The Immaturity of War

War is an abomination.

Today at chapel, the speaker, Terry Bowland, put this picture on the screen, accompanied by the words "God is not a Pacifist!"



A line I remember from his sermon goes like this: "I have no problem with Christians taking up arms to protect his fellow man." He may not have a problem with it, but I'm pretty certain Jesus does. By his own admission, Jesus' second greatest command is "Love your neighbor as yourself." He doesn't say "Love your neighbor, but only if they believe what you believe and look like you". I don't think Jesus' love is demonstrated very well by shooting someone in the face.

In my eyes, war is never necessary. Never. It is simply an act of immaturity. To quote the great Ryan Clark of Demon Hunter fame, "The weak of the mind will use fist, the fist of the frail will bring gun, the loudest of guns provoke bombs, and in wrath he will chase 'til its done." Jesus says we should be slow to anger, and I believe that encompasses a wide spectrum of circumstances, from someone saying something behind your back, to planes being flown into buildings.

Love. It's the easiest and hardest thing to do.

Good day,

Fox out.

Currently listening to: Prize Fighter Inferno

Insanity

I believe that living without ridiculous dreams is not a life worth living.

The house of representatives recently passed a bill called the Affordable Health Care for America Act. Don't get me wrong, this is very good news, but there is so much more that can be done. If things were done the Kyle Fox way, Insurance wouldn't exist. Going to the Doctor would be no different than going to the grocery store. Flat rates for different medicines and treatments of different afflictions would be set in place. If someone could genuinely not afford the price, do it for free.

If the people in this country want a better place to live, new legislation is not what we should be after. It takes one thing: Love. Yes, the Beatles were right- all you need is love. When love takes over, the details take care of themselves.

Love- just one of my ridiculous dreams.

Until the next post,

Fox out

Currently listening to: Trivium

To a lot of People:

Hey. Man up and stop treating women like dirt.

You are pissing me off. Don't expect them to make themselves better for you. Except them as they are, and improve yourself. Trust me, you need it.

What is our problem that we have replaced the "dating" with the word "sex"? I think the root problem is our epic selfishness. It seems to me that a "mature" relationship is one that is sexually active. I believe that the truth is the opposite. I personally can't wait to be in a relationship that denies itself and looks forward to marriage.

Shabbat Shalom,

Fox out

Currently Listening to: Owl City

Future's Bright, Man

Dont get me wrong.

I love college. But I cant wait til it's over. Im very excited for my future youth ministry. I constantly come up with ideas for it. Sermons, activitiyes, service projects... so much that needs to be done. I'm going to be the most sicknasty youth pastor ever.

Happy Halloween,

Fox Out

Currently listening to: Metallica

12 Hours So Far

I took a short break from writing one of my research papers to get down a quick thought:

I hate writing research papers.

Back to the grind,

Fox out.

Currently listening to: Job For A Cowboy

A Man of a Million Names

This is something I've always wanted to do.

I'm going to list all the names/nicknames that I can remember having. There's not really a point, I just thought it would be amusing. Let's get started.

1. Kyle-Pretty much used by blood relatives only.
2. Fox-Very popular, used by mostly everyone. This what I introduce myself as.
3. Kyle Fox
4. KYLEFOX!- Emily and Haley's.
5. Foxy/Foxxy- Also popular.
6. Foxamillion- This guy Daniel on my dorm floor calls me this.
7. Foxybear- Originally used by Anna. Me and Chris also used it when we were revising the song Guy Love from Scrubs. Sydnee and Fae kept it going.
8. Fox Man- Nicole's.
9. Dr. Foxy Loxy- Woody Wilkinson, one of my professors.
10. Starfox
11. Ky
12. Kyle Smile- My mom.
13. Mr. Fox
14. Kyle(whata)Fox- This used to be my name in Emily and Rachels' phones. It might still be. It's a personal favorite of mine.

That's all I can remember, but I know there's more.

