Good Friday

Today, together with Christians from around the world, I am reflecting on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. One way that I have been connecting with the story in a new way this year has been through visualizing the story as if I was there. I highly recommend this type of visualization.

Lets do it together now. We'll read a section together and then I'll give some visualization suggestions.

READ Matthew 26:36-46

Visualize:

• Feel the tiredness of the disciples
• Notice the change in Jesus demeanor
• Smell the smells of the garden
• earth
• flowers
• cedar
• Feel embarrassed as Jesus returns to find you sleeping
• Feel your eye lids falling as you fight like you've never fought before to keep your eyes open
• Feel confused as Jesus says things that don't makes sense about a betrayer. 

 READ Matthew 26: 47-56

Visualize:

• See Judas off in the distance.
• Feel excited to see a friendly face
• Notice the crowd of people following him
• Feel curious as to why there are men with clubs and swords following Judas
• Feel your mind ease as he comes up and kisses Jesus
• Feel the anger rise in you realize Judas has led the men to Jesus for them to take Him
• See Peter wildly swing his sword and cut off the servants ear
• Feel confusion as Jesus says that you shouldn't fight for his life
• Feel the intense fear inside you
• Feel the branches hitting your face as you run away
• Feel your legs throbbing as you run as fast and as far as you can
• As you notice you're probably safe, you keep running because it's the only thing keeping you from sobbing because your friend and teacher is going to be killed. 
• Feel the understanding that you are guilty by association and will probably be killed also

Anyway, you get the idea. I would encourage you to continue this process through the rest of the crucifixion story! It's amazing how much more real the whole thing becomes.

LOVE,
d

Blood and Wine

Lately I've been reading through the Old Testament. I recently found a bit of a parallel between Exodus 7:14-21 and John 2:1-11. The account in John's gospel is the first "sign" that Jesus performs which is that of turning water into wine. Here is the passage from Exodus:

Exodus 7:14-21

English Standard Version (ESV)

The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. ¹⁵  Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent. ¹⁶ And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But so far, you have not obeyed. ¹⁷ Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood. ¹⁸ The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.”’” ¹⁹ And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’”

²⁰ Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. ²¹ And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

This is the only other account in scripture that I know of that tells of water being changed into something else. This is an account that every Jewish person at the time of Jesus wouldn't have known very very well! The whole Jewish religion is based on national identity as the people of God. In fact, by age 10, Jewish boys would have memorized the entire Torah(Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). In this is a passage that all the disciples would have had memorized, God is  saying that they would know that He was God by the water being changed to blood. Then they saw it happening in the presence of Jesus. They saw the water turn red, just like it did in Egypt. I can see them gasp as the servant draws some for the head of the party. This isn't the blood of Egypt though, it is the blood of a new covenant. It is blood that is sweet. It is the "best saved for last". Christ is the best saved for last. Christ's blood is that of the new covenant. This is how he began His ministry; by making the most bold and true statement possible. He was saying to them, "I am God".

I love this.

I'm engaged!

So as of Thursday evening, I am now officially engaged! My plan was originally to wait until next Saturday, but after about three hours of having the ring, I decided to expedite the process a little. I frantically zipped around Charleston to put together a special evening, but it all pretty much got thrown out because she got out of class early and I didn't have the time I thought I had. Anyway, I was able to light 32 candles, lay out a dozen red roses, uncork and spill everywhere one bottle of expensive champagne, and put on fancy clothes (and sweat more than I thought was humanly possible). Anyway, she said yes and that's the important thing!

So, this marks the official beginning of the wedding planning process. I'm excited to get the ball rolling, but I also understand that wedding planning tends to stress everyone out and be really expensive. In this season, our goal is simplicity. In light of this, I will be focusing on the important things. Here is a past blog post that I thought seemed appropriate to share again.

Wise words on marriage that I recently read

Hello to all my blog followers and to those of you who read this on facebook! I really appreciate the fact that you care what I have to say. I know most of it ends up being complaining about one thing or another, but that is just what I use my blog for. To complain... It's my outlet :-)

Anyway, I wanted to share some advice I recently read about how a husband should treat his wife. I am planning(and I encourage you too also if you're a man) to pray that if I am supposed to get married that I can be the kind of husband described below.

Honor her maritally. Take a wife honorably. Establish right priorities, and be a one woman man—absolutely faithful to your wife.

Honor her physically. Be strong for your wife, not against her. Be protective of her and present with her.

Honor her emotionally. Be emotionally present and intimate. Take her on dates.

