Fearless Faith

     I remember a time when I used to be so frightened to sing in front of people. When I joined my first choir it was quite challenging until I had been doing it for a while. Something inside me kept driving me. My love for singing wouldn't allow me to walk away because of an irrational fear (of what I don't quite remember but I was really shy for most of my childhood).
     I started challenging this fear I sought to destroy it the best I could by challenging myself to do that which I was afraid to do. I began trying out for solo's and eventually obtained that goal. From then on my goal was to sing a solo in front of as many people as possible. My reason behind it was to prove that I was no longer afraid to do it.
    I tried out for the Alabama Allstate Choral Festival every year (Thanks to Mr Nance my first choir teacher for bringing it to my attention). My goal became to get a solo in one of the songs there because the audience was much larger than any I had ever had a chance to sing in front of before. Unfortunately I was unable to meet that goal.Nevertheless I don't consider it a failure. It wasn't for lack of talent or lack of trying.
     Sometime in high school I believe it was my Junior or Senior year God revealed to me just what happened. He began teaching me about fear. He taught me what exactly it was and just how much it effects our lives.
    It's been a long time since God revealed to me the the power that fear has on us. More accurately the false power it has over us. I say that because when we are in him, when we've truly become one of his children fear no longer has any place in our lives.

2 Timothy1:7
" For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

     As long as we have assured our salvation in him we have absolutely no reason to fear anything. Not death, not torture, nothing.  It may sound crazy but ever since God opened my eyes to fear one of the practices I use in dealing with it is to think of the worst case scenario for what I've found myself in fear of. The absolute worst thing I can see out of any situation is death. As I stated before that's really nothing to be afraid of at all. I don't necessarily recommend this tactic to most of you but it works for me.

Matthew10:28
"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."


Isaiah 54:17
"No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
      And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
      You shall condemn.
      This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
      And their righteousness is from Me,”
      Says the LORD."

     It's mostly because God has opened my eyes to it but I also analyze the fear that I come up against. I step back and take a look at what truly brought me to that point of being afraid. Most of the time I find that being afraid of whatever it was was pretty much just an irrational notion. In the case of my singing it would go something like this:

"Why am I afraid to sing on stage in front of those people?I might mess up. What's the worst thing that can happen? I get embarrassed. Is that a good reason to be afraid? No. OK so then I have no reason to be afraid.


     I have often said that there is no good fear. I know some of you would argue and say "What about spiders and snakes and other things that can hurt us?" Or "What about the fear of God?" As for that I will get to it in a minute but first. It's ok to have a reaction to something such as a spider or a snake but to let the simple sight of such things send you into a full on panic mode is not healthy. If you truly understood those creatures you wouldn't be nearly as afraid of them as you might be now.
     I'm not saying you should go out looking for snakes and spiders and whatever but use your brain. If you're unsure of how dangerous something is just avoid it you don't have to be afraid of it. In fact fear has a way of hindering us from being able to think and to slow us down when it's necessary to flee. Ever heard of a deer in the headlights?
     Well one could argue that it's the light that causes the deer not to be able to see that makes it stop but the point is if you let fear overtake you then you won't be able to act when it's truly necessary. I have been frozen in fear before so I know such a thing happens.
     My point in saying all this is that I believe it's my duty to share what God has shown me regarding fear.  So the next several posts will be exactly that. I haven't perfected my fearless walk with Christ yet but I know as I share what I know God will speak to me as he has in the past. Often times you learn more about something when you try and teach it than you ever could when studying it. At least in God's way of doing things. I hope you all get as much out of this as I do.

Tim In a Bottle remixed

     Hey everyone. I know it's been a while since I posted last and that is part of the reason I've decided to make a change. I will still occasionally post some randomness but I've decided to get a little deeper.
     Sometimes it's not so easy to be creative. It's not that I lack the talent it's more like I lack the interest to make the time to do it. That being said the story I was in the process of writing was going to be about a time in my life where I decided to turn away from God. My reasoning behind this was Revelation 3:16
     I had been struggling with habitual sin and couldn't (at least in my eyes) control it. I basically told God that if I couldn't be hot then I would have to choose cold and that maybe one day I would grow tired of my "habit". That was the worst decision I have ever made.
     It was almost instantaneous that God lifted his hand from my life. He showed me just how dark I could actually be. I lost most of my self control even though before hand I thought I had very little. I began swearing. Up until that point in my life I had only said maybe two or three swear words, if that.
     I was very afraid of the person I had become. Almost the same instant that I made that choice I began begging God to take me back but three months would pass before he would. All I had managed to do during that three months is acquire new struggles I would have to deal with when I came back to Christ.
     The point is that no matter what we're going through, no matter how bad we think we are God is still with us. Those of you reading this that may have struggles with self control I have this to say. You do have self control. There is always a way out of any temptation or situation.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Romans 8:37 NKJV
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Isaiah 54:17
  No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
      And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
      You shall condemn.
      This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
      And their righteousness is from Me,”
      Says the LORD.

     So just because you feel trapped in a habitual sin don't do like I did and turn away. Instead seek God even harder. Look to his word and above all else pray. Get an accountability partner and talk with them regularly. It's not easy but you can do it.
     Don't give yourself license to sin.  If you mess up just ask God to forgive you and continue down your path to recovery. Don't wallow in it or think "I screwed up again so I might as well..." These things just keep you from where you need to be in Christ.
     Develop a relationship with God and stay in the word. That's the best weapon we have against anything that comes against us. Don't be afraid to fast. Fasting is what helps us keep control over our flesh. If you find that you spend too much time or put too much heart into something than put it away for a while.
     Develop good habits. Start with something simple like waking up at a certain time every morning. It's easier to do the harder things once you've mastered the little things. Minimize your idle time. If you have a lot of it do something constructive like writing a blog or journal.
     That's most of the good advice I've heard throughout my years. I haven't mastered all of it yet but believe me it's good advice. One thing that was brought to my attention recently was the involvement of fear in our struggles with habitual sin.

 2 Timothy 2:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

     We are born into sin and therefore one could assume that we are also born into fear, but when we are born again we are no longer bound by such things. Once we accept Christ the old things are passed away and we have new life in him. The only thing that keeps us from walking in that is ourselves. 
     So what does fear have to do with it you ask? It's pretty simple. In my case it's the fear that I will never get to experience certain things or that the temptation won't go away if I don't give in. It could also be that I'm afraid that I won't experience the high that I feel when I do give in.
     The truth is that God's presence is a better high than anything you could feel artificially. I've never done drugs or anything like that but I've heard people that have say the same thing.  So why do some of us continuously give in to temptation when we know that sin separates us from God?
     I say it's because we just don't see the exit sign shining brightly above the door. That way of escape that 1 Corinthians 10 was talking about. Perhaps it's just that we are too lazy to wait for God's supernatural high.  I know in my situation I have to let God fill the void inside or I will fall flat on my face. When I let his love fill me I forget about the temptation.
     I hope what I have shared has turned on the lights inside the exit signs in your life so that the next time you feel tempted you see how to escape and run to Jesus. There is truly not a greater friend or a greater love than he.
     There's only one thing I can add to what I have written so far and that is to fill yourself with God.

Matthew 12:43-45
 ⁴³ “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. ⁴⁴ Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

Luke 11:24-26
²⁴ “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ ²⁵ And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. ²⁶ Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”

     I know that habitual sin isn't exactly demon possession but it's the same principal. If you don't fill yourself with the word and fill your life with prayer and worship (A true relationship with Christ) then you will continue to struggle.

