Do Not Love the World

(The word of God cuts to the heart)

I John 2:15

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and it's desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

I John 2:15

A Simple Verse; With Not So Simple Implications

(Photo provided by a friend)

I John 2:6

"Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus walked"

- I John 2:6

WORDS of a Friend

IN GOD, WHOSE WORD I PRAISE, IN THE LORD, WHOSE
WORD I PRAISE--IN GOD I TRUST; I WILL NOT BE AFRAID.
( PSALM 56:10-11 *NIV )

Dear you,
Even in today's World, there is no reason to be fearful of the
future with God by your side! For, GOD HAS SAID, "NEVER
WILL I LEAVE YOU; NEVER WILL I FORSAKE YOU."
SO WE SAY WITH CONFIDENCE, "THE LORD IS MY
HELPER; I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT CAN MAN DO
TO ME?" ( HEBREWS 13:5-6 )

After all what is fear but the opposite of faith! Therefore
fear is a tool which satan uses to undermine our faith in
God. For, WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO
PLEASE GOD, BECAUSE ANYONE WHO COMES TO
HIM MUST BELIEVE THAT HE EXISTS AND THAT HE
REWARDS THOSE WHO EARNESTLY SEEK HIM.
( HEBREWS 11:6 ) Therefore God has said, MY
RIGHTEOUS ONE WILL LIVE BY FAITH.
( HEBREWS 10:38 )

So you, do not be fearful of the future, or terrorists,
or anything else. Instead keep your faith strong for: THEN
NO HARM WILL BEFALL YOU, NO DISASTER WILL COME
NEAR YOUR TENT. FOR HE WILL COMMAND HIS
ANGELS CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU IN ALL
YOUR WAYS. Amen ( PSALM 91:10-11 )
p.s. this was given to me.

Only His ACB psalms 37:4-5

School

With school starting up I will be writing more ... so if you check this, it's just a heads up to let you know.

JAMES 2:22

You see that his faith and his (Abrahams) actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

Thoughts on the Future ... Imput wanted

So I've been thinking a lot about the future and I just wanted to let people in on it. So I only have one more year of school (providing I graduate and such) but should I graduate this is what I'm thinking about:

Teaching History for Los Angeles School District: I like the idea of this for a few reasons: one the have a program that pays back a majority of your student loans, they give you 20% finances towards a masters, I could possibly start working right after school, summers off, and work with high schoolers. Cons - I think I have to sign a 4 year contract, and that's a lot of committment to me at the moment.

Teaching English Overseas - This is another option I've heavily considered. I figure I'll be done with school, I want to travel, this seems like it would be the time. I would have to take a course to get my certification - but once you're finished they help you find a job pretty much in any country. Pro's - International experience, they need english teachers, working with children, or high school, only a one year contract. Con's away from family, friends, and church - I don't really feel equiped to present the gospel overseas - not that I don't want to I just feel completely incapable of it at this time.

Staying on Campus - I could work as a graduate assistant and stay on campus. I could continue taking courses at CBU and likewise continue to pursue acting on the side. Pro's - Working and Investing in a group of guys trying to encourage them to become leaders and men of God. Con - Low salary? But it would be enough to help start putting a dent in student loans. I think, but I'm not sure, but I think they help you out with your masters

Getting a masters - I've thought about getting a masters in theology or philoshpy of religion at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (Biola) ... where I could do Grad assistant stuff there. I've thought about working campus crusade for christ at USC or another public university.

Acting - I could, over the course of the next year, push hard to get an agent and try to pursue acting. Honestly ... I don't know what God has for my life ... sometimes I think I'm called to be salt and light in the film industry ... other times I feel i'm just supposed to let that go and focus souly on His work of raising up disciples. Sometimes I think I really need to be more firm in the word before I come back to Hollywood and try to make an impact ... (which would be a long process) ... Somehow I feel like both of these fit together, but I just don't know how. Sometimes I feel like the Lord is calling me away from acting, other times I feel like it's exactly where I'm supposed to be. I don't know if it's just me trying to hang onto idol dreams, or it's what I'm "called" to do. I've been challenged a lot more recently to not seek my own glory, but to truly invest my life into drawing out the best in others and seek nothing but the Glory of God, but I find that hard to do by staying inside a christian bubble. I don't know what to think anymore. I felt like i've been following God's leading in my life at great cost, personal sacrifice, great risk ... all that's seemed to happen is coming up empty handed

The Aftermath

It's been over a month since the wedding but I wanted to put a few pictures up anyways. Kevin, I miss you man, and I pray for you and Hailey and your marriage often. I hope you continue to follow God and be a man after his own heart and follow Him. Be the man that God want's you to be, which I think is exactly the man that you are becoming.

