Sexual Mythology

Lets be honest, there are 2 types of guys in the world. Those who have been honest about the fact they struggle or have struggled with lust and those who lie about it. Sorry playa’s, Im outing you. It is natural. To live in the fullness of life  you have to confront whatever your issues are, face them, and then move forward. It really can be that easy. But in being that easy, understand it is going to be extremely hard. This is one of the best weapons that the devil uses to discount and discredit men in life, relationships, and in our own minds.

Back into full blog swing and just finished Chapter 5 of “Going All The Way“. Here are my notes below.

•  At times everyone falls victim to being weak, vulnerable, gullible or just the rebellion of lust. 
• Sex without consequence does not exist. What is going to be the consequence of your action? And if you are married, usually the consequence is positive. 
• Culture has created a world where the dehumanization of people allows for people to feel the ability to have sex without intimacy. 
• To succeed in being faithful one must first learn to be faithful in their relationship with GOD. Faithfulness in this relationship builds the foundation for faithfulness in your marriage or dating relationships. 
• God forgives, so if you have made a mistake, pick up and start over. 
• If you want to have what few people do have in life, that it is going to require you to do what few people are willing to do to succeed. Your measuring stick is not others….
• It is paramount that you protect your wounds while God heals you. However, you can not conform your mind back to God’s standards, only He can. 

I believe that over the course of time I have lost the revelation of the true power of prayer. Prayer is one of the most important facets of our relationship with God. He cares so much about us and wants the best for our lives, but he also desires communication with us on a level that I just am not sure how many people really strive to achieve. I have failed in this area so much, and I am now working to get balance in this area. God is a God of order. He REALLY cares about order. He wants order in our lives. Order is really the premise of why we should protect our relationships pre and post marriage. 

In The Faders

I was reading a few months back that God spurs creativity in the faders. A lot of times, in those states where we are fading in and out of sleep, our creativity can actually be at a higher level. For me today has been one of those days. I have been awake since 4 a.m. (off and on). In the fading times since 4 a.m. I have had some big ideas and some crazy thoughts. I love these times. I strive to push myself to believe like a child that ANYTHING is possible. Think about it, as a kid you felt like anything could happen. With an old pillow case you could fly. Animals could talk. The shape of clouds had purpose. Your life had meaning and all your dreams where in vibrant color. Then you start to grow up. As you grow up you are told that certain things just can’t happen. BULL! I want to live a real life where imagination is the currency and hope is the mantra. Why can we not achieve all we dream about in the faders? For those of you who want to enhance your creativity, try this little exercise. Put a note pad, a journal, your blackberry, whatever…next to your bed or where you sleep. Pray God starts to speak to  you in the faders, then when he does, document what He is saying…you will have some amazing creative ideas! Let it flow.

Andy Zipf

I have had a great weekend hanging out with my good friend Andy Zipf. If you have not taken the time, please run over to THIS SITE and check out his music. When you visit, you will be able to download 6 amazing songs off of his site, FOR FREE! You see Andy is an artist. Andy keeps it real. Sure, he has an outstanding voice, and could write a song that would move your soul in his sleep, but it is the depth of spirit that is so enchanting. Andy won’t sell out. He is an ARTIST. He has an integrity to his music. Andy feels called to take his experience and relationship with God to people who are searching, people who are not willing to submit to a religious game. Andy loves God. Every time he sings, it is worship. From bars, to clubs, to pizza joints, to sitting in a circle with 2 other songwriters and like 4 “fans”, it does not change how Andy Zipf sings. Andy found his love in music. He could care less about record deals, radio play, and the motivations that move most wannabe artists. Andy makes music because it is who he is…at his core. Andy decided one day while working at a coffee house, I am done slinging java, it is time to do what I love.

You see, Andy decided it was time to do what he loves, it was time to start living the things God created and made his purpose. How often in life do we allow expectations, comfort, maybe even responsibility to keep us from stepping into the rhythm that God has created for us. Andy lives his life in the unforced rhythms of grace. He moves freely in a world that rarely allows for free living. God gave him a vision, and he choose to follow that vision. What is the vision for your life? Are you ready to be like Andy?

Here is “Body Broken” live. Enjoy

Balance

DONT LOSE YOUR BALANCE! easy to say, not so easy to do. We have so many roles that we play in life. I mean, just today, 1 minute i am attempting to be super dad, the next i am trying to be a good husband (even though i probably was a little to foul tonight), i was a marketing  director, a friend, a confidant, a counselor, and a trash man today. So in all of this, where do we find balance? Where do we find that zone where we are in rhythm doing what we want, what we are called to do, and what we need to do, all at the same time? I was talking with some friends this morning about blogging and life. Through our conversation, I was able to see how important what I was telling my friend really was for my own life. I have tried so hard to make adjustments to keep more balance. (at the same time, i did not leave my office to almost 6 tonight, which is NOT balance!) Balance takes organization, discipline, and a desire to prioritize. You only are going to have 1 life. Make sure you find your rhythm and live it in balance. 

3 things I learned today

This morning I was doing my devotions and reading some Velvet Elvis, I came up with these 3 thoughts. I do not know if they will mean anything to you, but the rocked my world. 

1. Make sure you do not let anything kill or waste either you today OR your tomorrow. I tend to be an emotional person. I can let some of my emotions wreck me on the inside. No longer.
2. I am loved just because I exist. God created me. Enough said.
3. A few weeks ago I dug up some stuff about myself. It made me vulnerable, weak, broken, and scared. At the same time I was the most alive! I have to figure out how to stay in that broken place. HIS presence lives in the broken place. The broken place is a place where HIS grace and mercy flows. 

