Beach Blog- Days 3 &4

I know

I have been slacking.

sorry.

But the beach blog is back.

here we go...

Yesterday.

-woke up to find everyone gone from the house. They all went to the beach while I slept in. Sleeping in felt great

- Went to a mall, got some jeans at the gap (they actually fit, that is different than most), went to an awesome bike store. made me really wish I had my road bike with me...

-Went down to the apple store!!! The best place on earth. It was a very new one too, so that was even better. I wish there was one in Greenville, I would work there.

-Went to some other nice store (all of which were too expensive for my college budget). Lacoste, Puma, yeah I wish...

-King street is really cool. I think I could spend a lot of time there.

- Ate Mexican for Lunch/Dinner. It was amazing. I am always a little hesitant about new Mexican places, but this one really brought their A game. I was impressed. and stuffed.

- Drove around in the afternoon and went to different places around Charleston.

-Went to see Valkyrie. Pretty good. Tom Cruise was not that great, but he did not ruin the movie. I still liked it.

-Tony Morgan is now following me on twitter... he is a celebrity to me, so it was exciting

Today

-Played tennis this morning. It was rough. I have not played in months...and it showed. I was very glad to be back out on the court though. I have missed playing tennis
-We ate at a really good seafood place for lunch. I think it was called Gilligan's. I had a really cool seafood stir-fry dish. Very unique. Very good.

-Went exploring this afternoon, went to the beach, Wild Dunes, and to an amazing Brick Oven pizza place for dinner (although I was not even hungry, I still ate a large amount of food).

- Played Rook again tonight. David and I won again! Once again, we came back in the last hand to win. We now have bragging rights till the next beach trip



I have loved Chucktown. This is my first time really being able to see the town, and it is amazing.
I would love to come back here soon.

I will be glad to be back home though; I have really missed my sweet Kami. I am so excited about being able to spend new year's eve with her. It will be the first new years eve we have been able to spend together.


I will try to post some pics as soon as I can... I know, I am slacking. No videos, no pics... please forgive me. I will have some up as soon as I can get the edited.

ok. time to pack and go to bed.

see you back in TN

One year...today

That's right.

one year


today.

jameseatonsblog.blogspot.com has turned one year old.


What a great year. My little blog has grown up so much. It started as nothing, and now....well. It is still not much, but people read it every day (thanks to everyone who reads my blog :) ). This month has been my biggest post month to date. I already have over 20 posts this month; I think that is more than I had the first three months I had my blog.

It has been a great year.

God has stretched me in ways I could not have imagined this year. I hope you have been able to see a glimpse inside by reading my posts. It is hard to put into words, but I have tried and will continue to try as God leaded me along. I am really learning what it means to step out in faith.

2009 is going to be intense.

Things are going to be different. Every part of my life is going under examination. It is time to take inventory of what I am doing, find out what is good, bad, ugly, right, wrong, and beg God to show me the right direction to go.

I am really learning to step out in faith; it is easy to say, but much more difficult to do. "Just step out in faith...". Preachers say it all the time. It is one thing to say, but it is difficult to do. I would love to say that it is not hard for me to step out and trust God... but it is hard to do sometimes. I can be selfish, and want to be in control of everything in my life. I feel most secure when I am in control.

But, that takes my faith out of play.

Faith means that I am not in control.

That is a daily struggle.


Faith is believing what we cannot see. I like to believe in what I can see.

But God is calling to something different

Bigger


Better

           Maybe more difficult,

There may even be pain.


but, I know that God has a plan, and it is so much more insane and wonderful that anything I could ever think of. That is comforting.

This next year will be all about stepping out in faith. I can't wait to see what happens when I stop trying to be in control.


Happy birthday blog! I can't wait to see how you grow in the year to come...

Beach Blog- day 2

Great day in Charleston.

The weather was amazing. I think it was at least 70 (maybe more). It could be that temperature every day and I would not be sad at all.

- We went to Fort Sumter today. Had to ride a ferry over for 35 minutes to get to the island. I was very glad that I brought my iPod to listen to. I just put it in, ate my hot dog (thanks to the snack bar on the ferry) and enjoyed the nice breeze. Fort Sumter was pretty cool; I was able to take some really good pictures while I was there. I will upload those tomorrow...I am to lazy to put it up tonight.

- We drove around the downtown area, such a cool place.

- Best news of the day.... They have an Apple store!!! It is the only one is SC. I think it is pretty new. I love Apple stores; can't wait to check this one out.

- They also have a Lacoste store, Puma, and Quicksilver; I am going to be in shopping heaven.

- Ate at an amazing Mexican restaurant today. I had so much food... I did not even eat dinner. It was not La Carretta, but it was close :)

- Went to see Valkyrie tonight. Pretty good stuff.

      Tom Cruise- not so good. I am not sure why they decided to make him the main character....Although I did laugh every time I saw him wearing the eye patch.

      The rest of the movie was good. It actually had me believing that they could change history.

- I am exhausted. I guess all the sight-seeing wore me out.

- I will try to have some pics up tomorrow for your viewing pleasure.


Goodnight 

Beach Blog- Take 1

Here is the camera I used to make this. Kami and I bought it for each other for Christmas this year.






Still figuring out all it can do... but it has been great so far.


Check back tomorrow for a real video; hopefully with some shots from around Charleston

Here today: Gone tomorrow

It is 12:01 am. That means it is no longer Christmas day.

This has been one of the best Christmases I can remember. It has also be the most interesting...

I think that once again, a list form would be the best way to spill my brains about today.

Here we go...

- Did not have many things to open under the tree this morning. I have been using my computer for a week, and I made coffee in my new coffee pot two days ago. So all my present were already in use. That was a first
- another first- Mountain biking on Christmas. We took a nice little ride on the trails this morning. David, my dad, and I had a great time (despite the fact that it was extremely muddy). I think this is a great tradition that was started today.

- We had to recite poems, sing carols, and bring up memories from our past to receive our presents at my grandparent's house today; it was fun. We had to draw pieces of paper that had instructions on what we needed to accomplish to be able to open our presents.

- Went bowling this evening with uncle Kent, David, and Brian. I even beat Kent in one game out of three. I think I had my highest score ever (It was 142. I was pretty proud of myself). We had a great time together.

-Then, I went to see Kami's family. Her aunt and uncles came in from Atlanta tonight; it was good to see them again. We had a great time talking, eating, opening presents, eating, and playing the new guitar hero.

- Now I am sitting here relaxing getting ready to hit the hay. I am exhausted from the long day, but it was great. I am not sure I have ever done this much on Christmas, but I would not have changed a thing. Best Christmas ever.



 I would love to have comments on things that happened today that you will not forget. Leave your favorite Christmas memory of the year on the comment section.

Twas the night before Christmas...eve

A year ago today, Kami and I were leading worship at my home church. we got up on stage, and to be break the ice, I asked everyone if they were having a good Christmas eve eve.

I guess it caught on, because at least a few of the other staff members made reference to it during the day. It does not seem like it has been a year since Christmas...but it has.

I feel like a totally different person than I was a year ago; God is doing a huge work in my life. I have been stretched so much this year (and I feel like it is just the beginning of that...).

This Christmas season has just been a reminder to me of how good God really is.

He is just

  faithful

         loving

    full of grace

               He is good

I am not worthy of anything He has to offer, yet He gives it to me through Jesus.

Jesus

only son, beloved of God

Came to earth.

I think we glaze over the fact that he came to earth; that he actually lived life as a human.

He could have just shown up as an adult, shed his blood, and gone back to heaven

But

He didn't.

He became flesh. I love the line from Hillsong that says, "He became flesh, bore my sin and death"

Jesus lived life on earth. He ate food, traveled, slept, made wine, healed people, and did a lot of listening and sharing. Jesus became a person. Never stopped being God, but became man all the same.

I am not confident to say that I know exactly why Jesus came in human form, but I do think it was no accident.

Following Christ is all about your relationship with Him. Relationships are important.
What is more helpful when you have a problem:

- someone who says, "I have never experienced that, but...."
             or
- someone who says, "I know how you feel, I have been there"

I believe everyone would agree on the latter.

