two decades….

without a playoff win!!!!

my generation of dodger fans have definitely paid our dues!!!!

hopefully we’ll create some more of these moments:

2 words for you!!!!!

DODGERS DOMINATE!!!!

hmmm…

the more i dialogue with people in regards to their passions and concerns the more i learn about the world around me.  

what world issues most concern you?

hunger? genocide? war? terrorism? aids? discrimination? 

please share, and please be specific about the particular issue.  i would like to investigate issues in greater detail.  i’ve discovered that americans (me being a prime example) know little about the rest of the world.  i’m desperate to know what injustices take place in this world.

in class

i’m sitting in greek class right now (don’t worry it’s time for a break so i’m not missing anything).  learning a dead language at my age is tough.  just thought i’d share for any of you who are looking to revive dead languages while over the age of 20.

debates

as a blogger i feel the need to respond to the presidential debates.

good stuff from both candidates.

that a great analysis or what?

god’s beloved child

i am a beloved child of god.  

i have a hard time grasping that idea.

this song helps remind me of that:

lord it was you who, created the heavens
lord it was your hands that put the stars in their place
lord it is your voice that commands the morning

even oceans and their waves
bow at your feet

lord who am i compared to your glory, oh lord?
lord who am i compared to your majesty?

i am your beloved
your creation
and you love me as i am
you have called me chosen
for your kingdom
unashamed to call me your own

i am your beloved

voting and evil

just read a friends blog that was asking several questions, two in particular that caught my eye: 

should we ever choose the lesser of two evils, hence still choosing evil?

should we vote?

here’s my comments in regards to the idea of voting and the idea of choosing lesser evils.

if there was a law up for vote that allowed abortions but only within the first 2 weeks of pregnancy would you vote for it?

i believe the church has an idea of what community and society should look like and not look like.

should the church take every advantage possible to help transform our communities and society to better represent the kingdom even if its not going to lead us to a direct representation of the kingdom of heaven?

are we choosing evil or fighting against and limiting certain evils?

look back

ever look back on your life and think…..”SHOOT!!!  i totally blew that” and you’re 100% correct in that thought? 

just had one of those moments. 

life goes on.

with myself

oh where to begin, where to begin…

the past couple of weeks i’ve hardly been working and haven’t started school yet.  i’ve been getting some things ready for school, but other than that i’ve had a two week “summer break.”

what have i done with my time?  lets just say, i’ve had a lot of time to myself.

it’s strange spending a significant amount of time alone.  as an introvert i do desire and want time alone, but i really enjoy being around people.  so this break time has been a strange experience.  i’m used to college life of living in a 1200 person community on campus.  i was well adjusted to working 70+ hours a week this past summer.  all this time alone has been….well, challenging?  rough?  not fun?  enjoyable? growing?  stretching? a struggle?

all those words may contribute to my thought process at one time or another in the past week.  what i’ve learned though, in this past week, is that time spent alone has forced me to look at me.  that may sound strange.

um….

being alone has allowed forced me to exhaust the list of things one can do for entertainment (i.e., television, reading, working out, etc.)  i eventually got to a place where i had nothing else to do but sit, think, pray, think, play some guitar, think…..well you get the idea.

i spent a lot of time just thinking and reflecting on my life and my relationship with god.  i had time to simply sit and talk time to reflect on what are habits, thoughts, acts, etc. that i need to work on as a man of god.  wow!  have i got a lot to work on.  that’s when time with myself became a not so pleasurable experience.  

here’s a really bad metaphor, more for men, to help get the point across.  i love facial hair for several reasons but for one in particular.  i’m not going to lie or sugarcoat this: i like that facial hair sometimes hides/conceals a zit or two.  i know i’m going to get razzed for this, whatever.  it’s kind of like women and make up.  women use make up to cover up blemishes.  well what happens when i shave or a woman takes off her make up.  people become HORRIFIED (well, more like the person them self becomes horrified) that they have zits on their face.

that’s kind of what time with myself was like.  it was like there were these blemishes in my life that were being revealed as i “shaved” away at my beard, not fun but necessary.

i don’t really know how to end this because i really have nothing more to say haha.

i guess i just wanted to say, spend some time alone to self reflect.  our lives are full of SO SO SO many distractions that don’t allow us to reflect and digest how we’re growing, where our focus is, and how we need to improve as the church.  so take some time, not 5 minutes, but an hour or two this week to just be with yourself and god.

what would you stand for?

i watch this video from time to time.  it helps me to think about the types of things that i’m willing to stand for.  what really matters?  what am peacefully battling in this world?  am i willing to stand up for what i believe in the midst of almost certain death?  

this is a horrifically beautiful scene from the tiananmen square protests in 1989.