Focus.

I had something today i haven't had since i've been back.
Dan Ward has been telling me this for months, but something just clicked today where i thought to myself,
"I am just going to focus on my responsibilities for youth group tonight and not allow other things to distract me." Here is the Name that Tune intro i made today.

I felt that the day and night at Youth group went so well!

I look forward to this same focus hopefully carrying over into all aspects in my life.

The Spirit is Moving!

Josh said as we were leaving, "I could feel the Spirit in the room tonight... you know how there are those times where just you know it feels different."

I was able to share about my call to New Zealand this Monday at the Young Adult's Group at Central. The talk and discussion went well, but the time i appreciated most was when the group gathered around and prayed for me at the end.

Chris and Brian both felt that God gave them specific messages during the prayer time.

Earlier Monday, I was asked about a potential job position at IWU that i was looking into for just the Spring just in case i wasn't back to NZ by January. I was told that i would have to consider more like a year and a half to be have a chance at the position. I was pretty certain i wasn't supposed to take the job, but it is very hard for me to turn down potential opportunities in general but the decision had to be made by Tuesday.

After i got the call i spent an hour in my office laying my future in front of God and asking him to be in control. I read through Proverbs 16, which i do whenever i am working through plans and future. Proverbs 16:33 Stood out the most.

"The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD

Chris
came up and prefaced Brian's words by saying that while he was laying hands on brian's back during the group prayer, that God was wanting me to know and i quote almost word for word:
"that know matter what the temptations, frustrations, ...i don't know, even job opportunities that may come up, to remain focused and encouraged in what you are doing."

Brian
gave me a sheet with words he felt God had given him for me. The jist of the note said to make sure that since i had Joshua 1 prayed over me in regards to New Zealand that i would have to make sure to tarry long in the Lord's Presence as Joshua did(Exodus 33:11) before i would experience the conquering Joshua did later on in his life. That is beautiful as that is honestly the only thing that i honestly feel that i have done fairly well at over the past 4 months!

Whoever is reading this from the group. Thank you for being apart of inviting the Lord's presence into our group in a way that is allowing him to move among us. That will be Huge in the future!

Moses from the group shared with me a cool story about how God was working in his life, afterwards, you should definitely ask him about. I believe God is moving in the group and it will be exciting to watch the future results!

What is a Church Service Supposed to Be?

I was just thinking about this and My definition of what i believe church should be is:

A church service should be a direct reflection of what the congregation have desired all week as Christians.

If it is not that, then it probably needs to be reevaluated.

For instance,
I wish i had someone wiser to answer my questions and teach me more about the bible
... this is called preaching

I wish i had a time to stop and remember why and the world i am living and be reminded of my purpose.
... this is a big part of communion.

I wish i had a time to just breathe and lay my schedule before the Lord
...this should happen in our worship and prayer time

I would love to express my feelings, thoughts, and emotions to God through song
... that is called praise (we are commanded over 41 times in Psalms to sing to God)

I wish i had a place where i was around other Christians, after being in a secular work place all week,
... this is called fellowship

I wish i had a place to get excited about God with others
.... this could happen in worship and conversations

My personal opinion on church is that it does a pretty good job.
Sadly, the two desires i often see lacking in a church out of its insecurity to be relevant and not boring are:

1. A Lack of directed and intentional time to unwind, prepare our hearts, and invite the Lord to the service through prayer.

2. A Lack of Energy out of a continual cycle of the congregation not being expressive. So the leaders accommodate to the non-expressive instead of either or both working together to see this happen in a way that people could more fully engage and interact with the service.

Please realize that whenever I say a negative of the church, i am equally if not more responsible as a leader in a church by my lack of initiative and vocalization, and just expressing my opinion in hopes that others relate so that we can agree and move forward together.

Just Get the Job Done!

Dan Ward showed me this clever story today!
It made me read way too slow and think way too hard but it was very clever!

This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.
Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Is it a sin to seek greatness?

I read this recently and it was too great to pass up!

In the Little League championships, twelve year old Jake steps up to bat and hits the winning home run. Everyone picks Jake up into the air out of celebration but in the middle of the celebration the dad runs out and begins yelling, "Hey! Why are you cheering for him? I taught him everything he knows! I was the one who taught him how to swing a bat. I got up early and drove him to practice. The credit for that homer belongs to me.. me!"

