CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEWS ON DISNEY SONGS #001 THE LITTLE MERMAID - PART OF YOUR WORLD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzx-916MuL8

In the song, Ariel sings about how things are not as they seem in her life. She is a princess of the king of the sea who has everything. Even her collection of stuff she finds from the surface world is vast and full of curiosities. However, as she sings, we see that having the stuff is not enough. She wants to experience that world above for real, to engage with the people there. She doesn't just want to have stuff from there, but she wants to be there. Despite not fully understanding everything from the surface world and even being unsure of things, she still wants to be part of that world.

In the same way, it isn't enough that we just collect trivia from the Bible. As Christians, we can easily gather stock knowledge about God and collect information about Him. But we need to have the same yearning Ariel has for the surface world towards God. Just having information about Him isn't enough. We should want to have that relationship with Him, to engage with Him, despite not knowing everything. Everything we find about God should draw us to want to know Him more. For Ariel, everything she found made her want to go to live on land more, despite how crazy it sounded. For us, everything about God should make us want to grow closer to Him, despite how crazy it may seem to those around us.

May it be every day as we pour through His Word that we fall in love with God more and want to have that deep relationship with Him, indeed being part of His world.

Devotional #1

GOD IS GREATER
By KPM   “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them;
because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” – 1 John 4:4   When I was five or six years old, there was something I was afraid of. I was afraid of being locked in a store after closing. Many times, my family would be in National Book Store until closing time. The gates would come crashing down and the lights would be slowly turned off. And I remember being so afraid.

“I am afraid.”

How many times have we said that in our hearts? It doesn’t seem to matter how old we get, there is always something that we are afraid of. It might be confronting a friend about a sin issue. It might be sharing a struggle with your discipler. It might even be just the fear of sharing your faith. We stare at the problem and feel overwhelmed. “I don’t think I can do it,” we may say.

What do we look to? Who do we look to? I remember every time the National Book Store would close, I would grab on to my parents and stay beside them. I knew, even as scared as I was, that everything would be okay as long as I was with them. I always turned to them.

In the same way, when we face a difficult situation in life, we must remind ourselves who is with us. We are not alone. God is with us because we are His children. We should stop looking at the problem and start looking at our Lord. For Jesus has already overcome the world. He is greater than any problem or any struggle or any person in the world. Jesus has already overcome sin and death. Our Messiah is greater than anything the devil can throw at you. We must remember that God is with us all the time and all we have to do is follow Him and trust Him. The LORD will fight for us, He will protect us. Even in the storm, we know that He is stronger and that we can have peace when we know we are walking with Him.

So take heart, for greater is our Lord who is in you than he who is in the world. God is your refuge. May you find peace in Him as you obey His will in your life.

Fell asleep

Had such a great birthday weekend. I ended up falling asleep on the couch. Sleeping on the couch is a beautiful thing.

Sent from my Windows Phone

Walking on water or entering the promised land?

Sink or swim?  Maybe it might be time to walk on water.

Giants?  Our God is bigger than the giants in the promised land. 

This may be it already.  Definitely going to be writing a blog a day this week.  Have to.  Have to do it.  I wonder how many people actually read this blog?

Reminder

I KNOW I POSTED SOMETHING LIKE THIS BEFORE, BUT IT'S A REMINDER TO ME AND HOPEFULLY TO SOME OTHERS OUT THERE...

"There are bigger things happening here than me and you." - Peter Parker

Got reminded today that as many things that are going on in my life right now that I have to work on or focus on, they pale in comparison to all the things that my friends and sisters and brothers are going through. There are people who are hurting. Sometimes we need to be there for them and pray for them rather than worrying about what we are going through.

"Once again, you think it's all about you." - Magneto

Love God. Love others. It's not about numbers. How do you measure a year? In sunsets? In minutes? In cups of coffee? By episodes of a TV shows? By heart aches? Maybe it would be nice for a change to measure the year by the victories we experience in Christ, by remembering how He has overcome and that we can overcome through Him. But that means living for Jesus alone and following Christ completely. Even at cost.

