loveliftedme:

SCHOOL — 1957 vs. 2009

Scenario :
Jack goes rabbit shooting before school, pulls into school parking lot with rifle in gun rack.

1957 - Vice principal comes over, looks at Jack’s rifle, goes to his car and gets his rifle and chats with Jack about guns.

2009 - School goes into lockdown, Star Force called, Jack hauled off to jail, and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario:
Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.

1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.

2009 - Police called, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it. Both children go to anger management programs for 3 months. School board holds meeting to implement bullying prevention programs.

Scenario:
Robbie won’t be still in class, disrupts other students.

1957 - Robbie sent to office and given 6 of the best by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still, and does not disrupt class again.

2009 - Robbie given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. Robbie’s parents get fortnightly disability payments and school gets extra funding from state because Robbie has a disability.

Scenario:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor’s car, and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.

1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.

2009 - Billy’s dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy’s sister that she remembers being abused herself, and their dad goes to prison.

Scenario:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.

1957 - Mark gets glass of water from principal to take aspirin with.

2009 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario:
Pedro fails high school English.

1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, and goes to college.

2009 - Pedro’s cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. AFRE files class-action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro’s English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway, but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from Guy Fawkes, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up an ant nest.

1957 - Ants die.

2009 - State Police, Star Force, Federal Police, and Anti-terrorism Squad called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, feds investigate parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated. Johnny’s dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.

1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.

2009 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

As ridiculous as this is, it is pretty accurate…well some of it…lol.

crookedtooth:

Jesus addresses God as his Abba (“daddy” in Aramaic) in Mark 14:36. God is our father as well; many people, however, do not have a good earthly father and therefore struggle with the idea of God as a father.

What kind of a father is God?
Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son to help us understand.

A father has two sons. The younger comes to the father and says, “Father, give me my share of the estate.” In the culture of Jesus’ day this would’ve been a huge insult. Normally you divide the inheritance after the father dies. So what the son is really saying is, “I wish you were dead!” The amazing thing is that this father agrees to divide the inheritance and gives the younger son his portion.

The younger son goes off to a distant country and squanders his wealth in wild living. After a severe famine, the son no longer has any money, so he hires himself out to feed pigs (unclean, nonkosher animals). He’s so hungry that he even longs to eat “pig food.” One day he realizes that the servants at his father’s house are better off than he is. So he decides to go back home, apologize for what he has done, and tell his father that he no longer deserves to be his son. He will ask his father to hire him as a servant.
So he heads home.

When the father sees him at a distance, he’s filled with compassion. He runs to his son, throws his arms around him, and kisses him. The son immediately confesses his sin. Then the father says to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fatted calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

So what kind of a father is God?

He sees me.
He is filled with compassion for me.
He runs to me.
He throws his arms around me.
He puts a ring on my finger.
He puts sandals on my feet.
He parties with me.

That is the kind of God that Jesus prays to. The ancient world saw many gods, and humans were responsible to perform certain religious duties to appease them. But the God of the Bible is the complete opposite. He is a God who runs toward us. He is a God who embraces us and celebrates with us.

-Ed Dobson, The Year Of Living Like Jesus

heisjealousforme:

warinmyblood:

“Agape doesn’t love somebody because they’re worthy.
Agape makes them worthy by the strength and power of its love.
Agape doesn’t love somebody because they’re beautiful.
Agape loves in such a way that it makes them beautiful.”

— Rob Bell (Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality And Spirituality)

Just read this part today. Amazing book. God is showing me so much.

perfect quote for my paper on the types of love. :)

peacenotwar:

I just wanted to say I love your blog. I think I’ve pressed the Like button on almost everything that you’ve posted. You’re amazing…and it gives me hope. As for a question…Do you ever get to a time when you pray and you’re talking with God and you don’t know what to say?

Well firstly i just wanna say you rock! thanks so much =) well really it’s not me that gives you hope it’s christ in me. Yeah i do have times like that, when it happens I either just stay silent knowing that Romans 8:26-27 ‘In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.’ At other times, I pray in tongues, which is a prayer language between me and God, it’s a spiritual gift that God has given me.

have you ever been to the hillsong church since you live in australia?

No I haven’t, sure I love their music, but I have massive doctrinal issues with their church. People love Jesus there but some of their teaching is unbiblical.

yayyyy, you got a formspring :) your posts are so spiritually encouraging. its good to know there are people like you out there. you post so many good quotes and graphics and songs. keep it up.

Haha i did indeed =P thanks heaps =) you rock.

Q: What about Hillsong’s teachings is unbiblical to you?

andrebob:

absentimental:

“What do you need a fake ID for?”
“So I can vote!”

I was just watching this the other day!
This part was one of the times I probably laughed the most.

Watched this in Sociology last week. :) Never gets old.