Step Onto Liquid

NEW BLOG!

2007-01-17T12:54:00.000-08:00

Here's the big news: I'm moving my blog. I have decided to switch over the Wordpress. Check it out.

http://stepontoliquid.wordpress.com

Hopefully this new site will get off to a great start with a semester of blogging from Israel.

I don't like switching blogs unless I deem it absolutely necessary. And after I saw how things looked on the new site, I decided necessity was definitely absolute.

If for some reason you are still reading this, stop and go to my new blog.

http://stepontoliquid.wordpress.com

Sometimes I Wish I Was a Canine

2007-01-17T00:20:00.000-08:00

I leave for Israel on Saturday, so today I prepared myself for my world travels by purchasing a new camera. Here's a pic I took of Buddy--the family dog.

Stay tuned to the blog over the next day or two. I've got a big change and a big post coming up.

So don't nobody go nowhere.

The Macro- and Micro- Faithfulness of God

2007-01-13T21:01:00.000-08:00

Recently I've been reading through Genesis with a Bible reading plan from Compass Bible Church. As I read these early chapters of the Bible, the faithfulness of God stands out in big and little ways. We can see his faithfulness on both a broad, historical scale and on a small, personal level.

First, you see God's faithfulness in the immense context of mankind and world history. Let's call this God's macrofaithfulness. The beginning of the story of Genesis is the beginning of the story of redemptive history, which is really world history. We see God's choosing of a person to build up a race that will someday produce a Savior who will defeat the Curse of the Fall.

Second, you also see God's faithfulness to individual people. We'll call this his microfaithfulness. One of my favorite scenes from Genesis is found in chapter 24, near the end the story of finding a bride for Isaac. Verse 63 says, "And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening." Do you ever do this? Do you ever go to a quiet place at the end of a day and think about life? I know I do. Sometimes I think about all the awesome things God has done in my life or the awesome people he has surrounded me with. Other times I might think about things that have happened that I don't understand or the uncertainties of the future. Isaac surely had a lot to think about. His mom had recently died, and he probably knew that some servant was on a mission somewhere to find him a wife.

It's at this moment of meditation when he lifts up his eyes "and behold, there were camels coming." His wife had arrived. This is just one of the many examples of God's bigtime faithfulness to little people like Isaac, Abraham, and Sarah. They probably couldn't see the full extent of what God was beginning there, but in their moments of deep personal need when they were concerned about their family or their future, they experienced God's faithfulness.

So be encouraged to have faith in a faithful God. He is/has been faithful throughout the events of history, and you can believe that he'll be faithful to you, too.

Facing Fear

2007-01-08T21:57:00.000-08:00

This morning I had one of those Bible reading experiences where the words seem to jump off the page and slap me in the face. Today those words were...

"Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?

These words come from Matthew 8. Jesus and the disciples are out on the Sea of Galilee in the middle of the storm. The disciples are convinced they are going to die, so they wake up Jesus and try to explain the gravity of the situation. Jesus responds with the question above.

Jesus had just healed a leper, Peter's mother-in-law, and a centurion's servant. He deserved their faith. He deserves mine.

I'm leaving for Israel in 12 days, and too be honest, I have some fears about leaving. Most of the fears I have are not about safety, they are more about missing my friends and my family or finding a job when I get back. Reading Matthew 8 this morning was a reminder to me that I don't need to be afraid. Jesus deserves my faith.

I had a couple other great reminders that I don't need to fear. First, I listened to a sermon my brother Bobby gave last week on "A Confident 2007" from Psalm 27. He says that the presence of the Lord drives away fear and enables us to face our fears.

Second, I looked through some ancient blogs I've written and seen moments like this where I have had fears about the future. Here's a section of one of them:

"All the driving near the end of the trip gave me plenty of time thinking about the future. And just like the nightime road, the future was dark, and I really couldn't even see five weeks in front of me. To be honest, I did not like that feeling; I was scared of what might lie ahead. But these times helped me consider the Lord, for he holds the future in his hands. I knew that I could cast my many cares upon him, because he remains the same, and he will lead me by quiet streams and green pastures, and surely his goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and through all the incredible events to come. Amen."

Get to Work

2007-01-03T23:11:00.000-08:00

Congress is back in session today, and the Republicans are no longer in control.

The Democrats officially take control of both Houses of Congress as the new term begins. It will be really interesting to see what they do with their first 100 hours.

Also, President Bush wrote an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal today encouraging Congress to "use their time well." He pushes for a balanced budget that eliminates pork and excessive government spending. More and more I'm realizing that eliminating government spending always seems to be the goal of the minority party; the majority seems fine with spending big.

Anyways, pay attention to what happens here at the beginning of the new term. Before you know it, it will be election season again.

I'm off to Orange County and Corona for the weekend. Enjoy the blogosphere.

The Right Play

2007-01-03T22:59:00.000-08:00

Earlier this morning, Nick Saban, the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, announced that he will be returning to college football to coach at Alabama. He will become the highest paid coach in college football; however, I don't think this decision was about the money.

I'm a Miami Dolphins fan, so I am naturally sad to see him go. But if I was in his shoes, I think I might do the same thing. I'd coach in college instead of the NFL any day of the week. The college game is simply more exciting--the rivalries are more intense; the fans are more excited. Also, as a college coach you are constantly dealing with new players to which you can teach the game.

Despite some of the issues with the BCS, you cannot dispute how exciting bowl season is. The NFL only has one bowl game, and it's not even that super. Honestly, more of the hype surrounding that game is about the commercials or the half-time shows. Who even remembers who played in the Super Bowl two years ago? On the college side of things, there is plenty to remember about this bowl season and the championship game has not even played yet.

Nick Saban called the right play. College football is where his heart is. College football is "where it's at."

All Day. Every Day. Forever.

2007-01-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

Two of the best sermons I heard in 2006 came from Psalm 27:1-6. The first was delivered by Carl Hargrove in Chapel at The Master's College. My brother Bobby gave the second this last Sunday at Compass Bible Church. This text and these sermons have given me something to shoot for here at the beginning of 2007.

"One thing have I asked of the Lord,

that will I seek after:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord

and to inquire in his temple."

Psalm 27:4

Seeking the Lord needs to be my top priority in 2007. My desire must be to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. And this pursuit needs to be all day, every day, and forever.

All day. From when I get up in the morning, to when I go to bed at night, my desire needs to be set on the Lord. My day needs to be filled by reading and thinking about the Scripture and time spent in prayer. I need to spend my time in obedience to God's commands and serving others through friendship. Too many times I find myself lost in the middle of a day. I must pursue constancy and consistency each day.

Every day. Some days I don't feel like seeking the Lord. Sometimes I say that I am too busy. Other days I tell myself that I need to rest--basically, I tell myself I can take a break from pursuing God. These excuses are "weak sauce." No time is it more important for me to desire to behold the beauty of the Lord than on a busy day, and days of rest are optimal times to refresh myself through time spent with the Lord.

Forever. Seeking after the Lord is a lifelong pursuit. If you look at the words of the Apostle Paul, he describes it that way. He knew that he had not arrived, and his desire was to press on for that which lay ahead. (Phil. 3) He compared the Christian life to athletic competition that required training and endurance. And at the end of his life, he could say that he finished the course. (2 Tim. 4)

I'm excited for a new year. As usual, the future is full of question marks and uncertainties. But I look forward to pursuing the Lord throughout the course of another year.

He is good.

He is beautiful--worthy to be gazed upon all the days of my life.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2007-01-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2007, everybody, everybody.

Among other things, I'm hoping this will be the best year yet at Step Onto Liquid.

And speaking of other things, did anybody watch the Rose Bowl? I did. USC finished up a somewhat disappointing season with a loud-and-clear victory over Michigan. It sounds like the "experts" are already putting USC atop the pre-season polls for next season. Yep, 2007 is getting off to a good start.

Photo: (Getty Images/Harry How)

Update...

2006-12-27T20:32:00.000-08:00

I added some pics to my slide show. Give that a look.

Ponder in Your Heart

2006-12-25T15:40:00.000-08:00

Each Christmas I enjoy looking at the Christmas story in the Bible. I seem to notice new things each year, or something imparticular will get my attention. One verse I have tried to think about this year is Luke 2:19, which says, "But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart." Seeing the movie The Nativity Story made me think about the meaning of this verse and "all these things" that Mary was pondering. So many amazing events occured that first Christmas season, from the unlikely birth of John the Baptist to the visits of the shepherds and the wise men. Mary had a lot to think about.

This Christmas, I'm trying to "ponder all these things in my heart," both about the Christmas story and about how God has blessed my own life.

One thing I love about the Christmas story is the simplicity of the Christmas message: There has been born a Savior; he is Christ, the Lord. Right there in one verse from the Christmas story is the gospel in a nutshell. There is a Savior! Jesus came to save us from our sins. That's good news. I've also been thinking about the prophetic implications of Christmas this year. Myriads of prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus' birth. Pastor MacArthur talked about many of these prophecies last night at church and did not begin to scratch the surface. However, even more myriads of prophecies remain unfulfilled. Christ is coming again, and we should be anticipating that like Simeon was anticpating his first coming. (Luke 2:25-35)

This Christmas I've also been pondering how God has blessed by life, specifically through my family, my friends, and my future semester at IBEX. I will never stop giving thanks for my family. One cool thing about my family this year has been that it has grown! I now have a nephew and a new sister! Tyler is the cutest little dude I know, and it has been so much fun to watch Billy and Cory get engaged and get married. God has also blessed me with great friends. This last week I traveled to Yosemite with people I have made friends with over the past couple years and even the past couple weeks. God is so faithful to continue to bring godly friends into my life. At the same time, I still enjoy keeping in touch with some good friends from high school. Just this afternoon I got a call from my friend Richard; we enjoyed catching up and thinking about all that has happened in our lives since our BA days. Finally, I'm so thankful for the opportunities I have to travel this next semester to Israel. It should be an awesome learning experience, and it should be some of the most fun I've ever had. I'm really excited about the group of people with which I will be traveling.

It's been a good Christmas here in Santa Clarita. I'm looking forward to spending the rest of the break hanging out with friends and family and getting ready for Israel. Hopefully, I'll be blogging it up, too! Have a great Christmas.

Hello (Again), Bedford Falls

2006-12-24T15:45:00.000-08:00

My most sincere apologies. First, I have abondoned the blogosphere for quite a while now. Second, I gave you (the reader) no warning of when I might leave and when I might come back. I simply left you to come back and look at an outdated post about USC football.

All that being said, I'm back. First, let me tell you what I've been up to that has kept me from blogging. Second, let me tell you my hopes for the near future of "Step Onto Liquid."

On the Sunday night after Thanksgiving, I recall telling a friend over the phone as I drove back to school, "I feel like I'm about to be shot out of a cannon." That's exactly what it felt like. The last three weeks of school was intense academically. I had to wrap up all my classes. That included reading books, answering a lot of questions, practicing piano, and taking some intense finals. Also, I produced the fifth edition of the Hotchkiss Starlet CD. This cd is a collection of music (both original and not) that the men of Hotchkiss give to the women every year or so. Making the CD was a blast, but it made for some late nights of recording/editing. I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

When school ended, I quickly shifted into an action packed first week of Christmas Break. As soon as I finished my last exam, I loaded up all my stuff in my car and drove home, only to get in another car and go to my brother Billy's wedding rehearsal. Billy's wedding was a blast. It was so much fun to see how excited he and Cory were, and I also enjoyed hanging out with the guys in the wedding party. (Check out Billy's blog for Maui pics, and Matt Rehrer's for good wedding shots.)

After the wedding, I drove down to Vista (near San Diego) and spent the weekend hanging out with friends. On Tuesday, I returned to the area to help a friend move to Escondido. Northern Sand Diego County is a really nice spot. Orange County is pretty nice, too. I got to go there on Wednesday to visit Bobby, Christa, and my little nephew Tyler.

In between those two events, I got to play golf at Trump National with my dad, my grandpa, and my uncle. Trump National is the nicest course I've ever played, and I don't know if I'll ever say that again (unless I play Pebble Beach.) The course twice brought us all to our knees. First, it astonished us with its beauty. You can see the ocean from every hole on the course, and the sky was so clear that day, it made Catalina look two miles away. Second, it demolished our golf game. If you don't bring your "A game" to Trump, you get an F (as in "You're Fired.")

Thursday I took off on an amazing road trip to Yosemite National Park with a few friends. By the time we made it to the park, we had already had a blast just having fun on the drive up. At the park, we got to enjoy the awesomeness of so much beauty crammed into one valley. IT was also the closest experience I've ever had to a White Christmas. Yosemite is definitely a place I plan on going back to. Hopefully, I'll add some pics of that trip soon.

Yesterday, I got to rest. It was the first day I had spent completely in the Santa Clarita Valley in over a week. So to make what has turned out to be a really long story short, I'm back to blogging. Here's the quick vision for what I'm hoping to blog over the next sixth months. Over the rest of Christmas Break, I'm hoping to continue blogging as I was before I stopped three weeks ago. All of this will be gearing up for IBEX. On January 20th, I will be leaving for Israel. I will be spending all of next semester there before returning in early May. I'm hoping/planning on blogging from Israel, so hopefully I will be building blog-momentum until that will carry over into the Israel trip.

That's it for the update. Have a great Christmas Eve. Watch It's a Wonderful Life tonight at 8/7c on NBC.

What do you know about that, Bert!?

FIGHT ON!

2006-11-25T20:59:00.000-08:00

USC- 44; Notre Dame 24.

With that (and a win next week.) USC should be heading to the National Championship game against Ohio State. Too bad they just can't play in the Rose Bowl on New Year's.

Ever since high school, I have come to appreciate college sports more and more. The venues are so excited that you can feel it through your TV set. The rivalries are even more intense. Year in, year out; it's always exciting.

Let's just say this is one of those fall Saturdays when I might regret not going to SC.

Photo: (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

My Psalm of Thanksgiving

2006-11-24T19:57:00.000-08:00

I've decided that I am that untraditional Thanksgiving guy. I enjoyed this Thanksgiving in Santa Barbara with my family. We played some golf (group picture above), took a walk to the beach, and ate one of the best meals of my life, which--here it comes--invovled no turkey for me. I opted for prime rib, shrimp cocktails, and this chocolate/cream/strawberries cake that felt like an explosion of flavor with each bite. Then my parents, Billy, Cory, and I drove back to Santa Clarita, got into our jammies, and watched a movie. It was an awesome Thanksgiving.

I know I have so much for which to be thankful. Just thinking about what I got to do yesterday with my fam is reason for praise. Circumstantially, I am so blessed. I can agree with David when he says, "The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance." But as David shows in the rest of Psalm 16, true blessedness goes way beyond external circumstances.

In verse two he says to the Lord, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you." Verse 5 says, "The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot." True blessedness comes only from the Lord. Circumstances change, and if your contentment/thankfulness is based on that, it's not very strong. But if the Lord is your portion, you can say with David, "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." That is why I'm thankful. I know the Lord, and I only get to look forward to joy in his presence forever.

It's been a great Thanksgiving Break. The weather, even in Santa Barbara, has become a little bit cooler. The holiday season is here.

Thoughts on Hebrews

2006-11-22T16:22:00.000-08:00

I was on a blogging roll, but that came to a screeching halt over the weekend. I've been sick since Monday, so I've been using all my spare time for sleeping instead of blogging.

I'm back home now for Thanksgiving Break. The last couple days of school have been weird with everyone leaving. Even though this Break only involves two days of no classes, it seems like you're saying goodbye for Christmas Break. I'm really looking forward these couple days--hanging out with family and catching up on sleep and possibly even some homework.

One biblical text I've blogged about a lot here at Step Onto Liquid is Hebrews 11. This "Hall of Faith" fits in well with the theme of this blog. Recently I've read through the book of Hebrews in my personal devotions, and I've been excited to see how this great section of Scripture fits in with the rest of the book.

Possibly the most climactic passage in this book is the first two verses of chapter twelve:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

The first 10 chapters of Hebrews thoroughly explain the work and person of Christ. The opening verses establish that he is the exact imprint of God's nature and has purged our sins. Chapter 10 encourages the Hebrews to draw near to God with full assurance and to hold fast their hope that is built on the work of Christ. Chapter 11 gives so many examples of those who have lived lives of faith.

Understanding the context helped me to understand the message of Hebrews 12:1-2. Christ has perfectly purified me from my sins; I need to put my trust fully in his finished work. Chapter 11 has shown me the example of people who lived this faith out. I need to follow their example. I need to put aside sin and look at Christ. Then I need to run after him. I don't run because that effort will save me; Christ already has. I run because of what Christ has already done. He has paid my debt; he has freed me from the power of sin, enabling me to live a life of fiath. I also run for the joy that is set before me. Like Christ, running with endurance will only lead to joy. As I forsake sin, run after Christ, and look forward to the hope of eternity, I will find ultimate joy.

Read the book of Hebrews. It's awesome. Realize what Christ has done. Put your faith fully in his work. Run after him and live a life of faith. In short, step onto liquid.

It's Finally Friday!

2006-11-17T13:25:00.000-08:00

It was a busy week. But it's over. And this is shaping up to be an exceptional weekend. Here's a couple reasons I'm excited:

Men's Retreat
Each year the men of The Master's College go away for a night to a church in Tehachapi, a small town in middle-of-nowhere California, for "24 Hours of Man." We always have a blast as we enjoy a short road trip and then play games that we have never played before and will never play again. This year a pastor from a local church is going to come bring the Word. It should be sweet.

College Football
Two HUGE college football games tomorrow. First, #2 Michigan @ #1 Ohio State. These are the only two legit undefeated teams. The winner of this game will certainly get a spot in the nation title game (barring any major upsets), and some even suggest the loser might still have a title shot. It should be a great game. Go Michigan.

Tomorrow evening is the battle for the Pac-10--Cal @ USC. Lots of people feel like USC is vulnerable, but USC still has a shot at making the national championship game if they win out. Cal should be pretty ticked after losing to Arizona last week. Anyways, this is the biggest game in the Pac-10 this year, hands down.

That's why I'm excited about the weekend. Have a good one.

Pray

2006-11-16T09:11:00.000-08:00

"Trust in God at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us."

Psalm 62: 8

I know that everyone knows what it feels like to have a full heart. Maybe it's full of worries about the future. Maybe it's full of concern for a friend. Maybe it's full of grief over tragedy that has occured. Maybe it's full of joy for what God has been doing in your life. Maybe it's full of longing for the return of Christ.

Whatever the case may be, this verse commands us to pour out our hearts to the Lord. Worried about the future? Pour your heart out to God. Concerned for a friend? Cast your cares upon the Lord, for he cares for you. Joyful for God's work in your life? Pour your praises out to the Lord. Whatever the situation may be, never underestimate the power of prayer.

Check out this blog by my sis on being thakful for prayer.

Getting to the Heart/Art of the Interview

2006-11-15T19:04:00.000-08:00

One blogger I've been paying attention to recently is Andrew Sullivan, who blogs at the Daily Dish. He also oftens writes columns in Time Magazine, and he caught my attention because he is a conservative/homosexual/Catholic.

He recently wrote a book called The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It; How to Get It Back. I read a short article based on the book in Time and found very typicial postmodern reasoning. The basic gist: No one can have truth with a capital T; the key to peace in this modern world is sincere humility and religious doubt. That didn't give me much incentive to read the book.

While I monumentally disagree with that kind of religious philosophy, I do find much of Sullivan's political commentary interesting. He makes some pointed, accurate critiques of the religious right and conservatives in general.

