http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8SPwT3nQZ8

Makes me Smile!

Tainted Love

Love is corner stone in almost ever culture, even if we do not realize it. Cultures that do not believe in the God I believe in have God's of love, or their God is one of love. Men have killed over the losing loved ones. With all that being said I still believe or Culture of Love has become tainted. In the Christian Community and in the American World.

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part,¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13

So this is what real Love is. And it truly is the greatest thing that drives our lives. But for some reason we have changed our tune. We look to Pop Culture to see what love is. As men we think that it is o.k .to call women sluts. And we think it is o.k. to sleep around,as long as we use a rubber. I am in fact guilty of some of this myself.

Now I know this love applies to more than just a man and a women! But I am looking at in that way right now. For me I know I have not been the best boyfriend to girls in the past. I have done things that I am not proud of, I can say I never hit a girl before. But cheat yes.

I am not proud of the fact that I have had sex before marriage and only one of the girls I was in love with. And because of that act that relationship, that with both said was God center did not work out.

But I can tell you one thing I am a sinner that has been saved by grace and the love of God. So although I have messed up, I am still loved. And that is the kinda love that we need to try and give.

Carry True Love and Gods Love into all that you do!

1:17

"Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." Isaiah 1:17

I have not always been a person that wanted to stand up for Injustice in the world. In fact most of my high school career was spent bring down injustice on the helpless. I never thought that I would be a Youth Worker or a even would do much of anything. I was a pot head and what not. But then i became a believer and my whole life changed.

Now that I am a Youth Worker I see myself as a advocate of some kind. I do not just like to sit around. All though sometimes I am very guilty of not doing what I should do. I like to try and take a stand for stuff I believe in. I want so much to be this advocate that I know God has planned for me. I am just very guilty of doubt, doubt that i can do it.

I do know this I know that my heart aches when I see a kid with no food! When I see a picture of a child solider. When I here the cries of a child who's mom is a drunk and her dad is locked up in jail for selling drugs. I do not like to see kids having to sling drugs because thats all they know. I think that is crap. I think that we as a body of Christ need to truly take a bigger stand that what we have been in past years.

I know I want to step up and step out more I just do not want to fail. I know that God has my back now and I am going to try harder and harder to actually do this!

If You Build it they will come!

So the center is opening soon and it is beautiful I mean really beautiful. But as it was said in that move Field of Dreams: If you Build it they will come! I wish and pray that it is the same in the move as it for my church! But I find it hard sometimes to believe because the church as to be willing to take people in but it does not seem as if the people here really want more people to come.

It has to start with outreach and it does not seem as if any of them want to be apart of what is going on here. So we have built it but will they come to anything aside from the gym,fitness center or the pool? Will our church grow? If the people don't want more people to come no! If they do not try and do outreach it will not work!

It does not seem as if any of them want to be a part of it. Of Ministry so we have built now will they come is my question? We need go for our people to be apart of this because one day myself and the main pastor will not be there! It is our job to help Shepard and to usher in new or growing leaders. But they have not shown up yet!

So we have built it now I hope they come!

I did Missions!

The back of a cop car with handcuffs, the cop has an ounce of weed that I had just been caught with. I am in the back high out of mind, laughing to myself not again. This is not the first time this as happened, thinking to myself and most likely not the last. I never thought that God could use a guy like me, but yet he did. God uses people that never thought they were worthy! I never wanted to go on mission, because I did not want to be labeled as “One of those Christians”. But when I gave my life over it was never my choice.

It was the summer of 2002 fresh out of school. I had been in a BD school or a school for “Bad Kids”, and after the summer I had planned on going to the top cooking school in the Midwest. For the summer I had been asked to be a part of a mission trip across the Midwest. First I was like why? Then I said ok but in the back of my head I was thinking who does missions in the US? I never would have thought that a small town in Nebraska would change my life forever! Before we left someone told me a quote they live their life by “Where he leads me I will follow and what he feeds me I will swallow!” Boy did that ever become true.

Everyone on my team had never been in trouble, they all were good kids. I knew a couple of people so they knew how I was. They helped make it a little easier, I still had a label of a “Though Kid.” And then we get to our first stop North Platte, NE, how could God use me here? And then it all soon became apparent. We would be working at the Corp and also at the Youth Home. At the Youth Home we would be fixing a garage or so I thought. It started out as fixing a garage until one of the teens starting talking to me. He found that I had a lot in common with him. So more teens started to talk to me, and this was the easiest thing in the world for me to do! I had done day camps before, so I knew I could do it. But I wanted to be a cook, so this would just be something for the summer, like day camps. These teens respected the fact that I had been like them and I had changed, it gave them a hope of a better life! I did not realize what was going on, but God was working in me!

