The Meaning of Life

At night the only light we have is the moon; the light of the moon is not the moon's own light, but the light of the Sun reflected off the moon's surface. In the same way the light that we are called to shine is not our own light, but the light of our savior who has sent us into the world to bring about guidance during the dark hours of night. We must be a reflection of Jesus who is no longer on Earth. We cannot hide our light and keep it for ourselves for it is not ours to hide. We need to go out into the darkness and shine our light for all the world to see; not to bring recognition to us, but to Jesus.

This is the core of our existence as Christians. This is why we are here. This is why God has put us not only in the world, but in our respective countries, states, cities, and even neighborhoods and churches. We are where we are for a reason and that reason is to show Jesus to those in our vicinity who do not know Him. To influence those around us. To help others learn about His love. This is the meaning of life for anyone who follows The Way.

⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

                                                              - John 9:4-5

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

                                                                 -Matthew 5:14-16

Winterfest- Worship, Lessons, and Snow

Winterfest is an annual worship conference for teens. It starts Friday night, has two sessions on saturday, and closes out Sunday with an excellent worship service. I learned this weekend that it actually started as a winter retreat for my church, Farragut Church of Christ.

The teens get a lot out of the lessons which is great, I love to see them learn and grow! Unfortunately it doesn't do much for me, but that's intentional. The target audience is high school students. However, its nice to step back and look at things from a different age perspective.

The worship is amazing, its definitely my favorite part of Winterfest. The group "Offering Worship" led the singing; mostly songs from their CD "Awake My Soul". Most of these songs were new to our group, but I loved them. I really appreciated that Winterfest put this information on their website late last year as I was able to get the CD and familiarize myself with the songs.

We got lucky this weekend and it snowed a lot on Saturday. Gatlinburg and snow just go hand in hand. Most of my Gatlinburg memories growing up involve it snowing. So a Gatlinburg experience doesn't seem complete without it.

I'm thankful for the oppurtunity to go on this trip with the youth group and I look forward to many more Winterfests.

Also, Kaleigh wanted me to say that she is my favorite. (Truth undisclosed)

Spiritual Nourishment

In this day and age we have access to God's word so easily, so readily in so many different forms. Hundreds of translations, various methods of telling the stories, thousands of sermons available online at the click of a button and all typically for free. Yet, for some reason we seem to be the most spiritually malnourished generation since Jesus' time on Earth.

Along with this easy access to God's word comes easy access to so many other forms of entertainment, distractions that is. We are so concerned with what's going on in the news, or our favorite TV shows of the year that time with God gets pushed back more and more and more. We say things like "I'll read my Bible tomorrow." But tomorrow is always tomorrow.

Until we change our attitudes, until we change how we think and look at the world, tomorrow will just be tomorrow. It's time for tomorrow to be today; time for later to be now. We can't just sit around waiting for change. If we want change, especially in ourselves, WE have to start it.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

-Mahatma Gandhi

God has given us the nourishment we desire, we just have to seek it, and spend our time in it.

“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.

-Isaiah 55:1-3

2013: A New Year a New Start

A little over two years ago I started this blog and have not done a very good Job of updating it. One of the first things I said was that I wasn't sure why anyone would want to read the Christian ramblings of a twenty year old college drop out who was new to Christianity.

I am proud to say that I have grown a little in faith and spirituality. I have become a volunteer in the youth ministry primarily working with the middle school/junior high students because I believe this is where God has called me to be and am loving it. I feel as a result of all these things I may have something to offer now.

It has been pointed out to me by a trusted friend that as part of my growth and involvement in youth ministry that I need to start networking a little more and getting myself out there. One way of doing this is by blogging more(even though he is probably the only one who will read these). I know its a little late, but my 2013 resolution is going to be to have at least one blog post per month. However I am going to try to do them more often then that.




P.S. Someone should probably hold me accountable to that.

Have Faith

"Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you." -Psalms 9:10

I had awaken early this morning, before even the sun had risen, with the thoughts of a dear friend. As I worked through these thoughts and memories some words were spoken to me:

God doesn't promise things won't change, but He does promise that when they do, He will take care of us.

