Seven Miles..

On Wednesday night, I told a friend I would be gone for the weekend.  I told him I would be in a building from Thursday until Sunday with 40 or more other men, no cell phone, no watches or clocks, and no television or internet.  Then I told him we would be told when to eat, go to bed, and wake up.  He replied to me and asked, "man, what did you do to go to jail?"

Thursday evening came around and dinner was the first meal served for the extended weekend.  After we were fed and then told to remain in silence until the morning, I thought, "man, what did I do to go to jail?!"

I was nervous and apprehensive going into my Emmaus Walk and the night in meditative silence certainly didn't help ease my anxieties.  We all know how much I enjoy talking so to remain silent for an entire night and morning was pretty much the equivalent to a slap in the face.  But little did I know, I was in for the greatest weekend of my life.  

I am not going to get into too many details about the actual events in the Walk itself in case anybody who reads this is considering making the commitment themselves, but I am going to give you a short rundown.

A group of men were brought together from different physical places, different generations, different places in their spirituality, and different walks with Christ.  A building full of men who have faced and are facing different obstacles through the darkness in their search for Christ.  Men from different occupations and denominations, but one common denominator bonded us as brothers before weekend's end:  our love for Jesus.  We prayed a lot, laughed, smiled, talked, listened, cried a WHOLE lot, learned, and shared.  The overall outcome from all of those combined... we GREW.  We grew in different ways from one another, but also through shared ways that nobody who has an Emmaus experience could argue.  We grew physically through our love for the snack table haha.  In all seriousness, we grew SPIRITUALLY through Christ's unconditional and unending love for us. 
This weekend, through much prayer, meditation, conversation, singing, and fellowship, I grew closer to Christ than I ever even DREAMT I would.  The love that was shown from hundreds of strangers from all over the world in putting this experience together reconfirmed that although we may be in what I believe to be a postmodern and post-Christianity world, there is still MUCH love to be given and light to be shed. 

This weekend, I had a moment.  As it was named during the ending ceremony, I had an "ah-HA" moment.  A moment where I felt the absolute presence of a God I love so much, but whom loves me infinitely more! Covered in goosebumps, drenched in my own tears, and brought to my knees, this weekend, I rededicated my life to Christ.  I refuse to live another day without learning the word of God and incorporating my faith in all the decisions I make.

So, jail?  Not close.  As a matter of fact, it was the contrary; this weekend was the most LIBERATING weekend I have ever experienced.  It was the most important, challenging, and insightful times I have ever had.  As a fellow brother worded it, "I can tell you one things ladies and gentlemen, I AM FREE!"  This weekend has changed my life forever.

Decolores.


And until next time...

Check me out on twitter!  @PrallyD

Baptism Testimony

 I was baptized yesterday and wanted to share the short testimony I gave in front of the church.  I understand not all of my friends/followers are believers, but this isn't a place for religious debate.  Just be happy that a peer of yours has found some peace in his life. Thank you.

"I'm 26 years old and I haven't always been a Christian.  In fact, from the time I was 11 years old until I was 25, my life was.. I'll say, "lacking light."  I say that because I don't believe that darkness exists.  Darkness is only the lack of light because, when it's shed, light ALWAYS overcomes. Go strike a match in a room with no light and you'll witness the darkness cowardly flee.  For 14 years, my life was plagued with drugs, alcohol, anger, resentment, and lust.

SO, what did it take me to finally let God into my life?... struggle.  That's what brought me here today and led me to becoming a Christian.  It was just about a year ago when my life changed forever.

On March 17th, 2012, around 2 PM, one of my best friends, Matt brady, and my cousin, Kenzie Rife, visited me at the fish farm.  They brought me lunch and I gave them a tour of my workplace.  I'll never forget the looks on their faces when checking out all the fish and alligator, they were like children in the toy aisle at Wal-Mart.  It was time to go.. We exchanged hugs and they left.  That same night, around 11PM, I received a phone call.  Matt and Kenzie had been in an accident hours after leaving the farm, taking them both.  I was confused and I felt destroyed.  "How could this happen to those two," I kept asking myself.  For the first time in my life, I began looking for God, but I didn't necessarily leave my heart open for Him. Why wasn't I getting any answers from God?! "Where IS He," I kept asking.

