I was originally thinking of calling this something similar to "No, I'm not as conservative as you think I am" but that paints conservatives in the negative, to which I don't have a problem with y'all (but there ARE some conservatives I have problems with...read on)
Disclaimer: this might piss of some of you homeschoolers that know my family and me, you might say "isn't that Phil and Nancy's son and wasn't he homeschooled?" Yes, it is I, Nathanael, and yes I was homeschooled from K-12, but I have changed some views of my homeschooled days since I've been to College AND started thinking for myself.
I was talking to a friend of mine earlier and we were discussing one of those "hot buttons" that exists within our culture, especially among Christians. Now I won't get into it because I know a lot of you won't see eye-to-eye on it and instead of discussing it like civilized human beings some of you are going to raise hell and act like little children. Anyway, my friend realized and exclaimed "wow you are more liberal" to me, not in a bad way, but just in a way to say "hey, you're thinking for yourself, you're a winner" or something close.
See, that's where my guff lies with some people, it's not in reference to whether you're conservative, liberal or somewhere in the middle, it's that these views aren't yours, they're someones elses. Now I'm fine with conservatives, liberals, middle peeps, etc. but when I hear you open your mouth and say something similar to "Well my Mom says or well my Dad says..." it just floors me, haven't you a mind? (yes) haven't you a heart? (I hope so) So come out and state views from YOUR perspective, no need to ride on the coattails of your parents anymore.
So if you say "well I am a conservative/liberal/etc. because ________ and __________" and these things you share with me are from your perspective, bravo! I am happy that you have opinions that are your own, more power to you.
Now another issue I might face with some of you might be wrapped around Christianity; saying “Well God won’t ___________” or “God doesn’t love ___________” and I’m going to hell in a hand basket because I’m a bit more liberal than you, so what? Since when do you know the mind and heart of God COMPLETELY to the extent that you think God doesn’t like the same stuff you do, Anne Lamott said something in this vein of thought; “You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.” Ouch fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, doesn’t that sting you, at least a little bit?
Now lastly if you're reading this over and just nodding your head in disagreement, okay, let's discuss this like adults...but if you're reading and nodding your head AND questioning whether I am a follower of Christ, I just gotta say God loves you even if I do not. Because seriously, we are not called to be Cookie Cutter Christians! We all have different thoughts, ideas, backgrounds and so much more that makes us an odd family (yup, putting the FUN in dysfunctional at times). There are some things that remain the same, to my brothers and sisters, John 14:6.
But don't question my salvation based upon my liberal stances, you don't see me judging and poking and prodding you over some difference from my own, now do you?
Love God, Love Others, nothing else matters.
I might be more liberal than you, so what? "nothing else matters" as I said above.
Think and make your opinions from what YOU believe, don't ride coattails, okay? :)
[n][v]
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Dreams and Dreaming
I am a dreamer, both in semi-unconscious states when I am in my bed and when I am awake. Dreams propel me to plan and do better things; to work and invest in the lives of others, to beat the vicious generational curse within my family, etc.
But I also have bad dreams (I guess they'd be called nightmares instead, eh?)
Dreams that wake me up in a cold sweat and tears in my eyes,
it's because of such dreams that woke me up at 5:45 this morning.
I dreamt that I was in my younger naive youth. I was riding shotgun with my father to a social outing for fathers and sons only, he was talking to me about the different things we would do; play baseball, go fishing, etc. I was so happy, but then he abruptly pulled to the shoulder of the road. He got out of the vehicle and grabbed me and dropped me in a garbage can! All the while telling me that he was coming back, he closed the lid on my head and drove off with no intention of coming back.
Damn, this dream was fucking horrible and quite an allegory to my own life; having promises made and broken by my father, him saying he'd be back and yet he never did.
I hate it so fucking much, to be discarded like if I were trash, God knows it has happened in my life and it still does. Being in the same house as my father doesn't do me any good and I am trying to get to that point where I can move out on my own.
