Reinventing Valentine's Day

Ah, Valentine's Day. A holiday of crushes, boyfriends, girlfriends, dates, flowers, chocolates, cheesy romantic comedies, and general goosh-ery of every variety. We see the store displays with the chubby Cupid with his bow and arrows with the heart tips. We see those nasty little heart-shaped candies with little phrases like 'BE MINE' or "I LUV U' on them. We embrace telling out sweethearts 'I love you, babe' or 'You are beautiful!' or if, you're a fundimentalist Christian, 'I enjoy your presence and would like to pursue you with a friendship outing.' Gag. Not to mention the singles that decide to pout and sit around wishing they had a boyfriend or a girlfriend or were married, etc.

What, really, is the point of all this? One day of the year to focus on... romance? Love? What is Valentine's Day really about? I'm about to give you the Linus answer; you know, where Linus on 'Charlie Brown' stands up on stage and tells the Christmas story? Well, imagine I'm Linus, and it's Valentine's Day.

The Legend of St. Valentine is just that - a legend. There's little historical record about him, and in fact, there were several St Valentines recognized by the early church. I think, though, the idea of his story is what we should look at; the man, yes, but more so his message. If St. Valentine exists only as a parable, so be it - the story is still one of the deepest love. Love you won't find in a Hallmark card or on a balloon or in a sappy romance song.

In a time when Christians were being persecuted for their love for Jesus Christ and the life they led because of that, St. Valentine was a brave man. When they could dip you in burning oil, feed you to lions, or just corner and slay you in the street because of your devotion to Christ, St. Valentine saw that as a problem. Legend has it that Valentine helped many Christians escape the harsh torture and even murdering of his Christian brothers and sister, which perfectly exemplifies John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

For this, the Roman government had Valentine killed. He died for the sake of the Gospel - showing such TRUE love, and not the sappy romantic crap that ends up on cakes, cards, and Facebook that has been associated with his name these days. What a shame, eh?

Love is a theme that is probably the most profound theme in the Bible. Besides salvation itself, which is basically God proving his love for us, love is an obvious main bullet point in scripture and Jesus' teachings. Love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Love is patient, kind, doesn't envy or boast, is forgiving rejoices in truth, it protects, trusts, hopes, preserves (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). It is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36-40). It is God Himself! (1 John 4:18). Doesn't that sound like something you'd devote a holiday to?

What if this year, we forgot all the generally mooshy and sappy traditions and connotations associated with this holiday, and look at it from a Christian perspective? What if we focused on TRUE love, and not the love of some star-crossed teenagers, a dozen roses, or posting the lyrics of out favorite love songs on the internet? What if we treated Valentine's Day like Christmas or Easter? We complain that those holidays are losing their 'true meaning,' but we still celebrate Jesus at least a little bit on those days; why not Valentine's Day?

Think about it: a day devoted to love! Christian love! A type of love that when you see it in others, you don't get depressed; you are filled with joy! A love that when shared can literally change the world! A love that saved you, and a love that is perfectly exemplified in our God.

The Beatles sang 'All you need is Love.' Switchfoot calls the love of God 'A symphony, a melody, a song...' They also say 'Love is the Movement; Love is the revolution.' Jars of Clay says 'Love is the protest!' Muse says 'Love is the Resistance!' Steve Fee says the love of God 'is better than life.' Now, doesn't that sound a lot better than 'BE MINE' or crappy dollar store candy?

I dare you to look at Valentine's Day differently today! Look at it still as a day of love, but as a day of TRUE love. The Christian Love. The kind of Love God has for us. I promise, your holiday, as well as your life, will be much better when we take that into practice.

So Happy Valentines Day! Love this day!!

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Also, thought this would be cool. I made a playlist called 'Love Is...' and it has a bunch of great songs, all having some variation of the phrase 'Love is.' Enjoy!

I am an After-Thought

Let me begin with this question.

Have you ever felt like an after-thought?

Jason finds out there's an outing planned by his closest friends and they invite him at the last minute... or not at all. Laura feels left out when her parents are discussing the success of her older brother. David wonders if his friends talk to him out of anything other than pity. 'If I just didn't show up one day, would anyone miss me?' he thinks. Megan's closest friends often will leave her behind or not even say hello when they see her.

Have you ever felt like that? Sure you have. Everyone has. I have. Plenty of times.

I have a philosophy. If the Enemy is not attacking a Christian, he has no reason to. If Luke Skywalker and the rebels didn't fight to destroy the Death Star, do you think that Darth Vader would have flown his own personal TIE fighter out into battle? If Sauron didn't believe Frodo had any chance at making it up to Mt. Doom, would he have sent hoards of orcs after them? If Lord Voldemort didn't think Harry Potter, the Boy who Lived, was any threat to him, would he have devoted his strength and ability to killing a mere teenager?

As a Christian, we have an Enemy, too, don't we? The bible calls him a 'deceiver.' In fact, his first assault on attempting to rip humanity from the arms of God was to get them... us, essentially... to believe his lie.

