Senior Year at IWU

I just finished two weeks of RA training and now getting into the swing of things as the campus went from being practically empty to practically overcrowded. But i am loving the people and activities. These are some pictures from last year of the Hodson Hall staff that i am working with. These guys are amazing brothers and will play a big part this year


joel loves hugs

models eat your hearts out

cuddle time

What?!?

oh yeah

hodson evans

pyramid

number 1

link up

fun

last year RA

team work

last year RA

The Summer lowdown

my older girls

my kids

paintball wound

paintball wounds

paintball

we like to eat kids for entertainment

yeah... i am at least 2 inches off the ground

my older girls

kids counseler

Padres game

look at Kaylee in the back... ouch

group

my kind of guy

true golf

nice Powder fight

Conquer and destroy

balloon head

stylish sun tan

fun singing time

pure enjoyment

lounge
older kid leadership

goofs

good times

the crew

degrading

Summer Lesson

We all have leaders... their either our friends, our mentors,our boss, etc. My friend was talking about jobs recently and told me he would hunt me dOWN if i worked for a certain guy. His reasoning was you want to be under someone you want to bw like. They are bound to rub off on you whether you think so or not. Choose wisely... and so any leadership under me... you better give it one last consideration as to what you are getting yourself into! ha!

Jesus Rocks!!! A Tribute to answered prayers

prayers
Below are three recent AWESOME answered prayers, and i know there is more so please, PLEASE comment below with your answered prayers. Let's not let the amazing things God is doing hide.

1. I had been praying that the Lord would get me involved and use me this summer. I told trace on Sunday that i had been praying and really felt that it would be cool if we could get a bible study for guys just to talk and live life together. Monday night we went out to dinner for my birthday which was the day before and two old friends showed up randomly. We started to talk and without any coaxing on my part, one of the guys you would least expect this comment from rattled out in the middle of the conversation, "This may sound a little corny, but i don't care, i think we should really start a Bible study." Trace and i looked at each other in disbelief. God is good.

2. My friend Kim Clark was over seas on a missions trip and was doing a little street evangelism. She knows sign language because her sister is deaf. She ended up talking to two guys on the street, one of which was also deaf. She talked to them and asked if she could pray for them. While she was praying in sign language, the deaf guy stopped her in the middle of her prayer because he heard something behind him... did you catch that.... for the first time he could HEAR!

3. My other friend David Carillo was over in Hawaii. A man was brought to him and his friends. This man had a crippled/disfigured leg. He had gotten hit by a car(i think) or something like that and didn't have anyone to treat it. David and his friends prayed over this disfigured leg showing through his torn jeans, and watched as it started reform before their very eyes to where i believe David said the man could walk again.

Matthew 21:21-22
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Once again, share your stories, so we can hear, have our faith increased, and praise God. These people are normal everyeday people that the Lord used because of their willingness, I hope you are encouraged, because i sure am.

Here i Go

The Summer Plans
I have seen a lot of friends and been getting settled in since Sunday... that includes surfing a few times, eating a phatty Carne asada burrito, IN-N-OUT, going to the rock, and seeing countless friends so far. My digital camera is getting fixed but i will have pictures soon. I am working at the summer kids day camp i have worked at way too many years :) and i am looking for a second job. It is good to be out here, but this is the first time i have tried to keep up with and really miss the company of friends elsewhere. Sorry, if i am doing a bad job so far... but life is chaotic settling in right now, but i hope i miss you friends.Don't get me wrong life is good, and i am praying that the Lord could use me out here... i just wish some of you could share this experience with me and help those who are hurting.

Are we setting ourselves up for failure?

