And After Connecticut...

How could a loving God let this happen? How could a good God let this evil take place?

A tragedy—more than a tragedy, really—shattered the hearts of Americans this morning. In Newtown, Connecticut, twenty elementary-school students and six faculty members of Sandy Hook Elementary School were shot and killed in the "second-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history," according to a CNN news report.

In response, Connecticut governor Dan Malloy is reported to have said, "Evil visited this community today."

Gov. Malloy is quite right. The shooting was nothing less than pure evil. What else would dare to steal the lives of innocent children? What else would dare to even expose innocent children to the possibility of death—and violent, cruel, repulsive, horrible death at that?

It's horrible—absolutely horrible. Parents, brothers, sisters, children, families—lost forever.

How could a loving God let this happen? How could a good God let this evil take place?

These are the questions reverberating in the minds of Americans today.

How could a loving God let this happen? How could a good God let this evil take place?

Because He is loving, and He is good.

You know, as strange as it sounds, there can't really be evil if God is not good. We'd have nothing to compare evil to if we didn't have a perfect God. Without an absolutely good God, there is no standard of good—and therefore no evil either.

But the questions still come up, because evil still hurts.

How could a loving God let this happen? How could a good God let this evil take place?

If God was really so good, why would He let His people hurt? Why can't He just take the evil out of this world? If He's so good and so powerful, why doesn't He do something about it all?

Because He already did. He's just waiting for you to see it.

About 2000 years ago, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to live a perfect life and die on a cross, bearing the shame of sin itself and the wrath of God with it in order that you, by trusting in Him, might have eternal life in heaven with Him. No more punishment for sin; no more hell. Jesus paid the price so that we could have life.

Through Jesus, God provided a way to Himself, and He said that this is the only way to Him (John 14:6). And what is He doing now? He's waiting—patiently waiting for people to turn to Him. Someday, He will stop waiting. He will then destroy all evil. But when that day comes, it will be too late to turn to Him.

So why doesn't God destroy evil? Because if He did, it would all be over. No one else could accept Christ's work on the cross and turn to Him.

Yes, there is evil in this world. And God allows it because He is good—because He is patiently waiting for His people to accept Him.

I know what you're thinking, because I'm thinking the same thing: What about us? Why do we still have to suffer now? Why do we have to wait while He's waiting?

I don't know.

I don't know why God does it this way. But I do know two things. First of all, He knows what He's doing—and if we believe in Him, He is working for our good (Romans 8:28). This sounds like a cheesy, "Christian" statement. Perhaps it is. But sometimes it's necessary to hold on to the cheesy answers. Pain often gives them meaning.

And secondly, when we suffer, He doesn't leave us alone. He doesn't just watch us suffer. He doesn't just stand by and stare at us unsympathetically, wondering why our tears fall. No, our God isn't like that. Our God is different.

Our God suffers with us.

Think about that. The very same God who created the universe, who holds everything together by His divine power, hurts with you every time.

John 11:35, the shortest verse in all of Scripture, displays just how Jesus responds to hurting hearts: "Jesus wept" (NIV 1984). He felt the pain of those around Him, and He mourned with them.

We serve a God who feels our pain. And in the midst of tragedies like this, it's terribly difficult to see that. It's hard to say that He's still good, that He still notices the evil in this world.

It's hard to believe Him through this. But we must have faith. We must remember that, in the end, God wins. He will conquer the evil of this world. It will be over soon. And in the meantime, we are not alone. We may not understand how or why God works the way He does, but we do know that He has promised to stand by our side through it all. He will comfort us. He will save us. And, when we hurt, He will suffer with us.

Shhh...You're a Christian

I watched a movie on TV the other day with my family...a Christmas "classic," according to my dad. It was pretty good. But afterwards, nothing about it—no catchy line or significant scene—stuck in my head. After watching it, I can't say I gained (or lost) anything.

The shocking part, though, was the commercials. Yes, the commercials, which we (mostly) fastforwarded through. But there was one which I remember. I saw it three times. To be honest, I can't even remember what it was actually about...

I know...boring blog post...

"You've gone crazy!" they say.

"Why tell us about something you don't even remember?"

"You're wasting my time!"

But wait. Let me tell you about the part I do remember. It was crazy. It was so unexpected that I jumped in my seat all three times when I heard it.

