It's just lunch... Part 2: "The girl at the coffee shop...Nascar...and the return of Communism"

“Do you ever wonder if we make moments in our lives, or if the moments in our lives make us?”

And there she is… and it’s perfect. She’s not being talked to by 13 people like usual. She looks peaceful sitting there and sipping her “No ice, skim milk, one pump, double-blended frap. Oh, and hold the whip cream.” You smile to yourself as you contemplate how coffee could possibly be so complicated. “Ha…” you think “…almost as complicated as why I’m still sitting here.” So you get up… and… sit back down. “Why is this so HARD!!” you yell at yourself. She looks at her watch and sighs… then, regretfully, starts to slowly gather the papers she had barley glanced at since she’d been there. You can think of a million reasons why you should go talk to her… and also a million why some other time might be better. This seems like such a great opportunity… but the moment is rapidly passing…what do you do?

After writing part one in this series of blog posts on relationships, I admit that I was a little lost at where to go next. Ok so maybe more than a little lost…maybe somewhere between hopelessly and miserably would be a better description. And after starting this particular post about seven times, I decided to mention the above scenario. Now, it is fictional and maybe is a situation you’ve never been in, but I tried to highlight the internal struggle that many guys face when considering asking out/dating a girl. And, trust me girls, it really is a struggle. But guys, I’m going to be blunt… I DON’T CARE if it’s hard. Now, it’s not that I don’t sympathize, because I do. I have trouble with this stuff too but I really think that if the girl is trying and doing some of the hard, sometimes difficult stuff that I mentioned in my last post about relationships, then we are wrong if we aren’t risking the same (and really, we should be risking more) to try to find someone as well. It should be hard. So below I’m going to put some things (much like I did for the girls) about what my personal opinion is on what guys should be doing. And, I’ll just warn you ahead of time, I probably going to be very honest and not extremely tactful because honestly, we are all guys and I know you can handle it and I’d rather hit you in the face with what I think is really important than beat around the bush for an hour and maybe have some of us miss the point.

-First, most importantly, and shortest. Get advice. Pray. Talk to those who you look up to. This is the easiest area to mess up because your emotions are involved and if you aren’t asking God and others for wisdom you have a better chance of “hitting a bullet… with another bullet… while riding a horse…blindfolded” to quote Star Trek.



- JUST ASK HER!!! Probably most of you were dying while reading the story above. I know after writing it I honestly wanted to go up and shake the guy as he sat there about to watch the girl walk out. To quote the old Nike slogan “Just Do It”. God has designed us to be the leaders in our future homes so we might as well start getting practice taking the lead now. And really, what’s the worst that could happen? Maybe she does laugh at you, or look really surprised because it’s totally out of the blue in her mind. I know what you’re thinking… “How could she NOT know?!?! I’ve only been making meaningful eye contact, “just randomly” running into her, and writing on her Facebook wall for the last 3 months…how could she not already know??” But it’s true guys, sometimes we think we are being obvious and think she’ll surely see it coming but a lot of times that is not the case… which is why you be very clear. Just go talk to her. Even if she says no, at least you’re both on the same page and you can move on. Because let’s face it… do you really want your thoughts on why you DIDN’T take your opportunity doing enough laps for a Daytona 500 later that night? Because I’ve done that and trust me… I’ve done it so much that I think it has ruined me from ever liking Nascar and/or racing.

