Why Spiritual Experiences Can Ruin You

Spiritual experiences can confuse us greatly. No, spiritual experiences are not a bad thing. Heck, they're really, really, REALLY frikkin' awesome. It is a HUGE blessing and has an addicting effect on souls, and can change any life forever. Soooo then... why is it we go on retreats, start speaking in tongues, prophesying, gettin' drunk in the Spirit, then we go home and life isn't very exciting anymore? Where have the spiritual fireworks gone? Why does our spiritual life feel so... boring again?

Perhaps because we rely too much on our senses than we think.


When we feel God's presence, it's super easy to believe in Him, right? When we have the proof right in front of us, God feels so much more real to us. That's human nature. However, to really prove that you're serious about following God, He wants you to prove it by going beyond your natural human borders and discover the deeper side of love, despite the fact that you might not "sense" Him there all the time.


I heard this true story once of a formerly Catholic woman telling someone about her leaving the church because she felt like she wasn't getting anything out of it. The man then responds by saying, "Let me get this straight... You're saying that you've been consuming the literal body and blood of Christ, listening to the entire Bible plus teachings of it for years, and receiving absolution, and you haven't been getting anything out of it?"

This lady is a prime example of how the human heart can become obsessed with the stimuli of the senses. If all we really need is a spiritual experience, we can go to a Buddhist temple and be totally satisfied after that. Our reliance on experiences is what's caused all those "wars"and is why the body of Christ keeps splitting up, it is certainly not because of religion itself. It's just like our general idea of love, how gooshy feelings, soulmates, and making out and "woohooing" our weekends means romance. Or  even more commonly how in movies we know that two characters are in love because of that big kiss scene.

This is why divorce rates are so high, especially among Christians, because we worship our feelings, not the actual God Himself, which is love. Love isn't an emotion, it's an action that we choose. Love is when we choose not to yell foul words or accusations at someone, even though they've wronged us. Love is forgiving and forgetting. Love is cleaning up after the other person even when you're worn out from work. Love is laying down your life for your friends. Again, love is NOT based on feelings!!! In fact, oftentimes, true acts of love are done when the other person doesn't even want to do it.  

That is what makes the Eucharist so wonderful. It looks like a wafer, it tastes like a wafer, but we know in our hearts and minds that it is the body of Christ. There's more "magic" and power in that than any sort of feeling we may find, because we are denying ourselves and letting Jesus in physically. We may not fall to the ground crying from it, but despite that we just know that it's really truly Him. This is what faith is all about. 

Now let me say this again, spiritual highs are really sweet, and this isn't to say you won't or that you're not supposed to get "high" from taking communion, I'm just saying that love and faith is beyond us. And there is no doubt in that at all. 

Year Recap: Lessons Learnt

So as everyone else in America knows, last Monday
 was the first day of school for many.
Yesterday was mine - I started
American Sign Language 2,
English Comp 2, and Astronomy.


Warning, posts may be sparse, and possibly even scarce, from now on. 

But I will update when I can, and this is my first year of college, and you know what they say; the first year is the hardest.

I must make this brief. But it is an important post.




What I have learned over the past school year: 

~ Do not say you are going to do something but then you don't do it (This is a very, very recent one)

~ A friend in need is a friend indeed

~ Life is never a "pass" or a "fail"

~ God doesn't yell at you. He gets angry sometimes, YES, but yell? No.

~ Life happens. You may as well be optimistic.

~ When it comes to doing/learning/trying new things, NO ONE GETS IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. It takes repetition, dedication, and of course, practice to get it "right".

~ Don't let your gifts and talents sit on the shelf and collect dust. Use them, because you are the only one who can.

~ If at first you don't succeed, try try again.

~ Attitude is everything. You are not going to have a good time if your attitude sucks.

~ Enjoy the little things and try to notice what always goes unnoticed

~ I am beautiful, despite what might fly through my head or what others say, I am fearfully and wonderfully made. There will never be another me so I may as well be the me I am supposed to be.

~ Your smile and words really can affect a person's day

~ God's word is for everyone

~ If you have something to say, say it already!

~ I will be learning and growing every step of the way, I can't "get" everything now, even if I think I'm ready.

Yeah, but a lotta those things are pretty cliche

Yeah sure, I heard this from my Astronomy teacher during orientation: "Just because it's cliche doesn't mean it has become less true."

So true. Life is meant for living. And getting to bed on time. G'night. 

The First Day of the Rest of My Life

*sigh*


Today the last day of my high school.... days.


And today all I've pretty much been doing is sitting here on my bed with my laptop trying to figure out if I wanna spend some of my graduation money on an iPod dock. I could be finishing my drawing of Thor and Loki, or finishing my painting of Heaven and Hell, or making a collage out of some old teen magazines, or listening to some of my new music, or making a cake with buttercream frosting, or reading some comics, or riding my bike, or working on a slideshow, or playing Boggle, or studying for the SAT or SOMETHING.


Naw.


Imma sit here and waste all of my free time on the internet.


Isn't that just sad? First of all this is my first day of the rest of my life (kinda) and I am doing absolutely nothing to make it special!! Secondly, all throughout my senior year I've been thinking "oh I wish I were doing *insert one of the above activities her* instead of wasting my time studying!" but then when all that free time comes I don't know how to use it.


Free time is a gift from God. So is busy-ness. Busy-ness can teach us how to function and manage our time wisely, to give time to others, and to train ourselves for whatever jobs we are currently doing/beginning. It also teaches flexibility, and to cherish what's important. YOu can't learn everything just sitting there... There is work to be done! And God wants you involved! Free time can be used to give yourself rest or do something meaningful with the people you love or to use your God-given talents or to glorify GOD!!! Too bad electronics are so convenient. OK, I am SICK OF THIS ALREADY!!!! I am going to be doing something useful now.... Think I'll go make a cake.... With buttercream frosting.... Yeah, that's what I'll do.