100 Random things I am Thankful For

Nov. 26, 2015

100 things I am Thankful For

1.     I am thankful that I can take a breath every day without feeling any pain.

2.     I am thankful I can walk.

3.     I am thankful that God loves me and saved me

4.     I am thankful for my family

5.     I am thankful that I have brothers to hang out with

6.     I am thankful that I was able to play sports growing up

7.     I am thankful that I live in West Lafayette

8.     I am thankful that I have a house that is warm and doesn’t leak

9.     I am thankful that I have running water to take a shower, wash my hands, and quench my thirst

10.  I am thankful that Alex bought me a Bible my freshman year of college

11.  I am thankful to have gone through the West Lafayette school system

12.  I am thankful to go to Indiana University and for the opportunity to be a college student

13.  I am thankful for all the vacations I’ve been on

14.  I am thankful for being a part of IUDM

15.  I am thankful for the experiences I’ve had through Cru

16.  I am thankful to be a brother in Alpha Sigma Phi and for all that I’ve learned from my brothers

17.  I am thankful to be a son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend

18.  I am thankful for all the amazing experiences I’ve had as a Camp Tecumseh camper and counselor

19.  I am thankful for washing machines

20.  I am thankful for my bed

21.  I am thankful for the refrigerator

22.  I am thankful for whoever invented the toilet and for the person who had the even better idea to attach sewage pipes to it

23.  I am thankful for blue skies

24.  I am thankful for my bike

25.  I am thankful for my roommates Nick and Michelle

26.  I am thankful for living in the Great State of Indiana

27.  I am thankful for my van Winniefred

28.  I am thankful for my dad letting me use his guitar

29.  I am thankful for music

30.  I am thankful for laughter

31.  I am thankful for snuggies

32.  I am thankful for sweatshirts

33.  I am thankful for couches

34.  I am thankful for toothbrushes

35.  I am thankful for my dogs Murray and Sebastian

36.  I am thankful for owning a laptop

37.  I am thankful for being able to learn

38.  I am thankful for being able to run

39.  I am thankful for girls

40.  I am thankful for my friends

41.  I am thankful for being able to dance

42.  I am thankful for knowing what it feels like to tackle someone on the football field, make a sharp pass to my teammate on the basketball court, and catch a fly ball in the outfield

43.  I am thankful for my mom and the way she cares for me

44.  I am thankful for when my dad makes me laugh

45.  I am thankful for Keegan always keeping me on my toes

46.  I am thankful for Aidan always being excited to see me

47.  I am thankful for my grandparents coming to all my sports games

48.  I am thankful for all my aunts, uncles, and cousins

49.  I am thankful for orange juice

50.  I am thankful for good cereal

51.  I am thankful for milk

52.  I am thankful for my backpack

53.  I am thankful for gum

54.  I am thankful for the sun

55.  I am thankful for grocery stores

56.  I am thankful for the radio

57.  I am thankful for summer

58.  I am thankful to know what it feels like to go tubing on a lake

59.  I am thankful for having gone skiing

60.  I am thankful when someone gives me a smile or a hug or a compliment

61.  I am thankful for books

62.  I am thankful for bike lanes

63.  I am thankful for sidewalks

64.  I am thankful for knowing what it feels like to kick a fieldgoal

65.  I am thankful for underwear

66.  I am thankful for shoes

67.  I am thankful for silverware and plates and cups

68.  I am thankful when the birds chirp

69.  I am thankful that squirrels don’t attack me

70.  I am thankful that mosquitos aren’t six feet long

71.  I am thankful that I live in the United States and have the freedom to write this among all the other freedoms I have

72.  I am thankful for Wrigley Field

73.  I am thankful for The Fray

74.  I am thankful for when it rains and how peaceful it is

75.  I am thankful for knowing what snow looks like

76.  I am thankful for Jesus dying for me

77.  I am thankful for Microsoft word

78.  I am thankful for Wikipedia

79.  I am thankful for campfires

80.  I am thankful for my church

81.  I am thankful for electricity

82.  I am thankful for the light bulb

83.  I am thankful for having lived for 21 years

84.  I am thankful for when my mom would read to me as a kid

85.  I am thankful for when my dad would play me guitar as a kid

86.  I am thankful for fishing

87.  I am thankful for shade under a tree on a hot day

88.  I am thankful for bug spray

89.  I am thankful for sunscreen

90.  I am thankful for carpet because it automatically makes a room cozier

91.  I thankful for the stars on a clear summer night

92.  I am thankful for singing

93.  I am thankful for being able to read

94.  I am thankful for comedians

95.  I am thankful for doctors

96.  I am thankful for teachers and for all of those people who have taught me something

97.  I am thankful for sadness

98.  I am thankful for happiness

99.  I am thankful for janitors and secretaries

100. I am thankful that you had the curiosity to read what I’m thankful for; Hopefully you are thankful for things too. Happy Thanksgiving.
- Brody

The Comparison Myth

Myth: If I succeeded like him or her, looked like him or her, possessed his or her personality, status or achievements, I would be satisfied, content, and happy.

