Arise

A friend asked me the other day about my take on John 11 in the Bible where Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. "Uhm, err, well, I think it means God can do whatever he wants anywhere, anytime."

Rethinking.

Verses 21-23:
Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. (But) even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise."

Goosebumps. My heart and mind were suddenly bolused with fresh blood, new life, a sense of purpose, and all the good stuff. "It is all about hope, new strength, more courage, a promise of rising out of our graves and claiming our lives. GOD WANTS US TO COME OUT OF THE GRAVE AND LIVE!"

What kind of a rut are u stuck in? Is your life dry, stinky, decaying, boring, dull, depressing, DEAD? Do you feel weak, demotivated, unsure, not having any sense of hope or purpose? You don't need to stay there anymore. God tells you to come out and live. Get out of your abusive relationships, destructive behaviors, addictions, mediocrity, depression, sickness, defeat, mourning, unemployment, or whatever it is that is weighing you down and keeping you dead while you are still alive.

Get up! Claim the life God wants to give you. Walk on the path He has set before you. He will go with you till the very end.

Verses 39-44:
Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the dead man's sister, said to him, "Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days."
Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?"
So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me."
And when he had said this, he cried out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"
The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, "Untie him and let him go."

I will move to California in October.

See

My eyes are closed. I see nothing but darkness. Sometimes I see faces, places, things to have and do, who I really am and could beome. I marvel at the thought of living out my dreams, pursuing my goals, and finally being able to say this is who I am, and this is what I love doing most. But still my eyes are closed.

A challenge is set before me. My eyelids are shaking, my eyeballs going mad ready to pop out any time now. I have to make a decision, to stop dreaming about my life and finally see it in high definition, a hundred megapixels, and to believe what I will see. It's time to go and claim my life. I cannot fool myself anymore.

Pack your bags. Gather courage and faith. Bring along some love and compassion. Communicate. Trust God implicitly. After all, IT IS NOT ALL UP TO US. What is up to us is if we will TRUST our Maker to take us where we need to be, and mould us into who we really are.

You don't have to be afraid anymore.

Places and Faces III

My friend Ace was moving to San Francisco from Michigan, so Rey and I decided to join him and drove for four long days!!! It was exhausting but fun, expensive (I got a $180 speeding ticket) but worth it, and yadayadayada. I made a video/slide show of the trip, and I hope you enjoy it. Road trips are fun especially when you do it with friends or family, and if there are more than 2 drivers (Rey please learn how to drive soon!).

Ace, good luck to you in San Francisco. You will be all right. All ways.

:)

Watch the video here: