Gordon's Giblet's

    I am taking a break from my normal format to introduce a best friend of mine. We served at WorkCrew together as servers. His name is Isaac Cramer, he's the real deal, and he wrote the proceeding paper for his english class.

Gordon's Giblets

            I wouldn't consider myself to be a liar. Trust is important to me so I try to hold myself to a standard of honesty to maintain that character trait. However, when mixed with the right person in the right environment, one's true nature can be cast aside for the adoption of totally new personality. This exact thing happened when two fun-loving, sarcastic and imaginative people coincided at a 15 day summer camp.

            I had been invited to participate in a work crew staff at Rockbridge Young Life camp for a little over two weeks. With anticipation on my mind and a humble spirit on my heart, I gladly accepted. Upon arrival at the camp I only about 2 or 3 people. One of the first people I met at camp was named Zachary Wyatt Inman. Zach was a tall, athletic eighteen-year-old with a servant's heart and a caring personality. He also had a devastating sense of humor.

            Our lack of familiarity with those around us gave us an outstanding opportunity to build relationships with people that would be built purely on our time spent at camp. This also provided the chance to abuse that relationship. One of the first conversations between Zach and I was how we could have pretended to have accents when we first arrived and convince everyone that we were foreigners. This sparked a flame that would ignite the fire of constant deception.

            We contemplated over how we use our prime relationship with those around us to abuse our status. Once this happened, lies began pouring out of us. We convinced the fifty or so people on the work crew that Zach had become engaged two days before journeying to the camp, that our friend Terry was a professional Bill Cosby impersonator and that the Amish don't believe in Wednesday. They ate the stories like they were banana pudding.

            One tale outgrew the others by mass proportions. Zach and I told everyone that we had a Youtube channel called Gordon's Giblets. Everyone wanted to know what it was like, due to our hilarious personalities and natural ease for comedy, so we decided to put on a live show. Our on-stage antics were so popular with the crowd that we began to perform almost every night. The little white lie had grown into something beyond belief.

            Eventually we began to realize that we had taken things too far. People began to stop believing us at all and we started to understand the effect it had on our character. So, with heads held low, we revealed all of our half-truths, fairy tales and falsehoods. Amazingly, no one was upset. They all found it hilarious that we had pulled it off so well, or they just already suspected our veracity.

            The reception of our untruthfulness had a huge impact on me. The fact that after being deceived and tricked day after day for weeks they would still like us dumbfounded me. Of course it was all done in good spirit but that is beside the point. When in a community, great things happen. Lives are changed, invincible bonds are made, but most of all, character flaws are overlooked. It is no longer about what a person can or cannot do, but about what you can do for them. I will never forget the relationships I made with those incredible individuals. The imagination of two young rabble-rousers incited a change in my heart that is inestimable. Gordon's Giblets changed my life.

Work Crew August 2012

    It feels like it has been ages since my last post. My summer has been nothing short of hectic. I have graduated and moved out of my parents house. It is such a weird feeling, but I have great roommates that no doubt will make me a better person. It's hard to be away from Kelly also. Three hours is not extremely far, but nonetheless I don't like being away from her. But as long as we keep our trust in God, we will be alright. She is pushing me towards God in ways that I didn't know were possible. She has taught me so much about what I want in a relationship. I had no idea how great the conversation could be between a dating couple.
    Along with that, I have learned so much this summer. I have recently done Work Crew at Rockbridge for the third session. If you don't know what that is, I worked at a Younglife camp for two and a half weeks where I served and bussed tables. I never knew how tiring that could be! There, I worked alongside a group of fellow students all about my age. We didn't get paid, and we hardly got thanked. But that was not why we were doing it. We did that hard work so that camp would be perfect. Camp is such a fun time, especially when everything is clean and in place. This camp was very special, but only because all the campers got to hear the greatest news in eternity; The Cross of Jesus Christ.
    In living with the other workers, I learned so many things. I could talk about them for hours, but now I'm going to focus on just one thing. And that is the absolute need to stay in God's word. Before I went, my time reading and studying my bible looked very different. I would read a couple of verses up to a passage. But at Work Crew,  I was reading whole books! It was a stubble at first until I realized how much I needed that time to remain in God's will for me that day. I needed that "charge" of energy that it gave me. Energy that cannot be found in any drink or food. This strength and energy came from The Lord, and it got me through each day.
    I could have made it the first few days on my own. I am a hard enough worker to do that. But that's it, only a few days! I would have been grumpy and upset about fourteen hours of work followed by very little sleep. But with that time spent with Jesus, I learned to delight in my sufferings so that other people might understand what Jesus did on The Cross and I might share in Christ's blessings.
   I have found this to be the best two and a half weeks of my life. I have never grown so much in so little a time. And to that I give thanks and praise to God for guiding me through it every step of the way.

