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This isn't about bashing the President, more about looking at the reality of the situation here.  I don't know Obama, and I'm pretty sure there are only a handful of people in this entire world that seems to either despise him or worship him that actually do.  I'm sure that Obama is just a man.  I'm also sure that as Presidents go, He's a terribly young man.  His career thus far has been short, with little to actually bookmark as noteworthy.  He became president, that's true.  Why did he get to be President?  Maybe because he was marketed as progressive, heck he certainly looked progressive.  He's black after all, we haven't had a black president so it must be new, it must be change, it must be progressive and it MUST be better than what we had.  In all truth, Obama seems to be more like just another politician.  He has his agenda, largely democratic.  His agenda alienates and divides just like every other president for the last several decades (I've only been alive for two, but it seems that's the way it's been ever since I've been around).

Anyway, Obama is awarded the Nobel peace prize for....  I don't know, has He done anything noteworthy?  America hasn't burst into flames, I guess that's a plus.  That wasn't happening before either.  It seems that much has changed and I doubt anything will to be honest.  Change is hard, change is work and work doesn't seem to be what our government is about these days.  They want to coddle everyone.  To be honest though, the Muslim world still seems largely against us, at least the vocal, radical militant side of the muslim world.  We're still at war in two countries, the economy is improving like it was going to do anyway, I'm not convinced that it's been fixed.  Just bandaged to slow the hemorrhaging.  Iran and North Korea still want nukes, Venezuela is still trying everything they can to piss us off.  Our National debt and our spending is completely out of control, Social security and medicare will bankrupt us within the next 10 years.   And the world as a whole really hasn't changed positions on how they feel about America.

Mother Teresa was a true humanitarian with a lifelong career in the field.  Obama just seems to be popular.

He's our president, I support him, I don't think he's going to turn us into a socialist nation, at least not over night and I don't believe he's the antichrist.  Too many people hate him for that to be true.

I just hope that he looses his agenda and starts to truly act in the best interest of the Country whether or not it is popular.

On July 25th I made my 4th summit trip up Mt. St. Helens.  It's a little over 8,000 feet above sea level, and the distance from the trail head to the summit is about 4 miles.  Despite the short distance traveled, the terrain and the elevation gain are enough to kick just about anybody's butt.  I made it up in 4 hours, with my brother, Trevor, about 30 minutes behind me.  The rest of the party I had gone with made it up by noon, close to 7 hours from the time they left.  It's a fun hike with plenty of diversity in terrain and some spectacular views on a clear day.  It's one of my favorites, but I really want to climb a mountain that takes me up above the 10,000 feet mark.

Of things you want to spill out and nobody's around, you probably shouldn't have a blog.  Keeping that in mind I'm trying hard to restrict what I spill all over this page.

I'm all in a tizzy because of these feelings that are boiling inside of me.  "only a fool gives full vent to his emotions..." I don't want to be that fool.  But everything that I'm experiencing I've experienced before, so I pray like I prayed before, and I speak by faith that God has got a plan that I trust in Him...  Even though I don't really trust, otherwise I would have some peace in this moment.  But I do trust, because I haven't gone and blown my lid.  I'm in the uncomfortable middle ground that is a form of torment that can only be relieved by time, patience and trust.

Lord, I long for Your word to be spoken over my life, shine a light and show me the way through this.  Though I have desires in my heart, I will wait for Your will to be done.

Ask our President, he does seem to know.  It's good to know were he stands on the important subjects.  It's weird that with all the press time he has that there would even be an MSN article asking where the stimulus money went.  Next stop, a trillion more dollars for health care.  I bet it'll fix the broken system....or maybe the money hemorrhage like a gun shot victim in a full southern LA Emergency Room, very similar to what happened to the "stimulus package".  Meanwhile we cow-tow to an Iranian "democracy" that's falling apart and killing as many of it's own people that would dare question the results of an election and moral compass of it's leaders.  North Korea's riding high, sad thing is China will probably act before we do.

God, I pray a blessing of wisdom, boldness, humility and conviction over the leaders of my nation.  Lord, I love them and all I want is that they should act selflessly and do what is truly the best thing for our nation.  Not sacrificing our future for the sake of a trend or current plight, but rather managing the troubles of today, setting our children up for peace and prosperity.  Not debts, burdens and a crippled government.

