Day 6 Life is a Temporary Assignment

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Live everyday like it is your last.

Everyone has heard that bit of advice that I think sometimes are desensitized and don't really take it to heart.

But here's the thing, you're never going to get a day back so why not feel like your worked hard, fell in love, or became better friends with someone?

This is all you've really got.

And there might be an afterlife but that afterlife is guaranteed not to be the same as today. So, do something only you can do.

Day 5 Seeing Life from God's View

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"Show class, have pride, and display character. If you do, winning takes care of itself."

Those are the words I live by.

I think it is necessary to define the word winning.

On Saturday, I performed with my indoor percussion group. We performed twice. I had the best adrenaline rush and performed with all my heart and had an incredible amount of fun. I couldn't wait to hear our score! We begged our director to tell us and he refused to let us know but all of our staff - visual staff, music staff, drill staff - honestly told us it was the best show we had ever done.

We were all so excited.

Then, we learned at this competition we had went down 10 points or so. Something incredibly dramatic.

Our hearts dropped. We contemplated how such a thing could happen we played our hearts out! We had another performance in front of the same judges in only a couple hours. What could we fix that could raise our score in such a short amount of time.

We worked really hard. We added in visuals and played with all our might.

I had not had the kind of laughs I had that night in such a long time! I was near tears.

We went up 2 points - not enough to compete with any of the other groups, but guess what? We won in my book.





Inspirational Video Featuring Ali and the following words:


Ima show you, how great I am.

Last night I cut the light off in my bedroom, hit the switch, and was in the bed before the room was dark.

Ima show you, how great I am.

Only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick, Im so mean I make medicine sick.

Ima show you, how great I am.

This kids gonna be the best kid in the world.
This kids gonna be somebody better than anybody I ever knew.

Ima show you, how great I am.

I have wrastled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale, I done handcuffed lightnin, thrown thunder in jail.

Ima show you, how great I am.

All you chumps are gonna bow when I whoop him, all of you, I know you got him, I know youve got him picked, but the mans in trouble, Ima show you how great I am.

But somewhere along the line you changed, you stopped being you.
You let people stick a finger in your face and tell you youre no good, and when things got hard, you started looking for something to blame, like a big shadow.
Let me tell you something you already know, the world aint all sunshine and rainbows, its a very mean and nasty place and I dont care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.
You, me, or nobody, is gonna hit as hard as life; but it aint about how hard you hit, its about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much you can take and keep moving forward.
Thats how winning is done.

Cause if youre willin to go through all the battling you gotta go through to get to where you wanna get, whos got the right to stop you.
I mean maybe some of you guys got something you never finished, something you really want to do, something you never said to somebody, something.
And youre told no even after you pay your dues, whos got the right to tell you that, who? Nobody.
Its your right to listen to your gut, it aint nobodys right to say no, after you earn the right to be where you want to be and do what you want to do.

Now if you know what youre worth, then go out and get what youre worth.
But youve gotta be willing to take the hits.
And not pointing fingers saying you aint where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody.
Cowards do that and that aint you!
Youre better than that!

Day 4 Made to Last Forever

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Here is the biggest rift between God and I: The afterlife.

To me, Heaven and perfection would be no longer living. It would be an honor to simply expire. Christianity keeps telling me that this life is only the entry way into another life that is much brighter and thus, Earth friendships and passions will mean less as a relationship is developed with God.

Am I so wrapped up in this life, so full of sin, that the idea of heaven makes me absolutely sad! Why would I want my life to mean nothing?

The Dalai Lama said that Christianity and Buddhism could be practiced at the same time.
The Pope said that they couldn't.

This is where they diverge but lets say we don't know what is heaven.

Which in reality, we don't.

Both ideal sets attempt to perfect a human being during this lifetime in order to prepare of the next. One says you will be forever in eternity and glory while the other one says you just stop. Having another life means you still need to learn things.

I will go through this life learning things. Perhaps, I am meant to learn that an earthly life shouldn't be as important as I make it out to be.

Day 3 What Drives Your Life

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I was confused by today's entry because I feel like you can live a purpose driven life without God.

Yes, religion brings about hope but so do family and friends and life.

I think, when you find the reason to get out of bed in the morning, you can start being happy. Once you are happy, you can finally relax and start adding the little tidbits to life such as church service or community service.

Work for someone other than yourself and you will find a reason to live.

Day 2 You Are Not an Accident

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Okay, so here I am: Reading about God.

From MOST Christian literature I have noticed that many insist that God has planned out my life. He sat down and said, here is Anne. She will be born to these parents in this country and meet these people. Honestly, I find that kind of sad. So, does that mean my hard work was predetermined? That horrible people were predetermined. I definitely either am too ignorant to understand or simply do not believe.

Here's the thing - we have free will.

This I am sure of. No, I don't mean we get to choose what we eat for dinner or what color to paint your nails. That's decision making but it is not what free will is. Free will, to me, is deciding when to work and how hard and where to go and for how long. I honestly probably cannot explain it in its full depth until something takes it away from me since it is in so many aspects in our life. That's what I think the exciting part of life is. Would God plan our every aspect and know we would be lead astray?

No.

