Monday, June 27, 2016

Reasons Why I Don't Get Predestination

A few months ago, my friend Josh and I had a thought provoking discussion on predestination. Now, if you don't know what predestination is, it essentially is the belief that God has predestined everyone to either go to heaven or hell. Although I believe this to a point, a lot of it I disagree with.

First of all, why would God make people that He dearly loves, and then choose who will go to heaven and those who will go to hell? Why would Jesus die on the cross for people who he has already chosen to live? Why do we need to accept God into our hearts if he has already made up his mind on who should go to heaven? Why should those "chosen" live God's will if their eternity with Christ has already been decided?

What about the people predestined to burn in hell? Is there any hope for them? Will they ever be able to make it to heaven, if they changed their hearts? Why would a God who claims to love everyone, condemn them to eternal suffering? How could He let that happen?

Here is the beauty of free will. God knows who will go to heaven and hell. However, I have no belief that He chooses that for them. I have faith that God allows us to chose the way we want to live our lives. Therefore, it is our choice if we want to serve God or not. What would God care about us letting Him into our hearts if He has already deemed it so? Why did God give minds that think and react and love on their own if we didn't choose to love Him. There is no joy in making someone love you. Why would God want that?

I know that I will be asked to cite a verse so here it is:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 
                                                    John 3:16 (emphasis added)

God has given us free will for a reason. This is another great reason for us to minister to people, because without free will in their choice, what is the point of showing people Christ's love and grace? 

Saturday, June 18, 2016

A Thanks to My Father

Last month, I wrote about what my mother means to me. But now with Father's Day fast approaching, I think it only appropriate to share how thankful I am for my daddy.

Thank you Dad:

For being a great father to me.

For loving me even when I didn't like myself very much.

For showing me what a godly guy looks like.

For giving me an idea what I'd like my future husband to be.

For spending all that time on the range with me.

For not giving up on me even when I'd given up on myself.

For encouraging me.

For being my cheerleader.

For showing me that I could do anything if I just set my mind to it.

For driving me four hours to matches, and then taking me to Chinese.

For making me laugh hysterically.

For all those Star Trek episodes we've watched to gether.

For sponsoring me emotionally and financially.

For providing me with everything I need and want, except for one, so I always have something to stride for.

For laughing at my crazy antics.

For enjoying the good and not-so good cookies I have made (or attempted to make).

For not babying me, and showing how the real world is.

For letting me find my own way in life, but also having the wisdom to let me know when I'd gone astray.

For being there for me when I'd needed you most.

I love you, Daddy!

- Tootie


Thursday, June 2, 2016

Things Girls Won't Tell Guys

Hey, gents! You know, there are things girls wish they could tell you, but will never, under ordinary circumstances, will. Here are a couple of examples:


1. She wants a gentleman. I know, it's true. You see, during the '60's and '70's there was this movement called Women's Liberation, which essentially was a bunch of ticked off women griping about how they were oppressed by men. This eventually resulted in the near- death of chivalry. 

She won't admit it, but she wants you to pay the check, to open the door for her (this even includes the car door), to ask if you can kiss her good night, and to say hello to her family. 

2. She wants appreciation. We gals go to a lot of effort to make ourselves attractive to guys. Between putting on make up to doing our hair to shaving our legs to plucking our eyebrows to a lot of other stuff that is needless to say.  And, a lot of times, it seems our efforts are for naught. So, the next time your girlfriend or sister looks really pretty, please, please, please, tell her so! We don't go through all that crap for our health, you know.

3. She wants commitment. I have never ever met a girl who did not want commitment. Maybe you're afraid of the c- word, but no girl wants to have an "on-again, off-again" relationship. We crave dependability, and if you're hot and cold, that's not helping. 

If you're a teen, commitment is, well, hard to come by. Most of the time, high school relationships are built on shaky stuff. For this reason, it is (almost all the time) better to wait until you're older to start dating. It is nearly impossible for two seventeen year old's to offer each other commitment. How can you be sure of someone else when you aren't even sure of yourself?

4. She wants a best friend. Maybe it's just me, but before you become my boyfriend, and eventually my husband, I want you to be my best friend. The beauty of being  best friends first is that she learns all your little quirks, and vice versa. Also, you know the real person that she is, rather than who she portrays herself to be, because it is so easy for us girls to fudge on who we really are a bit to please you guys. Girls are natural born liars, and it is hard for us to check the nature at the door, especially when it comes to guys.

Well, guys, I hoped this cleared up a few curiosities about the fairer sex. Don't forget to comment if you have any questions or comments, and recommend if you liked this article. God bless!

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

I Have Too Little Faith to Believe in Evolution

Here's the truth about me: I have too little faith to believe in evolution. Here are some reasons why.


1.Some might tell you that creationism is not "logical" or that it takes a lot of faith to believe that and omnipotent being created everything. But I find the exact opposite is true. Many of the accounts in the Bible have actually been scientifically proven. Do you remember the Bible story where the Israelite army had to fight the Amorites, and God set the sun still so they could finish the battle? If not, here's the passage:

Joshua 10:12-14New International Version (NIV)

12 On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel:
“Sun, stand still over Gibeon,
    and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 So the sun stood still,
    and the moon stopped,
    till the nation avenged itself on[a] its enemies,
as it is written in the Book of Jashar.
The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!
Anyhow, this was actually discovered by scientists! They found that a day was missing in the earth's rotation, and they couldn't figure out why. Well, a Christian scientist was among them, and he  vaguely remembered this story.  He looked it up, and found this story in his Bible. How is that possible if the Bible is so inaccurate? How was it possible to know that? How is that possible without some greater being?


2.I have too little faith too believe that everything you see, everything you touch, everything you hear, everything you smell, everything you taste, just happened by accident, and then evolved into what it is today. 

It is far easier to believe that God created everything rather than everything just... existing, out of the blue.

3. I have too little faith to believe that my moral compass is just there. Without any spiritual guidance, how would I know that killing is wrong, that lying and stealing and raping are bad things to do? Naturally, my parents would teach me this, but how would the first people know? 

4.I have too little faith to believe that feelings are an accident. Animals don't have emotions the way we humans do. How do these complex feelings and emotions evolve into what they are today? Animals don't feel love, rather they feel devotion. How can love be explained by evolution?

All in all, it is because of my lack of faith in man and his discoveries that I find a faith in God and His works. Humanity is flawed, but God isn't. I choose to believe in God than mere faulted, sinful man.