The blog is back people!
Seriously, i'm going to try and post a little more often than once a year... i promise... no... i'll try... no... we'll see.
Well with this new year comes resolutions right?
What are my resolutions, you ask?
Well...
GET INTO SHAPE. Sadly, at the beginning of the year i weighed in, ashamed, at 190 pounds. That, my friends, is over weight. Type 2 diabetes runs in the family, on both sides, so it is time that i get into shape. For those who didn't know me in HS, i was 140lbs with a 1000 pack (6 pack really) and i could run the mile in about 4min and 30secs (no joke). Now, i have a 6 pack (of coke or dr. pepper) and i can run the mile in 40min.
BUT ALL OF THAT IS ABOUT TO CHANGE! I PROMISE!
Since January 2nd I've worked out everyday, only taking sundays off as a rest day. And I have not eaten fast food (Subway doesn't count) since the year started. My diet has been restricted to about 1600 calories and I am portioning what I am eating very heavily. My goal by August is 155lbs, 35 pounds lighter then when I started.
Progress? down to 184lbs but 4 inches off my waist!
What is the point of this post you ask? Since I really don't think you cared too much about my new years resolution...
There are a lot of things in our lives that we are committed to: our lifestyle, girlfriends/boyfriends, school, friends... And these things are all good. And because you're committed to them your life style has changed.
But why can't we be committed to something or SOMEONE who has given everything to us.
He has given us breath, life, grace, and a relationships with Him. Yet our lifestyle doesn't change to be fully committed to Him. I know my whole life hasn't.
Has yours?
In Luke 14 Jesus tells a crowd that if you can't follow Him unless you hate your father and mother, your brother, and even yourself then you cannot follow him. Now Jesus, doesn't really mean that you should hate everyone except Him, in the Hebrew, it is more of a preferential treatment. So you one should not PREFER his mother over God.
What do you prefer over God?
Better question.
What DON'T you prefer over God?
Being a follow of Christ means that you put God in front of everything. In when you're doing that, your life should reflect that. Following Jesus means your life changes.
So how has your life changed?
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Tears from Heaven
Remember the movie Garden State? To some extent i can relate to Zach Braff's character. No my mom didn't die, nor am i a movie star. I didn't visit New Jersey, nor date Natalie Portman (sigh). However, what made me relate to him was the inability to cry. Now my life hasn't been bad. No, it's been a great life. But there has been some events that have really hardened my life, effected my emotions. For the past couple years i have had the inability to cry. I've wanted to, trust me, i wanted really badly to shed either tears of joy or tears of grief. I've wanted to either celebrate with tears of happiness, or cry with a fellow brother or sister as they did. But nothing has come out, not one single tear.
If you've read previous posts, this year has been a roller coaster of emotions. It started off with me feeling emotionless. I didn't care about really anything and i was living life like nothing excited me nor saddened me. I felt lost and confused.
Spring came, and God surprised me with a new sense of meaning, new sense of direction. Growing in me was a renewed love for others, specifically those who did not or have not heard the gospel. I was called to the missions field. It was a uncontrollable feeling that i did not look for nor did i, at first, welcome. But it was undeniable, God had called me the field.
Summer and fall was next. With that came all the questions. I started to doubt my calling, started to even doubt my faith and relationship with God. "Was i even a christian? or a poser, hypocrite, living a lie." This realization hit me hard. Had my life been a lie? Had i put any faith in God? Or was I really, truly, a disciple of Christ. I came to the conclusion that in fact, God, was the reason for why i do everything. He is the reason i live, breathe, and move. God is my everything.
This brings me to winter and the attendance of a missions conference called Urbana. I had been excited for this conference for some time now. Since God had given me a passion for missions, this would be a great time for me to grow and learn more about the ministry that would become life. It truly was a great time, God taught me a lot of new things.
Which leads me to New Years Eve. We had the privilege of worshiping with 17,000 of our brothers and sisters to enter into the new year. After taking communion we began to sing more songs of praise and as the clock stuck midnight we were repeating the line "I am redeemed" over and over again.
