SPEAK

Acts 18:9-11 (NIV)
One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. [10] For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." [11] So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

This weekend was definitely one for the record books. We had an awesome staycation in SD for the SPEAK retreat at the Town and Country hotel. LA and SD came togethor and glorified God with epic fellowship, inspirational lessons, and deep Discipling times. I have been super convicted by the lessons from Ron Hammer, Jake Rock, and Steve Lounsberry. I realized that I need to be WAY more surrendered and WAY more open with my entire life, especially the little sins. I had SUCH an amazing time with my lovely girlfriend Lisa Hinton. She's so beautiful, gracious, and strong. I got to give her a big hug and tell her I missed her the moment I saw her, and we got to sit next to each other during the first lesson which was Ron Hammer preaching the word HARD about how society is so delicate that they whine when challenged by the truth. He claimed that we MUST judge people, just not hypoctritically. Also, society is more concerned with freedom than truth. He ended it stating that silence is acceptance of an eternal destiny. Don't worry about what the world judges because you might just save their soul regardless of how they feel in the moment...THEN we split up men and women...We got an AMAZING class on purity and Jake ROck got SUPER open about his life and talked about how essential it is for us to be desperate to change, we have to desire to get WELL. We broke up into Discipling Groups and i was with Patrick, Lee, Christian, and Jeffrey (from OC). It was an awesome time of openness, I'm so grateful for all those guys. THEN, we got to go to PB so I met up with Lisa, Wes, and Kate and we went to Cafe 976. Stuart made an announcment about Mission PB but it was just the four of us plus Wouter...but it was cool because we hit a bunch of blocks on Law Street. Afterwards, I dropped Lisa off at the hotel and Wes and I went to get his luggage and we ended up chillen at the house until the game. THere was a BUNCH of people at my house it was kinda crazy...I made Lisa a quick candy card and ran to her the moment I saw her and handed it to her :). I got to sit next to her for most of the riveting game (we ended up losing 27-30 after missing TWO simple field goals...) But afterwards we all went to Denny's (2 denny's after the first one was WAY too small...)and I got to share a $2 meal with my amazing girlfriend. It was a crazy night of weirdness but LOTS of joy and laughter! After chillen with the boys a little later I got to bed around 2 and woke up at 8. Had a good prayer time with God and then got to go to church and sat next to Lisa again :) after Ron preached another POWERFUL lesson about
1. Let your light shine! (speak up and people will listen..pray for WORKERS, not open hearts)
2. Putting an exclamation on your life (3 purple exclamation invitation)
3. Draw the line in the sand (stand up to the tanks)
Ron's a man of extraordinary talent and life stories, make your own!

after church I got to watch my girlfriend baptize ELMA!! SOOOO cool!!! OC girls had TWO baptisms today :) Elma and Brittany
After that I got to go to chipotle and have some more fun with Lisa and some of the OC peeps and it was soo cool. She gave me a big hug and then we went our separate ways.
I think I'm definitely a step closer to falling in love, this weekend was epic, I just got to spend a lot of time with her. SO grateful thanks so much God for putting her in my life, please give me the strength, wisdom, and courage to lead to heaven in whatever capacity you want. AMEN!

