Sunday, December 30, 2012

Music time!

So, I haven't posted in a while...partly because I haven't had much to talk about, and partly because I haven't had internet at my house for over a week. Now the internet is back, though, and there are things to talk about, so let's get to it.

First, Christmas was weird. It's the first Christmas that I've actually had a real job during, so I didn't have a "Christmas break." Definitely weird, but also very good. I got to spend time with both sides of my family, which was really great. Realizing that this may be my last Christmas in Michigan, not including visiting in the future, was another strange moment.

Second, I got a chance to hang out with my roommate Justin in Grand Rapids last night. While I was there, I met one of his friends who has a small recording studio in the basement of his house. When I saw each side of my family, both sides told me they want me to record an album before I go to Colorado. After meeting this guy in GR, I actually have a place to start. My goal is to record three albums, actually. One will be a farewell album for my family and friends in Michigan with some of my personal favorite songs and some goodbye-type songs. The second one will be a more fun album specifically for my Center Lake Bible Camp friends. It will have a bunch of parodies on it, and will be the only album of the three with any totally original songs on it...maybe up to three or four, depending on who I can get to collaborate with me on it. The third album will be a metal-to-acoustic one with a number of metal songs I've covered on the acoustic guitar. Several of the musical arrangements on this album will be my own, but none of the lyrics will be changed from the original songs.

I'm pretty stoked for this. The metal and camp albums are the most complete as things stand right now (other than actually recording them, of course). I still don't quite know what songs are going to be on the goodbye album, though. There are some ideas floating around my brain, but I need to develop a solid list and start practicing.

Several of my family members and the friends who are most closely associated with the songs on the albums will probably get these for free, but I think for the most part I'm going to sell them for cheap to try to partially fund my move to Colorado this summer (for which I may now have one or two travel companions...). This is what I'm thinking regarding prices:

$3 per album
$5 per album with all the lyrics and some song explanations
$7 for all that plus the chord charts for the songs
$10 for all that plus a personal message (and maybe some original artwork).

Yeah, we're gettin' deluxed in here.

Any thoughts, questions, comments, suggestions, requests, etc.? Comment below or send me an e-mail. If you don't already have it, my e-mail address is: butlerc777@gmail.com

Peace.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Finally.

So, I unexpectedly had my first day of work today. I started training at 10am and finished at 7pm. A full day of work at full pay...it felt great. Thank you all for your prayers. There's only a few final kinks to work out, but I am hired and have officially started work. I'm working with my old youth pastor, too, which makes the job way better.

Thank you, Lord.

Peace.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

More life changes!

So, I haven't posted in a while, I know, but it's because I wanted a few ideas more solidified before I sent them off to the internet.

I am very close to getting a great job. If everything goes through as it seems it will, in two weeks I should start as a delivery driver for a rent-to-own furniture company called Aaron's. On the surface, a delivery driver job doesn't seem to fit my MO, but the benefits, ability to save plenty of money, and transferability are all things I really need in a job right now, and park ranger jobs around here just don't make the cut. There's still a little more processing I need to go through before I'm officially in, though, so your prayers are still appreciated. Getting as far as I have already with this job is very important to the things I talk about next, so it would be really great to not have something fail now, haha.

Also, I've been giving more though to the whole "moving to Colorado" thing, specifically regarding the time frame and prioritizing the steps to get there. First off, for plenty of reasons you can ask me about somewhere else, I'm probably going to be moving home by the end of January. I'll still be spending plenty of time in Lansing with my church and other friends, but I want to be closer to family before I leave, and they take priority. Second, late August in 2013 is my goal for the move, so about nine months from now. Theoretically, this job should allow me to save enough money to move by that time. Since it's a large, nationwide company, I shouldn't have an issue with transferring to Colorado Springs (or somewhere close, at least), meaning I also shouldn't need much of a savings buffer so I can survive while I search for a job.

Lots of hypotheticals in there, if you didn't notice. I've spoken with my pastor (who is also my landlord) and my mom about moving home, but I will be spending the next few weeks praying about all of this. If you would, please pray with me about these three things:

1. The job works out and is as stable as it sounds.
2. I make the right decision on when (and if I should) move home. The date in my head is February 1, 2013.
3. End of August 2013 as a moving date.

Thank you.

Peace.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Halloween!

So, I know I'm a little old for trick-or-treating...but I got to go with my pastor and his daughter today for the first time...in a long time.

Besides the obvious joy of collecting candy with a little kid, today has been a great day. I went to an interview for a security company and ended up getting offered a job on the spot! Then, my mom took me out to lunch and bought me a chainsaw...for which I will be paying her back with this job, haha.

I had been getting pretty discouraged about not having a job, but God is good, and He has shown me that this week. Today he showed (reminded, really) me a few things in 1 Corinthians chapter seven. He reminded me that He has been "acting with great boldness toward me," like He told me on the way back from Colorado. It was good to be reminded of that, since I had been losing sight of it. In verse six, God also reminded me that He "comforts the downcast," which is how I've been feeling for a little while now because of my job situation. God has comforted me a lot today. He is so good.

Now, here's a picture of my costume (no beard...gotta shave for job interviews!):


Peace.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Christians are Treasure Hunters

So, picture yourself on a small boat on the Mediterranean. You're a free diver searching for priceless artifacts on the seafloor below. A fleet of these treasure hunters is spread out over the water as far as you can see. As you bring up ancient pieces made of gold, silver, and precious gems, you show them to those around you so everyone can see the beauty you've discovered. All around, the rest of the fleet is doing the same: awestruck by what others are bringing up, they dive down to gather their own treasures.

So it is with the Word of God. Each passage is its own Mediterranean: full of priceless truths from God which need to be sought after if you actually want them for yourself. God has so much goodness and so many revelations buried within Scripture. He doesn't want us to just float above such depth, coasting over passages so we can say we've read them, yet not diving in and exploring them. God wants us to take time with His Word, delving down and searching it for truth...for Him. There is so much God wants to share with each one of us, things which those around us might not find themselves. He doesn't give these to us only for our own benefit, they are also for those around us to see so they might glorify God.

God has put so much in His Word...keep searching.

Peace.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Good health

So, some of you may remember when I gave up Taco Bell in an effort to try to eat healthier (or maybe even when I stopped eating at Denny's because I got food poisoning there during finals week...). Last weekend my good friend Jacob was visiting Spring Arbor from Tennessee, and all of the old metal-heads got together for one more big "Taco Bell Metal Run." Lots of metal blasting in my van, and a bunch of dudes eating Taco Bell in the back (without any seating, of course). We went to Taco Bell and Denny's, and I ended up eating at both places. I felt it was a necessary evil for the sake of camaraderie.

Later when I explained this a couple times to other friends, I was asked why I decided to ditch Taco Bell at all, and told by several people that they didn't really care about how bad it is. I copped a sort of, "I'm better and healthier than you," attitude at them, which I'm only now realising.

Earlier this week I started listening to sermons by Andrew Wommack, the head of Charis Bible College in Colorado Springs (the college I visited because it's where almost all my new friends in Colorado attend school). I decided to do this because there's nowhere else I know of to get really solid charismatic teachings around here in Lansing without going to a different church...and I don't feel like dealing with even more church drama than I already have. Right now I'm in the middle of one titled "The Importance of the Word." As one of his points, Andrew brings up the fact that many Americans now worship good health and tout dieting and exercise as the way to acquire it. He then points out that Scripture states plenty of other ways that our bodies are kept healthy.

