Are We Playing God?

This song:
To better understand what I will be saying, I suggest listening to it before you read on.

http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Playing+God/3Vy7Zz?src=5

Did you do it? Good. Now a disclaimer.

*Disclaimer: Everything I say here is labeled as my opinion and interpretation. I reserve all rights to say things that someone somewhere might maybe find offensive. If you are that person, you should learn how to not get so offended because I am seriously not saying anything really offensive in this post. I do not claim the same for other posts though.*

So sad that I have to add those so often.... Anyways!

The song of topic today is Playing God by Paramore. I am going ot be speaking less of the actual song, and more of what would create the ideas in it. I am an avid Paramore fan- I own two Paramore tees and have many of their albums on my ipod. And yet, it hasn't hit me until today what this song could mean.

"If God's the game that you're playing, well we must get more acquainted. because it has to be so lonely, to be the only one who's holy."

What I see in this song is what the entire world sees Christianity as being: Someone bossing people around, telling them they are condemned to Hell if they are sinners. But the thing is, it wasn't the world that created this idea- it was us. The world could not create a snobby, condemning stereotype of Christians if there wasn't some truth. With this in mind I want to point out I am speaking of (and to) Christians in general.
I personally claim the denomination of Christian. And, being Christian, I see from the inside what a terrible image we can give if we are not careful. We must understand that EVERYTHING we do reflects on Christians in general. We are representatives of Christ and sharers of His message. That is our calling as His people. This shows the importance of following His example- because if we are not, people still see us. They know what we are supposed to represent, they know who we stand for, they know how we are supposed to act. And the moment you or I step away from that ideal lifestyle and act as we shouldn't, we become the kinds of people that we try so hard to avoid being. 

"You don't have to believe me, but the way I, way I see it- next time you point a finger I might have to bend it back and break it, break it off. Next time you point a finger, I'll point you to the mirror."

What is covered specifically in this song is unrighteous judging. As the Pharisees of the New Testament, we- the people of Christ who are supposed to represent him- can (if we are not careful) become just as condemned as the prostitutes and murderers by judging others as lower than ourselves. This is a sin that sneaks up and grasps even the most worthy of us, and one that we need to be actively aware of. It's one of those sins that don't really feel like a sin as they are happening.

A quote from Dallin H Oaks, an apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, explains this far better than I could.
"I have been puzzled that some scriptures command us not to judge and others instruct us that we should judge and even tell us how to do it. I am convinced that these seemingly contradictory directions are consistent when we view them with the perspective of eternity. The key is to understand that there are two kinds of judging: Final Judgments, which are forbidden to make, and Intermediate Judgements, which we are directed to make, but upon righteous principles." (CES Fireside, Mar. 1 1998)

Final judgements are things that are very important to make. Things like: Am I on the right track to where I need to be? Are the people in my life helping me achieve what I want? Should I marry this person? We were put here on earth to choose, be tested and learn what is right and wrong. Being able to think critically and judge things as they are is an important part of that.
On the other hand, Intermediate judgements are some of the most dangerous things a person can do. They keep you from thinking clearly, keep you from opportunities to grow and possibly help others, and put you in a "throne" of self-justifying and high importance. It is the opposite of what Christ has asked us to do- Love others and love Him. If you love Him, you keep his commandments. Things like: That person is dressed a certain way, they must be a terrible person. You are so young and unaccomplished- who are you to talk to me? I can't believe this person did this one thing, they are so over-confident!

"It's just my humble opinion, but it's one that I believe in. You don't deserve a point of view, if the only thing you see is you."

To interpret this into my own language, I have made a sort of a template: When and when not to judge. This is what works for me personally, so if it doesn't for you feel free to create your own, or you could become a mass murderer (that is always an option).

Times to judge: 
Judge what to do in a situation
Judge if you can do business with a person (trustworthiness)
Judge if you are capable to follow through with a decision
Judge what is safe and what is stupid
Judge people only to the point of determining safety or other important things (Can I trust my neighbor to watch my kids?) (Are these friends a good influence on me?)

