Live Dangerously.

The other day I overheard a group of old people talking after church. I wasn’t really paying attention because I’m not nosy, but fortunately I happened to catch a few lines of their conversation. They’ve been bouncing around in my mind ever since and now they've landed here.

Ever since I was young, I've always thought I would do something great. I thought I was going to be the first black president (someone beat me to it), and fly fighter jets for the air force, and play in the NFL, all while being a successful stockbroker. I pretty much had it all worked out in my head. Even as a kid all that mattered was that I did something significant with my life, something that was going to leave an impact on the world, something that would remain long after I died. I never wanted to be ordinary… because honestly, nobody remembers ordinary people.

So about that conversation...  One of the old men remarked, “I don’t remember anywhere in Scripture where God says you have to wait for some church to give you a bunch of money before you go and do what He’s called you to do”. The conversation those old people had on Sunday reminded me of those childhood dreams. The snippet of their conversation reminded me how much I don’t want to be ordinary. I daydream about traveling the world, preaching to the masses, seeing lives changed, and cities transformed… then I come to back to reality and I’m reminded of everything I don’t have and all that could get in the way of my dreams, I’m reminded how far fetched my dreams are and how it would just be easier to do something safe.

That old guys' statement reminded me that with dreams come risks. If your going to dream you got to be willing to live dangerously. You have to be willing to cast aside security in order to run after everything that has been put in your heart. Generally I’m a pretty calculated individual, the majority of the things in my life are planned in advance because I’m not a huge fan of failure or surprises, but the thought of dreams unfulfilled is making me more and more comfortable with the idea of living dangerously. I would rather fail chasing after what's in my heart than settle for a life that's ordinary and safe.

Lately I have been really thinking hard about my next step in life. I graduate college in six months and I’m far from certain about what the next chapter of my life has in store for me. I don’t have a serious job, I don’t have significant debt, I don’t have a girlfriend (I’m accepting applications though...), but I’m terribly unimpressed with the idea of living a normal life.

All I really have… is DREAMS.
But maybe that's all I really need.
Maybe my dreams are from God... what a wild thought. 

What are your dreams?
What dreams have you cast aside as too far fetched?
What would you do with your life if you knew you could not fail?
Have you settled for the ordinary?

Maybe it's time to live dangerously... for Jesus of course.

Love, Life, Christ,
Riis

Move.

Friday night at Revolution143 (the youth group I work with) we decided to have praise and worship for three hours. No sermon. Just music, dance and shouts of joy. As I sat in the back of the dark sanctuary and watched our kids krump and dance in true freedom I was almost moved to tears. The way they worship seems to explode from within them, pouring out from the well in their souls. It's beautiful.

Saturday I had the priveledge of catching up with some old friends at a dance studio and sat in on thier practice. Four of my friends are steppers and two of them tap. I watched them practice for a while then began wandering around the studio watching other groups and teams practice everything from modern and contemporary to ballet and tap. After that I went to church and watched the last hour of Revolution143's dance team as they rehearsed a routine for Sunday morning. Their good. Their not like most churchy/liturgical dancers... their actually good. And it's beautiful.

Stepping.
Tapping.
Hoofing.
Krumping.
It's beatiful.

There's something about dance that moves me, that stirs something within me and intrigues me... and so this post is dedicated to dance and all those who stir my soul and make me want to shake what my mother gave me. 

Why do we even do this thing called dance?
Why do we feel the need to express ourselves physically?
Are words not enough to communiticate what we feel?

Because there is something about the human spirit that cannot merely express with words the transendance and glory of God. There's something about the granduer and glory of God that moves us... literally. Christian and non-Christians alike are trying to express that there something "bigger than themselves".

For some reason all throughout the Old Testament people are dancing. David even dances to the point of indescretion? God instructs His people to worship Him in song and dance. There's an underlying assumption that it is impossible to express ourselves with mere words and logic... it's almost as if God is saying, "I'm the God that moves you."

