The past few months have been the most intensely busy months of my life - but they have also been the most spiritually beautiful and challenging. So many things have happened that it's hard to even imagine what life was like 4 months ago.
The main events I suppose all surround this thing called the Michigan Movement. Long story short, I played with this group of college-aged kids who do worship and then talk a little bit, about revival on college campuses and things of that sort. I started just filling in for when they played at Hope - but I played two more times with them, once at MSU and the last time being at Calvin. Playing music with these people that are so insanely on fire for Jesus sparked in me a passion to know my Savior better. And through getting to know Him better, my life has changed, drastically.
Out of an extremely long story of addiction, God did something miraculous in my life that I want (and I am now being called) to share with the world. God wants to use me to help people who are where I remember so vividly being.
Out of all of that, a passion for helping those who struggle was sparked within me. This is what it feels like to know what God wants you to do with your life. As a first step, (a very small one at that) I created another blog for people who need love, a word of affirmation, or just to know that there are other people out there that struggle with the same things. If you want to learn more, or know someone that would like to just talk or has questions, send them/click Here.
I'm so excited for what God has in store for all of this.
Thanks for reading, and God bless.
Tyler
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Friday, July 20, 2012
Tragedy
Last night, at a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado, 14 people (all suspected to be young kids and teenagers) were killed, and many more were injured. The youngest of those killed in the massacre was supposedly a 3 month old baby, shot at point blank range.
This is one of those situations where a lot of people will ask, "So where is God in all of this," or, "How can God make this right?"
I think this tragedy happened because God was not there. The world so desperately needs Jesus, and this is just one of many sickening incidents that display this need for redemption.
So, how can God make this right?
How are the parents of the kids who died in that theater supposed to believe that God will make everything right?
I'm not going to tell them that, "God works in mysterious ways," at a time like this. It's true, but what the families need to know right now is that God isn't done.
He is still working in this world and He will make everything better. It won't be on our time, but His kingdom will come and all the hurt and pain in the world will be gone.
The hardest part of this situation is that I still love whoever shot all those people. They, just like me, are still children of God and deserve to be loved as such.
I'm still fighting myself because how could someone who could do something so terrible deserve to be loved?
And then I remember that I sin every day. Every hour. And that my sins against God are just as bad.
We cannot call ourselves followers of Christ unless we love everyone. Murderers included.
My heart goes out to the friends and family of everyone involved in this tragedy.
This is one of those situations where a lot of people will ask, "So where is God in all of this," or, "How can God make this right?"
I think this tragedy happened because God was not there. The world so desperately needs Jesus, and this is just one of many sickening incidents that display this need for redemption.
So, how can God make this right?
How are the parents of the kids who died in that theater supposed to believe that God will make everything right?
I'm not going to tell them that, "God works in mysterious ways," at a time like this. It's true, but what the families need to know right now is that God isn't done.
He is still working in this world and He will make everything better. It won't be on our time, but His kingdom will come and all the hurt and pain in the world will be gone.
The hardest part of this situation is that I still love whoever shot all those people. They, just like me, are still children of God and deserve to be loved as such.
I'm still fighting myself because how could someone who could do something so terrible deserve to be loved?
And then I remember that I sin every day. Every hour. And that my sins against God are just as bad.
We cannot call ourselves followers of Christ unless we love everyone. Murderers included.
My heart goes out to the friends and family of everyone involved in this tragedy.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Complacency
LIKE IF YOU THINK CHILD ABUSE IS WRONG
"Like if you would help this child, it can't hurt!"
Headings and posts like these are blowing up news feeds on facebook. While these are (hopefully) genuine and are better than supporting something like child abuse, I think that there is a lot of harm that posts like these can do.
Posts like these allow people to distance themselves from the real problem. By "liking" whatever it may be, they believe that they have made some difference in the world. All it takes is a click. There's no pain, no suffering, no hardship in that. People don't need to get there hands dirty, or so they're being told. All these posts are doing is making people believe that they can do less than they already are in order to make a difference; they're being rewarded for being lazy.
