Monday Messages: "Reflection On the Past Year"

Today's Monday messages is number 9, but it is also (obviously) going to be the last one of 2015. I'm gonna be doing this one a little bit differently. I'm gonna reflect on my year as well as find ways I can improve for 2016 and ways you can also relate it to the upcoming 366-day leap year. Oh, and of course a Bible passage too :)

2015 has been one of the best years of my life. At the same time, it has been a very sad and depressing year, too. Also been a year of growing in the Lord. I'm going to talk about that all in this post, but before I get to any of that, I'm gonna kick it all off with a Bible passage!

Today's reading comes from Luke 16:1-13

1 He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward." 3 “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’ 5 “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’8 So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. 9 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. 10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? 13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

This year, I struggled a lot with finding myself in God and keeping my faith. Whether it was a bad rejection or being unemployed for 9 months, it was a test to keep my faith in 2015. The biggest struggle with my faith was trusting God had a girl out there for me somewhere. Even though I was only rejected twice this year, it still sucked sitting on the sidelines while my friends were getting engaged, having a first kiss, going on dates, having babies, etc., though. I was a mess about a week and a half ago in this part of of my faith. Then, surprisingly enough, God used an Atheist (WHAT!) to show me that I don't need a relationship to be happy. She basically said that her boyfriend lost love for her and if being lead on or rejected hurts, I couldn't even imagine how much it would suck to have some that you have been in love with for awhile just say "I don't love you anymore." So I just thought about that and it totally changed me and now I don't mind waiting on the sideline because when it's my time, I will be on deck to bat!

At the same time of it being a depressing year, there were parts that made it not so bad. I mean, I got to see Switchfoot and needtobreathe on the Beach, saw Taylor Swift  put on the best 2-hour show that I have ever seen and even turned down a job at Disneyland! Wait what did I do? I have told this story on Monday Messages before. But, for you who haven't read that, I was offered a position at Disneyland in September and had a week to accept it. In translation, I had a week to pray about it. So I did and turned down the job. That same week, I started as a youth leader at my church's Middle School ministry. I have now been with the ministry almost 4 months and it has blessed my life a lot. Also, a few weeks after that, I was offered about 5 interviews. I was even hired at Domino's with no interview. I have been there for a month and a half and I can truly say I enjoy the job and have already made friends.

So how can we make 2016 a depressed-free year? Yes, WE not just ME! For one, it is going to start with God. There is no way anyone can have a good year without God. You have to trust Him with everything. Which FINALLY brings me to relating the Bible passage haha. I would like to mainly focus on verses 10-12. It talks about being faithful, which is what the main point of this message is about. If you're faithful with little, you will get little, but if you are faithful with much, you will get much. That's not saying expect something for being faithful. Expect nothing and you will be way more blessed than if you expected anything. Here's my challenge to you. Keep God at the center of 2016 and it will be the best year yet!

Thanks for another great year on this blog! Here's to 2016 and maybe reaching 10k views on here :)

Until Next Year, Alex

Monday Messages: All I Want For Christmas Is... "Mas Christ"

I hope you guys are enjoying this series! This series has been all about keeping the true meaning of Christmas around, obviously. In Spanish, the word "mas" means "more." Seriously, the more Christ that we are gonna have in Christmas, the better. Today's message is going to be all about spreading the love of Christ by serving others.

During this season, there are probably 100 different things that you could do to serve others. Some of those are going to a local homeless shelter (seriously they are everywhere), helping at a community cupboard, buy a homeless person a lunch, or as I mentioned before, buy the car behind you's food or drink at Starbucks or Taco Bell in the drive thru. This leads us right into our bible reading for this week.

Today's reading is going to come from Matthew 25:37-46.

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ 41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ 44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

This entire package talks about serving others. Did you know that whatever you did got even the lowest of people, you did for Jesus? The main verse I want to focus on, though, is 40. Jesus assures us that no matter who we help, we helped Him. God/Jesus created each and every one of us very uniquely. Even identical twins! So no matter what mistakes that you have made, Jesus is still very much a part of you and a part of Him is with you. You can never change that no matter how hard you try. My main point is, you can't make a mistake big enough for God to leave you because you're a part of Him and you can always serve Him.

