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gelatinemonkey
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Name: Scott
Country: United States
State: New York
Metro: Ithaca
Birthday: 6/8/1985
Gender: Male
Interests: --Passions--God & everything about Him. Letting God prepare me @ GCTS--Activities--Soccer(indoor & out), Ultimate Frisbee, video games, & drawing --Phillipians 3: 8-12-- What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ & be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God & is by faith. I want to know Christ & the power of His resurrection & the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, & so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Expertise: An expert at nothing but receiving grace for messing up and failing miserably, being broken before Him and letting Him put me back together, and becoming a relearner of everything I forget so easily.
Occupation: Student / Disciple
Industry: Comp. Sci / Transforming Lives
Message: message me
AIM:  gelatinemonkey
MSN: Xonia@live.com
Member Since:
1/30/2004
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| The Needs of the Many?
Isaiah 51 [link]
Being a nerd, it's a line many of us know well. Ah, Spock. With the new movie, we should even be passing it on faithfully to our children, right?
It's funny, though. See... the idea of the needs of the many being greater than the needs of the few really only works if we assume everyone is, in fact, logical (like the Vulcans). That's the problem, though -- we're not! We don't even know what we want half the time, assuming we're honest.
Also, we look around and see that all God's children come from Abraham. He was alone, and God brought much from him. He was one man who multiplied into many, thanks to God.
That's another interesting point -- we all may one day become many. That's rather scary in several respects, too. See, such an argument would be a perfectly logical argument against, say, abortion. =P The needs of the many (soon to come) outweigh the needs of the few (you, or whoever else might want the abortion).
So just which many are the ones who matter most? Your many, their many, our many?
That's where God comes in and makes things actually make sense. See, there's too many variables to get our heads around it all. Besides -- some individuals do need more than others. How are we to decide or know?
When we place it all before God, though -- the "needs" of God outweigh the "needs" of... everything else, ever. See, that's where it gets weird. I want it to work there, but you can't really get it to work there. Why? There are problems. Problems? Yes! God has NO needs. He is fully self-sufficient. He doesn't require food, air, a toilet -- He's completely fine and wholly self-sufficient. That, and most of our "needs" aren't really needs. We don't need a TV. We don't need ponies or race cars. We need food, but we don't "need" Oreo double-fudge cookies (though man... sometimes I wish that was true!). We don't even need to stay alive. Life is a gift, but it is not the "necessity" we often seem to have made it out to be. There are many things we claim to "need" and have absolutely NO true need for.
Many are really just preferences.
We need to rethink what "needs" are. Are there things we need and don't realize it? Are there needs we are too specific about? Must we truly have our double half-calf mocha latte in a double cup for life to continue?
Do we wake up each day and really realize that we need water? That we need air? That we need God?
There is one thing the many will always need, and that will be God. Now, we just "need" to realize that we "need" to understand that better. Let's really realize it so that we will pursue it ever more and more with the fervor we should. Things we need are things we fight for with all we have in us. Let us then truly realize how much we need God.
Heavenly Father, thank You for being so wonderful, awesome, and amazing. Help me to glorify You in all I do, and may we all do that same. Help us to gloirfy You with all we are and all we have, Lord. Help us to make it all about You. Abba, we love You. Thank You. You are just so amazing, Lord. Thank You, thank You, thank You.
Amen.
Where I should be...
State: Ready...
Well, since this is basically my last post for like... well, several days -- Merry Christmas!
I hate having to tiptoe around saying, "Merry Christmas" at work. I don't have anything against "Happy Holidays," I just think it's stupid that I can wish you a "happy holy day", but I can't wish you a Merry Christmas, even though the VAST majority of people celebrate it, or at least use that day as the day when they do whatever it is they do.
I'm so ready for the next few days off. Praise God my back is feeling good. I hope it continues to, since I've got quite a few hours in the car over the next few days, and having my back not cooperate is not going to work super well.
Our current plans: Leave tomorrow after Amy gets off work @ 5pm for CT. Drive from 5 - however long it takes to get to CT. Pray the weather isn't too icy or cruddy on the way there. Go to Amy's church's midnight service on Christmas Eve, then spend Christmas Day with her family.
