NaitoOfNarnia's Xanga

Wii Smack Talk

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:32:28 GMT

IKE VS PIKACHU

A text exchange.
My co-worker, Tim, and I have been waiting 2+ months to battle each other via Wi-Fi (technology is awesome!) on the Wii game, Super Smash Bros Brawl. (Message me your friend code if you want to battle.)
During that wait, we've had numerous hilarious and playful exchange of smack talk about who is going to beat the other, with "practical" or "logical" reasons to the silly and absurd. (My favorite way to get to him is to mimic Pikachu's signature anime-sounding, high-pitch, semi-shrill voice: "PiiiiiiiKAAAH!") Yesterday Tim texted me before work asking if I was up for a battle...I wasn't able to because I had to get ready to go shortly...but this is the conversation that took place.

Tim: Ready for your butt to be kicked on Brawl?

Me: I can't - gotta head out to work soon...K-Mart is not being very understanding of our very important battle here.

Tim: No it is not. It is delaying the inevitable... Of me handing you your kicked butt on a silver platter. hehe.

Me: I prefer platinum...piiiiiKAAAA!!!

Tim: Ike will tear that poor creature to pieces.

Me: Before or after I serve him like a fried demigod on that silver platter of yours?

Tim: Oh whatever lol

Me: You are just upset that I beat you in a smack talk match, too. lol

Later in the evening after work, we both had some time to battle finally. The outcome? VICTORY!!!! Pikachu dominated...at first. While I did win the first round, Tim beat me three times over, for a final record of 3-1. We each used different characters for the 4 matches so it is pretty fair to say that Tim is a GOOD contender (and I need to practice more).

Tim won the battle...aaah, but soon will be the continuation of the war!

Because not everyone is familiar with all the characters from the Smash Bros game series (which originated on the Nintendo 64 and had a sequel on the GameCube), a little background info.

IKE
I hails from the game Fire Emblem and first appeared as an unlockable character in Smash Bros Melee (GameCube), a sort of "twin" to his mutual Fire Emblem pal, Marth. Both have nearly identical moves, with minor differences ranging from strength, speed, and overall effectiveness and delivery. Where Marth has great strength - doling out a lot of damage with single swipes of his sword, Ike carries speed and agility. But don't let that fool you. Ike's moves are formidable in every regard. And even though his attacks may not always deal a lot of damage, they can still send an opponent flying back a ways, so stay away from the edges of the arenas to keep from having a very cheap hit sending you first class to oblivion. Both Marth and Ike are nimble and powerful brawlers, but anyone who can effectively utilize Ike is a brawler to be reckoned with from start to finish.

PIKACHU
The poster-b---er, poster-POKeMON who needs no real introduction, it's Pikachu, the electrically-charged mouse. Pikachu's power is undeniable, except to those in denial that such a cute character can truly be a threat. His electric attacks range from weak to surprisingly strong, especially when he calls down a pillar of lightning from above down to his small body...beware anyone who gets caught by that shocking attack. (The pun was too hard to resist!) Unless you charge up Pikachu's basic attacks, you'll have to rely on his high level of speed and evasiveness to stay in the fight. This is due to his lightweight body - stronger brawlers can send him flying off the stage with greater ease. Being tricky and unpredictable and almost always on the go is great way to max out Pikachu's skills. PiiiiiiiKAAAAH!!!

My Heroine

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:23:34 GMT

Originally posted November 30, 2009 @ 2:17 PM

My heart was aching. My mind danced with memories and feelings from an age...not all that long ago. Though I had healed from the overall loss, the pain of never seeing "my" kids again still lingered. And so I chose to write about it.

Careful reading of my post shows that I was simply remembering. Everyone...but one...got that.

"lol...get over it already, nobody likes a whiner
They're not even your children dude, time to move on and stop living in the past."
~ A Nonny Mouse

Needless to say, I was furiously enraged...my reply did not suffice to show just how thoroughly and bitterly angry I was. I could tell this was some random non-Xanga visitor just trying to stir up trouble. They did a very good job. But then the most wonderful thing happened.

