Parable:

Imagine with me back to World War Two. You are a Jew in a concentration camp near the end of the war. You are tired, sick, battered, and so close to death. Every day goes by and each one of you're friends that is more healthy than you encourage you to hang on. You know that all around you, any chance of hope has been executed long before those around you.

Imagine that you are homeless. You spend your days on the street waiting for some kind of food to keep you going until the next day. When you go to sleep, you have to find one of the city's steam vents to keep you warm. You've been on the street for years and every time you try to work your way out of this mess, you always end up back on the streets.

Now, imagine back to the first scenario that you wake up one morning to unfamiliar sounds. You wake up to people crying. You come to your senses and realize that the tears are tears of rejoicing! You hear the news that the war is over! Allied forces take control of the camp and begin to set free the prisoners. Imagine your elation.

Imagine in scenario #2 that you wake up in a warm bed! You are clean and dressed in new, warm, closes. All your shabby street closes are replaced with a full wardrobe. When you explore this new setting, you realize that you are in a mansion with servants. When you inquire of the servants, they welcome you home and inform you that this large home is your own. Imagine his elation!

Now imagine with me now an elderly woman in poor health. Over the years, she has had a series of strokes and random events of failed health. She has lived her life in service of God. Every day, her grand children and great grand children have prayed for her health. One day, the elderly woman died. When she next opens her eyes, she is standing before the throne of God and is in His presence for an eternity. She now feels no pain and is in the presence of the author of love and joy and everything that is good. Imagine her elation!

I know that in my last blog, I gave my statement to my family about the recent happenings. These scenarios help me to see the amazing amount of joy and comfort that I can take in the situation. I am doing well and praising God for where she is. She is truly in a better place.

Born to Raze Hell:

I'm sitting in Personal Evangelism class and we just finished watching a video on this city in Guatemala. In this city, there were years of demonic spiritual oppression and mass drunkenness. The city had 4 jails that could not fit all of the prisoners in the city. It took a few Christians to spend 3 days a week praying and fasting to lift the spiritual oppression. Now, God is doing amazing things, not only in the lives of the people, but also blessed their lands and the jails have closed.

Makes me wonder about how much serious prayer and fasting that we are doing. I find it quite funny how we can see something that needs to done yet don't do anything about it. I say "we" because I know that I can be just as guilty as the next. For crying out loud people, let?s wear out our knees and skip a few meals!

When we are born into Christ we are born to raze hell. To raze something means to tear down or destroy. As Christ following hell razers, we are the covert ops, front line soldiers, and demolition teams that receive intelligence from on high. Whatever the case or duty, we need rescue the people who are POWs in ignorance.

The professor of this class commented that he is speaking in chapel tomorrow and is going to "toss some spiritual hand grenades" and take out the "spiritual shock paddles" because things have flat lined. I'm ready.

Quote of the day
the heart has reason which reason does not understand.

The following is something that I need to express. Please understand.

Eulogy:

"For all the deepest thought compiled,philosophy
to laws of physics,
no one's ever heard or seen,
a more beautiful thing,
than this love that saved us.

In the soundless awe
and wonder,
words fall short to hope again.
How beautiful,
how vast
your love is,
new forever,
world without an end."
- "World Without End" - Reese Roper of Five Iron Frenzy

On March 12, 2003, a great hero has been taken from us. I don't know who is going to be present to hear this, but I want it to be heard none the less. On this day, Edith Gula, my great grandmother, was delivered from the suffering of poor health. Though it is amazingly sad to lose her, we can rejoice that she is no longer suffering.

This great woman of faith was our spiritual matriarch and has lived her life as a light to those us of who are left to mourn her passing. I cannot begin to tell you how much of an encouragement that she has been to my life and my studies. I remember her telling me once "God promised that I would see one of my own in the pulpit. I believe that is you, Damien." I am encouraged when I think of God's word being spoken through her. What words did she give to you?

You all know her outspoken nature and her quickness to praise her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ through the good times and the bad. For this moment, out of respect, I ask you consider to her words. Do not blame God for her suffering or for her death. He did not cause it. The truth of the matter is that we live in a world that is dark and cursed with the malignancy of sin. We should not ask why God lets bad things happen to good people, but more over, why He lets so many good things happen to we who do not deserve it. Let's face it, we cannot live this life without a personal relationship and saving grace of Jesus Christ. Jesus said in the Gospel of John: "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Grandma knew that.

She knew that the secret to life was not all the cool cars or houses or stocks. Edith knew that leading a meaningful life, with God as the pilot and navigator, was more satisfying than any riches or stuff. If you could look back on how she lived, do you see the joy that she had? God gave that to her.

I guess I've been talking most about what kind of a person Grandma was. Let me now share with you my feelings. Grandma meant so much to me. Everyone has heard the saying, "You never know what you have until you lose it". It was different than that for me. I knew just how much she meant to me. I loved her so much. To see her and to have her pray for me brought me so much joy. I cannot begin to explain it.

