FaceDown

It Sounded Like a Train...

2011-05-16T11:28:00.002-05:00

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT – If you have an extremely weak stomach or can’t handle stories of death, I would suggest not reading this post – I am giving a very real and frank account of my experience in Alabama after tornadoes swept through the state.

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“You need to be prayed up if you go down that street,” the pastor told me. “There are bodies being piled up as they find them down there.”

I turned to one of the men in our group. “We can’t have these kids going with us,” I said. “Yeah, I agree,” he responded. We headed down the road not knowing what we would find, but newly aware that the full extent of the disaster had just become evidently clear.

That moment was one of the most intense moments I’ve had in my life – ever. To try and switch, in your mind, from [simply] giving a flat of water to someone in Jesus’ name to knowing that you may see a pile of bodies, victims from the storm around the next corner, is quite a drastic switch.

I don’t want to steal away, by any means, the great ministry that happened on the ground in Alabama during the week that I was there. We prayed with many families who were standing in front of their homes just standing in awe at the task ahead in picking up their scattered belongings. Through God’s grace and with the product of Convoy of Hope (who I have the honor of working for), more than 25 truckloads of immediate supplies (water, food, paper products, etc.) were given out in the Tuscaloosa/Birmingham affected areas during that week.

To God be the glory.

Still, there’s something inside of me that still, in a way, haunts me to this day. It isn’t a spooky haunting, like when you’re watching a movie and you know someone is around the corner about to jump out. It is a realization. One that demands recognition that the world is much more than what is seems.

One of the most powerful things about the gospel is the connectivity of all living human beings. Before the sacrifice of Christ and especially the ministry of Paul, for all intensive purposes, the Jews were pretty much “the stuff”. They were the ones that got all of the blessings: the sheep, the cattle, the mula, the land, the promises and the covenants. Yet, there was a God whose heart was beating for all of His creation and not just for one people group.

It’s in moments like the ones in Alabama where this becomes abundantly clear to me. Humans have this unexplainable draw to connect with each other. When a disaster happens, people talk about their friends’ mothers’ cousins’ sons’ co-workers’ experience in that disaster. Knowing people (even if it’s knowing someone that knows someone that knows someone that knows someone x 30) that have experienced a disaster automatically makes others feel a direct connection to what has taken place. People want to feel a part of anything big that happens, even to the point of someone in Illinois saying their house shook from the Japan earthquake, which is ridiculous, at best. Even so, we all feel a connection when other humans’ lives are drastically affected.

Standing in Alabama when a woman came through our distribution line (distributing food and water) begging me to be able to take extra supplies to her neighbors, my perspective took a sudden shift.

I remember receiving a text message around the same time, from someone, letting myself and a group of friends know, that people were getting together to play games that evening. I stood there looking at my phone, staring at the simplicity of what my life was just 2 days before, now faced with the reality of what it is like to literally lose everything.

She began to weep. “Please, please, I promise, I am not stealing your product. If you’ll just allow me to take a few extra things of water to my neighbors, I promise I will get it to them,” she said.

My mind became numb as she continued to speak. Fighting to get out the words through the tears, she said: “It sounded like a train. It’s like a bomb went off in my neighborhood. The morning after the tornado, when I woke up, there were people stepping over my neighbors’ dead bodies, to steal their stuff.” I struggled to be able to take in each word as she spoke. “5 of my neighbors are dead laying out in the yard,” she ended and sobbed into the shoulder of one of our volunteers.

It’s moments like these that I will never forget. Yes, life will largely go back to “normal” for me and for the people of Alabama, one day, but it will never be the same.

Getting up at 4am to drive back to Convoy of Hope headquarters from doing a flood assessment in eastern MO – headed straight into a brief and planning meeting for Alabama – loading our equipment trailer with the forklift – speeding home to pack for Alabama – leaving at 5pm – arriving in Alabama at 2am – unpacking cots, etc. so we can get to sleep – falling asleep at 4:30am – getting up at 6am – unloading everything and starting distribution…

That day made me feel like a superhero, rushing around, preparing to save the day. But after my dose of reality, hearing the stories from the mouths of the survivors, I realized the magnitude of what had happened and had to lean on the God who has never given up on me, knowing that only He can bring the people of Alabama through what they have just experienced.

It's Really Actually Very Simple...

2011-04-08T07:46:00.003-05:00

One of the most compelling and amazing things about what Jesus came and did a few thousand years ago is really the simplicity of it all.

Atonement, justification, christology, progressive vs. instant sanctification, pneumatology, ecclesiology, predestination, eschatology, arminianism vs. calvanism, anthropomorphism, and the list goes on and on...

At the end of the day, after we’ve made up our own words and ways of explaining things, after we've argued over the details of what it looks like to be a Christ follower, after we've written down all of our personal views on God and tried to put Him in a small box, after we've read books we agree with and huffed and puffed through books that we disagree with, and after we've created divisions that shouldn't exist because of preferences and views, at the end of the day...

we have a God who is Infinite,
but still whispers “spend time with me”

The High-Maintenance Bride of Christ

2011-02-24T09:46:00.003-05:00

At a chapel service recently, the speaker made a statement that I never saw coming. He spoke of a TV interview with Bono and a well-known Christian leader during which Bono said something similar to, “I have no problem with Jesus, but it’s Christians I have the problem with”. This statement I’ve heard before, but ALWAYS as a precursor to the speaker telling the faithful listeners in the room, “you’re a bad example, and no one wants to be like Jesus because you are a screw up”. (Okay, maybe slightly overstated)

The point is: this speaker went on to say that Bono should have been corrected when he said that because the body of Christ is the Bride of Christ and has been an incredible support throughout the speaker’s life. I was a little taken aback as I don’t believe I have heard the body of Christ ever defended to that extent.

It got me thinking: we really are a dysfunctional, high-maintenance bride, but no matter how you shake it, we followers of Christ ARE the bride of Christ and for that reason, we need to be careful when we criticize the bride. But even more importantly, we should be mindful of this fact (us being the bride), in how we live and carry ourselves, because at the end of the day, we truly are called to be the representation of Christ to the world. Whew. With His help, we can do it.

I’m currently reading a book called Mere Churchianity in which the author makes a distinction between verbally maligning the body and actually making constructive criticism – an extremely important distinction. He says, “it’s easier to be negative than to say something constructive…I have known church people in every season of my life. They have picked me up more than once, when no one else would bother with me.” He goes on to say how much a part of his life the church has been and how difficult it is to question the multi-billion dollar industry coined “Jesus following”, but he just can’t resist because who Jesus was and how some churches are/how some people live, just don’t line up. (more to come in the future on this book as I read more)

Some time ago, I had an experience that caused me to think for days. Yes, I was “blessed” with the analytical mind of my father (love you dad), so I tend to pick up on certain things and dwell on them for some time.

I was at a gathering at a friend’s house. Now, I love getting together with other young adults who want to be more like Jesus and the main reason is – at the end of the day, HE is the only thing we have in common, and that is an awesome place to be!

We decided to play a game where a question is read (i.e. if you could go anywhere on a vacation, where would it be?) and everyone writes down an answer. The person who read the question aloud then gets to hear all of the answers read by one person, and then they have to guess who wrote each answer. The more they get correct, the more spaces they get to move on the board. All in all – it’s a great way to get to know people.

Any game like this, when played with young adults, is a little risky. You always have people willing to push the envelope as much as possible. The night had some interesting answers that made my face red for a few seconds (obviously, I’m not an envelope pusher J), but towards the end, a question came up that is still making me uneasy inside.

The question was read aloud: “If you could use one word to describe God, what would it be?” Soon after the question was read, a few sighs, murmurs and sounds of disappointment were heard. Immediately my heart sank.

I am human. I thought the dicey answers were amusing and even tried to provoke some when it was my turn, but when that question was asked, the Lord brought me back, on my knees, at His feet, humbled. I was both shocked that a group with only Jesus in common preferred a different question AND convicted that I had similar hesitation to answer the question.

The God who sent His son to die for you and for me, who didn’t have to do what He did, but He chose to do it to glorify His name and to make a way for us when there was no way. The God who has provided for me throughout my entire life in blessings unfathomable – friends, family, finances, Godly counsel, shelter, food, legs, arms, air to breath, etc. and I have even a moments hesitation to fill out a paper with one word to describe such a person?

It’s like feeing like your rounding third base in your walk with Christ and then you step on home plate and realize it’s actually first base that you just reached.

