3 days of 5 finals.
Talk about a hell-ish week ahead of me.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Tarra & Caitlin.
This is the most important and last link of the whole clicking away :)
PS. I'm pretty sure that the link will be a good give away as to who I chose, but you'll have to search around to really find the answer :)
You'll really have to look for it. It's been hiding :P
Text me when you find out who!
PS. I'm pretty sure that the link will be a good give away as to who I chose, but you'll have to search around to really find the answer :)
You'll really have to look for it. It's been hiding :P
Text me when you find out who!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
An attitude like Christ. WHAT!?
I feel like sharing my devotions on Philippians 2, only because I've encountered this scripture three different times now in the same week. Also, it's just a really good piece of scripture that I thought would come in handy in our walk with God :)
Scripture: Phil 2:5-8
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!
Observation:
Jesus is someone that we should strive to be in our daily lives. You know, Christ like? Although it doesn't mean we'll be considered equal to God (we just can't), it doesn't mean that we can't live our lives like Jesus did, which is what God is calling us to do. He wants us to live just like Jesus did.
Christ was able to put himself before others, which to me is something hard to do, but he managed to do it anyways.
Application:
I live a Christ like life by doing as Jesus would. How much simpler could that be, right?
Surprisingly though, it isn't that simple. A lot of us say we live Christ like lives, but that's about it, we just say. Saying and doing are drastically different.
In the case of this scripture, God is calling us to put others before ourselves and humble ourselves before him.
It's hard. I don't want to put others before me. I sometimes want the easy way out in a life that seems to be so difficult at times. The funny thing is, God wants us to do the exact opposite of that.
--------------------------------
I love you guys. It's only a matter of days before I'm home!! Even though me being home will only be for a matter of days before I come back down here to Portland for classes.
Nonetheless, I can't wait to see you guys :)
Rick Baleros
Scripture: Phil 2:5-8
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!
Observation:
Jesus is someone that we should strive to be in our daily lives. You know, Christ like? Although it doesn't mean we'll be considered equal to God (we just can't), it doesn't mean that we can't live our lives like Jesus did, which is what God is calling us to do. He wants us to live just like Jesus did.
Christ was able to put himself before others, which to me is something hard to do, but he managed to do it anyways.
Application:
I live a Christ like life by doing as Jesus would. How much simpler could that be, right?
Surprisingly though, it isn't that simple. A lot of us say we live Christ like lives, but that's about it, we just say. Saying and doing are drastically different.
In the case of this scripture, God is calling us to put others before ourselves and humble ourselves before him.
It's hard. I don't want to put others before me. I sometimes want the easy way out in a life that seems to be so difficult at times. The funny thing is, God wants us to do the exact opposite of that.
--------------------------------
I love you guys. It's only a matter of days before I'm home!! Even though me being home will only be for a matter of days before I come back down here to Portland for classes.
Nonetheless, I can't wait to see you guys :)
Rick Baleros
Friday, April 9, 2010
Dear BIO 207,
For a semester now I've slaved my life away studying for your extremely hard exams. Working my butt off for you. It has been mutual between us these past few months. I study hard, you give me a decent grade. I come to class, I get a decent grade. I love all that you offer me. From genetics to a good time with my biology friends.But tonight is the last straw. I'm not sure I can handle you anymore. This paper that I've been working on all day has caused me stress, mental breakdowns, slight anxiety attacks, comforting phone calls from friends and family. You have totally messed up my psyche.
I really don't appreciate it. Although I'm pretty sure you won't change over the next few years, I just wanted to say that I had a great time with you, but it's over now. I'm over you. Let's move on and go our separate ways. You'll have new students next semester and I'll be in my upper division courses.
Don't worry though, it wasn't anything against you.
Love,
Rick Baleros
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
New found artist.
I hope you enjoyed my previous blog. I do plan on writing about my senior year and where God took me.BUT, that's not the point right now, what is the point is that you should totally give my friend Jessica's music a good listening too. Also, if you're looking for a good read, you should definitely check out her blog.
She's quite an amazing person. I can totally see God working through her and using her to spread his love.
GO JESSICA!!
Miss you Jess!! [You knew that already]
- Rick Baleros
Sunday, April 4, 2010
And then I was finally home.
I'm pretty sure that it was around this upcoming week that the biggest change in my life happened.
About two years ago to this date, I gave my life to Christ.
What more is there to say? It was my Junior year and after two years of people "nagging" me to go to Youth Group at Living Word, I decided I would go. After all, I had questions to ask and this gut feeling that was telling me I had to be there. Little did I know that gut feeling was from God speaking into my heart ...
For those of you that don't know I was your typical rebellious teenager before my junior year. Heck I still am, but it's a little different now. I liked to party, and I liked to party hard. I was out of control and there was honestly nothing to stop me. No one was telling me no and I quite liked it that way. I had self-image issues. Thus, I had an eating disorder. I not only felt this constant need to be perfect in school or in sports, but in how I looked. I really thought no one loved me even though I had some of the greatest friends and a great family (it has taken me two years to realize that one). I guess you could say I was earthly in my being.
