Archive for February, 2009

27
Feb
09

Story of Depression

This is to be the first in several posts in which I am going to outline my journey into depression and then how God showed me his love and pulled me out. For the last several years I have had several very close friends and then others who were not as close, but I was so close to a particular 4  Kami, John, Jeremiah, and Josiah.. I would say that a vast majority of what I did was with these 4 or some fraction of them.We all knew that Josiah, and Jeremiah were planning to go to college in the fall of 08 and I had little trouble dealing with that,  I was gone (in Ghana) all of September, and shortly after I returned Jeremiah came in, and then was home for almost a month during Christmas. Besides John and Kami were still here. It was after New years about the middle of January when John got a call from an old friend asking him to go on a trip with Y.W.A.M.(Youth With A Mission) he was supposed to leave in about two weeks, it was at this point that I started feeling like my friends were leaving me.

Depressed3

I do and did understand that Their leaving was imminent, I had just failed to prepare myself for their departure, and while I was excited for John I was starting to feel somewhat abandoned. Yes Kami was still here but (no offence) she’s a girl, (sounds bad does it not) the simple fact is that guys need good guy friends. The other friends who were still around were, well different than me, and it seemed to me that they did not understand me so I was having a hard time connecting with them,  this caused me some frustration as well. So there you see how and what led me into depression,. I am not sure if it was really obvious  to my friends and family, who were still around but I am sure it was to my mom since Ashley had gone to school, in august (high school) and since I am home-schooled and mom did not work at the time we spent most days home together.it in the midst of this that God came and showed me his love in a way could never have imagined, which I will tell you about in my next post.

Amen, Hallelujah

Ethan

YOu may also want to check out my posts

John Poole Benefit show Recap

In Ghana 1-4

John Poole W orld traveler witl little notice and much faith

25
Feb
09

Giveaway

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21
Feb
09

John Poole Benefit Recap!

Tonight’s benefit show was great! Great music, great food (thanks Chick-Fil-A), and a great gathering.

We had a total of about 100 people!! Thank you all for coming out!

Here are some photos from this great evening:

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Here very soon, we will have the EP of songs from tonight’s show up here on the internet! Please buy a copy, or as many as you would like, give them to your friends, family, whatever!

They are $5 a copy and all the proceeds will go to John’s missions trip to Australia! There is a total of eight songs.

Artists include:

John Poole and The Exit Interview

Stage a Scene

Andrew Stonestreet

Also, I am putting together a video of the whole evening! It will be posted soon!

Thank you again to all those who came out, it was delightful!

God bless,
Stephen

19
Feb
09

Benefit Show

THERE WILL BE FREE CHICK-FIL-A @ THE BENEFIT SHOW FOR JOHN POOLE TOMORROW (FRI. FEB. 20TH)

18
Feb
09

John Poole Benefit

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18
Feb
09

John Poole Benefit Show

Ladies and Gentlemen, this coming Friday, the 20th at 6:30 there will be a benefit show at Perrow Church to help raise money for my trip to Australia. Admission will be free, but donations are more than welcome. Being so short-notice, the line-up is still in the works, but will contain music from myself and hopefully many others. Please re-post this bulletin or just get the word out as fast as you can to help me out.

I appreciate it beyond words! Thanks a bunch!!

-John Poole

EVERYONE NEEDS TO COME!

Featuring Music by
JOhn Poole with The Exit Interview
Stage A Scene
Andrew Stonestreet.

ANd Others

18
Feb
09

If You Have Doubts

Just in case any of you have doubts about what the core of Christianity is this is it, Just watch, if you have any questions please ask.

Any Questions?

17
Feb
09

I said “Kiss Me You’re Beautiful”

I wanted to post my freind John Poole’s (Going to Austrailia) latest blog entry for you to enjoy, I also want to apologise for my lack of posts recently. I am working on a series the will be outlining where I am right now, how I got here and what God has to do with it (Everything) so in the meantime, Enjoy.

So for Friday the 13th nothing especially crazy happened to me, save an hour and half midnight trip to Wal-Mart, which every redneck and their mystic cousin seemed to be at just to chill. And my chocolate friend Ryan, he was there, too. ;) But I had the strangest, most remarkable, life-like dream that night, and I just couldn’t shake the feeling it gave me. It wasn’t a bad feeling, rather enjoyable, really… but it was one of those dreams that haunted and affected the rest of your day. The following is as close as I could get to a communicable transfer of the dream. I hope you enjoy.

