Miscommunication vs. Honesty.... With Jesus' help

HEY WORLD!!!
What's up? I gots another couple o' thoughts for you all (or should I say "y'all"). Life...can be crazy sometimes (like I've said many times before). Miscommunication. It destroys us all. One thing I've been thinking about lately is miscommunication. It has the potential to hurt. If you think about it, miscommunication is the cause of many of life/history's problems. Since the beginning; wars, heartbreaks, acts of violence, hatred, and so on and so forth has become a result of miscommunication. People do not understand one another.
They just don't get it.
Racists don't get it. They persecute people because of something they see on the outside that others have no control over (not saying that it's a bad thing to have a different color of skin, I think it's beautiful...). They don't understand that the people they learn to hate are the exact same as them. They have the exact same troubles, joys, labors, and sinful nature. (etc.)
Guys and girls don't get it. Relationships between the two sexes are destroyed and mutilated because of the miscommunication between them. Guys want to get inside girls heads (theres a bit of a tip to understanding guys, girls) to know what they're thinking. Girls must ( I really don't know, actually, this is a guess...seeing as how I'm not a girl!) want to see guys do more for their attention and spend more time with them and show big interest in them (which I'm sure that a lot of people know already). This is a tough one. I've seen it do a lot of trouble to people. Guys, don't try to get into their heads, it will only cause heartbreak and overthinking. Girls, likewise.
Miscommunication. These are only a couple of examples of miscommunication in our everyday lives and the history of man. What's the remedy?
Honesty. Man, there aren't too many of us who are honest nowadays. We like to hide our feelings. Our true thoughts. And that's where confusion and miscommunication sets in. We are too scared to show or tell how we really feel. It's tough, I know. We get afraid.
1 John 4 (i forget the exact verse) says something about perfect love casting out all fear. If we're afraid, if we are dishonest or want to withold something from someone, its hard to know that we love them. It's a mystery and a trouble, I know. So, I ask you, where's the love? USE IT!!!!
That doesn't mean that every thought that we have should be spoken. That's where discernment and patience set in. I know that all of these qualities are tough thing to get the hang of, and THEY ARE. I'm not going to lie, I'll be honest. The truth is, only God can give the strength to have discernment and honesty, and love, and courage to battle the evil snares of miscommunication. So, the remedy for miscommunication and confusion is, of course, in a perfect Sunday School answer is Jesus.
That's it.
You heard it here, folks. If you want to avoid miscommunication, and confusion, and the perils of dishonesty, just use this "simple" remedy - Jesus. He is our only source of strength. He needs to be lord of our life, or everything will fall to shambles.
He needs to hold our hearts. To be number one.
Tough, I know. But it's true.
Try it for yourselves, and if you want to, prove me wrong.
and Pray for me. I'm trying to work it out myself.
Hang in there, Sportsfans.

josh d.

Life...and all it's mysteries

HEY WORLD!!!
Life...crazy sometimes. Goes up and down and all around. Its goes fast (sometimes too fast) and slow (sometimes too slow). I know that sometimes I wonder. How am I going to get through these instances in my life? Sometimes they just seem impossible to get over without some damage done to myself or others.
The truth is, I sometimes look to the future (not because I'm worried), but because I'm curious. What will the next year hold? The next ten years? The next 20 years? (40 years old, whoa...don't want to even guess). There is something exciting about the future, the mysteries it holds, and the lessons to be learned. However, there is also something extremely scary about learning those lessons. In learning those lessons, I have to go through many obstacles and circumstances. Tough, they may be. Well, tough they WILL be. But even though they're tough, these situations and troubles that we go through make us who we are today and in the future. Weird, eh? Who would have thought that something bad would ever turn out for good in my life, and actually make me more stronger than the day before (the day before...sounds like a good song title...hmmmm...)
The problem is, easier said than done. But rest in this. The stronger you are and the more you hold out for the better things in life, the stronger you'll be. BUT, I must warn you, not to miss out on the opportunities that God throws your way. This life is a vapor, and one second comes and goes like that (it just happened). Make the most of your time.
But take time to reflect on what you learn. It's kinda cool to think about how God has helped you through the struggles you went through in your life. I know we have this tendency to think "man, I was stupid back then..." Yeah, that may be true, but don't be so hard on yourself. My Own Prison; wallowing in my own self pity. If anything, as we grow closer to God and grow wiser, we recognize our frailness. But we also recognize how great and how deep and how wide the love of God is. So Rejoice!! He loves you!!!
Make use of your time. Make use of your life. Don't forget the hard times, or the lessons learned. If they didn't happen, you wouldn't be the person you are today. Live with no regrets. Hold on to the things that are good in your life. Check out Romans 12:9.
Hang in there, sportsfans.

josh d.

L'Amour...C'est magnifique!!