What lie is he trying to feed you? I think I've figured out mine.

'You are an after-thought.'

I think the one thing that can destroy my confidence... that can isolate me from the people I love... that can singe my heart to ash is thinking and feeling 'I am an after-thought.' And I feel that quite often, coming from the people I love the most, no less.

It's a very lonely thing - the feeling that you're not important enough to matter, or that your closest friends or your own family acknowledge you only out of pity or so they don't look completely rude. It's led to many tears, many days where I just don't want to get out of bed... it's even led to me going to the doctor and having him put me on antidepressant medication... but they haven't helped at all. What is wrong with me?

Am I really so unlikable that even the people I thought I was closest to or the people I love the most scoff in disgust at the thought of me? That they hear me speak and look away? They run off and leave me behind, they plan family dinners without me, or they just plain act like they don't care at all? What have I done to offend them - Am I really so wretched?

This is an attack on my own heart if I've ever seen one... and I've seen plenty.

The thought of being an after-thought was plaguing my mind the other night and, I don't know how, but I began a text message conversation with someone I've probably only shook hands with once, but have Facebooked and had phone conversations with for a while now. He's a new friend that came about from both of us having a mutual friend - anyway, we were texting, and he ended up being a major encouragement to me.

I forgot how it came up, but I think I asked him just what I'm writing about right now. 'Have you ever felt like an after-thought? Like, even to the people you love the most?' His answer was absolutely a God-send; just what I needed to hear, even if it was something I already knew (which these things often are).

"...If we can wrap our minds around this, we'll never be the same. To your Savior, you are never an after-thought. You are His only thought!" (Zach R.)

Wow, huh? It's true, though. Even though I knew this already, it feels very important to have someone tell you this, personally. The very idea that there is actually someone - the God of the universe - doesn't even look at me as just a part of the human race, but as an individual; as someone who He has plans for, as someone He's proud of... someone He died for JUST so that He could be with... me? That is an incredible truth.

That's not just feel-good Christian talk, either. We find it all throughout the Bible, but I think it's summed up best in the most popular Bible verse of all. John 3:16.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

A more heart-felt translation might put it this way.

"God loved you, as an individual, so much, He stepped down out of His own Kingdom to die for you - to pay your debt - because he loved you so much. Because He has done so, He's given you the opportunity to live forever, and perish not."

John Eldredge says this in his breath-taking book, 'Waking the Dead.'

"We rebelled, and the penalty for our rebellion was death. To lose [you] was too great a pain for God to bear, and so he took it upon himself to rescue [you]." -John Eldredge

I think when we think of Jesus coming to save the world, we think about Jesus coming to save everyone rather than Jesus coming to save EVERY ONE. Notice the space. Every individual, not just humanity as a collective. He came to ransom and rescue you, dear reader. He came to rescue you, specifically. Think about that for a moment. He came to rescue you, as an individual.

Which reminds me that... He came to rescue me. He came to rescue Matt Walker.

I am no after-thought to the person who matters most. I am adored by Jesus Christ. So much so, that being nailed to a beam of wood, hanging for hours with broken bones as a crown of thorns lodged into his skull causes him to die a slow and painful death... was less painful than the very thought of being apart... from me. Matt Walker. For God so loved Matt Walker...

Even though I know my friends love me, even though I know my family loves me, even if they didn't... the fact of the matter is that nothing I could ever do can separate me from God's love. The remarkable thing about that love - the thing that proves I am no after-thought - is that God chose me, like he chose you. It wasn't a collective salvation effort. He looked at me, he looked at you, and there was not a doubt in His mind: '[Insert Name Here] is worth it, to me.' That is an incredibly encouraging thought.

Next time you struggle with the idea of being an after-thought, or even less than that... remember that, quite simply, you are not. You're more than just a sinner saved by grace. You're more than a Christian, and you're more than a number on some divine Christian tally list. You are an heir to a Kingdom because the almighty Creator and Ruler of existence said 'You know, I love that guy/girl so much, that I'm going to have them do big things.' You are loved.

I am loved.

Thanks for reading.

Story Teller, Part Two: 'Character Development'

"He's a real Nowhere Man, sitting is his Nowhere Land, making all his Nowhere Plans for Nobody..."

Peter Parker is the nerdy High School kid that just wants to 'get the girl.' Frodo Baggins is a Hobbit from the Shire where 'nobody ever had adventures or did anything unexpected.' Luke Skywalker is the lonely farm boy on the desert planet of Tatooine where he feels he's 'never gonna get out of [there...].' Harry Potter is a miserable orphan living with his awful Aunt and Uncle who 'were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.' Sora is a teenage boy from a small island in the middle of nowhere. Link is a Kokiri child living in a tree house. Abraham Lincoln is born, poor, in a log cabin, and homeschools himself by candlelight for years. Jesus of Nazareth is born the son of a common carpenter in a barn.

