CHRIST, rhymes, & Life

My sermon from Father's Day based on Galatians 3:26-4:7

This one is long overdue. But 7 months later, my feelings are the same. Maybe this will rub off the wrong way for some people. I just want to express some of my thoughts concerning school based on my experience. I know my experience is fairly limited, only going through undergraduate at a public university, but I think my opinions are valid. Don't consider what I say here to be truth; I'm just a voice who may even represent many others. I pray this will either challenge or encourage some of you. I ask that you would read this with an open mind. This is a very complicated subject and I understand that some of the things I say might not be as clear here as they are in my head, so if you have issues, talk to me before finalizing your judgment. I think more discussion on this topic would be good. Warning: this will be a fairly long read. A little about my experience: I graduated from UCSD in December 2013 with a degree in Psychology. My favorite classes and the ones that had the...

I am alive. I know you can’t see me but I hope you realize This burden you’re bearing inside Might one day be your greatest joy Girl or boy, I don’t know but I definitely have a soul This seed slowly blossoming into a crimson rose Daily watered by your blood flow as I lay here in this chamber Pitch black is all I see but I can feel, smell, taste, hear A faint thumping from above similar to this beat inside me We haven’t met yet but I feel like we know each other More fondly than the sun knows dawn A bond so strong not even the grip of death can tear us apart Like divine hands are knitting me together To form a fearfully, wonderfully made tapestry And our very beings are interwoven by invisible threads I await a new day, ready to behold as I’m beheld by you I hope you like art. Can you feel me? Dancing in excitement to the music outside Sweet sounds muffled by these walls But as those waves hit the shores of my ears Washing away the voices...

A world of color Filled with complex complexions But viewed through tainted glasses Classes of masses miseducated Passes given as if the issue was past tense The marriage of ignorance and denial Bound together by pride Left us with a monster But despite this nightmare A dream still lives Echoes of Emmett, Oscar, and Trayvon Ring in the bells of liberty Trapped in walls of denial Painted white with lies To mask layers of blood hidden behind Traces of oppression linger The stench of corpses permeate the room While window curtains are being dusted

Beauty seen in seemingly ugly things or better yet created, taking beings like us fashioned from the dust into wonderful jars of clay. Even angels look curiously at this mystery uniquely designed in God's imagery these vessels have a special room in His museum set apart from the rest of creation. Though fallen from their shelf value still remains. Beholders often blind to their beauty covered in earthen debris, deemed useless broken, yet still holding hope. Maybe the fragments are more like puzzle pieces cracks, avenues for the light inside to shine through bursting forth like the break of dawn the universe has never seen a better sunrise. Pause in awe of His glory. Divine brushstrokes creating a masterpiece with excellent execution palette supplied by heavenly veins instruments of redemption - through an ugly cross, a death, and resurrection, broken things are made beautiful and His work is not done

Life goes on.. I've never really liked that saying. I just don't deal with transitions very well. I like consistency and stability in my life, whether it is with relationships, environments, or situations. It's probably the uncertainties, the loss of something meaningful, or my fear of commitment which makes them hard for me. There are times in my life I look back on and miss or sometimes want back again. I can think of many instances where transitions have been tough for me and they all seem to happen when things are going well. There have been a good amount of transitions in my life over the past few months (I actually meant to write this a while ago but just never got to it). Friends moving. My family moving. Being placed in new positions. And more. With so many changes in my life, I'm seeing more and more how fast time flies. It's crazy. These transitions in life are inevitable. We go through seasons, whether good or bad. But through it all, I've come to ...

There are few things I enjoy more than a good conversation. It was a while since I had one and I feel like they're pretty rare. But when they happen you just know it and it's so good. No distractions. No agenda. Nobody trying to fix anyone. Just life. The good. The struggles. Talking. Listening. Loving. Honest. Open. Real. Beautiful. I had one of those yesterday. A classic coffee house conversation. It was very refreshing. I left inspired and encouraged (obviously enough to write this blog about it). We just talked life. And it reminded me of how thankful I am for the people God placed in my life. Community and relationships are so important. We need people who will walk with us towards the Lord. People who will step into our lives, try to identify with us, understand, and see from our perspective instead of just trying to fix us. People who genuinely care and build us up. People who we know will pray for us, without having to ask them to. People who we can have good convers...