The mind and soul of Ian

100th Post

2011-09-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

I do have have a fully solidly set time for when I will post a complete and unobstructed picture of myself. I just don't know exactly when it will be. ~me-April 20, 2009

You know Ian, I'm not sure there will ever be a day I will fully understand you're logic. Until then, I get it. =)

~Elliot (Now known as Camden)-April 24, 2009

Anyone else remember that exchange in the comment section of this blog post?

See the title of this post?
NOW everyone sees my logic, right? See, I haven't gone totally insane, right? I know what I'm talking about. I'M not crazy.

...Well, maybe.

Traditionally, one a blog's hundredth post, one is supposed to post one hundred facts about oneself. But, my reduced readership seems awfully low for such a tedious task, and since when has this blog ever followed tradition? So, if anyone still cares to know what the mysterious, ever-evasive Ian actually looks like, read on.

Here's something else some people might remember. The first picture of myself I ever posted on this blog:

Well, here's another picture from that night in October of 2008. I'm with Christopher Hopper in this one, who happens to be an incredibly awesome guy (not to mention very, VERY enthusiastic about meeting people who comment on his blog...:P)

And here are some more recent pictures. The first is from one of the youth conferences I went to in 2009. last two are a couple of my grad pictures from 2010. Unfortunately, I can't get any cameras to work and/or connect to my laptop to upload any really recent photos, so this is all I can give you. But that's okay. I haven't really changed all that much since then. :)

(The above picture was taken at about 2 AM in four-person hotel room which, at that moment, contained about fifteen people, including the youth leader - who was sleeping under a table. Without warning, my friend leaped onto the bed I was lying on, threw an arm around my shoulders, and snapped a photo.)

Okay, vanity aside, I still love the way I look in that last one. :P

So, all ye who have endured my endless taunts and dodges, at last you've seen my face.

Please try to keep your horrified screaming to a minimum. Respect for those around you, you know.

Ciao!

2011-02-17T21:36:00.001-08:00

I hinted at this in the last post, but I don't think I've been outright about it yet.

In any case, this blog will not last much longer, at least, not in its current form. I'm not going to delete it, but I am going to restart it. I'll transfer its data to another location and make this particular site a blank slate.

And so that you sci-fi readers understand what I mean: I'm downloading my blog's consciousness to another unit and wiping the megadrive so that I can reboot the operation for a new objective.

It was a lot of fun when I started this blog. Largely in thanks to all the great readers I had, of course - so even if you never read this, to everyone who read and/or commented on my blog in its early stages, Thank You!

But that was then. I mean, really, I haven't changed the title, layout, or even the heading of my blog since the day I started it. (I wonder if I set any sort of record for longest active personal blog with zero changes? :P) Anyway, I've decided to change it now, into something much more than I ever made this one into.

Don't worry (or maybe do, depending on your viewpoint :P), I'm not planning on creating some site that's overly serious or boring or impersonal and non-interactive or anything like that. But at this point in my life, it's time to turn my blog into something that's a little more focused. ;)

After my next post, I plan to go on a media fast, though I don't know for how long. (Everyone's doing it. :) But more than that, everyone says that it greatly helps in many aspects of life, especially spiritual, so I think it's high time I tried it.) After that, I'll begin blogging afresh. I already have a bundle of ideas for posts that I'll be writing before my blog's re-launch.

Ciao!

Missed Again...

2011-02-01T21:24:00.001-08:00

Well, I failed to post on my blogoversary....again....

But I have a way to make it up for you all.

Any long-time readers of this blog (there aren't that many left from three years ago, are there?) will know that I have posted three pictures of myself here already, without letting anybody know what I actually look like. I took great enjoyment in finding ways to avoid revealing my appearance despite those posts: a picture of the jacket I wore to meet the authors at the Motiv8 tour back in 2008, two pictures of myself in the mirror....it was great fun back then, torturing everyone....but the past is the past. Since I plan to majorly revamp this blog in the very near future, I guess that at least once, I should post a VISIBLE photo that shows my face. I owe it to those who have faithfully stayed with me throughout these three long years.

So I will.

It will be in one my next few posts. Stay tuned!

Ciao!

Limericks!

2011-01-22T16:07:00.000-08:00

Because sometimes, a poet gets bored.

There once was a young man from France
who sang in his sleep while he danced.
He woke from a nap
with a sock in his yap
and his head stuffed halfway down his pants.

There once was a young man called Stew
who wanted to buy a new shoe;
none of them fit
but all of them bit
so now he needs bandages, too.

A leprechaun down at the bay
did step on my toes yesterday;
he hit me with rocks
and then swallowed my socks
and he wished my pajamas away!

Ciao!

Storytelling: Why? What?

2011-01-19T16:41:00.000-08:00

I currently have two stories, two poems, and a blog open on my laptop. Does that make me obsessed?

I want to finish one story so that I can try to win a contest that will allow me to get part of my other story critiqued, so that I can make it good enough to get published by a certain magazine, so that I can afford to go to a writers conference where I would like to submit one of these poems for critiquing....

...and the other poem I'm just writing for fun.

So, to the point of my post: what IS a story?

I won't speculate or list common answers this time. I'll just cut right to it: a story has a point. A story has a reason to be told. It is not the recounting of events; it is a tale of an event that illustrates a truth or a thought. It is a recounting of events, real or fictional, with a purpose behind it. A reason that it might stick in someone's mind to be told to others in certain situations.

A story is ABOUT something, not an event or a character or a plot, but about a message that the storyteller or writer or author wishes to convey.

Confused yet? Good. Then you ought to read on.

Take Lord of the Rings. Why would anyone think to tell such a tale? Sure, it's a great story, but what's the point? Entertainment value? No. You see, stories are much, much more. They must be, if they are to be truly good, for a good story must have an effect on the reader.

Say what you like, call me crazy, call me deluded, but Lord of the Rings is not about a journey to destroy an evil Ring and defeat a Dark Lord. It is the tale of how a young man, from the lowliest of races, struggled to defeat the evil within himself, to prove that it could be done although even the greatest among other races could not. It is a story about proving that there is still good in the world. That there is still some good in people. In humanity.

Overly simplified explanation? You bet. But my point stands. Now do you see why such a story might be TOLD, rather than just why it might be enjoyed? Because it keeps moving toward a point. A message. It strives to bring about a resurrection of hope in its listeners.

If you have a protagonist with a problem or an Inner Journey, your story will very likely - in fact, almost certainly - be ABOUT how that particular sort of journey will reach its end or how - or even if - that problem can be solved. That's the nature of stories: everything in them moves towards illustrating what the story is designed to say. And that's why we writers will write them. That's why we must write the stories that we burn to tell: because these are things out of which we can actually, really, honestly, and truly create stories.

I'm writing a story right now. I've worked for weeks on it, and barely gotten halfway through, though I know where I want the story to go. I keep getting hung up somewhere in the middle of it and am unable to proceed (though this is almost over. I'm just getting over the last rough patch.)

As I sweated to make this story better and better, I've realized that it will probably never be published. I've dreamed of having it accepted by a magazine, and for a while, it was for that hope that I toiled over it day after day trying to make it as good as it could possibly be. But then, I realized what the story was about. Why it would be told. Why it MATTERED. But soon after that, as I read the story over again and again, I realized something else.

I will will still submit it to the magazine I've set my eyes on. I will still try, as hard as I can, to get it published. But I know that it will not be. I could be wrong. But from where I stand, I can see that this story will not be leaving my desktop anytime soon.

It's still coming slow and hard, and it will take a great deal more blood, sweat and tears to get it anywhere near finished.

But, in all likelihood, it won't be enough to break that final barrier.

So why do I write it?

Because I know what it's about. I know why I'm telling this story, and why I care.

And I just. Have. To write it.

And that's what writing...what storytelling...really is. That's why we do it, that's why we strive so long and so hard just to keep trying to move forward in the writing world even against the flaming arrows of critiques and the mighty cannons of rejection. Because the stories, the tales we bleed so hard to tell, MATTER. And we will stop at nothing to see the burning message of our hearts carried into the world to set ablaze the hearts of others.

Why do writers write?

THAT'S why.

Ciao!

The Past

2010-12-31T23:53:00.000-08:00

Well, since this is my last chance to put up a post in 2010, I figured I'd take the opportunity. Even in my Pacific time zone, I only have about five minutes before it's 2011, so I can't make a very long post this time. (I can hear the rejoicing from here. :P)

I had nowhere to go tonight. No one really to be with, and nothing much to do. So I've spent this last day of 2010 mostly in thought. Not reflection, really; I've decided I'm done with that. There has to be a point at which I move on with my life and stop focusing and dreaming about the past. It's over. I have to face that. And graduation really makes that a serious truth in a way that nothing else in my life ever has.

So tonight, I beging looking forward to 2011, and everything it may or may not bring. I look forward to what I WILL do, rather than dreaming, as I so often do, about what I've already done and been through. Tonight it all ends, and tonight it begins. (Loving the catchy paradox there, aren't you? I must be tired. I'll look on this post tomorrow and be absolutely horrified that I published it. :P)

So, this is the last I'll dream of 2010 and before. Good-bye, 2010; good-bye, past; and good-bye, dreams of yesteryear.

These are the last words I will write in 2010. And I will not look back on them with any longing; I will only look ahead.

Ciao

Why Not...

2010-12-13T12:38:00.000-08:00

So I finally started seriously writing a novel the other day, and after multiple failures and frustrations in trying to create a decent beginning, I finally managed to get something I like. I figured I'd post the first bit of it here. Keep in mind, it's completely unedited, but it's way better than anything else I came up with.

Ultimately, this isn't going to be the beginning; it will probably be about a fifth or a quarter of the way into the story or something like that. But still, aside from in-depth critiques and advice, what I want to know is: does it make you want to keep reading?

* * * *
Daken staggered through the narrow valley as screeches ripped through the air. His pursuers flew out of sight, but Daken knew they were only seconds away. Streams of blood dripped over his face, and more poured down his back. With one hand resting on Elav’s shoulders, Daken tried to speed up their pace, but could barely manage to keep his balance. “We’ll never make it to Eliash like this.”

Stumbling along at his side, Elav looked back at him. His light brown hair quivered in the wind, matching his eyes. Blood from his wounds soaked into every inch of his shirt. A long cylindrical sack strapped over his shoulder bounced on his back with every step, making him wince. “Then we’re our kingdom’s last hope. We have to rescue them, Daken.”

“Alone?” Daken’s jaw gaped as he stared at his friend. Another screech rang through the valley, sending memories of the terrible battle flashing through Daken’s mind like images from a nightmare. The piercing screams of captured humans shrieked in his mind’s ear as he relived the utter destruction of their city. The visions of the creatures as they gouged their prisoners made Daken’s own cuts sting worse than ever. He couldn’t take the thought of surrendering himself to whatever greater torture these beasts might inflict. “We wouldn’t stand a chance. There has to be another way.”

“There’s no other choice. We - ” Elav’s eyes snapped upwards. “They’re here. Hurry!” He lunged forward and yanked on Daken’s wrist.

Daken whipped his head all around but could find no sign of their attackers. “We can’t possibly outrun them like this. We have to find cover, quick!”

Elav pulled him hard, and Daken nearly tripped headlong into a wall of rock. He reached a hand out to steady himself and landed in a crevice just big enough to conceal both of them. “Look,” Elav said, gesturing to the sack on his shoulder. “As long as we keep this safe, we’ll have hope. But we’re the only ones left who have any chance of rescuing the others.” He pulled the strap over his head and lowered it to the ground. He then reached into his coat and pulled out two knives. “We need to find a way to get these creatures to take us to them on our own terms.”

Daken stared at the sack, the one thing Elav had chosen to salvage from their destroyed home. What could be inside it that gave his friend such confidence? He looked at the knives and then at Elav. “Are you insane? Do you actually think we can fight those things with two knives?”

Elav let one of the knives drop to the ground. “Only one if you’re not coming.” He rose to a crouch and pointed at the sack. “Take it. Whatever happens, make sure they don’t get it.” A series of screeches rang out louder than ever. The creatures were closing in fast. Stepping out of the crevice, Elav looked back at Daken, his eyes flaming with resolve. “If I distract them long enough, you might have a chance to get away. Decide whether you’re going to fight or run, and choose quickly.”

* * * *

So? Whaddya think? I'm hoping it's not too bad for being wholly non-edited. :P

Ciao!

Celebrating What??

2010-12-11T22:15:00.000-08:00

So it's December. Colourful lights hang all around, and everyone is incredibly busy doing who-knows-what. Piles upon piles of to-do lists permeate homes and heads alike, plugging their owners with no end of stress and weariness.

And this is how we "celebrate" one of the greatest, most incredibly joyous events in history??

Every year around this time, you'll hear a lot on the TVs and the radios about how we need to "stop for a moment" and "remember what the season is really all about." But if we have to actually make an effort on stopping and remembering, then are we really focused on what we're supposed to be celebrating? Or have we bumped it the bottom of our priority list in favour of fulfilling stressful, often meaningless obligations? Sure, every Christmas tradition has it's roots somewhere in the history of the holiday; but whether they originate from the right place or not, why do so many of us put go out of our way to abide by them and yet seem to easily forget about the JOY of the day that we are supposed to be celebrating?

There are now two kinds of Christmas: the celebration of Christ's birth, and the fulfillment of cultural obligations. How dare we associate this cultural madness with the birth of Christ. How dare we claim that the celebration of the birth of Christ our ultimate Saviour could be about anything other than Him alone. Do we not know WHO it was whose birth we entitle this season with? Do we not know how POWERFUL and SIGNIFICANT that night was, not only on EARTH, but also in HEAVEN?

And yet, we have allowed it to be reduced, in the eyes of so many, to a shopping spree. Not only have the members of the Church allowed it to come to this, but many of us now participate and support it with time, money, and physical exertion. And then only take a few moments to pause and "remember the true meaning".

Is it a sin to do these things at Christmas - or at any other time? I doubt it. But the shopping, the parties, the get-togethers, and traditions and symbols that have been rocketed to the top of the Christmas priority list, ultimately have nothing to do with the birth of Christ; and there is absolutely no purpose in claiming otherwise. In fact, to do so is detrimental. What glory could be given to God by claiming that all this stressed-out hustle and bustle is done in the name of His greatest act of love EVER? How can it be pleasing to God to celebrate Christ's birth in a way that oftenbarely even remembers Him?

Christians are supposed to be living for God, all out, every moment. We are to have the mind of Christ, and be focused on serving and glorifying God alone. Christmas is no exception. Yet somehow, many have been deceived into the mindset that the celebration of Christmas the way our culture has decided to do it - not by removing Christ's name from it, but by simply forgetting about Him most of the time - is somehow equated to praising Him.

When I first started this blog nearly three years ago (my, how time flies...), I did a post on Charlie Brown. Specifically, on the Christmas version. Shoddy acting, voiced by untrained children, thrown together in just a few months...and pretty much the best Christmas television show ever made. And now, I would like to speak of it once again.

See, that's the one show I see every year that really gets it right. Lots of movies around this time of year will spout the ever-popular lie: that "Christmas is about giving." But it isn't about us giving each other gifts - it's about us having a chance to repent and be free from sin. If Christmas is about giving, it's about God giving unfathomable oceans of mercy in his great Love, and us humbly giving ourselves to Him to be cleansed from all our filth and unrighteousness and made new in him. Christmas, by definition, was the culmination of the hope that such a freedom could ever be possible.

But Charlie Brown, lowly as he is, has something that many of us are now sorely lacking: he casts aside all commercialism associated with Christmas, and seeks with all he has to find the TRUE meaning of Christmas. No matter how many other great things there were, he didn't care. He just went on searching. And once he found it, he continued to cast aside commercial values and tried to REALLY celebrate the true Christmas. Cultural hype was nothing to him, but finding the truth, and holding on to it, was everything.

And that is the mind that everyone needs to be of, not only at Christmas, but every day of every year.

(Yeah, sorry, no fuzzy feel-good Christmas posts from over here. :P)

Ciao!

The Truth About Superpowers

2010-11-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

Lots of people, especially kids, spend a lot of time dreaming about having the amazing abilities as they are portrayed in the media. However, the neglect the understanding that the media's portrayal's are hopeless unrealistic in that they fail to take into account certain side effects by including numerous low-probability additions and circumstances that most people never notice. For example:

If you could fly and defy gravity, there’s no guarantee that you’d be able to come back down. Or evens top going up. (Great air time! All the way up until you’re completely OUT of air!)

If you could set yourself on fire, you probably still wouldn’t have fireproof skin. There’s also no guarantee that you would be able to put the fire out at will. (Enjoy your personal, all expenses paid, self-initiated burning at the stake – now with Execution on Demand and a No Turning Back guarantee!)

If you could turn invisible, the radiation from the light passing through your body would likely kill you in a matter of seconds. Not near long enough to try and figure out how to turn yourself back, if you even could.

If you had super strength, you probably wouldn’t be able to soften your touch: you would break everything and everyone around you, including destroying the ground beneath just by walking, causing you to dig yourself into an endless pit in which you would likely break every one of your weaker bones whenever two parts of your body touch each other. (Enjoy your personal Survival of Fittest experience! Which of YOUR limbs and appendages have what it takes to SURVIVE?)

If you had telekinesis, you probably wouldn’t have total control over which of your thoughts affected the environment – in fact, you probably wouldn’t have any control at all. That in itself is a major hazard to you, everything, and everyone, not to mention that you would move your own body with your mind just by THINKING about moving – this would take away your muscles’ ability to work on their own, causing them to atrophy and wither away. Good luck working out. Plus, you would unwillingly cause yourself to act on every impulse, which would get you slapped, kicked, beaten, hated, and probably eventually arrested.

If you had laser vision, even assuming you could control it with just your will, i just has to hurt to have laser beams streaming out of your retinas. The beam would have to begin somewhere inside or on your eye. Ouch. In addition, no matter how you slice it, you’re going to end up looking straight into a laser beam every time you use this “amazing ability”. (Laser Man: with the power to make himself go completely, irreversibly blind in just seconds!) Unless, of course, the lasers are weak enough to be absolutely useless for anything. Oh joy.

…..And these are just SOME of the INCREDIBLE POWERS that our scummy, brain dead, cash-snatching media has our youth thirsting for with their dishonest, inaccurate, unrealistic misrepresentations of basic facts that FIVE year olds ought to be able to spot with relative ease. Have fun dreaming about having superpowers, everyone. Maybe, just MAYBE there’s a really good reason we’re incapable of doing certain things!

[Let it be known that this post was completely spontaneous and fully in jest. :P]

Ciao!

Woohoo!

2010-11-22T15:29:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know I haven't posted in a long time....AGAIN....but I've been bored and haven't had much to post about. At least, not stuff I want to talk about at all, let alone defile my blog with. :P

But, I figured I should at least stop by and mention that my very first ever accepted work is now officially published. :D

If you care to see it, simply click on this link: http://www.mindflights.com/item.php?sub_id=6879

It's not like it was a huge professional sale or anything, but it still feels good to see your work in print. Now then, upward and onward! I've got to get working on my next submission....

Ciao!