She came to my rescue. When I was weak, she came to defend me. In my moment of pain and longing as I said goodbye, once again, to three children whom I love dearly to this day, still, she came and stood up for me. With a fierce heart and a calm tongue, she took my sword and stood poised to stand in and defend my honor and my heart. Regardless of her skill with my sword, she would not back down. Like a lioness protecting her kittens, she was ready to strike. And strike she did, with grace and a ferocity unlike any other I had ever known. While I sat trying to regain composure, she glared with a passionate focus on anyone who dared come to harm me. Where the enemy sought to attack me, she defended with her life. Where the enemy thought I was the weakest, she proclaimed it was one of my greatest strengths.

No...no other woman has done that the way she did. With my sword in hand, she said...

To A Nonny Mouse - a truly deep and unselfish love for another person (or people in this case) will never just be "gotten over." I don't know anything about you but I would assume that you have not experienced this kind of love (either for someone or by someone) and that is why you made such insensitive and calloused comments. If you haven't then I am sorry and I pray that you will experience it soon but I would ask that you read the rest of this comment to gain some insight into the matter. If you have...then you should carefully consider the rest of my comment and hopefully learn to treat people with more respect.

Since when is sharing thoughts and feelings, especially in the eloquent and thoughtful way that NaitoOfNarnia has, ever been considered whining? Do you not ever share your own feelings about things that have been discouraging/frustrating/sad to you? If not, that is not healthy. It is extremely important to be able to have people around you who are not unfeeling and who actually care about other people and how they feel and what they are going through.

On top of all of that you say that they "aren't even your kids." Seriously!? So I guess when children are adopted then their parents never should consider them their own or care about them since they aren't their biological children? What kind of insane and ridiculous logic is that? Obviously he hadn't adopted them legally but in his heart he had (as is very obvious in this post). Just because someone is not biologically or legally bound to another person doesn't mean that they cannot care deeply about that person. Your comment on that subject was rude and illogical.

Finally, although "moving on" is important, there is nothing wrong with remembering and feeling. He obviously does not sit around and mope all day about this or do nothing but think about them, he simply said that certain things remind him of them and he still cares deeply about them. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. If you have such a problem with emotions and people sharing them honestly and you cannot even keep from being rude then you shouldn’t be reading this blog….nor very many others for that matter.

Then she said to me...

[she gives me a cookie Mini] - (a cookie to make you feel better...cuz food always helps, right? ;) )

Michael, now I'm hesitant to rec your post lest in draw more ignorant and unfeeling comments like the one above...*sighs* I just want to give you a huge hug and make you feel better. I wish I could heal your heart but all that I can do is pray for God to heal it and to show you what His plan and purpose is. You have such a beautiful and loving heart and it brings me joy to see that....but it also brings me deep sadness to see such pain in your heart. When God decides to allow it again, you are going to be one amazing dad. I hope I get to see that because it would be such a blessing to see God's loving shining through you in that way. If you ever want to talk/vent/cry/whatever, I hope that you know that if it is humanly possible I will do my best to be here for you. If you need me, I'll be here, no matter what time it is, no matter what I am doing, just let me know and I will be here. *hug* <3

After wielding my sword in my name, she kneeled at my side and held me in her arms. She soothed the pain and mended my wounds with her words. Sweet-smelling balm from her heart drifted from her heart, carried by the Holy Spirit of God, to my heart. She gave me her lap to call my bed. She gave me her beautiful hair to call my blanket. She let this warrior-man feel safe to be weak. Safe to feel...not okay. Safe to feel angry or hurting. Safe to just feel. She didn't just tell me that I could be safe to open my heart to her, she actually did something to prove it.