From the Front Lines

Sorry I haven't been posting more often. The place I'm living for the summer doesnt' have internet access so it has been difficult to do even little things and keep in contact with people. I wanted to take a moment to let everyone know what's going on. This summer I decided to live in L.A. - often times I wonder why I am even here, but I'm here none the less and will stick it out for another month and a half. My experience so far has been rewarding and very challenging. After i came back here in early june after Kevin's wedding I had the option of working a summer camp or living in L.A. - I thought L.A. would be more challening so that's what I went with. One of the things that really sealed it for me is the Church I've been apart of here called Reality L.A. (you can check it out online at realityla.com). I'm blessed to have roomates who attend USC and are solid followers of Christ. I have no doubt that God is going to use them in amazing ways on that campus during school time. When I moved in I had no job, and no way to pay for rent. Within three days I not only had job but was able to start working that week doing valet parking with one of my good buddy's from school. I can pretty much make my own schedule, and work has been really consistent. A week later I was able to get a lot of work as an extra or background actor. I've worked the t.v. Las Vegas for two - now going on three weeks. I've been working on it with a few people from church. It's been challening and good. We've been able to invite a few people to come check out the church. One guy, Christian, came and loved that it was solid bible preaching, loved the people, and said he is coming back for sure after he get's back from his mission trip from Ukraine with his church from back home. On set I've been doing a lot of reading, most of the time reading some sort of book about God or Jesus or Christian living, and people have just walked up and asked what I'm reading, and often times have opened up conversations about what people believe about God, and I've been able to share with them who Christ is (often times very inadequately, more like completely inadequately). A gay man, mark, who believes more in eastern practices of Budda and Hinduism ... He's extremely bright, but comes from a very broken background. I just pray that God would bring healing and that he would know it came from no one else except Jesus Christ. Continue to pray for the church here in L.A. as God is moving in awesome ways ... pray for unity among the body ... protection from the strong attacks of the enemy (something this good in L.A. won't slip by the enemy's attacks) ... maturity among believers ... annointing of the leadership and the use of the body to be blazing lights in the city of L.A. .... most of all I pray the chuch body will continue to be captured by our first love Jesus Christ ... to value Him above everything in our lives. Pray that the men of the church will be men of God, Bold, Courageous, standing up for what they believe in even at great costs. Pray that the church will be waken from any slumber to make the most of our time, money, resources, and talents, to be found good and faithful stewards of what God has given us. Pray for mending for a lot of people who come from broken backgrounds and all walks of life, knowing and believing that Jesus was sent to save the brokenhearted. God has been good, and continues to be good. Living here is opening me and my heart to a whole new kind of daily dependence on Him and I thank God for Jordan and his family, they've been such a blessing to me, I pray that God would bless them abundantly, because I cannot repay them for how good they've been. Another highlight was a girl by the name of Kelly, she works the valet service with us. One night Jordan was talking about how he's in school and going to graduate and get his teaching credential ... and she was really inspired to do that. You have to take a test before you can start substituting and then pass another test to be able to teach. I pray she will be continually inspired to press forward in this, as it seemed to strike a chord in her heart. Although I am currently poor and have almost nothing, God has been good, and I am abundantly rich and blessed by all he's doing. For me, pray for Courage to stand up for what I believe and a more solid foundation to stand on Christ - for spiritual maturity, and full assurance in Christ - That Christ be my satifaction. Pray that God would mold me into a man of God, courageous to stand up for what I believe in, Pray for work - I've been auditioning places with little success, pray for more opportunities, and God to continue to be faithful in blessing the work we've been doing ... more specifically I would love for some acting roles to open up, even if they're small or just auditions ... something continue to move forward and patients, lot's of patients, nothing ever happens quick enough for me. Honestly I think this is the closest thing to being a missionary in a foreign country ... just remember, wherever you are, you are a missionary there as well. Who is going to reach the people for Christ in your work place? If you are reading this and have grown lazy or stagnant just remember, Jesus is coming again, coming soon, I think it's time we wake from our slumbers and live to make Him known as the supreme satisfaction of our lives, it is a battle, but "The kingdom of heaven is taken by violent men" - Last thing I promise, That I would be joyful in all I do, and that God would give me a new heart to intimatley walk with Him, and to be a good steward of all the things he's placed in my life (something I feel I've done a terrible job of in the past). God Bless ... I love you and wish I could be with you, continue to perservere

More photo's of me in Hawaii

A few more images from Hawaii

A Very Brief Taste

This is a very brief look into a few sights of Hawaii, I have a lot more, but I'm on someone's computer and they only have a few of my pictures on here

I'm Off

Well I guess it's time you guys should know ... I'm going overseas for a week ... but not out of the country. This morning at 5:15 A.M. I will be heading out for Hawaii. Why you ask? Good question. I am apart of a traveling drama group, we go out pretty much every weekend and perform a skit, we've been doing this all school year, and honestly it's been exhausting and rewarding all at the same time. I feel like the trip is long overdue, and we've definenatly been through our fair share of trials to get there. One thing that is nice about it is that we only had to purchase the plane ticket, everything else will be accounted for. So, I'm off ... and I just bought a few more memory cards for my camera, so hopefully I'll get a good shot or two. But it's not all fun and games ... Please continue to keep me in your prayers, especially with summer plans, but more importantly that I would trust God in a new and amazing way. I miss everyone so much, especially the niece and nephews ... Lord willing, I'll be home for a little bit towards the end of may.

Cobbwebbs

A few sights

of me this past week:

The not so brief update on this week: So this week has been crazy !!! I've been involved in one acts for the past month and a half or so, and been involved in the process of directing one since the beginning of the semester. Two nights ago I was able to be apart of a play called "Bang Bang You're Dead." It was a story written in response to Columbine High School (as best I understand it). It is a story that explores the mind of a high school aged school shooter, and in light of recent events at Virginia Tech, it was very powerful and emotional, as well as the day before the 8 year anniversary of Columbine. After the show some guy was geniunely impressed with the script and the performance. After speaking with him briefly I found out that he is an accomplished actor of 35 years. His first film role he worked with Alfred Hitchcock and other people like Sidney Poitier. If there was anybody who would give an honest response to the show it would have been this guy, if he thought it was bad acting I'm sure he would have been very studious to critique us, however this guy was very geniune and honest and was very encouraging. He said sometimes performers try to do just that, perform or be something, tonight was real theater, you guys were up on stage reacting. He encouraged me to keep pursuing it, but only if I loved it. So it made me ask the question, do I love this? Well the next day the show that Katie and I directed was performing. There were a lot of technical difficulties, but we couldn't have asked for our actors to have done any better, they were great! I wish the show would have run a little smoother, but the script, my partner, and the actors were all a huge blessing from the Lord, and answers to prayer - I couldn't have asked for a better directing experience. Later that night I ran into one of our actors and we were just talking and in the middle of our conversation out of my mouth; in mid conversation, with out thinking came the words, "I love this" In light of that it further led me to examine some cobb webbs that have been in the back of my mind, and it's time to do some cleaning.

