Piano "lessons"

As a piano teacher (and I'm guessing any teacher has this same experience), I see kids that want to learn, but don't have the drive to actually put effort into it, and it's frustrating.
When I give a student a lesson and something to work on that week, I expect them to practice it.
One of my students is currently on their 4th week on the SAME worksheet because they haven't practiced it. :/ It's frustrating to me because I want them to continue and to progress.

Then, God spoke to me in His soft voice. But His words make me literally stop what I was doing and reflect on what He said.

He asked me the question How many times have I given you a test, and I have to keep sending you the same tests because each time, you haven't learned from the last time?


Wow. Convicted. It's so true though. Too often we have to keep repeating the same tests because we don't learn. God wants us to learn. He's disappointed because he wants us to continue and to progress. He wants to move on to bigger and better things. He's waiting on us to learn.

11 unprofessional suggestions

I'm by no means an expert in handling stress, busy schedules, or conquering multiple projects.
I am, however, learning how to do it. 
Here's some of my very inadequate and unprofessional advice. 

1. Stay off Facebook and Twitter. If you have a ton of homework, nothing will distract you more than checkin' out your Facebook, getting lost in tweets, and just plain creepin' on people. Heck yeah, it's fun, and chances are, you may even let yourself believe the lies that you try to tell yourself. Example: I'll only go on for five minutes (....40 minutes later....you remember your convincing story). If it's for an extended period of time, deactivate your Facebook (they'll let you come back). Deactivate your twitter (you have 30 days to come back).
2. Prioritize. If you have something due tomorrow. Work on it today. If it's due in 2 days, work on it tomorrow. Regardless of how big the project is, get done what is due first. It'll work every single time. If it's not that big of a paper, project, etc, still do it first. Get it out of the way if it's not that big of a deal. 
3. Lose some sleep. Normally you won't see this in professional advice. I'm not professional. Honestly, I see it this way, you have an extra 10 hours during the night to get stuff done. You can suffer one day of tiredness. Fact: your body will readjust after just one night of a regular sleep schedule. Don't feel like you need three days to catch up on sleep after one night of a lack of sleep. I don't suggest pulling all nighters. Set a time where you HAVE to be in bed, i.e. 1am or 2am. With most people, if you get at least 4 hours of sleep, you can function. Act accordingly. Get your stuff done. 
4. For tests: (again, unprofessional advice), regardless if you've studied a ton or haven't studied a lot, review the material right before your test. As soon as you get your test, scan the test for familiar topics or questions that look identical to your study guides, books, or previous tests/quizzes.
5. Make lists. I don't care if you're not a list person. Make a list. I survive off of lists. It helps me to prioritize my current happenings and it gives me a sense of accomplishment when I can cross something off my list. 
6. Learn to say no. If you can't hang out with somebody, participate in an event, or accomplish a task somebody is wanting you to do, ...take the drugs method.....just say no. Chances are, they'll be offended, or they won't. 50/50 chance. Either way, you have to get your stuff done. 
7. Don't forget about the people in your life. Human relationships will help you deal with the stress of a busy workload or schedule. If you focus 100% of your energy on work, school, or whatever you're doing, you'll burn out. Take time to talk on the phone, text somebody, or hang out for a little bit. Human interaction is the spice of life.
8. Embrace silence. We live in a loud society. Music. TV. Random noises. Don't be afraid to simply drive in silence. It's good for you sometimes. 
9. Pray. (in no way are this in order of importance) Having Jesus in your life is one of the best ways to deal with stress. Tell God exactly how you feel (yes, you can talk to him like you talk to your best friend...hello..?)
10. Know your food and drink vices. Espresso is mine. Once again, un-professional advice. If coffee helps you focus, if gum helps you think, if caffeine is your friend in troubling times, indulge. Get what you need to get done.
11. When the stressful times are done, take. a. break. Period. 

Yeah. Anyway. 

Boyte out. 

Radical Change

Temptation. It's a tricky thing.

