“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”—Romans 13:14

 My guess is that many Christians are familiar with this verse. Some may be doing it. Most are probably not (just calling it how I see it). I say this because I know for a fact I usually do not. To put on Christ is by far the most difficult commandment in the entire Bible. It’s so hard in fact, that we cannot do it. It is only possible because of Christ working in us through the Holy Spirit.

This week I’ve seen the Holy Spirit working mightily in and through a couple of young men in my church. My pastor and one of the other interns have spent the entire week homeless. It was intentional and thankfully it was done for the right reasons. Here are the five reasons Pastor Tim outlined in his pre-homeless blog:

1. We want to show the homeless that we love them.
2. We want to get to know the stories of the homeless in our community.
3. We want to offer them something precious (Jesus crucified and risen).
4. We want the church to grow in her love and understanding of the homeless who live among us. 
5. We want to better understand our Savior (his incarnation).

From what I’ve seen and experienced (as I joined them a few days in), all of these goals have been accomplished or lived out. In my mind, number one and five kind of go together. As we allow ourselves to live homeless, we are acting similarly to our Savior who left Heaven to come to the filth of earth. By becoming homeless we are leaving the comforts of our homes, beds, etc. to say to the homeless we are on an even playing field. We are no better than you.

Being homeless and simply spending time with the homeless is what allows us to hear their stories. Listening is an important technique for any ministry, but even more important when working with the homeless since nobody listens to them. By simply listening we show we care about them. That being said, they generally aren’t going to open up just because they can. They need a reason. The last year and a half, Tim and many in our church have given them that reason. They can now feel free to open up since they know we really do care about them.

This week we have taken advantage of that established trust by listening to people tell us about their lives and their struggles. As we fight to become more gospel-fluent, hopefully we can meet these people where they are and show them exactly how the gospel applies to their life.

A big part of any homeless ministry is going to be providing for physical, tangible needs. It has to be, since they have so little. But if the provision ended there, then we would only be encouraging the ever-growing-in-popularity social gospel. By becoming homeless ourselves we have done a few things. We have evened the playing field in another way. For a week we cannot provide anything tangible to the homeless. And so we have taken advantage of this, and instead tried to provide them with something much more lasting, the gospel.

Each day, Tim has told The Story of God to a group of homeless outside the Library. Each day, the crowds have gotten larger. The truth is that these people (as all people do) need the gospel more than anything else they could possibly get their hands on. We are trying our hardest to ensure they are given every chance to love their creator and savior. It has been sweet to see people really get into the story and think along with it and ask questions about it, and really reflect on it. When this happens, we can be assured the Spirit really is moving amongst us and doing amazing things. Praise God!

The first couple nights, Tim has blogged about his day and posted it on our church’s website. By doing this, a large portion of our church has been able to follow along and actively participate in this week-long journey. Writing the blog is a great opportunity to help people pray for Tim in everything he is going through. Just as important though it has helped people better understand the struggles and issues that the homeless face. Another part of this that is really cool is the reception it has received not just in our community but throughout Acts 29.

My pastor had a phone meeting yesterday morning with a pastor from Missouri. When the two made contact, the Missouri pastor asked why my pastor was calling, since he was homeless. Tim asked him how he even knew that, and his response was that he’d been reading the blog. Then yesterday the San Diego Union Tribune sent out their “best reporter” and a photographer to interview and detail the excursion. In other words, many people are going to have an opportunity to learn about what it means to be homeless, and hopefully come to better understand the gospel as a result of this week.

Finally, I know my short time being homeless has led me to cherish Jesus more. I realize he was homeless for 33 years. So doing this for a couple days does not compare. But it allows me to see just how pathetic my desires for comfort and pleasure are when compared to the pain and suffering Jesus went through.

The amazing thing is he intentionally became homeless so that we (God’s people) would not have to suffer for eternity as a homeless people. Even for those who are currently living homeless, it is momentary. It will one day end, at which point they’ll be able to call God’s eternal palace Home! That is my hope and my joy. I know God will save many from the tyranny of not having a home. He has been so kind to humanity since the fall. It is all part of his plan to bring his people home to the garden.

This week we’ve really been focusing on putting on Christ and taking off the flesh. My prayer is that we are becoming more like our Savior. If we are not, it would be reasonable to say that this week has been a waste. But for the above reasons I trust that is not the case. Again praise God!

