Not for Sale!!!!

Last night Bro. Johnson preached on being Not For Sale at the Link Rally. This really got me thinking, lately I've been going over how readily our generation, as well as others who try to remain in our generation, is to use accept the wrong in order to get whatever they want. This past halloween I saw some of the most odd behavior ever, and when talking to people who live in the world this is perfectly fine. I disagree.

When talking about the whole Halloween time of the year, I made the comment that I feel sorry for store owners (as i work at a fast food restaurant, I know a little about the troubles they go through), my friend agreed thats it's sad, but then said that if you own a store in this part of the city, where you know the party happens, you have to be aware and accept the troubles you may have. I responded, WHY? why do we have to accept the fact that my generation gets stupid when they drink and party and they decide to pick up chairs and haul them threw windows? Why must I accept the fact that my peers have not conscious when they pick up the bottle? Why must I accept that no matter what, my peers are going to SELL themselves to whatever excuse they want in order to behave in horrid, destructive (to property and to themselves) manners in which they think they have no consequences? Her response...it's inevitable....I disagree.

I attend a wonderful church in which there is an awesome youth group, one I've never seen before. This youth group will join together and stand for what they believe in, they do not fall, they do not SELL themselves to this world. This is a group of around 10 teenagers that have taken it upon themselves to be apart from this world. I've never seen a more strong group of people; never have I seen this dedication to their beliefs and willing to do what's right, no matter what. Seeing this only helps to prove my point....we do NOT have to ACCEPT the world and it's seemingly fine behavior, we do NOT have to ACCEPT that at age 21 it is fine to go and waist yourself, not get waisted, waist yourself! we do NOT have to ACCEPT the excuses that many think is alright to believe in in order to do things that their elders would not want you to, then the next day claim to be Christian or at least claiming that because it was _____, it was alright for that behavior, and because of that excuse, the consequences just disappear, no, we should hold those accountable no matter if they're drunk, high, using some excuse that they believe makes it all better, they did what they did, no grey areas...they knew that when drinking or using drugs they lose that little voice telling them that tells them what's right and what's wrong; they knew that their inhibitions are lost, their morals tossed to the side, their standards for themselves ignored.

People of Earth, it's time to go against the grain, stand out for what you believe in, to Not sell yourself to this world, to not give into excuses that only show you as someone willing to give up their morals and standards for a "good time". I ask you this....what do you believe in? What are your standards? If your children (future or present), grandmother, and God all stood next to you while you go about your life, would they be proud of you? Or would they be ashamed?

I am Not for Sale....are you?

The pros/cons of drinking

OK, so I need a little bit of help on this one: what is the great awesomeness of drinking? I myself am not a drinker, and have never drank an alcoholic drink. I do not understand the greatness of drinking, and from a logical standpoint, cannot come up with any. I have tried a pros/cons list, which only served to reinforce my current stance against drinking. I never have heard a remarkable story of "if i hadn't been drinking, i never would have ______" , these stories always end in a bad situation, such as kissing the guy who is not your boyfriend, puking in a public place, kissing someone who, if sober, never would have attracted you...and these are just some stories that have happened to people close to me. I do not understand the draw towards drinking and cannot get past the loss of reason, morals, standards, and inhibitions that make up drinking.

With all of these reasons, as well as the experience of those around me, i cannot get myself to ignore these compelling reasons to not drink. When someone offers me a drink, i can only picture my friends and their actions after that drink...i never want to get there, i never want to lose myself so much that i act on things that i have no control over, i never want to wake up the next morning wondering what did i do last night...and why should i? Why is it so odd that i do not drink? whenever i tell somebody they look at me as those I'm the odd one, that because i want to keep my morals and standards, this is a bad thing, I'm sorry that i don't want to act the way i do during the day, then pull a Hyde and become someone else at night... hypocrisy is not something i aspire to obtain. i hope no offences were taken, but i stand for what i believe in, no matter if i stand alone...

"The way to gain a good reputation, is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear" ~Socrates