To: You

Thanks for being you

To: My Brain and Anyone Who's Listening.

Dear Brain, You're hurting my skull like crazy bringing up these questions that just seem not to have answers to them. Why does it seem that when I go to church or college group that God seems to be making the talk schedule just for me. But with that leave questions fully in head. An example is when do i knows God's will is my own; and i dont mean when does God start agreeing with my plans but when do I know thats God's plans for me and my life aren't my own in disguise. is it possible to ever know? There somethings ive decided that aren't worth pursuing unless im sure that it's God's will because if God isnt behind it then it's destined to fail even if hard work is put into it. Bud Blossfield said to me today that if you choose not to listen to God the first time then you expected to be taken kicking and screaming. Which i really dont want, and when it comes to this situation i am more then willing to let God take control just wish i had a manual. I really want an answer; those who i respect and look up to are no where to be found and the one person who i knoe can give me the answer i want confuses me more than anyone with how He talks to me. I need help God please please help.

Subject: Baptism

I know there's been a lot of fuss these days and years about baptism and its relation to salvation and church politics and sometimes its a trivial argument that has little to no ground but sometimes its very important because its a miscommunication to new believers. I respect Joe Belzer. I respect and agree with many of his views on Christianity. But theres a point where I will not budge an inch and that point is right now. Salvation how it is acquired is a black and white situation with no room for gray interpretation. I realize that Paul writes a lot about baptism and dying in Christ I believe they are not always the same thing. To die in Christ is to die from sin. How do we die from sin? Well sin cannot exist with God and when we accept the Holy Spirit into our hearts during whatever situation brings it then we are no longer spiritually dead but we are "born again." That born again was said on the rooftop with Jesus and Nicodemus, no where during this time did Jesus tell Nick that he had to go to the river and get baptized by John. To go off that John always said he baptized with water but Jesus would with fire. This is John saying himself that baptism wasn't the final solution to being saved, it was a symbol. Jesus i believe was showing everyone that he was committed the work that the Father had for Him. The main problem i have with baptism being a part of salvation is that there are too many what ifs? What about those on death row, what if there was no water close to the unich, what about that time between when i prayed the sinners prayer and when i was baptized. if i died or the unich died or any one died after they accept Jesus into their lives but weren't baptized then are they going to hell? No! I realize that i hold a lot of faith on this one verse but the verse that says if we accept in our hearts and pray with our lips that Jesus Christ is Lord then we will be saved. It doesnt say if we accept in our hearts and then get baptized. Now is baptism important, well yes i think it is. Baptism is a symbol of our commitment to live a life following Christ. Rick Warren uses the example of marriage saying that a ring is a symbol and if we dont have a ring, yes we are still married but its almost worthless because it seems like we are not committed. My final rant is that I studied this past week what Rick Warren and Tommy Nelson's views are on this subject. Both agree that it is not a form of salvation. And I respect them and agree with about all of their views including this one.

To: Davidson and Kansas

A lot of sports teams say "the best team won today." Well thats a lie. What defines the best team? Is it talent, is it wins, or is it who can win when the game and season is on the line. For the past few years the World Series champion has been a wild card team, not a team with the best record, but at the same time they are the team that was able to win in the clutch. They took advantage of their opportunities. Davidson did not do this whatsoever. Stephen Curry had his first sub-par game in awhile last night. When your 4-16 shotting threes and 9-25 FGs, maybe just maybe you shouldn't shoot every time you touch the ball. In his defense he was on during the first half and during the Wisconsin game he was 6-11 shooting threes so honestly why not? But 3 assists? Really?!! Kobe has 3 assists but he also makes his shots. When Kansas turns it over 13 times and you lose by two in a close game then you know you blew it. You had the opportunities you just didn't take advantage. The best team may or may have not won, because that phrase is relative. However, the smart team did win the game.

To: Those Whose Know Their IQ

Knowledge is based on experiences and other things that come from data, facts, and etc. Like for example I have the data that tells me that fire is hot, i now have the knowledge to know a tennis ball on fire doesn't burn if you hold on to it for a short time and that is from experience. IQ comes from data and facts and how they transfer from your head to paper when you take a test. There's not a test for knowledge. Well there is it's called Life. Not the board game. Life is just experiences. I think those with high IQs are scared to leave school because they know they will be out of their comfort zone. They will no longer be in this area where you are superior if you know your data and facts. But when they hit the real world its all about experiences and choices that help shape our life, our culture, and those around us. And I cannot tell you how excited I am for those days.
In fact I don't even need to wait for graduation, I just have to wait four more months. May 1st means freedom. Freedom from my past. See I always loved the guys I live with but there's a point where it just gets annoying. That point was past just about one year and two months ago. During that time it was deamed that everyone in the house was smarter than me and they could us that to make fun of me, insult me, or just make assumptions. I am not stupid. I am not less intelligent than you. I'm not less cultured than you. I'm just different. I choose not to use big words. I choose not to listen to independent artists who may be more emo than realized. I choose not to care. Hey surprise, your not smarter than me. You go ahead and take your music knowledge and theological knowledge and heck even your science knowledge and you go out to the real world and you show me what that gets you. Just because you have more knowledge in me in your selected fields does not mean your smarter than me. You tell me how to compile a C++ program or budget three clients and how to properly cook a baked shrimp or make sweet desserts.
In the end I am willing to let all this slide. I mean in four months I'll be in a new house with people who don't rate you by your brains and how much they output but by how you are as a person. How you are towards your friends, how you are to those you've meet once, or how you are to yourself. How do you see yourself? Do you see yourself as a nerd who's brains give you the right to make the person next to you feel inadequate? Because you don't have those rights. Because if you do your basically telling God, "Hey, I think you screwed up on this one." God made us with our individual skills and gifts and they are too be used to glorify him. Not rubbing them in someone's face.