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    <title>wes</title>
    <link>http://virb.com/walkunafraid</link>
    <description><![CDATA[God gave me an unapologetically passionate heart.
I intend to use it.

"Life is a hypocrite if I can't live the way it moves me."

God bless me with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships so that I may live deep within my heart.
God bless me with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that I may work for justice, freedom and peace.
God bless me with tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war, so that I may reach out my hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.
And God bless me with enough foolishness to believe that I can make a difference in the world, so that I can do what others claim cannot be done to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.]]></description>
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      <title>isn't sure what happened to Virb&#13;
&#13;
</title>
      <link>http://virb.com/walkunafraid/posts/status/2072794</link>
      <description><![CDATA[isn&#039;t sure what happened to Virb

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:38:34 -0800</pubDate>
      <guid>http://virb.com/walkunafraid/posts/status/2072794</guid>
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      <pubDate>Wed, 17 Oct 2007 01:40:04 -0700</pubDate>
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      <title>oldy</title>
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      <pubDate>Wed, 17 Oct 2007 01:40:00 -0700</pubDate>
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      <title>Foundations (Part 1: Forsaking the American Dream)</title>
      <link>http://virb.com/walkunafraid/posts/text/112455</link>
      <description><![CDATA[I have been considering lately how I want my life to play out in various regards and taking very seriously the foundations on which the rest of my life will be built. One thing I do know for sure is that I do not want the "American Dream". This is defined for me in two ways. 

First, I do not want to pursue a life where I am accumulating wealth and possessions. And I'm talking about far more than just avoiding the pitfalls of wealth and love of money and materialism. I'm saying I already have too much. Not only do I want to avoid accumulation, but I want to give and sacrifice as well. I am currently taking steps to rid myself of a large portion of the things I have amassed over the years. This has become a very strong desire in my heart. I want to live simply, searching out the abundance of a life lived with its treasures stored "where no thief approaches and no moth destroys". I want to live with a moment by moment trust in the faithful providing hand of my God. I don't always want to know where my next meal will come from or where I will sleep at night. And whatever happens, I will always know that my God will sustain me. He will provide what I need. The more I learn to see how truly dependent I am on Him alone for everything, the more I will see how little I truly need outside of Him alone. I believe we need far less then we think we do. In this culture we have become dependent on so many things that we do not really need.  I have convinced myself that they are needs when in fact they are not. Do I really need a closet full of new clothes? There are many people living in this world who have the clothes they are wearing and nothing more. I'm not saying that we should all choose one outfit and give away the rest, but honestly, how much do we really need? Do I really need a home with more rooms than people, with some of those rooms being used strictly to store the surplus possessions I have accumulated? Once again, there are many people living in this world with either no roof at all, or some with shelters so small that there's barely room to fit just the people in. And then there's food. We've become a people who die from the effects of over-consumption while our brothers and sisters die from need. I want to be different. Not just for the sake of being different, but because that is conviction of my heart. How can I continue to collect for myself all these unnecessary things, while there are so many others who have so little? 

Second, I have decided that I do not want to pursue my dreams. These are the dreams afforded to me because I was born in America - a place where you might say we have too MUCH opportunity. Why is it so hard for anyone to choose what they are going to do with their lives? We have so many choices that it sometimes paralyses us. I once asked someone why it is that I get to have so much freedom to pursue any dream I want while others in the world have to concentrate all their energies on just surviving. I think, for some reason, I just assumed that people living under oppression or in poverty didn't really have any dreams because they were too busy simply trying to survive. But I was wrong. I have seen and heard children with big dreams, but those dreams are being broken by evil men who would steal their innocence and force them into tragic lives. This breaks my heart and I can't forget them. Because there are people who have not been given the opportunities I have been given, I want to use the abundant blessings in my life to work towards the fulfillment of their dreams. "Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required." I have been given so very much. My nation has been so thoroughly blessed. How can I not be moved to action when there is such a disparity between our lifestyles and theirs? They have so little, I have so much and it would take very little to change their whole world. So, in essence, it is not that I will not pursue my dreams, its just that my dreams have changed. Instead of pursuing the fulfillment of my career goals and such, I want to forsake the American Dream in order that I might see the dreams of life, hope, freedom, and love come true in the lives of others.

I don't know how all of this is going to look. At this point, I'm not sure if I am even able to explain clearly what my heart is saying. Here's the thing; God is making His kingdom very real to me. And the more seriously and literally I take the teachings of Jesus, the more I desire to sacrifice for the advancement of His good kingdom. When Jesus came out of the wilderness, after having spent 40 days communing with His Father, he initiated his ministry by proclaiming these words: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." I believe that this scripture is kinda like Jesus' mission statement. I want to be a part of that and I want to take it very seriously and very literally. I want to throw off as many things as I can that would hinder me from identifying with my Saviour's mission in this world and in as many ways as I can to empathize with the suffering of others so that I can be closer to their pain and their need. I am praying that God will use me to carry hope and freedom to other people all over the world.


