Why The Good Guy Always Gets the Girl

I wrote this paper almost two years ago (oh how time flies) and I get reminded of it at times. I feel like I've posted this before so if this seems all to familiar let me know. The following is dedicated to New Life Academy, robots, and that guy who can never seem to win the heart of a lady.

This weekend I experienced Jesus in many ways.

My first experience was after watching the movie Transformers. It was pretty good, a guy movie though. I, for some reason, asked myself the question about why the hero always gets the girl in the end. I thought about it awhile and realized that the hero always gets the girl because the hero always has good character and that the action sequences in which the hero braves all and risks his life for a good cause shows that good character. The particular hero in Transformers was considered on the bottom of the totem pole by society standards (not popular). By the end of the movie he gets one of the most popular girls in school (who also had some good character). It’s always those losers in the beginning of the movie who have the best character while those jocks that have the girl in the beginning of the movie have horrible character. Now, you might be asking where the Jesus experience in all of this is. Well, if you are to look at the New Life Academy mission statement which is “Developing godly students to influence generations” and the three sections of the mission statement are Academics, Bible, and Character. Character, it’s important. So even though the hero in Transformers wasn’t necessarily Christian, he did have good character by world standards. While our Christian character might be set to a higher standard, he still reflected his passion in saving the human race and his new found robot friend. The lesson in this isn’t that good character always gets you a popular girl. The lesson about character is that our character should reflect Jesus. The hero’s character and his passion in the movie changed his life and controlled his actions. He stood up for what he believed in and fought for what he though was right. And so, like the hero in a movie, we as followers of Jesus should let our character reflect our love for God and let God control our actions and our life.

Another Jesus experience was through a song at the end of the movie, which I just downloaded and found the lyrics for. The verses of the song I’m not too attached to but the pre-chorus and the chorus is what I find intriguing. This song isn’t by a Christian artist, but anyone can still find a godly experience in them. The pre-chorus of letting mercy come and washing away I interpreted as God’s mercy coming down on us as Jesus, who died on a cross for us, and washed away my sins. No matter what I have done, no matter how horrible the sin, Jesus still died for me and still forgives me. To the chorus where it talks about facing yourself, crossing it out, erasing yourself and then letting go I interpreted as looking at yourself (such as in a mirror or self-reflecting) and crossing it out. Getting rid of the old-self and erasing it from history. You then let go of yourself and find your new life in Jesus. This can go all the way back to letting God control you and reflecting God’s character. This is a song that helped me experience God.

There are a couple other experiences I had this weekend, some good, some not so good. The basic message that I would tell people of what I learned from God this weekend would be “to reflect God’s love through my character.”

P.S. The song is "What I've Done" by Linkin Park. Check it out.

Night Ramble

Sometimes I ramble on at night right before I go to bed. The only editing I did on this was spellcheck so the punctuation and improper capitalization's are either for effect or my laziness.

My nose is to floor
Fuel running low
Got this blessing in my life
but don't know what it's heading towards
simple times, simple moments
that take my breath away
A life undeserved
but someone was willing to pay

Forehead hitting desk straight ahead
eyes closing thinking of what is around the bend
breathing in, breathing out
heart beating, pounding, thumping
nostrils flaring, eyes are glazing
at the sound of this rhyme
or the fact that I'm out of time

lamp pointing up
right towards the sky
light beams fading the higher you go
I look up and ask why
Please meet me somewhere down the road
some place where comfort surrounds
where love is free and honest
where a blanket is not far from reach
where sunsets are pretty
and the milky way shines
where honesty breeds integrity
and every moment
takes your breath away

Cant look back and see what is there
disgust and anguish of past mistakes
but laughs and memories from old times
learning from experience
and experiences from learning
rambling now words fall short from my mind
but still something there, whispering something kind
a soft voice, like the wind of the sea
yet a powerful voice, like the guard of the night

A ramble in the night.

The Great Adventure

I was at the doctors office awhile back. I like my doctor. He's cares not only for your physical well-being but also your mental well-being. The majority of his conversation to you isn't about how to eat better or exercise regularly but rather it is about how your parents love you no matter what and no matter what you do to not be afraid to call them. He tells you not to waste such glorious opportunities you have at this great time in life.

I told him a little bit about my first year at college and how I transferred back home from Baylor to Bethel, or the BU switch. He said what everyone else says,"Good for you, Bethel is a great school." He went back to his time at college and how it's ok not to be sure about things. How it is ok to switch and go to a place where you are more comfortable.

The thing that got to me was when he said, "It's part of the adventure that you went down there, and it's part of the adventure that you came back."

Adventure. I never have thought of life as an adventure but after thinking about it for awhile it is a true thing. That's why everyones' story is unique and our your life story is not boring.

I could never write about what is going to happen in my life. The adventure holds things around the corner and places yet to be visited. Experiences that have yet to be uncovered. Uncharted grounds will be explored and conquered. Tastes yet to be found. Love will be found, lost, destroyed, crushed, lifted, and embraced. Tears will fall like waterfalls and friends will be there in support like the roots of a tree.

I don't think God intended life to be a perfectly planned out calendar. I think He meant to put in those little surprises, those little bumps in the road. Yet another little thing to put into my every day realizations that God is present. Turn over stones, unlock hidden places, and explore every nook and cranny of life. God put us on this amazing playground where the adventure can take place. We're all in amazing moments in this adventure called life, go explore it.