Testing out this mobile blogger thing.

Trust

I continue to pray small prayers, and God continues to blow me away. I pray for him to provide a way to fund Sleeping Life, and he gives abundantly. I pray for an answer, the one I want to hear or even the one I don't, and he give the answer I wanted. I don't know why I continue to ask small. I think He's waiting for me to pray risky prayers, and expect big answers, but lately, I haven't been praying too risky. Today I begin to pray and dream bigger than I ever have. I may not know where I'll be in two weeks, or what I'm doing this fall, but I trust Him who is worthy of being trusted with my future. As you read this I encourage you to trust God more today, and pray a risky prayer!

Life is Great

Well the last few weeks I have been all over the place. I've slept in North English, Iowa, Winter Park, Colorado, Taft, California, Phoenix, AZ, on top of my car just south of the Grand Canyon, Page, AZ, in my jeep at the base of Humphrey's Peak near Flagstaff, AZ, Albuquerque, NM, and near Rio Chiquito, NM. God is taking me all over the place with Sleeping Life.

We have done four services(2 in Taft, one in Phoenix, and one in Page). The services have been going better than I could ever have expected. I guess God is showing me to expect more. He is taking care of us financially as well. We have been tremendously blessed, and I am incredibly thankful for it. I am so thankful for the doors that have been opening for us, and things that have been happening. At the services God has really been using us to minister to the people we encounter, and I am so humbled to be able to be used by God.

Life is so good right now, and I'm really living. I've been able to do a lot of cool things as well. I went boogeyboarding in Cali, hiking in Phoenix, wakeboarding, skiing, kneeboarding, and tubing in Page, hiking in Winter Park, hiked up Humphreys Peak in AZ which is the highest point in AZ abovt 12,600 feet, seen the Grand Canyon, slept outside, and just had some amazing experiences. This is what I call living! This is the Extreme life we are called to live, and I am living it and loving it!

Sleeping Life

Waking people up to realize how important and powerful their life is.

Sleeping Life is what my next 5 weeks will consist of. James Yeley, a roommate from MCUSA in Dallas, and I will be traveling and speaking at youth groups and churches from California to Arkansas. Our main focus is to be proactive in the fight against suicide and depression. We are by far not counselors, but definitely good at being a friend. We want to help people realize how important they are, not only to God, but to other people as well, and to help them live their life to the maximum potential.

Our vision is to bring a message of hope and value to people across the country. We want to help a culture plagued with depression and suicidal thoughts and bring new perspective on their purpose in life.

We will be starting this adventure June 1, 2009 and concluding July 12, 2009. For booking please contact us at: sleepinglifetour@gmail.com

This will be a new season for me, since MC is done. More to come on the end of that, and the transisition to the new!

MMTR

Last week I got registered to participate in the 2009 Mountain Masochist Trail Run. It will be on November 7, 2009. No lie, I'm a little scared about it. This race is about 52 miles in length, and I will be running it with my brother, Aron, and my cousins Travis and Alyssa Wildeboer! I'm really nervous, but excited to do it at the same time. Time for some more running! This is gonna' be a challenge!

Ambiguity!

Ambiguity is being put on by Masters Commission USA. Masters Commission USA has classes of drama, ministry development, dance, and music. The drama final project was to create a full stage production including: writing the script, finding the venue, action, creating props, makeup, set design, costume design and creation, fundraising, marketing, lighting, sound, musical creation, directing, and all else that goes into a stage production. This is our production. We are not charging anything to see our show, but we will be taking up a free-will offering at the end of the show to raise money for a ministry in our Church called 2 Your Soul.

In the land of Piccadilly there lives a race of beings called Piccas. Piccas posses markings of different colors on their skin according to their age, gender, and temperament. Long ago a certain Picca was strolling through the land of Piccadilly when a colossal book fell from the sky onto the path before him opening to the word "chief". This Picca then deduced that he was now the chief of all the Piccas. He also concluded that every Picca should consult this book for their new identity. He named it "The Ginormous Book Of Words". So it came to pass that when Piccas reach the age of 216 moons (18 years old) they are bestowed a name from "The Ginormous Book Of Words". Our story begins with a teenage Picca named Zoe. Life for Zoe is what one would consider ideal. She has everything a young teenage Picca could ever hope for, loving parents, social status, impeccable boyfriend, ravishing features and a devoted best friend. Life is going swell for our young Picca friend, but as the day of the naming ceremony nears, little does she know, her whole world is about to be flipped upside down.

