Try saying bold without trembling

So I think that it's really cool getting to read through the Psalms and just see how bold David is. I have been reading and I think the biggest thing that has stuck out to me is the idea of David having joy through all of his trials. If we were to look at every trial with a depressed look, we would walk around depressed our entire lives.

My pastor said that he gets irritated with Christians that just constantly say that they are depressed because they are "under attack." And this may be true, but this has made me mad forever. We are in the family of Christ and Jesus came down and gave his life for me. So what kind of respect are we giving him if we walk around like the world is just a boring depressing cold place.

As Paul says, I am the chief of sinners. I go through my days sinning at all times, but that does not make me a depressed person guys! I mean sure, at times I get down, but who doesn't? It's all about where you go from there. So if you are one of those people who just get down all the time whenever things are not going perfect, then you will be like that forever until you change. You see, when you decided to follow God, you stepped into a battle field so there will always be hard times, and if you get depressed when you are going through hard times, you will be depressed a lot.

I challenge you to look at David's stories and Psalms and see what you can learn from the way he approaches his problems, and God.

Have a great day everyone.

Let us think

So, I have not been posting... and I keep saying to myself that I am too busy but that is a horrible excuse. Honestly, after camp I have been thinking and striving to do better as a person and I am posting tonight because I need to. Here I go... lets see what happens.

Tonight I fell, I stumbled... whatever you want to call it... I mean, when I got home I was so high on God, I thought it would never end... and then when I fell down from that high for a while, that is when the devil struck.. I sit here thinking to myself... why, why would I let this happen. Then I remember what my pastor said "Worship whenever." He said it is best to worship when we have fallen... so I sit.. and worship... and listen... and now I am blogging to let out what is in my head.

I was reading Psalm 5 so that is where all these quotes are gonna come from. You see, what I find interesting is, David just tells God what to do, he says "Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God." He is not being rude, he is just saying it... and I think we all need to say that. Because I needed help tonight... and I never got it.. but I never really asked. You see... when something overwhelms you like that... I mean, some drug addicts can't help themselves, and just like with drugs, pornography is addictive. And it hurts when you fall... I know I am getting better, but it's just when is that day gonna come that I don't have to fight it.

It says "You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil...You destroy those who tell lies..." yet it goes on to say "but I, by your great mercy will come into your house." I don't know about you but that is a breath of fresh air... and I can just say thank you God for that.

I could go on and on.. but this post is mainly for me... I am asking for prayer, for real! I need it... many do. I ask that you pray for all men and women who struggle with it... because its out there... so please pray! Please! this is not joke.... So I guess that is where I leave you all tonight... Just with the knowledge that it is only by grace that we get to come into God's house...

Goodnight everyone..

Camp de la 2011

First day of camp was just.... WOW! Okay, I was stressing and running on 2 hours of sleep maybe, but somehow I was able to make it through teaching hip hop, leading two worship sets, teaching a bible study and just running that entire day. So lets start from the beginning and I will take you along on this wonderful adventure I had over the past weekend.

First off. When we got up I was really stressed out and under a lot of attack, but by the end of the first worship practice I knew that things were gonna go up hill. As we led worship, God was there from the start. When we did our first step, God was in the room so powerfully, and people were just crying and worshiping with everything they had. By the end of the day, our second set topped that; crazy right! So then came my bible study.

I was teaching on sections of the Passion of the Christ. I really felt it was important for us as a team to watch because when we present, we are portraying what happened to Jesus.... and it was not a happy story. When I got up to teach, all I had were 5 verses and the times I wanted the movie to be played.... but God worked through me so powerfully and by the end of the night I just put on my iPod and we just listened and worshiped together... Praise God!

Saturday went very smoothly just as Friday, God showed up powerfully all the time and I even shared one of the songs I wrote at sharing time. By Sunday everyone was exhausted but on fire for God. I could go on and on about camp but it just wouldn't have the same effect. I think I walked away from that camp with two major things that have changed my life. One being that I am growing up! I know that there are people out there (like me) who just don't want to grow up. But I realized that if I am going to be the Man of God that God wants me to be, I gotta become a Man! I also left with a new take on worship, I left feeling God so powerfully that I could never go back to any other way of worship.

