The Effect of a Life

So, instead of doing what I have the past two times I've actually posted and put up a bit of an old journal entry of mine, I've decided to try to be original and actually write what I'm attempting to contemplate at this moment -- and, the title of the post is actually relavant to the post itself (shocking, I know...well, at least it will be relavant once I stop rambling on and on and get to my point).

I've been thinking lately, and just now as I am writing this up, about the effect that one life can have. Truly, the impact that one person's life can have is, at least in my mind, absolutely incredible. I don't know how much I can say about this, though I suppose I could give examples of those who have influenced me a lot (I doubt that most of them know who they are).

Somehow, though, despite how much different people affect us, how much they shape who we are and who we become, we don't always seem to appreciate them, or what they do in our lives. I suppose I'm speaking of myself -- I don't seem to show enough appreciation to those who pour so much into my life, and recent events have caused me to stop and think about how much different people mean to me.

So, I would like to say that a lot of people to impact my life on a daily basis, and some a lot more often than that. One person can make a huge impact on lives around them (even though they don't always know it), and I am beginning to really understand this. My point in all of this is simple: we ought to appreciate more those in our lives who invest in us, and we ought not wait to show them (or even simply tell them) how much they mean to us.

A Completely Random and Totally Unrelated Title That Has Absolutely Nothing To Do With The Blog At Hand

So I've been thinking (at which words all who know me ought to run and hide), despite the various dangers of thinking, about why God made people. It's a rather large topic to think on, I know. Yet it's a questiong that most everyone thinks about at some point in time in their life, and I'm not exception. It's a topic that has been the basis of many songs, movies, poems, and books. I haven't been thinking about it in that great of depth, but I decided to get my scattered thoughts written down to see if I could possibly begin to understand.

I think that one of the reasons -- in fact, the main reason -- that God made man was so that man could glorify and worship God. Man's main purpose in life is, if naught else, to glorify his Creator. In all that people do, their aim ought to be bringing glory to God. Everyday, all day, people should worship God -- live a life of praise before His throne, as it were (I realize that this doesn't happen all the time, but I'm talking about what should happen.) God made man to glorify Himself. Why, though? The answerr is relatively simple -- He made man so He Himself could be glorified because He deserves it. While this would seem horridly proud and self-centred were it said of anyone other than God, He is perfect and magnificent and more than worthy of man's praise, so it is simply the truth that He deserves it, not a vain and conceited boast.

Another reason that God created people was, I think, for relationship. God is a relational God. How do I know this? History, the Bible, and my own personal experience point wildly to the fact that God wants to relate with people. He is constantly and consistantly involved both in history as a whole as well as individual lives. He didn't make the world, set it spinning, put a man on it, and then go incommunicado -- He got to know man! He walked in the Garden of Eden, forming a relationship what would help to set the course of all of history! He communicates with man through His Word -- and through other means as well.

God is a relational God, and man is made in His image. Thusly, man is also a relational creature. Man was made in a way so that he needs to connect, both with other people and with his Creator. God made man to desire at the most basic level what God desires, as well: love and friendship.

Also, I personally think (though I don't know that I could find a lot of Biblical evidence to support this particular point...but, shh! don't tell) that God wanted someone to laugh with. I strongly believe that God has an incredible sense of humour. The Bible doesn't say it, but creation certainly does. For one thing, everyone has some kind of sense of humour (no matter what type or how small). If everyone has a sense of humour and we were all made in the image of God -- well, that's something of a stretch, but I think He knows how to laugh. Honestly, I believe God made man to laugh with Him -- how else does one expliain the existance of an animal like the duck-billed platapus?

So, on that note, I come to this conclusion: God made man to glorify Himself, to have someone to have a relationship with, and to have someone to laugh with.

Wading Through the Dangers of Thinking and the Miracle of Chocolate Cake

So the title is completely irrelevant to what I'm planning to write about, but then -- hey, what else is new, eh? Though, thinking truly is a dangerous thing (and I did put some thought into this post) and my mum's chocolate cake is miraculous (given that I just had a piece...) but other than those two little bits of not so coincidental commonalities between the title and reality, it is irrelevant.

Lately I've been thinking a wee bit about creativity, trying to decide what it is, precisely. I have come to the conclusion, that there is no real conclusion to find, so I'm just gonna share my brief and slightly unorganized thoughts on this for now.

Creativity is a concept, it would seem, that is understood by most -- if not all -- people, yet I don' know that anyone could give a very strong definition of it. Webster calls creativity: "the ability to create meaningful new forms, interpretations, etc.; originality". Personally, I don't think that's a very good definition (but then, maybe I'm just being picky). If I had to define creativity (which I don't, but for the sake of keeping this thing moving along a wee bit faster than a snail stuck in molases, I'll pretend that I do, so please bear with me), I would say that it's the ability to shape unique, original things from the world around us. Though, my definition seems to hardly be any better than Webster's is.

When I stop to think about it, though, creativity is more of an abstract concept/idea than a thing to be crudely defined by pen and paper (though I treasure pen and paper dearly). Creativity is an attribute of God and was given to man when God breathed Himself into Adam. Being made in the image of the Creator, people seem to instinctively understand what creativity is, without having it defined for them.

Yet, although it is an attribute that all people have in some form or another (I am convinced), some seem to be more creative than others are. These people are generally recognized as artists of one kind or another: composers, painters, architects, sculptors, authors, weavers, dancers, singers...the list goes on and on. All of these people are creative in one way or another. All of these people have traditionally held esteemed places in many of the world's societies, becuase people respect creativity in one another (and rightfully so, for it is a unique enough gift).
The question remains unanswered, though. What is creativity? Is it a characteristic of God? -certainly. Is it a gift to man? -undoubtably. But, it is more than either of those.

It would appear to me that creativity is man's attempt to echo his Creator. It is his attempt to find what was lost in Eden -- a connection with God (and what better way to connect with the Creator than to imitate Him?) Creativity is man's attempt to understand life and beauty, and to find both of those in a fallen, broken, and hurting world.

Greetings and Salutations

So I decided that it was time that I finally got a blog. I have been a resident of MySpace and Facebook for a good while now, and have come to the conclusion that a blog might be a wee bit of fun, so I'm gonna give it a shot. I don't know how often I'll actually post on this thing, if I ever actually well. Fortunately, it looks like there's a decent chance that I might use this every once in a while and it won't be a complete waste of my time, as I'm pretty good about getting into odd habits, especially the habit of journaling lately. I suppose, truly, that I mostly just wanted a place to put all of my random thoughts and tidbits instead of just hiding them in various notebooks in my room. I can't guarantee anything about this blog, but, as afore mentioned, hopefully it shan't be a complete waste of my time , and if it is, then I've simply wasted another afternoon of my life and my summer vacation (though, afternoons are truly a dreadful thing to waste). Mayhap I shall post again soon...