You can turn temptation in to a win. Trust me. It's possible.

When looking at James 1:14, it's obvious to see that we are tempted when we become enticed by our own natural desires. The first step in dealing with temptation is recognizing our human tendency to be tempted. We're human. It's bound to happen. Temptation is a given. It will always be there, so don't be caught off guard by it. Instead, expect to be tempted on a daily basis; be prepared for it. 

The NLT translation of 1 Corinthians 10:13 is so cool. It says "But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience." This is a common lie from the enemy, telling you that you're the only one going through this, you're all alone. Lie. Everyone goes through temptation. It goes on to say that "God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give into it".  No matter how hard core the temptation is, God's got your back. He will never let you go through something that He's not able to bring you out of. 

A good measure to take when dealing with temptation is knowing your Word. Hebrews 4:12 says that the word of God is "quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword". Sounds like a pretty intense weapon. Temptation is intense, too. It won't just back down; be prepared for a fight. it's helpful to read God's word when temptation comes, sometimes even that's not practical. A better practice is to KNOW the word of God so that when temptation comes, you can fight it with the knowledge of the word. It's easier to quote a scripture when a thought comes than it is to find your Bible, look up in the concordance something dealing with that temptation and reading that verse. If you are regularly reading your Bible, you will have God's full counsel at your finger tips. 

The title of this blog is "radical change". Let me give you a scenario. 

If you're reading a book, and somebody comes and hits your hand with a hammer, that's going to radically change your situation. Chances are, you're not going to want to continue reading the book. However, if somebody simply walks past you and brushes past your shoulder, you might look up at them, but you'll continue reading.

Regarding temptation, I'm not saying slam your body with a hammer. But check this out.

When temptation comes, one of the best reactions is radical change. 

Go for a run, go to a store, call somebody. Do SOMETHING to change your situation. 

When I discuss sexual temptation with guys, I tell them this: "When you want to look at pornography on your computer while it's sitting there in your room, reading a bible verse and going back to bed won't cut it all the time. You need to do something to completely change your situation. Put your computer in the living room. Go sleep on the couch. Call a mentor. Do something different!"

Refocus your temptation with praise. This one's a hard one. When you're tempted, it's going to be easier to dwell on that temptation than it is to think about worshipping God. Sing a song, read a scripture, dwell on a sermon, write in your journal. Find something to do that is an act of worship toward God. Nothing shuts down the enemy's plan faster than you praising God. 

When we do fail and give into temptation, get up. God's mercy and grace is fresh every morning. Each day when you wake up, God is asking you Will you let your past sin go so that we can continue in our relationship? If you look at any relationship, it's a let down when one party brings up past events that has already been forgiven. God feels the same way. He wants you to move on from your sin so that He can continue to love you and love through you to others around you. 

He's waiting on you. 

Recap:

Recognize our tendency to live in sin.

Run away from sin. God's got our back. 

Make a radical change when temptation comes.

Know the Bible so you can combat the enemy with Truth.

Refocus the temptation with praise.

Repent and move on when failures take place. 

Who Are You?

Who are you?  
Who am I? This is the question that will plague teenagers from now until Jesus comes. We live in a society that stresses the importance of finding who you are. This is why in college, it's mandatory to take classes that aren't related to your proclaimed major. The education system wants you to experience different classes to find out if you're sure on what you want to do with your life. Career, religion, culture, social class and sexuality are different ways in our country to express who you are. The rise in plastic surgeries support the fact that many people aren't comfortable with who they are. They want to change. They want to be somebody else. 
So, who are you? 


