Tuesday, December 19, 2006
panama 3
yeah so i´m still here things are getting a little better. tomorrow is my grandpa´s funeral and I know that it will be very sad. I am also changing my flight home for the 26th and I will be spending Christmas here. Please continue to pray for us, and if I can I will get on the computer again, it´s pretty cheap only a quarter for a half hour but the trouble is getting anywhere with this Christmas traffic.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Panama Part 2
Well actually I guess I could have named this Costa Rica, because that is where I'm sitting right now and it's a cool 85 degrees, and I believe hotter in Panama. I'm runnin on 2 hours of sleep and one meal in the last 24 hours. It's an odd feeling being here because it feels like I am on a vacation but I know it will be very different once we are in Panama. To those of you who I talked to and are praying for us, thanks a bunch I really appreciate it and trust me it has helped because God has gotten us through some crazy roadblocks to actually get a flight and be there.
In Panama I don't think I'll have easy access to a computer, but I think that I will be back on friday so if i don't talk to you or update this then thanks for the prayers again, and see you this weekend.
In Panama I don't think I'll have easy access to a computer, but I think that I will be back on friday so if i don't talk to you or update this then thanks for the prayers again, and see you this weekend.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Panama
I received some bad news today, my grandfather in Panama passed away of unknown complications as of right now. It was completely unexpected, and we all thought he was a very healthy man. Right now I am in the middle of packing, getting sick, feeling sad, and getting ready to drive to Atlanta tonight so that we can make our flight in the morning.
I'm not sure what God is trying to show me through this and it's been really difficult all day. I know my grandad loved the lord from the little that I have seen and what my mom has told me so I'm not worried about where he is at all, but I am very worried for my mom and those closest to him.
If you could keep my family and me in your prayers this week I would really appreciate it, we depart at 10:20 in the morning from Atlanta and I won't be back until Friday. Hopefully things will get better and I have complete faith and trust in what God is doing. Thanks, and have a good week before Christmas!
I'm not sure what God is trying to show me through this and it's been really difficult all day. I know my grandad loved the lord from the little that I have seen and what my mom has told me so I'm not worried about where he is at all, but I am very worried for my mom and those closest to him.
If you could keep my family and me in your prayers this week I would really appreciate it, we depart at 10:20 in the morning from Atlanta and I won't be back until Friday. Hopefully things will get better and I have complete faith and trust in what God is doing. Thanks, and have a good week before Christmas!
Friday, December 15, 2006
Cold
Wow, for whatever reason I decided to check the weather from my birthplace, which is in Fairbanks, Alaska. Right now it is -19 degrees and the hight tomorrow is -3. Haha, today it was 75 degrees and I was sweating all day. It's funny to think that I was born in Alaska... I wouldn't be able to survive there now.
Tomorrow morning at 9 AM I have my last exam in terrorism and counter-terrorism. It has been probably my favorite class somehow. It's very thought provoking which is cool because I do a lot of good thinking about Jesus in that class. I was studying my notes and a figure that my professor gave us is that there are about 1.7 BILLION Christians in the world (at least people who proclaim to be Christians). That's a lot. But even if all of those 1.7 Billion were legit believers in Christ's death for our sin and resurrection to prove that death has no hold over him, then there are still over 4.3 Billion people out there who don't have an intimate relationship with him. That's crazy.
I got an e-mail the other day that had a count of people at Mount Horeb youth who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior just this semester, and that number is 29. I know in comparison to the 4.3 billion I just mentioned that 29 seems small, but don't let that fool you. If a small group of staff and volunteers can have that impact in just a few short months, then there is no telling what God can do through those 29. If those 29 witness to 2 people a person then that's 58 more, and then you can just imagine how quickly that would multiply. It's good to know that I am involved with very passionate people who have made their goal to Know Christ and to make Him known. It's working, people want to know Jesus because he does amazing things.
Mount Horeb rocks because Jesus is the center of what we do. Yeah there are some way cool people that are involved but they would all be nothing without the sacrifice and grace that Christ has given us.
yeah well that's it for now, I've got to get some shut eye in order to knock out this last Exam.
Tomorrow morning at 9 AM I have my last exam in terrorism and counter-terrorism. It has been probably my favorite class somehow. It's very thought provoking which is cool because I do a lot of good thinking about Jesus in that class. I was studying my notes and a figure that my professor gave us is that there are about 1.7 BILLION Christians in the world (at least people who proclaim to be Christians). That's a lot. But even if all of those 1.7 Billion were legit believers in Christ's death for our sin and resurrection to prove that death has no hold over him, then there are still over 4.3 Billion people out there who don't have an intimate relationship with him. That's crazy.
I got an e-mail the other day that had a count of people at Mount Horeb youth who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior just this semester, and that number is 29. I know in comparison to the 4.3 billion I just mentioned that 29 seems small, but don't let that fool you. If a small group of staff and volunteers can have that impact in just a few short months, then there is no telling what God can do through those 29. If those 29 witness to 2 people a person then that's 58 more, and then you can just imagine how quickly that would multiply. It's good to know that I am involved with very passionate people who have made their goal to Know Christ and to make Him known. It's working, people want to know Jesus because he does amazing things.
Mount Horeb rocks because Jesus is the center of what we do. Yeah there are some way cool people that are involved but they would all be nothing without the sacrifice and grace that Christ has given us.
yeah well that's it for now, I've got to get some shut eye in order to knock out this last Exam.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Accountable
One of the coolest thinks about being a christian is meeting other christians out there who share the same goal. To know Christ, and to make Christ Known. I am very fortunate to share a room with a guy who is passionate about Jesus and wants people to know it.
In my journey since becoming a christian 5 years ago, one of the things that has helped me most in terms of growth and struggling with sin has been having someone to hold me accountable. For example last night it was getting to be pretty late, and I had told Josh that I wanted to have a quiet time. After working for a really long time on school work I was ready to just go to bed and forget about God for the night. My roommate, fortunately, asked me before I went to sleep if I had my quiet time, and when I said no he then pulled out his Bible, and began to do his quiet time.
That's all he had to say for me to get out my Bible and spend some time with God. It's a little thing I know, but it's so cool to know that he cared to even ask. A lot of friends don't have an open relationship like that. It is key to have one of those relationships, because both he and I have told each other what we struggle with, what we think God wants us to do about it, and then ask one another to help us get through the problems.
Both of us in essence are saying similar things to what we have confessed to Jesus. I can't do it on my own, I need help! We both recognize that if we don't trust God and then have each other to help along the way, then we are risking a lot. It also says that we both want to glorify God. We aren't content with where we are, but we constantly want to improve our lifestyle in order to show the power of Christ's sacrifice.
If you don't have at least that one person who you can talk to about anything or who can check up on you in any area, then please pray about it, because God can do some amazing things through his people.
