The Real Reason Why Jack Frost is so Awesome!!!

Why Jack Frost from Rise of the Guardians is Awesome

I saw ads on the side of my facebook advertising Rise of the Guardians. By looking at the pictures, the concept art, and the way that they had presented the movie, I thought it was going to be some sort of fantasy movie that took place in an icy forest, with a rather handsome main character, a talking magical bunny, a tree fairy, a wise old wizard, and some golden cloud guy who floats around. They deal with the perils of the forest at nighttime, when this dark evil force comes forth, and they protect the innocent creatures of their home as best they can.  

Boy I was wrong.

I go and see the movie with my little brother, and my idea of it was WAAAAAAAAAAAY off. Nevertheless, I left the theater feeling pleasantly surprised at how good it was. At first I wasn’t sure why. When it came out on home video, I saw it again and finally realized what it was that I liked about it. It was Jack. 

This is NOT a fan-girl post. It isn’t even really a “fan” post. Thought I’d say that. 

Jack Frost from Rise of the Guardians is a stunning character. It doesn’t take much character creation analysis to see that this character was purposefully created to appeal to a very wide spectrum of people, to be marketable. Although 80% of what makes the character likeable is completely shallow, there are some “subliminals” to him that I have come to notice the more I observed him.

So here are the four reasons why Jack Frost was created:

First, and the most obvious, is because of his dashingly good looks. Perfect smile, narrowing eyes, boy-band hair, skinny pants, hoodie... Doesn’t help that Chris Pine voices him, either. *sighs* 

OK, you get the idea. This is to grab the female’s attention, and young and old, are automatically captivated by his icy design. While I, regrettably, admit that I have a cartoon-crush on him, this is clearly a powerful marketing ploy, because statistically females spend more money than males do. The more females at the theater, the more money made in the box office. This is the number one reason why Jack Frost is on the silver screen. Typical mega corp behavior... 

Dreamworks poop. 

Ok fellow dudes, you can stop rolling your eyes now. 

Secondly, and on a relatable level, Jack is on a quest to find out who he is, what his purpose is on earth, and just why he was chosen to do something he didn’t think he could do. We all wanna know who we are, what we are, when we are to be us, and most importantly why... Why are we here? Why does God wanna use us? Why, and will I ever know, am I... me??? And how am I supposed to be me in this world? What is the point of it all? Teens are always struggling with this, as they (ahem, we) are budding adults. Everyone can relate to this.

Thirdly, on an even deeper note, Mr. Frost has a longing for a family, a love for children, and a desire to just make children happy. Jack is a very fatherly figure. Ladies, stop imagining what you and his kids would look like, and pay attention. 

He has a very real and natural longing to serve children (the new generation) and bring them into a life of fun, or “spiritual” joy, if you will.

He is self-sacrificial, risks his life to save others, and is a hero that children can look up to, both in real life and in Guardian land. Everyone admires a superhero character, and one with a familiarity (a somewhat nostalgic feeling) of wanting to be with children.

Fourthly, he gets tempted. This is where the half-unintended-by-the-designer-but-not-by-God part comes in. 

Pitch hates children. He doesn’t target the adults, he targets the kids. Why? Because they represent the faithful ones. Pitch is all about fear. In reality, Satan isn’t necessarily about brutally tearing you to pieces as painfully as possible, despite what all the horror movies want you to think (that’s what Hell is for). He’s more interested in the littler, more subtler things that “sneak into” your weakest moments (when the kids are asleep, for example) which can eventually lead you into a greater catastrophe. But where does all the real-life violence, money-pooling, conspiracies, and lustful mindsets come from? 

“Why tempt a man into adultery when gluttony is enough to send him to hell?” -The Screwtape Letters

Every sin we commit is fueled by fear. Think about it. The fear of what the others might think if you don’t do it. The fear of getting caught. The fear of remaining never being loved. The fear of never experiencing a romance. The fear of being defeated. The fear of messing up big time. The fear of pain. Even the fear of our own selves. It’s a very personal and very real darkness contained within our own souls. 

Back to you, Jack.

Yay!

Jack doesn’t even realize that being a guardian (which is, his destiny, his calling), trusting this mysterious powerful force that has chosen him, even though he has been “silent” to Jack all these years, will lead him to his center. Pitch wants Jack’s center to be of fear. This is when the power of the encouragement of fellowship comes in.

I am now going to put the basic plot of the movie into a strictly Christian perspective.

In the intro to the movie, Jack is risen from the dead, is given a second chance, and new life. He is new to being “born again”, and he doesn’t understand what his new life is all about. Then, without warning, this unknown force intrudes on his life and turns it all around. Through this, North, Tooth, Bunnymund, and Sandman all teach Jack very different but essential lessons about true identity through faith. 

North responds to the call to evangelize to Jack, which is what invites him into the discipleship and challenges him to seek out truth over all things in a completely different way.

