A message from Kipling

"If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same.
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch.
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And-which is more-you'll be a Man, my son!"


this is how I want to live my life...have a good one y'all

ex-clu-sif especial edition! Religious Awakenings

Please know that I am not an expert or anything and that i don't speak for my church..I am just speaking my heart

Ok y'all first of all i am proud to say this...I am a Christian...i always have believed in God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, but i feel like i live it far better than I used to. Now i am not affiliated with a specific form of Christianity, but if you are...thats totally cool. My church is Trinity Interdenominational in omaha, ne and i friggin love it and the service Terra Nova on sunday nights...its so eclectic and what really turns me up about God...that he is different and all kinds of different people love Him. From the grunge, to the hip hop, the prep, to the throw back...its all there in that community..but today's article isn't about trying to sell anything to anybody (but if you would like to go see how we do it...let me know), its to talk about my belief system in what the "religion" and the "former" belief of Christianity has been to people and why alot of the world doesn't care to listen to us about life.

This is the definition of Christian: of, pertaining to, or derived from Jesus Christ or His teachings: a Christian faith. Thats it, in a nutshell its to believe and follow it. Christians today, and myself in the past (and sometimes present) seem to lose this message. Being a Christian is about being a servant to others, being humble enough to think and pray for others that you know and you don't, and to make decisions as Jesus would have...or atleast try and do that. This means out with the pride, the "i have to have this now" mentality, and the "i only care about things in my scope".

I feel we have lost this message. Throughout history you can blame the ignorance of Christians for wars, death, and the like just because people chose not to believe the same way as they did (i fear islam might be going through that in about 1000 years from now as well but thats another paradox). It took Jesus to come here die for us and forgive us of these things as well as his disciples after Him. If you can't see it, its happening again...and its not like it JUST started...but it is happening...and what I am referring to is Self-Pride and Personal glorification.

I have been to a variety of churches in my time and ofcourse there is singing and worship, offering (which if any Christian doesn't think that its needed...they need to read there Bible), then a message, an alter call maybe and then its over. You feel good about yourself and feel really good about yourself.....but thats the problem. I have to say it...we turn our noses to what Jesus has taught us for the past 2000 years: we aren't serving the meek, but serving ourselves...heck, we aren't even serving each other. We are JUDGING..thats right JUDGING everything and everybody that isn't the same as us based off of what the media has done to us and we come off as stuck-up, narcisstic, egotistical...well you know where i am going with that. We have people like Jerry Fallwell fighting our battles, Pat Buchanan, even G-dub who SAYS he is a Christian...in what respect is what i want to know? Are you doing anything about South Africa (they are undergoing a religious/racial holocaust), Jerry, can you unwrap your mind away from Gay marriage and stop judging them ( i am against it, its just me..but at the same time its 1% of the population of America and God judges everyone, gay or not gay..cuz we are all sinners) and spread a message of love to the slums and gang ridden parts of America? Pat Buchanan....can you just stop talking all together?? Alot of Christians take these people and follow them, not on their ignorance because i believe Christians need someone to believe in....how about the dude who wrote the book on how to live himself...Jesus. I know "Christians" (not in my group) who say they go to church groups (first of all the definition of church is a body of believers of Jesus Christ..nothing to do with a building)and that they keep each other accountable about how to be better Christians...thats fine, and good i have that too..but what do you do for the Gentile around you? (gentile is a biblical term that pretty much today means...unbeliever or someone who doesn't know)Are you feeling pretty good about yourself and all the things you aren't doing thats a sin...because if you are...you need to reevaluate some things. I remember when i was a child in College Station, TX i had kids church in the morning and there was a puppet show involved (greatest church...ever)it was about two people: The one that boasts to God in prayer about all she is doing better then the other people at her Church and in general, then there is another lady who doesn't have much but she stays meek, and sincere and she doesn't tell God about the little she had that day and she gave it to someone who didn't have shelter, food, etc....she wanted forgiveness, and just gave thanks for what God had given her already and that she were to be used to continually bless those who need it.....who do you think is valued in God's eyes? Yeah, the 2nd one fa'sho. I feel like there are too many of the 1st type: you might go to church, be apart of some groups, and might not do somethings that you think are "bad"...but if you are judging those who do those things...what makes you so much better?

I asked my Pastor at church (he is awesome) about what has happened to Christian beliefs and the like that we get such a bad wrap in the media, and its so bad that Jesus himself gets into cartoons, skits, purely for satire. He answered..."dude..its all our fault..and by us I mean Christians". He let me in on all the things we have done about turning our noses up on the non believer and just busying ourselves with worldly things and aspirations such as shopping, gossip, and personal wealth...and all of that leads to haughty-ness and the world now doesn't feel connected to that like it did back in the day. Thats so true....i know alot of Christians that think they are sweet and will only care to be friends with Christians. If this is our way..then we are facing a downhill battle boys and girls for Christ. "love your neighbor as I love you" Its Jesus' 11th commandment (i think, but its in the Bible i know for sure)...it doesnt matter if he or she is gay, an alcoholic, islamic, and yes..even morman (joke)....but if we, as Christians, don't get out in the world and let them know that "hey, i want to be your friend" because regardless...we are all sinners in the end and if we don't friend these people and stay in our shell and just worry about who we are friends with, well i cant be friends with them if they do this or that, or its not even my duty to have anything to do with them...we have missed the picture. The stereotyping of people that we as Christians do has got to stop. I mean..there is almost a negative connotation to being a Christian now..and its our faults as Christians. I keep reminding myself as i right this joint about the parable about the Good Samaritan and the Jews: i believe it was a Jewish man was hurt and Jew (meaning Christian)after Jew walked by not helping..it took a Samaritan (non-Christian) to help the Jew and was instantaneously convicted after that from God..thats how i envision what i like to call the "neo-christian" movement...helping/blessing others that need it, no matter what kind of life they lead or have led because you love Jesus and you want to do as He would have. We have been stuck-up, snobby, and judgemental about everyone else way too long...Its time to focus on whats important.

