Perception

I can't stand young adult fiction right now. Specifically, the paranormal romance. I feel I have a right to judge, because I am a published author, but beyond that, there is a spiritual dislike I want to share with you.
Almost every teen love story has the 'boy whose smile made me dizzy' or 'his eyes were like lightning bolts down my spine' (huh, that actually itsn't half bad...) or 'he was so mysterious, like a magnet between us.'
*Gags* Why do I hate this? Some of these books I have read. Some of them are actually pretty good. But there is a reason WHY this bugs me.
Jesus.
Isaiah 53:2 He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Basically, "He wasn't ripped, he looked like any other average guy, and no one would take a second glance at him. Everyone hated him, he was full of sorrows, and we didn't even want him to look at us. We didn't even care about Him."
If we are led to believe that the heroes, our Princes in Shining Armour (or Ladies in Silks and Lace, for you guys) are all supposed to be these glorious, jewels for eyes, pretty as a magnolia in May type characters, we are missing one of the points Jesus made. I am not hating on pretty people, I am simply reminding you that the one person you should look up to, the ONLY person you should idolize, and the ONLY 'team' you should be on, wasn't what you've been led to believe.
Even the Jesus paintings depict a sort of Caucasian looking guy with flowing hair, thin nose, shiny beard. Geographically, none of that was real.
I know, I know, Jesus' purpose has nothing to do with how He looked, but it does matter how we perceive Him, and in turn, those around us. The 'mystical' boys in the books and shows, the alluring women on tv, the 'beauty is power' mindset, NONE of that honors God. Jesus changed the world. He is your idol. Not because of how he looked, but because of what He DID. Who He IS. And who YOU are in Him.

Be Watchful

Who has seen Breaking Bad?
Who has heard the term ICE, Tina, T, or Crank? Who has heard of METH? If you have seen it, you know. I have gone to a local school, talked to some kids, and found almost HALF of them have done/or know someone on it. If you are a parent, beware. It is everywhere. All states. All classes. All races. All parties.

1/20 college students have tried it. And that’s only the ones that admit it. Please, please, don’t ‘trust’ your children. Don’t think ‘Oh, they’re fine! I know ___’s parents and their good people. They’ll be ok.’ It all starts when they are young, and if you aren’t there to guide them then, they will end up destroying themselves. Why? Because society makes it cool.
Because even if they know better, it is ‘fun’.
Because they think their alone.

It is up to you, the parent, to keep them from ever being alone. Install God in them, install the fear of God, the respect of God, the purpose He gives. Don’t be their friend, don’t be their pal, be their guide. Save them.
...
http://www.methproject.org/

James 2

1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the grand clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well:

9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Between the Lines

John 2:1-11

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Changes Water Into Wine

2 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, ² and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

⁴ “Woman,^[a] why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

⁶ Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.^[b]

⁷ Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

⁸ Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, ⁹ and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside ¹⁰ and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

¹¹ What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Day 3: A symbol seen many times to recognize the death and resurrection, most famously of Jesus.

Wedding: The church is described as the Bride of Christ many times in the Bible.

Wine: Represents His Blood during the last supper.

Washing – same as Baptism washed us clean, the washing of His blood redeems us of the stains of our sins.

Draw some out – We’ve been set aside by God, separated from the world, sanctified from our past, removed from the path of destruction. It is both an action HE did for us and one we must do for ourselves by choosing to follow Him.

Saved the Best – The last shall be first and the First shall be last. We are all inheritors of His Kingdom, regardless of how long we’ve served, it only matters that we did.