Not too much is new as of late. I have just been trying to get some assignments done that are due at the end of the week. Apart from that, I have just been reading a whole lot. I'm reading The Irresistible Revolution (Claiborne) and the book of Acts (Luke/God ha). 

I was able to share with Savannah some potential huge things and ideas I had over the week. They are up in prayer and I really think they are going to be one of the steps I take in the future. I feel like I have been spoken to so much over the past couple weeks. I feel like I'm actually encountering God rather than just sitting in church reading black and white, or red and white. It's been nothing short of amazing. 

I've also been trying to learn some Hebrew concepts, and words and their meaning in the original language the bible was written. It has been really interesting. 

Anyways, I'm going to make breakfast. 

Chadwick. 

Videos.

I came across some of Brian McLaren's (author of Everything Must Change, The Secret Message of Jesus) videos today. Check them out if you have a minute: 

I do not necessarily agree with trying to reenact Heaven on Earth, but he brings up some amazing points towards the end about how to treat Earth as if it were Heaven. I dig it.

great, great points.

I just got back from a run not too long ago. Before that I watched The Island, and it is way crazy. Threw my mind for a whirl. I am about to have some ice cream because my throat feels scratchy. 

On another note, I need to start taking more pictures. I will begin taking more pictures this week. Here is one from a couple weeks ago. And one because I miss Savannah. :)

Chadwick

Plan B.S.

I was sitting at college the other day, reading by myself when I overheard a conversation and someone said that they were going to go home and do 4 years of college so they have something to fall back on, in case anything goes wrong. This really got me thinking... 

If we are fully surrendered and devoted to Jesus, we should have no other plans. We should not be worrying about if something goes wrong. If our faith is an an unmoving, unchanging, forever powerful God,  "plan B's" have got to be an enemy. And what exactly does a "Plan B" do for you? Some may say it's a backup plan in case I don't have money for groceries. How dare we depend on God? Chris Haw and Shane Claiborne put it this way (parentheses added by myself): 

"Who needs a Creator when we can sculpt mountains? (Mt. Rushmore)

Who needs a Great Physician when we can heal ourselves? 

Who needs Providence for food, when we can clone animals for food?

Who needs a Savior when we have a four hundred billion dollar defense shield? (of which half of taxes go to. violence.militarism.all for peace though, right? b.s.)

Who needs a deliverer, when the Empire has become a democracy? 

Who needs a God when we are worthy of worship ourselves?" 

Others may say its "wisdom" to have a backup plan or "Plan B". Somehow it seems more spiritually wise to give it all up. die to yourself. and bank on Jesus being the way, truth and the life. forget the back up plan and list of old ways you'd return back to if this whole thing didn't work out. 

I heard Judah Smith preaching on something like this once and he said that some of us "Christians" know EXACTLY what we would do if we found out this whole Jesus thing wasn't real. or it didn't work out.  And that is a MAJOR problem.

In John when Jesus is teaching about eating his flesh and blood, which sounds rather cannibalistic, (and no so fitting into our cookie cutter seeker-sensitive Church culture, or the culture anywhere for that matter.), many disciples walk away, leaving the twelve. He asks "will you leave also?" Simon Peter answers, "To whom shall we go." Thats the spirit we need to have. To whom shall we go? We have nothing else. You are our rock. You are our solidity. You hold us together. You make us more than dirt or dust. You hold our value. You give us our security. 

When eliminate our "Plan B's" and realize that this is ALL we have, we show God that we really trust in Him. and in that, we become used for His glory. When we burn our other options to the ground, we fight much harder. We run this race determined. 

A faith that only goes deep enough to limit us from doing certain "immoral" things, is just a moral, with no backbone. A faith that has other options were it to be incorrect, isn't a faith at all. An authentic faith is one that says 'To whom else (or where else) shall we go.'

Chadwick. 

hey!

if you are lurking this start leaving some comments! 

that would be awesomeee!  

we got the part to fix our car for 80 bucks. we pick it up tomorrow morning.

praise God.

traitor?

"If this bloody counterfeit liberation is American...

I am proud to be Un-American.

If depleted uranium is American...

I am proud to be Un-American.

If US sanctions are American...

I am proud to be Un-American.

If the imposed 'peace' of Pax Americana is American...

I am proud to be Un-American.

But if grace, humility, and nonviolence are American... 

I am proud to be American. 

If sharing to create a safe, sustainable world is American...

I am proud to be American. 

If loving our enemies is American...

I am proud to be American. 

Regardless, I would die for the people of New York, but I will not kill for them... my kingdom is not of this world. 

I would die for the people of Baghdad, but I will not kill for them... my kingdom is not of this world. 

I will pledge an allegiance deeper than nationalism, to my God and to my family... my kingdom is not of this world. I will use my life to shout "Another world is possible"... for my kingdom is from another place. "My kingdom is not this world. If it were, my servants would fight... but now my kingdom is from another place" (Jesus; John 18:36)"

- Shane Claiborne in Jesus For President

are you wiggling in your seat yet? 

the car is done.

i woke up this morning and talked to home for a bit. i was so stoked that Savannah got her purse back. exciting news. 

on the drive to class this morning the car made this really loud noise and now apparently our steering base (?) is messed up and we are missing some big ball bearing. i know nothing about cars or how they work. i just that when i hit the pedal they go. and that's all i really care about. so we are getting our neighbor to look at it. we left it up at the church for the night. i need to work out how i'm getting there tomorrow. 

i am about halfway through Jesus For President. it is messing me up for sure. challenging a lot of crucial stuff going on in the economy and government of America. and comparing it to Rome, and the early Christians, many of them being martyrs. 

