This past week has been pretty amazing. I have been blessed to get an oppertunity to lead three men this summer. Josh, Matt, and Andrew. The whole team went out to Echo Ranch this past weekend and did some work for the camp. Then on Friday night Matt, Josh, Andrew and I sat down and told each other our life stories. I just want to say that those guys are so amazing and I am excited to see God grow them this summer.
I have been hearing a lot of lies recently from satan and I have been having to pray a lot about them a lot. Also, it seems that every part of my day I should be doing something and I am not to sure that that is true. I always feel that I am not doing something and it has been hard for me to relax. I just spent the last hour journaling, reading, and praying about all these things but I would love to have your prayers on this stuff too.
Other than that, Alaska is beautiful and there is still so much snow. I am pretty sure that there probably won't be any hiking of mountains in the near future, which is pretty sad. I wanted to do some of that. And I still have to raise some more support to aquire a fishing license so I might not be doing any of that either. Welp, there you have it. Now I must go get my laundry. Later everybody!!
Monday, May 28, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
ALASKA
I am here. I have made the trip to the beautiful state of Alaska. It was long and worth every second of it. I got to see some of the most beautiful scenery that I have ever laid eyes on. We all drove through the Northern Rockies. It was one of Canada's National Forests called Banff. I even walked on a melting ice lake. Don't ask me why I did this I still am trying to figure out why I did that.
When we all made it up here I was in awe. I have missed this place since I rode the ferry out in 2005. I am part of a 14 member staff and four of which are women. I feel so blessed to be along side of these people. The Lord has really been showing me so much these last few days. I have been pretty much overwhelmed and I have been appointed so many duties that I don't know where to start. I am in charge of all the supplies of this Project. You might be thinking, "Oh that doesn't sound that bad." But think about managing stuff for 4o people and then on top of that growing men and doing ministry. It's crazy and all I can do is completely give myself up to the Lord and let him work through me and delegate tasks to others. Its pretty crazy.
Also, I found out that I forgot to budget support for my food this summer so I am about $1000 short of what I need for this summer. I am not going to lie but it is hard for me to have faith that the Lord will provide and at the same time take an initiative in raising more support.
Well, I need to go and get going on some more stuff today. I love you all and I hope to be able to inform you all more on what God is doing here this summer!
When we all made it up here I was in awe. I have missed this place since I rode the ferry out in 2005. I am part of a 14 member staff and four of which are women. I feel so blessed to be along side of these people. The Lord has really been showing me so much these last few days. I have been pretty much overwhelmed and I have been appointed so many duties that I don't know where to start. I am in charge of all the supplies of this Project. You might be thinking, "Oh that doesn't sound that bad." But think about managing stuff for 4o people and then on top of that growing men and doing ministry. It's crazy and all I can do is completely give myself up to the Lord and let him work through me and delegate tasks to others. Its pretty crazy.
Also, I found out that I forgot to budget support for my food this summer so I am about $1000 short of what I need for this summer. I am not going to lie but it is hard for me to have faith that the Lord will provide and at the same time take an initiative in raising more support.
Well, I need to go and get going on some more stuff today. I love you all and I hope to be able to inform you all more on what God is doing here this summer!
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Love
I have been a little confused lately about things that have been going on. I sat down last night with a person who was my first ever best friend in Christ. I never really ever got a chance to tell him that. I always thought that I was just a good friend to him, but not really one his best friends. I told him about how much I looked up to him my freshman year, how much I desired to have a heart for the Lord as he did. I could come to him about all the hard things in life and he would just listen and not judge me but still correct me out of love. I really haven't talked to him in three years. It was like I knew him but only as an acquaintance. As we sat there last night and early this morning, I heard of his desire to know the Lord and to be used by him every second of his life. He admitted his faults and his weaknesses and stated that he was nothing without Christ. I sat there in awe over his humility and desire to know God.
I guess this is where I am confused. I sat there and listened to him all night and looked in to his eyes and saw his desire to know and be used by God. His heart told the story. As it says in Proverbs 27:19, "As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man." That was his reflection. So, to get back to my confusion. (the next few things I am going to say are quite emotional and at no point am I trying to say that I am anything because it is not me that did this but Christ) I could have easily pointed out every flaw of my friend and told him how he doesn't measure up. How what he has done in his life didn't help out ministries or his image in Christ and that what he did a lot of the times were wrong. I could have pointed at his sin and gave him nowhere to run, and rammed it in his face. But I didn't, he was already convicted of these sins in his life. He knew, better than I, of what he has done. There would have been no reason for that. I listened to him and told him of the strength that I see in him, the kind of strength that comes from his weakness. Which leads me to a point that I need to see myself. Why do some want to point out the flaws of others? Is it to make them hurt more than they already do? Do they really want to help? Or just tell you that you are broken? Do they really love you or are they disgusted by your struggles and can't stand to be around a person who fails? (especially if that person "knows better")
When we bring things into the light are we doing it out of love or do we want to make a person so aware of their failures that they run from ever wanting to open up to that person again?
