On most weekday mornings, before I go to work, I head into the local Carl's Jr. for a breakfast burrito and a coffee. I order my meal, fill up my cup, sit down, pray with my eyes closed and head bowed, and then open my Bible to whatever page the Spirit leads me. Today I read a few stories about Jesus including one where he encounters a man who had been crippled for several decades (John 5:1-15). When Jesus asks the man if he wants to be healed, the man's reply is something like "Of course, but I don't have anyone to help me. Everyone else is always getting healed." Jesus heals the guy and tells him to get up and walk and carry his mat. Then Jesus disappears. It turns out that the healing took place on The Sabbath, a day on which no work was supposed to be done, including healing or the carrying of one's mat. When the self-righteous religious leaders notice that the long-time crippled man is carrying his mat they become indignant and question him about it. He immediately shifts the blame to the man who had healed him. "He said to me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.'" But when they ask who the mysterious healing lawbreaker is, the man doesn't know. A little while later, Jesus reappears and tells the man "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." As soon as Jesus leaves him again, the man runs off (on his newly healed legs) and rats Jesus out to the religious leaders.

The healed man in this story screams out to me, "Victim! Victim! I am the victim! My debilitating circumstances are completely outside my control and therefore I do not have to take any responsibility for anything. You -all of you- owe me." The Bible's account of the story pretty much ends off where my version ends off so we don't know what happens to the man later, but the end of the story as made available to us shows that the man was not only ungrateful for what Jesus had done but perhaps even resentful. He didn't want to be healed! He was content to wallow in self-pity and to shift blame when possible. He had probably spent the last several decades perfecting the art. Now he would have to do something with his life. All of his blame-shifting tricks would no longer work. At worst, he would have to come up with new tricks. At best, he would have to learn an actual trade.

[ Read more / Comment ]

It's been a month now since I posted Part 1 and Part 2 of this blog. In case you didn't read those entries or can't remember, here is a recap: Approximately two months ago, I made a decision to get rid of 70% to 90% of my possessions. In part two, I posted photos of the "To Give Away", "To Keep", and "To Sort" piles. I also mentioned that I had my cell phone temporarily turned off so that I could fast from my "Everything" plan.

Now that you are caught up, here is the latest.

As indicated previously, I kept my phone off for only one week, but I downgraded my plan to just allow for a limited number of calling minutes and text messages. I no longer have a data plan which means no more Facebook, GPS, email, Dodger games, etc. on my phone. I am still having withdrawals but it is definitely for the better. My kids certainly have benefited from it. During a trip to a theme park when I still had the "Everything" plan, I was checking the status of the Dodger game every 10 minutes! It was difficult for me to make the right decision but it proved even more difficult to act it out. My cell phone service provider does not allow people with fancy phones like mine to downgrade their plans online. They expect us to use the data plans. So, I had to call them. That didn't work out so well either because they kept having "computer problems". My call even got mysteriously disconnected once before they were able to downgrade me! In any case, it's all done now.

Regarding the three piles, the "To Sort" pile is long gone. I now have a "To Keep" pile that is two to three boxes bigger than before, and there are only a handful of items in the "To Give Away" pile that I still need to give away. Most of the boxes went to the Salvation Army, but several bigger items went to even better use. A friend of mine needed a computer so she got my old Mac. Even better than that, though, is that the same week that I sorted most of this stuff out, a homeless couple I know acquired a new home and needed to fill it. Having been homeless for several years, they had almost nothing. Now they have my old TV stand, one of my desks, some of my old DVDs and books, a lot of my kitchenware, and lots of other things! A friend of mine helped me deliver my stuff plus some of her own things that she no longer needed. I must say that there aren't many joys greater than the one you experience when you show up with a truck full of goodies in the middle of the projects in Watts. We felt a bit like Saint Nicholas or something!

Before writing this blog entry, I dropped all of the remaining "Give Away" boxes at the Goodwill. Before I loaded them into my car, I double checked them. Although I don't think it to be completely horrible, I am at little dismayed that I pulled some things back out of these boxes so that I can keep them. I have been wrestling with this question, "For me and my possessions, who owns who?"


Be sure to read Part 1 and Part 2 of this Blog too.
[ Read more / Comment ]

"Community" is a trendy Christian buzz word right now. Luckily, this - and other hot topics like social justice - are great trends in my mind, because it feels like we're getting more serious about actually reading what the bible commands and then looking at ourselves and our churches to see how well we're obeying. Just so long as we don't get so caught up in the ideas that we forget the bigger purpose behind them of making Christ known.

I think community has become a relevant topic to me because I see more and more how important it is - and how amazing it can be. Especially for an introvert who is not inclined towards living life in community. But what I'm referring to is not just small groups from church, or hanging out over coffee or a meal with friends - specifically I mean the type of community that is on mission together. The kind that exists when you all share a similar mindset, passion, purpose and calling. When that community spurs one another onto good deeds and lifts each other up when the vision and passion get lost in weariness or frustration.