- Have a plan. If you walk up to dream girl, ask her out, she says yes and you DON'T have a plan…wow. That's incredible...and I will rip your shirt off of you the next time I see you and choke you out with it. There’s zero excuse for not having a plan. Hopefully you know her well enough from all those hours of meaningful glances and eye contact that you at least have an idea of what she likes. Which brings me to the third point…

- Objective of your Date. The objective of your date should have two main reasons. Reason number one: give it your best shot and be watching to see if there are any immediate red flags with this girl. If you start to see so many red flags that you wonder if maybe communism is making a comeback... then stop and think. Don’t beat yourself up for not seeing them sooner, but just realize that if you can see problems this early on, it’s not fair to you or her to go out on 37 more dates before you drop her. Never lead her on. It’s not fair and it’s wrong. Now, if there are not any immediate problems then you should transition to objective number two. Reason number two for your date: set up, or at least get ideas for date number two. This really isn’t that hard if you have a plan and are intentional about what you are talking about all evening with dream girl. For instance, you ask what she likes to do or she tells some story about some of her favorite memories or passions. Bam. Figure out a way to work something like that into your next date. If she says the ONLY THING SHE LOVES IN THE WHOLE WORLD IS KNITTING!.... then you have a decision. You either might need to start taking some night classes on crocheting… or possibly consider that maybe you and this girl aren’t the best of matches. Either is fine, but just go in with your eyes open…and maybe make me a scarf to thank me if you choose the night classes.

- Where are you going? I don’t mean where are you going in the next ten minutes, I mean in life. One of my favorite quotes about this is from Dr. Nobel (founder of Summit Ministries) because he doesn’t beat around the bush. He said: “Girls… if some guy asks you out… and he’s on the bus to “nowhere”…you tell him to... DROP DEAD!” And I think he’s right. If you care so much about this girl then care enough to be able to provide for her. So, have a plan for where you are going in life because contrary to popular opinion, love is NOT all you need. Something that suspiciously resembles a job and a life-calling tends to do a lot more for your relationship than just having “love”. Remember what I told the girls because the same thing applies “meet someone you love…doing something you love.”

- Alright, there’s a lot more that needs to be said but this will be the last one. If you blow it but still think that you HAVE to date this girl because she’s that important and special…don’t waste time with regret. Plan better, get more advice, pray harder, and then try again. If she is not worth all those things then again, that’s not bad, but it also means she’s probably not the one for you.

That’s all I have for now guys. I will be the first to tell you that stuff doesn’t always work out and sometimes you do everything right and it just turns out wrong. Or you blow it and think it’s over for sure. But that’s ok, learn from it and don’t become bitter and you might really end up being a guy that some girl will love to date/marry because of it. To reference the quote I used in the first line of this post, take control of making those moments in your life... don’t let the moment pass you by.

Crying and Whispering Part 1: "The World's LARGEST PRAIRIE Dog!"

Yes...umm... skip the sightseeing on this thing

Silence. This, in a word, could be the best way to describe driving across the endless miles of…well…nothing that is otherwise known as Kansas. You know that you’ve truly reached rock bottom of the tourist world when you start to see signs urging, no…pleading would be a better word, for you to stop and see “the world’s LARGEST PRAIRIE DOG!!” Yes, you read that correctly… they want me to stop and see a large, flea bitten, disease carrying, cousin of a rat. And the sad thing is you’ve been driving for so long that you actually consider it. However, all humor aside, there are aspects of driving through vast expanses of nothing that I enjoy, chief among them being the time to think. Recently, as stated in previous posts, one of the topics that has been pressing on my mind is how living the Christian life should look on a day to day basis. Which led me to think about someone who DID indeed live everything that he was called to be by Jesus. The person I am speaking of was incredible. In fact, it would not be stretching the truth at all to say that he was the greatest man to live besides Jesus himself.

"A voice of one calling in the desert,
'Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.'”


Those who know this scripture know that I am referring to John the Baptist, and those that don’t…well, now you do. Anyway, John is always someone who I’ve wished to meet in person. I’ve always wanted to sit down at Starbucks with him, share a venti-sized, locust-flavored frapp (extra honey), and ask him about his preaching. Here is an excerpt I’ve always wanted to ask him about:

“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father. I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

Umm… yeah. Not exactly what you’d call a ‘seeker friendly’ message huh? But, I do really wonder what we all would think if someone like John the Baptist would come to our culture and be preaching the way he was? I think that personally I would really have a hard time with that, just based on his appearance alone. And yet, Jesus said of him:

"...a reed shaken by the wind?"

