Are You a Comfortable Christian?

I can see that I am often close to the things of this world, more than I think and I should ought to be. Not that we shouldn’t enjoy the things we have in this world, but we should know that if something doesn’t work out, if the TV blows, or if our dishwasher leaks and is past the ‘returnable and refundable’ period, we shouldn’t get upset, and blame this person, the next guy, or in some rare cases, God. Why did you let this happen? We think. We fail to realise the basic fact that we didn’t get all of these things by ourselves anyway, and it was God who inherently gave us the abilities and skills that we have, in order for us to do work, collect our income, and therefore attain the items and material possessions that our heart desires at a particular point in time. We couldn’t have done all of this, survive, in the place called ‘Earth’ all on our own.

Whether we acknowledge that God is in control or not, we also know that we haven’t made it in this world alone, and that our friends and family have helped us along the way. But I have stopped and paused, wondered about whether our quest for materialistic gain, our quest for the perfect life in terms of comfortableness, has led us into a false sense of security, into us believing that when we see the injustice and inequality in this world, the solution would just be to ‘roll down the window and throw some cash outside’. I’ll admit it, I’m a comfortable Christian. I’ve noticed, and seen the injustice in this world...but I still like my TV, my computer, not to mention all my CD’s and DVD’s. Delirious?’s latest studio album, Kingdom of Comfort, speaks very clearly into the heart of every Christian- a comfortable Christian at that. Check out the title track- ‘...save me, from the kingdom of comfort where I am king, from my unhealthy lust of material things. I rob myself of innocence with the poison of my indifference. I buy my stuff at any cost, a couple of clicks and I pay the price coz what I gain is someone else’s loss...’ Revealing, huh? How as human beings we long for the new car, the new house, maybe even the new ‘wife’, but then we laugh and scorn when someone poses the question like- surely we should be thankful that we are even ALIVE to begin with, before we can even think about possessions.

But in this society, we never wake up with the mentality that we are alive, usually it is ‘Oh, what do I have to do at work today?’ or ‘Is that dog barking again?’ In my life, and it has been difficult, I have been trying, and it’s been working to say the least. Every day I’ve tried to get into this mentality that this story that I’m living in is not about me. It’s not about how much money I make in 10 years time, nor is it about how many possessions I own. If I behave and act like that man in Jesus’ parable that went and built a barn to hoard all his possessions, then I’ve missed the plot. My story is to be in God’s story. That’s it. Wherever he leads, I will go. That does sound like a bold statement, and you readers probably will scratch your heads and wonder whether I’ve woken up on the right side of the bed or not. But be it crazy as it sounds, I know my place in the never ending story of God. I know that my purpose goes beyond writing good blogs, it goes beyond doing well at uni; it goes beyond having a good career, a good house, a good life. Because sooner or later, if those ‘passions’ start to define us, it’ll all be for the wrong reasons, and we will, sooner or later become disappointed with it all. Sooner or later, there will be a better house on the street. There will be a better video game console. Buildings fall at the end of the day. Even books get old, and probably in a few years time, Don Bradman will be forgotten forever.

My point? If our goal is to be remembered at the end of the day, to have a legacy based on what we do- we cannot do it. Sure we will leave a legacy, based on what we do, but it won’t last to the effect that we want it to. When the last clap fades, we will be forgotten. We are born, we live, and we die, and sure we can do great things in this world, but it could be for all the wrong reasons. If our heart isn’t in the right spot, if our passion becomes our purpose, then we need a reality check. And this is what reality is- our purpose is to glorify God as much as possible considering each circumstance of the day, and to leave our story of me-centred society, our story of indifference, our story of collecting and storing, and abandoning it at the feet of Jesus, going to him and saying that we want to make a positive difference in this world, a difference that will last, that won’t stop when history fades into nothingness, a purpose that will last for eternity. 