God, I am tired of being discarded by my own father. I hate that I fruitlessly try to get him to look at me and what I am capable of, to have him acknowledge me and affirm me. It isn't happening and it might never happen, help me to move on and apart from him, even with me still being here.
I'm hurt.
I'm broken.
I'm in fucking pain because of him. Help me Father God, I need you to go and move on.
Bring restoration to my life.
Help me to never become like him, I honestly can't think of any traits I can say that are positive.
I need you in my life to sustain me. I need you in my life so that I can dream and take those dreams and make them a reality.
All these things I lay at your feet including me.
[n][v]
But I also have bad dreams (I guess they'd be called nightmares instead, eh?)
Dreams that wake me up in a cold sweat and tears in my eyes,
it's because of such dreams that woke me up at 5:45 this morning.
I dreamt that I was in my younger naive youth. I was riding shotgun with my father to a social outing for fathers and sons only, he was talking to me about the different things we would do; play baseball, go fishing, etc. I was so happy, but then he abruptly pulled to the shoulder of the road. He got out of the vehicle and grabbed me and dropped me in a garbage can! All the while telling me that he was coming back, he closed the lid on my head and drove off with no intention of coming back.
Damn, this dream was fucking horrible and quite an allegory to my own life; having promises made and broken by my father, him saying he'd be back and yet he never did.
I hate it so fucking much, to be discarded like if I were trash, God knows it has happened in my life and it still does. Being in the same house as my father doesn't do me any good and I am trying to get to that point where I can move out on my own.
God, I am tired of being discarded by my own father. I hate that I fruitlessly try to get him to look at me and what I am capable of, to have him acknowledge me and affirm me. It isn't happening and it might never happen, help me to move on and apart from him, even with me still being here.
I'm hurt.
I'm broken.
I'm in fucking pain because of him. Help me Father God, I need you to go and move on.
Bring restoration to my life.
Help me to never become like him, I honestly can't think of any traits I can say that are positive.
I need you in my life to sustain me. I need you in my life so that I can dream and take those dreams and make them a reality.
All these things I lay at your feet including me.
[n][v]
War is NOT Sexy
I've been thinking this over in my head (I'm introspective) and I think instead of saying "Give peace a chance" or "I support the troops but not the war" I think I will say War is not SEXY.
Think about it, so much of our society is based upon sex and sexiness; we use it in our commercials, we say "look like this and you too can be sexy", etc. The advertisment world knows that Sex Sells, so I think that if we portray this war out to be NOT sexy (I never thought it had sex appeal from the getgo), maybe our sex driven culture will think about it and we can end the unjust wars we fight!
Just a thought...:) *wishful thinking*
[n][v]
Think about it, so much of our society is based upon sex and sexiness; we use it in our commercials, we say "look like this and you too can be sexy", etc. The advertisment world knows that Sex Sells, so I think that if we portray this war out to be NOT sexy (I never thought it had sex appeal from the getgo), maybe our sex driven culture will think about it and we can end the unjust wars we fight!
Just a thought...:) *wishful thinking*
[n][v]
Who are my brothers and sisters?
A lot of times as we go through this thing called life we build friendships that get better with time, and as I develop these friendships my siblings increase.
For the record, I have 3 biological sisters, I am the oldest so it works out well. My feminine intuition skills are better than the average male, so I don't mind NOW (when we were all younger and educated in the same environment, yeah...it wasn't the best of times).
So back to friends who have become my brothers and sisters...
I have older brothers and sisters, I have younger brothers and sisters. Y'all are important to me and I am thankful to God to label you as my brothers and sisters, while we might not hang out a lot of the time because of where we are located, I still care deeply for the lot of you.
I have brothers and sisters I haven't met IRL; sure we talk/email/IM/etc, I have yet to meet some of you but give me time and dinero, I shall with you if you want me to.