(paraphrase cause I want to try to do it from memory)
Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?"

We live for Jesus. And we show people we are living for Christ by how we treat others around us.

(paraphrase again cause I want to do this from memory)
Jesus also said that, "A new command I give to you, that you love one another, just as I have loved you, so you should love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples - if you have love for one another."

Being Loyal...

So I just spend way too much money today on a haircut. You see, over the past several months, I've been trying out different barbershops because the barber we normally go to is all the way in Megamall.  So I've been trying these other places in Robinsons so it will save me time.  I honestly don't know why I saw my hair quality as a worthy exchange for not having to walk the 15min to Megamall.  Every time I try these other shops, I always end up having a less than favorable haircut.

Today, I really wanted to get a nice haircut because it's going to be my birthday and it's important that I look good.  I already have what I'm going to wear all laid out (yes, I actually have done that), and I just need the hair.  So I decided to treat myself to a haircut at a well known "salon for men".  And they told me the haircut I wanted wouldn't work, so they suggested another one.  I said, sure, they should know what they are doing after all, they are the experts.  Then they cut my hair.  It looked...okay. But the more I looked in the mirror after I paid a big amount for the haircut, the more I realized that it wasn't....working.  It was the "messy" look, which I didn't want. 

Where did I turn?  To the barber who has cut my hair since Spider-man 2 came out.  Yes.  Spider-man 2.  That's how long June has been my barber...until recently.  I went to him in Megamall and showed him my hair and he frowned seeing the mess that was made.  "June, I need you, please fix my hair."  And then he fixed it up and made it nice.  While he was cutting my hair and fixing it up, I was thinking to myself, why do I go to other guys?  Why do I try other barbers when this barber that I trust has NEVER given me a bad haircut. Ever.

In the same way, we do this with God so many times.  We grow tired of always walking the Christian life, thinking it is more exciting somewhere else.  They are having fun over there, we think, why am I still here?  God hasn't given me that exciting thing that I wanted, so I'll go there where I can get it.  Just like me thinking I could get a more exciting hair cut elsewhere.  So we leave God and stop trusting in Him because we think that we know better and someone else or something else can provide better. 

And then when the other thing fails, we don't run back to God, we keep going to other things.  When we are at our worst, paying the price of living a life apart from God (to which Lewis said that God cannot give you any goodness apart from him because it doesn't exist), that's when we run to Him again and say, "God, save me, I need you, please fix my life."  And God just shakes his head lovingly and fixes us up.  And then we wonder why we ever wandered in the first place.

Hopefully, I stay loyal to my barber now and stop going to other places, and more importantly, trust in God rather than in other things.

Story behind the Cover Photo

Facebook has become such a part of our ever day lives.  Most of us check our facebook more often than we check our email.  This is because Facebook is our representation of ourselves to others.  It may not be for prideful or selfish reasons - it just happens to be designed to be our face in the online community.  Our timeline shows people what we have been doing, our posts let people know how we feel, and other people's comments are a reflection of our relationships in the "real world".  Still, there is something deeper going on also: what does your profile picture and cover photo say about you?

See, these are two things that we think about often.  Even those who change it quite frequently still put thought into "not putting thought" into it.  I remember back in the day when you would try to hide your identity from the online world.  You would not post any picture of yourself, you would have a screenname, you would have an email address that had nothing to do with your identity in the "real world".  Yet, isn't the online community part of the real world?  Even more so than many aspects of your life?  See, the online realm is not a replacement for the "real world", it is another aspect of the real world.  But I digress.  Let's go back to what I was saying: what does your cover photo say about you?

