Still Kicking...

Hard to believe I have had this blog for 5 years. It seems like just the other day I was in English Lit 101 at Defiance College creating this. This isn't a very substantial post, just a refresher I guess. The real reason I mainly wrote on here after Feb 2006 was to see if my then ex-gf with whom I was deeply in love with would see how I was "changing".

Anyway, at this point I clearly do not care and let's see if I can make this a decent blog. I know that a person may stumble upon this but honestly, the only reason I write this is for myself. It feels great to get things off your chest every now and then.

I'll conclude with this: I got a new book and I can't wait to read it. It's called The Sacredness of Questioning Everything by David Dark. I'll let "you" know how it is. Toodles.

Ty

Am I doing this right?

Sometimes I wish I knew the answer to that question because right now I feel like I'm not.

Push

I'm working on something that might end up being something that fizzles out into nothing or it becomes something. I'm extremely excited about it and hopefully I can be more descriptive later but for now, that's all I've got. Hope life is well and God bless.




And yes, the word "Push" has something to do with it.

How Much?

Do you ever wonder if you're doing enough? Sure, you love Jesus and you say he claims your heart but to what depth does it reach? How far are you willing to go with it? At what point does it stop being an optimistic, heart-warming ideal and becomes the raw, uncensored beat of your heart? As I sit in yet another Bible class and I hear stories and Scripture being analyzed and challenged, I wonder if I do enough of the things God expects from me. Do I pray enough? Do I pray the right way? Are there things I'm missing when I pray? Do I serve enough? Is Christ on my mind enough or on my tongue enough? Do I stand up for God all the time or just part of the time? Is my faith half-hearted or half-assed or both? Do I react to people and situations the way I believe Christ would? Do I give love as freely as He would? Am I as unselfish as He was? How far am I willing to go with this? Would I be willing to give my life for Him? Would I really? Could I? Would I really willingly be a martyr? I have read so many stores of martyrs from around the world, about fellow brothers and sisters in Christ with guns blazing, they never retreat and never surrender their undying faith in Jesus Christ. They sprint into the bullets which have been fired to tear the very flesh from their bones and they do not waiver and never hesitate. Could I be that strong? Am I going to have to be? If Jesus came to me and told me to leave it all behind and wonder the streets for the rest of my life and give up all that is known to me, could I do it or would I be like that rich man that was asked the same thing and slowly walk away? Could I leave it all behind trusting that God will provide? Sometimes I wonder how much faith I say I have and how much faith I really have.

kabod Yahweh

Recently, I have been finding myself lost in the kabod of Yahweh. When I think deeply about just how BIG and AWESOME God is, I never seem to be able to wrap my brain around that. This God who is so creative, wise, empathetic, courageous and always so relentless in His love for me, continues to pursue my heart each day that I am given the gift of breathe. With every sunrise and sunset, Yahweh is teaching me, taking my hand and exploring His heart, refining and challenging my ways of thinking. I find myself in continuous in awe of Him.

What If?

What if God wants to do through a people today, what he did through a group of people yesterday? What if God wants to do through a people here and now, what he did through a people there and then? And what if that people was us? What if maybe, just maybe, we will be given the opportunity to change the world in a way no different than those first century believers?

This Summer...

If all goes according to plan, this is adding up to become an absolutely amazing summer. I can't wait. I hope you can come along for the ride.










For one, I'm going to several of those ^ and secondly, I'm going to get some of these (below).



































God has shown me a new passion that has been buried and now I have found the courage to go with it and I'm running with it at full force. Hopefully in a few years, I'll be traveling the country doing what I love. I used to think sports was my life but I think the tide has turned and music has taken over with basketball a very close second (God is a given in this sentence). So yes, I'm going to become a DJ.

"You are the son of a kind, strong, and engaged Father, a Father wise enough to guide you in the Way, generous enough to provide for your journey."
John Eldredge

Her Last Prayer

Girl
16 or 17 years old
Asia
1970s

The Communist soldiers had discovered their illegal Bible study.

As the pastor was reading from the Bible, men with guns suddenly broke into the home, terrorizing the believers who had gathered there to worship. The Communists shouted insults and threatened to kill the Christians. The leading officer pointed his gun at the pastor's head. "Hand me your Bible," he demanded.

Reluctantly, the pastor handed over his Bible, his prized possession. With a sneer on his face, the guard threw the Word of God on the floor at his feet.

He glared at the small congregation. "We will let you go," he growled, "but first, you must spit on this book of lies. Anyone who refuses will be shot." The believers had no choice but to obey the officer's order.

A soldier pointed his gun at one of the men. "You first."

The man slowly go up and knelt down by the Bible. Reluctantly, he spit on it, praying, "Father, please forgive me." He stood up and walked to the door. The soldiers stood back and allowed him to leave.

"Okay, you!" the soldier said, nudging a woman forward. In tears, she could barely do what the soldier demanded. She spat only a little, but it was enough. She too was allowed to leave.