God bless Obama, just not his agenda.

If you have the gift of prophecy, please inquire for a word from God for my life today. Send me a message or an email and avoid commenting on this blog page.

I'm asking God what His desire is, mine concerning a certain matter is clearly defined, and while I could ask Him for it and He would deliver, well, I'd rather have His will be done.

I'm so stoked for this game release.  Caution though, it's on the gorey side of games, and if blood and or violence related to zombies offends, don't watch it.

Saw this article on MSN.com tonight.  Read at least the first two pages, rather insightful look into the management and cause of our "meltdown" and "bailout".

Pay close attention to Names

From Mike Bull's Twitter:

Yeah, they did this.

Here is my sermon from sunday's  youth service, thought I would share with all of the bloggoshpere:

JFK

•    John 15:13, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
•    Matthew 20:25-28, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.  But among you it will be different.  Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

I want to Thank Pastor Travis for allowing me the grace and the honor to be here this morning, bringing the message.  He’s asked me to share about a principle that has brought success in my own life and the subject I’m speaking on this morning is actually the first thing that came to my mind.

The title of my message this morning is JFK.  JFK in case you fell asleep in history class stands for John F. Kennedy, one of the United States most talked about Presidents.  Now I don’t agree with everything that John Kennedy said or did but during his famous inaugural address he said something that was very important and amazingly profound.  He said, “…Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”  This message came in the midst of a political and social climate kind of similar to now where there are a lot of people out there it seems that just want somebody to come along and make it all better.  They want to be served.  They don’t want to deal with their own issues and problems, they feel that it’s the country’s job to come wipe their nose and fill their bellies.  And when I remember JFK’s words, they serve as a reminder of what our country is founded on.  It’s not about what we can get from it, but what we give.

It’s similar to the church.  When you first come to church, you are there to get served, but when you get saved, to continue to grow into the man or woman of God that you have been called to be, you must transition into a servant.  We aren’t called to be receivers, but rather we are called to be givers. 

The biggest key to success in my own life has been being a servant, and if you look at the most successful people in the world I will guarantee that they got there by being a faithful steward.  People who seek to be served, those who look for the world to hand them success on a silver platter never get it.  Christians, who get saved and come to church once or twice a week, sit down in their chairs and wait for the preacher to come and serve them never grow into mature and mighty men or women of God.

I’ve been in the church my entire life.  I grew up with Pastor Travis and his brother.  I remember the summer that Pastor Travis blew his eyebrows off, which is one of his favorite stories to tell because it involves lots of fire, I wasn’t there praise Jesus, but I remember when it happened.  I spent years in this very youth ministry receiving the wisdom that was brought forth on a weekly basis.  I went on many a retreat and enjoyed the fun and games.  I was encouraged by more than a dozen different leaders.  But I never progressed in my personal walk with God until I graduated and submitted myself to the church as an Intern.  I made the choice to take a year in between high school and college to serve the church that had poured out for me constantly.  It was during that time that I learned about being a servant, and all the benefits that came with it.  I was forced to humble myself.  The first task I received was to pick up a towel and go clean a bathroom.  Now I had this preconceived idea that I was going to be learning about the bible and ministering to people and when I was handed a towel and a can of Lysol I got really confused.   I constantly wondered, “What have I committed myself to?”

It was at that point that a man in the church that I praise God for explained to all of us interns that someone who is unsaved would look for any excuse not to come back to Church.  Be it that someone didn’t talk to them, or the bathroom was dirty or the windows hadn’t been cleaned or they couldn’t get a good parking space.  I didn’t like it, but carrying that towel was ministry.  It wasn’t glamorous, it wasn’t prestigious and the title wasn’t anything to be proud of but I submitted myself to do it anyway.

