Light the World

I became rather frustrated in a Christian Forum today when I was told that I should be ashamed for handing out Candy on Halloween and feeding this evil Holiday. But, why do we, the ones that are supposed to be a light to the world, turn out our lights on this darkest of days?

What if you opened your door and handed out the candy? What if you prayed for each child that came to the door? What if you attached little scripture notes to the candy as they were handed out? Novel idea? I know, some are saying “DUH”. Others are still probably wondering how I can make an excuse to participate on such a black day. Quite simple: If we are to be the light of the world, we should be the light when it is at it’s darkest.

Just A Little Bit Won’t Hurt

While watching the movie 21, I began thinking of how easy it can be to let sin consume us. In “21″, an MIT student is invited to participate in a team that counts cards and earns money. When he realizes that it could be the answer he needs to get into Harvard Medical, he reasons that it will get him the money he earns and then he can quit. As you can probably guess, he doesn’t stop there. He eventually gets to the point where the money, greed, and gambling consumes him.

Throughout much of the movie, he stays focused and is able to count cards correctly thus assuring victory each time. After he begins winning time after time, it slowly begins to change him–both in appearance and character. Finally, he is so consumed by his new addiction, that he loses everything that is important to him.

While not a Christian movie, I think it’s an excellent example of what happens when we compromise. Satan is very good at making a little sin look attractive because it may end up benefitting us in the short-term. But, how often does it escalate into something more serious? In the example of “21″ he tried to justify his wrong doing by believing it would help better himself. How many times to we let things slide by saying “Just a little bit won’t hurt”?

Matthew 4:1-11 is the story of Jesus being tempted. The Spirit leads Him out into the desert where He stays for 40 days. Verse 2 in the NASB says: “And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.” I believe Satan responds to our “hungers”. Satan tried to play to Jesus’ hunger to make Him stumble, but Jesus wouldn’t budge. He wanted Jesus to turn the stones into bread so He could eat. What is the harm in that you ask? Would it have been wrong for Jesus to feed Himself?

In “21″, it wasn’t the fact that he needed money for school that was wrong. Obtaining the money for school wasn’t wrong either. It was the method and heart of the matter. When Satan tempts us, he shows us a mirage of what the outcome will be. Perhaps we even obtain that thing that looks so beautiful. But what do we lose along the way? Our character? Our integrity?

Since I’m going with a theme here, we sometimes find ourselves going “Just one pull on the slot machine won’t hurt.” But once we pull it, we start to reason. “Well, one more and that will do it.” And again; “Well, it can’t lose everytime.” Then we are hooked. I believe every temptation starts out like that. I know I get that sometimes. I get that little voice that says “Come on Josh, it’s just a little bit. What harm can it do?” But sin is like taking a small taste of your favorite desert then having it yanked from you. You can’t have just one bite. you want the whole desert!

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for Righteousness for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6

Sin is never satisfying. It always leaves us wanting more which eventually destroys our very being because we become consumed by it. In contrast, God’s word satisfies us. It is so satisfying, that you can’t live without it. This comes with time. We must be persistent to allow the Spirit to do the work intended. If we do, then we will be “hungering” after God’s word in order to be filled. Where sin leaves a void, God’s word and His love fills it.

You shall be filled if you hunger and thirst after righteousness. We are rigtheous through the saving blood of Christ. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” says Acts 16:31. Through Christ as our filter, we are righteous and thus, should be filled. That is to say, we should never be left needing anything else to fill our lives because our lives should be filled with Him. Once we have received that gift, we should be seeking others to fill.

Have you tried and tried to fill some void? Remember, just a little bit can hurt–especially when it leaves you wanting just a little bit more. I am not perfect. I know there are things that I have done as a result of adding “just a little bit”. But the more time I spend in God’s word, the less room there is for that little bit.

Something Fun

Well, I decided to take a break from the common blog and show you something fun. This video was presented as the MySpace featured video earlier today. This 11 year-old boy from South Korea has been playing guitar since age 5. If you like the Pirates Of The Carribbean, you will appreciate this video. This kid jams that theme song out using a thumb pick and fingers on his guitar. Definately a must-see!

