Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Much has happened since my last post. I've done many things, one of which was getting married.  As a task to improve my relationship with God, my wife suggested I begin to write down my interpretation of my bible readings.  Since I am a very slow writer, I decided I will do so using the typed word.

Today I decided to use a passage I read last night, which has meaning to me:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ? - Matthew 6:25‭-‬27 NIV

Lately, I've been concerned about my next move, professionally.  I have come to terms that I do not and should not be a study coordinator for the rest of my life.  I have an idea of the direction I wish to go but nothing for sure. 

Reading this post, I realize that I may or may not have the answer I seek, but I am fortunate to serve the one who does. He has blessed me this far in the arena of employment, and I cannot lose faith that he will continue to guide my steps.  He is my waymaker.  

The little things from my trip to Dragon*con

Things I could have done without: the practically naked cosplayers (male & females), Dr. Who tattoos, Off-the-rack T.A.R.D.I.S dresses, Deadpool cosplay (unless it was a kid or gender swap), black girls cosplaying as Storm, Fezzes, Batman t-shirts (of which I was an offender), and generic Triforce Tee-shirts.

Things I enjoyed seeing In abundance for the first time: Beautiful women of color, ladies in STOS dresses, and families cosplaying together.

One of the downsides of the crazy high number of attendees was the elevators taking forever.  During one of my waits I managed to see a toddler attempt to use a sonic screwdriver to open the doors.  She’s going to go far in life.
 
Alien (from the franchise) and zombie cosplay creep me out, but in a good way.

I wish I had the confidence some of those people had in their costumes.

I enjoyed the Walk of Fame, which was the location where many prominent Sci-Fi/Fantasy actors and actresses were available for conversations and pictures.  Although the pictures weren’t in the budget (Patrick Stewart’s asking price was $75 per photo), I was glad to see most of the actors looked like themselves in real life.

Once again, when parking at the train station I heard the automated “Welcome to Marta” message as “Welcome to Mordor”.

I really enjoyed catching my first Fans for Christ geek church service.  As the young lady in the row in front of me stated "When I come here I can say 'Ah, my people!' and then after three days of boobs and devil horns I can say 'Ah, my people, people'".

I hate that I missed the opportunity to get photos of the person who did Groot as well as a few of the AoT cosplayers.

I find it interesting that in the vendor’s section the handmade stuff was cheaper than the Amazon merchandise.

Geek couples are all about PDA (I know you have a room, but take it there, please).

The peak moment had to be watching the season finale of Falling Skies with one of the principal actors from the show.  We even got to see him do a magic trick later.

I never thought I’d want to get into a dance battle with a dinosaur (this took place at an exhibit, and you kind of had to be there)

A Story of Courtship..

My New Hope Life Group is AMAZING!!

We are a wonderful, God loving, real bunch of folks. I feel at home with them and them with me. They are such beautiful people on the inside and out. They bless me and I hope I bless them. They are awesome.

During our last group meeting I challenged them to tell me of a time they were romantically courted or courted someone. I wanted to examine the type of passion we employ when we’re chasing after someone versus our initiative when seeking God. Nearly everyone gave such an account during their lifetime, however in the interest of time we had to end the meeting before I gave my testimony.I always try to not ask others what I won’t do of myself, so here goes..

Picture it... August of 1992.

It was the summer of my high school graduation and I met a nice young girl in the bookstore. We had a nice conversation or two and things were going well. Unfortunately things took a turn at my grandmother’s locale and I was forced to move back with my mother. Due to personal issues my mom could not hold a job and therefore lived on the pittance she received from her separation from the military. This meant that she lived without much in the way of convenience, including a phone or car. Since I didn’t earn much money I had few resources on hand to take her out or even call to hear her voice. Surprisingly enough she was still willing to give it a shot and I was already in love with this young lady (teenager-dom... sheesh). So to court this young lady I had to make the most of my resources. I managed to get friends to help me out with rides, but to communicate I had to go to an outdoor payphone.

I know those are almost non-existent now, but back then they were at every gas station, and that’s where I had to go to place a call. Since I didn’t have a car I’d ride my 2nd hand bike down the highway and call her every day. Much to the gas station manager’s chagrin I was there almost every day for the next nine months regardless of the weather, taking the time to call my true love. It ultimately ended due to her seduction by a pretty boy with a car, but I will never forget the feelings I had for her.

Put in context of our spiritual message, I have never been more committed to another human being in my entire life. I didn't have much, but she received the best of me. She was just a young girl from the country, but she is nothing compared to the love of Jesus Christ. I enjoyed her warmth and kisses but she couldn’t care for me the way our Lord can. I am glad the Lord kept me until I found him. I can’t say a woman at the time would have done the same.

