well folks its been along time since I've posted. so much has happenend. Lets see if we can put it into one paragraph...in no peticular order of course.
Erin's prego and due in december, back safely from iraq, black widow's are abundant in our house this year, I've stopped playing paintball, infected leg (my garage band) is in the process of organizing our reunion tour, I made Staff Sergeant (E-5) and the air force rewarded me with a year long vacation to Korea, without the family..yeah some reward eh?
My spiritual life has been a struggle. It is insane sometime to think how the mind can work. Sometimes I develop this feeling that I'm on the right track spiritually you know? But then it takes talking to one person who is very strong spiritually (Brother-N-Law Erik, Ed, Chaplain Forsythe to name a few) to completely turn me around with a gentle punch in the face. I say gentle because what they say is in complete love, but man it stings. It is a huge blessing, but I just kind of wish I could figure it out you know. I know God puts people in our lives to help us along, because we cant do it on our own. But the process of learning that is extremely painful.
I pray that I can fulfil God's call for me to go to Korea. And that I meet the need he is calling me there for. I've been really struggling with this going to Korea thing. But God loves me and wouldnt send me there if the benifit wasnt worth the cost.
Father- guide me in your ways. God in complete humility I surrender to your will. I will go where you call me. Lead me Lord.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
reflections
Its been a while since i've posted. so i must apologize to my "faithful" readers.
I've really been bored lately so I've had a lot of time to reflect on a lot of things that have happend over the past couple years, starting with my wedding and will add some brief commentary for the past 3.5 years.
I remember saying I do to my lovely wife and thinking this was going to EASY! We are going to perfectly happy everyday of our marriage! we will wake up and just be madly in love as we make love, and then go to our high paying jobs and then return to our white picket fenced home where our 2 kids frolecked in the yard. Boy was I mistaken. (who knew marriage and love would take dedication and hard work???)
While today I can say that I love my wife so incredibly and so intensely and that love grows everyday, I cant say that I had any idea what was going on when we first got married. There were many times in those first 6-8 months where I didnt know if we would make it through the year, let alone the night. I was 19, fresh out of high school, working 19 hours a day, 6 days a week. I had no idea how to lead a family. No idea what a man looked like. I guess you could say i was failing in every aspect of it.
I went to church every sunday with the family. But i think during this time we truly represented the sunday christians. We were very smug in our faith, at least i know I was. I would sing "shout to the lord" and raise my hands and serve as inspiration for a lot of people, then on the way to work later in the afternoon blast Tupac "Hit em Up"(for the record i dont recommend anyone listens to that song) and rap along with him. In my eyes i saw this as being ok. Once again boy was I wrong.
things kept getting a lot hard on me and the wife. It almost felt like we were a 2 liter of soda that was just being shook and shook and could blow at any moment...
Enter Jaden.
In the early morning hours of th 9th of november, my son Jaden was born. He was about 6 weeks premature. He weighed 5 lbs. Little guy. Holding him for the first time was a real slap in the face letting me know what I needed to do.
2 months later I'm on a plane to basic military training. Wholly crap. I mean it cant be too hard, its the Air Force....Right?? WRONG! I lived everyday of basic training in fear of being recycled or whatever. Looking back it is comical to me and I dont understand why I was the way i was. But I was. I definitely was a tool. I prayed for the day when I would graduate and get to see my family again. It really hit me, for the first time as sad as that is to say, that I had a family and it was my job to take care of them.Erin went and lived with my sister Karen. What a blessing that was. I really think this was the starting point for Erin and I. Yes we loved each other before. But with me being gone, it forced us to communicate. It forced us to learn how to love each other.
Well apparantly I didnt do too bad in Basic. I graduated with honors, (top 10% of my flight in my 65 person flight) and didnt get recycled. I got to see my wife and kids for 3 very, very short days. Then it was off to beautiful Biloxi Mississippi for tech school. This was really where I started to study the bible a lot more. I was a christian before, but I was an evolutional christian. And held a lot of unitarian democratical views. ( yes, I did vote for Kerry in 04 and yes i did have to face my wifes grandmother who is a "modest" republican from wyoming :) )
I really converted in Mississippi. I really "found" out who I was and converted to good ole fashioned right wing conservatism...Finally. and the angels sang "HALLELUJAH!!!" (ok yeah not so much. I really denounce the republican party now for the record and cling to Jesus words over anything else. I really lost a lot of friends and witnessing opportuniities because of my religious beliefs/attack. They werent really Christ like at all. Not saying I am perfect now, but now i can honestly say i am aware of the problem)
I then went on to Georgia and finished my tech school. I didnt graduate with honors there, but I did pretty well. My tech school was 30 weeks in length. It was a great time and I made some lifelong freinds. The schooling was the most stressful I've ever experienced. Something about RF propagation and BPSK just isn't easy to learn.
