Oh Life...

It's hard to believe that another year of school has passed by the wayside already. It feels like it started as soon as it ended, and yet so many things have changed this year. I conquered two semesters of 19 credit hours. I played in a PR band this whole year, which was hectic at times. Waiting Room was Amazing this year! I love those people to death and I'm so glad that I have great friendships with them! I find myself at a new church and quite frankly I love it there! I love the people there and I see a passion in the leadership that I think is so important. Which is all very exciting.

Using the Lord's name in vain...

How many of us really think about this topic? Do we only apply this to people saying GD? Is this the worst offense for using the Lord's name in vain?

I ask these questions because I feel like in the six months or so I have seen people and experienced people who claim for something to be of the Lord's will for their life and they act like it is complete and total truth and they speak with such conviction about it. Then later down the road something happens, a new opportunity presents itself (A relationship, a better job offer, or just something better in general). All of the sudden that becomes God's new will for their life. My question is then which of these things is really what God wanted you to do? I'm not saying that God cannot use your decisions for good, but what I'm saying is why do people peg these things as God's will?

Just a thought.

Learning

Tonight I went to a church with some friends and sat on a panel to answer questions for a group of junior high kids, most questions that were asked were silly, but there was a few serious ones... but we started talking about God's sovereignty and how that works with what people call "free will" Does God choose us, or do we choose Him?....

This is a pretty deep topic for junior highers and I most things kind of went over their heads, but it really made me think... and honestly I think that God is better decision maker for my own life than I am... the reason that I say this is because He has pulled some people out of my life that really hurt me and all He has done is put better people in my life since then. There are so many friends in my life that I am thankful for their patience and the wisdom that they have.

To my best friend Andrew Smith, Thank you for being there for me during so many differents times and just really being like my brother to me. I'm glad we've had serious talks, all the laughs, dirty jokes, food, and video games. I just pray for many more years of your friendship and brotherhood.

There are several other friends that have always just been awesome friends to me and I have learned so much from you all and for that I'm thankful!

Also to all my new friends, you guys are great and I hope that our friendships continue to grow into something that is just as awesome in its own right!

But most of all I'm thankful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who not only paid for my sins and everyone else's, but for the wisdom and guidance of Him and for Him removing those things from me that were not of His will and Plan, Thank You Lord. Lead on Jesus, Lead on.

I leave you with lyrics,

Beautiful Exchange- Hillsong Live.. actually look them up ha

What do I really have to say?

I start with that title because it makes me think of whats really important.

No true knowledge about life I have is something profound and new that I came up with, but the TRUE knowledge has come from God showing me and teaching me what this life is really about.

So here is what I have learned...

1. Choosing to really Follow Jesus Christ was the best decision I've ever made.

2. Learning how to submit to His WILL can be the hardest thing, especially when you think you know what is best.... you're lying to yourself. haha.

3. He uses you even when you feel like you are falling short and not holding up your end of the bargain... the truth is we are never able to do it "all" and hold up our end of the bargain. Example: Sending His only Son to die for us, because on our own we would never be able to achieve salvation.

4. We serve a God who is much BIGGER and POWERFUL THAN WE WILL EVER UNDERSTAND!

Words used to describe our God

Sovereign- having supreme rank, power, or authority; supreme; preeminent; indisputable; greatest in degree; utmost or extreme.

Holy- entitled to worship or veneration as or is if sacred.

Awesome- inspiring awe. (Awe-an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful.)

5. Serving God with the talents He has given me are way more meaningful to me than anything that I could ever conjure up on my own.

6. Always trying to have a heart that is open to Him!

7. Listening to Him is way more important than telling Him what you think is important.

So far this is what I know that God has taught me about life so far.

So have you ever noticed that you are drawn to certain things? I know that there certain things that catch my eye and i don't always have an explaination as to why this is, but there are some pictures of things that i really like.

The first picture that i would like to look at is an old album cover of a CD released by my church movement forever ago; the CD was entitled "Your Love Reaches Me" and also the name of one of my favorite worship songs.

Lyrics:

You are the fountain of my life And in your light I find my reason('Cause) Your love reaches to the stars Even the great deep (And) Your love reaches to this heart And it makes me sing Your love reaches me It's what I needI t's what I need Your love reaches me It's what I need It's what I need Oh Lord, how priceless Is your unending love Both high and low Find refuge in your shadow

but at the end the singer says this, "Your love reaches me like the rivers run to the sea" that just makes me think of a river cutting through miles of rock and stone and dirt just to get to that dry basin which becomes the sea in us that fills up with his love.

As for the picture, it's simple not complex. We shall come before Him and bow because we want to honor Him and we bring something of beauty and worth before because He deserves our best.

Higher

For unto us a Saviour came Amazing grace that takes the weight His name is hope for all the earth His name now and beyond this life God with us And You shall be called Almighty God And we shall declare Your name is higher, higher Jesus Christ Your name is glorious Your name is greater, sweeter In all the earth, higher, higher Now unto me, the Christ revealed For you so loved and love me still So great and greatly to be praised are You So great and greatly to be praised I owe You my life I will worship You forever I owe You my life I will live to bring You praises...

I listened to this song today... There are parts that I couldn't just get out of my head, like "For unto us a Saviour came Amazing grace that takes the weight," the important part is unto us, it is the fact that He came to us! The other part is "His name is hope for all the earth," not just just people in the United States, not just Christians, not just everybody alive today, but all the earth's hope is only found in Him! So many people are concerned about good causes and good intentions, but if our hope was truly in Him would we really have to worry about causes and intentions? No, but there are so many problems with things because so many people's hope really aren't based in Him! I think its ironic that so many people put their "hope" in Barack Obama and the government because in the end he's only a politician and he has a agenda of his own. He's not the answer he's just a person like you and me. This isn't a political rant this is just a statement of where people look to for the hope.

I love the end of the song because we really do owe our lives to Him because of what He was willing to do for us... So many people over look that... think about it.

Inside the lines.

have you ever seriously thought about the decisions you make? or why you might choose one thing over another? something I realized is that I have an easier time making decisions with tough things, its not like I rush into things, but more so where I stand. I realize that a lot of people are not in place where I'm at and that some people will choose certain things because thats whats "comfortable" for them even if they don't realize it or won't admit it. So what if the trail is long or you can't see exactly whats coming around the next turn? thats part of life... NOT KNOWING! But you have to have FAITH and TRUST that its going to work on in the end... I really don't like when people are so shortsighted because thats like saying I'm only willing to go this far(draws a line in the dirt). So my question is who really wants to live their life like that? inside the lines....