Naked

Today I had to go to the doctor for a physical and drug test for my new job i start on monday.  It’s kinda funny to me cause right after when i get a physical and i think it’s over and i’m fixing to walk out the door the doctor always says “Yep, now all we need to do is check you for hernia”, i always dread this part.  It’s just really awkard and it was espically awkard today with two doctors in the room with me.  This got me to thinking later as I was reading in a book about the fall why this is the case.  Adam and Eve before the fall walked around and it says “they were naked and unashamed.”  What was it that changed in them after the fall that made them aware of their nakedness? Donald Miller says it best in his book searching for God knows what

 ”Man is wired so he gets his glory(his security, his understanding of value, his feeling of purpose, his feeling of rightness with his maker, his security for eternity) from God and this relationship is so strong and God’s love is so pure that Adam and Eve felt no insecurity at all, so much so that they walked around naked and didn’t realize that they were naked.  But when that relationship was broken they knew it instantly.  All of their glory, the glory that came from God was gone.”

 I wanna be naked with people, not literally, but i wanna bear all and hold nothing back.  It’s so hard since we live after the fall.  We naturally try and hide things and are scared that if people only knew us for who we truly are the messed up people that we are they would reject us.  I hope that as our church grows we can become a church that has the kind of relationships that we can be vulnerable and open and honest and as we do this we will be able to show each other the power of God’s grace.

“But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.”Rm. 8:10

Big Fish

Today was so crazy!  I went fishing today like I try to do once every couple of weeks or so.  But this was no ordinary fishing trip.  We normally catch small catfish, brem and bass, but today was different.  My friend started reeling his rod in when all of a sudden he yells out “I think i’ve got something”!  Once he started reeling in the rod gets tangled with the other rod and so we start pulling the line in by hand!  The fish is surprisingly calm and doesn’t put up much of a fight.  Once we get the fish up on the bank, We realize how HUGE!  This fish is.  This catfish was around 10lbs and 2 1/2 feet long.  The biggest catfish i have ever seen caught!  This reminded me of how Jesus directed the disciples to where they could catch the most fish.  I bet they saw some of the biggest fish they have ever seen, since there boat couldn’t hardly support all the weight.  It is amazing how God comes through and surprises us like this at times.  Jesus says follow me and I will make you fishers of men.  He was always only concerned about the lost.  God always leads and directs us  to where the harvest is ripe and we can catch the most fish!

Simple Kingdom

It’s amazing how you can take part in the Kingdom of God in so many different ways.  I’ve been reading some of the parables of Jesus lately where he talks about this.  It so crazy how Jesus takes the most ordinary mundane things of this life and shows how it is like the Kingdom of Heaven!  Like the farmer planting seeds, the mustard seed, a fisherman’s net.  It’s awesome how Jesus used these things to talk to people about what the kingdom of heaven is like.  I’ve thought about how much our conversations are so much like this at the Patio.  We can take part in advancing the Kingdom of Heaven just by having a conversation with someone.  Jesus wasn’t always preaching in the temple, His pulpit was his boat for alot of his parables.  He would walk through crowds as he taught about how the ground or sky or birds relate to the Kingdom of Heaven.  This is Huge!  Think about it, There are so many people who go to church every Sunday have the same conversation with people they had the week before and have no interaction during the week.  I did this for years,  I love that our church is not like this.   It’s awesome to think about the Kingdom of Heaven being in our midst all the time.  We don’t even have to have a building for our church, but we can have church where ever and whenever!  We can do church all week long!

Trabajar

It looks like I finally have a job!  I got a call today from the guy who interviewed me offering me a position!  This is with the same company my mom is a nurse with Advanced Home Care, I will be loading medical supplies and delivering them to patients and showing them how to use them.  This is a huge answer to prayer, it still doesn’t even feel real to me yet since I’ve been let down by the last 30 or so jobs I have applied for.  I’m going to wait and celebrate once I get my first check!  Thanks to everyone for your encouragement and prayers for me getting a job.  God is always faithful and his timing is always for the best!

Human Lie detector

In one of my favorite movies “Meet the parents”, Greg meets his girlfriends parents and her dad is an Ex-CIA agent.  One night as Greg stumbles into a room with all kinds of equipment, her dad walks in and gives him a lie detector test.  His girlfriend says later that he’s more like a human lie detector, he can always tell when your lying.  I had a similar experience today, I had to take a polygraph test for a job I am applying for.  This lady reminded me of a human lie detector!  Everything started out really calm, she explained how this works and I wasn’t nervous at all.  She then begins to strap 2 things across my chest and stomach, I have to sit on a pad that monitors my butt muscles I guess, you must move your butt around when your lying, I got two straps on my finger and an arm band to monitor my heart rate.  Once she told me to remain completely still and close my eyes as she asked me questions, needless to say i was a little nervous.  I felt completely exposed and vulnerable.  She could ask me whatever she wanted and know if I was lying or not.  I kinda felt like a criminal after I left since I had to explain about all the things I did from elementary school to the present.  Such as stealing baseball cards and vandalizing a pool in highschool.  We had a nice conversation about anything I ever stole or any crime I ever committed it was great!  I love that we can be like this in our community.  Completely vulnerable and exposed.  It may be a little scary at times and we may feel nervous, but it is amazing to be able to be open and honest and let people see you for who you truly are without fear of being judged.  Praise God that his grace is sufficent!  That his power is made perfect in our weakness!

Words

I recently read where Jesus is speaking to the multitudes and it says He spoke as one having authority not like the other teachers of the law.  This got me thinking, Do I speak as one having authority?  I wonder if Jesus listened to people talk and his disciples complain and people asking him for this and that more than he actually spoke, I’m willing to bet he did.  I don’t know if you’ve ever had a conversation that is pretty much one-sided.  You listen to the person talk way more than you actually get to speak and when you do speak you feel as if the clock is ticking and you have to get your words out as fast as possible before the other person cuts you off.  When I speak I want people to see me as someone they actually want to listen to.  I want to allow the holy spirit to speak through me in a way that is me having authority when I speak.  I want to be able to genuinely listen to people when they speak.  I wonder if Jesus was a man of few words when he wasn’t teaching about something, just hanging out with his disciples?  I just pray that God would help me to speak such life giving words that every time I do speak people would stop and listen.  

Comming Alive!

It’s amazing to see that the more time I spend with people who have the spirit of God dwelling in them and can make me become more alive the more I want to be that type of person that makes people feel alive.  I want to be the type of person that it’s contagious to be around.  I am so thankful for the people that God has placed in my life that make me feel alive.  Even tonight playing volleyball and soccer I felt so alive!  I love just hanging out with people and building relationships with new people.  Tonight I met a new guy named nick, him and about 20 or so others from all different countires play soccer almost evey night on campus 5 min from where I live and they always play on sunday night!  This is awesome, I was planning on trying to get some guys together to play in the fall, but now I already found a group I can play with and hopefully build relationships with some of the guys!  Praise God for relationships that help is to truly come Alive!