HEY WORLD!!!
Well, it's your friendly neighborhood josh back atcha' with some more random thoughts. It has been a while since I last did this, but a lot has happened in the past week. I've been really busy with the same old stuff I always tell you about. Sometimes life can get so busy. But as busy as life gets, I've had something (as usual) picking at my brain all week. Well, actually, this isn't the first time that this has crossed my mind.
Love.......all I can say is....wow.
I just would like you, the reader, to sit down and think about it. WHAT A GIFT!!! LOVE!!! We have these feelings inside us that move us to be with someone or something. Crazy, eh? We have these feelings within us that totally shut off the thoughts of self and make us do weird and wacky things to others. We think about them, do things for them, yearn to be with them, and hold on to memories and instances in our hearts. What a gift!!!
It boggles the mind... love.
It causes mothers to wake up in the middle of the night to a crying baby and hold them in their arms until they are peacefully sleeping.
It causes parents to discipline their children, not because of they delight in turning away the every want of their child, but because loving someone means doing what's best for someone, not always what they want.
It causes husbands to fight for their families through the toughest of financial, physical, mental, troubles.
It caused THE God of all things to become a weak and frail human to suffer for us.
I am really trying to understand this. God is absolutely in love with us. It frustrates me beyond everything that I forget how much God loves me and everyone else in this world. Sometimes its so hard to understand or realize. I go about my days sometimes, barely thinking about it. WHY!?!?! Can anyone tell me?!
We have this gift. This gift of love. We can love too. God loves us, and he gives us the chance to love Him, and others. I'm stumped by this. First of all, I find it hard as it is to grasp the love that God has for me, so how are people supposed to understand the love I have for them? I have these feelings, these actions that I do, to use for other people and they will probably not be able to understand it.
God does.
He does. Wow. He understands love. He is love (1 John, Great book, one I'm studying like crazy right now...it blows my mind). I want to experience this love more and more. I want to have my entire life saturated in this. To soak and fill with God. His love for me.
It's more than just affection. It's not about romantic love.
I believe the greek word is "agape". Unendless love. How can I understand this?
Pardon me while I pray for a second.
"God, please, can you show me your love? Can you show me TRUE LOVE? Can I just understand it? Why you would give yourself (which is a lot to give...You're God) for me. I want to know it more and more. I want to really love people. I want to really love You. Please, Lord. Teach me what it means to love as You love and know Your love. I want it to completely fill my life. I want to use love to its entirety in my life. I want to love family, friends, people I don't even know, and people I do. But most of all, I NEED to love You. I can't do anything else right until I do. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Well, I'll let you all know how it turns out. Seek love. I don't know what's in store, because I'm probably in the same boat as all of you. It's good to know that I'm not alone. We have a lot to learn, humans. Well, that's all for now.
Hang in there, sportsfans. It's a wild ride...love, that is.

josh d.

O LOVE OF GOD

HEY WORLD!!!!
What's up? Well, life, as usual. It's funny to see the little blessings that God throws our way sometimes, especially when your days (I'm not just referring to one single day) have been hard.
This past weekend I was reminded by God that He loves me. That's it. Nothing more than that. He loves me, He means it. This weekend I had the utmost privilege to sing at a church in Calgary as a part of the singing group called "sojourn". On sunday we sang at a Korean church, and were blessed to minster and be ministered to by the people there. During the performance, we sang our usual regime of melodies. But this time was a little different. This time, God really struck me with the words of the songs, especially the song "I will glory in my Redeemer". I remember words like "(Jesus) waits for me at gates of gold...(Jesus) carries me on eagles wings..." Good stuff. God was stirring my heart during this song, and not only mine but a few others in the group.
Three members of the group performed a drama that I will never forget. It was entitled "The Divine Romance", and included a very powerful soundtrack from "Robin Hood" and "Phantom of the Opera". In the skit, God the creator creates the world and a woman. He creates the woman and shows her all the wonder he has made. He proclaims his commitment to her symbolicly by giving her a ring (in proposal-like fashion). However, the woman, being human, becomes enticed by the weight of sin (symbolized by a chain) offered to her by the devil. She chucks the ring and takes hold of sin, which causes her to collapse and become bound by the devil. God returns to the scene to begin working on a way to save his beloved. He constructs the cross. The devil returns to duel with the Lord, and nails Him to the cross. Just when the devil thinks that he has won, the Lord rises, removes the chain from the one He loves, and disposes it ("as far as the east is from the west"...I suppose). The devil becomes furious. He takes hold of the woman, and begins to drag her back to the chain (sin). But the woman flees from her captor and clings to the feet of the Lord. And, with one move of his hand, the Lord defeats the devil.
The conclusion of the story is what really got to me. Following the defeat of the villain, the Lord once again takes his love and bows down before her (in proposal-like fashion, yet again). He picks up the ring he had given the woman, dusts it off, and places it on her finger.
I don't know what you'd think if you saw this play, but I didn't know what to do. I wasn't sure whether I should cry out of guilt for the ways which I have turned from my Lord, or grin from ear to ear at the thought that evil has been defeated and....He loves me.
Whatever the reaction. I was filled with this great realization that God loves me. He pursues me. He's committed to me. He has died for me. I am that beloved. I am that bride.
In some ways, being a guy, I don't think that we get it as much. So often, guys dream of being the hero, the tough guy, and the winner. Sorry, guys, but I think that in this case, we need to be saved. Jesus is our hero. We need to recognize what has been done for us.
I can't believe it. He loves me. When I saw that and heard God speaking to me, deep in the depths of my heart I had this warmth. This freedom. All of a sudden, things that I worried about, things that I wanted to be and desired to do faded away, and I was struck with this reality that my God loves me. That's all I need. "What in this life could mean any more?" (Starfield's "Cry in my heart"). I have Jesus. I felt content. I felt more than satisfied. I felt loved.
You know, its the same for all of us who trust in Jesus as their savior.
Hang in there, sportsfans. He loves you.