Honor her verbally. Speak honorably to her. Speak honorably of her, when she is present and absent.

Honor her financially. Provide for the financial needs of your family, organize your budget, and be generous towards your wife.

Honor her practically. Consider her needs and how you can serve her.

Honor her parentally. Be “Pastor Dad” by shepherding your children (praying with them, teaching them about Jesus, reading the Bible with them, etc.).

Honor her spiritually. You initiate and lead prayer, Bible, chats, church attendance, etc. Take responsibility for your church.

LOVE,

Derek

Hi, I'm Derek... I'm a Christian... And a hypocrite.

 
So, I got an email this morning from Steve Taylor, the director of the likewise titled film adaptation of the book "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller. The email outlined some of the criticism of the new movie. Apparently some christians are upset because the movie doesn't paint Christianity in a beautiful rosy light. He then pointed out that this method of making Christians out to be perfect just makes us look like we don't realize that we're screwed up. I'm inclined to agree with him.

I remember reading "Blue Like Jazz" for the first time a few years ago. There is one scene in the book that will forever stand out in my mind and it's also the one that Taylor points to as the reason he decided to make the movie. The scene takes place on the campus of Reed College in Portland, a traditionally very liberal campus that isn't super friendly to Christianity. Miller devises the plan to setup a confessional booth on the campus where he wouldn't receive confessions, but would confess the sins of the church to those who ventured into the booth. When I read this my eyes welled with tears. I saw all the people who have been hurt by the church over it's history. I saw every white preacher of the south arguing for slavery with the Bible. I saw Hitler justifying genocide with the Bible. I saw every politician who has used faith for personal gain. I saw everyone who has ever used the Bible to hurt anyone! Then I saw myself with the Bible, trying to make myself look presentable, and like a good christian. First I felt hate and resent for those who distorted the truth of scripture. Then I saw how similar we were. I saw myself there with all my sin and saw that I was connected to all these people. Connected by a condition called Sin. A condition we all inherit at birth. A condition that separates us from God and from the way we were meant to live.

It was in this reflection that I found connection with Don in the story. We both realized our brokenness and found connection with our fellow man. It became no longer about putting on a facade that looks nice. It became all about living in the midst of our brokenness and not being afraid to mess up or afraid to let others see those mess ups.

That being said, I still fight the urge to appear better and more spiritual than I am. The truth is that I stand in the company of many honest saints when I stand up and say that I'm a Christian and a hypocrite. Those on the outside of Christianity have been saying it since the beginning and I'm done trying to make them think otherwise. They're right. I am a sinner, but I'm also a saint. the only difference between myself and "non-christians" is that I have given my life to the journey of becoming more saint than sinner, to then ultimately become all saint forever.

I'm really glad that Steve's email could help me revisit all those original feelings that came with reading the book. I am more than a little bit excited to see the movie. I've followed the process pretty closely and look forward to seeing some decent christian art!

love.
-D

Prayer via a song by Gungor

We Will Run
by Gungor

Create in me a clean heart, a clean heart
For I have turned my face from You
Teach us of Your ways oh God, oh God
For we have turned away from You
Lord have mercy

We will run to you, we will run to you
Turning from our sin we return to You
Father heal your world, make all things new
Make all things new

Your love and mercy build and shape us
Break us and recreate us now
Lord have mercy

Oh, bring us back to you

I absolutely love this song. So simple, so profound.  My prayer today is the prayer of this song:

Father, create in me a clean heart. I continually turn my face from the only truth that exists in this world, You. Teach me your ways, oh loving Father. Have mercy on me because my human nature is to sin. Because of the sacrifice of your Son, dear Lord, I don't have to live as a slave to this nature. I have traded my sinfulness for Christ's righteousness. So, I will turn from my sin and run to You! I pray, Father, that your love and mercy will build and shape me into the man you created me to be. I realize my pride and self-reliance keeps me from being made completely new. Break me and recreate me, Lord. Again, have mercy on me in my failure. Thank You for continually bringing me back to You. Thank You for Your continued mercy. Help me to never take it for granted. Amen.

The resurrection of my blog:-)

Ok, so I'm going to give this thing another go. A few of the staff at River Ridge Church have taken up blogging, so it feels like a good time to revive the old blog! Feel free to browse the old posts and get a feel for the flavor of my writings. It's been a couple years since I've blogged on a regular basis, so hopefully I've learned something insightful in that period.  

