The Introvert Speaks Out

Developing thick skin

2011-08-27T19:51:00.000-07:00

Tonight I'm in a pensive mood. Today was a chill day, one of the last I'm likely to have for awhile, as I start a full-time job on Monday. Monday through Friday, I'll be getting up at 3am, leaving for work at 4am, getting to work shortly before 5am, and working from 5am to 3:30 pm. I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to work full time!!! I will be a busy man though, especially when online grad school starts in late October. I'll end work at 3:30 pm, get home about 4:30, chill for an hour and a half, then do a few hours worth of school, get to bed at 8, then get up at 3am to do it all over again. But, such is life, and I'm prepared to face reality like a man, not some whiny kid who complains about having to hustle.

I wrote my ex-girlfriend a letter earlier this month. I spent 3 hours crafting a ten-page letter in which I clearly stated the feelings I had when we broke up, and apologized for my shortcomings in our relationship. It felt good, like I finally put my thoughts about my previous relationship to rest. I sent it, and I haven't heard back, which doesn't surprise me very much actually.

I've become increasingly aware of how easy it is to let other people define, direct, and diminish you. When you pin all your hopes on one person, when you revolve everything around them and saddle them with the job of fulfilling all your dreams, you will be in for major disappointment. I'm not just talking about romance-I'm talking about friends, authority figures, anyone. Everyone will let us down sometime. It's best to not be rocked by it too badly, I'm learning.

Of course, God is always there. I'm getting to the point where, before I whine to one of my friends about something that's bugging me, I pray. I think this is good. It's best to just give God our hearts. Love other people sure, but don't be too surprised if things don't work out with them the way you may have planned! Give of yourself to people, and then when you think you can't give more-ask God for strength, and GIVE MORE. But-don't get too upset if they don't reciprocate. So things didn't work out the way you wanted with a girl you liked? You didn't get the promotion you expected? (Or what have you). Forget it and move on. There are always other things to focus on; we ALWAYS have a choice as to how we will react to disappointment in life.

Theodore Roosevelt once said, "I have never spent an unhappy day, unless by my own fault." I love this quote, because I think it illustrates well how much our problems are a matter of our own perspective, and how much power we have over how we will respond to events. I'm not saying it's easy-believe me, I know it's not. I've had times where I've simply laid on the floor and stared at the ceiling for a few hours, paralyzed by depression or anxiety, unable to get out of the emotional hole I've fallen into.

I have a feeling that this is starting to sound like some PMA, New-Age crap. Sorry, I don't mean it to be. These thoughts aren't all that profound I know, but it's what I've been realizing lately, and I decided I would share it. Hope it helps you somehow.

It's very, very easy to get trapped in a victim mentality. Oh, poor me. I was disappointed, again. And again. And again. And AGAIN. Well, I suggest that you pray about it. It might help with perspective.

Thoughts About a Woman in Sonnet Form

2011-07-25T02:19:00.000-07:00

Unconscious search for a kindred spirit

Magnetizes my eyes, draws me to you

The windows to your soul now confirm it

That you are the only one who will do

Faith built with intricate architecture

Wrought of an exceptional fortitude

Surely it’s one of your finest features

Refined through loneliness and solitude

Not apprehending your strength of resolve

Or the decision you made from the start

Men think you are just a puzzle to solve

And fail miserably to win your heart

Will I ask the right way? Will I know when?

If I fail, I will move forward again.

Transition, Growth, and Upcoming Challenges

2011-05-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

Man, it's been a long time since I've posted anything. When I started blogging I had hoped to write a monthly post. But alas, life happened and prevented me.

A couple big changes are coming my way. First, I'm almost ready to receive my baccalaureate in English studies!!! I've finished all my English courses so now I'm taking a philosophy course (Religion and the Meaning of Life) and a weightlifting course to make up the four extra hours I need to graduate.

After these summer classes I plan to jump right into the Master's of Clinical Counseling program at Grace College. To do this, I have to take the GRE, and also meet other requirements for admission, such as a phone interview with the head of the department, submission of transcripts and a photo, etc.

I am registered to take the GRE on June 11. Near the end of June I will be moving to Wisconsin to live with my step-dad, Mom and stepbrother. Near the beginning of August (provided I get in) I will start online classes at Grace. The program is three years long, with the first two years online and the third residential. So, for the first two years I will live in Wisconsin, and try hard to find a good job so I can begin paying back loans.

Moving to Wisconsin has been a somewhat difficult pill for me to swallow. Lately I've been reflecting on my time here at ISU, since August 2009 to the present. I realize more and more as I interact with my friends in Cornerstone Christian Fellowship how very much I will miss them when I leave in August. I have met confidants, friends, and a mentor who have all helped me grow tremendously, more than I ever have before. The culture of community the leaders have fostered here is so inspiring; I feel that I can talk to anyone and we all get along so incredibly well. Of course there are personality differences and disagreements (we're all human after all) but I have been so incredibly blessed to be part of such an awe-inspiring community.

One of my friends started a campus group called "Stuff for the Poor" that provides shoes for the poor in Africa. His heart for the underprivileged is awesome. Another friend leads a small group with Christians, agnostics, and Jews, and facilitates discussion for the whole group. Her heart for God and others as well as her leadership ability are extremely inspiring. I've walked around the campus numerous times with one friend, sharing what's on my heart and mind and realizing that there are other men out there who fight the same battles. He has the fantastic ability to be both hilarious and deep. We've had awesome times that are unforgettable (such as renting the B-movie Assault Girls-it's not as bad as it sounds!!!) And finally, I've drawn a lot of strength and ideas on what it takes to be a godly man from my mentor. Our talks have been eye-opening, and I've really appreciated the affirmation he's given me, as well as the constant generosity he and his wife have shown in letting me stay at their house, giving me rides to homegroup events, and on and on it goes.

Bottom line: I've realized how VERY much I'm going to miss this group. As I continue to reflect though, I've realized that God has been with me in a powerful way through all of this craziness, and he's not going to let me go just because I change locations. The very day that I moved in to my apartment in Normal, God brought Rob Bergman into my path, and he introduced me to Cornerstone. Reflecting on this helps me realize that he will also provide community for me in Wisconsin, so I don't need to fret about what's ahead.

There is a dojo up there that teaches both Aikido and boxing. I've visited once before and really liked it. I hope to join provided I find a job...I would love to get back into martial arts again!

In terms of my spiritual walk, God is teaching me a lot about suffering, loneliness, as well as strength and perseverance. A verse that I have meditated on frequently is 1 Corinthians 16:13, "Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong." This verse has helped me to persevere through temptation, loneliness, stress, and every other thing that has come my way. As I seek God on a daily basis, petitioning Him for his strength and interceding for friends and situations, I'm amazed to see how much He provides for me.

God has been gracious in allowing me a new perspective on being alone. Relient K has a great line in their song "Therapy", off of the album Forget and Not Slow Down: "Loneliness and solitude are two things not to get confused, because I spend my solitude with You." Amen, God! Now that I am the sole occupant of my apartment for a time, I've finally begun to face what it means to not be surrounded by people. My typical response to being alone has been a sense of despair. However, the past few weeks have shown me that I'm truly never alone when I'm in God's presence, and that I can accomplish different things and take time to reflect and think in solitude. In other words, I can change what I used to perceive as a negative into a positive.

While the transition out of state is somewhat saddening, it's also exciting. I'm anticipating much growth and change while I'm there, and praying that God will prepare me practically, mentally, and spiritually for the challenges that lie ahead. God is good, and I know that he will provide for me.

I Know How the Bell-Ringing Santa Claus Feels

2011-01-23T11:39:00.000-08:00

This year I’ve decided to focus on what I can contribute in certain areas of my life. Of course this doesn’t mean that I’ve decided to stop learning and growing, but I want there to be a healthy balance. For instance, rather than spend all of my leisure time (which I have very little of!) reading, I’ve decided to balance it out with writing. Also, in my spiritual walk I’ve been looking for ways in which I can contribute, rather than just take. I’ve decided to become a creator, rather than just a consumer.

One of the ways this new attitude has manifested itself has been a focus on intercessory prayer. My pastor back home (props to Tim Mengler, haha) suggested that I get a sign and stand out on the quad and offer to pray for people. So, I went to Hobby Lobby, purchased a piece of poster board, and wrote “FREE PRAYER” on it in huge block letters. I’ve started standing out on the quad with it, twice a week at set times, and have actually been given the opportunity to pray with people about the problems they’re having. Sure, for the most part I just get weird looks and scoffing remarks, but I feel that having the opportunity to pray for others and invite God into their lives is worth it.

Some Christians feel the need to go out on the quad and shout at people or condemn them for their sin. I personally feel that an invitation to prayer works better. If people don’t stop walking, I’m not offended. I’m not even trying to convince anyone to change their belief system, necessarily. I’m just responding to a call from God and (hopefully) filling a need in a world of broken, hurting people who need divine intervention.

I didn’t write this to promote myself, because 1) I didn’t even come up with the idea directly and 2) if I didn’t invite God to direct the effort I would never be able to do it. It can be awkward and a little intimidating to stand out there (hence the title of this post). I just wanted to let you know what God has been up to in my life so far this year, and maybe spark some discussion on how God has been leading you to approach your walk with Him differently in 2011. I’d love to hear about any evangelistic opportunities or cool “God moments” you may have had. God Bless, and have a great week!

New Year GOALS (Not resolutions, Because as Everyone Knows Those are Made to Be Broken!)

2011-01-15T18:08:00.000-08:00

January 1, 2011

New Year Resolutions

Shane Latham

NEW YEAR GOALS 2011

Each of these New Year Goals encompass things that I plan to accomplish this year, as all New Year Goals do. The difference with these, I hope, will be the measurable, time-sensitive goals I will attach to these goals. I haven’t decided yet if the goals will be included in a separate document, or as an addendum to this. Here are the goals themselves:

1. DEVOTIONALS. Put devotionals before everything else in my morning (except showering, which is essential to waking me up). This includes reading, working out, doing homework, entertaining myself, and especially surfing the internet.

2. PRAYER. Make prayer as natural as breathing. When I’m faced with problems or quandaries, or given opportunities to be thankful, I want prayer to be my first response. This necessitates a careful study of prayer, and knowledge of the different forms of prayer (intercessory and healing, for example).

3. PUTTING GOD FIRST. I want to turn to God first with my problems, especially before I turn to three other substitute comforts already identified: A) music, B) social media (virtual connection to others-Facebook, email, ect.) and C) friendships with women.

4. PRIORITIES. I want to prioritize better this year, and put first things first. That means asking myself three questions: 1. What is required of me? 2. What gives me the greatest return? 3. What gives me the greatest reward? I want to build a habit of doing what is required before my leisure time, but also switch up my routine occasionally to avoid boredom and slavery to a system.

5. HOMEWORK. I will realize that doing extracurricular activities (exercise, martial arts, guitar, leisure time) is contingent on accomplishing my homework, and will plan accordingly. Pay now and play later, or play now and pay later. Either way, I pay.

6. MONEY MANAGEMENT. I want to manage my money a lot better, figuring out exactly how much I make in a typical month at BK, allocating money consistently and spending frugally, and especially balancing my checkbook every night (or every other night).

7. GUITAR. I want to consistently practice guitar this semester, perhaps mapping out a lesson plan each weekend and then performing the necessary repetitions each night.

8. EXERCISE. I want to exercise every day consistently, and incorporate martial arts into my workout. This will require getting the homework for my early morning classes done the day before.

9. CREATIVITY. For too long I have been a consumer, reading other’s words and thinking their thoughts. I want to focus this year on being a creator, on writing my own words and thinking my own thoughts. To accomplish this, for every period of leisure time I spend reading an extracurricular book, the next available slot of leisure time I want to work on writing my own. This is a philosophy I want to slowly build into my life in stages, until this proper balance of consuming and creating becomes a major part of my existence.

I need...

2010-09-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

I need...

To figure out how to transcend the daily grind of some of my responsibilities. I love schedules and planning, and budget my time carefully, yet I often feel like I'm fighting a losing battle and can't keep up with all my homework. It is hard to be able to get it all done, even when I've scheduled every hour of the day.
To chill and not take myself and my life so seriously sometimes. I feel often that I’m in a constant battle; on a good day it’s a battle to get everything done and take as much from my day as possible, on a bad day it’s a battle against wrong behaviors and thoughts. So much of life seems to be war. I just need to let God take my burdens, rather than turning to other outlets to numb my stress.
To process anger and disappointment in a healthy and normal way. Nine times out of ten if I’m really angry about something, I listen to Korn to get that anger out. I mean, how the heck am I supposed to be totally angry in God’s presence? Do I just go somewhere and yell or what? I know David was completely honest with God, and even expressed very violent and dark wishes concerning the fate of his enemies to God. I’ve been wondering how to do that. I’m just beginning to learn what it is to really open up to people again, and learn to risk disappointment. I feel that part of me is closed off to others; I keep part of myself back in case they don’t come through. I want to know what it means to risk emotional attachment, and I think I’m just coming to that point.

To have godly, edifying friendships with women and not be awkward around them. When I have romantic feelings for a girl and she doesn’t reciprocate, I need to be understanding. I should never let having or not having a girlfriend determine my identity, because only Christ can do that. So, I need to have the emotional backbone to just be friends, but I would also like the vulnerability of heart to open up to a woman who would reciprocate. It’s a paradox.

To be emotionally honest about how I’m feeling; both with myself and others.

To press into God more than I ever have before; for comfort, for solace, for companionship, for understanding, for strength, for joy.

To completely leave the past behind, and move on to the future that God has for me.

To discard old ways of coping, looking at things-a complete paradigm shift.

To find freedom from the old ways of doing things.

To be reborn, centered, confident, unafraid, regenerated.

Thoughts About True Manhood

2010-09-11T19:56:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been contemplating the nature of true manhood. I feel that in the past month or so God has put it on my heart to grow as a man, to study manhood, to mature in certain areas. I’ve been made painfully aware of manly qualities I lack.

One of my favorite examples of true manhood (apart from actual men in my life) is the film Braveheart. For those who don’t know, this film chronicles William Wallace’s liberation of Scotland from England’s tyrannical occupation. Even though I’ve watched it 5,128 times, every time I watch it I feel edified as a man. It’s helped me to identify important traits of manhood that I wish to implement in my life, and even shed light on what the journey to being a man looks like. I hope sharing some of these observations will cause you to give serious thought to what makes a man a man. I’ll also be borrowing many concepts from John Eldredge’s books Fathered by God and Wild at Heart, which have also greatly shaped my journey into manhood.

When we first meet Wallace in the film, he is a young boy living in the Scottish highlands. Like many boys, he has a passion for adventure and roughhousing, and he also has a father who loves him deeply and sets for his son a great example of manhood. However, this idyllic scene is tragically shattered when Wallace’s father and brother are brutally killed in battle.

The boy’s life seems to be crashing down around him; as he stands at his father’s grave, watching shovelful of dirt after shovelful of dirt cast onto the stiff corpse, the harsh realities of life strike his heart. At this moment, the future of the protector of Scotland is uncertain. The man who would’ve been his guide into manhood has perished. Will he give into the numbness that floods his heart, and make a subtle agreement to forever deplore the theft of his childhood?

It’s at this moment that a very young girl named Murron, also present at the funeral, notices his immense grief and attempts to comfort him. She gives him a touching gift and then abruptly leaves. Wallace is very moved by this gesture. Immediately on the heels of this act, however, comes Wallace’s Uncle Argyle, now his guardian in the wake of his father’s death. While Wallace cherishes Murron’s gift, at this point it is Argyle, not Murron, who contributes the most to young Wallace’s development.

I think this is important, specifically as it relates to a man’s relationship to a woman. In order to become a man, the young boy needed to be mentored by his Uncle. Argyle evidently shows Wallace how to become a great man, for the next time we see him, he has grown into a strong warrior. He moves with an obvious strength and confidence, confidence that could have only been gained in this time of trials and testing, proving his competence to himself. It is the humble self-assurance emanating from his eyes, the strength evident in his bearing that draws Murron, his childhood sweetheart, to him. I really can’t say it any better than Eldredge does:

“The masculine journey takes a man away from the woman so that he might return to her. He goes to find his strength; he returns to offer it” (Wild at Heart, 187).

Wallace is only able to properly pursue, marry, and care for Murron because he has already discovered the strength within himself, apart from her. His self-confidence and identity are not determined by the woman in his life; he knows his quality and it shows.

