The Stages of People You Meet in Life: Part II

Stage 3 consists of the people whom you go to elementary, middle, and high school with. You see them five days a week for 180 days each year. This is where some lifelong friends or enemies are made. This is where you get a taste of what it's like to be with other people, where you try to figure out who you are, where the goal is to be liked and make a core group of friends. You study together, you eat together, you feel the thrill of victory or agony of defeat together. There are also all of your classmates throughout the different classes that you know, but may not befriend. These people still play a crucial part in shaping your character. They may have to work with you on a project and you learn how to work together. They may be someone you talk about, or try to impress, or mooch off of, or even a link in the chain to your future goals. The sad reality about this group is that the majority of them you will lose touch with after high school, and may never hear from or see again (unless you and they are inclined to go to a high school reunion). But not all is lost as some amazing friendships are formed here.

Stage 4 consists of those you meet in college. The reason this is a separate group is because your college connections tend to last for a long time, especially those in your field of study because they have similar likes and dislikes that you do. Also by this stage most are adults and most of the high school drama and nonsense is an afterthought. Here is where the real world connections begin. The ones you befriend here may lead to golden opportunities once this stage has concluded. Some people in this stage may also save your rear end (even more than once) when you turned a deaf ear to that thing we all have known as a conscience. As well as the good, there will be people in this stage who you want to or should avoid but it may not be all bad because as the saying goes "you learn from your mistakes." College is a huge step in one's life and the people here shouldn't be taken for granted.

Stage 5, and y'all knew this one was coming, are co-workers and bosses. Love em, hate em, it's up to you because as long are employed in that building, you are stuck with them and they with you. These people will drive you insane, will get you in trouble, will be your worst nightmare, or will make your work day go by quicker, will make your day when least expected, will possibly help you climb up the economic ladder, and even be part of your inner circle (see stage 6b). This is your ultimate test on how to work/deal with all kinds of people.

Stage 6a is a two part stage because everyone may or may not fall into parts (a) and (b). In this half-stage, the people belong to your church or religious group (if you have one). These are people who are like family. Even after school lets out, you still see these ones at least once a week, and for some of us multiple times a week. Love in this stage is abundant and strong bonds are formed here to the point that we call each other brother and sister. These ones understand your pain and suffering and will be there for you when you need them to be. There is also an eternal value here. This group shares in a uniting, saving, bond know as Jesus Christ. Without Him, this group wouldn't even exist...yet it is the most crucial.

Stage 6b is your inner circle. The collection of people you've meet throughout your life from your existence to your extinction. They came from each and every stage and accepted you for you. They know a lot about you, what you like and dislike, what makes you tick, and are the closest people to you. They may not all know each other, but you know them all and cherish them the most. But none of them would be in this stage if not for you and they going through the other 5 stages first. Granted, this inner circle may change, but those who remain have stood the true test of time and would ultimately do anything for you as you would for them.

People matter and if you go through life, hating, ignoring, and avoiding, your progression may end up being a flat line that eventually depreciates. Life is a beautiful thing and no one can make it through alone. Don't miss out on key opportunities and for the people you may never see again, don't forget, but always remember.

The Stages of People You Meet in Life: Part 1

I'm in the writing mood and I've been pondering over this piece for awhile. It comes in the wake of the two year anniversary of when mine and 30+ others Christian Internship began. People are the best, people are the worst, people can be your life, or your enmity, people are insane, people are safe, basically people come in all makes and models. But one thing I realize is that certain people are only in your life for a short time or forever, but each role is crucial, necessary, important.

The first stage is a small group of friends when you are young. The ones who were quick to introduce themselves, wanting to play, share their half-eaten chocolate, share naps, get into Mommy's and Daddy's stuff, and go on the wildest adventures. Now if these ones are affiliated with school, church, or another group, they may be a part of your life for a long time, but if they are someone you met at a park, fair, or another random place, then you may only know them for a little while. To this day, only one has remained a life long friend. The important thought here is that you learn how to interact, learn to be with anyone, build human connections. Even if they all disappear but one, that one can be a foundation that carried you for the rest of your life.