Communication-Godliness-Mist

Last week was one of the worst weeks of my Christian life of 2.5 years. My communication was off with Lisa, God, and most of the people who help me (disciplers) due to my disgusting pride. I didnt want to talk about it, i wanted to hide it, and I ended up jumping to conclusions in the worse possible way. But then Saturday came. At 1 PM Joshua Greenfield was BAPTIZED. We had car trouble and he gave us a ride home, to which we arrived at 2 PM. Then we woke up at 9:30 to have a phenomenal household quiet time reading Acts 5-10 and learning about the epic adventures of the first century church. Persecution was peaking and growth in the church was at its apex because of the fiery faith and bold lifestyle of the disciples. It makes me want to go crazy and get radical for the kingdom of God. Then we prayed for 30 minutes and then had a great D-Time with Jeremy Melcher-Post, one of the coolest guys in the campus ministry. He is so wise and knows his bible and how to help people in need and challenge properly. He was an integral part in Josh's baptism and I really appreciate him a lot even though I rarely express it. Next I got to chill with THE one and only Russel Kirkpatrick. He made me lunch and inspired me with his current miracles and faithful expeditions. After so much encouragement from God and my brothers, I was just absolutely pumped to be a Christian and serving God. I got to chill with my little brother briefly playing zombies and then I jumped in the car to see my WONDERFUL girlfriend. At the time I was still a little prideful and bitter about our miscommunications for the week but I had an amazing time praying to the Lord in the car for an hour on my way up. There were so many things I prayed for but I'm just extremely grateful for that time I got to do it. I love my Lord so much and I'm grateful for the amazing ways he has answered so many prayers throughout my life. Upon arrival to my girly's house, I knocked on the door and she opened it and looked like an angel. She literally looked perfect to me. There she was in a beautiful dress with lots of little flowers on it and her hair looked amazing and her nails were beautiful and her eyes and face and EVERYTHING was just perfect. Nirvana was home so I got to go in and chat with them and tell them about my amazing day and also listen to them a little bit. Lisa was sick in the morning but she miraculously got better after throwing up and taking medicine. Then we hopped in the car and drove to the dating devotional :). THe best part was LISA apologized to me, I didn't bring the issues i was struggling up at all but she apologized to me because she got really prideful when I told her she should get advice on studying the bible with her sisters...and so she's just super humble and I told her and kinda apologized for being critical of her tardiness and miscommunications as far as that whole area goes and I just really really appreciate her openness and humility because she IS amazing and its like "wherever there is a miscommunication, Satan fills in the blanks" so basically we both suck at communicating and need to OVERcommunicate. We arrived at the Shepard's house (Allan the chiropractor and his wife ___) and it was far beyond my expectations. They cooked for us, we played games, had some amazing fellowship, and then a wonderful lesson on dating! The point was honoring God with our relationship through our PURITY and COMMUNICATION. It was as if he was speaking straight to us and wow was it inspiring. I thought about things being permissible versus beneficial...i thought about how I need to brag more about our relationship and how we've been pure and unphysical for the entire time and will continue to do so until marriage (if that's God's plan :) Anyways, it was a great time and I really admire everything about the OC church, especially the group of people that were at this devotional. I need to be more humble still and ask questions and get contact information from ALL the brothers up there to set up dates and stuff...but amen for the internet cus I can still do that.
So father God I love you like crazy, I know this stuff is all due to YOU and how YOU work in my life and the ways YOU inspire me and save me and forgive me and help me to love. Please give me the strength to love you and my brothers/sisters/enemies, no matter how hard it gets. I love you like crazy, please be with church this morning and the fellowship and everything Going on in the campus ministry in SD and around the world. I need you desperately and I'm grateful for all you've done for me. Thanks Lord, Your amazing. AMEN!

Shawn Wooten

Isaiah 62:5
send friends groomsmen to talk to her dad, and hopefully convince dad that im a good guy. if the dad agrees than my dad goes and talks to him to make financial agreement since im taking a worker from his home...if aggreement then theres a big party. at some point during party i stand up and say "i am going to my fathers house to prepare a place for us" and when i finish i will come back to get you...then id take up my cup wuthg wine and drink from it and thenask her if she's willing to drink from it. and if she takes it and drinks from it then we are married the i do moment. then i ha e to go build a house as fast as i can...she goes home puts lamp in window and its a sign that she's taken ...my groom have to watchover the purity of the bride making sure she's pure and committed to me until i get her!

THe Groomsmen Make Invitation (not groom himself)
God didn't invite you here, some friends of Jesus invited you here
John 15:14-16


2 cor 5:18-20

ppl get their first impression of GOd through US! we're ppls first chance to consider entering into a marriage w/God

WE offer mariage to God to the world

WHY ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT YOURSELF...they aren't rejecting YOU, they reject GOD

IF there's a God then its more important than your OPINION...

We're the groomsmen! Stop someone and give them a chance!

If you could read a book that would stop the AIDS virus would you do it?
If you could read a book that would cure cancer would yuou do it??
If you could read a book and change the eternal destiny of MILLION, would you do it?

