...but we are accountable when our actions and attitudes-misrepresenting a holy, just, and loving God...

So today, I sub. I get bored, so I read. For BBC we read a interesting book entitled UNchristian. Basically a research book with a little bit of commentary. Pretty straight forward, thought provoking, and humbling. I decided to read it again, since i read it awhile ago, and spaced out the chapters. I feel as if I missed a lot of key points, in the application to my life.

The title of this post is a quote, and the topic of discussion. WHAT DO YOU THINK IT MEANS?

I believe that this quote is the way that we as Christians behave. This is especially true for me. A lot of focus and energy is exerted to preserve the first two adjectives describing God. "Holy" and "Just" are built up, and attributed to God, and rightly so. Christians love to embrace these two adjectives in regards to sins, but simply neglect the delivery of love. A God who is ONLY holy and just, is a God that i am afraid of, not one that I fear and respect. People often forget that GOD IS LOVE. Love is the Glue that holds everything together. Aren't we called to love? To love our enemies? It is possible to be holy and just, and not loving. This is not the way that God is, nor is it the way that I believe Christians should act. The problem is, that is how Christians act (myself included). We get are "holier than thou" personalities going, and expect everyone to adhere to our moral standards of holiness and justice. This is good, but the package of holiness and justice needs top be packaged with love. A loving message is a better recieved message.

EASTER.

After meeting a guy with the same name, and reading his blog i stumbled across a post about how some Christian publishers deem the Crucifiction too horrific for kids. You can read the ARTICLE and make your own assessments, but i think the article proves a good point.

Its for reasons such as this, that nobody takes Christians serious anymore. The fire and the tenacity of Christianity is losing its power in the name of pleasing people. Look at the early Christians who were stoned (with rocks, not drugs), beaten, and persecuted for what they believe. Jesus himself spoke to what people needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear. Its LAME that Christians themselves, knowing the urgency of the times and and need for real Truth skate around the facts, and miss an opportunity to plant seeds into young peoples lives. The gospel IS too horrific for everyone, but yet it is a necessary horror. One that Christians need to embrace daily, not just one Sunday in March.

I guess it is easier to celebrate easter bunnies hiding eggs than it is to celebrate the crux of our faith. The only hope that we have. The reason we have the hope of going to heaven because Jesus gave his life in order that we might know what REAL LIFE IS.

ANYONE...

...WHO KNOWS THE GOOD HE OUGHT TO DO AND DOESNT DO IT SINS. I realized last night that we condone so many things that are sinful, and we just let them slide. We kinda let them go by without caring. All the while we understand that it is wrong, but continue to do them because nobody gets hurt. But there is still guilt involved, especially the first time we do the specific deed. As humans we just keep doing it, it gets easier everytime, and we get more calloused and bitter. All we are doing is breeding complacency. Outsiders (non christians, lost etc...) are searching for a life that is different and exciting. We have a responsibility to show an aspect of purity in the day to day. Its not a call to perfection, but rather a call to seek truth, and Gods desires in our life.

Another example of this is calling someone out. Exposing a flaw in another persons life. The only question is if you are doing it out of love, or a desire to be right. The desire to be right only puts you in a temporary position of dominance and authority, and makes the other ashamed of their faults. If you are rebuking with love, than there is a genuine concern for the path of that individual. You want him/her to change because you care, not because you want to put them in their place. Blah, Blah...I rambled, i hope this makes sense.

II Corinthians 12:7-10 (part two)

Well, nobody posted a comment. Which means nobody cares, or nobody reads this thing anymore. oh well. What 2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10?means to me is that Paul at first was complaining about the hardships that He was going through. I mean Legitimate hardships. But God revealed that God was most glorified in his weakness, he considered it a blessing to be able to serve Him through this "burden." In this day and age we take people to court, we complain, we argue about E V E R Y T H I N G. Especially me. But instead of doing that, if we were focused on how these "hardships" could reflect the identity of CHRIST more, instead of how we were being put out. Then I believe this generation would actually see Christ in us, instead of just hearing about us talking about Him. I am guilty, and it is hard to change, but it is beneficial to hear that we can change, and be happier which is subjective to the way you truly want to live. real happiness or temporary.

II Corinthians 12:7-10 (part one)

So I should be studying for my Final Exam at Yarrdhouse but instead I was looking at my widgets on my computer. There is one specific widget that is pretty basic and comes stock on all Macs. The Stickie note Widget. So I stickied a few weeks ago "WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM 2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10?" I already forgot all that God taught me through this, and i re-read it and remembered what a dork I am. Thank god for that note. So the question is bloggers, what can YOU learn from this passage. Reply as a comment. I will Blog what i learned in a few days.

A man of my word...