I guess this is where I am confused. I sat there and listened to him all night and looked in to his eyes and saw his desire to know and be used by God. His heart told the story. As it says in Proverbs 27:19, "As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man." That was his reflection. So, to get back to my confusion. (the next few things I am going to say are quite emotional and at no point am I trying to say that I am anything because it is not me that did this but Christ) I could have easily pointed out every flaw of my friend and told him how he doesn't measure up. How what he has done in his life didn't help out ministries or his image in Christ and that what he did a lot of the times were wrong. I could have pointed at his sin and gave him nowhere to run, and rammed it in his face. But I didn't, he was already convicted of these sins in his life. He knew, better than I, of what he has done. There would have been no reason for that. I listened to him and told him of the strength that I see in him, the kind of strength that comes from his weakness. Which leads me to a point that I need to see myself. Why do some want to point out the flaws of others? Is it to make them hurt more than they already do? Do they really want to help? Or just tell you that you are broken? Do they really love you or are they disgusted by your struggles and can't stand to be around a person who fails? (especially if that person "knows better")
When we bring things into the light are we doing it out of love or do we want to make a person so aware of their failures that they run from ever wanting to open up to that person again?
Monday, April 23, 2007
Closer and Closer
Wow! I can't believe that it is April twenty forth and as of May thirteenth I will embark on the crazy 3500+ mile drive to Juneau, Alaska. I am both excited and overwhelmed. Excited at the fact that I am going to be in one of the most beautiful places in the world in less than a month but overwhelmed at the fact that there is still a ton of stuff to do here. I have my classes/homework/tests, end of the year evaluation meetings, banquets(one of which I get a chance to speak at), bible study readings, CHECKOUT duties for my residents. Checkout is probably the aspect of this semester that is the most overwhelming. I have to get my residents out of their rooms during finals week in a timely manner as well as take my finals and do all the paper work that my job entails, and lastly my boss has to go to every room with me and make sure that I did my job correctly. All this has to be done by some time on Saturday because the road up to AK is gonna be screaming my name that next day. Oh man. What a crazy semester. Honestly, I would have never thought that as a freshman that I would have ever been in this position ever in my life. I probably would have looked at the list of things that I have to do and passed out. But God is good and I know for a fact that he is the one thing that gets me by everyday. I couldn't do this without him. Well family and friends, I had better get some sleep. I am pretty sure that tomorrow is gonna be a busy day, as always, haha. I you would pray for that talk that I am giving at Campus Crusade for Christ's Fellowship Banquet. I get to tell them a short blip of my college years and how I would love to trust God with my last year at KSU. Its going to be pretty sweet. Thanks!
Thursday, March 22, 2007
The name of this Blog
The phrase "Losing All Things" really came to me one day when I was reading through Philippians 3 in my bible study. The writer Paul says some pretty crazy things that hit me that day.
Here is what he says,
"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 3:7-14(emphasis added)
During that bible study I was hit with some hardcore truths about my life. Paul talks about the things of this world as rubbish. This, literally translated, is the equivalent to the derogatory word used for feces. He wants nothing else but to be found in Christ and to know every aspect of him. Paul then says that he is not perfect but he is striving to be made prefect in Christ and by doing that he forgets what is behind and strains towards what is ahead.
I want this to be me. Now I don't want to be Paul, but I pray that I would have this desire to pursue God with this passion. The same passion that he pursues me with.
So with all that you get "Losing All Things"
Here is what he says,
"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 3:7-14(emphasis added)
During that bible study I was hit with some hardcore truths about my life. Paul talks about the things of this world as rubbish. This, literally translated, is the equivalent to the derogatory word used for feces. He wants nothing else but to be found in Christ and to know every aspect of him. Paul then says that he is not perfect but he is striving to be made prefect in Christ and by doing that he forgets what is behind and strains towards what is ahead.
I want this to be me. Now I don't want to be Paul, but I pray that I would have this desire to pursue God with this passion. The same passion that he pursues me with.
So with all that you get "Losing All Things"
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Welcome Aboard
Hello my friends and family. This is my attempt to keep you all up to date with the happenings of my life. I decided to make this for you all. Hopefully I will be diligent in posting the new things that come my way. I love you all, and thanks for coming to check this out!
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