The Call of Christ

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
-Deuteronomy 6:4-6

We are commanded to love God absolutely and completely. How can we claim to love him when we don't spend time in his word, studying his law, and we live in the duality of our will and His? We hold on so tightly to our control over our lives, and miss out on the bountiful grace and provision of God. Francois Fenelon said

Those who are wholly God's are always happy. They know by experience that the yoke of the Lord is "easy and light".

God demands faithful love:

You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?
-James4:4-5

Francis Chan talks about how when you first fall in love and feel the infatuation that seems to know no satisfaction, it doesn't really make your life better but simply consume your mind, making all else seem trivial. You are so enraptured with that person that the financial difficulty you face, the drama in your family, or the situation you're faced with at school or work, seems far less important than it did before. Our situations do not change, but our perspective does. (living a life that matters: living sacrificially part 2)
God is calling us to fall in love with him, and to live in the realization that our situations are fleeting and insignificant in light of his eternal grace and sovereignty.

1Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. 2As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. 5But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.
-1 Peter4:1-6

Our life on earth is marked to be different. Like Peter challenges the church with this, "they think it strange that you do not plunge in with them". Does my life show this to the people I encounter? Does yours? Does the love of God flow out of us?

Stepping forward in Faith

I've started a new job! I am now the director of worship/arts in student ministries at Faith Church. It's exciting to think that I get paid to play the guitar and hang out with rockin high school and jr. high kids. I look forward to getting more deeply involved there with the College age ministry, and small groups. Hooray for community!

What in the world?

If you asked me; "Jason, what have you learned in life?" After talking incessantly for minutes on end about music, self-reflection, nature, people, movies, relationships, and who knows what.. I'd come to the point. So that's what I'll do here today.
I've learned that God provides, and he does so in amazing and unexpected ways.
After all the prayer, thought, encouragement, guidance, and doubt involved in leaving the Hill, coming home was really hard. Knowing that I wasn't in control of my future (and realizing i didn't want to be), I didn't have any direction, didn't have a job, and didn't have a lot of money :) God has provided over and over in different ways, encouragement from friends, random monetary donations, out of nowhere side jobs, and most recently...
Through a crazy random connection, I've had two interviews at a crazy awesome church that's in the area, and it's been really sweet to find a place that wants someone with my random background, gifts, abilities, and passions! So even if this doesn't lead to a job, career, lifestyle.. whatever. It's been really great to have some encouragement that God has made me who I am for a reason, and that i am somewhat marketable with experience and no degree!

So thanks for caring! Thanks for praying. Thanks for believing in me. Know that I'm still here, still chasing dreams of being an awesome man of God, fulfilling his purpose for me wherever it might be.

I believe in the kingdom come, when all the colors will bleed into one

Still on the hunt. Unemployment is strangely satisfying, while at the same time incredibly frustrating.

Dear God,
You are a tricky dude. I trust you, and you ask me to trust you further. I go further, timidly stepping forward, nervous every week that passes, and you provide.... encouragement. Not answers, but a strong "hang in there kid". I enjoy your character.
Love,
Jason


I'm still here (and of course by here I mean 7125 McCook. My mom's house). Watching the world i grew up in change, my parents finalize paperwork, and Dad packs boxes to disappear. I'm challenged, and in the face of most of these challenges, i freeze. I don't know how to respond, what to say, when to say something, when to DO something. I'm just kind of here, trying to be happy and nice to everyone and there when they need me.