Friendship- Part 1

Jon Leighton: Welcome to the first in what is sure to be a series of many posts by two sensational authors. The internet’s best kept secrets. That’s right, Jared Allen the anonymous novelist and Jon Leighton…the other guy, will be teaming up to tackle topics ranging from biblical to political and everywhere in between.

Even though Jared is a few years younger than me, God has used him to teach me quite a bit, and encourage me in ways of which he has had no idea until today. While we both shared similar occupations, backgrounds, and interests, Jared had a deep understanding of a subject to which I was quite ill equipped: friendship.

I had always made the assumption that friendship was founded upon location, and built with hours of “hangout time.” So, when you spend 365 days of the year on a bus, traveling the country, how do you make real friends? Nothing irritates me more concerning the topic of friendship than when people claim friends who are not truly close, and I can say with complete surety that Jared is my friend. God continues to reveal through scripture and men like Jared some foundational principles of friendship. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:13

What is friendship? The ability and willingness to lay down whatever is consuming your time to make time for the needs of someone else. Laying down your “life” for a second to elevate someone else’s. Friendship, as the verse implies is built upon love. This Christ-centric love can be shown through intentional communication, laughter, prayer, and even sharing life’s stupid moments.

Jon: Do you remember how we became friends?

Jared: I remember that it was at Singing in the Sun in Myrtle Beach, SC. Maybe five years ago….

Jon: Yep! Spring of 2011. This random lady walks up to us and asks if we can help take her table product to her van. Several of us, Colby Starkel, Kari Gooch, and a few others, after helping were rewarded with some cash. Being the ministry kids that we are, we voted no better way to spend it than at a fast food restaurant. The journey across the street would prove to hold several great memories!

Jared: Fun times… as I recall, someone convinced the group that McDonald’s was open 24 hours a day and we all made our way there. However, our information was faulty. Apparently the store isn’t open 24 hours, just the drive-thru. We ended up walking about ½ mile further down the main drag to a Krispy Kreme donut shop; it was a crazy night. I’ve found that a good friendship means you do crazy things just for the sake of being together.

Jon: Exactly! Okay, confession time…it was me that swore the McDonalds was open 24 hours. I had this thing where I was convinced I was always right. And I’d say one quality to an awesome friendship is being willing to listen, even when you KNOW the other person is full of it!

Jared: Well, that wasn’t the end of the McDonald’s adventure. My Josh, and a few of the others… Jared Stuffle and Valerie Crist, suggested we walk through the drive through in an invisible car. It almost worked.
What are friends for if you can’t laugh together? Or at least laugh at their expense when they try to walk a drive thru.

Jon: I don’t remember who drove the car, all I remember is us lining up like we were a minivan and chasing after French fries at midnight. Well, at least until they threatened to call the police. That’s the fastest our car had EVER moved. Yes, I think it was at that moment when several near strangers clicked and bonded. Adversity has a way of uniting people.

Jared: Nothing brings people together faster than a police chase in a McDonald’s parking lot.

Jon: I think our invisible car could have outrun them; but I was outvoted. That was where our friendship began. Maybe all you readers out there are like me. You have a thousand acquaintances, but at the end of the day, you’re looking for a real friend. Take heart! This random, crazy encounter actually holds several keys to unlocking friendship. And now, with Jared as our guide, we’ll begin to walk through those doors.

Jared: Thanks Jon. Friends are great to have around and just be crazy with. It’s nice to be able to be yourself without a fear of being judged or ridiculed. But, a friend is so much more than just a person who you hang out with and can act normal around. The Bible gives us some clear keys as to what a friend is, most of which are found in Proverbs.

FRIENDSHIP IS COMMITMENT:

-Proverbs 17:17 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

This is the first explanation in scripture of friendship, and it is a doozy. Akin to the first commandment: love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might, the first identifier of a true friend is unceasing love. A love that is constant is the first characteristic of a friend: for a friend loveth at all times.