I'm really excited for this play. I got to help write the script, and have an amazing one line in it! We've put a lot of work into it, and everyone should come check it out next week in Coppell!

Emotions

I'm not a person that wears their emotions very much. I can think of two times this year in MC that I've cried, it rare that I actually laugh out loud, and I've been told multiple times I look like a sad person or mad person.

Most of the times when people ask if I'm sad or mad, I'm not. I don't know why I don't wear my emotions at all. Tonight I was not in a good mood, felt frustrated and stressed in my head, when a friend looks at me and says, "Dude, do you worry about anything?" In reality I was worrying about a million things, but on my face I don't let people know. Is this weird? As a leader I think it's good not to wear your emotion too much, so the people you lead don't become worried, but then should leaders worry?

I think leaders should worry, but not fear. They should worry enough to feel the weight on their shoulders, but not scared enough where they can't move on.

A lot is going through my head, just wanted to throw something out there. So much stuff going on, but I love life. I'm ready to see my family.

Mass Chaos!

Right now I feel like mass chaos in my mind. We're starting finals, so that means Ministry Development final (40 minute service including 4 speakers, human video, promo video, and more), Dance final (10-15 minute presentation, 2 speakers, full choreographed dance and step, props, costumes, theme), Scripture final (Test over 350 scriptures), Drama final (Full stage production called Ambiguity), and we are having an outreach on Saturday without our outreach director! Plus other dramatic stuff in life going on, but seems insane right now. Can't wait to tell stories of how great God is through the middle of all of it!

WOW!

So much stuff has been happening lately. I feel like I've fallen off the blogosphere for a little while, but I'm working on getting back again. Since my last post I went to Puerto Rico and got back. It was a life changing experience, and I loved it! God showed up in so many ways, and rocked my world. I made some lasting relationships, and miss the people greatly! I'm still in the process of figuring out my plans for next year, but it's coming along. Not sure where I'll be yet, but I know that no matter where I am, it will be amazing!

Puerto Rico!

I'm heading out to Puerto Rico tomorrow morning! It's my first mission trip and I'm really excited! Here is our schedule, which I stole from the message my director sent me!

MC USA Woven Missions Trip

Monday, March 30 th
3:00 pm - Vans leave to airport
3:15 pm – MC USA missions team arrives to Puerto Rico
4:00 pm - Take them to lodging quarters
4:30 pm – Begin to settle in lodging quarters
5:30 pm – MC USA welcome party
9:00 pm- Practice for services,
Walgreens or Walmart run for necessities

Tuesday, March 31st
7:20 am - Breakfast
7:50 am - Pick up MC USA at lodging quarters
8:00 am - Morning Prayer
8:40 am – Pastor Lloyd shares his heart
9:15 am - Orientation and mission strategy (All Rescate & PG )
10:30 am - Prepare for Rescate Hambrientos (Rescue the Hungry)
11:30 am - Lunch
12:30 pm – 4:00 - Rescate Hambrientos in Santurce, La Perla y
Bayamon
4:30 pm - Practice
6:00 pm - Dinner
7:00 pm - Leave to Iglesia Monte Sinai (Ben and half of the
team)
7:00 pm - Leave to Iglesia Sierra Bayamon (Pastor Lloyd and
half of the team)
7:30 pm - Service w/ Monte Sinai- MC USA
7:30 pm - Service w/ NDG- MC USA


Wednesday, April 1st
7:20 am - Breakfast
7:50 am - Pick up MC USA at lodging quarters
8:00 am – Morning Prayer
9:00 am – School Assembly practice
9:30 am - Load up and leave to school
10:00 am – Arrive and set up at Robinson School
10:30 am – Robinson School Assembly
12:30 pm – Lunch
2:00 pm – PG prep time
3:00 pm- Rescate chase Barbosa & Catano (in groups)
3:15 pm – Leave for Alhahmbra
4:00 pm- PG at Alhambra projects
5:30 pm- Shower and change
7:00 pm - Dinner at mama Cuka’s
8:30 pm - Practice for services