We as Christians need to worship not because it feels good because like my relationship no matter how what our sacrifice and good intentions, it won’t work if it’s purely done for feeling. Feelings fade like the ink phone number you jotted down on your hand for memory. Dating is indeed a contract based on the feeling. You do it as long as it feels good. God doesn't need us. His love is ever enduring. He won’t ever stop loving us or even taking a break. He will however, forgive us for our shortcomings. We as Believers should try to do the same, but be thankful for a forgiving God!

To be or not to be.. in Rhythm..

First of all I greet you in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ.  I am blessed with the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful vacation and birthday week.  Of course the week included worship at New Hope Church as well as time with my Life Group, and I want to share with you my thoughts on the week’s sermon by the esteemed Pastor Brooks.

The message by Pastor Brooks was a continuation of the rhythm series.  He gave a wonderful account of the passage of Luke 10:38 – 42 which provided the summary of the message detailing the story of Mary and Martha experience with the visit of Jesus.  According to scripture Martha was the example of hospitality; cooking and straightening up to give her guest the best possible experience. Mary, however, neglected all of these duties to sit at the feet of Jesus causing Martha to become annoyed at Mary for not helping her. Martha sought support from Jesus, however His words stressed the importance of making the most of what was taking place.

So now we bridge this scripture to the series on Rhythm.  He talked about rhythm at work, in sport, and in our personal lives.  He expressed how there was a balance in activities based on how we reacted to things.  When he spoke of rhythm I couldn’t help but to think about the difference between rhythm and routine and then it dawned on me: Rhythm is a relationship! When Jesus stopped by, Mary maintained her routine.  She provided snacks, prepared dinner, as well as anything else she knew to do under the circumstances.  Her productivity set a nice atmosphere and put food on the table, but what was important at that moment?  She was ignoring the presence of Jesus, our Savior and our Liberator.  Her behavior is classic in today’s society.  We scurry about like mice looking for cheese in order to achieve our own personal desires. We struggle to go to school and go into debt to get bigger house, a nicer car, public admiration or professional achievements but what good are these things if we don’t have Christ in our lives? 

That being said, Pastor Brooks mentioned that we need to LISTEN.  We need to hear from God.  How do we do that?  We must first clear away all distractions. Martha was distracted by her routine, a routine that was productive yet produced nothing that compared to what was being offered just a short distance away.  So why didn’t she follow suit with Mary?  Lack of relationship!  She did not value the presence of Jesus as she should before it had yet to have meaning to the rest of the world. 

So once we value His Word we begin to have a relationship with Him and our heart longs for His word and instruction.  At this point hearing from God allows us to react to what He is telling us and therefore affecting our behavior and environment.

So how is rhythm different from routine?  A routine is what you form in accordance to what you need to accomplish in an ideal situation.  Rhythm is the action and reaction in relationship with what matters to us.  So to give an example in the spirit of rhythm, I bring up the world of dance.  Solo dancers learn routines to integrate the elements of a performance to convey the technique and artistry of a choreographer’s vision.  By repeating the techniques over and over again they build their body and physical memory so they can perform it with excellence on the dance floor.  To bring it to the scope of group routines, the contribution is greater than the sum of their individual roles.  They must work in tandem with other artists bringing the whole vision to pass.

For those of you who do sports, your routine starts with exercise and drills.  You practice the exercises and movements that build your body and train it to react accordingly.  When you add teammates in the mix, you have to learn how they function so you can work together towards your common goal.  By understanding their rhythm you gain a working relationship, and you do what is important to achieve you desire. 

So my question to you is "Do you have a religious routine or do you have spiritual rhythm?"  Do you go through the motions to get Christian caffeine boost, or do you react to the presence of the Lord on High, forming a spiritual symbiosis with our Heavenly Father so that you are bobbing and weaving, ducking and dodging from sin and listening for his instruction so we work with the knowledge of what is important in how we live our lives? 

For those who seek the latter I provide a mash-up of Psalm 119:37 (NIV) and a verse from one of Gloria Estefan's songs:

“Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word so when you do, the “Rhythm is gonna get ya”

Memorial Day Weekend.. My thoughts..

I can say I had a good Memorial day weekend...

I saw Kung Fu Panda 2.  I can say it was better than the original and wouldn't mind seeing it again.  As I look back on my experience I can't help but to think there is military man or woman who was looking forward to the sequel but will never get to see it with their family.

I saw romantic comedy in the company of friends as well. I love romantic comedies.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to share it with a significant other but there is a military widow or widower who will never get to share that tender moment with their loved one again.

I bowled and played tennis today.  Although I did better than I thought in tennis I can honestly say I've never sucked so bad in bowling, but there is a miltary man or who will never get to teach their child to play sports at all.

Most importantly I went to church, Pastor Jeff put it down on the pulpit.  I enjoyed giving a recap to my friends but there is military man or woman who will never get to preach the gospel to their loved ones.

I can say I had a good Memorial Day weekend, but there are others who sacrificed their happiness for my safety and freedom.  This post is in honor of those like my father whose service to their country cost them their life.  I want you to know that even though most of us had a good time this weekend, your service has not gone unnoticed.