Who You Really Need to Vote For this Year

     As Election Day draws to a close, I have come with a very important message!  THERE IS ANOTHER OPTION!  A new third party candidate has reared his scarred head on the very last day of voting.  Here is everything you need to know about our next POTUS, Anakin Skywalker.

     Coming from humble roots, Anakin was born a slave.  Many have questioned whether or not he was born in the United States and (... ngghhh...  yes... yes, Lord Vader...) "Anakin Skywalker was definitely born in the United States." So that settles that.

     Skywalker came into the public eye when it was discovered that he was, in fact, the one the prophecy had foretold would bring balance to the force.  Many questioned him, seeing his violent ways and reckless spirit, but I believe he is the man for the job.  He will bring balance to the force, and to our nation.
     Here is a short list of Skywalker's policies, aka "Skywalkernomics":
1.  Very much against foreign trade.  He freaking killed the entire Trade Federation. Twice.
2.  Very much against powerful terrorist groups, especially ones based out of deserts.  "I'll killed them all! And not just the men, but the women and the children too!" (Skywalker, 2016)
3.  Very anti-establishment. "In my opinion, the Jedi are evil." (Skywalker in an interview with Ewan McGregor)
4.  Very anti-sand. "I don't like sand. It's rough, irritating, and it gets everywhere.  Not like [in America]. Everything here is soft... and smooth..."
5.  Pro scientific advancement (especially in the area of cloning).
6.  Pro-choice.   He slaughtered the young-lings and even helped his wife with her abortion (although, it did fail, and she did die in childbirth).
      Outside of politics, Skywalker is a fun loving man.  his hobbies include: Pod racing, cutting pears with the Force,  bull riding, gladiator games, piloting and spending time with his two children.  "I know there's still good in him" says Luke Skywalker, Anakin's only son.
   

     So quit worrying about having to pick between the lesser of two evils and vote Skywalker!

"It is your destiny."- Skywalker

Good Monsters

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE?"

     When asked this question,  many people go off and describe who they want to be, or who they think they are.  If you are a Christian, you might answer this question with "I am a child of God," or "I am a sinner saved by grace."  The truth is, not many of us actually know for sure.  In reality, everybody in the world is a monster.  "But I can't be a monster," you say.  "I do my best to be a righteous or good person.  I help in my community, I go to church."  You may even be a Christian.  What does that make you?  At best, all it makes you is this:  a good monster.

     What is this good monster?  A good monster serves God with their words, but does not serve him in there actions.  A good monster does as much good as he can so that people with overlook the fact that he is a terrifying beast.  A good monster will try and get by without help from the only one who can truly help.  A good monster is miserable and exhausted.  Even though his efforts never fulfill themselves, he blindly continues to labor on.  But hey, at least he is better than the other monsters who aren't even trying, right? Right?

     Wrong.  

     No matter how hard you try, you will always be just a good monster.  Go to church every week, even every day: good monster.  Give your life on the mission field:  good monster.  Sell all you have and help the poor: good monster.  I think that all of us have been or are a good monster.  I know I have.  

     So how can one become more than just a good monster?  The answer is hard.  These are two things you have to realize before you achieve that goal:

1.  You are bored of all the things you know.

2.  You are a form of all the things you love.

     Some Christians - in fact, I would argue most Christians - are familiar with the feeling of going through the motions.  You go to church and you praise God and listen to a message.  Then you go home and live your life.  This is the point where you realize that you have a choice to make:  "Do I continue to live for God in public? Or do I go back to living the way everybody else does, except a little better, because I'm a Christian."  This is the make-it-or-break-it moment for a good monster.  Galatians 5:24-25 says, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." That is one way for a Christian to avoid becoming a good monster.  People should know that you are a child of the Good God all the time by the way that you act. You shouldn't give in to the boredom of living a double life inside and outside of church.  Allowing yourself to get bored of the things of God means that you must dig deeper into his Word, and really allow him to change your heart.  Then you will be able to more than just be a mediocre, bored good monster.

     Have you ever heard the term "You are what you eat"?  Well, the same is true with the things you care about.  You are a form of all the things you love.  So what do you love?  If you love money, your life will reflect that.  If you love a girl or a guy, you might try to be like them.  If you love yourself, it definitely shows.  I am definitely guilty.  So many of us are just so in love with ourselves, and that is the only thing that shows.  Christians and non Christians alike often do this.  They do good so that people will notice them, and bring glory away from God.  They may even think that they are doing good for God, but if His Spirit is not in them, then they are still just good monsters.  

     So to conclude, the ways that you can avoid getting stuck as a good monster are these:  To  serve God wherever you are, but not only that. You must also love God, so that you can be more like him.  Do everything for His glory, and not for your own.  Then you will be more than a monster.  You will be more than even a good monster.  You will truly be a follower and a lover of Christ. 

- Scott Hart

***

All the good monsters open their eyes
To see the wasteland where the home fires rise
And the people shouting, "Why, why, why?"

Do you know what you are?

All of the giants wake from their sleep

And roll outside of safety's keep
And the pain makes them feel so alive

Do you know what you are?
We are bored of all the things we know

Do you know what you are?

Not all monsters are bad

But the ones who are good
Never do what they could
Never do what they should

All the good monsters rattle their chains
And dance around the open flames
And they make a lot of empty noise

While all of the bright eyes turn away
As if there wasn't anything to say
About the justice and the mystery

Do you know what you are?

We are bored of all the things we know
And we are forms of everything we love

Good won't show it's ugly face
Evil, won't you take your place?
Nothing ever changes by itself

And we are bored of all the things we know
Do you know what you are?

'Cause we are, we're so in love with ourselves
And we are forms of all the things we love

-"Good Monsters" by Jars of Clay.  You can get it on iTunes. 

