What is Jesus to you? It’s a question I answered in my journal today, something I can’t help but share..

Jesus is…

the truth, the light and the way. The Prince of Peace. The bringer of good news. Friend to the whore, blindman, and thief. Sweet Illuminator, light of the world, guide for the long and narrow path, crown of thorns, the resurrection, compassion, committed, strong, kind, one who does not envy and does not boast and does not take pride. selfless, conqueror on sin, bearer of burden, father to all, mediator or prayer, intercessor of lives, savior to many, persecuted, beloved, brilliant, beautiful, alpha and omega, first and last, beginning and end, the ultimate sacrifice, healer, rabbi, abba, grace, gentle, stern, transcendant, wise, incredulous, my everything.

Haha, ohhhh animals

The otter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otter

Nature’s most fierce protectorate of all that is right and well… the platypus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platypus

milk folds sam, milk folds.

Howdy!

Howdy is an informal greeting, originating as a shortened form of the greeting “How do you do?” It is typically associated with a southern accent in southern United states especially Texas and Tennesee.

Apology

My writings lately have been slim and I apologize. For the past 2 months I have endured a broken foot, a cold, and most recently, stomach flu.

After being so excited and thankful for keeping good health for such a long time, I seem to have jinxed myself into this continuous episode of chronically poor health.

Hopefully my postings will be a tad more frequent in the days to come.

Obama

As most of you can probably imagine I have been giddy to say the least this past week with the candidacy of Junior Senator Barack Obama, a Democrat from Illinois. The man that will bring bipartison politics back out unto the horizon, a man with decency, and a good heart, a smart man, uncorrupted by political officienados and bribes. The man is a rockstar. His #1 selling book “The Audacity of Hope” offers the very thing the title implies. A new brand of politics that is intertwined between Democrat and Republican, man and woman, poor and rich. It sure sounds feasable in the book, and Obama holds the keys while sitting in the driver’s seat.

Beckham to play in MLS!

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=399465&cc=5901

Not peace, but a sword

Matthew 10:34-39

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follows me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

– This really hits home with me, literally. I see it happening with Anthony and me now. My parents do not fully support my brother and his job, nor do they support my call to ministry. I can almost foresee the sword coming down, and the stand for Christ, Anthony and I will undoubtedly continue to make.

2.

It hurts me that there are strong Christians out in the world who do not fully believe in the Bible as being infallable, or perfect. What has there been to disproove the validity, and pin point accuracy of the Bible? The Bible is of God, and therefore it is true and flawless. How can men of such strong faith not believe in the Bible fully on matters not pertaining to salvation?

Are they just preaching to their fellow man, or are they preaching to the Most High? Are those that teach His Word not held to a higher accountability with the Lord than those who do not? I cannot speculate as to what their Judgement Day may be, but I pray that the Father’s forgiveness and strerness be rich.

 

I still love and respect and admire these fellow men who preach the Gospel. And I in fact, consider it a blessing to hear their teachings. Their teachings, while I may disagree on some, still allow me to strengthen my faith, and my relationship with the Lord. However, I wonder a great what if.

What if every minister/priest/preacer/evangelist/missionary, etc.. presented the Bible and its teaching with the idea that not everything in this thing is 100% historically accurate, and is fallable?

Now I know it is impossible for the Christian faith to cease to exist, but.. I would have to say that I think that the numbers of those who receive the Gospel and accept Christ would dwindle down to a much smaller number. How can you put your complete trust and faith into something that may be wrong, or can’t be completely trusted?

 

I know something as large as matters pertaining to my salvation and everlasting life are far too great to not have complete trust in it. Trust for my sometimes analytical self takes more than just feelings, but hardplace fact. The Bible is the most historical ancient text in history, with over 20 000 ancient copies made in time of circulation. Archaelogical and astronomy have proved the Bible true time and time again. And His gift to man, the Bible has the power to take you deep with short stuff, and hit quick with long stuff. It’s harmonious, perfectly wound, and magnificent in wording, and colossal in its effect to the rejuvenation of my life and daily living. And of course no rejuvenation would take place without the life of the Holy Spirt breathed through my nostrils to the heart and soul of my being from Christ. He makes all things possible, and His being alive, in-turn, makes me alive.

Clueless

President Bush, wake up.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070111/D8MIQDFG0.html

The passion that unites us all… Wildcat basketball

In the month of November I got the crazy idea to go watch some Houston Wildcat basketball games. I had ambitions of watching as many games as I could, riding them as long as I could. Then something incredible happened. Other people from Sidney wanted to come along with me. They read about my crazy idea on this blog, and heard me speaking about the insanity of it all in class at Sidney High.