While singing "I am redeemed" over and over again God began to break my heart. All the pain that i had been holding on to, all the disappointment, all the lonliness, suddenly went away. And i had been comforted by the Lord saying that all of that "stuff" was nailed to the cross. I had been redeemed. With this sudden revelation, sudden comfort, one single tear came rolling down my left cheek. One single tear, that's all.
This tear however, was probably the heaviest tear i have ever felt. With it, was all the pain that i had been holding on it. The simple, most basic belief in Christianity, was reminded to me. I was saved by grace, through my faith in Him, and it wasn't anything that i did, but it was faith and faith alone. I forgot with all my pain i had been holding on to, God gave me the greatest gift of all, salvation. And that thought, that He has saved me, took all my pain, at the foot of the cross.
Maybe you're reading this post and you have not given your life to Jesus. It's really easy. Believe in Him and you will be in Heaven. Trust that He came down from Heaven to die for us, innately sinners at birth, and saved us from eternal damnation. No one can get to the father except through the Son. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
For those of you who are saved. Remember, you are saved! How amazing is that! That thought should change your life! It should change the way you live, eat, move, talk, act. Also, if you are struggling, like so many of us are, remember you are saved and redeemed. Place all your burdens, worries, and fears, at the foot of the cross. God redeems us.
You are redeemed
You are redeemed
You are redeemed
If you've read previous posts, this year has been a roller coaster of emotions. It started off with me feeling emotionless. I didn't care about really anything and i was living life like nothing excited me nor saddened me. I felt lost and confused.
Spring came, and God surprised me with a new sense of meaning, new sense of direction. Growing in me was a renewed love for others, specifically those who did not or have not heard the gospel. I was called to the missions field. It was a uncontrollable feeling that i did not look for nor did i, at first, welcome. But it was undeniable, God had called me the field.
Summer and fall was next. With that came all the questions. I started to doubt my calling, started to even doubt my faith and relationship with God. "Was i even a christian? or a poser, hypocrite, living a lie." This realization hit me hard. Had my life been a lie? Had i put any faith in God? Or was I really, truly, a disciple of Christ. I came to the conclusion that in fact, God, was the reason for why i do everything. He is the reason i live, breathe, and move. God is my everything.
This brings me to winter and the attendance of a missions conference called Urbana. I had been excited for this conference for some time now. Since God had given me a passion for missions, this would be a great time for me to grow and learn more about the ministry that would become life. It truly was a great time, God taught me a lot of new things.
Which leads me to New Years Eve. We had the privilege of worshiping with 17,000 of our brothers and sisters to enter into the new year. After taking communion we began to sing more songs of praise and as the clock stuck midnight we were repeating the line "I am redeemed" over and over again.
While singing "I am redeemed" over and over again God began to break my heart. All the pain that i had been holding on to, all the disappointment, all the lonliness, suddenly went away. And i had been comforted by the Lord saying that all of that "stuff" was nailed to the cross. I had been redeemed. With this sudden revelation, sudden comfort, one single tear came rolling down my left cheek. One single tear, that's all.
This tear however, was probably the heaviest tear i have ever felt. With it, was all the pain that i had been holding on it. The simple, most basic belief in Christianity, was reminded to me. I was saved by grace, through my faith in Him, and it wasn't anything that i did, but it was faith and faith alone. I forgot with all my pain i had been holding on to, God gave me the greatest gift of all, salvation. And that thought, that He has saved me, took all my pain, at the foot of the cross.
Maybe you're reading this post and you have not given your life to Jesus. It's really easy. Believe in Him and you will be in Heaven. Trust that He came down from Heaven to die for us, innately sinners at birth, and saved us from eternal damnation. No one can get to the father except through the Son. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
For those of you who are saved. Remember, you are saved! How amazing is that! That thought should change your life! It should change the way you live, eat, move, talk, act. Also, if you are struggling, like so many of us are, remember you are saved and redeemed. Place all your burdens, worries, and fears, at the foot of the cross. God redeems us.
You are redeemed
You are redeemed
You are redeemed
Monday, December 21, 2009
Karma.
Karma.
What is the idea of karma?
As far as i understand karma, karma is something that is owed to you if you do good. If i'm a good person then i will be rewarded, if not here, somewhere else. It's really hard to get around that whole karma idea.
