Monday, May 28, 2007

what's good

1) Lake Murray
2) Jet Ski's
3) Wakeboarding
4) Tubing
5) Fancy smancy friends who live in really big houses on the lake with a mini water park in their backyard
6) Bar-b-q (mustard based of course)
7) Friends
8) Trampoline's
9) Getting a shower after a long, fun day in the water
10) Realizing that today I didn't do anything productive, and being totally fine with that.
11) Getting a quick blogpost in before a sure to be awesome quiet time

Today was like a true sabbath for me, and I guess I didn't even realize that I don't have days like that often. I woke up super late and had breakfast at like 1:15 in the afternoon and then spent the rest of the day on the lake at Trey Bostic's house. My cell phone had absolutely no service so I was pretty unreachable, but had an awesome day no doubt. It's amazing because even after what would seem like a totally selfish day, I honestly think God taught me some cool stuff and enjoyed that I could have some fun.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Good Grandma Stories

For about 3 months I have had the pleasure of living with many family members, 4 to be exact and a 5th that is about to be born very soon. My grandma has been staying with us because my grandpa passed away in December and it's just a better situation for her to be here with a lot of people than alone in her hot house in Panama. She is 83 and looks very very old and she kinda walks with a bit of gimp, but she is sharp and a very funny lady. She loves to tell jokes, make fun of people, and mess with people.

She fooled me the other morning with her sweet little old grandma innocence. I was eating breakfast alongside her and my cousin and from under the table I felt a foot kinda brush my leg. So I looked over and she was just eating and concentrating on her food so I thought it was just an accident and moved my leg so that she wouldn't hit it again. Not long after I felt the foot brush me again, so I tried to position my leg just right so that she couldn't touch it, because still it just looked like she might not even have a clue that she kept bumping my foot. Well the third time she couldn't contain herself and looked at me and just started laughing. It may not be funny to you but I thought it was hilarious because I just don't think of grandma's being like that.

She is a really awesome lady and I have learned tons from her, and I thank God that she has been able to be in my life and that we can communicate and have a good time despite the 64 year gap.

God has inspired me to try and find truth in pretty much everything since I've been reading Rob Bell. For example today my grandma was telling me a story about when my grandad got robbed once in Panama. He was coming home from work one day and was bringing home a lot of money that he had been saving up so that he could pay tuition for my mom's college so that she could take classes and all that. He traveled down a dangerous road so that he could get home a little faster but apparently it was a mistake because a man with a knife took all of the money he had on him. My grandma said that he was normally a really happy guy, and that he was usually working later, but had gotten off early to get all the money, so as he was walking home this particular day he just looked really shook up and sad and his neighbors asked what was wrong. So he told them that he had been robbed but that the bigger issue was that now he didn't have money to pay for my mom to go to school and the money was due the next day. Now understand that in Panama, minimum wage is just a little over a dollar an hour. So everyone in my grandad's neighborhood were pretty poor people. For whatever reason they were compelled to give him the money. I don't know if the deal was for my grandad to pay them back or what because my grandma ended the story with the neighbors pooling money together and offering it to him.

It struck me in that moment that this is what compassion and the church should look like. The neighbors saw a need and took care of it for him. Now I have no idea if these neighbors were Christians or what but I was just in awe of God showing me this truth. It was just one of those cool moments where my grandma probably thought I was weird because I had this huge smile on my face because of what I was thinking, and she was probably thinking that I had no feelings because I was smiling after she told me they got robbed. All I know is that I'm very very stoked about what God's doing all around.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Consistency

I think this may be a marathon on right now, but I'm watching back to back episodes of Survivorman. Since Trevor Miller introduced me in Indiana, I have become a big fan. Les Stroud goes to some crazy places around the world and teaches you how to survive for a week. Maybe it's a macho thing that draws me and digs deep into some manly love of nature and conquering crazy odds, but all I really know is once I start watching I can't stop.

Today and the past few days have been amazing and much needed in the life of Andrew Stewart. I've been able to mix fun and relaxation with some serious growth and consistency with spending time with God. One of my many struggles has been to find a time to spend with God everyday. For the past several days I've found that at night time before I get sleepy tired is my favorite. My house is quiet at around 10 or so, so I just go to my room and read the word, pray, think about what's going on and what the next step God wants me to take is. I've also finally been getting around to read Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell and it's very good in my opinion. I'm not sure if I agree with everything he says, but that's ok and he even says that. He's simply starting conversations and thought processes. I just pray that I keep this up for good and if I find that night isn't good that I would change the time of day to give to God.

Speaking of consistency, I checked out Midtown last week and this week, and I do believe I'll be going there very more frequently. It's at a good time 7PM and it's really a place that I feel like I can be very effective. I'm still praying through and seeing if God wants me to be a part of it, but so far so good.

Consistency is a nice thing to have mixed in with the changing world we live in and I'm even blogging more which has been good to get some of my thoughts out. Well back to Survivorman and then lights out.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Post Olshine Thoughts

David Olshine rocks my world from time to time. I have heard him speak several times at the Horeb, and he is just one of those guys who sucks me in and has my full attention and I can always learn something from what God says through him.

