Your Way or the HIGHway

So I'm chilling in my motel room watching TV. HBO to be precise. Then I see cartoons. I like cartoons. Little Red Happy Coat? What the...? Oh! It's the Asian version of the American Version Riding in the Hood... I mean, Little Red Riding Hood.

Know the Story, right?

I'll be nice enough to share it with you, you know, to catch up with your childhood.

Riding in the Hood

the tale of

Little Red Riding Hood

"Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived in a village near the forest. Whenever she went out, the little girl wore a red riding cloak, so everyone in the village called her Little Red Riding Hood.

One morning, Little Red Riding Hood asked her mother if she could go to visit her grandmother as it had been awhile since they'd seen each other. "That's a good idea", her mother said. So they packed a nice little basket for Little Red Riding Hood to take to her grandmother.

"Remember, go straight to Grandma's house," her mother cautioned. "Don't dawdle along the way and please don't talk to strangers! The woods are dangerous." "Don't worry, mommy," said Little Red Riding Hood, "I'll be careful.

"But when Little Red Riding Hood noticed some lovely flowers in the woods, she forgot her promise to her mother. She picked a few, watched the butterflies flit about for awhile, listened to the frogs croaking and then picked a few more. Little Red Riding Hood was enjoying the warm summer day so much, that she didn't notice a dark shadow approaching out of the forest behind her."

Is it me or does this sound familiar?

"Suddenly, the wolf appeared beside her. "What are you doing out here, little girl?" the wolf asked in a voice as friendly as he could muster. "I'm on my way to see my Grandma who lives through the forest, near the brook," Little Red Riding Hood replied. Then she realized how late she was and quickly excused herself, rushing down the path to her Grandma's house. The wolf, in the meantime, took a shortcut."

Shortcut. This story is too long.

"But Grandmother! What big ears you have," said Little Red Riding Hood as she edged closer to the bed. "The better to hear you with, my dear," replied the wolf. "But Grandmother! What big eyes you have," said Little Red Riding Hood. "The better to see you with, my dear," replied the wolf. "But Grandmother! What big teeth you have," said Little Red Riding Hood her voice quivering slightly. "The better to eat you with, my dear," roared the wolf and he leaped out of the bed and began to chase the little girl. Almost too late, Little Red Riding Hood realized that the person in the bed was not her Grandmother, but a hungry wolf. She ran across the room and through the door, shouting, "Help! Wolf!" as loudly as she could. A woodsman who was chopping logs nearby heard her cry and ran towards the cottage as fast as he could.

"Oh Grandma, I was so scared!" sobbed Little Red Riding Hood, "I'll never speak to strangers or dawdle in the forest again." "There, there, child. You've learned an important lesson. Thank goodness you shouted loud enough for this kind woodsman to hear you!" The woodsman knocked out the wolf and carried him deep into the forest where he wouldn't bother people any longer. Little Red Riding Hood and her Grandmother had a nice lunch and a long chat."

Seriously what possible lesson can we draw from such a childish story?

Proverbs 14

You may not know or realize it, but this is our story. My story. Your story. From the dawn of my existence God already laid out a road for me to follow, you know, the thing people call a purpose or something. . . . but like the protagonist, I started riding in the hood; I mean, I got distracted like Miss Riding Hood.

Peep this

I knew what my calling was ever since I was born. My mom made sure to repeat the story over and over again any opportunity she got. But I wasn't having that. I wanted to do my own thing, you know? If anyone could do anything it's God, and I was sure he would have used me in whatever way he wanted to, without my resistance, in whatever way I chose to go.

In other words, I thought I could "noticed some lovely flowers in the woods"... and "watched the butterflies flit about for awhile"... and "listen to the frogs croak"... Starting to make any sense?

In other words, instead of walking the path already paved for me, I went ahead and got a Bachelor of Arts in Film & Media Studies and Foreign Languages. Joint major. One of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. $40K+ a year. All that to say my way led me no way. Instead, I found myself face to face with the wolf.