Colossians 1:29

²⁹ For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

Just The Beginning

    Finally, my last days of high school have come. I can't believe it's happening. I am about to graduate high school. The very life that I have known for the past twelve years is coming to an end. On one hand I feel anxious and ready, but on the other I feel scared and unequipped.
    I know everything is going to be fine, and my feelings are normal. But I just can't help but to feel like it was just yesterday that I was a little freshman at my first day of high school. And now it's over. All the times I woke up too late only to find that mom had made my lunch, all the countless hours spent in the principals office, and all the years I got to spend with my friends who lived right down the street, are all gone.
    And now everyone is going their separate ways. It's going to be tough not seeing everyone all the time. I guess this stage in life calls for many road trips. It just feels so weird that I won't have to wake up and get to school before the dreaded tardy bell that ruined so many of our mornings. And I know that this next phase of my life will bring on a whole new set of responsibilities. And for that I'm ready. I'm anxious to be on my own and pay for my gas, rent, and food. There is a sense of accomplishment and pride felt in doing those grown-up things. So yes, I am excited.
    But it is still a bitter-sweet feeling. I love coming home to be greeted with a kiss from mom and a, "What's peepin' dawg?" from my dad. I'm going to miss just sitting around with my closest friends and deeply conversing the things that make up our lives.
    These times are not totally gone. I will have much to look forward to in the next few years as I will move in with Chesapeake's finest and start leading Younglife. Many more bonds are sure to be made. And in four more years, I will probably write these same things I am now. So I want to thank all of you for being in my life and caring enough to read my ramblings. But remember; this is not the end, it is only the beginning.

Integrity

     Billy Graham once said, "Integrity is the glue that holds our way of life together. We must constantly strive to keep our integrity intact. When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost."
     We are called to follow God's will in our lives. We are called to obey His commandments. We are ultimately called to glorify Him. But out in the world today, this is becoming increasingly difficult. While temptations surround us, we face decisions that we don't want to make. We are forced into situations that we don't feel prepared for. These situations can either make us or break us.
     The key to getting through these tough times is our integrity. It's easy to be dishonest with ourselves and others, and far more easy to be dishonest with God. And this sense of dishonesty can become our regular way of dealing with things.
     But we can also be honest. Pure honesty can be difficult. Sometimes it has a way of piercing our hearts and causing pain. But the truth is what's needed. The truth shall set us free. And as soon as we build it into our everyday lives, it will take over and become second nature. Rick Warren said, "We become whatever we are committed to." If we commit our lives to being truthful with God, we will become the truth that so many seek.
   


"Maintaining your integrity in a world of sham is no small accomplishment." --Wayne Oates