FRIENDSHIP IS HONESTY:

-Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

This is probably my favorite characteristic of a friend and it is simply: a friend is not afraid to call you out, to tell you when you’re wrong, and to beat some sense into you. You know you have a real friend when you can tell them things they don’t want to hear, and they listen and try to make things right. You know you have a true friend when they call you out when you mess up; their love for you makes them say what you don’t want to hear.

FRIENDSHIP IS UNDERSTANDING:

-Proverbs 27:14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.

I like this because it is so true. A friend just knows you; they know your likes and dislikes. A friend won’t get up early and starting banging on things and singing loudly just because they want you awake. If you can take a joke, then your friend will know that. But, being awakened by an obnoxious noise early in the morning has happened to all of us at one time or another, and we don’t typically think very friendly thoughts in those situations.

FRIENDSHIP IS SYMBIOTIC:

-Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Finally, a friend makes you a better person. A friend sharpens you in the Word of God, quickens your mind, drives you to be the best you possibly can, and is always behind you 100%. A friend makes you a better you. That’s how you know it’s a true friend, and I know that I have found a true friend in Jon Leighton. Just for getting on board with this crazy joint-blog post idea is his way of saying, “I’ve got your back, I’m behind you in this, man.”. Well, that and he wants to make himself famous by the exposure my name will give him in this post. 😛

Each of these 4 areas: commitment, honesty, understanding, and symbiosis, require intentional action on both parts. Friendship is an active relationship, both to begin and to keep. Be intentional about showing people you care through how you treat them and their friendship.

Well, thanks for reading. It’s been fun and hopefully there will be more Jon and Jared posts to follow. In the meantime, you can follow Jon here.

As always, thanks for reading.

—the anonymous novelist

Best RPG, FPS, and Strategy Games

Okay, I’ve been serious for the past dozen posts, it’s time to do something just for the fun of it.

When you’re a moral, home schooled, sheltered kid, you are very selective about your game choices. Everybody wants to find the perfect game that they enjoy and can feel good about playing. These games aren’t perfect, but they come close and are a few of my favorites.

We’ll start with iOS games, because they’re more popular these days.

#1- This Means War!

This Means War is a build-a-base game like Clash of Clans or Game of War. The unique thing about this game is that it is set in modern day, if not a slightly futuristic modern day.     As is shown in the first screenshot, this is a flat field of battle, both bases are in play; this feature is one of the major distinctions of “This Means War” from all other games like it. In the most popular of the play type, Clash of Clans, there is no danger of your base being attacked when you are in a raid; in This Means War, the enemy can attack you as you’re attacking them.

The best part: it’s clean and simplistic. The graphics are top, the developers release updates often with new content and fixes, and you don’t have to wade through creep-things like you have to in other fantasy games. You can click here to download This Means War for free.

#2- Tiny Troopers

This is an entirely different game play done with bobble headed characters. Like a total control 3rd person FPS, this delightful game is a pleasant pastime. 

  Again, the graphics are great, the game play is fun and engaging. It’s still not a true FPS, but the many missions and characters keep it from getting boring too fast.

You control a squad of three men and invade small maps, eliminating targets and keeping your little guys alive. It’s not a pay-to-play like a lot of games are nowadays, and it’s actually fun. Download it here.

#3- 0A.D.

For number three we move to the laptop computer and a new open-source strategy game. 0A.D. is so new that they are still in Alpha. Having recently released their 19th Alpha version, called Syllepsis, 0A.D. is pushing ahead toward become the next Age of Empires.

  

 

Okay, take a moment to appreciated the prettiness of these screenshots. Alright, now take in the fact that this game is completely fan funded. They do not charge for the game. This game is built by monetary support and actual code and design contributions by fans. Wow! To be as good as it is now and to still be in Alpha building, this game will be a monster when fully developed. 

It’s gameplay is very similar to AoE 2 with a graphic scale of AoE 3. If you are an Age of Empires fm, you’ll want to keep an eye on this developing game. You can read more about it or download the latest version here.

#4- Age of Empires: World Domination

Speaking of Age of Empires, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the classic, most iconic CPU strategy game that is getting a  mobile app. That’s it. You read that correctly; Age of Empires is getting an official mobile game.  

