So I got back from vacation a couple hours ago.
It was pretty sweet. Relaxing time with 80% of the family. Nothing major happened except for a few random things some frustrating some just interesting, but the best thing that happened had nothing to do with me.
I like watching people. Sometimes it worries me, but most of the time I like to watch people scurry around to whatever they have planned as if it's the most important thing in the world. You can learn a lot about a person just by watching them and seeing how the react to things. During vacation there were a couple parts of conversation that I heard that really stood out to me.
The first was in Niagara falls in one of the gift shops. Two employees were standing there talking about.. well I don't really know what they were talking about. All I heard was "because the Bible says." Pretty sweet.
The second was just outside of Buffalo, New York at an Applebee's at 10:00 at night. We were leaving after having dinner. Why we were having dinner that late is another story entirely, but as we were leaving, in the last booth before the door, a girl, probably about my age, was talking with her parents, and again all I heard was "We've been talking about how we present the gospel."
Something I've been noticing more and more is how God has been opening my eyes and ears to the work he is doing. a couple months ago I probably wouldn't have heard what those people said, or even if I did it wouldn't have ingrained itself in my mind like it did. I feel like God has big things planned. That He's just starting to get us ready.
At camp during the second term I was working with 9 and 10 year olds. A lot of fun, but you typically don't get as many opportunities to enter into deep conversation with them about their spiritual lives. On the last day of camp literally less than an hour before their parents come to pick them up, one of the guys, Fox (yes his real name is Fox), asked if he could share his testimony. If that wasn't awesome enough, after he was done everyone started talking about God and what He's meant to them and asking questions and answering each others questions, and the best part about it was neither myself nor my co-counselor had to say a word. We didn't have to lead the discussion. They lead it on their own. I was so overwhelmed by the glory of God during that time that I had to walk away for a little just praising God. If that's not a sign then I don't know what is.
Get ready for a revolution.
Because of his grace and for his glory.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Pushing the Envelope
So I was driving back from Erie today from visiting my sister, and I passed at least six cops on the road. I don't know why there were that many, but after the first couple I watched my speed closer which got me thinking about how fast we drive.
I'm not talking about speeding and why we obey some laws but not others, but have you ever wondered why it's standard to at least drive the speed limit. Isn't it just the maximum speed your supposed to drive not the exact speed everyone needs to be going? I understand we all have places to be and sometimes we need to get there in a certain time, but we don't always need to go that fast sometimes it's nice to slow down and enjoy the drive.
We're constantly doing this. Seeing how far we can push our body. Testing how quickly we can get things done. Seeing how much skin we can show without being inappropriate or looking like a slut. Constantly pushing the limits.
Why?
What do we gain from pushing the boundaries? From testing what we can get away with?
That's pretty much all I wanted to say.
Because of his grace and for his glory.
I'm not talking about speeding and why we obey some laws but not others, but have you ever wondered why it's standard to at least drive the speed limit. Isn't it just the maximum speed your supposed to drive not the exact speed everyone needs to be going? I understand we all have places to be and sometimes we need to get there in a certain time, but we don't always need to go that fast sometimes it's nice to slow down and enjoy the drive.
We're constantly doing this. Seeing how far we can push our body. Testing how quickly we can get things done. Seeing how much skin we can show without being inappropriate or looking like a slut. Constantly pushing the limits.
Why?
What do we gain from pushing the boundaries? From testing what we can get away with?
That's pretty much all I wanted to say.
Because of his grace and for his glory.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Right but Wrong
I just realized how long it's been since I've last posted. It's not like there hasn't been anything going on. Tons of things have gone on/are going on. I've just either been at camp without a computer or not really wanting to write. Anyways I'm writing now.
Camp has been incredible this summer. God has really moved in big ways, and has revealed more about himself to me. Sometimes I think God likes showing off.
One of the things he's shown me is how when I'm in tune with God and pursuing him with everything I am then often my desires coincide with his will. I'll use a couple examples to explain a little, and let you know what's been going on the past month.
First, I want to go back to Africa, probably more than anything else, but I had no clue how or when. Well I still don't know how or when, but when I've had the chance to slow down and listen for God he's been pulling my heart towards Africa. Several times I've had to leave my cabin because God was just breaking my heart over everything that's going on over there, and I didn't want my campers to think anything was wrong because I was crying.