I think it is the same with in our relationship with Christ. When we have hard time, struggles, problems, or maybe just a bad day, we have a savior who has seen it all (and is in control of it all). Jesus lived on the earth; He knows how we feel because he was here in flesh. I cannot explain how he was all God and all man at the same time.... I just know that He understands me, because he experienced firsthand this world in flesh.

That is some crazy love. It is not normal. It is mind-blowing to think about. But it is the most comforting thing to know that the savior of the world, who lives inside of me, understands how I feel because he experienced it first hand.

Christmas this year is all about remembering how good God is, how perfect His plan is, and how much He understands where I am, because He was here too.

I pray that you can rest in the comfort of the savior who became flesh for you. He is Jesus. He is love. He is Christmas

Reading List

The new year is quickly approaching. That means it is time to think about what you are going to do different in the new year.

Gym memberships will start back, people will makes lists of things they want to accomplish, new adventures will be taken. I have some things I want to accomplish in the new year (that will be another post closer to new years).

One thing I do want to do is read. A lot. I know that I am going to be busy with school work and assignments, but I also want to make time to read other books. I think that reading is such an important thing, and I do not do enough of it (unless you count all the blogs I read...)

Here are some books I would like to read in the year to come.

- Searching for God knows what- Donald Miller
- Vintage Jesus- Mark Driskol
- UnChristian- Gabe Lyons (I have had this one for a while, but have not had time to read it)
- Wild Goose Chase- Mark Batterson
- It- Graig Groschel
- Mad Church Disease- Ann Jackson
- Killing Cockroaches- Tony Morgan
- Some more CS Lewis stuff


I would also like to find some good fiction stuff to read. Here is where I need your help....
I am not really up on what is good in the fiction world; I need some suggestions on what to read.

I am game for anything that is good. I would just like a book that I can read and fall into that world, I have not read one like that in a long time....

Any suggestions would be great.

Sunday Night Mind Dump

Lots on the brain. Need to get it out before sleep is an option.

-"The Spring" was rockin this morning. I love the band at church! I have really missed playing with them while I have been at school.
- I move around a lot on stage (I have been a little reserved since I have been home...), but there is still some movement. I can't tell you what I do... I really do not do it on purpose. It just comes out when I am leading worship. I have noticed that people watch me and some people have funny looks on their faces when I move around on stage. Not sure what they are thinking; not sure I care.  I just love to worship, and lead worship. The best way I know to lead worship is just to worship myself. I am going to worship regardless of what anyone else does. I hope and pray that they will be able to worship when I am playing, but their response does not determine my worship.

- I thought my lips were going to die during the cantata tonight... I have not played trombone in a few months, so 2 nights of serious playing was intense.
- Apparently I look good in a tux. I got a lot of compliments on my outfit...
- and my hair. I had at least 12 people tell me how much they liked my hair, thought it was cool, liked that I was growing it out, wondered how I make it do what is does. I guess I am headed in the right direction with my hair. I do not really know how my hair becomes what it is. I put product in it, mess it up, style it, and then it curls on the ends during the day. I think I spend more time on it than some girls... not sure if that is a good thing.

- Hoping to sleep better tonight. Did not sleep well last night at all.
- Ready for Christmas. It is only a few days away.
- Also ready for the beach after Christmas! That is always a good time to get away and relax for a little while

- I am enjoying my time off. But I am getting so pumped about next semester. Fusion is going to be off the hook (I am not sure if I am cool enough to say that). It really is going to be awesome. More to come on that at a later time

- I am loving my Macbook Pro. It is wonderful. I am going to miss my Macbook, but my sadness is gone when I look at this amazing LED screen and back-lit keyboard.

- Excited about visiting Highlands Fellowship over break.

- I need some itunes cards to dowload all the col new music I have found.

- It is cold outside. Finally feeling like Christmas... I would like at least a few warm days to ride my bike though.

- Kami is driving. She is doing great! It is so nice that she can meet me places. It has just been wonderful.


ok. time for bed (I hope).

Note to self:

Do not work out after 10 pm and expect to have a good night sleep...

I feel like the kid on Talladega Nights when he says, "I'm all jacked up on Mountain Dew!"

except, I am saying, "I'm all jacked up on endorphins"

and

I am pumped about church this morning!!!
- I am ecstaticabout leading worship this morning. It is going to be an amazing service; I know God is going to move all around the country this morning. This could be the most amazing Sunday ever...
 

I have just felt God's presence here with me all night. I just felt so much inspiration and comfort in the passage I read last night.

Here is a section from Luke Chapter 1. This passage is know as Mary's song. It is such an amazing section of scripture. Here is the section that really got me going.

My soul glorifies the Lord
    47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
 48 for he has been mindful
      of the humble state of his servant.
   From now on all generations will call me blessed,
    49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
      holy is his name. 

Mary says that all generations will call her blessed. But not for what she can do on her own, but what the Mighty One has done for her.

wow.

I feel like there are so many people out there (and I fall into this category at times) that say, "I just don't see God working around me" or "I just wish God would use me..."

I don't think being pregnant with the Son of God was an easy thing to do. I am sure it was very difficult and almost impossible to explain that one to the neighbors. And there had to be times when she questioned what God was doing. But she realized that He is mindful of who she is, that God was going to bless her. She was not amazing in herself, but through the power of God, all generations will remember her.

Maybe you are wondering where God is; maybe you are wondering why He is not doing something in your life (I know I feel that way sometimes).

Look around. Maybe you are not seeing God because you are so busy looking for what you think God should be doing instead of what He is already doing in you.

God did amazing things through Mary, and we are still talking about what God did through her today. She was very right when she said that all generations will remember her...

What are you allowing God to do through you that people will remember you for? What mighty things has He done for you?

That is my prayer today, as we get closer to Christmas day, that I would allow God to work through me and do something amazing in me for His glory.




- just a thought that kept me up last night. I pray that it is encouraging to someone today.

5 Days till Christmas

It is almost here. Christmas.

Hard to believe it. You wait all year for it, and when it comes you are surprised.

Maybe because there is so much work to do the week before Christmas. Shopping, cooking,cleaning, shopping, packing, wrapping. The list goes on.

Are we missing what Christmas is about?
I am not talking about taking the Christ out of Christ mas, but we are missing the point of actually worshiping him on Christmas.

We have the nativity scene, we sing the songs, put signs up in the yard (some yards look like they are campaigning for Christmas...), say "merry Christmas" to everyone we see. And these are all good things.

but

Are we doing so much "stuff" for Baby Jesus on Christmas that we miss the whole point. Worshiping the Son of God who came to earth to die for our sins.

It is great to spread Christmas cheer. But what if we are getting caught up in all the hype and missing actually worshiping Christ?

I know I am guilty of this. Busy busy busy for God, but not taking time to be still and know Him.

That is what God wants, a relationship. He wants us to know Him.


Spread the Christmas cheer. Tell others why you celebrate Christmas. But don't forget to actually celebrate Christmas this season.

 It is great to put signs up in your yard. But what is going on in your heart?  God care much more about your heart than your Christmas decorations...

Back in Mac

It is here!!!

The long awaited (4 days...) computer is now here.

I went out to lunch with Tiger, and came home to find a little surprise waiting for me on the doorstep.

I rushed inside and opened the box like a wild-child on Christmas morning. Even the box is professional looking. It is black and mod looking. Very simplistic design. Inside was this little beauty.

I opened it up, turned it on, and....waited for 8 hours while migration assistant basically made a copy of my macbook on my new mac. I thought I was going to die waiting there for hours, but it was worth it.

After the migration was finished, I went looking for music and other documents, only to find that they were not there. I could not find them anywhere. At this point, I started to become a little anxious; I was really concerned. I had used over 80 gigs on my hard drive, but I could not find any of my files.

But

I found them...

They were under my user name from the white macbook (which was almost identical to my new one...)
I logged in under my old name, and everything was there! Even my background and everything was already set. That was an amazing feeling. It made the 8 hours of waiting worth it to just be able to open my programs and have everything there for me.

I am sitting here typing on my back-lit keyboard a happy man.

I will post some pics tomorrow of the new toy for the world to see.

Time to get some rest; it has been a long day waiting in anticipation for this little thing to get up and running.

For the record. I already love this computer. It loaded itunes almost 8-10 seconds faster than my macbook; the icon did not even bounce one time and it was already loaded. That is wonderful. I think we are going to have a great relationship together....