 Bunnymund is all about new beginnings, which is where new life in Christ starts, and also points to the joy of Jesus’ resurrection. 

Tooth tries to comfort and listen to Jack when he is at his lowest. She also reminds him that even though he was never guaranteed an easy journey in the faith, it was undoubtedly the most joyful one, and it truly made a difference in the world. 

And finally, the most loving sacrifice, Sandman lays down his life for his friends. 

The power of “four” (or more), and using our own spiritual gifts to built a culture of love is oddly very evident in this movie!  

And what does all this come down to?

Faith like a child. It’s like when the little boy says right to the face of darkness:

“I believe in you, I’m just not afraid of you.”

In our culture of fear, we are learning not to believe in the existence of Hell and devils. We must must MUST believe in fear, but by all means, we must mist MUST not be afraid of it! The little boy is also an amazing example of how the true Christian faith really looks. I am thus encouraged in my faith journey, and I really hope you are too, or at least have an idea of how to look through new eyes to see Jesus’ perspective, or messages in everyday objects. 

Now I guess I can say that seeing ROTG was well worth my $7.50. 

Bye bye babies!!!!

Muah

WordPress HALP??

I'm not very good at giving up.

So here I am, ladies and germs!!!!! So why am I back? Well, I had done some research on what blog engines are the best/favorite of le internets, and what I got was WordPress with a HUGE lead at number one, and Tumblr at two. Blogger was probably three, but it was closely matched with a few other blogs. Anyway, so I immediately began looking into WordPress, and it's EVERYWHERE! It's not just a blog site, it's a website maker! And it's free! You can also sync other blogs onto it, so I could include all of these posts onto my WordPress. Sounds perfect! So I began downloading it, right? It even guarantees a simple 5-step setup process.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong. It's too difficult. And I've hacked Mac-related things before.


DOES ANYONE IN THIS INTERNET WORLD KNOW HOW TO DOWNLOAD WORDPRESS ONTO A MAC???? I'VE LOOKED AT TUTORIALS AND THEY DON'T HELP!!!


Thanks.

Sorrow

"I’m not as okay as I like to say 
and this pain is more than they know, 
more than I show."

- Amber Hunter, This Pain 


She was funny, carefree, and wonderful in many ways. I remember walking away from her often wearing a big smile. Sure she wasn't my mom or dad, or a sibling or a best friend, but she still meant a lot to me. 

This week my favorite teacher passed away. She will be thoroughly missed.

However, this post is not a dedication to her. It is a reflection of my own heart. 

As a result of this, old worries have infected me, old sinful habits have been revisited, and pain has been bottled up. I've taken some comfort from listening to music, but it can only distract me for so long. I've been withdrawing myself from family, friends, and classmates, and wasting time in my room for many hours at a time without leaving. I didn't think for a while to call upon the Lord for help. 

After a big fall, I finally did it. I asked God for help. 

I can't tell you the difference it made in my heart. It was a strange but tender sweetness that I have never felt before.

In silent suffering, mourning, stress, and anxiety, that's where God's mercy and love can be felt the strongest. At first, especially when talking about the saints and stuff, I didn't think that their way of suffering would in any way bring me personally closer to Christ. I didn't understand why the joyful can, at times, feel more disconnected to God's sweetness than the ones who weren't. Oh, God is near at all times, people! But sorrow brings forth such a beautiful longing in us that allows us to fully experience God's peace, care, comfort, and unending love. I never thought I would get to feel that. I know that someday it'll happen to me again, maybe perhaps excruciation, but at least I can look forward to the way my spirit feels now, only better. 

Thanks, God. You really are good.

If someone you know is grieving, here is another article that you may find helpful:, so don't worry, we're in this together. 

Change Changing Things

Man, things are rapidly progressing in my life right now. When I was 16, I thought starting a college class was tough enough. When I was 17 I thought driving was tough enough. When I was 18 (which, I still am) I thought being an official college student was tough enough. I also thought starting a job was tough enough. And now I'm almost 19 and I am about to move out and be on my own in a week.

I dunno how tough that will be, but I know how it feels now.

I've always lived in a big family, was home-schooled, and grew up spending most of my days with my brothers. Now there are 2 new members in our family, one that's 2 years old and one that's 1. I've been gone a whole lot this semester, usually everyday except Sunday. I know that it's hard to say goodbye to my little siblings even though I know I'll be home later. But soon, I'll be away for a long time, and they won't see me coming home in the evenings anymore. I'm used to being away a lot, but not gone.

Oh, I'll visit home on weekends, and be in communication, but still, I need guidance, and what better thing to do than to turn to God in all of this?

It did bring some comfort to know that tears,  homesickness, and "wanting my mommy" were perfectly normal for the first few weeks of moving out, so at least I know that in advance. It's almost scary even, but I do know that it's time for me to leave.

All this change is overwhelming, but it's also exciting, and I can't wait for it to happen. All these emotions are making me a bit crazy, but I know God has been keeping me strong through all of it.

