#Love #Wins

Today, April 16, 2011


I literally just finished Rob Bell's new book Love Wins.  My thoughts?  Well... I thoroughly enjoyed it.  This work offers light to a perspective that I feel all Christians can at least open an ear to.  I know it's done one thing, and that is make me want to go through the New Testament again - specifically the Gospel.  I just can't get over how refreshing it is to read something like that.  I mean, granted, I was on my guard a bit because of all I've heard.  "Rob Bell is a Universalist," "Rob Bell is way off," "Rob Bell took one step too far over the edge this time."  All those things sound exactly like America's religious culture not even 200 years ago.  People in Christianity, well... not even just people but prominent leaders, the Billy Graham's, Martin Luther's, John Wesley's, etc, were radically passionate about pursuing God.  This set them apart.  This made them - as DC Talk likes to say - "Jesus Freaks."  On that same note, a lot of men and women like those mentioned were rejected by many, or at least what they were preaching.  Random fact related to this topic ( I guess it's not random), but did you know that the idea of premillennialism (the idea that man is currently living in the time before Christ's second coming and that all Christians will be taken to heaven in the rapture before the tribulation - if you aren't sure what I'm talking about just look up premillennialism on wikipedia) didn't become widely recognized as orthodox until at least the 1800's?  I know that I had no clue until the other day in my American Religious History class - which by the way is my favorite class in college EVER!  Also I forget the name of the belief that premillennialism stemmed from and I will post it as soon as I talk to Dr. Webb on Monday. 

The only reason I bring that up is to show that such a strong belief - at least held in evangelical circles - was concreted within the last 100-150 years.  That is not that long in the context of Christianity.  Christ died almost 2000 years ago.  That means that this belief has been considered orthodox by some Christian groups for not even 10% of the time since Christ's death.  I don't know about you but that is quite peculiar.  Anyways back to Rob Bell.  The reason I brought all this up is that there have been people like him, with views conflicting orthodox belief, for centuries.  It's what has made theology more refined.  I believe that a lot can be applied to any Christians life from Love Wins. For instance the idea that the kingdom of heaven is here... NOW!!! What do I mean by that? Well, we as Christians have an opportunity to serve others around us, make the world a better place, think about others and this world more than ourselves.  If we live like the Kingdom of Heaven is here now, we will work to improve this world and treat suffering with love and care.  Give food to the starving.  Shelter the homeless, etc.  I'm not saying to sell everything you own and go be Shane Claiborne (again if you don't know him, look him up, he's huge on this stuff), but if we just make the effort to look around, observe what around us needs our love, and see to serving that need, this world will start to really look more like the Kingdom.  On the other hand, what Bell says in his book, if we live like we are just waiting for the next world or just working towards ensuring our ticket to heaven is valid, we will miss out on what Christ wants us to accomplish while we still have breath.

At the end of the day I would rate Bell's book an 8/10.  It could have had more substance, but it was a good quick read.  Very insightful and extremely relevant to contemporary Christian culture.  I would recommend it to any Christian.  My only advice would be to not just take everything he says for truth.  Because, the only truth, comes from God.

Hope this post was helpful, God Bless

-Kris-

April = Great Weather? Right? Eh? Not Really?

April has brought a lot along with it.  I am now to the point where I really cannot waste one hour on being unproductive, or at least it feels that way.  Finding the motivation to do work is hard at times but it helps to have my pictures of Kait and I on my desk to remind me what part of the objective is.  I know that school can really suck.  I have to get STRAIGHT A's this semester.  I've never shot for straight A's.  I think I've achieved them once throughout school, it was my sophomore year and high school and I thought it was a fluke.  What I'm saying here is that this is new.  I've never been a GREAT student.  I've gotten by. I've put in my time to get to the next level and seem like I knew what I was doing, but I've never reached my full potential.  I always let things get in the way.  I do so much, or at least I've done so much.  I constantly think what else could I be doing, instead of looking at the task in front of me.  Or at least that's how I've been most of my life.