Information overload

I found this video on Anne Jackson's Blog. It is pretty crazy. It last a little over 4 minutes, but I believe it is worth taking a look at.




wow. Information in everywhere... and growing exponentially.

- This really made me stop and think.

-What are we doing right now to reach out to people?
- What are we doing right now that will allow us to be able to reach people next year?
- What we are doing now that is working will not work in 2 years. Or at least it will not be as effective. (that is a crazy thought...)

-Every minute is important.

Stop planning and start doing. Time is too short to waste on the sidelines.

I leave you with the famous words of Johnny Tsunami (from the best Disney channel movie ever...)

"Go big, or go home"

the world is too full of stuff and life is too important to do a half-hearted job

Two Minute Tuesday

Topic: Christmas break so far...
In My ears: Coldplay's new ep. ( I love it... they should make a new ep every month.)

- Got some new Bose in-ear headphones from my Grandparents for Christmas. They are rockin my ears off. They are not very noise canceling, but the sound is amazing bose quality. And they are extremely comfortable to wear... always a plus.

- Macbook Pro is on the way. I am praying that it comes in the morning when I wake up....that would be the best morning to wake up to my new mac on the front door and Kami in my driveway...what? Yep. Kami is now road-ready.
- Went with Kami today to get her license. She did great. Although, I did think I was going to have to give her a mild sedative in the waiting room. She was a little (lot) nervous, and was freaking out about taking the driving test. She just kept saying, "maybe I am not meant to drive... maybe this is a bad idea." I just kept reminding her that it was a good idea, and that driving was a normal activity. After she went outside for her test she was fine. She even made a perfect score! Yay Kami

- Got my butt kicked by the road bike trainer in the garage tonight. 25 minutes on that beast was enough to make a grown man cry... or just make someone tired. My goal for the summer is to lose 20 pounds and work up to ride a metric century (that is a 100k ride in a day). I have some work cut out for me

- Ready for Christmas; I think I have finally decompressed and I am ready to be home. Kami and I have just sat around at her grandparent's house the last few days. We did not really even do anything. Just sitting. talking. cooking. sitting. Yep... it was kind of like a detox session, except from exams and school.

-Attempting to clean Brian's..er..(my) room. I just does not feel like my room yet, but hopefully it will get there soon.


That may have taken more than two minutes. I am sorry if this caused you to miss the introduction to your favorite soap opera or daytime drama... or whatever else you were doing.    More on Christmas to come..

It is on the way...

tomorrow. I hope it ships tomorrow.

Macbook Pro. 15.4 inches of Mac wonder in an aluminum frame.

To say that I am excited is an understatement. I have been dreaming about getting one for a long time. So to think that it is really happening is crazy.

But I do love my white macbook; I am going to miss is. It has been the only computer I have ever had to call my own. It is an amazing computer. I can still remember when I got it. It has been a good 2 years with my macbook. I am going to miss having a white computer. but, it will still be at home for the fam to use. (They better not scratcht her all up...I take good care of my computer).

I will upload pics as soon as it comes.

3-7 business days and it will be here (I hope it is more like 3 than 7).

I need help

OK. here is the deal.

I am getting a Macbook Pro for Christmas. There are 2 on the internet that are very similar that I love. They are almost the same price, but one is matte finish and the other is glossy.

I have read plenty of forums and I am back in the middle of the road. Both are great choices, but I am not sure about the screen.

Any thought?? Just trying to find the best fit.

Matte or glossy?

Help...

Break time

1st full day back at home.

-Slept this morning till almost 11... and need to do that a few more times to catch up
- ate lunch with dad at Riverfront Seafood. I had New Orleans shrimp. I enjoyed the spicy goodness

- Spent the afternoon with Kami. Very relaxing.
- Got to drive Jami's 1970's Volkswagen Beetle. I have never driven a stick before, and really want to learn. We were at the store and I mentioned that, and she said she would teach me to drive her car.  It was really fun. I think I am hooked... (this did not help my obsession with wanting a Mini Cooper...)

- We made desserts at Kami's Grandparents house. Well, Kami made dessert while I edited photos on Photoshop. She even made me some amazing coffee while I was working. Starbucks has nothing on her.
-  I have a love/hate relationship with Photoshop. I love its endless ability to create and edit things; I hate that I do not understand all of it, which makes seemingly simple things difficult. I did a lot of good stuff today by accident (but hey, the pictures turned out very nicely). I need a Photoshop coach...

- Tired. Need more sleep
- Also, really want to go for a bike ride, but it is cold and rainy. Not a good combo... I guess I can just ride the indoor trainer tomorrow.

- On a more serious note. I just found out that Bradley's cancer has spread to both his lungs...
Please be in prayer for him during this time; I believe he will start treatment Monday or Tuesday.     Pray for a miracle to happen inside his body.


Bed is calling, and I am giving in...

Bradley Brock

Last week, my cousin Bradley found out that he has cancer.

He is 16 years old, and lives in Kingsport, TN

You can check out his information at this caring bridge site

You can follow his story there, look at pictures, and read more about the type of cancer he has.

Please be in prayer for Bradley and our family during this time.

I am still in shock... it is hard to imagine that this is really happening. I am really excited about seeing him in a few days when I am home. I will be there to hang out with him in the hospital as much as he needs.

Please check out his page. Leave comments if you would like to show your support during this trying time.

The first day of...

Freedom.

I am so glad to be done with classes!!!!!!

- did I mention that I was glad to be done??

I finished my exams yesterday afternoon and then I just sat on my bed and read blogs on my computer....

I just sat there; It was hard to imagine not doing anything. Usually when I am sitting on my bed with my computer, I am writing a blog or something like that when I should have been doing Greek homework. But yesterday, there was not work to do. No papers to write, journals to finish, exams to study for. I was actually done.

I sat there thinking there was something that I needed to do. But I could not think of a single thing. I decided to celebrate by watching V for Vendetta and sleeping.

We had our RA appreciation dinner last night, then went down to Greenville with Jason and Haley. They were starving and needed food real bad. The only place that was still open was Wild Wings; it was loud...

I am now sitting in the conference room checking people out for Christmas break... I am just ready to get out of here and head home tomorrow.



*Kami used pictures in her post yesterday, and it inspired me to give it a try...

Tomorrow

I am done!

Today... I do not want to study.

I only have 2 more tests left. I have study guides for both tests... and I am not finding much motivation to study. I am just ready to go home and relax.

I will be so glad tomorrow afternoon to know that I am finished with the semester. Until then, I must give a little more effort to studying for exams.

I am trying to push to the end, I just do not know how much more I have left to give. This has been the most intense semester yet. I have never had so much to do in my life...


I am putting together my reading list for Christmas break/next semester. If anyone has any suggestions, please comment. I am just trying to find a bunch of good books to read, fiction and non-fiction. Comment with your suggestions; your book could be one that I choose...

Impossible is nothing

I was reading today in Luke chapter one when the angel appeared to Mary and tells her that she will be having a child... the son of God.

She is confused. The angel tells her that her relative Elizabeth is also going to have a child in her old age.

Then the angel says, "For nothing is impossible with God"

wow. And what is even more amazing is Mary's response.
  
She replies, " I am the Lord's servant, may it be done to me as you have said"

     in other words, " I believe in God's promise"

Sometime I read the Christmas story and glaze over the importance of Mary's faith. We read it now and think, "of course she believes, it is Jesus that is coming..."

Imagine trying to tell your friends and family what is happening... or Joseph. This is a miracle from God, an angel came to visit her, but other people did not see this. They just see a young pregnant girl with a weird story.

Nothing is impossible with God.

Mary goes to visit Elizabeth and when she speaks to her, the baby inside jumps and Elizabeth says, "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished"

Mary believed in what God had said, despite anything that came against her. I am sure she received lots of strange looks and comment directed at her, but she believed what God said.

What has God told you that sounds crazy? Is there something that God has laid on your heart to do, but you have no idea how in the world it is going to happen?

Nothing is impossible with God.

People may not like it, they may even try to get you to back down or stop doing it. But if God has called you to do something, He is faithful to accomplish the work in you.