Unlike your profile picture, your cover photo on facebook has nothing to do with identifying you.  It is not your profile picture.  Your cover photo is the thing that gives your facebook page a certain tone.  You let the world know about an aspect of who you are by your cover photo.  Will it be a Bible verse? Will it be about your faith in God?  Will it be a random shot of nature?  Sometimes it is a picture of you and your friends, as an extension profile picture. 

For me, I always try to make my cover photo specifically talk about one aspect of who I am.  It usually is an older photo to remind me where I've been.  Why?  Because you can't know where you are going if you don't know where you came from.  Right now, my cover photo is a picture I took 7 years ago.  It is from the Breakfast Club Experiment that we did in college in my dorm.  We would invite people who had nothing to do with each other and have them over for dinner.  It's college dorm life: everyone wants food.  So people would always come over.  My roommates got in on it too, helping me come up with invite lists.

I think one reason I put up this particular cover photo was to remind me that I was reaching out to others way back when it wasn't a ministry.  It's who I am.  Reaching out to others, encouraging them, that's who I am.  That's what makes Mark me.  I don't need to be assigned to do this, I don't need to be paid to do this - should just do it.  Because I love doing it.  It shouldn't be based on this notion of "I want certain people to be there".  It is just fun bringing people together who don't normally hang out and watching them get closer together.

There is such joy to that. Seeing Christians mix when they have nothing in common.  And yet the early church is described as a people who had EVERYTHING in common.  They were like minded.  They loved the same things.  They loved God, they loved each other.  Yet they did not have anything in common. Some were slaves, some were masters, some were Greek, some were Jew.  The early church was a bowl of random ingredients thrown together.  But God made it work. 

In the same way I want to see that happen today too - especially with my friends.  I don't want them to just be my friends, I want them to be friends with each other.  I don't want to be the only connector between all of them.  There is a joy in seeing people I care about caring about each other.  Sometimes there are those times that you feel that should be the connector, this feeling of like "why am I not invited anymore to be with you guys?". But that is rather selfish, isn't it?  For there is a reason why they can't hang out with you also.  And you have to realize that God has a purpose to this too.  That this is their time to grow closer together, this is their time to know each other more.  You already know them.  You already are friends with them.  In a weird way, the less you hang out with a close friend is a sign that you are indeed close to each other because you don't need to "maintain" it so much.  And then you won't be clingy.

Friendships aren't meant to be over-analyzed.  Friendships are meant to be enjoyed.  Every moment there, even if you don't get to have deep conversations wtih them, is fine.  Because every moment is a memory.  And don't you want to have great memories with people?  It's not always about the deep conversations.  It is about the times you laugh, the times you cry, the times you just SIT with each other. 

I am Mark.  And I am blessed by so many friends.  Gotta keep reminding yourself of that.

Getting back into the habit of writing

Hi, blog.
Hi, Mark.
Long time, no write.
Yeah, you really have a way of abandoning me just when you come by and start hanging out again.
I'm sorry.
Whatever, Mark.  Just try to commit this time, okay?  Sometimes, friendships can be like that too.
What do you mean?
What I mean is this: sometimes we feel bad that we don't have time for our friends.  In response to this, we call them up or text them and offer to hang out.  After hanging out for a bit, we feel better about ourselves and move on and stop communicating with them again.  Yet, we complain so much when this happens to us.  We say, "How come you never have time for me?  Why do you always have time for other people?"  Yet, do you not do the same thing?  Do we not do the same thing?

Sometimes, I think that the best way to keep yourself from depression is to do what Edmund Chan said we should do - have gratitude towards God for everything that goes on in our life.  God provides so much for us, and yet I still complain so often. Why do I keep being filled with discontentment?  Shouldn't I be content?  God gives all good things to those who love Him, and I know that everything I do can only be done because of God and through His strength.  I know that the things I don't have are not lacking, but rather are not what I need right now.  I know that God has a purpose and a timing.  It's just hard waiting sometimes. It is just difficult when you feel that you need to be happy today, right now.  Why can't things be like before?

