She takes my breath away.

The very first time I saw her, I told myself that I'm in love with her. She takes my breath away whenever I see her. I get goose bumps whenever I think of her.

She turns heads, she is so beautiful. I admire her so much because she stands for all that's good. 

I love the way she moves so freely, yet she's so strong. The colors she wears will never go out of style. I made a promise to protect her with my life. 

That's the way I feel about Old Glory whenever I see her flying freely above our free skies.

- Ramon Valenzuela, El Paso, TX

God is not through with Juarez.

Yesterday I was reading through the El Paso Times and an article really struck a chord with me. It was an interview with new police chief in Juarez, Julian Leyzaola. You can read the article by clicking here.

About Chief Leyzaola the article said that "he has taken on the enormous challenge of reining in crime in one of the most violent cities in Mexico. It is a daunting job, but he comes with experience. Leyzaola gained international prominence for helping reduce violence in Tijuana, cleaning up the city's police force and openly challenging drug organizations."

About the drug cartels - especially the powerful Zetas - Chief Leyzaola says "Am I supposed to tremble when the Zetas are mentioned or what? I think it is them who should tremble when they talk about the authorities."

Think about the power of that quote for a moment. Let it sink in.

This police chief - in one of the most violent cities in the world, where thousands are killed every year in the drug violence and where the police force is riddled with corruption and kickbacks - he believes that the drug cartels should be afraid of the authorities. 

I agree with him. And I hope and pray, oh I pray so much, that the authorities will get the upper hand in this war because I believe at the core of my heart that God is not through with Juarez.

At the end of the interview, Chief Leyzaola said he still believes that he can change the country. This is a man who recognizes that God-given right for the government to provide order and security, and it seems to me that he recognizes the fact that good MUST triumph over evil. The police MUST triumph over the cartels and criminals in Juarez. They simply must.

And the good news is, God is on their side:

"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God ...For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." - Romans 13:1 & 4 NIV

Natalie Grant has a powerful new song out called "Your Great Name" and in the first verse she sings "Every fear; has no place; at the sound of Your great Name. The enemy; he has to leave; at the sound of Your great Name." How true are those words! The real source of this chaos in Juarez is satan. His mission is to steal, kill, and destroy - but he HAS to run away like a little girl when God steps into the picture. And according to the Bible, Chief Leyzaola is a man who is literally on a mission from God to clean up Juarez. Judging from the article in The Times, I think he will succeed.

He thinks that some semblance of order will be restored to Juarez within a year and a half. I hope and pray so. The enemy, which in this case is the drug cartels and other criminals, must flee because God is on the side of Chief Leyzaola and his police force.

So for those of us who are followers of Christ, we have a responsibility to pray for Juarez. This is not a light responsibility; we must be on our knees, praying faithfully and passionately for God to restore peace to Juarez. The fact is, God is not through with Juarez. That city's greatest days are ahead of her, and as her neighbors to the north, we must pray for and support them. 

Here are a couple of Scriptures you can pray over Juarez:

"O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure." - Psalm 7:9 NIV

"Confuse them, Lord, and frustrate their plans, for I see violence and conflict in the city." - Psalm 55:9 NLT

When you hear about the violence and senseless killings in Juarez, pray. Pray and remember that the enemy has to leave at the sound of our great God's Name. Pray and claim peace over Juarez in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Pray and remember that God is not through with Juarez.

Opening Up.

I am one of about 10-15% of Americans.

I have depression. 

In my early teenage years I struggled with depression for a couple of years and I thought that was all behind me, but then in December it came back and by the beginning of March, it was back with a vengeance. It was beginning to seriously affect my life and was stealing my happiness away from me. All I wanted to do was eat and sleep and eat some more. The things that I used to take pleasure in, I no longer enjoyed.

You know the commercials for depression pills where the people have to wind up the little figurines of themselves? That's how I felt - like I had to wind myself up just to get out of bed each morning. At my lowest point, I experienced something that totally opened my eyes to how others feel: I didn't want to live anymore.

It's not that I was suicidal. I didn't want to kill myself; I just wanted to cease existing. It was so strange to experience that, and that was when I knew I needed help. So after 3 months of keeping this intensely personal battle a secret, I made one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make: I told someone about my depression.

Doing that was one of the most TERRIFYING things I've ever done.Honestly, I was worried that it would cause me to carry a stigma. I was worried that people would think of me differently and would behave differently around me. And you know what? Some people did. But that's ok.

