Spring Break

ok we have t minus 2 days till spring break, and you think i would be totally excited....i am, but not untill tomarrow is over, i have a pretty big test that i missed a class of notes, so i dont think its going to go to well...but i just want wensday to be over and its smooth sailing from there...

after spring break school looks like it should be pretty "easy" compared to the last 2 weeks of school for sure, so hopefully i make it through....

i dont know why im writing this now even cuase i should be studian, but i cant do that all day...

uh school it takes a lot out of ya, but you gain so muhc, what a love hate relationship...

peaceout

Procrastination...

I have a love hate relationship with it, I love to procrastinate, but I hate having to do all the work at the last min. For some reason I feel exhausted and done with homework, I don't get why I am paying people good money, and then them turn around and make me stress with papers and tests, midterms and finals....maybe we should cut their pay till they make us not do these then give em back their money...i wish....

i don't want to do it anymore!!!! so ill procrastinate a little more...

Theology class

today in Theo class we were talking about sin and evil, so we had to get to the topic of the problem of evil... the problem is this...

1)A perfectly good God would want to stop evil.
2) A perfectly powerful God could stop evil.
3) Evil exists.
=
Therefore God is either good, but not powerful, powerful, but not good, or neither powerful nor good.
(All this is thought up by Leibniz, this is not the final answer because anyone reading this can see there are other options as well)

But then the teacher asked about "why cant we associate evil with God, we always think that evil is on one side and God is the opposite, how could we ever say God near evil, or that it is God's problem...

The this verse came up Isaiah 45:7 "The One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these things."

This is a verse we don't here very often at all, calamity means disaster, ie God creates disaster...this is crazy for some to think of!!! (it took me pretty off balance at first)

but then we ask if God creates it and it is His problem why doesn't He fix it then...and the thing is and its a big THING....He has....God sent His Son to fix the problem of evil.

God may have created them, but he also healed them...and now its us who brings them upon ourselves...we do the evil on our own...not God...

I don't know its a pretty bold verse and something really to think about, I may have not got 100% the right words across here, but in my mind its a lot more clear....

just something to look at.

fun fact

no two lip impressions are the same!!

distance

this is the time in my life i call DISTANCE. (i watched the pursuit of happyness and will labels things like this and i like it, so i may steal it, just trying it on see how it feels)

you man be asking why would i label a part of my life with distance, i mean how can one be distant from oneself...but it is who i am distant from that is the hard thing...I have been in a long term relationship for now over 2.5yrs, which for some ppl seems like a crazy long time(because it is) but the last 1.5yrs ish we have been having to do the whole long distance relationship, and it gets harder and harder everyday.

before i came to college here in Cali, we were talkin with a married couple that had went through long distant relationship as well, and we asked was it hard? And the guy said bluntly yes!!! it felt like he hit me in the face with a brick...that wasnt the answer i was looking for...i remember saying to myself and probably others as well that it was proabably just hard for them, were in a better relationship it will be fine...

how wrong was I, this is prolly the hardest thing i have ever gone through, i think that at first yes it was great that i moved away and i think it really did make us a lot stronger and really was good for both of us, but now it just SUCKS!!!!

we dont know why were in this situation i guess its cause we chose it, but it really does hurt a lot, the distance hurts a lot....

Imago dei

Imago dei "the image of God"

We talked about this in my theology class today and for some reason it really stood out to me... I have heard it before and knew what it was all about and things like that, so it wasn't like the first time I have heard it.

But this time I heard it, it was almost like I saw it new, everyone was created imago dei ...everyone was created in the image of God...everyone has the image of God in them...(i know your all saying duh to me, dont judge me)

I just think it hit me cuase i realized how much judging I do to others or treat them like garbage, and I really needd to stop that.

The title of my blog is namaste which means "I honor the Holy One who lives in you" and now Imago Dei "The image of God"

I love people and thats why I want to become a pastor, cause Im starting to realize more about everyone...its amazing!!!!

Thank you Lord for making us in the image of you!!!

Fun Fact

Slugs have four noses

Little book

I recently recieved a little book by A.W. Tozer, How to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Its only about 60 pages long and are a few sermons of Tozer about the Holy Spirit. I read it in a day, 1 because it was super interesting and 2 beacuse it was pretty short and i didnt feel like reading stuff for school at the time. There are some things that he said that really kinda took me back for a second...or like im still thinkin about them now.

The first thing that really blew me away was that of the Holy Spirit coming down at the Pentecost. He asks the question that since the Holy Ghost came down on them...does that mean it is here for us as well, or do we need Him to fall on us as well.