The final note i will leave you with is another story in the life of Jesus, its about when he went to the Temple to pray but saw tax collectors and betting, basically a place of trying to gain personal wealth, and not a personal relationship with God. He stormed in there and just tore it up and screamed at all of them: thats what alot of Church needs right now...and rude awakening from the Man himself, or ballsy Christians that take a stand that "its not about you" its about everybody. Thank you for letting me indulge myself in this....like i said, these views are mine and mine alone and that i myselyf struggle with these things as well and its something i ask God to relieve me of and i repent from it. If it got any Christians curious...awesome....if it got any Christians upset...........: ) Awesome

ex-clue-sif vol. 2: Thank You NYC for redefining me

As some of you might know, i went to new york city this past weekend for Laborious day and i just wanted to take this week to reflect on what that city taught me and what it needs to teach the rest of "closed" america. I got there around friday afternoon and my first encounter with culture shock happened about 20 minutes on the cab ride to my brother's apartment. It was the whole "we're not in Kansas any more" feeling as you drive around and see big building after big building around you. As i got into my brothers closet of an apartment that costs more then my mortgage for my 3 bd 3 bath house, all i could see was a city through the window while leaning on his radiator...at tha time i challenged myself to really take this weekend all in no matter what happened. Thanks to my flight schedule, i didnt eat anything from the french toast sticks i threw down that morning to about 6 pm. Being a classic TMNT (teenage mutant ninja turtles..that is, for all you who need to be schooled) i wanted to try NYC pizza...so my bro and i decided to go down the street to a pizza place, straight up new york thats all i gotta say. This joint was run by some of the nicest IRANIAN peeps and the food was good too. I asked for some gah-lic bread rolls and a slice of pepperoni and canadian bacon..dee-lish. After that i wanted to go to manhattan pub to wash it down with some beer...another good moment for me. You know how when you go out in omaha or lincoln, even the bar tender dresses up like a cross between its my first day of high school and how many wrist bands i can wear (i.e. brothers, iguanas, shag, etc) this guy and girl was bout like 25-30 years old, in a tshirt anc jeans...yanks hats ofcourse ready to talk with you about anything and everything. After a house brew of the bravest (the name of the beer, so good) and a brooklyn lager, i get ready for then night on the town...awesome..just awesome. We go to the east village to a bar called BOA's, a smaller bar but with a really attractive Punk rocker kind of girl who was just cool as heck and this dude that was originally from dallas but wanted to try out NYC for a year...so he opened a bar. After the girl, myself, my bro and the dude kept talking about school, aspirations, the taste of captain morgan as opposed to paint thinner...a random gal gets friendly with us and we proceed to go out on the night with her. Saturday, amidst the rain we went to McFaddens bar, a sports bar right by my bro's apt. I am decked out in husker red..becase thats right...i dont deviate my team. The bartender notices it and he throws on the game for us right away...that was awesome..only to find out that they were hanging notre dame shiz all over the walls as well. Oh well, we had a good talk and rant while NU won. We go out a bit later to this strip right by my bros in manhattan to a few places while my bro's friends meet up with us...the night gets going from there only for a few more cool females come up and talk with me (this never happens in NE). We hang out all night there and another place, they tell us to come back to there condo and we all hang out there and we leave around 4. Then Sunday was the US Open...and anyone who is anyone who loves sports should go without question. I have seen NBA games, baseballs games, and football...but the Open is amazing. With music entertainment all across the board, 1000's upon 1000's running around and just so lively there...its easily the best sports experience i have ever seen.

That was my account for what i did, but i want to now tell you about what i saw through my eyes and through NYC's essence. the most profound thing that i heard all weekend was when we were walking about the city, and i had passed by this indian dude hold this oriental girl's hand, black women holding white guys hands, hispanics with asians, middle easter with white.....i turn to my bro and i say "man, its so cool there are so many interracial relationships here....and he turns back and says "let me tell you something man, they aren't interracial relationships here...they are just relationships." That is going to stick with me forever amidst the coolness of the break dancers, the subway performers, or the like....its the widespread cultural and racial differences and the way people are together all the time there. It really opened me up to know that girls and guys in NE just dont get it...its not enough to be good looking or be at the cool parties or the cool bars and to get bombed on the weekend any more or to hang out with such and such any more...God created us equal and unique..and we owe to Him and to each other to learn from each other and to quit worrying about what click you are in or how its ok to be closed to the world. My previous judgements also of races came to the test when i saw how educated that City was....how Black people there don't overcompensate on there "nelly-ville life", how indians and hispanics don't just stick with themselves. It was refreshing to me that all walks of life on a subway were talking about the world, the news, Iran's uranium research, GWB's lack of common sense, as well as knowing all things of sport, art, life...in NE, sometimes i think there is husker football, there is ourselves and our own lifes, and then there is this little thing called planet earth we care not to be apart of because we think it will never reach us here. I vowed in my head that i was going to be more against the NE grain then ever before and i plan to hold true that...