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| how do you explain to someone else that apple pie is so much better than pie made of mud? this individual has never seen or tasted apple pie before, but loves mud pie. so what do you say? you can probably describe everything about apple pie. you can probably explain what it looks like and how you feel when you eat it. you can probably talk about how it smells. if youve had apple pie, you would know exactly what im talking about. but to this person who has never had it before, how would they be convinced that this apple pie is so much better than the mud pie that they love. how would they be able to let go of this mud pie and embrace the apple pie. honestly, i really dont think that there is any way we can do it with words.. they simply need to get some apple pie and eat it for themselves. after that, they would probably never eat mud pie ever again. why? because they would have realized how foolish it was for them to eat this pie filled with mud when there is something so much better out there.
what am i trying to get at... im obviously not talking about applie pie and mud pie. i recently had a talk with someone about all these things in the church that are so taboo or have stigmas attached to them. talk in a nutshell, the church is a place for "sick" people.. sick meaning sinners. we are all sinners, whether its more visible than others. but that doesnt mean we condone the sin, we are in constant pursuit of becoming more holy; more like christ. so although many people put a worth in a church by how many people are "holy", what about how many lives are changing? because honestly what does "holy" mean viewed in an external way. no one is holy in comparison to the holiness of God. we are all trying to get there.
so that being said. are lives being changed inside your church? are people excited about jesus christ, the lord and savior who came down to earth from his heavenly throne to die for wretched sinners like us so that we may have a relationship with the father and live eternally not just with him but as children and heirs? does this stir in our hearts more joy and more passionate worship? are people making a stand and living differently? are people asking the spirit for gifts so that they can be used to bring higher and greater glory to the father? and if this isnt happening.. then the question needs to be asked.. why not? whats really going on inside of our church.
if someone doesnt know what apple pie tastes like, just explaining it to them wont help them to KNOW. they would receive the information that you give them and retain it, but their lives would not change. they would simply understand that there is something called apple pie that exists out there that may taste better than this mud pie that they really love. they will never fully understand, until theyve tasted and theyve seen, the goodness and the surpassing greatness of this apple pie. after having eaten mud pies your whole life, your life would change after eating one apple pie.
if lives arent being changed and challenged in our churches, we need to really ask ourselves if our churches are truly about JESUS. I firmly believe that it is only JESUS through the holy spirit that can change lives. Jesus says that he came not for the healthy, but for the sick. we must all realize that we are sick, and that we need him. is your life filled with jesus? is his love changing and restoring your life? or are you satisfied with the mud pie that you eat day after day. if youre still eating that mud pie, and you want to know what apple pie tastes like, all you need to do is first let go of that mud pie. throw it away and come to the applie pie. the glorious applie pie and just feast on it. just allow jesus to change your life. ask Jesus to give you a taste of that apple pie. you wont regret it.
-dk
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| our inclination to sin is a direct sign of our incomplete and limited view and belief of who God is. should we understand the height and depth and width and fullness of his goodness, to the fullness of the satisfaction he brings, we would never, ever lower ourselves to the foolishness of choosing sin.
we were made to glorify him, yet we want to fulfill this longing and desire inside our hearts. we seek things and do things for the sake of fulfill these longings. it would seem that these ends would be impossible to meet. to glorify him means to sacrifice and serve? to empty ourselves of all our emotions? to suppress our longings and desires? how cruel it seems..but falsely seen. yet to be most satisfied in him brings him the most glory. in the end what seemed to be such an impossible, and most complicated task happens to be quite simple. Know God; love him with all your heart soul mind strength. God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in him. oh what a wonderful and glorious cycle.
-dk
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| wow this thing is so useless. but its sometimes nice to just jot down my thoughts. i have a journal, but typing is so much faster..
i think i just realized, at this very moment, how much im going to miss davis. not really the place, but the people and the community ive developed there. i know im going to be there for another year, but i know fifth year is going to be so different. its kind of more like an extra year to transition out, it seems like. but for sure the people in my class, im going to miss them so much. as i sit here on my bed at home in san jose, i kept thinking to myself.. man i really wish i was in davis because i want to do .. blah blah blah blah.. and there were soo many things. and i realized, it wasnt the places in davis that i wanted to go to, maybe except the arc, but definitely i wanted to see the people. today nate, chris, and i watched the wbc finals. it was soo nice just being together. even saturday, spending time with the boys was so..good. its so good to just be around people that you love, and people who are there for you in every way.. people who love you fully for who you are. I realized that i smiled alot less when i was here at home.. of course its because im alone alot more, and im not trying to say that i dont like hanging out with my family, because i LOVE my family. theyre the best, but i have this community in Davis that is something so different. i dunno what it is about the people in davis, or maybe its just the people ive met, but they have this very special aura to them. i dunno what it is, but it just makes me happy and makes me what to just be with them. i sound like a sad little girl...
