"Who are you?"

So I was thinking of a series of questions to ask people that could open our minds a bit as to who we are and this is what I came up with.

1 - How many years have humans been living on this earth?


(ok...take some time to answer this)



2 - How many people have lived on earth and are now gone?

3 - How many have pondered life?

4 - How long has your life been?

5 - How big is the earth?

6 - Our universe?

7 - Our galaxy?

8 - All of space?



(pause.........and really think about this. close your eyes for a moment if you have to.)



9 - Finally, in light of all of that...Who are you?

Questioning Love

As of late I've been pondering love. How to love others and how to love God...and love in relation to relationships and the choices that a lot of people our age and younger are making in that area of life. All of the conversations about who's sleeping with who and so on at the camp have caused me to think more about love (and lust I guess) in terms of relationships. What is the fullness of love? How must it be expressed in order to be true? All kinds of questions.

I want to know how to express to others what love is, how to have a better relational life, because from what I have come to understand it truly is much more beautiful and satisfying than the way I see so many going about looking for it.

Listening

"When you listen, when you truly listen, it's a form of worship." I heard this on public radio by Gordon Hempton

"People who do not listen are not willing to change. You cannot be changed without listening."

poetic language

I'm sick of poetic language used to make things look more beautiful or cool than what they really are, drawing crowds of people who, when it comes down to it, don't understand it except that it's cool and that's why they're getting involved, putting on t-shirts and saying "I'm part of something that matters." But their hearts aren't in it in love, but in fad. [Maybe just to get something out of it for themselves.] When it comes down to sacrifice they disappear with their words.

When so many people say, "I want to change the world" sometimes I wonder what they mean and where there feet will go, or how far. So I turn to God and ask for help. I ask Him to do what's good and to use me for His plan. Because men cannot save the world. Men cannot save men from death and the foolishness of society driven by materialism saying, "We'll end poverty." I say, No you won't." I say, "Check your heart and see the hole that cannot be filled by great deeds." Start getting to know great Love, a Love with arms that can hold the world, that can hold all people, that can end poverty and will one day.

Speak with Love and see what He says. See what he says, and do it. Stop following your own exciting or safe plan and seek out His. Your eyes cannot see as His. There's hope in Him, adventure in Him, safety in Him, love in Him. You would know that if you met Him. You would know that if only you knew what Jesus said, and you chose to believe him.

Everyone must face this truth; that you and your organization will end one day.
His won't. The one that Jesus established will not end. We do not have to be afraid or burdened.

His kingdom, government, society, community will last forever...into a beautiful eternity.

Random

A lot of times I'll use the word random to express that something simply happened unexpectedly. A week ago I had two different people say to me, after I used that word, that nothing was random. These people made me actually ponder randomness more and how much of our future is simply going to happen...

I thought about how I have dreams I remember, maybe tell a friend about, and eventually forget. Then some of those dreams actually happen sometimes a few months later. Sometimes a year later. I never thought about this before, but...what does this say about the future?

I had a friend of mine say that she has that happen to her too, except dreams about the spiritual realm, and that she thinks that God shows us glimpses of the future sometimes. As of now, I think that's a good answer. But still, I hadn't really thought about these dreams in relation to my idea of time and the so-called "unforeseen" future.

Some people say that God works in time with us. Well, He must know what’s going to happen in the future if He gives us dreams and prophecies of what’s going to happen.

And then there are those who use “spirits” to tell the future, and they’re not always wrong. And these "spirits" have been known to be "evil". So what does that mean? If evil spirits can see into the future, then why shouldn’t God?

Loneliness

...I read that a person who cannot wait in silence to simply be, who feels he needs to continuously be doing something is lonely...

Where is my focus?

Jesus had no outward look to attract us to him, nothing in the way he appeared to make us want him.

Where is my focus?

Jesus was hated and pushed aside by people. Pain was normal to him.

Where is my focus?

Still, Jesus took our sickness and carried our burdens.

Where is my focus?

The picture that is similar to Jesus' death is of a lamb being taken out to be slaughtered. He was pushed around and taken by hatred and injustice. He was beaten and mocked publicly. And with all this he didn't retaliate.

Where is my focus?

It was God's will.

Where is my focus?

Then, after Jesus went through all of this and gave his life to God by accepting an unjust death, he was given life again, new life and power, becoming what no man could be...a bridge between the souls of men and a life-giving Creator.

My friends, family...anyone reading this.

where

is

our

focus?

The look
The position
The reputation

I've been humbled by this today looking at Isaiah 53. That's why I'm writing this. I wish I wasn't so easily distracted by what fades away. This week I'm focusing on putting things in their place.

Que Bonita

A man was introducing me to his daughters, son, and wife and for some random reason I said to him, " que bonita ", which means " how beautiful ! " I felt really awkard and wondered, " where in the world did that come from ? " Thank goodness he didn’t take it the wrong way. We continued talking and I was relieved.

Words

My heart is found in the Creator’s arms resting in the place of perfect peace. No need for shadows to stand for me to hide. [I am hidden under the the wings of my Creator.] No need for great walls to be built to protect my body. Resting in deep breaths and a quiet whisper. No need to speak…

Let go of the fixing in your fingers. Let me fix what’s in the places of your heart. Simply do what I say. Drink deep in each day. Drink in deep the air you breathe. Don’t let time steal from you. In rest and peace you will always find greater life and greater joy.

Mexico City in the Rain (first few days)

"In Mexico City there are pictures and words staring at everyone passing by asking for attention (graffiti). Though there are bright colors that stand out, dirt seems to rest on nearly everything making it look older and more used. As of late cold has made its home among us in the streets and in our rooms. The only place I can really escape it is in my sleeping bag. Rain turns black and brown in the road. It bangs against the roof and the door asking to come in. People don’t stare as much as I thought they would, being foreigners, but they do stare. Those whom I’ve met have been very welcoming. Old VW beetles roam the streets, most of them taxis. Buses constantly pass, a man standing at the door telling people it’s destination."

(3/20/10)
These were only the first few days. Mexico City was much nicer than what I had anticipated...when it was sunny, which was most of the time.

The people are passionate, as I remembered from my childhood playing soccer with Mexicans until I was in 7th grade. They're vibrant, the people and the culture and the houses.