My teammates joked behind my back and said “He is going to be a chef right? Oh wait till God tells him different!” One of the teens asked me to pray for the when we were going to be leaving so I did. I think that was when it first hit me that my life was not really for me to say what I want to do with it. On the way to our second stop we were in a hotel and doing a debriefing. My teams all talk about how they did not do that well at our first stop. And said to me how well I did, I was like ok. Then one of them said to me we have all been saying this about you “Are you sure you are going to be a cook?” It hit me hard I was not listening to what God wanted me to do. I realized missions and youth work is where god wanted me to be. So when I got home I changed schools and started working to get a job in the field of Youth Work or missions.

But God works in his own time, and it did not come right away. In fact it took several years. The journey that changed my life would take me to more than just a small town in the far Midwest! That next summer I went to Nigeria, and that as well changed my life.

Nigeria helped me realize that even when poor you can rejoice for the lord. It was great seeing smiles one people’s face that had nothing! Yet they still rejoiced in the joy of the lord, they taught me more than I taught them. They taught me to put all my faith in the Lord and he will provide everything I need. I ended up giving away all my clothes but the ones on my back. I came home and my family and friends even saw a difference in me. It brought me joy to give something so simple, even knowing I did not have much to give. I will always remember the faith of the people of Nigeria.

The summer after that I was asked to be a part of a team going to Bolivia. Little did I know that Bolivia would take my heart away. We worked a lot doing painting in the day and VBS at night. The people were great and caring. One of our last stops was at a Boys Home in the Mountains of La Paz, the capital city and the highest capital city in the world. Once again the kids that no one else wanted anything to do with are the ones that took my heart. It was like they were family to me. Something simple that made us become friends was my love for Hacky Sack. These kids also had nothing but had joy knowing someone cared enough to just play a simple game with them, and paint their rooms. I know some day good will send me back to play a game of Hacky Sack with a whole new group of Bolivia’s young people.

So missions made me look at my faith and see that it is all I need. It changed my life knowing that it was no longer mine. So my challenge to you is just allow God to use you and I promise you will have and adventure of a Life time. It may not be missions or youth work but God has a adventure for your life.

“ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. “ Jeremiah 29:11

Missions it really rocked my world and changed my life. But it was all part of my plan, go find yours and seek what God wants for you.

The Rain Brings New Thought

It is not like it has been weather wise today in Greenville, I guess that is a good thing! Today the overcast is kinda cloudy and rainy. But it reminds me of fall back home at Wonderland or my other home of Chicago. It reminds me of being in a family at work. Where everyone new each other and prayed for each other and thought of each other. At least that is the way I felt when I was at camp, even with a boss like I had. My boss was my friend but it was not like a normal friendship because well we would never actually let people know that we cared for each other. Yes that is some what funny I guess but oh well.

So this new thought is about the community I was felt apart of in the family of God,the church and my ministry at work! I kinda feel as if it is lacking here in Greenville. Now that could be because I am an outsider in the South and no one seems to understand. Or it could be because I have yet to truly try to reach out and be a part of something here yet. With age comes wisdom, I know I am only 28 so that is not old but I have seen a lot on done a lot. So with that said I think it is a combo of both. So I think I need to be more open and find that thing that I am looking for a sense of family in the south here in greenville!

I guess I just have to be more willing than normal because as it seems only the teens want me here. but God truly has me here for some reason or another and soon i am sure I will find what that reason is.

Who Still Calls People Oriental?

Only in the south would a person actually still call someone Oriental! Its like the same thing as if you where to call me a Negro! I am a Youth Worker and part of that is taking people and their families back and forth from and to church. This past Sunday a lady I drive was talking about how she was new this Asian lady but she did not call her Asian she was like you know that Oriental lady I worked with! I was very close to saying that is so not PC but then I thought to myself does she know what PC is? Or would she say why are you talking about computers and I am talking about Orientals? The south is very unPC in many ways. On top of that I did not want them to have any more reason to think I hate them! But I also wanted to ask do you call me that big negro boy that drives us to church and works with the young ones? But once again that would just make things way more of a problem than they are!

So more on the PCness of the south or the lack there of! I got pulled over and I was not speeding or anything! The cop comes up does his thing and whatever! His partner stays back and ask me if I have any drugs or whatever in my car I say no I am a Pastor! He ask if they brought the dogs if I am sure I would not find anything? I laugh it off. So I end up walking away with $300 in tickets because they claimed my plates were bad, which they are not! And I do not have a South Carolina ID, whatever my friend got pulled over with a Oregon ID and she got away. Its because I am black!

So with all this said, I am not the most PC person but this place is for real not PC in the smallest bit ever!