MORTAL KOMBAT. KA-POW!

The first time I played Mortal Kombat as a kid I hated it, but probably not for the reasons you would guess. I mean sure it wasn’t My Little Ponies, but my brother and I had an understanding where I would play video games with him and in return he would watch Nickelodeon/Disney channel with me. And yes, the whole violent aspect of the game (fight against an opponent until one player dies) was unappealing, but what really bothered me was that I was TERRIBLE at the game. I’m an uber competitive person and I just remember feeling so frustrated because I didn’t know how to actually play the game. Sure I would manage to sneak in a lucky punch or kick here or there, or try and push multiple buttons at the same time hoping for some kind of miracle. But the result was always the same. I would usually deplete anywhere from 5-10% of my bros life before he would finish me fatality style. It wasn’t fun… until one day when I discovered a little thing called the instruction manual… CHA CHING! This was what I had been missing. I had been trying to rely on my gut/instincts when all along a winning strategy was already laid out nicely for me. The manual listed pros/cons of each character and detailed instructions on how to execute special moves. And yes, post discovering this gold mine, 66% of the time I was able to dominate my brother all the time.

I think this is true for other aspects of my life. Often times I use to tell myself that I just wanted to have peace… but the problem was I didn’t really know how to achieve that. And yes I would try things that I instinctively thought would bring peace, (listen to some Bob Marley, take a warm bubble bath, or have a glass of wine) but it was never lasting. It wasn’t until I entered a relationship with God, and used the Bible as my instruction manual, that I was able to get peace. Real quick, I want to share both my MK strategies for domination and my Biblical strategies that will guarantee peace.

#1. Choose the right team- The most important step. Without the right selection, you’re screwed.

• MK: Raiden. Hands down the best character. He is a thunder god who has the most moves, including the ability to surprise the opponent via Teleportation (down, down up).
• Peace: In order to have access to peace, you need to have a relationship with God. (It doesn’t come from positive thinking or repeating affirming mantras). Once you choose team God, He sends his Holy Spirit to dwell inside you that will allow peace to develop within you (John 14:27). We don’t have a guarantee that our circumstances will change or improve, but we can enter his peace because he has already provided a way through Jesus's work done on the cross. (John 16:33)

#2. Master the key moves- Okay, so it isn't enough to just choose a team and then take a back seat to victory. You gotta use the moves and put in some effort.

• MK: In addition to teleportation, Raiden can perform Lightening (Back, Down, Forward, Low Punch) and Torpedo (Back, Back, Forward) on an opponent.
• Peace: PRAYER. We can overcome battles with stress and fear about the future by communicating with God via prayer and telling him everything that’s causing us unrest (Philippians 4:6-7) . Heck, Jesus even promises to carry our burdens for us, and give us rest from the things that are weighing us down ! (Matthew 11:28-30)

#3. Eliminate the enemy – It’s not truly over until this step is taken care of.

• MK: Turn opponent into dust/bones via Raiden's finishing move (Forward, Back, Back, Back, Low Punch)
• Peace: Silence the devil using scripture. Satan is always going to try and plant negative thoughts in our head to cause anxiety. We can successfully train our mind to realize these lies by using scripture to remind us of God’s truth.

So hopefully now you see that peace is possible. We will still be in a battle while on earth that’s for sure, but if we put on the full armor of God daily we can be victorious. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite passages explaining this.

"Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. " Ephesians 6:10-18

RAINBOWS!! FLIPPY FLOPPIN GOOD TIME

I ain't talking flippy floppies, even though those are legit and everyone should own a pair. I'm talking about rainbows that appear after it rains. Take a minute and watch this video. This broseph spots a double rainbow and expresses his utter confusion/joy/surprise and even cries at the end of the video. I PROMISE YOU THAT YOU WILL LAUGH. I RARELY LAUGH OUT LOUD YET I WAS ON THE GROUND ROLLING. No joke. Best part is at the end.


Now, go back, watch it again, but this time only listen to the audio, and don't look at the video. You will laugh harder. I think it's only fair to try and answer this poor man's question, wouldn't you agree. I mean just listen to him " 'WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? OHHHH.. OMG... OHHHHHH... OH GOSH... IT'S SO BRIGHT... OMG IT'S SO BRIGHT AND VIVID... OHHH OHHH... OHHHH IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL... " This guy, plain and simple, just got caught up in the glory of God and was mesmerized. He probably didn't realize it, but that's what happened. (Special thanks to Krissy's mom for making this profound statement). Let's check out the origin of rainbows and get this guy some answers, shall we?