It was the end. The end of it all, and it just seemed perfectly unreal. I felt no regret, I felt no pain; just a simple severance encompassed by a peaceful nothingness. As our hands slid lazily out of each other’s reach, I placed mine into already over-crowded pockets. As I gazed into her ever-changing blue-green eyes, she looked into the distance, and then down to the ground. We stood there for a moment not knowing what to say. Although everything was said and out in the open, we both felt the need to say something more, yet remained frozen in our disbelief. My eyes were wide, expecting, and hers seemingly bore holes into the still, soft earth beneath us. I placed my left hand under her chin, gently raising it to where our eyes met. I felt her saline slowly trickle down my hand and drip off my wrist. She cracked a smile bigger than she could manage and placed her right hand upon mine. As she removed my hand, so went her smile. We began to slowly walk down the sidewalk not knowing who or what to blame. Unsuspecting was I to discover it was me; it was me that’d let her down.

“We’re going to be late for the film.” As she spoke her voice was carried off into the wind and bounced off the downtown buildings; brick and concrete. We approached the theater and I opened the door for her. There were no shallow cordials or “thank-you’s,” for there was no need for them. A silent entrance seemed only just in this moment. I purchased the overpriced tickets and we were on our way.
The theater was vast and void, for even though there may’ve been fifty people already seated, room was abundant as everyone was placed sporadically, like an artist randomly throwing paint at a canvas, letting the colour lie wherever it may. The air was so empty; it was hard not to feel alone. We sat in the very back row, though two strangers separated me from her. An empty seat to my left looked tempting, being adjacent to the aisle, but my indecisive nature took the best of me. Such lack of initiative, made me sick. I looked to my right, for one last look into her eyes, and as I did her blonde hair began to glow, brighter and brighter, and the light soon spread to her flawless face. The intensity of it made me squint as I watched her melt away, far away into nothingness. Then, as quick as it began, it was all over. An empty seat was all that was left.

I still felt perfectly unreal, like I had done something wrong and should be sorry for it, but I wasn’t, and that was all good and well. It was as if I had no responsibility and feared no consequence, but it was how I was supposed to feel, like she wanted me to feel.

I then felt a presence to my left, and as I turned the once-vacant seat was now taken, and a beautiful dark-haired lady had taken its residence. “Hello,” she said, her clear, smooth voice seemingly laying my body to waste. I felt as if I should be taken aback, but instead was filled with excitement at being united with and old friend. The movie then began to start and she nodded towards the screen, implying that I should ready myself to watch. I felt an instant safety around me, a comfort only felt after existing with someone over a matter of years.

I could not pay attention to the film; she had taken over my every thought and I was just simply incapable of it. I didn’t want to rush anything, but I didn’t want to waste a single moment, so I made haste to my actions. The armrests were nonexistent, so I gently slid my hand into hers, received by a welcomed squeeze. In the same action, her head came to rest on my shoulder, and I leaned over and kissed the top of her head. We stayed like this for a good while, intertwined like it was nature’s design. Then suddenly, it shot into me, burning my veins and making my head spin; I could not control my lack of playing my God-given role as a man, and what little initiative I had had disappeared. I did not put my arm around her and comfort her against my chest. It seemed as if our roles had been reversed, and it scared me to death. My hand tore away from hers faster than I had time to think, and I quickly retreated from her personal space. Immediately it seemed her eyes began to well up, hurt and confusion building up behind those deep, blue eyes. “I thought you were beginning to love me,” her eyes spoke, lips motionless, save a slight quiver. I couldn’t understand how I could consciously hurt somebody so readily, how I could let my fear control me like that. She outstretched her arms, and I was slow to react. It seemed our roles had been reversed, and that felt somewhat demeaning to me, as if my masculinity was on the line. My mind was blank and I couldn’t react, my mind just wouldn’t let me. The screen flashed and her porcelain skin had never looked so pristine and white; delicate, with a beauty inexpressible. My mind began to reel again, and I fought against every immediate reaction coming to mind. I threw caution to the wind and went against my every sense. I placed my head on her chest and immediately her arms wrapped around me, and she kissed my head like I had kissed hers. My hair was covered in saline as she pressed her cheek atop my head. Once again we simply existed, not moving or speaking, just existing. Her heartbeat reverberated at a steady pace, and it was music to my ears. The film began to intensify and grow louder. How her heart beat faster, and in the moment she began to whisper, yet her whisper drowned out every other sense I could possibly pay attention to. Her voice brought a connection that I had never felt before, and I sat a listened for as long as she spoke; softly and sparingly. When she was done, I slowly brought my head up and studied her now-composed face, as if a single tear had never been shed. I placed my right hand aside her right cheek and pecked her on the opposing side. We then exchanged a simple, brief kiss, as if we were little kids, trying something new without a full understanding of ‘why,’ without an explanation; just reaction. The sweetness and genuineness of it all brought about a certain peace, one that would stay with me the rest of my days. Even as this peace began to settle, she began to shine, and an ever-so-familiar feeling crept back into my mind. She was dissolving in between both of my hands and I was totally out of control. She faded with a smile and mouthed words I could not interpret in time, but I still was encompassed by that certain peace. As she was gone completely and I was left alone once more, I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. Strangely enough, my laugh began to echo and bounce off the theater walls, and as it carried down the aisles, it started affecting everyone; laughing, then disappearing; dissolving into a whirlpool of fleeting laughter.