With Love,

Fox out.

Currently listening to: Steve Miller Band

New Territory

When I think Fox, I think single. I'm pretty sure you do too.

I've had a total of two girlfriends in my life, one was a good decision, one was not. Compared to some guys I know, my dating life seems pretty much nonexistent. I don't mind this, as I don't really put much importance or effort in this kinda stuff.

But lately, my mind has been blowing up with confusion. There are two girls that I am very interested in. I've known both for years, one since 7th grade, the other since sophomore year. They're both amazing girls.I've been praying a lot on the subject and have yet to come to any conclusions.

I'm coming back home to Arizona on November 20th and I can't be anymore excited. I miss everyone so much. I'm probably not going to want to come back.

Buh-bye,

Fox out.

Currently listening to: Closure In Moscow

An "Abbreviated" Life

I pretty much only remember one specific thing that was said at my Dad's funeral:

"Pete lived an abbreviated life."

What I take from this statement is that my father died before his life fully happened. That makes no sense. I firmly believe that every single thing that happens on this earth happens for a reason. I don't believe we were ever given a certain time that we are "supposed" to live.

What I do believe is that living for even one second in this amazing place called earth is more than we ever deserve. I will try and will fail to praise God enough for this miracle.

At chapel on Tuesday, Mark Moore preached about the burden of money. He talked about tithing, the practice of giving ten percent of all income to the church. Upon reflection, I came to the conclusion that tithing is meaningless if not done with a sincere heart and feeling of joy.

God doesn't want our money. He doesn't want us to sit in a building on Sunday morning. He wants us to love him, and to love enough that we cant contain it, and have to tell others about him. That's the sole purpose of life.

No matter how long yours turns out to be.

Catch ya on the flip side,

Fox out

Currently listening to: The Wedding

Take that, me!

Jesus kicked me square in the face today.

I have lately become bored with going to church on Sunday. We wake up, make ourselves pretty, sing some songs, sit in a chair, say hi to people, leave, and continue with our sinful lives. Woo.

This morning, I was sitting in the college group, just waiting for it to be over. I was contemplating all the things that the group of people that were there could be doing to advance the Kingdom of God more than just sitting and talking. It was close to being done, when we went into the main service for what we thought would be the last 10 minutes or so of service. The pastor was talking about baptism. He abruptly walked up and stepped into the baptistery and simply said "I know that there are many people in this room that have not been baptized. Why not do it today?"

Such a simple question. 33 people were baptized in just that one church service. 33 people found the meaning of life.

Nothing is more important than that.

See ya,

Fox out.

Currently listening to: Die To Yourself

My Musical Endeavor

I've always considered myself a musical connoisseur of sorts. Well I've decided that starting today, I will dedicate each day to a band/artist that I've never heard before.

My plan is to listen to as much of their music I can find on Imeem, and then at the end of the day, decide whether or not the artist in question is worth listening to on a regular basis.

Today, for example, I'm reviewing a band called Hope For the Dying. From what I've listened to, they are pretty decent. I'm pretty excited to expand my musical library, and hopefully find a sound that I've never heard before. If you guys know something that I may have never heard before, let me know.

Live long and prosper,

Fox out.

Currently listening to: Hope for the Dying

A femur...or maybe an ulna?

I have a bone to pick. With myself.

I sincerely believe I need to shut the eff up and listen more often. I need to live a life of prayer. I need to slow down and wallow in the beauty of this earth. I need to start praising Jesus more than dumping my worries on him. I need to stop caring about money. I need to read God's word everyday.

I've witnessed in this life that people tend to blame God for the bad things that happen to them, and praise themselves when good things happen to them. Shut up. You didn't do anything. The fact that you are even alive deserves more thanks than it is humanly possible to give.

Farewell,

Fox out.

Current listening to: Coheed and Cambria.

