Your Daily Source of Vitamin A

MIN 660 - Principles and Practices of Prayer

2012-01-14T06:00:00.002-05:00

What a wonderful course this has become! Grace Theological Seminary has already proven to be a great place to continue my education. I feel as though I am not just learning spiritual truths, but also developing spiritual disciplines. It's more than an education, it's becoming an eye-opening life experience.

Reading through Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala, has been such an encouragement. It has challenged me to not only pray more, but to come before God with the right attitude.

"God is attracted to weakness. He can't resist those who humbly and honestly admit to how desperately they need him. Our weakness, in fact, makes room for his power."

"I was tired of the escapist mentality I had witnessed since childhood - always glorifying what GOd did way back in some revival, or else passionately predicting 'the coming great move of God' just ahead. The truth is, I knew there were countless churches across the city and the nation that had not baptized a hundred truly converted sinners in a year, and most not in several years."

This quote really got me thinking. How many students in the youth program have truly come to know Christ this past year? Am I constantly proclaiming a coming movement of God without taking the steps of faith he has asked of me?

"Anybody who could make any money was trying to get away from our area."

This reminded me of South Bend and the decline in jobs and business opportunities. I have been doing research on the latest statistics for the 46628 zip code and they are staggering. I'll make that a separate post in the near future.

"One day I told the Lord I would rather die than merely tread water throughout my career in the ministry... always preaching about the power of the Word and the Spirit, but never seeing it."

"As one pastor told me with a smile, 'I don't steal sheep from other churches, but I do like to leave my gate wide open'."

In South Bend, all we do is swap Christians from one church to the next. Where are the true converts?

"You can tell how popular a church is by who comes on Sunday morning.
You can tell how popular the pastor or evangelist is by who comes Sunday night.
But you can tell how popular Jesus is by who comes to the prayer meeting."

"The condition of the church may be very accurately gauged by its prayer meetings."

"God's first people were not called Jews or the Children of Israel or Hebrews. In the very beginning their original name was THOSE WHO CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD."

"The truth is that the devil is not terribly frightened of our human efforts and credentials. But he knows his kingdom will be damaged when we lift up our hearts to God."

"If our churches don't pray, and if people don't have an appetite for God, what does it matter how many are attending the services?"

"There is to be no one who shares the stage with the Lord."

"The feature that is supposed to distinguish Christian churches, Christian people, and Christian gatherings is the aroma of prayer."

"Does the Bible ever say anywhere from Genesis to Revelation, 'My house shall be called a house of preaching'? Does it ever say 'My house shall be called a house of music'? Of course not. The Bible does say, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'."

100th Post

2011-08-20T08:09:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been a long journey these past few years. God has brought me through so many challenges; both life altering and life threatening. There is no doubt that every moment I can see God in fresh new perspectives and increasingly learn to trust in Him.

This past year has been no exception. I can honestly say that at the beginning of this year I would never have dreamed that God would have brought me to the place He has now. The year started off great in the Israeli countryside--What an experience! The Master's program at Bethel College was also a challenge but I am looking forward to learning more about the Scriptures and God.

The opportunities to advance God's kingdom have never been more real than at Calvary Baptist Church. I have never been a part of such an amazing working of God and the Holy Spirit. I can honestly see lives changed every week and new believers coming to Christ. In Michiana the Christian population has been estimated at around 30,000 people. Too often, I feel, we just shuffle these individuals from church to church and "hey, we've got a new family". I'm so tired of church-bouncers. It has been refreshing at Calvary to see people who have never even owned a Bible, much less stepped through the doors of a church or interacted with the body of Christ.

The final exciting news of the year, and one that I was not expecting, was meeting the beautiful and God-fearing Susanna Martino. She literally takes my breath away every day with her passion for life, family, friends, and most importantly Jesus Christ. I don't know how she ever chose me, but things could not be better between us. This September 6th will be six months for us.

Looking forward to serving God today. I'm praying He allows me to live long so that I may be a continued servant of His. Praise His name!

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds!
~Psalm 36:5

Christian LASIK surgery

2011-02-07T12:29:00.001-05:00

High schoolers often ask me how can have a victorious Christian life and witness to their friends? Usually I respond with a quote from John Piper who says that whenever we got down in the dumps with our faith that we should "preach the gospel to ourselves".

I have an analogy that may help clarify this. About 7 years ago I had LASIK surgery to correct my near-sighted vision. Before the surgery, my eyesight was so bad that I couldn't see the alarm clock when I woke up in the morning, and was unable to legally drive without the aid of glasses or contacts.

Immediately following the surgery, I was ecstatic at how my life had changed:

I was now able to wake up and see everything around me,
I could jump in the lake and open my eyes underwater,
I could get sand in my eyes and wipe it out without ruining my contacts,
I didn't have to worry about bringing saline solution on a plane or long trips,
I could play sports without my contacts falling out or glasses getting broken,
I was free to wear sunglasses and goggles anytime I wanted,
I could go skydiving without my contacts flying out of my head,
I didn't have to visit the eye doctor every year or pay for prescriptions,
I was blind but now I could see!

But since that wonderful life-changing day, I have become so accustomed to all of the benefits that accompany the surgery, that I have forgotten what life was like before December 28, 2003.

This relates directly to the Christian life. Many times I forget who I was before Christ entered my life. I forget all of the benefits of being a Christian which causes me to lose focus and joy in my everyday walk with God:

I am redeemed (Romans 3:24)
I am reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:19-21
I am forgiven! (Romans 3:25)
I am delivered (Colossians 1:13)
I am accepted (Ephesians 1:6)
I am justified (Romans 3:24)
I am glorified (Romans 8:30)
I am a citizen of Heaven (Philippians 3:20)
I am a member of a holy and royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:5,9)
I am a member of the family of God (Ephesians 2:19)

Forgetting that I could be on a path to Hell right now (and I'm not!) also makes me less of a witness to those around me. You see, if I forget all the benefits of LASIK surgery, when someone who has glasses or contacts comes up to me and mentions how much they hate their eyewear, I will never say anything, and they will never know that there is a surgery that can cure them of their blindness.

If, however, I am constantly remembering that once I too was blind, then I will immediately tell them about this life-changing surgery.

As Christians, we have received LASIK surgery of the heart! We must constantly remember what our lives were like before we met Christ, and share the Good News to a blind world who desperately needs to hear!

"O keep ever before me the life of Christ crucified."

-Thomas a Kempis

Sexual Addiction Screening Test

2011-02-04T11:43:00.000-05:00

There is a tendency among Christian men to consider sexual sin as a "bad habit" that needs to be broken, when in fact it is usually an addictive behavior that needs to be addressed immediately.

Here are some questions to help you determine whether or not you have a sexual addiction. This is what therapists call a Sexual Addiction Screening Test. If you answer "yes" to three or more of these questions it would be beneficial to seek accountability.

1. Do you have a pattern of failing to resist the impulse to act out sexually? YES NO
2. When you do act out sexually, do you find that you do so to a greater extent, or for a longer period of time than you had originally intended? YES NO
3. Do you have a continual desire to act out sexually or have tried to stop, reduce, or control acting out sexually but been unsuccessful?   YES NO
4. Have you spent an inordinate amount of time either trying to get sex, be sexual, or recover from some sexual experience?   YES NO
5. Are you preoccupied with acting out sexually or preparing to act out sexually?   YES NO
6. Do you find yourself acting out sexually even though you are expected to meet job, school, home, or social commitments?   YES NO
7. Even if you know you have a social, educational, financial, mental, or physical problem caused by your sexual behavior do you continue to act out in that behavior anyway?   YES NO
8. Do you find that you need to increase the intensity, frequency, number, or risk of sexual behavior to get the physical effect you want? Conversely, does the same level of intensity, frequency, number, or risks of sexual behavior produce less of an effect?   YES NO
9. Do you find yourself quitting or reducing your social, professional, or recreational activities because of your sexual behavior? YES NO
10. Do you find yourself upset, distressed, anxious, restless, or even violent if you cannot act out sexually, especially in the ways in which you have developed as a pattern? YES NO

If you would like someone to help you with accountability, please contact me (day or night my number is 574.274.9626).

The Pet Economy

2011-01-18T10:56:00.006-05:00

Recently I was involved in an online discussion about Americans and their pets. For the discussion I used an article titled "The Pet Economy". Here are some excerpts:

1. Americans now spend $41 Billion (with a capital B) on their pets. This is more than the GDP of all but 64 countries in the world.

2. People are no longer satisfied to reward their pet in "pet terms" but now in "people terms".

3. Their menu reflects every fad in human food—from locally sourced organic meat and vegan snacks to gourmet meals bolstered by, say, glucosamine to ward off stiff joints.

4. About 77% of dogs and 52% of cats have been medicated in the past year, according to APPMA, an increase of about 20 percentage points from 1996.

5. About 63% of U.S. households, or 71 million homes, now own at least one pet (how many households are sponsoring a child overseas?).

6. Americans now spend $9.8 billion a year on vet services. That doesn't include the over-the-counter drugs and other supplies, which add $9.9 billion in costs.

7. New products like Pfizer Inc.'s (PFE ) dog-obesity drug Slentrol, cost $1 to $2 a day (how much does it cost to sponsor a child overseas?).

8. You can read the rest of the article here. When I think about it in comparison to human life, It actually makes me queazy.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_32/b4045001.htm

These are rough statistics to hear, or maybe they're not for you, I don't know. I'm not saying we need to kick our pets outside to sleep in the snow and let them find food on their own. I like my cat and I wouldn't do that to her. However, the truth is that animals don't have souls (Gen. 2:7) and from the perspective of eternity, don't matter as much as a human life. God sent His Son to die for mankind, not for cats and dogs (1st Timothy 2:3-6).

I would challenge you this New Year to sponsor a child. I can tell you that just a dollar a day will radically change their lives.

This is the website that I use and have verified that most of the money you send goes directly to the child.

http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm

Israel Journey: Day Nineteen and Twenty

2011-01-07T16:48:00.000-05:00

A great trip! Total travel time home was just over 30 hours.

Israel Journey: Day Eighteen

2011-01-06T23:59:00.000-05:00

It was a last day filled with so much! I decided to go to some of my favorite spots and do some thinking/reading. I went back to Lina's Restaurant and had the best hummus that I've ever tasted. Because of their hummus, Lina's has a great reputation throughout the Old City.

Sat by Jaffa Gate and did some people watching. The picture below is the view over the bridge and shows an excellent example of how the modern city of Jerusalem is delicately interwoven throughout the Old City.

Went to Zedekiah's Cave. More on this later.

Decided to go back to The Garden Tomb. I had such an incredible experience. More on this later.

Finally, went with some friends to a Turkish Bath House. What a great way to end my trip!

Went to a great Shawarma place in Ramallah.

Israel Journey: Day Seventeen

2011-01-05T23:59:00.005-05:00

Hiked up Masada today. The path can be seen snaking back and forth on the right side of the picture. If you look closely, you can see a group of people about a third of the way up (for scale). It was quite a hike!

There is a very unique story behind Masada. I put together a video describing the location and will be adding it to this blog when I get back to the States and have access to my lovely desktop computer.

This picture below shows an exciting story. At the top of Masada was a man (a Sofer) copying the Torah, just as it had been done in the Jewish times. You might find these facts as interesting as I did:
1. The parchment was derived from a Kosher animal, usually a goat, and prepared by the Sofer.
2. First the skin soaked in lime water for nine days to remove hairs.
3. Then the skin is stretched over a wooden frame to dry.
4. The Sofer scrapes the skin while it is stretched over the wooden frame to remove more hair and smoothes the surface of the skin in preparation for writing on it with the use of a sanding machine.
5. When the skin is dry, the Sofer cuts it into a rectangle.
6. While at work, the Sofer is a vehicle for God's holy words and thus intense concentration and cognizance of the sanctity of the work are critically important.
7. The Sofer carefully and patiently carves a point in the end of the kosher feather and uses many quills in the course of writing one Torah. A special quill is used only for the names of God.
8. The Sofer is not allowed to write from memory. He must look into the Tikkun for each next letter, concentrating himself on the holiness and significance of each letter
9. The scroll may contain no errors whatsoever. While some mistakes may be corrected by scraping off the ink of a letter made in error with a knife or pumice stone; if a mistake is made in writing any of the names of God, no correction may be made because God's name may not be erased. The entire sheet parchment must be buried or placed in a geniza (storage area for damaged holy texts), and the Sofer must begin that section again.

"Masada shall not fall again."

Israel Journey: Day Sixteen

2011-01-04T23:59:00.001-05:00

Spent the day relaxing with the group. We woke up and had a wonderful Arab breakfast and then went into the old city to peruse the shops.

I left the group and was walking through town looking for something. I couldn't find it, so I knocked on someone's door and a young high-school-aged girl answered. I told her what I was looking for and she said, "I'm not sure, but my mom knows. Come inside while I call her." As she was getting directions from her mom on the phone, she brought me some hot tea and cookies. Middle Eastern culture is so inviting!

Israel Journey: Day Fifteen

2011-01-03T23:59:00.003-05:00

"At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

As Jesus was coming up out of the water, He saw heaven being torn open

and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven:

"You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

~Mark 1:9-11

Today I had the amazing privilege to baptize a friend in The Jordan River. This was something Josh had been wanting to do for some time and it was such a powerful example to follow in the footsteps of Christ.

We drove from Tiberius, all the way to Haifa, where we found the place Josh's mom grew up. I have to say that Haifa has the most confusing and complicated road system that I have ever driven. We were lost for quite some time, but the views of the Mediterranean Sea from high above the cliffs proved worth the trip.

Israel Journey: Day Fourteen

2011-01-02T23:59:00.003-05:00

Went south to visit the area of Qumran, the location where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. In early 1947, a Bedouin shepherd boy searching for a stray goat came upon the scrolls which were stored inside earthenware jars in a high cliffside cave. The scrolls are now on display at the Shrine of the Book, which is part of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. This event has been described as the most important discovery in the the history of the Jewish people.

Went further south to the Chalk Caves. These were amazing! The entire cave system was made of chalk and could be pulled off by layers.

Finally, we visited The Dead Sea and went for a floating swim! Known in Hebrew as Yam HaMelah (Sea of Salt), the Dead Sea is the world's lowest point lying some 400m below sea level. Compared to regular sea water, the water of the Dead Sea contains 20 times as much bromine, 15 times as much magnesium, and 10 times as much iodine - it is, in effect, 33% solid substance.

Israel Journey: Day Thirteen

2011-01-01T23:59:00.001-05:00

Went to the Citadel of David. More on this later.

Went back to Bethlehem so I could get inside the basement of the Church of the Nativity, which I wasn't able to see on Christmas Eve. The picture below shows the location where Jesus is said to have been born. Nearby is another shrine that is said to be the place Mary first laid Him in the manger.

SAHLEB! What a delicious treat from Bethlehem Square.

This picture shows how the children of the West Bank and Israel are constantly living under military influence. This photo was taken as a few Palestinian boys were playing cops and robbers in an abandoned courtyard.

Made food for tomorrow's trip to the Dead Sea. We stuffed peppers, zucchini, and grape leaves.

Israel Journey: Day Twelve

2010-12-31T23:59:00.001-05:00

The Israeli Museum was the primary stop today. It was unbelievable! I saw so many artifacts, to include the oldest copies of biblical text known to us today (they predate the Dead Sea Scrolls by 400 years!). There was also a crucified heel bone with nail still in place; this was one of the few archeological evidences for crucifixion. To culminate my time at the museum, I visited The Shrine of the Book, which is an exhibit that displays portions of the Isaiah scroll, as found in 1947 near the Dead Sea. I got chills as I realized that I was looking at something that I had talked about for years as being strong evidence for why I believe the Bible is historically accurate.