The White Lie

     Jimmy was a quiet sort of guy. He always seemed happy but inside he was everything but. From the outside you would think he had everything going for him. He had good friends, a family that loved him, and a girlfriend whom he loved very much. He had a problem though. He loved to bend the truth.
     For instance, just this morning he told his mom that he had already taken the trash out when she called. He was really playing video games at that time and had been all morning. He did take the trash out a little later but a lie is a lie.
      Yesterday he told his best friends that he couldn't go to the movies because he had to finish his chores. The truth was he had already seen the movie. He did have one chore left but he didn't have to take out the trash until the next day. That's when the trash men came to collect it.
     His girlfriend wasn't immune to it either. In fact he has lied to everyone he wass close to. Not big lies but white lies. Lies that are really more like bent truths than lies. Most of the time his intentions behind them were good though obviously misguided.
     One would think that this practice would not be harmful but fate sometimes has other ideas about what is right and what is wrong. Jimmy was soon to find this out first hand.
     He crashed into bed that Friday night exhausted from playing outside with his friends. The next day he was awakened by a strange noise. He looked around the room trying to figure out what could have caused it but soon fell back asleep.
     "Just a few more minutes." He thought to himself.
     "Jimmy!" A loud echoing voice called to him.
     "Go away dad I'm trying to sleep!" Jimmy screams angrily.
     "Jimmy!" the voice calls again.
     "OK fine I'll get up." Jimmy complies as he opens his eyes.
     He is astonished to find that he isn't in his room any longer. His eyes dart around the room looking for the source of the mysterious voice. It appears that he is in a cave of some sort. The walls were slimy and he could smell a musky odor that resembled that of wet dog, only worse.
     "Who's there?" Jimmy stuttered slightly afraid. "What do you want with me? Why did you bring me here?"
     "Foolish child." The voice called sternly, "I didn't bring you here. You were sent here."
     "Why?" Asked Jimmy.
     All of a sudden Jimmy heard the sound of chains breaking. A low growl fills the air as the sound of claws scratching the cave floor get closer and closer. Jimmy could tell that this creature was huge. he was afraid but he couldn't move.
     "Because you lie too much!" The creature yelled as it finally appeared from a dark corner of the cave.
     Jimmy scooted backward and tripped over a dip in the cave floor and began to scamper toward the wall. The creature had him cornered now but he knew even if he could get away there was no way he could outrun such a humongous creature. He said a short silent prayer asking for forgiveness. He hadn't realized his lying had become such a problem.
     The creature raised it's giant paw with claws extended and ready to strike. Jimmy felt that it was the end but just before the creature struck a tiny ball of extremely bright light blinded the creature. For a moment it even blinded Jimmy. The creature ran back into a dark tunnel just as the light began to fade.
     "It's about time you got here." The little ball of light scorned. "He's gotten loose now. Had I been a moment later he would have torn you to shreds."
     "As if this day wasn't weird enough already." Jimmy mumbled. "Now I have to deal with an angry fairy."
     "I am not a fairy!" The tiny ball of light retorted. "I'm kind of your guardian."
     "Kind of?" Jimmy responded very puzzled. "I think you did a great job so far. Now how do we get out of here."
     "Well, that's where the kind of part comes in. You have to find your own way out of here but first I need to give you something."
     "So what are you waiting for?" Jimmy snapped.
     "Over here." The tiny ball of light called as it flew to a dark corner of the cave. "This is yours."
     There in the dim light of the creature was a sword and a suit much like those of the super heroes in the comic books. It was solid white and laced with red on the edges there were no sleeves but there appeared to be some sort of armor that hung over the shoulders underneath the fabric.
     "Oh no." Jimmy responded. "There is no way I'm wearing that!"
     "Suit yourself but here in this realm you are known as 'The White Lie'. The only superhero strong enough to defeat the beast you just had the pleasure of almost being eaten by. However you have no power without wearing it. That sword there would be more like a toothpick."
     A scream is heard echoing from a far tunnel in the cave and it catches Jimmy's ear.
     "Stephie!" Jimmy yelled frantically. "What is she doing here you... you... light bulb?"
     "All those that are close to your heart that you've been dishonest with are here."
     "Oh brother." Jimmy says as he dawns his new uniform, "This is going to be a long day"
     Jimmy takes off in the direction of the screams. The little ball of light stays with him giving him enough light to see his way. He draws his sword as he nears an opening to another large room in the cave. He can smell the beasts foul odor as he creeps along the outer wall in search of his sister. It wasn't long before he spotted her up ahead chained to the wall in a slight recess.
     "Jimmy!" She shouts joyfully as she spots him. "I'm so glad to see you but you should get out of here. There's a huge beast out there somewhere."
     "I know," Jimmy replied, "and it's my fault you're here. If I hadn't lied to you and everyone else about something none of us would be here."
     "You?" Stephie said as if he had just told her he grew another arm during the night."That can't be. You've always been the most honest person I've ever known."
     "Well, I had gotten into a habit of bending the truth a bit. like yesterday I told mom I'd taken out the trash already when the truth was I was just about to take it out."
     "What lies have you told me then?"
     "I can't remember. I've been trying to think of what it was but nothing comes to mind."
