It's Time for Justice

For too long, people have been traded and sold as slaves to be used and abused, sexually and in other ways. 80% of these people are women and children. Of that 80%, half of those are young children! In total, 12.5 million people are presently being used as slaves worldwide.

Too often, we as a Westernized culture believe that things of this nature are limited to third world countries. A harsh and sadly reality is that it is taking place domestically in our own backyard. At the lowest end, there are currently 100,000 American minors being traded as sex slaves under the second fastest growing criminal enterprise of human trafficking. That is 100,000 daughters. 100,000 nieces. 100,000 sisters. 100,000 princesses of an Eternal King who are being put through a living hell!

It is time for justice.. Psalm 82:3&4 beckon for justice for the helpless

"Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy
(4) Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked."

The link to the right will is a group who is ready to deliver the afflicted and the needy. Join with me in supporting this cause to rescue the King's princesses from the hand of the wicked!

Spread the word!

One Word Community Building

One thing I have noticed over the last 10 months in working at LA FItness is that everyone shares the desire of something. You want it. I want it. The neighbor you never talk to wants it. The guy who eats on his lunch break alone wants it. Though we have it from time to time, within circles of family and friends, we long for it outside those common constraints.

Figured it out? Want me to just tell?

We all want to have our name known. There are certain members at work who have stood out and who I have made connections with. I've come to learn their names. And each time I call them by name, I get a warm response. And for those whose name I have yet to learn, I get a generic 'Good' when I ask them how they are.

I also notice a trend in working at the gym. Often times, the same people will come at the same time on the same days. Coincidence? Perhaps at first. But I know for fact that they continue on that schedule, whether they realize it or not, because they know who will be there and that they will be known once they get there. More than rarely, I will turn from my front desk to look at the activity in the gym and see that there are more talkers than exercisers!

Whether you know it or not, you want someone to know your name too. Starbucks knows this. That's why they call your name when your drink is ready. So do me a favor. Rally with me today and ask someone their name and make eye contact with them and sincerely ask how they are. It might be awkward. It might be uncomfortable. But at the end of the day, impact will be made and a person's day will be changed. Who knows, perhaps even and eternity.

One day without shoes, and a lot of perspective.

Today was barefoot night at Generate//Jr. High. (And yes, those are my lovely fat hobbit-like feet) We asked the students to come to service barefoot and leave a pair (or many more) of shoes that could be donated to Soles for Souls, an organization that shoes the shoeless.

I misunderstood the fact that it was only for tonight that we would go shoeless. So I ended up taking the entire day without shoes, with the exception of working out. But every walk through a parking lot, the entire afternoon, and even a trip to Wendy's was shoeless for me. And I'll tell you, that Crossroads parking lot isn't forgiving to the shoeless. Nor are many other parking lots or concrete surfaces. However, each and every time that my foot struck a slightly jagged rock, I didn't complain or wince in pain. Not to be some tough guy, because I'll admit it did hurt. But I began to think of those children around the globe who were shoeless at that same moment. It was a reality check. My Monday discomfort was a way of life for them Sunday-Saturday, with no thought or hope of relief from a dirty path to tread upon.

The really big hit was when I got home. I so looked forward to getting on to my warm fuzzy carpet, then strolling across my climate controlled living room to my bathroom with hot AND cold water to which I could adjust the temperature 'just right'. Then I was floored with this thought..

That poor child who walks about their every day business and works and toils and suffers did NOT have this LUXURY! The home they typically walk into has the same floor inside as it does out. Dirt. They don't get to wash their feet clean and put on warm fuzzy slippers. No. They get to add to today's layer of dirt tomorrow.

As the dirt was lifted off my feet in my bath, I looked at the redness of my feet. I began to think about how blessed I am. How much I take for granted. How much I don't praise God for daily. My freshly washed cotton towels from Target. The warm brown sweats from Mervyn's. The comfortable furniture from Pier 1. To an American, these things are 'decent' and 'not too shabby'. I know to a child who lives in an impoverished state, I live like King Solomon.

Heart is Under Construction

so yesterday, the bill thing was stressing and scaring me major. but as i got in my car, the absolute perfect song was on. (bear in mind my iPod was on shuffle)
so happens that tobyMac was on, his song, "lose my soul".
(yes tobymac ministered to me)

I began to listen to the lyrics and realize, amidst the bills, the paychecks, and all the other 'stuff' in this world, i could lose it all. But what can't be taken by a collections agency is my soul. That is God's and He has given it back to me so I may give it back to Him. As long as I am loving God, doing as He says, He'll have my back and be sure i am taken care of. My credit score can bomb, and my paychecks can stop, but at the end of the day, where are my treasures , there too is where my heart lies.
And if at any point my heart, soul, or mind is distracted from God, then my treasures are here on earth where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal.

