Good Quotes

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The following are quotes I've collected over the past several months that I find particularly entertaining:

To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.
- GK Chesterton

If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.
- Albert Einstein

I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying that I approved of it.
- Mark Twain

He can compress the most words into the smallest ideas of any man I ever met.
- Abraham Lincoln

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.
- Leo Tolstoy

“Those that hate goodness are sometimes nearer than those that know nothing at all about it and think they have it already.”
- CS Lewis, The Great Divorce

"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered."
- GK Chesterton

“I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.”
- Mark Twain

“Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.”
- Mark Twain

“This is one of those views which are so absolutely absurd that only very learned men could possibly adopt them.”
- Bertrand Russell

“It is always easier to believe than to deny. Our minds are naturally affirmative.”
- John Burroughs

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.”
- Albert Einstein

“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”
- Winston Churchill

“What does a fish know about the water in which it swims all its life?”
- Albert Einstein

“When I am abroad, I always make it a rule never to criticize or attack the government of my own country. I make up for lost time when I come home.”
- Winston Churchill

“I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him.”
- Mark Twain

“When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber.”
- Winston Churchill

“Everybody hates me because I'm so universally liked.”
- Peter de Vries

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."
- Winston Churchill

“The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none.”
- Thomas Carlyle

Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.
- Mark Twain

In the midst of a world of light and love, of song and feast and dance, [Lucifer] could find nothing to think of more interesting than his own prestige.
- CS Lewis

Experience is the ability to recognize a mistake the second time you make it.

Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to be always part of unanimity.
- Christopher Morley

“A man’s face is his autobiography. A woman’s face is her work of fiction.”
- Oscar Wilde

Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't.
- Mark Twain

Some things have to be believed to be seen.
- Ralph Hodgson

Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous.
- Albert Einstein

Polar Bears - Endangered?

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According to an article at the above link, polar bears are possibly going to be put on the endangered species list. According to the article,

"The department, in deciding to list the bear as threatened, will cite studies by its own scientists that the decline of Arctic sea ice off Alaska and Canada could result in two-thirds of the polar bears disappearing by mid-century, said federal officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been announced.

This is the first time that the Endangered Species Act has been used to protect a species threatened by the impacts of global warming. There has been concern within the business community that such action could have far-reaching impact and could be used to regulate carbon dioxide.

But the decision includes provisions that specifically are aimed at protecting power plants and other energy-related entities, said an official who was familiar with the decision.

Speculation triggered a year of studies into the threats facing the bear and its survival prospects at a time when scientists predict a continuing warming and loss of Arctic sea ice. The Arctic sea ice serves as a primary habitat for the bear and is critical to its survival, scientists say.

"The science is absolutely clear that polar bear needs protection under the Endangered Species Act," said Andrew Wetzler, director of the endangered species program at the Natural Resources Defense Council."

Now, I've been saying this for months. It's about dang time! Click here to see what I'm doing, or watch the video below:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33X3J2N4ruw&hl=en]

The Best Question Ever - Book Review

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I've talked in the past about the Book Club I started with my Young Adult Group at church, and we just had the meeting for April on Tuesday, the 29th.

This month, we read "The Best Question Ever" by Andy Stanley. A friend of mine sent me this book while I was in rehab in California, and I hate it. Really, I love the book, but the stupid thing is so dang practical and convicting!

Think, for a moment, about the worst mistake you ever made, whether it be a relationship, or a financial mistake, or a moral slip-up, or other wise. Now, click on the comment link below and tell all of cyberspace what it was.

No?

Okay, then just think about why you made that mistake. Was it something you planned on? When you woke up one morning, did you suddenly decide, "I'm going to do X, even thought it is an absolutely terrible decision"? I doubt it.

The reason so many people, especially young people and young adults, make so many mistakes* is because we didn't plan to NOT make a terrible decision. If you're like me (and the author), before we make a decision, we consider it like this - "Is there anything wrong with 'X'?" What this leads to, then, is the following - "How close to wrong can I get and still be right?" Or, for a Christian, the question becomes "how close to sin can I get and still be right".

