ain't no tuition for havin' no ambition . ..

2005-05-21T17:05:00.000-04:00

2005-04-25T13:38:00.000-04:00

2005-03-31T15:58:00.000-05:00

"That's what you took from this world, Nina."

Jack and Nina are on an plane, minutes after she managed to kill a special agent with a gift card while handcuffed, seconds before the plane is hit by a surface-to-air missile and takes a nosedive.

"The Sunday before you killed my wife...

"Teri and I went to the boardwalk in Venice just watching all the rollerbladers and musicians, laughing at all the crazy people, spending time together. And Teri sees this sno-cone stand. She giggles like a kid. She takes off running, she wants to get in line, she wants one. I remember thinking I was watching her, I was just...

"I couldn't help myself. When I look up at her she's talking to this old lady in line behind her and the two of them are laughing, and I'm thinking to myself, 'how the hell does she do that?' How does she strike up a conversation with an absolute stranger? And they just started laughing. Like they'd been friends forever.

"That's a gift. I remember thinking, 'God, I wish I could do that'. But I can't. That was Teri. My wife. That's what you took from this world, Nina. That's what you took from me and my daughter.

"I just wanted you to know that."

2005-03-14T18:07:00.000-05:00

I think I linked this a while back, but it's worth doing again. Yay, they're finally updating!

2005-01-17T11:55:00.000-05:00

At the end of the day, when I'm lying in bed and I know the chances of any of my, or our, or whatever's theology being exactly right are what, a million in one? then I need to know that God has things figured out, that if our math is wrong we are still going to be ok.

Wonder is that feeling we get when we let go of our silly answers, our mapped-out rules that we want God to follow.

I don't think there's any better worship than wonder.

It's like, when I think of the sheer complexity of the Trinity, my mind cannot understand, but my heart feels wonder in abundance satisfaction. It's as though my heart, in the midst of its euphoria, is saying to my mind, Josh, there are things you canot understand, and you must learn to live with this. Not only must you learn to live with this, you must learn to enjoy this.

I'm an unabashed Christian mystic. I admit it.

2005-01-11T01:29:00.000-05:00

An intimate moment with The Beast

http://img97.exs.cx/img97/1060/bauertablebeasting2yx.gif

2004-12-16T02:36:00.000-05:00

WoW-A-Day

Yup, Ash is 30.

It's amazing just how fun the level-up process is. How does Blizzard do it? I figure it's cause they give you so many options in so many different cities, that once you're bored you can hop around to somewhere else and do something. Don't like the dreary Barrens? Chug over to dreamy Ashenvale. The scorched sands of Stonetalon Mountains getting to your eyes? Take a zep over to Tarren Mill (which is an extremely refreshing place to go to, considering most of us horde on Kalimdor have pretty drab places to hang out)

In the Charred Vale today, got 3 quick PvP kills on a Rogue and Warrior. Hehe. 2on1 can't faze Ashathor, baby! And I even ganked one as he was revived and resting his half-depleted body. mmmm, hope he has big repair costs.

And yeah, Ashathor is 30 now. To celebrate, I'm trying to pick up a pair of weapons for Ash from the auction house: an axe and a mace. For some reason, ever since around 20, I've had these exact same weapons; their age is really beginning to show . .. sigh . ..

But woo-wee, I can only drool about 40 . .. mmmm, kodo mount . . . . . . smashy smashy!

2004-12-06T02:00:00.000-05:00

Another Alliance raid on the town of Crossroads about a half hour ago. Amidst much fighting, we were finally able to drive the humans and elves and dwarves and gnomes off our Barrens and back into their Ashenvale forest. We celebrated a difficult and bruising victory, but for only a moment, as the knowledge that their reemergence would occur again was on the back of all our minds. For now, we licked our wounds, celebrated over cold glasses of troll concoctions, and relived our stories of valor and glory.

Ashathor, currently a Shaman of the 21st season, was able to drive off a Dwarven Hunter of the 19th season, and a Gnome Rogue of the 20th season. He also participated in the grand victory over a Human Paladin of the 31st season.

Glory to the Horde!

mmmmmmmmm, WoW. hehe.

2004-12-01T03:09:00.000-05:00

And so it ends.

75 games.

$2,520,700.

Affable smile.

Dorky voice.

You officially retire, Mr. Jennings, as THE BEAST. For all the cases Gil Grisholm can solve, for all the world-domination heists Jack Bauer can thwart, for all the front pages Jon Cheng can make, as Alex Trebek said:

"Ken's one of a kind."

Quote of the year: "Ken Jennings just got zerg-rushed!"

hahahahahahahahahaha.

2004-11-24T21:30:00.000-05:00

Most Dangerous Cities in the U.S.

The Morgan Quitno Safest City Award is based on a city's rate for six basic crime categories: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft.

Most Dangerous Cities
1 Camden, NJ
2 Detroit, MI
3 Atlanta, GA
4 St. Louis, MO
5 Gary, IN
6 Washington, DC
7 Hartford, CT
8 New Orleans, LA
9 Richmond, VA
10 Birmingham, AL
11 Baltimore, MD
12 Richmond, CA
13 Memphis, TN
14 Jackson, MS
15 Tampa, FL
16 San Bernardino, CA
17 Compton, CA
18 Springfield, MA
19 Miami, FL
20 Cleveland, OH
21 Dayton, OH
22 North Charleston, SC
23 Little Rock, AR
24 Oakland, CA
25 Cincinnati, OH

yeeeeh, Gary, Indiana, represent! lol. errr, I mean, I feel ya, Pete.

Maybe Artest can use this to plead his case.

2004-11-18T08:53:00.000-05:00

With the open beta servers closing today for World of Warcraft, I sat back for a second, and realized, dang this game is good.

Can't wait for retail.

I found myself creating characters named after people I knew in my Everquest days. Ironic how it still persists, even after 3-4 some odd years. Sometimes, it felt like aggravated assault when playing it. Then I think about the $ I made off my character, and all is well.

With 3 assignments due in less than 2 weeks, and having not started one of them, there's only one thing to do in this situation:

Half Life 2.

Speaking of which, the crowbar made #2 on Gamespy's list of top 10 melee weapons in FPS. #1? The good ol' impact hammer of past Unreal Tournaments. hehe. The hammer looks so . . .. naughty . .. .

2004-11-04T22:31:00.000-05:00

Been watching this anime called Gakutsuou, and I gotta say, this anime's got me positively infuriated. Not cause it's bad, or annoying, rather, it's . ...

suave . ...

The most obvious bit of Gankutsuou is the art, in particular the colouring. The colouring really really takes some getting used to. Though it's exquisite, and reeks of artisanship, sometimes you just gotta close your eyes to prevent the seizures.

But my fave part is the blatent yet subtle juxtaposition that goes on. For instance, you have Albert and his friends, which have pale skin and are quite young, and then you have Monte Cristo, who's skin is blue, and he looks sooooo nefarious. Then, you have the main characters living in a dream world of nobility and red wine, and then you have the rest of the world barred from them and living in poverty, a slum world a la Final Fantasy VII. Then you have Albert's optimistic naivety vs. his friend's worldliness. Then you have . ... see? too good.

Now, if only Macross Zero would finish downloading . ...

2004-11-01T19:56:00.000-05:00

virus my bum . .. darn you ITS . ..

see, I think Atlanta ought to scrap that "West Coast Offense" and devise, using 1 piece of paper and a yodle, the "Vick Coast Offense." Here's the premise: instead of looking to receiver 1, receiver 2, receiver 3, instead of all that balhooey, Vick "looks left, looks down the middle, looks to the right" and runs to whichever field he sees fit. Vick's main problem is that none of his receivers are much to write about . .. and for sure, none of them can do the Ray Lewis dance . ..

So looking forward to some MMORPG goodness once again. See, Mr. Antec wasn't built for Doom3. Rather, he's made for WoW and EQII. mmmmm...back to the days of phat l3wt...ownj00 niggaz!

by the way, anyone know the song RJJ walked down to the ring to before getting KTFO by Glen Johnson?

2004-10-28T08:30:00.000-04:00

THE TRUTH

2004-10-23T23:31:00.000-04:00

Uhhh Ernie, I might take up your offer for those spindles of anime CDs . .. .

Started watching a couple of brand-new animes: Bleachworld and Melody of Oblivion. If you watch, and wanna gab about em, I'm all aces. But haha, the girls in Melody are so . .. suggestive . .. and it's all about Ichigo's father in Bleach.

2004-10-09T23:57:00.000-04:00

Wind Waker for 29.99 baby! Finally, it has come down to Player's Choice level . .. so far so good . ..

Following the gaming tracks, I was talking to a buddy about UT2004, and we concluded that, based on the amount of people who follow/play the game, it's gotta be one of the most underappreciated FPS out there. It's physics and gravity are perfectly blended with the pacing of the game, not to mention the BEST balancing of weapons found in any shooter. And you know what? It's learning curve is rewarding! There's no other shooter that gives you the same adrenaline for knowing you "worked" for your kill. Not CS, not any of the Quakes, nothing.

And to finish up, I've been asked who the best characters are in the Naruto game. Yup, Shikamaru is good, Lee's gates are ill, it's fun to Sharingan supers with Kakashi, and the Hyuuga's have disgusting chains. BUT, so far, in the clutch, I'd have to go with "that Sasuke-obsessed freak Ino." Haha, good quote Naruto.

2004-10-07T08:31:00.000-04:00

Jump Fighters vs. game on Nintendo DS

Naruto vs. Goku! oooooooh man, *drool* who cares if on paper, it's the most imbalanced fight since Cable vs. SonSon.

Oh by the way, the Naruto game is the shitz, muahahahaha.

Currently using: Rock Lee. Trying to gate people is ill, but tough as heck.