All these stories, whether they're fictional or not, all start similarly, do they not? You have your main character living a pretty... boring life. Sometimes, it's a hard one, at that. King David is a scrawny shepherd. Aragorn is basically Middle Earth's equivalent of a hobo. Jack Shepherd is a normal doctor with daddy issues. The list goes on, and on, and I think, a lot of times, we can relate. I know I can.

Some one asked me not too long ago to 'tell them the Matt Walker story.'
"I'm afraid it's pretty unexciting and uneventful up to this point," I replied.
"Well, it's not finished yet," he said.

In part one, I talked about my drive to be a story teller. About how, since birth basically, I've been creating stories and tales and worlds and characters because... it just felt right. Whether I express that through my writing, or filmmaking, or even just imagining and dreaming - I feel, at my core, I was born - I was created - to be a story teller. But, at the end of the last post, I expressed how things have slowed down considerably in recent days.

Which makes me think about where I could possibly be in my timeline right now. Sometimes... actually, a lot of the time, lately... I feel like Bilbo having morning tea with Gandalf. Glancing out the window on the lovely home he's blessed with, but feeling... discontented. 'Like... butter scraped over too much bread,' he says. Sometimes, I feel like Peter Parker, dreaming of the day he can get the girl, move past his years as a teenager, and get on to what he was meant to do. Sometimes, I feel like Luke Skywalker or Sora from 'Kingdom Hearts' and I just want to... go.

Go away, physically? Not really. More like... hurry up. Go ahead. Get to Act II. Press the 'Next' button on the remote; skip to the next chapter; cut to the chase. You get my drift.

I know this is foolish, I know it is. I know I'm supposed to 'Wait for the lord, be strong and take heart,' (Psalm 27:14) and I know that 'God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them,' (Romans 8:28) but when? When does Obi-Wan give me my lightsaber? When does Gandalf tell me I need to leave for Rivendell? When does the radioactive spider bite me, or when does Hagrid knock down my door one day and say 'Guess what, Matt? You're not only capable, but were born with the natural ability, to do extraordinary, supernatural, unexplainable things?'

It feels like it's taking forever.

Worse than that, I feel like I'm going the wrong direction. Even though I know it takes time and patience to get there - it's a long path, indeed - I feel like I'm going down the wrong path altogether. Like in 'The Fellowship of the Ring' when the Company is nearly brought down by the mighty blizzard on top of Mt. Caradhras, as they're going the wrong way in the first place. I'm not acting like Jonah, though, where God told him to go one way, and he's going in the other - no, not at all. I feel like I'm out at sea without a map. Lost in the forest without a guide. Wandering a mountain range without so much as a path.

But (and here comes the kicker)... is that such a bad thing?

Think about a story that begins with the hero in Nowheresville, doing nothing, with no adventure, no lover, no nothing. Where do we learn the most of that person? Where do authors and filmmakers take the time to develop their characters? In the first scenes and in the first chapters. Where do television producers take time to tell back stories, to develop personalities, to make you care about the people they've created? In the first season. In the first Act.

So what is the Author of eternity doing and planning during my first chapter, or rather, my first book?

A lot of the time, our favorite characters are thrust into circumstance that later lead to the rest of their story. Luke's home is attacked, the storm visits the Destiny Islands, word of Voldemort rising again startles the Wizarding World, etc. But they all start from somewhere, do they not? 'From humble beginnings...' we hear often.

My prayer these days is that God is developing me like a hero in an epic story. That He is using this time of seemingly inactivity to shape me into the person - the man - I was created to be, prepared to do the things He has prepared me to do, and the stories He has inspired me to tell. My prayer is that when the day does come that the Ring falls into my hands, that I know what to do with it. When I take off with Han Solo and Obi-Wan Kenobi, that I understand the ways of the Force. That when I stumble through the wardrobe in to Narnia, I'm wearing a coat to keep me warm and safe. That when the time comes, I'm ready to take up my cross and follow Him.

That is my prayer. It's exciting to think about the future, and the good things God has planned for us. Let us not, however, forget the crucial step of character development. Without character development... well, we're just in a crappy movie like 'Avatar,' aren't we?

So it is, eventually, that Peter Parker becomes Spider-man, and saves the city and wins the heart of Mary Jane. Frodo Baggins saves Middle Earth. Luke Skywalker redeems his own father, and puts an end to tyranny in the Galaxy. Harry Potter defeats the Dark Lord. Sora understands the light that exists in the human heart. Link defeats Gannondorf, Abraham Lincoln becomes the President that sets the slaves free, and Jesus Christ raises from the dead, and ascends into Heaven.

I wonder what Matt Walker will do?

Harry Potter and Jesus - Connecting the Dots

Warning: this blog post contains spoilers for Harry Potter, Lost, Narnia, The Princess Bride, Star Wars, Saw, and Lord of the Rings. You've been warned!

This past month at my church, we've been doing a series called Dot 2 Dot - "Connecting the Dots to see the Big Picture." The whole idea behind it all is how God can use seemingly insignificant, tiny things and people as a part of his big picture, working them all together for the story He's trying to tell.