Some examples he used:

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Prov. 17:22

"Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you." Ex. 20:12

Plus plenty of verses (especially in Psalms and Proverbs) about how the fear of the Lord, wisdom, and obeying the Lord bring long life and health. I've actually been running more since getting back from Colorado, and when I heard Andrew Wommack make his points on this topic, I realised that I was filling myself with pride over not eating at certain places and exercising more. He did say (and I agree with him) that diet and exercise are definitely part of good health...but if you look at people who honor their parents and have cheerful hearts (even among those who don't really exercise and don't eat well), they're the ones generally living longer.

I realise now that my focus lately has not been only on becoming healthier, because I still haven't been eating well. My focus with exercise has become about looking good. The verses about good health and long life in the Bible are not placed there in order for use to find some solution for better health...they point to health as an aftereffect of following God. This should be our primary focus. Becoming healthy to glorify God is great, but I think Jesus' words in Matthew chapter six are useful here:

"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

If we are seeking God with our whole heart, good health is something we don't need to worry about at all. God knows what we need and will take care of it for us. All we need to worry about is loving and obeying Him.

I like that.

Peace.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Westward 2012, debrief

So, this trip to Colorado has officially changed my life. It would take an extremely long post to explain everything and I've already talked about some of it, so I'll briefly go through a few more things God showed me.

Now I know for a fact that God wants me in Colorado, and is going to get me there. All week long, Godly people were approaching me and telling me God has something big in store for me out there. On the last day, one of the teachers at Charis Bible College (someone who I had only just met and did not know my story at all) prayed over me and said, "This week God has given you many divine appointments," and, "God is opening doors for you which no man can shut." Wow...and this at the end of a week full of both of those happening nearly every day.

During the week, God not only encouraged me, but also convicted me. Since last winter I have been getting into drinking despite knowing my bad family history with alcohol. Earlier this summer God let me know it wasn't a good idea and that I shouldn't take part in something that has hurt my family so much already...but I ended up ignoring this after a while. This week God brought back the same point He already made and said it with such force that I've been totally freed from it; not that I was being controlled by it, but rather freed from following that path at all. My roommate Justin's jaw dropped last night when I came home and dumped half a bottle of Jager down the drain. Both of my roommates are excited about it and are very supportive of God doing this in my life, which is great. Today I told my mom about all this so that I wouldn't have to keep it from her anymore. Needless to say, she's also really happy about it, haha.

On the bus coming home, I opened my Bible to the book of II Corinthians. I was looking specifically for the passage about Godly grief in chapter seven, but God took me elsewhere. After I didn't find what I was looking for in those words, I glanced over verse four of chapter seven:

"I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy."

This is Paul talking to the church in Corinth, but when I read it again, God spoke to me:

"Casey, I am acting with great boldness toward you, and I have great pride in you."

I was immediately comforted and started crying (to myself, of course...don't want to embarrass myself on the bus). Those words kept me going the entire trip home, even though I could hardly handle them.

God has definitely renewed me this week. I love what He's doing in me. I have a new desire to search His Word and a newfound trust in the power of the Holy Spirit in me.

Last night when I was thinking about these things, a verse popped into my head which I had heard many times, but which I now think I had gotten all wrong up until now.

"Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." I Corinthians 10:12-13

I used to think this was saying, "You can fight through every temptation. God gives you some way out in each situation; you just have to buckle down, hand on, and push through it." No. This is all about letting God take control. It doesn't say "a" way of escape, it says "the" way of escape. That way of escape is the Holy Spirit in you. Defeating temptation is not a matter of trying to use God's strength and just getting over it; it's allowing the Holy Spirit to take control and letting the temptation die as you look to Jesus' sacrifice and the freedom God has given you through it.

That seems to be all for now. I'm really excited to see when God will open the door fully so I can take one of the biggest steps of my entire life.

Peace.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Westward 2012, Pike National Forest

So, this weekend was a fantastic introduction to the Colorado Rockies for me. My friend Andrew drove me around in his Jeep on Saturday and showed me Pike National Forest (or at least parts of it, since apparently it's enormous). The clouds were pretty crazy at times, as you can see in the first picture.









On Sunday, Andrew called up another friend of his and we all went for a day hike in the forest. There had been some drizzle/sleet the night before, and everything was still thawing out when we got there.







Today I spent the morning in classes at Charis Bible College with my friends here. Interesting how different the doctrine is here compared to what SAU teaches. God taught me some valuable lessons today; I'll probably share some about that later.

This afternoon, my friend Dena and I hiked to a place called Pulpit Rock overlooking Colorado Springs. It was a great way to begin the week.







Peace.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Westward 2012, Garden of the Gods

So, I've hardly been in Colorado Springs for three days, and my mind has been blown. So many things have happened since arriving here two nights ago. I'm having a hard time finding words, really. I love this place, and I love the people I've met here.

This morning I hiked to a place called Garden of the Gods, then met one of my new friends, Andrew, in the afternoon to go bouldering in the park. Here are some pictures:













Besides being in a beautiful area, God has also been doing some serious work on me since I've been here, so thanks for your prayers. Yesterday I'm pretty sure I became Pentecostal. Much of the Christian community here is very charismatic and put full stock in the spiritual gifts. I've been wondering about those sort of things for some time now, but have had almost no chance to find out more in Lansing. Most of the people I've met here are students at Charis Bible College, which I think is a Pentecostal school. They talk about spiritual gifts and receiving the Holy Spirit like it's totally normal for Christians...so I thought this was a great opportunity to finally take a step of faith in that direction. I know I've received the Holy Spirit now (preparing myself for the flak from people back home for saying that...), and I've learned a lot more about the spiritual gifts even in this short time.

Also, I've noticed a vast difference in the Christian community here. People's speech is obviously dominated by Christ, and it doesn't feel awkward to bring up God in almost any conversation. Sadly, this is different from what I've experienced elsewhere. I just met more new friends today in a purely divine appointment, and we were all encouraged by each other so much it was ridiculous.

All of this makes me a little concerned about going back home. As far as what I've learned here, I know it's Scriptural because I've seen it before arriving in Colorado...I just needed to see it confirmed. The problem is that I won't really be able to learn more back home in my Christian community. I'll have to start listening to online sermons from the head guy at the college here, Andrew Wommack. I'm pretty concerned about what some people will say if they hear about me joining up with the Pentecostals since it's so different from Baptist practice, but I know God has my back. My faith has been seriously strengthened since coming here, and I know God won't let me be ashamed because of it.

I need to do a lot of praying and seeking God's will, but I'm almost certain that I'm going to move here soon, whatever "soon" means. Turns out the Andrew I went bouldering with today has almost the same passions and vision for ministry as I do. So much has been confirmed to me already on this trip...I can't wait to see what the rest of it brings.

Peace.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Westward 2012, pre-launch

So, following somewhat in the footsteps of my trip West one year ago, tomorrow I'm embarking on my second trip to the Rockies...this time, by myself. I'm taking a bus to Colorado Springs to hang out with some friends I have there and to see if it's a place where I could eventually live. I'll be gone until October 11. Just like last year, I will try to post regularly on here and have pictures of the places I visit.

I'm excited to see what God has planned for this trip. Great things usually happen when I get out of my own comfort zone, and this is pretty far out there. Don't get me wrong, it's something I definitely want to be doing, but this is the biggest trip I've ever done by myself. I've been needing a shake-up to my routine, though. This trip will be really good for me in that way.

One big issue I'm facing with all this is getting someone to lead worship at my church this Sunday while I'm away. So far I've been entirely unsuccessful at finding a replacement, and now I'm leaving Lansing without having this problem resolved. It doesn't feel good, but I'm trying to trust that God has it under control.

Another issue is my job situation after I get back. One of my friends from church is giving me a referral to his factory when I get back, and it would be exactly the kind of work I need right now. I would appreciate your prayers for this and for the other things I've already mentioned.

