Peace like a River

Heroes get remembered, legends never die.

Today, November 10, 2011, marks the one-year anniversary of the day that John Evans went to his home in heaven. If you didn’t ever get a chance to meet or really be around John, he was the kind of guy that you didn’t ever want to loose touch with; the kind of guy that could bring a smile to your face if you were feeling down. I’ve heard many people say this, but it’s entirely true: John had a presence that lit up the room and a smile that was so contagious, you couldn’t resist smiling and laughing along with him.

John’s whole life was really an amazing story in itself and very inspirational but once John had turned away from the worldly pleasures and fixes that many people indulge in and TRULY gave his life to Christ, he became a beacon of God like no other christian I’d ever seen. The term “Christian” has lost its meaning over the years because people’s understanding of the word’s definition has faded. In a simplified definition, the term means to be “like Christ”, and John was a TRUE Christian. John was just as mortal as me and the next guy, but he was truly an amazing example of the way we understand that Jesus was. Personally, I haven’t done very much in-depth studying of the word and the life of Jesus Christ but from all the knowledge I’ve gained over the years of going to church and such, I would have to say that John resembled Christ in lots of ways.

Today was a day to remember John’s life and to give thanks for the time that he was given to be with us. In remembering his death, many of us, myself included, may feel sad and have regrets for not spending more time with him or something of that sort. This is obviously a natural thing for us to do but one thing that he didn’t want (and he said it before he passed) was for people to mourn over the loss of their friend or family member. Instead, he wanted us to be happy for him because he went to his true home in heaven. We need not deeply mourn his loss, but instead look back at the way he was “fully alive” and think of how we can be the same…as in fully alive, not another John Evans.

In my conclusion, I’d like to say that I’m so thankful for the time I did get to spend with John and see him grow spiritually. Unfortunately, I was always a couple steps behind him in that aspect so I never got a great chance to discuss the things I would’ve liked to now, but I was able to be around him enough to know that he was “fully alive” in God.

John, you’re still very missed and loved by everybody here, but we all know that you’re right where you wanted and needed to be. So stock up the heavenly ponds and streams with some big ‘ol fish and save us a spot at the bonfire! I’ll be seeing you down the road buddy!

Love,

Shep

Relient K lyrics

“When I got tired of running from you
I stopped right there to catch my breath
There your words they caught my ears
You said, “I miss you son. Come home”
And my sins, they watched me leave
And in my heart I so believed
The love you felt for me was more than
The love I’d wished for all this time
And when the doors were closed
I heard no I told so’s
I said the words I knew you knew
Oh God, Oh God I needed you
God all this time I needed you, I needed you”

Awake My Soul

Not only is this phrase an amazing song by the well known band “Mumford and Sons”, but it’s also a message for this generation as a whole. Our society has so badly fogged the minds of not only non-believers but believers of Christ as well. Many Christians believe that if they pray, tithe, do the right things, etc., that they are all fine and dandy. This may be true but they will never get to experience the full love of God or get to see his true potential. Louie Giglio (Passion city church pastor) gave a message recently about being in the “kiddy pool” of your relationship with God and not wanting to really get any deeper or move into a bigger spiritual pool. But by the natural way of progression, as we grow spiritually we get to the point where we can’t really grow any more unless we graduate to a bigger pool that we CAN grow in. We as Christians have to move forward, tread into deeper waters and GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONES!

We need our souls to be awakened to what God wants to do with us and what we can do. There is too much wrong in the world today to just sit around and hope that this society will fix itself. As Christians we have to be bold in our faith. Not bold in a way as to shun non-believers because that’s the ONE thing we shouldn’t do (and my biggest spiritual pet peeve), but to portray the love of God so that people see what joy and peace comes from being close with him. God fulfills but society Kills and that’s what it is doing to the world. “We are a chosen generation. Rise up holy nation.”

Next time you find yourself in a situation where you don’t wanna talk about God or admit what you believe, don’t listen to Satan and be bold in your faith. In the end, it’s not about what others think about you, it’s about what favor you have in the Lord.

Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

Young Maturing

I believe that I have a somewhat more mature thought process than the average 19 year old American Male and while I pride myself in it, sometimes I find it hard to get away from it. Everyone says “you’re only young so long” and to enjoy the whole part of life that is pre and young adulthood and while I know how to have fun, be social, and act pretty normal (so I think) I kinda come into a different mindset when I’m by myself. I think allot about everything and I think about it probably more deeply than really necessary. I often get wrapped up in thinking about my future and how I should prepare for it whether it’s related to my future career, marriage, or whatever. It feels weird and out of place sometimes because I feel like I shouldn’t be thinking or even worrying about the things I do give lots of thought to, but I also wonder if God will one day do something great with my young maturing. Or he may even be doing things right now with it that I just have a hard time recognizing. I’m always wondering what he’s gonna do with my life and it bugs me sometimes because I wanna know the great plans he has for me but I also realize that I need to be patient and wait on his timing because he’s not a “BK, have it your way” kind of God, he has divine timing for everything.

I’m kind of in a weird place in my life right now too being single and about to start college and all that good stuff… It’s one of those awkward transitioning stages where you know something new is coming but you don’t know what it will be like. The anticipation stage. Music is a huge thing for me to because I’m aspiring to be a professional full-time drummer one day and I’m trying also to advance towards that BIG goal.

While I get WAY too wrapped up in myself and try to direct my life by myself, I am trying to come to the Lord with everything and devote allot more time to prayer and seeking of guidance. Deep down I do know that he can and will take care of me, I just have to surrender to his will and surrender my life to him. That’s what I have done and we’ll see where he takes me…