           

Intro:

Although this myth can apply to anyone, it is especially prevalent at universities where competition is walking past us college students day in and day out. In college, many undergraduates have this urge to constantly compare themselves to other students. They are driven individuals who want to be the best of the best. However, if we have aspirations to gain what others have, then we lose focus of what God really wants for us. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” During this talk, I will outline how comparing ourselves to others’ success, looks, and possessions doesn’t lead us to happiness but how seeking out God’s Will does. And the reason I want to share this is because I strongly believe true satisfaction comes from a relationship with God.

Success:

Success is very desirable in this world because it gives us something to be proud of. It separates us from others, making us feel special and more talented than the common man. The success that I want to focus on is the prestige that comes from accumulating lots of money. 

Most of us in college are striving for a diploma because we want to get a job, make money, and use it how we see fit.  However, the pedestal that young entrepreneurs are put on these days puts even more pressure on us coming out of college to make big bucks. The recent phenomena of these twenty something year old geniuses creating a social media app and making billions of dollars is tantalizing. Many say they are set for life. But I challenge you to think about what life they are set for. Are they focused on the earthly life or eternal life? Money is not a bad thing, but let’s remember that we shouldn’t make it our everything. Matthew 6:21 says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” And further in Matthew 6:24 it says, “You cannot serve both God and money.” Hopefully we make God our treasure and surely he will reward us in Heaven.

Looks:

The next comparison I want to talk about is looks. Looks are probably the easiest way we compare ourselves to others. Looks aren’t obtained like money though. We are all born with specific characteristics and those features develop overtime to make us the unique individuals God intended us to be. Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” God made us in a beautiful way and that should be enough to bring us satisfaction with our appearance. 

 However, I want us to take caution not to fall into the status that is often associated with Indiana University. Whether it’s true or not, IU tends to be a sweet spot for good-looking people. For instance, let’s do what this talk is supposed to be disproving and compare ourselves to Purdue. Two years ago at a basketball game, an IU male student wrote on a sign, “Purdue. Keeping ugly girls out of Indiana since 1869.” Obviously the joke is meant to be humorous, but it reflects the belief among IU students, especially males, that IU has lots of attractive people on its campus. And as fellow IU students, we might feel pressure to uphold that reputation.

But let’s go back to scripture and read what God says. For guys, we might feel conscious if we’re not exercising or making sure our muscles look tight and chiseled. But 1 Timothy 4:7-8 says, “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” We can still make it important to be fit, but let’s train to be men of god.

For girls, appearance tends to be an even more important attribute than it is for guys. But in 1 Peter 3:3-4 it states, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” Obviously, you are allowed to wear jewelry and clothes and make your hair look pretty. And those things do make girls look beautiful. But if you are spending hours and hours fixating over those things, I think God would much rather have girls spend those hours seeking Him. And as a guy myself, it is attractive to me when I see a girl who loves seeking God and is confident in the way she looks, no matter what she’s wearing.

Possessions:  

            The last point I want to bring up is how we think about possessing what others have. This is similar to success and looks, but it can relate to anything. The common misconception is “If I had what he or she has, I would be so much happier.” How many of you have seen something someone has, whether it’s their car, a dress, or their popularity, and said “I want that.?” I sure have. Often I’d think to myself, “Man. If I had his height and athletic ability, maybe I’d be a college athlete.” Or, “If I was as sociable around girls as him, maybe they’d like me more.”

            Maybe you have that one person in your house who seems to have it all. They’re nice. They get good grades, and they seem to have peace even when they’re stressed out. Maybe you’re like, “Wow, I wish I could have whatever is making them so happy.” But again, God doesn’t call us to compare ourselves to others. He doesn’t want us to take the paths of others or be jealous of someone else’s status. He wants us to go on our own journey and follow his lead. For in Matthew 16:26 it says, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” I love this verse because it challenges us to think about what we really want out of life. Do we want to live horizontally and gain everything only to have it perish, or do we want to have a vertical mindset knowing that God’s eternal love is worth it?

