My ode to Thanksgiving Break

I've done nothing...

it's a love hate relationship.

I come home with good intentions of exercise and homework.

I come home to family time.

i come home to eating too much food.

Is there more i could do?
Sure seems like it.

Do i want to kick myself in the pants and call myself a "lazy, good for nothing Christian who doesn't work hard enough, talk to my parents enough, or discipline myself enough?... all the time!

Is that the answer? Maybe...probably not!

Don't get me wrong. Discipline is key. But Christians aren't built off works.

Oswald Chambers says this, "Beware of allowing yourself to think that the shallow concerns of life are not ordained of God; they are as much of God as the profound. It is not your devotion to God that makes you refuse to be shallow; but your wish to impress other people witht he fact that you are a spiritual prig. Beware of posing as a profound person; God became a Baby. To be shallow is not a sign of being wicked...our safeguard is in the shallow things...the shallow amenities of life, eating and drinking, walking and talking, are all ordained by God.'So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.'1 Corinthians 10:31"

I did nothing?

Rest

Contemplation

family time

alone time

and homework in time.

i've done something...

I HAVE GLORIFIED GOD!!!

CAUTION: Don't get caught up in legalism


Thanks: to shopping with mom, My Utmost For His Highest, and Breaking The Bondage of Legalism

Contemplations of life

My thoughts on life. I was talking to my friend Greg and I loved it because he was so apt on knowing truth and what happiness really looked like and when he could be completely real with himself. What would it look like if I was completely real with myself and searched for truth? I would stop helping out where in ministries I was forced...then I would instead start trying to find spots where I could interact with nonChristians... a basketball gym in the winter time, Beat Nix, etc. somewhere, anywhere I could talk and try and help people beyond IWU. I would start another bible study/Know your faith group in Hodson that would meet weekly and we would talk. I would ago to bed at 2 and wake up at 8-9AM. I would understand my roommate and how to help him. I would be able to actually care/pray/nurture my guys. I would do the homework I cared about and I would definitely complete and finish the book I’m writing well! I would speak in chapel on the book 2nd Semester. I will have gone snow boarding once, trace will have visited, I will go to Cedar Point that week before I graduate or soon after, I will visit CA sometime soon, I will have bought steve a sword, I will have learned some Money Management Skillz. I would know what I wanted in a wife and if nothing else know that I lived my senior year without regrets as to how I acted with girls, how I did ministry, and how I enjoyed it. I would be physically active(personal need), wholehearted into my ministry(good for me and people I’m helping), more disciplined financially and just in general(needed for future), and God... God would be my answer. I would love to read His Word like every day it would seem like it was the first time I heard it and I couldn’t wait for more. Time would be an irrelevant factor when it came to listening or serving the Lord. God would be my reason for why I lived the way I did. God would be my security in the choices I would make. God would give me wisdom or the resources to know how to help those close to me. Lord give me wisdom. How do I minister and give myself to those in need without neglecting my family and those close to me? Please continue to surround me with people who want to love on those around them. Help me not to feel constrained by my relationships. Help them to be freeing, nurturing, and encouraging. Lord, help this prayer, these thoughts, to become a reality if they are your will. My Father, which art in Heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory. Forever. Amen. Lord I trust you to act. Do your thing.

I feel sick.

i went 100 miles per hour this last week or at least as fast as a senior in college can go and my body crashed. Luckily i didn't have anything planned this weekend so it is more low key, but headaches and being stuffed up is no fun. Either way, here i am back at the library somewhat procrastinating but getting to work to.

Procrastination

enough said
This is my shout out to all those who thrive under pressure!!! Yes, it is 5am and I have a 6 page paper due in 5 hours and I LOVE IT!!! Actually I hate myself right now, and yet I know I am going to get it done, so much so, that I am writing this pointless time consuming journal just to distract my mind for that much longer before I get started. My question, Is there any ideal job for this? Weather man is out …I don’t think people would appreciate getting tornado warnings as late as I turn in my papers. Doctor is out …I don’t think the patient’s family would appreciate me waiting to see how close he can get to flat-lining before I save him, just for the thrill of it. Stunt devil… I would lose something, that’s fore sure. Sports player …too risky and way too close for comfort. The carefree friend that causes everyone else to slack off and not care because he never seems to have do any work or any thing of importance besides enjoy himself… YES! As to how I will make money, I am still at a loss.

What is Humility in the Midst of Success?

I wrote this for my floor earlier this year:
Is it knowing and saying that the other team might be better even though you beat them? But what if you are truly better than the opponent? Is it knowing you are all equal as humans and that competition doesn’t matter? Maybe… but we are guys… competition matters! Humility by the Bible’s definition from what I see goes something like this: Don’t think you are above God and don’t think that you know better than others. Treat others as though they are better than yourself and love them as you love yourself. Competition isn’t against each other, but against Satan, evil, and the evil he has caused in others in this world. Pride is the antonym and it is always bad”(Philippians 2, Titus 3:2, 1 Peter 5:5) Another way I have heard humility defined is: “Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, but it is thinking of yourself less.”
What is humility in a time of success? It’s not just an action but an action that comes from an attitude. It’s realizing that success isn’t just for yourself. It’s realizing that above the priority of winning is the priority to help others. What victory is there in winning an intramural championship if walls between friends are built up, feelings are hurt, and bitterness is formed? About now, those of you who are competitive are grimacing and thinking, “Come on, just let me be competitive and enjoy it. None of this play nice stuff.” But wait! We know as Christians PRIDE is not something to mess with! So I put it out there again,
What is humility in the midst of success? Maybe it’s giving glory where it is truly due the bold statement of saying, “I didn’t do anything special, God and the guys gave me the opportunity,” If that is too bold or cheesy for you… maybe it’s using the windows opened by your talents. Use the influence gained from being talented or winning to teach, guide, and connect with someone who looks up to you. Maybe it’s consciously making a decision to play first to help the team in whatever way possible before trying to be the stud you think you deserve to be. Maybe it’s giving up the reward, prize, or glory that you deserve to help those who are less fortunate(ie. $ to support those in need). That sounds familiar(Philippians 2:5-11). Could you allow a friend to honestly believe that you got beat at some sport while playing your hardest by someone who isn’t very good, without defending yourself? Even if you won? (ie. a girl in ping pong, guy in arm wrestling, etc.)
May be you do need to think less of yourself. Do you really think you deserve your accomplishments? Who gave you your breathe to live through that success, who gave you the strength to do it, and do you honestly think you came up with that desire and drive in the first place(Acts 17:25-28)? Maybe you just have a healthy confidence. Next, the question is are you thinking of yourself less? What do you prove by winning something? Who do you prove it to? Yourself? Other humans? God? God’s not really impressed by a trophy. Sure there is fun in winning but if humility is not there all that happens is that we become that much more distracted by how great we are. If that is our goal what are we really accomplishing? What are we winning? Is the battle going on, but we showed up to the wrong field? What is Humility in a time of success. Lord please help us not to miss it.

Pumpkined

My dad counted over 200 pumpkins in his year this weekend!!! Some one in the church put them all over the yard and behind his car so that he had to move them before he could leave the house.... well done!


all the pumpkins

loading them up

pumpined