23

My new song where I did my best to describe what it sounds like to turn 23.

Can you can feel it, in the night
Lonely sheets, dancing lights
Through the window, feel the cold
Whispers softly, you’re getting old

Hear the voices, in the wind
rushing through these halls again
Sending shivers to your bone
Taste of somewhere takes you home

Chorus:

Can you hear me In the night,
Telling stories of you and I
Through the darkness we will fight
Because the morning was made from the night

Feel the fire beneath your skin
Wooden bed-frames and scary men
Stealing gentility all your dreams
Off your night stand stealing me

I swear I made your ancient glow
Maybe a million years ago
Your hair is different, but so am I
Have you lost the fire you held tight

You are what you chase

Living in LA, everyday I see people chasing things.
I’m no exception, about three years ago I came out here chasing a dream as well.
For the first year I lived here, I very cliche’dly worked many different jobs supporting my dream of becoming an actor/musician/writer.
One of those jobs; was being and extra in movies and TV shows.
Before I got to LA, I always thought this would be a very exiting way to make money, some of the time it was.
But, what many people don’t know that working as background on a movie, is not all explosions, special effects and movie stars.
Most of the day spent as an extra, occurred next to the snack table surrounded by a group of other extras waiting for lunch.
When you had hours in-between shots, the way you would pass the time would be to talk with people.
what I found out very quickly is that It seemed that everyone else had come here chasing dreams as well.

When I first got to Hollywood- I would be on set, or at a restaurant, or church, I would meet someone and ask them questions like.
“Where are you from”
“What do you do”
“What have you done” And things like that.
But now, after spending a considerable amount of time out here I think I am going to begin asking people a different question. Something a little more direct.
“What are you chasing?”
I’m sure I will get some weird looks, but I think it will help boil down past the pleasantries most stand behind.
Out here, if you posed a question like this, and asked for complete honesty, you will undoubtedly find answers like.
“I’m chasing fame”
“I’m chasing respect”
“I’m chasing money”
“I’m chasing love”
Which should be no surprise to me finding answers like that, considering it being such a self centered world.
But, to be fair, I don’t think it’s just Hollywood in which people are chasing things.
I think everyone, everywhere is chasing something.
You, are chasing something.
We were made to.

God put in us a spirit to chase, to have ambition and seek out the things we are passionate about, God made us to chase him.
But somewhere along the way we stop chasing God and start chasing other things. They’re not always even bad things, sometimes we are simply chasing love, or security. Longings that God him self has put in us.
But, I think the failure to chase the creator of love and security and simply chasing the feeling- can lead us down destructive paths to places and relationships we can’t find the way out of.

I see this played out daily.
As I grow up a little more each year it becomes more and more apparent in mine and peoples behavior.
Every night when go turn on the TV, and see one more girl taking off her clothes for TV show ratings.
Then, quickly change the channel to the news, and see one more powerful man, caught in a web of his own lies, ruining his life and the lives of those around him, just for money.
Or, I will read about a star who overdosed on drugs because even the ‘good life’ didn’t numb his pain.
Or hear the very real fact that where I live in the San Fernando Valley; There is more pornography made here, the anywhere in the world.

When I let theses things sink in, I start to wonder how these things could possibly happen.
How and why do we end up, selling our dignity, start loving money more than people, give up on life and even sell our bodies for a few dollars?

I think the answer to HOW we end up in these places, are the things we CHASED there.
Maybe we had no idea we would end up in those destructive life ruining places when we started chasing attention, money, relief and love.
But now that we’ve arrived there, we can’t get out.
So, is there any hope for us?

Yes…

God is the creator, redeemer and lover of all, and there is nowhere or place he can’t find us and make us new.
I think if we have found our selves in a place we don’t like, or, even see our selves stepping in directions we didn’t think we ever would and want to get out or avoid hurt and pain, we must start chasing Jesus, the one who created perfect love, security and self worth.
But, for that to happen we have to be willing to stop chasing everything else in our lives and begin chasing only him.
When we do this we will start to see all the things we were looking for in the first place, but could never find, come in the ways they were always meant to.

In the pursuit of the creator we will find we are on the path that leads to life.
God wants to give us the desires of our hearts but He also knows the way better than we could ever know on our own.
So, when Jesus becomes the desire of our hearts, we’ll will find our selves more loved, more satisfied more content than we could ever imagine.
Because only in the pursuit of him will find what we are truly looking for.

So I encourage you to ask yourself,
“What am I chasing? Why? Where is it taking me?”
And maybe if your up for it, try chasing the creator of every good thing, and just see where He might lead you.

When I was nineteen I had just moved to NY chasing a dream, shortly after I arrived God asked me the question,
“Are you going to chase your dreams and desires, or are you going to chase me and the dreams and desires I have for you?”
I chose to chase God, I am not perfect and I trip often, but nothing will stop me on my pursuit of him.
After that I began writing a book Wisdom Chasers, a collection of essays formed into a bible study, pondering what it looks like to live a life in pursuit of Jesus.

