Good Friday

Yesterday was a good Friday. I'm not going to lie it was probably one of the best days I've had in a while. The day was warm and sunny, the perfect day for outside activity; you know the ones where it is just absolutely impossible to be inside, yeah, you know don't lie.  Anyway to make this pleasant Friday a good Friday I went golfing with three good buddies of mine and had a good time (yes there is a theme, and yes I know more than one word for good) Though I embarrassed myself horribly as I could hardly get the ball 3ft off the tee and on most holes exceeded the stroke limit, it was still a really good time. But what really topped this good Friday was the brilliance of my church's Good Friday service. Thus making my Good Friday, a good Friday
                It was humbling at the magnitude of sacrifice portrayed in the stringed arrangements written by Dr. Anthony Moore. I sat looking straight at the huge wooden cross hung directly behind the church choir, and as the stringed quartet played songs about Christ's death, chills went down my back for I realized that over 2,000 years ago my savior was crucified.
                 As the choir sang "Jesus Our Lord is Crucified" I was moved to utter humility. Nothing is more humbling to me than Christ's death. He being perfect and me being a sinner of horrific proportions is beyond my reckoning and it brought me close to tears, though being the self-conscious teenager I am I just had to hold those tears back, I know it's pitiful. But really all Christians should be moved to tears on Good Friday, it celebrates the day Jesus was crucified. This is sobering. Christ endured ALL the sins of the human race and felt the uncompromisable weight and magnitude of the world's sin. How can you not be moved? For me this is the most humbling and most awesome act of sacrifice ever. It was absolutely amazing, and nothing can describe the magnitude of this sacrifice.
             In this great sacrifice we as Christians have a great hope and a great joy that turns this horrific execution of our Lord into a wonderfully good thing. And so my Good Friday was more than a great game of golf and a sunny sky, this Friday my Holiness was achieved through Christ's Humongous sacrifice that paid for ALL of my sin. Lord thank you so much for a that Good Friday 2,000+ years ago!
                                                                                                                                  Humbly
                                                                                                                                  JoJo

Lady GaGa?

Today as I was reading and one of Lady GaGa's infectious dance songs pops into my head (I don't know why but songs just pop into my head without warning). You know the one Telephone. Anyway catchy song, and having it stuck in my head wanted to listen to it. So I Googled it. NOT SMART!!! DO NOT DO IT!!...Anyway what my search found was a horribly risque and utterly disturbing music video. I could not watch the whole video it as it was just plain awful and as the disgusting video played I thought how this insane woman has millions of fans world wide that accept her creepy outfits and immorality merely because her songs are catchy and fun to listen to. But I can't help but think is it such a wise thing to support this psycho woman? Of course singing her songs aren't directly supporting her, but they are endorsing her if that makes sense. You see I think that we in America make much of people who don't deserve such fame. At one time in America's history Lady GaGa would be considered a witch and be drowned or burned alive or at least be shunned. Now she is okay and her "creativity" is praised by many in the entertainment industry.. But really, in all seriousness the woman needs help not encouragement of her disturbing ways.
                 Lady GaGa isn't the only superstar who leads a horrible and immoral lifestyle courtesy of her fans, in truth most secular artist lead lifestyles that are just down right shamefully disgusting, but yet their fans love them for their music and thus do not care how they live. We have put entertainment above morals, choosing to support immoral lifestyles for the sake of our own entertainment. I am guilty of giving in to this entertainers and letting them have my money in return for a catchy tune. I just can't help but wonder is it so horrible that I have played into the hands of these entertainers and paid them to make these immoral and meaningless songs? I am beginning to think it is not a good thing to do.
                   The question I will leave you and myself with is should we pay these immoral entertainers and just say "I just like the song not the person." and leave it at that. What do you think? Is this acceptable and Christ-like? Or should would be wary of the entertainment we listen to or watch keeping a careful eye on what we fill our minds with? Its a tough question since we live in such a twisted and crooked generation.
                                                                                                                                     -JoJo
Shout out to my Big Brother Caleb! Thanks for being my friend!

Ah Spring!

Finally! The Sun decided to get closer to this side of the world and bid us to shed our big coats and our layers and enjoy the warmth after an incredibly long winter. Ah I love spring! 
         Riding shotgun in one of my best friend's car, the sunroof of his sporty VW rolled back and the windows down, I start to how truly amazing and wonderful God is. I know it sounds cliche but if you really ponder the Sun, the trees, and the green grass, all of these creations being wonderfully complex and absolutely ingenious, they deserve at least some if not a lot of our praise.
        A question I asked myself is: do I really take God's glory serious and am I ready to proclaim it front of my teenage friends? I mean how would you react if one of your friends walks into study hall and proclaims "Man God is awesome! Look outside at the world he made and how wonderful it is! Isn't it God great!" Everybody in the room would have that look on their faces that says "That guy/girl needs some help." But really, why consider that weird? After all we say things are awesome all the time such as "DUDE! THAT SONG IS TOTALLY AWESOME!!!" (emphasis added) So why not "DUDE GOD IS TOTALLY AWESOME!" or is that just a terrible and socially unacceptable taboo? Hmmm what say you? I say that teens today aren't focused on the beauty of things they are too worried about being called "gay" and too worried about being cool. Trust me I know (and no I'm not a doctor), I am that teenager.
          What if we "teens" could become uncool and call God AWESOME? Because in reality we are nothing close to being as awesome as God. What if we reminded each other of how totally awesome and wonderful God is just like we share how awesome that new pop song is? Wouldn't that be a sight, " Hey man isn't God just so AWESOME!?" instead of the usual "Dude wasn't that an awesome game last?" Or "That (whatever "that" is....fill in the blank) is so awesome!" Don't get me wrong I love talking about awesome things that my piers think are awesome I think they are awesome too but awesome with a little "a" if you catch my drift. I believe that we really don't even think about God throughout the regular day, much less talk about Him and His Awesomeness, after all that would be uncomfortable. 
             As I was saying, today was a wonderful day. Mostly sunny, in the 70's. I would challenge you to look at God's creation on days like today and just think how great our God is!
                                                                                                                        Peace Out

Perfection

Philippians 3:12  "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own" So why try to be perfect? This is the answer for all my brothers and sisters in Christ. For those of you who aren't however,  I'm afraid you need more than just one Bible verse and an actual person to talk to about such matters as Sin and Perfection. Yeah I know, your like "Humans sin?" I know. Shocking isn't it? So why the heck try to be perfect if we know we can't (Romans 3:23)? And if we are saved by grace alone and our works have nothing to do with our salvation than why don't we just party like the Gentiles and lead lives full of lust and idolatry (PARTY IN THE USA!!) ? HELLO! BECAUSE CHRIST IS IN YOU!! And with that you should strive to be like him.  I find it disheartening that many of my piers think the way of the Gentile is an okay thing to do for at least a little while, I mean your only a teenager for so long right? WRONG! Come on guys don't conform to the world!
        Now of course if you are one of the ones who thinks the way of the Gentile is okay then your most likely struggling in your faith and are tempted heavily by the world and all that it has to offer. But really you should wake up and smell the coffee, after all do you really want to be a Gentile? "Yeah man, getting stoned and having sex with every chick/dude I meet is so awesome and fulfilling." Sorry but I don't buy that lie. You see God's way is perfect, it is hard, but in the scheme of it all God's way of life leads to unimaginable joy and happiness. After all its PERFECT.  So those that read this let us encourage one another to be like Christ and walk in the ways of Righteousness
                                                                                                              -My 2 Cents Worth,
                                                                                                                  JoJo