Indagatio Veri

Change is inevitable, growth is intentional.(unknown)  "Have the courage to say no.  Have the courage to face the truth.  Do the right thing because it is right.  These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity." - W. Clement Stone "Integrity is what we do, what we say, and what we say we do." -Don Galer  "Integrity is telling myself the truth.  And honesty is telling the truth to other people." -Spencer Johnson Simply let your 'yes' be 'yes', and 'no' 'no'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." Matthew 5:37   Integrity is a very important trait to have; but even more important to practice.  In my opinion integrity has a lot to do with being intentional.  Being intentional means knowing what you are doing, and why you are doing it.  Another way to look at it is 'know thyself'.  Life is much more vibrant when we say what we mean and we mean what we say. They way we express ourselves ...

     There is only one good, and that is God. There is only one good thing that we can do for one another; that is pushing each other to seek God in everything. Without God nothing is good, not compassion, not aid, not rejoicing, not sadness; not happiness, humor, or community. If we aren't pushing each other towards God, the n we are doing nothing. Without God, all of our interactions are meaningless.  God is the one who gives our life purpose, who gives our life meaning.  It is He that brings joy and happiness.         "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.  Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight (Isaiah 5:20-21). One of the most important things to know, is that we don't know.  Our definition of happiness, joy, and all other things are limite...

There is a problem in the way we, as Christians, live our lives.  Especially in relation to people we have fellowship with.  The church, the body of Christ, is supposed to be our community.  It is with these people, under God, that we are supposed to find our home here on Earth.  So what does that mean for our fellowship with unbelievers?  Where should (not do) they fit they within our friends group. The conclusion I have reached is not widely accepted.  In fact it is a very hard thing to accept, and even harder to act accordingly.  But the fact of the matter is, Christians should not gain their satisfaction, or feel fulfilled, by relationships with unbelievers.  "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?  What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?  What agreement is t...

       So often Philosophy, and therefore philosophers, get a bad rap.  They are considered egotistical, strange, and foolish for spending their time on something so frivolous as philosophy.  However I have discovered that this is not the case, that in fact we all use philosophy and that it might be the most important exercise we can do in our lives. Much of what I will write revolves around the ideas of Plato (just so you all know I'm not smart enough to come up with it myself).  I would also like to add, that I do not believe myself to be a philosopher,  for I am much to foolish and selfish to be labeled as such.  I just study philosophy which is much different.         Philosophy: The rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct.            There are two types of power, first is worldly power.  Worldly power i...

            Have you ever felt wonder, or a sense of awe? I have, and it is ethereal.  For me it transpires the most in nature, when all of my senses are being used to experience the moment.  The smell of pine, the swish of tall grass, the chirrup of crickets, the rough feel of bark beneath my fingertips, the feel of the sun, and the taste of fresh air; together, in harmony, elicit a sense of wonder and awe in me.  What is this phenomenon of wonder and where do these feelings come from?                       Kant has a theory, mainly in regards to beauty, but I think it can just as easily be related to wonder.  When we are struck with the beauty of a place, experience, or situation, wonder is born.  This feeling almost detaches us from reality.  In fact we can only experience true awe and wonder when we have no purpose for ...

Throughout my life God has really taught me many things but one sticks out in particular.  Life in Christ is the best life..period.  Nothing we can think up, devise, or emphasize is better than what God has already laid out for us.  In fact they don't even come close.  And I am not saying that my life is perfect but God has blessed me with so many things and with so many people.  He has allowed me to experience the joy, wonder, thrill, challenge, comfort, and love that exists within a Christian community.  John 10:10 says,  "But I have come to give you life and life to the full."  If there is one misconception that I would love to see changed, is that Christianity is boring, or restricted form of life and therefore of a lesser quality. Throughout the Bible God gives us many rules, commandments, and guidelines.  To many, especially after comparing the life of the world, these seem very restricting.  Why is it that God set all these guid...

If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation the old has gone and the new has come.. 2 Cor. 5:17 For it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.. Galatians 2:20 If anyone would come after me he must deny himself pick up his cross and follow me.. Matt. 16:24 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.. Romans 12:2 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever... 1 John 2:17 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! Rev. 3:16 Trust in the lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.. Proverbs 3:5 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.. Galatians 6:17 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his sould? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?  Matthew 16:26 From...