Every Event Could Use More Polar Bears

Christmas! I am greatly troubled that I cannot listen to any of my dozen or so Christmas stations on Pandora. Apparently 99% of websites are not available outside the US... But I'm still getting my Christmas music. Usually the rule is to start Christmas after Thanksgiving, but I don't really have as much of a sense of Thanksgiving, so I started early this year. I love Christmas music. Not the stuff with the not-so-awesome theology, but the stuff that would technically be called "holiday music." There is not one other genre that can be this sappy and yet still be cool. Although it's a little strange to hear "folks dressed up like eskimos" while walking to the center in shortsleeves... Winter may be a little behind, but I haven't come up with any gift ideas so I'm okay with that.

Yesterday I was praying with a friend about an event we might hold in the next couple weeks. After I got back to the house, I was browsing a music forum that I frequent, and something caught my attention. It was a discussion on prayer and discernment. I just want to throw out a thought that I found interesting.

"Personally, I am more comfortable with dice than I am trusting my feelings. My feelings have a vested interest, and thus can convince me that my desires are God's, rather than the other way around."

I think if we solely rely on what we feel God is telling us, we are in great danger of making our feelings the god itself. But I don't think this is intentional. Prayer is definitely sometimes used as a manipulative tool, but that's not what I'm referring to. If I have even the slightest preference about any given situation, my thoughts on it will be skewed. It is extremely easy to become convinced that what I want is what God wants ("I'm a Christian, isn't that always the case?"). We have been trying to decide about this event for about a week, and I have had the mindset of "If we keep praying about it then we'll know." Which I think is true. But how? Can we decide that if everyone simply thinks it's right then God wants us to do it? I'm not sure this would always be wrong; I think that God often speaks to us through our feelings, but I also have no doubt that our thoughts cannot always be trusted. Therefore we need to look elsewhere. In the past year, the most undeniable confirmation from God has come through my parents. Their reaction to circumstances or ideas, their assistance with problems or tasks, and their overall support has been the best indicator of God's will for me. I think the believers surrounding us should always be near the top of our list when we need discernment. If someone knows you well, and they know Christ well, then they certainly should be involved in your life. Not that when you have a problem, you should ask every Christian you know, but this needs to have more weight than it usually does. Some people might argue that we are then simply relying on someone else's feelings, and are therefore no better off. But I think admitting the unreliability of your own thoughts as a sinful person is allowing yourself to be more open to whatever the truth may be.

Well I Didn't Vote for Ya

I talked to a friend very briefly about politics and society the other day, the second one of which I find much more the enjoyable than the first other. It was nice though, because we realized how much we need to change before we can affect other people. Specifically, to become intimate with others' lives, instead of scratching the surface and running away at any risk of a deeper relationship. Of course there are close friends, family, etc., but we rarely extent our care beyond that. I think the main reason isn't because we don't have time or don't want to be burdened by someone else, but rather that we just don't care. I sometimes find it very difficult to be concerned with whether or not the person sitting across from me in the cafe has had trouble at work this week. And maybe we aren't called to tune in to everyone's personal news channel, but I definitely think we need to do it more. Especially since we're going to pretend to do it anyway.

Your Martini Tastes Like Gasoline

Short post, just something cool that came up tonight. Viktor was praying over dinner, and after saying thanks for the food, he said thanks for the taste of the food. That's pretty awesome. How easy would it have been for God to make eating into something as routine as tying your shoes? But instead we get to enjoy different foods, have cravings for some and hatred for others, and actually enjoy doing something vital to survival. Even if some people enjoy it too much...

This is Why I'm Hot

Apart from being a terribly poor music reference, the title of this really doesn't have much to do with what I'm writing. But for some reason it happened. Perhaps because "Things to Enjoy on an Autumn Weekend in an Eastern European Nation that You're Unfamiliar With" doesn't quite roll off the tongue. But it is certainly more appropriate (on more than one level). So here goes.

1. Talking travel. If you've ever flown through Charles de Gaulle in Paris, you can immediately connect with anyone in the world who has endured this experience. I traveled to Novi Sad yesterday, where I met Viktor's son and we shared numerous stories with each other (this was the first time I've ever heard of someone "talkin all French"). Similar experiences = +1 all sociability stats.

2. Old fortresses. It's a simple fact. Old stuff is often cool, but massive stone edifices are always cool. When they go together (as they often do), then there is an immediate boost in interest. There happens to be one of these in Novi Sad, and of course it is both stone and old. http://www.flickr.com/photos/skifree0813/ for pictures.

3. Bus rides. When your view is only limited by the horizon where the Earth bends below sight, it's a pretty wonderful sight. But when this view is 360 degrees and unlimited as mentioned, it is completely breathtaking. Such is nearly the entire ride from Subotica to Novi Sad. Two hours of forced sitting, especially when accompanied by this stunning view, can really get your mind running. Maybe I'll go into some of that another time.

4. Bread. Lots of it. It's delicious and there's a reason it's the base of the pyramid.

5. Riding in cars named after cute cuddly animals. Today I took a ride in a Panda. Last week was the Rabbit, which is considerably less uncommon, so I'm assuming next on the list is the Narwhal.

6. Playing H. In case you've never studied any basic music theory, "H" is German for "Der note B dat ist naught vlat."

7. 50th anniversary parties. Or re-weddings, whichever word you prefer. Because today I was part of an event that may have been the most joyful occassion I've witnessed. An older couple in the church celebrated their anniversary, and we had a service at the church for them. What struck me the most was how the service concluded. Before everything was finished, Viktor had the couple recite their vows again. Watching a 50-year couple do this with tears in their eyes is a pretty striking scene. Certainly one that will stay in my mind for a while anyway.

The Best Risk

I'm so bored of little gods
While standing on the edge of something large
While standing here, so close to You
We could be consumed
~David Crowder

Unless you actually know what you're doing (thus ensuring what I am about to say applies to me), it is most certainly more interesting to play drums when there is additional music. Preferably some form of melody, possibly with a submelody or bass line, and maybe even a harmony. Therefore I listen to my iPod while I practice. This morning's appointment with the set involved a couple albums by the wonderful David Crowder* (is about to go insane because Jack Parker continually tries to sabotage the work of the rest of the) Band. Something caught my attention today though, and I have written it at the beginning of this post. If you didn't read it before you got to this point, then I recommend you do so in lieu of not knowing what I'm talking about from here on.

God appears throughout Scripture in powerful forms, whether it be as a champion wrestler or various arrangements of fire. Although these are impressive, my favorite depiction is from 1 Kings 19, when the Lord confronts Elijah at Horeb. As you may know, the man witnesses not only a fire, but an earthquake and a wind that "tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks." I think I would be moderately afraid to stand in the midst of all that. What amazes me the most though, is that the Lord ultimately comes as a whisper. While the fact that God can speak in whatever form He chooses, what stands out to me now is that although He was not in the preceding events, He caused them. This is serious stuff. The God I worship is far more loving and compassionate than I will ever comprehend, yet He is also much more powerful than my mind can grasp. I think the reason that we are not so struck by this is because His power is too great to stand out. If we were to truly understand what it means to say that God created us, we would tremble in fear. Even a small glimpse of what this power is like caused me to be filled with such conflicting emotion. The terrifying thoughts of His capabilities, mixed with a deep passion to be loved and longed for by such a powerful being, flood my mind and I am almost lost in my own head. It's pretty incredible to be so struck with fear and yet to be able to love the reason for that fear.

Definitely worth the risk.