Here's what happened: they mentioned God.

"Oh, big deal," you say. "I hear that name more times in a day than I care to count."

That may be true. But this one was different. This time, they mentioned God's name without an "oh my" before it. They said His name with purpose. That purpose? The speaker was sharing how God works even in our most painful circumstances.

So why was this tiny mention of God's name so significant? It only happened once in the entire commercial. Why, when I forgot every other part of the movie and all of the other commercials, did this stick out? Perhaps it is because I have grown accustomed to the sound of modern media...

Think about it. When was the last time you watched a popular movie about God? No, not the Greek gods in Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief. I'm talking about the real God: the Holy One described in the Bible—the great I AM.

Our culture doesn't talk about this God. And anyone who believes in Him is expected to keep it to themselves. "Coexist," they say. "Let each person believe what they want to believe. Don't shove your religion down my throat."

And, sadly, most of us listen to them. We keep quiet. We're Christians, after all. The world doesn't want us. So we shut up. And if anyone—even a silly commercial—brings up our faith, we fidget uncomfortably. We deny it. Christian?? Ha! Not me.

Make no mistake: I'm just as guilty. I know hundreds of people (and I've encountered thousands more) who are not saved. Some of them are close family members. And what do I do about it? I pray really hard, asking God to give me courage to share my faith. Then I go out and laugh and joke with them...and I never bother to mention what's really on my mind. Now's not the time, I think each time I feel the Holy Spirit's prompt. I'll have plenty of opportunities later.

But will I? We are not given unlimited chances to share our message. Sometimes we only have one chance. And if we blow it, what then? (Yes, God is in control. But that does not excuse us from sharing what we know.)

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He left us with this command (followed by a promise): "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20, NIV 1984).

We have been given a message of hope: the good news of the Gospel. We know that faith in Jesus Christ is the only guarantee of eternal life in heaven (John 14:6). And yet we stay silent. WHY???

WE KNOW THE TRUTH. It's time for us to share it. We've got a job to do, a mission to complete. So let's get up, put on our armor (Ephesians 6:10-18), and start fighting. We may not be of this world, but we are in it. And while we're in it, we must impact it. Let's share God's truth. Let's stop fidgeting in our seats and blushing at the mention of God's name. Let's tune our ears away from modern media and listen to God's call. No more "coexisting." Come on, Christians, it's time to move. Be assured: we are not alone. Romans 8:31b says, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (NIV 1984). And in Matthew 10:28, Jesus commands, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (NIV 1984).

We've got a message to share and nothing to lose. So let's go!

When Shadows Fall...

Sitting at home in my room, with my Bible in my hands and all my limbs tucked in close to my body, with one soft yellow light pouring over the small black text printed delicately on the thin pages of my most treasured book, with my family asleep and my troubles at rest--I feel God. I know that His presence surrounds me. I read His Word, and I love it. I yearn for Him. A passion is ignited in my heart--one that makes me believe that I can do anything, go anywhere, and say anything for Him. I feel as though I've got all the power of the Holy Spirit that is described so vividly in the Scripture I'm reading. Then, feeling like I could conquer the world, I put my Bible away, turn out my light, and tuck myself into the soft sheets of my bed. I lie on my back and stare up at the glow-in-the-dark stars on my ceiling. And I fall asleep in the most peaceful manner I could ever think possible: wondering at the greatness of God, feeling His presence, and reveling in the strength of His love.

But then...I wake up. My alarm clock blares into my sleep, and I blink my eyes wearily as I listen to my siblings argue. I turn my alarm off and open my Bible again. I still like it. I still marvel at the wonderful pictures of God and the encouraging testimonies of His followers. But it isn't the same. The sun seems so much harsher than the moon. Silence has been replaced by chaos. I have woken up to reality--a cruel world filled with cruel people. I do my best to ignore it, to enjoy my time with God and to fill my empty soul with His comforting promises. Many times, I feel as though I succeed.

But as soon as my feet leave the white carpet in my room and touch the ugly pink carpet of my hallway, it all fades away. I can't feel Him anymore. The real world is here, and the comfortable atmosphere of my bedroom evaporates. Try as I might, I can no longer seem to focus on anything ethereal. It seems as though it has floated out of my reach and been replaced by the heavy and dark burden of this world.