I’ve realised that sometimes a riveting song with catchy lyrics and good music can evoke in someone something so much more powerful than listening to a boring sermon made by the most boring pastor ever alive. Music, sometimes even film, crosses national boundaries. I guess you can say that music and film are the indirect language that everyone speaks. And I guess that when you look at all the songs and music that have been created over the history of mankind, it’s no wonder it’s another language. Everything, ranging from struggles, questions, worship, praise, humanity, everything is talked about in songs, and I guess it’s almost expected that when you’re recording, to stretch musical boundaries- to pose to the listener, is this normal? Is this the way we should live our lives, and if not, how do we live it? Sure this world is in pain, and we may never understand how everything works, but we do know the One who does. And in some ways, we often are caught up in all the busyness that we miss the beauty of stories- like the Aesop fable, the ant and the grasshopper.  The ant and the grasshopper fable was one that “...[concerns] a grasshopper who has spent the warm months singing away while the ant worked to store up food for winter. After the winter has come, the grasshopper finds itself dying of hunger and upon asking the ant for food is only rebuked for its idleness...” I believe that this tale about the ant and grasshopper poses a lot of questions, for me at least. At first glance, the ant represents all the hard workers in society, and the grasshopper represents those who don't work so hard, those who sing away, even when everyone else is working. Therefore, when it is looked at in that way, I guess it is right, for the ant not to help the grasshopper, as to some extent, he brought it on himself. 

However, in James 2: 14-17, it claims that “…what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you? Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don’t have enough to eat. What good is there in your saying to them, ‘God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!’- If you don’t give them the necessities of life? So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead...” Sure the ant has a right to refuse the grasshopper when he comes scabbing for food, but is it right? The western world can feel very reluctant to help those in Africa. We see ourselves almost like the ant and them the grasshopper. We say we want to help them, and according to James, we have the faith. But do we have the deeds to back it up? All we ever do is throw money at the problem, and then we just think that if we close our eyes and carry on with everyday life, things are going to get better.

I’ve seen it with my own eyes millions of companies and financial organisations give money to the South-East Asian countries when the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami hit- they also even staged a cricket match to raise funds for the cause...but that is all they do. Have you ever heard if the CEO of McDonalds flew to Sri Lanka or India, to assess the damage the tsunami gave, and then offered to help out in any way possible? It’s always been money. It’s a story that has been told from generation to generation, a story that money will and can solve everything. But everyone knows this isn't true. Money can't buy a lot of things, to name a few...a good wife/husband who loves you for the way you are as a person, not by what you do; good friends who respect you, even if they have different points of view; a great family, great children...

In this day and age, we think that the more you have, the more you will be happy. But when one looks at it, a lot of stories have been told throughout society that when you analyse it all, the more you’ll question whether anything is valid at all. I guess that is why in today’s culture, the young are noticing the trend that material things aren’t fulfilling them. Cricket matches don’t fulfil me, as I know now that money is more of an incentive for players’ right now than playing for their country. Every sports team will lose sooner or later, and that would mean that if we seriously lived our lives according to our culture today, we’d be depressed every single day because our ‘team’ lost. 

But to tell you the truth, there is something that fills us, like a cup overflowing- the story of Jesus. But you may think; this story of Jesus is cliché. Yes, it is; someone who came to save mankind from eternal destruction. Sort of like a Superman figure. But let’s get this straight- God yearns for us to understand that he is more than enough for us to live, and that if it is not the King of Kings, if it is not the Lord of Lords that we're worshipping, then it is something else. The lie and story that has been told that if we’re not religious, we’re not a worshipping kind, is totally wrong. For if we do not put our trust in a superior being, we will put our trust in something, something that we think will fulfil us. Everyone denies being a worshipper, but it is what we do all so well.

 

Labeling...we all do it.

