To all the men who call ourselves Christians: No Excuses.

Now, recently I have been looking into the mirror a lot.  Not just to fix my hair, but I say that to say that I have been analyzing myself and the way I live out the love my Jesus has for me.  I don’t want to be a little boy who knows his fathers love but hides under his robe in fear.  I want to be a child of God who stands firm in the love my God has for me, because I have taken the time to mold my lifestyle into one that tells about Jesus and not one that clouds the cross behind a false perspective of who Jesus is. 

Have you ever heard of Rob Bell?  He’s like the man.  Rob Bell is like the man who hates speaking from the pulpit, because it feels restricting.  He is like the man who can’t stand to have to use a microphone, because it sounds like he’s shouting.  Rob Bell is like the guy that would wear shorts into the most conservative church on Sunday morning, not to be rebellious, but because he understands that Sunday morning is bigger than shorts or slacks?  He is that guy. Well Rob Bell makes a teaching series called the “Nooma” series.  It is awesome.  Every teaching video is only like 10 minutes long, and it hits the point right away (no filling time with corny stories and too many scripture references).  And he sets every biblical point with a backdrop, one we can relate to, one we can see ourselves in.  He tells stories that we as mainstream Christians, who are trying to grow up spiritually in our busy American dream lifestyles, so that after those 10 minutes are all over you usually sit in silence for just a minute or two realizing that he just told your story.  Somewhere in those 10 minutes, crammed with the word, real life, personal testimonials, and a new perspective…. it comes down to Jesus.   I love what Rob Bell wrote on the back cover of his new book, “Velvet Elvis.”  Instead of quotes about how good the book is and instead of a persuasive speech to get you to buy the book he simply writes: “We have to test everything…. Test it.  Probe it.  Do that with this book.  Don’t swallow it uncritically.  Think about it.  Wrestle with it.  Just because I’m a Christian and I’m trying to articulate a Christian worldview doesn’t mean I’ve got it nailed.  I’m contributing to the discussion.  God has spoken, and the rest is commentary, right?”

God has spoken and isn’t everything else just commentary.  Shouldn’t our lives be commentary that points the “world” to Jesus?   Now, just because a Pastor speaks it, doesn’t make it wisdom. And every time you eat, it doesn’t make it healthy.  Just like we need food, we need spiritual food to become Men of God and to grow out of the boy like faith.  Living the life Jesus lived takes more than just faith; it takes courage, strength, and good judgment that can only come from suffering, trials, and blessings.  And the things that we choose to demonstrate with our lives to act as a megaphone to the rest of the world around us, lost and saved.  I don’t want to be a boy who calls on the name of my father, the Lord, to hide under his robe.  I want to be a man who calls on the presence of God.  Who can put aside the human worldview that falsifies the role of a women, demoralizes what the marriage bed is supposed to be, and tells the youth of today that their hope is in their work ethic; and stand firm in the word and worthy to serve the Lord.  The same Lord whose real life experiences are marked all throughout the gospels and meant to teach of how to walk out this life and away from the lifestyle of sin. 

You see, we brand ourselves as men with the world’s perceptions when we as men divide our souls by calling ourselves Christians and then walking the ways of the world.  We too often like to blame our track history on our sinful nature and personal ignorance, and then we declare in our own false light that we need our trials and errors to decide what truth is.  But, we already have the perfect example in Jesus and it’s marked out for us pretty clearly in the word.  We are sinners, and that won’t change here on earth. But there is no excuse for our Jesus t-shirts and the Bible in our back pockets if your walk is not going to demonstrate Jesus.  Ignorance is not an excuse, when we carry our bibles in our pockets like we do our car keys, everywhere.  Though can’t we just stop all the excuses?  Jesus is real life, though we still live alienated lifestyles that cloud what Jesus did for us on the cross..   

Didn’t Jesus come to this earth with a purpose?  And didn’t he accomplish it?  All I really want to say is probe it.  You don’t have to swallow it uncritically – wrestle with it, God’s word.  The word is not just a Christian worldview, its Jesus’ perspective of the life and death that he lived for us.  It is Jesus’ view of us, “the world.”  He knew of our sinful nature and still saw us as pure.  He came to die for us in love.  No excuses, he just came and surrendered so that we would live with a purpose, purity, and a hope.  I’m just contributing to the discussion.  God has spoken.  If you call yourself a Christian, your life is a commentary – make it about Jesus, who cares about you!  No excuses, Jesus didn’t use one.

Jesus did.  He does.  I John 3:1.  “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!  The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

Currently Reading Velvet Elvis : Repainting the Christian Faith By Rob Bell see related

WARNING:  The following entry is not suitable for all Men.  If you have a weak stomach, single, or presently mad at the opposite sex for some various reason even though it is probably your own fault and you are acting like a selfish screwup, please read below at your own risk.

