Prayer. - 7/28/14
It has been way too long since the last post. I am going to keep this one brief! I am tired, but doing well! The internship here at church is going really well! I need to get back to work, but I would ask you, the reader, to pray for me. Yes, I need prayer. Crazy, right? Who do I think I am asking for prayer...!
I need prayer to get the job done! I have a lot of work to do with this internship! This week, specifically, I'm teaching on Roman Catholicism (Which I know nothing about) for our Wednesday night Bible Study. And, I know I'll have other teaching obligations. Also, I will be meeting with a bunch of people this week. I am incredibly nervous about that! I have never been great at just hanging out and having lunch with someone, so this will be a challenge! The next big thing is my class for school! I am way behind and need to finish it in two weeks! I am getting ready to come back to FL! These next two weeks will be crazy. I know, there are others who need prayer more than I need prayer. I know that this is not that big of a deal, but I would great appreciate it, if you would be so willing, to pray for me!
Hopefully, I will post as to how I've been doing in the next couple of days! A lot has happened!
Thank You!
Monday, July 28, 2014
Saturday, July 5, 2014
6/25-7/3 - Dyslexia
6/25 - 7/3 - Dyslexia
Well, a ton has happened since last post! So, why keep talking? Here we go!
6/25-6/27 - The rest of VBS was fun, a little crazy because on Wednesday and Thursday night were overnighters. The first one was great. As the intern, I had to go pick up the pizzas for the group. There were 7 kids when I left. My attitude was totally wrong. I was tired and just wanted to go home. The last thing I wanted to do is to be with these smelly kids. But, by the grace of God, I actually felt love for the kids. As I entered the cabin, there were 2 kids. I searched for the others and they had all gone home. Just two of the boys were left and the youth Pastor and I. It ended up being a really awesome night! Pastor and I talked for a while and the kids loved it. Just us going back and forth with jokes and theological topics. For some reason, they loved it! Later, Pastor and I were talking about reading speeds. He said he was an incredibly slow reader at 20 pages an hour. I told him that I read about 6-10 pages an hour. He was shocked! (Don't worry, this random fact comes into play later)
The second overnighter went, well, alright. Not as good as the first night. There were more kids this evening; which is fine! These kids are great! A great group to be with! Earlier I was speaking with my girlfriend and told her about my reading speed. She asked if I had Dyslexia. I was shocked! I never thought that I could have it. Later that evening, we tried to prank the kids. Pastor, myself, and several older leaders decided it would be a great idea to take smoke bombs and air horns and toilet paper and air-soft guns and pretend to be terrorists and scare the kids. It failed miserably. (For the record, it was not Pastor's or my idea to do all this stuff. We wanted to scare them by creating a dark figure in their window or something of the sort, but not to come in guns a blazin') It only caused all the kids to be angry at us for making the entire cabin smell terrible and filling it with smoke. Also, it woke the neighbors. Yuck. But, hopefully they will have a good story out of it!
Later on the next day I went online and took a simple test so see if I had Dyslexia. Not professional by any means, but it gives an idea as to what to do next. Well, after several tests, they all said that I probably have Dyslexia and should look into taking a professional test. Not sure how I feel about this. It's not that big of a deal, but to a certain extent I feel like a freak. Someone who has this mental disability and is an outcast from society. This is not true! I know it's not true! It did, however, make me much more concerned than it should have.
6/28 - Earlier in the day I spoke with some of my best friends from FL over Skype. It was so good to hear from them and to see how they are! That night we had our young adults Bible study. We talked about what men need to be in a relationship. Terrifying! Not because I don't want to be that, but quite the opposite, I will never achieve perfection. I can learn and strive to be this Biblical man who leads his wife as Christ did for the Church, but will never meet it perfectly. It was incredibly helpful to learn about what it looks like for Godly Christian men to be in relationships!
6/29 - Taught in Sunday School. And played softball with some friends! However, this day, despite the good start, may have been my worst day in several months, if not several years. I cannot go into more details, but please understand that I'm doing well now! (7/4)
6/30 - This day was filled with studying! Awesome! Pretty much the entire day I was in my office studying for an upcoming lesson or for my independent study. I loved it!
7/1 - Not much happened today. We got a new dishwasher.
7/2 - This was my day off! Really just relaxed the whole day!
7/3 - Came into work later in the afternoon. Well, first, I went to Starbucks and tried to do my devotions. For some reason I became incredibly frustrated with my inability to read well. (But, that is for another time) We, our associate Pastor, some friends, one of the youth, and I went to visit a shut in from the church. The Pastor, as we were walking out the door to go see her, said that I would be leading a Bible Study. No preparation time, just go time! He had been thinking about doing this for months and was quite pleased with himself for keeping it a secret until now. Well, to summarize, it went really well! All by the grace of God!
Thank you!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
6/21 - 6/24 Sat., Sun., Mon., Tues. - Exhaustion is my Energy!
6/21 - 6/24 Sat., Sun., Mon., Tues. - Exhaustion is my Energy!
Sat. - Finally spent a night at home! (Well, I did spend one night at home before, but it was short lived because of the anticipation of the week ahead at Builders) I don't remember much about Saturday, except that I tried to rest!
Sun. - I taught Jr. High; which went really well! They announced in the morning service that I would be the intern for the summer and prayed over me! That was wonderful! That evening was youth group. Because of Father's Day and Builders, last week's youth group was cancelled, so this was the first youth group I went to in several months! I was teaching. Completely honest moment, this was the worse lesson I've ever taught. I had no idea what I was saying and was scrambling for words the entire time. I had several minute long pauses and barely got through it. After I prayed, I left, without saying anything, just left. I cried for a bit and went down to the choir room, which is in the basement. I knew no one would find me there. I know I did poorly, and others knew as well. I also knew that they, in the kindness of their heart, would say "nice" things. "Try harder next time", "It was not that bad", "...", whatever else. I didn't want to hear it. Nothing in me wanted to hear the words that they would say; both positive and negative. However, I tried to leave, but they "caught" me. And they did, as I thought they would, say both good and bad things. The lesson going badly was my fault. The past several lessons I have given were all really good. I presumed on the grace of God to "get me through" this one as well. Well, I also didn't study and prepare in the way I should. It was my fault. Totally and entirely my fault. I'm not quitting my job; even though it crossed my mind. I am going to try and take this as a learning opportunity; I'm not as good at improvising as I thought. Also, do not underestimate the time and energy it takes to prepare a lesson!
Mon. - Today starts VBS! However, because our director did not know of my coming home, I was not scheduled for anything. So, I'm not working VBS. For the first couple hours I wandered around waiting for my keys to my "office", in that time our secretary found me and had a wonderful list of jobs to do. The first was shredding paper. Lots of paper. Next, solely because of my title of "intern", I had to unclog a toilet. Wonderful. I was happy to do it, but it was not part of my job description. Maybe it is, I have no idea of what I'm doing here. Anyways, it was very humbling! The rest of the day was busy, but fine! (Also, two different individuals came up to me and said that they were impacted about the lesson I had yesterday. Only by the grace of God and the Spirit's guidance could that have ever happened! Praise His name!)
Tues. - This day, as compared to yesterday, was much better! Well, not better in that I didn't like yesterday, but that I was able to do my "job". A major component of my job is with the youth group, but another is just studying and being in the "office". I'll have to find a healthy balance between the two and the other responsibilities I have. But, to be honest, I was afraid that people would find odd tasks for me to do; such as, unclogging toilets, and shredding paper. So, I hid in my office all day. I had a great time studying! One of the areas of study was Ps. 111. What a beautiful Psalm! "He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!" (v. 9) From my study here (which is not complete) I hope to do a series on some of the Psalms over the summer.
After being in school for the last two semesters, my knowledge of the Lord has greatly increased! I understand Reformed Theology more and am able to be a better student, but one of the struggles I have is that I have a head knowledge, but it has not translated into heart affection for the Lord. I love the study of the Lord, but find a lack in the genuine affection for the Lord himself. The very first verse of this Psalm says, "Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation." Praise the Lord! Why does my heart have such a hard time doing this? To praise the Lord, whose works in creation is what keeps us all and sustains us all, is, for me, an incredibly difficult task. I would rather complain and am drawn towards having a bad attitude; especially after exhaustion has become my only source of energy. (That, and coffee) So, I pray, with all earnestness and sincerity, that I may learn to praise the Lord in all circumstances!
Thank you!
Sat. - Finally spent a night at home! (Well, I did spend one night at home before, but it was short lived because of the anticipation of the week ahead at Builders) I don't remember much about Saturday, except that I tried to rest!
Sun. - I taught Jr. High; which went really well! They announced in the morning service that I would be the intern for the summer and prayed over me! That was wonderful! That evening was youth group. Because of Father's Day and Builders, last week's youth group was cancelled, so this was the first youth group I went to in several months! I was teaching. Completely honest moment, this was the worse lesson I've ever taught. I had no idea what I was saying and was scrambling for words the entire time. I had several minute long pauses and barely got through it. After I prayed, I left, without saying anything, just left. I cried for a bit and went down to the choir room, which is in the basement. I knew no one would find me there. I know I did poorly, and others knew as well. I also knew that they, in the kindness of their heart, would say "nice" things. "Try harder next time", "It was not that bad", "...", whatever else. I didn't want to hear it. Nothing in me wanted to hear the words that they would say; both positive and negative. However, I tried to leave, but they "caught" me. And they did, as I thought they would, say both good and bad things. The lesson going badly was my fault. The past several lessons I have given were all really good. I presumed on the grace of God to "get me through" this one as well. Well, I also didn't study and prepare in the way I should. It was my fault. Totally and entirely my fault. I'm not quitting my job; even though it crossed my mind. I am going to try and take this as a learning opportunity; I'm not as good at improvising as I thought. Also, do not underestimate the time and energy it takes to prepare a lesson!
