Browsing The Internet; Browsing Through Life

Most of you use a program called Internet Explorer to access the internet and view the content of various pages. If you are a Mac user, the typical program is Safari. I use a browser called Firefox–all of these take us to the same web but have a rather different approach to it. For example, Internet Explorer and Safari are pretty cut and dry. While they offer the necessary plug-ins to get the general user through the world wide web, they offer little as far as customization. FireFox on the other hand delivers a plethora of add-ons to enhance the browsing experience and make it your own so-to-speak.

While I love FireFox, it can sometimes be overwhelming to see how much customization is available to you. I have an add-on to preview a site before I view it, an addon that customizes the look of the browser, another add-on to manage downloads, another add-on to make less time viewing videos, and the list goes on. Quite frankly, it seems many of the add-ons I have installed to make things easier can actually get in the way. Granted, some of them are useful but most are just a matter of preference.

Sometimes we can over accessorize life. As I have cleaned out and thrown away much, I have realized that over accessorizing can actually be a drag. All it really does is leave you wanting the next accessory before even getting a chance to utilize and wear out the one you just got. 1 Timothy 6:8 says “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.”(NASB)

I’m not saying that buying things is necessarily wrong. I have an iPod which I use and enjoy a lot. I don’t believe that makes me evil or greedy. It’s only when we focus on these things that it becomes a problem. Hebrews 13:5 says; “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ” I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU.” I had a problem always wanting the newest gizmo. I have recently realized it was all a waste of energy (and resources).

So what did internet browsers have to do with it? Well, I tried to add this Bible Reader addon to FireFox and it wouldn’t take. It kept telling me it wasn’t Vista compatible. While adding on to FireFox doesn’t instill a “love of money”, it did help illustrate a point of how wanting the latest “addon” can cause a lot of frustration and disappointment if that is where your heart is at.

Finally, a tentative departure date has been set. I’ll be pulling out of Anza a week from Monday (the Monday following Labor Day).

A Day in the Life of a Beach Goer

We trekked my two nieces to Oceanside and spent the day at the beach (those in my MySpace friends list can see all the pictures). I was watching the waves roll onto shore and I was suddenly amazed by the power and force behind it. I also realized how beautiful it was and how awesome God is for making it so wonderful.

The waves reminded me of the time Jesus walked out on the water and Peter wanted to join Him. He got out of the boat and began walking toward Him. But the water got a little rough and Peter took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink. I felt like I was sinking for the last few months. I took my eyes off of Christ and began looking around at the “rough waters” around me. I thought that if I could just row over these waves, then the water would be calmer. Was I dumbfounded to find out that I would never get past the break water.

I realized that only God could calm the storm. By focusing my attention back on Him, I am able to calm the waves long enough to get past the break water. Psalm 89:9 says: “You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them.” (NASB, Emphasis theirs).

How high have your waves become? Are you able to walk calmly on shore or are you building up sandbags to try and keep the water out? I encourage you to instead turn your eyes on Jesus, stay close to His words, and He will calm those waves so you can step out on the water and experience all He has planned for you.

My niece’s little pink bucket got swept out to sea. Don’t let your life bucket be swept away by the waves of doubt or deception.

The Beach in Oceanside, Ca

The Art of Changing

I am someone who doesn’t handle major change very well. I’m sure you all saw that in the events that took place at AVCS regarding my loss of employment. I felt broken and hurt. I was listening to the Art of Breaking by Thousand Foot Krutch (from the CD by the same name) and I realized that song was all about my experience. They sing of making breaking an art. In James, we learn the art of breaking. James 1:2-3 says: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” (NASB)

I never really lost faith in God. I just couldn’t see why He was so willing to disrupt things. As it would work out though, He obviously has other things planned. I’ve heard many a pastor say “if you want to make God laugh, show Him your plans.”

We all get to comfortable. I was. I thought that everything was in place and that I didn’t need to move on because thinks were OK. God had something else planned. Through out my bitterness and rage over everything that has happened, God is still willing to use me. I think He does that on purpose. Paul talked about a thorn in his flesh. I believe this “thorn” was something that Paul had a hard time breaking. Maybe it was some stupid habit that he knew he shouldn’t be doing and stumbled upon it anyway.

I continue to stumble. It makes me wonder how God can use me. But, if He only used perfect people, then who would get the glory? He wants us to have to trust Him to reach out to others. Without our stumbles, we would then not take notice of who is in charge. I can honestly say to someone that it has been God that has helped through every situaion. I can honestlly say I can’t do anything alone. I don’t see how I am used at all considering how I can mess up so bad. But, it also helps me to give credit to the One who truly is responsible for giving me strength to go on.

The words of James 1 gives us what a “Changing Artist” looks like. A changing artist is someone who endures the worst of trials and hangs on to faith. The “Art of Breaking” is one in the same. How you handle your brokeness reflects how well of an artist you have become. It’s taken some time, but I understand what trial are all about. We go through them not because God is angry at us, but because He loves us so much and wants us to be like Him. He wants us to see the world the way He does. By putting us through trials, we draw ever closer to Him which is He has longed for since before creation.

