for the love of water

Ah the beach. A list about things I love at the beach:
1. the relaxation that comes as a standard when you are there. Its not a vicious theme park where if you arent riding at least three coasters an hour there is a good chance your head will explode.
2. Not having to wear a shirt anywhere. Seriously, back home you cant even walk into Kroger without a shirt on and not get dirty looks...much less church. "No shirt, no shoes, no thank you" is what I always say.
3. Beach Volleyball. It doesnt get much better than this boys. What better way is there to meet new people in a non creepy way and have fun and get a workout AND build instant camaraderie.
4. the ocean, I know thats a big DUH but its just crazy fun to play in and let the waves overtake you. There's a real beauty to how grand and vast our ocean really is. Most people can't fully understand how little of it we've actually seen even with all the crazy technology we have. I'll put it this way, we have Mars more mapped out than the ocean. In fact, humans have only explored around 5 percent of the ocean! Its the last frontier on this planet....So what makes it so hard to explore and discover more of?
It's very inhospitable to us, first off. I can barely swim to the bottom of the deep end without my ears punching my head, screaming to swim back up.
35,853 feet....6.8 miles down, try swimming that!
Where am I going with all of this? That's a great question and I'm gonna figure it out as I type this.

God's love is somewhat like the ocean...At times it can seem overwhelming and it can almost be scary how much he loves us, but we know this--Just like the ocean, his love won't be going anywhere. His presence is constant in our lives and we can't do anything to get away. Sometimes you may feel far from that love but those are the times you have to take another trip to the beach and step back into His great love for us. "'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the Lord, who has compassion on you," Isaiah 54:10. 
It is unshaken and unfailing. Global warming or not, the ocean is always going to be there. Rise and fall as the tides sweep in, the current remains. God's love may be felt more at some times than others but we have to step back and evaluate where we are in our relationship with God. Are we trying to reach Him or are we waiting for our heavenly welfare check or weekly church visit to tide us over, through all of our difficult situations.
I'll let you in on a little secret: we can't do it alone. "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him," Genesis 1:27. To say we can do without that which we were created from is like saying a watch can work without its batteries. A garden cannot work without its gardener and sheep cannot survive without their shepherd. He is our shepherd and all we do has been molded from His image. That encourages me because He is perfect and I want to know what that means. I am far from it and getting anywhere near that just gets me Excited! Anyways, this has started to get ranty so I'll nip this thing in the bud.

God=Ocean=Unfailing, Unchanging
He loves us and that's incredible.

One Day More

Watching the glorious and extravagant Les Miserables the show choir nerd and broadway enthusiast comes right out. With an outstanding cast from top to bottom (except maybe Russell Crowe(sorry bro, just a tad too much nasal for my palette) the scenes captivated audiences from beginning to end. A story of redemption and revolution weaves in many stories and lives one of which is Jean Valjean.This is him singing his glorious anthem right before the revolution begins at the end of Act I.


One day more!
Another day, another destiny.
This never-ending road to Calvary;
These men who seem to know my crime
Will surely come a second time.
One day more!

He beautifully captures here 2 things:
1. That the mistakes and failures we make today mean little to nothing on our long road to "Calvary" which for us as Christians is better called "Salvation". Many times people choose to look at salvation as a thing that is in one instance gained and for some people can in another be lost. I disagree. I best heard it described as a process. We strive and we battle daily towards building up our salvation and when we do not work on it, it is slowly torn apart. Therefore, we do not simply gain or lose our salvation which is a total relief because we are sinful. 
Our hearts and minds are plagued with sing and just grossness which keeps us from fully seeing God until after death on judgement day. But having Christ live in us makes us see the world differently and hopefully they will see us differently so we can be divided. "All men will hate you because of Me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." Matthew 10:22

This brings me to point 2. The men who seem to know my crime(That's the world). They will SURELY come a second time.
Oh yes they will, our world is full of sin and loves nothing more than to bring others down into sin with them.
"If I'm going to sin then I'll surely make sure everyone else is too"-Earth.
People will judge you and make sure you feel regret and shame for the crimes you have committed, even if it was to steal a loaf of bread for your starving family.
But God sees our sin and shame and has forgiven us....from everything! Alcohol, drugs, porn, loving money, cheating, lying, gossiping, even when you were speeding on the way to school because that 8am class waits for no one.
One day more. That is how we should take our salvation.
We make mistakes, OKAY so does everyone else...but we are different. Ask God for forgiveness and He will cleanse you of your sins like they never occurred. No need for shame guilt or fear. Just one day more is one day closer to eternal life through Christ Jesus. Another day, another destiny. We are forgiven, we are redeemed as Big Daddy Weave likes to put it.

