Day by Day.

April 26, 2007

Salvation of the World

"All that the salvation of the world requires is the intelligent pursuit of self interest in a disciplined and careful way." - Robert Wright

philiplikens | 10:05 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

April 16, 2007

A Challenge

"You want a challenge in your life? Get low. Be a servant. Be meek."
-John Piper ( Marriage: Forgiving and Forbearing )

philiplikens | 11:11 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

January 29, 2007

The Importance of the Gospel

"The Gospel is not only the most important message in all of history, it is the only essential message in all of history."
-Jerry Bridges

---

Which makes me think, if it's the only essential message in history, shouldn't I do whatever it takes to understand it more? Paul, a leader at my church talked this weekend about traveling alone and how God revealed to him, through that experience, what it's like to be living in a foreign land - something the bible talks about very much. So I'm wondering, if understanding the gospel is really that important, should we not become poor - if only for a time? Should we not be a foreigner - if only for a time? Should we not be homeless - if only for a time? On and on I could go... certainly God has given us certain things that are right and good, and we shouldn't deny those gifts, but perhaps we hold onto those things too tightly - so tightly that we don't really understand the Gospel, when if we emptied ourselves of those things, much would become clear.

philiplikens | 12:56 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

December 23, 2006

My Friend Frederick Buechner

I found myself, in exchanging gifts with my imediate family, not completely there, but with Frederick Buechner in Vermont. There was a burden, a weight on my heart for Buechner. It could be in part that I'm reading the latest of his memoirs that involes a lot about growing older, or perhaps it's that 5 of his books swapped hands tonight - I do not know.

It occurs to me that it must be terribly rude to think on another's death, especially when they're a complete stranger and still alive. But when I really think about it, maybe he's not such a stranger after all. Through his memoirs and other works of his hands and mind I've come to know a good bit about his thoughts, the things that have impressed him in this life, and something about his spiritual journey. In some ways I think to know someone's spiritual journey is to know the deepest parts of them - it is our souls after all that are eternal in one form or another, not so many other things of the world. So maybe I know him better than I think. Maybe I know my pastor and other people better than I think.

Or maybe it's just that one's spritual journey is just one facet of knowledge - and while it's surely what matters most, maybe we can know something of a person without knowing about their spirituality. I cried when Bill Watterson stopped writing Calvin and Hobbes - perhaps it was me weeping for the friend that left me - the fascet of him I had come to grow fond of through the characters in his comic strip. Maybe that's the weight I feel in this moment - a saddness at the thought of my friendship with Frederick, through both his life's work and his spiritual life depicted therein, coming to an end. I don't look forward to that day.

philiplikens | 08:22 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (2)

December 19, 2006

Agenda & Balance

Everyone has an agenda. In religion, people generally have their own agenda - a list of things they emphasize over others. This is most certainly a curse in one way, but is a blessing in another. For instance: My view and thus my speech and writing will always be slanted toward an artistic view of God and creation, always in awe of the beauty in all things, and how those things show us bits and pieces of God's character.

This goes to show the importance of community. As a friend of mine pointed out, Christianity is inherently corporate. There's no escaping community - if you read the Bible, you're reading the inspired words of Paul, David and Moses. If you come to know Christ, it's probably because someone has spoken to you about Him. And because everyone has their own agenda, but because of community, we have a chance to getting a more balanced view of God - where I see from the artistic perspective, I have friends who have a better grasp of God's fatherly love, or God's supremacy. Apart we emphasize certain things but together we get a more balanced view.

I listen to many sermons, read books, etc... and I hope, in the end, perspectives will balance out. Here's what, or who, I really respect and love to read/listen to and their basic perspective as I see it:

Frederick Buechner - God speaking through our lives
Matt Chandler - Dealing with bible-belt sleepy Christianity
Mark Driscoll - Jesus (preaching Jesus and fighting sin in Seattle)
Timothy Keller - doing social justice (getting people to look beyond themselves in NY) & the meta narrative of the Bible
CS Lewis - fairly balanced but - the intellectual side of the faith
Rod MacIlvaine - (don't have a great read yet but...) the intellectual side of the faith
Brennan Manning - God as Abba, or Father
John Piper - the supremacy of God
AW Tozer - fairly balanced
Ravi Zacharias - the intellectual side of the faith

philiplikens | 01:00 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

November 27, 2006

The Biggest Battle

"The biggest battle you will face in life is your daily appointment with God - keep it or every other battle will become bigger."
-Ravi Zacharias

philiplikens | 02:25 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

November 16, 2006

How Far To Go

"A Godly man will not go as far as he may, lest he go further than he should."
-The Godly Man's Picture

philiplikens | 08:58 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

November 10, 2006

Goodness is Secondary

"Christianity is Jesus Christ coming not to make bad people good, but to make dead people live - and if you're not alive to God, goodness is a secondary issue."
-Ravi Zacharais

philiplikens | 04:21 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

November 09, 2006

Fighting Addiction

Are you doing things that stir your affections for God?
Are you praying for healing?
Are you confessing to humans and repenting to God?
Are you reading and studying scripture?
Are you fasting?
Are you doing your part to avoid compromising situation and things that move you toward your addiction?
Are other people praying that you are healed?
Do you believe God can heal you?

philiplikens | 09:46 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

October 18, 2006

Accountability Between Individuals

Accountability should be between individuals, not in groups - as in: it's foolish to ask a group of people to keep you accountable because the group mentality can easily be "oh, someone else will do it." You are much better off asking one or more individuals to ask the tough questions and speak into your life - there will be no illusion in their mind that "someone else will take care of it."

philiplikens | 12:51 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

September 21, 2006

Trickle Down to Obedience

The gospel of Christ should trickle down through all parts of your life, transforming, vitalizing as it goes, and in the end, crystalizing in the form of obedience. If there is not a constant stream of transformation, if all your being is stagnant and unchanging, the best you could do is not to read self-help books, but to stop and read the bible, and not to try and change yourself, but to stop and ask God to change you. As much as it seems we can do on our own, all our efforts pale in comparison to the transforming nature of the gospel of Christ - and one of the tests of this transformation seems to be obedience (not perfection, but a desire for and pursuit of obedience).

philiplikens | 08:49 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

September 19, 2006

The Edge

You can't fall off an edge you're not even close to.

In other words, if you struggle with a sin, don't tempt yourself. Put as much distance between you and that sin as possible. If you aren't around the temptation/catalyst, you'll be less likely to fall.

philiplikens | 04:52 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

August 14, 2006

Love's Promises

"The idea of 'being in love' is the only reason for remaining married really leaves no room for marriage as a contract or promise at all. If love is the whole thing, then the promise can add nothing; and if it adds nothing, then it should not be made. The curious thing is that lovers themselves, while they remain in love, know this better than those who talk about love. As Chesterton pointed out, those who are in love have a natural inclination to bind themselves to promises. Love songs all over the world are full of vows of eternal consistency. The Christian law is not forcing upon the passion of love something which is foreign to that passion's own nature: it is demanding that lovers should take seriously something which their passion of itself impels them to do.

"And, of course, the promise, made when I am in love and because I am in love, to be true to the beloved as long as I live, commits me to being true even if I cease to be in love. A promise must be about things that I can do, about actions: no one can promise to go on feeling in a certain way. He might as well promise never to have a headache or always to feel hungry."

-CS Lewis, Mere Christianity

philiplikens | 09:08 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

August 09, 2006

Your Biography

Life is not a choose your own adventure, we are called to align ourselves with the biography God has written for us. If we approach it as a choose your own adventure, the story won't make sense. The less you try to be someone else, the more you align yourself with your own story, the more it will make sense.

philiplikens | 10:20 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

July 29, 2006

A Parable

"A parable is a small story with a large point."
-Frederick Buechner

philiplikens | 09:07 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

July 27, 2006

Humanitarian vs Eternitarian

Dictionary.com defines "humanitarian" as:

One who is devoted to the promotion of human welfare and the advancement of social reforms; a philanthropist.

With that definition, the term "eternitarian" could be defined as:

One who is devoted to the promotion of a person's eternal welfare and the advancement of spiritual reforms; a philanthropist.

This is how the eternitarian lives:

The eternitarian treats people not just as humans, but as eternal beings. They are mindful of the reality that each person is an eternal being who will spend eternity in either Heaven or Hell. Their focus is on aligning hearts and souls with the truth of eternity. They work for the eternal benefit of everyone, through evangelism and discipleship, with love for people around the world.

philiplikens | 08:10 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

July 22, 2006

Beauty Defined?

I would say that Christ is beauty incarnate - as in, He is the only thing in all creation that retained the perfection God intended when He created the world. His story, the way He walked, His actions, thoughts, feelings, His purpose; all these things aligned perfectly with God's purpose for His life. Jesus is the only perfect human being ever. The reason I call Him beauty incarnate is because of this perfection, because of this perfect alignment with God's will. Because of Jesus, I think beauty has something to do with anomaly and something to do with symmetry.

Jesus was sui generis. He lived a unique life, had a unique purpose, enjoyed unique life experiences - which is something that can be said for all of us. We are all created with some uniquity about us. In this way we are all beautiful because we were all formed (as a potter forms a pot), all massaged, all loved into being the way we are - individually.

Similarly, we are all called to symmetry, to conformaty, we are all called to align ourselves to the will of God. In some way we should all look alike, look like Christ, both in our obedience and our aligning of our will with God's. Just like a forest where the trees all look much alike, there is beauty in the symmetry that is created when we all start looking more like Christ.

For those reasons I recognize beauty as not just anomaly or symmetry, but as a combination of both - the measure of beauty being the degree to which the individual conforms to the will of God's.

philiplikens | 03:52 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

July 18, 2006

The Master Chef

It occurs to me that our lives are a recipe of sorts, a collection of ingredients that God, the Master Chef uses to make us into whatever perfect concoction he dreams up. He never uses the same collection of ingredients, nor the same amount of any one ingredient, and never dreams up the same perfect concoction twice. Which is to say, no one has the same life experiences, the same revelations, as you - God always speaks in a unique way, always works in a unique way in our individual lives.

