Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, probably my favorite holiday of the year. I mean what is there not to like? You have tons of food, you're with your family, you have tons of food, everyone slows down if only for one day to think about what is really important in their lives and to give thanks for that. Oh and did I mention you have tons of food? As I sit here I think about all the ways that God has blessed me in the past few months and if I sat here and wrote them all down I'd still be here tomorrow, so I'm going to just give thanks for a few of them.
First, I must thank God for bringing me back out of the darkness. Many of you may be reading this now and thinking what in the world is wrong with him, or what is he talking about, and that's ok because I'll explain. Over the past year I had started to do things that weren't really very good at all. I was trying to fill a hole within me, I knew that I was longing for something but couldn't figure out what that was. So I began to hang out with the wrong crowd and try some things that I thought would fill that gap. The sad part of the story is that I knew all along what would really fill that hole within me and I just didn't look to him (God that is). However God blessed me with two of his messengers and they brought me back to where I needed to be. So I want to say thank you to Derek and Reid for showing me that light again. I don't think I can thank them enough for showing me God's love each and everyday. So thank you guys.
Second, I want to thank God for bringing me everyone at the Round Rock Church of Christ. They have embraced me as their own and helped me with whatever I need. I love all of you guys and girls in the youth group and hope that we can continue to grow together in Christ's love. Many of you are probably thinking wow, why is he writing this, get off your soap box already lol. Well I'm writing this because I want everyone to know just how amazing these people are that have come into my life recently, and how God has blessed me through them. However most of all I'm writing this to set an example. I know I'm not really worthy of setting much of an example, especially by saying this on the internet where anyone can read it. But I just want to step out there and write down a couple things God has done for me and the ways that he has blessed me. I believe that many times we don't really stop and give praise to God, and thank him for all of the amazing things that he has done for us recently. So as Thanksgiving comes tomorrow stop and thank God for all that he has done for you. Then make it a habit to not just do it on Thanksgiving, but praise God and thank him daily for all that he does for you! God Bless and Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Today
As I sat down to write this I didn't know what I was going to write about. All I knew is that I felt like writing, so I thought I would sit down and see what came out. But then as I sat down in my chair I looked out my front window and saw the beautiful day....
It's just stopped raining, and the sun is beginning to peak out from behind the clouds. You can catch a ray of sunshine shooting out at a random moment lighting the day, but only for a second then disappearing again behind the clouds. The wind is howling proclaiming victory as it has brought with it a cold front (it's now only 69 degrees lol). As I continue to look out my window I see the different varieties of trees and the grasses and plants and even catch a glimpse of a squirrel running across the lawn.
These are things that I see everyday. I walk past the same trees and over that grass when I leave for school every morning. Yet just now I've seen them in a different light. I've recognized them for what they are, God's creations! I sit here and wonder how anyone could ever believe that all of these things happened by "chance" or "accident", that a big "bang" simply occurred and billions of years later here we are. These people must have not seen the things that I have seen. They couldn't have seen a Missouri fall with all the leaves of the trees changing color to form the most radiant color pallet imaginable. They could never have experienced snow falling on Christmas in Port Aransas (yes this really happened I've got pictures), seeing palm trees and cactus covered with snow, and little children taking pictures of snowmen on the beach with waves crashing in the background. They must never have seen the streams of Montana or the Tundra of Alaska as the elk move across the open land. They could never have seen pictures of the rain-forest in all it's beauty and of the coral reef, with waters so clear you can see as far as your eyes will let you below. When I imagine these pictures and memories I don't understand how anyone could see anything besides God's amazing power and his love. That he would give us such an amazing place to live. The complexities of this world can be described as nothing less than awe-inspiring. These are things that were created by an awesome all powerful loving God not by a chance experiment billions of years ago. So the next time you walk outside, look around you and thank the one who gave us all of this. Thank God for his power and his love I know I will.
It's just stopped raining, and the sun is beginning to peak out from behind the clouds. You can catch a ray of sunshine shooting out at a random moment lighting the day, but only for a second then disappearing again behind the clouds. The wind is howling proclaiming victory as it has brought with it a cold front (it's now only 69 degrees lol). As I continue to look out my window I see the different varieties of trees and the grasses and plants and even catch a glimpse of a squirrel running across the lawn.