How beautiful you are, my darling,
how beautiful!
Your eyes are like doves.
My dove is hiding behind the rocks,
behind an outcrop on the cliff.
Let me see your face;
let me hear your voice.
For your voice is pleasant,
and your face is lovely.
You are beautiful, my darling,
beautiful beyond words.
Your eyes are like doves
behind your veil.
Your hair falls in waves,
like a flock of goats winding down the slopes of Gilead.
You are altogether beautiful, my darling,
beautiful in every way.
You have captured my heart,
my treasure, my [Lady]
You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes,
with a single jewel of your necklace.
Your love delights me,
my treasure, my [Lady].
Your love is better than wine...
You are beautiful, my darling,
like the lovely city of Tirzah.
Yes, as beautiful as Jerusalem,
as majestic as an army with billowing banners.
Turn your eyes away,
for they overpower me.
Your hair falls in waves,
like a flock of goats winding down the slopes of Gilead.
[Song of Solomon 1:15, 2:14, 4:1, 4:7, 4:9-10 6:4-5, NLT]

Wii? Oui. Weeeeeeee!!!

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:37:50 GMT

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.

That makes (non)sense

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:12:01 GMT

Originally posted September 09, 2009 @ 5:20 AM.

Gabriel Peter, also found at his site on Blogspot.com, happened across this YouTube video of a little girl being recorded making all sorts of funny sounds and faces and doing things that wonderful kids do just because they're kids. Buuuuut...that's just the beginning. Take a peek...you'll wish it was longer. (I did.)

What struck me towards the end was how the dad (I'm assuming it was her dad anyway) put this whole thing together. To us, and probably to the little girl when she gets older, this is nothing more than an extremely creative and imaginitive compilation of nonsense put together to make a very catchy tune! Like the junkyard man making art out of twisted metal and broken lightbulbs...and selling it for millions.

But for those of us who know God - or are at least opening up to letting Him work in our lives - we are learning or have learned that God takes our nonsense and our brokenness and our weaknesses and somehow manages to put it all together and make something amazingly awesome out of it all.

Yeah, we live in reality. And it really does not take a lot to recognize that some (if not most or all) of the most amazing things to ever come about in this world happened when what we normally would think of as simple, common and ordinary was truly the most remarkable of all.

(Im)perfect Math

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:19:10 GMT

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.)

The bigger state of things

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:40:55 GMT

I would just like to say for the record that Alaska is bigger than Texas. So there.

I don't live in Alaska anymore (been nine years since I stepped a foot in that grand ol' ice box) but I just thought I'd point that out. Just because. No real reason...maybe. Perhaps. hee hee

Just to add some irony...there might be a strong possibility that someday I'll be moving to Texas. We'll see. (Yes, that's hinting to a specific POSSIBILITY. Did I emphasize "possibility" enough?)

I just thought I'd mention that (that Alaska is bigger). For fun. And to tease someone.

I figured it would be better than tickling her from 2500+ miles away.

ALASKA vs TEXAS
The Biggest Battle this side of the Mississippi!!!

BE THERE...or, over there. Oh, just pick a side!

Will You Be My Friend?

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:58:00 GMT

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.