With the exception of some weekends, I spent the majority of that time away from my family. This was good but also bad. I missed many landmark things for both my kids. But me and my wife once again really learned from each other. We really learned to makethings work. I learned that women dont want men to solve all there problems. ( I still dont understand that,I just go along with it, which the wife loves :) ) I then got my first duty station in Idaho. Pretty cool stuff. I now have been at mountain home for just about 2 years and life has gone pretty smoothely. Finally I could have a "normal" family life. (HA was I wrong, I've been gone, through exercises and deployments, more times then I;ve been home. Erin is an incredible woman and together we've really made it work through the distance and stresses of military life. I dont think it has made us A LOT stronger then before)
The day I left basic, I started on a whole new branch of life then most ofmy friends from high school.I think about the things i've accomplished. I think about my family and my new found religion (christ follower for those who havent read the past posts). I think about my two voluntary deployments to Iraq. I think about the amount of combat training i've been through. I think about the stuff I've seen, the people I've met, the person I've become. I think about the complexity of my job. Even my wife would have a hard time explaining what I do.
I think about how i've matured. How i really dont desire to be "cool" anymore. I dont desire to be fashionable or "look hot" in my "myspace"(in fact i dont have a myspace, nor would i ever really want one now). Yes I want to look presentable, and want to be attractive in my wifes eyes, but it isnt my soul focus of being.
When you're in the military you really become isolated in your own little military world. Sometimes I look at my friends blogs and stuff and sit there in amazement. Its like if we got together now we would have nothing to talk about besides the past. they would be dressed in there American Eagle (or whatever the cool brand is now), and i would be wearing my sweatshirt from high school with ripped jeans (not the fasionable kind, if those are still fashionable???). I now have friends who i've met in the military who I consider brothers and would literally give my life for. Yeah we get mad with each other and fight, but what family doesnt? But my high school friends have no idea who I am now, or what I stand for. I still think about them often, and hope there doing alright, but its just not the same now.
I dont say these things to be prideful, so i apologize if it comes across that way. I say these things to show how much God has changed me. Although I feel nowhere close to where I need to be in regards to fatherhood, being a husband, or professionally, I do feel i am lightyears ahead of where I was just 3 years ago at this very same time. Most people my age (23) would be happy going out clubbing and having loud and crazy nights. You know looking cool and having a "way cool" myspace page. Well nothing against myspace, because tons of people use it and love it, unfortunately for me nothing sounds better right now then to have a nice dinner with my lovely wife, my most incredible daughter, and my awesome son, then tuck them in at 8 o' clock and watch a movie with my wife while relaxing on the couch. Then go to bed with my wife 2 hours later. Only to go to work and do my job and serve this country the way it deserves to be served.
Looking back if I could have changed some things I would. the last 4 years have been some of the hardest of my life. They've also been by far the most rewarding. But I think my story shows how you can take a low-life little boy, and turn him into a somewhat respectable husband and father. I know that I am nowhere near where I am destined to go, but I do know that God will help me get there.
So as I sit here in iraq, thousands of miles away from the people who love me most, doubled over in pain because of my kidney stones, I really hope you all take a moment to reflect on the person that God has made you. Think about the times when you had no idea why these things were going wrong in your life, and how it all worked out. Man, God is an incredible God.
I've really been bored lately so I've had a lot of time to reflect on a lot of things that have happend over the past couple years, starting with my wedding and will add some brief commentary for the past 3.5 years.
I remember saying I do to my lovely wife and thinking this was going to EASY! We are going to perfectly happy everyday of our marriage! we will wake up and just be madly in love as we make love, and then go to our high paying jobs and then return to our white picket fenced home where our 2 kids frolecked in the yard. Boy was I mistaken. (who knew marriage and love would take dedication and hard work???)
While today I can say that I love my wife so incredibly and so intensely and that love grows everyday, I cant say that I had any idea what was going on when we first got married. There were many times in those first 6-8 months where I didnt know if we would make it through the year, let alone the night. I was 19, fresh out of high school, working 19 hours a day, 6 days a week. I had no idea how to lead a family. No idea what a man looked like. I guess you could say i was failing in every aspect of it.
I went to church every sunday with the family. But i think during this time we truly represented the sunday christians. We were very smug in our faith, at least i know I was. I would sing "shout to the lord" and raise my hands and serve as inspiration for a lot of people, then on the way to work later in the afternoon blast Tupac "Hit em Up"(for the record i dont recommend anyone listens to that song) and rap along with him. In my eyes i saw this as being ok. Once again boy was I wrong.
things kept getting a lot hard on me and the wife. It almost felt like we were a 2 liter of soda that was just being shook and shook and could blow at any moment...
Enter Jaden.
In the early morning hours of th 9th of november, my son Jaden was born. He was about 6 weeks premature. He weighed 5 lbs. Little guy. Holding him for the first time was a real slap in the face letting me know what I needed to do.
2 months later I'm on a plane to basic military training. Wholly crap. I mean it cant be too hard, its the Air Force....Right?? WRONG! I lived everyday of basic training in fear of being recycled or whatever. Looking back it is comical to me and I dont understand why I was the way i was. But I was. I definitely was a tool. I prayed for the day when I would graduate and get to see my family again. It really hit me, for the first time as sad as that is to say, that I had a family and it was my job to take care of them.Erin went and lived with my sister Karen. What a blessing that was. I really think this was the starting point for Erin and I. Yes we loved each other before. But with me being gone, it forced us to communicate. It forced us to learn how to love each other.
