Yo T-rav, What's New?

I'm glad you asked.

It's February 22, 2012. My last update about life was in November, and some notable things have happened;  I'll work back from December and give you 3 things worthy of mentioning and praise.

Starting off with a big praise! Back in December, my parents and I rode up to VA Beach to visit my brother, Christian, who, being obedient to the Lord's command, was baptized along with his wife. Leading up to this weekend, my brother and I had some great conversations that started with discussing denominations, and from there the meaning of baptism, saving faith, Christian perseverance, and, of course, the Gospel. I was quite to glad to talk with him about all these things, because we had never really done so in the past. Turns out that the Lord had really been doing a work in his heart. Some things had started clicking, like how the Gospel is what brings us to Christ and what carries us all the way home--not our own works. Soon, he and my new sister-in-law began visiting churches in their area, and had finally found one that they would attend on a consistent basis. They began meeting with the leadership at the church, and soon after the leadership evaluated their true, saving faith, a public display of obedience would soon occur--baptism. They invited my parents and I to come be witnesses to the occasion, and I was very glad to be there. Words cannot express how great it is to see my oldest brother pursuing the Lord, and in turn now desiring to be a godly husband and father. What a great God we serve!

Take My Hand, Father

Far be it from me that I would ever denounce the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the substitutionary atonement whereby he was punished in my place for my sin and I'm set free. But when difficulties arise, I find myself questioning certain aspects of God's character, namely: faithfulness, goodness, knowledge, etc. I know God exists, His paths are beyond tracing out, and He has redeemed me from my old ways & has granted me new birth in Christ. But as a child feels sad when his dad doesn't buy him something he wants, so I, at times, don't think God is being the type of Father that He jolly should. I become concerned with many "why" and "why not" questions, and these bring shadows over the light of God's Word. They fracture my prayer life, where I become fatalistic and vacate private devotions because I allow circumstances to distort things and say to myself, "Things will just happen anyway and no prayer of mine could ever thwart the providence of God." Oh, how false these thoughts.

Life Update

Well hello!

It's been since September that I've written a post; figured it was about time I get the gears grinding. Much has happened since, so I'll try and cram it all into a readable, not-too-lengthy-post.

I got the opportunity to fly out to Seattle to see my friends Matt and Mary for 5 days. This trip did wonders for me; not only did I get to see some dear friends, but it was a much needed change of scenery and escape from work. Matt had been begging me to come see him, and I looked up round trip airfare on Expedia...$314.00 after taxes; I bought the tickets before I even asked for the days off from work (but I bought them back in July, so they had plenty of notice). Seattle was a breath of fresh air, literally and metaphorically. The local coffee shops were great; I enjoyed locally-grown food; I struck up conversations with random Seattlites on the buses; I vlogged each day (check 'em out on Facebook). The fellowship with Matt and Mary uplifted my spirit, so much that I did not want to return home that Sunday. Savannah is my current abode, but Seattle has won a few of my affections.

A Melanchony Heart

Melancholy heart, in much distress

for the latter days lack much rest.

In addition is the want of things

out of reach, absent from the scene.

My inner being laments this want,

many solutions found in this manhunt.

Yet none have aided my soul

and made this dreary man whole.

I have tucked away the optimistic shades

while I wear these pessimistic frames I made.

I long to give away this heart of mine

yet I'm reluctant at the exact same time.

The longing to be loved, to hold someone close,

is marred by my heart being a trampled-on rose.

What was once delicate has been treated as dirt,

the universe inside me is filled with unspeakable hurt.

Days Go By

Waiting, watching, keeping alert
for something drastic to surface.
Getting caught in everyday routine,
different outcomes but same events.
Change is needed to rid this trap,
feeling free yet contained in this town.
Days arrive, and days go by,
nothing seems to be new under the sun.
What happened yesterday will occur today,
and tomorrow shall yield similar results.
Where's the contentment in all this,
true comfort as a foundation?
Lies in my God who reign this world,
who dictates my life and lights my path.
Even when that path is engulfed with fog,
in faith I reach up and He leads me on.

Untitled

The foundations shook and made the structure fall, turns out what we had was not solid at all.
You came to my doorstep with a strange glare, had me feeling worried as I fixed my stare.
Then four unexpecting words came from your mouth that made my world come crashing down.
Never have I been as traumatized before, I just lost someone I adamantly adored.
Now you're completely out of the picture for good, I've proceeded forward as a grown man should.
I'll not give harsh words nor make a dramatic scene, because you've only hurt yourself by losing me.
I'm clueless as to what is in store for you next, but I want no part or even a context.
The last poem I wrote was strictly for you, and this recent poem...is strictly for you too.
Getting over this has taken some time, but in the words of Lou Rawls...you'll never find another love like mine.
Goodbye forever.

