﻿<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>rayman71's Xanga</title><link>http://rayman71.xanga.com/</link><description>Latest Xanga weblog from rayman71</description><language>en-us</language><ttl>60</ttl><image><title>The Weblog Community</title><url>http://s.xanga.com/images/xangalogobutton.gif</url><link>http://rayman71.xanga.com/</link></image><item><title>I like reading my old posts</title><link>http://rayman71.xanga.com/701737288/i-like-reading-my-old-posts/</link><guid>http://rayman71.xanga.com/701737288/i-like-reading-my-old-posts/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 13 May 2009 13:05:24 GMT</pubDate><description>Sometimes I read them and I'm like "Who is this guy that is writing this stuff? Sometimes he sounds really smart, other times really dumb. I guess that's why people keep journals. &lt;br&gt;</description><comments>http://rayman71.xanga.com/701737288/i-like-reading-my-old-posts/#firstcomment</comments></item><item><title>More Videos!</title><link>http://rayman71.xanga.com/521582127/more-videos/</link><guid>http://rayman71.xanga.com/521582127/more-videos/</guid><pubDate>Tue, 22 Aug 2006 02:28:28 GMT</pubDate><description>Here is a &lt;a href="http://raysdays.wordpress.com" target="_new"&gt;music video&lt;/a&gt; I did for a school project to the song "If We Are the Body" by Casting Crowns. &lt;br&gt;</description><comments>http://rayman71.xanga.com/521582127/more-videos/#firstcomment</comments></item><item><title>My First Ever YouTube Video</title><link>http://rayman71.xanga.com/520284106/my-first-ever-youtube-video/</link><guid>http://rayman71.xanga.com/520284106/my-first-ever-youtube-video/</guid><pubDate>Fri, 18 Aug 2006 01:38:36 GMT</pubDate><description>I did this a while back in school, but never had the idea to post it, until now! It is ghetto, but also touching and tragic. &lt;br&gt;&lt;object width="425" height="350"&gt;&lt;param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TiLUEClScF4"&gt;&lt;/param&gt;&lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TiLUEClScF4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"&gt;&lt;/embed&gt;&lt;/object&gt;Spread the video, yo!</description><comments>http://rayman71.xanga.com/520284106/my-first-ever-youtube-video/#firstcomment</comments></item><item><title>More Updates</title><link>http://rayman71.xanga.com/519825024/more-updates/</link><guid>http://rayman71.xanga.com/519825024/more-updates/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Aug 2006 15:54:59 GMT</pubDate><description>There are some more &lt;a href="http://raysdays.wordpress.com" target="_new"&gt;updates&lt;/a&gt;, including an entry on John Piper's next conference, The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World. WORD!&lt;br&gt;</description><comments>http://rayman71.xanga.com/519825024/more-updates/#firstcomment</comments></item><item><title>JOB UPDATE!</title><link>http://rayman71.xanga.com/519136788/job-update/</link><guid>http://rayman71.xanga.com/519136788/job-update/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 14 Aug 2006 15:54:58 GMT</pubDate><description>I got the job! For more, &lt;a href="http://raysdays.wordpress.com" target="_new"&gt;click here.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;</description><comments>http://rayman71.xanga.com/519136788/job-update/#firstcomment</comments></item><item><title>Check out my "other" blog</title><link>http://rayman71.xanga.com/518941781/check-out-my-other-blog/</link><guid>http://rayman71.xanga.com/518941781/check-out-my-other-blog/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 14 Aug 2006 03:01:05 GMT</pubDate><description>Hey guys,&lt;br&gt;I decided to try out a different blog site. GASP! I know, some of you are hardcore Xanga people, that's cool. But, I wanted to try something different. Here is the link to it: &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="http://raysdays.wordpress.com/" target="_new"&gt;RAYSDAYS&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I'll probably be doing more updating on that site, so if you care then make note. If not, then fine, I don't care about you either. Just kidding. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Don't worry, I'll still be around to check the Xangas...and to give EPROPS (which, btw, is one of the cool things about Xanga.)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;a target="_new" href="http://raysdays.wordpress.com/"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</description><comments>http://rayman71.xanga.com/518941781/check-out-my-other-blog/#firstcomment</comments></item><item><title>Well...</title><link>http://rayman71.xanga.com/518939462/well/</link><guid>http://rayman71.xanga.com/518939462/well/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 14 Aug 2006 02:53:11 GMT</pubDate><description>Well, I am going into work tomorrow, so that is good!&lt;br&gt;</description><comments>http://rayman71.xanga.com/518939462/well/#firstcomment</comments></item><item><title>Another Job Update</title><link>http://rayman71.xanga.com/517844704/another-job-update/</link><guid>http://rayman71.xanga.com/517844704/another-job-update/</guid><pubDate>Thu, 10 Aug 2006 16:27:36 GMT</pubDate><description>Things are looking positive, but I guess I won't know for sure until tomorrow. Please pray!