His YouTube page says he practices 2 hours a day when school is in session and 3 hours a day when school is not in session. I have a Biblical application for this but I do not have the time tonight to elaborate. You’ll have to wait.

A more normal blog is going up this weekend. I’ve been busy with unpacking and what not so I have not had time to write a usual entry. Just thought I would share something cool this time.

Hope everyone has a blessed weekend!

-Mr. Josh

My Traveling Mis-Adventures

Alright Y’all, it’s time I recap my little road trip, so here it goes: Obviously things started out OK. We left Anza Saturday morning and arrived in Copperas Cove late Sunday. Actually, most of the trip was pretty cut and dry. Then we got to Texas and that’s when our GPS TeleNav System (Sprint) decided to get creative. We should have stayed on the 10 and went past El Paso. But we decided to trust the computerized voice and got off the 10 and follow some highway to nowhere (and nowhere is an understatement). Let’s just say I’ve never driven that long and not seen anything. It was pitch black (with the exception of a few lightning strikes) and nothing could be seen anywhere…NOTHING. And I thought Anza was bad! We drove for about 2 hours before anything that resembled civilization returned (and that ended up being nothing but a ghost town). That wasn’t the worst of it. Somehow the “Welcome To New Mexico” sign eluded us and we ended up in White City New Mexico. This “GPS” was supposed to be giving us the Fastest route. Instead, I think it decided we needed to see more of…well…nothing (literally). By the time we arrived in White, we were nearly out of gas. That was quite a scary situation seeing as how we had seen nothing for quite sometime and became worried that we wouldn’t see anything in time to fill up. But, we managed to fill up at some lonely Shell station at a price 5 cents higher than Anza (the highest price we saw the WHOLE trip). You would of thought we would have given up following the TeleNav, but we didn’t. Mostly because we didn’t bring a paper map so we would have been completely lost without it. At least we could hang on to hope that it would eventually get us to our destination. Lucky for us, it finally got us back on the Texas side of the border. Daylight was well underway by this point and we were starving. So in Seminole, we stopped at McDonald’s for Breakfast sandwiches. By this point however, we had crossed into the Central Time Zone and thought we had completely missed Breakfast. We were under the assumption that breakfast ended at 10:30 so we didn’t expect much at 10:40. Lucky for us, breakfast ended at 11 so we got our breakfast sandwiches and continued on our way. But, we were still following the TeleNav, so once again, we ended up nowhere. We saw a radio tower and a house or two (very very far apart) and wondered who would live out there? You think your drive to Walmart is far! By the way, I’m quite aware that those from Texas or those who have spent a lot of time here are probably laughing at me right now (I’m laughing too…now that I am here). So, our “guiding light” continued to take us through field after field as we hoped we would find our destination soon. Lucky for us, we at least went throught several small towns where we could get gas, but our destination still seemed so far out of reach. That was not the end of our adventure. Our TeleNav suddenly stopped working while we were in “No Where” just before a cross highway. We literally had to guess where to go next and ended up guessing right. When we finally got the TeleNav working again, we were on the right route. After over 30 hours of driving, I finally arrived in Copperas Cove, Texas. That GPS “guidance” system made me appreciate Psalm 119:105: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” God is always reliable. TeleNav (from Sprint) is not very reliable. Texas is a big (empty) state. But, God is a very big God and uses the world as His footstool. Now as things change, more than ever I am ready to let Him “light my path”. Like the GPS, we sometimes allow other things to guide us and they end up taking us places that we hadn’t intended on going. While we may still end up where we wanted to be, we might have had an easier ride if we had allow God and His plan guide our life. Thanks to all those who prayed for a safe journey. I have a lot to get used too. I’ll continue to keep you all updated.

In Christ, Mr. Josh

Phew!

Well, I am here in Texas. I will elaborate more about my little misadventure (and what a misadventure it was). Just wanted to buzz you all and say that I made it safely. Thanks for the prayers! Have you been following the Twitter feed at http://www.twitter.com/anzatexan ?

The Anzanite Bids Farewell To “The Anzanite”

Many of us go through life expecting things to be a certain way. We expect for example that the things we take for granted will always be there. We expect that the people around us and the jobs that we have are secure. Then some circumstance comes along that completely derails us. It is quite easy for us to fly off the handle and become angry and outraged. What’s more, when you believe you are doing what God has called you do to, you become angry at Him.