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

PS Just for good measure, here's the Les Mis song :) 

The birthday conundrum

SUPRISE!!!! Dude happy birthday! Hey man, happy birthday. Bro, ajaoesihgajeng;liajekjfbar;ljafgw.

The overwhelming anxiety involved in a birthday is sometimes a little too much. The obligation to respond to people you haven't talked to since about this time last year combined with the FB notifications (do you comment, like them, completely ignore them) can leave a person on a strange balance of flattered and exhausted. Where have all these people come from that magically now know my birthday or that I exist as a person...why would they choose to care on this one day when really the meaning of their supposed caring is caught under the formality of my mother giving birth X number of years ago?

Oftentimes, caring can seem dull or not meant with sincerity especially when it comes at a time that is ill chosen or unforeseen.

Choosing to care for someone is a struggle, it requires constant attention and you have to remain consistent in order to get your point across clearly. Sounds a lot like love, eh? Well that's a separate matter to be discussed on another day. We aren't talking about boyfriend/girlfriend path to marriage stuf here. It's simple, the best way to show you care is to be there. And nobody is there for us more than God. From creation, He has held us in the palm of His hands and nurtured us and done nothing but love us. "The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged" Deuteronomy 31:8 
Scratch that, God has looked after us and cared for us since before creation! His caring (and yes, love) is unprecedented and cannot be fathomed. That also fits onto my line of overwhelming and comforting. In addition to comforting and caring for us, He created us in such a way that we can do good works and be caring for other people. "He, who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it even unto to the day of Christ Jesus" Philippians 1:6. 
That's my goal: Christ Jesus, and we are provided a way to that. As we carry about our day and week, let's remember to care for others in a way that will bring them a joy unspeakable.

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain”. I Corinthians 15:58

The joy in faliure

Yeah, you read the title right.
Two outs, bottom of the ninth inning and of course I'm the one that is up to bat (the whole time I'm sitting in the dugout hoping another person on my team will just strike out and save me the embarrassment) I'm not a good hitter, or at least my bat has developed a special chemical makeup to repel baseballs when pitched at speeds of more than 15 mph or anytime during a game. Walking up to the plate is a lot like swimming underwater, you cant breathe and everything sounds muffled. Step into the batters box, no doubt a look of sheer terror plastered on my face for the pitcher to see. "We've already won this game/look at that dweeber on the plate/ I wonder if mom has any bagel bites left at the house," the pitcher thinks many things, none of which are concern for losing or me succeeding in any possible way. The smug pre-teen with  the ball winds up-- slow mo starts.
The perfect pitch barrels down the pipe and my eyes see nothing but glory. My bat starts a swing and I flex more muscles than I probably have to hit this ball, everything in my life has come down to this one moment..."Hit it! Hit it!" they say, "We need this to win the game!" they remind me at literally the least opportune time....
I missed. The ball pounds the back of the catcher's glove as more fear settles into the back of my mind. "What if we lose? This was all because of me. I'm such a loser." the thoughts run over and over in my head until the last pitch is thrown. I of course miss again and the game is over.

We lose.
But its more than just a "we", this loss was all on me. Everything leading up to my batting meant nothing and I single handedly destroyed this game. I am crushed and start to do what any other respectable boy in my position would--cry. Yeah yeah, it's funny when I think about it now but then, the weight of the whole team and my parents/friends/anyoneelsewhocame was on my back....I crumpled slowly together as a wad of paper ready to be thrown away.

"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in your weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9
Where was this when I was ready to implode from the weight of the world? Who cares if I lose a city league baseball game, it wasn't even the playoffs. Without failures, we would never see or have the successes. Without disappointment, there could be no joy! Its hard to see these things as a child but growing up has taught me more and more to trust in what the Lord has promised us (peace, eternal life, grace to name a few) and to forget the constant worry the world wants to burden us with.
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalms 73:26
Be joyful and be content with failure because whether we like it or not, they will happen. I can't say I was happy about losing those games but it has helped me to see that every little thing doesn't have to consume you with worry and fear and grief. If we can learn to take each day a step at a time and pray to God for an all consuming peace then rec baseball will never be the same.

--Peace be with ya.

Liar jumps to shallow pool

So at what point do we realize that people lie? I know as a kid, you hear things from your friends, teachers and even parents such as the classic "Oh put your tongue on it, it won't shock you"(Speaking on the 9volt battery (EVIL)) but these things we take with an unperceived grain of naivety. As an adult, the adverse reaction occurs. 

Me on the phone with a friend: "Hey man(its a boy), whatcha up to later? Wanna hang out?"

The friend: "Ah I can't, I have so much studying to do! Maybe another time."

