Life Beyond Lions

I started this blog with the intention of writing about experiences and knowledge gained through life in college. One of my first blogs was about how I began my first year with the feeling of Daniel on his way to Babylon. I felt like I was going to undergo the same persecution as he would through school. I can recall some times where my faith was tested through trials where I was tempted to neglect my time with God, time with friends and other commitments. There were times when I questioned what I was doing at UNA, why I was pursuing my major, or if I had any impact on the people around me. And of course there were countless times when I felt overwhelmed with schoolwork, the choices I needed to make, and other problems. I would say that through everything that I went through I feel like God has helped me overcome all obstacles. I feel like He gave me grace at times when I least deserved it, and peace when I could fine none. He surrounded me with many friends to go to in times when I struggled and given me the opportunity to be the friend people go to for help as well. I may not see instantly how God used me here at UNA, but I feel like in some small way I helped make a difference here. Now I’m only a couple weeks from graduating college and about to embark on a new journey. I have new Babylon it seems. This one will have other obstacles I need to face, but I know through these past four years that God has pulled me through, and He will be able to do the same, even after college. If you are going through some big change in your life, hope that this message gives you some encouragement. I know that God will help you through anything you go through, because I have seen Him do the same in my life.

Easter Traditions

He is risen!

Today we remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Today, we celebrate the sacrifice Jesus gave us on the cross. Most of us will celebrate by enjoying time with family, receiving Easter baskets, going on Easter egg hunts and so forth.

There are a few things that I like to do during the holidays to remember the resurrection of out Savior. One thing I did growing up was dye Easter eggs with my family and decorate them. Even though rabbits and eggs have a profound purpose in the holiday, my family would use the eggs to symbolize rebirth, which is what is offered when we accept the sacrifice of Christ.

Another tradition that I have grown accustom to is Lent, the forty day fast beginning from Ash Wednesday. I’m not Catholic, but I actually like the idea of Lent as it gives me time to reflect on what is really important by giving up something that I often idolize. This year I gave up drinking coffee and watching two of my favorite TV shows. What I took from this time was that there really is nothing that man can sacrifice that is greater than what Jesus had sacrificed by living as a man on earth to going to the cross to be crucified.

Another tradition I’ve come across is my local news station playing The Ten Commandments on Easter weekend. This movie portrays the story of the Exodus, with Charlton Heston playing the role of Moses. The movie seems to connect the values of Passover and Easter. The Exodus was the origin of Passover as God delivered Israel out of the bondage of Egypt and brought them to their own land. Christians are reminded through the story of Moses that Christ did the same thing when He went to the cross. He delivered us out of the bondage of our own sin by dying with our sins, and conquering the power of death by rising again three days later.

Whatever your family does to celebrate Easter, I hope that you will not forget the eternal value that this day brings. Through Jesus, we now have access into God’s kingdom and have the ability to reconnect with Him. I hope you have a Happy Easter.

He is risen indeed!

The China Experience

In keeping with my promise, which is overdue, I will tell you about my last assignment that I did on my internship in Asia. The last place I visited was China. I had been to China before on different occasions, and in a different place each time. The places I visited before were more urban and had more historical landmarks.

This time I got to see a more industrial side of China in a province that I will leave anonymous. It may not have been as glamorous as other places that I have been in, but I had just as good a time as anywhere else, to be able to learn more about the culture in China.

I got to follow a group of American students who came to teach English to some local Chinese students. I found that the Chinese put a lot of value in relationships, and it means a lot to them to see you on a consistent basis. It was hard for me to communicate well with the people that I met because of the language barrier between us, but I managed to form a few friendships as well.

Even though I had eaten some of the Chinese delicacies in my previous trips, I found that food is not always the same as it is in other parts of China. The food we ate was usually served in a buffet style manner we could take and eat what was available as we please, and whatever we could fit into a small bowl. Mainly we ate rice or noodles mixed in different meats and vegetables, eggs, peanuts. The most interesting experience for me was to eat whole shrimp, head, legs, shell and all, with my rice.

I was able to get out and explore the area I was staying for a little while. China is not known for having spiritual influences, but there is still a lot of evidence of religion found in their culture. I saw statues of Confucius, and got to visit temples honoring the ancient Chinese gods, and others of Buddha. I also saw a church there, finding that it was the government who had influence over what could and could not be said in the church. It was strange and sad to know that the message of Christ could not be spoken freely without the supervision of the government.

My trip to China was a memorable as Vietnam. Since then I came back to the States to finish my last year of school at the University of North Alabama. During that trip, I realized how much I loved Asia and wished that I could live there independently. And if God is willing, perhaps I will.

The Writer’s Apology and Pledge

I wish to express my most sincere apologies to the readers of my blog, Life Among Lions. It has been several months since I last wrote anything for you. I let small, unimportant things get in the way of me writing from the middle of summer and then on through two semesters of school. I have abandoned my blog, and thus abandoned those who have enjoyed reading my stories. I cannot tell you all how sorry I am for doing this.

It is my hope to continue sharing my thoughts, experiences and articles with you and to continue doing so for a long time. As I write I will do my best to be consistent and not go off the radar again without proper notice. I ask that you as help keep me accountable to my promise by continuing to read my blog. It really is a joy for me to write and I want to use Life Among Lions to help me grow my gift of writing. I look forward to writing for you all once again, and hope that this blog will help benefit you in some way.