The day drags on, and once in a great while I find something--maybe a song, or even just a chord--that briefly allows me to catch a glimpse of that beautiful existence that I know alone in my room. For a second or two, I remember what that feels like. But it never lasts long. The strange, dark veil of this troublesome world always covers my eyes again. And I am left anxious--restless. Restless for God. My hands claw at the air, desperately trying to grasp that infinite Being and all that He has to offer. My mouth is parched; my eyes are dry...I search for Him everywhere...

"Where is God in the city life? Where is God in the city light? Where is God in the earthquake? Where is God in the genocide? Where are You in my broken heart? Everything seems to fall apart. Everything feels rusted over. Tell me that You're there!"¹

I know I'm not the only one asking these questions. This cruel, devastating, and hopeless world gives us nothing. We know, deep down, that there's got to be something more. As a Christian, I know that this human desperation cannot be fulfilled by anything or anyone except for God Himself. But I also know, from experience, that God is somehow extremely hard for us to find...on our own.

Clouded by our worldly veils, we can't possibly see God. We are bogged down by depression, burdened with shame, surrounded by sin, overcome by hopelessness. We are so busy looking down that we can't ever seem to look up! But, thankfully, God never leaves us like that. He lifts up our chins, opens our eyes for one brief second, and gives us tiny glimpses of Himself. That's what I feel when I'm in my bedroom. That's why I know He's there. My prayer is that I will someday be able to feel Him like that even in the midst of this world's chaos. But what do I do while I'm waiting for that to happen? What about now??

Our world may seem like it's crashing down. But it's not like it was ever getting any better. Maybe we're just looking at it from a different perspective...We only see shadows because we are focusing on them. We only focus on shadows because we think that they are bad things. But what are shadows?? One might say they are simply proof of the sunshine.²

No matter how dark, hopeless, or terrible this world seems, we can't give up. God is there. Our brief glimpses of Him are enough to tell us that. We must learn that even when times get tough, even when sin tries to thrust its black hand over our eyes, we must push on. We must keep pursuing God. We must run towards Him with everything that we are. We must follow that burning desire within our hearts to find that something more. It's not going to be easy, but it will be worth it. I promise.

And so does God.
——————————————
¹ Switchfoot, “Vice Verses” (2011). Lyrics source: Musixmatch.

² Switchfoot, “The Shadow Proves the Sunshine” (2005).

Harps and Angels??

"Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they are ever praising You." —Psalm 84:4 (NIV 1984)

Wait a minute. Stop right there. You mean to say that I have to spend all of eternity praising God? Are you serious? I can barely keep focused for one worship song...and you're telling me that I'm going to have to sing for eternity? Do you know how long eternity is? It's a long time, and—

Yeah. Eternity is a long time. If you want to look at it that way. Personally, I wouldn't really consider it "time." This is going to get complicated, but I think it's necessary. I don't think eternity can really be considered in our limited knowledge of time, for I honestly don't think God sees it that way. I think God functions outside of time. This is a concept we cannot possibly grasp, for we have never heard of anything outside of time. We have always lived in time. But I don't think we always will. I think Heaven is different—it's as far from time as God is.

C.S. Lewis puts it this way: "If you picture Time as a straight line along which we have to travel, then you must picture God as the whole page on which the line is drawn. We come to the parts of the line one by one: we have to leave A behind before we get to B, and cannot reach C until we leave B behind. God, from above or outside or all round, contains the whole line, and sees it all" (Mere Christianity, p. 168).

As strange as it may seem to us now, this view of "time" seems to suggest that once we leave this world (and therefore enter the next), then we will also leave time itself. Our eyes will be opened so that we don't see time as we see it now. We'll see it how God sees it. I can't explain this now, for I too don't understand it. But I think that once we actually get to Heaven—once we actually see with our own eyes what eternity is like outside of time—then we will no longer worry about its length. It won't matter because it's not defined that way. We won't look at it as eternity future; we will just see it all as the present.

Well, that's all fine and dandy...but what about praising God? Even if I'm not worried about the time, won't I eventually get bored?? Sitting on a cloud with a harp doesn't appeal to me much—no matter how long I have to do it.