I’m sure we all label other people. Not intentionally, but it’s in our subconscious. We look at the people that come from Manly or the Northern Suburbs of Sydney, and we immediately assume that they have a lot of money to burn, that they are the ones who ‘look down on everyone else’. We assume that it’s the Aboriginal people who are ‘below the rest’, or that if there are twins in a family, that one has to be good and the other ‘evil’. Always when my twin brother and I catch up with our friends and when we are in a bigger group with their friends too, people ask us, ‘Who’s the evil one?’ And I always answer ‘Does it matter? No one has to be evil!’ And that’s true, we don’t. Because no matter where you are, you get labeled, whether you liked it or not- how you walk, how you talk, how you present yourself; people see that, and no matter how perfect they can be, they label. And sometimes its hard to resist, you see someone with spiked hair, nose-rings, a dozen ear-rings on one ear, maybe even tattoos like no tomorrow, and so you label that they must belong to a gang, and then you also infer that they must be into drugs. But really, you don’t really know that. They could be the next Mozart, maybe even the next James Cameron or Peter Jackson, you just don’t know, but because you’ve gone ahead and boxed them in, it’s gonna be harder for you to ‘believe it’ when they do actually do something big.

You can’t judge people for being people by how they look. You look at the whole package, the picture; rather than deduce what the picture is about from just the eyes, the nose or the mouth. Because if you do focus on that, you won’t see the true representation of what Jesus wants that person to be. In fact, I’m bold enough to come out and say that yes, I in fact do label people. I’m not perfect, if I was, then I wouldn’t need Jesus, which I know I need more now than ever before. I can remember a couple of instances during 2008 and 2009 when Dad came back from picking up the pizzas at our local Dominoes Pizza joint at Mascot. He shook his head, saying something like ‘Those Indians don’t know how to cook pizza’. I know that sometimes Dad can be a little bit harsh in what he says, but aren’t we all too to some extent? 

Most people without hesitation would say people who live in the western world will have a better life than those anywhere else. But as I think about it more and more, I may beg to differ. Sure they would then have a safe and secure place to live in, compared to those in Africa, but would they have the better life if they are surrounded by a computer, a mobile phone, numerous shopping complexes, not to mention multiple cinemas, TV and electrical goods, air-conditioning at home, and a comfortable car? How-about those who are ‘struggling’ in Africa, with no running water, unsanitary hygiene and no food? Sure those who really live in Africa in poor conditions should get the water, food and medical supplies that are needed to live an adequate live, but should they then get the ‘western’ treatment?

Should we in the west think, ‘They’re not living the good life unless they are subjected to the way that we live?’ Sometimes it’s hard to believe that some people do believe that. In Australia, it happened towards the Stolen Generation, when Aboriginal Australian children were taken from their family and taught the ‘Australian’ way of life and culture. Is that right? When is enough enough? Did we label, and not even know it? Sometimes labelling is as big as what I’ve described, discrimination and just pure arrogance, that you and your way of life are more important than those around. But sometimes it can be just as small as believing that the latest i-Phone, Blu-Ray DVD player, TiVo, or maybe even Twitter or Facebook, will fill you up when it doesn’t. Just because everyone else has a Blu-Ray DVD player doesn’t mean you need it too. You can still get the player, but only that if you don’t get it, technology will rapidly expand and you will be left behind and never catch up...and also you’d like to start buying Blu-Ray DVD’s after all. Your motivation behind what you do, and how you act shouldn’t be dependent on anyone else. 

Do you do these things to get noticed? For people to accept you, to be loved? I’m telling you, sometimes you will get noticed; sometimes you will be loved, but sometimes is all the love can be for. When the next best thing comes along, people will latch onto that like a leech, and then you’d have to decide, am I getting this stuff because of the craze, the popularity, knowing that if I don’t keep it up, I may lose some friends, and maybe even lose my ‘life’ as I know it! But sometimes that’s what we need to do, lose our life. In Matthew 11:39, it says that ‘...whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it...’ You scratch your head and you think, why do I want to lose my life? I’ve got everything I need’. Everything you think you need. Let me illustrate. When Dad was in primary school he brought Nesquick to school, and during that time, a lot of people started to befriend Dad. But when the nesquick ran out, so did the friends. Ever wonder how long things last? Not that long. In fact, the average time a person can stay in the limelight is probably 2-3 years. People in the acting circle, sporting arena, even talented music stars and celebrities only have the spotlight on them for so long. Because in the end, people get older, their abilities wane, someone or something better comes along. Because of all this stuff that happens, people have been rocked from side to side. They’re yearning for someone that doesn’t change, yesterday, today and tomorrow. 