Peace.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Life turmoil in 3...

So, as I said in my last post, this is the last week of my park ranger job. People have been praying for me and keeping their eyes open for jobs, and some things are starting to get sorted out.

First, I have an interview this Friday at the Harris Nature Center in Okemos. I already know the workers there and have been volunteering there for a number of years, so I have a good foot in the door to land the position. The job itself would be part time; mostly weekend work from what I know so far. This is exactly the kind of job I want in regards to what it actually is; however, it wouldn't give me enough hours by itself.

Second, a guy I know just told me his workplace is taking referrals for full-time work, and he would like to refer me if I want the job. It would be a third shift factory job...meaning that my sleep schedule will get messed up really fast and that I would be BANKING. He said it would sometimes require weekend work, but because it's third shift, it wouldn't interfere with me leading worship on Sunday mornings nor with the job at the nature center, if I can get either/both of them. The main issue is my upcoming trip to Colorado. Had I known my park ranger job would end so suddenly, I would've bought my ticket sooner and planned it for this month instead of the beginning of October. I almost certainly won't be able to get the factory job if I tell them I need that week-and-a-half off, so I will need to get referred sometime around when I get back to Lansing...and they might not be hiring anymore at that point. My friend who told me doesn't know just yet when the hiring is happening; he'll find out for me soon.

I also put in an application to a security company where one of my good friends works and to two other Ingham County parks, but I haven't heard back from them yet. So far the two jobs above are my best bet, and I would love to land at least one of them.  If I only get the nature center job, I could at least try to pick up more hours at Family Christian Store...as much as I don't want to go back there.

Anyway, I could really use prayer for all this. The factory job would be the best option because I need to save money and start paying things off. If I don't get any of these jobs, I'm in a pretty bad situation, and I don't really know what I will do. Thank you.

Peace.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

The Soo

So, I just got back from vacation with my family at Sault Ste. Marie. My grandparents have been going there almost every autumn for the past...many...autumns so my grampa can go fishing. My mom and I went up to visit for an extended weekend since neither of us had been there with my grandparents in seven years. I didn't actually catch anything, but it was a great trip. We went thrift store shopping on the first day, something my family isn't used to doing, and I got to show them what kind of AWESOME things you kind get for super cheap. Alright...maybe their idea of awesome is a little different from mine, but oh well.

My mom and I visited Whitefish Point and Tahquamenon Falls on the second day. Note: the snack shop at Whitefish Point has AWESOME pasties (I had my first one ever there) which they order from Gaylord, and they make their own fudge, which is really fresh and delicious. Tahquamenon Falls was really nice; there are two parks, Upper Falls and Lower Falls, which were formerly only connected to each other by a long, rough dirt trail through the woods...but now it's all boardwalk and asphalt. Definitely an improvement.

Like I said already, I didn't catch any fish at the Soo (Sault Ste. Marie, for any non-Michiganders), but spending time with my grampa was worth it. We went out hours before the sun was up each morning to try to land a big one. This morning, the skies were clear for the first time and we got to watch the stars right before sunrise. I saw a shooting star travel down the handle of the Big Dipper, and Orion is finally back in the sky. It was a good morning.

This is my last full week as an Ingham County park ranger. I'm sad, but I'm hopeful that a new job will come my way soon...one that will help me save more money so I can get out of Lansing for good. I started applying for new jobs this weekend.

Also, my good friend Nate Martin stayed at my house on Labor Day. We walked around the Harris Nature Center in Okemos in the evening, and he took some pictures with his awesome camera. He sent a bunch of them to me, so I'll share some on here.






Peace.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Finally

So, I officially deleted my G+ account tonight...meaning I am no longer a part of any social network (except for LinkedIn, but that's a professional site, and I'm rarely on it). Since getting rid of my FB account, I've been able to tell which of my friendships are actually going to last by how much effort certain people have put into keeping in touch with me. Now that some time has passed, G+ has gone from a transitional social network to an unnecessary one for me. A number of my friends read my blog, most have my cell phone number, and I'm connected with others via Skype, Steam, and League of Legends (online game)...not to mention the people I see face-to-face on a weekly basis without being in contact with them in any other way. Social networks are convenient and very helpful at times, sure, but I feel so much better when I am less connected to technology.

Next week is the last week of my park ranger job. I'm actually pretty sad about it; I've made some friends, my boss there is fantastic, and it really has been a great job so far. Our contract with the City of Lansing is expiring two weeks earlier than expected, though, and it won't be renewed...so there's no chance of getting the job back. Now I'm trying to get a better-paying job at a security company where a friend of mine works. I could really use a job that will help me save up money to move out West soon.

Tomorrow morning I'm heading to Sault Ste. Marie with my mom, where we'll be hanging out with my grandparents all weekend. Fishing at the Soo, birdwatching at Whitefish Point...good times. I love the Upper Peninsula.

Peace.

Friday, August 31, 2012

Adventure...soon

So, this has been a very big week for me. I got my paycheck today and bought a round-trip bus ticket to Colorado Springs. One of my good friends successfully convinced me to visit this fall, and I'll be hanging out for a little over a week at the beginning of October.

I've always known I would live out West someday, and this trip might show me that Colorado Springs is a place I can go. There's people who are excited to meet me and already want me to live there...people I haven't even met or spoken to yet. That's crazy.

I can't wait to walk in the sage again...see the mountains...

In the meantime, my park ranger job is ending two weeks sooner than it was originally going to. Those two weeks between my last workday and going to Colorado are going to be interesting. I'm going to try to get a job at a security company one of my friends works for which he says is always hiring...but I won't be able to even get that until after I get back. So, my new roommate is going to show me how to shop for cheaper groceries so I can really save money. I don't really know how to shop efficiently (or find good coupons) or how to make much food, so this is going to be really helpful.

Eh. Jobs.

Speaking of new roommate, by the way: we're going to try to start a prayer group here in Lansing at the house, one where we're not just doing some religious ritual and going through all the same motions. We want to actually seek and know God. We've  been having some great discussions over the past week since he moved in, and I'm super pumped. Lansing needs some people who are excited about following Jesus, and he came at the right time.

Anyway, people are waiting for me to finish this, so my thoughts are kind of cluttered. I guess I'll just be done.

Also, I have been labeled an "idea guy" because of by excessive use of the phrase, "You know what would be cool? If......"

Ha.

Peace.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Resentment

So, this post is somewhat of an update on what God has been showing me lately, and somewhat of an apology to those who follow my blog. I've been reading through a book called "God Guy," which has been great so far. Just the other day I went through a section which talked about how the God Guy (that is, the guy who's all about God) shouldn't have resentment toward others. I'm kind of tempted to just block-quote the whole section here because it's so good...but I won't. In this section, the author points toward the book of Colossians, chapter three.

"Make allowance for each others' faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." Col. 3:13, NLT

Among other passages the author used, this one really convicted me of how I've been resentful of certain people...and organisations. You can probably guess one of them based on previous posts.

I promised I would be done saying things about Spring Arbor University, but I have one final thing to add to everything I've said previously:

I'm sorry you've all had to read about my bitterness toward them for various reasons...and, with God's help, I've decided to get over it. I let my anger about certain issues control me and keep me from growing closer to God in my life.

Those of you who attend/did attend SAU, please pray for them with me. Pray that new students will find God during their time there and that the administration would seek God's will. Pray for Ron Kopicko and Chuck Webb. Pray for the professors and other staff.

If I can request this too, ask God to help me grow in love.