My thought. up through elementary school even jr.high people receive the physical touch they need from their family. Through High School they receive this tough from friends and later on in life Americans receive their touch from their marriage partner hopefully. But what about that high school and college age? Are we depriving ourselves of physical touch in the Christian world? I know of girls in the dorm that cuddle all the time. I know there have also been times for me personally where girls have looked attractive to me just because i wanted that touch. But with homosexuality coming more into the picture, it seems that physical touch among same sex friends, especially guys is even discouraged. It seems only logical to say then that a lot of us are deprived of physical touch at this age. If we don't find a healthy way to find this touch, it scares how far i have seen other people go to find it. So where is this physical touch supposed to come from? Dating Relationships? Should we encourage that? or is it a time in one's life where we are supposed to wait as singles so that marriage (if it comes)will be that much more special? Or is it from same sex friends? I don't know whether this is a spiritual issue or a pyschological(developmental life stage)issue. I don't have an answer, so if anyone has any idea i would appreciate it... as for me... if any body needs a hug, I'll be your friend! :)

My Knee Is FREE!!!

I'm So Happyyyyyyyy!
Today i went to the doctor and he said i was cleared to start running and playing sports!...(cough cough within reason cough cough) What does that mean? Well i am glad you asked, because that means i will be heading on a road trip out to California in the parents car for yet another summer! Thanks Mom & Dad! That means that i will probly be getting in a little less reading, deep thinking, and blogs and getting into a little more hands on ministry. I will stay with Trace and will be working at the Shadow Mountain Kids Summer Day Camp. I will also be trying to pick up a second job to pay for living, gas, and hopefully a car by the end of the summer. Yes, pitiful but true, it is about time that by my senior year of college... i actually become responsible enough to own a car. :) I will be leaving Thursday or Friday so As for now...
Peace OUT!!!

Peace OUT!!!

Different Styles

I just got done reading my friends' blogs and my brain hurts. What flabbergasts me the most is how drastic a difference i can see in my Christian friends. Read these two articles below if you have the time and compare. Brandon seems to have a lot figured out and Josh seems to be questioning a lot... Neither description is meant to be negative, just different personalities and styles of ministry. I just came out from seeing this contrast in people below completely dumbfounded! Can each individual Christian's life be that custom-fit for them? I get scared the more i think that there is a specific unique calling for each of us to follow and that i can't follow someone else but really have to find where God is calling me to. Does the Lord direct my desires to(i know opinions would vary here) or do i get to choose whether i want to be someone who spends most of their life focusing more on theological and philosophical basics or someone who does not neglect those but sees more importance in evangelism and relationships. Lord, help me to figure out myself and to know how much i need to depend on you and how much of life is truly a preference.It's kinda like a procrastinater's God will always pull through for them in the last minute and a disciplined person's God will give them weeks in advance. Is God just all encompassing or do we fit him to our personalities. I guess this is just my continuing search to know God and myself. So any wisdom would be well appreciated.

http://www.reflectingbythepool.blogspot.com
Scroll half way down to "Why Good people don't go to heaven"

http://www.one-life.blogspot.com
Read "Driftwood" and the comments on it

My echoing thought

Ok so this quote has been echoing in my head all week. I love it when that happens.

"The size of your God determines the size of your goal"

It seems that God meets you where you expect Him to. It sounds cliche but it is a matter of faith. Look at the variety in Matthew 8 & 9 alone:

8:13 Jesus heals the centurion's servant without even going to the house because of his faith

9:6 The paralytic is brought by his friends to Jesus and healed

9:19 Then Jesus actually goes with the ruler to heal his daughter

9:20 On the way a woman comes to him and touches his cloak and is healed

It's almost like, Jesus is ready and willing to help, the question is just what are you asking for and what do you expect from him? Sure God could speak in different ways at differnt times too, but a lot of the times i wish i was the centurion who Jesus didn't even have to follow to his house. Not saying that any of these people are more spiritual than the other. But do i make Jesus follow me to the house when he doesn't need to? Do i believe my God is big enough to even cure me of my little inconsistencies and continual failures? Do i have faith that through Jesus i can actually succeed at something i have failed at time and again? Jesus, give me vision and please increase my faith and view of you! Help me to truly be able to say "If You are willing, You can make me clean" Matt 8:2 Jesus, if you are willing, I believe you can take me to further places with You than i can even fathom. Not for myself, but take me further, whereever it is best, for Your glory.

