The Visitor

So I was watching some Netflix during my lunch break today, as I do most days, and was hit pretty deeply by what I was watching. It was an episode of Star Trek:DS9 (yeah, yeah, yeah - I can be a bit of a geek, lol) called 'The Visitor' and it was, to me, one of the best episodes of TV I've ever seen. Maybe it just hit the right emotional cords at the right time in my life, but I couldn't help but write about it.

Ignoring all of the scientific technobabble, it boils down to a story of a boy who has lost his father. Jake loses his dad in a freak accident, but his dad isn't truly dead, just lost in time, never aging. His father keeps appearing to him, but the time between each visit keeps growing farther and farther apart. Jake spends his whole life finding a way to save him. In the end, as an old man, he does find a way, and it's a great, sad story, but that isn't the point of why I'm writing. Watching the episode made me think of two things.

First, as Christians, is why we don't spend that kind of energy and effort in trying to reach those that we care about. If you go back to the title of the episode, The Visitor, it reminds me of how we are only supposed to be visitors in this world. This is not our home. But we should be trying to make a difference in it while we are here. We shouldn't be letting our lives pass by without trying to spread the news that we believe in.

Second, it reminded me of the love that God has for us. He sacrificed his own son so that we could spend eternity with Him. He loves us more than I can even imagine. I don't know about you, but I have a pretty thick head regarding some things. Growing up in the church, I have heard this simple truth more times than I could count. But hearing it and actually believing it down to the depths of your soul are different. One day when I was at the lowest point I could imagine, the true value of what God had done sank in. And to this day, even when I'm feeling down, I can think back to that moment and a smile comes to my face. I know God, the creator and sustainer of this universe, loves me, even when I don't love myself.

I know that I tend to ramble sometimes, but I hope that this encourages someone. If you ever have a doubt, know that God loves you, even if you don't know how he could get past your sins. His love isn't like ours, and it's unfathomable - but that's a good thing. And if you want to go watch some geeky TV with a surprisingly good story, go watch the episode I mentioned and try not to cry.

Love in Christ,
Chip

When Peace Eludes

Gotta love those sleepless nights that decide to visit randomly. No matter how early you have to get up... no matter how desperately you want to fall asleep... those blissful dreams won't come and take you away. This is where I find myself tonight, or morning almost. Nothing deep was on my mind, I was just unable to find peace. None of the usual routines helped. So I found myself here. Maybe it's the lack of sleep that's getting to me, but my inability to find the peaceful sleep that I longed for in my bed reminded that so many people, Christians and non-Christians alike, find themselves longing for peace. Some people try to find peace in the things of this world, trying to find that escape, no matter how temporary that fleeting moment. And there are good things in which we can escape the madness this world throws at us.

For the non-believer: Whatever the vise is that grips you, it's hard to give up on the one thing that has given you some measure of peace in this world. I understand it more than you know. The world can be harsh, and it can be even tougher to trust an unseen God who you don't believe in. Heck, I struggle trusting God and I'm a Christian. I want to have some measure of control in my life. I fight Him and the peace that he gives freely. I think it's human nature to try and do things ourselves, and not try and rely on someone or something else. But it's so much easier when you give him your burden and let him pull the yoke. Your soul can find rest with Him. I know it's not easy to trust, but it is definitely worth it.

For the believer: Whether it's football, a good book, or just spending time with friends, we need to focus on the Giver and not the gift. God gave us things in this world to enjoy and with which to find rest. We even have a place we can go for fellowship and support in hard times. Some of us hide behind the mask of religion, even though we are hurting on the inside, unsure of how we can keep going from one day to the next. Whether it be due to pain, dullness, or any myriad of issues, our focus slips. We divert our eyes from God, and even the things he gave us for peace and enjoyment no longer grant us peace. But this is where we err. We should find peace in the things God has granted us, but not let them be our all consuming passion. We should try and refocus on Him, not anything else. He should be our passion. He should be what we turn to when things don't go our way. He is the Prince of Peace. He has promised us that he will help us bear the burden. And while I'm not saying everything will go our way, I know it will be far easier with Him than without.

Part of me wishes I could have gotten more sleep tonight. There's a good chance of being irritable in the morning due to the lack of sleep. But the other part of me knows I'll be fine tomorrow, no matter what is thrown my way, if only for the fact that God is with me. And hopefully someone reading this gets the encouragement they needed and finds the peace that God has promised them. I think a little lack of sleep is worth that. Have a great week everyone. As always, let me know if there is anything I can pray for you about.

Love in Christ,
Chip

When You Can Afford to Lose

Aloha everyone. Sorry it's been awhile. Been a little busy, and haven't felt like posting as much lately. Had a lot on my mind, and still do. But I'm not gonna get into all of that right now cause I'm sitting here and listening to a song on repeat by Will Hoge called 'When I Can Afford to Lose' and it's been making me think, and I felt like sharing...

The song talks about how he isn't going to take the chance with a girl again until 'he can afford to lose'. And those thoughts hit home with me. Too many times, we as humans want to take the safe route. We don't want to do anything risky until we can afford to handle the loss if it comes our way.