What's also interesting to me is how God can take the still-forming, uncooked, incomplete, sticky, nasty mess that is our life and use it as an ingredient in another person's. It's like He knows the precise moment when the incomplete concoction that is our life will be the perfect ingredient in the life of another. He seems to know the exact moment when the sharing of our revelations, our experiences and our personal testimonies can be used as a bit of yeast or a bit of salt in someone else's life - which is the everyday miracle we must be careful not to miss.

But the miracles do not stop in the everyday - God is not just an everyday chef, but the Master Chef who has a great feast planned. He has billions of foods cooking, He is mixing and matching ingredients, using a bit of this dish in that, and that in the other, but His concoctions always come out perfect as promised, each one fitting into it's planned place on the great table. And that is the great miracle - that God, because of His planning and provision, has us each simmering, perfecting for a place in Heaven, when we all begin as just a mixture of flawed ingredients. In the hands of any other, this great feast would fall apart, but in the hands of the Master Chef, everything, everyone is appointed, mixed, cooked, perfected just as He envisioned and promised from the beginning.

philiplikens | 03:59 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

July 16, 2006

Closing Off

It is a flaw to close yourself off from learning from someone, no matter who they are, what they have done. If you determine who you learn from, and what you learn, by a person's flaws, what does that say about you? Is it not some form of judgement? Are those person's flaws any more wrong than your closing yourself off to an avenue of God's teaching?

Truth can come through sinners and saints alike - in fact, over history, God has only spoken through one person who was not sinful, which was Christ. Part of wisdom is the ability to take knowledge and learning from anyone, whether you like them or not, and from any circumstance. Part of wisdom is taking the truth from any situation.

philiplikens | 05:50 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

July 06, 2006

Preference

On some level everything, not inherently sinful, should be seen as a tool, and in that way, there should be no preference imposed on the relationship - you should simply use the right tool for the job. If a thing can be used to begin a conversation about Christ, which should be the end goal of all relationships, it should be seen as a useful and "good" tool.

On another level, everything should be seen as a potential pleasure. By this I mean, only certain things are "natural" pleasures - that is, things that we naturally find enjoyable - and others are possible pleasures - things that we don't naturally like but can learn to appreciate and/or enjoy - either way, all things, not inherently sinful, are potential pleasures.

An example would be my own natural affection for soccer versus my grown affection for american football both as something enjoyable to watch, but also as a tool to grow community in relationships.

That said, and point being, it does us no good to have preference *against* anything not inherently sinful because it closes us off to the possibility of both pleasure and using a thing as a tool. On the pleasure side I would say that part of glorifying God is finding pleasure in His creation - the more we can find pleasure in it, and in turn look to our Creator, the better. Therefore, to hate country music because it "isn't cool" or "isn't your preference" is just foolish. Country music can be both a tool and a source of pleasure if you allow it, if you use it for that purpose. Also, disliking "country music" is "genre hate" which also does you no good - it would be better to judge each song on it's own accord.

It comes down to this: The more picky you are, the more of God's creation you're closing out through "preference."

philiplikens | 10:59 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

June 21, 2006

Sexual Beings

Humans are sexual beings.

I think human sexuality is overrated. I think it's viewed as something somewhat pure or holy, and it isn't in and of itself. There's nothing inherently positive about being a "sexual being." Our being sexual is like coal being black. Our sexuality is an attribute of our being. It's a fact that we're sexual. Just as it's a fact that we're creative, we're emotional, we're sensual (smell, touch, taste, etc).

Humans are spiritual beings.

We're spiritual first and foremost. It's not a fact that we're spiritual beings, it's what we are - we have souls that are eternal. We were created by God in the image of God. And I'm not saying that makes us holy or pure either, but that's what we truly are. That's the root, the core of it. Everything else - our sexuality, our creativity, our emotion all falls out of the idea that we're spiritual beings. And honestly, our spirituality is the only thing that really matters. If we weren't creative or weren't sexual, we would still be God's children. And our spiritual decisions are the only thing that matters in life.

Where sexuality is a little different from the other attributes of our being is that we were commanded to be sexual. We were commanded in the garden of Eden to "be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28). But to put our sexuality, even when we're commanded to be fruitful and multiply, over our spirituality is a grave mistake. We must be diligent in making sure that sexuality doesn't become something more than it is - that it doesn't become an idol.

philiplikens | 03:49 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

June 19, 2006

Culturally Accepted and Endorsed

Lots of things feel natural and it's easy then to assume they're innocent and/or good, but I think, as Christians, we are called to question and examine everything to see whether it is truly good. Some things that may feel natural but are really sin include pride, sex outside of marriage, homosexuality... these are things that are seemingly non-negatives (as in, murder is pretty obviously wrong, but these may not "feel" wrong) that the world certainly doesn't call wrong, but are.

Where does dating fit?

Because dating feels "natural" right? Or is it just that the pursuit of intimacy on some level (spiritual, emotional, physical) feels "natural" and dating is the culturally accepted next step if you're feeling at all interested in someone? Is the desire to date mostly a learned response? Is it the right response? Why do we pressure ourselves into dating someone we just met? Is dating just an attempt at being comfortable, but really something that hinders us (kinda like gluttony aka comfort food)? Is dating neutral in God's eyes, in our hearts, in our pursuit of God? I mean, just because dating is culturally accepted and endorsed, does that make it ok for you?

Other Thoughts:

It seems as though we've made dating the process of binding two hearts together rather than the exploration of two hearts. In most relationships I know of, physical intimacy grows far more quickly than spiritual or emotional intimacy and often comes far before either person has any idea whether they *really* like the other (as in forever).

And since it is the process of binding two hearts, why are we so reckless with each other, why are we so quick to date? Is it because we fear losing them so we feel a need to make some claim on their lives? ie "She's *my* girlfriend" or "He's *my* boyfriend." Who orchestrates all relationships? All lives? Do we not trust God to bring us to the one He would have use to marry (if He would have us marry at all)? Then why not move more slowly? Why date someone you don't yet know? Why not start out as friends - protecting the hearts of both people involved? It's not as though God's plans will be foiled, that we must stake our claim outright for things to work out... And I'm not saying we should close off to the idea of a significant other, but maybe we should begin by getting to know them as friends rather than through this dating thing we do.

philiplikens | 02:15 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

May 29, 2006

The Tension Between Art and Religion

To those that would say they're intolerant of people degrading what Christ did on the cross, please examine the cross. Religious leaders were offended by the teachings of Christ so they martyred Him on the cross, mocking Him as they did the deed. God redeemed the very thing that was meant to be the ultimate humiliation and in the process set the stage for the rest of time.

We as Christians tend to crucify, through words, boycotts, and even physical actions, people who "mock" the cross of Christ. The funny thing is that the picture we paint through those reactions is surprisingly similar to what really happened on the cross. What these secular artists are doing to Christ today by producing "anti-Christ" artwork, their mockery and satire, is nothing compared to what the religious leaders did to Christ in His day.

In some sense, the closer to the reality an artist gets, the more offensive the art will seem to appear (even if it isn't their intention). We have to realize the cross was brutal. All crucifixes fall short of this reality, some more than others. The more bloody, gory, mocking, humiliating, the more offensive, the closer to the actual event, the actual crucifixion we come... and the more Christ's pain and suffering can be communicated.

I have a painting that I haven't shown many people. I made it shortly after God broke me down in 2004. The painting is a silhouette (black on a red background) of me crucified, legs running off the bottom of the page, arms out to my sides, but slightly tilted toward the sky, head tilted down. Essentially, my arms and my body follow the same lines of a woman's body... the lines where her legs and her body meet just below her waist.

Now, many people would be extremely offended that I involved the crucifix in something so overtly sexual. And I suppose, in part, that's why I haven't shown many people. That and it's an extremely personal painting for me. But this is the intent, this is the reason why my painting is probably my favorite crucifix:

My addiction to pornography, to the abuse of women and their bodies, the suffering, the pain, the humiliation, my own mockery of Christ's death through my sin - all of these things are built into this simple picture. For those reasons, this crucifix picture is my favorite. It's the most vivid, most accurate account of what really happened when Christ died of me, for my life. It's what I can relate to because of my own personal experiences, my own sin.

On a similar note, one of my friends would say his favorite crucifix is the painting on the front of Marilyn Manson's "Holy Wood" cd. Another of my friends would say his favorite crucifix is "Piss Christ" by Andres Serrano. The Manson crucifix and the Serrano crucifix are both works that have traditionally been quite offensive to modern-day Christians. But if you look at the works, if you really dig into them, if you look for the truth in them, you'll see why they like these images so much.

My friend who likes the Mason art - He just feels like the work does a good job of showing the suffering and pain, the harshness of the cross. And my friend who like's the Andres Serrano photo feels that Christ on the cross, being submerged in the artist's piss (and possibly blood) communicates well the submersion of Christ in our sin and humanity.

This is where the tension between art and religion lies - how far is too far? Is submerging the crucifix in piss and blood too far? Is it too far for me to contrast a woman's sexuality with the broken body of Christ? Or are these pictures that show an overwhelming truth?

I think we are called to recognize and hold on to truth no matter where it is, who says it, who produces it - if for no other reason than to better communicate the gospel for our current generation. This is much like Paul reading and referencing the Creation prophets (Titus 1:12) or walking through Athens, looking at their idols, then telling the people that he knows their "unknown" God (Acts 17:23+). Paul is referencing things that are by no means Christian, but is pulling truth from them in an effort to relate to the people of that land.

In the same way, it can be helpful if I can talk with an artist about why I think "Piss Christ" is so right... Or if I can show a literary connoisseur the gospel through "de Profundis" by Oscar Wilde... Or if I can pull down a Marilyn Manson cd and say to a music lover "Look at this, he got this part right, but here's how he's wrong. Let me tell you how God really is."

The main point is this: I think it is better, if you can handle it, to look for truth in the world so that you can communicate to people in a way they understand. And if you can do this, you can find inspiration and you can find Christ most anywhere you look - which should be extremely refreshing.

Note 1:

More than any other book I have read, "My Name Is Asher Lev" by Chaim Potok communicates not only what it's like to be an artist, but what it's like to deal with the tension of art and religion. If you're not an artist who want's to understand what it's like to be one, or if you are an artist who wrestles with the tension between art and religion, I would urge you to read his book. This is my favorite work of fiction.