My job requires me to travel a lot.  As cool as that sounds, it’s not always so great.  You see, I’ve got a great church back home and amazing Christians friends that I miss when I’m away.  The lack of Christian accountability and fellowship can be hard to handle.  In fact, my travels are sometimes a detriment to my walk with God.  Just being honest….

My job recently had me in the beautiful city of Seattle, Washington.  Seattle was amazing… especially the weather!  In my spare time, I loved walking around the city.  I visited Pike’s Market and went to the top of the Space Needle.  I went to the Science Fiction Museum and even took one of those “Ride the Duck” city tours!  Yeah, I was having a blast.

But despite all of the fun that I was having, I was still a little discouraged.  Things that I’d seen in the city and situations going on at work really made me thirst for some Christian fellowship.  So, I got on Google and did a search for churches in the Seattle area.  My search led me to the website of Mars Hill Church.  The website made me think that this was a church that I might enjoy…plus, there was a location within walking distance of the hotel.  So, on Sunday, I went.

Mars Hill Church Downtown Campus

After a short bus ride and quick walk, I arrived at the Downtown Campus of Mars Hill Church.  It was a nice looking building but not extremely big.  You see, Mars Hill Church has a large membership…around 10,000 I think.  But instead of one enormous building, there are “campuses” in Seattle and the surrounding cities (plus one in New Mexico).  As I walked in, I was greeted and handed a Weekly Schedule.  To the right was an area that served water, tea, and coffee…which you could drink in the sanctuary during church (because of it’s concrete floors) or on the couch in the social area.  With coffee in hand, I was greeted by Trevor, one of the church leaders.  We talked for a while about how I found out about Mars Hill and where I was from…really nice guy.  I took my seat and the service began.

A band by the name of Ghost Ship leads Praise and Worship.  I REALLY enjoyed Ghost Ship.  Cam, the lead singer, and the band have a great, contemporary sound.  You can listen to Ghost Ship and other bands on the Mars Hill website.  After worship, a huge screen falls from the ceiling and the sermon begins.  Todays message is by Pastor Mark Dricoll, one of the pastors of Mars Hill Church.  Because Mars Hill is split up into campuses, each campus has a Campus Pastor and campus Deacons.  Sometimes the Campus Pastor does the sermon and sometimes Pastor Mark does via satellite/video.  The sermon was fantastic (I’ve got the notes to prove it).

The Campus Pastor of Mars Hill Downtown is Tim Gaydos.  Pastor Tim is an incredible guy with a heart for ministry.  It was a privilege to be taught by him on the last two Sundays that I attended.

After that first Sunday at Mars Hill Downtown, I was hooked!  I loved the teaching, the atmosphere, and the fellowship….and I did a LOT more  fellowshipping in the following days!  On that Wednesday, I walked back up to the church for a Q&A service.  Pastor Mark and Pastor Tim answered questions from the congregation submitted via text message.  The next Sunday after church, I was invited to watch the 4th of July fireworks show over the lake (which is a huge deal in Seattle).  I hitched a ride with my two new friends, Blake and Tojo, and ended up in the backyard of a beautiful house overlooking the lake.  The fireworks were spectacular…but the great conversations and new friends that I’d made are what I remember the most.  I spent time talking with Luis and Marie, a great couple that I’d met at church and probably the nicest people on the planet.  I met Rachel and Seba (short for Sebastian) there, a young married couple that I really enjoyed spending time with.

Later that week, I went with Mars Hill Downtown to see the Mariners play (my first major league baseball game)!  The game was a lot of fun and I met more great people.  Luis and Marie were there along with my new friends, Tinamarie and Jennifer.  I also met Rick and Cheri, who lead the community group that Luis and Marie attend.

Community Groups

Community is important.  As followers of Christ, we are not called into isolation, but into community with Jesus and with other believers.  At Mars Hill Church, people are encouraged to join ”community groups.”  These groups (10 – 20 people) meet weekly in houses, apartments, coffee shops, etc.  They discuss the sermon from that Sunday, share what’s going on in their personal lives, pray for one another, and basically just live life together.  I believe that the bulk of the life-changing minstry that takes place at Mars Hill Church happens in these community groups.

I was able to attend a community group before leaving Seattle.  This particular group met at the apartment of  Luis and Marie and was lead by Rick and Cheri.  It was an amazing experience that I will never forget.

