I would add that when MJ died yesterday, hope was lost for the future of what he could become. That is the strange thing about death. Sometimes we are more saddened by the hope that dies with that person (and for that person) than the person himself. We must remember that Hope is never dead.

Life is but a vapor. Let this be a reminder to us all that we can become shells of who we once were. Even those we put on false pedestals are reduced to dust. We will certainly die one day, too. We will stand at the end of our lives and be asked, “Who did we make famous?”

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There comes a moment (or a few months) where we come head to head with who we really are. We search our motives. We look in the mirror. We ask ourselves tough questions. We listen to the answers we hear. We wonder where God is in a deafening silence. These places are all-at-once dangerous and life sparking. These moments challenge us, frighten us, and move us towards forward motion or slow paralyzing death.

I’ve come face to face with who (and whose) I am.

When you get turned around, upside down, and inside out, you begin to question who you are and what your purpose is. You fly from mission to mission, adventure to adventure, and idea to idea without regard for the main purpose. Eventually, your main purpose is lost among the rubble of mismatched dreams and crumbling self-centered ambition.

I had come to a place of not being inspired or even liking the person I saw in the mirror. The mirror reflected truth though. I had become self-centered and saturated with my own story. The problem remains that I am not central protagonist in this story. Or at least I shouldn’t be.

When I realized that I had become the center of my life, I put the emergency brakes on everything that involved self-promotion, ego, and my own significance. This included blogging, writing music, building a resume, Facebook, etc. I began reading, exercising, praying, dreaming, getting outside, enjoying life away from a computer screen, and I sought a rekindling of an adventure.

There is more to life than I have been representing. My apologies. If I become skin-deep again, I will remove myself again. I must not be about me. I must be all about, obsessed with, and consumed by the One that is greater than myself.

I pray that as you read what I am compelled to write, you might be challenged and inspired to forward movement. I pray that you will find something, someOne bigger than yourself. I pray that I represent God in a way that would challenge the stereotype the world has created for Him.

This is just another paradigm shift. I am here to serve you.

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Have fun!!

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It’s a shame for sentiment’s sake and probably a good thing for music.

Music is becoming music again. The pendulum swings back. Music videos are less pervasive. MP3s are far more prevalent than physical albums. We are getting to know music better than we ever have. Our love of music may actually revert back to its roots of actually loving the music rather than the artists or albums or album covers.

I think of this in terms of other areas of life. The death of something that is simply sentimental may be the best thing to ever happen. Sentiments will remain much longer than an object sentiment should.

The death of the album could be the best thing to ever happen to music.

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I mean come on…. isn’t this what you are fearful of? Dying an awkwardly unforeseeable death after taking a huge risk. This is what holds us back from risk. I’m not saying to jump off a cliff with skis and a parachute. I’m just saying… it’s what most of us are afraid of…. (perhaps this is a metaphor….)

He took the risk. No matter the outcome.
How would your life change if you didn’t fear plummeting?

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We could do a decent job of avoiding controversy in our lives, avoiding risk, avoiding true love…. but I’m pretty sure it looks similar to death.

Jesus asked a lot of controversial questions. Namely “who do you say that I am?”

It isn’t about avoiding controversy… it’s how we approach it. Do you approach controversy with love, compassion for others, and a knowledge your own humility?

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This website is very convincing. Warning: Graphic images.

If you haven’t seen my list of questions, read them here.

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I ask this because the long dreary debate of what laws are sufficient in our society, centers around this theme. Can we as people choose to influence others? Sure. Can we use what we believe as a foundation? Absolutely. Then why can’t we say where these beliefs come from.

Is Sarah Palin’s possible future progress for this country as a VP at risk because we disown her based on speaking in a church? The same with Obama…?

Is Rick Warren asking questions at Saddleback’s Forum because he cares about politics or because he cares about his God and the people of this country? Do his future actions become irrelevant because of the beliefs that he holds?

On the other hand…. should pushing of our beliefs be allowed? Should we constantly be anti-abortion but pro-gun and pro death penalty because of our beliefs? Or should it be more consistent? If we are pro-life, then we are PRO WHOLE LIFE….. this includes gun control so that six year olds don’t blow each other’s heads off?

If we are PRO-CHOICE… then we are PRO CHOICE FOR EVERYTHING… this includes pro-death penalty… who are you to decide?

How about this….
How about we forget the battle between separation of Church and State versus total Theocracy….. in order to battle it out over our stances/beliefs becoming more consistent???

I suggest that one way that we can love people better…. and be correct a bit more in our stances… is to solidify them… make your stances consistent with one another.

Forget about who you are voting for…. How can you show love for others in more consistent and widespread way?

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Fortunately, He led us away from our salary.

Recently, I came to the realization that my money was always God’s. His to give and His to take. I only need what He gives. So, raising our own financial support and salary suddenly became our most challenging, and best, option. Don’t get me wrong, I considered working with UPS, along with many other jobs, but I didn’t feel right about it. My commitment is to help launch and minister to the future people at Awestruck Church.

Salary comes from God, not the humans that I approach to join our team. We are simply carriers.

Two weeks ago, a young woman from our youth group 4 or 5 years ago, lost her young son (aged one and a half) to abuse by a family member. She is torn apart by this, yet is still in shock. Her and her husband were in town and we wanted to befriend them and love on them for an evening. We invited them over for dinner and light conversation. Our goal was to give them a place of refuge for a few hours. I will never forget the conversation with two grieving young parents who are struggling with their next steps. No answers could be given to the questions that will linger in their minds for the next years, but they now know they are loved. They know where to turn.

We could never have offered them that refuge without our magnificent support team. Thank you all!

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