Think about it this way; how do you think an abuse victim would feel if all you could say you did for them was, "oh, don't worry, I liked a post that was against what happened to you"?
And then there are the posts that read something like, "Like in 3 seconds if you believe God is real!" At first, I didn't really have a problem with these. Nothing wrong with people showing their faith over the internet, if they're not shoving it down others' throats. But then I realized that the same problem exists with these posts; people are being taught that all they need to do is like a picture on facebook in order to do their religious duty for the day.
Finally, the most extreme and (to me, at least) the most offensive. There are posts that state, "Like this in 3 seconds, and God will do a miracle for you." I need to make my point clear: I am NOT saying that God cannot do a miracle through technology, or that He could somehow work through your actions on facebook to bless someone. I am saying, though, that expecting God to do a miracle for you because of your actions, be it liking a post on facebook or only doing "righteous" things, is absolutely wrong. God's grace, by definition, does not depend on our actions. This is good news, though, because if God's grace did depend on our actions, we would all be in trouble.
"Like if you would help this child, it can't hurt!"
Headings and posts like these are blowing up news feeds on facebook. While these are (hopefully) genuine and are better than supporting something like child abuse, I think that there is a lot of harm that posts like these can do.
Posts like these allow people to distance themselves from the real problem. By "liking" whatever it may be, they believe that they have made some difference in the world. All it takes is a click. There's no pain, no suffering, no hardship in that. People don't need to get there hands dirty, or so they're being told. All these posts are doing is making people believe that they can do less than they already are in order to make a difference; they're being rewarded for being lazy.
Think about it this way; how do you think an abuse victim would feel if all you could say you did for them was, "oh, don't worry, I liked a post that was against what happened to you"?
And then there are the posts that read something like, "Like in 3 seconds if you believe God is real!" At first, I didn't really have a problem with these. Nothing wrong with people showing their faith over the internet, if they're not shoving it down others' throats. But then I realized that the same problem exists with these posts; people are being taught that all they need to do is like a picture on facebook in order to do their religious duty for the day.
Finally, the most extreme and (to me, at least) the most offensive. There are posts that state, "Like this in 3 seconds, and God will do a miracle for you." I need to make my point clear: I am NOT saying that God cannot do a miracle through technology, or that He could somehow work through your actions on facebook to bless someone. I am saying, though, that expecting God to do a miracle for you because of your actions, be it liking a post on facebook or only doing "righteous" things, is absolutely wrong. God's grace, by definition, does not depend on our actions. This is good news, though, because if God's grace did depend on our actions, we would all be in trouble.
Catch-up
It's been quite a while since I've written anything - I've been busy with spring break, exams, and other random things.
First of all, I know I promised to give an update on how my "technological fasting" was going, but I never got around to it. To sum it up, after a while it was easy, but I found myself replacing the time I would have spent on facebook or other sites with things that were just as unproductive like video games.
Luckily, my spring break trip was amazing. The focus of our trip was incarceration and the injustices that are happening in the prison system, but I ended up learning more about myself and God than I did about the prison system. The trip challenged me and caused me to grow and strengthen in my faith more than any one trip ever has. Every morning we dug into the Bible and talked about what it meant for us, right now, and in the future.
I have never seen God work in so many awesome, crazy, amazing ways - and every single person on that trip became like family to me. The funny thing is that I was not expecting much to come out of this trip - I might go as far as to say that I had signed up just for something to do during spring break. Just goes to show that God works far beyond our selfish intentions.
Last year I tried out for Hope's worship team. I didn't make it, and to say the least, I was devastated. I was angry at God because, as I put it, "how can I be called into worship leading and not make the worship team?" Again, I had selfish intentions.