We would think of this father as strange, insecure, and guilty of a jealousy problem.
Yet this is how many Christians perceived our heavenly father, including myself.

Is It A Sin To Seek Greatness?
(I Typed out the whole chapter because This was HUGE to read for me and i wanted to share!)

The Lord promised greatness to two Old Testament patriarchs: Abraham and David. What did the Lord say to Abraham? "I will bless you and make your name great" (Genesis 12:2). How about David? Now i will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth" (2 Sam 7:9). In both instances He promised these men a great name. A name that would go down in history. Like any good father, God wants His children to grow up into great men and women. He doesn't seem offended if others recognize this greatness.
What was Jesus' attitude when two of His disciples sought greatness? Mark 10:35-37 tells us:

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, will you do us a favor?" Jesus asked them what they wanted, and they answered, "When you come into your glory, please let one of us sit at your right side and the other at your left."

James and John were doing what men do: seeking greatness and recognition. They wanted the best seats in God's kingdom. Notice what happened next:

"When the ten other disciples heard this, they were angry with James and John.(v41)

Two men seek greatness, and right away 83 percent of the church is spitting mad! (This was the first recorded meeting of the humility police.)

Jesus called the Twelve together, I can imagine what Judas was muttering under his breath: "Boy, are they going to get it. i bet Jesus rips their heads off!" Christ had already reprimanded the two knuckle heads for suggesting that He call fire from heaven and destroy a town that had not welcomed them. but to everyone's surprise, Jesus did not rebuke the brothers. Instead, He showed them they way to greatness:

If you want to be great, you must be the servant of all the others. And if you want to be first, you must be everyone's slave. The son of Man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue many people. (v. 43-45)

Those first six words are remarkable: "If you want to be great." In other words, it's okay to seek greatness. THe desire to be a great man is not sin: it is virtue. Instead of opposing James and John's lust for greatness (as the ten disciples did). Jesus directed it. The way up is down, boys. In John 14, Jesus made a remarkable prediction: the disciples will do even greater things then He did! These are not the words of a jealous, insecure Savior.

Notice Jesus also said, "if you want to be great. "The path of greatness is not one every person will tread. In fact, few do. But the possibility of greatness must be set before men, for a certain kind of man will not follow without it. James and John were nicknamed "sons of thunder." I suppose that would make them the aggressive type. (exactly the kind of men who'd be missing in today's church.)

Like Jesus, we must give men a vision of true greatness, then set them loose to achieve it. Allow men to shine and to receive recognition when they are servants and slaves. Men just know it's okay to reach for greatness as long as it's done the way Jesus prescribed- not through self-promotion, but through self-sacrifice. And we must admire men when they achieve this greatness. Listen to the words of Pastor Robert Lewis, one of America's foremost ministers to men:
Robert Bly said, "If you're not being admired by other men, you're being hurt." That struck a chord with me. As i talk with men about their struggles, i realize many men are languishing because nobody is recognizing the noble things in their life. Men need male cheerleaders. If no one cheers for nobility, men are going to collapse bak into a dumbed down masculinity that follows the cheers of the world- obsessive careerism, selfish pursuits, and ignoble deeds. We try to cheer men on- for the right things.

The world offers men the possibility of greatness. The world cheers for men. Too often the local church does not. What a tragedy! It it no sin to recognize men for the good they do. T's not about exalting individuals; it's about celebrating what God is doing in people's lives.
Ever since Abraham, men have wanted to become great. Is this so bad? What if the church, instead of opposing men in this dream, actively partnered with them? What if the church focused on raising up men of wisdom, character, and strength? What if your church were in the business of turning out great men?

If this talk of greatness if giving you heartburn, or you're afraid it will create a church full of raving egotists, let me define greatness for you. Greatness is not glory, which clearly belongs to God. Think of greatness as reflected glory: juast as the moon reflects the light of the sun, a man who achieves something for God's kingdom is simply reflecting God's glory to the world. When we follow the example of Jesus, we reflect His glory to all.