It doesn't matter if it's in financial matters, love, or even submitting to God. We want to feel like we have some kind of control. But sometimes you have to take risks. New business owners may have to take out a second mortgage on their house. You may risk telling your crush how you feel, only for it to be thrown back in your face. But one thing that isn't a risk is trusting in God.

On some level, we may or may not acknowledge this, but we put it off until another day. We want to say, "Well, I'll go to church when I get everything in my life situated." We want that control. To come to God on our own terms. We want to dip our toes in the water, say that we're doing what good 'Christians' are supposed to do, but still be able to have control over our lives and the direction God may send us. Heck, I know I want to handle my finances as they can get pretty tight if I'm not careful. It is a serious struggle for me to trust God to provide for my finances after giving my tithes. To be honest, the majority of times, I don't give them for that reason. I find myself incapable of letting go of that area in my life and letting him take control.

But shouldn't we trust Him? He who gave everything so that we might one day live by his side in Heaven. He who has never broken one promise to us, even after we break covenant after covenant. Even though we break sin against Him daily, He is still faithful. His love never changes. He never changes. Nothing we can ever do will make Him love us any less. And as broken as this world is, it's hard for us to trust in that promise. Nothing else in this world has that kind of guarantee. I'm not saying it's easy to let go. I'm just saying it's worth it. He is worth it. Give Him a chance and let Him prove it to you.

Love in Christ,
Chip

PS - Let me know if you have any prayer requests. And if you want to be praying for me, I have my black belt test coming up on Nov 1st - less than 3 weeks away!

This is the end?

So I watched a movie tonight called 'This is the end' - it's by Seth Rogen and James Franco - same people who made Pineapple Express, which was "stoner humor". It's their typical thing, and can be amusing at times if you like that style - and while I typically enjoy them acting stupid, I had to address this movie and some of the content within.

The premise of the movie is as follows: the actors are playing themselves. They're at a Hollywood party when the literal apocalypse happens. Some people are sucked into Heaven and the rest of the world starts falling to pieces. Parts of the movie are funny as they try to ration food, scavenge for supplies, and try to figure out what is actually going on. If you actually want to watch the movie, I'd stop here as spoilers are going to follow.

Slowly the realization that the actors are in the actual 'end days' starts to sink in. One of the character grabs a Bible and reads part of Revelation describing some of the things happening. They start trying to figure out what is going on, how to survive, and how they can end up in Heaven. They wonder why they're still on Earth when they are, for the most part, 'good people'. They wonder if they haven't tipped the scales enough to end up being balanced on the good and earn God's favor.

But they missed the point! They skipped to the end of the book and didn't see the directions on how to get there! There is no "good enough" to end up in Heaven. In John 14:6, Jesus says he is the only way to Heaven. Nothing we do will ever tip the scales far enough for us to balance it out or end up on the 'good side' of God. One sin is all it takes to damn us for all eternity. An infinitely holy God cannot abide even one sin. And all of us have sinned. There is no sacrifice we can make or life we can live, on our own, that gets us to Heaven.

Luckily, we don't get by on our own merits, but on the perfect life of Jesus Christ. God doesn't see scales. If we believe in Him as our savior and redeemer, He sees a passport marked 'approved' - He doesn't see our names, but instead sees his son who died for our sins.

I don't know about you, but the fact that Jesus Christ has paid the price I could never hope to repay makes me extremely grateful. And movies like these demand a response from those who know the truth. We shouldn't let our friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, etc. think that as long as they live a 'good life' that they can skate on into Heaven. We have to make sure they know the truth and make sure that movies like this don't cloud the subject.

Love in Christ,
Chip

Gotta Keep Fighting

So I don't know about everyone else out there, but for me, it's been a rough start to the new year so far. Ever been stretched way too thin? Feel like it's a battle to find time for everyday things, much less the surprises life loves to through your way? I know that my schedule stays pretty booked, and leaves little time for relaxing and recharging for the next go around. And it can lead to short nerves, frustration, and more - areas in my life that get neglected, most notably my social and spiritual lives.

If I'm not careful, I end up feeling like every step forward I take is followed by two backwards, if not more. When it happens for a prolonged period of time, I want to vent frustration, and too often it's aimed at places or people it shouldn't be. And sometimes I want to throw my hands up and walk away from it all. It can lead to bitterness and brokenness. If you don't have a good support system in place, it can lead to a viscous cycle of self-pity that feeds upon itself. But even the best support system - friends, church group, family - can let you down without meaning to do so. This is why it can be dangerous to have them as your only source of strength and comfort.

So when you hit that point, what do you do? Where do you turn then? I look to Jesus. No matter how I feel - no matter what's going on in my life, I can always think back to a lesson that God taught me in one of the lowest times in my life. And that one reminder is enough to set my feet on solid ground again. It puts a smile back on my face, and allows me to keep going, no matter how many times I get knocked down. Draw your strength from God, and you can survive anything this world throws at you. I'm not saying it will be easy. Far from it in fact. But you'll have a joy in your heart this world cannot crush, no matter how hard it tries.