Going public with my depression has been one of the greatest and most humbling things I've ever done. I prayed about it for awhile and decided that I needed to be on display with my depression because I believed God would glorify Himself through it. So I decided that if I was gonna gonna go in, I was gonna go ALL in. I cannonballed into the water by telling my parents, my fellow staff members, my GrowGroup family, and a few others as I felt necessary about my battle. 

By being open about it, God has opened up so many opportunities for me to minister to other. I can't tell you how many times I was transparent with someone about my depression and I saw their disposition totally change. It was like new life was breathed into them as they realized they weren't the only ones. Every time I told someone about my depression and saw how God used it to bring healing to them, I also felt healed a bit.

As treatment for my depression, I started counseling. Let me say, I have always had massive respect for our counseling team at Del Sol but it wasn't until I actually started going to counseling with Justin that I fully understood and appreciated what God does through our amazing counseling team. They have so many great resources that can really help you find healing in God and be transformed as you put into action the plan they give you. I am amazingly grateful to our counseling team for helping me through this.

So now, 4 and a half months into this ordeal, I'm at a point where I feel better because I am transformed. I don't know if I'll ever be "healed", but honestly I don't know if that's even the point. But I do know that Romans 12 talks about being transformed by the renewing of your mind, and I know that 2 Corinthians 1:4 says that God comforts us in our troubles so that we can comfort others with the same comfort God gives us.

In other words, my depression can be a ministry. So if I'm never healed, but God can use my pain to minister to others ...I'm ok with that.

Psalm 3:3 says that God will lift up my head. I can't even count how many times since December I have asked the Lord to be the lifter of my head and restore to me my joy. He has answered my prayer because there is incredible power in prayer.

So now that you know about my struggle, will you pray for me?

My thoughts on Osama bin Laden

Three days ago it was announced that Osama bin Laden had been killed. Sadly, right away it seems that Christians were divided about this into two groups: the group who celebrated justice being served and the group that mourned the death of a man who is now spending an eternity without Christ. Some quoted a verse from Ezekiel which says that God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked. Others - myself included - quoted verses talking about the justice and righteousness of God triumphing over evil.

Let me just say to start that I should have thought before I posted anything. I learned a big lesson from all this.

Now a few days after the fact, having had plenty of time to think about it and listening to the perspective of Christians I respect who stand on opposing sides of the issue, here are my conclusions.

The death.

First, I don't think anyone would argue that his death was just and was not murder. That being said, as Christians I believe we should do two things with equal energy:

1. We should mourn the death of a wicked man who has now entered a Christ-less eternity. If you have even the slightest idea of what a horrible place hell is like, you would understand why there should be absolutely no pleasure in knowing that OBL is there. Hell is a terrible place, horrible beyond description, and we should take no pleasure in even someone as depraved and wicked as OBL or Hitler being there. Anyone - ANYone - being in hell is a terribly sad thing which we should mourn.

2. We should celebrate the fact that justice has been done. We should not celebrate the death, but we should celebrate the fact that good triumphed over evil and justice was served. The Bible is very clear that the primary role of government is to protect its people. Romans 13 reminds us that the government "bears a sword" for a reason, and the job of government is to bring justice swiftly and fairly. So the fact that an enemy of the State was found out and eliminated as a threat to our nation is right and just because it is a triumph, and that is something to celebrate. There's nothing wrong with rejoicing in the triumph of good over evil, and we should all be tremendously proud of our soldiers for a job very well done.

To embrace one of these viewpoints without the other is (in my opinion) wrong, shortsighted, and shows a lack of a proper understanding of the Bible. Honestly when I first heard the news I embraced #2 without embracing #1 and that was wrong. When it comes to OBL's death, I would encourage you to ask if you are responding to this in a Godly way and repent if necessary, like I've done.

The photos.

Today the President announced that the government would not release the photo of Bin Laden's corpse. He was quoted as saying "We don't trot out this stuff as trophies". When I first heard this, I didn't know how to feel about it. My first instinct was that the government should release the photo so that every American who wants to can see it, as was done with the corpse of Saddam Hussein.

But after a little more thought, I've come to realize there are some good arguments for both releasing and not releasing the photos. One of the arguments against releasing the image is that it will incite muslim terrorists to attack. I think that's a pretty weak argument because terrorists are gonna attack either way. They're gonna be angry about the news alone and releasing a photo won't really do much more to incite them.

