OBVIOUSLY, I can't sleep... so please bear with this entry, and hopefully it will make some sense without rambling too much (like this title)...

I only heard snippets of a conversation tonight, about a cross. I had gotten an email from church today that had a similar theme, asking what one word you thought of when you thought of the cross.

Just one?

I thought of a verse...

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)

I went back and looked @ Vintage Jesus, where they talk about how crucifiction was a horrible, shameful, yet common thing (and if you don't believe me, go watch Passion of the Christ--that's just a movie, and I had to completely stop watching the movie on 2 occasions because I was crying so hard that my nose got stuffed up and I couldn't breathe), yet crosses have become a big "Christian" symbol---in the book they compare them to wearing electric chairs around your neck, or hanging a dirty needle or used condom on your wall.

I think symbols can be good, so long as we REMEMBER what they STAND FOR. If you just want something pretty to look at, go get a Thomas Kinkaide to hang on your wall to jump-start your warm-n-fuzzies...

And another thing....

So there was this horrible death, where Jesus, who was sinless/blameless/spotless, took on ALL the sins of everyone that will ever exist ( for  you, me, your great-great-great grandma, my grandkids, Abraham Lincoln, Hitler, the lady across the street, the gas station attendant, etc), and died, paying the price for all our junk with His life....

BUT HE IS RISEN!

He rose from the grave 3 days after his death, and is alive!!!

(and THAT just reminded me of something else I'd like to write, about English tenses of things, but I think I need to do some more research and get some sleep, as it's closing in on 4 am!) Good night!