the oncoming truck

Most of you are probably familiar with the magic duo of Penn & Teller. This is a video from Penn Gillette that I would like to share with you. It's a video blog about a time he was given a Bible. It's only five minutes so please watch it all the way through.

This video was shown today in my class. I know I keep talking about my class, but it has been such a good learning opportunity that I only want to share it with you. This video was like a punch in the stomach to me. He's an atheist showing respect for a man who evangelized to him. The question he made that really hit me hard was when he asked "how much do you have to hate someone?"

Too often we care more for how others will view us. We are more concerned with not looking foolish than we are concerned with sharing the best thing that has ever happened to us--CHRIST!  As my professor pointed out today...Jim Elliott once said "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." What do you have to lose? As Christians, we have it all!

Will you not forewarn the person in front of the oncoming truck just because they don't want to believe it's there? If you're so concerned about how you appear to non-Christians then just remember, your silence speaks of hatred.

moderation

I have a twitter account. Now, at first I believed it to be highly stupid, but then I joined the club. I don't have a big following but I personally do a lot of following. It's like this approved and justified version of stalking. One of the ones I follow is C.S. Lewis. Obviously, it is not the C.S. Lewis but a collection of his quotes posted at random throughout the day.

Today it said: "Christianity if false is of no importance & if true is of infinite importance but it can't be moderately important." As I've mentioned in the last two blogs, I'm taking a course on philosophy and worldview and how it relates to Christianity. I've come to the realization that too many of us live a life of moderate Christianity. I have been the worst at it. We are too afraid that we'll be associated with either extremists. Still we don't want to say that Christianity holds no importance, so we live in the middle.


It has to do with the culture in which we live. We would rather be politically correct and not step on anyone's toes. The problem with that way of thinking is what I believe has significant and "infinite importance." It isn't something to live out moderately, but passionately.

the straight line

Monday I began an intense 2 week course. This week we've been discussing philosophy and worldviews. I mentioned this in my last blog. It's been difficult realizing how much I have bought into. I say I'm a Biblicist, but some of my thoughts and actions don't line up. I think my main problem has been ignorance. I chose not to study philosophy and know what it was that I believed so I was open and vulnerable to other lines of thinking. I know I'm not the only one. So much of my generation has been tainted. We no longer know what it is we believe. Some of my peers prefer to live in continued ignorance thinking it to be the most blissful route. That's false thinking. Know what you believe and be ready to give a reason for the hope that lives within you.

I'm so far from being an expert much less someone who could carry on a full philosophical conversation. It's a process, but you have to start somewhere. I am guilty of buying into this philosophy of relativism—what's true for you may not be true for me and so forth. Everything is relative. Don't judge lest you be intolerant. Let everyone live their life in the way they see fit. It's a life of no absolutes, but it's so far from the truth. There is an absolute God and absolute truth. There is an absolute right and wrong. Sin is sin. It doesn't matter what the context is, it's sin. I've become numb. I've lost my discernment. I've allowed “political correctness” to warp me into becoming a good and tolerant Christian. But I wasn't called to be tolerant or politically correct. As Christians we are called to be salt and light. Without light there is darkness.

I'm not saying that we should be judgmental, critical Christians. We should be a reflection of Him and His truth. Something I learned this week was C.S. Lewis's “crooked stick standard.” The straight line is the standard. The Word of God is our straight line. There is no way that we can know a line is crooked unless we have a straight line to compare it with. No way to know what is evil without knowing what is good. When you live a life that is a reflection of God than others will see. You won't need to be critical or judgmental. You're life should be based on the Word of God the standard, everything else is crooked in comparison.

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" --I Peter 3:15 [KJV]  

dash

For those of you who know me well, you knew this was coming. You knew at some point the name Tim Tebow would be brought up. It was bound to happen. How could I be so open and transparent about my life and my mind and not talk about my favorite quarterback.

For those of you who live in a bubble and do not know who Mr. Tim Tebow is, then let me introduce you. He was up until last year the quarterback of the best college football team ever--Florida Gators! He is the one and only person ever to win the Heisman trophy as a sophomore. He was also nominated his junior and senior years as well. He's won a National Championship. He is an incredible athlete and has a wonderful resume, but more importantly he's a man of strong character. Once he was asked about what made him such a good athlete and his response was in regards to his priorities. He said he puts his relationship with Christ first and foremost, his family, his school work, then football. And because he does that, he believes God has blessed him in each of those areas.

He has faced much opposition. I don't understand why they give him such a hard time, but they do. Someone is always giving him a hard time for something. ESPN did a documentary on him the other night. I was on my way home from the bus station and missed it. Talk about a sad night ha. I was able to see the trailer though and his most recent commercial. In this commercial he addresses all the things people said he could not do. They said he wasn't going to make it in the NFL and he for sure wasn't going to be an early round draft pick. However, first round Denver Broncos drafted him.

He's an inspiration to many and I'm just glad that there is a decent role model out there for this generation to look up to. I could spend all day telling you about how awesome this guy is, but I won't. I just wanted to share this. In the trailer for the documentary, he made a quote. He said:

"When you die, there's going to be a tombstone. It's gonna have your name, the year you were born, and the day you die. In between there's going to be a dash, and that dash is going to represent everything you did in your life, good or bad. That's how you're remembered. What do you want your dash to represent?"

Let's face it, I'll never have a Heisman or win a National Championship. I'll never experience or do the things that Tebow has done but that doesn't make my life any less. I'll still have a dash on my tombstone, and I want it to represent something great. I want that dash to represent a life spent bringing God glory.

I was talking to some guys today for a class project. I had to ask them some philosophical questions concerning their world view. I'm not a philosophical girl, so it was a little difficult. It was so sad to me to hear their answers. They had no purpose, no aim in life. Their only purpose was to get through the dash--to be born then die. There is so much more to life than that. God has designed us for so much more. So what's your purpose? What will your dash represent?

running

This is a song I heard recently. For me, music holds such power. It evokes so much emotion and conviction. The music was one thing, but these words moved me. Too often I feel like the prodigal son mentioned in Luke 15:11-32. I feel myself veer away from what God wants of me, then I am too prideful to go back to Him. I know it's stupid, but I fear He'll look at me like "oh Tanya, it's you again." I know it's not like that, but I still think He must think it ridiculous how many times I mess up.

I heard a message recently on this passage. The pastor mentioned how we always see that passage from our point of view. It's only logical. But he suggested taking it from the father's point of view--what it must feel like to have your wayward child come running back to you. Can you imagine how happy it makes our Heavenly Father when we come running back to Him.

You are good, You are good
When there's nothing good in me
You are love, You are love
On display for all to see

You are light, You are light
When the darkness closes in
You are hope, You are hope
You have covered all my sin

You are peace, You are peace
When my fear is crippling
You are true, You are true
Even in my wandering

You are joy, You are joy
You're the reason that I sing
You are life, You are life
In You death has lost its sting

Oh, I'm running to Your arms, I'm running to Your arms
The riches of Your love will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

You are more, You are more
Than my words will ever say
You are Lord, You are Lord
All creation will proclaim

You are here, You are here
In Your presence I'm made whole
You are God, You are God
Of all else I'm letting go

My heart will sing no other name
Jesus, Jesus

I'm running to Your arms, I'm running to Your arms
The riches of Your love will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign