November Prayer Project: Anderson Cooper!

This month, I will be praying for one of my favorite news anchors: Anderson Cooper.  Even though I do not agree with his political views, I respect him because he tries to be as unbiased as possible while he is reporting and interviewing his guests.  This is a rare quality among both liberal and conservative news anchors, which is why he is one of the only three whom I listen to (the other two being Sean Hannity and Megyn Kelly).  For that reason, I will pray every day this month that he receives the good news of the gospel by putting his faith in Jesus Christ, the only way to achieve reconciliation with God and eternal life in paradise.  I encourage all of you to do so as well, for God's miracles are truly unleashed when believers pray for the same thing (provided that it is God's Will).      

Kim Kardashian Prayer Complete (And Other News)!

My Kim Kardashian prayer project was a success.  It was the first prayer project I completed in which I did a fifteen-minute session every single day (instead of forgetting in the middle of the month and playing catchup with spiritual binge sessions).

This month, I have been focusing on myself.  God has convicted me of a personal failing that I have and has told me multiple times through the Holy Spirit and fellow believers that He won't bless my plans to serve Him until I deal with it.  I will reveal what that personal failing is in my book, "That Was Then, This Is Now", which will be a memoir of the harsh life lessons which I learned after I left Peace Corps.  Not to mention that I believe that I will be reunited with the woman who is meant to be my future wife soon, so it's time for me to finally grow up.

Speaking of growing up, I have let go of my "star-crossed lover."  I will just call her Juliet, for obvious reasons.  We never actually dated or anything.  We were just good friends who met at a church young adult group and developed strong crushes on each other.  However, I moved out of state and when we tried to meet up outside of church when I would visit, our schedules clashed.  After a couple of years, Juliet eventually gave up and moved on to focus on her career.  I tried to hang on a little bit longer, but God has made it clear that it's time for me to move on, too.  The fact that "West Side Story" music would play in my head every time I prayed to God regarding her was a pretty clear sign in and of itself.  Since Romeo (re-imagined as a New York teenager called Tony in "West Side Story") dies in both versions, it's probably for the best.  Nonetheless, Juliet was there for me during a really dark period of my life, so I will always be grateful that I knew her.

"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." 1 Corinthians 13:11 (KJV)        

September "Impossible" Prayer Project: Kim Kardashian!

Sorry about the delay, folks.  I got a new job in August and the transition was a bit hectic, but worth it.  Anyway, I completed the CM Punk prayer project and am currently doing my first "Impossible" prayer project: Kim Kardashian.

We all know that Kim Kardashian is a reality TV star and extremely wealthy celebrity who became famous for being in the kind of homemade "movie" your parents would not want you to watch or star in.  This would lead many to believe that she can't be reached by the gospel and that we shouldn't even try.  I, however, must disagree because of her early Christian counterpart: Mary Magdalene.

Mary Magdalene is Jesus' most famous female disciple.  Contrary to popular belief, she was not a prostitute (that was Mary, Lazarus' sister) and she and Jesus never married or had children.  However, Jesus did cast seven demons out of her (Luke 8:2), which indicates that her lifestyle before she met him was probably not the greatest (Matthew 12:25).  On top of that, she was clearly a woman with wealth, because she was one of Jesus' financial supporters during his earthly ministry (Luke 8:2-3).  In other words, she was a rich lady with a less-than-admirable past.  Sound familiar?

Like us, Kim Kardashian is a human being made in God's image whom He loves so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for her.  He completely transformed the life of Mary Magdalene, who was her first-century equivalent, and He can do the same with Kim if she puts her faith in Him as well.  I have already prayed fifteen minutes per day that she meets the same Savior who saved me, and will continue to do so for the rest of September.

^"Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)     

August Celebrity Prayer Project: CM Punk!

This month, I will pray for the former professional wrestler (and current UFC fighter) who made WWE watchable long after it ran out of creative steam: CM Punk!




CM Punk's candor, both in the ring and in his documentary, made me a huge fan and kept me watching WWE long after the company lost its mojo.  Photo from DailyWrestlingNews.com:  http://dailywrestlingnews.com/tna-star-invites-cm-punk-company/

I basically stopped watching WWE after Batista got buried and left the company, the Nexus angle ran its course, and the company's attempt to put Cena over at Wrestlemania 29 failed because it was the FOURTH time that The Rock dropped the belt (now known as the WWE World Heavyweight title) at that event.  Nonetheless, after CM Punk's infamous pipe bomb speech on 6/27/2011 (in particular the part where he had the balls to openly criticize Stephanie McMahon and her husband Triple H), I became glued to the screen every time he showed up to give us a break from the "Cena Gone Wild" show.  In addition to CM Punk's candor, I loved how he incorporated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu moves into his matches, as well as his references to Marvel superheroes by shouting "It's Clobbering Time!" before matches and his Wolverine-esque sideburns.  His documentary, "CM Punk - Best In The World" is one of my favorites.  I was able to relate to him not fitting in with his peers at school and his resentment over the overt favoritism his family showed his brother, and admired him for having the courage to reject addictive substances because of his alcoholic father.  For that reason, I will pray for 15 minutes every day that CM Punk puts his faith the man who is truly the Best In The World: God incarnate, Jesus Christ Himself.

 

            

Orcas: The Wolves Of The Sea of Love

Think "Great Whites" are the scariest predator in the Sea of Love?  Think again!  In spite of the great P.R. that "Free Willy" gave to killer whales, they have earned their nickname in real life by slaughtering everything in the ocean except for people.  Even then, my uncle, who's a marine biologist, has told me stories about them chasing divers out of the water (think of this as an aquatic predator's version of screaming "Beat it!").  This is why I have nicknamed the second kind of player/playeress the "Orca", because they are the romantic equivalent of the killer whale.

"Free Willy" my butt!  Real Orcas are as savage as wolves, and their player/playeress equivalents are just as ravenous.  Photo from National Geographic: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/videos/clever-killer-whales/

"Great White" players/playeresses hunt virgins through stealth.  "Orca" players/playeresses hunt virgins through aggression and sheer numbers.  What typically happens is that one member of the "pod" (the scientific name for a ravenous wolf-pack of killer whales) picks out the "date" that they want to have for sexual dinner and get their gang to help them corral that individual into a compromising situation.  If the individual is really unfortunate, then other members of the pod will take turns having their way with them when the first Orca is finished, leading to all sorts of drama (and diseases) afterwards.  Orcas typically hunt at high school and college parties, coed sleepovers, nightclubs, and other events where there is a lot of drinking (or worse, drug use) going on.

 From personal experience, Orcas:
-Are usually young (late teens to early twenties)
-Are usually female
-Hunt in "pods" of three or more (if you are really unlucky, the pod can have as many as 15 members!)
-Are usually provocatively dressed, regardless of their gender
-Are very aggressive, flirty and "touchy-feely"
-Are very blunt and direct (asking you if you are single, what turns you on and if you have had any previous carnal experience when they barely know you)
-Are excessively friendly (inviting you to their house, their dorm, or to go clubbing with them when they just met you)
-Are very impatient, so they may try to get you drunk (or high if you're really unlucky) to make the seduction occur faster
-Are willing to resort to peer pressure and bullying if you get try to back out of their carnal schemes

So the next time a bunch of smoking hot babes (or studs if you're a girl) invite you to "hang out", especially to an event with a lot of drinking, BEWARE!  They may be Orcas out to devour the seal of your virginity!
    

Shark Week! Recognizing The First Kind Of Romantic "Apex Predator"

You know how your friends always tell you that there are "plenty of fish in the sea" when it comes to romance (usually after you've been dumped)?  Well, some of those fish are SHARKS!!!!

In other words, you're not a possible spouse to these people.  YOU'RE DINNER!