Conclusion:

To conclude, I want to challenge us to see that comparing ourselves to others will not bring us happiness. When we see someone and say, “I’d have such a better life if I succeeded like her, looked like him, or possessed her status,” let’s stop and put our lives in perspective. Are we longing for God’s Will for our life or are we pursuing personal ambitions? I’ll close with this verse from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

He must increase, I must decrease

Another semester is in the books. When reflecting back, I can confidently say these past five months have been some of the best of my life. And a big reason why is because of this Bible verse. John 3:30 states,

            “He must increase, I must decrease.” (ESV) 

I first saw this verse when my friend asked me to store his guitar in my dorm room during a cold winter evening. Written in silver sharpie on the top of the guitar case were the words “He must increase, I must decrease.” This verse struck home. Earlier in the week, I had been wrestling with some tough decisions. I was feeling that I needed to quit something because my life was too hectic. I was bouncing around from Dance Marathon, to my Fraternity, to Cru (a Christian organization), etc. I once heard the phrase that if you're patient, sometimes God pours his answers to your prayers on you all at once. After pondering for many days whether I should quit anything, God poured his love on me during the weekend of January 30-31^st, 2015.

In late January, I was contemplating on whether to go to a Greek Cru retreat in Indianapolis for participating Greek Cru movements located in the Great Lakes Region. As mentioned above, I am a brother of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity at Indiana University. This year, I have been able to combine two of my passions, Greek life and Christianity, into one with a campus ministry called Greek Cru. I like to refer to it as a social Bible study for Greeks on IU’s campus. With some encouragement, I decided to go to the retreat. Interestingly, it was initially not going to take place. However, the amazing student leaders of IU Greek Cru didn’t let that happen. They organized and put on the whole conference by themselves, and I am very grateful for their initiative. 

One of the key speakers at the retreat was a man named Roger Hershey. He gave a talk Saturday morning, January 31^st that really inspired me. First, he gave an analogy about salt in reference to the Bible passage from Matthew 5:13. Basically, he described how salt was very valued back in the day. It preserved many foods; it was flavorful; and it healed wounds. He went on to explain that some people, for example our friends, preserve us in life. They keep our spirits fresh and support us when times are tough. I loved this analogy and realized that my good friend Tommy Thompson had influenced me in this way. Tommy and I were camp counselors together at Camp Tecumseh the summer before sophomore year. He was a big reason why I joined the fraternity in the fall. Through his steadfast faith, he also invited me to start attending Greek Cru. I got a little teary eyed as “Hersh” continued speaking about the salt analogy.

Then, Hersh began talking about his son’s life. He unfortunately lost his son, Brett, in 2005 while Brett was stationed in Afghanistan. He described how Brett had an immense passion for both the Greek system at IU and his faith. Brett would be the life of Sigma Chi parties, however he didn’t drink. He would also pray for all the Greek houses regularly and would even share his faith with his fellow students. After hearing that, I felt a calling like I haven’t in a long time. I walked out of the church and into the lobby where I broke down crying. I realized at that moment that God wanted me to quit Dance Marathon and instead, focus on sharing my faith on my IU campus just like Brett had a decade earlier. 

[This was the sign I saw while I was crying in the lobby]

This was a very sad but joyous realization for me. Dance marathon had meant a lot to me because it was the first community of friends I found at IU as a lonely freshman. I was all set to be a leader on our very successful committee as well. However, the joy of knowing what God wanted me to do brought me immense relief. God wanted me to build a deep loving relationship with Jesus, so that I could share my love for him with my fellow students. This is all in the hope that one day Jesus, my fellow students, and I will be united in Heaven. I recognized it would be a very hard task to convince people to live life with an eternal perspective instead of a pleasure-filled earthly one. However, I was up for the challenge.

 

[Having to quit IUDM and this committee was very hard]

For the rest of the spring semester, God blessed me in incredible ways. I started sharing my faith on my dorm’s floor, which coincidentally led me to recruit a guy to join my fraternity. His name is Zach and he lived a door over. He eventually became my little.

 

[Zach is my big little in the fraternity]

[Zach and I at our Spring Fling "pie in the face" fundraiser]

I also committed to being discipled by a Greek Cru staff member named Brandon. Together we build each other up in Christ and also go knocking on fraternities’ doors to share our faith. 

 

[Brandon and I captured a moment after church before I headed home for the summer]

The highlight of my semester though was spring break. After contemplating where to go, Brandon invited me to go to Panama City Beach (PCB) with Cru. I eventually registered and it was a great decision. It helped that Tommy went too. During the week at PCB, we listened to speakers in both the mornings and evenings. After lunch, we would share our faith with people on the beach for most of the afternoon. Then for dinner, each room of guys and girls would swap days cooking for one another. It was a lot of fun. As a group, we spent most nights going to get ice cream, playing games, and just hanging out. That week, I made many friends in our IU Cru group. That trip and the community we created at PCB continues to fuel our faith-sharing passions at IU to this day.