Who said you were sitting on a cloud? And who said you had to use a harp?? I believe God enjoys our worship more when it comes from our hearts. This may sound cheesy, but think about it. The most sincere worship comes from the deepest part of the human soul, and it is expressed through whatever talent that particular soul has been given. Some worship God through song. Others express their praise differently, using whatever talents they may have to bring God glory. This really could range from art or dance to philosophy, research, athletics, or history. Whatever you do with your life could be used to bring God glory, and I think Heaven's going to be the same way. I think we will be able to use the special abilities God has given us to praise Him. And unlike our worship here on earth, our worship in Heaven will be perfect. We won't get distracted, and we won't have to worry about how it looks or sounds.

That's nice...but what if I don't want to worship God sometimes?

Worship is not something that God's going to force us to do. Any praise we give must be uttered by choice, or it is worthless. God knows our hearts, and He knows where our words come from. He doesn't care for words that don't really mean something to the person saying them.

However, once we reach that eternity—that paradise that God has promised, that perfect place where we will finally come face to face with our Creator—will there be any moment when we won't want to worship God?

Well, yeah. Like right now. I don't feel like it right now. Even if my life was going absolutely amazing, I don't think I would be constantly worshiping God. After all, I'd run out of words, and then—

Run out of words? I doubt it. I Corinthians 13:12 says, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known" (NIV 1984). When we get to Heaven, we will finally see God as He really is. No longer will we be hindered by the erred views of mankind. We will see Him fully.

Have you ever realized some small part of God for a brief moment? Maybe you witnessed a miraculous answer to prayer. Maybe a preacher told you of one of God's amazing attributes. Maybe you heard something in a song that triggered a passion in your heart for Him. Whatever it was, I'm sure you've had one experience that made your heart leap. You thought, "Wow! God is amazing!!" You felt like you needed to jump and run and tell the whole world about your little experience of God. That's certainly what the lame man did when he was healed in Acts 3: "He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with [Peter and John] into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God" (v. 8, NIV 1984). This man was ecstatic. He had been healed!! After being crippled since birth, he could finally walk! And the first thing he did was give God the glory.

But I'm sure his excitement didn't last for the rest of his life. When trials come into our lives, we often lose that excitement. We may keep trusting Him, but we certainly won't feel that burst of joy that makes us want to praise Him with our whole soul.

I think that's why we have such a hard time with this concept of praising God for eternity. We are accustomed to only praising Him when we learn something new about Him. We discover only small parts of God, and we are so amazed that we can't describe our feelings. But in Heaven, this is going to be different. When we see God as He really is, we won't ever run out of things to praise Him for. We will be constantly in awe of Him! John Newton said, "Weak is the effort of my heart, and cold my warmest thought, but when I see Thee as Thou art, I'll praise Thee as I ought."¹

In Heaven, that burst of inexplicable excitement will last forever. We will finally grasp everything about God, and we will never be able to stop thanking and praising Him for who He is. Heaven will be so full of joy that we (in our human bodies) would never be able to physically handle it. We would surely explode! But in our new, heavenly bodies, we will be able to be that full of joy. Even then, I'm sure it will be pretty overwhelming. But—thank God!—we will finally be able to express it!! And (if we are going back to time) we will have all eternity to do so.

So you're saying that I'm going to actually enjoy worshiping God without worrying about anything else—including time itself—and that I'll never get bored of it?

Yup.

———————————

¹ How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds (1779). Lyrics source: my.hymnary.org.

One Mistake

Last night, I tuned in to the US Olympic Trials and ended up watching the women's gymnastics. It was amazing how balanced they were—how strongly they held their positions and how perfectly they completed each stunt. It blew me away...at first. Then I watched in devastation as one girl slipped off the uneven bars and landed flat on her face. She wasn't hurt physically; but when she got up, you could tell that her emotions had crumbled. One mistake—and her Olympic dream was over.

Now, I don't know much about gymnastics, but I do know that it is a sport of perfection. One mistake can cost you your entire performance. The judges are strict, and there's nothing you can do to get around it. In order to win (in this case, to make it to the Olympics), you must be as flawless as possible. Perfection is ideal.

