And Now for Something a Little Different

I posted this mostly because everyone needs to see a picture of me shoveling snow in a Cowboy hat (well thats what I was shoveling snow before Molly took the picture). This was taken around New Years at my parents house in Reno. Now don't miss my longer blog entry just below here!

Where We Are

So tonight I have been spending a little time crusing around Myspace looking for profiles of people I went to High school with. It has been weird...most of the people that claim to have gratuated the same year as me I don't remember or recognize. So people seem familiar and when I look at their sites I get a glimps into how they are living their lives, I get to see whats important to them and their friends. I see people that I knew and I look at their sites and I wonder could I have loved them more. Is there something that I could have done to impact their lives... Did they see Christ in me when they knew me?

I think of one guy, that I remember from High school at the time wondering if he was gay and I remember thinking he was a nice guy but I also remember that not many people were nice to him. And I wonder did my life impact him for good...was I just another person that mocked him or at the very least was apathetic towards him. I wonder was my life as bright a light as it should have been or could have been? Was my nature preventing the love of Christ from being shown? As I looked at these blogs I wondered.

There were also the blogs of people who were Christians in High school, one of whom was the girl I went to Jr. and Sr. prom with (weird) and when I look at their blogs alot of them talk about partying and drinking and use curse words in their blogs and it makes me go "Hhmm". Was being a Christian really just something to be in High School? Was it just another club to be apart of? Like the Key Club, 4H, or the Chess Club? I wonder and I pray that isn't that case.

Then there was the blog of one of my closest friends in High School, a guy that I spent many a day hanging out with him, playing video games, watching movies, working on our cars. This is a guy that at the time knew I was a Christian and knew what I believed. He didn't aceppt it for himself but I didn't reject him and he didn't reject me. He wouldn't ask me to do things that he knew I wouldn't be comfortable with and he knew when I didn't think something was cool. However in the end he joined the Navy and I prayed that he would remember those things that I told him and that he would remember that Christ would offer more that any combo of car, girls, and video games ever could. When I saw his blog not much had seemed to change for him...money, cars and the Navy are all that come out on his blog.

Even before I went looking for these blogs I wondered if any of the people I knew in High School think about me? I think about them...well some of them. I think about the people who have come and gone in my life and I wonder if my life was a blessing to them. I wonder if they know I still pray for them and think about them and I pray that even now God would draw them to him.

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. ^Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

^ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,^ Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. ^ Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

Hebrews 4:18 NIV



Our Own Understanding

Well here it is my first Blog of 06' and I would just like to start off saying that I appreciated those who expressed interest in when my next Blog entree would be. It has now been over a month since my last Blog and I really can't say much has happened. School started back up and that is pretty much the change in my life since my last Blog. Now over the past month there has been a plethora of Blogs for me to read, many have been entertaining and some have been thought provoking and I must say that much of my procrastinating in writing a new blog entree has been in part because I have been mulling over the thought provoking entrees. So I'll come right out and say it that this entree will fall into the thought provoking category.

"In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil." (Job 1:1, NIV) Even God himself praised the integrity of Job; "Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."' (Job 1:8, NIV) Now basically what happened was that Satan challenged God on Job's integrity and uprightness so God allowed Satan to put Job to the test and after losing almost all his family and possessions and being covered in sores Job still refused to curse God. Now from chapter 3 thru 37 there is a dialogue between Job and three of his friends and as you read what Job's friends say to him there seems to be wisdom in what they say. Except by the end of the book God makes it clear that what they were saying wasn't wisdom but foolishness. "After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has."' (Job 42:7, NIV) Now you may be wondering why I just summarized the story of Job for you. Well I wanted to make a point, as we read the interaction and dialogue between Job and his friends it seems that what Job's friends have to say is wisdom, good Godly wisdom. Except God makes it clear that what they thought was good Godly advice was really foolishness.