I felt inspired to share these words, so I posted them on Twitter and Facebook, but then I started thinking about faith. I thought it would be a good opportunity to update my blog, so I started searching through the bible for topics on faith. There are lots. After reading through so many I was encouraged yet disheartened; I had no clue where to go from there and almost just stopped there. But I logged in to my blog account anyway and stumbled across a post I had written back on March 25th, 2010. Yeah, over a year and a half before this post. After I wrote the ramblings in that post I had decided not to post it for whatever reason, I was probably scared and frustrated with somethings going on in life. Anyhow here is the post I didn't publish:

I live my life day to day. Some good, many miserable. I wonder why, but I know the answer. I go along, pretending to be fine. Telling everyone I'm fine.

I wonder if I'm truly alive, not because I'm dead but because I'm empty. Or at least feel empty.
I only say this because I was talking to a friend of mine who is feeling similar. I've known this to be the problem for a while, but this is the first I am speaking of it.

I do things to help, don't I? Maybe it isn't enough, or maybe I'm not doing the right things.

I want to rid myself of this feeling. I want to feel full. And I know that I need to do more for God. He can fill me, but I'm afraid to do more, or to change what I'm doing. And even if I decide to do something, what? What would I do?

Well, God has certainly changed my life. I read this and thought, 'This is me?' But it isn't. It WAS me. There will be changes in our lives, constantly and frequently. We can't allow these changes to turn us from God, instead we must have faith in Him to see us through. Let me tell you, I no longer feel that way. I don't feel full exactly, but I do not in the least feel empty anymore.

Faith is something I often struggle with; I have it, but not consistently. I worry, I get stressed out, but things always work out. Maybe not the way I had intended, but they do always seem to work out.

If something is troubling you, if you are worried, stressed, or afraid of something that might be changing, or has already changed, please don't be. Just stop and take a few minutes of your day to pray about it. Maybe write it out like a letter or blog post. Let it sit there for a few weeks before you post it, send it, delete it, or whatever. Just keep praying about it, ask God what He wants for you. Ask Him for help, He will give it to you.

Mission Trip to Bayou La Batre

       This past week the Farragut College Ministry that I am a part of went on a mission trip to Bayou La Batre, Alabama; that's just below Mobile, Al. It was my first mission trip, and I must say probably the best trip I've ever been on. It wasn't tornado relief, although Alabama needs that too(that comes later during the summer). We helped fix up a house that hadn't been lived in for several years; It was really nasty, but looked great when we finished. Also some of us worked around the church and handed out food to a part of the community that needed it. It was truly a great trip and we had fun doing it. I also learned a few things on this trip about myself and the people around me.

       The idea of going on a mission trip is more enticing than actually being on the mission trip for some people. I heard one person with us talking about how he/she was ready to go home(at the end of the first day). This also being one of the people who helped push the whole mission trip to start with. I was very taken aback when I heard this comment, my best explanation for this type of situation is a lack of love for God. Hopefully I'm wrong, but if not then there is some serious work that needs to be done within our group.

        I met this girl who was being trained to pretty much take over the running of their church building. She impressed me with the way she took lead and directed people(college aged and adults) she didn't even know without a second thought. She is 12 years old. I'm not sure I know any other young men or women that could have lead adults so much older with such ease. I don't know exactly what kind of house she comes from, but I know its not the greatest yet she is such an extraordinary and loving young woman. She will do great things.

        Leading has a great deal to do with confidence in both yourself and God; and I can feel and see myself growing in both these areas. I still don't do so well with devotionals, but in private discussions about ourselves, about our group, about our lives I'm noticing myself growing and being able to give and receive advice better. We typically know what is right and wrong, however we often find ourselves on the wrong side of the scale. Excluding people and treating them poorly for any reason isn't a good thing, yet so many of us do it; myself included. This is something we are working on and I can already see a difference which is something I talked to part of our group about. By treating a particular member of our group better, we've noticed an improvement in this person's voice, actions, and general behavior. Be the change you want to see, don't stand around just waiting for it to happen.

         I don't have much of an attention span when it comes to reading. There is a book I've been reading off and on since Christmas, I wasn't even half way through with it when we hit the road Wednesday morning. I can't read on a moving vehicle because I always get sick. So I was looking around and managed to sign up at Audible.com with a 30 day free trial and receive two free audio books that I downloaded to my phone (Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical, and its sequel, Follow Me to Freedom: Leading as an Ordinary Radical). I finished the first one that I had been reading since Christmas on the way to Bayou La Batre by listening to the rest and started the second one on the way back. Audio books are one of the greatest things I've found.