Mars Hill Church

Mars Hill Church is all about Jesus.  And God is doing some incredible things in the city of Seattle through this church.  Hundreds of new Christians are being baptized there every year.  Through the Acts 29 Network, they have planted almost 300 churches in the US and in other countries.  Mars Hill Church has an extensive media library available on their website where you can access free sermon series and music.  They even have an Iphone app that allows you to enjoy their media on your phone.  Mars Hill also has an online social network called “The City.”  This network is used to keep members connected and informed.

I was at Mars Hill Church for three weeks.  In that short time (through the Word that was preached, the friends that  I made, and the community that I was a part of) my walk with Christ was strengthen and refreshed.  I am thankful for the time that God gave me to fellowship there.  If you are in the Seattle area and are looking for a local church, you should definitely check out Mars Hill!

In between my seventh and eighth grade school years, as part of a program called People to People, I traveled to the United Kingdom with approximately 3o other junior high students as a ”Student Ambassador”. Since this trip took place almost ten years ago, I remember little about the trip.

I remember some of the historic venues and artifacts that we got to see in London, Dublin, and Edinburgh, among the list. I remember one day in Ireland we went to some kind of outdoor sports park. It was supposed to be a fun time of games and the like, but all I remember is wearing only a t-shirt and basically freezing to death. I also generally remember the two host families I stayed with, one in Ireland, one in England.

I look back on this for two reasons. First, as the Chinese Exchange students finish their adventure in San Diego I realized something I remember from my trip with People to People. These Chinese students are apathetic, at best, to their surroundings. Being in a new country and new world (for all intents and purposes) does not seem to excite them. All they care about is their iTouch games.

This proves, if nothing else does, just how much people from every nation and tongue are similar. American kids couldn’t even get excited about visiting a place in which their relatives and friends likely had strong ties. It should come as no surprise then that Chinese students wouldn’t be too excited about visiting a place that is so tremendously different. 

The heart likes the familiar. It likes to feel at home.

When we realize this is the nature of our hearts, we notice quite a dichotomy. The heart searches for home, which most Christians will say is to be in the presence of God and that this is what everyone is ultimately looking for.

Yet everyone looks towards one idol or the other to be that home. In these kids’ case it seems to be these iPod Touch gadgets. For others it’s video games. Others still end up migrating toward and hanging onto drugs or alcohol.

And that leads me to my larger point. On that trip to the United Kingdom ten years ago, there is one more event that I don’t even really remember, but I maintain a piece of evidence to remind me of the entire trip. I have an orange coffee cup with the name William on it. But it doesn’t only say my name. It includes the origin of the name and definition of the name. It says this:

William- an Old German name brought to Britain by the Normans- its meaning is ‘Determined Protector’- so your goods are safe with me!!

It makes me chuckle when it says “your goods are safe with me”, but that is not what stands out to me. What stands out is ‘Determined Protector’. Kind of like Emanuel means “God with us”, William is the identity of yours truly and ‘”Determined Protector” is what that means.

The importance of this is seen when we view Jesus. His name meant “God with us”. So he came to earth to be “God with us”. And God with us died and rose so that others could walk in the path God had set out for each individual person.

Jeremiah 1:5 says “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” In other words, God has a plan for each person. For Jeremiah it was to be a prophet. For me it is to be a determined protector.

But what does it mean to be a determined protector?

I think for me it means to watch out and protect God’s people. It means to shephard them and look out for their souls. It means to protect God’s people from the evil of this world. I must speak truth to God’s people to ensure they avoid the temptations of this world and treasure the one who is their Savior.

And it means calling God’s elect out of darkness into light so that they too may walk in the path God set before them prior to their entering the womb. It means to protect people from apathy. I have almost decided on my own that if I ever have children, they will not watch t.v., unless it is sports or another show I approve, movies (the same), or even read books unless I know what they are reading and can trust the given author.

When we allow our children and friends to be exposed to the paganism of this world, we are not protecting them, we are instead giving the Devil free reign to work in them. Therefore we must expose them to the gospel at the earliest age possible, and show them the gospel, and tell them the gospel, and show them the gospel, and…you get the point. And we must do this with the spiritual babies that God saves in our realm. We must protect them from the attacks of Satan, since God only knows if that person is among the elect.

With the name William, God has called me to live a life determined to protect and encourage God’s people. Who knew I would have to go to the United Kingdom to find out this would be my path?

Note:  Unlike the previous two posts, this is NOT from my eventual book “What Does The Gospel Say About Sports?”