My Nerdiness is Public Knowledge

Ozark is starting to become more of a home. I think one of the biggest factors of this realization is that I've already become somewhat accustomed to where roads are in this town.

I found out today that somebody I love very much needs to have another surgery. Please keep her in your prayers. Speaking of prayer, my personal prayer habits have become exponentially better in the last week. I've realized that praying out loud is very conducive to the process; it forces me to focus on the things that Jesus already knows about.

A comic shop opened up two weeks after I moved here, something that gives me assurance that this is where I am supposed to be. I went on my weekly comic run, and happened to walk in when reporters from the local newspaper were interviewing the owner. I got my picture taken when I was looking through the selection, and answered a few questions about the shop.

I'm taking the midwest by storm.

Goodbye,

Fox out.

Currently listening to: D.A.G.

Boatman 3rd

This place is awesome.

I just got back from the floor devotional that we did tonight. It was very cool. We prayed together, took communion together, and sang praises together. Ive been spending a lot of time with the guys on the floor of my dorm, playing video games, eating, doing whatever, and I kind of forgot that these guys are Jesus followers too. Tonight fully reminded me of that fact. Martin wasn't there, because he is a sinner.

I'm getting to like Ozark more and more as time goes on. The homework here doesn't really seem like actual work, because its stuff that matters. Studying for a test brings me closer to God.

Tomorrow night is the first night that I'm going to volunteer at The Bridge. I'm very excited to start getting to know the kids from around town. Hopefully those relationships will be long lasting and I can lead them to Jesus.

TTFN,

Fox out.

Currently listening to: Demon Hunter

Troublemaker

Maybe its just me, but the "fun" things of this world are actually pretty stupid.

In my life, I've always striven to be an individual. This is why I started following Jesus. I was looking for what the cool thing at school was, determined to do the opposite. Since when has it been popular amongst the High School population to be a Christian?

I've frequently heard stories of the "party life", as its called, and quite frankly, its disgusting. I can't comprehend what the selling point of getting drunk and high and then having sex with a girl I don't know is. Is it the alcohol poisoning? Overdosing? STD's? If you can shed some light on this subject for me, please do. It seems to me like the main idea is: The less you can remember about a night, the better it was.

That's retarded. Spending money on alcohol just seems like you are intentionally funding the guilt that ensues after getting drunk. Smoking anything (even cigarettes) says to me, "Eff you God. I know you gave me this body, but I'd rather destroy it. It's more fun that way."

But maybe I'm wrong.

Adios,

Fox Out.

Currently listening to: Weezer

Minty Fresh

I brush my teeth a lot.

I started my classes here at Ozark a little over a week ago, and I'm happy to report that they are all pretty awesome. I've decided to give you a little overview of a typical school day for me. I'll use a Tuesday schedule, as it is one of the busier days.

