The UPS adventure

So, here's something to think about. Have you ever felt so lonely even when you're surrounded by all your friends? Have you felt empty because you felt like something is missing? I think everybody experiences that at some point in their lives. Well here's some encouragement. I have a story that may help this or it may put it into some perspective for you. So at the beginner of the semester, I rented my textbooks from the online website Chegg, which I recommend all college students doing because it's extremely cheap compared to most bookstores. Anyways, at the end of the semester, I have to ship my books back to Chegg through UPS. One of the things that Chegg does for you is they tell you where the nearest UPS is to your address. Well today I  made a trip to UPS to ship my books, but it turns out Chegg gave me the wrong address. On my way over to the UPS store, I just happened to see a UPS truck so I parked my car thinking that was where the UPS store was. Well I walked to the UPS truck and asked the driver where the UPS store was. He then proceeds to tell me that the nearest UPS is a few miles away. Needless to stay I was a little frustrated with Chegg. Well lucky for me, Chegg offers prepaid labeling so I already had the books packed and ready to ship off. The driver notices this and offers to take the box for me since it's already to go! Holy cow, this guy saved me from driving halfway across town to the UPS store. So you may be asking, how does this apply to feeling lonely or empty. Well here you go! This is UPS driver was in the right spot at the right time for me. If you have ever felt empty or lonely, you've probably had this happen to you. Right when you needed it the most, somebody unexpectedly came into you life right when you needed it the most. This person could be a family member, a significant other, a teacher, etc. Somehow that empty spot is filled inside of us. I think at some point in our life, we are all screaming out to just be heard. We feel like we are screaming but no one hears us. We are yelling at the top of our lungs, but no one hears us. We just want to be heard. For college students this is challenging because all day long we have all this information poured into our brains. After a while, you just want to be heard out. If it's still not clear how the UPS driver plays into this story, I'll say it one more time. This driver was in the right spot at the time. We all have the opportunity to be that for somebody else that we may come in contact with. Every day is a mystery and everyday we have the opportunities to be the "UPS driver". We all want to be heard. No one wants to feel insignificant and unimportant. They just want somebody who will hear them out and won't judge them for believing in what they believe or standing up for what they believe to be true. If you already have that person in your life, then count your blessings and realize how lucky you are to have that person in your life. If you're searching for that person, keep your eyes open and expect the unexpected. And know that all of us have the opportunity to be that person for somebody else. One friendship may not change the whole world, but it will change that person's world.

"Eye" see you

So today I was walking thru campus and I passed by a student who has lost his eye sight. In order to walk, he has to use a walking stick that guides his every step. He is unable to see everything going around him. Every day, he knows that he probably has people looking at him but he is unable to see it or anything going around him. This really got me thinking about something we all take for granted, our vision. Can you imagine what your life would be look like if you had no vision? You would be unable to see everything going on around you. You would have to rely on all your other senses to make it each day. How often do you take a moment to just sit down and look at everything going on around you. For those of you reading this who live in boulder, have you ever taken a moment to just look at all the beauty you are surrounded by. One thing about boulder is that is in a valley so we are surrounded by the majestic mountains and loundscape that is right in our backyard. Every day we get to wake up to the beauty surrounded by us. This student has lost his vision is unable to see all this beauty around him. We get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life around us that we forget to take a few moments to just stop and take it all in. For those of you who have seen the movie The Avatar, you know that the way the characters greet each other in this movie is by saying "I see you." Well of course they see each other, but what the heck does this mean. They see beyond the surface of each other. They see into each other. They see beyond the surface. In reality, they are not saying " I see you", they are saying, " I know you" I know your hopes, your desires, your passions and everything that makes you who you are. Everyday we have the opportunity to know someone. Not just what's on the surface, but what makes them who they are. Every person you come into contact with has a story. A story that has scars, passions, hopes, triumphs, and moments that make them into the person they are. No matter what that story involves, it truly is a beautiful story even if it involves a horrific series of events. A question that always comes up in a discussion with a follower of God is why does God allow so many evil things to happen in our lives. We lose family members, we see people being murdered, raped, and assaulted. We see horrible events going on around us like tornados, hurricanes, psunami's, earthquakes, and so many other evil things. I don't have the answers. I have no idea why so many people have to go thru so many horrific events in their lives. It does not make sense and it just does not seem fair at all. What I do know though is that we all have scars that have made us into the person we are. Some people allow those scars to change them for the worse and other take those scars and use them to create a stronger person. I'm not saying it's easy all at. It is one the most difficult things to do. Each of us have the opportunity to earn the trust of a person who is going thru these horrific events. We have the opportunity to walk through these events with each other and we have the chance to change a person's scars into a part of who they are for the better. So my encouragement to you is just take a moment each day to stop and look at what is happening around you. Take the moment to take in every aspect of your life, the good and the bad. Use these opportunities to become a better person. We are all on a journey and I can hope that this journey leads you to a life of hope and joy.

