Written September 23-30, 2013 (if I remember correctly):
After making the intro video (which has yet to be posted) I realized that (1) I may
have made the blog's use a bit unclear and (2) I actually forgot to mention a
few things that I plan to do with it. So, I just want to briefly clarify
what it's for:
- First and foremost, this blog is for any
messages that are better delivered in text format than video format.
Anything that God is giving me more text-vibes for than video-vibes.
I may occasionally use this for more personal posts and messages as well,
as long as they are in relation with the Commission God has given me.
- This blog is also for posting/announcing
any other things I plan to create to spread the message of Christ and the Word
of God. What do these consist of, you may ask? Well, other than the
YouTube videos and blog posts, I plan to:
- Make games. The games I have in mind to make
have their roots in spiritual and Christian truths. Their purpose will be
to challenge your faith, and I pray they can be used to edify your beliefs and
faith in Christ.
- Record and post songs. This one I forgot to mention
in the video, but I have written a few songs (in the past and in recent times),
and plan to post them on SoundCloud. At the moment, there are none up; I
haven't recorded anything yet. (By the way, don't expect anything to
professional. I have my mic, my voice, and my acoustic guitar, all which
can be used for the glory of God.)
- Delve in graphic design. Specifically,
text-based design, mainly consisting of either quotes from the Bible or
Christian writers/speakers, or designs I've come up with myself.
I think that's it for
now. Thanks for reading; any questions or comments, leave them below, or
send me an e-mail at mninorbez@gmail.com. Please pray for me, that my
relationship with God will be strengthened through this journey; I will also
pray for you, whoever you are, that you relationship can be a strong one.
__________
Written October 16 and
18, 2013:
After much struggle and consideration, I
have decided that I will not do any video game reviews. Don't get me
wrong, I like games; heck, I even want to make a few! But reviewing them
would cause them to have more emphasis in my life, more importance, and I don't
want a lust for video games to surpass my love for God. Do I think video
games are evil? Absolutely not, but I do not want something I like to be
used as a snare, to drive me to play games for long hours without any thought
for God, as I lived before.
Recently, video games
have looked particularly tempting. My sister and I were playing a M-rated
game on her Nintendo DS, and I have been voice acting every character/voice in
the game (I have a love for acting and voice acting as well). This game
has a lot of profanity, and I try to avoid saying any out loud (usually
replacing the word with something less offensive or saying, "I'm not
saying that," instead of the word, or skipping over it entirely).
Occasionally, however, while playing my roles, I let some words slip;
when I do so, those words inch closer and closer from the back of my mind to
the front, which is something I do not desire.
I was at conflict.
I love the game, and I love voice acting every character. But is
that material what God wants me to be spending time with? Should I be
exposing myself to such things? I realized that, while I want to wallow
in the pleasantries of fleeting earthly things, what I truly should desire (and
what God wants all people to have) is purity, not only of heart and body, but
of mind. I wanted to continue playing the game, continue in this earthly
delight, but it would not be right for me in the long run. As a long time
gamer who is seeking self-control in such things, I can tell you that a game
itself can be a fleeting moment: You play and have fun while it lasts, and then
it's over, and the credits roll. What you take out of the game is what
truly matters once you've pressed your last button, and I do not want to take
such language out of an experience. Personally, exposing myself to cursing
is what puts those words in the front of my mind, and I do not want them there.
After a discussion
over dinner with my mother over my dilemma, I told my sister the next day that
I did not want to play the game anymore. But a few hours later, I went on
YouTube and saw that a let's-player had uploaded a video of The Wolf Among Us, a recent
TellTale game that is rated M for various reasons. Even though my
consciousness was screaming at me not to click on it, I watched the entire
forty-something minutes of the video, and this time, there was in-game voice
acting, with about as much cursing as the game I had been playing with my
sister, if not more. But as I thought about it later, I realized I was
being a hypocrite. I told my sister I was searching for purity, but
hardly a day after I say so I expose myself to the very thing I said I wanted
to avoid!
Later that evening, I
came to a decision. I had been thinking about giving up games for a time
during the month of Easter, for an event my church holds called The Daniel Fast
(the Catholic church would know it as Lent). During The Daniel Fast,
which is based on the first chapter of Daniel, one would eat nothing but fruits
and vegetables until Easter Sunday, but I thought it would be cool to give up playing
games during that time period. But, Monday evening, I decided I needed to
take time now to stop playing games.
Thus, here we are.
I have decided to give up playing games, watching games, or exposing
myself to game-related . . . nouns, until the end of October. And during
the time I would usually do these things, I want to spend time with God, to
pray and be in his Word more than I have before. I want purity of mind,
and the only way I can do so is by not letting my mind be defiled. He is
pure, and wants me to be as well.
So, yeah. Any
questions, comment or e-mail me; my e-mail is mninorbez@gmail.com. I'll
be at a Teen Retreat this weekend, so I will not be able to respond until
Sunday afternoon/sometime on Monday. I hope your weekend is a wonderful
one.
(Also, my apologizes
for not posting the video yet; I am still working on giving it subtitles, which
is taking quite a while. I sometimes find it difficult to sit down and do
it, since I am easily distracted and called away by many things, but this is
what God's called me to do; I can do anything through Him, and that's something
I need to truly believe. Also, for more information about this blog, please refer to this Deviantart post.)
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