Much love to y'all
[n][v]
For the record, I have 3 biological sisters, I am the oldest so it works out well. My feminine intuition skills are better than the average male, so I don't mind NOW (when we were all younger and educated in the same environment, yeah...it wasn't the best of times).
So back to friends who have become my brothers and sisters...
I have older brothers and sisters, I have younger brothers and sisters. Y'all are important to me and I am thankful to God to label you as my brothers and sisters, while we might not hang out a lot of the time because of where we are located, I still care deeply for the lot of you.
I have brothers and sisters I haven't met IRL; sure we talk/email/IM/etc, I have yet to meet some of you but give me time and dinero, I shall with you if you want me to.
Much love to y'all
[n][v]
We're all odd and we're all negative..
We're all odd and we're all negative,
we're the Fantastic Four
I - Writer
Hannah - Artist
Abbey - Athlete
Charity - Musician
We're the Royal Tenenbaums too,
we're dark and we have secrets.
We are leaders, we will follow if we need to,
we smile and we mean it,
we pursue our dreams and goals relentlessly,
we will be better than THEY were,
we will make an impact, we will be where we are needed,
we will tell you it is like it is,
we will strive to make this world a better place.
You will never be able to stop us,
we are stronger and better than you can image.
World 0, Us 4
Game over, you lose.
[n][v]
we're the Fantastic Four
I - Writer
Hannah - Artist
Abbey - Athlete
Charity - Musician
We're the Royal Tenenbaums too,
we're dark and we have secrets.
We are leaders, we will follow if we need to,
we smile and we mean it,
we pursue our dreams and goals relentlessly,
we will be better than THEY were,
we will make an impact, we will be where we are needed,
we will tell you it is like it is,
we will strive to make this world a better place.
You will never be able to stop us,
we are stronger and better than you can image.
World 0, Us 4
Game over, you lose.
[n][v]
"It is well with my soul"
Today worship and the message at The Warehouse was rocking! If you were there you caught Stephen on the drums and Benjie on the guitar and Jeremy (?) on the bass. Well they busted out an oldie-but-a-goody, one of my old favorites back in my days of pews and sermons that seemed to go on forever...well anyway, I dig that song, and as of late I have new areas in my life that I can truly say "It is well with my soul."
Over the last few weeks, talking it out to God and praying for release...well, I got it. For the longest time I had a hard time giving up my past relationship, the one where I was once engaged, to God. I mean, I could give him SOME of it, but some areas I was all "Thanks for your help God, but in this area, I can handle it" and I knew it was a lie and God knew it was lie, I could not release her completely from my heart.
Well I finally 'fessed up to God (but he knew the truth of the matter already) and said "Father God, I cannot do this on my own, my heart still has some shapnel from that relationship, and I cannot move forward until you remove the rest of it from me."
And,
well,
I got what I prayed for. :)
I am over my ex fiancee and I am ready to start connecting with ladies again, getting to know them, pursuing another relationship and all that pertains to relationships of this kind. I will take it slow, cautious, but not cautious as in worry that I might get screwed again, but I think that relationships can be delicate and really shouldn't be rushed. I will BE who I am, but I am not going to wear my heart on my sleeve, in time I will to "her" (referring to whomever I date next), but it's a process.
Anyway, this facet of my life I can say out loud that "It is well, it is well with my soul."
To release the pain and agony up to God, the shapnel that was in my heart, to lay it at the foot of the cross at cry out to God to help me from that which hurts me emotionally. To not give God SOME of what hurts me in this area, but to give it ALL to Him, to surrender it to him and to find comfort in His arms of love.
[n][v]
Over the last few weeks, talking it out to God and praying for release...well, I got it. For the longest time I had a hard time giving up my past relationship, the one where I was once engaged, to God. I mean, I could give him SOME of it, but some areas I was all "Thanks for your help God, but in this area, I can handle it" and I knew it was a lie and God knew it was lie, I could not release her completely from my heart.
Well I finally 'fessed up to God (but he knew the truth of the matter already) and said "Father God, I cannot do this on my own, my heart still has some shapnel from that relationship, and I cannot move forward until you remove the rest of it from me."
And,
well,
I got what I prayed for. :)
I am over my ex fiancee and I am ready to start connecting with ladies again, getting to know them, pursuing another relationship and all that pertains to relationships of this kind. I will take it slow, cautious, but not cautious as in worry that I might get screwed again, but I think that relationships can be delicate and really shouldn't be rushed. I will BE who I am, but I am not going to wear my heart on my sleeve, in time I will to "her" (referring to whomever I date next), but it's a process.
Anyway, this facet of my life I can say out loud that "It is well, it is well with my soul."
To release the pain and agony up to God, the shapnel that was in my heart, to lay it at the foot of the cross at cry out to God to help me from that which hurts me emotionally. To not give God SOME of what hurts me in this area, but to give it ALL to Him, to surrender it to him and to find comfort in His arms of love.
[n][v]
Love shocking and humbling: How a little girl warmed my heart today
As church was starting at The Warehouse, and as I was getting ready to get my praise on, a little girl who was being held by her grandmother made eye contact with me.
"Up Up!"
What? I thought to myself.
"Up Up!"
Now her grandmother noticed this, that her granddaughter wanted to leave her arms and wanted to be held by me, a complete stranger.
Now I have never seen this little girl let alone hold her, but she entered my arms trusting me from the start. She sang and talked (I reckon she was 10-12 months old), she even extended her little hand when I extended mine to pray over a few people.
In the 30-40 minutes of holding her safely in my arm, I was shocked and touched by her love; who but young children love so easily, who leave the arms of grandmothers and make their way into the arms of strangers? I was shocked and humbled by her love, it warmed me to my very core.
***
It's been a while since I've been in love, it's been a little longer still that I have held a little child in my arms. Yet safely and securely this little girl was in my arms, and I can't help but think about how God is my Father in Heaven, and how he holds me safely and securely in my arms. I trust in Him, I trust in Him when I cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, I trust in Him when all of life's shit has hit the fan. I am learning to let go of things completely, to move forward, to know that I have loved before and I will love someone again.
***
Well the little girl stayed in my arms for most of the service, when her grandmother asked her if she wanted to be held again in the arms of familiarity, the little girl resisted! I was shocked again, but this time by the girl's desire to stay in MY arms over her grandmothers.
That pretty much made my Sunday, to feel the warmth of someone loving me :)
Here's hoping that next Sunday I formally introduce myself to the grandmother, they left the service early before I could make small talk.
[n][v]
"Up Up!"
What? I thought to myself.
"Up Up!"
Now her grandmother noticed this, that her granddaughter wanted to leave her arms and wanted to be held by me, a complete stranger.
Now I have never seen this little girl let alone hold her, but she entered my arms trusting me from the start. She sang and talked (I reckon she was 10-12 months old), she even extended her little hand when I extended mine to pray over a few people.
In the 30-40 minutes of holding her safely in my arm, I was shocked and touched by her love; who but young children love so easily, who leave the arms of grandmothers and make their way into the arms of strangers? I was shocked and humbled by her love, it warmed me to my very core.
***
It's been a while since I've been in love, it's been a little longer still that I have held a little child in my arms. Yet safely and securely this little girl was in my arms, and I can't help but think about how God is my Father in Heaven, and how he holds me safely and securely in my arms. I trust in Him, I trust in Him when I cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, I trust in Him when all of life's shit has hit the fan. I am learning to let go of things completely, to move forward, to know that I have loved before and I will love someone again.
***
Well the little girl stayed in my arms for most of the service, when her grandmother asked her if she wanted to be held again in the arms of familiarity, the little girl resisted! I was shocked again, but this time by the girl's desire to stay in MY arms over her grandmothers.
That pretty much made my Sunday, to feel the warmth of someone loving me :)
Here's hoping that next Sunday I formally introduce myself to the grandmother, they left the service early before I could make small talk.
