The Church vs. the church (Part 1)

    When I talk about "The Church" to people after telling them I attend church they assume what I'm referring to is my church. In reality, when I say "the church" I not only mean our church, I am also talking about the church in Italy, in France, in Russia, the church in Canada, Japan, I mean The Church.

    "But how can you talk about other churches when you've never been there or know what they're like?" You ask? Simple, there is only one Church,what is written about the church in the Bible is still applicable to every church in existence today. So when there is a letter addressed to a specific church of that time, it still holds truth for all churches then, now, and forever.

    Before I came to Second Chance Church I was in a Lutheran church and there were times people asked me, "As a Lutheran, what do you believe?" and I was just a kid then, I didn't know what to say, even still to this day I have people ask, "As a Nazarene, what do you believe?" and still I don't know how to answer a question like  that. Well, I've been think about those questions lately and I have decided to answer them once and for all.

     #1 I am not labeled by my age, race, or gender so why should I be labeled by my denomination? People get offended when we use labels (race, gender, age) and, quite frankly, I'm offended when people go "Oh, he's a Nazarene." So I vote that we not use any of them.
     #2 I believe, as a follower of Christ, in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe that God so loved me and you and the guy serving a life sentence and the girl with three baby daddies and no husband that He sent his Son to be born of a virgin into a world of chaos to show us how to walk on water, turn the other cheek, and trust the unseen. I believe Emmanuel walked among us and was led like a sheep to the slaughter to be humiliated, flogged, crucified, and sent to hell for a 3 day, one sided, battle royal with the devil for our sins. Now He sits at the right hand of the Father preparing a place for us, that is what I believe.

      I believe that in order to get to heaven I need to accept Christ into my life and allow Him to make a no-holds-barred hostile takeover of my heart and use it for His glory. No, I do not believe it is my job to, or anyone's job, to beat my religion down the throats of others, nor is it my responsibility to drag them to a building they don't want to be in full of people they don't know to listen to a message they might not understand in the hopes that they will come back. However, I do believe that it is my job, and the job of every so-called "Christian," to live a Christ-like life and show 'I have been changed, inside and out.' to show people I don't know that I love them regardless of what they've done, what they're doing, or what they might do later. My job is to look strangers in the heart and tell them "I love you period, because God loves you more." Because that is what I believe.

God is good.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! (Intended post date 12-23-13)

Today marks the one year anniversary of the Holy Spirit beckoning me into the waters of new life. One year ago today I made a decision and a declaration that I stand with Christ no matter what my circumstances, and I have already seen awesome things come out of that. Since that day God has place a calling on my life to pursue ministry, my marriage has made leaps and bounds (we're not perfect but we are stronger than ever,) I've had the privilege to watch my wife take a leap of faith and be baptized in September, and I am continually challenged to grow and become stronger in my faith daily. I thank God for my family in Illinois who supported us against all odds, my wife who has been and will always be by my side, and my family at Second Chance Church who have helped me so much in this last year to discover and grow in my calling. Glory be to God, may He continue to bless us all.


The website has been malfunctioning the last day or so, so this post is a day late.

God is good.

Christmas and Why I Don't Like it.

Whenever someone brings up that fact that Christmas is nearing makes me cringe, not only because cold weather makes me sad but because I simply don't like Christmas.

Here are a few reasons why:

1. I completely despise the cold because I am always cold, even in the summer I get cold. Did I mention it's cold?
2. It's a lot of work putting up decorations climbing ladders (in the cold,) putting up lights, decorating trees.
3. It kind of confuses me to bring a tree into the house (real or fake) just to cover it with shiny things taking away from the natural beauty of the tree hoping it doesn't die too soon, then just throwing it out a few days later.
4. I don't like what it has become, instead of being about fellowship and generosity it has become about spending time with people we may not really like with the expectation they're going to give us something.
5. Christmas Songs!

However, there are some things I do like about this time of year.

Such as:

1. EGG NOG!!!
2. Seeing the fresh snow before it has been mucked up with dirty shoe tracks and vehicle sludge.
3. Getting to see family that has moved away long ago
4. Giving thanks and praise to God for the birth of His son.
5. Free food!