My one regret is that I am not able to be present, nor say good bye. However, I know that I do not need to say good bye. She is now in the presence of God and giving Him praise for everything that she had been given in this life. I know that one day, I will see her again. Will you?

Outbreak:

I wake up this morning... first mistake... and wonder through my morning rituals and exit the room only to find that within 2 days of being back the hall has this pungent mixture of foul wreak! Already, a previously mentioned smell has "graced" our floor once again. This one is worse than the first wave! This once confined smell has become like festering gangrene, absolutely revolting and spreading like The Plague! I seriously cannot enter the hallway without my nostrils burning from the smell.

For crying out loud people, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE!

This has gone beyond any sanity and tolerance. I do not want to point the blame, but it seriously smells terrible! It's like F.a.s.s. (Feet and stinky stuff) squared. It is a conglomeration of the strong smell of diseased feet, terminal halitosis, and a steaming pile of crap. Not exactly the most pleasant to live around. Again, I am not pointing blame.

I think tonight I'm going to assemble the villagers and rally them against this foul wreak. Hopefully, with proper bathing habits, clean laundry, and and mounds of Febreeze, the kingdom will be brought back to peace.

Hookups and Hang-ups:

A recent trend at school has been blooming couples. Not a problem. I've got nothing against that. I think it is super cool how a few of them are going about it, keep God as the center and all... seeing as how He sorta knows best. Not only are there blooming couples, there are also mending couples, which too, can be a good thing if approached in a Godly manner. Then there are always the matchmaker.

While I was at home, some of the funniest things happened. Especially when it comes to this subject. I think that there were like 3 or 4 girls that Mom commented on. "Oh, have you seen *insert girl's name here*?! She is REALLY turning into a FINE young lady." I'm not sure how to take such statements. My classic response to all of these... not out of ignorance or stupidity... was without fail, "So what exactly are you trying to say, Mom?" I think after the third or fourth time she got a little miffed. I think that MAYBE she just wants to see me hooked up already.

The problem with this is that all of these alleged "fine young ladies" are just that: young. I have no problem with young girls... but I do have a thing against dating MUCH younger girls. I mean, two, three years difference is not much... in college... but when a girl still has 2 years left of high school and the guy is 2 years into college..... not gunna happen. I know too many situations that a much older guy is dating a much younger girl. Normally things don't go well and everyone around the situation cringes at the thought of it all.

I guess to me the age thing doesn't bother me... as long as it is within reason. I could go for an older girl just as much as a younger. I'm not sure which I'd lean more towards. The more mature and intellectual thing, to me, can be very attractive, but so can the young and spunky. Meh, maybe I just don't know what I want. But as for now, I'll sit and glance across the room at the picture of my future girlfriend and pray that she's everything that God wants her to be for me and that I am everything the God wants for her.

Back to the Grind:

Yes, faithful bloggians, I am still alive and kickin'. This week rocked socks! I was able to see all my awesome friends from home and work along with them in some rockin ministry. Along the same lines, I had the one and only Brad Butcher. Great guy with a sense of humor along my lines! The car trips were cool and funny. I've hung out with Brad almost all year and never had a one on one with him. He doesn?t talk much. I respect that. We were joking around about him having a 200 word per day limit on speech... which he normally expends in the morning. We had a great time and I am thankful that he had the patience and endurance to deal with "the kids". Because he's met my little brother and sister, he never wants to have kids.

Guess it's time to put my brain back to the good old proverbial grinding stone of school.

So here I am, all back at school and such, and it is pretty dead here. Not that is isn't as busy as I left it, just minus a few people right now. I am starting to see most of my group, but there are still a few out with the choral still. I got to see most of the important people... though, as said before, some of them are still out with choral (Rob and K8, I miss you guys!). I got to hang out with Brent and Kev and Mr. Green for a bit, which was super-rad and also got to watch a movie and such with Liz (very glad to see her too). During the movie, which was a bit cheesy and hard to hear, Liz drew a picture of my "future girlfriend"... she's quite punky and very cute, both huge plusses... Now if I can only find the real one....

(I attempted to draw a picture of her future boyfriend, but I'm not very good at drawing... so the picture turned out to look like an anime version of me.... which is weird because I was told that the picture that I was drawn looks like an anime version of her...alright people, don't speculate. Liz and I are very good friends, but not like THAT)

The "Camping" trip:

Last night, Keiser, Glidden, Brad, Billings, Brent, Musgrave, and I had a Halo tourney last night. I hate campers. For those of you who don't know what a camper is, I'll tell you. A camper is the guy who stays in one place with either a sniper rifle or other scoped weapon and picks people off. This type of fighting bothers me. I do not mind the occasional institution of snipeage, but when that is all that a team does, it gets very annoying. I got so annoyed that I was thinking and said a very not so nice things directed at them through the screen. What is hilarious though is that in the matches where the rifle was not present, Brent and I rocked the house. I can't say that we mopped the floor with them, because they did very well for telling us that they sucked. They were able to hold their own. But I really hate campers.