Jesus can heal Autism... so cool.

Watch this. This is rock your world.

He is so good and bigger than we could ever imagine.


-JG

Pray.

This week, a drunk driver ran a red light and hit a car, killing Diamond Bar resident Courtney Stewart and Anaheim Angels rookie Pitcher Nick Adenhart. It was a tragedy for the city of Diamond Bar, Cal State Fullerton, and the Anaheim Angels, but also a tragedy for my hometown, Manhattan Beach, Ca.

Two of the individuals in the car were Manhattan Beach residents. One of the victims, Henry Pearson was a friend to many of my friends... friends who are now trying to figure out why such a senseless act happened.

The only survivor of the crash, John Wilhite, is a family friend. Our parents have known each other for years, my brothers have known him, played baseball together, we've gone to school with him. He has been in critical condition since the crash, until this morning... I don't if words can really describe the magnitude of his injuries.

I am not going to stand here and say that i am particularly close to any of these guys, but i am close to people who are close to them. It is horrible to feel the hurt that is around. The hurt that fills my facebook homepage, that has consumed the conversations and life of the people of Manhattan Beach.

My God is not Freddy Kruger. I know he did not cause this and this is absolutely not his intention... But my God is a God of redemption who can work all things together for the good of those who love him. He is savior, restorer, creator of the universe, savior of all, alive and present and powerful today and forever more.

So God... Be God. Be Big. Be Powerful. Be Savior.

Don't stop praying.

Big Bear Hug from Jesus.

For my class, Beauty and the Christian Life, we had to experience natural or artistic beauty and write a paper on it. For my paper, I went home and went to this place at home that is probably my favorite place in the entire world. 

I guess i wanted to share this with you because as i was typing out my paper, i had a really profound experience where i realized why i was so connected to this place and why it is so deeply important to me... you probably won't read it, but here you go...

Aesthetic Report 1...

This spot is a quiet park a block from the ocean near my home and is my favorite spot of just about any place inthe world. The park is situated on a steep rolling hill just above the sand and offers a panoramic and unobstructed view of the ocean. There is nearly always a breeze and offers a wonderful setting to sleep, people watch, watch boats on the water, read, and relax in every sense of the word. It is difficult to park near the park so it is generally empty and allows for you to get away from it all without really going anywhere.

The park is really interesting because it is terraced as it goes down a hill toward the ocean. There are five different terraced sections of the park, each fully landscaped with well-manicured lawns, with a number of benches and low, light trees dotting the landscape. I like to sit up a little higher in the park to maximize my view of the ocean and horizon, as well as allow myself to watch others enjoying the park. This particular day was gorgeous. There is not a lot of shade in the park to maximize the view of the ocean, so the direct view of the sun made it surprisingly warm; there was a really soft breeze, and high clouds seemingly enjoying the day along with me.

I went down to the water for a while and listened to the waves. I watched the surfers and the couples strolling along the chilly beach. The water has always been a very spiritual place for me. Not as in surfing or swimming, but in the way that living at the beach seems to connect you to the ocean in a dynamic way. My life has always had the Pacific Ocean in sight. It has been just as much character in my life as any friend or family member. So to be there at the water’s edge was much like being with an old friend. I chose not to engage my mind in anything at this point. I felt a profound sense that I was just sitting there with God. I was sitting in the midst of thousands of examples of his creation, all reflecting the dynamic creativity of God, and offering praise to the creator. I explored this idea so much at a worship school over the summer and the thought just echoed in my mind.

Sometimes I wonder if even I, someone who considers himself a major proponent of the use and respect of beauty in the church, limit the reach and capabilities of beauty at the hands of a loving God. It wasn’t that I looked upon creation and was just reminded of God, or stood in awe of his creativity, or thanked him that I got to experience something like this on the earth. It is in this place that I feel most strongly that God loves me. When I spend time in this park, it is one of the only times that I always feel that God is loving on me. Walking into this park is like walking into the embrace of the father. I don’t think I could ever express this to you in words how much I feel that the father loves me. To feel that I am his favorite and that he truly delights in my presence and in my life. To know that I am not a fluke, accident, or happenstance creation, but I am a cherished son of the Most High.

            I think that is why I come back to this place. Because sometimes I just need a hug from my Daddy. I think that is why beauty is beautiful to me.

So sick...

People. 

Pray. I have been sick for like 2 months, and would like to get better.

I am going to the doctor tomorrow, let's just pray that they know how to help my butt.

My Romance

This is one of my favorite songs right now.

