How He Loves Us

Lord, if it would shake the youth of the nation, I would give my life.

A man named Stephen prayed this prayer 4 years ago and died later that night. The next morning his best friend wrote a song.

The song was not the writers song. The song is a fulfillment to Stephen's prophecy. The prophecy to shake the youth of the nation.

The song tells a story that needs to be heard.

Not that Steven died.

Not to make an emotional impact on people.

No, this song needs to be heard because it tells of a Greater Love; a grace; a mercy; a jealousy that the Creator of the all things has for us. The Creator of those who love us. The Creator of those we love. The Creator of Love.

How He Loves Us

He is jealous for me.

Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree, bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.

When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory, and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great Your affections are for me.

Oh! How He loves us so.

Oh! How He loves us.

How He loves us so.

We are his portion and He is our prize, drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes.

If grace is an ocean we're all sinking.

So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss, and my heart turns violently inside of my chest.

I don't have time to maintain these regrets, when I think about the way...

That he loves us.

Woah! How He loves us.

Whoa! How He loves us.

Woah! How He loves.

I remember the first time I heard this song.

I was meeting with a friend, who had just recently become a Christian, at a church called The Boiler Room. I had been friends with him since Junior High, but had never witnessed to him. He grew up in the Catholic faith with his family, but had never been exposed to "Christianity" in the sense that The Boiler Room lives by.

He was shown a love that he had never seen before that winter. He now lives with a joy that can only be credited to Jesus.

Praise God.

The concept of loving like Jesus loved is one that was lost a long time ago. Christianity has become something that I am convinced Jesus would loathe. It has become a judgmental, selfish, corporate machine.

A Brother Who Sins Against You

15"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

This is an interesting passage where Jesus tells us how we are supposed to treat those who sin against us. I love it.

Verse 17 is probably my favorite. "tell it to the church". This does not mean get in front of the church as we think of it today. Do not prepare a powerpoint showing all the sins your brother has committed against you. Do not stand at a pulpit or on a stage. Bring it to the church of those who love your brother. Not those who judge your brother.

If your brother chooses not to listen to those that love him, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Remember, this is Jesus talking. How did He treat pagans or tax collectors?

He loved them more than we can imagine. He hung out with them all the time. Through the love He showed them, they saw what life was all about.

If I can show the smallest fraction of the way Jesus loved through my life, I can somehow make an impact.

Midlife Confidence

The day has come.

My dad got a motorcy...cle.

I haven't seen it yet, but it looks sweet.

Jack Wiley is "the cool dad". Not the lame cool (lets you do whatever you want and has no authority over you.) But the actual cool. The "I want to be friends with this guy" cool.

Example. He emailed me yesterday a link to a recording workshop in Nashville and wants me to go with a couple buddies. He wants me to skip school for something I care about and want to do for the rest of my life.

I bet your dad didn't do that.

Superior Materialism

I drive a 1992 Lexus ES300. Also known as a 1992 Toyota Camry. It is nothing to write home about. 

• It was recently scuffed up by my main man David Matthew Fiser. 
• It dies when it is in reverse.
  
• The drivers side door doesn't lock. (Go ahead, steal it.)
• The back right speaker produces no sound.
  

Big deal. It still runs so I could really care less.

Today I had to go to Superior Lexus to get a spare key made. 40 bones. Why so expensive? So this guy can get paid.

Your team.

(Sorry about the glare and camera phone quality.)

This "Superior Auto Mall" is filled with Johnson County Soccer Moms, North Face'd out, proudly sporting their '09 Lexus RX350. Probably enjoying a cliff bar and going home to organic sushi.

It makes me physically sick. 

If I ever become one of them, run me over with a Hummer.

untitled Christmas blog

I am down to my last 5 m&m's. Green, yellow, yellow, blue, blue.

These will last.

I didn't realize I would be in the sweetest Best Western ever on Christmas eve, so I didn't even think to bring my swimming suit to Oklahoma. If I had that everything would be different right about now. I would be soakin' it up in a hot tub with my soul mate. Or maybe with my 5 m&m's.

I spent most of the day in a car today, and I am okay with that. 

• I don't get car sick.
  
• I had a great playlist going.
• My great-grandpa kept me company.
• I worked on a second ankle warmer.

We arrived in Chickasha, Oklahoma at 6 at night, only to find my brother leaning over a toilet, puking some kind of nasty. He is okay, just not feeling too great. So we ate some pork roast while he slept in the bathroom. He sleeps with his eyes half-open too. That is creepy.

I am down to 4. Green, yellow, yellow, blue.

I spent some time with the family after dinner then head out to Best Western room 114. Christmas Eve at its finest.

But hey, at least we have a place to stay. My aunt has a house full of her kids and granddaughters. So I am glad to be in an "Inn" (for christmas wit purposes).

This past Sunday at Jacob's Well the pastor talked about Joseph's role in Jesus' birth. He really brought up some great points I hadn't thought much about. I suggest taking a listen once they put it on their website.

Green, yellow, blue.

The hotel is essentially empty. I think I could get away with some Christmas Morning skinny dipping. :)

I can't tell a lie

I was supposed to write a blog about how much fun I didn't have tonight.

It is too bad that I had a great night and can't muster up the courage to tell a lie.

Total BFF

Yesterday I got to spend some quality time with my good friend, Colin. It was so good to reconnect with him after a few months apart.

There are friendships that get weird over time because some people change so much that it is nearly impossible to find a commonplace with them. A place where you can really connect.

Colin has changed what he does, but not who he is. I respect that. More than I can really say.

1996- I meet Colin in our third grade class. We hang out and blow stuff up and jump out of swings with moon shoes on. We would also freeze his sister's Barbies.

2001- Colin gets into the art scene. Mainly drawing if I remember correctly. He also discovers chainmail. This takes up most of his life. He also begins to ride one of these bad boys.

2003- Still into skateboards. Not as much chainmail. A whole lot more art. For some reason a memory of this game sticks out in my mind.

2005- We go to different schools now. He begins to get awesome at Pole Vaulting. He gets even better at art. Specifically graffiti stuff.

2007- Both Colin and I graduate high school. We hang out a ton. He goes to APU on an art and pole vaulting scholarship.

2008- After knowing the kid for 12 years (maybe more) I can honestly say that he is a true friend. I couldn't say enough about him to do him justice.

I visited him over spring break this year out in LA and had the best week of my life. We beached. We camped. We biked. We Hollywooded.

He is currently really into fixed gear bikes. He got me into them too, and I love it.

And to think, I didn't even begin to talk about him hitting me in the face with a shovel...