This year, specifically these last few weeks have really challenged that part of me.  I am looking forward at a life full of joy, family, God-filled life, and work; lots of work.  But that is only for the next four years.  I am going to Law School.  Ideally, I'd like to go to the University of Cincinnati, but I will settle for where I get the most money - probably at least.  In the moments like now, where I'm in my room cranking away at a paper, I find that I still have a lot of growing.  I will sit here, type, think, retype what I just typed because I didn't like it, check facebook, check twitter, look at what I typed, sit, think, etc.  It's a vicious cycle of procrastinative tendencies (yea I don't think that's a word but whatever).  I'm breaking them, slowly but surely.  It's painful to rework and rewire your brain.  Right now I have four songs from movie/TV show soundtracks, playing on shuffle repeat until I can't take it anymore.  All four songs are inspirational and moving.  They bring feelings of "Yea, I can do this!" - which by the way are the exact feelings I need to have right now.

Things with Kaitlyn are fantastic.  Again I could not have asked for a better woman in my life.  Granted I know that there are posts in here about other women.  I recognize that.  But, God has brought the perfect piece of life's puzzle to me.  Katie is the epitome of what I've been looking for in a future wife.  She cares for me, earnestly, and fervently with love that I can feel.  She puts up with me being a complete @$$hole sometimes.  She loves the Lord, and desires to serve him with her life.  The list could go on, but above all she makes me want to be a better man.  I have no doubt that her coming into my life almost three years ago was divine intervention.  Yes, we both had to make choices and follow through with various things to get us to the here and now, but God had a part to play.  He crafted her with some of the best parts of his divine character.  I just look forward to a great, great future with her in which we'll be pursuing a life and a family firmly set upon God's love.

All in all, I'm in the midst of a battle for motivation.  I have about 80-82 pages left to write.  I better get crackin.  God Bless, and I hope you enjoyed this post.

-Kris-

Marching Close...

As March comes to an end I have but a few thoughts to share,

This month was one of the greatest in the history of my life. I got to spend half of it with a woman who has already changed my life forever, for good, for the best, in the most positive ways one human being can change another. Kaitlyn Mullin, my girlfriend, is the most amazing person I've come across, and have had the pleasure of knowing and growing fond of. I love her more than I can describe in man made words. The words that would properly describe my feelings for her are probably not of this world. She just simply amazes me more every day as I perpetually fall more in love with her every minute of every day.

Also,
This month has made me realize something crucial. I have thought previously that I needed to do some growing up. But, this month, or with the closing of this month, I've realized that I have more to learn and grow than ever before. With my assignments for school rearing their ugly faces I also face getting a job, getting an internship, finalizing things with a band, starting a new chapter of social interaction - my circle of friends is altering significantly for the third time in three years (I think that's correct, maybe two times, either way more than I'd like), as well as looking ahead at financially, emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally preparing for a marriage. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At the beginning of this last school year I thought I was going to just more or less coast and put most of my efforts at being in a band. I gave it my all, and I felt like it was going to maybe actually be what I wanted - even though I would have only been kidding myself to not know that I really have always, ALWAYS wanted a beautiful, loving wife more than anything else in this life - but that wasn't enough.

I didn't feel like I was being realistic. When I left TAHBI, or was asked to leave TAHBI, I realized that the band was not what I really wanted out of life, more specifically, my life during and closely after college. I think my leaving has brought new inspiration to the other members - good for them - but I am left with a lack of support on the home front until Kait is back home. I realize that It's OK and that it's how things happen sometimes. THINGS CHANGE, PLANS CHANGE, and it is OK. So now... I'm looking at a whole new set of options, or a whole new direction; a direction that I happen to really find appealing.

I want to be the man of God that He wants me to be. For that to happen, this growth must occur. The first step has been realizing that. Ok whew, now that that's over... what do I do now???? Who knows honestly? I know a few things. I love Jesus, I love Kaitlyn Mullin, I'm going to law school - first I guess I'm studying for the LSAT - after I graduate, I'm getting married hopefully before I go to law school, I want to play music - for God - for the rest of my life in some capacity, and that's about all I know... oh and I'm the founding president of the new Pre-Law Society at Huntington University - sounds pretty cool I guess :). These things I know... I will just keep going I guess. For now it's time for bed. Tomorrow: a new day, awaiting my progress toward growth and refinement through fire.

Much Love and Blessings to all!

-Kris-

P.S. if you don't know the pic is my amazing girlfriend! :)

End and Beginning... of books!

Today, in a few minutes, I am going to begin reading Rob Bell's "Love Wins". I'm really excited to embark on this journey because of all the surrounding criticism. Most of the people that criticized the book had not even read it yet. I am a firm believer - in most cases - that we should not knock something unless we try it (a case where this wouldn't apply is like for instance with murder... not a great idea to try that one out).