Rejection Letters

2010-10-20T12:47:00.001-07:00

Okay, I know. I have been absolutely miserable at blogging when it comes to updating at reasonable intervals. But I promise that I will post something with somewhat more meaning tomorrow.

Getting on with it, how many of you would agree with me that rejection letters are an essential part of being and becoming a writer? I don't mean in that they are inevitable (although for most writers, they are :P). What I do mean is that they are an important part of one's growth in the craft and in the industry.

One thing my rejections have made me realize is that being a writer requires more than just the desire and the ability to write. While these are core attributes, once the story or poem or article or whatever you are writing is done, even if you don't seek to get it published, there is more that must be learned and much still to be done (beyond the editing, even, if you'll believe it). You see, a writer must constantly be willing to gain new knowledge and allow their own character to be strengthened. An ability to take and apply criticism, for example, is and indispensable trait. The ability to admit that they could be better and a readiness to hear and even seek out advice from others that could improve their skill.

And if you do decide to try and break into the industry and get someone to publish your work, rejections are a part of that. True writers cannot afford to be demoralized and oppressed when they read those cliched words: "We regret to inform you that we cannot use your submission at this time." Those who venture into this perilous territory must always be ready to revive their battle calls and hoist their swords - or pens - again, regardless of whatever foes may accost them. Allow these rejections to inspire you, to spur you onward in your quest. Carry on through the wilderness of literary oppression, shouting out with your actions, "I tried, I tried, and I'll try again!"

A writer who strives to understand what can be improved as well as what he or she cannot afford to change, amidst a flurry of excellent-sounding advice and searing critiques, is the one who will survive what may well be a long, painful struggle towards whatever noble goal they seek. The one who shakes off the wounds and scars of the alleged "inadequacy" of their work and continues on, knowing what they must write while seeking to learn how to write it even better.

And oh yes, rejections are a part of that. You can allow them to whip you into a great writer with an unshakeable, confident character as an author....or you can let them tear away your hope and end your journey where you stand. Rejections are not a mere roadblock; they are a test, one of the first barriers to see who can really do it, and who cannot. For this reason, I say they are essential, regardless of how skillful anyone is in writing.

I know what your thinking now. "Ian just got another rejection letter, didn't he?"

Well, since my post about the first rejection letter I have ever received, yes, I received two more such notifications. And yes, they did give life to the thought that sparked this post.

To date, this brings me to three rejection letters in total.

However.

There is a fourth letter.

Ciao!

(By the way, does anyone know if there's a way to creat non-anonymous polls? The results of my last few have rendered me quite curious.)

My Life As of Now

2010-09-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

As you might notice, dear visitor, I have added a poll up on my sidebar.

And the rest of this post is probably going to sound like unorganized nonsense. That's okay, though.

I've felt fairly unhappy lately (and for certain times, that might be something of an understatement. Ah well.). While I'm not entirely sure why, it likely stems from the lack of human fellowship that I have had...an absence of which the realization is magnified greatly when one views the wonderful comradeships shared by others.

Don't get me wrong...I still have friends (I think :P). However, having traversed the threshold of high school graduation, many of them recently ventured off to university; an undertaking that I, in my weariness, have opted out of per this particular annum. (Financial limitations may also have played somewhat of a part, but we'll pretend, to preserve the apparent effectivness of personal decisions, that it's irrelevant.)

In any case, my lack of fellowship may well develop from an inability (or the lack of a spacious verbal comfort zone) to talk to others. I honestly don't know if this has any effect on anything in reality, or if others notice it while I am in conversation with them, or even if I'm right about it, but I seem to have a hard time while conversing with others because I don't have the natural ability to easily bring up - or even discuss at all, sometimes - topics relating to them. Nearly all of the sentences that I come up with start with the word "I". I talk about myself too much, I think, for whatever reason. Perhaps that doesn't hinder others' willigness to talk to or be around me, but

Another more practical reason that I have not spent much time with most of my friends who are actually still in the same city as me is that that are busy with certain things pertaining more to their interests that I am not involved in. So my concern with this lack of fellowship, as I have called it, would be more geared towards my own self-doubt and uncertainty in approaching others. That particular aspect of my nature is what caused me a good deal of regret throughout my high school years, so it would make sense for its effects and my concern about it to continue until now.

At this point, noting the risk of previously sounding as if this is somewhat of a call for sympathy or something of the sort, I would put forth that this is my blog and therefore the place where I can say what is on my mind...and this has been the central thing on my mind for quite a while (so it kind of feels good just to be able to say it somewhere). It also happens to be one of the few places I feel comfortable saying it, since I lack such verbal skill as I possess in the silent literary forms of expression. (See, I would never be able to say stuff like that out loud. :P) I wonder if my massive drop in readers might have contributed to that comfort? Ah well. Back to my more significant ramblings.

In the midst of this comradely famine, since having few available friends, as you might imagine, evokes certain feelings of loneliness and limitation, in the sense of having nowhere to turn. Therefore, the more obvious answer became to seek closeness to God. This was something I had already been seeking for a while, and still proved difficult. For what reason this is, I know not. Which isn't to say that I haven't any suspicions, but simply no confirmation of actual knowledge.

A few months ago, I began reading the Bible from the beginning, Genesis 1:1, in an attempt to gain a full, clearer understanding of the Gospel. Having had to rethink about many things over the past couple of years and having many of my previous beliefs and teachings seriously challenged, I found it necessary to examine the Bible in its entirety to gain a base understanding of what it actually says. This is something I should have done long ago that I never really did. (Which may have something to do with the dry, powerless, minimalist teachings of some modern churches.)

(And for those who might be curious about my Bible-reading progress, I am currently in 2 Chronicles. I haven't exactly been speeding through it. That's okay, in some ways. Not so great in others, since that occassionaly is the result of me not reading it for several days.)

The Old Testament, at times, isn't always the greatest at uplifting a dried out spirit, at least in my experience. Maybe it should be? I don't know. There's probably something wrong on my end, since the problem of [not] experiencing God (for lack of a better phrase. I really can't say just what it is that I feel I'm missing) extends past just my Bible reading, I've lately begun to wonder something. Growing up in a church family and environment, this feels really odd to say, or even think, but it may very well be something that I need to face. And somehow solve.

I know that God exists. I've logically deduced that God must exist. I think that He exists. I agree that God exists.

But I wonder...

do I BELIEVE that God exists?

This separation of knowledge and agreement and belief probably sounds odd to many, if not all of you. But I press on.

Either I don't believe in God, or He just seems incredibly far away, sort of like how I know that the peak of Mount Everest is real but, having never seen it, it is somehow hard for me to really feel like it's real in my world.

Aha.

That's the best way to explain it....it feels like, even though I know that these things are real, they are - or seem - far away, outside my "personal world".

And that same problem is likely linked to - or even founded on - the fact that pretty much all of my experience with anything comes from my head. My intellect. My mental deductions. I use my mind a lot, but have very little experience in doing or experiencing anything with, say, my heart (and even saying that is awkward for me, probably because of the way my immediate world and society has twisted such words and expressions). My soul abd spirit lie neglected in a dusty corner of my being, while my mind, with no effective power to bring or seek life on its own, takes the centre stage, stage left, stage right, and even the spectator seating of my existential experience.

How does one go about getting past the limits of their mind, and start realizing the rest of myself that God gave me?

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I am deluded, and none of this is the problem or even real or relevant. Perhaps what I am missing is something entirely different. But this is the quandary I have come to, and must therefore address.

And (not that I haven't talked for long enough already), even if I did believe that God exists, would I really be able to bring mysel to believe in Him? I suspcet that if everyone were to truly believe that God existed, there would be a much more open conflict between those who follow Him and those who would refuse Him, but that is a topic for a later time.

Ciao!

Eye of the Oracle

2010-09-21T18:13:00.000-07:00

Any of the longer-time readers of this humble blog may remember that quite a while ago (quite quite a while ago, in fact), I began reviewing all of the books in Bryan Davis' Oracles of Fire series in reverse order. Perhaps I was sidetracked, or perhaps another explanation might afford itself if I bothered to try and remember, but I do remember that I never finished. I had one book left, which, since I promised to keep this blog going and have not much else to say, I shall end off today.

While fans of the Dragons in our Midst series may take a while to become accustomed to a wonderful new spread of brave, heroic characters, all who venture into the pages of this book will soon learn to love, bleed, and cry with all of the children, youth, ancient prophets, and four-thousand year old teenagers through their tribulations and bold conquests as they battle against whole new heights of evil. Plus, this exciting prequel to Dragons in our Midst offers plenty of new dragons and worlds to discover and explore, while elaborating on a plethora of briefly-mentioned historical characters and events from the previous series that you know you want to know more about!

And that is all for now. I hope to have something more personal or interesting to talk about soon.

Ciao!

Neat Song, New Book

2010-09-16T16:24:00.001-07:00

This is a pretty awesome song from Bryan Davis' newest release, Masters & Slayers. Personally, I love the lyrics and how well they are complemented by the tune. Interesting fact: three different people combined, at separate times, in making this song and video. One wrote the lyrics, another person later wrote the tune, and then the third person, seen in the video below, performed it. Let's hear it for long-distance teamwork! :D

It should be mentioned that this is an Adult book, though it is suitable, I have heard, for younger teens as well. So, if you think you're up for a higher level of fantastical literary exposure, have at it and be sure to buy your copy soon! (I'm off to get mine!)

Ciao!

LET IT GO

2010-09-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

I should probably change my blog layout or something...you know, I'm the only active blogger I know of who has had a blog for over two years without changing its layout or design.

But somehow....I just can't. As long-time readers of this blog will know, I love tradition. Changing stuff away from the old ways is something I would generally rather not do. Somehow, I can't seem to walk away from how things used to be.

Or....can I?

A few months ago, I could have made those claims without a second thought. They would have been absolutely true, down to the letter. But now....everything has changed for me. I'm graduated. I'm legally an adult. My friends and former classmates are all headed off to university, and I'm occupied with things like saving money for university and moving out.

My life isn't at all the same as it was before. And it never will be again.

Everyone around me is moving on, at a far faster pace than I seem to be....competitive feelings aside, where would that leave me if I decided to stay back and hold on to the things that are already past?

My love of things staying the same is quickly fading. Much quicker than I ever thought it would.

Growing up is an odd thing - you never feel any different than you did before, but when you look around, you realize that age groups you would once have looked up to and idolized are now young and immature, things you once thought were far away and far above you are now normal, and you understand things in a way you never thought of them before.

Everything's changed.

And I think I've finally learned how to let things go, to leave them beind and walk ahead into the next parts of life with new experiences and changes.

I've changed. Fancy that.

Ciao!

Number Three

2010-08-31T09:24:00.001-07:00

Hello. Well, I'm back again. I don't have a whole lot to talk about right now (yet, anyway), so I'll just post the last poem for this particular set.

Lose your ego
feel your pain
take your step
And fall again

and again

and again.

Stop your heart
And bare your soul
Live your tears
And halve the whole.

Repent.

Regret.

Do not know the ways of ease
And do not feel the waves of peace
But know a path of bleeding cries
That you shall forge behind your eyes

Your path is grief.
Your world is dark.
And sadness is your console
your strength
to leave the calm behind and walk ahead.

Will you be brave?

Are you courage? Are you doubt?

Then take the staff in trembling hand
Confront the fear from where you stand.
There's nothing left.

You stand alone.
Such quiet sobs.
Your spirit groans.

But will you take the mantle's frame?
Can you embrace this journey's name?
Forget the fame.

You're living by a road that no one knows.

Could you be free?
What can you see?
You're nearly blind.

What quest could cost such painful price?
This lonely path is taken twice.
Perhaps the first time costs much more
And you would not have lived before.

What painful price.
The sadness in your bones and heart
grows stronger still.

Your very life is tensed.
Frozen.
Felt.

Does destiny or purpose drive you on?
Or bring a dawn?
Will you turn back or carry on?

The path you see ahead is laid with loss
And your eyes already bear a tearful gloss.
But you've seen other mountains climbed atop;
If you believe in where you walk, then never stop.

If you understand a little,
this is your journey.

Your message.

Your path.

So pierce your curtain.
Never stop.

What passion makes you dare to venture so?
The distance seen ahead shows only woe.
But maybe you can see a different glow

And are ready to sacrifice all you have
to find it.

Finally.

Ciao!

2010-08-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, I guess I should really post again before my blog starts stagnating like it did before. So here are just a couple of things I figured I ought to mention.

1) I turn eighteen today. Legal adult in Canada...I think. :D

2) http://www.facebook.com/BryanDavis.Fans Bryan Davis is having a promotional contest for his upcoming Masters & Slayers book. The prize? The entire set of his newest project series, Children of the Bard, yet another continuation of the Dragons in our Midst and Oracles of Fire story world. From what I've heard him and others saying about it, I would really love to get my hands on it. It sounds like it just might be the most amazing thing he's written yet.

So, to enter, click on the link above and then press the "Like" button near the top of the page it will take you to. I have no idea what the contest will entail, but it starts when his fan page gets to 2000 "likes", so the more of you who do it, the faster we'll find out!

Ciao!

Poems come in Threes, Here.

2010-08-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

You didn't forget that, did you??

Well, as long as I'm throwing out low-quality poems.....

Nebulous Rising

Come down, come down,
Drive them inside, drive them away,
Make the wind crisp, rule the land for today,
Come down, come down!

Come down, light up the sky,
Empty the ground,
Let the earth cry,
Come down, come down!

Do you not know what may wait past the storm?
The gems beyond comfort and ease?
Come down, come on and let's shatter the norm,
Discover the truth in the breeze.

The sunset is waiting
And starlight is fading,
And lights all around
light up nothing but dreams.
The noise is diminished
So come down and finish;
Let all who remain
Feel the tears in this stream.

Though hope is retreating
And silence is fleeting
I'll let my heart stand
Where all others are torn;
The seals are unwound
So hurry and come down;
One way or another,
I promise I'll finish this
Here in the storm.

Come down, come down.

Ciao!

Back to Poetry at Last

2010-08-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

Apparently I can inspire myself. This idea came from something I wrote in my last post. See if you can find what it was.

If a story has a finger,
Then the finger has a lung
And a mouth that still rehearses
For the song that's not yet sung.

For stories have a melody
For which their souls must breathe
To cause the author's pen to blaze
And viewers to believe,
And let new thoughts fly limitless
For pages to conceive.

For the fingers of a story
Hold the story's life and breath,
Which must be justly nourished
By the literary chef;
Lest ghosted forms of malice
Seek to resurrect their death
By snatching breath and pleasure
From within the fingers' clefts.

Not sure about the last line, but I think it's pretty good for what I had to work with. :)

Ciao!

Let the Problems Pile On!

2010-08-05T22:46:00.000-07:00

Today, as I continuously made mental decisions to sit down and start writing, my few (or was it only one?) attempts that actually produced several sentences ended up falling to the wrath of my ever-itchy delete key. (A power made ever more potent by the dreaded CTL+a, Del combination that I so frequently find the time to employ.) But why? Why, oh, why must my attempts at such a wondrous art of literary creation feel so lifeless, so hopeless, so devoid fluid and substance?

I have a hunch. (Ye older readers of my blog may remember me realizing several ways that my writing was terrible. Now I get to add another one to my collection! Huzzah!)

I believe that at the crux of the issue is my pathetic character creation abilities. In order to carry out my beautiful story arcs, my imagination gives birth to flat, almost lifeless characters with no original personality, and I with my pen am the only thing that makes them move. I drag them along to create my story, all along neglecting to create the characters themselves. They are so flat that they are incapable of adding any new or useful or interesting dimensions to the story world without being hauled along on the shoulders of the plot. Come on, characters....GET A LIFE!!!

And now I'm shouting at figments of my imagination.....*sighs*

Anyways, in other words: I am guilty of being a plot driven author. A crime which has been stealthily destroying the hearts of my stories, stealing the life's breath from the weak fingers of my beloved tales.

Perhaps I am simply trying to be too organized in my storytelling (pretty much never a good approach to that actual creation of a story), keeping too much of a leash on my imagination and preventing it from bounding into the regions which it longs to explore. Or perhaps, bored into dormancy by the manner in which I sit down to write, my imagination decides to sleep when I being to craft my tales, knowing that it will likely not be extensively (or moderately, for that matter) called upon at this time.

Furthermore, not calling on my imagination during the height of its necessity also leaves me with many other problems: on top of which lies one that parallels the previously mentioned deficiency. I.e., my lack of ability (or willingness) to create worlds and cultures and environments and pretty much anything needed for a good setting and a good, enjoyable, realistic story.

So I'm trying to fully define plots, a duty which should largely fall on the shoulders of my characters and however they happen to turn out with regards to personality and personal testimony; and yet, while their influence on the plot arc must only be that which is afforded to them by the world and the surroundings which they find themselves in, I have refused, or failed, to create such a world where they can really do anything other than what I want them to do in the place where I put them. Plot driven, indeed. My leadership in these fictional realms has proven dreadfully insufficient....I might be better off allowing myself to go off on out-of-place tangents about those terribly random things that sometimes pop into my head while I am writing.

To my imagination, I would like to make a humble apology. I vow to never ignore thy counsel again, even to the point of considering that which does not fit into the story I wish to tell, or even remotely make any sense at all. Your true take on the ideas you constantly spew forth (often at the worst possible times and without preferred warning), which I have constantly tried to define for myself apart from your influence, shall henceforth be heeded without preconception.

May we from this day forth live in peace and unity, and become a whole lot better at this stuff than we are now.

Ciao!

Long time, no write...or read....or comment

2010-08-04T22:05:00.000-07:00

Yeesh. It has been a long time since I last posted. AGAIN.

Why do I keep neglecting my blog for insanely large periods of time? And why do I have so many online acquaintances who have duplicated the same acts of negligence? Is it because we have no interesting thoughts we consider worthy of posting? Probably. Or, perhaps, is it because we are simply too busy to take the time to write a post? Or even, as another option, do we simply forget about our blogs altogether, or simply stop caring? (Eep!)

Whatever the reason for my personal negligence, I suspect that this same abandonment of such an aspect of personal literary production may be at least partially to blame for the ease and natural-ness of my overall lack of discipline in writing anything. What do you do when you can't seem to will yourself to sit down and put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard as the case may be, and let fly all the wonderful, garbled ideas that are partying inside your overloaded mind? I've filled pages upon pages of notebook paper with great ideas that I rushed to write down lest I risk forgetting them, sometimes jumping out of bed at weird and unhealthy times of the night to scrawl them out in the dark. And yet, I've hardly made a dent in the ocean of creative thoughts that flows from my brain. In fact, for most of them, I have not yet devised how on earth I plan on actually using them, let alone written the stories.

So, in the absence of a current state of discipline, I will revive my blog and continue posting on it, hopefully even more frequently than when my blogging life was in its prime. (And at less than eighty posts on a two-year-old blog, that probably wasn't really very frequent anyway. :/) My, that was over two years ago already.....

And in doing this, I hope that I will not only revive my personal online weblog, but also my will to write. I hope that exercising my creativitiy and eloquence in my posts will awaken those same attributes in my venture to carefully construct my fictional works of literary art; namely, poems, short stories, novels, novellas, novelettes, etc.