For today, I was reading through some of my old posts and came across one that I wrote just following my cousin's death. You can read it HERE. I told a bit of the story of how his death impacted my faith at River Ridge a few weeks ago. Here is the sermon AUDIO(it's the second one- "Pivotal Circumstances"). I didn't even remember that I'd written the blog about it. Pretty cool to see how much God was using it even in the moment! Love it!

Love,
d

Nothing Can Separate!

Hello there. I told you all that I would write more about identity and I promise I will eventually, but something else is really on my heart right now. What I am thinking about right now is the idea that nothing can separate us from God. The text is Romans 8:38-39 and it reads as follows in the ESV:

38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I would like to encourage you to take a second and think about what this means if we truly believe it. Just to preface, this passage was written to the church in Rome. This means that its intended audience would have been people who already had begun following Christ. I, however, do not believe that Paul was insinuating that God's love is exclusive to Christ followers.

Ok, now take a deep breath and we will discuss what that means in our lives. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing can separate you from God's love. It doesn't even matter if you don't want it... It doesn't matter what you've done, who you are, or who you think you might be... God loves you.

God's love is pure. We, as broken humans, have perverted everything that God created in us to be good. Everything we are is in some way a reflection of the characteristics of God (Gen. 1:26). We love because God first loved. His love is better than the best version of our love.

I don't really care what you've heard before, this is how God feels about you. Think about how you feel inside when you reeeeeeaaaaaalllllllly love someone. Are you starting to get an idea of how much God loves you?

Okay, here is an example. God being infinitely great, took on all the limitations of a human body to suffer and die to give us a shot at spending eternity with him. That is love. To be perfectly clear, God has no issues with His self-image. He has a clear picture of who he is. He is Great and he knows that spending eternity in his presence is the best thing for us.

Sooooooooo, just to summarize (because my writing is sometimes erratic at best) God's love is perfect and absolutely nothing can separate you from that love. No matter what you have or have not done you are stuck.... He loves YOU!:-) Embrace it and begin to truly live.(Rom. 8:11)

Peace,

D

P.S. Sorry I don't have an image to go along with this post. I searched and came up with nothing... Have an awesome day!

Identity Crisis? You're not alone...

Growing up I wanted to be lots of things, some practical, most not at all... I remember at one point wanting to be a ninja turtle. I mean what 8 year old boy does not want to be able to be a slob and eat pizza all day, and as a kicker have sweet fighting skills? That was probably the most ridiculous, but I remember wanting to be a police officer, a fire fighter, a teacher, an athlete, a musician, and many various other more practical jobs. I think more than anything, though, I wanted to be good at something. I wanted to be "Derek- The one who excels at something." The main problem with that was, that I wasn't really good at anything... I was average at lots of things, but not really great at anything. I know some people say that and are being modest, but I really was pathetically average. Because of this my identity started becoming a product of my ability. At the same time all this was happening came pressures to drink, do drugs, have sex... These things became what I started trying to become good at. I talked a good game, but thank heavens I was also pretty bad at these things. I mean I was good enough at them for it to be bad, but not good enough to really get myself into any long term trouble.

When I started college it changed some. It was basically the same, but now it was time to prove yourself as a "man." Now the mark of a man was set by how many beers he could drink or how many women he could sleep with. Also, thankfully I was bad at both of these games, but it left me with a sense of inadequacy that has been hard to let go of... I became "Derek- " I had no idea who I was. I had no idea where I was going in life, and I had no idea what the point of it all was.

This all seems kind of dramatic, but I would venture to guess that most of the people reading this will relate to it in one way or another. Every single one of us, as humans, deals with these feelings. I am speaking mostly to my experience, as a guy, but I see identity crisis in girls all the time also. It looks a bit different, but it is definitely the same problem.

I have an answer. An answer that has changed my life. An answer that can change your life. The answer is that we, as humans, have no ability to truly be human outside of a relationship with our creator. In order to find our identity we must find it in who we are as children of God. There are tons of verses that talk about who we are in Christ. I challenge you to go to biblegateway.com and search the phrase "in Christ". Make sure to use the quotes when you search. Read the verses in context and let what it all means soak into your soul...

I have more ideas floating around in my head along this topic. Stay tuned for more. If you have questions please feel free to ask them, I will try my best to answer them!

love,
"Derek- the one who is loved by God"

Wise words on marriage that I recently read

Hello to all my blog followers and to those of you who read this on facebook! I really appreciate the fact that you care what I have to say. I know most of it ends up being complaining about one thing or another, but that is just what I use my blog for. To complain... It's my outlet :-)

Anyway, I wanted to share some advice I recently read about how a husband should treat his wife. I am planning(and I encourage you too also if you're a man) to pray that if I am supposed to get married that I can be the kind of husband described below.

