i was sitting in Culver's today watching TV. The circumstances leading up to me watching television at a fast food restaurant are not worth discussing so please just accept the fact that I was doing it.
As i was watching the news a story came up about four teen suicides in Ohio due to bullying. all around me people were eating their lunches, driving thru the drive-thru. just living their lives, ignoring this horrific story of four young people who were driven to such despair that they took their own lives.
i do not blame the people at Culver's. i do not believe that these people were heartless or that they did not care. they were just too used to it. we are surrounded by stories like these. death seeps in everywhere. it is in our lives, in our every move. death is in the books we read, the movies we watch, and the games we play. lets face it, we are all going to really die eventually. but thats exactly what worries me...the fact that our culture doesn't accept real death.
all of us were born dying. the minute we escaped the womb and began life we began our descent towards death. our beginning marked our end. real death is something that no one wants to talk about. its like a profanity that everyone is thinking but no one is willing to say.
death does not get the respect it deserves.
death is used as entertainment. death is considered fun. or even funny. death creates an eerie, mysterious feeling that doesn't allow us to put down the Agatha Christie*. death is used as a marketing ploy
it all comes down to this:
death is acceptable as long as it doesn't affect us.
but what is death meant to be?
i believe that death was never meant to be....yet because of the fall it now exists.
i believe that God loved us enough that he gave us freedom...which we abused
he gave us chances to become one with him...which we abused
he gave us his son Jesus Christ as atonement for our sins...whom we abused
finally, he took death and turned it in to a doorway to Him...will we also abuse this?
death is not part of God's plan. but He has been merciful enough to allow us an escape thru it
*i like Agatha Christie :)
Monday, October 11, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
summers...weeds and all
WHOOOOA!! is what i read true?!?! the last time i posted was December 13, 09!! ok, i really need to get back to this, right? sorry about that!
anyway i thought i'd share a little thought on summers...especially the ones that i have experienced (unless for some reason you want me to talk about YOUR summers). i've grown up my whole life in southwest michigan where the weather is...well...to say the least unpredictable. living near lake michigan can make things real fun! recently we have had a series of intense storms that have taken down trees and telephone poles like crazy. whereas last summer the temps never went above eighty. i was thinking about this on the way home from work and started asking my self, what makes summers so special?? one would think it would be the nice weather which (in theory) brings everyone outside to enjoy the earth. or that it would be the fact that (again, in theory) there is no school. these are nice things of course but then there are always those OTHER things that seem to be ruining our summers...the weeds.
yes, i said weeds. i work 20 hours a week in harbert, mi pulling up weeds, putting weeds in wheelbarrows, dumping the weeds in the woods, and coming back for more weeds. it seems that all i do is pull up weeds, weeds, and more weeds. i've done it in heat, i've done it in rain, i nearly got hit by lightning last week pulling weeds. why does a perfectly good summer have to be ruined with WEEDS!
now i will connect these two rather random paragraphs.
i think the reason that summer is special is because it represents the best part of our lives. everyone remembers the summers best. and they remember the good parts of summer. people look back and laugh at all the fun things that happen...but for some reason they never remember pulling weeds.
in our lives i believe we will have troubles and hard times. most likely we will all be stuck with a job, or a person, or something that we don't like and we won't have a choice in the matter. there will be fights, frustrations, hurt feelings, and all sorts of unplanned complications along the way but we won't remember them in the end!
that is why i like summer so much. it reminds me that i won't remember the weeds.
peace
davis
anyway i thought i'd share a little thought on summers...especially the ones that i have experienced (unless for some reason you want me to talk about YOUR summers). i've grown up my whole life in southwest michigan where the weather is...well...to say the least unpredictable. living near lake michigan can make things real fun! recently we have had a series of intense storms that have taken down trees and telephone poles like crazy. whereas last summer the temps never went above eighty. i was thinking about this on the way home from work and started asking my self, what makes summers so special?? one would think it would be the nice weather which (in theory) brings everyone outside to enjoy the earth. or that it would be the fact that (again, in theory) there is no school. these are nice things of course but then there are always those OTHER things that seem to be ruining our summers...the weeds.
