Video message from Josh

I know it's been a while. That's my fault.

I wanted to do something special to make up for the time I've missed.

Remember my buddy Josh from the previous post? Of course you do.

I recorded his testimony to show at Epicenter and he said I could put it on my blog.

It's too big for Blogger to handle, so you'll have to jump to Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2irdFb_YFA

A Pittsburgh-like Passion

I know. It's crazy, but true. I'm actually posting twice this week. Yesterday was more of a comical tirade on something I had noticed and I actually got many positive reviews on the post...even from the female gender. Just goes to show that I will never fully understand the female mind :)

Today's post, on the other hand, will be much more serious. If you follow me on twitter (twitter.com/crawdaddy87), you may have noticed over the past few days that I have spent a lot of time talking with a good friend of mine who, sadly, I had been out of contact with for a while. His story is so encouraging to me. We talked for about an hour and a half last night just about everything that God was doing in our lives and where He was leading us. I can't help but catch my friend's passion. Today, I'm going to introduce you to my boy Josh. I'm going to leave his last name out just to respect his privacy (you'll see why later) but I had to share how much his friendship means to me.

Josh grew up in the hood. On the streets. He had a family, but not the traditional family that most of us enjoy. His family was the guys he rolled with day in and day out on the streets of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Josh's dad, brother and sister were and still are deeply involved in the drug scene. Josh grew up in a broken home and lived a life of survival and violence.

The one bright spot in Josh's life was baseball. Josh was an outstanding pitcher whose dream was to reach the big leagues. Then Josh's career took a turn for the worse. He basically threw out his shoulder and had to have surgery. Over the next few months, because of his injury, he lost his scholarship and couldn't play baseball at the school anymore. Unknown to him at the time, this was the beginning of the "turning point" in his life. Josh started looking for any school that would offer a kid recovering from arm surgery a baseball scholarship.

Enter Liberty University.

I remember meeting Josh the first night of my sophmore year (Fall '06). Josh had no idea what he was getting into at LU. He had no idea that it was a Christian school with rules. He showed up to play ball. Needless to say, I can remember Josh standing against the back wall of our first Hall Meeting at Liberty. My good friend Preston was going over the Liberty Way and some things to expect throughout the year, and Josh, with a baseball cap pulled down over his face, was cussing and cutting up in the back. He didn't care. That night after our meeting, I met with Preston and we decided that Josh was going to be our mission field for the year. We knew that God brought him to LU for a reason and that God put him on our dorm for a reason. We knew it was going to be a battle, but our hearts broke for Josh.

We took Josh out to eat. We made sure we talked to him everyday. We invited him to church. We found out that he loved playing NCAA football on the PS2. So the three of us started a dynasty together. We would spend hours on the PS2 just hanging out, talking and ministering to Josh. Josh, once he realized that we were genuinely caring for him, started going to church with us. Josh started asking questions. Then halfway through the first semester, it happened. I clearly remember coming back to the dorm after a day of classes and Josh just walked out of Preston's room. He had a big smile on his face and he said "I did it bro. I just got saved." I went nuts. God blew my mind.

From that point on, Josh was always the first one ready for church. He was now vocal in small groups. He had a desire to study his Bible and learn. HE HAD PASSION. Josh was only at Liberty for that one year. He moved back to Pittsburgh. This week as I've been talking with Josh, I couldn't help but praise God for that one year. All it took was a few months of some guys loving on him and sharing Jesus with him, and his life changed completely.

Josh and I had kept in touch through facebook throughout the years. I would pray for him anytime that I thought about him. I honestly haven't seen Josh since he left Liberty after that year. Since that time Josh has gotten a full-time job in Pittsburgh. He started dating a girl. They got engaged. From the outside looking in, his life was going great.

Josh and I have talked the past 3 days in a row. I've asked Josh what his life has been like since he got saved, and left Liberty. Here's the general rundown (while still maintaining his privacy): his family hated him for getting saved, he got kicked out of his house, he was threatened because of his faith, he's basically been persecuted for his faith. His dad is dying from cancer. He broke things off with his fiance. He's ridiculed at work for his beliefs.

I told him, "Josh, it sounds like you have had your fair share of storms." His response? "Dude. God's got a plan. Yeah things look dark but it's nothing that God won't bring me through. He's in control."

PASSION. FAITH. SURRENDER. These words describe my good friend.

You know what Josh wants more than anything in the world? His family and friends to come to Christ. Ever since he got saved, Josh has been the most outspoken guy I know concerning Jesus. He's constantly sharing Christ with his family. He wants to see his dad get saved. He wants to see his brother and sister turn their lives around and find new life in Christ. He wants his fiance to go on a mission trip. He wants to reach his atheistic friend. He's know as "The Preacher" at his job. AND HE LOVES IT. AND HE LOVES JESUS. Those were his exact words to me last night: "Bro...I just love jesus!"

Wow. That's the passion we all need. I told Josh that he truly embodies Jesus' command in Matthew 5:14-16. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; not does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, ut on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is heaven."