We Christians must stop treating the pursuit of greatness as an affliction. Let men reach for greatness within the local church, and the entire body will be revitalized. Applaud your men. Set them up as examples. (Remember the words of Paul: "Follow me as i follow Christ.") And don't worry about someone getting the glory. God's a big boy: He can take care of HImself. If some hypocrites is serving out of impure motives, God knows. Remember the words of Jesus repeated three times in Matthew 6, "I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full". It's not our job to be the humility police."

Why do Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow. p100-102

Small Group Thoughts

A few more thoughts from Reading Jeremiah 6 Last Night:

No, they have no shame at all;
they do not even know how to blush. Jeremiah 6:15

There seems to be a contrast and connecting between "Innocence vs. Maturity." Often we see Innocence as Ignorance and we are afraid of looking stupid, immature, or lacking credibility
I am not sure this good.

Lord help me never to sacrifice my godly innocence out of an insecurity of looking immature or ignorant.

Ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls. v16.

I have found that Rest of my soul is tied to self-worth and work
When i find my soul restless and anxious, it almost always if not always points to me trying to gain Self-Worth on my own. (This is why i try and read "You are Special" by Max Lucado as often as possible)

The only things that i feel are brought up in a public prayer request time:
uncertainty, deaths, illness, safety, provision.

Things I wish were prayed for in a public prayer time more often:
Feelings of loneliness, Time with the Lord, Opportunities to share, Discernment of good and evil, an openness to sacrifice, discipline, brokennes, wisdom, or whatever is needed to become more like Christ
(i guess that starts with me being vulnerable first.)

I Love this Promise, though!
"ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.
Jer 6:15

Did I Really Just Tell That Same Joke That Flopped Again?!?

Game Night Playing PitI need to learn a little discernment!

You Know, when you tell a joke and your only response is awkward silence or confusion, it is wise to probably not retell that joke in another scenario without rethinking your method or content...

A Little Too late... Too slow...

Also i have found my humor has gotten a little cruder since hanging out with more non-Christian friends. Besides the awkward told jokes, the occasional inappropriate joke also just seems to becoming a part of life. As i sensitive and heartfelt as i can be at times, i sure struggle at other times to comprehend what is age appropriate or to what sort of crowd i am speaking with


The two foes of human happiness are pain and boredom.
Arthur Schopenhauer

Confidence is good and not necessarily prideful.

Maybe it is and i don't see it and confidence is dangerous because it can so easily turn into self-glorification and pride but it is so good when done properly
Growing up i was a leader on the basketball court. As i got into high school, the coach took me out of my style of game and made me start to doubt myself. I never developed my game because i wasn't confident enough to trust myself to drive or take the shot. I am not blaming it all no the coach, but even now, i look down and like the guy on the court who is confident to take the shot when he knows his open compared to the guy that sits there wideopened in doubt until he someone guards him and he has to pass the ball off.
I was also not confident in my singing. I didn't want to be that person who sung way too loud, had to hit every harmony, and dominated everyone else during church... The person you are sitting next to thinking, "Settle down a little bit" and "This isn't a show, don't feel like you have to harmonize and sing crazy notes everywhere." It was just distracting. So i grew a passive breathy voice that would hit the notes but never was too domineering. Well, I took voice lessons one semester in college and the teachers main focus was making me sing confidently. Now i sing with boldness even though i don't have the best voice, but it sounds so much better than when i just got by.
It is amazing how your fear not to be prideful can hold you back from reaching your potential
It is also amazing how your lack of knowledge or "know how" can do the same. In basketball it was finish my shots. In singing it was not hearing that i was off key and breathy.
If we misunderstand confidence for pride or vanity, we will miss out on maximizing our potential and being someone who is a better asset to others as well as yourself.

More on this Later

Why Do young adults hate the church?! WHy i love the church.

Why do young adults hate the church?
I have expressed a few times lately that, "I love the church" and it seems to be such a breath of fresh air to pastors.
why is everyone so surprised when a guy in his 20's says that?!

Are we really that cynical, skeptical, and indifferent about church in my generation?!?
What i love about church:
It helps you build community-
You would do that if you were outside so why not start where you can find people with the same heart and passion

It is a resource-
It is such an easy way for people to help and encourage each other

There is power in numbers-
I tried to get a petition going my sophomore year of college but found life a lot more difficult doing it by myself. I needed a team. Also you can't influence a nation by yourself. To really make a major influence you need a team, group, or body of people to make a major impact.

