V-Day

One of my favorite traditions of Campus Fellowship, a Christian organization here at Drake, is the annual Valentine’s dinner. It’s a night where the men of CF treat our sisters in Christ and other girls at Drake they way they deserve to be treated by all men at all times. We use this night to love girls the way Christ first loved all of us (1 John 4:19).

I was awestruck the first year I participated in this event (my freshman year) because of how the type of love the men of CF displayed contrasted with the type of “love” that is commonly found in the world. In general, the way women are valued in our society by men, especially in college, is based off of what they have to offer. Girls are valued by how smart, physically attractive, funny, etc… they are. If they don’t have anything to offer a guy that he can benefit from, he’ll usually just ignore her. For the Valentine’s dinner, our goal is to serve the girls, make them a nice meal, and put on an entertaining show, without wanting anything in return from them. It’s a formal event, and the girls love to go all out and dress up! The night looks something like this:

• 7:00 pm – girls are chauffeured from Drake’s campus to Walnut Creek Community Church, the location of the dinner and show
• 8:00 pm – after all girls have arrived, dinner begins (salad, entre, and dessert) 
• 9:30 pm – show begins – this year’s theme was “Battle of the You-tube videos” and there was a mix of videos made by men in our fellowship, and on stage acts. This year I was a part of two videos – A Rebecca Black “Friday” parody with the other guys in the class of 2013, and a dinner featuring famous you-tube characters (I was the numa-numa guy). I was also in an onstage act with other members of my Bible Study. We created our own evolution of dance, which featured 18 classic songs from the 1950s, all the way to 2000. 
• After the show is over, one of the guys presents the gospel. Many of the girls who attend this event have already heard and accepted the good news, but a lot of them never have. If there’s one thing that can really bring lifelong and eternal satisfaction and joy, it’s developing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 
• There are lots of photos taken throughout the night, and when this ends the girls are escorted back to Drake. It’s a crazy busy day, but so worth it! Most of the guys start setting up the church at 2:00 pm, and don’t leave until the auditorium is set up for church the following morning, at 3:00 am.  The fellowship and bonding between the men is fantastic. A little known secret is that the guys enjoy doing the show just as much as the girls enjoy watching it!

When I think of this night and everything that occurs, 1 John 3:16 comes to mind:

“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.” (NLT)

It’s an awesome night of fun and service, all for the Lord’s glory. Check out some of the videos and pictures below!

Click HERE to see the Junior Video

The Junior class

With my sister and mom at last year's V-Day

DU Track and Field this Year!

Evolution of Dance

Don't Waste Your Life

I recently finished reading “Don’t Waste Your Life” by John Piper, and it convicted me to examine, how, who, and what I was spending my time with. In the first chapter of the book, Piper shares a sad story of a man near the end of his life. When reflecting on all he’s done, all he can conclude is “I’ve wasted it”.

This semester, I’ve made it a goal to not waste my life. Coming into college, I was told by many that this would be the best four years of my life, and so far I’d have to agree. I certainly don’t think life will become dull and disheartening after graduation, but right now I have a unique opportunity to live with three other guys my age, belong to an incredible church and fellowship with others who are pursuing the Lord with all their heart and sole, run for a division I track program, lead the chemistry club, and take classes and conduct research that interests me. With all of these activities and experiences to keep me busy, it would seem that it’d be hard not to waste my life, but I’ve found in the past that immersing my self in an assortment of extracurriculars won’t lead me down the road to happiness. 

The only thing that can ever truly satisfy my thrust for satisfaction is a relationship with God and Jesus Christ. It’s when I begin to live for him and not me, that I don’t waste my life. I find that a common misconception among the younger generation that the only way to live for God is by going to church, and taking part in other Christian activities such as Bible study, worship nights, etc…

This approach is completely contrary to what the Bible says, and those who live life with this viewpoint cannot find satisfaction. Going to church, studying the Bible, and praising the Lord needs to be viewed as a joy and privilege, not a duty! By living with this mindset, I know I’m not wasting my life.