Why bring this up?
Tonight i experienced (I experience this often) the Christian Karma Experience (CKE). How does this work? Simple.
We humans, think the world revolves around us. (Duhhh) So if the world revolves around us, God who created the world, must serve us. Makes sense right?
This past year i have gone through a world of emotions. I have gone from high to low, skinny to fat, A-Z, you name it. It's made me a better person and a better man. I know this. So with my growth i feel like i have improved as a person. I'm a better person. I'm a smarter person. I'm a more mature person.
So with that, i should deserve something. I deserve what i want. Right? I mean, i'm a better person. I'm better, i swear!
That's the mentality i'm talking about. The fact that many times we feel that God, the creator of the universe, the beginning and the end, the perfect Maker, owes ME something. That's ridiculous. How arrogant and selfish can i be?
The answer is very.
Very.
Christmas is about a Savior. A savior that's sole purpose was to come to earth, to die. He came to earth, from heaven, to die. And yet i'm still here, saved, and complaining because i don't have what I want.
This Christmas, instead of being lonely, depressed, or selfish, I need to remember that God has given me the greatest gift i could ever want. No good deed, no positive thing I do in this world, and no self improvement will ever win me something as amazing as salvation. There is no Karma-tic experience great enough that will ever give me Grace.
So this Christmas can you remember? Can You remember the amazing gift of grace?
Grace unto you all. For a baby was born to die.
Amen.
What is the idea of karma?
As far as i understand karma, karma is something that is owed to you if you do good. If i'm a good person then i will be rewarded, if not here, somewhere else. It's really hard to get around that whole karma idea.
Why bring this up?
Tonight i experienced (I experience this often) the Christian Karma Experience (CKE). How does this work? Simple.
We humans, think the world revolves around us. (Duhhh) So if the world revolves around us, God who created the world, must serve us. Makes sense right?
This past year i have gone through a world of emotions. I have gone from high to low, skinny to fat, A-Z, you name it. It's made me a better person and a better man. I know this. So with my growth i feel like i have improved as a person. I'm a better person. I'm a smarter person. I'm a more mature person.
So with that, i should deserve something. I deserve what i want. Right? I mean, i'm a better person. I'm better, i swear!
That's the mentality i'm talking about. The fact that many times we feel that God, the creator of the universe, the beginning and the end, the perfect Maker, owes ME something. That's ridiculous. How arrogant and selfish can i be?
The answer is very.
Very.
Christmas is about a Savior. A savior that's sole purpose was to come to earth, to die. He came to earth, from heaven, to die. And yet i'm still here, saved, and complaining because i don't have what I want.
This Christmas, instead of being lonely, depressed, or selfish, I need to remember that God has given me the greatest gift i could ever want. No good deed, no positive thing I do in this world, and no self improvement will ever win me something as amazing as salvation. There is no Karma-tic experience great enough that will ever give me Grace.
So this Christmas can you remember? Can You remember the amazing gift of grace?
Grace unto you all. For a baby was born to die.
Amen.
Monday, October 5, 2009
October Couldn't get here any faster...
It's a new month. Thank God.
September couldn't end any faster. It was a rough month for me but good at the same time. God is an interesting God. Trials are an interesting experience as well.
In the beginning of the month i asked God, in a quiet time, to teach me something, to help me grow and mature, and no matter what, i asked him to do it any way He saw fit. Well He granted that request but in a way i never thought He would.
September was a hard month for me spiritually. My "rocks" were more scattered then any time i can remember. I struggled with how i saw God and who He was in my life. Was i making him my Lord of all? Nope. Was I living a life pleasing to Him? Nope. Did i trust Him with anything in my life? Nope.
From this, i came to some realizations:
I realized last month i was living a life of little faith.
I realized I was doing things, not for God, but for others and to please man or myself.
I realized I was motivated for the wrong reasons.
I realized that i was not living a life i was proud of.
I realized that i was not joyful.
These realizations shook me a little. And by a little i mean, a lot. The last realization was the hardest for me, i am not joyful. I have lost my joy in Christ.