I also happen to plan on occassionally posting some of my writing, hoping that those who might still actually read my blog might hold me accountable to keep writing new stuff (a somewhat necessary trait for an aspiring writer). Plus, even if my writing makes your eyeballs bleed, your brain shut down, and gives your imagination nightmares, or if it elicits roaring snores from your nostrils while drawing you into a sleeplike trance, then the critiques may help me to drastically improve upon my literary ability. And if my writing carries none of those effects, and grants you deeper insight, draws you in, and pleasantly caresses the depths of your imagination....then your critiques can still help me drastically improve my literary ability. Funny how that works, isn't it? :)

To that end, I will put creativity on my blog above all else that I consider while posting (assuming, of course, that certain codes of conduct and moral rules are automatic and exempt from the prioritizing process), both in my topics and my thoughts about them. Regardless of whether or not my readers appreciate what I am writing, and without heeding whether my words make sense or appear worthy of attracting interest or acquiring thought, I keep this blog alive with every thought I can muster up to arm myself with against the tyrannical forces of ignorance and passiveness. I can make no concessions in lowering my readers and their interest and entertainment to a secondary priority.

For that is the mark of a truly grounded, independent writer. (Kind of.)

Although, having people actually enjoy my blog would be nice. :) Really nice, in fact.

Long live the Will of the Pen! (And Keyboard!)

(And even after countless months of dormancy [just about three in this case, as opposed to approximately seven during the previous dormancy period], my long-standing traditional sign off has stayed. :D)

Ciao!

Love

2010-04-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

You know, if you asked a thousand different people what love was, you would probably have really difficult time finding someone who could nail down and actual definition. There might be a few who would just shrug and walk away, or maybe say that love isn't real or is just a product of chemistry and biology. Quite a few people would probably quote or refer to the passage from Corinthians that explains what love does and doesn't do. A few might even quote the verse (I forget where it is) "greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends". And quite honestly, I think that's about as close as anyone will get to an illustration of love without having an actual definition. Maybe, out of a thousand people, someone would have a dictionary handy and read out the entry for "love" (which would most likely be ambiguous or socially corrupted in some way, though I haven't checked). The closest anyone would come to a non-dictionary, non-socially corrupted, real straightforward definition would probably start with something like "love is an emotion that..." etc. They could give the incredibly ambiguous thought that love is an emotion, and proceed to tell what it does and/or doesn't do. Most people seem to know what real love does and doesn't do (well, nowadays, maybe not...but still). But very few people seem to know what it actually is. At least, I don't remember coming across such a person - though maybe they just couldn't describe it. Is it even possible to describe it with words? Probably not, I'd guess.

Let's leave "romantic" love aside, because it's a side issue. (Therefore, "aside" is a good place for it.) Familial love, too. I'm not a tremendous fan of generalizing, but I'm far more interested in the love that society has apparently denied the very existence of - that between real, true friends who would actually make sacrifices for each other and with each other. (As I said, most people know what it will do, but not what it actually is. I am no exception.) But if someone doesn't know what love is, and has never experienced it, never seen or been shown it in front of them and in real life in a way that they understand, how can they ever know it? If they can't already comprehend it, can they make themselves love someone? Is it possible to love someone you don't really know and haven't really seen? Can they come up with or find out what it is on their own?

We know of Jesus' ultimate sacrifice, and of God's love, but for someone whose only example of love is something that they have faith happened over two thousand years ago, is that always going to be enough to actually understand it at all? How would someone know if they know what love is?

The phrase "Jesus loves you", in my experience, has become a Sunday School mantra, one that is repeated like a nursery rhyme to give little kids a general comfort, but has little meaning to them since it is repeated so much. How many of them know what that phrase actually means? And then, as people get older, it just become an academic fact for many, no more joyous or exciting than any other fact. It become a dry, lifeless truth to be taken for granted, since they have heard it repeated so much over so many years. It's not like that for everyone, I'm certain of that - but for a lot of the people I've seen, I think it's true.

The concept of love isn't special at all in our society, at least not from my angle. But beneath all the dryness and all the junk, there is something precious that almost no one seems to understand. But somehow, it's just far too evasive...

Ciao

You Know You're Canadian When...

2010-03-11T22:09:00.001-08:00

1. There is a huge commotion/celebration in the main streets of your town after Canada wins an Olympic gold medal in hockey

2. You join in :)

3. You're mom gives you and your brothers Tim Horton's gift cards and says, "they're for Roll up the Rim"

4. You wish there was an ice surface that went from your house to Tim Horton's - or to anywhere, for that matter :P

5. You're proud of certain Canadian stereotypes (especially those which you know are actually mostly true)

6. Herb and Garlic pasta hops and bounces around your house on a regular basis.... (random...)

I'll add more as I think of them...hoping to get back to some slightly more serious posting soon...:)

Ciao!

Posting...Finally! My creative nemeses....

2009-11-09T16:57:00.001-08:00

Wow. It sure has been a long time since my last post - in fact, that's the longest postless stretch this blog has seen since its creation.

I've been fine recently, although I did injure my elbow playing hockey a few weeks ago - a chunk of bone got chipped of, but it doesn't really hurt anymore. The only issue I have with it is that I can't play ice hockey again until next month. :( Not being able to straighten my right arm isn't too fun either.

Since I don't really have anything too insightful to post on at this time, I'm going to talk about writing. That's always fun, isnt' it? Just make sure to throw in a dose of (Flying potatoes! Run for your life!) insanity.

I'm attempting NaNoWriMo this year, which even in the first week has helped with several aspects of my writing (Discpline being the number one thing its taught me, as well as the number two thing, and number three....). That being said, I wish I had some helpful knowledge or insight towards writing, but I've recently found out that I have a WHOLE LOT to learn about it myself. Descriptions don't come naturally to me at all, so I always wonder if I've given enough of them to engage readers in the story (but at least I don't describe too much or too frequently, or at the wrong times ;). I've just begun writing short stories, both for publication and for applications to scholarships and university programs I'd like to get into, and I find that I have considerable trouble coming up with good plot ideas; a lot of the things I come up with are either too much of a copy of someone else's idea, or they're just too silly or ridiculous and even my creative/insane genius mastermind can't figure out how to make them work. Although maybe if I tried a bit harder...hmmm.

Anyway, that's about it for me talking....the comment section of this post is hereby dedicated to discussing writing techniques and assistance, etc. Have fun!

Ciao!

FIRST EVER....

2009-06-26T15:31:00.000-07:00

Have you ever submitted something to someplace, and then been thrilled when they respond saying that they loved it and accepted it?

Yeah. Me neither.

But I have recently recieved my first *REJECTION LETTER*. (Or email, but whatever.)

Here's the poem I submitted to Mindflights a few weeks ago:

Disturbance rules the world tonight
When not one ear has heard the sun’s last cry
While the leaves and branches tremble
As cold harsh wind of fear and doubt blow by

Among the trees no light remains
To find a path to freedom’s final spark
Yet still they clamber like blind wolves
To try and reach a way to end the dark

All around the blazing flames die
Snuffed out by the sudden streams of tears
And their torches forever trapped
In an endless darkness no fire can pierce

Yet something soars above the trees
Gleaming like an eagle in the moon’s cry
Seen by all, hushed as a serpent
And perched untouched among the starlit sky

Instead of boring you with my own analysis, I'll just share a part of the letter I got that wasn't automated. Here's what some of the editors had to say about it:

*****

I think this one is good.

*****

The meter doesn't scan well in some places and I feel like it could be a little longer and expand more on the thing in the sky -- what it is and what it means to the people who see it. I did like this line:
"Snuffed out by the sudden streams of tears"

*****

There are some nice lines in this poem, but I have to say that I find the sf/fantasy element so faint that I'm not sure it's even there. Also, I agree that the meter is not quite right in places, which weakens the poem as a whole.

*****

This didn't feel sufficiently SF for me, as it felt more metaphorical.... but I also kinda didn't like how it felt vague and a touch too emotive for so little substance. A "meh" from me. And a no.

*******BACK TO IAN...

So this is what it's like to be rejected. I feel like I've hit a milestone. :P

:)Ian(:

Thoughtful Question #1

2009-06-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

If you were to suddenly meet someone you had never seen or heard of before, how long would it take you to change their life forever?

Ciao

Aaaah!

2009-05-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't posted in a while, I'm sorry, I am hoping to post again on Friday.

In the meantime, I'm just dropping in to ask if some of you could pray for me. I have my first-ever job interview tomorrow (Thursday), and I can't say I'm not nervous. ;)

Thanks!

Ciao!

Not a Religion

2009-05-03T22:09:00.001-07:00

There are a lot of people who call themselves Christians, and probably fewer who, without a shadow of a doubt, believe that the Bible is true and that all other beliefs are wrong and will lead their followers to Hell.

There are probably even fewer who can back this claim up against onslaughts of reason, logic and experiences that might be thrown at them in an aggressive maneuver to displace them from their seats on their pillars of faith.

Many such people are likely among the ones who Jesus said would fall away and be swayed from their faith. Though they believe to have built their pillars on the solid rock of God, their faith’s foundation has no basis, and is an easy target for the relentless storms and tides of this world.

There are some who, even without knowing why, have their faith solidly placed in the Rock of God, and will not be easily persuaded away from that – in fact, such persuasion is nigh impossible. These people are not simply clinging to a hopeful belief system that they believe will take them to heaven – they made the decision to follow that path, and as they progressed, they began seeing with their spiritual eyes to the point where they no longer need doubt their decisions and their faith. If asked why they believed what they do, they will probably have some sort of answer based on their journey and explorations.

From reading things on the internet from atheists, Christians, and people of different religions, I’ve found that answers such as “you just have to have faith” are extremely frustrating to others. Hopefully, those people who once decided to “take a chance” and follow Christ’s path now have the ability to formulate different answers that are based not only on their own experiences, but also on what God has taught them. If they have been truly following God long enough, such an answer would be sufficient to let another person see clearly enough what it means to be a Christian, and allow them to make a fully educated choice about it. Of course, by no means should we assume that everyone will come to the conclusion that they should be a Christian.

I’ve thought about it, and if someone questions my motives for my faith, I will not be caught without an answer. And I refuse to let my bottom line be “you just have to have faith.” To do so would put my beliefs on the exact same pedestal as every religion in the world.

But Christianity is not like those religions. Religions are merely systems of beliefs designed to prepare people for a life after death. The focuses of following Christ are not getting to heaven or going to Hell, and Christianity is not a set of beliefs and commandments that we are supposed to follow without question and without real purpose. All of the things commanded in the Bible are not meant to merely appease some god and get us into heaven. They are meant to keep us away from harm, because all the things commanded against have very real consequences. Anyone, even those who don’t follow the Bible, should be able to see that.

The real focus of Christianity is not appeasement, or fear, or reward: it is building God’s Kingdom. It is rescuing the world from the darkness of sin that has seized it. It is about Jesus Christ saving US from what we have all done to ourselves.

And unlike the gods of other religions who apparently sit around and expect everyone to follow their pointless, hollow commandments, Christ shows His power through His followers. Everyone who accepts his sacrifice, follows His path and is cleansed by His blood in dying with Him will shine clearly in the world. Jesus gives them the power to be fully and ultimately freed from death and sin, and they have the courage to do the craziest, wildest, most unfeasible things anyone’s ever heard of. God even works miracles through people’s faith! THAT is the faith of Christianity, not blindly believing that there is some God up there and hoping we are right. Really following God means that we KNOW God, and have a relationship with Him, and are becoming like Him, and have His power working through us to show the world who he is. He does not sit invisibly in another universe or dimension – He works here on Earth, even though He does not show Himself to many people the way they want Him to prove that He exists. He still wants people to have faith in Him, because faith is more powerful than sight, and it will eventually weed out the weak pretenders from the strong and courageous followers of Christ.

The God we serve and believe in created everyone with a set purpose. His kingdom is based on love, not on appeasement. God is not ready to throw us away to eternal fires on a whim. He does not enjoy destroying people. He spends lifetimes trying to call people to Himself and out of the lies and darkness that they have fallen into. Yet many resist the call, and he must destroy them, or they would destroy His kingdom and the faithful and the righteous who gave up their lives to serve Him.

And this is what our God wants; this is what Christianity is: a life, not a change in certain habits. A true Christian has counted the cost and given up everything to serve the Creator who loved him enough to give up His own life to free him. It is a decision to live for God that is based on ancient truths that have stood strong through all the tests of time and are also present truths. These truths are not a belief system that we hope to be right, and they are not truths that seek to freeze us in stone as we try to satisfy the seemingly pointless demands of a higher being. They are the things and values that were set in stone long ago, and will surge us forward, past the destruction of this world and to the completion of the Eternal Kingdom of God.

Everyone God creates is created with a purpose. God will use everyone for something whether they choose to follow Him or not, but nothing compares to the awesome power that God can show through those who give their lives to the One who knows exactly what is best for them.

Every one of God’s commandments has a purpose. They keep us from falling into evil or being swept away by the world, they light our paths in times of struggles, and they keep us safe from consequences. They are not a box that we must stay inside, as other religions are – they are the truths that will ultimately set us free from the box we were once trapped inside.

And God Himself has an ultimate purpose, to build a perfect Kingdom free of fear, darkness, and pain, a kingdom that will end evil and sadness forever.

Oh, and guess what? You can't convert away from true Christianity. Anyone who "converts" away from following God was very, very, very likely - in fact, almost positively - never a true follower of Christ to begin with. No religion can honestly say that, or this: being a Christian is a state of being. It means that you have been changed by God, and are being molded into who He meant for you to be. Religions, on the other hand, only have their followers obey sets of commands and believe certain things. Christianity has real power, no matter who, no matter where, no matter when - God is with us. In everything. And He shows His presence and His power.

Ciao!

Challenged Faith

2009-04-24T23:26:00.001-07:00

I’ve been thinking a lot lately. I mean, a lot. Mostly about this: why am I a Christian? Why do I believe in God? Out of all the ancient texts out there, why do I believe the Bible?
For a couple of weeks, this drove me crazy. For a time, I think I actually stopped being sure that I did believe it. Everyone always says to “have faith”, right? Well, I simply couldn’t blindly have faith in something that I had absolutely no idea why I had faith in it. There are lots of other people who have complete faith in their religions. Muslims and Buddhists, for example; I doubt that the Muslims who are out killing people don’t believe that their religion is true. And the people who spend their lives trying to become “enlightened” don’t believe that they are wasting their time on something false.
So why would I put my faith in the God of Christianity? The question wouldn’t stop haunting me. Why? Why?
This “phase”, as I’ll call it, kind of went on and off in my mind. But it was always there to spring up whenever something arose that might cause doubts. I think the initiator was probably my observing of the world, which I had never really used to do the way I started to. I saw how people were fully convinced that there was no God, how they simply saw me and others who did believe in the spiritual and supernatural as “religious” people who were chasing after some hopeful dream that there might be something more.
I’ll tell you something about me here. Sometimes this is a blessing, and other times it feels like a curse. In nearly every debate I have ever seen, heard, or participated in, I can almost always see and understand both sides of the argument. I am able to figure out what both sides are saying, why they express it the way they do, what they want to get across, and a few other things. It always baffles me that others can’t see this stuff when it often seems so clear to me.
Please understand that I’m not at all bragging. Unless I’m delusional and only think I can see all of this, it’s a gift that was given to me by God. And even then, I haven’t used it very effectively. If I had, my house might be a lot more peaceful, and some people I know might have better relationships with each other.
Anyway, here came the problem: looking at the big picture of the world, I started to see the big debate going on about theology. And yep, I began to see and understand every side of it.
Now technically, there are millions of sides to this debate, with all those countless religions that some people subscribe to. But really, all of them can be reduced down to four: religion, atheism, allegiance to God, and knowing allegiance to Satan (i.e. being against God). Soon after I saw this, I found myself being tested by each one of these. The rules, as dictated by my own view of the world, thoughts, and realizations: I could not use the Bible to directly prove reality, I could not base anything on my own experience, and I had to prove everything in a way that did not involve “just having faith” or anything completely incomprehensible. Basically, I could only use tools such as logic and reason to decide and understand my beliefs.
Boy, was that ever an interesting time.
The “test period” lasted for one week. Since it would probably take a long, long time to post them all at once, I’ll post each “test” separately in my next few posts.

The last thing I’ll say for now, is this: when Jesus proved who He was to Thomas, He was very right when He said “Blessed are those who believe without seeing.” If you can have that total and unconditional faith in God’s existence, without having to have anything proved by yourself or by anything or anyone else, you truly are blessed.

Ciao!

Filler

2009-04-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

I know that some of you, if memory serves, have been wanting me to post a picture of myself. So, while I'm in the process of writing my next post, I figured I'd humour you, and this time I won't be so cruel as to post a picture of my jacket.

And so, without further ado, here are a couple that I took of myself in the mirror:

NOW, if you look REAL CLOSE. . .

And also, I would like you all to jump over to Elliot's revamped-ish blog, which is now at www.countercultural-blog.blogspot.com. From what I know of him, he his humorous, friendly, and very committed to serving God with his writing.

Ciao!

Finally following a Tag

2009-04-04T22:48:00.000-07:00

I must congratulate Araken for being the first person to ever actually tag me and have me follow through with it...:P

1. What's your favorite school subject? Possibly English. If there were a creative writing type class at my school, it would definitely be that. :D

What's your favorite movie? *blinks* I liked the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe...The Lord of the Rings was good, too...Madagascar was great...so was WALL-E....hmmm.

3. What's your favorite Bible verse and why? Right now, it's probably John 8:34-36: All who sin are the slave of sin. A slave does not stay in the house forever, but a son does stay forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

4. What's your favorite day of the week and why? Friday's great; I love Thursday, too; Tuesdays are good because it's the day after Monday; Saturday and Sunday are the weekend, so they're good by definition; so I guess it's anything that's not Monday or Wednesday. I just don't like Wednesdays.

5. What's your favorite color (yeah, I know that's a lame question-so typical! :P) If you take any colour and put it on it's own, you'll find that it gets incredibly boring quite fast. Therefore this is a question that I cannot answer; all the colours need each other. :)

What's your favorite band? I don't follow bands a whole lot...

What's your favorite kind of music? Any music that I enjoy. It usually has to have a melody that's somehow forceful in order for me to like it. I don't listen to music too much.

What's your favorite book? Outside of the Bible, The Bones of Makaidos sits very strongly at the top of my list right now.

What'r you planning to do after this? Go to bed.

10. Who'r you tagging? I don't know. I've been out of it too long for me to know who's already been tagged...so here are a few shots in the dark: Judy, Flinn, and....Earwen.

Oh, and just a note, I'm going to be disallowing anonymous comments on my blog soon. I'll probably eventually turn them back on, but for now I want people to take credit for the opinions they are stating.

Ciao!

