Yes, spring is finally here! I can wear flip-flops more often, shorts, lay out in the sun... everything that comes with warm weather. I now actually enjoy my morning runs, no longer in fear of frostbite. The trees are breathtaking, flowers are blooming, and birds sing all day. Rabbits scamper around, squirrels chase each other up and down trees... I feel like I'm in a Disney movie sometimes.
I really do love the change of seasons, and this fresh new spring serves as a living, active, clear reminder of God's creation. No matter how deep in winter we may be - cold, barren, lifeless - a new life always comes, and often in greater abundance than before. It's only a matter of time, and God's time is perfect.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
51,982
This is the total estimated yearly tuition I would pay to go to New York University. That's if I live on campus. And it doesn't include transportation. Now I would love to go to NYU, but that is one monumental price tag. Over four years, that would amount to $207,928. I could buy a small house with that, up front. I've been told that an NYU education would pay for itself eventually, so I shouldn't worry about it. But could college possibly force me into debt for the rest of my life? I hope not. There's no way I'm not going to college so I must accept the expenses.
Considering all of this is really opening my eyes to what I'll face in the future. Debt, mortgage, loans, credit... much of which a 10th grade fiscal management class doesn't cover. The world is a big, scary, expensive place. But our Lord created it, so He can handle it. I pray none of us ever forget that. Leaving the shelter of youth into this tumultuous sea of responsibility is a difficult thing for anyone, but I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God. In Him will I trust. Amen. Blessings to all.
-Seth
Considering all of this is really opening my eyes to what I'll face in the future. Debt, mortgage, loans, credit... much of which a 10th grade fiscal management class doesn't cover. The world is a big, scary, expensive place. But our Lord created it, so He can handle it. I pray none of us ever forget that. Leaving the shelter of youth into this tumultuous sea of responsibility is a difficult thing for anyone, but I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God. In Him will I trust. Amen. Blessings to all.
-Seth
Monday, March 24, 2008
Apologies
It's been requested that I continue posting on this blog. I must say I am unaware as to why I ever stopped. However, I vow at this time to fulfill my blogging duties (duties) with a new found sense of commitment. I am sincerely ashamed for my unexplained absence, and beg your forgiveness.
I suppose I'll begin anew with more recent happenings. With this past weekend came Good Friday and Easter, and, thankfully, a few days away from school. I was able to catch up on some much needed sleep, and I also experienced a few new things, such as paintballing. A boy at my corps turned 14 this weekend, so his father gathered a bunch of the division's youth to take him out for a day of yellow painted carnage. There's really nothing like being pelted by small plastic balls flying at 200 mph. If you enjoy a good rush of adrenaline through simulated violence, and occasional pain, and I certainly do, paintballing is definitely for you.
Of course I also enjoyed a marvelous Good Friday service at the CMT on 14th St., featuring the New York Staff Band and a number of quality speakers, and an equally marvelous Sunrise Service at Hempstead Lake State Park, featuring select members of the Hempstead Citadel Band and my parents. At times in the midst of all our Easter tradition and circumstance, it can be difficult to focus on the true meaning of the season. Many of us have responsibilities to fulfill which may grow even more demanding in times of celebration. Certainly we will never forget why the holiday exists, but we may sometimes forget what, or rather who, takes precedence in our lives.
Occasionally I hear someone describing an event, such as a Good Friday service, and they may say, "Well it was nice, but I didn't really get much out of it," or "I wasn't really feeling it," or something similar. And I know I've been guilty of the same thing more than once. But in pondering such things I am reminded of the fact that Jesus is the one and only reason we celebrate. We attend massive gatherings at times like these so that the name of Jesus would be praised, and his great redeeming power and love would be glorified.
We must be aware of the purpose of what we do in order to truly benefit from it, and that purpose is never self-gratification. God isn't like a gas station, ready and waiting to fill us up when we need it, so we can go on into our lives without Him until we're empty. He is with us, taking that road through every experience, every pain and every joy, and it's necessary to take a break from life and spend some personal time with only Him, away from all that weighs us down and destracts us. That's what He wants more than anything else - just us, all of us.