I remember how every time I needed "me time" I would drive out to West Beach and watch the sunset. West Beach became my place of pondering. It was the place where I had the best thought-processing. Over the course of junior & senior year I really learned a lot about myself at that place.
The thing is, I call myself Christian now, but then I said I believed and that was about it. My heart and mind were not in sync if you ask me. But I remember the events that led to my first Wednesday going to Youth Group ...
--------------------------------------------
I had been at West Beach just kind of thinking to myself where my life had gone and where I wanted it to go. Mind you I'm only 17 at the time, so there was only so much I could have thought about. A voice came into my head and was saying that I should listen to the people in my life in the following days. I didn't even know where this voice was coming from, for all I knew it was my conscious. At this point I remember getting into some stupid crap during spring break. Things were definitely not pretty in the Baleros house hold or at school. Some of the people in the following days were the same old voices I heard all the time, except for one. Marilu had asked me a question that I really dreaded because it had literally been the same question for two years now:
"What are you doing tonight? Because if you aren't doing anything, you should come to youth group!"
I wanted to say no because I just wasn't into that thing. Something was different that afternoon because I couldn't find it in myself to say no. I said, "Sure, I'll go tonight." Was this what I was supposed to be listening for, I asked myself?
I remember that night clear as day. Worship was amazing - Laura was leading and I remember the song "From the Inside Out." I sent myself a text with the lyrics so I could listen to it myself later that night.
"Consume me from the inside out"
I didn't know what that meant when I sang it that night, but those words have stuck with me since my first Wednesday night there.
I remember Angel speaking (of course) and I'm pretty sure it was on something really good and meaningful. He knew my name before I ever knew his. I remember he had asked me a question pertaining to what he was speaking on. I felt like I belonged. I felt like I was home. As the night ended we had an opportunity to be prayed for by the leaders. All the guys were taken and the only other person that I remotely knew was Jessica. When I say remotely knew, I mean I knew her name and that she sang in the choir at school. I lost it when I went up to her to be prayed for. I let the tears flow and that was the first time someone I didn't even know say I was worth something.
I was in so much shock from that night that I didn't come back for three weeks, ha. That one night seriously shocked my system and the thing is, that was only the start of it all. From where I'm at now, I can see God had stuff in mind.
I wanted to go back after three weeks. I felt a need to have more of what I got three weeks prior. I had no car at the time since it was down and out at the shop. I had to rely on someone from the youth group to get me there. Sean Welch. I knew him from the 6th grade because of oboe stuff, ha. I really didn't like him to tell you the truth and I knew he really didn't like me. But, I had to ask him for a ride that Wednesday night. He wasn't the same Sean Welch that I knew from freshman year. He was different, a good different. We became friends that night, only to become brothers later.
That night I came back we got into small groups and had group prayer. I remember asking Micah to pray that I would continue to grow and that God would show me what's real in life. To be honest with you, I didn't even know that I was capable of asking those things. I mean it had only been about 4 to 5 weeks since I had an encounter with the holy spirit. Micah later was honest with me and said that he slightly doubted me when I asked to be prayed for that, and I don't doubt him for doubting me.
That summer after Junior year was one where I was ROCKED to my very core. It was a summer of growth and learning even more who I was. It was a time I was able to forgive myself. It was also the very first time I encountered scripture. It was at something we call D&D. Of all the pieces of scripture I first read, I read:
Isaiah 55: 7
"Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong."
Amazing right? How awesome was God for feeding this scripture into me. I needed something like this because I needed to forgive myself for the things I was holding onto.
I was holding onto the guilt and the fears I had. With this little, but powerful, piece of scripture God was simply letting me know that I can change. That I don't have to be the Rick Baleros that I was so wrapped up into being. I learned from this scripture though that there aren't bad people, just bad actions. It's just a matter of how we handle things.
I was still in the process of feeding myself with scripture, but for the meantime God used other people to feed me scripture. While everyone was at Summer Camp, I was at Volleyball Camp. I remember getting a text message from Micah saying, "Hey, check out Hebrews 2:18."
I did. Micah had no idea what Hebrews 2:18 said, but it was all I needed to hear to close out the summer.
Hebrews 2:18
"Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested."
The greater being that I was now calling MY God knew exactly what I was trying to let go of. MY God empathized with what I was going through. MY God empathized what EVERYONE was going through.
Summer ended, but this life I started living didn't.
Love you guys :)
- Rick Baleros
PS. Sorry it was so long. If you're wondering, I do want to write about senior year and maybe even freshman year of college. Miss you all :)
About two years ago to this date, I gave my life to Christ.
What more is there to say? It was my Junior year and after two years of people "nagging" me to go to Youth Group at Living Word, I decided I would go. After all, I had questions to ask and this gut feeling that was telling me I had to be there. Little did I know that gut feeling was from God speaking into my heart ...
