Do what you like as long as you don't hurt anyone else: it's the motto of libertarianism, and it's the motto of the church of satan. But is it a good way to live? Living by it would eliminate a lot of pretty nasty behavior...murder, rape, theft, so in that sense, it seems like a good idea. What proponents of this philosophy fail to factor in is, "Do my actions hurt the God who created me?"

A few days ago, I asked people what they thought it meant to be human, and I got some great answers. People said to be human is to have purpose, to be responsible, to have empathy, that we are created in God's image, that we can be fragile while being strong...and that the question needed a book to answer :)

I am told that having your child die is one of the worst pains you can experience in this life. It goes against the usual order. Children should not die before their parents. They have only just begun to live. How much they miss out on! Who would that child have grown up to be? Would he or she have done something great for the world? Cured cancer? Been an artist creating beauty for all to experience? An inventor making life easier for all?

I mentioned this on facebook when it happened, but was realizing that I never wrote out what happened to me in a coherent fashion. So here it is...

Yesterday, driving through Wyoming, I saw men on horseback herding sheep. This led me to reflect on our Good Shepherd. We, like sheep, tend to wander. We walk blindly into danger. But our Shepherd is there to bring us back each time, to take us out of danger. His sheep know His voice and follow Him. The true Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

John 10
Parable of the Good Shepherd

My God instructed me to love even my enemies. Through His example of perfect love, sacrificing even His own life to save mine, I am given the capability to follow that instruction. What would have been impossible before I became a follower of Jesus, now becomes possible. He gave me an example to follow and changed my heart, so that I would want to follow his example.

On faith being the opposite of fear.
Fear vs. Faith