Category: Z

My Show, Special Episode: The Move

On By jareddiehl88In DAILY LIFE, Ruckus, VIDEOS, Z7 Comments

Just watch and see how the last three and a half years have been a remarkable time. After shedding some tears at Zack’s wedding and watching him shed some to, I look back at my time living with him with gratefulness in my heart. Zack has been such a faithful older brother to me. There are to many stories that I could tell of our friendship. This video is not meant to be sad, but it kind of is. I originally wanted to use the song “With some help from my friends,” if you remember the show The Wonder Years, that was the theme song but something happened in the edit process and I was unable to use that song. I thought this song by Coldplay was a little to sad but humorously fitting for the moment.

Its tears of Joy and tears of breaking the comfort zone. Change, whether it be good or bad, and usually its always a little bit of both; can work to help us grow and learn more about ourselves, about God, and about those that He has placed in our lives. Hope you enjoy. And don’t cry to hard.

New Job At IHOP

On By jareddiehl88In DAILY LIFE, Work, ZLeave a comment

It was the spring of 2006 when Zack and I first really started talking to each other about what was going on in our life. We had lived together for about eight months and in that time we were just roommates but not really friends. At the time we were both rigorously involved in the Night Watch at the house of prayer. I was in my second semester of my second year at FSM and Zack was working with the Fire in the Night interns. There were many great things about the Night Watch community; the people, the intensity of the night, being led by Stuart, the worship but the only thing that I had a difficult time with was going to bed right away at 6am.

When I was in the internship it was required for us to be asleep by 6:30am. This was a wise rule because anything later than this would mean sleeping in later which would result in a lack on sunlight. A lack of sun over a long period of time is very unhealthy. So, instead of just going home and staring at the ceiling for an hour Zack and I decided to get some breakfast at the International House of Pancakes. For us, it wasn’t so much about the food, more so it was about the time spent getting to know each other.

Breakfast at IHOP became a tradition and to all of the morning servers that worked there, we became regulars. Sometimes we didn’t even eat we would just get decaf coffee and talk. When the Splits was in vogue I would drop down at the restaurant and give the 1,2, 3..Splits for people that looked like they didn’t want to be embarrassed.

I blogged in February 2007 that my weight gain was due to eating to much at IHOP. The streak lasted until October 2007 for me. This would mean that we spent about a year and a half eating at an average of three times a week and some weeks we were there everyday, even on our off day.

I share all this with you because IHOP in Grandview, MO has a very soft spot in my heart. I have a lot of good memories when I think of this place and mostly because where my friendship with Zack is at now.

Because of a current financial bind that I am in now with some unpaid tickets I am in need of working as much as I can to get caught up with all my responsibilities. I got a job at the IHOP that used to be a daily stop. I just started my training last Saturday and today, Friday the 22, was my first shift on my own. As I have mentioned before, this isn’t my first serving job. First Watch taught me a lot about what it takes to be a good server. So far things have gone well. The only part about this job that I dislike is the IHOP stench. You leave that place and it seeps into your clothes like when you leave the bowling alley. But because I am making money, I think I’ll get over the smell.

I will blog more about my adventures at the house of pancakes but for now, it just makes me laugh that I am working at the same place that I used to eat at almost every day.

 

(Zack and I chatting away at the house of pancakes)

The Ruckus: I love life

On By jareddiehl88In DAILY LIFE, Righteousness, Ruckus, ZLeave a comment

As that one coneheaded guy in Sky High says, “I love life!”

And more then just a silly movie that I have all the lines memorized from watching it multiple times before going to bed and this is a really long sentence…I love life. I have been truly blessed this last week by my friends here in Kansas City. I am so blessed for Zack Attack Hensley who has been such a faithful brother and I am pumped that he is getting married this October to his women Carrie, who is also an amazing blessing. And Kyle, who always speaks life no matter what the situation. And my boy Gregorias the Jewish rapper, throwing down the lunch shifts at Cheesecake Factory and writing the rhymes of life and godliness at night.

Amazing friends who never stop loving you no matter what crimes you think you have committed that have furthered you from God and from the people who you trust will carry you through the storms of this life. As I mentioned yesterday, He never lets go of us even when we let go of him. There is nothing we have done that can separate us from Him. Every mountain in the way will only result in more valleys of humiliation and in the end we will be raised in glory with Him. My circumstance, yours, and everyone who is hitting the wall of frustration and failure, guess what, there is no failure if you choose love. Because love never fails and you can’t fail if you are in love. If everything gets destroyed and all you have is a heart that is alive with God’s love then you are successful then you will weep more when you see the King because you will be on your knees at the amount of kindness that He has extended to you and your life.

God raises the ruckus like this: His love will not fail us and that sometimes freaks us out. It is troubling sometimes to imagine a being who will not back down from pursuing us.

His presence is a great disturbance.

Praying for You

On By jareddiehl88In ZLeave a comment

About this time a year ago Z got me into The Cross Movement and Lecrae and the 116 click. These men of God are taking hip-hop and theology to the next level. Not only do they sound amazing  but what they are preaching is right on the Love of God and sound doctrine. Check em out like tomorrow!