[n][v]
Who are the "Least of These"?
I'm rethinking my view on who this applies to, because maybe you (and definitely I) thought "the Least of These" were the guys and gals who were down on their luck, the homeless, the starving and related, right? Well...maybe not.
On Saturday night I hung out with a friend and his friends in downtown Naperville, dining at the awesome Ted's Montana Grill. Afterwards we just walked around the downtown area, talking and relaxing, it was near the end of our walking when we met Doug.
Doug was dressed in formal attire; it was evident he had a few too many to drink, his language was slurred and his wife made sure to take the car keys from him as he decided to talk to us for a while. He went on to talk about how he remembers when he was our age, it came across as a drunken spiel, but the heart of the matter was that even in his booze fueled nostalgic moment, something was missing in his life.
So maybe being the least of these actually has to do more with depravity or the absence of something or someone bigger in one's life, whether cognitively recognized or not, perhaps that makes someone the least of these.
As a result, my ideas as who the least of these are has expanded, yet I think for people who are in the same boat as Doug we overlook them because either they hide it well or they're the kind of characters that come out on the weekends only.
So I guess I will continue to help out the least of these, to which some hide their problems better while others wear it on their sleeves.
On Saturday night I hung out with a friend and his friends in downtown Naperville, dining at the awesome Ted's Montana Grill. Afterwards we just walked around the downtown area, talking and relaxing, it was near the end of our walking when we met Doug.
Doug was dressed in formal attire; it was evident he had a few too many to drink, his language was slurred and his wife made sure to take the car keys from him as he decided to talk to us for a while. He went on to talk about how he remembers when he was our age, it came across as a drunken spiel, but the heart of the matter was that even in his booze fueled nostalgic moment, something was missing in his life.
So maybe being the least of these actually has to do more with depravity or the absence of something or someone bigger in one's life, whether cognitively recognized or not, perhaps that makes someone the least of these.
As a result, my ideas as who the least of these are has expanded, yet I think for people who are in the same boat as Doug we overlook them because either they hide it well or they're the kind of characters that come out on the weekends only.
So I guess I will continue to help out the least of these, to which some hide their problems better while others wear it on their sleeves.
Friday Night's Lucid Dream: Youth group retreat 747 jumbo jet
Last night I dreamt that I was invited to go with my wife to help chaperone with a youth ministry retreat with The Orchard headed to London. Apparently after some pretty large donations given to the church, the youth group had their own Youth Ministry retreat 747 jet (you've heard of vans used for youth group retreats, well same concept but in jet form)!
I boarded with my wife, found a place for my stuff and buckled in. Taylor and Chris were seated ahead of me, but Sarah, Dan, Alex, Ben and Anna were also on this flight. There was no flight attendants, so the captain just went over protocol as well as instructions; how to buckle the seats, what to do in case of an emergency, et al.
From the get go it was a fun trip; there was a lot of music playing (mostly Kings of Leon), some of the youth brought hair dye and so they approached Ben and asked him if they could dye his hair black, he declined, so they made their way to me and I accepted, figuring it's only hair.
Well after I got my hair dyed, I snuck back, I made my way to the seats behind where my wife and I were sitting, to surprise her with my newly dyed hair and just to observe her. I found her sitting and singing along to True Love Way and then I decided I wouldn’t scare her. Instead of sitting right back down, I made my way to the cockpit and knocked on the door, the copilot opened the door and I started making casual conversation as I watched the flight from their view, Great day for flying to London the captain said, Great day indeed.
Post Dream Observations
Besides being quite ridiculous (youth retreat 747 airline jet?), I never saw the face of my wife, I only heard her singing in a southern belle drawl. :)
[n][v]
I boarded with my wife, found a place for my stuff and buckled in. Taylor and Chris were seated ahead of me, but Sarah, Dan, Alex, Ben and Anna were also on this flight. There was no flight attendants, so the captain just went over protocol as well as instructions; how to buckle the seats, what to do in case of an emergency, et al.