So if you are like me right now and are scared, stressed, worried, excited, happy, and/or sad to be doing something life-changing, I'm with you there. But God understands it all. Don't hesitate to give Him a call. He's all you'll need no matter what happens. :)

I AM GOOD I AM GREAT I AM WONDERFUL

I AM HORRIBLES.

I haven't made a blog post in like, three years.

I am also in an exaggerated mood right now.

So hey guys. I has a job, that keeps me pretty dang busy, and soon school is also going to start, AND I am going to move in a couple of months. Day-yang. Transcending into being all-grown-up is kind of tricky! But hey.....

I am a grown-up now!!!

Actually no I'm not.

I'm still a kid.

Especially compared to older wiser people like my awesome parents and grandparents. They've lived life longer and have experienced and grown far more than I have. Sometimes (like all we kiddos tend to do) we just don't wanna listen to our day-yang elders. My piece of advice? Listen to them, or you'll die. OK, maybe not, but most likely they've got the power of guidance in your life, if you'd let them.

Anyway, a lot of things that I am going to need to start taking way more seriously is budgeting and managing money. This is the sort of thing every teen (well, me at least) would roll eyes over and kinda ignore. Now that money is starting to actually matter to me (like getting a car, gas, rent, utilities, insurance, groceries, tithing, tuition, textbooks, setting a good foundation for the future, etc etc etc), I've been learning to buy only what I need at the store and then splurge....... very, very, VERY sparingly.

I'm trying to store up a whole buncha money over a long period of time. This is a slow but surefire way of building wealth. My ultimate goal is not to be wealthy, but to have a solid financial foundation for the future, that being the possibility of marriage, kids, and (what's guaranteed) emergencies. Yup, I've become quite the goal-setter and dreamer lately.

Besides that, I've also been learning to be more under control, positive, and determined as life rapidly progresses. All of this hasn't been possible without the help and guidance of my Father, God. So thanks to Him for EVERYTHING! :)

That's basically it.

Yeah, it's good news for ME at least.

Thanks for reading!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bye, DUDEZ.

At Last

So school is coming back tomorrow.... BOOOOOO! Although that's a bummer, I am one step closer to this semester being over. I've only got like, two and a half weeks until I'm free! Woohoo! 

I also have to be at a ceremony for my Honors society. I'm going to be in business attire and everything, and going up on stage, and voting for the new officers, and wearing my golden pin, and parking in the faculty parking lot.... What an honor!! :) 

But all this can give me pressure, and I can get overwhelmed and stressed very easily at these sorts of things. I guess that's mostly why I'm glad this semester is almost over, and that the homework won't be pouring in, and next semester I'll be a Sophomore (they say Freshman year is the hardest).

It's not that I can't handle it, but it can still be rough. I think I'm ready for Christmas or something. Or some more heart exercises. All this stuff has stretched my heart's abilities to be patient, calm, enduring, and dedicated. And to trust God and praise Him even when I'm crying over a bad grade or too much work. I can confidently say that I will walk out of this a different person, and then laze around for a few weeks emptying my brain of everything I just learned XD

LOVE Y'ALL 

Amidst the Chaos: An Alternative to Complaining

WHHHHHY MEEEEEEEE?????????

Man, complaining is so popular, isn't it? Everyone's been doing it. Even I have been keeping up with my daily whininess lately, and you know me, gotta be up with trends. It's so easy to do, you know? When stress and life happens all you have to do is pout, grumble, cry, think about how much your life sucks (when it probably really doesn't), and throw a big pity party! What fun! :D

I hate it, though. Complaining is bad for you. I need to stop. You do, too. After all, I don't wanna be like everyone else, and shouldn't want that either.

So I am so chaotically busy right now (just before the holidays, too. At least all this work will make the holidays sweeter) with what seems to be an endless amount of work (who DOESN'T have this?). And here I am blogging!!! Well, I kinda need to right now because I need a better way to vent my frustrations and struggles. No I am not going to be making this a journal post and talk about everything that's been going on, I mean, who wants to read that anyway? We've all got our own problems to deal with!

I know that praying always helps. God is always like, "Well sure I'll help you! Why didn't you say so sooner?" 

Music helps, especially worship music. KPop is fun to listen to though, it's like having a party in my ears while my eyes and hands are working! 

Two words: Hot tea. 

Taking things one at a time!

Getting away from your work helps also. Go outside and get fresh air!!!!

And guess what else???

NOT COMPLAINING MAKES IT WAY BETTER!!!

I am talking to me here, but I know everyone has moments where they need to relax, too.

Now I need to get back to work. I have several assignments due next week, plans to work out, places to go, things to do, and everything else in between! Thanks God for not letting my head (or mouth) explode!!! 

Is she died?

WOW.

Not being on blogger in 11 days feels like forever. Guess what, everybody? I am a college student!! Besides that I have a life!!! I've missed Blogger very much, yes, but I have been very busy. Anyway, let me catch up here...