Family

    These are the times that I cherish. Sitting around a fire with my whole family. I hold these moments so precious to my heart because it is a rare occurrence. We have recently been united by the ever so wonderful visits from my brother Jeff and his girlfriend Kelsey. So there we sat, next to my other brother Corey and his fiance Melissa. Dad got the fire rolling as Mom came out with s'mores. What more could I ask for? Oh I know, a wonderful girl named Shannon sitting right next to me.
    Laughter filled the air as we talked about life and love. Every person outside of our immediate family has said the same thing. When we are all together, they all comment on our movie-quoting habits. I will say a line from a movie but I'll stop before completing it and wait, and without hesitation one of my brothers, Mom, or Dad will finish it.
    Others will literally laugh until they cry. Especially when we are around my Nanny, who is probably the most unpredictable woman on the earth. But we love her all the same.
    And so we sat, reminiscing on our favorite childhood memories. We decided to watch our favorite movie when we were little, 3 Ninjas. And as we sat through the corny jokes and children acting, a deep sense of appreciation fell upon me. It was my parents' love for us. They would sit through the dumbest movies and shows time and time again, just because it made us happy.
    But it wasn't always this easy. We definitely had our fair share of fights and struggles, particularly due to a house full of boys. I don't know how my mother did it. But in the end we are all better from it. I can't speak for them but I certainly wouldn't change a thing.
    I write this because family is something that I had taken for granted up until a few weeks ago. I've learned to live in the moment, and appreciate the small things. For we are not promised a tomorrow. So it's my goal to make the best of each and every day, because each one has its own purpose.


¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. --James 4:14

The Cross

    While being criticized, a good friend was accused of being too Christian. He was then reminded of something his dad had told him; "Was Jesus too Christian?" This answer is easily overlooked because of its simplicity, but it also carries huge significance.
    If the very person sent to show us what life should be like wasn't too Christian, then how in the world can we be? His name is the root for the word Christian! It is, however, possible to become over-zealous and lose sight of what we we are called to do. And it's easy to miss the true reason Jesus lived and died. It's not hard to overlook many things. That's what I will focus on.
    Mark 10:45 says, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as ransom for many." Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death . . ." Wages? Ransom? What? To understand this, we first must get a grasp of our sin. Sin can be defined as a transgression against divine law; so anything that goes against God's will for us. We have been separated from Christ because of this sin, we have all tried to do life on our own.
    But the beauty of it all, is that we have the privilege of coming back. Coming back to the One who died for us. The wages of sin is death, someone has to die because of this disease we call sin. Someone had to take the blame. Someone had to die the death that we all deserved.
    You see, Jesus was without sin. Which means he was perfect. He was the only one free of blame. The only one to live a blameless life. Jesus was sent specifically for me. He was sent specifically for you. He was sent to take upon our sins, and die the death that we deserve. Jesus died a terrible death upon the Cross of Calvary. And He did it for one reason, you and me.
   He loved us so much that He was willing to be sacrificed so that we may live. And we rest assured because Jesus was raised from the dead three days later. He rose again to show us that He was exactly who He said He was. These are the things we have taken for granted making it easy for us not to think about them very often.
    But what baffles me is how we have belittled the Cross. A while ago my family received a heart-swelling e-mail from my cousin, Mike Inman. The e-mail is titled The beauty and essence that is from the Cross of Jesus Christ, and these lines stuck out to me. He says, "My sins should break me, and make me realize my need for Jesus, but through indulging in the world I have drank, like water, the cheap joys that this world has to offer. To where the most costly joy, which is salvation, is numb and dulled down to being another cheap joy." This spoke to my heart so much that I put it on my bulletin board so I can see it every morning.
    I'm in awe every time I think about how powerful the Lord is. I used to hear the good news of Jesus, and push it aside like it was just another story. But now, I weep. I've had the opportunity to be around numerous people hearing the Gospel for the first time, and I remember thinking that this was huge for them. They are hearing the greatest news in man's history. But at the end, I wasn't crying for them, I was crying for me. I couldn't help it.
    Time again this news wrecks me. And I am ever so thankful that Jesus loved me so much to do all this just for me. There is a second part to Romans 6:23. It says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." 


Thanks Mike.