     "No matter what happens little brother I still love you. I always will and nothing can change that."
     "I love you too Stephie." He said as he wraps his arms around her. "I'll figure out how to get us all out of here. Don't you worry."
     At that moment Jimmy began to here the beasts claws running on the cave floor. They were getting closer and closer until it suddenly stopped. Jimmy couldn't let go of his sister. He was heartbroken that he had brought her here with him.
     "Awe isn't that cute?" The beast snarled. "But you'll never make it out alive dear Jimmy!"
     Jimmy spins around quicker than the average human can blink and unsheathed his sword. He looked the beast straight in the eyes and then began to swing. The little ball of light flew up to the top of the room and let it's lite shine bright enough for Jimmy to see how to fight. The beast matched Jimmy blow for blow. Claws against steel filled the cavern with a beautiful melody.
     The beast seemed to have the upper hand as he knocked Jimmy's sword aside and sliced his arm with one of his claws. Jimmy screamed out in agony but kept fighting. He continued matching the beast blow for blow but he couldn't keep up. The beast landed another blow to his leg. Jimmy knew he was in trouble if he didn't think of something fast.
    He ran from the beast to give himself a little time to think and to give his arms a little rest. He decided on a hail marry and ran straight for a wall. The beast had him cornered now but when Jimmy reached the wall he kept running. With a burst of strength and speed Jimmy flipped around kicked off the wall and swung straight at the beasts head. The beast raised it's paw in defense but seemed to be afraid at what it had just witnessed because it ran off into another dark tunnel. It had left something behind however. Jimmy had chopped one of the beasts claws off.
     He ran back over to his sister.
     "Jimmy!" His sister yelled when she saw his arm and leg. "Are you alright? You're bleeding!"
     "I'll be fine." He reassured her. "They aren't that deep."
     They talked for a little while about life in general. He hadn't seen his sister in a good while because she had moved with her husband across the country. They only got to see each other a few times a year when they came to visit. It was then when he finally remembered the lie. 
     "Do you remember Ricky's surprise party?" Jimmy began.
     "Of course I do." Stephie replied, "I was so happy that you were able to make it. Even though you did forget the cake"
     "I didn't forget it. I was on my way with the cake but I had to make a quick stop. The cake was ruined. I went back to the bakery and had them make a new one but obviously it wasn't gonna be ready in time for me to make it to the party so I went. I told you that I had forgotten it and secretly sent mom after it a few minutes later."
     Jimmy saw a smile creep across his sisters face but before she could say anything the chains fell from her wrists and she faded away like she were never there. Jimmy knew what she was going to say. He could almost hear her cheerful voice reassuring him. He also noticed that the wounds on his arm and leg had healed. He knew then what he had to do.
     He didn't linger long. He knew the beast was out there somewhere just waiting to attack and he had to rescue the rest of the people he inadvertently sent here. He set off through a nearby tunnel the little ball of light leading the way.
     "I should tell you more about the beast." The little ball of light said as they walked. "His only desire is to kill you. If he succeeds then you will cease to exist. Then he will live on in your place."
     "Don't you worry." Jimmy reassured the little ball of light. "The only one that's gonna do any dying is him if he gets in my way again."
     After walking for what seemed like hours the tunnel finally widens into another great cavern. He is once again greeted by the smell of that foul beast. He could hear its claws scratching the ground as it came to meet him.
     "It's about time you got here." The beast taunted. "Your mom has been waiting for you."
     "Mom!" Jimmy shouted his voice full of worry.
     "Don't worry Jimmy." The little ball of light said calmly "He wouldn't harm her. If he had the chance he'd have everyone locked in here. I'll shed some light on the situation"
     The little ball of light flew up to a high spot in the middle of the room as before. Jimmy, with a stern look on his face gave the beast an ultimatum.
     "Out of my way or the next thing you'll taste is my steel piercing through your heart."
     "You?" The beast laughed. "I seem to remember you were the one that nearly died last time we met but if you insist I'll be glad to end you right here in front of your dear old mom."
     "Bring it!"
     Jimmy leads the offensive with a thrust as he unsheathes his sword but the beast was quick to block. Jimmy turns and with a speed the beast hadn't seen from him before cuts his paw. The beast quickly retaliates with a fierce blow with his paw sending him flying across the room. Jimmy gets back up barely fazed at all and charges again jumping just before he reaches the beast preparing for a vertical slash like before but the beast whips around and bashes him with his tail.
     "Not this time Jimmy boy' The beast taunts as Jimmy flies against the wall.
     Jimmy takes a moment to catch his breath before charging again slicing away at the beast. The beast matches him  blow for blow but his claws are starting to wear down. Jimmy sees the effect his sword is having and makes another strong blow. The blow seemed to have affected the beast but it gave one last swing. Jimmy dodged it jumped up and sliced the beasts arm. It then ran off again into a dark tunnel.
     Once the adrenaline wore off Jimmy collapsed to the floor. Being hit twice and slammed into a wall had taken more of a toll on him than he had realized. There beside him lies another of the beasts claws. When Jimmy saw it a smile came across his face and he struggled to his feet. He walked over to where his mom was chained using the sword as a crutch. She appeared to be unconscious.
     "Mom." He said gently while brushing the side of her face with the back of his hand.
