Grief: The Mourning After...

Some of you have never had an encounter with Grief. That's fine and actually okay, but please--don't be fooled. You are not invincible. Grief will come. And when she comes knocking at your door, I guarantee, you won't be ready for the confusion she will stir in your heart.


She will take shape in the form of unanswerable questions or unexplainable experiences (Batterson, 95). If you're not careful, she will gradually reorient your entire life. She will make you angry, enslave you in self-pity, plague you with unavoidable fretfulness, coax you towards shameful behavior and even infect you with feelings of worthlessness.

Let me repeat, if you're not careful, Grief will reorient your life. She is dangerous, folks.

Although Grief is never welcomed, she has a way of making herself very comfortable with her host. Like Death, Grief lurks in the shadows, ready to take the life of someone who has experienced incredible loss. She awaits a broken marriage. She flirts with the tormented addict. She opens her arms to the abused and molested. And of course, berates the widowed.

In his book, A Grief Observed, C.S. Lewis chronicles his journey toward understanding this inevitable encounter. The death of his wife lead Lewis down "a cycle of restlessness, rage, grasping, surrender and serenity, followed by fresh tears and disbelief" (Schroedel, Boundless.org). This truth is further evidence that even some of the most respected and well versed in Bible are able to fall prey to the demons that Grief brings along.

Please, please, I advice anyone who may be communing with Grief right now. Watch her ways. You must release her; not isolate her. In other words, if you are hurting, you will need to talk it out or express it. You can not hold onto those hurts. You will need to invite Jesus Christ to fight on your behalf. You will need to invite others to fight for you. Please understand, you can not afford to NOT do this.

When someone loses something or someone, there is a lot of mourning that takes place after that loss. Healing takes place when we invite others along the journey. If talking about it makes you uncomfortable now. Fine, that too is okay, but please, know that you can't hold back for long. Ultimately, you must unleashed Grief. Let go of her in the way of an email to a friend, some paint on a canvas, or a letter to yourself.

Why do I say all this? Well, it's because I've learned it. In fact, I've encountered Grief several times this year. While I know there is more morning for me ahead, I suspect God will soon allow me to get reacquainted with Joy. I can't wait to see her again.

Excuse My Absence...I've Been Designing

Summer is usually that time of the year I take a few breaks. Unfortunately, that often means fewer blog entries on my end. Again, my apologies. It's been very, very busy.

Here are a few design pieces I have completed this season. Of course, I give the Lord all the credit.


(Above) In May, I completed a graduation announcement for my lovely girlfriend, Maryjo Moore. A fews weeks later, I was contacted by my dear friends, Wes Van Fleet and Brittany De Anda to do work on their wedding invitation. The project was completed in June.


(Above) Here is work I produced for my church. This is from a teaching series titled, "Wasting Time With God". The rest are miscellaneous projects, also for my church.


(Above) For a summer teaching series, my church wanted to wrap a few ideas around the works of Jesus found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The concepts evolved and "Tabloid Jesus" was born. Considering Jesus was the most controversial man that ever walked this earth, it was fitting to package the series using the language and sensationalism of our tabloid culture. Check out our "paparazzi" clips below.






(Above) Here is a t-shirt design I completed for Jostens Camp Yearbook in Palm Springs. In between that, I also had a chance to help my friend Christian Turner throw together a cover for a piece promoting his security systems.

(Below) This Fall my church will kick off a new teaching series titled, "Fuse". Yo, preview the artwork.


Whew! Did I mention I've been busy.

Do You Hate Your Job? Johnny Bunko Can Help...

You might be asking yourself, "Who's Johnny Bunko? And what kind of help can he offer me anyway?" Well, he's a fictional character created by Dan Pink, author of a New York Times bestselling book, who's trapped in a job he hates. Secondly, he and his genie offer excellent career advise through six lessons. Pink's proverbs are delivered in the form of Japanese Manga (pronounced Mahn-ga).


AdvertisingAge claims that, "...the book lives up to its promise as 'The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need.'"

The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need, is simple, intelligent, and of course, entertaining. I read this book in an hour. Although not necessarily written from a Christ-centered point of view, it still offers plenty of advice worthy of note. You might even say Pink draws his inspiration from various Biblical teachings. The book's conclusion suggests that Dan Pink was aiming to write a book about "what it means to be alive", rather than simply giving career advice. If you are looking for a book that will help you formulate a resume, this is NOT the book for you. This is a book about perspective and not systematic orderliness. There is some objectionable content though. The d-word and the acronym "WTF" are sprinkled about.

