Tim Tebow...a godly arm?

 Put away those terrible towels! Last night's victory over the Steelers (who arguably had the #1 defense in the league) was nothing short of amazing... but did you know

• Tim Tebow threw for 316 yards and set an NFL post-season record by averaging 31.6 yards per completion. 
• During his time at University of Florida, Tim would frequently sport John 3:16 on his eye black
• Demaryius Thomas, the receiver who caught Tebow's winning pass in overtime, was born on December 25, which happens to be the the birth date of Jesus Christ

 Coincidence? Meh. Miracle? Perhaps. Excuse to share the gospel? YES.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16

 “Rather than being never-satisfied, Jesus accepts you fully, as you are. The Messiah’s salvation was not that if you could be good enough for long enough then He would save you. Jesus’ salvation was an announcement of His acceptance of us based on the work He would do for us: He would live the life we were supposed to live and die the death we had deserved to die, in our place, so that if we would just accept it we would be immediately and fully forgiven and accepted. “ -  J.D. Greear, senior pastor at Summit Church in Raleigh, NC.

As wonderfully life changing as this Bible verse is, what if someone didn't watch the Denver/Steelers game? What if someone doesn't have a TV; doesn't have internet to google "Tim Tebow eye black";  doesn't have access to a church; and has never been exposed to the Bible? Based on the Bible verse, using reasoning, it implies that if someone doesn't accept Jesus they will "perish" /not go to heaven... Are you saying that a loving God would condemn someone to hell who has never had the opportunity to repeatedly hear the gospel and have plenty of time to accept it? Absolutely not.

Yes, without Jesus you can't get into heaven, but God has limitless ways to make himself known to anyone.... even if you don't like football or church. Here's how:

Through our CONSCIOUS

Every single one of us on earth, whether living in a field in Africa, or a dope house in Los Angeles, has thought "what will happen when I die?". God has specifically made us so that we would yearn for something beyond death.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11

 Through our CULTURE

God determined the exact time and place where each and every one of us would be born and live. God chose for you to be born in the certain decade, year, day, month, and country, state and city, that would be most suitable for YOU so that you would be best equipped to seek him, perhaps reach out to Him, and who knows, maybe even start a relationship with Him!

"From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. " Acts 17:26-27

 Through CREATION

Even if you have never been within 10 feet of a Bible, a church, or a Christian, we are all able to find and seek God because He has revealed himself through everything we see in the natural world (flowers, mountains, trees, people, etc).... so really we have no excuse :/

 "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."Romans 1:20

 "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech;  night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth." Psalm 19:1-6

As if that weren't enough, God throws out open invites, welcoming and encouraging anyone to seek Him.

 "But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul."  Deuteronomy 4:29

So where do you stand? Have you seen God revealed in your life? Have you ever considered seeking Him out? He's everywhere...even football stadiums in Denver, CO.

Brasil Part 2: Make it Rain

Okay, fine. "Make It Rain" wasn't the phrase our team leaders, Stephanie and Tucker, used when they told us that we were each individually responsible for raising $2,900 for our Brasil mission trip. To make matters more complicated, we didn't have any fun chocolate bars, magazines, or other paraphernalia to incent people to make a donation. Instead, we were encouraged to write letters to friends and family members simply asking for money, eeeek.

At first, I considered the old fashion trick of sending a letter in the mail, along with a pre-addressed stamp envelope. The stamp is the key, because really, who would do nothing and let an ENTIRE stamp go to waste, when the price has been increasing exponentially over the years and is at an all time high of $0.44??  However, due to time restraints, I instead opted for the go-to mass email. One blind carbon copy email later to 235 of my closest friends, I was confident my time spent fundraising was done. WRONG. My fundraising journey was extremely long, and I soon found out that only seven people had responded and donated a total of $460. (Note, I was extremely appreciative of all these donations!!!)

