Check it out, all posts have been imported over so it's the same content with a new look!
http://taytaysrandomblog.wordpress.com/
Tay Tay's Random Blog
This is basically a blog about nothing, as you can see it is my random blog. It is a post of whatever I may happen to be thinking at the time. Warning: Subjects of this blog may be completely unrelated!
Monday, June 17, 2013
New Blog Same Content
So the email that I use is going to be terminated because I am switching over to gmail and for some reason Google does not allow you to use a gmail account for blogger. Now I have no idea why this is and to me it does not make good business sense but those are the rules. As you can imagine that means this is the end of this blog (note italics). I will continue on the writings of Tay Tay but I'm taking it somewhere else. I am going to start again on Wordpress with a new, updated, modernized blog which by God's grace will hopefully grow.
When I started this blog back in 2008 it was an incredible journey. I never thought for a second that my ramblings and thoughts would be read by people all over the country and world, and it truly is humbling. Whether you've been reading all along or just started I want to say thank you and God bless you.
Once I get the new blog set up I will post the URL, until then hang on tight and keep reading!
When I started this blog back in 2008 it was an incredible journey. I never thought for a second that my ramblings and thoughts would be read by people all over the country and world, and it truly is humbling. Whether you've been reading all along or just started I want to say thank you and God bless you.
Once I get the new blog set up I will post the URL, until then hang on tight and keep reading!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Obey and Love
As I continue to plough through the law I have gotten to
Deuteronomy. I always liked Deuteronomy the most out of the books of law, but
that’s probably because it was written as a speech, not a list. One thing has
struck me though as I continue reading.
I never quite relish reading through Leviticus or
Numbers, actually I find it tedious. So many laws! So many laws written in one
giant long list ranging from sacrificial procedures to the correct way to
eliminate mildew, it’s too much sometimes. Added to that the fact that so many
of these laws are abolished by Jesus’ coming and why bother reading them? Well I
got my answer in Deuteronomy.
Moses is said to have written Deuteronomy and one point
he stresses is that to obey the law is not out of a sense of duty, rather it is
love. The law is love. That really hit me; chapter 11 is designated with the
heading “Love and Obey the Lord.” You see even before Jesus obedience to God
was centered on love, not just fear. Sure you need to have fear of the Lord, but
who wants love or respect out of fear? No, above all God wants His people to
remember how He guided them and saved them, and He wants them to love Him back.
Moses writes “Love the Lord your God and keep his
requirements…” (11:1). “So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you
today—to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with
all your soul…” (11:13). Note that, it is about love, not obedience or fear.
When you love someone, anyone really, you will do as they
say because you want to. A child who loves his mother or father will obey their
commands, an employee who loves his boss and his job will do as his boss says.
We are God’s people, if we love God then obedience should be easy, or at least simpler.
Think about your relationship with God, is your obedience centered on love or
fear and guilt? Focus on loving God, fall in love with Him and His word and you
will find obedience a natural step.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Time to Start a New Journey
I must say I find it odd that I haven’t been blogging at
all. And I find it odd that I find that odd; after all I do have the power,
time, and ability to blog why should I be falling off. It is interesting, in my
times of despair I did nothing but blog, it was easy I had so much to say. Now
that the smoke has cleared and I have reached a level state of happiness I find
myself coming up short.
I will be moving soon and so the time has come to sift
through all my belongings to decide what stays and what doesn’t. As I’ve been
going through my belongings I have gotten a chance to look through my extensive
collection of books. What I have found is interesting: I have three Bibles and
countless books of theology. I have the “tools” to learn, but my recent drought
of blogging is a result of not using them. It’s as if I have a membership to a
gym, and go there but do nothing while expecting to get stronger.
I have been immensely busy this summer, but no matter
what my business may be throughout the day, my dedication to growing towards
God must be number one. Sure I have found a moment of peace and find myself to
be more successful and happy then ever, but I’m not blogging, I don’t really
have the joy that I need. Sure I’m very happy, but do I have joy? What if one
thing should go wrong, how will I react then without the strength and fortitude
that I’ll need? I passed the test, but it is not the last.