Mon. - Today starts VBS! However, because our director did not know of my coming home, I was not scheduled for anything. So, I'm not working VBS. For the first couple hours I wandered around waiting for my keys to my "office", in that time our secretary found me and had a wonderful list of jobs to do. The first was shredding paper. Lots of paper. Next, solely because of my title of "intern", I had to unclog a toilet. Wonderful. I was happy to do it, but it was not part of my job description. Maybe it is, I have no idea of what I'm doing here. Anyways, it was very humbling! The rest of the day was busy, but fine! (Also, two different individuals came up to me and said that they were impacted about the lesson I had yesterday. Only by the grace of God and the Spirit's guidance could that have ever happened! Praise His name!)
Tues. - This day, as compared to yesterday, was much better! Well, not better in that I didn't like yesterday, but that I was able to do my "job". A major component of my job is with the youth group, but another is just studying and being in the "office". I'll have to find a healthy balance between the two and the other responsibilities I have. But, to be honest, I was afraid that people would find odd tasks for me to do; such as, unclogging toilets, and shredding paper. So, I hid in my office all day. I had a great time studying! One of the areas of study was Ps. 111. What a beautiful Psalm! "He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!" (v. 9) From my study here (which is not complete) I hope to do a series on some of the Psalms over the summer.
After being in school for the last two semesters, my knowledge of the Lord has greatly increased! I understand Reformed Theology more and am able to be a better student, but one of the struggles I have is that I have a head knowledge, but it has not translated into heart affection for the Lord. I love the study of the Lord, but find a lack in the genuine affection for the Lord himself. The very first verse of this Psalm says, "Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation." Praise the Lord! Why does my heart have such a hard time doing this? To praise the Lord, whose works in creation is what keeps us all and sustains us all, is, for me, an incredibly difficult task. I would rather complain and am drawn towards having a bad attitude; especially after exhaustion has become my only source of energy. (That, and coffee) So, I pray, with all earnestness and sincerity, that I may learn to praise the Lord in all circumstances!
Thank you!
Saturday, June 21, 2014
6/11 - 6/20 - Builders, Traveling, and Relationships!
6/11 - 6/20 - Builders, Traveling, and Relationships!
Hello Friends! It has been way too long since I've posted anything, I've been incredibly busy. So, here we go. I'll try to catch up as best as I can!
6/11 - Don't remember much, but I was still in PA and flew back to FL to lead youth group! In the middle of the flight, I remembered that I forgot my keys in PA. This means I could not get in the apartment, or drive my car, or check the mail. My Mom sent them, overnight express, but for that Wednesday I had to count on people for rides, everywhere! One friend, whom I really think is the funniest man ever, was incredibly helpful and took me to youth group that evening! It was a really good night! This was the last week of my internship with them! The goodbyes were a little hard, but I'll be seeing them soon enough! The Lord was incredibly gracious for when I spoke. In the middle of my message, I forgot what I was saying. Just stopped talking and could not get back my thoughts for a minute or two. But, some of the kids came up afterwards and said that they were so helped by the massage anyways! Praise the Lord! I ended staying at my friend's place for the evening because I could not get into my apartment and my other roommate went to sleep already!
6/12 - Finally got in the apartment and began to pack, but could not get in the car. So, I ended up sitting around for a while not being able to do anything. After my keys arrived I packed and cleaned up a bit. I took a good friend of my with me to pick something up in Orlando area, which was an awesome trip. Just 1 & 1/2 hours stuck in traffic and talking! Later that evening I had a ballet lesson with the same friend and afterwards we went for a long walk and talk! Long story short, I had an honest moment with her and told her that I liked her. She said she likes me too! I got her Dad's number and planned to call him soon to ask to enter into a relationship!
6/13 - 6/14 Traveling, all day! A total, over the two days, of 21 hours of driving from FL to PA! I often go through a weird cycle while driving for that long of a time. Adventures in
Odyssey, a sermon, music, singing at the top of my lungs until I cannot sing anymore, silence, try to call someone, and repeat! So, for 21 hours, went through this cycle. I also called the Dad! Crazy nervous, but it was a really good conversation! He is such an incredibly gracious man who cared about me, and his daughter's and mine's relationship. He said that we could enter into a courtship and then we prayed together! So, now officially in a relationship!
6/15-6/20 Builders for God for the entire week. I showed up on Sunday morning and taught our Jr. High Sunday school and then got ready to go. Builders for God is a ministry where a group of people go to a camp and stay there for the week and fix up the camp and make repairs and paint and clean and whatever else needs to be done! So, we were leaving right after church and I had not yet unpacked, but took my whole suitcase and stuff with me for this new adventure! (I ended leaving all my bedding...) It was incredibly hard! The first day I painted some of the chapel, but did not complete the project. Then, the next day, went to work on a project where we were replacing an entire roof! It was an incredibly hard job! On the hot roof without any shade and tearing off the old roof and laying down the new roof. The next day, I worked on the roof for a bit, but then I was moved to help supervise some of the youth group as they worked! We went and painted another building, but they could not reach the top parts of the building and because they were too young, they could not get on the ladders. That was my job, on the ladder and painting. I made a lot of mistakes though.
The next day, went and pressure washed a deck of one of the cabins with some more of the youth! That was fun! It was more fun for me because I made them do all the work. (Is that bad of me? Too rash?) Later the same day, I finished the one building for the painting the high parts on the ladder. Friday, the last day, I led the devotional for the men. It was an awesome privilege, and I was honored that they would ask me to do it! Later, did some more painting, but it was by myself and I listened to several messages! That was a lot of fun! Afterwards, it was time to pack up and leave! So glad! The week was hard, but it was good to finally go home!
The thing that was the most hard was the physical labor. I'm a wuss. I don't like the work and would rather just, well, not do it, but the Lord really helped me to overcome these thoughts and to actually enjoy serving in this way. Again, the physical labor was tough, but what got me through was remembering why we were there. The camp serves children from the inner-city and shares the Gospel to them. We were there to fix the camp for the furthering of the Gospel to everyone who comes through! It was not for myself that I was doing this work, but rather for the salvation of souls, by His grace, and the love and care for these children! That's what got me through. Honestly, Monday, I hated it. I hated being there and just wanted to go home, but talking with our youth pastor and really praying came to the spot where I could enjoy serving! Praise the Lord!
Thank you!
Hello Friends! It has been way too long since I've posted anything, I've been incredibly busy. So, here we go. I'll try to catch up as best as I can!
6/11 - Don't remember much, but I was still in PA and flew back to FL to lead youth group! In the middle of the flight, I remembered that I forgot my keys in PA. This means I could not get in the apartment, or drive my car, or check the mail. My Mom sent them, overnight express, but for that Wednesday I had to count on people for rides, everywhere! One friend, whom I really think is the funniest man ever, was incredibly helpful and took me to youth group that evening! It was a really good night! This was the last week of my internship with them! The goodbyes were a little hard, but I'll be seeing them soon enough! The Lord was incredibly gracious for when I spoke. In the middle of my message, I forgot what I was saying. Just stopped talking and could not get back my thoughts for a minute or two. But, some of the kids came up afterwards and said that they were so helped by the massage anyways! Praise the Lord! I ended staying at my friend's place for the evening because I could not get into my apartment and my other roommate went to sleep already!
6/12 - Finally got in the apartment and began to pack, but could not get in the car. So, I ended up sitting around for a while not being able to do anything. After my keys arrived I packed and cleaned up a bit. I took a good friend of my with me to pick something up in Orlando area, which was an awesome trip. Just 1 & 1/2 hours stuck in traffic and talking! Later that evening I had a ballet lesson with the same friend and afterwards we went for a long walk and talk! Long story short, I had an honest moment with her and told her that I liked her. She said she likes me too! I got her Dad's number and planned to call him soon to ask to enter into a relationship!
6/13 - 6/14 Traveling, all day! A total, over the two days, of 21 hours of driving from FL to PA! I often go through a weird cycle while driving for that long of a time. Adventures in
Odyssey, a sermon, music, singing at the top of my lungs until I cannot sing anymore, silence, try to call someone, and repeat! So, for 21 hours, went through this cycle. I also called the Dad! Crazy nervous, but it was a really good conversation! He is such an incredibly gracious man who cared about me, and his daughter's and mine's relationship. He said that we could enter into a courtship and then we prayed together! So, now officially in a relationship!
6/15-6/20 Builders for God for the entire week. I showed up on Sunday morning and taught our Jr. High Sunday school and then got ready to go. Builders for God is a ministry where a group of people go to a camp and stay there for the week and fix up the camp and make repairs and paint and clean and whatever else needs to be done! So, we were leaving right after church and I had not yet unpacked, but took my whole suitcase and stuff with me for this new adventure! (I ended leaving all my bedding...) It was incredibly hard! The first day I painted some of the chapel, but did not complete the project. Then, the next day, went to work on a project where we were replacing an entire roof! It was an incredibly hard job! On the hot roof without any shade and tearing off the old roof and laying down the new roof. The next day, I worked on the roof for a bit, but then I was moved to help supervise some of the youth group as they worked! We went and painted another building, but they could not reach the top parts of the building and because they were too young, they could not get on the ladders. That was my job, on the ladder and painting. I made a lot of mistakes though.
