I've been doing a lot of thinking about spiritual gifts, and how they should be used. I know all the verses about gifts, and I know that there are so very many different kinds. What I've been thinking about, is how to use a particular gift I have been given, and weather or not it would be wrong to choose a profession that would totally take me away from utilizing those gifts for quite a while.

God has given me the gift of music, and has put a desire on my heart to minister to people through it. People tell me all the time that I should do something bigger with my gifts, and I feel that I would like that. To God's glory of course. It's just that the career that I'm about to make full-time, would take me out of that serving capacity. So is it wrong to not use your spiritual gift(s)? I mean, the occupation I'm in I enjoy very much, and I get a chance to minister to people in a different way, but it's not the same.
I just can't help but feel like I've given up on my dream to use this gift because it's too hard. Also because I have soo much pressure on me to "grow up" and start a career, and get a house, a wife, be stable etc. So what's the answer? I still haven't figured it out. Maybe there's no clear answer? Maybe it's in front of my face? Maybe you can help?..... God bless

So, I get off patrol early on Saturday night, and I'm excited because this means I get to see my girlfriend, and go see my friends band play at a local Starbucks. The place is packed, but I'm able to find a seat with my best friend, apostacykilla. While we're trying to enjoy the show, there is a group of guys being really rude and obnoxious. They were being rude, and loud, and smoking right in front of my blatantly pregnant friend. Anytime the band would mention something about Jesus, these guys would put their arms in the air, and totally mock the band with things like, " Hell ya! Amen!" and, " Preach on brother!"

While this was getting on my nerves in the worst way, I refrained from saying anything simply cause i could tell that they were intoxicated, and high on something. So the show ends, and we go to a pizza place near by, and bring our food back to the Starbucks where the "motley crew" is still sitting. Out of the blue, one of the guys gets up and tries to hug a girl we were with! She told him," Excuse you!", and he mumbled something and sat down. Then, the other guy he was with, chose to curse at my friend! She asked him what he said, and he gets up out of his seat, and gets right in her face and tells her what he said. I can't and won't repeat it on this blog. I had had enough. Maybe at this point, I should have just told our group to leave, but I didn't. Instead, what I did would turn the night upside down.

I said, " Dude, that's not necessary." That was what they were waiting for. They were looking for a fight, and I just gave them a reason. Well You can use your own imagination to come up with all the nice words he had for me. It started escalating quickly, and I started going into cop mode. I got on the phone and started calling the police. I told these idiots what I did for a living, and that only made it worse. Meanwhile, My buddy was getting into it with them as well. Next thing I know, One of the guys cold cocks my buddy! I snapped. I jumped over the fence, and did what I had to do, as did my friend. I'm not proud of it, but there was no way I was going to sit back and watch them throw punches. So I sent one guy to the hospital. I'm not proud of that either. I haven't been in anything like that since high school!! I thought I was done with this kind of stuff! Needless to say, these idiots were charged with several different things, and after a trip to the e.r, they went to jail.

The dilemma is this... What would you have done? It seems that everyone who was there, feels I was justified. I was there with my church group! But it seems everyone who has heard the story second hand, looks at me like they're ashamed of me. I mean, I'm a worship leader for goodness sake! I'm not proud of it. I don't delight or revel in this experience. I just feel like I'm being unfairly judged by people who don't understand how these kind of people work. What do you think???

Wow! My first blog! This won't be a blog of opinions/ or too much fact. At least on my part. Not because of a lack of either one on my part, but because I would just simply like to ask others their opinions or facts on things. I love to learn, so I figured what better way to get a plethora of different views than this?! So, on this, my first blog, I would like to know peoples testimonies, how they got there, and why you believe what you believe. I appreciate all who are willing to share this deeply personal event, and I welcome anyone who has a story to tell. Especially those who aren't Christian, so that I may get a better understanding of what you believe and why. God bless, and I look forward to hearing from you all.