Jesus doesn't change! God “...is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine...” (Ephesians 3:20). Far beyond our comprehension of what we can even conceive of who God is, he is much more than that. Peter walked on the water when Jesus called him to. And He’s wanting everyone to walk on the water too. To step out of the boat, just like Peter did. Afraid? You bet. Scared? Immensely! Going to get out of the boat? It’s up to us. God is calling...will we answer?

A line in the popular Psalm 23 goes like this- Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for you are with me!. God is with us during the bad times, the good times, and the times in-between. 

Are you going to step out of the boat. He is waiting.

Music is the Universal Language

Music is the universal language of the soul. Everyone enjoys it. Everyone searches for a song that they can say 'This is my song, this song is speaking just to me!'. A song can be as powerful as a sermon on a Sunday morning, and can strike the very being of the soul, even when the listener has the hardest of hearts.

There are billions of songs out there in the vast space of Internet. From mainstream, to Christian, to country, to metal and folk, music appeals to various different people. A song can stir up emotions in someone that have stayed dormant for years, it can spur someone on to make a decision, good or bad, that will affect them and those around them.

For me, there are a number of songs that I've listened to in my life, where I've thought, 'This is my song.' One of these songs is by a British Christian band, Delirious?. You can read about them on Wikipedia, but the song History Maker, has struck to the core of my being, and has challenged me to take new risks, and to change the world.

What is your favourite song? Is it your favourite because it's your friend's favourite? Or has it spoken to you in ways unimaginable. Sometimes all it is is a song that can help you get through the toughest of situations. Some people may not know it, but a song carries with it a part of the person who wrote it. These artists pour their hearts and souls, and devote their time to producing an album, and their songs are what they are feeling at that particular point in time. And, to stir the pot, God can speak through anyone that He wants, even if the song is by a non-Christian. If God decides to do that, then He can.

A song is determined by its melody, lyrics, and how well the person sings. But what always sticks out to me are the lyrics- and particularly the lyrics to the chorus of History Maker:

I'm gonna be a history maker in this land
I'm gonna be a speaker of truth to all mankind
I'm gonna stand, I'm gonna run
Into your arms, into your arms again

Am I ready to be a history maker? Possibly, maybe, I'm not entirely sure. Starting this blog was very daunting, but here I am, I've done it.

So now, here is the video for History Maker by Delirious?. Listen to it, and see if it affects you like how it has done for me.

Music is indeed the universal language- over these next few blogs, I'm going to impart to you readers, my top 10 songs that mean to me the most- starting with No. 1: History Maker (normally with lists from 1-10, they start with no. 10 first, I'm doing it the other way around).

Watch the clip and enjoy, comments are encouraged.

See you all soon.

Jon.

There will probably be a moment in everyone's life where you start to think, 'Maybe it is just easier to follow everyone else.' Not to the point where you start to question your own faith but rather to the point of, 'Gee, people around me are doing x, y and z; I'm only doing this; let's see what all the fuss is about. But here's the issue here. Sometimes it's good, in fact, I think, it's encouraged; to not only live life to the full, the one life that we all keep thinking is two or three; but to live it knowing your convicitions, what you believe; and sticking by it, even if it means you're running the other way as the norm in society.

That shouldn't be a bad thing. If we believe something, and others do not, we need to know why. There are a few songs that speak about this, and I'd like to share it briefly. One is a popular song by Switchfoot, called Meant to Live. I'm sure you guys all know this song, know the lyrics off by heart, but let me dissect the song a little bit. 

The chorus is the part that really struck out for me- We were meant to live for so much more, have we lost ourselves? Somewhere we live inside... This line is definitely true of every situation everyone has. We are meant to live for more than the things on this earth. It's in our DNA to yearn for something more than the things that we don't take with us beyond the grave. And to follow Christopher Hitchens and boldly outright claim that after death is nothing is to deny the soul of something that has been there from the very start. Everyone is searching for something. And like the song says, We want more than this world's got to offer...And everything inside screams for second life. We are curious about what's beyond the grave. Life would be meaningless if it is just this life. But in our heart of hearts, possibly in everyone's heart, we know that after the grave is only the beginning.