Things That Make Me Smile

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:21:19 GMT

1. God. Learning about Him, understanding Him, being His son, and knowing that above all, He loves me no matter what I do.
2. Kitten. She knows who she is.
3. Xanga. Because of Xanga, I feel I have a "home" in which to write. A place to share my works with the world. And though I might get criticism or praise, I am free to write as I please.
4. My family. I take them for granted far more than I ever realize or admit. But I love them, and without them, I don't know how I'd ever get through life.
5. Video games. For the times that adventure and dragons and swords are not readily available, these awesome devices fill the spot quite nicely.
6. Music. Whether to listen to or to sing, music fills my heart like sweet lemonade.
7. Singing. Raw power from my heart in audible form. A gift from God and undoubtedly one of my favorites.
8. M&M's. Sweet sweetness for my sweet tooth makes my sweet life very sweetly sweeter. Ain't that sweet?
9. CS Lewis. Yeah, that man is dead, but his legacy lives on and I'm overjoyed to have a taste of it.
10. Narnia. How could I mention "Jack" and not his most beloved book series? I find myself in Narnia more times than I know...I am a knight in Aslan's court. LONG LIVE ASLAN! HAIL THE KING!
11. Pizza Hut, Alfie's & Papa John's. For making some of the best pizzas I've ever had.
12. Jesus. For being born a king in a lowly manger (humility). For walking amongst the dirty to help me get clean (friendship). For giving up His life so I could have mine (greatest Christmas gift ever...33+ years in the making).
13. Christmas. As much as I love getting gifts and cool toys, I absolutely LOVE Christmas shopping. I love GIVING good things.
14. Spring. Not too hot, usually not that cold...but juuuuust right.
15. Scented candles. None of the floral kinds, but most of the rest of the sweet-scented candles, like vanilla and apple spice and gingerbread and cinnamon...oh, the list goes ON!
16. Stealth. What else is sweeter than being able to walk out in the open and yet never being seen, then sneaking up on a co-worker and getting close enough I could stand there for several minutes and they'd never know I was there...........yeah, I'm gonna be a force to be reconed with if our store is ever taken hostage. LOL
17. Dad. Despite the fact that he's not really a very good dad in my experience, he has had many major awesome points in our very non-existant relationship...and as I look over at my bed and notice the green, mink blanket he bought (one each for my two younger bros, too), I can't help but to think how grateful to my dad that he thought of me. Any time I travel, I bring that blanket with me many times. I keeps me very warm and yet isn't very thick at all. Thank you, Dad. I love you.
18. Sleep. Because being a zombie just doesn't look like much fun. (Have you SEEN the previews for that movie starring Woody Harlson? The zombies get KILLED. I don't wanna die! ...I wanna SLEEP...then wake up.)
19. Difficulties. Without them, my strong tendancies to be selfish and lazy would be BIIIIIIIIG issues still. And I don't like the LITTLE issues I have. The difficulties I've had (and have now) have taught me that if I want what I want, I need to work to get it and to plan and being responsible. I've learned how to grow up and be a man through the difficulties God has allowed to come my way. Life isn't easy, but I'm glad for the little difficulties that have taught me to keep the big ones away.
20. K-Mart. As much as I seriously dislike working for retail (or K-Mart specifically...Old Navy is included in that list so I'm not being unfairly picky against K-Mart), I'm grateful to have a job. I lost my last 3 jobs because I was not being mature enough to get to work on time...really lame. But I've been working on changing my ways and overall I'm actually happy with my work. My boss took a chance on me and I aim to make sure his faith is not shattered in me. Without this job, I'd not be smiling very much. (Debt really sucks!!!)

Kuriosity Kwestion #4 - Super Powers

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:34:31 GMT

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.

Our Bodies

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:23:28 GMT

Our bodies are wonderful just as they are because, as believers [in Christ, or people who may one day believe], God sends [or will send upon belief in His Son] His Holy Spirit to live in them [that is, our bodies]; therefore our bodies are temples of [or for] God (1 Corinthians 6:19). ... And our bodies are wonderful because they are created in God's image.

Sacred Sex, page 167, by Tim Alan Gardner

This message could go out a great deal to virtually every woman on the planet... For each one who struggles with their own beauty, weight, or anything else regarding things physical.
But it also goes to men. Men, too, have many of the same issues, if not in different aspects.

It is very difficult, in our world, namely our society (especially if you're an American, at least), to feel like you have the freedom to be you. To be accepted for you...who you are and what you look like and what you do or don't struggle with. Many people will try to make an enemy out of one of the few things you can't escape: your body.

But let this excerpt from the book and the word of God be an encouragement to you. If the world would make an enemy of your own body in your own mind, yet the perfect, loving, holy God would send His Spirit into your body to live with you, then who would you rather believe? God does not dwell amonst evil things. And everything that He created was good.

Give a thought for a moment, and then ask yourself: If God accepts my body (and me) as good, why do I think it's so bad?

If God, the One who created you, says you're good to dwell in, then why does anyone else's opinion matter when it comes to defining your worth or your beauty or whether you're acceptable or not? You already meet with God's standard for acceptance just by being the one He created. (The sins and the imperfections of your heart He will help you mend if you let Him...but that's another matter.)

You already measure up.