Note 2:

You can find 3 of the works mentioned my writing here:
Marilyn Manson's "Holy Wood": http://www.philiplikens.com/myspace/holywood.jpg
Andres Serrano's "Piss Christ": http://www.philiplikens.com/myspace/pisschrist.jpg
de Profundis: http://www.philiplikens.com/myspace/deprofundis.doc

philiplikens | 10:53 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

May 21, 2006

Discipleship

"The end-game of discipleship is not theology, it's missions."
-Matt Chandler

philiplikens | 09:26 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

Rules of Dating

Don't argue with my paying for dinner, opening your door, pulling out your chair, pumping your gas, or anything else i want to do for you. A simple "thank you" is all I really want in return.

Don't expect anything. Even Dinner. Pay for dinner, or at least try, sometimes - it's nice.

Always walk so that I'm in-between you and traffic, that scary dog, or that creepy man. And if someone, such as a homeless person, starts yelling at you or making you uncomfortable, don't freeze where you are - walk over toward me.

I like compliments as much as you do.

Hints are over-rated - even "obvious" ones. Just come out and say it.

Encourage me to lead, notice when I do. Tell me how i can lead you, encourage you, etc... the best.

Everyone needs to be held sometimes, including me.

Don't argue with my mom's ways of doing anything - unless you're a professional. In other words, I'm calling my mom about that paper cut unless you're a nurse or doctor of some sort.

Sometimes I need your help... but only if I ask.

You need my help, even if you don't ask.

I don't remember much of anything important. Especially birthdays and anniversaries. It's not for lack of love, I still like you.

Hugs are always welcome... unless I'm playing a sport. A video game is a sport.

Quick hugs suck, take your time. A curb or a stair is an acceptable hug-aid.

Hold my finger, hold my hand, grab my shirt, grab my arm, hook a belt-loop, just stay in contact somehow... by default I want to know you're there beside me. If I didn't want to be touched, I wouldn't be dating.

If I'm playing a sport, don't touch me.

Wink, smile, laugh, talk.

Be on time.

Be interested.

Tell me what you like and what you don't. I'll never know otherwise.

Try. If I'm trying, you'd better be trying too. If you don't want to try, leave... even if I don't want you to. It hurts less the sooner you do it.

I will wander off when we go shopping. Just come find me.

philiplikens | 10:23 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

Terms of Attraction 2

"Handsome" is under-used and golden.

"Cute" is for girls, not guys. It's a bitter-sweet compliment.

"Hot" is good but unbelievable.

"Sexy" is believable but only because of personal taste.

"Sweet" means either "good job" or "nice try" depending on whether we're dating or not.

"Lovely" is nice.

"Beautiful" can be a great compliment.

Words like "strong", "leader", "integrity", "inspiring", "encouraging", "Godly", "sensitive", "passionate", "honest", "sincere" are highly valued... and are part of some of the greatest compliments. If someone actually, honestly, truly sees any of these qualities in me, these things I aspire to be, and says something, it will, many times, bring me to tears.

philiplikens | 09:49 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

May 20, 2006

Terms of Attraction

"You are beautiful" is a commentary on the combination of your heart, mind and body. Emphasis on heart.

"You look beautiful" has to do with your body.

"Cute" is good.

"Hot" doesn't mean you're not beautiful or cute, it just means that you look hot.

"Sexy" has more to do with your mannerisms (and our interactions) than your body, clothing, makeup, etc... In fact, gobs of makeup is a turn-off. (So are boob sweaters, short skirts, low-cut tops and anything else slutty.)

"Beautiful", "cute", "hot", and "sexy" are not exclusive of one another - you can be all of those.

A heart for God is both "beautiful" & "sexy" - and just happens to be the most attractive thing a woman can have.

philiplikens | 11:18 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

Softness

Above all other reasons to have a girlfriend is a desire to constantly see and have some "softness in a world so hard" (island by stavesacre). That softness, that comfort, that motherly thing... I've left my father and mother, but I've not found another consistent softness.

But I suppose, in a way, all I'm going is running from God, running to a human for comfort. I don't think I *need* a constant human comfort, a constant human softness... I think my need is for Christ. I just need Christ...

philiplikens | 09:49 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

May 14, 2006

The Idealist

A description of idealists (I am one) from Please Understand Me 2 by David Keirsey"

"Reserved NFs keep more to themselves and immediate loved ones, and tend to make cave-like private spaces in their homes, where they read voraciously and contemplate the mysteries of life, although they will actively support the arts and humanities in their communities, attending concerts, plays, poetry readings, and other cultural events."

philiplikens | 10:12 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

May 08, 2006

Happiness to Hell

I think the world has gotten confused about Christianity and said "God wants us to be happy" where, in reality, scripture says nothing like that. In fact, if your pursuit of happiness trumps your pursuit of God, you've put happiness before God and committed idolatry. I think God delights in growing us closer to Him, and I think His ultimate concern is His glory and eternity. There is too much said in scripture about "suffering well" and too little about happiness for me to think God wants me to be happy above anything else.

I believe true joy (joy is be more than happiness... it's sustained) can be found in God, no matter the circumstance, and I think this is partly what it means to suffer well. It's like Job or David worshiping God in the midst of his suffering, Paul singing while he's in prison... these people weren't "happy" at times but they had the joy of God. And I think part of the reason they found joy is that they trusted God was growing them in the midst of their circumstance, that they were part of a greater plan that He was working out...

Even marriage is this way. When a pre-marriage relationship ends so many people say "oh, that just means there's something better for you." It means nothing of the sort. Even marriage is not guaranteed to be happy. That relationship may've been the best you'll ever get. I mean, which of us can say Hosea was "happy"? God told Hosea to marry a hooker. He married her and eventually he had to chase her around because she went back to the prostitution thing - Hosea had to *buy* her back even. But here's the thing, the redeeming factor, God was working in that relationship. God used that relationship as a picture of His relationship with Israel, I'm sure He grew Hosea to Him in the process, and it was all for a greater good - namely God's glory... but I wouldn't say all that made Hosea "happy". However, I suspect that Hosea, like so many other Godly men in the bible, was able to find joy in God in the midst of His circumstance, in the midst of His suffering.

We are called to be dead to ourselves and alive in Christ - which means we pursue the things of God, not what we think will make us "happy" - and ultimately this will bring us the joy of God, which is beyond all worldly happiness. Pursuing the things you think will make you happy will, in the end, kill you... because any sin, any idolitry, anything other than God, ends in death. You can follow the path of happiness all the way to Hell - or you can follow God to Heaven.

philiplikens | 09:48 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

May 06, 2006

My Everything

I'm putting my everything into something that's nothing...

philiplikens | 05:30 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

Epiphany

I need Godly chicks in my life who are just friends.
I need more friends around lewisville.

philiplikens | 05:26 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

May 03, 2006

Blessed

"And this wise man said: stop. He said, stop asking God to bless what you're doing. Get involved in what God is doing because it's already blessed. Well, God, as I said, is with the poor. That, I believe, is what God is doing. And that is what He's calling us to do."
-Bono

philiplikens | 06:40 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

April 28, 2006

An Artist

A working artist is much like a flower pushing back it's petals - in doing so they reveal their beautiful, fragile inside...

philiplikens | 06:06 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

April 23, 2006

Right Relationships

A right relationship is one that glorifies God. After all, why would relationships be any different than the rest of life? In our lives we are called to glorify God in all that we do (Col 3:17, 1 Peter 4:11, 1 Cor 10:31) - and our lives include the relationships we are a part of.

Right relationships are about serving, praising and delighting in the Lord, in a relational context. So how do we do this? To treat anyone the way they should be treated, you have to get past yourself and realize that honoring and loving God is number one. It is impossible to separate the creation from God and do God or the creation any amount of honor. It is only with a heart for God that we can honor any element of creation - any human being.

How should we treat each other? As Matt Chandler says, if we were all treated fairly we would all get Hell. But Christ has redeemed us and God gives us what we don't deserve on our own. In the same way, we cannot treat each other how we deserve, but we should model God's treatment of us, respecting His creation, and treat others as perfect, beautiful, redeemed children of the Most High. If our treatment of the person we're in relationship with is based on their merit rather than their value in Christ, how can you show someone love when they do something wrong? Could this be why divorce rates are so high?

note: We must be careful using "deserve" in the context of relationship. As fallen Beings we are "deserving" of nothing good. However, as a result of God's redemption, we are all invaluable and, in that way only we are "deserving", of good treatment.

note: Unconditional love can only come through God because only God is that stable - unconditional love can only come through loving God and in obedience to Him, loving His created beings.