But I know that God is loving, that God is good.  Therefore there is a reason why things are going the way they are right now.  Sometimes I think the reason God is allowing me to go through this is because He wants me to really grow and learn this truth: that He knows best...and I don't. 

God is wise and our wisdom is merely foolishness to Him.  So why is it so hard to trust Him?  If we can trust God with our eternal salvation and say Jesus, I give my life to you, then why is it so hard to trust Him for these "smaller" things?  I remember something Dr. Charles Stanley said before.  He said that if God keeps telling you the same thing over and over again, it may be because you have yet to obey Him in that area that He keeps telling you about.

WWE Fantasy Storyline

How I would book WWE from now until Wrestlemania...

-------------

Survivor Series:

Team AJ (Team Hell No, Sin Cara and Rey, Miz) vs. Team Booker (Rhodes Scholars, PTP, Orton)

Sin Cara and Rey make short work of PTP.  Team Hell No and the luchadors get into a bit of confusion, resulting in Bryan being taken out by Cody Rhodes.  Rhodes then uses the confusion and screaming of Bryan to take out Kane also.  Rey runs in and gets Rhodes removed.  Rey and Sin Cara work together to successfully remove Sandow  and Orton.  Miz is never tagged in.  Team AJ wins!

Brodus Clay, Santino, and Zack Ryder vs. 3MD (Jinder, Slater, Macintyre)

Divas Match:

Eve vs. Aksana

Eve wins and is being dubbed a dominant force to be recognized in the divas division.  Kaitlyn is seen watching on a screen in anger.

WHC:

Sheamus vs. Barrett

It is an all out slug fest, but Sheamus defeats Wade Barrett by White Noise.

US vs IC exhibition match:

Caesaro vs. Kofi

Caesaro wins.

Main Event – Survivor Series Classic:

Team McMahon (Cena, Ryback, Justin Gabriel, and Derrick Bateman) vs. Team Heyman (Punk, Brock, Barrett, and Dean Ambrose)

Over the past four weeks, NXT has a tournament showcased on Raw for who gets brought into the main Raw roster.  The final tournament is between Dean Ambrose and Derrick Bateman.  Bateman wins and McMahon is welcoming him onto Raw when Dean Ambrose snaps and destroys Bateman to the point that security has to tear them apart.  McMahon bans Ambrose from setting foot in WWE again. 

Meanwhile, this match between Team McMahon (Cena, Ryback, and Justin Gabriel) and Team Heyman (Punk, Brock, and Big Show) is building up with their members facing each other in random matches. 

The Raw right before Survivor Series, Heyman announces his fourth member to his team: Dean Ambrose.  Cena goes to Vince and says there is no way they can allow a loose cannon like Ambrose in the match.  Vince tells him to find someone who can match him in a fight.  Bateman with a new edge shows up and tells Cena that he is the guy to join the team. 

On the night itself, Big Show makes fun of Barrett after his loss.  Right before the match, Heyman sees a brawl happening with Big Show and Barrett back stage.  Barrett takes the WMD and gets back up and knocks Big Show down with his own bare knuckled hit.  Big Show is out.   Heyman rubs his chin asks Barrett if he would like one more fight.

Basically, the match goes back and forth and then finally when Cena hot tags in, Brock spears him, followed by an F5.  Punk elbow drops Cena for the 1-2-3.  With Cena out, the remaining two are taken out easily.  Ryback puts up a fight and takes out everyone.  Brock and Ryback have a stare down and Brock F5s Ryback through a table.  The referees call it saying that Ryback can’t compete.  Ryback gets up and apparently has a broken arm, says he can still fight, but referees tell him the match is done.  Team Heyman wins!

TLC:

Tag Belts:

Team Hell No vs. Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio

Team Hell No loses and Sin Cara and Rey celebrate.

Big Show vs. Wade Barrett

Wade Barrett wins with outside interference from Ambrose

IC - Ladder Match:

Kofi vs. Justin Gabriel

Kofi retains belt.