Stage two consists of neighbors (adults and kids both) who you see nearly every day. You know them by their full name, some likes and dislikes, and you know what life is like outside the front door, but sometimes are clueless to what goes on on the inside. These ones are around as long as you live in the same place, and fade once you or they move. When I was growing up, there were about five neighborhood kids that I saw/played with every day. We would shout across the street, constantly invite each other over without our parents' permission at times, talk about all kinds of things going on in the neighborhood, and even spend our summers entertaining each other in multifarious ways. The funny thing is that we were all different. Two of us had a father who was a pastor of the local congregation and were the youngest in the group always trying to be the center of attention. Another two of us were ambitious, inventive young lasses who owned a dog and had the best driveway on the block, always looking for competition, and lived in a house filled with antiques. One of us was practically an only child because all of his siblings were grown up and had kids of their own (his niece was two years older than he), who's house was packed to the brim with "stuff", and spent nearly every day over at the house of the remaining five of us who had Christian parents, a gigantic yard, and all the imagination in the world to do and execute all the crazy, awesome, fun things we did.

We did so many things together consisting of flying kites, playing hide-and-go-seek in a cemetery, sneaking around a country club and golf course, bought sno cones, birthday parties, town events, the park; you name it we did it. These ones were a core staple in my childhood and we all had a positive effect on each other (even when we fought) that lasted as long as we lived there. It's now been 10 years since I saw anyone in that group and I know that most of us don't live there anymore, that four of our parent's are divorced (not mine), and that one of us really, really needs the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ to rekindle a flame that once had potential, but the world snuffed out. I grew up with them for 10 years and now I have no idea where three of them are nor have I heard from them, and the others are only brief facebook interactions that seem like the connections we once shared have vanished. In light of all this, those 10 years with those five other people helped shape some of my character, open my eyes to things once unseen, and gave me memories to last a lifetime.

To be continued...

Life Ain't Always Beautiful

Life ain't always beautiful, but it's a beautiful ride. That is a line from country singer Gary Allen from his song Life Ain't Always Beautiful. That sums up how this last month and a half has gone and explains why I haven't written in so long. I may have said this before and will say it again...better late than never. 

Let me give you a brief rundown of what has happened since I last wrote. Mountain Top came and went and for me, it seems to be a different experience each year. I always try to compare it when I was in Jr. High and High school, when our peak was 1000 people, but averaged around 500, when I was a participant and didn't have a serving role, when I was just enjoying the ride. But now that I'm nearing the end of my college years, watched as many grew up and faded away, or have life's responsibilities to attend to, and I sometimes wonder myself why I stick around. The answer is simple: because others did it for me and continue to this day to do so. Mountain Top is no longer about me, but rather about these kids. Some come from the streets, broken homes, divorced parents, good or bad relationships, lives with or without God, basically all paths of life. And they all need Jesus. The foot has to be put in the door and the road has to be paved. But that can't happen without the leading of those who have gone before. This all was reflected at MT with 12 young people being baptized. You may think that's a small number compared to 300, but the bible says "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."~Luke 15:7. The Lord was did amazing things at MT.

Now after MT came Gospel Odyssey where we saw the Word of the Lord go out, lives were changed, and people were saved. It was amazing to see around 100 people give a week to seek and save the lost. Also during this time I was in the stage where "Life ain't always beautiful." My plan was to get an internship this fall (as part of my engineering program) so I did pretty much everything I needed to to be ready to go by the time school started. Long story short, a lot of things on the other end didn't go smoothly and I at times was a wreck and couldn't figure out why the hits kept coming. One week went by, then two, and pretty soon, school would start in 3 days and I still had nothing. So after much prayer and consideration, I told myself that I still had a week to sign up for classes (even if it meant missing the first week) and that I would stop worrying because I didn't want to be burdened with this during the young people's meeting and Lord's Day morning. 

Monday rolled around, classes had begun and I was doing the last of five interviews. Later in the day my adviser calls me and tells me I have offers on the table, one of them being from the company I just interviewed with an hour ago. I start Tuesday Sept. 3rd. That was a process I hated to go through, and even though I knew the Lord would provide, it didn't make it hurt any less, and it just shows that when you let go of whatever is holding you down and cling hold to faith, great things do happen. 

I still am a little nervous because this will technically be my first real job not school related. But I know that He will carry me through. 