From the get go it was a fun trip; there was a lot of music playing (mostly Kings of Leon), some of the youth brought hair dye and so they approached Ben and asked him if they could dye his hair black, he declined, so they made their way to me and I accepted, figuring it's only hair.
Well after I got my hair dyed, I snuck back, I made my way to the seats behind where my wife and I were sitting, to surprise her with my newly dyed hair and just to observe her. I found her sitting and singing along to True Love Way and then I decided I wouldn’t scare her. Instead of sitting right back down, I made my way to the cockpit and knocked on the door, the copilot opened the door and I started making casual conversation as I watched the flight from their view, Great day for flying to London the captain said, Great day indeed.
Post Dream Observations
Besides being quite ridiculous (youth retreat 747 airline jet?), I never saw the face of my wife, I only heard her singing in a southern belle drawl. :)
[n][v]
My stance on being Pro Life
Now this might get under your skin, but keep in mind I rock the boat, I like to think for myself. So as I like to think for myself, here's my take and stance on being Pro Life.
For me being Pro Life doesn't have a starting point or an ending point. I don't limit myself to saying "I am Pro Life for unborn babies and their moms", I DO say that...but I continue on down the line;
- I am Pro Life for those locked up in jail serving life sentences and who are on death row
- I am Pro Life for our soldiers who are fighting, but I am also for the ones who are fighting back
- I am Pro Life for the ones the world loves to hate
- I am Pro Life for the ones some Christians choose to hate
Pro Life means for life, it should not be asterisked, it should not be limited, it should be for ALL life.
It does irk people when I raise the question "are you Pro Life?" Because in some of the circles I tread that's as much as a given as if I were to ask "is the Pope catholic?" Yet I take it a bit further and ask people to define what their stance is, and much to my chagrin it is limited instead of unlimited.
Why must so many people make boxes in which to compartmentalize who should live and who shouldn't? Are we not ALL Imago Dei's (Images of God)? Who are we to end life and call it just?
It irritates me (which either shows on my face or through my following words to said person) when people make the claim to be Pro Life.
Be Pro Life,
Be Pro Life for ALL of those who are made in His likeness.
[n][v]
For me being Pro Life doesn't have a starting point or an ending point. I don't limit myself to saying "I am Pro Life for unborn babies and their moms", I DO say that...but I continue on down the line;
- I am Pro Life for those locked up in jail serving life sentences and who are on death row
- I am Pro Life for our soldiers who are fighting, but I am also for the ones who are fighting back
- I am Pro Life for the ones the world loves to hate
- I am Pro Life for the ones some Christians choose to hate
Pro Life means for life, it should not be asterisked, it should not be limited, it should be for ALL life.
It does irk people when I raise the question "are you Pro Life?" Because in some of the circles I tread that's as much as a given as if I were to ask "is the Pope catholic?" Yet I take it a bit further and ask people to define what their stance is, and much to my chagrin it is limited instead of unlimited.
Why must so many people make boxes in which to compartmentalize who should live and who shouldn't? Are we not ALL Imago Dei's (Images of God)? Who are we to end life and call it just?
It irritates me (which either shows on my face or through my following words to said person) when people make the claim to be Pro Life.
Be Pro Life,
Be Pro Life for ALL of those who are made in His likeness.
[n][v]
My life is not like a sitcom
I don't don a happy face 24-7,
I don't have arguments which get resolved after 30 minutes with some moral lesson learned,
I don't have "serious" problems such as getting my bike stolen or that I won't be able to go vacation because it conflicts with something going on with a friend of mine...
I could go on, but what's the point?
I am reminded of the haunting lyrics of It's Sick by Daniel Amos:
"Our trial is which car to buy
Temptation is that extra dessert
In the land of orange juice
You're better off with the right kind of shirt"
To me it points at a utopian society that has its priorities out of wack, that the supposed problems the characters in shows have somehow reflect ours as a society...but it is bullshit! No one really has it as "good" as TV sitcom families do, why do they sell us visions of something that will never become reality? Why do they show us a life that will never be? Why do they tidy up and compartmentalize everything?
