Designated Doodler

I'm beyond concerned about the state of religion, more specifically Christianity, amongst young people in our country. As a teacher and a human being in the 20s dating pool, I've had good cause for concern. I'm not allowed to discuss religion at school, but I hear the things my students say about it. Things like, "yeah, I go to church, it's where I take my best naps." Or things like, "I wanna find a new religion, I think I'll pick buddhism because it's chill." As if the road to discovering God is something that can be picked out like a new outfit. Finding religion is a journey, one that takes research, reading and soul searching. And one reason I fear for Christianity's future is because being a faithful Christian takes time, heart and dedication. And in today's world of tech-obsessed instant gratification - people are asking, "what can God do for me?" Instead of "what can I do for God?"  Teens and...

Life is a fight, a struggle, a war - a constant battle, sometimes literal, sometimes figuratively, sometimes both. It is more than the quest for a perfect selfie. It is more than the treasured shows that await you on your DVR. It is even more than what you do for a living. Believe it or not, your life is even more than you.  This is the part that most people can't grasp. We live in a self-centered society, in a culture that promotes doing whatever it takes to reach the top. But the sooner you realize your own insignificance, the sooner you can reach a purpose that's far more meaningful than any man-given title or trophy. The downfall of humanity will surely be it's pride. Society has told you that you're special, and you think you are, but you're not - not unless you've got your priorities straight. Could you sit down and talk about others' lives you've touched?  Could you tell me about the ways you've contributed to soc...

Tonight I heard a former Muslim man named Saleem talk. Here's what happened: Saleem brought up a young man in college, he pulled out three colored scarves. One white, one red and one black. He draped the white one around his shoulders and pulled the young man in next to him, sharing the scarf. He said, "this is what God wanted when he created man. He was like a daddy that wanted children. He desired fellowship with us and we were blameless. He told Adam and Eve that they could eat from any tree, except for one, the tree of life. And that if they did, surely they would die." "And what did they do? They ate the fruit. And although their physical bodies didn't die in that moment, they suffered a spiritual death," Saleem said, removing his arm (and the scarf) from the young man. "And so the world fell to sin," he said, draping a black scarf over the boy. "But we were still God's children and he did not forsake us. Instead,...

Growing up with a Dad who has cancer, I think I've always been hyper aware of how precious life is. And it concerns me, how in this day and age, it seems like everyone is just out for themselves. Or just out for themselves and their family…when there are people all around us who are struggling, who are hungry, who are lonely. Having experienced anxiety in my life, I try my best to tune in to those around me, even if I barely know them. You'd be surprised how many people are out there…just longing for a friend, just longing for a shoulder, for a truthful, reliable, beautiful soul to care about theirs. At one point in college I was so lonely that I'd get out of the apartment and hang out at Starbucks, just so that I could be around other people. I had plenty of friends, but that doesn't mean that you can't still be lonely. I have no idea where this post is coming from. I didn't necessarily set out to write what I've written… I just feel that it...

Your City Most of us live in towns or cities, and whether we like where we live or not, it's important to be a prayer warrior for your city. So often we get wrapped up in prayers that involve us, or our families, or far off places that have a crushing need to be prayed for. And all of this is great! Pray for your family, pray for places like Egypt and the unreached people groups of Indonesia! It's also important however, to be a prayer warrior for your city! I live in a huge metropolitan city that is filled with people struggling with their faith, their health, their job, their life! Lift up your city in prayer, along with all of it's hospitals, schools, roadways, etc. Prayer is a very powerful thing, and when you lift these requests up to God to protect your city and help it prosper, those prayers don't go unheard! It's time that communities reach out to their city and assist in any way possible. Volunteering your time, money and/or prayers can g...

I'm angry. I don't really know what to do with it...so I'm here...blogging about it I guess. It's just so incredible to me. Guys my age. So far what I've experienced is a total lack of morals, a deficit of tact and no hint of maturity. I get hit on. I talk to the guy. I try to get a better picture of who he is while he's busy getting a better picture of how to get me into bed. Which, rest assured, isn't happening. I just don't understand how our generation went to hell in a hand basket. For being in one of the most "religious" and "Christian" states in the country, it sure doesn't feel like it. I mean, I'm not asking for much... +Love God above all else and live a Christ driven life +Have some semblance of tact and a slight sense of humor +Make an attempt to use proper grammar +And don't be an aimless hobo with no plans for the future That's it! That's it. You don't even have to be insanely h...

I felt inspired to write this post today to help anyone out there who knows/is friends with/is a parent of someone with anxiety. I realized today that these things I know aren't just common sense. They've come from years of dealing with anxiety myself and knowing others who have as well. So here it goes. Things to keep in mind about anxiety: Anxiety isn't as easy to control as you might think I've had people ask me in the past "well, why don't you just stop being anxious." To me, that's like asking someone who has chronic migraines to stop having migraines. What's important is to realize that anxiety is very much a physical thing. It is a response that your body has, when once started, is difficult to control or stop. An anxious person may have a racing heartbeat, sweaty hands, dry mouth, or even shake. Once the body begins this descent into anxiety it's hard to turn around. And even if the anxiety isn't yet to that point or severi...

Anxiety is more common than you may think. It is a nuisance that can alter how you live your life; it's annoying. And I've learned a few things about it that I thought I'd share with you. Survival of the Anxious A lot of people have a natural disposition towards anxiety. And guess what...it's what helped us survive! Back in the caveman days your carefree buddy would lay outside looking at the stars while you worried about lions. He'd get eaten, and you'd carry on your family line. A lot of times, we are hyper-observant of not only ourselves but our environment as well. So stop thinking of anxiety as a plague and start thinking of it as an advantage.  Is That all You've Got? Many times, people get caught in a loop of anxiety because they are afraid of anxiety itself! It is such an uncomfortable thing (sweaty palms, obsessive thoughts, racing heart, imagining the worst) so we naturally want to avoid it at all costs! But then we can become worried abo...