The thing that what brought me back is the thought that "duh He is here" but then I started to think about it, and maybe He is here on earth, but is He in my life?

Tozer goes on to some really convicting questions (that are really good for one to ask oneself) about ones life and what it means to really be filled with the Holy Spirit.

It was a little book that I thought I was just going to read and maybe get something from it, I didn't think that it would be something that made me review my life with God...but im glad it was given to me, its something I will be looking at for awhile now.

Paperclips (areas i paperclip in the book and are what i think are good sayins from the book)

'"do you believe that the Lord answers prayer and heals the sick?" he would reply, "sure i do" he believes it, but he dosnt teach it, and what you dont believe strongly enough to teach doesnt do you any good'

'you want His help (Gods): yes, you want a lot of His benefits, yes, but are you willing to go with Him in His opposition to the easygoing ways of the world?'

Its been awhile

Alright, I know that it has been a while (ie 2 months) since my last time i wrote something on this, but i am really going to be trying to type more on here and just do things on the blog...

i think it will be fun to really be able to get to learn all this stuff, and I have a lot of things on my mind that I would like to put up as well.

So when i get some downtime (get bored at school) I think ill be writing on here a lot more often.

peACEout

Finals WEEEK

holy crap I cant believe that it is already finals week at school, this year is going by fast, thats good thing but also a scary thing. please pray for every student that you know to give them strength, the great thing is that after finals ppl get to go home for a well needed break, pray for safty.

thanks everyone
peaceout

Something from church

Last nite I went to The Stirring, and Nate, the pastor was teaching, he was teaching about marriage and how God needs to be the center of it.

But off that he was talking about in Exodus and how Israelites were slaves and then were freed and went into the wilderness. Then he said this, "Wilderness was so hard for them sometimes, they wanted to go back to slavery."

For some reason this really hit me, it was like sometimes it feels so hard to follow Jesus, that sin is so much easier to fall into. I think that it was something that he just kinda said and that was it but for some reason this really hit me, and I think should be thought about more.

To see that sometimes this relationship is hard with Christ, and that it feels so easy to just want to go back to our "old" ways, and just forget it.

I think its OK that I ask this question and all, its just I don't know if I have an answer at all about the question. Will we honestly get to a point where sin doesn't entice us?

Im still thinking about this, I just have to go to class now!!!

a.k.a "Lost"

Chapter 5- This chapter is all about just being able to talk to people, not about major topics or trying to convert someone, but really just small talk. It is something that everyone can do and that it is something we do naturally and on a daily basis. The thing is we just do not think that it is really worth anything, but more just something of life, but not part of our life for God. I really like how Jim is really stressing that small talk is something that can mean so much to someone, that giving them your time and by the motives you really have are great. I also thought the part where you invite “missing people” to something that Christians are helping others with is a great thing. I had never thought of that, all the time you think about going and doing things just with the church body, but to invite them makes so much sense, this really stood out to me.

Chapter 6- This was all about listening, and asking questions. That one way that we can really have others respect us is to just be able to listen to what they have to say. That after asking a question to wait for a few seconds and let the person have a time to think and respond. Also that asking questions is a great way to have a conversation with someone, and not in a rude tone, but just generally asking about how they are and things of that nature, and being able to really listen to what they have to say.

Chapter 7- This chapter was all about being able to do what is doable. This at first kind of sounds confusing but in the end it makes a lot of sense. This is that we need to make goals that we know we will be able to keep and not try to make a huge deal out of not doing something grand. He talks about a nurse that just plants a seed in someone who she had helped while a man was in the hospital, and that she prayed for him behind his back. I really liked how that all she did was pray and was there for him, and that later in life something grew out of the seed she planted. I guess it almost takes a lot of stress off of us when we know that all we can do is be ourselves and just do what God wants us to do, and the Big Man will take it from there for us.

Chapter 8- Lastly this chapter was mainly about how we need to take religion and almost give it a face lift. To show those around and to ourselves that the view of Christians needs to change, and that we are not the stereotypical Christian that we are made out to be. And that Jesus was not in this world to combat others about who He was and all, but really to show love to others. Jim has a line that really I loved, “Who has the greatest influence with this gay student—those wanting to correct or those trying to connect?” This is something that really needs to be a main topic in the life of a Christian as I see it in our society today.

Is my "Christian" school any different than your "Secular" school

The title of this one ain't that catchy or anything, its just been something on my mind for a while now. What is the difference of me going to a christian college or a non-Christan college. Right now it doesn't look like a lot. I know you can find all the same things in this school than any other school around.