In Petra (our college group), we are studying and going through the book When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy. This book is one of the reasons why i have come to the conclusion that i was not joyful. I have realized that I do not take joy in the Lord, which the bible commands us to. I have been living a life of to do's and it is making me a little resentful. Not to anyone person, but actually to God. How ridiculous is that??? I am resentful to God!
But in all these realizations, came good. No, came amazing. I thank God so much for these realizations because it allowed me to look at my life and change. I am renewed, refreshed, and excited to continue my journey in my relationship with Him.
So a new month is amongst us. What is He teaching YOU? What trials are you going through? I told my college group that i pray they would go through hard times. I told them i pray that they would be challenged. (It's a weird prayer, i know)
For all of you going through hard times, as elementary as it sounds, go to him. Seek Him. And He will show himself in such an amazing way. You will learn, grow, mature, and eventually... thank Him for that trial.
September couldn't end any faster. It was a rough month for me but good at the same time. God is an interesting God. Trials are an interesting experience as well.
In the beginning of the month i asked God, in a quiet time, to teach me something, to help me grow and mature, and no matter what, i asked him to do it any way He saw fit. Well He granted that request but in a way i never thought He would.
September was a hard month for me spiritually. My "rocks" were more scattered then any time i can remember. I struggled with how i saw God and who He was in my life. Was i making him my Lord of all? Nope. Was I living a life pleasing to Him? Nope. Did i trust Him with anything in my life? Nope.
From this, i came to some realizations:
I realized last month i was living a life of little faith.
I realized I was doing things, not for God, but for others and to please man or myself.
I realized I was motivated for the wrong reasons.
I realized that i was not living a life i was proud of.
I realized that i was not joyful.
These realizations shook me a little. And by a little i mean, a lot. The last realization was the hardest for me, i am not joyful. I have lost my joy in Christ.
In Petra (our college group), we are studying and going through the book When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy. This book is one of the reasons why i have come to the conclusion that i was not joyful. I have realized that I do not take joy in the Lord, which the bible commands us to. I have been living a life of to do's and it is making me a little resentful. Not to anyone person, but actually to God. How ridiculous is that??? I am resentful to God!
But in all these realizations, came good. No, came amazing. I thank God so much for these realizations because it allowed me to look at my life and change. I am renewed, refreshed, and excited to continue my journey in my relationship with Him.
So a new month is amongst us. What is He teaching YOU? What trials are you going through? I told my college group that i pray they would go through hard times. I told them i pray that they would be challenged. (It's a weird prayer, i know)
For all of you going through hard times, as elementary as it sounds, go to him. Seek Him. And He will show himself in such an amazing way. You will learn, grow, mature, and eventually... thank Him for that trial.
Monday, September 28, 2009
A new day...
I have made the switch to blogspot. Sorry xanga but your time with me has ended.
I feel like i have made the transition from high school, an awkward time of development, in which we are trying to figure out who we are in a growing world telling us how to believe and what to think. To the transition to college, a mature (what ever that means) time of growth that leads into adulthood.
The start of this blog may come with questions. Let me try and answer them:
Why have I started to write?
This past weekend i attended a conference called National Youth Workers Convention (NYWC). It was a fun weekend that, more then anything, raised questions in my life. I realized, i need an outlet. The bible talks about fellowship, baring one each other's burden, encouragement, and so on...
So in an effort to do so, i have created this blog. I hope to encourage people with my thoughts. I hope to motive people with my faults, insecurities, and downfalls. And I hope to create a way for you, my brother's and sister's, to get to know me better.
What's with the name "The Scattered Rocks"?
I wanted to do "Scattered Rocks" initially, but it was taken so then i came up with THE scattered Rocks. (Creative I know).
In Luke 6, Jesus speaks about someone who listens to him and obeys. His house is built upon a solid foundation, a rock, that was the base of his house. In contrast, he then speaks about a house that is built on sand. This house is then washed away, because there is no foundation to be found.
I feel a connection to this parable in my life. I look at my life, read this passage, and think, "Yes, i can do this. My life is built upon the Rock. He is the rock of my life." But then in my actions and thought i contradict Jesus every chance i get.