Well apparantly I didnt do too bad in Basic. I graduated with honors, (top 10% of my flight in my 65 person flight) and didnt get recycled. I got to see my wife and kids for 3 very, very short days. Then it was off to beautiful Biloxi Mississippi for tech school. This was really where I started to study the bible a lot more. I was a christian before, but I was an evolutional christian. And held a lot of unitarian democratical views. ( yes, I did vote for Kerry in 04 and yes i did have to face my wifes grandmother who is a "modest" republican from wyoming :) )
I really converted in Mississippi. I really "found" out who I was and converted to good ole fashioned right wing conservatism...Finally. and the angels sang "HALLELUJAH!!!" (ok yeah not so much. I really denounce the republican party now for the record and cling to Jesus words over anything else. I really lost a lot of friends and witnessing opportuniities because of my religious beliefs/attack. They werent really Christ like at all. Not saying I am perfect now, but now i can honestly say i am aware of the problem)
I then went on to Georgia and finished my tech school. I didnt graduate with honors there, but I did pretty well. My tech school was 30 weeks in length. It was a great time and I made some lifelong freinds. The schooling was the most stressful I've ever experienced. Something about RF propagation and BPSK just isn't easy to learn.
With the exception of some weekends, I spent the majority of that time away from my family. This was good but also bad. I missed many landmark things for both my kids. But me and my wife once again really learned from each other. We really learned to makethings work. I learned that women dont want men to solve all there problems. ( I still dont understand that,I just go along with it, which the wife loves :) ) I then got my first duty station in Idaho. Pretty cool stuff. I now have been at mountain home for just about 2 years and life has gone pretty smoothely. Finally I could have a "normal" family life. (HA was I wrong, I've been gone, through exercises and deployments, more times then I;ve been home. Erin is an incredible woman and together we've really made it work through the distance and stresses of military life. I dont think it has made us A LOT stronger then before)
The day I left basic, I started on a whole new branch of life then most ofmy friends from high school.I think about the things i've accomplished. I think about my family and my new found religion (christ follower for those who havent read the past posts). I think about my two voluntary deployments to Iraq. I think about the amount of combat training i've been through. I think about the stuff I've seen, the people I've met, the person I've become. I think about the complexity of my job. Even my wife would have a hard time explaining what I do.
I think about how i've matured. How i really dont desire to be "cool" anymore. I dont desire to be fashionable or "look hot" in my "myspace"(in fact i dont have a myspace, nor would i ever really want one now). Yes I want to look presentable, and want to be attractive in my wifes eyes, but it isnt my soul focus of being.
When you're in the military you really become isolated in your own little military world. Sometimes I look at my friends blogs and stuff and sit there in amazement. Its like if we got together now we would have nothing to talk about besides the past. they would be dressed in there American Eagle (or whatever the cool brand is now), and i would be wearing my sweatshirt from high school with ripped jeans (not the fasionable kind, if those are still fashionable???). I now have friends who i've met in the military who I consider brothers and would literally give my life for. Yeah we get mad with each other and fight, but what family doesnt? But my high school friends have no idea who I am now, or what I stand for. I still think about them often, and hope there doing alright, but its just not the same now.
I dont say these things to be prideful, so i apologize if it comes across that way. I say these things to show how much God has changed me. Although I feel nowhere close to where I need to be in regards to fatherhood, being a husband, or professionally, I do feel i am lightyears ahead of where I was just 3 years ago at this very same time. Most people my age (23) would be happy going out clubbing and having loud and crazy nights. You know looking cool and having a "way cool" myspace page. Well nothing against myspace, because tons of people use it and love it, unfortunately for me nothing sounds better right now then to have a nice dinner with my lovely wife, my most incredible daughter, and my awesome son, then tuck them in at 8 o' clock and watch a movie with my wife while relaxing on the couch. Then go to bed with my wife 2 hours later. Only to go to work and do my job and serve this country the way it deserves to be served.
Looking back if I could have changed some things I would. the last 4 years have been some of the hardest of my life. They've also been by far the most rewarding. But I think my story shows how you can take a low-life little boy, and turn him into a somewhat respectable husband and father. I know that I am nowhere near where I am destined to go, but I do know that God will help me get there.
So as I sit here in iraq, thousands of miles away from the people who love me most, doubled over in pain because of my kidney stones, I really hope you all take a moment to reflect on the person that God has made you. Think about the times when you had no idea why these things were going wrong in your life, and how it all worked out. Man, God is an incredible God.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Tonight dude, I just wanna dance...
Hey hows it going everyone? Alright here. Its been a while since I've posted so i figured I'd post up some new things that have been happening with me.
The coolest thing for me this last couple weeks since I posted is that all around my base the greenest grass i've ever seen is sprouting up in the most random places. Gorgeous grass. I'd post up some pictures but we've been having some serious CPU issues over here. You dont realize how much you miss grass until you havent seen it for a while.