2. What was Paid for the Bride?
Hebrews 10:11-12
SITTING means its all done! You don't come here to get your sins forgiven, you come because your fired up your sins are forgiven!
v. 19-20

3. Faithfully Waiting for the Groom
John 14:1-3
God's "will you marry me?"
biggest promise I will always be with you!

we have to stay pure! thank GOd for FRIENDS...love each other enough to go back and pull each other...EVEN if they ask you not to

4. WIll you Drink from the Cup
Mark 14:23
JEsus offers his cup to you...that would seal your marriage!
EVERY week remember its Jesus offering you marriage every week! you must be willing to wait, be pure, etc. if you got engaged yesterday or a month ago your FIRED UP! if you got engaged 20 years ago, you might be thinking...

Revelation 19:7
Revelation 22:4
Moses knew the best possible thing to wish for: seeing God's face. But God knew that such a thing would destroy Moses. New body is a body that can withstand seeing God's face! Moses LIGHTS UP by just seeing the ground which God passed over! IMAGINE HIS FACE

Dream Big

This week:
RADICALLY
FAITHFULLY
GOD WILL USE ME to:

-Reach out to at least 60 people before our first bible talk this Wednesday (1 per minute) in addition to texting every Aztec on my list.
-Set up a bible study with David Chang, chill time AND study with Gordie Nash, and a good time just to CHILL and get deep with Alex W and Kevin T.
-Pray to God for 30 minutes straight.
-Learning about Dating with Lisa and apply everything we learn to invigorate our relationship the way GOD wants me to.
-Have at least one deeper talk with a co-worker...
-Search for a house with all my heart.

Quotes

Love, generally, is that principle that leads one moral being to desire and delight in another, and reaches its highest form in that personal fellowship in which each person lives in the life of the other, and in receiving back the outflow of that others affection unto himself (James Orr, knowing God 123)

Happiness is only real when shared.
(Into the Wild)

Wisdom is the power to see and the inclination to choose, the best and highest goal, togethor with the surest means of attaining it.
(Knowing God)

Until man duplicates a blade of grass, nature can laugh at his so called "scientific knowledge"
(Thomas Edison in cueball christianity by Jeff Arias)

Stand on what is true (scripture) and do not let go. Period.
(Wild at Heart 166)

"My hands can bend a bow of bronze"
Psalm 18:34

"Where there's no communication, Satan fills in the gaps."
(Wild at Heart)

"The World" is not a place or a set of behaviors--it is a system built by our collective sin, all our false selves coming together to reward and destroy each other.
(Wild at Heart 151)

"To experience the strength of a man is to have him speak on our behalf...'how are you?' is one of the most loving questions John asks me"
(Wild at Heart)

"As cars were created to be fueled by gasoline, we were created to be fueled by God"

The deeper you get in the water (the deeper into a man's heart) the more dangerous it gets...but the better it gets...draw your heart out, dig deep, get vulnerable! stop being shallow on the outside in ankle deep water! it may be safer, but it don't matter nearly as much
Prov. 20:5 Lisa's interpretation

psalm 101:3

1 Peter 4-5


jesus never doubted his vision was unclouded
103 Jesus the Same

we measure men too much by their capacities, by what they are today and not by what they may become later on
105 jesus the same

The Orange Moon and an Emotional Monsoon

Its Sunday morning and it has been a rollercoaster of a week. The cosine graph of my life, starting SUPER high, going down SUPER low, and then back up again. My selfishness, tiredness, faithlessness, hopelessness, and stubbornness, brought me down. But God brought me back up. Optimistically, last night was one of the best dates! Got to pick my girl up from a conference and fellowshipped with many people, one being a student from Denver named Travis who was really cool. And it was just so encouraging because when people saw me they were like "CURTIS IS HERE!" haha Greg gave me a super crazy hug and Jeffrey recited the book of Hebrews. I admire these brothers so much. Me and Lisa, Nic and Olivia, and Willie and Katie went on an awesome triple to a GREAT helium air balloon, and GREAT carousel, in a GREAT park. I lost my wallet, but the Lord provided it back for me. We went to In-N-Out, played Bocce Ball, and flew 400 feet in the air in a vibrant orange balloon full of Helium!It truly was a blast. Lisa and I got pretty deep in the car driving to Long Beach and I promised her I'd pray. I'm a man of my word.