I don't want to go back to Africa to try to fix everything over there. I want to go because of how close to God I was there and the love for the people I've interacted with there, the love that God has placed within me. God breaking my heart over the poverty and corruption and war in Africa, I believe, was a sign that he wants me there. Maybe not now, but soon.
By now your probably thinking what "Right but Wrong" has to do with anything I'm writing about. It's been my experience recently that when we think we know what God has planned for us we may be right , but we may also be wrong. God may want us at the college we're at. He may want us to give up everything we have and move to a third world country, but we probably think he plans that for us for some reason, but he has another reason, another purpose in mind.
Take Jesus for example. A lot of people thought he was some political leader and king coming to overthrow the roman empire and reestablish the Jewish kingdom. They were right, but they were also wrong.
God may want me to go back to Africa, but he may not want me to go back to Malawi. I feel like I'm being called there for a long period of time. Like a couple years, but it may be longer or shorter, and I have no clue as to what God's specific purpose for me there is.
I guess I'm kind of rambling and not tying my thoughts together very well, but I want to share one more thing.
I've really struggled with whether it's in God's plan for me to have a wife, or even if I want to have a wife, but God placed a girl in my life. Okay so we'll probably never get married or even date, but she helped show me why marriage is so important and why I hope it's part of his plan for me.
One night a group of people from camp were getting together to watch a movie outside with a projector and screen. So we all got our sleeping bags , and everything setup, but we couldn't get it to work, so we just hung out and talked, I spent several hours just talking with her, the girl I was talking about before. It was amazing. Just being able to lay there and talk and share our hearts. That's all I want from marriage. To be totally open and insecure with another person, but I don't need a wife for that. I've always felt like I don't need a wife or many times even want one. I may be right, but I'm more than likely also wrong. While some people never marry there is a need placed within us to have interaction and deep meaningful connections with other people. God didn't create us to be alone. More to come later.
Because of his grace and for his glory.
Camp has been incredible this summer. God has really moved in big ways, and has revealed more about himself to me. Sometimes I think God likes showing off.
One of the things he's shown me is how when I'm in tune with God and pursuing him with everything I am then often my desires coincide with his will. I'll use a couple examples to explain a little, and let you know what's been going on the past month.
First, I want to go back to Africa, probably more than anything else, but I had no clue how or when. Well I still don't know how or when, but when I've had the chance to slow down and listen for God he's been pulling my heart towards Africa. Several times I've had to leave my cabin because God was just breaking my heart over everything that's going on over there, and I didn't want my campers to think anything was wrong because I was crying.
I don't want to go back to Africa to try to fix everything over there. I want to go because of how close to God I was there and the love for the people I've interacted with there, the love that God has placed within me. God breaking my heart over the poverty and corruption and war in Africa, I believe, was a sign that he wants me there. Maybe not now, but soon.
By now your probably thinking what "Right but Wrong" has to do with anything I'm writing about. It's been my experience recently that when we think we know what God has planned for us we may be right , but we may also be wrong. God may want us at the college we're at. He may want us to give up everything we have and move to a third world country, but we probably think he plans that for us for some reason, but he has another reason, another purpose in mind.
Take Jesus for example. A lot of people thought he was some political leader and king coming to overthrow the roman empire and reestablish the Jewish kingdom. They were right, but they were also wrong.
God may want me to go back to Africa, but he may not want me to go back to Malawi. I feel like I'm being called there for a long period of time. Like a couple years, but it may be longer or shorter, and I have no clue as to what God's specific purpose for me there is.
I guess I'm kind of rambling and not tying my thoughts together very well, but I want to share one more thing.
I've really struggled with whether it's in God's plan for me to have a wife, or even if I want to have a wife, but God placed a girl in my life. Okay so we'll probably never get married or even date, but she helped show me why marriage is so important and why I hope it's part of his plan for me.
One night a group of people from camp were getting together to watch a movie outside with a projector and screen. So we all got our sleeping bags , and everything setup, but we couldn't get it to work, so we just hung out and talked, I spent several hours just talking with her, the girl I was talking about before. It was amazing. Just being able to lay there and talk and share our hearts. That's all I want from marriage. To be totally open and insecure with another person, but I don't need a wife for that. I've always felt like I don't need a wife or many times even want one. I may be right, but I'm more than likely also wrong. While some people never marry there is a need placed within us to have interaction and deep meaningful connections with other people. God didn't create us to be alone. More to come later.
Because of his grace and for his glory.
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