Faithful.

That’s what I put. Even in my desertion of Him over and over, He still is the same yesterday and today. What other word could I possibly use?

So we are (and I am) a dysfunctional, high-maintenance bride of Christ, but He loves us. That being said, we owe Him everything. May we JUMP at any chance we get to come up with a word, or thousands of words to describe just how incredible He is!

Musing with a Passion

2011-01-24T11:18:00.003-05:00

I have a gift for of over-complicating things. Just recently, I was on my way back from a hurricane assessment trip and went on a search in the airport to find my stolen cell phone while one of my co-workers went to hang out in a club (the frequent flier airline club). The plan was simple: I will go search for my phone, if I find it, great, but if I don’t, I’ll stop by the club, let my co-worker know that I didn’t find it, and then head to my gate (since he was making a connection for another city).

I came up to the club door and there was a big, carefully stained wood door that looked like only really important people would be allowed to touch the handle of. The sign outside stated that if you wanted permission to enter, ring the doorbell, have your club card ready, and be sure to be dressed appropriately. Given that I had shorts and a t-shirt (my only clean clothes left), I hesitated and wouldn’t push the button or enter.

It’s moments like that where, 30 minutes later, I think back and wonder – am I 4 years old? I can jump off of cliffs, but I can’t ring a doorbell? I try to do a back flip off of a rope swing into water, but I can’t go on one date because I don’t have a 5-year plan for the relationship penned on paper? I can do a belly flop off of the top of some bleachers onto a big gym mat (undisclosed location J), but I can’t answer a simple questions like, “what would you like to eat – chicken or pasta?”

Yet, through all of this hesitating and over-complicating of situations, it sometimes strikes me as odd that there are some areas of my life that have become unshakable.

I am at a point in my life where I am long past being a fake. I’m at a point where more of the same just doesn’t cut it. I’m at a point where I believe that if we truly believe what we say we believe, there should be some changes.

Jesus.

What does that name me to us? We put it on t-shirts, hats, mugs, websites, our cars, billboards and our bracelets, but after all the commercialism attempts have been exhausted and we have no more money for W.W.J.D bracelets, there are still people deeply hurting who NEED the Jesus that we advertise but don’t truly know in our hearts.

This blog is a written sermon to myself : a challenge for me to be a better man after God’s heart, but it’s also put on a public site because I wish the same for all of us!

If a pastor says to a congregation, “how many of you gossiped about someone this week?”, how many hands do you think would go up? Same group of people, same pastor, but say he asks, “how many people here want to be richly blessed by the Lord?”, let’s be honest, (almost) every hand in the place would go up.

This is not a blog about gossip, but about the condition of our hearts and how highly we view ourselves.

If the God I serve loves me, wants to bless me, has the best plans for me, has riches in store for me, wants me to have a big house, wants me to have a great wife, wants me to live a painless life, wants me to wear my (way too tight) “Jesus is my Homeboy” t-shirt, wants me to say “bless you” when someone sneezes, wants me to smile on good days and wants me to tolerate my co-workers for His sake – then THIS god is not the God of the Bible.

Yes, He has great plans for us. Yes, He has our back, BUT the God I serve is not a heavenly care bear sugar daddy looking only to make my existence an endless birthday party…HE is so much more than that.

We have consumed ourselves with a culture that demands respect to be earned and, in some ways, have expected the god we serve to earn that respect for providing for us whenever we need him to - a mindset that is SO far from who HE really is…

God became man and humbled himself even unto death – even death on a cross! What a shameful way to die! He did it for us, yes, to provide a way to Him, but He did it for his own glory!

He doesn’t need us as we are tempted to believe – although our responsibility to share the gospel is clearer than anything – but we do need Him. If you were some kind of electronic, you can have all the functions in the world, but if you lose your power plug, you ain’t gonna do anything.

I believe we have to change our theology that God created us to be awesome and it’s for His glory that we are awesome – and change it to the truth: we are wicked and depraved people and if not for His grace, we would remain that way. He is the only redeeming factor of me and I am therefore so incredibly grateful for His seemingly ridiculous sacrifice that made a way for me, a wicked man to come to Him.

This should be our viewpoint, a full reliance:

“⁹ But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us”

- 2 Corinthians 1:9,10

The Allure of a Christian

2010-12-20T10:25:00.002-05:00

It seems pretty obvious that we American Christians are our own breed. Not only do we have so much trouble trying to figure out our destiny and calling, putting much more focus on us then there should be, but we also, many times, say things like, “it’s between me and God” or “who do you think I am? JESUS?” Or my personal favorite, “well, you may be convicted by that, but I’m not, so God will have to tell me to change if He wants me to change”.

Yes, we have different backgrounds, upbringings, beliefs, views and ideas, but all of these life lenses have the same underlying problem: truly serving Christ has little to do with us and has everything to do with Him.

So I ask: When others get to know you, do they want to know your Savior?

Whether our individual beliefs and values are “correct” or not, it doesn’t matter. Christ never once called us to be right in every way – but he did call us to die to ourselves. What does that mean? It means that whether you’re right or not, reflecting Christ in how you live your life and daily becoming more like Him should be the most important thing in your life.

It’s probably no surprise to you that “Christian” is the new four-letter word. When someone who doesn’t know Christ hears that word, generally the first couple things that come to mind are: hypocrites, legalism, money hungry, judgmental people, clergy that use their position for bad reasons and the list goes on.

This perception leaves many people (and me) wondering, why? How did a group of people blessed with the task of being a magnet for Christ, end up being the same people that society hates? (and don’t be super-spiritual and says it’s persecution because that only applies when we’re truly reflecting Christ)

We have witnessed the sickest marriage of all time in this country: the fusion of a life following Christ with the culture of the United States.

Somehow we, over time, have come to believe that we can do, say, think, act and believe whatever we want. Hip, cool, post-modern young adult believers hold to the theory of “everything is permissible…” as an excuse to focus on each of our own wants and desires instead those of Christ’s.

May I submit to you that we need to STOP viewing life from a “what can I get” and “what can I get away with” mentality – we’re seeing it from the WRONG angle.

If someone told you something REALLY important, a secret to all life, but it was hard to hear, would you just forget it and wait for them to say something that benefitted you more? Of course not!

Jesus made some ENORMOUS blanket statements that should change from what viewpoint we see life on a daily basis:

“So in everything, do to others as you would have them do to you, this sums up the Law and Prophets.” – Matthew 7:7:12

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:37-40

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.” – Luke 6:35

“What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean’, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’” – Matthew 15:11

And one from later on in the NT:

“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” – 1 John 2:16,17

If I were to say – “how do people view you?”, many people would say, “that’s legalism Ryan, get off my back.”

Here’s the difference: some believe we chose to follow Christ or that He chose us - either way, it’s the same: it is an honor and calling (or command) to carry the cross of Christ and die to yourself daily if you are a follower of His.

What’s a good heart-to-heart without pushing some personal buttons? If you loved The Other Guys, your favorite phrase is “that’s what she said”, your iPod only has music about getting your clothes taken off by someone, your role models are all celebrities, you snap at friends and family members for ever disagreeing with you, you talk more about that girl that everyone dislikes behind her back than you do actually talking to her or you get frustrated at your girlfriend because she doesn’t give you what you want when you want it…I submit, you’ve missed the point.

If you voted for someone who is pro-life, but you would never consider taking a young girl into your home whose parents kicked her out because she got pregnant – if you join a facebook group that is for “Adam and Eve – not Adam and Steve” – if you are aware of your peers’ faults and constantly view them as a person through that lense – if you love to talk about the glory days of President Bush, but don’t pray for President Obama and his family – if you are the proudest member of the NRA but just can’t muster up the courage to tell someone that you’re a Christ-follower – if you tell your co-workers you’re a Christian and then proceed to talk behind everyone’s back in the office…I submit, you’ve missed the point.

The Son of God, came to earth in the most humble of circumstances, setting aside his own fame and honor to come as a servant. And we are charged with the same decree – we don’t know it all, we never will, we all make mistakes, but at our core, we HAVE to know that we are called to servanthood like our creator.

Our viewpoint is to know that as children, made in His image, we are to be a reflection of Him and not the antithesis of Him. Yes, He hung out with some pretty risqué people, but His core, His basis, was love – not a strategy for being able to explain away pursuing His own desires and certainly not an excuse to sin.

Everything IS permissible, but truly, everything is certainly NOT beneficial.

