Welcome to my journey.
A few years ago my world was changing, and during that time I went on what I call “Carl’s journey”… I grew up in the church, but I knew there was more. I knew that part of how I grew up was good, and where I needed to be, but it wasn’t complete. A major life shaking was the impetus for that journey. During that search I decided that I wanted to go for all that was out there for those who follow Jesus. This site is a collection of posts and videos from people that influenced me spiritually during my journey.
Have you ever heard people say they “know God”? What about the phrase “God told me…”? Even deeper the idea of what it is to have intimacy with God? I didn’t really know in an experiential way what that meant. I knew God was real, but I wasn’t experiencing it, and really living what I knew was available to us as humans.
I grew up in the church, but I knew there was more.
My heart went full on in this journey… and things began to happen. I decided that I would put things of my spirit first, and my “rational thinking” second. It’s hard to do when I was raised in a logical, intellectual, scientific culture. Oddball spiritual stuff was for those less intelligent, superstitious, in some backward culture. That stuff didn’t sit right if it wasn’t provable. There was also the well meaning folks that told me to be careful because things of the spirit could be of the devil.
My heart went full on in this journey… and things began to happen.
This news site is a storage place for some of the topics, some of the people, that came alive for me during that journey. I still believe in the holiness church I grew up in, but I have found that there is so much more.
The site is broken up into
- “People” – those who have influence me Spiritually. Some seem intellectual, some creative, some a bit mystical.
- “Spirit” – things that have to do with the Holy Spirit.
- “Think” – are there “real” reasons for believing in God, in Jesus, is faith rational? This is the section for Christian apologetics.
- “Dreams” – this actually fits under the “Spirit” category, but it’s a big part of my life, so it gets it’s own tab.
- “Create” – highlights Christian creatives. I agree with Erwin McManus and his communities (Mosaic) 5th core value that says “creativity is the natural result of spirituality”
- “Resources” – Where to go to find out more. Books, video, audio, download.
I believe in a number of things. I think we were born to love, born to create, born to be intimate with the one that created us. I believe there are rational reasons to follow Jesus, and there is also the beautiful, mystical side of Him that we just cannot put into a box. I believe my Spirit should lead my life, but that my mind is very important.
Above all… and infused in everything that is contained in these pages… is Love. Jesus says love is the greatest thing, and I believe that.
P.S.
If you are wondering where “Sozocial” came from it’s a mix of Greek (Sozo) and English (Social – well, Latin in it’s roots actually). In the Bible the word “Sozo” means “saved, healed, set free, made whole“. The dictionary.com definition of social can be “living or disposed to live in companionship with others or in a community, rather than in isolation”. In general is means to bring all that Jesus has for us together in community.