there is this Jedi Mind Tricks song called Shadow Business. it's about the factories in China. while it is filled with profane language, it is attempting to do more about this situation than the Church is. 

everyone should probably check out. http://www.responsibleshopper.org 

Hanes, Levi's, Nike, among others ignore labor laws and use slaves. 

i haven't heard much from the hundo boys this week! a little here and there. 

the bus sold and we are making another deposit at First Street Studio, where we will be recording for all of October. www.myspace.com/firststreetstudiomusic

we are all getting ready for it. i have had some more song ideas as of late. i will begin getting my voice ready as soon as it doesn't hurt anymore. 

i am going to read a bit and then head to bed. 

tomorrow i will ship Savannah's b-day stuff. :) 

Chadwick

i'm falling ill.

i am pretty positive i have a sinus infection, so i need to begin pounding the meds. 

although i was cured for a couple hours by friendship, among other things. symptoms only really hit me at night, and in the morning. odd. 

i skipped out on church today just to try and rest up so i would feel better. 

i have a long day planned for tomorrow, which includes going into the city. 

i have a couple things to pick up for Savannah's birthday. 

tonight i was thinking about when she had surgery last year and when we were just sitting in her hospital bed making jokes. we were watching UFC and she was little "too medicated." something about a Rolling Stone cover also, but i don't remember what? i'll have to ask mom. she was sitting there laughing at us i remember. it's weird how low and risky times in life bring beauty. it's like we finally realize we are alive and begin to appreciate it much more knowing that it can be taken easily. 

it's like the hilarity-soaked drive home from Rock Hill following Elyse's funeral 3 years back. 

it's like the jokes and nights in Brandon's bed after TJ died. and the unbelievably topsy turvy car ride home from Warped Tour after we found out the news. we sat in hotel hallways not knowing how to trust God. i laid face down on a vintage-smelling couch while Brandon laid on the floor, face to the ceiling asking why. there's still something beautiful, and i can't catch what it is. but i get a glimpse in my head every now and then. i have to go on a journey of thought before i get there. it's almost like i'm surveying every detail of the situation to find out that there really is something beautiful amongst tragedy. i'm going to bet it is God's sovereignty and ability to use what we see at tragedy as an opportunity to rekindle relationships, break down pride and shed light on something thats a little greater than what we have here on Earth. 

when you look at yourself from the perspective of someone so unchanging, it's easy to notice how much you have changed. 

i am on a journey. a roller-coaster ride that'll end with me knowing that i was locked down to the tracks, just as planned. when i was at a high looking down at the low i was approaching, something was drawing near. when i thought i was alone, something was drawing near. when i was mixed up and had no clue where i was, something was drawing near. and when i get to the end and feel flustered and shaken up, something will draw near. 

goodnight.

Chadwick. 

couple things.

i started reading Jesus for President. it's way good. challenges a lot of crucial stuff going on. i dig.

i made a mushroom and egg wrap for breakfast. it was also way good. this week of classes was pretty good. wolves at night went pretty good. some sound issues, but it was alright. last night i just hung out with colby and cal. we just chilled out and listened to some sermons. 

not too sure what i'm up to tonight. maybe something fun. maybe not. 

i am already hungry again. i'm just sitting here with colby, nicole and enoch now. talking about useless stuff. 

i'll post again later tonight. 

chadwick

i guess you could call them changes.

i am winding down for the night at 10:45 pm. i have some new things that i am going to be trying on for size. i guess you could call them "changes." here is a rough list.

- 11:00 pm bedtime on weekdays. 

- drink at least 2 liters of water a day.

- stretch before bed and upon waking up. 

- read daily. 

my throat has been feeling really weird. 

i need some medicine or something.

goodnight! 

chadwick

sweatshops. justice. homeless.

I'm going to start this entry with one bold statement. 

Beyond compassion lies justice. 

How can we call ourselves compassionate followers of Christ, when a desire to bring justice isn't in our hearts. We mock the homeless and turn our noses up on a lifestyle that saved our wreckless souls. "How can we worship a homeless man on Sunday and ignore one on Monday." 

That lifestyle being that of Jesus... he WAS homeless, and yet we don't care about the homeless more than a food drive here and there.  Yeah, food is cool. But what about broken hearts and bare feet? Yeah, you did a great food drive with your church or school, but our attitudes towards justice aren't seasonal projects. They are what we are called to do. 

Mother Theresa said,  "Poverty is not created by God, but by you and I, because we have not figured out how to love."

Real "Christianny" folks are rockin' Jesus t-shirts, promoting His name and advertising Him to the world, but what we don't realize is the actual shirt we are wearing was made in a sweatshop somewhere. Ridiculous. The WWJD bracelets were most likely made in China with complete ignorance to any labor law or even a minimum wage. Made by children, forced to weave more "Christian" products into our "Christian Nation's" over-consumptive fiber of a being. There is way too many "Christian's" in this paragraph. While I'm on it, we should also stop focusing on striving to be amazing Christians (only used 3 times in the Bible).  Jesus was crucified for much more than us just to follow some rules than we have so carelessly named "Christianity." Do not get me wrong, they are great guidelines to live by. But He died for much more. Bearing our cross daily, is not safety insurance. In fact, following Jesus is NOT SAFE. The only promise we can cling to is that the best place we can be is in God's will. That says nothing about safety. 

"There is no more dangerous place to be, than for a Christian to be in comfort and safety, detached an isolated from the suffering of their neighbor."

We don't need to open our eyes. We just need new eyes. 

Eyes that asks questions about the things they consume and where they come from. 

We all have some work to do. 

Goodnight. 

Chadwick.