Notice how Miss Riding Hood was so into what she was not supposed to be doing that she did not even notice with what she was talking to. Her mind was so out of place, that it did not click in her head: "What am I doing talking to a wolf?"

Once I found myself with a very costly degree and a very costly sum of student loans to pay back, it didn't click that doors were not opening for me because I was on the wrong road. Dudes, I spent months--almost a year--sitting at home. Jobless. Sitting on an expensive degree. I questioned and questioned and questioned. I became so frustrated that frustration could no longer frustrate a frustrated me. But it did not click.

I remember crying bitterly after I had spoken to my father on the phone the day I found out he turned his back on his family in preference for his preferred family. I cried. Bitterly. Bitterly. I cried. The entire time repeating one question: why me?

Like Riding in the Hood; excuse me, Little Red Riding Hood, my tears were an equivalent to her cry of wolf. By that time the wolf had not only devoured my family, my relationships; I was his next target. I am still his target. I am very sure that my tears fell up to heaven and almost instantly "A woodsman who was chopping logs nearby heard [my] cry and ran towards" me.

Notice that Jesus was a carpenter, a man who dealt with wood professionally. It's no coincidence. Jesus. He ran to my rescue. Not walked. Not FedExd. Not text'd. Ran. When he tasted my tears and realized how bitter they were, he did not send someone on his behalf, but ran personally towards me. Glory! and he does the same, can do the same, will do the same for you.

At first it didn't click. But I later realized that the logs that certain woodsman was chopping

were for a bridge to lead me from where I thought I should have been to where I was
meant to be. To where I am.

And that wolf... Well, he's already defeated, and will be put in a place where he will no longer, eternally not ever, bother anyone again. Guaranteed!

Where you at?

Walking down your road

or

your own road?

"There is a way that seems right to a man,

but its end is the way to death." Proverbs 14:12

Any doubts on which way is the right way. . .

"Jesus told him, 'I am the way..." John 14:6


Enjoy this song by MercyMe "Where You Lead Me"

Mirror Mirror On The Wall. . .

Throwback

Remember the mirror game? That game when two people stand in front of each other and the one has to imitate everything the other does, as if looking in a mirror?

Man, those where the days!

Just last Saturday in church two little girls did that for the children story. It was so cute. The one was crackin' up! And the other was so shy... After a while it started to die out. . . Sad.

The funny thing is when the person looking in the mirror does the most mind boggling things and the mirror has to imitate it, you know what I mean?

Ha! Good times. Good times.

So if you have no idea what I'm talking about, it can only mean one thing: your childhood sucked!

Just joking. Not funny; I know.

What is true is that in one way or another we've all played the role of the mirror, you know, the imitator. I remember watching a movie and wanting to imitate stuff I had just seen.

Even when resiting a line from the movie, I have to imitate the exact movements and facial expressions of the character--or at least I think it's exact.

I don't consider myself a funny person. But my family does. And they love to see me imitate other family members. Just yesterday I imitated one of my uncles and my mom was on the floor crying of laughter. Literally.

Ephesians 5

At times I find myself imitating the wrong thing, the wrong person, the wrong people.

And you?

I remember a summer in high school I went to a university down south for a summer program. We were all high school students from all over the country, which was cool. As I was chilling this one time, kicking it with a few other dudes, a student from the university found out that me and my boy were both from Philly so he invited us to kick it with him in his dorm room. There, I was faced with an interesting scenario. Homeboy lit up a blunt, took several puffs, and passed it over to me as he asked if I too wanted a few puffs. . .

What would you have done? Honestly.

You see, many times we find ourselves faced with similar scenarios. We find ourselves with acquaintances who do not share our same beliefs and we are faced with an interesting decision: do I stand out and not blend in? or do I blend in to not stand our like a sore thumb?

