Notice

I realized that I haven’t blogged in a while, so to my faithful readers I am sorry. It’s not that I haven’t been thinking, in fact I have been doing a lot of thinking. It’s just that I cannot put everything that is going on inside my head to words. It can be tough, so many thoughts swirling around and no way to really organize them. God is leading me somewhere, I know He is, but where I am going I have no idea. More often than not I find myself lost or confused, but I know that God is faithful and that He will carry me through the storm. A lot has been going on, lots of personal issues have come up, but I know that God is there holding me up and will be by my side no matter what. Once I get a moment to really relax and reflect I’ll be sure to write a post, but until then I need take a break.

It's All There for the Taking

I was reading John 5 last night, and the passage that really spoke to me was the beginning of the chapter where Jesus heals the man by the pool. For the full story read John 5: 1-14, basically there is a man who is paralyzed and lies by the pool hoping to get healed (he’s been sick for 38 years so I guess it’s not working out). Anyway, Jesus walks up to him and asks if he wants to get healed, but look at the reply: “Sir, I have no one to help me into the pool…” Jesus asked a yes or no question, and this man gave an excuse of sorts. I love what happens next, Jesus outright commands the man to get up, and he is instantly healed. Often we try to go with what is the norm. Something that has been established in society as a solution to a problem can seem pretty enticing, even if it never works out the way we want it to. This man had sat by a pool for 38 years! I’m 18 and already that seems like a long time. The most amazing part is that he still stuck to his solution, when Jesus asked if he wanted to be healed he didn’t say “Yes can you help me?” He said that no one would help him into the pool; he didn’t get it that maybe the pool wouldn’t work for him, maybe it wasn’t the solution to his problem. When we get stuck in a tough spot it can be easy to want to do what everyone else is doing, to follow the rules laid down by the world. But that isn’t always what God wants of us, sometimes instead of working out a flawed solution for ourselves we need to listen to God and do what he tells us. It took 38 years for the man to try to get healed but never actually be freed from his illness and a few seconds to actually be healed by Got; which do you think works out better? Sometimes I like to go my own way (like the Fleetwood Mac song), but it doesn’t really work out the way I want it to. That’s why we need God and we need to accept His guidance and strength so that we may overcome the obstacles in our way.

We Need to Grow

My family recently bought a small house on Cape Cod to vacation in and rent out, and my younger sister is convinced that it is haunted. I have not been in the house so I cannot attest to the level of activity going on, but I do have an opinion on the issue. I used to believe in ghosts and all that paranormal stuff, but then I became a Christian and view it more as a devil’s trick than something real. Still that kind of stuff gives me the creeps, but there is one thing I am more afraid of. What scares me the most is not demons going bump in the night, but how the devil can easily slip in between God and us. Here’s a good example, I have been away from the blog for some time; I have been busy and have not really been reading my Bible. Now, the devil isn’t causing me to stop reading my Bible, but he is suggesting that maybe I get a few more minutes rest, or maybe because I am not in the right frame of mind that I give in to a temptation that would otherwise be resisted. It’s not in leaps but in small steps that we leave God. I still have firm faith, but my dedication has been lacking of late. Ghosts don’t scare me quite as much as the realization that I am farther from, not closer to, God than I was a month ago or even a year ago. This Lenten season, focus on getting close to God and staying that way. Just as Jesus was tempted so are we and we must do our best to resist temptation and grow in our relationship with the Lord. 

Leap Year

I've never written a post on a Leap Year, so here is the first ever post on a February 29th. A lot has been going on lately but I am extremely busy before my spring break so I won't be able to write about it for a while. Until then I hope everyone enjoys the extra day in the year to do whatever we would normally do on March 1st. Oh yeah, for those Bostonians out there, safe travels in the snow.

Yes We do Matter

One of the great uses of social media, I found a very interesting website. A friend posted a link to this site http://htwins.net/scale2/ which shows the scale of the universe. You can scroll through the window to either shrink or expand your viewpoint. One thing that astounds me is the immense complexity of our world. You can scroll from something as small as an atom to as big as the visible universe. Another interesting note is how small we really are when compared to everything else in the universe. Think about it, there are billions of stars, galaxies, and planets out there. Not to bring everyone down here, but we are really small considering everything out there. Some may point to that and say that man is insignificant and doesn’t matter, but I say that it just goes to show how miraculous God’s love really is. Think, God made a universe so big we can’t comprehend its size, and He cares so much about us to shower us with love, watch over us, and send His son to die for our sins. Doesn’t that just amaze you? I still can’t wrap my mind around that fact, that God loves us so much, despite how insignificant we are when compared to everything else out there, that He would make the ultimate sacrifice. This Lenten season, just try to focus on that. Yes it is hard to give something up for forty days, but think about all that Jesus did for us, how He sacrificed His life for ours when He really didn’t have to. God’s love is beyond our understanding, but I sure am glad that He loves us so much as He does.

Post # 500

Well here's post number 500 (maybe not a big number for blogs, but certainly for baseball)! It has been an incredible journey over the past four (coming up on five) years. I can't put to words how much joy I have received from writing this blog, and how I hope to continue for many years to come. It started out as a joke and ended up being one of God's greatest blessings in my life. Thanks to all the readers, please keep reading and spread the word.

Cool Story

Here's a short example of how God can lead us in incredible ways. I have no idea what I want to do with my life, all I know is that I enjoy writing. So last week I signed up for "The Crusader" Holy Cross' newspaper, as a sports columnist. I was expecting a small role at best, but when I sent in my article on the Red Sox I was offered my own column. I still have no idea what to do with my life, but I guess this is just one of those times when God puts the pieces in place.