Lord Almighty,
Father, amazing counselor, perfect savior, you are beautiful, holy, powerful, and mighty. Thanks for you unswerving immeasurable love that is hotter than the sun. Please give me strength, give me energy, give me peace in my soul to forgive and forget any wrong anyone has done to me. I'm sorry for being so emotionally crazy, and blaming it on other people. I apologize for just being a jerk and not being a disciple all the time. Please heal me, thanks for forgiving me already and helping me to stand up stronger. I pray this time I will be surrendered to YOUR will and not MY will. Please Lord just show me the way and I will follow you. Please help me to be bold enough to make the sacrifices I know I need to make. Help me to be a powerful leader who uses his influence wisely with an immense amount of love. I'm so grateful for you and all that you do. Please help me to understand how blessed and lucky and easy my life truly is.
I want to pray especially especially for my amazing girlfriend Lisa. She is such an awesome powerful beautiful woman full of grace. Please fill her with wisdom as she leads girls and her family to you. I know she's doing a great job and giving her entire heart, please give her that extra boost of energy and strength to really make a difference in the lives of every woman in Irvine. As she goes to class help her to be bold enough to change the lives of her friends around her. Please please please connect her family together. Her immediate family is so disconnected at the moment and I know that if they just give Lisa a chance to share her convictions and the bible with her, they would change their lives. Ipray that family will destroy any hint of hypocrisy and really develop deeper convictions with you. I'm sorry I haven't always been there for Lisa to encourage her through family problems but I know she can do it through your power especially. Help Eva to wake up. I pray she will develop Godly sorrow--not worldly sorrow any longer. And as a result that she would open up to start coming to Lisa's church and when she goes back to school help her to not give into her old ways but rather to be connected to the church. I'm so extremely grateful for Lisa and all that you do through her, help her to know exactly what to say and the tone to say it in as she confronts her family on these types of issues. I'm so grateful for her relationship and encouragemnt and partnership in the gospel, help her to always turn to you in times of need.
Lord your awesome thanks for everything
C

Psycho Anteater

I had a huge thing already written and I have no clue how it got deleted but thats what happens when I multitask. Saturday my amazing girlfriend graduated from UCI with a bachelor in Psychology (she's a psycho anteater) and I had the honor to go to her graduation party! I was pretty nervous because it was going to be the first time I ever met her family. I knocked on the door and Uncle Dan opened up, i introduced myself and stuff and it was cool, he was pretty welcoming. THen I met her little sister Eva who goes to CSUSM--she also had a few friends at the party who I met as well. Next I met her mom Myriam--she was really cool and hyper and seemed excited to meet me. She then introduced me to Lisa's grandparents: Eva and Grandpa the ultra athletic retired marine who said the coolest quote: "take as much as you want, but eat all that you take" (or somethinjg like that)...alright after meeting all those people I walked out back and there was Lisa, she looked stunning in a beautiful pink dress with white polka-dots, pretty badge high-heel sandals, and nails painted near perfection to match her dress... Then I met her pops Buzz. He was grilling some bomb chicken and pineapple skewers. He was really cool I asked what he was grilling and he was like "whatever my wife told me to..." Anyways we were able to talk about construction for awhile later--he works for SDGandE as a designer for all the new city developments--he's a pretty big deal! in fact there used to be 5 people that do all the work he now does because he's the only one that didnt get fired...he seems like a really rad dad. Later I met all Lisa's friends (Alyssa (New York graduate from Lisa's highschool friend), Valerie (oneof Lisa's friends moms who is like auntie Julie and gave Lisa a bunch of drugs), Kevin a disciple, and a couple who came--the guy worked at coffee bean was going for Int'l Business w/ China, ramone? the football O-Line big guy, and of course Chynae...
we played basketball for like 20 minutes and then later played a couple games (monkey game, and the rule game--they did "respond to every question the way you think Lisa would respond) It was definitely funny. Later all the campus left and Chynae, Lisa, and I went to get frozen yogurt--it was SO FUN! We went to Velvet Frozen Yogurt and just had a great time chatting and encouraging her and chynae--my girlfriend is SO amazing!