What do you do? Honestly.

I've caught myself many times jumping from imitating Christ to imitating the world in a matter of minutes, most notably, the minutes separating the closing of the Sabbath and the start of the week... you follow?

In college, I was Adventist on the Seventh Day instead of a Seventh Day Adventist, get it?

This is real talk. I would pretend to keep the Sabbath during the day and sweat my butt off at night dancing to Satan's music. Imma keep it real!

Even now, I've found myself pretending to be something during the week that I could not pretend to be in church during the Sabbath. . . feel me?

I've even had people I know from other churches tell me how hung over they are on Sabbath morning because on Friday night they were out drinking and partying-- to later do the same thing Saturday night. Once Sabbath evaporates.

Yeah, it's deep.

Who the heck are we imitating?

I'll give you a clue: it ain't God.

What's the point of calling ourselves--scratch that-- of calling myself a Christian if I'm not imitating Christ?

Last I checked, the term 'Christian' implies someone who follows Christ; aka, someone who imitates Christ; aka, someone who mirrors Christ; aka, someone who reflects Christ. . . to the world. . . all seven days...

"Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children." Ephesians 5:1

Everything. That word means everything. In the way we think. In the way we talk. In the activities we do. Everything.

Check it.

Imagine looking at yourself in a mirror and your reflection is not doing what you are doing. That would freak me out and I'd scream like a little 3rd grade girl.

Likewise, if I call myself a Christian, then I must be true as Christ's reflection to the world. When the world looks at me, they must not see anything else but the Christ who lives in me.

I'm gonna let Ephesians 5 wrap it up

"Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:2-20

Like me, if you've been imitating the wrong person, let us try to make an effort to imitate Christ. It's not going to be easy. No, not at all. But I am sure of one thing, what we'll gain will be greater than any obstacles we'll face. And victory--eternal victory--will taste ever so sweet. . .

Enjoy "I Want To Be Just Like You" by Philips, Craig and Dean

By the way, I did not smoke that blunt. Honestly.

Just in case you were still wondering. . .

If I Were Rich (Remix)

I want to start off by apologizing for writing about this topic again, but I think this is such powerful stuff that I must put it out there.

So by now you should be wondering, "What in the world is this dude talking about?"

Great question!

But if you'd payed attention to the title you would have already guessed it, don't you think?

Granted that was a horrible joke, let's get down to business.

I'm talking about being rich. But this is the remix.

In my earlier entry,"If I Were Rich", I made a point that our promised heavenly treasures are what we should all strive for; better yet, what I should strive for. The lil' crappy stuff on this earth is not going to last. So what's the point of wasting my time, dig me?

I'm sure you've heard of the rapper 50 Cent.

I trust you don't own any of his music. . .

but that's a different entry, for a later time.

In any case, 50 --pronounced fitty; not fifty, and it's cent; not cents-- released an album entitled "Get Rich Or Die Tryin". There is a single on the album which shares the same same title. And, oh! by the way, a movie with the same exact title!

Can we say the man don't wanna be broke?

Luke 12

I ask: is it wrong to strive for earthly riches? Don't rush to answer. Think. Hard.

Check it.

Jesus is so sexy with it all the time.

So here he is chilling with his crew and all these different people wanted to hall@Him. While he was doing his thing, you know, being sexy with it, some random dude shouted,

"Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”

Someone probably said the poor guy like, "Dang, homie! Your brother cheap!" Some laughs.
Jesus replied, "Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?" The dude was probably like, "Huh? I don't get it... what does he mean by..." But before the poor guy's brain exploded Jesus said something very interesting,

"Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own." Luke 12:15

What?

I thought life is measured by how much you own.

Isn't it true that the more money I have, the more successful I am considered?
Isn't it true that the more clothes and sneakers and shoes I have, the more (insert whatever) I am?
Isn't it true that the more girls I plow through, the more esteemed I am among my boys?
Isn't true the more guys I sleep with, the more (insert whatever) I am?

Get the point?

"A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, 'What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.' Then he said, 'I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, 'My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!' But God said to him, 'You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?'" Luke 12:16-20

Strong words? I'd say so. Now try this: omit 'crops' 'wheat' and 'other goods'. Add whatever it is you're trying to stack up on. Money? Cars? Girls? Sneaks? Shoes? Good times?

Notice what the protagonist says, "I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll have room enough to store..." Whatever he had he was not satisfied with; got that?

What goods do I have in my life that I'm not satisfied with?

And you?

The purview of this has expanded to things other than simply economics. What in my life is driving me to want more and more and more that I must 'tear down my barns and build bigger ones'?

Now after we've substituted our whatever in into the text, let's see it again.

Do you see it?

Check it.

One thing remains the same, You fool!

See it now? God himself is all up in my face calling me a fool, yo! And yours.
I'm a fool if all I wanna do is stack up on things of this earth, yo!
You're a fool if all you wanna do is stack up on things of this earth, YO!

"Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God. [Yo!]” Luke 12:21

"Like a partridge that hatches eggs she has not laid, so are those who get their wealth by unjust means. At midlife they will lose their riches; in the end, they will become poor old fools." Jeremiah 17:11

Wait a minute, did God just call me a fool?!

Twice, yo!

So God must want me to be poor then, because it clearly says that I'm a fool for storing up earthly wealth. That sucks!

wait a minute. . .

"And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom." Luke 14:29-32

No. God does not want any of his children to be broke. God does not want me to be broke. Nor you. It wouldn't make sense. It doesn't make sense. It's senseless!

He just wants me to check him out first, and then he'll take care of my business. And yours. If you check him out first, that is. . .

And the cool part is that he does not mind giving me the Kingdom.

No, it's not that he doesn't mind; he finds great happiness to give me the Kingdom!

Dude, I love this remix. . .

Enjoy, "Cara a Cara" by Marcos Vidal.
Translation: "Face to Face"; a song about when we get to see Jesus face to face... amazing!

Where Is The Love?

One of my favorite songs by Celine Dion is entitled "Where is the Love?"

I know it may seem a bit strange, but she got a voice! And ain't nothing wrong with a lil' Celine Dion once in a while... you know... an iPod playlist even..?

Anyway. Besides the fact that it's a good song, the title asks a very good question: where is the love?

Once we became separated from God's perfect love due to sin, we've been longing to find a similar kind of love from various sources, you dig? We--me, you, humans--trip out if/when we feel unloved. There are the pretenders, trust me, who love to pretend; thus pretending to pretend they don't need love: got it?

But its in our nature.

To love.

To wanna be loved.

Some of us kill others for it. Some of us kill ourselves for it. Some of us sell ourselves for it. Some of us want to have a lot of them for it.

You ever seen a Maury Show episode about cheaters? The primary reasons why the cheater cheated is because the other person did not show him (or her) enough love..:

"She was never home, Maury!"

"The sex wasn't good enough."

"I just felt like I wasn't getting enough attention, so

I did my thing, you know?"

"I lived better days with her than with her."

"He was always there instead."

And the poor victim looks destroyed. Hurt.

Sounds familiar?

So here we are, constantly looking for love.
Better yet, looking for someone to love--us back.

Where has our search and research led us to?
Better yet, where has my search and research lead me to?

Even if I find myself with someone to love--me back,
I know I can't always count on it; remember: no one is perfect..?

so where is the love?

John 15: 9-14

"I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

A true, flawless, perfect, and everlasting love can only be found in Jesus.

No man. No woman. No parent. No husband. No wife. No boyfriend. No girlfriend.

No friend. No lover. No drug. No sex. No alcohol. No porn. No self. No weird toy.

No club. No bar. No street corner. No car. No house. No job. No money. No religion. No church.

No cult. No image. No fantasy.

Nothing!

Only Jesus.

and you'll realize that he'd been already loving you--back,
before you even loved him--back.

Enjoy this song by MercyMe called "How Great is Your Love"

Fool me once: Shame on me; Fool me twice: Shame on ... me

In all honesty, this entry is more for me than it is for anyone else who reads it or may read it.

I've come to a very crucial point in my life, where everything has become so magnified, senses so heightened; it's hard to explain. Everything is a struggle. Everything is a question. Everything is nothing. And nothing is nothing.
I'm carrying so many things around, bottled up in me, one day I'm going to explode.

For the better?

For the worse?

Who cares?

I'm tired.



I'm tired of being tired of constantly being tired.

Get it?

I could say it's life. But I wont. I could say it's all the devil's fault. But I wont. I could say many things... What I will say is that I blame myself. For most of what is going on in my head. My life. My heart. My spirit. . .

Check it.

Everyone has something they constantly struggle with. Or several.

No one's closet is free of skeletons, you dig? If yours is, then this blog is not for you to read; feel me?

Hope you don't have a weak stomach:

"As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness." Proverbs 26:11

This verse hits me every time I read it because I see myself in it, you know? It paints a very strong and suggestive picture. I am that dog and these 'things' is the vomit. I keep doing things as if God is not looking right at me.

Please, don't think I'm saying if I fix my problem I'll be perfect:

"We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind." Isaiah 64:6

"No one is righteous—not even one." Romans 3:10

but for some reason, like a dog, I keep returning to the same vomit. And it's not so tasty.

The worst thing is that I try to fool God.

Did you get that?

I try fooling God!

Psalms 139

This is to show how stupid I've been all this time. . .

Check it.

"O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!

I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up, you are still with me!" Psalm 139:1-18

I'm not even gonna magnify the key words in this passage because the overall concept is the same: No matter what I do, God is there! He can't be fooled. God cannot be fooled!

I am the fool

You are the fool

I have shared with you already that I have made the decision to become a soldier for Christ. And ever since this decision it seems as if my decision making has gotten poorer and poorer. I am being attacked in every way imaginable. Every fiber composing me, this sinner, is getting weaker and weaker...

and it's not like I don't know it. I know what's going on, trust me.
I just don't want to see it, I guess; or accept it, I guess.

Yet I keep fooling myself, thinking I am fooling God. He is probably looking down at me thinking, "This son of mine is so stupid--all the time." And smile a smile only a sad heart can smile.

You know, we as human beings are very hard headed--all the time. And we make ourselves believe that we can fool everybody and anybody but no one can fool us... yet we fool ourselves.

Talk about complex.

If you find yourself walking down the same road I've been walking on, take this as a sign telling you to make a U-turn. Stop fooling yourself. Stop trying to fool The Unfoolable.

My prayer

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Psalm 139:23-24

for me. for you.


Enjoy this song by Chris Rice called "Untitled Hymn"

Shake It Off

What I'm about to write is verY vErY VerY VeRy delicious!

(Read as an Infomercial)

Is your life filled with problems? Have you ever wondered why everything bad is only happening to you? Have you ever thought that life is not fair? Have you ever pointed the finger at God?

or

Have you ever been rejected from a job because you could not work on Saturdays? Did you miss your Senior Prom because it was on a Friday night? Have your friends ever thought you were weird, strange, crazy, foolish, mindless, because you refused to go to the movies with them on a Friday night?

or

Do you feel miserable because you're a Christian? Have you ever said "It sucks to be Seventh Day Adventist!"? Instead of standing up for what you believe, have you ever stooped down and joined those making fun of Christians? of Jesus? of GOD?...

I have the perfect solution for YOU!

(end of Infomercial)

Seriously.

I remember the feeling of not being able to go to my Senior Prom because it was on a Friday night. Although I was the senior class Vice President and I was tight with not just the class President but the other officials, they were not going to change the prom day from Friday to Thursday to accommodate me.