“What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,



‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.'



And prepare he did. John shook the entire region of Galilee and eventually even Herod heard of him. And I know if I had been John I would have thought “Great! Now everyone knows about me and if I play my cards right I can probably even use this interest that Herod is showing to further my message into every part of his jurisdiction. Sure, I might have to turn a blind eye to the whole stealing-your-brothers-wife thing, but… just think of all the good I could do”. But John didn’t do this. I think the reason he didn’t is because he knew something that I think we’ve pushed to the back of our minds because, well…it’s uncomfortable. He knew that to truly prepare the way for Jesus, it was going to cost him something…Maybe everything. And guess what? It did. He was beheaded by Herod because of his outspokenness on Herod’s taking his brother’s wife.

This seems like such a horrible end for a man so honorable…so truly great. And yet, it occurred to me, he prepared the way for Jesus in every way possible, even by his death. And is there really any end greater than that? John showed that the kingdom that was coming was not going to turn a blind eye to sin… and that it WOULD cost something to follow the calling that Jesus gives each of us.

So my question to you and to myself is this: “What is it costing you?” What are we doing on a day-to-day basis to accomplish what God has given us. Now I know some might say that they don’t know what God has given them to do yet. But you can find out! Start searching and studying. I didn’t know for several years but it was by getting out and serving and following the example that Jesus left here on earth that I found what God has given me a passion for. And it’s not that we never have moments of doubt. Even John had those. When he was in prison he sent his followers to Jesus to ask if he was really the one that they had been waiting for. Do you remember what Jesus answered? He didn’t just say “yes I am”. He pointed to his ACTIONS…which is something that should always accompany our faith in Christ. I can just picture Jesus, eyes kind…perhaps even sad at the thought of what John would soon endure, but also full of passion and love…much as John’s would have been as he had been preaching to prepare the way. “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” And then, I can just feel the love in his voice as he added one last encouragement, “…blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me”. Jesus knew that John needed encouragement and strength to not fall away in his last days and He knows that sometimes we need that too. So let’s ask Him. We must ask Him to reveal His purpose for our lives and to encourage us to remain faithful and strong just as John did. That is my earnest prayer and I hope that someday I can finish my race just as John did.
So what is following Jesus costing you? What is it costing me? James reminds us that supposed “faith” without works is dead...how alive is your faith?

Loving the way they lie about teenage dreams

“I can’t tell you what it really is… I can only tell you what it feels like…and right now it’s a steel knife in my windpipe…”

I don’t often write about popular culture but the irony of what has happened the last few months with the chart topping hits by Eminem and Katy Perry is something I cannot let pass without comment because I think it shows just how desperate and lost the youth are in our society today.

I have a heart for young people and have seen (and to some extent have experienced in my own life), how some relationships in middle/high school greatly damage them…sometimes forever. This is why I felt it necessary to write about these two songs and try to draw the parallels between them. If we understand the culture in which we live I think it’s one of the first steps to helping to change it for the better.

The lyric that I started this post with is from Eminem’s song entitled: “Love the Way You Lie”. It highlights the pain of love and the confusion that so many face. It is a message that I think many young people who have thought they were in love, especially when they were young, could identify with. Love, or thinking you’re in love with someone, can be very difficult to describe… much less deal with. Many could describe it as Eminem did:“…when it’s going good it’s going great…but when it’s bad it’s awful” . And while you could analyze the correctness of his thoughts or the ideas he’s trying to get across, the main message seems to be about being stuck in a relationship that is destructive but not knowing how (or perhaps not really wanting) to get out because of the occasional moments of connection you feel with that person. True? Maybe…maybe not, but the point stands that the song was definitely not your “feel good” song about love, dreams, or enjoying being young. In fact, it’s rather depressing and you can hear the pain and hurt in the singers voice as he cries “… life’s no Nintendo game. But you lied again. Now you get to watch her leave out the window…guess that’s why they call it window pane” (beautiful play on words there). Ouch. Who would want to listen to that? Probably not going to be a really popular song right? Wrong. Very, very wrong. What’s shocking (or perhaps not shocking depending on if you have your eyes open) is that young people actually liked it. In fact, they LOVED it…so much so that it spent 8 weeks as the number one most requested song in the country. Why? I would argue that many of people, youth especially, are searching for answers in a broken system of pain and destruction that they don’t know how to get out of and for someone (insert your name there) to tell them about a better way.