I guess I leave you with the request to pray for me and my team so that we may not lose this fire we have caught, and that we could withstand any attack we are experiencing because I know we all are. I actually just realized something while typing, I discovered the cycle. You see I was being tempted... and I realized, what the devil does is, tempts, we fall, then he makes us feel awful about what we did.... and feel unworthy... idk... that was something that just came into my head... have a great night you all, God bless! :)

Camp is a'comin

Well guys, I don't have much time to post due to my amazing Action camp coming up! I am so excited to go. I am still at a loss as to how I am gonna teach the lesson, lead worship, do classes and have a good time. I know however that God is in control and it will all work out! :)

Honestly, I think that this camp is going to be amazing because the entire goal of camp is to just gain a better understanding of worship. I mean, I know how to worship man, but if I could gain even more... idk how it would be possible, but I am so stoked for that mountain top experience.

I think that what I want to throw out tonight is... we can worship WHENEVER. I mean I have already said this, but in the hole process of getting things together for camp, I have been worshiping A LOT! But when practicing, it seems like it isn't exactly worship... but all that to say, I am starting to ramble... lol... kinda happens when I am super tired and still have stuff to do.

I guess I ask that you also throw out your prayers to me, so that camp runs soothly and I will just come back even MORE on fire; and that you would pray for others that are going, along with a safe travel and all up. I hope to have a lot to post about when I get back. But for now, GNIGHT!

Well I can rebuild the temple in two days.... not

So most Christians know that Jesus said that he would "destroy the temple and raise it up in three days." Now in many cases I go "oh yeah, I know that, been there, I know the story." But MAN, it's so hard to look into the fact that Jesus, God, whatever, DIED... and the came back to life! Uhg... I mean, I can't say this enough, it's such a crazy thought, I type this and just constantly go over it in my head.

So where does this leave us? I mean, it's obvious that Jesus did indeed rebuild the temple, but how does that apply to our lives? Well the bible says that our bodies are temples and that God dwells in us, so in everything we do, we are the house of God, so when we do something that hurts our bodies on purpose, it is like vandalizing God's temple.

I mean, how awesome is it that we, humans, sinful beings, have the opportunity to house God! Isn't God just awesome like that? Just constantly letting us have what we don't deserve... blessing us when we don't deserve or need it... man.. it is just insane!

In many cases, all my posts are linked and can be tied back to many different things. I honestly think that everything in the Bible can be tied to something else in the Bible, and most things stem from certain other things. I honestly feel that in this topic, the worst things that one could do to their body's is abuse alcohol, do drugs, or watch pornography.

I walk around and see people struggling every day, I see people who think "I am the only one" and that is so wrong! I know what its like guys, every day I wake up and every day all the time I am tempted, I have, am, and always will struggle with pornography, and you know what? God loves me, no matter what. It's not like I have to be ashamed or hide something about me that is just something that I have done. God looks at me with eyes of now, not of what I did in the past, I am not judged based on what I have done wrong yesterday, once I ask for that forgiveness... God is always welcoming me with arms wide open.

Romans 6 says "shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!" This means that I can't go around sinning expecting God to forgive me. That is not what having a relationship with God about guys! It is so much more than that!

What I leave you with is, you don't struggle alone, God is there for you, he loves you, and when you are ready to turn to him, he will always be there for you. God won't be taken advantage of, but he does love you so very much... and there is nobody that can top his love.

If you have any questions, comment, or if you are friends with me on Facebook, message me with any comments you want to make private.

God Bless Guys!

Oh happy day

Hey guys, sorry I got behind on my posts, busy life I tell you. Today is Mothers day, so I hope you all gave your special mommys a big hug, kiss and a cup of coffee. As many thoughts have been rushing through my head, I have selected a few to post about, here we go!

Numero Uno, "Honor thy father and thy mother." Yeah, thats right, Jesus said that. But thats crazy, because in many cases, we as kids are taught that we have free will and that we can do what we want, but in reality, our parents were put in place by GOD! Dude, did you ever think "man, my parents suck"? I know I have, but really, it's crazy to think that God put them there and he knew EXACTLY what he was doing when he did. I mean, I am very hypocritical because I like to do what I want, but I just reminded that we as kids and Christians, need to follow that commandment that God put in place.

Another thought, as I was in church today, my youth pastor (ex youth pastor) was doing the study. He started in Psalms, and we just started reading through a few that he picked. One thing that he said to me that stuck out was "you see what you see with your eyes because God lets you." I was like... duuuuude... thats crazy, God gives us EVERY breath we take..... and he is the one who keeps us going, not us and our own will.... I found that to hit real hard... just the fact that the things we see and the air we breathe is a gift from God... wow man.

So as we are reading Psalms, I happened to notice that they are almost ALL written by David. And I really think that he is one of the few who really grasped what it means to give thanks and praise God in every aspect of life. In his Psalms that he wrote, he says nothing of his power, but only speaks of what God has done for him and everyone else, he comes before God boldly and with a purpose... I really do view him as an individual to strive to be like. Then I realize all my own faults... but that should not stop me... you know?

