Currently Listening to: Aqualung
Later today I'll be in Hillsdale leading worship for a few hundred kids and I'm pretty excited about it. It's just now starting to sink in. This is exactly what I want to be doing with the rest of my life if it is where God leads.
What a privaledge it is to sing and play music with others.
Hopefully I'll be able to pick up some wireless reception down in Hillsdale so I can post as the weekend progresses.
Oh, and... I want to go to seminary in California. Maybe Fuller Theological (Pasedena) or Bethel (San Diego). Eeek, this might be fun!
When you get a chance, please pray for my heart and the other members of the band's hearts. Let us gain as much out of this weekend as the ones we are leading.
love.
ps. I've been watching too much Disney Channel for my own good I think.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Friday, January 20, 2006
anxious
DISCLAIMER: I am not depressed, dork. I am not always sad, but when I write on here I am really reflective and it sometimes comes out as a somber read. I love life and I am just going through things that will one day pass, but for now it feels good to write out my frustrations and feelings.
What are we so afraid of? And why do these fears control us so fervently.
Fact: I am a people person. I love to be around people. I love to make others happy.
This is probably why I look forward to Sundays when I get to work on a team and work with youth. It's a blast and definitely the highlight of my week. First of all I get to do what I love more than anything in the world and that is to play music that pleases the Lord and in turn, hopefully, help others engage as well.
Fact: I am flawed. I do things that upset others. I feel it when people are upset with me.
And I get concerned. Concerned isn't even a strong enough word for what goes on inside of me. I let it eat away at everything I do. From the moment I learn that someone has ill feelings toward me I just let it sink it. I sit, stare, space out. It's usually followed by several huge sighs. I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate it when someone doesn't like me. I suspect my personality has a great deal to do with it.
There are just some people I'll never be able to please, but how can you just be ok with that? How can you just let it not affect you? Wouldn't you want to try and fight to earn their trust or respect? That's usually what I end up doing or thinking about doing. It's hard to be ok with just understanding that you can't please everyone. Please get a chance to know me. I'm not a bad person. I swear! eek.
Fact: I am alone. I am lonely. It's not easy to be alone. It's not easy to be lonely.
I am sick of this feeling. I am learning to deal with it a little better (thanks to writing and Sufjan Stevens), but I still have my moments. And I guess I'm ok with not having a girlfriend right now, but I want to find some peace in that. I'm ok with being single, I just want to be filled up by God so that I am ready to be a good boyfriend when he allows me to be one.
I believe that people struggle much harder with loneliness not because they feel so alone but because when they try to reach out to feel loved it's extremely difficult to do so when you don't have something tangible to make you feel better. I'm sick of being sad. It's hard to read black and white text and expect to feel the love of an unseen distant Lord. I can't feel Him wrap his arms around me. I can't feel Him hug me and tell me everything will be alright. And it's hard. It's so hard.
Fact: God's grace is really enough.
I need to keep telling that to myself. I know it's true. I need to be a stronger leader. I've been told that I shouldn't write all of these sad things in my blog because it makes me look weak. I think that it's just the opposite. I hope that this is helpful to my peers and those who may be younger than me. Being a leader does not mean that you have yourself figured out. We are all going through life at the same time. It's my hope that you might learn from the things I have experienced. One of my biggest fears is that my life is unimportant and hasn't had an affect on someone.
I do struggle with life, but I'm in an ever constant pursuit to be like Christ. I want to be a man after God's own heart. So I press on. It's going to be hard. God never promised that my life was going to be easy and it surely hasn't been a walk in the park.
Do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry
That life is anxious
Life is mean"
-Sufjan Stevens
love.
What are we so afraid of? And why do these fears control us so fervently.
Fact: I am a people person. I love to be around people. I love to make others happy.
This is probably why I look forward to Sundays when I get to work on a team and work with youth. It's a blast and definitely the highlight of my week. First of all I get to do what I love more than anything in the world and that is to play music that pleases the Lord and in turn, hopefully, help others engage as well.