About a month ago, Sullivan was on Larry King with John MacArthur. Read that transcript here.

A couple weeks ago, I came across an interview of Andrew Sullivan by Hugh Hewitt, a blogger/radio-host/author of the religious right. (Read my review of In, But Not Of here in the archives.) I was unimpressed with the interview. Both Hewitt and Sullivan seemed quite feisty. I did not think the interview was conducted well, and Hewitt did not have any convincing comebacks to Sullivan's answers.

Last Sunday night, Dr. Al Mohler, President of Southern Seminary in Kentucky, spoke at my church. While listening, I thought, "How could would it be if this guy got to interview Andrew Sullivan?" Later that night I checked Mohler's blog. Headline: "Interview with Andrew Sullivan." I found this interview to be a vast improvement.

Mohler asked questions and listened. He let Sullivan talk. And I think Sullivan made some good political points. But as the interview progressed, Mohler was able to engage Sullivan on a more serious, spiritual level. As Sullivan expound on his philosophy of spiritual doubt. And Mohler was able to give great answers to Sullivan. Here are the highlights:

"And I just want to be right up front and honest with you. Insofar as it is possible, given my own fallibility, I want to find what I believe in the text of Scripture. And you find that hopelessly wrong-headed, according to this book...(Interpretation) is a process, but I would argue it's a process that should lead from doubt into certainty, rather than from certainty into doubt."

After the interview, Mohler issued some great points on an interview like this:

"And I have to admit to you right up front, this is the most difficult kind of program to contemplate, to have someone like Andrew Sullivan on. Because when you have a guest, it really is an obligation to let him make the point he wants to make, even as you try to really focus on the issues that, as host, you think are most important."

He also shows genuine Christian love in the way he conducted his interview:

"...I pray for Andrew Sullivan. And I told him that, and I don't mean that condescendingly, I mean that as genuinely as a Christian I know to say. I pray for him. I'm not so concerned about winning an argument. That's one of the reasons why I didn't want to interrupt too often. I wanted to have a respectful conversation."

Mohler is a stud. Through being respectful and unconcerned with winning the argument, he was able to get to the heart of the issue. And he showed us the art of an interview.

New blog...

2006-11-15T18:49:00.000-08:00

My friend Tommy started a blog. Check it out.

And my friend Steve returned to the blogosphere.

Every Year is Election Year

2006-11-15T18:44:00.000-08:00

Last year, Dr. Simons spoke in chapel pretty much about blogging. One blog he recommended was The Federal Review. They've already started putting up interesting polling analysis for the 2008 presidential election. You might say it's too early. McCain and Gulianni would disagree with you; they're already gearing up for the campaign. Look for the post called "And They're Off...".

MacArthur Speaks on Haggard

2006-11-13T10:54:00.000-08:00

I attend Grace Community Church each Sunday and enjoy the weekly teaching of John MacArthur, but I think that he brings his best to chapel at The Master's College.

Today he talked to us about the Ted Haggard scandal. The main thrust of his message was an exhortation to the students for integrity.

Here are the quotes that capsulize what he said:

"You only get one chance at a life of integrity."

"If I can't win the battle in my heart, I can't win it anywhere."

Here were some of his key points:

-False spiritual standards cannot restrain the flesh. If you are just trying to motivate yourself through emotion or sheer will-power, you are destined to fail. True spiritual change must have something real behind it.

-Sin on a habitual level is not isolated to one category. While one sin, like sexual immorality, may dominate others, the sin will never stay contained to one area.

-Self-deception is terrible. The key to being a good hypocrite is deceiving yourself. And you'd be amazed at how good we are at this.

I think this Haggard scandal should be exhortation to all Christians to show integrity and purity. We should rise up and be men of God in the church of God. And there must be something real behind these lifestyles. Integrity must spring from a new heart that has been changed, a heart that truly believes that God is the most desirable thing in the world. I know we say that a lot, but do we really believe it on the practical level of personl integrity and purity?

The Center?

2006-11-13T10:47:00.000-08:00

The cover story on the next TIME magazine is about the midterm elections pointing to a desire for politics to return to the center of the spectrum.

I don't think the center is what we got.

Check out this article where one "centrist" (cough...cough...) Democratic leader endorsed another for House Majority Leader. Soon-to-be Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi endorsed Rep. John Murtha as the next House Majority leader. Murtha wants to bring home the troops from Iraq. Sounds very centrist to me...

Thankfully Murtha will probably lose to Rep. Steny Hoyer.

So Let's Talk Some More Politics

2006-11-11T00:13:00.000-08:00

What Happened?

So the tide did come in on Tuesday. The Democrats easily (and predictably) took the House, and they will also take over the Senate by one seat. They picked up quite a few gubernatorial seats, as well.

I spent my election night at the headquarters of the Peter Foy for Ventura County Supervisor campaign. I quickly realized that the House was lost. I tried to hold onto the idea of the Republicans keeping the Senate but eventually gave up hope on that, too, seeing the Webb was going to edge out Allen in Virginia.

The biggest disappointment of the night for me was the state of California. I know what you're saying...shouldn't I know by now that things in California will not go my way? Let me explain...no there is too much, let me sum up. Everybody knew Ahhhnold was going to win re-election. Also, the Republicans had some good candidates (like Tom McClintock) down ticket. I was hoping some of these guys (especially Tom) would win. Early returns gave me hope when they showed McClintock, Strickland, and McPherson ahead of their competition. But as the night went on, reality set in, and just about all of the down-ticket Republicans lost. I guess I should just be happy that we do have a Republican Governator.

As for the Foy campaign, that race is still too close to call. Foy trails by about 300 votes, but thousands of absentee votes remain to be counted. That kind of a race makes for a long election night of pushing "refresh."

Note: After an update today, Foy now only trails by 21 votes with many ballots still to be counted.

What Does All This Mean?

It wasn't the economy, stupid.

If you look at the big picture, the American economy is doing well by any measurable standard. The DOW is at an all-time high; unemployment is at all all-time low.

This election was about the war, stupid.

Many of the newly elected Democratic candidates ran on anti-Bush, anti-war platforms. Couple that with numerous ethical scandals from Jack Abramoff to Mark Foley amongst the Republicans and you end up with a party that nobody wants to vote for. I would say that this election signified more of a "No" to Republicans than a "Yes" to Democrats. I'm probably somewhat biased, but I think that's a pretty fair assessment.

Overall, I'd say this was an overwhelmingly negative election. The campaigns were very negative, and the voters were very negative--the clearly kicked out the party in power.

Another interesting event of the election was the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld the day after. Many are complaining about this being poor timing, and they've got to have somewhat of a point. Maybe it would have helped if he had resigned sooner...I certainly don't think it would have hurt. Rummy had to be one of the most umpopular guys in America over the past few months, whether you're a Republican or a Democrat.

What's Next?

Politics will be different for the next two years. The Democrats have taken over Congress. It will be very interesting to see what they do with their new found power. Certainly, they will seek to influence unpopular foreign policy. How they will treat a booming economy will be a different, yet interesting question. I don't think they'll be that cooperative with President Bush. I won't be suprised if not too much actually gets done over the next couple years.

All of this will set up a pretty interesting campaign for the White House in '08. Apparently you'll be able to get McCain yardsigns and buttons pretty soon. There are a lot of things I like about McCain; sometimes I find myself wishing he had won in 2000. But part of me thinks his opportunity came and went with that election. Now he is eight years older (would be the second oldest President ever if elected), and he has been a part of the establishment for long enough to lose some of his "Maverick" status. I'm really hoping for a candidate that I can get excited about, but none of the Republican names that are being tossed around right now really seem to fit that bill. I think I would be more excited right now about '08 prospects right now if I was a Democrat.

But let's face it, a lot can happen between now and '08. We'll see how the Democrats use their power. We'll see how the Republicans work in the minority. We'll see if the Bush administration does anything besides live up to the phrase "lame duck." And the campaigns should be fun to watch in two years. Why do I say that? Two words: Dean Scream.

YEAAAAAGGGGHHHHHH!!!

This Week's iTunes Dowloads

2006-11-09T18:42:00.000-08:00

"O-o-h Child" by The Five Stairsteps

I was driving home the other day while listening to some classic K-Earth 101. As a was sitting in a little bit of traffic, I remembered listening to K-Earth this summer while being stuck in traffic on the way to LAX. This song had come on, and I remember the drive being more enjoyable after that. Anyways, after this random memory, the next song that came on was "O-o-h Child" by The Five Stairsteps. It was a sign; I downloaded the song that night.

"Grace Unmeasured" by Sovereign Grace Ministries

This is my favorite new song that our TMC Chapel Band has done this year. The melody is beautiful and climaxes in a sweet echo part in the chorus. Grace is the theme of the song, and the lyrics journey from grace calling us out before our birth all the way to grace leading us to Heaven. And because of God's sovereign, unmeasured grace, the praise all belongs to him. Check this song out; sing it in your church/Bible Study.

Restores the Soul

2006-11-07T01:12:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite books as a kid was "Wacky Wednesday" by Dr. Suess. It's a fun story about a day where everything seems to be out of the ordinary.

Today was that day.

It all started when I woke up this morning. Waking up was wierd because I was not waking up in my bed in Hotchkiss. I am spending a couple nights at home, so I can take care of our families lovable pooch while my parents are at Disneyland. Not only did I wake up in a different place than normal, I also woke up not before my alarm clock went off--that never happens.

After going through an altogether different routine for getting ready for school that made me feel like I was back in high school, I started driving to school. The drive usually takes 15-20 minutes, but today it took 40. By the time I was walking into my Old Testament class 20 minutes late, my day was already wacked out.

After class was chapel. While I usually sit in the left-side bleachers with my fellow Hotchkiss men, those bleachers were not out this morning due to technical difficulties. So I got to see my first chapel from the floor. After chapel got out late, I decided it was most certainly naptime. My roommate set his alarm to go off and wake us both up in time for class, but more technical difficulties made this fail to happen. Luckily, I woke up three minutes after the alarm was supposed to start sounding. Again, that never happens.

After grabbing my books I took off for class and stopped by the cafeteria to grab lunch. When I got to class, I realized I had no fork. Luckily I had randomly picked up two carrots with my salad, which I then used as my utensils to meet my salad.

Today just didn't seem to be right. These oddities were only icing on the moldy cake of what seemed to be a really bad day. By the time I returned home, I was tired and discouraged.

But then I opened my Bible. Psalm 19 says, "The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul." I experienced this as I opened my Bible to Proverbs and began to read about the pleasantness of wisdom and the multitude of ways God blessed those who seek him. My perspective on my day was changed as God's Word directed my gaze toward him. My circumstances didn't chang--I was still tired and had a mountain of homework--but my attitude sure did. My soul was refreshed and restored by God's Word.

That's pretty cool.

See you at the polls tomorrow (or I guess now it would technically be today.)
Good night.

Where'd All the Good People Go?

2006-11-06T07:23:00.000-08:00

Did you know that political campaign signs have a distinct smell? I do. This Saturday I went out to walk one more time for the local campaign I worked for this summer. When I walked in the office, I was bombarded with a familiar scent. I quickly recognized the smell of the first three weeks of my summer on the campaign trail.

Are you tired of negative, uninformative, vicious political attack ads? Apparently America cannot get enough of them because attack campaigning has been an even bigger trend this election season, adding to the overall negativity of the campaign.

Does opponent bashing work? It would surely seem that they must because of their popularity. But are they essential? I think not. I think that if more politicians stepped out with more positive campaigning that voters would respond in like fashion. One reason many campaigns resort to negative campaiging, I believe, is that they are not even convinced by their own candidate. Therefore, instead of trying to convince voters that their candidate is the one for the job, campaigns try to convince you that the other guy is ineffective, unethical, a jerk, and an all-around lousy guy.

The campaign I worked for this summer strove to remain on the positive sides. While the other candidates smeared each other, we simply advertised our candidate as the right man for the job. Voters did respond as our candidate defeated both of the others in the primary.

Maybe I'm still politically naive, but maybe we just need better candidates and then we'll have so better campaign ads.

Tomorrow the die is cast. It seems like Republicans have gained some momentum, but they are definitely still trailing. Hold on to your hats and glasses, folks, 'cause this here's the wildest ride in the wilderness.

Pay Attention

2006-11-03T22:03:00.000-08:00

The tide might change on Tuesday. And it might roll in like a tsunami.

This Tuesday, America will go to the polls for the midterm elections. The main national emphasis of this election is on Congress. Every house seat is up for election, as well as one-third of the Senate. Republicans have basically owned the majority on the Hill since 1994 (a couple years in the Senate excepted.) However, the Democrats are threatening to take back one or both Houses this time around.

Republicans have not been very popular lately. Of course, the main unpopular Republican is President Bush. While he may not be up for election, he certainly has a huge impact on the election. The war in Iraq, which is most commonly linked to Bush, is largely unpopular. Republicans also have suffered from ethical scandals over the past couple years. Therefore, many Democrats are viewing this as the opportune moment to regain a majority in Congress and position themselves for an even better run in 2008.

Also, California's statewide elections are next Tuesday. This includes the gubernatorial race as well as a U.S. Senate race. Both of these elections are fairly foregone conclusions. The bigger issue is all the races down ticket, such as Lieutenant Governor, State Controller, Attorney General, etc. Some of these races are close, which is suprising for such a Democratic leaning state.

Pay attention to the events of the next few days; they will be pretty important for American Politics. I'm hoping to be blogging it up through the midterms, so I'll be seeing you.

On Reading and Writing

2006-10-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

It is sad to say that I often view reading and writing as unfruitful activities. If I sit down to read, I will not build anything, I will not have any meaningful conversations with anyone; I will just sit there and fill my mind with whatever it is that I am reading. However, over this school year, I am becoming more and more convinced that reading and writing are, in fact, very productive.

The first two chapels of this week have prompted me to think and write on this topic. Chapel this week is themed around Church History, and Dr. Stephen Nichols has spoken both today and on Monday about John Bunyan and Jonathan Edwards. As I was listening, I realized that I was very grateful that Dr. Nichols had done his homework, read, and written about church history. And I'm glad that Edwards and Bunyan developed skill in the area of writing and that their ideas have been preserved over the centuries.

Reading has impacted my own life in many ways. After all, the Bible is a book. God chose to reveal himself to us in writing. Without this revelation, I would not be a Christian, my parents would not have been Christians, and neither would the people who led them to the Lord. Outside the Bible, many authors (of both fiction and non-fiction) have influenced me with their writings. One author that comes to mind quickly is John Piper. John Piper has read a lot of books, and he has shared what he has learned through his own writings, and these writings have, in turn, impacted my life greatly.

It is easy to see the fruit that reading and writing have produced in the world on a broad scale as well as on the individual level, so I'll think twice before concluding again that reading and writing are fruitless.

Augustine's Confessions

2006-10-23T23:24:00.000-07:00

Tonight I had the pleasure of sitting down with excerpts from Augustine's Confesseions, over which I will be quizzed tomorrow morning in my World Literature class. This selection is by far my favorite of the semester so far; I love seeing Augustine's desire for God as well as the struggles of his spiritual journey. Here are some of the points/quotes I found interesting:

-It seems that Augustine's spiritual struggle was not only or even primarily with the intellectual issues of faith. His struggles were with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life--all of which are obvious as he recounts his boyhood life and pre-conversion adulthood.

-Augustine speaks clearly of the superiority of God to all earthly pleasures. He goes through a list of sins, showing their deception and God's supremacy over them. "Ambition seeks honor and glory, although You alone are to be honored before all and glorious forever...The caresses by which the lustful seduce are seeking for love: but nothing is more caressing than Your charity, nor is anything more healthfully loved than Your supremely lovely, supremely luminous Truth...Sloth pretends that it wants quietude: but what sure rest is there save the Lord? Luxuriousness would be called abundance and completeness; but You are the fullness and inexhaustible abundance of incorruptible delight." Even about seemingly good and beautiful things, Augustine writes, "These lower things have their delights but not such as my God has, for He made them all: and in Him doth the righteous delight, and He is the joy of the upright of heart."

Not a bad night of homework...

50 Years Later

2006-10-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was a special Sunday. It was the 50th Anniversary Celebration for Grace Community Church. I have only attended Grace for about 4 of those years, but I can easily see the many ways this church has impacted my 20-year-old life.

It did not take me long to realize the magnitude of "GComm's" effect on my life. As I started thinking about this topic, I was sitting on my bed at The Master's College with my MacArthur Study Bible. If Grace Church had never existed, I probably would not have a MacArthur Study Bible, and I probably would have never heard of The Master's College. These two observations were only the beginning. I began to think about how my parents grew during their years at Grace, and they have probably impacted me more than anyone else.

I had never seen GComm more packed than it was last Sunday. The excitement of 50 years of the Lord's grace working through Grace Community Church was all oozing all over the place. The day was filled with special music and some sweet retrospective videos. The morning video focused mostly on the history of the church. I especially enjoyed the video because 4 of the 6 remaining founding members of Grace attend my Bible study, Generations. Those 4 people, who I did not know until last year, have born fruit in my life in so many ways by the work they started 50 years ago. Pretty cool...

This Sunday (right now) I am down in Orange County attending my brother's church, Compass Bible Church. This church was started just over a year ago, and it is exciting to listen to my brother talk about how the Lord is working here. I am looking forward to seeing it in action today. Who knows what the fruits of this ministry could be in 50 years? Who knows what the fruits of your ministry and my ministry could be in 50 years?

Some Sunday Thoughts

2006-10-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

Take a good look at that picture. You will notice that both of these people look pretty happy. And they are not just happy people; they are a happy couple. You can tell that these two have the general disposition that life is just better together. A week before this picture was taken, Billy asked Cory to marry him, and she agreed. And I think that they are even happier now than they were the day of this picture because December 15 is much closer.

This morning, Pastor Rick Holland spoke at Grace Community Church on 1 Peter 1:3-9. He spoke about the incredible joy that we should have in the living Savior and the living hope of heaven. At one point in the sermon, he used the joy of marriage as an example. Now I've never been engaged or married, but I've known people who have, and it seems like it's a pretty fun/exciting/joyful/pysched out your mind kind of thing.

So here is the question I am getting at: Do I look forward to heaven like I would to getting married? Do I spend time with my Savior now like I would with a fiancee?

I know that I need to think about the reality of heaven more and enjoy the "joy inexpressible and full or glory" that that should bring. So get excited. Heaven is real, and if you believe in Christ, you're going there to be with Him forever someday. You psyched? I'm psyched.

Twelve Metric Tons of Fun at Big Bear

2006-09-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of my first semester in college (and one of the very few things that I blogged about) was the Generations Retreat. I made great friends, like Steve and Tommy (pictured above), enjoyed morning "Chariots of Fire" runs along the beach, learned from solid, biblical teaching about pride/humility, and was convinced to go to IBEX. But that was so last year.

This year the retreat changed from the shores to the mountains. I went with 50 other Generites (that is not a small number!) to Big Bear for the weekend. We stayed in some sweet houses while we were there; my roommates and I dubbed our room "Bag End" because the door only came up to our chest.

Once again, I had unprecedented fun on the retreat. On Saturday afternoon, a big group of us took over a Starbucks for a few hours to study and hang out. When we got back we took a hike down to the lake and enjoyed some fellowship and meditations about God. Saturday night turned into a massive tournament of "4 on a Couch;" the guys dominated.