Enter Katy Perry. Many of you might remember her, she was the Christian singer who turned secular and then achieved worldwide fame with her controversial (yet fictional) song called “I Kissed a Girl”. She recently came out with her follow-up album called “Teenage Dream”. This song (Teenage Dream), soared shortly after release, eventually culminating by knocking Eminem’s song to number two. Are you ready for the ironic part? For EIGHT WEEKS people had been listening to the pain of love gone wrong , being stuck and not knowing why, and desperation of not knowing a way out. Then…Teenage Dream comes along. Here is the chorus: (I’ve highlighted parts that stand out to me)

“Let's go all the way tonight
No regrets, just love ( <--- really?? Are you kidding me?)
We can dance, until we die
You and I, will be young forever

You make me feel
Like I'm livin' a
Teenage dream
The way you turn me on
I can't sleep
Let's run away and
Don't ever look back,
Don't ever look back
My heart stops
When you look at me
Just one touch
Now baby I believe
This is real
So take a chance and
Don't ever look back,
Don't ever look back”

Ok umm...so maybe it’s just me but does there seem to be a major disconnect going on here??? It sounds like a cycle to me. People follow the message of Katy Perry and it leads to the pain in Eminem’s song. To prove my point, guess what song was back at number one after just a couple weeks? You guessed it, Eminem’s “Love the Way You Lie” regained number one shortly thereafter because I think people realized IT DOESN’T WORK to think you’ll be “…young forever… so don’t ever look back”.

We’ve got to do something. As Christians, we have the answer for the stationary wheel that so many young people (and sadly, many lost Christian young people) are running on today. We have to get involved in their lives and tell them. Maybe you volunteer, maybe you actually start to lead those kids at your church that look up to you, or maybe you develop eyes to finally see that kid that always seems down when you see him come home from school. But please, do something. Christ sacrificed everything to save us. We should be sacrificing to save others as well.

"It's just lunch..." Part 1: Relationships, Couches, and Swings

Sometimes when I was younger I would catch myself thinking about the future… I realize now that dreaming would probably be a more accurate description of those days. When I was a few years younger, the colors and feel of the dream would have looked something like this…: coming home after toiling at work all day and getting to see the girl that you were totally in love with, and had somehow married, smile at you when you walk in. Or your little boy (or little girl) run out of the house to see you and show you the latest drawing, scratch, or toy that was currently a matter of gravest importance to them. Then you would come into your small house and see your wife, baby in her arms, and know that you were home…not just the place you lived, but truly home… because it’s all you’ve ever wanted. That is what I used to think would be the logical progression of what life would bring. Thankfully, that is what I had been blessed with when I was a child so I thought it only natural. And I admit, this might seem normal and quite boring to some people and that many might be dreaming of far better things than I did. But for me, that’s what I wanted. However, I think for most, our dreams all include finding that special person that you could spend as much of your life with as God will let you.

But HOW??

Maybe that road has been hard for you thus far. It hasn’t worked with that girl, or that guy just never cared as much as you hoped he would, or hurt has made you not want to try anymore. I think we all want a story like what Adam writes about here: http://owlcityblog.com/2010/09/06/you-had-me-at-hello/#more-1162 and as he closes it he comments:
“What if things like this really do happen? Maybe they happen all the time. Or maybe moments like these NEVER happen and the daydream itself is stretched so thin, it’s become cliché and should be deemed ridiculous.