Times NOT to judge:
Do not judge others on their past
Do not judge others on who they affiliate with
Do not judge others opinions or feelings
Do not judge those you do not know or understand
DO not judge those you do know and understand
DO not judge pretty much anyone, unless it puts you or others in jeopardy in some way

When you think about it, it is God's job to judge. He has all the leverage, he created us and gave us literally everything. So who are we to think we have that right?

The challenge I have for you is this:
Ask yourself, Am I playing God? Am I putting on myself a responsibility I have no right to?


** I wrote this essay with the intention of opening people's eyes, and have found it was probably more for me than anyone else. I hope you all get as much out of it as I did. I have a lot of work to do in this aspect and hope that we can all grow and develop together to become more Christian- more worthy of Christ's name upon us**

The Power of Being Powerless

Pushy.
Sensitive.
Stubborn.
Hiding.
Emotional.
Impatient.
Slow.
Rude.
Worrying.
Lazy.
Untalented.

Any of these sound familiar? Many a name has been thrown at me, many weaknesses brought into the light from their cowering corner.
And yet. Does it even matter?

I say it does.

I believe that many weaknesses are strengths in disguise. or more accurately, strengths in a premature stage. It might help to look at each of these words first:

Pushy. - you know what you want and aren't afraid to go for it.
Sensitive. - You empathise easily and connect with people on a personal level.
Stubborn. - You stand your ground and are immovable in your beliefs.
Hiding. - You know your place and don't dump your emotions on everyone else.
Emotional. - you have a big heart and love very deeply and purely.
Impatient. - you are eager and enthusiastic.
Slow. - you find importance in little things and don't let the world put you in a rush.
Rude. - you are willing to say the truth when no one else will.
Worrying. - you have an open heart and care deeply for others.
Lazy. - you are relaxed and not high-strung, you know how to have fun and enjoy life.
Untalented. - you are adaptable and light, you aren't defined by one thing.

It's a bit different looking at these words as compliments instead of insults. I believe that every negative 'characteristic' is simply a strength that hasn't grown up yet. We need Christ and His Atonement to help these weaknesses mature to their full potential.

2 Corinthians 12:9 - And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

It is such a relief that it isn't completely our job- we are powerless. We cannot change these premature weaknesses into strengths without God's eternal love to nourish it. And we can only use this power if we are able to admit we are powerless. Very natural how that works- the more we realize we are powerless, the more power we are given.
With God on our side, we need not fear any name thrown our way, rather we will welcome them. They are gifts- helping us find our little strength seeds that just need a little love to grow.

Book review: The Great Divorce by C S Lewis

*Disclaimer* This was originally a book report for english credit, so if it sounds like a book report, it's a book report. This will make it sound slightly naive, so bear with me.

“The sane would do no good if they made themselves mad to help madmen.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce

The Great Divorce by C S Lewis is a fiction / theological fantasy novel. It has become one of my favorite religious books so far. I highly respect the author and all of his works that I have read. It was published in 1944 in a newspaper, and soon after in book form.
The basic storyline of this book: a man has just died and is taking a bus to the afterlife. He meets many interesting people on the bus, but settles with talking to a very smart man who thinks he knows everything. When he arrives, they are in a dark street with lots of barren houses. Over the course of many conversations, observations, and experiences, the man finds out that this is “hell”, or just where everyone else goes. It consists of endless houses. This is because people would build houses, and then start fighting with neighbors. They would then move outward and build a new house, so on and so forth for thousands of years until you can't find an end to the houses.
The man then got on another bus that was taking them up to a field. Or he thought it was up. It is later explained that he was not going up- he was growing. The “hell” or dark town was actually microscopic, with the real world being much larger. Once they arrived, many were unable to leave the bus because the ‘reality’ was completely solid while they were still ghost like, meaning that the grass cut through their feet and the rain was like bullets, tearing through them. I quote I like from this section of the book: “reality is harsh to the feet of shadows.”
Many people started coming from the mountains- great, glorious people that were glowing and perfectly solid. Many had robes, and many had no clothing at all. All were young and healthy powerful, to the point that many ghosts couldn’t even be near them. These people came and tried to invite the ghost people to join them up in the mountain. They told them that the more they accepted it, the closer they got to the mountain, the more solid they became and the less it hurt to walk. But it took them choosing to go, the people could not force them. The rest of the book consists of many different stories of people being invited, chastened or coaxed towards this “heaven”. He then wakes up, and realizes the whole thing was a dream.
I found this book very inspirational because of the truth I found in it. I can pull so many quotes that I have written down from these pages that spoke to me. There were many times where it was almost a slap in the face. For example, there was a ghost woman talking to a solid man (whom she had obviously known in their earthly life) about her son, who was up in the mountains. After a long conversation, and her excessive begging to see her son, it was concluded that she loved her son too much. You wouldn't see that as a sin, but the problem was that she ‘loved’ him so much that she truly didn't love him at all- she loved the idea of him, the fact that she cared for him. She loved being in charge of someone, being their only source of refuge, saying that he was HER son. In her pleadings, she said many things like “he needs me”, “let me take care of him”, “he is MY son, how dare you keep him from me.” It was a very self-centered idea, to the point that it wasn’t love at all, it was pride.