Learn more at johnnybunko.com. Or simply watch the trailer. Yes, I know. It is an unconventional way to promote a book. Keep in mind that this animated trailer does not in any way represent my personal views or the views of my church, Seven San Diego. There is use of some crude language.

Coldplay Go to Church

Coldplay's forthcoming album will hit our retail outlets next Tuesday, June 17th. So why should we care? Well, we should care because it will be the biggest album of 2008. And anything that phenomenal, whether we love it or hate it, deserves our attention. Listen to the entire album NOW at iheartmusic.com.


Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends, much of which was recorded in churches all across Latin America, explores many of the same themes touched on A Rush of Blood to the Head. This time life and death are the main subjects of lyrical content. Like the book of Ecclesiastes, it reflects on the vanity of human life.

The ethereal sounds of Viva are carefully packed into a nice forty-five minute session. "The atmospheric, haunting Cemeteries Of London...is one of the songs clearly blessed by holy water," says Gordon Smart of the Sun.

On the title track, Chris Martin sings about a dethroned ruler, King Louis XVI? Jesus perhaps? The chorus even soars with lyrics about "Jerusalem bells a ringing/Roman Cavalry choirs are singing", all while echoing themes found in Exodus 14 and Matthew 14. The seas part. A beheading is alluded to.

Violet Hill is an anti-war cry about a lonely soldier who "future's architectured/By a carnival of idiots on show." Again, Martin's optimism turns to cathedrals, God, priests, Bibles, and the cross.

Martin has confessed that his religious upbringing resurfaces on several tracks from time to time, referring to the inspiration behind X&Y's hidden track. "We'd say 'kingdom come' every week in the Lord's Prayer." Singing at Mass is the reason why he's "obsessed with [everyone singing] along at [their] shows. It makes me feel like I'm a part of something," he says.

My favorite tracks are Cemeteries of London, 42, and Strawberry Swing. I could go on and on, but I won't. So here's the ubiquitous Apple iTunes Ad to say the rest. Enjoy!

My Injured Parents Need Your Prayers: Update

My parents were in an accident on Friday, May 9th. If you would like to read more about the Lord's hand in our lives, please follow my Twitter feed. I have been micro-blogging our faith journey from my cell phone. If you are a Facebook user, you can find the update via my status.


In brief, my parents are doing much better. My mother is still sore, but very mobile. My step-father on the other hand is still not. Doctors tell us he has a 1% chance of walking again, but of course, we remain hopeful. He has undergone two surgeries to the spine and is gaining a lot more strength in his upper body each day.

Three days ago, he was transfered to a small rehab center in the High Desert. Three weeks from now he will be moved to Loma Linda in Redlands, CA for more intensive care.

On behalf of my family, we thank you for all your prayers.

Personal Tragedy: It Is Well With My Soul

When life gives you lemons, can you really make lemonade? In other words, if we are faced with one of life's cruel disappointments, are we still able to turn it into something good? Well, whatever your conclusion, I'd like to think the answer falls somewhere between yes and no.

To those that love God, the answer is YES. The Apostle Paul says in Roman 8:28, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."

On the contrary, to those that do not love God, the answer is NO. To simply put it, if you don't love God, you can't claim this promise. Notice that the Bible verse only says that this promise is for "those who love God". The promise that God will turn all things for good is not true for everybody.

In time of personal tragedy, I find rest in that promise. Whether my love for God is strong or weak, I can rest assure that he is causing everything to work together for the good.

As a result of my parents accident two weeks ago, I spent well over two hundred hours in the hospital. Over the course of two weeks, I've witnessed how the Lord made things good. I saw how he made things well.

Over and over, I heard the Lord sing these words from an old hymn to me, "When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul."


Horatio G. Spafford, writer of the old hymn titled, "It Is Well With My Soul", penned the words on the evening he sailed a ship that passed the approximate place where his four daughters died.

Spafford wrote the words to that hymn when he had no words to say at all. Perhaps, you could say that his despair eventually materialized onto the pages of hymnal books all across the world due to his real prayers with God. The Bible tells us in Romans 8:26 that the "Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words."

In other words, seek God's comfort even when you don't feel like you have anything to say to him. Pray to him even when you feel like he has dealt you the wrong life cards. If you love Him with everything you've got, he will take those lemons and make lemonade. And that my friends, will have you singing, "it is well with my soul."

My Injured Parents Need Your Prayers

My parents were in a severe car accident yesterday on their way back from a month long mission/vacation trip in Mexico. At impact, they swerved, flipped several times, and totaled their car.