The Bones of Makaidos

2009-04-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

Seeing as how today is the offical release date for The Bones of Makaidos, I figured I'd post my review:

I could not imagine anyone being able to write a better series than Dragons in our Midst and Oracles of Fire. Yet somehow, Mr. Davis still managed to completely outdo every other book in the Dragons series with The Bones of Makaidos. To call it a stroke of genius would feel like an insult to this unmatchable work of literary art. It takes you on an incredible journey with the amazing characters through mysterious worlds both old and new, and I can almost guarantee that it will have a huge emotional, spiritual, and mental impact on everyone who reads it. You’ll find old revelations and new surprises, some shocking, some relieving. There is practically no way that any reader could walk away from this story without a feeling of satisfaction and a head full of wonder. At nearly thirty thousand words longer than Eye of the Oracle, The Bones of Makaidos was worth every page. Don’t even bother buckling your seatbelt for this wild ride!

Definitely read it, every one of you, as soon as you can. It's powerful.

Stepping in

2009-03-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

I'm just stepping in for a minute here to say hi, and that I haven't gone anywhere. I don't know when I'll put up a big new post, because I haven't really been in much of a posting mood lately. It could be a couple weeks, it could be tomorrow. Till then, see ya!

I'm 0n spring break right now, and boy did I need it...

Ciao!

Heading Up!

2009-02-26T18:50:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of year again! I've been packing my bags (with a little parental prodding) to head up with my trusty, awesome youth group to our annual youth retreat! I'll probably be exhausted afterwards from all the jumping around, listening and learning, junk food and fast food, and bucketloads of sugar and caffeine, but hey, it's always worth it! And hopefully, I'll learn some stuff that will motivate and inspire me to unleash a certain "post wave" that I have been planning and plotting! Heheheheheheheheheheh.

And the best part is, our bus leaves at 1:00, so I will be skipping almost the entire school day! Woot!

Ciao!

YCF Issues

2009-02-20T12:09:00.000-08:00

Just over twelve months ago, a small group of just four bloggers was dubbed the Young Christian Force. The group grew to over 25 members within five months, and built up an awesome group of friends over the Internet. Laughs and fresh thoughts were plentiful, as well as a few debates – but there was one problem: we were all already Christians. Though many of our posts were great, insightful, amazing thoughts, we remained far less effective than we should have been as a Christian group.

Now, over a year after the YCF’s formation, an issue has arisen that was never thought of before: taking the step of electing leaders.

I have thought about this for a while now, and my opinion has come to this.

I don’t think we should have the elections.

Why not? Well, first of all, one of the original rules was that everyone in the YCF was equal, no matter what. That would be rather difficult to wholly maintain if we elected leaders, wouldn’t it? But even if we did somehow overcome that and manage to keep everyone in equality, what would it do?

I don’t think that we should have a few certain people telling everyone what to do with their blogs. Blogs are personal, for one, though I am confident that the leaders would not go so far as to command everyone to post certain things (I doubt they would even have that authority). But so that you all don’t think that I want to lay back and be as apparently ineffective as we have been, here is what I do think.

I think that it’s time for all of the members of the YCF to band together under the banner that sits in the corners of our blogs, the banner that seems to have become nothing more than a token or a symbol. The YCF should not be like a Facebook group, where all you can do is display your membership and nothing more. We should join together and go out, with the promises and weapons of God in hand, and strive to conquer overwhelmingly as Christ said we would. Not by sword or fire, but with the Word and the Love of God. If we try to do it separately, without helping one another, how much less effective would it be than if we all, all thirty or forty of us (however many members the YCF is supposed to have right now), joined our efforts under the glorious name of Christ?

I have no doubt that God wanted this group to be formed for a reason even if it has taken us over a year to live up to that purpose.

One thing, however, that we should not forget, not for a minute, not for a second.

The YCF was formed as a group of friends, who were there to encourage each other. Fellowship is hugely important for Christians, and we should not forsake that in our quest to push forwards the Lord’s Kingdom. We have to continue doing what we have done for the past year, to share our thoughts with each other, to help one another, and to encourage each other. But now, we have to do more.

“6Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7if (service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12)

If anyone among us has the gift of leading, then let him lead; not with commands, but by his example, by encouraging words, and with truth. And if anyone has the gift to show the love and compassion that we will essentially need to accomplish anything, then let her show it to everyone that we come across. We all have gifts, each one different and each one important. We cannot have gained so many members and not have accumulated amazing potential. Pray for each other, and for our success. Be there for each other in defeats. Be a support to one another.
It was established a long time ago that the ultimate leader of the YCF is Jesus, and will ALWAYS be Jesus. So before we elect leaders from among ourselves, let’s try following His lead. We never really gave His leadership a chance to guide us before now. I say we give it a shot before we go and try something else.
Ciao!
P.S. By the way, I think we should organize some kind of census, to figure out how many members we have and who all of them are.

I can't think of a title and it's taking too long so please just read the post.

2009-02-02T17:47:00.000-08:00

I know full well how long it's been since I posted, but I couldn't motivate myself to get those poems done, and I don't like to break promises. Oh well. I got one of them finished. Here it is. (It's not yours, Judi. Sorry. I'll try to work on yours - eventually.) So here it is, a poem about aliens and the middle ages:

The aliens said they’d stay out of my hair
But it seems to me now I’m not safe anywhere
When I was sent back in time by a magical bear
I looked to the sky, and behold, they were there

They hovered above me and gave me this glare
They seemed to be wondering why I was there
A tractor beam lowered, my shoes it did snare
No matter, I thought, as I rose through the air

I lifted my arms, and my head I did wag
My sweater fanned out, and a branch it did snag
To cancel our meeting was truly a drag
I remorsefully thought as I mounted a stag

I ran ‘round in circles, pursued by my hosts
They soared o’er the fields like jet propelled ghosts
Hooting and hollering, offering toasts
Throwing down sausages, pheasants and roasts

Then finally they caught me and forced me to rest
And out came an alien, quite unimpressed
“We know how to help you, and we’ve tried our best
“But if you want to stay here, then fine, be our guest.”

He nodded his head, and with that, he withdrew
Their saucer spun ‘round and backwards it flew
They left me right there in a field wet with dew
As I tipped them my hat and bid them adieu.

Also, I missed my blogging anniversary this past Friday! *bows* I may or may not do some sort of post concerning that in the near future. I'm also going to try to start a) posting more frequently and b) posting more meaningful stuff. So please, don't abandon my blog just yet!

Ah yes, last of all, if you would like me to post a short story I recently wrote, just tell me - if I get at least five requests, it shall soon appear on this blog.

Ciao!

Ian's Poetry Challenge

2009-01-19T19:46:00.000-08:00

I've decided that I need to exercise my creativity. Therefore, I am issuing this challenge to myself, in which my faithful readers will have to help me.

You post a comment dictating what I will write my poem about and how I will write it - whether it will be rhyming or free verse, the rhyming pattern I will use, the rhythm scheme, the genre (comedy, spiritual, etc.). Keep it within reason, but other than that, dictate as much or as little as you want. If you can, try to make it about something that you think I can't possibly write a good poem about. I consider the greatest test of creativity to be in one's ability to utilise the extents of their imagination while working inside a box, so please try to make it as difficult as you can.

Provided anyone does this, I will post my poems on my next post.

Ciao!

Holiness

2009-01-14T16:07:00.000-08:00

I'm so sorry for not posting in such a long time. You see, with the slow moving pace of blogging activity lately, I have been suffering from blethargia, which is a condition that leaves me unmotivated to post anything.

However, a new issue has arisen here on my blog, so let's get right to it.

I don't intend to offend anyone with this post, nor do I have any desire at all to alienate any of you. You've been great friends for these past eleven months, and I would not at all wish to sever any friendships. I say this because I know that this will likely be a delicate topic, so please, you are free to disagree - but let's all stay civilized towards each other. (Not to suggest that anyone might be uncivilized - but I just wanted to make sure ;)

So, I've had this poll up in my sidebar for a while now that asks about Christians and whether or not they can be holy after they are saved. Since Elliot has kindly brought up several major points, I would be happy to address them and clear up a few apparent misunderstandings. For the sake of simplicity, I would like to refer to your post directly, Elliot, and I hope that this is okay with you.

First order of business: Your first two points were a) that if I held the view that Christians can live a holy life, then I would assume that a Christian has no trouble resisting temptation, and b) that I would say that a person sinning proves that they cannot be a Christian. To answer the second point, I would say that if a person was consisently sinning in the same ways without an iota of evidence of any self-control, then I would not think him a real Christian. But as for others, who sin occassionally but make honest efforts to avoid it, I am not completely sure; I suppose it would depend on the person's heart and their own relationship with God. Having said that, I am not in a position to accuse anyone of not being a Christian, so I won't focus on that. You also asked about someone who sinned without knowing it. My question is, if someone does wrong without knowing it to be wrong, is it really a sin? I think that sin is a deliberately doing something that we know not right. Remember, man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. And God is just.

Back to the first point. I do not believe for one second that Christians have no trouble resisting temptations. Otherwise we could never be truly tested. I do, however, believe that Jesus can make temptations infinitely easier to resist, and I say this from personal experience.

Let me tell you a story. I used to sin a LOT, and it drove me absolutely crazy, because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop. I hated it when I sinned. I was wondering how in the world I could call myself a follower of God when I couldn't stop rebelling against him.

So I prayed, again and again and again, for him to remove evil desires from my mind. After perhaps a week of desperate prayers, I was able to almost effortlessly resist the temptations that had been haunting me for months. But only after I realized that I was far too weak on my own, and Jesus was my only hope to get out.

I'm not saying that you can just snap your fingers, say a prayer, and suddenly never sin again. Complete cleansing of a person's mind and soul is a process, one which takes time and effort - and, above all, it requires GOD"S AMAZING MERCY. Nor am I saying that this should be our focus, or that I have yet completely stopped sinning - I wish to, and I truly am seeing progress. I sin less and less and less and less. But I still had to learn something else, which is that this could not be the main thing that I was striving for. I needed to be reaching for growth in the Lord; if my heart was in the right place, the rest would come.

Nobody is perfect on their own. We absolutely need Jesus to help us, and to stay with us. And we need to continually grow in our relationship with Him, no matter what. We must never stop growing or learning or following.

And I believe that this answers the next part of Elliot's post.

Christ did not die in vain; his sacrafic was essential for our salvation. Only through this amazing act of love are we able to be forgiven, to be offered a new life in Christ.

You quoted 1 John 1:8, "If we claim to be without sin, we decieve ourselves and the truth is not in us". Okay, but I never claimed that a Christian has never sinned. We all have sinned. But as you said, Jesus gradually makes us into new creations by his unchanging mercy and grace.

I am not completely made up on this topic. There are still a few things in the midde which I am unsure of, that I am trying to clarify as I study the Bible. But I have no doubt that, while it is not instantaneous, holiness is achievable, even while we are still on this earth. A true follower of Christ does not wish to rebel against his Father.

To close, consider this, straight from the mouth of Jesus himself:

"All who sin are the slave of sin", but "if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed!"

Ciao!

Laughter

2009-01-08T15:11:00.001-08:00

Laughter. One of heaven's most powerful weapons. Surely the demons must tremble as it pours forth from the mouths of saints, as the mirth rings out from behind Heaven's walls. And surely this amazing gift has the power to help us as well.

So I had to do a kind of presentation in my English class today. I despise public speaking, and I'm pretty sure public speaking hates me too, as it takes great pleasure in torturing me every time its looming shadow arises....

But anyway, I did my presentation (easier than most, since I was mostly asking questions and the rest of the class was answering). But throughout it, I still felt the relentless pangs of nervousness rattle my bones, wanting only to return to the safety of my seat, when suddenly someone says something ridiculous, and....

The class breaks out in laughter.

Works like a charm. Every single time I have to get up in front of a group of people, if I can somehow get them to laugh while I'm up there, I instantly become almost completely relaxed. It gets so much easier to resume talking.

Laughter. The best medicine. The sound that can ward off or destroy almost any negative emotion or thought, and can slice through numerous ploys of the devil. With one pleasant sound, an entire bad day can crumble, leaving the way open to the freedom of happiness. It is an invitation into the kingdom of heaven to someone who is downcast. Laughter is the sound of heaven.

God has a sense of humour. How could He not? He created us, He gave us the ability and reason to laugh. And for good reason. How could we possibly get through this life, how could we hope to build and fix relationships, how could we ever relax when we are afraid? The Lord's design is flawless. He knew what He was doing when he gave us the gift of laughter. He knew its joys, and He had to share it. Just as we cannot keep our own laughter to ourselves. Laughter is contagious, after all, right?

And remember, it has been proven many time that God does have a sense of humour!

Ciao!

Christmas Shopping

2008-12-22T21:47:00.000-08:00

Call me crazy, call me strange, but Christmas is the ONE time of year when I actually enjoy shopping. I enjoy muscling my way into the packed and crowded stores at the mall, waiting in those long lines that snake throughout all of the aisles, and searching around for hours trying to figure out what everybody on my list might like. I enjoy the crinkling of the money in my hand, knowing that I'll be spending it soon - actually, at Christmas, I usually don't really care about my money - and I'm therefore usually not a very smart shopper. :P

And after maybe two hours of walking around and waiting in lines and spending money, my legs feel like they're going to fall off and I am incredibly tired. This is another part of Christmas shopping that I like. I'll head up to the top floor of the Sears department and flop down in one of they're comfy couches in front of the 50 inch plasma TV's and watch a bit of a hockey game (there is usually one on during the time I go shopping). Then I get up, despite the screaming protests of my legs and the rest of my body, and head down to the food court to grab a burger and root beer from A&W. They have the best root beer...:D

Point is, I LOVE every part of Christmas shopping - the crowded malls (this is totally against my nature, as I usually like being alone and hate crowds....), the Christmas decorations, passing by the Santa display and feeling sorry for all the parents waiting in line with their kids, the smells of the stores that I always visit (especially the bookstore), the smell of the food court, the weariness...and, of course, the satisfaction once I'm finished that I am done for the year.

Of course, this year's theme was "be as cheap as possible to try and save money for the upcoming youth conference that I really want to go to". I don't know why I decided to by Christmas gifts when I am trying to SAVE money...hmmm..<_< Oh well.

Why do I enjoy all of this, you may ask? I'm a very traditional person. I love traditions. I like knowing that I'm doing something that I've done exactly a year ago, and a year before that....

I can't really explain it any better than that. :)

Here is a poem I wrote as a tribute to Christmas shopping:

‘Twas a week before Christmas when Jimmy set out
On a mission quite dangerous and filled full of doubt

He snatched up his gear and assembled his guise
And gathered his cache of battle supplies

A neck guard he wrapped ‘round the base of his throat
And he draped on his shoulders a thick leather coat

Beneath Jimmy’s clothes was a chain mail gown
And he wore a hard helmet on the top of his crown

He picked up his sword and slid it into its sheath
Which he tied to his waist, tucked his shirt underneath

And then squaring his shoulders, he picked up his shield
And bravely marched out the door into the field

Jimmy walked to the mall on that cold winter’s day
Closed his eyes, and then entered the perilous fray

He fought through the masses of people and stuff
Ducking and dodging through all of the rough

And then out of nowhere a fist smacked his nose
A knee clunked his stomach as a foot crushed his toes

Poor Jimmy was hurled from Sportcheck to Sears
He flew to the bookstore and slid to St. Pierre’s

And young Jimmy knew, right there and right then,
He couldn’t survive through this dastardly den

On the floor of the mall, lying battered and bruised,
Our hero was carelessly tromped as he snoozed

But then he arose, all shaking and dazzled
His clothing was torn, he was beaten and frazzled

Yet onward he pushed, through the unyielding horde
He charged and he shoved and he slashed with his sword

For hours he tumbled and pounded and crawled
He clawed his way forward and though he was mauled

He gathered each one of the gifts on his list
And then with his money clutched tight in his fist

He wrestled his way to the final cashier
As shoppers all clawed and tore at his gear

With a heroic leap, Jimmy soared through the air
Over top of the crowd as they grabbed at his hair

He quickly paid for his things and ran out of the door
And then standing up straight, yelled “I’ve done it once more!”

Ciao!

50,000, snow, and Christmas!!

2008-12-20T12:13:00.000-08:00

Howdy!

It's Christmas break! Finally! Freedom! Sixteen straight days without having to run off to school! Huzzah!

Also, I recently passed the 50,000 word mark in my book. Large milestone for me....I'm hoping to almost finish my first draft by the end of the Christmas holidays. With no school, I should have plenty of time for writing.

Another goal for the holidays is to finish the tune for that song that I posted a couple of weeks ago (called "This Christmas"). I have the full tune for the first verse, and a little over half for the second. It shouldn't take long to finish the tunes for all the verses, and after that I just need to write a chorus (and possibly another verse). It will be a short song, but it will be the first one that I've actually ever completed. :D

And...it snowed a couple of days ago! not enough to close the schools, unforutnatley...<_<. But I got to stay home anyway. =D. It wasn't that deep, and it's mostly melted now, but there is supposed to be a LOT more over the Christmas break...(there's a blizzard scheduled for...tomorrow, I believe?)

Anyways, that's all I have to say for now!

Ciao!

Christmas weather

2008-12-15T15:40:00.000-08:00

So it's -16 degrees Celsius out where I am, with the wind chill....and it's a strong wind, too! Our school's power went out not even two hours into the school day, and so an powerless hour and a half later, I was on my way home without any homework. Yay!

I went oustide and played hockey in my driveway for awhile. It was the perfect time to be outside....since it felt like 20 below, everybody else was inside, so it was peaceful and quiet and I could be alone for a while. Sure, there was the whole frozen face and hands and getting blown around by the wind issue, but 'twas worth it.

I remain the only one in my family who is not bothered by the cold - I could stand outside in a T-shirt in 6 degree weather (Celsius of course) and say that it's warm. My family holds to the belief that something is wrong with me. :D lol

So anyways, I posted a poem the other day (whoah, it's been a long time since I posted!), and you all know that my poems come in sets, so here is another one for you. Again, this is a song, and I actually did have a tune for this one...not that good though, and I may change it, if I ever actually get around to writing the music for these things.

CHRISTMAS IN NEVADA

*Disclaimer: I know absolutely zilch about the state of Nevada, and I do not claim that anything in this song is at all accurate about the state or any of its inhabitants*.

*Disclaimer (2): Nobody ever said that any content in the poem had to make senese. Any confusion is the fault of the reader.

Christmas in Nevada
Such a Christmassy place
Just saying its name will put joy on your face

The state full of Christmas
The state full of fun
The state full of people preparing to run

The fire is blazing
The town is alight
To warm up a freezing Decembery night

The mice charred to cinders
Their squeaking has ceased
So no one will interrupt this Christmas feast

Oh, Christmas in Nevada
A place you will love
At all Christmas dinners
Are happy signs of

The joy brought by Christmas
To everyone’s heart
They’ll smile while the gathered,
Remorse when they part

Christmas in Nevada
Where Christmas tree shine
And faces of puppies are smothered with pine

The carolers sing
In the crisp snowy air
Their lips are all frozen and so is their hair

The children are playing
There’s ice on their toes
The old man who’s walking has ice up his nose

The wreaths on the doorways
Have shattered like glass
The stars on the treetops have killed all the grass

No greenery lives
On this December’s night
They’re ready for Christmas, the weather’s just right

Christmas in Nevada
The Christmas lights fall
Sounding the morning to wake one and all

It’s finally Christmas
The children all clap
To look upon Santa who’s caught in their trap

The cookies have vanished
To all of their grief
At last they have finally captured the thief

The parents are groggy
The sky is all gray
But everyone’s happy on this special day

The weather is snowy
The cold air must sting
But all through Nevada the Christmas mice sing

Christmas in Nevada
Just look at the snow
The world’s so pretty
When it’s fifty below!

