Barn Bash!

This Wednesday night kicked off the start of WOW (Westkirk on Wednesdays) with a big 'Barn Bash'. Westkirk is my church that I belong to, and Wednesday nights are the nights where many members of the church attend Bible studies. It is also the biggest night for youth groups to gather. I have decided to become involved with the youth at Westkirk this semester, and can't wait to see what God does with these kids. 

Brandon is our youth pastor, and I think him to be a stellar guy! I feel blessed to be able to be a part of his team, and look forward to working with him to help kids better understand the fundamentals of prayer (our focus this semester). 

Wednesday started off with some scorching Iowa heat, and, for the most part, ended that way. However, God provided us with a nice breeze, so it was bearable. The place we were gathering at is actually really a barn. It is in Urbandale, and is used for parties, gatherings, and the like. We brought a grill from church, and set it on the patio outside of the barn to grill a bunch of hotdogs and hamburgers...real Iowa food! 

So food was eaten, games were played, prizes were handed out, adults talked, children laughed, a short message was given, and pretty soon we were all on our way. But something was bugging me the whole time, and the same thing bugged my sister Kyra, who is also volunteering with me for WOW. As we got in the car, we discussed it.

First off, Kyra and I are both dedicated camp counselors at a very small camp called Camp Appanoose. Camp Appanoose is located in southern Iowa. It is very small, but exceptionally mighty. Because I have had so much experience working with kids at camp, many of my ideas of teaching, mentoring, and instructing young people carry over with me from camp to other areas of my life. This youth gathering at the Simpson Barn was missing something that camp always has: a total focus on Christ.

Every activity at camp brings the kids back to the most important thing in life, mainly, Christ. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, games, activities, conversations...at Camp Appanoose, we always bring it back to Christ. But here, at this youth group gathering, aside from Christian music, and a small message given before dinner, I got the feeling that Christ was forgotten amongst these kids. This, I believe, is a problem that is plaguing youth groups of churches today. Fun! Fun! Fun! We are so focused on letting the kids have fun, that somewhere, in that fun, Christ is forgotten...the Cross is forgotten. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says that whatever we do, we are to do it for the glory of God. I do not think that verse is simply implying that we don't cuss, or quarrel, or drink heavily. As usual with Paul's writing, it is deeper. Christ can't be forgotten my friends! I would go so far to say it is a sin when he is. Now please don't peg me as a legalistic Christian who believes you are going to hell if you don't think of God every wakening moment of your life. However, I do believe that when a body of believers gather to have fun in the name of God, we should do just that. We should do it all under his name. We should be continually focused on him. That doesn't mean that we have to limit the activities we do, but it does mean we should have a purpose for doing those activities. Believe me, when you really get thinking, there are so many things we do that can so easily be related to a Bible lesson. Christ never forgets us...lets follow his example toward Him.

Grace and Peace!

King Gargorio Rodrigo Poblos III  

The Truth! Or is it.....

     As I travel around Iowa, take Iowa collage courses, and talk to Iowan people, It never ceases to fascinate me concerning people's different opinion on what is true. I believe the most astounding thing that I have heard is the term: "There is no absolute truth". Right off the bat this makes no sense to me. How can I even believe that statement if I, for lack of better words, believe that statement. The three words itself is a contradiction. By making that statement, the speaker is assuming that what he is saying is true, which is contradicting the fact that there is no absolute truth.
     I took a college course on philosophy, and was astounded at how many people in my class believed that there is no absolute truth; that truth is relative. Indeed, I was the only one (other than my teacher) who opposed this statement. They believed that if John believed that a towel was blue, it was blue. But if Susan believed that the towel was red, it was red. So in reality, the towel was both blue and red at the exact same time. This is physically impossible, as well as illogical. However, talk to most college students, and this is the idea that you will find most widely accepted.
    For me, it is not hard to see that the root of the problem is a matter of confusion between perception, and reality.  John may actually perceive the towel as blue, and Susan might actually perceive the towel as red. Whereas both of their perception might truly be blue or red, the actual color of the towel can only be one color. Perhaps the towel is actually green. If it is, then the truth of the matter is that the towel is green and that both John and Susan are wrong. Logically and physically, the towel can only be one possible color. The whole population may believe it to be blue, but that doesn't make it blue. Belief and truth are two separate things. That is, of course, not saying that belief can never be true. Often time it is, yet often time it is not.
     So why then is this view so widely accepted. I believe it is part of a new trend called 'Easy Believism'  
Easy Believism is an idea that is running rampant in the churches now a day, and is often focused as a problem solely within the church. However, I believe that this idea is bigger than just a problem with the church. Confrontations are starting to be frowned on. "Don't offend anyone" and "Be politically correct" are terms you hear all too often. We are becoming a wimpy society. We don't want to step on any one's toes, or make anyone mad. Believing in the easy stuff is a fix to potentially offending someone. If someone comes up with an idea that is easy for everyone to believe in, then the chances of one becoming offended is dropped. Maybe it is time that we stop believing what is easy, and forcing ourselves to look at the harder, more aggressive views in life.
    The Bible (which I believe to be completely true) states "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Not once does it say "whatever thing are easy". It also makes it very clear that there is a universal truth when it says to think about what is true.
   So some of you may believe what I said to be truth, and some of you may believe it to be false. But I assure you one of those groups is wrong. One truth my friends...one truth.

Friends do crazy things...

Friends. We laugh with them, cry with them, encourage them, and well, do CRAZY things with them.

I must admit that I greatly enjoy making lip-syncing videos. I have a few of them on youtube. But I figured out that adding a friend to this process=WAY more fun. Here is what happens when you get two really close friends together with nothing to do on a very cold winters day....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnkGvQKvdNg&feature=feedu