So keep fighting - keep getting back up and throwing more punches. Finish the race - even if it is one agonizing step at a time. And keep your faith - even when it seems that everything is going against you. God uses those times to draw you close, and for His glory to be evident to those who are watching.

Love in Christ,
Chip

Life isn't easy, but God conquers all

So recently my Facebook and twitter feeds have been bombarded by people posting what they are thankful for this month. I applaud the idea, even if it is growing a little stale. But this post is going to be for those who aren't sure what they have to be thankful for - for those struggling to come up with enough ideas to fill a week, much less a month. If not for Jesus, I know I could struggle with this. So bear with me for a minute. It'll be worth it, I promise :)

Next week it'll be 10 years since my mother passed away. Blink and a decade has gone by without her. I wonder what she'd think of me and the decisions I've made that put me where I am in my life now. And then there's my father, who, to put it mildly, doesn't have much to do with the family anymore. Not assigning blame here, just telling it how it is, and it's hard to argue with that. My once close-knit family has fractured to where I am basically on my own.

There's the fact that I'll be 28 next week, and recently I've watched friend after friend get married. Obviously I am happy for them, and more than a little envious. I don't have that companion to stand by my side, to encourage me, to laugh with me, and to share the secret joys and troubled times with. Each year, those friends will drift a little further apart, and it scares me I'll be left alone here as well.

I'm voicing the thoughts a lot of people don't have the courage or the will to say. Not everything is great and wonderful and life doesn't always go your way. The guy doesn't always get the girl, and the girl doesn't always get swept off her feet. That raise or bonus you were looking for may not come. Injuries happen. Your car may get totaled. It may be a struggle day to day for you just to simply live life. But that doesn't mean that there isn't a lot for which to be thankful; you just have to know where, and to whom, to look.

There is a God who loves you more than I can ever explain in one simple blog post. But he's real, and he's there for you if you'll let him be. And this is something I struggle with every day - reminding myself of the Gospel of Christ, and just letting go of the desire to have control of my life. Although I don't really know why. You'd think I'd let the one being in the universe who is all knowing and all powerful be in charge, but somehow, in my limited intellect, I think I can do better than he can. I think that I can know what is best for me, and how to best have a situation resolve.

I'm not saying it's easy. Obviously it's not. But God can and will ease the sorrows and comfort the broken hearted. He wants to wipe away the shame and the guilt. For me, that is enough to be thankful for this month. To some, It may not seem like much. But for me, it'll do. There is pain and hurt in this world, but there is joy in abundance just waiting for you if you know where to look - Jesus Christ. To quote DC Talk, 'There is love in the red letters. There is truth in the red letters. There is hope for the hopeless. There is peace and forgiveness. There is life in the red letters.' When you don't know where to turn, when all you know is pain, when you feel alone - remember that the God of this universe sent his son to die for our sins - he took our place so we can be with Him forever! Ladies and gentlemen, that is powerful love right there.

Share it with your friends, family, neighbors, and even strangers this holiday season. You never know what they're going through or dealing with. You may get ignored, or get dirty looks, or even cussed out. But who knows? Maybe that one person who needed to hear it will. And it will make all the difference in the world to them.

Love in Christ,
Chip

No Place For A Hero...

So... been a while since I've posted. Been busy - broken hand,  yard work for myself and my aunt, work, karate (brown belt - missed my last test due to the broken hand. Kinda set me back. Still around 1/2 way to black belt though), small group, programming project on the side, etc. Needless to say, my plate is full. Anyways, I'm back, and I'll try to post on a more consistent basis in the future.

Now... On with the show! To explain the topic of this thread... So I was listening to a song last night by The Heavy called 'Short Change Hero'. The lyrics in the chorus are "This ain't no place for no hero... this ain't no place for no better man. This ain't no place for no hero to call home."

It got me thinking about something our small group covered recently. The topic of 'Resident-Strangers' - For Christians, this isn't our home. We are aliens in a foreign land. Our home is in Heaven with our glorious savior, Jesus. We should be ecstatic that he has prepared a place for us as he promised. This world - this isn't a place to call home. But some of us, myself included sometimes, strive so desperately to call this our home. We try our best to fit in when we should be standing apart from the world so that they can see their is a difference in our lives. Imagine the impact we would have if this was the case!

This world may not be our home, but we are here for a purpose. We don't have to be 'heroes' or 'better men' - we only need to live so that our actions glorify Christ. Show others that there is hope, and explain to them what gives us that hope. But this doesn't mean that they should be looking to us - we are sinners too, and will ultimately let people down, no matter how hard we may try. While nothing we have done makes us the 'better man', we have been redeemed. That is the difference. Nothing but Christ seperates us from Hell. Christians themselves are not the 'better man' - we only try our best to point towards the ultimate hero.

I hope everyone has a great week. Let me know if there is anything I can pray for you about.

Love in Christ,
Chip