This week I’ve been teaching a group of 30 Chinese exchange students a contextualized English language. Basically, what I mean is that I’ve been trying to teach them English in a way they can actually use it. So instead of giving them a textbook on English, we’ve tried talking the language. We’ve discussed some American history. We’ve practiced how to greet people and carry on a conversation, as well as ask questions. These are all things a native English speaker takes for granted.

Doing this has been loads of fun, while utterly unpredictable. Yesterday I spent five hours teaching, whereas I was originally scheduled for two. I wouldn’t even be bringing this up if not for the effect it had on the rest of my day. I originally had a discipleship meeting scheduled for 12:30 in the afternoon with two poor/homeless guys. Thankfully, a friend was able to relay the message to them that I would eventually arrive–about three hours late.

When I finally arrived at the park to pick them up, they were waiting patiently sitting in the shade enjoying their day. Yet they were so happy to see me, and couldn’t wait to get some Chinese food (how fitting for me). After taking one of the men to turn in some recycling  we headed over to the bank and then to Subway since there was no Chinese place near the bank. We ordered footlongs and the two of them ordered sodas, which they could pay for with the money they earned from recycling. When we sat down to eat we prayed and thanked God for the food and for providing the time and place to meet together.

About 15 minutes later, we had finished our sandwiches, and one of the men named Juan asked me if I could read from the book. I of course was delighted to do so. But before I did that, he asked me a question using a pen and a napkin. Earlier in the day he had been speaking with a man in the park who claimed there are three heavens; first the moon, then the sun, and finally the heaven where God is. According to this man, we fly to the moon and past, but nobody makes it to heaven because they are burned by the light of the sun. I proceeded to clarify that there is one heaven (Genesis 1:8) but that the Bible does speak of the heavens (Genesis 1:1) which is speaking of the stars, sky, moon, sun, etc.

At this point I’m thinking to myself, “wow we are so off topic, I wanted to talk about Saturday’s sermon, and now I’m using a napkin and pen to show there is only one true heaven. What in the world kind of discipleship meeting is this?”

But the Holy Spirit was very much alive in that tiny little Subway restaurant. We got to talking about hell and how there is also only one hell. And then we cleared up that there is no in-between; a person either goes to heaven or hell. And then Juan told a story of how he had a friend who didn’t believe in Jesus until one day before he died.

This was the opportunity I had been hoping for the whole time. I was able to explain that God controls death and he controls who gets into heaven. I went on to say that God was so amazing that he placed faith in Juan’s friend the day before he died because that man was among the elect and had to come to faith before he died.

We continued on this subject and explored Luke 23:32-43 which is when Jesus is hanging on the cross next to two criminals. Right before their conversations with Jesus are recorded we see Jesus pray to his father to forgive them for they know not what they do. It seems to me as I read this no coincidence that this precedes the conversations with the criminals (of course Jesus’ prayer is also for the soldiers, guards, and crowd that observed the crucifixion).

The first criminal mocks Jesus by shouting “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” It is clear just from the man’s tone that he does not believe. We can tell however that the man on the opposite side had come to believe as he rebuked the other man, admits that he deserved death while Jesus didn’t, and then begged Jesus to save him. It at this point that Jesus utters the famous words, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise (v 43).”

Both of the men I was speaking with asked the question, “Why did one believe while the other did not?” At this point I knew we were getting somewhere. It’s a question we all must ask. Why does one person believe when another does not, despite having the same evidence?

1. At least in this story we can rule out the case of evidence. Clearly both men could see the exact same man beside them dying on that cross.

2. We can rule out that one of the men was more apt to believe or was naturally a better person. The story says both were criminals.

3. It seems pretty clear to me that the option of choice is not presented in this story. The two men beside Jesus were complete equals in every way. There was no difference between them, and yet one believed while the other did not.  I suppose it’s possible the one who believed chose to do so, but what do we do then with the one who did not?

The fact these men were equals means if one chose, the other should have chosen the same or made the same decision. But the text is very clear that he did not.

Additionally, the one who believed in Jesus already started acting as a Christian prior to his asking Jesus to save him, when he rebuked the other.

This is crazy because we assume in our evangelical culture that you are not a Christian until you’ve asked Jesus to save you. But this passage looks that ideal straight in the eye and calls it a liar. This passage says you are a Christian when God starts making you act like one. Part of acting like one is asking Jesus to save you.

