The Best Defense

When it happens that a battle is upon you, you are left with two options: charge into the fight or stand your ground?

Defense or Offense?

In most battle cases, a defense means hiding behind a big brick wall and waiting to be attacked. It means constant vigil. It's a tough job. The brick wall might not hold up, you don't know how many will attack; its a risk.

Meanwhile, some would say the best defense is a good offense.

Bring the fight to the battle. Be prepared, be strong, and know full well what your getting yourself into.

Then another choice is brought into play: how will you defend yourself? what weapon will you choose? As Wes likes to discuss often, some weapons are better than others. A baseball bat never runs out of ammo. Guns can miss fire and run empty, but a sword can't fail. A strong, mighty sword can do wonders if the user is trained and can wield it well.


I want to run into battle with a weapon sharper than any double edge sword, take the fight to the battle, not hide behind a brick wall and wait for temptation to come attack. It's time to take a stand, fight the battle full on, no cowering or retreating. It's time for war, and I'm going to be ready.

No More Children. No More Pain.

Why does God speak so loudly that you cannot ignore Him?
Why does He amaze me with conviction and pain?
Why is there still fighting?


There are two girls from USC on project with me. One of them, Jessica, just happens to know two of the three guys who started Invisible Children. One of those two happened to be in her youth group growing up and is her best friends older brother.


I happened to meet a man from Ghana whilst in Korea. He told me of the spread of Islam from Northern Africa south. He told of the pain of his people, the corruption of the land, and their need for Jesus.

I met a student at Harper community college in Chicago who is a Kenyan born and raised in Uganda. His family lived in the city, so he didn't have to live in fear of being attacked nightly, but he told us that the war has affected the entire nation. They are a people living in strife, a government that is almost as corrupt and blood thirsty as the rebels they fight.

Tonight we watched Blood Diamond, a movie all about the civil war in Sierra Leone. It described the greed of men, not from Africa, but from America and Europe who lust after diamonds so much that thousands, if not millions, have been killed for the jewel. The civil war that plagued the country for years was fueled by a world desiring fancy accessories instead of peace amongst their fellow man.



God, why do you answer my prayers in such a way that you make my heart grieve for the nations in Africa?

[Isaiah 6:8]
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Real World: Chicago

This is the true story, of twelve strangers, picked to live in a house, work together,and have their lives taped, to find out what happens when people stop being polite, and start getting real. The Real World.



Basically, that's how it feels. Except we don't have a confessional and instead of working, we evangelize. And rather than stop being polite, we have been showing nothing but love and God's been getting real with us. (But Damon is working on setting up that confessional)

So I'm living with two blonds from SoCal (the real USC), a couple Yanks, a crazy white boy from Toledo, a Texan and a Haitian from Miami. 8 girls, 3 guys, and lots of Jesus. Its crazy. I've yet to get to bed before one, most nights staying up talking till 3-4 in the am. I normally have trouble opening up to people and getting deep, but lets just say that God said I didn't have a choice. It's only been 2 weeks since I've met my new friends, but it really feels like their family that I've had for a long time. There's my new adopted older sister, Lyndsey, who is quite like my existing sister Lindsey, except this one has a nose piercing instead of a tattoo and is a track star. Then there's my sister Chisomo, who's from Zambia and praises God with an amazing passion. We've got 2 Jessica's, one from Chi-Town and the other a blond ball of spaztic energy who has a boldness for Christ I've never witnessed. My two new brothers, Damon and Wes, are more fun that I know how to handle and constantly are making me think, both about God and my life and also about zombies and body hair. The house is basically one big party.

Since getting back from Korea (which is a whole 'nother story), God has just rocked my world one day after the next. Some firsts that have occurred: beginning a conversation with the phrase "Can I talk to you about Jesus?", espionage for the Lord, public rebuking , Kim-chi, Date night with Jesus, standing in the Spit, and parque on the EL (visit here)

More or less, its been an amazing ride so far. Tune in next episode to hear about Chicago Jazz clubs, clown fish, and Wes the Korean Celebrity. And a little bit of what God's doing too.

Reasons why I know there is a God who has a plan for me

A few reasons that I believe in God:

-For my trip to South Korea/Chicago, I needed to raise 2800 dollars in support + 190$ of plane ticket to/from chicago/atlanta. Today I got 3 checks in the mail that bring my total support raised to 2985$.

-I haven't gotten to talk to Jessica in over two weeks. The first day I get a chance to call her I get off work half an hour early which means I could talk to her longer (the 6 hr time difference makes for poor talking times when you work all day).

-I have to talk to my boss at work about my job situation when I return from project. I really didn't want to talk to my direct boss, but the company president instead, but that wasn't going to look good on my part. My direct boss happens to have decided to take this week off for vacation instead of next week (like he'd planned) so I have no choice but to talk to the president now.

-I really have been looking for a way to get some more experience leading worship so I might be able to at Clemson soon, and today I got an email from my project director saying that we really need someone to sing/lead worship while we are in Chicago.



Those are just the ways I was observant of God speaking to me today. I'm sure He works like this everyday, but I don't realize it. How is God showing himself to you?

Ugly People

"Never pick a fight with an ugly person. They've got nothing to lose."


We all feel like in our lives we have something to lose. Pride, money, respect, friends, cookies (ok, so that last one is just cuz i'm hungry and i just ate my last box of Dunkaroos). But in all reality, we've got nothing to lost. It is all meaningless. I watched a movie with Lindsey last night called About Schmidt. It stars Jack Nicholson, who is an amazing actor, who in the movie realizes after he retires, his wife dies, and his daughter gets married, that his life has had no purpose and it has no meaning. My pastor Mark preached about the same topic on Sunday. If you've ever read the book of Ecclesiastes, it pretty much has the same message: everything in this world is meaningless. Pleasures, wisdom, riches, the works- and this is coming from the author, Solomon, the richest, wisest man ever.