In my journey since becoming a christian 5 years ago, one of the things that has helped me most in terms of growth and struggling with sin has been having someone to hold me accountable. For example last night it was getting to be pretty late, and I had told Josh that I wanted to have a quiet time. After working for a really long time on school work I was ready to just go to bed and forget about God for the night. My roommate, fortunately, asked me before I went to sleep if I had my quiet time, and when I said no he then pulled out his Bible, and began to do his quiet time.
That's all he had to say for me to get out my Bible and spend some time with God. It's a little thing I know, but it's so cool to know that he cared to even ask. A lot of friends don't have an open relationship like that. It is key to have one of those relationships, because both he and I have told each other what we struggle with, what we think God wants us to do about it, and then ask one another to help us get through the problems.
Both of us in essence are saying similar things to what we have confessed to Jesus. I can't do it on my own, I need help! We both recognize that if we don't trust God and then have each other to help along the way, then we are risking a lot. It also says that we both want to glorify God. We aren't content with where we are, but we constantly want to improve our lifestyle in order to show the power of Christ's sacrifice.
If you don't have at least that one person who you can talk to about anything or who can check up on you in any area, then please pray about it, because God can do some amazing things through his people.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Exams are here
1st Exam was a big success. After I turned in my first half, my teacher said I was guaranteed an A in the class which is very nice to know. I'm doing a big portfolio for my university 101 class right now which is tedious but hopefully that will give me yet another A. It's crazy here, everyone is freakin out and going all over the place to take their exams.
One thing I was thinking about today that made me giggle was the fact that I've heard some people find it offensive to have the word Christ in Christmas. I guess some people really don't know that Jesus was born on that day or at least that is the day that his birthday is celebrated. It's kind of funny to hear the argument but also sad that some people are offended by the single most greatest human being to have ever walked on the face of earth.
I took the challenge that Ferris has partaken in and began reading the gospel of John because I'm memorizing chapter 3 from John and plus this way the next gospel I start on can be Matthew for the new year. If you don't know what the challenge is then you can check out her blog, but basically it's a challenge to "follow your rabbi" in which case mine is Jesus Christ. I can't follow my rabbi unless I know his instructions and those instructions are found in the Gospels so I will be reading a gospel a month for the next long long time. I'm excited it should be cool and I've never really read all of the gospels all the way through in succession like this, so I can't wait to see what God is gonna do through this.
Anyways I gotta get back to exams.
One thing I was thinking about today that made me giggle was the fact that I've heard some people find it offensive to have the word Christ in Christmas. I guess some people really don't know that Jesus was born on that day or at least that is the day that his birthday is celebrated. It's kind of funny to hear the argument but also sad that some people are offended by the single most greatest human being to have ever walked on the face of earth.
I took the challenge that Ferris has partaken in and began reading the gospel of John because I'm memorizing chapter 3 from John and plus this way the next gospel I start on can be Matthew for the new year. If you don't know what the challenge is then you can check out her blog, but basically it's a challenge to "follow your rabbi" in which case mine is Jesus Christ. I can't follow my rabbi unless I know his instructions and those instructions are found in the Gospels so I will be reading a gospel a month for the next long long time. I'm excited it should be cool and I've never really read all of the gospels all the way through in succession like this, so I can't wait to see what God is gonna do through this.
Anyways I gotta get back to exams.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Update
Yeah so I just switched to blogger beta and I must say I'm digging the changes. If you don't like it then I'm sorry. Just let me know how I can make it more appealing to the eye, and I'll work on it. What is nice is that it has a numbering feature whereas lists had to be created all by yourself on the other. For being free this is a pretty sweet deal. Anyways back to school work and then quiet time and then bed. Good night world!
Exams
ahh the beauty of exam week is upon the USC campus. I luckily didn't have one today and have just been able to prepare for my first one tomorrow. I'm not nervous which is good and I'm preparing for an exam which is a new feeling because I didn't do much of that in high school. But it's good to see God inspire some work ethic in me because it's a way to be able to witness to people, if I know what I'm doing with school and can help them out, then it opens up conversation. Plus God wants us to be the best that we can, as long as we love him first.
This is always a really weird time of year, because there are tons and tons of things going on right up until you have that last exam, and then you have a glorious break. So although my body and mind want to be in break mode right now, I know I've got to put in my best effort right now. I just hope that in a spiritual sense I don't take a month long break from doing God's work.
God's definitely doing some big things this holiday season, and I'm excited to be a part of it. The live CD that Wade was working on has been pushed back, but I think that gives him and everyone involved longer to prepare and be able to do an amazing job of presenting his insanely good worship to people. I can't wait for that.
Friday for those of you in College in the area then you should come out to the Christmas Sweater Party, it's gonna be good times with highly cheesy outfits.
Well that's it for now, nothing too in depth, but I've gotta study my butt off.
This is always a really weird time of year, because there are tons and tons of things going on right up until you have that last exam, and then you have a glorious break. So although my body and mind want to be in break mode right now, I know I've got to put in my best effort right now. I just hope that in a spiritual sense I don't take a month long break from doing God's work.
God's definitely doing some big things this holiday season, and I'm excited to be a part of it. The live CD that Wade was working on has been pushed back, but I think that gives him and everyone involved longer to prepare and be able to do an amazing job of presenting his insanely good worship to people. I can't wait for that.
Friday for those of you in College in the area then you should come out to the Christmas Sweater Party, it's gonna be good times with highly cheesy outfits.
Well that's it for now, nothing too in depth, but I've gotta study my butt off.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Light
Today was weird. I was all over the place all day and I was busy, but here I am at 11 o' clock feeling like I've done nothing. I guess it's because I felt really convicted today. There were two things that really got me.
1. I realized how much sin messes everything up - sin happens all the time, I sin pretty much everyday, and I realize I probably won't be sin free until I die. BUT it still hurts every time I fail, and today I just felt dirty. I felt like I let all my friends and family down, like I let myself down, but worst of all I let God down. I broke his heart all over again and it's like I'm putting Jesus back on that cross. I hate it, and I think being conscious of it is definitely a good step towards sinning less. My sin took what would have been a very good day and totatlly jacked me up.
2. I noticed that I'm pretty lazy when it comes to serving others - I'm guilty of eavesdropping. I overheard some people talking today and really it was nothing knew to me. A girl seemed surprised to learn that darkness is defined simply as being the absence of light. Pretty simple but then I started thinking about people who are living in darkness. There are tons of people out there who are in unfortunate circumstances and are broken and feel like there is no hope or no escape from this world. There are people who haven't heard the message of Christ which is entirely full of light, that same message lives in me, but where am I? I am a part of causing the darkness. If I have the light in me and I'm not showing up then obviously something is wrong. I want to serve, and not just for the holidays but as a regular part of who Christ wants me to be.
Today wasn't bad, I did get to hang out with some fellas who I really love and that's always good, but God definitely kicked my butt. I want to get out there and do something so if you have a suggestion please let me know, or if you want to join then let me know.
1. I realized how much sin messes everything up - sin happens all the time, I sin pretty much everyday, and I realize I probably won't be sin free until I die. BUT it still hurts every time I fail, and today I just felt dirty. I felt like I let all my friends and family down, like I let myself down, but worst of all I let God down. I broke his heart all over again and it's like I'm putting Jesus back on that cross. I hate it, and I think being conscious of it is definitely a good step towards sinning less. My sin took what would have been a very good day and totatlly jacked me up.
2. I noticed that I'm pretty lazy when it comes to serving others - I'm guilty of eavesdropping. I overheard some people talking today and really it was nothing knew to me. A girl seemed surprised to learn that darkness is defined simply as being the absence of light. Pretty simple but then I started thinking about people who are living in darkness. There are tons of people out there who are in unfortunate circumstances and are broken and feel like there is no hope or no escape from this world. There are people who haven't heard the message of Christ which is entirely full of light, that same message lives in me, but where am I? I am a part of causing the darkness. If I have the light in me and I'm not showing up then obviously something is wrong. I want to serve, and not just for the holidays but as a regular part of who Christ wants me to be.
Today wasn't bad, I did get to hang out with some fellas who I really love and that's always good, but God definitely kicked my butt. I want to get out there and do something so if you have a suggestion please let me know, or if you want to join then let me know.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Things I'm Enjoying Right Now
Yeah today a lot of little things made me happy so here is a top 10 list of goodness.
10. Getting into a warm car to get away from unexpected cold weather
9. Christmas lights
8. Lights that you can see coming into Columbia (me and my roommate were staring like kids on Christmas morning on the way back here)
7. Reunions with friends and even people who I barely know
6. Getting a busy schedule because it feels like I actually have stuff to do
5. Rush's Chilicheeseburgers (i'm going there tomorrow with some friends)
4. Memorizing Scripture, I'm memorizing the entire John Chapter 3 and Jesus is blowing my mind with how much it helps
3. U2 I just found my tribute album and it's cool to hear some classics redone by some Jesus loving folks
2. Being Home and just relaxing, which I will hopefully get a chance to do over the weekend for a while
1. Serving a pretty incredible savior, and trying to pursue him with all this pathetic guy has to offer
Except for Jesus being number one the others were in no particular order but yeah, there is a lot of goodness to be thankful for. There are too many heart-broken people out there this holiday season so hopefully I can be a part of changing that.
10. Getting into a warm car to get away from unexpected cold weather
9. Christmas lights
8. Lights that you can see coming into Columbia (me and my roommate were staring like kids on Christmas morning on the way back here)
7. Reunions with friends and even people who I barely know
6. Getting a busy schedule because it feels like I actually have stuff to do
5. Rush's Chilicheeseburgers (i'm going there tomorrow with some friends)
4. Memorizing Scripture, I'm memorizing the entire John Chapter 3 and Jesus is blowing my mind with how much it helps
3. U2 I just found my tribute album and it's cool to hear some classics redone by some Jesus loving folks
2. Being Home and just relaxing, which I will hopefully get a chance to do over the weekend for a while
1. Serving a pretty incredible savior, and trying to pursue him with all this pathetic guy has to offer
Except for Jesus being number one the others were in no particular order but yeah, there is a lot of goodness to be thankful for. There are too many heart-broken people out there this holiday season so hopefully I can be a part of changing that.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Last Week
Tonight at the Horeb we had our Christmas party, Mexican themed with Nacho Libre. Good Stuff. I briefly translated numbers in Spanish which generated a few laughs and it was fun to see three girls beast a piñata. It's good to have a break from volunteering at the Horeb because it lifts a little bit of the load and allows me to relax in between trying to cram everything I've learned this semester to do well on my exams. It's cool to be able to also take that time and just tweak the way things are going between me and God right now and really focus on how I can contribute to the kingdom once we start up the next semester.
Matthew has an example of what was goin on.
Matthew Chapter 8: 23-26
23Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
26He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
I had let a storm come in and honestly I was freakin out about the way things were going last week. I was thinking "How can I get a paper done, study for tests, be there for my family, keep my friends in mind and hold everyone accountable, make time for God, work out, figure out what classes to take next semester, do a presentation, and still make it to class?". And all the while I'm wondering where is Jesus? Why is this hard?
Jesus was probly sleeping, because I was just like one of his disciples, lacking in the faith area. It was pretty much impossible for me to calm the storm without trusting him, so this past weekend I took a break, I joined Jesus in just chillin. It completely reversed everything. It has been amazing to see everything fall into place after having a good weekend relaxing and just talking to Jesus and letting him know that I trust him with it all. He does pretty good work too. I guess I need to know that even when things get rough and the waves are crashing into my boat that Jesus can just calm the storm in a second if he wanted.
Matthew has an example of what was goin on.
Matthew Chapter 8: 23-26
23Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
26He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
I had let a storm come in and honestly I was freakin out about the way things were going last week. I was thinking "How can I get a paper done, study for tests, be there for my family, keep my friends in mind and hold everyone accountable, make time for God, work out, figure out what classes to take next semester, do a presentation, and still make it to class?". And all the while I'm wondering where is Jesus? Why is this hard?
Jesus was probly sleeping, because I was just like one of his disciples, lacking in the faith area. It was pretty much impossible for me to calm the storm without trusting him, so this past weekend I took a break, I joined Jesus in just chillin. It completely reversed everything. It has been amazing to see everything fall into place after having a good weekend relaxing and just talking to Jesus and letting him know that I trust him with it all. He does pretty good work too. I guess I need to know that even when things get rough and the waves are crashing into my boat that Jesus can just calm the storm in a second if he wanted.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Steven Furtick
So for my fellow Mount Horebites, (I guess that's what we are) I was checking out Steven Furtick's blog today. If you don't remember him, he was the guest speaker last spring for our Chi Alpha/discipleship now. He was pretty stinkin cool and if you remember some of what he was speaking about then one of the things he was excited about was planting a new Church. He started from scratch with a handful of dedicated people, and this past sunday they had nearly 1000 people there after being around for less than a year. Wow! It's pretty awesome to hear about that and it kinda makes me feel cool because now if someone talks about his church then I can say "oooh I know Steven Furtick". It's lame I know, but I am really excited to know that God is working in huge ways really close to where I am. Elevation (his church) is in Charlotte, and there is also another cool church (Newspring) up in Anderson, SC that had nearly 8000 people in attendance the other weekend. Yeah that's a lot of people that want to go deep with God.
I can feel the hunger that people have for knowing God in an exciting, relevant way, and I want to do something about it. I remember another thing that Steven Furtick said in the spring was that you need to be creative when it comes to reaching people. He told a story of how when he was in college he requested to live in the dorm that all the football players lived in. In order to try and get to know the guys and be a witness to them, he thought it would be a good idea to go grocery shopping and stock up on food for the guys. After the first day of opening his room to them he realized it would be very expensive to feed those guys but he got a group of people that had faith in him and he made it work. It's good to remember it because I want to be able to be creative with the people who I can have some influence over so that they can get to know Jesus. I've been lazy as mess and I need to get something done.