That is why belief is a continual call to repentance. Repentance is not something we do once and get saved. Rather, repentance is a repeated and practiced attribute of a true believer.

This discipleship meeting started with food, then with some writing on a napkin, continued with me drawing stick figures to show them the doctrine of sovereign grace, or how God decides randomly to choose one person out of a larger group who are all headed for hell. And somehow I did this by drawing stick figures and crossing out those who did not believe and drawing arrows for those who did on a napkin and a receipt. And it made sense to them and we praised Jesus together on the way back to the park.

Now that’s grace!

Hi everybody,

I’m new to this site. In fact, this is my first true blog. I’ve written for some websites before, but it was more informational. I wrote for a site called Bleacher Report for awhile, but that as the name probably implies, was about sports. This is my first time writing about Christ on a public forum such as this one (not that I’ve never included Christ in my writing, just not as the main emphasis).

Anyhow, the point of my blog I hope is to really speak gospel truth. I am starting a book tentatively called, “What Does The Gospel Say About Sports?” I am extremely excited about that right now. This week I have written five pages for it. At the same time, I’m teaching some Chinese foreign exchange students how to speak English.

Right now despite some difficult circumstances I am resting in the blood of Christ, and finding my joy in Him each and everyday. My hope is you will too. To follow are the opening paragraphs of this book that I plan to publish someday. I am more than happy to post sections online for free since I am not writing for the money but to see lives turn to Jesus. I hope my writing can bless you and others. Here is the opening excerpt from my book:

Growing up all I wanted to do was play sports. I was 100% convinced my career would entail something in sports. For awhile I thought it would be as a sports journalist or broadcaster. For a brief time, I then fooled myself into thinking I was good enough to become a major league pitcher.

When I realized that wasn’t going to happen, I took most of the necessary steps to become a professional football coach. I went to coaching seminars, networked, and even coached at the high school level for the necessary experience, as I finished college. I even took a one thousand dollar class to improve my overall knowledge of football as well to learn to scout and understand the business of football.

Let’s just say I put all my cards in pursuing a career coaching football. Even today, I have moments where I want to coach or scout. Heck, at this moment I still scout college players for fun. But I honestly believe that now I scout for fun instead of it being because I’m holding onto it as a career option. Then again, I even have moments where I desire to give pitching one last try.

But why? Why do I still desire to sacrifice all that I am just to throw a ball in front of thousands of people? Why do, or why did I ever, desire to work 100+ hours per week preparing a bunch of young adults to play a game? And is that desire bad?

The primary purpose of this book is to answer these kinds of questions and more. Is there room for athletics in the life of a Christian? What about the fans? Are we as Christians selling out or forgetting the Gospel when we pledge allegiance to a favorite sports team? Is the primary purpose of sports to serve as an analogy to the rest of life? In short, how are we to view sports as a people radically changed by the Gospel?

Thinking back, I question my previous thoughts and actions. The summer before I started high school, I was baptized into Christ. Now I am a high school graduate. Almost 4 years have past since my  baptism, but have I really done all for God like I should have? Everyone has trials. What matters is how we react in those trials and let’s face it; if high school isn’t a trial, I don’t know what is. Especially prevalent in public school, there are many temptations that can corrupt anyone. The profanity, the clothes (or lack there of), and the attitudes. It’s frustrating to have to be in that environment. If there is anything that I regret, it is my timidity. I’ve always been shy and that is a problem in this case. I felt uncomfortable even doing something as simple as telling people not to use profanity around me. How can I openly show that I am living for God, if people don’t even understand how serious I am about it. Yes, people noticed that I didn’t use profanity and that I don’t dress revealingly, but was that enough? I was tested for 4 years. I had numerous chances to strengthen my faith. I feel that I realized too late that all my encounters and experiences really do happen for a reason. James 1:2-4 says that we need to use our trials to work toward a perfect result as we learn to endure. Look for every opportunity to spread God’s word. Believe me, there will be an opportunity everyday. Learn to find them. I wish that I thought in this way from the beginning. It is impossible to know what the result could have been. I thank God that I know it now. There are many people my age who don’t understand, yet God has confidence in me. I’m not better than anyone else. On a worldly perspective, I don’t feel that I deserve to have this knowledge or that I have the personality. But God knows I can do this. According to 1 Corinthians 10:13, temptations are common to man and we cannot be tempted past what we are able. We can learn from our past mistakes. I have committed myself to serving God and am ready to start new in college. I have confidence that I will not fail. I ask God for help without any doubting, otherwise, I know that I might as well not even ask (James 1:6-7). Anyone who seeks to live for God and grow as a Christian can work past trials and have a wonderful future.