So as I close out this message and this 3-week mini-series, I challenge you, just like I have before. Go out, spend an hour at the senior center or homeless shelter. Tell them about Christmas. Tell them about Jesus. Make sure you walk out of there with changing a life. Just like with the candy canes, it will bless you and others! :)

Until Next Time, Alex

Top 20 Releases of 2015

This year may be the hardest year to pick a top 20 albums for me but here we go.

20.) II by Capital Kings
19.) Tomorrow We Live by KB
18.) The Wonderlands by Jon Foreman
17.) No Closer To Heaven by The Wonder Years
16.) American Beauty / American Psycho by Fall Out Boy
15.) of Beauty & Rage by RED
14.) The Story So Far by The Story So Far
13.) To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
12.) Being As An Ocean by Being As An Ocean
11.) Blurryface by twenty one pilots
10.) Coming Up For Air by Kodaline
9.) Future Hearts by All Time Low
8.) Badlands by Halsey
7.) We Came As Romans by We Came As Romans
6.) Surrender by Kutless
5.) Diamonds by Hawk Nelson
4.) Unbreakable Smile by Tori Kelly
3.) Uncomfortable by Andy Mineo
2.) Delirium by Ellie Goulding
1.) A Head Full of Dreams by Coldplay

Monday Messages: All I Want For Christmas Is... "Candy Canes"

Have you ever had a candy cane? If not, have you at least seen one? I'm sure you have. Besides the delicious sweet and slightly spicy treat that we get every Christmas season, there is actually a deeper meaning to the famous Candy Cane. First, I want you to look at the colors. Red and White stripes, right? Well, what that means is Jesus's red blood washed our sins as white as snow. Now, if you turn the candy cane upside down, its shaped like a "J"! That J stands for, would you guess it, Jesus! I'm not making this up, trust me. Now you see, even the candy industry has taken away the true meaning of Christmas.

Today's Bible reading comes from Isaiah 1:15-20

¹⁵ When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. ¹⁶ “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, ¹⁷ Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. ¹⁸ “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. ¹⁹ If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; ²⁰ But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

The main verse I want to focus on today is the second half of verse 18. It puts the candy cane story into a biblical perspective for all who don't know what it is. If Jesus didn't die for us, our sins would be red. I know this is starting to sound like an Easter message but Easter wouldn't exist without Christmas so just bear with me. Jesus could have killed all those men with a snap of His finger and could have jumped off the cross unharmed but He didn't because He was selfless and wanted to save the world rather than save Himself. The world would be a living hell if He was selfish. Not that it already isn't, but it would be much worse than it is now. 

As I close out this message, I challenge you to get a plain old package of candy canes and hand out all 12 to strangers and tell them the same story I just told you and give them the bible verse too. It will bless their day unless they say "bah, humbug." I hope you accept this challenge and if you do, please tell me either in the comments section or shoot me an email at alexvanderspek@gmail.com

Until Next Time, Alex

15 15 15

Monday Messages: All I Want For Christmas Is... "Christmas Must Be Something More"

Welcome to week 6 of Monday Messages! This is a start of new series on my blog titled "All I Want For Christmas Is ___." All around the time of Christmas, we all want something. Whether that is a kiss under the mistletoe or the new iPhone, the true meaning of Christmas gets lost. There is only one reason that we celebrate this holiday and that is because our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ was born. Not because some fat guy comes down the chimney to satisfy our wants and needs.

You may not associate Taylor Swift with being the most worshipful or Christian person in the world, but back in 2007, she released a Christmas EP which had two original songs. One was "Christmas Must Be Something More." The lyrics are as follows:

What if ribbons and bows didn't mean a thing
Would the song still survive without five golden rings
Would you still wanna kiss without mistletoe
What would happen if God never let it snow
What would happen if Christmas carols told a lie
Tell me what would you find

You'd see that today holds something special
Something holy, not superficial
So here's to the birthday boy who saved our lives
It's something we all try to ignore
And put a wreath up on your door
So here's something you should know that is for sure
Christmas must be something more

What if angels did not pay attention to
All the things that we wished they would always do
What if happiness came in a cardboard box
Then I think there is something we all forgot
What would happen if presents all went away
Tell me what would you find

You'd see that today holds something special
Something holy, not superficial
So here's to the birthday boy who saved our lives
It's something we all try to ignore
And put a wreath up on your door
So here's something you should know that is for sure
Christmas must be something more

We get so caught up in all of it
Business and relationships
Hundred mile an hour lives
And it's this time of year
And everybody's here
It seems the last thing on your mind

Is that the day holds something special
Something holy, not superficial
So here's to Jesus Christ who saved our lives
It's something we all try to ignore
And put a wreath up on your door
But here's something you should know that is for sure
Christmas must be something
Christmas must be something
Christmas must be something more

There's gotta be more
There's gotta be more

Now I don't know about you, but no artist, Christian alike, has ever hit the hammer on the head like she did. I believe every lyric in that song came from her heart and I think everyone needs to hear the lyrics because it will hit them hard.

Today's Bible passage comes from Deuteronomy 6:10-19.

10 “So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, 11 houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full— 12 then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 13 You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name. 14 You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you 15 (for the Lord your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the Lord your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth. 16 “You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted Him in Massah. 17 You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you. 18 And you shall do what isright and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land of which the Lord swore to your fathers, 19 to cast out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has spoken.

The main verse I would like to focus on today is 12. The reason I want to look at it is because it talks about forgetting God. Like I said a little earlier, we seem to forget God and Jesus, who are the true reason for the season. We even were arguing a few weeks back about a non-Christian company removing the Christmas decorations from their cups. The old designs we also snowmen, Christmas trees or ornaments. Last time I checked, those aren't Christian Christmas designs. We need to stop in all our business during this time of the year and focus on the true meaning. We have all gotten lost in it, me included, when last year I worked an 8 to 9 hour shift at Macy's 6 days a week. I invite you to step back a little bit and show God's meaning of Christmas to an unsuspecting stranger this season by buying them a coffee or praying for them. I hope to inspire you this Holiday season.

Until Next Time, Alex 

Monday Messages: Listen Up!! "I've Still Got Time"

Have you ever had a boyfriend or girlfriend? I haven't. So this may be the weirdest Monday message yet hahaha. Also has the potential to be cool if you aren't in a relationship (like me). The world puts so much pressure on being in a relationship. If you are in one, then it pressures you to have sex. Who remembers Tim Tebow? This past weekend, his girlfriend, Supermodel Olivia Culpo dumped him over one simple thing. He wouldn't have sex with her. I can speak on behalf of most men when I say that most of us would give in to the pressure. That's why 5 years ago, I got a purity ring. It's a promise between God and I to not have sex before marriage. I, personally could not live with breaking a promise I made to my Maker, so it keeps me in check, even if the chance for me to have sex has not arose.

Today's bible reading comes from 1 Corinthians 6:12-20.

12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

That reference has one of my favorite verses of all time. Your body is a temple. The world has made the body bad in very twisted ways. They've made people hate their bodies. They've sexualized bodies. The human body is the opposite of all of that. Its a very intricate, beautiful work that only God can create. Then you ask, "Why are some people deaf?," "Why do some people not have legs or arms?" God is good and some of those people he has used for very amazing opportunities. Nick Vujicic is a prime example of this. That was not my point though.

We have all struggled with being single. I'm no exception. I just finished Jamie Tworkowski's (founder of To Write Love On Her Arms) New York Times Best-Selling Book If You Feel Too Much. I highly recommend it, especially if you struggle with depression, suicide, self-worth, being single, etc. Towards the end, there was a quote that really stood out to me. It goes as follows: "There is still time for love to find you." It really hit me hard and him, being a 35-year-old Christian man who has struggled with the same stuff I am, it helps me stay positive. I hope it helps you too. This concludes the first series in Monday Messages.

Until Next Time, Alex

Monday Messages: Listen Up!! "Hello. Its Me"

Welcome to week 4 of my Monday Messages! I really enjoy writing these and I hope you enjoy reading them even more :) I actually almost forgot about it until a few minutes before I started typing this. Well, I was considering what to write about this week until it hit me! Why don't I write about the number one song in the world and relate it to my walk, your walk, our walks with Jesus?

