//Quick up-date

Well I had written a long post about this, but it got deleted and I'm too tired to rewrite it! Haha... anyway, we are hosting a Christmas party of 80 people tomorrow night and we spent the evening preparing for the homeade Thai feast we are having. Here are some pictures... enjoy!

//seeking passion: design

I mentioned a few posts back that I was beginning to discover passion again. I thought it might be good to start exploring some of the things I am passionate about. After all, don't you think that if you are passionate about something you should know a little about it?

I am extremely interested in design. Whether it be architectural, graphic, or something else, it draws me. I look at everything around me and study it. Even as I write this post I am looking at all the items on the kitchen island, dissecting them and picking them apart in my mind. The box that housed Linda's new cell phone. The flower vase with the fresh bunch of roses. The packing tape dispenser (random). They all began with an idea- hopefully one that's goal was to improve something or make an existing solution better. Are you following? It makes sense in my head at least...

Downtown Seattle

I took this picture with my phone while I was downtown for the Nordstrom lunch. Urban architecture never ceases to amaze me. The designing and planning that goes into every building is incredible. And how it all seamlessly fits together. New York City is interesting because the whole island is one giant grid. They have streets running north to south that are intersect by streets running east to west. It feels organized. However, San Francisco is not designed in grid form at all. There are certain areas of the city that are in the grid form, but most of the city has no definitive style.

Its awesome what you can discover when you take the time to think about it!

//bound for life

Some of you will be happy to know that I am pursing photography and I am really having fun with the creativity that is flowing.

Last Saturday a group of us went to a local abortion clinic and took a stand for the unborn. The blood of innocent blood is being shed over this nation and we are oblivious of it! We have been talked into the idea that it is a woman's right to choose and that even though the little baby is the size of a pea and has fingers and a heart beat, it has no life and can be done away with.

It's up to us to stop abortion. With God's help, it will be done! I am so excited to be a part of this Bound for Life chapter. One of my friends started it here in Maple Valley and it is so encouraging to be a part of something that is making a difference. Our next silent siege is in December and I can't wait! You can check out more info on Bound for Life at www.bound4life.com

Here are some facts about abortion:

Abortion Worldwide

• Annually, 46 million babies die from abortion worldwide. That’s approximately one baby being aborted every two seconds.

Abortion in the United States

• An estimated 50 million babies have been aborted since 1973. Approximately 24% of all U.S. pregnancies end in abortion.

• Over half (56%) of all women having abortions between 15-44 are in their 20’s.

And here is the one that really gets me...

• Nearly eight in 10 U.S. women obtaining an abortion report a religious affiliation.
  • 43% are Protestant
  • 27% are Catholic
  • 8% are other religions

Let's join together and change these statistics! It's time for change.

Here are some pictures from our first silent siege on Saturday.

//answering the call

I don't even know where to begin! So much has happened in the past few weeks, it's even hard to remember what has gone on, but every second of life is SO INCREDIBLE right now. I have never felt more alive in my life. For the first time in years I have focus again. I am passionate about the things I am learning. I have a drive to be successful, and it is all coming from Jesus.

We just finished The Fear of the Lord by John Bevere. People- READ THIS BOOK. It will change your life. Seriously! Bevere points out some incredible points. Our nation has lost its reverence for life. We are so apathetic, it's pathetic! (Haha) Yesterday I was in downtown Seattle at an executive luncheon for the Nordstrom Company (met Blake Nordstrom, but that's another story!) and as I was standing in the lobby I was observing the business men and women come and go from the building. Not once did I see a man open the door for the lady behind him, let alone acknowledge there was a lady near him. It made me so angry and sad at the same time. Not only was there a lack of reverence and respect for the woman but there was a lack of leadership present. Men have chosen to be apathetic and no longer be the protectors and leaders God has called them to be. Just observe a couple the next time you are out- you will probably see the guy racing ahead of the girl while she is trying to keep pace with him. The book talks about this irreverence for everything in our lives and how important it is that we WAKE UP and start STEPPING UP to be what God has designed us to be. All in all, its a really good book. If you want to borrow a copy, let me know!

We've moved onto Celebration of Discipline. I wasn't sure a book could get better than Fear of the Lord, but I was wrong. We spent 5 hours on the first chapter! We had an in depth discussion about superficiality and how disconnected our generation is becoming because we have become leeches to social networks, the internet, and text based communications (text messaging). The phone call is being called the "new hand written letter". In 2008, text message usage topped voice call usage. What? Yeah- text message is in, the phone call is out. (Check out this article on the subject - http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/13/alexia-phone-home/)

I can sit here and ask, "Why? WHY is my generation doing this?" but I would much rather get up and say, "HEY! Wake up America! Facebook and your cell phones are frying your brains!" Well, I don't really think that would be my choice of words, but you get the picture. I don't want my grand childrens history books to be filled with stories of a society that was so addicted to their computer screens that they completely forgot how to relate to each other. Who am I kidding- my grand children probably wont even have text books- it will all be read from an electronic device. I digress.