     She began to move with the sound of his voice and the touch of his hand. She looked up at him with a smile on her face. She tried to hug him but had forgotten she was bound by the chains. He embraced her with a hug as if he hadn't seen her in years.
     "Jimmy!" She spoke with an excited tone. "I thought you would be bound up somewhere like me. The thought had me worried sick. I didn't know who had brought me here or what they wanted but I couldn't help but think I wasn't the only one of us that was brought here."
     "It's my fault we're all here mom." He admitted. "I haven't been entirely truthful to you. Like the other day when you asked me if I had taken out the trash I really hadn't done it yet and when I sent you after Ricky's cake I didn't forget it I just had to have another one made because I ruined the first one."
     Just as before the chains fell from his mothers wrists and she faded away. Jimmy felt much better now and could once again walk under his own power. He thought for a moment as he saw a trail of blood leading down the tunnel the beast had ran into. Once he looked around the room he saw another tunnel leading in a different direction.
     "I think we better go this way for now." He said to the little ball of light as he walked toward the other tunnel. "I'm more concerned with freeing the rest of the people I've imprisoned here than I am with the beast."
     They started down the tunnel and before long the came to another open space with other tunnels leading out in different directions. He saw his dad chained to a far wall and started running toward him. When his dad noticed him he had a look of shock on his face.
     "Jimmy?" His dad said in dismay. "Of all the people that could've sent me here you were the last one I would've expected. You've always been so trustworthy."
     "I know dad but white lies are still lies. I never realized how caught up in them I had become. Wait, you know about this place?"
     "Yes. I was sent here myself as a child. I was a terrible liar but this place taught me the error of my ways."
     "Wow, I never knew. Hey maybe you can help me find my way around since you've been here before. I could tell you the truth and your chains would pop open but then you'd disappear. Maybe if I do this."
     Jimmy unsheathes his sword and strikes at the chains a few hard times and they finally break. He looks at his dad with a smile and slides his sword back into it's sheath.
     "So dad which way do you think we should go next? I'm trying to concentrate on getting everyone out of here. Then I'll deal with the beast."
     His dad looks around for a minute and smells the air around the tunnel entrances.
     "That way leads back to the beasts lair." He said as he pointed to tunnel to the right. "The other two lead to other rooms like this. The one on the left is most likely a dead end so I say we head that way first."
     Jimmy nods and they head into the tunnel. As they neared the next room the tunnel began to get smaller and smaller.  The entrance to the room was barely wide enough for Jimmy to squeeze through. Jimmy was horrified when he finally got into the room. It was so small there was barely enough room for him and the prisoner whom he loved very much. His girlfriend was chained to the wall much like the others but Jimmy knew she hated small spaces.
     "Sarah." he said with a small voice as he touched her cheek. "Sarah it's me wake up."
     She began to stir and she looked up at him with a tear in her eye. He leaned down and kissed her gently.
     "It's ok I'm here now." He said wiping the tears from her eyes. "I know this must've been hard on you. I"m sorry I put you through this."
     Sarah couldn't speak because she was crying but Jimmy continued.
     "Remember when we were out walking by the river and you thought something was bothering me? Well, there was something bothering me. My best friend and I had just gotten into a huge fight the day before. The things he said to me were really bothering me. I didn't realize how important it was for me to tell you the truth then. I promise I will never lie to you again."
     He wraps his arms around her and squeezes her tight. As the chains fall from her wrists she puts her arms around his neck for just a moment before she fades away. Jimmy squeezes back through the entrance to the tunnel and meets back up with his dad on the other side.
     "That beast is going to pay!" Jimmy shouted. "He didn't have to torture her like that."
     "You do realize that you were the one that did so." His dad said. "Her knowing you were hurting and not being able to comfort you in your time of need was like torture to her."
     Jimmy knew he was right but it still made him angry. With a quick word he told his dad the truth.
     "I knew where the remote to the TV was. I was just in a hurry to meet up with my friends."
     Within moments his dad was gone. There was nothing left in that tunnel but the bits of metal that were around his dad's wrists. He suddenly felt very alone. Still he pressed on. Once he reached the room he was in before. He stopped for a while to think. He could only think of three other people he had lied to. His friends.
     "They must be down this tunnel." He thought to himself as he walked into it.
     Then and only then would he face the beast again. This time it would be a fight to the finish. Jimmy knew that he could win so he pressed on walking as fast as he could towards his friends. He entered the room and to his relief they were all there.
     "Boy am I glad to see all you guys in one place. I feel like I've been walking in this cave for days. OK the truth is I could've gone with you to the movies the other day but I had already seen it."
     To his shock they didn't disappear nor did the chains fall from their wrists. His friends just looked at one another and then back at Jimmy as if Jimmy had lost his mind. Before any of them had a chance to speak Jimmy spoke up again.
     "I know what I haven't told you yet. Yes I did think it was rude of you guys to intrude on my date with Sarah the other day. Yes, yes I did think it was stupid for us to go to that abandoned building outside of town."