I've been thinking about the future a lot and I really do think I want to be in ministry, but for some reason I have tried to convince myself that ministry is a job that I will eventually have in a church, but I can feel the Holy Spirit telling me to do it right now. So if you come into contact with me and remember then please try and hold me accountable to actually doing something to further the kingdom. Thanks and may Yahweh bless you!
I can feel the hunger that people have for knowing God in an exciting, relevant way, and I want to do something about it. I remember another thing that Steven Furtick said in the spring was that you need to be creative when it comes to reaching people. He told a story of how when he was in college he requested to live in the dorm that all the football players lived in. In order to try and get to know the guys and be a witness to them, he thought it would be a good idea to go grocery shopping and stock up on food for the guys. After the first day of opening his room to them he realized it would be very expensive to feed those guys but he got a group of people that had faith in him and he made it work. It's good to remember it because I want to be able to be creative with the people who I can have some influence over so that they can get to know Jesus. I've been lazy as mess and I need to get something done.
I've been thinking about the future a lot and I really do think I want to be in ministry, but for some reason I have tried to convince myself that ministry is a job that I will eventually have in a church, but I can feel the Holy Spirit telling me to do it right now. So if you come into contact with me and remember then please try and hold me accountable to actually doing something to further the kingdom. Thanks and may Yahweh bless you!
Monday, November 27, 2006
USC vs. Clemson
So after a glorious game on Saturday my Gamecocks finally managed to get a win over Clemson after losing the last 4 straight games to them. I was and am so happy and now have bragging rights until next year. Over the years I have developed a strong burning dislike towards Clemson in general, not just their football team but the entire school, and anyone who goes there. It's a rivalry so obviously we don't like each other, but after the game I thought about why I don't like Clemson so much.
The reason I learned is their FANS. For the past four years all I've been hearing about is how bad we are and how many times we have lost to them. There are countless people who think Clemson was actually built by God himself. Some of the things I've heard and the way that some of the fans have acted towards me have led me to strongly dislike Clemson.
So I got to thinking more about it and I thought about many Clemson fans and families who are truly awesome people who I love a lot. I don't dislike them at all, and they've never done anything to put out a bad Clemson vibe to me. Then I thought some more and realized that there are probably fewer Clemson fans that I don't like then ones that I actually do, and it really isn't all that bad of a place.
About a handful of people ruined Clemson for me. It didn't take much, and everytime someone said something dumb I thought, "Oh, boy another stupid Clemson fan". In reality though it's the people who aren't really Die Hard about Clemson that ruin it. If they really cared about their school they wouldn't be dissing everyone else and being jerks about it, they would just be pleased with their school and try and put off a good vibe to others so that they would be attracted to it.
It got me to realize that there are tons of times where I have said some dumb things and possibly ruined Jesus for some people. There are countless times where I have been very hypocritical, and I finally realize how much it can affect someone who doesn't know Jesus. Their entire perception of who God is, and who I say God is can be changed by a simple mistake. It's really challenging. Now I don't think I'll ever be perfect but I certainly want to make the best effort possible to reflect who God really is and love people and live what I profess.
I know I've done a poor job, but my heart and my prayer is that not only me but we as a church can strive to not be hypocrites but to follow Christ with all that we have and with all that he has equipped us with.
The reason I learned is their FANS. For the past four years all I've been hearing about is how bad we are and how many times we have lost to them. There are countless people who think Clemson was actually built by God himself. Some of the things I've heard and the way that some of the fans have acted towards me have led me to strongly dislike Clemson.
So I got to thinking more about it and I thought about many Clemson fans and families who are truly awesome people who I love a lot. I don't dislike them at all, and they've never done anything to put out a bad Clemson vibe to me. Then I thought some more and realized that there are probably fewer Clemson fans that I don't like then ones that I actually do, and it really isn't all that bad of a place.
About a handful of people ruined Clemson for me. It didn't take much, and everytime someone said something dumb I thought, "Oh, boy another stupid Clemson fan". In reality though it's the people who aren't really Die Hard about Clemson that ruin it. If they really cared about their school they wouldn't be dissing everyone else and being jerks about it, they would just be pleased with their school and try and put off a good vibe to others so that they would be attracted to it.
It got me to realize that there are tons of times where I have said some dumb things and possibly ruined Jesus for some people. There are countless times where I have been very hypocritical, and I finally realize how much it can affect someone who doesn't know Jesus. Their entire perception of who God is, and who I say God is can be changed by a simple mistake. It's really challenging. Now I don't think I'll ever be perfect but I certainly want to make the best effort possible to reflect who God really is and love people and live what I profess.
I know I've done a poor job, but my heart and my prayer is that not only me but we as a church can strive to not be hypocrites but to follow Christ with all that we have and with all that he has equipped us with.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Jumping Off
So the other night an amazing man that has been truly blessed by God, Adrian DesPres, spoke at Ignite and I think at least 10 of the high school students accepted Christ, and a number more rededicated themselves to serving Christ. IT WAS AWESOME!!! I'm still blown away any time people do that. It's truly what I live for, it brings heaven on earth, it makes me want to dance really stupidly around the room. I can't even begin to tell people how freakin cool it is that they made that decision.
Adrian does an offering of Christ in a very scary, bold way. It's probably my favorite way. He says with ALL eyes open and EVERYONE looking around I want you to STAND and then come up in front of everyone. If you realize that you need Jesus then nothing should be able to hold you back, but sitting in that chair the thought of knowing that you've fooled people for so long and not wanting people to know, or that maybe you're really cool group of friends will think you are a freak, or maybe you are trying to tell yourself that you can do it later at a more convenient time.
I can remember when I was a punk freshman and I was going to do a rededication at a big rally. All of those thoughts raced through my mind, but I just knew that I had to go up there and get right with Jesus right there right now. Honestly it's the scariest thing I've ever done, to decide to follow this Jesus guy with everything even though I know he was crucified for being God's son and the Savior of man. I could be an outcast forever, be hated, called a hypocrite for misrepresenting him, but it's worth it and I knew that and after getting sweaty hands, butterflies in my stomach, and trying not to make eye contact with my friends or anyone I knew, I stood up...