My spring break trip helped me realize this. I realized that by being angry at God, I was confining God to work only in a situation where I was on the worship team at Hope. After I had realized this, a friend had asked me if I was thinking about trying out for the worship team again. I hadn't even thought about it, but I began praying for guidance. I felt that God was with me when I decided to try out for the team, and I had the feeling that, because it was God's plan and idea, it was okay whether I mad the team or not. Throughout the try out process I continually needed to pray for patience, both with myself and with finding out if I had made it or not.
I am glad to say that I made it, and that I am beyond excited for how God will work through this experience.
Now, it's summer. I'm done with my sophomore year, and I'm a junior in college now. Weird. I'm working, and hopefully getting to the beach fairly often. I think the one thing I'm afraid of for this summer is being away from the Hope community and the opportunities that it offers for spiritual growth. More specifically, the prayer room and the atmosphere that it provides. I'm hoping that God will prove that I don't need a specific place to be as close to Him as I have been, but that it's more about my heart and how much I invest in becoming ever closer to Him.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
40
Happy Fat Tuesday!
All of my friends have been talking about what they're going to give up for Lent, and I have yet to decide. I have about 50 minutes left to do so. I'm leaning towards giving up Facebook, but sometimes I feel like that's not nearly enough.
I think that if we give something up, it should be something that is a major distraction to our faith. One of my friends also pointed out that Lent doesn't need to be about giving something up; it can also be about doing something new.
I decided that I'm going to try to do both - first, I'm going to attempt to give up all internet access except for my school email, and school necessary sites such as moodle.
A few weeks ago, my girlfriend and I began reading the same devotions separately, and then calling each other at night to discuss them. Even though I started this habit before Lent, I'm going to use the free time I have (that I would have used for the internet) to concentrate and reflect more on the devotions everyday.
Since I am so used to being on the internet everyday, I'll post a few blogs over the forty days about how I'm doing. I'm predicting that I'll struggle a little bit, which, to be honest, makes me feel bad about how dependent I am on technology, etc, which is a whole other topic.
What are you doing for Lent, and how is it going to bring you closer to God?
I'm not knocking down things like, "no chocolate" or "less pop", but I'm encouraging you to maybe take away something that distracts you from your faith, or maybe add a spiritual discipline.
All of my friends have been talking about what they're going to give up for Lent, and I have yet to decide. I have about 50 minutes left to do so. I'm leaning towards giving up Facebook, but sometimes I feel like that's not nearly enough.
I think that if we give something up, it should be something that is a major distraction to our faith. One of my friends also pointed out that Lent doesn't need to be about giving something up; it can also be about doing something new.
I decided that I'm going to try to do both - first, I'm going to attempt to give up all internet access except for my school email, and school necessary sites such as moodle.
A few weeks ago, my girlfriend and I began reading the same devotions separately, and then calling each other at night to discuss them. Even though I started this habit before Lent, I'm going to use the free time I have (that I would have used for the internet) to concentrate and reflect more on the devotions everyday.
Since I am so used to being on the internet everyday, I'll post a few blogs over the forty days about how I'm doing. I'm predicting that I'll struggle a little bit, which, to be honest, makes me feel bad about how dependent I am on technology, etc, which is a whole other topic.
What are you doing for Lent, and how is it going to bring you closer to God?
I'm not knocking down things like, "no chocolate" or "less pop", but I'm encouraging you to maybe take away something that distracts you from your faith, or maybe add a spiritual discipline.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Contradictions
While watching the super bowl, my friends and I had a brief discussion on how hypocritical musicians are now.
For example, Lil' Wayne, within the same song, manages to acknowledge (because I won't call it praise) God and use the "N" word along with bitch, shit, and a plethora of other offensive terms. I decided to write some of these words so that people could understand how hypocritical this really is.
In the same song that God is mentioned, Lil' Wayne runs his mouth without a filter, an offense that many artists, not just rap or hip-hop, are finding themselves guilty of. And you better believe that the CD credits thank God for all the "success."
So what?
By doing this, artists like Lil' Wayne are promoting a sort of lazy spirituality. Yea, you can say you believe in God when it's convenient, or when it'll boost your record sales and get you a few more hits on Youtube. But don't forget to talk hard when your friends come around.