I still love running, studying, and leading for the glory of God. It brings him great joy when he sees me living, working, and wanting to become more like Christ. On my track spikes, as a reminder I have Colossians 3:17 –

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

College is great, and it’s going by fast! I have an opportunity to live for Christ, reach out to and love other people, and be in fellowship with a wonderful body of believers, and glorify God in all areas of my life daily.

Linsanity!

One of the most pleasant surprises of this year so far has been following the Minnesota Timberwolves. Growing up, basketball was my all in all, and one of my favorite things to do was to go to games with my dad and read about them in the Minneapolis Start-Tribune in the morning. My dad can account, that before he would go to work every morning, he would leave the paper on the table, and the only section I would touch would be the sports section. 

The past five years, it’s been hard to be a Wolves fan. We’ve been consistently finishing as one of the worst teams in the league, and there’s been no hope in sight. This year however has been quite different. With the addition of 2009 draft pick Ricky Rubio (a crafty point-guard from Spain), a breakout year from Kevin Love, there’s hope on the horizon for a team that has showed no promise for the half decade.

Last night the Wolves lost a heartbreaker to the New York Knicks, 100-98. The Knicks have also been turning things around this year, and throughout the past week, media from around the world has been honing in on the Knicks’ newest sensation, Jeremy Lin. 

I had never heard of Lin until about a week ago, but his story is compelling and encouraging. He’s a 2009 graduate from Harvard, and was only recently added to the NY roster to support an injury-ridden team. He’s been inserted into the starting line-up for the past four games, and has single handedly started turning a lost season into a promising one. The Knicks are 4-0, and Lin has tallied 109 points, the most ever by a player in his first four starts.

The most heartening part of Lin’s story for me is his faith and attitude. He’s a humble, unashamed Christian, and when I see how his life has been transformed over the past week, I think of 2 Corinthians 12:9,10:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in my weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Christ’s power to transform lives is incredible. Two weeks ago, Lin was an unknown entity in the N.B.A., just trying to do his best on a modest temporary contract. He went from being a guy who was sleeping on his brother’s couch in the east side of Manhattan to one of the most popular players in the N.B.A. within a matter of days! When asked about his success, he’ll give all credit to his lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Lin, Tim Tebow, and others around the world are excellent living testimonies of the power of Christ. When we are humble, rooted, and content in Christ, we are strong.

Check out a few great articles:

• - http://www.intervarsity.org/studentsoul/item/jeremy-lin
• - http://www.christianpost.com/news/ny-knicks-jeremy-lin-thanks-god-for-sleeping-on-teammates-couch-69123/
• - http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/sports/basketball/the-knicks-jeremy-lin-faith-pride-and-points.html?pagewanted=all 

Becoming Ourselves

About two weeks ago I started going through “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren, a 40 day Christian devotional. When life has purpose, days, weeks, and months don’t slide by like they used to – everyday is a new adventure to see what will truly give us purpose. Warren quotes C.S. Lewis in one entry:

“The more we let God take over us, the more truly ourselves we become – because he made us. He invented all the different people that you and I were intended to be… It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a personality of my own.”

This quote can be applied to my life in so many different areas. I remember when I first came to Drake, a lot of times I purposely tried to be someone I wasn’t. I’d do it to impress my track/xc teammates, girls, professors, friends, anyone! I would consciously act in a certain way, which I thought would appeal someone specifically. Then to someone else, I would act differently. Ultimately when this cycle continues, in the end you have no true identity because you’re only trying please others and not be yourself.

Finding Christ however, has allowed me to discover my true identity, the person God created me to be. The past few years I’ve developed into the person God wants me to be, and I’ve found an inner peace. I used to be preoccupied about feeling awkward socializing with others, worried that I might say something stupid to make myself look like a fool. Now everyday I live, I can be comfortable with the person Christ made me to be, and each new day brings a wealth of meaning. God has blessed me with talents and abilities, and when I utilize them for His kingdom, he smiles and I find my purpose.