If you would like to get a copy for your self (I would love if you did)
Click here for the NEW printed version
Click here for the Ebook

ineed

I woke up this morning and with no hesitation I went through the list of what I want,

I wanted to eat, so I planned what food I should give to my self.

Then, halfway through making my self breakfast I had an unhealthy desire for coffee, so I poured caffeine down my throat.

Then I wanted to sit down in my the blue chair, but my roommate was sitting in the chair I wanted to sit in, so I decided to have a bad attitude and be grumpy.

I pulled out my iphone, and wanted to send a text without moving my fingers and suddenly wondered why I had to be the only person in the world without Siri…Life is really hard on me.

Then I walked back to my room and saw this picture of a young girl living in a third world country, celebrating because her village now has clean water. She is ecstatically happy because of water……just water…..

I have water, in fact I have around 20 glasses of half filled drunken water on my counter. I sometimes take hour-long showers because I can. And every now and again I pay people to dump it on my car because there is a smudge on my car window. And I don’t think I have ever once been as thankful as her for water.

I have lots of water, food, friends, but somehow I still find something to complain about, daily.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having, wanting or needing things. But how often are the things we find ourselves buying spending time on or getting-revolving only around ourselves and what we think we should have.

How often do we need a cup of coffee so we buy one for four bucks, how often are we hungry so we get a snack for our selves, how often do we want a new ipad so we get one for our selves? There is nothing wrong with any of these things, but lets turn it on the flip side.

How often when we are eating, we think of the millions of people (thousands in our own country) who wont be eating today,

How often do we play angry birds on our ipad do we think of the fact that for the same price of single ipad an entire village could have a well providing clean water, saving the lives of thousands.

I every day, ignore, coddle, and intentionally live selfishly. I have decided to fight that. So I am not going to do that with you.

If you have a sink, and have eaten today, you are blessed and richer than 99% of the world. You need to give. You will never actually be happy until you do. Neither will I. So, I don’t care where it is. But we need to give, I need to give, You need to give.

So I started a fundraiser for a group started by a young man in my church that is giving the most basic and necessary thing for life there could be. Giving water to those who need it.

I would be absolutely honored if you would consider giving to my fund-raiser Nathan John Clarkson’s Give a Cup of Cold Water

Honestly, to reach my goal I need you, but for someone to live another day they need you. Please don’t think about giving, just do. The new iphone can wait. A child’s life cannot. Your awesome, no go be awesome.

Click this link to give to my fundraiser.

Give a cup of cold water. Jesus said so, that’s why.

Look what I can do

The next time you walk to your kitchen and turn on your sink to fill up a glass of water I want you to do a couple of things.

First- drink and enjoy it. Enjoy the wonderful nectar of life, let it satisfy your thirst and sustain you.

Then- when you’re done, I want you to think of one billion people around the world, who have no access to clean water, or the ability to a basic necessity of life at their disposal, for maybe their entire life.

Recently yesterday I was at church, I had attended in hopes of doing my spiritual duty for the week expecting to make a clean entrance and exit, not expecting to be convicted. As I sat there counting down the minutes to punching my spiritual time card, a young man about my age (23) got up on stage and shared something that was on his heart. He was talking about a movement he had started after visiting a third world country in which people didn’t have clean drinking water. Then he shared startling statistics.

• The lack of clean drinking water is the number one cause of death in the world, more than war, aids and famine combined.
• Nearly one billion people don’t have access to clean drinking water (about one seventh of the world’s population)
• 84% of the 9,800 deaths a day as a result of the lack of clean drinking water, are children under the age of 14
• The list goes on, but I think you might get the picture.

As I sat there and listened to what this young man had to say, it hit me in the face like a ton of bricks. So I decided to jump on board in what ever way I could. I love to write, I love being in-front of camera. So I decided to start my own fundraiser and raise 1000 dollars to help make wells and give clean water to those who have none. But honestly to do this, I need your help.

I am not going to spend paragraph to try and guilt you about you not doing your part, or trying to convince you why you should give. You know why. I just want to remind you of one thing.

“And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”

-Jesus

So, I would absolutely love it if you would help me give a cup of cold water to Jesus, by giving it to someone who might never have it if it wasn’t for you.

Click on the link to get involved in my and fundraiser for generosity water’s nobel mission.

Then get involved and share this post with your friends and family and lets change the world one cup of water at a time.

-Nathan John Clarkson

I am 23 years old and looking forward.

Today is my first day of being 23 years old.

God is very good to me.

It meas so much to me, that anyone at all reads the words I write.

It would also mean so much, if you ever get a chance, to pray for me.

Pray for God’s leading, open doors, and wisdom in everything I do.

God has always been faithful for the past 22 years of my life, I can’t wait to see the way He will work as I step into this new adventure.

Thank you all for reading and sharing this journey with me.

Thank you Jesus.

-Nathan John Clarkson

 

 

He has risen indeed!

My church Oasis in Los Angeles

No matter who you are, or what you believe, it’s impossible to ignore the incredible and unequaled death and mote importantly life of Jesus. I believe with all my heart he did it because he loves me and he loves you with all his heart. Happy Easter!