May we lead someone to know Him just by how we live our life…just like Jesus.

Merry Christmas!!!

The Year of the Men - Part I

2010-06-26T21:11:00.004-05:00

Men. Man. Manhood. Manliness. Mankind. Masculinity.

These are the words that largely define us - we use these words as reasons for our actions, explanations of thoughts and even to excuse offenses. The crazy thing is - I'd like to propose that we literally have no idea what a true "man" should look like. The causation of this problem I believe is that the slums of Nairobi are about as similar to Las Vegas as the picture of manliness we've been given by our culture is similar to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ; polar opposites.

So what are we called to and how are they different?
- Called to protect, yet often, we are the threat
- Called to love, yet often, we simply use people
- Called to lead, yet often, we cower in fear
- Called to be an example of how Christ was with the church, yet often, if we can't get what we want when we want it, we're out the door
- Called to serve, yet often, we demand service
- Called to obedience (to the Lord), yet often, our agenda is solely based on what we want
- Called to respect, yet often, think we ONLY deserve it, but rarely give it
- Called to be an example, yet often, we pretend like our actions affect nothing...

The list could go on. Is this a posting of demeaning and arrogance - absolutely not! This is a call to action.

Look at the things we are guys have marketed towards us: video games with missions, movies with lots of scantily clad women (if "clad" at all) and cars, TV shows with all of the above...

Here's a ridiculous thought: I actually think there is something awesome about sin. Wha??? Ha, yeah, let me explain. You see sin is the perversion of the truth - of what is right. Obviously, I don't love the actual event of sin, but I think we can learn a lot from the rampant sin that we have seen for decades, centuries, millenia, etc.

Seriously, look at just about any sin, and I believe it is a slight perversion of something beautiful. What does that mean for us men? It means that we have to SEE where the perversion is and intentionally live outside of that...

Currently, for the most part, we're seeing the perversion and running straight after it. Money, women, cars, stuff, sex, lust, lack of commitment, selfishness, cheating, etc. are all thrown at us as the answer to an awesome life. Here's a novel question: if that stuff were really the answer to the perfect life, wouldn't we live in a perfect world? Yep. Aaaannd yet we don't. At all.

I believe God is "raising up" (challenging) a generation of young men to turn the tides and live (even quietly for the most part) lives that honor Him and His example. Christ came to the world be an example to us - not just to say, "Oh Israel, yeah, I was there once - nice place, although the Sea of Galilee could be bigger".

I believe it's time that we not fight for the cause of morality, but simply live lives that honor Christ in everything we do. After all, that is our charge...

My Chains Fell Off; My Heart Was Free - (Man Talk)

2010-01-03T20:16:00.004-05:00

Hey guys:
Let's go! 4 months later, and a few reasons why I haven't posted recently - biggest one being a feeling that I had lost the words originally put in my heart to share with you (and when I write without passion and His leading, it never comes out right).
With God's grace, let's rock this series together. This is meant to be a discussion - I want your thoughts. Hopefully this series is challenging, brings us closer as men that follow Christ and most importantly makes us more like Christ and more like the MEN that He wants us to be.

The point of the title is from a song that two good friends of mine recently gave me; here is some of it:
You washed my sin and shame away Slate is clean; a brand new day Free now forever Now boldly I approach your throne to claim this crown through Christ my own Yours Now Forever...

Nothing's gonna hold me back...no nothing's gonna hold me back... My chains fell off, my heart was free I'm alive to live for you! I'm alive to live for you! Amazing love how can it be? You gave everything for me, you gave everything for me!

And that is the basis for almost everything that we're going to dive into. Free to live, free to give, free to be, free to love Him, our chains have fallen off! That is the life we are promised through Christ!

Set down the Xbox controller, and turn off the football game, put on your armor, grab your sword and let's see what the Lord does through us to shake the kingdom of darkness that wants nothing but destruction for us...

BATTLE CRY!!! AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!

Get Ready Men - We're Next...

2009-09-10T23:17:00.004-05:00

It is often that write most at night when I should be sleeping. Tonight is not exception and for many reason recently, I am getting pumped to start a series for us men. That's right. We got issues. But we serve a God who is far beyond those.

So, here is Post #.05 to start it off. I saw this ad in a motorcycle magazine I got and wanted to share it. No wonder it's so hard for us men to keep our head, heart, minds, eyes above water when the whole culture around us just accepts and encourages us to follow primate behavior and not honor God's Word.

It reads: "Insuring Riders From Distractions For Over 30 Years"

Reflections: she isn't a cop - girls with those shades just look so weird...I don't get it - ha, but alas, this is supposed to be more serious. I was actually surprised at the obvious message behind this ad. Any thoughts?

And Ladies: any thoughts on how you feel about women being used in this form of advertising?

Part 1,000 - Last Post For The Ladie Folk

2009-07-26T23:39:00.002-05:00

No excuses. Time to get this done. Rob is married, life will always be fast paced, and this topic still makes me wish I was an awesome public speaker and could get all women in a room and say, “Do you realize that you are missing out on God’s best for your life?!?”

So Ladies, let’s talk about boys and dating,

And yes. This may draw some criticism like one of my previous posts that this is just white noise and everyone knows it, but that is why blogs exist, for people to say how they feel…and I pray that someone (both genders) get challenged with these words to some degree.

Here are a few dangerous scenarios:
- One of the most common and yet most ignored issues in dating today, is the “I can’t stand him or how he treats me, but I may not be able to get anyone else so…I’ll stay with him”. Let me just be forward with you. That is a lie from the pit of hell. You could literally ruin your life forever because of not being patient enough to let the Lord work and provide someone that you do enjoy and can respect and can be with. I mean, look around! Can’t you see the people that you know who decided to marry someone for that reason? Is that a relationship you hope to mirror some day? We’ve already talked about this…and I will say it again…you have immeasurable value! So, don’t waste your time with future deadbeats who are using you for your body, money, or the schedule structure you bring but aren’t giving much, if anything, back!

- Speaking of deadbeats, let’s talk about relationship effort. Here’s you, contributing 80+% of the effort toward the relationship and you’re getting almost nothing back. Do you really think that is sustainable? Are you really comfortable with someday having a husband who is more like a child who needs everything done for them? I promise you: that will get old fast. You need to kick him to the streets. It may look funny on TV when guys are stupid and their wives are geniuses and it’s so cute…but in real life, when you’re not getting paid to be an actress and act like it’s cute, it doesn’t last long

Subpoints in that category:

Not all ADULT men waste 3 hours a day playing video games, leave him unless you see Halo and cuddling in your future (Really? ADULT men playing hours of video games daily…that feels weird to even type that out on my keyboard)
Yes, you are more important than sports games and the TV
If you hanging out with your boyfriend is like that babysitting job you had once, get ready for a life time of that
If he doesn’t want to go to church now or lead your relationship spiritually, he isn’t going to if you just “love him” more. It just doesn’t work like that. Has it ever happened? Sure! But does it normally…no
If he has ever hit you or threatened to hit you, not only should you tell someone about it ASAP, you need to get out of that before something even more serious happens. Behaviors hint at what’s inside. It will most likely only get worse (and if you’re ever afraid to break up with someone because of this fear, call me and we’ll figure out something for you)

- Most of you are adults, so here it is straight: Sex is NOT going to get you love. So on the movies it looks like all the women have to do is give a little of themselves or take off this or that and then the guys are magically into them forever and ever. Not reality. It just isn’t. Let’s say you had a job and you got paid salary for 40 hours a week and you actually worked 70 every week. Do you think your employer will notice and raise your salary substantially to compensate you? No. Why would they? They are getting what they want! Free labor for a low cost. Or would you say, maybe if I work 80 hours a week, then they will notice my efforts and honor them with a raise? Absolutely not! So why do so many women give everything they have physically thinking that maybe then he will want you. You are betting everything you have! And even worse, you are giving a gift that he absolutely does not deserve. I’m not coming down on you. Everyone makes mistakes, but please please please don’t buy the lie that if you give more physically, he will then be interested in commitment. He won’t. He’s a user not a provider

Subpoints:

Living together is NOT a good idea. Not just because it isn’t “moral”, but statistics have come out now after more than a decade of this trend picking up substantially and the “trial marriage” doesn’t help the chances of avoiding divorce at all. It actually increases them! You are being used for sex, and I don’t care what he tells you. If he cared about you or Jesus at all, he wouldn’t ask you to be in that situation

