under the rocks are the words

election 08

2008-09-14T10:55:00.001-07:00

where is the hope?

i meet millions who tell me that they feel demoralized by the decay around us.

where is the hope?

the hope that each of us has is not in who governs us, or what laws are passed, or what great things we do as a nation.

our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people, and that is where our hope is in this country. that is where our hope is in life.

2008-09-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

Jesus, You have called us
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give

We must go
Live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must go
Stepping forward
Keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go

Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out Lord

all i need is Your love

2008-09-04T16:48:00.000-07:00

as i sit here and think
about all that You've done
about how You gave me Your one and only Son
and i'm trying to fathom
all that You are, but so far, Lord
You're so beyond me

2008-09-01T17:25:00.001-07:00

august & everything after

RB

2008-07-02T23:28:00.001-07:00

Those who were not told about Him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.

the lines on His face

2008-05-18T14:10:00.000-07:00

years ago
He was a swinging speck
in the distance;
now
He is close enough
i can hear His singing.
soon
i will see
the lines on His face.

the joy

2008-05-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

never let anything
so fill you
with pain or sorrow
so as to make you forget
the joy
of Christ Risen.

restore unto me
the joy of Your salvation
and grant in me a willing spirit
to sustain me.
psalm 51

the day of the hotdog

2008-05-03T22:52:00.000-07:00

today
my friend zach
ate his first hotdog ever.

the day of the hotdog
4.3.08

lead us back to life in You

2008-03-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

we're a valley of dry bones
lead us back to life in You.
we've become a talent show
lead us back to life in You.
we've been throwing heavy stones
lead us back to life in You.

again He said unto me, prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, o ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord...behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live...
ezekiel 37:4-5

the Cross

2008-02-26T20:55:00.001-08:00

i have started drawing again.

pRaYeR tRaIn

2008-02-24T12:30:00.000-08:00

maybe i'm not
but You're all i've got
left
to believe in

don't give up on me
i'm about to come alive
and i know that it's been hard
and it's been a long time coming
don't give up on me
i'm about to come alive

i can feel it.

HE is on the move. in me.
and i'm about to come alive.

words

2008-02-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

we read
under the eye
of God
until the heart
is touched
and leaps to flame

brother King

2008-01-21T20:12:00.000-08:00

Well, I don't know what will happen now.
We've got some difficult days ahead.
But it doesn't matter with me now.
Because I've been to the mountaintop.
And I don't mind.
Like anybody, I would like to live a long life.
Longevity has its place.
But I'm not concerned about that now.
I just want to do God's will.
And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain.
And I've looked over.
And I've seen the promised land.
I may not get there with you.
But I want you to know tonight.
That we, as a people, will get to the promised land.
And I'm happy, tonight.
I'm not worried about anything.
I'm not fearing any man.
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!
~MLK~

hope

2008-01-18T11:29:00.000-08:00

He lives.

late to theOAKS

2008-01-06T13:30:00.000-08:00

in the stairwell
Truth softly pressing
against the old wooden doors.

the doors say IN
only IN, no...OUT
just like Your hand.

never will I leave you
nor forsake you
come
let Me give you peace
let My love quiet you
I AM what you need
I AM what you are looking for
seek first My kingdom
and all else
will be given to you
as well

Truth building
crashing against the door now
talk of torn curtains
of a sacrifice.

taking a bath in Your blood
freedom is...
my rebellion swirling down the drain.

clean but lonely,
lonely but free.

the stairs creak:

I AM all else.
I AM all.
I AM.
I.

it is all love

2008-01-01T23:45:00.000-08:00

renew my life,
and my breath.

for i know the plans i have for you,
declares the LORD,
plans to prosper you and not harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.

and still He leads me on.

i only say i trust You,
my actions prove that the only one i trust is myself,
and that i am still afraid of You

take my life into Your hands,at last.
do whatever You want with it,
i give myself to Your love.

it is enough for me,
that You have glory,
everything You have planned is good,
it is all love.

encore

2007-12-31T17:31:00.000-08:00

what have i in this life
but the love in Your eyes
this empty world
will on day fade
only Your truth will remain

Jesus, all i have is You
You're the hope i'm holding to
i might weep but still my faith
rest in You
as the heavens hold the skies
it's Your hand that holds my life
and Your love will lead me on
when all else is gone

hello november,
i need surrender,
i need to let october die

Lord help me close the semester.
Help me end this year.