Not one of my better songs/poems, but I was in a fairly random mood when I wrote it (which was actually almost a year ago....) And anyways, it accomplished its goal.
Ciao!

This Christmas...a poem!

2008-12-02T19:22:00.000-08:00

Greetings!

Merry just-under-two-weeks-until-Christmas-break if you live in Canada! Which I know is about zero of you, so you can ignore that. But you've already read it, so it doesn't matter anymore, so now you have just read completely pointless information that will likely stay locked in your mind for a while!

Unless you, too, have only just under two weeks until Christmas holiday. In which case, Merry what-I-said-before to you as well!

It is about time for another sequence of poems on my blog, don't you think? So, since it IS the wonderful month of December, I am beginning a Christmas series which I MAY depart from in some manner or other. In any case, I would like to open up with this poem that I wrote earlier today.

THIS CHRISTMAS

This Christmas, will the world see?
Will eyes be opened, ears be turned?
This Christmas, will the earth be free?
Will people search, will they have learned?

This Christmas, may the people know
The truth about the season
This Christmas, let their kindness flow
May they be joyful for a reason

This Christmas, may we be bring delight
To everyone who sees us
This Christmas, may we be a light
In the blessed name of Jesus

IF YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE OR CRITICISM OR THINGS I COULD HAVE DONE BETTER, DON'T HESITATE ONE SECOND TO INFORM ME. I'M TRYING TO IMPROVE MY POETRY WRITING SKILLS, SO PLEASE, FEEL FREE TO ASSIST. :)

By the way, I want to make this into a kind of song...if I am able to come up with a tune for it, I'll try to post it here.

EDIT:

Judi said she wanted more writing. So here is a short part of a passage that I am currently in process of writing. But this will very probably be the last of my writing posts for a while (I can hear some of your relief from here :D):

Marc traipsed along the lonely road, hearing weeps and wails from every direction. Every mournful sound tore at his heart, leaving a weighty feeling on him that made him want to collapse and cry out the river of tears that burst within his chest. But he had to stay strong, stronger than his emotions; he had to go on. He didn’t know where he was going, but he had to get there, and he couldn’t give in to anything that would make him stop.
Ciao!

ME!!!

2008-11-25T18:26:00.000-08:00

Okay, make absolute sure to read my last post if you have not yet. MAKE SURE!!! I WILL be reading the comments on that post to make sure that you've all read it. *glares around*

Just because I feel like it, I'll post a picture of myself. Here it is:

On the left, with the red and black jacket? That's me at the Motiv8 book signing! That's when I met Christopher Hopper.

Hey, I never said my face would be in it! :P I'm sorry for the teaser...I promise that one day, ONE DAY, I will post a full picture of myself.

Ciao!

A revelation

2008-11-24T20:20:00.000-08:00

The strangest thing happened to me earlier.

I realized how to write.

I was in my English class, and the teacher said something about sentence structure, and I just suddenly understood everything I was doing wrong with my writing and what I had to change.

For the past month or so, I have been wondering how to write a calm, relaxing beginning to a book while still setting the stage for the story and creating suspense. And now I know. And because I know that, I know how to write the rest of a story as well.

More importantly (or perhaps more accurately) I discovered my own writing style - or rather, the refined version of it. So from now on I'll be able to write better, all because of a random revelation.

I can't tell you exactly what it is that I realized, first of all because I don't know how to explain it in a way that would make sense and fully describe it properly, and also because it will only really make sense in my head. Only I can put this idea into my words.

I don't mean to be reserving or selfish - I seriously don't know how to explain it exactly. But I can say that it involves not overusing commas. This is something I am notorious for, even without realizing it. Using short to medium length sentences without commas sets a good tone for the beginning of a story, I think, as well as other parts of a book.

If that last paragraph didn't make sense or doesn't really help, you have my leave to completely ignore and/or forget about it.

It was such a wierd experience...I mean, it just all CAME to me...it was very distracting for the rest of the class. Maybe it's because I was thinking about writing so much for about a week before that, although I hadn't really thought about writing at all in the morning before it.

Ciao!

Madagascar and Hockey

2008-11-11T19:47:00.000-08:00

I am so sorry for not posting for so long - I thought about it several times, but I couldn't think of something that I wanted to post.

I just saw Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa earlier today. The penguins did not disappoint, :D and neither did most of the rest of the movie. Have any of you seen it yet? It was funny. One of the better movie sequels, I think.

In Hockey news, my team just won two games in a row! Yay! I also broke my stick in last night's game....hmmm....I'll have to go shopping soon. More on last night in a moment.

In the three games before these last two, our team scored on goal. Just so everyone knows, one goal in three games is BAD. :P lol. That was not a happy time on our team...

Last night's game was violent - very much hostility betwene our teams. The worst incident was when a player of the other team dropped to his knees, slid into our goalie and started punching him. Four of our players went in to settle things, followed by the refs.

We play the same team again next week. That should be fun.

Ciao!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T16:24:00.000-07:00

Heh, I'll bet some of you are already ready to pound me! "Halloween is evil - how could you even think about celebrating it?" Well, if you'll hear me through, I shall explain.

For me, Halloween is not a time to celebrate evil. That's that, simply laid out. I do not have any support for the origins of the holiday. But, I do have my own past regarding Halloween, and I have quite enjoyed it every year. I absolutely love traditions, especially personal ones, and I make new ones and discarded old ones almost every Halloween.

There are also things that I once did on Halloween that I can no longer do, but loved doing when I could do them: Trick-or-treating, going to the cornfield carnival at our church, dressing up, the "pumpkin run" at my old elementary school, visits to the pumpkin patch, carving out jack-o-lanterns...All of them were loads of fun, and I get a surge of nostalgia every time I think about them. For me, Trick-or-treating was not just about candy, and when I opened the cupboards to get at my delectable treats, I cherished the smell that met me from my Trick-or-treating bag and the candy wrappers.

To me, it's also a celebration of the time of year. I love fall, though I don't completely remember why until it comes every year. I enjoy the fallen leaves, the wind, the clouds, the rain...everything. And Halloween feels like the peak of it all.

Again, I despise the spookiness and darkness of Halloween. I dislike scary costumes or detailed, bloody masks. And I am strongly against the things that many people do on Halloween, all over the world.

Some might say that it is still wrong to celebrate such a dark holidy. First of all, I'm not celebrating the holiday - at least, not everyone else's. I'm celebrating my own that was created out of the one that everyone else celebrates. And second, celebrating on a holiday with dark origins, as long as I do not celebrate or agree with the evil side of it, does not make me an evil person any more than being an American citizen makes somebody a good person or a Christian. Just because the country has Christian origins, does not mean that every person who lives in it or celebrate the fourth of July has a heart for those morals.

Happy Halloween - Ian's edition!

Ciao!

Swearing

2008-10-28T15:09:00.001-07:00

This is something that really annoys, and even offends me. People have become so completely inconsiderate that they refuse to regard the fact that anyone else who might not want to hear them mindlessly swear could be around, and they spout off swear words anyway. It drives me crazy, especially since I am forced to hear them EVERY DAY.

People swear at each other as I'm passing by. They whisper curse words in classrooms. They swear beside me. They swear behind me. They swear at me. They yell it out in the hallways for EVERYONE to hear. And I gain no opinion of them from this than that they are some of the most ignorant, unthoughtful people there. Furthermore, I know that I am not the only one there who hates it. WHY DO THEY DO IT?

Oh, I know why. They want to put emphasis on what they are saying. They think that it makes them sound "cool" or "tough". They think it will make people listen to them more. But I can testify that it does the exact opposite: it repels and revolts people, and it tears down their view of the swearer.

I don't see why people think that they need to swear. I know that some people are brought up with it, and it's probably a difficult habit to break once you are used to it. But please, TRY. For the benefit of others, and for your own sake, make an attempt to refrain from using those offensive words when you are around those who might not appreciate it, and especially where you are talking with them.

There are probably other reasons people have for swearing. I don't know all of them. But i do know that there are plenty of reasons NOT to swear. Last year, I heard a couple of my friends talking, and one of them asked "what do people have against swearing? It's just a word". It's a valid question, I believe. So I went to the internet to do some research on the history of swear words. I found nothing. Nadda. However, after thinking about it, I came up with some things to say about it:

1) It lessens the value of what your words. When you swear, people have no real reason or obligation to take you seriously, or event to listen.

2) It lowers people views and standards of you and your character. People with throw you into the same category other people that they have heard swear.

3) A larger, more important reason that people find it offensive: the standard of not swearing, or "keeping your mouth clean", orginates from God's law. Lo and behold, that is wear most of our moral standards come from, no? So it is considered by society to be a lack of morality, not to mention demoralizing to those who have to hear it. Also, people consider it a lack of consideration for those certain unwilling listeners.

4) Here's something not many people consider: ya know how people seem to refer to these swear words as curse words? Get the drift? CURSE words?? I believe they might be called that for a reason, namely, that they are, in fact, meant to be curses. If you know the actually dictionary definition of the D-word, you know that it actually means "curse", or something very close to that. So when you use it in reference to someone or something, you are saying, very literally, "curse that thing" or "curse that person" or "curse you". And that is not something that you can take lightly or throw to the side or say, "well I didn't mean it that way". You didn't, huh? Well what came out of your mouth meant exactly that. So guard your tongue, people! Don't let something that your mind isn't saying escape from between your teeth!

Or maybe you did mean it that way? Well, that means you're not ignorant, right? Well, maybe you aren't ignorant, but you are still very much in the wrong. God says that NOBODY except for Him shall curse anyone. And God wouldn't be using those words.

There are many other words. There are so many that the modern language have formed, most of them aren't even just evil and insolent - they are also vile and extremely innapropriate. The English language doesn't even have words strong enough to describe how bad they are. Oh, by the way, swear words aren't really that strong if you use them frequently. For example, I have never sworn in front of my friends at school. And I know that if I did, they would all be stunned. They would listen. I know they would. See, myself swearing would be a hundred time more powerful than the swearing of my other friend who swears every day. That doesn't mean I am going to swear. But it does mean that swearing often makes people pay less attention to you.

There are people who find swearing to be inconsiderate and offensive. And they do have a right not to have to listen to those who refuse to acknowledge them. I really honestly don't have anything personally against people who swear - and I know, that seems like a contradiction to things I said earlier. But swearing mindlessly around others is inconsiderate. It does make you sound selfish. And I, for one, absolutely hate it.

Ciao!

Rise of the Dibor

2008-10-21T17:50:00.000-07:00

I just recently finished reading Rise of the Dibor by Christopher Hopper. It is an amazing book! Here be mine opinion:

Rise of the Dibor illustrates what the world might be like if Sin had not been allowed to breach our perfect world. Not only does Christopher Hopper create a wonderful representation of this world in his own land of Dionia, but he lights a fire in the reader to become a Defender and Knight of the Truth. It shows in a brilliant, beautiful way what it truly means to drop everything and serve God, as well as how much it is worth it to be a servant of the Most High. Mr. Hopper doesn't miss a beat throughout the entire story as he creatively weaves in every detail. It was a grim chore to tear my eyes away from this book, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series, The Lion Vrie.

There's an interesting thing that happened to me while reading this book about a week ago: I was sitting on a couch in our family room, reading a certain part where the main character experiences from the first time what it is like to be injured (for you see, people do not get injured in a perfect world). I may or may not have mentioned this previously on my blog, but a couple of weeks ago I bashed my knee pretty hard playing hockey (and it still hurts). But it hurt a lot more then. And after I finished reading that particular section and put the book down to stand up and go to bed, my knee felt a whole lot better than it had before! Isn't that cool?

Ciao!

50th post and Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-10-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

This is my 50th post! I'm halfway to 100! Yay! (A heads-up, I will not be posting the 100 facts about myself on my 100th post. Oh know, I'm planning something much, much bigger...I just don't know what it is yet >:)

Also, this weekend is the Canadian Thanksgiving! (How many of you knew that? You odd Americans celebrate it on the third Thursday of November, right?:)

So how many of you take things for granted? *raises hand* I know I do. For example, health/lack of pain...I hurt my knee on Monday, and all this week I realized just how much I USE that knee when it ISN"T in pain. Same thing with food and friends. And my laptop. I really want to go to another part of the world that isn't as privileged as we are in North America - maybe then I would have an easier time realizing how much I have and being able to not always overlook things.

So, in keeping with tradition, I am thankful for:

Autumn (it is an amazing season!)
Hockey
Blogging/the YCF/all of you guys :D
Books!
Food
Sleep
My youth group
Turkey and Ham!
Root beer :)
...And all the people I have to share it all with!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Ciao!

Motiv8 tour!

2008-10-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

I'm going to have just a brief delay in my book reviews to tell you all about the Motiv8 tour! I went on Friday night, and it was AWESOME! I got to meet Bryan Davis, Christopher Hopper and Donita K. Paul. The first person I saw when I went in the door was Mr. Davis, though I was not completely sure at the time if it was him or not.

Eventually, I dropped my nervousness and went to get him to sign my books. When I told him my name was Ian, he instantly asked if I was Dragon of Christ (which is my username on the DioM forum, in case you did not know). It was pretty neat to have him already sort of know me. :)

After that all of the authors got up on stage and spoke, with Christopher Hopper as the MC. He did a great job of it! they told some stories from their lives and talked about writing and God and and fantasy...and then their was a question period....

After that, I asked Mr. Davis to sign my other books, then bought Rise of the Dibor by Christopher Hopper (good book, by the way, and I'm only a few pages in!) and asked him to sign it. When I told HIM my name, his reaction was nothing short of enthusiastic! (I comment on his blog a lot). I had a picture taken with him, and after that I left.

It was all really fun! I want them to come again very soon....

:)Ian(:

2008-10-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

Hello, all!

Well, I have kept you from the realm of not having new posts for a little while longer (grovel, araken, grovel!! Haha, jk :D) Well, I reviewed one of Bryan Davis' books, so I figured I may as well do the others. And I'll do them BACKWARDS, so it will be kind of like going back in time! :)

So here is my opinion on Enoch's Ghost:

This book is my definite favourite in the Oracles of Fire series so far, not only for the exceptional writing and the great plot line and story, but also because of the subtle (and sometimes not quite so subtle) messages that Mr. Davis creatively weaves into the story. The amazing images of sacrafice, love, and forgiveness that are incorporated into the book reopened my eyes to the complete truth of Christianity and the fullness of its joy. I felt as if I were each one of the characters as I read it, and wished that I could continue being them every time I had to tear my nose from the book's enchanting pages. This book was for sure one of Bryan Davis' best works yet.

Well, that's it for today's post! After I finish reviewing all of Bryan Davis' books, I'll post some more poems...it's been awhile since I've done that!

Just TWO DAYS until I meet Bryan Davis and the other Motiv8 authors!

Ciao!

Last of the Nephilim

2008-09-29T15:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess it's about time for me to post again...and then send you all back into the realm of impatience and pleading misery. :) haha! jk....but you never know...>:)

So anyway, I just finished reading Last of the Nephilim by Bryan Davis. Once again, he has burst forth with his usual creativity and extensive imagination to give us all a bunch of headaches and twisted mental wires, along with the ever-present sense of curiosity throughout the book. you'll rip through the pages as you wonder what will happen, and events will almost ALWAYS happen differently from what you expect. Definitely worth reading and an excellent continuation of the Oracles of Fire series.

Okay, not the greatest written review ever, but I wrote it in maybe five minutes, so I know it could be better. But I hope I got the point across to all of you who haven't read it yet....READ IT! You will be so very glad you did.

Ciao!

News

2008-09-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

Hello, all!

I'll just tell you a few things about my life right now so you know I'm still alive...

first of all, I FINALLY got my laptop back from school....but my better one still isn't ready, so I'm still stuck with an inferior one....hopefully not for too much longer....

I am now a member of the Dragons in our Midst forum! Fun! I'm pretty sure I know at least three other YCFers who are members as well...Araken, Sapphira and Bookworm...am I missing anyone else?

I'm going to be able to see Bryan Davis in October! the Motiv8 tour is coming to a place VERY close to where I live...I just hope we get tickets before they're gone....(the school that's hosting them is making us PAY to come! Of all the nerve!!)

Well, that's it for now. See ya later. (Patience, Judi, Patience.)

Ciao!

Story time!

2008-09-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged multiple times over the summer, I know. But I'm not going to pay attention to that right now. Call me what you will, say that I'm a lazy, boring, arrogant slug who doesn't participate in anything, but right now, I'm not going to play tag. I might eventually though, making up my own questions, so don't thrash me too hard yet, lol.

Anyway....

Instead, I'll post a bit more of the book I'm writing. To all of you who seemed to like the last part I posted several months ago, I really hope you weren't lying. And of course, anything I might improve on, even the tiniest thing that you notice, tell me. I can take criticism...really!

P.S. - this has nothing to do with the last part, so don't hope for any big revealings or answers to the questions and secrets you were all wondering about last time!

Oh, and a few side notes to help you understand this part of the story: The Iruks are the evil soldiers who are attacking the land of the forrits', the good soldiers, most of whom apparently have little experience in combat. FYI, Both are creatures I created for the story.

Here goes....

Marc thrust his fist downward as he plummeted, planting it in an Iruk’s face as fell through the tangle of weapons. He dragged most of the weapons out of the soldiers’ hands as he landed hard on the ground and rolled, eventually coming to a stop a few metres away as he dropped flat onto the dirt. I’m alive. He could hardly believe it. The perilous descent hadn’t killed him, though he had amassed a collection of numerous cuts from landing on the web of swords, small injuries that he could add to the gash in his shoulder.
My shoulder! Marc suddenly realized. It had barely hurt ever since just a few minutes after it had been cut. I wonder why the pain went away so quickly. He stood up and brushed himself off, shaking out of his wonder for the moment. Remembering his lost sword, he scanned the ground for a new weapon, but could find nothing that wasn’t in the grip of a fighting soldier or blocked off by the battle. Turning his head, he saw an Iruk rushing at him with death in its glare. Marc’s eyes widened as he stared at the blood on the Iruk’s sword, his eyebrows shooting up in alarm at the sudden realization that he was being attacked with no way to defend himself. He scanned the ground again, frantically searching for anything that might enable him to fend off the coming foe; but the bloodstained soil was void of anything that he might use to fight.
Marc planted his feet, sliding to a stop just before colliding with another lethal barrier of violent soldiers. He turned around, glancing in either direction for a possible escape from his pursuer. One side was blocked by the high wall of the trench, the other by large pile of burning corpses. Where did the fire come from? Marc wondered. He peered through a gap in the heap of dead bodies, hoping for some possibility of escape, but all he could see was another tangle of warriors.
Marc turned back around. The Iruk was still fast approaching, and there was nowhere else to go.

