Sleep tight, don't let the Sharks Bite... That's Snot Funny...

June- 15th 

Apparently my chances of being attacked by a shark are about as good as me being struck by lightning...  Thanks to Rob (my host dad) I've still somehow developed a fear of Sharks and of lightning....   last lighting storm there were two people who were struck by lightning in LA, which means my chances for getting struck by lightning just went up, along with me getting bit by shark...  (We are doing some sea kayaking in the harbor tomorrow for camp training, that's why we've been discussing this.)  Now Rob tells me, "Sleep tight, don't let the sharks bite"... where I reply, "That's Snot funny" (another one of Rob's response to my booger joke).  

So it's been nearly a week since we got back from Mexico, and already I've been down and out a good couple days with a cold...  and now I think that I may have passed on my cold to Melanie (my host mum).  Hopefully she doesn't hold it against me...

Fortunately I was still able rest up enough to play in last night's game...  We won 3-1 over the Lancaster Rattlers... moving us from 7th to 5th in the region.  We played well, and I felt I had a relatively good game considering my recovering.  After the game I was able to share my testimony, which is something we have at all of our home games.  Our "featured" player will welcome everyone down onto the field and give there story then close the evening in prayer... and last night was my turn.  

I'd write you guys my story, but I believe I included most all of it in the posting below from Mexico...  Only thing that I would include here in front of the Seahorse fans is how my story is constantly being added on too, where God has me now and where he seems to be taking me. There is no telling where I will end up, but if there is anything that God has taught me these past couple of years is that there is no use in worrying...  as long as I'm being diligent in what God has blessed me with (talents, resources, and such...), He will take care of me.  

What I've been challenged to think about this week is in correlations with Ephesians 2:8,9 and James 2:14-25

Summary:

Ephesians 2- It is by grace you have been saved, through faith- not by works so that no man can boast... 

James 2- Faith without works is dead...

Well then, if we are saved by faith and not by works... yet faith without deeds is dead... how is it that we are not saved by works.  I have heard once before this being brought up as a "contradiction" in the Bible and failed to look into it a bit further and had completely forgot about it until now.  But last week in small group we came to the conclusion that they aren't contradictory... they are complimentary.  When you read them in parallel, joined by a simple conjunction- "It is by faith you have been saved, not by works BUT faith without deeds is dead..." it makes sense. 

Now the tough questions are when to distinguish whether our works/actions are a result of our faithful obedience to God or done selfishly and impulsively.  Can we help others and not be acting out of faith?   I do not ask this to discourage myself or anyone to not help people, it is more of a challenge to truly understand the nature of our actions and if they are spirit led or not.  But to answer my previous question, I think it is possible to help others and not be acting in accordance with our faith...  That is why Ephesians states we are saved by grace through faith, and it isn't a list of good works that gets us to heaven.  Understanding and believing God's gift of grace through Jesus is all we need... yet there is that conjunction- BUT - James (the brother of Jesus) tells us that simply believing that we are saved yet failing to show it in our actions is not good enough either.  I think what James is challenging all believers to feel a sense of conviction, if we truly believe that we have been saved by grace, through faith, yet fail to show the love of Jesus to others...  how will they believe us when we tell them about our faith?  Or is the result what we see today, the label that many Christians receive because of what they claim to believe contradicts what they do- "hypocrites".  

So my questions- is there really a contradiction in these two verses?  How do we "act out" our faith?  

More to come!

June 19th-  My family is bigger than yours...  I guarantee it!

Currently I'm spending the weekend in Illinois for my cousin Patrick's wedding, I had to miss practice yesterday and will be missing our match in Bakersfield tomorrow...  unfortunate timing for me considering I had been playing well, hopefully this doesn't affect my standing in the lineup for next week.  However it's been six years since I've seen many of my cousins (27 on my mom's side), aunts, uncles, and grandparents...  I'm super excited that I get to see most all of them, minus a few, this weekend.

I just wanted to update everyone as to where I've been since I got back from Mexico and had meaning to publish this last post but failed to finish it till now...  so, continue to keep me in your prayers as well as a happy wedding and blessed wedding for my cousin Patrick and his bride to be Sarah.  

Blessings,

-Cyrus