I knew I had to step it up, especially since I had only a month left to raise this money, and some of my team members had already raised half if not all of the $2,900. On November 5, 2011,  two weeks after the mass email, I decided to individually email 30 of the people on my original list, hoping that my last attempt would be a success. I got several responses almost instantly and was so excited, until I opened the emails....

 "I would love to support you financially; however I'm unable to do so at this time.  I've already exceeded my giving budget for the year." 

 "We are currently committing all of our tithing to XYZ at the moment, good luck!"

"We'd love to support team Brasil. In fact, we already donated to several others on the team."

" We'd love to pray for your trip."

Shoot. My team leaders had recommended to not reach out to people more than 2 times max for donations... what on earth was I to do? The only options I had left were gain new friends, reach out to relatives who I never normally contact, or possibly give some money myself. I decided to go with the give money myself, and wrote a check for $250 which was my parents' early Christmas present to me. In addition, I posted a G-chat status stating the real-time amount I had left to raise, hoping this would non-aggressively encourage people to donate. 

There was one thing I was forgetting though, and that's God. The Bible tells us repeatedly that God is in control, and that if it's in His will He can make anything happen. As such, we are to be bold and ASK for whatever we need, and have confidence that God is capable of delivering:

 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  Matthew 7:7-12

Not only is he capable of giving us anything, we have to be patient and wait sometimes...which is very difficult for a type A person who likes to be in control.

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord" - Psalm 27:13-15

Once I remembered this key ingredient missing from my plan, I began praying and waiting. So what was the result of all of this? As of December 2, the day I left for my trip, to my knowledge, I had raised $2,970, $70 more than I had ever needed! What's even more crazy is the fact that when I returned, I found out that I had actually raised $4,150....$1,350 more than was even required!!!! WOW. Below is the slow and gradual process by which the dough rolled in.

The funny thing is, I never would have even considered to pray for God to give me MORE than I needed to raise.... but I guess that just shows how limited I am in my thinking. This was a great reminder that He is able to do ANYTHING beyond our wildest dreams. 

 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

What's even crazier, is that my team as a WHOLE raised $4K more than we needed to!!! Don't worry, the money will be put to good use. We have been told that the money will first be used towards helping other Global Impact trips that are underfunded, but most likely be given to Open Arms, the organization our team worked with in Brasil. We should know for certain where the money goes within the next six months.

So what is the morale of this story? Is it that God is just a genie in a bottle at the disposal of Christians who are in need of wishes to be granted? ABSOLUTELY NOT!  The point is that we should be BOLD in our prayers, come before God and ask Him anything that is on our heart! Does he have the capability to make it happen plus 10 fold? Absolutely. But does that mean he always will make it happen? No. We must remember that God wants our desires to become His. The more time we spend with Him, the more we will want what God wants for us, and it's at this point that He will give us our hearts desires. "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 

That's all I've got. Thank you to the many financial donors and prayer warriors who supported me in this process :). I couldn't have done it without your help!

The Real World: Brasil

This is the true story, of nine strangers, picked to go on a mission trip together, have their lives changed. Find out what happens when people stop being efficient, and start operating under Brasilian time. This is the Real World: Brazil. 

How did you end up on this trip?

The church I go to, Frontline, has a ministry called Global Impact. Global Impact sends 8-10 people on various mission trips throughout the world (Peru, Brazil, Tanzania, Ethiopia SE Asia, Guatemala, Burundi,)  in a given year. Anyone that wants to go on a mission trip has to apply online and go through an interview process. I know it sounds odd, why would I have to interview to volunteer, right? But it's done to ensure that people going are wanting to go for the right reasons (ex.get closer to God), and not just going as a way to have a cool vacation. Interviews are also conducted to communicate the level of commitment required for a trip (i.e. having to fund-raise a couple of Gs per trip, having 5+ four hour meetings months prior to prepare, etc)

For me, I had always wanted to go on a mission trip through Frontline, but  but due to logistical reasons (i.e. didn't have enough vacation at work, would have to miss two weeks of school etc) I was never able to go. However, this summer I noticed there was a trip heading to Brasil for 10 days, which would allow me to miss only one week of class! What's more , a good friend of mine was set to lead the trip which got me even more excited. So I prayed, then applied, had my interview, and voila! 