Can two people, hurting for the same reasons, randomly meet by accident at 2 AM and each feel some innate sense of “knowing” that the search is over? Maybe they’re not even searching at all, maybe they’re both trying to stay as far away from the mere idea of falling in love as possible, all because of past heartbreak and how messed up it left each of them. It doesn’t matter who these hopeless romantics are or where they came from, the point is that they meet, and suddenly the old familiar pain of past shipwrecked relationships disappears. The old aches suddenly vanish. They’re made for each other and they know it”

After reading that story (which please, take the time to read…it’s incredible), all I could say was “Wow… I want what he wrote about” and my next thought was… “I also really want to be able to write like that!” But, my lame writing aside, I do think that he has a point about love and relationships. Even if it hasn’t worked out in the past I think that we all still have this tiny spark of hope that it can work. But what should you do? What should guys and girls be doing to help their chances… or at least not hurting them? In the following posts about this topic I’ll be throwing in quick things that I’ve seen or heard from people that are good, practical thoughts (because if it’s not practical…who really cares?). Tonight though, three or four thoughts mainly for the girls (guys, get ready, the next post will be for you).

- Prince Charming is not going to come to your door looking for you. I think that some girls have the impression that they will sit at home on their couch and not go out and try to meet anyone from the opposite gender, because they are waiting for the “right one” to find them and they wouldn’t want to end up liking someone that wasn’t the person they were supposed to be with. While I am not saying that this way of thinking is totally wrong, I want you to consider this quote by Walt Disney speaking about the Cinderella story: “She believed in dreams, alright, but she also believed in doing something about them. When Prince Charming didn’t come along, she went over to the palace and got him.” Now, while I am not a fan of girls pursuing guys, I think the overall point is sound. You should be out living and doing, succeeding and failing, so that you are in places where you can actually be found by the person you’re dreaming about. I like to say “meet someone you love… doing something you love.”

- Be intentional about what you choose to do. It’s very important for everyone (not just girls in this case) to be constantly checking and thinking about the things that God has given them interest and passion in. If you’re pursuing those things and meet a guy who is like-minded, that’s a huge step in the right direction.

- If he seems ok, why not give it a shot? Alright, so let’s say that you do meet someone that is interested in the same things you are and the mentors in your life (parents, friends, pastor, etc.) don’t see any immediate red flags with him. But… he’s just not quite what you always imagined your guy being like. He asks you out, what should you do? I say give it a shot. If he is brave enough to ask you out and he isn’t obviously an axe murderer, why not try? It doesn’t mean you’ll marry the guy, maybe after one or two dates you know for sure you won’t. But that’s ok. You tried, you gave it your best shot, so you should have no regrets. Knowing you may have let an amazing person get away is far worse than that in my book.


In closing, I know that this area is hard and maybe you are still hurting but I think maybe C.S. Lewis said it best when it comes to love and I’ll leave you with his words:

“Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it around carefully with little hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless- it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” --C.S Lewis

A Look Ahead...

So tonight I sat down to write and… the words were really just not coming. Not even when I started some music (a common habit of mine when I write), or when I got a snack (also another favorite pastime), and finally I concluded that the factions that were responsible for the warring of ideas going on in my mind needed to take a vacation to Switzerland so that I too could have a chance for some peace. Thankfully now I have some clarity, and later I will tell you the three main topics that were fighting it out in my mind, but currently as I sit here I am thinking about dreams and the future.

