work

so today was my day “off”. yeah right! Instead of relaxing, i spent most of the day moving branches and raking leaves and stuff. now don’t get me wrong we are getting paid for it, but it was a whole bunch of work. but still, god really challenged me through this experience. you see, i was almost able to go to Peru with a team to help out with earthquake relief. it didn’t work out, which is ok. anyway, i was challenged today to have a good attitude. I felt like God was saying to me that “if i don’t have a good attitude working out in the sun for cash in louisiana, then how can he expect me to serve in Peru without pay with a servants heart.” cuuughh stab in the chest. glad to say that i kept a good attittude the entire time… i sweated my butt off, got cuts on my arms, and got sunburned, but it was well worth it if only to learn that lesson.

burning bush

Ok so for elevate one of the requirements if for us to read through the entire bible in one year. i’m a little ahead so i’m able to read at alittle more leisurely pace. well i was reading in exodus today the story of moses and the burning bush. now we all know the story, moses sees a burning bush, goes to it, and God speaks to him about going to pharaoh. Now i’ve read this story numerous times, but i’ve never read it like this before or saw it in this light.

2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight–why the bush does not burn up.” 4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

see there were three things i saw when looking at this. the first was the word “saw”. “moses saw” This was the thought that i had. i wonder if that bush was on fire for others, but they never saw it. How many people pass up their calling because they never “saw” it. They get so caught up in doing life that they miss what God is trying to show them.

the second thing that stuck out to me was that moses went to see it. How many of us see the fire but never go to it or embrace it. How many of us chose to run from our calling or whatever God is asking us to do.

the third thing that stuck out to me was that it said, “When the lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “moses!moses!” You see God didn’t speak until moses came. I truly believe that if Moses would have saw the bush, acknowledged it’s presence, but then walked away that God would not have spoke to him.

Think about this, Jesus invited the rich young ruler to be one of his disciples, but when the man went away, Jesus never chased after or called after him.

so my question is this: do you see the fire? Are you willing to embrace it? Are you willing to go to it?

another update

ok so again i only have a little time, but i’ll try to get this all down. well things have been very hectic, but in a good way. everything is now going full force and rolling. so far i’ve been in about three meeting and my responsibilities have started piling up. on top of classes and the work that i get from them, i’m now getting a bunch of work for tweez and lauren. I’m really enjoying this. I’ve been really challenged in the way i think and view things, especially about interperting the Bible. we had biblical interpertation class yesterday and it was really cool. I’m like really interested in the historical aspect of the bible. like what do these names mean and where are they located present day. i don’t know i’ve been having a great time. well gotta go… peace out

Quick update

Ok so i finally have time to post a quick update of how things are going so far.  We started Elevate monday and pretty much got right into things.  Monday the whole day was moving stuff to the apartment; it turns out that i didn’t pack nearly enough stuff and had to go buy necisarry items such as towels, soap, etc.  Tuesday we did the ropes course at LSU, which was a blast.  We really grew as a team, though we do  have a lot of leaders.

Now, yesterday is where it get’s intresting.  At 6:30a.m. we had a 5k run at the Bethany crosses.  It’s so crazy how God speaks.  I started out the run with the goal of winning, or at least keeping pace with Barton, who was in the marines.  Well i realized after the first lap and a half that that wasn’t going to happen.  We were at different levels in fitness.  God reminded me that it’s the same in ministry.  I can’t base my success on the success of others.  We don’t all have the same gifts and talents.  After that first lap or so, my goal changed from winning to finishing.  God just really showed me a bunch of leadership principles.  Tweez told me something very helpful for leadership.  he said that when we run all out just trying to get to the end we leave those that are meant to follow us behind.  Better worded we leave those we’re meant to lead.  And that sometimes you have to run faces backwards to encourage those that can’t run as fast as you.  Tweez kept a pace that i could sustain.  That taught me more than anything.  he probably could have kept a faster pace, but he didn’t.  he stayed to encourage me.  And just so you know my time was 26:28.  i came in second.

And then today was my first time to attend an HPC staff meeting.  it was totally awesome.  They did an interview of sorts with four of the coolest people.  Dave Ohlerking, Jack Dire, Brother Rinse, and Wayne Austin.  These four men together have over like 150 years of ministry combined.  They spoke incredible words of wisdom.  And they really challenged me, especially Dave Ohlerking and Jack Dire, two great missionaries, because i know i’m called to the mission field.

so almost the end of the week and I’m super syked, slightly overwhelmed, but looking forward to being stretched and molded.