Where exactly were you?

Assis Brazil, a small city within the state of Sao Paulo. From what I experienced, Asiss is a very poor city, which has a ton of violence and almost everyone is a drug trafficker (even grandmas) as it is in the middle of the typical drug route (Bolivia/Columbia to Sao Paulo city). 

What did you do there?

LOTS OF STUFF! But this is what made it in the top 10

#10. Fed monkeys

 -we went to a random sugar cane farm that was conveniently beside some jungle like area, started doing typical calls to let the monkeys know we had arrived (ooo ooo ooo ah ah ah! ) , and then waited for 20 min. Soon enough about 100 came out of the jungle and we literally handed the monkeys bananas and papaya. 

#9. Ate tons of meat and drank amazing drinks of all shapes and sizes

- breakfast lunch and dinner. Chicken, Ham, and about 100 different variations of beef, even something which was allegedly better than filet mignon ! Oh and dinner is usually served between 10pm-12pm, obviously!  drinks were mainly fruit smoothies.... acerola & pineapple, acai & strawberry, and peach juice, guava juice, oh and coffee that was served in tiny cups that hold the equivalent of a shot.

#8 Worshiped with locals via Lucas playing acoustic guitar

- sang aloud to tons of familiar songs alternating between English and Portuguese. Songs included Mighty to Save, I Want to Know You More, Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord. 

#7 Starred as Eve in a no-words skit 

- our team performed this skit for kids at the Christmas party and for inmates in prison. The idea was to show using actions and background music, a simplified story of Christianity. As Eve, I had to   pretend to eat an apple, feel ashamed/naked, get caught up by the world/sin, and then finally meet  Jesus and have my relationship stored with the Father.

#6 Delivered free vegetables to impoverished families

- every Tuesday, Open Arms picks up free vegetables from a grocery store and delivers them to the families of the kids that come to Open Arms activities. some of the vegetables were starting to rot, but we were told this was better than nothing :( . Although some people weren't very receptive to Americans helping to deliver the veggies, Holly assured us that they would ask the following week where we were, which would then allow them to share why we came, talk about Jesus, etc.

#5 Hosted Christmas party for kids

- our team hosted various craft stations, one of which allowed us to take Polaroids of the kids and let them decorate a frame to keep (none of them ever had a picture of themselves). the site for the party also had a ginormous pool, which the kids loved even though most couldn't swim

#4 Asked to play Mighty to Save on the piano

- at church last minute without practice! Thankfully the guitar was super loud haha

#3 Shared my testimony at church in front of 50 people while Mike translated to Portuguese

#2 Built an entire playground

- made entirely out of tree trunks! 

#1 Visited a prison and played with inmates ( sans cuffs, chains or fiberglass)

- for the record I won one game of ping pong but got completely schooled in checkers

What did you learn?

Patience, humility, joyful service, and so much more! The next few posts I plan to dive into more about what I learned during fundraising, building the playground, and visiting the prison.

Oh, and in case your wondering, the copy in the picture translates to "Love that changes". Tutto bom!

DISCLAIMER: MTV Real World is not involved in this. The logo was used as a parody. sank you!

My Secret Crush

It's true. As much as I hate to admit it I have a crush on a 17 year old. Since his debut two years ago, I kept telling myself that I was just watching him on Ellen and listening to his music to see if he would succeed. Then, for my birthday this year, when I decided to do a Flash Mob to his hit "Somebody to Love" I rationalized it saying that I wanted people to laugh at the ridiculous song choice. It wasn't until earlier this week when I stopped denying my true feelings. It hit me like a ton of bricks when I found myself listening to his new Christmas CD!!! I normally NEVER listen to Christmas music or participate in anything having to do with Christmas until after Thanksgiving at the earliest.

But oh no, I just can't stop listening to MISLETOE. Best part of the song "I should be playing in the winter snow, but Imma be under the misletoe...with YOUUUUU , shawty with YOU with YOUUUUU, shawty with YOU".