Peace.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Some camp stuff

So, I just got back from a second week at Bambi Lake camp. This time it was a bunch of 4th-6th graders, and I wasn't actually a group leader: I was just the worship leader. I still got a lot of time to hang out with the kids, though, and it was another sweet group. Lots of games of mafia, silly waiting-in-line camp games...this one reminded me a lot of how camp goes at Center Lake, which is probably why I liked it so much. All of my free time may have also had something to do with it, haha.

For most of the week, I was pretty free every day until about 3:00pm. On a couple of days, I went for walks on the camp trails...and went hiking off-camp. I found an ORV trail and a gravel road, both of which I followed for quite a while on different days. I thought I found bear tracks on the road, but after looking up some animal tracks, I don't think they were...but they were pretty big. Also found a red-bellied snake, one of two species in northern Michigan which don't get very big and are generally really easy to handle (the other is the brown snake). A raven, my favorite bird, was around one of the days, and it looked like a turkey had been following my tracks for a while when I returned.

This turned out to be another week where I got to know some people from the Southern Baptist Convention and Bambi Lake better, which is good. Now I've already been asked to help lead worship for a college-age retreat around New Year. I suppose getting in the convention's good graces is a plus. Even some local church leaders now are apparently watching me a little closer...in a good way, that is.

With some of these things going around in my head, I can't help but also think of a Scripture passage I just read recently:

"How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?" ~Jesus, John chapter 5

Sounds like Jesus is saying you can't really believe if you're seeking honour from men instead of God. If I'm trying to look good and get my name out there, then somewhere along the way I've lost the point of what I'm doing. I won't be worshiping God, and I won't be leading others in worship. Tough thoughts.

Peace.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Over-spiritualising

So, I was just listening to Francis Chan this morning. Dangerous, I know. He mentioned how a certain passage of Scripture has always bothered him:

"He (Jesus) said also to the man who had invited him, 'When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.' " Luke 14

Well...shoot. I can see why that would bother Francis, because now it's bothering me. Jesus straight up told this guy who invited him into his home for dinner, "Hey, when you throw a party, you shouldn't actually invite your friends or family...you should go get the people from the homeless shelter, the people living on the street, and the people who can't do anything for themselves and don't have any help. Bring those people for the very purpose of not getting anything in return from them. Then you'll have a reward in heaven."

That should be pretty hard to hear, even for people who can't throw full-on banquets. However, I've heard plenty of Jesus' hard words get molded into spiritual metaphors in order to make them more "do-able." Just recently, for example, I heard a sermon on Mark 7:31-37 and 8:22-26. These passages are two separate times when Jesus healed blind men. Sure, if you read those passages (which you should do before going on) you could probably see how there are some spiritual applications. It's just amusing to me how often I hear sermons on passages like this which totally ignore the fact that Jesus (or His disciples at times) physically healed people. It's easier for us to put a hyper-spiritual spin on things rather than deal with certain other issues like, "Well, Jesus said to do this, but I don't see any Christians doing it," or, "Why doesn't God actually heal people anymore?" (FYI, He does...a better question might be, 'Why don't we see it around here?')

I realised the other day that I've been doing things wrong for a while. I've been slowly boxing in God, trying to make Him a part of my life instead of making myself a part of His life. It hurts, but I love those moments when I realise how much I've been missing out on, how much I can learn from God's Word, how totally He can guide my life if I let Him. When those moments arrive, I can run back to His arms, knowing He still loves me and wants to use me in His plan.

"He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

Peace.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

I'm not quite dead yet!

So, apparently I have "stopped" blogging and need to continue in order to keep people updated on my life (at least according to my friend John, hehe).

Well, I just got back from a week at a camp called Bambi Lake. It was no Center Lake (the camp I worked at all summer for the past six summers straight), but it was still great. I was pretty concerned at the beginning of the week, but the camp and all the people there had really impressed me by the end of the week. Actually, I was most impressed by the campers I got to hang out with all week. I was a co-leader of a group of thirty middle schoolers all week, and they were a RIOT. By the end of the week, I actually got to see God do serious work in some of their lives. I loved it. One of the guys in the group kept asking me if I was coming back next summer. I wasn't really planning on it up to that point...but now I think I really want to go back again. It was awesome to see God working in so many different people's lives.

I could talk for quite a while about all that stuff, but while that was going on, my car was in the shop all week. The accident I got into really didn't do any serious damage, but there was a few important pieces which were just wearing out underneath and needed to be replaced. I had to drop nearly $600 for the repairs, but now my car is officially road-safe, even if it doesn't look it, haha.

This weekend I'm planning on going to a big get-together with my Polish family at Silver Lake Sand Dunes. I hardly ever get to spend time with this side of my family, so I'm pretty pumped about it. I'm also having a really early breakfast in Grand Rapids with one of my good friends and hopefully seeing a few others while I'm passing through in the morning (anyone reading this in GR: I would love to see you sometime on Saturday morning!)

Other than that, things are starting to get pretty normal again here in Lansing. This is a good thing, at least for now. I do love adventures and excitement, but it's the times when nothing special is going on that you can really start to grow closer to God. Those times during the "same ol' grind" are the times when I should be working on spending more and more time with my Father, my Lord, and my Creator. Now I need to actually be disciplined enough to practice what I preach. This would be a prayer request, in case you were wondering.

Also, I have a friend who lives in Colorado Springs, and if you've seen the news lately, you may know there are some crazy wildfires going on out there right now. It's starting to get pretty close, and they need rain really bad, so you should all ask God to send a big rainstorm soon.

Also also, I'm having my college graduation party on the Fourth of July next week (FINALLY), and, not gonna lie...I'm pretty pumped to get some cash. HA. I'm going to be taking on more of my personal bills soon from my mom (who blows my mind by how much she does for me), and my hours at Family Christian Store are going to be next to nothing all summer, and it will be nice to get started with a little extra.

 ALSO Also also, for any of my campers from last week who may read this, I'm sorry I forgot to put my phone number on the contact sheet (even though I bothered to write "no texting" on it, hahaha). You can find it by following the link in the "About Me" section on the side of my blog, then clicking the "About" button when you get to my profile page.

I think that is all for now.

Peace.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Weird joy post

So, I've been doing some fun fiction reading lately...like old-school-type fiction. One of the books I just finished was "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," and the other, which I just finished today, was "The Hobbit." I noticed a very interesting difference between the attitudes of people "in those days" versus the attitudes of people in America today. In "Gawain," a Middle English poem, everyone seemed to be rejoicing constantly about life and love, were very welcoming toward strangers, and held honour, virtue, and personal piety in high esteem. Of course the story is a romance, so it's only natural that the world seems a better place. However, even in Tolkien's "The Hobbit" this spirit of mirth and celebration was captured well, as the traveling heroes in the story were given warm welcomes in most places, long stays and magnificent send-offs. In his parting words, one of the heroes says, "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

When hard times came, the characters in these stories buckled down, prepared for the worst, and stayed loyal to their friends and personal convictions. When the hard times were over, the transition usually seemed overly dramatic: celebrating, much joy and cheer, and almost always songs. The people coming out of the hardships had reason to rejoice, so they did. It seems natural, doesn't it?

Maybe it's just me, but I feel that we have a whole lot of reasons to celebrate nowadays, yet most people don't seem to think so. Our lives are pretty cushy here in America, and when they get a little less cushy than usual...OMG THE WORLD IS FALLING APART. I know I'm guilty of thinking this way, at least. Really, when things get a little difficult, it might do us better to realise that such is life, and it's blessings and difficulties both are gifts.

Christians in particular have reason to be joyful in life...ALONG with being told that we pretty much are REQUIRED to be joyful, haha. We've been saved from an eternity away from God...so why would we not rejoice all the time? Why should a boring job we don't like be enough to bog down our spirits? Why should some financial hardships make us feel like we're not going to make it?