-Mr. Josh

Somewhere Between Nowhere and Something

I have begun making my first attempts at resolving the bitterness between myself and AVCS. As their school year starts today and I prepare to move out of state, I do not want to leave things unresolved. Granted, this will not cause them to reverse their decision, but at least we hopefully can all put this behind us in peace as we continue on life’s journey.

That being said, Anzanite.com will soon forward to this blog again until such time as I can decide what I want the site to become. I may still post things about Caine Learning and other stuff, but not directly linking them to AVCS or Anza Baptist Church. That phase is over. I’m turning over a new leaf as I start fresh in a new town and state. Yes, it’s still hard to go because of all the relationships I’ve built up over the years in our small little town, but it’s something that I feel needs to be done. Besides, I’m growing ever more stagnant just by sitting around here in Anza.

Not that working with any of the students or kids was nothing to me, I just feel God is calling me somewhere else–like there are others who need my services. Sometimes, you have to plant the seed then move on. I know I acted out of anger–a lot of us do. But after sitting down and looking at things, you see that God can turn a misunderstanding and a mistake around and use it to glorify Him and advance His kingdom.

I will continue to keep you all posted in my endeavors. Please continue to let me know what is going on with you as well.

In Christ,

Mr. Josh

2 Frequently Asked Questions (This Should Stop The Emails)

Question: Josh, why did you quit the church, and worse, Awana just because you lost your job? Was your attendance at ABC dependant on your job at AVCS?

Answer: This questions has a complicated answer but I will do my best to answer it.

First, we need to travel back to October 2006, the month I accepted the AVCS position. At that time, I was making an exhaustive drive on Tuesdays from Murietta to Anza in order to make it to Awana on time. I worked for the after school program at MVUSD and had to cut my Tuesdays hours short in order to make it on time. As it was, I still had no time for preparation or to do half the things I did this last Awana year.

As a result, I submitted and application to both AVCS and Hemet Unified for a position at Hamilton. The opening was for an after school position at Hamilton. Sadly, it would have required me to stay at work till 6pm or later. This would not do since Awana began at 5:30pm. So, after praying, I decided that if AVCS offered me the position, I would take it in order to still be fully available for Awana. The end of my employment with AVCS meant that I could not guarantee my schedule for Awana. My recent hiring at Hemet Unified has only confirmed what I feared would happen. So, as far as Awana is concerned, I can not participate in the program because I no longer have the hours available to me.

Did AVCS make it easier? Yes. Considering that it gave me MORE time to work on Awana stuff (i.e. the slides, videos, etc) because there was no drive time. I didn’t have to rush to do anything because the set-up allowed for me to stay on campus and deliver the best work without having to over exert myself. It also allowed me to focus on my “job” as I was more distracted when I had to drive because I had to worry about traffic. Also, at the time of leaving Murietta, gas had just reached about 2.60 a gallon and having to cut my hours short did not make it fun to drive with gas on the rise.

As far as my removal of membership is concerned, that WAS directly related to the AVCS decision–and I still agree with my decision. The fact that I wasn’t even offered the open position made me feel as if the church no longer wanted my services. Since I could not guarantee I could be back for Awana and I had already ended my commitment to children’s church (KFC) long before this, I decided it would be best to look for a new church home.

Question: So, you are just turning your back on the kids of Awana are you?

Answer: This is an unfair question and assumption. The hardest thing I have ever done is acknowledge and accept that I can not return to Awana if the church accepts and removes my membership at my request. I was devastated by this reality. I did not take it easily and I am still coping with it. I put everything I had into the program (and AVCS) and it’s going to take some time for me to rejuvenate after everything that happened.

If you must be curious (as some of you are) I will be helping in some Sunday School classes at Rancho coming up. But, that’s a whole other story which I am not going to go into detail tonight on.

Look for this and more at the FAQ page coming soon to anzanite.com.

“Come Join Our Family”

I saw the phrase “Come Join Our Family” on the website of a Christian School and a thought occured to me: Why would you call something a family and then abandon some of the family members? That’s an open-ended question that can be interpreted however you want. I pose this though: Would it be unwise for a Christian School to call something a family if they don’t intend to treat it as such? That by definition is lying. Let’s hope that any Christian organization using this phrase on their website or in promotion is true to their word and has no intentions of dumping any of their family, whether that be their staff or students or if a church, their congregation. Families don’t always agree, but they don’t give up on each other either.

Let’s look at how bad God wanted us to be His children. First, He creates us and puts us above all creation. But what do we do? We turn our backs on Him. But still, He didn’t give up. He came down and died for us so that we could be with Him. He gave the ultimate sacrifice so we wouldn’t have to. That is what the ultimate family person would do for His children.

