Loneliness: "The great battle against desolation"

I've had several conversations with people this week about something that breaks my heart. I've had the same conversation over the past couple months more then I can count. The subject. Loneliness! (and for those dropping the "youth" watermark on me, it's been with adults as well...GASP!!!!!!!)

To me one of the worst things a person can expeirience is the feeling of desolation. It feels like a lead weight dropped in my stomach when I hear that. One definition of desolation is "deprevation of companionship".  I find it ironic too, being that we are in such a "communicative" time in live (cell phones, emails, face book, twitters, twatters, twangers, blogs, smogs, and whatever form of false communication you subscribe to). The problem is I think we've used these forms of connecting to do the opposite. To disconnect. Listen, I love these things. I have most of the ones I mentioned above (the real ones at least). But I've challenged myself in this area lately. How much of that am I using to either disperse info ABOUT myself VS connecting to others. The harsh reality is I became a Jimmy whore. Pimping all my thoughts, cares, feelings, etc, but less time asking others (friends) about what's going on in their lives. Now relax before you cast that sharp stone. I'm not saying sharing info on yourself to friends is bad. But I believe in balance. 

So I ask you these questions as a friend. 

Do you share more about YOU, then YOU ask about OTHERS?

How much of your general conversations are based around YOU? (what YOUR doing, what YOUR involved in? etc).

Are you a person who has an answer for EVERYTHING?, so much you ask questions about NOTHING?

How much joy do you find in the success of others? VS the success of yourself?

Why am I asking questions about YOU, when talking about loneliness. Because I believe as Followers of Christ, we must make it our mandate, our call, our mission, to build community.  God gives his character in short forms in scripture on loneliness.

Gen 2:18 "The Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone...'"

 1 Cor 12:21 "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' ..."

God knows the need for community, and the enemy understands the power of desolation. I'm thankful for his promises...
Heb 13:5 "... God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will
I forsake you.

And I'm even more thankful to remind others of these promises.....

Live WITH others, Live FOR one.....

tHe iDiOt......

More for me than you....(REMIND SOMEONE, SOMETHING TODAY)..

In Jude (unsure of which version) it says "Let not your love feast have any spots".

I tell people all the time "letters" are the way to my heart. I keep all of them. Communicating our love for one another, is the greatest tool we have as Christians...brothers and sisters......and family.

I post this not to reveal to the world how awesome I am/was/will be (even though ALL are so true....HUMILITYYYYYYY).

          I post this to encourage you TODAY to reach out to someone you love(d) at one time or currently, tell them, share it with them. We've made ourselves into such a  dispensing type of people. (i.e. MY status updates..facebook, twitter, etc) We dispense OUR information, and give minimal care to other's thoughts, worries, pains, joys, success. My pastor always says "Live outside yourself". It's tough for us to do at time, but you never know what you do to a person when you reach out and remind them.

This young lady I had the privilege of knowing  (and baptizing...AWESOME) and living life with for a short time. God used her in a powerful way to send me a letter I needed desperately AT THAT TIME. When you reach out and share your love, it could be the most powerful way God reminds someone how much HE loves them as well. It reminds you that your not alone. It reminds you that people actually care in a sometimes cold world, and even more so that people are actually listening.

THIS IS WHAT SHE SHARED WITH ME....

It was because for once someone believed in me.
It was because you were the tallest person I’d ever met.
It was because of that cough you seemed to always have.
It was because you told me I loved like you.
It was because you said my love was a river, and it could carry me anywhere,
but rapids always happen in rivers,
and I’d have to fall out and get wet and hurt sometimes,
just like you.
You never told me I was too young, not good enough, I wouldn’t understand.
You told me it was a choice I’d end up making.
All you ever did was try to help me.
And I made my own choice.
I wonder why not everyone has to learn the hard way?

It was how intense you got when we talked.
It was because you weren’t afraid to cry with me.
You we’re never afraid to tell me about Jesus Christ.
It’s because I trusted you.
It’s because your foot never stopped bouncing the hole time.
Or how I saw your brain race with desperation.
For me, for my generation, for your generation, for humanity.
Desperation of love and passion for God.
You told me about the past, about yours, about a lot of things.
I don’t remember how I was thinking at the time.
Maybe I was just looking to talk, and tell my story.
Or maybe I knew you could give me more.
You did give me more, and I threw it aside till I realized I should’ve listened.
Where I saw nothing, you showed me God.
Where I felt nothing, you gave me God.
Where I was sleeping, you woke me up with God.
I want to thank you for telling me I had the gift of love.
Thank you for believing in me even when I made the choice you told me not to make.
Thank you for having love for me even when I might’ve blown you off.
I wish you were still around.
I wish I could’ve known you more before you left.
I wish it hadn’t broken my heart to see you leave.
I tried to hate you.
I tried to let everyone else be right about you.
But I had memories, no one knew.
No one listened to every talk we ever had.
No one knew the God you gave to me, to see, to love, to believe.
No one knew the depth I found in you.
How did I wreck everything so badly when all I was trying to do was love?
I wish we could still talk like we use to.
But our seasons run a little different now and there’s nothing I can do.
Just as long as you always know,
always remember the God you gave to me.
Remember the faith that sparked through you.
The determination to love from you.
Love is something I think I forgot to give along the way.
Love is nothing to throw away.

I love you and miss you!