What would be my perfect Christmas season? 75 and sunny, baby!!

God is Good

Have you ever had something happen that you never thought would happen?

While I was in high school I thought I would spend my younger years single, partying, and living in my moms basement until I felt I was stable enough to get my own place. When in reality the God that I had yet to acknowledge had other plans. 

My ideas:

                 God's plans:

Single for a few more years

                 Married at 18

Partying every night

                 Church functions and revivals

Living in mom's basement

                 Hundreds of miles east renting our first house

Minimum wage job (at best)    

                  Studying diesel mechanics and pursuing a call to ministry

    You may have noticed the line about "the God I had yet to acknowledge," it's not to say that I didn't hear of Him or that my family was atheist (in fact I attended a Lutheran school for 3-4 years), I simply refused Him, I chose to reject a greater power that was in control in my life.

    I felt there was no reason to believe because He couldn't use me, my past was riddled with broken relationships, divorce, and constant moving from place to place. I felt I was in a trap that I could never escape, that my marriage would be just like my parents, ended before it truly began. I feared that I would be just like my father; consumed by alcohol and drugs, going through relationship after relationship, never spending time with my children. I thought I would be like those around me; always broke, never able to keep the few jobs I could find. I felt as though, if I could keep those things under control I would be fine.It was in my nature and is in human nature to be in control. Since getting married, Emily and I have moved away from home, we've both given our lives to Christ {praise God!}, we're in our first real house (shout-out to church friends for letting us rent from them!), we've got an amazing marriage, I am continually blessed to see her growing ever stronger in the faith, our church family couldn't be more supporting, and our family back home gives us endless support.

    However, the enemy is still lurking, hiding behind every stumble and every slip, waiting for that one thing that gets to us every time. He is the elephant in the room when we're having an argument, he is that little voice in my head saying "You're going to be just like your father" "This marriage won't last!" "You may as well give up, just stop fighting because YOU'RE. GOING. TO. LOSE!" but here's the thing, there's another voice in my head (i guess you could call it schizophrenia) and it is telling me "You don't need to overcome, for I have overcome the world." "Your past is behind you, I will use it for my glory." "Yes, give it up, give it up to me because IT. IS. FINISHED!" and that voice speaks louder than all other voices in my head, it is more clear than my own thoughts because it is the voice of the one true God. So when the evil one tries whispering sweet nothings in my ear, the savior of the universe is already there overpowering those whispers speaking words of life, strength, and power. When the enemy is trying to steal, kill, and destroy God is already there building defenses against my enemy and giving me a way out.

    The old me is done, I no longer try to be in control and suppress my past because I know that the Devil cannot make worse the wounds that my God has already healed, the Devil has no power over a world that God has overcome, so when I start thinking the destroyer is near and wants to take my purpose and steal my calling I stand in faith that he cannot take what he did not give to me.

God is Good

Shine as the Son does.

One thing that has been on my mind for awhile is the moon. Think about it; scientifically speaking, the moon is virtually useless. It doesn't really do anything by itself, no water, no resources, no life, it's a hunk of rock that has no benefit without the sun. But it's still there. God created the moon for a purpose, to light the way at night, the moon reflects the sun because God told it to. We are like the moon, virtually useless by ourselves. We can't do jack on our own, can't walk, can't think, can't even breathe without the Son. But we're still here. God created us with a purpose too "Love each other as I have loved you." (John 15:12 NIV) He calls us to lead and live by example and reflection, we should shine as the Son does much like the moon shines as the sun does.