Apart from the fact it sells.
It sells, it sells, God knows it it sells. To have and to hold a flickering flame of the ideal American dream if only for a moment SELLS, it's why I am disenchanted too much of the time, to which King Solomon beat me to the punch in Ecclesiastes where he's constantly describing how it is "meaningless meaningless, everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind."
I don't know any longer if I should stay or should I go, do I pack up my bags and say "see ya" to America or do I help out when the bottom of all bottoms falls through?
I know I diverged from my initial statement, but I knew that I would end up back over here with my rant about the so-called "American Dream". I'll get back on this subject another day, okay?
Anyways...
Yeah, so my life isn't a sitcom, I have pain and I have suffering, some my own and some in the lives of people around me. I don't always learn the lesson, heck I have a knack for learning things the hard way, it hurts to learn things this way and if you can avoid the pain and turmoil, DO IT!
I have rough times ahead of me and I have rough times behind, but all the while God is pulling me closer to Him and I have to get close. I don't do this out of "for the Bible tells me so" but because He is God, He is the maker of EVERYTHING, He is the changeless unbound-by-time-for-He-created-time Father whom I love very much. He watches me and guides me, my cup doth overflow! ;)
I can get by, I can survive another day to sing His praises, I can do this in the midst of all my pain and suffering.
My life can be downright shitty at times, but God is good, why do I need to worry when he is in control of everything? No sitcom life for me, no thanks, I rather trust and believe in God to sustain me and to help me to make it all the way to the finish line.
I don't have arguments which get resolved after 30 minutes with some moral lesson learned,
I don't have "serious" problems such as getting my bike stolen or that I won't be able to go vacation because it conflicts with something going on with a friend of mine...
I could go on, but what's the point?
I am reminded of the haunting lyrics of It's Sick by Daniel Amos:
"Our trial is which car to buy
Temptation is that extra dessert
In the land of orange juice
You're better off with the right kind of shirt"
To me it points at a utopian society that has its priorities out of wack, that the supposed problems the characters in shows have somehow reflect ours as a society...but it is bullshit! No one really has it as "good" as TV sitcom families do, why do they sell us visions of something that will never become reality? Why do they show us a life that will never be? Why do they tidy up and compartmentalize everything?
Apart from the fact it sells.
It sells, it sells, God knows it it sells. To have and to hold a flickering flame of the ideal American dream if only for a moment SELLS, it's why I am disenchanted too much of the time, to which King Solomon beat me to the punch in Ecclesiastes where he's constantly describing how it is "meaningless meaningless, everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind."
I don't know any longer if I should stay or should I go, do I pack up my bags and say "see ya" to America or do I help out when the bottom of all bottoms falls through?
I know I diverged from my initial statement, but I knew that I would end up back over here with my rant about the so-called "American Dream". I'll get back on this subject another day, okay?
Anyways...
Yeah, so my life isn't a sitcom, I have pain and I have suffering, some my own and some in the lives of people around me. I don't always learn the lesson, heck I have a knack for learning things the hard way, it hurts to learn things this way and if you can avoid the pain and turmoil, DO IT!
I have rough times ahead of me and I have rough times behind, but all the while God is pulling me closer to Him and I have to get close. I don't do this out of "for the Bible tells me so" but because He is God, He is the maker of EVERYTHING, He is the changeless unbound-by-time-for-He-created-time Father whom I love very much. He watches me and guides me, my cup doth overflow! ;)
I can get by, I can survive another day to sing His praises, I can do this in the midst of all my pain and suffering.
My life can be downright shitty at times, but God is good, why do I need to worry when he is in control of everything? No sitcom life for me, no thanks, I rather trust and believe in God to sustain me and to help me to make it all the way to the finish line.