I also enjoyed the retreat because I did not have to bring much homework with me, so it really felt like a retreat. I was able to think about the messages from the retreat and the past week of chapels. I started to realize how all of life needs to work together to glorify Christ. My schoolwork, my devotions, my relationships, and my blogging are all unified in an effort to make life all about Christ. This changes my perspective on many things. I'm not studying just to make good grades, but to prepare for a God-glorifying life. My relationships are not just for fun, but for fellowship and encouragement.

Yesterday, we drove back down the mountains and back to homework and the other busy parts of life at college. But I found that my perspective was refreshed over the weekend. Because all of life is to be lived for Christ, I can have joy in all of it. That's pretty cool.

Thanks. Bye.

Salt, Light, and Nerf

2006-09-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

One of my fondest memories of my childhood is Nerf Wars. I remember spending many afternoons in Carpinteria in the heat of battle with all the neighborhood kids. I even remember my brothers talking me into going on many"kamikaze" missions and me thinking that was the coolest thing ever.

However, these battles are no longer only memories because the new hotness in Hotchkiss is Nerf. Last Friday night/Saturday morning, a few friends and I visited every Wal-Mart in the Santa Clarita Valley looking for Nerf Guns. On Sunday night, we had one-on-one battles in the lounge. There are big plans on the horizon for Nerf Wars. Happy days, Hawkins, happy days...

On a different note, I've been kicking a question around in my mind over the past week: "What should the Christian life look like in modern America?" This question is pretty huge, and I'll admit that I don't have all the answers to it. However, I think the answer to this question can be easily made more complicated than it is. The Bible is full of helpful pictures of what the Christian life should look like. In the Sermon of the Mount, Jesus describes the differences that should make Christians "the light of the world." The Galatians, Paul lists the fruits of the spirit, which stand in direct contrast to the deeds of the flesh.

All this to say, that it should not be hard to apply the Bible to our lives. It should affect the way I treat my roommate, how I treat my schoolwork, my involvement in my church, the way I talk, my attitude, my whole life. Also, it should not be that hard to stick out as a Christian. Our lifestyle should make it obvious that we are living for something different than the world.

That's all for now, until next time watch your back. There might be a Nerf dart flying towards it.

The Staples Center

2006-08-31T22:47:00.000-07:00

Did you know that many hospitals and doctor's offices don't uses stitches on the head? They use staples. I had heard of this before and always conjured up a mental picture of a doctor using a staple gun on your scalp. Now I know from experience that it is not quite like this, but it is close.

Today my roommate and I were goofing around when I banged my head on the corner of my desk. At first I thought, "That's gonna be a nasty bump." Then I saw that my hand has a bunch of blood on it.

Anyways, the long and short of it is that I had to go to urgent care so they could clean it out and staple it.

Other than staples in the head, today has been a good day. I am loving my classes so far this semester. Today I was reading Aristotle for Western Political Philosophy 1. Apparently Aristotle had caught on to the idea that everyone wants to be happy.

After that I read some of The Inspiration & Authority of Scripture by Rene Pache. He talks about man's inability to answer questions like "What will make me truly happy" and our need for divine revelation. God chose to communicate to us through His Word so that we might be able to know Him, and He is the best thing in the universe. How cool is that? Those are the kind of thoughts that will change the way I read the Bible tomorrow morning.

Watch out for desk corners. They're brutal.

Last Post as a Teenager

2006-08-29T22:49:00.000-07:00

I will never blog again as a teenager because tomorrow I am turning 20. While many say that I will feel the same tomorrow as I do today, birthdays are still a reminder to me of the reality that I am getting older, whether I feel like it or not.

My twentieth birthday comes in the midst of my first year of classes during my sophomore year here at The Master’s College. For the last two weeks, my involvement on the school’s Servant Leadership Staff has kept me pretty busy, but I have had tons of fun and learned a lot in the process.

Two weeks ago, all of SLS went on a retreat to the flaming desert of Palm Springs. The retreat gave me the opportunity to get know guys on the Hotchkiss Dorm Staff better and was also full of good teaching, mainly from our Vice President of Student Life, Dr. Tatlock. The theme for the retreat was “Improving Your Serve,” and Tat’s teaching on the subject has really helped me as I think about the upcoming year. He said we often have a “one for you, two for me” attitude towards service, or maybe even an even “one for you, one for me” mindset if we are really spiritual. However, the Bible and the example of Jesus clearly show that a “all for you, none for me” attitude is required for true service. While talking with some guys at Chipotle after the retreat, we decided that life would be easier if we woke up in the morning and did not think about ourselves at all. As simple as it may sound, that is the basic idea of selflessness.

Last week was WOW week (yes, that is Week of Welcome week) here at TMC. The next year of TMC students arrived. I’m still getting used to not being in the youngest class here. One of the highlights of the week was definitely Hotchkiss (my dorm) winning The Master’s Cup—a big relay race amongst all the dorms. My golf team won a state championship in high school, but I don’t know if the competition was as intense or if the celebration was as spirited as it was that night. Hopefully there will be some pictures to come from that soon.

Now classes have started again, and I am having to readjust to this wonderful thing called homework. That might put a slight hitch in my blogging giddy-up, but I’ll try to post somewhat consistently. Until next time, think about this:

“Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You.”
-Psalm 143:8

So Long Sweet Summer

2006-08-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

3 months ago I was in my dorm room frantically throwing my stuff into plastic bags and then throwing those bags into my parent's CR-V so I wouldn't be late for work. Tonight I am collecting my things so I will be ready to move back into Hotchkiss tomorrow.

Summer is over. After working at a high school camp, I learned that that phrase can be taken many ways. The students all heard this phrase with dread, while the thought of returning to The Master's College frankly gets me psyched out of my mind.

Nevertheless, it has been another sweet summer. It has been my first summer living in California since 1994, so in some ways my whole summer was a vacation. I have been able to spend lots of time with my brothers & sisters (in-law/to-be). Just today I returned from a trip where I was able to hang out with Billy in Corona and then spend the night at Bobby and Christa's, where we watched a lot of West Wing episodes (some of the best episodes to ever hit the airwaves.)

My work situation turned out great this summer. I worked the whole summer in the mornings at The Master's College Fitness Center. This job gave me lots of time to read, blog, watch the World Cup, and keep up with everything going on in the world of sports and news. At the beginning of the summer, I was able to work on a political campaign. While the campaign trail was pretty crazy, it was a good learning experience.

But all that is over, and it's back to school. I'm really looking forward to this year. I'm looking forward to college life and hanging with friends. I'm looking forward to my classes. I'm looking forward to Generations (my Bible study.) I'm looking forward to keeping stats for TMC sports teams. I'm looking forward to blogging more than I did last year.

My blogging will probably change once school starts. I'm hoping to update it more often than last year, but this means that some of the posts might take on a bigger variety of topics and be shorter, but we'll see.

That's a full lid on my summer blogging.
Signing off-
Ben Blakey
Phil 1:21

Survival Camp

2006-08-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

I once said, "[Survival Camp] is technically the summer camp of the high school group at First Baptist Church of Los Altos but effectively the best week of the summer or even year for anyone who attends." I attended twice as a camper and, needless to say, loved it both times. Along with remembering the fun I had and the friends I made, I remember Camp helping me to set the spiritual tone for my next school year. Survival Camp is awesome.

This year I had the chance to return to Sweet Home Lake Camanche--this time as a counselor. I had the joy of leading the guys on the Mexico team (the camp had a Latin American theme). Two competitive highlights for our team were winning the guys triathalon and skit night.

Once again, I really enjoyed camp. During Reflections on Friday night, I started to realize how glad I was that I had come to camp. Although my experience as a counselor was quite different from my times as a camper, I still enjoyed myself physically and spiritually.

I feel like I'll spend the next year digesting all that I learned at Survival Camp. I learned leadership both by experience and example. Leading a team brought on some new challenges for me and made me think about some new things. I was also able to learn from others as they served God through leading at the camp.

Daniel Tews spoke each night at the camp, and his lessons challenged me. On Tuesday night, he made everyone think about what they would want written on their tombstone. After going through the usual "Ben was a good guy" options, I started to think think that a comment like that would not be good enough. I need to be "good" in such a way that people will have to connect that goodness to Christ. I would much rather have "For to him, to live was Christ, and to die was gain" on my tombstone than "Ben was successful" or "Ben was a nice dude."

Survival Camp was a joy once again. I had fun, I was challenged by the Word, and I was able to watch God work in the lives of the campers. Now comes another year of remembering that God is the same during worship at Survival Camp, during my 8 o'clock class, forever.

California is Diverse

2006-07-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

Traffic can be ridiculous around Southern California, but you can go a lot of cool places in a short amount of time.

Last Friday, my friend Joseph McCulley and I left my house (where it was 111 degrees) and drove 45 minutes to the beach (where it was 73 degrees). Later that night we went down to a Bible Study at my church and then with a group to Westwood for some sweet Diddy Reese ice cream sandwiches.

On Saturday, Joe and I went down to San Juan Capistrano for lunch with my cousins, their friends, and Christa and Tyler. After that, we drove out to Corona to spend some time with Billy. That night we returned home to Santa Clarita.

But my craziest day of cruising through SoCal was yesterday. I started the day like normal—working in the fitness center at TMC from 6AM to noon. After work, I took Joe down to LAX for his flight home. We left plenty early, and because traffic was light, we stopped by the beach near the airport. Once again, it felt much nicer at the beach than in Santa Clarita. I dropped Joe off at his terminal and then called my friend Derek Johnson, who is also from Texas. I knew that he was somewhere in LA this week on a missions trip and was hoping to meet up with him at some point. He told me that he was in the “Pico-Union District” at the Evangelical Free Church. I had no idea where that was, so I called my mom. Using Google Maps, she located Derek, and I decided to surprise him by showing up at the church. After sufficiently surprising Derek, I was able to spend the next couple hours hanging out with him and others from his church who are spending the week putting on a VBS for inner-city kids.

Although I live about 45 minutes away, the inner-city was a whole new world for me. A group of us went out in the neighborhood and passed out fliers to parents and kids. We were led by a guy named Frank. Frank lives in the inner-city, is a very good graphitti artist, and works with the Nehemiah House (I think it puts on a lot of after-school programs for kids.) Because he speaks Spanish he did most of the talking for our group. I found that more of the kids in the area speak English than the adults. While Frank was talking to one mom about the VBS, I was able to talk with a few kids about how foolish Zidane was in the World Cup Final. Frank explained to me how most of the older youths in the inner-city are heavily involved in the “underground hip-hop” scene. He was describing a totally different culture from what I knew. I’m excited for Derek and the others from Texas as they get to work with awesome people like Frank and minister to the kids of the inner-city.

I left Derek and the inner-city and immediately found traffic on the way north. When I reached Hollywood, I drove up into the hills to a crest near a dog park. From there you can look out over the whole city and then look behind you to see the hills and the Hollywood sign.

When I finally arrived home, I still had sand on my feet from the beach. It had been a crazy day. If only I had brought my camera…

Summer at the Movies...and on TV

2006-07-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

Summertime brings with it more time to enjoy entertainment, so here are some of my thoughts.

MOVIES

X-3: The Last Battle- I thought this movie was comparable to the other two X-Men films. It was enjoyable, action-packed, and suspenseful, but nothing legendary. My only question is this: Was this really the last battle?

Superman Returns- I'll start off by saying this: Superman Returns is my top movie for 2006 thus far. This movie will catch your eye with the awesome visuals it offers. On the second viewing, I noticed how cool the diorama earthquake scene was. Unlike other superhero movies (yeah, I'm talking to you, Spiderman), Superman fought against a villain I had no trouble hating. Kevin Spacey did an excellent job bringing the evil Lex Luther to life. Although the movie runs for two and a half hours, the story keeps moving and keeps you interested. However, the dialogue in this movie struggles at some points. (Not quite Anakin and Padme, but almost.) Also, while Superman was a sweet summer flick, that's gotta be the weirdest lvoe triangle ever.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest- Pirates 2 was all about Pirates 3. The purpose of the plot (which struggled and jumped around a bit) was to get the story from the end of the first movie to the beginning of the third. This installment of Pirates lacked some of the witty dialogue of the first and definitely missed the character of Captain Barbossa. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed Dead Man's Chest and think it's worth seeing, even if just to prepare yourself for the next Pirates. The ending got me excited about the possibilities of the third one.

Movies I still want to see: "Cars" and "Naaaccchhhhooooooooo Libre"

TV

Let me start by saying that I don't really watch any TV shows at their regular time anymore. I take the DVD/iTunes route. This summer I have been watching season 4 of "24" and the second season of "Lost."

I'm impressed by Lost. At the end of the second season, the plot is still interesting and not too weird (but let's face it: the plot has always been weird--polar bears?). The second season dragged a bit in the middle, but definitely finished strong. The events of the last few episodes will provide material they can spend the whole next season exploring.

24's fourth season is off to a better start than the second or third seasons. They jettisoned all the old plotlines that were losing their appeal (like Nina, the Palmers, and Kim Bauer) and focus the new season on what we really want to see--Jack Bauer.

This leads to the inevitable question: Which is better, 24 or Lost? I prefer Lost. The main reason I like Lost more is because of the characters and the character development. When I watched the season premiere of the second season of Lost, I felt like I'd been reunited with old friends. Most of the peripheral characters on 24 (with some exceptions) are annoying.

That's a wrap on my summer entertainement. In sports, the Braves are off to a hot start in the second half. They've won their first five games against two NL division leaders, scoring a total of 65 runs. Remember...it's the land of the free and the home of the Braves.

Read the Book

2006-07-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

One reason I love summer is that it usually enables me to do more reading than during the school year. This summer reading opportunities have been bountiful with my time working here in the fitness center. Two books I’ve been working on so far this summer are When People are Big and God is Small by Edward T. Welch and Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul David Tripp. Both are exceptional.

As I have read these books, I have been encouraged to read another book more—the Bible. By reading the Bible more, I do not mean simply reading for five more minutes everyday. I mean reading the Bible more systematically, reading the whole of the Bible, not neglecting the Old Testament for the New or vice versa.

In my case, I feel that I often neglect the Old Testament. But anyone who neglects the OT is certainly missing out. The things we learn from the OT are endless. We learn about the character of God and the faith of great men like David and Daniel. From the Old Testament we see all the signs point to Christ. Even these few points do not begin to explore the depths of the richness of the Bible.

You cannot put the Bible into a box. You cannot treat the Bible as an encyclopedia and simply use a concordance or topical index whenever you have a problem. Paul Tripp says, “If I handle Scripture topically, I will miss the overarching themes at the heart of everything else God wants me to say to me.” (pg. 27)

Edward T. Welch talks about how these overarching themes apply to combating the fear of man: “Since the entire Bible teaches that the Holy One of Israel reigns, the entire Bible is a textbook on the fear of the Lord, whether it uses that particular expression or not.” (pg. 103) He then shows how we can learn the fear of the Lord through reading about creation and the examples of the patriarchs and the Exodus.

Read the Bible. Read it cover-to-cover. Read it everyday. Even if you slow down in order to focus on one passage or book, still try to be reading through some part of the Bible at a quicker pace.

Many reading programs exist to aid systematic Bible reading. The Disciple Journal puts out a reading schedule that is very useful. You read from four places each day, and it only schedules 25 days a month to help avoid the seemingly inevitable times we fall behind. Maybe you’re having trouble finding a program that you like. Check out this site, where you can download a program you can use to create your own plan.

"Your words were found, and I ate them,
And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart."
-Jeremiah 15:16

S'More Sports Stuff

2006-07-12T10:51:00.000-07:00

Just yesterday, I blogged about how great it is to be a Braves fan because so many of their games are covered nationally on TBS. This morning, I came across an article on the Braves' website entitled, "Braves' run on TBS to end in '07."

While it may be bad news for Braves fans, it seems that Turner Sports has struck it rich. They will get exclusive rights to all Division Series games (first-round of the playoffs) and a series of Sunday afternoon games that they can select.

To be honest this news is not all that shocking. Even over the past few years, TBS has shown less Braves games and more "Friends" and "Seinfeld" re-runs.

Unfortunately, in sports it all comes down to the bottom line. Turner Sports president David Levy (the article calls him a "staunch Braves fan" said, "Unfortunately, we can't have it all, and some things had to give. Ultimately, it came down to a financial situation." Doesn't it always...

Some Sports Stuff

2006-07-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

If you have been reading my blog and not yet realized that I am an Atlanta Braves fan, now you know. Ever since I was a wee-lad of five years old, I have sported the Tomahawk Chop. Being a Braves fan has been great for a few reasons. First, we always win. The Braves have won their division every year since I've been a fan. Second, they are easy to follow. Most of the Braves games are televised on TBS, which makes it easy for me to watch them whether I'm in Texas or California.

If you've been following baseball this year, you will have noticed that the Braves aren't doing so hot. Well, I've got good news for Braves fans: We're gonna win the World Series this year.

For the past several years, the formula for the Braves has been the same: start off slow, peak in the middle of the season, cruise to the end, lose in the first round of the playoffs.

Not so this year.

The Braves are starting to put the pieces together. They have the best record over their last ten games in the Major Leagues along with the Padres. This just might be the year the Braves get hot at the right time and maybe even reach the Series as a Wild Card. (During the Braves' run of division titles, other teams from their division have won more championships than they have.)

Then again, it might be the year the Braves miss the playoffs, but I doubt it.

In other sports news, the World Cup ended Sunday as Italy beat France on penalty kicks. Probably the most notable event of the game was Zinedine Zidane's ejection. The French legend was red-carded after he headbutted Italian Marco Matterazi. Let me put this into American: Imagine if Micheal Jordan had come out of retirement to play on a US Olympic Team, been the star of the team, lead them to the gold-medal game, then been ejected for headbutting a guy on the other team in overtime. This is huge.

What was Zidane thinking? I doubt anyone will ever know but Zidane. He must have been lead on by Matterazi, but that is still no excuse.

On the other hand, I must admit that the headbutt was legit. When sports stars lose their temper, they usually shout, throw fists, kicks, and tackles. Zidane, without a word, dropped Matterazi to the ground with his head. However, this incident led to one of the saddest images of the World Cup--Zidane leaving the pitch forever, walking right past the trophy that he would not win.

Profoundly Simple...Simply Profound

2006-07-06T08:38:00.000-07:00

Just over two weeks ago, three Medford, Oregon teens were tragically killed in a car accident. All three has just graduated from high school. That Sunday, a memorial service was held for them at Applegate Christian Fellowship. Ben Courson, a former classmate of the deceased and a pastor at the church, delivered a message that proclaimed “you must be born again.” At the end of the service, over 100 teens gave their lives to the Lord and were baptized there on the spot.

While waiting in the drive through at In-N-Out on our way home from a golfing outing (a perpetual breeding ground for great conversations), my dad and I talked about these events. We talked about how easy it is to complicate Christianity and to even become critical of what happened.

But to borrow words from Jon Courson, the message of Christianity is profoundly simple and simply profound. However, I know that I often make attempt to make it much more complex. If someone asked me, “What must I do to be saved,” I would probably begin a five-minute discourse that would end who knows where. But the apostle Paul simply answered that question when he told the Philippian jailor, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household.” The jailor did believe, “and immediately he and all his family were baptized.”

Do we complicate Christianity? Do we confuse the message that we proclaim to the world? Do we obscure how the gospel is to affect our own lives? The message of Christianity is simple—it’s all about Jesus Christ. That’s why it’s called Christianity.

I was recently encouraged by watching a short talk by Jon Courson as he talked about the simple message of the grace of Christ. He said, “It’s grace…It’s not legalism; it’s love. It’s not responsibility; it’s responding to what He has done for us. It’s not do, do, do; it was done. That on the cross, Jesus cried out ‘te telestai,’ which means ‘it is finished.’ He did not say, ‘To be continued.’”

