Broken down car

Have you ever wondered why school is such a long process?
I mean, I am 20 years old and have two years left of school. My whole life has revolved around one thing. School.
School is such a buzzkill. Although I am in my fifteenth year of school, these upcoming two years seem like they are going to take forever to be done with.
I want to be done.

It is almost like I have been sitting on the side of the road with a broken down car this entire time. Although it only takes a couple hours to get towed... it seems like eternity. So, here I am sitting on the ground with my back leaning against my car. waiting.

But, what am I waiting for?

I want to get out of school so I can do things that I cant do while in school. Yet, when I get out of school there are things I want to do that are going to prevent me from doing the things that I want to do when I get out of school. Make sense?

All I am trying to say is that I am standing at the crossroads of several paths. Knowing that when I start walking down one of those paths, its going to be close to impossible to walk another one of those paths. Maybe I could walk to the end of one of the paths and start another one...? That would be nice.

I do know one thing. I am going to choose. I am going to choose a path and when I do, I am going to stick to it. The curse of our generation is standing at the crossroads wondering what each path is like. Then if lucky when we choose a path, and it becomes mundane so to speak, we turn around and head back to the infamous crossroads that we know all too well.

In the Old Testament in the book of Jeremiah, Jeremiah says, " stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it..." (6:16)

Notice two things.
1. He says "ask". Meaning pray. And pray dangerously. One thing I have been noticing about when the disciples prayed in the New testament is that they never beat around the bush. They prayed with authority, knowing God was with them. Read the book of Acts, and you will know what I am talkin about.

2. He says "walk in it." Walking requires movement, just in case you did not know that. He never says, "stand at the crossroads and stare, and wonder"

Getting back to the broken down car... Maybe instead of waiting for the tow truck, I should stand up and start walking. Maybe the fix to my "car" is my walking instead of wondering.

I dont want to be known as the guy with huge dreams. I want to be a man known by action.

Soldier

So this afternoon I was watching a pretty rad movie. We Were Soldiers. It is definitely worth seeing if you have not. There is a part in it that leveled me. I have seen the movie 5-6 times and have never noticed this scene, because it is very quick.

In the movie there is a guy that asks to go to the battle. He is a photographer and he wanted to take some pictures. Now he gets in the middle of the battle and realizes that that was a crazy idea. He is in the middle of a big firefight and an explosion goes off and puts him on the ground. Then a lieutenant comes up to him, grabs him and throws him to safety. He grabs a rifle off a dead soldier throws it in his lap then throws a couple rounds of ammo at him. The guys replies, " Sir! I am not a combatant!"

To which the Lieutenant replies, " There is no such thing today."

I heard that and I was leveled by what the lieutenant replies to the photographer turned soldier. You see, from there on out the guy was a soldier. He entered a civilian and left a soldier. He entered fearing battle, he left fighting.

Yes, he still took pictures, yet during the battle his occupation so to speak was soldier.

Then I began to wonder... Where am I taking pictures when God has called me to fight.

You see as a photographer you watch everything pass by. As a soldier you are immersed into the heat of the battle, it progresses as a result of your actions.

Matthew 11 talks about how the Kingdom of God is forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it.

How is the Kingdom supposed to advance if we are a bunch of photographers...?

Its not.

I think when this was written, I think God is saying, " There is no such thing as a non combatant in the Kingdom of God."

You see to be in the Kingdom we have to be soldiers, there is no room for people who just want to take pictures as cool stuff happens.

So,

You a photographer?
or... Soldier?

Little Boy

I was at work the other day and I saw something that reminded me of when I was a kid.
A dad and his two kids.
The Dad said he only gets to see them every other weekend.
The little boy, 11
The little girl, 5
At least I think
Still too young to understand, they were happy
Who wouldn’t be?
The Dad had given them each thirty dollars to spend
I wonder if the Dad was trying to buy their love…
It may work when they’re young
It gets old at 16
I wish I could tell the kids
That divorce is not normal
I wish I could tell them
At times they may make it seem like it is their fault,
Yet the weak will blame the strong.
The weak will blame the young and innocent.
I wish I could tell that little boy
That a family sticks together
It doesn’t divide in two.
I wish I could tell that little girl
That she is beautiful
And always will be
I wish I could tell them to not let their parent’s failures
Set them up for failure
Yet, success.
Maybe I am wrong
Maybe their family works best when divided
But what works best out of its original intent?
What works best when operated the complete opposite of the original design?
So little boy
Little girl
Be strong

Our Generation

We want to change the world.
Not because everyone wants to.
But because it must be done.

We want to change the world.
Not because it’s the cool thing to say.
But because innocent people die everyday.

We want to change the world.
Not for the sake of heroism.
But for the sake of others.

We will stand up when everyone is sitting.
We will continue when people stop.
We will lead where others will not.

We are young.
We are ambitious.
We are no longer country club kids.
We are no longer confined to a typical 9-5 job.
We are no longer held captive by materialism.
We are a powerful generation.

We are willing to be poor.
So others may be rich.
We are willing to die.
So others may live.
We are willing to go.
So others may continue after.

We will start what no one else dares.
This is no longer a dream.
This is no longer a distant fantasy.
This is here.
This is now.
This is it.
A revolution.
Waiting
Not for one.
Not for two.
Not for 100.
But for a generation.

OUR generation.