2004-10-05T10:14:00.000-04:00

Guy, if you don't know, don't pretend like you do . ... makes things awkward, yet laughable!

Anyways, I think the R.I.P thing ought to be replaced. Not a hit against Grandma, of course. But it's good to keep moving forward.

Anyone else study with anime on?

2004-09-26T23:25:00.000-04:00

Despite my reemergence from the weekend getaway at chez-Yo We in Muskoka (indoor bathrooms, BEAT THAT ACF), I'll instead blog about a hilarious narrative a friend wrote up regarding the current state of Naruto Manga. Ahhhh, makes me glad Kishimoto-san decided to make the anime character-driven instead of making Naruto and Sasuke DBZ-like world beaters. Note to everyone who wants Naruto anime to move faster: count your blessings that Kishimoto is taking his time to flesh out the cast with some nice side-stories and character building, instead of shoving two genin boys down our throats.

Oh, and of course, none of this would be possible without the fascinating world of SPOILER ALERT! sooo, buyer beware.

Naruto: Sasuke! Get your ass back to the village!

Sasuke: Nope. I'm gonna go seek Orochimaru and get a powerup.

Naruto: Okay, you asked for it! *kick punch*

Sasuke: *kick punch* Okay, I need to have a long and drawn-out flashback now.

Naruto: Sure. I'll be over here when you're done. *whips out Gameboy Tetris*

Sasuke: ....And that is why I have to kill you.

Naruto: ...The hell? Allright, I'll beat you back to the only semi-angsty Sasuke you used to be! *kick punch*

Sasuke: *kick punch* Okay, this is going nowhere. Chidori!

Naruto: Rasengan!

Kishimoto: The Ultimate Clash! Chidori Vs Rasengan! Who will win!

Naruto, Sasuke: ......

Sasuke: Well shit. That didn't work. There's no need for words anymore. Well, back to the basics. *kick punch* It's time for you to die! Chidori!

Naruto: Ow, my shoulder! ...The fuck? You really are trying to kill me!

Sasuke: Yeah. Dude, I said.

Naruto: It's time for...Super Kyuubi Power! *Kyuubi kick punch*

Sasuke: Ow, my resentment! There's no need for talking anymore! Ok, it's time for...Three Spinny-Thing Sharingan Power! *Sharingan kick punch*

Naruto: Ow, my lonliness! Ok, it's time for...Super Duper Kyuubi Power! *Super-Duper Kyuubi kick punch*

Sasuke: Ow, my anger! Ok, it's time for...Level 2 Curse Seal Moody Goth Power-up! *Level 2 Curse Seal Moody Goth kick punch*

Kishimoto: Sasuke has powered up! Naruto is powered up! Who will win! The conclusion! Coming! Soon! Eventually!

Naruto: Screw this, I'm still Kyuubified! *Super-Duper Kyuubi kick punch*

Sasuke: Ok, take this! Sephiroth TWO Winged Angel Attack!

Naruto: Whoa. Dude. Seriously, this is some Malice Mizer/Camui Gackt goth shit you've got going on.

Sasuke: My angst knows no bounds. The time for talk is over. Now let's finish this! Chidori!

Naruto: Again?! Ah hell. Rasengan!

Kishimoto: Chidori! Rasengan! Who will win! The final ultimate concluding ending struggle! Next! Probably!

Naruto: You know, I just don't believe you when you say that anymore...

Meanwhile...

Kakashi: *glomping down on a Big Mac* I get the feeling I should be doing something right now...

Chouji: You know, some medical attention would be *great* right now. Something? Anything?

Kiba: Some triage...?

Neji: Some eyedrops....?

Shikamaru: A band-aid...?

Rock: Some antiseptic...?

2004-09-12T14:11:00.000-04:00

The cult of Ken Jennings

Various news articles have stated that Ken Jennings, the Jeopardy contestant who has won 31 straight games and $1 million, is back in Utah after taping the currently airing episodes months ago, implying that he lost at some point (neither Jennings nor Jeopardy employees can reveal any details about future Jeopardy episodes).

But what if the show is just on a summer break from taping? Perhaps Jennings is still the reigning champion and will remain champion for years to come. The nerdy Mormon's appearance on television will become a part of normal life in America. Lincoln's on the $5 bill. Sun rises in the east, sets in the west. Michael Bay's movies suck. Ken Jennings is the Jeopardy champ. There are now three constants in life: death, taxes, and Ken Jennings.

In short order, the ratings of the now-live show go through the roof, singlehandedly propping up the dying network television networks. To placate the increasingly vocal anti-Jennings contingent of viewers, the producers start throwing all sorts of special contestants at him. Harvard professors, Disney Imagineers, Rhodes Scholars, a 10 yo genius from South Korea, Danny Hillis, David Foster Wallace, Edward Witten, and even Ben Stein. Jennings defeats them easily, deciding the games well before Final Jeopardy, much to the glee of Jennings' burgeoning fan club.

Jennings, now making hundreds of millions of dollars in endorsements (he's under exclusive contract to Nike, promoting their sportswear geared toward the "intellectual athlete") protests when -- starting in early 2009 -- contestants are allowed to use Google's new S4 (Synaptic Semantic Search System) interface during the show to research answers, but still defeats all challengers. In 2012, the first contestants sporting genetically enhanced "buzzer thumbs" appear on the program. In 2013, the first computer systems to pass the Turing test are allowed as contestants. Jennings handles them all, au naturel.

Inevitably, a Jennings-based religion springs up. A young Mormon living a few blocks from the studio where Jeopardy tapes, reveals he has recently discovered a previously unknown book of the Old Testament. The lost book, coincidentally entitled "Trebek", tells of a living God from "the land of salt, jazz, and many wifes Who shall smite His enemies with a magical rod and infinite wisdom for the amusement of His followers" and promises salvation and everlasting life for whosoever believeth in him. After the new religion's leader appears on Oprah, the Church of Jennings becomes the fastest growing religion in the world.

And then, on January 17, 2026, Jennings loses to a young woman from Ohio (they later marry) by $1 on a Final Jeopardy question about the short-lived talk show Cooking with JK Rowling & Jay-Z. Many die. Upon seeing Jennings' wager come up short, Alex Trebek suffers a massive pulmonary embolism on set. His last words were, "Alex Jennings...I like the sound of that". The elderly, always susceptible to harsh conditions, are hit hardest; Jeopardy becomes the third leading cause of death that year for the 80-100 demographic. Network TV almost collapses (saved only by Survivor: Mare Tranquilitatis), and Jeopardy ratings fall well below pre-Jennings numbers. Jennings retires to Utah, now wholly owned by the Church of Jennings, Inc. And very gradually, people adjust to a world without Ken Jennings as reigning Jeopardy champion.

2004-09-08T01:47:00.000-04:00

Signs that you're out of shape:

- when you can't do a single rep of 3-pound weights
- when doing 10 sit-ups produces nausea
- when your arms feel like they've been to hell and back after a pushup

However, tennis was delightful as always. Odd how back in Toronto, I'm considered the blingy-type guy of the group, yet in London, I'm known as the biggest freeloader. It's the doppleganger effect . ....

Anyone else madly catching up with CSI now?

2004-09-07T01:50:00.000-04:00

UNLEASH THE BEAST!!

http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=2262987&nav=3YeXQbZm

Here's a recap of what happened:

Ken semed rusty at first, but he went into overdrive during the 'Seans' category. No DDs at the 1st break though, $4800/1600/1800 before commercials. Wow, uh, J.D. is a nutcase btw. Of course Ken gets the 1st DD and pulls $4000 ahead of the lead (accompanied by his trademark "um.. what is.. the right answer?") J.D. pulled a little bit ahead of Betsy for a solid 2nd place, but Ken owned the fist half, $13000/800/3400 at the break. Ken gets the 2nd DD early, but MISSES it and is -$5000. He recovers quickly, as the two challengers are left speechless for half the duration of Double Jeopardy (until J.D. finally buzzes in correctly). Anyway, this round belonged to Ken and nobody else, as the two challengers correctly buzzed in on a total of 5 questions. Ken gets the 3rd DD and is +$4800. $13600/3200/5000 at the end of regulation. Everyone missed Final Jeopardy, but Ken made a huge wager, so he's -$21999 at the end of the game. Final score is $10001/1399/3599, adding to Ken's total of $1,331,661 over 39 days.

I gotta say though . ... After many weeks of that lame teen challenge, it's good having THE KEN™ back in action.

"Let the slaughter begin!"
--Megatron

2004-08-25T23:38:00.000-04:00

Paul, Shaun, watching you guys p0wnd those drunk highschoolers in bball was classic. Love dishing out alleys to you guys ^^

The position of communications coordinator was bestowed upon me. Praise God for blessing me with this responsibility; hopefully I can dutifully honour His Holy Name in this endeavour.

Can't wait for Sept!

2004-08-18T23:59:00.000-04:00

Rants another day.

Hehehehe, http://www.infonegocio.com/xeron/bruno/italy.html

2004-08-18T04:03:00.000-04:00

I've been doing some serious thinking on how Christians are viewed in western society. Why have we seemingly lost our place in society, why are we often seen as irrelevant? And before you go on thinking huuuuh, yes I'm making a hefty exaggeration. But, to a large degree, yes we've lost our place in society and are pretty much seen as being an irrelevant sect of society.

A lot has to do with, I think, how a normal secular human expects a Christian to behave. I'm not talking about how they expect us to sit in front of a Bible all day, praying to the heavens and what not. Rather, they expect us to behave/think a certain way, and if we don't, their view on us takes a dip. And yeah, for every 9 good ones, there's bound to be 1 bad apple to spoil the entire lot of opinion. But that's not an excuse for our own individual actions.