I have loved this series because of that very idea - the tiny, seemingly unimportant things actually being very significant when all is revealed in the end. Don't you love that, too? I think most people, Christian or not, love that aspect of stories, books, movies, television, etc.

How did 'Lost' remain on air for six seasons? After plot twist after plot twist; after turn after turn; after revelation after revelation, we find out little details we learned early on were significant after all. We see the identity of the skeletons in the cave revealed, we find out what the island is, and we find out that Jack Shepherd and the Oceanic Six have a crucial role to play.

How did JK Rowling get professors of literature to read a Scholastic Childern's novel series? After seven whole books in the Harry Potter series, we see that, thousands of pages prior, we learned the secret (knew all along) to the defeat Voldemort, who up until now sent fear to those who dare speak his name. We see that a friend-turned-foe-but-not-really was actually fighting for righteousness all along. We see the secrets of the Hocruxes revealed, and we see that not only Harry, but all his friends and allies had crucial roles to play.

We see it in Narnia, we the Pevensie children stumble into a brand new world - four seemingly unimportant orphans who were to become kings and queens of the realm. We see it in Lord of the Rings' Middle Earth, where Aragorn, a seemingly unimportant and mysterious ranger of the forests and plains surrounding the Shire, is actually revealed to be the heir to the throne of Gondor. Heck, we even see it in the popular horror franchise, 'Saw! (mature content warning on that link)' Despite being overly gruesome, horrifically grotesque, and atrociously vulgar, we see a complex tapestry of brilliant story and plot twists take shape in a world where people hide in fear from evil. It is revealed who his accomplices were. It's revealed who he was working with, and who has carried on his work after his death. It's revealed that a detective who had been working to find the killer since the beginning actually has a crucial role to play. (Just take my word for it... you probably shouldn't see it. ;) )

We see it all around; we see see little dots being connecting in ways we'd never see coming. Why do we love it so much when a tiny forgotten detail turns up to be something important?

Because we long to be that dot.

We all have probably hear Romans 8:28 before. "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Or, as 'The Message' says it, "...we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." Every detail... every seemingly significant detail... every small, little thing... can and will be working into God's story for good, for those who love him. Wow, huh?

Let's look at someone who was seemingly insignificant, but who turned out to save the world from Sin, set captives free, justify the world, and bring about the end of the reign of evil on Earth. Jesus Christ.

In the dead of night, on a chilly night, a virgin girl, not even married yet, but engaged, gave birth to a child. Despite that being a physical impossibility, it happened, quietly, in a barn of all places. A single angel from heaven informed this girl, Mary, who this miracle child would be, and what she should name him. She followed the angel's instruction, and named the little newborn 'Jesus.'

Jesus was raised as a carpenter. A rugged job for the son (or step-son, as it were) of the rugged man who was Mary's husband, Joseph. Carpenters weren't exactly taught the fullness of Jewish law like other, more 'important' children of religious leaders or what-have-you, but Jesus was meek and humble before starting his ministry.

But, eventually, start it he did. And it was a shock to the world.

Some of the things he said, some of the things he taught, the people he criticized, the people he healed, the people he saved from the grave itself spread like wildfire across the area, and later on, literally, across the Earth. Governments feared him. Religious leaders abhorred him. People loved him, but there were some who wanted him dead.

And in the end, they killed him. Or so they had thought.

Which leads us to the plot twist: the Resurrection. The savior is dead, and in his grave. His people grieve as evil sweeps across the land. In JK Rowling's final book in the Harry Potter series, we see Voldemort, the Dark Lord, invoke the dreaded Unforgivable Killing curse, the Avada Kedavra, and kill Harry Potter, as he stands before him, preparing to die without a fight. Then, he, Voldemort, is seen gloating over the body of Harry Potter, who was supposed to be 'The Chosen One;' the one who would save the Wizarding World from the evil one. We see Voldemort displaying the limp body of Harry to his friends and allies, who all recoil in horror as they see his body, before them, dead. He was not dead, though; no, not at all.

When all hope seemed lost, when the end seemed near, when all was about to end, Harry sheds his Invisibility Cloak (a veil or sorts), and is standing, fully alive and standing before the Dark Lord. His allies cheer - 'HE'S ALIVE!' they scream.

Wand in hand, standing in the radiant, shimmering sun rising over Hogwarts castle, it's down to Harry and Voldemort - the climax has arrived.

Maybe it's just the little boy in me, but I love 'Final Showdowns.' Sure, epic wars and big battle scenes are awesome, but there's something about two individuals, locked in combat, that seems to awaken to little warrior in me; the little boy that used to own the plastic lightsaber, the foam sword, and the Nerf gun.

We see Luke engage in lightsaber combat with Vader. We see Frodo and Gollum struggle on the teetering ledge over the fires of Mt. Doom. We see Jack Shepherd and The Man in Black, disguised as John Locke, duke it out on a mountaintop on The Island as a storm wreaks havoc around them. We see King Peter face King Miraz and Aslan, the White Witch. We see Inigo Montoya duel Count Rugen, the man who killed his father. And, as I was talking about a moment ago, we see Harry face Voldemort.

Harry and Voldemort face each other. Voldemort, though still boasting his foolish pride, is actually quaking in fear because he realizes this could very well be the end. With one flick of his wand, he casts, once again, the Avada Kedavra, the Killing Curse, at Harry.

Harry, though, cannot be conquered.

With a flick of his own wand, he casts the Disarming Charm at his enemy, which does more than makes him loose drop with wand. It disarms him for good. The evil one is dead. Hogwarts celebrates their freedom and victory.

Harry Potter. The orphan who started in book one as the little 11 year old boy who lived in a closet under a staircase with his horrible Aunt and Uncle. A person probably can't feel more insignificant than that, can they? Harry was seemingly unimportant, but that's been a recurring word here in this blog post, hasn't it? 'Seemingly.'

He discovers that that little scar on his forehead - that little mark, that little dot - plays a crucial role to the story he's found himself in. He discovers that a prophecy has been made on his behalf, and that he has an absolutely crucial role to play in the destruction of the Evil One and the saving of the world from Death (Eaters...).

I think a lot of us feel like Harry Potter sometimes. Nothing we do could possibly matter. Serving in this small capacity couldn't possibly mean anything in the 'big picture.' Allowing God to use me in this tiny way can't be worth anything.

Oh, but it can!

Never believe you are insignificant. As Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us, God has plans for you. BIG plans. GREAT plans. For Hope, and a 'good future,' the NCV tells us. " I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for." The Message says.

God KNOWS what he's doing! It's up to Him to connect the dots, and he will. It's up to you to remain faithful, to keep your heart, mind, eyes, and ears open to God, so that he can connect your dot to the right dot it needs to be connected to. Trust him - He knows what He's doing.

Thanks for reading!

Mischief Managed,

-Matt

Masterpiece

"We are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." -Ephesians 2:10

Read that word again. 'Masterpiece.' Do you know what a 'masterpiece is?' Princeton defines the word as this: 'The most outstanding work of a creative artist or craftsman." Webster defines it as a 'supreme achievement.'

Whoa. Think about that for a second. Did you ever realize that you, YOU, are 'the most outstanding work' of God? The creative artist - the master craftsman - has named you as His 'most outstanding work?' As His 'Supreme Achievement?' Can you believe that? Out of everything our Creator God made - the beautiful sunsets, the captivating clouds of the deep blue sky; out of every creature that walks the Earth, every fish in the ocean, every bird in the air; Out of every star in space, out of every planet in the heavens, out of EVERY glorious, massive thing hanging in the universe.... YOU are his masterpiece?

Face it! You are God's favorite. Seriously! I really just want that to sink in. Out of everything God made... YOU are his FAVORITE. He put more work into you than anything else. He put more creative energy into you than anything else, and most importantly, he put more love into you than anything else. We wonder, sometimes, 'Why does God love us?' The answer should be obvious! He absolutely adores you! He is proud of you! He looks at his children, and, I believe, beams with the same love and pride that a proud parent has on their face when they look upon their own children.

And when I say 'You,' I do not mean a collective 'human race' type deal - that verse at the beginning of this blog post proves otherwise. When we give our lives to him, he re-creates us in Jesus Christ. We become, or begin to become, everything God intended for his 'masterpieces' to be - these awesome, wonderful, created sons and daughters of a Holy Father who loves us, and has BIG plans for us! And these things He wants us to do - these plans He has for every one of us as Christians - are not just random jobs or tasks. No, he looked into our hearts from eternity (before the world even existed) and said 'Oh, I have BIG PLANS for that one!'

All this may seem like very bottom line, early Christian, 'Yeah, we already know that' type stuff, but I think that we all, even myself, need reminded of the simple truths sometimes. Today, that simple truth is 'God made you Special, and loves you very much.' Thanks, Veggie Tales. :P

Anyway, I just felt 'lead' to write this, if you want to say that. I read that verse in my time with God today, and I found it so awesome, I had to write about it. I hope you got something out of it!

Old School Bloggitory Style - Electricity

So, I found this OLD post I did about the awesomeness of God a while back. Might have been the first Christian blog post I ever did. I still think it is pretty awesome. It's at least three or four years old, and I definitely like to think I can write a lot better now, but I thought it's share it with you all. ;)

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'ELECTRICITY'

(circa 2007)

“Shocking. Positively shocking.”

-James Bond, ‘Goldfinger’

Has something ever just completely surprised you? Has something ever just blown your mind, or scared you so badly, it sent tiny electric shivers up your spine? Have you ever been in a situation where you could actually feel the liquid adrenaline rushing through your body when something happened or someone says something?