This is especially true if you are a virgin seeking to stay pure before marriage.  Once you make that decision, every shark in the ocean of love will be trying to take a bite out of your butt.  The most dangerous kind of shark in this particular ocean is the person who I call the "Great White."

Your V-card has a much of a chance of surviving an attack from a "Great White" player/playeress as a seal does against the most vicious shark alive.  Photo from National Geographic: http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/01/31/saving-sharks-one-photo-at-a-time/great-white-shark/

Great Whites are the apex predators of the dating world.  They usually hunt alone, although they sometimes work in pairs.  Like their namesake, they "circle you" by earning your trust and getting you emotionally involved with them.  They pretend to be your greatest confidant, listening patiently as you bare your soul to them, until they finally make a move by inviting you over to their place to "talk."  Then, when you least expect it....

CHOMP!

They sneak attack you from below like a stealthy 21-ft, 3-ton fish monster and, like an unsuspecting seal, your V-card goes flying out of the water in the mouth of their lust a la "Air Jaws."

Here are some common traits of a "Great White":
-They are usually male, although a growing percentage of females (mostly MILFs) are joining their ranks
-They are usually modestly dressed and very subtle so that they don't scare you off
-They are usually older (late twenties/early thirties)
-They are usually overqualified (i.e., a lot better-looking than you, a lot smarter than you, and have a lot more money than you)
-They constantly try to get you alone and are very persistent
-They are very observant and "helpful" (i.e. they offer you gas money or a ride home if you're broke)

So the next time a rich, unusually helpful, highly sophisticated, and dead-sexy woman (or man if you're a woman) shows a lot of interest in you, BEWARE!  They may be a Great White looking for their next meal. 

In my next post, I will discuss the other apex predator of the ocean of love: the Orca

Overruled! What The True Definition Of Marriage Was, Is, & Always Will Be!

If I have not made it clear before, my goal in life is to lead others to Christ through staying a virgin until marriage and remaining faithful to my wife until death do us part.  That is why, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling this past Friday, I must clarify what I mean by marriage.  Even though the majority of America's judicial branch apparently feels differently, marriage is a God-ordained institution between ONE MAN and ONE WOMAN. 

IT IS THE ONLY KIND OF HOLY MATRIMONY THAT HAS, DOES, AND WILL EVER EXIST!

Long story short, when God created Adam, He made it clear that He was not supposed to be alone.  So He decided to give Adam a suitable helper (in other words, a wife).  He took one of Adam's ribs and created Eve and presented her to him, and in doing so, He completed mankind, His greatest masterpiece.  When Adam awoke and finally met his intimate best friend, he said this:

“This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’for she was taken out of man.” (Genesis 2:23)

In other words, Eve was a GENETIC FEMALE!

More importantly, God was the one who brought them together.  For a marriage to truly experience "The Sexual Force Unleashed" and "Romantic World Peace", both the husband and the wife must have a relationship with God.  Ultimately, the reason why "...a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh" (Gen 2:24, NIV) is because it was GOD'S IDEA!  When God came to earth in the flesh as Jesus Christ, He affirmed this (see Mark 10:6-9).  

Look, as Christians, we are called to treat everyone with love and respect.  This holds true even when they act in ways that are morally reprehensible.  We must also obey those in authority, for God has chosen to use governments to maintain order in this world (which, as institutions run by sinners, they obviously don't do perfectly, to say the least).  At the same time, we must also live by truth and justice.  Christ's law supersedes man's law: if the two are ever in conflict, then we must obey God over man.  For ultimately, God is the source of love, truth, peace, justice, and joy.  He proved that when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be executed so that, if we believe in Him, we will be spared from the Lake of Fire and have eternal life. 

For that reason, whenever I discuss marriage on this blog, I will use Christ's definition, not man's.  Marriage is, was, and always will be a sacred institution in which ONE MAN and ONE WOMAN are brought together in holy matrimony by God Himself.          

 

Mark 10: 6-9 "But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.^' ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (NIV)