- A HUGE growing issue each year is relationships that are based on text messaging. Ladies, if you have a guy that is telling you how awesome and good looking you are, etc. over text and your communication is limited to text and rarely phone calls or in person, he is not worth your time. I spoke with a friend once who said they had a 20:1 scenario…20 texts for every phone call or talk in person. Seriously, if he can’t be a man and tell you those things in person instead of with T9Word, you’re not going to be able to respect him in a relationship
- One of my least favorite, but frequent, lines that I hear from mainly high school age girls is, “yeah, he may treat everyone else like trash, but he’s so sweet to me”. Do you seriously think that he is fixed on supplying all your needs and ready to responsibly invest in a relationship with you? Please! He’s working toward using you. If he treats you much nicer than everyone else in his life, he’s not worth your time and he’s convinced that if he keeps it up, he can get something from you. It will only get worse when you slide the ring on your finger

Lastly and HUGELY important, you need to give respect to get respect. Ideally we all should respect each other by choice, but let me just say, if you are dating someone who doesn’t act like they are 5 years old, but maybe doesn’t speak as fast as you or come up with decisions as fast as you…you HAVE to learn to respect them in the way of not making all the decisions just because it isn’t the pace you’re used to. God made men slow ☺. Seriously, we process stuff for a longer time and try to make better decisions. Is that true for everyone and does that time taken always help? Not always, but I promise you this, you have the power to completely cripple your boyfriend or husband with your words. And in all seriousness, I believe we will be held accountable for that stuff someday. Yes, he needs to respect you and if he doesn’t at all, don’t waste your time, but if you don’t respect him at all, chances are, you are de-motivating him to be better, not the opposite like you may think.

Whew.

Recommended pre-marriage book (so I’m told ☺):
- Love and Respect by Emerich Eggrich
- For Women Only by Shaunti Feldham

My Letter To All Females - Part IV(a)

2009-03-30T23:51:00.016-05:00

Everyone take a deep breath. I can't make any promises, but I believe these next two (which are connected) will be the last parts of this series. Whew.

Repeated disclaimer: I do believe some of these things need to be said, mostly because I have thought them for a while and just can't stand them being in my head anymore :-), but also because by the grace of God, I pray that some of these words do benefit someone and do find a purpose.

Let's Talk About Boys...:-),

This post is written with non-married women in mind. The biggest reason being, all the problems/issues/happenings that I am trying to prevent by typing this are all pre-marriage. Hopefully, if you are married, you made a series of good decisions and if you didn't, you have sought Godly counsel.

So here are some thoughts, broken into two phases that all fall under the pre-marriage header:

Singleness: Yeah yeah...I know what many are thinking. Please not another "God loves you in spite of your singleness" talk...:-) I promise that isn't what this is...(although He does :-))

In all seriousness though, I fear that to many degrees we have sacrificed Him for all the temporary pleasures of this world. A lot of you have idolized the fantasy of being with the opposite sex so much so that you have forgotten your first love. And if the Lord wasn't your first love, you need to know Him. A priority? Yes. But more importantly, a life-changing, path-altering, goal-shifting, view-shaking decision? Absolutely.

And like someone needing something to survive, many girls today make decisions based on a frenzy effect and not on the leading of the Lord.

I feel like the Lord sits, watches and says, "What about me?"

I believe many young women crave the aspects of a relationship (acceptance, physical touch, affirmation, feeling of love, intimate connection, etc.) and out of that craving, instead of finding all of those in the Lord, make quick decisions to date someone who doesn't come anywhere close to what they're looking for in an ideal lifelong friend and mate.

Contrary to popular belief: You do not need a man.

So here's what I'm driving at and this relates to one of my previous posts:

You want love? He is the only one that can truly offer a completely selfless version of it.
You want acceptance? The Lord and the Body of Christ are supposed to be the leaders in that.
You want affection? I hope and pray that you have some healthy relationships and healthy male friendships in your life that can show you that.
You want an intimate connection? So does the Lord! With us!

Look, I'm not missing the (elephant in the room) point here. I realize that God made Eve for a reason. Men and women are meant to be together, I get it. But don't look with a scowl at your season of singleness...or even life of singleness because the fulfillment that the Lord offers can/should quench us and then everything else (a god-centered, healthy relationship with a godly man WHO respects you) is in addition to that fulfillment.

Why do you think the Lord finished creation with you? You really are the final masterpiece of creation. Bought with the blood of the King and formed in His likeness to show His glory.

Yeah, you're kind of a big deal...:-)

My Letter To All Females - Part III

2009-03-07T19:22:00.005-05:00

Note: Please read my disclaimer in Part II, if you haven't already to understand where I'm coming from with all of this...

How You (Ladies) View/Treat Each Other...
I am going to follow the advice of a Relient K song that says, "Why don't you come right out and say it? Even if the words are probably going to hurt, I'd rather have the truth than something insincere."

Let's get right into it.

James 3:9 - "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness".

1 Peter 3:8,9 - "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or INSULT WITH INSULT, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."

Romans 12:9, 10 - "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly [and sisterly] love. Honor one another above yourselves".

Girls, Women, Young Ladies, Princesses, God's creations,
I am going to be very straightforward knowing that not everyone, but MOST women could be offended by this because it really applies. I am not going to apologize for my words. I will admit some of this is generalization, but for the sake of the ENTIRE BODY, I beg you to weigh these words heavily to make sure you don't fit into these descriptions.

I believe it breaks the heart of God when he hears the things you girls say about each other behind each others backs. As I said in the last posting (Part II), when you think so terrible of yourself, you are verbally, mentally, etc. destroying a very creation of His. How can you think that gossip is not the same thing but directed at another instead of yourself?

I believe that gossip is the number 1 relational division causer in the church today; at least in the US. How can we expect to get anything accomplished as the Body of Christ if there is so much division in the body over PETTY things?

Who cares what she said about you? Remember, you are a child of God! You have Him! You have been made in His likeness. Who cares what someone else says about you! YOUR VALUE RUNS DEEPER THAN WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT YOU. Or it should.

You think by responding with the same level of remark: telling someone how terrible what she said was, or telling someone else something hurtful about that person, or giving each other the glare for a while, or pretending like nothing is wrong when you are boiling with bitterness...you think that HELPS ANYTHING?

You're a child of the Almighty. You are more than side comments and gossip. You are so much more than that level of worthless chatter. But when you do that or are involved in that, or even merely listen to that, you lower yourself to one who adheres to the world and its "mores" rather than one who follows the WORD and the very words spoken by the Lord.

Am I saying that guys don't do this? No. But it is mainly an issue with females. If you are truly secure in who you are in the King, then you would never have a need to make any defense remarks or any retaliations to statements about yourself.

I can't speak for every Christ wanna-be guys in the world, but I can speak for myself: nothing drives me crazier than a girl who claims (yes, I said "claims" on purpose) to be a Christ wanna-be, who talks non stop about other people and how annoying, stupid, weird, ugly, badly dressed, prideful, backstabber, and a hypocrite THEY ARE. Who is the real hypocrite in this story? I submit to you that it's the person talking not the subject of the talk.

I seriously don't want to hear it. As you are speaking those words, you are tearing down: yourself, the listener, the person you're talking about, and the person you claim as your Savior.

This is a tough card to pull, but I truly believe this so severely breaks the heart of God, so here goes: Please tell me why anyone would be interested in gaining the light you have inside of you if all they hear coming out of your mouth are venomous words? Seriously, we talk about wanting to see people come to the Lord, but we cut down people all the time around believers and non-believers. NO ONE will want to be like someone who is exactly like them. Role models don't act the same as everyone...

Whew. You are more because of Him - and ONLY because of Him. He rescued us from death and gave us a life that we didn't deserve. We don't deserve life, but He gave it. Let's be people who offer life to others instead of being death-spreaders.

Let's DO what the Word says and not just say, "Oh that's good" or "That probably means something to someone".

James 1:22-25: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what is says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man (or woman :-)) who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does".

My Letter To All Females - Part II

2009-03-02T17:30:00.010-05:00

Disclaimer: I am not so haughty to assume that my words are like gold and thus title this post something that could be taken to sound as if women in general need to hear my words. Please here my heart in this. This letter is an accumulation of years of confusion, questions, and yes tears. Please comment if you would like. If you seriously disagree with anything, just call me. There will be more parts; this rant went long. Sorry. It's because of a broken heart.

