Church?

Lately I've been thinking. A dangerous habit, I know, especially for me, but I like to live on the wild side. This thinking has led to everything from patentable inventions (patents are WAY too expensive) to thoughts about society to thoughts about church. Which is what this article is about.
I could say one heck of a lot in this article, but I'm going to try to get my point across without writing a novel. Because I am writing a novel. Separately; not related to this. And it will be awesome, just wait!

Anyhow, I've grown up in the church. Like, I had a house, but I grew up going to church. I guess that's a "churchism," "grown up in the church." As if there's a dormitory in the belltower. Strange childhood. ANYways...I've grown up around the notion, stated out loud, that church is God's people, gathered together, wherever they may be. But, beneath that stated principle has been the unstated concept that church is a building, and church must be all that church is today. Let's see if any of these sound familiar.
1. Church has a pastor.
2. Church has worship, which includes singing songs (Sometimes hymns, sometimes Chris Tomlin. One church I visited sang the Beatles. That was interesting.)
3. Church requires a 10% payment of your money, and you will be made to feel guilty if you don't pay up.
4. Church is mostly non participatory. Meaning, you sit and listen while other people talk and sing.
5. Church is boring. Alternatively, church is not boring, and there's an insane stage production or a tiger up on stage, but you really don't learn anything except that you can rent a tiger. (Did you know that? Crazy world!)
6. There's a raised stage, or a pulpit the pastor talks behind, or both.
7. Looks similar to this:

Now, these are just a few things. But look at them outside the lens of tradition. They range from no biblical reasoning for them whatsoever (#6) to questionable reasoning (#1, #3).

(Side note: I know some of you reading this will first respond by writing up a massively long response with how all these things are justified in the Bible. Don't waste your time. If you want to talk to me about it, talk to me. In person. No reason to start a flame war online.)

A lot of the basis for these things has been found in the book Pagan Christianity. Go ahead and read it if you like. I feel the conclusion may be a bit extreme, but many of the points are well taken. I don't think God intended the church to be a place where we never open our mouths or contribute at all. And I think the church today is far from what it used to be/should be. I've found that I'm not spiritually satisfied in "church" that we have today. Occasionally I'll learn something, but overall, I've found a different environment to be more stimulating to my spiritual development. Note that I said 'my.' If you LOVE church and walk away feeling 'fed' week after week and feel very close to God, then awesome! But I think God is leading me to something different.

Anyways, I could go on. But I think you get the jist. Now here's where I ask you something. Do you feel the same way? Do you want to start something new and passionate? Something from the ground up, as in line with the New Testament as possible? I'm praying that through this post, or however else God chooses to do it, that He'll send me at least one person with the same passion. Preferably near me so we can meet in person like once a week. So if God's "tugging on your heart," (I'm good at these churchisms!) hit me up! My greatest desire is to glorify (churchism!) God through this. So even if you don't, feel free to pray that God's will be done. Ok, that's it for now. Nate out, God in.

Things I'm Thankful For Limerick

Thanksgiving's an excellent day,
Which inspires such things I must say,
Expressed in a scheme,
That's not often seen,
But is just the most excellent way.

For so many things I am thankful;
Let's start with the winter and rainfall,
Although it'd be a bummer,
If I forgot summer,
At Huntington with sand to my ankles.

Although the weather's a-changin,
And my schedule has been rearrangin',
I'm thankful for Jesus,
All the ways that He frees us,
And his grace and mercy I take in.

And you bet I'm thankful for Disneyland,
For a job it's an occupation most grand!
You could call it profession,
Or maybe obsession,
But I'm glad life did not go as planned.

A huge Thanksgiving for friendships!
The kind of friends who accept dumb quips.
By myself it's frustration,
But with friends, motivation!
Without friends I could never get ripped.

Did I write a limerick on food yet?
Make sure I include it, you bet!
With flavors like bacon,
Or pie's pleasing sensation,
I know it's as good as life gets!

Now I'll say a couple things more:
Computers and musical scores.
Road trips, dancing, singing,
When my telephone's ringing,
And of course a carpeted floor.

Roller coasters, Nutella, and my bicycle Billy.
Family, hiking, and my car; her name's Gilly!
Taking baths in a bathtub,
The lack of a backrub.
And that visit to Disney World, really.

Now I'd like to go on and continue.
To name things and create a menu;
Of all things I love,
And thank God above,
But I don't want to sound better than you.

So I will just leave it at this,
To limerick too long is remiss.
Accept the occasion,
Join in celebration,
And now let's prepare for Christmas.

Lunch with Strangers

I have an idea. I want to meet people. I want to get to know people's stories. I want to take strangers to lunch and hear their stories, their ideas. Their perspective on life, their religious views, their passions: these are the things that make up a person. Too often I feel trapped in my own perspective, my own worldview. Maybe trapped is too strong a word. I feel content.

