do people change?

Have you ever known somebody and thought to yourself that they never can or will change? As I was talking to a friend about such a person, I wanted to defend said person and say that they weren't all that bad, that eventually they would change, especially since they believed in God. I want to believe that God can change people, even the most unexpected. I mean, look at the one of the best examples in Saul-turned-to-Paul.

I don't want to limit God in my mind of what He can or can't do. I say that I believe in the God that parted the Red Sea. In the God that made a donkey talk (yes, it's in there, Numbers isn't as boring as you'd think). In the God that repeatedly brought His people back together to be a united nation despite being exiled and broken apart numerous times. If I believe in the God who created the world in seven days and raised a man from the dead after three, despite every bit of science telling us that it's irrefutably impossible, then why can't I believe that God can change somebody?

Or maybe it's not that I don't believe that God can change people, but that He won't. I think that's a harder pill to swallow. Because if that's what God wants, you're not really gonna get a hooray from me.

Maybe God doesn't want some people to change as easily as others would, for some reason that I'm not sure of. Maybe to strengthen my own faith, although I'm not sure how. Either way, I can't assume to know all of what God knows. And apparently, He knows best. So in the end, maybe it's not about believing that people can change, or even that God Himself is capable of it. Maybe it's about believing that whatever God chooses in that situation is best, even if it doesn't make any sense to me.

There is one thing I learned in high school that I remember best: I can't change other people. The only person I know that I have any real influence of changing is myself. And even then I need God to help me along the way.

Totally unrelated notes:
1. I'm wondering if the cliche "hard pill to swallow" inspired the blue pill/red pill scene in the Matrix. Great movie, by the way.
2. I'd like to give up school for Lent. Are you participating? What are you giving up? Here's a tip for you from twitter (@bloodwater): " Lent is more than just giving something up; it's about putting something better in its place."
3. I'm very unclever. See that blog entry title up there? Yeah, that's what I resorted to because I couldn't think of anything better than that. All my other choices = lame.
4. Lastly, waiting for that snow to melt. Bring on the Spring!

the world wide web

In the past year, I have been using twitter rather regularly. It's an interesting medium for conversations, considering that each bit happens in 140 characters or less, and it consists of a wide range of users/uses.

You get the annoying spammers who send out the same "flyer" to every twitter handle they can get their grubby hands on (just a thought, am I incorrectly stereotyping spammers by assuming they all have grubby hands?). There's the group of tweeters who think everyone is always just dying to know what they just ate (which I admit, I've done that before). Better are those who keep up with the news and give everyone real-time updates. There are even trends that are purely for fun. But best are the ones who are trying to foster conversation about anything and everything, which I really enjoy.

Through this I have recently realized there is a whole other online community out there: the blogging community. I love how it spans across the entire world. As you can tell, I'm trying to become a part of this by writing more regularly in my own, although I'm not nearly as witty or eloquent as any of them. But here are a few that I have been following. I particularly like these because they are not only amusing or interesting, but they've been challenging me to think beyond what I know and perceive about my life and my faith, even if I don't agree with everything they say.

Stuff Christians Like
NakedPastor
The Church of No People
BryanAllain
Twenty-Two Words

As you can probably tell (if you bother to click on them and peruse through), they're all Christian bloggers, because that's just my preference, but I know that you can find millions of blogs that focus on other things, like photography, comic strips, words and language, music, travel, or even something as silly (yet delicious) as bacon. (The first two links in that last sentence are of personal friends of mine, both highly enjoyable).

Do you tweet? What blogs do you follow? Or better yet, do you have a blog of your own? Feel free to plug or promote shamelessly.

something about snow..

Despite the inconveniences of shoveling driveways, cleaning off my car, driving through bad traffic, and walking through the eventual dirty gray slush, there's just something about fresh-fallen, untouched snow that fills me with a sense of wonder. Even in February, which is usually when I'm wishing for the spring thaw, I smile and know that I'll never end up hating it.

















Sorry for the bad quality: didn't have my camera on me the one day I really wanted it.