God is Good

Disproving the False Reality we Live in.

you're not allowed to stand up
allowed to rise up and go on your own.
not allowed to rise up or stand up, just go with the flow.
well...there's something you should know.
The King is calling and His love is falling on you and me.
The King is calling, the curtain falling and we are free.

this world is 'just get by' but why just sit by when you have the gift of eternal life?
you ask "what god should i believe in?"
the answer is easy because other "gods" originate from sin.
the things around us want to suck us in.
the things around us want us to just give in.
push all that back and stay on track
the things of this world cannot satisfy
they will not fulfill us not matter how we try

there is only one true God, our other-worldly King.
only one who deserves our praise and to whom we will forever sing.
Jesus Christ, the One True King.
The Great I Am, the Life, Truth, and Way.
He always loves you day after day.

so when you feel like you should just sit back
or you have no strength
when you feel like you're under attack
or the road is eternal in length
remember one thing.
He has overcome.

God is good.

What is love?

I'd like to start this post by saying these are personal opinions and are not intended to offend anyone, comments and conversation is encouraged and i hope you enjoy all of my posts.

    Love. A mystical thing. Given to those who deserve it the least and kept from those who want it the most. Love is an oath, a promise, a covenant. It is not something we should take lightly and throw around willy-nilly (i.e. "I love this song!!") because that feeling may change over time, however love is everlasting. (Like a gobstopper) Love is sincere, true, and respectful, when you tell your parents "I love you." it's not just because they say it to you and expect it right back but because you truly and sincerely love them and would give anything to make them happy, right? When you tell your significant other "I love you." every morning before you leave for the day and every night before bed it's not just because you felt obliged to sputter out some phrase and hope it makes them feel good but because you truly and sincerely feel that way and would literally be lost without them, right? "We love because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19) Without Gods love we would literally be lost wandering around this world with no purpose, but because of His grace and the sacrifice He made on the cross we don't have to live that way an are no longer lost. We try to live the same way He did through love, service, and sacrifice. So, what is love? Love is life.

God is Good 

Jesus Loves You

Jesus loves you!

'nuff said.

Are you a Christian?

What makes you a Christian? If I went and asked your closest friend if you're a Christian what would they say? How do you know you're a Christian? "I don't smoke, drink, or chew (or go with girls who do) I don't cuss any more, I don't speed through traffic, and I go to church every Sunday even when the game's on, and I always wear the right clothes (shorts, flips flops, and a t-shirt)..." People try to explain too much into how they know they're a Christian when the answer should be simple "The old me is dead, and Christ has filled that place." I'm not myself anymore because Christ is living INSIDE me. I haven't changed, you know, people might say "Oh you're on the straight and narrow now." Or "You've really buckled down." "Put your nose to the grind stone." When none of that is necessarily true. Our urges and desires don't just disappear because we go to church now and rush to the alter after a moving sermon, we just let God be in control. If it doesn't scream his name we just don't do it, our actions, our words, our desires aren't just ours anymore, they come from Him. So think about it. Why are our a Christian? Because you have a list of Do's and Don't's? Or because you've accepted Christ and He is living in you now?

Life, in my Mind

     Life, in my mind, is not a relentless pursuit for us to find Christ, but an endless attempt to help Christ find those far from Him. It's not that we, as followers, need to convince the population to find Christ but for us to get them to let Christ come to them in their life. How may times did people come to Jesus and ask for His help in the Bible? How many times was Jesus on His way somewhere with no intent of stopping but someone nearby brought the person in need to Christ's attention? How many times did people bring their friends in need to Christ and give them the proof they needed? Now, how many times did people simply say "Hey, you should go find this Jesus guy and check him out." Not nearly as many people as those who brought the proof to the ones who needed it. Our job today is not simply recommending others should seek Christ, but to bring Christ into their lives and give them proof and a reason to accept God and follow Him as so many others have done.

God is Good

Spread the Word.

