tired of whatever

we have got to get off of our rear ends. collectively. i'm so tired of seeing the church be characterized by issues that i really don't think Jesus cares about. i don't think Jesus would be on television stations screaming about homosexuality, the Da Vinci Code, and moral values. i truly believe He would be actively trying to shape and change the world around Him.

i'm so tired of people who believe that life exists within the confines of their comfort. i'm tired of complacency. i'm tired of people who have never gotten their hands dirty. i'm tired of christianity being relegated to what Jesus did for me. what about what He has commanded us to do for those around us? when does that come into the picture?

one of the most amazing times of my life was travelling down to New Orleans. was trying my damndest to be Christ those in need. those situations bring out the best in us. because we can't focus on ourselves. that's where i fell in love with God again. and thats where i began to fall in love with mckinna. working together, getting our hands dirty together.

i'm tired of a lack of passion. i've seen this passion. it exists in areas that we don't like to look. it exists in the mess of life. in the crap of life. it exists in areas where there are unwed mothers, crack addicts and alcoholics. it exists when they see a Jesus who loves them and they don't have to do a thing more to earn His love. NOTHING MORE. and then they cling to Jesus like a 5 year-old wraps his body around his dad's leg, sitting on his foot. the boy doesn't care where his dad is going, He just wants to be with him. thats passion.

passion exists where people who have only been clean for 2 weeks are celebrated, because it is only because of a God-Who-is-Love has brought them there. and they didn't come to church clean. they didn't wait to get clean to seek God. they came broken. they came with their baggage. and this GOD, this GOD that we think we need to defend, takes them in, brushes them off, picks them up, and hugs them. embraces them.

here's an idea. instead of defending God, which seems to be the trend these days, lets actively proclaim who He is by our lives. and this is not by being a dispenser of information. lets be authentic. lets be genuine. lets have the courage to admit our brokeness, our shitty attitudes, our rebellious hearts. because thats what the world needs to see. they need to see our hearts. not a polished, spruced up, i have it all together, fancy production image. but a real one.

we've got clean up the inside of the cup first. the outside will then take care of itself.

our attitudes, including mine, can be so toxic.

because i'm so tired of the people of God being less than what we are called to be. i think thats why i don't like christian television. because they present an unreal image of life. and we are called to be real.
i truly believe that God cares about the heart, first and foremost. because the rest takes care of itself when the heart is in tune with the rhythm of God.

God did not call us to keep to ourselves in our comfortable multi-million dollar church. i hate them. i hate those buildings. i do. i don't think its a wise use of resources when there are bigger issues in the communities around them than whether or not we have the newest gobo lights or projectors or sound boards or light boards or new carpet or whatever it is that we "need." i just don't care about them. i care about the hearts of the people who have felt rejected by the church, rejected by God because we who claim to have the corner on the truth turned them away. does suburbia need Jesus? absolutely. but not the Jesus we have presented. not the cleaned up one. not the Mtv, Fox News, TBN one. they need one who rescued the prostitute, the tax collector, and rebuked the pharisees.

God, forgive us.

i'm done. we now return to our regularly scheduled program. but i'm tired of that program.
anyone else?

LIVE. this isn't a dress rehearsal. we don't get a second chance. do what you love and are passionate about.



be good to each other. look at Christ. peace.

"Young man control in your hand, slam your fist on the table and make your demand. Take a stand, fan a fire for the flame of the youth, got the freedom to choose you better make the right move. Young man, the power's in your hand slam your fist on the table and make your demand you better make the right move."
- matisyahu, youth

the best weekend ever

one of the best weekends i've had. probably the best since i moved out here. it was so great it started on thursday.
kinna got in town around 9am, and i picked her up at the airport. the following is what transpired from then until tuesday morning.

thursday

got mckinna a swedish massage in calabasas. jill picked her up afterwards and mckinna hung out over at her place while i got some work done. they came to verge that night which was great because it really felt like everyone really connected and there was an amazing time of prayer. afterwards, we just went back to the dawson's, chilled out, and went to bed.

friday

woke up and rode to the closest starbucks. kinda crappy weather, but it didn't really matter. kinna was here. afterwards, we headed down to santa monica for a day just hanging out by the water and the pier. we walked the promenade a bunch, stopped in some cool stores, chilled in barnes and noble for a while. there is this great place called the crepe cafe , and we had a ham, egg and cheese crepe for lunch. later we listened to some street musicians and fed pigeons rice crispie treats. who knew that they like those things.

around 6, the rev, the doc, NC2 and bean showed up for some dinner at Ye Old King's Head, an english pub and restaurant. kinna and i split the king's serving of the fish and chips. freakin sweet. then all of us spent the next few hours driving around trying to find a tattoo place for the doc to get her tattoo. we found a place on the sunset strip, real seedy looking, but great people, very professional. her tattoo rocks. she got mercy on her right wrist in a typewriter font. very cool. then it was back and time for bed.

saturday

saturday was very chill as well. breakfast with the dawsons. and then we just relaxed around the house. around 3ish we headed towards the getty center with the whole dawson clan: johnny, malia, taylor, carter, ethan and sophie. it is this amazing cultural center with beautiful gardens and and great architecture. and it only costs to park. thats it! the views of LA were amazing. we took so many pictures. . . much like the one up top. it was just a great to experience that place with mckinna. and watching her interact with the kids was really great. carter wouldn't let go of her hand the entire time we were there. and i also was just threaten with my life from ethan, who said he would kill me so that he could marry mckinna. nevermind that he's 4. he's cute.

after the getty center, we were pretty wiped out and i had to get the next morning for church at 6:30.

sunday

sunday morning church. worship was great. . . and yeah. lunch was amazing over at nathan and jill's. jeremy ate with us. we had steak, corn from the grill, and one of my new favorite foods, leeks. so stinkin good. by the time we left, we had enough time to go back and change before the sunday night service. kinna played bass, and i haven't lead worship with her playing bass in a long time. . . it was one my favorite moments of the weekend. right before the service, kinna, jeremy and i walked down to walgreens and it was just weird how far jeremy and i have come in the last 7 years or so. after the service, it was back to the dawsons for dinner and good times.

monday

monday had a lot of promise, and it lived up to it. kinna and i went to denny's for breakfast and then went down to venice beach around noon. we thought it would be warm by then so hopped on my bike and rode through topanga canyon. not warm, and not sunny. there was such a crappy marine layer and it was freakin' freezing outside. but venice was great. walked into a ton of cool shops. took care of some touchups, and kinna got her moon at the asylum. we saw some amazing spraypaint art down there. and walking around through the sidewalk mart just felt natural. i felt at home with her. it was great. i needed this weekend.

tuesday(today)
sucked. i'm tired of saying goodbye. i'm just tired of it. when you love someone, and you are comfortable being yourself around them, in a way that doesn't normally exist, and then you have to part ways . . . its just shitty. and my heart hurts. and then i'll be fine for a week or so. and then it sucks even worse.

so this is a long post. i just wanted to share with everyone the best weekend ever.

be good to each other. look at Christ. peace.