An Inward Reflection

Monday morning, arguably the hardest of days to get out of bed. I wake up with thoughts about the job: what could happen, what could go wrong, what surprises are in store, etc. I'm thankful for a 1pm-8pm shift that allows me to awake around 8am and devote my morning to read, meditate, and prepare for the day ahead. I'm an Area Manager with the company now, so my responsibilities have increased; this job teaches me leadership skills day-to-day, whether by experience or via studying my bosses and how they handle certain crises or situations. I saw this quote on Twitter (I forgot who it is attributed to): true leadership is measured by how well things are being run when you aren't around. God is building leadership skills in me for His purposes; what the future holds I don't know, but in the mean time it is being faithful with my job, church responsibilities, finances, and the metamorphosis of my character.

8 Weeks on The Holy Spirit

     On the first Lord's Day in June, I will begin an 8-week series on the Holy Spirit. The Spirit (pneuma) of God is mentioned throughout the Bible: the beginning we see Him waiting for God's command to separate the waters, He speaks through the prophets, He descends upon Jesus, He descends at Pentecost, and He speaks to the churches in Revelation. My first class will address the issue of the Spirit's personhood. The Spirit is described throughout God's Word as a person, not a mere force like what we hear about in Star Wars...or in the Jehovah Witness cult. The Spirit speaks, searches, discerns, convicts, vivifies. He can be rejected, grieved, insulted, and blasphemed.

    

In case you're interested, here's an outline for the class:

1. The Holy Spirit: What or Who?
2. The Holy Spirit throughout the Old Testament
3. The Holy Spirit's Role in the life of Jesus
4. The Holy Spirit commissioned by Jesus (pre/post resurrection)
5. The Holy Spirit's conviction of the world
6. The Holy Spirit's vivifying new persons in Christ
7. The Holy Spirit's fruits and gifts
8. Question of Cessation/Continuation of the miraculous gifts

     I may perhaps put up portions of each study on the blogosphere, so if you're interested leave a comment and I'd be happy to post them.

Recommended readings:
Doctrine of the Holy Spirit by George Smeaton
Perspectives on Pentecost by Richard B. Gaffin, Jr.
The Holy Spirit by Sinclair B. Ferguson
The Christian Faith by Michael S. Horton
Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem
Finally Alive by John Piper

Dadisms

I love my Dad. Over the years I've grown to love and appreciate him more and more, especially since I've left the nest and have gone to live on my own. Where I'd be in life without him, I could hardly imagine if I would've turned out the way I have. I'm forever grateful for times we get to hang out, whether its moving stuff in the house, going to visit Granny, etc. There's just something about father-son time that is hard to put in words, but it's the best feeling in the world.

Over time, I began picking up and doing things my Dad did. Here are but a few:

1. Work ethic. My Dad worked all week growing up; even now with him being retired, he stays busy.
2. Grunts. Whenever my Dad would reach down to pick up something, he'd let out a brace-yourself grunt...do this on occasion even when the object isn't heavy.
3. Farting. Whenever he'd let one go, he'd look around the room puzzled and would jokingly wonder where that noise came from.
4. People skills. I've watched him interact with his customers during the job; good habit to pick up.
5. On occasion whenever he would get furious with his laptop for work, he'd let out a "DANGIT ALL." lol He would also talk to himself as he worked through the issue "Ok so I go here;" "trying to print;" etc.
6. Chair recliners. How it's nice to lean back on that couch and take it easy. This will be an important buy in my first home.
7. Coffee every morning. Took me a little while, but now I'm engulfed in coffee; though, I don't drink it black like him. yuck.
8. Taking good care of possessions. "You treat your stuff better because you own it, but when something isn't yours, you aren't as careful."
9. TV shows. "24" was the best series ever. Even when we weren't watching it together, we would turn the lights out and never answer the phone while it was on. If Mom came in the room, she would be silenced (because she knew it was the Bauer-hour not to be disturbed and wanted a reaction from us haha).
10. He's a family man. Dad loves Mom very much, and cares very much for all his kids. I desire and Lord-willing I'll get an opportunity to have my own family to pass on this fatherly love.

...but seriously, where's my green grass?

My previous post was a plug for a book by Stephen Altrogge, The Greener Grass Conspiracy, in which he makes the case against the empty promises this world offers. Get the new iPad, and you'll be brushed up on the world's newest technology. Invest in this new company, for your nest egg will be secure. Watch this movie filled with all manner of perversion and your hormones will be raging. Drink this beer and you'll have a good time. Use this make-up, ladies, for you'll have countless men running after you. Use this body spray, men, and the ladies will flock to you. Even though partial satisfaction is given in these situations and more, we're still left empty every time. The fix we desire becomes stronger every time we give in. And though paradise is waved in front of us, we find ourselves in a barren field disheartened, empty, and fooled.