Thursday, April 2nd
7:20 am – Breakfast
7:50 am - Pick up MC USA at lodging quarters
8:00 am - Morning prayer
8:30 am - Prep for Retiro at Colegio & prep time for His Hands
9:00 am- Retiro de Colegio A/D (in groups)
9:00 am- Load up and leave to His Hands
10:00 am –“His Hands” at shooting galleries in La Perla and
Santurce (in groups)
12:00 pm – Lunch (in groups, some lunch will be served on site)
2:00 pm – PG prep time
3:00 pm- Rescate chase Jeanie & Alegria (in groups)
3:15 pm – Leave for Catano y Barbosa
4:00 pm- PG at Juana Matos projects & Barbosa projects
6:30 pm- Dinner
10:00 pm- Rescate chase Cenicienta (Rescue Cinderella)


Friday, April 3rd
7:20 am – Breakfast
7:50 am- Pick up MC USA at lodging quarters
8:00 am- Work day (help paint mc building)
12:00 pm - Lunch
1:00 pm – Continue with work day
3:00 pm - Begin clean up of work day
3:00 pm- Rescate chase La Perla (Rescue the Pearl) (in groups)
3:30 pm – Leave for Alegria y El Jeanie (in groups)
4:00 pm- PG at El Jeanie projects & Alegria projects
6:30 pm- Dinner
8:00 pm – Pepe Millo for MC USA (optional)
9:30 pm- Leave to the streets for prostitute outreach
11:00 pm- Rescate Cenicienta Café outreach


Saturday, April 4th
10:00 am - Breakfast
Rest time
1:00 pm - Lunch
2:00 pm – Leave to La Perla (The Pearl)
2:00 pm - Practice for night meeting
3:00 pm - PG at La Perla
6:30 pm - Dinner
7:30 pm - Youth event w/ Pastor Lloyd & MC USA


Sunday, April 5th
8:30 am - Breakfast
9:30 am - Morning service at Tabernaculo A/D w/ Pastor Lloyd
& MC USA (Assembly of God District Service)
12:00 pm – Lunch
1:30 pm – Visit Old San Juan
2:00 pm – Site seeing and fellowship time
8:00 pm - Travel back to lodging quarters


Monday, April 6th
8:00 am - Breakfast
8:30 am- Leave to El Yunke
10:00 am – Visit El Yunke (the rain forest) and swim in a nearby
river
12:30 pm - Lunch
1:30 pm – Leave El Yunke and head out to Luquillo beach
2:00 pm - Relax and enjoy Luquillo beach
5:30 pm - Leave and travel back to lodging quarters
7:00 pm - Dinner


Tuesday, April 7th
9:00 am – Breakfast
10:30 am - Pack van for airport and clean up lodging quarters
12:00 pm – Lunch
1:30 pm – Leave to airport
2:00 pm – Arrive to airport and Good Bye’s
4:00 pm- Fly out to TX

Unsure.

Well my plans were to go back to Iowa State University this fall, but I'm unsure now. Masters Commission is changing a lot in the next year, and I want to be a part, but I'm not exactly sure that this is what God wants me to do. I have a dream of being a Lead Pastor and to plant a church someday. Where or when this will take place? I have no idea. I want to work toward that goal, but not exactly sure where God wants me to go with my next step. I will continue to pray about it and keep my options open. With time I'll know, and I'll keep everyone that reads this posted.

Cafe Brazil

So over the past two days I've spent over 12 hours at Cafe Brazil. I love it! I've gotten a lot of work done as we finished our play, "Ambiguity", and I've gotten a few places booked to speak at this summer. I'm really excited about where God is taking me lately, and how much I've grown closer to him. Next Monday I get to head to Puerto Rico for my official first Missions Trip! I'm really excited and expecting a lot. I'm looking forward to the experience and just life in general.

Nuevo Mexico!

Had an amazing trip to New Mexico last week. This was our team. We did three services and had a wonderful time. I got to help lead one service and speak at the end of it. I am very thankful for the opportunity to speak and just be on the trip altogether. I made some awesome friends out in New Mexico and am really looking forward to seeing them again! So much stuff happened on the trip I can't begin to write about it all!