Dear Ladies,
If I may, I would like to speak to a couple different areas of life that have honestly weighed me down for years. To start, how you view yourselves.

How You (Ladies) View Yourselves:
This is possibly one of the most frustrating things to observe. Let me say first, to any female reading this who has ever thought otherwise, you have more value to the Lord and this life than you could possibly realize. How dare you think the way you do and say the things you do about a child of His, made in His image? He doesn't care what your weight is. He doesn't care what you look like. He doesn't care how bad of a singer or public speaker you are. He doesn't care about anything you have ever done wrong AS LONG AS you are using these examples as proof for Him not to love you. What I am saying is this: He made you, crafted you, gave you the personality you have, gave you the eye color you have, gave you the voice you have, gave you the talents you have. How ridiculous is it for us humans to turn these gifts into self-deprecation points?

Look, I understand (to a degree). Everyone wants to look good and want people to like them, but as stated in my last post, if you don't realize that you were made for a relationship with the King of Kings who loves unconditionally, you will NEVER be satisfied. You could have the most awesome and fashionable clothes. You could be the most gorgeous girl who has ever lived. You could be the thinnest person in the world. You could be the smartest girl and the wisest. But all of this will mean nothing if you don't realize what you were created for and live like you realize it. Unconditionally. Meaning: what ever you do: sin, mistakes, bad choices, however you look, however smart you, however many boys have asked you out...it doesn't matter. He loves with a love that is unconditional. You can not earn it.

The girls that you are told to be like, the ones on the magazines, you think they wake up and read their Bible? Not to judge, but I doubt most of them do. With JUST THAT in mind, you should feel called to a different lifestyle. You were created to delight in the King and Him only and if there is a man who strives to replicate Christ's love for the church in a relationship with you, then draw closer to the Lord together. However, if a possible "suitor" does not fit this description, because you have such contentment in the Lord, you should not even waste your time, because that is honestly what you would be doing if you pursued it anyway.

Some people say, "I would rather be unhappy than alone", and as much as I think that is bogus, let me ask you this, would you rather be not loved and married, or "alone" and loved by the King only? When we have the contentment that would respond to that question with the "alone with the King" option, then and only then can anyone expect to have a healthy marriage, because the foundation is solid. Two people, in love with the King and each other. The way it was designed to be from the beginning.

You are special! You are valued! Don't think otherwise.

Not that any of you fit in this category :-), but to not feel like I have left anything out, this portion is for any ladies reading this who think very highly AND speak of yourselves in a braggadocios manner all the time:
It is hard for me to say this after all the positive things I just said, but in the same way that it is severely detrimental to view yourself in a negative manner all the time, it is equally and possibly more dangerous to command worship from others all the time, either by your actions or words.

An individual who fits in this category feels that she deserves everything. She is entitled to whatever she thinks she is. She commands things out of people and gets annoyed when the praises from others aren't constantly flowing.

And do I think you are totally to blame? Not really. But largely. It could be a number of things. A parent who takes the princess imagery a little too far and turns it into child worship, getting everything you have ever wanted your whole life (materially speaking), or it could even just be part of your personality. Whatever the reason, it is not Christlike, and may I challenge you to take a look at yourself and make sure you are not this way.

Biggest reason: God honors humility. It's everywhere. One of the most repeated quotes in the Bible, "God opposed the proud and gives grace to the humble". Second biggest reason: your gender's example, the Hollywood dwelling gals...their lives are centered around worship of themselves (their bodies, talent, but mainly money). There are plenty of beautiful women who aren't famous. It comes down to the money. Okay, enough of that tangent (had to get it out there).

Here's what the Bible says about the example for you that shows and movies provide: Romans 12:2, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will". Again, hear my heart. I am not condemning you and trying to make anyone depressed, but I am shouting, "SET YOURSELF FREE!" from the bondage of this kind of life. It may seem fun for a little while, but it is shallow and temporary.

Proverbs 31:30: "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised"

We all deserve death. You don't deserve the best clothes all the time. You don't deserve the most expensive ring (:-)). You don't deserve the best car money can buy. Your husband/boyfriend should want to bless you AND want to provide for you, but this is a statement of blessing, not deserving. You should admire your spouse and he should admire you and be willing to lay down his life for you. Ha, for goodness sakes, it's supposed to be a secret that you're a princess! You aren't supposed to know that and act like it, you are supposed to be honored by the loving and respectful actions of men in your life. Am I saying that all men act like that? No. And I apologize for that. And I certainly don't always either, but I'm still saying it because it needs to be said...

So, if you find yourself thinking you deserve the best parking spot, the best seat in the room, the best treatment, etc. all the time, then you need to remember something that Jesus said (whose words we are supposed to be following :-/):

Mark 9:35
"Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, 'If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all'."

Part III to follow....

My Letter To All Females - Part I

2009-02-24T18:14:00.004-05:00

The second part will be a written letter from me. This first part is a section from a book I'm reading...and I thought what the author had to say was pretty powerful and mostly accurate.

The Curse Still Holds Women Captive
"Even today, we observe how the curse still holds women captive. Women struggle to prove their worth and are easily persuaded to accommodate the lusts of men. This is a pitiful replacement for the God of unconditional love but every girl is tempted to measure her worth by what men think. At a young age, little girls learn that part of being feminine means to look pretty. This God-given desire for beauty, however, takes on a destructive turn during impressionable teen years as girls become focused on their appearance, trying to measure up to an unwritten standard of perfection. Whether it's her weight, bra size, complexion, or hair texture, every young woman feels that she is deficient in one way or another.

Deceived by the demonic lie that her value depends upon appearance rather than character or faith, women face the pressure for approval. It is unavoidable. Sometimes a woman's only resolve for this tension comes in the form of destructive behavior. Anorexia, bulimia, cutting, and sexual promiscuity offer deceptive promises to relieve the tormenting messages of being unacceptable. Sadly, many women don't realize there is an alternative to be found in Christ's love.

Most recently, there had been a decline in modest dress, encouraging attention based on lust rather than respect. Tight clothing and cleavage is the fashion, but the message is sends completely discards dignity and respect. Women utterly despise being relegated to objects. No little girl ever grows up with a dream to become a Playboy centerfold, but the curse draws women into the clutches of such degrading practices because of their extreme thirst for approval.

Endless effort to gain the approval of a father, a husband, a pastor, or a boss only gives women temporary reward. God is our only true source of worth, but most women don't know the way back into His arms.

Eventually, some women grow weary of the "game" with its labyrinth of unwritten rules and they exchange their femininity for hostility-liberation from men. Exhausted from their efforts and wounded by their sacrifices, these "liberated" women have accumulated so much deep-seated resentment toward men that they reject all of them, claiming that men are lust-filled womanizers who are not necessary to society. They may blame men for their pain, but the true agony in their souls goes back to the Garden scene. Jesus is the only answer for their truest need."

Reference: Finding Intimacy In A Love Starved World by Cindy Janczyc

Loneliest Holiday of the Year?

2009-02-15T17:51:00.003-05:00

I was pretty convinced a few months ago that Thanksgiving and Christmas can be very lonely, which is still true. Especially for people who have lost love ones.

We all do need healthy family love, I agree. But whether we got that or not, most people yearn for a more personal love in a mate.

But what holiday goes beyond that type of love to showcase whether or not you have someone who loves you enough to be married to you/seriously dating you?

Valentine's Day.

Dare I say that this day, not on a preaching from the street corners type of method, but a more personal (i.e. people you work with) way is the best evangelistic day of the year?

Many people don't have someone to call their "valentine" come February. Many people get depressed on this day for that reason.

What I am proposing/getting at is this: What other day of the year brings out a longing in us for a love that is truly unconditional? How many Valentine's Day one night stands are there where the individuals wake up the following day not feeling any more loved than the day before. The world and Hershey's say that we need a mate, even if just for the day, but I say...

We should actively be exemplifying a love that goes beyond chocolates and surprise flower deliveries. We after all know or should know what it is like to be loved unconditionally.

Ergo: The world celebrates this day through eros love (sexual love), but the problem is what everyone really wants/more so needs is agape love (unconditional).

Use this day/weekend/season to show someone what it really looks like to have this kind of genuine relationship. You might be missing out on the best day of the year to have that talk...

Again I Apologize...

2009-01-04T21:50:00.003-05:00

Again I apologize for interjecting my own thoughts, when I promised to use mostly quotes but I can't resist this one...please answer and please answer honestly as possible...

What are you passionate about? Not an occupation. Not a person. But what would you rather die than see happen/not happen.

i.e. You would rather die than see one more person suffer from AIDS....something like that...

Back to quotes again....

2008-12-22T07:26:00.004-05:00

"We've got people trapped in sins, but because they don't feel the power to get free, they want you to change the rules. 'Because I can't get free, I want you to change the rules so I can feel justified in the sin I plan on staying in.'"

- Sean Smith, "Prophetic Evangelism"

Thoughts?

At a Loss for Words...

2008-11-28T12:59:00.001-05:00

I know this does very little in the grand scheme with the small base of people that read this blog but I had to share this because I was infuriated and literally started to cry when I read this...

Read this. This is what it has become. These are the kind of people we are. No excuses.

Unbelievable

Read the whole article...

I'm convinced....

2008-11-22T13:17:00.002-05:00

...that Stacie Orrico (There's got to be more to life than temporary highs) and Switchfoot (meant to live for so much more) were onto something...

...that if you don't have a holy discontent for more of Him in your life, you need to be closer to the Lord...

...that being a genuine follower of Christ has nothing to do with forwarding e-mails about United States legislation or ones that state you don't care about the Lord if you don't forward them, or passing around rumors of political candidates, or wearing a christian-ese shirt in a public place (which many are even afraid to do that), or having a jesus phish on your car....

...that the real life we should be living has miracles happening downtown in large cities with whoever is around watching, and us slipping into the crowd before any credit can be given...

...that we are called to so much more than 9-5...

...that our fears really DO control us, and we are just afraid to admit that...

...that we have an idea of how we should be, but it is so contrary to most anyone we know who calls themselves a christian, so we stay how we are, solidifying a boring, powerless life...

...that true love is more powerful than any other weapon...

...that is we only had control of our tongues, and asked the Lord how we should respond to situations or comments, the world would look completely different...

...that church every sunday morning, wednesday night, and the occasional sunday night service should make up about 3% of our attempting christ wanna be lives...

...that if you are unwilling to ever push yourself in any area (mainly physically, emotionally, and spiritually) it will be hard for the Lord to use you for anything substantial...

...that money, cars, shopping, shoes, teeth whiteners, socks, the morning after thanksgiving, movies, and a lot more things are just simply meaningless, but as it is, they control our lives...

...that even a one day trip in another culture that lives far below your standard of living, would be far more than life-altering...

...that Satan's #1 tool in the United States is putting blinders to either side of our eyes, making us have spiritual tunnel vision and never seeing the whole picture...

...that in most people of the age of 50, you will find a story of a dream birthed in them at a young age that they never pursued and regreat greatly, but still watch younger generations repeat the same mistakes...

...that if we even began to understand the importance of the calling that we have been given, we would live completely different..

...that the evidence of our total ignorance is our lives themselves...

Abortion: Perhaps a Different View

2008-11-15T03:15:00.004-05:00

I just finished reading a book, at 3AM this morning, that detailed a view of abortion that I had not thought of yet and I am interested in your thoughts...

History:
- 1492 and on - The early settlers of what would become the USA, weren't necessarily born killers. As time went on, however, especially in the 1800's, the decision to take all of the land that the continent could provide from Native Americans by slaughter and government lies supported the notion that NA were not really people. Therefore, there land could be taken, but even more sad, we could exterminate hundreds of thousands of them.....

- 1800's and early 1900's: African Americans. Brought over on boats with unbelievably inhumane conditions (do some research on it), and then thrown into slavery. As if the slavery wasn't bad enough, murdering at will and killing for fun became common practice for this race. How did it happen? The American public was convinced that they were animals and not really people. This supported the idea that anything could be done to them without guilt. All men were created equal, but not the dark skinned ones....

- 1930's, 40's: German citizens were not inherently mindless killers and filled with hatred toward the Jews. Hitler successfully used the public to help exterminate Jews by convincing the citizens that they were not really people, therefore they could be eradicated.

- 1973 to present: Despite the fact that a child was born 21 weeks after gestation (9.5 inches long, and just about 10 ounces) and survived to be a healthy fully formed baby, despite the fact that we now have video evidence of a "fetus" reacting to the pain of being covered with acid and being ripped out of a womb, despite the millions of cases of women emotionally collapsing post-aborting, despite the fact that some killers of pregnant moms are charged with double murders, the current attitude of the American public is that pregnancy is a choice and those things growing inside of mothers are fetuses and not people. Amazing how we know that they are already people, but still pretend otherwise. We are being convinced that they are not people! Just like the other mass murders! And in the world right now, every minute 89 babies are aborted. I am not even getting into moral issues here...just talking straight philosophy. Anyone else see the enormous disconnect?

Dehumanizing people groups give us full rights to do what we want...

My own thoughts: I am pro-choice in the sense that...isn't it ones choice to get into bed with someone they don't want to have a child with...sorry if this is too blatantly honest, but can't people just stinkin' keep their pants on? Sheesh....

Back to quotes...

2008-10-29T18:41:00.003-05:00

Here is a quote from a really good article I read recently...

When the church takes a stance that emphasizes political activism and social moralizing, it always diverts energy and resources away from evangelization. Such an antagonistic position toward the established secular culture invariably leads believers to feel hostile not only to unsaved government leaders with whom they disagree, but also antagonistic toward the unsaved residents of that culture—neighbors and fellow citizens they ought to love, pray for, and share the gospel with. To me it is unthinkable that we become enemies of the very people we seek to win to Christ, our potential brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Thoughts?

At a Recent Barack Obama Event

2008-10-15T06:20:00.006-05:00

I have to admit, my first thought was total sarcasm...

"Really? you really think this is representing Christ?"

My second thought was just pure frustration, bordering on anger....

Your thoughts?

Nature (Humanity) vs. Nuture (Gospel)

2008-09-20T01:26:00.002-05:00

I know I promised to bring information from other sources, but I have been thinking a lot about this, and I am curious of your thoughts on the matter.

Fact #1: Our human nature teaches us to care about ourselves and serve ourselves in any way possible. Not to say that sometimes we in our human nature reach out to another human being to offer assistance especially in times of extreme need (natural disasters. family losses, etc.)

Fact #2: The Nuture, what we can be trained to follow is the Nature of Christ, which is a complete oxymoron to the way of the world. There are countless scripture about not conforming to the way of the world. In my personal opinion, in the top 5 ways that we act like Christ and not the world, is the fact that we should be more concerned about our brother than ourselves. That is true humility, true love, true sacrifice, etc.

Now, here is my question. We know that Fact #1 is bad and Fact #2 is what we should strive to be.

Why do so many of our lives look so much like a polar opposite to Christ and worse than that, if we were to be confronted about it, we have what we think is a strong defense for our actions...

i.e.:
- shopping for ourselves all the time
- gossiping about others knowing it is wrong
- just being a jerk, making people not want to be in your company
- always telling stories about how great we are
- never talking about Christ's life or the things He has done in our life
- thinking that being born in a certain country makes us entitled to certain rights and freedoms, forgetting that human being just like us are daily suffering and we just don't care

this list could go on forever...

Disclaimer: I am NOT saying I am perfect, but can SOMEONE shed some light on this please?

I'm back on 9.11

2008-07-30T21:24:00.003-05:00

$600,000 was given to FEMA who used the money to research what happened on 9.11 that allowed the towers to fall, etc.

$40,000,000 was given to the investigation of former president Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky's relationship.

Really? Unbelievable.

Holidays

2008-07-21T19:14:00.002-05:00

A challenge:

Without researching, tell me what you know about the real lives of the people we have "holidays" for in the US...

- St. Nicholas
- St. Patrick
- St. Valentine

Are these the words of my Jesus?

2008-07-14T19:02:00.005-05:00

Recently, McDonald's, took an unashamed stance in favor of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual) community. I know that for some of the people reading this, it may stir up something in you to want to fight for morality. I challenge you though. Before you get riled up about it, read some of these comments, and then please comment on my blog and reassure me that there words are similar to what Jesus would say to the people of McDonald's if he were to make a statement.

Porn and Economic Stimulus

2008-07-13T01:09:00.003-05:00

This is a little out of my ordinary posts, but I found it very intriguing and very disappointing. Looks like all that money was put to good use...or not.

According to Kirk Mishkin, Head Research Consultant for AIMRCo, "Many of the sites we surveyed have reported 20-30% growth in membership rates since mid-May when the checks were first sent out, and typically the summer is a slow period for this market."

