what a life

Today i realized i was sick... i do not enjoy being sick at all. So, i decided i will not let it get me down. Ive been taking dayquil all day and relaxing some. I also went to the park (also a beach) here in IL with my stepbros and we had fun. When they werent swimming we played on the playground lol. Im such a kid at heart :) I got some much needed homework done.... and ummmm forgot i left my book outside. wouldnt u know we had a huge downpour for the first time since ive been here. So, yeah my most important book for school is now sitting in front of a fan lol.... who is surprised??? ah what a good and crazy life this is.

.......

These are my pondering thoughts..

As I sit here today, I realize that no matter how much reading I do... how much knowledge I grasp of this life... I will never know how to truely live life to the fullest. UNLESS I seek Jesus Christ. ONly with CHrist can my life be full and complete. I look at Christianity. It can be a religion for some people. There are many  definitions of religion. Here are a few:
1.  a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects
2. "state of life bound by monastic vows," also "conduct indicating a belief in a divine power,"
3. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
4. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
OK.. so now that we have an idea of what religion is, what is belief?? Belief is:
1. something believed; an opinion or conviction
2. confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof
3. confidence; faith; trust
Now, unless I write this down in the right order, it may become confusing. First, many people see CHristianity as a relgion. They think it is a belief (having confidence and faith) that is agreed upon by PEOPLE. But, my belief is not in what PEOPLE think, but only in what GOD says. You can say, well the Bible was written by people. Yes, the bible was written by people, but it is completely inspired by God. You can also say... well i can write something and easily say "this was inspired by God". It's easy to say that. The truth is that the Bible is God's heart, mind, and love written out on paper, but even without the Bible, God can teach us things and speak to us. Through events, feelings, thoughts, and realizations God speaks to us. Do you ever have an idea pop into your head and have NO IDEA where it came from? Usually, God will use the Bible to speak to us and later affirm its truth by allowing us to live through an experience that shows exactly what we read previously; but sometimes He will show us things first and later will allow us to read something in the Bible that allows our eyes to be opened and our hearts to understand why that situation happened.
The second definition for religion is definitly not the right definition for Christianity. True Christianity is not a "state of life bound by laws". To have to live a live of nothing but laws and rules would be miserable. instead, God says,
"John 8:32 - Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Galatians 5:1 - It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
The slavery talked about here is sin!! Sin is our bondage and our pain... not Christ! Christ is our freedom. John 10:10 says:
10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
jesus comes to give us full life, while Satan comes only to destroy us and hurt us. We can not believe that Salvation can be a free gift. We can not understand that something so amazing and important could be given to us with no payment necessary, so, some choose to try and "work" for their salavation... and they think this makes them feel better, but all they are doing is creating work for themselves that is unnecessary. The third and fourth definitions i have given are good definitions of what Christianity is:
3. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
4. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
Notice is says something pursued with zeal and devotion... not a bondage or  feelings of having to, but it is something pursued (to follow especially in order to catch or capture). They follow the teaching of Christ in order to capture it!! They want it sooo bad that they seek the Lord. They look for Him everywhere and listen for His voice. They do not have to work for it, but instead choose to follow Christ because everything He ever taught is good and holy. Nothing that jesus says is wrong or bad. To follow Christ will make you happier. This is a little complicating. When you follow Christ, you read his commands and you choose to obey his teachings, but not out of debt or bondage, but because God gives us the desire to do it. It is not something we hate, but something we love. I want to claify that to become a Christian has nothing to do with following laws or commands. Becoming a Christian is a belief and a choice. After you beome a Christian, and you are already free, then you will want to obey God because it feels wonderful!!! You dont HAVE to follow God, but you choose to. I sound redundant, but I want to make sure I make sense.
Now i want to speak more about faith but this is getting long, so I will quickly say... Faith of a Christian is not the first definition. Faith is not an opinion. If we think our faith is only an opinion, then it is not faith at all. Faith is the 2nd and 3rd definition:
2. confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof
3. confidence; faith; trust
We belief without rigorous proof and we have a confidence and trust that is it the TRUTH!!!!! to believe in Christ is to have complete confidence and trust that HE IS THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD AND DIED FOR OUR SINS SO THAT WE CAN  HAVE ETERNAL LIFE!!! I have complete confidence in that, and I trust Him completely.
I want to express why Chrisitianity is NOT a religion actually, but a relationship, but that will come later.

have a marvelous day!

from The Journey of Desire by John eldredge

Christianity has come to the point where we believe that there is no higher aspiration for the human soul than to be nice. We are producing a generation of men and women whose greatest virtue is that they don't offend anyone. Then we wonder why there is not more passion for Christ. How can we hunger and thirst after righteousness if we have ceased hungering and thirsting altogether? As C.S. Lewis said, "We castrate the gelding and bid his be fruitful."
The greatest enemy of holiness is not passion, it is aparthy. Look at Jesus. He was no milksop. His life was charged with passion. After he drove the crooks from the temple, "his disciples remembered that it is written: 'Zeal for your house will consume me'" (john 2:17 NIV). This isn't quite the pictures we have in Sunday school, Jesus with a lamb and a child or two, looking for all the world like Mr. Rogers with a beard. The world's nicest guy. He was something far more powerful. He was holy.

"Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart... He humbled you, causing you to hunger" (deut. 8:2-3 NIV). When the ISraelites left Egypt, they headed across the Red Sea to Mount Sinai. From there it was only about a two-week journey into the promised land. Fourteen days turned into forty years. A blind camel would have found its way sooner than that. God designed a supernaturally long trail in order to deal with what was in their hearts. During my five-year chess match with God, I often wrestled with his reasons for thwarting me. I am serving you faithfully, God. Why won't you let me have this little pleasure? Trip after trip was supernaturally foiled. It felt to me so unfair, even cruel. I mean, we're talking about fishing for heaven's sake. it's not as if I were trying to have an affair. Or was I?

Im back!