Discipleship-
You usually shouldn't help someone come to know Christ without having some way for the new believer to get involved and see what it looks like to live a Christian life. To be taught what that looks like is a lot to carry on one person but to bring them into a community, where it is accomplished together is right.

It is everything i desire in everyday life as a Christian-
So often through the week i wish i had people who wanted to pray with me, to gather together and talk about my questions and issues, where life and God were the center of conversation, where i knew that others wanted to converse over the same topics, to be able to express to God my feelings through a song, to be taught by someone who knows more about the Bible and life.

Perspective-
Just going to church doesn't make Sunday the Sabbath, but it is such a good kick start for making the day different. It makes it so much easier for me to set the day aside as different, as a day of rest and family, when i wake up for church instead of it being like every other day that i sleep in or have an agenda.

Accountability-
By yourself you can get screwed up if you don't have the appropriate people or personalities to stand up and challenge your ways

Hopeful WorldView-
If everyone in your life circle is messed up and hopeless it is easy to begin to think the whole world is that way, but if you hear testimonies and see people thriving and living in victory it let's you see God is at work

Know Your Not Alone-
Along the same lines, sometimes we think we are the only ones striving for Jesus or not getting the whole thing and it is good to find others doing the same.

Reminder: More than learning, i often just need a reminder to stop and pray and rely on him, and remember the things i have already learned. Who better than people outside yourself!

My Aching Heart For the Church:
As so many young people do, it seems to be a yearning for the church to relevant, real, and speak truth in a way that is congruent with my life. Growing up we often deal with the church being too legalistic as we grow from a child to an adult and we are trying to transfer that over as our maturity concept of truth develops from concrete into concepts.
We are an active people, so many have trouble seeing church as only teaching, study, and a requirement. It is for many, something good they feel they should do, yet something they see many problems with. I by no means desire for church to be done away with, but I do desire for most of the churches that i have been a part of to step outside of Sunday church, outside of structured teaching and to engage the culture with new ways to engage people with truth. I know it is being done and even the ideas i would come up with probably have already been tried. But i would say as a whole that there are many people my age like me that think in the back of their heads, "Something... I don't know what, but SOMETHING needs to change." This is where we all differ in our opinions and all get in useless squabbles, but this is my mind.

So Especially for those in my young adults, could you answer these two questions for me?
Instead of what is wrong with church: If you were imagining the place you would just be stoked to go, What would that be? What could church look like?

I would appreciate your comments

Colts Patriots Game

My dad scored tickets to the game on Sunday. It was a great game until the Colts gave up a 10 point lead in the fourth.

I was flabbergasted at how many people were wearing blue!
It was amazingly loud in the dome. Probably one of my favorite parts.
You would think that by now they would've figured better ways to handle the people traffic of exiting the stadium... but they haven't!

It was a great night and weekend.

I was also given an opportunity to share a little of my testimony with Plymouth Wesleyan Church.

This mornings prayer

God, you know my heart. You know my passions. You know my giftings. You know my desires. You see my steps. You see my attempts to follow you. You see my struggles. Please help me. You can help me find fulfillment. You know why I have my giftings. You know why I am alive today. You know how to turn my failed attempts into worship. You will give me strength. Just help me to never give up following. Help my human frailties to never get in the way of your desires. You are a good God. I rest in your heart to love all, but to lead fairly.

Please, PLEASE, help those in need. Please, PLEASE, help those who can’t find you because they are not in physical need. Please, PLEASE help me not to judge who is worthwhile and who is not in your eyes. Yet, please, PLEASE help me to live by Your character and not by worldly pressures.

Help me to find conviction that I cannot help but to act on, and a faith that will not back down even when I am tempted to doubt. An openness to what is truth, yet at a closed mind to forsaking what I already know to be true. You are God. I am not. Help me not to forget that or to ever try to switch those roles. Although I often envy all that You are, help me never to believe I could do better.