So why shouldn't we just write-off relationships all together? Relationships should teach you truths about God that you can't grasp any other way. Delighting in the beauty of the person you are in relationship with, in a pure way, can be delighting in God. It is about the approach, the heart.

philiplikens | 11:18 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

April 22, 2006

Short List of Learning

a short list of things i have learned in my life:

always say "i love you" back to someone who says it to you - it diminishes the effect, makes it a reply rather than a statement of it's own when you say "i love you too." (taken from monica butler)

listening is better than talking. (taken from the bible)

absolute statements are something to handle with care. however, there are absolutes - not everything is relative.

obedience to Christ, in faith, is the simplest way to get closer to Him.

hope is knowing there's something better.

relationships are more meaningful than money, work, etc.

my time is not my own, my money is not my own, my relationships are not my own, my talents are not my own - everything is God's. everything.

suffering is resistance to pain. the degree of resistance is equal to the degree of suffering. take the pain when it comes and you won't suffer. (taken from hubert selby jr)

to hear the voice of God i should be "reading the bible more than any other book and talking to God more than any other person" (taken from tim haynes)

"People have too many beliefs and too few opinions. And they don't know the difference between them." (taken from Rich Mullins)

in any given situation i think the potential for joy is greater, and/or more important, than the potential for hurt.

it is important to see the beauty in the world. get up early and watch the sun rise. go outside and watch the sun set. stand out in the rain. look up at the stars. watch butterflies, ants, dogs, squirrels. God's reflection can be seen, to some extent, in his creation.

smiling and laughter make the world a much better place.

honesty is always the best policy.

say "i love you" if you do, you never know if you'll get another chance to tell someone.

prayer has more power than we know.

there is healing in confession.

philiplikens | 01:41 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

April 06, 2006

Another Outlook on Sin

I’m beginning to notice some people whom I respect very much in the Christian community have this outlook on sin which is completely foreign to me. Instead of mourning sin, which I do, they ask why there’s not more sin. They say “Without God life is hopeless. Why isn’t there more suicide. Why isn’t there more sin?” Which makes sense to me – it’s just the other side, it’s a different outlook from what I’m used to.

philiplikens | 08:31 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

April 05, 2006

Seeing People Through Christ's Eyes

I think we all yearn to be seen through Christ’s eyes. And I think it’s rare that it happens, but it’s so beautiful when it does. I think that's what was so special about mother Teresa - she saw people as these beautiful creations of God, all of whom should be honored and helped and served... not as these broken humans who deserve nothing but hell.

philiplikens | 01:57 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

March 31, 2006

Completely Alone

I feel completely alone. I don't feel any connection to humans in this moment, which I kind of don't mind... I just want Jesus. Please Jesus, I just want you. Please know me, please let me know you.

philiplikens | 09:27 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

High Hopes

I have high hopes for my relationship with God but I suspect they aren't high enough. I so want to love Jesus. I so want to know him more. Like, I want to cry when I think about how much I want more Jesus. And yet I find I never quite get there, I always betray myself and God.

philiplikens | 09:09 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

March 30, 2006

The Unworthy Christian

I am unworthy of the title of Christian.

I don’t do well the things that Christ has laid out for me to do. I don’t love others as much as I love myself. I don’t even love myself as much as I should. I don’t feed the poor much, or help orphans and widows much. I confess that I hate stupid drivers sometimes. I am mean to people I love. I don’t talk to my neighbors, nor do I really have any desire to do so. I judge people before I get to know them. Then I judge people after I get to know them. I envy people with money, fame, comfort. I gossip about celebrity lives. I am legalistic, stuck on trying not to do the wrong thing instead of just trying to love God. I don’t talk about Christ in the same light He deserves.

None of that is what Christ lived for, died for, or called me for. He called me to love people as I love myself, which includes loving myself. He called me to feed the poor, take care of the orphans and widows who can’t very well take care of themselves. He called me to love the other drivers on the road, and be kind to the people I care about (which should include everyone in the world). I am called to be kind to my neighbors and not to judge anyone. I’m called to be content with what I have, to understand that he has provided for me, that I shouldn’t envy or talk about “how great” other people’s lives are. I’m called to love God with all my heart, and He tells me just because I love Him, He’ll transform me into a better human being. He asks me to talk about Him to people that I love, so they can get to know Him to – and the hope I have in Him.

But I don’t do those things well. If you aren’t a Christian, and you know me, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for mis-representing God to you. I’m sorry for not loving you in the way that Christ has called me to do. I’m sorry I’ve not treated you in the way I should. Please forgive me and please know that the God I know is a God that’s so much better than my actions convey… that I, as a Christian, am trying, but mess a lot of things up. I just ask you to forgive me for getting in the way of Christ, and I pray you’ll see how He really is in spite of me… That He loves you so much and wants you to get to know Him.

philiplikens | 01:31 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

March 27, 2006

Magnifying Glass

When it comes down to it, as an artist, I am only a magnifying glass. I frame off a certain space and call attention to the subject so others can see the beauty God created.

philiplikens | 10:36 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (4)

March 26, 2006

Surrendering to Jesus

"You will get as much of Jesus as you surrender of yourself."
-Matt Chandler

philiplikens | 08:13 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

March 16, 2006

Wolves and Sheep

A wolf in sheep's clothing in nice in appearance but cruel in reality.
A sheep in wolf's clothing is cruel in appearance but nice in reality.
A wolf in wolf's clothing is cruel in both appearance and reality.
A sheep in sheep's clothing is nice in both appearance and reality - and is what we should all aspire to be.

philiplikens | 01:24 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

March 15, 2006

Sarcasm

Sarcasm is pessimism you can laugh at... it's pessimism with a happy-clown face.

philiplikens | 10:46 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (2)

March 06, 2006

Something Missing

If something is missing, and you’re searching for something, the something that’s missing is God.

philiplikens | 09:40 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

March 01, 2006

Head Up Young Person

I need to be walking with my head up - how much can I learn, observe, etc with my head down?

philiplikens | 09:49 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

February 26, 2006

Experiencing God

How much can be said on one particular aspect of God? Does God not have to be experienced to be understood any small amount? How many road maps can you have before you must travel down the road to learn more? I read and I read and I read but more than anything, I want to experience God. And more than anything I deny myself the time to experience God, replacing it with time to read about Him, or do other things I feel are worth doing. Time to give it up…time to go. I’m going outside.

(this is a paraphrase of something said by someone sometime in the past… but I don’t remember what, who or when)

philiplikens | 01:44 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

Mystery, Intelligence, Truth & Humility

In all my discussion and talking with people – even people whom I consider highly intelligent, far more intelligent than I – I find not truth, but an ever-increasing realization that the human mind cannot fully comprehend the truths of the bible. I am constantly realizing that there is mystery in the Good Book and mystery in God. And while this mystery is quite frustrating, it would be stupid to think that we fully understand many of the truths of the Bible. I’m also realizing that while might seem quite intelligent to have an explanation of the mysteries of the Bible, perhaps it is more stupidity than anything – perhaps the smart man is the man who humbles himself before the word, before God, before man and says “I do not understand this, that or the other about God, no matter how I try. And so I am accepting and confessing that I do not know the truth, and will not unless God expands my mind and gives me understanding beyond my capacity.”

philiplikens | 11:59 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

February 20, 2006

Ze Devil

"The devil is a better theologian than any of us and is a devil still."
- AW Tozer

philiplikens | 08:35 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

February 16, 2006

A Good Man

Let's change our language - it's confusing when we don't mean what we say. In fact, what we say can slowly, over time, become what we mean if we're not careful.

For instance, in the church and outside of it, you will hear the phrase "he is a good man." However, this statement is not true - some who say it know it's true in the literal sense, others think it is true, and some have come to believe it to be true through the misuse of the phrase.

"Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
-Genesis 6:5

'And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting {and} wickedness, {as well} {as} deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride {and} foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."'
- Mark 7:20-23

If you say that a man is good, you are also saying that a man does not need Christ - for a sinless (ie. good) man would stand righteous before the Lord. But God judges the heart and "out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, etc..." Every man has evil in his heart (since the fall of man). No man is righteous, no man is good. All fall short of perfection and all need Christ. To say otherwise is to go against scripture, truth, and to reject Christ's sacrifice.

philiplikens | 09:29 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (2)

February 15, 2006

Medicine

Does medicine take the place of faith? Would it not be better to die trusting that God will heal you if it's his good will, than to heal with medicine and live without faith? I think it's so easy for us to heal/help ourselves rather than relying on God's good works... And I think our dependence on ourselves rather than God limits God's work (in a way) and limits our faith.

philiplikens | 09:54 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

Rest and the Condition of Humanity

How telling is it that I can't even rest fully and properly, even at home, without God's help. However, with God's help, rest can be had anywhere at any time.

Think about how big of a business comfort is - whether it be beds, sofas, chairs, feng shui, etc etc... And think about how it's all, for the most part, missing God. Buy whatever you want, no one can or ever will find full rest outside of God.

philiplikens | 09:48 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

February 13, 2006

The Artist

As an artist puts himself into a work, God puts Himself into the world.

philiplikens | 04:45 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

February 07, 2006

Free Time

My years of worldly living, loving and brainwashing led me to believe that “free time” was of necessity. I learned to guard “my time” with such a selfish hostility – I was caught in myself, not realizing my place in Christ.

The reality is that I don’t have time of my own, a body of my own, a life of my own. I don’t have a need for “free time”, “down time”, or any other time of “my own” because it’s not up to me to sustain myself. God, the author and creator of life, owns my body and sustains it. It is up to Him to lead me, sustain me, and keep me well.

For it is written:

“Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”
- Genesis 2:7

And:

“The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”
- Job 33:4

And:

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, {as to} what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, {as to} what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and {yet} your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a {single} hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is {alive} today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, {will He} not much more {clothe} you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
- Matthew 6:25-34

philiplikens | 02:13 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

January 31, 2006

God's House

You can no more comfortably dwell in a house full of things you hate than God can live in a heart full of sin. Confession is housecleaning and good works are replacement furniture for God's dwelling place.

philiplikens | 10:40 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

January 30, 2006

Prayer & Faith

When it comes to prayer, the faithful and the faithless both have a good chance of receiving what they expect.

philiplikens | 10:11 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

January 29, 2006

Advancing in the Spirit

"I say again, let us enter into ourselves. The time presses: there is no room for delay; our souls are at stake. I believe you have taken such effectual measures, that you will not be surprised. I commend you for it, it is the one thing necessary: we must, nevertheless, always work at it, because not to advance, in the spiritual life, is to go back. But those who have the gale of the HOLY SPIRIT go forward even in sleep. If the vessel of our soul is still tossed with winds and storms, let us awake the LORD, who reposes in it, and He will quickly calm the sea."

-Brother Lawrence

philiplikens | 11:25 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

Belief, Hope and Love

"All things are possible to him who believes, they are less difficult to him who hopes, they are easier to him who loves, and still more easy to him who practices and perseveres in these three virtues."

-Brother Lawrence

philiplikens | 11:15 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

January 28, 2006

The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

Read The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence now. Seriously, go now.

"That he had desired to be received into a monastery, thinking that he would there be made to smart for his awkwardness and the faults he should commit, and so he should sacrifice to GOD his life, with its pleasures: but that GOD had disappointed him, he having met with nothing but satisfaction in that state."

philiplikens | 11:45 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

January 27, 2006

Definition of Experience

Be careful not to limit life through definition of experience - whether physical statement or mental expectation.

