weekend fun

So i'm not sure of my motive or goal for writing this blog, but we'll just see what happens. So, I led a middle school retreat this weekend with my sister's church. At first I was all excited about just having the opportunity to speak and have an audience to listen but then I kinda started not looking forward to it. It was definitely the devil. Believe it or not, when I meet a group of younger kids (namely one's that I'm about to speak to) I get a little uncomfortable, so that was the first obstacle. I got passed that and got to know the kids quite well. The next problem was that the maturity level of the kids was a crazy wide range. One of them had such a passion for Christ already that I only wish I had in 8th grade. Some of the others were already struggling with stuff that I didn't encounter till like junior year. So I had to figure out how to speak to such a crazy range of maturity. Well, as the day and night progressed I did a couple more personal Bible studies b4 the devotion and God put me at peace about what He wanted me to say. Ya see, it was a cool realization that the simple truths and methods I was proposing easily apply to any and all Chritians. In a nut shell I talked about the way in which we're called to follow and the costs of our faith. I focused on Matthew 16: 13-28 where Jesus and the disciples were at Caesarea Philippi. They're standing in front of the mouth of a cave and a big rock wall. In the wall there are carvings and platforms where idols used to sit. The area was used for Baal worship. So, as they're standing there Christ asks them who people say He is and then who the disciples say He is. Peter answers,"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus basically says: yep, well done. He says, speaking of Peter, On this rock I will build my church. To most people it is simply interpreted as the church being built on faith like that of Peter or something like that; however, I think it goes deeper than that. I think Jesus is refering to Peter but also to the rock wall in front of them. If you look at the picture of the location the evil there is evident and it seems to me that Christ is also saying that on top of all the evil in the world and right in the face of Satan He will build His church and will not fail. He makes that promise right afterwards by saying that the gates of Hell will not prevail. There are several cool things about that passage to me. The cave I mentioned that they were standing in front of was often looked at by locals as the literal entrance to the underworld where Baal would come to the earth. So, Christ is standing in front of this pagan shrine and the "Gates of Hell" and declaring victory. Cool thing #2, if you think of like Lord of the Rings and all the awesome battle scenes at the gates. Well, what is a gate for? defense. Not an attack. So, once again Christ says that the gates of hell will not prevail. To me that is clearly describing a successful attack by Christians. So how do we attack evil? This is where the hard part for the kids came...it's a lifestyle of attack. We attack evil by not giving in to evil and by living in such a way that we don't have to flee from evil b/c it flees from us. So when we walk into school or work we can carry ourselves in a way that makes others say," He has something I don't. I want that." So the weekend turned out being incredible and they seemed to respond really well. There were ome other things I talked about that I'd like to share but I'm tired so I'll write it tomorrow. Love y'all!

The Best Love Triangle Ever.

So there's this girl. She and I have been dating for 20 months today. It has been the best twenty months of my life. We have been through a lot and it has all been worth it. Although it has been a long time and we've had our ups and downs, there are decades to come. Me, Her, and God to the end. I thank God every day for bringing her into my life. She has been the best blessing I could ever ask for. While counting months may seem juvenile, I count every day as one I don't deserve so each month is counted as a true gift. I never thought I'd know love with another person like I do with her. I would be absolutely lost without her: God helps me to see who I am and who I'm meant to be through her. I was going to write her a note for the occasion but I wanted to tell everyone.

I love you Sarah Renee Mays. You are my world.

The Holy Spirit is like bottled water.

Oh bottled water. Not just any bottled water, top-of-the-line spring water. There's just something about that sweet release of built up pressure upon the turn of the cap. Bottled water is everywhere. It's virtually free, well, at least really cheap but work with me. We can have it on a simple whim and toss it to the way side without a thought, but it's still there. Sometimes, we drink it because it's good for us. We need water. Our bodies are made up of %70 water. But then there's those times....those times when you just ran a marathon(or walked up the stairs depending on your current physical stamina). During those times you feel like Esau comin in from the hunt: Without that glorious rush of Sodium Free, 0 calorie, quadruple-filtered necter of the gods you will surely die. So, you turn the small piece of plastic which guards this priceless liquid and as you take a gulp you can feel it sooth every inch of your inards. Over-all, bottled water is simply unappreciated; viewed as useless until we find it necessary. This is much like the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is always with us. Our souls are %100 filled with the Holy Spirit and can not survive without it. We sometimes casually recognize it's presence and oblige by being kind to someone or encouraging a friend: we do it because it's the "right" thing to do. But then there's those times....those times where worship brings you to tears and you are completely broken by the recognition of self-insufficiency. You just know that without the Holy Spirit there to put you at peace, you will surely die. So, as you lift your hands and open your heart and recognize your need for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. You tear off the grip that the devil has on your heart and feel the Spirit sooth every inch of your heart and soul. And so we see the power of a gulp of the Holy Spirit. So friends, I challenge you not to partake in the chemically tainted tap water that life gives you to quench the unquenchable, but instead, carry your bottled water with pride and dump it on the head of everyone you meet(Disclaimer: this is a metaphor and I hereby dismiss any responsibility for the literal dumping of water on other human beings). You need bottled water. It's there for the taking.

God is like M&Ms

God is like M&Ms. M&Ms are yummy bits of chocolate covered in some form of hard candy. There are 21 different colors of M&M. They come in original, crispy, peanut, mini, and mint(possibly others). To say the least, the candy comes in many different forms and can be implemented into numerous recipes and decoration. There are millions of purposes an M&M can serve. But one thing is true, all the forms of M&M set out to accomplish the same goal: to satisfy the taste buds of those consuming the candy. Everyone has different preferences and responds to different forms of M&Ms. Some are satisfied by originals and some by peanut. This is much like God. He presents Himself in countless ways but always sets out to accomplish the same goal. To satisfy the hole in the hearts of humans by filling it with his Spirit. Each of us may require a different presentation of God. He may be the homeless man sitting on the street or the woman we bump into on the bus. But one thing is for sure, God will reveal Himself in some way. Possibly original, or maybe with some yummy twist. Keep yours eyes out for your flavor. God's word. Melts in your heart, not on your shelf.

Series to be continued...

Relationships are like oreos.

Relationships are like Oreos.

Everyone loves oreos. For those of you who don't know, oreos consist of two chocolate cookies with a creamy white sugary substance in between. The cream defines the true essence of an oreo. Without it, there are two dry cookies that kinda taste good but the over all mysterious majesty of the taste is ultimately lost. Furthermore, without that yummy yummy cream, there is nothing to hold together the two pieces of chocolate. Thus, we are left with two, single cookies with nothing to cling to but other lonesome, creamless cookies. God is our cream. Without him, our relationships will fall apart and we will be left alone. Furthermore, He "defines the true essence of" the relationship. He gives us a basis upon which to build our relationships and, in effect, completes the mysteriously majestic "taste" of every relationship in life.

Series to be continued.......

.....is like.....

Some of you, my dearest friends, told me to write some funny blogs. So i've decided to start a ....is like... series of blogs. For instance, my ever famous (really Dave's idea and my poetic delivery) "Life is like Chicken Pot Pie" monologue(which i happen to be eating right now). The first will be entitled "Relationships are like oreos." They will all somehow pertain to God. Get ready. I'll blow your mind. The first will come later tonight or tomorrow afternoon.

Putt Egg (this is my funny blog)

So, it snowed today, a lot. Me and Sarah decided to make a 4-foot tribute to our dear friend Putt Egg. So here's to you Putt Egg! Thanks to you, "couch potato" is an honorable title.