Modern society tells us men that being a man equals having a girlfriend. Although loving a woman correctly is certainly part of being a man, having a girlfriend doesn’t make one a man. I now realize how I continually asked my previous girlfriend, implicitly, to affirm me as a man. This question of manhood is something a woman is not meant to answer, and it is a prerequisite to a successful relationship that the man answers this question for himself before pursuing a woman.

Wallace demonstrates how a man should treat a woman in how he pursues Murron. He has deep conversations with her, listens to her, and gives her gifts that prove he considers her. In this, I would argue that he largely puts her concerns before his own.

Other than the way he treats his woman, Scotland’s protector exemplifies many other qualities essential to great masculinity, such as bravery and a refusal to live according to the status quo. Throughout the film, as Scotland’s greedy nobles squabble amongst themselves for the best position and attempt to negotiate their freedom with the king of England, Wallace remains resolute in his defiance of tyranny. He believes so unshakably in his purpose that he refuses to use the power and influence he possesses to advance his position, knowing that this would be to the detriment of his people. He tells the pampered nobles, “There’s a difference between us. You think the people of this country exist to provide you with position. I think your position exists to provide those people with freedom. And I go to make sure that they have it.” He asks Robert the Bruce, “What does it mean to be noble? You’re title gives you claim to the throne of our country, but men don’t follow titles; they follow courage. If you would just lead them to freedom-they’d follow you, and so would I.” He inspires his men in the famous “Braveheart speech” scene, where he casts the vision for the entire country’s need for freedom from oppression. In many ways the film’s portrayal of Wallace reminds me of the biblical portrait of Nehemiah.

Here we see man’s need for a cause to defend, or as Eldredge puts it, a battle to fight. God hard-wired us to serve and protect, and we need to seek Him and his heart for the specific causes he’s put in our lives to fight for!

I’m not saying that we need to walk around with claymores strapped across our backs or grow Scottish warrior mullets; but I do think it is immensely important that we realize our God-given warrior instinct to serve and protect others.

Of course, oftentimes we are not faced with a literal, physical battle; our battlefield is the heart and mind of humanity. We want to fight Satan and the deception he uses to enslave so many of the people around us, and bring people into the knowledge of God.

A major obstacle to fulfilling this objective is the passivity perpetuated by the overtly materialistic and nihilistic American culture we live in. I love my country, but am saddened to see how our culture prioritizes. We get so bogged down in busyness and so insulated by our individual desires we fail to reach out to others.

We need to transcend the inverted priorities the world tells us to adopt, and “abstain from sinful desires, which war against our soul.” We’re to “live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us” (1 Peter 2:11-12). This applies to women as well.

Too often I think we try to conform to the pattern of the world around us and fit in, in an attempt to be “relevant.” While I personally don’t think standing in a crowd and preaching a message of hellfire and brimstone to random strangers is an effective method of evangelism, we still need to be in the world and not of it. The world around us is weary of a steady diet of entertainment and relativism; many people consistently search for a truth that will satisfy in a way none of the other societal fixes ever can. Let’s be loving and patient towards them but at the same time refuse to compromise our message. Let’s show them what true obedience to and trust in Christ looks like.

God Bless you as you strive to continually conform to Christ!

Shane Latham

Idolatry vs. the Divine Nature

2010-07-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." -2 Peter 1:3-4, NIV.

I've been meditating on these verses recently. Though I've read them before, lately they've struck me with a new forcefulness. Particularly the passages, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness" and "You may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

This past week, I had the awesome opportunity to hang out with a good friend in Colorado. I (and a few other friends) helped him move in, and he graciously paid all my expenses, including the plane ticket back (thanks for the 100th time, Aaron!). It was a tremendously awesome time, one of the best times I've had in years. For the first time in a few years, I felt as though I was able to completely relax, and lay down all my worries, anxieties, fears, and responsibilities. It was beautifully stress-free, giving me a sorely needed break just before the avalanche of stress and responsibility that will come down on me with the start of the fall semester and my new job.

With this vacation, however, I allowed myself to let my spiritual guard down, deciding to not discipline myself to make time for a devotional in the morning, even failing to include God regularly in my thoughts during the week. The result of course is stress and a feeling of distance from God.

As I read this passage in 2 Peter, however, I'm brought back to how much God NEEDS to be a constant fixation of my life, and how much I require his counsel and presence in my decision making. Humbled by my idolatry, I'm at least thankful that I recognize the huge void in my life when I'm NOT depending on him!!!

It's in these idolatrous times that I make the grave mistake of perceiving time set apart for communing with the Sovereign King of the Universe as a chore, even a preventive measure wrapped in ritual. But time with God is so much more than that! It's not a good luck charm or a duty, it's an incredible, unbelievable privilege.

"He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them we may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

That's amazing to me, especially the line "we may participate in the divine nature." I'm not a Bible scholar, but to me this implies that we become more and more like God as we meditate and act on the very great and precious promises he has given us. Furthermore, we're told that through God's great and precious promises we can "escape the corruption caused by evil desires."

In light of these great and precious promises, not only can we escape corruption, but we can find strength and energy to add goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance; and also godliness, brotherly kindness, and love to our faith. It seems that as we meditate on Christ's great and precious promises, we receive strength to grow in these moral areas as his followers.

After this, Peter makes a very striking statement when he says, "If you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ...Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

Reading this has taught me two things so far: One, we must never take a break from communing with our Lord and meditating on his great and precious promises. Through this, we can escape the corruption caused by evil desires. When our focus is on centered on God, it's much harder for the evil around us to grab our attention. Two, through meditating and acting on these promises we may participate in the divine nature. This is much more than empty ritual or action compelled merely by a sense of duty. This is consecration, regenaration, rebirth. It's through this regular focus on his promises that we are enabled to be effective and productive in our knowledge of God.

So, how have your devotionals been lately? I know from experience that it is so easy to let both the business of life and the laid-back atmosphere of vacation convince us that our time is too valuable to be spent regularly coming into his presence and receiving his strength. I challenge you to take regualr time out of your day to meditate on his great and precious promises, and as you do receive strength to escape corruption and grow as a follower of Jesus in every area of life. Petition him for his divine power, realizing that it gives you everything you need for life and godliness. God Bless!

Shane Latham

Why Daniel is Such a Great Example of Christian Living

2010-03-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

I typically don’t discuss current events in my online posts. But this time I will, because I’ve been inspired to draw a parallel between what I’ve been learning in my Christian walk and certain political happenings. I will start with the current events and then segue into the parallel to what God has been teaching me. Whatever your political affiliation, I hope you will benefit from this.

For a long time now there has been serious scholarly study as well as political discussion about the emergence of China as a global superpower and possible contender for America’s hegemonic status. On www.Forbes.com, in an article titled “Yes, China has fully arrived as a superpower”, Shaun Rein states “44% of Americans now believe China is the world’s leading economic power, only 27% of Americans believe the U.S. is.” He takes his statistic from a study done by the Pew Center. While China remains communist in a strict sense, economically it has been experimenting with free-market principles to the point where its government can now be described as state-run capitalism. While the chasm between the rich and poor is still very wide, China has the fastest growing economy in the world.

Now here’s the scary part. In her book China: Fragile Superpower, scholar Susan L.Shirk writes, “China loans most of the dollars it earns from trade to the U.S. government, which uses the money to cover its large budget deficit. If Washington imposed sanctions on China and China retaliated by selling off some of the billions of dollars of American government debt it owns, American interest rates would shoot up, our economy would slow to a crawl, and a global recession could result.” Our economy is in bad enough shape already; just think about what would happen if China decided to sell our debt. Now, critics of this argument say “Oh, but China’s our biggest trading partner! They wouldn’t sell off our debt because they depend on us for trade.” Well, that hypothesis is starting to be questioned. China has actually begun to cut down on its imports. According to the New York Times, “In December, as measured in dollars China’s imports were down 21.3%.” This is especially scary when you consider our government’s plan to boost the economy. In his State of the Union Address, President Obama said, and I quote, “We will double our exports over the next five years, an increase that will support two million jobs in America.” Sorry to state the obvious, but if China controls a huge portion of the world market, and they’re cutting down on imports, it’s kind of dubious that increasing our exports will boost our economy.

So here we are. Unemployment is at, what, 10%, and many people fear China’s emergence as the next world superpower. What do we do? Most importantly, how should we as Christians live in response to these happenings? What’s our response to the political upheaval and disturbing events that are unfolding all around us?

Lately, God has led me to read the book of Daniel. I personally think that Daniel is one of the best models of appropriate Christian living period, and I believe his example is especially noteworthy when we as Christians try to respond properly to current affairs.

First off, let’s start with a brief history lesson. The book of Daniel records the account of Babylon’s conquest of Jerusalem: “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar (or, if you prefer the veggie tales version, Nebby K.) king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand…then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility…He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians…they were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. Among these were some men from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach, to Mishael, Meshach, and to Azariah, Abednego.”

Their nation has just been conquered. Their countrymen and families have been slaughtered, they’ve been deported to a foreign country, and their identities as citizens of Judah have been erased. Boy, I can’t wait to turn the page and read about how they rebelled, formed a resistance movement, and escaped!

Just when I thought Daniel was turning into Steve McQueen in The Great Escape, I learn that “The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.”

Hmm! Seems like the gang isn’t going anywhere! No, instead they devoted themselves to learn about their new environment. Instead of sitting around moping and letting their grief immobilize them, these four men adapted quickly to change and took advantage of the opportunities around them.

Some time later, Nebuchadnezzar has trouble sleeping because of these terrible dreams he’d been having. Since Benadryl hadn’t yet been invented, he turns to his astrologers and says “Yeah, these dreams are really bugging me, and if you don’t interpret them for me, you’re all gonna get whacked and your property’s gonna be destroyed. But if you do interpret my dreams, you’ll get on my good side and be greatly rewarded. No pressure!”

After the astrologers give him an unsatisfactory answer the king sends his number two Arioch, who I seriously doubt would make a great HR representative, to find and kill them all. At this point they’re probably all back at home changing their soiled undergarments.

But Daniel intercedes just in the nick of time. We’re told he speaks to Arioch with “wisdom and tact,” and convinces him that he should spare the astrologers, because God has granted him the ability to interpret the king’s dream. Giving God the credit, Daniel interprets the king’s dream accurately and consequently “the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.”

Through all these changes, Daniel shows great integrity and honesty. He’s tight with the king, lives in the lap of luxury and materially has everything he could ever want or need. Yet he risks all of his material comforts, not to mention his life, for the sake of honesty. He tells the king “Renounce your sins by doing what is right and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be then that your prosperity will continue.” I’ve often wondered if one of the reasons the king kept Daniel so close to him was because of his unapologetic honesty, a rare trait that must have stood out in stark contrast to the sycophantic appeasement of his other advisors.

Fast forward. Daniel is now serving under Darius, new king of Babylon. At this point he is over eighty years old. Yet we’re told Daniel “so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom” (Daniel 6:3, NIV). Daniel makes enemies at work just by being efficient, and so his colleagues try to find grounds for charges against him. But alas, they “could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent” (Daniel 6:4). So, realizing they can’t touch his job performance, they conspire to attack his faith and persuade the king to enact legislation banning prayer to anyone but King Darius. What was Daniel’s response? We’re told “when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened towards Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” Notice what this passage does not say. It doesn’t say, “When Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where he hopped on the internet and ranted and raved on a blog about the unfairness of the government.” His first response to antichristian government is prayer. Of course, we all know the rest of that story: Daniel is thrown into the lion’s den for failing to obey the irreversible legislation, and God miraculously rescues him.

My final point in the book of Daniel concerns chapter nine. In chapter nine, Daniel understands from the Scripture that the desolation of Jerusalem will last seventy years. Rather than deciding to live out the rest of his days in an underground bunker stockpiling weapons (ha ha), Daniel drops to his knees. He prays, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, we have sinned and done wrong…All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your name.”

Knowing that Israel is God’s chosen nation, I don’t want to equate America with Israel in God’s grand scheme of things, but I think that we in America could benefit greatly from applying this prayer to our nation. 2 Chronicles 7:14 states, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” Proverbs enlightens us, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). I think we can all learn a lot from Daniel’s example. I know that if my country was invaded by a foreign power, I was deported and my identity was erased, I would be tempted to wallow in my grief and render myself ineffective. Taking stock of the situation and choosing to learn what I could, while maximizing my influence in that place, would probably be the furthest thing from my mind. Yet that is what we see Daniel do.

I think even more applicable to our lives today are Daniel’s qualities of resolve, honesty, trustworthiness, uncomplaining attitude, resilience, creative problem solving, and wisdom. If when faced with difficult situations we chose to act with resolve as well as tact, as Daniel did in amending his diet so as not to compromise his convictions, I believe the world would see Christians in a different light. I think if in all our tasks at our jobs we “worked at them will all our hearts, as though working for the Lord” (Colossians 3:17), our unbelieving co-workers would recognize us as set apart from the rest. What a testament it would be to the world if we had the honesty with our friends, families and co-workers that Daniel had with a king that ruled the world with unlimited earthly power.

Resolving to not complain is another huge way to set ourselves apart from the rest and distinguish ourselves for God. Perhaps, like Daniel, these godly characteristics will take us to high places and grant us the favor of powerful people; but we should not let earthly rewards be our motivator. Daniel didn’t seek out wealth and prosperity; these were by-products of a disciplined life lived for God.

So, to bring this all full circle: we can learn a lot from Daniel’s example as we try to navigate these difficult times we live in. Even if the balance of power radically shifts in our lifetime, we can embrace prayer and disciplined Christian living to set an example for those around us and lead our nation back to God. As each day our world seems to spin more and more out of control, as the economy worsens and international events challenge us, we can make the choice to emulate Daniel and represent God at our jobs, at home and at school. Rather than complaining about the unfairness of our government, pray for our national and local leaders, that they would accept Him and let Him guide their decisions. Make a point to disciple and rise up people in your sphere of influence that can fight against the tide of mediocrity that keeps so many unmotivated, uninformed and uninvolved in the politics of their nation and the lives of those around them. Recognize your performance in your job and at school as an example and witness to those around you. Educate yourself about the state of our nation; discuss and explore ways to impact your community for Christ.

The world is changed one person at a time. Jesus changed the entire world through twelve men. Ask God to reveal to you people whom you can work with and through to effect change in your community or sphere of influence, and actively exhort them to follow Christ.

God bless you as you seek to emulate Daniel and honor Christ with your life.

Shane Latham

Inspiration in the Life of Daniel.

2010-01-20T19:42:00.000-08:00

So today, God led me to read the book of Daniel. I've read it before, but as I dug into it today God really highlighted the inspirational habits, admirable qualities, and awesome life of this man of God. I've compiled a list of the qualities that stood out the most to me. Anybody have any ideas of how we can live these qualities out in our own lives?

• He had resolve in refusing to defile himself (Daniel 1:8).
• He was able to negotiate without compromising (Daniel 1:8).
• He creatively solved problems (Daniel 1:12-13).
• He had wisdom (Daniel 2:14).
• He had tact (Daniel 2:14).
• He adapted quickly to change and took advantage of opportunities (Daniel 1:19-20).
• He realized that it’s lonely at the top-so he brought reliable companions with him who could
assist him (Daniel 2:49).
• He was honest (Daniel 4:27).
• He was trustworthy (Daniel 6:4)
• He gave credit to God (Daniel 2:27-30).
• He was not corrupt (Daniel 6:4).
• He was not negligent (Daniel 6:4).
• He distinguished himself by his exceptional qualities (Daniel 6:3).
• He didn’t complain about things beyond his control; instead his first response was to pray for
them (Daniel 6:10).
• He didn’t chase after prestige or wealth; instead he did everything with excellence and worldly
success became a by-product of this attitude (Daniel 5:17, 29).
• He had a disciplined prayer life (Daniel 6:10).
• He had a repentant heart and interceded for his nation (Daniel 9:4-20).
• He set his mind to gain understanding (Daniel 10:12).
• He humbled himself before God (Daniel 10:12).

God Bless!

Shane Latham

Thoughts about music.

2010-01-12T05:56:00.000-08:00

The average teen hears 10,500 hours of music between grades 7 and 12. That equals more than 14 months nonstop.

-Taken from Focus on the Family’s Boom: a Guy’s Guide to Growing Up

Music is such a powerful medium now. The kids don’t even know who the president is, but they know what’s on MTV. I think if anyone like Hitler or Mussolini were alive now, they would have to be rock stars.

