Imagine jumping off of something and landing or at least hoping to land onto the next thing your jumping to whether in reality or digitally. As some of you may know I'm a gamer, when I was playing Tomb Raider or other video games that may involve jumping to obstacles, you try and make sure you can get there. A cool thought dawned when I jump from one cliff or wall ect. to another you could either live or die in the game. The anticipation in your nerves are there to obviously make it! In a video game you get many second chances to try again and again.
One time I was at Camp Chief Hector on a field trip and we had to try out some obstacles and do some simple trust activities where you fall back for everyone to catch you and such. There was one if you wanted to jump across from a large pole/platform to reach this bar that was hanging. I fell short though and missed by a foot maybe. I didn't move my legs quite enough to push myself off the platform. My harness, praise God caught me and the people carefully lowered me down.
When I was up there I was nervous, apart of me wasn't sure if I can do it, but the adventurous risky side of me really wanted to try to prove to myself and a little bit to others that I can. Not too many wanted to try it anyway.
Q: What kinds of things rolled into my mind and Peter's mind after abit?
God is like that with us, when we take a leap of faith to trust in Him He got us. Sometimes well a lot of the time we fall short at different times in life, but He still got us. He catches us when we fall, we call on Him and He picks us up. We don't deserve his grace when we feel or know we've messed up, but God wants us to know and believe that He has us, He keeps us safe, He got our back and sometimes sends people to support us on what is right.
When we put our faith in Jesus He will help us through. He doesn't pick or choose who deserves it or not. He gives all of us as many second chances to make things right with Him. My leader back in the day told me that, to give as many second chances as you can. That leads into forgiveness, but also having faith in Jesus that He will make things new in your life.
Imagine being out at sea on a ship or boat of some sort for a few days or try even a week! This last summer I was on a ship/boat for about a week. This thought dawned on me months later and I thought hmm you know when I was on my cruise I felt a little like Noah on the Ark for the fact your on the ocean, no land for miles for a while, the big open sea. Waves crashing against the ship as it's sailing through. At night it can get choppier and I think when the waves are choppier you can feel the movement of the boat at times slightly more. It's an interesting feeling, especially when you're on land. You can still feel for a few days that you're on the boat still at times. It took me a little while to adjust back to land mode.
Of course, I'm sure the Ark wasn't as fancy as a cruise ship or the Titanic, Noah and his crew were on there for 150 days! What could they do for 150 days on the ocean?? I'd think they would have more time to talk with God more besides keeping the ark clean and feeding animals. Seeing the size of a cruise ship or any huge ship for that matter is incredible that it can hold so many people! Imagine the Ark the size that we will soon find out about that held animals and Noah's family.
Genesis 6:14-16 talks about the dimensions of the Ark. Some interesting fun facts to compare how long the Ark would be to imagine the size of it!
The Ark was twice as long as an early Boeing 747-100B airliner.
It would take nearly one and a half football fields to equal the Ark's length.
Sixty-two Smart Cars parked bumper to bumper would stretch from the Ark's bow to stern.
NASA could lay three space shuttles—nose to tail—upon the Ark's deck.
To float the Ark in an Olympic size swimming pool, you'd need to line up three of these large pools.
The Ark would be well over one and a half times the length of a WWII Gato class submarine, or looked at another way, nearly half the length of a modern Nimitz class aircraft carrier!
Noah's Ark was a bit longer than twelve, forty-foot telephone poles laid end to end.
Using the standard boxcar, it would require lining up ten of them to equal the Ark's length.
As interesting as this is and all God gave Noah orders and instructions to build this Ark and gather a pair of animals of every kind and his family.because of the flood that was coming to wipe out the entire earth! We talked at youth group one time a bit or mentioned about obedience in a devo, being obedient to what God calls you to do for Him (God). Noah was someone who was also obedient to God. I'm sure he had rough days that were up and down building the Ark. People made fun of him as well doing this, I'm sure it wasn't always easy. Sometimes when we feel discouraged about our day, I know when I do at times I don't feel like it either, but sometimes I push myself to try. Noah kept at it and kept on pushing Himself to strive to complete this task he was given. He was like sure, ok. God was patient and waited for him to be done building and rounding up animals and his family. The bible says he was also a righteous man.
In other words, doing what is morally right. Especially in God's eyes and for God. For a guy that is 600 years old to have finished the ark takes quite a bit faith and patients. God knew he would obey His commands.
What are some things you can think of that you are or can do that is righteous, doing what is right? and what can you do to obey God?
Be like Christ, do the right thing. Treat people right if you don't already, don't steal if you have been or tempted to. There are so many things that we may have the right to do, but morally should we? Is that what God wants or us and the world? Sometimes you might get mocked or made fun of in this world for doing something right in God's eyes, but know this he will reward you in Heaven for obeying His instructions.
You may know that famous traveling song of 99 bottles of whatever, what if we put a Christian twist on it? It be quite interesting and maybe a thought to take our Bible off the shelf more often! This is my version of it, be interesting what you may come up with in your travels!
"99 bibles on the shelf, 99 bibles of God's word, take one down, pass it around, 98 bibles left on the shelf."
And so on until you get down to 1!
"No more bibles on the shelf, no more bibles to pass around, go to the bookstore and buy some more, 99 bibles of God's word on the shelf!"
Hey!! It's been awhile and so so long from doing a post. It's been hard to try bounce back to do something cool on here when you feel emotionally up and down in life's storms that come. Alot of my storms can sometimes more often than most involve people…. I'm not one that grows stronger with negativity, in fact I just end up pulling away. God I will never pull away from because He never leaves me. Forgive me for not being consistent like I should be. I did renew for another year just incase there is something awesome that I can share with you all!
Last month I went on a Christian cruise with my cousin, aunt, and uncle. It was really awesome! Got to see DC Talk play live, the gang that made up the crew had also their bands like Toby Mac, the Newsboys and afew others that either wrote some songs with different members of the crew at different times in life. There was also talking sessions that happened along the trip. My cousin and I were able to make it to 2 of them, as there is so much to do and see on a crusie! endless amounts of food! and things to do!
Even got to stop at the Bahamas Nassu and Half Moon Cay, there you could do some exscrusions if you've booked ahead of time. We didn't do any as we wanted ot do our own looking around and shopping and just enjoying God's creation! It's also a holiday can certaily do what you feel like doing! Check these out for your enjoyment.