Some better questions, though: Why do we forget God when these troubles are over? Why do we ask for God's help in all these things, then become complacent when He pulls us through? Should we not rather be celebrating His goodness instead of saying, "Oh, things are better now. FINALLY." We act like it's our right to have happy, easy lives...so when things go "back to normal," there is a distinct lack of celebration. Our lives are just "okay" unless something absolutely FANTASTIC is going on, then things are great! While nothing particularly special is happening, though, we tend to think life is pretty lame. We get bored and try to find something to do that excites our imaginations...all while angels and saints in heaven are rejoicing for eternity because of God's mercy and love. We have the same reasons to be excited as they do. If we decided to be more grateful for what we've been given, maybe we would see more clearly what it means to be joyful in every circumstance.

Go be thankful for what God has given you here on earth and in eternity to come. Live as those whose lives have been truly saved...because that is exactly what has happened.

Give someone a reason to ask you why you're so joyful.

Peace.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Soundtracks to my life

So, I don't do things like this very often, but some of these songs have stuck with me for a very long time, and I would like to get them out. They're songs that I've connected with very deeply, songs that have practically spoken the desires of my heart, and songs that tell a bit about who I am.

This song was one of the first to really get me, and it still does, even though it's been about seven years since I first heard it. Couldn't find a YouTube video of it at all. Sad.

"Scarecrow" ~Montgomery Gentry
http://www.myspace.com/music/player?sid=309099&ac=now

I guess these songs are too obscure (sigh, now I'm a hipster...especially since I have this on cassette), because I couldn't find a good video of the original, but this is a really good cover.

"Rainy Day People" ~Gordon Lightfoot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A78iB4Vq83E

This song puts into music and lyrics something that I can hardly describe...maybe you'll understand when you watch the video...maybe not.

"The Islander" ~Nightwish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzkX9DQjQVc&ob=av2n

Similar to the last one in a way...it's the video/music combination that gets me on this one. That grand journey, a feeling of upcoming destiny at the end, incapable of being stopped from reaching the end...yeah. I'm usually crying a little by the end of the video.

"Little Talks" ~Of Monsters and Men
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghb6eDopW8I&ob=av3e

Newer song, but still hit me when I heard it. Kind of describes how I feel right now in life.

"Gone" ~Third Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7EPLEgbDhI

This is one song I chose from a whole album which I could easily place in this list...lyrically and musically each song is just as good as the others. A friend bought the album for me in high school, and it's been my favorite album of all time since then. This is also the heavier side of this list...so it's going to be dramatically different from the last one, haha. I also posted the lyrics with it.

"Solace" ~Project 86
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtHHd0nioCc
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/project86/solace.html

While the last one is from my favorite album, this song is from my favorite band. God's used this song (and the band) to get me through some hard times. Love it, love them.

"Thorns" ~Demon Hunter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svuz2uLfULs

Finally, since I'm getting into favorites, I'll end with my favorite song of all time. I don't think it will need much of an explanation.

"Bittersweet Symphony" ~The Verve
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbvQ9g1bCYs

Peace.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Saving

So, as I mentioned briefly in a previous post, I need to start saving money better. This is becoming more real to me each day now, it seems. I haven't been living frivolously, but I have been fairly liberal with my spending when it comes to, say, picking up the tab. For example: my usual way of convincing someone to go to Applebee's is telling them their appetiser will be free, hehe. I also have been traveling around the Lansing area a bit more lately, thus spending more money on gas, especially since I own a minivan.

Well, as I started realising these things and decided to cut back as best as I could (go to the Bee's less, try to drive around less if possible, etc.), of course, something goes wrong. For those who haven't already heard, I got into a car accident this past weekend, and the days of the Man Van are finally over. Now I get to bum rides all over the place (including my early-morning job, which I hate asking people to take me to), and I'll probably soon be making car payments on my next car (probably a Taurus, if this week goes as I expect it to...).

Kinda sucks, but I'm learning humility in this. I've noticed a lot of pride growing in me lately, and this is exactly the sort of thing that I need to bring me back to reality. I've also been asking God for patience lately...which is ALWAYS a dangerous prayer, and now it seems I'm waiting around all the time.

This is also a good thing in other ways (at least in my head). I will be saving a lot of money on gas if this goes right, and my "new" car will probably be more reliable than the van. I loved being able to haul around people and all sorts of stuff in my van, which I won't be able to do any longer, but I think I'm ready for the switch. This may also help me whittle down the amount of junk that I have and really force me to keep less stuff around.

I was walking to McDonald's today while talking to one of my good friends on the phone. We both are trying to save money for some end-of-the-summer events (he's probably going to go teach in China with another good friend of ours; I will explain mine in a bit), and we've both realised that we need to make some major lifestyle changes in order to prepare better. I mentioned that I was passing a grocery store, and I should probably get food there instead of at McDonald's. He replied, "Well, which one is going to save you more money in the long run?"

Dangit.

Needless to say, I turned back to the grocery store and bought at least a week's worth of meals...and I definitely made the right choice. I plan on not spending any more money on food for at least a week, and no more on gas for longer (Obviously I don't have a car right now, but if I get another one soon, I will probably try to siphon the gas out of my van's tank, which is full. Start with plenty of gas, getting better gas mileage...I think that's a good start). My paycheck at the end of this week should also come close to doubling what I currently have in my bank account, so I think if I really buckle down and start living more wisely, I will be able to start claiming some of my bills from my mom (who has helped me enormously in all of this) and still be saving money up.

The goal:

Move out West by 2015.

This is a little sooner than the four years I was thinking for the past several months, but I think this is still a reasonable goal...and who knows, maybe God will grant me to move sooner. I would love that.

As far as what I'm saving for this summer, I really want to get back out West for just a little while again. Goodness, I feel such a strong pull to be out there...anyway, one of my friends who lives in Colorado Springs has also been encouraging me to visit and try to get things sorted out, as they took their own leap of faith and moved there last summer, and God has been doing great things with it.

So, I've been researching airplane ticket costs from Detroit to Colorado Springs (which has proven to be the cheapest flight), and I can get a round-trip ticket for $277. Not too bad considering how much I would spend on other forms of travel. If I'm able to save enough this summer, I think I'm really going to try to do this.

It's about time to get a real adventure started.

Peace.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Honesty

So, today I had a very minor crisis. I was going to see my mom, and as I started driving, I realised I was wearing my tank-top. This wouldn't be any big deal at all if she had any idea that I have a tattoo on my arm.

I got a cross-Trinity combination tattoo from one of my best friends last November. It was something I designed myself, and that I had wanted for over a year. I'd been waiting for the right time, a time when I really felt ready to put something on me that wouldn't go away until I get a new body in heaven. It was the right time. This tattoo is a seal on my arm, a mark of who I belong to and who I want to serve. My friend made me sit, think, and pray for a few hours before he would start, even after I told him how I felt about it and after we discussed the design more in-depth. That was a very good night.

Anyway, I never told my family about it because I felt really awkward. We're a mid-Michigan farming family, very down-to-earth and normal, and by the standards that are generally obeyed in it, I thought I might get scolded, or even shunned a little. So I hid it...until today.

When I left my house and realised I didn't have sleeves to cover it, I immediately turned around and sat in my driveway. "My mom isn't ready to know I have a tattoo yet," I thought. After a little more thought, though, I came to the conclusion that it was really me who wasn't ready to come clean with something that I was embarrassed to tell my family about. As I considered it, I remembered why I got it in the first place, as a mark for Christ, and I came to the conclusion that if I'm ashamed of something that I chose to do for Christ, then I might as well admit to being ashamed of Him as well.

At that point, I decided I was ready.

