Windows

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Windows. We see them everywhere. But have you ever thought about this: we usually don't notice the window themselves, we see the scenery behind them. Wouldn't it be weird if someone said, "look at that beautiful window. The glass is so clear and shiny."
Instead, if someone sees a window, they usually notice the view beyond the window.
"That's a beautiful view."
Now you're probably wondering why in the world I'm talking about windows. But, think about it. What if we are supposed to be like windows? Our mission in life is to show the love of God and his saving grace to the world. But if for one moment we think that it's about us in any way, then we're doing it wrong. What happens if someone tries to draw attention to a window by putting huge curtains around it or putting decorations on it? Well, if you've ever ridden in a car owned by a family with young children, you might have discovered a lovely habit that many little kids love to do to their car windows- cover them with stickers. But let me ask you something, if there are stickers on the windows, will you be more inclined to see the scenery beyond the window, or the many Spongebobs, Dora the Explorers, and Cinderellas plastered all over the glass? The more decorations there are on or around the window, the less attention the view outside the window will be given. If that little child who enjoys decorating his car window is crazy enough, you may not be able to see outside at all.

In the same way, the more attention we give ourselves in our walk with Christ, the less people will be able to see Him. Here's a passage from Matthew that illustrates this idea,
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach... Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others."
-Matthew 23:1-6
You may be thinking, "oh PLEASE, that's ridiculous! How does this description of religious leaders from thousands of years ago who loved to follow the laws of Judaism have to do with me?"
Well, think again, because the truth is, all of us have the natural inclination to make everything in life all about ourselves. We may not show obvious, outward signs of selfishness like the religious leaders did, but if our hearts are set to please ourselves first, our actions will be like putting stickers on a window, adding more and more decorations to ourselves, and eventually, people won't be able to see outside when they look through the glass; they will only be able to see stickers.

To be honest, I'm talking to me too. So as I challenge you to start examining your heart and seeing the true motives of your endeavors to serve Christ, I am also challenging myself. Sometimes, it is SO tricky to stop thinking of ourselves, especially when the culture we live in is so set on selfishness. I mean seriously, look at any type of ad and you'll know exactly what I mean.

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This famous slogan is an example of the selfish mentality of most ads today

But, as Christians, we have the Holy Spirit to help us just stop and remember to look past our own worlds, into a world where Christ is changing lives; we can be windows for this world to look through to see His love and unending grace. We can't afford to block their view in any way with our own selfish ideas. So let people see a beautiful view through your window- not a bunch of Spongebob stickers.

IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU.

Orchestration

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Have you ever wanted to do something HUGE for God? I sure have...
after reading stories about martyrs and missionaries and brave Christians who face persecution on a daily basis, sometimes I wonder why I never have opportunities to serve Christ in a huge way. Life just seems mediocre. Day after day passes, and sometimes I'm tempted to start my own grandiose project just so I can make a huge impact for Christ and satisfy the "guilt" I feel because I don't seem to be doing anything better for Him.

A few days ago, I got to see the ballet, "The Nutcracker". Because I myself am a musician, my favorite part about seeing it was probably the music. Tchaikovsky, the composer, was a musical genius, and the beautiful, dream-like quality of the music really tied the entire show together. After seeing it, I was thinking about the idea of an orchestra. There are several sections to an orchestra. Let's say there are just strings playing, to keep things simple. Generally, violins play the main melody, violas harmonize, and cellos and basses play the bass line. This may seem all well and good, but imagine if you are a bass or a cello and you REALLY wish you could play the melody. After all, the only thing you get to play is the bass line of the piece- the part no one really recognizes. In fact, sometimes, you can't even be heard over all of those shrill violins and violas. Plus, your part usually isn't nearly as interesting as the melody. Take it from my brother, who plays the cello. Recently, my mom, my brother, and I were playing a piano-cello adaption of Pachelbel's Canon. My mom and I played the parts that the violins and violas would normally play on the piano while my brother got the infamous cello part; a lovely eight-note pattern that repeats... and repeats... and repeats... and repeats... and repeats... until the song ends. After practicing the song several times, my brother was pretty tired of that same old eight-note pattern. But, when he didn't practice it with us, there was this HUGE emptiness; without a bass line, the whole piece seemed to have a gap. It works this way with basically any song, whether it be a rock, pop, or jazz song. Without a bass line playing those same notes over and over again throughout the piece, the whole song would just fade into a bunch of shrill melody and harmony lines.

I think it's sort of the same way for us as the body of Christ. Some of us are given huge roles. David Livingstone. Corrie Ten Boom. Nate Saint. Those are just a few people that played the melody, carried along the message of Christ boldly to those who had never heard the gospel message.
But what if some of us are given the bass line? Your life may seem mediocre, routine, and stable. What if the stability in your life is there to help build your faith so you can support someone who doesn't have stability?  What if your immeasurable resources are they so you can reach out to those who need it? 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 says this whole idea really well:  "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work."

And don't think that just because you play the bass or cello means that you can't ever do anything exciting; just listen to Paul McCartney's bass guitar riffs or listen to Steven Sharp Nelson's amazing cello work (just search "The Piano Guys" on Youtube and you'll instantly understand). Someday, you may become a missionary or a preacher, or even a martyr, even if you seem to be "playing the bass line" right now.
But, if you try to pursue your own ideas of what you think will sound good, you'll just clash with the rest of the orchestra or band. You have to follow what the Composer tells you to do, because He orchestrates everything beautifully.
Your part by itself may sound pretty dull, but once you play it with the rest of the orchestra, it fits in perfectly, in just the way the Composer himself planned. And even if you don't think your part is interesting right now, let me give you a news flash: IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU.

Adventure

The famous scene from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark in which Indy is chased by a boulder
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  Click on the link below to listen to Time by Hans Zimmer- This song sort of matches this blog post in a strange way, so me, being the music nerd that I am, decided to add it...for full effect, listen to it while reading :)
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0kGAz6HYM8

Adventure. It's what we dream of, thirst for. Look at all of the movies that are released; almost all of them are about going on adventures. The characters step outside of their comfort zone to experience excitement, danger, and discovery. 
Do you want adventure? What would it be like to be a hero or heroine- in real life? Well, guess what, you don't have to wonder anymore; as a follower of Christ, you are not only given the ability to go on amazing adventures, but you are ASKED to do it. Let me explain.

1. All heroes have a cause; ultimately defeating evil. Well, you are fighting against the most powerful evil: Satan. He WANTS to capture you, tie you down, disable you from fighting him.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12

2. Heroes have unique powers that make them stand out from all others. Captain America has a shield, admirable humility and selflessness, and extraordinary strength, Frodo from The Lord of the Rings has remarkable endurance, obedience, and support from the ones around him, Katniss from The Hunger Games has agility, knowledge, and fiery determination to stand for what she believes in.
We have unique powers that make us stand out from all others.
"A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other." 1 Corinthians 12:7 (NLT)
God has also given us all weapons to fight with; his aide and power. "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 6:10-11 

 3. Our cause is urgent. Movies include time limits: in Inception, the heroes must complete a mission within a dream before they wake up. In the Disney film Tangled, some of the characters must save Flynn Rider before he is executed, and they do it as he is WALKING to the gallows- talk about urgency!  Your life may not feel urgent now, but read Psalm 90:5-6: "You sweep people away like dreams that disappear. They are like grass that springs up in the morning. In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it is dry and withered." I don't know about you, but that verse makes me realize the extreme brevity of my life... our realization of this fact is vital to our cause. 

So, because I love summaries after reading a good amount of information, let me give you a summary of all of that.
You have been given a mission to defeat the most powerful evil known; not only to mankind, but to every living and dead, seen and unseen power in the universe. Time ticks away; you and only you can use your unique, influential abilities to do your part to defeat this evil. Plus, the God of the UNIVERSE has given you this mission. 

Will you take it? We all thirst for adventure and this is OUR opportunity to go on one. Our lives will be gone in a heartbeat. We can't afford complacency; ignoring this mission would be like having the ability to de-activate time bombs seamlessly and quickly yet sitting around and doing nothing while a time bomb ticks away in someone's house a only few miles away from you.
Get up. Pick up that book known as the BIBLE that is the guidebook to your mission. Quick, there's no time to lose; this day, this hour, this minute, this SECOND will never come again. It's... GONE... just like that. And you only have a limited amount of seconds left. ONWARD, Christian soldiers. 


 

Jealous- part 2

Wow! It's been WAY too long since I've posted anything on this blog. However, I just came across this old post that I was about to put up in May, but never got around to posting. Also, since I have some OCD tendencies, I realized that there couldn't be a post called "Jealous- part 1" without at least a "Jealous- part 2" to follow it! So here it is...

A few months ago, I wrote a song that I would like to share with you guys. I composed the tune for them in 3 count time purposefully, to mimic a traditional waltz rhythm.

Verse 1:
He's gazing at her with pleading eyes
Wondering why she doesn't look back
Lost inside of her own fantasies
How could she forget the price he paid for her?

Pre-chorus:
They used to dance the night away
All of the dreams that they shared
But now she's lost in another's eyes
Leaving him behind

Chorus:
It's the beginning of the end
Causing her heart to break and bend
She's wondering why she feels this way
Felt right before, but now that's going away

Verse 2:
Her heart versus her head; a raging battle
His love seems unreal- so far away
No one can fill the void where he belongs
Wasting her whole life on chasing pointless dreams

Pre-chorus:
Her fast-beating heart doesn't satisfy
Compared to a love that will last
Although his eyes aren't a lovely blue
He painted the blue in the sky

*Chorus*

Bridge:
All this time of searching for something
All this time of waltzing with nothing
She was blind, misled, imprisoned
All this time of running away
From the one who loves her, his arms open to save

*Chorus*

As I'm sure you figured out by the end of the song, the male person referred to represents God while the female character is us, the people who follow God, but are still tempted by
sin.
Reflecting on God's grace, it seems as if it would be virtually impossible to ever choose sin above Him, but yet, we all have these tendencies to still serve the one who isn't even our master anymore: Satan. He is crafty enough to steal our hearts by putting on shows of beauty and appeal, just as how Willoughby won Marianne's heart through appealing shows of the very thing he knew she desired: the concept of someone who would love her continually.
 We also desire something or someone that will love us continually, something that we can turn to when all else in our world is failing us. Yet, we run away from the very thing that will bring us true satisfaction: Jesus's saving grace and love. One of my favorite passages in the Bible, Romans 8:38-39, paints a wonderful picture of this unconditional love.
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Can you think of anything else that is just that unconditional, just that deep and wide?
I sure can't.