yes, i said weeds. i work 20 hours a week in harbert, mi pulling up weeds, putting weeds in wheelbarrows, dumping the weeds in the woods, and coming back for more weeds. it seems that all i do is pull up weeds, weeds, and more weeds. i've done it in heat, i've done it in rain, i nearly got hit by lightning last week pulling weeds. why does a perfectly good summer have to be ruined with WEEDS!
now i will connect these two rather random paragraphs.
i think the reason that summer is special is because it represents the best part of our lives. everyone remembers the summers best. and they remember the good parts of summer. people look back and laugh at all the fun things that happen...but for some reason they never remember pulling weeds.
in our lives i believe we will have troubles and hard times. most likely we will all be stuck with a job, or a person, or something that we don't like and we won't have a choice in the matter. there will be fights, frustrations, hurt feelings, and all sorts of unplanned complications along the way but we won't remember them in the end!
that is why i like summer so much. it reminds me that i won't remember the weeds.
peace
davis
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Kristina
hello everyone,
i wanted to share a short story with you all...
this summer i was blessed with the opportunity of going to Bulgaria with vision outreach international (VOI) link. our main objective for the trip was giving eye care to orphans, the elderly, and the mentlly ill. we worked at various orphanages and clinics in the southern part of the country. it was at one of these that i met a very special orphan named Kristina.
Kristina was at an orphanage for severely mentally retarded children. the children had various conditions including autism, downs syndrome, epilepsy, and various others. Kristina had an unknown mental disorder and epilepsy. many of the other children were running around making all kind of noise. some were in wheel chairs yelling and making noise. almost every single child made noise, except Kristina. Kristina sat in a chair and stared at the floor. she would not let anyone come near her. she would not look at me. there was no way she would let any doctor examine her.
each of us (on the team) were "assigned" an orphan or two to take care of and try to befriend so that their examination could go more smoothly. i was assigned Kristina. at first i just sat there with her. then i picked her up and put her on my lap. we sat there together the rest of the time. after an hour, we left.
i worked with alot of people for the two weeks we were in Bulgaria. i held a lot of orphans. but for some reason that moment keeps coming back to my mind over and over again. i thought that God had used me to work in Kristina's life. i later realized that God had used Kristina to work in my life.
peace,
davis
i wanted to share a short story with you all...
this summer i was blessed with the opportunity of going to Bulgaria with vision outreach international (VOI) link. our main objective for the trip was giving eye care to orphans, the elderly, and the mentlly ill. we worked at various orphanages and clinics in the southern part of the country. it was at one of these that i met a very special orphan named Kristina.
Kristina was at an orphanage for severely mentally retarded children. the children had various conditions including autism, downs syndrome, epilepsy, and various others. Kristina had an unknown mental disorder and epilepsy. many of the other children were running around making all kind of noise. some were in wheel chairs yelling and making noise. almost every single child made noise, except Kristina. Kristina sat in a chair and stared at the floor. she would not let anyone come near her. she would not look at me. there was no way she would let any doctor examine her.
each of us (on the team) were "assigned" an orphan or two to take care of and try to befriend so that their examination could go more smoothly. i was assigned Kristina. at first i just sat there with her. then i picked her up and put her on my lap. we sat there together the rest of the time. after an hour, we left.
i worked with alot of people for the two weeks we were in Bulgaria. i held a lot of orphans. but for some reason that moment keeps coming back to my mind over and over again. i thought that God had used me to work in Kristina's life. i later realized that God had used Kristina to work in my life.
peace,
davis
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
30 Days without Facebook
this post is pretty self explanatory. i took a 30 day fast from facebook and journaled my thoughts about it everyday (well, almost). here are three big things i found:
1. i was lonely (i missed that constant info feed)
2. i was bored (reading a book is harder than being online)
3. i realized that i could overcome an addiction (i am bigger than facebook)
here is my journal (starting november first)
Day 1: wow! i feel free! i have time to read a book
Day 2: i am feeling lonely and bored. eating too much sugar
Day 3: better than yesterday. still checking email like a maniac. got to read again.
Day 4: dear people at work, of all the days you had to inform me that you have added me as a friend on facebook....WHY TODAY!?!?!
Day 5: desperately wanting to get on facebook.
Day 6: not so bad today. spent some time with the fam.