That's what all this is for, these celebrations and meetings and huge gatherings. It's a chance to focus and offer all of ourselves to personal time with God. It's a way to bring us back to where we should be with the Lord. It's a rearrangement of priorities. The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. Our God isn't a time-to-time, once-in-a-while, go-to-church-to-feel-better God. He works in us and through us all the time. He desires to have a close, personal relationship, and bring us to meet our very best potential in Him.
Just a side note, I'm drawing very close now to having to make a decision about where to go for college next year. This has been the primary source of stress for me recently, and I would ask that you please pray that the Lord would grant me wisdom enough to see what His plan is for me and follow it.
I guess this is goodbye for now. Hopefully I'll be more faithful with my posting from now on. You are all in my prayers. Blessings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
-Seth
I suppose I'll begin anew with more recent happenings. With this past weekend came Good Friday and Easter, and, thankfully, a few days away from school. I was able to catch up on some much needed sleep, and I also experienced a few new things, such as paintballing. A boy at my corps turned 14 this weekend, so his father gathered a bunch of the division's youth to take him out for a day of yellow painted carnage. There's really nothing like being pelted by small plastic balls flying at 200 mph. If you enjoy a good rush of adrenaline through simulated violence, and occasional pain, and I certainly do, paintballing is definitely for you.
Of course I also enjoyed a marvelous Good Friday service at the CMT on 14th St., featuring the New York Staff Band and a number of quality speakers, and an equally marvelous Sunrise Service at Hempstead Lake State Park, featuring select members of the Hempstead Citadel Band and my parents. At times in the midst of all our Easter tradition and circumstance, it can be difficult to focus on the true meaning of the season. Many of us have responsibilities to fulfill which may grow even more demanding in times of celebration. Certainly we will never forget why the holiday exists, but we may sometimes forget what, or rather who, takes precedence in our lives.
Occasionally I hear someone describing an event, such as a Good Friday service, and they may say, "Well it was nice, but I didn't really get much out of it," or "I wasn't really feeling it," or something similar. And I know I've been guilty of the same thing more than once. But in pondering such things I am reminded of the fact that Jesus is the one and only reason we celebrate. We attend massive gatherings at times like these so that the name of Jesus would be praised, and his great redeeming power and love would be glorified.
We must be aware of the purpose of what we do in order to truly benefit from it, and that purpose is never self-gratification. God isn't like a gas station, ready and waiting to fill us up when we need it, so we can go on into our lives without Him until we're empty. He is with us, taking that road through every experience, every pain and every joy, and it's necessary to take a break from life and spend some personal time with only Him, away from all that weighs us down and destracts us. That's what He wants more than anything else - just us, all of us.
That's what all this is for, these celebrations and meetings and huge gatherings. It's a chance to focus and offer all of ourselves to personal time with God. It's a way to bring us back to where we should be with the Lord. It's a rearrangement of priorities. The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. Our God isn't a time-to-time, once-in-a-while, go-to-church-to-feel-better God. He works in us and through us all the time. He desires to have a close, personal relationship, and bring us to meet our very best potential in Him.
Just a side note, I'm drawing very close now to having to make a decision about where to go for college next year. This has been the primary source of stress for me recently, and I would ask that you please pray that the Lord would grant me wisdom enough to see what His plan is for me and follow it.
I guess this is goodbye for now. Hopefully I'll be more faithful with my posting from now on. You are all in my prayers. Blessings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
-Seth
Saturday, January 12, 2008
100-100
Sorry all, I have not written in a very long time. Let me think for a second what I should say...
Well, the other night I was watching the South Carolina GOP Debate, and candidate Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister, was asked a question concerning the passage in scripture that says, "Wives, submit to your husbands..." I don't know what the question was exactly, or the context, but Huckabee's response really struck me.
"Marriage is not a 50-50 relationship," he said, "But 100-100. Each partner gives 100% to that person they are spending their lives with." That's not precisely what he said, but you get the gist. This got me thinking about how marriage, as it is meant to be, is a symbolic union analagous to God's love for his people.