     How easy is it to proclaim God's word? All we have to do is whatever He tells us to, that's it. Literally the only thing we need to do is follow what He says to the '-T.' Now I can't speak for the divine, however I can almost guarantee that if you do whatever it is He's calling you to do, you will be greatly rewarded. So if it's so easy then why are there so few people doing it? Excuses. Free-will, ego, and not trusting God. Free-will is the thing that allows us to not be mindless robots, (an ability that society is slowly taking away) our 'ego' is what we get when we take free-will for granted and mix it with societal views, and lack of trust is pretty self explanatory. So if we take this relatively simple task God asks us to do, tell the world about Him, and look at it through our human eyes it suddenly becomes complicated. We make excuses when He calls us to spread the word and our free-will gets in the way, "I'd rather play video games than tell people about God." or our ego is too big, "I can't do that, people will think I'm some bible thumping weirdo!" {GOOD!!} or maybe we just straight up don't trust God "No one would listen to me, I'm not a good speaker and I wouldn't know what to say." (I'd just like to point out that Moses wasn't a very good speaker either but he led the Israelites out of slavery from Pharaoh [Exodus chapter 3&4]) Now we've got a seemingly impossible mission with all of these obstacles between us and our goal.
     First, that ego has got to go, my #1 prayer is to become someone who is fearless in their faith so I can proclaim the Gospel at all times and if that labels me as a weirdo, I'm cool with that. Second, we need to re-route our free-will self motivation plays a big part in that. If we take a passive approach to our motivation that can end up being our number one downfall. Changing our free-will approach and being more self motivated can be the number one help we have. Lastly, trust in God. Placing complete trust in God is quite possibly the hardest step in any spiritual journey and at the same time is the most pertinent. It is so difficult because the devil like to play games and make us think we don't deserve our calling or cannot carry out such a task, but I'm here to tell you the devil has NO power over us because Jesus gave His life for our salvation. So, with that bit of information, help from a spiritual mentor, and lots of prayer we can overcome our human inhibitions and move forward to, for, and with God.

God is Good

You can't get anywhere if you don't start somewhere.

     That is probably the most basic rule when it comes to travel, travel for vacation, travel on our career path, even travel for our life. Each persons starting point is different, as is their end place. Physically we (hopefully) all start the same, as babies, but spiritually we're like snowflakes. Each spirit and faith grows and molds separately, two people could have the exact same life experiences yet come away with different spiritual views, but if they've not been given anything to build their faith on, both will crumble. That's where we come in, we are the carpenters and foundation layers with our trucks full of timber and concrete and it is our job to help other people build upon the foundation that is our God. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus tells us to "go and make disciples of all the nations...in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." Boom! There's our starting point wrapped up in a pretty little bow. All travel uses some sort of guidance source: map, GPS, other people, and sometimes that travel can be a little scary to do alone and that's where we come in, again, we are the hands and feet, not only for those just starting the journey but also for those who have been traveling for a long time. We can be guides for others on their journey and help them find and stay on the path towards Christ and as guides we are equipped with our own GPS (God, Prayer, and Scripture) that we use to lead others. However, we can't do our job as guides unless we do our job as builders, helping people find the right place to lay the foundation for their faith. Read Matthew 28:19 and pray that God will give you (and me) the words, wisdom, and opportunities to lead others to Him.

God is good.

Summer Groups

Every week throughout the year at Second Chance Church we have what are called House Parties which are exactly how they sound fun, food, and fellowship. Each House Party is constructed and operated differently but all have the same thing in mind; spend time together reading, talking, and pondering various religious points. (scripture, questions, events of the week etc.) However, due to peoples schedule change during the summer (i.e. vacation time) House Parties do not meet, enter Summer Groups. Summer Groups are not necessarily about studying the bible or praying at every get together, they are more centered on just getting together and having fun in a family friendly environment. So if you've got some free time this summer but aren't so sure about going to church just yet give our summer groups a try, even if you decide not to come to SCC I guarantee you will have a good time!



You can sign up and get more info here, or you can just check out our website here.

God is Good.

Independence

     At what age should we, as humans, become totally independent? Making our own decisions, providing for ourselves, and leaving the nest. When should we, as parents, allow our children (not that I have any) to become independent? At some point we, as both children and parents, need to make a mutual decision to move out and grow up, however even though our earthly parents have to come to terms with and make plans for allowing us to move out and fend for ourselves in this world there is one parent that is not planning for the day we leave the nest, but the day that we return. (John 14:1-3) Independence is great, but at the same time it is comforting to know there will be someone to turn to in times of need and even though friends and family may no longer be with us there is someone who will never leave our side, He goes by many names but one that is consistently known is Jesus Christ and He loves us more that anyone can imagine. Reach out to Him and see what He is capable of, spend time with Him today and feel His presence, read His word and hear His voice, it is truly comforting.

