LivingProof

Thorns

2010-11-26T00:00:00-08:00

I’m almost certain that this year’s Thanksgiving edition of Mikey’s Funnies was written specifically to me. It includes a tale that is not only sad and thought-provoking, but stings personally and yet, has left me quite encouraged. The complete story can be found here. Go ahead and read it, I’ll wait.

It goes without saying that each of us thank God daily for our “roses”, but any gardener will tell you that all roses come with thorns, and likely has the scares to prove it. The fact is, life is riddled with thorns.

Looking back, the past few years have been somewhat of a roller coaster. After High School, I was accepted to college on nearly full scholarship (rose), I made too many mistakes at said college (thorn, albeit self-imposed?), I began to get more involved with Church (rose), my Grandma died unexpectedly (thorn), I went from a decent job to a better one (rose), I got really sick unexpectedly and had to quit that job (thorn), I got even more involved with Church (rose), and this brings us to today, and the roller coaster continues.

Being involved with this church has led me back to College (there’s that rose again). Although, actually getting there has been a bit of a challenge. You see, this particular college is actually about 17 hours away from home. The home I’ve grown up in; the home I’ve lived in all of my life. But, thanks to God, I was accepted to this school a few months ago and am now gearing up to attend this coming January (rose). I actually got notice this week that my apartment on campus has been reserved (rose!).

However, figuring out how God wants me to pay for this adventure has been posed a bit of a challenge. Most of the scholarships I’ve found have required me to be a High School Senior (if only!) or in school already. So, I looked into an educational load. Though, I also found out this week that the loan isn’t going to work out quite as planned (thorn).

So, what have I learned from all of this? I’ve learned that life isn’t always rainbows and cupcakes. That in walking through the garden of Life, roses sometimes lead to thorns, and thorns lead to roses. It’s through this cycle that God teaches us to become more reliant on Him. In this way, we become a stronger person, and if we choose, a stronger Disciple.

I for one, am thankful for my thorns, even though I’ve rarely shown it! I’ll leave you with this prayer from Mikey’s story.

Dear God, I have never thanked you for my thorns. I have thanked you a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to you along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of your rainbow look much more brilliant.

This is my prayer for this Thanksgiving season. What thorns are you thankful for?

Who Began YOUR Christmas?

2009-12-18T00:00:00-08:00

From Mikey:

A woman was out Christmas shopping with her two children.

After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable, and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids.

She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year.

Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don’t forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car dragging her two kids and all the bags of stuff in with her.

When the doors closed she couldn’t take it anymore and stated, “Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot.”

From the back of the car, everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, “Don’t worry, we already crucified Him.”

The rest of the trip down the elevator was pretty quiet.

Don’t forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word.

If we all did it, just think of how different this whole world would be. (Luke 2:1-20)

The moral of this story? Who began YOUR Christmas and what are you doing to PROVE it?

Think about it.

The Tale of the Good Samaritan

2009-07-31T00:00:00-07:00

People amaze me. A simple, yet profound statement when you think about it. The things I see people do, the good and the bad, on a daily basis simply amaze me. Today was testament to both flavors, but the good seemed to quickly smother the bad. God’s just awesome like that!

Today was also a hectic day which was a bit frustrating at the start. After Prayer Breakfast with the Youth, Danielle and I took to the streets to recruit sponsorships and door prizes for the upcoming Ebenezer Golf Tournament. This quest was promptly subdued by the heat and a series of “No Solicitation” signs at businesses we considered prime choice for door prizes. So, we eventually came to Starbucks, led by both the heat and the idea of scoring a pound of coffee or a mug or two for our yet-to-form collection of prizes. And this is where the true story begins…

After making my way to the counter I dutifully inquired about donation possibilities. The Barista on the opposite side of the counter told me that they typically do give both a pound of coffee and a pair of mugs to requests for charity. Then, she asked the million dollar question: “What’s it for?”. Of course, I explained that it was for the Church’s Golf Tournament and the proceeds were meant to provide the Youth with new audio equipment. “Oh”, she said. “Unfortunately, Starbucks won’t allow us to donate to religious organizations. If you were any other non-profit, I could do something for you. I personally don’t like that policy, but I have to follow it.”, she continued. So, there you have it. The largest and most notable coffee beverage chain has made it company policy to not support any religiously-affiliated organization. But, fortunately this story doesn’t end here.