A few short weeks after, Carla Renee visited home from college while I was house sitting for her parents.  We weren't dating at the time, just friends. Here, she told me the news that she was pregnant.  At first, I paused in anger and confusion. My mind raced, I wanted to scream.  She cried, but suddenly and seemlingly out of nowhere, my heart was overwhelmed with the light of God.  This was the first time I ever felt His presence in my heart and that moment has forever changed me.  "Everything will be alright," I could feel Him telling me. Within weeks of one another, I experienced the loss and the gain of life.  Within weeks of each other, these events led me to walk with Christ and faith became the rock, the foundation of my life. 

I battle temptation everyday, but battling that temptation and working to overcome it rather than succumbing to it.. to me, that's what being a Christian is about.  It's a daily battle to take up our cross & make the right choices, yet also the realization and acceptance that we are imperfect.  I'd like to thank my family, the Stoltzfus family, and every person here today for helping me along this journey. You are all truly great people.  Here I am, ready to begin the rest of my life as part of the Christian community, faith, and as a follower of Christ."



Until next time....


Check me out on Twitter: @PrallyD

Superheroes in Society

Superheroes...  Most of us grew up pretending to be the heroes depicted in comic books and movies (some still might.. which is slightly scary).  In fact, when I was just around 3 or 4 years old, we were traveling by car to the state of Washington.  Out of nowhere, I shouted something to the effect of, "Open the door and let me out!  I will fly like Superman!"  I'm sure many people have similar stories, or I hope so for the sake of my own esteem.  Our society's love for superheroes recently reflected in the box office, where The Avengers earned the top grossing profit of all movies in 2012. 

But anyways, imagine if superheroes were actually real.  They could solve all of the problems, right?  Iron Man could sacrifice all of his selfishness to save the world as he did in The Avengers.  Captain America could rightfully be the Commander in Chief  of the United States and lead the country back to the dominance it once possessed.  Batman would spend his nights fighting all of the evil in the streets.  Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic, would busy himself with creating a spacecraft that could take people to another planet.  The thought of superheroes in our society is a wishful one, but in my opinion, they are abundant in (most of) our everyday lives.

Single parents, coupled parents, adopted parents, guardians, my parents, your parents, all parents alike... they are who we owe thanks to.   They are our real life superheroes.  As a matter of fact, if you are what you consider to be a "good parent," stop reading my blog for 1 second and pat yourself on the back........ okay, resume reading please! 

The sacrifices that parents make for their children start from day 1 and never end.  Losing sleep over a child's cries, having to reconsider the way finances are made and spent, working multiple jobs, giving up some social aspects of life, etc...  Not to mention the incredible toll pregnancy and labor take on a mother's body.  From the very first day of our lives, parents are already making sacrifices.  Emotional, financial, physical.. you name it, they are sacrificing it for the rest of their lives.  There isn't a day a parent doesn't think about his/her children.  Forever, they live the adjusted lifestyle of having us beneath them in the family tree.

In comparison to the fictional superheroes, parents are human beings.  They make mistakes and the way they raise their children is constantly evolving.  They, just like we, learn as life keeps pressing on.  I'm sure if I asked a large sample of parents about their "ideologies" of parenting from day 1 to now, even if it's only day 10, they would tell me that their ideas and methods change pretty regularly.  It's important that we don't hold parents to some standard of perfection we've created in our own heads.  In respect to all things that evolve, let parents grow into their ways as time passes. 

It seems to me that, too often, people look at parenting as some kind of equation; that there's a "right" or "wrong" way.  People read books on parenting styles written by authors who probably never even followed the steps themselves.  It also seems evident that many of us, as children, take our parents for granted.  It may not be on purpose, but many just expect their guardians to make sacrifices for them..   If it weren't for our caretakers, we wouldn't have been able to survive childhood and grow into adulthood. 

To me, parents are the superheroes in society.  So, think about this question, "How have your parents helped you?"  For most of us, it will be in far too many ways to even count.  Do they serve the purpose of saving the world?  No, but they certainly help the world operate more smoothly.  Today, tomorrow, and every day that follows, thank your parents and let them know you love them.  Go out of your way for them whenever the opportunity arises. 

Thanks again for reading.

Check me out on twitter:  @PrallyD