Quietly, a young girl came forward. Overcome with love for her Lord, she knelt down and picked up the Bible. She wiped off the spit with her dress. "What have they done to Your Word? Please forgive them," she prayed.

The Communist soldier put his pistol to her head. Then he pulled the trigger.

~

Most of those facing persecution today could have escaped if they had denied their faith. The question is no whether we are persecuted, but whether we are willing to lay down or life for our faith in Jesus Christ

Jesus Freaks 1999

What is important to you?

Worship = Prioritization

Think about it.

Round 3...

Well here we go again. School is officially in full swing and I'm not totally sure how I feel about Taylor yet. I'm really happy that Mike is back in school and we get to continue to play basketball together. I'm also looking forward to deepening my relationship with God here but man I'm not gonna lie, some of the people here are really freakin weird.

Sometimes just walking to and from class, I have to take a double take just to make sure I was seeing ok. Without getting to mean, let's just say it's really interesting here. Oh well, God will provide. He has so far...

God bless,
Tyler

Grace...

Grace is still something that blows my mind and I'm just starting to understand. How can a perfect God love me so unconditionally? Why would He? What's in it for Him? Lord God, you continue to fascinate me and teach me things that only you could. I just ask that I continue to pass on that beautiful Grace to others in my life so that my heart will reflect yours. Amen.

One more thing to add...

Like it says above, I have one more thing to add to my last blog...I was flippin through "Blue Like Jazz" and I can across this quote that convicts me every time I read it and it reminds me so much of why I want to get out and see the world and it's people...

"The overwhelming majority of the time I spend thinking about myself, pleasing myself, reassuring myself, and when I am done there is nothing to spare for the needy. Six billion people live in this world, and I can only muster thoughts for one. Me."
-Donald Miller

Been Some Time...

What's up, I know its been some time since my last update (Dustin). All is pretty well here. Work is getting to be more and more fun each day. I love the kids more with each passing day as well. I especially have a deep place in my heart for a family of 4 kids from Africa. The Razi family. The more I spend time with them and get to know them the more I see how beautiful they are. I believe within a year and a half I will go to Africa for one reason or another.

I would love to spend time with the people there. The have such beautiful hearts that I would love to get to know and hopefully relate to and especially learn from. I need to get out of Indiana and experience people and their hearts. I need to hear from different perspectives and learn as much as I can. My heart is growing for people. God has and continues to surprise and humble me. Just when I think I know something, He makes me realize just how far I have to go.

It's a wonderful feeling to just want to love people. To love them unconditionally. No matter if they swear, smoke, do sexual things, are rude, poor, dirty, have no morals, if they are downright gross, anti-God, or anti-me. I still look for a way to love them because Christ does. I love them because they exist and they have every right to the same love that Christ shows me. They too have dreams, fears, aspirations, hopes, wishes, needs and wants. Who am I to strip them of their soul, their right to belong, their most inner being, their heart's deepest desires of acceptance and love? God, continue to humble me and make me a servant of all people.

The world's shaking with the love of God
Great and glorious, let the whole earth sing
And all you ever do is change the old for new
People we believe that

God is bigger than the air I breathe
The world we'll leave
God will save the day and all will say
My glorious!

Clouds are breaking, heaven's come to earth
Hearts awakening let the church bells ring
And all you ever do is change the old for new
People we believe that

God is bigger than the air I breathe
The world we'll leave
God will save the day and all will say
My glorious!

God is bigger than the air I breathe
The world we'll leave
God will save the day and all will say
My glorious!

God is bigger than the air I breathe
The world we'll leave
God will save the day and all will say
My glorious!

Well...

The Fray didn't quite work out the way I had hoped...we didn't leave on time and Hilary was going fast to try to make up time and out of nowhere came a pretty sharp curve and we were going about 70 so obviously, we didn't make it. We went right into a fence. Both of us were totally fine and nothing major happened to the car. The fence was one of those barbed wire fences and it scratched the crap out of her car but besides that, it's all good but....we didn't make it to the Fray because it had been raining and the car got stuck in the mud so we had to call a tow truck and all that good stuff.

Pretty disappointed but in the big picture, it's ok. I'll see them someday. Nothing too new is happening for me. Just working, playing ball and lifting. It feels good to lift again. Especially since I'm starting to see some results so that keeps me motivated. On top of that, Mr. Mike Yoder is trying to hook me up with a friend of his. She's extremely pretty but I'm not really sure how to approach it and or if I'm even ready. I'm got to think about it some more. Well, that's all for now. Time for me to take a shower and get some food. Goodnight and God bless.

2 Timothy 1:7

+4/-1

I went out and bought Tiesto's In Search of Sunrise 5 and it's amazing. Some songs are fillers but for the most part, I love it. So now I can take that album off the list. But I have found 4 more that I hope to eventually get down the road and they are...



















































































Well that's all for now, off to the lake for the weekend. Have a wonderful weekend. God bless.