And so I promise you this, I’m going to get my nose in a
book and my thoughts toward Heaven. Sure I can waste each day focusing on the
daily business of life, but there is more than this and I intend to rediscover
it.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Revisiting an Old Idea
I have long said that Philippians 4:13 is my favorite verse.
It says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Being the perennial
underdog I found a great deal of comfort in this verse, I liked knowing that I
could do the impossible, I liked the thought that though I had several
limitations I was unbreakable and could beat the odds, it made me feel strong.
Lately I’ve come to realize that there are many things I
cannot do. There are battles in my life that I won’t win, goals I’ll never see
accomplished, and dreams that will die. It was very hard early on this year to
realize that I was severely flawed and there were things I could never beat. My
own strength and capacity were not enough, I had better quit fighting or waste
away in the process. Does this mean that the verse is not true though, could it
be that I based my life off of a lie?
The answer is yes and no. Yes because of my interpretation,
but no to what I find it really means. I took the verse quite literally, I
thought I was superman and nothing could beat me. I thought my goodness and
drive would keep me safe and that no matter what happened around me I could
just dust my shoulders off and keep on moving. It’s not the case though, there
are things I simply cannot do. So, what does “all things” really mean? I think
that it means that after all I have been through I am still here. I survived, I
lived through it and grew in my faith. When life got tough I stumbled but I did
not give up or give in, I never lost hope. I won’t be a major league baseball
player or super rich and famous, but I will have my faith, my strength, and the
people who love me. At the end of the day that is what “all things” means to
me, that no matter what I go through I’ll keep going strong by God’s strength.
While I had to lose some tough battles, I take great joy in knowing I still
have God despite all that I went through.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Just some Thoughts
I've noticed a trend lately. This blog mainly was dedicated to what I read in the Bible or elsewhere, now it seems to be primarily based on my own life and struggles. It's an interesting transition, and I hope to get back to the Bible as I step up my reading a bit (or at least commit a bit more). Still I feel as though in posting thoughts on the Bible it was more of the "in class" work and this year has been God giving me some "hands on experience." In other words, I read the book and now it is time for the test. Still, I will try to balance both writings as I continue onward. I feel as the storm has finally passed but I know God will continue to guide me as I grow closer to Him. When I walked into Holy Cross I was a proud, immature boy. Somehow God has grown me to become a man who desires to be humble, and committed to His word. All I can say is it is a miracle but that's just how God works. It was a hard road and it is just beginning.
Forgive for Your Sake
I’ve been thinking a lot about forgiveness lately. I’ll
admit it, for all I say about the need to forgive, I find it difficult at times
to forgive those who hurt me. That’s my stubborn Italian nature kicking in at
those times, “Why should I let them get away with it?” I ask, should not they
get some sort of backlash for how they treated me? Well we can debate the
merits of revenge all day, but really what good does it do? Revenge is a
perverted sense of justice in that hurting someone else does not undo what they
did, instead it fuels a fire that could potentially burn forever.
Still, it’s hard to not be mad at someone for hurting
you, I know the feeling quite well as it has been a struggle for me. But God
commands us to forgive, the Our Father prayer that Jesus gave the disciples
says “forgive us as we forgive our debtors.” So in not forgiving others, we are
setting ourselves up as not being forgiven by God. Jesus also commands us to
love our neighbors as ourselves and love God above all, so not forgiving someone
or harboring hatred against others is hardly in line with that command.
So what are we to do? C.S. Lewis once wrote that
forgiveness is not about saying what someone did to you is ok, but it’s about
saying you won’t let it get to you. There is a quote that says not forgiving
someone is liking drinking poison and expecting them to die. Either way it
seems that forgiveness is more for our benefit than the person who hurt us. In
my case, if I refuse to forgive someone who hurt me, I end up dwelling on it
and become drawn into this cycle of anger. Each reminder of them hurts me
further and causes me to lash out against those around me. Now what life is
that? I end up giving them more power over me, rather I should take the initiative
to let go and let God rule my life in love.
So if you harbor anger ask yourself how it benefits you.
Sure you feel strong and tough, you feel like you are in power and that they
had better not cross you again, but in reality are you free? Letting go can be
tough, especially when the wound hits home, but pray and ask God to fill you
with love rather than anger.
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