back again....im on a roll

So, I decided not to port my blog into FB anymore. It just didnt feel right. So, if you really care about my thoughts and life, you have to come here. hahaahahaha

Anywya, it is spring break. I slept in till 10am. I ate a cookie for breakfast. I soon after had a piece of pie. I spent time looking for cars online, and I played computer games. Now I am sitting by the pool in 80 degree weather with my wife. . .I love vacation.

Yes, I do have things to get done this week. We have been looking for a car since mine died again yesterday. Frustrating state of affairs, but better to have it happen on spring break when I have time to look than not.

It is hard to look, because I can drive out to see a car. I am quite confident I can make it. However, I am NOT at all assured that I will make it home. The car runs in shifts. 45-60 minutes is all I expect out of it. Then I need to let it sit for at least that long again. If I don't, and if I drive and stop, drive and stop (like shopping) I am almost sure it will die after say an hour.

So, I'm searching Craigslist again. There are more than a few that look like good possibilities, but again travel is too far to trust my car. Which leads me to believe God doesn't want me to have one of those. There are a couple that look too good to be true. And a couple that I have sent emails out asking questions. So, we will pray and see what God has for us.

I find I enjoy Bible study immensely. I struggle with deciding a topic/book to research/study. I have always done that. In class, I my hardest task was deciding the passage to exegete, or the topic to pick. Once it was done, the paper came easily, and the process was simple.

This is I think my big draw to debate. The topic is given me. In many cases it is a topic I would have never imagined I would debate. It is not something I would sit down and research because I think it is too obvious. However, if I were to write a systematic, then obviously I would have to think about it since it would require an indepth study of "everything." But with debate I can argue something I have never argued OR I am extremely versed in.

2 lines of thought tug at my brain. I will follow the first. . .I think.

I absolutely hate the idea of being wrong. Not for my pride so much as I am so scared that sometime I will be too arrogant to see the right truth. I have seen people argue (as I stated last time) things that they would never say thinking from their Bible background. But get a new thought in their head, and they veer. I am SO scared of that. This is one of those things I pray and pray and pray about. I remember my first real debate. . .I stayed up nights praying that I would see it if I was wrong. Where am I wrong? How can I be wrong? Am I right? "Open *my* eyes." I tried not to pair my prayer with stubborn ignorance. I researched the other side; I did my legwork. I wasn't going to stand on what I thought just because my pride required me to. The people I was arguing against I had a great deal of respect for. But as they unfolded their arguments for me, I saw less and less Scripture and more and more human reason and justification. Now it sounds like I'm boasting. . .I'm not. I'm writing to explain my fear.

I do seriously fear being so stubborn just because I am. I fear not listening to a valid argument because of who gave it. I think, I have been taught to respect people, and listen to what they have to say and not judge them based on who they are. Now, certainly it is right and logical to understand where a person comes from and what basis they apply to everything before accepting their statements, but even Catholics have said good things. Its just not all good.

I had a SDA come to the door (this is a while back.) He wanted to be my friend. And I asked him how he got to Heaven His reply: "By faith in Jesus Christ."
"Why must you keep the law?"
"Because we are told to."
"What happens if you sin and then are killed instantly?"
"Well, then I would go to Hell."
"So, are you really saved by grace through faith?"
"Yes."
". . ."
See, he had the right words, and wanted to pray with me and all that but c'mon, he didnt really believe what he was saying. Obviously, you need to understand that people need to clarify. Some people however are wrong and say the right thing, and in a large group of people, it is better to grant weight to what they said that was right then to rip apart their other words. Well....my thinking is off-track and I'm beginning to wonder if this last part even made sense, so I should move on.

When arguing against something that "seems" wrong, it is necessary to determine if it really is. *Don't* go with your gut. Instead of thinking, "I was brought up kowing more Bible than this person will probably ever know and therefore my instinct is more correct than his thought process," Confirm the truth. If you are right, praise the Lord. If you are wrong, make sure to be clear headed and humble enough to see it.

That brings up another point. Don't be so dependent on your parents for doctrine that you can't think for yourself or are afraid to go against them. Not only have I seen the arrogant refuse to listen, but I have seen the parent dependent refuse to veer from their parents "beliefs" for some fear that they would be disrespecting them. Parents arent perfect. So, make sure you believe what you do because you belive it. On the slight chance that you can then speak to someone else's parents, and change their mind, often the kids will cling to the first opinion because the second tends to prick them about the fallibility of their parents . Bleah I say. Grow up.

Well, I want to keep typing. But I've been sitting in the shade so I should put some more sunscreen on and go back to the sun.

I hope to hit 210 4x4 this week. We will see if I can get into the gym though with the school being closed.

I'm in a blogging mood, and there is lots more I could say, so I'm sure I'll write again later this week.