Elevate is tommorrow

Ok so i start elevate tommorrow!!! I’m super pumped. though im a bit curious as to what they are expecting me to move in with being as i have from 10-6p.m. to move in. as of right now all i have is one bag full of clothes and a little toiletry bag…should i be worried i don’t have enough stuff?

long again and kind of scatter brained but good

so i just got back from the youth ministries leaders retreat and it was awesome! I was super pumped about this for a few reasons. One, i wasn’t going to have to run lights, so i would be able to really devote my time during worship to worshiping God. Now don’t get me wrong, i love running lights. i enjoy it and am very appreciative for the responsibility, it’s just sometimes i would like to be able to really just worship. so yeah that was awesome

But i’ve been having this thought lately. Well really two thoughts. the first is this: Am i living a life that’s making the devil mad? Does he care what i do or is he content to let me live out my life in my own little bubble, making little or no impact on those around me. I turned 19 today and for the past two day’s i’ve been examining my life and the impact that it’s had. When i look back on my past, it seems like it’s gone by in the blink of an eye. when i look to my future it seems like an eternity away. So one has to come to the conclusion to just live in the present, striving to do the most they can with the short existance that we’ve been blessed with. Am i making the devil angry?

The other thought that i believe God gave me at this retreat has to do with, i guess turning points. But i guess it’s more than that; more developed. The thought that i’ve been having is this: When does someone come to a point in there lives where nothing else matters but pleasing God? When does someone come to the point where their life ceases to exist and the only thing that matters is what God wants?

When do we really lay down our own lives and take up the cross of Christ? The way i see it is this; when we take up our cross, his cross, we’re saying “I’m with Him.” We no longer associate ourselves with Ourselves. We lose our identities in light of the cross. we die to ourelves. It no longer is about us. Our thoughts are no longer be our own, but those of Christ. Our actions are no longer be our own, but those of Christ. Our will is no longer be our own, but that of Christ.

And that’s were the difficulty lies; giving up our lives for that of Christ. Because when you look at the life of Christ, yes you see the miracles and all the great moments. But the most significant aspect of Christ life was not his miracles or great feats because even Christ said we will do greater things than he. So it’s not the miracles. i believe it’s his obedience; his willing obedience to do even the hard stuff. To die.

8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:8-11

It was His obedience that lead to his exaltation. So what’s keeping me from being obedient? pride, insecurity, many things.

So when and how do we die to ourselves and care for nothing but the will of Christ? I don’t know. But it sure makes you think!!!

Love=action

I was having my quiet time today and I decided to read the book of 1 John. First off, he really writes all sophisticated like. It get’s a little confusing some times to follow this guy. But when i was reading one thing kept sticking out to me; and that was the concept of love. But also on how love is connected to our identity in Christ. 1 John 4:7-8 “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

Our identity in Christ and in God is directly connected to our love for our brothers and sisters. This is extremley challenging for me because one then has to ask the question, “how do you know if you love someone?” i mean, it’s easy to say you love someone, but how do you really know if you love them?

1 John 4:16-18 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our live for our brothers. if anyone has material possesions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth” (emphesis added).

I love these verses. It shows us exactly what love is and yet it challenges and intimidates me to know end. We see what love is, “laying down your life for a brother”. That’s so much easier said than done. Christ laid down his physical life, but he laid down so much more than that. It was a mental decision that led to physical action. He decided that we were more important than himself. He decided to put our eternal needs before his temperal. He backed up his talk with action.

You see it tells us what Christ did and how it is love, but it also tells us how to love. Yes, lay down your life. Not necisarilly physical. it could be your reputation in your schools to go sit with the loner. it could be you pride on the court. Laying down your life is so much more than the “ulimate price”. in fact i’m convinced that paying the “ultimate price” is actually easier than laying down the life called Self. The “ultimate price” happens but once then it’s over, but what Jesus calls us to is so much more.

Then we get to what i see as a missonary’s call. “if anyone has material possesions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in himm? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with “actions and in truth”. I like what Jason always says at Refuge, “the good news to a hungry person isn’t just the gospel of Christ. It’s a loaf of bread and the Gospel. The good knews to a cold person isn’t just the Gospel of Christ; it’s clothes and the Gospel. The good news to an orphan isn’t just the Gospel of Christ; it’s a family and the love of God.

You see, i think so many times we get caught up in putting a little notch in our spiritual belt that we forget to love. If there’s one thing that i’ve learned throughout my time with Christ is that love is not passive. Love is not a noun. Love isn’t some fantasy feeling. Love is an action. Love is proactive. Love is outgoing and determined. Love is sincer. Love conquers all boundries. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love drives out all fear. God is love.

i am convinced that if we, as the body of Christ, began to love like this, we would see a drastic change in our world.

“let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth”

please pray for me

As most of you know, i got my wisdom teeth out last friday. Well, everything has been going pretty good as far as pain and stuff. Well yesterday and last night was absolutely horrible. i could barely go to sleep and that was only with the help of some very good pain medicine. and to top it off, my body is rejecting the amount of advil that i’ve been taking for the swelling. so i have to cope with stomach indijestion as well…

So after all this i may still get a “dry socket”. i’m not exactly sure what that is, but from what i’ve heard it’s painful. so please pray for me. that the pain goes away and that i begin to heal like normal.

thanks guys ya’ll rock

God is just so awesome

ok so yeah God is just so awesome. God never ceases to amaze me. yet again, God has proven to be faithful. Elevate is almost here and the funds are coming in. God is awesome

it just seems like for the past week God has really been showing me how good he is. Yeah just alittle update. God is my provider!!!