Nothing is impossible with God

Streamline in 09

Title is a little silly, I know.... but it is the best way I can think of to get the point across


I have become weighted down this past semester; my cup has been running over with things. While all of them were good things, there were too many things.

I was so busy doing lots of things "good", I was not able to anything great.

SO

Next year is going to be different. I am taking my Grandfather's advice he gave me at the beginning of the year. He told me not to get to busy to not enjoy life; I have become too busy.

I am going to streamline what I do next semester. Only things that are most important will be kept. Here are some things that are staying:

1. Kami- She has been a trooper this semester putting up with all my doings. She will not have a back seat next semester.
2. BSU- I am pumped about music for Fusion next semester. It is going to be another big step. I feel like God has laid some amazing things on my heart for BSU, and I am excited to see what happens.
3. Personal Bible Study- This is something that has really suffered this year because I have been so busy. I want to really take my bible study/ journaling to the next level.
4. Free time- I need free time. I need to relax. I will burn out if I do not have some "selfish time"
5. Exercise- I really enjoy exercising, I just did not have that much time to do it this semester. I need to get back in a little better shape, and I want to do that next semester.


These are 5 things that will not be compromised next semester. There are others too, but these are a good start.

What are you doing next year to make it your best year?

Thank You

To everyone who made possibly the biggest traffic day of my blog possible.

It is greatly appreciated.

I hope you will check back whenever you can. I try to keep it updated with all sorts of goodies. Check back often and leave comments; I like feedback.

You helped make history... ok. that was a slight ploy to get you to read my blog. But thanks for the effort. If I had something to give you all I would...

You did make history for me. I will not forget this day in my blogging history (it is marked on my blog tracker so I can always see it).


Time to finish my bowling paper.... Exams are beginning.

thanks for your help!

Discomfort drives Passion

If it's not broken... don't fix it.

Ever heard that before?

What if something is broken? What do we do? We may get a little upset, then we do something about it.

When I am riding my bike and the chain comes off, I get a little mad (because I have to stop, put it back on, get grease on my hands, and fix it), but I fix it. I do not ride around thinking, "well, I am sure this is not the best choice, but I just do not want to get off my bike and put my chain on..."

That would be crazy! Your momentum would stop in a few seconds and you would be stuck.

Sometimes things are not the way we want; things happen that are not good or expected.



Jesus, God's son, asked for the cup to be taken from his hands before his crucifixion. He was not comfortable, but his passion drove him to follow God's will.

Culture has changed, some churches understand that, some don't. People who are ok with the way things are do not see any need to change. They would subscribe to the. "not broken, don't fix" plan.

Other people recognize the need, and do something about it. It may not be easy, comfortable, simple, and people may even get mad.... yes it will happen. This is a hard concept for me; I do not like to have anyone upset. In fact, I will go out of my way to keep people from being upset. But there are things that are  more important then what I think.

Reaching lost people is important!!! Making disciples is important!!!!! Fighting about lighting and the style of music in the church is not!!!!

But it is not really about the style of music, or using video elements in the service... it is about people who want to be selfish and enjoy the "serve me, feed me" attitude of the church. Church becomes a place where you go, put in your time, lie about how you are doing, then go eat lunch.

Sounds more like a club than a church.

 What if we went to church expecting to hear from God, praying that he would make us uncomfortable, and move us to a place of action. Discomfort drives action.

I am not comfortable with the fact that people are going to hell because we argue about the carpet color and forget that there is a lost world outside.
 

      I think the devil loves the church when fight and argue. He wins we are divided.

That should piss you off. Discomfort drives passion.

God is

 blowing my mind lately!

That is an understatement actually.

It is hard for me to describe in words all the things that are going on inside my head. God is changing me, molding me, there is a fire inside that was not there a few months ago. I see everything in a different way now; it has all changed for the good (some may think it is not, but I am really not ok with just being status quot anymore).

I am also praying about some big changes this coming year. I am streamlining my life to focus on purpose. This last semester was like a buffet, I tried everything... really, I did so many things, I am not even going to name them because it would make my head spin just to list them.

Bottom line... I got fat off the buffet of "things", but was being pushed in 50 different ways and was not being the best I could be at any of them.

I was doing all the "good" I could, but I was giving up on the best.

Next semester is going to be different. I am considering some huge changes. I am also praying that God would do something amazing through me next semester. I do not want to settle for anything less. I will not limit the power of God to what I think I can do. Rather, I am trusting the HE will do something through me that is undeniably Him.

Change is coming.... I blogged about it, now it is time for the rubber to meet the road.

Holiday Hangover

Thanksgiving has come and gone for another year...

Food has been consumed. And then more food was consumed. Then, somehow, I found a way to consume even more food...

It is truly a miracle that I did not throw up this week. I guess I have been training all year for this day. I would like to thank the cafeteria at NGU for getting me fattened up for the feast... your fried foods and cobbler really helped me get ready for this day...

So much food was consumed that I had to exercise today (it was needed...). We decided that it would be a great day to go mountain biking (most days are good for that, except rainy ones or very cold ones)

We also decided to be adventuresome and try some new trails. We took our bikes to Steele Creek park. My Dad, David, Sam (Kami's brother) and I headed toward the trails... lets just say that expectation and reality did not meet.

The facts were these
1. We rode (what I mean is pushed our bikes) up a large hill/mountain.
2. We made it to the top, excited that it could be time to actually ride the bike instead of pushing it up a massive incline.
3. We followed the trail, which led us down said hill/mountain. The descent was so steep (there were the words "puke hill" engraved on a tree if that helps you get the mental picture) we could not ride down.
4. We walked the bikes down the other side of the hill we had just climbed.
5. After this, we decide that much of this same pattern will continue and decide to head back
6. The only way back (besides going back up "puke hill") was to go down a very narrow, steep hiking trail coated in leaves.
7. With great care, we make it back to the parking lot.
8. It sucked...

- This was just not fair to Sam (who had never been mountain biking). We could not let this day be a foul taste in his mouth. So we decided to go to Warriors Path Mountain Bike Trails (the old faithful stomping grounds).

It did not let us down. Great riding was still had today; although I was a little tired from all the pushing at Steele Creek, it was a great ride. We rode The Boneyard and Magic Carpet Ride (my 2 favorites). I think Sam is now hooked. Another successful convert to the wonderful world of single-track mountain biking.

If you want to go mountain biking, go to Warriors (unless you are one of those crazies who are not afraid to break every bone in their body, you may like Steele Creek). You will feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment and manliness. And it is a great workout.


 

On another note about today... what is with these crazy shoppers trampling employees and killing them?????? That is crazy! The deals are not that good to break the doors and trample the old man working at Wall-mart. I also heard that a pregnant woman was trampled and her baby was killed; this is terrible. No Hannah Montana action figure or Jonas Brothers cd is that important for americans to trample other people.



- On a lighter note (in the spirit of Christmas), I came home tonight to a great surprise.

       A real tree!!! The house smells amazing; we have not had a real tree in a few years, so it is great to see one in the den.

ok. Time for bed. Goodnight.

Thanks & giving

Today is the day we call thanksgiving

I have much to be thankful for. Here are a few...

- Kami
- College
- My family
- A car to drive and a house to live in
- Clothes (I like those..)
- Twitter (it makes me feel like I know people that I wish I knew...)
- Music
- Music
- Worship
- God's call on my life
- That God is much smarter than me
- Scarves
- Cardigan sweater... with v-neck shirts
- Mac
- coffee (It has saved my life the last few weeks)


These are only a few of the thousands of things I have... and I complain about wanting more when MOST of the world has almost nothing...

That really put things into perspective for me.

I am blessed. We as Americans are blessed. Regardless of what the news says about the economy, we are the most blessed nation ever.

Take a minute today as you survey the feast on your table and remember just how blessed you are.

Happy Thanksgiving

How I have missed

Mountain Biking.

Such a rush.. even when it is less than 40 degrees outside.

I have been wanting to get back on the trail for a few months, so it was great to get out and ride. I even got some video footage of me going down some hills (I will try to upload that in the near future).

If you like biking, like adventure, and like a good challenge, you need to give mountain biking a try... it is a rush.

I still love road biking, but there is a special place in my heart for mountain biking as well.