Depending on weather, we will either leave Christmas night for IN and make as much headway as we can before finding a hotel, or leave early Saturday morning. Make it to Indiana by the late-side of supper or at least before bed -- again depending on how much headway we make getting there pre-Saturday. Then spend Sunday with my family. Stay as late as we think we can afford to on Monday, then head back.
Of course to be honest... if the weather looks bad, I may just make the move to call in on Tuesday and say we're probably going to be stuck driving and taking longer than we thought we would to get back, and just basically saying, "Not going to be there," so that we could end up staying later on Saturday with Amy's family, and then get almost an extra day with my family -- all Monday (minus what we'd lose by staying later with her family). Then leave Tuesday
I normally wouldn't "play hooky" like that... but I've got to be honest with you... it's one day, and it makes a big difference. We're both good employees, and we don't ask much on top of working hard. I'm not saying we're owed it -- just that I don't mind being bad with my ultimate intentions being to be with my family and Amy's family for a bit longer. I won't justify it and say it's okay, but I will say that it's something I'm willing to live with. If they fire me? Then sooooo what. x3
A long time ago I made it a point to learn that in the scale of priorities that family comes before work. If they try to force me to think otherwise, I will swiftly and promptly show them that their "hold" on me is not imposable unless I allow them to, and I have no such intention of allowing them a kind of control they neither should have, nor would be trying to use in an appropriate manner. They do not own me, and that fact is one I make sure to remind myself of -- there is but One whom I will have to answer to.
Anyway... that's the plan for now. And calling off Tuesday is looking better and better the more I talk it out with Amy. =P
Well... Otherwise... I guess that's about it. Man... I'm so tired right now, and I'm kinda glad I have plenty of time to pack tomorrow and do a lot of last-minute work. You know... like finally wrap my presents. =P
Man, craziness.
That's about it for now, I think. Yesterday I was just tied up doing some other things. So here's your post!
God bless, all.
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| Are Your Ears Open?
Isaiah 50 [link]
Well... the way it's written here makes it ever more apparent that my ears are usually not very open.
Isaiah gets up and doesn't go back to bed -- he hears God and stays awake. He does what God tells him to.
He doesn't even get up and hear something good. He gets up... and takes the insults all day long. I don't think this means we should be people who have brought insult on ourselves from others all day long (as if we're aiming for it), but it should mean that no matter what the cost we should be willing to get up and do what God asks of us every day.
Then, as Isaiah says, we should remember that we're not disgraced with God right there with us. We're not alone. If they come, then they come; however, we don't try to make others insult us because we're being snotty.
When God spoke, it woke Isaiah up. God was worth listening to. God wasn't boring. He also wasn't there to solely entertain, too. He was there to call Isaiah to a task, and Isaiah heard from God and was moved to do as He asked him. When God speaks, do we wake up, or do we fall asleep? It makes me wonder about church sermons sometimes... is it that the message isn't capturing us like it should? Is it a problem with the message or with us?
When God speaks, He's worth listening to. What was the last thing God said that caught your attention enough that He got you to listen? Maybe we just need to listen more.
Heavenly Father, you say Your sheep will know Your voice, and that is a comforting statement; however, I regret to say that rarely do I feel as though I really hear Your voice. I know it's You by the signatures left in Your actions around me, but Your voice and command... I cannot say it is something I hear as often as I would hope or like to. Lord, the problem then is not with You, though. It must lie with me, if a problem exists at all. So if it does, I ask Your Name would be glorified and made more and more famous by my learning how to better listen for and to You. Help me to hear You and know it's You. Help me to move on it, even if it's early in the morning. Let it wake me up in the morning, and put me to sleep at night. May Your Word be very near and dear to all our hearts, Daddy. Abba, we need You. Thank You. We love You, praise You, and thank You for Who You are. Help us to become more and more like You every day.
Amen.
Just a few more to go...
State: Good
Man... I really need to get my last gifts soon, since we're leaving in 2.5 days, haha.
I'm hoping this supposed "ice storm" thing decides to not be as bad as some make it sound out to be, otherwise we won't be making Amy's midnight service in CT. She gets off work at 5:30 on Christmas Eve, and we head out basically right then for her home (weather permitting). That's really about it. We'll be with Amy's family until either Saturday morning (likely, I'm guessing now), or Friday night. Ideally, I'd like ot have the night to drive, but that only ever works for me, and it'll mess up our sleep schedules most likely. I'd just have liked to knock off at least a few hours of driving then, but I suppose we can tackle it all at once on Saturday.
