This stuff doesn't discriminate!

Once you feel like you have seen it all, something new comes along and shakes it up even more.  My father lost a bout with cancer in his early fifties, his most recent physical at that time checked out healthy. Then the next thing you know he's fighting for his life taking chemotherapy.  Within the last couple of weeks I learned of a good friend who is only a sophomore in college who was diagnosed with a form of cancer.  Whether you are young, healthy, or both, you just never know.  Fortunately this man is fighting it head on and this situation is actually deepening his faith, you can learn more about his situation on his blog A Whittle Time.

Despite sharing these incidents, I'm really not trying to be depressing here.  The fact of the matter is that there are some things that are in our control and some things that aren't.  My brother helped me with this perspective, encouraging me to not worry about becoming ill given what family medical history I'm aware of.  Within my own life I'd love to be able to control more things, it'd make it a lot easier at times.  The bottom line is that it is wise to do the best with what we have right now and make the best decisions with the information we have on hand at the time.  There is a place for looking forward to the future and entertaining the occasional hypothetical, but when it leads to worry this is where we should draw the line.  This isn't just my opinion...

Matthew 6:24, 34 - Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?...Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

For those of you tired of seeing hip hop on here, I do like other kinds of music! Jack Johnson, oh yea! "Staple it Together"is a really good song, the lyrics are quality. Here is a live version of it!

Conflict can be awesome!

Some people shy away from it, others embrace it, and all are effected by it, I'm talking about conflict.  I do not have a screw loose.  I am not on some weird philosophical kick.  When I say conflict can be awesome, there is a reason why.  Think about any story, is it not true that the more drastic the conflict is the more epic the climax and ending become?  Say I bust my butt on a patch of ice and am sore the next day, but somehow I find a way to gut it out and make it through...no one on this planet would pay money to see that movie.  Compare that to any Bourne movie, where Matt Damon has to overcome an identity crisis while also flee the feds constantly and it is no contest.

The late John Wooden said something to the extent of sport not developing character but revealing it.  This happens because as an athlete conflict is inevitable because at the very least there is always an opposing team suiting up to take you down.  Tests, trials, and various conflicts are actually necessary for a person to grow.  Muscles do not grow without facing some serious resistance, instead they actually weaken over time if they are not challenged.  This is true for many parts of life.  The fact remains that a person has to learn to handle conflict in order to be the best it can be.  

Check out what Paul says here in Romans 5:

     Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

     We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

This track is part of a whole album that's perfect to get some work in at the gym! K-Drama's, "Get Your Weight Up" really speaks to overcoming struggles to get to where you want to be...Peace!

Are you Perpin'?

Perpin' - The act of bragging and or lying in conversations about things that one posesses to impress people, a person who is usually perpin, has nothing but a wide imagination and a desire to fit into the "in crowd". (Urban Dictionary)


How many times do we see it? Somebody talks about something they believe in and then proceeds to do something that makes you sit there and think, "wow, yet another person that is full of it."  How many times do we hear it? We all have at least heard about if not experienced the go-to phrase by some parents, "Do as I say, not as I do."  Clearly, there is some serious space between what people genuinely want to be and what ends up actually happening in their lives.  Why is this so? Well that is one deep question.  No one-liner answer comes to mind, but life is rarely that simple. 

One thing that helped me at least chip away at this was seeing how strongly we believe something be put on one of three levels.

1. Public convictions - This includes what you want everyone else to think you believe and how you want them to see you.  Basically this is your reputation and how you handle it, some care more than others, just look at how different people manage their Facebook profile. 
2. Private convictions - These go a little deeper in the sense that these are the values that you really want to live out.  In an honest heart to heart with a best friend, you'd still tell them, "Yes I really believe in ____."
3. Core convictions - This is the real deal, these beliefs are called "core" because they are so deeply rooted in you that they show up in your actions.  There is no slick talking with core convictions, they are either there or they aren't. (For more check this book by John Ortberg)

You may be asking, "Who cares what level the different beliefs we have go under?" Well, WE need to. Taking a look at our actions and seeing what is showing up in how we live can be a good thing, whether it ends up being an encouragement or a wake-up call.  No one is perfect, bottom line.  There are Atheists that are "practically Christian" judging by their actions just like there are Christians who are "practically atheists" because no one could tell one way or the other, I've been there at times. 

I'll end with a little would you rather...Would you rather hear someone TALK about how they have a heart for God and others or see them DOING something that would tell you that without them saying a word?  Let's keep the Perpin' to a minimum! Peace!

(Comments welcomed)