(referring to internet porn sites, and the check being the economic stimulus checks from the gov.)

Another random and equally saddening fact: Every second - $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography

Quote Blog #1

2008-06-30T19:20:00.002-05:00

To which do we pledge allegiance? Surely, one of them must have the wrong idea of how to move history. Can a servant serve two masters? To say that we must kill our enemies and join the project to "rid the world of evil" is to call Jesus unrealistic. And that is possibly desirable for many; surely his ideas do not resonate with any common wisdom. But can you call Jesus the Son of God and also say, "He just doesn't understand the world today"? How ironic is it to see a bumper sticker that says, "Jesus is the answer-but not in the real world." Remember, Jesus' followers were burned alive, beheaded, or fed to lions. They knew evil and the "real world." They would meet it face to face. If there was anyone who tried to deal with evildoers and terrorists, it was certainly first-century Christians.
- Shane Claiborne, Jesus For President

My thoughts: self-explanatory...thoughts?

Intense Sermon

2008-06-26T17:02:00.004-05:00

This sermon is intense...it is kind of long, but I REALLY want to know your thoughts...especially about the first 15 minutes of the video...

New Blog Format

2008-06-15T00:00:00.002-05:00

Hey All,
I can't write this in stone, but I think I have decided to change the format of this blog. I would like to post a quote and a few thoughts of mine and then get your reaction. I am just tired of listening to myself rant on ignorance and emotion, but I do read a decent amount and feel that many things I read are provocative and discussion starting. So, I know not many people read this, but hang on...it may get intense...I would absolutely love your thoughts!

Blessings!

Anonymous

2008-04-09T06:18:00.005-05:00

I recently finished a book entitled Anonymous by Alicia Britt Chole. The subtitle is "Jesus' hidden years and yours" and it is basically about the in-between stages of life that we go through where we feel we aren't being used for the kingdom to the best of our abilities, or even some times like no one notices or cares how much we are capable of.

Here are some quotable quotes from the book I wanted to share:

"Have you ever felt hidden? If so, you are in Excellent Company. The most influential life in all of history spent 90 percent of his days submerged in the unseen. During three mostly undocumented, undecorated decades, Father God empowered him to live an authoritative, obedient life and die and eternally fruitful death."

"'I want to walk like Jesus walked and live like Jesus lived!' is generally not equated in our hearts with, 'I want to live 90 percent of my life in absolute obscurity!'. No. Our desire to 'be like Jesus' contains several exemption clauses, not the least of which are Jesus' hidden years, desert experiences, temptations, tortures, and crucifixion. We will pass on those, thank you. What we are most definitiely interested in, however is Jesus' character and authority. How we long to see his character and authority transform this broken world through our lives!"

And I just really like this story: :-)
"I leave then with a shot story that came to me years ago about a young boy obviously destined for greatness.

Whenever I am disappointed with me spot in life, I stop and think about the little boy who was trying out for a part in a school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen. On the day the parts were awarded, I went with her to collect him after school. The boy rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. 'Guess what, mom,' he shouted, and then said those words that will remain a lesson to me: 'I've been chosen to clap and cheer.'"

If any of these quotes meant anything to you, I would definitely recommend the book. Reading it really helped me in this season of my life, and taught me to be obedient in all I do, and trust and KNOW that the Lord is not only planning my steps, but that he is building me into who I need to be for the rest of my time on this earth....

The Golden Compass, Harry Potter, and the like...

2007-12-03T20:20:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't posted in forever, but an article I read today has brought me out of my seclusion and has single-handedly made me decide to post more...ha...

I saw a headline for this article and decided to check it out.
(reading it might held explain this post better)
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=
071204003305.4utrub9c&show_article=1

Basically, the article is saying how upset some prominent Christians groups are over the release of the new movie, the Golden Compass. Essentially, the short version of the movie, as I understand it, is that it is Narnia, but the Jesus figure stays dead at the end. The movie is based on a book written by an Agnostic, Philip Pullman.

I will try and keep this short and sweet (or not, it's sort of like flipping tables, ha). I am so tired of "Christian groups" making all of these "statements" and getting non-believers hating us more and making the believers who are always on edge, wanting to make sure not to have satan (lowercase "s" intentional, he doesn't capitalization) himself enter their household through any form of media.

Here's the deal: when we act like this, it solidifies the fact that we are ran by rules. This is not attractive. People do not want to join "organized religion". For goodness sakes, I don't even want to join organized religion.

When it comes to making the right choices in what you view, be smart. Not everything is beneficial, I agree, but watching this Golden Compass movie, or reading Harry Potter books is not going to send you to hell. An anti-Jesus movie should break our hearts and make us want to know Him better...not enrage us, and cause us to pick up our morality pitchforks and start calling our senators and state representatives.

The point: Christ doesn't stinking need defending...He is the Christ...the Alpha and Omega. He is the I am. He can raise people from the dead, and turn water into wine (not for getting drunk of course :-)). He is bigger than The Golden Compass, and Harry Potter. Spend your time in the Word, not defending Christ to the media...this will bring real change...and that's what we should want...not whining, but change...

My Dad's Blog

2007-02-23T22:40:00.000-05:00

Normally I do not do this sort of thing. Almost everything that my dad posts is pretty good and interesting, but this series he is on right now is not only thought provoking, but I believe it could lead to a mass discussion on the things that need to be changed about the church in the U.S. and no matter what you believe, let me tell you, that would be a good thing.

I posted on the issue of combining politics and religion a while ago, and I only wrote a very short tangent of a piece, but my dad's series go into great lengths. The posts are very well written and the comment board is worth reading through as well.

I will put the web address at the end of this post, but for future reference, there is always a link on the right side of my page.

Also...feel free to comment on the topic on my blog, on this post, if you want to...blessings!

Beside the Point

Purpose

2007-02-19T21:26:00.000-05:00

So, as many of you know, for the past 8 months or so, I have been just going crazy on what I should be doing with my life. Whether I should move away from State College, or stay for a little while. Well, after quite a bit of wisdom from a friend and a word from the Lord that someone gave me, I have come to these conclusions...

Purpose is not found in what you are doing at any given time, occupationally, it is about your identity in Christ and who he made you to be.

Life is about what drives you, not to please yourself, but to become who you should be, and to be who you are. So many people live their lives outside of what they were intended to be. Sitting at a desk everyday when risk and action drives them. Being a manager at a fast food restaurant when they should be touring the country singing.

Sometimes it's fear, sometimes it is people in the past who have told us we couldn't do it, but either way, it is time we live up to our potential.

If you love what you are doing, then you are living inside the design that God had for your life when He made you, on purpose the way he did.

If you have always had the desire to sing, then do it! If you want to take a job position that you are deathly afraid of, then do it! Life without an edge, whatever that looks like to you, is not much of a life at all...

Rejecting the Cross

2006-10-24T20:46:00.000-05:00

I have sat in many services before angry with the people attending. Some have been adults, some teenagers, but the common thread is a complete disregard for what the Lord did for them…

Some of you might know that Christianity has more common ground with Islam than it does with Judaism. Well one of the major issues the Islamic faith has with Christianity is the idea of God becoming man. In fact, most religions and people for that matter can not fathom a spiritual being becoming flesh and walking among them. And therein lies, in my opinion, a disconnect in a lot of Christ followers’ minds: we don’t realize the impossibility of this.

After all, gods are just beings who watch humans. They chuckle when they trip and they sit around talking about how smart humans think they are - a conversation filled with thunderous laughter no doubt.

The uniqueness of the cross is that my God…the true, one and only, God of gods, King of kings, became man by being born to a virgin. Mary should have been stoned for being pregnant outside of marriage. Jesus really was an illegitimate child in man’s eyes. He was a carpenter. Not a religious scholar, not a prince, not a business world leader, not even above average. God became man.

He pursued sinners. He didn’t care what it looked like to be hanging out with prostitutes, drunkards, lepers, and adulterers - he came to heal the sick, not the healthy.

Are you realizing the ADACITY of this? This is ridiculous. No god would do that for mankind. Not unless He created them, loved them, and wanted to make a way for them to spend eternity with him. Wow.

To top it all off, He humbled himself and was crucified on a cross - a thief’s punishment - even though he was without sin.

So, I sat there, angry at the teenager in front of me who kept turning around and talking with her friends and laughing during the message. I wasn’t angry because of disrespect for the speaker (although that is frustrating too), I was angry because when we forget what Christ did and live complacently, we reject everything he did for us.