Now sometimes I fear we fall prey to the same problems. We think that our insight and thoughts are wise and honest, but I wonder how often we are simply expressing our own understanding. Our wisdom seems to reflect an attempt to reconcile what God says in the Bible with how we see the world. Are we blending the two together? Sometimes. Should we be? I argue no. The Bible makes it clear that we are called to love this world, that we are to be Christ’s representatives in this world and that through us and the Holy Spirit, Christ is calling all people to repentance and reconciliation with Him. We know from the scriptures that our first calling is; “Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deut. 10:12, NIV) or more directly, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deut. 6:5, NIV) Jesus even re-emphasizes this in Matthew 22:34-40 but in it he adds something that many people seem to miss; “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40, NIV) What Jesus said here not only parallels Deuteronomy 6:5 but also another passage in Deuteronomy; “He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” (Deut. 10:18-19, NIV) and “If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks.” (Deut. 15:7-8, NIV) both of these passages reflect Jesus’ second commandment, to love others as ourselves. The question becomes: what does loving others as ourselves mean? Does it “love others” to give to the poor? To help a friend move? To pray for those who are sick? To give food to the hungry? Compassion to the broken hearted? Acceptance of someone’s sin?? This last one is a little tricky huh? Are we truly loving people when we allow them to see us down play someone’s sin? Any sin? When we say, “Well this isn’t really a big deal, we accept you just the way you are.” Are we doing people any favors by letting them think that simply being a nice or good person is all that matters because we are worried that telling someone that their actions are sinful might hurt their feelings or turn them away from God? If people don’t recognize sin how can there ever be reconciliation between them and a Holy and Just God? I believe that sin has created a barrier between man and God and rendered man hostile towards God (Isa. 59:1-2; Col. 1:22-22; James 4:4). Through the death of Christ the wrath of God was removed (Rom. 5:10), thus having removed the barrier of sin God moved to reconcile man to Himself (2 Cor. 5:18, 19). However, without recognition and repentance of that sin how will people ever become reconciled to God? I believe that because God is holy and righteous He cannot overlook sin, so through the death of Christ (1 John 2:2, 4:10), all the righteous demands of God towards humanity have been satisfied (Heb 2:17). However, it is important to realize that people must chose to come to Christ. Christ's death was for all of humanity (2 Cor. 5:14-15; I Tim. 2:6, 4:10; 2 Pet. 3:9) even though not all of humanity will be saved, His death was for the whole world (John 1:29, 3:16-19, 4:42; 1 John 4:14) but it is effective only for those who repent and believe in the gospel.

We are not God and therefore we are not to be Judges of this world (thankfully) and because we are not God we do not know everything He knows and we are not perfect. However, we have the scriptures which He revealed for us so that we might know truth. I believe that all Scripture (the Bible), is God breathed (2 Tim. 3:16) originating not from the will of men but communicated by God through the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). The scriptures are our insight in to the TRUTH of God and we can place trust in them because it is God’s word. In that we may have a firm and true foundation for our faith. So it is in Love for God that we believe and follow His word, it is because of our Love for God that we show love to Him and others. It is because of our love for God that we do not shy away from the truth of sin and its reality in this world.

We must remember that the “Love” that is seen in the scriptures is much deeper and more complex than emotional love. Emotional love is based upon how we feel or more accurately, emotional love is based on our self interests. This kind of love is based on the question: “How do I feel?” or “What makes me comfortable?” In this case love is given and taken away based upon the whim of feelings which aren’t always based on truth. The Love that is shown in the scriptures is based upon a much more firm foundation. It is founded upon the promises of God, there is no fear that God will up and decide that he doesn’t feel like loving His people anymore. We also see that the Love expressed in the scriptures is much broader then emotional love. This Love is founded upon promises that will never change and includes hope for all people. This Love is infinitely more fulfilling then emotional love but it is also much more demanding. If we are to be a part of God’s people and therefore Love Him, and we are also being Loved by Him, then we must realize that this deeper Love places more responsibility and demands on us. As His people we cannot expect to just sit back and receive unending Love from God for nothing. However, God’s Love did not come with strings attached, so if we are truly God’s people our Love for God and our service to Him comes from a deeper stronger love that is not founded on feelings. As a result when we are His, our hearts should be so filled with our Love from Him that our desire to serve Him does not come from a feeling of obligation but rather it is a by-product of His Love poured into us. In other words He pours so much Love into us that we should not be able to help but pour that Love back out to Him and others.

