#1

In prayer the other day, I felt God moving me back to songwriting. It's been a while since I've written a song. In 2011, I probably wrote 3. Not a lot, considering I think of myself as a song writer. God spoke to me and said that He wanted to use me in this area this year. I won't be posting most of my songs on here, as not to clutter the blog, but I may post one randomly. Here's the first one I wrote yesterday. 

Surrender

Verse I

In my life I don’t understand

Why You leave me, or so it seems

Where are You? Where am I?

I just want to be free.

I need You; I can’t do this alone.

I love You. Would You take me home?

Chorus

Jesus, I surrender to You.

Jesus, please make me new.

I’m tired of fighting; I’m tired of losing.

I’m tired of trying and failing.

I surrender.

Verse II

I need You more than the rain.

I’m lost without Your blood.

I need You to sustain.

Cover me like a flood.

I’m lonely, desperate; I need to be freed.

I’m calling, searching; Your strength I need.

Bridge

I surrender to Your grace. I surrender to Your love.

I surrender to Your mercy. I surrender to Your blood.

I surrender to Your promises. I surrender to Your peace.

I surrender to Your will, Lord. I know You are for me. 

Your Boss as a Waitress

Amidst the drink orders, side orders, main orders, changed orders or added orders, somehow it's forgotten how to maintain order in manners. How easy is it to get frustrated with a waitress or waiter? Very easy.
Yeah, I was clear with my order, I didn't stutter. Yeah, they messed it up. Yeah, they weren't paying attention.

But you know what? It still doesn't give me the right to be rude.
Regardless of the situation, it's never okay to treat your wait staff disrespectfully.
Let me compare your waitress or waiter with your boss.
Your boss probably has bad days. He or she probably forget things. They aren't paying attention one day. They get side tracked. They have another project they're trying to get done, maybe a much larger project. They might forget about what you asked for, so they have to ask again. They might mess up your paycheck one day, but fixes it when asked about it.
Do you treat your boss with disrespect? I'm gonna venture out to say no.

A boss is somebody I must treat respectfully. In our minds, we classify them as somebody that must be taken seriously and must be treated with the best of attitudes. It's so easy to take this mentality and throw it out the window when it comes to other people in our day. Sure, your waitress doesn't pay you, I get that. But, if we take the mentality like they're our boss, we will give them a lot more room for error. Your waiter might have had a bad day, or forgot something, or isn't paying attention, or gets side tracked, or has 8 other tables they're waiting on, maybe they messed up your bill, or simply just did a terrible job.
What can you do at that point?
Would it be crazy to say to give them a good tip anyway? Probably. But will the $4 kill you at the end of the year? Nope. Shining God's light to waiters and waitresses is easy to do sometimes, because they are there to serve you. You have them in the palm of your hand. They (in most cases) have to listen to what you have to say, because their job isn't only to bring you your food, but to establish a relationship within 45 minutes in order to have a better chance of getting a better tip.
So why turn down this awesome opportunity to show God's love by proving a point to them. Proving you're right simply shuts them down and ruins your chance. Sure, if something is drastically wrong with your bill, kindly ask about it. However, remember they're probably getting paid under $3 an hour, and you're their source of life. Be nice to the service industry workers. Even when they're rude to you. Why? Because that's what Jesus taught us to do.

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.