days off...

i've had the past two days off...its been great...we've been working so much lately, that a couple days off are super needed...this is how i spent my day off today...at the beach with my dog and a good book...actually a couple good books...a cold frapuccino and my ipod...does it get any better...(i can think of a few ways, but let's not go there)

tonight is cleaning, getting caught up on credit card stuff for work, doing some research for thursday's service day in huntington beach, then early bed...it's weird how doing nothing can make me tired...haha...

till later...

myspace and facebook...

i''ve had a myspace for a long time that the students in my previous ministry set up for me...i never used it though...so tonight i updated it and plan to stay in touch a little better with people...check it out...dannysells25...

also, check out my new facebook (and brandon, add me soon)...

now im going to bed...its late...im tired...i think this is why i dont do all this "social networking" stuff...geez...

till later...

too much...

i was just updating my website section...i added some of the sites that i frequent just to stay up to date on the latest in the areas of justice,orphans, and the vulnerable...as i was looking through some of them, i just started thinking about how god must feel about the state of our world...

i started thinking about paul's words in philippians 2...he reminds us of how we are to treat others...its all wrapped up in humility, service, and love...but the best part of this passage is found in verses 10 & 11...

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.  (Philippians 2)

for me, its a reminder that even in the disgusting, depressing, evil world we live in, there is going to come a day when everyone...everyone...will confess christ as lord...every person who traffics children...every person who hates those that are suffereing with AIDS...every rich american who refuses to be generous to those who are in poverty...everyone who calls themselves Christian...and everyone who doesn't...everyone will know...

and on that day the poor, the sick, and the suffering will all experience love...and our world wont be so disgusting, depressing, and evil anymore...

just a thought...till later...

new sidebar stuff...

check out the new sidebar stuff...couple good books and some new music i would recommend...if you've read any of them, let me know...i'm also always open to music suggestions...i have a gift certificate i've been waiting to use on some new stuff...any suggestions?...

till later...

not much to say...

i talked to brandon today, and he scolded me for not writing on here for awhile...haha...it's true, i haven't written in a long time...it's not that i haven't had a lot going on...even some exciting stuff...i've even sat down about three times to blog, and nothing comes out...i think maybe its just some writers block or something, because i feel like i should have plenty to say...it's just not happening though...

if i had to write something tonight it would be a story from the pdym student leadership conference...isn't it weird how, at almost 33 years old, you can still be challenged by a teenager?...and not just challenged with leadership or patience or something else like that...i mean, challenged to be more of the person you know you were created to be...it happened to me this past week...

bethany hamilton, an 18y.o. professional surfer who had her arm bitten off by a shark, shared her testimony...she was preceded by a movie called "walk on water" about her life...it was great...but the thing that challenged me the most were the first words she said when she came out on stage...she said, "i wouldn't take my arm back if i had the chance."...wow...really? she is an 18 year old girl in the spotlight in an industry that values beauty and appearance...and she wouldn't take her arm back even if she had the chance...she said it has given her so many opportunities to share her faith that she wouldn't trade it for the world...

it made me think of paul...he says "for me, to die is gain"...bethany is living this out...

i don't think i do...

i was challenged...i wanna be more like that...i want to hold onto nothing in this world so tightly that i would miss the opportunities that god puts in front of me to love others into his kingdom...even my own life...i wanna be ready to let it go...the only thing holding me back, it seems, is me...

hmmm...just another wondering of a wannabe...

till later...

save the planet...

a few weeks ago we started a new series in HSM on the weekends...it's called Save The Planet...it's a three week series that covers God as Creator, our responsibility/privilege to take care of creation, and Christ's reconciliation of all creation...it's been an interesting series...some of the students i've talked with haven't really gotten it...they ask things like "why are we talking about recycling bottles and cans in HSM"...a staff member in another department joked with me this week that he thought our "Save The Planet" theme and series was lame...of course there have been some students and staff that have loved it and get it...

i'm not really a tree hugger/recycler freak...i've always kind of wanted to be...i mean, i do some little things...i have CF bulbs thoughout my home...i recycle my bottles and cans...i buy recycled products as much as i can...i use cloth shopping bags at the grocery store...i limit my gas usage as much as i can (mostly because of cost though)...but i still feel like a wannabe with this whole environmental thing...

i was just sitting here in It's A Grind getting some work done and i noticed a display for One Harvest Coffees...it's a fair trade, organic coffee brand that they sell here...i like that idea too...it all got me thinking...

what would it really be like if we treated the environment like we should...what would it be like if our world only bought fair trade stuff...what would it be like if all of us were just a little more tree-hugging?...

i guess i just found myself wondering if God would be any more glorified...here's the thing...i get it...our environment is going to crap...we're consumers to the point that it is sickening...we buy products that, if we really knew the cost of those on the people making them in third world countries, we wouldnt buy them...it's all bad news...but so many people are "going green" and it doesn't seem to me that God is really a part of that picture yet...glorifying God should be our reason to go green...Glorifying God should be our reason to buy organic, free trade coffee...glorifying God should be our reason to consume less...it should really all be about God...

so for me, i wanna be a God-hugger, not a tree hugger...not a fair trade freak, but a Jesus freak...not someone who saves the environment by recycling, but someone who saves souls by telling them about Christ...I wanna Save The Planet by glorifying God...and that means I'll recycle more, buy fair trade, and consume less...all for the glory of God...

what a jumbled mess of thinking...haha...till later...

(ps- i've written this post three times, and i'm still not sure i am really communicating all that is floating around in my head about this...haha...when i re-read it, it just seems so "duh"...there really is something brilliant waiting to come out of my head...haha...maybe more later on this one)

10 things...

5 things that I am loving right now...
1. the new coffee shop at the Refinery...good Rwanda coffee...not church coffee...coffee with a cause
2. hsm service days...so fun in laguna last week...a bunch of students signed up for next week's day in san clemente
3. my boss, josh griffin...haha...raises come out next week...just thought i would grease the wheels a little!...haha
4. the beach...i dont wanna sound like a dork, but it just calms me...and i need a lot of calming lately...good stuff
5. the random competitions at the main event (our midweek fun night in the Refinery)...last week was lego competitions...this week...water bar taste test competition...haha

5 things that are driving me nuts right now...
1. shoes...freakin shoes...i've given away over 10,000 pairs already and i still have about 30,000 pairs to go...freakin shoes
2. cost of gas...seriously...its killin me...(did i mention raise time is coming up soon? haha)
3. not being home for holidays...the 4th of july is the weakest of all holiday celebrations in my family, but i would still loved to have been there for it
4. lack of consistency in my spiritual life...i'm in a great spot lately...really connected to god and feeling like he is leading...but in those times i realize how many times i am not there...thats frustrating...i wanna be more consistent (i feel like i've been saying that for 10 years, and i wonder if i will say that the rest of my life)
5. refinery t-shirts...seriously, i said if they were gonna make me look like i have cleavage i wanted a larger size!...they're so freakin small (ok, maybe its not ALL the t-shirts fault, but it at least shares the blame)