josh d.

Something...

HEY WORLD!!!
I have this weird feeling today. It's been happening to me lately. It's kinda uncomfortable. But here it is. Don't you ever wish you were something? Don't you wish that you knew what you were, and what you needed to do? Identity questions, I know. They get to all of us. I have been noticing lately in my own life that I there is this confusion of "being something". Being an artist, being a musician, being a pastor, or even just being myself? What does that mean? God has been gracious to me, because I seem to ask a lot of questions, and I'm sometimes impatient on the answers.
Again I'm referring to Switchfoot (they are so great) when I say this, but "This is your life, are you who you want to be?". More important, I guess, is "are you who God wants you to be?". But something I just thought of (and maybe God has been speaking to me right now) is maybe that's all we need to be. Something. God want's us to be something. Something, granted, for His glory.
So if you're like me, and you've always wanted to be the "hero" or "rockstar who writes amazing songs" or whatever, it kind of relieves some of the pressur to "be" these things. Be yourself. Huh?
Hey, that's interesting. Would being myself mean that I'm a hero, or rockstar who writes really good songs? hmmm..... I dunno. I guess only God has the answers. And, like my last post, I think that I came to the conclusion that staying true to God and being patient is the key to the answer.
Today, a friend of mine was speaking to us about obeying God. One thing he said was, "Obey God, You don't have to obey anyone else. Obey God". Amazing truth I think. Obey God, and everything else will fall into place. Neat. But, remember, easier said than done. But don't worry, you're not alone. We have a God who can do immeasurably more than we could ever imagine (Eph. 3:20). That's reassuring.
Hang in there sportsfans. Prayers and blessings,

josh d.

Nothing new...or is there?

HEY WORLD!!!
So, it's been almost exactly one day since I've written the last post. Wanna know what's new in the last day? Not too much actually, same old, same old. But I wish there was something new. That's the hope of new days. It's a mystery, eh? Waking up, having no absolute clue how things are going to go on that day. It could be a great day, with excitement, fun, and blessing. Those are the days we usually tend to remember. Why? Because it's something different, different from the usual. Something in our day happens that makes it memorable. It could be a birthday, holiday, anniversary (for example, the second week anniversary of the third day before you started dating someone...well, maybe that's not too memorable) or some other exciting thing. Or, on the other hand, the day might just be "one of those days". You know, everything goes wrong. Those are the days that nobody wants to remember. I know that there are a few days that I'd rather forget. But if I look at those days now, some of them don't look that bad. If I recall the ways which God has provided for me and given me patience, I know that I'm kinda glad (as hard as it is to say this) that those days came. And that's another thing. If you are anything like me, you have a very hard time being patient on God. This is something that I've been struggling with lately. And throughout all this time that I'm going through, trying my best to be patient on God, he's building character in me. Right now, however, my feelings towards the lessons that I'm learning are anything but good. It's hard to have to wait on God for a long time. But I've been noticing through this, that my weaknesses usually surface during this time. Some things I've been noticing lately about myself have been my selfishness, impatience (of course), lack of confidence in myself and God, and worrying, to name a few. But I have no regrets. God brought these to me because he want's to teach me something. I have to persevere. I can't let go. I don't want to fail God. I do that enough. Its worse to let God down than to go through hardships. So, in some ways, I should be thankful about the hardships that he has brought me, because it has shown me the things that I need to work on to better serve him. I just pray, LORD, that You would enlarge my vision and give me a hope beyond my trials and troubles to see the person that you are making me into. I pray that through all of this I would be purified and molded to be more like you. Amen.
hang in there.