The whole Christian life is about Christ. Paul says in Colossians, “As you therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” If we have indeed been born again, we are free to a whole new kind of living as we have become a new creation in Christ. I know that I need to remind myself of this constantly by preaching the gospel to myself every day. Christians need to be faithful to proclaim and live the profoundly simple yet simply profound message of Christ.

Light Up the Sky

2006-07-05T08:32:00.000-07:00

Why does today feel like Monday? Because yesterday was the Fourth of July! I enjoyed Independence Day by hanging out with four generations of Blakeys in Santa Barbara--it was a blast.

Fireworks a perennial Fourth of July highlight. My parents and I had to leave SB before the show began there, but this by no means implies that we missed out. As we drove down the coast, many people were shooting off there own fireworks, and we also got to see a pretty good show in Ventura. But none of this prepared us for war-zone that was Fillmore. Colorful explosions filled the horizon in every direction, and people were lighting-up there own sparklers and rockets in every parking lot. I'm sure the town awoke this morning to find itself covered in six inches of ash. We got our own firework finale as we drove down the hill to our house. Fireworks lit up the sky over the Santa Clarita Valley from a school down the street to Magic Mountain.

Fireworks are cool. They make a pretty loud noise. They're colorful. They're especially good when they're at Disneyland. But fireworks don't last very long. After they explode, the newly colorful night sky quickly fades to black again. But if you look at that sky, you will notice that they are many lights that do not fade out.

The stars light up the sky every night. They stand in stark contrast to the transient sparkles of fireworks. The stars are constantly shining brighter than any fireworks. Our planet even revolves around one.

Psalm 19 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God...There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world."

The sky is especially spectacular on the Fourth of July, but each and every night the sky is declaring the glory of God as the billions of stars the he made shine forth.

Fireworks are cool. God is awesome.

A Sad Indictment

2006-06-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

I ran across an interesting bit on the blogosphere this morning.

Andrew Sullivan, a blogger/columnist/gay/Catholic/political conservative, comments on some of James Dobson's thoughts on the Federal Marriage Amendment.

He quotes Dobson as saying, "If the battle to protect marriage takes even five more years, liberal judges and activists will have destroyed this 5,000-year-old institution, which was designed by the Creator, Himself." Dobson also said, "Even now, they are close to achieving that coveted objective."

He then comments, "So the Creator of the universe is no match for liberal judges! And 5,000 years can be erased in half a decade. Whoever knew the judiciary had so much power?"

You can read the whole article here.

I agree with Dobson that marriage is a glorious institution established by God after the creation of Adam and Eve.

However, I also agree with Sullivan's comment. What kind of view of God do Dobson's comments represent? If God did sovereignly establish the institution of marriage (and he did), why can't we trust him to protect it?

Before you get the wrong idea, I'm NOT saying that Christians should not oppose gay marriage. I AM saying that that if we start believing that liberal judges can overturn the laws of the Creator of the universe, we believe in a puny God.

No Escape

2006-06-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

We cannot get away from God. Jonah learned this the hard way. He tried to run away from God. He got on a boat to the other side of the world, but he could not escape God's knowledge or presence. King David also realized this truth, and he wrote down his meditations of it in Psalm 139. He even acknowledged that our thoughts and heart motives are known to God. God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent.

On Sunday, I heard Dan Dumas, executive pastor at my church, spoke on this Psalm for the college group. He talked about how he constantly refers to this Psalm and how its truths are the biggest help to his sanctification. If we realize that God sees everything we do, we will act differently.

This Psalm certainly encourages personal holiness. We must always remember that we cannot get away from God. But as I read through this Psalm, I noticed another reaction from David. He calls this knowledge of God's presence "too wonderful" and God's thougts "precious." He echoes the sentiments of another Psalmist who called the nearness of God his good. (Psalm 73)

Apparently, the truth that we cannot escape God's presence or knowledge should not only produce sanctifying fear but also affection and wonder. God knows us, and there is nowhere we can go that he will not be! This should be news of the deepest comfort for us. God has hedged us in before and behind.

The more I think about this Psalm, the more I think that the reactions of sanctifying fear and of wonder and comfort are linked. If we let the knowledge of the presence of God sanctify us, this knowledge will become increasingly sweet to us. And when we know that the nearness of God is our good, we will not want to forsake him for the lesser pleasures of sin. So we must all, like David, ponder on the presence of God and let it become both sweet and sanctifying to us.

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!

Nothing But Fun

2006-06-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

If you have been following the World Cup--and I realize that this limits my already limited readership--you know that the United States' World Cup run ended last week when the US lost to Ghana, 2-1. Fortunately, I have a summer job that lets me watch all the World Cup I want, so I have been able to follow it closely, and I have naturally been most closely following the US team. I remember feeling like I had been slapped in the face when the Czechs beat us 3-0. I also remember jumping clear out of my seat when Eric Dempsey scored the lone goal of the cup off of an American foot.

Even though the US is out, I am still watching and enjoying the World Cup. I am especially looking forward to the the Brazil-France quarterfinal match on Saturday. The last time a country besides Brazil or France has won a World Cup was 1990. This match will feature some of the world's premiere athletes like Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho; if you haven't heard of them, you probably live in the US. This game could also be the last World Cup match for two legends, Zinedine Zidane of France and Ronaldo of Brazil. Don't get the impression that these two guys are out for one last stroll around the pitch before they limp into the sunset. Both of them scored in their most recent matches.

So what's the deal with sports? In case you haven't noticed, I really enjoy sports. I enjoy playing and watch sports of all shapes and sizes, and I usually do more watching than playing because...let's just say I'm no David Beckham. But is enjoying sports a good thing? Here are a couple principles I have thought about:

Participate- Participating in sports is an all-around good thing. It's healthy. It provides plenty of opportunities to meet people or build relationships with friends. It's flat out fun, so grab some friends and a football or a frizbee and find a park.

Enjoy- Whether you're watching or playing sports, you should never forget to enjoy the activity and say, "Praise God, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Enjoy the way God has made your body able to kick a soccer ball, make a three-pointer, sink a putt, or swing a bat.

The danger of sports is when we take the focus off enjoying God and place it on enjoying ourselves. This is when we become obsessed. This is when we get over-competitive. This is when we make a pick-up basketball game the "Relive My Glory Days" show.

So whether you're watching or playing sports, enjoy them as a gift from an awesome God who shows his majesty in his creation. And if you leave the focus there, sports should be nothing but fun.

Sweet Retreat

2006-06-23T06:34:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is a post with pictures about the Corona Evangelical Free Church College Group Retreat at Catalina Island.

Everybody likes lighthouses. I mean, have you ever given someone a lighthouse calendar only to hear them say, "I hate lighthouses." Didn't think so. I think they inspire personal holiness.

Here's a good group pic from the boatride out there. Billy is not in any of the group pictures because he took all of them.

While we were there two pretty cool ships like this one spent the night in the harbor. As a group we decided to name them. I think we called both of them the "Black Pearl."

Here are the top two reasons I had to go on the retreat: my brother Billy and his fiancee Cory. Aren't they cute?

As it turned out, there were a lot of other good reasons to go on the retreat, especially the teaching from Mark Spanzel, former dean at The Master's College and now on-staff at CEFC. He talked about endurance from the Hebrews warning passages. He reminded us to preach the gospel to ourselves and showed us how the writer of Hebrews warns us to pay close attention to the gospel or we will drift.

For me, the hardest part of retreats like this is coming back. I enjoyed this retreat. I liked being out on an island without having to think about work or homework for a few days. Sometimes coming back to the normal routine does not seem too appealing. However, all retreats do come to an end, but our return to our routines should not be quite normal. We should return to wherever we are differently because of the things we have learned on the retreat. So when my alarm rings at 5AM in the morning, I know that the first thing I have to do is make sure I am fastened to the dock and not drifting. I need to preach the gospel to myself.

That's a wrap on the retreat. Yesterday I bought Keane's new CD, "Under the Iron Sea." I would be tempted to write a review on it, but Bobby has already said everything I would have said in his review. Read it here.

Step Onto Liquid

2006-06-21T10:22:00.000-07:00

I was just looking at the archives and realized that I have been blogging on Step Onto Liquid for over a year. When I started this blog, I had just graduated from high school and was living in Texas. NowI live in Santa Clarita and will be continuing my studies at The Master's College in the fall. I have become an uncle over the past year and by Christmas time I will have a new sister!

Since this blog has been spinning on the blogopshere for over a year now, I think it necessary to review the whole idea behind this blog. I started using the term Step Onto Liquid shortly after attending a Survival Camp with the theme "Walk on Water" and watching a pretty epic surfing video called "Step Into Liquid."

So what do I mean by this title? Step onto liquid basically means "live by faith." The Christian life is a life not lived by sight, but by faith. If we tried to live by sight, we would be in trouble. We would be dominated by feelings, circumstances, and our sinful desires. But Jesus calls us to take him at his word and follow him.

This summer I have been studying the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus preaches a lifestyle that is undeniably different from the ways of the world. We cannot base our lives on what we see in the world. We must listen to Jesus, step onto light, and be salt and light.

This last weekend, I went on a retreat to Catalina Island with the college group from Corona Evanglical Free Chruch. (I'm hoping to post more on the retreat later with lots of pictures. My brother Billy took the picture you see with this post.) Mark Spanzel talked about endurance in the Christian life. If we are to endure, we must live by faith--we must step onto liquid.

Who knows what the next year will bring? But whether it brings storms or sunshine, I'm determined to step onto liquid and follow my Savior wherever he leads.

Out of this World

2006-06-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

Here are some blog-thoughts for today:

-Our desires are to be out of this world. This world is all about money. Seriously, everything can be explained by the bottom line. Christians are supposed to be different. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us to lay up our treasure in Heaven. Why? Because it is safe there! All earthly riches are fleeting. "For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven." (Prov. 23:5) Our pocketbooks are a dipstick to our heart.

-Check out this quote from Paul David Tripp:
"We need to words of God (Scripture) to make sense out of life. We need to listen for the one reliable voice of the Creator. His Word alone can cut through the confusion of the world's philosophy and our own foolishness to make us truly wise. Real knowledge begins with knowing him. Wisdom is the fruit of worship, and received on bended knee. It is the product of a life lived in submission to the One who is wisdom, Christ." (Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands, pg. 50)

-Did anybody catch the World Cup this morning? Spain has definitely shown up to play for keeps; the world better watch out. And what about that "buzzer-beater" goal by Tunisia to tie up the match in stoppage time? Who says soccer isn't exciting?

-Congratulations to my brother Billy and his fiancee Cory! They just got engaged last Saturday. This weekend, I will be joining them and the rest of the Corona Evangelical Free Church College Group on a retreat to Catalina Island, so this will probably be my last post until after that.

Until next time, root for the USA against Italy on Saturday and remember to keep your desires out of this world!

World Cup Fever

2006-06-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

Imagine if the only sport Americans cared about was football. Imagine every kid dreaming of growing up and being an all-star in the NFL. Imagine if basketball and baseball were irrelevant compared to football's glory. The Super Bowl would be even bigger than it is now, and who knows, maybe people would care about more than just the commercials and watch the game. Now in this same scenario imagine that once every four years, America sent a team of its best players--all of its superstars--to compete against the 31 best of the other countries of the world. That would be kind of a big deal.

Now let me take you to the real world and introduce you to a more popular kind of football--you might know it as soccer. Beyond the borders of the United States, this sport dominates. In other countries, the best soccer players are the superstars of society. And every four years 32 teams from 32 countries meet and compete for the biggest prize in all of sports--the World Cup.

Meet hysteria. Last Friday was a national holiday in Costa Rica because the national soccer team was playing in the opening World Cup game. Four years ago, England practically shut down when their team made it to the semifinals. The papers declared, "Nothing else matters."

But for goodness' sake, let's come back to America, where nobody cares. Most people are probably unaware America's playing in the World Cup, and those that are probably just skim over the headlines in the morning paper.

Now I'm not saying that I think soccer is the greatest thing in the world. It's not my favorite sport. However, "sports" fans that are missing the World Cup don't know what they're missing. If you think March Madness is intense, tune into the World Cup, you will see fans that make the Cameron Crazies look lame.

So if you don't believe me, check it out for yourself. Especially watch the United States play Italy in a must-win game and see if you can stay passive. Enjoy.

Take a Breath...And a Nap

2006-06-08T07:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I closed up the fitness center at noon and drove home. Yes, instead of driving to Simi Valley, like I have every day for the last couple weeks, I went home. When I got home, I hung out with my mom for a bit and then took a fat nap, or--as my cousin would call it--a coma. It was wonderful.

Tuesday was the day of the California primary elections (if "California Primary" rings a bell, you have probably seen the first season of 24). Therefore, it was the culmination of a political campaign I have been working on for a couple weeks. My candidate won, and it was great to enjoy the success of the efforts of the campaign. Victory is sweet indeed.

One factor in the election was low voter turnout. How sad! I find the low turnout to be particularly disturbing and failure to vote well nigh inexcusable. Some people say they are too busy, while others say they don't vote because they are dissatisfied with current politics. What a reason to vote! If you are dissatisfied with those in office, go to the polls and voice your opinion where it counts. If you don't vote, you pretty much forfeit your right to complain about those in office.

Now that the election is over, I'm having more time to hang out with friends and family and to sleep. I'm also becoming able to enjoy my job at the TMC fitness center more. Yesterday I was reading some of the studio diaries at the website of the band Travis, who are currently recording a new cd. Dougie (the bass player) chronicles the band's progress while commenting on a variety of topics, including his new black video iPod. "Crikey it’s a seductive object," he says. "In moments like these I’m not sure if technology is our saviour or our potential downfall." (Read Derek Brown's published thoughts on "The Multi-Tasking Generation" here.)

I also get to watch my fair share of Sportscenter here in the fitness center. Yesterday I heard that the Astros are paying Roger Clemens $12 million for what will be 18 starts (if all goes well.) That's about $667,000 per start. Today a quality start is considered to be at least six innings, so that's over $100,000 an inning. It's a hard knock life...

That's all for now. For the rest of the day, I'm looking forward to enjoying the Sermon on the Mount, a nap, dinner with friends, and a Bible Study about prayer and God's sovereignty. It's a hard knock life...

All We Need

2006-06-05T08:16:00.001-07:00

So while I was eating my Frosted Mini-Wheats at 5:30 this morning, I calculated that I worked over 70 hours this last week, and that was with a holiday. Tomorrow is June 6, and that means election day! (By the way, remember to vote.) June 6 also brings the good news that I will be less busy soon.

Yesterday during work I got to stop in at Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley for a few minutes before I started walking and knocking. My roommate, Jordan Thiesen, attended that church all year, and each Sunday he returned excited about what he had learned through Francis Chan's preaching.

Francis Chan was talking about Colossians, and he talked about two different things that sparked my interest.

First, he talked about how Jesus is all we need. He said the Paul wrote to the Colossians to tell them about all that we have in Christ. He said that when we have Christ, we won't feel like we need anything else. We won't say, "If I just had Jesus and a nice house or a nice job or money or a girlfriend, then I would be happy." Chan, using his music stand/pulpit as a prop, said that implying that we need something besides Jesus is like saying, "If I had all of Bill Gates's money and this music stand, then I would be rich." Christ is all we need. We find eternal life in him; what more can we want?

Second, he talked about being heavenly minded and how that related to giving. He said that he hears a common excuse for not giving. People say, "Well, I just like nice things." This is ludricrous on many levels. First, that statement presupposes that other people don't like nice things. It implies that you like nice things while the rest of us like stinky stuff. Also, that statement shows a mindset that is not focused on heaven. We should not be finding our comfort in earthly things, but in our living hope for a pure and undefiled inheritance, reserved in heaven for us.

That's pretty cool.

The Beatitutdes

2006-06-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

While I have been managing the fitness center here at TMC, I have been able to start looking at the Sermon on the Mount--the greatest sermon of all time. This sermon, of course, starts wth what are called the Beatitudes. I actually still don't know what that words means, but since it's not in the text I have not worried about it too much.

Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones says that the Sermon on the Mount, especially the Beatitudes shows how Christians should be radically different from the unsaved. As I have studied these virtues, I have seen how Jesus' teaching is opposed to the philosophies of the world. I have also been blown away by the awesome promises Jesus offers.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Someone who is poor in spirit has an accurate view of God and himself. He sees God as holy and righteous and himself as filthly and a sinner. The poor in spirit man is exemplified in Luke 18:13, where the tax collector beat his breast and said, "God, be merciful to me a sinner." Jesus offers the wonderful news of the kingdom of heaven to those that are poor in spirit. Like many of these promises, this one has both present and future aspects. John MacArthur points out that "the truth of salvation is clearly presupposed in this opening verse of the Sermon on the Mount." I was also amazed to see how the gospel is present in so many of these statements.

"Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted."
We live in a sinful world. We are sinful people surrounded by other sinful people. This should cause us to mourn. We should mourn over sin. We should mourn over our own sin; we should mourn over the sin around us. And this is not just pointless sorrow. 2 Cor 7:10 tells us that true, godly sorrow should lead to repentance. This kind of mourning will inevitably change us. If we are truly mourning over the sins we commit, we will be less likely to commit them. If sin makes us sorrowful, then we will be less likely to laugh at a crude joke or be enticed by sinful advertisements. Jesus says that those that mourn in this way will be comforted! How sweet this comfort is! Now we know that we are forgiven through Jesus, and we rest assured that someday God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. (Rev. 21:4)

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
Psalm 37:11 helps us to understand the meek by contrasting them with the wicked. Meekness is strength under control--supreme self-control. The meek person does not seek his own or use people simply for his own gain. The world says that this is a dog-eat-dog world where only the strong survive. However, Jesus says that the meek will inherit the earth. We must trust the Lord and live with meekness, trusting that he is in control.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."
Hunger and thirst are intense desires. Think about it. You cannot live without food or water. If you try to, you will soon experience the extreme feelings of hunger and thirst. Do we long for righteousness like this? Do we desire righteousness in our own lives like we do for a drink of water after a long hike on a summer's day? Do we desire righteousness in our world? If we do, there is good news! We shall be filled! God promises to make believers righteous. We can look forward to a lifetime of growing in righteousness and then to an eternity of perfection!

"Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy."
This attribute and promise are very closely related. Those that have been forgiven will forgive. Those that have received mercy will show it. We should be forgiving people as Christians. We should not bear grudges. We should delight in showing mercy to the helpless, the poor, the orphans, and the widows because the Lord helped us when we were helpless.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
This idea of a pure heart is mentioned in the Psalms. Psalm 24 says, "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully." A pure heart is connected with clean hands, truth, and sole devotion to the Lord. This statement is also clearly pointed at the heart in contrast to the external emphasis of Jesus' day. And the pure in heart will ascend into the the hill of the Lord; we will see him in the glory of heaven.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
Understanding the promise here is crucial to understanding peacemaking. What does it mean to be called sons of God here? Is this in the adoptive/joint heirs sense? I don't think that is the point here. Verses 44-45 of chapter 5 clarifies. Jesus says to love your enemies so you will be called sons of God, for he makes the sun to rise and the rain to fall on both the evil and the good. Being called sons of God here means that we are acting like God in the way that a son emulates his father! God is the ultimate peacemaker. When we were his enemies, he loved us. He took initiative and made peace with us through Jesus. (Rom 5:1) We need to follow his example.