Being a freshman and all the first couple weeks of classes were torture. My week was generally full of panic, worry, crying, freaking out, breaking down, and failing. I didn't really show it to anyone, but inside I was exploding. Somehow I've survived, and I've caught onto the schedule fairly quickly. If you are not yet a college student, a little word of advice is ALL OF THOSE FEELINGS ARE NORMAL, and as the British say:

Really, just relax, you won't die. I was pretty convinced I was, but I am still alive and doing well in my classes so far. I am a living example of emotional chaos when beginning something new, so trust me on this. If I can make it, so can you.

Also, when you have boatloads of work, don't try tackling them all at once. I don't mean slacking off is ok, I mean taking breaks is ok and actually improves productivity. Usually you would work like this:

You work 30 minutes, give yourself a 10 minute break

You work 45 minutes, take a 15 minute break

You work an hour, get back 25 minutes

You work for 3 hours straight (don't do this), watch some tv, bake a pie, go on a short shopping trip, or even better, take a walk. A LOOOOOONG walk.

etc etc etc

To help relieve stress, do this:

- Drink calming tea

- Escape from your workspace and take a walk. Try to clear your mind from everything that's making you freak out and just focus on the breeze, the flowers, the crunchy leaves, etc.

- Take a nap

- Listen to calming/encouraging music

- Read your Bible

- Remember it's not the end of the world!

- And as the British say:

That's all I gotta say. Really. 

Have a blessed semester!!!!!!!!! :D

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. 

Times flies when the world is ending

Oh my goshness

Summertime is almost no more

And next week is my first legitimate year of college

Wow.

I am trying not to enter into freak-out mode.

I mean, where has the time gone? It's so weird! Have you ever thought about how long something was while it was happening but then when it's over it's like it just flew by? That's how I feel about high school. It was waaaaaay too long and awkward and weird and sad and great all at the same time and it seemed like the time couldn't go by any slower but now it's officially over and well.... Wow. My brain can't take this anymore...

It's probably because SO much has changed with me over high school that it's overwhelming to think about. Yes, there's the obvious puberty and growing up stuff but that's not what I'm talking about (thank goodness). I have grown a whole lot in my character and spirituality.

Amidst all the confusing drama and stupid stuff that took place in high school, I can really see now just how much God has shaped me through that time to get where I am now. I mean, I think the me now is a huge improvement from the me then. Even seeing how I was at the age of seventeen, which was just last year, I can see I've really matured. I've become more confident and aware of who I was through Christ's eyes, and that my friends, is just awesome.

It could simply be that now I am becoming an adult. I know age 18 is supposed to be the official "you're an adult now" age, or 21, if you wanna talk alcohol (let's not), but I still feel like I kid. I do know that I have a long way to go before fully becoming an adult, in fact, it's a lifetime experience. However, I am excited about the start of it all simply because that means more development of who I am and a closer relationship with God. I have to let Him do this, of course, I just pray that I don't screw up big time in the end like King Solomon did.

I also know that what I have to offer is big enough and important enough to provide a way for Jesus' return which, by the way you guys, is way sooner than we think. This is the closest we've ever been to that point, and if you haven't noticed, the earth is in very poor condition. Despite this, I refuse to let that bring me down when there's still work that needs to be done here.Yes, it makes me sorrowful, and rightfully so, but I just can't let that make me lose hope or doubt that restoration can happen. That's why I try not to judge a single person or say hurtful things even if they're true, because God can use even the most passionate sinner.

And on that note, our doubt, silence, and spoken words can be what prevents restoration from happening in a sinner. Why? There are several correct answers to this. Think about it. You have to be sensitive and aware of the littlest things, guys.

It's always the little things. Always.

This is a learning process, heck yeah I'm in it all the way, stumbling as I walk, but I can't quit now. Remember, no matter your age, you can allow God's love to work through you. Against all odds you can stand firm in a world that's crumbling beneath your feet. Who knows? You could be the one to greet Jesus when he comes for his last visit.

In the meantime, I'd best be checking what rooms my classes are going to be in. *sigh* Here we go...

 

Your Dream Man

Hmmmm.... which do I prefer....

Blondes [ ] or Brunettes [x]

Left Brained [x] or Right Brained [ ]



Oh! Hey there! Um...Hi!

I was just thinking of the kinda guys I generally prefer. Nothing out of the ordinary or anything.... Heheh.

                  For those of you women who aren't already married, do you have a list written up of all the characteristics that your dream man has? I remember reading an article in this Christian teen magazine encouraging girls to make a strict list of wonderful characteristics that their man should have. That way they can follow that list as a guide and only choose good men.  A typical teen girl might write:

       1. He must be totally hot (no ugly guys for me)

       2. He should be athletic

       3. Totally masculine. And tall. Well, taller than me. But not too tall. Duh.

       4. Ripped and rich

       5. Look like Taylor Lautner

Yes, I have seen people put down #5 all the time. Really. Or something along those lines..... However, a typical Christian girl might put down:

       1. He needs to be a Christian (this is the most important step!!! That's why it's on top!!!)

       2. He needs to be totally hot (no ugly guys for me)

       3. He must to be a good father

       4.  He should be supportive and loving
     
       5.  He has to be able to listen to me talk about things that I am interested in and at least act like he's interested, too


Yes, I have seen people put down #5 all the time. Really.