Christian. . . or sucky

In our world we live in the word Christian has become very different than the meaning. When it comes to shows, music, productions, movies, and other such things when attached to the word Christian automatically means that it will suck. I understand that not all Christians sucks, but neither are all things labeled Christian actually Christ Following!

I have a theory that popped into my head the other day about why Christian stuff sucks. Well, if you look at the typical youth group or at least my picture stuck in my head of the typical youth group, and no this has nothing to do with any youth group I have ever attended. If you look at the youth groups a lot of times they primarily consist of the loser kids. The kids no one else wants to hang out with, which is why we reach and love them. I am in no way saying reaching the unloved is wrong, but why not go for the kids that are harder to reach as well; the leaders, the jocks, and the "preppy kids".

My theory is that these "loser kids" grow up into our adult devout church members, and create crappy stuff. If most people didn't like what they liked as children, then this might not change when they grow up. Thus taking the non-cool ideas with them their whole life. I will have more to come on this in a later post.

True Life Study: Nimrod

To me the name Nimrod to me is synonymous with idiot. I remember when I was little the name was used when we would call someone stupid or other such mean name. After doing this study I have come to learn that the biblical Nimrod was no idiot. He must have been pretty intelligent in fact. He was called a mighty hunter before the Lord. The literal meaning of his name is מרד, marad, he rebelled. He was a bad dude, but had some pretty amazing feats that most of us know of, but we just don’t know who instigated them. Nimrod is the son of Cush, who is the son of Ham, the son of Noah. This means that Nimrod was a great grandson of Noah. Nimrod whose name translates “he rebelled” was just a few generations from the man that was noted as the ONLY man left pleasing to the Lord. It is kind of ironic to me that such an evil man can come that close to such a great man in the same family.

The Bible refers to Nimrod four times. Two of the times name him the son of Cush, one time referring to him as a mighty hunter, and the other time refers to Assyria as the land of Nimrod. This shows that we do not get much information on Nimrod from The Bible, and must rely on other sources to understand more about who he was.

A few things that are accredited to Nimrod include instigating the construction of The Tower of Babel, he started the kingdom of Babylon, and Assyria is called the land of Nimrod. “Some Bible students have linked Nimrod to Tukulti-Ninurta, an Assyrian king (about 1246-1206 B.C.). Others think that Amenophis III of Egypt (about 1411-1375 B.C.) or the heroic Gilgamesh might have been the ancient Nimrod. Regardless, extremely popular legends involve Nimrod as a ruler in both Assyrian and Egyptian lore. Nimrod shows that the great Mesopotamian culture had its origin from the creative work of the God of Israel.” (Clarke’s Old Testament Commentary)

According to Clarke’s Old Testament Commentary and other biblical time lines it is said that Nimrod built Babylon of 2233 B.C. or A.M 1771. This really does not mean a lot to me, and probably would not to most people, but I found a few more interesting facts about this. According to the same timeline Noah died at the age of 950 years in year A.M 2006 or 1998 B.C. This is 235 years after Nimrod built Babylon and the tower of Babel. I think it is highly interesting that Noah’s great grandson started wreaking havoc on the Earth while Noah was still alive. Noah, at one point the only righteous man left, saw the whole world wiped away, but then his great grandchild, whom which he had to have encountered, started to cause separation from God again.

Nimrod accomplished a lot. He did a lot of major things. He can be linked to many kings, and kingdoms. He is one of the main people responsible for all of the idol worship as well. Nimrod was accredited with throwing Abraham into furnace, for Abraham would not worship the idols that Nimrod had set up. He did such terrible things that Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible goes so far to claim him as “The first full-time minister of Satan was Nimrod, Noah’s wicked and apostate grandson”. This shows that Nimrod was a pretty evil man to be considered the first full-time minister of Satan!

Also according to Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible I read that according to secular history and traditions tells us that Nimrod was married. He married a woman who was “as evil and demonic as himself”. She was named Semerimus, and she knew about God’s promise of the messiah. She claimed that her firstborn son Tammuz, fulfilled the prophecy that we know Jesus came and fulfilled. In doing this she claimed to be the queen of heaven, she put herself and her son in the center of worship, she claimed to be the way to salvation, and she and her son made such claims which led to the beginning of a completely new cult or as Wilmington calls “satanic church”.

