This is "out to eat night" for our family.  I opted out because I wanted some alone time.  Three, wise beyond his years asked ... "What did you really expect ... you have three daughters."  Summer is in full bloom!
So ... the Christian thing.  Yes, I have been thinking about it just a bit today.  Here's where I am at so far ...
What is a Christian ... seems like an answer to that would be "someone who believes Jesus is Christ ... the Son of God.  But, of course that must be incomplete, because even the fallen angels, including Satan, believe Jesus is the Son of God.  Apparently the word christian is used only three times in the Bible ...  (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16) ... it seems to me that a more accurate description of Christian would be follower of Christ.  So ... Christian is not about good moral values or religion or the ten commandments or living in a Christian Nation or going to church or ... well ... it's not about a lot of good things.  It seems to be about acknowledging who Christ really is ... the Son of the creator ... and choosing to accept His mercy ... 'cause ... quite frankly. we are all a mess. That's what I think I have noticed.   Titus 3:5 says, “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."

It seems like to me that a  Christian is someone who has been born again by God (John 3:3; John 3:7; 1 Peter 1:23) and has put faith and trust in Jesus Christ.  It seems to be a gift offered to all ... a gift of grace ...  Ephesians 2:8 “…by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

This is good ...   John 1:12 tells us, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”  That idea is the basis for what I am trying to express when I talk about choices. Becoming.   It amazes me, from an artistic point of view, that a creator allows the created to collaborate by choice.  I was created as a soul ... enrobed in a very cool earth suit ... and given a choice.  Choice is a big deal.  The first choice in the process towards becoming what you are created to become seems to me to be ... place yourself in the creators hands.  Sort of a trust thing ... more then that, but it's a primary ingredient, surely. 

Religion wants it's say in the matter ... there are as many interpretations of what God is saying to mankind as there are egos on the planet.  I don't have any of the answer to religious puzzles.  I know what I think about a few of the big concepts that are interesting to me.
Like ... why a sacrifice ... why the cross.
Like why an original sin ... and the introduction of sin in to an otherwise innocent existence
I like to wonder about  an eternal soul ... if there is no end, doesn't a beginning beg a question or two?

Well ... once what a Christian is is settled in one's mind it seems that the notion of good or bad becomes ... mute.  This is what I mean ... some one offers me a gift ... I accept it ... . Now it is mine.  There is no good or bad around that.

How do you like to open your gifts?  Do you tear in to them ... do you savor the process?  Do you save the paper ... read the card first ... ?  Are you appreciative of the gift or ... is it not the right color ... too large .. .doesn't fit ... not what you wanted ... not what you expected?  Then what ... what do I choose to do with the gift.  That's a pretty important choice, and one I think that we make almost continuously.
It seems to me that a  Christian is encouraged to choose to love others and obey to God’s Word (1 John 2:4, ).   That's more then the Ten Commandments  ... and I think it's a bit of a process this obedience to God's word (because you have to be familiar with His word to even know how to follow it ... .)  I really do see it as an initial choice that leads to many other choices ... collaboration enriched by relationship ... a loving relationship. 

That's what I'm thinking about tonight.  I am a Christian.  I accepted a gift that I didn't earn and didn't deserve ... none of those qualifiers even came in to the picture because the gift is wasn't something I could somehow acquire on my own ...  it was a gift of grace offered freely to all by God.
That's it for now ... and again ... this is just what I think.  I definitely don't have the whole thing worked out ... . I don't even think I do.