God is good.

We are intentional.

     This has been on my mind for a few days now and I can't help but ask myself "Am I intentional?" I mean yeah I intentionally wake up and go to class then intentionally go to work but aside from that. Am I intentionally spending time with the father? Am I intentionally speaking life into those around me throughout my day? Am I intentionally showing on the outside what I believe on the inside? How can I work on these areas and be a constant messenger for The Lord? What do you feel you should be more intentional about, how do you work on those areas?

God is good.

Christ is Alive

Make haste oh Glorious One

With robes that outshine the sun

Surrounded by the Holy Ghost

Singing with the Heavenly Host

Christ is alive

We are free

He took our sins to the cross

He paid the cost completely

He is alive

Inside you and me

Christ is alive

And we are free!

Sitting at the right hand

Is the only one who can judge this land

The ruler of every man

Our chorus will cover this land

Christ is alive         (inside you and me)

We are free       (by the mercy of the King)

He took our sins to the cross

He paid the cost completely

He is alive

Inside you and me

Christ is alive

And we are free!

The dawning of a new world just is just over the horizon

Ruled by our God and His only Son

The Son of God and the sons of man

Will live together in this new land

And sing as one

Christ is alive         (inside you and me)

We are free       (by the mercy of the King)

He took our sins to the cross

He paid the cost completely

He is alive

Inside you and me

Christ is alive

And we are free!

Come quickly oh Holy God

Who descends like a dove

Save us from this place

Send us Your Love

We will sing to the King on high

Christ is alive

We are free

He took our sins to the cross

He payed the cost completely

He is alive

Inside you and me

Christ is alive

And we are free!

He is alive         (inside you and me)

We are free       (by the mercy of the King)

He took our sins to the cross

So we would not know the cost

He is alive

Inside you and me

Christ is alive

And we are free!

God is good.

Inquisition

Recently, while working, I was challenged, by my assistant manager, with the question "Why do you believe in God? What is your proof?" and I was blindsided, this question came out of nowhere and I had no real answer, the only thing I could think of in response was to gesture to the world around us and say "This is my proof. Every second you and I breathe is my proof; every morning we wake up and live is my proof." At this the curiosity seemed to disappear and he walked away, as if that is the answer he hears every time and didn't believe it. For the next several days I was replaying the scenario in my head wondering how I could have answered differently and what I could have said to make this man want to know Christ and I came up with many after-the-fact responses and each night I prayed for the words to say but I never found "the right time", I was too scared to bring it up. I went to church that Sunday, talked to fellow members about this encounter, got some advice, and prayed again and again for the words to say and the courage to speak to him on the matter again. Feb. 20 I finally mustered up that courage and said,

"Remember the other day when you asked me why I believe in God?"

                "Yeah."

"Well, I've got a proposition for ya. I want you to take one Sunday to come to my church, you don’t even have to stay for the service, I just want you to meet the people there and listen to their stories and you’ll understand why I know why God exists"

At this he just kind of smirked and said "All I need is proof. I’m not saying there is or isn't something out there, there might be, I just don’t believe it. Why don't you share one of these testimonies with me?" So I gave him the testimony and vision of our pastor Matt how his and six other families dropped everything to move here and start this church, how God spoke directly to Matt many times to give guidance and strength to carry on, and how the church started with six families getting together whenever time would allow and blossomed to hundreds of guests almost every Sunday morning. After about a 2hr. conversation he said something I had only heard once before.

           "Tell ya what, ten years from now when I'm on my death bed."

           "Ten years? Aren't you like 25?"

           "I don't expect to live much past 30, but when I'm there I'll pray and have this big spiritual epiphany and make the change."