Check out 'Of Dust of Nations' by Thrice, "Lose my Soul" by tobyMac, and "Consider the Ravens" by Dustin Kensrue

Former Glories

"Glorying in former victories will guarantee in future failures"

If you are so caught up in what has been done and the things you HAVE accomplishED, you will be so distracted from further progress.

This is something that God gave me yesterday after having a discussion with Lauren about laziness and complacency.

It stemmed from the fact that I am in a transitioning season of life. I am working towards becoming more of a 'big boy' and doing 'big boy' things.

I've been making baby steps to being financially responsible for myself. I was proud of that progress. But it was only progress. No goal was attained. Only steps towards that goal. I must find discontentment where I am. It must not be good enough. That isn't what God wants from us or for us.

Proverbs 6:6-11
6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

The ant stores up and prepares for the coming seasons. They working diligently to see to it that what they need is there when they need it. It plans out and looks at its needs, prepares a plan to get those needs, and executes that plan and sees to its success.

When I am giving a half effort, am likened to one who brings about destruction and corruption. And it is brought upon no one but myself. (Proverbs 18:9)

I must look at the giants before me dead in the eye and conquer them as they cross my path. To turn my back and look at the corpses of those already slain would lead me to certain downfall and destruction with no one to blame but myself.

Luke 9:62
62 Jesus said to him, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.

Don't look back now...

Deadbolt and the Bible...

In 2002 the So Cal band Thrice released an album entitled, 'The Illusion of Safety'. The fifth song of this album is called 'Deadbolt'. One thing that I have come to learn and love about Thrice is that their lyrics are never empty and without meaning. Their lyrics have depth and tend to lead you to a one of those 'a ha!' or 'whoa....' moments.

For me, I love music. I love Jesus and His Word. What I love about these two together is that God ministers to me and speaks to me in big ways through these together. This morning was one of those mornings when I had my 'whoa...' moment.

In Proverbs 9, Solomon talks of wisdom and personifies it as a woman who has a prepared home and invites all to her openly to partake and learn. She says to those who lack wisdom to come in and gain understanding. (vv 4-6)

Then in a few closing verses, Solomon brings up the woman called Folly. She is seductive and knows nothing (v13) and she attempts to lure in those who go on the straight path (v15)

The last two verse are a cause and effect. Verse 17 speaks of stolen water being sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. verse 18 tells us what happens when we fall into temptation and heed the call of foolishness to enter into her home. If we accept folly's invitation then we are deserving of being sent to the pits of Sheol.

Here are the lyrics to Deadbolt. Read these then open up your Bible to Proverbs 9.
when deadbolts awake you from deja vu dreams,
at four in the morning you know where I'll be.
out running red lights asleep at the wheel.
the sirens feed my nightmares,

I just close my eyes and I'm already here;
its already too late.
I know its nothing but lies,
but they sound so sincere;
I find them too hard to hate.

and she calls from the doorway "stolen water is sweet,
so let's drink it in the darkness if you know what I mean"
and she calls from the doorway "stolen water is sweet,
so let's drink it in the darkness if you know what I mean"

and I'm almost sure
that I've been here before,
that this is not the first time I've stood in front of this door,
with an overwhelming feeling that I shouldn't go in,
but it seems this is a battle that I never could win.

and you!
my true love!
you call from the hilltop.
you call through the streets,
"Darling don't you know,
the water is poison."
and I say!
"Come on and give me my poison."

what have I done?
is it too late to save me from this place?
from the depths of the grave?
we all are those ..
who thought we were brave.
what have I done?

Grace... often kicked around in the dirt...

Grace... this word is tossed around, misunderstood, and too often used lightly in the Christian church today. Christian artist reference it enough to call it a cliche. However, it saddens me (and to be honest, to a degree frustrates me) that something that is at the very core of our faith is so understated.

Grace just doesn't refer to the gift of salvation or redemption from sin, though that is a prominent result of grace. I like to reference a definition given by Pastor Cody Padrnos at Generate Jr. High last night. Pastor Cody said that grace is when we are given something that we cannot earn or deserve. Think about that for a second and apply that to everything in your life. You'll begin to understand that God's grace resonates throughout our entire life and being. Its by grace that I am able to type this blog efficiently with ten functioning fingers. Its by grace that I am able to deeply inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide without effort and thought to take my next breath. Its by grace that God continues to keep the muscles in my eyelids working properly so that I can open them up each morning to try and do something to glorify God with my life.

With these thoughts in mind, let me add one more to bring it home. With each gift God gives us, we are to give it directly back to Him because we are so undeserving. With each stroke of a key, each breath I take, and each time my eye open in the morning (no matter how late or early) I am to give these things and many more back to God so He may be glorified. How will you take what God has given you by grace and use it to glorify Him?