Finding God

It’s a busy fall afternoon in downtown Denver. Businessmen, tourists, and some of the city’s homeless peruse the city’s pedestrian mall, enjoying the warm Colorado weather. I sit inside the Tremont and 16 th Starbucks, sipping on a sweetened iced coffee, reflecting on my fairly mellow, yet eye-opening weekend. People-watching is one of my favorite pastimes, and the large, floor-to-ceiling windows that wrap around the perimeter of the popular coffee shop chain allow for prime viewing. I find it interesting that there are so many different types of people, yet all of them are alike in so many ways. Every person shares the trait of being human, which means we all struggle with loneliness, rejection, anger, self-confidence, hopelessness, self-worth, and purpose. And every now and then, some of us stumble upon the invaluable sense of pure joy. As I watch the well-dressed and confident businessmen and women make their way along the streets of Denver’s central business district, I w...

Afternoon rush hour is my favorite time of day if I’m on my bike. It was 4:15 and I had just locked up at work. My black Ivan Chrome bag held my laptop; a water bottle; a cycling travel kit complete with a CO 2 pump, multi-tool, and patch kit; a Kryptonite cable lock; and my wallet and cell phone. It’s the cargo that I carry every day to and from work. The heavy duty straps and thick padding allowed me to forget about the weight of my cargo as I snapped the aluminum frame of my Specialized Allez road bike back and forth underneath me during quick sprints through the city. I rode south on Larimer St., enjoying the sights and sounds of the city on a Friday afternoon. The roads were packed like any other weekday after work, and I loved it. I took a quick glance over my left shoulder before darting across three lanes of moving traffic to the far left side of Larimer. I’ve always loved the rush of riding through traffic. I rode with 2,000 pounds of moving steel on either side of me ...

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...

As a follower of Christ, it is easy for me to fall into a routine – going to work, going to class, going to my other job, going to sleep, and initiating the same cycle every morning, five days a week. While I may include a few Biblical or “Christian” activities in my schedule – such as volunteering at a homeless shelter, leading a youth group, or reading my Bible – these actions are only as good as the amount of prayer and preparation that I’ve put into them. Put more simply – living as a true follower of Christ requires intentionality, and I am not intentional. When I work at the downtown homeless shelter, I may be serving the homeless and working poor in a physical way by giving them a hot meal, but I am not serving them spiritually. I can’t think of a time in which I’ve actually prayed before I’ve made my commute to the alley in the city. I haven’t prepared my heart to see the work that God has already started in so many of these peoples’ lives, and I haven’t allowed God to use...

**This blog is saturated with scripture. I chose not to quote directly because I want to encourage you to dig deep into the Word. Read this with a Bible next to you. Read the verses and challenge yourself to think differently. Be honest with yourself; live it out. Love God // Love People. *       *       *       *      *       *       *       *      * “Welcome to church, where we sing songs and don’t mean it, say that we serve and love others but never do it, read the Bible but don’t apply it, pray for the Holy Spirit but ignore it, and stay cooped up and happy in our little church building so we don’t have to share our faith or confront the reality of this world.” The pastor flashes a million-dollar smile in his thousand-dollar suit as members of the congregation beam back their own smile...