Love is All

    There has been a little change of scenery on this page, but I hope it's not too distracting from the following post.
    The Tallest Man On Earth is a band that has caught my attention in the past couple of months. They play a song that is very dear to my heart. This song is called Love is All. I hold this song so close because I find it to be very personal with my life before and after I devoted my life to following Christ.
    One of the lines in this song says, "Love is all from what I've heard but my hearts learned to kill." How true this is to my heart. As long as I can remember, I have been told to love everyone. You know, the golden rule; treat others the way you would want to be treated. But is love really all we need? Is the way I love others the most important thing? Well how do I love? What is love first of all?
    I believe in defining love we need to look at love itself. And what better example of love then Jesus Christ, who sent His only son to die for you and me. Jesus died the death I deserve. He took my place upon that cross. And for one reason, because he loves me. And in realizing this, I have learned how to love. And I have learned to love others because of Christ's love for me.
    And the second part about our hearts learning to kill. Kill what? For me, my heart learned to kill pain. It learned how to kill guilt of a life wrapped up in sin. I became numb and oblivious to these things. I became so good at not caring, that half the time, I didn't even know I was doing something wrong because of the excuses I had made. Excuses to try and justify my actions before myself. I had become so disgusted with myself without even realizing it.
    On to my favorite line in this wonderful song. "Like a house made from spider webs and the clouds rolling in, I bet this mighty river's both my savior and my sin." When I first heard this, I had to stop and give praise to God. This song is my testimony. As I built my life around sinful things, it was like building a house made of spider webs. And as soon as a storm hits, it's all over. There isn't enough strength to withstand anything that goes wrong.
    And that's exactly what happened. Everything came crashing down on the life I built. And it just wasn't strong enough. And that sin that I was so caught up in, became my savior. It made me realize how broken I was and how much I needed God to work in my life.
    So I gave it all to Him. And in doing so, I received the strength to uphold in every storm that comes my way. I have learned that anything is possible with the Lord. He might take you through a living hell, but sometimes that's exactly what's needed. It's what I needed, so I can be here today more joyful than ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BsZt_3MifU

 "² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." -- James 1:2-3

I wanted to be the best.

    As I sit here this rainy sunday afternoon, I feel as if days like these is when I will take the time to write. While watching the playoffs, I came to a realization. Glory; not mine, but the Lord's. For as long as I can remember, I was always searching for something. Most of the time I didn't even know what I was searching for.
    I have grown up in a house with two older brothers, all athletes. So naturally, everything was a competition. I am the youngest so often I was on the losing side. So a sense of drive and perseverance developed. This turned out to be one of my greatest attributes, but it also became a weakness.
    As I was always searching, I thought I could do it all on my own. Before that, any problem I came across, every storm I encountered, I was able to overcome because of the drive that had been instilled in me. I was terribly mistaken.
    I wanted to be the best. That's what it all came down to. At whatever I did, I was always trying to beat the next person. Sports were a huge influence in my life. As soon as I could walk, I had a basketball in my hands. I found joy in playing, not only because I loved the game, but because that's how other people knew me.
    So I played, for myself. Each and every time I would walk on the court it was "Wow, look at me. I'm able to do great things." And of course, it was all on my own terms. It was all me, I had the power.
    But where did that power come from? Why was I able to do these things? There was a million questions I asked myself, but only one answer. Simply, the answer was Christ. Or was it really that simple? At first it seemed as if everything was coming at me all at once. It seemed as if my whole life was broken, and it was. This couldn't be that simple. Everything in my life needed to be reversed. How on earth was I going to do this on my own. And that was it. It was simple. The joy of my salvation was enough to fix my broken life.
    After that moment, it all became so clear. I got a clear purpose of what my life was supposed to be like. I knew what God's will for my life was. His Word tells us to use our talents for His glory. My talents? Oh yeah, basketball. How was I going to do that? What did that even mean? Oh yeah, glory; but not mine anymore, His.
    I still find joy in playing the game I love, but I no longer play for me. I play for the glory of God. I find joy in carrying out God's plan for my life. I have found that my power comes from the Lord. And now, each and every time I walk on the court, I say "Wow, look at the transformation in my life. I am only able to do great things because Christ so loved me that He sent His son to die for me."
    I'm not deserving of anything. I'm overwhelmed with blessings I've received, and I thank God every day for giving me life.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." --Galations 2:20

My Introduction

Family and friends,

I urge you to follow this blog, but not just because you know me. In the upcoming weeks I am going to take you through my journey. We will dive deep into God's word and what it has to say about our lives. Questions and comments are welcomed!!