1+1

Two separate people enter one cafe

Two separate drinks

Two separate lives

Two sets of ears listen to the same song

Two sets of eyes meet from across the room

Fast forward two years

1+1=1

Once Again to Edna

So as I was catching up on the Blogspot world I came across my dear friend Steven Smark's blog. In this one post he talked about his mom's very good friend who recently passed away. He also described the type of person she was and how he wished there were more people like her.

As I read his post I could help but think about the person that I want to be and how far away from that I am. I want to be a person that truly loves God, loves people, and loves what he does. I want to be that type of person who's smile is contagious. That person who can lighten your mood no matter how depressed you are. I want to be that person who can't keep in the love that they have. It just spills all over the place.

I cannot say though that I am anywhere close to this vision for myself. In fact, it seems like I am the exact opposite. Much like what my friend Laura Feagan said in her blog, I also tend to shrink away from the same people that I say I want to love. I fool myself into thinking that I will have more fun reading in my room by myself instead of going out to eat with a couple of friends. I would rather waste time by myself doing something completely unnecessary instead of spending a few extra special moments with a friend.

So once again I hit the same wall that I've found myself at so many times before. Only through the help of my Lord and Savior can I ever hope to accomplish this. I, a natural loner, must learn to live a lifestyle that is filled with love. I want it to be perfectly clear that Christ has done a work in me. 

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35

The Thoughts on a Sabbath

So it's been too long since I last posted. I'd like to think that this is because I was doing better things with my life, but I don't know how true that is. There is one thing that has really been on my mind lately and that is the idea of having a Sabbath. 

You see, this idea comes from the beginning of time. It didn't just come from the Pharisees or some other religious leaders in Jesus' time. It came from God, Himself. When God created the world he created it in six literal days and then He rested on the seventh. Now maybe I'm crazy, but I don't think God rested because He was tired. I think He rested in order to set an example for us.

I'm not really using Scripture right now because I don't really have the time at the moment, but maybe I'll post some Scripture if this sparks some type of deep debate. Honestly, I hope my Christian friends know their Bible enough to know that this agrees with Scripture. Because the Bible speaks clearly on this idea of the Sabbath. We are to take one day out of our week and just rest. Now that doesn't mean that we have the follow all the rules that the Pharisees made up. Jesus didn't do that. What we should do is just to take a day off and enjoy the gifts God has given us. A Sabbath is a time to be spent with family and friends. It is a time to be spent reading or playing. I don't think it matters. Do something that you really enjoy. Take a break off of work or school or whatever's  holding you down and just rest.

For me that looks like not doing homework, not checking my e-mail/Facebook, and spending as little time on the Internet as possible. You see, I want to use my Sabbath to break out of the technological bubble that surrounds me. This past Friday I went hiking and it was so relaxing. Maybe hiking isn't your thing. Maybe you want to go catch up on your favorite comic books. Just get outside of your normal day to day.

I think the effect of having a Sabbath will be bigger than we expect. It will effect our relationship, how we work on the other six days, and most importantly it will effect our walk with God. It was ordained since the beginning  of time that we should take one day of and rest. Maybe this idea is a little bit more important than how we treat it.

I Had a Dream

Today has been quite an inspired day, beginning with the very first thought. I awoke this morning from a quite realistic dream. I will not go into the details in order to keep myself from talking of others as I shouldn't. Basically, my dream consisted of me having a verbal argument with a friend of mine after she treats me like crap. I do my best to debunk the imaginary arguments she lays against me with no avail. The more I try to reason with her. The louder her voice becomes and the less friendly she becomes. As with most dreams I was awoken before my story meet a resolution, but this dream sets into action a conversation with myself.

In this conversation I relished the fact that sometimes people become something totally different than what they were the first time you met them. I have spent most of the day trying to answer this question: If a person you have known for a while slowly becomes someone totally different (in a negative way) than they were when you met them, at what point does one break off this relationship? I cannot definitely come up with an answer to this because I believe that it is quite different for each and every situation.

I guess overall, I'm trying to encourage whoever reads this and myself to evaluate your relationships. What roles are these people playing in your life? Are your "Christian" friends bringing you closer to Christ or pulling you farther away? Do find yourself wanting to complain about this person or encourage them?

I think its easy to continue hanging out with a person that we probably shouldn't be hanging out with if we really enjoy their company. I also can think of numerous times in my life where I haven't wanted to hang out with the people that I should hang out with. The people that pull me closer to Christ versus tearing me away.

Dear God, I pray that I would never continue on an incorrect course because of the ease of the walking.

I Will Follow You Into the Dark

I don't really know why I like this song so much, but I do.

Does it do anything for you or am I just crazy?

Comments?

In Christ I Can Do What?

So it's happened once again. I have once again been roped into being a prayer leader on my hall. For those who don't know, at Liberty University we weekly meet together as a hall, talk about stuff, and then break off into groups and have a bit of a devotional and pray a bit. This is the part I really enjoy. 

As a Christian a huge part of my life involves being discipled and disciplining others. The thing that is gonna bring me off this high of having five new guys to pour the love of Christ into is simply everything else that comes with this job. The numerous meeting I will have to attend on the dorm and most horribly prayer leader meeting. 

