After two very long months of waiting to take my wonderful Wii off of layaway, and two very long years since the Wii was released, I finally had the chance to fully own my Wii. But it seems that a lot of people wanted their Wiis, too...things were a wee bit crazy getting there.

But the good news is that I got to the store and picked up my Wii. Ooooh the joy!!!

Aw yes, it was even pure joy to simply hold the box!

But the sweeter joy was finally opening the box! [insert angel chorus singing upon opening the box flap]
(The game taped to the side is Super Smash Bros Brawl. Anyone with this game and a Wi-Fi connection let me know. We'll battle is royal-style!)

Although this was a very wonderful sight, indeed, one does not stop midway and rest in Ur when there's a definitive goal in mind. (See the account of Abram in the book for Genesis for the Ur reference.)

And here we have the assortment of Wii stuff wrapped up with packaging material. They all looked so cute, tucked in nicely, cuddling within the box. Awww.

Oh glorious, happy, wonderful day!!! It's my Wii! With the Wii remote and batteries! Happy, happy, joy, joy!!! DANCE with me!!!

My Wii standing in its vertical stand base in all its white, semi-reflective glory. What a wonderful wonder to witness.

Behold! The Wii remote, Numchuck, and rubber-grip sleeve of Power! [thunker crashes to emphasise dramatic effect]

The Wii Channel. From left to right, top to bottom: Game Channel (the game in the system always appears here), Mii Channel (for creating your Mii avatar), Photo Channel, Wii Shop Channel (for downloading WiiWare games and demos), Weather Channel (almost literally), New Channel (this ain't Fox or MSNBC news, but it's informative), Wii+Internet Channel...

...yup! That's my blog site on my TV via the Nintendo Wii. (Obviously, the dimentions are off but if my computer is down, I can STILL blog! It even plays the YouTube video in the entry just below this one! And I can literally write a blog from my Wii...I should do that for fun.)

My Wii and TV, instant best friends...

...and I stand proudly. I will defend the rights of all Nintendo gamers! Wii [we] will walk the wonderful world with Wii remotes in hand and watch the watchers watching us as witnesses to our Wii-ways.

LONG LIVE THE WII!!! (Until the next greatest Nintendo system comes out...)

 Me making my Mii.

Originally posted November 22, 2009 @ 12:33 AM.

Whether you're a Christian or not, many of us have heard the often-quoted verse of Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard" (NLT).

To be honest, while Paul isn't trying to attack anyone or make anyone feel like a loser, that fact doesn't make me feel good at all. The truth is sobering.

I've mentioned in at least one of my past blog entries on this topic of sin, Jesus' perfection, and all that, but I thought I would just bring it up one more time and focus lightly on it (given that even my "short" blogs tend to be actually rather long...definitely longer than this one is).

But first, a little math lesson. I know...I know...if you hated math in school, you probably won't like this entry, either.  I'll keep it simple.
Basic fractions go like this...
You have the numerator and the denominator. The numerator is the number on the top; it lets you know how many pieces you have. The denominator lets you know how many pieces you need to have before you can have a whole thing of...whatever it is you have.
So let's say you have an apple and you cut it perfectly down the middle. Each of the two pieces of the whole apple are of equal amount in comparison to its...well, other half. Suppose you give one piece to a friend. Each of you now have 1 / 2 of an apple. In other words, the numerator (1) says you each have one piece, and the denominator (2) says you need two pieces to equal a whole apple.

Simple, right? (If not, I'm sorry...I tried.)

In God's design for all of Creation, we are the only ones who have the free will option to choose to follow God or reject him. While the rest of nature has laws - gravity will cause things to be drawn closer to something else, trees will grow tall and sprout leaves, and each species of animal will only give birth to its own kind - humans have the ability to go against the established law...namely, the law of morality.

We "all" know that God expects perfection. Any time we're faced with an opportunity to follow Him in love, respect and trust, we must do so. Doing so reaps huge rewards - both immediate and later on. Rejecting God does the exact same...except instead of rewards there are punishments that will reap and reap long, LONG after the deed was done.
So everyone knows they aren't perfect (and some are just really good at denying it). Curiously, though, are those people who say they are "good enough". How do you know how good you even have to be?