I've learned that content is a dangerous word. It can be an amazing thing, and Paul preaches contentment in the book of Philippians. This kind of contentment is something much of America needs more of, with our greedy consumeristic mindset. But that's neither here nor there. The kind of contentment I'm talking about is more of a settling. If I don't go above and beyond to improve myself in every area of my life, I settle into a period of stagnation. Take the gym for example. Am I happy with my body now? Sure. Perfectly happy. But do I want to get better? So much. And I'm going to work toward that goal. I want to do that in every area of my life.

So the idea is this. I want to have lunch with a stranger once a week (or whenever my schedule can manage). I'll cover the lunch, and we'll both cover a variety of topics. I'm thinking I'll go to a mall and use restaurants there, or maybe an area with a lot of people. I'll need a sign explaining what I'm up to. And I may blog about the people I talk to, if they're agreeable. I expect many surprises, a few exhilarating encounters, and a few commonplace. But I'll get to meet some of the faces of my community/nation/planet. I'll be exposed to different perspectives and different people.

But here's the thing. I need some support. I need ideas for my sign, so that I come off the right way and not as a creep. I need prayer, that I handle the lives of people totally different from me with respect. So I'm basically asking, is this a good idea? Bad idea? Somewhere in the middle? And mostly, should I do it?

A Purposeful Life

Please note before reading that this blog is not about a life full of porpoises, or a life full of proposals, although I hope to experience both of those things at some point. This is about a life of purpose. 

I go through life every day doing many things. Sometimes I think about them before, other times it's simply reflex. After reading my devotion this morning, I was thinking about how important it is to be purposeful and intentional. I thought about some of the things I'm excellent at being intentional about:

• Planning events with friends/professional meetings and following though on my plans
• Going to the gym consistently
• Having a morning quiet time spent with Jesus
• Eating healthy and making sure to get three meals a day

And I though about some of the things I have been less than intentional about:

• Consistently attending a church and becoming part of a family there
• Being clear with girls and letting them know whether I'm interested or not
• Catching up with old friends who I still love but haven't seen in years
• Starting a Bible Study

Of course, these are just examples. Those of you who know me can likely agree with this list. I need to work on the second half. And I'm trying to change. I have a church that I like. I have been once and plan to go more, and this is the last morning I'm going to skip church without a valid excuse. I'm going to start trying to communicate to girls what I'm interested in, whether that's being just friends or taking it further. Although, honestly, I need to work on the first half more...I want to catch up with old friends. Remember, if you're reading this and wondering if I even still know who you are, I do. Once friends, always friends. I love all my friends, and I pick things up wherever we left off, no matter how long it's been. And I've been trying to start a Bible Study, but I've decided I need to stop trying to gather the perfect group and just find one solid guy to have the study with.

Being purposeful can help in so many areas of life. And I have also come to believe that it's a part of maturity to live with purpose in everything you do. Kids (and sadly, teenagers and twenty-somethings) go through life too often doing just what 'feels good.' Ask anyone, and they'll tell you that's an ultimately empty way to live. I want to do great things, and to do great things, I must intend to do great things. So here's to being intentional. It's time to stop going with the flow, whether it's the flow of the world, or the flow of how my life has been. Time to step up. Anyone with me?

Girls: A Brief Trail Guide as to my Thoughts on the Mysterious Species

"Freaking girls, man!" I don't know how many times I've used that phrase in my life. I do know it's probably more than the phrase, "Yes, I'd love to do your dishes for you!" or even, "Where is that stupid phone?" Girls have been the cause of so much frustration, fun, and all kinds of emotions. I love girls. Some of them love me. There's been good times, there's been bad. All right, I think I have enough for an intro paragraph. Let's dive into the meat.

I grew up in a conservative Christian home. My parents never urged me to date. Heck, they still don't, and I'm 23! I'm not sure when they think I'll be old enough; I'm not sure I ever will be! :P But I know the philosophy on girls I was surrounded by growing up. Here's a few of the major tenets:

• Girls deserve respect.
• If a girl has any sort of curves, they should be fully covered up. Modesty is more important than fashion.
• One should only date a girl one intends to marry. Because there is clearly no other reason to be dating.
• Pornography and masturbation are terrible sins.
• You should save sex for marriage. And petting. Probably kissing too. And just to be safe, let's throw in hand-holding, because that's a pretty serious commitment. 

At the same time, I was surrounded by our culture and media, and their ever-present messages, like these:

• Girls should have the right to do whatever they want.
• Girls should wear the sexiest clothes possible in order to draw the most guys to them. 
• You should be free to date whoever you want. As much as you want. Have fun while you're young.
• Pornography and masturbation are as normal as eating and sleeping.
• Saving sex for marriage makes you a virgin. And if you're a virgin, there must be something wrong with you. You better not let that secret out at a party!