Admittedly, this is a pretty meaty issue, and it can't be answered properly, methinks. But, I'll at least give my take on some of the behaviours/actions we should try and actively engage in, in order to "better our standing" with this western world. And yup, I admit that I've engaged in/still am guilty of many of these actions and behaviours. So, don't hurt me.

1) Kindness
Because of Jesus' unbiased kindness for anyone and everyone, we're held to that code. Unfortunately, Christians can definitely be some of the most condescending and uncaring people on this earth. In fact, I'd say the majority of my personal friends who I view as true kind and caring people, are of the non-Christian variety.

We gotta put our pride down and realize it's NOT hard at all to be kind to mean people, nice people, poor people, egotistical people, different people, whatever! It's not hard at all. Open that extra door, wave that extra hello, give that extra smile, chuck him that extra dollar. Do what it takes to show the world that you're a kind Christian.

2) Go to class

If someone knows you're a Christian, yet you're a perpetual class-cutter, that does nothing for the glory of Jesus. Nothing at all. It shows that we have a lack of respect for the institution of education, and consequently, a lack of respect for our teachers, peers, parents who pay the money, and "this blessing that your God gave you." Yikes.

3) Don't dog who you are

The topic of religion comes up. You sit there, afraid to tell the world that Christ, the son of the Lord Most High, died for the bed of sins you shower in daily, so that you may realize eternal life. Nope, it's much easier to not defend this Christ.

For crying out loud, He is ours and we are His! Do Him a favour and give Him His due.

4) Stop clubbing

Gonna step on some feet here, but yup. Unless you have the purpose of evangelizing to clubbers (big props if you do), you're going to a club for the purpose of not only satisfying your own desires, BUT also, you're showing the world that Christians don't take their religion seriously. Think about it: non-Christians know Christians should be abstaining from immoral activities (again, clubbing = immoral is open for debate), yet you go and do something that's frowned upon by society as a whole.

These descriptions are admittedly quite vague, but it's late, AND I was hoping for some more feedback. Agree or disagree, hopefully you Christians can tell me, and you non-Christians can help me continually compile a list of what it takes for us to be seen in a positive light be society as a whole.

Oh, and remind me next day to talk about gaming. . ...

2004-08-12T11:59:00.000-04:00

A cool site I found a few weeks ago is http://www.davidslife.com. At first, I linked to it from looking for Naruto ep reviews, but now I check it once in a while, cause he has some other interesting stuff. You can check out a cool card-throwing section on his site.

ANYWAYS, down to business. I love coming home from class to see a brand-spanking-new Naruto episode waiting for my post-modernism consumption. Soooo, 95-96 thoughts. SPOILER ALERT, so if you don't wanna know . ...

- This ep's ALL about Tsunade-sama. Personally, ever since she's been introduced, I've been dying to see her "turn a new leaf" (no pun intended to the village!) and show that she can really do the job as the 5th. Wow, she convinced me. I'm still a little unsure of what that necklace does . ... is it designed to give the wearer a greater immunity to aging (maybe that's why she looked so young)? Is Naruto-kun gonna be forever a teenager now that he has that necklace? Or, do I have this all wrong . ..? Well, there was a bit of evidence from her shrivelling up at the end of the ep. Anywho, yeah she was awesome. Kicked the crap out of Orochi, even after all the punishment she took. Two stabbings, a slashing, and a stranglehold. More please!

- Frickin Kabuto-san's just too beastly. Manages to even get in a shot on Naruto's chest while he's taking a Rasengan to his stomach, oh man. BEASTLY guy. Can't wait to see what "inner demon" Kabuto has, which I'm sure he does. Hopefully.

- Tsunade's snail, Kitsuii = Worst. Summon. EVER. In ANY anime, cartoon, movie, drama, or anything conceived of the human imagination.

- I loved how Jiraiya just stood there while Tsunade and Orochi went head-to-head. Haha. Oh, and it was nice to see frog-boss back. I love his son, Gamakichi. He's got some great lines.

- Tsunade or Sakura? hmmmm. My penchant for older women is starting to kick in . ..

- Finally, ummm was it me or did you also see when Tsunade picked up frog boss' sword and stabbed it into Orochi's snake? uhhhh ... . she's THAT strong?

2004-08-11T01:09:00.000-04:00

Funny the pieces you figure out, and the time wasted, when you rewatch eps. Watching 77 right now, and wow, I didn't realize that Gaara's father was Kazekage?? Oh sheez, so Gaara has royal blood in his veins. I wonder how he'll react when he finds out that Orochi took out his father . .. . and also, man, Yashamaru, you could've been such a cool character if you just forgave Gaara!! boo.

Speaking of Gaara, on the way to work I was thinking of a hypothetical matchup with him and Neji, since I enjoy bashing the Hyuuga to death. Who do you guys think would win? My gut says Gaara, but I'll have to take more time to think it through. So many things to think about . .. Whirlwind vs. Shield/Armor of Sand . .. if (in that flashback) Neji easily out-hit (and that means out-sped) Lee-san, and Lee was able to touch Gaara so easily with his taijitsu, what could Neji do? . .. or is that speed a different kind of speed?

I loooove dream matches. Tell me what you think of this one, guys.

2004-08-09T19:38:00.000-04:00

Haha, ok I took a little bit of flak for my Kakashi = overrated comment, so let me reiterate. Kakashi's strong, real strong. Probably the strongest konoha chunnin. But still, it seems like everyone's riding him, when really, the only true one-on-one match he won was against Zabuza (Orochi would've owned him, and Itachi took him out with that kaleidoscope jutsu) . .. though, the case could be made that Orochi and Itachi are on whole different levels . .. but still.

About the only thing I like are his aesthetics. He's really goofy, has funky silver hair, talks with that cute baby flair, and has all those quirks like rubbing his head awkwardly and stuff.

Ok, now that we got that out of the way, here's some other stuff:

- I just rewatched Gaara and Neji's chibi stories. Far and away, Gaara has a much more compelling reason to be a jerk than Neji does. Having a support group of friends and family is critical when you're a chibi. And even though Neji wasn't part of the main clan, at least the Hyuuga boy wasn't shunned by the secondary clan, but rather, he was their prized possession. Gaara, on the other hand, had a nasty stigma attached to him. And you know how it is when you're a chibi: kids can be so ruthless at that age. Also, he constantly heard nasty stories about himself, how he was the cause of his mother's death. AND the closest thing he had to family, Yashamaru, tried to kill him. Let's not forget his father, a guy who tries to kill him constantly. That'll be a relationship I'm sure they'll flesh out in future eps and mangas. Sheez, that's a lot of hatin'.

- Argh, I really really wanted to see the sand chunnin and the konoha "toothpick guy" chunnin fight. ARGH.

2004-08-09T12:35:00.000-04:00

if you multiply 526,315,789,473,684,210 by any number, you'll always find the original number in the result.

2004-08-06T15:27:00.000-04:00

Here's a couple of other quick thoughts.

- What battle do you think is the greatest 1on1 destruction? Personally, I can't get over Tenten vs. Temari. I mean sheez, destruction doesn't adequately encapsulate this one-sided affair. And that fan back-breaker at the end . .. ugh . .. *feels own back* I thought this one was worse than Gaara vs. Rain guy, cause at least you had no expectations for the rain guy doing anything, while in Tenten's case, you expected SOME damage to be done. Some other fights that come to mind: the recent Kabuto vs. Shizune one, Itachi vs. Kakashi, and maybe Asuma vs. the 9 Sound ninjas.

- Punk you want to root for: Gaara
- Punk you don't wanna root for: Neji

- Overrated: Kakashi
- Underrated: Kiba & Akamaru

- I'm curious to see if Kisame's sword shredder is actually a summoned beast, ala Sarutobi w/ Enma.

- STILL can't get over Naruto. Damn, that kid protects his friends no matter what. I'm still having nightmares about the damage he was taking in 94 . ...

2004-08-05T23:13:00.000-04:00

Ok, I can't resist blogging about Naruto 94. Undoubtedly one of the best eps ever.

Here are some thoughts. If you haven't seen the ep yet, don't look.

- Kabuto is BEASTLY. I mean, almost beastly Sannin level. Undoubtedly the best Jounin; I seriously think he could own Kakashi for free now. I mean look at 93 and 94. He took out Tsunade, a Sannin, quite easily, almost close to a domination. And, Shizune in 94, poor girl, didn't stand a chance, didn't land a hit or anything. Oh, and kicking around Tsunade at that brief sequence was too good.

- Naruto is close to beastly level himself. I gotta admit to marking out everytime I see him do his "Way of the Ninja" talk and he puts his ultra-stamina-pain-threshold to the limit. I mean, look at the abuse he took in 94 alone: gets nailed by a 100ft snake, gets EATEN by said snake, takes a punch to the forehead CLEAN, gets kicked around for 2 minutes while lying on the ground, takes a medical chop to the neck, AND gets stabbed with a kunai. ALL while seemingly being able to defeat Kabuto with a Sannin-level Rasengan, WHILE HOLDING HIM. Gosh, that's gotta hurt. Seriously, the kid's ridiculous, but for all the fun and great reasons. I probably mark out the most for what Naruto does, maybe even more than Shika , ...

- Jiraiya's summon = too good. Keeps his character constant with his goofball image. Can't wait to see him tag up with Tsunade to take on Orochi! That battle will be too badass. I wonder how Orochi's able to fight still without doing hand seals . .. guess we'll see . ...

- End song = gold.

Phew, what a gripping ep. Told ya, Kev. AND 1 HOUR NEXT WEEK!! WOOT.

2004-08-03T15:35:00.000-04:00

http://www.muchosucko.com/video-davidbelle.html

real life prince of persia!

