Quote of the Day

"I think anyone with a Monty Python name gets extra points." -Dad

Book List

The books I'm trying to read before school starts (I have another month):

How to Stay Christian in College - J. Budziszewski
I Once Was Lost - Don Everts & Doug Schaupp (Required)
Who You Are When No One is Looking - Bill Hybels (Required)
Blue Like Jazz - Donald Miller
SexGod - Rob Bell
The Transitive Vampire - Karen Elizabeth Gordon
Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis
The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
The Ragamuffin Gospel - Brennan Manning
Woe is I - Patricia T. O'Conner


I'm sure there are more. One down, and I've read portions of a couple of them.

Footprints

(two blogs in one day... amazing I know)

So one of my junior highers brought up this poem/story in Bible study today...

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”

It made me think about how amazing this is. The times when you feel like God isn't there, the times you feel the most seperated from God... that's when He's the most present. He's carrying you. Not just holding your hand, not just helping you walk.

So, the past week I've been reading "How to Stay Christian in College." Sounds corny, I know. I wasn't expecting much from it. But it turned out to be a really good book, it clears stuff up about life as a Christian in general. It has helped me realize (along with reflection throughout the summer of the past 5 years of my life) the times where I felt completely seperate from God. And it was my choice, my decision. But, He brought me back, somehow I realized His presence, He set me down and we began to walk together again.

shuffle

You never know what you'll get when you put your ipod on shuffle.

So today, driving home from church, "Right Now" by Van Halen came on. (Now unless you knew me in high school or went to Johansen, this wouldn't be significant). This was our marching band show my junior year. As soon as it came on, it was like I was back there again. I could sing my part and I was picturinng where I would be at that point in the song on the field. It was weird. Things I don't think I would've remembered definitely came to mind. It was cool though, I need to take out my flute or piccolo and play. I miss it.

My Jesus

This song by Todd Agnew really hits the spot. If you haven't heard it, listen to it here (you don't really need to watch the video, but listen).

And here are the lyrics:

Which Jesus do you follow?
Which Jesus do you serve?
If Ephesians says to imitate Christ
Then why do you look so much like the world?

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant
So which one do you want to be?

Blessed are the poor in spirit
Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness
Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sand

Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins
He spent His time with thieves and sluts and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the rich
So which one do you want to be?

Who is this that you follow
This picture of the American dream
If Jesus was here would you walk right by on the other side or fall down and worship at His holy feet

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion
Is how you see Him as He dies for Your sins
But the Word says He was battered and scarred
Or did you miss that part
Sometimes I doubt we'd recognize Him

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and the least of these
He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable
So which one do you want to be?

Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet would stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despised the proud
I think He'd prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd
And I know that He can hear me if I cry out loud

I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!

Not a posterchild for American prosperity, but like my Jesus
You see I'm tired of living for success and popularity
I want to be like my Jesus but I'm not sure what that means to be like You Jesus
Cause You said to live like You, love like You but then You died for me
Can I be like You Jesus?
I want to be like my Jesus

So why am I posting this? I just find it very convicting. A few things I want to say about it...

It shows possession of Jesus. He is mine. He is yours. He is MY savior.
If I am trying to be like Jesus, why am I not spending my time with the least of these? I think it is a hard thing in our society (I'm not saying that it wasn't back then...). I'm hoping that this year as I'm in a leadership position with InterVarsity that I can make an impact and show people this side of Jesus.
There is so much truth in the line about Jesus' appearance and how we view Him. I know that as a kid I always pictured Him looking like me, and perfect nonetheless. But, yes, He bled. He was beaten. He did not look picture-perfect in those last moments.
The verse that hits the spot most of the time is "My Jesus would never be accepted at my church." We preach about what He did for each and every one of us. If we were really aspiring to be like Him, then our church would be filled with people like Jesus, people with blood and dirt of their feet.

Well, I hope this has made you think... The song inspires me and convicts me. I want to be like My Jesus.

20

Last week was my half birthday... that means in just about 6 months, I will be two decades old. That's really weird.