Although Adele's number one song "Hello" is about a break up, you can relate the entire song, really, to Jesus. Imagine Adele is Jesus (which she is not). But He is always wanting to get back together, non-relationship wise, with us. Especially people who have walked away from faith or people who feel like they are too far gone. Like Adele wants to do with her ex, Jesus just wants to talk things over. You keep ignoring his calls. Although Jesus isn't apologizing to us, all the rest of the lyrics could be Him talking to us. He is literally a short prayer away.

Today's passage is from John 9:35-41

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” 36 He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” 37 And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” 38 Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him. 39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” 40 Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.

The main verse I want to focus on is 37. It proves that Jesus is talking to us. I will be honest, there were times when I didn't think God was listening. I didn't think God cared when my grandpa, who was given a clean bill of health a week before he died. I didn't think God cared about me when I has a couple bad rejections. I didn't think God cared when I couldn't find a job. The day that I realized that God cared was the day my life changed. He called me thousands of times to go over everything. I finally let him in.

Is He calling you? He very well could be. There's an easy way to tell. Let me ask you a couple questions that will help you determine if He is. Are you feeling lost? Are you feeling broken? Are you always sad? If the answer was yes to any of those, then He is calling you. Pray to Him. God doesn't care if you suck at praying. He just wants to talk. Let Him in!

Until Next Time, Alex

Now You Know (How I Feel About Icon For Hire)

What do you do when one of your favorite bands releases their first explicit song? If they were mainstream, you would probably think nothing of it. Now, what if they were Christian? Or at least pretending to be Christian just so they could be successful? I still didn't think anything of it, but most of Icon For Hire's fan-base was pissed. And rightfully so. Now I really was not mad about anything they have done. Up until the other day. Their drummer, Adam Kronshagen, recently started a blog. In that blog, he has just three posts. In his very first post, he referenced IFH not letting him be open about his faith in God because it doesn't fit in with their agenda which is another word for success. After reading this, I wasn't sure about anything. Then, the other day Adam announced his departure from the band. Although they said its to focus on his marriage more, I would put money on it that Shawn and REL telling him to "reserve his faith" is the reason. I don't know if any of what I just wrote is true, I'm just going off of a blog post. If I am wrong, I am sorry and please correct me. But until that happens from Adam himself, I have lost almost all my respect a band that has helped me through so much and that sucks.

If you wanna read any of Adam's 3 posts, click here: https://adamkronshagen.wordpress.com/

Monday Messages: Listen Up!! "Prions Pour Le Monde"

Whether or not you know what the title says, you might be able to tell what this week's message is going to be about. I actually have met a couple people that don't know what took place on Friday night, so I will recap it for everyone reading.

On Friday night, the biggest terrorist attack since 9/11 happened in Paris, France. There were several different places attacked, including one at an Eagles of Death Metal concert. All the attacks totaled to 129 people killed, including some of the attackers and another 352 injured. 

Today's message is going to be how to see God in hell like this, no matter how hard it is. I didn't know what I was doing the message about this week then I remembered Paris and how it would fit into the series I'm currently doing. We don't need to pray for Paris. We need to pray for ISIS. We need to pray for the world and trust God.

Today's passage comes from Revelation 21:1-8:

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” 6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

If you have ever read Revelation, you see everything that's predicted in it happening. Let me do a little recap in case you haven't. In Revelation, God says at the end of the world, there will be attacks, earthquakes, false prophets, etc. All of that is happening. Last week, America was arguing about some freakin' coffee cups and even after the attacks, some people still are. We don't need to pray for Starbucks. If this is truly the beginning of the end of the world, we need to pray for the world. EVERYONE in the world. Then just put our trust in God, as I have talked about in the first two messages before this. Soon enough, this world will be no more. No more pain. No more death. No more terrorists. More than likely, these terrorists will burn in hell. But, for the ones still alive, pray for their conviction. In a way, Paul was a terrorist. He killed Christians for the hell of it. God convicted him. He became one of the strongest Christians to this day. These days, its getting scarier and scarier to even step outside our houses. I'm scared, you're scared but why? God has a plan. If you die, He needs you in heaven. So here's the point: Prayer and Trusting in God does miracles and it all starts with YOU.

Until Next Time, Alex

Monday Messages: Listen Up!! "#blessed"

Who has seen the movie "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day?" I personally love the movie and toward the end, there is a quote I love and even though not a Christ-centered movie it has really helped me stay positive about life. The quote is "We have to live through the bad days so we can appreciate the good ones." Really think about the truth of this. Everyone has bad days. Some people more than others. The answer isn't suicide. The answer is God because He will never put you through something you can't handle.

Today's bible reference comes from Isaiah 41:10-13: Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ “Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and not find them—Those who contended with you. Those who war against you shall be as nothing, As a nonexistent thing. For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’

Last week, I had no idea the week I was about to have. I just know I was going to my grandparents' house to work for them to have a little bit of cash on the side. Little did I know that on Tuesday, I get a job offer. Then on Wednesday, I get ANOTHER job offer and on top of that, two interview offers. I have accepted everything. Except I didn't get one of the jobs I interviewed for. No big deal. By God's grace, I have 2 confirmed jobs and 3 other potential ones. Remember the Disneyland story I told last week? I can guarantee if I ignored God, I would not be in this situation right now. I was at the point of tears when I got all these calls because I have been unemployed for about 8 and a half months. 

This message that I'm finishing up could technically be a sequel to last week's. Its a very similar subject to it. Recently, I decided to try and give it up to God again, as I told you last week. It has amazing results (obviously).

You're going to be attacked by the devil and will have hard times. It's just a fact of life. There are literally millions of ways he can attack you. It can be getting fired from a job, a break up or something else. But I believe that God has Satan do it so we can learn a lesson or if you aren't a Christian, bring you closer to God. But, as I said before, he won't put you through anything you can't handle. I know it seems crazy, but Job had literally everything taken away from him. His wife told him to curse God and he did just the opposite. He praised God through the storm. God knew Job could handle losing everything which, in my opinion, is why he is the greatest man ever to walk on this earth (besides Jesus of course).

Until Next Time, Alex!

Monday Messages: Listen Up!! "It's The Crazy That Counts"

Crazy can be both good and bad. In today's case, it will be good. VERY good in fact. Have you ever had God tell you something? If you haven't, I can vouch that is is a very amazing, confusing, and overwhelming feeling. Especially if it is something really insane and crazy. So crazy, you might just want to follow your heart and ignore God. You might say "This has been my dream for such a long time. Now re-read that. MY dream. Is it God's plan for your life? More than likely not. Which leads us right into today's Bible passage.

Jonah 1:1-16

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.” Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 8So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.) The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.

So a couple weeks ago, I got offered a position at none other than Disneyland. Everybody since they were a child have dreamed about working there, and I was no exception. In fact, I have been applying there for 3 years and I finally I get offered a position. I accepted the position right away. There's three parts to the Disneyland position acceptance process. You have a week to do all three parts. I accepted the position but I still had 2 other steps in order to officially be a cast member. That gave me a full week to pray about it. So I did just that! I had till the next Wednesday to decide and sure enough, on Monday night, I just felt God telling me no. Let me tell you something even crazier. The position at Disneyland was a paid internship with housing and I had another potential internship that was not gonna pay, and that was at my church.We all have decisions to make in our lives, especially when you come of adult age. I had one to make, and you may have one to make soon. I and you have two choices: follow God's plan or do what Jonah did. I could have gone to Disneyland and might have had a miserable time and might have had to quit or follow God's plan and follow my other dream of being a Youth Pastor. I did just that and I can tell you one thing, I'm just about the happiest I have ever been in my entire life.
God's plan isn't bad so just follow it! Listen Up to what He is telling you!
Until Next Time, Alex

I'm 21 (and 2 Months) Why am I Not Looking for Someone to Date?

I have noticed lately that a lot of my friends (many younger than me) are either getting married, having babies or dating. So wouldn't that make me want to date too? Actually, not really. Some nights, I will go to bed wondering "Will I ever get married, be kissed, or even go on another date?" Oh yeah, I have only been on one date in my entire life and to be honest, it wasn't that great. Plus, I have been rejected 4 or 5 times since. One of my fears is rejection and God forbid that ever happens again. Fact is, I will be probably a number of times more.

I think I do know why I am always rejected, though. I'm a pretty vulnerable guy when it comes to liking someone. I reveal my feelings through a text or a message on Facebook. I have also asked a girl to Homecoming through a freaking tweet lol. I just find it so hard to ask a girl in person. It really is hard. I COULD take them to coffee but then they might even reject my chance really to just hang out. But that isn't really the reason that I don't want to date anyone right now. There's a big reason that I don't want to.

I DON'T HAVE A JOB

Now you may be saying "Not all girls want a guy with money." Now I'm saying "I know that." Then why don't I want to date? Because I'm a romantic guy and wanna surprise my girl with chocolate or flowers or HOW ABOUT CHIPOTLE? Everyone loves Chipotle so its a win/win. Not that if a girl came along, I would say "no." If it was God's plan, I would be all for it. Honestly. But right now having quite a few female friends and Taylor Swift being my wife (in my mind I guess? She hasn't responded to the wedding invitation to our own wedding yet) I am learning what girls do and don't like. It will teach me how to be the best boyfriend ever.

Now let me tell you, I wanna be kissed. I want someone to love. I'm a human, its our instinct. One day "Mrs. Vanderspek" is going to come along. She's gonna have a similar past with relationships as me. She's gonna be beautiful. Shes gonna be the best thing ever, next to God. Babe, whether you're reading this now or whenever, I can't wait to be your husband. Just understand at this point in life I'm not ready to date and/or meet you. Hell, maybe I have met you haha. Thanks i advance for dealing with me.

Until Next Time, Alex

Top 5 Albums of the Third Quarter of 2015 (July - September)

5.) Beauty Behind The Madness by The Weeknd

4.) Copacetic by Knuckle Puck

3.) BADLANDS by Halsey

2.) We Came As Romans by We Came As Romans

1.) Uncomfortable by Andy Mineo

Talking Dreams (Echosmith) 2 Years Later

When the LA-based Indie Rock band Echosmith first came out with their debut album Talking Dreams two years ago today (October 8th 2013 was the official street date), almost no one knew who they were. I mean, you would think after being on Warped Tour, touring with the likes of Owl City, Twenty One Pilots and Tonight Alive, they would be big by then. Unfortunately not. It was not until early 2014 when they started becoming a household name. You started hearing "Cool Kids" everywhere and somehow everyone loved it. Then they jumped on their second year in a row on Warped tour and that sealed the deal. I was at their hometown Pomona date and there was easily 200+ people in their crowd. Compared to the year before where they were lucky to get 50 people watching them. I've known the band since 2011, almost on a personal level. I was friends with all 4 members of Facebook, that is until they deleted their personals. I talked to them on twitter and even got a handwritten letter from them back in April 2014. I waited so long for them to make it and was so proud of them when they finally did. Believe me when I saw when you need to check out their debut EP (Under Ready Set Go!). You can still find it on last.fm, too which is pretty cool because its not like their Echosmith material.

As you can see, I got off track lol. The album came at the perfect time in my life. I was just starting college, trying to find who I was and what I wanted to do in life. It came when I went to a public school for the first time. Where I knew no one. It was a perfect album for everything that was going on in life. I have made friends fans of the band. I have met fans via the internet that are now friends. Thanks, Echosmith and WBR for everything this album has done. When I am sad, I just put this album on my ipod or play it on my record player and it is literally a mood changer. Now what about album 2? All I know is they are starting working on it starting in January 2016. Its also gonna be different than Talking Dreams. But it'll will be filled with catchy songs about love and life and we all cannot wait.

Until Next Time,
Alex Vanderspek

PS if you want to read my original review of Talking Dreams, click here.

Taylor Swift Is the Greatest Performer of All Time

Taylor Swift performing at Petco Park in San Diego on August 29th, 2015

The title says it all. You may say "Oh, well you've never seen Michael Jackson or U2." Believe me, I have always wanted to see both. Unfortunately MJ is dead so that's out for me. But for real, let's take a look at Miss Swift.

Nothing. I literally mean NOTHING will stop her from performing. On the Red Tour, she chipped her tooth. That hurts. A lot. You know what she did? Acted like it didn't even happen and finished the rest of her show. She has performed in Pouring rain. Several times, actually. The other day (Saturday August 29th, 2015) I saw her and she was sick and losing her voice. While she was talking, you could tell she was, but when she was singing, you would never be able to tell. Shes performed with the stomach flu. 

She plays about 5 different instruments. She is like the Dave Grohl of pop music. Not to mention, shes arguably one of the best songwriters of all time. You may disagree, but come back to me when Bono or Springsteen hide a mini story in the lyrics of their songs. 

Nothing is stopping her. Even though her songs are more or less about breakups, she will still be performing long after she is married. Maybe she will do a hiatus, but I think she will be like MJ and literally do this till she dies on a stage. Its her life. Its what she loves. And when you have 100's of millions of people in love with you, no way would you stop anytime soon.

Who do you think is the best performer of all time? And why? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time,

Alex

You Only Love Jesus If You Like This Photo

We've all seen those photos on Facebook. "Like if you love Jesus. Keep scrolling if you love Satan." Probably hundreds of times. I'm just gonna come right out and say those posts tick me off almost more than anything. Imagine if a new Christian is scrolling through Facebook fast and passes by one of those photos on accident. He (or she) is gonna think they are going to hell. Well let me tell you one thing: As a loving Christian I'm 100% sure Jesus is going to love you no matter what you do. He isn't gonna think a stupid picture on Facebook is going to prove your love for Him. As long as you say and prove you love Him, you're in the clear. Now, I'm not saying go out and do drugs, get drunk or have sex with a bunch of people. Read the bible. Go to church. Expand the kingdom. That's all you need to do. End of rant.

21

Today (August 25th) is my 21st birthday. The 21st birthday is a milestone for many people. You get to celebrate another year of life. Although I won't, people use their new found ability to drink to celebrate and get drunk. I wanna share with you guys 21 things I have learned in my 21 years of life. And if you are asking, yes, I added the twenty one pilots logo because my age is the number in their name. Here goes nothing!

1. Don't turn on that computer at 4 AM at age 13 and start what would soon be a 7 year porn addiction. 
• I unfortunately still struggle with it but it is better than it has been.
2. Don't call the girls "sexy" on the first day of school at a new school
• Yeah I (used) to be immature.
3. Not every girl you meet is your girlfriend
• I have made this mistake too many times and it will lead to heartache.
4. (Most) friends from high school aren't forever
• Another thing that'll cause heartache and you damn well better learn this now. Shane and Melissa, Thanks for sticking with me for 8 years. Love you two
5. The girl you take to Prom isn't forever and it'll most likely go down in flames
• She might even give her number to another guy who had 2 girlfriends and took a whole different girl to Prom. Can someone say player?
6. Don't spend your money on whatever you want
• Shouldn't you tithe and put some in savings? It's not good to be at $0 at 21.
7. Don't get a credit card just to get the teller to shut up
• I'm actually in debt and have no way to pay it off because I'm out of a job and it sucks. Once it's paid off, I'm gonna be shredding it.
8. Whether you are a girl or guy, you will cry. All this is true because it rhymes.
• You're gonna cry over your first heartbreak. You can't fight it.
9. Someone close to you will die
• I've never met anyone my age that hasn't had someone close to them, whether its a family member or friend.
10. Stop eating when you're full, not until you're sick
• I know the food kicks ass but really its not worth weighing 260 lbs. 
11. Go to the gym
• Workout till it hurts and don't quit just because you can't pay for it
12. It's okay to be 21 and not have been in a relationship yet
• Eventually you're gonna get over it and it will be around your 21st birthday. Plus, being single is fun!
13. It's okay to be 21 and not have had your first kiss
• Seriously I've heard you better be ready for it though. Gonna be amazing
14. Don't tell the boss at your first job that you need every weekend plus next Wednesday off.
• He will schedule you only for every Friday, Saturday and occasionally Sunday. He will still tell you "You kick ass" or "You're my best employee." Doesn't add up.
15. Writing songs will make you one of the most popular kids in school
• One of my worship songs was played in chapel like my freshman year and the rest is history.
16. Don't reply to emails from the girls in home school
• It can get you into a heap of trouble and sin
17. Writing songs or poems really helps
• Writing a song or a poem can really get your mind off things. Hey, one day it could be a hit song or poem.
18. Music saves lives... it literally saved mine
• I was considering suicide after Miss Prom girl back in 2012. God played "He Said" by Group 1 Crew and I cried because that song prevented me from ending my life.
19. Stay in contact with your former Youth Pastor... Even when he moves away to Seattle
• Just like the song, he saved my life by giving me a call. God put that in my life
20. Don't stop going to church
• Church can help you with a lot of your problems and most of the time, any of the pastors are available to talk to you if you need someone
21. PRAY
• Last but not least, praying is the only way out because as I have said before, God is the only one who is there to listen.