I guess I begin to ramble after a while... but my thoughts are really do give your parents the honor and respect they deserve... God put them there for a reason, and also, we could always use a little humbling and putting God first...

Have a good night guys!

Gime a P, Gime a R... oh what the heck, PRAYER

So um this is gonna be short and sweet, I need prayer guys! I know right... me, DJ, the great and gorgeous one needs prayer :P Well it is true... just a simple I need strength prayer. I am doing really well, but in the good, that is when the bad likes to strike the most.

You see, when you are down, the devil is not so worried, but when you are on fire and doing stuff for our awesome God, thats when satin is all up in your grilz. So I think that is my short lesson of the day, when life is good, that is when some things might get the hardest.

Sorry for the lame post tonight, the verse that comes to mind is "All things work together for good for those who trust in the Lord" (Romans 8:28).

Doctor, Doctor, come quick!

Whaaaaat? Doctor? Jesus? Huh? : ) So I was driving to youth group (WHICH WAS AMAZING TONIGHT) and I was talking about just how frustrated I was with some people, and how I felt like they didn't care about God, or just that the did not "deserve" to be with God and all... which... I feel horrible about right now. But she reminded me of something that really hit home, thanks Mom!

She informed me that Jesus said "It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick." When she said this... I sure shut up. You see, I sometimes view others as not being "worthy" to be at Church... and then I smack myself and say, DUDE, we are all sinners, and I am the chief of sinners. Paul says it, and he is dead serious. We view Paul as such a strong Christian, but guess what guys, He sinned TOO!

You see, when we sing worship songs, I here "All who are thirst, All who are weak, just come to the fountain" I don't here "All you good Christians who are trying to live more Godly than others who are thirst." This really hits home for me.. and I have been convicted of that.... So I challenge you all to put aside judgment and realize that we are ALL children of God and we were created in HIS image.... and thats crazy.

Now to transition into a new topic, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. I am going to be honest with you, I have struggled for years about my weight, but heck, I love food! I know that I am not fat... but I am constantly down on myself about being bigger than most skinny tall high school guys... and you know what, God made me and he loves me no matter what! You see, David Crowder writes this wonderful song that says "You make everything glorious, and I am yours, what does that make me?" And I think those words hit the nail on the head. God, the one who created everything, made YOU and loves YOU, he makes everything glorious, and he made you.

God loves you... we can never hear that enough. Have a great night guys :)

The beginning... what? There was a beginning?

Oh yeah there was a beginning, John 1:1 says "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.He was with God in the beginning." Crazy stuff right?! God..... GOD.... the one who created everything.... loves YOU, and wants a relationship with YOU!

I can't help but just sit in awe knowing that God feels that way about ME. You see "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own but his own did not receive him" (John 1:10-11). This brakes my heart, knowing that that I do this to God every day, he may not be here in a physical form, but almost every day, I go by without recognizing the beauty and wonder and just pure epic awesomness of God!

So now you say "well way to kill the mood DJ" and I say "There is hope!" For it goes on to say "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become CHILDREN OF GOD, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God" (John 1:12-13). Talk about words of inspiration! DUDE!!!!! You and me can be CHILDREN OF GOD! You heard me, CHILDREN of the ONE AND ONLY God, the one who created the entire universe, and he wants You and Me to be his child... talk about love...

So "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). GOD came down to save us... and he loves you more than you can imagine.

So God loves you, there was a beginning, and he knew you and had you perfectly formed in the beginning. He loves you, for those of you who don't quite understand..... HE LOVES YOU!!!! : )

God bless, have a great night.

Worship aint always what it seems :)

So worship is this fantastic thing that does not have to do with only singing. Today I was worshiping with others and we were singing "You Are All I'm After" and there is a line that says that says "your grace is bigger than my failure" I honestly think that line says it all, knowing that God's grace is FAR bigger than our failures is so humbling and reassuring.

Back to worship, worship does not have to be gathering around a camp fire and sining together, everything we do should be an act of worship, from when we get up to when we go to sleep. Everything should reflect God, and to be honest, I don't see why we shouldn't, seeing ALL that he went through for us, how could we not just give him that much back.

I don't want this to be a bible thumping moment where I tell you "DO ALL THINGS IN A WORSHIPING MANNER" because that is not what God wants. God wants someone who WANTS to serve and worship him in EVERY action we do in a day. I see that the more I dive into his word, the more I read, the more I want to please and follow God, the more I want to learn and grow in Him.

