Question???

Can you be a Christ follower if you are not a card carrying member of the Christendom union? like Melchizedek was a priest outside of the levitical system is the whole of our religious institutions the end all be all or do we allow room for other servants of the most high outside our doors?

San Patricos Brigade

Batallón de San Patricio was a unit of several hundred Irish and other soldiers of European descent, who deserted the US Army and fought as part of the Mexican army against the United States in the Mexican- American war of 1846 to 1848. From the perspective of the Americans who fought the Mexican-American War, the "San Patricios" were considered traitors. But for the Mexicans of that generation, and generations to come, the San Patricios were heroes who came to the aid of fellow Catholics in need. There are many arguments about why they switched sides, for example; free land offered by the Mexican government, harsh treatment by their superiors, not being allowed to attend mass, or possibly watching the conduct of their fellow soldiers after victories. With all the members dead now and none of us being there it's hard to say exactly why they deserted. And according to a t-shirt I saw this is why they did what they did "The St. Patrick's Battalion saw the Mexican-American war for what it was -- a land grab -- so they changed sides and fought on the side of the right and the weak. Even though they knew that they couldn't win, they still did what they felt was right." In letters written by John O'Riley who was a senior field officer for the battalion, he cites their common religion and a sympathy for the Mexican cause as it reminded them of political tensions and situations in their own native land. He also describes the flag they fought under like this: "In all my letter, I forgot to tell you under what banner we fought so bravely. It was that glorious emblem of native rights, that being the banner which should have floated over our native soil many years ago, it was St. Patrick, the Harp of Erin, the Shamrock upon a green field". So regardless of how you celebrate St. Patrick's day, a day on which everyone is Irish(or wishes they were). Think fondly of these men who stood up for what they believed was right regardless of the consequences. Erin Go Bragh(Ireland Forever)

i was looking at this picture and thought to myself "so life and growth can happen even in the most unlikely places." (disclaimer i stole this picture from Patrick Mead)

Simple???

This morning in class we were looking at John 6 basically the whole chapter. and the focus today was Jesus as the bread of life and the idea that only through eating his flesh and drinking his blood can we have eternal life. but something hit me today which went right along with Johns sermon in John 6:28-29 those that were listening asked Jesus what are the works that God requires? And his response is simply this. "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." thats it can it really be that simple? belief in Jesus as the one God has sent is all we are called to do. Abraham is called righteous because he believed. wow can it be that easy. i hope so

7 Random Things plus some other misc stuff

( i filled this out a long time ago and thought i had posted it, but apparently i did not. so here it is) I was tagged so according to blog etiquette i must respond i guess. 7. i think that the pelican is the coolest bird ever. 6. i took 3rd in a knife and tomahawk throwing contest in high school. 5. i beat the original contra game with out dying. 4. the disc golf bag i use was originally one of my wifes purses. 3. my friends and i got stuck on an elevator with thousand foot crutch. 2. my first car was a 69 blue vw bug and it was awesome. 1. i have read C.S. Lewis' "Great Divorce"9 times

Inagural Blog

So it begins, my online journal entitled "a Bald man and his Bear" the Josh Mauldin story. a veiled reference to the fact that im bald and do youth ministry and the similarities between my life and the story of Elisha in 2 Kings

23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. "Go on up, you baldhead!" they said. "Go on up, you baldhead!" 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. 25 And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.

Im a mean youth minister