The reason why many people's claims that they are "good enough" for Heaven falls short every time is easily explained in one of two ways:
1) God expects perfection. 100% perfect moral choices each and every time. Sounds strict, doesn't it? Sounds like God's asking for too much? Not in the least. We had the opportunity in the Garden of Eden and every day since, but we blew it. But I'll get to it in just a bit as to why God's love still shines through even when "cold", insensitive justice seems to loom like dark storm cloud at every turn.
2) No matter how much good you do in the world, even if you sin just once, you'll never EVER reach perfection again. Not on your own, at least. Here's why.

Taking a look at your fractions from above, it's clear that when you give one half of the apple away to a friend, you no longer have a whole apple. If you were required to give 1 / 1 (or 100%) of the apple to your friend but only gave half, clearly, you're coming up short.

So how does this apply to our inability to meet "God's glorious standard"?
It's like this. Every time you have a choice to make that involves obeying God or disobeying Him, that number is tallied in the denominator (the bottom number of the fraction). So every moral choice you make will ALWAYS cause the denominator to increase by one. The clincher comes in the actual choice you make. If you make a choice that is in line with God's standard for right living, the numerator (the top number of the fraction) also increases by one. But if you do not.........you're in trouble.

So let's say you're faced with your very first moral choice EVER in your life. The fraction would look like this:
? / 1
You decide to obey God and make a choice that lines up with His standard.
1 / 1 = 100% GREAT! PERFECTION still at hand.

But, a day comes when you're faced with another moral choice.
? / 2
Now, we know that you have at least one successful choice made, but now we need to see what choice you'll make...sadly, you don't make a very good one at all. You're left with...
1 / 2 = 50%

Ouch. Grade-wise, you just totally bombed the test.

BUT! You learn your lesson and you go through life making choice after choice the way God would have you.
2 / 3 = 66.6%
3 / 4 = 75%
4 / 5 = 80%
5 / 6 = 83.3%
6 / 7 = 85.7% ...If you keep this up, you're bound to be "good enough", right?
7 / 8 = 87.5
8 / 9 = 88.8%
9 / 10 = 90% ...but, there's something I want you to notice.

You don't need to be a math wiz to figure this out, either. Look at the difference between each percentage and the percentage after it. Each successive difference is less than the one before it.
The difference between 2 / 3 and 3 / 4 is 8.4%.
The difference between 3 / 4 and 4 / 5 is 5%.
...between 4 / 5 and 5 / 6 is 3.3%.
...5 / 6 and 6 / 7 is 2.4%.
Each increase is less than the increase before it. Pretty soon, that increase will be the size of a multi-zero decimal number. So small it will be like adding fractions of a penny to your savings account in order to build towards a million dollars. It's not happening in this lifetime.
It's true, you do get closer to 100%, but...

99 / 100 = 99% ...so close, isn't it? So close...and yet, still not perfect.

563 / 564 = 99.8%

3712 / 3713 = 99.9731%

The sobering truth is that "good enough" will never be enough to meet with God's standard for perfection. He isn't trying to be mean. There is a reason for this standard, but even if you know what that reason is (and I can get into it in another blog entry), you'll never make it on your own.

THIS is why God's love shines through so bright. God, while STILL being the God of justice - equal punishment for a crime - revealed His everlasting love by sending Jesus to die in our place...Jesus also went to Hell, if you recall. And it was God's infinite power and love that made it so the death of Christ was not a lasting death. Three days later Christ appeared alive and well...the wounds on the cross as fresh as they were the day it happened.

My friends, my visitors; fellow Xangans and random web-surfers.
If you're worried at all about whether or not you'll find yourself in Heaven, free from pain and suffering and living a never-ending life of joy and peace and rest, then why risk going to Hell when all it takes is accepting Jesus Christ's gift when He gave up HIS life to save yours? Why would you let a mere fraction of a percentage keep you from CERTAINTY? Jesus promised that even the thief on the cross, hours away from his own death, would find himself in Paradise that very day because he believed in the Lord. And that thief was certainly NOT even close to perfection.

442198 / 442199 = 99.9998%

Jesus = 100% ...make the trade. Accept the gift. Live.

(Class dismissed.)

Imagine this scenario:

You've just written an excellent blog and gotten much feedback. Many people praise your work and subscribe to you - most of whom you never knew existed (Xanga is a huge virtual place, after all).

But some of them decide to send a Xanga Friend Request (XFR), as well. Now, this isn't such a bad thing, generally speaking. It's a great way to connect with people and get their latest posts in your Inbox.

But if you're like me - or better yet, like any one of the far more popular Xangalebrities - you've got a lot of Xanga Friends already. Many of whom you actually go out of your way to read. But it can be hard to keep up with them all.