I am not so sure this blog will be the biggest view ever, however, it is what i am right now. 

The Struggle

Im thinking today about all the things we should strive not to be or do but end up being and doing: 

• Selfish – this is the biggest. It underlies each of the other members of this list. how often are our motives consumed with our desire as opposed to the betterment of others? 
• Manipulative – we try to control situations for the betterment of our secret ambition.
• Arrogant – Untouchable, moving through life with thought I am better than others. 
• Pride – who i am is about my titles, belongings, desires, and not at all about my true identity in Christ. 
• Hurtful – a lack of compassion or sensitivity to the needs, feelings, hurts, and desires of others. 

Okay, that is all i got right now, more to come later.   

Mark 3 and peace

First some quick notes about Mark 3:

•  Vs. 1-3 Religious people are always looking for you you to break the rules and usually tend to be more consumed with the rules than with people actually being touched. is being a christ follower not about changing and impacting lives? that is way more important that a lot of these man made sins we have created that God does not even care about. NOW, sin is wrong so don’t do what HE says not to do…
• Jesus avoided public flattery from the “evil spirits.” “…he shut them up forbidding them to identify him in public.” This is how you start getting pride in your life.
• Jesus choose 12 people and did the following: 1. he spent time with them. (training, preparing, pouring into them) 2. he sent them out and gave them authority (it was not about holding them back because of what they could do for Him, he knew the importance of sending them OUT to achieve the ultimate goal)

I was also reading today about how when the women came to touch the hem of Jesus garment, she was looking for something to happen. Yes, she was healed but more importantly, she was sent out in peace. Jesus said “Shalom” a hebrew word that when actually translated means “to go in peace”. So many times in our life we feel peace is the absence of drama. For me, I LIVE for peace. I feel so often there is so little peace in my life. It is how I am wired. It is part of my struggle. when I was reading that real meaning of SHALOM is the “presence of the goodness of God. It is the presence of wholeness and completeness.” That rocks my sock. I need His presence EVERYWHERE I am, in all I go through. I need his wholeness and completeness. today…Shalom to my peeps. 

Creativity

I often get asked about creativity. Creativity is organic. You can not turn it off and on like a switch. It comes in waves. At times you feel SUPER creative. Other times, you feel like you can not ingest oxygen. Creativity rarely comes when you expect it and is seldom something you are able to quantify.

I was talking with my friend Jay last night and we where talking about how God has created everyone so amazingly different. If the world was full of “creative people” no one would EVER be on time, ever have order, systems, or function. it would be a fun, colorful abstract world, but everyone would die. On the flip if the world was full of “analytical people” there would be no color, no spur of the moment stuff, no music…life would be like the movie, “Stranger Than Fiction” before Harold Crick starts to experience life. you get the drift. So in talking about how awesome it is that God relates to all kinds of people and he can be analytical and creative all at the same time…amazing.  

then I saw this commercial and I started trippin. THIS IS EXACTLY how I feel. This is an amazing representation of how creativity works. Yes Gwen is dope. Yes Gwen is a hottie. Yes Gwen is way creative. NO i do not like HP, i am an apple guy, but props to HP for going out of the box and actually being….CRE8TIVE. With no further ado, here is a 30 second glimpse into Gwens mind, and mine.

You Are…

you’re in the notes

you’re in the sound

you’re in the air

you’re in the clouds

you’re in the words

you’re in the voice

your atmosphere is more than choice

you’re in a laugh

you’re in a tear

you’re in a thought

you’re in the fear

you’re in the eyes

you’re in the smile

you’re in the life

you’re in a child

you’re in the pain

you’re in the cure

your all around and always pure

you’re in the words

you’re in the wounds

you’re in the love

you’re in this room

you cant be seen, seldom felt

you’re over whelming all my doubt

you’re the drive

you’re the passion

you’re the purpose

you’re the action

you’re the grace

you’re the fire

you’re the source of this desire

you’re the justice that seems so lost

you’re the balance

you’re the cost

you’re the love that drives the life

you’re community

you are right

you’re the widow

you’re the orphan

you’re the lost

you’re the solution

you’re the hero

you’re the mercy

you’re the peace

you’re dwelling in eternity

you’re the question

you’re the answer

you’re the wonder

you’re the master

you’re the color

you’re the breeze

you’re the rustling in the trees

you’re the moment

you’re the wonder

you’re the feeling

you’re the splendor

you’re the architect

you’re the dream

you’re the model

you’re so much more than what you seem.

Emotion as a tenderizer

During this fast my emotions have been like a roller coaster. one minute happy, the next frustrated, the next angry, the next sad…what the heck? I am a dude, i should not be having menopause! last night, i used my blog time to start praying….i prayed for a long time. it was good. i felt some things lift. So this morning i was asking a very wise man some questions about these feelings. he said that a lot of times God uses  a fast to tenderize our hearts. what a concept. our hearts get hard. we allow things, issues, people to drive us into a heard place. God uses his time with us to make us tender. during the fast i have been praying that God would break my heart for the things that break his heart. i guess that literally he is breaking my heart. i love it. it sucks. all of this at the same time….how much more tender do we need to become? i want so much to not be the focus of my own prayer, to not have it all be about me. I want it to be all about Him. He takes care of me. I need not be concerned with what HE can do for me, but rather what he wants to do WITH me. See I was not called to be blessed. I was not called to receive. Those things all will happen. I was called to be alive and make God come alive in others. I was called to be the hands and feet. this journey is  starting to take some very interesting turns. what are your prayers focused on, you or HIM?