Of course, as most of you could probably guess, it wasn't even that big of a deal. My mom was surprised, even laughing and thinking it wasn't real at first, but I think she's okay with it now that she knows I put a lot of thought into it, and that my reasons were good. "Better than other things you could be doing, I suppose," was her response. True statement.

I've been caring a lot less about people's opinions of me lately (those who really know me already know how little I cared in the first place, haha), and this was one big step in that direction. I don't mean this in any bad way, but more in the way of trying to please people less and trying more to please God with my life. My family has always been hard for me to deal with in this way, not because they're mean or judging...I was just afraid they would see me as something other than "a good little boy who doesn't do anything out of the ordinary." That's generally the image I've always had in my family (or at least I thought so), but I decided that I don't need to be afraid of letting it go.

"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both sould and body in hell." ~Jesus Christ, Matt. 10

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." ~Paul, Gal. 1

We are to fear God, not man...and especially not man's opinions.

Peace.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Work ethic (Rated PG for brief mild language)

So, this is sort of a follow-up to my last post in that it's expounding more on some of the ways God has been pushing me to give up my "childish ways," as Paul puts it. Specifically, I've found new motivation to try to glorify Him in my work by doing my best at it. Now, this may seem like an old message (and it is), but it's a serious problem for me. I'm pretty skilled in the art of relaxation, which is great in itself, but when it overflows into my job, there's trouble.

Also...maybe this is only in my group of friends, but it seems to me like my generation is plagued by the spirit of half-assed work. I'm not saying all of them, because I know some crazy workaholics my age, but I think in general this is true. I know I have to push myself really hard not to cut corners in my job, take too many breaks, etc. This park ranger job especially could be really easy to do poorly, and I think God put me in it on purpose. One of the more obviously non-Christian guys I work with is also the guy with the strongest work ethic, and the only other person who I think may know Jesus happens to be the laziest guy on the crew. Funny how that works.

When I realised that the guy who doesn't express any hope for eternity was a harder worker than me, I knew something was wrong. God's timing is so good. All the other times I've heard messages about how Christians should work their hardest for the glory of God, I simply dismissed them because I was lazy. Now that God has been working in me and making me less lazy, I'm finally starting to get it (and WANT it). Honestly, just taking this much time to write this post is making me want to go do something more productive.

I just got done working about 52 hours this week, which might be the most I've worked in a single week, and I feel great about it. I know I won't always feel so good about working so much, but I know God is doing something in me which will last, something for my good and His glory. Now I just need to save money better, haha.

Peace.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Man Up

So, life has been pretty great the past couple weeks. I've realised certain things about myself...not only that, but finally seem to have the motivation to do something about them. Reading some Tozer ("The Pursuit of God"), Chambers ("My Utmost for His Highest"), Dostoyevsky ("The Gambler"), and memorising some new Scripture (Job 37:21-24..beautiful, beautiful passage) have been helping me kick-start certain areas of my life. As a recovering Calvinist, I'm still more used to asking God to change me than trying to change myself. Asking Him for a heart-change is, of course, a very good thing to ask, but it also requires hard work.

When I look back five years from now, will I be able to say, "I am so glad I didn't waste any more time," or will I say, "Why hasn't anything happened yet?"

To this end, I've been taking some steps to become more disciplined in certain areas of my life. I've been exercising more (strangely enough, I've missed it...), being more intentional with my time in the morning, reading more, spending less time on the computer, keeping the house more clean, and trying to live without fear (in a good way).

For several months now, I've also been a part of a small online prayer group with two of my friends. At the same time as God was getting the ball rolling with all these things in my life, our group got re-energised and we're moving forward with a new strength. God's timing rocks.

My long-time friend Mike stopped at my house the other day, and I discussed a little bit of this with him. I told him I'm sick of being a little boy, and I want to be a man. I'm sick of wasting time playing video games, even if it seems like there's nothing better to do (which is a lie, anyway). I have so many productive things I could be doing that I actually hardly have enough time for any of them; I just haven't been taking advantage of them.

One afternoon last week, I had a fight with a bout of severe depression. I don't like admitting it publicly like this, but it is what it is. Interestingly, the last time I struggled with depression this hard was the beginning of this blog, and I haven't had it so bad since then. At the time it happened, I'm actually not surprised at all. I'm finally making changes in my life to become more of a Godly, disciplined man, and Satan tries to ruin me in the best way possible: convince me that there's no point to anything I'm doing.

When Satan tries to screw things up that hard, you know you're on the right track.

One of my friends gave me a word a while back: sehnsucht. It's German, and we don't actually have an adequate equivalent for it in English...but when I looked it up, I realised that I actually know this word very well. C.S. Lewis describes it like this: "That unnameable something, desire for which pierces us like a rapier at the smell of bonfire, the sound of wild ducks flying overhead, the title of The Well at the World's End, the opening lines of "Kubla Khan", the morning cobwebs in late summer, or the noise of falling waves." This feeling (described more in my post Wapiti Wilderness) has been with me more and more lately, if you couldn't already tell from my previous post, Green Walk. I don't know why; I just feel like I'm on the brink of something huge, but I can't tell what it is...like a blind man standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon.

God's got something big in store.

Peace.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Green walk

So, the past couple days have been really great. Thursday night, I was at my second job when some huge thunderstorms rolled in, and the sky was beautiful. Dark, foreboding clouds, blue skies, lots of rain, lightning, a golden sunset, and a rainbow...all at the same time. It was amazing.

The next morning, it was still raining quite a bit, but I found a break between the rain and took a walk at the Harris Nature Center in Okemos, one of my favorite places to get away in the Lansing area. Everything was green and covered in raindrops, and some of the shrubs were flowering beautifully. I originally went to go birdwatching, but after a while I had to put down my notebook and just enjoy it all. It was too good for pictures...almost too much for me to handle. It was that feeling of sehnsucht, the emotional moment described several times in Wapiti Wilderness; it made me tear up a  bit. A couple times, all I could do was just stand there and try to take it in, barely able to comprehend the beauty of it all, and yet at the same time realising that there is so much more...if the world can be this beautiful (and more so), then how glorious, majestic, awe-inspiring, and breathtaking must God be?

I can't wait to see.

Peace.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

My supervisor

So, as I've said in previous posts, my park ranger job is going well. One of the most interesting and unexpected aspects of it has been the interactions I've had with my supervisor.

On one of my first training shifts, I came to find out I remind him a little of his grandfather: a religious man who enjoys a good pipe-smoke. Just the other day, I discovered we both are really into birds when I impressed him by identifying a Sharp-shinned Hawk on the River Trail.

Very interestingly: although I believe he came from your average mid-Michigan farming family, he knows quite a bit about the homeless and also seems to have a good bit of compassion for them. When they come up in conversation (which is semi-frequently, as we're working in areas of Lansing where the homeless can actually stay without being bothered by others), he usually ends up explaining something about them or defending them.

One thing that really got me thinking was a statement he made just recently. We were driving along the River Trail in the Gator and passed an African-American woman. Both of us waved and smiled (the unspoken rule for greeting everyone when we're working so we don't seem like we're tools), but the woman just looked away. After we passed her, my supervisor said, "And that is why racism will never die." He went on to explain that's pretty much the reaction he gets from most African-Americans while he's at work, and how he wishes it was different.

 I wonder if this guy studied sociology in college.