I think the best argument I've heard for not releasing the photos is that we should take the higher ground that muslim terrorists and not stoop down to their level of parading these kinds of things around. That seems to be the approach our President is taking and I see some validity to it.

The other argument I've heard is that the government owes it to the citizens of America to prove that our number one enemy had been eliminated. That to dispel rumors and conspiracy theories, the government should be open and honest and show the proof that justice has been served, again, like they did with Hussein.

As a Christian, I agree that we should take the higher ground. But our government is not a theocracy. This is a secular government and because of that, they should release the photos and the video of the burial at sea. There will always be conspiracy theories, but the average American citizen has the right to know the truth and the best way to prove what has been done is through photos and videos.



What do you think about all this? Do you agree or disagree with my conclusions?

Why I don't believe the tragedy in Japan is God's judgment.

Every time a massive tragedy happens - be it 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, or the recent tragedy in Japan - some presumably "well meaning" Christian says it was the judgment of God on those people. Just today, KVIA reported that a candidate for a city council position claimed this was God's curse on Japan. 

Apparently this man, not the Bible (which is the Word of God), is the spokesperson for God!

All sarcasm aside, I disagree with him and I think it's vile, merciless, and plain stupid to say that - especially while Japan is still in crisis. I mean, even China - one of Japan's enemies - is putting aside their animosity for awhile to provide help to Japan. Seems that even a horrible, ungodly government like China's is showing more grace to Japan than some Christians. 

I think there are some major flaws with the notion that every time something horrific happens, like the aforementioned events, they are God's judgment on evildoers. 

First, not EVERYONE in New Orleans (Katrina), Washington, New York City, and the United States (9/11) or Japan are vile, evil sinners worshiping false pagan gods. Many of them were regular, normal people living good lives. Sinners living apart from Christ, sure - but nothing blatantly anti-God, nothing outright blasphemous.

Second, what about all the Christians in those places? In the Old Testament, didn't God spare Israel from judgment at least because of the remnant of faithful God-followers? Since the Bible says God never changes, shouldn't we expect that He would at least offer mercy because of a faithful few?

Third, the Bible is very clear throughout the Old Testament and especially in the New Testament about God's grace - that He is being patient and restraining His judgment (see 2 Peter 3:9). And Romans 2:4 says it is God's KINDNESS that leads people to repentance. So if God wanted people to turn from their wicked ways, it would be in keeping with what the Bible says for Him to draw people to repentance through His kindness, not harsh judgment.

Fourth, if these are God's judgment, you have to ask - where was the forewarning? Throughout the Bible God always gave people a chance to repent before bringing judgment and destruction; Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Jonah are great examples of that. When did the people of Japan and New Orleans - as a whole, not just as individuals - receive a warning to repent? For God to bring punishment without first bringing a chance to repent seems very out of character for God; it would make it seem like God is a schizophrenic.

So could these events be God's judgment? Yes, that's possible. God is sovereign and is good and right and just in everything He does. If He were using these events to bring judgment, because He is God He has every right to do that and we cannot accuse Him of being unfair or unjust. BUT - from what the Bible says about how God chooses to relate to us right now in the age of grace and in the new covenant because of Jesus - I would say these things are probably not God's judgment.

So why do these things happen? Because we live in a broken, messed up world under the curse of sin where although Jesus is King over all, stupid satan still has some power as the prince of darkness. So I would attribute these horrible events to what Romans 8:19-22 says: these are the tragic effects of sin being played out in creation, but probably not the judgment of God.

As Christians, as followers of Christ - yes we need to speak the truth without compromise - but I think we need to be smart about it and be sensitive. Right now is simply not the time to pronounce God's judgment - not when they're still counting bodies.

What do you think?

Today is Global Human Trafficking Awareness Day. I’ve heard many different statistics about human trafficking and how prevalent it is. One estimate I saw yesterday is that one in four victims trafficked to the United States travels along I-10 – the main highway that runs right through my beloved city of El Paso. That’s roughly 17,000 victims a year.

That is simply unacceptable. Words cannot describe how unacceptable that is. Just one person being trafficked in our country – or in our world for that matter – is one person way too many.