Honor her maritally. Take a wife honorably. Establish right priorities, and be a one woman man—absolutely faithful to your wife.

Honor her physically. Be strong for your wife, not against her. Be protective of her and present with her.

Honor her emotionally. Be emotionally present and intimate. Take her on dates.

Honor her verbally. Speak honorably to her. Speak honorably of her, when she is present and absent.

Honor her financially. Provide for the financial needs of your family, organize your budget, and be generous towards your wife.

Honor her practically. Consider her needs and how you can serve her.

Honor her parentally. Be “Pastor Dad” by shepherding your children (praying with them, teaching them about Jesus, reading the Bible with them, etc.).

Honor her spiritually. You initiate and lead prayer, Bible, chats, church attendance, etc. Take responsibility for your church.

Anyway, until next time,

Derek K. Roberts

Christmas or Holiday debate

Am I the only christian that doesn't care if everything associated with the most materialistic holiday of all time is labeled with Christ's name?

I mean really... What did Christ have to do with spending an average of 5% of our annual income on stuff we don't need?

Let's stop focusing whether or not someone is labeling their tree and lights as CHRISTmas and focus on what the season really means...

The creator of the universe came to Earth in human for to show us how to live and to suffer and die as the perfect sacrifice for all of our past, present, and future screw ups... Giving gifts doesn't show someone that you love them... Giving yourself shows them that you love them!

It starts with YOU! Then it spreads to those closest to you, and if everyone shares themselves with others, that is when true change happens.

I encourage you to not try to show your love through presents this season, but rather to show your love with your presence!

Homeless Church?

i wasn't sure how they would receive honest biblical truth..
because i doubt they've ever gotten it before
like i talked about having to make the decision between drinking and God...
or sex and God
or fighting and God
and how that we naturally want to do what feels good
but we can ask God to come into our lives and change us
like really change us
and He will!
all we have to do is BELIEVE, repent, be baptized, and receive the holy spirit!
it's crazy simple

and they listened
and understood
and walked away
no tear filled confessions, no praying of scripted prayers...
but i believe a seed was planted
that will grow as we grow together
into true life change
and true faith
because the journey IS the destination!

I value community...

This is a picture of a group of friends and I sharing a meal together. This is more than a picture of a group of friends though. This is a photograph of community. This is a group of friends who are connected on some level. Some through religion and some through other interests and passions. Each of whom's presence would have been missed had they not been there. I think there is something inside all of us that desires community. Maybe the word community is too christianized for some people... Don't stop reading if that's you! I think we all desire to get that call from a member of a group wondering where we were and letting us know that we were missed...

I have personally been lucky enough to experience this type of community twice in my fairly short life. The first was as a part of Morgantown Multisport. When I started becoming involved in this community the members were super active and I got calls on multiple occasions wondering where I was and if I was okay.

My second experience with true community was a part of the Nuru International Grassroots Movement. I got involved with this organization because I felt like I needed to do something to give back. What I didn't know, when I started becoming more involved, was that the issue of extreme poverty was going to grip my heart and not let go. I didn't realize that I was going to volunteer to give ALL of my strengths and talents to this cause. I didn't realize that I was coming into a group of people that love because they were first loved and give because it's the right thing to do. I respect these people as much as anyone on Earth and look forward to ending extreme poverty with them in our life times!

That's what is on my heart today:) Take it or leave it, but be sure to keep your laces tied!

D

To Raise up a Society

Recently I've been spending some time thinking and journaling about how to most effectively pursue my passions. I have also been trying to narrow the focus of what I consider a passion. What I've come up with is not really that surprising, but I feel like it is super useful toward focusing my mind and being able to chase it with everything I have.

As per my last entry, I had been thinking about the "what ifs" in life and wondering how much easier life could be if I could just not care and feel connected to all those who are suffering around the world. I feel like it would be easier financially, but what good is money if you're miserable? I think it has been well documented, throughout history, that money doesn't equal happiness. So I'm finding joy in the simplicity of my life right now. I have applied for jobs and haven't heard back from any of them, but I have a peace inside me that is telling me that everything will be okay. I'm going to sell a few things and try to make some cash to live on for a while. If I get a call back for a job that would be great, but God will provide as long as I am pursuing the things He has laid on my heart. I have absolutely no doubt in that statement!

