And He Can Do So Much More

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands!

I’ve recently started reading the Bible from the beginning, I just finished Revelations and I have a few things to say (or write about that), but now I want to write about what I just read in Genesis. One verse that really struck me (I say that phrase too much, how about one verse that really spoke to me), was Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth.” Now, that is a real no-brainer, I mean of course God created the world, but what I think is surprising is how often we forget that simple yet profound fact. Too often we debate over HOW the earth was made, and not WHY the earth was made. A big debate that I’m sure is very widespread in older generations but so much more notorious in people my age is the whole evolution debate. Here is what I have to say, I don’t know what to say. There I said it (or wrote it), the point is it doesn’t really matter how God made the world; the simple fact is that He did. And how amazing that is! That God decided to invest His time, in some way, to make us and love us beyond our imaginations. I believe that we are personally crafted by a loving God, He really does have the “whole world in His hands”. To me it doesn’t, no, it shouldn’t matter how God made the world, if it did it would be in the Bible. I’m posting a picture, or two pictures, one of a lump of clay and the other of two dogs I made, the clay didn’t randomly form itself, a creator gripped the clay and formed it with the strength of his hands; but wouldn’t it be silly to focus more on how the dogs came to be than to simply appreciate their beauty?

Giving It All Up or Gaining Everything that Counts?

I just read a very interesting article about a minute ago. I was checking on some baseball news, just seeing if the Sox have made any changes or if there is an insightful comments on the upcoming 2010 season (and by insightful I mean that the Sox will beat the Yankees). Anyway, I saw an article about a top prospect for the Oakland A’s who is quitting baseball to go to seminary to be a priest. Here is a guy who probably had it all in high school and college, drafted to play major league baseball, just beginning what could be a great career, and he goes and gives it all up to be a priest! To trade millions, huge bonuses and the “easy life” to devote his entire life to serving God! WOW! That truly inspires me and makes me think a ton, what am I emphasizing in my own life? I forget the guy’s name but he said to the GM that he loves baseball but he wants to do higher things, wow, what a great perspective. Here is a guy who knows what really matters in life, I’ll admit I am not like that, or at least not nearly enough. I walk around carrying the fact that I was cut twice in a row like it is a problem with me; and here is a guy who had it all and gave it all back because he knew that in the long run what truly mattered. I have to say, I am more jealous of this guy (in a good way) in that he had the strength to trade the riches of the world for the treasure of the Kingdom, than of his skill as a baseball player. It just made me think that there is a lot more to life than playing a simple game, was he giving it all up or gaining everything that truly matters? I'd have to go with the latter.

Perfect Love

What is the best, most perfect way to love those around us? Well the short answer is this, we can’t do it on our own, and we may rejoice in the fact that we don’t have to. I was reading 1 John and John writes that “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.” 1 John 4: 12. That is very interesting for a number of reasons, basically it states that in loving others God lives and us, and we in effect love others in a more complete way. Ever felt that the “love tank” is on empty, like you have one of those days where people just seem rude to you all the time. While it is tempting to be rude back we’ve got to step back and think, how does this affect me? I mean, John starts off saying that “no one has seen God”, well duh John of course that’s true (except for a few people), but wait a minute and put it into context; when we act lovingly to others God’s love is made more complete in us and they see God through us WOW! Never thought of it that way, that in every action, every word, every thought I represent God and give people a picture of His love in me. I never see God on a regular day to day basis, but I do know for a fact that I see His “touch” left on the people around me, when I am around people full of light I know that God is near. In contrast when we act badly to others we do a pretty bad job of shining that complete love on those around us. What is the best way to love others? Love them through God so that we may point to Him.

New Year's

I’ve never been big on New Year’s resolutions, they draw to mind a bunch of fat guys who burn out after the first few weeks of exercising. But they don’t have to be that way, we are told that with God’s help we can do anything and it’s true isn’t it. I’ve seen in my own life how much God can do in our lives so I’ve posted my goals for 2010 and for my life in general. May God be with me every step of the way this year and help me when I stumble.

Athletics:
• Get in shape for the upcoming season.
• Bat over .250 for the year.
• Have fun.
• Don’t take it too seriously.

Personal:
• Do well in school.
• Manage my workload… and my stress over it.
• Spend more time with family.
• Do well in my job.
• Cook, a lot.
• Blog.

Spiritual:
• Follow God with all my heart, and may that show in my actions.
• Read my Bible more.
• Come to know God more.
• Recognize when God is speaking to me.
• Ask for help from God when I need it, and even when I think I don’t.
• Live out His word daily, and dedicate my life for Him.
• Think of people the way God does.

A New Year's Prayer.

May God continue to bless us and be with us. May 2010 be a year in which we grow and follow God with all our heart and all our soul. May we walk the path our Lord has laid out for us and when we falter may we repent and be forgiven and continue walking down the narrow road with the help of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Italian pastry

I will post the traditional New Year’s posts later, but for now I will explore the greatness of Italian baking. I have always loved lobster tails, not the seafood but the pastry often shaped like a lobster tail. It has a flaky shell made of layers of paper thin dough, and has a custardy, creamy filling. Today I made a variation shaped like a clam (another seafood!) filled with a ricotta cheese and semolina based filling. I tasted the filling and it was great and as you can see by the picture they look great too. I wish I could give the recipe but it is very detailed and all the measurements are estimates (due to them all being in ounces) so I can't post it here. The Italian name is La Sfogliatella sounds like swaryadell, in case you want to google it, they originally made in a convent in Italy. Buon Appetito

Happy New Year

Just wishing everyone a happy and blessed 2010.