This will probably be the hardest letter that I can post. It's an open and honest look at my heart and mind ... it's not going to be easy for me, but please bare with me, for I am going to be more vulnerable than I usually am ... . So for a long time i've wrestled with for a long time. For a long time i've wrestled with the question of what is the best way to spend my time? I've thought about once I've graduated about going over seas and teaching english, staying on campus and discipling peers younger than myself. Both of these would be absolutely amazing, but I think I would be running to something good and safe. Don't get me wrong, we need people to do this, but something has been on my heart for a while, and I almost feel embarrassed to even admit and talk about it. I guess I just get frustrated with Christians (myself included) when we feel like we have to do our little christian things and that missions is only what we've labled it or has to be done through a mission board. All these people are going on ISP but have they ever spent a weekend doing stuff in in Los Angeles ... L.A. represents one of the biggest most diverse places in the world, the nations are 45 min. away, heck the nations are on our campus. Anyway I mean to say L.A., hollywood in particular are extremely empty. Our culture is thirsting for so much more. Hollywood is the heart of our culture, and we as Christians have run from it and have the audacity to complain about what is shown on t.v. or in the movies. We teach our kids to avoid certain movies instead of teaching them how to observe movies with wisdom and discrection and see past Hollywoods extremely propagandic lies about how we should live for ourselves. Living for ourselves is dead, freedom from self is life. But somewhere along the lines we lost what it means to be salt and light, to be in the world (actively engaged ) and not of it (completely soaked in it, Holy (not pure or more holier than thou) but set apart. I'm convinced if you let Christ's light shine in the dark, people will see it and follow, but I can't do it alone that's for sure, I can't be the only one. To many times i've wrestled with maybe I should do the "Christian thing" and go over seas or teach english or be a humanitarian (which these are not bad if your heart is in the right place, and there is nothing wrong with giving love, the world needs it), but I cannot help to think that America is the biggest mission field, where people are starving for truth, and if we continue to run, which of Christ's disciples will give it to them? I desire to stand where many flee, I desire to enter into the darkness, because our Savior has already won the victory, crushed the head of the serpant under his heal. I expect to go through the darkness, enter into the fire and be delievered. This is something I've painstakingly thought through, one in which I know what to do, but I can't do it alone, and if Christ is not apart of this it is all for nothing.

I've desired for a long time to be involved in the film industry in some way, shape, or form. Trust me I've tried to let this desire die, time and time and time again. I realize that pursuing this might be the most foolish thing ever. I am not naive enough to think that it won't be the most challenging and difficult thing to do, and probably take more than I can give, so I don't consider pursuing this lightly, I know the costs better than most, I've seen the emptyness and I know if I do it alone I'd probably be swallowed up by it, I don't want to do it alone. I hope you were able to follow this letter, hopefully it makes since?

Chained Down

So, I can't sleep ... and it's just been one of those weeks ... It's times like these that make me seriously question the importance of school. I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off, and for what, a peice of paper at the end of it that is supposed to say to society that I'm important now. There's not enough time in the day, and there is no eye to this storm. I hate the feeling of just trying to keep from drowning. I hate that I've accepted mediocrity, and that just getting things done is an accomplishment. I hate my lack luster, half-ass lifestyle. I hate not being focused, and useless. I'm spread so thin that I don't even know who I am anymore ... what i've become is society's monster and pawn, and for what? Don't get me wrong, I love school, I love the people and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I've learned a lot about time management, and priorities ... I'm just sick of this fast paced, uselessness. I need to slow down (not yet because obviously i have to finish), but slow down and produce higher quality efforts, more faithfullness, reliable, consistant. Slowing down doesn't mean becoming more lazy, it means becoming more dilligent, a better steward, more prudent. Sometimes it's okay to say no. I feel like as a christian I'm supposed to be, "open to whatever God has for me." which in a since is true, but it seems like more of a huge trap than anything, which i've fallen headfirst, and blindly into. When God's hand is in something you'll know it, it will be unmistakable ... and more overwhelming than anything I (we) alone could ever work out by ourselves. I guess I just have trouble discerning what my part is in pursuing the things in front of me, and God's faithfulness to provide. I'm so eager to see God move that I follow every red herring and miss Him completely ... To often I buy the lies, follow the status quo, and am too easily decieved ... Luke 17:32 REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE ... There's no in between, it's all or nothing ... being caught in between is a choice by it'self ... I'm sure I could babble on like a little school girl, but I'll refrain

It's Finally Here!

Dear Family,
It's finally here. I've been wanting to make a website for sometime, to give you some sights and images of what is happening here at school. I'll be putting up stuff weekly to keep you guys up to date. This is my effort to keep everyone in tune with what's going on with me, so you and I don't feel so dis-connected.

(Batman at downtown disney, Newport Beach Sailboat, A hallway at beach houses, part of my apartment, A Los Angeles Parking Job, My buddy Zack at the beach, The Metro Subway in downtown L.A., The Cross at the top of a small mountain close by school, and ME).