So often in Western culture we seek to cognitively understand this mysterious and great God instead of just being moved by Him. My host mom in Uganda was far from a theologian, I'll never forget going to church with her and seeing her dance and be moved by God's presence.

Where words can no longer express what the Spirit feels... we dance.
With hearts filled with gratitude towards a God who loves us and knows us... we dance.
With clumy movements or with intricate detail and control... we dance.


There's a rythm to the universe that God has created. A rythm to life. Have you ever seen someone dance off beat? Have you ever heard a bad drummer? Or heard someone rap that doesn't know how to flow to a beat? Have you ever seen a white gospel choir try to sway back and forth while clapping and singing? Have you ever seen or heard someone that simply lacks rythm? It's irritating to watch. It's distracting. It's hilarious. It's almost painful sometimes.

So it is with people that live outside the rythm that God has established for relationships, and family, and career, and every other aspect of life. Our lives were built to fit inside a certain rythm. Our hearts were meant to beat to a certain drum. A life that is outside of God's rythm is like watching someone clap and dance of beat. A life of worship is a life lived in rythm with God in obediance and submission to His Way, The Way. Once our inner lives are in rythm with His life (John 15:5), our public expressions of worship and dance and praise will follow suit. And it will be beautiful.

An inability of words to fully describe something is felt in this very post. I can try to explain the goosebumps I felt the first time I saw our guys Krump to "Hosanna", but you would still have to see it. I can try to explain Benito's heart as sweat poured down his face on Sunday as He danced his heart out before God, but you would still have to see it.

I leave you with this video. Rami this post was especially for you. The way that you work with our kids is beautiful. You should have your own studio. I love you. You move me.


Inlet Dance Theatre from John Carl on Vimeo.

This is why I have big muscles

There is absolutely nothing worse than getting bad news from home when you’re helplessly far away. About 16 years ago my dad was diagnosed with kidney failure. When I was younger I spent countless hours at Massachusetts General Hospital visiting my dad for some reason or another… maybe he had an infection from dialysis… maybe he got sick from his medication… or because he developed some freak disease. I never really cared why my dad was there, I just remember hating the feeling that my hero had to trade his cape for a hospital gown, and my dad’s a hero, a real one (I’ll save that for another post).

I remember the menu at the hospital food court… I was a regular
I remember seeing my dad hooked up to a whole bunch of machines and tubes
I remember walking into a room and seeing a shell of the man who raised me
I even remember leaving a room thinking I may never see my dad again.

After 6 years of hospital visits, dialysis, and deadly infections my dad finally got a kidney transplant. The scars of his 6 years ordeal will never go away and the fight will always continue to some degree because there is always the chance your body rejects the new kidney, or the same process that shut down your old kidney shuts down your new one. But that’s a bridge you cross when you have too. I’m sure my dad would agree it’s a fair trade for getting to see his HANDSOME son and his BEAUTIFUL daughters grow up.

The 10 years since my dad’s transplant have truly been blessed. During that time my dad has come to know the Lord, we have grown really close as a family, and God has providing for us in every way. I can honestly say that I have the privilege of living in Godly home. God has really showed his faithfulness and commitment to my family during these years. I could literally tell you story after story of God’s power working mightily through us and for us. As a family we know without a doubt that He is faithful and He is good.

From the news I’ve received from home it looks like my family may have to cross some bridges and I must admit the thought that some of those memories may become my reality again makes me sad. I don’t know how things are going turn out, but I am sure of a few things. I’m sure that God has used the last 16 years of health, sickness, blessing, and hardship to strengthen me. I am sure that my “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint ME, because God has poured out his love into MY heart by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given ME.” This is where my strength comes from; this is why I have big muscles. I know that that God will use all things to show his glory in my life. The promise is never that everything will always be great, the promise is that no matter what happens I will have HIM and HE is enough. HE is enough… and I’m sure of it.