2004-07-30T00:29:00.000-04:00

Amidst a bit of study procrastination, I was thinking bout my fave characters in Naruto. This will be a fun post to read for those who know what's going on, head-scratching for the rest. Soooo, here we go:

1. Shikamaru

Reminds me way too much of me. Laid-back, doesn't care about much. But, is very devoted to his team, and will do whatever it takes to see the mission succeed. Sorta like a sociologist. Has the best multi-word phrase: "Men Gek Sow" (how troublesome . ..) Also, hearing him say Baka (the single BEST WORD IN ALL THE JAPANESE LANGUAGE) in ep. 45 was ultimate-tier.

2. Sakura

I know I'm gonna take flak for this choice, but I can't resist. I'll admit: Sakura's by far the best-looking anime girl. Period. When she put the kunai to her long hair and chopped, I was like yeeeeah, short hair! Plus, her perceived uselessness is offset by her immense love and concern for her friends. Not everyone has to be ultra-strong!

3. Naruto

Love the kid's determination, and his constant YELLING AT EVERYTHING is top-tier. Sexy No Jutsu is the second-best jutsu, next to bare-bones Kage-Bunshin No Jutsu. Getting to be a little too powerful . .. I mean c'mon, Rasegan at his level? Chopping down both Neji AND Gaara within like 12 hours? Please.

4. Gai

Most adorable character in the series, in my opinion. His speech to Lee-san in ep. 48 was hands-down the best speech ever. And his constant insinuation that Kakashi is so cool (when he really isn't . ..) goes over real well, esp. when accompanied by seagulls chirping in the background. Also, best pose w/ the teeth + smile + thumbs-up.

5. Rock Lee

A true genius. His fight with Gaara is still the most memorable, if only cause he temporarily becomes African American! Seriously though, watching him penetrate that sand with his spinning air kick was gold. And his courting of Sakura is too good. As a Gai clone, how could I not put him here?

6. Tsunade

Ultra powerful, healing magic, compulsive gambler (just where does she get all those funds from?), looks half her age, DD. Her axe kick is one of the best non-special Taijitsu moves in the series. Watch it in 93 when she smashes the ground in front of Orochi and Kabuto.

7. Hayate

Sure, he lasted for what, less than 15 eps? He did no perceptible damage at all to Baki when they fought. BUT, he has the single best gimmick in the entire series: the cough. Seriously, give it a whirl! Everytime you're gonna say something, elicit a small fake little cough. It's too good.

8. Kurenai

Sure, she got owned in her only fight against Itachi, but who wouldn't get totally owned by him? Besides, I love her voice.

For sure, these are my fave 8, probably in order too.

Maybe next time, I'll do some cheesy character evaluations for the rest of the crew.

2004-07-28T20:27:00.000-04:00

The transition from continuing life without yet another grandparent has been eerily seemless, probably cause it's all happening back in Toronto, while I'm 404ed in London. However, I know without a doubt that His hand has been on the shoulders of those in my family who still need it, and I'm sure It won't leave until they're better. Praise Him unceassingly!

A long day in the confines of UC and Weldon was rewarded with a breathtaking walk to the bus stop. Yes I know, it's like 2 seconds from the community centre to natsci, but goodness, if only you could see how gorgeous the campus is now. New flowerbeds have been planted, trees with autumn-like leaves hang overhead, and the grass is water-crisp. Mmmmm.

It was quite the event, as I got to sit for the first time on the benches outside the McIntosh Art Gallery, praying and praising. But, the day was magnified even more, as an elderly man came and asked for directions to the hospital. It was way too hard to resist just walking the dear guy over, so off we went! I wonder if the joy that echoed through my heart was what Jesus felt when He helped passers~by on the road to cavalry. Truly, we here in Canada are far far far too blessed to keep it within ourselves (individually and our Christian circle).

As I sat in meditation, I couldn't stop thinking. I'm so glad that the Father has placed in my heart a sense of adventure. It's awesome hearing about how people love doing things with their home church, reconnecting with that fellowship, friends, and family. My feet, however, crave new waters to step into. My soul longs to be a glass: coming in empty, being filled with Life, and pouring out on others. Undoubtedly, I hope you guys will keep me in your prayers when September rolls around, and the adventure turns a page. And, pray for Samantha too, as she's daring to take this plunge as well! Silly girl.

2004-07-17T20:51:00.000-04:00

the weekend has been a smorsgabord of activity. with friday being grandma's visitation, and saturday being her funeral, much preparation was done during the week by her children in order to ensure that not only everything runs smoothly, but that her life is given the proper respects. not only that, but truthfully, we all had to prepare our hearts to see her off one last time.

it's strange. i knew grandma was a kind person to an almost extreme degree. what i didn't realize is that her kindness would be taken to heart by so many people of various ages, in various stages of life. it didn't matter if she was in china, hong kong, san francisco, toronto: young and old could feel the love of Christ radiate through her words and deeds.

so, it was amazing to see so many people come to the visitation and funeral. suffice to say, she's a popular gal! it was indeed touching to see old friendships rekindled, past differences put aside, tears dropped and laughs echoed, all because of sweet ol' mrs. cheng.

i had the considerable honour of reading a Bible passage during the funeral processions, and being a pallbearer. oddly enough, reading psalm 23 in front of 200 people was not intimidating at all. i think the knowledge that she is in God's loving hands now, coupled with my own personal love for her, allowed me to just read it with a heart of peace. thank the Lord for that. oh, and caskets can be quite heavy, even with 7 other hands helping!

all in all, i met some amazing people who had amazing stories about her. this web that God weaves, it's astounding, really.

2004-07-11T11:13:00.000-04:00

This morning, at around 4am, my grandmother, Mui-Har Cheng, "poh poh", breathed her last breath. She was 83.

This past month, I learned, more than ever, the values of being a caring soul. My grandmother was incredibly nice, more so than anyone I can remember. Always having a smile on her face, when you'd meet up with her, she would always give her beautiful laugh and ask how you are. I vividly remember all the instances my cousin and I would drop by her place where she stayed with her daughter, and she would immediately break out the fruit and water, and "gam" us to eat healthy.

And so, when we learned that she was diagnosed with cancer, the ripple effect of memories undoubtedly flowed through those who knew her. It almost didn't matter if you were one of her children, or the child of a mother who knew this particular mother. If you met her, you'd fall in love with her.

I did.

The times I could come back to Toronto, while sitting around the hospital, I swear I should've kept a ticker on me. I can't recall meeting so many relatives, "relatives", and friends who poured into the hospital to wish her well. Every day, tears seemed to pour for this vibrant woman who just seemed so full of life and compassion. She was able to meet with 7th cousins and old school friends, pastors and children of relatives. Flying in domestically, over the border, internationally. People who's lives she had touched so markedly, they couldn't bear to not see her just one last time.

When we were told that she would not live past the weekend, reality really sunk in for a lot of us. This unbelievable mother, grandmother, child, and friend would be leaving us. Oh so soon.

And she did.

As the hours dwindled, I saw the love of her children pour out on her for the last times. All four of them were with her for countless hours, and they would be with her to the last hour. Tears of joy mixed with tears of sadness. Yes, she was going to Heaven to unite with her Holy, Heavenly, Blessed Father. But dang, we're gonna miss her.

I'm gonna miss her.

A dark cloud hangs overhead,
The realization of what is to come.
You lived such a great, full life,
Yet we wish you could have lived a few days more.

Yet, these tears I can't seem to get rid of,
Pour down for a reason.
Though you join the Father, and my soul rejoices,
I miss you so much already.

The sun radiates overhead,
The world flips another page.
Yet my soul cannot forget,
The rain that pours, drips, in my heart.

Though I can't go and visit you anymore,
Just to see how you're doing,
I can pray to my Heavenly God and touch you,
Cause He's always moving.

God blessed you, grandma. Though I can't stop crying for you, Father, I ask that you allow her to be the guardian angel to my mother, aunt, and sister. Show them that Your love is so very real, and allow my grandma to guide their lives to paradise.

2004-07-09T22:06:00.000-04:00

Naruto Dreams: Episode 2

"oh my gosh, he's an exact clone of rock lee!"

"i can see that speed."
"i can see that speed."
"i can see that speed."
"i..."
kabuto: "shut up."

GOLD!

2004-07-07T00:50:00.000-04:00

rock paper saddam

hahaha, NYEERRRMMM, PEN MISSILE!! classic.

oh, here's another article i happened upon:

instant noodle seafood battle

having just eaten a pack of doll instants, i'm starting to wonder if i'm settling for less . ... sense the irony . ...

2004-07-04T13:16:00.000-04:00

Greatest Videogame Ever: Ninja Golf

"the water holes on this golf course are infested with bloodthirsty sharks. I don't care how much ninja training you have, there's just no way for you to prepare to fight a friggin shark underwater. Actually, you can somehow hurl your throwing stars at the sharks while you're down there. How the laws of physics can allow this to happen is beyond me, but I guess that's all a part of your master ninja training..."

2004-07-02T20:33:00.000-04:00

fainting during spelling b

this kid's hardcore. faints, wakes up, spells the word correctly. watch his eyes before he takes the dive .. .. .

protect your valuables

at first, i was like huh . ... then, hahahaha, best commercial ever.

2004-07-02T00:27:00.000-04:00

Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle

80% fresh rating so far. it's good to see a bunch of visible minority actors that are allowed to run with a script.

2004-06-30T12:57:00.000-04:00

Windows RG

what windows SHOULD be . .. i mean, is .. .. .. ..

2004-06-29T16:23:00.000-04:00

Blade Trinity Teaser

it's movies like these that get me all riled up. no gripping story, no original characters with a sophisticated and CHEESY history. simply, it's all about laying a royal flush beatdown on a bad guy until he explodes in a bath of blood.

oh, and ryan reynolds is in it. heh.

