Distractions

I seem to have come up against a wall of some sort here in the golden state. I keep wanting to do things and then ending my days feeling like nothing is getting done. The American culture is quite the life to be thrust back into after spending the last year in the laid back life of East Africa. I’ve always said that I love southern California, as opposed to northern California or the East Coast, because of how much more chill life is here. I’ll tell you that it doesn’t even compare to the chillness of Kilimanjaro. Its all flying by and every flashing advertisement, new fancy gadget and have-to-be-there event is only accelerating this precious experience we call life.


I had dinner with my friend Rodrigo the other day and he asked me if I felt American culture has more distractions. I said no at the time, citing that in my experience in Moshi, I was pretty constantly distracted by my loneliness and what not. That makes sense in my personal experience, but I would say that American culture has many distractions that are ingrained into the very fabric of society.


When I was cleaning out my house in Moshi, I came across my planner from 2009. As I flipped through the pages, I saw so many coffee dates, church events, errands to be run and the like all penciled into my full schedule. One might say that a planner could keep your head from spinning, but more accurately its just the thing that keeps your head spinning at a decent speed without falling off the swivel. I bought a 2010 planner before moving to Moshi and didn’t use it once. As soon as I came back though, I knew that I should get one for 2011 and sure enough its filling up and I’m trying to get stuff done without becoming too distracted by all the things vying for my attention.

No Breathe Left

There's a void in this world where the darkness is deep
Where men run with demons and the evil things creep
Where men have chosen sin and Satan obliged
They've put on masks and its darkened their eyes
So they can't see light; they can't hear truth
Injustice rules their world, but the people stay mute
The people stay blind, the people stay deaf
They're trying to get air, but there's no breath left
There's silence, to go with despair
A world without love, a world without care
There's an existence of death and a problem of sin
But I've found the remedy, indeed, I've found Him
In my soul there's hope, in my heart there's love
And the peaceful Spirit that descends like a dove
I know of the beauty that pierces through the blind
And the truth that changes a man's dark mind
And I have heard the music that angels sweetly sing
Crying "Holy, holy, holy, hallelujah to the King!"
I have tasted His goodness and I tell you it is sweet
And I'm in love with His love, I cast my crown at His feet
And now I must go with the light that I've been given
By His blood, to His glory, I am graciously driven
To move into the valley of the shadow of death
Giving all glory to Christ Jesus till there's no breath left.

Brandon Michael

May 3rd, 2008

Stephen Manley Quote

"There isn't such a thing as a lukewarm Christian, they don't exist. That's like talking about dry water." 

-Stephen Manley

"Obsession"

Movement

I had a great opportunity to speak at The Garden on Sunday in Long Beach. It was a great time seeing my friends there and to find myself right back in the community that has been and is so special to me. I really didn’t know how to prepare for what I would say. Darren said that it would be an interview type format and we would be talking about worship and justice and how that plays itself out in my context at Treasures of Africa. As I sat there waiting to go up in the morning service, I was praying and just trying to focus on the Holy Spirit and what He wanted to speak through me. It was a delight to just be used in that way and it went quite well if I do say so myself. 


As I was speaking, something came out that I believe with my whole heart. I’ll have to paraphrase myself because I don’t want to go back and check the pod cast (which you can listen to on iTunes by going to The Garden Church Long Beach in the Religion/Spirituality - Christianity section). I said something to the effect that the Kingdom of God and the Church, as the people of the Kingdom, are beautiful. They are beautiful because it is just this huge movement of people that are fulfilling the unique callings that the Lord has put on their lives. There is nothing on this world like the Church.


The more I think about it, that’s exactly what the Church is supposed to be; a movement. I am one man and by the grace and providence of God, I’ve stepped into a calling. I do indeed find it to be exciting. Not because of all the cool stuff that I’m doing, but because of all the stuff that the Lord is doing just because I’m walking in what He told me to do. It is so encouraging when people affirm, encourage and support me. It makes me that much happier to actually be walking in this small role that the Lord has entrusted to me within His Kingdom. I’m just one man though and nothing would get done if I were acting in isolation.