Tonight was very special. We spent new years eve with an alliance of churches from all around Jerusalem. As I said yesterday, the Jerusalem church has amazed me in many ways. The nation of Israel is only 2.5% Christian and is still being persecuted today. There are hardly any christian institutions to speak of, and the government directly frustrates their desire to grow. Because of this, many Christians have fled the country in the past ten years, which has left an even greater void.

The church operates differently in Israel than it does in the United States. They cling to each other and whenever they encounter another believer they are warmly greeted. These people are sold out for Christ and have put their family relationships, their jobs, sometimes their very lives on the line in order to spread the Gospel. In the United States, if the church doesn't have the right type of music or the right program, a person will go and find another church... and then another... until they are comfortable. It makes me sad to think about the lukewarm church in America.

We spent the night playing games, eating great food, and praising God through song and listening of the Word. The first song we sang at midnight? Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!

Israel Journey: Day Eleven

2010-12-30T23:59:00.001-05:00

Went to the Temple Mount and walked around the Al Aqsa Mosque. There were many activities happening within the walls of the Temple Mount. Numerous games such as soccer and volleyball, as well as students studying at the religious school.

Walked down into The Kidron Valley. More on this later.

The city was alive with activity today. There were numerous sports events happening, and I watched an older Jewish man school some young guys in soccer. There were also many bar mitzvahs, which were individual celebratory concerts in their own respect.

There are so many cats in Israel!
They're almost as numerous as squirrels in the United States.

I was on the city bus and looked out the window just in time to see a sign for Calvary Baptist Church! I quickly pushed the button to get off, and walked around the area in search of the church. Since it was a church that operated out of a home, it was very difficult to find. After talking with a couple of old ladies, I found it, became connected with the pastor, and went to services later that night. There are so many stories associated with these few hours; to summarize, I have been amazed by the church in Jerusalem. I'll blog more about this topic tomorrow.

Israel Journey: Day Ten

2010-12-29T17:12:00.001-05:00

Today was sobering. I spent nearly all morning and well into the afternoon at Yad Vashem, the world's leading Holocaust memorial, museum, and documentation center. The visit greatly heightened my appreciation of the country and its people. I had visited the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. and even the extermination camps in Germany, but this experience was quite shocking. Throughout the day it felt as if needles were constantly pricking my eyes as I listened and viewed with stunned horror the atrocities that had occurred to the Jewish people. There were so many things I had never heard or read.

The Children's Memorial was unsettling and shocking. Over 1.5 million children and babies were killed in the death camps. Inside the memorial it is completely dark, except for myriad pinpoints of light like stars, each representing the life of a child taken away. A ceaseless voice reads their names, places of birth, and ages.

It really is too hard to explain in this type of forum. Photographs are not allowed inside Yad Vashem, which makes it all the more difficult.

Afterwards, I visited nearby Mount Herzl, the final resting place of Theodor Herzl, founder of the Zionist movement. Surrounding the large mountaintop area is the Israeli War Memorial, where thousands of Israeli soldiers are buried and memorialized, as well as prominent Israeli figures including Levi Eshkol (Israel's third prime minister) and Golda Meir (Israel's fourth prime minister).

It started to rain slightly (the first rain since I've been here), which made the day seem all the more contemplative. As I left Mt. Herzl and Yad Vashem, I felt like I was in some sort of mental fog. I just couldn't believe what human beings were capable of doing to each other. I went back to the old city and just walked around the rest of the day. I caught bus 81 to the house, where I was pleased to be warmly welcomed with good company and another fantastic meal.

Israel Journey: Day Seven, Eight, Nine

2010-12-28T23:59:00.001-05:00

The past few days have been amazing! I went with a group of nine others to the Sea of Galilee for a three day camping trip. Drove through the ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah, which are now a barren wasteland full of sulfuric rock. We went across the Sea to Tiberias, and bought fresh fish caught that morning to cook over the fire. It was such a surreal moment.

During the day we went to the ruins of Capernaum. According to Matthew (4:12-14), Jesus moved to Capernaum, from Nazareth, which fulfilled the words of the prophet Isaiah (9:1-2). John 6:42 implies that Jesus was already well known in Capernaum, as were his parents. Here, all the Gospels agree, Jesus encountered first Simon and Andrew, then James and John, all of them fishermen working on the nearby Sea of Galilee. He then began preaching "in the synagogues throughout all Galilee" but mostly around Capernaum, where He performed numerous miracles.

One of the most memorable moments this weekend was visiting The Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus gave His famous Sermon on the Mount, marking the start of Christianity's separation from Judaism. This is where Jesus spent all night in prayer and named the 12 disciples. The location is absolutely breathtaking and to walk into the cathedral and see each of the beatitudes surrounding the dome is incredibly powerful.

Stopped in at the Church of the Twelve Disciples. This is the location Jesus is said to have healed the man lowered through the roof by his four friends.

Spent the last day closing up camp and then went to the Syrian border for some relaxation at the Hamat Gader Hot Springs. According to Byzantine empress Eudocia, these were the finest spa baths in the whole Roman world. Even the ruins are considered among the most impressive anywhere. It is located in the Yarmuk Valley at the meeting point of Israel, Jordan, and Syria, which means it bristles with army patrols. As my friend Jesura said, "this experience was better than any man-made jacuzzi". There was also an interesting Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo located at the spa.

Lastly, I wanted to share a picture of the stars, as they rose over the Golan Heights.

I spent quite some time laying by the Sea of Galilee just watching the night sky.

Israel Journey: Day Six

2010-12-25T16:45:00.001-05:00

Christmas Day was wonderful with the Elbel family. Woke up and had breakfast, read the Christmas account from Matthew and Luke, sang songs, and opened presents. Then we put together a puzzle, spoke to Arend and Layla through Skype, ate dinner, watched the girls perform a dance, and played games while drinking coffee, eating pie, and laughing.

We played Christmas music all day and it was amazing to hear songs about Bethlehem and Jerusalem and realize that I had just seen those sights this past week. This day has come alive to me in more ways than one.

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins."
~Matthew 1:21

Israel Journey: Day Five

2010-12-24T23:59:00.001-05:00

Went to the open market today in the Old City near the Damascus Gate. One of these days I will be capturing the culture through photographs of the people. Bought gifts today for friends and family and enjoyed fresh falafal with my friends Ramzi and Sameer.

Bethlehem: O Holy Night! The celebration in Nativity Square was remarkable. Met some friends on the bus, Ross and Pamela. Numerous local and international choirs sang songs while people danced and ate food, as we lit Chinese lanterns and launched them into the night sky. Arriving shortly after us was a special visit to the manger site by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Found a near-American version of Starbucks (look closely at the sign). To finish the night, after pleading with local security personnel for 1.5 hours, we were able to bypass five security checkpoints, sneak into St. Catherine's Church of the Nativity, and witness midnight mass in six languages.

Israel Journey: Day Four

2010-12-23T15:19:00.005-05:00

Visited many sites today and I still feel like I am barely scratching the surface of this city. Israel is so unique, in that, it is one of the few cities I've visited that has layers. There are just as many passage ways under the city as there are in the streets above. I was amazed yesterday when I visited the church of the Holy Sepulchre, to find an entire apartment complex and an Ethiopian church resting on it's rooftop! Then I journeyed below the surface to find a maze of tunnels and archeological wonders.

Mount of Olives: A fascinating fact is that there are hardly any olive trees on the mountainside, instead it has thousands of grave stones. This is described as the place where King David walked barefoot weeping after the revolt of Absalom (2 Samuel 15:30). Zechariah had a vision (14:4) of the Mount of Olives being torn in two during the Last Judgment. This is also the place where Jesus and His disciples came on the night before His arrest and trial (Matthew 26).

Garden of Gethsemane: This place, located near the base of the Mount of Olives, is said to be where Christ spent His last moments with His disciples before being arrested (Matthew 26:36). Some believe that the trees (which are incredibly unique) date back to those days.

The Knesset: I was able to get a tour of the Israeli Parliament. This was built in 1966 and is a bleak fortress located on a hill west of the center of Jerusalem. This is the focal point of modern Israel and was built with defense very much in mind: a good deal of the structure lies underground. Unfortunately, photographs inside the building are not allowed.

Golgotha: Look closely and you can see what many believe is a skull shaped into the side of the ancient quarry. Today, this area is located directly next to a bus station.

The Garden Tomb: The location of the burial and resurrection of Christ. There are many reasons why this tomb is said to be Joseph of Arimathea's.
a) In 1970 Kathleen Kenyon, a respected archeologist, described it as a 'typical tomb of about the 1st century AD'.
b) It is located just a few meters away from a well preserved wine press (one of the largest in Israel), which suggests that the garden was originally an extensive vineyard, probably that of a rich man.
c) It is cut out of the solid rock and is not a natural cave (Matt 27:60).
d) It was sealed by a large rolling stone, as indicated by the channel outside of the front wall (Matt 27:60)
e) Inside there would have been space for several mourners to stand in the large weeping chamber (Luke 24:1-3, 10)
f) The burial place is on the right side of the tomb (Mark 16:5)
g) The burial place would have been visible from the outside (John 20:5)
h) In later years, the empty tomb was used for Christian worship in both the Byzantine and Crusader periods. There are indications of a church structure around the area outside the tomb, a baptistry and two crosses, one of which is inside the tomb.

Israel Journey: Day Three

2010-12-22T16:01:00.003-05:00

Visited many sites today. Despite the limited sleep the city still fired me up! Every site I visited today should have an entire story written about it, which I am writing in my journal. This is just an area where I can introduce these places to you.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre:

The Western Wall:

Israel Journey: Day One, Two

2010-12-20T23:59:00.001-05:00

Traveling day. Had a 7 hour layover in Istanbul which gave me enough time to get out of the airport and see the city. Through all my international travels, I've realized that a few things span both language and cultural barriers: Starbucks, Sudoku, and a friendly smile.

Today's picture comes from Istanbul and shows a new way to look at warning labels on cigarette packages.

Respect the Stance

2010-11-19T09:50:00.002-05:00

Don't get tired of doing good.

Don't get discouraged and give up.

These words from Galatians are so encouraging, especially when I am going through a difficult time or feeling like I am not producing fruit. It's crazy that there are times when I will blame God for not producing fruit in my life. Or that I would blame Him for not making me a better Christian!

There is a personal effort that goes along with my spiritual journey. All of the growth is not solely in God's corner. For example, when I first joined the Army, I had friends that would try and get me to do things that may not have been the most God-honoring thing to do.

But I held my ground and wouldn't give in.

And wouldn't you know, given enough NO THANK YOU's from me, they eventually stopped asking me to join them at the strip clubs and the bars to get plastered.

This is just as Scripture describes; that if I will keep my focus on Christ, not only will my interest in the world will die away, but their interest in me will die! This doesn't mean that they will de-friend me from facebook (far from it!), rather that people will come to respect the stance I have taken in regards to what the Bible says about morals and living a life dedicated to God.

So I encourage you, if you are reading this right now, to NOT GIVE UP! Continue to pursue after God and He will richly bless you for it! Are you truly a new and different person? Then live like it!

"So don't get tired of doing what is good.
Don't get discouraged and give up,
for we will reap a harvest of blessing
at the appropriate time...
Because of that cross, my interest in
this world died long ago,
and the world's interest in me is also dead...
What counts is whether we really have
been changed into new and different people!"

~Galatians 6:9,14,15

74 mph [Part Two]

2010-11-18T10:33:00.001-05:00

There are times that I drive on the toll road and I am going the speed limit, following all the laws of the road, when another motorist will drive past me going 20 mph over the speed limit.

I'll think to myself, "No way am I going to do that, I'll get busted for sure!"

But every once in a while a group of cars will all choose to do about 10-15 mph over the speed limit. I've realized that if it's just one car breaking the law I'm not as prone to follow his example. However, if I surround myself with a group of motorists that are all choosing to disobey the law, I too find myself matching their speed.

I hear students say that it doesn't matter who they hang out with. That is bologna! If you choose to constantly surround yourself with law breakers, you too will become a law breaker. Given enough times and enough opportunities, you will eventually cave in.

Don't be deceived into thinking that you are strong enough to fight it!

"Uzziah sought God during the day of Zechariah,
who instructed him in the fear of God.
And as long as the king sought the LORD,
God gave him success."
~2 Chronicles 26:5

The Insanity of Risk Management

2010-11-08T12:56:00.001-05:00

According to the Centers for Disease Control, what are the top five things that cause harm to young people?
1. Car Accidents
2. Homicide (usually committed by someone they know)
3. Child Abuse
4. Suicide
5. Drowning

According to the Mayo Clinic, what are the top five things that parents say they're worried about when it comes to their kids?
1. Kidnapping
2. School Snipers
3. Terrorists
4. Dangerous Strangers
5. Drugs

74 mph [Part One]

2010-10-31T00:24:00.002-04:00

As I was driving to Syracuse to hear my friend Marlin Stutzman speak today, I couldn't help but think about this analogy:

Most of us have received a speeding ticket at some point in our lives. When the cop pulled you over what was your excuse?

Many times, the excuses can seem legitimate:
"I'm late for work"
"I just heard that my friend is having a baby"
"I didn't see the speed limit sign"
"I thought it was higher than posted"

But then the officer says, "Sir/Ma'am, why were you going 60 mph in a 45 mph zone?"

What do you say to that?! And really, there's no answer you can give that sounds rational. Why? Because you were the one behind the driver's seat, the speed limit signs are clearly visible, and you passed the drivers training test at the BMV that gave you all the rules.

There is no excuse.

But I remember many times when I would drive on the highway and think, "Well, I can go 74 mph in a 70 mph zone because the cop won't bother wasting his time on me. It's technically breaking the law, but I have a little 'wiggle room' that I can play with."

And it's true. I would drive past police officers going 4 mph over the speed limit and they would never stop me. Technically, I am breaking the law but because it was right on the edge, they would give me some leeway (I've heard it's around 7 mph).

So here's the question: Is it that way for God?

Is there an edge that I can skirt along where He will just let me fly past Him even though I am technically breaking His laws?

Too often I choose to go 74 mph thinking that God will just let me pass on by.

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith."
~Galatians 6:7-10

Christian Friend or Business Associate?

2010-10-30T23:25:00.005-04:00

Recently I have felt prompted to tell my friends how valuable they are and how important they are to my life development. One of my best friends, who definitely lives up to this is Ty Robbins. I have had the privilege of knowing Ty for almost two years and it has been such a great adventure!

Our friendship began through a church's local college ministry and we have strived to live Proverbs 27:17 through thick and thin. There have been times of struggle for sure, times of growth, and times of extreme excitement and energy. Many of the exciting times revolve around our passion for ministry and our mutual enjoyment of nature and the great outdoors.

It is so awesome to watch Ty live his life while witnessing to those around him. These include his GSM small group, the AMWED small group, his 5 Star guys, and his hockey teammates. I am encouraged when I hear of his love for his family and how he strives to be a good example to his parents and siblings. I enjoy getting up in the morning to see Ty already making breakfast and reading his One Year Bible. Not many housemates have that privilege!

The greatest thing I have learned through my friendship with Ty is that each person desperately needs to have someone in their life with whom they can be honest and open, someone who will encourage them to take the narrow road vs the wide road (Matthew 7:13), and someone who will fight alongside them through prayer.

Unfortunately, for most people, the idea of "christian friendship" simply means someone that you hang out with at church. Very similar to the term "business associate" the only difference being that the location has changed to a church building rather than an office!