For those of you that don't know I was your typical rebellious teenager before my junior year. Heck I still am, but it's a little different now. I liked to party, and I liked to party hard. I was out of control and there was honestly nothing to stop me. No one was telling me no and I quite liked it that way. I had self-image issues. Thus, I had an eating disorder. I not only felt this constant need to be perfect in school or in sports, but in how I looked. I really thought no one loved me even though I had some of the greatest friends and a great family (it has taken me two years to realize that one). I guess you could say I was earthly in my being.
I remember how every time I needed "me time" I would drive out to West Beach and watch the sunset. West Beach became my place of pondering. It was the place where I had the best thought-processing. Over the course of junior & senior year I really learned a lot about myself at that place.
The thing is, I call myself Christian now, but then I said I believed and that was about it. My heart and mind were not in sync if you ask me. But I remember the events that led to my first Wednesday going to Youth Group ...
--------------------------------------------
I had been at West Beach just kind of thinking to myself where my life had gone and where I wanted it to go. Mind you I'm only 17 at the time, so there was only so much I could have thought about. A voice came into my head and was saying that I should listen to the people in my life in the following days. I didn't even know where this voice was coming from, for all I knew it was my conscious. At this point I remember getting into some stupid crap during spring break. Things were definitely not pretty in the Baleros house hold or at school. Some of the people in the following days were the same old voices I heard all the time, except for one. Marilu had asked me a question that I really dreaded because it had literally been the same question for two years now:
"What are you doing tonight? Because if you aren't doing anything, you should come to youth group!"
I wanted to say no because I just wasn't into that thing. Something was different that afternoon because I couldn't find it in myself to say no. I said, "Sure, I'll go tonight." Was this what I was supposed to be listening for, I asked myself?
I remember that night clear as day. Worship was amazing - Laura was leading and I remember the song "From the Inside Out." I sent myself a text with the lyrics so I could listen to it myself later that night.
"Consume me from the inside out"
I didn't know what that meant when I sang it that night, but those words have stuck with me since my first Wednesday night there.
I remember Angel speaking (of course) and I'm pretty sure it was on something really good and meaningful. He knew my name before I ever knew his. I remember he had asked me a question pertaining to what he was speaking on. I felt like I belonged. I felt like I was home. As the night ended we had an opportunity to be prayed for by the leaders. All the guys were taken and the only other person that I remotely knew was Jessica. When I say remotely knew, I mean I knew her name and that she sang in the choir at school. I lost it when I went up to her to be prayed for. I let the tears flow and that was the first time someone I didn't even know say I was worth something.
I was in so much shock from that night that I didn't come back for three weeks, ha. That one night seriously shocked my system and the thing is, that was only the start of it all. From where I'm at now, I can see God had stuff in mind.
I wanted to go back after three weeks. I felt a need to have more of what I got three weeks prior. I had no car at the time since it was down and out at the shop. I had to rely on someone from the youth group to get me there. Sean Welch. I knew him from the 6th grade because of oboe stuff, ha. I really didn't like him to tell you the truth and I knew he really didn't like me. But, I had to ask him for a ride that Wednesday night. He wasn't the same Sean Welch that I knew from freshman year. He was different, a good different. We became friends that night, only to become brothers later.
That night I came back we got into small groups and had group prayer. I remember asking Micah to pray that I would continue to grow and that God would show me what's real in life. To be honest with you, I didn't even know that I was capable of asking those things. I mean it had only been about 4 to 5 weeks since I had an encounter with the holy spirit. Micah later was honest with me and said that he slightly doubted me when I asked to be prayed for that, and I don't doubt him for doubting me.
That summer after Junior year was one where I was ROCKED to my very core. It was a summer of growth and learning even more who I was. It was a time I was able to forgive myself. It was also the very first time I encountered scripture. It was at something we call D&D. Of all the pieces of scripture I first read, I read:
Isaiah 55: 7
"Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong."
Amazing right? How awesome was God for feeding this scripture into me. I needed something like this because I needed to forgive myself for the things I was holding onto.
I was holding onto the guilt and the fears I had. With this little, but powerful, piece of scripture God was simply letting me know that I can change. That I don't have to be the Rick Baleros that I was so wrapped up into being. I learned from this scripture though that there aren't bad people, just bad actions. It's just a matter of how we handle things.
I was still in the process of feeding myself with scripture, but for the meantime God used other people to feed me scripture. While everyone was at Summer Camp, I was at Volleyball Camp. I remember getting a text message from Micah saying, "Hey, check out Hebrews 2:18."
I did. Micah had no idea what Hebrews 2:18 said, but it was all I needed to hear to close out the summer.
Hebrews 2:18
"Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested."
The greater being that I was now calling MY God knew exactly what I was trying to let go of. MY God empathized with what I was going through. MY God empathized what EVERYONE was going through.
Summer ended, but this life I started living didn't.
Love you guys :)
- Rick Baleros
PS. Sorry it was so long. If you're wondering, I do want to write about senior year and maybe even freshman year of college. Miss you all :)
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