Well, that's all for now! That's actually the latest part of my story, so I can't post any more...sorry. :)

oh, by the way, dcf is back! - at least, he added a new post a couple days ago....go check it out!!

Ciao!

16!!!!

2008-09-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

Well, as I think you all know, I turned sixteen recently....exactly a week ago, as of today (Thursday). And I get to announce what every sixteen year old wants to be able to say....

I GOT MY DRIVER'S LICENSE!!! HUZZZAH!

Actually, it's my learner's license, so there's a million restrictions on it....but at least I can drive!

Question of the Day:

Does America have a Graduated Licensing Program? (Learner's license, Novice license, etc?)

Ciao!

The next week...

2008-08-24T16:55:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

I'm going to go on vacation this week (finally), so I won't be very active (as if I have been). But I thought it only fair to tell you that it is my birthday on August 28th, which is this Thursday, I believe.

Also, it is Sapphira's birthday TODAY!! Everyone say happy birthday to her at her blog if you have not done so yet.

Well I think that's it for now...

Ciao!

Leaving for Camp

2008-08-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

Howdy!

I am going to camp for the week for the first - and last - time in my life *sniffle*. Anyway, I am leaving tonight and...well....I am not too sure what to expect....but I'll be in a cabin with a bunch of other rowdy boys (the guys will know exactly what I mean, I'm sure :D) and I was wondering if y'all could pray that I'll be in a cabin with, you know, "nice" people? Who I can get along with? :) If you could pray, thanks greatly be to ye.

I know it might seem like a late request, but...it's never too late to pray, is it?? And if you read this after I leave (which most of you probably will) could you pray that I'll be able to continuously get along with the people, and represent God in a good way? It's a Christian camp I think, but still....oh, and pray that I'll have lots of fun! :P lol

I guess if I can just be myself, only slightly more fun, I'll be fine, lol.

See ya'll on Friday! (Goodness, Araken must be rubbing off on me....and from a thousand miles away, that's no small feat! lol :P)

Ciao!

I've added to this post!

2008-08-01T17:47:00.000-07:00

Howdy!

Just thought it was time for another post...I know I planned on not posting much during the summer...but that got so *blah* boring. I'll try to post more frequently now. But I can't promise that I'll see all your blogs....once I get my laptop back, I can hunt you all down and add you to my "favorites" list. But leave a comment and I'll have a link to your blog! :)

Moving on...

Congrats to Araken, who's design won in a logo contest on the door within forum...I do not know the details of this at all, but congrats anyway!

More later... hang tight.

...

Okay, I'm back (after a couple of days...) and now I'll finish my intended post. (Sorry, I had to leave suddenly for dinner last time...and never had much of a chance to post until now.)

So getting on, there were just a couple more things I wanted to say. First of all, I wasn't too on the ball with my homework this last year, and I really want to be better at that this year...you know, actually get all the assignments in for all my classes...so I was hoping that you all could sort of hold me to that, if you would. I'd appreciate it, 'specially since blogging was a big part of me not doing some homework. *Gasp* *Sheepish grin* Heh heh....yeah.

Also, it's been a while since I've given the faithful members of the YCF a headache, so here's a though I had the other day:

If one and a half thirds is equal to one half, and half of a third is equal to a third of a half, is one and a half thirds of a third equal to one and a third halves of a half?

I say....is half of a third of a half the same as a third of a half of a third??

Ciao!

An executive decision

2008-07-01T20:07:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

I don't mean to blog so much, but I have decided on the title of my series. (Thanks for the suggestions, Amber, but I didn't use any of them....they gave me some creative inspiration, though :). Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know that. But I won't tell you the title I've come up with. :D mwahahaha!
If your reading this line, then congratulations! You've found the hidden truth - (Now there's a title I need to consider for future books....) Anyway, I've made an executive decision to entitle the series "The Blade of Victory" (Title subject to further changes)
Ciao!

Stars

2008-06-17T21:50:00.001-07:00

Stars. Amazing things...God made the stars...and God made us....

Huge things, those stars...massive things....beautiful, too.

Everyone says we can be like that, in our deepest selves, in the impression we make on the world.

Yet how many people would notice if one star were missing?

The Last Day

2008-06-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

this will be my last post of the year on this computer. In just a few minutes, it will be taken away from me for the summer (good riddance - I want my other computer back). So I won't be able to blog AS MUCH, and probably will take a good break from it to do other things. So it looks like, I won't be posting a picture of myself just yet - sorry, but as a writer, I also know the value and importance of keeping something for others to look forward to and to keep them reading. :)

This is pretty much just a goodbye type of post, though this by NO MEANS means that I am quitting blogging. So remember to read my last post if you haven't, and HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!

:)Ian(:

Ciao!

Books and titles and themes - oh my!

2008-06-11T21:07:00.000-07:00

Hello, all!

I only have a couple of days before I lose my computer. Gasp! but have no fear, I may still comment on your blogs occassionaly over the summer...then again, there might not be much to comment on. Oh well..:)

So anyway, I was thinking about writing (which i haven't done much of lately - bother). I am seriously considering switching the theme of my current book to a future book, where the theme might be better suited and more open. It's strange, because that theme was the entire premise of my book. It's what it was entirely built on, at least at first. But now, another one of my ideas supports itself and the story, and I kind of wanted to focus more on that idea. That way, I could have two separate themes in different books and focus on them both more than I would have. So I am very likely going to make that switch.

Anyway, I think I'll copy Bookworm4God here and post some titles to try and get some feedback. this would be the title of the series I am currently working on - I've already decided on the title of the first, and possibly second and third books.

so here are the titles I have so far (I will try to edit and add more titles as I think of them, so keep checking!) vote on which title would interest you most without knowing what the book was about

The Swords of Power/Swords of Power

The Sword of Truth

Ancient Swords

Weapons of the Soul (Doubtful...)

Hmmm...can you guess that my story has something to do with swords? :D

Ciao!

WHEW!

2008-06-01T21:00:00.001-07:00

I'm back and posting once more! Mwa ha ha ha!

Anyways, if you're wondering why I haven't posted anything in a while, here's why: my school laptop's screen was cracked, in a story where I was not completely innocent, but where I am a little frustrated with someone else....oh well. Now I have a new computer, but it is an older model...so it's inferior to my other one, and I would really like my other one back. I was so used to it, and it was all customised and all - I had that one for eight months. Oh well, we'll lose our computers in a couple weeks anyway, and by the beginning of next year my computer should be fixed and I'll get it back. I hope.

So now that you know why I haven't been on in so long, I'll get on with whatever comes to my mind right now....

It seems like my poll was nearly a blowaway. 19-1 says that I SHOULD post a picture of myself. Hmmmm....I think I will. Don't expect too much, though, if you know what I mean. :D Say, who voted NO? And why??? Doesn't matter who it was really, just curious...but why? answer if you want to...you can post as anonymous or something....*shrugs*

*sighs* not having a computer for a week also means I couldn't work on my story. :( Now that I have another one, and forunately I backed up the file on my other computer, I can resume work on it. It was speeding along till my computer cracked. My word count was great! I just hope the quality was as good as the length.

Well, summer's coming....which means no computer....which means less blogging....but I'll also be sixteen by the end of summer, so I'll be able to get....My DRIVER'S LICENSE! Yahoo! At least that's the only thing i'll have to worry about studying for after my exams are finished....which are coming up in two weeks....*shudders*. But I only have two, and I think one is mostly multiple choice. So it shouldn't be THAT bad.

Well, that's all for now!

Ciao!

Crazy time in the YCF!

2008-05-19T14:43:00.001-07:00

Wow! With four new members in under three days, things have gotten a little crazy in the YCF! Many new commenters, new thoughts....new medicine....

Check out Araken's last post, and look at the comments....the Young Christian Force is getting HUGE! 35 comments - that's a record for the YCF. (Why does Araken always get the most comments? :)

Anyways, I realized something: It's FUN when it's that crazy and so many people are commenting! It's like a blog party! So....I've decided to host an official blog party! Have fun!

Not sure what you should do....just go crazy! Talk about whatever! Reflect on memories! Just...type! Comment! With the YCF getting so big, let's celebrate our new members! Oh, and add extra suffixes to the end of your verbs. Also try verbalizing words! I didn't get this idea from Araken or anyone else, btw, I was doing it a lot yesterday...it's fun! We must create a new language for YCF...(Araken, take your meds firts. You know we will NEVER stop teasing you about that! :) But then, they all tease me too...*shrugs*

BTW, the new members consist of: ybtolerant/Amber, Edge, Caleb and Bookworm4god

YCF Newsflash: Amber/ybtolerant, whatever she would like to be called, is the first YCF member to have a blog from a source OTHER than blogger! Just an intersting observation...

Anyways, WELCOME, CALEB, EDGE, BOOKWORM, AND AMBER!

Ciao! (This is pronounced "Chow", by the way, for anyone who didn't know

Summer's coming! The long weekend is here!

2008-05-17T10:03:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure about any of you, but I get Monday off this week! Yay! *sighs* I can't really give the name of the day that gives us the day off, cuz it would give pretty big clue to my location. Blogging is a bit complicated sometimes....but that's okay.

And, to top it off, it is HOT up here now! After a dreary period of clouds and rain and coldness, we are supposed to have a thirty degree weekend. And we've seen good signs so far - it's twenty degrees here as I type! Before ten in the morning - but what with all the time zone mess ups, that won't mean much to most of you ;).

Well, now that I've spouted off about the weather where I live, who's looking forward to summer? ME! It will be great to have a break where I don't have to worry about all the school work I have to do. But there are a few things that I'll miss...like my laptop, which I won't have over summer, so I can't be on the blogs as much...and some of my friends at school....and some of my teachers....and my HILARIOUS French class ("Well you shouldn't send police into the sewers!" "Yeah, send a janitor!" - actual quote from a couple of them, while we were reading some urban legend story in French - don't ask.) Do any of you take French? I'm pretty sure that Spanish is a mandatory course in America, at least up to a certain grade (in Canada, French is mandatory until grade 9.)

Well, I think that that's about it for now! I'll be back when I find something more interesting to post on!

Oh, wait a minute! There's one more thing: You know the poetry contest that I entered a couple months ago, where I asked you all to help judge my poems to find out which one I should enter?? Well, I was accepted to be published! And a very late thanks to you all for helping me with that. Now I have to wait to find out if I'm in the top ten and actually won a prize...

Anyways, Ciao! Any hilarious classes/people at your schools?

Human Souls

2008-05-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in nearly a week - I just haven't had much to post on. My book is going well; you may see up in the top left corner that it is now over 30,000 words. Hurray! I'm also happy because I've reached the part of my story that I have been building up to, which is a battle scene, so now I can use all my ideas for that and get on intot the main part of my story. Just in case you cared :)

Another update: Wednesday night was my hockey league's awards night. I won the award for Most Improved Player on my team! Now I have 2 of them. I can't decide which one I like better...

Anyways, moving on....

Who, or what, do you think humans really are? Lots of people would say, "we're the only intelligent life on earth, with two arms and two legs.." etcetera. But once we die, once we leave this earth, we won't have our bodies and we won't have our minds. But what are our souls? And, WHERE are they??

Some things in my story will revolve quite a bit around this, and will work on the assumption that our souls do have power, beyond what we have or know of with our earthly minds. I don't know what kind of power or how much, but I do think we are among the weakest of spiritual beings, on our own that is. I also think we are incredibly significant, however weak, but that is another thought...

But our souls, which are NOT just bodies of energies that can be dissipated or whatever (as I have seen them portrayed as in some books), are very powerful. Emotions come from our souls - aren't emotions powerful? Before you think "oh, this is going to be one of those 'let's make something boring and rational' talks", no, that's not what I'm saying. Have you ever had an incredible anger that you couldn't satisfy with any amount of rage or destruction, or a joy that you couldn't express enough? Wonder why that is? My guess is because our bodies aren't capable of fully representing our emotions. And I really think that our souls are capable of much more - they are who we REALLY are, and if we couldn't do anything beyond earthly limits, we would be even weaker than we are in our earthly bodies. I get feelings all the time, feelings that aren't necessarily emotions, that say I should be doing something or going somewhere or saying something - and those feelings don't come from my mind. My mind can interpret them, sometimes. But those feelings come from somewhere else, beyond my body. Our souls can go into books, into any part of the universe, into our thoughts, into our dreams, ANYWHERE - well, almost. They aren't stationary, and they don't reside in our bodies. And they can do a lot more than we know.

Maybe that's why I keep feeling like I should be somewhere else, because my soul - ME - doesn't want to be here, where my body is. I can do a lot of things, I, the true me, am capable of far more than my mind and body are - yet I can't use that capability to its extent. But when we leave this earth, when we are in heaven, THEN we can use our souls and power (this is sort of for lack of a better word, so bear with me, I'm not trying to overcredit humans), THEN we can be free to be US, the we who we were created as.

I always confuse myself with these thoughts. Anyone else?

:)Ian(:

Random questions and thoughts

2008-05-05T15:57:00.000-07:00

I've had some random thoughts and questions that I've been meaning to post for weeks, but never got around to it, soooo...

One of them was, if the YCF ever did try to get together at a writers conference or something, how would we know who each other are and what would we say?

I finally got contacts! But they tore a couple of days ago, so now I have to wait a few days to get new ones...they are SO annoying to put in....it takes me at least ten minutes for each eye...oh well.

I realized something - you know how me and Araken both had dreams that we met someone else in the YCF? Well, there are several parallels: me and Sapphira are the ones who post the most poems (I think...). Araken and Flinn are the people who post most of the short stories. And, both times it was a guy who had the dream that they met a girl. Just some wierd things I thought of....coincidence?? *shrugs*

Oh, and by the way, if any of my relatives are reading this blog (or people who know my relatives and have been told about this blog) please feel free to leave comments. :)

Ciao!

My Random Facts

2008-04-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, just to let everyone know, this is my second post in one day...so if you want, there's a post you probably haven't read. Just so ya know. :)

And now, my own random facts:

I love the "cheap" chocolate that everyone says is inferior, though Belgium chocolate is really good too...

I'm just over six feet tall

I have messy sort of blondish-brown hair and blue eyes

I wear glasses, but I'm looking in to getting contacts

I have grown like a foot in the last half year or so

I just reread the above statement, and it might sound really silly depending on how you read it

I absolutely love hockey!

I got a Most Improved Player award a couple years ago in hockey - I'm looking at it right now

I really like to write - I'm currently writing a novel, a short story, and any poem that comes to mind

All my writing is, and probably will always be, fantasy

I don't have an iPod, MP3, or anything like that to download music, and I only have three songs (all techno) on my computer right now...Here's one (I hope it works)

I have never been skiing, only snowboarding, but I haven't gone in about two years now (I was getting pretty good in grade seven, when we went snowboarding on a school trip)

In grade two I had the stomach flu for a week, chicken pox the next week, and then it was spring break. So I missed three straight weeks of school (why can't I do that now, when I DON'T really like going to school?)

I am in Pre-AP math and Pre-AP English, which are like advanced courses only I can actually get university credit in the AP course rather than just more challenging stuff. (This is provided I get a high enough score on the AP exams in grade 12).

My entire Pre-AP math class had a short calculus unit. Now we all absolutely hate derivitives. (don't you dare ask me to explain them).

There is another person in our church with the same first and last name as me. (can you imagine what it was like for me when our church bulleting announced that the other guy was engaged?! I didn't even see it until everyone started razzing me about it!)

I don't have my driver's license yet. A few more months and I can get it, though.

I really like raw vegetables. I don't like peaches, nectarines, plums, most oranges (except mandarins!), apricots, or any other of those types of fruit (with the exception of apples)

Granny Smith is my favourite type of apple, especially when they are extremely crisp and juicy and sour.

I don't like any pie except pumpkin, but I LOOOVE cake! Especially black forest or any type of chocolate cake.

How long have I gone on about this now?? Okay, I'm done.

Ciao!

The Last Battle

2008-04-29T17:03:00.000-07:00

1-0 2-0 3-0 4-0 5-0 5-1 5-2 6-2 GAME OVER

That was exactly how the game went last night. The reffing was better, at least. But we didn't win. It's painful to watch the other team celebrating like that, knowing it could have been you...especially for the second time in three years.

I didn't even get to play that much, which makes three years in a row I've been short shifted in the last game of the season. All first period, as soon as I got on, my team got a penalty and I often had to come back onto the bench. Trying to stack the lineup, as our coach found out, isn't very effective. But it took him 2 periods to figure that out, by which time we were down 4-0.

Well, that's all for now....

Ciao

Hockey Update

2008-04-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

3-0.

That's was the score last night. And it was not in my team's favour. Now we're down 2-1 in the final series. If we lose one more time, it's over.

But it's not like we completely deserved to lose like that. We had a great first period, and I was doing well too - and then the lights went out. Literally.

The entire arena went dark, and the play stopped. We had to just sit around for about 15 minutes, which killed our team's momentum. Apparently some accident outside caused it. Not all the lights went out, though - just some.

They got the lights back on and the game resumed. Then, halfway through the second period, it happened again, just as our team was starting to get some momentum back. The other team then scored two more goals after that, and that pretty much finished it. (Their first goal was a sort of lucky deflection that our goalie really had no chance on).

Well, now we're in the exact same position that we were in in the last series. We have to win two games in a row. Good thing this is a 3 out of 5 series, or we would have already lost.

The refs weren't too fair last night either, and that had an impact, but we've been facing that all season. We can win despite the extra two player on the other team (i.e. the refs), so we just have to remember how to do it now. We are better than the other team, and we all know it. Now we just have to show it.

Two years ago, my team lost in the finals. I don't intend on letting that happen again. And though I'm in a different division and team now, I'm sure the rest of my team feels the same way.

Ciao.

Elimination time

2008-04-22T17:14:00.001-07:00

All right, so my hockey team lost our first playoff game last Monday. Since it was a two out of three series, we had to win on Saturday and Monday to make it to the next round. And for the results of Saturday's game....drumroll, please.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
WE WON! The score was 5-2. We played one of our best games all season long - I guess it showed that we were facing elimination.

And now for the results of Monday's game. Both teams HAD to win. The winners would go on to the finals; the losers would be eliminated and wouldn't play again until October. And so, without further ado...another drumroll..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
WE WON AGAIN! Amazingly, we came back from a 1-0 deficit in the series to win it 2-1.
And once again, the score was 5-2. Mike scored a goal in this one - I'll let him tell you some more about that. But our team is now going to move on to the final series, which will be a 3 out of 5 series, so its bigger than all the others. I'm going to be really busy with hockey for the next week - the first game of the finals will be on Wednesday night, and then Friday, Saturday, and Monday (That is, if a team hasn't already won the first three games.) Not sure when the fifth game would be, if it gets that far. But I'm really excited about getting into the final series. The last time I was on a team that made it to the finals was two years ago, and we lost in game three. (It was a 2 out of 3 seriess.) Anyways, our team played great in the last two games (My current team, I mean) and its really fun when your team is playing like that. Well, adios!

And ciao!