It reminds me of doing something else crazy like when I visited my dad in Missouri many years ago. We went to a nearby creek where there was this really cool spot that you could climb up to the road and then run off and jump down about 30 feet into the creek. I was probably about 12 at the time and I watched my dad do it and I thought wow that is the coolest thing ever, I want to do that. So I climbed and climbed and then realized that I was going to be up pretty high. I get to the top and look down and saw that a rock was sticking out pretty far under me so I would have to get a very good running start and just jump. I backed up on the road and remember that I was TERRIFIED. I didn't want to show my dad I was scared though because I thought he was so brave, and cool, but he knew I was scared so he talked me through it and then he jumped so he could wait for me at the bottom. He knew I could do it though, there is no way my dad would just let me jump to my death. So there I am, just me and the road and a huge jump ahead. I kept going to the edge and thinking WOW!, I could break a leg or my neck or just flat out die, what if I don't jump far enough?. Finally my dad talked me into it, and backed up to the road again and counted. ONE: oh crap I'm gonna die, TWO: my heart is racing and my legs are shaking and I've got butterflies in my stomach and I hope no one is watching, THREE: I ran and I jumped. There was a huge splash and when I was under water, instantly I changed from being totally scared and almost wetting myself to being extremely happy. It was totatlly worth it, and I wished everyone could see it and I wished that everyone could jump with me and see how cool it is.
Adrian does an offering of Christ in a very scary, bold way. It's probably my favorite way. He says with ALL eyes open and EVERYONE looking around I want you to STAND and then come up in front of everyone. If you realize that you need Jesus then nothing should be able to hold you back, but sitting in that chair the thought of knowing that you've fooled people for so long and not wanting people to know, or that maybe you're really cool group of friends will think you are a freak, or maybe you are trying to tell yourself that you can do it later at a more convenient time.
I can remember when I was a punk freshman and I was going to do a rededication at a big rally. All of those thoughts raced through my mind, but I just knew that I had to go up there and get right with Jesus right there right now. Honestly it's the scariest thing I've ever done, to decide to follow this Jesus guy with everything even though I know he was crucified for being God's son and the Savior of man. I could be an outcast forever, be hated, called a hypocrite for misrepresenting him, but it's worth it and I knew that and after getting sweaty hands, butterflies in my stomach, and trying not to make eye contact with my friends or anyone I knew, I stood up...
It reminds me of doing something else crazy like when I visited my dad in Missouri many years ago. We went to a nearby creek where there was this really cool spot that you could climb up to the road and then run off and jump down about 30 feet into the creek. I was probably about 12 at the time and I watched my dad do it and I thought wow that is the coolest thing ever, I want to do that. So I climbed and climbed and then realized that I was going to be up pretty high. I get to the top and look down and saw that a rock was sticking out pretty far under me so I would have to get a very good running start and just jump. I backed up on the road and remember that I was TERRIFIED. I didn't want to show my dad I was scared though because I thought he was so brave, and cool, but he knew I was scared so he talked me through it and then he jumped so he could wait for me at the bottom. He knew I could do it though, there is no way my dad would just let me jump to my death. So there I am, just me and the road and a huge jump ahead. I kept going to the edge and thinking WOW!, I could break a leg or my neck or just flat out die, what if I don't jump far enough?. Finally my dad talked me into it, and backed up to the road again and counted. ONE: oh crap I'm gonna die, TWO: my heart is racing and my legs are shaking and I've got butterflies in my stomach and I hope no one is watching, THREE: I ran and I jumped. There was a huge splash and when I was under water, instantly I changed from being totally scared and almost wetting myself to being extremely happy. It was totatlly worth it, and I wished everyone could see it and I wished that everyone could jump with me and see how cool it is.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Double O
James Bond makes me very happy. Last weekend my brother asked me if this Friday (tonight) I wanted to go see a movie with him. I said of course because I wanted to get some time to spend with my bro since it's been a good long while since we have done so. I said "hey why don't we go catch the new James Bond movie Casino Royale?" and he was a little skeptical at first because it's a new Bond.
I don't know how they do it, but it's almost as if Pierce Brosnan, Sean Connery, etc; were never the real Bond. The new actor was just as ravishing, intelligent, and dangerous as those other guys and well he is what you expect from James Bond. It was just a great, manly, brother-bonding movie to go see. There was action, poker, cool cars, plot twists, and ladies which are all some of my favorite things.
I love my brother a lot. I really do, but sometimes it's hard to find similarities between us, or actually I think I just try and make it too hard. Tonight was a very refreshing night to be able to see we both are manly guys who like things like James Bond movies and that we have a lot in common. After the movie we opened up and shared a little bit about what God is doing in our lives, talked a little about women, and then we came back to the house and grabbed some Ale 81 and Cheerwine and went and played good ole College football (I absolutely slaughtered Clemson :) ) and then now I am calling it night.
I am just really thankful that God has blessed me with a cool brother, and I'm glad that we can both hang out and just have a dude's night. James Bond, you have saved the day again my friend.
I don't know how they do it, but it's almost as if Pierce Brosnan, Sean Connery, etc; were never the real Bond. The new actor was just as ravishing, intelligent, and dangerous as those other guys and well he is what you expect from James Bond. It was just a great, manly, brother-bonding movie to go see. There was action, poker, cool cars, plot twists, and ladies which are all some of my favorite things.
I love my brother a lot. I really do, but sometimes it's hard to find similarities between us, or actually I think I just try and make it too hard. Tonight was a very refreshing night to be able to see we both are manly guys who like things like James Bond movies and that we have a lot in common. After the movie we opened up and shared a little bit about what God is doing in our lives, talked a little about women, and then we came back to the house and grabbed some Ale 81 and Cheerwine and went and played good ole College football (I absolutely slaughtered Clemson :) ) and then now I am calling it night.
I am just really thankful that God has blessed me with a cool brother, and I'm glad that we can both hang out and just have a dude's night. James Bond, you have saved the day again my friend.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
What?
So as I have written before I'm taking this class called Terrorism and Counter Terrorism or PoliSci 391. During the first few weeks of this class, it was strictly a lecture class and no one really spoke up. But lately people have had the urge to speak their mind which is totally cool. I like hearing what people think, especially non-christians because I think it can help understand what they need, and how Christ can be presented to them.
We were discussing religion, particularly Islam, and how it has become sort of the "poster" religion for terrorism. One guy then said that not all Muslims are terrorists but that all terrorists are Muslims... That probably wasn't the best thing to say on this particular day or maybe any day, and of course a huge debate then started. It got to the point that one guy actually said this.
"Well I think that we should do away with Religion all together. It's not just Islams or Jews. If you look at the Christians they are killing Jews in Palestine and have done some of the most horrible things in the name of Christianity. If we just did away with religion then people wouldn't be as hateful and have such radical beliefs. The world would be better off without having to deal with religion."
Instantly in my mind two things happened.
1. I got that really defensive feeling, my adrenaline started rushing, and I thought to myself "What the crap?".
2. I was also heart-broken at that the exact same moment. I couldn't believe that some how along the way when it came to Jesus, all he could think about is "wow those people who say they love Jesus are just as bad, if not worse, than any other group".
Too often we steer off of the path of love. A lot of the time we as christians have good intentions, and do some great things but we leave that key ingredient out. Love should be the driving force behind everything we do. We shouldn't be out there just doing good things for the sake of doing good things.
Paul puts it this way to the Corinthians "if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." (1 Cor 13:2-3).