Josh has challenged me. I told him this last night. Josh has been saved for less than 5 years yet he has more passion for Christ by himself than some churches have altogether. Josh is in a DARK city. There are no churches near where he lives. He doesn't have a fellowhsip of believers to gather with. All he has is his Bible and his relationship with his Savior. But he's a light. And he's not ashamed. I told him that when I get a full time job as a Youth Pastor next year, I'm bringing him in to speak to my students. I'm not kidding.

I want to be more like my boy Josh. I want to embody that level of passion. I want that Pittsburgh-like Passion. Sometimes, I just simply take it for granted. I think I have passion because I work at a church, I speak at FCA, or because I mentor students. Sadly, and honestly, my passion doesn't compare to Josh's.

But that's gonna change.

We all need people in our lives to challenge us. To motivate us. To encourage us. Josh has been a God-send to me. His friendship is invaluable. I'm blessed to know him and call him friend.

For some reason, I've been putting the lyrics to songs at the end of my posts recently. Today is no different. This song, sums it up:

Give Me Your Eyes
By: Brandon Heath

Look down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight

Touch down on the cold black top
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breathe in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos

All those people going nowhere
Why have I never cared

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the brokenhearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide whats underneath

There's a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He's out of work, he's buying time

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the brokenhearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

I've been here a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just move and pass me by
I swear that I never thought that I was wrong
I need a second glance
Give me a second chance
To see the way you've seen the people all along

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5AkNqLuVgY&ob=av2n)

The Less Than Manly Christian Store

What's this??
A post on THURSDAY???
Aaron are you feeling alright?

Have no fear. Everything is well. I just felt..."compelled" to write about a certain topic that I feel needs to be addressed today. It's a topic that has been haunting me for years even though I didn't recognize it until this week. It's something that I've actually avoided, subconsciously, for quite a while. This subject will most likely lose me some points with the ladies. This monstrosity? It's known as The Overly-Feminine, No-Man-Card-To-Be-Found store.
That's right. I'm talking about:

FAMILY CHRISTIAN BOOKSTORE.

Now. Before you get all upset and rush at me like a Florida Marlins 1st base coach over the fact that I just insulted the most popular Christian bookstore on the planet, hear me out.
I was talking with one of the students in our ministry this week and as we passed the store, we came to the conclusion that we just didn't feel like a man when we enter that store. If we need anything from there, we order online and hope nobody sees the package with the store logo sitting on our front step.
Guys, when was the last time you went into that store and came out feeling like a man? I mean, seriously. You can't help but walk into that store and feel multiple man cards being sucked away from you. AND IT'S A CHRISTIAN STORE!!

This store is full of Thomas Kinkade landscapes with random verses from Psalms scrolled out in gold ink, candles with "Bible-themed" scents, there are roughly 38 women's books to every 1 man-themed book, feminite bookmarks, cheesy thank you cards, feel-good verses on candy, and overpriced pictures of a calm and comforting Jesus, fuzzy-wuzzy lambs, or a calm and comforting Jesus holding a fuzzy-wuzzy lamb. Now, yes sometimes we need Jesus to be our Prince of Peace and our refuge in the tough times...

But where are the landscapes of bloody battlefields??? I want Thomas Kinkade to paint a epic portrayal of Gideon and his band of brothers slaughtering fools on the battlefield. I want a picture of Samson ripping a lion in half with his bare hands. I want a picture of Benaiah running an Egyptian through the gut with a spear! I want a picture of David chopping off Goliath's mug with Psalm 58:10 written below it. (For the record that verse says: "The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.") Where are these portrayals?? I'd drop dolla dolla bills like they were hot on a picture of the Battle of Armageddon!

Candles that smell like the "Lillies of the Field?" No thanks. I'll take some MAN-dles. I want candles that smell like a Hittite blacksmith shop. I want candles that smell like the Sea of Galilee. I want to enjoy a nice soak after a long day while reading some C.S. Lewis as the scents of "Israelite Campground" fill my nostrils.

Books? Come on. Depending on the store, the Men's section (like legitiamte books) is confined to one shelf. There are tons of books for men that I would like to see on the shelf. I want more books from guys like Cliff Graham (http://knowthecovering.blogspot.com/) and stuff from Jon Acuff (stuffchristianslike.net). Books that challenge men to stand up and be men. Especially for men who aren't in "full-time ministry." There are tons of books for pastors and church leaders. What about the other men??

Seriously? A bookmark with a lazy river and a peaceful verse on it? No thanks. Give me a book mark in the shape of sword or a battle axe or the jawbone of a donkey. I'd laminate that sucker.

Ok. Now obviously this is meant to be a more humouros take on this tragedy I see in the Christian book store. Ladies need their trinkets and such from this store. Obviously the ladies tend to decorate more of the house so I can see how they would want some more peaceful decorations. But men, it's time to stand up. You need to gear up your man-cave in the Biblical way! The ladies have over run that store! So grab your mammoth swords in the likeness of Eleazar, grow out your beards, gird up your loins and make a stand!!