So, again, if you're like me, you've become rather selective about entries you'll read, if you manage to make the time. This is why I always subscribe to a new Xanga's page first and never send a XFR automatically.

Why? Because XFRs automatically update both parties whenever either one posts something. It's actually very presumptuous of me to ask another Xangan to accept notices from me when I post new material when they have not likely previously read anything on my site before. And even if they have, that doesn't mean they want to keep on doing so. Likewise, I'm mildly peeved when people who have read maybe one of my entries send an XFR when I haven't even had a chance to read any of their stuff...

Subscriptions are great. They're one-way updates. If I subscribe to someone, I'm free to check up on new posts without leaving my own updates on the other person's site if they don't want anyway. If they do, they can subscribe to me, too.

Now if we both have subscribed to each other, then there's a mutual interest shown as fellow bloggers. After that, I wouldn't mind sending or getting an XFR. We're already getting mutual updates through the subscriptions.

People who send XFRs initially are probably not trying to be rude. I totally give 100% benefit of the doubt on that one. But allow me to know about you first...leave a comment or just browse my site. (I check my Footprints regularly.) If I like what I read, I'll subscribe.

Just like real friends, you gotta build the relationship. Not jump from strangers to BFFs in a mere couple of mouse clicks.

This has been a moment of Michael's Xanga Etiquette.

Bio-enginering, DNA mapping, and other scientific gobble-dee-gook has hit a break-through! YOU CAN BE A SUPER HERO!!! ...a super villain!!!

Scientists have figured out how to grant individuals the ability to alter their geneitcs so that they can have virtually any super ability they desire. Although special guidelines and regulations have been set in place that will ultimately decide whether or not you'll be allowed to actually acquire the particular ability you request, you've been selected to be part of a test group that will under-go the case study for the first phase of actually altering a human being to have special abilities.

Upon entering the test facility, you see a reception desk with a receptionist behind it (fancy that!). The receptionist kindly smiles and hands you a release form with all sorts of legal stuff that you're required to fill out...but the most important one is: What power/ability do you wish to have? Choose carefully...this is unalterable.

Although the ramifications could be serious, there is also a grand potential.

If you were part of this special test group, which power or ability would you want? You can only choose one (as anything more could be life threatening - we are dealing with altering your DNA!).

NOTE: Be decent - this goes without saying...remember, kids might read this.

Describe your power as simply or as detailed as you wish. It can be silly, serious, or somehow both. It can be comical or dramatic. Your power can even go as far as to include particular "unanticipated" side-effects (change in skin color, eyes turn completely different colors, etc). Even though this is merely a testing phase scenario, perhaps your ability will allow you to affect your environment, and if so, maybe you'll create your own costume as a result - so feel free to describe it. After testing, might you use your ability to become a full-time super hero (or villain) or just use it privately through your "normal" life? Will you be inspired by existing comic book characters or will you strive to be as original as possible?

Focus mainly on your ability and what you can do, but don't be afraid to add extra details. There is no right or wrong answer and there is no "measuring up" for creative genius. Just give it YOUR best and have fun.

Yet another Xanga spammer proclaiming love for me...wonderful fodder to release my sarcasm on.

NICE TO MEET YOU
Uh, we haven't met. You just randomly messaged me. And could you please not type with all caps? It's like shouting online. It makes my eyes go deaf.

my name is deborah
My name is Michael. But I bet you didn't see that on my main page, did you? By the way, what's with you random spammers and lack of punctuation and proper grammar? At least capitalize your name!

i will like to know you more i can send you my picture and my detail's...
Let me know more? As in more than just your name? Wow...generous.
And your detail's what? You do know that if you use an apostrophe like that, it means your details has some quality it possesses, right?
Frankly, I don't think I want your picture. I doubt it's even of you.

...I am waiting for your mail to my email address above. please don't chat me here just send me mail and i will get back to you with love.
I can't send you my mail to your email address. Seriously, how can I send a physical object through cyberspa...ooh, you mean my Email. See? This is why proofreading is soooo important. Why can't we chat on Xanga anyway? Are you afraid someone is going to see it? Oh my, you shouldn't have messaged me at all then...seriously, you shouldn't have. Also...I don't see your email address above. I see it below, though. Biiiiig difference. And you'll get back to me with love? Wow, I'm hurt. I want love right now, dang it.

here is my privet e-mail [she gives me her email address]
What's a "privet"?