The New Testament paints a very different picture of friendship. It is a friendship that you are willing to lay down your life for, one that you are partnering with to spread the Gospel (koinonia), one that you can build confidence and trust on, and one that you can see marked progression of steps toward the image of Christ:

Christian friends are to love sacrificially

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)
A friendship should never be all about me, and vice versa. Friends should be mutually willing to sacrifice for the other person.

Christian friends accept unconditionally

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." (Proverbs 17:17)
There are going to be hard times in a friendship, that's obvious. What most people do though, is leave a friend who stumbles across difficult times in order to find a friend that is "easier to hang out with". This is the world's stance on friendship, not the Bible's. The Bible says that Christian friendship is BORN for adversity. That we are given the strength inside to endure it along with our Christian brother or sister. That's so encouraging!

Christian friends trust completely

"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24)
I honestly believe that Christian friends, over time, can prove that they are willing to stick closer than a brother or sister.

Christian friends keep healthy boundaries

"Love is patient, love is kind..." (1 Corinthians 13:4)
Sometimes, instead of confronting the sin all the time, it is best to be patient and remain dedicated to praying for a close Christian friend. Prayer is powerful and it works!

Christian friends give mutual edification

"Wounds from a friend can be trusted..." (Proverbs 27:6)
Sometimes the hard messages have to be delivered and I have found that most people in my life choose not to deliver that message because they don't want to hurt my feelings. This is not the case with Ty! He is willing to tell me when I am making mistakes, even if it means stepping on my toes.

A few quotes on friendship:

"A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down."

~ Arnold Glasow

"Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a fire?"

~ C.S. Lewis

"Would you throw away a diamond because it pricked you?

One good friend is not to be weighed against all the jewels of all the earth.

If there is coolness or unkindness between us, let us come face to face and have it out.

Quick, before the love grows cold. Life is too short to quarrel in, or carry dark thoughts of friends.

It is easy to lose a friend, but a new one will not come for calling, nor make up for the old one when he comes."

~ Leaves of Gold

"A blessed thing it is for any man or woman to have a friend;

one human soul whom we can trust utterly;

who knows the best and the worst of us,

and who loves us in spite of all our faults;

who will speak the honest truth to us,

while the world flatters us to our face and laughs at us behind our back."

~Charles Kingsley

From girls to God

2010-10-28T16:01:00.001-04:00

As I sat talking with my friend Arnold, I realized just how awesome it is to have solid Christian friends in my life. We talked about everything from girls to God and it was amazing to see how Arnold's passion for life and service to the Lord came out in every sentence he spoke.

God-honoring friendships are critical to getting through this life. We were never meant to live alone and are commanded to "spur one another on towards love and good deeds" (Hebrews 10:24)

And that's exactly what we did, and boy was it encouraging. It was so encouraging, in fact, that we moved from eating at Five Guys to having coffee at Romy's; talking for over 2 1/2 hours! It's hard to stop talking about God once you get into deep conversations with Christian friends.

If you know about the parking garage at ESCO, you only get two hours for free, then you have to pay. I thought, "Shoot! The time flew by, now we have to pay for it!" Even worse, between the two of us, we managed to only scrounge up $1, definitely not enough to open the gate.

But, as we were pulling up to pay, we noticed that the gate was already open! I have been to that parking garage many times and this has never happened before.

Very cool.

"On the first day of the week,
when we were gathered together to break bread,
Paul talked with them,
intending to depart on the next day,
and he prolonged his speech until midnight."
~Acts 20:7

Twice as much light? [Part Two]

2010-10-27T13:13:00.001-04:00

Now a few thoughts from Scripture.

Personally, I know how important a good day of rest is. There have been so many times in my life where I have taken a personal retreat day (or week!) and have needed it so that I could refocus and rekindle my drive and motivation.

This may be a blurry line, but this is not the type of work/rest that I am talking about with these posts.

What I am referring to are the tendencies I have to be only talk and no action with my Christian journey. To be someone who will tell others to talk about God, but never share my faith with those who I work with or those I see on a regular basis.

What are the ways we can receive eternal rewards here on earth? Almost every example that I found in the Bible deals with action of some type:

“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water…he will certainly not lose his reward.”

~Matthew 10:42

“The Son of Man… will reward each person according to what he has done.”

~Matthew 16:27

“Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them. Then your reward will be great.”

~Luke 6:35

“You know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does.”

~Ephesians 6:8

“You know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

~Colossians 3:24

“Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.”

~2 John 8

Okay, I am seeing a pattern here. That there are some people who will receive more reward when they get to heaven and some people who will “escape the flames” through salvation alone, not receiving any rewards for deeds on earth.

Sound too harsh?

Let’s read on.

“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”

~1 Corinthians 3:10-15

Now, what do we do with that verse? Pretend it isn’t in the Bible? Keep our eternal perspective only when we come to church on Sunday, then forget it the rest of the week?

So, back to the original statement that I am “too involved in the ‘doing part’ of my faith”. After this week of reflection I have concluded that given enough moments of rest, not stretching myself too thin (view previous entry), and keeping an eternal perspective, this cannot be true in my life, especially now, when I have so much time, talent, and energy to give to God.

Yes, there are times people need a break, myself included. But I honestly believe these times of rest should be short punctuation marks in our life stories that are surrounded by PARAGRAPHS of work that advance God’s Kingdom!

If Jesus himself came down today and said, “Will you serve me?” How hard would you work for Him? I know that I would bust my fourth-point-of-contact to do whatever He needed. If He said, “work for me in the High School ministry”, then I would do it, sold out, 100%.

Would any of your lives change if you saw Jesus right now and He asked you that? Because I can tell you this, HE ALREADY HAS!

And a final thought. Too many times I believed that God wanted me to sing praises to Him at church and that if I truly meant it I was a good Christian. Jesus never said, “If you love me, you’ll sing to me” or “If you love me you’ll read about me every morning before work”.

Yes, those are all good things, but if we aren’t DOING what He has commanded, then I think many times we’re missing out on the bigger picture.

“If you love me, you’ll DO what I command”

~John 14:15

Thoughts?

Change it up!

2010-10-27T09:25:00.000-04:00

I read a quote recently that said, "teenagers aren't houseplants that need water every three days".

Haha! But it's so true! If ministries that I am doing are not seeing any fruit or are the same old thing week after week, then there is a problem. Fresh ideas and new ways of engaging the younger generation will lead to changed perspectives, and ultimately, the hope of transformation.

Our God is not a duplicator, but a Creator!

Chicken wings

2010-10-26T15:39:00.000-04:00

The most exhilarating times of my life are when God opens opportunities to advance His kingdom. This past weekend was another addition to that category.

This picture explains it all. A group of guys, gathered around some wings at BW3, watching some football, and laughing can make an atmosphere ripe for mentoring the church leaders of tomorrow. It was such an encouraging weekend. These young men are reading their Bibles and speaking to each other as true Christian brothers. Their joy and excitement is expressed in every conversation they have.

"I always thank God when I pray for you
because I keep hearing of your trust in the Lord Jesus
and your love for all of God's people."
~Philemon 4 and 5

Twice as much light? [Part One]

2010-10-26T09:48:00.002-04:00

The old saying “don’t burn the candle at both ends” is used to warn people not to become overly committed to something to the point of exhaustion.

Recently a Christian friend of mine told me that I was “too involved in the ‘doing’ part of my faith”. Wow. What a statement. Is it possible to be overly involved in ministry?

I have been meditating on this question all week and have decided to split this into a two-part discussion. The first part will be my initial reaction to that statement and the second will be what the Bible says about work and rest.

My thoughts:

1. I don’t know how long I will live. We sing songs about it all the time, but seriously, if this is my last day on earth, would I do what I am currently doing?

2. One of my favorite mentors is the Apostle Paul who may have been labeled a “double-end burner”. More on him tomorrow.

3. I don’t want to become comfortable with my current situation or become apathetic towards the moving of God. Too often I have become stagnant doing the same thing I’ve done every day that eventually a year passes and I ask myself “what did I accomplish this past year?!”

4. Some people are not thinking eternally when they condemn the ministry efforts of other Christians. This is the first response I gave my friend: “I don’t think you’ll say that I did too much ministry when we are standing before the throne room of God”. Honestly. That is the end state. It all comes down to giving Him my all and at the end of my life I want to look back and say that I did that. I have a feeling that the moment I die and come before Christ, everything on earth that I have dedicated my time towards will be viewed, in full spectrum, before God. The question is not AM I DOING TOO MUCH MINISTRY, but when I get to heaven is DID I DO ENOUGH MINISTRY?

5. Rest is good and is desperately needed. I will talk more about rest tomorrow.

6. And finally, I don’t think God wires everyone the same. God has wired some people to get more and more excited at His moving to the point that it is all they think about! In his recent book Axiom, Bill Hybels explains this concept:

Sometimes while [Dr. B] was talking about the local church, I felt the passion so strongly I could barely keep myself from crying. Other times I wanted to jump up and shout, “Gang, this is it! Don’t you see it? Can’t you feel it? The local church is the hope of the world! It’s the God-ordained redemptive agency that the future of the entire world hangs on. Cancel your career plans! Do something important with your one and only life! Lay it down for the sake of the local church!” The local church – it still stirs the deepest kinds of feelings in me. Nothing else does this to me. I’ve had some other exhilarating experiences in my life, but they pale in comparison to what stirs in my heart when it comes to giving my life to help renew the local church. Vision and passion are inextricably bound together in the life of a leader. God made it so. When you have eyes to see the vision that God has given you, you’ll know it because your heart will feel it so deeply that, over time, any lingering uncertainty will vanish. Leaders, don’t ever apologize for the strength of feeling you have for the vision that God has put into your life. (pg 30-31)

Worship

2010-10-25T12:35:00.001-04:00

It is such a joy to watch our worship team sing praises to God. This past Sunday was no exception. I was deeply blessed by the passion and heart of Gennie Sanchez, Mario Dunlap, and Carol Hurt as they gave their all to worship our wonderful God!

"Come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come to Him with thanksgiving.
Let us sing psalms of praise to Him.
For the LORD is a great God,
a great King above all gods."
~Psalm 95:1-3

Burning Hawk

2010-10-23T11:58:00.006-04:00

During the Gulf War, a massive psychological operation campaign took place. Known as 'Operation Burning Hawk', it was designed to force the Iraqi Army to surrender before any shots were fired.

The plan was simple. Destroy a town in southern Iraq through precision air strikes. Then drop over 29 million leaflets to every town to the north which said:

WE HAVE COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE TOWN TO THE SOUTH.

SURRENDER BY NOON TOMORROW OR YOU WILL ALSO BE DESTROYED.

It was amazing to see hundreds of Iraqi soldiers coming out of buildings and foxholes in single file, AK-47s over their heads, ready to surrender to the more powerful army. An estimated 40-60 % of the army deserted their posts and fled!

I read stories like that and think, "if I were in that situation I would surrender too!"

But the fact is, that when it comes to God, I don't always surrender.

In Jeremiah 44:2, 10 it says,

"This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw what I did to Jerusalem and to all the towns of Judah. They now lie in ruins, and no one lives in them...yet to this very hour no one has shown remorse or reverence, or chosen to follow my decrees that I gave you."

It gets worse. The people visibly shake their fists at Jeremiah and say (v. 16),

"We will not listen to your messages from the LORD! We will do whatever we want."

How sad that when God drops leaflets in my life warning of imminent danger, that I would refuse to listen to them. Some of my friends would say, "Well that sounds like a mean God, who would destroy you for not listening to Him." To which I reply, "He isn't the one destroying me, but I am destroying myself" (v. 7).

A fresh face for ministry

2010-10-22T13:59:00.006-04:00

I like to have fresh things. A fresh sandwich at Subway, a clean fresh room, a fresh pair of underwear... you get the idea.

Lately the idea of being fresh has caused me to question some of the practices that I have been doing for years. Is the current system and style that I do things grabbing the next generation? Am I constantly trying to understand who my audience is and how I can best approach them?

A lot has changed since I was in high school. I didn't have a cell phone, didn't have streaming internet, and certainly didn't have facebook. Each of these readily accessible items has caused quite a stir among the younger crowd. The very idea of "free-time" has changed, relationships have morphed into a new quasi-informal entity, and personal accountability has decreased to record levels.

Last night the youth leaders of Calvary sat in a room together and tried to shake off the old and bring in fresh new ideas. And I think it's working. Sure, we had to go through a few bad ideas, but in the end I think we came out with a couple of winners. The excitement in the room was amazing as we began latching on to these winning ideas. I look forward to carrying them out.

High schoolers, like myself, enjoy fresh things. Am I being fresh?

a mediocre outcome

2009-11-08T14:12:00.004-05:00

Rest.

Unwind.

De-Stress.

I have decided to let go of a few things in my life in order to de-clutter and focus my efforts. Right now it seems that I have been running around this city trying to do God's work, and in the process have done a lot of things, but only maintained enough time and effort to accomplish these tasks with a mediocre outcome. I would rather do a few things well than do many things okay.

It's time to apply laser guided focus again...

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him..."

-Psalm 37:7

saving a lost brother

2009-11-04T09:02:00.003-05:00

I was very encouraged the other day at Calvary when my dad talked about jumping into the river and saving a lost brother or sister in Christ. How am I mobilizing to help those brothers who are straying from the path? Am I being an encouragement or am I being a nag? Are my intentions behind my actions pure and right?

I was encouraged by Paul's words to Philemon. Paul knows what Philemon should do (in regards to Onesimus) but doesn't force him to do it. Instead he says, "I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do, but because of our love, I prefer just to ask you."

I don't want to force people to love God. It will just lead to a false religion. Instead, I want to lovingly encourage those who are struggling and allow them to make the right decision on their own.

"I will keep a protective eye on the godly,

so they may dwell with me in safety."

~Psalm 101:6

Was Jesus just a great moral teacher?

2009-10-31T14:29:00.002-04:00

I am studying various religions in my theology class at school and have been hit with the fact that every single religion that believes in Christ (except for Christianity) just believes that he was a good teacher, not the Son of God (John 1:1).

What do we say to this? Read the quote below and tell me what you think.

"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus

said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a

lunatic - on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or

he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this

was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.

You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call

Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing

nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left

that open to us. He did not intend to".

-- CS Lewis

just a set of stairs?

2009-10-21T16:15:00.007-04:00

This movie made me think about how the mundane things in life can be turned into fun and really have an impact on people's lives.

It also made me think about my own personal testimony. Am I a person who is viewed as "just a set of stairs"? Am I boring and dullish for people? When people are around me, does it seem like they have to exert more effort than it's worth? Do I bring a sense of fun and excitement to people's lives?

Anyway. Enjoy.

If you can't view it on Facebook, please visit my site at Your Daily Source of Vitamin A.

record everything

2009-10-19T15:11:00.002-04:00

So I am currently reading through the One Year Bible (OYB) and keeping accountable with a men's group that meets every Wednesday morning. It is such a blessing to be encouraged in the faith! I feel as though sometimes it is just me against the world. I know that this isn't really the case, but it sure can feel that way.

Not really a huge post today, but I noticed something intriguing while reading through Jeremiah chapter 30. God tells Jeremiah to "write down for the record everything I have said to you" (verse 2).

The thought that hit me that I don't journal enough. I must write down how God moves through my life; not only so I can be encouraged when I'm down, but so that I might encourage others in the faith.

God is so good.

Stand By Me

2009-04-29T15:18:00.003-04:00

This song says:

"No matter who you are,

No matter where you go in your life;

At some point you're going to need somebody

to stand by you."