I don't know if you noticed, but those are polar opposites. And neither sounds all that great. The first option strips all the fun out of life. It turns anything sexual into a taboo, and suddenly marriage becomes not a way to spend your life with someone you love, but a way to skirt the rules and have sex. This option creates massive guilt in anyone who doesn't follow its rules.

But the second option is no better. It makes everything as pointless as a trip to Las Vegas with no money. Once you go all the way, you may as well do it again. And again. And somewhere along that road, it isn't special at all anymore. Marriage becomes a recipe for divorce, since we're always looking for someone better and don't know how to stick with one woman/man. 

Like many things in life, I believe this calls for a middle ground. And no, I don't think there's a clear cut line. The whole "shorts to your fingertips" rule for girls I was around in school? Ridiculous. Not only because to some that may still be scandalous and to others a bore, but because all it really does is make those same girls wear the shortest shorts they can find when the rules aren't enforced.

(Disclaimer: All my examples on clothing restrictions are based on girls, since the conservative community has absolutely no rules for guys. I was ok with that, but I always felt bad that the girls had all these silly rules. Sorry ladies!)

So where does one end up? Both sides end up looking very bleak if one is to take each by itself. I think everyone will make their own decisions on that. But I'm going to share the decisions I've come to. Not because I think you should make the same ones, but because I think it might help you to make your own. I think the worst thing you can do is to blindly follow those around you, whether they're telling you to keep six inches from the opposite sex or telling you to have sex every weekend. So without further ado, here's some of my standards:

• Women definitely deserve respect. From men, and also from themselves. I will open up doors for women and small motions like that solely as a sign of respect.
• I will wear whatever I want. I'm ok with girls wearing whatever they want. But there is a balance. As a guy, I definitely enjoy it when girls are a little less than fully dressed. I may stare at a girl when she's dressing for attention. But I really pay attention and want to know a girl when her clothing is stylish and still somewhat modest. Remember, wearing a burqa is fine, but it's rather pointless when everyone else around you is wearing bikinis. It also looks really hot.
• Save something for later. I'm not going to not spend time with girls, but I also have very clear standards on how far I will go. I may not always communicate those standards when I first meet a girl, since that would be pretty high on the weird-meter, and I'm a kinda weird guy already, but the standards are there. 
• Pornography and masturbation? Gosh, I'm not going to do all your homework for you. Check out your Bible. If you're not a Christian and don't follow the Bible, then I'm not going to make you do what the Bible says, but I would love to tell you about my good friend Jesus sometime.

Anyways, these are just some thoughts I've been having. Whenever you see me, you don't know that my brain is always going a million miles an hour. I could write a book with my thoughts, but I don't think anyone would buy it. Anyways, there it is. Feel free to stop in next time for my thoughts on aliens. Just kidding...the imminent zombie apocalypse is far more interesting!

Google's Big Dilemma

This one will be short and sweet. Google just came out with Google Keep, a product for taking notes. I love trying new Google products and was about to transfer over from my current notes app, when I remembered Google Reader. Google has no motivation to keep services going for us. So I refuse to trust them with even more of my personal information. If I'm the only one thinking this, no big deal for Google. But if this is a common sentiment, this could mean big trouble for future Google Products!

Catching Up

A lot has happened since I've last posted. My life is rather a whirlwind of insanity. That's kind of the way I like it though, so no complaints here. In the past month I have:

• Moved into a new apartment in Anaheim with two roommates who I had never met before. Fortunately it's working out really good!

An astoundingly low-resolution photo of my incredible bedroom

• Lost my full-time job teaching out in Palm Desert and began looking for new work.
• Discovered my love for building furniture and IKEA after buying IKEA furniture and putting it together to fill my empty bedroom. 
• Picked up a second part-time job doing some tutoring for high school and college students. Not a lot of hours or pay, just a little something extra. 
• Applied for another medical study over the next couple weeks, got into it, and hopefully I make it all the way through. That would give me a good amount of cash!
• Began to cook and have a kitchen. I can cook!!
• Brushed up on my Spanish skills. I went from "un poco Espanol" to "un poco bien."
• Going to multiple free concerts and shows and such! This month I should be seeing B.O.B., Wicked, and any number of smaller acts.

So that's a small update on what's been going on in my life. How about the things I've learned from it?

• God always provides what you need, when you need it. I didn't say what you want when you want it, or what you need when you want it. He just provides what you need when you need it.
• When you graduate with a major in something that can lead to an excellently paying job, you'll get a lot of pressure to obtain a job in that field. But God has been consistently leading me away from such jobs and towards other ones. This may be inexplicable to others, but God knows best, and I'm beginning to see that.

Matthew 6:26-27

Jeremiah 29:11

Pray for me that:

• I'll rest in God instead of money or financial contentment.
• That God will provide something I've been wanting for a long time.
• Another job to fill my free time, or more hours at my current jobs.
• I'll be able to have enough extra money for some fun road trips this fall (that's a want!).