Apparently the gentleman behind me overheard my conversation and while I was on the phone with Tory, asked Danielle about the “religiously-affiliated organization” we represented. After she explained things to him he asked to be excused for a moment, but promptly returned… with his checkbook! That’s right, not agreeing with Starbucks’ policy on donating to charity, he took it upon himself to do what a wealthy, world-wide corporation refused to do! “My family is very active in our church back home. So, I fully understand and support what you are trying to do. I hope this experience doesn’t get you down.” My un-voiced reply: “Down, are you kidding? Dude, you just made my day!”

We didn’t get our expected $10 pound of coffee from our trip to Starbucks, no God had bigger plans! Instead we left with a $100 sponsorship and the prayers and blessings of one of the most awesome examples of a Good Samaritan I have ever met!

So, Mr. Salesman from Johnsonville, SC, thank you from the bottom of my heart! Not only for your generosity, but for your boldly apparent love for Christ and the messages He left behind in people like you! I pray that God will one day allow us to meet again so that I may get to know more about the kind soul God has created in you!

Digital Disciples: A Local Gathering. A Global Network.

2009-07-14T00:00:00-07:00

Once upon a time I was wondering the internet in search of “Christian-oriented” WordPress themes. Somehow, this search led me to taviano.com/gabe, which led me to @GodsMac (on Twitter? Follow this dude. Now!), which led me to the point of this post: digitaldisciples.net.

Digital Disciples has got to be one of the most unique outreach projects I’ve ever come across. Basically, Gabe and friends meet once each month to talk and teach about some technology topic for an hour or so. Afterwards, they move into a bible study. Now, who are these “friends”? Anyone. That’s right, the point of the gathering is to bring “non-tech” folks into an environment where they can learn and ask questions about various facets of technology. All of this, of course, would be free to the participants. Each meeting may even include more than one topic. The participants could then choose which session they’d like to attend that day. After each tech session is complete, the group, or those who wish to stay, reassemble for a Bible study.

This program’s been going on in it’s hometown of Columbus, OH with so much success that they are spreading the idea around in hopes of having other areas pick it up as well.

Personally, I think such a program would be an awesome ministry for this area and I think it would be met with great interest by the community. I’ve already spoken to several friends who are interested in seeing that happen. What I need to know now is just how many would be interested in helping with either the technology or spiritual side of things or simply attending and learning a thing or two about that dusty computer sitting in the closet.

If any of this has interested you, please contact me by email, twitter, or comment to this post. Even if you aren’t tech-savvy, I’d love to hear your thoughts on attending such a program!

Remember: you don’t have to be a geek to attend!

Thanks!

Possibly the Most Difficult Blog Post I've Ever Written

2009-07-09T00:00:00-07:00

I have good news to share but first a recent blog post by the awesome Dr. David Wike has prompted me to clear the air about a similar situation in my life. Some of you, Dr. Wike included, have probably heard this story from me before for which I must apologize. Not for sharing the story necessarily, but for how I presented it’s details. I won’t go into too much detail of the events (simply because I’ve come to realize that they just don’t matter anymore), but here’s a 10,000 ft view of things:

I’m a relative newbie to Ebenezer Baptist Church. Prior to that, I’d been a life-long member and congregant of a small Methodist Church in Darlington. I was involved with their Children’s and Youth Ministries from 2003 until an unexpected illness forced me to sit at home for the entire month of October last year. During that time I’d come to realize that while I’d spent the past five years ministering to Youth, I’d overlooked my own spiritual needs. Granted, Youth Ministry has it’s own way of offering enlightenment back to it’s leaders. But, there’s simply no substitution to personal time with God, allowing him to work directly within you instead of Him having to work in you through something else. In other words, I came to the point where the only time I’d “spend time with God” was either with the Youth or with the Youth in mind. He was getting my prayers and concerns for the Youth, not those for myself. That needed to change. The Church had great Children’s, Youth, and Senior Adult ministries. But, there really wasn’t a group a people my own age I could bring my newfound concerns to and discuss with in the context of my life. So, after much prayer and deliberation (and, yes, an unfortunate disagreement with a few members of the church), I decided to find a group I could plug into. That search lead me to my Aunt and Uncle’s church, otherwise known as Ebenezer Baptist Church.

