Innocence Gained

*Gently brushes dust off of blog*

One concept that I've been mulling over lately is innocence. 
It's a distinct concept. It's also something that's largely missing in our society. 
Innocence is one of those things that causes me to smile or even laugh when I catch a rare glimpse of it. I smile, not because it's some ridiculous concept, but because it is so beautiful and refreshing and contagious. There's something inherently beautiful in something that's innocent. 
Some examples:

• Finding humor in something because it's joyful, not because it has some derogatory or hidden meaning
• Admiring something because it's beautiful, not with some twisted, perverted desire 
• Taking a chance on someone
• Allowing yourself to toss off the cold hard shell that you've built up around yourself and putting yourself out there
• Enjoying true, wholesome, honest things

Now, I don't want to synonymize the word innocence with naïveté- although, the words are similar. The main difference between the two that I would argue is that someone can be repeatedly naïve, but innocence-once lost- is gone forever. I suppose an accurate synonym would be purity. 
Now you might ask (if you've made it through my terrible writing skills), "If the title of this post is 'Innocence Gained', doesn't that contradict what you just defined innocence as?" To which I would respond, "Yeah, sort of."

If you're talking about experienced innocence, I would say that type of innocence can't be regained. There are things that I have viewed, experienced, and said that make it impossible for me to have complete innocence in certain areas of my life. And to anybody reading this, I would strongly encourage you to keep that type of innocence for as long as you possibly can. Personally, it's something that I wish I could reclaim, but experienced innocence, like time, cannot be regained. 

However, if you're talking about eternal innocence, that can be gained. It isn't something that can be regained, because it can't be lost, and no one is born with it. (This is where the post is going to take a "cheesy and predictable" turn, but I like cheese- so here goes.)
Even the most innocent looking five-year-old that can see beauty and fascination in something like a leaf or a cloud is not innocent when it comes to their sin nature. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." There's good news though. Romans 5:8 says, "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus Christ took our guilt and sin upon himself, and if we trust in Him as our substitute- we're innocent in the eyes of God. 
So, the hope of this is, even if we're lost our experiential innocence we can still be declared eternally innocent.

I guess what I'm really trying to say is summed up by Philippians 2:15- "That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world."

For The First Time In Forever (Running)

Today I went running for the first time in.....well, a long time. 

Even though it was hot for my liking, it was an enjoyable experience. 

In case you don't know, I ran cross country in high school. And just to clarify, I wasn't the best runner. I wasn't even a "good" runner; however, one of my good friends convinced me to join the team and I stuck with it.

And now, cross country has stuck with me. I can't get it out of my system. 

For example, today I went running. Had I been planning on going running this morning?

No.

I just got this feeling like, "Wow. God has made such a beautiful day. Hmmmm. I should go for a run." And so I did. 

Now, when I run, I'm not trying to set any land speed records. I keep up about a 9-10 minute mile pace, and just go. I'm convinced that whatever I learned during cross country has switched on something in my mind that says, "Don't stop running. It'll be over eventually." 

If you're looking to get into running, I hope to offer some advice on how to get into it. If you're already into running- you're most likely faster than me, can correct me, and don't need this advice. Personally, I believe that running is 90% mental. (Even though when I go on spontaneous runs, my body usually ends up paying for it the next day.) 

Sorry, I'm rambling- running advice coming up:

1. There are no hills. 

You'd be surprised what squinting your eyes and tilting your head can do. 

2. There is no finish line. 

Imagine that you're running to the other end of whatever country you may be on. There's no need to think about stopping. 

3. Just run. 

What are you doing? Go! Run! Take in the sights, enjoy the sounds (music or otherwise), and fall into a rhythm. 

In the Eye of the Beeholder

This post is long overdue. Meaning, its subject has been on my heart for a while and now I have some time to write about it. 
{And after this point, I deleted everything I had previously written. I couldn't find a way to say what I wanted to in coherent paragraph form. So, I will keep it simple.} 
Young women, this is what I would like to say to you:
You don't need makeup to be beautiful. 
You don't need to be skinny to be beautiful.
You don't need to believe the lies of the world. 
You don't need to be physically strong to be beautiful.
You don't need to have a boyfriend to be special. 
You don't need to act like something you're not.
You don't need to fit into a mold. 
You don't need to dress like everyone else to be beautiful.
You don't need to lower your standards to get a husband. 
You don't need to compromise your modesty to be loved. 
You are beautiful and you are loved. 
John 15:9  "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love."

Proverbs 31:30 "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."

And in my opinion, I believe the world would be a much more beautiful place if it was filled with Mother Teresas as opposed to Marilyn Monroes.