I used to pride myself on being a man of my word. Well, i think i am not really one at all. Just self reflecting over various life events, and it seems i give up on some commitments, or flake out when people think i am going to do something. Most times it is not really that important (in my own mind) it really doesnt affect anyone that greatly. But it just kinda builds up. I think it boils down to being selfish in alot of different aspects. I mean i hold to my responsibilities for work, and the things that "matter' but sometimes i compromise the others. I dont know what the hell is my deal. So if i have flaked on you, or told you i was going to do something and didnt follow through...Im sorry. Im sure God gets most of the flakage, and i see it now. I have seen it, just been a little to lazy to do anything. The detox is a perfect example. havent really kept to many of those commitments, cause it was hard. But no one ever got to high without a little hard work. I seek change, but lack the courage to work for it. i wanna be fit, but lack the desire to go to the gym and eat healthy. I wanna be a perfect christian, but sometimes lack the desire to seek him. Stupid.

Rejected

Job hunts suck. I know that God has a plan in all this, it is just hard when I have to be patient and actually trust Him. Well i am sure that he will be teaching me something in this. Well thats it, so now i ease my depression with multiple episodes of the office.

Passionate vs. Logical

I consider myself a pretty logical person, but sometimes it can get me in trouble. i was looking over a past journal entry that i did a couple months ago in my quiet times through Nehemiah. What i realized back then and today, is that sometimes it is ok to be passionate and logical. Nehemiah saw a need, and wasn't worried about how it was going to happen or how he would do it. What he did was present his dilemma to God and let him lead him, even if he did not know what was to come of him. He was passionate about doing the Lords work, and if he thought like I do sometimes, he probably would not have gone. He would have named off every reason it was a bad decision, and it was better for him to stay as the Kings cup bearer. The problem with that decision is that he would have missed out on an exciting journey and experience that God had for him, he would have missed the opportunity to grow, and missed the opportunity to become one of the greatest examples of a leader that there is. Sometimes we just have to take that chance. Well i gotta go, parents just got home from hawaii...brats.

Chasing Daylight

So I am not a reader. Seriously. I haven’t finished a book since I was like a sophomore in high school. That’s when I learned how to BS through my papers and assignments.

With all that said, I just finished "Chasing Daylight" by Erwin Raphael McManus. This was a great book. It talks about "seizing your divine moments" and doing what God calls us to do; even when it is hard or we don’t necessarily have everyone’s blessing. I wont bore you with all the details; I just encourage you to read it on your own. The one point I will tell you about comes like 10 pages from the end. It talks about the definition of the word "church." The definition is "to be called out." We always hear about Sunday Christians, who go to church, but never do anything with what they learn. But the question is, how many of us meet those same criteria, because I know for a fact that I do a lot, and I lead a small group. The call is and always has been to take what we learn on Sundays and our personal study time and apply it to our lives, in order to be a good reflection of our God.

So with all that said, go buy this book, read it and take action. And if you see me, remind me to do it as well.
Thanks for reading. Post a comment.

blah blee blah blah blah

So whatever, this is just the most random Blog ever. I haven’t Blogged in a while so I decided to just write some random stuff. I have been kind of crappy lately, just as a Christian in general, but I am getting better. I just read First timothy and a looking forward to getting wrecked by it as I go through it more slowly, and get to journal it. I like to read a book first, the go through the chapters or significant parts and write my thoughts on then in a journal, so I ca take the meat of the passage away from it, and better apply it to my life. So I guess I will be getting better on that. I have been banking on a job at Market Broiler for an Assistant Human Resources job, but today I had a meeting and found out that it isn’t in the company’s budget, and I will have to wait it out. It’s funny how God grows you, and teaches you to actually trust Him. In the meeting/interview my friend Rodney was talking about the restaurant industry...but it can be applied to my life, and yours too...It seems as though Rain clouds in our lives always seem bad, and we hate going through these trials and tribulations. BUT...without rain clouds we would not have rain, and the earth would not be replenished and produce beautiful flowers and landscapes. One of m favorite verses is in James, actually James 1:2-4. Without these rain clouds we would not learn how to grow in our faith and produce endurance. For you sandalites, refer to Nancy Heches sermon. But with all that Random stuff said God is teaching me how to trust Him, and how to accept uncertainty, even though I really hate it a lot. There is some good stuff going on too. I was recently certified for SCUBA.It was an amazing experience and cant wait to do it again. I guess that lets me fulfill all the prerequisites for my girlfriend’s family, who are avid SCUBA divers. There are really good things in the works, which helped me figure out a stupid linguistic equation. With all these decisions I am making these next few weeks/months I am very NERVOUS and EXCITED, for what God is going to bring into my life. So I decided that NERVOUS + EXCITED = ANXIOUS. Good things can be stressful too. Besides that living at home isn’t as bad as I expected. Parental relations are good. I miss my brother, but it was good to visit with my sister in law and nephew. What else, hmmm...vacation is coming up which I am really excited for. I got to visit with Brady and Evan two of my good friends tonight, and am looking forward to vacationing with them again...to bad Tyler isn’t going. It will be a last hoorah of sorts, and hopefully very relaxing...for those of you who don’t know I am going to Shasta then a turnaround to VEGAS for Karrina's (and mine...kind of) birthday. I am excited for ten days off for relaxation, but I am sure I will find something to stress about. So sorry if this Blog was boring, just informing you of what is going on in my life. Oh...and if you actually read my blog comment so I know, cause random people will be like "oh I was reading your blog..." and I am surprised, so it would be cool to get an idea of who reads this garbage. Take care...and yes, the moustache is still growing.

