Enough

God has really been harping on me these past few months about how He is ENOUGH for me!!!
Meaning, I don't need more money, relationships, better clothes, a nice car, the most updated computer, fame and fortune, more people to like me, ect, and the list goes on. I JUST NEED HIM!!
I could stop right there and let those four words sink in and I would literally be pondering that for a while. I've begun to realize that most of my sin struggles if not all is me attempting to fill a void inside of myself with things when God is the only one who can fill that hole. It is sooo stinking difficult though. The whole idea of letting God be enough. I honestly want to let God be enough. I know in the deepest sense of self that God is enough. I know that nothing compares and nothing comes close to filling me like God does. I've been on both sides of the coin. Yet I continue to spend more time watching the telly, or being with people, or getting involved in church stuff, or whatever else than I do just being with God. This may sound like frustration but it isn't. It's more a confession of my own failings and a credit to God's glory because of how AWESOME HE IS!!! I LOVE GOD!! Because He is "more than enough for me." Because He continues to touch my heart even in the midst of me going opposite the way to Him at times. I LOVE GOD because He allows U-turns and just wants me to come into His arms. He wants me to run and jump into His arms. I personally find that ironic because of a marred relationship with my earthly father. I don't recall ever running into my earthly fathers arms and just being with him and hearing him tell me how he loves me or is proud of me or whatever fathers are supposed to say. But I get that opportunity everyday with my heavenly father. And although it's not a physical thing per se, when I'm choosing to be in relationship with the Father, I physically feel complete and fulfilled, not lacking anything. How's that for the "father to the fatherless"? AMEN!!!

Now Eat Your Vegetables!!!

I think I'm looking forward to being a parent. I'm understanding more and more why people have kids. Other than the fact that it's biblical because God's instructions were to , " fill the earth and subdue it" (Gen 1:28), kids are just enjoyable. I'm housing sitting for a family at my church while they are out of town and they have left their two teenages boys behind as well. I've had so much fun just being with them and talking to them. They went to the movies with some friends the other day and I dropped them off at the theater. I felt a genuine care for them and there well-being like they were my own or something. It brought me back to my childhood experiences of going to the movies. Such fun!!
Granted I'm sure everyday life isn't always fun for parents, children seem to bring joy and make life so much more interesting. I don't really know how to describe it but I'm sure those of you whom have children or work with youth probably know what I mean.
Just this past weekend I chaperoned (I know it probably sounds weird but yes I can be responsible) along with another adult a trip down to Sheboygan. I had such fun observing, listening, chatting with, challenging, joking with, these kids. It's kind of crazy how much fun we had. We also played Laser tag and you talk about fun!!! It was great. Anyway, I'm rambling and this is probably the most random blog I've entered to date but it was just on my mind. Got any comments?

Black.White.

There is this new reality series that comes on FX (cable television station) and for once it is actually a good one. I'm not usually not too keen on reality tv because of it's fakeness but this one is worth seeing. I think anyone who is any one should see this series sometime. It's about a black family and a white family living together in the same house and essentially through physical atlerations to their appearances switching races all for the purpose of experiencing each others' cultures. It's such an educational show that addresses some really very difficult issues in regards to such a heated subject.
One thing I noticed from the black family that I thought was really ridiculous but fairly accurate is how they walked around with a chip on their shoulders all the time and seemed to misinterpret the actions of the white family as hostile and offensive. I didn't feel like enough grace was given. I guess having that misunderstanding is a major reason why there is racism in the first place.
Here is a link to learn more about the show. I encourage anyone who is anyone to check it out.http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/blackwhite/main.html

Right or Wrong?

I've noticed an increase in the past few months in the talk about emerging churches and youth ministries versus traditional or contemporary and I can't help but ask the question that has been nagging at me. Who is right and who is wrong? Or, is there a right and a wrong? It seems as though there are valid points on all sides as to whether or not things need to change in the way we "do" church but, as a future youth pastor probably I must ask how one knows which way to go. I suppose I ere on the side of things needing to be a little different especially the way our culture changes continually. It seems that a majority of our youth are beginning to grow tired of the same old stuff with in regards to church. And although I'm not one to always change things just because others don't like, I'm beginning to discover that maybe the way were doing things wasn't completely right in the first place. It seems that the old weekend retreat with the Saturday night altar call might not be as effective as we once thought. There are always multiple rededications, and rededications of rededications but not much substance or foundation under them.
I'm sure we all know how easy it is to be completely in to the moment and then the next day, likely the very next moment be doing something that "Jesus wouldn't do." I don't really know or have an answer to this whole topic but I thought I would just right about it for the sake of adding to the discussion. Do you have any thoughts on the matters? Please respond.

I must be getting old!!