[Spring Break at PCB 2015; One of the best weeks with one of the best groups of people I know]

After spring break, I continued to enjoy participating in Cru and Greek Cru. The countless Thursday night bonding events as well as learning how to swing dance are still fond memories. Later, I was also blessed to be accepted as a Greek Cru leader for next year. God is good. 

[Most of the Greek Cru leaders]

At this point in the post, you might be wondering if I took any classes this semester at college. Yes I did, and I enjoyed learning about the central dogma and how to give speeches. However, I was not too fond of organic chemistry. For that reason, I felt a nudge later in the semester to switch my biology major from BS to BA. Although this hurt my pride, it was for the better. 

If those experiences weren't enough, the end to my semester definitely concluded in style. I enjoyed going to my fraternity’s formal dance, admiring IU’s beautiful campus as it bloomed, and watching the Little 500 race. I also loved spending my fraternity’s Mom’s weekend with my mom. We had a blast going to dinner, Oliver winery, and a baseball game. We even crashed the Cru spring retreat talent show to dance to the song "Wagon Wheel." I attempted to sing along, however I forgot all the words. It was still a fun time and one I will never forget. My roommate Jacob and I enjoyed spending our last few weeks together as well. We fittingly made our end of the year Taco Bell run on Cinco de Mayo. Eventually finals week came and it went well. The beautiful weather teased me all week as it could not have felt more like summer.

 

[Beautiful red tulips by the Rose Well House]

God certainly blessed me this year, and I am eager to see what he has planned for me next year. For starters, I’m really looking forward to my brother Keegan joining me as a fellow Hoosier. I hope IU exceeds his expectations and that he has an incredible, joyous freshman year. I can’t wait to return in the fall and be reunited with my Cru and Alpha Sig communities. It’s hard to believe that a semester full of amazing memories was sparked by a faithful friend and a simple verse: “He must increase, I must decrease.” As I head home for the summer, I challenge you to evaluate your life and truly think about how satisfied you are. I discovered my satisfaction once I chose to increase my value in Jesus and decrease my selfish wants. But for now, school’s out for the summer. So let’s celebrate!

some Greek Cru men enjoying lunch at PCB

View from our balcony at PCB

Me and Tommy at PCB

Swing Dancing at Fountain Square

                        

Mom's Weekend at Oliver Winery with my beautiful Mom

Alpha Sig Spring Fling Fundraiser

Women's Little 500 race; the Cru team came in 3rd!

Men's Little 500 race

My roommate Jacob and I enjoying the race

A beautiful sunrise for my last morning of the semester

Bye, until next year!

Sincerely,

Brody Forbes

Why I'm a Christian

I’m in a Christian organization at Indiana University called Cru. This week was our Perspectives Week, where we sought to hear people’s viewpoints about Jesus as well as their life desires. After reflecting about the conversations I had with others, I would like to share my perspective with you about why I’m a Christian.

I am a Christian because I’m pursuing my lifelong dream of obtaining freedom. I believe it is a simple human desire that everyone wants. It’s why I think so many people immigrate to the United States, why so many people have smartphones, and why earning large sums of money is so craved by society. In my quest, I have found only one answer that will guarantee me complete freedom. It is having a relationship with Jesus. If I know Jesus, I have the power to ask for forgiveness. It says in 1 John 1:9:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Being purified is my only chance of getting into Heaven and gaining my freedom. Also, praying for mercy releases my stress in life. It frees me of my worries and brings me peace. Being a Christian frees me.

I am a Christian because it brings me complete satisfaction. No matter how good a steak dinner is, it doesn’t result in the same peace and good feeling that an answered prayer brings. No matter how many encouraging quotes I read from famous celebrities, there is nothing that satisfies my doubting mind more than the hope that comes from John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

I’m willing to take that chance of committing to a God who might not exist in hopes of inheriting eternal life. Furthermore, the happiness that comes from watching the top 50 most hilarious youtube videos of the year doesn’t even compare to the joy I feel when laughing with a friend during a conversation; a friend that God himself created. Being a Christian satisfies me. 

Most importantly, I’m a Christian because of the fact that Jesus at one time existed. Therefore, I can have the confidence that the Bible’s teachings reflect the life of a real person. Whether or not the teachings are accurate is the whole mystery of the religion. The Christian principles state that Jesus lived for me, died for me, and will save me. If I’m trying to gain complete freedom and satisfaction from life, betting on Jesus is the best shot I have. Only it’s not a bet. It’s a contract. Christianity says that if I commit to loving Jesus, he will be my ticket into Heaven. Done deal. If I disregard that contract, I will be locked out of Heaven forever. No exceptions.