Each partner gives 100%. Now, we all know God gives His all to us. He gave His own Son to die the worst possible death, under the worst possible circumstances, to show His amazing love for us. In our lives today, God shows His love in ways we can't even conceive, may never know, and may never thank Him for, but He blesses us daily and will continue to do so simply because He loves us.
I'm sure we can all think of someone we've gone out of our way to do something for, and they never even bat an eyelash, and can even better remember how we felt about it. But more often than not, that's how we are towards God. Every breath that enters our lungs is a precious gift. Each day we're given is golden. Each beat of our hearts is like God saying, "I love you."
So, in return, we must try and invest 100% of ourselves in the Kingdom. God placed us all on this earth for a specific purpose, so to think what we have to offer isn't enough is, in a way, doubting God's wisdom. Recognizing the gifts God gives us and using them for His glory is one of the most important things we could ever do.
Part of our 100% is showing God to others. Because we, as humans, are more inclined to believe something present in front of us, it is imperative that we live as Jesus lived. Others will more readily come to the Lord if they see what He can do in us, and He will do amazing things. Pray for me in this, and I am always in prayer for you. Much love.
-Seth
Well, the other night I was watching the South Carolina GOP Debate, and candidate Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister, was asked a question concerning the passage in scripture that says, "Wives, submit to your husbands..." I don't know what the question was exactly, or the context, but Huckabee's response really struck me.
"Marriage is not a 50-50 relationship," he said, "But 100-100. Each partner gives 100% to that person they are spending their lives with." That's not precisely what he said, but you get the gist. This got me thinking about how marriage, as it is meant to be, is a symbolic union analagous to God's love for his people.
Each partner gives 100%. Now, we all know God gives His all to us. He gave His own Son to die the worst possible death, under the worst possible circumstances, to show His amazing love for us. In our lives today, God shows His love in ways we can't even conceive, may never know, and may never thank Him for, but He blesses us daily and will continue to do so simply because He loves us.
I'm sure we can all think of someone we've gone out of our way to do something for, and they never even bat an eyelash, and can even better remember how we felt about it. But more often than not, that's how we are towards God. Every breath that enters our lungs is a precious gift. Each day we're given is golden. Each beat of our hearts is like God saying, "I love you."
So, in return, we must try and invest 100% of ourselves in the Kingdom. God placed us all on this earth for a specific purpose, so to think what we have to offer isn't enough is, in a way, doubting God's wisdom. Recognizing the gifts God gives us and using them for His glory is one of the most important things we could ever do.
Part of our 100% is showing God to others. Because we, as humans, are more inclined to believe something present in front of us, it is imperative that we live as Jesus lived. Others will more readily come to the Lord if they see what He can do in us, and He will do amazing things. Pray for me in this, and I am always in prayer for you. Much love.
-Seth
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas. Mine was awesome, as it always is. I didn't get any huge gifts, or experience any exceptional blessing, but then again everything I experience is an exceptional blessing because I know it's all a part of the Lord's plan. I have a loving family, live comfortably, and serve a gracious God who hears me. Let's all remember not to take the little things for granted, because the little things aren't so little if we lose them.
I love you all, and pray God's blessing upon you.
-Seth
I love you all, and pray God's blessing upon you.
-Seth
Friday, December 21, 2007
Nothing to Write
I'm not really sure what I'm going to say here, but I haven't posted for a long time and I felt the few readers I have deserve some sort of update. Hello, readers.
Well, I'm finally done with school until the new year! I am sure to enjoy some much needed rest in the coming week, and family time as well, as I will be spending the 27th at my grandparents' house. I'm really glad this time has finally come.
I really don't know what to write. It's hard to fill empty space when you don't know what to fill it with. Hey, there's an idea. It's like our souls.
We know what evil is, because the Bible clearly states and the Holy Spirit clearly tells us what not to do. So, when we find there is evil in our hearts, we do our best to dispose of it all through repentance. And, as the Bible states, when we repent, we shall be forgiven, and thus the evil is gone. We serve a gracious God.