I guess Obama came out and said that he expects millions of people to lose their jobs next year alone. I guess I can't fault him for saying that. His whole campaign premise was based on Change. Nobody ever said it was for the better...
This week is thanksgiving. Thats pretty exciting. I hope you all remember to think about those men and women deployed overseas right now who probably are having pop tarts for their thanksgiving dinner.
Personally I've been struggling a lot lately with finding genuine happiness in life. I have a really hard time not being an "eeyore" Christian. I really have a lot i need to work on. I just feel like there is no way I can live up to the expectations set up for me from the bible as a father, husband and Christian man. It just feels like no matter what I do its just never enough you know?
Its been really hard for me to really iron out what I truely believe in. I really belive in the whole Jesus thing. But there are just so many different things out there to believe. They all claim to have the truth. im not even going into other religions, just sticking in Christianity. Its crazy to think about the many sects which all claim to have the truth. Think about it, you would never really see a mennonite woman, southern baptist stay at home wife, pentacostal mom, and a Catholic woman with a full time job all having a meal together talking about the awesomeness of Christ. It just wouldnt happen. Although they all believe in the whole Jesus thing, most of them wouldnt even say hello to other if they knew what they believed. Thats really frustrating to me...
I guess all I can do is just keep running the race and keep my head up and wait to see what God has in stored for me.
I must be off now. Take it easy everyone and hopefully talk with you all again soon.
-robert
The coolest thing for me this last couple weeks since I posted is that all around my base the greenest grass i've ever seen is sprouting up in the most random places. Gorgeous grass. I'd post up some pictures but we've been having some serious CPU issues over here. You dont realize how much you miss grass until you havent seen it for a while.
I guess Obama came out and said that he expects millions of people to lose their jobs next year alone. I guess I can't fault him for saying that. His whole campaign premise was based on Change. Nobody ever said it was for the better...
This week is thanksgiving. Thats pretty exciting. I hope you all remember to think about those men and women deployed overseas right now who probably are having pop tarts for their thanksgiving dinner.
Personally I've been struggling a lot lately with finding genuine happiness in life. I have a really hard time not being an "eeyore" Christian. I really have a lot i need to work on. I just feel like there is no way I can live up to the expectations set up for me from the bible as a father, husband and Christian man. It just feels like no matter what I do its just never enough you know?
Its been really hard for me to really iron out what I truely believe in. I really belive in the whole Jesus thing. But there are just so many different things out there to believe. They all claim to have the truth. im not even going into other religions, just sticking in Christianity. Its crazy to think about the many sects which all claim to have the truth. Think about it, you would never really see a mennonite woman, southern baptist stay at home wife, pentacostal mom, and a Catholic woman with a full time job all having a meal together talking about the awesomeness of Christ. It just wouldnt happen. Although they all believe in the whole Jesus thing, most of them wouldnt even say hello to other if they knew what they believed. Thats really frustrating to me...
I guess all I can do is just keep running the race and keep my head up and wait to see what God has in stored for me.
I must be off now. Take it easy everyone and hopefully talk with you all again soon.
-robert
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Good Evening Mr President
Hello to you all random bloggers out there. How was everyone's week? Mine was pretty much the same as the week before. Always good times.
Well in case you've been living in a closet somewhere for the past year the presidential election took place this last tuesday. And now we have president elect Barack Obama who won by a landslide victory over AZ senator John MCcain.
Now personally I have no problem saying I did not vote, thus i will not complain about the results in which i took no part in. I didn't think any of the candidates had what it took to run the country right now. I wont go too far into details because I try not to get too involved into politics. But just one thing really interested me this past week so i'll make an exception.
Did you know that 97% of all African Americans voted for Obama this past election? 97%. Out of every 100 people 97 people voted for Obama. And the question I must ask is....why? Well just like 96% of all of you, I was glued to the TV watching the election results take place. Thanks to the AF I have that capability. Reporters would go around asking people who they voted for. More then once a person of African descent would reply" I voted for Obama because he is a strong young black man." Wait a second, your telling me that your basing your vote for arguably the most powerful position in the world on the fact the dude is black? "I voted for him because i wanted to be a part of history, so i can tell my grandkids i voted in the first black president". Oh I think we are in trouble....
For the record these statements were made in churches that were having pro Obama rallies...
Does anyone else see a problem with this? Why would a Christian be willing to throw out their beliefs and support someone solely base on the color of their skin? Certainly most bible beleiving christians are against abortion. Why would they vote for a candidate who has the most liberal voting record on abortion in the whole congress? A man who actually doesnt see a problem with third term abortions?
Now I wouldnt have had a problem with it if they replied they voted for obama because his foreign policy is what this country needed, or if they liked his views on the economy, or even this one, that they supported his pro choice views. I would have respected any of those people who had there answers because they took the time and energy to research the candidate, even a little bit, and vote on something they agreed on. I definitely dont agree with their stance, but you dont have to agree with someone to respect them.