A good Christian girl (yes, a GOOD Christian.... not all Christians are necessarily "good") might put down:

       1. My dream guy needs to be a GOOD solid Christian, not one of them phonies

       2. I want him to be a good father for all the kids we will be having (when we're married. Duh.)

       3. I want him to know that divorce is never gonna be an option

       4. He needs to be loving, caring, compassionate, merciful, generous, forgiving, kind, strong, protecting, supporting, joyful, and finally faithful to me but even more faithful to God.

       5. And he needs to have a good amount of money. Just sayin'. Hey! If we have a big family I don't want to have financial problems!

Yes, I have seen people put down #5 all the time. Really.


                  Notice how the Christian lists were a little less focused on outward characteristics and more on inward characteristics? That is indeed important. I made a list one time during high school. I wasn't necessarily interested in dating at the time, but I wrote one up anyway just cuz it felt like a good idea. I figured one day it would come in handy for when I did want to start dating. And now I don't know where that list even is.... Way to go, Beth...

                  But I don't really care actually. That's because a year or so later I read out of another print Christian teen source that lists aren't a good idea! This author guy, Justin Lookadoo, said that he felt that lists only applied to the male that the female is searching for, not the actual female writing the list. In other words, he feels that when girls search for their perfect guy they tend to forget that all have fallen short of the glory of God, and even if the guy has all the characteristics on her list, he's still going to stumble and fall and struggle. After all, he's only human. Besides that, Lookadoo also stated that if girls need to make their lists, they need to have those lists apply to themselves.

                  For example, if you want your man to be compassionate and loving, you need to make sure that that is something you aim to be! Everyone has heard the phrase, opposites attract, but when it comes to godly men and women, their similarities in godly characteristics are what they truly become attracted to. In other words, if you are truly a woman of God, than a man who is truly a man of God will be attracted to that. The godly individuals really know what they are looking for, and they have the eyes to tell the difference between a follower and a phony, beyond their lovely outward appearances. This is when that lame old cliche "what matters most is what's on the inside" REALLY makes sense. Godliness sure is hot stuff, isn't it???

                   Tell ya what, next time you refer to your list or even write one, write the list for yourself. I am certainly not against lists, but the problem is, sometimes we set our hopes and sights too far into our "perfect" future spouses instead of our awesome years of being single, when we are only dedicated to God. Also, we sometimes rely too much on our own preferences that we forget that God knows us waaaaaay more than we know ourselves. So let God choose your man for you. Trust in Him; He's got one in mind for you already, just let Him do His thing. Devote yourself to God fully, and you'll be the hot mama you were born to be, whether God leads you to a life of marriage or singularity. :)

               

Up In Da Club With an Unintentional Worship Song

Hey there my Converse shoes!


Have you ever heard a secular song on the radio and thought it sounded like it was talking about God? I recently heard a song by David Guetta and Usher that sounds SO much like a surrender to God's love! The song is called, "Without You" and it's had huge hype and radio play, ya know, it being one of those generic pop/club songs, but the lyrics are definitely somethin' else.

Of course, neither Usher nor David Guetta are necessarily considered good "role models", and of course the song was written to whine about how Usher misses his girl desperately and needs her back. But let's set that aside and say that they have officially created a worship song (unintentionally). Here's what I mean:

The song opens up with Usher admitting his faults: 

"I can't win, I can't reign
I will never win this game
Without you, without you.
I am lost, I am vain,
I will never be the same
Without you, without you."

The Bible teaches that without God, we are nothing. In the "game" that life is, we "can't win" on our own. We may have talents and God-given gifts, but without God (who is also love) we are "lost" and we "will never be the same". We may also have power to rule over a nation, but compared to God, our "reign" is nothing. The heart of a follower will always be more powerful than the heart of a king.

-Jesus replied, "What is impossible for man is possible with God". Luke 18:27 NIV

- If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2 NIV

Usher also admits that he is "vain", which is true of everyone, we all deal with vanity one way or another. God is perfect, and He is the only thing worth lifting up. Without God we fail to recognize our own roles as humans and we tend to put ourselves higher than we should be. It's just as Ecclesiastes constantly repeats: "vanity of vanities, everything is vanity".

And as a fun little note, the lines "I am lost...without you" is almost like a wink at the chorus to the worship song, "Breathe" by Kathryn Scott ("And I, I'm desperate for you... And I, I'm lost without you").  