That reminded me of something I saw while on vacation in Boston back in May. There was a guy standing on a street corner just outside of the Harvard Yard with his bible, preaching to anyone who passed by and would listen. There was a group of some guys standing by him heckling and commenting on everything he said trying to make him mad and leave and they said those exact same words and I'll never forget what the man said. I looked my assistant manager in the eyes and repeated what the Harvard man had said.

            " 'There is no next year, there is no next month, or next week. There is no tomorrow, you could go to sleep tonight and your heart just stops, but you never had a chance to truly repent. What happens then?' "

His response was simple "I'll look at the pearly gates and say 'Huh, I was wrong.' then take my escalator down to hell...I've already got front-row seats."

The second I heard this my heart broke into little pieces but, I am not going to give up, with the Lord on my side I will risk everything I have to help this man see Christ is here waiting for him, that he doesn't have to settle for a "front-row seat" in hell when he can trade that in for a one-way ticket to heaven with one of those little Disney Land line skipping fastpasses and whenever he decides to take that step Jesus will accept him no matter what. Please pray for God to put something in this mans life to help him see God is all around and accept Jesus into his heart. I'm going to talk with him again tonight at work and I pray that he will see the light.

God is good.

Epiphany

    So I was taking a shower the other day, as I've found to be a good thing to do on a regular basis, and I don't know about you but sometimes I come to life altering conclusions while I'm in the shower most of which I forget by the time I finish drying off but this one I didn't forget. I was thinking the other day, why are we here? Not in some hugely psychological 'Why are we on earth?' thing, but why are Emily and I here in Indiana? As I was in the shower that evening I started thinking about it again and I came to the realization that I'm not here for school, I'm here for the church, the education is just a really expensive perk. Before, if God told me "You're moving to Indiana and are going to get involved in this church I've placed there to reach my flock and help bring them to Me." I probably would've ignored Him and went the other direction and He knew that, so He decided that He was going to give me a "reason" to come here and then surprise me with the real reason. When I realized this it felt like an intervention, almost, He said "Son, I've got something to tell you. You're probably wondering why I've gathered you here. I know you think you're going to school then moving back to Illinois to get a job and settle down but, that is no longer an option. You're here for a reason and I want you to stay here." God blessed me with an amazing wife so that I wouldn't be on this journey alone and she has supported me every step of the way. My wife, Emily, practically abandoned her entire life plan to get married and move to Indy with me and today marks our sixth month of marriage and I truly thank God for putting it in her heart and I thank her for following through with it. I don't know what I did to deserve such an amazing and beautiful wife, but without Emily I wouldn't have graduated high school on time. Without her I wouldn't have lasted this long in Indy, without her (and her mother) I never would have found S.C.C. Without her I'd still be living in my mom’s basement, probably without a job, living my life far from God. God put her in my life to straighten me up and help me on our journey together and I thank Him for every step and every minute.

God is good.