Now there’s a group of us. Yes, a group. Me, Eric Renner, Zac Watson, Nate Clendenin, Anthony Dinzeo, Kevin Witt, Steven Billups, Kyle Johnson, Derek “Juice” Bowden, all have gone to the games at any point-in-time. Eric and I being the most dedicated. It made Juice’s winter break, giving him a weekend escape of his pergatory, as he labeled his break, launching him into a gym full of friendly people, awesome basketball, and fantastic chanting. Sadly Johnson and Juice have gone back to university, but the 6 other ‘Cat Attack fans aside from myself remain.

We arrive at the games and do not sit. We cheer nonstop for not just the players, but the cheerleaders, the fans, and the band. Oh, the band. Not only is it larger than Sidney’s band, but quite possibly ten times more amazing. Now don’t get me wrong. I love going to Sidney High School as much as the next student, I seek change and excitement and unity at my school, but Houston is just a whole other topic. It’s like going to a college basketball game, or pro basketball team, only at a high school level. It really is.

Brandon Hughes and his massive aphro. Dustin Schwable and his strong drives. Dan Estes and his fearless floor leadership. They are the ‘Cats, perhaps more aptly named the Cardiac Cats for their streak of closely matched basketball games.

We are the Sidhooligans, we being my comrades and me. A plethera of chants heard reverberating through the gym from the Houston hopeful. We trump other teams’ crowds, and will our players to victory. They’re rock stars out there, well maybe just Hughes. He’s unreal. He is a rock star. The roof can’t handle the decibals and the excitement when his hands clasp the iron rim and propel the ball down through the netting for a Slamma Jamma dunk. Incredible.

The excitement, the adrenaline, the comradery, the tradition. It’s building bonds amongst men, and memories that will last a life time.

The passion that unites us all… Wildcat basketball.

Back in the swing

Now that my broken foot is no longer broken I can get back into the saddle again. It’s been quite awhile since I have last exercised before the previous Tuesday. I’ve put on 7 pounds as a result, thanks to Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I look to get tone and fit again. The worst part about all of it was being so restless when going to bed, and being up much later than I would have liked. It threw my schedule out of wack, and when I wasn’t taking vicodin, I wasn’t sleeping, I simply had too much energy.

Running is a most beautiful thing. It is my favorite form of exercise, and I not only use it to stay fit, but to process things through my mind. It’s on my run that I think of jokes, converse with the Lord, think of friends, and search myself. It’s psychological, spiritual, and physical. Hopefully always rigorous and exhausting. Steve Prefontaine, the greatest distance runner in American history has said that a runner who knows no limit to his physical realm will be most successfull in the runs ahead. While I may not be at that point in my life now, I know to blank out the perceived limit and then think about nothing at all so I can push myself to the next level of the run. The 3rd wind if you will.

Truthfully, it’s something I learned at Jordan Camp. The 1 week of hell I endured my freshman year for wrestling. I thought I knew what my limit was there, but the truth was, I had no idea what it was. A mental toughness has been built up over the years to endure extreme levels of excruciating pain while running. Which is funny, because my pain tolerance in everyday life is not so much the same. If I get a paper cut I freak out, and if I jam a finger I do more than my fair share of wincing.

My life in itself is a paradox in so many reflections. A few of which can be expressed solemnly.  I love to run, but hate to lift weights. I enjoy tv, but hate to sit still. I like speed but deteste roller coasters. Paradoxes, everyone, scattered throughout my insides. Who doesn’t experience these things? Can you think of some paradoxes inside yourself? Pretty perplexing, is it not? It’s what makes us quirky, it’s part of what makes us human, male and female. Phenominal, and fascinating, wonderfully complex, and intricate beyond the woven lace within us.

Without any desire to have a good transition sentence, I drift back to running.

It’s peaceful and serene. My heart pumps steady and hard matching the ferocity in which my legs drive. I cannot run like a gazelle or a cheetah, but I can utilize these two legs, and push on in my run as a metaphor for life. To be fit, bring praise to God, and try to keep my body healthy and as a temple to his gain, and not my own. Hopefully the only loss will be those 7 pounds. Haha, and for a goodbye, I say happy new year! I am sorry I didn’t do that earlier!

Push your limits, not only physically, but everywhere else too. So many human beings have no idea what tests and “limits” they can excel in and acheive. They need only try.