"I am willing." Jesus said

Brandon and Jennifer Moving?!?

It's true. If you know my sister or brother-in-law check out their blog(link on the side). THey are moving to South Dakota... What's up with that!?! But God has got awesome plans for them... so i don't feel bad fot them one bi... okay maybe a little bit! :)

Rick Warren's thoughts

At the Saddleback conference i went to, i learned SO much. Rick Warren has AWESOME one-liners, so if you have the time i hope these thoughts speak to you, as much as they did to me.

When the devil reminds you of your past, you remind him of his future!

Attach yourself to an age and you will become a widow, be eternal and you will always be relevant

The church who isn’t wanting to grow is essentially saying to the rest of the world, “You’re going to hell”

To grow your church, you don’t try and bring back all the people that left, you focus on the people who are coming. We can't focus on the negatives... that will get us no where



The size of your God determines the size of your goal



Our culture likes to recognize the problem and think we’ve fixed it w/out ever taking action



Study without action leads to arrogance!



The first thing Jesus did with the woman caught in adultery is protect her dignity.



A family is not a democracy! The more mature get more weight.

This can go for the body of Christ too



Stop praying, “Bless what I am doing”

Start praying, “Help me to do what you are blessing.”



Talking about confessing sin “If you don’t take the garbage out for a month, it is going to start to stink”

Summary of Saddleback Conference

I went to Cali last week with my dad and his staff(below) for the conference which was amazing!

My dad & his staff
Rick Warren is a visionary and has an amazing way of showing his vision and a humble yet clear way. The next few blogs will be thoughts/one liners from the conference

only in CA

i weigh a lil' more but i still got it

Me and my car(I wish!)
We also enjoyed Cali... we went and saw the beaches. We also went to a Padres game and had Mexican food and In-N-out...
Padres Game

Overlooking Coronado
could i ask for more. Beaches, great food, great teaching... oh yeah

A look in my journal at My Heart

the replacements
I had a life changing moment last night. I was watching The Replacements of all movies and God spoke to me. (I love how God speaks in the most interesting ways!) We all fear becoming nothing. We fear being told that we are not worth it, that we are a failure, or that we didn’t live up to our potential. It’s crazy how much each of us are like this. I want to be a hero. I want to be worth something. But I have to stop thinking about myself. A hero is someone who fights for a cause greater than themselves(Wild at Heart). I’m so clumsy, incapable, and inadequate to do anything spectacular. The only thing that really makes me special is the fact that, You Jesus, see something in me. I don’t know why, but you love me and make me worthwhile and something. I have a second chance! So far I have yet to be sold out to a cause greater than myself. Oh for sure I love people, love my relationship for the Lord, and am doing good things, but Lord help it to not stop there. Help me to tap into something higher than myself! Help me to live by faith. By that I mean, help my life to go far beyond what I am capable of doing so that I am living by faith not by myself. Right now my faith is too small, my view of You is too small, and I am capably of doing everything in my life. This does not necessarily mean that I need to do more. What it means is that I want to live for something so great that I can’t fathom it. I want to have the problem of praying, “this is too much for me Lord, I need you.” I want be able to mean it when I say that “man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” If I truly look at what I expect from you right now, it’s not much. My faith is hitting its target. Help my faith to go beyond myself, help me to know that my life is worthwhile not because I have accomplished something but because I am fighting for the right team, and PLEASE help me to NEVER forget this truth if that is possible! It’s easy to start looking inward when I fear I am worth nothing. It’s a lot easier to look out when I know I’m worth something. In the name of Jesus, Bind Satan Lord! Help me to stop thinking my competition is against this world and help me to ALWAYS remember my battle is against Satan. Confusion is his game and Satan has got too many people, especially Christians, looking inward because of it. Lord give me the power to fight for the right cause and bring people along. Not so that I will be raised up by a bunch of people on a football field, but that we all might be able to stand together on a battlefield with the Lord… Victorious!