Everyone is searching for the void to fill us. They search in drugs, sex, rock and roll, alcohol, anything they can get their hands on. But when they are suggested, 'Hey, why don't you try out Jesus? He'll solve everything!' They start to think, 'No Way! I've had so much trouble with the church...love Jesus though...' Why is it that all around the world, people love Jesus, but hate the church? They see Jesus as a prophet, but as the Son of God? The Saviour of the World? The Alpha and Omega? That is a different story for most of the world. 

That doesn't mean that Christians (myself included) should feel like we need to conform to society when it comes to our eternal destiny. We shouldn't, however, we need to sit down with the people we come into contact each day, and just talk with them, and to listen to their hearts. We need to break out of the mold that the world tries to put us in, to say that Christians are 'judgemental'. Why do people come up with that thought? Because sometimes Christians are like that. 

As I finish off this blog, I'm sure you have a lot to discuss about. Regardless of whether we are Christians or not, we are all searching  for something. Some have found it in their job, their money, others have just found it in the maker of the universe. Let me pose to you, who do you think Jesus is? Son of God? Saviour of all mankind? 

As for me, this is what I believe: Jesus did come to save the world. He died upon a cross and set people free from sin and death. All I have to do is to just believe into that. I am free because I've already been accepted. I don't need to do more, or try harder, to get to God- I live life out of the mentality that I don't need to earn my salvation...I am a stranger on Earth, because I know that this world not my home, so therefore I am an outcast. 

The journey of life isn't meant to be smooth sailing. There are questions that need to be asked, answers that need to be sought after. We need to start thinking about eternity and what happens, because it applies more to us that we think. We are meant to live beyond this life.

Hope you do enjoy the videos I've posted (these are the first...).

As you watch these two videos and mull over them, and what I've just said, feel free to comment below.

See you guys soon.

From Jon.

I Don't Wanna Go Through the Motions

As I reflect on the title of this blog 'The Joy of Living the One Life We All Have', I've realised that this is absolutely true of any person's situation. No matter what, we only have one life that we can live. Not ten, or twenty, but one. When you die, those left behind can't, after they go to your funeral, say, 'Well, now that Johnny has passed, let's just get another Johnny from the store.' It doesn't work like that. We all only have one life. And then its over. 

So this got me thinking. We need to start living life, and not get into the lulled sense of 'going through the motions' that we can all be caught up in from day to day. Sometimes, if we're 'going through the motions' we can become avid 'consumers' rather than stopping and enjoying what we do have, without having the yearning to want more (in a material sense). Are we consuming for consuming sake, just following the trend because other people are, or are we keeping our eyes peeled for those who really need our attention? 

We need to be on the lookout, but not go ‘looking’ for things to accomplish. You shouldn’t really do anything, unless it's been placed it on your heart for you to do. We can’t all change the world, but we can change the world that we live in. Just by doing what we do, and knowing that opportunities will come by. And when they do, we should grasp them with both hands, because you don’t know whether they would come again. But above all else, in whatever we do, we should do it with all our heart. Because if we’re not doing things whole-heartedly, then we’re just going through the motions, and in whatever case, people around us will see through what we do.

So therefore, we should continuously evaluate our lives with the question ‘why do we do what we do?’ and seriously wonder. Do we do things for the right reasons? If not, how can we know the right reasons? All I know, I sure don’t want to do anything if I’m just going through the motions.

I don't wanna go through the motions; I don't wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me; I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything, instead of going through the motions?"

Except from 'The Motions'; from Matthew West’s 2008 album Something to Say
 

What Are You Good At?

Looking at my blog when I came back from church was a very scary thing- seeing how many comments each post had. I looked...and there was nothing. I sighed, then thought to myself, 'is that why I do this, to get comments on posts?' Because if that and only that is my motivation, then I should stop now. Like my motivation of starting and maintaining this blog, everyone should know the real reason of why they do what they do. Really going to the core. When everything is stripped away, we ask ourselves- why? For money? For fame? To be liked?

