firefox crash

Firefox isn't working very well for me today, so I've opted to use Internet Explorer for the first time since buying this laptop (Adobe Flash refused to work on IE so that's when I made the switch to Mozilla...it was life-changing).

After struggling with restarting my computer and Firefox numerous times, I decided to just leave it be and pick up a book to read. I was planning on finishing my second AP Lang book today, but I saw Systematic Theology on my dresser (before all this, I had been cleaning my room for the majority of the morning) and decided to get started. Needless to say, it's a huge book--an almost 1300 page long INTRODUCTION to dogmatic theology! I chose it over the smaller manual by Louis Berkhof that our youth group ordered for the YLF study group due to my constant need to make things harder for myself and because I figure that if I really, actually want to get in depth with studying Biblical doctrine, I want something that has more information than I think I can handle. If that makes sense.

So I read the first chapter, and yes, it was very interesting and what I expected (also very readable, a definite plus), but another thought lingered in my mind...

(Something we were discussing with the Cal kids during this past week's Sunday School:)

Hot: passionate
Cold: totally without God
Lukewarm: "Boiling water turns lukewarm the instant any cold water hits it," thus a life for God, but still tainted with sinful habits and things of the sort (I can't get too in depth without going off on tangents, and anyway this is apparently a heavily debated topic)

Of many things I call hobbies, my interest in photography, fashion, and perhaps music stick out the most to me. Am I living a lukewarm life if these things infiltrate through my life? I don't think so; the point is not to say that "hot" Christians have no other interests...but I need to prioritize these things, and make sure I know what my utmost desire is, at all times.

Specifically, music is not much of a problem since at the moment, my only concentration in music is to develop skill in playing the electric guitar for the church's youth praise team; in general, my musical focus is on worship music, so that shouldn't hinder anything...? As for photography, it is more of a hobby, since it rarely consumes any portion of me, but it is definitely something I need to watch out for in the future, since I've been meaning to expand on it and I have been, consciously or not (though I suppose that since I've now acknowledged it, it has to be consciously). As for fashion, that would be my biggest problem right now: materialism. And not just that, but my craving for experimentation with clothing and appearance and things related to that--everything in moderation...But something I was talking to my mom about a few weeks ago, about second piercings, actually: of course it doesn't cost much to get a second piercing, or a third, or a fourth, but in all honesty that money could be put into offering. That's something everyone's bound to hear time after time, but for some reason, hearing it in that one instance really stuck out. Somehow further God's kingdom, or just aimlessly spend and spend (and increase the national debt, ha)? Not to say that I'm going to completely eliminate buying all unneccessary things, because in that case I would never have to buy another piece of clothing, but my focus should be always turned to Him, the Creator, the Counselor, the Judge, the King.

Would it be too hypocritical to now mention that I've always wanted to start a fashion blog (but probably when I'm older, or at least have a more developed style)? Though there's not much I would be able to talk about at the moment, since school will be starting soon and I sport a uniform polo each day...

Anyway, I'm going to make an effort to try to be online less during the evening hours of the day. For one, it seems to really piss my parents off, which is understandable, and secondly, I've been getting better at staying offline, so there's no reason for me to feul my internet addiction even more.

To do list for the rest of the day:
- finish cleaning my room, and vacuum
- read a good chunk of Into Thin Air, since I'm pretty sure I'm not going to make my own deadline for finishing summer reading (let alone questions, argh)
- go running, since I didn't exercise with Jennyfer today (may I note that my body is in this completely sore state that I absolutely love?!)
- practice guitar...which I think I'll go do right now.
- start looking at my SAT book(s)? Though if I want to read a good portion of my summer reading book, probably not...

edit- Ironically, my Gretsch just broke. The output jack got loose and the nuts and stuff all fell out...but luckily I was able to temporarily fix it. Thank God I bought it from the Guitar Center; though I got ripped off, at least I have a shop I can take it back to...although technically it's an authorized Gretsch dealer so they'd probably fix it for free anyway. Eep.