The FirEscape

2006-07-22T13:07:00.000-04:00

I am still alive FOLKS!! I AM STILL ALIVE!!!

I promise I will update soon. It has been a whirlwind six months. Let me tell you. I am back in TN and it looks like I may be staying for a while. Keep praying.

2006-02-07T12:48:00.000-05:00

Simple, yet profound

Since I am graduating in May, I have been faced with many questions from others concerning my direction after school. I used to battle with this because we live in a world where we must be goal oriented, and have a 10 year plan lined out. Now I am not against all of these things, I just know that living by faith doesn't always give you that "10 year plan." That. however is a topic for another discussion. Now, more than ever, I am confident in my answer when asked.

I think in the past few years that my faith has been challenged in ways so severe that they haven't been matched to this degree before. May, I say that this "challenge" I speak of has come from the church itself. No, I don't mean my Pastor and I don't mean that there are insulting words. I am talking about the simple fact that my eyes have been open to a reality that exists. One of my favorite authors, Ted Dekker (www.teddekker.com), explains in his non-fiction book that most Christians, are in a continuous slumber. That is to say that they are not fully aware or may be turning a blind eye to what we are called to do and HOW we are called to do it. Christ set the example, and there is no mystery to this for it is clearly laid out in His Gospel.

How is it that we have gotten so far from the will of God that we can't see what is written right under our noses. I know, I have heard my whole life that "some" are called and "some" aren't. Huh. Okay, I prefer to call a spade a spade and explain that what this is saying is that only "some" Christians are to give their lives to bringing glory to God and sharing Christ's love with others. Only some are called to make disciples and teach them all that Christ taught us. That means the rest of these "Christians" are called to sit on a pew. If Christianity, literally means being "Christ-Like" how can I not follow the examples and Commandments given to me by the one I claim to follow?

So I come back to my initial comment of being "challenged" in my faith. I have in recent years become more passionate about my faith and doing what I can to not allow myself to fall into this "slumber." I also realize the need to teach others to do the same. This is called replication, other wise known as DISCIPLEHIP; does that ring a bell (MATTHEW 28:19)? Oh and I am fully aware that as Christians we have complicated things since well, Jesus went up into heaven. As it said in Revelation, "we have gotten away from our first love, that is Christ. The first century church was founded on the two greatest commandments that Christ established, 1) to love God and 2) to love people. We need to get back to our first love. If only a small percent would grasp this we would see a huge paradigm shift. I was speaking with a friend of mine and he said that if 100% of Christians would take hold of this, as we should, a paradigm shift would be child's play to the seismic cultural revolution that would take place. My "paradigm shift" could literally happen with just 10% of Christians completely selling out to God, just as Dwight L Moody suggested.

With all of this in mind, where is it that I am headed and what is my plan? My answer is very simple yet inevitably profound. I will, however, give props to someone else for reminding me of my first love and giving me a great answer. In listening to a sermon of a Pastor that I have great admiration and respect for, he was faced with the same question in regards to the plan for growth in his church. He stated, " my only plan is to know God and make God known." Simple, yet profound.

2006-02-02T22:30:00.000-05:00

SO THIS IS BLOGGING.........

I must admit, I am amazed on a daily basis of the advancement in technology today. Being an eighth year student on the campus of a very technology driven campus allows me the great fortune of being exposed to these "new" amazements every day. I just found out last night through one of my roommates that we can actually watch tv through the network on campus. Even if you have wireless access you can also view this. Live TV at the touch of a button. Oh and let me stop and reflect on this "Wireless Wonder."

I remember a few years back when I was traveling across the country and investing three years of my life to children who have no moral compass outside of school. I would stay with families along the way on this journey. It was at one of these homes, in Arizona I think, that I met a man who had wireless internet. Whoa!!! I was blown away. "So, I can take this to any room in the house and still be connected?" Sure enough I could. There was no telling how much that cost at the time. I thought that I would be an eternity away from being able to enjoy that luxury...........Well, here I am typing on my laptop using a wireless connection to connect to this prestigious blogging page. No, I didn't decide to stay at that home for years to come and I certainly did not steal the man's wireless card and router. I am also not at home in my living room or my bedroom using a wireless service (which I do have by the way). And I am certainly not in McDonald's, Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, or one of the other countless retail spots that offer wireless service. Would you believe that I am on the campus of my University using their wireless service that covers the several hundred acres that the school sits on. Furthermore, I am in class!! Oh now, hold on. Don't get on my case yet. I am good at multitasking, okay most of the time.

Since I truly am new at this whole "blogging" thing, I am looking forward to posting many random thoughts and/or rantings here. I hope you do come back for more. I am a very eclectic person and I am very passionate about many things so I am sure it will get interesting. One of the strongest persuasions in my life is my faith and I will thoroughly enjoy sharing what I am learning on a day to day basis. Life is so wonderful and is full of many blessings. Sometimes I wish that life would only be full of those things; part of me at least. I know the need lies for me to experience the norms and downsides to life. It is truly then and maybe only then that I can learn to appreciate the abundant blessings, when I do receive them, from God. Oh and, if you would like to know a great cure for the common life, I have an answer for you. It is truly something that I learned a few years back and I have been on an incredible journey ever since. The structure of this has proven itself over and over again. How could I possibly want to keep it to myself? Okay, so I am tempted to.

Well, I must head down to NC and then off to TN tomorrow to visit a very special young lady who definitely attracts my attention. Yes, our reunion is long overdue.

So, this is blogging, huh? I dig it.