But what happens to the empty space left over? Reconciliation is truly a two-fold process, forgiveness being the first step. We cannot truly be in communion with God if we stand guilty for any number of sins, refusing to accept the gift He offered through Christ's death on the cross. God is perfect, without sin, and he gave his Son, Jesus, so that we might be saved from our own sin. Step two is often overlooked.
After being cleansed of all evil, we must seek to fill ourselves with good. This is often more difficult to achieve, as it takes more effort than simply asking God for forgiveness. It is God's will that we be forgiven in order to grow closer to Him. It is our responsibility to praise Him in return, in whatever way we can. He fulfills his end of the bargain without fail; we must strive to do the same.
If you and a friend are at odds, and only one forgives, the relationship is not fully repaired. Effort is required from both parties. Simply emptying ourselves of evil only removes what is bad; it does not supply what is good. All we achieve in requesting forgiveness is a neutrality, a sort of zero-point, back to square one. It is from there that we must push forward, and seek to fill ourselves with what is good. If we offer no resistance to evil by pursuing what is good, we can easily fall right back into whatever hole God pulled us out of.
We must constantly have the things of God in mind. Whatever is good, whatever is holy, whatever is pure, think about these things. What else but the things of this world could occupy our thoughts otherwise? If we are filled with good, where can the evil exist? Lack of evil does not imply presence of good. Only an active pursuit of holiness can fill us to the extent required to grow in our faith.
Reconciliation is a two-fold process. After we fall, the Lord picks us up - step one. Then what? Do we continue to walk with Him, or do we simply stand where we are? Step two. An intentional and active pursuit of holiness, goodness, faith, Christ-likeness... The second cannot exist without the first, but the first means nothing for us without the second.
Much love, God bless.
-Seth
Well, I'm finally done with school until the new year! I am sure to enjoy some much needed rest in the coming week, and family time as well, as I will be spending the 27th at my grandparents' house. I'm really glad this time has finally come.
I really don't know what to write. It's hard to fill empty space when you don't know what to fill it with. Hey, there's an idea. It's like our souls.
We know what evil is, because the Bible clearly states and the Holy Spirit clearly tells us what not to do. So, when we find there is evil in our hearts, we do our best to dispose of it all through repentance. And, as the Bible states, when we repent, we shall be forgiven, and thus the evil is gone. We serve a gracious God.
But what happens to the empty space left over? Reconciliation is truly a two-fold process, forgiveness being the first step. We cannot truly be in communion with God if we stand guilty for any number of sins, refusing to accept the gift He offered through Christ's death on the cross. God is perfect, without sin, and he gave his Son, Jesus, so that we might be saved from our own sin. Step two is often overlooked.
After being cleansed of all evil, we must seek to fill ourselves with good. This is often more difficult to achieve, as it takes more effort than simply asking God for forgiveness. It is God's will that we be forgiven in order to grow closer to Him. It is our responsibility to praise Him in return, in whatever way we can. He fulfills his end of the bargain without fail; we must strive to do the same.
If you and a friend are at odds, and only one forgives, the relationship is not fully repaired. Effort is required from both parties. Simply emptying ourselves of evil only removes what is bad; it does not supply what is good. All we achieve in requesting forgiveness is a neutrality, a sort of zero-point, back to square one. It is from there that we must push forward, and seek to fill ourselves with what is good. If we offer no resistance to evil by pursuing what is good, we can easily fall right back into whatever hole God pulled us out of.
We must constantly have the things of God in mind. Whatever is good, whatever is holy, whatever is pure, think about these things. What else but the things of this world could occupy our thoughts otherwise? If we are filled with good, where can the evil exist? Lack of evil does not imply presence of good. Only an active pursuit of holiness can fill us to the extent required to grow in our faith.
Reconciliation is a two-fold process. After we fall, the Lord picks us up - step one. Then what? Do we continue to walk with Him, or do we simply stand where we are? Step two. An intentional and active pursuit of holiness, goodness, faith, Christ-likeness... The second cannot exist without the first, but the first means nothing for us without the second.
Much love, God bless.
-Seth
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