2012, The End of the World

Well guys, we have 630 days to live, maybe less(depending on when you read this post). According to the Mayan Calendar, written over 5,200 yeas ago, the Earth will be obliterated in some twisted, terrible way......

Ok, now relax, I'm kidding. I don't actually believe in the 2012 phenomenon or that the world will end because some ancient race says so, but I think there is something very interesting about how we all look at this "Crazy" theory. We have all heard someone, whether it be on the news, the internet, or in person talking about what they have done to prepare for the so called "Doom's Day." They blabber on, in the most serious and anxious tone, as we sit there, biting our lips, trying not to laugh. Now, I want us to take another look at this, let's evaluate why we believe this theory to be false.

I just want to clarify one more time, I don't believe that the Mayan Calendar dictates which day we will all die. However, there is someone who does do this, you guessed it, God. He knows the exact day we will leave this earth, and the exact moment he plans to come back. When we hear someone talk about the world ending in 2012, we automatically write it off as "insane." No one in their right mind actually does any research or even attempts to look up the arguments behind such claims, we laugh at it and then go our merry ways. What's wrong with this picture? It's not that we immediately doubt the validity of the Mayan's Calendar or that we make fun of the people who are living out their days as if it is really going to happen. The flaw in our behavior towards the 2012 apocalypse is that we act like this towards every thought of the world ending in the near future. We think about the end of the world and we shudder, we try to get the notion out of our heads and as far away as possible. Even though it will be a day of rejoicing and happiness, since our savior will return. I still don't like the sound of my peaceful little world ending, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this feeling.

Looking at the odds, the world probably won't end in 2012, but that doesn't mean it can't. Jesus told us that we should always be on the look out for when he returns, for he'll come like a thief in the night, and no one will see it coming. In fact most of us will probably be in the middle of something we would never even want even a common sinner to see us doing, let alone God.

"But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
- (Matthew 24:43-44 ESV)

We don't know when he will come back, he could surprise us all and actually return on December 21, 2012. My point is that there are millions of Christians out there, including myself, who aren't living as if tomorrow is our last day, yet there are countless non-christians who are. When Noah tried to tell his neighbors that a great flood was coming that will annihilate every living thing on earth, they laughed at him, and told him he was crazy. Granted, the 2012 apocalypse enthusiasts were not told by God that the world will end in that year, but the fact of the matter is, they have the mindset that we should have, that tomorrow we may all be gone.

That's just something to think about, I hope this comparison between Jesus' return and the mayan apocalypse helps anyone who reads this post to go through this day as if it is their last.

-cj

Recommended Read: Crazy Love, by Francis Chan

Lately I have been digging into a book called "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. I got to say, It's not just one of those books that you read, enjoy and never think about again, in fact after reading it I almost feel as if someone is trying to pick me up off of my couch in an attempt to get me to do something big for Christ, right there on the spot. I feel almost a spiritual need to go help someone in some third world country, and it isn't like a condemning or an obligatory feeling, as if I had to do something just because it's my duty as a Christian, or that I'm going to hell if I don't. I actually feel a desire to go feed the hungry, and a want to help the needy. It made me want to serve and follow Christ, not just out of duty, but also out of love. This book inspired me to get back into writing for this blog, and I hope you can find the time in your schedule to read this amazing book and be drawn closer to God through doing so.

-cj

The Importance of Space Exploration

This is just a speech I gave at a recent TAPPS(Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools) competition, you may or may not be interested in it, I just thought I'd post it.

Since the creation of the world, man has stared up into the heavens and wondered at the celestial bodies scattered across the night sky, asking themselves, what are these beautiful lights that spread themselves out above us? How is it that their brightness never burns out? And most importantly, will we ever be privileged enough to visit them?

As humans, our curiosity has always far surpassed that of any species that dwell on this planet, giving us a natural urge to explore the unknown. Abraham of the Bible set out into the wilderness to start an entire nation, and Christopher Columbus devoted his entire life to a voyage across the Atlantic to eventually discover two continents, now we have been passed the torch of exploration and are faced with the final frontier, space. In the last fifty or so years we have been granted the tools necessary to do what no man has done before and what every man in history has dreamed of doing. However, there are some that believe space exploration is waste of our time and money and that we should be focusing our resources on taking care of our planet before we explore others. This would seem like a good point, but the fact of the matter is that they haven’t taken the time to research the endless advantages that exploring space has given us. They see space as an empty vacuum full of nothing but toxic gases, useless materials and well, nothingness, and that the only explanation for leaving this planet is to satisfy a bunch of space enthusiast’s curiosity. They couldn’t be more wrong. The benefits of exploring space doesn’t end at simply appeasing man’s natural desire to explore God’s creation, but in fact has given us countless advantages over the last five decades, including more advanced technology, improvement of education and even a better perspective on ourselves.