The problem with this, is that we're asking the wrong question. By analyzing Paul's words in Ephesians 5:15-17**, Stanley posits that we should ask this question - "What is the wise thing to do?" By asking this question, in light of our past experiences, our present situation, and our future hopes and dreams, we get to analyze seemingly innocent decisions through an entirely different lens. Stanley then takes this question and applies it to all sorts of different situations that face our lives.

It's a great book and, in my opinion, a must-read for any Youth or Young Adult ministry. My only complaint is that he takes 3 chapters to get to the point, but it is definitely worth the read.***

* By the way, I'm convinced that young people make more mistakes per capita than any other age demographic, probably because we have so little experience yet think we know everything.

** "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." NKJV

*** Yes, I am blogging with footnotes now. Enjoy. ;-)

Phillip, Chris, and Taren

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Our Young Adult group is the greatest ever. I mean that.

It's common knowledge at our church that, when anyone new comes to the church who might be somewhere within the age group of 18-35, especially if they don't seem like someone who is particularly churched, then they are directed to the Young Adult class. We meet Sunday mornings for Sunday school, and the second and fourth Wednesday of every month for student-led evangelistic service. It is amazing.

Over a year ago, we started a series on doctrine. Every Sunday morning, we go through and methodically discuss doctrine, from "Does God Exist" to defense of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and then into repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost and tongues, holiness, and then we started exploring The Teachings of Jesus. We've been going through the Sermon on the Mount, and we're finishing that up now. I vote that we look at Romans next, but it's not entirely up to me.

Anyway, our class is doing something that, I think, is really lacking in Pentecostal churches is expository teaching and preaching. We go through, and study the scripture systematically. It's a good thing, and it's a needful thing. Oh, and you can stream the sermons as mp3s here, or you can click here to subscribe to an iTunes podcast here. How cool is that?

Anyway, I've met a couple of people who have been visiting the class, and I've started Bible Studies with them. Phillip has little experience with church, Chris was raised Catholic and has some experience with Baptist churches, and Taren's grandfather is a Pentecostal missionary.

When I met Phillip, we talked, and I realized that he was desperately hungry for God. He is incredibly sensitive to the Spirit, and weeps when God moves. He came the first time on a Wednesday, and he was baptized the following Sunday. We've done a couple of Bible studies, but he has been recently influenced by some peddlers of false doctrines. I'm praying for him, but he needs some stability in the truth.

Chris has such an awesome God story. He was walking by the church during IBC MusicFest, heard the music, and came in to check it out. He loved what he heard, so he came back the following Sunday morning. Three weeks later, he made his way down to the Young Adult class, where I met him, and that morning, he got baptized. After he came out of the water, he looked at me and said, "I have all kinds of questions about this Pentecostal thing. When can we do a Bible study?" HA!! He got baptized before he even totally understood it. He heard the Word of God, received the Word, believed it, and obeyed. I love that kind of faith.

Taren is the most recent guy I've met and started working with. Sunday morning, I was praying at the altar after church, and the evangelism pastor came to me and asked me if I would come pray with a guy. I went over, and we prayed, and he received the Holy Ghost with the sign of speaking in tongues! The minister praying with him asked if he'd been baptized in Jesus' name, and he hadn't, so we went upstairs and baptized him. In the past two weeks, we've baptized almost 10 people. It's so exciting!

Keep Phillip, Chris, and Taren in your prayers. God is doing awesome things, and I'm excited to be a part of it.

update:

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There's been a lot going on lately, and I haven't had time to blog. So, as you'll note, there's a new look on Way Leads on to Way, I have a new avatar, and I've updated the links and blogs on the sidebar. Be sure to check out the links; it's great stuff.

So what's going on in this post? General updates, followed by a set of more specific updates, talking about some really cool things happening in my life.

I started a book club with my young adult group. You can check it out here, and just click on the Book Club link along the side.

