Sunday sickness

Well it seems sickness has settled in. I know a lot of people sometimes wonder about sickness, death, and other terrible things that happen to people. Some people blame God, some people blame themselves and some people blame Swine Flu. And while it is easy to just pass around blame in its essence sickness, cancer, mental illness, death; they are all products of sin entering the world. When Adam the first man on earth had sinned God had cursed the planet and the life upon it saying "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat of the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." (Gen. 3:17-19) So that pretty much stunk for us because we are now born into a world full of sin and death. Sin is rebellion towards God, but it was a choice of man, not something that God imposed. The only thing God imposed was a free will. If you asked most people today if free will is a bad thing, hopefully most people would say no. God made us so that we could think about why he allows evil in the world. Of course then you would have to check yourself saying, wait haven't I done my share of evil in the world. Maybe not through any visible actions, but you would have to be pretty self-righteous not to admit that you have had one lustful thought, or hatred towards another, or even thoughts of jealousy for power or prestige. A lot of Christians I know also struggle with the whole idea of how to pray against it. Some just say let your will be done for you know all things and they completely trust in God. That is great and we are supposed to have reverence for God's will. But what if God's will is that you plead with him and ask for miraculous healing. What if God calls us into a relationship with him where we can ask and in confidence in his faithfulness receive like no other child has ever received. God does not call us to blindly follow Him, we need faith that he is real and will fulfill his promises. I know I still need to world on this too, but we can't be afraid to ask of God. If it was not for God's people interceding and bringing requests before God. Israel would have been destroyed long before they would have reached Canaan, Ninevah would have been destroyed if it was not for their humility and penitence, If Daniel had not prayed for Israel's return to Jerusalem maybe they would have never had freedom from their exile until a later time. God is faithful to fulfill his promises and he has sustained me in times when I thought I had screwed up everything. God uses times of strife to move his people into prayer and do great things and fulfill the prophecies of old. "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Rev. 21:3-5) My sickness doesn't seem so bad anymore.

Back in LA

I have spent the last year or so in Georgia going to school at Georgia Tech. I got involved with a lot of great groups and people out there. It has been interesting to finally come back to LA where I have gotten my first job at AMC. Living with my parents again has been a big change from being completely independent, 2500 miles away from my parents. I still have been doing my best to keep myself spiritually disciplined, although as far as sleeping patterns go I have been staying up way too late and sleeping in. Hopefully that will change as the Summer moves along. It has been great seeing all my friends, but sometimes I wonder if I will ever see them again. I actually wasn't even planning to come back here for such a long time. Originally I had planned on getting a Co-op position in Georgia or South Carolina, but those plans fell through no thanks to the economy. I do miss my friends both here in the west and in the east. Thankfully technology allows us to stay connected. About 11 months ago I started talking with an old friend, initially it was just me asking what her plans were for summer and eventually for college. As time went on we became great pen pals until today we are great friends and my two best friends and I went up to visit her and her family with them on a road trip. They live about 5 hours or so away. It was so weird to be around someone that you technically know but at the same time do not know at all. The only way we have ever been there for one another is through prayer and long distance communication whenever times were tough for either of us. Even though I feel like I have known her my entire life, we seem a lifetime apart. It is interesting to think that we were probably the first friends that we ever knew and know we are the newest friend in each other's life. It will be interesting trying to fill in those gaps, but I just don't know what God has planned. Proverbs 3 promises that God will make straight the paths of those who acknowledge God in all their ways and trust in Him. Those have been words to live by when I am surrounded by the challenges and pressures of becoming the best man I can be for my wife, my family, my ministry, my future. I honestly am just taking a step at a time, because to plan any further ahead just seems to be putting my trust in the things of this world which I know to be fallible more times than not. I don;t know what the perfect timing is, or what would have happened had things been different, all I know is what opportunities I have right now. I plan to follow and nothing more, God be my light and refuge and save me from the confusion.