Just around the corner

Life can hit fast. One day I am pullin an nighter at my youth pastors house with Halo 1 being the big draw, and the next I am plucking a grey hair and making wedding plans. Looking into a career can be a scary thing. I guess I just have to keep reminding myself that I need to seek God's plan in a career and not try to find one myself. I don't want to just let it happen.
A wise man once told me there is a big difference between being old, and getting old. Being old is a mindset, one that never really has to happen. Getting old is when you wake up one morning only to find you are sore from lifting a few boxes or all of a sudden have hair in places it never was before. It is not a bad thing to not want to be old. You cannot help the getting old part, but being youthful can always be a part of your life. Don't let your youth die. Yeah, life can suck at times. But don't let it speed your aging process.

As a great quote goes from the movie Braveheart, "all men die, but few men truly live"
Let's work on keeping the life in life.

Destructive power of Love

In my short experience here on this large sphere called earth, I have seen what power there is behind this word, this action, this expression called love. God is love. But just like any other great thing that is in existence, put a little sin called human nature in the mix and that great thing turns destructive. I have multiple strong examples of this that have occurred closely to me. Three involving my close friends, two involving family, and once in my own life. People shift their whole lifestyle for this thing called love.

When used properly love is binding. Love is the driving force that keeps this world in order. Without it, there would be no law, no morals, no joy. And yet it drives even the most intelligent people to foolishness and blindness. I have felt love; have seen it build up and replenish people. I have also witnessed it being poorly used and even ruining peoples lives. A man giving up his joy to please an ungrateful woman; a woman giving up her body for a lust driven man; a list of people driven into the ground for another, yet left empty by an unyielding significant other. How do we break this cycle? How to we protect ourselves from this blind love? God demands love. And I think in the pursuit of finding out what that love look likes will help us better recognize love in another. Relational love must be reciprocated.

We are to love everyone. But when love is the root of a growing relationship, it must be flowing from both sides. We are to pour ourselves into the people who need Christ. But the people who are close to us, not only need us to pour into them, but also need pour into us. We need each other. Be sure you are being filled by the close people in your life or you will find yourself endlessly empty.

color blind

A crayon sits on the table. I look at it and you look at it. We both decide it is blue. I have been told since I was a small child just like you, that is what blue looks like. But what if, through my eyes I see the color green, but have been told my whole life it is called blue. What if I was color blind from birth, seeing differently than everyone else, but still have every color named? How I see the world would be completely different than anyone else.

This is religion in a nutshell. Everyone across the globe has been told one thing from birth (or nothing, but that is still a view) about what to believe. Each knows that they see "blue". As Christians we believe we see the true blue, but how do you explain blue to someone who cannot see it? The way we see the "colors" of the world shapes how we interact with the world. The trick is, how do we attempt to understand what others see? One cannot go into another's head and see the world. The phrases "see the world through their eyes" or "to spend a day in their shoes" now have much more power.

What color is your crayon?

Faith and Sports

Through the course of the last few weeks I have noticed a change in my own thought process. It has come with the increase in competitiveness of Intramural Football. Football has been one of my favorite things to do since I was a child. But now I find myself being at odds within my mind of whether or not it is good for me. To play with the intensity that I need to focus on making the right plays, I find myself in conflict with God's Kingdom.

Romans 12:18  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

In order for me to do something good on the athletic field, generally means to make someone else look bad, or to cause some form of discomfort to them. This does not keep me at peace with them. Does this further the kingdom? Is there a way to play at a highly competitive level without bringing pride into the mindset of every athlete involved?

The answer is yes. But it is comparable to a rich man entering the Kingdom of Heaven. It is very difficult.

Lord help us be humble...

A glimps

When my mind wanders I know where its goes, but have no idea how it got there. This thing we called the mind is more powerful than can be imagined. I know what I struggle with, I know how to fix it, yet I cannot seem to overcome the subliminal messages my mind sends out to overpower the desired result. Some days I break through the smog into clarity, but others I struggle to read one page of a book. Learn to control your mind means learning to control the outcome.

Ephesians 6:12