SHADOW BOXERS (Episode 1)

"Shadow Boxers is a cable access show in N.Y. The goal of Shadow Boxers is to tackle HOT TOPIC issues with today's emerging culture. The mission of Shadow Boxers is also to show "modern day hero's". People who are doing something to make a change in themselves, or in this world.
Shadow Boxers desires to showcase champions.


Please give the show a moment to upload, may take longer for slower internet connections.

SHADOW BOXERS from jimmy smuda on Vimeo.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD....

Friday Nights at MIDNIGHT on channel 20 on CABLEVISION

or become a subscriber to our channel 

http://vimeo.com/channels/shadowboxers

*again, please forgive the quality. I'm looking into ways to upgrade my resources* 

It isn't the best, but it's all I've got, so I'm gonna be faithful..

Help Spread the word please

tHe iDiOt...

Being Missional or Being the Mission..

I've moved around several times in my life now.  I love it, I hate it!  I hate leaving people, but extremely enjoy the new challenges of a new area, or community. Coming to understand that community, how it ticks, and what the DNA is. What I also love is trying to figure out why God brought me to a specific area. I see my missional journeys as just that, MISSIONS! I go into an area not wanting to "become" the mission, but to be missional. I believe God brings us all to places where we are to "add" to the existing structure, town, community, organization, etc. I've learned so much in every Mission I've been on, and the people I've met, and experiences I've had are priceless to me. I know I would not be  the man/leader/husband/father I am today without them. 

However with a missional mindset, we have to beware to not become the MISSION. A missionary goes out to bring change, to build up, to encourage, and in a Christ follower sense to serve selflessly. They do not go to become a part of that particular mission. This takes fighting apathy, or critical-ness, or discouragement. Missonal's see the value they can bring, and they stand fast on this. Through thick and thin, they are committed to the mission, they live for the mission, they would even die for the mission, however to become the mission would be chameleon-like, and pointless. 

Paul did this well. When he went to Berea, Greece, he went with a mission, yet not at the cost of BECOMING THE MISSION himself.

Look where your at today (family, work, ministry, life) 

To be MISSIONAL, is to be EVERYDAY MISSION minded.

Are you missional or part of the mission.....

Missionals make a change

Mission's are in need of a  change..

....tHe iDiOt...

33 years of wrong running.....

So the Mrs and I are on our latest "let's get fit" campaign. There's a big part of me that would love for us to simply give into time, age, and the natural laws of gravity and literally ENJOY our cake and eat it 2....(yeah..the number 2).

So the other day we went for run. 3 1/2 miles of fun. I was impressed with the fact that I broke a 10 minute mile after not running for what seems like decades. But it was during my last maybe quarter mile that i realized something. As I was pushing harder and harder, trying to finish I began thinking of my form. How can I save energy, my thighs were on FIRE at this point, and if it didn't look ridiculous I would have just rolled the last lap. So i started taking inventory of how I was running. I realized for 33 years I don't know if I've ever ran, as much as I simply lumbered. See to run, (this will be obvious to all...but me) It's a multiple extension of the leg for a certain length, the foot hitting the concrete, THEN (here's where I've been missing the boat) HEAL, TOE, then the flexing of the calf to push forward...Simple right?

But for me it was small extension of the leg, and kind of a dead weight heal toe and ZERO flexing of the calf for the PUSH.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO KNOW YOU'VE BEEN RUNNING WRONG FOR OVER 33 YEARS?????? I mean, growing up, I was a multiple sport athlete. I've never been the fastest guy in the world, but I also prided myself with my build, height, and mass that I was NEVER a bumbling big man. Middle of the road maybe, but definitely NOT slow.

So here's the deal. Take inventory of your life right now. Not of the present situations, but of things you've been doing for years, and see if your running wrong. The beauty of discovery, is what you do AFTER you've discovered....that's the fun part. Now, I have a new passion for running, because I will run the way running was supposed to be done. The bible says to run the race with endurance, but it's says the right way below.

HEBREWS 12 SAYS:

and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

So I pray you come into the realm of self-discovery of something in your life that needs examining. And with that discovery you would turn your eyes and your energy to focus on that, and run the right way....

tHe iDiOt....

VISION vs VISIONARY.....

VISION; the act or power of sensing with the eyes; sight.
2. the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be: prophetic vision; the vision of an entrepreneur.

VISIONARY: given to or characterized by fanciful, not presently workable, or unpractical ideas

Very different definitions don't you think? "the power of anticipation vs not presently workable". This week I had the chance to share at a local high school  what it is to be a visionary (P.S. I  THINK EVERYTHING IS FANCIFUL NOW)

I've come up with a new slogan for myself

"a visionary lives in unpractical boldness"...

Think of how important VISION is? The bible says "w/o the vision PEOPLE perish"....not church's, not organizations...not ministries....but PEOPLE perish..which in hence means church's, organizations, and ministries CAN go on and by God even be successful. But PEOPLE? They perish! Hence the importance of the VISIONARY. People who live in unpractical realms...and boldness. I believe a vision goes in 3 steps.

1. It starts with a thought (very spiritual...i know)

2. It directly moves to a vision (because the thought has had some time to plant in our souls, fertilize, and grow

3. then it becomes reality..

Without the 3rd step, it's still a vision, but a INCOMPLETE VISION, which then would categorize itself as a wonderful thought....or potential vision..

The church needs  visionaries, who are unpractical and bold, and make these visions realities....