The Extreme Makeover / Hiking Edition

I find spiritual inspiration in the weirdest places. Last night while watching the Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition. I came to the realization that we spend to much time avoiding the pain of life. We do everything possible to avoid any kind of discomfort. The Lady portrayed in the show I watched Nyla was trying to loss weight but she wanted to call it quiets every time the training became too tough for her. The trainer knew that in order for Nyla to accomplish her goal he had to help her get used to feeling discomfort. Nyla had to accept that pain was part of the process of lossing weight. I can understand that some situations are very tough but trying to design your life so that there is no discomfort is impossible. Eventually, Nyla lost the weight and was glad that the pain made her stronger. This story also reminds me of what God taught me on while hiking. Recently, Me and my brother decided to hike a 12 mile trail at Grandfather Mountain. To be honest with you, I did not know how long my hike would be til I got to the mountain. I had some hesitation about doing the trail because it was 100 degree in the foothills and I did not know how hot it would be on the trail. My brother also revealed to me that he wanted hike, the toughest trails on the mountain. Some of the hiker on trail even thought that we were crazy but determination and need for an adventure ( adventure is always enticing for me) pushed me past my hesitation. It was not long into the hike that more doubt started to sink in and I wonder if I would finish the trail but I learn that if you push past the discomfort that first sets in during a trail, you will find that you can re-adapt and get a second wind to to finish the trail. If you can push past the pain, the doubt, and focus on the goal, it is amazing what you will accomplish. The adventure is always worth chances and risks we take in life. James said it best:

James 1:2-4 Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing

Below is a short video from our adventure

An F bomb Mistake Ruins the Album of one of My Favorite Bands (P.O.D)

Lately, I have been listening to the new P.O.D album  Murdered Love and I have say I am socked to hear P.O.D drop the f bomb on the song I Am. The song is from the point of view of someone searching for Christ but in the midst of the song they drop an F bomb. Here is my question, where is the line that needs to be drawn when it comes to spreading the message of Jesus Christ ? I know that P.O.D does not exactly claim to be an exclusively christian group but they are sold at christian bookstores like family christian. What dissappoints me is that the album is probably one of thier most appartly Christian orientated albums. The songs are great on the album until you get to I Am. Can we justify useing curse words inorder to identify with the lost and reach them for Christ? We do need to be honest but not at the expense of encourageing someones slavery to sin. Christ came to set us free from the slavery of sin he did not come to encourage us to remain a slave to sin. Paul says in First Corinthians 8:9  But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. The members of P.O.D may be forgiven by grace but this does not give them a license to cause others to stumble.The F word on the album is kind of garbled and censored but you can still tell what the group is saying . I have been a big fan of P.O.D ever since there first album and it breaks my heart to see them go and make this mistake. If they would have left out that song from the album, the whole album would reached the world with a positive message.  For more about the album please read the following review.  http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/cdreviews/MurderedLove.asp