-shock rocker Marilyn Manson

Those are amazing observations, especially to someone like me. See, I love listening to music. While I am not a musician, I am one of those people who seem to have headphones surgically attached to my ears. Most days I listen to hour’s worth of music as I’m going to and from class, driving, or hanging out at home. Guitar greats such as Jimmy Page, Joe Satrianni and Rudolph Shenker give me an uncontrollable urge to air guitar-even in public! I listen to almost everything (except country music-some music is just evil, after all): rock, punk, emo, screamo, techno, rap, hip-hop, classic rock, folk, instrumental.
While I do not believe that listening to music is wrong in itself, God has shown me recently that it can be easy to let it become something it shouldn’t be. More specifically, He’s revealed to me how much I use music as an escape and a way to vent. For instance, when I get really ticked off, one of my immediate reactions is to get in my car and drive somewhere, cranking some heavy, super angry tunes a hair below the “if this doesn’t make your eardrums bleed nothing will” level. Upon further reflection, I’ve discovered that listening to this angry music when I’m hacked off makes me feel that someone shares my frustration; it allows me to escape and vent without confronting the real reason why I’m upset. Also, this practice reinforces my already angry attitude, tempting me to wallow in misery rather than ask Jesus to “lift me out of the pit” (Psalm 40). For this reason, I really believe that it is important to monitor and be selective about what we listen to. I don’t think that any particular style of music is bad; I don’t personally believe that hard rock music is straight from hell or anything like that. I would even go as far to suggest that darkness has its place in Christian music (many of David’s psalms express anger, anguish, and hopelessness, though he turns to God at the end of most). But again, I think it is immensely important that we watch what we listen to. This is coming from a guy who has listened almost exclusively to secular hard rock radio stations since he was 14 and for years has used the excuse that “it’s just a song; the lyrics don’t really matter.” Lest you think I’m a prude who just doesn’t understand how much angry music rocks, you should know that Rage Against The Machine has long been one of my favorite bands. If you’re one of their millions of fans, you know that there is simply no substitute for Tom Morello’s guitar style and Zach de la Rocha’s incendiary vocals. You also know that they are one of the most hateful, profane, violent, and anti-establishment bands in the history of music, period. When you are very angry and need a song that expresses those feelings, there is simply no substitute for cranking RATM’s “killing in the name of” or “how I could just kill a man” up to level 10.
Yet, no matter how much I feel that this is helping me vent, is it really the right thing to do? As a Christian, should I be filling my head with musical pollution such as this? Regardless of your personal beliefs, it’s a fact: What we believe determines how we behave. It has always been and will always be this way. Does that mean that if I listen to a song advocating the use of violence to solve problems, I’m guaranteed to go out and copy the actions of the lyricist? Of course not, any more than someone who plays a violent video game is guaranteed to go out and commit mass murder. But even if I don’t do these things, I’m subconsciously lowering my standards and allowing my attitude to be influenced negatively.
Colossians 3:7-8 states, “You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” Another pertinent verse, Romans 12:2, admonishes us, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” Think about that verse, especially that last part. I might be going out on a limb here, but I think it says that because then we will be able to test and approve what God’s will is. ;-)- As we allow ourselves to be continually transformed, stretched, and molded by our Father, we become more in tune with His will as he removes those things in our lives that hinder us from hearing from Him.
Like I said, for years I have ignored this red flag in my life. God is at a point right now where he is seriously challenging me to give up my sinful ways, to put to death my sin nature and rely solely on Him (isn’t He always doing that?) God calls us as his followers to be sanctified, set apart for Him and His work. I would challenge you to examine areas in your life where you turn to something other than God for help. Ask Him to help reveal those areas, and as He does, examine the deeper motives and possible emotions behind those places. What’s the underlying reason for that action? Ask God, as David did, with complete trust: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” -Psalm 139:23-24.

God Bless!

Shane Latham
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Circumstances, Opportunities, and the Choice Between Them

2009-11-03T05:48:00.000-08:00

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." -1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Man do I wish I'd kept this verse in mind in the last week and a half. Influenza had struck and kept me in bed and out of school for four days straight. Surrounded by mountains of Kleenex, too exhausted to even get out of bed except when absolutely necessary, I moped. All the issues that had been in the back of my mind for the past week rushed in and hung over me like a dark, ominous cloud threatening rain. I’d been trying to press into God for the past week and felt nothing. As I focused more and more on my circumstances I felt the willingness to endure slowly drain out of me. I found myself making a subtle agreement mentally: God’s not home right now. I guess life is up to me. I felt something inside me give way when I did that. It seemed that as I made the agreement my spirit of endurance died.

I’m always continually amazed at my mood swings towards God. On a day like today, when I’m healthy and it’s a gorgeous day out, not too hot and not too cold, I feel great and want to praise God. But insert a day with crummy weather or sickness or somehow disturb the equilibrium of my perfect little life, and I immediately assume that all is lost. I’m struck by how much my circumstances affect my mood and how I go about my day.

Yesterday, my pastor here at school gave a message on not hardening our hearts. My mind flashed back to the agreement that I made, and I repented, reminding myself to not let my circumstances dictate my response to life. Along these lines, my pastor back home routinely emphasizes taking our eyes off of our circumstances and putting them on Jesus. Recently he gave a message talking about being in covenant with God, and having reverence for Him. I’ve been meditating on both of these ideas a lot lately.

I seem to have this ridiculous expectation that everything has to be just so. Any deviation from that ideal and I assume my world is falling apart. I mope and complain and beg God to tell me what he’s up to.

One of many great lines in John Eldredge’s Walking with God goes like this, “It’s not what he isn’t giving but what He is giving.” Though this line may seem somewhat corny, it’s so true! I’m not trying to convey some sugarcoated, everything-is-dandelions-and-lollipops approach to life. Life definitely sucks sometimes. But, in those times we have a choice to either be a victim or a victor. We can either take it as an opportunity for growth and improvement and learning, or we can simply pout and mope and feel sorry for ourselves.

Bruce Lee once said, “To hell with circumstances, I create opportunities.” Here was a man who did pushups on two fingers and trained rigorously because he had fully devoted himself to the discipline of learning and improving the martial arts. His refusal to focus on his circumstances and his willingness to see every event as a learning experience put him head and shoulders above his peers in the martial arts world and earned him legendary status and recognition.

As Christians, we live for far more than temporal recognition. We serve a God whose purposes are eternal and enduring. We should approach life with the realization that God is continually conforming us to His image (Romans 8:29) and is working in our lives to help us realize our full potential as his followers (Philippians 1:6). With this in mind, let’s start to see the events that come our way, whether good or bad, convenient or inconvenient, as opportunities to learn more about and become more like our Savior.

In Christian circles we’ve somehow fallen prey to the idea that God owes us a perfect little life with no problems or hardships. However, Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We must beware of trying to do this in our own strength. Rising above our circumstances and choosing to see both the good and the bad as learning experiences doesn’t come simply by buckling down and striving as hard as we can. Instead, success in doing this comes through a realignment of our priorities. We must make a conscious effort to substitute Christ’s attributes for our own. How do we do this? We spend regular time in His presence (for the purpose of imitating Him and learning more about His character), pray to Him and meditate on His word, and surround ourselves with other people that sincerely follow Him.

Consider Solomon’s words: “When times are good, rejoice, but when times are bad, consider; God has made the one as well as the other.”

I want to leave you my readers with one last quote: “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” -Winston Churchill

God Bless you as, with God’s help, you take your eyes off your circumstances and fix them on Jesus, and begin to see every event that comes your way as an opportunity for learning.

Shane Latham

Love God. Love People. Period.

2009-08-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

"Love God. Love people. Period."

This is the motto of the Vineyard Church in Duluth, Minnesota that I visited from August 5th through the 9th, for Cause Conference 2009. It was life-changing. My girlfriend Vanessa and I made the 8 hour trip with strangers from another Vineyard church, who turned out to be really cool people. We realized we were going to be early to the conference but had no place to stay, so we called ahead to inform the church. They said it wouldn't be a problem. We arrived at midnight, and one of the staff members was waiting to open the doors for us. That's service! Upon entering the church, we came into a large room dotted with several black leather couches, and also equipped with several small tables and chairs, plus a fireplace. The sanctuary, used for worship and teaching, was beyond. Soon all of us guys were sprawled out on a leather couch of our choosing, fast asleep.

I woke up early, as is my custom, and was rewarded with a beautiful, cool Minnesota morning. Stepping outside the church, I got to see the awesome scenery that had been shrouded in darkness the night before. Thick conifers greeted me on every side, their thick trunks thrust into the lightening sky like spears. Down the long paved driveway I saw a large boulder. "Perfect place for an early-morning Bible study," I decided. Out in the cool Minnesota air, without distracting peers or rigid schedules, I felt closer to God than I had in a while. It was a morning of refreshment, revitalization, and rejuvenation as I sought the Lord and his purposes for me.

Later in the day I entered the church, and observed several people fellowshipping and chatting over coffee at the small tables scattered throughout the room. It all seemed so everyday. And then it hit me: "That's why it's so different; it's just everyday people fellowshipping and swapping stories of God's grace, mercy, and power in an ordinary, everyday environment." I realized that what I was seeing was a fleshing out of Acts 2:42-true Christian community. No church masks or fake smiles displayed by plastic people living a fairy tale in an environment sterilized from the harsh reality of life. Strangers could (and did) stroll in and feel welcomed, while being loved on and presented with the gospel, in a comfortable atmosphere similar to Starbucks or Borders. The simplicity yet also the depth of fellowship and sharing that went on was truly awesome to behold.

I made myself comfortable on one of the black leather couches set off to the side, against the wall.
("Observation without interaction," I thought ;-)- For a few hours I really dug into my newly purchased copy of Power Evangelism (a truly inspiring and challenging book on evangelism by the founder of the Vineyard Church, John Wimber). It intrigued me, as it delved deep into the topic of evangelism through church history, but mainly dealt with what John Wimber dubbed Power Evangelism. (There is not enough time or space for me to explain it here; but I highly recommend the book) It gave me a solid understanding of evangelism that I craved.

In addition to the fellowship, we were also given the opportunity to do some kayaking, hiking, and sightseeing. One of the church members graciously took us out to breakfast and showed us some incredible sights we no doubt would have missed had we explored on our own. We got to see the breathtaking panoramic view of the city from the top of Enger Tower, for example. Again, a profound spirit of servitude was exemplified.

We also went Frisbee golfing. It was my first time ever. My disc went almost everywhere except where I wanted it to go, but it was still a blast. ;-)-

One of the nights the church decided to do an open-mic night, where those with musical talent performed their favorite songs for us. Vanessa actually got up there and sang "You and Me" by Lifehouse, one of my favorite songs by one of my top three favorite bands, and dedicated it to me. ;-)- That was really sweet of her. I took pictures with my phone. ;-)-

After a few days devoid of any agenda, devoted to relaxation and fun out in the beautiful Minnesota wilderness, the conference began in earnest. Christy Wimber, the daughter in law of Vineyard founder John Wimber, was the main speaker featured. I was totally blown away by the depth and power in her teaching. The first main session, she focused on the life of David. She began her sermon with Acts 13:21, which reads, "I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I have asked him to do." (God speaking) She then jumped to Samuel 16:7, which tells the story of Samuel anointing David king over Israel to replace Saul, and it also explains that God looks at our heart rather than any outer qualities we possess. David's family didn't even believe in him, but God did. And then, skipping down to verse 19, Christy highlighted something I had never considered before. In this verse Saul asks David's father Jesse, "Send me your son David, who is with the sheep." Wait a minute! Back in verse 7 of the same chapter, David was anointed by Samuel. This indicated that God looked on David with favor and had ordained him as King over Israel. But now, we learn that David is back where Samuel found him-tending his father's sheep! Did I miss something? Tell me if I'm wrong, but doesn't kingship entail a crown, a position of authority, rule over a kingdom, perks of being royalty? Why then, after being told of this fantastic destiny that God had ordained for him, is David stuck in such a lowly, dead-end position?

Christy went on to explain that “David was just anointed to be king, and then he is sent back to the field. Afterwards, he is sent to the palace to fulfill that anointing. It is a PROCESS that God wants to take us through. We have to yield to the process and see the big picture.”

Ouch. This hit me like a ton of theological bricks. I realized how lately my attitude had been one of restlessness. I was chomping at the bit, begging and pleading God to show me what he wanted me to do. There is nothing wrong with seeking out God’s will for your life; but I was not yielding to His timetable.

She continued. “Something had to be worked out in David so that he could carry the responsibility of his anointing.” She went on to describe David’s attitude of servitude before Saul. This got me thinking of how alien and foreign this attitude of David is to us, especially when examined through the lens of our Western mindset of a dog-eat-dog world where we seek to elevate ourselves above everyone else. Think about it. David has just entered into the service of the king. I don’t think many of us would be surprised if he did all he could to consolidate power, stage a coup, usurp the throne, depose Saul and take his rightful place as king. Especially considering his ascension into the spotlight after killing Goliath, it was clear that he had won the hearts of the people. And after all, God had ordained his kingship, right? So why not capitalize on this and speed up the process a little?

Instead, we see David selflessly serving Saul. The thought of prematurely accelerating his rise to power doesn’t even cross his mind. David clearly understands the Law of Process, and has willingly placed his destiny in God’s capable hands. Even much later, when Saul is hunting David down to kill him and David is presented with the opportunity to terminate Saul and neutralize the threat to his life, he doesn’t take it. He even pays homage to Saul and calls him his lord and king. All these instances paint the portrait of a deeply humble leader secure in God’s ability to raise him up at the proper time. Rather than getting bitter and rendering himself useless in service to God, David blooms where he’s planted.
In chapter 18 of 1 Samuel we’re told that, “Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people and Saul’s officers as well.” David didn’t mope around lamenting the fact that he hadn’t achieved the pinnacle of his career yet. Instead, he developed his influence with the people around him and cultivated his potential as a leader. Saul’s officers and the people must have seen strong leadership, diligence, and humility flowing out of David’s close relationship with and dependence on God. He honored what came before him, and honor came to him.

As Christy said, “there are no shortcuts to maturity and character. David had to kill the lion and the bear before he could kill Goliath; we have to have private victories before we have public victories.”

David’s dependence on God was radical and unwavering. Even in the one time where he trusts in the strength of numbers over the strength of God and is disciplined for it, he says, “Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great.” Even in times of punishment, David stayed close to God because he knew Him and trusted in Him:

“The Lord is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besieges me, my heart will not fear, though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.”

-Psalm 27:1-3

Several verses later David pleads:

“Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path.”

Psalm 27:11

All this points to a humble leader who continually looked to God for strength, and strove to do the best job he possibly could no matter if he found himself in the field, the palace, or the throne.

Another pertinent point Christy made:

“Man cannot stop what God initiates. We serve a big God who does big things, who is just waiting for someone who will let Him do whatever he wants. When you let God do whatever he wants, you change the world.”

So, in closing, my questions to you are: Where do you find yourself today? How you can you maximize your effectiveness and develop your influence for God’s kingdom in that place while yielding to the Law of Process? It is truly an amazing thing when we relinquish control of our lives to God and let him do with them what He wishes. I encourage you, as I did, to change your prayer focus from restlessness to relinquishment.
Adopt David’s attitude of servitude and see what happens. May God Bless you as you seek to represent his Kingdom and depend on him, wherever you are. God Bless.

Shane

P.S. I would really like to get some feedback/discussion on this.

Numbness is Emotional Insulation

2009-06-25T09:39:00.000-07:00

So, in case anyone out there is wondering what I've been up to, let me lay it out for you.

1) I'm taking a summer statistics class. It's very challenging, because 1) math is not my strongpoint and 2) the rapid pace of the course makes it difficult to remember and truly study all the concepts.

2) I'm living by myself. My Dad has moved out, which means I have the house to myself. It is relaxing, freeing, and lonely simultaneously.

3) I'm out of a job until August.

4) I'm writing again...I added a small amount to my novel-in-progress, but right now I'm leaning more towards poetry. My latest work combines outdoor metaphors with themes of rebellion, spiritual growth and God's everlasting love.

5) I am feeling dead...somewhat exhausted physically but more emotionally dead than anything else. With my Dad's recent marriage yet another life-changing transition has occured at what seems to be regular intervals. I could handle the divorce and my brother moving out and everything else up to this. This was the straw that broke the camel's back, the event that broke through my resilience and is leading me to believe that change is inevitable and should not be resented or fought. Problem is, I am now replacing that previous resilience with a deadening numbness designed to insulate me from any pain inflicted by future changes. I'm guessing it is a psychological defense mechanism, but I don't know how to confront it. I don't want to be numb-I doubt anyone really does. But neither do I want to be vulnerable to the pain caused by these changes.