Justin thinks I'm short???? (SIGH). He's amazing. It's no wonder he finally exceeded Lady Gaga in popularity, racking up over 2 billion YouTube hits. Oh and if you think I'm crazy for liking a 17 year old, and incorrectly try and label me as a Cougar or Puma (I'm not that old), just know that someone paid Ellen DeGeneres $40,000 to buy a lock of Justin's hair... just sayin.

Anyways, I think its safe to say that most girls will be really excited if they get Justin Bieber's CD for Christmas...But what about little boys? I don't think they will like Bieber even though this CD showcases his new manly/deep baritone voice. Personally, I think a great present for both boys and girls would be a new PLAYGROUND! Think about it. A playground would help kids stay active/healthy year round, and provide an endless source of fun/freedom!

In fact, I have the opportunity to travel with my church's Global Impact ministry to Assis, Brazil and build a NEW PLAYGROUND for kids this Christmas! Here are some details about the kids and how we will make this happen!

The Kids: The children of Assis are often affected by poverty, alcohol, drugs, and violence at young ages.

Gifts for Kids: We will be building a playground for the children of the community as well sharing the love of Christ with them in a Vacation Bible School setting, all culminating in a Christmas party for the kids! This playground will be a tangible gift that we leave behind for the Brazilian kids who have nothing but run-down homes and fields to play in.

Our Partner: Open Arms Brazil will be helping us build the playground. Their mission is to help shape a God-honoring, bright future for the children; a future that allows each child to overcome his present circumstances and be able to give back to his community while serving God. Open Arms Brazil is a not-for-profit, Christian organization dedicated to the physical, emotional, moral, academic and spiritual enrichment of children who live in under-served and forgotten neighborhoods of Brazil, neighborhoods with a high risk of violence, prostitution, drug and alcohol addiction, and abuse.

Cash Money: I need to raise $2,900 (These contributions are tax deductible and will cover travel, lodging, construction materials and other related trip expenses).

Sounds cool right? Well I'd like to ask you to consider donating money to the trip so that we can provide a memorable Christmas for these boys and girls! If you would like to make a financial contribution to this team, you can Donate online [at www.frontlinedc.com/globaldonate] Click on ‘Donate Here’ and follow the instructions. You may be asked to log in with a username and password but you will not be added to any mailing lists or promotional materials. Select ‘GI –Brazil (FLTY)’ and type in my name when it asks for a team member. Please cc: chessy.soccoli@gmail.com so I can track my online donations. If you choose to make an anonymous donation to the team you do not have to type a team member’s name, just type ‘General - anonymous’. All contributions are tax deductible. If the team is successful in raising our financial goal, all excess funds will be applied to either the needs directly related to the ministry of this trip or to fund additional outreach efforts within Impact Ministries.

Thanks so much!

Best FBook Mobile Upload of 2011!

The above was in my news feed circa the evening of July 28 2011. Note: I have blotted out the names to maintain privacy and reduce my chances of getting defriended haha.

Anyways, I wanted to share this because in my opinion this is by far the BEST mobile upload of 2011 hands down. Typically, when people upload a mobile photo to the facebook it's to brag. " I'm in a helicopter in Hawaii"... "She said yes!"..."Homemade dinner of steak and taters"..."Front row Nats game”, etc . Other times, people upload a mobile photo to showcase a "FAIL" moment or complain about a circumstance. While these can all be somewhat entertaining, when have you seen someone unintentionally promote the gospel?!

I guess it's true when people say there is no such thing as bad publicity. I mean sure this person's intention was certainly not to share the gospel, but check out the next picture this person uploaded. The caption was " weird business card the refrigerator repair man left”


When I saw this, I remember having the following reactions

Rocks Cry Out = Facebook
GOD is sovereign ya’ll. He will find, make, and create a way for the gospel to be known. It is our responsibility as Christians to share the gospel with all nations (Matthew 28:19-20). However, if we as Christians can’t get over our fear of people and tell them about the most important thing in our life, He will have the rocks cry out! And in this case, Facebook cried out.

