Follow up with a thing called “Grace.”

“Grace period”: a period of time alloted for a chance of retribution or fufillment of an obligation before receiving a penalty…

This is what most people in this country think of when the word “Grace” is mentioned. Usually because as Americans we procrastinate and forget, like paying bills… for example. When we are given a chance to make it up we say, “oh that’s grace.” We forget that in turn we’re either costing someone else trouble or money, or in the case that I’m going to talk about someone’s life. We cause this by neglecting our own responsibilities and obligations as people. But when we’re forgiven for the moment we call it grace. The country wouldn’t be in the financial crisis it’s in if we as people owned up to our own responsibilities. As Men, Women, Teachers, Leaders, Husbands, Fathers, Mothers, Children, Brothers, Sisters and Friends. But “Thank God for That GRACE”…right??? wrong.

From the beginning of time we were given everything…but we (Man) didn’t own up to our responsibilities as part of creation. We neglected the fact that we were here for a purpose. We neglected the fact that we weren’t needed but wanted. We neglected the very being of our Creator. What we did see and realize is that we weren’t the “Shit” so to speak… so we (Speaking on Man) took that as trying to fill a void. Trying to be everything. Trying to be “Supreme” We wanted not to be under God but  to be alongside Him. We took the Apple with gladness,  pride, with a sense of thinking this is what’s going to make us “Who we thought we were supposed to be.” I sometimes wonder what was going through Eve’s mind the moment right before she bit the Apple. Maybe she was thinking…”I’m going to do Adam a favor by doing this and in turn he’ll love me more or appreciate me.???” Just think of how many times we as broken people do things for the appreciation and approval of others. As much as i dislike this movie, I’m going to use this as an example… but the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness”‘s character played by the fresh prince himself, was the biggest spineless, people pleaser known to man. He sacrificed his family and REAL HAPPINESS in order to gain status with his bosses. When he didn’t have nothing in the first place he tried and tried to make them respect him…

young girls…i would normally say young women but you’ll see why not in this instance… young girls…please please please act like women. Don’t give away something that isn’t yours from the beginning. You flaunt your body around just waiting for a man to say..” She’s hott.” Swinging your hips which truthfully aren’t ready to carry the weight of baring a precious child.

Young men…i say young men because i feel that every boy is called to be a man… Please please please act like men. GAP…grow a pair. Please.That means Stand. Stand for what is right. Justice, Truth, Honor, and Real Strength. Here we go…the moment we’ve all been waiting for…Jesus.

He fulfilled our responsibilities and obligations of being a person right before God. He lived the life we couldn’t from start to finish. He knew immediately who He was…that was God. But knowing that to His Father, He was everything already. He didn’t need anything more to make him “Who He thought He should be.” He knew He was here for a purpose (Our Screw Ups).. He was the Man, Teacher, Leader, Husband, Father, Child, Brother, and Friend that we couldn’t be. He knew He didn’t need any more approval or appreciation. Believe me…He wasn’t a people pleaser. He Brought It!!! Raw. Hardcore.

He didn’t toot His own horn but shouted praise to the One who is worthy of praise. He was modest. humble. and right. He knew the weight of sin that He had to carry for me and you. He had a Pair. He stood…for justice, truth, honor and real strength. Here’s the real definition of grace. What He did for us. Not merely forgiven for the moment but for Eternity.

Are we going to be thankful for this Grace Period… How can we be thankful? Do we have to pay a retribution back. Fuck No. He did everything. We need to accept the fact that we were bought with a price. Just like like Hosea’s wife Gomer. We were given everything but whored ourselves out. Grace was buying her back and loving her through it. As messed up and tainted as we were, He made us clean. That’s GRACE.

I’m in the Eternal GRACE PERIOD.

Curtain Call Summer 2009

This summer has been amazing. The majority of time was spent with family, friends, neighbors, and great people. One of the terms which summarizes this past and current summer has been the phrase…”Doing Life.” Up until now this term has been sort of annoying to me because people have used it to describe their interaction, and experience of hanging out with the people they love.We’ve pioneered this. In my circle of friends over the past two to three years we’ve been doing life they best way we know how. This picture of doing life to anyone from outside of our community looking in may seem kind of childish, immature or odd, but in Reality, it’s just a different perspective. I mean, to a group of middle aged men, “doing life” might mean getting together once a month to watch one of their son’s little league baseball games and enjoying a fresh brew after all the kids are in bed. To a group of teenagers, doing life might mean getting all dressed up with face paint and ripped clothes during their school’s spirit week and cheering at the top of the their lungs when the school basketball team’s leading scorer hits the game winning shot. To me and my close knit group of peers and friends, doing life means learning and loving when times are good and when the “Fhit hits the San!” There have been plenty of times when we’ve done the most outrageous things to pass the time. When you can “Break” into your friend’s house for fun, not knowing that their neighbors are calling the cops and then you get caught by them and laugh it off, then all of a sudden eight cops roll up like we broke into Fort Knox and question us…then you’re doing life. When you’ve had it with a friend who constantly seems to make the wrong decisions and you want to cut them off but decide to love them through it… that’s when you know you’re “doing life.” When your parents and family don’t see eye to eye with you and you feel like there’s no one out there who understands where you’re coming from but still you know you can call a handfull of people who you know will shed some LIGHT (Jesus) on the situation and encourage you to take a different perspective on your feelings, you might just be “Doing Life.”

This summer has been a real eye opening experience for me personally. There have been ups and downs, twists and turns, and countless hours spent conversing about a little known thing called “grace”…