I feel like my computer knows when I want to do/check something really fast and then get back to what I'm doing. Because it gets really slow. But facebook&twitter load without a problem =P
True story.
Aaaaaand just so you know... Ctrl+click has become my new best friend. It opens things in new tabs when you click on them. It's so helpful.
Uhrggg. I have a mosquito bite on the back of my right leg, right under where my knee bends... so on my upper calf. And it's one of the most frustrating places to have a mosquito bite because I can't cross my legs how I want to! haha
Today is Day 22 of 100 Days of Holiness. This was another good thought/reminder. So use my new Ctrl+click trick and go read it! It'll take less than thirty seconds. Promise (unless you have a super slow computer).
Okay. One last thing before NIPTO: My sister is a genius. She may not know it, but she is. I was creepin' around like I do so well, and I found this on her old blog. It's fantastic. She wrote it last year in May.
I think that deserves a BOOYAH and hi-fives and fist-bumps all around. What say you?
Life on this earth is short. Never again will you have the opportunity that you have now to do whatever it is you can do. Hollywood dreams of more time, of going back and living life again (17 Again, Groundhog Day, Back to the Future, and Meet the Robinson's to name a few). Unfortunately, we can't do that. You have one shot at this life. You have less time on this earth than you did when you started reading this blog (Thanks Kevin Homan). When you get off this computer, or even after you read this blog, are you going to do something that will make your life worth it? Are you going to make God proud with the things you do, and the faith you put in Him and His plan? What does it take intensify your spiritual walk with God? Do you need to spend time with Him in silence? Do you need to cry out to Him and ask Him to heal you? Do you need a joyful worship session with the David Crowder Band*? Do you need to stop making excuses and gather the courage to proclaim His name to your friends? To your family? To your neighbors? To your enemies? To strangers?
What does it take?
Take it to God.
Okay. Coming down from the awesomeness that is my sister, it's time for NIPTO.
Romans 13:1-7
1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Authority. Something almost every teenager struggles with. When you're a teenager, you want to do what you want to do, right? But here's the kind of "dreaded truth": God has established all authority. Sooo when you rebel against any kind of authority, you're rebelling against God.
This isn't something I find easy to write about. I would say I'm going through a little but of a "stubborn streak" and it's frustrating. Not getting what you want is so frustrating. But when someone who is in authority tells you what to do, it's basically a command that is coming through someone established by God.
You might think "My teachers aren't really established by God." Well. They are. They're authority figures that need to be respected.
The president is another big authority figure that a lot of people don't really respect. President Obama was put in authority by God. So we need to respect him. We might not agree that the decisions he makes are the best for our country, but we still need to respect them.
2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
Going against authority=going against God. Basically. Really it should be =going against what God put in place.
Going against authority calls for judgment. Or brings judgment upon oneself.
3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
People in authority aren't here to scare you if you're doing the right thing. But if you're doing the wrong thing, watch out. But if you're doing the right thing, you should be commended! Good job! Well done, good and faithful servant.
If you don't want to live in fear of authority, do what is right. There are rewards for those who do the right thing. (I feel like I'm doing the "come to the dark side, we have cookies" thing... but not! haha)
4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
Oooooh dear. This is slightly frightening. But let me breakitdown.
As God's servants, authority figures are to do good to those who do good. But when you do wrong... Erm. Be scared. They have swords. Because they're God's servants... they're agents of wrath. Frightening, to say the least.
5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
We should submit to authority, not only because we might be punished, but because it's the right thing to do. It's what our conscience tells us is right.
6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing.
We pay taxes. Well, I don't. But my parents do. (So do my sisters, actually....) But they pay taxes because it shows respect and submittence (is that even a word? I don't think so, but I'll use it anyways) to authority. The government is technically God's servants... who give their full time to governing. Part of the government may be corrupt, but I'm not going there because I have no knowledge of the corrupt government. And I don't feel like researching. =P
7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
I like this... most of the time that is. There are times when you don't feel like giving anyone what you owe them. But you should give everyone what they are due. Yup.
Wow. That was interesting. It was something I needed to hear.../type out. And I hope you got something out of it too.
We sang this song yesterday at church. And then we sang it at Encounter. And it's a super awesome song. So you should listen to it. Think about it. Mean it.
OHHHH my goodness. It's over 70 degrees. It's 10am. Erm. RIDICULOUS! It's going to be a hot one today!
I'm going to go try to do something productive with my day! Have a good Monday!
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