Everyday Life Christian… or so I Thought

I started jogging. To be honest, I wished I could start running, but it’s been a while. I would say a little less than a year of not exercising. This is very much like a walk with Christ. We want to start running, but not everyone has that type of stamina. I know I sure don’t physically, that’s why I started jogging. For me, it’s the same with my walk with Christ. I have to constantly do it, otherwise I won’t be able to run anymore and when I look up and want to start running like when I used to, I stumble and fall and start to huff-and-puff. I know that I can jog and have positive results, both physically and spiritually. When it’s time to run, I will run, and I will take that time, but here’s one thing I learned from not exercising for a long time: don’t stop.

Once I stopped exercising, I gave myself countless change to become physically tired. I am not  strong, lack stamina in doing heavy work and worst of all, not living to my utmost potential in a healthy and happy life. In most people’s view, I’m definitely healthy and happy, but I can’t say that I’m the healthiest I could be and in that sense, I’m not at the best I could be. That’s the way how Christians should walk the faith. I for one is not excluded, but a mere 10% of our time is worth a lot more to God than we could imagine. We cannot do our yo-yo dieting with our physical body, it’s dangerous and bad for us, and in the same sense, it’s not good for our spiritual self.

So, do it a little at a time daily is better than trying to do them all cramped up in one or two days. If it isn’t the best for you physically, it isn’t best for you spiritually. Take that to heart and hopefully you walk in your Faith full-hearted the best that you can ^_^

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

Everyone who thinks they’ve lived a good live asks this question. It’s the question of “Why do bad things happen to me?” It’s the fact of life that good people should not receive any punishments, that they’re always good. Well, I believe I’m a good person, I also believe others that know me would say so too… but bad things have happened in my life even before I became a teenager, and it didn’t stop there, it continued one into my adulthood. So, why do bad things happen to good people?

I believe God is real, and I believe God is good. I also believe that He provides for all my needs and He’s there when I need Him. I know that my life on earth is not an accident and I know that God has something wonderful for me to experience in my life. I also know that I am here to worship Him. A lot of people ask, if God is good, why does He allow bad things to happen? Why is it that we as His children are suffering and he doesn’t help?

There is no easy answer. I believe that sin has been bore into the world and that we were born sinners. No matter what, our lives in this world is a sin, because of what Adam and Eve did. Sure, we can blame them all we want, but I believe that anyone in their position would have been the same. There is no “I know better” at that point, because they did not have history like us to learn from. Look at us with all the history we need so we won’t repeat what has happened… I think our minds are just weak and there is nothing we can do about it.

So, why do bad things happen to us? Next time when you’re about to ask that question, think back at a time when you did wrong. Think back of the time when you were spare from punishment because you said sorry. You might have meant it, but did you repeat that mistake? No one in this world in perfect, therefore there is no “good” people. We only see “good” in our perspective, to us, we are good. To God, we are only good in his Son’s blood. That is my faith, that is why I believe all that I do and that is why I am who I am. That is why I can continue to live even when hope is lost, anger is found, anguish is born, and death is in front of me. I continue to live because I know that my God is good, and He has a plan for me, whether it is for a day, a week, a month, a year, a decade, or a century.

Bad things happen to be for a reason, bad things happen to me not because I’m bad, because experience some times is the wisdom I need. Bad things happen to me not because I do not have faith, it’s because God wills it. Bad things just happens… what are you going to do about it?

Why The Dislike?

I enjoy negativity. Not toward me nor toward anyone. I meant I think about negative thoughts a lot. I’m not sure if it’s normal like everyone, but thoughts like: What if I had another year to live (Cheeky could relate, cause I just talked with her about it last night); When I die, how many people would actually go to my funeral and how many people actually would think of the great things about me or the bad things about me (or the weird and funny things about me); If it was me who had cancer instead of my mom, how would my sister’s life be, how would Cheeky’s life be and how would my housemates’ lives be; and some other weird ones like that. Yea, it seem mostly are about deaths.

Well, in a way, I don’t think of it as a suicide attempt, it’s just my curiosity in life and about life surrounding me. My blog is about me writing about me and the world that I’m in after all. So, here’s the catch, I’m a Christian. Well, that’s not the catch. Actually, there’s no catch at all. I’m a Christian and I talk about Christians a lot. I will tell you that I talk about people a lot, but I will definitely not fake whether I like someone or not to their face. If I’m upset at them, you can tell I’m upset and not fake it, or if I don’t like a person, I will show I don’t like the person. I have yet to really dislike a person for everything they are… except one back in high school, and people knew about it. So, what I really dislike is what the person’s done or how they are in certain situation or etc. about anything like that.

Today, I saw something that made me wonder… yet again. Is Christian just a name that no one can live up to expectations, or are we just human who’s trying to live our lives as what we believe is the truth? I saw something that I didn’t expect, a Christian (A) was nice to this other Christian person (B) when we were talking about something and when that person (B) looked at me and talk, (A) just gave me this one look like I don’t like (B), and shook his/her head in a way like disagreeing to (B). Um… well, sad, but true.

