Finding God

I’m sure by now you have heard of the events that have been unfolding in Japan. Severe devastation has completely shattered any sense of security for these people; thousands upon thousands of Japanese citizens have been declared dead and still more are categorized as missing. I have to be honest with you. Though the devastation is immense and the affect on these people is so great, I have been having a hard time truly empathizing with these people. It’s not that I don’t care – I can’t imagine having to deal with catastrophe of this magnitude – I simply don’t feel connected in any way. I haven’t watched television since August and I don’t have the internet at my apartment, so I obtain my news from the Wall Street Journal at school or glance at CNN.com while I’m on campus every now and then. I initially heard the news through Facebook that morning. The damage to Japan seemed enormous, and the videos that were being streamed were surreal. Yet despite the conveniences of modern-day tec

About a month ago one of my good friends followed the call of God and moved to Austin, TX to begin a new chapter in his life. He used to serve as the worship leader and associate pastor of the church that I currently attend. He also started a high school youth ministry while he was here. I had volunteered to be a part of the team back in late September, simply to help out where I could and possibly gain some experience in the field of ministry. I had never lead a group of high school teens before, and would never claim to be well-versed in the area of ministry by any means.  I would consider myself to be a fairly "new" Christian, considering that I spent the first nineteen years of my life faking my way through religion. I have never read the entire Bible, I don't have many verses memorized, and I haven't lead anyone to Christ since I was in the second grade. It's clear that I don't have the experience or the expertise anywhere near what is required of

Wednesday marked the beginning of the 40-day Christian observation known as Lent, which is a season of the year that believers use to pursue their relationship with the Lord by fasting, praying, and intentionally pursuing the Creator. I was raised in the non-denominational contemporary church, so I have never truly been introduced to the practice of Lent. My parents have practiced it off and on, giving up meat or chocolate, but I have never genuinely participated until this year. I have generally shied away from practices of strict ritual, but I have come to realize just how valuable these practices can be. It is a beautiful thing when followers decide to deliberately pursue their Father in a very specific and intentional way, allowing the busyness and chaos of the world to fade from view and choosing to focusing solely on the King. Lent is a time for us to go beyond what is required and to love in a way that we haven't loved before. Most people generally give up red meat for L

It’s time to get dirty. Roll up your sleeves, pick up a shovel, and dig in. If you claim to be a follower of Christ, you better be living out your faith – on a daily basis. So many proclaimed “Christians” live out their entire lives without significantly impacting the lives of those around them. We were not called to live comfortably or casually. We are all called to very specific purposes, ones in which we are to fall in love with our Savior, ultimately compelling us to share the Love that He has so graciously given us to those around us. But how many of us actually do that? Don’t you realize what He has done for us? Don’t you claim to follow Jesus? He died for us. He gave up His very life to save our broken souls from what we deserved – an eternity separated from any semblance of hope. If you have grown up in America, you know full well the promises that this country so proudly offers – “The American Dream”. If you work hard, you will ultimately become wealthy and/or