This is me:)

Hey guys! I'm writing this because I want you to know who I am. You all know me as the free pizza guy which is awesome:) Believe it or not, I do have a life outside of free pizza and here's how I got to where I am now. When I was two years old, my parents divorced. My dad moved down the Southern Colorado and my mom moved to the Westminster area. Both my parents remarried when I was about 6 years old. When my mom married my stepdad, my step brother came into the picture. He is 19 now and attends CSU. When my dad married my stepmom, they had two kids together who are my half siblings. My half sister is 9 and my half brother is almost 7. So that's a little about my family situation. Feel free to ask me anything about my family! I have lots of stories about them and I would not be where I am today without them. Now a little about school. Preschool all the way through high school, I attended the same school, Faith Christian Academy which is a small private Christian school in Arvada. It was great education wise and it is a huge part of who I am, but when you go to the same school with the same people for more than half your life, you cannot wait to graduate!:) Transitioning from a small private Christian school to a huge public college was a huge culture shock!  When I came up to CU, I felt like I was in a whole different world. Coming to CU was and is one of the best choices I've made. I've learned so much about myself and it gave me the opportunity to meet all you wonderful people! Growing up, I was huge into sports. At some point in my life, I participated in all these sports: soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and track. I played football for about 10 years, basketball for about 6 years, baseball for about 7 years, track for 2 years, and soccer for two years but that was when I was like 5 years old. My favorite sport was either track or football. I love to run long distance so running is a huge hobby for me these days. In fact, I ran my first marathon ever back in May of this hear which was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life! I am always looking for a running buddy so if you are interested, hit me up lol The next part of my life I'm going to tell you about is what makes me who I am and the reason I stand out on Farrand Field every Wednesday night handing out free pizza. When I was 17 years old, I gave my life over to Christ. Now, what exactly does that mean? Well my whole life, I grew up in a Christian family and Christian church but my faith was never my own. When I turned 17, due to some events in my life, I made my faith my own. Out of that decision, I transitioned from a boy to a man. I started forming my own beliefs, opinions, and making my own decisions. I may be wrong, but I'm assuming for any of you who have ever come face to face with a person who believes in God whether it be in a church setting, on campus, or wherever, the experience probably leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. I know the feeling. Whenever I get approached on campus by someone trying to preach to me, it only hurts my faith and it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Well let me be the first to formally apologize on their behalf to any of you who have ever experienced that! I do believe in God, and I do believe that one day we will all live forever in heaven, but I'm not here to shove God down your throat. I believe in building relationships with each of you, a relationship that is on your terms. The reason I created this whole free pizza thing was for that reason exactly. I want to know each of your stories. I want to know what makes you you and I want pizza to be a place where you can come and just relax and get away from the chaos of life. I also want free pizza to be place where you don't feel judged and where you are free to ask questions about anything whether it be school, relationships, God, or just life in general. I will never pressure you into doing anything that you do not want to do. I do pray and hope, that out this you are able to trust me and in long run trust Christians again because there are good Christians out there who aren't here to change you or force you to do anything you do not want to do. So if you ever have questions about anything at all, feel free to ask me. I cannot guarentee that I will have the answer but I can guarantee that I will not judge you and I will sit down with you and talk it out! Seriously if you ever have any questions, I am more than willing to do my best to answer them. Well this is a little about me and if you ever want to hear my story in person or more details about my story, please feel free to ask!

For I am with you always

Have you ever felt like giving up? Having you ever wondered what's the point of going on? Have you felt abandoned? Have you ever felt discouraged? Have you ever felt like God just isn't there? These questions and many more are many questions that go through our mind in our walk with God, especially during the most difficult times our of life. There are times in my life where I truly wonder what I got myself into. How could such a loving God allow all these evil around us? It is so hard to lose hope during the most difficult times in our life. Hope? What does that word mean to you? Why is it so easy to lose hope? Hope is the light that shines when all else fades away. When it feels like I cannot go on anymore, I hold onto the hope that has been given to me through Christ. When everything inside you feels dry, hold onto that hope. When it feels like God is not there, hold on to that hope. When your life is going up in flames, hold onto that hope. When it feels like everything is going wrong, hold onto that hope. When it feels like all hope is lost, hold onto that hope. I don't know what bad things happen to us. I don't know why it feels like the whole world is crashing down on our shoulders at times. I love this poem by Mary Stevenson that paints a picture of true love:
One night I had a dream--
I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord
and across the sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints,
one belonged to me and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that many times along the path of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times in my life.
This really bothered me and I questioned the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
you would walk with me all the way,
but I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life
there is only one set of footprints.
"I don't understand why in times when I needed you most,
you should leave me."
The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child,
I love you and I would never, never leave you
during your times of trial and suffering.
"When you saw only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."
2 Corinthians 4:16-18: Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