Anyway, the reason I started this post was to declare my focus for this season of my life. The broad goal is to help raise up a nation of compassionate children who know and care about global issues. The reason for my focus on this is because I feel that the only way to end the suffering of so many around the world, is to start with the children of today and teach them how to live. How to live as one world. How to live without focus on success, but on quality of life for everyone! I don't know exactly how I'm going to accomplish this, but I do know that this is what I'm here for and why I am where I am, and why I've done what I've done!

Keep your laces tied,
D

The color blue...

As I sat on the deck outside my parents house reading with a glass of wine in hand, and I began to question my callings in life. I felt, in that moment, that it would be nice to be normal. To have a job, a house, a wife, kids... I almost felt bad for letting the thoughts slip into my stream of consciousness. It was the first time in almost two years that something like that had crossed my mind. I don't know what it was. I just started thinking, "what if?" What if God hadn't been working inside of me for years, subtly letting me know that it wasn't necessary to settle for the status quo? What if I could forgo my passion for the poor, get a nice cushy accounting job, and buy a nice house with a deck and lawn furniture? What if I wasn't suppose to live a different kind of life?

I don't know the answers to these questions. I'm not even going to hypothesize as to why, at this moment in my life, I'm even asking them. I do not know the answers, but I do know why I ask. I ask because that is what I do. I ask. I question everything. I always have. Questioning is healthy. Only truth withstands questioning. I suppose questioning God's plan is part of that too.

I've known I was called to something different than most people for a while now. I still don't know quite what that calling is... I happy to be different. I'm happy to be monetarily poor if that's what it means for me to follow Christ. I know that being poor is not the only way. I know that there will be plenty of accountants in heaven, but I can't reconcile that with my desire to help people. I can't let it go! There is no other reason for me to feel directly connected to starving peoples around the world other than that their creator is loving through me! I want to pursue closeness with Him so that the passion I feel for the "least of these" might only grow stronger!

Anyway, I guess that's all I have for tonight. I'm gonna get some rest I think. Perhaps I'll do some journaling... Oh and if you're wondering about the title of this post, there is no meaning to it... I was just going to call it blue because I'm fond of the color but I thought "The color blue..." was much more mystical:-)

D

A New Day

This past week has been crazy. Things have happened that I am not yet, and I don't know if I'll ever, be ready to blog about in it's entirety. I do want to talk about how amazing my family is.

We lived through a modern day tragedy as a family. I don't mean financial trouble or small injuries, I mean full on tragedy resulting in a lost life. A life that hadn't experienced everything it should have experienced, a life that should have been a life much longer, and a life that left behind many memories with everyone that was lucky enough to cross it's path.

In the middle of this tragedy, I witnessed many characteristics in my family that I don't even have close to enough time to discuss. I would like to talk about one and it is the way everyone banded together to deal with it all as one fluid body. We laughed together and we cried together, we ate together and we complained about eating too much together, we wondered why together and we prayed to God to give us the peace to not have to understand together. We did EVERYTHING together! It was beautiful the way that everyone turned their own agenda over to God and to the service of the others.

I took some time away over the last couple of days to spend some time connecting with God and to visit a friend. It has been great to clear my mind and collect my thoughts. It was so great to be able to reflect a little bit. I have soooo much more reflection that needs to take place. I still haven't fully reflected on my experience at TOMS, let alone the experiences of the last week. God's perfect plan is in motion and all that's happened has been a part of that plan. We can't see how it all fits in now and maybe we never will, but I have faith that ALL things (good and bad) work together for the GOOD.

Much love,
D

Chapter TOMS: The End...

It is said that all good things must come to an end... I'm finding that reality to be revealing itself more and more daily. As this crazy experience draws near its end, it is finally starting to sink in that it is really over... This has been one of the best things I have ever done and I wouldn't trade one second of it for anything. I've learned soooo many things about life and about how to deal with people and how to love people! I've met people who's level of awesomeness I didn't know existed! There have been HARD TIMES! We persevered and we made it! Just want to shoot out a big thanks to my teammates Jenny and Caitlin for making it what it was!

What's next? I have no idea honestly. I got a tattoo of tied shoelaces on top of my feet to symbolize my readiness to go wherever God calls. I really want to be open to anything because I'm not sure my life's calling has been revealed to me yet. I know that whatever I do it HAS to involve helping people. I've been super blessed with knowledge and talents that seem super random, but I know that I'm just being prepared for something great! Pray that I find that and until then, that I do the small things with great love!