Soon I was the only one left, yet I felt no fear, no loneliness; just comfort. The analog film began to skip and seemed as if it came off of it’s reel, leaving a never-ending bright white light in it’s place. The light began to intensify and spread throughout the auditorium and crept down the aisles towards me. It overwhelmed me and took me over, as if it had grabbed hold of my soul. I was in a room of nothing but light, seemingly floating, but stilled by some force of untraceable gravity. There were no seats left, nothing to hold on to; just the light to exist amongst. God and I were one, and there was nowhere else to be. This was truly the end.

11
Feb
09

John Poole

Hello My friends, if you have been following my blog you may remember my post “John Poole World Traveler With Little Notice and Much Faith” well I am sorry to inform you that he has not left yet due to a lack of funds. so he has set up a “CHIPIN” where you can donate and it will go straight to his PayPal account. Please help John Poole get to Australia.

06
Feb
09

“Could I be Possibly Insane”

In Case you have not figured it out yet there a several things I love one of which is music, you may also know that I have a rather “eclectic” taste in music. One of the may band I enjoy listening to is Eisley to whom I credit the title of this post. Their song A Sight To Behold serves as the inspiration for this post as well so here goes.

I am in funny spot as of late as is evidenced by my lack of posts over the last few days, but I will save you that for anoather post. tonight I was lacking in inspiration so I prayed and asked God to give me something, when I walk into the Dinning Room (where our computer is) to hear that my sister has music playing loudly enough I can hear it through the floor and recognise it as Eysley which inspires me to listen to thema bit myself. So I do, which leads me to now when I am writing a post based on their song. Ever since the first time I heard the song A Sight to Behold I have liked it but it was not untill tonight I found an interesting connection between the line

Could I be possibly insane

To think you and I had life figured out

Which reminded me of King Solomon”s writings in Ecclesiastes where he focuses on the futility of the Pursuit of  “Happiness”, of the good and the bad of wisdom, and of wealth, and sop forth. The Idea behind the book is that he had pursued everything on the Earth that he thought would make him happy, but in the its was all “Vanity”. I think this is so charicteristic of our lives, even if we do call ourselves “Christians” we seek the things of this world to fulfill our desires, which if we would just open our eyes we would realize, is futile.

When King Solomon Tells us the it is the “Vanity of Vanities” he speaks not only the truth but the truth as it was displayed in his own life. As one reads Ecclesiastes you see Solomon telling us about all the things he had, that left him empty.

I(A) said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2I(B) said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3I(C) searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on(D) folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4I made great works. I(E) built houses and planted(F) vineyards for myself. 5I made myself(G) gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7I bought male and female slaves, and had(H) slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of(I) herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8I also gathered for myself silver and(J) gold and the treasure of(K) kings and(L) provinces. I got(M) singers, both men and women, and many(N) concubines,[a] the delight of the children of man.

Eccelsiastes 2 1-8

If you can tell me one thing included in this passage that you have found to bring you uttermost, and Unceasing Joy which wells up from your heart and never fails, I would very much like to meet you. I say this because as we read here and as I have found (not I have had much of what solomon had) nothing except for God which brings me joy. I have honestly found that the only thing which truly brings me joy seems to be worshipping God, wether it be through singing,writing(my personal favorite), or any other act which i perform for the glory of God, Which by the way should be everything I do (though it rarely is).

So I guess I must simply close with this to think that we could possibly figure life out, much less by looking strictly at the physical world around us, is quite insane and to try live life without God is to choose a path littered with pain, and destruction, a life that will lead you to pain and suffering, but to choose to live life with God is to live a life full of Joy Adventure, and I would be lying if I told you that there would be no suffering, especially since Jesus himself told us there would be, but we will be found in place of great joy which will not cease even during the greatest suffering, also in the end we will spend Eternity with Jesus in “Paradise”

Amen, Hallelujah

Zadock