I've prayed about it, but I haven't heard an answer yet. I don't know what my next move should be. I know I need to be content where I am at and open myself to the ministering opportunities God has for me here in my hometown and the surrounding area, but my mind can't help but be two months ahead at Illinois State University. I want so badly to enter my first semester there with a heart for the people and a strong connection with God that will enable me to endure the first difficult month, but also, more importantly, to reach out and minister to my classmates there. I want to get heavily involved in the campus life and make a difference for God. There is also an Aikido school that I am very interested in joining.

I guess being here in Harvard without a job and a lot of opportunities for impacting people is grinding my gears a little bit. I'm tapping my foot and looking at the clock and chomping at the bit-I can't wait to get out of this little town and go somewhere where I can be more involved and make a greater impact.

I suppose the moral of the story is patience. I have a feeling god is trying to teach me how to "learn the secret of being content in every situation," like the apostle Paul. Please pray that I can conquer this emotional deadness and have a revived, revitalized, and rejuvenated relationship with God and others. God Bless and keep cool!

Shane

Nothing Surprises Me Anymore...

2009-06-06T10:12:00.000-07:00

So, my Dad got married today...I kid you not. At this point, nothing could surprise me anymore. I suppose if I do end up with a career in counseling, it'll be helpful because people can tell me the craziest stuff and I will not be shocked. Lol.

He married the woman who he first dated after the divorce. They had a bad break-up, and I never thought that they would get back together. I hope and pray that they fully commit themselves to God and that He will lead them to serve Him and each other.

As for me, I am currently up at my mother's house in Milwaukee, using her laptop right now as a matter of fact. We browsed through several rummage sales earlier before the rain hit: I got a lamp for three dollars, a box of silverware and other kitchen utensils for a dollar, and a large CD holder for a dollar as well (the ones I currently have are almost completely full-me likey the good tunes. ;-)- Looking for a couch and some odds and ends to furnish the apartment that Joel and I will be sharing this August. I'm turning into a garage sale freak, lol.

So, my Dad's marriage is the biggest development in my life right now. Otherwise, life continues as usual. Oh, I'm slowly plodding through The Brothers Karamazov. Great book.

When I'm away at college I plan to post an entry in this blog at least once a month, to keep all of you updated. I discovered how to export this to my e-mail and facebook. Now, whenever I write a post a copy is automatically delivered to everyone in my e-mail address book and posted on my facebook profile. This pleased me very much; it's very fast and easy compared to sending individual e-mails or facebook messages to everyone. Enjoy this day in spite of the weather and be blessed!

Thoughts to meditate on:

"What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his toil-this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him."

Shane

Quick Updates

2009-05-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

This post will stray from the serious topics discussed in my last couple writings, and instead will just be a quick update concerning the happenins in my life.

#1: I am now jobless for the summer! (Well, mostly anyway) My pastor has a neighbor who I have been able to assist in yardwork, and make a little money on the side. MCC was unable to keep me on for the summer, so I will now turn to finding odd jobs to make some spending money in preparation for my first semester at ISU, which begins in August.

#2: I am currently in an Intro to Film class, which is interesting. I never knew that so many technical intricacies went into the making of a film, and I definitely had no idea how to analyze them. I'm learning both now. My reason for taking the course is because it is required for my AS degree. In less than two weeks, this class will end and my summer statistics course will begin (turns out not having a steady summer job is a blessing in disguise-I'll need time to study!!!)

#3: I am going to concentrate on a couple of practical skills in preparation for life on campus, such as cooking (which Vanessa has graciously offered to help me with, she's so awesome!), and taking better care of my finances, among other things.

#4: I picked up a number of interesting books from the library that I should finally have time to read, such as: Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, Henry James' The Turn Of The Screw, and Ayn Rand's Fountainhead, among others. Should keep me occupied for the next three weeks, that's for sure! Definitely not your typical light reading, but I view it as a fun challenge. ;-)-

#5: In my personal spiritual journey, I'm focusing on the disciplines of rest and contentment. It's difficult! Trying to learn from the apostle Paul's example.

Otherwise things are pretty uneventful right now. God Bless and have a great day!

Shane

Erasmus' Twenty-two Principles

2009-05-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

I found the following list interesting. Though it was originally written for Christian knights of old, I think many of its precepts are worth reading and would greatly benefit us as a society.

Erasmus' Twenty-two Principles on How to Be Strong While Remaining Virtuous in a Dangerous World

(taken from the Enchridion Militis Christiani: A Guide for the Righteous Protector, by Erasmus)

First Rule: INCREASE YOUR FAITH (even if the entire world appears mad)

Second Rule: ACT UPON YOUR FAITH (even if you must undergo the loss of everything)

Third Rule: ANALYZE YOUR FEARS (you will find that things are not bad as they appear)

Fourth Rule: MAKE VIRTUE THE ONLY GOAL OF YOUR LIFE

(dedicate all your enthusiasm, all your effort, your leisure as well as your business)

Fifth Rule: TURN AWAY FROM MATERIAL THINGS

(if you are greatly concerned with money you will be weak of spirit)

Sixth Rule: TRAIN YOUR MIND TO DISTINGUISH GOOD AND EVIL

(let your rule of government be determined by the common good)

Seventh Rule: NEVER LET ANY SETBACK STOP YOU IN YOUR QUEST

(we are not perfect-this only means we should try harder)

Eighth Rule: IF YOU HAVE FREQUENT TEMPTATIONS, DO NOT WORRY

(begin to worry when you do not have temptation, for that is a sure sign that you cannot distinguish good from evil)

Ninth Rule: ALWAYS BE PREPARED FOR AN ATTACK

(careful generals set guards even in times of peace)

Tenth Rule: SPIT, AS IT WERE, IN THE FACE OF DANGER

(keep a stirring quotation with you for encouragement)

Eleventh Rule: THERE ARE TWO DANGERS: ONE IS GIVING UP, THE OTHER IS PRIDE

(After you have performed some worthy task, give all the credit to someone else)

Twelfth Rule: TURN YOUR WEAKNESS INTO VIRTUE

(if you are inclined to be selfish, make a deliberate effort to be giving)

Thirteenth Rule: TREAT EACH BATTLE AS THOUGH IT WERE YOUR LAST

(and you will finish, in the end, victorious!)

Fourteenth Rule: DON'T ASSUME THAT DOING GOOD ALLOWS YOU TO KEEP A FEW VICES

(the enemy you ignore the most is the one who conquers you)

Fifteenth Rule: WEIGH YOUR ALTERNATIVES CAREFULLY

(the wrong way will often seem easier than the right way)

Sixteenth Rule: NEVER ADMIT DEFEAT EVEN IF YOU HAVE BEEN WOUNDED

(the good soldier's painful wounds spur him to gather his strength)

Seventeenth Rule: ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION

(so when the time comes for battle, you will know what to do)

Eighteenth Rule: CALM YOUR PASSIONS BY SEEING HOW LITTLE THERE IS TO GAIN

(we often worry and scheme about trifling matters of little importance)

Nineteenth Rule: SPEAK WITH YOURSELF THIS WAY:

(if I do what I am considering, would I want my family to know about it?)

Twentieth Rule: VIRTUE HAS ITS OWN REWARD

(once a person has it, they would not exchange it for anything)

Twenty-first Rule: LIFE CAN BE SAD, DIFFICULT, AND QUICK: MAKE IT COUNT FOR SOMETHING!

(since we do not know when death will come, act honorably every day)

Twenty-second Rule: REPENT YOUR WRONGS

(those who do not admit their faults have the most to fear)

"The Prison"

2009-05-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

This is a poem God blessed me with very early in the morning on May 8th, 2009. It concerns our vices and personal demons, and our tendency as Christians to, often willingly, succumb to the Devil's schemes and deceptions. Yet it ends redemptively, demonstrating God's total omnipotence and authority over evil, while simultaneously showcasing his loving willingness to come to our rescue. It is born out of my own personal struggle, yet I believe it's still universally applicable, and so I include it

here. I hope it comforts you in the trials you endure.

Sincerely,

Shane Latham

"The Prison"

By Shane Latham

It's early morning, I'm still tossing and turning

I've re-entered my mental prison, against my will I'm returning

I see the chains on the walls and the blood on the floor

Everything left just as it was before

I pick up the chains, snap them on with a click

Though part of Me's healthy, part of Me's sick

I bare my back for the whip, prepared for the torture

Though it feels just, it's wrong I'm sure

The accuser of my soul stands momentarily victorious

His demons screech triumphantly, "He actually believed us!"

My enemy draws back the whip, his glare full of hate

I hang my head, resigned to my fate

The lash whistles through the air

I fear the scar I'll bear

I scream to God, "Take this pain from me!"

The faithful prayers of his saints rise around me

With a thunderous cry, with an earsplitting boom

The glorious Lord enters the room

With a single blow He crushes Satan in his glee

As my chains fall to the floor I realize I'm free

With Satan conquered I see his deception

How I let him infiltrate my mind and form the perception

That I needed the counterfeit joys and the lies that he gave

Instead of taking that thought captive, I became its slave

But now I see the Deceiver with new eyes

With God next to me, I have no need for his lies

I fall down before Jesus, and with eyes full of tears

I confess past sins, longings, and fears

With an outstretched arm He lifts me from the dirt where I lay

As I look into His compassionate gaze He wipes my tears away

Afraid of straying again, I cry "O Lord, what must I do?"

He replies, "Remember I am with you always.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you."

Of Armor and Bubblewrap

2009-05-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

God gave this to me early on Valentine's Day. I hope it edifies and challenges you.

"We were never told 'Put on the full bubblewrap of God, so that you can sit in a Christian box off to the side and never be jostled or disturbed by anything.' No, instead we are commanded, 'Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the Devil's schemes.' The wearing of armor implies that we are to be in a battle, not against flesh and blood, but against 'the powers of this dark world and the against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:11-12).' So, clothed with divine protection, let us not hesitate to charge into the fight and take what God would have us claim, the territory our enemy has occupied for far too long."

"I Try To Show the Schemers How Pathetic Their Attempts To Control Things Really Are."

2008-12-29T08:11:00.000-08:00

So says The Joker in last summer's #1 blockbuster The Dark Knight.
Even amidst many of the profound statements on morality and the human condition permeating the film, this one line really stood out to me. Personally, it really struck home with me.

See, since the unfortunate events surrounding the past year of my life, I've really made a serious effort to control things in my life, to be a "schemer." ;-)-

When everything falls apart, the natural human tendency seems to gravitate towards control. Whatever little corner of our lives that we can preserve, whatever sense of normalcy that we can perpetuate, we hold onto that like a dog holds on to a bone.

So, I've been trying to control as much of my future as possible. This applies to many areas of my life, but most noticeably, to me anyway, to my relationship with my girlfriend.

Yesterday it was like the scales dropped off my eyes and I saw how neurotic I was acting. I would perceive things that could cause future disagreements, and I would try to attack it then and there, to nip it in the bud so it wouldn't become a problem later on.

This isn't necessarily bad; it's good and advisable to look towards the future and plan ahead. A scene from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace comes to mind: the apprentice Obi-Wan tells his Master Qui-Gon, "Master Yoda says I should be mindful of the future," and Qui-Gon responds, "But not at the expense of the moment." (I know, some of you out there are probably laughing at my nerdiness, but what can I say? Movies make awesome parallels) This is so true!

My predicament was that I was focusing so much on preventing future problems, that that in itself became a problem!!! It's similar to when a hypochondriac worries so much about getting sick that he actually makes himself sick.

So, where am I going with all this? We can't go through life worrying about the future all the time..."Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

So, in conclusion, I am striving to put this verse into practice and let go of the reins. Vanessa and I had a really good talk about this yesterday and I felt that a lot of misconceptions were cleared up. Please pray that I will relinquish my neurotic control and trust God, knowing that if I "Commit to the Lord whatever I do, my plans will succeed." And that, of course, God has the ultimate blueprint to all life.

God Bless.

Shane

At The Convergence Of My Conflicting Desires, I Discover Who I Am...And Who I'm Becoming.

2008-11-27T18:45:00.000-08:00

This post will be more brutally honest than most. Since writing is the medium through which I express myself best, I've decided to type out my present circumstances, my thoughts on those circumstances, as well as all the conflicting desires and situations that I feel myself torn between.

Think of it as you would cleaning your room, where you lay everything out on the floor and decide whether it should be kept, replaced, or discarded.

In the past eight months or so, many changes have occurred in my life. My Dad left and my Mom is getting remarried, my ideas for a career have changed, my friends seem different than they once were, my brother moved out. Also, on a more positive note, I've found a terrific church body that has helped me grow in knowledge and closeness to God in leaps and bounds.

This dramatic transformation in such a short span of time has shown me things about myself I hadn't previously perceived. I've recognized buried fears, identified new strengths, and gained fresh perspective.

In regards to the fears, I've realized that I have an almost irrational fear of small arguments, of conflicts that could potentially snowball into bigger rifts. I see this as one of the primary factors that destroyed my parents' marriage, and so I take painstaking measures to ensure that this won't happen in the relationship I have with my girlfriend Vanessa. And in the few times it has happened, I feel terrible, as if the relationship is in jeopardy, when in all probability it's just something that needs to be talked over or just dropped.

Probably stronger than anything else, I fear that because I share many temperamental similarities with my Dad, I will make the same mistakes. I love my Dad, but I keep thinking that because I follow in his footsteps in regards to personality, I will step into the same holes. I feel this intense urge to shut down and try and withdraw my emotions so that no one can get at them, and therefore won't be able to hurt me with anything they do or say. However, this would eventually be problematic in my future and present relationships; plus, it's definitely not healthy. I feel an intense longing to be close to my girlfriend and one day my future kids. Because of the relatively little involvement my Dad had in my life growing up, I want to overcompensate. I want to really be there for my kids and future wife, and know their likes and dislikes. I want to be someone they want to emulate, that they look to as a model of godliness and fatherhood. I just constantly battle the fear that I will emulate the shortcomings of my father. With God's help, I will take the strong work ethic and resilience that my Dad gave me and add to them my Christian values and ideal of strong family involvement. I'll let my wife and kids know that I'm there for them and how much I love them regularly. I also fear rejection by peers. I didn't have the best high school experience; within my circle of friends I was shy and reserved, and felt ignored to a degree. I felt that I was different from many of my peers; my hobbies, my preferences, and my temperament set me apart from many of them. I always knew I was different than most of the kids my age, but I began to develop somewhat of a complex, if that's the correct term. I'm at the point now where I resist the idea of hanging out with anybody on a one-to-one basis, unless it's my closest friend Joel or my girlfriend Vanessa. I feel that I would bore others, that they wouldn't share the same appreciation for my hobbies and interests that I do. I know this isn't necessarily true, but I battle with it constantly. I do a little better in group settings, where multiple people take the pressure off. On a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, after all my homework is done and I am free for the day, if Vanessa or Joel isn't available to hang out, I look through my phone at the long list of contacts I have listed, but rarely call. Ninety-nine percent of the time, the courage to take the initiative and hang out with other friends fails me, and I end up cleaning my room or reading or watching a movie until well into the evening.
I like people, I really do. If I am invited to a party with friends, I will usually go. I just have a real hard time hanging out with those friends I haven't hung out with in a while. I love listening to and joking with and hanging out around all sorts of people, but at the same time I feel that my interests and hobbies would bore them. It's very complicated.

On a more positive note, on to the new strengths! Counterbalancing these excavated fears, I've discovered strengths I didn't previously recognize. For one, I've realized (and had several people confirm) that I am easy to talk to. I wouldn't have guessed that in a million years, but I guess I make people loosen up. Good news. Secondly, I've realized that God has given me a tremendous burden for others, a care for their well-being that I didn't previously know I had. Not that I'm a saint, but God blesses us all differently, and he's placed in my heart an extreme concern for the emotional well-being of others. In addition to this, he's blessed me with a new resilience and level of faith that has really helped me in these recent stressful situations. I can't claim any credit for this improvement, for Jesus "lifted me out of the pit, out of the mud and mire. He set me on rocky ground, and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth..." (Psalm 40:1-3)

I turn now to the aforementioned fresh perspective. As I grow older and my horizons slowly broaden, I come into contact with people and concepts that revolutionize my way of thinking.
Things that change the prescription in the lens through which I view the world, if you will.
Over the past year or so, the way I see things has changed somewhat dramatically.
For instance, as I progress in my spiritual journey into a closer and more complete understanding of the character of God, I've realized that he is not a God who is only interested in the big events of life, whose presence can only be felt through Bible reading and Sunday morning worship. I've come to experience for myself that He longs to be in constant communication with us, and that if we "draw near to Him, he will draw near to us," regardless of our circumstances or location. I've learned that he is infinitely powerful and desires to have us be one hundred percent satisfied in Him, and that when we extend that tiny bit of faith towards him, he will honor that and transform us in mighty ways. I know that he moves in mighty internal ways as well as in mighty external ways, as evidenced by the numerous healings I've seen within our church. I also have realized that He is a very personal God, who will speak to us directly through the Holy Spirit as well as his Word.