You see people aren't impressed with what we do if it is for self gain, becuase as Paul says in the long run by doing those great things you gain NOTHING. Eveyone has good morals these days. The difference is and should be that we Love people in everything. When you develop relationships and take time with people, rather than just helping them out in the moment you can see a change and an impact.
We were discussing religion, particularly Islam, and how it has become sort of the "poster" religion for terrorism. One guy then said that not all Muslims are terrorists but that all terrorists are Muslims... That probably wasn't the best thing to say on this particular day or maybe any day, and of course a huge debate then started. It got to the point that one guy actually said this.
"Well I think that we should do away with Religion all together. It's not just Islams or Jews. If you look at the Christians they are killing Jews in Palestine and have done some of the most horrible things in the name of Christianity. If we just did away with religion then people wouldn't be as hateful and have such radical beliefs. The world would be better off without having to deal with religion."
Instantly in my mind two things happened.
1. I got that really defensive feeling, my adrenaline started rushing, and I thought to myself "What the crap?".
2. I was also heart-broken at that the exact same moment. I couldn't believe that some how along the way when it came to Jesus, all he could think about is "wow those people who say they love Jesus are just as bad, if not worse, than any other group".
Too often we steer off of the path of love. A lot of the time we as christians have good intentions, and do some great things but we leave that key ingredient out. Love should be the driving force behind everything we do. We shouldn't be out there just doing good things for the sake of doing good things.
Paul puts it this way to the Corinthians "if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." (1 Cor 13:2-3).
You see people aren't impressed with what we do if it is for self gain, becuase as Paul says in the long run by doing those great things you gain NOTHING. Eveyone has good morals these days. The difference is and should be that we Love people in everything. When you develop relationships and take time with people, rather than just helping them out in the moment you can see a change and an impact.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
3:50 AM
Sunday morning, after about 3 and half hours of sleep I woke up after Trevor said my name. Somehow I shot up from bed and said "uh-oh what time is it?"
"3:50", said Trevor.
"DANG!!! we're late," I said that but we really weren't late, I have no idea actually why that was my response. We waited for Nick, loaded up, and headed back to Lexington. The weekend in Indiana was incredible! I got to hang out with Nick and Trevor for like the first time in forever and a guy named Zach from Kentucky who was cool as mess. Four guys hangin' out talkin about random stories from our past was exactly what I needed. We laughed non-stop from Thursday to Sunday, and just got to fellowship drinking Ale 81's the whole time.
Trevor's family was so cool, it seemed like a second home to me. My prayers were answered about the people of Indiana, I wanted them to be able to engage in the worship and get something out of it, and I also wanted God to show me what was going on outside of my Lexington, South Carolina bubble. I really felt like worship went well both nights, and I could feel the holy spirit. For the first time in my life I got to play music for people that I had never seen before, and I even spoke about what God had done through my life by being involved with Small Groups.
It's crazy, because I really do feel like God wants me in ministry but there hasn't been that one moment where I had total assurance that this is what God wanted and not just what I wanted. This weekend though put it all together, and God sort of put everything in front of me to see that I am heading in the right direction. I had been busy with school, and all sorts of stuff that seemed to just keep coming at me, but just being able to be away and relax let me pray and reflect on it all.
I love music, especially Jesus praising music, and getting to play it and listening to it makes me very happy. I can't speak in front of people well unless it's about God. It's weird like that but I'm boring, monotoned, and ridiculously nervous unless I'm talking about Jesus and what he can do. Thinking is one of my favorite things to do. I like to be able to brainstorm on how we christians can be more effective in preaching the Gospel and sharing the radical life changing experiences we have as Christ Followers. The best part of my life is being able to see other people come to Christ, and in this past year I have seen it a good bit and it still amazes me every time. Movie/video making is one of the coolest things I think I've done because it lets everyone know that Christians are fun and funny and can actually use technology. God allows me to wake up at 3:50AM and not say "uh all I want is to sleep I don't care about anything else" but rather I snap up and I'm like "Dang I'm late". I get fired up when it comes to doing things for God. It excites me and this weekend He took me up to Indiana to do his work. All of these seem to be a recipe for Ministry. I have no clue what it will look like but I know that I'm willing to be able to do whatever God wants.
Weekend get-a-ways are the coolest! If I had to sum all of what is up right now I would use the song "Ready Now" by Desperation Band.
"Take my hands, I lift them High, They're yours not mine to do, Do what you will"
"3:50", said Trevor.
"DANG!!! we're late," I said that but we really weren't late, I have no idea actually why that was my response. We waited for Nick, loaded up, and headed back to Lexington. The weekend in Indiana was incredible! I got to hang out with Nick and Trevor for like the first time in forever and a guy named Zach from Kentucky who was cool as mess. Four guys hangin' out talkin about random stories from our past was exactly what I needed. We laughed non-stop from Thursday to Sunday, and just got to fellowship drinking Ale 81's the whole time.
Trevor's family was so cool, it seemed like a second home to me. My prayers were answered about the people of Indiana, I wanted them to be able to engage in the worship and get something out of it, and I also wanted God to show me what was going on outside of my Lexington, South Carolina bubble. I really felt like worship went well both nights, and I could feel the holy spirit. For the first time in my life I got to play music for people that I had never seen before, and I even spoke about what God had done through my life by being involved with Small Groups.
It's crazy, because I really do feel like God wants me in ministry but there hasn't been that one moment where I had total assurance that this is what God wanted and not just what I wanted. This weekend though put it all together, and God sort of put everything in front of me to see that I am heading in the right direction. I had been busy with school, and all sorts of stuff that seemed to just keep coming at me, but just being able to be away and relax let me pray and reflect on it all.
I love music, especially Jesus praising music, and getting to play it and listening to it makes me very happy. I can't speak in front of people well unless it's about God. It's weird like that but I'm boring, monotoned, and ridiculously nervous unless I'm talking about Jesus and what he can do. Thinking is one of my favorite things to do. I like to be able to brainstorm on how we christians can be more effective in preaching the Gospel and sharing the radical life changing experiences we have as Christ Followers. The best part of my life is being able to see other people come to Christ, and in this past year I have seen it a good bit and it still amazes me every time. Movie/video making is one of the coolest things I think I've done because it lets everyone know that Christians are fun and funny and can actually use technology. God allows me to wake up at 3:50AM and not say "uh all I want is to sleep I don't care about anything else" but rather I snap up and I'm like "Dang I'm late". I get fired up when it comes to doing things for God. It excites me and this weekend He took me up to Indiana to do his work. All of these seem to be a recipe for Ministry. I have no clue what it will look like but I know that I'm willing to be able to do whatever God wants.
Weekend get-a-ways are the coolest! If I had to sum all of what is up right now I would use the song "Ready Now" by Desperation Band.