Saddleback Conference

I'm out in Cali for the week with my dad and his staff at a Saddleback Conference but i will be home and bloggin soon! :)

Where two or three are gathered...

It is understandable why some of you would be confused by my strong statement about Matthew 18:20 in my last post. It is a questionable passage and i made a radical statement about it being taken out of context... below are my thoughts. I am willing to accept my mistake if i messed up and am almost to that point, so please comment and give me your thoughts,

Matthew 18
A Brother Who Sins Against You
15"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will bebound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

If you look at the majority of this passage, it is not talking about prayer at all... it is talking more about confronting a brother within a community. When it talks about "two or three come together" in verses 19 & 20 it seems to be referring back to verse 16 where it talks about two or three witnesses. The reason you would want two or three witnesses is because that is how you would condemn someone in court or have proof. Unless you really believe Jesus is just trying to reform the idea of "2 or 3 witnesses" right here into a more general context of community and prayer, you have to read this v19-20 as referring to the situation above. Even Peter's follow up question of "How many times do i forgive my brother" seems to suggest that they are still on the subject of correcting a brother. So what Jesus really seems to be saying by this passage is: "Confront a brother by yourself. If that doesn't work take 2 or 3 people so that there is legitimate proof and not just one person's word vs. another. If that doesn't work take the church. And if that doesn't work treat him as a nonChristian. The truth's you stand for on earth as a Church will also stand true in heaven. So where two or three witnesses come to agreement on an issue such as this, God will be there, because these Christians gathered with the intention of glorifying his name."(I took of a lot of liberty there)
But then again... The Message takes a firm stance that v 19 is talking within the wider context of prayer by adding "and make a prayer of it" and even in the v19 in the NIV where it says "agree about anything you ask for" seems to suggest that Jesus is saying that God answers prayers within a group of believers, the discipline issue just being one such scenario... I am willing to be corrected if my initial comment was wrong. Help Me out.

Are we gullable Christians?

More than once, I have gotten an email from friends about NASA finding the missing day in the Bible. Professor Wilbur WIlliams knows someone in NASA and they said this email/rumor was false. Also Truth or Fiction says the same thing (http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/j/joshuaday.htm). And yet instead of researching or taking an objective approach to anything, i feel that as Christians we take what we like to hear and flippantly pass it on way too much. Some of you are saying "So what?"... I had a pastor use the verse "where two or three are gathered in my name there i am also"(Matt 18:20) for an introduction to his prayer in the service(which i believe is taking the verse completely out of context). I confronted him afterwards, and his response was, "I know it was out of context.... that is just what came to mind." I also received an email from different Christian friends that talked about "John Kerry Getting Mixed up Quoting his Favorite Bible Verse" which is also said to not be true at Truth or Fiction(http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/k/kerrybible.htm). Maybe "Truth or Fiction" is wrong?... check it out for yourself, but i would plead the opposite. I would plead that more so than questioning the integrity of this website, i would question the carelessness of Christians. Are we willing to passon a poorly supported proof of the Bible or a verse taken out of context even or even a rumor just because it is what we want to hear or it helps us prove a point? Don't get me wrong i love my Christian friends and their good intentions... but are we really listening to Proverbs 10:19 "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise." Are we really seeking to spread the Truth or just our agendas? Are we too quick to accept things because we want them to be true and it fits our emotions or convenience(OUCH)?!? Are we becoming convenient Christians? Because if so, that will not sit too well with the Jesus of the Bible who went against every grain that he possibly could!

A Day in the Life of Brent

I wake up around noon

Then i read for a few hours and ice my knee

Then i work out! I know...Those 5lb dumbells are heavy!

Then i shower(picture not available)


then i eat!... i like to eat!

Then i hangout with my parents, watch TV(it was Americon idol tonight), play computer games(i like Text Twist on Yahoo games, my dad likes spider solitaire), play the guitar, etc.

Stay up late for no reason

doing nothing of importance

for no reason...

Then i go to bed and repeat the whole thing!