2004-06-29T02:15:00.000-04:00

Homegrown PVC Flamethrower

i love how he says at the beginning that any red-blooded, masculine man would love things like these. hmmm . .. .

2004-06-25T20:00:00.000-04:00

wow, closest jeopardy game i've seen yet. jennings got the biggest run so far from michael cudahy. highlights:

- jennings and cudahy were neck and neck going into final jeopardy. ken with 28,200, cudahy with about 24,400.
- jennings daily double. risks 5,100 with cudahy breathing down his neck. looks like he has no clue what the answer is, and basically gives up, shakes his head, and gives a random answer. obviously it's right.
- cudahy gets the next daily double. has roughly 11,000, and is now behind jennings by roughly 10,000. risks EVERYTHING. gets it right. now ahead of jennings, with 4 blocks to go in double jeopardy.
- after final jeopardy, jennings finishes with about 48,801, cudahy with about 44,000. so close! too bad the final jeopardy question was ridiculously easy. all three contestants had their pens down after 5 seconds.

18 and counting for the champ, total winnings so far: just over 600,000.

soooo good. . . . .

2004-06-23T14:46:00.000-04:00

mmmm, diet coke . .. ..

2004-06-22T00:12:00.000-04:00

serendipity

best. movie. ever.

2004-06-20T21:38:00.000-04:00

Delerium AMV

Basically, this is a whole bunch of animes fused together with a music track, to create one big mother 'anime music video', so to speak. Apparently, this particular AMV won 1st place at the AnimeNorth convention in Toronto about a month ago.

Try and see how many animes you recognize. Sadly, I only knew Mononoke and Sailor Moon.

Fighting evil by moonlight, winning love by daylight . ..

2004-06-18T08:07:00.000-04:00

hark! an invisible cloak invented!

a href="http://projects.star.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/projects/MEDIA/xv/images/oc-okugai3.mpg
a href="http://projects.star.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/projects/MEDIA/xv/images/mirror.mpg
http://projects.star.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/projects/MEDIA/xv/images/oc-s.mp
http://projects.star.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/projects/MEDIA/xv/images/bone2.mpg
http://projects.star.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/projects/MEDIA/xv/images/oc-phantom.mpg

To see how it works specifically, click here

2004-06-17T13:54:00.002-04:00

Worship Matters
The practice, priorities, and privilege of worshiping God
http://link.crosswalk.com/UM/T.asp?A1.24.22281.1.1294141

May 25, 2004

The Greatest Reason to Sing
By Bob Kauflin, Sovereign Grace Ministries

Last time, we saw that God has given us singing to help us express
emotion. But, someone could legitimately ask, "What if my emotions are
dried up? What if I don't feel like singing?" Let's examine three of the
common reasons for a lack of emotion in worship.

First, we may have forgotten that we've been forgiven of our past sins
(2 Peter 1:9).

Worship should always contain the emotion of gratitude (Colossians 3:16,
Ephesians 5:19-20) for what God has done, especially Jesus' work for us
on the cross. If I'm ungrateful for that, then I don't see the severity
of my sin, or the magnificence of God's gift of salvation. The solution?

Soak yourself in the gospel of God's amazing grace. Don't think the
gospel is just for evangelism - God means for it to be part of our daily
diet!

Study the book of Romans or Galatians. Read "The Discipline of Grace" or
"Transforming Grace", both by Jerry Bridges. Spend some time with "Sin
and Temptation" by John Owen. Let your eyes be opened to the greatness
of your sin, so that you might experience the inexpressible joy of God's
mercy and forgiveness ... every day. No matter what our trials or
challenges, nothing diminishes the infinitely good news that our sins
have been completely forgiven through the death of Jesus on the Cross,
and we have been reconciled forever to God! The gospel has always been,
and will always be, our greatest reason to sing.

Second, we may have yielded to the sin the Bible calls "fear of man"
(Proverbs 29:25).

"What if people don't like my voice? How can I raise my hands or cry in
public? Won't people think I'm some flake or weirdo?" Such fears can
easily quench our affections, making our worship more dutiful than
delightful. Many in Jesus' day would not confess their faith because
they feared they would be put out of the synagogue (John 12:42). In
Isaiah, God confronts those who withhold obedience because of their fear
of others:

"I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal
men, the sons of men, who are but grass, that you forget the LORD your
Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the
earth?" (Isaiah 51:12-13)

That's a sobering question. Here's another, and one I've often had to
ask myself: If my worship is controlled by what other people might think
of me, instead of by what God has revealed about Himself, who am I
really worshiping?

Finally, we may believe that expressing emotion in worship is wrong.

If so, we need to allow God, through His Word, to renew our minds. As we
grow in our understanding of God's truth and love for us, we should grow
in the depth of our feeling for these things. Read through the Psalms
and see the varied forms of emotional expression there. As the Psalmists
focus on who God is and what He has done, their hearts and affections
are increasingly drawn to Him. The same will happen to us.

I know I haven't covered every objection or concern about emotion in
worship, but I do know one thing. If emotions were given to us for
anything, they were given to us for God.

Next time, we'll look at a final reason why God gave us singing. Until
then, remember the gospel - our greatest reason to sing.

For His Glory,
Bob

2004-06-16T21:40:00.000-04:00

Jeopardy Flawless Victory

Total winnings so far: $291,158

Seriously, his buzzer thumb must be pretty fast . .. wonder if he plays arcade games, or does he just read dictionaries all day?

2004-06-12T13:46:00.000-04:00

Transformers GOLD

2004-06-09T14:56:00.000-04:00

Soken DVD players

hahahahaha.

2004-06-08T17:22:00.000-04:00

Grand Canyon in trouble

yet another example of the world transitioning right before our eyes, yet we're too slow or preoccupied or despondent to act

2004-06-01T17:12:00.000-04:00

Cup Stacking - 0:07.43 to build and dismantle 6 different stacks of cups

hmmm, how troublesome . ..

2004-05-29T15:09:00.000-04:00

Ice T and David Hasselhoff to collaborate on rap album

can't remember if this is the fourth or fifth sign of the apocalypse . ..

2004-05-27T14:05:00.000-04:00

Decline of Canadian Women in Parliament

Odd how our country, who prides itself on "groundbreaking" acceptances of various minorities, can't even get this right.

2004-05-16T01:18:00.000-04:00

sigh.

2004-05-15T02:12:00.000-04:00

An Apology to the Graduates

Don't forget the flip side: all the amazing amenities we receive day in and day out. The bad comes with the good.

Yes, it's true. parental pressure will always be there, and the bar will always be unprecedented. But who's to say we won't dish out a little ourselves in the near future?

2004-05-13T13:00:00.000-04:00

This is a post I found on one of the forums I peruse. For those not used to seeing or hearing copious amounts of profanity, BE WARNED.

----------------------------------------

Why is this shit acceptable? Oh, and a big FUCK YOU list.
I was sitting around and talking to some people and thinking about how god damned fucked up this place is. Reading the papers, magazines, watching T.V. and all this other shit and it kills me how fucked up this place is.

I look at shit like how fucked up the justice system is when we have a murderer walking around free, A weed smoker gets 5 years for a first offense, a woman that can take her husband for $115 million dollars in a divorce case, and a rapist gets out of jail in 18 months. When did we start accepting this shit as alright?

Why is it that a family that consists of a single mother working two jobs and has a kid gets turned down for medicade but a fucking bitch who's got nine kids, no job, her nails done and a nice car gets that shit with no problem? Why is this acceptable?

All these people working jobs so they can have enough to be broke. They can't even afford to go to the doctor if they get sick. I went to the doctor a while back for pnuemonia and my total bill with the hospital visit cost me $6,000 dollars for being there three days. That's not including the money I had to spend on prescriptions. This is after my medical insurance kicked in, btw. Doesn't that seem a little FUCKED up? I appreciate the care I was given, but 6,000?! That's a fucking used car. That's rent for a year for me. My actual bill was close to $30,000. Doesn't this seem a bit fucked up? Why is this acceptable?

What about that shit with Microsoft trying to sue that kid cause he had a domain name that was MikeRoweSoft for his software. They're going after him. WTF is this shit? Stop fucking with him. MIRCROSOFT DOES NOT NEED MORE FUCKING MONEY. Why is this acceptable?

The RIAA is another perfect fucking example. "Here son, you're 12 and you downloaded 4 songs, so we'll sue your parents for $19,000 dollars because we know your family doesn't have the money to fight us in court." Of course, nobody seems to remember that these lawsuits popped up after the five big record companies lost a $67 billion dollar lawsuit for price fixing. "HELLO HYPOCRISY, LET ME SUCK YOUR DICK SINCE I'M ALREADY FUCKING OVER EVERYBODY ELSE." Why is this acceptable?

The government is looking into Eminem for making threats on the president. Yeah. Eminem is going to be a threat to this country and the president. Don't you fuckers have some real criminals to catch? Maybe if you paid more attention to the real threats than some white boy who's can rhyme words then two planes wouldn't have hit the Twin Towers. Maybe that's just my view.

All these fake fucking people running around trying to be things they aren't because some new magazine has the latest "trend". God, fuck you people. You're fucking it up for the good people that are just trying to get by. I especially love you pieces of shit out there who embrace this shit. Your average rap star does not live the life he talks about. Despite what those videos tell you he's got problems, just like you do. Nobody's life is just poppin' Cris and fucking chicks in the back of an Escalade on 24"s. THAT IS NOT REAL. IT IS NOT COOL TO BE A HIP HOP CLICHE CAUSE FABOLUS OR HOWEVER THE FUCK YOU SPELL HIS FUCKING NAME TELLS YOU IT'S COOL. Fucking clones.