Unfortunately, as humans, this is utterly impossible. We can't ever be perfect. Ever. At times, we may think that we come close. Some of the gymnasts I watched certainly looked as if they had achieved it...but none of them got a perfect score. The judges could always find something to mark them down for.

This realization reminded me of the tragedy of the human race—the fact that no matter how hard we try, no matter how close to perfection we think we have come, we'll never succeed. We will never be perfect.

You might be thinking, "Well, that stinks, but it's okay. No one ever said we had to be perfect anyway." But wait. Someone did say that. And that Person's opinion should matter more to us than anything. God, our Creator (and, may I add, our eventual Judge), has commanded us to be perfect. He says in Matthew 5:48, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (NIV).

Now you're thinking, "Wait! He can't say that. If He knows as much as He says He does, He would know that we can't possibly carry out that command!" You're right. God does know that we are unable to carry out His command. In fact, we're unable to carry out any of His commands. Romans 3:23 says, "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (NIV). We can't measure up to His perfection. No matter how hard we try, no matter how close we think we have come, we will always fail.

But, thankfully, God did something about that. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to live a perfect life and to die in our place. Jesus suffered and died for us, becoming sin on our behalf and receiving the punishment that we deserved. Because of His sacrifice, we no longer have to worry about living up to God's perfection. We failed. But Jesus didn't. And now He is offering out His hand, pleading with us to accept what He did for us so that we can spend eternity in Heaven with Him.

How cool is that?? The gymnasts who fell during their events didn't have anything like this. One mistake, and they were done. Their dreams of going to the Olympics were shattered instantly. The judges didn't come over and do the routine for them...but ours did. Our Judge came and did it for us. His perfection allows us (if we accept Him) to be made right with God. Because Jesus is perfect, we don't have to be. Of course, He still wants us to do our best to obey Him, but our deeds don't have anything to do with our salvation. We are saved because of what He did. In the words of the band Tenth Avenue North, "Don't live for God until you learn to live because of God. We're not living to be accepted. We're living because, in Christ, we already are."

What a relief that is...

The Cherry Tree: A Parable

In a small town located in the most desolate area in Colorado, there was a small grassy hill surrounded by a dense green forest. On the very top of this hill, there stood an old cottage, built with sturdy logs and stones to fit the needs of the elderly couple who lived there. This cottage had been around for a long time—ever since the old man was twelve years old. But there it continued to stand, year after year, without hardly any cracks or other evidence of its age.

The people living in this cottage were named Mr. and Mrs. Jones. They were the kindest people you would ever meet—that is, if you were to travel to this desolate area and meet them, for they never left their little hill except to go into the forest to get water from the stream or to visit their farm. Ah, yes! The farm. This farm was Mr. Jones' most prized possession. He grew wheat on the fertile soil, as well as corn, peas, green beans, and other vegetables. He also had three young apple trees which were just beginning to produce fruit. Mr. and Mrs. Jones loved to come down to their farm together when the weather was nice and gaze proudly at their beautiful crops and listen to the water trickling in the stream and the song birds tweeting their lovely melodies.

One morning, Mr. and Mrs. Jones had a visitor at their little old cottage: a poor man with ragged clothes who was covered in dirt and grime from head to toe. Mrs. Jones, being the kind woman that she was, felt sorry for the poor man and invited him in. She gave him a warm bath and new clothes and even fitted his feet with a new pair of shoes. The man thanked her kindly and, after a meal, was on his way.

About a week later, the man stopped by the cottage again. This time, he had a pile of muddy leaves and broken sticks in his hands. When Mr. and Mrs. Jones asked what in the world he was carrying, the man solemnly looked up at them and answered, "It's a tree. It's a cherry tree. I found it lying on the ground, all mangled like this as if someone had trampled on it. I know it's broken and filthy, but I think we can fix it. I know you're a farmer, and good with trees, Mr. Jones. Can you help me?" Mrs. Jones couldn't help but chuckle to herself at the man's question. How could anyone repair something as ruined as that? she thought to herself. She looked at her husband, expecting him to feel the same way. But Mr. Jones was not thinking of anything like this. Instead, a sorrowful and deeply sympathetic look had come over his face. He reached out and gently took the broken little tree from the man's hands and carried it in his strong arms down to the little stream. There, he knelt down and rinsed off the mud and debris from the little tree and wiped it on his own cotton shirt. He then quietly brought the little cherry tree up to his farm. He dug a hole next to his apple trees and planted it, using a sturdy stick and some strong red string to support it. He then gave it some water and stood back to admire it. Mrs. Jones silently watched her husband, wondering why he would go to so much trouble to try to save such a worthless plant.

