Christmas!!

This year has been quite different from the past:

*Shopping as a family

*shopping with friends

*enjoying the mall and craziness

*setting up decorations

*Christmas parties

*carols

*eggnog 

*Gifts!!!  

This year, I have been having trouble with money and was unable to

 get gifts that would be meaningful for everyone.  ( I love giving gifts.  It's a love language)  Being unable to give was hard for me.... part of it was getting past the consumeristic part of Christmas and remembering the reason for CHRISTmas.  CHRIST.  Coming to this earth to take the punishment and die for us.  He was born into dirt.  Lower than any one of us.  Wrapped in cloth..... But

 after this I felt like Christmas wasn't the same.  As if the image of Christmas given by the world was what made Christmas joyful. 

What was wrong?

As we sat down to eat breakfast..... a bit bummed out.... I realized that today was not for us.  We have made it about us. others. presents.

what about 

PRESENCE?

A friend told me that I shouldn't feel bad about not having anything to give,  just being in town and hangin out was good enough.         Could this be true?

If we spend time with one another more often, I mean true intimate time, and actually cared about how they were doing, would we feel like we need to give gifts?

Our relationships should be more like Trinitarian relationships and not transactional. (Rob Bell)  Meaning, we don't keep score.  LOVE.

By the time I was in the recliner and my bro was opening a present and the smiles and laughter started, it hit me.  Family, friends, presents, trees, santa, food.... how bout LOVE   lets practice what Jesus preached.  We have it so well off and still seem to worry about things that shouldn't matter a whole lot.

I want whoever reads this to know that I will try my hardest to love you.  whoever you are.   some might say: "now tyler, that isn't possible, you can't love everyone." (said in my signature mocking voice)   No, shut up!!  I never said I would succeed,  just TRY my hardest.  That's all I can do, and I WILL try.  I wish you all a Merry CHRISTmas and a Happy New Year from my family to yours.  God Bless you all.   Smile.

Faith. Love. Discipline. pt2

Back to Hebrews 12.  I was up way too late and couldn't finish my thoughts.  

Hebrews 12

*Discipline

    -Endure hardships as discipline

*Discipline isn't pleasant @ the time, but growth takes place.

*Live in peace.   or make the effort.

  -I am trembling with fear-   Moses.

Ok.... I found myself really enjoying this chapter for I needed encouragement.  Everyone does.... just the constant beat of life, whether it's bad or just life, we need it.  Having the Bible show me that enduring hardships as being a "right of passage" if you will was a great look.  God is treating us like sons.  (which we are)  What son does not gain discipline from his father?  It was good to know, and see changes taking place from putting a discipline to my study of God's word.  The father/son image really was great and helped a lot.

Interestingly enough, despite many uplifting words and thoughts, my day was filled with The Jitters.  I was letting something get to me and was worrying.  Why?  God has got my back.  He promises that.  So, I stumbled...(on purpose I'm sure) across vs. 14.   Talking about living everyday in peace with men and being holy.  That's funny.  I was worried about peace.  God is truly and amazing God.

Hebrews 13

*Keep loving as a brother.

*Entertain strangers

   - ....for by so, some may have entertained angels and not known....

*Love!!

  -marriage honored by all

  -sexually pure

  -be content

God said:

                        "Never will I leave you, 

  Never will I forsake you."

*What can man do to me?

-worship

Love never gets old.  It keeps popping up like that little gopher that ruins your moms yard.  It's so encouraging to know that we are called to love.  Love.  how hard can it be?  It is one thing we are asked to do, but to love others can be so hard.  Obviously we love our friends and most of our family ;)   but the losers?  the outcasts? the nobodies?  thats tough.... I am daily reminded to love people just to show Jesus.

The part about entertaining strangers...that gets me.  I have had those chain letters pass by that talk about the homeless man who wanted food and the people passing provided and we blessed with even more than they could imagine.... but truly...I think about it all the time.  I don't do what I do for sake that it might be an angel.  But the little voice in my head always returns giving me wonders about who that person was and why God placed them there for me to pass.  Just a thought.

Briefly, the honoring marriage and staying sexually pure..... wooo!!!! sounds good.   I feel like our world is beyond crazy when it comes to degrading people as objects.  Do we give up because we think there is nothing left?   God said:  Never will I leave you, Never will I forsake you."   Lets remember that.  So so SO reassuring and great.  

What can man do to me?         GREAT question!!!  we are so worried about what people think that we are afraid to stand up for our morals and our beliefs.   Our FAITH!     

Have a wonderful day.  Smile at someone.  God Bless.

-Tyler

Faith. Love. Hop.....DISCIPLINE?

Today while I was at One62 doing my QT I read in Hebrews 11 - 13.  I must say I became slightly distracted while reading...   

WHAT?!?!?!  

(answering my phone?   it was Kurt  thought it was important.)

Looking back now....I feel that I should at least give GOD the respect of devoting that time to Him.  I spend a few measly minutes....it should all be His.  

Hebrews 11

*faith

   -what is it?

 Explained.     (just read the chapter and you will understand.)

For those of you who don't want the in depth version... Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

the dictionary gives a poor example of faith compared to what the Bible has to say.