I just have to say we have a long way to go on the road to tolerance in this country. Who we vote for should have nothing to do with the color of someone's skin.
Well in case you've been living in a closet somewhere for the past year the presidential election took place this last tuesday. And now we have president elect Barack Obama who won by a landslide victory over AZ senator John MCcain.
Now personally I have no problem saying I did not vote, thus i will not complain about the results in which i took no part in. I didn't think any of the candidates had what it took to run the country right now. I wont go too far into details because I try not to get too involved into politics. But just one thing really interested me this past week so i'll make an exception.
Did you know that 97% of all African Americans voted for Obama this past election? 97%. Out of every 100 people 97 people voted for Obama. And the question I must ask is....why? Well just like 96% of all of you, I was glued to the TV watching the election results take place. Thanks to the AF I have that capability. Reporters would go around asking people who they voted for. More then once a person of African descent would reply" I voted for Obama because he is a strong young black man." Wait a second, your telling me that your basing your vote for arguably the most powerful position in the world on the fact the dude is black? "I voted for him because i wanted to be a part of history, so i can tell my grandkids i voted in the first black president". Oh I think we are in trouble....
For the record these statements were made in churches that were having pro Obama rallies...
Does anyone else see a problem with this? Why would a Christian be willing to throw out their beliefs and support someone solely base on the color of their skin? Certainly most bible beleiving christians are against abortion. Why would they vote for a candidate who has the most liberal voting record on abortion in the whole congress? A man who actually doesnt see a problem with third term abortions?
Now I wouldnt have had a problem with it if they replied they voted for obama because his foreign policy is what this country needed, or if they liked his views on the economy, or even this one, that they supported his pro choice views. I would have respected any of those people who had there answers because they took the time and energy to research the candidate, even a little bit, and vote on something they agreed on. I definitely dont agree with their stance, but you dont have to agree with someone to respect them.
I just have to say we have a long way to go on the road to tolerance in this country. Who we vote for should have nothing to do with the color of someone's skin.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
What would Jesus buy?
Greetings and Salutations to all. I see from a couple comments I have a few people reading my blog outside the sphere of me and my wife. Welcome to you all.
Now I know you all have been standing anxiously waiting for my next post on "blogging"...sadly that day will have to wait. I watched a movie titled "What would Jesus buy?" It's good because it doesnt take a religious stand on anything and i couldnt really tell if these people were Christians or what. I highly recommend you all watch it. It takes a lot for me to be convicted of something. But this movie definitely convicted me, 1. as an American, and 2. as a Christian. Let me show you why.
The movie's basic storyline is about this guy named "Reverend Billy" and his church choir who travel throughout the country during the days leading up to Christmas. When they get to a place they generally perform on old school "big tent" revival. Billy then preaches on the coming "Shopacolypse" and how we need to get away from our material ways to avoid the impending doom. It's totally meant to be comedic and it definitely is. It also talks about how Americans have essentially ripped christmas away from the original meaning behind it, and everyone partakes in it. I've met a lot of jewish people who celebrate Christmas...I still dont get that one...But like he said, even if you arent a Christian, Christ was born to bring peace and spread it, not trample people on black friday....(you know who you are out there:) )
He also touched on sweatshops. Uh oh, thats right I just brought that up. Sweatshops. People working 17-20 hour days making our clothes in extremely harsh conditions for 13 cents an hour.( I wont go into the details regarding the treatment of sweatshop workers as i think they are pretty common knowledge, albeit most of the time ignored) I imagine there will be people reading this blog who have kids. Imagine your child or children working that much, under those conditions, making a tee shirt for some American company? Does that disgust anyone else? I mean really think about it. You can try to shove it out of your head but the fact remains it is still happening, everyday.
Think about the amount of material things you buy people (mainly kids) on Christmas. Think about how much money you spend? Think about how most of the time a week later your child doesnt even play with the toy anymore. Now think about this. Think about the child who made that toy and how he would love to have a day or two off from not working or maybe even have one of the toy's or some of the clothes he's making. Think about how your probably going throw it away in 4 months when your child is not looking...
The movie also showed people celebrating Christmas. Mainly the wealthy families along with the not so wealthy people. It also shows different people talking about Christmas and why it's special. One scene really stuck out to me, so much that I watched it twice. An older lady, probably in her 70's, is talking about her christmas' growing up. And she says " One thing I could always count on was Christmas morning my father would always make sure we had fresh apples and oranges along with a pair of boots or something that we really needed." And then she started crying in admiration. Or when the 4 homeless people spent 10 minutes thanking God for the ham they were about to eat.
I really wonder what God thinks about times like that. Does he look down upon the family that just dropped $1500 on Christmas? Or does he smile down on the family who is happy because they have a warm home cooked meal?
Random fact for you all. The average amount of money spent in 2007 on tithing was $400. The average spent on Christmas alone in 2006 was $910.