Moving forward, and looking back, but where have I really gone? I’m so confused with no one to assist. I thought I stepped here, and I thought I stepped there, but it’s footprints everywhere. So I take a rest, and lean…but I stumble. Then I think to myself, I want to go back, but how will I get out? I cry out, Lord help me, I need to know the way. Yet I hear nothing, so I go on my own figuring it out myself, then lean, but I fall. I look up, I look down, but just where am I now? I was comfortable back there, but back there where? I can no longer see the way back; the only way is forward. What lies up there, I don’t know, but I’m guessing that’s the way to go…Lord where are you?…Still no answer. Pushing through pain, I’m trying to find something solid to rest upon, cuz I’m tired but I keep moving on. I say Lord, you promised you would never leave me, and I need you, only you can help me. I finally lean…on what I don’t know; only this time I didn’t fall, nor stumble, I was stable. And as I lean I see an open door. I get up, and then lean again, and there was another, and another open door. I now understand that this thing I’m leaning on is powerful, bigger than anything I know, it guides me, and shows me where to go. So I ask myself, what is this thing I’m leaning on? And then I heard a voice say: I heard your cry, and I’ve been here all along. All you had to do was acknowledge me, and believe in me. I was confused, and I thought I was alone, all hope was gone….but EVERYTHING,EVERYTHING , was alright when I called on him……and LEANED.

I aint here to show off, I ain’t gotta pretend. Waking up, my first thought is to sin. No way to cover it up, no way to blot it out; yet all through my sin all i can seem to do is shout. Shout for victory, shout for struggle, shout cuz my two lives are too much to juggle. My heart’s made to serve, yet my head’s called to sin. Fighting a battle against myself & I cant seem to win. Sometimes I wanna be used by God, but just so I can get some credit, then my man  JC sticks to his plan and whips me back into shape, quickly telling me to forget it. See, this thing is real and sometimes I don;t even know how to feel. I really aim to get it right, but when the darkness comes to light…it’s reality. It’s how much of God ain’t really in me. It’s distractions, it’s truth of how I really didn’t learn, then back to the same situation I turn. Funny how reality ain’t real, but God is. Funny cuz he doesn’t quite fit into reality’s ordeal. He’s greater, bigger, stronger, loves longer and harder. I’m seeking to firmly find my place in him, living free in servitude, no judgements, just the king and me. Where I can’t be shaken. God’s speaks to himself through me and it’s the most beautiful thing I can see. When I speak to him myself, it’s just not the same, I’m something like a lost cause, yet Lord you keep calling my name. So I confess, the #1 sinner am I, half the time “living right” I hardly try…..but you’re embodied in my inner being & with all my thorns and weaknesses,lies, self-deceit…….I have a chance, I am the chance, I live, I breathe free; because there is a king living inside of me.

In the dark ,I stare, but at what, and where? Who can I run to, who is fit to know? Seeing nothing or seeing something, you tell me. Imagine the things in the air, things I don’t even know are there. Unsure of things in my surroundings, and even the basic  flow around me. Not trusting the “spose’ to’s and the don’t do’s”, It’s got my mind  all clouded up. But there’s one for sure, one that’s pure. It’s you my father, you my saviour, you my everything…….you, no matter where I am, or where I’ve been. Accepting and respecting, knowing and growing, failing to realize, but trying to compromise. Everyone’s caught up and tied up, lying and not caring so abrupt;……… but there’s one for sure, one that’s pure, you. We reach for the stars, trying to drive all the nice cars, all the while losing our lives for no real purpose thinking of where to run and hide, and wondering was it all really worth this?Trying to be honest and stay clean, but why does everybody have to be so mean? And all along seeking and searching for anything that’s real, anything that’ll last, and that anything is you. All that I am, all that I can be, I will be, I, I, wait…who is me?not knowing who to trust, one is all I got. That one for sure, the one that’s pure, he who is, and is to come, the Lord our God, the almighty one….it is you .

I started my own Christian Blog on LiveJournal, but I could not find a Christian community who would read it on there. So the next few blogs that I write will have “(past)” in the title, to indicate that they were written a while ago.

This next one is from last January.

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!!!!

That’s how I feel right now.