Day 7: nothing
Day 8: i think that my problem lies not in facebook itself but in the mindlessness of it. it doesn't take a whole lot of thinking. i hear that little voice in my head saying "read a book!"
Day 9: up since four thirty, feeling productive.
Day 10: tired and not really feeling like getting on facebook...
Day 11: weird, i find myself looking forward to the first of december, that kind of destroys my purpose in doing this experiment.
Day 12: nothing
Day 13: dreamed about getting on facebook...hmmm
Day 14: ok, today i have revelation. i was going upstairs for a break and thinking of what thing on the computer i could possibly spend fifteen minutes on. then it occured to me that maybe i could find something else to do besides the computer. this is what i was hoping would happen. too bad i never happened until halfway through.
Day 15: whoa....i'm halfway there, whoa-oh livin' on a prayer...
Day 16: i am bigger than facebook
Day 17: somehow i've stopped caring
Day 18: i think i've broken my facebook addiction!
Day 19: i think that people naturaly waste time. but it is possible to get absolutley nothing done while walking outside rather than stalking someone you saw once in your life on facebook
Day 20: nothing
Day 21: was up till 1 am playing my accordian. that beats facebook in every way, shape, and form!
Day 22: i've begun to get sick of writing these updates
Days 23-28: (did not blog due to excess food and laziness)
Day 29: almost to the end. that was a really interesting month.
Day 30: last day
that was interesting
peace
davis
1. i was lonely (i missed that constant info feed)
2. i was bored (reading a book is harder than being online)
3. i realized that i could overcome an addiction (i am bigger than facebook)
here is my journal (starting november first)
Day 1: wow! i feel free! i have time to read a book
Day 2: i am feeling lonely and bored. eating too much sugar
Day 3: better than yesterday. still checking email like a maniac. got to read again.
Day 4: dear people at work, of all the days you had to inform me that you have added me as a friend on facebook....WHY TODAY!?!?!
Day 5: desperately wanting to get on facebook.
Day 6: not so bad today. spent some time with the fam.
Day 7: nothing
Day 8: i think that my problem lies not in facebook itself but in the mindlessness of it. it doesn't take a whole lot of thinking. i hear that little voice in my head saying "read a book!"
Day 9: up since four thirty, feeling productive.
Day 10: tired and not really feeling like getting on facebook...
Day 11: weird, i find myself looking forward to the first of december, that kind of destroys my purpose in doing this experiment.
Day 12: nothing
Day 13: dreamed about getting on facebook...hmmm
Day 14: ok, today i have revelation. i was going upstairs for a break and thinking of what thing on the computer i could possibly spend fifteen minutes on. then it occured to me that maybe i could find something else to do besides the computer. this is what i was hoping would happen. too bad i never happened until halfway through.
Day 15: whoa....i'm halfway there, whoa-oh livin' on a prayer...
Day 16: i am bigger than facebook
Day 17: somehow i've stopped caring
Day 18: i think i've broken my facebook addiction!
Day 19: i think that people naturaly waste time. but it is possible to get absolutley nothing done while walking outside rather than stalking someone you saw once in your life on facebook
Day 20: nothing
Day 21: was up till 1 am playing my accordian. that beats facebook in every way, shape, and form!
Day 22: i've begun to get sick of writing these updates
Days 23-28: (did not blog due to excess food and laziness)
Day 29: almost to the end. that was a really interesting month.
Day 30: last day
that was interesting
peace
davis
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Children...do not try this at home
spent a day taking pics at some railway tracks. i used some old boy scout knowledge and a general knowledge of the train schedule to stay safe :). anna and i are a good photography team. she loves taking them and i don't mind posing for them. here are the best three.
its november in michigan and i'm cold
peace,
davis
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Midnight in Michigan
hey everyone,
its midnight here in michigan and winter fast approaches. it is that time of year when the glory of autumn has faded and is soon giving way to the dead look of winter.
it is also that time of day(night) when i still have so much to do that i have not done during the day. so i instead have decided to work on a blog post. just thought i'd share a few thoughts about something i heard today. feel free to comment, correct, or criticize what i have to say, i'd like to hear every side of this issue.