The way Lewis puts everything together- the way he words things, and captures your attention- made it almost impossible to put down. I highly suggest reading this book.

Healthy recipes: Baked oatmeal to go!

Baked Oatmeal To Go

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups applesauce, unsweetened
1 banana, mashed
6 packets of Sweetleaf Stevia or 1½ teaspoons stevia powder or use ½ cup honey
5 cups, Old Fashioned rolled oats {Bob’s Red Mill}
¼ cup flaxseed meal
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2¾ cups milk
Optional toppings: raisins, walnuts, chocolate chips

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana and Stevia together in a bowl.
Add in oats, flax, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and mix well with wet ingredients.
Finally pour in milk and combine.
Spray a 12 and 6 capacity muffin tin with cooking spray or use cupcake liners. Pour mixture evenly into muffin tin cups.
If using toppings add them onto the tops of muffins now. If using fresh or frozen fruit, drop it right into the batter.
Bake 30 minutes until a toothpick in center comes out clean.
Cool and enjoy or freeze them in gallon freezer bags.

Nutrition Info (without toppings)

Servings: 18* Calories for one: 143* Fat: 4g* Cholesterol: 25mg* Sodium: 161mg* Fiber: 4g* Sugars: 4g* Carbs: 23g* Protein: 6g*

**Gluten Free & Diabetic Friendly** Recipe Source: SugarFreeMom.com

A very important decision: Dieting Isn't For Me

You all know how I am- fun, happy, terribly attractive *cocky hair flip*. But in all seriousness, I am generally pretty confident in myself. And yet, probably from a combination of being a teenage girl and negative whispers in my ears, I have a tendency to get down on myself. I am very analytical (lots of people think I just judge everyone.. Sorry if I give that impression) but just as much as a judge others, I judge myself tenfold. And guess where I can find the most ammo? You guessed it! My physical appearance.
Now I'm not saying it is unnatural or wrong to be aware of how you look and appear. I find it a useful tool to express yourself and present yourself according to what you are trying to say. What I have a problem with is what I call 'self-dieting' or dieting because you are self conscious of how you look. Let me explain my experience.

I have always been self concious of my appearance. I was very skinny and athletic until about 11 years old, where from the beginning of the summer to the end, I had grown a few pants sizes. now it wasn't because of bad eating habits (though I do NOT claim to have good ones). It was puberty kicking in. All of a sudden- I had hips! I wasn't as flexible, I didn't have as much energy, and I was constantly begging for new clothes because I had grown out of the ones I got the month before. This is a pretty common story. Almost every girl has to deal with something like this- but I didn't know that. I felt very alone and scared with this new adaptation.
Throughout the years I have gotten a handle of things. I now understand the natural process of things like this. And yet.