I also remember this job interview I went to which lasted about 15 minutes. Once the interviewer--this dude who looked about my age or younger--heard I could not attend one of the mandatory trainings on a Friday afternoon (the time was too close to the Sabbath hour), he simply said, "We might as well not even finish this interview", and sent me home. Jobless. Rejected. Denied.

These are just little problems compared to the serious problems you might be facing now. Later. Tomorrow. If there is one thing I am sure of it's that we all have problems in our lives. For the past year and some months, I have been hit time and time again by problems and difficulties and heartaches and headaches and disappointments and depression over and over again.

Complained?

Plenty.

1 Peter 4

This chapter is truly exceptional.

Check it.

"Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange is happening to you." 1 Peter 4:12

Does anyone else see anything wrong with this passage?

What do you mean don't be surprised... as if something strange is happening...?

Something strange is happening!

I'm a child of God!

I shouldn't be going through all this, right?!

"So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too." 1 Peter 4:1

Huh?

To the average mind, this does not make any sense. I have an average mind. But The Word is clear: chillax, stop trippin' about your lil' problems, take a chill-pill, and tackle your probs just like Jesus tackled His.

How?

Read Isaiah 53: 1-7 (Click it)

If that made no sense to you (average mind, remember?)..:

"Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world." 1 Peter 4:13

Talk about difficult!

Imagine you're married to whom you thought was the most perfect person in the world. You even have children with this person. Little children. All of a sudden things are lukewarm. The person leaves you. For another. You're both church goers...

Imagine receiving a phone call from an unknown number. Your best friend, who was closer than a brother, died having to jump from the 200th floor of the World Trade Center. His perfect birthday party was the next day...

Imagine you're the hardest worker in your company. You're honest. You've never stolen. Everyone, including the owner of the company, esteems you highly. You even got promoted today. You're fired tomorrow. And you discover you have cancer...

Imagine you love someone so much, you're even willing to offer your life if it were needed for theirs. Everything that person asks you give. Everything they ask you do. The person betrays you with someone else. You were going to get married soon...

Through all of this, you've done nothing wrong. . . .

. . . .You're the victim

And I'm supposed to be glad through all of this?!

"So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you." 1 Peter 4:19

Every opportunity we have to stand up for God, to follow His asking, to do anything to please Him, regardless of what others may say, go for it. Every time someone looks at you funny, laughs in your face, calls you stupid for following 'someone you can't even see' --how about this one: "Don't worry, God will understand" or "He's a God of forgiveness, right? Just do (insert whatever) and pray for forgiveness later"--

"So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you... it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? And also, If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?" 1 Peter 4:14, 16-18

Yeah, it may be even embarrassing at times when we have to stand up for God's Good News. And yes, it may even have some serious serious repercussions.

Who cares?

The Word is clear: unless these 'godless sinners' turn from their way and stop mocking and teasing and mistreating and harassing God's children, and become 'godlike', what will happen to them.....?

So screw it!

What's important to us is this:

When we are going through the toughest and roughest times in our lives, the best remedy is to let God know that you know that he knows that you know that he knows that you know He will never fail you.

No one will ever understand the tough times you're going through--even if people say they've gone through similar times. Only you know. Only God knows. Only you and God know.

So I guess it makes sense now, you know, the part about not being surprised about life's fiery trials and being glad and stuff: because God will

NEVER

EVER

EVER

fail.

He doesn't know how to lose.

It's not in his nature.

So whenever you find yourself under one of life's thingymagigz:

shake it off.

Enjoy this song by Casting Crowns called "Praise You in the Storm"

If I Were Rich...

So the other day I was talking with my younger sister (who, by the way, is about to be not so young anymore--22 years old--making me realize how much older I'm becoming). Regardless, we were talking about nothing in particular, you know, brother and sister stuff, you know, everything, anything, and nothing. Then we were talking about how it would feel like to be the relative of a famous person, for example, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, President Obizzy, I mean, Obama...

