Looking Up!

It’s really cool to have your life in transition from one side to the other: my morning started out where I went to church.  I visited a Thai church with a good friend of mine.  It was a great experience.  I really enjoyed the people who I talked to.  One of them was Brenda.  She was Caucasian and her husband is pretty active in the church.  Anyway, she had come up to me and introduced herself. For me, in any setting, religious or public, I am a little in my shell.  And, that can serve as a good thing because I’m always watching to see who will actually come to the “new guy,” and she just basically talked about her church and how awesome God has been in her life.  Anyway, she made me feel very comfortable and I thanked her for her time coming up to me.

Anyway, we got back from church and went to see a movie called The Crazies and my friend treated me.  It was just so great to be dorks with him, be scared with him, laugh with him, anyway, all in all, I had a fantastic day.  I’m really grateful that God is working in me.  I’m really excited for the future growth of my soul and the reflection I will have on others through that growth.

::the Bridge is secure::

I had a really bad fight with someone real close to me last night, it ended up where I spent the night outside and alone.  She has taken all of my stuff, so, now I have just the clothes on my back, laptop and a few other things.  I left the place after living their for a good nine months.  My camera was stolen at work a few days prior and, well, it just hadn’t been the best week.  In regards to my stuff, I could do more work to get them back but I really don’t want to.  I spent some time at a nearby hospital in the chapel, just being quiet and reflecting for a good portion of it last night.  As I explained to my co-workers about the thief that took my camera, likewise for my former room mate, she didn’t rob take or snatch my soul so, at the end of the day, they are only material possessions that will go to waste sooner or later.  I’m not materialistic in the least!

So, many things happened to me today and I am so thankful to God because it was ALL from Him.  Step by step, here we go (I’m so pumped):

24 hours: no sleep, no place to go, didn’t want to impose……

9 am:  I got my check early from work.  Normally it comes at around ten or eleven in the morning but this morning I called right at nine and it was there, this allowed me to buy a protein bar and a bottle of water and be on my way.  Hahaha!  Next stop, the bank!

9:12 am: Wells Fargo:  It’s no secret that my credit score is really REALLY bad.  It’s so bad I had to file for bankruptcy.  Anyway, the thing is at Wells Fargo you have to have someone verify a check before you can cash it.  So, I was used to this ever since being hired from Trader Joe’s back last September.  So, normally it’s a nice guy who is in his thirties that normally takes care of this for me.  Each time I go in, they ask if they can see if I qualify and lately I’ve declined!  THIS time, however, it was a completely new person who was very happy and energetic.   We talked for at least an hour about God and how amazing He is, and she was so happy I totally noticed Christ in her life and how vibrant He was in her.  I was curious as to how she found Christ from a personal perspective and her story was incredible.  I then recommended a great book called The Shack by William Young.  The banker also expressed her passions in art, graphic design and making cards.  She has so much energy and she told me how much she wanted to use it for His glory.  So, as you can imagine, my morning was off to a better than great start with that testimony!  I wasn’t as excited with her because I had a pretty rotten night prior so I was kind of mentally recovering, but I’m pretty sure she understands.  We talked for so long that when we were in the middle of setting up my account, we had to start it ALL over again because of the fact that we had too much lapse time and “inactivity,” hahaahha, we both just laughed.  She’s Asian and her name is Sheilla.  I’m proud to say I added her to my Facebook page!!!!

10:45ish:  Haircut time!  I walked in and got myself a much needed and overdue haircut.  I can now not only impersonate Curly but look more like him………….or Pugsly, actually, hahah, depending on whoever it is.  Anyway, I asked how much an eyebrow wax was and she said that it was an additional $8.  I frowned because I totally can’t stand bushy eyebrows, I feel like Carmen and I feel like I can twist and hide missionaries up in there when it gets long enough (sick!).  Hahah, so, I made a proposal.  I told her I’m paying for my haircut in cash and that at that moment I told her I felt like the Cash Cab guy, “I got your money right here, you can walk out with it or risk it all double or nothing on a VIDEO BONUS.”  Haha, I told her that I had a gift card I can use for Starbucks and asked if she would accept that as payment and she said yes!!!  WooHOO!!  Supercuts fan for life!  Now, I’m looking fabulous!

TONIGHT:  I reunite with one of my best friends of all time.  He and I have had challenges and haven’t been connected too well, lately.  Now we are off to a great start.

NOW:  Um, hello?  I’m off work AND this also applies to tomorrow, too!!!!  What a great time! 

God can be rewarding.  He could bless you in increments or just send rain of gifts upon you.  I honestly don’t recall so many right things happening in one day, 24 hours.  Wow, praise God for His rich and wonderful blessings.  I am the least of my brothers.   I think because I had a really rough night He just did all of this for me.  Hahh, I’m so joyful, it’s unreal.  God is great.  My encouragement and advice to you is to hang on, even the winds seem like they are strong enough to knock down the rock that you are clinging on too, He will rescue you.  Be patient, slow to anger and tame the tongue.  Wow, what a miracle it was to actually go and witness His works.  Hahah, I haven’t been this happy in a long time.

You are Loved!

I was in a discussion with two people who are semi-close friends of mine.  We were talking about love and how far to go with a homosexual.  It resorted to complex views.  If you are gay, transgendered, bisexual, pedophile, murderer, adulterer, liar, anything NOT normal, I, Justin, will love you and give you a chance at being friends with you.   That doesn’t mean I agree with your desire to hurt someone, look at child porn, or lie to your boss, but what it does mean is that I want to be there for you the person and not necessarily the act.  You can count on me!  It just outrages me that there are religious nuts out there on their pedestal all high and mighty saying what’s right and what’s not, that’s such a complex.

But, specifically, about homosexuality: my gosh, Jesus freaks, relax!  If someone does not want to pursue Him as your Lord and Savior, guess what!  Let him or her go!  Let him or her live their life according to how they see fit.  It’s obvious they have set their ways and are acting upon “free will,” that was a free gift from God to begin with, right?  I, personally, have been on both sides of the aisle.  I know what it was like for the Church to know, I know what it was like to have people just all of the sudden “stop” being friends with me, haha, how more hurtful can you be.  It was because of them that made and helped shape me to become quite the opposite because it stung.  My heart bleed from their “lack of support” at the time. 

Bottom line, I support you and endorse your decision to go with being with someone if in fact you don’t pursue Christ or want to as long as you know that homosexuality and the Bible don’t mix.  That’s really all you need to know!  If you DO, then I will disagree and share with you the path to righteousness as outlined in the Bible.  If you don’t want God in your life, why should I be the one to tell you what’s right and what’s wrong?  You already know that I believe the Bible, so, obviously you already know.  According to the religious right, you’re bound to hell, anyway, so live life your way.  Be selfish, make your own decisions without the Maker or the Word.  Seriously, why would you want to lead a semi-godly life and having the end result having not your heart be into it, you’re still going to hell, right?

I’m not someone to preach you down to your knees, I’m not going to point the finger and call you a “dammed” person.  Hahah, that’s not me.   You can come to me with open arms, simple, sweet and concise!  You are not judged in my mind, I don’t care what you are going through J