Blessed

So I sit here typing at my home, not my house. The home i grew up in, and have known since i was 1.5 years old. I was really angry when i found out all the recent drama about moving out of The Cockpit. What i realized, or what God showed me rather, was that i need to have a Christ-like attitude throughout all situations, even more so during seeming trials and tribulations. So when i found out i would have to move out 3 months earlier than expected, and need a place to stay for like 9 months...i thought id move in with my cousin. Today that to fell through. My first reaction was to get mad, but i knew that would be completely disregarding everything God has taught me this last week. The point of this BLOG is two-fold. (side not...This blog just got interrupted...and it was a complete test on everything that i just wrote) I could really stress out, but i know that would only add more problems to the present situation. Now finally the two points. First, Trusting in God is key. It is scary, because i like to be in control of everything, everything. The thing is I will never be in control of the future. All i can do is live my life as best as a can in regards to God, and let him control my destiny. My job is to accept and adapt. I want Gods blessing, but realize that everything is in his mercy, and he does not owe me anything other than salvation which is blessing enough (Daniel 9 quiet time this afternoon). And Second, how blessed am I to have a place to stay. i could complain about having nowhere to go, but i have plenty of options. To complain is to spit in the face of all those hard working people who live paycheck to paycheck, or are truly homeless. I end this blog with optimism, because i realize just how Merciful and loving God is. He has already truly blessed me.

So i met one of my childhood heros...

Well, not really but i did meet Damon Wayans, from In living Color and plenty of other movies etc...As i walk into work, i create small talk with a server from Las Campanas, we really dont have much to talk about, but he was like "hey, Damon Wayans is in the Presidential Lounge." I dont get star struck really, but i thought it would be cool to see him in person. So i walk up there and there he is, sitting at the bar. I decide in my mind to actually talk to him. So..."Excuse me, sorry to interrupt...i am a big fan, and i just wanted to say hi. I dont need an autograph just wanted to say hi." He was actually pretty cool, i shook his hand and he said, "Thanks for introducing yourself." He was actually pretty cool. It just reminded me of going to bed on Sunday nights at 8pm, thats when my bedtime was, and also when In living Color came on. Sometimes, if i ws a good little Gilbert, Mom and Dad would let me stay up and watch. Every other night i would sit in the hallway and watch, just out of view from my parents. That was a hilarious show, period. So that was the beginning of tonights shift. Who have you met?

Better late than never

So i was a bit late to work today, but it all started as a culmination of the end of last night. So we finished up our meeting at like 12am. Voges (pronounced "VOH-GUESS") said he had a graduation card for me. But i decided not to open this card for a very specific reason, I do not like opening cards in front of peopel that much, especially if it is a serious thing. So i snuck the envelope encased card into my journal. I decided to be a gentleman and walk a girl out to her car, and decided to take my journal. After that happened i walked back (one way is a little less than a quarter mile) to meet my Karrina (my GF) and the rest of the group, and walk to the cars with them.

I woke up this morning and decided to read the card, but it wasnt in the journal, and was nowhere to be found. I was kinda upset. I called karrina as is my usual morning routine, and she said she thought she remembered seeing a card on the street. So i decided to take a drive by and see. The odds were against me, but i figured it was worth a try. On my first run i didnt see anything. On my second (and final) run i say a rectangular shaped item on the street floor. It looked as if it had been run over like 10 times and was tearing at one seam. The front of the card said "travis." I opened it to find a nicely written card, and a check all perfectly in tact.

I will have you know that I prayed for this three times. For humility, when i believed i would have to call the card originator and tell them "thank you" for a card i never read, and a gift i never recieved. God decided to spare me and answer my prayer. Thats why i believe in prayer, you may not always get the answer you want...but sometimes you do.

Every Breath, Closer to Death

Well, This is actualy not intended to be a pessimistic post. It is actually a post of encouragement and hope. But it seems like the older i get, the more things change, and the more new experiences i face. Althouh i understand that this is life, i really like things to remain the same.

I have actually been qite lucky throuhout my life, no one of my close friends have died, no close family member has passed away. But in the last two weeks i have known two people, who were a part of my life, not just aquaintences who have died. Rhys Klasno (killed in IRAQ) and Guin Dixon (severe case of DIABETES). Its weird because i had plans to go to lunch with Rhys when he got back, that will never happen. I just saw Guin a month or so ago, and my mom just saw her a day or so before she died. These events affected me in a different way than usual. I started to think...

It is kinda cliche, but holds a lot of truth and significance. Are we ready to die. I mean i know that i will go to heaven and all that jazz, but would God be pumped to see me. Would he be proud to have me home, or would he be ready to give me a stern lecture. Lecturing me about living life for myself, in the moment, without sacrifice. This life is about praising God with our lives, and i know that God is pretty faithful and will bless us with happiness as we pursue him. I guess these events galvanized me to wanting to actually change the way i live in order to grow closer to the one who is the author and perfector of this life and the next.

What do you think?