I finished Donald Miller's "Blue Like Jazz" last night and boy was it amazing. One of the most refreshing reads I've experienced in a while - almost as refreshing as the Bible. The main principles reinforced how important love truly is to the equation of life and all that Christ calls us to be while we're living our various parts of life. Love will save people, or it will at least set the foundation to where they will be open to salvation. Yes of course people turn to God out of desperate circumstances, but in general, from what Donald Miller says in "Blue Like Jazz", people respond and listen to those whom they believe actually care about who they are.

It's in these modern times with the ever growing technology that someone like me worries - funny coming from a blogger - about the disconnect that comes from the use of things like social networking. "How many facebook friends do we have?" How about instead "How many times have you cried or let someone cry to you about the crappy situations they or you are encountering?" Facebook is great in a lot of ways don't get me wrong. My family can keep up with what's going on while I'm away at college. But we can't let technology determine our involvement or engaging in relationships. We can't let technology - or other distractions for that matter - take us out of being the social people God designed us to be. Now that's not to say that introverts need to make a million friends, but it means that we all need to engage socially on an intimate level with someone. That could be one or thirty people, that's between you and I and ourselves.

So with all that said, I learned a lot or was at least enlightened to what I need to work on after reading "Blue Like Jazz". Now I'm looking forward to Love Wins. More later

-Kris-

Like An Avalanche

It was March 3rd...

Kait came into town, it was awesome! :) Then we spent a great weekend at my parent's houses and came back today - well yesterday at this point lol - and went to church. I realize more and more everyday how blessed I am. It helps when I have feelings of overcoming self-doubt. I yearn to be rid of these imperfections in my soul. It really gets tiring doubting yourself all the time. The good news is that I as well as we all shall press on. We'll press on until there's nothing left to bleed or feel. God has purposefully and wonderfully shown up in my life in various ways. I can't thank Him enough for what He's done. In the midst of difficulty even though I may feel alone, at the end of day when I lay my head to rest, I know that He's there. I could be in a gutter or a queen-sized bed, He'd be there with me, holding me close. That's how I feel, and what I believe. Even though I don't always recognize it, my faith is enduring. No matter what I hear and read, it all typically sharpens my understanding of who God is, sometimes it challenges, but again at the end of the day I always know He's there.

I personally have been working through some tough stuff lately. Thanks be to God for Kait and her willingness to listen. She is such a huge help when I need to vent thoughts about faith, love, and God. I have been challenged of late, by what and who the church, of Christ, is supposed to be.

Why O why is there even a wonder? Shouldn't the church have been set off on the right path from the get go. It's almost (not the carbon copy of, but similar to) like the United States Constitution - the Bible that is. Let me clarify, I'm a firm believer that the United States was never ever intended to be a Christian nation, I'm strictly comparing these two writings from a documentary analysis standpoint. Firstly, I want to say I believe the Bible, overall, is much more direct and specific than the Constitution. The similarity I would like to stress is the division in followers.

Division. It's unavoidable when you are talking about large groups of people all trying to follow the same direction. Does that make the variety of directions blatantly wrong, leaving merely a right and wrong path? No... Of course it doesn't. God gave us His word to guide, not to put us in a mold that is a strict, legalistic, non-wavering Christian life. He did say the road is narrow. He did say that few will enter. What is a few? Right now there are six billion people on the earth. 1% of 6 billion is 10 million. I would personally say that that's closer to none than a few. My point being is that I think a lot more people are on the right path than what most Christians give them credit for. Also to clarify, I think that going the opposite direction is obviously blatantly wrong. Example: You start in New York, you want to travel to San Fransisco, you can't keep going south to get there, better yet, you couldn't fly out into space in a 180 degree direction from earth and get there. Yes this next part may be harsh, but it's what I believe. There is only ONE way to eternal life - according to what I know to be true and what I believe - and that is through Jesus Christ. The argument and point I'm trying to make is that, there isn't just one way to get to Him. Why do we have denominations if there is? Why did the Catholic church - the ORIGINAL church - split if there was only one way to Christ?

These are some thoughts I've been working through. Take them for what they are, I want to eventually conceptualize all this into something more concrete but for now, it's going to be an informal blog post. So yea... lol

Enjoy
God Bless
-Kris-