"When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:37-38)

Motives are Irrelevant
I am not sure what this person’s motive was for posting these photos…attention? venting? trying to be funny? boredom? ….but it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day God was able to take this event and turn it into good. The gospel was shared with potentially hundreds of friends that saw this in a news feed.

“It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. “ (Philipians 1:15-18)

Keep Planting Seeds
I would be willing to bet my life savings that when Darren left his "business card" for my fbook friend, he never expected 1.) that person to share the card with his/her fbook friends 2.) me to write a blog post about it. Folks, we never know where are efforts to share the gospel will go. Yes it stinks that often times, we never see any tangible results, but don't give up!!! The Lord is capable of doing more than we could ever ask or imagine. So keep on planting your seeds, and know that God will take care of the rest

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9)

Darren, if you are out there, thanks for being bold. You have way more courage than I do.

Invisalign Braces...Oh My Joy and Grievance!

I got my first set of Invisalign braces yesterday and can't help but feeling duped! Okay, so maybe it's my own fault for not doing my own research, but no one told me the true COST of Invisalign….not even my own friends that had Invisalign! All they told me was how much they liked how their teeth looked and how glad they were they did it. I mean yes, I am aware of the $3,000 price tag, but there are so many more costs (pain, sacrifice, etc) that no one told me about...They were so surprising that I even considered abandoning my original decision all together.

Has this ever happened to you before? For me, this was exactly what it was like the first time I went to church and met other Christians. I heard a lot of anecdotes about the joy and peace that came from being a disciple…but no one initially told me about some of the costs… No one told me about the pain, how people would laugh at me, and how I would have to change my lifestyle. Real quick, let’s see what I mean when I say there is a high cost with getting Invisalign and being a disciple.

1.) Lifestyle Change Required

Invisalign: During the 22 hours a day that I am required to have my trays in , the following are off limits: No snacking, no coffee/tea or anything other than cold water, no gum. Oh and there is a chance that for the REST OF YOUR LIFE, you will have to sleep with a retainer, FML.

Disciple: For the REST OF YOUR LIFE, Jesus is the only priority. We should love Him wholeheartedly even at the expense of losing friends, family, and community. He is more important than money or career success (Matthew 8:21-22, Matthew 16:24, Matthew 10:32-39) . Don't get drunk, instead fill yourself with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) Don't look out for #1, but instead consider others better than yourselves (Philippians 2:3). Don't have sex outside of marriage (Hebrews 13:4 1 Corinthians 7:2)….etc.

2.) People Will Make Fun of You

Invisalign: = LSIP... oopth!!!! sthorrrry....thith hath really been a thlippery thlope! I can't help that I am thspesthal and prethith!

Disciple: "Haha, seriously you haven't seen your boyfriend naked yet?" "Christianity is just a crutch for weak people" "She's just a Jesus freak"

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.“ John 15:18-22

3.) There Will Be Pain

Invisalign: I guess I never actually thought about how exactly the trays would move my teeth. Last night my boyfriend made me a wonderful dinner for our anniversary, but my teeth could only handle eating the mashed potatoes. Most of my teeth felt sore and taking bites or chewing only made matters worse. Allegedly this will only happen the first few days when you start on a new set of trays.

Disciple: Unlike the false doctrine being preached via televangelists, the gospel NO WHERE promises health, prosperity and wealth, but it does promise suffering :/

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." 1 Peter 4:12-15.