The next day, went and pressure washed a deck of one of the cabins with some more of the youth! That was fun! It was more fun for me because I made them do all the work. (Is that bad of me? Too rash?) Later the same day, I finished the one building for the painting the high parts on the ladder. Friday, the last day, I led the devotional for the men. It was an awesome privilege, and I was honored that they would ask me to do it! Later, did some more painting, but it was by myself and I listened to several messages! That was a lot of fun! Afterwards, it was time to pack up and leave! So glad! The week was hard, but it was good to finally go home!
The thing that was the most hard was the physical labor. I'm a wuss. I don't like the work and would rather just, well, not do it, but the Lord really helped me to overcome these thoughts and to actually enjoy serving in this way. Again, the physical labor was tough, but what got me through was remembering why we were there. The camp serves children from the inner-city and shares the Gospel to them. We were there to fix the camp for the furthering of the Gospel to everyone who comes through! It was not for myself that I was doing this work, but rather for the salvation of souls, by His grace, and the love and care for these children! That's what got me through. Honestly, Monday, I hated it. I hated being there and just wanted to go home, but talking with our youth pastor and really praying came to the spot where I could enjoy serving! Praise the Lord!
Thank you!
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Sun, Mon, Tues 6/8, 6/9, 6/10 - Graduation
Sun, Mon, Tues 6/8, 6/9, 6/10 - Graduation
Sunday – This is my last Sunday at my church here in FL.
Because of it, I was scheduled, when previously was not, to sing on the worship
team. The service went well and I said goodbye to several people. Later on in
the evening, some friends and I planned to go to a evening college service
where they were going to play my video testimony. However, less than an hour
before, I received a text saying that the video was not finished. The church is
45mins away, so I decided not to go. But those same friends came over anyways
and we watched Brave.
Monday – I flew home today. I flew home in order to be at my
sister’s graduation from high school. Over the past few years, our relationship
has grown and it was wonderful to see her graduate from high school! She received honors. (Something
that I did not achieve in high school) I am very proud of her!
Tuesday – My sister and friend had planned this beforehand,
but we were going to surprise our Mom with a birthday lunch. So, our friend came over
and took my Mom out for coffee. My sister set up the house and I went out to
pick up some hoagies for lunch. The first two places I went to were shut down,
but fortunately I found a new place that had amazing hoagies! Went home,
finished cleaning and setting up the house. My mother was surprised! It
was an amazing success! Normally, when that sort of thing happens, namely,
surprise parties or the like, they end up being unveiled beforehand. Or, there
is a hitch that makes it less than what I expected. Usually when that happens
it is because I was the trying to cook the meal and, for the record, I’m not a
great cook. Anyways, afterwards some friends and I went to play tennis, then
almost got kicked out of McDonalds for being too loud. (I would not normally
distinguish McDonalds as being a restaurant of such class that
laughter would disturb the sanctity and tranquility of the other patrons, but
apparently this McD’s was held to a higher standard) Later, I went to my old
workplace, Saxby’s coffee. It was good to see a good friend who still works there.
I worked on my message for Wednesday. Finally, I went out to Applebees for late
night ½ price appetizers. (A fantastic deal for college students)
(This was pretty straight forward. I feel weird just talking
about my day without some other explanation or comment, but this will have to
do. Please forgive me!)
Thank you!
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Thurs, Fri, Sat 6/5, 6/6, 6/7 - The Lego Movie
Thurs, Fri, Sat 6/5, 6/6, 6/7 - The Lego Movie
On Thursday I believe I slept in. I do not remember well, but the one event I can remember is that later on in the evening I went with a friend who was planning on taking a video of me. He had heard my testimony and was doing a mini-series with his church on different people's testimony. He asked me a while ago if he could film it and now we finally got to it. The church he attends is large, and because of it he has access to a lot of neat video and sound equipment that most churches do not have. We went to the studio and it was filled with awesome stuff! I sat in front of a black screen for a long time before we actually got around to shooting it. Very uncomfortable. Sitting on a stool with no back support. It was fine. This was the first time actually being in front of a camera for more than a few seconds, or for those goofy, awkward films we did in high school. (Which are always the most fun because of the memories and the inside jokes) But, what dawned on me and what I found most interesting and shocking is that people want to hear my story. A couple post's ago, I wrote about "my story/our story". In thinking about what it means to share all of our stories, I cannot help but wonder what makes one "better". Nothing really. My story, for some reason, people want to hear, but that does not make it "better" than anyone else's. Yes, the experience that I've had is different compared to most, but it does not mean that I've received more grace than anyone else who has been born again in the Spirit of Christ. By the grace of God, we are what we are today. We are saved!
Friday, I had a ballet lesson. Later, some friends and I went to Chick fil a and then we went and saw the Lego Movie. This was the second time that I’ve seen the movie. (A great movie, by the way) And then a friend and I went for a walk. A good long walk. One of those walks where the level of trust and companionship grows stronger. I must go around in circles, but I thank God for my friends. I wrote on this subject before as well, but it's true. One of my fears was that while I'm still here in FL a lot of my friends, my really close friends, the ones who I feel comfortable talking to a lot of things, have left. They all seemed to have left, and, to be completely honest, I began to become anxious. But, right at the time when they all left, new friends sprung up. Friends in whom I can trust and count on! Praise the Lord!
Saturday, some friends and I spent some time at the springs. There is a long walking trial there. It has a wonderful mix of shade and open area when the sun will shine. I felt bad after a while because I, for whatever reason, did not feel like talking. (I do know why, but I would prefer not to disclose this here) So, I decided to walk ahead of the group in order to give them some space. I felt like I was dragging the whole group down. (Whether this is true or not, I could not shake the feeling) But either way, the trip and the walk was great! I've never been to the springs before. It was beautiful!
Thank you!
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Wednesday 6/4/14 - Black Snakes of Death
Wednesday 6/4/14 - Black Snakes of Death
This day is filled with the grace of God! Wednesday is game day, youth group day! The day that the message is to be given, when I lay all my cards on the table and interact with all the youth group kids. It's hard work. To love, to truly love people is an exhausting task. And it does not help that I'm in charge, making the decisions. But anyways, the morning started early. 5:20am early. I got up early to get to Starbucks early to be able to sit in my favorite seat. It's in the corner, there is an outlet right next to me, it has a decent size table to be able to actually lay my books out and have my laptop out also. Everyone else who does study there thinks so too. Therefore, I go to Starbucks at 6am to get that seat. I once fought a man to the death for that seat! No, not really. (Too far?) I got there to get working on writing my message. During the week I had put off the studying as well. Normally, I study the whole week and then the days leading up to the presentation of the message are not too hard because I am pulling from information already in my mind, but yesterday was different. It made it so much more complicated and difficult to study and write. I became overwhelmed and was not able to focus. My thoughts were not flowing and I had to leave. I went to a friend's apartment to get work done. Similar situation, thoughts were not coming and I just sat there trying to put something together. Nothing.
Well, I finally decided that I could not write out, word for word, the message; like I normally do and had some written out, but mostly points as to what to say. I really dislike that. I often become distracted and off track when speaking. Bullet points do not help when I stop mid sentence and have to get back on track. But if I have it out word for word, then I can pick up where I left off seamlessly. I got so frustrated yesterday that I just stopped and asked if I could have a ballet lesson. We did. It was a longer one, but that was good to be active and not think about the message for a little bit. (Just as a side note, my coach for ballet is truly awesome! She is so talented and caring!) She and I, then, walked and talked a little about the message. Finally, youth group!
I knew that this night was going to have to be on the strength of the Lord, as they all should be, but I have very little notes, no game, and I'm still getting my feet wet. The message I had sorta prepared was going to put to the test tonight. I say this because as soon as I walked into the church, I felt awful. Sick; like I was coming down with something. So, I'm trying to get things ready beforehand and I am feeling weak all over. I thought about going home, but I decided that I could, by the strength of God, make it through. Then, I saw a snake. Yes, a real snake. A black racer, or so they call it. I call it the black devil of horrendous death. It was huge! Gross, nasty, wanted to kill me, snake. I LOATHE SNAKES! I would be perfectly fine is they all disappeared, forever! So, I do not have a message properly prepared, I am feeling sick, and my body is all tense because of the snake! Not the best night. But, I am pleading with God for strength. Not in that he had not given me strength or that I needed more, but that I would believe that he is truly powerful and knows the pain I'm going through. My disbelief in God often will grow the more confident I think I am in something, but I had no confidence in myself to make it through the night. I will often not believe in the provision that he has given me.
Well, long story short, He did provide! The night went amazingly! The message went really well, the game went well too! He provided in such a way that I can not attribute any of it to myself. I had nothing going my way, but it still happened! Praise God!
Thank you!
This day is filled with the grace of God! Wednesday is game day, youth group day! The day that the message is to be given, when I lay all my cards on the table and interact with all the youth group kids. It's hard work. To love, to truly love people is an exhausting task. And it does not help that I'm in charge, making the decisions. But anyways, the morning started early. 5:20am early. I got up early to get to Starbucks early to be able to sit in my favorite seat. It's in the corner, there is an outlet right next to me, it has a decent size table to be able to actually lay my books out and have my laptop out also. Everyone else who does study there thinks so too. Therefore, I go to Starbucks at 6am to get that seat. I once fought a man to the death for that seat! No, not really. (Too far?) I got there to get working on writing my message. During the week I had put off the studying as well. Normally, I study the whole week and then the days leading up to the presentation of the message are not too hard because I am pulling from information already in my mind, but yesterday was different. It made it so much more complicated and difficult to study and write. I became overwhelmed and was not able to focus. My thoughts were not flowing and I had to leave. I went to a friend's apartment to get work done. Similar situation, thoughts were not coming and I just sat there trying to put something together. Nothing.