Luke 12:22-34
And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."



PS. This is no soapbox, in case it appears as such. All fingers are pointing at me. If you should choose to get behind me on this, then the fingers will naturally be pointing at you as well.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 01 Jul 2007 16:13:24 -0700</pubDate>
      <guid>http://virb.com/walkunafraid/posts/text/112455</guid>
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      <title>amen</title>
      <link>http://virb.com/walkunafraid/posts/text/111870</link>
      <description><![CDATA[I'm trying to learn how to pray. I found this prayer in a book. I like it very much.


"May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor."]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 01 Jul 2007 01:14:35 -0700</pubDate>
      <guid>http://virb.com/walkunafraid/posts/text/111870</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Proverbs 3:5-6</title>
      <link>http://virb.com/walkunafraid/posts/text/111869</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Trust God with your whole heart - with every hidden place therein. Do not set your foundation on your confused, fallen, limited, and wandering understanding of things. Keep God in the forefront of your heart and mind in everything you say, do, and think. The Lord will guide you. He will set the path before you. He is faithful.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 01 Jul 2007 01:13:27 -0700</pubDate>
      <guid>http://virb.com/walkunafraid/posts/text/111869</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>motivation</title>
      <link>http://virb.com/walkunafraid/posts/text/111867</link>
      <description><![CDATA[If motivation is hard to find, just create your own.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 01 Jul 2007 01:12:23 -0700</pubDate>
      <guid>http://virb.com/walkunafraid/posts/text/111867</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>I am ten thousand days old today.</title>
      <link>http://virb.com/walkunafraid/posts/text/111866</link>
      <description><![CDATA[I am ten thousand days old today.
or approximately 1/3 of my life is over, if I die of natural causes.
That means, at a maximum, I get to live my whole life two more times.
At a minimum, who knows, maybe the last thing I do will be posting a blog.

I spent the first 5,000 days being myself, well, i started there, then i began accumulating mistakes, wounds and fears, which in turn caused me to lose part of myself, but many things were good and life was always beautiful. 

I spent the next 5,000 days trying to figure out the first 5,000 days, while accumulating more mistakes, wounds, and fears, and losing some things that maybe weren't a part of me after all and finding some things that were a part of me, but I didn't know it yet. 

Now I'm preparing for the next 1 - 20,000 days, however many there may be.

So tomorrow, if/when I wake up, I get to begin my life all over again.
I get to start over.

Yesterday I allowed fear to manage me.
Today I will live from my heart, trusting that God is good, and God has made my heart good. I don't need to fear my heart. I need to listen more. 

Yesterday I chose to place all people (including myself) into to safe and manageable categories. 
Today I will see every person is unique and deserving of my love and respect. Labels kill intimacy. Labels are prisons. And often are lies.

Yesterday I chose to waste words talking about people in ways that I would not talk about them if I knew they were listening.
Today I will speak words of life.

Yesterday I talked a lot.
Today my actions will speak first.

Yesterday I made excuses.
Today I will paint my masterpiece.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 01 Jul 2007 01:11:19 -0700</pubDate>
      <guid>http://virb.com/walkunafraid/posts/text/111866</guid>
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      <title>a prayer</title>
      <link>http://virb.com/walkunafraid/posts/text/111865</link>
      <description><![CDATA[(a prayer someone showed me that speaks the exact words of my heart)


God, I recognize that my spirit is not fully functional, not fully awake in several areas. For some reason, my spirit chose not to enter into life. I confess this sin; I have put my light under a bushel. Like Jonah, I have fled from the life You designed for me. And, as with Jonah, my refusal to live in these areas has caused trouble. I ask forgiveness for the ways in which I have wounded those around me, Lord. I ask your forgiveness for being unwilling to live life. 

God, I ask You to awaken my spirit. Cleanse my spirit. Thank you for not giving up on me. Now I ask You to be even more persistent. Touch my ears so I can hear You speaking to me. 

Lord, I choose Life! I make a concious decision to be fully present, and I ask You to hold me to that decision even if at times I don't want to. Bring to death in me the impulse to flee. I ask that Your resurrection life strengthen and enable me to develop new ways to respond in each of the areas in which I am not alive. 

Help me to see Your call to life as a loving call. Help me to see the call from those who love me in the same way. Set a guard over my life so I can respond to that call in a good way. I thank You, Father God, for my life! In Jesus Name.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 01 Jul 2007 01:10:02 -0700</pubDate>
      <guid>http://virb.com/walkunafraid/posts/text/111865</guid>
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