 As I thought about what he said, it occurred to me that racism seems to have changed since a few thousand years ago (Disclaimer: I haven't studied any of this in depth, so maybe I'm way off base and need to be corrected, but these are the thoughts I had). When I read about racism in the ancient world, it seems like it was less focused on skin colour in particular and more on specific cultures. One example would be the Jews and the Samaritans in Biblical times. They were probably very similar as far as physical appearance goes, but they were totally separate cultures, and hated each other. If racism really was more culturally-based (again, I may be wrong in thinking this), then certain "racisms" would naturally die out, as cultures eventually disintegrate. If racism is based on skin colour, however, what is the end point? When every colour eventually gets mixed into one? haha. Seriously, though, I can see why someone might say it will never die (I think my logic is good, I just don't know if my facts are, so feel free to correct me in the comments).

In the end, however, I am convinced that it will die. I believe God when He says in Scripture that Christ will come again, and there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and we will receive new bodies. Everything will be refreshed, including our relationships with Him and each other. Then we will see the death of racism, and it will be another reason to worship God.

Peace.

 P.S.: I would LOVE to know who keeps searching for my blog in a Russian search engine (yes, I know you're there)...if you could just leave a comment and let me know, I'm very curious. I don't even have to publish the comment if you don't want me to...I just would really like to know!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Yo ho, yo ho, a park ranger's life for me...

So, this park ranger job has been pretty interesting so far. I decided I would chronicle some highlights here from the past couple months.

About a month ago: Painting over some graffiti near LCC campus when this crazy old guy who looks like a war veteran rolls up in his wheelchair and exclaims, "Looks like a cover-up to me! I guess I'm okay with this one."

For the first two months: Kept finding strange things under a certain pine tree in one of the parks, including halves of uneaten oranges, the insides of a pumpkin and the empty shell tossed aside, whole heads of broccoli, and lots of bottles of various kinds of booze. Someone really knows how to have a good time...I guess.

Last week: Pretty sure I found a coelacanth head on the River Trail. Not sure why prehistoric fish would be hanging out in the Grand River, but this thing was HUGE...okay, maybe it wasn't that big, but I was still weirded out.

Today: Lady comes up to me and starts telling me about some park I've never heard of and how the dead trees need to be taken care of and something needs to be done about the deer, because there's too many and it's not healthy for them. I told her the park itself is probably a city park, one that the county isn't taking care of, and she should contact the DNR about the deer. "Well, where is the city park headquarters?" "Uhh...somewhere in downtown Lansing." I am SO HELPFUL.

Since at least four weeks ago: A coworker and I kept finding glass in parking lots along the River Trail from people breaking into cars. It was getting particularly bad last week, until my coworker told me this past Monday that the guy had been caught (yes, singular, not plural), and he had been arrested for breaking into about NINTEY-TWO CARS. Holy crap.

Normally, I have to paint over graffiti when I find it...this doesn't apply as much to graffiti on the ground, though, and even less when somebody makes a stencil of the Skyrim logo and spraypaints it black all over the place. Awesome.

It's weird...I get more friendly conversation from complete strangers on the trail, but every so often when I see someone I actually kind of know, there's no acknowledgement. Funny how that works.

I guess that's it for now; there's more I can't remember, and I'm sure more that will happen. It's been a great job so far, especially for just a temporary one.

 Peace.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Jobs

So, it's only Monday, but this week has already seen some (possibly) drastic changes in my employment. First, my supervisor informed me this morning that our contract with the city of Lansing may get voted down in a meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) night, in which case I will no longer be working for the county by the end of the week. Second, and at just the right time, I was also informed today that the Family Christian Store near where I live (and where a bunch of my friends work) has decided to hire me after I fill out a little more paperwork this Wednesday.

I know some people were holding this second job in prayer, so I thank you for that! It couldn't have come at a better time.

Peace.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

The Lent

So, some of you may have been excited to read my blogs for forty days...and I am sorry for the let-down if that was the case. I got lazy with them, and my whole schedule for that matter. These aren't good enough excuses for not keeping my commitment, but here are a few updates on my life.

I've been working as an Ingham County park ranger for just over a month now. It's a fun job, but I'm still getting used to doing a lot of outside work most days instead of doing school and a small job alongside. I'm also now about to apply for a second job at a Family Christian Store where a bunch of my friends work; apparently they recently lost a handful of employees and would probably hire me.

Things have become fairly tumultuous in my personal life during the last week, which certainly hasn't helped me keep my Lent commitments. Suffice it to say I am about to have two very difficult conversations in the next few days, and part of me would rather crawl in a hole and die than have them. I would very much appreciate prayer for wisdom, humility, and loving words. Thank you.

Peace.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Psalm 37:22

"...for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land, but those cursed by the LORD shall be cut off."

Connecting to the previous verse, believers in Christ should also be generous with their possessions because they know these things will not last into eternity. True followers of God have an inheritance with Christ in heaven. We should not act like those whose ultimate end is to be cut off from God. Our hearts have been freed from sin so we may draw close to God...why would we choose to do otherwise? Once we do this, seeking God with our whole heart, it will be evident, and God can be glorified through us.

Peace.

Psalm 37:21

"The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives..."

Unfortunately, these two principles may not necessarily differentiate between those who utterly reject God and those who claim to follow Him. Those who are made righteous by believing in Jesus are called to be generous, and should freely give of the resources God has entrusted to them...however, this doesn't always happen. Let us draw near to God so He can change our hearts. When this happens, our habits will change as well, and others will be able to see clearly what God has done in our lives. All of this is for His glory.

Peace.

Psalm 37:20

"But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish - like smoke they vanish away."

Those who do prosper because of their own evil may seem for a while like they can't be stopped...but this will only last for a season. Such people place their trust and treasure in earthly things. Those who know Jesus Christ have a different hope, however, one which surpasses the earthly and enters into the eternal. An eternal hope can't be blown away like smoke in the wind. We follow God in this life, facing hate and discomfort, because we know after this life is over we will be with Him forever, worshiping Him in the light of eternity.

Peace.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Psalm 37:19

"They are not to be put to shame in evil times, in the days of famine they have abundance."

In their times of spiritual darkness, God is still looking out for His children. Our hope in Christ will never fail because He is true to His Word. Even if everything else in life falls away, we still have abundance in God's Spirit. Thank You, Jesus.

Peace.

Psalm 37:18

"The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever."

Sometimes it's hard to remember that we are blameless in Christ. Reading a passage like this, one may be tempted to start thinking selfishly, "Well, I'm not blameless...I guess I'm not good enough," or even (unconsciously), "I need to make myself blameless so I can feel better about reading things like this in Scripture." When Scripture refers to "the blameless," it is usually referring to those who have been justified in God's sight. This applies to all who are in Christ, whether you feel like it on any given day or not, and it has nothing to do with how "good" you think you have been lately. The focus here, although we are the ones being called "blameless", is actually not on us; it's on Christ and His sacrifice.

Peace.

Psalm 37:17

"For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous."

Again, illustrating how although it may seem that the wicked are reaping the most benefits, God's favour ultimately rests with those who follow Him.

Peace.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Psalm 37:16

"Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked."

Throughout Scripture, God tells us that it is those who are downtrodden for His name who will ultimately receive the highest reward. It may seem little on earth, but if we resort to the methods of those who reject God (thus rejecting Him ourselves), then we will join in their eternal punishment. Be content, then, with suffering for the sake of Christ. The hope we have in Him is worth the wait.

Peace.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Psalm 37:15

"...their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken."

The ultimate end of those who reject God. The consequences listed here reflect a physical, earthly punishment. Sin always does have an effect in the here and now, whether or not it is blatantly obvious. It erodes our relationships, both with God and with other people on earth, and makes us more susceptible to the traps of the devil. More reasons to avoid envying the wicked, and to trust God.

Peace.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Psalm 37:14

"The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright..."

More examples showing why we should not envy such people. Jesus said we would always have the poor with us; this is in part because there will always be evil people trying to make themselves more rich by exploiting the needy. Not only this, but they also are trying to destroy those who walk in truth...probably because they prefer their own deeds to stay in darkness. Fortunately, God has something else planned in the long run.