Nimrod is also accredited with starting the first Monarchy. This meaning that he was one of the first “kings” of our world. This was not a God ordained appointment, as the first Israelite king was Saul. Monarchies ruled for many years and still do exist, though in recent years democracy has begun to take over.

A lot of things came about from Nimrod and his family. From great cities to a terrible religion, much is to go with this name. I never knew that this name “Nimrod” could carry such a powerful meaning. I just thought Nimrod was a stupid person, but now realize that he had to be fairly intelligent if he came up with ideas causing terrible religion and a city as great as Babylon. When I think of the greatest city of all history I think of Babylon. I will now forever think of Nimrod with Babylon. Though he did many terrible things, I also look at the creative side of him in which came from the same great creator that we do, and see what he still did even though he was not living a righteous life.

WOVEN

This years Masters Conference was titled Woven. It was based off of the scripture that a three fold cord is not easily broken. It was my first Masters Conference and it was amazing. I have a new appreciation for my staff at MCUSA. I know that I am only here for a limited time now, and need to take advantage of the opportunities around me now. I love these people so much, and hope to continue to grow closer to them during the next weeks. We did a part in the conference in which was a banner presentation, and it was amazing!

Attitude

I've not had the best attitude lately. I always used to have a great attitude about things. I guess this is God bringing more junk to the surface and helping me get rid of things. I continue to press in and try to have a good attitude. For those around me I apologize for the bad attitude I've had. I know it effects the people around me.

Deep Ellum

Went downtown yesterday with a couple friends and enjoyed a little of the city life. We got to see many things. We enjoyed Cafe Brazil, walked around in Deep Ellum, went to Catholic Mass at the Cathedral, and just talked to people. It was a fun time. Here are a few photos of the city, and the art of the buildings in Deep Ellum. I thought the Hub City sign was pretty sweet, considering our youth group at Relevant is called The Hub.

Christian vs. Secular

I heard someone say the other day "The Christian world not the Secular world." I am taken a little back by this comment, as many Christians carry it. They view the Christian world and Secular world as two different things. I honestly think that idea only exists to Christians, and I think it sucks. Why must we live in a Christian world, and not a human world?

Jesus himself lived as a human. He lived among the people. He didn't stay with the holy, in fact he primarily spent his time with the unholy. Why then do we only hold ourselves to Christian life? Why do "Christian" things primarily suck. Most events, shows, and music by Christians suck. (I understand not all of it sucks, but generally as a rule of thumb if it's a "Christian [fill in the blank] then it sucks) Does God not call us to be excellent? To me I think we need to stop viewing the world as two different things and intertwine ourselves into it more. I'm not saying to compromise our character, but to live among non-Christian people, to create excellent art, to be the most creative and innovative people we can be.

I don't like to call myself a Christian, but rather a Follower of Christ, for the fact connotations that come with the word Christian. I personally have a hard time with Christians sometimes. Maybe I'm too critical, but then again maybe my ideas will change others, who knows!? Caleb and Joshua had their opinions that no one else agreed with, maybe I'm like them, or maybe I'm way off. You decide.

God is good to me!

This is how I felt last week. I Journaled this on 1/29/09, but didn't get the chance to blog it:

Who am I? I feel like I am in the center of God's will for my life. I feel like his favor is on me in everything I do. I got on the Youth Impact team, I made the writing team for our drama final, people that talk to me love me (at least the seem to), I got on the outreach team, I'm impacting people's lives in a bigger way then I myself possibly can do, I get big roles in different things, I get chosen to speak quite a bit, and I get to speak at The Hub on Sunday (The Hub is the youth ministry of Relevant Church). Who am I to get all these opportunities. I am a child of God and my Father continues to bless me beyond all I deserve. I continue to be in awe of what he does for me.

That was an amazing week. I spoke at the Hub and thought it went well, after I spoke my little bit, we went to Living Hope Church in Coppell, Texas and I got to speak again. I didn't feel as great about the way I spoke on Wednesday, but I did get some positive feedback which always builds up the confidence. I thank God for everything He has been doing for me!