Love, Life, Christ,
Riis

Now What?

I graduated on Saturday and it easily may have been one of the best days of my life. I can barely put into words how it felt to be the first “Arango” to graduate from college. I can only hope that getting married feels this good… I’m not kidding. I didn’t walk across the stage to receive my diploma… I floated across on cloud nine, while holding my video camera, of course.

But as soon as the elated, ecstatic feelings of my graduation wore off…
As soon as I read all the wall posts that said CONGRATULATIONS…
As soon as I opened and read the last card…
And once I finally took off my cap and gown…

My immediate thought was and still is, “What now?”

What in the world am I going to do now?
Where am I going to work?
Did that degree really prepare me for a real job?
What did I get a degree in again?
Why did a major in that?
Where am I going to live?
How am I going to pay the rent?
My parents are really happy about this graduation… are they going to kick me out?
After 5 years of college why am I still so confused?
Why do I still feel so inadequate?

The past couple of days I have to come to grips with this Scripture…

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”
Proverbs 16:9

As of right now I have no job.
Sallie Mae is about to be on my back in 6 months.
I’m still not ready to be a “grown up”.
I still want to live this adventure called “college”.

In my heart I have so many plans, and so many dreams. So many ways I thought I would be different by now and so many things I thought I would have accomplished.

I thought I would be married… or engaged… or at least dating.
I thought I would have some clarity on where my life is headed.
I thought my bank account would look a little better.
I thought I wouldn’t be worrying or stressed about any of this.
I thought that the plans in my heart were God’s plans too…

But I’m learning that’s not how it always works.
I’m learning that the Lord determines my steps.
He knows my future.
He knows my tomorrow.
He knows when the gas in my car is going to run out.
He knows whom I should marry.
He knows what grad school I should go to and what job I should take.
I think we would all agree that God knows these things… but here’s the kicker. Not only does He know… but He leads, He guides, He directs, HE DETERMINES OUR STEPS. 
If I have only learned one thing while in college it’s this… Life is unpredictable. Sometimes in good ways. Sometimes in bitter ways. Life is a bitter-sweet surprise. But the God that I’ve grown to love over the past five years is sovereign over all the things we think are unpredictable. Although they are unpredictable to us, they are never unpredictable to Him, our Guide.

I leave you with a quote…

“We must allow God to do what He wants to do. And if you are thinking you know the will of God for your life and you are anxious to do that, you are probably in for a rude awakening because nobody knows the will of God for his entire life… Sooner or later, God’s guidance, which brings us out of darkness into light, will also bring us out of light into darkness. It is part of the way of the cross.”
                                                                                                                         Elisabeth Elliot//J.I. Packer

You and I may be in the same boat right now. God has led me into the darkness, but I rest assured that He will guide me through and out.

More to come.
Manny

Got That Degree!

Got That Degree Baby!!! from This is the Thing on Vimeo.

Dad on DECK!

DAD DOING HIS THING. from This is the Thing on Vimeo.

I started videotaping too late... he was going in for about ten minutes...

I went to New Zealand it was awesome... see for yourself

New Zealand with Riis from This is the Thing on Vimeo.

They Just Keep Coming...

Hot Commodity... from This is the Thing on Vimeo.

enjoy.

Random Videos...

The random-ness continues people.
Don't judge us... unless you be judged.
enjoy.


Contra-Baby from This is the Thing on Vimeo.

Random Videos.

We here at This Is The Thing decided to empty out our archives of random videos... thus declaring today random video day on This Is The Thing.

enjoy.


Drop It Like It's Hot... from This is the Thing on Vimeo.

Turn Your Eyes Upon

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus from This is the Thing on Vimeo.

The end of the sermon got cut off so I'm posting the conclusion to what I was reading is here...

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message."  So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

Then the word of the LORD came to me: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. (Jeremiah 18)

Let us turn our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such suffering from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children?