Do Something Great

2009-04-21T08:54:00.003-04:00

Abraham Lincoln often slipped out of the White House on Wednesday evenings to listen to the sermons of Dr. Phineas Gurley at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. He generally preferred to come and go unnoticed, so when Dr. Gurley knew the president was coming, he left his study door open.

On one of those occasions, the president quietly entered through a side door of the church, took his seat in the minister's study, located just off the sanctuary, and propped the door open just wide enough to hear the preacher. During the walk home one Wednesday evening, an aide asked Mr. Lincoln his appraisal of the sermon. The president thoughtfully replied,

"The content was excellent... he delivered with eloquence... he had put work into the message.."

"Then you thought it was an excellent sermon?" questioned the aide.

"No," Lincoln answered.

"But you said that the content was excellent, it was delivered with eloquence and it showed much work," the aide pressed.

"That's true," Lincoln said. "But Dr. Gurley forgot the most important ingredient. He forgot to ask us to do something great."
------------------------------------------
There is nothing wrong with average lives and average accomplishments.

Most of the good of the world is built on the accumulated efforts of everyday people. But, as Lincoln seemed to know, a life should strive for some greatness. Are you part of a relationship that, if given more effort, could be outstanding? Do you volunteer for an organization which is truly doing something excellent? Have you joined a cause that is attempting something great? Or have you ever said to yourself concerning a beautiful dream, "I could never do that," while knowing that if you were to attempt it and succeed, you could accomplish something significant?

If Lincoln is right, then every life should strive for some greatness. Including yours and mine!

*this article is from Life Support System, 12 January 2007.

the only complete realist

2009-04-12T23:13:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to share one of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes from Mere Christianity. It talks about those who resist temptation and those who constantly give in.

"No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of the wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means--the only complete realist."

Daily Reading: 31 March 2009

2009-03-31T07:37:00.004-04:00

Wow, the Bible always amazes me with its wisdom and insight into daily human life. I was taught a long time ago that if I wanted to understand mankind then I needed to understand man. So in college I took Psychology, Sociology, Biology, and other natural and social sciences.

But the more I go to church, the more I read God's word, the more I begin to realize that if I TRULY want to understand mankind, then I need to study God.

I enjoy reading stories that show God's heart and his compassion for me. In Deuteronomy 18:16 it says that the people of Israel BEGGED God to stay away from them. They didn't even want to hear His voice! And what did God say? "Fine, I will do as they requested."

But He can't keep from loving us and communicating His will to us. He sends a prophet that will "proclaim on My behalf".

How amazing is God's love?! That even when I push Him away (which is quite often) and shut his voice out of my life (which is a regular occurrence) HE still pursues ME!

And yet, He doesn't push me to love Him. In Luke 9:42, Jesus has been asked to heal a child with an evil spirit. He told the people that they were "stubborn" and "faithless" and yet, He didn't just walk up and heal the boy. He ASKED the father to have faith and bring the boy to Him. Jesus didn't push the man to believe, but still gave him the opportunity, even though the man had already exhibited qualities of faithlessness. How amazing!

In Psalm 73:1 it says, "Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure." That verse, by itself, would depress me sometimes when my heart wasn't so pure. But then I read the next verse and remember how much I enjoy David's testimony of falling down and getting back up again: "But as for me, I came so close to the edge of the cliff! My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone."

There are some characters in the Bible that I cannot relate to. Joshua is one of these. He seems to have an almost impossible strength of character! But David is so relatable because, like him, I have fallen down the mountain, patched up my cuts and scrapes through the grace of God, and climbed back up.

A question I hear a lot from my friends is "how can GOOD things happen to BAD people?". There are a lot of different ways I answered that question before, but after reading through the rest of Psalm 73 it become much clearer. I am going to write the entire Psalm here in the NLT.

3. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.

4. They seem to live such a painless life; their bodies are so healthy and strong.

5. They aren't troubled like other people or plagued with problems like everyone else.

6. They wear pride like a jeweled necklace, and their clothing is woven of cruelty.

7. These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for!

8. They scoff and speak only evil; in their pride they seek to crush others.

9. They boast against the very heavens, and their words strut throughout the earth.

10. And so the people are dismayed and confused, drinking in all their words.

11. "Does God realize what is going on?" they ask. "Is the Most High even aware of what is happening?"

12. Look at these arrogant people--enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.

13. Was it for nothing that I kept my heart pure and kept myself from doing wrong?

14. All I get is trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain.

15. If I had really spoken this way, I would have been a traitor to your people

16. So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is!

17. Then one day I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I thought about the destiny of the wicked.

18. Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.

19. In an instant they are destroyed, swept away by terrors.

20. Their present life is only a dream that is gone when they awake. When you arise, O Lord, you will make them vanish from this life.

21. Then I realized how bitter I had become, how pained I had been by all I had seen.

22. I was so foolish and ignorant--I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.

23. Yet I still belong to you; you are holding my right hand.

24. You will keep on guiding me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.

25. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth.

26. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.

27. But those who desert Him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you.

28. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things that you do.

third house from the end

2009-03-04T09:47:00.002-05:00

I go to Jordan Ford at least once a week to get a free car wash (sorry, only for people who bought their car there). Recently, I ran into an old high school buddy named Jacob, who also works in the used car area. But usually, a guy named James takes my car through.

I've been getting to know James for some time now and that's been good, but on this particular occasion, a middle-aged woman came out and hopped in my drivers seat.
"Hi, I'm Jonathan"
"Hi, I'm Roxanne".
We talked, as most polite humans do, about a host of different topics. Where she used to work, how she got the job she has now, and what her hobbies are (it's a long car wash).Then we got on the topic of where I went to elementary school. I told her Battell, on Cedar Street. She said that she used to live off of Cedar, on Lawrence.

I said, "Oh, that's interesting, I used to live on Lawrence too". She asked me where, and I said, "I don't remember the exact address, but it was the third house from the end on the right, just before Division". She snapped her head to the right and looked at me real funny. She said, "Was it a duplex?" I told her it was.

Her mouth dropped open and she did a double take. She said, "That was the exact house that I used to live in!" She lived in the same house I did, just ten years before my family moved in.

Now, is this a coincidence? No. Not only has the Lord allowed me to develop a relationship with James, but he also placed Jacob there (someone I already know), and now this woman named Roxanne, who I now have this very weird connection with. There were quit a few layoffs at Jordan ford recently, and they only kept three people in the used car area; three people that I now have a direct connection with. I believe that the Lord is priming this as a significant ministry opportunity.

"At the same time pray for us too, that God may open a door for the message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ."~Colossians 4:3 (NET)

servant's reward

2009-03-04T09:46:00.001-05:00

Have you ever been blessed by the Lord? Some things happen and I don't necessarily think that the Lord is blessing me, when in fact, He probably is.

First example. Last December I was sitting at Fort Bragg getting ready to head overseas. Because of the ice on the streets, me and some buddies decided to stay in our barracks and play a game of Spades and order pizza. There were six of us and the pizza came by the truckloads. We finished our game around 11pm and the guys started to head back to their rooms just down the hall. The weather had turned worse and freezing rain was now coming down pretty hard. No one wanted to run the empty pizza boxes out to the dumpster about 200 meters away from the building, so I volunteered. I cleaned up everything, all the tables, the half-eaten breadsticks, the marinara sauce, and hauled those four empty boxes to the dumpster in my sweatpants. On the way to the dumpster, I found a $20 bill.

"Cool!", I thought as I picked it up. I walked another five feat and found another $20 bill, then another, then another, then another. In total, I found $100! I thought that it was neat that I had volunteered to be a servant and reaped the reward. The next morning I told everyone in the building that I had found a certain amount of money, but no one claimed it. It's literally like it fell from the sky.

Second example. My brother called me late on Thursday and said that he and his friends wanted to get together for poker. Well, it was past 9pm and the weather was said to get really bad, I hadn't had any coffee, my brother lived 25 minutes away, I had to swing by the ATM to get $5 for the buy-in......my mind was racing with a thousand reasons NOT TO GO. Then I had this quiet thought of "He's my brother and I need to reach out to him whenever he reaches out to me". And I went. Now, mind you, I have never won at a poker game in my life (and I've played quite a few) but I won the top prize of $30 that night. And I got to spend time with my little brother. Did God honor my obedience to do what was right? When I get to heaven I'll ask Him.

pull out all the stops

2009-03-04T09:45:00.001-05:00

I wanted to share a short paragraph that my pastor gave me just before I left for Iraq. It's an excerpt from a letter written by a missionary out in the jungles of New Guinea:

Man, it is great to be in the thick of the fight, to draw the old devil's heaviest guns, to have him at you with depression and discouragement, slander, disease. He doesn't waste time on a lukewarm bunch. He hits good and hard when a fellow is hitting him. You can always measure the weight of your blow by the one you get back. When you're on your back with fever and at your last ounce of strength, when some of your converts backslide, when you learn that your most promising inquirers are only fooling, when your mail gets held up, and some don't bother to answer your letters, is that the time to put on mourning? No sir. That's the time to pull out the stops and shout, Hallelujah! The old fellow's getting it in the neck and hitting back. Heaven is leaning over the battlements and watching. "Will he stick it?" And as they see Who is with us, as they see the unlimited reserves, the boundless resources, as they see the impossibility of failure, how disgusted and sad they must be when we run away. Glory to God! We're not going to run away. We're going to stand.

"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it."~1st Corinthians 10:13

The three onlookers

2009-03-04T09:35:00.002-05:00

At GCC this past Wednesday Ron spoke about setting up "ducks" in my life that are difinitive places where I have seen God working. I pulled this story from a year ago, but wanted to share it with you if you haven't heard it.

//December 29,2007//
This past week was spent in Minnesota with my fantastic family. It was a welcome break from Fort Bragg.My trip was very interesting. I left Kalamazoo around 0230, hoping to beat the rush through Chicago and make it to Minneapolis around 10am. The roads were clear and traffic was light when I left. The temperature was around 48 degrees.

I got through Chicago without incident. However, as soon as I hit the west side, the temperature started to drop very quickly and the snow began to fall. Temperatures were now at 16 degrees.I kept driving north into Wisconsin cheese country, as the temperature kept dropping and the traffic steadily became more congested.

I pulled over around 0740 to grab some coffee from Starbucks. They weren't open yet because their delivery truck was stuck in the weather, however, after my sob story of being deployed to Iraq and this potentially being my last cup of hot coffee in the United States, they were obliged to give me a fresh brewed cup. As they passed it out the window they said, "Don't drink it for a while because it's extra, extra hot." And they were right. Even with gloves on and the cardboard coffee wrap, my hands still felt hot.I got back on the freeway and kept driving north, determined to "be home for Christmas".

About fifteen minutes later I'm cruising along and decided to call my mom on my high-speed hands free device. We're chatting and joking when all of a sudden my car hit black ice and immediately began turning clockwise on the freeway at 55 mph. It completed a 180 degree turn, slid to the side of the road, hit the ditch, flipped on it side, and continued sliding into the ditch until it came to a halt. I had my seatbelt on, and was laying on my side with the ground right next to my head. I was still on speakerphone with my mom, and had just finished narrating the entire thing to her as it happened, so she sounded very distressed and asked me all sorts of questions.

I undo my seatbelt and turn off the vehicle. I look up to the passenger door and there are two faces staring back at me. It shocked me at first because it had only been 30 seconds or so since the accident. They ask if I'm okay. "Yeah, I'm fine." It was two men who looked like they were from West Virginia and had baled hay their entire lives.One man opened the passenger door and held it open for me, while the other grabbed my hands and helped me out. As I'm pulled out, I noticed there was a third person standing next to the two men. It was a women, dressed in a white fur coat. She says, "Are you okay? Do you have any injuries? I'm a registered nurse, let me look you over."

She has me pull off my hat, she examines my head, and then checks for any other injuries. She smiles and says, "Everything checks out". Just then, a police car pulls up. Again, I'm shocked because I hadn't called for any help yet. The state police officer began asking me questions, and put me into his car to stay warm. The officer needed my registration, so I went to my vehicle and opened the passenger door, holding it open while I fumbled around in the glove compartment. Those doors are heavier than they look!

After a moment, I retrieved my registration. As I was shutting the door, I noticed my coffee cup. Remember? That steaming hot cup of coffee? It was sitting, straight up, without the lid, on the drivers side window, completely full. It had not spilled one drop during the accident. Unbelievable.I walked back to the police cruiser, just as a fire truck was stopping at the scene to check that there weren't any injuries. It was still only five minutes after the accident.

About five minutes later, a tow truck pulls up, flips my car right side up, and hoists it out of the ditch and onto the back of his truck.The truck driver took me south, about five miles, to DeForest. We drop my car off at the repair shop and he offers me a ride to the airport to pick up a rental. I said, "Aren't you still on duty?" He says, "Actually, this works out well. You were my last pickup so I'm off the clock now and would be happy to give you a ride." So, he drives me twenty minutes south to Madison to get a rental.

I decided to continue driving to Minneapolis, but I first wanted to grab everything out of my car in case it was declared a "total". As I'm cleaning out my car, another tow truck drops off another SUV that had rolled. The truck driver says, "I hope you aren't planning to go out there, it's real bad. We just received a call to go and get another car that had flipped in the ditch." This changed my mind, and I got a hotel room and waited out the storm. So I made it up safely the next day. After thinking about the incident and going over everything in my head, I realize how much God had His hand on the entire accident.

The most amazing part were the three people who arrived almost instantly after the crash happened. Although I didn't think of it at the time, I never recalled any vehicles at the scene but mine. The three onlookers didn't have a car anywhere near mine and I never saw where they went after my attention was diverted to the police officer. I am convinced that the Lord allowed me to visually see my guardian angels, even for a brief moment.

He also provided a police car, a fire truck, and a tow truck right behind me before the accident happened so that they were on the scene immediately. He orchestrated where my hot coffee would fly during the accident, and he provided me transportation to the airport by means of an off-duty truck driver. And to top it off, I didn't have any injuries. I am grateful this holiday season to worship a God who answers prayers before I even ask.

"Before they call, I will answer. While they are still speaking, I will hear."-Isaiah 65:24

the chair

2006-10-07T20:39:00.000-04:00

My roommate and I had a very interesting encounter yesterday.

Our neighbor living below us, Walter, came up and gave us a chair that he didn't want anymore. My roommate Randy told me to come out and look at it because it bothered him. When I looked at it, I agreed. The old chair was beautiful, made of dark shining wood, and didn't have a crack in it. However, in the center of the chair back was a large engraving of a devils face, mouth full of fangs, and eyes beading out in 3D. Both Randy and my spirits felt off just looking at it. We didn't know what the history was behind the chair, but we both knew something wasn't right with it.

Randy and I have prayed over our apartment, so we knew that any type of evil spirit would be bound by the blood of Christ.

We nervously laughed about the hideous image and threw a towel over the back of the chair, promising each other that we would give it back to Walter in the morning.

About ten minutes later Walter came back up to our apartment, saying that he forgot to tell us something. We told him that we didn't want the chair and gave it back to him.

Then he says, "What did you guys do to my chair?" We told him we didn't do anything to it. Then we looked at it and our mouths dropped open as we saw that the entire demonic face, just the face, had turned ash white and was filled with many large cracks and hundreds of tiny ones. This once beautiful but ominous chair had turned into a disgusting and wimpy old chair....all within ten minutes.

Walter later told us that he and his wife had always felt wierd around the chair, and that they had moved it from room to room, hoping to get rid of its negative presence. This has opened doors of spiritual discussion with our neighbors. Please pray for them.