As I write, my mother and father are still in Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico. As of a few hours ago, we paid a staggering $24,000 to get them care in the States. While three of my sisters were ready to fly out to Mexico last night, they were advised not to. Instead, we made arrangements to fly my parents into Scripps Hospital in San Diego tonight.

My mother is doing much better. She is walking, talking, and thankfully, has no broken bones. On the other hand, doctors have been saying that my step-father my have spinal injury. In fact, he has been unable to move his legs within the last twenty-four hours.

I read a Psalm last night that said, "Bless the Lord, who is my rock. He gives me strength for war and skill for battle. He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my deliverer. He stands before me as a shield, and I take refuge in him. He subdues the nations under me" (144:1-2).

As I began to learn more about the accident, I found myself preparing for a war of fear, worry and doubt. I found myself in need of an army of friends and family.

I called to God and He listened. I called to you and you prayed. You are the warriors we need for this battle! Please continue to pray.

Watch Now: LifeChurch.tv

From time to time, I like to sit down and catch a video sermon/message from Craig Groeshel. Groeshel is the Senior Pastor of a multi-site church called Life Covenant Church or now simply Life Church.


The church reaches thousands of people online and now has several campuses in six states.

Hey, if you didn't get a chance to visit your local church this weekend, feel free to stream a messages online at LifeChurch.tv. Watch Warrior, the current teaching series or simply browse through the archives. Learn about good sex, how to deal with difficult people, the origins of the Bible, and well, a whole lot more.

Why Don't You Cry About It?

Have you cried lately? I know I have. In fact, about a month and a half ago I found myself weeping like a four year old boy who had just been robbed of his sucker.

I found myself alone. I was in my car. It was dark. I couldn't hold it anymore. I had to cry. If I was out on the street, I could have found myself in this Kleenex commercial.



Two questions raced through my mind that night. Why was I angry with myself? and why was I angry with God?

You see, I had just returned from my uncle's funeral service. Although, I hadn't seen him since he went to prison almost twenty years ago, it still broke my heart to see my grandparents agonize over his death. In truth, my grandparents looked hopeless. They looked desperate. They looked lifeless. And all that combined made me feel helpless.

Although my cousins appointed me to pray over the chapel service in the morning and then asked me to give a brief message at the burial site that afternoon, I still felt incompetent and unable to give any of them any understanding. They all seemed inconsolable. What was I to say or do? I only knew my uncle for a brief moment.

Of course, that didn't matter, I knew Jesus. Which meant that I could tell them about how he was going to bring them comfort in such a time like this.

So, why was I angry? Well, for starters, I felt like I had ignored my responsibility of being a caretaker to my grandparents. The last time I had seen my grandmother, she was not in a wheelchair and my grandpa was not walking around in a cane. I felt as if God had fast-forward life and robbed me of spending time with them. Of course, I realized God had given me many opportunities before, I just didn't take them.

The Bible records at least three accounts where Jesus wept. One account is found in John 11:35. Here, Jesus cries out of compassion over the death of his friend Lazarus. Another is found in Luke 19:41. In this passage, we find Jesus crying over Jerusalem, for Israel and its failure. Finally, we see Jesus cry for himself. In Matthew 27:46, we find Jesus on the cross. Their in His darkest hour he cries, "My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?"

That night, I cried over the death of my uncle. I cried for my Jerusalem (family). And of course, myself.

In his book The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis reminds us that, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain. Pain is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

Who is God calling you to care for right now? Go ahead, cry about it. Let it out. That's one way to find out.

The Return of the Office, Indy, Coldplay, and other Pop Cultural Phenomena

In 1939, C.S. Lewis observed that Biblical teachings, themes, and ideas could be secretly planted into all forms of art for the sake of awakening deep longings for transcendence. In a letter to a nun, Lewis wrote “any amount of theology can now be smuggled into people’s minds under cover of romance without their knowing it.”

In other words, a fraction of TV shows or movies you watch, music you listen to, and books you read, may be drawing you closer to God.


Over the next quarter, my attention will be diverted to the following pop cultural phenomena. Translation, I will be studying these shows, films, books, and music selections in search of remnants of truth and spiritual content. Expect a blog on each of these studies in the months to come. I will confess though, I won't always have the desire to study. I will only want to be entertained.

The Office (Spoiler Alert)
The final six episodes of season four will begin airing on Thursday, April 10th. Writers are toying with the idea of a possible pregnancy (Angela maybe?) or even a possible fake documentary production crew strike. While all of that is uncertain, the first new episode is being called the "Dinner Party".