"Take my hands, I lift them High, They're yours not mine to do, Do what you will"
Thursday, November 02, 2006
IN
yeah it's 1 in the morning, and i'm tired as mess but tomorrow brings a new day and a new state for me. It was really cool in small group tonight we talked about prayer. And I felt really dumb, because I hadn't even thought to pray about the people there who I will be attempting to lead worship for. So tonight I have been doing so and I look forward to it even though my guitar skills and worship skills are quite inadequate in comparison to an amazing God. Indiana here I come.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Excitement
This has been quite the crazy week. I'm still very pumped because this past sunday 2 guys from me and Wade's small group accepted Christ which is awesome and I was there to pray with them, so it's just an amazing thing to be a part of. ESPN's Gameday will be in Columbia this Saturday and I hopefully will be there too, and we Play the #7 Tennessee Volunteers this weekend. That should be a good one. I'm also pretty stoked about the new series at Mount Horeb starting the Sunday after next called Deal or No Deal. It's going to be about worship and we are actually playing Deal or No Deal and I will be hosting so there is a possibility that I may go completely bald for this event. Next Thursday I'm going up to Indiana with Nick and Trevor to help lead worship which should be an awesome awesome experience. God's doing some big things, and it's been an exciting week.
Unfortunately though I have come down with some odd sickness. There is congestion and nausea and it's been hard to sleep. My mommy took me to the doctor yesterday, and I thought that I had an ear infection because I've gotten them a lot. He checked around in my ears and checked my glands and my throat and said that it didn't look infected. In fact he said that he thinks that it just may be some sort of weak virus or something that will just go away with a little time. I just had to wait it out is basically what I was told. Scary because last night I felt miserable and I was almost certain that he was wrong and I had some sort of fatal disease that was going to kill me in a short time. I seriously laid in bed from about 8:15 last night until 10:00 this morning. When I woke up I still felt bad, but after breakfast I started feeling better, and now it's 11:15 and I'm feeling pretty good. So it would appear that the doctor was right.
It takes me back to a few verses. One is James 1:2-3 "Consider it pure Joy,my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." Somehow in the midst of my sickness, when I was feeling down and when I felt useless, it wasn't hard for me to see God working. Just being able to sit back and think about what all God is doing even when I'm weak fills me with Joy and definitely makes me want to persevere. It has been a "good" sickness I guess you could say, and I'm a huge fan of the word of God spoken through James.
Unfortunately though I have come down with some odd sickness. There is congestion and nausea and it's been hard to sleep. My mommy took me to the doctor yesterday, and I thought that I had an ear infection because I've gotten them a lot. He checked around in my ears and checked my glands and my throat and said that it didn't look infected. In fact he said that he thinks that it just may be some sort of weak virus or something that will just go away with a little time. I just had to wait it out is basically what I was told. Scary because last night I felt miserable and I was almost certain that he was wrong and I had some sort of fatal disease that was going to kill me in a short time. I seriously laid in bed from about 8:15 last night until 10:00 this morning. When I woke up I still felt bad, but after breakfast I started feeling better, and now it's 11:15 and I'm feeling pretty good. So it would appear that the doctor was right.
It takes me back to a few verses. One is James 1:2-3 "Consider it pure Joy,my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." Somehow in the midst of my sickness, when I was feeling down and when I felt useless, it wasn't hard for me to see God working. Just being able to sit back and think about what all God is doing even when I'm weak fills me with Joy and definitely makes me want to persevere. It has been a "good" sickness I guess you could say, and I'm a huge fan of the word of God spoken through James.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Sovereignty
One of the Beauties of college is that you get to pick every single class that you want to take. I happen to be a huge fan of 24 and do enjoy history and a little bit of political type things, so I thought it would be a good idea to take a class called Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism. Pretty cool I know.
So today we talked about counter-terrorist tacticts and there was a heated debate on whether or not we can win the war on terror, because there are tons of nations that simply will not cooperate with the "War on Terror". You see different countries and diffferent governments believe very very strongly in their "Sovereignty".
My Professor said that sovereignty is this: when a country like the US for example does what is best for the US and ignores what other nations say or do. He said that we don't use a very popular system in our government to prevent and help stop Global Warming because of the huge impact it would have on the Oil Industry and our Economy . And it's not just the US... it's any country. They are going to do what is in the best interests of their people and of their government.
God is the exact same way. He doesn't move or budge by anything we say or do. God is always doing things that are in his best interest, the Kingdom's best interest, and in our best interest.
A lot of the times we are quick to blame God for bad things that happen in our lives or we say "how could a loving God let something like 9/11 happen?" It's his sovereignty. First of all I think that Bin Laden and terrorist organizations are totally responsible, but it doesn't mean that God is not glorified through it. God wouldn't allow anything to rattle his best interest and so I think I'm starting to learn to trust more, because in all honesty I can't see the big picture and a lot of the time I have no idea what is best for me in the long haul. God will be sovereign forever and do what is best ALWAYS! No matter how we view it.
So today we talked about counter-terrorist tacticts and there was a heated debate on whether or not we can win the war on terror, because there are tons of nations that simply will not cooperate with the "War on Terror". You see different countries and diffferent governments believe very very strongly in their "Sovereignty".
My Professor said that sovereignty is this: when a country like the US for example does what is best for the US and ignores what other nations say or do. He said that we don't use a very popular system in our government to prevent and help stop Global Warming because of the huge impact it would have on the Oil Industry and our Economy . And it's not just the US... it's any country. They are going to do what is in the best interests of their people and of their government.
God is the exact same way. He doesn't move or budge by anything we say or do. God is always doing things that are in his best interest, the Kingdom's best interest, and in our best interest.
A lot of the times we are quick to blame God for bad things that happen in our lives or we say "how could a loving God let something like 9/11 happen?" It's his sovereignty. First of all I think that Bin Laden and terrorist organizations are totally responsible, but it doesn't mean that God is not glorified through it. God wouldn't allow anything to rattle his best interest and so I think I'm starting to learn to trust more, because in all honesty I can't see the big picture and a lot of the time I have no idea what is best for me in the long haul. God will be sovereign forever and do what is best ALWAYS! No matter how we view it.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Winner
Free Stuff... we all love it. I know I do. The first week of USC was a crazy one because right in front of one of the main buildings, the Russel House, tons of organizations and business set up these tents right in the middle of where everyone walks and gives out free stuff. It was awesome, I got a free Dominoe's lunch, free energy drinks, flashlights, pens, I mean I was stocked up on kinds of junk. I mean I even love watching other people get free stuff. It's crazy, I spent 2 hours the other night watching Deal or No Deal, and I found myself screaming at the TV and wanting people to pick "the right cases". I wanted them to get the most possible money possible, and I've never ever seen these people before.