The example would be not expecting to see a friend at the local supermarket, so even when they're only 10 feet away, you don't see them because your mind doesn't count their being there as a possibility. But this can work through life in many different way. I think sometimes we don't give God room to work because we have "tied His hands" through our lack of faith.

philiplikens | 01:54 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

Sadness For Sadness

Per a conversation with my mom, I realized one of the saddest memories I have is of my dog in his final days. This is slightly troubling as the implications are: human life doesn’t matter as much as an animal’s life to me. How do I go about adopting the children of the world into my heart? How do I start feeling for them as much as, or more than, I have felt for animals.

philiplikens | 01:53 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

De Profundis by Oscar Wilde

De Profundis by Oscar Wilde is a clear night’s sky, the surf crawling over my feet at sunset, a day spent watching animals running and jumping and frolicing, the gleam of the winter’s sun on the surface of a winter’s snow… De Profundis is, among other things, a rare and poetic picture of Christ which isn’t found in any other human words I have encountered.

Needless to say, it's worth reading.

The setup is: "Although married and the father of two children, Wilde's personal life was open to rumors. His years of triumph ended dramatically, when his intimate association with Alfred Douglas led to his trial on charges of homosexuality (then illegal in Britain). He was sentenced to two years hard labor for the crime of sodomy. Wilde was first in Wandsworth prison, London, and then in Reading Gaol. During this time he wrote De Profundis (1905), a dramatic monologue and autobiography, which was addressed to Alfred Douglas." - Read more of his online biography here.

philiplikens | 09:27 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

January 26, 2006

Every Little Thing

"The gods had given me almost everything. But I let myself be lured into long spells of senseless and sensual ease. I amused myself with being a flaneur, a dandy, a man of fashion. I surrounded myself with the smaller natures and the meaner minds. I became the spendthrift of my own genius, and to waste an eternal youth gave me a curious joy. Tired of being on the heights, I deliberately went to the depths in the search for new sensation. What the paradox was to me in the sphere of thought, perversity became to me in the sphere of passion. Desire, at the end, was a malady, or a madness, or both. I grew careless of the lives of others. I took pleasure where it pleased me, and passed on. I forgot that every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character, and that therefore what one has done in the secret chamber one has some day to cry aloud on the housetop. I ceased to be lord over myself. I was no longer the captain of my soul, and did not know it. I allowed pleasure to dominate me. I ended in horrible disgrace. There is only one thing for me now, absolute humility."

-Oscar Wilde, De Profundis

(emphasis added by me)

philiplikens | 04:56 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

January 11, 2006

Sustained Joy

A christian is the only one who should be able to live (ideally) in sustained joy because his/her joy is found not in life circumstances but in the unwavering hope and salvation of Jesus Christ.

philiplikens | 11:30 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

January 10, 2006

Faith and Works

Just as beans and cornbread are a complete protein for the body, faith and works are a complete protein for the soul.

"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."
- James 2:26

philiplikens | 10:20 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

December 21, 2005

Wisdom

I'm not nearly as wise as i'd like to be or i let on to be; and even if you think me foolish, i am more foolish even still. Wisdom is the obedience of God and i fail to obey every day of my life - but i am a fool who's stubborn enough to keep trying.

philiplikens | 08:43 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (2)

November 16, 2005

God, Good & Evil

Let us agree that any good in this world is God’s and any evil is allowed by God. Therefore, if God is taken out of the earth equation, you would not be left with complete evil. Rather you would be left with nothing because by God everything exists and without Him nothing exists.

philiplikens | 02:56 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

November 08, 2005

Never A Sun But Maybe A Moon

I can never be a sun, but maybe a moon. I have no light of my own; I do not burn… but my hope is in reflecting the light of the one who does burn bright – God. Of my own accord I’m not even a shiny mirror, but a dull, cloudy, scratched up piece of tin. But God is patiently buffing and repairing my reflecting surface and by His grace I am able to shine some of His light into this dark place.

philiplikens | 11:02 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (3)

Getting Closer To God

Someone asked me “can you help me get closer to God?” which I took to mean “any ideas to get closer to Him?”

My gut reaction was “I don’t know” but I kept thinking about it. The best advice I can think of is this – Imagine for a second that you are getting to know a person. Let’s say this person is a writer and an artist among other things. If you really desire to get to know this person as quickly and fully as possible, I think it’d make sense to do a few things.:

1) I would spend as much time with them as I could – in conversation, etc.
2) When I wasn’t in conversation, I would look at their life, the things they’ve done, what they’ve wrote, what they’ve created, the way they live.
3) I would find out what other people are saying about them, good or bad – but always looking for the truth.
4) I would do things for this person to show you're interested in them and desire to be a part of their life.*

So if that’s the model for pursuing knowledge of someone, I’d suggest that be followed with God as well. The points above could be translated to:

1) Be constantly in prayer, worship, and, as much as possible, remind yourself that God is near at all times. Focus on, dwell on Him as best you can and try to get better at doing so.
2) Take time to read the bible (what He wrote), study and be in nature (what He created), and look at the way He lives (again, what He wrote in His autobiography, the bible).
3) Attend church, read books on God, but be careful what you intake. Make sure you’re only believing the truth. Be sure to compare human thought with God’s (the Bible). A few of my favorite Christian writers are: CS Lewis, AW Tozer, Frederick Buechner…
4) "In as much as you have done for the least of these, you have done for me" Serve the people around you in His name. If you make an effort to love and serve your fellow man, you will be showing your love for God, which always brings blessings and love from Him and strengthens our bond with Him. *

So that’s my advice. God is a relational being and should be treated as one – spending time with Him will always be the best way to get to know Him, but there’s also a place for reading about Him and seeing other people’s experiences with Him.

* number 4 was written and suggested by Misty. Thanks Misty!

philiplikens | 09:45 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

November 07, 2005

Women And The Will

So, this is a horribly sacrilegious thought that I had, but I found it funny so I thought I'd share it.

Did God create women to bend the man's will that couldn't be bent by the Holy Spirit? Cause, just observing life, I'm thinking that might be the case.

philiplikens | 03:15 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (2)

November 02, 2005

What Humility Isn't

"But humility is more than just being able to admit being wrong. It isn't thinking less of ourselves; it's thinking less about ourselves. Obsessing over what you aren't makes you as self-absorbed as the person who obsesses about what she is."

-Gary L. Thomas, Putting Yourself Last

philiplikens | 01:02 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

The Point of Relationship

What if the point of relationship, or marriage, isn't happiness but holiness?

---

That's a paraphrase taken from the thoughts of many people including Gary L. Thomas in Putting Yourself Last.

philiplikens | 01:00 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

November 01, 2005

God's Forgiveness and Our Ignorance

Someone once described our sin and God's forgiveness as this:

We go out, like little childrens, and play in the mud. We get mud caked every-which-where and come tramping into the house. God picks us up, strips away our muddy clothes and washes us clean (forgives our sins) in the tub. After He has washed us clean, we run back to our old dirty clothes and, in our ignorance, put them right back on again (go right back to our old sins again).

philiplikens | 08:37 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

October 31, 2005

The AW Tozer Research Institute

"All our heartaches and a great many of our physical ills spring directly out of our sins. Pride, arrogance, resentfulness, evil imaginings, malice, greed are the sources of more human pain than all the diseases that ever afflicted mortal flesh."

-AW Tozer, The Pursuit of God

Why do we spend so much time and money researching diseases? Are we treating the symptoms and not the problem? Perhaps Tozer is right. Perhaps we should be looking for a cure to our pride. Perhaps we should find a way to fix our resentfulness. Perhaps we research a deliverance from this plague of the soul that is our sin. Perhaps we should research ways of living out love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And maybe, just maybe, the whole world should participate in this research project.

philiplikens | 10:00 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

October 28, 2005

Pain And Temptation

I believe I am called to suffer, rather than flee from, the pains and temptations of this world insofar as the pain or temptation is not completely routing me. And perhaps, in an instance where I am being routed by sin, I should flee, but only temporarily. The fight I fight is a mental one; it is the fight of being in the world and not of it. And part of this world is facing the pain and temptation rather than fleeing from it every time.

philiplikens | 04:34 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

Lousy Wretch

How amazing it is that God can work through even a lousy wretch like me!

philiplikens | 04:32 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (2)

God's Glory

What's better to behold than God's glory? Nothing.

philiplikens | 04:31 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

Dirty Rag

Like a dirty rag from the garage floor He lifts me up, washes me and sets me high to dry... until, from such great heights, I slide off and fall to the ground where I am once again soiled.

philiplikens | 04:28 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

October 27, 2005

Distractions

I suspect distractions are a mind game. The cricket chirping, the baby crying, these are natural life occurrences. Perhaps our resistance to natural life is why we label these things as distractions. The weaker of us will always run from these occurrences, or seek to destroy the occurrence, while the stronger will learn to see it not as a distraction, but as part of life. In the process, the stronger will learn to live with it or ignore it and will be able to focus on God in the midst of such life occurrences.

Labeling something a distraction is, in a way, a way of catastrophizing.

Another thought: If you turn the occurrence into an opportunity to worship, it's not so bad. An example is a plane. Say a plane flies overhead and you think "that's distracting." If you catch that moment, you can immediately thank God for the ability to fly, ask Him to keep the people in the plane safe, marvel at the idea that He created air and propulsion, etc...

philiplikens | 03:16 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (2)

Catastrophizing

"'Catastrophizing' is what happens when you think that the worst possible outcome will happen when anticipating danger or difficulty, especially in circumstances where this is actually very unlikely."

-Self Help Magazine

You've all heard people do this. Usually it involves words like worst, horrible and ever. For instance: "If it rains today it'd be the worst, most horrible thing ever." Now, I'd also say that you can catastrophize something that has happened in the past as well. As in: "That was the worst day ever."