Nevertheless, Mr. Jones cared for the tree day after day, week after week, month after month, until eventually it was strong enough to stand up on its own without the support of the stick. The little tree made remarkable progress and by the next spring had even begun to bloom. Mr. Jones loved the cherry tree with all his heart. He took care of it every day and pruned it so that it turned out to be just as healthy and strong as his apple trees. And, when summer arrived, the tree even produced an abundant crop of cherries!

Mr. and Mrs. Jones sat down together a few days after picking the cherries and ate a few of them. They turned out to be some of the best fruit they had ever tasted! After a few moments, Mrs. Jones finally got enough courage to ask her husband why he had bothered to save the tree in the first place and how he had known that it would grow to be so beautiful and produce such delicious fruit. Mr. Jones smiled and simply said, "Cannot love save even the most deeply broken?"

Music: What's in your noggin?

Bono, the famous lead singer of the band U2, once said, "Music can change the world because it can change people."

Hmm...interesting. How does music change people? Well, how do you feel when you listen to music? Now you're thinking, "Well, it depends on what music...duh!" Yeah. Duh. It does depend on what music. That's my point. Different kinds of music make people feel very different emotions. And even those emotions may vary from person to person. For example, when some people hear the song "It's a Small World,” they feel light and happy, as if they could just float away with the clouds above their head. Others wish they could hide their heads under a pillow and escape from the singing puppets as quickly as possible. Another, more common example could be rap music. Some people seem to love rap. I'm not really sure why. I personally can't stand it—mostly because I can't understand a bit of the lyrics. Besides that, the harsh beat makes me want to curl up in a corner and hide!

But no matter what emotions you may feel when you listen to any type of music, you know that you certainly do feel emotion. Everyone does. Music is one of the strangest phenomenons that I have discovered in this world. It is, in essence, a language. But it's also much more than that. It's more descriptive than words or pictures, and it can evoke emotion more quickly than anything else I know. It's crazy how a set of re-arranged scales—simple notes formed into a melody—can penetrate the human heart deeply enough to cause such sudden emotional responses!

Because of this peculiar ability, many people have labeled music as a truly wonderful thing. I would agree with them. Mostly. Music can also be a very dangerous thing.

I had a conversation with a couple of my close friends the other day about this very issue. It started when one of my friends commented that she absolutely loved the way a certain song sounded. Then she started to sing it. I was quite surprised to hear the lyrics which poured out of her mouth. Sure, the melody was nice...but the lyrics? I had never heard such perversion come out of her mouth! I asked her if she knew what she was singing, and she replied, "Oh, I don't care about the lyrics! I'm not really listening to them anyway. I just like the tune."

What?? You just like the tune? Do you not realize that every time you think of that tune, something else comes to mind with it? Whether you think you are listening to "just that cool guitar solo" or not, the lyrics will indeed force themselves into your mind. You can't avoid them. They are as much a part of the song as the melody. In fact, they are the melody!

I replied to my friend by saying that I can't ever listen to music containing lyrics I don't like. I would rather not have them floating in my brain. I have been called a "goody-goody" or other similar names many times for this choice, but I don't care. Anything I put into my head is never going to leave, and it's always going to come out eventually, whether I like it or not. For this very reason, I am extremely careful with what I allow into my mind—especially when it comes to music. Many people think that they can avoid the negative portions of a certain song, but that is impossible. Have you ever had a song stuck in your head? Well, which part stuck? The bad part? Yeah...that's what I thought. Music is a powerful force. And, like all powerful forces, you can't mess around with it. As the old saying goes, "If you play with snakes, you'll get bitten."

So what kind of music do you listen to? What emotions flare in your heart when you listen to it? Are those the emotions you want in your life? Are they beneficial? Or are they slowly eating you from the inside? Do you want them? Let me ask that again: Do you want them? I don't care about your friends. This isn't about them. It's your mind. Be careful what you put into it.

"Music can change the world because it can change people." How is music changing you??