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
This verse provides an outline for the two that follow and also discuss persecution. First we look at the facts of persecution and then on our focus through persecution. Christians will be persecuted, and this persecution will only get worse. (2 Tim 3:12) Also, this persecution will be unjust. It will be false and evil. However, we must make sure that we are being persecuted for the right reasons. Peter says, "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters." There is a big difference between suffering for being passionate about the Lord and suffering for being a jerk. We need to make sure we are being persecuted for his sake. Our focus through persecution must be on the promise Jesus makes in this passage. We must focus on our future in heaven. If we are going to be willing to let this mortal life go and suffer persecution, we must step onto liquid, live by faith, and hope for heaven.

That's all for now on the Sermon on the Mount. I'm sure I'll be talking more about it in later posts. My parents get back in from South Africa this afternoon, and I guess you could say I'm psyched out of my mind about it. So until next time, praise God for the weather.

Speelin B

2006-06-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

So I was planning on blogging about the Beatitudes today. But as I started the second part of my shift at the fitness center, I turned on ESPN to find the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Wow. It is most definitely the most nerdy thing ever shown on ESPN, maybe that's why I'm so intrigued. I used to be a spelling bee champ back in the day, but I would get out on words like "agrarian" or "mestizo." These kids eat agrarian for breakfast. You will probably never hear the words they are spelling in normal conversation.

These kids are hard core. Many of them have been coming to this competition for years. The commentators compared one kid to an Olympic athlete who had skipped the opening ceremony because he had refrained from attending the barbecue (I don't even know if I spelled that right) so he could focus on his words. My pre-spelling bee routine was reading Calvin & Hobbes.

One of my favorite parts of the show broadcast is the camera shots of the parents watching their kids. They make soccer moms look straight up apathetic. The color commentary on the spelling bee is also pretty enlightening, ex. "As soon as she knew the two latin roots they might as well have handed it to her."

Don't miss out. The Spelling Bee is on most of the afternoon on ESPN, and the final rounds are on ABC in primetime. (Not even the NBA conference finals make network television on a weeknight.)

Enjoy, but I'll warn you. You might find yourself reading the dictionary...for fun! And watch out for saponin: A glycoside compound in plants, which, when shaken with water, has a foaming or "soapy" action.

Week 3 Update

2006-05-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

I am making a conscience effort to keep track of the days and weeks of my summer in order to avoid that unfortunate morning when I wake up and say, "Oh snap! There are only two more weeks left of summer." So far, my summer has been a flurry of activity. I spent week one (of thirteen summer weeks) traveling to Texas and all over California.

I spent week two pretty much working all day every day. In the mornings I wake up at 5AM and go open up the fitness center at school at 6, and then I work there until noon. Then I would drive out to Simi Valley/Moorpark to work on a political campaign. My work on the campaign falls into two primary categories: walking and knocking (door-to-door) and smiling and dialing (calling voters on the phone). Let me just say that these are not my favorite activities. However, I must say that the weather has been awesome for walking. I'm glad I'm not doing this in Texas. Also, the views from some of the places in Moorpark are pretty sweet. One of the things I've learned on the job is not to take myself too seriously. It's easy to get apprehensive when you're knocking on doors, and it's easy to be afraid that someone is going to slam the door in your face. I've learned to just keep going and not really worry about things like that.

My parents have been gone for the last couple weeks in South Africa. They get home in about 52 hours, and I'm really excited about. While they have been gone I have been able to spend some time with friends. Last Friday, a group of us made our own huge pizookie at Tommy's apartment. On Saturday, a few of us had a BBQ at my house. For four guys, it was a pretty good meal: grilled chicken, salad, garlic bread, strawberries, chips, and strawberry shortcake.

Well, that does it for the Week 3 update. Hopefully I'll post some tomorrow or Friday about the Beatitudes. Peace.

Happy Birthday, Mom

2006-05-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

Today is a wonderful day because it's my mom's birthday! Unfortunately, right now my mom is in South Africa, so she will be celebrating her birthday on the other side of the world.

I appreciate my mom. She has raised three boys who seem to have turned out all right (although I'm not so sure about the third one) and she has been constantly involved in the church. A couple things I appreciate most about my mom are her heart of service and her devotion to the Word of God.

My mom is a servant. She continually serves out family. She has done this beyond just cooking and cleaning (let me also mention that I am definitely missing my mom's home cooking while she is away), but she also has served our family spiritually. Her sweet spirit and constant love have shown us Christ in a tanglible way.

My mom is also lover of the word of God. She shares the attitude of Jeremiah when he says, "Your words were found and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart." (Jer. 15:16) I commonly saw her reading the Bible around the house in my youth. I have watched her involvement in leading women's Bible studies. She is gifted in both understanding and applying the text.

There are many things I appreciate about my mother, but her attitude of service and devotion to the word of God top the long list. So all this to say, Happy Birthday, Mom!

Blessed

2006-05-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

So once again I must apologize for my lack of blogging. Near the end of school I gave most of my time to the fourth edition of the Hotchkiss Starlet CD, which is now for sale at music stores all over the country.* After school ended I went to Texas and spent time with friends there. I got to see friends from high school and friends from church, and it was great to catch up with all of them. I even had a couple of people there tell me they were reading my blog, although I guess they haven't been reading it much lately because there hasn't been much to read.

After Texas, I flew to San Jose. I helped my brother and sister-in-law out with their final event with their youth group, which was loads of fun. Then last Saturday we loaded up all their stuff in a U-Haul and drove down to San Clemente. Bobby is the new high school pastor at Compass Bible Church. We all went to church there on Sunday, and I am very much excited about Bobby's opportunity for ministry there. They (along with little Tyler) are now in Chicago with the rest of the pastoral staff for a conference. (While traveling might have slowed down my blogging, Bobby and Christa have stayed strong. Check out their blogs for some good posts.)

As for me, I am back in Santa Clarita and will be spending most of my summer here. Right now I am working pretty much all day every day. In the mornings I am working in the fitness center at school, which is a really fun job. In the afternoons/evenings I am heading out to Simi Valley to work on a political campaign. This has been a good experience to see politics firsthand.

While I've been traveling, I have tried to chart out the things I want to study in the Bible over the summer, and I've settled on the Sermon on the Mount and Colossians. Just the past few days I have started looking at the Sermon on the Mount. This is the best sermon ever preached, and what better preacher than the Lord himself. I've decided that I cannot study the sermon and not be changed; if I'm not being changed, then I must not be studying. Christ's words are revolutionary.

This morning I was looking at the Beatitudes and was blown away by the blessings Christ offers. The Lord himself promises that the hungry will be filled up, that the mourning ones will be comforted, that the pure in heart shall see God. True blessing in life comes only from the Lord.

All the thirsty
Delight in his love
And are filled up

All the hungry
Find in His word
Life forver
-Godsong, "Come"

*And by all over the country I mean, if you want a copy, ask me.

2006-04-20T23:18:00.000-07:00

For All Who Will Follow

Another Thursday night has come and gone, and so has another Generations (group pic from about a month ago above). God has used Generations to bless me in so many ways, and tonight was no exception.

As a study we have been going through MacArthur's Daily Bible. Each Thursday, someone teaches on the week's memory verse. Tonight the sermon was on Luke 9:23-24, which says, "And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."

Joey Newton delivered a powerful message on these verses. True discipleship goes against everything the world tells us. I noticed two distinctives of discipleship:

We must lose ourselves in this life. Christ calls us to give up everything. This hit me on both the large scale as Joey spoke of martyrs and on the small scale as I thought of the countless small ways I need to deny my own desires daily.

We gain everything in Christ. This is the great thing about discipleship. We are giving up the inferior things of this life for the superiority of eternal life with Christ. And this eternal life begins now as we know the new life that he brings.

After the study had broken up into fellowship and dessert (which was really a full meal tonight--I had a cheese dog, shrimp, cake, strawberries, candy, and deviled eggs), I talked with Matt, a newcomer to our study who just got saved two weeks ago. Personally, I was refreshed and amazed as he told me about the work God had done and is doing in his life.

Both on the way to and from Generations, I was listening to some old Godsong, especially the song "For All Who Will Follow." The chorus says,

For all who will follow
You say, "Come take up your cross today"
And Lord, I am yours now
Raise me up to lose myself for your sake

Jesus is calling for us to leave all and follow him and find abundant life in him. Now that's really awesome.

2006-04-18T23:18:00.000-07:00

The Push is Over!

Over the past two and a half weeks, I have had tests, quizzes, projects, and papers due in every class. When I finished one, I simply started the next. But as of 12:15 this afternoon, what I like to call "the push" of the semester is over. The rest of the semester should be downhill until finals week. The stream of projects and tests has dried up. Most of what I have left is reading.

So I decided to take tonight to relax and celebrate. I ended up going to Vista Valenica driving range to hit golf balls with Brad Smith. If there ever was a night for going to the driving range, tonight was it. The winds that had swept through the Santa Clarita Valley all day subsided as the sun set. And if you've ever hit at a driving range at night, you know that few things feel better than hitting a good shot that goes out and disappears into the darkness. Brad and I had a good time talking about golf, school, the coolness of the Godsong podcast, and other things. After my bucket emptied, I drove back to school with the windows down and Jack Johnson serenading me.

After I got back, I hung out with guys on the wing for a while before going to small groups. Tonight we talked about decision making. We talked about how making good decisions requires consistent time in the Word. We also discussed how good decisions require counsel.

Now I am going to continue the celebration by sleeping...a lot. Hopefully a cessation of schoolwork will lead to an increase of blogging.

Here's some quick music updates:
I've recently been checking out a band called The Fray. Their song "Over My Head" is one of the fastest rising singles in the history of benTunes.

Godsong now has a podcast. Have you subscribed?

2006-03-27T00:23:00.000-08:00

Brevity is Nice

So Spring Break is definitely over, and school is absolutely back in session. Tonight and tomorrow I am working frantically on a respondent's brief for Law and Public Policy, but I thought I would give a quick update on the events from the past week.

-The Lady Mustangs ended their playoff run in the Final Four of the NAIA. This was their first ever Final Four appearance.

-In the Big Dance, J.J. and the Blue Devils lost, crushing my heart and my bracket. At least Florida made it, but honestly...who picked George Mason? I'm sure some George Mason alums are looking like geniouses in their office pools right now.

-On Wednesday, the former mayor of Santa Clarita, Cameron Smyth, came and spoke to some students here at TMC. He talked to us about his experiences in politics as well as Kevin Korenthal, who effectlively is the chairman of the Santa Clarita Valley Republican Party. The evening perked my interest for more involvement in local politics.

-Check this out: God's grace not only justifies those who believe in Christ, it sanctifies us, and someday by God's grace we will be glorified. That's amazing grace.

-Dr. Behle has started talking about the Sermon on the Mount in New Testament I. His lectures have helped me realize how important that sermon is. I have also read some of Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones's book on that sermon. I highly recommend it.

That's all for now. Back to the brief and then off to bed!

2006-03-21T19:32:00.000-08:00

Super Spring Break

Spring Break is over, and the piles of homework already loom over my head. But I think I'll take this blogging opportunity to reflect on what a merry time it was.

Last Wednesday, I headed up with Katie Slusher and Ashley Hall to Bodega Bay to join a group of 8 other TMC students at the beach home of the Stewarts. (Group picture above.) We had a blast. We endured a rainy start of the trip by watching March Madness, enjoying good movies like "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," and going to the mall in Santa Cruz. We especially enjoyed the massaging chairs in the Brookstone store at the mall and even got complimented on being a well-behaved group!

The morning definitely broke bright and fair on Friday morning, so I decided to take a stroll to the beach while most of the others were still asleep. I followed a beautiful path down from the house to a deserted beach and enjoyed the morning. I took about 30 pics on the walk; who knew what fun you could have with a sunny morning and a digital camera?

On Friday afternoon, we headed back to the Stewart's house for the rest of the weekend. One of the highlights of the time there was a tour of the Jelly Belly factory, where I learned that Jelly Belly Beans are almost pure sugar. While this may have bothered some in our group, it only encouraged me to buy more! It has to be a great candy when they describe a key part of the production process when a key part of it is "add(ing) four layers of sugar, and then we add four layers of powdered sugar." I stocked up on those things.

On Sunday, we all attended Grace Church of Napa Valley. Pastor John Fernadez preached a great sermon on missions from Acts 4. He started the sermon by talking about how awesome the gospel is--sharing it should be natural! He also talked about the importance of prayer in evangelism and missions.

After church on Sunday, we all headed back to Santa Clarita. Many of us were reluctant to return. We were wishing for an endless spring. While our spring break was only a week long, it was a good time of fun, refreshment, and fellowship with friends.

That's all for the Spring Break update. Now go listen to the "Renewed Life" sermon at Godsong Music.

And Go Duke!

2006-03-15T14:39:00.000-08:00

Off to NorCal...

Spring Break is about to really kick in for me as I'm about to take off for Bodega Bay and Napa Valley for the rest of the week. Here's some recommended reading while I'm gone:

Here'a a Washington Post column on Senator Feingold's resolution to censure the President. This sounds like something Howard Dean would do...YEEEAAAGHHH!

Read about a Beautiful Path at Godsong Music.

Check out how March Madness is taking over Together for the Gospel's blog.

Read Proverbs 3-4.

I'm out. Go Blue Devils.

2006-03-14T14:18:00.000-08:00

Spring Time

Spring Break is here, and oh, is it glorious! So far I've been relaxing, listening to Travis, working at baseball games, and catching up on both sleep and homework. Last night, Brain Gee and Kyle Ruggles came over, and we chilled in the hot-tub as we talked about everything from spiritual leadership to the greatness of Tiger Woods. Tomorrow I leave to go up north to Napa Valley and Bodega Bay to hang out with friends for the rest of the week. Wow, life is rough...

But Spring Break also means something else...March Madness is upon us once again, and I will be even more into March Madness this year because it will be J.J. Redick's last dance. I've had a lot of fun watching him over the last four years; hopefully, I can watch him go out on top.

With the Big Dance starting this week, I took this morning to fill out my bracket, a challenging annual task. So I set up at the computer with a blank bracket, the LA Times Tournament Preview section, and ESPN.com, and here's the Final Four I came up with.

Atlanta: Duke
Oakland: Kansas
Washington D.C.: UConn
Minneapolis: Florida

Duke and Connecticut are easily the two powerhouse teams in College Hoops this year (comparable to Illinois and North Carolina last year,) and they are the only two teams that have been ranked #1 all year. I think the championship will come down to those two, but that very well may not be the case--we're in for a good tournament.

The Oakland and Minneapolis regions were harder for me to decide. I think that Oakland is the weakest bracket. I have very little respect for Conference-USA, and therefore don't have much hope for Memphis, the #1 seed. (Speaking of smaller conferences, how in the world did the Missouri Valley Conference get 4 teams in the Dance? Ridiculous.) And as much as people like Gonzaga and as cool as a Redick-Morrison showdown would be in the Final Four, I just don't think Gonzaga is that good. They are 1-3 this season against other tournament teams, and they have made early exits the last two years. Hopefully, they'll prove me wrong.

The hard part is over. I've filled in the bracket, so now I can put that one away and get a new blank bracket for what really happens. It should be a great tournament. You don't have to look past this first weekend for what should be some great games.

If you did a bracket, let me know who is in your Final Four, or if you think I'm off my rocker, I probably am. It isn't called March Madness for nothing...

2006-03-13T08:50:00.000-08:00

I Love Technology

Last night was an experience in technology for me. It all started with my iPod. My iPod is a pretty nifty gadget. It allows me to carry days of music and movies right in my pocket, to be listened to or watched at my convenience. (Steve Jobs is a genious.)

But technology gets difficult when things break, and last night my iPod would not turn off. This was not good. Instantly, I was thinking, "Why did I spend $300 dollars on this thing?"

So I did what anyone else would do trying with such a technological problem. I went to Google and searched for "my iPod won't turn off." (By the way, the Google guys are geniouses, too.) With seconds I found out that I could reset my iPod by holding down the Menu and Select buttons, and my iPod was working great again in no time.

This experience got me thinking even more about technology. As I was driving home, I thought about how cool a car is. I was operating a machine that travels at 70 mph, while lighting its own way, while serenading me with music I had selected on my iPod. Technology these days...

Last night at church, Pastor MacArthur continued talking about heaven. As I pondered technology last night, my mind also thought about how vastly superior heaven will be to this world. For all the cool technology we have, life is still far from perfect. Things break, people get sick and die, and even some of the technology we have comes at the expense of the environment. And above all this, technology does not have the ability to sanctify us. Steve Jobs and the Google guys aren't going to make us sinless.

However, someday Christians will live in a perfect world. Nothing will break. There will be no sickness, crying, or death. And above all this: we will be like Jesus! We will be perfect and have no sin. That sounds awesome.

Heaven is a wonderful place--I wanna go there...

2006-03-07T14:46:00.000-08:00

Wow. It feels good to be posting again. Due to recent events and ponderings, I've decided to try and post a bit more. But because of college and being busy and wanting to do everything and only having time for some things, I'm going to try to keep the posts shorter, while the subjects may be a bit broader and random.

Dr. Jack Simons (a communications Professor at TMC) gave a great chapel message yesterday. The messages in chapel this week are a series on Christians engaging the culture. Simons talked about the importance of Christians knowing what is going on in our world and thinking biblically about it. He gave a plethora of practical tips for how to do this, everywhere from reading magazines to reading blogs. This blog and hopefully blogs to come are a fruit of that encouragement.

He also recommended some more poltical-type blogs, including The Federal Review and Powerline, so I might be reading those a bit more.

Another blog I checked out today for the first time is the Together for the Gospel Blog, where Mark Dever, Al Mohler, C.J. Mahaney, and Ligon Duncan post. (By the way, Mark Dever says that chapel at TMC "was the most impressive Christian college chapel I have seen. Hundreds of students obviously eager to hear God's Word. " How's that for pretty cool?) I'll be sure to be checking out that more.

I also read a great blog today at Godsong Music about prayer by Bradford Smith. Check it out.

That's all for now. "(Wisdom's) ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." -Proverbs 3:17

2006-01-26T22:41:00.000-08:00

Not Just Any Other Day

From the start, today was destined to be a good day. I got to start the day by spending some time talking and praying with a few wingmates, and the day eventually reached its climax in being able to go to Generations for the first time this semester. But as the day started my memory was unexpectedly prompted to think about something that happened on this day eight years ago.

This morning, I was reading a blog about Revival at www.godsongmusic.com. In this post, my brother reflects on a series of awesome events that occured his senior year in high school. Revival rocked our tiny school, especially the senior class. And one Monday afternoon, Bobby and his friend, Matt Ferris, came to visit my fifth and sixth grade class. Matt told our class his testimony and how he had recently truly repented and given his life to the Lord. I remember sitting in the classroom, terrified by my own sin and need for repentance. I went to the my Dad's office after that and prayed with him, seeking to repent of my sins before the Lord. I am still not sure if this is when I truly became a Christian or if I had been before, but I know that the events of that day, January 26, 1998, had a definite impact on my life. I did learn a valuable lesson about repentance, I learned that living the Christian life was a daily undertaking, and I really started to have a desire to read the Bible for my own. I know that that day was part of God's faithfulness to complete the work he had started in me. I thank God for his pursuit of me; I am grateful that he saved me, that he is sanctifying me, and that I will spend eternity in heaven, praising the One who lives, and was dead, and is alive forevermore.