6:00 AM: Wake up, reach over, set alarm for 6:30 A.M.
6:30 AM: Wake up, and lie in bed for the next five minutes, previewing the day's schedule.
6:35 AM: Get out of bed, put on clothes, eat breakfast*, brush teeth, review memory verses.
6:50 AM: Leave for my first class.
7:00 AM: First class of the day: Christ and the Bible with Woody Wilkinson. This class is my least favorite, only because of the fact that it starts at SEVEN IN THE MORNING. Other than that, its pretty enjoyable. The teacher is funny and passionate about what he teaches. One of the best things about Woody is that he reminds us everyday that he prays for us and loves us very much, and you can't not believe him.
7:50 AM: Leave Christ and the Bible and head to Acts.
8:00 AM: Second class of the day: Acts with Chris Dewelt. This is class is pretty cool. Dewelt is a tall weird looking guy who likes to make lame jokes and then laugh at them a lot. He also likes to call the class "Christian", as in: "You're going to be asked some tough questions in the future, Christian... are you ready?"
8:50 AM: Leave Acts and make my way to Christian Life.
9:00 AM: Third class of the day: Christian Life with Matt Proctor. This is my favorite class. For one, it has the lightest workload of the bunch. For another, the teacher is freakin' awesome. He is the President of Ozark, and knows what he is talking about. Every class is more a sermon than a lecture.
9:50 AM: Leave Acts and go to Chapel.
10:00 AM: Chapel is mandatory every Tuesday. I know it sounds lame, being required to go to church, but its really not that bad. It usually consists of worship and a sermon.
11:15 AM: Leave chapel and head for History of the Old Testament.
11:25 AM: Last class of the day: History of the Old Testament with Gary Zustiak, mostly known as "Zeus". Although the title of this class may give the impression that is boring, in reality it is quite the opposite. We have already begun to discuss evolution and reasons for believing and disbelieving what the Bible says about the creation of the Earth. This is the class that I have really learned the most.
12:15 PM: Lunch time. The food is actually pretty good.
1:00 PM: Head back to the dorm, brush teeth, take a half-hour nap.
1:30 PM: Wake up, brush teeth, write out any memory verses for the next day on note cards and begin to study them. Find what needs to be read for the next day's lectures and read it. Hang with other guys in the dorm, play video games, check my mail.
5:00 PM: Dinner.
5:45 PM: Head back to the Dorm, brush teeth, find something to do.
9:00 PM: Bible study with Elisa.
11:00 PM: Shower, brush teeth.
11:30 PM: Go to bed.

Not to exciting, but that's basically the definition of Joplin.

Aloha,

Fox out.

Currently listening to: He Is Legend

Ecclesiastes 4:12

Here's the setting: It's March 20th, 2009.

Its about five minutes before midnight, and I had just gotten home from the normal Friday night thing I did; go to Sydnee's house, eat some food, talk to her parents, watch a movie, leave. I wasn't very tired so I decided to stay up and find something to do. Since I'm so very cool, I read comics. Eventually even that became stale, and at about 2:30 I went out to the living room to watch some TV. My dad was there watching a movie I had never heard of and I decided to join in. Several minutes later, I realized that I had to work at 9:00 the next morning. Sleep became very attractive to me. Setting my alarm for 8:15, I left the realm of the waking.

Flash-forward. I'm awoken by my mom. It's 7:37. Slightly annoyed I begin to complain and ask why my slumber is being interrupted.

"Wake up, something is wrong with Dad. I called 911 already."

With this vague and highly alarming statement, I stood up and put on the clothes at about 8 times faster than the speed of light. Rushing into the living room, I found myself in a living nightmare. About six men in fire fighters' uniforms are walking into my kitchen. I look to the place they are congregating and my eyes land upon my dad sitting on the floor, up against the cabinets. At first I thought he was simply sleeping, but as one of the men begins to yell to him and use smelling salts, and nothing happens, I come into a horrible realization.

My father is dead.

I instantly began to pray for everyone in the room. The fire fighters, my mom, my sister, my brother, me. Looking back on this, I'm very surprised. I did not think that my faith in God was that strong. I began to pray for strength to stay calm and focused so that mom would be able to be weak. She began to cry and wail and scream, asking what was happening and why it was happening. Understandably, the chief firefighter came to me to get information. He asked me a lot of questions. Questions about my dad's health, his age, my age, and all of our names.

Within 15 minutes, it is decided that going to the Emergency Room was a necessity. We walk outside and my neighbor Andy is there asking what he can do to help. That was very cool. I ended up going to the hospital with the fire chief and my mom. Andy took my brother and sister. We got there and we're taken to a room that contained chairs and several different pamphlets that all concerned dealing with losing a family member. The hospital chaplain came in and began to do his best to comfort us. I don't want to sound mean, but it was not what I wanted to hear. I didn't want this stranger to try and make things all better. I called Paul, 17, Barb, and everybody else that i knew would drop everything they were doing to be there. Paul got there first, thankfully. I saw him and instantly embraced him, beginning to cry.