WHC - Tables Match:

Sheamus vs. Rhodes

Great back and forth match with Rhodes being portrayed as someone who is, though heel, able to gain respect from Sheamus.  The two tear up the show as it ends with Rhodes getting thrown through a table.  Sheamus gives Rhodes a respectful nod as Rhodes walks off the ramp.

Divas Match (non-title match):

Eve vs. Kaitlyn

AJ tells Kaitlyn that she wants to give her friend a chance at redemption after what Eve did to her. So she schedules the surprise match to which Eve is not ready for.  Kaitlyn wins by roll-up.

Main Event – TLC Match:

CM Punk vs. Cena

Stipulation is that if Punk wins, Cena cannot challenge for the belt in a one-on-one match for 6 months.  If Cena wins, CM Punk does not get a rematch and has to admit that he is not the best in the world.

It is an insane match, one for the ages, with the ending becoming a submission match.  Cena eventually gets Punk to tap and pass out.  Cena runs up the ladder to get to the belt, but Haymen interferes.  In the commotion, Punk is able to recover and kick Cena off the ladder into the announce tables below.  Punk is able to climb up the ladder and retain his belt.  Barrett, Ambrose, Haymen, and Punk stand in celebration at the top of the ramp.

Royal Rumble:

Earlier episodes of Raw have the Haymen guys saying that they are the most dominant force in all of wrestling today.  Barrett, Ambrose, Punk, Brock, and Haymen say that there is no one that can prevent them from getting what they want.  Cena comes out and makes his usual argument speech and Haymen reminds him of how he cannot touch Punk anymore and neither can he even touch the belt again until June.  Cena says, “I can’t but someone else can.”  Ryback comes out and clears house except for Brock.  He tells Brock he wants him for breaking his arm at Survivor Series and that he still has never lost.  Ryback vs. Brock is booked for Rumble.

30-Man Rumble:

Winner is – Kane

It’s a very exciting back and forth match with the ending of the rumble being Kane and Daniel Bryan.  They hug each other and then after that go at it with Kane eventually throwing Bryan out.  Kane wins!

Ryback vs. Brock

Ryback wins and says Brock’s time is over.  Ryback’s time is now.

WHC:

Sheamus vs. Rhodes

Straight up clean fight with Rhodes winning.  Respect all around.  Ziggler looks on and claps.

WWE Title:

Punk vs. Rock

Punk wins by doing a Stone Cold Stunner. ‘Nuff said.

Elimination Chamber:

Smackdown Chamber:

Sheamus, Big Show, Cody Rhodes, Miz, Sandow, Ziggler

It starts with Cody and Sheamus in the ring together again.  Chemistry is just great.  But then as others get in, the two switch to working together.  It becomes obvious at this point that Rhodes is face.  It’s finally Ziggler, Sheamus, and Rhodes as the final three.  Ziggler dodges brogue kick and Rhodes get clocked with it and is out.  Ziggler zig-zags Sheamus and pins Rhodes.  He spins around and pins Sheamus, but Sheamus kicks out.  He is able to white-noise Ziggler and recapture the WHC belt.

Mark Henry vs. Brodus Clay vs. Tensai

Mark Henry’s return match.  Destroys the two and tosses them around like they are nothing.

Tag Belts:

Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio vs Barrett and Dean Ambrose

Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio are winning.  Then Ambrose is able to twist Rey’s mask and he can’t see, causing him to accidentally do his finisher on Sin Cara.  Barrett and Ambrose win and become the new tag-team champions.

US Title:

Caesaro vs. Sandow

Caesaro wins.

Divas Match:

Eve vs. Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn wins and AJ runs in the ring to celebrate with her.  As they are celebrating, Kaitlyn turns on AJ and blames her for waiting so long to give her her shot at the title.  She beats down AJ and throws her around the ring to the point that the crowd is booing her intensely.  Kaitlyn laughs as she leaves a beaten down AJ in the ring.  Bryan runs out scares Kaitlyn off as he helps AJ.