Turkey tomorrow..... I am going to do some road riding and mountain biking to work off all that food (Because I will eat so much more than I need to... it is almost sinful... gluttony may take place).

Ok. time to go do some painting and homework (maybe...)

Monday Mind Dump

It is been a long few weeks. It seems there is a mountain to climb before a break can come...

- I finished both papers this weekend, and I actually feel pretty good about both of them. I was up for a while last night finishing my second paper, but it is done now (which is a great feeling, all I need to do is make my reference page and I will be ready to turn it in).

- Went to SeaCoast church yesterday morning. Very interesting concept; they have 13 locations all over the south. I really enjoyed the message from the pastor. Last night we made our usual Sunday evening trip to NewSpring, which is always amazing. I love being there because people there expect God to show up... and He does!

- I am going to visit churches next semester. I have really been praying about what God wants me to do next semester. At first, I wanted to find a job somewhere leading worship or speaking, but God has really been working in me, and I think I need to just take a step back and look at the bigger picture. I want to take some time to survey other churches, look at their visions, and talk to leaders in the church and learn what they are doing. I need take some time to work out what I believe, and how that will come out in church. I am excited about visiting churches. This is something I have not had a chance to do much of, so it should be exciting to see where God is at work.

- I read a quote from Mark Batterson at The Sticks conference that has been shaking me up. He said, "what are you doing to be remakrkable?"

.... wow. What an interesting thought. What am I doing right now, today, tomorrow to be remarkable. He said that we are either remarkable, or we are not making the difference we would like to. I want to make a difference in the world. I believe that God has things in store that I cannot even fathom at this point, but I have to take the steps right now for that to take place. I want to be remarkable, not because I want glory for myself, but I want to be remarkable (and maybe crazy) for what God has placed in my heart.

- Maybe the church is not hearing from God because they are not anticipating Him....

- Abraham set outside his tent in the middle of the day anticipating God to come... and He came!

Are we willing to sit in the spot that may be uncomfortable, the place where others may not want to go (his wife was inside) to hear from God. He is faithful to show up and do something beyond explanation (they had a baby a year later... and Sarah was 90) if we are anticipating God to show up.

- God is rocking my world right now... more to come on that

Must write

My paper...

It is the only things standing in my way for Thanksgiving break (I still have work to do before the next Monday... but that is later).

I am going to try to finish most of it today and finalize it tomorrow. I hope..... Pray that I do not get writers block.

Tomorrow is going to be great though. Kam and I are going to visit a church in Greenville to check it out; it is called SeaCoast church. It looks really neat. Then we are going to NewSpring tomorrow night. It is going to be a great Sunday.

Just have to get this silly paper done...

I never thought...

of it this way.

Chapel was good this morning (that is already something that is not normal....). They guy that spoke was a NGU grad that leads worship at a church in Greenwood. I really liked what he had to say.

He spoke from the passage in Revelation where Jesus says that He stands at the door and knocks. Tod (the speaker), mentioned that the passage was commonly used by evangelists during the invitation. They say something like, "Jesus is standing at the door of your heart knocking.... just let him in."

The problem with that statement is simple, but something that never came to my mind.          He is writing a letter to the Christians, not lost people. The verse is in the middle of the letter to the church in Laodicea. He is talking to the Christians in the church

That got me thinking. What if we are not letting Jesus into our churches? What if we are lukewarm, and trying to do it all on our own?

What would happen if we let Jesus in our churches?

We may do things a little (lot) differently.

This should be fun...

Semester is coming to a close. My brain is about to explode... too bad the next 3 weeks are going to be crazy! I have a lot of work to do. I can get it all done, but I am going to have to work m tail off to do it.

Blogging may be scarce for the next couple weeks (my typing time is going to be spent writing my 3 papers....)

Bare with me... It will be done soon. I am going to enjoy every minute of my month off. That is one of the best things about college...

Ok. Back to work

Why we don't change

ok. This one make be a little controversial... but that is ok with me. I am just going to tell it like I see it, because I think it is worth talking about. Here we go.

We have been looking at change. Change is good and necessary.

so


Why do we not change. I am going to try to unpack a few of the reasons churches are not willing to change. Now, I am not a pastor anywhere, but I have spent a good amount of time on staff at churches and have been around church all my life, and read about church all the time on the internet... so I have an idea of what is going on in the church world.

Reason to not change

1. We have not done it like that before- very nice observation... That is where the change part comes in. I know that doing new things can be scary, difficult, and hard, but that is not enough of a reason to keep from changing. Graig Groschell said it best when he said, "to reach people that have not been reached, we have to do things that have not been done". That just about sums it up.

2. People may get up set- yep. Actually, there is a good chance the will be missed. Some people may even get really pissed of and leave... That can be hard. Change is not always easy, especially when you have created a stable environment for so long. That is the beauty of churches that embrace change from the beginning; change in not a foreign idea, it is part of who they are. There are many places that get stuck here. I know that I am not a pastor at this moment, but I pray that when I am that God will not let me get stuck here. I do not like hurting people's feelings, but eternity is at stake here people...

3. I need to provide for my family- once again, I do not have a family of my own either. But this is another area that I am praying that God will take care of. I am praying that He will allow me to take the steps necessary to grow and provide for my family. God is the great provider, and I am clinging to the promise He makes in Mathew about taking care of the grass of the fields and that He will take care of me. Family is important, but when does the time come when you say to God, "I know you want me to do this, but I just can't.... I trust you, but, not that much". I pray that time does not come.

4. You are Selfish- "this is how I do it, and this is how it will be done..." I think this post by Gary Lamb takes care of this one.

5. We don't want to reach out to the culture- Lets just be honest. Change requires work; reaching out to the culture is not an easy job. But that does not mean we are not to do it. God has called us to so much more that sitting around in staff and deacon meetings all day. When are we going to go out in the culture and spend time with lost people?? That is what Jesus did; most of his messages where not given in the temple... they were out where the people were. And Jesus did not run away from culture... he embraced it. He was not sitting around waiting for people to come to him, rather, he was out hanging out with tax collectors and prostitutes. Are we (the church) willing to step out like that. Are we willing to go out and care for the culture. Jesus hung out with the "dirty" people. He spent time with adulterers and liars, thieves and lepers. When are we going to adopt that kind of mindset in churches? We preach truth, but there is no love or grace. Jesus came to earth and he was passionate about forgiveness; not condemning people, forgiving them.


-Change is not something that happens overnight, although some things could. Change is more than having drums in your service, or playing that "new song". It is about how the church looks at everything. It is not about the music, that is just a good thing to hang your hat on so you don't have to really talk about the problem.

People are dying and going to hell! That in itself should be enough to get us out of the pew and into the world. If we are going to follow Christ, we need to have His passions. He was not passionate about being popular. In fact, it seems that most people did not like him, many took every chance they could to try to have him arrested.

Following Christ is not a walk in the park... but it is the walk of a lifetime. What if we all stepped out in faith and believed that God was going to do great things around us? We could be the change the world is looking for.

Sunday Night Mind Dump...

Wow.. It has been a crazy weekend (and a crazy week)

I think I got less sleep this week than I ever have in my life. I am not sure how I am still alive. It is a tribute to the amazing human body.

- Thursday was BSU. I got to play electric, which is always a blast. I just love the freedom it brings; I feel like the icing on the cake. It was an amazing service. We had a time of testimony and even opened it up to people in the audience to share. Music was amazing!!! Jason did a great job with the set list. We did "Our God Reigns" into "Yellow" by Coldplay; that is how to start a set. It was rockin.

- This weekend was good too. We did some acoustic worship for a student retreat at Camp Marietta. There were about 50 students there; we had a great time leading worship for them.

- Today was my last day at Connection. It has been a good semester. Everyone was so nice too; they all came and told me how much they appreicaited my ministry. It was a very encouraging Sunday. (and they gave me a gift card the Olive Garden... which was used this afternoon for lunch. It seemed like the perfect time to use it)

- Newspring was amazing tonight (as usual). God really spoke some truth to me tonigtht during the whole serivce. I think there were alot of women set free from the bondage of their past tonight. It was just an amazing service. I love going to NewSpring; I go expecting to hear from God every week.

- I am sooooo tired. My bed is calling my name. The blogs on change will continue in the next post...

