The Bench October 5, 2008
Posted by Joseph Garibay in Antioch, Fellowship Church, Reflecting Upon Life.add a comment
My Spot
Whenever I come home, I always try to make time for ‘my spot’. Right above my house sits a bench that overlooks the city of Antioch. For me, it’s one of my favorite places to get away from everyone and everything and just sit there. I love reflecting over my life. I love thinking about what the Lord’s saved me from. (Read this to get a better understanding of what I mean) It’s been a great weekend, but I’m ready to get back to the Northwest. I had a great time catching up with my friends and family and as always, attending service at my home church was a blast! My flight to Portland takes off in a few hours and if all goes well, I’ll be back in Portland tonight. Let the good times roll! Oh yeah, driving my brothers truck while listening to Eminem brought back one too many memories. Will the real slim shady ever stand up!? Here are some pics from earlier today. Till next time…
Amazed September 20, 2008
Posted by Joseph Garibay in PBC Dorm Life, Reflecting Upon Life.add a comment
I was just browsing through a bunch of old photos that I brought with me from Antioch. I actually forgot I had them but I was glad I came across them. I was taken back as I saw so many photos of old friends and events that took place during high school. I say that because at one point in my life, I thought Antioch was the only city out there for me. I thought the people I knew back then would be my friends forever. Moving to Portland definitely gave me a dose of reality. God is so good. Every day of my life I’m amazed by His grace. The Lord’s presence was so evident during Friday chapel and I couldn’t help but shed a few tears. I’m so thankful for the power of the cross. I’m living the life that I am because of the blood that was shed on the cross. There’s only one way to describe it…I’m amazed.
Summer is Over August 7, 2008
Posted by Joseph Garibay in Antioch, My Travels, PBC, Reflecting Upon Life.add a comment
I’m down to less than 48 hrs until it’s time for me to drive back to Portland. A couple of nights ago I walked to the top of the hill that sits above my house and had some great ‘reflecting’ time. With my guitar in hand and twenty one years of life racing through my mind, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to smile or cry. The Lord has been so faithful to me. I would’ve never thought the day would come when my heart would beat with such peace. So much has happened in my life during the last two and a half years, and it’s not an understatement when I say that my first year of college was the most difficult time of my life. I was confused, I was lost, and to be completely honest, I felt hopeless. But God! For the first time in my life I have a sense of purpose. I know what I want to do and I know what it’s gonna take for me to get there. I cannot express how thankful I am for having the chance to come home. The time I’ve spent in Antioch has been great and I would’ve never guessed I would experience as much as I have. As much fun as I’ve had, it’s been a very overwhelming summer too. So much has changed since I moved away and if I could summarize all of it in one sentence it would be this; a young man had the opportunity to accept the harsh realities of life. Some of my closest friends have moved on and it’s very difficult to watch. In watching them I’ve learned that the small decisions we make on a daily basis really do determine which path we’ll go down in this little game called life.
With my third year of college sitting right around the corner, there comes a sadness in knowing that I’m leaving all of my loved ones once again, but at the same time, I’m so excited for what’s in store during the next couple of years! My last two days in Antioch will be pretty hectic. As of right now I don’t have a car or a cell phone and to be honest, it’s slowed my life down dramatically! However, I still have a lot to do. By the time I write again I should be in Portland. How sweet it is…
To all of my friends in the Bay Area, thank you! Once again you welcomed me with open arms once and I’m so grateful for each and every one of you.
Summer Camp 08 July 28, 2008
Posted by Joseph Garibay in Reflecting Upon Life, Spiritual Growth.add a comment
I recently had the privilege of attending our church’s summer camp. It was also the second time I went as a youth leader. To be honest, it was quite an emotional week for me. I say that because it’s been six years since I myself attended the same camp as a sixteen year old boy. It was as this camp where I found a purpose. Everything started to make sense. Not only did I go as a youth leader but I also had the wonderful honor of being the drummer for the worship team. I’ve been a part of a lot of worship teams and I’ve played through countless amounts of worship sets, but playing at this years camp will go down as one of my favorites. I say that because the rest of the worship team were guys that I met at my first camp. We were all teenagers at the time, but here we were six years later, coming together for one week to lead God’s children into His presence. I was so encouraged to watch us come together in unity after all these years and minister to the next generation. The four of us have all traveled down the different paths of life, we’ve all matured in different ways, and it had easily been a couple of years since most of us had talked with each other, yet by the grace of God we were able to stay on the right path. Then it hit me. On the very last day the mic was open to anyone who wanted to give a testimony of what the Lord had done in their life. Watching those students share their testimony with the rest of the camp was a reminder of why I’m living the way I am.
