it’s simple, it’s easy, and you don’t have to do anything

…but what about you?!

inspired by a question asked by the Master

it’s easy to state someone else’s opinion. ‘well these people are saying this, while some think this, still others are insisting this…’
yeah yeah yeah, that’s great… but what about you?

gulp.
gut check time.
put your faith where your mouth is.

that’s the question i find myself trying to answer… who do i say HE is?
with my attitude? my actions? my words?
what about my heart… what’s it saying? how about my head?
i know the answer i would like to respond with… however… it’s not that simple.
i have got to really find out here… self examination time.

really… who does my life say HE is?
some guy i know a lot about because i go to church and read my bible?
or
my everything… my Savior AND Lord… my GOD?
i’ve got some thinking and some work to do…

but what about you?!

4 years & 4 months

i’ve been a certified, somewhat apathetic, yet noble barista now for a span longer than my entire shaky high school career. long ago, when i embarked on the journey to become a caffeine swindling, sweet tooth healing, coffee dealer, i jokingly remarked to my good friend, who happened to be my partner in crime (or at least it should be a crime to sell drinks for that much) that we were going to be “barista’s for life!”.

well… unfortunately… Jason if you are reading this, i am breaking the pact.
that’s right, i’m no longer just a barista… now i’m a shift! crazy huh?! not really, but i needed something to blog about.
now i am held to a higher standard at work, and have a greater platform to display Christ on.
and that’s exactly what i intend to do…

still behind the green apron…

who’s the new guy?!

here’s my top 10 comments i heard this week
10. “oh i didn’t even recognize you…”
09. “get your hair cut?”
08. “what happened to you…?”
07. “NOOOOOO!”
06. “holy crap i thought you were joel!”
05. “i knew your face looked familiar, but i couldn’t tell who you were…”
04. “i thought you guys hired another new person…”
03. “i like it… i just liked your long hair better…”
02. “what, did you loose a bet or something?!
01. “you look 10 years younger, and 10 lbs lighter!”

and then there’s always the blank look on the face… (while they try to think of something witty to say… but can’t think of anything, so they just walk away…)

relationSHIFTs

relationship – [noun] the way two or more concepts, objects or people, are connected.
shift – [verb] move or cause to move from one place to another, esp. over a small distance
in order to have a romans14 kind of relationship, there must be some shifting involved!
if something we are doing causes someone else to think any less of us, we must stop!
we must make that shift in order to preserve our Christ-like-relationship!

this just in

you don’t understand
this is not what you think it is
you don’t get it, man
you want to boil it down to show biz
your in-depth research shows:
drop the God, emphasize the beat
i’ve heard that positive pop you dig
i’d rather be buried in wet concrete
take back your free advise
i don’t accept
i will not play those games
God is not a secret to be kept
you don’t understand
i’m not talking multiple choice
you don’t get it, man
if the cross offends you, find another voice
i am not running for office here
i won’t keep it purposely vague
i’ve heard new age life-force trip
i’d rather be dipped in bubonic plague
take back your free advise
i don’t accept
i will not play those game
God is not a secret to be kept
if we keep silent
if we mass defect
these very rocks will scream
God is not a secret to be kept
and would i wash my hands again?
would i deny my savior when
He hung inside the public square?
did not my silence put Him there?

this blog has been sponsored in part by:
the newsboys
promotional consideration also in part by:
brendan

clearDISTINCTION

-inspired by plagues, death, and disobedience-

so ‘mr. evil pharaoh guy’, has caused the entire nation under him to suffer blow after blow from GOD. after nine devastating plagues, the LORD decides to get personal with this ‘great ruler’ of egypt.

GOD kills off the firstborn of all the egyptians…  even their firstborn animals [oh snap!]

GOD says the reason HE is doing this is… “so that you’ll know that GOD makes clear distinction between egypt and israel.” [exodus 11.07]

israel is the LORDs peeps… his homies… uh… how do you say… el friends-o de LORD-o 

GOD wanted there to be a clear contrast between HIS people and… well, not HIS people

ah, finally… the point!

we’re not supposed to ‘fit in’ and look like everybody who doesn’t belong to the LORD

no no.. for us it should be quite the contrary…

we should be set apart. 

remember, we’re made for heaven!

keep the impersonatin’ up to these guys!

closer.

inspired by a burning bush
3 moses said, “what’s going on here? i can’t believe this! amazing! why doesn’t the bush burn up?”
4 God saw that he had stopped to look. God called to him from out of the bush, “moses! moses!”
he said, “yes? i’m right here!”
5 God said, “don’t come any closer. remove your sandals from your feet. you’re standing on holy ground.”

God wouldn’t let moses come any closer until he took off his stanky, worn-down, camel-crap-smelling-shoes.
the reason: it was holy ground and God couldn’t put up with that junk in His presence

it’s the same with us now.
we can only come so close to God before He won’t allow us to come any closer.
if we want to come closer to Christ, we have to get rid of the crap we’re carrying around with us!

i don’t want to experience Christ from a distance. i want to get closer.

i feel like i’ve taken crazy pills

so… right now…

the bible is being read cover-to-cover out loud above me

my good friend stephen mcgee is editing video on the computer in front of me… FROM HOUSTON!!!

i got new glasses on my face

and my wife is on her way to see me!

technology is cool

God is GREAT!

 

joe, bro, bro, bro…

-inspired by stories found in genesis-

(to the GREAT joseph… the one who perhaps saved egypt, the one whose coat got him in trouble more than once, and the one whose dreams were both his downfall and his uprising… yeah… THAT guy!)

joe… you had quite the interesting life my friend. you were an outspoken dreamer! it made your family mad, but you weren’t scurred… you knew you were meant for more!  even when your jealous bros sold you into slavery, you kept your head up, and kept on keeping on! you were an honest servant! honestly serving your way right to prison. you served while you were there too! when your big promotion came, you proved yourself, and stepped into the spotlight. and when your-long-lost-but-not-forgotten-semi-evil-jealous-brothers showed up, you were a better man than i. i  would have seen this as my shot at redemption! you saw it as your shot at graceful living! so here’s to you, my-middle-name-of-a-friend! thanks for living a determined, graceful, dream-BIG-live-GREAT lifestlye!

//brendan//