Well, I finally decided that I could not write out, word for word, the message; like I normally do and had some written out, but mostly points as to what to say. I really dislike that. I often become distracted and off track when speaking. Bullet points do not help when I stop mid sentence and have to get back on track. But if I have it out word for word, then I can pick up where I left off seamlessly. I got so frustrated yesterday that I just stopped and asked if I could have a ballet lesson. We did. It was a longer one, but that was good to be active and not think about the message for a little bit. (Just as a side note, my coach for ballet is truly awesome! She is so talented and caring!) She and I, then, walked and talked a little about the message. Finally, youth group!
I knew that this night was going to have to be on the strength of the Lord, as they all should be, but I have very little notes, no game, and I'm still getting my feet wet. The message I had sorta prepared was going to put to the test tonight. I say this because as soon as I walked into the church, I felt awful. Sick; like I was coming down with something. So, I'm trying to get things ready beforehand and I am feeling weak all over. I thought about going home, but I decided that I could, by the strength of God, make it through. Then, I saw a snake. Yes, a real snake. A black racer, or so they call it. I call it the black devil of horrendous death. It was huge! Gross, nasty, wanted to kill me, snake. I LOATHE SNAKES! I would be perfectly fine is they all disappeared, forever! So, I do not have a message properly prepared, I am feeling sick, and my body is all tense because of the snake! Not the best night. But, I am pleading with God for strength. Not in that he had not given me strength or that I needed more, but that I would believe that he is truly powerful and knows the pain I'm going through. My disbelief in God often will grow the more confident I think I am in something, but I had no confidence in myself to make it through the night. I will often not believe in the provision that he has given me.
Well, long story short, He did provide! The night went amazingly! The message went really well, the game went well too! He provided in such a way that I can not attribute any of it to myself. I had nothing going my way, but it still happened! Praise God!
Thank you!
I am really bad at blogging...(Warning: This is Super Long!)
I am really bad at blogging...
Saturday-Tuesday: 5/31/14 - 6/3/14
When I began this blog, I had great ambitions and desires as to what I wanted it to be. I had dreams of it becoming something awesome! But nope! I have such a hard time just writing everyday. I think the best approach is now to not write everyday, but at least once a week. So, that's what I will do; instead of posting everyday, I will post at least once a week and perhaps more!
(I will do my best to remember each day)
Saturday - I cannot remember what happened this day. (Off to a great start!)
Sunday - This day was a little crazy. I lead worship for the morning service, but prior to Sunday morning, I had no practice. Normally, Wednesday evening is the time when the full group will practice, but because of my internship, I was with the youth group for the evening and was not able to attend the practice. It went incredibly well, despite the circumstances! For our Sunday school time there are different classes that people can attend. There is a specific AY Sunday school for the teens. "AY" stands for Anchored Youth. I decided to go there, which was the first time being there in the morning. The class begins at 9:30. The students were not all on time, so I waited as the continued to roll in. 9:35, 9:40, 9:45 go by and I am waiting for the teacher. Our youth director had told me that I do not need to teach for the AY Sunday school, so I was unprepared. I had nothing! 9:50 comes around and I was in a panic. Praying and talking to the youth I decided to turn to the book of James and improvise. Just read a few verses and talk about it, then a few more and talk...And that's what we did. It went really well considering the circumstances. I learned later that the youth were supposed to go to another class that morning.
In the evening I went to a friend's house to watch several movies. There I met my best friend! His name is Cassius! (I think that's how you spell it) He is a little Chihuahua dog. We quickly became the best of friends! I held him and he eventually stopped shaking in anger that I was holding him and that people were in his face. He warmed up to me. We, I'm sure, will be dog-lifelong friends! After I left, as I was driving home, I was pulled over. (For those of you who know the whole situation with my license can imagine the panic I had when the cop sped up to me and turned on his lights) He pulled my over because my left side headlight was out. (Dumb reason, in my humble opinion) He let me go with a written warning and no ticket. Praise God! If I were to get another ticket, the consequences would be more than just paying money, but no need to go into that because it didn't happen!
Monday - This day was crazy busy! The day began by going to Pepboys to fix my headlight and a couple of other things with Lucy. (My wonderful car) While waiting, I decided to text some friends to see if they wanted to get breakfast. We went to Cracker Barrel. Then, directly afterwards, I met with a student from the youth group. Then, immediately afterwards, I had a staff meeting at my church. Then, immediately after that, I had another meeting with our new president of RBC. It was not a personal meeting, but he wanted to meet with some of the students to talk about possible changes that we wanted to see at RBC. We ended up talking about our stories. Different people shared their stories! It is amazing to hear about the different people who are at RBC and their stories! I actually shared my testimony with the group. (Whether is was a good thing or now, I have no idea, but it happened and cannot change it) Later, had a short ballet lesson.
Tuesday- Today, I tried to spend most of the day working on my message. In actuality, spent none of it working on my message. The morning was awful. After that, I spent time with one of my professors. We went out to lunch and talked for a bit about different things going on in life and some more specific things as well; including the elder brother from the parable of the prodigal son. He was so helpful and shared with me that one way to combat that is to not view another person, believer or unbeliever, as not lesser than us, but rather to see them as exactly the same as you. An unbeliever who is spending their life chasing the things that will not provide are what we would be without the saving grace of God. That's us. There is nothing special about us that moved the heart of God more to save us and not them. If anything, we are the lesser. Just as a side note, this is hard to do. It is more difficult when I am out of practice and do not interact with others outside of my immediate group of friends. I pray that that will change!
Later though, I went to a friend's apartment of whom I have not seen in a while. We caught up for a bit. I had a much longer ballet lesson. I actually cut my foot. (Which I hear is common for ballerinas) Then, the same friend and I had a good long walk and talk about life. Later, a friend stopped by to see how I was doing. It is so good to know that my friends care and are willing to go out of their way to see how I am doing. She is quickly becoming one of my close friends!
Thank you!
Saturday-Tuesday: 5/31/14 - 6/3/14
When I began this blog, I had great ambitions and desires as to what I wanted it to be. I had dreams of it becoming something awesome! But nope! I have such a hard time just writing everyday. I think the best approach is now to not write everyday, but at least once a week. So, that's what I will do; instead of posting everyday, I will post at least once a week and perhaps more!
(I will do my best to remember each day)
Saturday - I cannot remember what happened this day. (Off to a great start!)
Sunday - This day was a little crazy. I lead worship for the morning service, but prior to Sunday morning, I had no practice. Normally, Wednesday evening is the time when the full group will practice, but because of my internship, I was with the youth group for the evening and was not able to attend the practice. It went incredibly well, despite the circumstances! For our Sunday school time there are different classes that people can attend. There is a specific AY Sunday school for the teens. "AY" stands for Anchored Youth. I decided to go there, which was the first time being there in the morning. The class begins at 9:30. The students were not all on time, so I waited as the continued to roll in. 9:35, 9:40, 9:45 go by and I am waiting for the teacher. Our youth director had told me that I do not need to teach for the AY Sunday school, so I was unprepared. I had nothing! 9:50 comes around and I was in a panic. Praying and talking to the youth I decided to turn to the book of James and improvise. Just read a few verses and talk about it, then a few more and talk...And that's what we did. It went really well considering the circumstances. I learned later that the youth were supposed to go to another class that morning.
In the evening I went to a friend's house to watch several movies. There I met my best friend! His name is Cassius! (I think that's how you spell it) He is a little Chihuahua dog. We quickly became the best of friends! I held him and he eventually stopped shaking in anger that I was holding him and that people were in his face. He warmed up to me. We, I'm sure, will be dog-lifelong friends! After I left, as I was driving home, I was pulled over. (For those of you who know the whole situation with my license can imagine the panic I had when the cop sped up to me and turned on his lights) He pulled my over because my left side headlight was out. (Dumb reason, in my humble opinion) He let me go with a written warning and no ticket. Praise God! If I were to get another ticket, the consequences would be more than just paying money, but no need to go into that because it didn't happen!
Monday - This day was crazy busy! The day began by going to Pepboys to fix my headlight and a couple of other things with Lucy. (My wonderful car) While waiting, I decided to text some friends to see if they wanted to get breakfast. We went to Cracker Barrel. Then, directly afterwards, I met with a student from the youth group. Then, immediately afterwards, I had a staff meeting at my church. Then, immediately after that, I had another meeting with our new president of RBC. It was not a personal meeting, but he wanted to meet with some of the students to talk about possible changes that we wanted to see at RBC. We ended up talking about our stories. Different people shared their stories! It is amazing to hear about the different people who are at RBC and their stories! I actually shared my testimony with the group. (Whether is was a good thing or now, I have no idea, but it happened and cannot change it) Later, had a short ballet lesson.
Tuesday- Today, I tried to spend most of the day working on my message. In actuality, spent none of it working on my message. The morning was awful. After that, I spent time with one of my professors. We went out to lunch and talked for a bit about different things going on in life and some more specific things as well; including the elder brother from the parable of the prodigal son. He was so helpful and shared with me that one way to combat that is to not view another person, believer or unbeliever, as not lesser than us, but rather to see them as exactly the same as you. An unbeliever who is spending their life chasing the things that will not provide are what we would be without the saving grace of God. That's us. There is nothing special about us that moved the heart of God more to save us and not them. If anything, we are the lesser. Just as a side note, this is hard to do. It is more difficult when I am out of practice and do not interact with others outside of my immediate group of friends. I pray that that will change!