For such a simply worded verse there's a lot of meat in there. You can get a lot more out of that than I had written. But anyway, moving onward! Here are the most powerful lyrics of the song:

Pre chorus 1:

"I won't run, I won't fly
I will never make it by
Without you, without you.
I can't rest, I can't fight
All I need is you and I,

Without you, without you." 

Pre chorus 2:

"I won't soar, I won't climb
If you're not here, I'm paralyzed! 
Without you, without you.
I can't look, I'm so blind 
I lost my heart, I lost my mind! 
Without you, without you."

Here's what the B-I-B-L-E has got with the lyrics "I won't run, I won't fly.... I won't soar":

-"...but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

-"You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself." Exodus 19:4

The Lord is a deliverer, and sends his help like a soaring eagle. Those who believe will also fly with those God-sent wings. Without God, you ain't got no wings to fly! 

With "I'm paralyzed":

-"Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”" Matthew 9:2

Without the forgiveness and love of God and the faith of those men, the paralyzed man would've stayed paralyzed for the rest of his life! 

With "I'm so blind... I lost my mind":

-The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. Deuteronomy 28:28

That wasn't very cheery, but we cannot forget that God is a God of both love and justice. He does indeed have the power to take anything away from people, including their sight and sanity. However, the Gospels have recorded the healing miracles Jesus made on people who were blind, demon possessed, insane, etc. Without God's healing, where would they be? Where would we be?

And finally, "I lost my heart":

-"Scorn has broken my heart  and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
    for comforters, but I found none....But as for me, afflicted and in pain—

    may your salvation, God, protect me." Psalm 69 verses 20 and 29

In this book, David writes of how his broken heart isn't something that he can fix on his own, the feelings of pain alone hold him down. He searched for comfort through others, but was unsuccessful. Later he begs for God to protect him through his time of need, and that was all it took for his heart to be found healed. God also asks of us our hearts, when we give that to him, we gain a heart out of it! When we refuse, we lose our hearts.  

I dunno about you, but that's pretty crazy how coincidental that is. Maybe God was being a little bit sneaky.... You how in my previous post about the Avengers I mentioned how in media sometimes you can find "golden nuggets" and signs of God's love? With this song, it didn't take me long to recognize that these signs were present, but when I went Bible surfing to find deeper meanings in the song, it's incredible what can come out it! Remember, there are reasons behind everything and symbols are everywhere, so always guard your heart. And when it comes to media and your everyday choices, remember:

"Chew the meat and spit out the bones"

                                      -John Boyle

And to send you off, here is David Guetta's official "Without You" song and lyrics video (complete with colorful artsy visuals!!!).

Do' da da go' hv i!!!!!! Keep on dancing! You know you want to!

Fangirls: The Cool, the Dumb, and the Ugly

Howdy partners! Good to be here with Y'ALL!

Being a fan of something can be SO cool. It's fun to really get into something and to choose your favorite characters and to gain inspiration out of it. It's even cooler when you have a friend or a bunch of friends who are into the same things as you, and exciting conversations can be made from that as you anxiously anticipate the next upcoming part of the series. Sometimes it's also really awesome to see the fun ideas and creativity that can be brought forth from fans!

Sometimes.


When you are a fan of something, say that really cute anime emo guy that never talks to anyone but is still frickin cute because he just is, you can basically take the way you view that character and "change" him around, or rather, re-design his characteristics to match your own personal preference.

For example, this emo boy just so happens to not be interested in dating any girls currently, and he probably feels that he just doesn't have time for them, being busy sulking around and thinking about how much life sucks and all. Sadly that's just the way the cartoonist created him. But the way his slanted, narrow eyes and shaggy black hair are drawn is just far too much for your brain to remove from its memory and your heart does a little jump every time he speaks in that deep, smooth voice (yeah you, fangirl, you know what I'm talking about). Even though he's fictional, you just somehow can't stop thinking about him. So what do you do???

You might decide to make your own OC (original character), draw her up and then pair her up with emo kid. In your imagination you are now somehow a part of the story and have full control over all the other character's emotions and decisions, especially the character you have a crush on. You two could have some sort of smoking romance and absolutely nothing could go wrong or get in the way of your "original" angst-y love story. Hey, it's a whole new world now! For you, anything goes. Until the next episode of that anime emo-kid is a part of comes on TV in English with a new character - a female who is destined to be his girlfriend. *facepalm*

Another typical thing that fans do that you could also do is save every single picture of him off Google and DeviantArt onto your computer. On YouTube you can make a million AMVs dedicated to that character and even make be the first to claim the username, emo_kidluver4ever. You can go to every underground nerd forum and post about your love for him and how IS (not how you wish he was) your husband and you will threaten anyone dare tries to disagree or argue back with a nasty type-tag-war (apparently you have such a convincing way with your words). After that no one will like you, but at least you've put all this effort into making claims to this character and now he's yours! Sorta. Happy now? Ppfft. Seriously, get a life.