Aside from the church, as I read more of and talk more with people of different opinions, I come to think that everyone has something to teach us about ourselves. I can even glean insightful information from people I disagree with, when I "eat the meat and spit out the bones," so to speak. For instance, even though I disagree with Nietzsche's ideals of perspectivism and humanism, I still find the aphorism, "Sensuality often hurries the growth of love, so that the root is weak and easy to tear up," to be true. The moral of the story is that you can learn from everyone, even if you don't agree with them. At the very least, you can discover how best to not think and act. ;-)-

In conclusion, this post I think has differed significantly from many of my previous. I have attempted to lay out the recent changes, fears, and concerns in my life. Consider this not so much a plea for attention or help as a glimpse into the inner workings of my convoluted mind.
;-)-

God Bless,

Shane

Componenets Of A Spiritual Fitness Test.

2008-11-07T16:34:00.000-08:00

So, the last few weeks have been rather stressful.

First, a couple weeks ago I accidently overdosed on Codeine. I woke up in horrible pain, barely able to breathe. I contemplated calling an ambulance, but as it slowly got better I nixed that idea and went back to bed. The next morning I discovered I had accidentally overdosed. Apparently if I'd taken much more I could have died. Obviously, there is a loving God in heaven. ;-)-

Also, my brother moved out yesterday, along with two friends, into his newly purchased apartment. So, I am on the cusp of adjusting to life with just Mom and me.

Additionally, I'm worried about a few of my friends, who I haven't heard back from in a while.
With the economic crisis, it is doubtful that my Mom will be able to keep our house, where I've lived for the past 12 or so years. I don't make nearly enough money to move out on my own yet, being in school and only working part time. My Dad wants to buy the house from my Mom. That's still up in the air.

After this coming spring semester, I will graduate with an associate of arts degree. After the summer and intercession, I will also have earned my AS degree. I need to start visiting colleges. My best friend Joel and I are going to look at colleges together. We think it would be awesome if we could be roommates.

So, I have a lot revolving around the orbit of my mental cosmos. God is my strength in weakness, the everlasting hope in times of trouble. "Pray that I will continue to proclaim the gospel fearlessly, as I should."

God Bless.

Shane

"Respect Times Instruction" Is Not Commutative.

2008-09-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

You might notice the mathematical theme running through my recent posts. Geometry class will do that to you.

Learned some really cool lessons in Composition class today. We watched the made-for-TV movie The Ron Clark Story, a film about a teacher from North Carolina who transfers to Harlem to teach ghetto kids. Clark had had great success with his fifth-grade class in NC; all of his classes graduated with above-average test scores. But when he transfers to Harlem, his world is turned on its head.

Upon arrival, he is offered a position to teach the highest-scoring class in the school, but insteads decides to teach the class that consistently scores the lowest. In contrast to the well-behaved environment he maintained at home, here he encounters a class full of juvenile delinquents, gang members, 14 year-old mothers and 5th grade gamblers who push him to his absolute limit. The turnover in teachers is alarming, and the kids actually place bets for how long he'll stay.

Seeing the vandalized classroom and noting the mocking indifference of his students, he tries to impose order. He comes up with a list of rules, foremost of which is his declaration that they shall treat each other like a family. This means that when one person suffers, they all suffer.

In one scene, the mocking and unruly ringleader of the group, Shamika, characteristically belittles his rules. Clark calmly tells her to obey or none of the kids will get to eat lunch, because when one of the family members suffer, they all suffer. So, Shamika grudgingly obeys under the pressure of her classmates. This approach works for a little while and Clark is satisfied.

But soon the kids are back to their delinquent behavior, mocking him and his rules and doing as they please. He quickly realizes that the kids (and even the principal!) don't respect him one iota.

Frustrated, a dejected Clark decides on a new method. He learns their games and interests and appeals to the desperate need in their lives for a consistent authority figure. He begins to earn their respect, and they in turn begin to open up to his instruction.

He comprehends what Benjamin Franklin wrote long ago: "If you would persuade, speak of interest, not of reason." He sees that you must win respect before you can give instruction.

You may have a fantastic set of rules for maintaining order, you might have an irrefutable argument, but these tools mean nothing if you don't first win respect. "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

People may follow your rules, but they'll do so out of necessity rather than a commitment to your values. You might have achieved the desired result, but you took the shortcut, and you'll pay for that in the long run. The person obeys only out of convenience, or fear of the consequences. You haven't imparted anything.

I see this tying into 1) family life and 2) evangelism. In your family, if you lay down the law without first securing respect, you're in for long-term problems.
Your kids may comply with your instructions when you're there to enforce them, but if they never internalize the values you're trying to plant in them, they won't take any of your teachings to heart.

Similarly, in evangelism, you may have a perfect apologetic which, according to the evidence, no one could deny, but you haven't evaluated what you're up against. The human heart, with all its emotions and intricate wiring, can often override the logical response of the brain. So, if we're to redirect evangelism to aim for the heart rather than the head, we've got to win the respect first.
Winning a person's respect is like chipping out the first shoveful of dirt from the hard soil of all their defensive arguments and rationalizations, in order to get beyond the hard exterior to the soft earth, the real heart issues that lie underneath it all.

I desire to make a change in my relationships that accomodates this goal. I want people to know me as the person who really devoted himself to God and to his friends and being an encouraging and helpful presence in their lives, giving his all for them and those around him, more than just being known as the guy who had good arguments. The former is the better legacy by far.

God Bless!

Shane

I'm At the Junction of Practicality and Interest, Waiting for the Light to Turn Green...

2008-09-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

This blog will probably be pretty short and to the point, a refreshing change after my previous extended discussions. (Plus, it makes the reading this look less formidable to my audience when they see variety rather than a huge block of print, doesn't it? Lol)

Anyways, like I said, I'm currently idling at a crossroad in my life, trying to decide on a career. God has gifted me with the ability to write well, to paint pictures inside peoples' minds; but He's also given me a deep and abiding interest in human psychology, in motivation and in helping others.

I know, I know: I should write for a psychology journal. ;-)- Don't think that hasn't crossed my mind.

What has also crossed my mind in the past month, however, is how much I love people. Those of you that know me are probably perplexed at this problematic paragraph and its pretentious propositions (I absolutely adore alliteration, don't you? ;-)-; perhaps I can prevent some preconceptions and present some prescriptions. Lol.

I have a love for people. Not the love that an extrovert has for people, which manifests itself in being a social and outgoing person, but the love of a friend who really, truly wants to help his peers. I stand by my friends through good times and hard times, and love to try and encourage them as best I can.

I'm also extremely interested in leadership, especially during times of war. What makes men follow some leaders and desert others? What made men like Alexander the Great or William Wallace into heroes that were able to rally their men under their banner, in good times and bad times? What made men willingly charge into battle and die with them, without ever taking a backward step? Like I said, it's all very intriguing to me.

Please pray that I would recieve direction from God as to a career choice. May He bless you abundantly over this coming weekend and may you offer yourself to him as a soldier offers himself to his commander without fear, knowing that his captain is watching out for him.
God Bless.

Shane

Is Psychology Plus Writing Congruent to a Definite Career?

2008-09-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

So, this is my first blog in like seven months. My interest in it was rejuvenated because my cousin and friend from church both have accounts, as does my friend Liz. As you read the following posts, hopefully you will be struck by the many changes that have collaborated to alter my life in the past several months. I have undergone a transformation since my last writing, a shift in the way I see the world, in the way I percieve my friends, and in the way I approach my relationship with Jesus Christ. Happy reading...hopefully you will be inspired in your walk with God as well.

Anyways, because of time constraints, I won't bother to lay out here the entire backdrop to my recent epiphany. If you haven't heard the story already and are really curious, e-mail me for details.

Suffice it to say that I have seen the power of God at work in a big way, in a way that profoundly affected my outlook. Up until this point, I had been going through the motions of Christianity, "Honoring God with my lips, while my heart was far from Him." Though I knew of God's tremendous power as well as his incredible love, I largely kept this knowledge in my head, refusing to let it percolate down to my heart and really transform my life. In a way, it feels safer.

We can "know" about a lot of things, like the assasination of Abraham Lincoln or the boiling point of water, but these things don't compel a change in our lives. To truly "know" something in an intimate and involved way, to adhere to a set of principles or to devote yourself to an ideal, requires sacrifice and commitment.

This is the crucial step I refused to take for a couple years. God would make his presence known, would really reveal himself to me, and I would say "No, I'm quite comfortable here on the sidelines, thanks. The preview was alright, but I don't really want to sit through the feature presentation." As Neo, the conflicted hero of the Matrix Trilogy, would say "I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my life." We want a manageable Deity, an inflatable God if you will, someone we can take out of our pocket and inflate on Sunday, but if He ever gets too big, we can just let the air out and put him back in his place. See, we're all really control freaks at heart. ;-)- We're like the stubbornest Dad in the world, who absolutely refuses to surrender the remote control.

So, there I was, trying to struggle through life, putting my hopes in people and things that could never satisfy me, and wondering why my life sucked so bad.

It was only when God removed absolutely every crutch that I'd been leaning on, and ripped off every band-aid superficially covering my wounds, that I comprehended my own desperate condition. Lying on the ground, incapacitated, bleeding from my wounds, I realized the utter futility of my insubordination. There's a great quote from one of my favorite generals, taken from one of my favorite books, that sums up this reasoning well:

"Not until soldiers are surrounded do they each have the determination to resist the enemy and sustain victory. When they are desperate, they put up a united defense."

-Sun Tzu, from The Art of War

and also:

"Put them in a spot where they have no place to go, and they will die before fleeing. If they are to die there, what can they not do? Warriors exert their full strength. When warriors are in great danger, then they have no fear. When there is nowhere to go they are firm, when they are deeply involved they stick to it. If they have no choice, they will fight."

-Sun Tzu, from The Art of War

To put it simply, I was completely and royally stuck. But God had accomplished his purpose in causing me to forsake my foolish pride and acknowledge my inability to control my life. As C.S. Lewis wrote, "As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on people and things; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you can't see something that is above you." This expresses my pre-brokeness view perfectly. But, several months ago, I finally took my eyes off of MY life and MY problems and MY situation, and focused on God and the life He had in store for me.

There are only two things in this life that truly matter in the long run: God and people. How you relate to both of these determines your quality of life. Once you surrender your life to God, you'll begin to notice how you start to care more and more about the things the God of the Bible cares about. Also, the things that God values and the things that the world values are polar opposites, so by association people will see definite difference in you; in the way you act and in the way you approach life. This is your best witness, your primary weapon in the war for the souls of humanity.

In closing, I would encourage each of you to stop the car, get in the passenger seat and let God drive. Hand over the reins, and rest securely in the knowledge that he has the bird's eye view that sees trouble before it even materializes, and that he "knows what is best for you at all times."

God Bless!

Shane

Truth + Relationships = Good Witness

2008-02-12T15:41:00.000-08:00

Went to Founder's Week on Saturday to hear Josh McDowell speak.

The conference was held in an extremely opulent church constructed back in the 1800s. The impressive, expansive sanctuary had awesome acoustics, which served the well-dressed choir well, carrying every note clearly to the thousand-plus audience.
The girls were dressed in either black or red dresses, and all the guys wore tuxes. The pit orchestra was excellent as well (not that that means much coming from me, a non-musician).
;-)-

While all this was impressive, the message that Josh presented reminded me that even with today's impressive seminars, church buildings and presentations, the church still boils down to one essential ingredient: "believers in our Lord Jesus Christ."

The main theme that he stressed throughout his speech was "truth in the context of relationships." He drove home the point of how we can shove the truth down people's throats, we can be right, we can win arguments, but "if we don't have love, we are nothing."

Consider this: Jesus "had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him." (Isaiah 53:2) What was it that caused so many to pay attention to Jesus's witness? Was it the impressive majesty of his surroundings? Somehow I doubt the hillsides he preached on inspired the awe of some of the jaw-dropping structures of his day.
Did he employ a popular band that topped the Billboard Tablets to draw his crowds? Uh, sorry, but no.

What caused so many people to pay attention to Jesus's witness was, partly, that he went against the grain. Rather than judge people against an elitist, impossible-to-live-up-to rulebook like the other religious leaders of his day, Jesus showed his love for the individual people around him by healing them, instructing them, and, ultimately, dying for them (and us!!!)

Now don't misunderstand, seminars, bands, and church buildings can be very instrumental in winning souls and discipling people. They just shouldn't be the emphasis. After all, we live in an entertainment culture. We're bombarded by an onslaught of television, radio, and other media almost 24/7. People get tired of entertainment. They hop from one thing to another looking for REALISM. That is, truth in the context of relationships.

Aha! Now we've finally come full circle.

Iamgine what our youth groups and churches would be like if we as a church, corporately and individually, changed our focus from entertainment and programs to meaningful relationships with others around us, with God as the center.

You would see less of the "clique-ish" behavior that unfortunately characterizes many youth groups.

Rather than seeijng people take up a seat on Sunday morning and return home unfulfilled, you would see people returning home with their needs met, motivated to change the world around them, knowing that God as well as a strong group of believers has got their backs.

You would consequently see the world sit up and take notice at the paradigm shift in the church, and more and more people would see the church as a sincere group of believers, willing to stand alongside them through their troubles as well as instruct them in their Christian walk.

With this in mind, make it a point this week to get involved with the people around you in a meaningful way, sharing God's truth in the context of relationships. Realize that the best thing you can give your peers isn't cutting edge entertainment or a killer performance, but rather time well spent, devotion to the individual people that will cause the world around you to sit up and take notice of how much you care for them. Remember, there are only two things that matter in this world: God and people (and in that order!). God Bless.

Shane

Of Psalms and Homework-Inspired Horror Films (But Mostly Psalms). ;-)-

2008-02-05T16:36:00.000-08:00

Has anybody out there been feeling really crummy lately, like hardly anybody gives a rip about ya? Unfortunately, that's been my attitude lately. But on Monday night, I picked up my Bible for the first time in a long time (at least, in a non church-related environment). I found some really cool encouragement in Psalm 73 and 77. Psalm 73 reads:

Surely God is good to Israel,

to those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;

I had nearly lost my foothold.

For I envied the arrogant

when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

They have no struggles;

their bodies are healthy and strong.

They are free from the burdens common to man;

they are not plagued by human ills.

Therefore pride is their necklace;

they clothe themselves with violence.

From their callous hearts comes iniquity;

the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.

They scoff, and speak with malice;

in their arrogance they threaten oppression.

Their mouths lay claim to heaven,

and their tongues take possesion of the earth.

Therefore their people turn to them

and drink waters in abundance.

They say, "How can God know?

Does the Most High have knowledge?"

This is what the wicked are like-

always carefree, they increase in wealth.

Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure;

in vain I have washed my hands in innocence.

All day long I have been plagued;

I have been punished every morning.

If I had said, "I will speak thus,"

I would have betrayed your children.

When I tried to understand all this,

it was oppressive to me

till I entered the sanctuary of God;

then I understood their final destiny.

...Yet I am always with you;

you hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will take me into glory.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever.

I was literally just flipping through Psalms on Monday night, and this Psalm just encouraged me so very much. It's my favorite Psalm now. ;-)- The section in bold illustrates exactly the way I've thought for the past six months or so. It's so awesome to find a passage that describes your life perfectly; it's so encouraging amidst times of trial. But you know what? I probably would never have gotten this encouragement if my amazingly incredible girlfriend Vanessa had not encouraged me to read my Bible earlier that day. This just illustrated to me how important it is for us as Christians to have like-minded friends that will encourage us in our walk with Christ and not distract us from it. Something to think about. Anyways, I just thought I'd share that with y'all, hope it encourages ya. Anyways, I g2g...there's a voice in the back of my head whispering to me : "Do your homework, or else!!!" ;-)- Like something out of a low-budget but yet still oddly freaky horror film. Weird. Maybe Quentin Tarantino and Eli Roth should stop making gory slashers and produce a film based on the aftermath of students not doing their homework and watching it all pile up, until they're finally, exonerably buried alive in an ever-deepening grave of college ruled notebook paper and exams. I think the Jigsaw Killer would be far freakier if he simply assigned unrealistic, ridiculous amounts of complex homework to his victims as part of his sick, twisted games. Jason, meet your match: the homework-obsessed college professor. Lol. TTYL.