Soon, in about a month or so, I will be leaving to start a journey that, in my own small mind, rivals that of Frodo in Lord of the Rings. I will be transitioning into active duty for the Air Force and will be officially closing the doors (at least for now) on school and watching my life as I have known it fade into the shadows and echoes of the past. And as I prepare to begin my act on life’s next stage, I am reminded to take chances and be more trusting of God than I have been previously. I came across a quote recently that really impressed me. It went something like: “When all that is left is a simple shadow, what will we want it to say? Will it contain the colors or our dreams, or just the darkness of our fears?” It was thought provoking and I guess is my challenge to you and to myself as I write this, when you finish the next stage of your life will there be colors and memories, or just darkness? Recently I’ve talked to some friends and they’ve shared some struggles and some things that have really damaged them in the past. And I’m sure each one of us could tell a similar story. But… I guess to me the defining moment comes when we’ve failed, or been hurt, or knocked down… How will we respond? I know life hurts, but the next time an opportunity for travel comes, or that person wants to start a relationship with you, or God calls you to reach out to that person, will you say “no way… I remember how much ____ hurt me last time and it’s not worth the risk” or will you decide to “forget what is behind and press on to what is before…”?

"...say hello, say hello to a new way..."  -New Day by Tamar Kaprelian

I am still learning these lessons myself but coming from someone who has always been a fairly safe person, I have decided that I am determined to try, to fail, and to trust in ways I have never done before. Life will always hurt to some extent but I am so grateful that we have a hope in Someone who does not change and can truly help us give color and vibrancy to our dreams as we seek to follow Him. And, ironically, as I close this entry the chorus of the song playing in the background rings out:

"say goodbye, say goodbye to the way I was before… say hello, say hello to a new way. I was lost, but I found what I was looking for. Waking up, waking up to a new day”.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PusyhO-xANg&ob=av2e

Thanks for reading…

The Future…

Now, as the other topics that want to be discussed start to press in on my mind again after their brief hiatus in Switzerland, I will tell you some of the things that I will be writing on in the future.

Crying and Whispering – lessons learned while on traversing the endless wasteland (aka Kansas)

Youth Survival – Topics about growing up, tips, and secret ninja ways to survive!

“It’s just lunch… right??” – Navigating the world of relationships/dating/ etc.

 

"Against the grain should be a way of life.." -is today your last day?

(First published Tuesday May 19, 2009)

I was just convicted tonight to share something with you guys that God impressed upon me when I was reading in Daniel. I promise I'll try to keep it short and thanks for reading... I just feel it's really important.

"...the hands of time are never on your side"

First, the lyrics that are in the title are from Nickelback's song called "If today was your last day" And...honestly I am not a huge nickelback fan but this is the most thought provoking song I've heard in a really long time... I'll post the lyrics below and then get to my main point...so you can either read them or just skip down.
________________________________________________

"My best friend gave me the best advice
He said each day's a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind
And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest stride

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had, if today was your last day?

What if, what if, if today was your last day?

Against the grain should be a way of life
What's worth the price is always worth the fight
Every second counts 'cause there's no second try
So live like you're never living twice
Don't take the free ride in your own life

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had?
And would you call those friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories?
Would you forgive your enemies?
And would you find that one you're dreaming of?
Swear up and down to God above
That you'd finally fall in love if today was your last day?

If today was your last day
Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?
You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars
Regardless of who you are
So do whatever it takes
'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life
Let nothing stand in your way
'Cause the hands of time are never on your side

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
______________________________________________________



I was just very convicted about how much of our lives we spend wasting or not investing in others. I don't know if it's just me but I don't go about my life as if I might die tomorrow. And I just wonder how do we expect to impact people with our lives and give them a reason to say "Now _____ was really a person that cared about people... and I felt drawn closer to God by being around him/her." I guess I especially think of those of us who are not in school right now and have free time...what are we going to do with it? I am challenging myself as well as anyone who reads this to make use of this time so when you get to the end of the summer you'll be able to see lives changed because of the love you showed, the kind word you spoke, or the unseen help you gave to someone hurting.



God further impressed this upon me in my reading in Daniel tonight. I have always admired Daniel because of two main things. First, he survived 4 DIFFERENT KINGS. In that time that was unheard of but it was because Daniel chose to follow God and live every day of his life with excellence. All his conduct was above reproach. Are our lives like that? Because I can tell you mine has far to go before I will get there. The last thing that I will say about this is how incredible it is that when Daniel's enemies wanted to accuse him....they couldn't find anything. At all. They had to make up something because after watching the way he lived... there wasn't anything they could do.