Jon Acuff in his blog "Stuff Christians like" says it best. I don't want to go into the whole story but in short, a rap station would play a very inspirational message in their morning broadcast. But before and after this inspirational message they would play their normal music. Classy songs such as "birthday sex" or "Lollipop" would probably grace their stations before and after this biblical, inspirational, message.
The first response should be outrage. They are posers, creating a sandwich of moldy bread with prime rib in the middle.
He goes on to coin the phrase "Booty-God-Booty".
But in my life, i am that radio station. I say my life is built upon the Rock, yet i am a filthy human, in which many times i am the ugly moldy bread. The Rock of my life is scattered amongst my life, its there, but its not THE Rock.
The storm is trying to wash away my life. Yet i still hold onto the foundation of the Rock, Jesus Christ. My life is scattered, but I cling to the Rock, that is my savior.
This leads me to The Scattered Rocks. I say to you that I am a believer and Jesus is my Rock. But often, I feel like my life is scattered. And amidst the scatter, Jesus my Rock, gets scattered as well. The Rock, often breaks from the ware of the world. It can easily turn into the ever so dangerous sand that can be lost to the devil. So i fight.
I fight to keep the Rock my foundation.
And I fight to not turn the Rock into sand.
All I can see is the ground, with God, the Rock, scattered through the clutter and the mess. Thank God, He has the power to redeem or those scattered rocks would have been sand a long time ago. But it is an ongoing journey.
Thus begins the journey of The Scatter Rocks...
Godbless
I feel like i have made the transition from high school, an awkward time of development, in which we are trying to figure out who we are in a growing world telling us how to believe and what to think. To the transition to college, a mature (what ever that means) time of growth that leads into adulthood.
The start of this blog may come with questions. Let me try and answer them:
Why have I started to write?
This past weekend i attended a conference called National Youth Workers Convention (NYWC). It was a fun weekend that, more then anything, raised questions in my life. I realized, i need an outlet. The bible talks about fellowship, baring one each other's burden, encouragement, and so on...
So in an effort to do so, i have created this blog. I hope to encourage people with my thoughts. I hope to motive people with my faults, insecurities, and downfalls. And I hope to create a way for you, my brother's and sister's, to get to know me better.
What's with the name "The Scattered Rocks"?
I wanted to do "Scattered Rocks" initially, but it was taken so then i came up with THE scattered Rocks. (Creative I know).
In Luke 6, Jesus speaks about someone who listens to him and obeys. His house is built upon a solid foundation, a rock, that was the base of his house. In contrast, he then speaks about a house that is built on sand. This house is then washed away, because there is no foundation to be found.
I feel a connection to this parable in my life. I look at my life, read this passage, and think, "Yes, i can do this. My life is built upon the Rock. He is the rock of my life." But then in my actions and thought i contradict Jesus every chance i get.
Jon Acuff in his blog "Stuff Christians like" says it best. I don't want to go into the whole story but in short, a rap station would play a very inspirational message in their morning broadcast. But before and after this inspirational message they would play their normal music. Classy songs such as "birthday sex" or "Lollipop" would probably grace their stations before and after this biblical, inspirational, message.
The first response should be outrage. They are posers, creating a sandwich of moldy bread with prime rib in the middle.
He goes on to coin the phrase "Booty-God-Booty".
But in my life, i am that radio station. I say my life is built upon the Rock, yet i am a filthy human, in which many times i am the ugly moldy bread. The Rock of my life is scattered amongst my life, its there, but its not THE Rock.
The storm is trying to wash away my life. Yet i still hold onto the foundation of the Rock, Jesus Christ. My life is scattered, but I cling to the Rock, that is my savior.
This leads me to The Scattered Rocks. I say to you that I am a believer and Jesus is my Rock. But often, I feel like my life is scattered. And amidst the scatter, Jesus my Rock, gets scattered as well. The Rock, often breaks from the ware of the world. It can easily turn into the ever so dangerous sand that can be lost to the devil. So i fight.
I fight to keep the Rock my foundation.
And I fight to not turn the Rock into sand.
All I can see is the ground, with God, the Rock, scattered through the clutter and the mess. Thank God, He has the power to redeem or those scattered rocks would have been sand a long time ago. But it is an ongoing journey.
Thus begins the journey of The Scatter Rocks...
Godbless
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)