It’s happened to all of us, I think. When I was in 7th grade, I had a Geography teacher named Doug Johnson. Mr. Johnson was a big guy. I mean, a really big guy. Tall, wide, and he looked like he could rip your head off if he wanted to. Mr. Johnson was not a nice man, either. He was constantly screaming, yelling, beating on desks, stomping around his room, and just making us dread 4th period.

One day, he went too far. He started yelling at this poor girl in class. Really loudly. It was clearly upsetting everyone in the classroom. People were crying, and he continued on his rampage.

I’m a diabetic, you see, and when something gets really stressful, my blood sugar spikes. Well, Mr. Johnson was yelling and screaming and cursing and whatnot, and my blood sugar shot way up. I was in such pain, that I doubled over onto the desk, crying. Mr. Johnson was still busy screaming at the girl in the classroom for not putting her name on her paper or something, One of the students sitting next to me stood up, and started yelling at Mr. Johnson himself.

“Look what’s happening to Matt!” he yelled. Mr. Johnson looked over, and saw me shaking and crying. He walked over, and asked if I was alright and if I wanted to go to the nurse’s office. He put his hand on my should, and I jolted upwards, and yelled ‘DON’T TOUCH ME!’

He backed off, knowing that he had made me go into a diabetic shock. Now, I sounded angry at him, and I was, but the words just came out - I didn’t want this man, who’d put me in so much pain and had been making me miserable for the past year touching me.

I stood up, and two friends of mine came and put their arms around me, and walked with me up to the clinic.

Only those who were in the classroom knew why I had gotten sick. I never told anyone else, for some reason. Not even my parents.

But, anyway, all the happened on a Friday. When Monday rolled around, I was walking down the hallway to one of my classes… and then, turning around the corner, was the towering Mr. Johnson.

That’s precisely when I felt like I was going to faint. I felt the electric currents rushing up my spine; I felt the shivers on my arms, and I felt like I had just eaten a 9-volt battery.

He stared at me, and I stared at him. He smiled like we were good friends or something. The sparks of fear and anger starting shooting through me.

“Hey, Walker,” he said. “How’re you doing?”

I just looked at him. “Fine,” I said, “Better then Friday.”

“That’s good,” he said, walking away.

But, even as I tell that story, the one thing I remember most and most vividly is that feeling I had when I saw him on the following Monday. It was so intense, and just nerve-wrecking.

Like, I said, we’ve all felt it. Maybe not in the midst of fear, but maybe in awe of something.

About a month ago, I went with my Mom, my sisters, and their children down to Savannah, Georgia to spend the week. I love Savannah. It’s so beautiful down there. There’s a particularly amazing building on E Harris St known as the St. John Cathedral. This building is the oldest Catholic church in the Savannah area, and built back when America was being settled.

When we walked in, all of us were speechless. You didn’t have to be Catholic to be blown away by all of this building’s awe and just raw splendor. Again, I felt those electrical shocks radiate up my back and into my neck. I felt my blood rush all around my body - warm and tingly. The sheer size of the building was enough to make your eyes widen, but the architecture, and the paintings, and the organs, and the pews - wow, it was amazing.

But, again, when I tell that story, the one thing I remember most is feeling those butterflies and that electricity when I walked through those huge, heavy wooden oak doors.

What are some times you’ve felt that burst of electricity or that rush of adrenaline? When we feel that, we know what it means - we’ve either really afraid of something, or we are in total awe of something.

Now, here’s a tougher question. How do you feel about God? Do you tremble in fear and in awe when you think about him? Do you have more of an adrenaline when you beat that really tough level on your Xbox game, or when you pray and read the bible? Do you feel more of those butterflies when you see that amazing cute boy or girl in the lunch line, or when you sit down, and just think about God.

Go ahead and do that. Think about God.

…

…

If we were to ever fathom what God looks like or who he really is, we would just die. In Exodus, we see God saying ‘But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!"‘#

Wow. Could you ever imagine trying to stare down something so awesome or so terrifying that, simply by looking at it, you just died? Something so huge, so wonderful, so glorious, so immaculate, so amazing, so holy, so awesome that you would just fall over and die? Think about that!

I went with my Church’s youth group to a conference recently called ‘LiveLove,’ and the speaker, Francis Chan, talked about the sheer awe-inspiring look of God himself.

He showed us where, in Revelation, John described the vision the Lord had given him of God the best he could.

Revelation 4:2-8

(2) Instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven with a person seated on the throne.

(3) The person sitting there looked like jasper and carnelian, and there was a rainbow around the throne that looked like an emerald.

(4) Around the throne were 24 other thrones, and on these thrones sat 24 elders wearing white robes and gold victor's crowns on their heads.

(5) Flashes of lightning, noises, and peals of thunder came from the throne. Burning in front of the throne were seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God. (6) In front of the throne was something like a sea of glass as clear as crystal. In the center of the throne and on each side of the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.

(7) The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature was like an ox, the third living creature had a face like a human, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.

(8) Each of the four living creatures had six wings and were full of eyes inside and out. Without stopping day or night they were saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is coming."

