Frustration

"If it weren't for Christians, I'd be a Christian."Ghandi

Ahhhhh. That makes me sick. Sick of hypocritical Christians. Christians who think they're better than all else. I knew a Christian who once said that in order for me to tell someone about Jesus, they need to come up to my level. Huh? How does that work...beats me.

I'm also tired of people having to wait until their summer mission trip, or when they are out of the country to wittiness to people. What about this, most unchurched state of Oregon? How about our funky town (aka Portland, which by the way is what the picture is a reflection of). I mean, sometimes it's like we are in this little society of Christians and we never leave it. We wait until we go somewhere before developing any kind of circle of non-Christian friends. We forbid ourselves of going into any unclean place, for fear of God knows what. And then, wonder why Ghandi wasn't a Christian, and why our churches don't get many new, unbelievers...only church shopping Christians.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing anyone...this goes for me to. But where is the balance. Obviously don't forsake seeking fellowship together with the bretheren. We must have our sphere of Christian friends who encourage us. And learn to shake the dust off our feet when being in certain places/situations. However, having to shake the dust off one's feet,doesn't mean don't go there. I also understand that certain people have a gift for ministering to certain people groups. But, we are all called to people. And whatever happened to they'll know we're Christians by our love? I mean, that's foremost what you have to do with "unlovely" people...if you catch my drift. We must obviously used discretion and discernment...however, it isn't the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

Elephant Ride

So this is actually a picture from last year... however, what can I say? It's Stephi and I on an elephant in Roseberg, Oregon...

Living Godly in a World Gone Wrong

James1.26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

‘Tis difficult to live a righteous life in our corrupted world of heathenism, materialism, and narcissism. They are the pursuit of pleasure, possessions, pride. Or, the world, the flesh and the devil.

And what is the standard by which we evaluate our lives? What is the ruler by which we measure everything? It is the Word of God. We as believers, if we are to live right in a world gone wrong, have to know what God's standard is.

I heard an analogy from a friend of mine, a Mr. Shane Tebeck to be precise, about a fear that wells inside people It may be similar to the fear of blood/needles. A doctor has a certain personality that can tend to the psychical needs/injuries of others with out the queasiness in his stomach, nor getting lightheaded. Whereas there are those who can barely tolerate viewing a bloody nose. Perhaps likewise with we as Christians in the ministry. There are those who are gifted with patience and don’t easily take offense, and can adapt more to “hanging with the sinners”, whereas…some, might be more equipped for the people who’ve been fence sitting between belief in Christ, and a life with out him.
“I know, it’s a dog eat dog world out there…so Jesus, please holla back!”

About Me

[A is for age:] 21 A is also for: Also…ha, Apollogetics, Amethyst, Aroma, and Amy.
[B is for breed of choice:] Depends on what for, but we’ll go with the Native American…so pretty. B is also for Buccaneer, Brave, Batman, Belgian waffles, Bible thumper, Boccellis, Blonde, and Brit.
[C is for career:] I am a student. Also I’d like: Chef, Caterer, Childcare, mad-skilled Concert pianist, Concerto writer, and Crazy actor, Captain morgan, Canada…eh?, Court Jester, Cowboy/Cattleman, Calimari, Cherokee, and Condoleezza Rice.
[D is for your dog's name:] well, my family’s dog is Benz (after Mercedes-Benz), and my host family’s dog is Amber. D is also for: Daracula, Drive, Detrimation, Dragster, Dictionary, Dance, Daphne duMaurier, and Dad.
[E is for an essential item you use everyday:] existential, eucalyptus-eating elk jerky. E is also for: Emerald, Evergreen, Ezekiel, Encyclopedia, Escargot, Egg nog, Egypt, Eschatology and Euphrates.
[F is for favorite song at the moment:] “Jolene” Dolly Parton and “Say Yes” Dusty Drake. F is also for Ferry, Forlorn, Flamboyant, Freddy, France, Fred Astaire, Ft. Vancouver, and Fabulous French Food.
[G is for favorite games:] too many. cranium, wink murder, pictionary, poker. G is also for: Gumballs, Gumby, Grandparents, George W, Greek, and Giraffe.
[H is for hometown:] da Couve. H is also for: Horses, Hephisina, Halalujiah, hemp, Hawaii, Holland, and Horatio G Spafford.
[I is for the instrument you play] I am a mad pianist, voice, cello, and tinwhistle. I is also for: Imagination, Intuition, and Igloo.
[J is for favorite juice] Orange Cranberry all the way. J is also for Jaguar, Juggling, Joker, Jack of spades, John Deere green, John Wayne, Jane Austen, Jacques Cousteau, Jeopardy, and Jesus. 
[K is for kids?:] Somewhere between 2 and 4. K is also for: Kaleidascope, Knee board, Karamel…with a K. ha!
[L is for last kiss:] Good one…I am unsure. L is also for Lover’s Lane, Lone star state, Lars Larson, Lon Cheney, and Lord Byron.
[M is for mom's job:] My mom is a homemaker and she home-schools my little brother. M is also for Maria, M&Ms, Mikey, Michael Savage, and Mom. 
[N is for Nothing]
[O is for overnight hospital stays:] When I had scoliosis surgery at age 15 I stayed for one week. O is also for Orange, Olives, and Oregon trail/territory.
[P is for phobias:] I’m not so sure I have any…P is also for: Powered blue Mikey shirts…ha, Polar bear, Phantom, Pirates, Pink, Pizzazz, Prestige, Pecos Bill, Paraglide, Parasail, and Promises of God.
[Q is for quotes you like:] "Necessity is indeed the mother of invention” Q is also for: Quick-stitched, Quilted Quotes, in whose author’s names begin with “Q”
[R is for restaurant] Rimsky-Korsakoffeehouse. Heck yes! (amazing fool) R is also for: Ravishing, Refurbished Rooms Representing Rad Renaissance themed artists, Romeo, Roller skating, Rap…some, Rogues, Red Roses, Right-wing Redneck party of “R”s, and Rambo.
[S is for status] Single. And S is also for: Summer, Sly Snakes, Swords, Spiderman, Steve Irwin, Sapphire, SCUBA dive, Sean Hannity, and Schwager…Schwagsta, or Schwaggenator.
[T is for time you wake up:] 0700. T is also for: Theatre, Thai food, Tea, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Titanic, Tractor, and ‘Twas.
[U is for under…?:] Underwater, particularly really Underwater, however the Ultimate Underwater adventure at Rimsky is ultra-amazing. U is also for: USA, Unicorn, Umbrella, Uncle Sam, and US flag.
[V is for vegetable you love:] olives and radishes. V is also for: Vancouver, Vivacious, Valor, Voodoo doughnuts, Van Gough, and Vermeer.
[W is for worst habit:] You tell me. W is also for: Washington, We Were soldiers, WWI and WWII vets, White chocolate, West Side Story, and Whistle.
[X is for x-rays] From age 9-20 I probably had about 16 or 18 x-rays for scolosis. X is also for: Xylaphone, and Xena
[Y is for yummy food you make:] fool’s paradise and seafood linguini. Y is also for: Ya Hala, old Yeller, Yo-Yo, Y’shua, and Yodel. 
[Z is for your favorite animal at the Zoo:] now this is way hard…but I’ll go with the crocs. They’re so strikingly random and fierce. Z is also for: Zeal, Zephyr, and Zygotic.