     To his relief the chains finally popped off their wrists and they faded away. Now all that was left was to destroy the beast that had brought him here. He could smell fresh air coming from a nearby tunnel but he knew the beasts lair was the other direction. He could smell a hint of that foul odor in the air. He took that tunnel and began to walk. It was a long winding tunnel that seemed to go on for days but he finally came to a room.
     To his dismay it only branched off into other tunnels but he knew exactly which one to take. The smell was strong. Before he moved on he decided it would be a good Idea to mark the tunnel that he came from so he could find his way back to the cave entrance. He took his sword and made a gash in the wall next to it. Then he carried on to the beasts lair.
     Once he entered the tunnel he knew that this would be the last time they fought. The beast also been preparing himself for battle while Jimmy had been rescuing the rest of the people in the cave. His claws had grown back and he adorned them with a thick metal. His wounds were beginning to heal and he felt confident that Jimmy would fall. He growled deeply as he saw the light from the little ball that had been following Jimmy getting closer and closer.
     Jimmy was again horrified once he entered the beasts lair. He not only saw the beast with his new improvements but the entire cave wall was covered in what looked like prison cells. In each one was a person. Jimmy recognized some of them. They were from his high school.
     "Like what you see Jimmy?" The beast taunted. "This is your image. What you want everyone to see about you. Lets face it Jimmy you're afraid of the truth. You'd never tell them who you really are."
     "I'm afraid of nothing!" Jimmy said as he charged at the beast.
     They matched each other blow for blow but Jimmy was careful to keep the beasts claws on the other side of his sword. He knew what it felt like to have them taste his flesh and he wasn't about to let that happen again. He noticed the beasts improvements and that he would have to think of another way to get the upper hand this time. His mind begins to turn as he thrusts and parries.
     "There has to be a way to get past his defense." Jimmy thinks to himself.
     No matter what Jimmy thinks of it seems the beast has an answer for it. The beast was as ferocious as ever but Jimmy was confident. He displayed skills in swordsmanship that he never would've believed had he been watching himself fight. The beast nearly slashed Jimmy's arm as the fight drug on but it was Jimmy who took first blood. He slashed the back of the beasts paw. The beast roared in agony and Jimmy got an Idea.
     It wasn't long before Jimmy had his chance. He grasped his sword tightly and as the beast slashed at him he jumped back and pinned it's paw to the ground. Without a moment's hesitation he parried the beasts counterstrike with a well timed kick giving him all the time he needed to retrieve his sword and plunge it into the beasts heart.
     The beast let out a gurgled roar as it fell to it's side and then to it's back. Jimmy was quick to jump up and retrieve his sword returning it to it's sheath. He jumped down and once again took a look around the room at the hundreds of prison cells. He took a moment to reflect before he understood what he needed to do. He walked over to the center of the room and with a loud voice he began to speak.
      "Listen up everyone. I know you don't understand why you're all here but I have one thing to say. I am a Christian! I know when most of you had looked at me in the past you didn't see it. I never denied it when you spread rumors of my impurity. I didn't lie to each of you with my mouth but it was my actions that were so untrue. Worst of all I lied to myself. I began to believe the lies I'd been living rather than the truth. I'm not the inconsiderate jock I've been pretending to be. I don't care about my image. If you guys decide to make me the most unpopular guy in school from now on then so be it. I have to be true to myself from now on."
     Once Jimmy finished speaking the room was filled with the sound of prison cells opening and within moments the cave was empty. The beast drew one last gurgled breath as he began to take a dramatically different shape. Jimmy ran over only to see himself staring back at him.
     "A lie is a powerful thing Jimmy." The little ball of light said. "Even the smallest can have the greatest effect. There is no such thing as a white lie. Now that you've learned this you are no longer The White Lie. You are a soldier of the truth. I will help you make the right decisions but I am a gentleman. If you refuse my help then my light will begin to fade as you hide me from everyone as you did before."
     The little ball of light was no longer just a tiny ball but it had grown to the size of a person and it was so bright Jimmy couldn't look at it.
     "Thanks for helping me. I'll be sure and listen from now on. I'm just glad that I was given another chance."
     With that Jimmy walked back to the tunnel he had marked that led him back to the entrance to the cave. He walked for what seemed like an hour before he reached the outside. At the mouth of the cave was a field of beautiful flowers spread out through a sea of gentle grass. Jimmy began to walk through it smiling as he took in all the beauty. His eyes began to grow heavy as the smell of the flowers seemed to make him drowsy. It wasn't long before he was curled up in the grass sleeping like a baby.
     When he woke up he was back in his bed. He threw back the covers and jumped to his feet. It was Saturday. He remembered everything from the cave but he counted it as a dream. Nevertheless he was a changed man. From that day forward he never told another lie. Neither with words nor with actions.
     He looked in the mirror and something caught his eye. Leaning against the nightstand was the sword he'd used to slay the beast. He could also see the scars left behind from the beasts claws but when he turned around the sword was gone. He looked back at his arm and there were no scars. It was then he heard a still small voice.
     "Remember."