         Bayou La Batre's living situation has been in a horrible state ever since Katrina, and more recently the BP oil leak which truly destroyed their economy, but on our trip we got to see that things are starting to turn around there and hopefully will continue to. Please keep them (along with the rest of the coast which relies on the gulf for fishing and especially shrimping to make a living) in your prayers and if you ever have an opportunity I highly recommend going down there and actually trying to make a difference.

         I'm not sure what's to come next for them or me, but I believe there are going to be some changes in my personal life both related to topics I've discussed and others that I'm not going to at this point in time. God may have finally provided me something while I was down there that I've been longing for for a long time. Though I'm uncertain if I'm truly ready for it. I need to remember to keep God as my priority. We must always strive to have him as our number 1 relationship.

         Be a blessing in all things you do and through you God will make a great nation.

Roots

It's funny to think about who you are, where you are in life, and HOW you got there. Who influenced you? Who turned you in a small direction that changed your life? How did you meet that person? I'm a Christian, I'm trying to let that rule my life, but I wasn't always. I was once determined that no God existed. Where was the change? Where did I go right?

I think it pretty well starts with two people, Aaron Hinds who made fun of me on the bus in the 5th grade, and was one of my best friends by 7th grade. Brandon Hall who I met in the 7th grade walking from the bus stop to my house (about one or two hundred feet), the key to starting our friendship? Yu-Gi-Oh cards. Yep. He had some out and I was way into it, so I talked to him. Also became one of my best friends.

I can't remember the exact details, but between the two of them I became good friends with Hannah Baker, and Michael Pierce. The four of us had some great times. When freshmen year rolled around we were looking at clubs to join and were greatly into anime, so we wanted to join the anime club, but I was unsure about it because I wasn't sure if my parents would approve of it and let me. Hannah encouraged me to try, what did I have to lose? If they said no, so what? That wouldn't be any different then not trying.Things were on my side and I was able to join the anime club.

This next part, I'm not sure I can explain any way other then an act of God. In anime club I had met a few new friends, and during the summer between freshmen and sophomore year I was invited by Ryan Lain to the absolute best birthday party/weekend I have to this day ever experienced. Which led us to pursue a further friendship. What's so miraculous about this is that although we were friends(and actually met in the 8th grade at lunch), Ryan and I had not spoken that much that in normal circumstances I would be someone to invite on a weekend long trip. To this day we don't know 100% why I was invited, I was just a random name that popped up on her list of invites.

Anyhow, over the next couple of years this led the close friendship of Ryan and I(and her family that I now call my own; Dorian, Kym, Kaleigh you are definitely a part of my family.) and led the key point of change in my life. One random Wednesday, during spring, after school I was invited to attend the youth group at Farragut Church of Christ. For the first time in my life I had willingly gone to church. Here started meeting a number of people, including the Wilkins(who are also my family). After school had ended I had no clue what the etiquette was of when seniors were "kicked out" of the youth group so I stopped attending around graduation time. Judah Wilkins got a hold of my phone number somehow and we went to Starbucks, talked about whatever, and went on our ways. Over the next few months he pressured me a bit into attending church, so in September of 2008 I stopped working on Sundays and started attending the church where my life would truly become something else. And on April 8th, 2009 I solidified my new world and was baptized.

To all the people I met along the way, everyone who helped in some small or large fashion to form the person I have become, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, I love you more dearly then you may ever know. Even if you weren't mentioned here, you have made an important impact in my life.


So how about you? What are your roots? Where do you come from? Would you still be you if you had met different people? I know I would not. If my parents had not come to Tennessee, to Knoxville, I have no clue who I would be.

The Times They Are a Changin

I've come to a point in my short life where everything is heading towards change:

• My parents are finally kicking me out of my house.
• I'm going to get a new job, one that pays me enough money to live off of.
• I have to leave my current job at Wendy's.
• I'll need to buy a house soon.
• The house I'm going to buy will be in an area downtown.

Depending on how thoroughly my parents go through with kicking me out this will all likely happen by or around January. And all of these things scare me to death. Things could very easily fall through, and then what would I do? Certainly God would see me through whatever trials come my way, but even so I'm scared of the changes-of change in general.