On a side note, my American readers probably don't know this but I am shocked by the views my blog gets from overseas. For some reason a decent number of views come from Germany as well as many other Eastern countries. So this is a shout-out and thank you.

I am so looking forward to the Labor Day conference and hope to see many of your smiling faces and be refreshed by the spirit of the Lord. 

Celebrating Life: Remembering David Kim

If anyone was anticipating a Mountain Top/ Interest Camps post here, that will have to wait. Because during this past week, a friend/brother in Christ passed away tragically at a young age. His name was Narang "David" Kim. But this post is not to mourn a loss, but rather to celebrate a life that was devoted to Jesus Christ.

When I first met David four years ago, I was sort of intimidated by his appearance. He was a bigger guy then and had a frohawk. My good friend Thomas introduced me to him and I really didn't know what to expect. Before I could introduce myself, he already started cracking jokes and then with a big smile, reached out his hand and said "Hi I'm David Kim. Nice to meet you bro." I had only known him for a minute and he used the word "bro" in a sincere way rather than the way someone would use the word "dude." I could tell he was special.

I didn't get to see him as much as I liked over the years, but every time I did, he made me feel special whether he intended to or not. It was hard to be in a bad mood around that bright, big smile. He always had a classiness about him with a hint of sophistication. He was also always dressed well, as if to be prepared for a special occasion to arise at any moment. David was also not afraid to let his heart for Jesus Christ glow.

I don't have that many memories of David because of the little time I knew him, but the ones I have are some of the most precious and bring me to tears when I reflect upon them.

The first one comes from 2010 when some of us Cleveland bros decided to visit the saints in Buffalo, NY. We were all going bowling one night and I had the opportunity to ride with David in his car. We were catching up, talking about life and even how we were doing spiritually. I don't remember much of that conversation, but the one thing I do remember was him telling me of how he gave his atheist friend a bible for his/her birthday. That friend meant so much to him that he was willing to set aside his fears and try to bring this person to the greatest gift man could ever receive: the salvation of Jesus Christ. It took guts to do what he did and at that point in my life, I don't know if I could have done that.

A year or so later, the brothers from Buffalo were coming down to Columbus and decided to stop in Cleveland along the way. We were all hanging out, laughing, joking, talking about guy stuff when someone was explaining what he would do in a situation and David was asked what he would do and he replied with "Just follow the Lord bro. That's it." He took a semi-serious situation and responded in a surprising, but meaningful way. That was David.

The last time I saw him was in August of 2012 at James and Allison's wedding. We were in a circle of friends and were all talking, laughing, and just enjoying the moment. You know the saying "The life of the party?" David was the life of the circle that day.

I also found out that David enjoyed some country music and me, being a big fan of country music am always overjoyed when I know another guy who enjoys it even if it's only a little.

David's heart was big and the amount of love posted on his facebook wall after his passing shows the extent of his love with all the lives he touched. My prayer is that anyone who knew David and you are reading this and you still have not received the Lord Jesus Christ, just look at the life David lived and how his life touched you. That's because he lived the greatest life, the life of Jesus Christ. With that belief, he is now home with the Lord at peace and waiting for the rest of us.

David, my friend, but more importantly brother in Christ, you will be missed greatly, but I shed not tears of sadness but tears of joy knowing that you are truly home and for the life you lived in Christ. Until we meet again my brother, thanks for being able to call me friend.

Weathering the Storm and Witnessing Miracles: JHC Edition

This was my 10th year (in a row) at Jr. High Camp, 9th serving. The question at hand is why do I keep coming back? What makes me give up a week of my summer to wake up before 8AM every morning and not go to sleep until 11PM every night? What causes me to sleep in a building with no bedding, no AC, two bathrooms with curtains on the stalls, packed with 50 boys, the majority being smelly, loud, obnoxious jr. highers? It's because I was once one myself and there were others before me who served me. Also because these kids need someone besides their parents to lead them towards Christ.

The goal of the week was to find the Lord. That was the challenge everyone was given especially the jr. high.   Jesse gave the opening message which covered the Lord calling Samuel with the call to "Get Up" just like Samuel. They did just that. Bright and early before 7AM the jr. highers in my room were up and restless. Plus I lacked sleep from the heat of the night. I thought this was going to be a long week.