[ Read more / Comment ]

We often have large fires during the summer here in southern California. They last for days -even weeks and months-, burn hundreds of thousands of acres of land, destroy hundreds of homes and other buildings, and even take a few lives. Every time such fires occur, large call centers are set up so that local residents can call and talk to people who know how to properly cope with the fire (both during and after the fire). Often times, the calls are along the lines of "I am at work but my home is on such and such street. Is the fire anywhere near there?" Other times, a caller might ask, "I can see the fire from my kitchen window. What should I do now?" During a recent wild fire, a friend of mine was working in one of these call centers as an operator when she received a phone call that went something like what I have detailed below.

Caller: Hello, I am at my house right now, and I was wondering if I should leave or not.

Operator: Are you somewhere near the fire?

Caller: Yes, I think so.

Operator: Can you see the fire from your home?

Caller: Yes.

Operator: How close do you think the fire is to your home?

Caller: It appears to be a couple of streets away. I can see some of the other houses burning.

Operator: That sounds very close. Fires can move very quickly. You should evacuate immediately. You probably don't have time to pack anything up. Just grab whatever is most valuable to you and is easy to carry and get out now.

Caller: Hmm... I have a lot of valuable things. Too many to carry. ...but you know what. I don't think I really need to worry about the fire. Are you sure I should leave?

Operator: Yes ma'am. You are in danger and you should leave now.

Caller: [Pause] I dunno. I would be leaving all this stuff behind. I don't think I am in any real danger. I think I should stay. Do you really think I should leave?

Operator: Yes ma'am. Please forget about your possessions and get out now. Your life is in danger.

Caller: [Pause] I dunno. I think I should stay here.

Operator: No one can make you leave. That is your decision, but you should leave. Now!

The call ended with the caller still in the house. I have no idea what happened after that. Perhaps she came to her senses and left in time, or perhaps she didn't! What would cause a person to disregard their safety, their well-being, and even their life in the way that this lady did? I have some answers, but before I get to them, here is another story of sorts.


[ Read more / Comment ]

The following is a true and very sad story about a young man who was thrust into a bad situation without his consent but is now quickly approaching death through his own choices and actions.
This last Friday night, I was at one of my favorite places to be, the streets of Hollywood. The beginning of my night was spent introducing roughly 20 first-timers to our street ministry. After prayer as a large group, we separated into groups of twos and threes and headed out onto the sidewalks to strike up conversations with addicts, prostitutes, security guards, merchants, and the like. This Friday, I was grouped with a man and his young daughter. Since there were a lot of first-timers out that night and because my two partners were a bit shy, I spent a lot of time just showing them around. We also spent a lot of time in prayer. We prayed for the men going in and out of the adult book store, the security guards, police officers, and more.

The three of us were praying in the 7-11 parking lot when one of the first-timers came up to me to ask what our options were for helping get people off the street. If he meant what I thought he meant, then it was all that more important to continue the praying so I asked my two partners to continue praying while I went just a few feet away to meet the person who wanted to get off the street.


[ Read more / Comment ]

When this story left off, three corrupt animals were overseeing the rationing of wealth and responsibilities of the animals of Eidolon.

In time, the animals once again saw that things just weren't working out the way they had hoped and so they gathered together for yet another discussion. This time, an eagle came forward to present his plan. Instead of just proposing a leadership style, he also proposed a new kind of system. The system would be based on a series of "checks and balances". He proposed having several groups of leaders, instead of just one or three, who looked after each other and the forest. Unlike before, these leaders would be given very minimal power over the other animals. This meant that the animals would need some additional means by which to regulate themselves. For this, he proposed an emphasis on the acquisition of wealth. He claimed that the failure of the other ways was that there had not been enough motivation for the animals to work hard. By allowing all animals the freedom to work as much or as little as they wanted and by allowing them to keep whatever wealth they acquired for themselves, all animals would have equal opportunity. The leaders would only be needed to ensure that no animals were cheating, stealing, or in some other way harming the other animals. Most of the animals thought that the eagle's ideas were brilliant so they declared the new ideas as law and quickly put them into action.

The eagle's plan did work and very well. Initially, the number of leaders was very small and their duties were minimal. As animals started having more and more problems, though, the leaders had to lead more and more. For instance, some animals tried to take land away from other animals. Since there was no way to determine which land was the property of which animal, the leaders couldn't help. So, they created a new group of animals dedicated to defining and enforcing property lines. There was a lot of land to keep track of so this group of animals wasn't left with any time to gather their own food and take care of their own needs. It was therefore decided that they would need a property tax. A property tax meant that any animal that owned property had to pay these animals a small amount of money based on how much land they owned. Also, as more and more animals traveled, more and more roads were needed. Since there was no one in charge of the roads, they were often confusing and difficult to travel on. It was decided that another group would be created to manage the roads. Like with the land management group, a new tax would be needed to pay these new leaders. Any animal with a wheelbarrow, cart, or other vehicle would need to pay a transportation tax.