Later though, I went to a friend's apartment of whom I have not seen in a while. We caught up for a bit. I had a much longer ballet lesson. I actually cut my foot. (Which I hear is common for ballerinas) Then, the same friend and I had a good long walk and talk about life. Later, a friend stopped by to see how I was doing. It is so good to know that my friends care and are willing to go out of their way to see how I am doing. She is quickly becoming one of my close friends!
Thank you!
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Friday 5/30/14 - The Elder Brother
Friday 5/30/14 - The Elder Brother
To be completely honest, I do not remember what happened this day. I write these blogs the day or several days after the day itself and in that time I have no recognition of what happened this Friday. I tried for a while to remember, but my memory is faulty. I do, however, remember the thoughts I had during the day.
When I was in Barnes and Nobles, I read several chapters of The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller. A fantastic book, by the way! As the title may suggest it was about the parable of the prodigal son in the book of Luke. (Then again, I did not figure that out until I opened the book) The emphasis that Keller took, which I think is the right approach, is that of the elder brother rather than, but not in neglect of, the younger brother. Many times, when discussing this passage, people will place the emphasis on the younger brother who squanders his portion of the inheritance early and completely throws his life away. He plans to come back to the family, but to work as a hired servant instead of a son. From a distance away the father sees him, runs to him, and embraces him. He loves him and brings him back into the family with a great celebration. That is often the main point of sermons and devotionals and whatever else, but the parable is being told to Pharisees who are in the crowd. The focus should then probably be put on the elder brother who is more like the Pharisees. Jesus tells of the elder brother who does not enter the party because he is upset. He is upset at the fact that he has worked faithfully for his father and has not even touched his portion of the inheritance, but the younger receives a party when he returns from his rebellion. He thinks that he should receive more, or at least something for the work that he has done. The father come out to plead with him to rejoice in the return of his brother. That's where the parable ends. The thought that I had was, "I am that elder brother! For years I always thought of myself as the younger brother, exclusively. No, I am more and more like the elder. I have obeyed and you do not give me what I want or what I deserve. Or, at least what I think to be a fair trade for my good works. What gives, God? Come on now, work with me. How sinful am I! I deserve nothing! Absolutely nothing! Yet God, in his grace and mercy alone, has so preserved me and given me life. Just breathing, in and of itself is enough, but he has given me so much more. What do I do now? How do I combat the inclination to the elder brother?" That's what I was thinking. It is not a complete thought, in that I am still processing and trying to understand more and more the sin and wrong motives in which I act. But God, even here, is merciful to begin to show me where my sin sits deep in my soul. Praise God!
Thank you!
To be completely honest, I do not remember what happened this day. I write these blogs the day or several days after the day itself and in that time I have no recognition of what happened this Friday. I tried for a while to remember, but my memory is faulty. I do, however, remember the thoughts I had during the day.
When I was in Barnes and Nobles, I read several chapters of The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller. A fantastic book, by the way! As the title may suggest it was about the parable of the prodigal son in the book of Luke. (Then again, I did not figure that out until I opened the book) The emphasis that Keller took, which I think is the right approach, is that of the elder brother rather than, but not in neglect of, the younger brother. Many times, when discussing this passage, people will place the emphasis on the younger brother who squanders his portion of the inheritance early and completely throws his life away. He plans to come back to the family, but to work as a hired servant instead of a son. From a distance away the father sees him, runs to him, and embraces him. He loves him and brings him back into the family with a great celebration. That is often the main point of sermons and devotionals and whatever else, but the parable is being told to Pharisees who are in the crowd. The focus should then probably be put on the elder brother who is more like the Pharisees. Jesus tells of the elder brother who does not enter the party because he is upset. He is upset at the fact that he has worked faithfully for his father and has not even touched his portion of the inheritance, but the younger receives a party when he returns from his rebellion. He thinks that he should receive more, or at least something for the work that he has done. The father come out to plead with him to rejoice in the return of his brother. That's where the parable ends. The thought that I had was, "I am that elder brother! For years I always thought of myself as the younger brother, exclusively. No, I am more and more like the elder. I have obeyed and you do not give me what I want or what I deserve. Or, at least what I think to be a fair trade for my good works. What gives, God? Come on now, work with me. How sinful am I! I deserve nothing! Absolutely nothing! Yet God, in his grace and mercy alone, has so preserved me and given me life. Just breathing, in and of itself is enough, but he has given me so much more. What do I do now? How do I combat the inclination to the elder brother?" That's what I was thinking. It is not a complete thought, in that I am still processing and trying to understand more and more the sin and wrong motives in which I act. But God, even here, is merciful to begin to show me where my sin sits deep in my soul. Praise God!
Thank you!
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Tues, Wed, Thurs 5/27, 5/28, 5/29 - I'm a hipster...
Tues, Wed, Thurs 5/27, 5/28, 5/29 - I'm a hipster...
Well, friends, it's been a while. Life got away from me the last couple of days. It was mostly because of the message that I had to prepare for Wednesday evening. I forgot how much time one took. Then, after that, I was less focused on this blog and whatnot. Anyways, I will do my best to summarize the past 3 days.
Tuesday - I do not remember too much. I remember working on my message. Not a whole lot, but I still worked on it. I went to a concert that was held at a friend's church. The choir who sung was from another church in AL. They were touring the state of FL and singing in many different churches. Then, we, some other friends and I, went and picked up one of my roommates! So, I am no longer alone in the apartment!
Wednesday - This day was all message and youth group prep. I woke up early and went to Starbucks and wrote out my full message. It took several hours! Rarely do I spend that much time at Starbucks actually working on something. Then, I practiced my message in front of some friends. (That was more nerve wracking than actually speaking it to the youth) Next, I went to a friend's house to work on some of the music for the night. Finally, youth group! It was terrifying to have the reins. I made the choices and lead the evening. Yikes! But, the leaders were there in full support of me! It was great to know that they had my back. We went to Chick fil a afterwards!
Thursday - I slept in! I met with a friend later in the afternoon and we spoke for a little bit. Then, some friends and I decided to go to the beach. We ended up not going because it was raining and there was an accident that slowed up the interstate. So, we chose to go to the movies instead. After getting Starbucks, we walked around a park for an hour or so. While there, I had another ballet lesson. I did not see this first hand, but was told afterwards that as we practiced people would smile at us as we worked. (I think they were laughing at me, but I could not tell) My friends decided to see the new X-Men movie. I went to the mall instead, walked around, ended up in Barnes and Nobles.
It is interesting because being inside of Barnes and Nobles reminds me of home. Reminds me of the Northeast. Reminds me of when I first began college. What I mean is that when I began college back in 2010, there was a sense of academia that is different than the one that I experience now. Being in the Northeast, there is a lot of historical landmarks that make me feel smart(er). It's hard to explain, but in the city of Philadelphia, there are 2 major universities that all sit right next to each other; University of Penn and Drexel. (There are lot more universities, but these two stand out because I spent a lot of time there) There is a level of academics that is required when studying there; at either of those universities. I did not grow up there, but often would be in that area, walking on the campuses and, more often when I began college, when I had spare time in the city, studied in the coffee shops there. I remember going to a old, run down bookstore. Not rundown in the sense of gross and dirty, but tons of character. Sitting in some of the coffee shops and not having a place to sit because every single table had a student studying something there. Going to a couple a different forums that just the mere introduction made your head hurt. Having so much history at my fingertips that it surrounded me. So many museums and major historical landmarks nearby that that's where we went for fun. Boathouse row, the art museum, the liberty bell, etc. All of this, comically, was during the major hipster movement; which I fell into. Yes, I have a little part of me that is hipster, or, at least is drawn towards being a hipster... But, aside from that, walking into that Barnes and Nobles transported me back home. The people, the smells, the academia, the everything! It was so good to go there!
Thank you!
Well, friends, it's been a while. Life got away from me the last couple of days. It was mostly because of the message that I had to prepare for Wednesday evening. I forgot how much time one took. Then, after that, I was less focused on this blog and whatnot. Anyways, I will do my best to summarize the past 3 days.
Tuesday - I do not remember too much. I remember working on my message. Not a whole lot, but I still worked on it. I went to a concert that was held at a friend's church. The choir who sung was from another church in AL. They were touring the state of FL and singing in many different churches. Then, we, some other friends and I, went and picked up one of my roommates! So, I am no longer alone in the apartment!
Wednesday - This day was all message and youth group prep. I woke up early and went to Starbucks and wrote out my full message. It took several hours! Rarely do I spend that much time at Starbucks actually working on something. Then, I practiced my message in front of some friends. (That was more nerve wracking than actually speaking it to the youth) Next, I went to a friend's house to work on some of the music for the night. Finally, youth group! It was terrifying to have the reins. I made the choices and lead the evening. Yikes! But, the leaders were there in full support of me! It was great to know that they had my back. We went to Chick fil a afterwards!
Thursday - I slept in! I met with a friend later in the afternoon and we spoke for a little bit. Then, some friends and I decided to go to the beach. We ended up not going because it was raining and there was an accident that slowed up the interstate. So, we chose to go to the movies instead. After getting Starbucks, we walked around a park for an hour or so. While there, I had another ballet lesson. I did not see this first hand, but was told afterwards that as we practiced people would smile at us as we worked. (I think they were laughing at me, but I could not tell) My friends decided to see the new X-Men movie. I went to the mall instead, walked around, ended up in Barnes and Nobles.