-Nathan

John 3:16

Hallelujah (I’ll still sing) – New Song

I’m losing every part of me
the end of me the start of me
in the cold i tried to walk alone

I coud use some hope right now
I’m buried deep inside my doubt
I just can’t seem to see the way out

hallelujah

I wish I had the words to sing
the pain i feel more beautifully
instead ill ware my heart upon my sleeve

can I say this honestly
to the king of majesty
im so hurt I just can’t lift my hands

hallelujah

I thought if I could just ignore
the things I put behind closed doors
they would burn away and leave me be

but it tore right through the heart of me
into the place no one can see
right past the mask I tried to make for you

Fight for Light

“There is always light to be found, for the ones who fight to see it”

Don’t stop fighting to see the light in your world. Hold strong and keep going.

Beautiful things should never be cheap.

As a poor starving artist, I rarely eat at the finest of establishments, not because I don’t love fine food, but simply because if I did this on a regular basis, I would have to start choosing between that, or driving, and sleeping in a room that has a roof.

But every now and again, I find my more civilised self tapping me on the shoulder, handing me a collard shirt and nudging me out the door to a more than usual classy night. Recently I had an occasion to take a pretty lady to dinner, it was a night that called for a fancy place, and so I answered its call with a rooftop restaurant looking out over all of LA. It was beautiful, the music was playing softly and the entire space was lit in a way that made you feel as if you stood above the norm and grim of everyday life. For the first few minuets we enjoyed a the ambiance letting all the classyness that hung in the air seep in. Until of course the menu came. I opened to find a hear attack awaiting me in the prices of food, or at least the ones listed. I was about to decide to fill up on water when, a calming peace came over me, and God seemed to whisper in my ear. “It’s worth it”. So I made the decision to let go of my fears of price or anything of that nature and simply enjoy the chance to experience the finer things for a night.

I have very rarely tasted food as good, every bite was an experience, enhanced only by the beauty of the view, the girl and the ambience of the night. So that when the check came, the price seemed small for the memory we were able to share. I think even though I might be eating from the 99 cent store for a year, that God was happy. God loves special things, God loves when beautiful things are expensive.

It’s very sad to me to watch our culture, tares apart, throws away and makes fun and light of the things God has made sacred and beautiful. It’s as if we are putting 99% off sales, on things that should cost a fortune. Turn on the TV and just watch as sex; something that was made beautiful by God to be shared with one person, is made into a game to play and win at. Or our as we flip through magazines you’ll see the young girls who jump at the chance to sell their own bodies take and off their clothes just advertise a new makeup.

I think more than anything it makes me sad. Because I don’t think we know what we are doing. And I don’t think we are looking at the effect it will carry out on our lives. But when we begin to cheapen the things that were made to come a very high price, we starting losing touch with what we are worth. I guess if you take nothing else from this, remember that you are expensive and you came a high price. So recognize what is worth a fortune and don’t take the knock off brand. And be willing to pay a fortune for something that truly deserves it.

Especially you ladies, you are beautiful and wonderfully made, you are made to be honored and respected. Your level of worth is that God would die for you. So that being the standered, never let your self be bought for anything less than a fortune. If any man is worth being with, He will remind you of your true worth and treat you a such.

 

Sorry, a little ranty and disorganized this post, but I live in a place where people aren’t valued and people don’t value themselves. So I just wanted to remind you all of the amazing immaculate worth you have. You were made in the image of God, and are truly priceless.

 

-Nathan

Did God make you fast? Then RUN!!!

“I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.”

-Eric Liddell

As I sit here at my desk and read this quote for the seventh time. It continues to punch me in the chest, as I let the words hit me time and again. I read the saying aloud one more time and again, I am struck with a life altering truth, that I find my self consistently forgetting: I was made not as a commodity, or simple tool, not to simply do some work then die, not a some cog in a machine. But rather, I was made creatively and beautifully. I was made with purpose and intention. God hand-made me specifically to bring him pleasure.

I remember when I was 18 I had made it to the showcase of a talent competition. I was standing back stage, waiting for my go at charming the audience, while nervously rubbing my hands together and making sure I remembered every note and word I had to play and sing. The act that was scheduled to perform before me stepped out onto the stage. He was a dancer. But I remember even just from the stage right-wing of the theater; I was amazed as I watched the young man come to life as the music started. His feet knew every step  by heart, and his hands and body were in perfect unison, hitting every mark on every beat. But the entire dance was almost completely out-shined by the light on his face. As I watched him skillfully and beautifully hit every mark; I couldn’t take my eyes off of his face, and the passion it held. And it suddenly occurred to me that, this is what he was made to do. Not simply something he can do, or is supposed to do, but what God had made him to do. It was then I decided, there are very few things more beautiful than watching someone do what God has created and designed them to.

You were made to bring God pleasure, he has made you, as the bible says “fearfully and wonderfully”. With specific desires and skills that are made for the sole purpose of bringing your creator pleasure.

So, today and everyday I encourage you to do the things, not that you are obligated to do, or feel that you should do, or even the things you think you are good at, but rather pursue, hone, and practice the things you were made to do. When you do this you will begin to feel God’s pleasure.

So, that being said, I’m off to sing at the top of my lungs.