Looking at space from an economic point of view, its exploration is admittedly very expensive and consumes quite a sum for seemingly small results. However, just like every expedition in the history of mankind, space exploration is an investment in many ways. The first being that through man’s desire to explore we naturally feel a sense of encouragement and inspiration when we see a space shuttle climb to the heavens from its launch pad and disappear into the clouds, whether it be a first hand experience, or through the technology of Television. We feel proud as we watch our generation make history in such a new and grand way, and do what no man has ever done before, and what every man has dreamed of doing since the beginning of time. This newfound inspiration is what drives many young students like myself to pursue an occupation in the field of science. In other words, space exploration is a key factor in inspiring kids to do better in school and work towards a better future. Perhaps the best example of this is how the first moon landing in 1969 excited so many kids about space that grades sky rocketed and almost every one of them wanted to go to the moon or mars as an astronaut. The truth is that a single trip to the moon helped to advance the education of millions of kids.

Speaking of advancements, not only has space given us an entire new field to study and explore, it has also provided us with technology that I guarantee would not exist if it were not for space. As new advancements are made for exploration, they are carried over to the consumer for use as every day items. NASA alone holds thousands of patents, many of which have become very useful spin offs for civilians. Artificial limbs, LED lighting, scratch proof glass and even memory foam. These are just a few of the many inventions that have stemmed from space exploration. Medicinal advances have also been made with the help of space. The way bacteria grows in space is almost identical to the way it grows in the human intestines, so we can easily simulate how certain bacteria will affect humans. It is all thanks to space and its most ambitious pioneers, that we have medicines that can fight off bacteria that cause typhoid fever as well as many others.

Space has provided us with the means to advance our technology and way of living, but what is next? These reasons cannot be the only ones for putting six people in a can and shooting them off into the darkness of space, and they aren’t. I want you to think about the size of our earth and compare it to the vastness of space, now think about how many discoveries have been made here and ask yourself how many could be made in a place that is infinitely bigger. Granted earth is very fertile and full of life, but with something as big as space the possibilities are endless. Just try to imagine what could be out there. Other planets? Resources? Everyone has thought about the prospect of life on other planets, could there other living organisms out there? Perhaps. Conscious beings? Maybe not, but scientists have found evidence of bacterial life in space, as well as hints that there may be water on mars, and where there is water, theirs is most likely life.. While actual findings of these unthinkable possibilities may not happen in our lifetime, I for one am fascinated with there even being a possibility!

Our galaxy is over one hundred thousand light years in diameter, the farthest star from earth is twelve billion light years away, that’s just what we can see with our technology here on earth, who knows what lies beyond our pitiful range of vision. We live on a little ball of water and earth no more than eight thousand miles wide spinning around a star at high velocities. It really puts us into perspective with the rest of the universe when you think about it. The more we explore space, the more we can see how fragile and insignificant are existence is. Through space exploration we have been given a small glimpse of the grandeur of the universe and in turn the realization that we are more finite than we ever knew.

I believe God created the universe for more than to just sit there. I believe he wants us to explore its endless boundaries and vast measures so that we can gain a better understanding of how amazing he really his, and how privileged we are to be even noticed by someone so infinite.

If you read this far, then you're awesome. :)

A Brief Update

If you have read my last post, "Jump Starting Meek Not Weak," you already know that I have decided to re-enter the blogoshpere, and am attempting to pick up where I left off with Meek Not Weak. So I thought I'd give give you a quick update on the things that have been going on in the past two years of my life. To keep it simple, here is a list of the major things that have happened since I left.

- I started private school(Lifegate Christian High school) during the winter of last year.

- My dad will be coming home from Iraq in the summer(kind of an update for the future really).

- I am currently involved in a program called NASA HAS(High school aerospace scholars), I'm hoping this will help propel me into the field of aerospace engineering.

That's really all the important things that have happened since I utterly abandoned this blog. So until next time, I bid you all adieu!

-cj

Jump Starting Meek Not Weak

Wow, two years. You know, it really doesn't seem like it's been that long since I last published one of my poorly written posts. But when I look at the date on my last minute Chirstmas article "A King is born," December 22, 2008, I see that it's true. I really did cease to write for this blog, and not look back for over two years. I'm embarrassed to say that I quit blogging almost no reason at all. I could make the excuse that my schedule became too busy, or that the introduction of Facebook into my life distracted me and ultimately destroyed my blog. But I won't, because it is not true. I quit blogging simply because I became lazy. I let certain things get in the way of using this blog as a ministry for Christ, and for that I am sorry. I hope I can salvage what is left of this site and possibly pick up the wonderful hobby of blogging once more. I am currently working on a post about a book I am reading by Francis Chan called "Crazy Love." I hope it will be the rebirth of "Meek Not Weak" into the blogging world.

Thank you,

-cj