I have noticed however that the church has allowed the world dilutted view of family to infiltrate its walls. I don’t believe that any Church or Christian Organization should ever call something a family and then dump the members of it because of some man-centered ambition. But that’s just me I guess. A family is more than just members of a church or school. If you truly consider your school or church a family, you make EVERY attempt to work out all problems with your family, not toss them to the wayside in favor of those who sync better with your way of thinking.

Something bearing Christ’s name should welcome those who challenge the norm. Jesus never seemed to do anything right in the eyes of the Pharisees and other religious leaders of His day. If He sat down for dinner, they wanted to know why He didn’t wash His hands. But, I doubt that would have mattered anyway. They would have just as easily wondered why He only chewed His food so many times or why He cut His meat with only a fork or a knife.

It seems that church’s, especially those backed by a denomination, have a tendency to nit-pick. They erode the relationship message of the Gospel and instead have a long list of rules and instructions to follow. How very petty and so backwards! This is not what was intended at all! God did not expect us to submit and sacrifice ourselves for the church–He wants us to obey HIM because we love Him. When you have to submit and follow a list of petty rules, it becomes less about love and more about trying to make the church happy. If you obey God, you don’t need the list. You don’t need the rules. You are doing what you can to emulate Him and thus, the church, men, and the world have no power over you.

I’m not saying I hate the church (in the general meaning). I’m saying that there is to much emphasis on a list of rules that may or may not be necessary. Instead of encouraging people with love and encouraging their walk with God, they instead insist first that you must be following the exact doctrine and operational codes and rules of the church. Following God comes second to that because, after all, if you are not following the rules, then you must be evil.

Wake up people! We are all sinners. We all mess up. Any Christian church or organization that says your less of a person because you don’t measure up to their standards are guilty of not only judging you, but of hypocrisy and arrogance.

-The Anzanite

Stepping Out

Greetings all!

Well, it’s been quite a week. I had two interviews and ended up being offered (and accepting) a position with Hemet Unified School District. So that means for now, the job hunt is over. Thanks again to all of you who have given your support and continue to do so.

As I sit here on a Sunday afternoon, I’ve decided to tinker with this blog. So as I do some “summer cleaning”, you will see some blogs disappear. Sorry, but i feel compelled to leave the one on Caine Learning in place. I will not be taking those ones down.

So, this new job is taking me down a new road both professionally and spiritually. Lately, I’ve realized that maybe just working at a “Christian School” may be detrimental to ministry. Let me explain. I in no way mean that the students I taught last year were not worth my time–that’s far from the truth. I did what God had called me to and planted a seed so-to-speak. But as I read more and more about what Jesus did while on earth, I realize that it’s not enough to preach to the choir. While I fully acknowledge that not every child that walks through the door at a Christian school is a child of God, the intent of a Christian school is to teach the “choir”. Jesus on the other hand, condemned the choir. He sought out that most vile sinners and hung out with them.

He spent time with Matthew, the tax collector knowing that he was hated by the Jews and the religious leaders of the time. Jesus went as far as going to a party at Matthew’s house and eating with him. What did the religious leaders of His day think of that? We all know they had nothing nice to say about it. Seriously, Jesus was a subversive in that He challenged the religious leaders of the day and the traditions and religious order that they followed. I too have challenged those who have an illusion of authority and realized that maybe it is best that I part ways with my former church. After all, if I must submit to a “religious order”, then I have lost sight on what God’s intent for life is. He doesn’t want us bound to rules and “judgemental glances”, He wants relationships. He wants us to build relationships with sinners, with the lost, with those He came to save.

The pastor I heard today put it in perspective. Without sinning, Jesus had to lower His standards to hang out with the lowly, putrid, detested sinners. We, as human beings, don’t have to because we are already sinners. As a result, I am happily ready to move on to this next phase in life and reach out to the world with love and compassion instead of always preaching to the choir. Awana, Christian Schools, Sunday School–all great programs, but they are just that–programs. These programs aim and target mostly the already saved or church attender. Why aren’t we touching the world? Why are we hiding behind our Christian Schools and our church programs?

I just want all of you to know that despite everything, I still have faith that God can and will continue to provide for me. He’s been awesome and as the Casting Crowns song says, I will continue to praise Him in the storm.

Yes, I’ll still be here blogging, letting you know what’s going on. But I am moving in a new direction–a direction more fitting for what God has called me to do. Don’t worry, for those that have asked, I’m still there for those families who have asked me to continue to be involved. But I am also excited to see where God will lead and how He can use little imperfect me to reach a world that is lost and dying separated from the One who loved us so much, that He died for us.

I am grateful for the push from God to come out from behind the Holy Huddle and be able to impact the lost world. Again, I thank you for the opportunity to work with your students at AVCS and look forward to all future opportunities. But I am just as excited about this new “adventure”.

I pray your summer has been filled with joy! I continue to pray for the students and families of AVCS. Please continue to keep me in your prayers as well.

God Bless!

In Christ,

Mr. Josh