Instructor Insights

So, another school year has come to a close. And while I make it a point to copy down the pertinent information in my notes, sometimes I also write down stuff that's not as pertinent. Usually this takes the form of teacher quotes.
You know, the random things that professors say that may or may not have any relation to the course material.
Since I'm going through my notes to study for exams anyway, I figured I'd make a quick post to jot down the quotes that I find along the way. I hope you enjoy them! They probably won't make as much sense as if you were there in class and knew the personality of each professor, so I'll try to copy only the best ones.
Professor 1
"Let's say we invent an alarm clock that punches you in the face to wake you up...."
"Cons have different weights. For example, one con may be 'tastes bad', and the other con may be 'may result in user death'."
"If you ever get into the topic of uncertainty of uncertainty- cry, rock back and forth under your desk, and say, 'The world is hard- I don't understand it!'"

Professor 2
"It's really kinda cool, piracy."
"(While wearing a suit) Don't ever trust somebody dressed like this. They're trying to sell you something."
"Animals die, and sometimes you have to help them along."
"If you try to tame an African elephant, you're gonna die."
"I'll tell you what, I am one fine teacher!"
"Movies have gotten really violent. Now when you're eight, you want to go see 'GI Joe blows up the world'."
"I've jumped out of a helicopter. It was on the ground at the time."
"Every once in a while someone crazy will try to claim it [sunlight or oxygen]; they usually end up as a villain in a James Bond movie."

Professor 3
Professor:"What have you learned about detached shocks so far?"
Student:"We've learned that they exist."
Professor:"Why yes! They do!"

Professor:"You guys do want to be engineers?"
Several students:"Not anymore."

Student:"You're the expert."
Professor: "Yeah."

Professor 4
"If you ever happen to get shot, you won't know until you get hit since the bullet is outpacing the acoustic wave."
"Die with stuff on the table."
"You may be able to get a very precise answer, but I do not care. Use the tables."
Professor:"Can anyone see a problem with this?"
Student:"Zero."
Professor:"That's a number, not a problem."

(Sarcastically) "Questioning my artwork. I am insulted."
"It gives you this value, plus or minus numbers."

Professor 5
"I suppose I could grade the final by the weight test, it's where the heaviest exam gets the highest grade."
"The weakest element in space exploration is the human being. Somehow our Creator did not factor in the means for us to be sustained on other planets."

Also, here's a couple pictures I've somewhat recently taken.

Passing Away, Moving On

Last Wednesday my Grandfather passed away. 
He was the one who accepted Christ earlier this year that I mentioned in a previous blog post-so for that I rejoice. 

I was able to attend his funeral this weekend. Overall, it was a good experience. A funeral is one of those things that helps put things into perspective. The service at the funeral was pretty much the service I believe that my grandfather would have given. The main point of the message was that being a "good person" doesn't necessarily mean you're going to Heaven. Only faith in Jesus Christ will save you from an eternity in Hell. I was glad that I was able to present a couple paragraphs in the service about his life. (I had the pastor read them, I wouldn't have been able to. Even with all of my complaints about lack of emotion- I'm not as emotionless as I thought.)
Most of my emotion came from viewing my grandfather's body the day before the funeral. It really wasn't so much because of his loss that I wept (although- I would've liked to hear more of his stories); it was because of how beautiful his life was. This was a man who loved his wife probably more than any man could. He served his country in the second World War, provided for his family, and instilled a work ethic in those who worked for him.
Short story time: My grandfather worked on a farm and logged woods part time. One day while logging woods, a log fell off of the truck and  severely broke his leg about halfway through the work day. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to work for the next couple months, he finished his logging job for the day and then went to the hospital. Yeah. Tougher than nails is a good description. 
Anyway, the man had done it all and seen it all. (Being a radioman on blimps in the navy, he traveled nearly everywhere in the world.)  Near the end of his life, he realized that life has nothing permanent to offer and he trusted Christ as his Savior. It was thinking on the beauty and grace of how God had spared his life so many times so that he would come to salvation that got me. The more I thought about how excited he would be to be in Heaven and to see Jesus, the more the emotion came. Also, singing "In the Sweet By and By" got to me because I could picture him and I belting it out together loud and proud for the Lord.

I heard a quote on the radio as I was driving to his house, "It is better to look back on a well-spent life than to look forward to an unlived one."

I miss him, but I know I'll see him again. Now it's time to make sure I'm living a well-spent life. 

Ride And Prejudice

Disclaimer! 
This is going to be one of those preaching to myself type of posts, so this may not be what you want to hear. And, as always, if I say something out of line- let me know. 

I enjoy longboarding. There is a greenway near where I live that is smooth and has hills. It's pretty ideal for riding. There's something about the cool rushing of the air over my face (also blowing my hair if it's long enough), the feeling of effortlessly gliding over a smooth surface, and listening to some great tunes. It makes me very glad that God made physics the way He did. (I wouldn't mind if he turned off gravity, but I'm sure he has reasons for that force's existence.) Anyway, it's a great experience. And since we don't get very much snow for snowboarding or skiing where I live- it's a good substitute. 

However, one thing I don't enjoy about longboarding, is the stares. No matter how large your smile is, how much eye contact you give, or how much you wave and say "hi"- other pedestrians  look at you like you are the lowest form of axe murderer in existence.
I know why. The skateboarding community hasn't made the best reputation for itself. There are some skaters who are angsty teenagers that vandalize things and purposefully aggravate law enforcement, BUT not all skaters are like that. I would say that I have been discriminated against the most just for carrying or riding a skateboard. And, to be honest, it doesn't feel very good. 