I don't know how it happens, but every year it seems I get stuck with the boys who don't like memorizing verses, who are quiet in small groups, have an extremely hard time listening, but by the end of the week, good things happen that surprise even me.

Rain was a threat throughout the week because it was supposed to be pouring all week. But come Monday morning we all woke up to a blue sky and sunshine. Things seemed promising until during our first activity, which was kickball, the rain started coming down. I asked the girls if they wanted to keep playing and to my surprise they said yes. In 10 minutes the rain stopped and it was sunny the rest of the day. The rain played a huge factor in something special, but I will get back to that later.

By Monday evening I was dead tired and ready to go to bed, but there was still a whole meeting and musical chairs left to go. One thing about the meeting that is different is that it is filled with young kids who aren't embarrassed to let themselves go. They will scream, run around, do conga lines, stand on their chairs, and just go crazy, yet the Spirit of the Lord is also there the presence was strong. Seeing the kids enjoying the Lord was quite refreshing.

Tuesday rolled by with another sunny morning that lasted until approximately 7:30PM. Then the rains came for the rest of the evening. I grew a few extra arms and legs as jr. highers liked to latch onto me.

Wednesday I saw one quiet boy in my group become more talkative and he participated greatly in the pray-reading session. Wednesday was also the long anticipated day of Capture the Flag. In the first half hour, minor injuries such as cuts, bumps, and scrapes began to pile up, but nothing major. This was my first year as a non-participant in CTF because I was the referee with the bullhorn (which I happily used frequently throughout the week to my delight and some others' dismay). I didn't mind so much because I got to go freely all over the camp and witness all the action first hand. The game eventually ended in a draw.
One highlight of today was that I told one boy to stand up during the singing when everyone else was and he said "Fine, but I'm not singing." I told him that was fine and that I just wanted him to stand up. In less than 10 minutes he was on top of his chair singing...got em!

Thursday morning came like a lion, pouring epic amounts of rain on the camp. It was also the day of the Olympics. I gave my message this morning on how the Christian life is a fight. This life isn't easy. The world will throw everything at you, demons will turn people against you, sin will infest and overtake you and giants will rise up in your path. But as long as you have the Lord and put your faith in Him, the world will fade, demons will flee, the devil will cower, and giants will fall.

This was the first year in the last 10 that the first part of the Olympics were held in doors. A bit of a change, but did not vanquish the allure of the games. The boys took the infamous Tug-O-War, but the girls won overall by a score of 15-14.

The rains eventually subsided around 3:00 with a little drizzle here or there throughout the rest of the day. We gave the kids an hour and a half of free time and I had a blast playing two on one b-ball with Luke Wang and William Liu, which led to some crazy put-put and some cool chit-chat. During the actual rest time, I walked up towards the bonfire sight  to check the trail and spend some time with the Lord. One of the things I talked to Him about was holding off the rain and not taking this experience away from the jr. highers. Because 9 years ago, that bonfire at jr. high camp was where I had one of my first experiences of touching the Lord.

9:30 came upon us and I was one of the first people up to the fire. At the time there was a light drizzle, but nothing too bad. Then as the very last camper arrived, it started pouring. I thought in my heart "Why are you doing this Lord? Why now?" With that thought upon my heart, suddenly, everyone around the fire began crying out to the Lord, just as Samuel did for the Israelites all those years ago. Within a few minutes, the rain ceased completely and the stars came out. A "Thank You Jesus" chant then arose and that nasty rain never showed his face again that night. Those kids, including myself, witnessed a miracle and should've erased all doubt from those uncertain hearts.

Friday was the last day and contained concluding events such as the Testimony time, the Talent Show, and the Bible Bowl. Ten jr. highers testified that they touched the Lord this week. One testimony nearly broke me when a young boy stood up and said he wasn't sure if he had touched the Lord or not but he had some "things" going on with another boy during the week and he apologized to that boy in front of everyone. Mike told him he had for sure touched God. I was so moved by the power of the Lord and all His grace He bestowed upon us during the week.