   My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline,
      but don't be crushed by it either.
   It's the child he loves that he disciplines;
      the child he embraces, he also corrects.
God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God. (Hebrews 12)

 God proves to be good to
the man who passionately waits,
   to the woman who diligently seeks.
It's a good thing to quietly hope,
   quietly hope for help from God.
It's a good thing when you're young
   to stick it out through the hard times.

 When life is heavy and hard to take,
   go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions:
   Wait for hope to appear.
Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face.
   The "worst" is never the worst. (Lamentations 3)

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

And the poem is here too...

When God wants to drill a man and thrill a man and skill a man...
When God wants to mold a man to play the noblest part;
When He yearns with all His heart to create so great and bold a man that all the world shall praise...
Watch His methods;
Watch His ways!

How He ruthlessly perfects whom He royally elects...
How He hammers him and hurts him,
And with mighty blows converts him
Into frail shapes of clay that only God understands. How his tortured heart is crying and he lifts beseeching hands...
How he bends but never breaks when His good he undertakes.
How He uses whom He chooses...with every purpose fuses him;
By every art induces him to try His splendour out...
God knows what He's about!

Wish You Were Here

As I’m typing this I’m 35,000 miles in the air on my way back to Brisbane, Australia after spending two amazing weeks in New Zealand. I did this trip by myself and I’m pretty sure people are going to want to know about it. The list of questions usually goes something like this:

What is New Zealand like?
What did you do there?
What was your favorite part?
What are the people like?
How was the food?

So in anticipation of these questions I’m doing my best to prepare because I’m a cheater. I’m trying to process this experience so when those questions are asked I can say something cool and exciting…cause that’s what people do after trips like this, right?

One thought towers above the rest. It’s the thought that seemed to accompany every great moment.

When I spent the day in a town located in an active volcano… it was there

When I saw the stars, like I had never seen them before… it was there

When I woke up at dawn and swam with dolphins in the south pacific… it was there

With every great moment came the desire to share it with someone I cared about. I’ve traveled a little, and one thing is undeniable…the people I’ve travelled with are always far more memorable than the destinations.

It has been true of my travels and even truer in my life. I’ve experienced failure, success, sorrow, and joy. Fortunately for me I’ve been blessed with an amazing group of people to do life with. People who have helped me navigate through life’s ups and downs making the journey meaningful, memorable, and significant.

That’s what relationships do… they bring meaning, memories, and significance. When asked "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Jesus responded, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." Jesus commands us to focus our energy building our central relationship with God, because it brings meaning and significance to ALL of creation. He also commands us to focus our energy building our peripheral relationship with people, because they bring meaning and significance to our lives.

One answer, two parts, both dealing exclusively with relationships. Maybe Jesus was on to something.

If you can’t already tell by this post, I’m peoplesick, not homesick, peoplesick. I don’t know where you are, but as soon as you get a chance please tell the people that you have the privilege of doing life with that you love them dearly and you’re grateful for what they add to your journey. Also throw in a hug; people like hugs, even uptight people who don’t like to be touched enjoy a good hug deep down inside.


Eagerly awaiting my return,
Riis

Blood On My Hands?

While I write these words there are people I know that don’t know Jesus and my choosing to write this instead of share the Gospel will result in one of two things. Either they will continue living a life that is Hell on earth, or they will die and go to Hell.

Later on this evening while I go watch Godspell people I know and love will continue living lives in such that is completely unaffected by the Gospel, and the radical love of Christ.

In a couple weeks when I walk across a stage to receive my degree in Biblical and Theological Studies at Gordon College people I know and love will be battling with depression, drug addiction, sexual abuse, identity confusion, with absolutely no solution or answer to their issues.

While I enjoy light, they will continue living in darkness.
While I bask in God’s love, they will continue to search, and search, and search for true love.
While I experience God’s grace, they experience the wrath of a God who has let them chase their own desires.
While I sit in the library of my Christian college doing absolutely nothing to change the present circumstances or destiny of people deeply loved by God, people will read this and then move on with life.