Lord, please continue to guide and to show yourself to me. I give this day to you. Help me never to take for granted the immediate time allotted in front of me. This is the only time I am guaranteed, so help me to be disciplined to look to the future, but never at the cost of living for you now. Teach me to fear You above anything that you have made. Teach me to love you more than I do today.

What is this whole young adult thing?!? (There is so much more to me)

There is not even a good name for a group for 18-30 year olds who are not in college. We are not students, so we either get put in the young adults or singles category. Neither just seems to do the situation as a single 23 year old justice.
There is so much more to me.

I just went to the Christian book store today and i looked at the Young Adults section and almost every book was on dating as a single. As though, the only next step or advice we need in life at this point is how to get a marriage partner with purity.
There is so much more to me.

I look forward to ministry over the next few years focusing on colleagues and people in this awkward stage. I so look forward to having resources and books on this awkward stage of life and knowingly having a competent voice. I look forward to taking the passions and dreams of people our age and putting frugal feet into action.
There is so much more to me.

I was thinking what i wanted at this stage in life and came up with this list:
1. I long for a group of people that were there just for me. People that i could bring any question or thought to discuss and research my life questions without any fear of judgment or condemnation.
2. I long for an intimate community. A place where my need for support, close friendship, and open desire to pray and discuss my searching questions are welcome. A community where i receive self-worth that formerly came from my immediate family or spouse yet to come.
3. I long for someone to be availabe to brainstorm, dream, discuss, and formulate the next steps of life with me without feeling pressured.
4. I long for a group just to laugh, talk, play, and BE with.
This is a start,
but there is so much more to me.

I can't wait until books line the shelves of people our age. Until there are resources helping us to find God and our next steps. I look forward to possibly writing my own book on a similar topic sometime soon.

Locked In on Halloween!

So last night Dan E. and i went out to Holland Pier to surf since the winds were up! Here is a picture from the webcam. The last time i went the water was 65 to 70, i jumped in and realized it was more than 50 degrees. Woo!



Dan and i got out to leave only to find ourselves cold and locked in on Halloween night. Here is a video below of me in bewilderment



Dan and i got out to leave only to find ourselves cold and locked in on Halloween night. Here is a video below of me in bewilderment

Basically expressing. I'm cold and shaking. We got locked in. And the sun was still obviously up so the park should not be closed.

Well we got out and decided to go trick or treating dressed as surfers and then sat in the hot tub. Good night!

Idol of Success. Part Two.

A lot of people must've been praying for me in the last 24 hours!!!

...I couldn't find my ipod shuffle for the last week or two and i was bummed because thought for sure i had lost it. BUT I found it in the corner of my back pocket yesterday!

I also got pulled over this morning. I wasn't even in a hurry. I was going to fast out of a stoplight without even thinking about it, but the cop let me off... and that never really happened to me!

Anyways, Two weeks i posted on dealing on the Idol of Success that i discovered while reading Jeremiah in Central Wesleyan's young adult group. Well, I got stuck again on a few verses.
God RISES AND FALLS With Your SUCCESS, If SUCCESS Is Your IDOL.
(or at least the "God" in your belief system)
Jeremiah was complaining that God offered peace to his people while opposition confronted them.
"Ah, Sovereign LORD... you have deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, 'You will have peace,' when the sword is at our throats." Jeremiah 4:10-12

The funny part was God didn't deny it or make an excuse.
He said, "Yeah! I offered peace but your actions deserve punishment so be ready."
11 At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, "A scorching wind ...blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse; 12 a wind too strong for that comes from me. [a] Now I pronounce my judgments against them."

My logic would struggle if i failed and nothing i did was right. i would expect an explanation from God.

God's punishment wouldn't help me if i was looking for a God of success.

I would be holding God to his promises, reaping punishment for my own sins, and blaming God.
It would be satirical to blame God because he is not ashamed of what he is doing. He is holding on to His promise, that success isn't always worldly, and that true success will follow a love and obedience of Him (John 14:15; Jn 15:10-11), not just words.

God's punishment would help only if i was in need of Him.
Not just in Need of Prestige, wisdom, or money
But in need of someone to help me find Purpose, Truth, and Love
Finally, the question was raised by Todd, "What do you do when you are under ungodly authority?" I didn't speak up because i couldn't articulate this, but in the Submission chapter Celebration of Discipline Richard Foster concludes,
"Revolutionary subordination commands us to live in submission to human authority until it becomes destructive."(p124)

My Ankle will Be Okay!

