for this we labor and strive... [Easter sentiments]

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

There in the ground His body lay,
light of the world in darkness slain:
then bursting forth in glorious Day
up from the grave He rose again!

And as He stands in victory
sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
for I am his and He is mine:
bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
from life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell, no scheme of man,
can ever pluck me from His hand;
till He returns or calls me home,
here in the power of Christ I'll stand!

...My aunt died this past week - a curious irony that it happen at this time of the year, since sadly I'm not sure if she was a believer. Her life has been wrought with poor decisions. But it wasn't that that hit me hardest - it was knowing the effect it would have on my cousins, a girl and a boy, both high-school age. I've seen the effects of both sin and Christ in different areas of their lives, and it is my prayer that even as I learn more and more to love God, that they also would see through their pain a nail-pierced hand reaching out to them, offering a way...
...truth...
...life.

I no longer live

Through our recent readings in The Jesus I Never Knew, I've been thinking about what it really means to decide to follow Jesus. In the gospels, Jesus simply says to those he calls, "Follow me",
and they come. But I wonder how many unspoken stories there are of those whom he called that refused to give up their life. After years of growing up in an established routine - back then it was fishing or carpentry or priesthood, today perhaps working through college or sitting at a desk job or making piles of money as a doctor/lawyer/whatever - To simply drop it all and do something new, something unknown? It must have been a really rewarding change for the disciples to agree to it so readily. I guess for some who really hate their current situation, change would be welcome - That's why God appeals so much to the poor, the broken, the outcast. They have nowhere to go but up.

But what about me? I've grown up in a middle-class, quiet neighborhood, going to church and private schools all my life. While we aren't immensely rich, we are by no means bad off, and in fact by most of the world's standard, we live like kings. Even all our talk about being poor college kids is just our response to society - You show me one UTD student who is starving because they can't get enough money to buy food. America is truly a blessed nation. But the only recorded instance of someone turning Jesus down is a "rich young man" who "went away sad" when Jesus asked him to sell his possessions and give to the poor before he came to follow him. How much are we like the rich man, valuing our clothes, our movies, our books, our computers and video games, more than our commitment to live as Christ lived? How often do we put time into our schoolwork, our job, our relationship, before our Creator?

To be honest, being a leader in FOCUS is the hardest thing I've ever done. It feels a lot of times like trying to teach people how to live before I've figured it out for myself. It requires me to do all the things I like doing least, like initiating meetings with people I barely know, trying to work purposefully in all my friendships when I just want to hang out and relax, and above all giving me a sense that I could always be doing more, which constantly battles my sense of laziness and selfishness. I think that is the part of my life that I least enjoy the thought of giving up - my comfort zone. To live constantly outside of myself, not doing the things I want to do, but doing the things I feel God leading me to do (which, needless to say, are usually entirely out of my comfort zone) - this is what I see as living like Christ. Denying yourself in this life to gain a reward in heaven. In my selfish mind, all I can say is, it better be damn well worth it, cause I've got a pretty good life going here, God. At least I was liking it.

Ah, but here I see C.S. Lewis' analogy of "an ignorant child who wants to keep on making mud-pies in the slums because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a vacation at the beach." My version of a good life more than pales in comparison with God's promised reward for those who faithfully serve him. I think keeping that promise constantly in mind is what it takes to wake up every day and kill yourself in order to allow God to live through you.

Core This Semester - Lookin' Good!

So Matt C. and I met Sunday and Monday to work out the details for core this semester. I have to admit, though last semester was good, I felt it was a little stale - our meeting times lacked energy or a real sense of being a group, instead of bits and pieces of other friend groups who met once a week to study the Bible. I think this was mostly the fault of Matt and I who were struggling with schedules and priorities and just didn't put in the necessary time - and for that, guys, I apologize.

Well, after talking to Brandon, he felt the same way and gave me lots and lots of awesome suggestions (thank you B!) that we incorporated into our plan for the first eight weeks. Our core schedule is going to include lots of activities and participation designed to build a better feeling of community and develop friendships. I feel back on track now that I have a specific purpose ahead of me that I can work towards.

On a related but only slightly similar note (I mean that), one of the suggestions for me from last year's leader encouragements was to do more planning ahead. Now that I have been required to do that and done it, I feel so much better about where things are going - so, right you were! Thanks to whoever made that suggestion, and now I make it to all of you - plan ahead! Write down a plan for the semester and follow it. I guess that is partially what the linkfa proposals are for, so keep at it, guys! I've been looking at the ideas and if they all got carried out, we would be in a really awesome position to light up this campus for God.

I'm really pumped about the semester! I love you guys, and remember,
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the LORD, not for men." -Colossians 3:23

Deep Thought #1

Title and url borrowed heavily from The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy which I happen to be rereading at the moment. (also a nod to SNL.)

Well, I'm back from my holiday travels - which were nonstop fun. We toured Chicago and New York, with a stop in between for Christmas at my grandparents'. We got a good taste of life in both cities - busy, hectic, and very expensive.

I think somehow getting lost in the crowds of a big city inspires you (at least it did me) to do something that will distinguish you - something people will remember, that will make your life matter instead of just being another complacent "9 to 5". We visited a church there whose stated mission was "to change the world by creating a spiritual revival in New York, and through it, the world." (or something to that effect). Wouldn't that be something to see?

Anyways, i kinda got a reawakening out of the trip. I'm fast headed for adulthood, and if i don't want to waste my life I've got to do something about it now.