Persistence

Lately I've been reading through Luke. Something that seems to keep popping up is the idea of persistent prayer. The idea of continually and constantly asking God for something until He gives it to you. And I must says, it has me thinking.

I've been unsatisfied with my own prayer habits for years. I've often felt I don't pray enough, and most of my efforts to revise this have ended poorly. However, recently I've started something new. I set up on my phone three events that happen everyday, and sure enough everyday at 8:30, 2:00, and 7:30 my phone starts beeping telling me to pray. It has been working well so far, I've only skipped a couple times. My hopes though are that soon I won't need the alarms.

But back to the idea of persistence.

So Jesus says a few times that we should keep on asking God for things in prayer, and he will give it to us. He said, "Ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened." There is another example in Luke 18, and a few other places. But is this really true?

When I was in fourth grade I had a little girlfriend, Christina. However, at the end of the school year Christina was going to move away to Eastlake. I prayed every night for a long time that her house in Eastlake would burn down and that she would have to stay in Euclid. That didn't happen.

Why though? Was I doing something wrong?

I believe God want us to be persistent in asking Him for things because it gives us time to analyze our own hearts. Are the things we are asking for good things? Or am I praying that God will give me something that I will use to replace Him, or at least distract me from Him.

Truly God would like to bless us, but are the blessings we are asking for really what we need? If so, God will provide. If not, He may very well say, "no."

Keep up your persistence in asking God to bless you, to bless others, or whatever it is you are petitioning God for. I hope you get it, but if you don't, I hope God is teaching you something by saying, "no."

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

is the title of the newest release from John Green, who incidentally is one of my favorite authors. It was actually a tag team effort, co-written by Green and David Levithan. At any rate I started reading last night at 2:45 in the morning, and then finished tonight at 11:50. So all the reading took place on the same date.

When did I turn into a book worm?

Seriously though, I couldn't put it down. The amount of painting I did today was pathetic. I'm going to have to bust my butt tomorrow to make up for it.

Here is a link of John Green reading the beginning of the first Chapter to his brother Hank and the followers of the Vlog Brothers (aka Nerd Fighters). I'll let him tell you about the book, but I will say this, it is pretty fantastic.

John Green has three other Novels out: Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, and Paper Towns. Alaska has been my favorite so far, but the others are good too.

In case my Currently enjoying section on the side of the blog isn't enticing you enough to read the same things I do, maybe this will.

Missed Opportunities

You ever feel like you've missed a great opportunity? Like there was an open door, and all the while it was open you couldn't care less, but now that its closed its all you want?

That's kind of how I feel.

Trying to care less. Trying to trust God.

Test Run

One of my favorite Christian Blogs, "Stuff Christians Like" has opened up the doors for guest posts. Here is the entry explaining. At any rate, I want to do this, so I though I'd test my draft on you, the readers of Christ and Calculations. Let me know what you think, won't you?

Replacing Your Entire Music Collection with only Christian Music

It is a well known fact that God hates secular music. Try as they might, those shout outs given so freely at the MTV awards are earning no merit for today’s musicians and their worldly music, even if God does make the top of the thank you list. And if you listen to their music, well you’re a sinner just by proximity.

A few years ago I bought my father a Casting Crowns CD. I figured he would like it, but I had no idea that it would soon start a war with the rest of his music collection. In a realm once ruled by The Doobie Brothers, James Taylor, and Chicago, the power of classic rock and 70’s pop was disappearing faster than crock pot casseroles at church potlucks. Not only that, but soon there were more Casting Crowns CDs, and the assault moved to his wife’s music, and soon my little sister abandoned her Miley Cyrus CD for “The Alter and the Door.” Casting Crowns even worked its way into my own music library. Before I knew it, the only chance of hearing any secular music was in the short pauses while turning the knob on the radio to the Christian station.

I soon found Grits replaced any and all rap I had, Thousand Foot Krutch came in to replace that double dose of rock/rap heatheness from Linkin Park, and even Jars of Clay made a comeback to replace any music from the 90’s. If my music wasn’t praising God, or challenging my faith, why should I bother listening to it? Sure, James Taylor hasn’t really sung anything against God, but unless his next single is “Wonderful Grace of Jesus” I’m not getting it, and neither should you.

“I need more variety,” you say. “It sounds like you’ve replaced thousands of songs with three Christian CDs.” Yes, yes I have. If you find that you need more Christian Audio, get an audio bible. Those things take over 24 hours to listen to the whole way through. Consider each book a band. You just got yourself 66 new albums. That enough variety for you? My iPod, now affectionately referred to as my iGod, contains nothing but the music from my Christian CDs, an audio bible, and sermon podcasts. I’m currently working on installing a shofar as my car horn, so that as I’m driving I can add some extra praise to my listening experience.

Seriously though, God may be calling you to give up explicit music. I love Wu Tang Clan, and God does too, but He probably isn’t wild about all their songs. Is God calling my Dad to give up James Taylor? I doubt it. But if my Dad chooses to give up The Doobie Brothers for God, rather than giving them up out of some sort of religious obligation, that is pleasing to Him.

Hippies write pretty songs

I was listening to this song. I don't fully agree with everything said, but I don't fully disagree either. I think there is some truth to it. God is in us and with us and around us. Even when we don't realize it or want it. God is there, and available.


This is another pretty song. No real revelations from this one, just pretty.

Getting Fixed.

I was at Erica's place and I noticed a chair with a broken leg. As soon as I noticed it I flipped the chair over and examined it to see how I could make it better. However I couldn't. It was busted beyond what I could fix with just a little bit of manly elbow grease. I didn't have the tools or the know how to make that chair whole again. I did however try make the semblance of a fixed chair by propping it against the wall. I hid the shame of my failure by making the chair appear to be fixed, but as soon as it moves you've got yourself a broken chair again.

This is how I deal with my own life. Here am I, a man pretending to have it all under control, but in reality I'm struggling with sin. I feel lonely and scared. And I have direct access to an Omnipotent, all loving God, who knows my shit and is ready to clean it all up and forget about it. But I don't use Him, because I can handle it. Right?

Don't get me wrong, its not like I don't want to spend time with the big guy, I just don't want to burden him with having to be the one to make me clean. Last night at lifegroup we looked at the end of Romans 3 where Paul explains that we are saved by faith, not works. There is nothing we can do to become righteous in the eyes of our Lord apart from accepting Christ as the savior.

I can't do shit to fix myself.

And that can be frustrating. I'm a man. I like to fix things. I'm working on learning to let God be God, to let his love in completely, to come to him even when I feel like I'm too dirty or broken to be fixed or loved by anyone, and to cast my cares upon Him.

Ultimately, I am working on believing that nothing can separate us from the love of God.


Also, if you get the chance read this post by Jonathan Acuff on the Stuff Christians Like blog.