pen vs sword

which is better to change the world with the pen, or sword? 

if we use the pen, we can cause deep rifts in the the thoughts of others and cause them to believe what we want them to. we can manipulate governments and tear them down. we can be in the background and deny our involvement. we can cause quiet change or widespread revolt.

if we use the sword, we can make powerful strides to change peoples' minds and cut down (literally) the opposition. we can take huge swaths of land in one swoop. we can set up governments and rule the peoples. we can cause instant followers with our display of power

both sound good. most governments choose to use the sword, leaving the people the pen.

but there is another option.

Love. not love, but Love.

Love tears down governments, because we will no longer need them. Love causes quiet change and widespread revolt against evil. Love breaks all opposition. Love can take over people more rapidly than anything else.

but there is a problem.

we have love, but not Love. because we can't have Love, Love needs to have us. only when we work through Love can we truly change the world. 

i want to show the world Love. 

Thoughts...

I have some really cool exchange students in my classes.
Grilled broccoli is really good with cheese, and garlic in scrambled eggs.
Ro and Jo fo sho.
I can't get her out of my head.
Why is level 42 and 49 always the hardest?
40 mpg for the win!
My cats are awesome.

More to come...

lights, camera, action!

What is church today? Is it lights, is it music? Is it the fervor of the speaker? What about the flair of the powerpoint? 
I almost can't stand the show that we're putting on now. I love how it makes me feel, but ashamed how it must make God feel. Can he really appriciate the mascarade we display. 

Church is more for us than for our great creator. We worry about what people will think and how it will be received in the congregation. The shallowness of this world has even seeped into the very fabric of the church. 
How did this happen? when did it happen? Why did it happen? 

Since when has worship been about us? Either we sing quietly and are worried what the people around us will think or we sing loudly and want people to be impressed. Why is that?

Shouldn't we not care what people think and use the talents God has given us to worship him? Shouldn't we accept people and move on? Shouldn't we actually do what we say we are doing and actually worship? 

Why do we worry about the lyrics on the screen? Why do we snicker when the worship leader makes a 'mistake'?... That's impossible by the way, to make a mistake while worshiping. Because the only 'mistake' we can make while worshiping is to. not. worship. 

Don't worry about the lights, the music, the music stand possition, the screen.

God has everything under control. Worship Him. And don't put on a show.

title slide!

just had an AMAZING conversation (some would call it 'words') with my best friend mark. he showed me an awesome video from IHOP (house of prayer, NOT pancakes). it was this guy telling about how God fully moved through him to reach and totally blast 4 people out of their lives and into God's unfailing love. here's the video, it's live and you get a little spiritual color :). Make it full screen and it's about 30 mins.

http://cmp.ihop.tv/gp-nohide2.php?pid=HBRURGUaW8vpFC6EbHj8LEL1j2R_KxD3

if you watched it, that's the kind of influence that I want! i want God in fresno like that! I want Christians in fresno to have enough faith to allow God to do that!

I want Christians to WAKE UP and truly see what God has for them!

I also realized tonight that my friend mark has been my brother way before josh was...
I also see that the more we trust God, the more he uses us. And he will use us, more than we have ever known.

LIFE IS AMAZING!!!

getting to know you...

the first week of school is characterized by syllabuses and 'getting to know you' games. One. Class. After. Another. please make the madness stop. NEW PEOPLE OVERLOAD!!!!

instead, i'd like a free open space to catch up with my friends and to be introduced to new people and not have to be forced to learn pointless facts about others. I really don't want to sound mean, that's just what i think after almost a solid week of get-to-know-you games.

on another note, this weekend i can sleep in!!!!!!!

life IS life

Today, I am hit in the face with the fact that we should never be or get too comfortable... life is wonderful, but to have mountains, you need valleys.

A friend of mine past away today. he was doing something he loved doing and was good at it. Something that shouldn't have happened. God took him when he was at his strongest.

life is short. how cliche... but true. he was just entering his prime adult life and had everything ahead of him.


I don't want to be comfortable or get stagnant spiritually. Because the closer I get to my creator, the fuller my life will be.

Senior year! I can't believe it's Finally here! I like my classes and things seem to be going pretty normal. Ryan, Alissa and Sarah are all back into their witty banter and such.
Apparently I have a 'younger brother in Josh Healy, every one says he looks like me. they call him 'Doc' because according to my friends, he looks like me and was dubbed 'Mini David'. M D = Doc.

once I got home today, mark came over and he shared about his trip to kansas city to the international house of prayer. it sounds AMAZING and I want to go! it makes me long for that passion for God here in fresno.