As a Christian I find it extremely offensive that someone would take using God's name so lightly. I am certainly not saying that Christians don't swear or mess up. We do. Especially me. But to use God's name and curse in the same song knowingly, for millions of people to hear and see, is wrong. Artists need to grow up and see that they are responsible for their art and who will experience it.
The same goes for the Christian consumer; if you feel like you probably shouldn't listen to a certain song, then you have a responsibility to not listen. The excuse "oh I just listen to it for the music, I don't listen to the lyrics," doesn't work. If you're listening to the song, you hear the lyrics. Music is a powerful, powerful tool. Songs should be used to praise God, not contradict our belief in Him.
For example, Lil' Wayne, within the same song, manages to acknowledge (because I won't call it praise) God and use the "N" word along with bitch, shit, and a plethora of other offensive terms. I decided to write some of these words so that people could understand how hypocritical this really is.
In the same song that God is mentioned, Lil' Wayne runs his mouth without a filter, an offense that many artists, not just rap or hip-hop, are finding themselves guilty of. And you better believe that the CD credits thank God for all the "success."
So what?
By doing this, artists like Lil' Wayne are promoting a sort of lazy spirituality. Yea, you can say you believe in God when it's convenient, or when it'll boost your record sales and get you a few more hits on Youtube. But don't forget to talk hard when your friends come around.
As a Christian I find it extremely offensive that someone would take using God's name so lightly. I am certainly not saying that Christians don't swear or mess up. We do. Especially me. But to use God's name and curse in the same song knowingly, for millions of people to hear and see, is wrong. Artists need to grow up and see that they are responsible for their art and who will experience it.
The same goes for the Christian consumer; if you feel like you probably shouldn't listen to a certain song, then you have a responsibility to not listen. The excuse "oh I just listen to it for the music, I don't listen to the lyrics," doesn't work. If you're listening to the song, you hear the lyrics. Music is a powerful, powerful tool. Songs should be used to praise God, not contradict our belief in Him.
Comfortability
Is it right to help people who can barely afford to have a home while you stay in a five star hotel?
This is a question I've struggled with. I have the opportunity to go do mission work in Belize while staying in a five-star hotel. The trip would cost upwards of a thousand dollars, and to me, that makes it seem more like a vacation.
I struggle with this because I would feel uncomfortable working with people in need, and then going back to sleep in a comfortable, air conditioned, safely locked hotel room that has more accommodations than one human could ever need. I understand the possibilities of working with a hotel to help people, but I still don't think I would be able to experience two contradicting places in such a short amount of time.
I also find this decision hard because last year I worked in Belize with the same people, but it was at a summer camp on the island of San Pedro. I stayed in a bunkhouse that wouldn't have had water if it wasn't for the rain that fell the few days before I got there.
What really gets me is that the kids I worked with last summer made me promise I would come back next summer. Now, not only can I not afford to come back, but the camp isn't even happening - it has been replaced by the new work being done out of a five star hotel.
This is a question I've struggled with. I have the opportunity to go do mission work in Belize while staying in a five-star hotel. The trip would cost upwards of a thousand dollars, and to me, that makes it seem more like a vacation.
I struggle with this because I would feel uncomfortable working with people in need, and then going back to sleep in a comfortable, air conditioned, safely locked hotel room that has more accommodations than one human could ever need. I understand the possibilities of working with a hotel to help people, but I still don't think I would be able to experience two contradicting places in such a short amount of time.
I also find this decision hard because last year I worked in Belize with the same people, but it was at a summer camp on the island of San Pedro. I stayed in a bunkhouse that wouldn't have had water if it wasn't for the rain that fell the few days before I got there.
What really gets me is that the kids I worked with last summer made me promise I would come back next summer. Now, not only can I not afford to come back, but the camp isn't even happening - it has been replaced by the new work being done out of a five star hotel.
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