I don't know everything that happened in my apartment yesterday, but I do know that, as Christians, there is authority at our disposal that flows from the reservoir of power which raised Jesus Christ from the dead. This same power is used to overcome the works of Satan in our daily lives.

Praise God that we are not under Satan's power or subject to his authority. In Christ, we are above all demonic rule, authority, and power.

"...the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who belive. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might..." Eph 1:19

San Francisco 2006

2006-07-30T20:44:00.000-04:00

I think I am becoming a running junkie. Over the past year and a half, I have really become attached to my running regime. It’s one thing, other than my devotionals, that when I don’t do it, I actually miss it. This past weekend I did the San Francisco half-marathon. It was a blast. The excitement and the energy of all my fellow runners is too difficult to explain in words.

The race began at 0530 in front of the Ferry Building (not fairy), and wound itself through the entire city. I ran along the SF Marina, then partway up the Presidio Hill, then through a park (whose sprinklers were still on because it was so early), then down along the Bay, and up another large hill until I reached my favorite part: The Golden Gate Bridge. It was awesome! I turned around on the other side and caught a view of the entire city right after sunrise. It was breathtaking. Then back over the Golden Gate, up another large part of the Presidio Hill, through little Italy and China town, ending up at Golden Gate Park.

I wasn’t as tired as I thought I would be, and regretted not doing the full marathon. I finished better than I had planned. I was able to maintain a 7:10 minute mile the entire race, running it in 1 hour 34 minutes. Out of the 3858 people that were running the first half-marathon I finished 41st, and 15th in my age group of 20-24 year olds. It felt really good. I look forward to my next race, the San Jose Half-Marathon in October!

fresh strawberries

2006-07-30T20:39:00.000-04:00

I had an interesting encounter yesterday. I was walking through Farmers Market, a weekly gathering of local merchants in downtown Monterey, and had just finished getting some fresh strawberries and blackberries for my smoothie addiction when someone behind me called my name. I turned around to see a longtime friend, David Wynegar, who has apparently moved to Monterey while his girlfriend is studying at MPC. I was shocked. Despite the fact that neither of us knew we were out here, it was such a weird meeting! I was so shocked, I forgot to get his cell phone or any contact information whatsoever. Maybe hell be at the market next week too.

My parents came out to visit for Memorial Day. We had such a relaxing week. We spent a day and a half in San Francisco, touring everything from Alcatraz Island to China Town. We even managed to hop a ride on the trolley. We spent the last part of the trip in Monterey. We headed out to Pebble Beach for half a day, went to Bubba Gumps, walked along the beach, and just spent time enjoying each others company. We ate a lot of food (including that amazing meal on Coast Guard Pier) and laughed until my mom almost had an accident. Also, a good friend of mine from GCC came up to visit, Stephen Hinkel is his name, and serving God is his game.

Went out to the Range two weeks ago. It was at Fort Hunter-Liggett, which is about 2 ½ hours south of Monterey. We left base at 0230 in the morning (where does the Army come up with these times?!) and as soon as we left the Monterey area, the temperature shot up from 64 to 80. On the way down, we almost had a serious accident, one that may have injured or killed many soldiers. We were approaching Hunter-Liggett and getting off on the exit ramp when suddenly the brakes in our bus went out. The driver tried to pump them, but nothing happened. We continued our exit at 55 mph, flying through the intersection at the bottom (and that stop sign). Praise God though that no one was coming through the intersection, and that the entrance ramp to get back on the highway was right through the intersection, rather than a jog to the left or right. Also praise God that we were the first vehicle. If we had been any other vehicle (and there were five buses), we would have slammed into the back or side of another vehicle as it was turning at 55 mph. I wonder how many guardian angels were following us on our trip that day.

The Arabic school house that I attend issued every one of its student brand new, still in the box, Video iPod. Retail value $300. Unbelievable where the Army spends its money. It has been nice to have though.

I have so much more to write, but its late and I need to head back home and sleep. Plus, they just turned the lights off at the coffee shop Im sitting at.

20 miles a week

2006-07-30T20:37:00.000-04:00

It is official. My fellow classmates and I are a third of the way through our Arabic program. I can't believe that in less than a year I will be home and fluent (give or take a few words) in Arabic. It doesn't seem like that day will get here!

This past week has flown by. We had Friday off becuase of a base-wide "Language Day", which was such a blast to attend. We had high schoolers and teachers from all over the country come to see how the DLI operates and teaches languages so quickly. We had teachers from as far away as Michigan and New York join us. It was great.

This past Friday I went and saw the Da Vinci Code. It was the first time that I had been to a movie that was completely sold out (our group of four had to split up to find a seat), and that had protesters and camera crews outside. It made for an enjoyable night. The movie was done really well but I recommend reading up on your church history before going to see it, as there are many blatant errors in the film. Click here for a link to some good material.

Saturday I spent with my roommate Randy. We went for a seven mile run from Asilomar to Lover's Point and back. It was a beautiful day, right around 74 degrees with a light breeze. I have really gotten into the sport of running. I run over 20 miles a week and have met a lot of new people doing so. I see people all the time in downtown Monterey that I know just because they run the same trails/roads that I do. It's like a secret little community that I never knew existed! We're all training for the same thing too, the San Franscisco Marathon. So whenever we see each other we say, "You better be training hard if you want to beat me!"
My prayer is that I can run the race of life with the same fervor and run alongside a strong group of Christians that can motivate me when I'm down and keep me accountable when I'm weak.

I think the LORD has blessed me with such a group. I have been attending a Bible study at a couple's house in Monterey for nearly three months and have really gotten to enjoy the people there. Saturday we went to see Ice Age 2 and then headed back to their house where Rich cooked us his famous BBQ spare ribs. They were delicious. Then, in a surprise move, we decided to go to the beach for a bonfire (yes at 11pm). It was such a blessing. We spent about an hour talking with each other, roasting marshmallows, joking around, and then 45 minutes in worship: Andy on the guitar and God on the drums (the ocean). I remember looking up at the stars and thinking, "If this is even a glimpse of Heaven, being surrounded by friends and worshipping you all the time, then I can't wait to get there."

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.~Ecclesiastes 4:12

the un-lit floor

2006-04-23T19:49:00.000-04:00

As most of you know, I was forced to find an apartment because there is a housing shortage on base. This past Good Friday was the first day I stayed in my new place. I borrowed a blow-up air mattress, a table, a couple of chairs, and some silverware from the Army housing department, and officially “moved in”.

Over the past week I have discovered, through the pain in my back and neck, that sleeping on an air mattress every night is not beneficial to my health. So yesterday my roommate and I heading to our neighbor hood Ikea store. Actually it was the store in Palo Alto, nearly an hour and a half north of Monterey. Distance doesn’t matter much when you have phenomenal deals to back it up.

When we arrived we were both overwhelmed with the sheer power and monstrosity of the place. For those of you who have never been to an Ikea, it is too difficult to put into words. Maybe I’ll try to after our next visit.

Anyway, we spent all day walking through the showrooms, picking out things for the apartment. We ate a delicious Swedish lunch (at the Ikea restaurant), and then headed down to the warehouse to pick up the things we liked. We had so much stuff! Randy was pushing a flat cart full of furniture, and I was pushing not one, but TWO wheeled carts (talk about a task) filled with miscellaneous items for our humble abode.

We didn’t measure any of the items and therefore didn’t discover until returning to the car that none of the furniture fit in the back of my vehicle. So we had to take off the headrests for the driver and passenger and lean forward a little bit on our ride home. Randy thought that he would be decapitated if we hit someone, but I assured him that this wouldn’t happen (I really had no idea).

We made a quick tour stop at Moffit Air Field, which is home to two of the last three standing Air Force Blimp Hangers from World War Two. They are huge structures, made completely of wood, and did I mention they’re huge?! It was interesting also, because there were some Army guys on the base standing around in their PT’s. We stopped and asked them for directions, and one of the guys in the group walks forward saying that he recognized me. Turns out that I served in Iraq with this guy for six months! It seems that the Army gets smaller and smaller with every year that passes.

Returned home, I ran and picked up a good friend from the airport, went to Quizno’s for dinner, picked up a friend from base to help us build our furniture, then returned home again to begin our tedious task.

Let me just say that it started out well. We built a chair, built Randy’s bed, built a couple of lights (forgot to get lightbulbs), and then started work on my bed. It was around 9:00pm when we started my bed, and by 10:00 we were just about done. Right around this time is when I’m trying to find my mattress to put on my bed. “Randy, have you seen my mattress?” Nope. I jokingly run down to the car thinking I had left it in there on accident. I return, more desperate then when I had left. No mattress.

Apparently, after reviewing the days events, we realized that we had left the $100 mattress at the checkout lane. We took it out of the cart so the cashier could scan it. “So I guess I won’t be sleeping on my bed tonight”, I said, as a tear slowly rolled down my cheek and fell on the un-lit floor. We determined that it would be okay. We’d just go back to Ikea the next day, receipt in hand, and explain the whole situation. They’ll give us another mattress.

“Randy, where are the receipts?”

Apparently, partly because Ikea doesn’t believe in shopping bags, we left the receipts in the cart, which we left in the parking lot. So no receipts. This will be an interesting problem to solve.

I told Randy, “Well that's fine, I’ll just sleep on the futon that we got for the living room, but I am not sleeping on that blow-up air mattress again.” As we began assembling the futon we realized that we had forgotten to purchase a mattress for it.

I slept in the living room last night, like a guest in my own home, with a partially constructed bed in my bed room, a partially constructed futon right next to me, a lamp with no light bulbs right above me, on an air-mattress that I knew would have no air by morning.

Matthew 6:6-8 (ESV) But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. [7] "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. [8] Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

slamming her feet

2006-04-21T10:48:00.000-04:00

This past week has been extremely busy. I was forced out of the barracks by the Army because there isn't enough room on base to house all of the soldiers, therefore, sergeants have to go. I spent most of my free time last week looking for a place to live which consequently, caused some things to fall by the wayside. Things such as Physical Training, keeping in contact with loved ones, etc, etc. All the important things basically fell to the side!

To top it off, we had our first C-1 test this past Thursday and Friday. For those of you unfamiliar with how testing works at my language institute, let me just tell you that it is a very long process. We have five parts to our tests: Speaking, Reading, Listening, Arabic-English translation, and English-Arabic translation. I received the results back on Monday and, praise God, received all A's and B's. Not a bad start to my academic report card.

Had an amazing Easter celebration weekend as well. Watched the Passion of the Christ on Friday with my Bible Study group as well as had communion with them. That was a very powerful time for us. We sang songs and reflected on Christs sacrifice well into the evening.
I have had the priveledge to connect with some amazing Christians here on base who truly have a passion for the Lord. I look forward to the work we can do together in the advancement of God's Kingdom.

Monday began the week anew. Not much to report on, other than a delicious Tuesday night dinner at the Joneses house (potato caserol with a mixed fruit bowl). The only highlight from this week was this morning when I was backing out of my apartment complex. I accidently hit a parked car as I was turning my wheel. It wouldn't have been so bad, but like I said, it was in mid-turn so it basically scraped their car all the way down. I couldn't even see the car because I have to back up down a hill. Having just moved in, I don't think this is the best way to meet my new neighbors.

I don't know why I'm thinking about this right now, but I was running on the treadmill in the gym, as is my daily routine, and there was this old Korean lady running next to me. I was running fast, right around 9.5 mph, and I could hear this elderly Korean next to me keeping up at my pace. Frustrated, I bumped it up to 10 mph. She kept right up. Finally, I glanced over and looked at her treadmill screen, only to discover that she was actually "running" at 3.7 mph. She was just slamming her feet down so hard and taking such little steps that it sounded like she was running much faster. The scene just made me stop and laugh right there on my machine.

Anyway, that's been my week. I'm still in class. Still studying Arabic. Still learning a lot. And still giving God all the credit.

Intimate Knowledge

2006-04-09T19:42:00.000-04:00

"Feeling low again, insignificant. My thoughts and fears overcome my mind, I find that there's no easy way to run from everything that's haunting me. I'm looking in the mirror for a smile, nothing is returned no matter how hard I try."

I know that these words may not seem like words of encouragement, however today, these were exactly the words I needed to hear.

I find it absolutely shocking that the person I'm around the most, the person that I should know everything about, constantly surprises me with what he does (or doesn't do). Yep, I'm around myself 24 hours a day and there are still many days where some of the things I do stun me. Despite my most valiant efforts, I have been the author of broken friendships, crippled dreams, and many unwanted detours in my race of life.

Again, I know this sounds depressing, and it has been a very depressing time right now, however the end of the story is good, so bear with me. My story continues:

"Now it's sinking in and I can't defend the broken man that I've become. I find there's nothing here that I made for myself and why I let it fall apart again."

Why do I do the things that I hate?

Galatians 5:17 (ESV) For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

This verse didn't leave a very positive taste in my mouth. I thought, "So basically it's pointless to try and avoid sin in my life because there is no way out from its control." However, once I read verses 16 and 18, all became clear, and suddenly this thing called life became much more hopeful:

Galatians 5:16 (ESV) But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Galatians 5:18 (ESV) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

The word walk literally means "to tread all around". Sometimes I am content to tread next to the Spirit, but usually I tread in front of Him, taking Him where I want to go. This is where a lot of my problems in life develop.

Yes, I have made some dumb mistakes. Yes, I have destroyed relationships in the process. And I am sorry for my actions.

Through it all, there is a person closer than a brother. There is someone with whom I can weep my sufferings. And there is someone who is willing to forgive me when I screw up. Someone who knows me more intimately than even I know myself.

The song concludes in a soft moment of brokenness:
"But what I can't see is what you see inside of me. Help me to see what you see inside of me."

the basis for my values

2006-03-07T23:04:00.000-05:00

It is the end of the day, I have been in class for nearly nine hours, and my mouth is dry from the vitamin pills I am currently taking. Due to my exhaustion, I will be writing from the top of my head, rather than sitting and constructing sentences that make sense. As a leader, my day has been somewhat frustrating. I won't go into the details, but if I can write out some of what I'm thinking it might help me stay in check.

Here at the DLI (Defense Language Institute) I have been assigned two primary leadership positions: Squad Leader for ten IET soldiers and Section Leader for a class of ten. During my time in the Army, I have learned a lot about leadership. And while it is true that I base some of my decisions on past experiences, it isn't what drives me, nor is it the foundation for my values. This is one reason why I don't enjoy sharing "war stories" or even the things I have done or been witness to.

The Army is big on values. So much in fact that they post their "values" all over the place: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage have become one of my mantras during my career. But if one really thinks about it, these aren't really values. Let's say a situation comes up where a soldier must decide on being a good friend to his buddy (loyalty) or between turning him in (duty). What does he do? Thus, the Army Values aren't really values, rather virtues. They're great to have, but don't help a soldier come to a definite conclusion in their decision.

I guess what I needed to remind myself of was this: If there is one thing I've learned during the span of my career, one aspect of life that I have been blessed to see, it would be that throughout everything Yahweh is present. He is here in Monterey, He was with me jumping out of planes, He was with me in Iraq and the other twelve countries I've been to, and He is here with me now. One of my favorite things about Him is that He never changes. No matter where I go, He's there, ready to accept me for who I am and where I'm at. Because of this, His holy Word has become the light for my dark path. It has become the basis for my values.