Sometimes we may all think that all we're doing is just going through the motions of this life. I'm sure everyone has been there. Thinking, late at night, trying to get to sleep, but can't. Thinking, maybe about tomorrow's assignment that needs to be handed in, or what happened today that 'didn't really go to plan'. Whatever you're 'thinking' about, I'm sure you've had this thought cross your mind- am I really alive, making a difference in my community, or am I just living on auto-pilot, going through each day, thinking, 'When will this ever end?' What we really need to do is just to find something that we're good at. Everyone is good at something, even when others tell us otherwise. 

What are you good at? What is it that you enjoy, that you can do hours upon hours on end and not get bored? What is it that you value out of life? Name one thing you cannot live without, and I mean cannot live without... and also, ever catch yourself trying to make your friends like the same stuff and hobbies that you like, so that you’ll be ‘better’ and ‘tighter’ friends that share more in common? And what topic is it at the dinner table that makes your blood boil and you can just give an opinion about it straightaway, without question, and you can rave on about it for as long as your hearts content? 

All these questions do need to be answered if we want to know what we're good at, what we're passionate about. We need to talk to those around us, our family, trusted friends; to seek their input about where they think our calling in life should be. 

However, no matter what we do in life, sometimes we can all feel that we can never measure up to standards, either set by ourselves, or by others, especially our parents. If we don't do well in a test at school or university, we'll immediately think, subconsciously or not, 'would my parents still love me if...' But let me just say that we are more than all of this. We are more than what we do. Sure, we need to find something that we love to do, whether it is blogging, building things, or cooking; but even then, if our self-worth is tied up in these things, every time we fail to impress others or ourselves, we'll beat ourselves up and say that we're not good enough.

But the truth is exactly the opposite. We are more than our failures, our mistakes and our past events. What we do doesn't define who we are. That is not how we should measure ourselves. Rather, we are loved unconditionally, by our parents, our friends, those around us who can speak into our lives, share their experiences, and in turn, our lives can be turned around for the better.

When you go about the rest of the day, think about the thing that you like to do, hours on end without being bored. Chances are, that’s what you’re called to do. So over the next day or so, find someone within your sphere of influence that you can help and encourage. Share in the comments below. See all of you soon.

Jon.

The Simpler Things in life

Before I wrote this blog I was eating my afternoon tea in the backyard, a chocolate cake to be precise, and then I thought, 'Now when did life get to be so complicated?'. I was complaining during afternoon tea, wondering why the chocolate cake was not so 'chocolate-y'. But then I thought- I get to have chocolate cake. I need to be thankful for that, and just enjoy it. Not to want something more- to enjoy the simple things when they come, and not to make things more complicated than what they are. Complicated, you say? Well, let me put it this way, it's definitely not that simple.

With the advent of facebook, twitter, youtube, and iPhone, both Mark Zuckerberg and the late Steve Jobs have revolutionized technology. You can see your friends, the one's you've lost contact with, on facebook, follow them on twitter and 'tweet' comments. Millions of people use facebook everyday to post comments, view photos, or even if you aren't a member of facebook, even just to go there to browse another person's facebook page is now normality. In fact, after Google, facebook is no. 2 in 'most popular websites'. I'm sure everyone has seen 'The Social Network', either at the cinemas or on DVD, so they all know how Zuckerberg started the company that made him a billionaire, but let me ask you this. With the introduction of these technological advancements into our lives and our homes, we spend most of our awake time either chatting to our friends on facebook, or glued to our phones like nothing else. Have they made our lives more complicated than what they should be?