I guess the biggest part of the movie that hit me hardest was the sweatshops that go to make the toys/clothes. Being where I'm at right now, you really think about things (obviously). Like I think about what people are doing back home at the very moment i'm here. I wonder if there thinking about us over here while they are waking up for school, or on the way to the office, or even when they say there prayers. Whether they know the conditions we are in. How tommorow is more of a goal and less of a guarentee. How dangerous it really is. Or if they even think about anything outside of their little bubble. We are in the military actively defending their freedoms. And I really doubt they give us too much thought. (I am truly ok with that by the way)
Now think about the kids in the sweatshops, do you think about their suffering and hardships while you are wearing the clothes they made? I guarentee that they are thinking about you.
In closing I just want to issue out a challenge here. Christmas is coming up and to ask you all to not give gifts to your kids is ridiculous and I would never do that. However I challenge you to read the bible, mainly Jesus' words and ask God to reveal to you the right way for you to spend Christmas. It might be volunteering at a homeless shelter, or donating your gifts to some organization or something. Or maybe even having a less fortunate family into your home. Doing something will be 100% better then doing nothing.
Now if you decide to buy a gift for someone, the next part of my challenge is to make sure it is made in America or you are sure it doesnt come from sweat shops. I think your eyes will be open to how much of the stuff we wear/use is made in sweatshops in 3rd world countries.
Until next time, where I promise I will most likely possibly post on blogging. Unless I get sidetracked on a different subject like what happend this time....
"Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys." Luke 12:33
"But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind." Luke 14:13
"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18
Now I know you all have been standing anxiously waiting for my next post on "blogging"...sadly that day will have to wait. I watched a movie titled "What would Jesus buy?" It's good because it doesnt take a religious stand on anything and i couldnt really tell if these people were Christians or what. I highly recommend you all watch it. It takes a lot for me to be convicted of something. But this movie definitely convicted me, 1. as an American, and 2. as a Christian. Let me show you why.
The movie's basic storyline is about this guy named "Reverend Billy" and his church choir who travel throughout the country during the days leading up to Christmas. When they get to a place they generally perform on old school "big tent" revival. Billy then preaches on the coming "Shopacolypse" and how we need to get away from our material ways to avoid the impending doom. It's totally meant to be comedic and it definitely is. It also talks about how Americans have essentially ripped christmas away from the original meaning behind it, and everyone partakes in it. I've met a lot of jewish people who celebrate Christmas...I still dont get that one...But like he said, even if you arent a Christian, Christ was born to bring peace and spread it, not trample people on black friday....(you know who you are out there:) )
He also touched on sweatshops. Uh oh, thats right I just brought that up. Sweatshops. People working 17-20 hour days making our clothes in extremely harsh conditions for 13 cents an hour.( I wont go into the details regarding the treatment of sweatshop workers as i think they are pretty common knowledge, albeit most of the time ignored) I imagine there will be people reading this blog who have kids. Imagine your child or children working that much, under those conditions, making a tee shirt for some American company? Does that disgust anyone else? I mean really think about it. You can try to shove it out of your head but the fact remains it is still happening, everyday.
Think about the amount of material things you buy people (mainly kids) on Christmas. Think about how much money you spend? Think about how most of the time a week later your child doesnt even play with the toy anymore. Now think about this. Think about the child who made that toy and how he would love to have a day or two off from not working or maybe even have one of the toy's or some of the clothes he's making. Think about how your probably going throw it away in 4 months when your child is not looking...
The movie also showed people celebrating Christmas. Mainly the wealthy families along with the not so wealthy people. It also shows different people talking about Christmas and why it's special. One scene really stuck out to me, so much that I watched it twice. An older lady, probably in her 70's, is talking about her christmas' growing up. And she says " One thing I could always count on was Christmas morning my father would always make sure we had fresh apples and oranges along with a pair of boots or something that we really needed." And then she started crying in admiration. Or when the 4 homeless people spent 10 minutes thanking God for the ham they were about to eat.
I really wonder what God thinks about times like that. Does he look down upon the family that just dropped $1500 on Christmas? Or does he smile down on the family who is happy because they have a warm home cooked meal?
Random fact for you all. The average amount of money spent in 2007 on tithing was $400. The average spent on Christmas alone in 2006 was $910.
I guess the biggest part of the movie that hit me hardest was the sweatshops that go to make the toys/clothes. Being where I'm at right now, you really think about things (obviously). Like I think about what people are doing back home at the very moment i'm here. I wonder if there thinking about us over here while they are waking up for school, or on the way to the office, or even when they say there prayers. Whether they know the conditions we are in. How tommorow is more of a goal and less of a guarentee. How dangerous it really is. Or if they even think about anything outside of their little bubble. We are in the military actively defending their freedoms. And I really doubt they give us too much thought. (I am truly ok with that by the way)
Now think about the kids in the sweatshops, do you think about their suffering and hardships while you are wearing the clothes they made? I guarentee that they are thinking about you.
In closing I just want to issue out a challenge here. Christmas is coming up and to ask you all to not give gifts to your kids is ridiculous and I would never do that. However I challenge you to read the bible, mainly Jesus' words and ask God to reveal to you the right way for you to spend Christmas. It might be volunteering at a homeless shelter, or donating your gifts to some organization or something. Or maybe even having a less fortunate family into your home. Doing something will be 100% better then doing nothing.
