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In a time when cd's are becoming outdated, why would you want a record player??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