Slim Shaney

New Year's Resolution

2007-12-31T19:49:00.000-08:00

I kill myself every time

That I look away from You

I often gaze upon a moment

Inside the scars re-open

Bleeding again

Then I find

It's at my request!!!

Freely given and we choose

The choice to lose

(As these scars are screaming in pain)

Just have we chosen poorly

Could this be our chance to see

That we need You?

Instead of following our means

WHEN I HIT THE GROUND

MY BLOODY PALMS ARE RAISED

THE ARMS THAT PICK ME UP CONVINCE ME

THERE'S NO BETTER PLACE!!!

-Staple

Right now, you my audience are probably wondering what the heck prompted me to start this post off with the song lyrics. Well, first I'll tell ya a little bit about the band, then explain my reason for including their lyrics.

Staple is one of my fave bands right now. Though they unfortunately broke up not too long ago, their music lives on. For those Christians out there who, like me, have long craved a quality alternative to mainstream hard rock bands Korn and Slipknot, these guys are the real deal. Theirs is a unique brand of hard music, with heavier guitars than TFK, Pillar, or P.O.D., with a striking similarity to the revolutionary, incredibly unprecedented heavy guitars of Korn, paired with a strong vocalist not afraid to scream his lungs out one moment, then transition to hauntingly smooth vocals the next.

What separates these guys from thier mainstream counterparts, of course, is their lyrics. They're not afraid to venture into dark areas often left untouched by contemporary Christian music, such as lust, bitterness, and loneliness, you know, the real issues that real people deal with. They also aren't afraid to run to God for help.

And now we get to the point of this post. As I mentioned in the preceding post, I've felt very ineffective in my Christian walk lately. More accurately, I've felt crummy for trying to point my friends away from their destructive habits, like I'm acting like their parents or something and they don't wanna hear it. But tonight, through a conversation with my parents, I came to realize that that's price for going against the crowd, or more specifically, being a follower of Christ.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

-Matthew 5:11-12

I'm not gonna lie, internally I've had a horrible last couple of months. I've felt more lonely than I ever have in my life, like I hit rock bottom. I've felt totally worthless and ineffective, as nearly all of my old Christian friends fall into temptations and bad habits, not caring for anything but the moment. My good-intentioned, gentle reprimands were always met with laughter and scorn, and people I thought I knew turned around and walked away from their principles, apparently not realizing how much I cared, and still care for, these old friends of mine.

I know, it' so easy for people who haven't experienced the horrible ache of a "rock-bottom experience" to say that God is just "using that time to bring you closer to Him," but honestly that has been a result of my ordeal.

For the first time since I started fighting this battle, I feel a clear sense of purpose, of God telling me to just seek His will, not caring for the thoughts of others who could care less.

During this trial, He's given me two very special blessings: 1) My amazing girlfriend Vanessa, and 2) a sizable group of potential friends who aren't afraid to let their faith impact the people and the world around them.

Alright, now I gotta brag on my girlfriend. My intention is not to torture you singles out there, but to let you know that even as you might feel crummy without a boyfriend or girlfriend, waiting for the right one truly IS WORTH IT.

In the past eight months that we've been together, she has been such an encouragement to me, words don't even cover it. Right before we met, I was dealing with a lot of rejection and hurt, and then God brought us together. To make a long story short, we've been together eight months and I just am so happy to have the privilege of knowing such an amazing woman, as well as being her boyfriend.

I admire many different things about her, but one of them at the top of my list is the infectiousness of her faith in God. Every time we hang out, she encourages me to dig deeper in God's word, and stay connected to Him. She not only does this with her words, but in the way she dresses, as well as how she behaves.

Guys, when you find a woman like this, don't you dare let her get away!!!

A woman who posseses these qualities is "worth far more than rubies." Now, I know a lot of you guys have heard this verse and are rolling your eyes, thinking, "Yeah, but if God wanted me to behave that way, then why in the world did he make me 1% tender and 99% hormone-crazed?!?!" Well, unfortunately,I don't have the answer to that question any more than any of you, but I do know that having a girlfriend who is dedicated to helping you keep a pue mindset is essential to staying pure. You may think "Yeah, but put the nice, goody-two-shoes Christian chick and the drop-dead grogeous, swimsuit model/cheerleader/babe-of-the-year type in front of me, and it's safe to say I won't choose the former." Well, let me just tell you this: that girl who struts her stuff all over school may seem awesome now, but just wait. Think about her sixty years from now. I'm really sorry for those who will now be haunted with nightmares about their girlfriends instead of daydreams, but seriously, in sixty years will she be worth it, when that oh-so-incredible bod makes your wrinkly Aunt Thelma look like Miss America?!?!

Thing is, going into "every man's battle" with a girl who presses you to give up your innocence is like taking your worst enemy into war as backup. Sooner or later you're gonna get stabbed in the back. If all the girl is after is immediate gratification, then what happens when Mr. Teenage Studmaster comes along?

Make sure the girl you're with has your best interests in mind in the area of purity.

Most importantly, make sure that she shares your beliefs. It makes it so much easier to make it through when the going gets tough. It's been eight months, and Vanessa and I haven't so much as yelled at each other yet! "Honesty and openess are key," a friend once told me. It's true!!!

The little things that this woman does (listening when I'm down, packing me a lunch, hanging out with me, listening to me drone on about the awesomeness of the TV show LOST, or the fatal flaws of socialist thinking, or the brilliant military strategy of Sun Tzu, or scores other topics that normal people find incredibly fascinating ;-)- just amaze me. And when we hang out together, the wya that she compliments me makes me feel like a superhero!!! Half the time I don't feel like I deserve such an incredible person as a girlfriend, and I thank God all the time for her.

My point in bringing Vanessa up is that everyone needs a close friend, whether it's their girlfriend or not is irrelevant. There are people out there that feel like zeros, like just one person in a sea of faces, like they can't go on another day. I know; I've been there. But you can simply call out to God and ask for Him to direct your life, and He will. You might have to experience pain first, but He will bring you to a place of dependence on Him. A member of my old Aikido club had a saying that I thought was cool: "You need the fire to make the sword." In other words, hard times make you stronger; they help you build spiritual muscle to defend against the attacks of the evil one. So, no matter how hard things might seem right now, no matter how bleak and hopeless the situation, make your New Year's resolution to live your life for Jesus and "God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." -Phillipians 4:19

God Bless and Happy New Year!!!

Shane

Walk the Walk, Don't just Talk the Talk!

2007-12-27T09:44:00.000-08:00

Wazzup party people. Been a while. But now I have time to write, since I'm on Break. ;-)-

Last night me and my bro stayed out 'til 2:00 in the morning. We saw I Am Legend, ate out, visited one of our friends wo was working, and played Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (which trumps Halo 3 in every way possible) well into the wee hours of the morning with our friend Tyler. It was fun. I was able to get through the night with the aid of Full Throttle (an energy drink which is a lot better than Monster or RockStar-it tastes like juiced gummy bears!!! And it's good for you, too. Heh heh, J/K) But I stayed awake! ;-)-

As cool as it was, I was still a little troubled. My friends all seem to have dropped their principles by the wayside. Sex jokes, immorality, and ungodliness permeate all conversations and subject matter. Not that I've never laughed at a bad joke, but I'm sincerely trying to "be an imitator of God," and "live a life of love," just as God commands us in Ephesians 5.
This passage goes on to say, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light...and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them."

I believe that the church at large (at least, what I've experienced) has neglected passages of this kind. Why? Perhaps because they're comfortable giving the same feel-good sermons every week, preaching to a congregation that's grown up on these kind of messages.

In my mind, messages of this kind do little good in helping Christians be effective witnesses in the world around them. Many of my friends who have grown up in these environments seem to take up a seat every Sunday, and then go about their week just as any non-believer would.
Christians have to some degree "created their own ghettos." They put on their masks on Sunday, then remove them the rest of the week.

I think the tragic truth is that many of these kids see the Christian life as a subculture of sorts. You know, Christian concerts, Christian movies, WWJD bracelets, the like. None of these are bad things, they just need not be the extent of the faith of Christian young men and women.

Many of my Christian friends (I won't name names) are sleeping around, drinking, etc., with no thought whatsoever towards the wrongfulness of these actions. I just don't like seeing them doing those sorts of things to themselves. It's not my intention AT ALL to merely point out others faults for the sake of seeming "Holier-than-Thou." These actions bother me.

I've tried to follow Galatians 6:1 "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him GENTLY." I feel strongly, though, that I'm not having much of an impact.
It's like my friends see me as some goody-two-shoes or something. I'm routinely, directly excluded from conversations. Like last night, my brother and my friend told me I had to stand back over here while they had a conversation in low voices over there. When I asked my brother why that was later on, he said because it was a personal thing of my friends. Uh, if it's personal, then how come this friend talked to my brother about it? No, the truth is that they were talking about something that this friend and my brother didn't feel comfortable sharing with me. This happens a lot, and it's honestly annoying. I'm not the type to go "tell" on people (I mean even if I was, I'm eighteen, you think I would have outgrown that habit by now!!!), so what gives???

I'm routinely excluded from conversations and gatherings b/c my friends know I would have a problem with watching a gory slasher or sexually immoral movie or because I don't approve of their nasty jokes. The only people who I feel truly want me around are my girlfriend and my friend Joel. The rest invite me to parties occasionally, but everytime I've gone to one I've felt very ignored except for a few isolated instances, so I thought "forget that" and just stopped going.

I'm really trying to be a good witness and walk the walk as well as talk the talk, but I feel as if I'm having zero influence.

People always tell me that people's opinion doesn't matter, and I know it doesn't in the big picture, but most of the time I don't think these people know what it means to feel rejected by almost all of your old friends. Are people afraid I'm going to bite their heads off or something? I feel like a total reject. Does anyone agree? Can I get an amen here? The last several months I've been battling dark thoughts and feelings of worthlessness. I'm having real troube with this, as more and more of my friends backslide into bad choices and I feel ineffective because of it. Though I won't stop praying and caring about these friends, I'm in need of friends that share my views. Pray for me that I can GET UP THE NERVE to give these people a call, and stop having depreciating thoughts about myself.

The following song has helped me greatly through these thoughts, reminding me to keep holding on. It's by 38th parallel, a now non-existent Christian alternative rock band that never got near the amount of recognition they deserved:

Days grow long and the days grow dark and the days grow ever colder

The trust that I started with frays as I get older

The road is hard it seems to me there is no way around this

From all You've done for me I know you'll never break your promise

So you're at the end of this day

Where the world is shaded in gray

I will look to blue horizons

And watch for You to come

When my hope is tattered and torn

When my faith is weathered and worn

I look to the blue horizons

(Whatever you say, have me go I'll go, whatever you say, I'll go)

I look to the blue horizons

38th parallel, "Horizon"

Please continue to pray for me as I strive to "fight the good fight." God Bless.

Shane

"What Are You Gonna Do Today, Napoleon?" "Whatever The Flip I Feel Like Doing, Gosh!!!"

2007-11-09T16:52:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I've posted (almost a month). This is a consequence of the school-and-work-related stress I'm under right now, which is also a large part of the body of this post.

So, as I sit here at my computer, fumbling a bit with the more compact and less familiar keyboard of a laptop while listening to Freddie Mercury sing "Bohemian Rhapsody," (seriously, after listening to him sing every other rock singer suddenly seems like an amateur, lol) in the back of my mind hover thoughts of daunting homework assignments. I'm spending Sunday with my gf, and so that leaves the rest of tonight, a good deal of tomorrow, and a good portion of Monday to complete my Computer Literacy and Spanish assignments. Luckily, I was able to complete some of my Spanish homework last night (another one bites the dust!!!-which is Queen's finest song in my opinion, but that's beside the point). ;-)- Anyways, I'm getting an A in Computer Literacy and Math. In fact, I got an A in my latest Math exam, which made me very very happy. I kinda obsess over my hw as of late, I think. It's always on my mind, which is never fun. In fact, it's so much on my mind that I think I will stop talking about it and turn my attention to something else, thank you very much. ;-)-

Back to classic rock. I honestly think the classic artists such as Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen and the like are the best music that ever was and ever will be. You just can't find music as good anymore. It seems to me that this music is so much easier to relate to than the stuff that'sut out today, even though today's stuff is from my generation. Back in the day, there were love songs that, it seems to me, most people could relate to. Now, we have shock rockers like Marilyn Manson and Korn, who explicitly advocate murder, suicide, and hateful thinking. It just seems crazy that thirty years we had love songs (and sure, songs about drugs and sex as well, which aren't all that great), but now the artists who top the charts sell hateful idealogies, full of cussing and drugs and violence to millions around the globe. I guess it all had to do with "the downward spin of this planet," as my gf refers to the steady moral decline that characterizes our society.
But anyway, rap and emo will eventually pass away, while these rock gods of the past generation (Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, etc.) continue to inhabit the stereos of kids thirty years later. They have a kind of longevity that I don't think the majority of our artists will ever have, no matter how much time passes.

Anyway, there's my little lecture on music. Let's see, what else is there to post about...oh yes, I'm very much looking forward to the release of Showbread's fourth album, sometime in the Spring. It's been titled Anorexia Nervosa, and is actually two discs containing a total of 24 tracks, according to their website. They say that it is different from AOR (which loyal members of the Reptilian Empire know wasn't very well recieved), as well as No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical. The sweet part is that it is actually the sound track to a story that constitutes the two ten-chapter booklets of the album. Knowing that Josh Dies is a suspense/horror writer as well as lead singer/screamer of the band, it should be very interesting to see what they came up with. I can't wait. Raw rock kills forever. ;-)-

Anyways, umm...I know I should have more to write about, but I don't know where to start...
been kinda quiet lately (I mean, more than usual. ;-)- Not much goes on in a small town, and my life is somewhat boring. I've been struggling more again with the prob I outlined in Conformity vs. Popularity. I think that Satan keeps beating me over the head with the idea that I don't have anything to offer. My iPod, books, manga, and movies are my constant companion as a result, but I've been making greater strides into the realm of the sociable!!! I got to help out with an outreach for single parents at my college recently, which was cool. Hey, are there any of you out there who are obsessed w/ the Matrix movies, Ted Dekker books, loud Christian music, Napoleon Dynamite, manga, LOST, or Aikido??? If so, drop by and show some love!!! It'd be AWESOME to connect w/ people who share these interests of mine. ;-)-

Anyways, I'm out.

Slim

P.S. TFK rocks! I didn't use to like their album The Art of Breaking, but it sort of grew on me.
Hurt, Hand Grenade, and Hit the Floor are some of my fave tracks.

iPod/TV/xBox = life support??? Houston, we have a problem!!!

2007-10-19T20:22:00.000-07:00

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

-Aristotle

"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the level of thinking we were at when we created them."

-Albert Einstein

Tonight I attended a meeting at my Pastor's house, to start a series on spiritual warfare. While the discussion mainly revolved around what the Bible had to say about demons, the demonic influences in the world today, etc., there was also some talk about the competition for our attention between two major forces: God's will for our lives and the temptations and deceptions of the evil one. This eventually led to talk of how what we take in through our media has a great effect on us, and has the potential to pull us away from God.

As tobyMac observes:

"It is a daily struggle to walk with God in our modern society. There are so many things competing for the attention of our hearts and minds."

He's absolutely right. I know this topic is often exhausted in Christian circles, but it's one that needs to be addressed.

This evening, my Pastor shocked most of us in attendance when he told us that, excluding "The Passion of the Christ," he has not seen a movie in a movie theater for thirty years. He also chooses to watch very little television and doesn't own an iPod or portable CD player ("Oh, the horror!!!" I thought ;-)-. He states that he's realized that his life's purpose is to hear from and follow God. Accordingly, he's put the things of the world on the backburner. He doesn't advocate these seemingly drastic steps for everyone; it's just a personal choice of his in his quest to better follow God.

While he didn't necessarily recommend this practice for us, he got me thinking.
Putting all the subliminal, anti-Christian messages in many of today's films and music aside, think simply of the amount of time that is devoted to these activities in the average American household. Consider this:

-The average teen hears 10,500 hours of music between grades 7 and 12. That's more than fourteen months nonstop.

-Boom, A Guy's Guide To Growing Up

I've also heard that the television is on for approximately seven hours a day in the average American household. Point is, we live in a media-driven culture.

Now to the quotes at the top of the page. These two intellectual heavyweights made observations which I think all of us could learn from today: Our habits have a great affect on us, and if we wish to conquer our problems, we need to change the way we see them.