josh

Random Thoughts

HEY WORLD!!!
Random thoughts. I get 'em a lot. Sometimes they come at the weirdest times, like during class, church, and even conversations with people. Sometimes I wonder "what if we lived on another planet?" It would be colder, or hotter, depending on how close we were to the sun. God totally knew what he was doing when he made earth where it was. It doesn't get really hot, or really cold.
Something else to think about. Everybody was made completely different from each other. There is something in everyone that is different than everyone else. Kinda neat to think about, eh? Each one of us is unique. We were made that way.
Here's something I've been thinking a lot about lately. Humans. Part of the free will of humans is the ability to hurt and help others. We have the "power" to tear down, build up, encourage, insult, love, hate and do other things that EFFECT others. Transferrence, I think its called. If you think about it, you wouldn't be able to put a dent in a brick wall if you loved it no matter what or spewed insults at it. Only humans seem to have the ability to respond emotionally (well, animals might too) to things said or done to them. I know that if you wanted to, you could tick off a bull, but its a bit different with humans. Our hurt goes deep. Sometimes I wonder if humans are ready for that kind of ability. Many of us in the world today abuse this "responsibility". Like Peter's uncle in the movie "Spiderman" once said, "with great power comes great responsibility". To give the honest truth on this, I'm afraid of hurting people. And that's just another response to this responsibility that I have. If I could wish something, I would wish not to hurt people, but to serve them in love. Man, do I ever have a lot to learn about this. Hurt goes deep. But in the same way, encouragement and love goes deep. So deep that people are willing to die for love. Wow! That's something once you think about it. To die for love. To be willing to give up this life here on earth for someone, or something, that you care about so much, so much more than yourself. Take Jesus for example, the very Son of God dying to save those whom he LOVES. He loved us, meaning he saw us as more precious than himself. Whoa. God? That's something to think about. Love moves us. As Switchfoot says, "Love is the Movement...love is the revolution". So, yeah...random thoughts. I, honestly, would prefer to love, rather than hate. I say this now, but circumstances and present situations may be different later. I just pray and hope that I will use this "power" to love and hate in a responsible way, in other words, like Romans 12 says, "Hate what is evil, Love what is good"

Peace

j-dock

Weekends...Thanksgiving that is....

HEY WORLD!!!!
This weekend, I hope that you enjoy the fellowship of family. Whether you're away from home (like I am), at home, or just in the middle of nowhere, remember that there is SOMEONE out there who loves you. Jesus is all you need. He is family. Rest in that this weekend. Also, be thankful. I know that I'm never as thankful as I should be. Why is that? I've gotta practice that more.
I'm going to Edmonton this weekend to spend it with my two cousins. They are the two greatest girls I know. They are my big sisters, and I love them very much. I've learned so much from them through the years, and it's awesome to hang out with them. Also, There are a lot of great people here at Briercrest that are just so great. I have been richly blessed by them and enjoy their friendship and love for God.
Well thats all for me right now. Have a great thanksgiving everyone!!! God bless!

josh d.

What do you need?

Hey World!!!
What do you need? Have you ever thought about that? I remember a very wise man once told me "God doesn't always give us what we want, just what we need". I never forgot that quote, as simple as it may be to remember. It seems to be a constant theme for me, especially this year. God has been teaching me so much about patience, love, hurt, and trust. It has been one wild ride so far. But I've found in him this incredible strength, even in the rough times. Life is hard. I know. I'll be the first one to admit it. I've been realizing over the past weeks and months how fragile we are. I'm very fragile. As much as I would like to say and think that I'm tough and solid like a rock, I know that without God. I'm nothing. Do ya get what I'm saying?
Yeah, but back to my question. What do you need?!?! Lately I've been really thinking about what I really need. I remember when my parents use to take me shopping when I was little, and, being the selfish person that I am, I would ask a beg them for things that I would see in stores (maybe the latest NERF gun, or Super Nintendo game). They'd always tell me "Do you really need it? I don't think you do." Contrary to what my opinion was, they were right. There is a big difference between what we want and what we need. It's really hard for me to say.
Let me just say that what I need sometimes is to wake up and smell the coffee about what others need. It's the second commandment from Jesus in the Bible. I really need to love others. I really need to help others. I really need to give others priority over myself. There's the challenge. It's a battle everytime to win over self and think about someone other than ME. But I remember that Jesus thought of me when He was beat and crushed and pounded and nailed to a cross. If God can put what I need above Himself, shouldn't I be able to do the same!?!?!? WHAT DO I NEED?????? I need to live first and foremost for God, then love others more than myself. That's all out of me for now. A special thanks to my roomate, Dalton, for helping me start this up. I hope that those of you who read this are encouraged by my thoughts and lessons. If you have anything you want to ask me about or to talk about in my next article, please email me at josh_dock@hotmail.com
TTFN
josh d.