Friend Me!
Pop culture magazines, the internet, television and virtually all forms of media are screaming at teenagers to find out who they are. However, often times the wrong message is being portrayed. This message says: Be like us. If you don't look like us, you're not accepted. If you don't do what we do, you're not cool. People use social means like Facebook to produce a facade of themselves that is different than who they really are, posting status updates and pictures that are their faces and voices, but are...well, different. Let me give you an example. Facebook became popular when I was in high school. I had a friend that got a Facebook and started posting all kinds of "religious" statuses. However, when you talked to him in person, you would never know he was a Christian. This isn't about Facebook, it's about identity. This social network has become common talk between people, and we have adapted new words into our language. The words "friend" and "facebook" have become verbs and it's socially accepted to write on somebody's "wall". Why am I talking about facebook? Because it's hurting our identities. 
Am I saying go and delete your page? Of course not. I still have mine. It's a great resource. 


Check out these verses.
John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." 
Psalm 118:8 "It's better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."
Proverbs 14:28 "In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge." 


These verses claim four things. 1) We are in God's friend list. Apart from this connection, we can do nothing. 2) Confidence in man fails. Confidence in God wins. Every time. 3) Self confidence needs to be centered in Christ. 4) Because of this connection, we have the privilege to have a refuge in God. 


The Lie
You see, we live in a constantly changing world that thinks the amount of Facebook friends they have determines their identity. What? Nobody has written on my wall in the last 3 weeks? I clearly don't have any real friends. Internet activity has replaced real conversations. She has 2,400 friends? Wow...I only have 212. I must not be popular. It's probably that person accepts everyone and their mom. Your identity needs to be solid in the One who made you. Jesus is probably so hurt sometimes because his creation can't see that they're valuable in His eyes. Pop culture claims that you aren't of worth unless you bend to the ever-bending morals of society. Movie Stars tells you you're not beautiful because you're not fake. TV stars tells you your life is boring because it doesn't involve having at least 3 sexual partners. Facebook stalkers tell you you're not popular until you've reached your maximum of 5,000 friends. The devil tells you that you don't belong to the Kingdom of God because of past sin. 


The Truth
Let me tell you some facts about how God feels about you. These facts are unconditional (without conditions or limitations). This means they can't change. This is the truth. Check it.
1. You are accepted. 
John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
2. You are secure. 
Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
3. You are significant. 
John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
4. You are a child, a friend, a temple and a member of God and His Kingdom.
John 15:15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
5. You are an ambassador of His reign and reconciliation. 
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
6. You have been redeemed and forgiven of your sin. 
Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
7. You are complete in Jesus, and only in Him. 
Colossians 2:9-10 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.


Identity comes from Christ. Not from pop culture. Not from Facebook. Not from relationships. Not from anything else. When the foundation of your identity comes from Jesus Christ, you won't fall apart when everything else falls apart.

Steve Jobs

*Insert blog about how Steve Jobs changed the world*

*Insert blog about how one can profit the world and lose his soul*

*Insert comical quote using some sort of iWord*

Called, Separated, Anointed

When somebody is called, they feel that God has picked them out of a crowd.
God has chosen them to be His anointed servant.
To lead. To exemplify. To portray. To be His heartbeat. To do what He commissions.
God calls, so He can use.
He calls, so He can do His will through human beings.
The people that are called are the people He choses from to use.

Many are called. Few are chosen. (Matt 22:14)

I must ask: 
Why are only a few chosen when many are called?
Why doesn't God use everyone He calls?


Well, we were first called to be separate.
Before the call to preach.
Before the call to do music.
Before the call to be a missionary.
Before the call to any ministry.
We were called to be separate. (2 Cor. 6:17)

Being called is but the first step in a lifelong commitment to being chosen.
When telemarketers make "the call" to potential clients, they aren't assuming the person on the other end of the line will accept the call or even listen.
When God places a call on somebody's life, it's up to them to decide what to do with it.

When being separate from the world, one must decide now how to react to any given situation.
Being separate because of a call doesn't mean you must lift yourself up above others to appear closer to God. It doesn't mean you have to shout from the rooftops that you are called.
You just.....are.
Being separate means you can't do certain things. It might not even be sin. But when you separate yourself because you love Jesus, He then can work on you.