  
   

Now, this app has not yet been released to the US market, but they are testing the iOS and Android systems in the Philippines and other abstract places. I’m pumped about this game, but a bit disconcerted by the reviews it’s getting from testing. Despite that, I think there is great promise and great possibilities for this game. Obviously there is a huge fan base for this game, and I’m excited to see what they do with it. 

The style of game play looks very similar to the old style, but the game is free to play. That means that there will be purchasable items, making it potentially a pay-to-play game. Well, no game is perfect. Learn more about AoE World Domination on their website by clicking here.

#5- BombSquad

 This game, developed by Eric Froemling, may very well be my favorite group game ever. It is a computer game that works best on Mac devices, (but will also work on windows, if you know how to obtain the Beta), which you control using phones. You download the game to your computer and the controller to your phone and you’re set for a bobble-head adventure.

There are multiple basic game styles, which include: capture the flag, last man standing, king of the hill, football, racing, and several variations of these. With free-for-all, single player, and multi-player team modes, there is no end to the hours of mad fun you can have with this simple little game.

There are 6 free avatars to choose from and additional ones for purchase, but the real fun of the game is in the 4 buttons on the controller: punch, jump, throw bomb, and pick up. The last of these actions enables you to pick up another player and simply throw them off of the map. This is the equivalent of sneaking up behind someone in Halo and hitting them over the back of the head with a rocket launcher.

You can play with up to 8 players and the rounds are short, making this a great game for mid-sized groups. I like it a lot, mostly because of their tagline in the last screenshot: “Blow up your friends”. What’s not fun about that?

There is no blood, no realistic violence or themes, so even the little kids can play. You can download BombSquad for free by clicking here. 

I suppose I need a moral to this post, just for consistency of course. Games are a bridge to escape life for a few short moments. Everybody needs a bridge. These are some of the bridges I enjoy walking, I hope you will too.

As always, thanks for reading.

—the anonymous novelist

The Eve Of Christmas

You’re probably expecting a post that has something to do with Christmas, given the title and timing of this post. But, I’m not going to focus on Christmas today. It isn’t Christmas, it is the day before; the day we go to a candlelight church service and reflect on what God did for us.

Today is all about precursor. In this case, the precursor is more important than the actual day. Christmas is all about us. We are so wrapt in ourselves and giving to others that we may see the joy on their faces and recieve the satisfaction from that. It’s about us having fun with family and showing others that we care. But, Christmas Eve is not about Christ, it’s about reflecting upon His birth, life, and death.

At least in the way we celebrate these days: Christmas is about fun, and Christmas Eve is about faith. The Christian’s way of keeping Christ in Christmas is to push Him out of it. We gather in His house earlier than usual so that we don’t end up staying too late. We come into His presence in fellowship a day early so the Christmas Day can be filled with “more important things”.

I don’t think this is a bad thing, but be consistent Christians! Without Christ, Christmas is just an average holiday; not all that special. So, if the eve of this average holiday is all about Christ, and the holiday itself is an afterthought to that, why not cry out: “Keep Christ in Christmas Eve!”? Just be consistent. We cannot tell the world to keep Christ in Christmas while pushing Him out of it ourselves.

The day of Christmas ought to be more Christ-centered than its precursor. Do we treat it as a holy day?

What’s more important? What do your actions tell others that Christmas means to you? Just a thought.

As always, thanks for reading.

–the anonymous novelist

Stories: In Ten Words

Being that the bus is incapacitated and unable to travel, I find myself living at my home away from home: the Dodd’s house. Now, my family has known the Dodd family from before we went into travelling evangelism almost 20 years ago. This house is one of my all time favorite places to be; you never can tell what’s going to happen here. The day before yesterday, for instance: Guy, the Dodd’s cousin, was having a conversation with Bethanie, their youngest child. He told me about it in a conversation that took place yesterday, which looked something like this:

“I just totally made this game up yesterday with Bethany, while the other boys were playing. She loves to tell stories, but they’re always really long. So, I said ‘Hey, lets try this. See if you can tell a story in ten words.'”.