Going....

To lead worship with some friends this weekend at Camp Marrietta. We will be leading worship tonight and tomorrow for about 50 youth. 

I am excited. I need to get away from school; it will be nice to have a little break, and play some music too. 

Pray for us as we go lead worship . 

I will be back on the blogging on Change as soon as I have a free minute; I am not done....

Change is... fun

Change is something that is needed in the church. 

But it does not have to be a struggle....

Change is a good thing. Change is refreshing. When you change your outfit, change your room decorations, change of scenery, you experience a feeling of accomplishment, joy, or maybe just a breathe of fresh air. Why should it be any different in the church?? 

When someone talk about change in the church, people get all antsy, uncomfortable, and sometimes downright angry. Maybe because in their mind change= bad. Change= worse for me, sorry I like the way things are. 

That sounds a little selfish if you ask me. God has not called us to complacency in any area of our life. What if you took your wife/ girlfriend on the same date every single time you went out. Even the best date in the world would not seem very sincere after a while. What if the rut the church is in makes it look insincere to a lost world? Same service every week, same stuff every year, same ministries, same atmosphere... that does not sound very exciting to me. 

Now, I am not trying to bash everything about the church. I believe in the church; I believe it is the means for reaching the world with God's love. That is a pretty high calling from God to every person in the body of Christ. 

Jesus brought change wherever he went. Everything he did was "different" than the way others did things (and even different than people wanted him to be... all the religious people were not very big fans...). So why are we afraid to step out in faith? (that is for the next post, just throwing it out there).

Change is good. Change can be fun, exciting, inspiring, and maybe just what the church needs. 

Every day we sit and talk about change is a day we could have spent doing it. I know lots of churches that say, "well, we would love to do that but_____(insert whatever excuse...)" 

What if we did it. Stopped talking about doing it. Stopped having committee meetings about it. And just did it. Step out in faith and trust God that He will provide a means and way to succeed. 

I think we sell God short sometimes in our lack of faith in His power to change lives. Change starts inside the people in the church. Maybe the church has not changed because the people are not will to let God transform them first.... It is hard to want to be that bold when you are not experiencing that change for yourself.

I am getting into my next post... better end this one. 

change= fun. Fun is not a bad thing. Serving God and advancing His kingdom should not be a drudgery.

Change is...Necessary

Change, change, change... 

Everyone seems to be talking about it. It was even the platform for the  president elect. "Change"

It is everywhere. 

The world is changing; technology is changing. Everything is changing...

SO why is the church fighting change??

Change has become the 4 letter word in many churches in America. Not only do many not like change, they criticize other churches that are changing. They say things like, "pagans", "false doctrine", "seeker friendly", and the list goes on...

My though on this is... what happened in the middle 1900's when churches started singing hymns and such? What about when the piano was introduced, or when orchestras started playing in the service? 

Sounds like change was happening, and I bet you money that there was a uproar from some about it. 

Change is not bad. Change is what we do. 

It is not just about music or lights... it is the whole mindset of the church in America. 

Change is Necessary. If the church does not change.. it will never be what it needs to be. 

In Greenville, only about 22% of the population attend church (and that is in the buckle of the bible belt!). We are not living in the "good old days" of Christianity; so maybe we need to stop pretending we are.

We need to realize where we are, pray for guidance from the holy spirit, and step out in faith.  

Eternity is at stake! 

How much longer are we going to sit around with the frozen chosen? 

Change is necessary. today. Not later, now. Now is the time. Our time is running out. 

-next post. 

Change is... fun 

Here I am

I am sitting here in my room on this friday evening, and I am exhausted. It has been a long semester so far; the end is in sight! (but there are a few papers and about 6 tests that stand in the way... not to mention finals)

  I am ready for this semester to be over, but I am really trying not to just waste it away. So many times in my life I feel like the place I'm at is just a holding place; there is some place that I want to be and I am just doing this so I can get there. God has really been stretching me this semester, and one thing I am learning is to not waste the time I have right now. Because the preparation I am making right now is crucial to my future. 

God is putting some huge dreams in my heart, things that I would never have imagined before this year. And that is the amazing part, God is molding me into His instrument. 

I don't think anything happens by accident; there is a method to the madness. Sometimes we may not be able to see it at first, but it comes out in time. I have spent much of my life saying, "God, just tell me where to go and what I need to know..." My prayer this year has become something more like, "God show me what I need today, and give me dreams for the future." 

There has been a phrase that has really caught my attention and I can't get it out of my head. I think this is a good way to sum up the way I want to live my life.

Do Everything with Excellence 

Let Creativity Flow 

That is what I am striving for. Excellence in what I do. That is not just in my "ministry", because everything is ministry. Everything is spiritual. I want to live a life that is excellent in the eyes of God in all that I do, and I want to be creative as I do it. I feel like Christians get sucked into this idea that we are not creative. I am tired of hearing half- rate music on the radio from "Christian artists" who just ride the name to make it on the radio. They sing songs they don't believe in to make a buck.... that is not creative. I love artists who are creative, that use their gifts given to them by God to reach out to people. If we are made in the image of the divine creator, shouldn't we be the most creative people in the world?? 

If we have been filled with the love of Christ, shouldn't that flow from us in everything we do? That is some serious creative power that we are just sitting on. Maybe it is time to let go, think outside the box, the norm. What if our goal in our daily life was to show God in the most creative ways possible?     

  People may start to notice that. 

I put those words in front of my computer on the wall so I am reminded each time I see them

Do everything with excellence 

Let Creativity Flow

A friendly Reminder

If this election has you in a state of depression, take one minute of your time, sit back, watch, and be amazed 

Now... don't you feel better??

It is Finished

Well....

America decided. It is official. Time to get on with life.

There seem to be so many people that are scared to death about this. I am not any more/ less scared now than I was yesterday. My faith is still not on a man in a big white house... That was not going to change no matter who was in office. 

That does not mean that I do not have feeling and thoughts about things, but I am not going to run and hide in my room or cry for days and mourn. 

I am going to do my part to change the world with some real change. 

Only bad part about yesterday: I was not able to take advantage of all the free food that places were giving away... Coffee, doughnuts, ice cream, chicken sandwiches... man. I could have had a feast. That was the only tragedy in my mind; I missed out on the free food.

Tomorrow...

The world may end...

ok. Just kidding. 

I am very confident that even if everyone in America is surprised about the outcome of the election, God will not be. 

I am tired of hearing people (the church crowd seems to have really picked up the reigns on this...) saying "well, if this person is elected, we are just doomed..." or "If he is elected, change will come..." 

I voted, I have my feelings, and I think they are important. But I am not looking to find the savior of our country in an elephant or a donkey. 

God is just as much in control today as He will be tomorrow. 

I know  I am sounding redundant in the last few posts, but truth is truth. God is in control, and nothing we do will make Him sit back and think, "Man, I did not see that one coming.. I thought it was going to turn out the other way..."

Enjoy Election Tuesday. I wish we were out of class....

Come Together

I am reading and journaling through Nehemiah. It such an amazing story of what can happen when people come together for a cause.

The people of Israel had been scattered and Jerusalem had been ransacked. Nehemiah hears of this and becomes distressed. He prays to God for guidance and asks the king if he can be relieved of his cup-bearing duties to go rebuild the wall. No one believes that this is possible; the governors even ridiculed him for wanting to do such a thing. but Nehemiah had a calling and message from God to rebuild the wall.

When Nehemiah comes to the city, he does not try to rebuild the wall by himself. Actually, the opposite happens. The people of Israel rise to the occasion and start doing their part. All these people jump in and do what they can. They start repairing gates, and building new gates, towers, and walls around Jerusalem. Even with opposition against them, they do the impossible and rebuild the wall around the city.

If it was not for the people working together, the task would have not been completed; everyone had an important part to play in rebuilding the wall.

What if the body of Christ came together like that.... What if we put or differences aside and stepped up to the plate to tackle some real problems in the world. What would happen??

I believe with everything in me that the Church is the answer for a hurting world.

It will not be because we bash them over the head with bibles and tracts, or because we condemn their evil behavior and tell them to conform to our standards before they are welcome. It will be because people
live
the
gospel.