The last step is the anointing. Because of your call, your action to that call through separation, God choses to use you. Many are called, yes. However, many do not answer that call because they are not willing to separate.
They are not willing to sacrifice what they want, for His will. For His anointing.
You see, anointed people and people who are used didn't get to where they are by remaining stagnant.
They acted upon their calling.

I got to thinking about this because of a text that I got today from a friend who told me to "keep doing what I was doing".
"Leaders do things very different every day strictly for the anointing. It could be refraining from a movie or saying a certain word....Sacrificing day to day brings a level of anointing that ministers".

I teared up in my Spanish literature class as I pondered these kind words that I appreciated so much.





Lord. Make me Yours. Use me like You want to use me. Let not my pride get in the way of your anointing flowing through my veins. Let me never fail to give You glory first. Help me not to dwell on any accolades. Strip me of who I am and make me more like You. Help me to commit daily to studying You, acting like You, speaking like You, and being more like You in every way I can.

My World

Your laugh, a symphony. Your smile, the sunrise.

Your heart, the ocean. Your eyes, the galaxy.

You strengthen, renew, lift up.

Complete, arrive, awaken.

Your soft words heighten each scattered thought.
For your heart, my soul has always fought.

A day without you is like a song without music.

I'll carry the rhythm, but without you, I'd lose it.

In my thoughts. In my words. In everything.
So much life. Like arrivals of spring.
So dance with me. I'll take the lead.
We'll take it at the slowest speed.

Words fail when expressing my heart.
But here is the place I'll try to start.
My poetry, a cluttered mess of letters and lines.
My attempts to show how with you, my world shines.

So thank you. For being there.
For simply laughing, crying, talking, joking, singing, and sitting silent. With me.
Just to be with you makes my day. Every day.

My dear Evelyn. You mean so much to me.
You're my world.

Crash Course in College Classrooms

I'm a senior in college. Being that general education credits are required for everyone, most freshman take similar classes. I went against the grain and skipped one of my 'early' classes during college and decided to take it as a senior.
Geography 212. Weather and Climate.
It was either that or Chemistry. I'm still bitter about chemistry from high school, so no.


Anyway. I am in geography with most freshman. Some of them need a crash course on college, so here it is. If you're going to college or are in college, or want a laugh, pay attention.






Rules for college:

• Got a squeaky chair? Sit still. You're a big boy/girl. You don't have to move every 19 seconds.
• Late for class? Don't make a scene. Sit down. Don't try to explain why you were late in front of a class of 186. 
• Don't know the answer to a direct question? Don't volunteer to answer. 
• Is the teacher talking? Then shut up.
• Don't pack up early. If your class ends at 11:10, pack up at 11:10. Packing up 8 minutes early will disrupt the class while the professor is attempting to make use of their time.
• Put your phones on vibrate or turn them off. It's real simple.
• Your opinion does matter. If you're discussing an open ended topic, don't be afraid to share your opinion. As long as you support your point, the teacher will love it.
• If you're going to play games on your phone or computer, don't even think about sitting anywhere near the front. It's distracting to those around you.
• By all means, bring food/drink to class if allowed by the professor. But please. If it's a bag of doritos or other food that sounds like a cadence off of Drumline while you're crunching on it, leave it at home. 
• There generally aren't assigned seats. Don't tell somebody "that's my seat". This isn't 3rd grade.
• Unless it's a debate class, don't argue with the professor. Discuss it after class if it's that big of a deal.
• Teachers often have nervous ticks. A random noise or 'comfort word' they use too often. If you pick it out early in the semester it'll make for a fun(ny) semester. 
• Sit in the front.
• Sit by people who take notes and don't talk. It'll make your semester flow more smoothly.
• If you have an early class. Bring coffee. Bring a red bull. Bring something to keep you awake. 
• Ask questions. Ask questions. Ask questions. These professors work for YOU. See them in their office hours. Call them. Email them. Annoy the heck out of them until you understand the subject. 