Day after day, week after week, if I wasn’t moving some bulky, heavy piece of furniture or equipment, I had a towel, broom or vacuum in my hand.  There were times that I wanted to drop it and run.  I’ve seen messes that would make Mr. Clean cry like a baby in need of a diaper change.  At times, I walked into a bathroom after a service and swore we had come under a terrorist attack.  Biological warfare had been used!  I put more miles on a vacuum cleaner than I did my car that year and the thing picked up enough dust and dirt to make the Sahara desert look like a sand box.  The front doors of the church never stayed clean, I swear there were enough greasy handprints on there to fill a bottle of olive oil.  But when I really grabbed a hold of the concept of being a servant of God, it all started to make sense.

There’s a rather important person in the bible that also wielded a towel in His ministry, you can read about Him in John 13 starting in verse 4.  You might have heard about this guy, His name is Jesus.  He’s kind of a big deal, Son of God, our Savior, walked on water, turned water to wine, fed thousands of people, healed the sick, died for our sins, yeah, that guy.  But at this point in His ministry, it’s coming up on Passover, which is a huge deal for the Jewish culture.  He’s sent some of His disciples ahead to go find a place for them to have the Passover meal.  The disciples had found this room just as Jesus had told them, and one by one they had gathered and were waiting for Jesus to arrive.  Now back then they didn’t have most of the modern day conveniences that we have now, such as pavement, sidewalks and sewers.  They didn’t have cars they had donkeys and donkeys don’t drip oil, the dump…stuff.  So add that to all of the other stuff that would normally go in a sewer or storm drain to the mud that is the streets where everyone travels.  That there, my friends, is a recipe for disgusting.  Oh, and they didn’t have shoes or boots, they had sandals… Yeah, sandals.

So Jesus arrives, and sees that no one has washed there feet.  They all waited for someone to serve them, a slave or a hired servant.  But Jesus walked over to the washbasin, took off his shirt, picked up a towel and began to clean all the crud off of His disciples’ feet.  When He gets to Peter, Peter argues with Him but Jesus tells Him No.  Jesus tells Peter, “I am giving you an example to follow, slaves aren’t greater than their master and the messenger is not greater than the one who sends the message.”  Yet I am doing this thing for you so that you will do the same for those I am sending you to.

So even the Messiah did not come to be served but to serve, even with a towel.  How much more should we be submitted to one another, those who are our equals or even those lesser than us?  Who was I to turn up my nose at the thought of ministering with a towel?  My Lord and my Savior had done it for the saints that came before me, why should I not serve those who don’t yet know Him?

When I finally caught hold of this principle, I discovered the fulfillment that it brought.  As I grew in humility and as I rejected the attitude that would say, “I’m to good for this,” or the false humility that would say, “I’m not good enough to do this,” I was given more important and more impact full duties in my serving.  After a while I learned to love serving with a towel, and even today as I hold this microphone, it’s an act of servitude.  When Pastor Travis asked me to bring a message on a key to success in my life my gut instinct was to say no.  I am not a speaker.  I wasn’t gifted with the enthusiasm that some are to stand on stage and use a microphone to project my voice to the masses.  This totally freaks me out every time I do it!  But I trust the man of God in my life when he says that I have a message to share, and the boldness and wisdom necessary to stand here and proclaim the word of God over your lives.  When Pastor Travis asks me to serve this ministry, I do what I can to serve it, even if it’s something I would just as soon not do.

And it’s this principle that I took away from the Quarry internship program that has been the key to success in my life in every job I’ve had, every relationship, every opportunity, it all stems from submitting myself to be a servant.  It’s a key that I wished I had learned at a much younger age, one that would have done me well to learn when I was in Junior and Senior High School.  I want to encourage you this morning young person to serve.  I want you to serve your Mom and Dad, your siblings, your friends, your teachers, and your boss when you get a job and most importantly, serve your church.  If you’ve been here a while and you know that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior you NEED to get involved.  There is place for you to serve in this church.  We need you to grow as a man or woman of God so that we can grow this Church and we need you to “Do work”.  There’s dirt that needs to be swept, people that need to be greeted, children that need a leader, babies that need burpin’, tech gadgetry that needs to be operated and there are positions and back up positions in every area of the church.  Just as importantly, there are youth in your schools that need an invite and a ride to service and Grid Friday nights.

I knew kids in my high school that grew up Christians, and every single one of them that didn’t grab hold of the principle of serving stopped going to church altogether after they graduated.  Don’t let that be you, young person, I implore you to get involved.