You could also buy all the posters that have his face on it, buy all the t-shirts with him on them, buy all the tv show episodes, action figures, toys, video games, and costume items, etc. Basically you just need to stock up on as much of his merchandise as possible so that your can create your own custom museum or sanctuary in full dedication to him. You can brag to all your other emo kid-loving friends about how much of a bigger fan you are than them, and you can have them come over to your house so that they can marvel at the beauty of your emo-kid decorated dwelling. Soon enough you'll be flat-broke and you'll have to sell your prized emo-kid possessions. And possibly your house, too.

You might have been a victim of one or more of these fan situations until you met that creepy 45-year-old woman who can't stop obsessing over emo-kid (who's only 16 years old), and well, you back away from that situation.... very slowly..... and cautiously......

But thankfully there is good news for you. You can save yourself a lot of grief, time, money and disturbing mental images by just doing this: NOT. GOING. OVERBOARD.

There is fine line between a "you're an O.K. fan" and a "you-are-so-into-this-it's-really-creepy fan". I know some people who are crazy about Star Wars and collect their merchandise and watch their movies a hecka lot, but the difference between them and crazy fans is these guys at least have self-control. They can make friends with other Star Wars lovers and still go on living their normal lives without Star Wars being the only topic of conversation. Star Wars is a fun something  and they don't treat it like it's a someone. They know that nothing about Star Wars is more important than real-life experiences and people. They let Star Wars become a fun part of their lives without letting it be their lives. To put it all simply, what these people do is prevent an invasion from happening in their hearts.

Everyone has SOMETHING they can get all nerdy about! If you know me well enough, you'll know that right now I am crazy about the Avengers. Loki and Thor = awesome. And ever since I was little I've been a big fan of Sonic the Hedgehog. "You're too slow!" My absolute favorite TV show is Avatar: The Last Airbender, and lately I've been trying to keep up with their new spin-off series, The Legend of Korra! Look, there's not necessarily anything  wrong with getting into characters and whatnot, but you have to know when to prevent a mixture of falsehood being made out of your life. With as abundant as modern media is, it is WAY easy to get caught up big time in the mix. Your time is precious and it cannot and must not all be wasted on fiction. Know and understand what is real and let go of some of the things you cling to. They won't cling back. Remember that. You are in control of your own decisions, so be strong and don't let fiction become your new reality.

Bye bye, birdies! I'm going to bed. It's way too late. In fact, it's not even June 4th anymore. It's June 5th!!!! AHHHHHH!

SCARY! O.o

Hey there my homies in Russia and India!!


I noticed that on the new and snazzy Blogger update I can track where in the world my Blogger is being viewed and searched. If it turns up as someone's search result, it tracks that. If someone has viewed my profile, it tracks that. It also knows where you were when you viewed my page. The cool part about this is that I have people following me and watching me in Russia and India.  So I just wanna say Здравствуйте and Namasté to you! The scary part is that... that's just scary..... too scary..... It's like Google is watching all of us..... All the time!!! In OUR SLEEP!!!!!!!! Ok, ok, maybe not quite THAT extreme, but still, that's just freaky. O_O


I find that the scary factor with Google has gone up a ton recently. Ever since half the internet has been linked together like a web to Google things have made me feel a little uneasy. I dislike the fact that once you set up a Gmail account you get alongside it a Blogger, a Youtube, a Google+ profile and about a million other services associated with Google. I thought maybe the Youtube and (obviously) the Blogger additions were cool, but it's also weird and unnecessary that Google now access and information to everything anyone ever posts. Also, Google "knows" and tracks down a lot more about you than you know, so careful what you post and what you use through it. All you've ever seen, searched and done while Google was open is recorded somewhere on Google under your account. Even if your history was deleted, they still have that information on their end of your account.

Google knows that I have a mac, have about 300 pictures installed on my computer, 25 documents, and that I visit Facebook the most often in my Safari browser. It knows how many songs I've downloaded onto iTunes, how long my computer has been one and when I shut it down, and when I play Bejeweled 3 or Diner Dash.  How does it know all this? IP addresses. I don't even know what THOSE are.


Besides me being freaked out over all the scary things associated with Google and my Blogger account, I DID see the Avengers for the second time yesterday! LOVE THAT MOVIE!!!! Great heroes, great villain, and great fun (See my previous post titled, "The Avengers, gods, and my Latest Thoughts on us Human Beings" under the May 2012 tab if you haven't already). Before that I ate at a Chinese restaurant with my buddies and had this really yummy egg drop soup, a crab rangoon, fried rice, and an assortment of Chinese veggies. :) I rarely have Chinese/Vietnamese/Japanese food, so when I get the chance to eat them, it makes me very happy. :D 


A few days ago I also bought from Wal-Mart a Batman shirt, some colorful plaid shorts, and a picture frame for a Hatsune Miku artwork that my BFF Claire gave me for my birthday. BTW, Wal-Mart is convenient and is loaded with licensed character products, but it scares me too, but that's another story... For another time.... If I even bother telling about it.... Which I prolly WON'T. 