The same can be said for my love of other people coming to Christ. One of the most emotional and happiest moments of my life was at a camp called BigStuf in Panama City, Florida this past summer. There were about 50 of us, and the last night there was an open invite and challenge to accept Christ as Lord. There were 5 people from our group that stood up, and I remember before they stood up, I was screaming inside please God let some people get this awesome gift of Grace. I didn't want anyone to miss out on this opportunity, and I was soo happy to see these people stand up that I cried. And I'm not one to cry, before this summer the last time I cried was about 4 and half years before that. Like I can remember pretty much every time i've cried in my life. It was AWESOME, and it's those moments that remind why I wake up every morning and why I don't want to see anyone lose or miss out on this breath-taking gift of salvation.
The same can be said for my love of other people coming to Christ. One of the most emotional and happiest moments of my life was at a camp called BigStuf in Panama City, Florida this past summer. There were about 50 of us, and the last night there was an open invite and challenge to accept Christ as Lord. There were 5 people from our group that stood up, and I remember before they stood up, I was screaming inside please God let some people get this awesome gift of Grace. I didn't want anyone to miss out on this opportunity, and I was soo happy to see these people stand up that I cried. And I'm not one to cry, before this summer the last time I cried was about 4 and half years before that. Like I can remember pretty much every time i've cried in my life. It was AWESOME, and it's those moments that remind why I wake up every morning and why I don't want to see anyone lose or miss out on this breath-taking gift of salvation.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Familia
So right now i'm on fall break. It is basically a 4 day weekend that we get from USC which is pretty sweet cuz I love having time to just kinda sit around and do nothing. I've gotten to just be able to hang around my family and see how they are doing since the oldest has gone off to college. It has been cool to see that my mom and my brother are actually getting along, cuz there used to be a lot of yelling in Spanish around here, and to see that my brother is maturing a bit. It's awesome to see God working in their lives.
A really cool thing about my brother is the other night as soon as i got home, he came up to me and asked if I wanted to study the bible with him... WOAH, my little brother actually approaching me about it. This is the same brother who I couldn't have a serious conversation with, and now he is initiating a bible study with me? It's good stuff, and i'm glad God's working right at home.
A really cool thing about my brother is the other night as soon as i got home, he came up to me and asked if I wanted to study the bible with him... WOAH, my little brother actually approaching me about it. This is the same brother who I couldn't have a serious conversation with, and now he is initiating a bible study with me? It's good stuff, and i'm glad God's working right at home.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
me
so I'm wrestling with how I should deal with other belief systems that don't match up with Christianity, true Christianity. It honestly makes me angry to hear some of the things that people say, and I get riled up and the first thing I want to do is disprove it and prove that I am right and act like I have all the answers. But tonight my good friend Wade Joye said some pretty good stuff: Facts rarely change people... and it's true.
I didn't come to Christ because one of my Christian friends debated evolution to me. Or because they gave me all of the prophecy in the Old Testament, and then put it together with Jesus's life. I came to him because I saw Jesus working in other people's lives and I thought... I want that, NO, I NEED that. I think at this point I'm realizing that maybe all I can do, maybe all that God really wants me to do is tell people what I believe about him and "be" what I believe about him.
So what do I believe? I believe that me as a person before coming to God, I was completely lost, and trying to figure out my own way of life on my own and DEAD in my sin. I could have tried as hard as I wanted and it never would have been good enough. I believe that even though I had chosen to deny God's way, and fell in a path of Sin... he still sought out to make a way for me to get back to him. I believe God HATES sin, and that he is a loving, but JUST God. He hated sin soooo much and loved us sooo much that he let His son Jesus come to connect us to God... he let his son suffer one of the most agonizing deaths in order that maybe one of us would see the sacrifice and simply accept what Jesus did and believe that it works. Once I accepted Christ as my savior, once I confessed my sins to him... he took them off of me and began to allow me to experience life the way it was intended... I'm not perfect, nor do I think that I will be, but I have freedom over sin through the redemption that Christ has given me. I also believe that not only is salvation one of the greatest gifts ever and that it comes from Christ ONLY, but there is this bonus that is often overlooked even though it's freakin crazy. THE HOLY SPIRIT that lives within me and keeps me in tune with God and lets me in on what he thinks, and what he wants for me.
God is working in me through his Spirit, daily, and my prayer is that people out there will see that and eventually get to a point where they say... I need that Jesus thing that Andrew has.
I didn't come to Christ because one of my Christian friends debated evolution to me. Or because they gave me all of the prophecy in the Old Testament, and then put it together with Jesus's life. I came to him because I saw Jesus working in other people's lives and I thought... I want that, NO, I NEED that. I think at this point I'm realizing that maybe all I can do, maybe all that God really wants me to do is tell people what I believe about him and "be" what I believe about him.
So what do I believe? I believe that me as a person before coming to God, I was completely lost, and trying to figure out my own way of life on my own and DEAD in my sin. I could have tried as hard as I wanted and it never would have been good enough. I believe that even though I had chosen to deny God's way, and fell in a path of Sin... he still sought out to make a way for me to get back to him. I believe God HATES sin, and that he is a loving, but JUST God. He hated sin soooo much and loved us sooo much that he let His son Jesus come to connect us to God... he let his son suffer one of the most agonizing deaths in order that maybe one of us would see the sacrifice and simply accept what Jesus did and believe that it works. Once I accepted Christ as my savior, once I confessed my sins to him... he took them off of me and began to allow me to experience life the way it was intended... I'm not perfect, nor do I think that I will be, but I have freedom over sin through the redemption that Christ has given me. I also believe that not only is salvation one of the greatest gifts ever and that it comes from Christ ONLY, but there is this bonus that is often overlooked even though it's freakin crazy. THE HOLY SPIRIT that lives within me and keeps me in tune with God and lets me in on what he thinks, and what he wants for me.
God is working in me through his Spirit, daily, and my prayer is that people out there will see that and eventually get to a point where they say... I need that Jesus thing that Andrew has.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
getting out of a rut
So basically I've been in a rut lately. I have been letting some stupid things get to me and have been very selfish. I am letting college get to me and pretending that it is bogging me down and that all I have time for is things that I have to do. On top of this I've been trying to do it on my own... DUMB IDEA!!!! Last night I had a pretty freakin sweet time with my roommate and we watched some Rob Bell videos, which was like a breath of fresh air. It kinda snapped me back to reality and let me see the beauty of God... I know people try and rag on USC's campus and say that it's in the middle of the city and it's too busy and things like that, but right now I am looking outside of my dorm window and I have an AMAZING view of just like trees and like some cool looking houses off in the distance. If people could see what I saw and feel how I feel about my view from my room, everyone would want to live here, and everyone would see that Columbia isn't so bad after all. I had been feeling useless, down, and almost like the only one who gets it when it comes to Jesus, but I know now that it's not gonna be the case and I can feel God with me. It's crazy and Rob Bell and Nature are 2 very cool things. 
Thursday, October 12, 2006
The Beginning October 12, 2006
Hmm... so blogging is cool... and i'm gonna try and do it as often as possible. this will most likely be thoughts on what God is doing in my life.
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