I guess it feels like our motives here are the same as anywhere else, yes we do have a religious backing, but don't most students who are going to school now have some sort of belief that stand for? Why is it that we have to go out and almost try to sound like were better than others because hey look I'm at a Christan college, I'm way more holy than you are.

I guess i just don't see why that at a secular college can i not get a degree in pastoral studies or something with a Biblical background? yes they may have some classes on religion, but if we are to go out and make disciples (living with people who don't know Christ and just having a normal friendship with them). I really feel like this "bubble" that we have really does suck.

Another thing that bothers me is the other day in our chapel the president of the school was talking, and he made it clear that all we need at the school is "enrollment, enrollment, enrollment" that we just need more people. Sounds kinda funny to me, the other day reading in a.k.a. Lost, it said that maybe we need to stop going a mile wide and an inch deep with followers to know about Christ. And this is making more and more sense everyday.

a.k.a "Lost" by Jim Henderson

For a class I just starting reading a new book, and surprisingly it is actually not that bad at all. So far I have read the first 4 chapters and they are pretty amazing for sure, its a great lil book and a really quick read.

Chapter one- Being the first chapter in the book it seemed like it went by so quick, but the whole time reading it, I felt as if I was taking every word of it in. The chapter is just simply talking about giving some of your time to those who are around you. To give them your attention and really listen to what they have to say, that just listening is something that is almost a lost art, and something that we need to do; and is easy to do. Another thing was the ordinary attempts, and these are simply just giving away your free attention. Just offering to pray for someone when they least expect it, or to pray behind someones back. This seems like such a simple task because it is, we just need to give our time away to others.


Chapter two- There are two major points in this chapter the first being to change a person's life you must first change their metaphor. This is simply stating that if you change the way that we look at people we will act different towards them. The way that we do this is with the people that do not know God, instead of calling them “lost,” we should more likely call them missing. That to call someone lost is to not have any love for them. But when you love those around you, and want to interact with them, and be with them, its a lo0t easier to do these if we just consider them “missing.” This way we know that we are looking to help and be with them, and find them. So that they know they are not lost, forever, just missing.


Chapter three- This chapter is titled ordinary makes a comeback, which is honestly just the simple thought of the whole chapter; about how being ordinary is something Jesus has always been a part of. It is weird to think of the people in the Bible times as just regular ordinary people, but in all actuality this is all they really are; there is nothing super special about them and they were just living the life that they saw Jesus living. I think that were to focused on the final goal of “converting” someone and not just going on a ride of life with them. That we always have to have an alternative motive, and that needs to change in our minds. But something that really stood out was when Henderson said, “when we love people, we take risks and do irrational things.” I really see that this is the movement that we need, just to love others, and that once we start doing that things will just to begin to happen in our relationships with them.


Chapter four- The Gospel according to you, is all about how we just need to be ourselves in life, and conversations will spark up that we never thought were possible. We need to preach as if were serving and serve as if were preaching; what this means to be yourself, be human, be normal, be real, and be intentional. With this were able to expand Jesus's kingdom further into the hearts of the people Jesus misses. We just need to be open in being ourselves and the situations and opportunities to talk to someone will open up. This is something that can be done very simply, how hard can it really be to just be ourselves.

How far can we push the Holy Spirit?

I have a class here at Simpson University that is called Spiritual Formation in the Church. We have been reading a book by Dallas Willard called Hearing God. The book at first I was very questionable about it but I am starting to like it, but back to the story. So our teacher has been talkin a lot about how he was at this conference and was praying for the people around him (which he and everyone else was told to do by the director) and that while praying to look for a symbol or picture, word, phrase that comes to mind. Then to ask the person that your praying with if that relates to anything. So I knew it was a matter of time before we did it in class, and today was the day.

So to show us how it was done, the teacher did a demo run with another student, and came up with some picture in his head and saw if it meant anything to the student and it didnt. So he tells us to go ahead and try it out. So I prayed for some sort of something to come to me for the guy i was praying for.... and I got nothing.

First of all maybe I just wasnt ready to have a symbol come to me for this guy I was praying for, but I really saw this as a time of really trying to push the Holy Spirit into doing something for me when Im pretty much demanding it. I mean i have never done this b4 and im pretty sceptical right then, but how can a class of 25 of us, all the sudden recieve these items in our minds for other people right away. I mean yes i think it really could have happened and i know God could do that.