It’s really not about us. We truly are a part of something so much bigger than ourselves! One of the most beautiful things about the the Body of Christ is that we can’t accomplish anything unless we (1) abide in christ and (2) work together. It takes a lot of unselfish people to build great churches. Most of us won’t outlive the dream that sits in the deepest part of our soul. If it’s truly a dream from the Lord, I’d like to believe it’s something that will outlive us. But it takes an unselfish person to dream like this because they realize that one day they’ll have to step aside and let another person take over. I live the way I do because I realize there’s a younger generation desperately searching for someone to look up to, and who knows, maybe one of them will be the one who takes my spot when my time is up. It’s just a matter of time before we pass the baton to the next generation of leaders.
Reminiscing June 9, 2008
Posted by Joseph Garibay in Antioch, Reflecting Upon Life, Spiritual Growth.2 comments
Originally uploaded by Joseph Garibay
Last night I had the chance to walk through the empty halls of my old high school. I’ve done this a few times since I graduated but last night was different. I honestly don’t think I can describe how I felt. Part of me wanted to break down and cry and the other half wanted to smile. I could see all of my old friends walking to their classes. I could see all of the couples fighting with each other because they were ‘head over heels in love’. I could see all of the security guards driving around in their golf carts. To this day I still think they believed they looked cool driving around in one of those things! I’m not sure if I was overtaken with the fact that my brother Josh is graduating on Friday or the fact that it’s been three years since I myself graduated high school. I started wondering what all of my old friends are up to. Where do they work? Are they married? Do they have kids? Are they addicted to drugs? (Sadly, I know of some that are) Did they join the military? So many questions. I haven’t seen or spoken to nearly eighty percent of the people I knew three years ago. People I would spend time with every day. I know of a few friends that completely fell off the deep end. My heart breaks for them. However, I also know of people who have kept their faith in the Lord and are doing great! I softly sang Mighty To Save as I reminisced through those empty hall ways. I used to make that walk week after week as a young immature boy. Now I was walking it as a mature young man. Maybe that’s why I wanted to break down and cry. I was being captured by the Lord’s grace. I never wanna get to the point in life where I forget where it all began. If I forget, then I’m taking away the beauty of God’s grace. If I can’t remember what I’ve been saved from, how I can appreciate the grace of God? One of my favorite times in worship is when I close my eyes and get a glimpse of my childhood and, in a matter of seconds I see images of my whole life. Let me just say this, it never gets old!
Life at 21 June 2, 2008
Posted by Joseph Garibay in Antioch, Reflecting Upon Life.1 comment so far
The last few days have been very emotional for me. I ran into so many old friends in one day that it was almost a bit too much to take in. Boy do I have so much to be thankful for! Today, June 2nd, celebrates 21 years of life for me. Last night while I was helping my Dad wash the dishes, I asked him what he remembered about the day I was born. He went on to explain every little detail; My Mom was in a very bad mood, he had his friend sneak in food because he couldn’t stand the food the hospital served, my eyes were open as I came out of my Mother’s womb, I was very red, he let the doctor cut the umbilical cord because he was scared he would hurt me, the Doctors placed a little blue beanie on my head, and then before they knew it, my Mom and Dad were taking their first born home. Then he went on to explain how he choose my name. He said that he had read through the story of Joseph in the Bible and that he really liked how Joseph handled himself in every situation. He said that he wanted a son that would be strong enough to maintain a godly character even though people would treat him badly and things wouldn’t always go his way. I find it ironic that he said that, but the last twenty-one years of my life have been everything but perfect! Maybe my Dad was being prophetic and he didn’t even realize it. It was one of the nicest talks we’ve had in a while. I woke up this morning, got ready for the day, and then headed over to my house. I grabbed my brother’s guitar and walked to the bench that sits on the top of the hills right above my house. I wanted to spend some time with the Lord. I played a few worship songs, thanked the Lord for the last twenty years of my life, and then I read through the story of Joseph. It was so refreshing! As I read through the story, I tried to read it through the eyes of my Dad, doing my best to understand why he would name me after this man. I’ve lived a hard life. A lot of people have hurt me and things haven’t always gone the way I hoped they would. Despite all of that, I’ve learned to forgive and I’ve learned how to love. I have so much to be thankful for. I have everything a young man could ask for and I couldn’t be happier. This is only the beginning and I’m so excited for the years to come. Oh yeah! If anyone is wondering if I’m gonna start drinking alcohol, the answer is no. It’s kinda funny how many people have already asked me that.
