Dave. New York born. Jersey raised. I am second. Coffeeshops. Converses. Unfinished books. Movie extraordinaire. Craves theology, deep conversations and donuts. Radical reformission. Musician. Blogger. Seminarian.

I write for the sake of writing. Sometimes it's encouraging. Sometimes it's personal. But I write so I can remember who I am as I progress in my journey.

We want Change Vs. Being the change…

There is a difference between existence and living. As finite beings, we all exist and alive because we are breathing air, using our senses and able to comprehend these facts. To exist is merely to be part of the status quo, another number adding up to the population of this life. It is being categorized by your gender, height, weight, hair color, and other physical attributes/deformities. It is going through the motions to survive, to keep going, to keep the machine running. There is this lingering notion inside us to not want this to end so we exist. We keeping trying to find where we fit as a puzzle piece of authentic community. 

But to live, is to know and experience. To grow in knowledge of the things in front of us and the things that have come before us, and the things that will come after us. It is going through the process of doubt,belief,hope and conviction. It is having the ability to empathize, to feel pain, sorrow and joy. To live is to not only breathe oxygen, but to sit there amazed at the fact that we are so precious, so finite, that one little hole in our lungs will cause us pain and prevent us from breathing. To truly live as God has created us to live is to look at everything in our lives and reflect on their purpose. As we reflect on the purpose of everything, we engage in conversations about what we are learning. We talk to others about our transitions, our present troubles, our current triumphs. We get together for dinner to laugh, to talk , to encourage, to bless.  

Society knows that there is something wrong. That’s why there is all these occupy movements. But they are confused on how to deal with what’s wrong because they only see the symptoms. You can’t just attack symptoms and side effects. You must attack the source. We spend so much time fighting against “agents of evil” when we don’t realize that we are all part of that agency. We need to be fixed ourselves. We need to be changed. Restored. Given hope. Obama promised change. We demanded it. But how funny is it that for all the time we demanded change, we still haven’t been changed ourselves. We need to be changed to change. We need to be forgiven in order to forgive. We need to know love in order to love. We need to know justice before we can demand it. 

How can we change if we don’t seek? How can we seek if we only search within our flawed brethren? We need someone bigger than us to restore us from our dirty residue of the human condition.

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  - Romans 5:8

Sinners- broken people, people that hated God, people that didn’t believe in Him or even mocked him, You and Me.

Be the Change.  

Things I’m Jelly of - No. 1

That moment when someone says, ” The Lord told me today….”  and I’m all like “What?” “How?”

You heard something? You felt something? You had a Holy Spirit inspired gut feeling?

Super Christian, Y U NO TELL ME YOUR LISTENING SECRETS?!?

*If this was taken in offense, I apologize. I’m seriously jelly of your experience. And I desire it immensely in my own life.*

Struggles of a Seminary Grad Student…

Even though I spend so many hours reading on theology and the things of God, sometimes i struggle with the reality of God as a fully functional, living, powerful Creator. The intangibility of God is an present day struggle. I hate the fact that i rely on my senses so much because for the most part, this is how i live my life. Through communication, touch, smell, taste, sight and sound.  

The idea of faith being a mindset and concept must collide with the concrete reality of this life.

We can talk about theology, morality and God all day long but i wonder how many of us struggle with the fact that it is all real? That this hope we have for the future will be as real as the fact that we open our eyes and stare at the ceiling when we wake up.

Although this  struggle is real, i cling on to this faith in Christ even if it’s just a thin thread. I’m hanging on the edge. But i wonder if i’m doing it because of fear or because this is the ultimate reality of my present situation.

I don’t want to believe to get out of hell free. I want to belive because it is the truth and i can’t run away from it. I want to believe in freedom and happiness, not fear of punishment.

I’m walking on thin ice but i’ll cling to this faith even if it means i fall straight into this river of darkness….

Copping Out: Different Perspectives

A non-believer would claim that the Christians cop out is their faith. They don’t have the answers to some questions so their cop out is they still cling on to whatever they believe in without knowing everything.

A Christian would say that the atheist/non believer doesn’t want to struggle with the ideas of faith/belief and like the Christian, does not have the answers for everything but doesn’t feel need to have them as well .

::Insert Some Hard Question::

Christian: I don’t know. I have belief and faith. Just believe.
Atheist: I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. Stop telling me what to do.

Just some observations…

“One of the best feelings is knowing that you are loved. And If you don’t know that… Really open your eyes. You are loved, very much.”

—(via keshialee)

Simplicity

Dear Dave, 

Sometimes it’s best to speak less, shut up and listen. Sometimes God doesn’t need to be heard from reading cathecisms, books on doctrine and systematic theologies. Sometimes God speaks through the words of a love one, the lyrics of the song that’s playing on your ipod, the sunset that you’re witnessing as you drive. Sometimes you strive so hard to do and professionalize the act of knowing Jesus Christ that you don’t realize that you’ve gone so long without hearing His voice. Just shut up and listen. 

Sincerely,
Future Dave 

Date a Girl Who Loves Jesus...

nomorexcuses:

welooktoyahweh:

kineoedbygod:

Date a girl who loves Jesus. Date a girl who would rather stay at home reading Scripture on a Friday night than be out partying with a group of friends. She has issues with space because her shelves are overflowing with the works of Lewis, Edwards, Spurgeon, Piper and more. Date a girl who spends her money on others instead of clothes and other frivolous things.  

Find a girl who’s passionate about the Gospel. You’ll know that she is because she will always have her Bible in her bag and she’s always read to help others. She’s the one lovingly giving up her spare time to spend it with those in need, the one who lets out a silent but compassion-filled cry for the state of the world and all of His people.You see that girl sitting and talking by herself, looking sort of out-of-place, and admiring her surroundings? That’s her. She can’t resist taking time out of her day to talk to God and thank Him for His blessings.

And boy, is she ever thankful.

She’s the one who’s got that look on her face when she’s in worship, that look that shows you can tell where her focus is in that moment. Eyes closed and hands raised, or perhaps she is sitting in stillness and silence. Either way, you can see a light in her that isn’t like anything you’ve ever seen. She’s the one who isn’t afraid to fall to her knees or dance in the joy of the LORD.

She’s in it, she’s in love with Love Himself.

This girl has some serious self-respect; she doesn’t parade around announcing her flaws in hopes of reassurance or compliments. She knows that she was created in His image and no matter what society says; she is beautiful. She doesn’t need anyone to remind her. She knows how intricately created she is, placing her self-worth in Christ and Christ alone.

A girl who loves the LORD isn’t going to be caught up in pointless things. She doesn’t flip through the channels of the TV searching for the latest soap opera. She doesn’t mindlessly watch trashy movies, lusting over the lead actor. She isn’t flipping through the pages of a unrealistic romance novel, hoping and wishing that it comes to life. She’s studying and learning. She’s thinking and engaging with the world around her. She’s reading His Word and applying it to her life and how she interacts with others. This girl isn’t wasting her God-given gifts on the world and it’s pleasures, she’s using them toward the advancement of His Kingdom, all for the Glory of the LORD.

If you end up dating her, consider yourself blessed because you know God gave her to you. The LORD has selected her especially for you and prepared the both of you for each other. She’s not the kind of girl who pines for the next guy to come into her life. No, she is patient. She waits upon the LORD and His timing. She does not complain or become anxious, for she knows that Christ is her focus above all things.

Pray for her. Pray with her.

This is one of the greatest gifts you can offer her. Read the Bible with her. Tell her about the things God is doing in your life. She cares, and she loves to hear them. Teach her with the wisdom of Solomon, lead her like Moses with a faith like Abraham. She will search you to see if you have David’s heart for God. But most of all, you must love her with the Love of Christ Himself because a girl who loves Jesus is very special. She is bold like Esther, hospitable like Lydia, submissive like Mary and she consistently thrives to align her life with the very words found in Proverbs 31. Scripture is her daily bread, and she grows off of God’s consistent grace and compassion. 

Date a girl who loves Jesus more than she will ever love you. Date a girl who acknowledges her God-given mission in life and the priority it has over all things. Know that God has placed you by her side for a reason; you’re in this together and God has plans for the both of you. You’re in good hands as long as you stay within the center of God’s will. This girl will keep you on the Holy path, and trusts you will be honest with you when you are struggling…because she always will. Date a girl who loves Jesus because He loves you, and He just wants the best for you.

Or better yet, marry a girl who loves Jesus.

By Ashley MacKenzie 
(A response to “Date a Girl Who Reads” and other parodies.)

dream girl legit..

haha this sounds so unrealistic. i wonder if there is a girl out there like this!

i can only pray that God will bless me with a girl like this

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