Theologistics

    We lived in Indianapolis for six weeks and four days before we found a church. Originally I had decided that we didn't really need a church, we had understanding of our faith and where we were with Jesus and I didn't think we needed a church. Her mother traveled from Illinois to visit us one weekend with the sole intention of us going to church. She had heard about a place through her church back home. So I figured what the heck, I'm probably not going to like it because its a different style than I'm used to, I grew up in the traditional style church with hymns, Sunday school, and all those snobby people that pretend to like you and you pretend to like just to make it through the morning. Honestly, I liked that, I thought that was how it had to be, and so I begrudgingly went to this church that wasn't even in its own building yet, it's in a university building and I was thinking to myself "Great, they don't even have their own place, how are they possibly going to be something that I would like?" as soon as we walked in the doors I heard from about three different directions "Heeeyyyy!!! So good to see you, I'm {insert name here}. Welcome to SCC." Then I started thinking "Ok, that was pretty cool." As we were waiting for the worship to start everyone came over and started introducing themselves, the first person we met was a guy named Nick, nice guy, clean cut, comfortable looking clothes not the "Sunday best" like I was used to. The next person I remember was the pastor himself, his name is Matt, and he was so nonchalant about it like "Hey, guys what's up, I'm Matt the lead pastor here at SCC, nice to meet you." Ok, where I'm from you see the pastor during the service and that's it, not even afterwards do you see this guy, so to be able to meet who I'm going to be listening to for, what I assumed was going to be, the next three hours was kinda cool too. So after meeting everyone we were escorted to the worship area, a pitch black room where the only light was from the flashlight the ushers are armed with and entrance to the area is followed by the question "Would you like some ear plugs?" that's when I started thinking "Ok, this is a church, do they have drill sergeants as the choir or something? Why would I need ear plugs?" A few moments after sitting there waiting for something to happen, two TVs on the stage came alive with numbers that started counting down from 3:00 and the background music (no words) to the numbers was Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5. After the three minute countdown the worship band kicked in and the first song they played was This City is Yours by Elevation Worship, as the TVs showed the words, and the compilation of songs played was like none I had ever heard before. Never had I heard these songs but I felt as though I knew every word even without looking at the screens, yeah I had to look at the screen every once in awhile but for the most part I could feel the music inside of me, I felt as if I was singing every word in my head without knowing the lyrics. Dan, the campus pastor (I'm not sure what that means) came on the stage after the first song and started talking about the little packets of paper everyone had received when we walked in and that there is one of the three papers that first time guests (VIP's as they're called) could fill out and get a thank you "Gift" for visiting. This gift is an SCC t-shirt which looks pretty nifty (but you don't find out it's a t-shirt until after the service and you turn that card in so shhhhh.) After just a few minutes of Pastor Dan talking he said a prayer and the music started right back up with a trifecta of awesome songs, one of which was How He Loves by David Crowder which just hits you like a brick wall every time you hear it, that song is so powerful. After the three songs a video played about the history and mission of SCC then Matt went on the stage and gave this awesome message (like he does every week.) I wish I could give a summary that would give justice but there is nothing that I could say that would come close to the power that man emits when he speaks. I walked into that church with a hardened and biased heart, yet walked away with a new opinion and a handful of invite cards so I could tell everyone about this awesome new church. Two weeks later Emily and I were volunteering in the official 'Grand Opening' service and helping out every week since. I was skeptical of SCC at first and now I operate the lights for the worship band and Emily helps out in SCC Kids! watching the ones who are a little too young for the loud music and teaching about God's love for them.

So I would like to formally invite you to join us at SCC (<<link to our website) and maybe you can find new life in Christ too.

God is good.

Songs mentioned:
This City is Yours: Elevation Worship
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lmqZL7x6Dc

How He Loves: David Crowder Band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCunuL58odQ

Disclaimer:
"I do not own any of the rights to the songs referred to in the post, they are the intellectual property of their individual owners"

Daybreak

    For four days Emily and I explored, went downtown, drove around Indy looking for jobs, and visited a couple of monuments, one of them being the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the heart of Monument Circle. This statue is about fifteen feet shorter than the Statue of Liberty and has about 330 steps just to get to the top, or one could ride the elevator to step number 290 (it gets skinnier as you go up so the elevator can't fit all the way to the top) then complete the trek to see and amazing view...well worth it. On our fifth day of being in Indianapolis, I started classes at LCT (Lincoln College of Technology) and thus begins another journey within our journey (journey-ception). To be honest, which I've heard is a good thing, I don't remember much about my first month here let alone the first day...so I'm not going to go into great detail about it. I do remember getting issued I.D.'s, uniforms, books, and tools, we got a "tour" of the building, pretty much just a "Here's the shop, here's the library, and here's the cafeteria.", but the building really isn't as big as one would think so it's easy to learn your way around. For another two weeks going to school was my only responsibility, well that and job searching, until I started working at Jiffy Lube on the 22nd. Day one of work consisted of going to class till 2 then sitting on a computer for 5hrs of Computer Based Training...there are 8hrs worth of CBT's and I finished in 5 1/2 hours...the longest 5 and a half hours of my life. Vacuuming cars and washing windows is what I did for a living for about three weeks until I was able to move to a different position, under hood, where I stayed for about two months before I was allowed under the car for about two more weeks after which I decided min. wage wasn't enough for a married man going to college and changed jobs. While I was at Jiffy Lube I actually enjoyed the job, it was relatively easy with very simple tasks and routines. The only con would be that the older gentlemen who worked there would forget that they had already told you about the time they changed the oil on an '89 powder blue Mustang with white interior that had blood red stitching....so you get to hear it about three times a day...but hey at least it was a cool car to visualize. After awhile the pay wasn't cutting it, and I know I shouldn't be focusing on how much money I make, but when you're in college money is somewhat important and sometimes it likes to take the wheel and drive.