Peace.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Psalm 37:13

"...but the LORD laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming."

The resolution to the previous verse. Although evildoers and Satan are always out to take advantage of others, God's plan is sovereign. He has their punishment waiting in the wings, and all their best-laid plans are ultimately futile. If we trust in the LORD, there is no reason to fear the wicked, as our hope lies in Christ, eternal life.

Peace.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Psalm 37:12

"The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him..."

This is reason enough for us to not envy wrongdoers: they are out for their own gain, and relish opportunities to take advantage of others. However, this is not the sole extent of the danger. The Enemy also plots and seethes at the righteous. By envying the wicked, we give him opportunity to take hold of our hearts and distort God's will in our lives. This battle goes on around us every day, and one of the Enemy's favorite plots is to convince us that he is not around. Complacency results, then comes the letting down of our guard, and we give him a foothold. He is always plotting and gnashing his teeth...but God knows his every move, and has a grander plan in store for those who wait for Him.

Peace.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Psalm 37:11

"But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace."

The joys of waiting on and trusting in the Lord. As previously noted, those who place their hope in Christ have been brought into God's family and into the promise made to His children. When we follow Him, everything will turn out for the better in the long run, even if it doesn't look like it will in our immediate circumstances.

Peace.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Psalm 37:10

"In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there."

God's assures us that although it may seem like wrongdoers prosper more than the righteous, they and their prosperity will soon vanish. At that time, we may even be baffled, especially if we have lost hope that God was going to do anything about it. God is just, though; He will not allow wickedness to go unpunished.

Peace.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Psalm 37:9

"For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land."

The eternal end of every person falls within these two categories. Those who reject God will be rejected by Him, but those who trust and place their hope in Him are made a part of His family. As such, they become co-heirs with Christ partakers of God's promise to His people.

Peace.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Psalm 37:8

"Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil."

Anger, wrath, and worrying are all closely related. When something doesn't go our way, we begin to fret about all the work we put into it or about the consequences; anger often follows. Here, Scripture provides a rare insight into the consequences of worrying. Anxiety is often pointed to as a lack of trust in God; this is implied from other passages. This verse actually states that it normally leads to evil. All this is just more reason to wait on God.

Peace.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Psalm 37:7

"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!"

"The one who prospers in his way" is equated to "the man who carries out evil devices." Again, we should not be anxious about those who are doing better than us because of some evil they have done. We should not desire what they have; we are to wait patiently on God. He will both reward us for waiting and punish those who presumptuously take what is not theirs.

Peace.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Psalm 37:6

"He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday."

Since Christ sacrificed Himself for us, and since we no longer live, but rather Christ lives in us, the righteousness and justice we may have is not even our own. God counts them as our own, but they originated from Jesus Christ. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and true faith in Christ (delighting yourself in God, committing your way to Him, etc.), God will show off this righteousness in us, and all of the glory goes back to Him. It's all about Him.

Peace.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Psalm 37:5

"Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act."

Another conditional command, somewhat reiterating the previous one. If we commit our lives to God and delight in Him, then our minds will be transformed so we can more easily trust in God...and He promises quite a lot to those who really have faith.

Peace.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Psalm 37:4

"Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Wait, the desires of my heart, that thing which "is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick?" Why would God grant the desires of something so untrustworthy?

If, however, we are delighting ourselves in the LORD, befriending faithfulness, doing good, and trusting Him, doesn't that reveal a changed heart? Once our heart has been tuned to God's will, our desires also get tuned to His, and God will honour those desires which align to His will.

God calls us to have faith in Him, even when it seems wrongdoers are getting away with everything and God isn't stopping them. He calls us to delight in Himself, which means forsaking all our worries. When we do that, He will show us just how powerful and faithful He really is.

Peace.

Psalm 37:3

"Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness."

That is, as opposed to worrying about evildoers and envying wrongdoers, for their reward is coming. We should not follow them, but rather trust that following God is the right way.

"...and befriend faithfulness."

This, according to my Bible, can also be translated, "and feed on faithfulness," or, "and find safe pasture." All three translations seem to give "dwell in the land" a sense of security, especially in the context of the passage so far. To me, it seems like all three translations of the last phrase not only suit the verse well, but complement one another. Since the LORD alone is our shepherd, we can dwell in the land safely, sustained by His faithfulness.

Peace.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Psalm 37:2

"For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb."

This explains why we should not fret over or be envious of those who do wrong: because their end is coming soon. The evildoers will receive judgment, so there is no need to trouble ourselves with being angry, and we should not envy them even though things may seem to be going well with them now. They will fade and wither like a small plant in the blazing summer heat, as one condemned in the presence of the Lord Almighty.

Again, strong words in a small passage. Those who trust in Christ and follow Him, however, can stand before God as His forgiven children, known and loved.

Peace.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Psalm 37:1

So, this is the first blog in a series of forty I'll be doing until Easter. They will likely all be short, but maybe not. I'll be taking one verse of Psalm 37 for each blog.

"Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!"

These two commands seem simple and easy to follow. Have you ever been furious at someone driving selfishly and recklessly on the highway, though?

"Fret not yourself because of evildoers."

Once it's put in those terms, we can probably think of all sorts of applications for this command. Are you jealous of the amount of music someone has, which they illegally downloaded?

"Be not envious of wrongdoers!"

Interesting how quickly two "simple" commands can quickly morph into two rather difficult ones. This verse may not be the quaint little introduction which it seems to be on the surface.

Thinking about it more and more, these commands keep getting more difficult. However, the point of the Law is not to make us into perfect people, so we need not make ourselves feel guilty. The point of the Law is to reveal how much we really cannot do ourselves, and direct us to Jesus Christ. He is the fulfillment of all the Law and the Prophets; the only One, in fact. By believing in Him and allowing Him to live His perfection through us, we can approach and know God. Then, instead of seeing imperfection, God sees Christ, and thus perfection.

Peace.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

More Mark

So, as I've said in some previous posts, I'm working through the book of Mark right now. Yesterday I was in chapter nine, which contains the account of Jesus healing a boy who is possessed by a spirit which made him mute and deaf, along with giving him convulsions. Poor kid. When the boy's father comes to Jesus asking for help, he expresses his belief that Jesus has the power to heal his son, but he still shows a little doubt. Jesus responds: "All things are possible for one who believes." The father exclaims after this, "I believe; help my unbelief!"

Wow. I've heard that phrase before, but I don't think I ever realised it originated in Scripture. I'm jealous of this man's faith and humility before Christ. He recognised his own unbelief, and wanted it gone; he wanted to believe with his whole heart, but at the same time knew he did not yet believe so strongly.

I know this man's situation well (not the part about having a possessed son). One of my most often used prayers is just this: "Jesus, change my heart so that I WANT to love You more." It's so easy to forget the spiritual warfare going on around me every day, the nearness of God, the love of Christ...sigh. Sometimes my own ignorance baffles me.

Well, in other news, I've finally landed a job, for those who read this and haven't heard yet. Starting next week, I'm going to be a park ranger with the Ingham County Parks Department. I'll be doing maintenance work throughout several dozen county parks around Lansing; primarily at Hawk Island County Park. Most of the work will be snow removal (if we get more...), trash duty, and mowing when it gets warmer. However, it's just a temporary job; the regular team will be re-hired in May, and I will probably be let go by June. I'm just happy to have a job, though, especially one which suits me so well. The pay is low, but I should have 35-40 hours every week, which will be great. If it does end in May, then I will also have an opportunity to get a summer job with the DNR, which I would also love.

Getting my foot in the door.

Peace.