I could go on for hours.  But I'll leave it at that. 

Piano Student Christians

I’ve been teaching piano lessons for almost a year now. Not gonna lie, it’s quite rewarding. Teaching is something that I thought I’d never do, but I actually enjoy it. I don’t think I’d consider it for a full time job, but who knows. 

After teaching for only a few months, I started to notice trends with how people treated lessons. I then began to notice a distinct comparison between a student and a Christian. 

***

The first type of student is the student who rarely comes to lessons. They have a time slot, but something always comes up. A forgotten appointment, a relative in town, a job mishap, a homework assignment, a lack of a ride to the lesson, or simply, they forgot. This student comes to lesson thinking they can cram a month’s work into a 30 minute lesson. They truly care about playing piano, but haven’t come to the point where they care about it enough to make it a priority. 

This is also a type of Christian. They rarely come to church. They have a place where they normally sit, they pay their tithes sometimes, but something always comes up. A forgotten appointment, a relative in town, a shift change at work, a homework assignment, a lack of a ride church, a cold, or simply put, they just didn’t feel like coming to church. This Christian thinks they can cram a whole month of the presence of God and Biblical teachings into one service. They truly want to live for God. They know what’s right. They just haven’t arrived to the point where it’s more important to them than anything else. 

***

The second type of student is the “eh” student. They come to lessons every week. They have their homework with them. They make sure I’m paid (or the parents do). They are there on time, ready to work. However, when the lesson starts, it’s obvious they haven’t done a single thing during the week to prepare for the lesson. They haven’t sit at a piano all week. They didn’t even take out their binder to look at the assignment I gave them. They somehow think they can improve at piano by just being in lessons. 

This is the lukewarm Christian. They come to church every week. They bring their Bibles with them every Sunday. They pay their tithes. They are at the church whenever the doors are open. However, when it really comes down to it, they haven’t done a single thing to improve their walk with God during the week. They haven’t prayed. They haven’t read their Bible. They haven’t applied the sermon to their life. They think that by simply being at church, they will somehow have a relationship with God. 

***

The third type of student is the devoted one. They are at lessons and rarely miss. They prioritize the lessons during the week. They work their appointments and other things going on around when they need to be at lessons. They practice during the week at home. They are texting/calling me to figure out chords and rhythms. They practice at church when there’s an open piano. You can hear them playing at church when nobody’s there. They are researching how to play songs they don’t know how to play. They are used elsewhere because they are improving. They ask questions when they don’t understand. They’re confident. They have it goin’ on.

This is the devoted Christian. A true Christ follower. They are at church and only miss when it’s out of their hands. They prioritize their walk with God. They work their personal lives around the things of God. They talk to God. They read their Bible. On a daily basis. They apply the sermons to their life. You can hear them praying at church when nobody’s there. They call people when they are struggling with something. They have mentors. They have a strong support system to lean on. They pray for God to use them. They are used. They diligently study to understand things they don’t know. They’re confident in who they are in Christ. These are the people who have it goin’ on. 

***

Which one of God’s students will you be?

Musical, unfailing.

Doing shows is always an interesting escapade. From the see how much stuff we can fit into one van to the lets put everything back in the van...again (never as fun), much happens. People laughing, having a great time. Changing songs in the set list. Biffing intros. Rocking songs we didn't even practice. Laughing at inside jokes in the middle of songs. Having your best friends in the audience. Giving money to an incredible organization. Introductions. Worshipping. Conversations. Video and picture taking. Catching glances from that really pretty girl in the audience. Smiles. Lifted hands. Amazingness.
Selah.


Tonight, I saw God's unfailing, unconditional love take place through a human being. A man divorced his wife over a year ago. She was in the audience. He showed up with his new girlfriend. Trying to show the love of Jesus and be an example to her grown kids, she went up and introduced herself to his new girlfriend. That took major guts. Pride can't get in the way of that mess. That was getting beyond yourself and letting Jesus flow through you. Because it's not about us, it's about God; He wants every soul saved. Because He is relentless.