[ Read more / Comment ]

In the beginning, the Maker created an enormous forest and He called it Eidolon. He created the trees and bushes, the streams and rivers, and the hills and the valleys. He populated Eidolon with many kinds of animals: birds, foxes, bears, rabbits, fish, and more. In the early days, the Maker walked among the animals of Eidolon teaching them how to live and how to benefit the most from the forest and from each other. The Maker commanded some of the animals to write down his words in the Book. All animals that lived according to the ways of the Book prospered. As the number of animals increased, the Maker walked among them less often. His plan was that the younger animals would learn from the Book and the older animals. As time progressed and the animals of Eidolon continued to multiply, many of the animals forgot about the Maker and his Book. They heard stories about Him and His Book but believed them to be just that, stories.

During the ancient days of Eidolon, the animals had needed to rely on the Maker for guidance in everything from farming to clothing. They even needed instructions about right and wrong. During the later times that the animals referred to as the "progressive era" or "modern times", the animals relied mostly on themselves. In those times, the animals chose to do things their own way and in their own time without guidance from the Maker. Some remembered the Maker and His Book and turned to Him for guidance, but these animals were small in number and were often made fun of for being "old fashioned" or "narrow minded". Some of the ancient traditions established by the Maker, like marriage and observing a weekly day of rest, carried on independently of the Maker, but most were abandoned in favor of more progressive ideas.

[ Read more / Comment ]

What happens when an animal is confused and cornered? I found out many years ago when my family and I house-sat for a friend of ours. Besides watching the house, we also watched the friend's dog, a Cocker Spaniel. He was a friendly dog, but he wasn't really sure what to make of us. Instead of seeing his owner who he was familiar with, he saw only us strangers for several days. He never fully adjusted to us being in his space. He did eventually accept that we were responsible for feeding him and letting him in and out of the house, but I wouldn't say that he was ever comfortable with us.

Being as young as I was and having grown up with several dogs of my own, it seemed natural to me to attempt to pet the dog, which he hesitantly let me do. My own dogs were always comfortable with me and so I could get away with things like wrestling, pulling tails, barking at them, and getting in their face. Well, this dog naturally was not that comfortable with me, and so when I put my face right up to his and made silly baby noises like "goo goo" and made silly faces, he didn't know how to react. He tried to back away but since there was something behind him he couldn't. I didn't notice it in the moment, but the dog quickly began to panic. As much as a Cocker Spaniel can, this dog had an expression of fear on his face and in his physical demeanor. He started to freak out, and yet I persisted with my nonsense. So, the dog did what virtually any creature would do in a similar situation: He struck my face with his fangs and then ran away! He got me pretty good. There was blood but no long term damage.

Years of experience, starting with this incident, have taught me that neither dogs nor humans like to have unfamiliar people up in their face or in their business.

[ Read more / Comment ]

...On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life... You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”


I don't think that people should only come to Christ when they have nowhere else to turn - he is far more mighty and holy than that. But at the same time, the saying, "when God is all you have, you realize that God is all you need" holds very true for many people. When we have other things to turn to, other idols, dreams and desires we'd rather pursue - or just don't want to face the hard teachings of Jesus - it's hard to recognize our need for God. His power and greatness can be watered down by these other things we put our hope in. Ultimately, where else are we going to go when these idols prove empty and helpless to us? He has the words of eternal life. He is love and goodness and grace when the flesh fails - why go elsewhere?

I was reminded of how true this is in Broken Hearts last night (and why we're called Broken Hearts!) I talked to Jukka, who basically said these exact things. He has absolutely no where to go, he has no possessions but the clothes on his back, and absolutely nothing to lose if he leaves his current life behind.

[ Read more / Comment ]

I'll just start off acknowledging that this will not be my most brilliant post to-date. No original ideas or thought here. Simply pictures of an obvious truth that I think can be forgotten when sharing Christ. And pictures always make things much clearer and prove concepts very well, as they did for me this weekend.

Broken Hearts (the ministry I'm a part of) classifies itself as a 'relational evangelism ministry'. Meaning, we build relationships in order to share the gospel. We each have our unique ways of doing this - some are more bold and the first thing out of their mouth is about the gospel. Others spend weeks getting to know someone without saying a whole lot that's blatantly religious. But we all value being there every week to get to know people and tell them about Christ as we grow friendships and build trust in the community.

[ Read more / Comment ]