RAINBOW (ORIGIN): Created by God post-Flood. The Flood wiped out the entire world except Noah's Ark.

Genesis 9:8-17 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: "I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth." And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."

WHAT IT MEANS

1.) God's faithfulness- Ya'll, when God makes a promise, you can be 100% assured He will keep it. Beloved, don't you realize that Noah's Ark took place in 2500 B.C., meaning that God has stayed true to His word and not wiped out all of creation with a flood for nearly 4,500 years!

2.) God's grace- When God made this promise to Noah, Noah's sons, and all their descendants yet to come (i.e. each one of us!) it wasn't because of anything they did. Remember they were straight up chillin in an Ark with lots of animals for 370 days, and that's it. Granted God told them to go in the Ark, and they listened, but I'm sure anyone would listen to GOD when He tells you to go into the Ark in order to live!! (techinically Noah did have faith in that he believed God's warning of the coming flood). But still. The alternative of experiencing God's wrath as He takes out all of creation with one fell swoop in the form of a massive flood doesn't sound too appealing. You see, God decided to show favor on them/us not because they/we deserve it, but rather because God loves us, hence Grace.

BONUS TIP/SECRET
You can escape God's wrath sans boat! - Okay so we don't have an Ark readily at our disposal as a safe haven to hide from experiencing God's wrath. And we know that God is holy, righteous, has a hatred for sin, and won't allow sin to go unpunished forever. I would say we are up a creek without a paddle. However, let's remember that Jesus Christ came to this earth, was fully God/man, and died for our sins SO THAT we may no longer be under God's wrath. We can seek shelter and refuge in Jesus, we don't need no stinkin’ boat! Boat shoes however, are optional for fun/freedom.

Thank you for your time, and as always, stay classy.

Team Edward or Team Jacob?

In addition to celebrating Amurrrica this past weekend, I was exposed to the awesomeness that is the Twilight saga. Although I was initially opposed (sci fi/fantasy aren't really my thang), about halfway through the 2nd movie (there are 3 total so far), I was completely hooked. Bella, the main character, is in a bit of a conundrum. You see, there are two "men" that are madly in love with her, Edward who is a blood sucking vampire, and Jacob who occasionally transforms into a wear wolf... This whole love triangle comes to a head in the third movie when Bella is forced to choose Edward or Jacob. I won't spoil the movie and tell you who she picks, but I know I had a REALLY hard time deciding who I would have picked. So in lieu of doing a pro-con-pro on each of them (this is not Greek rush), I'd do what any other girl would do in the midst of having 2 men proclaim their love for you, a comparison chart!

Keep in mind, both men are quality and both have proven on numerous occasions that they will do ANYTHING to protect Belle and keep her safe. Their love for her is legit no doubt... So it's a tough call.. it's not a simple black and white decision.. it's more grey...So we must boil it down to the nitty-gritty...what is more important at the end of the day? Could you deal with a man who is wearing jorts all the time in return for having a warm body that will prevent you from getting hypothermia? Or could you forgoe being able to hang out/frolic in the sun if in return you could have endless quality time with your man? I JUST DON'T KNOW!!!! Now, let's say you are faced with another decision in which someone has professed His love for you and you must choose whether you want to get this relationship going, or whether you want to just end things before they begin. I'm talking about a relationship with God ya'll. Let's real quick do a comparison showing the side effects associated with each option.

So without God you can maintain your pride...i.e. the love of your own excellence. Without God you can say: "I'm in control of my life". " I accomplished x". " I was able to do y all on my own". "I am highly intelligent and can figure out everything." I am strong on my own and don't need help". For some people, that has a ton of weight. If you don't think you value pride, think of the last time you refused to admit to someone that they were right and you were wrong, when it was painfully obvious to everyone involved how dead wrong you were.

But with God, what do we get? Everything! Okay, well maybe we don't get the promise of health, wealth, and prosperity (note: we don't get this promise with Team No God either)... but who cares! Will you still need wealth if you can have joy regardless of your circumstances? (Because ultimately isn't happiness the only reason we strive for wealth to begin with?) And yes it would nice to always be in top-health and never have to face bad times, but the reality is that ALL people suffer, whether Christian or not... So wouldn't it be nice if we were able to have supernatural strength during these trials to make them more manageable? And yes, it would be nice to be successful and prosper, but if we don't, wouldn't it be nice knowing that we constantly have peace from the Holy Spirit that dwells inside every believer?

So what's it going to be.. Edward or Jacob? God or no God? Over the next few posts, I'm going to try and address each SIDE EFFECT for Team God and hopefully by the end the decision for God or not for God will be much easier than the decision for Ed v Jake.

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