Fuck all you stupid fucking people that have your hair cut how Jennifer Anniston has it cut. Fuck all you stupid fucking clones that buy shit that a rapper does cause you think it's cool. Fuck all of you stupid fucks that would give away your freedoms to gain back your false sense of safety. Fuck all you chicks that don't suck dick but want a man to go down on you. I don't think I have to explain this one, unless you're one of the selfish bitches that thinks this is okay.Fuck all you bottom feeders that won't break yourself out of your own cycle of decay because it's easier to be a victim. Fuck all you stupid bitches getting pregnant to keep a man. You're only contributing to the problem. Fuck all you dead beat dads. Fuck all you child molestors, I hope you get castrated with a hot poker.

Fuck all you women that would fuck with a man's feelings when he cares for you cause that shit is entertaining. You've hurt so many people that I know because you get a kick out of "the game". Fuck you. Fuck all you asshole motherfuckers that will drag a woman down and take advantage of her cause she cares for you. Fuck you for hurting a woman who would go to the end of the earth for you cause you're afraid of your feelings. Fucking pussies.

Fuck all you politicians making your lives better off of the misery of those you represent. Fuck all you cock sucking lawyers who helped make it so a woman could spill coffee in her lap and get paid off of her own stupidity. Fuck all you christians who would shove your beliefs down a person's throat who thinks differently. Fuck you for hating people that ask questions. Fuck you for hating those that are different. Fuck all you atheists who condemn people because they have faith in something bigger than themselves. You think you're better than those "religious people" but you're no better than the religious zealots you so vehemntly want to argue with. You're not fixing the problem, you're contributing. Go fuck yourself with a cross you self righteous fucks.

Fuck all of you stupid ass women who get mad that a guy stares at you when wear a low cut shirt that is strainging to contain your tits and a short ass skirt that your ass is hanging out of. What did you fucking expect when you walked out of the house, that people would comment you on your lovely personality? Fuck you stupid fucks demanding reparations. You didn't go through shit, and I didn't put you through shit. If you want to cry about something, cry about how fucked up our country is now, not about how fucked up it was 200 years ago. We aren't fixing shit if we're worried about something that cannot be mended. That is not progress. Fuck you no conscience having fucks for sitting around while you see something you know is wrong happening. You're just as guilty, and more because you let it happen and not doing shit to stop it. Fuck you assholes who won't stand up for yourselves when somebody pushes you around. Christ, grow a fucking spine.

Fuck all you whiny ass bitches that have everything provided for you but cry anyway. Give me all your money and you can have the problems I have, which are probably miniscule compared to your parents "not understanding you". Fuck all you yellow fever having pieces of shit. If a chick looks like her face has been run over by a train, the fact that she's asian does not negate that and make her hot.

Fuck all you stupid white boys with the tribal tattoos and frosted hair. Fuck all you white girls with the tribal tattoos on your backs and the frosted hair. You guys are fucking it up for the rest of us.

Fuck all you asian wannabes. Knowing three japanese words does not make you japanese. Stop slipping that shit into conversation, you sound fucking retarded. Fuck all you people that rice out any car you can get, even if it's American. A Type R sticker on a ford probe looks fucking retarded. Sport rims on a minivan looks retarded.

Fuck all you stupid bitches that try so hard to be different so you don't "conform". You're the exact same as all the people you're trying not to be. Fuck you, we don't care if you're different cause you're the same as all the other clones that are trying to be "different".

God fucking damnit, fuck all these people. And fuck you if you're one of them. Fuck you for making this shit okay.

----------------------------------------

There was something about this post that incited me to share it with you guys. It's difficult to articulate just how I feel about this post, and undoubtedly you are likely feeling a rash of emotions towards it. I keep writing and deleting my thoughts, cause they can't possibly capture the essense of what this young man not only said, but what he feels so vehemently in his heart.

Ignore all the crap about how his writing is just representative of a world that is ultimately doomed. That time is for God to decide, and we shouldn't worry about that at all. We should be worried about people like this young man. A young man who is unable to erase from his mind hateful thoughts of a world which breathes evil and deceit, lies and pestilence.

All I'm reminded of is this one song I keep hearing on the radio, and one of its lines goes to the tune of: "how do we expect them to go to Him, if we don't go to them?" Why, O Lord, have we forgotten our roles as soldiers in your Holy army? Why, O Lord, do we allow the comfort of fellowship and church blind us from the very real realities of the societies we live in?

Father, we cannot continually rely on your grace and intervention to shake things up in the world. Let us never ever forget our perpetual responsibility and our duty to continually hold our candles of faith high, and live our lives by example.

2004-05-12T23:14:00.000-04:00

http://a.scarywater.net/akeep/

Heard good things bout this anime, called Full Metal Alchemist. The premise is that two boys are searching for an item called the Philosopher's Stone (no, it's not cartoon Harry Potter). Supposedly this stone will repair their bodies and could potentially bring their mother back to life.

Anywho, I'll download some of these and post a quickie review later.

2004-05-10T23:38:00.001-04:00

tornado hits kid's soccer game

notice the coach tells the kids to duck. well, i guess it's an ok plan if you're in the basement of your house and the tornado's outside, but since it's like 15ft away . .. i'd rather be telling my kids to haul their butts outta there

2004-05-09T11:45:00.000-04:00

mms://stream.eizodana.com/olympus/m01_hi.wmv

Copy --> Paste the link into your browser.

Next time you're having bee trouble, give a friendly neighbourhood hornet a call.

2004-05-07T13:30:00.000-04:00

'Crybaby Award' gets Jersey coach in trouble

National spotlight as a tween. It's bad enough when the 'cool kids' pick on you at school . .. but when the faculty joins in . ..

2004-05-06T22:54:00.000-04:00

ESPN's ranking of sports requiring the most skill

The Sweet Science takes the crown. Booyah!

2004-05-04T02:55:00.000-04:00

In honour of a certain team's recent success, here are some silly songs for all you Edmontonites and Vancouverites to enjoy while at Pebble Beach, sipping strawberries and cream, and daydreaming of what could have been . ..

2004-05-02T22:55:00.000-04:00

time for some piano re-training . ..

2004-04-22T10:19:00.000-04:00

What is YOUR battle cry?

2004-04-21T09:17:00.000-04:00

If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

--Luke 6:33

2004-04-11T22:28:00.000-04:00

zug zug . ..

2004-03-31T11:55:00.000-05:00

gah . ..

2004-03-17T17:49:00.000-05:00

07 PERSPECTIVES

it feels like your life's crashing
down all around you
let me ask if it's really so bad
look at the world in it's suffering
can you honestly tell me
that no one else could understand
all the hurting inside

why can't you see that freedom
is sometimes simply another perspective away
who could you be if your lens was changed for a moment
would you still be the same?

a young child looks through a great stained glass window
watching the people go by
everyone seems ot be wearing a red coat
his mother sees jackets in white
now he can't understand why does she see it this way

yesterday, you really couldn't see
by changing your angle a new world would be
revealed to your once blinded eyes by moving a few degrees

2004-03-09T23:17:00.000-05:00

speaking to my dearest sister tonight, i can't help but realize that unless we don the armor of the Lord and continually bear the cross, we're such pawns in the spiritual warfare debacle. getting pulled down, then up, then down, then up, can get . . . frustrating, especially since we know our Savior's strength is sufficient to surpass any test satan may throw at us. truly understanding and embracing Jesus' blood as being enough in God's sight is admittedly difficult . . .

guess the walk is getting stuffier . . .

2004-03-08T18:31:00.000-05:00

blimey, since when did you get good at tennis? .... gah!

The Bible according to...

2004-02-24T19:32:00.000-05:00

Lego!

Cheese!

Bravo. Both of them take quite a bit of effort...!!

2004-02-19T17:11:00.000-05:00

first purchase at Costco:

Sour Soothers, 340 pieces. $6.99
Real Fruit Gummies Fruit Medley, 1.36 kg. $6.36

mmmm, peanuts...

2004-02-16T13:29:00.000-05:00

I just realized how silly a lot of my posts have been. Like seriously...

Whoa...

2004-02-01T18:29:00.000-05:00

A Christian cites God's law as never being designed to keep Christians in line!

Fabulous read

I just noticed I spelled vineyard wrong...

2004-01-31T18:07:00.000-05:00

If you guys picked that up, kudos.

By the way, prayer meetings for Coffeehouse. UCC 3rd floor. Monday to Friday. 5pm.

If you're thinking of going, please consider attending one of these.

gotta say....

2004-01-25T20:55:00.000-05:00

...Holding a baby in your arms puts a lot of things in perspective...

"uh yeah, Alan, is it ok if we get a kitty?"

2004-01-14T15:52:00.000-05:00

The Toronto Humane Society is facing difficult times. Last year was one of the worst years in recent memory, and as a result, adoption costs have been slashed drastically. Like, from $95 --> $25. It's THAT bad.

Now, more than ever, is the time to help our furry friends out.

I'm going home next week; hopefully I'll have time to check out THS, if not I'll look to the institutions in London.

New Template

2004-01-08T00:21:00.000-05:00

....err?

von dutch hats. my new fad. i wonder if wearing a pink one would violate Deut. 22:5...?

2003-12-30T01:14:00.000-05:00

I posted a few months back on a Christian radio station called Air1 that provides commercial-free Christian music. They're 100% funded by listeners. This was the station that really turned me on to Christian artists and music, and what fills my ears every time I sit at this laptop.

Well, recently they've come under financial hardship, and need donations more than ever.

I'm not asking any of you guys to donate, as most of you all probably haven't even heard about this station prior to this blog. However, I think we forget just how hard it can be trying to glorify Christ as His body. Inevitably, we're gonna run into hardship here on Earth. But we're the body, and as such, we have certain obligations to each other.