I guess what I am getting at is how much I am beginning to realize that life is so precious and valuable. Before GL I felt like I was stuck in a giant vortex of lifelessness and superficiality. The beauty of it all is that I don't have to live that way anymore! And guess what- NEITHER DO YOU! God is waiting so anxiously for us to hear him calling out names! He crying out to us and we can't hear Him because we have our iPods in our ears. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my iPod. I'm actually listening to it right now. But what I have learned is that headphones in my ears when there are people around to talk to, is rude. And having my phone out when there is opportunity for fellowship, is rude. Do you want to see America crumble to pieces because of stupid, little plastic devices? I dont.

I'm coming home on Tuesday and I can't wait to see my family and start making up for all of the time that I spent in my room on my computer. Even better, now that I don't have my nose in my computer, I can't start focusing on how I am going to change this in our nation.

Watch out America, here I come.

\\He makes us new!

So much has happened in the past two weeks I don't think I can get it all out in one post. You will come to realize that my year is insanely busy, hence the gap between blogging. However, all of that busyness is full of life, truth, and God's grace. I can not begin to tell you about the incredible work that God has been doing in my life. I am finding answers to confusion that I have had in my life for a very long time and it is incredible freedom! God is so good.

I am so thankful for my parents and their wisdom. I have called them so many times looking for answers and they have always given me words of wisdom that stick with me and that I rely on everyday. So I dedicate this post to them...

Mom & Dad,

Thank you so much for everything you have done for me. I appreciate you so much. Here is a video of the baptisms that we had the other day. You'll see my video in there... the old man went under and the new man came up!

\\Hello!

Hi there!

You are probably reading this because you are interested in an update on my life! Well you've come to right place. If you follow my photography blog (josiahmichael.com/blog) you may have realized that it hasn't been running for the past month. I can't figure out how to get it back online, so I created this blog here because SO MUCH is happening in my life and if I don't share it will everyone, there will be so much to tell when I visit home! So as I will keep the blog updated, please keep reading! :)

Where to begin? Well, how about here:

I decided to move to Maple Valley, Washington about two months ago. Why, you ask? Because there is a church up here called Generational Hope that has a passion and vision for hope of our world. They believe that the keys to establishing God's kingdom on earth lie in the hands our this generation and the generations to come. I also share this vision! So I joined a school at the church called Generational Leadership. GL is an 11 month school that focuses on establishing a foundation and identity in Christ so that you can reach out to the current generation and make an impact that will change the world for generations to come. Pretty cool, huh? I think so!

Ever since I was young I knew that God had an amazing calling on my life and now I am beginning to realize that I am a kingdom person. A world changer. A visionary. An activist for the Kingdom of Heaven! I could not be any happier with where I am. God has already began to reveal to me his amazing grace and truth that is transforming my life! In the month and a half that I have been here I have already seen tremendous growth in my own life. It is pretty incredible and I can't wait to see what happens for the rest of my time up here.

I think that people have the wrong idea about Washington state. Yes, it is cloudy A LOT up here, but the people here are so fantastic. They are genuine and friendly! People care about other people here, which is quite a bit different from California! Life is a lot slower up here. There is no hustle and bustle or rush here and there. Its just people savoring the life they are living, one day at a time. This is quite the opposite of what I was used to! But it has been so incredible for me to be able to slow down and focus on the man that I am becoming.

I think that gives a pretty good summary of what it is like up here. If you ever have the chance to visit, I strongly recommend it! I like about 30 minutes outside of Seattle which is truly an AMAZING place! I love visiting whenever I can.

Here are a few pictures of my year so far...

This is Kyle and me bowling. This picture was staged, haha.

We played this great game where you had to get an oreo from your forehead into your mouth without using your hands in under 60 seconds. I won!

I also discovered that I am amazing on the ice. So don't mess with me. Really. Just ask Kyle.

One day we went on a dive boat owned by a family at the church. This is Liz, one of the interns, holding a sea urchin that the diver brought right up from the ocean floor!!

Fall is in full swing up here! I've never seen so many amazing colors in all my life!

I will be posting more photos and videos as the year goes on! I hope you enjoy reading my blog! I would love to hear from you, so post something in the comments section of this post!! Until next time...

\\Josiah