Taken Back....

so this last week i was in June Lake. i went with Kristin, her dad, uncle, and grandpa. it was absolutely amazing. we went fishing for a week and caught tons of fish. i loved it because it was the first time i really got to hang out and get to really know Kristin's dad, which was awesome. it was great to grab a few drinks at Tom's Place at Crawley Lake. it was awesome to hang out with Kristin as well all week and really be in God's presence up there in the wilderness. as we were driving around up there, i was constantly whispering "wooooow" because i was taking away by the beauty of there.

we went to Bowdie, which was a ghost town. it was crazy/creepy to be walking around. this place was 8000 feet elevation, and was at one time the baddest Western town because of the Gold Rush. think of all of the Western movies you have seen where people are fighting and dying in the street and saloons and thats what this place used to be. used to be 10,000 people, the second biggest city in California, but now its nothing. just left over houses and churches in a field 12 miles of the main road. eerie.

Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that i am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth." while i was out there floating on the boat, waiting for fish to latch onto my bait, i couldnt help looking around at the gorgeous lake and mountains, and trees, and a FREAKING HUGE bald eagle! and realize that God was in all of it. i was taken back by His beauty and that He did a fantastic job at doing what he did. when you are fishing, there is a lot of being "still" and i for sure got the sense of "knowing that He is God." it was a humbling experience.

i look at all of these pictures and think to myself, "how can anyone see this and not believe that God exists? or at least believe there is some kind of Master Designer because this natural beauty that is just radiating from the land?"

it was refreshing for sure and i sort of wish i lived there. but we will go back.

random fact: Ants stretch and yawn when they wake up.

Needs to be Broken to Fly

Matthew 13:31-32

31He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. ³²Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."

I was reading this today and something struck me. something that i never really noticed before.

looking at the background of the mustard seed, the mustard seed was something that the Jewish people refused to plant in their gardens. in fact, it was in the Mosaic Law that they were not allowed to plant the mustard seed. why? because the mustard seed takes over all of the other plants in the garden. it spreads hard and fast. so the very idea that Jesus used the kingdom of heaven and compared it to the mustard seed was sort of a slap in the face to the Pharisees.

something else though. IN ORDER FOR MUSTARD TO BE USED TO ITS FULL POWER IT MUST BE CRUSHED, GROUNDED, AND BROKEN FOR ITS POWER TO BE RELEASED.

THIS IS THE SAME THING THAT JESUS DID ON THE CROSS! Jesus' power could not fully be effective until he was beaten, whipped, and put to death on the cross. only then was the power of the cross released! that is amazing! the whole idea that Jesus used the mustard seed was not only that it spread like a wild fire all over like the kingdom of God on earth, but Jesus used the mustard seed because he knew how its potency needed to be released and he used that as an example of him dying on the cross.

simply amazing.

now we always wonder why we always say that when we go through the hard times to help build up our faith and realization that God is preparing us for things bigger than that situation?

sometimes in order for things to be released into the world to its full power, it must be beaten down, broken, and crushed.

random fact: Mosquitoes can fly through rain drops with out getting hit.

Heart Your Neighbor

last night was amazing. at SHIFTstudents, i got to baptize 2 students that are in my small group. as i was talking to them before and they were pumped. right before we went out to do it in front of the whole service, we prayed. as i was praying, i almost lost it. almost balled my eyes out. i was just overwhelmed with joy, excitement, and the realization that God has blessed me to be apart of this ministry ministering to students. its unbelievable.

i also preached last night. it was great. i had such a fun time up there. its funny because i feel like i blacked out and i don't remember what i said, but i know God was pouring out to the students using His words through me. i felt the entire message went well. it was smooth. except when i called out a kid for talking and i said, "hey, I'm up here." but he heard, "hey, come up here" so i turn around and he starts up walk up on stage...IN THE MIDDLE OF MY MESSAGE! by the time i turn around he is at the bottom of the stage. when i saw him i asked him what he was doing, go sit down, and the whole place erupted in applause and laughter. it was awesome.

one thing when i was getting ready for the message, and what i felt was connecting with the students was 1 John 4:15-18:

All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

i spoke about loving our neighbor and what they looks like. i redefined neighbor as "anyone you come in contact with at any given time." and with knowing this, people should know God's love by how much you love them with your actions. we are commanded to do this. we have the faith, but like it says in James 2, faith without deeds is useless. USELESS. it means nothing.

something that stuck out to me is that for the most part when it comes to loving others, to loving our neighbor. the Mormons have it down. for the most part, MORMONS ACT MORE CHRISTIAN THAN CHRISTIANS DO when it comes to loving our neighbors. think about it. have you ever met a mean Mormon? i haven't. they have the action down, but their faith is wrong. we have the faith but a lot of times we have our actions wrong. you cant have one without the other if you want to truly be effective in this world for Christ.

like it says in 1 John 4:17, if we live in God our love becomes more perfect. and then we will be able to live like Jesus on this earth. MIGHT MIGHT BE THE ONLY JESUS A PERSON MIGHT EXPERIENCE. we might be the closest thing a person might have with a relationship with God, and they will be able to fell God's love through your actions towards them.

if we were to love other people as much as we love our pets...this world would be a much different place.

random fact: The Olsen twins wore FAKE TEETH on Full House episodes because their teeth began to look different.