Overall... this winter's going to be brutal for driving, but that's okay for me right now. If we only have so many Christmas's left before Japan... it's worth the driving. I just wish Amy didn't have Christmas Eve so late so we could have had a bit more time with her family. We're really only going to get about 1-1.5 days with each of our families. That's better than nothing, though!
Well, work today was about the norm. One day down, 2 more to go. I still need gifts for like... well, more than I should, lol. I suppose I'll be doing a little more shopping tomorrow, then. I picked one gift up after work today, and then Amy and I came home. We both fell asleep for awhile, and then had supper afterward.
Guess that's about it for now.
God bless, all!
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| Ties to the Promises
Isaiah 49 [link]
This chapter is almost exactly a huge pointer back to the Abrahamic covenant. In fact, I'd say that was the "inspiration" for this chapter. If you look back at it, you'll notice a few things: Abraham's to be a blessing to the people, and the two things promised to Abraham are the land and children, or people.
In the time Isaiah speaks... Israel's not a blessing to the nations (not in the way they imagined, at least), they have no land, and they are quickly losing people.
What do we see here, though?
God is telling them that they'll be a blessing to the whole world -- opening it all up through them (v. 6). Then we see God telling them He's going to be blessing their land and He's going to be giving them peoples (v. 19-21).
He's renewing the covenant, which is amazing after looking at all that Isaiah was speaking against Israel in the first few chapters -- reminding them of the work they still need. God here says, essentially, "I still love you, and I'm renewing my covenant with you once more."
He is such an amazing God. He does not forget His covenants and promises, no matter how unfaithful we become. He is a just, and an amazing God.
Heavenly Father, thank You for renewing Your promises just when we seem to be the most unworthy. Thank You for forever showing yourself faithful and merciful to us, especially when things just seem to be going so badly and we appear to be "less worthy." May we not think our own tasks are what buy us Your favor, but that You give it freely and out of Your mercy and grace. Thank You, Lord. Help us to glorify You, and to turn back to You as soon as we can. Let us not base everything off of simply performance, but let us use it as a means to cause us to try ever-harder to bring You everything You're so worthy of, Lord. Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Daddy. We love You.
Amen.
Oh man...
State: Wonder
Time passes so quickly when I'm playing a game... =/ So fast, I forget what time it is.
I've been so bad about posting this week, though, that it's about time I got back at it, though.
Today was my day off. It was nice to be at home basically all day with my wife. We watched Jackie Chan's "First Strike" and loafed off. I had soup for lunch and supper. That's about it for my "big moments of the day." =P
Seriously, that's about all I've got for you. I'm playing through a Zelda game on my laptop, ergo the complete loss of time. Time to gain control back for at least now. =3
Well, God bless, all!
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| State: Okay
It's been awhile since I did a semi-actual update. Aye yai yai.
Let's see... it's snowed quite a bit, on and off, the last few days. Yesterday was one of the first really nasty ones. I ended up fish-tailing 3 times. Never hit anyone (though the guys riding my bumper the first and third time I kind of wish they'd have hit me...), but just lost control a bit while doing under 10 mph or so.
Anyway... it was a fun day to drive around... not. =P
I still need to get some of my Christmas shopping done, too. Some of it is done, but not all of it.
Work's been... work. Nothing amazing to say, though. Each day it's just been doing my best to stay on top of things. Wednesday night I closed by myself, but since it was very slow, I didn't really have to worry about it. The last two mornings have been regular fair, really.
We've watched a few movies and I've played around on some games in our free-time.
Also, Amy's being blessed with some perks from both her places of work this season, which is nice. The pharmacist knows all the techs are under-paid, so he gives Christmas bonuses out of his own pocket, apparently. Also, Amy's other boss sent us a basket full of bread stuffs, which was neat-o.
Well... I suppose that's about it for now, then. Have a good night, and God bless, all!
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| Oh man...
Work seemed like it was only for a bit. Then I looked around for some Christmas gifts. After that... I drove home, then loafed off until Amy got home (I had to go pick her up).
That... was about it, really. Tonight... time just passed WAY too quickly. Now it's 1am, and I have work at 8am. So... I guess it'll just have to wait one more night for a decent update.
Guess that's about it, all.
God bless!
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