Injustice is something that really bothers me. It messes with my heart and sometimes overwhelms me to the point of tears. I hate injustice. I hate it! I don’t even know how to describe the anger and pain that I’m filled with when I think of injustice.

Injustice cannot continue. NOT ON MY WATCH.

I will fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. I will devote the rest of my life and whatever financial resources I can to help bring an end to injustice in our world, whether it’s slavery, forced prostitution, lack of clean water, or any other situation where basic human rights and dignity are stolen away.

In November I went to the Catalyst One Day event in Phoenix, and one of the singers there sang an updated version of the old hymn “It Is Well”. As he sang that song, it hit me: I can rightfully sing this song. All things considered, it really is well with my soul. But how many millions of people in our world today, how many people we see face to face every day in El Paso cannot sing that song because it is NOT well with their soul?

How many beautiful young girls do we see at the store and we don’t even know that they’re forced into prostitution and are screaming “it is NOT well!”? How many men are forced into manual labor with no hope of escape and they can only sing “it is not well”?

This simply cannot continue any longer. Not on my watch.

That’s why I’m a huge supporter of two organizations whose missions are to bring an end to injustice. International Justice Mission specifically addresses injustices like slavery and the sex trade. Charity: water addresses the injustice of people in developing nations not having clean water to drink.

If you’re like me and you say “not on my watch”, then do something to help. Donate to IJM and charity: water, and tell everyone you know about them. Also, you can be at the “Save the Brave” concert tonight from 6:00 – 9:00 pm at the BSM (101 E. University, at Mesa & University next to Whataburger).

Join with me today and for the rest of our lives in crying out “NOT ON MY WATCH!”

No resolutions, just values.

So every New Year, people talk about turning over a new leaf, changing their ways, and making resolutions. New Year's resolutions are big, and it seems like they're impossible to keep.

I don't make New Year's resolutions. If I'm gonna do something or change somehow, I just do it - regardless of the time of year.

However, I've gotten a bit off base in life. I haven't been living in total, unconditional surrender to God, and I've been missing out on living in His best for me - so I need to realign my life. To do that, I'm not making resolutions but I am realigning my values.

This year, these are the things I want to value in life:

- Being in love with God. Too often last year I loved God and was obedient to Him - but I wasn't crazy in love with Him. Far too often I was living more out of duty and commitment to Him than out of love. My prayer is to love God more than I love anyone or anything else, so I am making some big changes in my life. I don't want to just settle for loving God; I want to be passionately, recklessly, totally, hopelessly IN LOVE with God. Nothing less than that will do and nothing else will matter as much as that. That will be my ultimate value this year.

- People. Last year reminded me in so many ways that aside from God, nothing matters more than people. NOTHING. Seriously - nothing. No amount of money, no amount of ministry work, no project, no task, no technology, no TV show, no video game - nothing. Period. And yet, I so often seem to forget that and behave like projects matter more than people, rather than the opposite. But this year, I am choosing to value people above all else, save God. I will prioritize people even at the cost of personal productivity. People matter to God, so they better matter to me.

- Making reading a priority. I really suck at reading. I mean, I know how to read but I hardly ever make time to do it. I tend to see it more as a "if I have some spare time to do it" kind of thing instead of a "this should be a priority because leaders are readers" thing. I have a stack of about 20 books I've bought that I want to read, and about 50 more on my Amazon wish list, so I really gotta get to work on this one!

- Communicating over talking. I talked way too much last year, and didn't communicate enough. I failed epicly when it comes to communication. I assumed that people understood what I meant and even though I said I wanted to over-communicate, I didn't. I definitely under-communicated. This year I will strive to be concise, clear, and to the point. I will also value simply having more conversation just for the sake of conversation. I really enjoy having conversation with people, and I want to do more of that.

- Getting dirty. My life has been too clean, to "American Dream". I haven't gone hungry, I haven't gone thirsty, and I haven't gone without anything I need - or want, for that matter. Yet millions of people throughout the world, and hundreds of people in my El Paso have. I don't think I crossed paths with anyone who was truly in need last year; I don't think I did enough in the Name of Jesus Christ to meet real needs and address injustice around me. That is not cool. I will value addressing injustice around me, and I will be intentional about doing so. The Bible says that to whom much is given, much is demanded. It says I am blessed to be a blessing, so I must get grimy, I must get in the gutter, I must get dirty this year.

What will you choose to value more this year?