Now if you decide to buy a gift for someone, the next part of my challenge is to make sure it is made in America or you are sure it doesnt come from sweat shops. I think your eyes will be open to how much of the stuff we wear/use is made in sweatshops in 3rd world countries.
Until next time, where I promise I will most likely possibly post on blogging. Unless I get sidetracked on a different subject like what happend this time....
"Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys." Luke 12:33
"But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind." Luke 14:13
"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Viva la Revolution---part 1
Hey everyone hows it going? Alright here. Its been raining here for a couple days. Its very muddy and flooding is everywhere. But no matter how bad my attitude gets sometimes i still feel fortunate to be here doing what we are doing.
This weekend I was emailing my wife and the email turned into a really long email. It was kinda crazy long. Like borderline stephen king long. And I really started realizing somethings about myself.
I find myself more and more everyday becoming more of a christ-follower and less of a Christian. I know they sound like the same thing. To me they are completely different. I realized that salvation doesnt rest on anything else but Jesus's sacrifice. If all you ever heard was the gospel of christ you would be saved. Jesus never once said that how much scripture you memorize or know depends on what you get when you get to heaven. Salvation rests strictly on grace alone. Just about every Christian knows this. But we spend so much time on other parts of the bible that really dont have much to do with Jesus.
Yes I understand that the Bible is a complete story and that it works. Adam comes, sins, jesus pays for sins for humanity, dies, then rises, then comes back and kicks some serious satanic butt and we all live happily ever after on the new earth...Thats not the point at what im making. What I am trying to say is that i cant count the number of sundays where the pastor comes in and says " Alright everyone lets continue with our study of the book of Ezekiel. Open up to chapter 2 verse 1 and lets read." He then goes on to preach for a good 45 minutes and not bring up Jesus once. Not one time.No connection is made between the msg and Jesus's words.
Not to be to much of a crazy lunatic blasphemer here, but what are the chances that I could have went into a Jewish church down the road and studied the same thing in the Torah?
Dont get me wrong, the bible is VERY important. But I think we focus on more of the religion of it, and less of the actual faith and things that Jesus said. What good is it for someone to know the whole bible by heart and not accept Christ as saviour? You kinda get what I am saying? Scripture is very important but without Christ in your life and as your soul focus, it is nothing.
Now indeed we do sing about Christ in church, and yes we pray. However on any given sunday a lot of the times thats where it stops. Now some pastors are completey different. Back home we have a chaplain sands who brings up Jesus everytime he preaches. I love that. That is what the modern day church needs. In today's modern church how often do we hear about how we need to make our life purpose driven? Is that what saves us? Is that what cleanses us? Or does that make us feel better about ourselves? Is that what we need? Some sort of magic book? To escape from our hard lives only to return to it and let it gradually get us down throughout the whole week so we come to church the same way the next week but dare not show it? Do we go to church because we are selfish? why do you go to church?How many times has the pastor annouced its greeting time and you've not wanted to shake anyones hand and say cheerfully "Goodmorning! How are you doing! Oh you look so nice in your summer dress!!!!"
I dont know about anyone else but I know most of the time I really dont want to. I am at church to worship the holy of holies, alpha and omega. If we're going to fellowship, make it worth something and make it about things that arent superficial, make it mean something. Lets talk about our struggles.Whens the last time you heard your pastor get up on sunday and talk about how he's feeling really down and had a rough week and just wants to spend the next 10-15 minutes praying. I guarentee some pastors feel like garbage some sundays. So gather your families together and pray for reconciliation, forgiveness, or thank God for something he did in your life that week. And then we earnestly go into the word and worship on the right foot. We then talk about things were going to do for the community, things were doing to help the poor. Things were doing to help the deployed spouses who are at home. Thats the way church needs to be.
I am a firm believer that when Jesus said the 2nd most important thing you should do, next to loving God with all your heart mind and soul, is to love your neighbor as yourself. He didnt say only love your neighbor if he is a believer, or is you all go to the same church, or if your in the same bible study. He meant to love your neighbor...regardless. I think neighbor means pretty much anyone you come in contact with. Even martyrs who are kept captive love there enemies. Wait wait, Isn't that in the bible somewhere? oh yeah Jesus said that...back to the point at hand and I guess the point I am failing to make in this blog is this, the modern day church talks about saving this lost generation and thats where it stops. Talking. I think if we as Christ Followers started taking what Jesus said, loving people and doing works for other people, we will see a changed generation.
Stay tuned for my next post on blogging...yes i know you'll be reading a blog on blogging. Trust me on this one.
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this 'Love your neighbor as yourself. 'There is no commandment greater than these."
This weekend I was emailing my wife and the email turned into a really long email. It was kinda crazy long. Like borderline stephen king long. And I really started realizing somethings about myself.
