the ruminations of aaron eberline

Who are you? How do you define yourself? Are you defined by your relationship with Jesus Christ? I shared my testimony at church yesterday. Why is our testimony important? Does our testimony have any value if our faith and actions do not match to the events of life that we claim define who we are?

As I was preparing to give testimony I spent a lot of time looking retrospectively on my life. It was important to remember where I came from and the people and events that shaped my life. I would like to share with you what I shared with my church family yesterday. I believe that my testimony will always change as I grow to know God and experience His work in and through me. Read more

Today my heart is broken. I lost a friend today that was consistently faithful to me until the very end. Our family dog Otis, a Bichon Frise, has been slowly dying this over this last week. He finally got to a point this morning that his quality of life was gone and we had him put to sleep. He was such a wonderful dog full of life and personality. I will miss his unyielding love that he expressed every time I came home and bark in anticipation of me walking through the gate. Read more

Having an authority figure in life will bring a multitude of thoughts and emotions to different people. The variety of these figures are endless: police officers, parents, teachers, employers, or siblings. What makes us respect someone in authority over us? An ability to administer punishment is one reason we can tolerate authority because it means that our lack of submission results in a loss for us. I remember growing up I respected my father’s authority mostly because of an illogical fear I felt. I would constantly remember my interactions with him and I would always be on the defensive in any conversation. The fear of my father developed because I was afraid of making a wrong move that would result in his anger. Punishment and fear have permeated the essence of what we think about authority. Why has this permeation happened? Is there a better way to attain authority? Read more