Psalm 1 says "blessed is the man who does not walk in the step of the wicked or stand stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night." I really view this verse as a call to dive into both the word of God daily, and to live a life for God in every day. Because Matt 24:36 says "no one knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven nor the Son but only the Father." 


So I now challenge you to live for a God that is Alive and live for him today. Strive to follow and worship him in all things that you do. 

This video says "rid me of myself, I belong to you." think about that.... have a great blessed day everyone. : )

Nothing can quite explain it.

As I lay here and watch "The Passion of The Christ," I can't help but shed a tear for each whip and blow he receives, I can't imagine what he went through and never will be able to. I could never fathom the pain and suffering that he went through. And he asked for NOTHING in return. As I sit here on my bed.... it hits me.... he did this for me. He was beaten beyond recognition, he was tortured and mocked, he was wrongfully accused, and yet he went forth, knowing fully well what was ahead.

It says in Philippians 2:14 "Do everything without complaining or arguing" and there is not a better model of this verse then Jesus. He died on that cross and went through unimaginable pain just for me, and he loves ME more than anything, yet he also loves YOU! more than you can imagine. Which then leaves me back where I started. I can't just sit and not cry, I see him as he is dying, praying for those who are persecuting, and I can't even bring myself to forgive my brother at times.

But not only did Jesus suffer, he did the impossible and ROSE AGAIN!!!!! He IS risen and there is no doubt about it. So as I sit, and cry, and reflect, I know that I am living for a God that is ALIVE not dead.

Thank you God, for being such a loving caring God, thank you for dying on that cross and forgiving me for ALL of my sins that I have, am or will commit. Nothing compares to what you did, and nothing can quite explain it.

Lets talk about me :)

So I am thrilled to see a few followers and well as some friends on Facebook. I am very excited to see where this is going. I feel that if this is going to go on, I should tell you a little about myself. I am just an average teen with a passion to make a difference. I have many strengths and many weaknesses. I have been told that I should become a youth pastor or worship leader. I have the gift of speaking and the gift of leading worship. I am also very easily distracted by women and very easily shaped by my surroundings; however, I do not let the faults determine who I am.

In man cases I have been blessed due to my few yet full years on God's beautiful earth. I am a member of San Diego Youth In Action (http://www.sdyouthinaction.com/). I attend Vista Grande Community Church (http://www.vgc.org/) where I lead a youth band along with playing bass guitar or violin whenever needed on the bigger team. I used to attend River Valley Charter School and just recently left to homeschool and pursue my passion for God, music and worship.

Having said a few facts about me I hope that you stick around to here more about me as the days go by. I will not only be discussing what happens in my life and my personal life with God, I will also be letting you follow me in my own life. I hope to have more followers and to grow this to the maximum of its potential.

Please comment, tell me something you want to get off your chest, something you need prayer about, something thats going on in your life, or just anything that you need.

Day 1, this is gonna be fun... That rhymed

So I have started a few blogs in the past but nothing major, I wanna see where God takes this, but I figure its worth a shot.

I often looked at a daily devotion as something that did not HAVE to be done. I thought going to action on Mondays, Going to class day on Tuesdays, youth group on Thursdays and Church on Sundays was enough. Let me tell you all, I was completely wrong.

Ever sens I started doing something daily for God, I feel like I am constantly making great leaps in areas I thought was no possible. I see now that there is nothing like diving into the word of God. This does not mean all my problems are gone, nor does this change who I am in all ways, I just see what God is doing, and I am very excited for it. So here it goes, day 1, some thoughts about Matthew.

You see, Matthew in many cases can be overlooked, it can be viewed as "The Story of Jesus" which is completely true, but there is much more to it then that. I found myself in many cases zoning out because "I knew the story". It is true, If you go to church, you have heard the story of Jesus's birth, death and resurrection over and over again. And yes, it becomes very.... ordinary after a while, but when you think about it, when was the last time someone died and came back to life.... you know? It's kinda this crazy one time thing that most likely wont happen again.

So now we have touched on the "Jesus Story," time to move on. One thing that struck me during my reading is, how much we are like Jesus's disciples. You see, Matthew 14:13 is the story of how Jesus fed the 5,000, however, what many people either don't know or don't pay attention to is, the next page (Matt 15:29) Jesus does almost the exact same thing, he feeds 4,000 with almost the exact same amount of food.

When it comes to our every day lives, we are just as doubting as the disciples, and we probably complain more. But Jesus did many more wonderful miracles and I challenge you to pick up your bible and look into it for yourself. I am still getting used to the "blog" thing and hope to do better tomorrow. Hopefully I will see you all then, this was day one.... thank you for putting up with me :)