We reject the cross.

Experience vs. People

2006-09-04T17:24:00.000-05:00

What in the world does it mean to be Christlike? In an effort to figure this out, my thoughts drifted to this topic...

A lot of times our lives, as believers are driven by experiences. A lot of times devotions is done so that can be checked off the spiritual checklist, or the kids sitting along at the lunch table has someone to sit with so that others can see how great we are.

More rarely, yet more like Christ, our lives are driven by people...well, actually the love for people that the Lord has given us. We sit and listen to someone talk about their terrible life for hours, or we volunteer at a soup kitchen without people that we know, or we give our jacket to a homeless person in the winter, not because we want to be seen by people, but because we want to love people like Christ would.

Many of you know of some of my frustrations with girls/boys, men/women around my age, quite frankly searching for a spouse. Now, I am only talking to believers when I say this. If you are in a relationship for the feel good, to be able to say you are in a relationship, or (Lord, please let it not be so) for the ring, then you are in it for the experience and not the person.

Am I saying that experience is always bad and that you can't ever make smart decisions for yourself...not at all...but I am saying that no matter what, make sure that love for the Lord and for his people (that's everyone, saved and unsaved, sorry John Calvin), is your motivator and not your pursuit of great feelings and acknowledgement from men...because that will all fade...

The Buzz about Greg Boyd

2006-08-01T00:13:00.000-05:00

Well, if you didn't hear all about it in the news, then you missed out. This week, there was an article about Greg Boyd who is the pastor at Woodland Hills in St. Paul. The NY Times article (link below) described the reaction of his church when he delivered a series of sermons called The Cross and the Sword.

To stay away from blabbering my own opinions, I would be interested in what you all think. The link is below, so check it out, and comment about your opinion concerning the things he said on my page. (if you comment, then I will respond in the comments section :-)).

The NY Times' story

Blessings!

In Case You Missed The E-mail...

2006-07-13T00:05:00.000-05:00

Lord, help me not to ramble….Ok, last Saturday, a friend of mine, a guy that I went to youth group with, and hung out with, died of a drug overdose (sorry to the SC people for bringing it up again). He knew the Lord, but seemingly found it rather difficult to cut the ropes the enemy had around him. This event, along with a few other perfectly timed events in my life has literally changed me, like putting something into a microwave and getting nearly instant results.

Please let these words sink in, even though you have heard them many times…our family, and friends, a lot of them are headed for hell. This is not a game guys. We have no idea. “Comfort zone” is a nice way of saying that we have become so set in our ways and comfortable with our lives that we have forgotten what this life is all about. Jesus. Guys…and gals…that is what we are here for. When we accepted Christ, we accepted the challenge and PRIVILEDGE to lead other people to a saving knowledge of Him. I understand fear of what may happen and of our assumed inadequacy cripple us to the point of inaction, but this HAS TO STOP.

I am not sure where in your life this finds you, but I hope and pray that you hear the words that are speaking from my spirit…and not just the words I am typing.

Hell…with flames, and screams, is real. We pretend like it isn’t. We pretend like heaven has an easy entry ticket, but it doesn’t. Narrow is the road. Not wide. I would urge you to dive into the word and make sure that your life aligns with the commands of Jesus, because there is no other way into the gates except through Him.

We are used to having basically whatever we want. Dangerously, this idea spills over into our walk with the Lord. We don’t want to put much effort into it, but we want mega results (maybe none of you are like this, but I am, so I am at least speaking for myself….chances are, I am not alone). As little work as possible, with the highest pay-off.

Jesus gave his own life so that we could own day live with Him for eternity. He added another lamb to his flock even while dying on the cross. He loved people. Truly loved people. And that is what we are called to do….They will know us by our love. Not our bumper stickers, our cliques, our Christianese, our complaining about the church, our thirst for materialism, or even our occasional missions trip (not that all missions trips are bad), but they will know us by our lifestyle of LOVE….

Basically, what I am asking you all is huge. I am asking you to become a person who doesn’t care about what gadget you will be getting for Christmas, but care more that someone could be freezing to death downtown at the same time! Be a person who unashamedly proclaims the name of Jesus to all who’ll listen, but be sensitive to the spirit enough to know mid-sentence when what you are about to say should not be said. A person who doesn't care if someone makes you look bad when you are hanging out with them because their clothes may not be as nice, or their hair, not as styled…….revolutionaries….

I am asking all of you to pray about ways that you can DAILY live out the love of Christ…whether that be a cold cup of water in the summer to a random stranger who seems thirsty, or a warm cup of hot chocolate in the winter to a homeless man. Unashamedly, undeniably Jesus…with skin on…

Go be Jesus to a world that needs Him more than we could ever realize…

"American" & "Christian" Are Not Synonymous

2006-06-08T15:31:00.000-05:00

This is a concern of mine that is very hard to explain and sometimes offensive to others. Hopefully, this blog will not be the first time that you have been made aware of this issue.

Many people across the world view the United States as the modern Israel in a sense. Some believe that Americans are convinced that what our government does is an act of God. That may be accurate for some believers, as long as a republican is in office.

I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said, "God is not a Republican....OR a Democrat" and the accuracy of that statement made me think a lot.

So many times we try and combine God and country. These two are not meant to be combined. I am not saying that no country has ever been faithful to God, but the US is far from that status.

Just think about some of the differences:
U.S.: Prosperous because of greed
Xianity: Known for giving

U.S.: Centered around pleasing yourself
Xianity: Told to deny self and please the Lord

These are two examples of possibly thousands. I am trying to create a starting point for some dialogue on this issue, but I encourage you to think about these things.

Christianity in the U.S. is struggling', and I think most of that has to do with the cultural and spiritual clash that has taken place. In the words of a friend of mine, "If I serve the god of American Christianity then I'm out. I need a God who is bigger than that. I need the God of the Bible; of Jacob and David, of Moses and of Paul. If I don't find that God, I'm out." Now, I am not saying that this can't be changed, but I am encouraging you to make sure that you are supporting the right kingdom because the U.S. will most likely not last forever, for all kingdoms pass away, but the one Kingdom that won't is the Lord's and we need to identify with that kingdom more than any other.

Choose you this day whom you will serve...because when it comes down to it...in the words (paraphrase) of my dad, if you are forced to choose between being American and being Christian, I hope you choose being a Christian.

Feel free to comment...

It is not about you...

2006-05-14T22:54:00.000-05:00

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about the idea of how much we focus on ourselves. It's interesting to me how much this idea flows into our everyday lives so much. Obviously, you might say, our flesh includes selfishness, duh, and I would agree, but it seems to me that this attitude actually plays into a lot more areas than we think.

When someone succeeds, we find a way to make ourselves a victim: instead of "congratulations on your promotion, I bet the Lord has the best for you in LA", it is something more like "I can't believe you are moving to LA and leaving ME".

When someone confronts us on things that need to change in our lives, we get angry at them for bringing up our blemishes instead of realizing that their best interest is most likely to help us be as Christ-like as possible.

Now, I don't feel that I am writing on this matter with clarity and full expression of my thoughts, but it mostly concerns me because it comes out in our witness, or lack thereof:

I am guilty as charged just as much as anyone, but how many times does the Lord whisper to us to reach out to someone or to tell someone about Him, and we make it an issue about us..."What if I say the wrong words?", "what if I look stupid?", "what if I go to speak and then I have nothing to say?", or the kicker, "what if the person decides NOT to follow the Lord based on the ridiculousness I say to them?"...well, there is good news...

IT ISN'T ABOUT YOU! It is about obedience. It is about listening and then doing. I know it isn't easy, but may I suggest taking a look at your words and motives and asking the Lord to give you a focus on being more like him instead of pleasing yourself and always needing your own needs met over others....

Please comment below...!

Real Attempt

2006-05-02T08:59:00.000-05:00

Ok, so, here goes. Maybe I will try this thing after all. Is anyone even reading this? From time to time even? See, the only problem about these things is that I don't really like to talk about myself and I don't really know a whole lot in any area, so pretty much there isn't much to write. Nonetheless, I will trudge through the muck and post something every once and a while. Ok, thanks for reading this rambling.

Introduction

2006-01-18T00:13:00.000-05:00

I don't even know how any of these things work! HA! Man, I am so behind the times...now, if I can just even get back to this post after I submit it, that would be progress...