2006-01-23T15:19:00.000-08:00

Giddy as a Schoolboy

Today is one of those days when I am more aware of my nerdiness. It is the first day of classes for the Spring Semester here at The Master's College. And instead of filling me with dread, thoughts of papers, reading, and rousing class dialogue excite me. On top of my usual propensity towards being a nerd, I am particularly looking forward to my classes this semester. The class load should not be too intense, and I'm interested in all the classes I'm taking! I'm also diving into two upper division political studies classes this semester, and it is exciting to get started on my major classes.

I'm also excited to get back into the routine of school. Last week I attended two Bible conferences. Both were stellar, but now I feel the need to simply think and digest the things I learned there and apply them. Hopefully now I will have time to do just that.

At Resolved: I was blessed to hear some of the best preaching that I've ever heard from C.J. Mahaney, Steve Lawson, John MacArthur, and Rick Holland. The messages actually covered a variety of topics, but I was able to take away a couple of main themes from the conference. One was the need to remain cross-centered in my thinking. In order to accurately apply the things I learned, I must remember what Jesus did on the cross. He cried, "It is finished;" I can know that my salvation is complete. And as MacArthur pointed out in his sermon on the Prodigal Son, the Father has completely forgiven me--I am reconciled to him. The conference definitely brought an increase in my awareness of my own sin, so it is essential to know that I am forgiven. The conference also brought a renewed enjoyment of life. Rick Holland preached a great opening message on Ecclesiastes. God wants us to enjoy life! And how can we do this? By enjoying God because he is most desirable!

The next conference was the Truth and Life Conference here at TMC. The theme this year was "Created Male & Female." The speakers were John MacArthur, Wayne Grudem, and R. Kent Hughes. I loved this conference because it painted a beautiful picture of marriage and the biblical roles of men and women. Grudem was my favorite speaker there. He is unapologetically nerdy, yet hysterically funny. And he is not afraid to test the standard of the Bible against that of the world because he knows that the Bible is right.

But now it's back to classes. Back to the homework and business of school. And here comes the test of applying the things I learned at the conferences. Although it is easy to lose sight of those things in the midst of the day, I am encouraged by the Bible when it says. "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on things of the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you will appear with Him in glory." (Col 3:1-4)

So until next time. Keep pressing on, focus on the cross, enjoy life, keep your mind on things above, and let His word dwell in you richly. And if you have time, play some Civ IV.

2006-01-05T14:21:00.000-08:00

Yeah, so the Trojans lost in pretty much one of the best college football games ever. This year's championship game was everything last year's wasn't. It was close. It was exciting. The Trojans lost.

Throughout most of the game I had little doubts about the Trojans ability to win the game. They had been down before. They're a great second-half team. They had two Heisman winners in the backfield. It wasn't until near the end when my deep confidence turned into a sick doubt. After the Trojans failed on a fourth down conversion, UT got the ball with about two minutes left, and Vince Young again proved to be unstoppable and scored the winning touchdown for the Longhorns. The Trojans' streak was over.

The Trojans have been a fun team to root for over the past few years. No matter what the score, I always had a confidence that they would win...and they did. This is in contrast to the other teams I root for. For example, each October I get this sick feeling that the Braves will lose in the first round of the playoffs...and they do. But the Trojans have been different. They have been unstoppable...until last night.

As human beings, we like this feeling of confidence. We like it in sports teams, and we also like it in fictional characters. We feel safe whenever Gandalf or Aslan are on the screen because we know that the good guys can't lost when they're around. We enjoy reading Sherlock Holmes because we know that he will solve the crime no matter how baffling it may seem to be. And somehow we remain sure that Jack Bauer will always find a way to keep Los Angeles and America safe. However, as fun as these characters may be to watch or read about, they are fictional.

Sports teams let you down. Superman and Peter Pan don't exist. So the end of the matter is this: Make sure your hope is in the Lord because he gives real confidence. Recently I have been reading Revelation, and near the beginning Jesus says to John, "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore." We can be truly confident in the Lord. He doesn't have any Heisman trophies, but he does have the keys to Death and Hades in his hands, and he has never failed to keep any of his promises. So until next time, Fight On!

2005-12-24T17:05:00.000-08:00

King of the Box Office

It may seem odd, but when I am listening to the soundtracks for the Lord of the Rings, I feel like I am listening to Christmas music. Why is this? For three years, my Christmas Breaks were inextricably linked with a new installment of the series as I would see them three to four times in the theatres. These films dominated the movies at Christmas and were all directed by Peter Jackson. This year he has done it again. Like King Kong and the Empire State Building, he has climbed with ease to the top of the Christmas-season box office for the fourth time in five years. And I must admit that last year did not feel quite the same without a new Lord of the Rings to see.

In The Lord of the Rings, Jackson took the timeless texts of J.R.R. Tolkien and brought them to life on the big screen. While some scenes had to be cut and the movies strayed in some places from the books, Jackson remained remarkably true to the spirit of these stories. Like the books, the films grow from a peaceful depiction of hobbits and the Shire to an awesome depiction of a war covering all of Middle-Earth. Jackson masterfully captured both the growth of the characters as well as the battles of an epic war. Like Tolkien, Jackson created a timeless work of his own.

This Christmas, Jackson decided to try and give life to a classic film, King Kong. Along with many of the key behind-the-scenes people from Lord of the Rings, Jackson again topped the holiday box office. With amazing visual effects, Jackson captivates the audience as he tells the story of the biggest ape ever to hit the screen. Unlike many movies that give away all their big surprises in the previews, Jackson saves his for the first viewing of the movie. You were amazed when you thought that King Kong fought a T-Rex, but what you did not know is that he fights three of them--and he dominates them. However, although the visuals of Kong were impressive, other aspects of the film were not as captivating as The Lord of the Rings. The material Jackson was working with was not as good and the character development did not possess the same depth. Part of this problem was caused by the fact the main character is a mute ape, and although I thought is was cool how he could toy with three T-Rexes, I had little sympathy for him. And while he spends much time wowing audiences with visual effects, he spends less time developing his characters, especially at the end of the film. While these elements may have been lacking, Jackson still delivered with an amazing film that contains things you never thought you would see on the big screen.

Although it seems that his new minimum length for a movie is three hours, Jackson has proven that he can do remarkable things. He made the world of middle-earth real and brought a ginormous ape to life. He has also shown that the better the story he has to work with, the better film he will make. So what should he do next? The Hobbit...perhaps?

2005-12-19T17:28:00.000-08:00

A Semester in Review
So what have I been up to in my blogging absence?

It is no news to anyone that my blogging has been less than consistent over my first semester of college. In the midst of homework and Hotchkiss, I just have not had much time for blogging. So you might be asking, "What in the world was I up to that was more important than updating my blog?" Well, I'll respond with a few highlights of my semester.

Generations If you have visited my blog at all recently and noticed the paucity of posts, you have also probably noticed me writing about Generations. Therefore I don't really need to say much about it. Generations is the Bible Study I attend on Thursday nights. From high schoolers to old folks, the people are awesome.

Hotchkiss Before I set foot on TMC as a student, I was destined to live in the best dorm on campus. For seven years before me, my brothers have dwelt in the halls of Hotchkiss. I have followed in their footsteps and I am loving it! The only problem with Hotchkiss is that sometimes I don't get as much homework done as I would like, but frankly, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

Outreach Week Another highlight of my semester was Outreach Week. During this week, TMC students get sent out to various SoCal churches, and I signed up to go to Corona. One of the reasons I enjoyed this week so much was the team I was on. No matter what happened, we were determined to serve the church there and have a good time doing it. I grew through working with teammates, and I even had the chance to teach some of the coolest junior highers in the world on Sunday morning. We even got to help out with 80's skate night. I'm already looking forward to Outreach Week '06. Yeah, Corona.

A Weekend in Texas Early in the semester, the parents of one of my San Antonio friends contacted me about coming out and surprising their son, Derek, for his 18th birthday. Fortunately everything worked out, and I was able to go. Richard Carroll, another friend of mine from BA, also came down to surprise Derek. We all had a great weekend thinking of our good high school memories as well as creating some new ones. From raptor walking to coconuts to football/napping to poker to hanging out in the attic at BA, we had good times all around.

Chapel Every Monday/Wednesday/Friday, TMC students head to the gym for chapel. Each week chapel is a highlight as we all gather together to sing and to hear great messages about God's word from skilled speakers. I remember looking at the schedule on night with my roommate to see who would speak in chapel the next day. When we saw "Sab Matsumoto," our first thought was mutual: Great...a math professor. However, we were both challenged by his great message of living a focused life from Philippians 3. It is such a blessing to hear from so many different speakers throughout the course of the semester.

My Job What is the perfect college job? I used to think that it was one of the jobs that allowed you to do your homework as you merely watched people go in and out of the fitness center. But now I know what it really is--getting payed to go to the basketball games. For all the home basketball games, I work alongside Travis Dalton keeping stats. What beats getting paid to have a front row seat?

These are just a few highlights of what has been an amazing semester. It feels like time has gone by so fast, yet at the same time it seems like ages since the summertime. I can only look forward to the next semester with great anticipation. With all that has happened this semester, who knows what will occur next time around? Who knows what friends I will make, what challenges I will face in the classroom, what random fun will take place in Hotchkiss, what lessons the Lord teach? I sure don't. But I can't wait to find out.

2005-11-11T00:48:00.000-08:00

Yeah I'm psyched out of my mind again

Let me introduce you to one of the joys of my life. It's called "Generations." Generations is a Bible study I attend every Thursday night in Northridge at the home of Bob & Terri White. Although the study is a part of GComm's college group, it by no means includes only college students. The study includes many seminary students and young married couples, many elderly and wise people, and even some younger people. Let me tell you about just a few of the reasons why I like Generations so much.

The Teaching This study is blessed with incredible teaching. The main teacher of the study is Bob White, but we also have the privilege of having many of the seminary students teach. We have been going through the second half of Ephesians this semester, and it has been great learning about the difference our beliefs should make in our lives. We also had a retreat earlier this semester, which included great teaching on the topic of pride.

The Music It has been my great blessing to be involved in the music ministry at Generations. I am on a rotating team of musicians who serve by leading worship. The environment is awesome! For the past few years I have been leading music in chapel and in a high school group, and I often look out and see people staring into space, looking down, clearly disengaged with the singing. At Generations everyone is singing! As I was practicing this afteroon I reminded myself not to play too loudly on my guitar. But when we started singing and 60 voices joined in, filling the living room with praise, it became clear that playing too loudly would not be a problem.

The Fellowship When Generations concludes, it feels like it is only half over because food and fellowship await. We stand around for sometimes over an hour eating and talking. We enjoy the food, we have a lot of fun, and we also have discussions that will encourage our walks with the Lord.

The fellowship of believers is a wonderful thing, so I would encourage you. Be involved in your church. Get involved in a home bible study. Meet regularly with friends who will build up your faith.

I'll leave you with some of the words from a song we sang tonight, I'd Rather Have Jesus

Than to be the king of a vast domain
Or be held in Sin's dread sway
I'd rather have Jesus
Than anything this world affords today

2005-11-07T00:34:00.000-08:00

Moonlit Meditations II

Here I sit in the Hotchkiss lounge at 12:30 AM frantically working on Old Testament and Intro to Lit, trying to get a jump start on one of the busiest weeks yet of the semester. However, instead of feeling panicky, fretful, or mad at life, I find myself at peace and actually immensely happy. How can this be?

Here are just a couple reasons:

1) God has put awesome people in my life. All my life I have been surrounded by amazing people that have provided me with friendship and encouragement in my faith. The prime example of this would be my family. I could not ask for parents that are more commited to God's Word, and I thank God for two brothers who continue to teach me Christianity by example, and now I have a sister-in-law who does so as well. Now I go to school at The Master's College and attend church at Grace Community Church, where I am also surounded by a plethora of solid people. Praise God for the blessings.

2) God's truth is good in all circumstances. This is going to be a busy week. Tomorrow I have a project/test due in two of my classes and then I have big assignments or tests in my other three classes later in the week. Should this make me worry and shun other people because I'm too busy being concerned about myself? No! God is the same at all times, and through his strength I can live victoriously even in busy times. I can still let his truth dwell in me richly and let his amazing love overflow in my relationships with others.

That's all for my moonlit meditations for tonight.

You did not wait for me
To draw near to you
But you clothed yourself in frail humanity
You did not wait for me
To cry out to you
But you let me hear you voice calling me

And I'm forever grateful...that you came to seek and save the lost

2005-10-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

Here I sit on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon reading and writing about poetry. Now depending on who you are, that's really good or that's really bad. I happen to enjoy well-written poetry. With an economy of words it captures beauty better than possibly any other written medium.

I've spent about the last hour typing away about poetry, nature, and the response they create when put together. By looking at two poems ("I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by Wordsworth and "God's Grandeur" by Hopkins for those who are interested), I decided that the poets were aiming for a response of appreciation and responsibility.

I finished the writing with a greater appreciation for poetry and then realized the wonders of nature that I was currently experiencing. I could feel the cool breeze blowing in through my window; I could observe the cloudless sky from my window; I could walk around my dorm and take in the sights of the Santa Clarita Valley. And I decided that just like the poetry I had read about, nature should indeed inspire appreciation and responsibility.

Let's face it: God's creation is AWESOME! Whether it is displayed in the serenity of a sunny Sunday afternoon or the the lights and loudness of a thunderstorm, "God's Grandeur" is not hard to observe. We should appreciate it. And we should do more than merely say, "It's a beautiful day," but we should be praising God because we know that he made it.

God's creation should also give a sense of responsibility. We should always remember that God is the one who created what we see, and that should remind us that he is the Lord of the World, and we are accountable to him.

So as we go through life and take in the sights and sounds of nature, may we always be mindful that "The heavens declare the glory of God." May we enjoy nature as we enjoy the One who gave it to us.

2005-10-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

Coming Back
The Hardest Part

First, I'd like to apologize for the ginormous interval of time that has elapsed since my last post. Hopefully this post will be a step back toward regularity.

Last week, classes at The Master's College were cancelled from Wednesday to Friday for the sake of Outreach Week. During Outreach Week, the college sends out teams to about 50 churches in Southern California for the sake of service and outreach.

I was on Team Corona. We went to Corona Evangelical Free Church and helped mostly with service to the church and community along with assistance to the junior high group. We cleaned out the church's tents, did yard work for ailing church members, volunteered at a local settlement house, attended the junior high group's 80's Skate Night (sorry I don't have a picture of that one), and helped teach the youth groups on Sunday morning.

The week was awesome. Our team bonded well and had tons of fun. I also felt that I learned a many things about service and working with others. But at the end of the week, I felt as though we were all a bit reluctant to return to school.

This made me think that after events like Outreach Week, summer camp, a retreat, or a vacation, returning to the normal routine is hard. And as I thought about this concept, I realized that it was coming back that was the necessary part.

Why is this? Coming back and returning to our routines gives us the chance to apply the things we have learned. I really enjoyed Outreach Week and all the things I learned there, but by returning and immersing myself back into the waters of schoolwork I am now able to apply what I learned. I am now back in the daily trials where I will be strengthened by what I have learned.

So next time you're having trouble returning to normal from a great experience, may you be encouraged and may you use what you learned to turn the normal experiences into great ones.

2005-09-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

From Pride to Humility
From Theory to Practice

College is in full swing. I'm starting to have exams. Projects are starting to be due. So what do I do for the weekend? I go to the Generations Bible Study Retreat in Santa Barbara.

Over the past few weeks, I have had the extreme pleasure of attend Generations, a GComm college group Bible Study held at the home of Bob & Teri White in Northridge. The study not only contains college students, but everyone from seminary students to the elderly.

Last weekend at the Cabrillo Inn at the Beach, we had a great time of fun, food, relaxing at the beach, playing midnight Mafia, and learning great truths from God's Word. The main topics of discussion for the weekend were pride and humility.

The first night Joey Newton lead the bible study on the topic of pride. We looked at pride all the way back to the fall of Satan and the Garden of Eden. I was confronted by the atrocity that pride is--dethroning God and seeking to put myself in his position. Joey also went through a list of 30 manifestations of pride, taken from a Stuart Scott pamphlet. I winced many times as I saw the different manifestations. Unlike many other sins we think of, pride is so subtle and can easily creep into our judgment. Therefore, we must constantly be guarding against it, be developing a high view of God, and be practicing humility.

In the last session of the weekend, Bob White lead the study on humility, also accompanied with a list of manifestations of humility (also adapted from Scott.) The two studies helped me to see the evil of pride and the necessity of humility. Pride becomes so much more terrifying when we grasp its full implications. Also, the handouts were very helpful to me because they helped me not only realize the necessity of putting off pride and on humility, but also see practical ways I can do this.

We all struggle with pride--we are madly in love with ourselves. May we all worship God alone, for he will not share his glory with another. And let us take practical steps to turn pride into humility in our own lives.

I just realized one thing about the new comment guidelines. It could very well be that you are somewhat apprehensive about putting something with your name on it out there on the world wide web. Therefore, feel free to e-mail me any time at stepontoliquid@yahoo.com. I hope that isn't too hard to remember.

2005-09-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

A Note from Ben

As much as I enjoy receiving comments, and as much as I enjoy watching the comment total for one post go into double-digits, I have decided to install a few comment guidelines for this blog:

1) I ask that your comment be related to the post in some way

2) I ask that you leave your name

I will start deleting at my discretion comments that are not related to the post or that are left anonymously. This will definitely include any spam commenting.

I appreciate your cooperation and encourage you to step onto liquid.

2005-09-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

Psyched
Some Musings on Nehemiah 12

To be frank, life is good. College is keeping me pretty busy, and therefore I have been somewhat negligent in my blogging duties. However, God is good, and over the last week he has blessed The Master's College with some awesome weather, and I have also had the privilege of hearing some great chapel messages, doing lots of homework, evacuating the dorm at all hours of the night, and going to a soccer game (pictured above.)

Yesterday, I read Nehemiah 12, and after reading it I experienced one of those times when I just get psyched out of my mind about. This chapter tells the story of Nehemiah dedicating the newly rebuilt wall in Jerusalem--a marvelous testimony of God's faithfulness. It showed God's faithfulness in two primary ways: 1) God was faithful to bring the Israelites back to the Promised Land after the exile, 2) God led the builders through much adversity during construction.

God's faithfulness is a truly amazing thing, and we do not have to look very far to see it. We observe it in the Bible, particularly in God's dealings with the nation of Israel. We see it in nature and how the sun rises each day and the seasons run their course each year. We feel it most keenly in our own lives as we experience God's faithfulness to us in a myriad of personal ways.

In reading this passage, I also noted two distinct responses of the Israelites to God's faithfulness. The first was purity. Verse 30 talks about the priests purifying themselves, the people, the gates, and the walls. Although this was a ritual, it symbolized the inner act of purification that was occuring. God's faithfulness should have a similar impact on us, especially in regard to the return of Jesus. We know that God is faithful, and we know that he has yet to fulfill many promises. Therefore we should be waiting expectantly for him and looking for Christ's return. "And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure." (1 John 3:3)

God's faithfulness also inspired a great response of praise. This chapter describes an awesome celebration involving multiple, loud praise choirs and much rejoicing all around. Verse 43 says, "And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away."

God is faithful, and we enjoy the fruits of his faithfulness every day. May we respond like the Israelites did here. May we pursue purity and look expectantly toward the future. And may our lives be a festival of praise to God that can even be heard "far away."

2005-09-15T16:10:00.000-07:00

The Ship is Sinking
So What are We Going to Do About It?