Lord, help me today. Help me become the leader and man you want me to become. Allow me to see the world through Your eyes, rather than my own, and help me to remain strong through difficult times, keeping my eyes fixed on You. I rest in Your arms.

put down the Big Mac

2006-03-05T22:27:00.000-05:00

This past week has been intense, both in class and out. Class has been going by at blazing speeds. It is only by the grace of God that I have: a. not fallen asleep during a lecture, b. been able to understand most of what the teachers are talking about, and c. not thrown myself out of the second story window due to insanity. This course consumes me. There is not much else I think about during the day other than Arabic and how can I learn more Arabic?

As most of you know, I run as a pastime. In fact, I have been putting in at least four miles a day, the latter part of the run usually being straight uphill. This past Saturday I was running through downtown Monterey, past the quaint shops smelling of fresh coffee, to the top of a few parking garages, and then past the flock of swans in El Estero Park; all this while I dodge old people strolling along the boardwalk. My usual routine when running through town is that when I get stopped by a traffic light, I get down and do push-ups until the light changes. On this particular day I was doing push-ups when I heard this loud *CRASH* behind me. I turned around to see that a small car accident had occured about four feet from where I was exercising. The person who was rear-ended (a woman of large proportions, not to be trifled with) decided that the accident was cause enough to put down the Big Mac she was consuming, and get out of her car to see what had happened. She steps out, holding in her other hand a large vanilla ice cream cone. The man who rear-ended her was an elderly Korean man, who by the sounds of things, couldn't speak a word of English. I haven't seen a funnier sight than these two strangers try to talk out their new problem together!

Every morning I ask the LORD to use me. To let me be a light to a dark world. To let my life count for something. With that prayer, I ask that He allow me to encounter who He wants me to during that particular day. Just as those two strangers in the intersection met, that's how I want the LORD to arrange my meetings with people. I'm not saying I want to get in accidents with people! But it has been amazing to see the people God brings across my path, if I'm willing to see them.

This evening someone on my floor, someone that I barely knew, asked if I wanted to go to the chow hall with him. It wasn't my usual routine, but I agreed. At chow, I asked how his language was going, what his plans were for the Army, and where he saw himself in a few years. We laughed and joked as we shared life stories. I then asked how his family was. He became silent, the smile gone. He put his fork down and looked away for a moment. Then he looked at me and said, "Well, one of my closest relatives was just released from prison. Unfortunately he got involved with his old life-style and this past weekend someone shot him in the back. He's paralyzed from the waist down." Wow. I sat back and sighed heavily at this ubrupt change in conversational tone. I let him continue talking about the great times they had when they were younger, all the while praying that the LORD would give me the words to say.

When he had finished, I started speaking, realizing that it was the Holy Spirit speaking, not myself. "So do you ever wonder what causes two people, with the same type of upbringing, to travel down completely different paths in life?" He had never thought of this before. His belief is that it's all random chance. That people don't have much control over their choices and that most of life is plotted out circumstancially. Our time was then cut short because he had to leave.

It is true that, as A.W. Tozer said, "God created the world in such a way that in the end, everyone gets exactly what he or she wanted."

It is also true that there is a hurting world out there in desperate need of someone to share the truth with them. I admit, I must be more bold in my faith, not backing down when the time comes, rather, standing firm on the Chief Cornerstone, the Author and Finisher of my faith.

The LORD is good and His mercies endure forever.

And for those of you wondering: Yes, when the light changed, I jumped to my feet and continued on my run, laughing all the way back to base.

Make Your ways known to me, LORD; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; I wait for you all day long.
~Psalm 25:4-5 (HCSB)

xxxChurch

2006-02-24T19:30:00.001-05:00

www.xxxchurch.com

sipping on coffee

2006-02-13T00:07:00.000-05:00

This past week has been very interesting. Our class finally finished our Sound and Script portion of our curriculum with the culmination of our test this past Friday. So it is official: I can read and write Arabic. I don't know what the words are, but I can read it and write it. One of the many hurdles I must cross while here has finally been completed.

I had an interesting encounter at the Del Monte Shopping Center a couple of days ago. I was there with my friend Randy and for some reason I turned around in the middle of the store and started to stare at these three men. I wasn't even sure why I was staring. One of them came up and asked me why I was staring at them and I told him I wasn't sure. I then asked them where they were from, to which they replied, "Saudi Arabia". So that was it! I was staring at them because they were speaking Arabic to each other. My mind must have subconsiously picked it up. We quickly became friends once they found out Randy and I were students of Arabic. Each of them are Colonels in the Saudi Army, one of which is an F-16 pilot. All of them are studying at the Naval Post-Graduate School, located just down the street from the DLI. Before we departed, they gave us an open invitation to visit them at the NPS for some Arabic speaking practice. They told us their room number and building and we parted ways.

The next morning (Saturday) Randy and I were driving around doing errands when he suggested we visit our Arabic friends at NPS. I agreed, although neither of us remembered the building or room number. All we could remember was that it was on the third floor. We went to the front gate and asked where they put the foreign students and the guard told us the building. However, when we got to the building, we realized that it would be impossible to find them because there were too many rooms on the third floor. We searched, but no one was around to ask for help. As we were about to give up, we noticed the door to one room propped open. So we knocked and peaked inside. And wouldn't you guess? It was our friends we met the night before! We had a great time talking Arabic with them while sipping on coffee and munching on snacks. It almost reminded me of when my team would meet with the Mayor of Tikrit in Iraq. Well, except for the part where we had to wear body armor, things would explode, or people would shoot at you.

Wow, that was a long story for what it was worth. I just thought it was an interesting encounter.

Some of us went out to an Afghanistan Restaurant tonight in Pacific Grove (picture above). The food was great, but it was much more enjoyable getting to know my fellow servicemen. They are all professionals and motivated to accomplishing the mission of learning Arabic.

I don't really have a lot of energy right now. I can see that my writing is getting worse by the minute, so I'm going to have to write more at another time!

What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? Or it he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?
~Luke 11:11-13

smacked in the face with a 2x4

2006-02-06T00:21:00.000-05:00

I think there are only two constants in life. Two things that never change no matter what comes their way. The first is the love and grace of Yahweh, and the second is the beautiful weather in Monterey. Wow. What a gorgeous day (view insert of our parade field on base).

I have finally broken down and bought a cell phone. I am back in the loop (view insert).

I visited a new church today called Shoreline Community Church. It's located within Monterey, about ten minutes from base, and it reminds me a lot of GCC. They have core classes 101 through 401, they have parking lot ministry, a great children's ministry, a praise band that rocks, and the message presented by the pastor is amazing. I feel extremely blessed to have found this church because there were no ads for it in the yellow pages (weird huh?). Someone told me about it on Friday night and I researched it online.

Class has been going very well, considering I study all the time just to get by. I have never (literally, NEVER) studied this hard for anything in my life. That includes when I came through DLI four years ago for Serbian-Croatian. The Lord has been faithful though. I have an increased energy during class and I find that I can concentrate at night when I need to study.

Speaking of class, I have also been blessed to have a great section. There are ten of us in the same class from all areas of the military (Navy, Air Force, etc) and we have grown close just over these past few weeks. Eight of the ten went with me to the Joneses house last night for some dinner and a study session (surprised?). It was a blast. They are great to have in class and bounce Arabic off of.

Happy Birthday Laurakaga.

I had a mandatory APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test) this past week. The way it's set up on this base is, if you score high enough you are exempt from the mandatory company PT (which is every Mon, Wed, and Fri). Well, the mandatory company PT was getting really old because it wasn't really working me and it was taking up a lot of my time. This only motivated me more to get a good score on the APFT. And YES! I achieved a high enough score to be exempt from company PT and do my own physical training during the week. I figure it will save me about four to five hours a week.

I have been praying, for over a month, for someone who I can consistantly pray with. About a week and a half ago one of the guys in my class just walked up and asked me if I wanted to pray with him three times a week before school. Have you ever been smacked in the face with a 2x4 from God? I am excited just writing about it! What an answer to prayer!

I don't think I will be able to keep my five a month Starbucks commitment. I'm sorry to those of you who will now take me off of your top 8. I'm at four and it's only Feb 5th.

Tomorrow on base there is a DIA briefing. I think I'll go just to see what they offer. I'll let you know what I find out.

I was running through downtown Monterey (view insert if you forgot how beautiful it looks) and listening to Blessed Be Your Name. What an awesome song. It gets me pumped up everytime I hear it. Especially on warm beautiful days. "Blessed be Your name, when the sun's shining down on me..." Oh, and it's cool that I can amaze the Lord with my faith.

When Jesus heard this, He was amazed...
~Matthew 8:10a

the sweet factor

2006-01-12T23:54:00.000-05:00

So here I am, drinking tea. It doesn't have any caffeine in it because I don't want to be up late tonight, so I added a heaping spoonful of honey to bring up the sweet factor. I am also extremely sore right now. I ran again on the beach today with three friends from my barracks, and it is still very difficult. Granted, we went further than last time, and I think we ran harder, but I am not accustomed to running partially sideways and on a soft surface.

We officially began classes today as well. I was able to meet my MLI (Military Language Instructor) and become accustomed with the thirty pounds of books, audio cd's, and computer software that is going to be my life for the next 63 weeks. I did get the bonus of receiving a free MP3 player, courtesy of our tax dollars. They said they might give us an iPod (strictly for studying).

Oh, and just so you all know, I am in the process of searching for a cell phone. That's right, a cell phone. There I said it. It's out there for all to see.

I have been keeping up with all of my New Year's Resolutions. My least favorite and most difficult to do is the Starbucks limit. Not only do we have around seven Starbucks on this peninsula, but I just heard yesterday that they will be opening not one, but TWO Starbucks on base! Being able to see it everyday will make it more difficult, however I will remain steadfast!

My favorite resolution to keep has been reading through the Bible in a year. It has been just about a year since I've read through Genesis and I forgot how much I enjoyed it. The other day I read through an interesting passage. In chapter 12 verse 7, Abraham is building an altar to the Lord to commemorate His visit. Whenever I read passages like this I always thought that the people who built them worshiped God just that one time. However, chapter 13 verse 4 says, "[Bethel] was the place where Abram had built the altar, and there he again worshiped the LORD."

I often have been caught in the trap of praising God for things that happen to me right here right now and then, a few weeks later, forgetting about them never again worshiping God for His great works. This next year, especially since I've been back at my old stomping grounds, I will pray for God to remind me of the great things He brought me through here so that I may write them down and praise Him all over again.

it was natural for her

2006-01-08T17:28:00.000-05:00

So I have finally made it to beautiful Monterey, CA. I decided to travel along I-80 through the exciting states of Iowa and Nebraska. I thought, "I don't want to miss any remarkable sites that these parts of the Union have to offer". Yeah, I drove through at night and I must say it was more exciting than during the day.

I arrived Thursday night and stayed with my long-time friends Dennis and Susan Jones. It was good getting caught up with them. Interestingly enough, it felt as though I had never left. They remodeled their Carmel Valley home, but other than that, not much has changed.

My inprocessing doesn't officially begin until Tuesday morning, however, since I've been stationed here before and know the ropes, I was able to do a lot of my inprocessing on Friday. I just walked around informally introducing myself to people and getting all of my checkmarks in the appropriate boxes.

I did meet a very interesting lady while I was doing all this. Her name is Ms. Costello, she works in the personnel office as a civilian contractor, and she was here when I left three years ago. Well, she's still here, only with a cane and a slight limp (she's old). I said hi to her and she said, "Hang on, I have something for you". She left for a moment, and returned with a piece of paper in her hand. "Do you have any friends who are from the Vietnam Era? Do they have any diseases? Here is a list of diseases the VA will cover if your friend claims it." I didn't know what to say to her. Sure, I have quite a few friends who fought in Vietnam, but she didn't even know who I was and she was already talking to me like we were friends. Then I remembered that this woman ALWAYS talked about ways to help soldiers. She had been helping soldiers for so many years that that was all she could think about....all the time. So it was natural for her to approach a soldier she didn't know and tell them about all the wonderful opportunities within their grasp.

I want to have that same passion about Christ and his precious Book. I want to approach complete strangers and tell them about Him, the one who saves their soul. I want that to be the first thought I have in the morning and the last thought I have at night.

Anyway, I spent a lot of time running around town doing odds and ends. I reached my 5 a month Starbucks limit on Saturday (doh!). I also moved all of my things into the barracks which conveniently is located on the third floor. The personnel office asked if I wanted to live off post since I'm high enough in rank to do so. I told them I wasn't interested. I figure it will cause more grief going on and off post every day. Plus, I can meet so many more people living on post and I have everything I need right at my fingertips.

Speaking of people, my roommate is a Russian. Yep, full-blooded. Moved to the USA when he was seven. I invited him to church yesterday and he accepted! We both went to church this morning at Lighthouse Baptist. My experience there is going to have to be another story. I wasn't sure if I would still attend there because it is a smaller church and I'm used to GCC and meeting hundreds of people at a time with numerous service opportunities. However, I prayed for an answer and I believe the Lord provided me with that. I'll explain tomorrow.

Anyway, that's my life right now. I went for my first run on the beach yesterday and it was beautifully difficult. I forgot how hard running on sand is. The last time I ran on sand was when I dunked Jeanna at Lake Michigan and she was chasing me with a knife made out of sea shells. She's crazy.

For those who have read this far, I miss you and look forward to when we can all be in paradise celebrating our Lord every day, never having to worry about saying goodbye again.

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
~1st Corinthians 9:25

my "spiritual shopping list"

2006-01-01T18:12:00.000-05:00

This past year has been an amazing time of growth for me. The Lord has brought me through many things. The year started off well, as I was involved with my former church doing youth ministry and assisting with Sunday Morning Worship. I was involved in a serious relationship, which I was convinced would culminate into marriage by summer. The Lord had other plans though. It was revealed to me that my ex-fiance and I were never meant to be together. We were wired much differently, sharing opposing views on too many "big things" of life. The engagement ended in May, at which time I stopped attending my former church and began attending Granger Community Church. My first Sunday there I learned of a HOUSE PARTY that would be coming to my neighborhood, so naturally I signed up. At the party the following Saturday, I sat across from a young couple who informed me that there was this group of fired up single Christians who meet at the Beanery every Sunday night for fellowship and Bible study. I followed up on this wonderful opportunity, and as we all know, the rest is history

This year has been filled with many new friendships, putting my past behind me, and moving on with a revitalized passion for life and ministry. The Lord has placed me exactly where he wants. I feel it, deep down inside. Before I attended GCC my view of how churches should operate was so tiny. Over the past seven months, my eyes have been opened to the amazing possibility that church can be fun, exciting, and worshipful all at the same time! Church isn't a ritual I need to do every week so I can check off my "spiritual shopping list".

Speaking of checking things off, have any of you made New Year's Resolutions? I have eight this year and I would like to share them with you:

2005 RESOLUTIONS:
1. Before I see an R rated movie, I will go to a Christian website with movie analysis and decide if it is something I want to fill my head with. I will not attend any movies with explicit sexual content.
2. I will set aside time each day to read my One Year Bible passages. I will not get more than one week behind in readings.
3. I will read through all of the Gospels once a month.
4. I will not be a "garbage can" for other people's gossip.
5. I will say "NO!" to five social events every month.
6. I will limit myself to five Starbucks coffees every month.
7. I will bring twenty friends from school to church; with five of those friends becoming permanently integrated into the group.
8. I will give all the glory of my success to God.

With the help of the Holy Spirit I can look back in one year and say that each of these goals were accomplished. Happy New Year to you all!

no land in sight

2005-12-28T22:02:00.000-05:00

I have had one busy week. Packing, closing down my pending obligations, and trying to fit as much time in with family and friends that is humanly possible. I have not been entirely successful at the latter, however, that will change over the next few days. I am just about finished with my packing, and now I can begin to focus on the people that I cherish and love.