God is good.

Prelude

    Now, before our adventure of life on our own there was a time when I thought I had lost all chance of getting to know Emily, let alone having her as my wife some day. We met sophomore year back in high school when we were in biology class together. Pretty much the only thing I really remember from that class is dissecting various animals (frog, rat, crawdad). During our time in that class she and I started talking and getting to know each other a little. We had developed one of those "puppy love" relationships, or so I thought. We shared a work table and sat together every day and I figured we were "dating" long enough so I decided to put a hand on her leg, not in a perverted "I wanna feel you up" kind of way but in an affectionate "I don't want you to leave" kind of way, but apparently I was the only one who saw it innocently man was I wrong. After awhile she forgave me for that and we started talking more but I messed up again by saying some things that should never have been said which certainly didn't help my situation any. For two years I hardly saw her and never got to talk to her again until senior year.

    Back in grade school I went on vacation with my dad to Texas, while we were there I was attacked by a golden-retriever/lab mix that resulted in over 150 stitches in the left side of my face and a law suit granting a decent amount of money to be accessed when I turned 18 (that story will make sense in a minute). Back to high school, I was in the Army JROTC program all four years of high school and that program has molded me into a more disciplined and respectful person and I was so grateful for the training I received that I decided to donate $3,000 of my "decent amount" to the program. Now, being from a city of only 36,000 people this action caught a bit of media (front page newspaper) and apparently I'm the only person my age that doesn't read the paper because about four different people told me how they saw my story in the paper. One of those people was Emily, keep in mind that we've not spoke in two years and about three cell phone numbers, yet she made a point of talking to me about what we've been through and working together to set things straight. When she started talking to me again I told myself "You'd better now screw this up again or you'll lose her for good this time."  By now we had both grown up quite a bit and I had matured a lot. So we started talking more and more and decided to give us a shot again and a few months later I proposed and here we are now. I guess you could say that ours is a high school sweet heart relationship or that I'm just lucky to have her, but either way I'm thankful for a second chance and wouldn't give her up for the world.

God is good.

Genesis

    My wife and I moved to Indianapolis August 1, 2012 so that I could pursue my education in the field of diesel mechanics. July 21, 2012 we exchanged vows and a week and four days later we packed up all of our stuff and started our three hour trip to be on our own. With Emily and I in the lead with the back seat and trunk jam packed, my step-dad in the u-haul truck with the guts of our new never-been-seen apartment, and my mom trailing in their return vehicle we made our way to Indy. Due to certain complications with tuition after we had signed the lease for our apartment Emily and I made our way to the college while my parents unpacked the u-haul and started to put our apartment together. By the time we got back to the apartment most everything was unloaded and put in place, just a few things remained in the truck that we helped unpack. After everything was in the apartment my mom bought pizza for dinner and we sat around our depressingly tiny 470 sq. ft. apartment to eat. Our first night in our new apartment was kind of rough, my parents went back home to Illinois after dinner and as soon as the door closed behind them that's when it hit us, everything is real now, this is all actually happening, and that realization came with lots of tears. Up to this point everything seemed like just a dream, it was just another day that started like any other, morning showers and breakfast all leading up to a day of driving and a night full of tears of desperation, hopelessness, and realization. After about 30 minutes of crying we got most of our boxes unpacked and put away so that we might actually be able to get some sleep because tomorrow holds job searches and exploration of our new found world.

God is good.