Anyway, the blogs should start being more frequent again because I'm not always tired and emotionally drained now that I'm off the road:-) Can't wait to keep all of you up to date on my life and the lessons I have and will learn along the way!

Much Love,
D

lost...

there once was a boy named rerek who lived in an enchanted moving house far far away. he lived there with his two friends shmaitlin and flennifer. rerek and his two friends loved to go on long drives to do events for the company they work for, LOMS Bloes.

One day after an especially long drive, and an especially hard event, rerek and the two girls got a day off for shmeaster. This day off felt soooooo wonderful to the three that they decided to feast and feast they did! There was tofurkey, and messy potatoes, and green bean casserole, and 4 different kinds of dessert. In the midst of this colossal bounty rerek made the key mistake of eating too much. Now rerek has insomnia because his belly is full and aching... THE END

hope you all enjoy my oh so short fictional story! In fact, though, it was loosely based on a true story. The names were changed to protect the innocent. Happy Easter everyone and don't forget that the reason there is a season is because the only perfect man, who also happened to be fully God, laid down his life in sacrifice to atone for our past, present, and future transgressions. It really is the ultimate love story!

Marriage

That word is beginning to disgust me... I'd say that most of those reading this are married and I'm totally cool with that, but I just am tired of hearing about it... I MIGHT get married some day and that will be fine, but for now I'm totally content pursuing Christ instead of a girl.

I'm kinda tired of Christian community being a holy dating pool. Paul talks about just this in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9:

8Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. 9But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

I absolutely don't believe there is anything wrong with marriage, but those who choose not to pursue it shouldn't be made to feel like second class citizens. Paul says that it is good not to marry. I believe that marriage is a calling that not everyone receives and I am absolutely okay with that if I'm not one who does.

I feel like all too often people, especially Christian people, have this illusion that marriage will make them happy (or sex as a result of being married will make them happy). The real problem here isn't the desire to have sex as you might be thinking. Everyone has the desire to have sex... It is ingrained in us from the beginning and is something we all deal with! The main concern is the lack of faith associated with not believing that God knows what is best and that his best will lead to true happiness. True lasting happiness will never be found in another person. It can ONLY be attained through relationship with God that includes submission to his plan.

This is what's on my mind as my friends are getting engaged and married... I'm sooo happy for them, but I slip into this place where I start to doubt whether God is going to send me someone... I then read something like 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 and it shows my silly thoughts for what they are.... silly! I have to have faith that God is bigger than my simple mind and that His plan has been well thought out and has perfect timing. God is growing me as a person to succeed in carrying out the plan He has predetermined that I am best suited for.

I've been speaking directly about marriage and relationships, but the concept of having faith that God's plan is perfect can apply to just about any situation of worry or stress. I guess my prayer today is that we could all turn our worries over to God and have enough faith to know that whatever happens that all things work together for the good.

LOVE,
D

Forgiveness is not conditional...

The title really says it all for this one... If you don't want to take my word for it check out Matthew 6:14-15...

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Those verses scare me... I've been in situations where it felt impossible to forgive those who acted against me. I read these verses, but I'm like a man who looks at himself in the mirror and turns away and immediately forgets what he looks like(James 1:24 very loosely) It's sooooooooooooo easy to forget the fact that we are all broken people!!! I get to this place where I totally forget that! I start thinking that I am always right... I want to embrace Christ and his forgiveness and accept my brokenness and become aware of it in others... Christ has forgiven ME!!! The creator of the universe can forgive ME! This is basic stuff, but it blows my mind!

I've come so far in my faith through this whole experience. I really feel like I am exactly where I need to be at exactly this moment. I just want to make sure my life's song is praises to Christ:-)

Love and mucho randomness,

D

On the ROAD!!!

I'm on the road and I got a new hat!!! ^ (that's an arrow to look up at the picture of my hat:-) This whole trip has so far been one of the coolest experiences of my life! I've driven through passes cut in the Rocky Mountains with drills and dynamite and passed cow fields in Nebraska that would make a weaker man vomit! I love to travel, I love to connect people with a means of changing the world, I love loving people!!! I get down just like everyone else because we're all broken people living in a broken world and that's just part of life:-) I cruised the hippie part of town and got advice to never enter a club that has an armed guard, I went to a Chuck E Cheese that had an armed guard at the door I considered his advice and went in anyway... yeah I'm that hardcore... LA has changed me... I'm afraid of nothing:-)

I love you people!!! Every single one of you!!! Be the change you wish you see in the world!!! Buy TOMS Shoes and check out NURU!!!

LOVE,

-D