Am I living that way? Are you? It's something to think about and I thought it really was amazing how God used that song and then His word to fit together... thanks for reading...

"Three things which are too wonderful for me...yes four..." -Thoughts on Proverbs 30

(First published March 30, 2009)

So I love reading through proverbs and it's nice because it has 31 chapters so it works out well to read in a month. And I think Proverbs 30 is one of my favorite chapters. It has a lot of symbolism and poetry in it which really makes it memorable. I would encourage you to read the whole chapter but I am going to just put a few verses that stood out to me below.


There are three things that are never satisfied,
Four never say, “Enough!”:
16 The grave,[a]

The barren womb,

The earth that is not satisfied with water—

And the fire never says, “Enough!”

17 The eye that mocks his father,
And scorns obedience to his mother,

The ravens of the valley will pick it out,

And the young eagles will eat it.
18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me,
Yes, four which I do not understand:
19 The way of an eagle in the air,
The way of a serpent on a rock,
The way of a ship in the midst of the sea,
And the way of a man with a woman.

First, I know these verses are true. And you do too. If anyone has ever just watched people interact with each other (which I love doing), or watched the wind blowing the water, or any other of a 1,000 things in life that are incredible, you know there are things that don't make sense. But why is this?

These verses I've always liked, yet really didn't understand until looking at them today. I loved the poetry in them. Not that I understand them completely, but it makes more sense now. I didn't understand if the writer meant he didn't understand 3 things, or 4, or if he just couldn’t make up his mind! It bothered me. However after studying some commentaries on Proverbs I found that a way of writing, and of saying a list was incomplete back when Proverbs was written was to say: "3 things.... yes, 4..... " . This type of writing was used to show that there were things that are hard, or impossible to understand and that there are more of these things being found all the time. Therefore where should this point us? Well, if you look at the first few verses in this chapter, I believe you can find at least a partial answer. The first few verses say :

4 Who has ascended into heaven, or descended?
Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has bound the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name, and what is His Son’s name,
If you know?
5 Every word of God is pure;
He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.

"Who has bound the waters in a garment?"

Again, this is great poetic writing but more importantly I think it helps to answer the other questions in this chapter. There are things about God that we don't understand because of our own imperfect minds. It's just the way it is. I think that there are things in this world we don't understand and it should cause us to search for answers.... but ultimately realize that God has made some things in nature to point us to Him and how great he is. "Who has gathered the winds in His fists...." These types of phrases show us how great the God we serve is and is why I think verse 5 is so comforting. "Every word of God is pure, He is a shield to those who trust in Him." The thought that the God of the world, who holds the winds in His hands, cares about us and is willing to be our shield if we'll let Him is really humbling. So I guess that is my challenge and the thing that challenged me this morning. Will you be willing to trust Him when you encounter those things in life you don't understand?

Thoughts on Valentines Day

(Published originally on Feb11, 2010)

Hey Everyone,


So over the last few days I've been hearing lots about the big day that is coming up this weekend...meaning of course Valentines Day. From people at CSU, to Facebook, to hearing friends talk about it....it seems that everyone has it on their minds. Now... this might be just me, but I have seen a lot of negative comments about the day from people that are single. And in the past, I would have definitely fallen into this category of people who don't really like the holiday because essentially it proves to everyone that you are indeed still single. And, like many, I have complained in the past about it. However, this year I was praying about it and I really felt the need to say some things to those of us that are single this Valentines Day. So here it goes...