Lecrae is my boy. Z and I would listen to this song, ‘praying for you,’ and many others from him while we would drive around town or just on our way to the house of prayer.

Check this video out

HappyMemorialYardworkFastingDay

On By jareddiehl88In ZLeave a comment

About a year ago, on memorial day, IHOP entered into a 40 Day Fast. This fast began on the first day that we went Global on God-TV. It was a big change for IHOP. As I began to think of what I wanted to fast and as I prayed and asked the Lord for insight I thought of food, which is usually the hardest one to lay down but I also thought of trying to fast making videos with my video camera. 40 Days later I have to say that I didn’t make any videos but to go out with a bang before I made this consecration I decided to film one last video, so here it is.

Ruckus Journal history book facts

On By jareddiehl88In DAILY LIFE, MISSION STATEMENT, PAST REMAINS, PIECES OF WRITING, Ruckus, You would have never guessed?, Z6 Comments

Jen has posed the question, “What is the Ruckus journal all about?”

The first blog I posted on this site was called ‘why is it called the Ruckus Journal’ and somewhere in that wordy post I give the reader some answers

Fact and Term to be aware of: ORIGINAL RUCKUS

I use the term original Ruckus referring to when I was 15 years old and the idea to start the Ruckus journal began.

McCrew– My crew of friends from Fort Collins, Colorado and Resurrection Fellowship(Loveland, Colorado)

The McCrew and original Ruckus is where my idea for ‘The Ruckus Journal’ started.

The summer of 2001: AJ(also known as Aaron Hupp, Aaron Joseph), his younger brother Isaiah Hupp and my friend Andy Schliger all got summer jobs at the local McDonald’s.

In Fact it was around this time 6 years ago, April 8, 2001 was the day I got hired. I remember it was close to Easter and I was playing Lacrosse for my school at the time.

I was the first person in the Crew(Forerunner) to get hired at McDonald’s, then Andy and Isaiah followed. A few months later we convinced AJ to quit his job at the movie theatre and join us.

Myself and Andy were 15, Isaiah was 14 and AJ was 16. These age differences made for many laughs while the corporate people dished out the worst jobs for the 14 year olds and the even grosser jobs for the 16 year olds.

We had all known each other through youth group but we didn’t really mesh together until that summer.

The Summer of Ruckus: this is another name for that season. The birth of causing a great disturbance.

We would do everything together. Of course, what else are you going to do when you are all crazy.

I lived for RUCKUS. I lived for RUCKUS STORIES. I lived TO CAPTURE EVERYTHING RUCKUS.

The noun form Ruckus means: great disturbance and noisy commotion.

The McCrew had language(just as me and Z have language, and just as you and your crew of friends have language)

We would say to each other ‘lets go Ruckus!’ That always meant get in trouble on purpose.

The plethora of getting in trouble stories is documented in the ORIGINAL RUCKUS JOURNAL.

I was the stenographer of the group. AJ was the Actor. Chris was full of brilliant one-liners and witticisms to document. Isaiah was in touch with the Holy Spirit and would always calm all of us down, especially his big brother AJ and Jared Diehl(he is always crazy).

Chris was apart of the crew but not McCrew. Chris Melson is the smartest kid I know and was always fun to ride with. Chris was the driver of the group. If you needed a driver(person to drive us around) then he was your man. Chris was hesitant at first about RUCKUS but AJ and I could talk anyone into doing anything.(which is still true today)

The epiphany moment: the summer of Ruckus season #1(another term) came to an end and school was in session for all of us. I missed my friends already but was glad that McDonald’s was over.

AJ and I were walking and talking at the mall and ironically enough I had smoked pot for the first time that weekend(not with the crew, with some other hoodlums).

I regretted getting high for a billion reasons. I am the kind of the person that doesn’t need drugs. Drugs slow me down. I Ruckus without drugs, so drugs just make things worse.

I was walking and talking with AJ about life and we were joking about one day getting high together and the Holy Spirit moved on me(thanks for praying mom) and I told AJ what I had done.

AJ looked at me like a best friend would and said, ‘that’s bad, you really shouldn’t have done that.’ I was thinking AJ was going to let me get away with it, but my friends, my ‘real friends’, they stick to me closer than a brother.

It was this very day that I repented for smoking drugs and the idea to document the summer of Ruckus began.

I spent the three hours we had left together talking about every story that had already taken place with us. AJ and I worked really well together. My detailed brain and his emotion and exaggeration enabled me to remember everything the ‘McCrew’  had already done.

In this time of talking about the Summer of Ruckus we also highlighted other stories from our youth group.

And yes indeed I am still writing, just with a new GREAT DISTURBANCE in mind.

…………………..”FOR SITTING IN HIS PRESENCE IS A GREAT DISTURBANCE”……………………………

Meek Ruckus

On By jareddiehl88In DAILY LIFE, MISSION STATEMENT, More stuff to add to stuff to add to more stuff, philosophize, PIECES OF WRITING, Ruckus, SHORT STORIES, travels, You would have never guessed?, Z5 Comments

Meek means: “hold me back from blowing up because I have so much power I don’t really know what to do with it.”