Now, prayer leader meeting as an idea is not a bad thing, but it has become something that it was never intended to be. See I as a rule would enjoy a fifty minute meeting in which I learn about the happenings on campus and then partake of a mini-lesson. You see the problem isn't really in the system its in the people. The people who are volunteering for this prayer leader job. Common sense tells me that in order for me to encourage other Christians in the walk I personally have to be in step with Christ as much as possible. I guess not everyone shares my common sense. 

I have come to find that too many prayer leaders don't really strive to have much of a prayer life at all. I find that instead of their lessons coming from time spent in the Word they come out of something they read online or in some book. Now, I understand getting a spark from some other type of input other than the Word; however, this secondary input should never be emphasized more that the Bible itself. 

I guess the root of my frustration is involved in that I have just found another compartment of my daily interaction with people in which Christians are not meeting the expectations. Now I believe I must remind myself and those reading this that I in no way have achieved anything close to my capabilities in Christ. In fact, I find myself failing to be like Christ more than I actually do get things right. 

I guess out of all of this, I pray that God would give me the strength to daily exceed the standards that I am expected to meet. "In Christ I can do all things..."

Do it right, Do it tight

Maybe you might enjoy some funk done right, son.

The Most Exciting University

So it's January 12 and once again I find myself returning to the playground of ideas that is Liberty University. It's always tough to come back to this place. I guess some of it has to do with the above average amount of good friends that I have back home. I mean, I don't want to stroke their egos too much because they will probably read this, but they make it pretty hard to come back here.

Another big factor that plays a part in this is the fact that Liberty University embodies the type of thinking that God has so beautifully extracted from my life. The best way I could describe it is by saying its like going to a bad church every day. I don't mean a bad church like the singers sing off key or the pastor speaks with a lisp. I mean a church that doesn't get the mission of Christ. A church that believes that in order for a person to be saved they must attend a church service in a church building. A church that thinks that praying some type of magical prayer will provide you access into the kingdom of heaven. A church that honestly believes that we accept Christ and totally forgets the fact that we don't really have a part to play in salvation.

Maybe by this point you have thought of the question that I have struggled with so many times. Why am I here? The best way I can answer this question is this is where God wants me to be. I firmly believe that God wants me to be at this university studying this major at this time in my life.

In light of all of this I really have no reason to complain. I am doing what God has planned before my birth for me to do. So for now I will continue to every day glean a small pearl of wisdom from the overwhelming amount of babble I hear every day. I will continue to extract the most poignant principle from every lengthy, monotone sermon I hear.

By writing this I really only ask for one thing. Allow me a little grace when I start complaining. Wait till I'm done and then look me in the eye and remind me that this is the place in life where God wants me to be.

Face Melting

You gotta stand up and realize some real rock talent when you see it. As usual watch and respond.

Blogs Were Meant To Be Updated

So this is my second blog and I've already learned one blog-lesson the hard way. Blogs were meant to be updated. What you read in the following section is me updating my blog. 

It all started with my dear friend Josh Hazel's Facebook status: Josh wants a fedora. Well I must admit that at this time I wasn't exactly sure what a fedora what. I knew it was a hat, but what kind of hat was it? So I went to the place where I find all the answers I need answering, Google. Well to make a long story short my Internet journey lead me to a website entitled "The Art of Manliness" (www.artofmanliness.com). 

After a little poking around on this quite intriguing site I found myself reading an article about how to eat correctly like a man should. This mainly involved avoiding food with preservatives, eating manly things like meat, sitting down and eating with family, and finally controlling your portion size. 

As I read this rather informative blog I could help but think, maybe we don't have it all figured out. I mean, we have cars that can do everything but drive for us and ovens the heat up, cook, and turn off by themselves, but maybe we've forgotten how to truly enjoy life as it was meant to be lived. Even this evening I was at fault because I skipped out on the family dinner and ended up eating with a good friend on the run. 

I can honestly say some of the most enjoyable times in my life happen in very simple situations. Whether I'm reading a book by myself, drinking coffee with a friend, or sitting by the waterside just simply watching nature. 

Basically, what I'm trying to say is we need to learn to enjoy life again. At least once this week sit down and drink a cup of coffee and think about life for an hour or so. Or maybe you need to go hiking with a friend for a couple of hours. Regardless, get outside of the usual crap we get so caught up in and truly enjoy something.  

The Introduction

So I'd figured I'd start out my Blogspot career with a little bit of an introduction. If your reading my blog chances are I already know you, but then again maybe you don't. Well, first of all, my name is Josh. I like moonlit walks on the beach and watching the starts on a cold night... Okay, I really don't enjoy those things, but it seemed like the cliched thing to say. Instead of providing an actual introduction I will just give you this phrase. I am what I is. That should basically explain all that you need to know.  So to make up for the lack of an actual blog I will provide you with a little laugh by the way of this video. Just follow the link cause its on Funny or Die and I don't know how to embed it. So as for now farewell, friends.

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/bf2211325e/iraq-shoe-throwing-store-from-fod-team