I think the lyrics are just beautiful. There is something about it that really touches a chord in me.

I like the idea of God as one who wants to romance me. Someone who truly understands the depths of romance.

You all should try to listen to it if you get a chance.

My Romance

Rick Pino

Look at the way the flowers bloom for you

They want to show you their beauty

Running waters dance

You and I Romance

Unto you, be all the glory

The angels dance around You

The Earth it sings about You

Open up the heavens, Lord

Let Your kingdom come to Earth.

My praises all surround You

My soul can't dance without You

Open up the heavens, Lord

Let Your kingdom come to Earth.

It doesn't have to just be in Africa.

So i met someone last night who is probably one of the gnarliest people i have ever heard speak in my life.

This is a 21 year old girl named Cassandra, with a heart for Africa. Six months ago, she went to Sudan, wanting to work in warzones, with few plans, no translator, no guide, no partner organization. While she was there she just loved on street kids. Helping them to feel loved in ways they had never been able to experience before. 

All the while, she had a passion for the healing and transformative power of God. She had the faith that God can overcome all the things of this world. She and the kids she cared for prayed for so many people and saw Malaria healed, mute people speak, deaf people hear, blind people see. All just her, the street kids, and God. 

One day, she went to this hospital ward with the street kids where dozens of babies were lying sick with malaria. She and the kids just held the babies and loved on them and prayed for their healing. Believing that God was bigger than malaria and bigger then their circumstances, they just prayed. When the day was over, they returned home. A couple days later, the hospital called Cassandra and told her that they needed her to come back to hospital right away. When she got there, they asked her what had happened because the following day, all of the babies in the ward she had been in had gone home, completely healed.

People... this is not a story of the past or a story of Benny Hinn or some other crazy Jesus guy. This is a 21 year old blonde girl from Canada who just wants to see God restore the warzones of the world for his Glory. 

Do we have faith like this? 

Do you think that if you prayed for someone they would be healed?

Do you know that the bible says we have the power to do things GREATER THAN JESUS DID.

The miracles you can achieve with God can be gnarlier than those of Jesus.

This girl gave every day to Jesus. He lead her where to go, he told her the cities to go to and the people to care for. For months of her trip, leaders at the United Nations and national leaders in Sudan and Uganda were looking to her for advice to how to care for the children in these regions. This respect for what she was doing was so dynamic that the UN and the Ugandan government has asked her, a 21-year-old, to develop a program on how to rehabilitate child soldiers and reintegrate them into society. The UN admitted that they were failing in Uganda and Sudan, and looked to her to figure out a way to succeed. They are asking her to care for children who can hardly return to society after years of torturing and murdering people as soldiers.

This is the power we have in Christ. This is the plan God has for all of us. While Africa might not be our destination, we have this level of power in his favor. HE loves us enough to love on his favorite ones. 

Can we grab hold of this? Can we believe this?

I hope I can. I can't imagine a more important thing to strive for.

The next day.

I am terrified.

Sick to my stomach.

Nervous.

Unsure. 

Unsteady.

Overwhelmed.

Unworthy.

Small.

Fearful.

Excited.

Optimistic.

Willing to wait.

Dear Jesus, Lets Talk. Perhaps a crazy dream... those always help me out. Let me be able to say yes.

I think I got my purpose...

So you know that story that pastors will talk about when they are just not expecting it and the Holy Spirit kind of rocks their world and comes on them so strong and all of a sudden they think that God might have just given them their purpose in life and he might have just laid in front of them the thing that he designed for them to do... the thing that they were born to do?

I think that happened to me tonight.

H O L Y C R A P .

Ifyoucouldprayformehardcorethatwouldbeabsolutelyfantastic.

Shopping.

ok. so i went shopping today for like the first time in months. 

i completely over committed my life this semester so i have had absolutely no money to spend on myself... like i normally do.

well, i decided to shop a little and thank God its christmas time because i got to have my parentals purchase pretty all that i wanted to get today :)

what is interesting though, is how different my life has been with me being broke most of the time and not constantly thinking about what i want to buy next. i know this sounds silly, but its like a really big deal for me. 

in spiritual disciplines this semester, Bill was talking about living frugally and spending conservatively. living frugally is never about living cheaply. Its not about shopping at salvation army or at the 99cents store, but its about saving and spending wisely. Something i have never done. 

for me, between spending until the account is at zero, or maxing out the credit card,  i usually spend just to have stuff. Sure it works out just because i don't really have any financial responsibilities beyond my credit card payment, but not having money to burn on myself has kind of changed the way i look at spending. I have learned [a little] to manage a small budget and get what i need with what i have to spend. i feel a bit freed from the need to just spend. i don't really know how i have changed in my attitude toward spending and finances, but one thing that bill spoke about really rocked me. 

he talked about how spending wisely and spending frugally doesn't mean sacrificing on the finer things in life, but it means saving until you can get what you need. Like if you want something pricey, you just save until you can do it. I know this is like such a simple thought but it is so mind-blowing to someone who just wants now. 