For the last week, Dr. Boyd, my Old Testament Survey II professor, has demanded most of my time, and my blogging duties have therefore been neglected. But fear not, my blogging ambitions have not been abandoned, for I am back.

Speaking of being back, last Sunday was John MacArthur's first Sunday back at Grace Community Church after a few months of sabbatical. In his two sermon's last Sunday, he talked about recognizing a true church and what a church should be all about. His main two points were that a church should be all about Jesus and the Bible, but in one of his other points he talked about how the church should not be all about politics. He said, "We [The Church] are not trying to rearrange the furniture on the Titanic. We are trying to hand out lifeboats."

The church should never forget that only Jesus Christ can bring true change in someone's life. Whether they are "moral" or not, people are going to die, and they need to be prepared for this inevitability with the cleansing blood of Christ. This morning Prof. Jensen, my World History teacher, said, "At the end of the day, the thief, the prostitute, and the deputy sheriff go to hell without Christ." The ship is sinking, and Jesus Christ is the only lifeboat that brings salvation.

I often write about this issue of the church & politics, but as I was reminded in World History this morning, this is not an "either/or" situation. I would encourage all Christians to be involved in politics. Pay attention to current events (like the confirmation hearings for John Roberts.) Vote, and even attend your precinct meeting. Get involved in a campaign. Run for office. And do it all for the glory of Jesus Christ.

As we go throughout our lives, whether we are politicians, accountants, students, or pastors, we must always remember that the ship is sinking. We must at all times be ready to present the gospel, the only lifeboat the leads to safety.

2005-09-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

Why?
I don't know, but I'll tell you what I do know

No one escapes tragedy. Some may live less tragic lives than others, but sooner or later, everyone must face tragedy. Sometimes it comes on a grand scale, like 9/11, or other times it comes on a smaller scale, like a death in the family.

Over the past week, I have been reminded of tragedy. I have heard stories of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that I cannot even comprehend. Many people's lives have been changed forever; many lives have been lost. I was also reminded of tragedy as I attended a memorial service for Bethany Rehrer in chapel last Friday.

Tragedy often forces a simple question: why? This question almost always quickly brings me to the end of my knowledge. But when I experience or observe tragedy, I find it helpful to remind myself of a few things.

First, God is in control. No matter what the tragedy, God is always in control. Even though the news of the Rehrers' deaths came as a shock to me, God was not surprised at all. He was on his throne, orchestrating every event. Also, God was in control of the exact path of Hurricane Katrina. The power of the winds are not too much for God, rather they are manifestations of his power and glory. Again we find ourselves asking, "Why?" And again, we cannot always know the answer. God is sovereign and infinitely above us. For a great John Piper article on this, click here.

Second, death comes to all. Whether it happens suddenly or after a long, full life, we all will die if the Lord tarries. Also, many times we wonder if certain deaths or catastrophes were a direct result of God's judgment. But as I was reminded this Sunday, all death is judgment. Why do we die? We die because we sin. A group of people once asked Jesus about some who had tragically died. Jesus answered, "Do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” We are all going to die; we must be ready.

Third, we have a Savior. When we realize that we will die, we are quickly confronted with our sin and therefore our need for a Savior. But the good news of the gospel is this: we have a Savior in Jesus Christ. He has paid the price for our sins, and if we believe in him, we can find eternal life. We can live with no fear of death. We can have hope in the face of tragedy.

The inevitability of tragedy shows all of us how much we do not know, and shows us our need for a Savior. Praise be to God that through Jesus Christ, we can find forgiveness, hope, and eternal life. And once again may we all remember those suffering in the Gulf States in our prayers.

(The record should note that this post was temporarily interrupted for a fire drill.)

2005-09-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

Thirsty

This is my new Brita water filter. I started college a week ago, and the only easily accessible water comes from the drinking fountain across the hall or the bathroom sink. However, once I pass this suspect water through my Brita and put in in my fridge, I feel like I am drinking straight from a mountain spring. Well, maybe not, but the Brita has been especially nice this week because I have been sick and therefore forcing fluids. (I am starting to feel better.)

I have been thinking a lot about "thirst" this week, and in a broader sense than just the wonderful water from my Brita. Psalm 63:1-4 says this:

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you;

my flesh faints for you,

as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,

beholding your power and glory.

Because your steadfast love is better than life,

my lips will praise you.

So I will bless you as long as I live;

in your name I will lift up my hands.

I have been challenged by this Psalm. Do I thirst for God? Do I long for him so much that my flesh faints? Over the past week I have celebrated my 19th birthday, and as I have thought about a new year of life, I hope to make this year a year of thirsting for God. I hope to desire God more and more throughout the year, and then seek him more the next year.

Why should we thirst for God? Thankfully, David provides a pretty good answer: Because your steadfast love is better than life. We thirst for God because we know he satisfies. He quenches the desires of our heart. Sometimes we get sidetracked and look for fulfillment elsewhere, and that is sad because we are rejecting God himself when we do so. But this year I intend to seek to become more acquainted with God, who satisfies our hearts, gives us salvation, and quenches our thirst for living water, which is way better than even the Brita variety.

2005-08-27T21:44:00.000-07:00

Give and Take Away

The last month of my life has been perhaps the most eventful one, for I have moved from Texas to California with my parents and then moved into Hotchkiss Hall at The Master's College. (And by the way, Disneyland lied. Hotchkiss is the happiest place on earth.)

My stay here at TMC has been started by WOW (Week Of Welcome.) WOW is an eventful week of orientation for new students that is full of things from trips to the beach to class-like lectures to luaus to crazy dorm competitions to concerts. Over the past week I have started to settle in at TMC and made many new friends. I have certainly been blessed.

Today I experienced another blessing as I went home to celebrate my birthday with my parents, my brother and his wife, Ty "the Guy" Sager, and my uncle Ernie. We had a great time together, and I also was blessed with gifts like a digital camera, a Brita water filter, a sweet cork-board/whiteboard, and a live performance by Godsong. After the party was over I was able to relax around the house and watch a Braves game.

However, in the midst of such awesomeness, I have also experienced some difficulties. The main difficulty is that over the past few days I have developed a very annoying cold. On Thursday I had a sore throat, on Friday a severely stuffed-up nose, and today a cough that makes me sound like I've smoked for 50 years. Along with all this I have felt very achy and tired. This situation has in some ways cut-back on my ability to enjoy some of the blessings of this week.

As I have thought about this situation, I keep remembering the lyrics to Matt Redman's song, "Blessed be Your Name." Many of the lyrics for this song come from Job, and it speaks of praising God all the time, whether the "world is all that it should be" or our road is marked with suffering. The Lord has certainly blessed me in so many ways this week, and he has also sovereignly chosen to give me a trial with my health. So whether I am relaxing with family or the guys on the wing or coughing up a storm, what can I say but "Blessed be the name of the Lord."

2005-08-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

The Road Home
Home...But Not Home Yet

When I wake up in the morning now, instead of feeling my fan and the air conditioning, I feel the cool morning air coming through my window. When I go out to lunch now, In-N-Out Burger is always at the top of my option list.

It does indeed feel great to be back in sunny Southern California. Not only does it feel great to be here, but it is thrilling to think that I live here now. But as I have traveled this road home, I keep encountering a certain thought: California is not really home! Although California will always feel like an earthly home to me, I have started thinking about how Christians can never really call any earthly place "home." Our home is Heaven, and we must therefore live as strangers & exiles here in this world. Hebrews 11 says, "But [Abraham and Sarah] desire a better country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city."

So whether we're from Texas, California, Maine, or Hawaii, we must live life remembering that Heaven is our home. We should plan careers in the light of eternal impact. We should treat money like it all belongs to God (because it does), and we should make sure we invest in heavenly treasures.

My internet is now up and running here at college, so hopefully blogging will resume to some state of normality. Until next time, keep stepping onto liquid.

2005-08-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

Pictures from
The Road Home

This is pretty much the view I had while driving behind the parents, so you can probably tell that there is not much scenery on the stretches of road we were driving on. Therefore, I passed the time listening to some great music, including Matt Redman's new cd and lots of Coldplay.

Sunset on the road...

Here's a picture of a cool but random rock in Arizona.

This was our favorite stop of the trip. We stopped at the In-N-Out in Palm Springs at Ramone Road for our first In-N-Out Burgers as returned Californians.

These are some pictures of/from our new house.

2005-08-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

The Road Home
And We're Off

This morning we all woke from excitement at six in the morning, ate breakfast, and we on the road by 6:30 AM. I am now posting this during a brief stop in Fort Stockton.

No, not really...

We slept in this morning. Yesterday the final round of the PGA championship was not completed due to weather, so we decided that we would stick around and watch it this morning. Phil Mickelson won his second major (his reaction to his first is pictured above) with an exciting birdie on the 72nd hole.

But now we are off. I am turning off my laptop, placing it in its case, going to the car, and leaving. Pray for good safety and Godspeed for us. We are leaving just after 10 AM, Central Time.

Some thoughts for today:
Psalm 138&139

2005-08-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

The Road Home
The Final Farewell

As a pastor at Believers Fellowship, one of my dad's greatest desires was for people to come to Sunday Evening Church and Wednesday Night Prayer meeting. Tonight he found out how to ensure a crowd: leave. Believers Fellowship was packed out tonight as my father preached his last message there.

The service brought some great times of reflection on the great things God has done over the past ten years. Many tears were shed, but overall the night brought a focus on the goodness and the grace of God.

After the service, there was a Farewell Reception in the gym, and we got the chance to say good-bye to the believers with whom we have fellowshiped here in Texas. After that I went to Starbucks in the Forum with a good crew of my friends. We drank Frappuccinos, we played cards, we had some good times.

As I was walking out of Starbucks, I thought to myself, "Texas life is over." Tomorrow we leave it all behind as we head out to California. Who knows when or if we will see many of the people we said good-bye to tonight. This move will bring big changes to the Blakey family. My dad will be starting a new ministry, my mom will be getting involved in new ways at a new church, and next Saturday I will be checking in at The Master's College.

We are sad as we leave many friends behind in Texas, but we are eager to get on the road and excited to see the ways that God will be good to us in our new lives in California.

I'm off to bed now because tomorrow we leave, and the road home is long.

2005-08-14T05:21:00.000-07:00

The Road Home
Remember

Yesterday was our last chance to spend a day out and about in the city of San Antonio, so we did. And of course you cannot leave Texas without visiting the Alamo one more time, or so my dad says. Once as a little boy he cried when his family went through Texas without going to the Alamo. Texas is a big state; his family was nowhere near San Antonio. Nevertheless, we were not far from this Shrine of Texas Liberty, so we went downtown to visit the Riverwalk and the Alamo one more time.

Dowtown San Antonio is a miraculously wonderful place. The cleanliness and beauty of the Riverwalk leave you with a feeling that most downtowns do not. We enjoyed walking around the Riverwalk one last time and even enjoyed lunch at the new Johnny Rockets there. We had a great time downtown, walking the Riverwalk and "Remembering the Alamo" one more time.

In our last day out and about in San Antonio, we also visited one more spot for the sake of remembrance. We visited the gravesite of the Rehrers. It was somewhat of a surreal experience to think that four people who had been full of life now lie lifeless there in the ground. This is the end we will all meet someday. The Rehrers now only live in the presence of their Lord. However, in a sense they will always live on in the hearts and memories of everyone who knew them. Even when we are gone, we all leave behind a legacy of what we lived for, and we all remember the impact the Rehrers had on our lives. This made me think about what kind of legacy I will leave behind. Am I living for something that will make an impact beyond my lifetime? Or really, am I living for the Lord and making an impact for eternity?

Yesterday was a good day of visiting San Antonio and remembering the legacies of others. Today will be our last day at Believers Fellowship, and that will be both exciting and sad as it will bring many good-byes. For tomorrow, we hit the road home.

2005-08-12T20:19:00.000-07:00

The Road Home
The Nest is Empty

When I turned on the light in my room today, instead of hearing the normal click of flipping a light switch, I heard more of a resounding snap. The reason for the noise: my room was empty. Today movers came and loaded up all our belongings on a moving truck. There is no turning back now; California here we come.

As the movers continued to empty our home, the excitement between me and my parents grew. About every few minutes, one of us would say, "Hey...we're moving!"

But in the midst of the excitement, there are some sad good-byes. I spent last night hanging out with some of my best friends from high school. We spent one more night having some good times and reflecting on all the fun we've had over the past years. Saying good-bye has been a bit harder than I thought it would be. I start saying "later" to someone who I've hung with for the last four years, and I start to realize, "Who knows when I will see this person again?" Saying farewell to many of these friends has forced me to reflect on my time in Texas, both on opportunities taken and opportunities lost. I have seen how God has worked in my life, but I have also seen many areas where I still have so much to learn. Praise God for his faithfulness, praise God for his mercy.

We will be staying the weekend at the home of the Ashers, some friends from church. They have a wireless network, so I'll be able to keep blogging for the time being.

Quote of the day:
"You are good
You are good
And your love endures today"
-Matt Redman, "Lord, Let Your Glory Fall"

2005-08-11T10:16:00.000-07:00

The Road Home
Step Onto Liquid's Chronicling of the Blakey's Move Back to California

My blogging is about to get very sporadic, but do not fret for I have a good excuse. Tomorrow morning, a moving truck will arrive at my house and most of my family's belongings will be loaded onto it. Then on Monday, my dad, my mom, and I will pile into two vehicles along with the rest of our possessions and set out on the road home to California.

Although we have lived in San Antonio, Texas, for the last 10 1/2 years, California has always been home for us. Our time in Texas has brought many wonderful people and memorable moments into our lives, and we will certainly miss those whom we have known over the past decade. However, now our path points back to the land of California, and we are all very excited to be going home.

I plan to chronicle the trip through writings and pictures, and I will post whenever I can. However, some of the entries will be posted later and dated back, and remember that all official post times are in Pacific Time.

So please keep checking back to read about the Blakeys as we chase the sun on our road home...

2005-08-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

Currently Reading:
When People are Big and God is Small
By Edward T. Welch

For Christmas 2003, my wonderful parents gave me this book. Since then it has been sitting on my bookshelf collecting dust. I guess I thought I did not really need to read a book on peer pressure and the fear of man. I was not shy, quiet, and afraid of people, nor did I run with the wrong crowd for the wrong reasons.

However, over the past week I have started to read this book, and I am already regretting waiting so long to do it. In the first chapter, Welch describes many ways that the fear of man will show up in life, and my eyes were opened to see how it has in mine.

Hopefully there will be a full book review when I am finished...

2005-08-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

Does God Want You to be Happy?

Last Sunday I had the pleasurable privilege of teaching Children's Bible Hour at my church one last time. Finding a topic to talk about in my last time was not hard at all. At once I knew that I would talk to the kids about happiness. I know God has taught me much about the reality of happiness over the last few years, and I am also disturbed at how kids suddenly reach an age where happiness and excitement are uncool.

As I thought about happiness, I realized that I think and teach about happiness a lot. I guess that is because I believe true happiness is very important. However, I feel like I sigh whenever I come across a television channel or radio station that is always telling me, "God wants you to be happy!" So I found myself pondering the question, "Does God want us to be happy?" I think the answer is very simple; the important part is how you define the question.

The world clammers after happiness, yet it seems to have no clue what true happiness is. On Sunday, I talked with the kids about some "happy" misconceptions. We talked about how happiness is not equal to having fun or being excited all the time. Happiness is also not related to things going your way. We reached the conclusion that true happiness cannot be found in the things of the world. Even if you have that sweet house on a Hawaiian hilltop, your happiness is not guaranteed.

In my final words to the kids at Believers Fellowship, I told them that true happiness is all about joy in the Lord. Our joy finds its roots in something so much deeper than anything this world has to offer; our happiness rests on the God who made the world and owns everything in it. Also, our joy should be a constant thing (Phil 4:4), because it is based on a constant God. This true joy in the Lord can only come when we have repented and been forgiven of our sin through Jesus Christ, which is God's desire for all. (2 Peter 3:9)

So back to the question, "Does God want you to be happy?" It depends on how you define it. If you mean, "Does want me to have a great life that's always fun and where everything goes my way?" Not necessarily, and if you are a Christian, God promises a life that will include self-denial and suffering. But if you define the question as "Does God want me to have eternal joy that is based on his faithfulness and the good news of his salvation?" Then there is only one answer I can think of: Absolutely. And this is why I talk about happiness so much.

2005-08-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

Monday's Mix
Featuring the sports and cuisine sections of Step Onto Liquid

On March 17 of this year, Rafael Palmeiro told Congress, "I have never used steroids. Period. I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never." Last week, Major League Baseball released reports that Palmeiro has tested positive for steroids and would be suspended 10 games. Palmeiro has since claimed that he has never intentionally taken steroids--the standy excuse for any steroids user. Either way, Palmeiro is either a bad liar or incredibly naive.

Baseball is a wonderful sport. It is fun and relaxing to watch, interesting to follow, and terribly exciting come October. Baseball does not need steroids to make it exciting. It's unfortunate that great players (like Palmeiro) have placed their whole careers under a dark cloud of steroid suspicion. I think the commissioner of baseball, Bud Selig, should use this instance as leverage to further the extensiveness of steroids testing and the penalties for breaking the rules.

In other sports news, the NCAA announced "a new policy to prohibit NCAA colleges and universities from displaying hostile and abusive racial/ethnic/national origin mascots, nicknames or imagery at any of the 88 NCAA championships." In short, the NCAA is not going to allow schools to use Native American mascots during postseason and championship play. This means schools can no longer use mascots like Braves, Indians, or Seminoles.

When I read about this ruling in the Saturday Sports page, I almost spat out my smoothie. In this decision, the NCAA showed liberal thinking at its worst and dropped way off the common sense-o-meter. Other banned names include the Utah Utes and the Illinois Illini. If you notice, both of these schools' nicknames and the schools' states have their root in the same Indian tribe. Should we also make these states change their names because it's "hostile and abusive?" I think not.

***

Yesterday, I enjoyed one final lunch outing with my fellow graduates from Believers Academy. We went to a local Chili's and had a great time thinking about good times gone and the hopes and fears of the future. However, as I tried to choose a meal off the menu, I could not seem to decide between the Chicken Crispers and the BBQ Ranch Cheeseburger. Let's just say I "chose poorly." Someday, I will eat McGriddles again, (for those of you who are unaware of my McGriddles mishap, check out the May 19 entry here) but I don't think I will ever have the Chicken Crispers from Chili's again. It took me the rest of the day to get over feeling queasy. I'll just recommend that if you're going for chicken at Chili's, stick with a sandwich or some pasta/chicken combo.

The lunch outing was still enjoyable, and I have been extremely blessed to be where I have been over the last four years, surrounded by such fine people. Who knows what the next four will bring? But if the next four years are better than the last, they will be pretty sweet.

2005-08-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

Step Onto Liquid: Hall of Fame
Pt. 5: The road goes ever on and on...

I have had a good week going through Hebrews 11 and reading the stories of many who lived by faith. Studying this chapter has given me much to think about as I head into a new year of school.

Today my thoughts have actually been turned to the first two verses of chapter twelve, which say, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." The "cloud of witnesses" has certainly encouraged me this week, and I have seen some weights and sins that I need to lay aside. But as I have been finishing my thoughts on this section of Scripture, I have been thinking about the idea of running with endurance.

Many times the Christian life is compared to a walk or a race. This implies that it is a journey; this implies progression. We are supposed to run this race with endurance, but what exactly does that mean?

First, I believe it means we must consider the cost of racing in the Christian life. In Luke 14, Jesus said, "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?...So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." The Christian life comes with a cost, and we must consider it if we are to run with endurance.