&lt;br&gt;</description><comments>http://rayman71.xanga.com/517844704/another-job-update/#firstcomment</comments></item><item><title>Fast Update On Job</title><link>http://rayman71.xanga.com/516896590/fast-update-on-job/</link><guid>http://rayman71.xanga.com/516896590/fast-update-on-job/</guid><pubDate>Tue, 08 Aug 2006 01:54:34 GMT</pubDate><description>Today was the first day at the new job and I think it went well. But, please keep praying! Hopefully I'll ahve good news by Friday...&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;to be continued...&lt;br&gt;</description><comments>http://rayman71.xanga.com/516896590/fast-update-on-job/#firstcomment</comments></item><item><title>The Gift of Vision and the Fight for Purity</title><link>http://rayman71.xanga.com/515392119/the-gift-of-vision-and-the-fight-for-purity/</link><guid>http://rayman71.xanga.com/515392119/the-gift-of-vision-and-the-fight-for-purity/</guid><pubDate>Thu, 03 Aug 2006 16:18:57 GMT</pubDate><description>Sometimes it doesn't really occur to me how blessed I really am. I think for me, I start to realize the blessing when it is gone. It is sad how much I take for granted. Let me share with you a story from work and my thoughts on that. Today, I am working at the engineering company, which means that for pretty much the whole day, I am in front a computer. So I get to work and start making a chart that needs to be done, and various other graphics related material. At about 11 am, I noticed that I am having trouble seeing to the right of me. It wasn't a complete blindness kind of a thing, but it was more like when you look at a really strong light then look away, that kinda thing that you keep seeing for a couple minutes. Not being too concerned about it, I tried to rest my eyes, look around then get back to work. However, this "thing" doesn't go away. It is just there, and it really distracting as I am trying to work. I thought maybe being outside would help, so I left early for lunch. As I was walking outside, I notice that this "thing" is still in my vision. At this point, I am kind of afraid. What if I am going blind? I took a few deep breaths and asked God to help me, and I kid you not, a second later my vision was back to normal, without that "thing". Then I start to think about how I don't even think about my vision as a blessing. I just think that it's there. What really got to me was the things my eyes have seen, the struggle with lust that most guys see to struggle with. I started thinking about how God has given the gift of vision to me, and I had used it to look at things in a way that would dishonor Him. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery. &lt;span id="en-NIV-23263" class="sup"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. &lt;span id="en-NIV-23264" class="sup"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;If
your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. &lt;/span&gt;It is
better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body
to be thrown into hell. &lt;span id="en-NIV-23265" class="sup"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;And
if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It
is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole
body to go into hell. Matthew 5:27-30 (NIV)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Jesus is pretty clear about how we are to fight sin, and in this passage, how we are to fight against lust. I think that as Christians, we are not as serious in our fight against sin as Jesus commanded us to be. We need to engage in warfare against out sins. Jesus said, "&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;If
your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away&lt;/span&gt;." I am not fighting sin like that. Instead, I invite sin sometimes. But that is wrong! I need to engage in warfare against sin. What does this mean? As John Piper put it, we have to engage in warfare against lust &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;as if we are going to pluck out our eye. &lt;/span&gt;(Note: I will say that God does not want you to pluck out your eye if you are lusting.) So, when we lust, or are tempted to lust, we need to take measures so that we don't do it, like looking another way, closing your eyes, avoiding places where you are tempted to lust. This is hard, but it is WAY better than plucking out your eye. I think the point is if you are struggling with lust, you can't just sit there and say, "Oh, I'm struggling, but I can't do anything about it." You can do something! Fight sin as if you were plucking out your eye. I wish we all would be serious about fighting sin like the Bible clearly tells us. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;In conclusion, I am thankful that I am able to see without the "thingy", and I hope that it is a reminder for me to be serious about my fight with sin. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;</description><comments>http://rayman71.xanga.com/515392119/the-gift-of-vision-and-the-fight-for-purity/#firstcomment</comments></item></channel></rss>