So, the objective of the game is to tell a story in exactly ten word?

Well, I let the younger kids do ten words or less. But, yes: ten words.

So, I learned a new game yesterday! It’s a ton of fun and I thought I’d share it with all of you. I think it would make a great holiday game when you have all of those relatives over and you don’t know what to do with them. Here are a few of the ones we thought of yesterday afternoon. They started out simple, but ended up getting very complex and interesting. The entire family got involved.

Samuel: Once there was a girl named Abby, she passed tests.

Benjamin: Once Abby got married to…(unfinished story due to content issue: Censored.)

Guy: The paintings in my house come to life at night.

Jared: I wish that I could say all of my story.

Guy: The people ate fuzzy mushrooms for breakfast, and then died.

Guy: I looked in the mouth of my uncle’s gift horse.

Stephen: I found the antidote, but it was far too late.

Kevin: I saw a fish, caught it, then let it go.

Guy: My flashing antenna sensors blink when I fall in love.

Jared: They were trapped inside then found a secret door.

Stephen: There is a mild design flaw to the saber’s holstering mechanism.

Guy: Farewell, my dear captain, sometimes the ship goes down alone.

Bethanie: Once there was a girl playing the violin very prettily.

Guy: Far too many cards fall under tables while playing games.

Jared: The glasses sit abandoned for their drinkers are in jail.

Bethanie: I just pinched my finger in the piano’s black keys.

Guy: My wife abandoned kids and me. Count it all joy.

Jared: Dog are dogs no matter what the government tells us.

Isabel: This is a star. It’s a decoration, and a camera.

Teri: And then there were none left to continue the quest.

Bethanie: It’s a mask that looks I am wearing glasses.

Stephen: When they fell, I knew that hope had fallen too.

Guy: Tomorrow. We will ride. The sun may not arise. Apocalypse.

Savannah: So there they were, each left to his own adventure.

Jared: A picture is worth a thousand words. Prices may vary.

Guy: I haven’t had inspiration at all today; too many distractions.

Josh: A man hit Somebody. Somebody’s friend hit him right back.

Guy: Jesus paid it all, I owe it all to Him.

Jared: Clock: the noise a clock makes when it hits you.

Guy: “I need a holiday,” he said, wiping off another’s blood.

Jared: Stop watch! Don’t move! You will be put in timeout.

Brittanie: Smiling, the dog jumped, leaped, frolicked, and ate the bone.

Jared: The last living human hears a knock at the door.

Guy: I’m afraid of falling, but I cannot find a floor.

Jared: I didn’t shoot him, he shot me, then I died.

You can even try variations of this game and split a single story between multiple people. Here are examples of myself and Guy each contributing five words chunks to a single story, and also taking turns adding one word each, respectively. After that, things just got crazy when Guy and I built 1 single story out of multiple ten words stories.

Jared, Guy: Ten thousand gleaming blades raised, they shouted with frenzied pleasure.

Guy, Jared: Many times our minds fill with wicked intentions. We sin.

Guy: Light-years apart, the star-crossed lovers dedicated themselves to galactic exploration.

Jared: How did they meet? Is there a cosmic postal system.

Guy: No, but antenna sensors can communicate telepathically across solar systems.

Jared: Sadly the majority of long-distance relationships are doomed to failure.

Guy: However, they are so in love, they will fight forever.

Jared: Nevertheless, the light-years between them alienated them from each other.

Guy: So, he built a Hoverbird and flew to her system.

Jared: Their love grew. The two often flew their starships together.

Guy: Eventually, their union in matrimony created problems of planetary proportions.

Jared: She left to parts unexplored, his starship went down alone.

TA-DA! There you have it. Stories: in ten words.

As always, thanks for reading.

—the anonymous novelist

A Reason to Give Thanks

Time to talk about you. You know, you are the reason for everything that happens in your life. Whether it is you making things happen, or someone doing something for you: everything in your life is about you. You are the center of your universe. When Christ comes to live inside of you, His love, His joy, His peace, His purpose becomes yours; the world still revolves around you, but Christ is now the center of the center of it. So, how do you find a reason to give thanks if everything in your life is done for or by you?