Hopefully one day when I die, Jesus will be my defense lawyer at the gates of Heaven. God will be the Judge, and Jesus will try to be the great convincer. After reviewing my case (my life), Jesus will realize I have no chance to make it into Heaven after all the sins I committed on earth. So he, knowing that God fully loves him, will decide to make a deal with God. Jesus will ask if he can replace my life’s sin-filled resume with his perfect one. Since God loves Jesus, he will accept and sacrifice Jesus’s life for mine. However, God will only do this if he is convinced that Jesus personally knows me and I know Jesus. That is why building a relationship with Jesus while I’m on earth is so important to me. What other defense lawyer will plead guilty and face the punishment (death) so that his client (me) may enter into eternal paradise? There is no better deal than that. Jesus saves. That is why I am a Christian.

A New Year

Sacrifice. That is my New Year’s resolution. I committed to sacrificing more in 2015 because of what I learned the past four days from a Christian conference in Indianapolis. The conference is called IndyCC and it was amazing! After listening to speakers, worshipping God through song, and hanging out with friends, there are some important lessons that I learned and would like to share. 

The first interesting teaching I heard came from a pastor named Darren Whitehead. He talked about the four ways people are compensated: wage, rent, royalties, and privilege. Wage is where you do an hour’s work and receive a fair hour’s pay. Rent is where you do the least amount of work you can and still receive what you want. Royalties are where you do something once and receive compensation for an unlimited amount of time. Finally, privilege is where you do nothing, yet receive the best compensation and treatment. 

The main message from this lesson was that we shouldn’t live life just because we can afford to. I learned that I need to help people by sacrificing myself, my energy, and my time, instead of only helping people when there is no cost to me. This way of living is described in the Bible through “The Parable of the Good Samaritan” in Luke 10: 25-37. In short, two people ignore a suffering man on the side of the road because they are determined to arrive in the city on time. The third passer-by stops, sacrifices his time and efforts treating the helpless man, and pays for his shelter in a nearby inn. Only after that does the helper go on his way. 

If you haven’t realized it yet, God’s timing is impeccable. One day after Darren explained the Good Samaritan philosophy, God tested me while I was at lunch. Five of my Cru friends and I had walked to the Circle Centre Mall food court. We had planned on talking about how the conference was going. However, God wanted me to walk the walk instead of talking the talk as it is said in the Bible in 1 John 3:18:

“Dear Children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

 As I was sandwiching some tables together to make room, I was tapped on the shoulder by a stranger. He was about my age and had just been released from the Indianapolis jail earlier that morning. His name was Jonathan and he asked me if I could give him some money for a bus ticket so that he could go back home to Chicago. I was perplexed. 

Usually in these types of situations, I don’t know whether the person asking for money is telling the truth or lying, especially in a big city. In the past, I would’ve just given him some money and told him to go on his way. However, I remembered what Darren had told me earlier: “Stop living out of your expenses. Sacrifice yourself when you see someone in need.” 

As I looked over my shoulder, I saw my five Christian brothers sitting down, waiting to enjoy lunch with me. I knew then that God wanted me to help Jonathan in more ways than just giving him a couple of extra dollars. So I invited him to sit with us and for the next hour and a half we talked about what it means to be a Christian. Together as a team, my friends and I helped answer Jonathan’s questions. Eventually, he said he wanted to be saved by God. 

Wow! What an experience that was. Not only did we sacrifice our lunchtime to teach someone about God’s love, but we gave him a Bible and pooled money together for his bus ticket home. God tested us and we actually responded. It is experiences like that where my faith in Jesus and God is reinforced. It also reminded me that God’s system isn’t like school. He doesn’t teach us all of these lessons and makes us read the Bible so that at the very end we hope to pass the big exam. He tests us every day, in big ways and small, because that’s what being a Christian is about. It’s a lifestyle, not an experiment.  

Now that I have stepped into a fresh new year, I hope my lifestyle in 2015 and beyond becomes one of sacrifice. I had some of the best experiences of my life in 2014: IUDM, Camp Tecumseh, Germany, Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity, Cru, college life, How I Met Your Mother, IndyCC, etc. However, I know that if I commit myself to this resolution, God will provide for me in ways I can never foresee. I challenge you as well to sacrifice yourself this year. You never know when God will tap you on the shoulder. Happy New Year everybody!