I want to spend the rest of my life with a drifter. 

Quick Update on Life

1. I love lists.

2. I'm extremely happy today. I got to sit in Starbucks and read and journal for about 3 and a half hours today.

3. The power of God seen yesterday at church is still blowing my mind.

4. I'm extremely disappointed in the lack of commitment and personal vision in some people. Honestly, it's not about you. It's not about me. It's about God, and His church. When we make it all about us, we lose God's perspective.

5. I'm currently reading 5 books. "Intoxicated with Babylon" (Steve Gallagher). "Visioneering" (Andy Stanley). "Erasing Hell" (Francis Chan). "Treat Me Like a Customer" (Louis Upkins Jr.). And The Holy Bible, inspired by Jesus Christ Himself. Leaders are readers, and I have fallen in love with reading.

6. I'm incredibly excited about life. I'm dating my best friend. She's a prayer warrior, is in love with reading God's word, and loves people. She's a witness. An example of holiness. A genuine Christian. She's my best friend. Looking forward to what God has in store for us. :)

7. I am continually growing in personal vision for my life under God's direction, and it's really fun.

8. I have two semesters left of school. Period.

9. I wrote one of the longest emails today that I have ever written. Updating somebody on my life. Somebody who spoke into my life about a year and a half ago that changed my life forever. I started crying about 3 times during the email. Without this person's sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, I don't know where I would be today.

10. Looking back on my life, I know God has my in the palm of His hand. So many things have been added and subtracted from my life for specific reasons. The people that are in my life now are in my life for a specific reason. People that aren't in my life anymore are not in there for specific reasons.

11. I currently journal in 3 different journals. It's real cool.

12. I'm going to write a book one day.

13. As much as some people think they "know God's plan for my life", only God does. I have mentors for a reason. If you're not my mentor, don't tell me what I'm going to be doing in 5 years. Even if it is in a joking manner. And I say that all with a smile on my face. :)

14. Vision needs experience. I'm all for God's will happening in my life. Sometimes that vision needs to be backed with experience because God doesn't blindly throw somebody into a situation that they can't control or come out the victor.

15. Prayer is awesome.

"Be Holy As I Am Holy"

I'll give props to Steve Gallagher (and God) for the information used in this blog. Excerpt from "Intoxicated with Babylon" from said author.

A.W. Tozer said "We have learned to live with unholiness and have come to look upon it as the natural and expected thing"

Andrew Murray said "Our calling, before and above everything else, is to holiness"

Leighton Ford said "There is no detour to holiness. Jesus Christ came to the resurrection through the cross, not around it."

Even the most careless reader can see that the Bible is against every sin of every kind and degree. The whole design of God was to restore man to His image, and raise him from the ruins of man's fall. 1 Peter 1:14-16 states that "You shall be holy, for I am holy". Look at Christians a hundred years ago, and regardless of a stated religion, you would find Christians that were undeniably dedicated to being separate. For them, holiness was simply a believer's duty ot live in deep consecration to a Holy God. To be a Christian implied a separated life.

"Every person who has the Spirit of Christ living within him will sense a constant prodding toward holiness. Even though there are many teachers who misrepresent grace by inferring it has freed us from God's demand of holiness, the quiet yet strong conviction of the Holy Spirit within a person's heart speaks otherwise. Jesus Christ did not hang on a cross and bleed to death only to have His followers indulge their flesh without concern. He hung there so they could be loosed from the grip of sin and live a life of purity and holiness." - Steve Gallagher

When the scriptures speak of holiness, it is referring primarily to a level of consecration and godliness that grows out of OBEDIENCE and SUBMISSION to God.

Holiness denotes:
1. absence of depravity
2. possession of perfect and supreme love for God
3. purified affections
4. alienation from sin and the world

Holiness does not refer to sinless perfection. That's impossible. However, it does mean one is not under the control of sin, but rather loving God with his whole heart and motivated by genuine love for God.