I find myself more and more everyday becoming more of a christ-follower and less of a Christian. I know they sound like the same thing. To me they are completely different. I realized that salvation doesnt rest on anything else but Jesus's sacrifice. If all you ever heard was the gospel of christ you would be saved. Jesus never once said that how much scripture you memorize or know depends on what you get when you get to heaven. Salvation rests strictly on grace alone. Just about every Christian knows this. But we spend so much time on other parts of the bible that really dont have much to do with Jesus.
Yes I understand that the Bible is a complete story and that it works. Adam comes, sins, jesus pays for sins for humanity, dies, then rises, then comes back and kicks some serious satanic butt and we all live happily ever after on the new earth...Thats not the point at what im making. What I am trying to say is that i cant count the number of sundays where the pastor comes in and says " Alright everyone lets continue with our study of the book of Ezekiel. Open up to chapter 2 verse 1 and lets read." He then goes on to preach for a good 45 minutes and not bring up Jesus once. Not one time.No connection is made between the msg and Jesus's words.
Not to be to much of a crazy lunatic blasphemer here, but what are the chances that I could have went into a Jewish church down the road and studied the same thing in the Torah?
Dont get me wrong, the bible is VERY important. But I think we focus on more of the religion of it, and less of the actual faith and things that Jesus said. What good is it for someone to know the whole bible by heart and not accept Christ as saviour? You kinda get what I am saying? Scripture is very important but without Christ in your life and as your soul focus, it is nothing.
Now indeed we do sing about Christ in church, and yes we pray. However on any given sunday a lot of the times thats where it stops. Now some pastors are completey different. Back home we have a chaplain sands who brings up Jesus everytime he preaches. I love that. That is what the modern day church needs. In today's modern church how often do we hear about how we need to make our life purpose driven? Is that what saves us? Is that what cleanses us? Or does that make us feel better about ourselves? Is that what we need? Some sort of magic book? To escape from our hard lives only to return to it and let it gradually get us down throughout the whole week so we come to church the same way the next week but dare not show it? Do we go to church because we are selfish? why do you go to church?How many times has the pastor annouced its greeting time and you've not wanted to shake anyones hand and say cheerfully "Goodmorning! How are you doing! Oh you look so nice in your summer dress!!!!"
I dont know about anyone else but I know most of the time I really dont want to. I am at church to worship the holy of holies, alpha and omega. If we're going to fellowship, make it worth something and make it about things that arent superficial, make it mean something. Lets talk about our struggles.Whens the last time you heard your pastor get up on sunday and talk about how he's feeling really down and had a rough week and just wants to spend the next 10-15 minutes praying. I guarentee some pastors feel like garbage some sundays. So gather your families together and pray for reconciliation, forgiveness, or thank God for something he did in your life that week. And then we earnestly go into the word and worship on the right foot. We then talk about things were going to do for the community, things were doing to help the poor. Things were doing to help the deployed spouses who are at home. Thats the way church needs to be.
I am a firm believer that when Jesus said the 2nd most important thing you should do, next to loving God with all your heart mind and soul, is to love your neighbor as yourself. He didnt say only love your neighbor if he is a believer, or is you all go to the same church, or if your in the same bible study. He meant to love your neighbor...regardless. I think neighbor means pretty much anyone you come in contact with. Even martyrs who are kept captive love there enemies. Wait wait, Isn't that in the bible somewhere? oh yeah Jesus said that...back to the point at hand and I guess the point I am failing to make in this blog is this, the modern day church talks about saving this lost generation and thats where it stops. Talking. I think if we as Christ Followers started taking what Jesus said, loving people and doing works for other people, we will see a changed generation.
Stay tuned for my next post on blogging...yes i know you'll be reading a blog on blogging. Trust me on this one.
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this 'Love your neighbor as yourself. 'There is no commandment greater than these."
Me Me?
Alright so my wife tagged me for something called a meme? Now dont ask me how to pronounce it, i mean it could be "MehMeh" or "MeMe" or who knows. But I am a somewhat resourceful dude so i figured it out. Except I'm not going to tag anyone else being my whole blogging world consists of my wife. who probably is the only person who reads this. And thats ok :)
Rules of Engagement:
1) Link to the person who tagged you.
2) Post the rules on your blog (copy and paste 1-6).
3) Write 6 random things about yourself (see below).
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.
5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6) Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
1. I have an obsession when I am sick to survive on only mint gum and water. Even if it makes me sicker to do it, I will stay on that diet.
2. I love loud music Christian Music. I actually have a dream of someday leading worship for youth. However God hasnt seen fit to bless me with guitar playing hands yet so my dreams will have to wait.
3. My favorite time span of history is WW2. I look at the men and women that fought in that war and i stand amazed at their courageousness and will to serve.
4. I was once wrote an article that was published in the Kitsap Sun and almost went to college to study journalism.
5. I have a pretty distinct ear for music. I cant really explain it but I know what sounds good and if somethings on beat or not and if it needs to be louder and what else needs to happen. Kinda of crazy i know but eh whatever....
So thats it, took me 25 minutes to figure out 5 random things that definitely were not as cool as my wife's...
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