Stories

2008-04-21T17:33:00.001-07:00

I love stories - I write them, I read them, and I study some of them to find out how to write them better. It just so happens that, while I was searching for examples os short stories, I came across a great page and found this story. I think it's amazing, and I hope this link works...

Click

I also encourage you, a lot, to read some of the other stories on the page (there shouold be a link to it below the story)

Read some others and say which ones you liked!

Ciao!

I'm goin' in....

2008-04-18T22:43:00.001-07:00

I have recently realized that it makes me very sad not to actually be able to enter the world within some books. For example, DioM - that series became very real to me. Not in an addictive sort of way, just in an extremely enjoyable sort of way. It just seems not so much like the characters repeat themselves when I reread the books, but like I'm actually in the world.

In my opinion, a good book is one that you can enter with your mind and stay in until the end. It creates a new world for you to experience, somewhere beyond the reac of your body but a home for your mind. I like to be able to feel as if I'm right there with the characters, helping them, going throught the same things as them. I like to be able to identify with the story, but so that it is still just beyond the borders of reality. That is what true writing is. A whole new world, with only a thin and fantastical lifeline to this one.

I find that I really hate being jarred out of these other worlds. People can easily startle me while I'm reading, unless of course I'm too engrossed in my book to even notice them...

Random question of the day: SILLY PUNISHMENTS - What is the craziest punishment you have ever gotten? For me:

I have been grounded from reading
I have been told "no more vegetables until you finish everything else on your plate"
And in grade seven, along with my friend, I was forced by my teacher to play chess rather than participating in class.

Gotta love the playoffs!

2008-04-16T16:47:00.001-07:00

Woo! My team had its first playoff game on Monday, and man, was it emotional...usually, body checking isn't really allowed in our league, but they are a LOT more lenient in the playoffs. I was quite surprised that I didn't get a few penalties myself! There were a lot of hits and cross checks from both teams, a couple hits and attempted hits from me and I also accidentally cross checked a guy...oops. But man, was it ever FUN! Other than all the illegal cross checking and really dirty hits, that is.

I was so pumped after that game, I felt a thousand times more ready to play than I had felt for months. And I still can't wait till Saturday, when we play our next game againt the team. But an extremely physical game of hockey is one the best ways to get hyped up! I SO want to play again! I actually managed to hit some players, and I'm like one of the youngest guys out there.

We lost Monday's game 4-1, but the other team had already played three or four games, so they were a lot more ready. My mom was also at the game on Monday, and apparently it really scared her....must look more dangeorus from the stands. ;)

Ciao!

WOW

2008-04-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

First of all, remember to read my last post if you didn't already. :)

Now, to business. *ahem* The title doesn't mean that I have been awed by anything in particular, but it may be recognizable to some, if not all of you as the shortened name of a certain online game: World Of Warcraft. I have really found that game more and more annoying lately. It's practically all my friends at school talk about, and it seems that since I don't play, I am being somewhat shunned/left out of many, many conversations. Honestly, I would love to see that game get completely destoroyed and deleted somehow...however, my friends who play it keep assuring me that it is impossible.

It costs $16 a month to play that game, and it takes over their lives: a LOT of people play it at my school, and I'm sick of hearing about it. They talk about it way too much!! They even phone each other to get each other to go online and play. They talk about playing it over the weekend and after school. ARggh! So annoying!!! Maybe I'll gather a force to create a bunch of viruses to launch an attack on the WOW servers....

RAndom question of the day: Does anyone else have glasses? (Sighs, yes i have glasses, but I hate it and want to get contacts...they make me look a lot different, and in my opinion I look better without them....still, it's better than barely being able to see anything more than half a metre away.)

Ciao!

My turn to write

2008-04-13T17:44:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

It seems like a lot of other people have posted stuff that they wrote (other than poems), so I figured I'd post something I'd written. Tell me what you think of it, and don't hesitate to tell me any way I could possibly improve it:

(By the way, this is just a passage, not really a story on its own):

The old man crept silently through the thick woods as dusk cast a dark shadowy blanket over the clusters of trees. The only faint light came from the dim glow of the stars and moon as they valiantly fended off the impending blackness, taking over the sky but unable to touch the lowest points of the forest where the man stood. The vast darkness transformed the looming trees into great twisted towers, reaching with their distorted roots and branches for anything near.
The man was not frightened by the visions of night. He had seen many things, over many years that had provoked great fear deep within his spirit; but not this. This was just another blanket of darkness, threatening to swallow him into its gullet of abyss, but its threats were empty. The shadows taunted him from behind the trees and bushes, but succeeded in nothing except calming the man as he passed through the silent night.
The man’s past was a mystery, much of it even too himself. Many called him a wizard, for his words and his deeds throughout Êsteleánd , but this was not true; few knew who he truly was, and they all were forbidden to tell. The man had done much, and now he had another business to attend to, in a most unpredictable land. Throughout Êsteleánd there had been whispers; the whispers had turned to rumours; the rumours had turned to fact. One of the last lands of peace in Êsteleánd would soon see war.

Ciao!

A pile of randomness

2008-04-12T10:35:00.001-07:00

I've had a bunch of things in the back of my mind lately, and I figured I'd just get them out. First off, I'll describe the saying in my previous post.

"Our whole problem is that the owrld is filled with brilliant fools"

Humans are smart. Very, very smart. look at everything we have created. But look at the problems that we've made for ourselves. We never think ahead - cars and factories are on route to effectivly frying our planet, etc. There seems to be a large shortage on wisdom. Everyone, at some point in their lives, has used their genius for bad things. I won't deny it; I have. But our world has been falling apart for years, all because of these brilliant things we've made. And now, we've got no idea how to fix the problems. But more importantly, we've all turned against each other; wars, fights, arguing...our world is in a mess, and we're all trying to blame each other! Not only that, but rather than trying to use everyone's resources to better this world, every society, every government seems to wnat to do it on their own. And we're tearing each other apart. The earth cannot survive much longer in all of this...

Now for the random thoughts.

Has anyone else ever wished that they could fly?

I had a dream the other night that I met Sapphira....not sure why I had that dream...

You know, after thinking about the dream, I suddenly felt sure that I'm going to meet most, if not all, members of the YCF someday while I'm still on earth.

I finally have a hockey game this Monday....I'm so happy! We haven't played in over a month! It will be our first playoff game. I love playoffs!

I joined a hockey pool for the NHL playoffs. It isn't going so well right now, but that's okay. Hockey is so fun to watch.

I know none of you seem to like hockey that much, but just let me talk about it....I practically go into convulsions/withdrawls when I can't watch or play hockey. (except during summer...)

I love spring. Sunny mornings, clear skies...the smells, memories, inspiration for writing....(it reminds of the first time I read the first LOTR book, three years ago. It was for a school project...I wish I had that bookr right now....)

A few minutes ago, I thought to myself, "this is one of my favourite times of year." the fact that I think that about four times a year....oh, well. I still really love spring!

WEll, that's all for now.

Ciao!

Phrase of the week, first edition

2008-04-08T18:16:00.000-07:00

Why is it that before I came up with the idea to post phrases and proverbs that I came up with, they would pop into my head all the time, but now they stopped?? I think the laws of the world reach a lot deeper than physics....

However, I do have one saying that I made up a while ago. I won't tell you exactly what it means just yet, partially because I'm lazy, kind of because I want to see how obvious it is and if you can catch on, partially because I have to go for dinner soon, and somewhat because I want to do some writing. So, say what you think it might mean, and we'll see if you are right:

"Our whole problem is that the world is full of clever idiots"

("Brilliant fools" would work too.)

Anyway, Ciao!

Another poem, a new idea.....

2008-03-31T21:12:00.000-07:00

Hello again, everyone! I have a) a new poem to post and b) a new idea for some of my future posts.

First, I will announce my new idea, which will be called "phrase/motto of the week". If I need an idea to post on (which I often do) I will share and explain one of the sayings that seem to always pop up in my head. "Why am I announcing this", you ask? Because I need something to post. That should prove my point of needing post ideas.

Okay, now here's one more poem I wrote (Flinn wanted another one:):

If you’re puzzled and confuzzled by the muzzle on a bee
And you’re profane due to brain pain and it’s all the same to me
Then you’d better write a letter to the getter of your key
Or you’ll be brambled into shambles when you scramble up a tree

Should you come to near the hum of some infernal CPU
While the packet in your bracket makes a racket in your shoe
Then illogical technology makes you neurologically unglued
And an error full of terror it will soon report to you

But if the progress of you smartness has your consciousness subdued
And the content of the segment you've resented and are stewed
Then your process is a big mess and I guess I must conclude
That you’ve read too far ahead and so your head must be unscrewed

That's all, folks!

Ciao!

I'm back with More....

2008-03-30T20:02:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! I'm back from the all-nighter AND finally fully awake. It wasn't as tiring as you'd think. Although you shouldn't eat a whole bag of skitles at 2 a.m. It was really fun, though!

Anyway, I finished the sequel to the poem on my last post, "Redundancy". So here is the sequel, entitled "Contradictory":

There was once a sunny day
The stars were shining bright
As I ate my lunch at noon
In the middle of the night

I then went for a walk outside
While I stayed inside my home
When I came upon a pure bronze car
Made out of solid chrome

The bright sun glinted off the paint
The car was covered by the dark
Its wheels were gently rolling
And the gear was set in “park”

My thoughts all swirled inside my head
I could think clearly now
The logic was so obvious
But still I wondered “How?”

Sometimes, you just have to set loose your crazy and ridiculous inner self and let it roam free...if no one did that, why, what a boring world this would be!

Ciao!

Mwah ha ha ha!!

2008-03-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

Mwa ha ha ha, Mwa ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha! As you can now see on the side of my blog, I have added two new polls so dastardly and cruel that your mind will be torn apart by the fretting decisions! HAHAHAHAHA!

.....Actually, they aren't really THAT bad. Oh well...enjoy the very long thought process!

Also, here is a ridiculous comedy poem I wrote a couple of nights ago. I call it "Redundancy".

Into the unknown regions
Of beyond where the regions are known
I saw a copy of me at the spot
Where I found myself a clone

My clone was sad, my clone was wet
My clone was wet and sad
And plaid was on his clothing
My clone was dressed in plaid

He ran to the highest mountains
At a place where mountains are high
He saw some weird guy at exactly the spot
Where he spotted some odd guy

My clone kept trying to talk with the guy
My clone tried to speak with the dude
But my clone was so redundantly boorish
The guy must have thought his redundancy rude.

I plan to soon write its sequel, "Contradictory"

Also, my youth is having its annual all-nighter tonight (YEAH!!!!), which means I'll be getting on sugar highs and energy rushes all over town and will be asleep most of the day on Saturday. (Like I can ever get to sleep after being awake that long.)

Ciao!

Thinking...Thinking.....Thinking.....

2008-03-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone!

I really don't know what to post today, but I feel like posting something. I'll just talk a bit about my writing, I guess.

Have you ever created a character that you just couldn't get to do what you wanted? Some people think that writers have dominant power over their story. Not really.....I have this character who won't tell me his name!!! I want to be able to adress him by his name rather than trying to come up with creative nouns, but no matter what the situation, he won't say it. I will either have to kill him or make him one of the main characters in my book....I don't want to do the latter.....(so long, no-name.)

Isn't it neat how even when you are the one writing a story, it can still surprise you? I had this one signal in my book to alert a town that they were going to be attacked, carried out by my two young main characters. To my great surprise, I learned that this was not the right signal, and they had learned in from a nearly insane "ninny of a nub", to quote one of my favourite side/main characters. Now I've found out that the signal they learned is actually correct for something else that the insane farmer knew about, and that the farmer isn't....actually, I won't tell you any more. I'll just say that my story is ever surprising me.

I think I've gotten over my fear of rewriting things, and it may have something to do with all of the new ideas rushing into my head....(I got a great idea at midnight last night, and I couldn't find any paper! Had to improvise.)

Has anyone else had any surprising twists appear in their stories? If you're not a writer....you might not understand all this....or maybe you do.

Ciao!

Easter!!!

2008-03-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone! It's easter Sunday! I don't really want to preach on today, it is supposed to be a joyful event...after all, the most happiest event happened on Easter nearly two thousand years ago!

You know, thinking about how all of it is true....how Christ really did die.....his disciples really didmourn, and God does exist and is watching me and you RIGHT NOW as you read this...if you really come to realize that, which I can only understand at certain times....it's amazing. And it's joyfulous! (Throw out the dictionary!!!)

Getting past all of the chocolate eggs and easter bunnies and egg hunts and family gatherings, not that they aren't all fun and tasty, what does easter mean to non-Christians? What does Christmas mean to them? It seems like holidays are just becoming a major spending time for adults, and a gimme gimme gimme time for kids. But that isn't what they are! Nobody needs big meals or chocolate to celebrate easter! Think about it: in my last post I said that outside of this world, nothing is commanded by logic. So when Jesus was dying, the whole time he was thinking about just one individual: me. and you. and everyone else in the YCF. But all as INDIVIDUALS. Not as just a group. He wanted to be with us for eternity: he didn't want to see us condemned and separated from Him forever. No matter how much we sin, He still wants us! Amazing, isn't it? That he would die like He did so that he wouldn't have to get super mad at us every time we did something wrong, so that we would always have a chance to turn around? So amazing...

Anyways, I've got to go to my grandparents house for an easter gathering, so see ya! And don't forget to read my last post if you haven't...;)

Ciao!

Beyond our Realm part 3: Here and There

2008-03-22T16:26:00.001-07:00

After having your heads twisted by my last post (heh heh), I would guess that you are all in great anticipation of the promised post that might untwist them. Ha ha, just kidding....sort of. If that makes sense to anyone...

There is one word that can instantly put a humongous gap between our world and God's kingdom: Absolutes. In our world, almost everything is dominated by logic and laws of physics. But God created logic and physics when He creaed the world. They don't apply to Him. I don't think our earth logic applies to anyone outside our universe. The problem is, our heads are wired to think in absolutes. And that is why we cannot understand much of anything outside this world. We try to put everything in terms that would make sense in this world. But our world itself had a beginning, so how could we understand eterntiy? We can't nearly come close to understanding the full extent of God's power, because it makes no sense here on earth. I finished reading The Last Battle earlier today, the last book in the Narnia series. It's amazing, and I would definitely recommend that series to those who haven't read it. I loved the ending; it didn't really defy our world's logic to a great extent, but it did take me out of our world for a moment, and made mesee just how confined we are here by our laws of physics and everything. But think of heaven: I'm sure there will be a few "absolutes", but very different from earthly ones.

I also realized the real reason we can't seem to understand anything about heaven and God: it's not only because we can't imagine those things on there own. It's because whenever we try to interpret them, we try to back it up with logic from earth. Be random! Try backing your thoughts with silly thoughts that make no sense at all! It's prettys surprising to me how much sense it all starts to make when you leave sense behind.

Did that help? If you're confused, then maybe you haven't tried the suggestion in the last paragraph....try again!

Ciao!

Beyond our Realm part 2: Time and Eternity

2008-03-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

Well, after a lengthy delay, I can now finally continue my little series.

One thing that I could never wrap my head around was that God had no beginning. I ran a sort of picture in my mind, going back and back, but could never get to the beginning. Of course, no human could possibly comprehend the length of eternity: on earth, everything has a beginning and an end.

I have finally, however, perfected a diagram of eternity. It's extremely simple, but I think it works.

It's a little uneven, but that doesn't matter. The squares in this picture represent the beginning and end of eternity. The line represents time. I think that God must have created time. He's bigger than time. He isn't affected by time. Time means nothing in God's kingdom. "For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by" (Psalm 90:3-5) With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. (2 Peter 3:7-9) So, if time is relative and irrelevant in God's kingdom, and there was nothing but God in the very beginning, why shouldn't time have a start? This next statement probably isn't 100% true, but still, it seems to say something important: "There is no such thing as eternity. There is only God."

However, while time may be irrelevant in God's kingdom, there is no doubt that it is very relevant here on earth. I find it is also very fleeting. Every year seems like it goes by faster. Of course that's because I'm getting older, but it still seems like my life is starting to rush away from me. It's already spring break, and I can still remember specific events from September as if they happened last week! And then there are those boring days, where time just refuses to go anywhere. There's a strip in Calvin and Hobbes (those are awesome cartoons!) that makes a great illustration of this. I'll try to find it and post it...

I've always wondered about time and how it works. Is there just one, steady line of time that we're going through? Are there different "stages" of time, happening again and again and again? Is our universe hurtling at incomparible (sp?) speeds through different areas of space AND time? Are events predetermined? I refuse to believe that they are, but still, it seems like everything has to be. If God knows what's going to happen, then are there set events that will happen? If I'm typing out this post, then wasn't I already going to write it? There are words that I'm going to type, and certain comments that you are going to leave (I hope :). But if we all have free wills and a choice, then events can't be predetermined. We'd have to be forging through time as it goes on. And that, mixed with the "no time in heaven" stuff, also means that there cannot be repeating "stages" of time. Although I sometimes comfort myself by saying "there are me's that already went through this....it sort of helps. This would also mean that time travel, much to the despair of scientists, is impossible.

But, God also has an eternal plan, one that will not fail. So some things are going to happen: but, as Bryan Davis said in Tears of a Dragon, God lets us step out on our own and makes our actions fit his plan. Not by making us do certain things, but by making whatever we do work.

I am happy to say that at this point my head is not hurting. I am sorry, however, for any headaches that I cause you all...

Ciao!

Happy birthday to Shelby!!!

2008-03-17T15:18:00.001-07:00

Happy birthday to you...
Happy birthday to you...
Happy birthday dear Shelby,
Happy birthday to you...

Shelby, a member of the Young Christian Force, celebrates her 14th birthday today! Here is a poem that I wrote for/about her. It may be a bit odd and corny or whatever, but I hope that it isn't too bad.

We met her by way of the blog
From her insightful dialogue
She writes and she fights
I don't think she bites
And I'm quite sure she isn't a frog...

She joined up with writers at school
Her writing is richer than jewels
She lives for the Lord
Of her own accord
And her kind words give everyone fuel

I hope you liked it, Shelby! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CiAo!

New Avatar

2008-03-16T19:25:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

I figured with all the fuss about the avatars that Araken is making, I'd show you the new avatar I just made for myself...It's simple, but I like it.

I'll try to post something more thought provoking soon...maybe tomorrow.

Yahoo! I'm on Spring Break! No school for two weeks! Which means maybe now I can work some more on my book....Yay!

Okay, here's the avatar:

It was fun to make, but photoshop gets really annoying...(if you have ANYTHING selected, it won't let do anything other than resizing and stuff until you deselect it. It took me awhile to figure that out.) Still, I'm learning, and it's fun!

And in other news: my blog's record for most comments on one post was broken on my last post with 18 comments. Woo-hoo! (of course, several were mine...:)

Ciao!

False Christianity

2008-03-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted for so long....I haven't had the time or the thoughts to write a post. But now, I must interrupt my intended blog series. It seems that YCF has its first "battle" to fight.

It is not a new thing that evil is worming its way into supposedly Christian minds. It dates way back to the time of Jesus, when the Pharisess were obsessed with the law written in the first few books of the Scripture. But, it is still causing many people to fall into a dangerous trap, and it is turning many against Christianity.

