theChampy

Chase.Your.Passion

I put in my two weeks notice last Friday.

You see, news is not what I am passionate about. I’m passionate about people, technology, and ministry, and how those can all be used together.

A little over a year ago, I was a recent college grad who had no idea where to start on the job search. But a couple weeks after graduation, I received an e-mail about a position I had interviewed for months earlier.

The position was still open, and I was offered the job. It was an answer to prayer and provision from God. I walked into a job with people I already knew from my internships doing something I had a comfortable grasp on.

It was a great job with incredible people. And I honestly had no plans to leave anytime soon.

But here I am over a year after starting, and I’m saying goodbye.

Why? Because I’m chasing my passion.

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The.Point

This past weekend, I participated in a Disciple Now weekend with the students at my church.

We split into groups, stayed in host homes, did service projects, played relay games, and gathered for worship and Bible study.

I always look forward to these weekends. Even though I’m exhausted at the end, it’s totally worth it. This kind of exhaustion comes when you have poured yourself out into the lives of others.

Those “lives” in question are 6th and 7th grade guys.

People think I’m a brave soul to try to teach them, but I am constantly blown away by the ways that God reminds me that I have an impact on their lives.

When we were having a time of group prayer, to have my group surround me and pray for me was incredible.

And when one of my former students that I lost touch with came and prayed for me, I about broke down. To know that I had a lasting impact on this individual blows me away.

Weekends like these remind me that I don’t deserve to be doing what I’m doing, but through God’s grace alone, I am able to.

I was also reminded that impacting the lives of students is what makes my heart beat out of my chest. I would give anything for them to know the love of Jesus that I have experienced, and I pray that I get to do it until I die.

God also showed me that I am right where I need to be, surrounded by the people that He wants to walk alongside me. The guys I got to lead with this weekend are great men of God, and it was a privilege to serve with them.

And about “The Point”. The theme for the weekend focused on the point of worship, and that only God was deserving and worthy of our worship. Man oh man was I convicted to the core about what I worship in my life. I look forward to replacing them with God as the focus of my life and devotion.

This is just a taste of what the last weekend did to my heart, but I wanted to share it with you. Thanks for reading.

Grace & Peace

True.Love

I’m single. Most everyone I know is aware of this. It’s not for lack of trying, it’s just the way things are.

Valentine’s Day was yesterday, and in the past, I have labeled it “Singles Awareness Day” or some other name dripping with bitterness.

This year though, I actually spent time thinking about love instead of trying to ignore the day.

I reflected on the love that I have in God, and how powerful and overwhelming that is.

Almost 12 years ago, I made an exchange with God. He gave me an eternal, abundant life, and I gave Him my heart.

Then at Late Nite, as Pastor Jeff was talking about love, he read and dissected 1 Corinthians 13:1-11. I have included verses 1-7 below:

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

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Disappointment

Lately, I’ve had to learn to deal with disappointment.

It’s not that I’ve never been disappointed until recently, but I got to a point where I had to let go before it affected other areas of my life.

You see, I was looking to others to validate me, to complete me. And when they let me down, I felt like there was something wrong with me, that I had done something wrong. Then I would be bitter towards them because of the way I felt.

That is dangerous for a couple reasons.

First, I’m putting unfair expectations on people. No one is perfect, and I’m a prime example of that. So expecting them to act a certain way, to validate me with their actions, is too much pressure.

That destroys relationships. Friendships and marriages can fall apart because of unfair/unmet expectations.

Second, I was never meant to find my satisfaction or validation in other people.

I believe we were all created as relational beings. We need others to walk through life with us. But when we look to them to “complete” us, we are setting ourselves up for failure.

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Wine.Wool.WildHoney

I recently finished a book titled Scouting the Divine. The author Margaret Feinberg, writes about her quest as she seeks to think of the Bible as more than a dusty old book.

The Bible has so much depth to offer, but Margaret found herself having trouble relating to certain passages that she had read countless number of times, and also seemed ancient.

As she puts it, how can we fully grasp abiding in the vine when we buy our grapes at the store, and how do we look at Jesus as the Good Shepherd when we only see sheep in petting zoos?

These questions led her on a journey, where she spent time with a shepherdess, a farmer, a beekeeper, and a vintner. With everyone she spent time with, she shared scriptures with them related to their skill, and asked for their insight.