Sometimes, we need our lives shaken up a bit to remind us that it’s not about us. My struggles over the last few months have made me realize that I really am nothing with out God. Even if we are following God’s plan, we can become arrogant in thinking that since we are following His plan, we, in our own power, must be doing something right. Although it may have been God’s intent for us to be where we were, we start to wander and focus on what WE have done.

The last few months derailed me in ways I never thought could ever happen. “I” thought I had things all worked out. I believed since I was doing God’s work, that I could control what was going on. God reminded me that I am but the tool used for His work. The Tool does not have any right to take action without the craftsman wielding it.

That being said, it has come time to rebrand the Anzanite and move on from what it once was. The original purpose of “The Anzanite” was to vent my frustrations at AVCS in hopes that I could control a situation that was ultimately out of my hands. Now, as I have discovered that “Peace that passes understanding”, I’ve come to realize that the Anzanite name will continue to be tainted with the original anger I showed toward AVCS.

I once mentioned that this blog would take on a name that had to do with Anza and my new locale. But, after some careful consideration, I’ve decided to give it a new name. Thus, “The Anzanite” has become “Behind the Waterfall”. From this point forward, I am the sole operator of all assets originally associated with The Anzanite. Anzanite.com will continue to foward here indefinitely and I am working on creating a new domain name to reflect the name change.

I hope that many of you still find time to read this and find out what’s going on with me. There have been quite a few setbacks in getting out to Texas. However, the U-Haul has finally been reserved and it is being picked up tomorrow. It will be loaded up and ready for departure early Saturday morning.

It’s been a true blessing to be a part of all the lives I have become a part of. I sincerely Thank all of you for the support and the opportunity to be a part of your child’s education. To my new readers that have come in recently, thank you for bearing with me while I settle these matters.

Keep it here to find out more about my life in Texas. Also, as I mentioned before, pictures and video will be available of my trip to Texas sometime after I get there. And if you are REALLY curious, you can keep up with the trip beginning Saturday Morning by logging on to: http://www.twitter.com/anzatexan .

In Christ,

Mr. Josh

Something I Felt Like Sharing

Well, as I stumble around YouTube, I sometimes come across things that are very compelling. In recent interviews, Obama has said what a mistake it was to go into Iraq. Whatever your opinion on it, you have to watch this video. The video was not paid for by John McCain or any other politician or political group. It was made by the person in the video and his family friend. Enjoy!

MySpace and the Vice-Presidential Debates

Well, I decided to try something new. Instead of relying simply on the cable news channels, I decided to take MySpace up on their invitation to watch the debates online. I find it fascinating that technology has found a way to grasp the youth and get them involved in politics. After all, the new generations are less likely to take an interest. What a great way to get them thinking and interested in voting.

Why has the Christian community abandoned it? I still haven’t heard any valid arguments for why churches and pastors and teachers and preachers avoid MySpace. They still insist on hiding behind their holy huddles. How very sad.

The debate was interesting. I’m not so sure who won right now. All you get from T.V. is “Biden won” from Obama supporters and “Palin won” from Palin supporters. I think there are issues that both sides bring to the table. But I believe in traditional marriage. I applaud Palin for taking a bold stand on her beliefs. I can guarantee that it’s going to be the political chopping block for her on that one.

Leaving in less than 3 days. I hope all my former students and families are having a wonderful school year! I pray for all of you everyday.

-Mr. Josh

Peace That Passes Understanding–And an Update

Well, let’s get to the last first. If you don’t know, there have been some hiccups regarding me getting to Texas. Be that as it may, I am pulling out Saturday…finally. So, for those of you who have been on the edge of your seat wondering what is up–there you have it. Also, I am working on a video blog. I actually had one ready, but my computer encoded it with the wrong encoding and so, I am left to try again another day. I can tell you that I will be video-logging my move to Texas. It will be a funny, humor-filled misadventure. More details will be available as I get closer to completion. Call it a YouTube mini-movie so-to-speak.

Now for some Word.