We must remember that what seems like wisdom is not always God’s wisdom and what seems like love is not always God’s love. We are His people and we are called to reflect His wisdom and love, not our own and not the worlds. It was God’s love that sent His one and only Son into the world to be the sin offering for us all. It was God’s wisdom that chose to pour out all of His Holy and Just wrath onto his Holy and Just Son rather than onto His creation (man). It is the Love and Wisdom of God that says that even though we are sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Let us seek out Godly wisdom and let us express God’s love to people. Let us show the world the Truth that is found in the scriptures, let us be people of the scriptures living life based on God’s understanding NOT our own.

P.S. GO Seahawks!

A Year in Reflection

So here we are, 2005 is about over and we are about to start a whole new year and to be honest I am kind of sad to see this year come to an end. For some of us it has been a year of large changes, for some it has been a year of new jobs, new homes, marriage, new pets, starting new schools, and moving to new states.
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Well I should tell you that I had this long typed out post with many deep insights about this last year but since my computer decided that it didn't want these deep insights to be shared with the world that it would reload my web page and I had lost almost every thing that I had typed. The only part of the message I had saved is the part at the top of the page. So now that I am tired and I don't remember all that typed you now get a summary of what I typed.

• I said something along the lines of how I look forward to this new year and all the new things that it would bring.
• I talked about a lot the changes we have all experienced over this last year. I wont go into all I had typed before but you all know the changes you have experienced this last year so I don't need to go into them again.
• I encouraged us all to continue growing in our friendships and that we would spur each other on to continue growing in our relationship with God.
• I summed up this last last year with the themes of change and growth and I wanted to encourage us all to look forward to change because it brings about growth.
• I talked about some funny stories from our friendships... so feel free to laugh right now as if those stories were still here.
• Lastly I talked about giving thanks to God for the growth and changes He had brought into my life this last year and how thankful I am for the friendships I have with all of you.

Now that last thing I would like from all of you, my adoring fans, I would like to know what you look forward to this next year? Do you have any hopes for 2006? Or what are some of your favorite memories for 2005? What will you miss about this last year? Let us reminisce and reflect, so POST!

Happy New Years!

The View from my Living room

So I woke up this morning and looked out my window and this is what I see. Well okay, so this isn't really the view from my living room but when I saw this I thought it looked cool, so I needed to share it with you all! It also made me glad that Portland doesn't get ice like this bad. Imagine trying to scrap the ice off your car when it look like this pic that's some thick ice and most of us scrap the ice off our cars with a credit card...wow...that would take forever! I'd just go back inside and go to bed.
Seeing pictures like this always make me want to sit in a nice warm house with some hot chocolate, enjoying the warm glow of my computer monitor. Seriously though, winter is one of the coolest (no pun intended) times of the year. Being able to go for walks in the snow (or rain if your in Portland--which is not nearly as much fun), celebrating Christmas, drinking warm Egg Nog, hanging out with friends and family, 24hour Christmas music radio stations (although they can be a curse too) but the best thing about winter time...Snow days. Again the problem being Portland just doesn't get many snow days...*sigh*...oh well.
So what's your favorite thing about winter? And if you have some cool winter pictures, post them or give a link to find them. Well that's all for now, so Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Well it is now that time of year, people are putting up Christmas lights, buying Christmas trees, shopping for friends and family, drinking egg nog, wondering when it might stop raining (at least in Oregon we wonder that), and trying to get through finals. Now I know that for many of you this is no longer an issue, you are out enjoying all the things on the list above without the added weight of finals. Well to quote Napoleon Dynamite (and not Tre'); "Lucky!"