That is not what the dictionary says, that is what I say.

Meek in the theological bible of truth: Jesus is God. Jesus knows He is God. Jesus knows who He is. Jesus had perfect timing. Jesus knew when to roar and when to be silent.

LIONS are vicious, they are violent and tenacious.LIONS know how to attack the prey and how to stab the enemy in the heart. LIONS are loud and they can echo there roar so the whole world knows they are around.

LIONS also know when to go to sleep and rest and wait for the next morning. The next morning is when they might have to fight the enemy.

Jared is wanting to prowl like a lion. Jared is a lion. Jared is five feet and some inches tall.

Jared is who you are talking to when you read this.

The secular music ruckus says: try to be tough and strong and loud when really you are broken on the inside.

The emotional scene and people that love to sing about the wrong ruckus: bands like Taking Back Sunday who have only one thing right about the title of there band, they use the word ‘Sunday.’ They try to be tough because they are from LONG ISLAND and LONG ISLAND means nothing when you stand before the LORD.

I happen to like TBS, but they are out of control with their roaring. They are misguided in their RUCKUS.

April 1, 2006 I wrote in a big book that is covered up by some more books: “April Fools Jared Diehl, you are not who you think you are.”

Don’t guess why, tell yourself this: “He is trying to find God to, so He is probably was just messing around with the play on words of the holiday.”

THEN a year later happens: April 1, 2007 and I am still trying to find myself in God and in life and in the ruckus.

THE END: Life will never end. Life will never end for all of us. Life will stop and start. Life is Ruckus.

I am tired and excited about ruckus. This is why you read. If not then why are clicking Jared Diehl on the internet.

Sorry Jen if my comment on your comment was a little intense. I hope you trust ‘the ruckus’, just call Zack if you have questions.

My Love and Appreciation for Zack

On By jareddiehl88In DAILY LIFE, Z1 Comment

 

I am continuing where I left off a few days ago in talking about Z. Zack Attack and myself have been roommates for almost 2 years now. My earliest memories of living with Zack was the 150 plus channels we had from ordering digital cable for the NBA playoffs. Along with the sports channels there were multiple movie channels available. The movie of the summer became, ‘2 Fast 2 furious.’ This movie was total cheese but became our movie, just as Sky High is now our movie. We would watch 2 Fast 2 Furious upon coming home from the prayer room. Z and J did not get along. we did not talk much for the first 10 months that we lived together. Our reason for the tension was our relational life outside of each other. We both had girlfriends at the time up until about a year ago, when both those relationships ended at the same time. The breaking up of those relationships caused us to come together and really become friends.

For the past year I have grown to love and appreciate Zack. Zack is a big brother to me. I grew up with a sister, but never a brother. After getting out of a relationship the temptation one feels is to do anything but what you’ve been doing. For me, I wanted to go home and do anything but IHOP. Zack was there to speak the truth to me and buy me pancakes when I was having ‘that look in my eye.’ Zack grew accustomed to my body language, he could always tell when I was in need of some long talk.

Zack has become more than just friend and more than just the older guy in my life that encourages me to not be so hard on myself. Zack is full of integrity and passion for Jesus. I have learned so much from just listening and watching Zack.He has truly set the pace in my life for what it means to be a man of God.

This May we will be celebrating two years of living together, I am sure we will have a party, you are all invited.

I love life….and Zack

On By jareddiehl88In DAILY LIFE, Z2 Comments

While sitting on the floor and feeling the numbness of my bottom, watching Sky High for the umpteenth time( 30-40 times now) I heard my favorite line of the whole movie: “I love life.” Today we celebrated Zack’s 25th birthday and in the next few days it will be all about Zack Attack, I will blog at how much I love Zack and appreciate all that he has brought into the world. So, stay tuned for lots of talking and story telling of Zack and I.

‘I love life.’ What does this really mean? I have been thinking much about my own goofiness and over-the-top craziness at times(while awake), especially in the last month and I am wondering where it all comes from. Yes, some of it has been passed down from other family members, but mostly I would say it is the Joy of the Lord. It is the pleasure of God and the delight of knowing that he loves me in my weakness. These things that have been in my mind are striking my heart. The phrase ‘I love life’ was something I used to say when I was a little boy.

My mom would call me Joy Mans. There was only one of me(in case the s makes you think there is more than one Jared Diehl, cause there’s not). I would wake up with that ugly crew cut I used to have and say, ‘I love my life!’ I love everything about my life and it is true today as it was then, I love life. I love the fact that I have done so many stupid things, made a ton of mistakes, done the wrong things at the wrong time, said yes to the wrong things, and the list goes on and I am still here. I am still breathing and alive and loving Jesus and smiling down the narrow road. Where I am today is because of him and that’s all I need to know for me to say, ‘I love life.’

In conclusion, hearing it in the movie reminds me of the truth of what it means to love life. ‘I love life’, never do I want to stop saying this.