I hope and pray that the next time a part of the Body of Christ that you know needs help, be it financial, emotional, or prayer support, don't discount just what kind of an effect you can have.

2003-12-23T21:17:00.000-05:00

A Christian book called The Purpose Driven Life has a chapter entitled "Worship That Pleases God". Here are a few important points, followed by opinion on my part:

We can worship God imperfectly, but we cannot worship Him insincerely.

Agreed. Recognizing our own shortcomings and faults is the key to this. Seriously, how can we possibly try and worship our supreme God to perfection? We can't! We don't have the ability or talent or to aspire in giving God a worship that is worthy of His very name. HOWEVER, what we can do is worship Him within the spectrum of what He has given us, meaning we give it our all (weak as it may seem).

To worship Him insincerely, though, is a big mistake. God Himself tells us to worship with our "whole heart, mind, soul" etc. To not utilize every ounce of our being in giving Him what He so rightfully deserves is not only a misunderstanding of who He is, but is also an insult to He who's given us such an awesome relationship with Jesus.

At the same time, you may genuinely THINK you're giving a sincere worship, yet you could be so far off. This is where the truth of knowing Him comes in. Our worship needs to not only be heartfelt and personal, it also needs to be accurate; as the book says, "deeply emotional and deeply doctrinal."

Christians seem to be stuck in a worship rut (an unsatisfying routine) because they force themselves to use devotional methods or worship styles that don't fit the way God uniquely shaped them.

Indeed, it's said that we are all so infinitely different. For us Christians, we came to know Him under totally different and unique circumstances. We all learn and speak to Him totally differently. And we all certainly have our own unique and different way of expressing our joy for Him.

Our worship team has been blessed this term in learning more and more about the beauty of worship. One prevailing idea we've tried to teach and administer is to not be distracted by yourself. You know, the one who keeps you from unleashing your love for Him, the one who keeps your bum glued to your seat and hands to your sides, the one who makes you worried about pitch and frequency and beat. No, instead, you need to get rid of that self-consciousness of what is "right" or what is "circumstantial" and just really pour out your love. Shift the focus off yourself and how you may look when you sing praise.

I'll try and add more later..!

2003-12-15T17:14:00.000-05:00

I've spent the past while reacquainted myself with my cats. Sounds funny, but really, just like people change, animals change as well. Case in point: Emma, who used to enjoy playing exclusively with paper balls, has now found a new passion in munching on pencils! Conversely, Sebastian is still a schmuck: he's found a new favourite food: zee-choi! (errr, Chinese seaweed?)

A number of friends who've returned home told me that one of the things they look forward to the most is seeing their animals, like Billy and his adorable dog, or Jen and her hampster. Animals are soooo awesome!

But above all these, the best thing this weekend was seeing Simon getting baptized. The blessing of the Cross has been realized by this young man, and he's ready to take it up daily and serve God wholly. Praise our Father!

2003-12-12T01:01:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow morning ends my journey through this December examination period. I've been blessed with good health, (relatively good) attentiveness and alertness, and general patience during these supposedly stressful times. These few weeks have been .... nice.

I used to unfairly compare my dynamic life here in London with the static life I live back in Toronto. But as the day of my return home approaches in mere hours, I can't help but think how blessed us students are to have an "ordinary" life to return to. The pace of life will slow down, and we'll be able to step back a little and enjoy more of the small things in life. I know a lot of us have neglected our God-given responsibilities to and from our Lord, so hopefully this'll be a time to get back in the spiritual swing of things.

I talked to my best buddy in T.O. today, and we've got some awesome plans already. We'll be enjoying some LOTR, basketball, sports, and debates about life! Also, I've been (secretly) planning to play a Gamecube tamagochi-type game called Animal Crossing, which will probably suck up a ton of my loose time. Excellent =)

Hope you all enjoy your time back home!

2003-12-08T14:29:00.000-05:00

It's alright
It's okay
I won't worry bout tomorrow
For it brings me one more day
Closer than I was to you

The life our God has given us is too meaningful and too brilliant to worry. Don't fret!

2003-12-05T20:43:00.000-05:00

Studying downtown at Central Library today, and wow, what a gorgeous atmosphere! Leather chairs, private study rooms, eat and drink wherever you want, bird's eye view over the city, adjacent mall to alleviate spots of boredom...if only it was closer and had better hours, this library would be the perfect place to study and relax.

If only I had a digicam to take pics...

2003-11-30T22:25:00.000-05:00

Dakona - Richest Man

Don’t drag me down when you fall
Don’t you know it’s a privilege
You’ve got so much, got it all
Still you’re counting your riches

And I could be ten years old
With a hole in my belly
No shoes on my soul

Chorus:
But I am here
Take my car, take my girl
I’m the richest man in the world
Steal my gold, take my pearls
I’m the richest man in the world

Amazing. Take my car, take my girl, steal my gold, take my pearls, yet I am the richest man in the world. The power of Christ to transform our mentality, where material wealth is not coveted, no longer sought, but all that matters is God.

Just like celibacy is a spiritual gift, I believe abstaining from (unnecessary) material possessions is another. I can only really think of a few people I know that don't care much about material possessions, and yup they're all Christians who only care about God. How awesome is the Lord!

Personally, I openly admit that electronics, especially video games, are still priorities in my life. I've thought whether or not I can better serve God without these "distractions". I think I'd like to reach a point in my life, where much of society's entertainment, i.e. movies, television, video games, no longer have weight in my life. Oh how many times I've shunned reading the Holy Word in favour for surfing and gaming...ugh...

2003-11-12T02:07:00.000-05:00

Today's my 20th, and I've been searching for inspiration to write today's blog...but nope, nothing. S'ok though, cause I think I give a lot of God-given encouragement snippits. So today will be something different.

God has touched my heart immeasurably with the people He has placed in my life. I want to give those of you who have had an impact on my life (everyone has, but some have had undeniable influence) something, be it a word of encouragement, or thanks, or a weird inside joke. This is in no particular order. Hopefully I don't miss anyone...

My Family:

Dad - My earthly influence, the man who's gone above and beyond what it means to be a father.

Mom - My hub of love and compassion. Thanks for keeping me real with myself.

Sarah - Thanks for showing me how to be semi-cool, even though I'll never be as with it as you...

Cats - aiya, too cute...

Rest of my relatives - For the kind words and warm thoughts, for the caring that has sustained us as a family and as friends.

Torontonians:

Shaun - What a great guy. When I get married, I'm confident you will be my best man. Here's to our many years of stiff-talking and straight-walking.

Paul - I still remember the times we shocked the world in badminton and tennis. Who would've thunk you had that much power?

Andy - Keep balling buddy.

Pritam - Enjoy life and loosen up! haha.

Ice - Thanks for shaking up my foundations and contending with me.

Cara - I'm overjoyed that things are working out for you!

Jo and Jen - Who would've thought doing fobby things would be so fun??

Ray and Eric - We sure did do some crazy things in our youth...yo Eric, you're at Western! Why aren't we chillin?

Jon - I can feel a lifelong friendship with you coming on.

ACF and London:

Ada - Sarcastic attitude and beaming smile. Seriously, I value our friendship more than you realize..!

Adrienne - Enjoy University more!!

Anthea - Ivey is God's gift to you. Look to the positives!

Austin - This previous summer spent cooped up at Bri's for days on end actually provided more than games and fun: it made me realize how special you truly are.

Bri - I still can't believe how similar we are...but seriously, as we continue to transform, I hope the ways of our past melt away like intolerable filth. Cause that's what it was.

Cal - Your gift tonight, and taking time out of your schedule to have some nice one-on-one, demonstrates the enormous change God can cause. I still remember that picture when you were keeled over drunk in first year, and look where you are now!! You're truly God's personal warrior.

Cindy - How is it that everytime we hang out, you always cause me to have a huge smile on my face?

Connie - As unique as they come.

Cora - The heart you have for the Lord is AMAZING.

Cho - Hate to call you Cho, but it's the only way I can differentiate from Cyn Tang, haha. Keep up your walk with the Lord, follow your statutes, and your transformation will complete!

Cynthia - Zah! I wanna be at your wedding!

Derek - Your coming to true faith was one of the most poignant and sincere moments I've witnessed. Continue to seek the Lord, and He will reveal Himself to you in ways you can't imagine.

Glendon - Your ability to make others happy with your mere presence is a gift from God.

Grace - Study buddy! Your work ethic and smile amaze me.

Heidi - So very special.

Jesse - You said it best a few weeks back when you told us that you think too much about God. Oh gosh, is that ever a good thing! I pray that you keep up His ministry here at UWO.

Justin - Golden smile, golden heart.

Karyn - Another warrior for the Lord. Karyn, you may not realize this, but I truly believe that one of God's tasks for you was to bring me to Him. You've succeeded, and for that, my lifelong thanks.

Kim - Thanks for the apartment! Haha seriously, thanks for your consistent kindness.

Lillian - Our friendship has blossomed quickly, and our relationship will continue to grow in an awesome direction. I know it.

Mikey - What effort you've put in at LCAC! Too good.

Michelle - Sammi's got a keeper!

Nathan - Why is it you seem to be able to laugh at anything..?

Pam - Provider of many delicious treats and tasty spiritual goods. Thanks for your love, Pam.

Paul - If anyone marries my zah, I'm glad you're him.

Rebecca - Thomas has a keeper!

Rob - ACF this, ACF that. What an awesome chair we have this year!

Roger - You were part two of setting me on the true path to God. Again, just like Karyn, I'm so glad that the Lord put you in my life.

Rosey - Brilliant laugh, even brighter heart, with a love for anyone and everyone. Your mentorship to me has changed so many aspects of my life.