What is being a Christian about? There are many false answers that are so commonly accepted. Christianity is not simply about getting into heaven (I once got into that false mindset), or being against certain people and ideas, or converting people to Christianity. (Christianity, I believe, is not a religion, but I'll have to do another post on that.) We are not called to somehow make people follow God - they have been granted a choice. We are supposed to tell them and show them God's love.

"Come with me, And I will make you fishers of men." (Mattehw 4:19)

This means that we will spread the word of Jesus our Saviour, not forcibly convert everyone we can. Have you ever gone fishing? Well, if you haven't noticed, sometimes you don't catch anything. Why? Because the fish stay away fromt the hook! Why do people not immediately embrace God's love and His plan for their lives? Because it looks bad to them at first, like a prison. It seems to them like it will be less fun and uncomfortable. So they stay away.

I'm a helper in the Sunday school program at our church, so I hear the lesson every week. A couple of Sundays ago, the lesson was on witnessing. They talked about the "fishing for men" verse, and talked about having "bait" to get others to want to hear about Christ. I don't want to rag on my church, as there are really good lessons for the kids, but to tell the truth, I was appalled at what they were saying. "If your friend has this problem, say that if they choose to follow God, He will take it away." Things like that. What a selfish reason that would be to follow God! What a bad way to witness! Christianity is not about getting our earthly lives all nice and fixed up. It's about the opposite. As a speaker at my youth retreat said, "If you want to follow and be like Jesus, you've got to get your hands dirty". In other words, you have to do things unconditionally for God, things that you might not really want to do. Remember the good Samaritan? He helped a man that had been beaten and left to die. That means there was blood all over him. The Samaritan probably had to skip going to work - no paycheck. So it's not all about money. He poured out his wine - no enjoyment for him. He paid for the man's care - he loses money. Could you imagine how his evening would be when he got home to his wife? (By the way, I borrowed this little narration from the youth speaker. His name is Bart.)

To witness for the Lord is not to get as many people to convert by any means possible. I heard of a church in Thailand (I think it was Thailand) that offered to build some Buddhist tsunami victims a new village. But there was a condition: everyone in the village had to convert from Buddhism to Christianity. The people refused to convert. But even if they had, it wouldn't have been real. There were other individuals offered the same type of terms by other "Christians", and these individuals did convert, anticipating more promised help, but converted back because they never got the help. So did this method really work? Now, looking at all this, I can better to understand Jesus' parable in Matthew 13 about the sower and the seeds. I advise everyone to read and re-read that parable - I think it is a very good illustration of what false witnessing and false Christians look like.

In the Sunday school class, there was also a very good lesson this last Sunday about the Lord's prayer. It was good for everyone, the leaders included, not just the kids. One part of this prayer was especially emphasized: Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. We shouldn't pray just about ourselves, but mostly for what God wants. We should be seeking to do His will, not trying to get Him to do our will. So many people think that God will just always be there for them, no matter what, and they don't have to do a thing.

The reason I am writing this post is because of a post on dcf's blog. I would recommend reading it. (The post is titled "A Christian who is hurt"). There is a huge problem that seems to penetrate Christianity, yet contradicts something at the very base of God's Word: "And forgive our sins as we forgive our debtors. I think that the people of this "church" are forgetting something here. It is okay to be against someone's actions, but not against the person - forgiveness is a huge part of being a Christian. God does not hate anyone just because they have sinned. Not one of the people in that church can say that they are without sin. That means, they are just as bad as these homosexuals that they are picketing against. We all are. With one difference, though: we have chosen to allow Jesus to cleanse us, and have turned away from our sins.

I think that there is one thing about these false people that we should remember, though: we have to forgive them, too. They have fallen, and need a hand to reach down and pick them back up. Whether they accept our hands or not is up to them. But we shouldn't attack them too much, either - then we would be as much hypocrites as them. (I'm not attacking them here - by definition, their actions are categorized as hypocrisy.)

So what is Christianity about? Essentially, it's this: serving God and striving to grow in the likeness of Jesus. Us serving God, not vice versa. It' also about being saved from sin, so that we can live forever with God. Not for the sake of getting into heaven, but to live in and embrace His love for us as we build His kingdom, forever.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for youselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19

We should not focus on building our own lives on this earth, but rather on working for the kingdom of God while we are here. Where should our hearts be? On earth, away from God? Or in heaven, with Him? Our treasure here are temporary, but the glorious treasures that we can store in God's kingdom are eternal.

Ciao!

Oh wow, that was a long post - over 1200 words!

Beyond our Realm part 1: Life Before Birth?

2008-03-06T17:19:00.000-08:00

The topic in the title is something that I have often wondered about. Did we exist, and know that we existed, before we were born onto this earth? No, I'm not talking about past lives or anything like that. I mean, were we ever in heaven, with angels, maybe even with God, waiting for our time on this earth? It's hard to think of us all only having existed for 13-15 years (I believe that is our age range in YCF). And if we did exist before, what were we doing? It makes total sense for us to have no memory of anything before we were born - on earth, we use our physical minds, which wouldn't have been with us before, if we were anywhere before...

One thing I also sometimes think about is our reaction in having to come to earth. Once I imagined a room full of souls, pushing to get though a "portal" and be the next one to be born onto earth. I also once imagined this scene:

God: You will now be sent to the Earth I have created, where you will be tested in your wisdom and your faith. Your true heart will be found, and my Name will many times be defied.

Us: How could I defy your Name, Lord? There is no such blasphemy in all the heavens! I will never turn from You, or let anyone else speak out against You!

God: You will have no memory of anything you have done here in heaven, only of your deeds on Earth. You will be there for a span of less than a hundred years, with no knowledge of anything beyond that realm.

Us: But Lord, it will seem like an eternity apart from You!

God: You will have no memory of Me or any of the other creatures of heaven. You may even lose yourself. Now you must go.

I imagine that it would be terrible to have to leave God's side to come to this forbidden yet beautiful place. Yet we wouldn't dare defy God if we were right next to Him, or any other time and any other place - except here on earth. But I am convinced that earth is more than a test. I'll have to write another post on that.

I also wonder many other things about before we were born, such as if we got to choose what type of life we'd get, if we even knew what life we would get, if we knew who we would be...also where our souls went. Because I'm sure that our souls aren't inside of our bodies, or right next to us, or anywhere else in this world. They couldn't enter it without a body - after all, we aren't physical beings in them, they are spiritual. So where are they? In another dimension? Hmmm, more post ideas....

Do you think that we thought that our lives on earth would seem short? They sure would seem short to us, if we had already seen heaven and lived for a long time. What were we doing???

Oh, and by the way, if you find any evidence in the Bible that we didn't exist before we were born on earth, feel absolutely free to share. If you have any evidence that we did exist, feel just as free to share. Questions need answers (although life is often more fun with no answers :).

And another note: for those of you who may not know, I believe that Aelic has joined the Young Christian Force! A while ago, actually. So though this is late, welcome, Aelic!

2008-02-28T17:04:00.000-08:00

For the next few days, I will be on a youth retreat (FUN!). Since I won't have access to computers, I won't be able to blog, either. That makes me sad. :( But fear not, I will be back soon! Mike will also be going, just to clear things up. And Sapphira, Mike is my brother...you can see his comment on my second poetry post, and you can now get to his blog from my sidelinks. (Universe/mind/Mike)

Since I won't be interacting on the bloggernet, I figured I may as well post something...So here are a couple of poems I wrote recently. Someone told me to post more soon.

Oh, and I have decided on the poem I will enter into the contest! I have chosen the third one, as many of you also did. Thanks for the help! :)

By the way, I intend to possibly further edit and add on to these poems.

“From the dust, I call a soul
To in My life be bathed.
I know that he will be condemned
And that he will be saved,”

Says the Sovereign Lord.

“But how can one be cursed and saved
Inside a single soul?
How can something from the dust
Be cut and still be whole?”

Asks the Mighty Earth.

“If a mind does not have faith
In what it cannot know
It will not grasp my Holy Words
And truth will cease to flow.”

Says the Righteous King.

“But if a mind can’t understand
The wisdom that You speak
How could it know Your words of truth
From heaven’s highest peak?”

Asks the Newborn Soul.

“A foolish man who hears My words
All wisdom he’ll ignore
But men of faith will see My truth
And know it evermore,”

Says the Living God.

“Your Holy Wisdom passes all
And knows the highest truth
Without Your strength, we all are fools
In our untested youth

How is it, then, that one could know
Your righteous Holy words?
How could any see Your truth
Without it being blurred?”

Asks the Angel Host.

“Any heart that calls My strength
Knows all of Heaven’s peaks
For I know all eternity
And truth those hearts will speak.

No earthly ear, no earthly eye
Has known My mighty thoughts
But understanding I will give
This soul that I have wrought.”

Says the Holy Father.

AND THE SECOND POEM:

The earthen heart, she sadly mourns
For dark adorns her face
Her diamond tears fall from the sky
In despair, she prays for grace

As evil clouds came swirling in
To darken earth’s pure heart
The wind told whispers of a lie
That tore the earth apart

For centuries, the earth lost hope
And turned away from light
Even moon, with silver donned
Was banished into night

The golden sun from glorious perch
Saw evil as it came
But light from sun was not enough
To cleanse the world of shame

The Saving Lord from holy throne
Watched creation fall
He wept pure tears for fallen hearts
And heard their desperate call

The second one isn't actually finished, by the way. I have a few of those...

Bye! And don't forget to comment...:) (I will still be reading them, eventually, or maybe sooner...)

Miracles

2008-02-27T16:02:00.001-08:00

When Jesus was on earth, he performed many miracles, some which saved lives, some which helped people to develop faith, and others that helped people witht their problems. Many read and hear about these miracles. But one thing that many people don't realize is that miracles still happen. Perhaps not every day, but they happen.

I don't want to start sounding like a bland Sunday school teacher and say that every little thing in life is a miracle. Miracles and blessings are different, though with similarities. A few years ago, God did a true miracle in my life, which saved my life. And He actually defied science.

I am supposed to be lethally allergic to peanuts. I could die if I ate one. I have apparently been like this since I was born. (I actually reacted badly the first time I ate peanuts, but I recieved lots of medical care that time). Now here is my miraculous story:

A few years ago, I went to a family reunion. In the gym of the school/college it was being held in, there were a whole bunch of snacks laid out throughout the weekend. While I was snacking, I ate what looked like a chocolate Rice Krispie square. Without any immediate reaction, I continued to eat a few other things and then left.
That night, I had a bad stomach ache. It was really painful, but it went away after twenty minutes, and I went to sleep fine. We were unconcerned until the next morning, when we discovered that the Rice Krispie square I had eaten contained peanut butter.

I hoped that I had grown out of my allergy. A few weeks later, I got tested again for allergies. According to the test, I was still allergic to peanuts, just as badly as before. (Have you ever had an allergy test? THey make you really itchy!) I don't recall any doctoral explanation of why I was still alive. By the way, to this day, I have not had any medical attention for that incident!

So scientifically, I should be dead right now.

After this, I don't remember if I thanked God for saving my life. Looking back, I am amazed and thankful that He did. And I will continue to thank Him, for that and for all the other times I should have been hurt but wasn't.

Looking back, I have often wondered if God kept me alive because there is still something for me to do on this earth. It may have been just to show me that He was truly real. Or some other reason I would never think of. But no matter why He did it, I know now that God is truly amazing, and that He still does miracles.

Does the world need any more proof?

Last poem

2008-02-25T17:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, everyone, here is the last poem I will be posting (for now). Read it, tell me how you like it, and if you want to, tell me which of the three you like best! (personally, I think I like this one best.)

Through clouds of mist I swing my sword
At dark concealed foes
I see my dull and blood-stained blade
And then a nearby glow

Shall I take the Spirit’s Sword
And drop the swords of earth?
Dare I fight the war of souls
To join in heaven’s mirth?

Shall I grab the Blade of Truth
My enemies to slay?
Will I use it faithfully
And let the Lord direct my way?

Shall I grasp the Hilt of Life
And give my soul to serve?
Then if my King reveals my path
My humbled heart will never swerve.

More poetry

2008-02-22T20:36:00.000-08:00

Well, I've written another poem (writing is so much fun!). And I'm planning on writing lots more, which I may or may not post (wouldn't want to make everyone sick of poetry).

I'm planning on entering a poetry contest. You guys can enter too, and I think you should, at poeticpower.com. Of course, since I live in Canada, I won't be competing against you Americans (not sure if any of you live in Canada), but that will just heighten the chances of more than one of us winning!:) Anyway, I was wondering if you guys were willing to be preliminary judges for me and help me choose my best poem. I'll do the same for any of you who want to enter the contest.

Oh, and if you want to read it, here is my next poem:

With sword in hand and faith in heart
I face my darkened foe
Defending truth and saddened souls
With naught to hide my woe

My enemy will rise again
To flare his lying tongue
But still I fight with righteous truth
And trust in hymns well sung

All around me warriors fell
In pools of blood they lie
Defeated by this evil foe
Without a cry they died

Their eyes have turned from ways of light
Their hearts as cold as ice
Felled before my rival’s blade
Its dark and silent slice

I look around at fallen friends
And to my knees I fall
Alone as more dark foes approach
I can’t defeat them all

This poem isn't really finished, but for the contest it can't be any longer...

Bye for now!

Book poem

2008-02-21T18:50:00.000-08:00

Hi, guys! Really sorry that I haven't posted in so long....been a bit busy. Anyway, here is a poem I wrote for the book I am currently writing. Right now, I intend to make it a song in my book, but that may change. Tell me what you think, and please be completely honest!

Our shields, our spear, our silver swords
Our sharpened arrows righteous flight
The evil clash of darkened blades
Will fall before the power of light

Through war and peace we wield the Truth
The sharpest sword in all the earth
To slash the darkened hearts of foes
And cut through lies of evil birth

we push through woods, through trees we fight
Though blood we spill and flesh we shed
To fend off foes and spread our hope
While tall we stand on fields of red

Though darkness comes and swords will clash
Our flame of hope will never dim
For darkened spears will burn and break
While firm we stand with loyal hymns

Well, That's it! Did you like it? (remember, honesty!) I might change it a bit or add on to it later, but that's how it is for now. Cheerio!

2008-02-10T11:01:00.000-08:00

Do you remember at the end of "Charlie Brown Christmas" when all the kids were singing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing?" (I'm a person who likes Christmas songs all year round, and that is one of my favourite ones!)I loved that scene. I've been thinking about it for the last few days, and I don't think that there is a much clearer picture of what Christmas is really all about. And what life with God is about. I don't think I can convey everything that the scene and the song say and mean to me using just words, since it gives such a rush of different emotions. It gives me joy, sadness, regret, hope, and a few others that I'm not sure even have names. It makes me feel peaceful, realizing that all of my small problems and trifles on earth here don't matter so much, and it shows me somehow what my life should be like, what God really wants from me. Yet still, I don't know how to describe the message in words. I can't even fully comprehend it with my mind. Just seeing the young kids standing there, around a small but beatifully decorated tree, peacefully defying the commercial aspect of Christmas and praising God...it almost makes me feel like crying, both with tears of joy and sadness. I now sincerely regret many things about my childhood. I look with remorse on the fact that I didn't see what being a Christian was really about. I wish that I had more sincere Christian friends. And I especially wish that I could have found the true meaning of Christmas and Christ, and celebrated it truly with my friends. I think we shoudl all have the innocence of kids like it is portrayed in the show: not the ignorance and lack of knowledge, but just the innocence, not caring so much about the hectic things in our lives that are really so worthless in hindsight.

Jesus said he came to bring a sword, not peace. That is true, but does that mean He wants constant war here on earth? Does He want us to not have a moment of peace? Does He want us to search for battles to fight against evil, to look for sins to resist? No. The sword Jesus brought was different. The people who are saved by the Truth will bring anger and fury and resentment to the people around them who don't know Jesus, but how will they overcome it? By going and forcing those people to accept Christ? Again, no. We will overcome it with the peace Jesus brings to us when we come to know Him. Back to the Charlie Brown scene, could you think of a better way for them to fight the commercial aspect and show what Christmas was about? They could have gone out and forcibly told people to stop being so obssessed with money and presents and publicity, but that would not have gotten any message at all across. Their message was a peaceful one, and therefore had to be expressed peacefully. So they simply sang, in the darkness of night, to anyone who would hear, and to God. The same way, we should show our Christianity by living it for others to see, and we should live it for God. Don't try and force messages across. Also, they sang around a beatiful tree, which had previously been scorned. We should centre our lives around Christ, who is beautiful in His love but is scorned by the world. We aren't meant to go out and try to save as many people as possible, to try and cram them into God's kingdom. We should express peacefully and lovingly the joy of the Lord, to all who will hear it. And we should be joyful in our relationship with God, filled with peace and love, and praising God with it.

I think that that is all I can say about it in words, but there is much more to it...think about that scene and the song, and any other Christian scenes that provoke emotions and give you a sense of truth, and feel it for yourself. If your like me, thinking about it will get real confusing...

P.S. On another note, Elliot Reed has just joined the Young Christian Force! Welcome, Elliot!

And all, thanks for bearing with the Christmas stuff. But why shouldn't we celebrate the birth of Christ all year long?

Araken's Birthday!!!

2008-02-01T17:26:00.000-08:00

It is Araken's birthday today! Everybody wish him happy birthday. For a little bit more info check out his blog here, and Sapphira's blog here.

I would love to be able to say more, as I have known him for three whole days already over the internet, but I don't know what else to add...so I may get back to you a little later on that one.

Happy Birthday Araken!!

P.S. please also pray for Sapphira. She recently recieved some very difficult news, so she could use some support.

Random Question Day

2008-01-31T09:58:00.000-08:00

I hereby declare January 31st Random Question Day! Wayne Batson kind of beat me to the punch on this one *glares at Wayne*, but here it is: Everybody think of as totally random of a question you can, and then try to find random answers to other people's questions. Let's see how random and hilarious we can get it (and knowing some of you, this could get very, very fun).

Here are two random questions to start:

How do you burn a nonexistent phantom?

Do pillows migrate?

Tell all your friends and online accomplices to think of their own random questions and answers, it doesn't matter where or if they post them. Come on, everybody! spread it around! It's Random Question Day!!

Maybe we can eventually get this to become an official holiday...:)

Beginning to Blog

2008-01-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

Starting out on my new blogging adventure, I am excited to finally be able to share some of my thoughts. However, this would be far more effective if I know that people are reading them.

I want to keep this a Christian blog, but also to interact and talk with others about anything. I have been surfing other people's blogs for about a month now, and I am starting to try and leave comments on whoever's I can, but I would certainly feel more comfortable expressing my thoughts and opinions on the internet if I can read what people think about them so I know what types of people I am interacting with.

It would be very tempting to just leave this one post up until somebody commented, but if no one comments within a couple of days and I just kept waiting, my blog would just end up being a dusty abandoned post.

So please, if you come by here, please leave a comment even if it just saying that you came by. I know firsthand how hard it is to leave a comment on a blog post asking you to leave a comment, so I'm going to add a new post in a day or two, but I will stop soon if it seems like no one is reading.