Things with my computer and this move have had me stressed out. But I heard a podcast sermon today where the Pastor speaking said “the message of Christ is to value rest over stress.” I thought to myself “yes, that makes sense”. But it’s a lot easier said than done. I sometimes wonder why I worry–why we all worry. Is it really because it’s going to make a difference? That certainly can’t be the reason. And, do we worry about things we really should be worried about? I read a story about a guy who was worried that his grass might not grow quite as tall next year. It actually sent him to the hospital for “stress related health issues.”

There are what would appear more meaningful things to worry about. Like money. Don’t we worry about money a lot? With the Economy the way it is right now and banks merging right and left, we almost have no choice but to worry about money. But what is money? What do we use it for? I know there are things we need, but do we have faith that God will provide for those needs?

The bottom line is that we worry about money so that we can sustain the lifestyle WE want; or better yet, the lifestyle we think we deserve. But what do we deserve? Does the world owe us? Does God owe us? Perhaps maybe we have the wrong attitude toward it.

America is the wealthiest country in the world. Even our poor have it better than most other countries do. Yet roughly half of 18-49 year-olds are stressed. I think the problem is selfishness. In a previous post, I quoted the Scripture where Jesus states one of the greatest commandments is love your neighbor as yourself. Have you ever felt stressed when you put others first? I firmly agree with that Pastor I heard today that stress comes from worrying about ourselves.

If we attend to the things of God and realize that ALL belong to Him, then what do we have to worry about? We are merely stewards entrusted with the things we have–this includes money. Yet time and time again we yell and scream because we can’t pay some stupid bill we probably don’t even need. I sometimes wonder if God doesn’t have a hand in that. Could He be telling us to cut that from our life? “But we worked so hard for our money.” This is a sense of entitlement.

It’s true that many of us work hard and as a result, feel like we deserve to benefit from what we have made. But something else we deserve is death. Romans 3:23 says: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and Romans 6:23 says: “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jesus didn’t deserve death. He suffered so badly for our sins and yet, went willing to die for us anyone. He knew that so many people would reject Him and so many would still sin. But He died anyway. So who are we to say we deserve anything!? We don’t but for some reason, we still get stressed out!

We sing that song “I’ve got the peace that passes understanding down in my heart.” Peace that passes understanding is a peace and a joy that is not dependant on our situation. It’s a joy and a peace that is not about us. We should be experiencing a “peace” no matter what is happening because we have Christ as a filter to receive a gift we haven’t earned nor deserve. That is peace. That is joy. My circumstance as it is has been rather lousy, by worldly terms. But nothing I’ve been through in the past few months can compare to the agony and pain that Christ went through because of His love for me. If nothing else, He owes us nothing–we owe Him everything. Jesus was clear as to where we should set our treasures. In Matthew 6:19-24, we are told not to set our treasures here on earth where “moth and rust destroy”. Yet, it is because of those things that we get stressed and worked up over.

What am I getting at? The more I read, the more I want to draw closer to Christ. The more we set our eyes on Him, the less we have to worry about ourselves. He loves us so much that He took more humiliation, pain, and shame than any of us could ever handle. He wants us to emulate that love to others. He wants us to resonate His glory. If we are worried about ourselves and our present state, we can’t effectively do that. This is the connecting theme that resounds throughout the scriptures. When we put God and others first, we don’t have time to worry about ourselves because we are to busy meeting the needs of those around us. As a result, we will find our needs met.

I believe God ALWAYS meets the needs of His children. We taint it though because we don’t think He is meeting our needs the way we think He should. I’ve been guilty of this. I’ve expected or wanted things to go a certain way. When they don’t, I’m ready to say “well God, you didn’t meet my need this time.” In reality, He did, I just didn’t see it because of my selfish bias.

God loves us. He doesn’t want us to be stressed. And I believe He will take that burden from us if we only let Him.

Oh Lord, please remove our distractions so we can turn our eyes on you. Help us to realize that it’s only through you that we can receive peace beyond understanding.

When are you peaceful? Is it when things are good or when things are bad? If you trust God, shouldn’t you be peaceful no matter what YOUR situation is?

I encourage you to read Matthew 6:19-24. Ask God to help you apply it to your current life and situation–whether good or bad. Perhaps it’s better than you see it. Maybe after looking at your situation from God’s perspective, you will see how silly it is to be so stressed about things.

Mr. Josh

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