Fact: I am flawed. I do things that upset others. I feel it when people are upset with me.
And I get concerned. Concerned isn't even a strong enough word for what goes on inside of me. I let it eat away at everything I do. From the moment I learn that someone has ill feelings toward me I just let it sink it. I sit, stare, space out. It's usually followed by several huge sighs. I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate it when someone doesn't like me. I suspect my personality has a great deal to do with it.
There are just some people I'll never be able to please, but how can you just be ok with that? How can you just let it not affect you? Wouldn't you want to try and fight to earn their trust or respect? That's usually what I end up doing or thinking about doing. It's hard to be ok with just understanding that you can't please everyone. Please get a chance to know me. I'm not a bad person. I swear! eek.
Fact: I am alone. I am lonely. It's not easy to be alone. It's not easy to be lonely.
I am sick of this feeling. I am learning to deal with it a little better (thanks to writing and Sufjan Stevens), but I still have my moments. And I guess I'm ok with not having a girlfriend right now, but I want to find some peace in that. I'm ok with being single, I just want to be filled up by God so that I am ready to be a good boyfriend when he allows me to be one.
I believe that people struggle much harder with loneliness not because they feel so alone but because when they try to reach out to feel loved it's extremely difficult to do so when you don't have something tangible to make you feel better. I'm sick of being sad. It's hard to read black and white text and expect to feel the love of an unseen distant Lord. I can't feel Him wrap his arms around me. I can't feel Him hug me and tell me everything will be alright. And it's hard. It's so hard.
Fact: God's grace is really enough.
I need to keep telling that to myself. I know it's true. I need to be a stronger leader. I've been told that I shouldn't write all of these sad things in my blog because it makes me look weak. I think that it's just the opposite. I hope that this is helpful to my peers and those who may be younger than me. Being a leader does not mean that you have yourself figured out. We are all going through life at the same time. It's my hope that you might learn from the things I have experienced. One of my biggest fears is that my life is unimportant and hasn't had an affect on someone.
I do struggle with life, but I'm in an ever constant pursuit to be like Christ. I want to be a man after God's own heart. So I press on. It's going to be hard. God never promised that my life was going to be easy and it surely hasn't been a walk in the park.
Do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry
That life is anxious
Life is mean"
-Sufjan Stevens
love.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
antsy.
Do you ever just feel anxious? I do. In fact I do right now. It's 2:30 in the morning and I can not sleep. I just feel really stressed out about so many things right now. I don't even know why.
I feel like I'm running on empty. Spiritually running on empty. I think I have been for sometime now. It isn't that I'm shying away from God; it's that I'm trying to just manage my life on my own with me in the driver seat and God more of a passenger than anything.
If I'm really honest with myself I think I am having a hard time trusting God with the things in my life right now. I'm convinced that this age can put a lot of stress on someone. The decisions I am making right now, as well as in the next few years, are ones that will ultimately shape the rest of my life. That's a bit scary.
I'm just a kid.
What will be left when I've drawn my last breath
Besides the folks I've met and the folks who know me
Will I discover a soul-saving love or
Just the dirt above and below me
I'm a doubting Thomas
I took a promise
But I do not feel safe
Oh me of little faith
Sometimes I pray for a slap in the face
Then a bed to be spared cause I'm a coward
If there's a master of death I'll bet he's holding his breath
Cause' I show the blind and tell the deaf about his power
I'm a doubting Thomas
I can't keep my promises
Cause' I don't know what's safe
Oh me of little faith
Can I be used to help others find truth
When I'm scared I'll find proof that it's a lie
Can I be lead down a trail dropping bread crumbs
That prove I'm not ready to die
Please give me time to decipher the signs
Please forgive me for time that I've wasted
I'm a doubting Thomas
I'll take Your promise
Though I know nothing's safe
Oh me of little faith.
-Nickel Creek
I still have much to be thankful for.
Thank you for loving me guys, because sometimes I don't deserve it.
love.