Sam - "I wanna be like Sam" I can't believe people still remember that line...yikes. But Sam, it's amazing how open our speechwaves are with each other, isn't it? I feel that if there's anything ever that needs to be talked about, you're just the man.

Sonj - Craziest laugh ever! I absolutely love your personality and your smile.

Stephen - Triad turned counsellor. Another amazing influence, and testament to what God is capable of.

Theresa - We're just getting to truly know each other now, but here's to what will be a keeper relationship.

Thomas - Rebecca's got a keeper!

Victoria - Sweetest girl, with an attentive listening ear to boot. You STILL work too hard!

Yvonne - I wonder who seriously wears more hoodies...

Alan - My infectious roommate. Man, if I didn't have someone like you to balance out my antics....

Yan - You sure you wanna take Korean again...?

Sarah-Jane - I seriously can't believe we're such good friends! I swear, I'll go to one of your CSO events...promise!

Varun, Ben, and Thomas - My wicked wicked roommates of Elgin fame. We had such a blast last year!

Ground West Crew - Thanks for putting up with my midnight visits (seems like that was the only time I was home...)

2003-11-11T00:27:00.000-05:00

My brother Billy has posted an awesome question regarding spiritual gifts on his website. It's a great read, and well-worth some meditation time.

Also, one of the sweetest girls I know, Lillian, is going through a rough spot. But praise the Lord, as His mercy will get you through it. And realize that you're in our prayers, girl!

2003-11-10T00:23:00.000-05:00

New template! Anyways...

One thought that has occupied my mind for quite some time now is how real and sincere our connection to the Holy Spirit is. Yes, the Lord did promise that when we bring ourselves to faith, the Spirit will rush in to our lives and fill us. But seriously, do we listen to It, or do we just shove It to the corners of our lives?

According to the Trinity (for those of you who don't know, the Lord states that the trinity is God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Three seemingly different entities, which are really all the same person), the Holy Spirit is just as divine as God is. Sooooo...if a divine nature existed within us, shouldn't it dictate how we act and how we think? Well, it doesn't, cause it goes along with the whole idea of free-will. Only here, we can choose to listen to and call upon the Spirit, or we can walk our own way.

I honestly believe the Spirit is not consulted anywhere close to as often as it should be by present-day Christians. Seriously, we have this divine nature indwelled in us, yet we so often choose to live and act in the flesh by reverting to the ways of our past, a part of our lives that should have dissolved when we took up the cross!

My counsellor once stated that if the Holy Spirit vanished from the earth, 90% of the churches (and I assume believers as well) would continue on with their lives, indifferent to It's absense. 90%!!! Truly unbelievable.

I guess what I'm asking you, the reader, is if you can truly count yourself part of the 10% that has true communion with the Spirit. It's all about being honest with yourself; ask yourself if you live a life Christ would be overcome with joy with, ask yourself if His Spirit dictates how your life is played out on earth.

I can truthfully say that I too often forget to consult God on many things, including many important LIFE-ALTERING decisions. In fact, I am downright disgusted that I do not follow Jesus' will as close as I know I should. However, thank you Lord, cause I have a genuine chance to redeem myself. I have faith that if I call upon the Lord for all of life's tumults, He'll be faithful and show me the correct road to walk. I just have to make the decision to do it.

Well, here's that decision. I hope you sign as well.

2003-11-08T00:02:00.000-05:00

God's willingness to allow the seemingly ordinary to do His extraordinary duties is almost perplexing. It's like making your 4th-line winger take a penalty shot to win the game for your team! I mean c'mon, God could use the strong speakers, or those filled in spirit. But often, it's just some ordinary dude.

Case in point: our fellowship's speaker tonight. Short girl, just got married, new mother, new to the faith. Her manner in speaking is nothing spectacular, and her message was not the most substantial. Yet, I could tell so many people were touched and moved by her speaking. Also, if I may add, her topic was about as generic as you get when speaking about the Lord.

But alas, He is Lord. He does things His way....

WHICH IS A GOOD THING!

--JT

2003-11-07T01:00:00.000-05:00

I've discovered, recently, a truth that has been unfairly overshadowed in the Christian faith today. We need to strive for a point in our lives where we stop seeking the Lord's grace and blessing, and instead we just seek to know Him, period. What an awesome deviation this is to what present churches and teachers of the Word would have you think!

But it's true that many of us become mushy sweetie-pies who get brutally emotional over His grace overflowing and how Jesus committed for us the ultimate sacrifice. Praise Him for Jesus, but I mean, c'mon, God is so much more than love! He's a powerful God, He's a just God, He's a jealous God, etc.

There should be a point in our walk where we push forward, past the initial stage of thanksgiving and forgiveness, and we start to earnestly seek the Lord. It's one thing to recognize God's love for us, it's another to understand what it is about God that would compel Him to act as He does.

--JT

2003-11-06T01:23:00.000-05:00

To live with the expectation that today may be the last.

I don't necessarily think this is fear, but rather, it's more of an acknowledgement that Jesus can truly come down at this very moment, even while I'm blogging...whoa...

The truth is, so many scholars and know-it-alls have predicted His second coming, and so far, uh uh. I wonder how it'll work...like for God, time is irrelevant right? So does that mean that His arrival may come in different times, and under different circumstances for different people? Cause the way I see it, the Lord doesn't like to use "spectacles" to administer and display His authority (thankfully!) So who's to say that Jesus will come down in one fell swoop, appearing like a Savior in the sky that we all depict Him as? Didn't the Jewish people believe He would come as an almighty King to save them from Roman oppression, rather than the manger baby with a modest upbringing?

Remember the time of his resurrection, how He didn't rise up in a cloak of glory for everyone to see? Only a few priviledged were. Perhaps things will happen like that...like those who truly have faith in Him will see Him, while everyone else will be like "huh? are your legs ok? why are you on your knees?"

Either way, when He comes, we'll know.

Take me away, Lord. I hope we can all say that with confidence.

--JT

2003-11-04T01:12:00.000-05:00

You know how Jesus speaks in parables? I find it almost grievous that the mysteries of the universe and of the world and of the Lord have to be diluted just so that we can understand them.

Imagine for a sec if Jesus spoke to his followers the true language of God. It'd be snowing like crazy, cause we'd all be scratching our heads in confusion! It kinda goes along with the theme that no matter how many adjectives and descriptors we use to vainly attempt to describe Him, it will but capture only a fragment of His true benevolence.

Poor God...

--JT

2003-11-02T23:33:00.000-05:00

Sitting here reading, I saw an ant crawling across my desk. After some deliberation, the kleenex was broken out, and the crawler promptly squashed.

But curiosity overtook me. Knowing it's sometimes difficult to actually take them out, I peered in, and was surprised to see the ant alive, but not well. The hapless animal seemed to be stuck, as the front portion of its body squirmed, but its back laid motionless.

And it dawned upon me: I just killed one of God's creations. Wiped it out of existence. And I can't get over the idea that I thought I had the right to kill an animal for the simple reason that it was annoying me? What if the Lord swatted us down every time we annoyed Him with our actions?

This summer, I went on a short camping trip. Seriously, I know little to nothing about camping. In fact, I went to the campsite with the full expectation that there would be public lighting and private showers! But one thing that surprised me a lot was the liberal use of bug zappers by my fellow campers. Naive as I was, I opened wondered why they were always on. According to one of them, it was "cause they annoy the heck out of me."

Now, don't get me wrong, mosquito bites can get tiresome, but does that give us the right to smack and kill one?

And right, animals don't have souls like us humans do, but do we not treat them with respect, knowing that they are the Lord's creations?

--JT

2003-10-26T01:49:00.000-04:00

Jesus says in Matthew 10:34:

"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword."

Yikes. Time and time again, we learn that the Lord, above all, is love. And He is! To give your only son for the sake of this sinful world, that is love in its highest, purest form. We, as fallable, will never truly understand the sacrifice Jesus made for us. And it is because of this inability to think of God as love from His perspective, not from ours that we incorrectly throw down his judgment of us.

"But if this God loves us, He wouldn't condemn us"

But He didn't! The Lord has given us free will to live our lives as we please. We can treasure or butcher the one life we have here on earth. Most importantly, we can choose to follow or ignore Him.

Think about this: how would we differ from mindless robots if we were forcibly instructed to love Him? We wouldn't! How can we truly love the creator of the universe if He has a leash around our necks? We can't!

It is this choice from the Father that displays His ultimate love for us. How ultra-sorrowful He must feel when another one of us falls through the cracks, but oh how ultra-joyful He must feel when another one of us gets on our knees and accepts Jesus into her life.

One last thing I'd like to close with is that we are at war here on Earth. The "sword" is consistently with us, be it by prayer, witness, action, etc.: we hold the name of the Lord on our shirts. We aren't here to glaze the world with a peace that pierces skin-deep, and superficially binds the world in harmony. We're here to win a war in His righteous name.

Praise His Holy name.

--JT

2003-10-19T00:52:00.000-04:00

Recently, God has revealed in me the vices which I have either not acknowledged, or have not properly addressed. He has told me, in an extremely powerful and emotional way, that I must seek forgiveness from Him, from those I have wronged, and to change my behaviour and thought-process.

As I continue to reform, verses continually pop up that grant me encouragement.

"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." -- Matthew 7:12

Simple, yet profoundly elusive. I love how Jesus states this in a positive manner. If you look closely, it's not just refraining from saying and doing bad things to people: it also includes taking the initiative in doing good things for them. You know what makes this simple rule of active goodness and mercy even more awesome? The fact that our Father actively, consistently, and unconditionally shows this very same mercy to us every day.

Cool eh?

--JT

2003-09-26T11:16:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to say sorry to someone very dear to me.

--JT