It is interesting because being inside of Barnes and Nobles reminds me of home. Reminds me of the Northeast. Reminds me of when I first began college. What I mean is that when I began college back in 2010, there was a sense of academia that is different than the one that I experience now. Being in the Northeast, there is a lot of historical landmarks that make me feel smart(er). It's hard to explain, but in the city of Philadelphia, there are 2 major universities that all sit right next to each other; University of Penn and Drexel. (There are lot more universities, but these two stand out because I spent a lot of time there) There is a level of academics that is required when studying there; at either of those universities. I did not grow up there, but often would be in that area, walking on the campuses and, more often when I began college, when I had spare time in the city, studied in the coffee shops there. I remember going to a old, run down bookstore. Not rundown in the sense of gross and dirty, but tons of character. Sitting in some of the coffee shops and not having a place to sit because every single table had a student studying something there. Going to a couple a different forums that just the mere introduction made your head hurt. Having so much history at my fingertips that it surrounded me. So many museums and major historical landmarks nearby that that's where we went for fun. Boathouse row, the art museum, the liberty bell, etc. All of this, comically, was during the major hipster movement; which I fell into. Yes, I have a little part of me that is hipster, or, at least is drawn towards being a hipster... But, aside from that, walking into that Barnes and Nobles transported me back home. The people, the smells, the academia, the everything! It was so good to go there!
Thank you!
Friday, May 30, 2014
Monday 5/26/14 - Good Friends!
Monday 5/26/14 - Good Friends!
Today was fun! I was up really late, so I slept in. Then, I have a lesson in ballet. (Now, let me clarify. I'm not planning on becoming a ballerina. I enjoy dancing and I'm taking these lessons to get a better understanding of the basics of dancing and to better strengthen my ability) Next, I spent hours at a friend's apartment. Helping them pack at times, and working on my message at others. These two are some of my closer friends. I will miss them when they leave for the summer. Later, after helping them move some of their belongings, we watched a movie.
I praise God everyday for my good friends! I think of these two, but they are not the only friends I have. I think of the ones who I can call at any time or text when I need something or need prayer. I think of the ones who will give great advice on problems in my life, and of the ones who are amazing at listening. I think of the ones who have been there for many years and, until one of us passes away, will always be there. I think of when we've laughed and laughed for hours about nothing. I think of the ones who will sit by my side during some of the most difficult times in my life. Praise God for friends!
Thank you!
Today was fun! I was up really late, so I slept in. Then, I have a lesson in ballet. (Now, let me clarify. I'm not planning on becoming a ballerina. I enjoy dancing and I'm taking these lessons to get a better understanding of the basics of dancing and to better strengthen my ability) Next, I spent hours at a friend's apartment. Helping them pack at times, and working on my message at others. These two are some of my closer friends. I will miss them when they leave for the summer. Later, after helping them move some of their belongings, we watched a movie.
I praise God everyday for my good friends! I think of these two, but they are not the only friends I have. I think of the ones who I can call at any time or text when I need something or need prayer. I think of the ones who will give great advice on problems in my life, and of the ones who are amazing at listening. I think of the ones who have been there for many years and, until one of us passes away, will always be there. I think of when we've laughed and laughed for hours about nothing. I think of the ones who will sit by my side during some of the most difficult times in my life. Praise God for friends!
Thank you!
Monday, May 26, 2014
Sunday 5/26/14 - Praise God!
Sunday 5/26/14 - Praise God!
Well, this is a momentous occasion! This blog has been up and running for an entire week! It's a little crazy to think about. My thoughts for the world to see up for a week. But anyways, life continues.
The post for yesterday could be argued to be the start of today's as well. Seeing that I was up until 4am, some of my thoughts from yesterday apply for today. I woke up, still saddened, but lesser than before. I did not go to Sunday school, but I did go to the main service at my church. Beforehand, I went to McDonalds and listened to a message from Matt Chandler entitled A Theology of Struggle. At church I saw a bunch of people. I was surprised because normally when I feel like this I choose to avoid people, but it was good. Good to see them and talk with them! This was the last Sunday before our youth director left for the air force for 5 weeks, so we all said goodbye. It felt odd because I am stepping into his role for 3 of the 5 weeks. Later, I played football with some friends from another church. Finally, I spent the rest of the evening at home where I watched a ton of Netflix and worked on my message for youth group.
Continued from yesterday, I did not feel well when I got up. Not sick as in a cold or the flu, but depressive moods and stuff. Awfulness, essentially. All I could do was pray. Pray for deliverance from this. The wonderful thing is that it worked. God was gracious to me and the fog lifted from my eyes. Praise God!
Thank you!
Well, this is a momentous occasion! This blog has been up and running for an entire week! It's a little crazy to think about. My thoughts for the world to see up for a week. But anyways, life continues.
The post for yesterday could be argued to be the start of today's as well. Seeing that I was up until 4am, some of my thoughts from yesterday apply for today. I woke up, still saddened, but lesser than before. I did not go to Sunday school, but I did go to the main service at my church. Beforehand, I went to McDonalds and listened to a message from Matt Chandler entitled A Theology of Struggle. At church I saw a bunch of people. I was surprised because normally when I feel like this I choose to avoid people, but it was good. Good to see them and talk with them! This was the last Sunday before our youth director left for the air force for 5 weeks, so we all said goodbye. It felt odd because I am stepping into his role for 3 of the 5 weeks. Later, I played football with some friends from another church. Finally, I spent the rest of the evening at home where I watched a ton of Netflix and worked on my message for youth group.
Continued from yesterday, I did not feel well when I got up. Not sick as in a cold or the flu, but depressive moods and stuff. Awfulness, essentially. All I could do was pray. Pray for deliverance from this. The wonderful thing is that it worked. God was gracious to me and the fog lifted from my eyes. Praise God!
Thank you!
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Saturday 5/24/14 - Plead with Him
Saturday 5/24/14 - Plead with Him
Have you ever seem to have a day that went from worse to worser to worstest? (If there is such a thing) That was Saturday. Once again, I slept in. That just brought frustration in the morning. Then I went to Starbucks. (I'm a creature of habit) Next, some friends and I went to the movies. That was fun! I truly enjoyed that time with them. Later, I went to a party. The party was fine. I, however, had such a bad attitude that it made it all the worse. I was unable to enjoy the fellowship and friendship. I actually left early because of it. Granted, I was incredibly tired, but still, bad attitude. And when I got home, it was the "worstest". This might have been one of the most painful nights of my life. (Remember, this is an honest moment. I'm not sharing everything, but you are getting a glimpse into my life) I stayed up for hours. I think I truly went to bed at 4am, or sometime around then.
So, what do you do when you are laying there and cannot sleep because of the sadness and depression that so plagues your soul? Plead with God! Plead for His merciful hand to rest upon you. Plead with Him to comfort your aching soul. Plead with Him for His grace to so surround you and hug you that it might be the warm blanket that puts you to sleep. Plead with Him that the cleansing of your sins is not a facade or temporary, but that it lasts forever according to His promises (Not that it can fade, but that I may remember it fully). Plead with Him that when you wake up you will not feel the same way as you did when you could not fall asleep before. Plead with Him that the fears that you experience will not overtake you and devour you in the night. Plead with Him that the tears you shed will be wiped away. Plead with Him that you may once again be restored to a place of rejoicing of His name. Plead with Him that you may experience the full joy that is only offered through Him. Plead with Him! Him, the heavenly Father who loves you. Who cares for you. Who delights in you. Who wants you. Who will never leave you. Who has caused you to be born again to a living hope. (cf. 1 Peter 1:3) Who has given you His Spirit that we may call Him Abba! Father! Who has cleansed you. Who has chosen you. Who has given you a new heart and removed the heart of stone. (cf. Ezekiel 36:26) We confess our sins knowing that he will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (cf. 1 John 1:9) We draw near to Him once again, even when, for a moment, we felt galaxies away. We praise His name in the trial, knowing that it, thought it may not seem so, is for our good. We remember of the great and wonderful inheritance that awaits us.
This is what you do. Does it fix everything? Unfortunately, no. But, it is the right thing to do. Does the fact that, in the moment of serious distress, we might still not feel close to God mean that he is truly far away? No. There are probably others that know more of what to do and not to do in situations like this. I'm just writing about the things I went through on Saturday. Praise God for His wonderful grace!
Thank you!
Have you ever seem to have a day that went from worse to worser to worstest? (If there is such a thing) That was Saturday. Once again, I slept in. That just brought frustration in the morning. Then I went to Starbucks. (I'm a creature of habit) Next, some friends and I went to the movies. That was fun! I truly enjoyed that time with them. Later, I went to a party. The party was fine. I, however, had such a bad attitude that it made it all the worse. I was unable to enjoy the fellowship and friendship. I actually left early because of it. Granted, I was incredibly tired, but still, bad attitude. And when I got home, it was the "worstest". This might have been one of the most painful nights of my life. (Remember, this is an honest moment. I'm not sharing everything, but you are getting a glimpse into my life) I stayed up for hours. I think I truly went to bed at 4am, or sometime around then.
So, what do you do when you are laying there and cannot sleep because of the sadness and depression that so plagues your soul? Plead with God! Plead for His merciful hand to rest upon you. Plead with Him to comfort your aching soul. Plead with Him for His grace to so surround you and hug you that it might be the warm blanket that puts you to sleep. Plead with Him that the cleansing of your sins is not a facade or temporary, but that it lasts forever according to His promises (Not that it can fade, but that I may remember it fully). Plead with Him that when you wake up you will not feel the same way as you did when you could not fall asleep before. Plead with Him that the fears that you experience will not overtake you and devour you in the night. Plead with Him that the tears you shed will be wiped away. Plead with Him that you may once again be restored to a place of rejoicing of His name. Plead with Him that you may experience the full joy that is only offered through Him. Plead with Him! Him, the heavenly Father who loves you. Who cares for you. Who delights in you. Who wants you. Who will never leave you. Who has caused you to be born again to a living hope. (cf. 1 Peter 1:3) Who has given you His Spirit that we may call Him Abba! Father! Who has cleansed you. Who has chosen you. Who has given you a new heart and removed the heart of stone. (cf. Ezekiel 36:26) We confess our sins knowing that he will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (cf. 1 John 1:9) We draw near to Him once again, even when, for a moment, we felt galaxies away. We praise His name in the trial, knowing that it, thought it may not seem so, is for our good. We remember of the great and wonderful inheritance that awaits us.