Pop Goes the Church
Tim Stevens, Pastor at Granger Community Church, has written a guidebook that explains why and how Christians should use pop culture to reach out to people in the language of their lives. Sounds like my cup of tea! Books ship mid-April.



The Adventures of Johnny Bunko
Dan Pink, author of A Whole New Mind, writes leadership or career advice in the form of Japanese Manga. If you are looking for a book to help you write a better resume, this is not the book for you. The book hits your local B&N sometime in April.



The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
The writings of C.S. Lewis remain quite relevant many years after he died. Why? Well, I'll save that for a later entry. For now, be sure to catch the next film adaption of his chronicles in theaters on May 16th.



Coldplay
The highly anticipated new album, tentatively titled "Prospekt", will hit music outlets across the nation on May 19th. I really, really can't wait!


Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
I was only a one year old when the first film came out. Fortunately, I have seen the world create a legend in my lifetime. For that reason alone, I will watch this movie on May 22nd, opening day.


Get Smart
Someone told me that this film is based off of a Mel Brooks spy comedy. I guess the TV series was quite a hit in the 60's. I never saw an episode, but I get the feeling it was funny. The film adaptation stars Steve Carell. I'm already a fan. The film opens on June 20th.


Batman: The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger stars as the Joker... Christian Bale returns as Batman. Need I say more? This will be the highest grossing blockbuster this summer. Mark your calendar for July 18th.


Wall-E
I'm a fan of anything Pixar. I'm almost 100% sure that this film about a lonely robot will be great. The film opens mid-summer.

Church Doesn't Suck

Many of you don't go to church. I understand. You think it's boring, stuffy, and for the lack of a better word, you think it SUCKS! I believed that same lie until I visited High Desert Church in Victorville, CA almost seven years ago. Boy, was I surprised. HDC was actually relevant and truly enjoyable.

Now, I will warn you. Some churches do suck, but don't let those few stop you from following Jesus Christ. Here's a sign I just created to help people in San Diego find our church. It doesn't suck.


I credit Dan Pink, author of A Whole New Mind for inspiration on the creation of this sign.

If you are in search of a good church in your area, please feel free to email me at roberto@sevensdchurch.com. I would love to help you find a church that fits your personality. Heck, if you know of a good church, feel free to let me know.

I'm Not Together, But I'm Getting There

I think it's safe to assume that you hope to be perfect someday. In fact, inside every one of us there is a desire to find better versions of ourselves. Don't believe it? Try questioning that feeling of failure you get when you can't meet someone's standard. Where does it come from? Where did your boss, coworker, spouse, friend, girlfriend, boyfriend, child, mom, dad, or sibling get the idea of perfection? As you and I both know, their idea of perfection is still far from perfect. So why is it that you and I can imagine something that we have never seen before? Well, I suspect that it's because we were created by someone that is perfect.


Inside of us there is a longing to have our entire lives in order. There is an enthusiasm to master everything we try to do. We want peace, equal rights, and justice for all. The reality is that the world we live in is no Utopia like the one John Lennon once protested for in 1971. In fact, did you know that Adam and Eve where the only humans to ever see what perfection on Earth looked like?

On Earth, we live under the serpent's rule. Which also means that on Earth, we will forever be "wannabes". But, being a wannabe of what? Of whom? Well, you have a choice. As for me, I want to be like Jesus Christ. When I first made the decision to be like him, I found it to be very difficult. How could I ever become perfect? Well, when I learned that Jesus Christ called us to be like Him, not to be Him, it made living that much easier.

Of course, being a wannabe or earthly version of Christ does not give us the liberty to act on every temptation or unwise move in the book. In fact, being a wannabe of Jesus Christ is a high calling. Although we find our hearts wondering each day into dark underworlds, we are called to make every attempt to illuminate those worlds with God's love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22).

I was listening to a favorite song of mine this week that reminded me of how broken and imperfect I am. As I heard the lyrics, I couldn't help but think of my state of being. I'm a work in progress. I will always be a work in progress.

"I'm in repair.../I'm not together, but I'm getting there" laments John Mayer on his 2006 album titled, Continuum. These lyrics appear on the song "In Repair".

Contrary to popular belief, I don't have it all together. I work for a church, but that still doesn't make me perfect. I make plenty of mistakes everyday. Believe me, just ask my family, my girlfriend, and friends. Can you empathize? I'm sure you can.

Aren't you glad that Jesus Christ called us to be like Him, not to be Him? Photo by Stefan Brinkley.