You decide and that's why God loves you so much. You decided to let him into your life.

What's the point of living if everything was planned out.

Rick Warren might disagree with me but my life experience has taught me not to trust everything I have read. Not to disrespect The Purpose Driven Life, but literature, be it the Bible or books to increase faith are not meant to be followed word for word - and again, I would have people disagree with me. It is an inspiration.

1 Peter 3:1-3
Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

This says that women should not wear gold or make themselves look attractive.

Perhaps, instead of not wearing gold it is merely a reminder to tone down the vanity.

All these complicated translations make me weary but it all comes back to God, is my understanding. Are you living to improve your relationship with him?

The argument could be that you can have premarital sex if you don't think that will affect your relationship with Him. Personally, I find it hard to believe that God would send sinners to Hell for things like that.

But of course, I don't know and don't think adultery would improve any religious life I may have so thus, I don't do it but it is not my place to judge those that do.

Get it?

Day 1 It All Starts With God

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While, I have heard it often, I don't exactly know what it means. I think it is because I am too ignorant so correct me if I am wrong (or explain it): Religion, Christianity specifically, is a way to understand that the world does not center around you. It isn't about you. It's about serving a higher purpose.

A couple years ago I was talking to a good friend of mine about religion and was trying to understand. I was citing science experiments and he was citing the bible. I was getting frustrated because lets say I believed in God and was one of his strongest believers - I think that citing the bible would be the weakest argument one could use with a 'nonbeliever'. You are essentially trying to convince them with a source they do not believe to be reputable.

While this discussion ensued, I kept trying to explain this to him, and by doing so I used many 'I' statements.

I don't find the bible to be a valid source.
Why are you saying that.
How did you come to that conclusion.
How can I think like that.

He on the other hand made statements that were broader in context.

Christians believe in the bible.
The Church came to this conclusion.
Gods wants his people to be saved.

It was quickly pointed out to me that I couldn't understand religion until I could understand that it wasn't about myself.

I was confused.

To me, religion is a very personal journey and thus, very much so worthy of statements concerned about myself.

I do not think I can get over this but I think I understand the basic structure of what he and many others were trying to tell me.

It's about the community.

Which is true.

The community and others always comes first.

Often times, I find it rather amusing that the two service groups I am a part of, National Honor Society and Kiwanis Key Club, make reference to serving God and country. I might have to double check about NHS but this is the Key Club motto:

I pledge on my honor to uphold the objects of Key Club International;
to build my home, school, and community;
to serve my nation and God and to combat all forces
which tend to undermine these institutions.

So, I currently believe that 'I' is very much a part of religion but here's the thing, once you start sacrificing, you can build your community.

He may have a plan but He also gave us free will. This I am sure of.

The Purpose Driven Life

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Today is the first day of Lent. While I do not attend church, I find the period to be really interesting and I like the basis of it and according to the article, it really varies from person to person anyway.

Last year for Lent, I abstained from Facebook for 40 days. The small test was further increased by my friend who posted on my wall for 40 days - needless to say, the joy of lent was shared by everyone who made their way to the news feed.

I think for the most part, that was a pretty decent Lent practice! I was a little behind in the socializing news, but that's okay because I really need to stop obsessing over other people's lives, and I finished a lot more homework. I could do it again this year, but thanks to my New Year's Resolution (which I am still going strong at) I am consistently ahead in the world of homework.

This year, I want to go on a more 40 day religious journey. Not to be religious per say, but just to have an excuse to have time for it. Almost like meditation with a computer - I'll try and blog every day.

On the whole idea of Lent:
To me, Lent prepares you for Easter. While giving up something silly like junk food or social networking, it still is the symbolism. You're consciously aware of your religion, even in this superficial manner, for 40 days. For 40 days, you have to explain to others why and what you're doing and it allows you to count down the days until Easter. By cleansing oneself, perhaps through fasting, it is a symbol of what the goal is to be - free of sin. Perhaps, a reminder to confess and repent.

While some may disagree with me 100 percent, this is the gist I have right now. Like I said, I don't go to church and I certainly don't have a degree in religious or Christian studies, I would like to make this very clear now.

My understanding of Christianity, though very limited, is that everything is done to further one's relationship with God and Jesus Christ. While not required or viewed as an appropriate religious practice by some groups of Christians, my personal opinion is that Lent is a form of making that relationship a little deeper.

My relationship with God is really poor I would say because well, I don't know how often I believe in him but I really think my case is unique. Which is true for everyone: Everyone's relationship with God and Jesus Christ is unique.

I just think religion is incredibly beautiful. Perhaps that is a little to Elizabeth Gilbert of me.

I promised my grandfather I would do this a long time ago so, here we go:
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren

I will be contemplating religion with this book and everything else for the next 40 days.

That is going to be my Lent 2011. I think blogging is the best way to do it because that is who I am. It is what works for me.

DOOOD.

I talked to a friend I used to know from indoor percussion tonight.
She used to live in New England.
Told me about indoor percussion line that is only 45 minutes away from college I'll probably going to.
THEY HAVE TRAINS FROM GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL TO STAMFORD ALL. THE. TIME.
Only 4.50 for round trip.

I'm dying.
FROM HAPPY.