today i was listening to christian radio (something i don't do alot) and i heard a pastor talking about how passion is missing in the church. what i heard was very brief, but began the "pondering process" which led me to write this. i began to think back to all the times growing up in church when i knew i was supposed to feel a passion about my faith, but didn't. when i knew i was supposed to be on fire (to show emotion) for Christ, but wasn't. i remember looking over and seeing some person waving their hands and crying at all the songs, listening to the sermon and soaking in everything the pastor had to say (and usually crying too). there were always the people who would evangelize wherever they went. they would go to work, school, vacation, etc. and bring people to Christ. they would tell stories of talking to some guy on a park bench and telling him the great news of Salvation. i remember hearing, seeing, and being urged to be a part of all of this in...and never being able to bring myself to do it. i was missing the passion.
around the age of eleven began my walk with Jesus on my very own. i realized for the first the importance of having a relationship with God. as i grew further in my faith, i had ups and downs with my inner peace level. there were periods of time in which i felt very peaceful and very strong in my faith, other times i was ready to give up. the ups and downs came and went and i passed the next six years of my life growing up physically and spiritually, keeping my heart open and my inner feet moving all the time.
all this growth happened in my and i have yet to go up to a guy on a park bench and evangelize him. i have yet to take my faith "into action".
this summer i had the awesome experience of going to mount athos in greece.
mount athos is inhabited entirely by monks living the monastic life of prayer. to an outsiders eye, they don't do much. they live in seclusion spending their entire lives praying. no Billy Graham-like (just to let everyone know i have nothing against Billy Graham) crusades or passionate worship services or even guys on park benches to talk to. they are secluded from the entire world. yet, through an amazing miracle, they have as much impact (if not more) through their prayers as the billy graham crusade. they never take their faith "into action", but still have that much impact.
so, where am i going with this? i am trying to convey the idea that maybe passion in the church goes beyond just showing emotion every sunday morning. maybe it means glorifying God through the natural talents He has given us, which may not include natural evangelizing skills. perhaps the passion the church is missing is in ordinary life. in the realization that everything can (and should) be done to the glory of God. maybe that is where our missing passion is.
please comment
peace
davis
its midnight here in michigan and winter fast approaches. it is that time of year when the glory of autumn has faded and is soon giving way to the dead look of winter.
(pic by Anna outside our house)
today i was listening to christian radio (something i don't do alot) and i heard a pastor talking about how passion is missing in the church. what i heard was very brief, but began the "pondering process" which led me to write this. i began to think back to all the times growing up in church when i knew i was supposed to feel a passion about my faith, but didn't. when i knew i was supposed to be on fire (to show emotion) for Christ, but wasn't. i remember looking over and seeing some person waving their hands and crying at all the songs, listening to the sermon and soaking in everything the pastor had to say (and usually crying too). there were always the people who would evangelize wherever they went. they would go to work, school, vacation, etc. and bring people to Christ. they would tell stories of talking to some guy on a park bench and telling him the great news of Salvation. i remember hearing, seeing, and being urged to be a part of all of this in...and never being able to bring myself to do it. i was missing the passion.
around the age of eleven began my walk with Jesus on my very own. i realized for the first the importance of having a relationship with God. as i grew further in my faith, i had ups and downs with my inner peace level. there were periods of time in which i felt very peaceful and very strong in my faith, other times i was ready to give up. the ups and downs came and went and i passed the next six years of my life growing up physically and spiritually, keeping my heart open and my inner feet moving all the time.
all this growth happened in my and i have yet to go up to a guy on a park bench and evangelize him. i have yet to take my faith "into action".
this summer i had the awesome experience of going to mount athos in greece.
(the greek flag in the foreground, Athos in the back, pic by Anna from a boat)
so, where am i going with this? i am trying to convey the idea that maybe passion in the church goes beyond just showing emotion every sunday morning. maybe it means glorifying God through the natural talents He has given us, which may not include natural evangelizing skills. perhaps the passion the church is missing is in ordinary life. in the realization that everything can (and should) be done to the glory of God. maybe that is where our missing passion is.
please comment
peace
davis
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Good Times...
some friends of mine recently had a party at my house. we stayed up until five and had an awesome time. this is a pic at a state park near us. the wind chill was in the 40s. it was really cool, no pun intended.
modern (shirtless) philosophers
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