addictions

addiction
probably the first thing you thought about when you read the title was;
“drugs, cigarettes, alcohol.”

immediately we think of things that have a negative connotation, but more times than not we are addicted to things that aren’t necessarily “bad.”

in psychology class this week, my professor said that addiction is a “persistent, compulsive dependency on ___________.” (fill it in).
addiction to me is basically anything in my life that i can’t go without or can’t say “no” to.

in January i made the decision to abstain from soda, or as the Yanks call it, “pop.”
I decided to start with a realistic goal of….one year. One full 365 days without a Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, Red Bull, or even Fanta! Sure a year may sound like a lot, but how easy is it for us to “quit” something for a day, week, or month.
A married couple doesn’t celebrate their 6 weeks together, they celebrate their anniversary(ies). In a sense, it’s a number of accomplishment.

It has been 10+ months since i’ve tasted the cool-carbonated-caffeine-filled goodness of a soda. I don’t crave it on a daily basis, but every once in a while if we’re eating pizza or a burger and someone has a chilled glass of Pepsi, filled with ice, and you can see the condensation on the glass ever so calling my name…i go a little weak at the knees and start salivating over the beverage.

Soda is just one small area of addiction in my life. There are countless others that I could name. Some are a daily struggle and some are not. But I came to a greater truth:
addictions are idols.

The first 2 commandments say,
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them…”

Confront your addictions, your idols, your gods.

For some it may drugs or alcohol. For some it may be sex. For some it may be movies, music, or Facebook.

Men, do not allow your wives or girlfriends to be your addiction. If you put her before God, then she is an idol.
Women, do not allow yourselves to become addiction to you husbands or boyfriends. If you love him more than you love God, then he is an idol.

Our addictions sneak up on us. They are things we don’t suspect. Heck, they can even be good things in our lives, that have taken precedence over balance and truth.

I am taking a week-long fast of something that I am addicted to. This will be a complete, 100% abstaining acquittance. The thing that I am fasting is not even a sin, but the fact that I’m addicted to it makes it a sin.

make your relationship with God the center of your life.

-Nic
“You won’t relent
Until You have it all
My heart is Yours.”

perfect

"Christians are not perfect, just forgiven."
this is one of my most hated "Christian slogans."

it usually takes its form on a Church sign or a bumper sticker.

Let's be clear here. This quote, in it of itself, has truth.

Here's the greater truth. Never has anyone, Christian or unbeliever, ever thought that you or I was perfect. I think people spit off this quote when they want to justify their sin. How many times will you catch yourself or someone else saying something along these lines;

"Well I'm not perfect, I'm forgiven."
"I respect your convictions on that, but I see it differently."
"Don't judge me, the Bible says not to."

Just stop. Everyone knows that you're not perfect, so stop trying to use it to your advantage. Sure we all struggle, but that's no excuse for you to live the way you want.

"Be a doer of the word and not just a hearer, for you deceive only yourself."
James 1:22

My Three

This has been the best summer of my life.

It has been so good that I haven't really blogged much of what's going on in the life of yours truly. Here are my three favorite things right now:

My almost pocket-sized ESV Bible.

Grande, Non-Fat, Unsweetened Double-Shot from you guessed it.

My incredibly beautiful girlfriend Hannah.

She makes me super happy.

She will also kill me for posting that pic of her ;)

Make any of your pics a polaroid by downloading this app.

-Nic

"my heart is in motion for the rhythm inside you"

Think about it

"Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much."
— Oscar Wilde

-Nic
thinking deeply

TS 1+2

If you are as excited as I am about Toy Story 3 next year, then maybe this will fill your appetite, temporarily.

Getting stoked!

-Nic

To infinity and beyond.

balance beam

A good friend posted this and I think it's incredible and hauntingly true.



Safety is not taking the easy route, it is being confident in knowing who is in control.

House of Heroes

So I don't usually do promos on my blog, but I got a little update from one of my favorite bands today so here we go.

Every day Amazon.com has a special deal of the day, and today is by far the best deal I've ever seen.

The newest album by House of Heroes (HOH) is on sale at Amazon for $1.99!

2 bucks for a freakin' CD.

Not just any CD, in my blog declaring my favorites of 2008, this was my favorite album. Even better than "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay. That's saying quite a bit considering Coldplay is my favorite band. I paid $10 for the new HOH at a concert, and it's $9 on iTunes and Best Buy. But this is 2 dollars for the hard copy.

Go get it. 'Nuff said. It's 2 bucks. If you hate it, I'll give you the 2 dollars back.

They are seriously the most underrated bands on the market.

If I could some up the sound of this album I'd say; Queen meets Relient K, meets Muse meets the Beatles.

Amazing harmonies, great guitar licks, solid drums, walkabout bass lines, and incredible lyrics.

Favorite songs: "If", "In the Valley of the Dying Sun", & "Field of Daggers."

Halfway through the album "By Your Side" is the single slow song on the album. Absolutely beautiful and moving.

Favorite lyrics;

"And through the cloud of death
We find our way back home
and though I hold your hand
all must go alone
and when you see the face of our Maker
you don't have to be ashamed
He knows the promises we made.

And I'll be by your side, on the other side."

GO BUY IT!!!

-Nic

"if you were mine, i'd have the world.

i'd have the world, if you were mine."