"He just doesn't want to hang with me or he has plans with someone better," your mind is the thing that takes us into the sullen pit of negativity. 

...Later you find out after hanging out on Facebook for an hour playing Candy Crush he decided to go play some mini golf with another friend. 

First off, 'cmon I love mini golf!!!

Second, the people in this world are going to let you down. It's a fact, we live in a fallible world where sin occurs...But we can't blame people for acting of the world. "For everyone has sinned, we all fall short of God's glorious standard" Romans 3:23. 

Everyone messes up, it's okay and lying is one of those things. We have to step back and say "Im gonna make a conscious effort not to lie and (insert sin) anymore" Until that day, we are not better than those who live a life full of sin and wrongdoing. But that can't be enough.

We aren't good enough to resist the temptation the devil leaves before us on a daily basis...That's why we have our not so secret weapon. 

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2.

Well good, pleasing and perfect sure beats stealing, killing and destroying. The devil wants us to conform, to fall in line with sin, but God wants for us so much more. He wants for us to love and be loved, spread His good news and and be at peace. 

Welp, that sounds pretty good to me--and that's no lie.

Constance machine

"O Lord, I call to You; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to You" Psalms 141:1. Do you ever feel there's no one to save you? There isn't refuge and no way to make it to the end safely? 

"Jump! Jump!"
 This is way higher than it looked from the ground. I stand precariously perched upon a rock face 70 feet above the safe trenches of water below.
"C'mon, you're already up there now" the world pushes me closer to the edge. There is a strong but silent power that water holds. Floating in it you might not see it, but from 70 feet in the air you can't miss it. The security and constance that water holds is a point of refuge for some, but at this moment....well it's freaking me out.
"Are you sure I won't get hurt?" I yell with all semblance of pride gone now. Alright, just do it! Those people down there (way down there) (way way way)...what was I saying?
AAAHHHHHHHH! A push from behind takes me fast and by surprise. My heightened senses feel the wind as I travel through the air around 12 hours (give or take). BOOM. Yeah, I hit the water feet first somehow.
Underwater, don't breathe...feel the current, it takes all nerve and fear from me. "On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand"...all other ground is 70 feet away now.
When the world tries to scare you into submission and shove you towards the deeds of the sinner, it may seem like the natural thing to do at first. Sure, I'll jump; everyone else is doing it. But we know the wages of the sinner is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus. We make mistakes, we jump off cliffs we shouldn't have to face, but God is constant. He will catch you when you fall, He is our refuge and when we call on Him, He will provide.
"I cry aloud to the Lord, I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy," Psalm 142:1. 
We can stumble through life and make it to the "unbeatable" hurdles life throws at us. There is a choice to be made: seek out the Lord, make His presence and peace a part of your life, or say how high when the world says jump...hopefully there is some water around.

waiting for patience

Wake up. It's dark outside, first problem right there. Get dressed take shower, other things you can do robotically by now. We make it to the lake and it hasn't hit 7 yet. The water begins to lighten as the sun peeks it head out from under its Earthly covers (I bet he doesn't get cold at night). We step into our boat and check the supplies: old rods, check, dirty worms, check, hopeful and excited attitudes, oh yeah!

The boat casts off for a morning of fishing and all around adventure, all the while my 8 year old body is brimming with unreal expectations and energy. The waiting game begins.

Cast. Reel. Reel. Reel. Repeat.

...30 minutes in, a bite! REEL REEL REEL REEL. "Taylor you cant reel the line that fast, the hook slips his lip." My dad says in infinite knowledge, opportunity wasted. With the grand total of 2 bites for the day and a small fish I couldn't tell you the name of I can say three things confidently.

1. I am not a fisherman nor will I ever willingly go back to play that dreadful waiting game.

2. No one should be allowed to get up before the sun does, that's just common courtesy. 

3. God has way more patience than me.

I get nothing but a nibble for one day and I want to throw in the towel, there is no part of me that will willingly test my patience in fishing again, but God can somehow watch as the beauty of the world He created Himself fall into sin and slowly perish. Why? How?

From the point of conception, Man has turned from God and sinned in an all but constant fashion. But God is a God OF patience, not a God who merely has patience. How else could He see us fail Him on a daily basis yet show us the unconditional love we never deserve. "But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness," Psalm 86:15. He sees the fish I search for and frustrate over, he sees my sin my struggles, all of the empty things I grow angry over and what does He do. HE loves us. 

What's so beautiful about the situation is that for Him it isn't even a choice. He created us out of love therefore as long as we exist He will do nothing but love us, DESPITE the mistakes we have made, are making, and will continue to make as we live in this world.

"Since God chose you to be the holy peoples He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." Colossians 3:12-13.

If only the last line was true, where would we be today? Something to think about.