Here's my thinking: Catastrophizing comes from a pessimistic attitude and only serves to further the pessimism and usually brings about (extra) stress. I believe that changing the physical changes the mental, and the mental changes the physical. In other words, if you stop catastrophizing, if you catch yourself and stop yourself from doing it, your mind will change from a catastrophizing, pessimistic state as well. It's speech therapy induced realism I suppose. And all it takes is changing "if it rains today it'd be the worst, most horrible thing ever" to "it might rain today" or "it might rain today, what can i do to be prepared?"

philiplikens | 02:50 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (2)

Means

The means by which we pursue Christ should be any means necessary but no means exclusively; lest we find an end in the means. We should be ever asking "what can I do to become more like Christ?"

philiplikens | 02:43 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

October 26, 2005

Extremes

Extremes take sacrifice - when you go with one, you sacrifice the opposite extreme.

philiplikens | 02:42 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

The Bible Is Not An End In Itself

"Sound Bible exposition is an imperative must in the Church of the living God. Without it no church can be a New Testament church in any strict meaning of that term. But exposition may be carried on in such way as to leave the hearers devoid of any true spiritual nourishment whatever. For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience, they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts."

-A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

philiplikens | 11:58 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

October 25, 2005

John Wesley On Orthodoxy

"Orthodoxy, or right opinion, is, at best, a very slender part of religion. Though right tempers cannot subsist without right opinions,yet right opinions may subsist without right tempers. There may be a right opinion of God without either love or one right temper toward Him. Satan is proof of this."

-John Wesley

philiplikens | 11:52 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

October 21, 2005

Failure

There are two ways to view a failure: as a failure or as a success. If you chose to view a failure as a failure, that’s where the party ends. But if you choose to view your failure as a success, you can pull from what you’re learned.

Be uncomfortable. Take chances. Make mistakes. The sooner the better.

I’ve heard it said that being uncomfortable is a sign of growth. Or, perhaps, it’s just an opportunity to grow. Either way, seek to be uncomfortable. Uncomfortable situations and growth are synonymous

If you do not take a chance, you cannot succeed. You will never get tot he top of the mountain if you stay at the bottom. And that sounds stupid, but it’s true. You must take risks to get anywhere in life. Do your research, contemplate your decisions, but don’t get stuck in the cognitive risk calculation game and forget to step out. Remember: walking is just falling forward and catching yourself.

A mistake is a learning opportunity cleverly disguised as a failure – a sheep in a wolf’s clothing if you will. The more honest mistakes you make, the more opportunities you have to learn. The best ideas lead to uncharted territory and uncharted territory is riddled with mistakes. Learn to take mistakes in stride and use the knowledge gained to succeed.

The sooner you are uncomfortable, the sooner you take a chance, the sooner you make a mistake, the sooner you can move on, learn and be successful.

philiplikens | 12:09 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (2)

October 20, 2005

Dating

we in relationship kill each other. people wonder why i don't much care for relations any more. dating is playing pitch and catch with the fine china.

philiplikens | 11:06 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

October 07, 2005

The Danger of "Protecting" Your Heart

"There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket – safe, dark, motionless, airless – it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell."

-C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves

philiplikens | 05:46 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

September 04, 2005

Door of Life

"The door of life is walked through one step of obedience at a time."
-Matt Chandler

philiplikens | 11:19 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

September 03, 2005

Doubt vs Wonder

"We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us, we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be."
-C.S. Lewis

philiplikens | 10:07 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

Set Myself on Fire

When asked how he drew the crowds: "I set myself on fire and people come to watch me burn"
-John Wesley

philiplikens | 10:06 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

August 25, 2005

Give What You Cannot Keep

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
-Jim Elliot, Through Gates of Splendor

philiplikens | 08:59 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

August 22, 2005

Love and Be Loved

"The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."
– Moulin Rouge

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I put on Moulin Rouge yesterday as I was cleaning my apartment and heard that quote. I’ve heard that quote probably 50 times between watching the movie and people at work – but it never really grabbed me like it did yesterday. Yesterday I saw the quote in relation to God – The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love God and be loved in return. Simple as that. Being loved includes accepting that Christ died for you, loving includes trying to do His will etc... but it’s really all that simple. That’s the point of all of this.

philiplikens | 08:14 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

August 16, 2005

Girly Man

I won't drink from a straw (because it looks girly) but I sometimes sit with my legs crossed (like a girl). How odd.

philiplikens | 01:34 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

August 08, 2005

Like Children

We are like children clinging to God's pant leg tugging, pulling, whining when in prayer we only request and don't praise. Fortunately God is patient with us, always loving and willing to give us exactly what we need.

philiplikens | 08:37 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

August 05, 2005

NoRepeat

I could breathe in and breathe out and praise God for this glorious moment, then do it again and not repeat myself - for each moment is it's own.

philiplikens | 08:34 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

August 04, 2005

Christlike

If it were easy to be like Christ, there would be no need for Christ.

philiplikens | 07:18 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

August 02, 2005

Following vs Acting

The more I study scripture and theology, the more easily I’m overwhelmed with the things I must do & not do... And the more I realize the simplicity of following Christ versus the complexity of acting like Christ.

philiplikens | 01:42 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

July 22, 2005

Kill It

A thought, concept, idea - not sure if I fully believe it but this is something I'm pondering:

If you want to make something famous kill it then resurrect it. I saw a new Dodge Charger on the road today. I’ve seen new Thunderbirds all over the place. Family Guy is bigger now than it ever was. These are things that were killed/discontinued then resurrected/brought back. Perhaps the most famous example of this was Jesus, but he wasn’t doing it for popularity sake.

I guess I just find it interesting that something can be mildly popular then after you kill it and bring it back it’s all the sudden something much bigger. And it can probably be explained by the buzz involved in killing something, and the buzz involved in the resurrection, but I still think the whole this is fascinating. I also find the Christ example interesting.

philiplikens | 12:47 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

July 19, 2005

A Massive Art Movement

We all know that famous question “If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” Along the same lines is the question “If an artist paints a picture/writes a novel/takes a photo, and no one is around to see/read it, is it really art?” Before you answer, hear me out. I believe art is one person's interpretation of life recorded or performed in some manor. But what makes art so interesting is the fact that there is interaction between no only the artist and the work, but the public and the work. Perhaps a better question would be “If an artist paints a picture/writes a novel/takes a photo, and no one is around to see/read it, does that work really matter?” Perhaps it matters to the artist, but if the work is not in public, it can't matter to the public – if the work isn't seen by anyone else, it can't matter to anyone else.

More to the point: for years and years the common man/woman wrote in journals, dairies, etc. For years and years the common man/woman took photos of family and friends. These things, the writing and photography, by my definition above, are art. The problem has always been the public display of said art – these things were always a very private affair. Until today.

We're in a massive art movement as we speak. With the help of blogger, movable type, flikr and other services, people are now showing their versions of life more than ever. These people are offering a glimpse of their version of reality to the rest of the world – which is art (I believe). It's pretty amazing really. The internet is, in some ways, both a business and one large art gallery. Which is really pretty cool. So when you look around at other people's stuff on the internet, whether it be writing, photography, painting etc, remember the artist who took the time to craft the work.

philiplikens | 07:19 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

July 09, 2005

eyelids

my eyelids are basketballs. they fall, bounce back up and fall back down again.

philiplikens | 01:20 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

July 07, 2005

Grapes on the Vine

"Grape on the vine
We've been alone a long time
Grape on the vine
Why not be crushed to make wine?"

- mewithoutYou, "Son Of A Widow"

---

These lyrics make me think of wine and the crushing of grapes as a metaphor for coming into God. When we break down, give up, get crushed, and give everything to God, He takes what we are and makes something new and better from us... As the grapes change from a solid to a liquid, we change from worthless human beings to priceless sons and daughters in Christ. What an amazing transformation. So I invite you all... Grapes on the vine, come and be crushed, together we'll be made into fine wine.

philiplikens | 11:10 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

July 06, 2005

Silence

So, turns out Bradley Hathaway is a genius. For those of you who don’t know, Bradley is a spoken word artist. I saw him perform at Cornerstone before the set of Project 86 (which was awesome as usual).

I’ve been listening to his poems on Mr. Hathaways's Myspace page and there’s one that especially gets me. “Silence” is the name of the track. What it’s talking about is those times where you listen for God but you don’t hear anything. Bradley, in his poem, states “When God is silent, He is listening.”

What a cool concept. I’ve never thought about that before…never seen things in that light. I’ve heard the “one set of footprints in the sand meaning that God was carrying you” concept (which I find hope in) but I’ve never heard the idea of when He’s silent, He’s listening. But it makes sense to me. People are silent when they’re truly listening. Why wouldn’t God be? And I know he wants us to tell Him about our lives and everything…It’s nice to think that when He’s silent, He’s just waiting for us to talk to Him.

philiplikens | 08:40 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

June 21, 2005

Painting vs Storytelling

In the book "My Name is Asher Lev" Jacob Kahn goes on a rant about painting vs storytelling and how a painting must be a painting first and foremost, and secondly it can (or cannot) tell a story. For me, this is the opposite. Any work of art, for me, should tell some sort of story first and foremost – it should have a concept, an idea it's trying to convey. For a painting to just be aesthetics, I don't know what to do with that. But I'm beginning to realize there is merit to Jacob's view. Not all art has to be a story – even if I disagree. I realize now there are two schools of thought. I suspect neither is more right than the other, though I lean toward the view of the storyteller.

philiplikens | 07:50 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

June 15, 2005

Stories

"Because humans can no more live without telling themselves stories than you or I can kill ourselves by holding our breath."
-Frank McConnell

philiplikens | 10:13 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

June 06, 2005

I Cannot Compare

How can I compare to something I am not, someone I am not, what I am not meant to be? I think I can but I cannot. If I were just a little bit thinner, just like him... if I were a little less sinful, just like her... if I were a little more cool, just like him... but those people are not me. And I don't want to be those people... really.

And life might seem a little greener on the other side of the fence, but it's not really. It's all just a self-created facade, a myth, a legend, it's only surface. And underneath is a life of struggles – a life not unlike mine. Their life has pain, has sin, desire and all the other things of mine, yet it is theirs. And mine is my own.

I cannot compare to something I am not, no matter how I try. When will I believe this?

philiplikens | 11:10 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

June 03, 2005

Lose Yourself

"If you lose yourself in your work, you find out who you are. If you express the best you have in your work, it is more than just the best you have in you that you are expressing."
-Frederick Buechner

philiplikens | 08:10 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

June 01, 2005

Satan's Scheme

I've talked about how sin results in temporary separation from God...