Final Thoughts
So what to do now? I have a choice in both instances. I could stop Invisalign treatment all together and try and get my money back, or I could stop following Christ and go back to being self-sufficient, but neither is appealing when I think of the PRIZES at the end of this. In 10 months, my smile is going to be gorgeous and my teeth will be straight. What's more, according to Invisalign Smile Survey, I will be more attractive, more likely to get selected for a job/promotion, and more likely to be offered to try a bite of a friend’s sandwich or ice cream cone! Whenever my teeth hurt, I just close my eyes and imagine myself with a perfect smile and it makes everything more bearable. The same is true only to a much greater extent with being a disciple. When I die, I will be in paradise with the Creator of the world, the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, and with Jesus who loves me unconditionally! I will be in a place, where there will be no more pain, suffering, or tears. Did I mention I will be like this for the REST OF ETERNITY??? Being a disciple is like running a race for all of my life. By keeping my eyes on Jesus/the prize, I am able to persevere through times when I want to quit. I’ll leave you with this verse that reinstates this very idea:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3

P.S. I want to clarify, that it’s not the changes in lifestyle or other works, that give me eternal life. I have been saved because of faith and God’s mercy/Grace (Titus 3:5, Ephesians 2:8-9). Sthank tsou!

A Bad Eugoogolizer

Derek Zoolander: Or are you here to tell me what a bad eugoogoolizer I am?

Matilda: A what?

Derek Zoolander: A eugoogoolizer... one who speaks at funerals.

[Matilda looks at Derek confused]

Derek Zoolander: Or did you think I was too stupid to know what a eugoogooly was?


Apparently Derelick is not the only person who feels that he is a bad eugoogoolizer....veterans in Texas are also questioning their skill set. Recently, the Department of Veteran Affairs has been censoring all funeral prayers, insisting that the use of the words "Jesus" or "God" are strictly prohibited at Houston National Cemetery (read here). I think we can all agree that this is a blatant violation of our First Amendment right to freedom of speech. However, what is far more interesting to me is the question "Is there a right or wrong way to pray" ?

As a kid, I always seemed to think that prayer was a fixed script that you would chant multiple times a day because the church said "I told you so". There was no emotion or relationship associated with it. It was simply something I did out of requirement, guilt, and fear of horrible consequences if I didn't. My prayer would start with the typical "Our father who art in heaven" and end with "Hail Mary full of grace..." . When I got older (age 10), I would try and slip in my own verse and rationalized it's acceptance by vowing to always make it the same every time " God bless mom, dad, chessy , brother, don't let anything bad happen to us let everything good happen to us, let us all stay in good physical and mental health. Amen".

My perspective on prayer didn't change until fall 2006, when I heard a sermon about prayer on a church retreat. The pastor started off by clarifying that as Christians, we have a direct relationship with God. We don't need to go through a priest, or a virgin (Mary) to talk to him because that's the whole point of Jesus! Jesus paves the way for us to speak directly to God. The pastor then told us to imagine God as a best friend who is available 24-7 for us to talk to. My main take away was that prayer was meant to be conversational and personal. The pastor wrapped up by giving us the A.C.T.S model for prayer as a loose guideline to help structure our prayers.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT-
"Because Thy loving kindness is better than life, My lips will praise Thee." Psalms 63:3

This is a time to recognize the Lord for who He is. If you are looking for a starting place, the scripture offers multiple names for God

• El Shaddai:“God Almighty.” (Gen. 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; Ex. 6:1; Ps. 91:1, 2).
• El Elyon: “The Most High God.” (Gen. 14:19; Ps. 9:2; Dan. 7:18, 22, 25).
• El Roi: “The God Who Sees.” (Gen. 16:13).
• Yahweh Jireh (Yireh): “The Lord will provide.” (Gen. 22:14).
• Yahweh Nissi:“The Lord is my Banner.” Stresses that God is our rallying point and our means of victory; the one who fights for His people (Ex. 17:15).
• Yahweh Shalom:“The Lord is Peace.” (Jud. 6:24).
• Yahweh Ro’i: “The Lord my Shepherd.” (Ps. 23:1).
• Yahweh Tsidkenu: “The Lord our Righteousness.” (Jer. 23:6).
• Yahweh Shammah: “The Lord is there.” (Ezek. 48:35).