If you read this, thank you. It took me a couple days to write and I'm hoping these help you. Some of them were hard to write and share with you.

Until Next Time,

Alex

I Want Hillary Clinton to Win the Democratic Nomination For President

Before I actually start this post, I should let you know that I am Republican. Being Republican, you might see that title as an oxymoron, but I challenge you to read on as I make some very valid points.

I'm sure all of you have heard about Clinton's email scandal. People don't trust her. Its as simple as she cost the lives of Americans and she doesn't give a flying fig. I saw a comment on a Facebook post the other day asking "If you could ask Hillary Clinton anything, what would it be?" The comment was "Would you act differently on this situation if your daughter was in Benghazi when the killings happened?" Also let me say if a Republican did this, they would have been sent to prison with no bail and forced to stop running for president.

She is just like Obama and doesn't care about Americans. She is a female version of Obama.

Another thing that is getting on both Republicans and Democrats nerves is Planned Parenthood. If you didn't know, they are taking aborted babies parts and selling them. THAT IS ILLEGAL. Clinton has the guts to say she supports it. Which leads me to the same question that was stated before. "What if your daughter got an abortion on the baby she just had?" Again, of course she would feel different.

My point here is, if Hillary wins the Democratic nomination, she can't win the oval office. She isn't trusted enough. That way we can get a Republican back in the office for the first time in too long

5 Artists to Watch For The Rest of 2015

I did this last year and never thought of it this year until now! But these are 5 bands that you may or may not know about! Watch for them because by the end of the year, they will be household names!

1.) PVRIS 

PVRIS won the annual Warped Tour Battle Of The Bands to play the Boston stop of the 2014 tour. A year later, they were selected to play the entire tour. Their debut album White Noise is one of the best records of 2014, in my opinion. The thing I love most about the band's singer, Lynn Gunn, is her voice. It is one of the prettiest voices in rock but at the same time it is edgy which is perfect for their Electronic/Indie/Rock/Pop sound.

Songs to check out: "Holy," "St. Patrick," "Fire"

2.) Tonight We Rise

Tonight We Rise you most likely haven't heard of (unless you are reading this from the link I posted in The Defend Pop Punk Group). They are fastly becoming one of my favorite Punk/Alternative bands. When singer Ben Weir kept blasting his band in the DPPG and Lights Go Down Army, I guess it was time to check them out. I'm glad I did and I'm sure you will be too.

Songs to check out: "Breaking Ground," "Worth Dying For," "Broaden Your Horizon"

3.) Lights Go Down

Remember when Jason Dunn surprisingly left Hawk Nelson back in 2012? Well, this is what he has been up to! Don't let his Christian roots from HN detur you away if you don't typically like Christian music. The band's mission is to keep pop punk alive which is why their debut EP (out later this Summer) is called We Kept It Alive. Their first single ever releases on July 10th so go and pick it up! Check out their reverbnation.

Songs to check out: "West Coast Calling," "Wait For The Next Train"

4.) Knuckle Puck

Just like PVRIS, Knuckle Puck is on this years Warped Tour all Summer. Just like Tonight We Rise, I discovered them courtesy of The Defend Pop Punk Group. So by saying that, you can guess that they are Pop Punk. The are one of the fastest growing bands on the scene and I'm excited to see where they go. Especially since their debut album, Copacetic, is out on July 31st. I guarantee itll be one of the best albums of the year.

Songs to check out: "True Contrite," "Disdain," "No Good"

5.) CROOKS

Now by looking at that picture, you might guess that CROOKS is an indie band. Well they are actually a post hardcore band from the UK. They are huge over there (touring with Hardcore hit-makers Being As An Ocean a couple years back). If you like this kinda music, I highly suggest checking them out. Not to mention everything they have ever release is FREE on their bandcamp! 

Songs to check out: "Above Me," "Mountain Heights & City Limits," "Tired Eyes"

So there you have it! I want you to go check every one of theses bands out if you haven't already!!

Until Next Time,
Alex