Raw Chamber:

Rock, Brock, Ryback, Cena, Punk, Bryan

Fight starts with Rock and Cena as the first two.  They get a good long fight that is just the two of them.  Punk comes in next and the three fight it out.  Cena supers up and is able to pin Rock 1-2-3.  Rock is out.  Cena turns and points at Punk ala Hulk Hogan.  Ryback comes in next and the two of them go back and forth with Punk.  Brock comes in next and Punk and him work together.  Eventually, Brock and Punk both drop on top of Ryback so that even if he is kicking out, he still gets pinned and is eliminated.  Cena is left.  But Cena supers up once again, but this time, as he has Punk in the pin, Brock isn’t able to get to Punk in time to break up the pin.  Punk is eliminated.  Bryan comes in next.  The three competitors go back and forth, but finally it ends with Brock and Cena.  The belt is on the line!  They exchange blows and it ends with Brock knocking Cena out with a superman punch.  Brock is the new WWE champion!

Road to Wrestlemania:

Raw after Chamber:

Brock, Haymen, Barrett, and Ambrose come out holding the tag belts and the WWE Championship.  Punk is strangely not with them.  Brock announces that he will not fight at Wrestlemania and plans on quitting on the biggest stage of them all.  Cena comes out and tells him he can’t do that, but then Haymen reminds Cena of the contract he signed with Punk that he can’t challenge for the belt until June.  Cena is left wondering what to do. Kane comes out and tells Brock that he will face him at Mania.  Brock laughs and does an extremely terrible beat down on Kane to the point that he is bloodied and beaten and stretchered out.

Another Raw later:

Bryan opens the show saying that AJ is still in the hospital from the beatdown Kaitlyn gave her.  He also shares how Kane is also in the hospital.  He says that now he is going to dedicate every match he does to AJ and to Kane.

The Haymen guys are all in the ring again with Brock gloating that no one will stop him.  Punk comes in and everyone explodes thinking he will challenge Brock.  He goes in and shakes his hand and holds it up.  Punk cuts a promo saying that he is a Haymen guy, and if Paulie says Brock is the champ, then Brock is the champ.  Cena comes out again and says to Punk that he sold out, that he should get that belt and do everything to get rid of Brock and Haymen.  Punk laughs and says the belt doesn’t matter to him anymore.  He tells lists his accomplishments (longer title reign than cena’s, beating Rock at rumble, etc).  Finally says there is one more thing he wants.  And that’s to challenge Stone Cold to one match at Wrestlemania.  Glass breaks.  Stone Cold comes out and clears the ring out.  Grabs the microphone, cuts an awesome promo, and then says, “I accept!” and goes on a drinking spree.  Fade to black.

The Next Raw:

Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio have another match with Barrett and Ambrose, but then things go wrong again and the luchadors lose.  This time, Sin Cara gets his mask pulled and accidentally hurts Rey.  After Rey is pinned, Rey gets up and loses it, beating up Sin Cara.  He challenges him to a match in Mania in Spanish.

Punk and Austin cut awesome promos.

Cena sees Undertaker and tells him he has to take down Brock because if he doesn’t, Brock is leaving at Mania with the belt.  Undertaker says he will give his answer tonight.

Storyline starts between Smackdown and Raw of unifying the IC and USA belts.  Rhodes somehow wins the IC belt, now that he is a face.  Ryback and Mark Henry get into a feud.  Sheamus hints at WHC/WWE unification.

Undertaker comes out and says he won’t fight Brock.  Cena tells him he is quitter, that he has turned his back on the company.  Undertaker tells Cena that HE is the quitter, ever since he sold out before.  Cena is left standing thinking of what he said.

Next Raw:

Daniel Bryan is running around asking everyone if they heard the news, that AJ was okay. 

Punk and Austin cut another awesome promo.

Ziggler announces he is cashing in at Mania.