CONFESSION
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:8-9

We aren't perfect and the Lord knows that. This is a time to demonstrate great humility and come to the Lord and confess the ways in which we have displeased God...whether it's an issue of idolizing work, not spending anytime reading our Bible, or gossiping about a co-worker behind his back, confess this to the Lord.

THANKSGIVING
"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thess. 5:18

I always think of this as a time of praise. I think, what's going well in my life right now? Maybe I'm grateful a friend got a job offer, or I'm thankful that I was able to spend a day relaxing at the pool. Sometimes, it can seem nearly impossible to think of something to be thankful for because all of our circumstances at present are MISERABLE. During these times, I often either look to the past and thank God for awesome things He has done in my life or I will revert back to Acknowledgment and just praise the Lord for who He is.

SUPPLICATION
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Phillippians 4:6

Admittedly, sometimes I just skip right to this step and present a laundry list of my demands as if God was a genie in a bottle. Regardless, this is a time to present prayer requests for the world, for others, and for ourselves. God wants us to express to him the desires of our heart.

So what do you think? Is there a right or wrong way to pray? How do you pray, if at all?

I Survived the End of The World 2011

What were you doing at 6:00pm this past Saturday May 21, 2011? I was with two of my close girlfriends at Johnny Rockets. We had heard about Harold Camping's prediction that the world was going to end, and so we decided to delight in some of life's simple pleasures one last time. They got strawberry shakes while I nibbled on sliders and enjoyed an ice cold Root Beer. We also made sure to contact our boyfriends via text to say our goodbyes, "heart you. see you in heaven!". We were clearly JOKING, at least in part. Are we confident we are going to heaven? Yes. Did we really believe the world was going to end while we were at Johnny Rockets? No. And here's why.

Not only has this man WRONGLY predicted that judgment day would occur May 21, 1988, September 7, 1994, and May 21, 2011, but also the Bible very plainly states that it is impossible for anyone to know when Jesus will come back for a second time.

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Matthew 24: 36-44

So even if we can't predict the very moment when Jesus comes back, are there at least signs that will signal that it's getting closer to that time? YES. There are 3 signs that come to mind. Note: this is not an exhaustive list, I am sure there are tons more in the Bible and even signs to come that we will not recognize or know.

Sign #1 Dramatic increase in natural disasters, famine, & warfare
The disciples asked Jesus for a sign to know when Jesus would come back at the end of the age. Jesus answered, saying: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains." Matthew 24:4-8

Sign #2 Rebuilding of Jewish temple in Jerusalem
The Bible states that the end of times will occur in a temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, 2 Thessalonians 2:4). Note the original temple of the Lord was built in 966 BC by King Solomon and destroyed in 586 BC by Nebuchadnezzar. The temple was rebuilt in 520BC by Zerubbabel but later destroyed in 70AD by the Roman empire. The temple has not been rebuilt in Jerusalem since it's destruction in 70AD and would thus need to be rebuilt for the end time events listed in the scriptures to take place.

Sign #3: Use of one-world currency
When the Antichrist comes it is believed that he will establish his world government and have control over all commerce. Some suggest that this could be revealed in the form of enacting a one-world currency. "The beast also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name" Revelation 13:16-17

It is very clear that at least two if not all three of these signs have yet to happen. Some might think sign #1 is already underway with the recent surge in tsunamis, earthquakes, floods and tornadoes. However, I don't think we've seen all that is to come.

So do you see how foolish it was for Harold to attempt to predict the end of the world? What's perhaps more troubling, is this guy won't even admit defeat. Since his failed prediction, Harold Camping has once again revised his statement claiming that the rapture happened "spiritually" on May 21, 2011 and insisted that the true judgement day would be on October 20, 2011. I will be the first to admit, when I heard the terms rapture, judgement and second coming, the details were a little fuzzy. I went ahead and compiled a summary of events that will happen during the end of times. Note, no one is certain of the timing, execution, or order in which these events will happen.



In conclusion, I think Harold should stop using FUZZY math to predict the end of times and instead focus on more important things like oh I don't know loving God, loving people, and sharing the gospel. Oh, and I also pray that trucker hats don't come back in style. Thank you and good night.

