dan @ azalea

FH000019

2005-08-15T22:27:00.000-05:00

FH000019
Originally uploaded by juventus1.

viva el arte

4TH of July Madness

2005-07-04T20:24:00.000-05:00

independence day... a great day. to me this means a time to reflect on freedom, a freedom that was gained at the lives of many human beings. i believe wholeheartedly this means i am responsible for what i do and say in this freedom. one day it may be up to me to stand up for this freedom. i believe i am free to do whatever i please, as long as it does not hurt others, or my self. futhermore, i believe i am never free to sin. The Creator made us with a purpose. We are free, free indeed, but i hope i never take this freedom for granted.

The Connection

2005-05-26T10:52:00.000-05:00

A place to be, a real place to be. Be yourself, be loved, be loving, be accepted, be kind, be patient, be the one you were meant to be, be, just be.

But what are you? Who are you? You have to be. There is a Creator, who had a specific design, for you to be. Now, our world is a broken world, a hurting world, a lost world. You may be unlike anything or anyone out there, but you can still be good, and loved, and pure, and set apart, different. The One Who Is, is the greatest recreator, giver of second chances, rejuvenator, catalyst for change. He will take who you are, no matter where you come from and what has happened and help you be. The fixer of broken dreams, the One Who loves you and me. The One that lets us be unique... He will also let you be good. There's no other place I'd rather be.

So, a place to be. That's what i want. Let's you and I be together and in God's presence, safe, free from harm, in perfect love, just be.

my apologies to the swamp man

2005-02-13T21:19:00.000-05:00

hey. you ever had to make a decision that was not popular? ever made a decision that caused an individual serious problems? i didn't mean to cause problems for anyone. i don't think it was pride. i just did not want to create problems for anyone... it is frustrating. much more than that, i feel like my heart has been torn out of my chest cavity. why is it so difficult to make decisions? why can't everyone be happy?

the bottom line is i'll never please anyone. i just have to go with my gut feeling and trust God with it. at the end of the day it is really the only thing i can do. trust in God, go with the decision i made... i hope all is well. in the end i did not want to offend anyone or exclude anyone. i had no pretensions. i hope the swamp man understands...

tensions

2005-01-22T13:40:00.000-05:00

i'm all about God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit...

now, how does this apply to my reality? i am concerned we have become so materialistic that the spiritual is so far away. we create our own designer gods and idols... 'american idol,' HA! the only difference is we want to be these idols... we are so far away from a genuine spirituality. some people are even looking to empty hinduism, buddhism and new age for their spiritual horizons. it's fine, if that's the way you want to go, go. no one's stopping you. but i have an experience with the Holy Spirit that dramatically altered my life. the Spirit is here, there, everywhere. the Spirit deconstructed me so i could be reconstructed in a fashion that honors God...

this is dimension of life is available to people who seek the Truth... i am a seeker, i found it. as messed up as this world is, there is Truth out there, a multifaceted, multidimensional vision that i embraced and you can embrace, and it can embrace you, no matter how far you may be, or how messed up life seems, or how different you may be.

wassa?

2005-01-21T23:37:00.000-05:00

yo, what's up? so i'm in the process of settling into va beach. things are interesting to say the least. dealing with people is a difficult thing. it is not often one sees the ugly side of people, but it comes out, like a banshee at times, it comes out. attitudes rear their ugly heads and egos take over, people are so ugly. have you ever seen that side of people? even in the most unexpected places, like dr. jekyll and mr. hyde, it comes out. the sweetest and most innocent lady can become a behemoth. the sweetest man can ravage your soul. the innocent little kid swears and curses you out. it's there. it's in you too. will it come out or stay hidden? slay the dragon, slay the vicious animal within you.

so, what else is new? it is a new day, a new era, a new year. enjoy it, cherish it, love it. we are in this struggle together. don't show your ugly side, no matter how much it hurts.... i've seen people renounce their faith because a fellow brother or sister treated them... on the other hand, i've seen souls reconciled because of a turning of the cheek.

i guess that is what it means to be crucified. to slay your own ugly, rotten, angry, fierce self, and let the Holy Spirit enter in and transform and burn away the chaff.

october to november

2004-10-30T01:36:00.000-05:00

hello there. i watched my little brother play football today. It was fun. He is getting a chance to do things I never got to do. I grew up overseas, and sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the way things are here. There are so many opportunities to dream big and to do big things. I am dreaming big. I am not taking a single moment here for granted.