  

Ecclesiastical Notes

“Meaningless! Meaningless!

Says the Teacher.

Utterly Meaningless!

Everything is meaningless.”

What is the point of work and toil? The wind blows without ceasing, and rivers flow into never-filling oceans. The same is with man. All things grow wearisome. The eye never has its fill of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.

“What has been will be again,

what has been done will be

done again.

There is nothing new under the sun.”

Nothing is new, it has been done before in times past and forgotten. Nothing done today will be remembered for long.

Wisdom is Meaningless

I have searched for meaning in knowledge. I attempt to learn all that is in heaven and earth, but this is meaningless: “A chasing after the wind”

“For with much wisdom

comes much sorrow;

The more knowledge, the

more grief.”

Pleasure is Meaningless

“Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But it was meaningless. “'Laughter,' I said, 'is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?'” Nothing. I tried to find pleasure in a life of folly, doing what brings happiness. I had great dream, and undertook great projects. I was greater than my peers in wisdom and in accomplishment. I denied myself nothing that my eyes desired, my heart grew happy in my work, and this was the reward for my toil. But I looked over all of my accomplishment, and it was ultimately useless: “Nothing was gained under the sun.”

Wisdom and Folly are Meaningless

Why do I struggle to be wise? Life is basically meaningless: Both the fool and the wise man will eventually die. Neither will be long remembered. What has meaning that can be gained by wisdom?

Toil is Meaningless

I hate life because work is grievous to me. I hate all of the things I toiled for, because I must leave them when I die. Who knows if the one who gains the fruit of my labors will be a fool or not? So I have become depressed, because all of my toil will ultimately be in vain. What can I gain from anxious striving? My days are full of anxious grief. Even at night my mind does not rest. All I can do is eat, drink, and find satisfaction with his work. This must be from God, for how – If life is meaningless – can I find true enjoyment without him? “To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness,” but to sinners like me, he gives the task of storing up pleasures for the righteous.

A Time for Everything

“There is a time for

everything,

and a season for every

activity under heaven:”

There is a time to live, to die; to plant, to uproot; to kill, to heal; to break, to build; to weep, to laugh; to mourn, to dance; to scatter, to gather; to embrace, to refrain; to search, to give up; to keep, to lose; to tear, to mend; to speak, to keep silent; to love, to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. God makes everything beautiful in its time. All pleasure and beauty is a gift from God. “I know that everything God does will endure forever; Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. God does it, so [I] will revere Him.” God will judge all according to His standards in His time, so we must accept that.

Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness

I have seen the evil in the world. I have seen the tears and suffering. It is true that the dead are much happier and better off then the living. Better yet is the man who was never born, because the world has so much evil. Everything under the sun is meaningless and evil, and there is no end to the toil of man. That is what friends are for. “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up, but pity on the man who falls and has no one to pick him up... … Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Stand in Awe of Your God

God is in heaven, and I am on earth. God gives life meaning, when all else is meaningless. Therefore I should love God and keep my vows, so that I might not anger him.

Remember the Creator While Young

Light is sweet. Let man enjoy all the days of his life. I must be happy, while I am young, and do what is pleasing to God. I must banish anxiety from my heart, and cast off the troubles of my body, for youth and vigor are meaningless. Everything will grow dark, and I will regret the days when I chose to live in darkness. I have lost all will to live, and I mourn my wasted life.

“Meaningless! Meaningless!

Says the Teacher.

Everything is meaningless!”

“Now all has been heard;

here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the duty of all mankind.

For God will bring every deed into judgment,

including every hidden thing,

whether it is good or evil.”

God gives meaning to an otherwise meaningless life, and I thank him and love him.

Amen

12 Things You Should Know Before You Date a Super Hero

Dear Ladies,
     These days, you never know who you might fall in love with.  You may fall in love with a police officer, an acrobat, a serial killer, or even - in some cases- a superhero.  However before you start going out with your muscular man of might, here are some things you ought to know:

1. They have a long, sad backstory. 
     You will have to stay up many nights talking to and comforting your troubled boyfriend.  He will constantly be miserable and will spend hours sobbing to you about his past faults, the deaths of his family members, or the loss of his past girlfriends.  Get used to it and be ready to comfort him so that he doesn't go insane and wreck havoc on the city.

2. They will be at the gym... a lot.
     How else do they keep up that strong and tight appearance?

3. They might wear tights...
     I don't know who started this tradition.  Don't worry, though.  At least they aren't see-through :P

4. Getting along with their parents is rarely a problem you will face.
     Because they are often dead, or they are just really great people (in some cases, they are gods!).

5. They will spoil all of the movies for you.
     Seriously. Most of those movies are about THEM and their lives.

6. You will get lied to often.
     It's for your own good.
7. They will be loyal to you, until the end.
     (Which could be any time, really)
8. They are very romantic.
     Making out on the top of the World Trade Center, under the light of a very large moon, after they just defeated their arch nemesis and saved your life is VERY romantic.

9. They can be very narcissistic.
     If YOU saved thousands of people a week and looked like a Old Navy model, would you NOT be?
10. They are very good at making puns.
     This can be both a blessing and a curse.

11. They will turn evil at least once, if not twice.
     At some point in every hero's life, there comes the time when their mind is taken over by some alien force, their arch nemesis, a crazy scientist, etc. They will become uncontrollable, and will turn on their closest friends, even you.

12. You WILL get kidnapped.
     The first person that villains will capture to try and lure in your hero is you. Even if they don't know that you and the hero are a "thing," you will undoubtedly be the one who they capture. Get used to it.  It happens at least twice a week. Don't worry though, you will only die towards the end of the season/film, so enjoy your life while you still have it :)

And that, girls, is basically all you need to know about dating a Superhero.