I feel like I'm running on empty. Spiritually running on empty. I think I have been for sometime now. It isn't that I'm shying away from God; it's that I'm trying to just manage my life on my own with me in the driver seat and God more of a passenger than anything.
If I'm really honest with myself I think I am having a hard time trusting God with the things in my life right now. I'm convinced that this age can put a lot of stress on someone. The decisions I am making right now, as well as in the next few years, are ones that will ultimately shape the rest of my life. That's a bit scary.
I'm just a kid.
What will be left when I've drawn my last breath
Besides the folks I've met and the folks who know me
Will I discover a soul-saving love or
Just the dirt above and below me
I'm a doubting Thomas
I took a promise
But I do not feel safe
Oh me of little faith
Sometimes I pray for a slap in the face
Then a bed to be spared cause I'm a coward
If there's a master of death I'll bet he's holding his breath
Cause' I show the blind and tell the deaf about his power
I'm a doubting Thomas
I can't keep my promises
Cause' I don't know what's safe
Oh me of little faith
Can I be used to help others find truth
When I'm scared I'll find proof that it's a lie
Can I be lead down a trail dropping bread crumbs
That prove I'm not ready to die
Please give me time to decipher the signs
Please forgive me for time that I've wasted
I'm a doubting Thomas
I'll take Your promise
Though I know nothing's safe
Oh me of little faith.
-Nickel Creek
I still have much to be thankful for.
Thank you for loving me guys, because sometimes I don't deserve it.
love.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
false.
i know you stay true
when my world is false
everything around is
breaking down to chaos
i always see you
when my sight is lost
everything around is
breaking down to chaos
i can't avoid what i can't control
love.
when my world is false
everything around is
breaking down to chaos
i always see you
when my sight is lost
everything around is
breaking down to chaos
i can't avoid what i can't control
love.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
myPod
I did a little collage last time I got an iPod so I decided to do one this time around.
I got lucky and was actually home and watched the fedex truck pull up! Eeek!
Oh it is glorious.
If you can't read the engraving it says "holy is the sound" which is a line from a Sufjan Stevens song off of his Seven Swans cd.
Also, in case you weren't sure that Apple will soon take over the world...
In a sign of Apple’s massive cultural influence, jean maker Levi's is reportedly making a special edition of its popular pants that have a fitted pocket for the iPod. Even more evidence of the iPod's dominance.
love.
I got lucky and was actually home and watched the fedex truck pull up! Eeek!
Oh it is glorious.
If you can't read the engraving it says "holy is the sound" which is a line from a Sufjan Stevens song off of his Seven Swans cd.
Also, in case you weren't sure that Apple will soon take over the world...
In a sign of Apple’s massive cultural influence, jean maker Levi's is reportedly making a special edition of its popular pants that have a fitted pocket for the iPod. Even more evidence of the iPod's dominance.
love.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
class
Gross. School started for us college kids this Monday. I am not thrilled about the whole experience either. I think school (or my mindset about it) automatically makes me depressed. I just want this semester to be over with already. I will eat my words in a few years I'm told, but for right now I still would rather be in a career doing what I will be doing for the rest of my life.
4 more months until summer vacation!
Is it too early to start a countdown?
It is? .. oh well.
love.
4 more months until summer vacation!
Is it too early to start a countdown?
It is? .. oh well.
love.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
allegiance
"My first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man
my first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
it's to a King and a kingdom.
But nothing unifies like a common enemy
and we've got one, sure as hell
but he may be living in your house
he may be raising up your kids
he may be sleeping with your wife
oh no, he may not look like you think."
- derek webb
wow.
i'll be sure to expand on this soon.
love.
my first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
it's to a King and a kingdom.
But nothing unifies like a common enemy
and we've got one, sure as hell
but he may be living in your house
he may be raising up your kids
he may be sleeping with your wife
oh no, he may not look like you think."
- derek webb
wow.
i'll be sure to expand on this soon.
love.
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