*"by faith"   23 times!!!    (correct me if I'm wrong)

*tales of faith

-how God prevailed 

It comforts me to read this chapter and see all the times people were rewarded for their faith.  People have faith in such ridiculous things that it blows me away.  Why is it so hard for us to believe that God can do great things and Jesus did great miracles.  Because miracles "just don't happen" in this country.  We DON'T have the faith we should.  Why.  God won't punish for faith.

I did not realize that it is 3 am.  I was into this..... thinking and writing.  also matt moved in tonight.   Have a blessed day     I will finish tomorrow.  Much Love.   -Tyler   

Hebrews 9 + 10

I have been reading through Hebrews and a few things stuck out to me today.  

(note: things stick out all the time.... hard to find time to type.)

Hebrews 9

*rules for worship?

*priests fear a different fear than I do.... should I fear that?

** Christ died ONCE to take ALL sins.

The topic of worship has come up a few times lately for me as i wrestle with the different sides of worship.  Facedown by Matt Redman was a wonderful book that revealed many parts of worship.  (need to read again and note things) I would really like to find more good books on worship.  heard about one last night as I practiced with the "big church" band.  David Crowder writes it.  Looks good.  

So fear...... What is fear?

Def. of fear: an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous.  

It seemed as if the priests were afraid to enter the house of God for fear of not coming out.  Should I have that fear...like monster movie?  OR  fear of a power that could make me disappear at the mere thought of it.  

Hebrews 10

*lots of promises

  -Lord is faithful

  Hold STRONG

*continuing to sin deliberately upon knowing truth = (don't wanna think about it!!)

*Strength in young/new believers      (need the fire to continue)

Promises of righteousness.  I found myself at the end of the chapter with one thing stuck in my head.  SIN.  not only sin...but knowing that you are doing it...and STILL DOING IT!!!!  WHY

Someone come kick me in the man business if you see me doing something.... seriously... I want to know when something isn't right.

Have a wonderful day everyone.  Axiom with kids for 6 hours.  Then relax....? I hope.  God Bless.  Smile.

-Tyler Schnelli

1 Thessalonians

I have been reading daily with the list in the back of my Bible and the last few days I have passed through Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.  This is probably one of my favorite parts of the Bible.  (so hard to say because it is an amazing book)   Today was 1 Thessalonians:

* Encouragement.

*Struggles

*Hopeful Prayers for Others

*Seeing Death as a Wake-Up call

Those are some of the main points in the book.  As I live my life right now, not worrying a whole lot about what comes next, I found a peace in this book.  When Paul was talking about suffering I do not believe he was talking about Poison Oak, but that's the "suffering" I am going through right now so it was humorous to me.  Paul writes that even through suffering we can find joy.   This is so true.  Running low on food, money, job opportunities.....not a big deal.  I am loving God and kids...what more could I ask for.  With nothing I am still better off than so so many.  

Such and encouraging QT today. 

We are to please God, not man.  I won't purposely do things to bother people, but I no longer care what people think in terms of my image as a "cool" person or not.  That does not matter.  Just know that I will try my hardest to do everything out of Love because it is what holds all together.  Thanks.

  Everyone have a wonderful day.  I am off to hang/love/live my life with kids at the Axiom today.   Smile everyone.  

(i know i say that alot.  if it annoys you, get over it.  People in todays world need to see smiles.  It brightens days and lightens hearts.  If you disagree, oh well.  you can talk to me about it, but I continue to smile.)

Thankful.

It has been a while since my last post and I am truly sorry about that.  I last left you with my adventures of trying to find a job with an economy like ours.  Not fun.  Since the last post I have been working a part time job in a construction-ish position.  Cox Excavating is a sweet business owned and operated by Bob Cox.  He has been overly nice enough to let me come work with him on some jobs and I have had a blast.  So much fun.  He has got to be the best operator ever with his backhoe.  (he could tie my shoes with the teeth on the bucket.)  Good times.  I hope that I can work with him some more whether it's for pay or not.  He is a good man and reminds me of my dad. :)  So...... the Other services have been amazing lately.  Kurt talked a few weeks ago about something that God had put on his heart.  AMAZING.   blew people away and shook us.   

Sorry to be so short about that.  Words cannot even describe how intense it was.  The band played and then everyone sat in a circle around a light in the center of the room and Kurt laid it down.  He didn't need a Bible, notes, or it written down.  He KNEW it!!!  Such and amazing experience.  Some of us had either concrete blocks or boards.  With them we wrote down all

 the experiences, thoughts words and ideas that came to

 mind.  I was a very challenging task.  Scary. Rewarding. Renewing. Relieving. Moved so many people.

Worked on another septic installation on Saturday and it was fun but hard work.  After workin all day went straight to dirt. This is funny to me because I work with dirt all day then go to Dirt.  Haha.  Dirt this week was amazing, the theme was The Starting Line.

  When kids entered we took pictures and it was designed to look like a carnival.  Super cool concepts.  The guest speaker JJ dominated from the stage.  Kids def got somethin out of it.  Lots of new faces.  

Thanksgiving was amazing!!!  Got to drive back home with Chuck and Justin.  Missed everyone so much and had a great time seeing everyone!  Specially fam and bro.  

It was so good seein them and having a good time full of smiles.

I love everyone back in Eugene and Springfield and can't wait til Christmas when i can come home and see you all.  Ill post again soon. i promise.  Gotta get ready for Coterie!!!!   Ya!!!