I was walking today and realized (read “was told by God”) that the goal of Satan's organization is to separate us from God. His short term goal is temporary separation but ultimately his goal is to eternally separate us from our Father – for us to share Satan's fate.

Temporary separation has to do with the every day temptations Satan throws in front of us. “Eat just a little bit more”, “sleep just a little bit more”, “lust over that pretty person” - these are phrases used to temporarily separate us from God.

Eternal separation seems to be a bit more tricky. It seems that Satan is trying to convince us of the opposite of what he knows to be true – it seems he's trying to tell us that God doesn't want to be in relation with us and that God does not exist. For that matter, he also knows that Jesus died for our sins. Can you imagine what that would be like - to try to convince a friend that the floor you're standing on is fake, when you know it's perfectly real? I suppose his ability to do this brought about his nickname - “the father of lies.”

philiplikens | 07:25 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

May 24, 2005

Pray Without Ceasing

We are told to pray in the name of Christ, for He is the one who makes us righteous so that we may appear before God; but we are not told to end our prayers with “in Christ’s name, amen.” In fact, we are told to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) – so why then do we end our prayers with this? In fact, why is there a beginning and an end to prayer? Should we not always be in the middle of prayer?

Prayer is not just an open request line for our every want and desire. Prayer is communication with God and just like communication, prayer is not limited to just words.

Remember when your mother gave you that “you’re in big trouble” glare and your stomach sunk into the ground? Remember the embrace of your father that seemed to say “you’re safe with me”? Have you ever squeezed someone’s hand three times to say I love you (once for "I", once for "love" and once for "you")? These are all examples of actions being communication. And I would venture to say that everything we do says something to God – whether we are in sin and saying “I don’t want to be with you” or whether we are walking in righteousness and saying “Lord, it’s good to be with you.”

When we ask for something, and are in verbal communication with God, I do believe it’s proper to cite Christ, but it does not have to be the ending of our prayer – we, in fact, should never stop praying.

philiplikens | 03:02 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

May 10, 2005

Things Falling Apart

It’s hard for me to watch things fall apart. The worst part of things falling apart isn’t that they fell apart, but that you have to mess with replacing or fixing those things. I guess I’m just ready for Heaven so I don’t have to worry about living in a broken world any more.

philiplikens | 08:51 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (2)

May 04, 2005

Fail

"The best way to build muscle is by going until failure. Why then are we so afraid to fail when logically it’s the only way we grow?"

---

Another brilliant observation from my cousin. I'm going to give this blog to him if he keeps this up.

philiplikens | 03:52 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (2)

May 02, 2005

When Being Kind Is Wrong

Romans 14:
12 Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God. 13 So don't condemn each other anymore. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not put an obstacle in another Christian's path.

14 I know and am perfectly sure on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. 15 And if another Christian is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don't let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. 16 Then you will not be condemned for doing something you know is all right.

17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God. And other people will approve of you, too. 19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

20 Don't tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, there is nothing wrong with these things in themselves. But it is wrong to eat anything if it makes another person stumble. 21 Don't eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another Christian to stumble. 22 You may have the faith to believe that there is nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who do not condemn themselves by doing something they know is all right. 23 But if people have doubts about whether they should eat something, they shouldn't eat it. They would be condemned for not acting in faith before God. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

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I was thinking about these verses and thinking about pride yesterday night as I went to sleep. IT was then that I realized how wrong it is to pay a compliment to someone who struggles with pride. Yes, it's a compliment, it's a wholly nice gesture, but it's not what they need. In fact, they probably want compliments and in being nice we're happy to comply with that want – but it's not the best for them.

It's just such a weird concept to think that doing something nice for someone could be wrong. But I suppose it's similar to taking a glutton out to an all you can eat buffet. It's a nice thought but if you do it too much it will kill them.

philiplikens | 12:10 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

April 29, 2005

Originality

"No man who values originality will ever be original. But try to tell the truth as you see it, try to do any bit of work as well as it can be done for the work's sake, and what men call originality will come unsought." - C. S. Lewis

philiplikens | 12:07 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

April 26, 2005

Rules

Some people would say that rules restrict freedom and to exercise your freedom is to break the rules. But if you break the rules for the sake of breaking the rules, you aren’t really exercising your freedom – the rules are still determining your actions. If, however, you objectively look at your circumstance and decide based on your goals what’s best to do, that’s exercising your freedom.

Most of the time rules have consequences if they are broken. Being free also, in my mind, doen’t mean your ignore the consequences of your actions. Being free just means you can make a choice and accept what’s coming to you based on that choice.

I suppose all of this is to explain the idea of free will within Christianity. Most people would look at the rules and say “If you’re a Christian, you’re not free – just look at the sacrifices. No getting drunk, getting laid outside of marriage etc etc.” I think being a Christian is to be just as free with everyone else, however we believe there are consequences to our actions.

Generally Christians are trying to have a closer relationship with God. We are told sin separates us from God. So every time we make a decision, do get drunk or not, get laid or not, we are really deciding whether we want to be closer to or further from God. We are free to decide, but we will have to live with the consequences of our decisions.

philiplikens | 12:56 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (3)

April 25, 2005

Want

The more I want, the less I have.

philiplikens | 12:57 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

April 19, 2005

Depression

I think depression can have two causes: An inaccurate view of God, your standing before God and who you are in God – and/or – A chemical imbalance in your brain. I don't believe it is anything more than that.

philiplikens | 08:46 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (2)

April 18, 2005

Hope

I have heard it said, and I myself believe, love is both a feeling and a decision. I have heard it said, and I myself believe, faith is both a feeling and a decision. I haven't heard it said, but I believe, hope is both a feeling and a decision.

There are times in life, generally known as "good" times, when things seem to fall into place and faith, hope and love are all feelings. At that point there is no need for decisions of any kind because the three can each be felt so vividly. And then, there are other times when one cannot feel a thing and the three can only be found by the decision to trust they exsist.

The decision is what gets you by in the hard times and the feeling is what gets you high in the good times.

philiplikens | 10:42 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

February 01, 2005

Values

Sometimes I equate someone working long ours with someone who finds their value in their work. This is flawed thinking in some instances. It's true that most people find their value in their job or other things that aren't related to God, but not everyone is that way. Some people simply enjoy what they do and like to spend much of their time working on that particular thing. Others, like myself, would rather work a regular work week and do things outside of work. But it's a mistake for me to equate someone's long hours with a flawed placement of value.

philiplikens | 01:05 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

January 28, 2005

Making Things Work

People are always trying to make things work - force it? I believe in trying very hard if you're married...but if you're not then why? I know people who've dated months and fought tooth and nail to hold onto the relationship. I just wonder if it's not working well at that level, should you maybe try to find someone else that you're a little more compatable with? Wouldn't that make things a little smoother in the end? Not that I'm the expert on relationships but doesn't that seem logical?

philiplikens | 09:32 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (2)

January 14, 2005

Social Responsibility

It is the social responsibility of an artist to convey, through a creative medium, the thoughts and feelings the general populace has but can't communicate.

philiplikens | 09:43 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

January 13, 2005

Life on Hold?

You can't put life on hold. Really. You won't be known by your thoughts, only your words, actions, expressions, creations.

philiplikens | 10:23 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

December 22, 2004

A Change of Heart

I've recently had a slight change of heart. Just recently I've been wondering if I should be going over seas to help with the AIDS crisis in Africa or the child sex trade in Cambodia.

I've always said "God, don't send me to Africa, please, please, please..." but lately I've been wondering if it wouldn't be a positive experience. I would certainly learn quite a bit from it and hopefully help people.

Now, my question is, even though my heart is starting to pull toward Africa and other places, is that really where I could make the most impact? Or is it just that I'm coming around to the idea of really taking action and so doing things around here would fulfill that longing and possibly make more of a difference since I'm good at some of the things I could do here.

Most of the things I could do here are really about publicity and generating awareness. I'm design oriented - I do some marketing, I design web sites, I create art. Is that where I could best serve? I tend to think it is. Does that mean I shouldn't go overseas at some point and see exactly what's taking place? No. It'd probably be a good idea if that's what I choose to support.

Anyhow, some interesting questions on my mind and heart. If anyone has any views on here or there... I'd love to hear them. Or if anyone has stories or knows of issues that need to be addressed please leave a note in the comments section of this post.

philiplikens | 01:33 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

December 21, 2004

Troubled Times

Sometimes I forget, when talking to others, just how much I rely on faith and hope to carry my through tough times.

philiplikens | 02:44 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

December 10, 2004

Soak

Sometimes it's good to sit and soak. Clearing your mind, cleaning your insides, is much like cleaning a nasty, greasy pan. To get started, and to work effectively, sometimes you need to do nothing but sit and soak in your own horrid mess for a good long while. A little washing here and there might do some good, but it won't clear out anything major. Only spending good quality time doing "nothing" (so it might seem) can really help one address one's problems. It seems that time has a mysterious way of working wonders. Time seems to have a bit of healing power in it. And so my advice to myself is to spend some time doing nothing but soaking.

philiplikens | 12:55 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

December 08, 2004

Feelings of an Almost Human Nature

It seems to me that humanity is afraid of feelings. Certainly the showing of feelings when you're hurt or scared. And I don't think it's just our current generation or the past couple. I would venture to guess it's been this way for quite some time...at least for men. I am curious, though, if it's always been the wame way for women or if this is just a recent (last couple generations) development. Perhaps as we move out of the stay home mom era women are being encouraged not to show feelings as much so they'll "appear to be strong" and "be able to compete with men for the same jobs in the workforce" etc...

It seems like the more women I meet, the more women I meet that "won't cry in front of men." I don't see crying as a bad thing. I cry at movies - I cry if I feel like crying. It's a natural human response. Who's telling people not to cry? Who's telling women not to be soft? If the women in the world aren't being soft and nurturing, if they're afraid to show care or feelings, who's going to pick up where they left off?