Final results: The boys won musical chairs, tug-o-war, and Stephen Watkins and Brad Sprau memorized and recited Matthew chapter 7.
The girls won the Olympics, the Talent Show, the Cleanest Room, the Most Verses Memorized, and Sarah Watkins recited John Chapter 14.
Oh yeah...the boys took back the crown and won the Bible Bowl.

All that aside, the Lord was so real, so awesome, and even when we fell, even when we lacked, even when we were ready to throw in the towel, He picked us up, gave us more, and revived our fight. Jr. High Family Camp 2013 was a victory in Christ.

Two Weeks of Summer is Serenity

I know in the ghosts of blog-posts past I've complained about how much I loathed school and how I longed for the semester to be gone with the wind. Well now that summer vacation in here, I must share a sunny, happy aspect here to portray why I love this season so much.

My first day of freedom was spent getting a much needed 10 hour sleep. I never try to sleep past noon because when I do, it seems like half my day is wasted. The last time I did was after Fall semester finals where I went to bed at 2AM and woke up at 1:30PM thinking it was 11AM. You do the math on that one. And it was uninterrupted. After my slumber, I surfed the web, went out an jumped on my newly assembled trampoline, then cloud-watched on said trampoline, played video games, went to the library, shot hoops, worked out, continued a new hobby (shh it's a secret) and then somewhat repeated that cycle until I finally called it a night. I cannot describe in detail how happy I am with being able to enjoy the simple things in life instead of doing the best I can on tedious tasks I deem unimportant and stress out over a letter of the alphabet that determines how long I will remain in an area of not-fun-ville. But enough of that. Summer is here!

Some of the other things I have enjoyed are two Cleveland Indians games back to back, both exciting and amazing wins, a bonfire with bros, a songfest, some pick-up basketball with the guys, visiting Lakewood park while watching the sunset over Lake Erie and downtown Cleveland while spending time with the Lord and letting my mind wander, watching Iron Man 3, wandering around Crocker Park, and being excited for all the things I am going to do this summer.

Aside from all that, I have a bucket list to conquer. Yes, I have been told that I may be a little young to start one, but now is better than later when I have more responsibilities and other important matters to attend to that will hinder me from enjoying some of the finer things in life. My motto for this experience has been dream big or go home. A lot of it has to deal with travel, even if it was only over the USA, I'd love to see, taste, experience it. To be honest if the chance arose for an adventure to see spectacular things and get away from it all, I'd be all over it faster than a frog's tongue on an unsuspecting fly. No matter what people say, life is too short to wait. No one except the Creator knows when their last breath will be taken. And most importantly, whether you believe it or not, nothing can happen without His approval. Absolutely nothing. I know from first hand experience because I have been severely disappointed many times, but have been blessed maybe even more.

I pray that this summer be thoroughly blessed by the Lord's hand and that the light of Christ may shine brighter than ever before.  

Where Do You Wander?

Where Do You Wander?

By Josh Watkins

Upon what path do your feet trod O dreamer?

Describe to me the details of its splendor.

Do you walk upon a short, dust-filled path?

Where many have stepped before?

Do you wander upon briers long and twisted as the eye sees fit?

Is thy path endless, dark and bleak?

Laden with scorching coals and embers rare?

Are your feet scarred and slashed by stones forever encased in the dirt?

Is your breath restrained for fear of avalanche?

Or can you see the Artist’s horizon?

Where do thy toes dangle?

Off the gleaming bricks shaped of gold?

Off the prism’s guarded treasure?

How far down your path does your will desire?

Will you reach its end or will you die along the way?

Is your path lined with roses of red, daisies of yellow, lilies of lavender?

Do notes of melody swarm your destination?

Does the star of fire kiss your skin?

Tell me O dreamer and please my ears,

Are you trapped upon a road carved with lies?

Do you wander in deceit?

Are your feet bound by guilt and slowed by shame?

Prove me wrong! Silence my persistent questioning!

Tell me that you walk along the Way,

That you are running to the Truth,

That you have discovered the route of Eternal Life.

So many paths awaiting your step,

So many vanities at each end.

Yet one and only one will satisfy your dreams.

This is the path Hope,

This is the path of Life,

This is the path of Salvation,

This is the path of Jesus Christ.

I wander this path.

Where do your feet trod O dreamer?