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Heavy.And.Light

I had the opportunity to attend the third annual Heavy And Light this year. I have attended all three, and they keep getting better every year.

Born out of tragedy, the night is meant to express the heaviness and lightness that life brings, and the hope for tomorrow that keeps us going.

Some of my favorite artists, Aaron Gillespie, Aaron Marsh, Zach Williams, Stephen Christian, and Mat Kearney, were there playing acoustic versions of their songs and sharing their hearts.

We felt the solemnness as TWLOHA founder Jamie Tworkowski spoke of his friend Zeke’s suicide and interviewed Zeke’s girlfriend about the tragedy.

We laughed when spoken word poet Anis Mojgani began his poem with “You have been given a direct order to rock the f—k out.” He said the word, it was funny.

Perhaps the most pivotal moment came for me when a man named Aaron Moore, a local counselor, took the stage.

As Aaron spoke, I realized that I could relate in full.

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The.40

The number 40 is significant in the Bible.

A few examples:

• Israel spent 40 years in the desert
• Moses was 40 when he left Egypt, then he went back to egypt to rescue the Israelites 40 years later
• Jesus spent 40 days in the desert fasting and enduring temptation
• Jesus was on the earth for 40 days His resurrection before He ascended to heaven

40 represents a time of testing, of trial, of waiting. But it doesn’t end at that. There is always a period of redemption, renewal, or revival at the end of the 40 days.

I just spent 40 days fasting from social media, namely Twitter and Facebook. In the beginning, everything was going smoothly. I was really okay without it.

The second half was definitely rougher. I wanted to see what people wrote to me for my birthday, I wanted to know what was going on in the worlds of Facebook and Twitter.

It was a temptation, it was a trial, but, I was able to make it to the end. Through a strength that wasn’t my own, I went without.

And I survived. When all was said and done, I was okay. And I learned that there are things I spend so much time on that I don’t need to. Things that distract me that I don’t need to devote so much attention to.

So, there is the redemption, the renewal. I have a newfound appreciation for the convenience and connection that social media provides, and at the same time, I have been reminded that I don’t need them to play such a large part of my life.

I hope that made some sense. Sometimes it’s hard to express what’s in your heart in a way that is understandable.

Just know that this experience has been trying and rewarding all at the same time. And I’m thankful that I could share it with you.

Merry.Christmas

It’s Christmas Eve. Wow, that came fast. It seems like yesterday I was worried I wouldn’t be able to eat Christmas foods because of my wisdom teeth surgery.

I love Christmas. It’s always been my favorite holiday, maybe because my birthday is so close to it, so there’s a lot of celebrating.

But this year, I haven’t been in the “spirit” of the holiday as much as I normally am. Maybe it’s the busyness of life, juggling a full time job, a social life, and ministry.

So, today I am taking the time to reflect on what Christmas means.

The overwhelming realization that God in flesh was sent to the earth to be the Savior of all mankind.

That He was born to die an unimaginable death because He loves us and wanted to be with us forever, and this was the only way to make that possible.

So today, I can wholeheartedly wish you and your family a Merry Christmas, because I know what makes this holiday so meaningful and full of joy.

My prayer is that your life is full of love, joy, and blessings during this very special time.

I leave you with the words of the angels, spoken to the shepherds who were given a privilege very few had. The privilege of seeing the Savior at his birth, lying in a manger:

“I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord…Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:10-11,14

Merry Christmas

A Birthday Reflection

Every year on my birthday, I pause to take a look at the past year of my life and ahead to the next.

I turned 24 today, and the last year of my life has been eventful, fulfilling, and even trying.

From my graduation one year ago to finding out my closest friend is moving away, God has guided me and brought me through moments that made me laugh, cry, and cling closer to Him.

At the end of this year, I can say that my walk with the Lord has grown deeper, my friendships have grown richer, and I have made new friends along the way.

Did I do everything perfectly? Not by a long shot. But every mistake was a chance to learn, to grow, and to move on.

I am thankful for every experience of the last year.

And if you are reading this and you walked through any number of those experiences with me, thank you for being a part of my journey.

As I look ahead to the next year, I am older, wiser, and stronger.

And I have every intention of continuing to grow.

Disclaimer: My Facebook/Twitter fast is still in effect. The link to this post was published through the wonders of technology, allowing me to share it with you without logging in.