Specifically relating to the Aristotle quote, I think that if we all really think about it than we are forced to admit that our habits eventually produce noticeable results. For instance, a bodybuilder who adheres to a regimen of strength training will build muscle mass, and a person who overeats and doesn't exercise will gain weight. These are simple, demonstrable examples of how habits affect us.

Even though we hate to admit it, the same is true for our thought life. What you believe determines how you behave; this has been the case all through history. Hitler was convinced that the Germans were the superior race that deserved to rule the world; this belief in Aryan supremacy caused him to facilitate the Holocaust.
President Bush believed that Saddam Hussein was a threat to us; this conviction compelled him to send troops into Iraq to search for him.

I've realized that I, as an American whose been raised and immersed in an ectremely affluent and privileged society, I've bought into the lie that my reason to live is for my own fulfillment and entertainment.
Finally realizing this, I decided that I would eliminate the influence of my iPod, music, and television for a week and see how it impacts me. For instance, if I break into a cold sweat and start experiencing withdrawal symptoms, this might be a clue that I listen to my iPod a little too much. Lol.

As I said before, it's not just the impact of negative media influences that concern me; but the amount of time in my daily life that is devoted solely to my entertainment, when I could be learning something or doing something for the kingdom of God. Seriously, I think this test will free me to focus more on God than the myriad of entertainment choices all around me, and that it'll cause a shift in my thinking, similar to what Einstein observed.

Though I wouldn't go as far as to say that everyone should do this, I'd encourage you my audience to give it a shot. See if you hear from God more clearly, or if you simply have a more productive week. God Bless.

Shane

Mission trips, Mexico, and Country Music

2007-10-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

Ever notice how good we have it here in America?

I know we as church kids here this all the time, but have you ever seriously thought about it? Recently I've been seriously thinking about taking a missions trip to Mexico City. I went a couple years ago to Mexico City to visit some friends, and the level of poverty there is heart-breaking. People living under pieces of aluminum, people passed out in the streets. It really hits me hard as an American, 'cuz I typically don't see that kind of thing here.

In case you haven't seen the news recently, horrible stuff happens in the world. Poverty, wars, Paris Hilton getting thrown in jail. However, a lot of the time our wealth and our security here in the land of the free and the home of the brave insulates us from this fact. We tend to see these things as more of a cause that we give money to on Sundays, rather than harsh reality.

The truth is, the abscence of the wealth and the consumer culture we have here often breeds a higher dependence on God. When I went to Mexico City a couple years back, I visited a house church up in the mountains that my friends were leading. I'll never forget it.

These people, about forty of them, were meeting in an abandoned shell of a house several miles from civilization. They hardly needed the few lanterns they had, because sunlight streamed in through numerous large gaps in the ceiling. There was no insulation, no plumbing, no electricity. Rebar showed through everywhere you looked. Try to imagine a cement basement, completely unfurnished and stripped down to the bare minimum, and you'll have some idea of what it was like.

Though these people were dirt poor, with little more than the clothes on their backs, when they heard we Americans were coming, they pooled what little money they had and put togehter a buffet of sorts. Their hospitality almost moved me tears, as I thought about how many times my selfishness and greed had gotten in the way of showing generosity like this. They offered my Mom some food with peanut butter in it, and she refused, because she had a near-deadly allergy to peanut butter. So, instead of just geting her something else, they gathered around and prayed for her, and she was healed of the peanut allergy (we didn't find out until we got home...the peolople we stayed with thought we had better be safe than sorry, since there was no hospital for miles around. Oh us of little faith! ;-)-

These people were also totally unashamed to worship God. I mean, they were throwing themselves down in the dirt, thanking Him for their lives. It was a very moving experience, not just because of the emotion involved, but because of the obviousness of their total, daily dependence upon God to supply all their needs.

We in Amercia oftentimes have a much smaller view of God then this, and yet we have all the freedom we could ever want to worship Him. And just think; in other countries people are tortured for their belief in God, and yet the Gospel manifests itself there in ways that America has yet to see!!!

I mean, honestly, the closest thing we have to torture here in America is country music. And while listening to Toby Keith drawl on about losing his girlfriend, his pickup truck, and his new jean jacket may induce almost unbearable pain and suffering, we still have the option of changing the station (thank you God!!!).

Seriously, spend some time today thinking about how you can impact your Christian brothers and sisters around the world, be it through an offering or through a missions trip. If you ever get the chance, I would heartily encourage you to go visit a foreign country someday. To me, a kid who's lived on a three-acre farm nearly his whole life, the sights, smells, and sounds of one of the largest cities in the world certainly was eye-opening. The bst part by far, though, was being deeply inspired by visiting these brothers and sisters in the faith, who forever changed my perception on what it truly means to give your all to God. God Bless.

Shane

Video Games and Japanese Animation Go Hand-In-Hand!

2007-10-10T11:05:00.001-07:00

Don't bother looking for a deep spiritual parallel in this post, because there isn't one. This is just some surface stuff about me and some of the stuff I've done over the week.

Well for starters, last night me and the bro were over at Mark's house and I played Halo 3 for the first time. Before anybody can raise any possible questions about the total supremacy of this third edition over the first two, I will shout you all down and say "IT WAS TOTALLY FREAKING AMAZING!!!" Lol it was awesome. I got Mark with a rocket launcher a few times, mwhaha.
;-)- The new vechiles and weapons are definitely a step up from the first two installations in the series, to say nothing of the graphics. I particualrly enjoyed the addition of the gravity hammer and the elephant. ;-)- So, basically, it was absofreakinlutely incredible. ;-)-

I also read my first manga on Monday. For those of you who don't know, manga is Japanese for "comic book." Though I'm not a huge fan of anime, the art in manga is amazing because it conveys so clearly what the characters are thinking and feeling. I read 200 pages in one hour.

My good buddy Jared recommended BLACK CAT, a Shonen Jump title, for me. I trusted him that it was clean, and it is. It was written and drawn by Kentaro Yabuki.

Beware of the dark side of the manga, however. Most of them are rated, so make sure to check the ratings! They have some unbelievably over-the-top stuff in some of them, but the clean ones are really cool! The Matrix was hugely influenced by Japnese animation, as the Wachowski brothers are huge anime and manga aficionados. ;-)-

Anyways, my only deep thought for this post is that I might be going on a missions trip pretty soon. Please pray that I would recieve direction as to whether or not I'm supposed to go, because it is a huge financial and time commitment.

God Bless.

Slim Shaney

So That You May Understand The Complex Infrastructure Known As The Female Mind

2007-10-05T09:59:00.000-07:00

Please note: To any ladies reading this post, it is not my intention to offend. I simply wish to state an observation I've made recently in the interest of helping my fellow brothers in Christ better understand women. I would be pleased if you women commented on this and gave me your views.
(This has been a public service announcement brought to you courtesy of Shane. Thank you and happy reading.)

All of us guys have experienced the phenomenon known as "nagging." Whether it revolves around cleaning your room, taking out the trash, or "for the last time stop standing with the refrigerator door open!!!," most of us guys can relate.

My Mom, it seems, has a black belt in this ancient art practiced for centuries by females all over the globe. I would be lying if I said it didn't get under my skin a lot of the time. I'll be perfectly honest: when my mother tries to tell me what I should be doing, how I should be doing it and when I should be doing it, as childish as it may seem, I often take offense.

Chalk it up to male pride. I'm guessing a lot of you, the male constituents in my audience, have dealt with the same issue. Whenever a woman (our mothers or anyone else for that matter) tries to tell us that we're doing something wrong, we go on the defensive. We think, "Why is she still giving her opinion? Doesn't she know that I heard her point the first time? Besides, I've already got everything under control!!!"

Now let's switch gears for a second. Every guy knows how frustrating it is when you know that a girl has something on her mind, but whenever you ask her what it is she just says, "Oh, nothing." This is as frustrating to us as three weeks worth of algebra tests, because it interferes with our God-given desire to be a protector and provider. If you won't tell us what the problem is (and a lot of the time this means spelling it out, because the truth is we guys aren't typically as intuitive as you ladies), then we feel helpless, even unwanted.

Recently my girlfriend made a comment about how, biblically, women are supposed to be a man's helper, and that it really encouraged her when I noticed some of the things that she would do to help me and when I accepted her help. Just this morning I got slapped upside the head with the realization that maybe, just as we men have a God-given Protector/Provider instinct, perhaps women have a God-given Helper instinct. And just think, if it frustrates us so much when they refuse to tell us what their problems are, how much might it frustrate them when we refuse their help and advice???

Truth be told, it took an angry shouting match with my Mom to bring this fact to light. :-(- It all seems so cut-and-dried, but in reality it is so unbelievably hard to accept this well-intentioned help from a female.

In order to do this, we need to let go of our pride and let women help us when we need it. I'm not saying that we need to do everything their way all the time, just that we need to be sensitive to their suggestions. Let's let women be women and exercise their Helper instincts, and then maybe when they see our sensitivity in taking their suggestions into account, they'll feel more receptive to letting us exercise our Protector/Provider instincts.

God Bless.

Shane

Randori For Everyday Life

2007-10-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

Close your eyes. Now imagine your face bright red, your breathing heavy, your heart pounding, your palms sweating. You feel totally helpless in the face of your predicament.

No, I'm not referencing the scenario I outlined in "Misconceptions Concerning the Female Species," though most honest guys would attest that these symptoms are often part of talking with women.

This is martial arts class.

You're kneeling at the edge of the tatami, or mat, covering the floor of your dojo. Tonight you and your cohei practice randori, or freestyle attack. Assembled in a straight line, silently solemn, a handful of your toughest opponents sit opposite you. The tension is so thick that you can feel it in the air your lungs are yearning for, as well as the sweat that drenches you, running down your forehead and into your eyes, blinding you. Your sensei, though he knows your feelings from experience, is unsympathetic.

He barks out one short command, and the action begins.

You rise to your feet in unison with your adversaries, who are dashing towards you even as they stand.
You redirect the first attack, a punch to the stomach, just in time to blend with the second and throw your attacker to the floor. The other two run for you, but you push the first two into them, checking their rush for those vital few seconds you need to regain your stance. You don't plan, you act. As your attacker brings the knife edge of his hand at your nose, again you blend with the attack, utilizing his momentum and knocking him on his back. A short sprint backwards permits you to gather yourself and once again engage your opponents.

You are aware that your greatest asset in a fight of this nature is not your strength, nor your speed; it's your
movement. Without the ability to dodge an attack, deprived of the space to redirect your enemies into each other, you would be helpless in the face of their onslaught. You make good use of this vital weapon, and no matter how fast your opponents come at you you flicker in and out, like flame. The attacker who a second ago saw an exposed back as you dealt with his comrade now rushes straight into your outstretched palm.

Your adversaries thought they had that rear naked choke locked in; but you dropped to your knees and threw them to the mat, disappearing, then resurfacing behind them victorious. And then, as quickly as it began, it's over. Your Sensei congratulates you on your strategy, and you leave with a smile on your face, triumphant in your victory.

As I participated in this scenario earlier tonight, I couldn't help thinking that it parallels life very closely.

In a fight involving more than one attacker, you cannot afford to focus on one adverasy. As soon as you start to do that, you forfeit all chance of winning. You start patting yourself on the back for that great arm bar you just applied, and then before you know it two other men are jumping on top of that back you're busy patting. ;-)-

Neither can you expect to take on everybody at once. No, what you must do is utilize movement to rush one man, then throw him into his buddy. You're then free to attack the third attacker. You do this while remaining aware of everything that's going on around you. My fellow practitioners call this "disconnecting."

You "connect" when you focus attention on one attacker; too much connection means trouble.

In life, a million different things compete for your attention at once. You have to go to work, while coping with the fact that your girlfriend dumped you, and nagging at you in the back of your mind is that math homework that's due tonight, which you thought would be done by now but you thought wrong, and now you have to cancel the plans you made with your best friend three weeks ago.

How do you cope with it all?!?!

Well, as with randori, you can't let it all pile up at once. You have to be able to take one thing at a time, and put thiose future plans and projects on a timer in the back of your head somewhere.

You have to have the freedom to "move around," in other words rearrange things when they don't turn out the way you think they should.

Unlike randori, our strongest asset here isn't our movement. It's Jesus Christ.

"For I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13). While God doesn't promise that we won't have problems in life, He can help take the stress out of it for us!!! All we have to do is ask. When life leaves you feeling smashed flatter than a tortilla run over by a 400 pound truck driver driving a huge eighteen wheeler carrying a bunch of well-fed sumo wrestlers, just give it to Him and see what He does with it.

Disconnect from your busy world for a few minutes today and connect with God.
Don't worry; He's got your back. ;-)-

God Bless.

Shane

Conformity vs. Popularity

2007-10-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

I'm short on time so, consequently, this post will also be short.

Lately I've begun to wonder if I'm too serious. It almost seems like I've got a serious case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde going on sometimes. I tend to enjoy things that none of my other peers do (Seinfeld, ancient history, and books on psychology to name a few), which makes me feel very distant from them most of the time.
I do have the capacity to spend my time in the most trivial ways, playing PS2, shooting hoops, or watching SpongeBob SquarePants, which almost has all the educational value of Silly Songs with Larry.

But on another level, I tend to crave serious conversation with my peers, and almost loathe discussions exclusively revolving around the mundane. I spent most of the past four years of my life talking about nothing but music, movies and video games with my closest friends, and I've gotten to the point where that just doesn't do it for me anymore.

I find myself wondering lately, Am I normal? Does my appreciation of my parent's music (Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, etc) label me as a throwback from the past generation? Does my appreciation of things like ancient history, Psychology, and politics render me stuffy and boring in the eyes of my peers?

And then I begin to ask myself another question...what IS normal, and do I really want to obtain it?

Our culture tells us that to be normal is to like the same big bands that millions of people listen to, to shop at Hollister, and that image is everything. While I never want to mindlessly conform to those around me, I find myself walking the thin line between conformity and popularity.

Don't misunderstand. In my heart of hearts I know that God's opinion is all that matters, and that I really don't need to care about man's opinion. Lately it seems, however, that my knowledge of this fact has been put in a chokehold by my desire to fit in and be appreciated by my peers. Everybody wants to fit in, and I am no exception. Maybe I should spend more time where I feel I am greater appreciated for just being me, or maybe I'll never fit into that coveted mold that makes lots of people want to hear your views and get your feedback.
A lot to think about, I guess. Like I said, I know that I shouldn't care about other's opinion, and that God's is the only one that truly matters. Still, it doesn't change my desire to be accepted. I guess I'll sleep on it and see if I get any insight from reading the insides of my eyelids for a few hours.

Of Tortillas, Sumo-Wrestlers, and a Giant-Sized Headache.

2007-09-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Ever have a day where you start out on top of the world, but by the end of the day you feel like you 've been smashed flatter than a tortilla run over by a 400-pound truck driver driving a huge eighteen wheeler carrying a bunch of well-fed sumo wrestlers?!?!

That's what yesterday was like for me. It started off great. I got up like I usually do, and drove to the college at my usual time even though I didn't have Spanish class that morning (I decided it would be good to get homework done). And my day did go well. But then, at the end of the day, I discovered that my overall grade in Spanish was much lower than I thought it to be-a 67%!!! This is largely due to the fact that 1) I have an incompetent teacher, and 2) the online software the college uses for homework is really screwed up.

Needless to say, I was ticked. I decided to seek out my girlfriend, b/c I figured seeing her would help me simmer down, plus she has really good insight on a lot of stuff.

Though I looked about as well-adjusted and sociable as a malnourished pitbull, still Vanessa listened to me with compassion, albeit worried compassion, flowing out of her eyes. But here's the best part. She didn't just
nod her head, rattle of Romans 8:28 and send me on my way. No, instead she truly LISTENED, even though I was venting and therefore probably not the greatest person to hang out with at that particualr moment. She encouraged me, but she didn't make light of my predicament.

See, that's what a true friend does. They stick with you through the good times and bad times, the clear times and the stormy times. "A brother was born for adversity," Proverbs tells us. All of us need t0 find friends like that. She also prayed for me, and even though I'm upset now, I know God will help me in His timing.

So, am I happy and grinning ear-to-ear? No. I probably won't be totally at peace until I bike to work later today, where no matter how hard I pound the pedals or how mad I may get, the pavement and cornfields and wide-open skies absorb my venting without complaint. You can carry on as much as you want, and they'll never interrupt. Try it sometime. It's relaxing in a way. ;-)-

In closing, continue to purse God, even in the bad and good times. God Bless.

Shane

What I Lack In Maturity I Make Up For In Immaturity.

