I'm Being Creative!

So, in my desire to raise money for my move to Japan I have come up with a few cool ideas. When we go to the super market and swipe our card to pay for our groceries we get a sack full of goodies. Why not get something from me when you donate to my trip? So, here is a list. I broke it down into different brackets of giving.

$5-$9 A virtual high five...basically a Youtube video of me giving you a high five.
$10-$20 A personalized short story or poem (Autographed and sent to you)

$50-$100 A fully edited video posted to Youtube (could be a music video or short film)

$100-$500 I will come to your house and cook you dinner. (There will be restrictions)

$500-$1000 If you have kids I will baby sit for you. (If you have kids you know this is worth more than the amount you are giving!)

$1000+ I will promise to name my first child after you (To be honest I can't promise this...but I will try to keep it!)

With every donation you will also get a super secret prize! (Probably and autographed CD...my autograph on a random CD)

While this is humorous it is also 100% true! I'm just trying to be creative in my fundraising. You can to here to donate...or if you would rather not donate online you can contact me on Facebook!

You Know Me!

In 2000, at the age of 18, I went to Japan for the first time. Since then, I have never been the same. My passion and dream has been to live and work in Japan. In the summer of 2008 I was once again able to go to Japan and teach. I was uncertain if my feelings and desires to be in Japan would still be there after 8 years. Within a short period of time I knew that nothing had changed except for wanting to be in Japan even more.

Now with orientation coming up in December and the possibility of being in Japan as soon as March I’m looking to raise some money. A lot of times people will just say, “Hey pray for me!” While, this is appropriate and welcomed I need to raise some money for my trip. As one of my professors used to say, “I covet your prayers”. I don’t however, covet your money. I understand that not every can give…but for those that can I would really appreciate it!

 

Here is what I will be using the money for:

I need a place to live and will need rent money for the first month.

I’m going to need to buy a plane ticket…which will be one way but still expensive non the less.

Food…people need to eat and that people is me!

I won’t have a car (possibly a car for work but not for personal use) and will need money to get around.

 

If you have questions for me please don’t hesitate to call me, facebook me, tweet me, friendster me, myspace me…whatever! Just ask…you know me!

 

Please check out http://funds.gofundme.com/a32gk to donate and help send me to Japan. Thank you!

Who Is A Martyr?

Why are we as Americans so quick to call ourselves martyrs. Or claim that we are receiving some kind of religious persecution? Do people not realize what this means??

We throw these terms around and throw Bible verses around so we can prove our points. Honestly, that’s not what the Bible is for and if that’s how you are using it…PLEASE STOP READING THE BIBLE!

It all started last week when everyone cried martyr, when Tim Tebow’s celebration got mocked. His celebration is him taking a knee and praying. I assume he is praying I don’t know. I’m not in his head. But, I do know that many NFL players have celebrations and they get mocked.

My issue is with all these Christians crying about how brave Tim Tebow is now and how is is suffering for God. Really! Suffering for God?? You have got to be kidding me! He is a multi millionaire, who is paid to play a game, a game I played when I was 15! He may be a Christian…but he is not, let me repeat, IS NOT suffering for Christ. The only thing that is suffering is his QB rating. And for that…maybe he should be praying more.

The other issue I have is when Christians take Bible verses out of context ( surprising I know right!) so they can somehow claim that we are supposed to be pacifists. This is a huge issue I have anabaptists, memmonites, etc. They always pull the the “turn the other cheek” verse. Please…read the Bible in context!! I beg you! (I’m not talking about fighting in wars. That’s a different topic.) 

Quick hermeneutics lesson from Romans (Lester Hicks would be proud!). Paul is talking about when Christians face hardships from people who hate them…because they are Christians. If someone breaks into your house and tries to kill your family…you aren’t going to turn the other cheek…I hope! You are going to use your God given smarts to defend yourself. Also, the person breaking into your house more than likely isn’t doing so because you are a Christian. This isn’t China.

We live in America. I’m pretty sure that most of us have NEVER faced religious persecution on the level of  anything described in the Bible.

Real Martyrs lay down their life for the service of Christ.

This is going to get ugly…but who cares?

A couple of years ago while living in the city I had to deal with some neighbors of mine that were…well law breakers. They were selling drugs, sex, and always asking me for money. I tried my best to help out this family. I put them in contact with several organizations to help them but they didn’t want help. So, I stopped trying and within a few weeks of this they were evicted.

The apartment was all but condemned and took months and thousands of dollars to get the place into a sellable condition. Yet, I still tried to help out this mother and her family. I had compassion for her…much to the chagrin of my roommates and people I talked to. I didn’t want to see her to continue to be in the rut that was ultimately ruining her life.

She had 5 ( I think) kids who were never in school, stealing cars (with infants in the back seat), crashing said stolen cars, and trying to find new ways to lie and cheat at everything. But, I didn’t want to give up on her. I wanted to see her accomplish something. I could see in her eyes that she didn’t want to be living this way.

I had many conversations with her about God, church, and her family. I tried to get her to come to church with me but she was always busy. Sometimes, church can be intimidating and I understand that. A single mom shows up to most churches and she might get weird looks or even be asked to leave.

Truth be told most people aren’t equipped to handle things like this. Not that I am any kind of expert but I’m a people person. I love talking to people and seeing what makes them tick.

I often wonder what happened to her and her family. I also wonder if I did enough. But, I did. I did everything I could to help her and when my limited “expertise” ran out I directed her to people more suitable.

This is the real world. This is a messy place. Sometimes, people aren’t going to walk through the doors of our church. We have to get into the streets and meet people where they are.

It really frustrates me when I see people in church who are “too busy” to help. Or, who think it’s solely the pastors job to “get dirty”. No where in the Bible does Jesus ever say that we are just supposed to sit around and wait for people to come seek us out.

I have very little tolerance for people who are “too busy”. People need help. They need emotional support, physical help, spiritual healing, you name it. How long are people who call themselves Christians going to sit around and ignore the needs of others?

This is going to get ugly…but who cares? I do

 

Higgins

A Walk Down Memory Lane

I remember being sick as a child. My mother would drape a towel over my pillow (not one of the good bath towels of course ) and place the special bowl next to my bed, affectionately referred to as the "barf bucket". The hope was that if you got sick in the middle of the night you would not have to make the treacherous trip all the way to the bathroom.

Now that I'm older I can sit here and logically think about this ordeal. My main question is, "who's job was it to empty the barf bucket?" I mean seriously, I was only like seven or eight...surely my mother did not expect me to empty this myself!

Yet, as an adult I still have that tendency...to be cautious when I get sick. To be prepared just incase I can't make it down stairs in time. But, I also think about getting sick differently and handle it better than when I was seven.

I write all this to say one thing. Sorry Ricky for throwing up in your front yard...and possibly out the bedroom window.

Higgins