Can you even imagine that!? At all!? I had never read that until Mr. Francis Chan pointed out that verse to us at the conference. It all really make you shiver and shake doesn’t’ it?

The creatures with the billions of eyeballs all over it’s body, that looks like a lion, probably roaring and pouncing around - it’s it just too much to think about? Even still after that, THOSE four creatures, as awesome and freaky as they are, are STILL in awe over the one who is holier, and sits on the throne that lightning, fire, thunder, and just sheer light radiates from. They cry ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is coming.’ Can you even imagine?

If you’re not getting those intense, spine-chilling tremors yet, maybe this will shock you a bit. That intense, holy, glowing being on the grandest throne of all; as huge and glorious as he is, loves you.

He loves you as his child. He loves you and wants to know you. Can you even imagine? At all? The One who spoke the Universe into existence with his wisdom and power, loves you. So much so, he sent his only son to suffer the worst death imaginable to die in our place. His own son. The cross. The blood. The crowds shouting ‘CRUCIFY HIM!!!’ The pain. The suffering. The death. Then, finally, his resurrection.

If that doesn’t give you the electric shivers all throughout your body, then nothing will. The one in Revelation, the one that shines like priceless gemstones, that sits upon a throne of thunder and lightning, with pillars of fire surrounding him, the one that if we to so much as glance into his face as mortal human beings, we’d die… that very one loves you enough to get off of his throne, come down to the Earth he created, suffered, bled, faced intense humiliation, and died for you. For you. For you. Get that concept - ‘For you.’ Personally. For you.

Why do you deserve it at all? Why do I deserve it at all? There is absolutely no reason why he should ever love us at all. He built this beautiful planet for us, and we break the rules he’s given us, blaspheme his name, and completely disregard him sometimes. But the cool, awesome, super, magnificent thing is HE DOES! He LOVE US. I’m actually crying as I type this, because I finally understand! I finally get what I thought I understood for years, but now, I finally get it! There is no greater feeling ever. None at all.

I hope you think about that the next time you pray or tell others about God. Think about who he is, what he’s done, and how humbly he did it all… for you.

I’m going the say ‘The End’ right here, and I hope you enjoyed reading this spur-of-the-moment four-page thing I felt I had to get down on paper somehow. First, though, I want to tell you to go read Romans 8:12-18 for yourself to see an awesome example of how much he loves you.

Prepare for the electricity.

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I love the random James Bond quote at the beginning that just barely alludes to the rest of the post, haha. Although I've grown a LOT in my faith, I still believe that a lot of what I wrote there still rings true. I wish I had gone on more about God's love for us in the here and now, but I think that that speaks for itself.

Hope you enjoyed a little blast from the past!

-Matt

The Legend of YOU - Finding Spiritual Truth in Hyrule

So, there's a little Nintendo 64 game you might have played before. 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.'

Claimed by some to be the greatest video game ever created, 'Ocarina of Time' is the first 3D installment of the popular 'Legend of Zelda' game franchise, and is a massive, huge, epic adventure of mythical proportions. It was an ambitious game - nothing like it had ever been made or even attempted. Many people have many fond memories surrounding this game. As I was sitting here, I started thinking about some of the big picture stuff regarding the game, and, slowly, some very spiritual parallels started forming.

The Kokiri Forest - The Beginning

When you start playing through ‘Ocarina of Time’ for the first time, you see how much fun it is. You begin your journey, and there are little tasks and missions for you to do everywhere. You have little victories here and there, you slay some monsters, and you win some battles. You meet new people, and you do realize you’ve just begun a huge, awesome, epic adventure. Everything feels safe, and you're just starting to learn about the world around you, known as Hyrule

The Adventure and the Evil One

Then, after playing a while, the initial spark and enthusiasm wears off. Your adventure is getting harder and harder, but eh – you can handle it. You also discover that you, who at first appear to be nothing more than a weak child, have a very real, very evil enemy – Gannondorf. They call him the Prince of Evil and the 'Demon Thief.' He want’s you to kill you more than anything – why? He realizes you’ve received a gift from Heaven, the Triforce, and that with it, you have power… and this scares Gannondorf to death. He begins throwing every enemy and obstacle he has at you. Monsters, dungeons, enemies, dark magic – everything he can throw at young link because he fears what he’s capable of. He's ready to fight.

Still, though, Link marches on. It’s getting tougher and tougher, but Link is still fighting. It seems, though, after trekking through temple after temple, you get gets stuck in a rut. Things are getting more and more frustrating, and that initial spark you had when you first started playing is almost gone, if not completely gone. You’re now just going through the motions, trying to get from point A to point B. Things aren’t as magical as they seemed at the beginning.

Then, suddenly, you’re faced with the Water Temple.

The Water Temple

The Water Temple is so freakishly hard and frustrating. There are creatures lurking in every corridor. There are brain-melting puzzles that are almost impossible to solve by yourself. There are twists and turns that leave you, the player, devastated. In fact, the water temple is so tough that… you feel like you could just give up. In fact, a lot of players do. The water temple is tough, and they can’t handle it.