These are things that I see everyday. I walk past the same trees and over that grass when I leave for school every morning. Yet just now I've seen them in a different light. I've recognized them for what they are, God's creations! I sit here and wonder how anyone could ever believe that all of these things happened by "chance" or "accident", that a big "bang" simply occurred and billions of years later here we are. These people must have not seen the things that I have seen. They couldn't have seen a Missouri fall with all the leaves of the trees changing color to form the most radiant color pallet imaginable. They could never have experienced snow falling on Christmas in Port Aransas (yes this really happened I've got pictures), seeing palm trees and cactus covered with snow, and little children taking pictures of snowmen on the beach with waves crashing in the background. They must never have seen the streams of Montana or the Tundra of Alaska as the elk move across the open land. They could never have seen pictures of the rain-forest in all it's beauty and of the coral reef, with waters so clear you can see as far as your eyes will let you below. When I imagine these pictures and memories I don't understand how anyone could see anything besides God's amazing power and his love. That he would give us such an amazing place to live. The complexities of this world can be described as nothing less than awe-inspiring. These are things that were created by an awesome all powerful loving God not by a chance experiment billions of years ago. So the next time you walk outside, look around you and thank the one who gave us all of this. Thank God for his power and his love I know I will.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Time Well Spent
Last night I went to see Jeremy Camp perform, and it was amazing. The music that he sang was so inspiring. Yet one of the things that has been on my mind since last night was not something he sang but, something that he said. He was talking about our relationship with Jesus and how sometimes, we get so busy with our ministries or so caught up in church activities that we fall away from the thing that is most important: Communing With Jesus. This really made me ask the question; am I spending enough time with God? Jeremy put it like this and I think his words are far better than my own he said, that yes we may spend time praying and doing a devotion, but are we ever "on our faces" with the Lord? On our faces? At first I thought hmmm, but the more I thought about it the more I realized what it meant (or at least what it means to me). When was the last time that we were praying and we were so overcome in our prayers and in our walk with God that we simply fell to our knees and saw his love for everything it is. When was the last time that we really comprehended the idea of just how painful it was for Jesus to come and die the way he did, and just how much God loves us for sending his son to do that. I think that often we become so overwhelmed with activities, and not necessarily bad ones, that we may lose sight of that fact of how much God loves us and how much he just wants us to fall on our faces and be with him. He wants us to stop and take the time to not just pray but to be intimate with him because he loves us and wants to be intimate with us. We are his children and just as a father here on earth wants to spend time with his children so does our father in heaven.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
The Church
Have you ever been to visit a church and it just felt akward? Almost like you don't belong? I mean yes, there was a nicely dressed person standing at the front door passing out what looked like a flyer and they smiled and yes there were even little cups of juice to drink and some fruit to snack on. But what about the other things going on. The the man at the front door followed you with his eyes and then whispered to someone as you left the entry way, and the groups of people standing talking who will occasionally look up just to see if it really is true that they haven't seen you before. Then you bump into a pastor who takes you and introduces you to so and so who's been going to this church for what must be forever and they carry on the typical akward conversation about how you are, and where you live. Asking you questions like "Do you have any kids?" "Oh well that's nice" is the response you get wheather you answered "yes" or "no".
This all leads up to my real question. When did the church become so inward focused? When did the church decide that it's ok to just invite my friends everynow and then? I want to know when the church became a place for believers to just "hang out". You can walk up and down the aisle of any given church and find people gossiping and going on about their weeks. It's almost like a highschool; you have all of your different groups, and they only interact with one another. You have your popular kids and your preppy kids, and the jocks, and the cheerleaders, and the dancers, and your punk kids...oh wait that can't be, do we as a church even allow punk kids through the door without giving them a wierd look? Jesus said "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matthew 9:13), and is it not time that the church began to call on sinners? Is it not time that we take a step back and look at ourselves and the church around us and just ask this question "Are we spreading the gospel" and I don't mean to those who already believe but I mean to those who have sinned in the most terrible ways. Are we as a church willing to not just take in, but openly ask to come someone who looks different, or acts different, or who has committed a sin that we find terrible? Are we willing to spread the word of Jesus Christ to everyone that we meet? Are we willing to go into that place that no one else wants to go to show God's light? Or, are we going to continue to go to church three times a week and talk with our friends, and learn a new Bible verse, and sing a new song. I pray that we all can answer yes, that we are ready to spread the message and love of Jesus Christ to everyone. I leave you with this final thought, if we believe that someone is so bad that they cannot come to church then how are they ever going to change? How are they ever going to see the light and the word and most of all the love of Jesus if we don't bring them into the church and show them?
This all leads up to my real question. When did the church become so inward focused? When did the church decide that it's ok to just invite my friends everynow and then? I want to know when the church became a place for believers to just "hang out". You can walk up and down the aisle of any given church and find people gossiping and going on about their weeks. It's almost like a highschool; you have all of your different groups, and they only interact with one another. You have your popular kids and your preppy kids, and the jocks, and the cheerleaders, and the dancers, and your punk kids...oh wait that can't be, do we as a church even allow punk kids through the door without giving them a wierd look? Jesus said "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matthew 9:13), and is it not time that the church began to call on sinners? Is it not time that we take a step back and look at ourselves and the church around us and just ask this question "Are we spreading the gospel" and I don't mean to those who already believe but I mean to those who have sinned in the most terrible ways. Are we as a church willing to not just take in, but openly ask to come someone who looks different, or acts different, or who has committed a sin that we find terrible? Are we willing to spread the word of Jesus Christ to everyone that we meet? Are we willing to go into that place that no one else wants to go to show God's light? Or, are we going to continue to go to church three times a week and talk with our friends, and learn a new Bible verse, and sing a new song. I pray that we all can answer yes, that we are ready to spread the message and love of Jesus Christ to everyone. I leave you with this final thought, if we believe that someone is so bad that they cannot come to church then how are they ever going to change? How are they ever going to see the light and the word and most of all the love of Jesus if we don't bring them into the church and show them?
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