Say for example my grandparents had a history of heart problems, this maybe could mean that either my mum or dad could have it, then giving a higher chance of me having it, meaning that I would need to decrease my daily intake of cholesterol, modifying my diet and therefore, helping me live longer. Whatever is in my genes is in my genes. I can’t change that. But then there is the other side to the coin. People say, that another influence, just as important or maybe even more important than genes, is the environment that we grow up in. A very well known hypothetical study, and I can’t remember the direct results of it, or whether it was a success, was that two identical twins were split at birth, and one lived in utter poverty in the slums of Africa, whereas the other lived in the 5 star luxury-setting of America. If one believed that genes and only genes determined who a person was, then it can be fair to say that the separation of the twins from each other wouldn't have made a huge difference to the physical, emotional, mental, or even their spiritual persona. But, as I know, and as others know as well, if you do put one twin in Africa and the other in America, or even Australia, then the results will be different. No matter what you’d argue, claiming that genes determine you, you’d know in your heart of hearts that the experiences that you face every day will be different in Africa compared to Australia, and how you are shaped is therefore determined by that. 

Someone in Africa who has so little in terms of physical needs, like water and food and fresh water, has so much. They have their family, friends, their joy, and sense of dignity. Whereas we in the west, we have all the technology and gadgets and gizmos that we ever need, but with the complexity of the technology that every teenager is itching to get their hands upon; our relationships with those around us seem to be less and less important. When was the last time in your life where you've sat down as a family, parents, spouses, children, siblings; for a substantial meal, and healthy discussion, about anything, and everything, about relationships, love, God, politics, death, and all the meaty subjects that we normally avoid? Frankly, with all the ‘distractions’ such as iPhones, MSN, Facebook, and e-mails, sitting down as a big family is a less of an occurrence. The common generation Y or Z teenager may not even join their parents for dinner; they’ll just hang out with their friends. I guess maybe, that phrase, “we need to change the world” needs to be thought of in a different way. How can we change the world when we aren't being kept accountable of whether we need to be changed first? 

Facebook has changed the way that we communicate, the way that we live. But is that at the expense of the simpler things in life? Like stopping to 'smell the roses', to go outside to play cricket or soccer rather than wanting to play it on X-Box 360. Or how about playing a board game with the family rather than shutting yourselves in your room to watch movies on your computer. Life, as much as we want it to be simple, isn't so.  So what do you think we should do about it? Can we have one day without technology? Maybe, maybe not. But just the thought of wanting to, and thinking and prioritizing the things that we do is the first step. Because at the end of the day, the simpler things in life, the relationships, the quiet family times that we all have, will last more than the newest iPod or the favourite TV show.

Life wasn't really meant to be complicated, but it is. How would you make your life simpler?

How would you imagine your life without a TV, computer, facebook? I know it'll be hard, but sometimes, hard is necessary. Sometimes, a task like this will challenge you to think 'Now did I actually need this thing or not?'

Feel free to post comments about which technological item that you believe that you could live without, even if only for a week.

The First Blog Post...

As I sit here writing this post, it's 4:29 pm in Sydney, Australia; I'm thinking 'Wow, I finally created my own blog. I finally did something where, when I press the word 'publish post', everyone would see, or maybe no one.'

Anyway, let me just start by saying that the life I have lived hasn't been an easy one. Being a premature twin born at 27 weeks, during the time where doctors have said that I, Jonathan Andre, would turn out to be a 'vegetable', to right now, 21 or 22 years later, big and strong... nothing short of a miracle.

Why did I want to start this blog? I guess the same reason why everyone else in the world wants to start one, to connect with other people and discuss life, and the beauty and wonder of being alive. Because when it all comes down to it, when you strip everything away, and say 'What is life really about?', what are you going to answer?

Is it going to be the big house that you dream of wanting to move into when you've got enough cash to burn? Would it be 'i'm trying to be famous, be well liked, be known by thousands, shake hands with Bono, be friends with Mike Zuckerburg!'? Or will it be the job that you do, the amount of salary you get, or what people say about you?

What will count in the end? Because it is surely not those things. Because, as I'm afraid to say it, everyone only has one life. And that is a scary thing, knowing that. If you're like me, in your early 20s; in 80 years time, you probably won't be on this Earth. How would you want to spend the rest of your days? What defines your worth? What you do? Or who you are as a person? What shapes your beliefs and values? Your family and friends? The media? Your 'hero'?

I'm going to finish my blog soon... you can mull over these questions and think about them. Comments are definitely welcomed.

See you guys later (hopefully someone comments!)

Jon.