It felt like that whatever people were saying were so broad that it could have worked in almost everyones life. But I cant say that it wasnt God showing them those things. Maybe its just me whos not in the right state of mind, but I really thought that why do we think that if we pray to see something, God's going to show us something, maybe thats me just thinkin wrong. But then why isnt this taught as soon as im in the church.

Overall I thought that we were really almost fortune telling, or possibly it could have been the same as the pet doctor that was on tv who could talk to their animals, anything is possible if i know any context.

But who is it me to say that God didnt show those others items, I think that would be awsome.
It just right now in my walk with Him bothers me.

Great Divorce

ok so last weekend i finished reading the Great Divorce by C.S.Lewis. And let me tell you that was one crazy book as i had said before. It really opens your brain to something that you have never really pictued before. It is just about a story of a man, who is actually in purgitory, and the reality that he is in is just so off the wall. The thought of how where he is actually relating to hell and heaven was just unbelieveable. I deffinitly will be reading another of his books, cause i need to for school, but because it was so interesting.

It just really puts a twist on my thoughts, not that i am changing my whole life around this book, but it just makes me wonder what restrants have i put on the stories i have heard so many times in the Bible, and what i guess those stories could be.

God is so freakin awsome, Im super glad hes my God.
I wish i would stop being so lazy!! and for all of us, because i cant say everyone when im not doing anything either. (dang it)

peaceout

C.S. Lewis

ok so today i started my first ever C S Lewis book, The Great Divorce, and let me tell you it is crazy so far. I am only really into the 6th chapter but the thing is off the wall crazy. I dont know where Lewis is gettin his thoughts from, they are so off the wall its just wierd right now. I really hope that the rest of the book is this great and that maybe i start to understand a little more of what he is talkin about cause right now im lost...

well i just needed to write this down and all, cause its crazy good, go out and get it!!!!

pecaeout

life

life is crazy, i still dont understand it and i dont think that i ever will. so many times in my short life so far you think somethings going one way and in all reality its going a totally different way. (ie life is crazy)

sometimes it feels like you cant be under any more pressure or stress in life, and then something else gets piled on. this reminds me of a verse though that i have always known in my heart from since i was a little kid, 1 Corinthians 10:13 i really like the Message version cause it says tests at the begginning of it, and i really do think that is a part of it also.

So i thank God for always being there for me and that i know i always have Him there when im falling he will be there for me, always. what an amazing person.

A big theme that i have been seeing in school this few weeks is to stop worrian about crap, because there is so much that you can worry about, that it will take up your whole life and then you wont be able to live, youll just worry. I love God, what an amazing man.

peaceout

cross country

ok today was my first cross country meet of the season and lets just say it sucked!!! i didnt take last though!!(woot woot) its funny (?) that we/I put myself to so much effort of running to pretty much just get humiliated. But for some reason i still get out there and run in my tiny little shorts and take almost last.

its funny that we all go out and run in a circle and do all this work just to end up in the same spot we left, and then drive our car back home and all. I dont really get the whole point to it, but i know im supose to go out and run.

Sometimes i feel like this is our journey with God also, that we do what we think is a lot of great stuff to be helping ourselves out, or others, and actually its just a big circle and were ending up in the same spot as where we are starting from... I guess i get nervous that being at college that im not learning enough or growing. and it makes me wonder about a lot, but i know that God is always there for me.

From the begginning of the race where i start to the end, he is there, and i know that if i take the wrong path he is still there waiting me to find the right one again. I just hope im on the right path and not really just lost in life.

yep thats my ramble for now, maybe ill think of something finally smart to say one day.
peaceout

back to schoool

today i have offically moved back into a dorm and am now living at my school. it was a hard day to leave michelle (my girl) and know that we will only see each other on certain breaks and some long weekends.

its funny going from your summer vacation back to school, where its a christian school, things are just so much different than the things that go on in the real world with how things at my work went this summer. at times i almost feel as if being stuck in the school, that i dont feel as if i am being as much as a follower of God as i should be. when i was at work this summer, i could really see how God has changed my life and how i see the world as something that is not as perminent as others believe. I thank God for the gifts he has given me, and the things he showed me this summer. But i feel as if i have slowly fallen away from God this summer, and i dont want to have this roller coster ride from school and summer vacation.

life is hard right now and im very well off compared to some ppl, but i know that i can get through it for sure.

so school has started and im really going to enjoy learing this year to help me in the long run for sure, its crazy to think that God has this great plan and that im part of it. i am scared but excited to see where my life is going for sure!!!