Today there was a brief Greek lesson when he said that we need to add knowledge to our lives. The Greek I believe he said was gonosco (i'm not sure on the Greek spelling i'm no expert in any way, shape, or form) but it sounds quite similar to one of the spanish words for knowledge or knowing... conocer.

Now this really spoke to me because in that one second that he said the Greed it immediately turned on a light in my spanish speaking side. The other word for knowing or to know in spanish is saber. Saber you would use if know how to count to 10 or if you know where Groucho's is. Conocer is mostly used when referring to people, like "yo conozco a Austin Crane" and it adds an element of the intimacy that Olshine talked about today.

You see we can know stuff about God and sound all smart and not ever really be committed to getting involved with God, or we can jump in and actually get to know him and have a relational God. I would say it's definitely cool to know you're stuff about God, but the experience is where we get that true wisdom that only God can offer, and it's what inspires life change. I would rather see someone loving a homeless person or sick person than talking about how much God loves the homeless and the sick while they do nothing.

So a thank you to David Olshine for some very thought provoking vocabulary from the Greeks. I'm off to Monterrey to celebrate 31 years of Wade Joye.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Changes

Change is what we do as humans. From the moment of conception we turn into an entirely new life form, and in 9 months we outgrow our home in our moms and step into the world. From there we quickly change from this helpless little baby into a walking, talking, little person. Here in the USA we then go to school, meet new people, and begin the education process, all the way through high school in our towns, probably move several times or stay put but then graduate and change the game again by going to college or working. We are always experience new and different people, places, and situations and we have different thoughts and opinions.

Just from taking the time to read this blog you are different. You aren't the same person you were 12 seconds ago. The most radical change that I personally have experienced is the new life that I have found in Jesus. But you see I've also read in the Bible itself that God is the same as yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He's always God.

Always.

Amazing, because you see Jesus was God too, because he did say that he and the Father are one, and because I have accepted him as my savior he has promised that I have the spirit of God in me. So somehow I have this never-changing, everlasting God in me, yet I am always trying to change me to become more like him.

For me things seem to really be changing a lot lately. I thought that I had God figured out at this point in time, but then he rocks my world. I'm probably changing my double major to Media Arts and Graphic design, I'm seeing old friends get more distant and realizing I might not see some of them again, and I'll be in Africa in less than 2 months which is going to be a complete change from what I'm used to here.

That's just some of the change in my life. Just think about what you've got going on and then everyone else in the world. Yet God is still God. He doesn't have a new agenda, or have to meet new people, or experience new things. He's been there and done that 6 billion times. It's both comforting and frightening to me at the same time.

God's plan has always been the same, it's what he is. Love.

That's it... love. And from some Rob Bell reading and digging into the scriptures I've been learning that love is the most complex thing ever. It's why we are here, and it's everything God is and does. It may sound mushy but this love is crazy, I mean God has done some things that this world would definitely not classify as love. The plagues, leading armies to kill people (even women and children), God's love is bloody all over, look at how Jesus ended up. Yet it's all love.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is no matter how much we change, our goal needs to be God and if God is love then that should be pretty high on our priority list. And it may call us to do crazy things... (i'm not saying go out and kill innocent women and children and call that love) but we need to draw guidance from the holy spirit of God in us, because it knows it all and has been through it all, and we can't even stay the same for 5 minutes.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Boo For No Show-ers

So today I called up the fellas for small group and told them to meet me at Firehouse subs so that we could talk about the awesomeness found within the words of James. I got there about 10 minutes early, ordered me some food, got my food and started eating it, and then Devin showed up right at 6:30 when we normally start.

He ordered his delicious sub and then sat down with me and we waited for about 20 minutes eating and just talking. By that point I realized that probably no one else was coming, and I was kind of bummed because I love me some James and I wanted to know what they thought about it. My bummed-out feeling was gone pretty soon though because for the first time I got to have some one on one time with Devin and it was really cool. For the first time I felt like I was actually having an impact on someone's spiritual life directly, he told me something that was on his mind and it was cool for him to be comfortable to tell me what he was going through, and fortunately God had just the right things to say to him through what God's been teaching me lately. We did even talk a little James and it was a successful small group even though the attendance was one person.

I gotta run because it's 2AM and that means Boy Meets World is on... (yes i do still like that show). So good night!

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Yay for James!

Relaxation has been hard to get this first week of summer just because I have decided to stay awake until 3AM several nights pulling some pranks. Last night though I went to bed at like 12 and woke up at about 10:30. Glorious!

This week for small group I will be leading our discussion on James. Hopefully the fellas at least will have glanced at it because James is one of my all time favies. It's full of all kinds of God inspired goodness and I am enjoying rereading it.

I'm pretty excited about a "project" I have this week. Well I don't know if I can call it a project, but I do get to make the Senior Video for the Mount Horeb Graduates this week and it will be the first time that I get paid to make media, so it's a pretty sweet opportunity and I hope that I can do a good job at it. I feel like media is my calling, and I guess this week is my first test.