Wedding plans are almost totally done, which is a relief. We've got dresses, tuxes, caterers, honeymoon reservations, a photographer, invitations have been delivered, and all the other stuff we need. All we're doing now is plans for decorating the church. Oh, and we have to finalize the guest list, cutting down the 500 person working list to no more than 300.

who can be against me?

in

http://www.youtube.com/v/eIf3Ut_G0fU&hl=en

It seems like everything I touch just falls to pieces
It seems like everyone I help just falls
And how I need someone to make me feel assured
I don't need anyone if You're on my side, Lord

And I say, hey, who can be against me?

No matter how hard I try I always fail
I'll never be like Christ
I know I'll struggle until the day, the very day I die
And how I need someone to make me feel assured
I don't need anyone if You're on my side, Lord

And I say, hey, who can be against me?

God look at me, I'm just a man
But You tell me I'm not just a man
You're so hard to understand, after all I'm just a man
God, You tell me not to doubt
But I'm always plagued by doubt
And You always help me out
I'm so ashamed

be careful

in

be careful, when you pray, and ask God for guidance.

be careful, when you fall on your knees, and ask God for a new vision.

be careful, when you reach that point of desperation, and ask God for His will for your life.

because He'll give it. and it will totally rock what you had planned out.

so what happens, when God's will is totally not what you ever dreamed or planned? what do you do, when God brings something into your heart that you never anticipated before?

easter sunday

in

they come every year.

the people who used to come ... the prayer warriors, some of them. others of them were worshippers, dancers, praisers, preachers ... they all loved God.

but something happened, and now they're no longer around.

i love seeing them on easter sunday. i look forward to easter sunday just because i know that they'll be there again. i hug them and tell them how good it is to see them, and that i hope they'll come back, because i miss them and this is where they belong.

they'll be back one day. i believe it. but until then, i'll see them again next easter.

I'm Dancing Today

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I want it all back

You may have thought you won that last round
You may have laughed (cuz) I almost fell down
Maybe you think I give up easy
But it's not over I got more in me
You thought I stopped you thought I sat down
But I am standing you made me mad now
You got somethings I think you owe me
I've come to get back everything that you stole from me

I want it all back

You hit me hard - I should be knocked out
Things I've been through - don't even wanna talk about
You crossed the line - (this time) you violated me
I want revenge - (I want everything back from) A to Z
The battle's not mine - the battle is the Lord's
In the name of Jesus I'm taking it by force

I want it all back

If you only knew what I was gonna be
after the storm you wouldn't have even bothered me

(But now i'm) stronger
(And I got more) power
(I'm a little bit) wiser
(And I got more) strength
(I got the) anointing
(Got God's) favor
(And we're still) standing
I want it all back


Maybe it's corny, but I'm excited this morning. I love the bolded section of the song. I've got victory this morning. If the Devil had only known how I was going to turn out, he'd never have even bothered with me. He wouldn't have even started with me. He should have let me be the apathetic, timid Apostolic who was fine to go to heaven on his own but who would never teach a Bible study or witness or even read his Bible in public because he wasn't willing to be labelled as a Christian. He should have let me be, because I would never have impacted a life or touched a soul. But he wasn't satisfied with just that.

He tried to destroy me. He tried to break me. He tried to bring me down. But what the Devil meant for evil, God used for good. What the Devil meant to shatter me, God used to strengthen me. What the Devil meant to disable me, God used to equip me. What the Devil meant to shame me, God used to humble me. When the Devil tried to silence me, God gave me a new voice.

I'd never teach a Bible study before, but I will now. I'd never witness before, but I do now. I'd never testify before, but I do now. I'd never dance before, but I'll look foolish now. I'd never identify myself as a Christian before, but now I have no other identity.

I'm here now to give the Devil hell. I'm going to give him violence. I'm going to give him headaches. I'm going to frustrate him. I'm going to fight him. I'm going to lay claim to my friends, to my family, to my coworkers in Jesus' name, and fight every step he tries to make. He brings violence, but I'm going to take it by force.