Andrew Murray said "Though there can be no holiness without separation, there can be separation that does not lead to holiness".
Simply being separate just because it's what the church should do does not equal holiness.
Being separate, however, does lead to holiness.

"One of the greatest misunderstandings I have seen amongst Christians is the unspoken notion that a person can live a selfish, worldly life on earth and then, somehow magically, be transformed through the process of death into a holy, God-loving saint." - Steve Gallagher



Lord, destroy the sin, the self and the pride that is at work within me. No matter what, keep working on me! I want You to mold me, cleanse me and perfect me. Pour out your blazing Holy Spirit on me. Purify my heart. Set me right and keep me right in the midst of this wicked and perverse generation.

Pick A Side

In Paul's second letter to Corinth, he explains to them how to be a Christian, living holy, in obedience, and ridding all sin from one's life.
In 2 Corinthians 6:17, he says "Where for come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you."


According to the dictionary, "Separate" means 
A) to keep apart or divide, as by an intervening barrier or space. 
B) to put, bring, or force apart; part. 
C) to set apart; disconnect; dissociate.


In chapter 5 verse 17, it says "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away; behold all things are become new".


Paul seems to have a grasp on the Cross. 
Jesus died so that we could be free from our sin, not attached. 
Paul claims that a Christian should be a "new creature", not holding on to their old ways. 


So which side of the Cross will you choose to be?
The side where freedom is gained, or the side where attachment to sin remains?
The side which a Christian should be on is the side that has nothing to do with the world. The side that proclaims the name of Jesus in everything we do. The side that doesn't live a double standard. The side that confesses sin and repents.
The side of the Cross that a Christian doesn't need to be on is the side that is hypocritical, ignorant, disobedient, and blasphemous. It represents darkness. It has ties to the enemy.


Be careful to what you consider to be 'light'. 2 Cor. 11:14-15 tells us not to marvel, "For Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers are also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works". Satan can be transformed into an angel of light. Something pleasing to the senses. It seems fine. It seems good. But WE are the children of light according to the book of Ephesians. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 tells us we should avoid every APPEARANCE of evil. Not just evil. Anything that even looks like it would be evil.


So.


What side of the Cross is Lady Gaga on? How bout Rihanna? J-Z? Coldplay? Katie Perry?


...What side of the Cross is your music selection on?


What side of the Cross is your relationship with your boyfriend or girlfriend on?


What side of the Cross is your attitude on?


What side of the Cross is your level of obedience to authority on?


What side of the Cross are your daily commitments on?


What side of the Cross are your thoughts on?


What side of the Cross are your actions on?






What side of the Cross are you on?

Surrender

Fighting temptations of familiarity. Losing trust in my God's clarity. 
I give advice on hope and belief, and how to let Him be your only relief.
Yet, there's me.
Me. Who's not that much different. 
I struggle, too. I sometimes doubt. I don't know either what this life's about. 
How to make it. How to arrive. Will what I'm doing now count when I'm not alive? 
Questions flood like a trickling stream. Slowing considering the 'American dream'. 
Quickly turning into a fit of waves. Will I make a difference when we're in our graves?
So I turn. To the book. Not a book. The book. 
The book of Psalms tells us He can't be shaken. He holds our world when we're mistaken.
If our God is for us, then who shall rise? If He's eternal, why compromise?
It's simple, really.
God's will is His plan in His timing.
Our will is our plan in our timing.
So simple. Yet so easy to confuse the two.
God, as I write these words to You. Please be with me. See me through.
I raise the white flag, I'm not in charge. Take over my life, decisions small and large.
Each nut and bolt should build upon You. Everything else is just additional screws. 
I surrender my will. Let thine be done. Take me a part. make me undone.
Build a new version of the man I should be. Let me apply everything I've seen.
You want the best for me, I know. So all of myself, let me forego. 
Losing battles don't mean lost wars.
Fight.
If you fail, get up again.
Trust in Him.
You don't have to understand everything.
But faith. 




