update...

sorry i have not posted in a while...to the few of you who read. i find that blogging is more for me than those who read anyway, but maybe someone, somewhere will read and be touched, that is my hope.

this past month has been a great experience. i moved home to oakhurst, job fell through, and i hung out for a whole month with nothing to do but hang out with God, family, and friends. i loved it. but i knew what the future held. i was going to soon return to my home, redding.

i am here. i moved into an apartment tonight with holmes and beads. its good. we will see what tomorrow brings. i am excited! God is moving...this is why i am excited.

Lord, if it is your will, bring me favor in the lives of your children.

jesus notices

ever wonder what it would have been like to see the Son of God weep? in John 11 after Lazarus dies Jesus becomes "greatly disturbed in Spirit and deeply moved." The crazy thing I saw this time when reading this passage is that Jesus became this way after seeing Mary and the people following here weeping out of compassion for Lazarus. Jesus sees his children weeping, and is moved.

sometimes I feel as though I am some random piece of the puzzle that everyone swears has to have been lost under the table. the piece that stays (un)found and unnoticed. this word came to me as I was playing my guitar in the wee hours of the morning, "Jesus you notice me, you see my pain, my trails, my fear. You are God, You hear me, You are love."

Jesus notices us, but so much more than the word "notice" implies. He knows us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. The crazy part? Oh yeah, is that he knows our deepest most disturbing thoughts yet he is still loves us more than any other being as well as encourages us more than any other. what the? how come? He is love, he is encouragement, he is righteousness, he is holy.

Lord, continue to reveal yourself to me. I know you will never give up on me. I wish to come humbly before you in meekness, and the understanding of your call on our lives as your followers. I know that I know nothing. Walk with me. Show me your way. Bless me with the opportunity to bring your glory to your kingdom. Let us be known as the people that walked with God.

a change of mind

i have found writing to be best suited for my breaks at work. it is a time i usually find as meditating on the Word of God or the words he is currently speaking to me. thus, a great time to write about them...

last night as i laid in bed, i began to listen to God. as some of you know, i believe that God could be working in me a passion for my home town of oakhurst, ca. a great challenge would be laying dormant for my return home. not only do i sometimes feel as though i can fall into mental and spiritual deadness when i am home, but there are also great opportunities for ministry. these challenges would usually stand as daunting to my normal self, but this past month things have changed, and i am growing in confidence. i have become aware of the constant necessity to be in pursuit of God during every second of the day. i love our talks, our walks, and his dreams for my life. another opportunity presented itself yesterday. one that would be so exciting for me.

so here is the thing, all three opportunities have great potential, for ministry, spiritual, and leadership development. all have their negatives. the negatives have consumed my thinking. rather than being completely awstruck by the grace of God and how he has found favor with me in a way that he presents three amazing opportunities, i am focusing on the difficult aspects of each opportunity, and especially what i will be missing out on from the two choices i leave behind. i am focusing on what i will be leaving rather than what i will be experiencing. now, i will certainly be missing anyone i will not be around because of my decision, without a doubt, but still, should i not focus on the incredible possibilites that lay in wait for me to act and to begin walking in that direction. God sent Phillip to head down a road, and he did. what did he find? an ethiopian unich (sp) that did not understand the meaning of Scripture. so God sent Phillip down a path to change the life of one individual. i hope upon hope that i can change just one person's life in my lifetime! but what did Phillip have to do first before meeting this man? he had to begin walking in a direction. so i too must also begin walking in a direction, not only towards God, but to a place that he has already begun to prepare for me.

pray for me, that i can find the overwheliming joy and opportunity that lays over the next ridge, in whatever decision i come to. pray that i will continue to pursue God so we can make a decision as one. i am so greatful for the personl, intimate relationship that was made available to us through Jesus' death on the cross. what would i do without the voice of God beieng tangible in my life?

i encourage you, as i too work through not focusing on the negitives, do not regret what you may be leaving behind before you have even taken a step in a direction, or after for that matter. but find joy in your trials. find joy in your decision making. find joy in your pursuit of being able to recognize the voice of God in a single moment. it will create endurance, faith, maturity and character if you allow it to. find joy, find hope in the Lord.

Blessings...

decisions, decisions...

i have a difficult decision to make. never have i leaned more on the advice of God in all that i do. i few days ago i was so worried that if i made the wrong decision i would be left outside of the will of God. today, unfortunately i still worry, but i was comforted by the words of nate e on sunday. he said, "the will of God is not something you do, but rather something you are." what encouragement! as long as i seek out the Lord and pursue him in complete surrender i will be in his will, no matter what the decision is that i make.

nate also spoke about how we should strive to understand the voice of God in such a way that we can distinguish it between all other voices of this world. we should recognize the voice of the Father in such a way that we can act in a single moment upon his voice to speak truth to others in boldness so that the word of God, that is truth, can be spilled onto the lives of the "not yet" Christians (as Bill Randal would put it) in a way that changes their lives.

lets think about this. if we do submit to the Father and we are constantly pursuing his voice and his heart, what could the impact be? if i were to speak out what the Father himself has spoken to me, the creator of the universe, the most magnificant being that created the stars and the insects, the one who knows everything, what could happen? if we pursue the voice of God in such a way that we can earnestly enter into his presence in meekness, could any man stand to that power or would he choose to submit, to lay face down upon the holy ground? i may not be as strong a some, but i would surely fall flat on my noggin.

i encourage you, be intentional about entering into the presence of God in meekness, in humility, as a son that loves his father because he was first loved by Him.

Blessings...

Fathers Day Weekend Was a Good Weekend

On Saturday my dad brought up the story of how God lead the Israelites into the wilderness for 40 years and used it as a time to teach them in reference to my trials...

My dad is a not a Christian...
I was blown away...
He also said "i love you"

This was a good weekend...

Blessings...



(p.s. God is moving)

"Cheers" on Easter

Cheers. That’s what I remember from The Stirring’s Easter services. Not cheers as in we were about to drink a pint, not Cheers the television show, but cheers as in jubilation. Every Easter churches will do the loved saying by the pastor, “He is Risen!” and the congregation will answer, “He is Risen Indeed!” Not The Stirring. We say, “He is Risen,” and the majority of the congregation of young adults and young Christians answer with a”Yeah!” or a “Whoo!” mixed with a murmured, “He is Risen Indeed.” I find this excitement expressed through cheer is the definition of The Stirring’s congregation core. We don’t all necessarily yet know, we are on our way, how to act like a Christian (if knowing a saying actually means that), but we know we want to follow Christ. We are raw, young believers, learners, teachers, friends, families, and students that are all seeking to Love and make disciples. The other cheer that I remember came during every baptism. I could not help but cheer! It is powerful to see and hear the stories of these individuals and how God has absolutely transformed their lives. How great and awesome is the power of God! Some of these individuals, six months ago could not imagine even going to church let alone being baptized. I hope next year we continue to hear more cheers than “He is Risen Indeed’s.” That just means we are still fulfilling the great commission and raising up new believers… mixed with a little bit of raw excitement.

Strengths Finder

I took strengths finder yesterday...

Learner
Achiever
Belief
Includer
Developer

...thoughts...?