Top 5 Albums For The First Quarter of 2016 (January, February, March)

It's that time again! Wait how are 4 months of the year almost over?

5.) ZAYN - Mind of Mine (Deluxe Edition)

4.) Lecrae - Church Clothes 3

3.) Anchor & Braille - Songs For the Late Night Drive Home

2.) Macklemore + Ryan Lewis - This Unruly Mess I've Made

1.) The 1975 - I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It

Why You Should(n't) Boycott Target

Unless you have been living in a hole the past week, you have definitely heard about the whole fiasco with Target. If you go on Facebook, you are going to see differing opinions. Not in my case. I have NOT seen a positive post about it on my personal Facebook. And several people, including me, are supporters of the LGBT lifestyle. But here is why people like me do not support this: Any grown man (like me) can walk into the women's restroom behind teenage girls and no one could question him. In fact, there have already been a couple arrests of men walking in a taping little girls. This is the part of the rule that the Target Board of Directors probably didn't consider. Believe me, if arrests like this keep happening, they are going to have to change the rule or consider the fact that they will lose most if not all their customers, no matter if they support the law or not.

As of the time of writing this, more than 700,000 people have pledged to boycott Target until they change the rule. I bet 90% of those people are still going to shop at Target. They are just trying to get them to stop. Now let me tell you why I, personally, will not be boycotting Target. For one, boycotts never work, have never worked, and will never work. Second of all, I'm a Christian. A couple months ago, before any of this, my friend told me "You can't let the dark rule the light. You have to be the light in a dark place." If you're boycotting Target, you're honestly just running away from the problem. If your daughter, wife, girlfriend, whatever girl in your life has to go to the restroom, just use the family one. My Target has two of them. 

One last thing. After reading this, you may think, "Oh, he is so stupid. He totally supports it." Let me tell you this, no way in HELL do I support this, nor will I ever. I can tell you that if I ever saw a grown man (who obviously isn't questioning his gender) walk in the women's restroom behind my sisters, mom, or best friend (who is a girl) I wouldn't beat him up, even though he deserves it. Instead, I would talk to him. Try to find out his true intentions. Give him some Biblical advice and send him on his way, but not before I tell him I will call the cops.

What are your thoughts on Target's new law? Comment below and let me know.

Until Next Time, Alex

Monday Messages: "Wait"

Happy Monday! I hope everyone is doing well and had a good day! I went to school and came home so been pretty laid back.

Today's message is on waiting. Not sexually. But on God's plan. Specifically on relationships, though. The world puts such a pressure on being single. Like it is almost a bad thing to be single. Yes, it may suck, (believe me I would know), but its part of His plan. Did you go through a horrible breakup or rejection recently with someone you thought loved you? Well that person wasn't meant to be with you. God has someone for you. He has someone for me. Just gotta wait.

In the upcoming Psalm 27, David may have been going through a breakup or something similar. I can relate to this passage for sure.

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.
One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. 
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Do not hide Your face from me;
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the Lord will take care of me.
Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries.
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Thats all I have for today!

Until Next Time, Alex

Monday Messages: Be Someone Worth Remembering (In A Good Way)

Happy Monday Everyone! Sorry that I kind of skipped out last week. Hopefully that All Time Low inspired mid week post made up for it! Have you ever thought of what people will think of you when you die? I know I want to be remembered by being a famous musician that was a youth pastor as well who saved animals in Africa. Let's be honest only part of my fantasy will become reality. I just want to die as a good person. Everyone will be remembered by someone. but why make it a bad reason? God gave us choices for a reason.

Today's passage is rather short but I hope it helps you.
Matthew 5:13-16

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

You can relate this to yourself even if you aren't a Christian. Everyone wants to die a good person. I honestly do not think any of those shooters wanted to die a bad person. They just had mental problems that weren't getting fixed when they should have. All we can do is pray for them. Maybe they will turn to God's side. Those shooters are remembered for a very bad thing. You can be different.

It isn't that hard to be a quote unquote good person. Do you have a job? I know at my job (and my previous job), I can get some pretty crappy customers. Like I have literally been cussed out more than once at both jobs! You know what i did to those customers? No I didn't cuss back (although I wanted to)! No, I showed them love. I acted like they were a customer that was nice even though I was fuming and ticked off on my inside. Just showing people kindness can change them.

One last thing, I believe my journey into wanting to be a youth pastor started about a year ago. I was at school for a Christian group I go to on Fridays here. I was there a little early as usual so I did what I do and went into the library to surf the web. Outside the library, there was a girl crying. I felt a call to go pray with her but I ignored that call and just went up to the library. As I was in the library, the call got stronger. Kinda can relate this to Jonah, right? Well, eventually, I went down and had to chase her to her car and I was hesitating a little bit but I knocked on her car door. She allowed me to pray with her so I did. I don't know what happened past that, but maybe I saved her life. I just know it was of the Lord. In the next few weeks, I will be telling stories of my past year (besides the Disneyland one bc that's overdone I think lol) of how my relationship with God has gotten stronger and my call to be a youth pastor.