This is what you do. Does it fix everything? Unfortunately, no. But, it is the right thing to do. Does the fact that, in the moment of serious distress, we might still not feel close to God mean that he is truly far away? No. There are probably others that know more of what to do and not to do in situations like this. I'm just writing about the things I went through on Saturday. Praise God for His wonderful grace!
Thank you!
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Friday 5/23/14 - Bold coffee, Beaches, and Ballet
Friday 5/23/14 – Bold coffee, Beaches, and Ballet
Today, I slept in (What a common occurrence…).Then, went to
Starbucks to work on school work. Next, I went home and was lazy. Finally, some
friends and I went to the beach! Totally spontaneous, but entirely fun! A good
friend also began to teach me the basics of ballet. It was a lot of fun! I truly
enjoy dancing! (The lessons on ballet will continue)
Yesterday, I posted about loneliness. I didn't really have a
great answer on how to combat loneliness. One of the ways I proposed was to be
out and with friends. Well, that happened today. I got out and went to Starbucks,
then went to the beach with some really good friends. (For the record, it does help. It is not the only or final fix for loneliness, but it helps) For the longest time, I
always considered myself as an extreme introvert who disliked people, didn't want to talk with people, didn't want to be around people, and so on. I’m almost positive that in the last couple of weeks that I
totally debunked that myth. There are certain aspects of introversion that show themselves, but also extroversion. I enjoy time by myself where I can think and
process. However, there are also times where I really want to be out with friends,
laughing and enjoying life together. I don’t think I’m unique in this. There are, I’m guessing,
others who would categorize themselves as both. I can, with full honesty, thank God for making me this way. Sometimes I wish I more of one or the other, but that's silly; He made me this way and this way is in His image. There is not much more I could do to make myself "better".
Thank you!
Thursday 5/22/14 - Loneliness
Thursday 5/22/14 – Loneliness
Today was semi uneventful. Slept in and didn’t do anything
until 1 in the afternoon. Later I went to RTS to check out some books for the
upcoming teaching I’ll be doing. Later, I had some friends over to watch a
movie; which promptly and understandably turned into a dance party! The
unexpected thing that happened is that the roommates that I thought would be here, they have all left. I am alone in the apartment. Which, don’t get me wrong, is
nice! I enjoy the space, I enjoy the quiet, I enjoy being able to do what I
want. I can do whatever I want! But, what I want is not always what I need. For
example, I have never watched so much Netflix, consecutively, before in my life. (Or so it
seems) What I need to do is to be productive and diligent. I need to actually do
my work for school and the internship! Netflix does not help either of these. I
know I wrote about a similar situation before where I didn’t do much (or anything for that matter) for the
entire day and it led, frankly, to an awful day! I am fearful that being alone,
where I am more susceptible to laziness, will lead to more awful days.
Ok, this is not the how I should be thinking. I should not
be dwelling on the negative side of what might happen. This, most likely, will
lead to more depressive moods and even less productive days. The scary thing is how much my mind and my body are drawn to laziness. One way to fight this is to get out. Get out of the apartment and be with friends, be with people. Be out in public. That's one way. Another is to draw nearer to God. Through His Word, in prayer, meditation; all of which is glorifying to God and a comfort for the soul. There can be no greater comfort! (Although, did you notice the order I placed my thoughts? First, get out, then God...) Both of these are...well...hard to do. Very hard. I don't always want to leave the comforts of my apartment, and when I'm hours into Netflix I don't always want to read the Bible or pray.
I feel like I need to have the answer. Right now! Right here on this blog. I must have the cure to loneliness to be anything, but alas, I do not. I do not have another strategy. And these strategies I don't even employ all the time. So, where am I going with all of this? Not entirely sure. I need prayer. And praise God that he does not leave me! Even when I'm feeling lonely, he does not leave! What a wonderful and glorious God we have!
Thank you!
Friday, May 23, 2014
Wednesday 5/21/14 - My Story/Our Story
Wednesday 5/21/14 - My Story/Our Story
Surprisingly, this day has been revolving around a specific theme. The theme is that of my story, or my history. Not specifically mine, although some of it was focused around my story, but more the universal story of believers. (I will explain further in a moment) This morning I moved out of my apartment and into another for several weeks while I am working for my church as the interim youth director. Later, I spent some time with a Pastor from my friend's church. Later, went to youth group. Finally, spent some time with friends at a birthday party.
When I met with the Pastor, we (mostly him) talked about what it looks like to have a story. More importantly, how to take our history and not let the negative or positive affect our story in Christ. Our personal history is important. It shows the massive amount of grace God has given to us. I often overlook this, but one area of grace is in the fact that I am alive. The fact that you are alive. There is many other areas in my history where I can specifically point to the grace and mercy of God, but simply the fact that we woke up is grace! Our story is important too, but often we allow our circumstances tell our story. For instance, when I'm asked about myself, I often go to facts about myself. "I'm a student. I'm 22. I'm fast. I'm ..." These are facts about myself that give a handful of information about myself, but it does not fully communicate the nature of my being, namely, that I am a sinner saved by grace. I'm a child of God. That Christ is my righteousness. That I'm united to him and he is united to me. My story is exactly the same as everyone else who has been born again by the Spirit! Our conversion happened at different times and places, but the act is all the same. What a wonderful thought! This is how I can call other believers brothers and sisters. United to Christ, to the one Christ, we are all in the same family of God.
Later on in the evening, at youth group, we were discussing evangelism (Ironically convicting...)! To finish out the series we decided to talk about our story. We looked at how our Maker made us, the mess we've made because of sin, and the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and his righteousness and love for us! It was awesome to see the students thinking hard about their story and how Christ has transformed them!
Thank you!
Later on in the evening, at youth group, we were discussing evangelism (Ironically convicting...)! To finish out the series we decided to talk about our story. We looked at how our Maker made us, the mess we've made because of sin, and the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and his righteousness and love for us! It was awesome to see the students thinking hard about their story and how Christ has transformed them!
Thank you!
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Tuesday 5/20/14 - What a terrifying thought!
Tuesday 5/20/14 - What a terrifying thought!
As compared to yesterday, today has been busy. First, I went to Starbucks to study and write. Then, I met with our youth director at church to go over the plans for the internship where I'll be serving. Next, I went to a friend's house to spend time and do some more study. (I promptly fell asleep though) After that, I went, with the same friend and another, to a community group from their church. Finally, I spent several hours walking with a good friend and talking about life. She was very encouraging to me. I pray I was to her as well. Each day is entirely different. To think back just one day and see the difference between yesterday's laziness and today's productivity - what a transformation! There are many differences between the two, but the one that seems to be more significant is that I began the day in prayer and in the Word. Simple, right? Prayer and the Word. Not a huge difference outwardly, but inwardly, tremendous! This morning, while in 1 Peter, I tried to think and meditate on the great inheritance waiting for us in heaven. What a thought! To have an inheritance means that we will see Christ face to face, have a wonderful, glorious new body that does not ache nor has pain, and we will dwell in the divine presence praising and worshiping God Most High!
At community group we read several passages. All on the great commission and some of Jesus' final words before his ascension. The main theme we were discussing is of evangelism; what it looks like to share the Gospel in our lives, and to proclaim the good news of Jesus to all. This subject of evangelism is one that is incredibly tough for me. It is one that brings great anxiety and sleeplessness. Speaking to another person about Christ is terrifying and I often shy away from it. (Remember this is my honest moment with you) In our discussion, many helpful thoughts were shared. One of which is that in our everyday talk with people, the thing that should be most prevalent is of the one for whom we love the most, namely, Jesus Christ. Naturally, we will share, or want to share, with others the things we love most. Although, I still do not proclaim Christ like I should. Does that mean that I do not love him? No. It does, however, show that the things in my heart that I love the most are in odds with the person and work of Christ. I love other things just as much as, if not more, than Christ. That's a terrifying thought! The problem is that the things I think about and love are in and of themselves not bad. I study a lot and read a lot and listen to sermons; all of which is often Bible saturated and Gospel oriented, but I would rather sit and never speak to another individual about the power of the Gospel. I love the study of the Gospel rather than the God of the Gospel. Is this every single second of the day? No, but I would argue that it might be a majority. All of this is convicting and, to be honest, confusing. Where do I go from here? What is the first step? Well, this summer will be, partly, the first step. I will be working with people. Lots of people! Both Christians and non-Christians. Praise God!
Thank you!
As compared to yesterday, today has been busy. First, I went to Starbucks to study and write. Then, I met with our youth director at church to go over the plans for the internship where I'll be serving. Next, I went to a friend's house to spend time and do some more study. (I promptly fell asleep though) After that, I went, with the same friend and another, to a community group from their church. Finally, I spent several hours walking with a good friend and talking about life. She was very encouraging to me. I pray I was to her as well. Each day is entirely different. To think back just one day and see the difference between yesterday's laziness and today's productivity - what a transformation! There are many differences between the two, but the one that seems to be more significant is that I began the day in prayer and in the Word. Simple, right? Prayer and the Word. Not a huge difference outwardly, but inwardly, tremendous! This morning, while in 1 Peter, I tried to think and meditate on the great inheritance waiting for us in heaven. What a thought! To have an inheritance means that we will see Christ face to face, have a wonderful, glorious new body that does not ache nor has pain, and we will dwell in the divine presence praising and worshiping God Most High!