John 3:16-21

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God" Wow! I read that this morning during my quiet time with God and it really hit me hard because this seems to have been a reoccuring theme in my life recently. I say that I hate evil, but my actions say otherwise. My life has turned into the Romans 7 passage: For what I do not want to do, I do and what I want to do, I do not do. Instead of being a light in the darkness, I blend in with the darkness. I do not know where you may be in your walk with Christ, but I really encourage you to check yourself and see if your words and actions line up. Words without action is what I like to call an empty promise and my life seems to be full of those lately. At some point in our life, we all go through what has come to be known as our desert season where we feel empty, ignored, neglected, and not heard. It is during these times where God is really going to challenge you and put your identity to the test. You have hit the fork in the road. You can either enter the road traveled by everyone else and blend in with the darkness or you can enter the road less traveled and be that light in the darkness. It's really easy to think that we are all on the road less traveled, but it's called the road less traveled for a reason, our words and actions do not much up. So my encouragement for the day is to really examine your life, figure out where you stand, and after that, make a decision to either continue to blend in with the darkness or to shine your light in the darkness! Remember, God is always here for us and will never forsake us, but it's up to us to accept that love and let him handle the rest:)

My story

Okay so I'm writing this blog specifically for people who support me in my internship with Campus Ambassadors or those who are considering supporting me. I want all of you know who I am, who you're supporting, and how God has moved in my life. So here is my story. When I was two years old, my parents divorced. After that my father raised me in a Catholic church and my mom raised me in a non-denominational church so God was always there for me, but I never really had a personal relationship with Christ until my Junior year of high school when I was 17 years old. It was shortly after a student I played football with in high school passed away that I made the conscious decision to have a personal relationship with Christ. I wanted my life to mean more, I wanted to experience what a personal and real relationship with Christ looked like. Shortly after that, my best friend at that time invited me to church. Not thinking much would come out of it, I went the next week, and the feeling I experienced when I walked into that room was like nothing I'd ever felt before. For the first time, I saw what it was like to be in true community and what it looked like to be with a group of people who shared the same beliefs as myself and strived for the same things as me. From that day forward, the seed that was planted in my heart by God kept growing and growing. It's still growing to this day, but when I look at where I was 5 years ago and where I am now, I know without a doubt that God has his hand on my life. When I came into college, I felt like I was way in over my head. For my entire life, I grew up in a Christian school and Christian family so coming to a school like CU Boulder, I felt completely out of my comfort zone. If there was one dominating theme that kept coming up in my freshmen year of highschool, it was that my comfort zone was completely different from God's comfort zone. I'm sure many of you know that Boulder is considered a very dark place spiritually by many, but there has not been a single moment since I have been there that I have not felt called by God to be there. I truly believe that there is a generation of students on that campus longing to know the love of Christ. My desire is to see the kingdom of God come onto that campus like never before. I want to see a revival, a generation of students living in complete surrender to God. I know without a doubt that I am nowhere near the peak of my relationship with God and that I have a long journey ahead of me, but I truly believe that God has been there for me every step of the way and he will continue to be there even when I doubt it. Well that's a little about myself and where my heart truly belongs. Thank you for taking the time to learn about me and for your willingness to support me as I embark on this journey to bring God's kingdom to this campus, this city, and to anywhere God may take me!

Wow

I titled this blog Wow because that's the only way I can describe the first few weeks of this new year! A few weeks ago, I went to the conference Passion in Atlanta, Georgia and it absolutely life changing. The only way I can describe it is Wow! Since then, I have been more happy than I have been in a long long time. Since then, it's been truly just me and God which is exactly what I've needed for a long time. I need this upcoming year to be just that. I need it to be me and God all day every day. For the last four years of my life, there's has never been a time period longer than 4 months where it has been just me and God. It's always been me, God, and something else like school, work, or relationships. When I was at Passion, I accepted God's love for the first time in a long time and since then, my life has been completely different. I am a completely different person compared to who I was before Passion and I never want to go back to where I was a few months ago. I don't regret where I was but I know that every day, I am growing closer and closer to God which is the greatest feeling ever! I'm coming out of my little bubble and I'm going places and getting extremely involved in my church and my community:) It's the greatest feeling to have that community around you to do life with. I am finding God again in all the small things of life whether it be a 3 hour conversation about God with a friend at Starbucks or being fed into through community and laughter! I love where I am right now and I wouldn't  change anything about my life right now because I am learning that God will always satisfy my needs and that his love will always be there for me!!:)