2007-09-26T10:45:00.001-07:00

My title today suggests that this post will be less serious than it's predecessors. Today, for those of you who don't know, is SYATP (See You At The Pole). Accordingly, I got up (More accurately, I woke up) at 5:00 a.m. today, got ready, and left for the college at 6:25. About fifteen kids from CCF came. We started at 7:00 and prayed for about half an hour. Then, I came in here, hung out with Vanessa and her friend Katie for a little while, then went to work. I just got off work and feel like I'm ready to collapse on the nice soft chair in what V'essa and I call the "Shh!" section
(the quiet section) of the library. Looked at my schedule today and realized that since I dropped Mondays I'm only working 8 and 1/2 hours a week at the college, and 5-8 at the libray. :-(- Oh well, at least I'm working. ;-)- Anyways, adios party people and I will catch you later. ;-)-

Slim

Misconceptions Concerning the Female Species.

2007-09-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

This post concerns a subject which will grab the attention of every guy in my audience. Never fear, my friends, this is not the sex talk.

Today I wish to give my thoughts on girls.

My personal view is that their is a lot of misinformation floating around on how we guys should treat girls.
We tend to take our cues from Hollywood and the media, which more often than not oppose a Biblical worldview. I wish to see this trend reversed, and thought I'd share my thoughts concerning this.

Let me set the scene for you. You're sitting in school, and are keenly aware of her presence. This isn't just any girl; this is her. You know, that cute girl who always sits two rows in front of you, third desk from the left.
As thrilling as your teacher's two-hour lecture on rational expressions is, you find your mind continually returning to this alluring young woman. From afar you've observed her bright smile and outgoing personality, but any time you try to make your presence known your mouth goes dry, your palms sweat and your mind goes totally blank. Finally, you can't take your cowardice any longer. You decide that you must interact with this goddess face-to-face, come what may.

So, psyching yourself up, you replay the scene in your head a million times. After class you'll walk up to her desk, flex your huge muscles, flash that perfect movie star smile, and deliver the one-liner of the century, which, you're certain, will make her instantly fall madly in love with you.

O.K., hold up. Sorry to be a party-pooper, but it doesn't exactly work that way.

Over the last couple years I've talked to many Christian young women about what they look for in guys, and guess what? None of the three attributes mentioned above were high priorities on their lists!!!

In actuality, most of what these godly young women listed as essential on the list of attributes they look for in boys they might like were things like honesty, maturity, and godliness above all.

See, girls are very emotion-centered creatures. They love to see guys showing compassion for others, and living a life of integrity and godliness.

Don't believe me? Take a look at these quotes (taken from BOOM: A Guy's Guide to Growing Up-which all you guys should go buy, by the way!) :

"True Christian girls find true Christian guys irresistible! A strong faith in God that shows in the way you handle everyday situations and relate to people around you is the most important characteristic we Christian girls are looking for in a friend."

-Paula Van Rhyn

"Be patient and talk to us. Most of the time we'll tell you what's going on inside if we think you care."

-Linnea Shannon

"I look for a guy who is considerate of other people's feelings and who acts like a gentleman by doing things such as opening the door for me. It's also important that a guy act the same around his other friends as he does around me."

-Becky Staple

As you can see, godly girls value integrity, godliness, and compassion the most in the opposite sex. Display these qualities, live a life dedicated to God, and you're bound to eventually attract someone who shares your views.

The world tells you that you need a nice car, Tag body spray, and muscles that make Arnold Schwartznegger lo0k like Pewee Herman to ever have a chance of attracting a member of the opposite sex. Don't believe it.
What these advertisers don't tell you is that nice cars eventually rust, and no matter how much you bench your body will still peg out someday. (One can only hope that deodorant won't go out of style!!! Lol).

The point is, girls look for a guy who isn't chained by mindless conformity to peer pressure and the need to live up to "the cool code." They look for someone who isn't afraid to be his own person, and strives to be a leader and good witness in the way he behaves and conducts himself.

One last thing: don't push romantic expectations on a girl right away. As a friend of mine, Liz Wacaser, put it so well, "Crushes are hard to live with." Before you entertain romantic thoughts with this girl, get to know her first. The absence of romantic overtones make it so much easier to get acquainted with the true person behind that pretty face, to see the strengths, weaknesses, and potential struggles that would come with starting a romantic relationship with this particular person.

I had many long, meaningful talks with the girl I now court without first expressing my romantic thoughts, and that wait has paid off. I got to see the love of God manifested in her life in the way she acts towards other, her love for people, her likes and her dislikes. It's better to wait and evaluate the person before rushing into a romantic relationship and then being disappointed.

Bottom line: Live for God, "treat younger women as sisters, with absolute purity," (1 Tim. 5:2), and eventually in God's timing He will bring the right woman into your life.

God Bless!

Shane

P.S. I've decided it's be cool to have girls comment on this, so that the guys this is addressed to can read their comments and hear it from a girl. Plus I'd get to see if I'm on track or not, lol. ;-)-

Mommy's Alright...Daddy's Alright...They're Both Just A Little Weird.

2007-09-22T15:29:00.000-07:00

Well, finally my car has all the parts it needs to be road legal and fully functional-except for the radiator. So, we'll just pick it up on Monday and put it in, and I'm good to go!!!

For those of you who don't know already, on the night of Thursday the Thirteenth a large doe decided it would be great fun to play chicken with my car as I was driving home from school at 8:00. This proved untrue, as what the deer percieved as a fly-by-night rush ended up breaking it's neck and two of it's legs. My car ended up in not so great shape as well. Fortunately I emerged without a scratch-proof there is a loving God in heaven. ;-)-

Anyways, I thought I would share with you all a revelation I had yesterday night, at a church meeting.
The initial question I'd like to pose to you is: what is the definition of church?

Typically, answers come in three different flavors: 1) a building, 2) a Sunday morning routine, and 3) God's people.

Last night, in the middle of this meeting, I was struck hard with the thought that God's church is simply his people meeting to edify each other, change the world, and glorify Him.

We (my Mom, Dad, and I) were the only ones to attend Friday's meeting, held in our "Pastor's" (if you can call him that) house. We had long talks about what we thought the definition of church to be, and everyone put in their two cents. I really felt God moving as we talked. This further impressed on me the idea that God is manifested when his people meet together to glorify Him-where and how they meet is irrelevant.

You must understand, for a significant portion of my life I was part of a house church. That is, our body of believers met in each other's houses and shared what God had done in our lives and how we could better reach the community around us. This experience cultivated an understanding in me that "church" is more than just a Sunday morning routine where you sing songs and listen to a pastor, but rather a manifestation of God directing his people to grow and reach the community around them, constantly growing in their knowledge of the faith and in fellowship with each other.

Now don't miss the point here; I'm NOT trying to say that listening to a pastor speak or singing worship songs is wrong-I just refuse to believe that there is all there is. Although these activities are often part of church, they aren't what the end goal of a church should be.

I know that it probably seems like I'm going all Howard Stern on you guys here; the majority of my friends have been raised in program-based church. But my question is: when did church become all about the programs? It seems to me that a lot of churches seem to make the accomplishment of the man-made goals that they set the priority in their Christian life. Bussing youth group kids to events, setting up for activities, the list goes on.

I'm not at all implying that this is wrong; I know that every church has to have some degree of structure, and I'm certainly thankful for those individuals in my own life who have sacrificed their time and energy for a bunch of noisy kids who don't listen to them half the time (myself included!) I'm simply saying that I see this as unfortuantely becoming the end goal in the lives of many Christians: the mainentance and planning of the programs of the church to the detriment of true fellowship with the people the programs are designed to reach.

You have to realize that people want more than programs and a Sunday morning routine. As Jake Owens says, people want love (check out www.jakeowens.blogspot.com for more on this). Kids that come to youth group are searching for more than just a pizza party and a chance to play games: they're searching for an encounter with the One who can save their souls and turn their lives around. How would I propose creating an atmosphere that accomodates this goal? Have deep Bible studies, with a concrete lesson in mind. Have kids leave bearing an admonition to change the world in some small way, then the next week ask them what they did. Keep them accountable. Have apologetics training, where they can learn to defend their faith against the lies in their media and their schools. Have DISCUSSIONS, where everyone can contribute.
Have an unstructured time in your meetings where you ask people to express what God has been doing in their lives (this really helps get the people involved, in my opinion).

Finally, I see the church as modeled in the Book of Acts as more of a family than a function. With this in mind, help keep each other accountable. "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness. faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." -2nd Timothy 2:22.

God bless.

Shane

Rex-Kwon-Do For the Soul

2007-09-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

Today I have another movie parallel to write about. It concerns the film...Napoleon Dynamite.

I know most of you reading this probably just experienced the eye-rolling symptoms discussed in my warning at the top of my blog. It's no secret to my friends that I like the movie Napoleon Dynamite. However, once again I find myself getting more, or at least different, lessons out of it than your average Joe.

Hey-whoa-hey, now hold up, you say. I just put the words Napoleon Dynamite and lesson in the same sentence. The casual viewer of the film would contend that it is one of the most pointless movies in the history of film, a film doubtless directed by grade-school dropouts who were definitely smoking something stronger than tobacco when they made the film.

At first glance, this would appear to be true. There is no real conflict/resolution or climax to the film; it seemingly relies on the unprecedented dorkiness of it's characters to keep viewers entertained. However, an observant student of the film such as myself will notice that beneath all that, a subliminal object lesson exists.

Most of us know the story: Napoleon is simply a very nerdy kid who, on account of his moon boots and sweet fro, is picked on constantly at school, and has a very hard time making friends. The jocks ridicule him, the hot cheerleader types ostracize him. Let's face it, someone who's favorite hobbies are drawing ligers (like a tiger, except "bred for it's skills and magic" ;-)- and dancing disco isn't going to be at the top of the popularity chain.
And when your best pick-up line is, "I see your drinking 1% milk. Is that 'cuz you think you're fat? 'Cuz you're not. You could be drinking whole, if you wanted to," you somehow find yourself in short supply of cute babes that wanna date you, much less play you in tetherball. ;-)-

Despite all this, Napoleon does end up making friends who accept him for who he is. And that's the issue I want to address today: the issue of realism in our relationships.

Right now our culture is running a serious deficit in the "realism" department. Don't believe me? Turn on your TV or pick up a magazine. Day by day, we in America are constantly bombarded with the idea that image is everything. That's why we spend so much time working out, buying new clothes, and mindlessly conforming to our peers around us. Just count the number of kids in any given school wearing Hollister brand clothes as an example.

This view saddens me, because I think that it tends to foster an unhealthy obsession with the surface, to the exclusion of those things that really matter. We're so obsessed with our fashion and popularity that we've stopped searching for the real deal. We neglect reaching out to someone because they might not fit in with our clique. We watch and listen to and do things we know we shouldn't all in the name of "fitting in."

I'm not immune to this Americanized syndrome by any means. I struggle with it just as much as the next guy. The difference comes when you realize that none of it will last. In 40 years, no one will care what kind of car you drove or who you hung with or who you dated. But the things that do matter, honesty and integrity and faith, among other things, will last a lifetime!!! With this in mind, continue searching for the real. Live today with a determination to obtain those things which will last: true friends, faith, integrity.

Have a good one.

Shane

Movies and Morals

2007-09-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

As you can tell from reading my previous blog, I'm a big fan of the movie The Matrix.
Of course the special effects are record-breakingly incredible, and yes the plot is peerless in the world of sci-fi, but there's another reason I enjoy this movie so much, and that's because I think it's an excellent parallel of the Christian life.

For those of you unfortuante enough to be unfamiliar with the film, let me give you the basic outline. Basically, the world that we see around us is a computer-generated counterfeit designed to blind us from the truth...the truth that we are really locked in a mental prison by, as the movie box states, "all powerful machines of artificial intelligence that control us." The entire human race is unknowingly imprisoned in a world that looks and feels like reality, but truly isn't. This is the Matrix. Amongst these decieved are a remnant of those who have been "unplugged," who are constantly striving to free those decieved from the Matrix. Out of this remnant rises one (Neo) who is destined to free the entire human race from their predicament, and open their eyes to the reality of the state of the world around them.

As I said, there are many similarities between the movie and the Christian life. One of these is that many in the world are decieved into thinking that the observable universe is all there is; or that "seeing is believing." We Christians of course know differently; that beyond what we can see and smell and taste there is a war going on, a war for the souls of those enslaved to their sin.
"For we do not fight against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities of the heavenly realms."

Like Neo, we have been charged with the responsibility of opening other's eyes to this deceit, in short "making disciples of all nations." While we aren't able to manipulate time and space while performing jaw-dropping aerial acrobatics, running up walls and using high-powered firearms (though that might be fun ;-)-, we do have weapons at our disposal.

One of the most powerful of these is prayer. We can intercede daily for those we're trying to influence, and God will help us.

Another is our witness. How we live our lives can be one of our most effective tools in communicating our faith to others.

However, our biggest advantage in this war is that, UNLIKE Neo, we don't have to be
"the one." The fate of the world does not rest in your hands or my hands (those of you who know me know that that is a very good thing ;-)- Jesus Christ paid for the world's sin on the cross once and for all. Our job is to lead our peers to a knowledge of the grace made available because of this act to all who would believe in Jesus.

Like Neo, we have a choice. We can either choose to refuse our responsibility and slip into conformity, letting the world blissfully continue on its downward spiral, or we can stand up and accept our job, helping to open the world's eyes to their predicament should they continue without Christ.

Unfortunately, this choice cannot be made by simply taking a pill. Ours is a choice which must consciously be made each day, as our "matrix," our American culture, seeks to pull us into a lifestyle of ease and conformity.

In closing, are you content to close this browser and live a life of mediocrity with this knowledge that you have tucked safely inside your head, hidden from others lest they reject your witness?
Are you content to "go to sleep and believe whatever you want to believe," or are you going to use the knowledge you now have for the edification of your peers, and see for yourself "how deep the rabbit hole goes?"

Shane (aka the Introvert)

Some Specifics

2007-09-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

Now that we've finished the appetizer, it's time to sink your teeth into the meat and potatoes of my blog.

First of all, who am I? Let's start with what you've already gleaned from my title: that I'm an introvert.
Webster's defines an introvert as a "shy or reserved person." Well, if I fit that description, then why would I be writing a blog, you ask? Two reasons:

Numero Uno: I LOVE to write. I write letters, emails, and I'm in the middle of writing the 7,985th draft of
my second book, on my PC. So it's only natural for me to utilize yet another medium for
expressing myself through the written word.

Numero Dos: As I've begun my third year of college, I've started to get to know a whole lot more people.
This has in part influenced me to socialize. Also, I feel that as I grow older I'm beginning to
emerge more and more from the "introvert mold" I was seemingly cast in. ;-)-

Recovering introvert or not, I enjoy reading, writing, concertgoing, listening to music, playing basketball, working out, practicing Aikido, and watching mysterious brain teaser type movies. Here are some of the specifics:

Music: I'll listen to almost any genre except for country. That being said, I'll classify my fave artists by genre:

Modern Rock: Anberlin and Lifehouse are my fave here, but also Starflyer 59, House of Heroes, Switchfoot,
Audioslave, Between Thieves...

Classic Rock: First and foremost Led Zeppelin, but also Scorpions, Rush, Pink Floyd, Queen, Foreigner...

Hard Rock: Skillet, Flyleaf, Spoken, P.O.D., Family Force 5, Project 86, TFK...

Pop Rock: dcTalk!!!

Punk Rock: MXPX, Eleventyseven, Flatfoot56, Stellarkart, FM Static...

Rap/Hip-Hop: First of all MARS ILL, they're the dopest, lol. ;-)- But also T-Bone, Playdough, and The Procussions...

Techno: Andy Hunter, Moby, Joy Electric...

Ska: Five Iron Frenzy!!!

Emo/Screamo: 30 Seconds to Mars, Underoath, Dead Poetic, Far-less, clean songs from MCR...

So, that about covers it for my musical tastes. I'll be brief about movies and TV shows, I promise. ;-)-

Movies: For my two favorites, I'd have to say The Matrix and Napoleon Dynamite. The Matrix is a milestone film, a marvel of filmaking let alone story-telling, and it parallels the Christian life in so many ways.
Napoleon Dynamite is, well...flippin' sweet, what else? ;-)-

TV Shows: I'm hopelessly addicted to Seinfeld (my Mom's fault). I'm also a total, die-hard LOST fan!!! It's incredibly unprecedented, masterfully woven plots were a large part of my decision to write a second book.
;-)-

Anyways, there's a little background me and the some of the things I enjoy. I'll write more later; write now I better get to sleep if I hope to stay awake for sKuLe tomorrow.

The Introvert