So, is this behavior Christian like? I mean, Christians are human too, and there’s no way we could ‘like’ every single person. Even I had one person I dislike entirely. But here’s what I think could help the situation. If we would be truthful in front of the person we dislike, or choose to tolerate that person and not have a two-face about it. If I’m going to have a dislike something, I’ll say it. I’d rather live in my truth than to lie and say I’m a Christian. So here goes…

1. I dislike the fact that people think they should just take advantage of my niceness.
2. I am jealous at my sister for having a nicer car, but more importantly, a car with better gas millage.
3. I dislike the fact that most Christians try so hard to be so much holier than thou. I mean, seriously, I think we should accept people as they are. Maybe I’m not Christian enough? I guess I’ll just have to live with that fact if it’s true.
4. I dislike cherry flavor sodas. Cherry Pepsi, Cherry Cola, Cherry Cherry (I don’t really know how that taste like or if it even exist actually).

I think I’m done. I mean, there’s a lot for sure, but I’ll just leave it at those, because those are easily remember and just off the top of my head. I’m just kinda tired. I want to go play my Pokemon and “catch ‘em all!“

~Matsuke out

My Faith is Insufficient?

I haven’t thought much about my faith, because I believe I have faith and I know people doubt, but here’s what I’ve been told (throughout the following paragraphs). Should I listen just because a preacher said this? Or was he just preaching?

Just this weekend a church member’s mom had been cured of cancer. That is great news, I don’t deny it and I will say faith had something to do with it, especially when the best of the best says that chemo is needed for the rest of the lady’s life. I’ve heard before that song of hopelessness, about 10 years to be exact. I praise God for it and I think it’s great news. when the pastor stated that it’s because she had faith and no doubt about getting healed from God, I would even go far enough to say good for her.

When the preacher said that other people lost loved ones to cancer or any other sickness (even though the doctor said it was imminent), and stated that it was the lack of faith in God, lack of faith that the person is healed, that is why the person’s death happened.

Faith is defined as:

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
- Hebrews 11:1 (The Bible)

“Christian Theology. the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved.” (Dictionary.com)

Being shaky in faith is the cause of someone not being healed. Bull (please excuse my language). God’s will might be all not be sick and all be healed for those who believe, but what about God’s will for us to be with him (through sickness on earth or by any other means)? What if God wills it for my mom go to heaven at that time? What if God said it’s time? So, she dies due to cancer, is it then I do not have faith? Is it then my faith was shaky and my doubts killed my mom? Then won’t I be the killer? I will not accept that my lack of faith is why she was not healed. I could personally state myself in the shoes because I’ve experienced it. What if my faith was shaky, but my mom’s not? She’s gone through 2 cancerous state, first one almost to the brink of death while the second one is in stage 2 or 3. She’s survived both, so why would she has less faith in the third run of cancerous cells? Because God keeps on allowing her to be in that state? She had more faith than anyone I know, she has more strength than the strongest person I know.

My faith might be insufficient, but I would deny the fact that because of it is the reason my mom’s in heaven. I deny the teaching that my mom’s doubt in her faith in God’s power is the reason she’s dancing up there. I dislike the BS (excuse my language) that she’s in better place and telling me to look at the better part of life, especially if it was to be told to me by the person who told me that it was my lack of faith or my mom’s that brought death to her, not God’s will that her time on earth is up and she’s to be with her creator. I believe my mom fought her way until the end. No complain, no quitting, no excuses. Better words to cheer me up, well, none. Just shut up and let me be sad for a bit. There were only a few friends that did it right. Thank you for that ^_^

As readers, you should all know I miss my mom much. Well, family is important to me. I’ll leave the thought in your mind, before you listen to someone who’s supposed to know or to teach us, who’s suppose to bring knowledge to us, share the wisdom, think for yourself a little. Research a little, know a little more what that person’s talking about. Don’t just accept every thing as they come. Faith is a touchy subject for me when it comes to being preached to at churches. It’s because preachers like to go into cancer. It’s just a popular subject with faith for some reason. I’ll just leave it hanging as it is. It’s pointless going on, because reasons can come up for both point of views.

Defensive Words Attacks

Self defense is a great thing, when it come to defending off predators. It gets truly ugly though when it defense oneself against a loved ones.

“I am rubber, and you are glue,
and whatever you say to me bounces off of me,
and sticks to you”
~No idea who started this quote

Harmful words (even disgusted tone) hurts and bruises deep within someone’s soul. Arguments are alright, but perhaps some arguments should be left at discussions. All the bickering between loved ones, it’s tough to see the joy and peace most of the time.

The question ‘Who is in the wrong?’ remains unanswered in an argument. I would like to point out that there is always one that is in the wrong, but apparently I’m wrong in most cases. No body wants to admit he or she is in the wrong, or at least not many people do. When it comes to arguing and self defensing against another that had done wrong, it is almost always the other person’s fault. No one can calmly (yes, even me) answer a question that has a I-am-really-disliking-you-right-now tone. So, in the end, a fight (with words) is due to happen, and though resolutions do solve certain topics, it does not always solve the arguing part.

I grew up in a household that yells across from the front door to the back door or back kitchen beyond the back door. It was always loud in my house. I think I have an excuse to say that since I grew up in that kind of environment, I am allowed to yell because it is a habit of mine. An excuse is just an escape from reality, an escape from responsibility. What is my excuse? It is my fault, no excuse this time around.

Cheers to 2008, and hope that this year, there will be less bickering, more yelling, but always bringing our I-hate-your-guts tone down a notch and bringing peace to the world. So much for all the miss universe wanting peace throughout the world. I think we should start with peace throughout the household first. Hold on… I got one good one too. Peace throughout the church too. Churches should set an example, and being a Christian, coming from a Christian household, and seeing brothers and sister in Christ disagree on many things, I say that we are not doing our part. Looking forward to a great 2008.

God bless us human beings!!!!!
PS. And all that is created by God too.