When I die, I want the Devil to say, "THANK GOD that man is dead. He's caused me too much trouble."

i don't feel guilty

in

i wake up in the morning, and i have plenty of food in the fridge. even if i didn't, i could survive for weeks without any ill effect.

i have clean, running water in the house. i bathe in it. i drink it. i brush my teeth with it. i use it to rinse out my mouth and then spit it out, sending it down the drain.

i eat more than i really should, because it was so good. i've never been really hungry. i have air conditioning, books that i start to read and i don't finish, a car, a comfortable bed, clean clothes, and a myriad of electronic gadgets. i have enough excess money for overpriced coffee, expensive bottled water, and yummy pastry desserts. i also have frivolous features on my super-gadget cellphone, so i'm wired, even when i'm wireless.

i have access to education, and i take it for granted. sometimes i cut class because i take it so much for granted.

i don't feel guilty. i'm lucky to have been born in America, and blessed to have been born to my specific family. God has been good to me, and He has kept me through a lot of stupid decisions on my own part. but i don't feel guilty for my life of leisure. i haven't earned it immorally or unethically. i don't have to be ashamed of my life. and i refuse to live like i am.

if i'm so overwhelmed by my material blessings that i am unable to function, if i am so bound by guilt due to my own creature comforts, then how on earth could i be of any value? if i've made myself miserable over a comfortable life, then what good am i to someone who is uncomfortable? how does starving myself help someone who is hungry?

Lyrics:

in

I am weak but Thou art strong
Jesus keep me from all wrong
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Just a closer walk with Thee
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea
Daily walking close to Thee
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

When my feeble life is o'er
Time for me shall be no more
Guide me gently, safely o'er
To Thy kingdoms shore, to Thy shore.

Just a closer walk with Thee
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea
Daily walking close to Thee
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be...

persecution

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one wonders why christians today get off so easily. is it because unchristian americans are so much better than unchristian romans, or is our light so dim that the tormentor can't see it? what are the things we do that are worth persecuting?

i'm not selling out.
i'm not backing down on my standards.
i'm not going to be politically correct.
i'm not going to sell out on my doctrine.
i'm not going to appease people.

for do i now persuade men, or God? or do i seek to please men? for if i yet pleased men, i should not be called a servant of Christ. Gal. 1:10, KJV

Christ's Mass

in

Christmas literally comes from the mass taken in observation of his birthday - the name is "Christ's Mass." In honor of the holiday, I went with a friend of mine to the midnight mass last night at Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral in downtown Indianapolis.

My sole experience with the Catholic church had been my trip to Italy, which was absolutely breathtaking. Prior to going, I'd been fascinated by the rituals and doctrines of the Church, and while I'm not a tenet, I'm definitely an admirer of the ethical arguments and traditions of the organization. But last night was my first mass.

I was hoping for a button or t-shirt or hat or something that said "Protestant's First Eucharist", but no such luck. We went in, dipped our fingers in the Holy Water and crossed ourselves, and quickly found a seat near the back. The service began with the entry of the Archbishop and the rest of the ecclesiastics, complete with incense, a Bible being held overhead, and a sort of decorated staff carried as they proceeded. They reached the platform, and assisted the Most Reverend Archbishop with his really cool hat, and we were all seated.

The choir sang, the organ piped, and the violinist fiddled away wonderfully. Up and down; sitting, standing, and kneeling; I've decided that, in order to help facilitate my New Years' Resolution of weight loss, I'm going to go to Mass twice a week. It's like calisthenics for the devout or something.

The ceremony was fairly traditional, my friend tells me, because Latin was used quite often. I even sang in Latin. I didn't take communion or anything like that, but I did participate as best I could. I didn't know the words or the proper responses, but I did enjoy the ceremony. Because it was so conservative, though, I was surprised as the number of roles that were filled by women. I was under the impression that the Catholic Church did not endorse the use of women during the rituals and ceremonies, but nuns participated in everything from leading the recitation of the historical Roman record of Christ to leading hymns to even taking the Eucharist from the Archbishop.