Craig Groschel said this, "To reach people no one else is reaching, we need to do things no one else is doing"

Wow, that is powerful.

What if we showed the world some radical love?
What if we stepped up to rebuild the broken "walls" of society?

One body, One Church, One Savior

It only takes one to start a revolution. Nehemiah trusted God to do the impossible as he stepped out in faith. Because of his leadership, Jerusalem was rebuilt and the people were unified once again. Maybe it is time for someone to step out in faith, be bold, and not give up on their God -sized dream...

That is a real campaign for change.

How about a political blog...

Elections are coming up in a few days (I already voted... for___(not telling....).

This is not about who I voted for, or what party I am endorsing.

There is non-stop election coverage on many channels. Candidates are giving speeches, some have even bought air time. Everyone is talking about who can "save the country".

When it comes to that though, I am certain who is going to save the country... and it is not Mcain or Obama (or Ralph Nader...)

I am not trying to bash politics, I think America has a good system

       but

      My faith is not in American politics

I will leave you with a few lines from one of my favorite songs from Hillsong... I think it sums up my thoughts pretty well

"It is not a human right to stare, not fight, while broken nations dream. Politics should not decide if we should rise to be your hands and feet".

The church can change the world regardless of who sits on Capitol Hill.

     
    

Two Minute Tuesday

Topic: busy 

In my ears: Derek Webb

I have been so busy the last few weeks. I have not even had time to write a blog....

Between Greek tests, BSU music stuff, RA duties, other homework, Leading worship, and planning stuff for retreats I have been asked to play in; I am pretty beat. 

I have to do something different next semester or I will burn out. I am going to simplify my life next semester and work on doing a few thing great rather than doing many things average. 

- We have been going to NewSpring on Sunday nights; they started a series called "Beautiful" and it has been great. God is really moving in this series. If you want to watch the services, you can check them out at newspring.cc and watch previous services. 

- Looking forward  to Thanksgiving break... only about 4 papers stand in my way. 

Hopefully I will have some more posts up this week... I will do my best

New old school

In a time when cd's are becoming outdated, why would you want a record player?? 

answer: you could be the coolest kid on the block with this thing

This is a cd, dvd, lp player with movable speakers. I think I may need one of these to put in my dorm room...     

I am not sure how much it costs, the website is all in another language (italian), but it is pretty sweet. 

hope you enjoy... and if anyone has one, I want to meet you 

Two Minute Tuesday

Topic: Greek

In my ears: Across the Universe Soundtrack 

- Greek test tomorrow.... not excited. I  have so much vocabulary to learn! 

but 

- It is worth it. I am actually able to read the bible now (at least some of it) Now when pastors say "Now, in the Greek, this passage means___"     I whip out my authorized Greek New Testament and check them on it; it has ruined some good preaching. It seems that people misuse greek much more than they get it right. But I guess that is what happens when you just look it up on the internet....    

- I sent in my absentee ballot the other day; I have officially voted! I will be glad when this mess is all over. But I have really enjoyed the SNL skits... I guess every cloud has a silver lining

Beautiful

The new series at NewSpring started today. It is called, "Beautiful: A series for women and the men who pursue them."  Tonight was amazing... It was all about the fact that women are beautiful to God, no matter what culture or the magazine covers say. 

I was challenged the whole message... 

There was also a great deal of healing offered tonight. I am not a woman, but I can imagine how difficult it has to be. It was a great to hear that kind of encouragement coming from the stage. 

I can't wait to hear the rest of the series in the next few weeks. 

- They also had a "man moment" at the end of the service. They showed some guys blowing up some pumpkins with fireworks... no theological interpretation, just awesome.

more to come soon, after I get some sleep. I am about to fall asleep as I am typing this...

Short Trip

Kami and I went home yesterday afternoon. Last time I was at home a few weeks ago I was sick; I was glad to see my family when I was not sick. We all went out to dinner last night (mexican, my favorite! I miss La Carretta....). Today has been a lazy day. Sitting, reading, blogging, laundry, more sitting. Now we are back at school, and it is cold! (I am glad... I love the fall weather) 

I am ready for the semester to be over; I know that is not good to say  since there are still about 5 full weeks left in the semester, but I am really excited about Christmas break. It will be worth it's weight in gold to have a break. I am needing to simplify my schedule; I have just been spread a little thin this semester. It will be nice to have a break and have time to sit, think, relax, and get ready for the next semester. I registered for classes Friday. It is going to be good. Hard work, but worth it. I am one class away from finishing my general studies classes (I am excited about that!). 

OK. Time to watch a movie at the house with Jason

NewSpring tomorrow night!!!!! They are starting a new series for women, and it is going to be amazing. 

Two Minute Tuesday

Topic: Fall is here 

In My Ears: Coldplay- always a favorite

In My Brain: I am glad fall is here. Seasons are great; I think they are here for a reason. I seems that when the seasons change, people are in a better mood, smile more, and just seem a little more happy to be here; I know, it happens to me. Fall is just a refreshing time for me. I have been a little stressed this semester, so the change in weather has provided great hope that the end of the semester is in sight. 

I have about 1 billion things going through my brain. Here are some things in my brain I will be blogging about in the near future...

- church 

- church planting 

- Goals for the end of the year, and next semester

- Greek (we have a love/ hate relationship...) 

- Music

- knitting- ok... maybe not. But I did find out from Kami that Coldplay sews their own clothes;                         

  maybe I will take up sewing... 

Stretch marks

Over the last few months, God has been moving and stretching me

It has not been easy (and not always fun...), but it has been amazing to see what He is doing. I am just being challenged daily by God to step out in faith and follow Him. Being "status-quo" is not enough; there is something more, something deep. I feel like God is calling me to take the leap of faith. He has been preparing me for it for a while, and I think it is time to give it over to Him.

Stretching is not usually fun, but the hindsight really is 20-20. It is one of those things, like trials, that you have to go through but it is no day at the park. I feel like God is about to do something amazing, and I am going to be part of it. 

I am not really sure what that means. I do not have all the answers (or hardly any...), but I know that what God inspires, no one can stop. I am not sure where God is going to take me in the next few years, but I would really like to start a church  with this guy. We have been talking about it (a lot... our girlfriends can attest to that), and I think it would be amazing.   

   I will share more in a later post when I have time. 

So, if God is stretching you now, don't fight it; embrace what God is doing in your life as He draws you closer to Himself. I am so glad for stretch marks; they remind us where we have been, and where we are going. 

more to come... soon

Mud Bowl 2008...

Oh.. I mean, Election 2008.

I have never seen so much mud slinging in my life. I watched the latest debate the other night and had to just stop watching a few times because it was getting so ridiculous. I felt like I was back in the 7th grade watching two people argue over who gets the last cookie in the lunch line..

I am much more interested to know what the candidates are thinking and their plans for the economy; instead, we get the hear all about how dumb the other one is, how old/ young the other one is, how this, how that.... and it just goes on and on. 

I would love for someone in this race to just be honest... but that may never happen. If they were honest, they may have to say that they have no idea how to fix the bailout crisis, or the end the war on terror. They may even have to say that they are not capable to fix this country in 4 years (or 8...). 

One man in a big white house cannot save the world. 

I am planning on voting soon (I have my absentee ballot), I have tried to keep up with the political scene, but it seems that each of the candidates have put their share of "ick" into politics. 

I am not voting for the person who will be the savior on capitol hill... there is already a savior on the throne. 

Just a few more weeks till the mud slinging ends... 

then 

they will start campaigning for 2012. Can't wait

Two Minute Tuesday (Wednesday)

I am a day late... I will do my best to make it worth your time

Topic: biking 

In my ears: Jimmy Eat World 

My dad and I made it up the mountain to Saluda, NC. All in all, it was a 40 mile ride. The farthest we had ridden in one day before then was 23 miles, so it was a big deal (and we climb 2,300 ft in elevation on the way up). I was sore for about a day. We both agreed that it was more than we expected, but that is the amazing thing about the human body. Sometime our fears of what we can't do are the only thing stopping us from accomplishing new things. 

I would like to ride it again soon; it really was a beautiful ride. 

- PS- I lost my voice on Sunday; it was not fun.... I could not even talk on Monday or Tuesday. I am feeling better now; I have some great medicine to knock me out at night.   