до свидания and Byvajcie Bengali!!!


:)

Pop Music, Sex, and Guarding Your Heart

Hey there, my Euros!

Why does Korean Pop music make me so happy? I do not know. Last night I was cleaning the kitchen  listening to 2ne1 on my iPod singing, "nega je chahlaga bam ba ra tatata bae" and dancing around like an idiot. Hey, I can get into music so deeply, even if I don't know what they're saying, being Korean and all. XD

Which got me thinking... Music has a huge effect on everyone doesn't it? Catchy music can persuade you into tapping your toes, singing along, and dancing along. It can stick with you for the rest of the day, and have bars repeating in your head all day long. Music can also get you thinking about different things and can even give you certain emotions, desires, or concerns. Music introduces ideas, protests, preaches, teaches, influences, inspires, and brags. Well, if music alone does a lot for you, what about the lyrics?

Many people know this but don't really know this: lyrics really do have an effect on you. You must be careful with what you let into your ears, because what you let in stays in, and can change the way you think and say things.

Generally, I don't really listen to pop music. Simply because it's all the same. The set-up and placement of the verses and choruses are the same, the beats are the same, and the (you guessed it) the lyrics are the same. They're all telling stories about their romantic relationships. It is usually one of these three:

1. The relationship they are currently in
              a. How sweet and great the other person is/or how much the singer is in love with him/her
              b. How they're relationship is unstable/How the other person is damaging or is a total nightmare, yet they choose to "love 'em" anyway for one reason or another
              c. How they hate each other, thus they are destined for each other

2. The breakup/being single
             a. How much the singer misses the other and longs for them back
             b. How much the other person wants the singer back, but they refuse because they're a "jerk" (and they go about listing why it is that him/her is a jerk)
             c. How happy they are that the relationship is off
             d. How they need someone better than jerk they just broke up with in order fill the void within themselves and not be lonely anymore

Aaaaand finally:

3. Sex
            a. How "amazing" the other person looks, thus they need sex with that person
            b. How "amazing" the singer describes himself, thus they need to have sex with someone else
            c. How "amazing" sex is in general thus they need to have sex with more than one person
            d. How drunk they were when they were partying, then they had sex
            e. How cheating on your bf/gf is cool and they will never know you had sex with that person
            f. How you need to drop your bf/gf because the singer is so much more fly than them

And with number three you will always see words like, "just for one night", "lose yourself", and well, you can guess the rest. Number three is sadly the most abundant in pop music. Seriously. Listen to the local pop radio for 15 minutes only and you'll see what I mean.

Isn't it strange how much we humans desire for another? We all need someone else there with us at all times, to comfort us, to have fun with, etc. etc. etc. It's really no wonder that relationships are the hot topic of everyday media. What IS shocking is how much relationships are viewed through a dirty, twisted view, and how often singers glorify that. Lately, it's been everywhere and easy to access.

Without going into a deep philosophical analysis about sex in music, I just wanna say that just because your music has some mild suggestive themes or even extreme themes (complete with the Parental Advisory sticker and everything), it really doesn't matter how well you can "filter" all that out. It really does effect you.


Here is an example:

Imagine that your brain is a crystal glass of pure water.

Got it? Is your brain a glass of water now? OK, Good.

Now imagine that the music you choose to listen to is either one drop of red food coloring or one drop of clean water. The water being good clean fun music and the red being "dirty" music. With every clean song you listen to, a drop of clean water is added to the glass. With every dirty song you listen to, a drop of red dye is added.

At some point, you are going have to drink that water. At the end of the day, you wind down and drink the glass, and whatever you "collected" in it will go down inside you, into your core. Red dye won't necessarily "change" the water or effect how it "tastes," nor will it necessarily effect how your core "digests" it, but over time, if you keep allowing red food dye in, you'll end up drinking pure red dye, which is not sustaining nor is it healthy. What your core receives is what will determine your energy level, what you think of, and what you do. If it is stained red, the red will eventually show through.

I know, I know, that was a strange example, but I hope it kinda made sense.... Sorta....?

Anyway my point is basically what comes in comes out, like with feeding your stomach food and drink, what you take in through your eyes and ears is what feeds your brain and your heart. So do me a favor and go through your iTunes and make a few deletes, ok? I'm not saying everyone needs to switch over to listening to Christian music only, what I am saying is guard your heart. It was made more delicate than you could ever know.

Proverbs 4:23 ESV 

"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."

     Remember to fill your heart with the "food" that God has provided you by reading His word and praising Him daily.

 

Proverbs 4:20 ESV

"My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings."

     If you feel that you are stained in any form of sin or trashy media, God offers cleansing, healing, and forgiveness for that:

Psalm 51:10 ESV 

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

Thanks for reading, guys! God bless, have a great Friday and weekend!!!!  

안녕히가세요 (annyeonghi gaseyo)!!!