On Saturday, Nov. 6 we will be having a young adult worship service. I plan on doing these once a month since we have so many of us participating in the youth services. our main time together will be tuesday evenings. I would really like to get to know all of you better.

I plan on working closely with Danny Jones as he has more experience with you guys. He has also been here longer than me. Again, since the youth and young adult intertwine in various places now, I don't want to create any conflicts.

Well, hope all is well. Halloween is here. I'm ready for All Saints' Day personally. It is a beautiful time of the year. Last year I was at my friend, Derek Knoke's wedding to Katherine Selby. It was a beautiful autumn day, sunny skies with clouds, and the weather was nice and cool. The church was an old church with many stain glass windows. The ceremony was beautiful. Well, hope you all are doing fine. Dream. Dream big.

JAVA on Tuesday

2004-10-25T22:41:00.000-05:00

Hello there dear friends, hopefully all is well with you. I enjoyed our time together on Sunday. I was pleased to see people my age in church, not too young, and not too old!

Some people call us adultolescents. It is a weird "in-between" place. So, what does one have to do to be considered a grown-up? Seriously, how much school do I need to finish? How many possessions do I need to have? How much approval do I need from society before it can call me a grown up?

I often pondered these great questions, often with no answer. Our society encourages immaturity, "stay a kid as long as you can..." Besides this, there is a general feeling of never having the approval of a father or mother; this is crucial in our development. I remember this approval is something I longed for, especially in my college experience.

While our culture encourages adultolescence, other cultures around the world have initiation experiences that mark a person as having entered into adulthood. Tribal cultures in certain parts of the world have initiation rituals for men and women. For example, a boy in Papua New Guinea will be allowed to participate with the adult males of a group after he jumps out of a tree with only a rope tied to his ankles. That is when he becomes "a man."

When do we become grown-ups? When are we free? Our culture says when we turn 18; I think some never reach maturity. Some do so only when they get married and have children. The Bible points out that all Christians no matter what age may be considered mature. They must bear the fruit of the Spirit and they must live by the Spirit. In this we will bear fruit and be considered mature. As a child I did the things of a child, now that I am grown up I no longer do these things.

a new life

2004-10-19T19:21:00.000-05:00

Greetings. It is a strange feeling, to be in a place where no one has dared go before. It is a new beginning at Azalea Garden. I dream of a place where there is great spiritual, generational, racial, and cultural healing. I dream of a place where one goes and finds Truth, raw and dynamic. I hope this ministry is one where young people find their place in society and in the Kingdom. I hope you are empowered to live a life that is an expression of that Kingdom. All in all, the vision is to be found faithful to God and to the Scriptures. Our group exists to glorify God. Our mission is "to show forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light" (I Peter 2:9). This is the universal and eternal mission of all who serve Christ. The patterns of church life and primary tasks of this mission are clearly set forth in the Scriptures, but the details of implementation must be worked out by each generation as it, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, applies the Word of God to an ever changing world. And here we go....

IMG_0603.JPG

2004-10-19T16:30:00.000-05:00

IMG_0603.JPG
Originally uploaded by juventus1.

This is my graduation at the Church of God Theological Seminary. I received an award, the Pentecostal Ministry Award. I was overwhelmed.

Theresa Larsen @ Lee University

2004-10-19T15:14:00.000-05:00

yes, we all know her, we all miss her.... Check out Larsen #1 at: http://community.webshots.com/user/theresa_rox

young adult in China.....

2004-10-06T12:58:00.000-05:00

hello there. i just thought i'd let you have a website that is showing what my sister is doing in asia. it is
http://larrybillinger.com
larry is a fellow english teacher with my sister in a school behind the bamboo curtain. go to the pictures section. my sister will appear on some of them. they are having an interesting time over there, believe me.... please pray for her, and pray for us, as we discover and realize God's individual Call for our lives. and if you contact them, remember never to use any "religious" language that has to do with Christianity. their work is at stake...