Now in reality I really don't have that much to complain about (and I really am not complaining....just envious of all of you who are done with school), I am only taking three classes one of which doesn't have a final, one is take home and the other however, is a Patty class. So maybe I am dead, this happens to be my first and most likely, last Patty class. Now this post is not really about the stresses of being in school but rather it is a focus on the anticipation of being done with school. Assuming everything goes well this semester and next, I will final be done in May. Woot!

So what I want to know what are the best things about being done with school? I want your inspiration to help spur me on so that I will finish well. So tell me what are the things you like most about being done and out of school and for those of you not done, tell me what you are looking forward to. I am close to being done and I see the light at the end of the tunnel, I can see the finish line, its just I am notorious for tripping within feet of the finish line and landing on my face. So inspire me.

Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving tomorrow I have been thinking a lot on what Thanksgiving means and how we respond to it. I know that tomorrow most people will be with friends and family and at some point in the early afternoon or evening they will all gather around a table that is covered with food and will eat. Which is great, I look forward to a good Thanksgiving meal but is this all there is to Thanksgiving?

I think that we need to remember what it is we are thankful for. Many of us will be overwhelmed with the process of thanksgiving and so we forget the heart of it. It is a time to give thanks for the blessings in our lives. To remember those things, events, or people over the last year that have blessed us in ways that we don't deserve. I want to share a list some of the things I am thankful for, its not a complete list but it is a start.


I am thankful for...

• the ways in which God is providing for me and Molly this year and for the things that He has been teaching me this year. I am thankful that despite all my failings I am still His child and He has forgiven me.
• my marriage to Molly, she is such a huge encouragement to me, she is all ways encouraging me to become a better man of God.
• my friendships, Kyle, Dusty, Tre', Justin, Derek, and Cami (just to name a few). You all are such a great bunch of Brothers in the Lord and even though I don't get to see all of you (Tre' and Cami) as much as I would like you all are still huge blessings in my life. Thanks!
• my family who has been an encouragement to Molly and me all of our lives. Thank you for helping us and blessing us, as Molly and I continue to lay the foundation of our marriage. Thank you for the wisdom you share, we appreciate it even if we don't follow it. =)
  

Well that is all I can think of for the moment. Now what are you thankful for? I would encourage you to post a coment listing something you are thankful for.

"Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms." Psalm 95:2

The Problems with being a Perfectionist

Well I am a dork, after being lazy about updating my first blog for months, I sat down to do some blog entries the other day and I realized I had a problem. I had forgotten all the access information I used to set up the account. I couldn't remember my password, username, or even the email address I had used to set up the account and despite going through every conceivable password, username and email address I just could not figure it out. So I have given up on that blog. (*sigh*) So any who, I will now attempt to be more thoughtful and engaged with this new blog. I am going to write down my new info so I wont have a repeat problem.

On that note not to much is currently happening in my life. I am still I school and it feels like I should get tenure with all the time I have put in at Multnomah! I know Tre' would understand. However, I have been spending a lot of time thinking about what I am going to do once I finish at Multnomah. My fear is that once I get done with Multnomah I wont find a job that I want to do so I'll end up just settling with some job and never go on and do something that I want to do.

-So what do I want to do?
Well that Is a very good question, I am glad you asked and to be frank I am not entirely sure. Right now I have a lot of interest in being a high school teacher. I enjoy the interaction with high schoolers as well as the ability to have deeper more engaging classroom experiences. So the dilemma becomes do I go on and get my Masters in teaching, which will cost me a lot more money, or do I try and find a teaching job with just my B.S.

Well now you know a little bit of what goes on inside my head as I try think through everything. However, I do know that no matter what God is still there and He will lead me as He desires and I truly look forward to what He will use me for. Its just that I can be impatient.