I've been submitting my resume to places online hoping to find a suitable job, but even these I have trouble following up with because I'm afraid of something. I'm not sure what exactly it is I'm afraid of there. Maybe I'm just waiting for the right job to fall into my lap. As if that would happen again.

Honestly, I should have been at this point in my life LAST YEAR... I've just sort of been floating around life, though by doing so I've gotten to experience some good things, like serving in church and strengthening new friendships. I suppose it just time to move past that and start heading towards the rest of my life. I know that once I get through all this and settled into my new house things will be much easier for me, and a lot of my stress will be for nothing.

God, I ask that you give me the strength to be fearless and get through these changes without worry, that things work out for the best, and that forever my life be a reflection of you and your will be done through me.

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

      You don't really need to read all of these, just get the basic idea.
NVI, Genesis 1 (respectively numbered):

 ³ And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
⁶ And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water."
⁹ And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so.
¹¹ Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so.
¹⁴ And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, ¹⁵ and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 
²⁰ And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky."  
²⁴ And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so.
²⁶ Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
 ²⁷ So God created man in his own image,
       in the image of God he created him;
       male and female he created them. 

       Words. Powerful words. Through words alone God shaped our world, and created us in His image. As pointed out by a dear friend of mine, words are a powerful tool that we received from our Father; our God. But this tool is more often misused then not. Even in simple ways. If I say I'm going to do something, I try to the best of my abilities to do it. Of course I'm not perfect; I forget from time to time. It seems to me that some people just don't care thought, "Sure, I'll help you on Saturday." Friday night they think 'Oh actually I'd rather do that then help him...'.

     If you say you are going to do something, then do it! If you have no intention of following through with your word, don't say anything! If you aren't sure you will be able to, then either don't say you will, or say you will try but might not be able to. Its an easy concept. By taking a few minutes, or even a few seconds you can usually determine whether you will be able to follow through with whatever you are thinking about saying.


NIV, Matthew 5 (Paying attention specifically to 37):

 ³³"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' ³⁴But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; ³⁵or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. ³⁶And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

      Words can be very hurtful when misused. And very moving, doing much good when used appropriately. Go out! Be responsible! Think! Think! Think! Do good with your words!

Random Thoughts On Quote

"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule"-H.L. Mencken

Aside from stopping an asteroid coming and destroying the earth I wonder if it is even possible to save humanity without ruling it in some form. Even in Christianity you can't be saved without accepting Jesus Christ as you Lord and Savior. The king of Jews.

It's really quite a bold statement. He's making an assumption that most people who try to save humanity are trying to become a ruler.

There is no greater threat to humanity than humanity itself. No matter what type of government, or what systems you put up, there will always be corruption. As long as people are in control of their own lives, there will be corruption.

That's not to say all people are corrupt. There are genuine good people. Sometimes hard to find, but they are there.

Free will is a double-edged sword; Giving us our freedom, but condemning us to a fate of endless hard decisions to make. These decisions will impact not only our lives and future, but potentially those of the people around us. Often times we are weak. We make bad decisions, go down roads that shouldn't even be there. These roads can end up hurting us, or our loved ones; in extreme situations these roads could even take us to death.

The Human Brain

The human brain is such an odd little thing. Starve it of some sleep; mix in some stress and constant movement and "bam" you have a remedy for instant sickness. Seriously, I'm apparently not able to go one night without sleep and run my normal routine. I ended up going home a little early Wednesday night and spending the majority of Thanksgiving in bed. I ate one plate of food that entire day and that was it; slept for like 14 hours and honestly I still feel off. At least it doesn't hurt anymore. I suppose this is a form of punishment for not taking care of our temples properly. (1 Corinthians 3:17) "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."

Hello Blogging World

My name is Jeff. I have attended ITT-Tech for roughly a year and a half, but am now dropping out.

A friend of mine told me about a month ago that I should start blogging. I have no clue what I am going to write about or why anyone would want to hear the opinions or thoughts of a 20 drop out. But if in my time of doing this I can help, or inspire one person then this is worth it.

I am a Christian. The term "Little Christ" comes from that. I started attending church just over a year ago and was baptized in April of this year. I try to study, worship, and serve when I can. I have many things to improve upon in this area.

A lot of my learning come from Andy Stanley the senior pastor at North Point Ministries, but even more so my friend and college minister, Judah, and his family.