I certainly don't have an issue working with women in the office, with women showing feelings, being emotionalk, soft and fragile. In history, this is what women did. Men were the hard ones who didn't cry, weren't afraid, but also weren't able to nurture the children the same way women can. I believe that both genders have specific roles in society and those roles need to be filled. Now, that's not to say that I believe women should stay home all day to take care of the kids or whatever. Who takes what role is up to the individual families. I am merely pointing out the fact that there are certain social roles that both genders fill and if either gender abandons their roles we can have serious problems. And that's what scares me about everyone trying to be emotionally tough these days.

Here's the song that prompted all these thoughts:

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The Trial by Pink Floyd

Good morning, The Worm, Your Honour,
The Crown will plainly show,
The prisoner who now stands before you,
Was caught red-handed showing feelings.
Showing feelings of an almost human nature.
This will not do.

Call the schoolmaster!

I always said he'd come to no good,
In the end, Your Honour.
If they'd let me have my way,
I could have flayed him into shape.
But my hands were tied.The bleeding hearts and artists,
Let him get away with murder.
Let me hammer him today.

Crazy.
...

philiplikens | 08:31 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (4)

December 06, 2004

Learning to be More Observational

My notebook, this blog, both are teaching me to be more observational - to take note of the things I would normally experience then forget.

philiplikens | 02:05 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

November 23, 2004

Art vs Design

Good art asks a question or makes a statement. Good design answers a question.

Both should look good doing it.

philiplikens | 04:14 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

November 18, 2004

Cookies

I feel like eating a cookie but I don't want to deal with the way I'll feel afterwards.

philiplikens | 04:00 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (5)

November 17, 2004

Expectations

People only want to see what they expect to see.

philiplikens | 02:37 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (3)

Abuse

I abuse people in the name of fun. A comment here and there... just laugh it off. I'm not a monster. Am I?

philiplikens | 12:39 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (3)

November 10, 2004

Modern Church

One of the major pitfalls of the modern christian church is its obsessive focus on sin rather than God.

philiplikens | 02:01 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (2)

November 03, 2004

Song Writing

One of the keys to song writing is communicating to every person at their level. This doesn't mean you have to comprimise your higher level thinking...but if there's a way to intertwine lower and higher level thinking so more people get something out of it...perhaps that's the way to go?

philiplikens | 02:49 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

October 31, 2004

Blind

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." - Gandhi

philiplikens | 10:16 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

A Couple

Two people content in one another. Caught up in each other's love. Oblivious to the rush - yet still observant and curtious. Simply amazing and beautiful - and rare.

philiplikens | 10:11 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

Come and Go

People come and
People go and
I am only
One of them

philiplikens | 10:00 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

Eggs and Chickens

There's more to raising a chicken than merely hatching an egg.

philiplikens | 09:48 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

Truth About Pigs

Relative truth states that a pig covered in mud is not dirty. How can a pig be dirty if his whole exsistance is based on mud and slop? From his relative point of view, a pig without mud is much more dirty (and abnormal) than a pig with mud.

Absolute truth states that a pig covered in mud is, in fact, dirty.

Which is the "correct" point of view? I think, perhaps, both.

philiplikens | 09:47 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

October 28, 2004

Short Walks

With long legs short walks become just that - very short.

philiplikens | 02:34 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

October 21, 2004

Knowledge

the more i know
the more i don't know
the more i must rely on
someone who does know

philiplikens | 10:38 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (2)

October 17, 2004

Addictions

I believe addictions are a direct result of one not being able to deal with one's own life experiences - emotions, thoughts, feelings, happenings - the natural ebb and flow of life.

philiplikens | 08:37 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (4)

October 10, 2004

Questions

By asking questions you gain the potential to learn something new - even if that something isn't the answer you were looking for.

philiplikens | 08:51 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

September 27, 2004

Wealth

if wealth is measured by posessions - jesus, paul, gandhi were all poor men... but i consider these people very wealthy. the world has such a distorted view of wealth and i sometimes get caught up in that thinking.

philiplikens | 08:59 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

September 13, 2004

Live & Learn

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Gandhi

philiplikens | 01:56 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

Wounded Generation

We are the wounded generation. Our fathers weren't quite sure how to love us, how to comfort us, how to show us they care... and that's no fault of theirs, their fathers were the ones fighting world war 2, with hardened hearts and memories of battlefield horrors.

And even though our fathers were distanced, we are coming around. We are beginning to feel what our fathers couldn't. We are beginning to see the beauty, beginning to have a heart for the world. And most importantly we're learning how to love the people around us and communicate that love.

Gandhi said it best when he said "Be the change you want to see."

philiplikens | 01:54 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

September 03, 2004

Pocahontas

Right now, it's stylish to look like Pocahontas. I saw a girl today in moccasins and some colored dress getting into a Jaguar with her mom.

philiplikens | 09:40 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (2)

September 02, 2004

Simplicity

Honestly, I yern for simplicity, but I gravitate toward complexity.

Perhaps the key is focusing on the day to day? Or planning? Focusing on the positive? Being proactive? Smiling? Removing tolerances?

philiplikens | 12:18 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

September 01, 2004

Perfectionist

Perfectionist to the point of paralysis.

Some people are so focused on doing exactly the right thing, acting exaclty the correct way, fulfilling their mission without failure, that they become paralysed and actually fail to begin. Idealism and perfectionism then promote procrastination - a form of paralysis. I've both experienced this personally and watched as other people have experienced this same phenominon. It's both extremely sad and slightly comical to view because most of the people who experience this are truly capable of completing, and quite possibly perfecting, the task they've chosen to persue. They only need to take that first step.

philiplikens | 10:18 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

Infinity

I just witnessed a bug of some sort fly in the shape of infinity 5 times in a row then depart from it's path. After the departure it flew in the same sort of pattern but not so much the same place twice as it had before. I suppose nothing here lasts forever...even things mimicing or persuing infinity.

philiplikens | 02:40 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

Answering Machine

From a book titled "The Radical Leap":

"You've reached the number of ______. You may think this is an answering machine. It is not. This is a questioning machine and there are two questions: Who are you and what do you want? And lest you think those are trivial questions, consider that most people go through their entire lives without answering either one."

I think that's just brilliant. Offensive in appearance at first, perhaps, but once you really consider what it's saying it's very caring and thought provoking.

philiplikens | 10:36 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

Intelligent Music

Some say, and this theory has been tested, that classical music, such as mozart, temporarily heightens intelligence. My question is why?

Is it is because the work is of a genius who's intelligence is greater than my own...? "You are only as intelligent as the company you keep" comes to mind. If that is the key, would listening to an electronic artist such as BT have the same effect (he's been tested to have an IQ of around 170 I believe)? Or is it perhaps the complexity of the work? The use of mathematics within music? I'd be curious to know.

philiplikens | 01:23 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

August 31, 2004

Perceptional reality

Your reality is based on your own individual perception. If you've ever experienced the feeling of time moving quickly or slowly (if you've ever said "Today went by way too fast!"), you've experienced a skewed version of Reality that is based on your own interpritations, projections and perceptions. Your individual reality (small "r") is not absolute Reality (large "R"). In my opinion, no one really experiences full Reality, only pieces of Reality. But it's not such a bad thing as we're all in the same boat. It is my belief that only a being (i.e. God) who can get past human things like emotion, life experience, transference, sensory flaws, etc, can truly experience absolute and total Reality.

philiplikens | 03:24 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (2)

Big Canvas

Last night C quoted Danny Kaye when she said "life is a great big canvas and you should throw all the paint on it you can." An inspirational quote for an aspiring artist... or anyone alive for that matter.

philiplikens | 08:15 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

August 30, 2004

Displacement

As boats move through the ocean or lake they displace a certain amount of water creating a wake - the displacement of the water effects it's surroundings. Now wouldn't the waves created by that boat carry through at least part of the body of water?

Now take this concept and apply it to cars and trucks on a highway. We've all felt the rush of the air as a car or truck passed us by. My question is: Do busy highways create extra wind? Assuming they do, how far does that extra wind travel? How is our envirnment affected by that displacement?

Update: Should we be engineering cars centered around replacing (rather than displacing) the air surrounding them? Should the hybrid/environmental cars be focused on both fuel efficiency and neutral movement (not displacing air as they move)?

philiplikens | 02:09 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

Second Time

It is my understanding that an allergic reaction will not occur on your first encounter with the allergen. This is simply how our body works. My theory is that our brain carries this logic over into other arenas. Have you ever found when you first encounter a new sport you're not very inept, but if you come back to the sport 6 months or a year later you're much better? Or you come across a concept that you simply can't comprehend, but when you come across it again, it all comes clear? Part of this phenomenon can be accredited to gains in life experience and knowledge, but, perhaps, part of this phenomenon can be likened to the allergic process our bodies naturally go through (which is, in part, a function of our brain).

philiplikens | 01:43 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)

August 26, 2004

"Save Me" Lyrics

I love the song "Save Me" by KMFDM. I especially like the last two phrases/paragraphs where it starts "Mother Father..." I hope you'll find as much wisdom and relation in this song as I do.

---

If You don't know if You have found what You are looking for
The silver-lining always starts to fade
And what You don't know is that You don't know the truth anymore
Now You try sleeping in the bed You have made

The feeling is gone and the circle is broken
Like water under a burning bridge
A million words but nothing is spoken
A deafening silence replaced by fear

Save me
I can't find my way home
The grace I've fallen from
The only truth I've ever known

So when You tell me what You tell me
I can't take it anymore
The same old story goes around and around
You think that if You speak a little louder than You did before
The point You make might somehow stick around

If empathy is no more than a token
I cry a river in the pouring rain
The princess still sleeps but she will be woken
Her kiss of love is killing me

Save me
I can't find my way home
The ground I'm walking on
The only friend I've ever known

Mother father
The battle I fight is for no one
No one but myself
Brother sister
The devil inside is my own now
There's no way You could understand
You don't understand

Mother father
The tears that You cry are for no one
No one but Yourself
Brother sister
I travel this road on my own now
There's no way You could understand

philiplikens | 12:03 PM | Observations | Link | Comments (1)

August 25, 2004

Contrasts

Without the dark, the light wouldn't be nearly as brilliant.

philiplikens | 08:00 AM | Observations | Link | Comments (0)