Until Next Time, Alex

Don't Lose Your Fight, Kid

Life sucks, doesn't it? As much as I wanna say my life has sucked, it really hasn't. I've had a pretty good life with some pretty crappy days. But I wanna tell you that you are worth more. Your tears aren't worth nothing (yes those are Tori Kelly lyrics. I had to use them since I saw her last night). But think about it, you have a God above who loves you more than ANYONE ever could. No matter what you do in your life, no matter how bad you think you have messed up, He literally cannot stop loving you. 

I have definitely had my fair share of depression/suicidal thoughts and let me tell you that harming yourself isn't worth it. What I did to help with those thoughts is just listen to music. Literally just lay in your bed and listen to music, it helps. While you're doing that, go ahead and cry. There is nothing wrong with crying and it literally can help you. Trust me, you will be okay. Below is the song that inspired this post. I'll warn you, it is explicit but I can really freakin relate to it and I'm sure you can too. Remember, Someone out there loves you.

Until Next Time, Alex

Monday Messages: Panda Express

Happy Monday! Sorry that I skipped out last week, but I literally had 2 essays due and that was enough writing haha. But I don't think that will happen again, so rest easy.

I didn't have a subject for today's message until I went to Panda Express for lunch and got to thinking about their mascot and half their name. The Panda. So that is what today's message is about. You see, Pandas are a very calm animal. I personally have never heard of a Panda attacking anyone in publc. Now I'm not saying that happened, I've just never heard of it. Basically, a Panda is what James 1:19-27 is talking about.

19 So then,[a] my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. 26 If anyone among you[b] thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

A Panda rarely gets angry. They eat mostly plants. They are like God's perfect creature. In my opinion, they are the closest you can get to Jesus. Now what if we lived like Pandas? What if we thought before we got angry? There would be a lot less deaths. There would be less wars. Now let me tell you a little story that actually didn't happen till right before I started writing this but totally relates.

Something happened to me. I have been asked to stop serving in Middle School Ministry just because I tried out a new church ONCE. . I'm going to be completely freaking honest with you. I'm really pissed off. But I'm not choosing to show my anger to the person that asked me to leave. Instead, I'm still showing them love and trying really hard to see what God's reasoning behind this is. Oh on top of all this, I quit my job because I was pissed. Pissed they weren't doing anything to the manager that was making me uncomfortable. Now, I do not have a job and do not volunteer at youth anymore. Could it be my fault? Partly, yes. I feel like it was conviction from God. Maybe. I don't entirely know. But God has a plan. No matter if something is our fault or not, He still loves us. Remember the Disneyland story? It's just this all over again. I need to put all my trust in Him. In every aspect of life. Life is going to kick you in the ass. But trusting God will make it easier.

Until Next Time, Alex 

Monday Messages: Broke As A Joke?

Hey Everyone! I hope you enjoyed last week's post :) Before I get started I wanna announce a change or two that is going on in the world of Monday Messages. No, I'm not going on another hiatus lol. Starting this week, I will no longer be doing series. I'm just going to write on what is inspiring me and/or what I think the world needs. There will still be Bible verses and ways to apply to your life. I just feel stepping out of the series will reach more people. So let me welcome you to the new Monday Messages!

I have always wondered why people say "I'm broke as a joke." Like dude, I'm broke. It is for sure not a joke. Money isn't a joke, either. Money is the most talked about topic in the Bible, so it must be pretty darn important, right? But people just throw it away, me included. This past paycheck I got this weekend was only the 2nd time that I have tithed since I got hired at Domino's back in November. There's just a crap ton of cool stuff to buy all around us! So much that we can literally find anything we want without getting off our butt!

Today's reading is going to come from 1 Timothy 6:3-10

3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 useless wranglings[a] of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is ameans of gain. From such withdraw yourself.[b] 6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain[c] we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Whoa! What did that just say? Money is the root of ALL KINDS OF evil. Well I mean God ain't kidding! Prostitution, strip clubs, stuff like that is sinful and money can be spent on it. It's pretty freakin' crazy. You may be thinking "Well then why did God give us money?" Because there is a way to honor Him with money and you don't have to do bad things with your money. Even spending too much money is a sin. One that I'm guilty of.

When God gives you a job, honor Him by giving 10% to him via church or missions or whatever. And He will keep blessing you I promise.

Until Next Time, Alex