Jesus, all i have is You.

I need this year to end. i need rebirth.

and Your love will lead me on,
when all else is gone.

Goodbye 2007.

Hello 2008.
Lord make me a person for whom You are everything,
and for whom You are enough.

enter and be changed

2007-12-28T13:33:00.000-08:00

The Great Exchange
His light for our darkness.
His goodness for our sin.
His forgiveness, and mercy for our rebellion.
He transformed my life.
He is still working to transform me
Is He transforming you?
~H. Noelle~

i will keep close to You whatever the darkness.

no matter how painful the road, how dark, how rough, or how long...i must take courage, for the road leads home.

merry Christmas

2007-12-25T08:07:00.001-08:00

all i want, Jesus, is more and more to abandon everything to You. the more i go on, the more i realize i don't know where i am going. lead me and take complete control of me.

doce me facere voluntatem tuam quia. deus meus es tu.
teach me to do thy will, for You are my God.

be at rest once more, o my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.
for you, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
that i may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
~psalm 116:7-9~

let us be glad and rejoice today, because He has come

all i have

2007-12-16T18:08:00.000-08:00

what have i in this life
but the love in Your eyes
this empty world will one day fade
only Your truth will remain

Jesus, all i have is You
You're the hope i'm holding to
i might weep but still my faith
rests in You
as the heavens hold the skies
it's Your hand that holds my life
and Your love will lead me on
when all else is gone

better days

2007-12-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

green grass, and i am laying in the sunlight of You,
and the wind is moving through the trees ushering You,
and the better days You bring, the better places found,
feasting at Your table i am overwhelmed,
i lift my glass and drink to Love that never gave up,
clouds pass fading into memories gone,
and all i have to show for life is life and love and peace.
what else could there be?

His voice

2007-12-01T13:06:00.000-08:00

i can't see how You're leading me
unless You've led me here
where i'm lost enough
to let myself be led
-rm-

surely He took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows
-psalm 53:4-

though He slay me,
yet will i hope in Him.
-job 13:15-

in the
early dawn
i hear a voice--
I am with you,
rejoice.

Fire & Rich

2007-11-27T21:34:00.000-08:00

won't you look down upon me, Jesus
You've got to help me make a stand
You've just got to see me through another day
my body's aching and my time is at hand
and I won't make it any other way
-jt-

this life has shown me how we're mended and how we're torn
how it's okay to be lonely as long as you're free
sometimes my ground was stoney
and sometimes covered up with thorns
and only You could make it what it had to be
-rich-

2007-10-04T16:34:00.000-07:00

i repent,
of living like i deserve
anything.

NYC Half Marathon & Just Life in General

2007-08-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

in life
i have found that victory comes only through Christ,
and it is usually found
one step at a time.

inspiration from Mama T.

2007-07-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

real prayer
is union
with God

and union is vital

as that
of the vine
to the branch

we need union
with God
to produce
good fruit

we need a life
of prayer
of poverty
of sacrafice
to do it
with love

let's walk by His side

i am ready to believe

whitewashing

2007-07-16T23:45:00.000-07:00

i haven't been doing a very good job of keeping this thing updated,
for this i apologize.

here is a poem i wrote sunday,
it was inspired by matthew chapter 23,
it is called whitewashing:

whitewashing

stop whitewashing your tomb,
remove the dead things,
make room for the new,
whitewashing is for jeans.