I have still been able to maintain my strict routine, despite all of the life changes I'm going through. Every morning I arise to make breakfast, watch the headlines, and then off to the gym for a couple of hours. As most of you know, I exercise at a retirement community, which has been such a wonderful experience for me. I chat with the old people while I bike, I "help them" with some of their weight lifting techniques (I think they want to have someone to talk with more than anything else), and afterwards us old guys go down and play volleyball or share war stories. The knowledge base that the elderly have is simply amazing! I gain such insight just by listening and laughing with them.

I first walked in to that gym thinking, "Okay, I'm the young guy here and I feel good being able to run circles around these crippled people". It's true, I can lift ten times as much, run eight miles faster, and do more crunches in one sitting then they'll do in the rest of their lives. But over the course of time, the opposite has occurred: I have learned from them. Crazy how that happens, isn't it? I thought I was better, only to be given a quick reminder of a valuable lesson.

I don't know if it's because I have California constantly on my mind, but all I can hear from God right now are lessons on trusting in Him. One of my favorite authors, Oswald Chambers, put it this way: When we have an idea that God is leading us to a particular end, a desired goal; He is not.

I never understood what he meant by that until the other day when I read through the passage of Christ walking on the water. Jesus was out there, through the chaos, through the storm, and with the disciples who had no land in sight. God was not working toward a particular finish; His end was the process. I realized that I must look past my obstacles in life and be able to see Christ walking on the waves, no success, no goal, just the absolute certainty that it is all right because I see Him walking on the sea. If I have a further end in view, I am not paying sufficient attention to the immediate present. It is the process, not the end which is glorifying to God.

Lord, I pray that I can focus on you, watching your calm eyes even though the waves of life are overpowering my little boat. I love you Father. I will depend on you and your power right now.

"And straightway He constrained His disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side..."
~Mark 6:45

Sunday School

2005-12-22T14:05:00.000-05:00

I know that around this time of year we are concentrating on the birth of our Lord, His sacrifice for us, and the redemptive plan He has for our lives. Here in America we are free to do as we wish, worship God in the streets, even singing Christian music out loud in the middle of a supermarket (as I often do).

Oversees missionaries often do not have such opportunities. There are many parts of the world where things we take for granted such as Sunday School are outlawed. Keep them in your prayers. For many, their Christmas will be spent in the confines of a cold, damp jail cell.

Read this story to find out more.

the one con

2005-12-19T12:47:00.000-05:00

This past week has been quite amazing for me. Have you ever had a time in your life when you thought you knew where you were going, what you were supposed to do, and why you were in a particular place? I thought I had it all figured out. I thought that God had allowed me to remain in the Michiana area while I continue my education and ministry opportunities at GCC.

However, this proved to be an incorrect assumption. While I was working in Kalamazoo this past week, I received an email from the highest levels of my command, informing me that I was to attend language school out in Monterey, CA. "How could this be?", I thought. I was sure that God had answered my prayers the week before when my school was cancelled. It wasn't until I called my command that things started to make sense.

I spoke to the woman in charge of handling the schools. She said, "I don't know why, but you are getting through the system. You shouldn't be going, but you are. There must be some reason for you to go." That last sentence made me think. Do I truly believe there is a divine purpose to everything? Is my life being formed by God even as I type this post?

I would find out later that my acceptance to this school for a second time is extremely rare, almost unheard of. You see, the regulations state that SOCOM will only pay for one language per soldier. Since I've already studied and graduated from a language, it should be impossible for me to get another. Yet I'm going. How is this possible?

So here I am. Ready to go, but hesitant to leave. I will truly miss my friends at GCC. They have become like siblings to me. I will miss our dinners after church, the laughter as we share our crazy life stories together, our intimate moments of worship and Bible studies, the enthusiasm of participating in Oasis and Sun City Kids, long hilarious days at the beach, Friday night movies, roadtrips, laughter, fun, enjoyment, fellowship.

When I discovered I was to attend DLI (Defense Language Institute), I made a list of pro's and con's for going. On the list, the pro's far outnumbered the con's. Almost two to one. I thought, "Well, this proves it's better for me to go, I shouldn't complain". Then my aunt told me, "Jonathan, it doesn't matter how many pro's you have. The one con of 'homesickness' can defeat all the pro's on that list." And she is right. I know that there is a grand purpose for me to go. But it will not diminish the fact that I am going to be homesick for my dearest friends while I'm out there. I am sure that Paul missed his family and friends while he was on his missionary journeys. I'm sure he despised creating those close friendships, only to depart months later. The one thing I can learn from Paul is that he had his eyes on the endstate. He knew that he was fulfilling a heavenly purpose despite his feelings.

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me. Lord, you love is eternal; do not abandon the work of your hands.
~Psalm 138:8

a new ab machine

2005-12-07T09:13:00.000-05:00

I think one of the things I enjoy doing most in life, besides attending GCC, helping out with it's ministries or reading through Ephesians, is exercising. I enjoy it so much because I have so much built up energy that I just need to release. Maybe it's that time of life I'm going through, not quite sure, but it just feels good to vent all of the energy I have on my weight machines. My favorite part of my exercise routine has become my abdominals. I don't know why, but over the past two months, I have become obsessed with toning and mastering the art of ab workouts. I have seen many parallels between my exercise life and my spiritual life. I saw one yesterday that was so blatant that I just have to write about it today.

My gymnasium received a new ab machine last week. It's awesome, you sit in this chair and bounce all over the place while your abs are being stretched . . . trust me, it's cool. When I approached the machine, I thought, "Okay, I'm a professional at abs, have been for years, this machine . . . it is nothing to me". I sat in it, it seemed easy, however, by the same time the following day I realized that I had jumped to an unfortunate conclusion. Yep, my abs were hurting, so bad that I was hardly able to sit down straight (you know how you kind of bend to the side as you sit, yeah that was me).

The point that was presented to me is this: Sometimes I think I am an expert in a particular field, only to realize that I'm not, that it has become a painful process, and God is intent on growing me in that area.

In the past I would sometimes think, "Well, the going's getting tough, so it must not be God's will that I'm here". I have since learned that this is completely unscriptural. Now I believe that Christians should live above life's circumstances, not be guided by them. I once heard a motivational speaker say, "You may have to set sail by the tide, but you'd better be guided by the stars." It's true that circumstances may have an effect on my plans, but I have a far greater accountability to God. I must follow Him, not the tide of circumstance.

Each time I go back to that gym, I face off with that machine, as if it's my arch-nemesis. I have now put that painful machine in my exercise routine three times a week. Hopefully, given a little time, the pain will turn to strength!

I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am
~Phillipians 4:11

our struggle

2005-12-02T01:24:00.000-05:00

Well, I spent last night almost in tears reading some of the hateful words written about GCC and its ministry. I found this website through a friend's blog and after reading it for over a half-an-hour, I came to the realization that there is definitely a battle going on. And it's happening right under our noses.

I have been attending GCC for 8 months, and in that short amount of time my spiritual life has grown by leaps and bounds. I have been warmly welcomed into a small group, been to Core Class 101 (enrolled in 201), listened to sermons that have stirred my heart in ways I never thought, and participated in various church ministries such as Oasis and Sun City Kids.

I still find it hard to believe that there are people, Christian brothers and sisters, who despise GCC. Why? I'm not quite sure. But it's a scary thing to read their hateful words. I actually found myself angry at them. I wanted to give them a piece of my mind. I had to stop, breath deeply, and forgive them, confessing that it was wrong to think such ways (I actually had to say Galatians 5:22-23 and Eph 6:12 a few times). I had to remind myself that our battle is not against our fellow man, but against the dark rulers of this world.

I had considered not including the website in this posting, because I was unsure of its effects to those who read it. But after I finished reading it for myself, I realized that it is important to understand that we must be vigilant and aware that the Evil One is out to destroy the ministry of GCC. If you haven't begun praying for our church leadership, now is the time to start. As my friend Dr. Hovind says, "if you don't want to shoot, you can at least carry bullets".

THE ANTI-GCC SITE

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
~Ephesians 6:12

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
~Galatians 5:22-23

guide my steps

2005-12-01T14:57:00.000-05:00

Have any of you ever been so excited about God and doing His work that you don't want to do anything else? I have been experiencing that a lot lately, just by being at GCC. Being involved with nevaeH on Sunday's, Oasis on Wednesday's, and helping out with Sun City Kids have really been a blessing in my life. I have also begun the try-out process for the drama team. Things are really beginning to cement in my life, and it feels good. It feels right. I know that God is beginning to use me in the areas He has gifted me in.

I was driving back from church last night, thrilled after working with the middle-schoolers and seeing their excitement for God. I turned off my radio and I prayed, "God, I know that it probably isn't possible, because I have a course reservation to go to California in January and study Arabic with the military, but you know my heart, and you know that I enjoy working for you here at GCC. Please God, if it be your will, let me stay. Let me find a good job here, and keep me where you have begun to plant me."

Then it happened. I opened my email today and found a letter from my military liason telling me that it was a mistake that I was scheduled to go to Monterey. WHAT?! Could this be a sign from God? The night before I had prayed that if it be His will for me to stay, then the door would be closed. And here I am, not 12 hours later, staring at an email telling me to stay.

If it ends up that I don't go, I still have a lot of things I need to work out, like finding a job, a place to live, etc. But one thing's for sure: I will allow God to guide my steps, being sensitive to His leading, not my own. I am going to love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, even though I don't know where He is leading me.

One of my favorite authors, Oswald Chambers, put it best when he said, "The disciples loved Jesus Christ to the limit of their natural capacity, but they did not understand what He was after."

I covet your prayers during this period of transition; when I am leaning on the Lord, not understanding exactly what He has in store for me.

driving around Tikrit (Iraq letter)

2005-12-01T12:17:00.000-05:00

Iraq Correspondence: 18 June 2004

Well, another week has passed. It seems to be going by so quickly. You know what they say. "Time flies when you're in an Arabic country far from home". I think that's how the saying goes.

Each Friday is my team's maintenance day, a chance to work on our vehicles. Chan and I take our vehicles down to the motorpool and then the mechanics tell us what new and interesting things are wrong with it this week. We've both been taking an active role in the repairing of the vehicle. So much, in fact, that the mechanics are letting us do most, if not all, of the work. I can repair fly-wheels, starters, alternators, oil filters, air filters, etc. It's actually become some what of a hobby for me. Anyway, so yesterday I take my vehicle down and they tell me that the half-shaft was popped out of socket. I had never worked on a half-shaft yet, so I said, "that doesn't sound too good". The mechanic, understanding I wasn't mechanically inclined, said, "No, it isn't. I'm surprised you didn't lose control and drive off the road. You're really lucky." I said that it wasn't luck, but God's providentialism. I'm always amazed at how God takes care of us. This was an example when I should have crashed while driving around Tikrit, but God is always at work around me, and wouldn't allow that to happen. We had Bible study last night and the topic was miracles, and God's provision. Interesting how God brings circumstances to coincide on the same day you read about them in the scriptures.

Happy Father's Day dad. Tomorrow, in celebration of father's everywhere, my battalion is going to have a cookout. It should be a good time. The personnel/records sergeant for my battalion, had 3,000 waterballoons mailed to her. Also on the schedule are many games of volleyball. It looks to be a very relaxing, enjoyable day.

The picture I've included is one of myself and Boyd out in Tikrit, cooling down by eating some of the local's ice cream. Some of the 1st Infantry Division soldiers that go out with us refuse to eat anything on the economy. They claim that they will get extremely sick. I've been eating everything from ice cream, to what I believe were lamb intestines, and nothing has happened to me. Maybe I've just been lucky.

One of the main nuisances here are the power outages. We have about fifteen a day. Sometimes they last for a few seconds, other times they last for hours. I have compiled a "top ten list" of worst times power can go out. And number ten . . . .

10. While you're running around base and suddenly all the street lights go out, so you have to cautiously walk back to your barracks (which could be a couple miles away).

9. During chow, when you can't see what you're eating (or how big it is) until it's in your mouth.

8. When you are watching the news and the power shuts off right during one of President Bush's speeches.

7. When you're on the phone to someone at home, and the line suddenly goes dead.

6. When you're in the middle of a briefing to your commander, and suddenly you lose your power point presentation (I knew I should have printed those out, as a backup!)

5. After five minutes of running on the treadmill, and it goes dead. You worked up a sweat, but you didn't get an exercise.

4. When you're in the middle of watching a Kent Hovind DVD.

3. When you're in the shower and the water stops, while you're lathered up.

2. When it's hot and you really need the air conditioner to work.

And the #1 Worst time power can go out . . . . .

1. When you're taking a dump. "Did I get it all?"

Thank you all for your prayers. God is at work. It is very evident. I am definately being "pruned" by God right now. Things to pray for: That I can grow closer to my major. That an opportunity will present itself to speak with Chan about Christ. He needs to hear it from a different angle, then what I've been approaching him with. Please pray for wisdom in this area.

Love in Christ,
Jonathan

"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit."

~John 15:2

submitted for approval (Iraq letter)

2005-12-01T11:54:00.000-05:00

I have decided to close out my Yahoo account. I know, it's crazy, but I'm beginning to enjoy this blogging thing. It has allowed me to connect with people on a level that I never thought possible. I can read people's daily activities, understand who they are, and actually talk with them about topics that they are concerned with! Amazing.

I have had a lot of experiences in my life. Some exciting, some dangerous, and some just plain boring. Over the next few days, I would like to share some of these with you. Most of these I found on my yahoo account, in my saved file, and I wanted to permanately keep them, and I thought that putting them on the blog was the best way to do that. I'll start with some of my Iraq correspondence:

Things have been going well over on this side of the world. Tikrit, thankfully, is a very quite place right now. Attacks have been minimal, and casualties have been few and far between. We credit most of the improvements to the fact that we are pumping a ton of money into the Iraqi economy. Now, I don't know about you, but most people I know have never held two million US$ in their palms. We are approving projects here in the 1/4 million to 1/2 million dollar price range. New schools, new roads, new hospitals. Each day I am astounded at how much money is being contributed to the reconstruction effort.

What is the Civil Affairs role in all of this you may ask? (Some of you are asking what civil affairs is, that's my job.) We go out each day and meet with the locals to ensure that the commanders mission is being accomplished (reconstruction efforts), and that projects are being proposed and submitted for approval. It's amazing to think that the work of forces in Iraq today will have a drastic effect on foreign policy between America and Iraq in ten years. The way that we impact these children and young adults here will determine if they grow up to become "bad guys" or democratic, free thinking adults.

To get a bit more personal, I find much enjoyment in what is being accomplished here. My dad has informed me that the news back home is filled with anti-war sentiment. I've seen some of that, in what little news I get here, and it saddens me. The other day I heard Al Bore, I mean Gore, talk about how "American forces have no idea what their mission is over there, and commanders are not instructing them on proper procedures". He was referring to the prison abuse. Well let me say that we have a very good idea of what our mission is and I for one feel very well trained in my profession. We are here to win the war on terror and free an oppressed people. What better mission can there be than that?

All in all, things are going well. My faith in the Lord has brought me through many difficult times here. He is very good, and blesses me richly each day. I look forward to seeing you all soon, and will maintain contact through this newsletter.

Love in Christ,
Jonathan Anderstrom

"I will be strong and courageous,
I will not be terrified, or discouraged.
For the LORD my GOD is with me
Wherever I go."

-Joshua 1:9

one million people

2005-11-30T13:48:00.000-05:00

I have mentioned this man to some of you before, but without knowing his name. Well, it's Reinhard Bonnke, and I know his name now because he spoke at my cousin's church in Tampa, FL not too long ago.

