12 Year Old Speaks Out Against Abortion.

Just saw this video on The Rebelution. It is indeed very encouraging to see that there are youth who are not captivated by juvenile matters but who care for things that are beyond themselves. I pray that we have boldness like this 12 year old girl to speak out against the evils of today.

People need to watch older movies.

Resolutions.

The New Year has finally come. As with every new year, resolutions are made. Resolutions to be more fit, to get a better job, to be more generous, and to spend more time with family. However, new year's resolutions have a reputation of being abandoned. So, what's the point of making a resolution, right?

Well, I myself have made a set of resolutions which I hope to keep for the rest of my life, much like
Jonathan Edwards did. He made these goals throughout his life and sought to keep them as to become more and more of a person after God's own heart.

So the following is a list of resolutions that I've made from past years to the last week.

1. I have resolved to remember, with all of my heart and will, to try to give glory the God in everything that I do.
   
2. I have resolved to fill my time with much profitable things.
   
3. I have resolved to become a healthier person with the body that God has given me.
   
4. I have resolved to not become completely calloused to sin to where I will not be bothered by my sin, or the sin of others.
5. I have resolved to appreciate the world around me and remember that Heaven will be infinitely better.
6. I have resolved to always think. Nuff said.

Hair, Retainers, and The Little Drummer Boy

A lot been on my mind lately. Yet, when I sat down to write about it (such as now), I can't simply regurgitate the thoughts and form sentences.

Bleh.

Today, I attended the "Ladies' Christmas Tea" at my church. It is a local outreach where the females at our church can bring their lady friends for 2 hours of tea and scones and little finger sandwiches. You're probably wondering why I "attended" such an event. Well I went there to help out with whatever was needed. And what was needed was to watch the water boil and pour it into the container in where the servers would get the hot water. I only had to do it once.

I hung out with my friend Zack mostly, but this kid named John showed up a couple times to mock me because he's a big jerk.

Ha. Kidding.

Time passed, and after the tea finished, we (Zack, my other friend Noah, and I) were put to hard labor which consisted of moving presents with nothing in them, red flowers, cords, and mic stands. We were also commanded to move a piano. But another friend of mine (I have lots of friends, if you haven't noticed) Amy was playing the piano. We got bonus points if we could move the piano to its original place while Amy was playing it.

We did. :D

Oh, by the way. The Little Drummer Boy has been stuck in my head all the day.

I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,

Thanksgiving and Idolatry

Yes, you read that right. It is possible to be idolatrous in your thanksgiving. John Piper writes a thought provoking article on a statement by a well known man known as Jonathon Edwards. The statement is as follows:

"True gratitude or thankfulness to God for his kindness to us, arises from a foundation laid before, of love to God for what he is in himself; whereas a natural gratitude has no such antecedent foundation. The gracious stirrings of grateful affection to God, for kindness received, always are from a stock of love already in the heart, established in the first place on other grounds, viz. God's own excellency."

John Piper simplifies this statement by saying that a gratitude that is pleasing to God is not one of being grateful His gifts (though that is a part of being grateful) but rather it is an enjoyment of the Gift Giver. If we simply enjoyed the gift and even gave thanks to the Giver, but we had no love toward Him, the Giver becomes Santa Claus, only existing to give, give, and give.

Piper goes on to use James 4:3-4 as another comparison between our wrong view of giving thanks. In James 4:3-4, the writer rebukes the one who uses prayer to only receive things from God. He compares him to an adulteress, receiving money from her husband and going off and enjoying pleasure elsewhere. It is the same with us. If we don't enjoy God, and only use prayer to receive things for our own selfish desires, we are no better than the adulterer.

This thanksgiving day, I hope you enjoy gathering with family. I hope you enjoy the great foods on your tables. But most of all, I hope you enjoy the God who gives all these things to you, so that you may be thankful for Him.
Happy thanksgiving.

Finding a name.

Who knew that naming a blog would be so difficult? I can never name something. It's some innate disorder that plagues me. My first name for this blog was called "Toe's Home." But, I realize that didn't fit the tone of the new posts that I wanted to put forth. So I went with the name "Finding Meaning to Madness." Though, I like the tone of this new name, it is way too long to be a name. I asked the opinion of a couple of friends and i was given the following names: "Me", "The Asian", "Craziness", "Gross JB" (hahaha. I chuckled at this.), "Brian in a Nutshell", "Zero", and "The Story of the To." Those are all likable. But, I still search for a new name. So now. Now temporary I am "Nameless." Tis a cool title, but I need to find a better and much more permanent one soon. I can't imagine being Nameless forever.

My gripe with the Jonas Brothers

Oh the Jonas Brothers. Everyone's heard of the Jonas Brothers. If you haven't, you've been living under a boulder in Antarctica. (You're blessed.) Their great success is mostly due to Disney's insane and ridiculous marketing. You're also either a Jonas hater or Jonas lover. That's how it goes. I would say that most guys dislike the band and a great majority of 15 year old and under girls are raving mad and hold a disturbing, almost religious obsession for the brothers. If you hadn't already guessed from the title of this post, I don't like the Jonas Brothers.

Now I don't have any particular beef with Disney. I grew up with watching those classic Disney movies. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and the lovable Goofy are all heroes in my book. Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Snow White will always be held close to me.

No. The reason why I dislike the Jonas Brothers is this: their music, like all Disney music before them (and most likely after them) mean absolutely nothing.

Now the Jonas Brothers claim to be Christians. Yet none of the lyrics proclaim Christ or talk about God for that matter! Every piece of writing that the Jonas Brothers have put forward are all about girls and how they feel about that certain girls. They mix together drum beats, guitar strumming, and whiny voices and combine it with half-hearted written lyrics that mean absolutely nothing at all.

Simply, I believe that if you call yourself a Christian, your love for Jesus must manifest itself in some form. The three brothers have not done this yet. Yes they are pristine and clean. Yes they wear purity rings and vow to stay pure until marriage. Yet, are there not moral nonbelievers?

I am told that they have written Christian songs. I have been informed that they are coming. So my question is: What are they waiting for? I understand that they may have needed some time to get famous and popular. But now the fans have come, the money is pouring in, and the ears are open. The three brothers have a great opportunity to spread the message of Christ's love and salvation to Hollywood.

So bring it on Nick, Kevin, and Joe. There are souls waiting to be won.