Please Pray

At the end of worship this morning, we were told Mario Figueroa, a sophomore at OVU, died in an ATV accident on Saturday. The congregation was totally shocked about it. I can't even imagine what his family is going through.

Please keep Mario's family and everyone at OVU in your prayers.

Love

Christ's love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do.
2 Corinthians 5:14

You know, sometimes I just need a reminder of how much God loves me. How He unconditionally loves me no matter what I may do. No matter how many times I sin and go against His will, He still loves me, and not any less than He did before. How blessed I am to have a Father who loves me so much that He'd lay down His life for me.
And God doesn't love any person on this earth more than the next person. God loves you just as much as He loves me. God loves the Baptists just as much as He loves the Catholics. God loves the Jews, Hindus, and Muslims just as much as He loves Christians. God loves all the terrorists on this planet just as much as He loves you. Kind of crazy when you put it in that perspective, isn't it?
God sees us all the same. Mere human beings that need his mercy and grace on them. And He's just crazy about us, and so madly in love with us.

And I find myself wanting to love others just like God loves me. And I know I'll never be able to love someone as much as God loves me, but I can love to the best of my ability. Of course it won't be easy. Jesus didn't say following Him would be easy. If anyone told you that your life would be perfect after you became a Christian, you were clearly misinformed. You're going to have more trials and tribulations because you've decided to partner with Christ to make this world into what He's always dreamed it of being. But I'm ready for the challenge. Jesus' love is enough for me. No matter how many times I'll slip up on this journey I'm on, (which will be billions of times) God by my side and holding my hand every step of the way.

So, here's my challenge to anyone who actually reads this silly blog of mine. Love with no limitations and expectations. Love your enemies. Love as much as humanly possible, and then a little more. Love when it's not the easiest thing to do or what's expected.

I'm excited to see what this world can be like if we just loved one another just as Christ has shown love on us.

Much Love

"He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God. God is love. Therfore love. Without distinction, without calculation, without procrastination, love. Lavish it upon the poor, where it is very easy; especially upon the rich, who often need it most; most of all upon out equals, where it is very difficult, and for whom perhaps we do the least of all."
- Henry Drummond

Storm by Lifehouse

how long have I
been in this storm
so overwhelmed by the ocean's shapeless form
water's getting harder to tread
with these waves crashing over my head

if I could just see you
everything will be alright
if I'd see you
the storminess will turn to light

and I will walk on water
and you will catch me if I fall
and I will get lost into your eyes
and everything will be alright
and everything will be alright

I know you didn't
bring me out here to drown
so why am I 10 feet under and upside down
barely surviving has become my purpose
cause I'm so used to living underneath the surface

if I could just see you
everything will be alright
if I see you
the storminess will turn to light

and I will walk on water
and you will catch me if I fall
and I will get lost into your eyes
and everything will be alright

and I will walk on water
you will catch me if I fall
and I will get lost into your eyes
and everything will be alright
I know everything is alright
everything's alright

Patience..

Patience is a virtue. And something that I lack. My Dad on the other hand probably has the most patience I've ever seen in someone. I'm jealous of him for that. I didn't inherit that gene from him, unfortunately. I've been really uptight the past few days, don't ask me why, I don't even know. But the little things drive me up the wall. These are the times when patience would be a great thing to have. So, for the one or two of you who actually read this, pray for me that some of my Dad's patience might rub off on me. And maybe that I wouldn't get so irritated with things. Anyway, that's it. Just needed to get something of my chest.

Much Love

I should be working on a History assignment, but I thought I'd do this instead. So, I'm just going to type whatever comes to mind, I suppose.

School has been great. I'm really loving it. I was so afraid I wouldn't like it, but it's great. I think it's a great transition for Rachel and me. The teachers are fantastic, too. The classes are a lot harder there though. Midterms are tomorrow. (How crazy is that?) My grades aren't going to be so good. I'll deal with it. And try harder is all I can do, I guess.

Although school is going so well, I still have these thoughts running in the back of my mind about maybe not making the best decision. What if I'm just taking the easy way out being around christians constantly? I feel like I'm just staying comfortable all the time, which I don't like. I know when I was at Jackson, I had opportunities to reach out and be Jesus to the people there, but I was too lame to be that to them, which I totally regret now. And I'm starting to think maybe if I had gone to PHS, actually I know, I would've had those same opportunities, and maybe I'd take those chances. I know just being at Jackson may have made a difference, but I still always wonder who I helped, in a good way, if anyone.
So, all this is to say I don't know if I'll ever have these opportunities. Actually, just now they won't be right smack in front of my face and I'll have to go out looking for them. This stuff just keeps on getting more and more complicated, the more that I actually get into the Word and reading books about christianity and such.

I suppose this is enough for now. I'll probably update tomorrow or the next day, or the next day. You get the idea.

Much Love

School and Things on My Mind

School is going well. I hate school in general, but I'll live. I'm making more friends, and the classes aren't totally bad. They're a bit harder which I wasn't expecting. I'll adjust. Of course, I've had to just ignore most of what they're teaching in some classes, because, well, I just don't agree with it at all. And the Juniors found out exactly what Jesus is going to look like. Hilarious.

Here are some things on my mind.

I don't shop at (or atleast try not to anyway) Gap anymore because I know children make their clothes in sweatshops. I know almost every other clothing store does that too, but I don't see how that makes it OK to buy their clothes if I know it's not right. I don't want children to have to work in sweatshops to give me clothes. If right now we can't change everything, I atleast want to see some change in the treatment that they work in. It's just not right. And yes, if those children weren't working in those sweatshops their families will probably have no source of income. But, I believe this is far from God's dream for the world he created.

I've seen a video that talks about how Americans spend $18 billion on cosmetics a year, and it would take about that much to feed everyone on the planet. Some people made a valid point by saying that if we stopped buying cosmetics, those people working in that industry would be out of a job and would go hungry, as well. That may be true, but I don't want this to be our reality. And, I don't think the point of the video was just to stop buying cosmetics, but to watch how we're spending (or wasting) our money. We have been blessed to live in a country where we have money to buy things like food and clothes, and yes, cosmetics, too. But with this blessing comes responsibility to care for and bless our brothers and sisters around the world.

Children dying every five seconds from starvation and children working in sweatshops is not the reality God wants for the world He loves and cares about.

Let's be the change and help the Kingdom of God break through in amazing ways. I don't know how we'll do it, but we'll find a way.

Much Love

One of the Funniest Things & DC*B

I'm sure we've all heard ministers get their words mixed up, but this may be my favorite.

It gets me everytime..

Oh, and to get a sneak peak at David Crowder Band's new CD "Remedy" here.
It sounds like it's going to be another great one by them.


I'll update about other things on my mind these days later.

Much Love