Flash-forward. Its around 9. We're at Andy's house.

I feels like I'm at a party. There's chips and drinks, my friends are there, we're telling stories and laughing. I think I saw just about everyone I've ever met that day, and I wouldn't have
had it any other way. I was shown the love of Jesus in a very real way. My friends made the entire ordeal much easier to deal with, and I want to thank you for being so amazing.

I love you all.

Later,

Fox out.

Currently listening to: Tool

First Time in a Long Time

Today was a day of firsts for me.

Well, more like "first time in a long times". I had classes in school. I prayed on my own. I started a bible reading plan. I did homework. I won a game of pool. I'll let you decide which of these are more important than the others.

I've had the intention of starting a blog for about five months now, mainly because I have a lot of opinions I want to share with whoever has a few extra minutes in their day and the willingness to listen to what I have to say. However few of you there are, I'd like to take a few words here to make a simple plea. If you have nothing to pray for, pray for me; because I definitely need it. Please pray that I can keep things that I've started today going.

I'm struggling with some things right now. Lust continually plagues me. Hatred is slowly creeping into my mind. Procrastination is already starting to rear its ugly head. I pledge to you that I will pray for you daily, and if there are any specific things for me to address, let me know.

Keep it real,

Fox out.

Currently listening to: System of a Down

...ella,ella,ella...

I’m going to be straight with you.

I took me at least 36 minutes to devise a way to start the second post of my blogging career with a snappy or clever remark that will communicate that I’ve got it all together. Around minute 37 I realized that I’m a terrible human being. I’ve been on campus for three days, and for the entirety of those three days I have failed Jesus. I haven’t read my bible. I haven’t prayed (except for the “mandatory” meal prayers). As soon as I meet a guy, I begin to silently and swiftly judge him based purely on his outward appearance, and compare myself to the results I find. If I see a member of Ozark’s female populace, I have, within 10 seconds, rated her based on a select few characteristics, all of which are physically-based and entirely unimportant.

Understandably, this revelation destroyed my joyful mood. I was “down in the dumps”, as the kids say these days. But I decided to stop and listen intently, just to hear what I could hear. A singular voice seemed to be calling to me. The voice clearly said “Despite these stupid things you do, I will always be there. I won’t leave you. You will get distracted by the shiny things in life, and I’ll always be here for you when you find your senses again.”

It was Rihanna.

Peace,

Fox out.

Currently listening to: Billy Talent

The Belly of the Chef

Today was the first day of college.

I’m now a student of Ozark Christian College, Room 324, Boatman Hall, third floor. Getting here required $100 in gas and a total of 17 hours in the car, driving through the entirety of New Mexico; the worst state in existence, part of Texas; where apparently it is state law that all hotels must have a Texas-shaped waffle iron included in the continental breakfast, and part of Oklahoma. The most exciting things to look at during the expedition existed solely in my cramped car.

We arrived in Joplin, Missouri yesterday at around 5:30, central time. Paul and I made our way to Trevor and Katrina’s digs, where much needed R&R time took place. It’s funny how something as easy as driving can make you so tired.

This morning I moved into my new room, a quaint little pad with a breakfast nook and balcony overlooking a peaceful stream. Just kidding. It’s actually not that bad of a place, plenty of space for a computer, a bed, an Xbox, and my collection of comic books. It’s a little strange to think that I will actually be living here for the next nine months or so. It honestly feels like I’m at CIY again. We caught up with Jonathan Cook for lunch. It was cool to see him again.

I’m excited for the rest of the year and I hope I can shed my high school habit of epic procrastination. I hope to be able to volunteer at a place called The Bridge, a sicknasty skate park/arcade/concert venue right up the street. I intend to start looking for a job as soon as possible. And now in the immortal words of a guy in a ninja costume with a hilarious podcast…

Let’s kick this pig.

Deuces,

Fox out.

Currently listening to: Maylene and the Sons of Disaster