 On Wednesday the 3rd of August I went to my very beautiful girlfriends house to spend some quality time with her because only a few days later I was going to be headed back to Liberty for RA training.  I knew she was upset about me leaving because she is head over heals, forget how to breath, overwhelmingly in love with me.  Then, when I arrived at her house that night she was hungry and ready to eat.   But I was not hungry, in fact I had not eaten all day.  You'll understand why in just a minute.  So I talked her into just going outside to sit in the hammock and talk (which really meant that I needed some time to let my stomach settle and a cool breeze to keep me from sweating through my shirt).  So we headed out to the back yard and after a few minutes, I didn't think my heart could wait any longer and I told her that I had bought her a present to take back to school with her.  She immediately got a huge smile on her face as I told her it was from her favorite store.... Starbucks.  You have to realize that we drink Starbucks religiously.  Her much more than I, though it is a passion we both firmly believe in.  So I went to my car to bring her the gift.  She sat up in the hammock anxiously awaiting her present and when she opened it she found a new Starbucks coffee mug which she had to have assumed it was going to be.  She gave me a hug and said thank you while she admired it.  Then I mentioned to her that there was a little something more in the mug, wrapped in the tissue paper that she had not yet found.  Then she slowly pulled out of the mug a small box wrapped in the tissue paper and her eyes got bigger than I had ever seen them.  I laugh thinking about it, becuase she immediately indicated verbally that this was not a "little something."  Then as she opend the box I asked her, "are you ready for this?"  She said yes with a tear in her eye.  As I sat on one knee explaining to her that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with the most beautiful girl in the world and haw excited I was to see all that the Lord has in store for us.... I had to look away and take a deep breath a few times to make sure that I was going to make it through everything I wanted to say to her.  Never in my life have I ever felt the Lord's reward for obedience like I did when put that ring on her finger and looked in the eyes of my fiance and the rest of my life.

This is one of many announcements.  I am engaged and planning a wedding with the most beautiful women in the world.  She loves the Lord, she loves His Word, and she loves His heart for His children.  She is a servant filled with faith, hope, compassion, and mercy.  She never takes me for granted and instead challenges me everyday.  She makes me a better man just because I am with her and she always speaks wisdom over me with confidence.  And the best part about her is that she loves me without any conditional clauses.  She's perfect, because shes everything the Lord promised me; my helper.

I love you beautiful.  Keep that smile.

It's good to be back at LU and preparing for another new year.  This year I get another group of guys to share my heart with and my Jesus.  Plus, this year I get to watch the Lord prepare me to be a husband and one day a father.  It's going to be an awesome year here on D-11. 

Be A Man, 1 Kings 2:2b-3

Currently Listening The Everglow By Mae see related

As probably expected..... its has now been a month since I made my first post.  Since that time I have finished my summer school class at Liberty and had to say goodbye to Danny.  I have come home to Mechanicsville to spend the summer with my Godly, goergeous, holy and very hott girlfriend and hundreds of spoiled little kids who want to learn how to play golf to please their parents.  While it has been a fun job and it is such a blessing to finally be home close to Anna -- Danny I am very excited for you and your wife, but Lynn I can never be replaced in Danny's heart.  Though apart from how much I miss you guys and everyone still in Lynchburg, Anna and I wish you both the best and can't wait to see you guys again soon in your new apartment.

So back to these kids that roll up to golf camp in their parents caddy's beign dropped of by the babby sitter thats being paid $30 an hour to sit at the pool, they get bored hitting balls and being outside because they can't have their PSPs and blackberries to play with, or their cell phone signal is not strong enough to recieve all their priority mail and life just is not the same without their mom to give them everything they ask for.  Though what they don't ask for is an afternoon of push-ups and a few sessions of wall squats to get rid of that attitude they have developed.  For some reason they think we are being mean when we tell them that they can't just do what they want and they think that since we won't let them have soda they can call their mom and we will be in trouble.  Note to self:  don't let my kids turn into brats who get everything they want.... make them do push-ups and wall sits from an early age.

I have learned a few new things this summer about myself.  I do miss the game of golf much more then I thought... I really need to find the time to get back into tournament shape.  Liberty can be a boring place at times, but the accountability that the campus offers -- I miss desperately.  My girlfriend is still the hottest girl in the world and Garfield you are jealous of Dave and I, just get over it... or hurry up before all the good white girls are gone.  And the Lord is still faithful, even when your back feels like its up against a wall. 

I have no idea how many people are reading this thing.  But I promise, I will get the hang of this xanga thing sooner than later.  To my man Joel... a guy I work with this summer is a huge 2gether fan and quotes the songs everyday.  Sneaky... i hope you've found a nice jewish girl in jersey.  I miss all you guys at D-11 but I can't wait to get back to East Campus in a month or so. 

That's my life up till now.  If anything exciting happens I will be sure to let xanga know.  God Bless. 

** Danny Boy... don't forget to hang that Yankee flag!

Currently Listening Modern Day Drifter By Dierks Bentley see related

Today is that day! Today I am "that" guy. Today is a day of defeat in my mind but a day of conquest in my heart.  I have heard and seen the stories of the men and women who have gone before me; those who have botched their attempt to be inimitable and those who have survived the call to infatuation and found their reward due.  Today I conform to everything that Xanga has to offer me and everything that it will ask me to be.  I have officially declared myself susceptible to mass communication, though I am not alone.  Let the journey begin.

Currently Playing Feels Like Today By Rascal Flatts see related