Pocket Lint

     There was a man that hated pocket lint. He despised it so much he even thought about cutting the pockets out of everything he owned. He figured that pockets were much too useful to be gotten rid of though so instead he ruthlessly dug the lint out of the corners of his pockets every time he put something on.

      Eventually his compulsion became dull and he forgot about his hatred for pocket lint until he put his hand in his pocket. Then he would always dig at the corners of his pockets and toss the lint aside.    

     Further still he eventually forgot about pocket lint altogether until someone was rude to him or just made him angry and then he would remember and flick pocket lint on them. This seemed to always go unnoticed.

      He would always drop pocket lint in places he hated. Sometimes from poor service and sometimes from people just being rude but still the result was always the same. He emptied his pockets of all lint right there.

      No one ever noticed him do it and the lint was forgotten until one day he got so angry he nearly ripped his pockets out getting the lint out of them. He threw the lint down and stormed out of the establishment. Then all of a sudden the place exploded.

      He was shocked but then he noticed small explosions all over town at places he had been. Smoke filled the air and people ran frantically. There were rumors of terrorists and people panicked but the people in the store he was just in knew exactly what had happened. They couldn't believe it though. No one had ever seen pocket lint explode.

      Only then did people respect him but they had no reason to fear. The government took his pockets away and he didn't shed a tear.

Mr. Mustard and the Condiment Twins

     "Wow this is gonna be a strange one." Tim thinks to himself before writing. "Well here it goes."

     Mr. Mustard was a kind man. He grew up in a small subdivision in the town of Pickle Relish.
Later in life he bought a ranch in Catalina. This is where our story begins.
     Life on the ranch was good for Mr Mustard but he was beginning to become bored with it. His mind often wandered back to the fun he used to have as a kid back in Pickle Relish. He remembered the fun times he used to have with his neighbor Tom the tomato. 
     After reminiscing about the old days Mr. Mustard decided to take a vacation to the thousand islands. He bought a ticket for a Royal Carrot Bean cruise headed there. Once he got to the chip he could hardly wait to get on board. He stumbled up the walk and onto the deck as he raced to behold the sights as if it were going to disappear in mere moments.
     Once the initial shock wore off he made his way to his room and settled in for a few moments before going back to the main deck. He decided to hang out by the pool for a little while and relax a bit but as he found a good spot he noticed a big guy wearing a white cap that looked like he had been in the sun for way to long. As he sat down the white capped red man spoke to him in a rather surprised tone.
     "Mr. Mustard?" said the red man.
     "Yes?" replied Mr. Mustard puzzled.
     "I knew it was you old pal! How have you been?"
     "Tom?" Mr. Mustard replied in a still confused tone.
     "Yeah it's me your old buddy Tom!"
     "Wow Tom you sure have changed a lot since we last met. What's the story?"
     "Well I fell in love with this beautiful chef and she made a mighty fine sauce out of me.We've been married for about 5 years now. How about yourself?"
     "Life in Catalina is pretty good but I got bored on my ranch so I figured I'd set out on an adventure. The Thousand Islands sounded like a mighty fine place to visit so here I am."
     The two talked for most of the rest of the day until they heard an announcement about the night's entertainment in the lettuce lounge. They decided to go and see what it was all about.
     Once they entered the lounge they found the perfect spot. Mr. Mustard ordered some drinks to enjoy during the show while Tom waited at the table. After Mr. Mustard returned and settled in at the table the show began.
     "Ladies and gentleman for your viewing pleasure we are proud to present the Condiment Twins!"
     Out they walk onto the stage and they introduce themselves.
     "Hello folks I'm salt"
     "And I'm pepper"
     "Together we're the Condiment twins!" They both say.
     "We have a great show for you today." Salt begins, "Prepare to be amazed."
     Mr Mustard and Tom watched the show intently and they were amazed at Salt's ability to make things shrink and then make it normal again just by pouring water over it. Pepper had this crazy ability to make anyone sneeze. He challenged everyone to try not to sneeze. All that accepted the challenge failed.
     After the show the two parted ways for the night and Mr Mustard went back to his room to sleep. The next day he and Tom met again and did everything they could cram into the next day. They went swimming in one of the pools, watched a few shows that were offered, and before they knew it the day was over.
     Once they arrived at at the thousand islands Mr. Mustard couldn't believe his eyes. The scenery was beautiful. He and Tom spent the day seeing the sights and admiring the scenery.
     It was time to head back to the chip so they set off toward it. Along the way they ran into the condiment twins. Mr Mustard and talked about how much he loved the show. The twins appreciated their kind words.
     As soon as the chip came into view Mr. Mustard and Tom froze in fear as they noticed a huge snail  blocking the gang plank. The twins sprang into action as Salt made the snail shrink while Pepper made everyone sneeze blowing the snail away. Everyone cheered and began boarding the chip.
     There wasn't much more excitement in Mr. Mustard's journey back home but he enjoyed it all the same. Once back at the port he and Tom said their goodbyes and parted ways. He would never forget this fantastic journey. Tom, the Condiment Twins, and the chip, it was all exciting to him. Whenever he got bored back at his ranch he thought about these things. He even thought he might take another journey someday but for now he had work to do.

