Genghis Khan Comparison - Part I

I apologize to everyone for not posting anything for an elongated period of time. I've been real busy lately and I know that is no excuse but I'll try to be more consistent from now on.

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I just got done watching this movie called "Mongol." I got interested in it merely because it had an Academy Award Nomination. But after looking at it from a more logical and spiritual viewpoint, I think the movie turned out to be a great one when comparing to our lives as Christians.

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With a story alike Braveheart, it portrays the historical biography of the legendary and violent Genghis Khan. Words such as "legendary" and "violent" are most likely what comes to mind to the average-knowledged person on Khan - that's what I thought of anyways. But after seeing the movie, Khan could be described more as "blessed," "merciful," or "determined." The biography displays his life events that led up to his power, beginning with his father allowing him to choose his wife - at age 9 - and from there, Khan - who at first was called Temudgin - became an enemy of other Mongol tribes through the tragic death of his father. This was the reason why Temudgin spent most of his childhood simply running through mountains and deserts escaping the savage Mongols - because at the time there were many rival tribes. After years of running, he went through a series of captures and escapes from certain tribes, and all he would do was run either to family or the Sacred Mountain of Prayer, where he would pray to his God, Tengri. He eventually returned to his soon-to-be wife and lived with her, all for getting captured two more times until he rose to power through a series of battles, sacrifices and movements. One other important part of Khan's life was his informal brother, Jamukha, in which they shared a special friendship for most of their lives, until the mid-part of their lives when tension became of them, creating a rivalry between Khan and Jamukha. [Spoiler Alert] The ending of the movie though has a very redemptive message which I think we can apply to our lives as Christians. Temudgin - who then is named Khan - has the opportunity to execute his brother, but he not only lets him live but also lets him go. This displays the mercy Khan truly had.

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So what I'm going to do with a few more posts is put up ideas and messages that were presented in this movie and relate to how we can apply them to our lives, because even though there is a huge cultural difference between then and now, God never changes and that is why righteousness will never alter from what is good and bad.

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"...But You remain the same, and Your years will never end."

- Hebrews 1:12 b.

Genghis Khan Comparison - Part II (Trust)

One thing I noticed in the movie "Mongol" is that the Mongolians seem to have a lot of self respect. That may come as shocking considering their historical reputation, but through their actions it seemed that they were overall well-mannered, well respected and they limited themselves from law-breaking.

For one, they Mongolians showed various traits of [trust.] As we do have this in society today, I feel that it is so much more limited than it used to be. For example, the only way of communication back then was through words. Events would happen and months later secluded a tribe might find out that there is conflict through a messenger or tribesman, meaning that the tribe must put their trust in this messenger that what he says is true. Another aspect of trust that was in the movie had to do with hiding the truth. Throughout the film, various accidents and deaths occur, and when someone asks "who did it?," usually the person who did it stands even though he could face consequences.

That is what I fear happens in society too much. For one, lying is a subject matter that everyone does, and some say it is good because it hides shame and the disappointing truth. Here's what I say: Lying is used to make something or someone look better than it, he or she really is. So if you are lying about how you did in a sports match, or how your work life is, or how much time you spend with God, in the end that won't matter to anyone but yourself, and you'll have to look back on it, realizing you were bringing yourself down by showing others who you weren't as if it was you. Lying holds people back from who they really are, and that is why I think we should apply honesty to our lives because it is the only way a true friendship can become greater than it was, and that is the only way you can have trust from others because they already have trust from you.

Mongolians applied honesty to their lives, will you?

"Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment." - Proverbs 12:19.

Genghis Khan Comparison - Part III (Religion)

Although "Mongol" - in terms of religion - violates the first commandment of the Bible, it actually provides a good example for how Christ followers should live out for God. "'You shall have no there gods before me." - Exodus 20:3.

In the beginning of the movie, it has many instances where the religion of the Mongols is shown. For one, there is the belief that the Mongolian God - Tengri - forces lightning upon the Earth when he is angry, and that phrase and section of the movie is used throughout as it eventually made Temudgin fearless of the thunder.

Another aspect of their religion that was honestly striking to me was the Sacred Mountain prayer. When Temudgin was around 10 years old, he was held captive by rival tribes, and by night he escaped, travelling thousands of miles to reach that one location so he could pray that he'd be set free. The reason this was so striking to me was that as I compared Christianity to their religion, I noticed how they seemed to go [far] for their god. In some ways it is sad to think they have to travel so far to worship and pray, when we know God is everywhere at all times, and He hears our prayers no matter where we are. But the thing that made me question my faith was this: "Would I travel thousands of miles while walking in chains just for God's will?"

And I know it is easier said than done, because of course we could say "Yes, I would go for you," but I'm sure with the American culture, we'd rather sit and watch TV rather take a thousand-mile hike for Christ. I don't want to discourage anyone reading this, but just think about how strong your faith is - in all areas.

Do you read your Bible - often? Do you pray - often? Are you willing to apply a resemblance of Jesus into your life? Are you willing to follow God's laws and principles? Would you travel one thousand miles if God told you to? Consider this in a real perspective, because even if you said yes to every subject area, there is always improvement that can be made, and that goes for me too. We can always go further in our faith, there is no end, because God is endless.

"To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps." - 1 Peter 2:21.

Genghis Khan Comparison - Part IV (Devotion)

My last point I want to make about the portrayal of Genghis Khan has to do with [devotion.] As devoted as Temudgin was to walk thousands of miles merely to worship, so he went even further too. One instance in the movie shows how Temudgin returned - though many years later - to find his wife, in which she had waited for him, displaying their devotion as a soon-to-be husband and wife. Devotion comes through [love.]

Another instance of devotion in the movie shows a small clan of warriors that are about to be attacked by a larger army and some of the men suggest that they should flee and leave the families behind, but Temudgin declines, putting up the idea that they let the families flee and they stay and fight, and from this, Temudgin gets captured and most of his men die in battle. Devotion comes through [sacrifice.]

Another part that displays devotion shows an old monk who travels for a far distance to deliver a relic - which happens to be a lucky charm between Temudgin and his wife. The monk travels through the desert, giving much of his time, all in the fate of death and not making it all the way. Devotion comes through [giving.]

And last but not least, devotion comes through [self-respect.] One aspect of the movie that actually opposes my thoughts has to do with one of the quotes. A father says to his son, "...because finding a good woman is the hardest thing." (Referring to marriage.) But I think with all of the inappropriate subject matter in our media, influence and society; to find a pure person for marriage [could] be a hard thing. I want to emphasize the word "could" in a form that it is through self-decision making and self-respect that will take away the "could" and replace it with "won't." That's the point, to be devoted is simply to deny yourself. That's why all of the key words have to do with sacrifice, giving and self-respect, and those are the only ways love is truly achieved. "Do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases." - Song of Songs 3:5.

That's the point, don't give someone love who you really don't love. Remain devoted and know that God has a plan for you and your future, and that maybe if we can be devoted and trustworthy like Genghis Khan, maybe we can discover an entirely new perspective on God, because although He never changes, He changes us everyday.

So remember this: remain [devoted] from this point on - in whatever God is calling you to be devoted in; marriage, a sports team, a friendship, etc. Always be [honest.] And assure yourself that you are truly in relation to God. Be sure that if God called you to travel one thousand miles, you would.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." - 1 Corinthians 6:20.

Lamentation in Prayers

For one, society has always been humble and prideful, because we all want others to believe that we are selfless and live for the care of others. On the other hand we also strive in life to improve ourselves, internally feeling the greater impact should be used for our lives. I find it really hard to apply selflessness to our lives in a greed-saturated society, and in that sense it also relates to our relationships and how our willingness to be there for others is really intact.

In friendships, there are humble and prideful acts involved no matter who you may be friends with. You are going to want a close and deep relationship with them and at the same time care for them beyond what you could imagine. But there is also a sense of trust involved - as everyone knows. But put this in perspective: you may have very close friends - possibly a handful to only a few - and only select the ones - in your mind - that you could tell [anything] to. And in this manner that you could tell them [anything] in [any way.] Most likely, the ones in your mind that you could tell anything to are the ones you are closest to. Reason is that you could tell them how your day is going, or how much you hate school, or how much you need help in your walk with Christ, or even show anguish to them through what your emotions are. That's the way Christ wants it to be with us.

God doesn't want us to pray in the kindest manner possible, in attempt to be humble. He is a big God and I am sure that He can see our thoughts, and that is how we have to apply our prays to Him. If ever you are faced with anguish, yell it to God, show Him your problems and concerns, because He is the one who can always give you a definite answer - every time.

So just like you can show your emotions to your close friends, be able to present those feelings to God too. He desires a relationship with all of us, and if we can learn to not just pray with selflessness but honesty, we will feel closer to Him simply through the way we address our prayers.

"How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and everyday have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say 'I have overcome him,' and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me." - Psalm 13

God's Purpose - Part II

Today was good to me. Nothing vastly special came abrupt, but here is how it ran. I woke up at 5:30 - as I do every morning - and due to the clouds, I couldn't pull out my telescope and do astronomy, hence I took a nice long jog in the pitch black. Around 6:45 I arrived at Main Street Java to teach a lesson to an awesome group known as FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes). The lesson went well and I was suprised by the number of people that showed up. And it was that night that I went out to my Old Testament course at Biblical Seminary, only to learn more about Yahweh and his creations.

In correlation to God's purpose, I think I will write about what God spoke to me today - leadership. Leadership - it's a very blatant topic. Often used in society, but one thing I wanted to do was see what the "definition" was. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as "the capacity to lead." The Encarta Dictionary defines it as "the ability to guide, direct, or influence people." Of course there is no wrong answer to this - it came out of a dictionary anyways - but I believe that there are [many] different traits of a leader and that God created everyone for a diffent purpose, in which everyone will lead in different yet similar ways.

For instance, take it as the analogy Jesus gives in Matthew 5:14-16: "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." That's how we - as humans - must act too. Why should we shelter ourselves when we have a message - the Gospel - in which it needs to be shared to this dark world. That's what Jesus was saying, we should be a light in a dark world, to provide leadership and guidance to the ones who need it and to provide an example of what Jesus would want. To shine our lights, we must live like Jesus, not only contemplate it, not only speak about it, but live on it. Make that our establishment for what we do in our God-given calling. God has called us to many different things, whether it is to be a scientist someday, or to be a College Football player, or to work in the business field; whatever it is use it for God, because in the end, to live a life like Christ will never lead to regrets. It may lead to struggle and hardships, but never will it lead to regrets. Because God is what it means to have true satisfaction.

"'...but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'" - John 4:14

God's Purpose - Part I

"...the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the Lord was upon him." - Ezekiel 1:3.

As the Bible states, God reached his hand out to Ezekiel, displaying to him his purpose and calling in which it was his job to fulfill. This applies to us as humans also, that we all have a God given purpose that needs to be completed. God may not reach his hands down to show you what he has in mind for you to do in your future, but it is through what you love most that he will guide you to your calling. And sometimes that is hard to wrap our brains around, that God knew in advance what we were going to do with our lives yet we still live through free [will], and that [will] could be to do good or to not do good. It depends on how we live our purpose out.

A question we may ask ourselves though - at any age - is "What is my purpose?" And that is one I cannot answer to you directly, only God can. It is through praying and getting to know Him better in which you will find inspiration, comfort and the drive to do well in your calling. Another way of considering a spiritual gift rather than asking "What is my purpose?" could be to find what you are good at. Sports? Music? Intellect? Arts? What is your gift? God didn't make you good at something for no reason, he made it so you could use it for Him. And now is the time: consider what your purpose might be and try to do as much as you can to use it for Him, and in the end, after all the worldly saturations and fads go away, it will be you and your gift that would have made an impact on what God used you for.

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." - Ephesians 2:10