Hey Guys,
To follow up our conversation on tuesday night. I think to see what kind or type of person we are, how we work and what type of things we excel at and why - we should start with our interests and activities we like. I think a great place to start is making a list of the types of activities we like to do (sports, reading, swimming, ect..) anything that we like to do; being very specific (reading: fiction or comedy). After making the list of things that we like to do or things that bring us joy i believe the next step would be to try and find something that all those things have in common. or a trait that some or most of them share. The third step i think, would be to reason why those all of those things are so much fun to you and why you love doing or participating in them so much. why you are attacted so them. The fourth step is to think of how you can use that "attraction" into something that can be used to please God and to serve Him as much and as frequently and how you can identify that part of your personality to do good in all the circumstances that you face. Just an idea for next week. 
-- 
~Carter Coval~
     Psalm 34: 1-6

Hey Guys - I just posted a poem that was inspired by Luke Jensen's life.  Read it so we can talk about it tonight.  The idea behind it is that what is really important about each of us usually doesn't fit the world's definitions and measurements.  Often, it makes us seem weird, nerdy, hard to understand or relate to and generally too different to accept.  It is my firm contention that this weirdness that each of us carries around, often hidden out of embarrassment, shame and fear, is actually the powerful, eternal part of us.  It is the part that is most like God's image, most likely to reveal his love and truth to those around us.  It is the salt and light that we truly are and we should not hide it.  Obviously, that is extremely difficult as the enemy has been working for thousands of years to set up a system that breeds mediocrity and conformity and ridicules and rejects anything that questions it.  That is the conflict.  The world wants to stay in the matrix.  Most are not ready, willing or able to wake up and really live.  They have bought the lie and they will kill any who suggest that the truth is different than they see it.  However, for the sake of the mission of the true King of Kings, for the glory of his kingdom and to fulfill the purpose of our lives and calling, we who have ALREADY been chosen must not hide in the dark and talk about our secrets among ourselves.  It is our task to take the message to those who have ears to hear and eyes to see.  We will be opposed - sometimes, often, by those we are called to love.  But for their sake and for the pleasure of the King, we cannot bend to the opposition.  It is false and weak.  We are true and strong.  In the end, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess.  And those that refused to listen up to that point will be horrifyingly disappointed at the choice they made.  So, let us practice bowing our knee and confessing our allegiance and worship so that on that day, our will, our hearts and our bodies will not be caught unaware.  Instead we will be among those to whom the king shouts and invites with open arms:  "Well done, my good and faithful servant.  Enter into your rest!"

Ok, here we go.

So I had one of my wild dreams about 3 or 4 weeks ago. The dream was one of the most vivid and I think the most emotional dream I have ever had. I didn't think much of it until my I went on winter retreat with my youth group last weekend. Some of the main points from the trip were that God uses our weaknesses as His strengths, how we need to take our mistakes in life, give them over to God, and move on, and finally just how much OUR God has unfailing and powerful love for us. The amazing idea that we have an amazingly loving God was the main point of the trip and is what has to do with my dream. Now for the dream itself....

As I remember it I was in a movie theater. I know this from the feeling of the plush arm rests, rows of theater chairs, and movie screen in front of me. I believe I was the only one there. But there were words on the screen, I don't remember what they said because they were hazy. Also, there was something else on the screen. It was a figure and I think it was Jesus, it might have been him on the cross but like the words the image was hazy. There was a heaviness in the room. It was like being consumed in love if it were an object. I was crying, I think a more appropriate word would be balling or weeping. The tears were of sadness that He had to die for my wrongdoing. I was sad that he was in pain. But I was extremely overwhelmed with feelings of joy, happiness, and Love! They outweighed the sadness a hundred times. I sat there and cried and knew that I was in the presence of God. A God that loves me on my worst and best days. Its an understanding love that is there for me and envelops me. I don't think I have ever felt that feeling before (awake or asleep). It is hard to explain. Then the dream ends.

The significance of the winter retreat was amplified by this dream. This video makes alot of sense to me and really helps me understand the love I experienced. It is of John Mark McMillan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NXWE6AC8ao    I definately want to talk to you guys about this. That is all I can really say about it I guess. Let me know what you think.

Ok - so, everybody's a Christian.  That's good I guess - but, what if you tell someone that or they find out and then they want to know why.  Why are you a Christian, what's it all about and why should they become one?  Isn't it a bunch of rules and hypocrites?  Isn't church soooo boring?  Aren't Christians kind of judgemental?  How do you know you are following the right God?  Can you prove it?

I have a question. If somebody were to ask you what religion you "are" or what you believe, what would your answer be?

How we ever got from a kidnapping to "The Way" I can only ascribe to being directed by someone other than us.  So, that's the name - pretty cool.  We decided on Tuesday's at 7pm at the Miller house (at least for now).  We have agreed that in order to live the life we think God has for us, we need to do it in the company of other bad-to-the-bone warriors who see the Kingdom of Heaven as the territory for their lives and live there with authority.  In Matthew 4:17, Jesus invites us to that Kingdom, but we must repent.  Repenting is a 180 degree turn the other way.  It does not just mean stop doing bad things and be good.  It means everything has changed.  We need to re-evaluate life and understand it from a completely different (oposite) perspective.  Matthew spends  quite a bit of time talking about what the Kingdom of Heaven looks like, who it's for and how it works.  It is very much worth considering.  Please respond to this blog by commenting and sign up for the RSS feed so you know when there is a post - you'll get an email.
For this week:
1.  think through the question: "What is the Kingdom of Heaven?"
2.  Read through the genealogy in Matthew 1:1-17, pick two of the people in the list and find out who they were, what they did, what kind of character they had and how they contributed to the line of Christ.  Does it seem contradictory?  Do they sound like the kind of people your Sunday school teacher thinks you should be?  Why did God use them in the line of Christ - what truth is revealed?
It would be much better for our discussion next Tuesday if there was some interaction on this site before then.  Share what you have to say!
I'm excited to do this with you guys.  Have a great week - I hope you can feel the presence of Jesus walking with you.
Curtis