2007-06-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

today was a great day.

i had breakfast with eric knapp, nuff said.

i spent my first full day really working as the area director, i answered probably 100 phone calls, ran a bunch of errands, processed camp forms, counted money, and filled out deposit slips for over five hours...it was great actually; i could not be more excited about my job.

i got to hang out with some great old friends (tommy was on tonight by the way)...

i had a great bible study with the middletown graduates + eli, 1 john 2:7-12, man.

and then i got to go on a run. i love nightrunning, running while the rest of the world is asleep. i did 4.5 tonight and felt great the whole time, felt like i was flying. the entire time i just kept repeating to myself philippians 4:13, i can do everything through Him who gives me strength.

i just feel especially blessed tonight, i can't really explain it, i just feel it.

and still He leads me on

2007-06-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

today is my last day as a teacher.

i am leaving a career in education to pursue a calling in full time ministry with an organization called Young Life.
although there are parts of teaching that i will miss, like the kids, and summer vacation, i could not be more excited to be following what i believe to be God's plan for my life. it is in some ways bittersweet. but mostly sweet.

the Lord has changed my life in so many ways that i simply cannot even begin to thank Him, i am so excited that soon, very soon, i will get to spend my whole days helping to give high school folks the opportunity to hear about the good news of Jesus Christ.

as i close the door to my classroom one last time and begin a new chapter in my life i am reminded that...He has brought me safe thus far, and still He leads me on.

2007-05-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

i entered the Nike NYC Half-Marathon and got in.

august 5th i will be running 13.1 miles throught central park, times square, and most of lower manhatten.

it's not about the race, it is about being disciplined.

do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? run in such a way as to get the prize. everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. they do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. therefore i do not run like a man running aimlessly; i do not fight like a man beating the air. no, i beat my body and make it my slave so that after i have preached to others, i myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
1 Corintians 9:24-25

it's about becoming more disciplined over all,
not just physically,
in fact,
mostly spiritually.

h. nouwen

2007-05-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

h. nouwen

we often go to the poor to give them what we have,
but we always stay because of what they give to us.

when we demand the second love
(anyone or anything else in this world besides Christ)
to give what only the First Love
(Jesus Christ)
can give...we crash.

our biggest challenge in life, as human beings, is to learn to trust God.

if i die...make sure you tell everyone that i was grateful.

if you have never read any of his stuff, you should.
my recommendations: the return of the prodigal son, with open hands, the genesee diary

both trout and salvation come by Grace

2007-04-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

i spent this past weekend hanging out with one of the greatest friends i have ever had, dan “z-man” zelinski. i met dan almost ten years ago at a miami navigators meeting at OBF.

dan and i were pretty much instantly friends, we had three major things in common: Jesus Christ, van halen, and chinese food…in that order.

i still really like chinese food (oh man, the orange chicken at phan shin, if you have had it you know what i mean), and every once in a while i will bust out an old VH album, 5150 maybe, you know...rock out to summer nights, but the thing that has remained truly constant since the day i met dan, constant like the water rushing all around us in the river we spent all day fly fishing in this past weekend, is the Lord Jesus.

the Lord has been the roots of my friendship with dan, and many others over the years, Jesus has been like the rocks beneath the waters, He has shaped and changed who we are, what we do, where we go, and so often what we talk about, like this past weekend.

there are only a few things in life greater than discussing deep truths about life, love and God while you are waist deep in crystal clear water, fishing with one of your best friends.

after this weekend, i am once again humbly reminded, that both trout and salvation come by Grace.

easter eve

2007-04-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

be thou my vision, this is one of my favorite old hymns. the text (Rop tú mo baile) is often attributed to dallan forgaill in the 8th century; in any case, this text had been a part of irish monastic tradition for centuries before the hymn itself was written. it is an example of a lorica, an incantation recited for protection.

the music for the hymn is the irish folk song, slane, which is about slane hill where in 433 A.D. st. patrick defied the pagan high king lóegaire of tara by lighting candles on Easter Eve.

by dying You destroyed our death, by rising, You restored our lives.

thank you Jesus.

blog title

2007-03-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

if you were wondering about the title of my blog it is from one of my favorite books of all time A River Runs Through It.

it is a beautiful story,
the two brothers in the book remind me a lot of my brother and i,
we have a beautiful story.

here are a few lines and you will know what i am talking about:

it is those we live with and love and should know who elude us...

now nearly all those i loved and did not understand when i was young are dead, but i still reach out to them...

eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. the river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. on some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.

i am haunted by waters.

highway calling

2007-03-27T00:35:00.000-07:00

dark and silent late last night,
i think i might have heard the highway calling.

a few times a year i hear the mountains or the ocean calling me.
it comes from a place far away, but also deep inside.
i am unable to let it go unanswered.

i must go. and meet with God.