What about history? Is not the origin of the holiday, the celebration of the Pilgrims settling in the new world, free of religious tyranny a reason for thanks? The legacy of our ancestors and the founding of this great nation under God, is that not a reason to give thanks?

Well, when looking for a reason to give thanks, our first instinct is to look to those closest to us: our family. Is it not a reason to give thanks to have those we love near to us for the holiday? Is that not a good reason for thanks? Personally, I love spending time with my family, Thanksgiving is one of those special days where we all seem to get along; we appreciate each other for who we are on our best days and not what we do on our worst days. Thanksgiving is family. So, family is a reason to give thanks, right?

Then we have friends. One good friend is better to have than 1000 enemies. Friends are great. If you are anything like me, you do things not so much for the enjoyment of the activity so much as for the time with the person you are doing it with. Friends make you see things about yourself that you can’t see, they tell you things you don’t want to hear, and they help you grow in the Lord. Are friends not a reason for thanks?

If we see ourselves in sated scenes,

Of amber skies and Autumn leaves,

And dusk: the rolling billows sweeps,

With beauty of the Master’s hand;

Then to our souls the light doth whisper,

Love and hope in the dusk of November.

Fated is the woe of life, 

But through the storm the truth be told,

And we give thanks for hearth and home.

This day of thanks, the giving season,

The ties that bind do draw us near.

The essence of thanks; hear this: the truth!

The reason to give thanks, is inside of you.

Christ came, lived, died, rose again, and still saves. Pilgrims fled from danger to the lion’s mouth, forsaking health and security for freedom: for hope: for liberty. Give thanks, for every reason, on this, the giving day, the thankful season.

As always, thanks for reading. Like, comment, follow this blog, and check me out on social. I just got on Facebook yesterday! Friend me there and keep up with the blog.

Facebook: @JaredAllen

Twitter: @EJaredAllen

Instagram: @ejaredallen

 

—the anonymous novelist

Blogging For Beginners

  
I know most of my followers are fellow bloggers; big shoutout to all of you. But, if you’re thinking of starting a blog the first thing you need is something to say. 

The ultimate purpose of a self-oriented blog is to promote yourself to others. True, a blog is a mode of expressing your ideas, but it is also a place of fantasy where you can escape. Because it is writing, you cannot see me, thus I can be whatever I want to be.

Technically, I could say anything I wish to about myself and most of you wouldn’t know the difference, that’s just beauty of blogging. Taking a few cues from Jon Arbuckle here, I’d like to impress you with my accomplishments.

1. I made my first million before I turned 12.
2. George Lucas based the character of Yoda after me.
3. I have a pet flying monkey.
4. I can speak twelve languages simultaneously.
5. I invented nuclear fusion.

See what I mean? Anything and everything is acceptable in this fantasy blog world.

 Yep, I’ve been there. When you run out of ideas, make stuff up. A blog is not supposed to be a job, unless you’re Matt Walsh or somebody. It’s not work, it’s a hobby, a pastime. 

I find it odd that the word “pastime”, a conjunction of the words, “pass” and “time” is not spelled with a double “s”. Separately, the words “pass” and “time” mean the passing of time or the engaging in a task that makes time seem to move faster. In the word “pastime”, the words “pas” and “time” mean “not time” or “no time”: pas being the French word for time and time being the English word for-, well… Time. The two meanings then are completely opposite. Do you not find that a little odd?  Anyway, since a blog is just for fun, it shouldn’t matter whether people appreciate the work with likes and whatnot. If you did the post because you wanted to, you should need no other gratification. It’s just you being you, and that’s enough. You don’t have to be something that you’re not; be yourself whatever you do.

Dissapointment is something all artists face. When we pour our souls into the art and don’t get the feedback or love that we expected, it’s dissapointing. So, I encourage you to make your work about something bigger than just you. God is a good place to start if you’re a Christian. If you are not, make your posts be about the good in the world, tie them into some great goal of morality or peace. Make it count.