Contrary to what, I now realize, some may believe, my decision to leave Indian Branch had NOTHING to do with any personal disagreements I may have experienced with fellow members of that church. It had EVERYTHING to do with my weakening walk with Christ and my personal desire to strengthen that walk by associating myself with Followers my own age. Yes, those disagreements had indeed affected me more severely than I’d originally realized. As a result, I’d allowed myself to dwell on them, causing me to publicize THEM as the reason for my departure and not my search for GOD.

So, now to those who received the flawed version of this story: I’m sorry. If I haven’t already said this to you in person, bare with me, I will.

Now, on to the good news…

Once at Ebenezer, God led me to a small group Bible study that was just beginning. In this group, God introduced me to a group of young adults (YAHTZEE!) that have, honestly, changed my life. A few weeks after beginning that class, I ran into the one and only Paul Frazier, who invited me over to the Youth House on Wednesday night. I hadn’t initially come to EBC looking for a Youth Ministry to plug into. But, God had other plans. So, I went along for the ride, and have been hanging out at the Youth House for several months now, and it’s been awesome. Thanks to David, Tory, Justin, and an awesome bunch of teenagers known as CRASH, I began to feel something I hadn’t felt very strongly in quite a while. I began to feel what I’d been missing. I began to feel God speaking directly to me. And it felt GOOD!

So, what was God telling me? That he doesn’t want to see me just sitting in a pew on Sunday morning; that, for me, to be actively engaged in ministry to His Youth is to be actively engaged with Him. That I should also take time away from that to care for my own relationship with Him and to share my concerns with people my own age. That I was where He needed me to be. That I was home.

The last several months have been the most spiritually enlightening of my life and I sense that there is much more to come than I could ever imagine. With that said, I have decided to “make it official” and transfer my membership to Ebenezer Baptist Church and rededicate my life to Christ and pledge to strengthen His youth in any way that I can.

So, what’s this “pledge” all about? Well, as I said, one of the things God planted in my head since being at Ebenezer is the idea of becoming a Youth Minister not only in practice, but in profession. I’ve always had a passion for witnessing what God can do in the heart of a child (excuse me… young adult), but the pieces never really came together for me to turn that into a degree. Then, one day in Crash, Justin announced that he will be taking a group of interested adults to New Orleans to visit the Baptist Seminary down there. Was this a sign? I believe so! God may as well have handed me the invitation Himself! So, yes, in October, I am going to New Orleans, LA to check out the campus and programs of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in hopes of soon pursuing a degree in Youth Ministry.

A Night to Remember

2009-07-04T00:00:00-07:00

Last night was definitely one for the books…

It all started out pretty normal for a Independence Day weekend. Danielle and I spent the evening and well into the night at Oakdale Country Club with Tory, Jess, and friends. Everything typical of the season was there: half the county lounging by the pool, a million kids frolicking in and around the pool, beach music, karaoke, ice cream, and of course a spectacular fireworks display. Normal, right? That is, until we head home…

So, we drive up into Danielle’s yard, tidy, dark, empty… so it seemed. While we were chatting in the car we noticed movement toward the front of the house and I turned in time to see a glimpse of a body moving behind a tree in her yard. The odd thing was that the body didn’t continue past the tree. OK, so I AM going crazy! Cool. So, Danielle gets out of the car and heads inside. Just as her back door closes I notice movement once again from the front of her house. Only this time, the figure is headed straight for ME! I look down to my cell to call Danielle to tell her to get away from the windows. When I look back up the guy is mysteriously gone.

So, not knowing where this guy has gone, I tell Danielle to turn all of her lights off, lock up, and run back to the car. She does and we head to my house for the night. Once home we call 911 who sends a car to her place to check thing out. They call back around 1:00 am reporting that they found a “suspicious character” about two blocks from her home. They assure her her home is safe but it’s already past midnight so she just crashes at my house.

All was in order this morning. Thank God for keeping us safe!