I am about to break...

for Fall! 

Today started Fall Break... it could not have come soon enough. Although it is hard to believe that the semester is half way over. 

Here are some thoughts on the 1st half of the semester, and what I am looking foreword to in the coming weeks.

- Sophomore- I am not longer a freshman, and it feels great. I feel like I am finding my place at NGU and starting to hit my stride. Coming to college has been a great experience. But is was also different coming to a place where people did not know me. I feel like people are really getting to know me, and I feel like I am getting to know myself as well.

-BSU- has been great so far this year.  Council has been on top of it all year. We started working on this semester in April, so it is amazing to see it all coming to life. BSU music has also had a huge facelift. We are doing things that have not happened in a while... maybe ever. I spent the first few weeks setting up times for people to try out for the BSU band; now we have 2 full (very full...) bands. We just finished the first rotation of one band, and the next band will play at the next Fusion. It has been great to see so many people step up to be involved. This is what I have been praying about all summer; I wanted to get people involved in Fusion music, so it is great to see it actually happening. I feel like God is just getting started in BSU. I cannot even imagine what God is going to do, but I am trusting Him to do INSANE things! 

-Biking- I have really been getting into road biking. I even got a road bike about a month ago. My dad is down here this weekend to ride some, We are going to ride tomorrow to Saluda, NC. It is about a 35 mile ride... I hope we can make it all the way. I am really excited  about it; the farthest I have been in one trip before this was 23 miles, so it will be a stretch of my ability and strength. So that just adds to the excitement.  I am trying to get back to what I weighed my Freshman year... of High School (which is about 155 lbs). I am getting closer every day. 

- Greek- I am coming to understand the phrase, "It's all Greek to me"    because it is.  I really do love my Greek class. I have never had to learn so much so fast. Some night I have wanted to pull my hair out.. but when I understand something, it is an amazing feeling. I hope I continue to do a better job each day of learning what I need to so I can really dig into the NT soon. 

- Soon- Christmas break!! 

OK

I realize I still have 7 weeks, but hey. I love that month off.

- Reading- books that I want to. Although the reading list for a classes is amazing....(that was a little sarcastic if you did no pick up on that)   I am ready for some time to read what I want to. 

- Time to sit and think- hopefully I will have some time to just sit and think this weekend. I do not do that enough; I am always go, go, go. So I need some time just to sit and be still. 

time for bed..

Long ride in the morning. I will let you all know how it goes

Thoughts at 1 am...

OK. I was finishing up a journal entry for one of my classes where I have to keep a Daily Ministry Journal. I have been reading through Mathew and I came to Chapter 8. In these verses, Jesus touches a man with leprosy and heals him.

     This just really hit me. People with leprosy in that day were the outcast. People did not hang out with them, or even let them live in the town. And the definitely did not touch them.  But Jesus broke the mold; He did what no one else wanted to do. He touched the man and said "Be Clean". I am sure this blew the religious crowd away; they did not want to have anything to do with "unclean" people. But Jesus stood up for the ones who were sick and in need.

What would that have looked like in 2008? Who would Jesus reach out and touch if He was here? People with AIDs, drunkards, homosexuals, outcast, prostitutes. Jesus said he came to heal the sick and those in need.

Are we going to reach out to those in need? It may get a little sticky if we do. Some people may not be happy about it. A few verses later, Jesus heals two men from demons and puts them into pigs and the people get mad and want Him to leave...

         Living the life God has called us to may not be very easy, but it will always be worth it. I believe that one person could start a revolution of love for the "unlovable" people in this world. That person could be you...


- Just some thought from 1 am. Hope it makes you want to check out the life of Jesus more in depth. It has been amazing for me. If you need direction in your devotional life, read through Jesus' ministry. It just might blow you away.Tags: random, life, ministry

just a test.

I have been trying to find a good blog editor that I can use on my desktop that will publish to my blog. I want one that I can save posts on as drafts when I do not have Internet and then upload them when I can.

I am trying a free one called Qumana. It seems ok. If anyone has any ideas about what I should use, I would appreciate it.

Two Minute Tuesday

     ok.

here is my life on Tuesday in Two minites

-I did not go to sleep till about 2 this morning. I was reliving my middle school days playing Blitz and Goldeneye on the Nintendo 64 - it is the ultimate machine...

- Music- I am listening to the "Across the Universe" soundtrack, and Explosion in the sky

- I have to tell a story in Speech today; should not be hard, since I spend most of my day talking...

- Band practice tomorrow night. I am excited

-My dad is coming up this weekend and we are going to do some road biking. I have not seen my fam in about a month, and I have only been homw once this semester, so I will be glad to hang out with my dad and then see the rest of my family on Sunday afternoon.

- Fall break starts Friday... I could not be at a better time

and there you have it. Me in 2 minutes.Tags: life, random

Powered by Qumana

Your grace is enough...

 We sang "Your grace is enough" this morning at the end of the service (someone took a video of me playing guitar and leading, then he told me that if I was going to lead every week, then he would be there... It made me feel really great). 

As I am sitting here thinking about the service and looking at what to do next time, that song is stuck in my head. It is a great song. But am I really trusting in what the song is talking about??

"your grace is enough. Your grace is enough 

Your grace is enough for me."

wow 

 That's a great line to sing, but maybe not as easy to live out. 

So many times we find ourselves saying that... but are we living it, and truly believing that God's grace is enough?

It is easy when thing are good: school is good, family is good, weather is nice, gas is cheaper, The office is on (hey.. it's good show), and ect. 

But what about when the world is not such a happy place? School is rough, your parents get a divorce, gas is $5 a gallon, your confidence is down, you are sick, and life is rough. That is when you really find out if you are relying on God's grace or not. Tough times seem to bring out the true person, and what that person has their trust in. 

So

Is God's grace enough for you life?? You can sing about it all day, but singing it and living it are not the same. I want to live a life held by God's grace. I am not there yet, but that is where I want to be. 

Going to Charleston

  In about an hour I (along with about 50 others) will be heading to Charleston for the weekend. This is all to build our community. It is going to be a relaxing weekend filled with fellowship, food, football, beach time, and worship. 

   I am excited about having some time just to sit and relax. The last few weeks have been long and stressful... I think my brain actually stopped working when I finished my Greek test this morning (which was possibly.. no, definitely the hardest test ever). 

I am also excited about Sunday morning. This will be my second week leading worship at Connection Fellowship. I think it is going to be great fun. 

ok, time to finish packing for the trip. 

It's all Greek to me...

I am really understanding what that phrase means... it seems that I have spent many-a-night with my Greek workbook, text book, lexicon, and notes trying to understand my homework (I have understand it before I can do it...). I feel like I am scrambling to keep my head above water. I have not drowned, but I am also not sitting on a float sipping lemonade. It seems that as soon as I understand something, we add something else.

It is not the worst thing ever... I really am enjoying the class. When I get something, it is such a good feeling. But when I am lost (like last night...) it can be a little stressful. We have our second test Friday; that is where the rubber will meet the road. Hopefully I will do better than I did on my last test...

I have practice tonight at Connection Fellowship. I will be leading worship there this semester. I am excited about this opportunity to work with new people and for God to use me and stretch me.

Something good at 8 AM

I was in class this morning (at 8:00...). I would normally not be excited about an 8:00 class, but this one is really good (and it only meets once a week).

We are reading through and discussing "Don't Waste your Like" by John Piper. After watching him on DVD talking about the book, we broke up into small groups to read through some verses and discuss. The idea of that chapter was that the cross of Christ is the blazing center of our passion. As we were talking, we read 2 Corinthians 5:21- "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

In church, we talk about sin being nailed to the cross; we may even have a cross in the front that you come and nail something to. But there is so much more than an analogy here. It is not only that our "sin is nailed to the cross" , it is that Jesus was nailed to a cross, and our sin was placed on Him. He who had no sin had our most horrible filth placed on Him, not just figuratively, but actually. Jesus became our sin.

That should never get old.

What was once offense has become our anchor of hope. That is something truly amazing.

God loved us enough to send His son to earth to become our filth and sin... It is hard to even fathom that idea.

That is

the kind

of love a lost world is looking for...


Are you living with your Passion centered around the cross of Christ?


just something to think about