The Kingdom of Truffles

     There once was a king who loved truffles. he loved them so much he devoted much of his kingdoms resources to finding them. He even had a farm completely devoted to training pigs to find them. You could say that he was a little too devoted to his truffles for his kingdom grew tired of the mandatory truffle hunt three days a week.
     One day the king heard a rumor about a magical tree underneath which grew the most amazing truffles one could ever taste. Not only that but there were hundreds of thousands of them. If he could find this legendary tree he'd never have to hunt for truffles again.
     As legend would have it only the bravest or possibly foolish king of all the land could enter the sacred garden where the tree grew. So he set off but just before he left he gave his kingdom a much needed break. He told them there would be no mandatory truffle hunts and that as long as he was gone they could keep what they found for themselves.
     After a month of traveling the king came across an establishment by the name of "The Enchanted Tree". He thought for a moment and decided to check it out anyway because he was famished.
     "Hello there." Said the king, "I've been on a journey looking for a magical tree but I need to rest and enjoy some of your fine food if you don't mind."
     "Certainly," replied a rather shady looking barmaid, "We have a delicious shepherd's pie."
     "Sounds delicious I'll have that but do you have any truffles?" replied the king.
     "Just one left but you'll regret eating it if I give it to you."
     "Truffles are my life miss I never regret a truffle."
     "As you wish."
     A few minutes later she brings the food and the truffle. As soon as the king sees the truffle his mouth begins to water. It's the most beautiful truffle he has ever seen. He can even taste the sweet aroma in the air. When it finally arrives at his table he doesn't hesitate to taste it.
     "YUM!" The king says enthusiastically. "This is the best truffle I have ever tasted in all of my days. It must be from the enchanted tree."
     A man across the room gives him a funny look as if he had something stuck to his face.
     "Of course it is." Replied the barmaid,"This is the enchanted tree."
     "No I mean the tree of legend. It is said to have the biggest tastiest truffles in all the land and it's also said to have more truffles than all the trees in all other kingdoms combined. I would never have to search for truffles again."
     With each bite of the truffle the king takes the man's look gets stranger and stranger.
     "This was the tree you sought dear king of this I can assure but each may only take but one which you have now devoured."Says the barmaid in rhythm. "Your greed and gut have brought you far but now you must return for if your kingdom waits much more I'm sure that it will burn"
     The place erupts in song as the king finished his meal but only now he notices a rather peculiar change. Where his hands once were there are now hooves and his nose was flat as well. He tried to speak but could only squeak so his voice could not be heard.
     The kingdom awaited their king's return but a king did not return. There was only a pig wearing the crown that showed up on the farm. They took it as a sign for they did not really know the pig that hated truffles was their one and only king.

Tim In a Bottle

         Hey everyone. I'm Tim. Of course you probably knew that already considering my blog name. Nevertheless I've devoted this blog entirely to creative randomness. What is creative randomness you ask? Well stick around and find out. Basically this is where I come to when I feel like being creative. It's not just something that I want to do just to do it. I want you guys to enjoy it too so please leave comments and if you feel like it follow me so you'll know when the next random creation comes out.          
         Anyway I'll tell you the story of how this blog got it's name. Back in high school in County High Singers. I had a thing called 'Tim words'. Where I would write a random word with Tim in it of course like, Verbatim or intimidate. Anyway later in the year one of the songs we were going to sing was "Time In a Bottle". My classmates started calling it "Tim In a Bottle" So when I was trying to think of a good pen name it crossed my mind.
         Well my creativity failed me on a good pen name but hey I like the blog name because that's pretty much what it is. It's pure unadulterated Tim randomness. Me... in a bottle. Besides that I am the self proclaimed king of random.
        Anyway if you want advice for being random I'm your guy. Can't think of anything to say? Make something up! That's what I do. No no no I don't mean lie I just mean think of something completely off the wall. The first thing that pops in your head. Yea that's it. Chocolate skittles. Doesn't sound all that tasty to me but completely random. Congratulations on your first random nonsensical comment.         
        Alright I'm gonna get off here for a while but I'll be back soon. I know you can't wait for your next dose of complete randomness so I'll blog again soon. Perhaps it will be a story of complete randomness that makes no sense but is still fun to read. Who knows? Maybe a story about aliens that look like orange pineapples.