Brock and Haymen are in the center of the ring saying that again Brock is planning on leaving at Mania, just like he did before at Wrestlemania XX.  Everyone is booing  Then AJ’s music hits.  AJ and Daniel Bryan come out together.  Daniel Bryan is chanting “Yes! Yes! Yes!” and AJ is skipping.  Brock is confused.  They go in the ring.  And AJ gets a microphone and says that everyone should get ready to Tout cause they have an announcement to make.  AJ realized that she was wrong and she saw how Bryan had been fighting for her all along, even dedicating matches, etc.  And she has decided to get back with him.  They kiss.  Everyone is eating it up, but Brock and Haymen are very confused.  They keep trying to talk, but Bryan and AJ keep cutting them off.  Finally, AJ says, “I have another announcement, Kaitlyn, I want you at Mania!  You vs. me for the belt.” 

Haymen breaks in finally and says a whole bunch of bad things to AJ and Bryan.  Bryan then says, “Oh yeah, I have another announcement,” and he leaps on Brock and is able to get him into an arm bar.  Brock is able to break out but is scared at the speed of Bryan.  The two of them slide out as Daniel Bryan gets on the microphone and says, “Brock, you took out Kane, and now I’m going to take out you.  I’m challenging you to a match at Mania!”

Undertaker and Cena have tension.

Last Raw before Mania:

Brock accepts Bryan’s challenge.  David and Goliath story.

Cena, with an edge now, challenges Taker to an I Quit match at Mania

Punk and Austin have a final promo and stare down.

Ryback and Mark Henry are locked in after an intense test of strength.

Rey and Sin Cara are set to fight at Mania.

WrestleMania:

Sin Cara vs. Rey Mysterio

TLC Tornado Tag Team Championship:

Johnny Curtis and Derrick Bateman, Sandow and Miz, Barrett and Dean Ambrose

Ryback vs. Mark Henry

Rhodes vs. Caesaro (Unification Match)

Ziggler vs. Sheamus (WHC)

Cena vs. Undertaker (streak)

AJ vs. Kaitlyn (Divas)

Brock vs. Daniel Bryan (WWE Championship)

CM Punk vs. Austin (era vs era)

Young Justice: Amazo Episode

Yes, one day I'll be that good looking...

Anyway, just finished watching an episode of Young Justice with Micah.  I was actually in the middle of journaling and thought I might as well stop and spend time with my brother for a bit.  So, we watched the show together and it was really good to just get back into watching a good ol' comic based cartoon.

What stood out to me in this episode was the lesson Black Canary was trying to teach the Young Justice team (Superboy, Robin, Kid Flash, etc): Always act, don't react.  In other words, if you're in a fight, don't let the person you are fighting dictate your moves, you should not be responding or being defensive.  Fight on your own terms.  It was only through doing this that they got to beat the "unstoppable" robot Amazo.

The thing that stood out to me was this: we need to be the same way.  First, we need to NOT be like Superboy in this episode and listen to our teachers.  But that's besides the point.  The thing is that we need to be people who act.  In the Christian community, we seem to always be the ones reacting.  Instead, shouldn't we be the ones who act?  Like Jesus said in the golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you: it's in the positive not in the negative, it's in the active not the passive, it is active not reactive.  When it comes to standing up for our faith, whether by showing love to others or by sharing the gospel, we cannot be passive.  We should be the ones out there dictating the "fight", seeking for God's kingdom to grow here.

All too often, we are so passive and don't want to commit.  But passive Christians are like passive sentences - they are just....there.  There is no passion.  There is no drive.  It's just there.  If God is on the move, we move with Him.  If God wants us to shine our light, we shine it BRIGHTLY.  We MUST go above and beyond what the world deems "holy" and remember that our standard is not the world or even ourselves, our standard is God.

Cause only then will we be able to defeat the "unstoppable".  May we all stop being so passive, so "reactive", and start taking initiative and leading.