After going to my first Mass, I can honestly say that I'm not likely to convert, but I may have found a fun new tradition for Christmas Eve. I genuinely enjoyed the experience.

good friends

in

a good friend is someone with whom you can spend hour upon hour doing nothing more than drink coffee and talk, and never run out of things to say.

this christmas, i can say that i have two really really good friends, our favorite pasttime being coffee and conversation into the early hours of the morning. it's not unusual for me to be at starbucks until two or three o'clock in the morning, knowing full well that i have to wake up the next day early for work or school, but not being willing to go home because there's never an end to the conversation. there is never a convenient point to end the conversation.

my conversations with my friends never end; they merely are put on hold until the next coffee, the next dinner, the next visit, the next chat.

hey baby, i love you

in

like i said in a previous post, we're getting serious. we've set a tentative date for a wedding, and as we start making those sorts of plans, the more excited i get.

its not that sort of excitement that everyone jokes about, an apostolic guy eager to get his rocks off; rather, it's love. ya know, i've never really been in love like this before. i know this is the real thing because, day after day, i just miss being with her. i like to spend time with her, no matter what we're doing. the other day, she was up in indy with me, and we went caroling with my family, and afters, we were watching a christmas special that i'd recorded, and we fell asleep on the floor, all curled up next to each other. it was nice, just being with her.

all throughout the day, i think about her. i'm always quick to smile, because of her. she's on my mind. to see her, to be with her, it's like going home. on more than one occassion, i've referred to her absent-mindedly as my "wife," and last night, as i was headed to her house, i told her, "i have to stop at the mall real quick, and then i'll be home."

to be with her is comfortable; it's relaxing, secure, safe, satisfying, and calming. there's nothing else to worry about when i'm with her. never in my life have i been so satisfied, and when i look at her smile, or see the love and compassion in her eyes, or even when i think about her, i just have to say, or send a text message, or call, "hey baby, i love you."

christmas shopping

in

okay, so i'm a guy (most of you know this), and as a guy, it is my solemn duty to wait until the last reasonable moment to do any sort of shopping, whether it be birthday, christmas, valentine's day, mother's day (seriously, my mom's mother's day card this year was bought at 3 am on mother's day ... nothing says i love you like a 3 am run to walmart).

so, in tradition, i waited until today to do my shopping. for mom and dad, i bought them each products from best buy. now, in the past, i had always advocated shopping at circuit city because i used to work there, and i wasn't going to support the evil competitor. but, the past few times i've been to circuit city, i've had really bad experiences. trying to get someone to come help me is like pulling teeth, and i'm an easy customer. i know what i want when i walk in the door, and i almost always buy a warranty. i don't ask questions, i don't struggle with a decision, and i've done all my research before i even go to the store. when i get there, it's like they're doing me a favor by taking my money. so, i logged onto bestbuy.com, selected my products, paid, and arranged to pick it up at the location by my work. after work today, i stopped in, handed the guy behind the counter my paperwork, and he scanned it, checked my ID, turned around, grabbed my product from the organized shelf, and handed it to me. trust me, this does not happen at circuit city. i was in and out in under five minutes. trust me, friends, i will never shop at circuit city again.

then, tonight, i went to bloomington to see heidi, and stopped at a store that we had been at a couple weeks ago, where she had been hinting really heavily about something she wanted (and by heavily, i mean, "i want you to buy me this for christmas" heavily). the store was in the mall, and i've found that, at this time of year, the malls are filled with men who all have that desperate, picked-over frantic look in their eyes, hoping to find something that will satisfy the ladies for whom they must shop. i enter the store and discover that the item she wants is no longer available in her color - pink - so i'm now stuck with trying to piece together an outfit that not only matches, but qualifies as "cute." trust me, this is a dangerous proposition.

the rest of the list is getting gift cards. i hope they fit.

i must be high (lyrics)

in

You always wanted more time,To do what you always wanted to do Now you got it

And I, I must be high, To say goodbye Bye bye bye

You never said you needed this And you're pissed that you missed the very last kiss, From my lips

And I, I must be high, To say goodbye Bye bye bye

And you never looked in my eyes, Long enough to find any piece of mind But now you got it

And I, I must be high, To let you say goodbye Bye bye bye

--Wilco