Genesis 50:19-20 - - But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
Halfway there May 16, 2008
Posted by Joseph Garibay in PBC, Reflecting Upon Life.comments closed
In just a couple of hours I’ll be walking across a stage to receive my Associates degree. I still can’t believe how fast the last two and a half years have gone by! Today was the last day of the school and, as usual, we had our closing chapel today. I always get choked up during the last chapel of the semester and usually, I’ll cry quite a bit. Call it what you want, but I have so much to be thankful for. The Lord has been so faithful to me since I moved to Portland, and to think I’m still moving forward two and a half years later is amazing. The presence of God has never been so real to me. As much as I’m enjoying this season of my life, I have to remind myself that this is only the beginning. I’ve barely tapped into everything the Lord has planned for me and there’s so much work to be done! To all of my friends and family, thank you! The presence of God is changing my life and you guys never gave up on me. I can’t wait to see what the future holds!
Philippians 3:13-14: Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Blog Love… April 8, 2008
Posted by Joseph Garibay in Miscellaneous, Reflecting Upon Life, Spiritual Growth.Tags: Brenning Manning, Multnomah Bible College, Peter Pan, The Ragamuffin Gospel, Wonder
3 comments
This post is from my friend Scotty. I really enjoyed it and I thought you would too…
By and large, our world has lost it’s sense of wonder
My friend Joe and are I reading through The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning, and this sentence in the opening paragraphs of chapter 5 stated something I have been noticing a lot recently. In our world of knowledge, where we can jump on the internet and find out the reasoning behind almost all of our everyday occurences we have lost our ability to be filled with wonder.
We live in a day and age where the unknown scares us. We feel uneasy when we enter a conversation about things we are not sure about, and when it comes to God, we define and describe, and try to fit Him into the intellectual boxes in our mind, scared to look at God and not know the answers!
Manning writes:
We get so preoccupied with ourselves, the words we speak, the plans and projects we conceive that we become immune to the glory of creation. We barely notice the cloud passing over the moon or the dewdrops clinging to the rose leaves. The ice on the pond comes and goes. the wild blackberries ripen and wither. The blackbird nests outside our bedroom window. We don’t see her. We avoid the cold and the heat. We refrigerate ourselves in the summer and entomb ourselves in plastic in winter. We rake up ever leaf as fast as it falls. We are so accustomed to buying prepackaged meats and fish that we never think and blink about the bounty of God’s creation. We grow complacent and lead practical lives. We miss the experience of awe, reverence, and wonder.
Have you noticed this? As a cloud passes over the moon we barely blink because we know about the rain cycle and the wind blowing the clouds. We get annoyed at the blackbird singing at our window because she’s distracting us from our “peace and quiet” of internet, emails, tv, and text messages. We fail to enjoy the amazing gift of the rain because it softens our gel, or makes the hair we spent hours straightening go frizzy.
I don’t know about you, but I want to be someone who lives everyday in the presence of God. Question: How do we live in the presence of the living God? Answer: In wonder, amazed by the traces of God all around us. This is how we become people who live in an attitude of continual worship. We acknowledge that there is more to God than we can ever understand, and enjoy the mysteries He reveals on a daily basis. I get excited knowing that I will be able to spend every day of eternity finding out something new about God and still never know it all! What a joy! What peace I have as I rest in the ineffible!
In this moment March 9, 2008
Posted by Joseph Garibay in PBC, Reflecting Upon Life, Spiritual Growth.add a comment
I recently learned how to play Saved My Soul on the acoustic guitar. It’s kind of ironic that our teacher chose this song because it’s sort of become the anthem for this season of my life. So I grabbed my friend’s guitar and headed out to our grass field tonight to get away. It’s always nice to shut everything off and just be still; no people, no phone, no anything. Just you and the Lord. So there I was, alone and playing the guitar.
These last few weeks have been leading up to a huge change in my life. Now that it’s over, I can continue to press on to those things which are ahead. It hasn’t been the easiest transition, but a much needed one. Since I’ve moved to Portland I’ve really learned what it means to reap what you sow. Even though I’m still standing by the grace of God, it’s been very hard. I think God sometimes needs to put us through the fire so we can get the complete revelation of how important it is to stay dependent upon Him. We really can’t do it on our own.
My time of reaping what I sowed has come to an end. That season of my life was very difficult but it will no longer hinder what the Lord is trying to do through me. That door has been closed. It’s such a great feeling to wake up every day and know without a doubt that you are in the will of God, doing all that He’s placed in front of you.
Right now, in this moment, I have an incredible amount of peace.
Ed Young & Joel Osteen March 8, 2008
Posted by Joseph Garibay in Miscellaneous, Reflecting Upon Life.add a comment
I thought this was great. It’s nice to see that Pastor’s have a sense of humor too…