So if everything in his life was meaningless, ours is too, right? What have we got to lose? Which has lead me to a paradigm shift in my small, pathetic life. Solomon had nothing worth living for. But the difference between between him and me is Christ. So if everything apart from Christ is meaningless and not worth living for, than he is the only thing worth living for. Why do I spend day after day after day being totally consumed with my own desires and meaningless things? Everything I work for and occupy my time with, outside of God, is pointless. I'm seriously starting to question , then, what is my purpose?

What am I supposed to be doing?

Why did God give me the talents I have?

Why are all the dunkaroos gone?(sorry, still hungry.)


I could use some prayer. I think we all could. We have a lot of things in our lives that are not of God, that are of our own, or even worse, Satan's, plans and ideas. We are called to be totally consumed by God and his plan for us, his blessings for our lives. I've got a lot to think about, whether or not engineering is how I'm supposed to be spending my time, where God wants me to minister, and how can I better live a meaningful life.


So don't fight ugly people. They've got nothing to lose. Yet Christ loved the ugly people. The sick and disfigured. He gave them everything to live for. He's given me everything to live for.

Hot Cabbage

I love how God motivates and pushes you through unlikely sources and in ways that you don't imagine. I feel like God's told me in the past 3 days that I need to wake up, stop being lazy, and realize that there is more to my relationship with Him than myself and my pitiful excuses for sinning.

On a completely separate note (ok, not separate at all but absolutely related), my brother is here and he's staying a few extra day(s). I'm thoroughly pumped. Jessica was in town this weekend and I got to see her for 2 days also. For that, I am equally pumped, but now depressed that I won't see her for 2 months, unless someone wants to front me the money to fly to Spain. But I'm not regreting "us" in any way and I'm realizing I should be more thankful for that blessing.


It's almost midnight and I gots work in the am, so I leave you know, but with song lyrics (as usual):

And all these stupid silly songs
Keep trying to catch your ear
I'm trying desperately
It's just so hard to persevere
And even if you listened
I never had much to say
Cause it's the same old song
I'm written for the day

and for heath:
EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY,
EVERY BODY WANTS TO BE A CAT!

I got soul but I'm not a soldier...

Over and in, last call for sin
While everyone's lost, the battle is won
"With all these things that I've done
All these things that I've done"
If you can hold on
If you can hold on

I doubt the Killers had Christ in mind when they wrote the song "All These Things That I Have Done", but the message speaks loudly to me. I'm so glad that God constantly speaks to me through everything and lets me know that His love covers all. I think grace is one of my favorite blessings from God.

One of my other favorite blessings is in Spain and right now its breaking my heart. It's odd, because I'm used to her being gone for weeks at a time, but knowing that she is 12 hours away instead of 4 makes it that much harder. Plus the fact that I can't talk to her daily whenever I want. I'm just ready for Friday to be here and at least see her for 2 days. Then the real fun starts....

Last night was some of the most fun I've had since being home. I forgot how much I enjoy being around my friend Katy V (we basically haven't hung out since highschool, for some reason i don't understand). I met two guys at her house who are both going to be at CM2007 and I'm quite stoked about it. I know God is going to teach me so much this summer and I'm going to grow, but right now I just wish Jess was closer. I guess its for the best, since God has a plan for everything. I just need to let it go and know that everything will be ok, no worries.

OPEN your EYES

Our God is a speaking God.


This world is spinning faster than we know
In the blur of the motion
Your light Shines through

But I close my eyes to keep from falling
Yet all I do is tumble

Your hand becomes focused
All time stands still
As you raise up my soul
Pour into me Your will


Let your mercy
Come and fill me
Wash away the despair
Make me humble
Take my sorrow
I wanna live in your love

You have given me eternal life
You say I will not perish
Cuz nothing can take me from you

In Glorious Ruin

Crusade last night was amazing. Jimmy from Clemson Pres spoke about the state of our world, and it really spoke to me. He talked about how the world is like the roman Coliseum, once a great piece of architecture that has now fallen to decay. Our world has fallen so far away from the way God meant it to be. The people are crying out because our burden is so heavy and unbearable. But its not supposed to be that way. There is so much pain and so much suffering, too many tears to count, but it is not supposed to be that way. Christ out-weighed all of the suffering of the world when He conquered death. He has given the world life where there was only despair.

And its going to change.

That is speaks so loudly to mean, screams at me. We have hope. We have a promise. This is just a shadow of the real.
"But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness."
2 Peter 3:13

God is so amazing.


So put your faith in more than steel
Don't store your treasures up, with moth and rust
Where thieves break in and steal
Pull the fangs from out your heel
We live in but a shadow of the real

More Than Life

I've stumbled upon a new verse that basically has given me a new perspective on things.
Psalm 63:3-4 " Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands."
God's love is better than life. It's better than anything everything. I need to grasp that with both hands and hold on tight. His plan is better than anything I can think of, His will is more important than anything I put before Him. We are called to such a greater life and a greater purpose than I currently live. But that is changing.

The Holy Spirit is changing that within me.

Three more weeks of school, one week of exams, and then my life will change.
10 1/2 weeks till Chicago.



My Savior/He can move the mountains
My God is Mighty to save/ He is Mighty to save
Forever/ Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave