A good sense of humor always helps. Especially when ‘Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn… AHAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!!!

       So Will taught me by being the biggest role model, and showed me a great, down-to-earth humility. Jim introduced me to real Christianity, and brought me to my Biblical Absolutist view on Scripture. Shane taught me to be real with people – to admit when I am wrong or don’t know something, and to not try to look good by hiding what ought to be said.

        But Bruce Hoskins, in my many discussions with him, would always teach by his own experience, relating to me how he felt he was wrong in one way (having corrected it by now), how he felt that he had done the right thing, or what I ought to see in it. In our many discussions, he uses personal examples because he knows for a fact that people learn when you tell them stories – after all, how many parables did Christ teach us with?

       So I learned a practical wisdom in terms of what to do and not do by listening to real-life situations. The very first of this was forgiveness, since when we first began talking, I was a very angry man – I had an axe to grind with darn-near about everyone. One night, I simply asked him how, as a Christian, I am to forgive people – especially when they aren’t apologizing. His response? He told me about how certain people (I am obliged to keep the details out of this post) had hurt, betrayed, and abandoned him in life, and how he had the same question when he was a young Christian himself. “The trick is not to just forgive them once and be ‘done’ with it forever, because then you won’t ever forgive them; you’ll just say it, stay bitter and angry, and struggle with your anger – because you never really forgave them! Instead you have to forgive them over and over again – every time it comes up in your heart, and you start to get angry, just do your best to forgive them again.”

       There were many instances in which that has happened, and I am pretty thankful that the man has such a deep, how-to kind of knowledge in him. However, he has also shown that wisdom, thinking about things, and taking the time to try to understand one’s problems, is an incredibly effective way of getting through them – I have never seen him get through an issue in life without first sitting down and thinking about it. He doesn’t see his accomplishments as something to be looked at with pride, or his mistakes as something to look at with shame and regret, but rather sees all of his past as an occasion to learn, press onward, and grow.

Personal progress, common sense, and wisdom – wouldn’t have learned any of that without Bruce Hoskins emphasizing all of it, and thank God for him.

     Instead, he is simply the most blunt and frank man I know. He never pulls any punches, never puts your feelings over what you need to be told, and says what is right rather than what is accepted. I realize that I have embraced this kind of habit, but I have yet to learn the kind of tact that Shane has, and hopefully will be able to see the subtle things like he does.

       When I wasa a baby Christian, having just been baptized at 17 in New Song Community Church, he was the first to show me that it was okay to talk about our sins in church – and that, in discussing our struggles, we ought  not feel judged. He did so by giving a message to the high schoolers about sexual sin – and centered on his testimony, which involved a long, long period of pornography addiction. When I saw that he was fine talking about it, I knew I could go to him and talk about my own struggle with pornography.

       See, that’s when I began really fighting my addiction, and Shane gave me the tools to start doing so – accountability partners, X3 Watch, Covenant Eyes, and confession, which ended up being the most effective. 

I learned from him that it was okay to get help, rather than torture oneself trying to get rid of it by myself. I couldn’t! And all my prayers that my sinful habit were answered by that kind of humility; confessing, as James 5; 16 says to do.

       Shane never pretended to know all of the answers. In fact, he didn’t take offense to anybody challenging him, for he is always open to new points, and even admits that, on some things, God will probably open his eyes to the truth pretty darn soon. I admire that! I want that kind of humble spirit in my life, and I think that, before Will chiseled the concept into my behavior, Shane brought it to the plate. Without humility, I will never improve. Without a self-judging life, I will trust myself too much, and end up being just another self-righteous sinner – and that will bring me to unworthiness in God’s eyes, as 1 Corinthians 11; 30-31 teaches.

        Another thing that he taught me, and quite recently, is that one should never expect anything good to come from the world. By that, I mean that he taught me to exercise discretion when people let me down, and not let myself get consumed by anger or bitterness. “People suck,” he said, “but you gotta get used to it. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last time. But now you know who your real friends are.”

       I also like to see Shane as a role model when it comes to interaction with people; he doesn’t think in terms of what the conversation with someone is about, but rather how they are reacting, and what they are feeling. He points out to people where their thoughts are unscriptural, and will tell it like he sees it when someone is acting in a stupid way – even if it’s not the subject. He has the gift of wisdom, and I see it most from the way he communicate with people.

       I could go on! See, I respect and admire Shane for being a man of his word, but not treating his word as though it were the end-all-be-all of the conversation. He also teaches us a lot about seeing through what someone is saying, and going straight to their heart.

       His experience with things leads him to understand what it means to endure suffering, knowing that God has a reason for it. Also, he will tolerate discomfort and irritation, if it means fruit for the kingdom of God. “Necessary evils” are often “Necessary Goods” in his eyes, and I have gleaned this as something worth putting into my own mindset- that it’s all somehow worth it.

       Oh, and he inspired me a lot with regard to literature – especially horror, since the man is an avid Zombie-fan, and has many of his stories published. Good stuff, if you ever wanna see true situational creativity (and a lot of humor in it, too).

       Yesterday, I was at work, waiting in a classroom for orders with my shipmates – we are all currently on hold, waiting for our next class while cleaning and running errands. As usual, I sat there trying to find something to do, like read scripture or talk with a comrade about various things. But, in the background was a conversation that two individuals were having that, well, irked me severely.

       I usually avoid smut at all costs. This was no exception, and I planned to leave the room as soon as possible. I knew that I could not do anything about it, and that rebuking them for the ugly things they talked about was not going to get me anywhere (so I thought). But as I slowly got up, tired from the duties that I had been doing all day and standing watch the night before, I overheard some of their conversation. The naive among us ought not read further.

       With the rapt attention of the shipmates around them, they described an encounter they had with a prostitute the night before. They had taken a friend to Providence, Rhode Island, where prostitution is legal, and decided to rent out a 30-year-old woman for the night from a pimp. They described her as “aging,” and “old,” and used her glasses as an excuse for saying it. She had, as one may expect, no enthusiasm from her job, but that was no matter – excitement came from their sin, not from the condition of the person they did it with.

       The first one talking (I won’t name the guy) kept describing how, as he had sex with her in the hotel, his friend kept making disgusting requests to her. She became irritated, and refused him every time, but the man kept asking her for the favors, gradually pulling his pants down. She became more upset as this went on, and finally yelled at him when he asked if she refused him because he was black; “Yeah, it’s because you’re black! That’s it!….fuck.”

        They went on, fornicating – and then the third guy, who had just been watching, got up to take his turn. In the process, though, he stepped on her glasses, which she had left on the floor. That’s when she “freaked out,” broke down, and began crying, sobbing hysterically. She was inconsolable for some reason, they said, but in the classroom they were laughing about it with what was either malice or mirth.

       Why? What the hell was so funny about someone who hated the sinful life that they were a part of? Why was her pain something so laughable? I understand that, as far as we know, she chose the job, but that is no excuse. What my shipmates did was disgusting and evil – to not only take advantage of a woman in dire straights, but to also badger and insult and mock her for it…. I don’t know about you, but this sounds like the worst that even Sodom had to offer.

       Sex was supposed to be something that God gave us, for the enjoyment of man and wife. However, I have noticed that, when sin becomes a part of that equation, when we decide not to adhere to God’s rules over it, we open our hearts to evil.

Proverbs 6;32 – “Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul.”

Wake the hell up! Don’t you recognize that this kind of sin is destroying us? Don’t you see that those three men might have actually made something of themselves that actually glorified God – instead of helping a woman destroy herself? Don’t we see that our desires  – both men and women – are what is causing so much of our insecurities and societal defects?

        Men manipulate women to get sex, because their body tells them to. Women manipulate men with sex, because they want men to serve them. The ads on television feed young girls with images of “sexy girls” to make them think that, should they be sexy themselves, then they will be treated well and happy. Boys are shown by their friends that, somehow, the more sex they have, the better off they are as guys and the cooler they are. Why do you think that we have eating disorders among girls, senseless fights among guys, and the extreme amount of diseases and teen pregnancies?

       And meanwhile, virgins (like myself and a few of my friends from Oceanside) are mocked for their purity. How dare they no submit to their bodily desires? How dare they decide to wait for marriage to have God’s blessing? I tell you all, this is satan’s most evil thing – to take waht was natural, to take what was beautiful in marriage, and to twist it with an “if it feels good, do it” mentality that is turning millions into animals with pornography, fornication, adultery, and all sorts of perversions beyond that. We are destroying ourselves by this.

       Every man I ever met who di dnot wait for marriage tells me that he wishes he did. They said that one is spared from all the guilt, the baggage, the heartbreaks, and the unwanted side effects (disease, unwanted children, violence, etc.). It seems a lot like God has promised us this awesome Christmas present, but tells us to wait for Christmas to have it. Those that open it early (ie., having sex prior to marriage), disobeying God, end up feeling like they should have waited; all the excitement disappears, they have no expectations, and though they still enjoy it, they will never shake the feeling that they did  it wrong – but oh, well. you have your present, and it’s not nearly as wonderful as it could have been. Those that waited until the right time to open this present are free from the trouble God puts them in, and they rejoice over it increasingly – it is exciting, it feels good, and they get to share this in love with someone that is meant for them and them only.

        But we don’t see the problems in our society. See, I think a huge goals of satan’s is to get us to open up that present before we are supposed to, so that not only are we never going to have it God’s way, but we are also actively destroying our souls while we sin; our evil gets worse and worse, until it either destroys us or we repent.

And I saw that in its entirety yesterday.

Our Father in Heaven, bring as many of us back into purity as possible. Give the virgins the strength to keep away from fornication and adultery, and protect us from those that would try to take it by force. I pray that you would bring the non-virgins, hose who did ot wait, to repentance, that they might do their best to stay away from the evils that they have been exposed to. Keep us from this evil, keep us from this temptation, and keep us from the unspiritual way we would live if our bodies had their way! I speak as a former addict to pornography – please forgive me Father for the struggles that I had. Please, I beg You, bring me and those close to me back to purity, and doing everything according to Your will. For we know that You are good, and that You are giving us these guidelines for our own good. I type with tears in my eyes as I pray for my shipmates and the woman that they hurt; pleas bring healing to them all, and open their eyes to what evil happened.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

       But, out of all the people I know, Will ended up being my most important mentor. He started out as the guy that gave me a ride, and I didn’t know much about him since he didn’t talk much. But when we found common interests (ie., roleplaying, Magic games, books, etc.). he began to open up and show just how much he had to offer as a teacher to me.

       He began by simply teaching me what was on the roster and directions for the small group; good lessons, and he made sure that the lesson (taught along with Heath Reinke and Kevin Fontenot – all three were military) was discussed in such a blatant way that none of us students could not misunderstand or convince ourselves of what we wanted to hear. Thus, the first behavior that I learned from the man was straightforward, no bs, actual communication with people; if you can’t say it in an effective way or an honest way, you probably shouldn’t say it.

       Later, when he was serving in Iraq and the months just before it, he began to see in me something worth sticking to, a reason to defend and help me out while I was in my fledgling stages of Christianity. From his acceptance of his duty and the humility with which he did his work (no complaints from the man), I learned to stick to a down-to-earth mentality, understanding that we are all under the wing of God, and that no struggle or work ought to intimidate us out of it – without this attitude, I would not have even made it through Navy boot camp!

       Speaking of that humility…. Will is the most brutally honest of my five mentors – even more so than Shane, my third mentor. Will never acts like he thinks he is a good person, does not fake me out; he keeps it real, telling me about his struggles and the sins that he is trying to deal with. He takes James 5; 16 very seriously: “Confess your tresspasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” So I know, more than any other human being, that in contacting Will I would never hear a holier-than-thou kind of attitude, and this is one of the most important traits I have ever learned to have. I am proud to do the same and say that I learned it from him.

       At the moment, as I go through my struggles, Will is always open to listen and give me advice. his suggestions are practical and based on Scripture first, and then his own convictions (which he admits are, as a Marine, very hardline at times, so he makes the distinction). I can always get a practical answer from the man, no matter how cerebral or frustrating my situation is. It is straight-shooting, and pulls no punches in either rebuking me in a healthy and loving way, or supporting my actions in a solid manner.

       See, where I learned theology from Jim Britts, making hard decisions from Shane Sullivan, focusing on wisdom from Bruce Hoskins, and absolute faith from Roy Vallez, I learned behavioral application from Will. I learned to apply what I learned to my situation, to react to disappointment in the right way, and saw a dedicated role model in this one man.

If anything, he is the first among my living role models; gives the example, tries to be good, stays practical, and is open about his own problems – and that is why, in my current situation, he is the most important of my five mentors.

-Blake

But I found this and wanted to post it before I forgot; it’s just too important.

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

“My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don’t feel threatened. I don’t feel discriminated against. That’s what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn’t bother me a bit when people say, ‘Merry Christmas’ to me. I don’t think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn’t bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it’s just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don’t like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don’t think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can’t find it in the Constitution and I don’t like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren’t allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that’s a sign that I’m getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it’s not funny, it’s intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham’s daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her ‘How could God let something like this happen?’ (regarding Hurricane Katrina).. Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, ‘I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we’ve been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?’

In light of recent events… terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O’Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn’t want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn’t spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock’s son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he’s talking about. And we said okay.

Now we’re asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don’t know right from wrong, and why it doesn’t bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with ‘WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.’

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world’s going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send ‘jokes’ through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you’re not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit.

If not, then just discard it… no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don’t sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in. “

       I met Jim Britts when I was sixteen. I was in the middle of a phase of my life where I was into a lot of evil, stupid things, and had no clue where I was going to go in life past my own anarchist rebellion and occultic aspirations. I was the epitome of an individal controlled by Satan. If it weren’t for my chance meeting with Jim that day, I would not be a Christian today.

       See, I was an anarchist, but I used the Cross of Christ as a way of garnering support for my cause – not because I actually wanted to serve Jesus, as might have looked better. Yes, I know that I was an idiot for doing something so bad. I thought I was a Christian, in some ways, but by my actions and actual beliefs, I was evil. When I met Britts, I attempted to get his support for the “cause” (that is, total rebellion against societal structure), and agreed to meet with him in a Wendy’s to discuss it. He quickly and decisively rebuked me for my unBiblical views, and told me flat out that I was not observing Christ’s teachings. This got me to actually think about where I was with God, and whether I really believed in Him.

       Jim is always, if one looks past the surface of his messages to the youth in his Souled Out messages, stressing that – Scripture! See, he was the first person to ever tell me about the complete infallibility of Scripture, how it is completely perfect and has no flaws. With his help, I was able to get into the apologetics I know of now, and was able to start taking into consideration all the major implications of it.

       If Scripture is true, as he says, then one has to see the entire Bible as the guide to our lives. It is the most valuable thing in the whole world to us as a document, yes? When I first heard these things from him, it was at a time in which I was surrounded by poeple who first think that the Bible has a couple small flaws, and then use those flaws as their excuse for completely ignoring the Book itself.

       What I also learned from Jim is that one needs to put oneself last in priority in order to glorify God; selfishness has no place in our world if we already know that we are going to live forever!  Sin has no place in one’s life if one puts others in front (after all, sin is not only selfish – it always hurts others). And one can serve God so much more if one is not distracting their life with stimluating and distracting baubles and toys brought by the devil. Thus I learned that JOY stands for Jesus, Others, and then Yourself – this is the order of important people in your life.

       I understand that Jim and I come to some arguments when it comes to different things. He thinks of using some of the distractions of the world as a great way to spread the word of Christ (hence the TVs in New Song), while I think that sticking to music and personal proselytizing is best. I don’t see eye to eye with a few of the things he teaches, and he probably does not approve of my rather dim view of humanity. But when push comes to shove, I owe the man for how he has been so dedicated to seeing me grow spiritually; I hope one day to be able to help him in something just as significant.

-yours,

Blake

My aim, then, is to give at least a few people a bigger voice.

I know of five men that I consider to be my mentors; in chronological order of when each became a mentor to me, they are Jim Britts, William Hodges, Shane Sullivan, Bruce Hoskins, and Roy Vallez. Though they live humble lives, each has taught me amazing things that I hope will inspire, assist, and directs those that God brings to reading what teachings of theirs I post.

That is my goal for the next five posts. Future ones will have other individuals who have influenced my way of thinking and helped throughout the years.

Thank you,

Blake