Shoe Stories
What do you think shoes would say about their owners if they could talk? Someone at GrX proposed this question and made a short video to introduce a new seven week series on Authenticity, the Journey of Recovery.
I get off on getting attention. As soon as I walk into a room I want attention.
I promised myself that this would be the last time. I won't let him pressure me into doing what I don't want to do. (sighing off distant)
We had sex again last night. I know I have sinned and I'm going to ask God for forgiveness. But the funny thing is everytime we get together I can't control myself. (giggles)
When I became a Christian I thought that I have to lead a life of good deeds. Well I soon found out that wasn't realistic and at the very least nearly impossible. You see, we Christians are just as mixed up, just as torn up inside, (filled with doubts and insecurities!), just as unable to handle life as non-Christians are. So rather than leading a double life — where on the outside I appeared to have it altogether but a mess on the inside — I can be authentic. Like the TV show Will and Grace, I can be "Just Mike".
Here are the questions proposed by Pastor Dave in what is the first of a seven week series of sermons: Honesty Before God
Q. What does it mean to be authentic?
A. Being true to one's personality, spirit, and character.
Q. How can we be authentic people?
A. Acknowledge that we are powerless without Christ.
Ask Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, thus receiving the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
My hope is that I will gain a more thorough understanding of the restoration/recovery process that eminates from being real and authentic. Such simple cliché-therapist-concept in our modern day and age has got to have a deeper, more intricately complex spiritual basis to it. In short I want to understand how to be an authentic Christian &mdash without compromising the essential spirit of the Truth in Scripture. Perhaps I will have a "Saintly Shoes" story to share to you someday that has its origin from these sermons.
Got Shoes? After the service on Sunday, I was thinking of how to start this blog and realized that I bought four pairs of shoes within the span of two months. It may sound excessive but I will be diligently using these shoes &mdash if not for working out &mdash at least for the fact that they will provide me with endless oodles of wasted time making decisions on what sports-activities to do for the week. 
+ Asics Kayano XI Running Shoes
+ La Sportiva Cliff Rock Climbing Shoes
+ Boreal Ace Rock Climbing Shoes (These didn't fit me so I decided to give it to my bro-in-law as a birthday present. Um I hope he's not reading this right now.) 
+ Shimano R098 Road Shoe
God's Word I'll end this with passages from 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 (NIV)
Shoe, huh? We're getting pretty deep here.
Let's see...the shoes I wear...I pretty much wear out. The shoes I wear the most right now are some low-top, trail, cross-training, runners I bought a few years back. They're the shoes I wore when I hiked to the top of Half Dome. Good memories.
What does this say about me? That I cherish what I have and use wisely the gifts given to me. I helped fulfill this shoe's destiny (heh, heh).
Balance, I believe is the word.
I hope you fulfill each of your shoes' destinies, Mike.