At community group we read several passages. All on the great commission and some of Jesus' final words before his ascension. The main theme we were discussing is of evangelism; what it looks like to share the Gospel in our lives, and to proclaim the good news of Jesus to all. This subject of evangelism is one that is incredibly tough for me. It is one that brings great anxiety and sleeplessness. Speaking to another person about Christ is terrifying and I often shy away from it. (Remember this is my honest moment with you) In our discussion, many helpful thoughts were shared. One of which is that in our everyday talk with people, the thing that should be most prevalent is of the one for whom we love the most, namely, Jesus Christ. Naturally, we will share, or want to share, with others the things we love most. Although, I still do not proclaim Christ like I should. Does that mean that I do not love him? No. It does, however, show that the things in my heart that I love the most are in odds with the person and work of Christ. I love other things just as much as, if not more, than Christ. That's a terrifying thought! The problem is that the things I think about and love are in and of themselves not bad. I study a lot and read a lot and listen to sermons; all of which is often Bible saturated and Gospel oriented, but I would rather sit and never speak to another individual about the power of the Gospel. I love the study of the Gospel rather than the God of the Gospel. Is this every single second of the day? No, but I would argue that it might be a majority. All of this is convicting and, to be honest, confusing. Where do I go from here? What is the first step? Well, this summer will be, partly, the first step. I will be working with people. Lots of people! Both Christians and non-Christians. Praise God!
Thank you!
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Monday 5/19/14 - Ya Lazy Bum!
Monday 5/19/14 - Ya Lazy Bum!
Today I spent almost of the day watching stuff. Going back and forth between two shows for the morning, afternoon, and early evening. What a waste of a day! Watching Netflix or whatever is fine, but for the entire day? Nah! The reason I could tell it was bad for me is because it affected my mood and thoughts. I felt no desire to be productive or to think about anything. Later in the evening, I spent time with friends and we watched a movie. This was good! Great friends, good laughs, and an ok movie! But the reason I don't like sitting around all day and doing "nothing" is because it, as stated before, affects my mood. By this I mean that instead of starting the day in prayer or the Word, I began it with culture and things "of the world". It changes the entire day for the worse. From here it is a downward slippery slope of awfulness. I praise God for my friends who are there for me. I sent out a text and asked for prayer and, by God's grace, was able to see the light again! No longer did I sit in the muck and mire. Does this mean that I will never spend an entire day online again? No, well, probably not. I hope not. But, even so, if it happens again, I know the power of prayer among believers. There was not some special spiritual power that happened where my laptop just shut off, hit me in the face, and a voice came from heaven saying, "Stop being lazy!" It was an inward change within my thoughts. Whereas before I had no desire to stop being lazy. Now I had a desire to stop. And not only that, but I had power to stop as well.
For a little bit, I listened to a message from Matt Chandler from Galatians 1:11-24. I was not listening closely, but the main idea from the text that he was speaking on was on the former life of Paul. And, subsequently, the our former life before regeneration. He spoke on the life of Paul; that he was both the best Jew out there and the worst persecutor of the church. He claimed both extremes; the perfect church kid who knew all the answers and rules, and the foremost enemy of the church. But that was his former life. Because of the transforming work of the Father to show grace to him, he can live a life differently than the one he did. He still has the inclinations of the flesh, but the power of Christ dwell in him. God set him apart before the he was born to call him out of his former life into saving faith, and to be a missionary for the God of whom he was protesting and warring against. He can not claim any of it on his own. Only by the power of God is he what he is. In the same way, my lazy day, without the Holy Spirit's guiding, would be my only inclination. But praise God for his calling of my life into his saving faith, by His grace alone. The conviction was there because of the Spirit. He is, and will continue to be, gracious to me! Praise God!
Thank you!
Today I spent almost of the day watching stuff. Going back and forth between two shows for the morning, afternoon, and early evening. What a waste of a day! Watching Netflix or whatever is fine, but for the entire day? Nah! The reason I could tell it was bad for me is because it affected my mood and thoughts. I felt no desire to be productive or to think about anything. Later in the evening, I spent time with friends and we watched a movie. This was good! Great friends, good laughs, and an ok movie! But the reason I don't like sitting around all day and doing "nothing" is because it, as stated before, affects my mood. By this I mean that instead of starting the day in prayer or the Word, I began it with culture and things "of the world". It changes the entire day for the worse. From here it is a downward slippery slope of awfulness. I praise God for my friends who are there for me. I sent out a text and asked for prayer and, by God's grace, was able to see the light again! No longer did I sit in the muck and mire. Does this mean that I will never spend an entire day online again? No, well, probably not. I hope not. But, even so, if it happens again, I know the power of prayer among believers. There was not some special spiritual power that happened where my laptop just shut off, hit me in the face, and a voice came from heaven saying, "Stop being lazy!" It was an inward change within my thoughts. Whereas before I had no desire to stop being lazy. Now I had a desire to stop. And not only that, but I had power to stop as well.
For a little bit, I listened to a message from Matt Chandler from Galatians 1:11-24. I was not listening closely, but the main idea from the text that he was speaking on was on the former life of Paul. And, subsequently, the our former life before regeneration. He spoke on the life of Paul; that he was both the best Jew out there and the worst persecutor of the church. He claimed both extremes; the perfect church kid who knew all the answers and rules, and the foremost enemy of the church. But that was his former life. Because of the transforming work of the Father to show grace to him, he can live a life differently than the one he did. He still has the inclinations of the flesh, but the power of Christ dwell in him. God set him apart before the he was born to call him out of his former life into saving faith, and to be a missionary for the God of whom he was protesting and warring against. He can not claim any of it on his own. Only by the power of God is he what he is. In the same way, my lazy day, without the Holy Spirit's guiding, would be my only inclination. But praise God for his calling of my life into his saving faith, by His grace alone. The conviction was there because of the Spirit. He is, and will continue to be, gracious to me! Praise God!
Thank you!
Monday, May 19, 2014
Sunday 5/18/14 - The Adventure Begins!
This is the first post! How cool! Well, as a matter of brief description as to what this blog is, it is an honest moment from me to you. This comes from the suggestion of a dear friend to do this blog. The summer ahead will be incredibly tough. I will be taking two independent studies for school and be embarking on two internships. I hope that this blog will be one of encouragement and honesty. This is not my personal journal, nor a Bible study of some sort, but rather, just my thoughts. Just the thoughts of the adventures that will happen this summer!
Sunday 5/18/14 - The Adventure Begins!
Today, because of some complications with my car, I went to River Oaks Presbyterian for morning worship. The service was wonderful. I have always enjoyed River Oaks when I have been. The service, however, was lessened because my mind was on other matters. I did listen to the message and greatly benefited from the whole service, but my thoughts were swimming with other things. Later, we, some of the students from RBC, went to a friend's house to enjoy and celebrate the end of the school year and the beginning of summer! (I figured that that would be a good day to begin writing) It was wonderful to see all my friends spending time together! Again, however, my thoughts were elsewhere. I was off. I was trying to hold on to the promises of God. Promises of my Father to hold me and keep me. Promises that he will never leave me nor forsake me. Promises that he is all I need and that he provides all that I will ever need. Promises, the wonderful promises of the Living God! Several times yesterday I read Isaiah 12. Verse 2 was especially helpful and hopeful. "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation." I cried, trying to hold on to passages like this. Praise God for His sovereignty and His love! To be honest, yesterday may have been the worst day here in Florida. But, to be honest, it is ok. I'll be ok. Why? Because God is sovereign and His love surrounds me and guides me! There is no greater comfort in the whole world!
Well, what a way to start the summer! With tears and fears, joys and friends, singing and praying, movies and moving, etc. All of it under the banner of the most wonderful and sovereign love of the Father! I wonder what the next day has in store!
Thank you!
Sunday 5/18/14 - The Adventure Begins!
Today, because of some complications with my car, I went to River Oaks Presbyterian for morning worship. The service was wonderful. I have always enjoyed River Oaks when I have been. The service, however, was lessened because my mind was on other matters. I did listen to the message and greatly benefited from the whole service, but my thoughts were swimming with other things. Later, we, some of the students from RBC, went to a friend's house to enjoy and celebrate the end of the school year and the beginning of summer! (I figured that that would be a good day to begin writing) It was wonderful to see all my friends spending time together! Again, however, my thoughts were elsewhere. I was off. I was trying to hold on to the promises of God. Promises of my Father to hold me and keep me. Promises that he will never leave me nor forsake me. Promises that he is all I need and that he provides all that I will ever need. Promises, the wonderful promises of the Living God! Several times yesterday I read Isaiah 12. Verse 2 was especially helpful and hopeful. "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation." I cried, trying to hold on to passages like this. Praise God for His sovereignty and His love! To be honest, yesterday may have been the worst day here in Florida. But, to be honest, it is ok. I'll be ok. Why? Because God is sovereign and His love surrounds me and guides me! There is no greater comfort in the whole world!
Well, what a way to start the summer! With tears and fears, joys and friends, singing and praying, movies and moving, etc. All of it under the banner of the most wonderful and sovereign love of the Father! I wonder what the next day has in store!
Thank you!
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