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

Homelessness...

A few fellow Vagabonds and I recently got the opportunity to spend some time with the homeless population of L.A. I have spent time with the homeless in Morgantown, but I've never in my life experienced anything like downtown L.A. at night. We didn't even make it to the area of highest homeless concentration, but there were people on every corner, sleeping. In this land of excess and wealth there is a forgotten group of people who literally sleep on the doorstep of excess. We got the chance to spend some time talking with a few different people and every time I spend time with these people I find it harder to retreat to a warm bed when I get cold or tired...

I was thinking last night about how easy and hard it would be at the same time for me to end up homeless. I really don't know if I could survive in that atmosphere... The streets are hard... I'm not sure there is any way to no the extent of this without experiencing it. I experienced it once in Morgantown when we left our safe circle to go round up people to come get food. We walked down the rail-trail and got caught in the middle of an arguing/cussing match with baseball bats involved. I immediately thought of this event when our new friend Papa Wayne gave us some advice. He said that, "on the streets, you have to deal with people on their own level. If they want to deal on an intelligent level then you have to do it that way, but if they want to deal on a physical level, well, I'm good at that."

I want to give a little background on Papa Wayne at this point. His name is Carol Wayne(I wouldn't call him that upon first meeting him or you might risk a beating:-). He is one of the most loving and amazing people I've ever met in my entire life... He's a veteran of the conflict in Vietnam. He's a pack rat. We took food to him and left with more stuff than we came with. He couldn't believe how lucky Justin and I were to live in a house with 12 women(although we argued emphatically that we were not lucky at all, more cursed). In all honesty though, I have no idea how he ended up where he is. I do know that he's been in the same general area for roughly 18 years.

I read recently that it is projected that in the near future there will be 1.5 million more homeless people in the U.S. That number isn't acceptable... I don't know what the solution is. I know that God has a heart for the poor. He loves everyone, but dealing with the poor is a common thread through the whole thing. It is not acceptable for "The Church" to take food out once a week and pat themselves on the back for "helping" and then go back to warm beds... I mean anything we do is good but it's not enough. We live lives of such excess with cars, computers, ipods, cell phones, clothes, cameras, shoes, bikes, big houses, hundreds of dollars worth of camping gear, and we've even surrounded ourselves with fancy leather bound Bibles... Most of those things are pulled directly from my life...

I don't have a pretty picture to go along with this blog because there's no way to capture what I'm feeling...

This post is already too long, but I have more to say... We met with Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS Shoes, yesterday and I have reflections to talk about from that meeting. He's a pretty amazing dude and for sure an inspiration in many ways!

Leaving you with mucho love!

~D

Another year closer to death...:-)

So it's my birthday! I figured it would be a great opportunity to give an update on all things me...:-) I really don't feel any older... I don't want to let myself get old. I know people who are my age who seem much older than I am. I don't think it's a maturity issue though... I know I am mature, I just love to be goofy and have a good time. Anyway that's a little update on what's in my brain but I'm gonna talk a little more other stuff this time.

This time 23 years ago my mom was not having fun...

Today my friends from Morgantown sent a birthday package that blew me away with the level of thoughtfulness and love that was in that little box!!! I'm continually impressed by them! It worries me that the life changes I'm going through now, and will go through it the next few months, will grow us in different directions... I know we have one thing that draws us together that we can never lose!

My teammates are pretty great also!!! They used their negative baking skills to whip up some cupcakes last night for my bday complete with purple turds on top. They tried to make it a surprise but they aren't very smooth:-) I love them though, and I can already see bonds developing that will carry us through the rough patches of getting on each others nerves. I included a pic at the top of us doing our signature three way high five! The patent is pending on that so no one steal it!

My parents and sisters are also pretty great! They have been so supportive of this whole endeavor even when they weren't sure if it was the best idea ever! I love them more than they know and love the people they are and are becoming! I really miss them... My phone was blowing up before I was out of bed this morning cause my Dad was calling to wish me a happy birthday. Kayla wrote on my wall on facebook way before I ever thought about waking up(3:00am our time). She also attached herself so much to my cause that she applied to be a campus rep at her school! She's becoming an amazing person who IS going to change the world! I have absolutely no doubt!!!

Anyway, Just watched the video from the Morgantown crew!!! Tiff, if you made that, I do hate you, but for making me cry in front of everyone.!.!.! Love ya though, and you continue to inspire me with you life and your words of wisdom! Thanks for listening to me complain with an open mind and asking the right questions!

I'm gonna go enjoy the moment,

~D

Lessons in Love?

I really have no desire to try and fully understand the way God works. It is a marvelous balance that is always perfect and always revealed in due time. I guess the thoughts that are going through my mind are about how God uses the situations we're in to teach us how to live, to teach us how to love.

I'm living in a house with 14 people, most of which I would probably never be friends with under normal circumstances. The ages range from 19-28. There is no possible way that everyone can be on the same level as far as maturity is concerned. Gossip happens, people get on peoples nerves, dishes don't get washed, some like to stay up late, some like to get up early, some like to eat meat, some don't, some follow Jesus, some don't, some talk loud, some talk quiet, some are neat and some are very messy. Everyone is different and we're called to love without prejudice the way that Christ loves us, in spite of ourselves.

We all naturally have a God sized void inside of us that can't be filled by anything else... It breaks my heart to see people trying to fill that void with alcohol, drugs, or even other people. I have an enormous capacity to love these people because I know what it feels like to be where they are... I've been there, I've felt the brokenness, I know the satisfaction that Christ brings to our lives!

That being said, the people I have little capacity to love are the ones who annoy me... It's hard for me to write this post because I've claimed to be a lover of all people for a long time now. I really need Christ to mold me into a man who can love with out prejudice... I am full of preconceived ideas about people when I first meet them based on the way they look, or talk, or smell... This can't go on...

My prayer right now is that I die to myself, and daily take up my cross and follow Christ... Selfishness is something I've always struggled with and it's even harder to deal with in this land of material excess called Los Angeles. I pray for a humble heart and a servants attitude. If you're reading this I'd ask you to say a prayer for me in these areas. I am adjusting to my new surroundings and I'm not sure that is always a good thing...

Until next time,
D-Wreckosaurus