Heaven's Next Best Seller

2009-05-26T00:00:00-07:00

As you all know, this past Monday was Memorial Day. This day is more than just a holiday from work and school, it’s a time we should set aside to celebrate the memory of those who have fallen on the battlefields protecting the freedoms we enjoy each day, and rightfully so. Franky, I don’t think our Soldiers get enough thanks for the amazing work they do. But, for me, Memorial Day is also a good time to sit down with God and reflect on our own lives.

Often, when people talk about others remembering them they ask the question, “How do you want people to remember you once you’re gone?”. But, isn’t this really quite a loaded question? Honestly, can you name someone who would answer that question with something like “I want to be remembered as the guy who lied, cheated, and stole his way through life” and actually mean it? Of course not. No, we all want to be remembered for the good parts of our lives, as Saints even.

Asking what we want isn’t going to get us anywhere, because we all want the same thing in regard to the world’s memory of us. Instead, the question should be “How will people remember you once you’re gone?”. Seriously, think about it. If you were to die right here and now while reading this post, how would the world remember you? I’m not talking about what would be said at your funeral, we all know nothing bad about you will be mentioned there. No, I’m talking about deep down in the hearts of those you’ve impressed on during your life. You may call yourself Christian, but what does the World have to say about that? Most importantly, what does God have to say about that?

Many people live their lives as if they’re in control and can do whatever they want and take their time doing it. In the words of Francis Chan, that’s just crazy! In his book, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed By a Relentless God,Chan stresses to his readers that God created our lives for His purpose and we are to use every second of this life to glorify Him.

1 Corintians 10:31 (NIV): So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Consider life as a book. Each day is a page, each year a chapter. Heaven then becomes God’s library, but it’s a picky library. God created each of us to ultimately sit on a shelf in His library and be read by the world as memories. But, a book must first be written before it makes it to any library. Every action you take, every decision you make is written into your Life’s book. Then, one day, the last page will be written and like all books, it gets sent to it’s Editor. But, who’s name goes on the mailing label for our Life’s book? Jesus Christ, Editor in Chief, that’s who!

Matthew 10:32-33 (NIV): “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

Now, there are two possible resting places for your book. It can sit on a shelf in God’s Library and shine for all to see and read, or it can lay to waste in a cardboard box in Satan’s “basement”. When we die, Jesus will scrutinize every single page of our book. If they don’t meet his standards, then they aren’t accepted into the Library’s collection. I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer that the book I’ve spent my entire life writing not remain for all eternity in a place where it might get burned! We must not forget this! We must strive to create a book that pleases God, for this is the only way to peaceful, everlasting life in Heaven!

Don’t worry about the past, it’s been written and cannot be changed. Instead, sit down with God and sort out the outline for the rest of your life. You don’t need to fill in every detail just yet, but it’s nice to have an idea of how a story is to flow. With that done, give every effort and every fiber of your being to the task of fulfilling that outline. If you start getting off-topic, again, don’t worry. Just call on Jesus Christ and ask for help. After all, isn’t that what Editors are for?

I’ll leave you with this final challenge: Will you be Heaven’s next Best Seller?

Closet Boy

2009-05-17T00:00:00-07:00

Last Wednesday night at Ebenezer, Justin told the story of Closet Boy. According to Justin’s imagination, Closet Boy has lived his entire 17 years of life in a closet, having never gone outside it’s four walls. He sleeps, eats, and, yes, goes to the bathroom in this closet. At one point in the story a visitor knocks on the closet door and offers Closet Boy three wishes. Closet Boy thinks about it really hard and comes up with these three requests:

new, fresh carpet,
a larger gap at the bottom of the door to allow for more light,
air freshener.

Even though he was given access to anything he could possibly ask for, he never once asked for freedom. See, the mere thought of an outside world never occurs to him. He knows of only what is within the four walls of his world, the closet.

At times we become Closet Boy in our own lives; when we construct our goals and aspirations based solely on our own understanding of things. In this way, we are actually selling ourselves short. John 10 gives us a way to “broaden our horizons”, so to speak:

John 10:10 (NIV): The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 10:10 (The Message): I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.

You see, by releasing ourselves to God’s Will, we are opening our lives to opportunities that we couldn’t otherwise predict to be possible. The world is finite and limited. God, however, is infinite

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My New Ride

2009-05-08T00:00:00-07:00

Finally, after 6 years and about a Bazillion™ miles logged, I’m able to cash-in a much over due insurance claim and part ways with this pile of metal once called a wheelchair. This one arrived on my doorstep just a few days after High School Graduation (has it really been that long?!) and has been much more than it was ever designed for since. We’ve had a good run together, but as always, all good things must come to an end. So, in two weeks a shinier, healthier, younger model will occupy what is left of a back seat in my car.