What this man is doing is absolutely amazing. His ministry is seeing the salvation of Africa. If you don't believe me, just look at the picture above. In one gathering, he has seen over one million people accept Christ. That's right, I said one million people, in just one night of preaching the gospel. I checked out his web site and this week he's kind of low on the numbers, only having 400,000 people accept Christ!

And here I am, trying to bring one or two a year. . .

HUFU: The Healthy Flesh Alternative

2005-11-29T18:26:00.000-05:00

I wasn't able to believe this article myself, until I read it. But it's true. Someone has actually created a food that tastes like human flesh. I first became aware of this interesting food item when I saw it on the Daily Show. WARNING: If your stomachs are weak, do not read this article.

actively plotting (part 3 of 3)

2005-11-29T15:24:00.000-05:00

This is my last post on predestination and the free-will of man. Some of the following information is my own, and the rest from various authors (Charles C. Ryrie and Neil T. Anderson).

From my own research, I have found that the Bible seems to say more about the will of God than man's will, and what it does say is unsystematic. But the bottom line is that a believer can will to do what is right or what is wrong. His decisions are not made for him already (Rom 7:15-25, 1st Tim 6:9-10, James 4:4).

As Christians, we are no longer in the flesh; we are in Christ. We are no longer independent of God; we have declared our dependence upon Him by placing our faith in Christ. But even though we are not in the flesh, we may still choose to walk according to the flesh (Romans 8:12,13). Whether we continue to live according to Christ or our flesh, the result is the same: we will reap what we sow (Gal 6:7).

THINK: The idea that man doesn't have a free will is centered around one major deception. We all know that our adversary is Satan, the god of this world. We must remember that it is not God who hardens the hearts of unbelievers, but Satan himself (2nd Cor 3:14, 4:4). Paul states that Satan is actively plotting to defeat and divide believers as well (2nd Cor 11:3, 2:11).

If Satan can place his thought in your mind-and he can- it isn't much more of a trick for him to make you think it's your thought. That's the deception.

Walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh
~Galatians 5:16

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
~Romans 12:2

the concept of responsibility (part 2 of 3)

2005-11-21T09:28:00.000-05:00

This is my second day of discussion concerning the topic of free-will. Below is an excerpt from an article discussing how a person's environment affects who they are and the decisions they make. I have pulled out the juicy, fun-to-read parts for you:

You will often hear arguments that we can't hold people responsible for what they do if what they do is determined by their heredity or environment. This is the basis for a lot of the criticism directed against predestination. If God knows that someone is going to sin, and in fact if God has overall responsibility for the history of which this action is a part, then it's God's fault. The person is being forced to sin, so he is not responsible.

There is a growing tendency not to hold people responsible if we can see how their environment affected them. People can almost always find some way of blaming what they are on something else. Thus the concept of responsibility is quickly vanishing altogether, or being applied in incoherent ways.

Indeed because the person's character, motivations, and situation is under God's control, there's a sense in which we can say that God determined the action. But his plan is carried out by the working out of human decisions and other historical causes.

The balance of responsibility is somewhat different with those who are God's children and those who are not. With those who are saved, God operates in a personal way, through the presence of the Holy Spirit and our union with Christ. While we make responsible choices, the basic decision to save us is God's. There is no equivalent for those who reject God. While their rejection is part of an overall history for which God is responsible, God does not take specific actions to make them reject him, as he takes actions to redeem his children.

Here are some articles that may be of interest for those of you concerned with the topic of free will:

Dr. Henry Morris: Coming or Given?
Eric Landstrom: Predestination and Free Will, do they go together?
For the entire article listed above click here

wrestling match (part 1 of 3)

2005-11-21T02:20:00.000-05:00

Well, I wanted to let this rest overnight, but am proving that to be unsuccessful. Earlier this evening, at nevaeH, we discussed the issue of free-will vs. predestination. This will be my first of three posts concerning this confusing topic.

Adam and Eve's sin definately affected the area of their will. It's hard for us to realize that in the Garden of Eden they could only make one wrong choice. Everything they wanted to do was okay except eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17). They had the possibility of making a myriad of good choices and only one bad choice . . . only one!

Eventually, however, they made that one bad choice. As a result, we are confronted every day with tons of good and bad choices. We can choose to pray or not pray, read our Bible or not read our Bible, go to church or not go to church. We can choose to walk according to the flesh or according to the Spirit. We face countelss choices like that every day, and eventually, we make some bad ones.

Other than the Holy Spirit in our lives, I believe the greatest power we possess is the power to choose. Someone once said that pure Christianity lies in the exercise of the will. Just compare our lives to that of animals. The animal kingdom operates out of divine instinct. But we are created in the image of God, which means we have a self-operated, independent will. That's when temptation comes into play. The essence of temptation is to function independently of God.

However, as we all know, sinful behavior is often a wrong attempt at meeting our own basic needs. The issue here is, are we going to get our needs met by the world, the flesh, and the devil, or are we going to allow God to meet all our needs "according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19)? It's an issue of identity and maturity. The more we understand our identity in Christ, the more we will grow in maturity. And the more mature we become, the easier it will be for us to choose to live our lives in dependence on our heavenly Father.

Basically, what I'm getting at is this: If it's true that all of our actions are predestined and we have no real control over them, than what of Spiritual Warfare? Yes it's true that getting rid of the old self was God's responsibility, but rendering the flesh and its deeds inoperative is our responsibility (Romans 8:12). It's our choice. God has changed our nature, but it's our responsibility to change our behavior by "putting to death the deeds of the body" (Romans 8:13). Why are we instructed to put on the whole armor of God, to resist the devil, to stand firm, and to be alert? If we don't have any control over our destination, then why does Paul describe our relationship to the powers of darkness as a wrestling match? We definately have choices in confronting spiritual opposition. And they are how and to what extent we're going to wage the battle.

More to come . . .

Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve . . . As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
~Joshua 24:15

20 degrees

2005-11-18T09:37:00.000-05:00

When I was younger, around the age of 10 or so, I remember playing golf with my grandpa. I would tee up the ball and whale away at it with my mightiest swing. Usually I sprayed the ball all over the place, but since I could only hit it 60 or 70 yards at best, my direction could be off by 20 degrees and the ball would still be in the fairway.

I tried going golfing with my cousins a few years ago and found that I was able to hit the ball 150 yards and farther. Unfortunately, my swing was still off by 20 degrees! The ball no longer stayed on the fairway, and usually went into the rough.

This simple illustration pictures an important aspect of my life of faith: My Christian walk is the direct result of what I believe about God and myself. If my faith is off, my walk will be off. If my walk is off, you can be sure it's because my faith is off.

As a new Christian I needed some time to learn how to "hit the ball straight" in my belief system. I could be off 20 degrees in what I believed and still be on the fairway because I was still growing and had a lot to learn. But if I were to persist in a faulty belief system, my daily walk of faith would become less fulfilling and productive. I would grow older, finding myself stumbling through the rough, or out of bounds spiritually if the course I set for my life didn't agree with Scripture.

Tragically, many teenagers are headed for the same fall because their beliefs are not founded on Scripture. As a result, their lives are often bankrupt before they leave high school.

We walk by faith, not by sight.
~2nd Corinthians 5:7

roller coaster

2005-11-17T19:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I met with a divorced mother who is really struggling. She has two children who don't respect her authority or her advice as a mother. As I sat across the table from her, tears pouring out of her eyes, all she would say was, "why doesn't my daughter treat me better?...doesn't she understand that she is hurting me?..."

How many of us out there find ourselves in similar situations? We base our lives on the success of plans that are subject to people and circumstances, riding this long, emotional roller coaster. One key to successful living is learning to distinguish a godly goal from a godly desire.

A godly goal is any specific orientation reflecting God's purpose for your life. It does not depend on people or circumstances beyond your control. Who do you have the ability and right to control? Virtually no one but yourself. The only person who can block a godly goal or render it uncertain or impossible is you.

By contrast, a godly desire depends on the cooperation of other people or the success of events or favorable circumstances you cannot control. You cannot base your self worth or your personal success on your desires, no matter how godly they may be, because you cannot control all the people or circumstances that affect fulfillment.

When people or circumstances block our goals, we get angry. If our mentally perceived goal is uncertain, we feel anxious. If the goal appears impossible (such as the example above), we get depressed. But what God-given goal can be blocked, uncertain, or impossible? With God all things are possible, and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. No one can keep us from being what God wants us to be except us.

The only way to get off the roller coaster is to walk by faith according to the truth of God's Word. Who you are must not be dependent on the cooperation of others or favorable circumstances. Decide to be the parent, leader, spouse, co-worker, or friend God wants you to be. No one can block that goal except you.

Has [God] said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
~Numbers 23:19

cheating on your taxes

2005-11-15T11:51:00.000-05:00

I belong to a group of believers, ages 18 to 25ish, who discuss relevant issues concerning Christians today. Topics such as racial profiling, homosexuality, and how to raise children frequently come up during our discussions.

This past Sunday evening, at our usual time and place, we dove into the topic of labeling others who are different than ourselves and if doing so was right or wrong. Examples included the nerd who labels anyone on the football team as a jock, etc. We weren't able to come to any concrete conclusions because many people said that on one hand, "it is wrong to label anyone despite your intentions", while on the other "if you have good intentions when labeling someone it's okay".

What is the difference between using "nerd" as a label, or telling someone that they are a "liar". Not much difference at all. In both examples someone's character, who they are, has been branded with a label.

This brings me to my point. There is a huge difference between Discipline & Judgment. As Christians, we are instructed to confront others concerning sins we have observed, but we are not allowed to judge their character (Matt 7:1, Rom 14:13). Disciplining is our responsibility; judging character is God's responsibility.

For example, imagine that you just caught your child telling a lie. "You're a liar," you say to him. That's judgment, an attack on his character. But if you say, "Son, you just told a lie," that's discipline. You're holding him accountable based on an observed behavior.

Or let's say that a Christian friend admits to you that he cheated on his income tax return. If you confront him as a thief you are judging his character, and that's not your responsibility. You can only confront him on the basis of what you see: "By cheating on your taxes you are stealing from the government, and that's wrong."

Much of what we call discipline is nothing less than character assassination. We say to our disobedient child: "You're a bad boy." We say to a failing Christian brother or sister: "You're not a good Christian." Such statements don't correct or edify; they tear down character and convey disapproval for the person as well as his problem. Your child is not a liar; he's a child of God who has told a lie. Your Christian friend is not a thief; he's a child of God who has taken something which doesn't belong to him. And your Christian classmate is not a nerd, he's a saint in God's kingdom.

We must hold people accountable for their behavior, but we are never allowed to denigrate their character.

"Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness."
~Galatians 6:1

Scientists find ‘Goliath’

2005-11-14T13:35:00.000-05:00

Very interesting news story. Apparently, the story of Goliath has been proven true by archaeologists.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9997587/

stop light

2005-11-14T09:06:00.000-05:00

Running has become a daily part of my exercise routine. I often run along Main Street, past the cemeteries, along the small row of mom-and-pop shops, through the park, then beside the river's edge until I reach the quaint setting of downtown.

Out of this aerobic ritual I have developed a special program. Downtown Mishawaka is filled with numerous stop lights. So many, in fact, that every time I get stopped by one I get down and do push-ups until the light turns green. By the end, not only have I completed a 30-40 minute run, I have also completed between 80-120 push-ups. I look at other runners around town and wonder why they too haven't adopted this workout plan. It's a perfect plan! You can work and develop other muscles while you're stopped at a light doing nothing!

I have become an expert at applying this concept to my running regime, but it's a whole different story when it comes to my personal life. You see, there are times where I am focused on achieving one thing, convinced that the struggles I am going through and the path I am on are exactly where God wants me to grow. Yet, when a stoplight suddenly shows up in my life, I am often too focused on achieving my first goal that I become blinded to seeing that God actually wants to grow me in a completely different muscle group.

I earnestly pray and desire that I can become a man that is sensitive to the voice and guidance of the Holy Spirit, rather than my own.

"This is what the Lord says- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: 'I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea'."
~Isaiah 48:17-18

white shoe polish

2005-11-13T20:30:00.000-05:00

I am so thankful for friends. The encouragement, love, and support that they provide is, at times, beyond my explanation. In fact, this past Friday, I experienced all three of these qualities when certain unnamed friends decided to "decorate" my vehicle at a bonfire get-together. I think my favorite part weren't the straws stuck in my windshield wipers, or the pink streamers looped through each crevice, but the white shoe-polish on every window proclaiming their triumph: "WE LOVE YOU JON", "SUP NOW?!", and "GO NAVY", just to name a few.

Unfortunately, I didn't take the time to get the polish off that night, so luckily, it was able to harden by morning. I scrubbed at it for nearly ten minutes with one of those foam gas station window cleaners. It wasn't coming off like I had planned, so I went through the car wash. It still didn't come completely off! So now it looks like my vehicle has been violated by a flock of pigeons.

Speaking of that, I was raking my yard this past Friday and I stepped in a huge pile of dooky.

Where am I going with this entry? Oh yeah, my muffler was making some weird noises the past couple of days and I discovered, after further investigation, that one of the clamps had fallen off of it which was causing it to bang up against the bottom of the vehicle. So I took some zip ties and cinched it down tight. Later in the day I heard it banging around again. The zip tie had snapped. So I used two zip ties and, just like the first, both of them broke. I went back at it with a fury that I had not experienced in quite a while and used THREE ties. It hasn't fallen off since.

It's a good illustration for what the Bible calls us to do.

"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
~Ecclesiastes 4:12

out of touch

2005-11-11T15:01:00.002-05:00

Interesting. Night Vision. I never knew how well humans could see at night.

God can see me. He can see me even when I think no one is watching.

pull out the stops

2005-11-11T13:22:00.001-05:00

Since this is my first entry I consider it appropriate to explain a little about myself. I am a southern guy at heart, born in Jacksonville, FL back in 1983. Ah yes, the 80's, what a wonderful decade... but we can save that for another entry. I moved to North Carolina when I was six and then to the great Hoosier state when I was seven. Lived in the region of Mishawaka until I graduated from high school, at which time I traveled the country/world with one of the greatest fighting forces in history, the US Army. Returned to Mishawaka numerous times in the past four years, basically to recuperate and then head out with my fellow comrades-in-arms to distant lands.

I will make this entry short, as I will have many future entries on which to expound on my personal life. I must say though, that I am who I am today only by the grace of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I have experienced quite a bit in my 22 years of life, and only one thing has remained with me wherever I've been, and that's my relationship with Jesus. I wanted to close by sharing with you a short paragraph that my pastor gave me just before I left for Iraq. It's an excerpt from a letter written by a missionary out in the jungles of New Guinea:

Man, it is great to be in the thick of the fight, to draw the old devil's heaviest guns, to have him at you with depression and discouragement, slander, disease. He doesn't waste time on a lukewarm bunch. He hits good and hard when a fellow is hitting him. You can always measure the weight of your blow by the one you get back. When you're on your back with fever and at your last ounce of strength, when some of your converts backslide, when you learn that your most promising inquirers are only fooling, when your mail gets held up, and some don't bother to answer your letters, is that the time to put on mourning? No sir. That's the time to pull out the stops and shout, Hallelujah! The old fellow's getting it in the neck and hitting back. Heaven is leaning over the battlements and watching. "Will he stick it?" And as they see Who is with us, as they see the unlimited reserves, the boundless resources, as they see the impossibility of failure, how disgusted and sad they must be when we run away. Glory to God! We're not going to run away. We're going to stand.

"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it."
~1st Corinthians 10:13