Baptiso

Tonight 25 people from Midtown Fellowship were baptized. It was awesome I got to be one of them. Baptism is an amazing experience that I would highly recommend to anyone in the right context. Of course there is debate and people way smarter than me have different thoughts but I believe that it is a symbol of going public with our decision to join Jesus. To join him in his death and resurrection as Romans puts it:
Romans 6
"1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin."

It truly was a beautiful picture of how Jesus worked in the lives of all 25 people, and the spotlight was on him. Families and friends and even some strangers gathered to celebrate what Christ has done in the lives of so many. I got lucky and got a surprise visit from my girlfriend which was so great and now I'm really pumped to spend next weekend with her. I really do have a new hope and sense of what it is that I'm trying to do by following Jesus. Each day I'm dying to what I want or think I need and giving it over to Jesus and acknowledging that I'm pretty dumb and that what he wants to do is way better than what I could ever think up and it's actually the best thing ever.

Not to sound like I'm boasting about my deeds, but today I was in the park feeding the homeless because Jesus says we should, and I found myself being blown away at how it is all Jesus in that. A few years ago I could never dream that I would be giving up time to cook for and serve people who need it, and actually enjoy it or not just do it because of a court order. I am just insanely excited about God and can't wait to see what's next. It will be tough because of that whole invitation to die thing, but there is always an even bigger hope of new life through Jesus. And to think getting "Baptiso"-ed (submersed in the Greek) dunked under water could be so amazing.

Not My Gamecocks

My #6 Gamecocks tasted bitter defeat today at the hands of the mighty Vanderbilt Commodores... please take two minutes away from my blog to remember that #6 ranking for it may never come again.

OK it's tough but it is just a game that I had no influence over so I'm actually surprisingly not too upset I have other things to worry about. Today during the game I had the privilege of taking the defensive driving course at Baldwin Driver Training, because I got a ticket in Georgia about 2 weeks ago and now they will drop the points off of my ticket. So it's a sweet little deal. LOOOONG class I was there from 7:30 until 4:00 so my brain was a little fried for most of the day and I played Halo 3 on Michaels Xbox to just relax.

I also got to go back to Lexington and visit my good ol' mom, get a home cooked meal, get a large pot to cook mashed potatoes for homeless people, and some much needed praise time on the car ride both too and from. I love rockin' out to Hillsong in my car. Good times.

Tonight in my quiet time I am just really really reminded of forgiveness and grace.
This week was tough being productive with tons of school work and I found lots of ways to be selfish with my free time and then wanted to hit myself when I realized how much I was wasting. Mute Math, probably my favorite band at the moment, puts it very well in their song OK.

"Down on my knees, down on my face
you just say
it's ok

So many days I've thrown away
but you just say
it's ok

I don't think I could ever repay
your perfect grace
but it's ok

it's ok
it's ok
it's ok
yeah it's ok

you've become my embrace
just tell me that it's ok"

Simple I know, but I love it when Jesus makes the truth simple. It rings in my heart and fills me right back up again.

To end... three things I am stoked about right now.

1)Next weekend I do believe that I will get to go to Charlotte to stay with the Reverend Wade Joye finally which will be awesome.
2)I talked to a friend from North Carolina and he might be comin' to Columbia for Homeless for the Homeless which you should register for right now.
3)I get to see Mute Math November 3rd in Birmingham with my girlfriend :)