This one is completely tricked-out. First and foremost, it’s completely adjustable sans the need for tools without the need to play “Mechanic” for four days straight (sweetness!). Then, the rear wheels are sporting a fancy “sport” hub with composite spokes (as opposed to standard metal spokes). The front casters sit on Frog Legs© that add suspension for a smoother ride. It’s also got fold-down push handles on the back simply because I “strongly dislike” the things entirely but they do come in handy when I need a lift around places. Oh, did I mention it only weighs 12 pounds (17 pounds for my current chair)?!

So, look for action shots to come in the next few weeks.

Edit: OK, so it’s not quite “tool free”, but it’s certainly a step up from needing a personal hardware store just to adjust something by a few inches.

I'm so proud!!!

2009-04-12T00:00:00-07:00

A few weeks ago my 11-year-old cousin was part of a select group of 5th graders at her school chosen to attend the S.C. Young Writer’s Conference in Columbia. So inspirational was that experience that she was led to tell the world about it. So, she wrote to the Editor of Darlington’s News & Press… and got published! Here’s her letter:

To the Editor:

Have you ever been to a Young Writers’ Conference? We have.

The Young Writers’ Conference was a great experience for us to learn more about writing stories. The writing conference was inspirational!

We met many different authors. It was very neat to see the process of making a book.

the author Jerry Pallotta told us about his picture and alphabet books. He was very interesting.

Another author, Lynn Floyd Write, wrote the “Flick” books and other amazing books, also. Skip is her dog that is blind. She has another dog named Nellie. the “Flick” books are based on her dog Skipper.

It happened that our ELA teacher, Mrs. Howle, met Mrs. Wright many years ago and even had a picture and some books that she had written.

Jan Cheripko, another of our favorite authors, taught us that asking questions is one way of making a good sentence. Look for Jan Cheripko’s new book a about a tee ball.

Kendall Haven, a professional storyteller, was �?also at the conference. He has written many books about science and history.

When we arrived at the Young Writers’ Conference, we had no desire to become authors. After attending the conference, we are all inspired to be authors!

Is there a doctor in the house???

2009-04-10T00:00:00-07:00

So, I’ve spent the last two months looking for an Orthopedic Surgeon practicing in the Pee Dee Area. With two major hospital networks around, that task sounds pretty simple, right? Apparently not…

I started my quest by contacting my previous Orthopedist at MUSC, not to get an appointment, but a referral simply because he’s Pediatric (which makes me a bit older than his preferred clientele!). Upon calling, I get directed to his secretary who, for the majority of the conversation, seems baffled as to why an adult would be seeking an appointment with a Pediatric doctor. OK, perhaps I wasn’t as clear as I thought I’d been. So, I reiterated my intent; that I was seeking a referral, not treatment. “Oh, I have that for you right here!”, was her reply. Woo-hoo, now we’re getting somewhere! Best of all, that doctor is right here in Florence (Yay!).

So, I call the number she gave me… ding ding Round Two of trying to convince someone that I’m not trying to get treated by a Pediatric Surgeon. Yep, that’s right, this guy’s also just for kids! Well, I guess the poor soul on the other end of the line could sense my frustration. So, she politely volunteered to talk with the other doctors in the practice and also the practice one floor below theirs to see if anyone could help me. A day later she called me to say that while there are adult Orthopedists in the group, none felt comfortable taking on a patient with Spina Bifida (that’s me!)… sigh.

So… after all of that, I’m back where I began. Oh well, I guess I’m going to have to extend my search outside the area. I don’t really like the idea because I partially expect surgery to arise shortly after any doctor gets their hands on me. And, I really don’t like sitting in a hospital for days on end away from home. I’ve been there, done that, didn’t buy the t-shirt (although, I got a gown or two!), not going back.

Enough ranting for one day. I’ll leave with this simple plea: Does anyone know of a doctor in the area that might be willing to help me? Any information would be great! Leave a comment, email, or tweet!