But seriously, i know im still going to be around for a while, but i just want to say thank you to every person that ive met in davis. esp those of you who have been there, thank you so much. youve changed and impacted my life so much. people say ima bully these days.. i kinda am, im not going to lie, but i think its because im so comfortable around you guys. hahaha...but you are my family. not so much davis the place persay, but davis the people, you are my home away from home. you are where my walk with God truely began. you are my brothers and sisters, by mothers and fathers, my teachers, my mentors, my friends. reallly, ive never experienced anything like this before, the kind of nakedness that i can have, and still feel the exceptance that ive felt. truely a gift from from the man above.
this is a really emo and sad entry. but i just wanted to put it down somewhere. i realy love you guys.
for the class of 09, man you guys rock my world. im really going to miss all of you. when we talk about the body of christ, i kind of look at our class and i feel like i see it. you are all so special to me, lets try to hang out more and make this quarter special-er hahhaa. please? please?? these next 10 weeks are going to fly by, so i wanted to tell you now, that the relationships that i have with all of you mean so much to me. and i really admire you all so much. thank you for the last 4 years. i would not trade them for anything, yes even high school football.
and to the rest of my davis family, im so glad i can spend another year with you guys. i know im going to be the old guy that doesnt really belong but wants to hang out, but please dont outcast me! im kinda young at heart to i fit in!! hahah but really you guys are freaking awesome and i love you guys. freaking davis i love you.
to those very special people, i pour extra love on you. you know who you are =].
God is so good. its so funny how he keeps answering my prayers about bring amazing people into my life. God, make me desire you more. enough with people. i need more of you.
btw. im so. soo. soooooo. excited for softball. esp after watching the wbc. oohhhhhhhhh shnaps. game time BABYY!!
-dk
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| Worry ends when faith begins.
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| why is it that everytime i feel like i have something figured out, everything is flipped upside down and im proven again that i really dont know anything? i just think that this is God's special safety hold on me because He knows that anytime i feel like i know whats up, when obviously i dont, im going to do something stupid. He humbles me to show me that above all, i need him.
"the joy of the Lord is my STRENGTH"
when i really think about what this says, i first have to ask myself, do you have the Joy of the Lord? what does that even mean? I think i have to ask myself, am i fully satisfied in God? Can i bring all of my insecurities, my pain, my happiness, my feelings, my everything before him and say that im completely, utterly, satisfied. Does God satisfy and complete me? To find the joy of the Lord is to find complete joy in all things before him; in the downs and the lows, to trust in Him who makes all things work together for my good? and when you find the freedom in that, freedom in knowing that if you trust in God, the God of the universe, that there is nothing that anyone can do that can bring you down and take away his love, there is strength and power. that needs to be the foundation of everything i believe.
if you had a choice between eating a pie full of mud that is in front of you right now, and eating a delicious apple pie that is in my oven that you can really see right now, which would you choose? the world offers us mud pies, but God offers us soo much more. Can we trust in his promises? well, i mean, i LOVE apple pies.
i guess having the worst luck in the world could be a good thing; i will always have to depend on God to get me through. if theres one thing ive learned, its that God will take you there. wherever it is that he wants to take you, we'll get you there. even if we make mistakes on the way, God still knows how to get there. it might take alittle longer, but we will get there. I cant wait to get there.
-dk
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YOUR LOVE NEVER FAILS
Verse 1:
Nothing can separate
Even if I ran away
Your love never fails
I know I still make mistakes, but
You have new mercy for me everyday
Your love never fails
Chorus:
You stay the same through the ages
Your love never changes
There may be pain in the night
But joy comes in the morning
And when the oceans rage
I don’t have to be afraid
Because I know that you love me
And your love never fails
Verse 2:
The wind is strong and the water’s deep, but
I’m not alone here in these open seas
Cause your love never fails
The chasm was far too wide
I never thought I’d reach the other side
But your love never fails
Bridge: You make all things, work together for my good
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