Osama bin Laden's Dead- Do We Need a Photo?

Nearly 10 years after the 9-11 attacks on the US, Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind this horrendous terrorist attack, is DEAD. Navy Seals were responsible for this incredible feat, and Americans wasted no time celebrating…only minutes after Obama’s announcement, citizens were found outside the White House celebrating while others chose to virtually celebrate, posting Facebook status messages such as “Ding-dong the witch is dead” , “Bin Laden is dead….SUCKA” and perhaps my favorite “ F-Yea America!” . Since the release of this “good” news, Americans have been debating whether or not the government should release photographs of bin Laden’s dead body. Today, however, President Obama affirmatively decided to NOT release the photos, stating that people who don’t believe Osama is dead wouldn’t be convinced by gruesome photos either, and besides there is no need to gloat over this victory.

At this point, unless Osama’s body shows up on national television with him holding a Wall Street Journal and rebuking America for their hasty conclusions, I think it’s safe to say he’s a goner. For once, I tend to agree with Obama. There comes a point when you just have to except that there will always be skeptics who refuse to believe the truth and there is no level of evidence that will ever satisfy them. Heck this was even the case 2,000 years ago when Jesus resurrected from the dead. This time, we didn’t have the president of the U.S. telling us the news, we had GOD telling us the "good news" via the Bible.

Unless Jesus’s dead body was discovered, no one could say with any level of certainty that the resurrection didn’t happen. Because of this, skeptics instead suggest that Jesus’s body was not found because His disciples stole and hid the body. Now to me, this is perhaps more ridiculous than the theory that Osama bin Laden isn’t in fact dead. Why might you ask? Whelp, several reasons. First, and perhaps most important, it’s highly likely that the disciples were completely confused and had no idea that Jesus was going to rise from the dead three days later. I mean sure, Jesus told them at least THREE times that he would die and then resurrect, but based on their reactions , it seems like they never really understood what was going on. Let’s take a peak at their reactions below:




Based on their reactions, do YOU think the disciples had a full understanding of what was going to happen to Jesus? Clearly they didn’t! Take for instance the third time Jesus is like 'um hey guys just wanted to let you know I have to suffer greatly and die', the disciples decide to change the subject and ask who will have what royal positions when Jesus enters His earthly kingdom… really??? If the disciples really knew what was going on they would be filled with sorrow and weeping, but alas they had misconstrued Jesus, his teachings, and Old Testament prophecy; they believed that Jesus was going to be a military leader/ king who would reign over the nations and they wanted to position themselves so that they would receive a sweet position when this all came to fruition.

So yea, given that the disciples were clueless, the chance that the disciples on Saturday were like “hey man whatchu got going on, ahh nothing bro, sweet well uh you wanna go try and steal Jesus out of the tomb to keep this whole hoax going on, count me in bro.” is close to ZERO. Also keep in mind many years later each one of the disciples died TERRIBLE deaths because of their passion for Christianity… it’s one thing to be willing to die for what you believe in, but to be willing to be beaten, whipped, and become a martyr for something you KNOW to be an absolute lie is very unlikely.

What’s more, there was an entire GUARD of Roman soldiers guarding the tomb, and there is no way a couple of fisherman and tax collectors could overpower them. I think Stan Campbell explained it best in his book Jesus The Empty Tomb: Inside the Mysteries of the Bible: New Perspectives on Ancient Truths:

“Could Christ's followers have taken the body? It would have been difficult. Roman soldiers found guilty of leaving their posts were generally put to death. And it was common knowledge that the penalty for breaking a Roman seal was execution. Disciples bent on body-snatching would have first have had to overpower the battle-tested Roman soldiers, then break the Roman seal. Yet even if they succeeded they would face a final challenge: moving aside the two-ton stone door that covered the entrance to the rock tomb." (pg. 64)

So what do YOU think? What kind of proof do you require to believe that Osama is in fact dead and Jesus did in fact rise from the dead?