As you get older, the push to diet and eat strictly healthy is almost deffining. You see the women with perfect 6-day exercise routines, strictly meager meals, and flat bellies. This is who you need to be, they say. Put down that icecream cone- don't you dare pick up those fries! We've got some apples, green paste and a few chia seeds to stuff down your throat instead!

So, I tried my best. I would turn down all treats, drink smoothies and eat carrots, and feel completely miserable. I would spend most days so overwhelmed by how bad my habits were and trying so hard to fix them, that I would end the day with a ball of cookie dough and a bad attitude. This is when I realized that dieting wasn't for me.

I do not criticise those who DO eat strictly healthy. I applaud you, actually. You are doing a great thing for yourself and if you feel that is what you need, don't let me say you're wrong. What I don't like is the constant pressure from society saying you have to be a pro-dieter or you aren't trying hard enough, you aren't healthy, you aren't taking care of yourself and you aren't beautiful. The fact that everyone is built differently doesn't even show up in the equation!

Everyone is different. Some flourish in the diet setting- I am not one of those people.

My solution: Be healthy.

I have decided today. I will enjoy food. It is worth being enjoyed, isn't it? But I will be aware of what I am putting in and make sure I am getting the nutrients I need. I will not exercise- but I WILL do something active that I love. A few of my favorites are dance, ice skate, and swim. I will be more aware of when I eat, so as to avoid storing unnecessary calories.

Basically, I will be happy.

I will be posting good, healthy recipes as much as I can on this blog, to help further the cause of healthy, happy living. Because- well- you are worth it. :)

My soap box of the week: Homosexual Marriage and Duck Dynasty (part 1)

I know this is messy and disorganized, but I will post what I have now (it is already starting to be out of date) and there will be continuing posts.

Alright people, I have some favors to ask.

First: PLEASE comment! With both negative and/or positive ideas, articles, etc.. But please do not be rude or crude, this is a learning experience not a duel. 

Second: Please take this as a grain of salt and do not condemn me for my mistakes. This is my personal journey of discovery and I do not claim all my statements will be correct or completely sourced correctly. If they are incorrect I highly appreciate a comment or private email to help me clarify and make sure all information is legit. 

Third: if you are going to take this journey, please read the articles and prayerfully study the topic for yourself. I want you to form your own opinions if you haven't already. Don't take my word for it! :) (except you don't have to read the articles about the lift on gay marriage.)

Thanks! 

America has been in quite a phase these past few weeks on these two topics: homosexual marriage and Duck Dynasty, the popular A&E TV show. These are very much connected and intertwined.

This also involves the new lift on the ban of Gay marriage in Utah. ( 3 articles on the topic: http://www.examiner.com/article/gay-couples-get-married-salt-lake-city-utah-after-federal-judge-lifts-ban , http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/gay-marriage-catches-conservative-utah-off-guard-21299615 , http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/utah-gay-marriage-101431.html )

I have been doing a large amount of research and have found a few interesting things I think you should look at. I am forming my personal opinion on the topic through study of both spiritual and non-spiritual sources. As of now, I personally do not believe in the legalization of homosexual marriage or the promotion of it. I believe it to be equal to any other sin and should be treated as such. 

Would you like to take this journey with me?

Lets get started. Please read this article to put you in the perspective I am coming from- if you agree or not with his point of view.  http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2011/10/18/how-i-wish-the-homosexuality-debate-would-go/

With that in mind, I would like to begin this with the spiritual aspect of this. This side is usually disregarded because it seems more 'mystical' than 'logical'. I am guilty of avoiding it in the search of a 'logical' way to prove my point. But I have now realized that the spiritual aspect of this debate is just as important (even moreso) than the logical statistic side. Let me show you why I believe this.

The fundamentals of the Gospel are Christ and his teachings. This short-but-sweet article on lds.org sums up what the Church believes better than I could. http://www.lds.org/liahona/2012/01/to-the-point/what-is-the-churchs-position-on-homosexuality-is-it-ok-to-be-friends-with-people-who-have-homosexual-feelings?lang=eng

It also states in a section on the 10 commandments (law of Moses) About the 7th: 

 7.  “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). In a latter-day revelation, the Lord condemned not only adultery, but “anything like unto it” (D&C 59:6). Fornication,homosexuality, and other sexual sins are violations of the seventh commandment.

