all or nothing.

no, not the o-town song. please.

and you're right, it HAS been a while since i lasted posted, but this has been on my mind a lot as of late, and i just wanted to share this with you.

before i go on, i highly recommend checking out
Daily Challenge
http://www.dailychallenge.org
it's a cool site that has a new challenge everyday, whether it's giving someone a hug today, or tell your parents you love them, or drink 1L of water today, or in a coffee line, pay for the person behind you.
check it out, and do some of the challenges and/or post some of your own!


if you're questioning christianity, or you aren't feeling how 'christianity' is running or how it is, and you are looking for something more or something different, i highly recommend picking up this book called, The Irresistible Revolution. trust me, i am NOT someone who enjoys reading much, but this book is simply inspiring and challenging, and it's hard for me to put it down. in fact, i am actually in the process of reading through it a second time! yeah, me. go figure.

anyway, this book has been really challenging me.

this faith that we have, or want. what do we believe in, exactly? we claim to follow the teachings of the bible (or of scripture), but what does that mean?
we'll do some things, but ignore others?

i think the thing we need to realize, is that following Jesus, is a whole, life-time commitment, asking for all of you, not part or some of you.
it's all or nothing.
i think oftentimes, we, as humans, like to pick and choose, what we like and what we prefer and what's easiest, or most convenient. whether it be picking and choosing the newest phone, gadget, computer, home decor, clothes, a place to travel to, or even a spouse/significant other. we like to pick out the things we like and not choose the things we don't want.
but when it comes to following The Way, i don't believe we have that privilege or luxury of picking and choosing. there is no compromise in our faith.

i don't think we can love who we want to love, or give to people we choose to give to, or show hospitality to those we know, but we also need to love even our enemies, give to the poor and broken, and show hospitality to the forgotten. not just the people who we want, know, or choose.

i was just reading a part in the book, saying that some one the author, Shane Claiborne, met, was telling him that Jesus says we need to be reborn, so we should be reborn. but the author also says that Jesus says a lot of things, and we can't just highlight, in our bibles, the things we like and the things we are capable of doing, but there is a lot of stuff we need to be doing. he told another dude in the bible to sell everything he had and give to the poor. so then i guess why are we excused from that?

if you still don't see my point, or if i haven't made what i'm trying to say very clear (that's fine, i probably didn't do a good job), but i'm saying that the bible has a lot of truth in it. and there is a lot to follow, yes, and it's difficult, yes, but
we can't choose to love God but not show compassion to the starving.
we can't choose to love our friends and family (our neighbours), but do nothing about the single mom in the ghettos, the victims of typhoons and hurricanes, the third world families without clean water, and child slaves (our global neighbours). that defeats the whole command of 'love others more than ourselves' or 'love your neighbour as you would love yourself'.
we can't keep spending money on things all the time at our very disposal, when it's not necessary, like constantly going out to eat, buying that new bag or pair of shoes, or that shirt, or that new phone, or that new laptop, or that new car.
i'm not saying we can't have these things, and can't enjoy them, but i'm saying, examine the reasons why you need them.

do you NEED them? could you hold back on it for just a bit, and use the money to help someone in need?

can you save that one meal going out for dinner with friends and
instead cook for your friends at home and use the money saved to help feed someone without a meal?
rather than buy more clothes, when your closet has enough for you to last a week,
give some clothing to someone who has none.

what i'm trying to say is that we are so blessed in our lives. we have everything we need physically, emotionally, and spiritually (most of us reading this anyway), and with God on our side, there is nothing we can't give up. there is also no reason to have and attain more, when we should only have what we need, and we don't really need to have what we want.

a quote i read, goes like this...
"there is enough in the world for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed"

if we shared what we had, there'd be a lot less greed, and more people getting what they need. there are very simple things we can do to help our neighbours both locally and globally, and it starts with simple acts of love.

but it starts with us. if we just
spend less,
consume less,
give more,
love more,
and live simply.

that basically sums it up, but if you really wanted some more detail or more hints,

• try holding back on spending, cut down on shopping, just do without that for a bit longer, or at all!
  
• if you really need something, try buying the cheaper,
  
• donate more (but be wise to who you donate to).
  
• spend time with the homeless, start with maybe half an hour a week, and just chat with someone on the streets,
  
• offer to buy someone a meal and sit down and share stories.
  
• help out at a drop-in centre, or youth centre. help out at a foodbank, or a soup kitchen,
  
• do some fasting,
  
• don't support big corporate brands, but be content with the simple and necessary things.
  
• donate some clothes to a clothing drive, or to a homeless shelter.
  
• be part of deedz (www.deedz.ca), and just go hangout with some folks on the streets,
  
• spend your friday night with people who have no company,
  
• invite friends you don't know too well over for dinner,
  
• invite classmates or colleagues over to watch a sports game.

and these last 2 things, i might say are really important things, and that is to

• read the bible, and pray, regularly.

but more than that, is to not just read your bible, but live it out. bring the Word alive. live out your faith,
do what it says, love others more than yourself,
give without expecting anything in return,
be humble, be patient,
pray for those who hate you or persecute you,
share your possessions with the least,
give to the poor, feed the hungry,
clothe the naked, comfort the sick, lonely, and weary.
care for the widows and the fatherless.
preach the good news,
and live a life of love.
be an example of Christ in life, love, faith, purity, speech and action.


no matter who you are, or where you are in your life journey, there is a lot we can do, and a lot that needs to be done in the world. it starts with us, and starts with very simple acts of love.
we love because God loved us first.

not only are we the body of Christ, but we are also the flesh and blood of Jesus. He is alive in us, and we are His hands and feet.
we are Jesus today. (that's right, i typed it like that purposely!)


remember,
"...even commit to doing the small things with great love." - Shane Claiborne