All I want to do is find a site, a simple site, where I can add a prayer request. But I can’t find one.

I pray to God, but I feel that that is not enough. I want other people to pray with me. I want to know that God is hearing my prayer, and that more people are praying for the same thing so that I KNOW that He hears me.

God hears everyone. He hears all of us. I know that. But, sometimes, it just doesn’t feel like enough, you know?

I can’t express how many times a day this goes through my head. Or a week.

Is it really that hard to find a prayer group where you can be anonymous, where no one has to know every detail of your life, but still will pray for you? Is it truly that difficult to go to your congregation, stand up in front of them, and say, “Hear me! Please, help me pray to God, because I need help right now, and you are the only family that can help me!”

No, don’t shake your head, “No.” I know it is. I know it can be. We’re all worried about what everyone else thinks, and we say, “No, they don’t want to hear what I have to say. They’re busy. I’m not important enough.” Or maybe you think, “But that request is so personal. I don’t want my congregation knowing that about me.”

We’ve all thought that before. Or, at least, a good majority of us.

It’s amazing how our lives can interfere with our prayer. It’s not like our lives belong to God or anything, right?

No, WRONG.

We DO belong to God. We should not be ashamed of ourselves in front of the Lord, because it is HE who created us, HE who made us, and no one will ever love us more than God does! Do NOT be ashamed to ask the Almighty Father for help, because HE IS THERE FOR YOU.

Not enough people realize that anymore.

I went out, looking for a prayer group. I searched the web, I searched Facebook, LiveJournal, Google, and a few other ministries.
A dear friend of mine told me to e-mail his pastors’ the prayer request. And I couldn’t do it.
Why couldn’t I do it?
It didn’t feel right.

I shouldn’t have to ask two pastors’ to pray to God for me. Because, I can pray to God myself. It’s not about having other people pray for you. Yeah, sure, having a ton of people pray for the same thing with you is great—it adds a sense of completeness and community to prayer. It makes you think, “Hey, they CARE. They want to pray with me about this to God; He has to listen to me now, right?”

But in truth? God is already listening.

You don’t NEED other people to give God prayer. He hears you. He knows what your saying. He WILL provide. God is Almighty. God is All-Knowing. God. Is. Everywhere.

He can do anything, any time He wants. He’s really that awesome.

So, you know what?

Forget the prayer group. I’m going to post my prayer request right here, in this entry. God already knows what it is, and I’ve already prayed to Him. If you see it, that’s great, pray for it if you want to. But know that God has already heard, and is already providing the answer for me.

So, here it goes.

Dear God,

My cousin is on a mission in Haiti. He’s not with a mission group or a church group or anything; he went on his own to help out there.
He’s on an island off the mainland, and there’s no food or water there right now. Please, keep my cousin and all the other people there and on the mainland with You, God, because they need You, and they desperately need Your guidance and protection.

God, I know this may seem kind of strange, but I have a second prayer request, also, about something that hasn’t happened yet:

Obviously, You know about this, God. You know that there was an earthquake in Eureka, CA. It was a 6.5 on the scale. Well, scientists are saying that, in the next two weeks or so, there is supposed to be another earthquake along the San Andreas Fault, and it will hit San Fransisco up to Oregon. It is supposed to be more than one to one and half times bigger than the Eureka earthquake.
God, please, keep the people in the Bay Area and those along the San Andreas Fault in Your hands. Please, don’t let the quake be as severe as the Eureka Earthquake. God, I pray to you that it doesn’t happen at all.

God, I am so lost. I look at everything going on in the world, and I don’t know what to do about it. I don’t know how to help. God, please guide me in this. Tell me what to do.

There are so many things happening. It’s like a giant game of domino’s, where one event causes another, and another, and another…. And there’s no end. For all we know, two or three months from now, another catastrophe, another earthquake, may happen, making all of this seem like nothing.
Scientists are saying that the ocean is what is causing all the quakes. I’m no scientist, but I do believe in You, God, and my life and faith rest in Your hands. I have been praying that the coming catastrophes lessen, rather than grow in size and trauma. I don’t know what else to pray for, anymore. All I know is, that with faith and trust, You will hear me.

So, God, please, hear my prayers. God, the world is in Your hands, and I pray to You that everything will get better. So, please, help my cousin, and the people in Haiti in their trials right now. Help the people along the San Andreas Fault in their times of need, and prepare them for what is ahead.

God, keep everyone safe. Please.

Amen.