The funny thing is... that’s exactly how Christianity can be.

You start off, when you first become a Christian and you get on fire for God. You have small victories here and there, and you’re just so captivated on this new adventure God has invited you on. You stay on your ‘Jesus High’ for a while - where everything is seen in a new light, and life if abundant and exciting! You start going to church, you meet new people, God blesses you in little ways, and everything’s just awesome. You feel safe in his hands, and you get comfortable.

Then, after a while, you realize ‘Whoa. There’s a world outside the Kokiri Forest. There’s an enemy that hates me – wants me dead – and he’s REAL.’ You see this, and things in your walk with Christ gets more difficult and repetitive. Things get almost boring… dull… repetitive. Yeah, you’re still a Christian, but that magic and wonder you felt when you first became one is gone, and things are getting tough. Really tough. You might be faced with the choice to step outside your comfort zone, and do something new (leave your own Kokiri forest), but you don't want to. It's comfortable where you're at. You're just going through the motions at this point. The magic is... gone.

Then, suddenly, you face your water temple.

That obstacle the Enemy has placed in your path that just seems… unconquerable. Impossible. You’re surrounded by demons that seem undefeatable. You’re surrounded by puzzles, doubts, and questions that just rattle your mind that you feel defenseless to solve. Everything is coming crashing down around you, and you don’t know what to do. You feel like you want to give up. In fact, a lot of people do. The water temples in our life can be tough, and some people can’t handle it.

But I’m here to tell you… don’t lose heart.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." 2 Corinthians 4:16

In Ocarina of Time, when you’re faced with the water temple, the temple you feel you cannot possibly solve on your own, there is something that can help you. There is a book, and it’s called the holy… Nintendo Player’s Guide. (Hahahaha)

The Guide

The Nintendo Player’s Guide is a book written by the Creator of the game itself (Nintendo) and is filled with advice, information, maps, encouragement, and is a guide made especially for the players to get them through the tough spots.

I’m sure you can see the parallel I’m painting, but I’ll state the obvious and say this: the Bible is the guide for us as Christians.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:105

It shows us where to go, and it tells us what to do in our time of trouble. It is our map when we’re lost – it’s God’s love letter and gift to mankind so we always know what to do. When we face our water temples, the Bible is always there to tell us what to do. That’s why it’s so crucial to spend time with God and spend time in his Word daily.

In Zelda, though, even with the guide, it’s still a fight. But now that you know what to do, you only have to follow the guide, and eventually, you beat the Water Temple. You move onto the Shadow Temple, and beat that, too. You go to the Spirit Temple, and conquer that as well. You make it to the end, and you’re standing face to face with the enemy himself, who wants you DEAD because of the power given to you by the Almighty.

In Christianity, with your guide (the Bible, and God is our guide as well), you can beat your water temples. You can conquer them, and you can be victorious. You could try and beat the water temple by yourself, sure, but it’s hard, and you don’t have the strength or understanding to beat it.

That’s why we…

‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.’ Proverbs 3:5-6

So, you defeat the Water temple, the Shadow temple, the Spirit temple, and in the end, there’s the final Showdown. But don't be afraid. Go ahead; read the back of the book. God wins. And so does everyone on his team, fighting for him.

In Zelda, it’s the power of the Triforce (which is interesting – our God exists as the Trinity), that ultimately defeats the wicked Gannondorf once and for all. Link sees the ending. It’s a beautiful world once again. It begins with a massive party featuring all the tribes of the world celebrating the defeat of the evil one. The kingdom of Hyrule is restored, finally, once again. There is no more darkness, no more pain, and no more evil. All is well.

The super amazing, wonderful news is that is what awaits the life of a Christian as well. In the end, the evil one is defeated. The kingdom is restored! And it all begins with a massive party – ‘the wedding feast of the lamb,’ as Revelation calls it. We’re reunited with our savior once more, and all is made right once more. Beauty is restored.

Think back to when you first beat Ocarina of Time, and you saw Gannondorf killed and sealed away, and that party play out on screen as the music played and the credits rolled. Remember how happy you were? That same feeling, that same victory, is made available to you, only amplified infinitely higher than the feeling of beating some old video game. YOU can be a part of that wedding feast.

'And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”' Revelation 19:9

All you have to do is keep following him. Stay in his word – do not lose heart! The end is coming, and when it’s all finished, because you didn’t give up, the Lord Jesus will look at you and say ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’ and you will be welcomed in and… the party can begin.

Don’t give up! The 'Water Temples' in life seem huge and undefeatable, but you’ve been given a sword and a mission. With your Guide guiding you, you can fight and win this war. In the end, it’s all worth it.

So, thanks for reading my extremely nerdy, but, I think, spiritually meaningful post regarding the spiritual truths there are in 'Ocarina of Time.' Now, excuse me. My Nintendo 64 is calling.

-Matt