A couple of months ago I heard a sermon on evangelism that convicted me to begin praying for ten unsaved friends/loved ones… just ten. So I went to my apartment, got my journal and began my list of ten people I would begin praying for, and eventually talking to about how Jesus has changed my life. I began writing my list of ten names… but got stuck at three names. So I started looking through Facebook friends… and I got to five names. I’ve been stuck at five names ever since. Every couple days or so I glace at the list, I think about those five names, but that’s it. I haven’t prayed for those people, I haven’t spoken to them, and really if I was to be really honest with myself – my actions have shown that I don’t really care. And I think that breaks God’s heart more than the fact that they don’t know Him.

Last night I saw Hillsong United in concert and as they sang “Mighty To Save” I began to think of those five names. I remembered that God is actually mighty to save those names on my list, but it requires me to step out of the boat and talk to them. All it takes is simply sharing what Jesus ha done in my life… that’s it.

I have come to the painful realization that, the hearts and souls of people matter.
They matter to God, and for the first time they matter to me as well.

I will make a difference.
I will not be ashamed of the Gospel.
I will not watch quietly while people I know and love pave their roads to Hell.

This may seem radical to some, but it is simply reality.

Reality is that WE are God’s “Plan A” – His only natural means of sharing the Gospel message with people. We are His “Plan A” and there is no “Plan B.”

Reality is that we are commanded by God to be witnesses (not apologists) of his love, and peace, and grace, and power, and freedom. If we aren’t witnesses than we’re disobedient.

Reality is that we don’t have forever. Satan’s grip on people’s lives and minds will tighten the longer we wait.

Reality is that one glorious day we will see Jesus face to face, and abide in God’s presence where there is fullness of joy forever while the people we love and care about…

Read this and go bear fruit.
Please.

(Thanks Tiff)

In Sickness and In Health

My mom has a medical condition known as fibromyalgia, as well as rheumatoid arthritis, and a slight case of claustrophobia. All that to say sometimes I would imagine that it’s hard for my dad to love, but he makes it look so easy. And for that, he’s my hero.

For the longest time my mom has needed an MRI. Basically you get in this machine that scans and X-rays your body, at least that’s what it seems like to me. But for some reason my mom feels like she’s being put into a casket each time she gets an MRI and she freaks out. I’m not trying to make my mother out to be a loony fruit-basket, she literally freaks out. This has happened four times now, and every single time my dad simply calms her down, holds her close, tells the nurse to stop the procedure, and drives her home.

Because of my mom’s medical condition she has to go to the hospital frequently. Sometimes just for checkups but sometimes for emergencies. My dad has taken several days off from work just to take my mom to the hospital and take care of her when she gets home. He never complains. He never even regrets marrying her. If he has to get her dressed, that’s what he does. If he has to wake up in the middle of the night to give my mom medicine or put a heating patch on her arm or shoulder that’s what he does. If he has to brush her hair because she can’t lift her arms, that’s what he does.

I have an endless supply of stories to tell and things to say about my father. He is easily one of the funniest and bazaar people to ever walk planet earth, but I’ve decided to write about his love for my mom because honestly it inspires me. I hope I’m able to love my wife with the sacrificial, self-denying love that my dad has shown to my mother.

I wonder if when the preacher asked “In sickness and in health?”, at their wedding if my dad ever thought he would have to prove his words were true. He probably wasn’t thinking, I feel like most people don’t. They just want to get to the last “I do” so they can kiss. But at my wedding I’m going to mean it. And hopefully my dad will remind me to live it as well.

Thanks Dad
I acknowledge you and I really love you

Jesus In Their Eyes

Jesus in Their Eyes from This is the Thing on Vimeo.

Video made by Jesse Poole, thanks man.