Faith is stepping into the unknown, believing that there will either be a place to stand, or God will teach you how to fly. 

The girl.

This post is dedicated to my beautiful girlfriend. Evelyn Jean Thompson.


She's amazing. Words can't explain how awesome she is.


Beauty is an outside and an inside thing for her.
Her passion for Jesus is evident.
Her love for people is incredible.
Her laugh makes me smile.
Spending time with her makes me feel complete.
She brings the best out of me. 
As we grow together, we both have made a point to grow in God. 
I'm really excited about that.


She's been my best friend for the past 5 years.
And I'm looking forward to how this relationship is going to unfold.
Yeah, many people informed me "This didn't surprise me", or told me "wow...finally". I just chuckle. :) It's all God's timing. No, seriously. His amazing timing.

:)

Highway 41

Highway 41.
Stretching for well past the direction of which I normally travel it.
This highway has been my traveling companion for many years. More so in the last 3. 
I have a special relation with this highway. Much has been accomplished while either driving or riding on this highway. 


On Highway 41, I have:
-Accomplished a mile long lane change. Thanks, Corey. 
-Written a song.
-Cried until I had no more tears.
-Laughed until my stomach hurt.
-Told a girl we had to depart ways. 
-Recorded a video. 
-Read books.
-Thought. A lot. About life. About everything. Sometimes I drive the 30 min in complete silence. Just thinking. 
-Sang. Yelled. Rapped. Beat boxed. Harmonized. Sang off key. Etc. 
-Skyped. On my phone. 
-Prayed. A lot. 
-Head banged. 
-Air guitar'd Air drummed. Air bass'd. Air choir directed. Air probably everything else.
-Played ukulele. While driving. And took a video of it. 
-Car danced. 
-Held my head outside the window across the Butte Des Morts bridge. In the middle of winter. -Brushed my teeth. 
-Changed my entire outfit.
-Held hands.
-Practiced and prepared for a wedding gig. No, seriously.
-Almost gotten in 3 accidents. #angelsofprotection 
-Ate... Chinese. Fast food. Suckers. Ice cream.  Subs. Popcorn. And probably anything else you can think of.
-Been flipped off. Many 'a time. 
-Worked on choir parts.
-Wrote sermons.
-Talked on the phone. A. Lot. Especially those monotonous Sunday night after church drives. Thanks ;)
-Scarfed down many starbucks drinks. Too many. 
-Gotten into arguments. 
-Played games on my phone. 
-Poured my heart out to somebody.
-Listened as somebody poured their heart out to me.
-Taken pictures. 
-Pulled over the car, got out, and danced around the car while a shout beat was playing. Thanks, Thi. 
-Watched movies. TV episodes. Etc. 
-Taken naps. 
-Written chord charts. 
-Made set lists for service. 
-Texted the mess out of people...sometimes while driving. 
-Seen the road change paths, directions, speed limits, and alternative routes. 
-Cried listening to songs. Laughed listening to songs. 
-Told God my true feelings. Not holding anything back. 
-Had conversations with myself. Out loud. 


I'm sure there's much more.


This highway led me to a new church family. 
It brought me out of bitterness, into love, forgiveness, and peace. 
It taught me punctuality. With a 30 minute drive, being on time is a planned occurrence. 
...It just doesn't happen. (that'll preach) 
This highway brought me to a closer walk with God. 
It carried me to a place of healing. Commitment. Accountability. Growing. Opportunity. 
It's from this highway, I get to where I want to be. 
It's from this highway, I go to the place to restore my soul, enrich my life, and learn to be a better Christian man. 

The drive sometimes is long. Monotonous. 
Boring. 
But it's taught me a lot. It's brought me to where I am today. 
I have a special relationship with this highway. 

Because of this highway, I can go to a place on a weekly basis that has brought me to where I am today.




ps - love is unstoppable.