(Here comes the preaching to myself.) 

How many times do I do that to others? 
How many times have I "assumed" because of the way that people look or dress?
How many times have I avoided others because of my assumptions?

If I do this, I am being the same person that I just described. These people that I discriminate against might have a lot in common with myself. Even if they don't, and they are angsty teen vandals- don't they need the Gospel of Jesus Christ as much as the next person?

I'll let God's Word end this post:

Titus 3:3-7
³ At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. ⁴ But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,⁵ he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

"I've been thinking." " A dangerous pastime." "I know." 
I just borrowed that line from Beauty and the Beast, but it's true. 

I can get lost in thought sometimes. Especially as of late, I find myself spacing out a lot. A lot is on my mind. I'm making decisions, figuring plans, and contemplating information. I've been reading a lot lately so there's plenty of information circulating around my brain alongside my college studies. 

Over break, I had the opportunity to see the movie "Les Miserables" twice. I'm not usually the type of person that sees movies twice, but it was with two different groups of people. I definitely liked it better the second time through since I had watched the 1935 version before seeing the musical. The older version ends where the musical still has about 45 minutes of singing left- so, you can probably understand why it seemed to drag on the first time I saw it. I was glad that I saw it the second time; I could notice much more that I had missed and appreciate the beauty of it. I thought it was a wonderful movie with very powerful emotions in it. (No, I did not cry, but I was as close to as I had ever been before in a movie.) It also displays Christ's work of redemption in a practical way- not a perfect example, but a glimpse nonetheless. The movie shows the grip that legalism can have on an individual and I could somewhat relate to Javert. I have an inner pharisee mentality that looks down on others, even though I know I am the exact same as the people I am looking down upon. It's an area that God is working with me.The movie is not for everyone since there is a gratuitous amount of singing in it, but some people that I did not think would like it have told me that they have loved it. My favorite quote from the 1935 version of the film was not included in the musical. 
Bishop Bienvenu: "Long ago, Jean, I learned that life is to give, not to take. Let me give. And in return, promise me that you will give, also." 
I have been very challenged by the Holy Spirit to give that which God has first given to me. I've been realizing that God has given me sooooooo much, and that I need to be sharing what I have with others. I've also been challenged to be reading much more of God's Word than I have in the past. I've been wanting to want God and I feel that this desire has finally grown to some fruition. I don't always desire God, but it has been a more recurring desire recently. Yay!
I've also been reading from men of God and older men. I know they're not perfect and sinners just like me and I have to run whatever they say through the filter of God's Word, but they offer a lot of insight into what God says and show different perspectives on certain issues that I am nowhere near understanding. 

Speaking of learning, we learned a story to share in my Bible study tonight. And since this is my blog, I figured I'd like to share it with some people. (If anyone still reads this. I'd like to apologize for this being my first post of 2013. :/ ) 
It comes from Luke 7:36-50, so you can check it out for yourself if you'd like to.
Jesus was invited to a pharisee named Simon's house for dinner. He was a very religious type of person that I picture being similar to Javert, but Jewish. At this dinner, a woman comes in with a jar of perfume that is worth a year's salary. She weeps, pours it on Jesus' feet, kisses His feet, and wipes them with her hair. 
Wow. That's what I would call humility. 
Simon's friends that are over for dinner, as well as Simon, know that this lady is a big-time sinner and start to mumble to themselves. 
Jesus sees this misplaced pride in their own goodness and decides to tell Simon a story. 
He tells a story of a man who was owed 50 denarii (their currency) by one man and 500 denarii by another man. This man forgives both of them and Jesus asks Simon which man will love this man more. Simon says the man who was forgiven more and Jesus says that he has judged correctly. 
I believe the relation was made clear in Simon's mind, but Jesus points it out to him still. He states that Simon had not washed His feet, greeted Him with a kiss, or given Him oil for His head (customary things for the time period); however, this woman had gone above and beyond the traditional greeting and humbled herself to worship at Jesus feet. Jesus saw her faith and repentance and told her that her sins are forgiven. At this point, the pharisees began to grumble because by claiming to be able to forgive sins- Jesus was claiming to be God. (I'll take this opportunity to point out the fact that you cannot state that Jesus was just a good moral teacher. He claimed to be God- a lot. So He was either God in the flesh, an insane person who thought He was God, or a great liar. He cannot be just a good moral teacher.) Jesus then tells the woman to go in peace. 

There are a lot of takeaways from this story, but I think one of the biggest ones is- don't judge others as being below yourself. See that you are human just like everyone else- a sinner. (I am preaching largely to myself at this point. It's something I struggle with, even as a believer.) But, if you realize that you are a sinner, know that Jesus died for those sins and that He stands offering eternal life and forgiveness for your sins. You just have to ask for forgiveness and repent of those sins. 

Some people say that a life lived for God is boring, but believe me- a life lived for God will not disappoint.