Second, running with endurance implies that we are relying on more than our own strength. If we try to run this race on our own, we will soon find our strength's end. We will become legalistic and try to set up as list of acceptable rules, and when we eventually break them we will be quite discouraged. The only way we can run with the necessary endurance is if we depend on God. If we try and run on our own strength, we will find our path to be a harsh, miserable road; but if we depend of God, we will walk a beautiful path of joy as we walk it with the Lord.

Hebrews 11 tells the story of those who lived by faith, but as you look at the list in this chapter you will notice that even none of these people were perfect. Just look in verse 32: Gideon had trouble with doubting God, Barak also had trouble with courage, Samson stuggled with anger and lust, and David commited murder and adultery. Running the race of the Christian life will bring its struggles, and like these men we will fall; but if we run with endurance and depend on God's strength and his forgiveness, we will overcome.

The road of the race that we run goes ever on, indeed, and it will not stop until Christ returns or calls us home. So let's put aside weights and sins and run with endurance. Let's keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ as we depend on him and remember his words, "But take heart; I have overcome the world."

2005-08-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

Step Onto Liquid: Hall of Fame
Pt. 4: Moses and...Magnetic Poetry?

Moses was a guy that lived by faith, and he not only "stepped onto liquid," but he also lead Israel through liquid as God parted the Red Sea for the Jews. As I read about Moses in Hebrews 11, I found the following verses to be particularly applicable to young people like myself who are in the process of "growing up":

24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.

Years ago while visiting my brother, Bobby, and his wife, Christa, I found three insightful phrases written on their fridge by means of magnetic poetry. I have remembered them ever since, and reading about Moses brought them to mind.

trip not on the life of lust Moses certainly did not. He rejected the worldly ways of Egypt and chose suffering. Moses was obedient even when it was not comfortable or easy.

Society today is desparately trying to trip up young people on the life of lust. John tells us about the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life, and we know exaclty what he is talking about because we see it in the world every day. Immorality is not treated as taboo but as fun and exciting--the way to live. Society promotes pride as a good, even necessary virtue for success.

As Christians, we must avoid this life of lust, even though it will certainly lead to hardship. As we choose to go a different direction from the world, we will face persecution from without as well as within, as our flesh still seeks the things of the world. How can we press on in light of these struggles? Walk like Moses and...

run after the one The writers of Hebrews tells us that Moses "endured as seeing him who is invisible." He had his eyes fixed on the Lord. Likewise we are commanded to run with endurance and look to Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2) Jesus is our perfect high priest who knows our weaknesses and knows our struggles because he faced every temptation, yet he was without sin. He also is our Savior, the one who has set us free from the bondage of sin and the one who forgives us when we fall. And as we look to Jesus we must...

place your vision/stare on eternity Moses had a broad, eternal perspective. He knew the life that Egypt offered him was only full of passing pleasures that would fade away. He looked to the reward. Today, young people like myself must learn from Moses. We must realize that sin's charms are fleeting and many things that seem like "fun" now will only lead to suffering later. But if we choose wisely now, even though it may seem hard, we will eventually reap the benefits. (Galatians 6:7-10) We must also look beyond the future of this life toward the final goal of heaven and the time when Jesus Christ will return. We must realize that all the things we can see will eventually disappear, and the Lord and his people will be all that's left. "And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." (1 John 2:17)

When Moses had grown up, he made the wise decision of living for the Lord and rejecting the pleasures of sin, even though it meant suffering. I am in that same process of growing up, and I pray that I will live by faith like Moses did, seeing the Invisible One and running after him forever.

2005-08-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

Step Onto Liquid: Hall of Fame
Pt. 3: Hebrews 11

Pirates are people who live for this life, and more specifically, they live for today. They pillage, plunder, rifle, and loot. They kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot. After the pilfering, they fritter away their acquired treasures on food, drink, and pleasurable company as they drink up me hearties, yo ho.

Today we have many people who do not live for today like pirates did, but they still live for this life. They toil long hours to earn big paychecks. Then they put their money into the market so they can reap big dividends, retire before 50, and spend their sunset years playing golf and cruising around on a yacht.

Christians are not supposed to live this way. We are supposed to be laying up treasure in heaven, and we need to realize that as one pirate said, "Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate." In Hebrews 11, we read about people that did not live for this life, but for eternity.

Abraham obeyed God when he was told to leave his home in Ur for a foreign land. Verse 10 says, "For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God." Abraham never saw the fulfillment of all of God's promises. In fact, the only property he ever owned in the land of promise was a grave. But Abraham considered himself a stranger and an exile upon the earth. He and his wife had their gaze fixed on the future and heaven. "Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city." (Heb. 11:16)

We should be following the example of Abraham. Sometimes I have found this hard to apply to my life. I am still young, I don't have too many possessions, and I don't have a job. However, as I thought about living for eternity, I found that it was very applicable to young people.

I am about to head off to college, where I will be studying and planning for a career. Career planning should be different for Christians than for the world. Money should not be a big factor at all. This is not to say that money or wise stewardship is bad, but we need to realize that this life will soon be over. And when we leave, we take nothing with us.

As we look to the future we should all remember another promise of God: Jesus is coming back. We should live in anticipation of his return, and this expectancy should stir up our hearts for evangelism.

Abraham and Sarah had every opporunity to look back and even return to the life they had known, but they did not. Likewise, we need not look back and become entangled in the world. We need not become separatists who live in seclusion from the world, but we must maintain eternal perspective as we live, breathe, work, eat, love, and die in this world.

Life is but a vapor, and we will not live forever on this earth. Therefore, let us not be pirates who accumulate earthly treasures that will perish, but let us be strangers and exiles heaping up treasure in heaven that will never fade away.

2005-08-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

Step Onto Liquid: Hall of Fame
Pt 2: The Personal Practicality of Faith

"I'm not a preacher this week," said my dad. "I'm a packer."

The moving truck will arrive at Stately Blakey Manor next Friday to haul most of our earthly materials to our new home in California, so that means that it is crunch time for packing. Sometimes entering a room with an intention of packing it can be disheartening as you see piles of unorganized stuff. However, once you get over this feeling you settle into a practical rythym of packing. What is unneeded you throw away and anything else you pack up in a box for the movers.

As Christians we are called to live by faith, and at times this, too, can be disheartening. Yesterday I wrote about the definition of faith as well as the great and faithful God we believe. But today I want to discuss the personal practicality of faith.

As I looked at Abel, Enoch, and Noah, I noticed a common thread of odebience in their lives. Abel obeyed by offering a proper sacrifice. We do not know many specifics about Enoch, but we are told he walked with God for three hundred years. (Gen 5:22) Noah showed obedience by building an ark. Verse six says, "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."

A life of faith can seem like a complicated thing, but it starts on the personal, practical level of seeking God and obeying him. Does our soul thirst for God so that we seek him earnestly? We need to be daily seeking the Lord through his word and prayer, and then obeying what he tells us. We should be radically pursuing holiness in our own lives as we see the revealed will of God in his word.

And this seeking and pursuing must be done by faith. It is easy for us to "suck it up" and try really hard on our own to obey. This might work for a while, but inevitably we will fail. We must seek the Lord by faith, earnestly asking for his help as we obey. Then we must by faith run with endurance no matter how many times we fall.

Now we get to the best part. God rewards those who seek him. James tells us if we draw near to God, he will draw near to us. As we faithfully choose to obey, we will experience the blessings of a deeper faith and know the joys of walking with God. Also, those who obey will invariably have an impact, even after they're gone. Hebrews 11 says of Abel, "And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks."

As I have mentioned before, this verse reminds me of Mr. Rehrer. He is gone now, but he is still speaking because of his faith. One thing I will remember about Mr. Rehrer it how he sought the Lord and was committed to obeying him.

We believe in a great God, one who holds the ages in his hands. Let's seek earnestly to know him more, and then let's radically pursue obedience in our lives. These are the fundamentals of a life of faith.

2005-08-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

Step Onto Liquid: Hall of Fame
Hebrews 11

The month of August is always an exciting time for me, usually a time of change. August means back to school, a birthday, and even Survival Camp over the last two summers. This year, August brings even more change than usual. Next weekend, my family will be moving from San Antonio, our home for the past 10 1/2 years, to Santa Clarita in California. The weekend after that, I will be reporting to The Master's College for Week of Welcome.

Because it usually brings change, August also tends to bring a time of reflection for me as I think about the year past and the year that is coming. And as I think about this upcoming year, I have decided to go through Hebrews 11. The awesome chapter contains a list of a "great cloud of witnesses" who lived by faith. These people stepped onto liquid. But before the chapter dives into the lives of these people of faith. The author defines faith in the first few verses.

He calls faith "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." That is why I compare faith to stepping onto liquid--walking on water. By definition, faith has a basis of what is unseen. We cannot see God but we believe in him. If we walk by sight, we are in trouble. This letter was written to Hebrews who were being tempted to live by sight and go back to religious traditions. In analyzing this passage, Jon Courson says this: "'I know it's tempting to go back to that which you can see with your eyes, smell with your nose, and touch with your hands. But don't do it,' the author pleads, 'for now you are called to something entirely different. You are called to walk by faith.'" And faith should encompass all of our lives. While my dad was preaching through this passage, he said, "Faith is all of me embracing all of Christ."

The amazing thing about Christian faith is that even though we believe in things we cannot see, our faith has a sure foundation. Our faith is based in God and his word, which says we have a living hope and an inheritance that cannot fade away, but is reserved for us! (1 Peter 1:3-4)

The third verse gives us more insight into this great God who is so far beyond our comprehension. It says, "By faith we understand that the world were framed by the word of God." (NKJV) The Greek word translated "world" there is "aionas," which can also be translated "ages." This implies that God not only established the world, but he also upholds space and time even now. He's got the whole world in his hands.

As I'm approaching a time of change in my life, these truths are exceedingly comforting. I do not need to worry about the future because God has "the ages" under control. What is the only thing I need to do? Walk by faith. Step onto liquid. Obey what I know the Lord has called me to do through his word. If I am seeking him first and drawing near to him by faith, I know he will take care of everything else.

2005-08-01T12:30:00.000-07:00

A book review of
In, But Not Of
by Hugh Hewitt

For a graduation present, I received In, But Not Of by Hugh Hewitt from some old family friends. The book calls itself “A Guide to Christian Ambition and the Desire to Influence the World.” I’m assuming these friends had heard of my Presidential ambitions and thought that this book would be of help along the way.

This book’s premise is clearly made in the introduction. Hewitt says, “The creation and defense of religious liberty requires men and women with power and influence…My view is that Christians of appropriate ability should seek these positions and should use them to protect and extend religious liberty.”

Hewitt spends the vast majority of the rest of his book giving “practical” advice on seeking and acquiring positions of influence. These tips range anywhere from learning the history of Western Civilization to playing golf to avoiding tattoos and debt to choosing a church to…wait for it…starting a blog. He also gives advice on credentials, contacts, and conversation. I found the book to be quite thought provoking, and I, a political studies student, found much of Hewitt’s practical advice helpful.

However, as I read the book, I found its advice a bit off-center. I believe Hewitt makes some pretty big assumptions in his introductory premises. I am not saying that I completely disagree with them; I think they are off the mark. God certainly does call some Christians to these influential positions, but I think Hewitt places an undue emphasis on these positions as the means by which Christians should influence the world.

In one chapter, Hewitt expounds on the importance of solid credentials. He lists twelve rules asserting the importance of credentials. The general idea of the first one is “status matters.” The rest of these rules range from a recommendation to get more than a B.A. to a suggestion to attend different schools for undergraduate and graduate studies. After the list, Hewitt says, “[These rules] are, however, generally true and generally should be followed by individuals aiming to impact their world.” Hewitt then supports his statements on credentials by quoting Philippians 3:5-6, where Paul does indeed list some of his credentials. But Hewitt fails to mention that only a few verses later Paul declares all his credentials to be rubbish—a nice translation for dung.

Paul certainly had impressive credentials, but many influential people in the Bible did not—Peter and Elijah are near the top of my list. I would say credentials are not nearly as important to Christian influence as a commitment to the word of God and the euphoric message it proclaims. If you want to impact the world for Christ, I would recommend your read the book of Acts. The membership of the early church goes from 120 people in a room (Chapter 1) to being accused of “turning the world upside down” (Chapter 17). They did not do this because they were in influential positions. They had this impact because they were committed to the gospel, even to the point of death.

I did find Hugh Hewitt’s book both helpful and though-provoking; he does give some good advice to aspiring young politicians. But if you have the ambition to influence your world for Christ, be radically committed to the Gospel. If you have this commitment, you will—no matter what position you hold—turn your world upside down and have an impact for Christ.

You can visit Hugh Hewitt's blog at www.hughhewitt.com

2005-07-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

Nitrous Oxide and Happy Days

Yesterday I had my wisdom teeth removed plus an infected tooth plus an extra tooth that hadn't even shown up in the X-Ray but was located right under my back left wisdom tooth. The oral surgeon only used local anesthesia so that means that I was still conscious when they did it. But the whole experience was not that bad, thanks to the wonderful invention of nitrous oxide, or "laughing gas." I think the oral surgeon used a bit more than my dentist normally does because I was literally laughing before they had even shot me up with novacain. When they asked me if I was ready, I said, "Yeah...huhuhuhu..." The doctor responded, "I've never seen anybody this happy about it." At one point during the procedure I literally had to stop the doctor because I felt like I was getting a little too happy--like my brain was about to explode. But everything turned out fine and so far the recovery process is going great. Thanks to anyone who was/is praying.

But as I was sitting there artificially happy in the dental chair , my mind was turned to even happier times. To keep my mind off the horrid things that were going on in my mouth, I chose to reflect on the two wonderful weeks that I have spent at Survival Camp over the past two summers.

For those of you who do not know what Survival Camp is, it is technically the summer camp of the high school group at the First Baptist Church of Los Altos but effectively the best week of the summer or even year for anyone who attends. Survival Camp mixes amazing times of fun and friends with awesome times of worship and learning from the Bible. But I have found myself many times, especially this year when I cannot attend Camp because my term limit has expired, asking the question, "Why can't every day be like Survival Camp?" To an extent, it is true that not every day can be. Let me put it this way: You are not going to wake up every day at Lake Camanche after sleeping under the stars and then spend the day eating three of the best meals of your life, having two awesome worship services, playing cleverly contrived convivial games, tubing, playing poker, and hanging with your friends. Not every day will be so packed full of fun.

However, as I have thought about this question of every day being like Survival Camp, I have come to the conclusion that there are definitely many ways that it can be. When you are at Survival Camp, especially when it is your last year, you have this mentality that your are going to enjoy life down to the last minute. You know that there is no time to waste on complaining or feeling down. You soak up the good times with your friends, the powerful times of singing, and the truths of God's word. Although the circumstances of life will not always be like Survival Camp, we can certainly live every day with this mindset. Solomon knew this. In Ecclesiastes he says, "There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?" (Ecc. 2:24-25)

Some days in life will be full of toil. Some days we are busy and others we might have to get six teeth surgically removed. But surely there is nothing better than to live life with an attitude of enjoyment of Survival Camp proportions, knowing that God is good and faithful every day.

2005-07-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

TC w/ T

Once a week for the past two years I have had the privilege of meeting at Taco Cabana with my former Bible teacher, Tyler Sultze, for breakfast. There we enjoy not only the delicious breakfast tacos, but we also partake of the delectable truths of the Bible. Over the next month, we will be going through the book of 2 Timothy, so I thought I would share some of the things I’m learning from the study here.

Chapter 4

Chapter 3 of 2 Timothy contrasts the word of God against the world we live in, and Paul really drives this point home in Chapter 4, the last inspired chapter Paul would ever write.

Paul again paints a sad picture of today's world in verses 3-5. He talks about how people will not endure sound doctrine but will instead choose to listen to those who will tickle their ears--tell them what they want to hear. You do not have to go very far to see how true this is today. But in the midst of such a world, Paul's exhortation to Timothy is simple: "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season." Now we may not all be pastors and evangelists like Timothy, but we must all have this same commitment to God's word in the midst of our own evil age. We should be faithful to proclaim to the lost, we should seek to listen to the Word taught in a sound way, and we should hungrily devour God's words as we read the Bible. (Jer. 15:16)

As was his habit, Paul again encourages Timothy with his own example. Paul says that he has "fought the good fight." Paul certainly did preach the word in season and out, no matter what danger faced him. (2 Corinthians 11:22-33) And Paul knew that he was about to die and that he would soon be with the Lord. Let us all run the race as Paul did, looking forward to the prize, anticpating the appearing of the Lord.

In line with the theme of being devoted to God's word, Tyler and I noticed something interesting in verse 13. Paul tells Timothy to bring the books and parchments when he comes. This may be a direct reference to parchments containing Old Testament books or simply letters Paul had written, but no doubt they were full of Scriptural content. Even though the time of his departure is near, Paul wants to read these parchments. The Scripture is worth reading and studying even until the very end. When I'm about to die, I won't be asking anybody to bring me Time Magazine or a Calculus book, but they can bring me the Scriptures.

I'm getting five teeth surgically removed this afternoon (4 of them are wisdom teeth; 1 is just suicidal), so my number of posts for the rest of the week will be directly related to my state of consciousness. Have a great week; devour the Word.

2005-07-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

Currently snacking on: Cheez-Its, the preferred snack of state champions.

Let Us Consider

Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." Here the author of Hebrews, after encouraging us to draw near to God and hold fast our confession, exhorts us to think about how we can stir up our fellow Christians to love and good deeds. God does not intend the Christian life to be lived alone, he wants Christians to walk it together and to support one another. Galatians 6:2 simply states, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

There are many ways that we can encourage each other and bear one another's burdens; one particular way that I have experienced this camaradarie this summer is through simple Bible study with friends. I have been able to meet fairly regulary with four friends of mine at a local Barnes & Noble's for coffee and Bible study. I believe each of us has been "stirred up" by these times as we have discussed our lives, the book of James, and Not Even a Hint by Joshua Harris. If you are reading this, I would encourage you to get involved in a Bible study with your friends. Every so often get together with them for the express purpose of looking at the Bible together and talking about how it applies to life. This is a great way to deepen both your relationship with God and your friendships with others.

Another outstanding way to encourage each other in the faith is through the wonderful means of blogging. One of the friends I have been meeting with just started a blog that is off to a promising start; I encourage you to check it out. Blogs are beautiful because at your blog you can post your thoughts on virtually anything on the world wide web for anyone to see. As Christians, God should constantly be in our thoughts, and therefore blogging is a great way to share our thoughts about him with the world. As we write, we are forced to think more deeply about the word of God, and as others read, they can be encouraged by what we say about the word. If you don't have a blog, I would encourage you to start one. If you do have a blog, I would encourage you to keep posting and to post often about what you are learning about God's word. Now some might say, "I just don't feel like I have anything to write about." If that is the case, I would encourage you to read this essay at Godsong Music. You might also say, "I just don't have time." This may very well be true and spending a lot of time blogging might not be wise stewardship of your days. But if you desire to blog and posting seems like it takes too much time, I encourage you to keep it simple. Don't feel like you have to write a Pulitzer-worthy article every time you post. Even a couple paragraphs about what God has been teaching you lately can go a long way.

I believe Bible study and blogging to be two great ways to stir up one another to love and good deeds, but remember that Bible study and blogging are not exclusive ways we can do this. That is why we must think and think about ways we can encourage the hearts of our brothers and sisters. So let us consider...