So I will leave you with this little nugget from James 1:27

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Amazing how religion has gotten to where it is.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Chi Alpha Highlights

if you missed the goodness that is known as chi alpha, then fret no more here is a video to fill your belly with a tasty snack of what chi alpha is! A big thanks to Google Video for being awesome like that

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Summer

It's a beautiful time of the year. The time of year when there is no school and a lot of free time to enjoy life.

I've been home since Friday and sleep has never been so appreciated! I've been doing a lot of thinking about what this summer has in store for me, and I'm kind of nervous and scared. Obviously there are going to be a lot of changes at Mount Horeb with Wade and Ferris leaving to own the worship scene at Elevation, and I know I'm going to Kenya for a month and I really don't have any idea what's in store for me there.

I've been thinking about what happens after this summer, and I really don't know. I think maybe I just need to worry about what's in front of me and let God handle the rest, but I'm always trying to be in control.

It has been exciting though. I remember several years ago when Daniel Barrett left the Horeb. I was pretty upset, and was angry also. This time is much different. I'm so happy for the Joye's because it's an awesome opportunity and I know they are going to do some incredible things. Trevor has been extremely optimistic as well. He is pumped up about the changes and I know God's going to use him for some really cool things at Mount Horeb.

God is working and moving all around and I think on that note I will go to bed, so I can make it to the dentist in the morning and join Julianna in her hunt for a job!

Saturday, May 05, 2007

I ♥

Hillsong United blows my mind, in a very very good way. They have the new stuff on their myspace and they are doing a thing called "The I ♥ Revolution", and I'm not exactly sure what it is, but it just seems so awesome, like a movement of loving people. But yeah so you can go to either of those links or you can watch this awesome trailer. I want to make stuff like this! YouTube rocks.


Thursday, May 03, 2007

what wade joye would blog about

Since the whole world cries out for the glorious return of the Reverend William Wade Joye, I figured I would put myself in his astute mind and try and blog about what he would be blogging about.

I think he would start with the new Hillsong United songs that released on iTunes that he bought. They are bad to the bone I will not lie and you can click on this link to hear it from their myspace.

Hillsong is just amazing, it's their first studio recorded album, and it still rocks. Wade Joye would probably also talk about the success of Chi Alpha last weekend, and how he was absolutely terrified during my groups Air Band performance. My group did a hardcore song by "The Chariot" and it was all out blood bath. But Wade Joye would say that he was impressed with our being able to win the "Bigger and Better" scavenger hunt when we came back with a tire that was about 5 feet tall, and goes on a huge tractor.

Wade might would even go as far as to say that he is most excited about the release of Spider-Man 3 tomorrow, in which Will Troutman will be making a visit to see it with Wade, Ferris, and Wade's Parents. Adding to that list, I will be buying 3 tickets today to take my brother Bryan and my little cousin Jorge (pronounced Hor-Hey). My cousin's favorite super hero is by far spider man and he's been talking about this movie ever since he got here in January.

I think Wade would also throw in some talk of the promotion of the 8th graders to Ignite this Sunday, and would say that we are "pulling out all the stops" for the 8th graders so you should be there this Sunday night.

Hopefully this filled your belly with the goodness that is Wade Joye, if not then you try and get inside his mind and share his thoughts with the world.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

May 2nd

Yeah so today is only May 1st, and you may be wondering why in the world this is called May 2nd. Well normally I don't like to tell stories like these because they freak me out and I think that people won't believe me and think I'm crazy. But I don't care here it goes.

A few weeks ago, and I can't remember what night, but I had a really really weird dream and two things that freaked me out happened. I promise I had a dream that I was in the back of an 18 wheeler storage compartment with some people I didn't know moving a tractor wheel that is as big as me. Well Saturday at Chi Alpha I had DejaVu when I was in a junkyard with those unknown guys (Ben, Kenny, and John Eric: Spencer's friends from King Academy) moving that exact same tire. I had this big ol' smile because for some reason it feels like that's where God wanted me. It's happened before and I don't know exactly what it is. Maybe some type of prophesy that I can only remember whenever the dream comes to life, maybe I just think I'm having DejaVu. All I know is it has something to do with God but I don't know exactly what. The only other thing I remember from that dream is someone saying May 2nd.

It freaked me out because I didn't have a clue what it means and when we moved that tire I got worried that maybe something bad was going to happen. I have developed a new theory though.

Today at lunch with Rob, Michael, Gretchen, Paige, Callie, and Gretchen's Mom (Dawn Ellen she's insanely awesome) Gretchen and Momma Ellen surprised me with $1300 that they had raised from their church to help me get to Africa. I know you're thinking well yeah that's cool and everything, but today is still May 1st... Well the checks are going in the mail tomorrow.

so yeah, maybe that's not what the significance of May 2nd is, but I think that it's a little too huge and a little too much of a coincidence to not actually be God's providence.

God is way bigger than I can even imagine, big thanks to everyone for the support so far for Africa, you have no idea how much it means and how much God is doing.