 Lastly, if you started the blog for you, write about you. I know for Christians we think it always need to be focused on God. But, the topic of your blog doesn’t change whether or not you are a Christian. The world will know us by our love. In other words: let Christ shine through you, then everything that is about you will be about Him. 

And don’t be afraid of what people might think or say. A blog is a fantasy world to do with as you please. I just like keeping it real every once in a while. 🙂

As always, thanks for reading and find away to see the fun in life. 🙂

—the anonymous novelist

Satisfied

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

–Romans 8:15

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word: adoption? Don’t just keep reading, take a moment to think about that. For me it was security, mostly because I was thinking about adoption in Christ. Adoption is security, it’s belonging, but more than that, it is being wanted.

Now, humans are self-centered; we want what we want and we want it now. We crave things, mostly foods, but also other things. Cravings are a good thing: for without the desire for food we would never eat, then where on earth would we be? Well, nowhere really, we’d be dead. But we crave things, mostly for indulgence or pleasure.

Like I said, cravings are a good thing, cravings are natural, but they are only good when directed toward the right things. Cravings are an awareness and propensity towards something we enjoy or need. God wants to fulfill our cravings.

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

-Philippians 4:19

When we hunger, God says He is the bread of life. When we thirst, He is the everlasting water. God wants to be the sole source of our satisfaction. The problem with humans is that they don’t love pleasures enough. Now, many different religions will tell you that denying yourself pleasures is righteous and Godly: if the pleasures you seek are of this world, then that philosophy is sound.

The pleasures of God, true joy, satisfaction, love, and peace are far beyond what little pleasure this world can afford. The world doesn’t have the monopoly on pleasure. Sometimes Christians feel that they have to back away from God to have some fun. God’s isn’t against fun, there are pleasures beyond what we can imagine that He has in store. However, we still feel like we’re doing wrong when we indulge ourselves.

The question to ask then is why? Why do we have to feel bad about enjoying ourselves every once in a while? Well, let me ask you this: what activities have you sought as a way to have fun and experience pleasure in recent months? Take a minute to think about it, and then answer this next question. How are those activities connected with your commitment to follow Christ?

Some Christians treat their relationship with God like a business relationship, never knowing God as a loving father. Are the activities we partake in furthering our relationship with God? Do we have the kind of relationship with our Heavenly Father that is such that we notice His absence in our lives?

Really, if a husband or wife leaves their spouse for a few days, they’re bound to notice and to feel the absence of them. It hurts to be apart from those you love. If you were to not speak to someone you cared deeply about for several days, there would be an emptiness in you and a hurting. How much more our emptiness is when we disconnect ourselves from the unknowable love of God for more than a day or two.

Do you have the kind of connection to God that would cause you to be in pain and yearning when you don’t speak to Him? The Spirit, love, and glory of God should be addictive in your life. You should get drunk on God’s presence so much so that you can’t bear to be without Him or absent from His presence.

God can, and God will satisfy your soul. If humans were seekers of pleasure we would be addicted to God: the source of true pleasure. Now, the world will tell you that they have the monopoly on pleasure, but it isn’t lasting. Just ask the Samaritan woman at the well, she will tell you that worldly pleasure doesn’t last.

Jesus told her all that she had ever done, that she had had 5 husbands and the man with whom she was living was not her husband. If any woman knew that the sexual pleasures of this world do not last or satisfy, it is her.

God is the only one who can give lasting pleasure. The question is: are you satisfied with your relationship with God? If the answer is yes, you need to rethink what a relationship with God means. We should never be satisfied with our closeness to God until we are with Him in heaven. If you discover your pleasure and satisfaction in God, everything else will follow.

But, how do we discover pleasure in God? Well, you can start by making Him the center of your life. Read His Word; God’s Word is the #1 way He reveals Himself to His people. Then pray, God wants to hear from you and He wants you to hear from Him. Every strong relationship is built upon communication. The true path to satisfaction is to seek the ultimate pleasure in life.

As always, thanks for reading. You know the drill, like, follow, let me know what you’re thinking, and check me out on social.

Twitter: @EJaredAllen

Instagram: @ejaredallen

—the anonymous novelist