(http://www.lds.org/topics/ten-commandments?lang=eng&query=homosexuality)
A quote from Israel Israel God is Calling- Elder Holland (BYU Devotional)
"When we face such situations in complex social issues in a democratic society, it can be very challenging and, to some, confusing. Young people may ask about this position taken or that policy made by the Church, saying: “Well, we don’t believe we should live or behave in such and such a way, but why do we have to make other people do the same? Don’t they have their free agency? Aren't we being self-righteous and judgmental, forcing our beliefs on others, demanding that they act in a certain way?” In those situations you are going to have to explain sensitively why some principles are defended and some sins opposed wherever they are found because the issues and the laws involved are not just social or political but eternal in their consequence. And while not wishing to offend those who believe differently from us, we are even more anxious not to offend God, or as the scripture says, “not offend him who is your lawgiver” ¹⁹ —and I am speaking here of serious moral laws."

What does Duck Dynasty have to do with this? Well, let me tell you. 

“Everything is blurred on what’s right and what’s wrong. Sin becomes fine," he later added. “Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men. Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers -- they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.”

http://themattwalshblog.com/2013/12/19/dear-ae-congratulations-you-just-committed-suicide/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/18/duck-dynasty-phil-robertson-gay_n_4465564.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/clarence-b-jones/duck-dynasty-race_b_4488950.html

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/57299146-78/state-sex-court-marriage.html.csp

The words of a good friend of mine on the topic:

"Okay, here's my two cents on Gay Marriage.

The Family is THE fundamental unit of society -- where virtues are taught and the next generation is raised -- you break that and society breaks with it. Marriage ought to be between a man and a women. When you start trying to define it differently there is no end to what can legally be considered a marriage -- i.e. three men and one woman, three men and two women, a fifty year old man and a six year old girl, a woman and a dog -- because once the claim that you have a CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT to marry whoever you love becomes legally valid you can claim to love anyone you want: I actually read an article recently explaining how some schools of scientific thought are actually considering pedophilia to be a legitimate sexual orientation. (I would link to it, but I can't find it at the moment.)

Personally I don't think the government should have to recognize marriage in the first place, but the fact is it does, largely for income tax purposes which is a whole other debate, and since it does it must choose a definition. Of course the state has absolutely no right to dictate what kind of sex you have in the privacy of your own home -- assuming it's not violating anyone's rights -- that is the realm for religion and persuasion, not force, this is simply about whether or not we give certain "couples" or groups of people claiming to love each other a TITLE. But it's not about love, it's about a title. They can go on loving each other just the same whether or not the government says they can. Some claim it's discriminatory not to allow some groups of people a title as opposed to others, that we're treating them like "second class citizens," forcing them to ride on the back of the metaphoric bus of society, but there is a fundamental difference in the discrimination of the blacks vs. the homosexuals; one was arguing that they were human beings just as much as the next person, the other is claiming to be a group that is exactly the same as the other.

Homo couples and Hetero couples are not the same group, married or not. Yes, as individuals they are just as much people as anyone else, they have been mistreated and that's wrong, that goes without saying -- but the fact is as soon as we say that this union is the same as that simply because they love each other like this one loves that one, there is no end to the changing of the definition, and eventually the government will be codifying tax exemptions for bestiality.

All this to say, I don't think the government should have any say in what a marriage is.

On a moral/religious note, I've heard several LDS people recently talking about how they think homosexual relationships are okay for other people, because the the scriptures don't say anything about it not being okay. That bothered me, so I found a couple scriptures that talk about it, and an official church website.
( Lev. 18:22, Deut. 23:17, http://mormon.org/faq/stand-on-homosexuality)"

One of my favourite things:

LETTERS!!!!

There is something about someone you care about taking the time to hand write you a letter. Something about seeing the time and care put into it, that just means so much to me. Letters are magical. Words are magical.