First- I know it is hard but BE HAPPY for those that have someone special (in this case I am thinking bf, gf, husband, wife). And one way to do this is see if you can do anything to make the holiday special for them. For example, maybe swap days at work with that guy who wants to take his girl out and drew the short straw for Sunday evening's shift... trust me....he'll think the world of you if you will do that for him. Or, (this one is one that I need to do) offer to watch your siblings so that your parents can go out and have a nice evening if they'd like to spend some time together. In my case, I was struck with how amazingly blessed I am to have parents that love each other and have given me a great example to follow. So I should be excited to be able to give back to them a little. Another option that I have seen some people do (which is something I hadn't thought of until recently) is....take out a sibling or a friend that is going through a rough time and might really enjoy someone caring enough about them to spend that time with them. I know that it meant the world to me when the people I respected in my life took the time to notice me when I was younger.

Second- Be thankful for the time God has given you right now...even if you are single. Tonight I was listening to a Steven Curtis Chapman song "Miracle of the Moment" and there is a part in there that goes:



"...It’s time for letting go
All of our "if only’s"
Because we don’t have a time machine.
And even if we did
Would we really want to use it?
Would we really want to go change everything?
Because we are who... and where... and what we are for now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about
So breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There’s a wonder in the here and now
It’s right there in front of you
And I don’t want you to miss
The miracle of the moment..."

I am sure many of you know, but shortly after he wrote this song, Chapman's little girl was killed in a tragic accident. I am probably a little off on this but I think she was only 6 or 7 years old. He didn't have too many more moments with her. And....it just struck me... how many moments do we waste wishing for something or someone else and miss the time God has given us with those we have RIGHT NOW? And since we really never know how long we're going to have with anyone, I just thougt that this Valentines Day maybe we should try to look outside ourselves a little and see all the blessings God has given us right now. I know it is still a hard day.... but God has really taught me (and I am still trying to learn) that if we look outside instead of focusing on our own needs, He will take a lot of that pain away. :)

There is more I could say... but I really do want to try to keep this short. I know I am probably forgetting some important things or ideas that would be a help but, as one of my friends says, please credit it to my head and not my heart. Thank for reading…

"Even the very wise cannot see all ends..."

So this will be my first post on an official blog… and already I find myself at a loss for words. Hmm… hopefully this feeling passes or this blog might be as short lived as my aspirations to be a pro football player. It’s not that I am not really new to writing, I love it in fact. But, I am very new to sharing anything I have written with others. I am a careful person by nature and though I have become far more outgoing and now love trying new things in many areas (traveling, sports, challenges, etc.) I have become more and more guarded with my words and especially what I write for others to see. I am reminded of the verse in Proverbs: “…life and death are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruits”. I think these words were never more felt then today in our age of technology where communication through texting, facebook, twitter, and blogs happens on an hourly basis. Words have become very easy to write and, I fear, have lost much of their importance. Because of this, I had always heavily questioned if what I wanted to post was even worth the time it takes to read it. However, I have decided that even if things that I write and think about are not 100% correct in every way, maybe they can be an encouragement to someone at some point in their journey or maybe be part of my growing process similar to the one that God takes us each on as we seek to pursue Him. I am reminded of Gandalf’s quote in Lord of the Rings: “Even the very wise cannot see all ends…” and my hope is that God will use things we say in ways that aren’t even known to us at this point in our lives. If I were to go back in ten years and look at these posts I am sure I would cringe at some of the things I have written and certainly write them differently but in all that is said or discussed my earnest prayer is that God would use something to bless the life of someone else. So thank you for reading this far and I look forward to talking about the great adventure that is life in future days. Now some things to know about my writing style:

1. I occasionally try to be funny… however, this doesn’t mean it IS funny. You have every right to groan as my family does with many of my attempted jokes.

2. I love quotes, lyrics, verses, and things said by far smarter people than me so these things will appear many times as titles or cleverly inserted at other points.

3. I am usually fairly blunt and honest with what I think.

I think that is all that comes to mind for now. Oh, my first few entries will be things that I have written in years past that I don’t shudder too much when I read. So that is how things will start, enjoy the journey everyone.