I have many opportunities throughout each week to talk and interact with teenagers and one of the things I have begun to realize about them is a way of thinking that is typically centered around themselves. It doesn't always mean that they are completely self-centered and all they talk about is themselves but just in the way that they carry themselves, make decisions, think it has become apparent to me. I'm starting to see the things that my parents always talked to me about and the folly in these ways that the majority of teenagers think. I had a conversation with a teenager today in which this person divulged that their parent was injust in witholding a certain privelege from them that affected this person's freedoms. After further talking I learned that the reason this person's privelege was witheld was because of the kids lack of responsibilty. This kid felt powerless and unjustly dealt with and I unsuccessfully tried to help him see that a lot of blame lay squarely on him and that he had a choice to make but instead he only saw that someone was treating him contrary to his idea of justness and he complained about it. In other words, instead of taking care of the real issue which was himself, he chose to hold others in contempt.
I'm sure we do that often enough in our society. For instance, when the wave of school shootings happened in the late 90's people started talking about gun control and taking stuff off the internet that showed how to make bombs. That would be like a person suing MacDonalds for them being overweight (which sadly has happened before). Instead of looking within it's of course always easier to point the finger at others than to look at ourselves. I am reminded of a quote, but I don't know who it's from. " We would all be much better off if we praised others like we praised ourselves, and blamed ourselves like we blame others."
I sure that kid, as well as we as a people, get some wisdom otherwise. Otherwise, we are all in for some trouble.

Picture This!!!

Today we observed communion at church. I've observed communion many times before. Sometimes I've been impacted but sometimes I haven't. Today, during communion there was a video playing that showed different pictures of Jesus on it. That got me to thinking because really, no one knows what Jesus really looks like yet, remarkably, most of the pictures that were on the screen were very similar in nature eventhough I'm sure most of the pictures were drawn by different people. The pictures portrayed Jesus coming from many different ethnic backgrounds. There was east asian, middle-eastern, caucasian, african-american, native american and I'm sure there were more but those were the ones I noticed. Honestly I suppose I was a tad annoyed because the majority of the portrayals of Jesus were caucasian. I remember going to churches growing up and seeing pictures of caucasian Jesus'. Even in predominantly black churches.
I wonder how we got this mainstream picture of what Jesus looks like. According to the Bible, of the last people that saw Jesus on this earth, one group of people didn't recognize him and they were the ones that spent just about every waking moment with him. Another person was so completely overwhelmed by the irrefutable light of him that he was blinded for a few days. Another was so disturbed by him that we fell facedown and eventually wrote a book about it. According to Isaiah 53, " He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
Nothing against all of the artist's renderings of Jesus but I sure hope they are all wrong. I sure hope that when I behold Jesus' face for the first time I will not be able to take my eyes off Him because I will be so much drawn to Him than I am now. If it's anything like John's description on the Isle of Patmos, I and others like me will be in for a real treat. What a glorious day that will be.

Kids Do The Darndest Things

I LOVE KIDS!! I think they are so fun to be around. I enjoy how kids are really their own person (atleast until they get older and really care what people think). For the most part, with kids what you see is what you get. They aren't as guarded nor do they hide who they are as much.
Often times, now that I'm an adult (whoa that's scary to say), I feel like there is this pressure to comform to some norm in which you do things because you have to or because it's "nice" whether you want to or not. Most kids just say what they feel and don't think about what others would say. For instance, I remember being at church with my nephew when he was around 3 or 4 years of age. He wanted to play drums but our youth pastor Ivan (who doesn't necessarily have the best tact) told him to get off of the drums. My nephew, being 2 years of age now that I think about responded, " I don't like you." I kind of chuckled under my breath because I thought it was funny. I knew that, even if I didn't like someone, I wouldn't be bold enough to tell them that. I would go about as normal as possible with trying to be nice but feeling because I'm not being true to what I am about.
I know you might think I'm wacko but do let me finish.
I understand what growing up is about. I am beginning to see that as an adult sometimes you have to do what you don't want to do so that you will be able to do what you want to do. When I was younger, I resented that statement and it shoes in my life now because I'm trying to play catch up.
Part of growing up is giving now's pleasure so that you may enjoy your hard earned spoils later. In that respect I'd say we have a young society because we make foolish decisions with our money, time, and possesions. This youthful thought mentality is the reason why there is so much debt, adultery, pornography addictions, ect..
But wait Will!! You were just saying how much you loved kids.
I love kids because of their authenticity although most of the time it's unplanned. In this respect I would like to be more like a child. But in the respect of choosing to live and authentic life I would like to be like and adult. I'm not sure if this blog makes sense but I was in the spur of the moment and had some thoughts. If you have any comments do share them.