Check it: A friend invites you to a party his uncle is having.
You're like: Cool!
Your friend is like: Cool!
So you go.
As you get there you're like: Dude (or dudette) your uncle is ballin'!
He (or she) shrugs it off.
You're like: Whatever!
Your friend is like: Duh!
Suddenly your friend is calling a surgeon 'cuz your jaw fell when you realized this uncle is none other than Denzel Washington!

That'll NEVER happen. To me. At least. I wish.

As we spoke she said something that made me think: "I wonder how it would feel like to be rich for one day, to just wake up and not worry about paying bills or what to eat or any other problem relating to not having money. Instead, worry about where to vacation or what to buy..." Although I told her that I wouldn't want to be THAT rich, I too wondered, for that moment, how sweet it would be to wake up one day and just be so rich that I feel poor...

...then I snapped out of it.

I'm pretty sure my sister and I are not the only two people in the world who have thought about what our lives would be like if we were rich..... C'mon, admit it.... you just thought about it as you were reading what I've written so far.

It's cool!

I ain't mad at ya!

BUT, on some real, that'd be pretty nice; to say the least.

1 Peter 2

Peter said some pretty interesting stuff in this chapter.

Duh! What else did I expect, right?

"So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation." 1 Peter 2:1,2

Like I said, pretty interesting stuff.

Then Peter mentions that we: you, me, are "living stones in God's temple", belonging to Jesus, who is The Living Cornerstone of God's temple, thus making us Jesus' holy priests.
Great.

What does that have to do with being $$$$?

For now, nothing. But maybe this might guide us:

"...for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession." 1 Peter 2:9

NICE!

To ease what you're about to experience, let a brotha' break it down fo' ya:

God's very own possession: this means that we: you, me, belong to Him; which means that we: me, you, are His; meaning that whatever He has we: me, you, has; meaning that if He's ballin' we: me, you, are ballin'...

GET IT?

And the Man is ballin'!

Check it:

"In My Father's house are many mansions..." John 14:2

"The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles. Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel). The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass." Revelation 21:15-21

I don't even know what half of these things look like! All I care is that HE got 'em. And some.

So might be thinking: "OK. This is all stuff to come when I go to heaven. But what about here and now? I ain't got all that stuff!"

I'm glad you asked:

"Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the Lord your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him. Then the Lord will drive out all the nations ahead of you, though they are much greater and stronger than you, and you will take over their land. Wherever you set foot, that land will be yours. Your frontiers will stretch from the wilderness in the south to Lebanon in the north, and from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you, for the Lord your God will cause the people to fear and dread you, as he promised, wherever you go in the whole land." Deuteronomy 11:22-25

Dudes, these are just a few examples of how much of a High Roller God is; and I didn't even mention that "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth", meaning He owns this world!

Think of the richest person in the world.

God is so rich that He makes whoever that is look poor! As a matter of fact, the dude is poor compared to EVERYTHING God has!

Now I may sound a bit materialistic. True. But that's not the point.

Read this: "I warn you as 'temporary residents and foreigners' to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors." 1 Peter 2:11,12

Get it?

One of the most commonly used phrases (excuses) of our time is blah blah blah, you know the economy is bad, so boo hoo hoo. But Peter is reminding us that we are temporary residents and foreigners of this world, that our home is in one of those mansions being prepared for us right now somewhere on that street of pure gold, as clear as glass, aka, this is not going to last.

Materialistic? Yeah, if that's the way you want to see it.

But I was told "Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." Matthew 6:19-21

But we can only get to enjoy these riches and treasures in heaven if we "commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders." Deuteronomy 11:18

Enjoy this song by the Miami Mass Choir "What God Has For Me, It Is For Me"

Never mind the fact that nothing interesting is happening in the video. Simply enjoy the music