I am not sure where i am going with this, but i am excited to move forward, especially as i leave school and start to establish credit and set out in my life, that this is an arena of life that i can succeed in. this is an arena of life that i can make strong so that as i grow older and get married and have a family and just live, i can have to options to get what i need. I can have the financial freedom to be comfortable and happy to the measure i am supposed to be.

so maybe this doesn't make a whole lot of sense. but i think what is really happening is the lord is starting to free me from the financial expectations i have developed from growing up where i grow up... as unreal and nonsensical as they are. financial expectations that, at times in my life, have caused me to be self-conscious, stressed, and overwhelmed. financial expectations that used to cause me to try to fit a certain image that the lord has really released me from over the last 5 years or so.  

So praise God for accurate expectations and faith that he is going to provide so far beyond what i could have ever dreamed or hoped for.

Voting and Cash-Monies...

I can vote!!!

I thought that i was not registered and that i wouldn't be able to vote... because the mailers I received said that i wasn't. I was praying last week and i was like... "God, could you just make it work for me and send me a ballot?" I really wanted to vote in this election... just because it is what it is.

Then... today i got my mail and it was a sample ballot and it had my polling place on it. I am registered. So i sent in for my absentee ballot. FREAKIN' AWESOME.

Plus. I need cash-monies to go on that Senior Cruise. So i need to ask my parents. 

But at the same time... I am not sure if i want to spend $375 on it. :/

Sorry.

Ok... perhaps a thought?

Well, lets talk about the election for a second. its late and i am not really thinking clearly because i am tired... so this will be confusing and vague.

So, for one. Let's talk about how i registered to Vote at the DMV in June when i had to go get my driver's license replaced. So i was stoked because i had waited like almost 3 years to register... and yeah... finally a part of the election process!!

Anyways... so i sent in for an absentee ballot and had some old lady help me at the democratic headquarters in Irvine. I waited like 3 weeks for it to come and it didn't. Finally, last week i get my official election mail and i open it up and there is a slip of paper that says that I am not registered to Vote and that they had just sent me a new registration application... which was due in the mail by 5pm on the 20th. It was the 21st.

So i am not voting this year.

Anyways... i just have to say that i don't always get Christians and their voting.

I am going to preface this by saying that i know nearly nothing about each candidate and i know a number of people who would be ashamed of me for saying this... but whatever. If you asked me for a conversation about this mess, it would be impossible to hide.

But seriously, the only thing I do know is that one side is pro-life and pro-"sanctity of marriage" and the other is not.  But that is kind of my point... This knowledge is not something i have necessarily gained from Vanguard or church, but from watching other christians... the church at large.

What i am trying to say is that, like in all of the issues that people are following, it seems like the major swing of Christian voters are these moral issues. Not that that is bad or anything. But sometimes i wonder if people really need to pay attention to other issues.

Like the bandwagoning and the intercession for candidates during debates and the demonizing of people based on their issues is kind of weird. Even just the politically passionate... like i just don't know how people make such bold assumptions about people's character and person-hood based on the media coverage of their campaigns. 

But on the other hand, unborn children are still being aborted and the bible does talk about homosexuality. Not that i am trying to make a point for these issues at the paramount of all sin, but when all is said and done, i wonder if these are important enough to put my vote on.

I don't know much about the election, the candidates, or the issues at hand... and i don't think that there is a "Christian" candidate or a candidate that is truly in "God's corner," but if i had the opportunity to stand in a booth on the 4th (and mind you i would have been completely educated before that moment)... i am not sure i could say that i wouldn't stand there with those issues heavily pressing on my decision.

Bitchin.

So. I bought Jack Purcell's today. They are black and white and all leather. Totally different than any others i have seen.

However... this is not the best part.

I definitely got the last pair at Urban Outfitters on craaaaazy sale. 

$29... Originally priced  at $75.

Bitchin.

Johnny...

Is having the hardest time trying to figure out this blog thing. 

Which is silly because Lord knows he did not even use these when he did it in high school.

So yeah. 

I now return to being retarded and having a ridiculous time trying to figure this out.