After an x-ray and a nurse checking it, it was decide that i strained my ATFL(anterior talofibular ligament). I am up and walking, but the full recovery should take a few weeks. Apparently the ATFL is the main tendon down the side of your leg to your foot. The pop i heard was the tendon sliding around my ankle. But as you can see from the picture, i had a little reason from caution after i rolled it off the side of my skateboard! Good to go.

Thoughts on Success

Had an all-nighter with the jr. highers Friday night, played worship on Sunday morning, and carved pumpkins tonight. It has been a full weekend.!
This isn't completely thought out, but i sat down one night and thought through what i wanted and it came out as follows.

What do i want?
-To Be Debt free
-To Get back to New Zealand
-To do a quality joba at SpringLake Wesleyan but not over quantity
-To be Learning and Finish Master's
-To Perform Present Ministry- write book, iwu sermon, blog
-To Find a girl at some point

What are the next steps in getting there:
-Become responsible for life payments: 80-10-10 model
-Prioritize NZ- call churches, send letters, call people
-Get on Top of Finances: car/insurance/cell/loans/insurance
-Say no at church outside of hours- get core responsibilities of games, videos, web going and move on.
-Cultivate girl relationships and push self to look

What would i call "Succeeding in Life":
Future Wife:
-Her To Feel Secure and Know my eternal love for her
How? Remember Wedding Date, always intrigued, always awed

Family:
-To know they are loved, important, needed
How: Quality time and vocalization of these things

Money:
-First, To Be Generous
-Then To Be Wise(frugal)
-To not be controlled by money
How? 80-10-10 rule (10%tithe, 10%saving, live off 80%)

Job:
-Know that i have worked hard
-That i have accomplished what was required
-Be good and getting better at what i do.
How? Prioritizing

Christian Life:
-Humbly remind myself as much as possible of my never ending need for God
-Do Everything in my power to choose God and His Purposes
Relationships:
-Have time for people
-Help People by Sharing
-Enjoy People

Effective:
-Focusing on Important before Immediate
-Focus on Eternal(Unseen) before temporary(seen)
-Always Learning
-Always Preparing
-Always Relational
-Always Truthful
Enjoyment
-Knowing Needs & When to play and do what i enjoy

Fulfillment
-Know When to be Disciplined(restrain pleasure) and Know when to Enjoy.
-Learn the idea of contentment.
-The idea of the journey.
-The value of balance.

Best Work Environment:
-When i get to focus on the task at hand
with no guilt of immediately completing other pressing responsibilities.

Does God Still Perform Miracles?

Psalm 77:6-7, 10-11,
My heart... asked:
"Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?..
'Has his unfailing love vanished forever?"

Then I thought, "To this i will appeal; the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. i will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, i will remember your miracles of long ago....

This is David?!? This is the one who slayed tens of thousands, who defeated Goliath? Crying out to see if God will still perform miracles?! Having to look back to the plagues, the Red Sea, Joshua and the wall, to see that God still does miracles?!

I forget...
He didn't know of the miracles to come! The visions of the prophets, the miracles of Jesus and his miracles, and the power of the early church!

We see that miracles surrounding David in history. It is almost humorous to think of David having to look back to remember God still performed miracles when we see them all around him in history and the scriptures.

Yet here we are today, some of us lost in our perspective asking the same questions. You know God is great... but is he really still performing miracles? What ever your situation is that may make you ask the same question as David, the answer is YES.

it was so great to meet a girl named Tes this last week at small group. She permeated the life of someone who had met our victorious Lord. She began to talk about her trip to Africa and how she saw people healed, demon's exorcised out of friends, and prophecy being spoken over people.

No matter whether you see it in first person or not, No matter whether God may seem distant from you, No matter whether you have current proven miracles right in front of you or not, rest assured that there ARE miracles being performed around you.

That, just as David was surrounded by historical miracles in the midst of his questioning, know that God is at work and that you are surrounded by past miracles and plenty of miracles to come.

David Goes on to profess:
Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God?"
You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples." 13-14

So Good. Part 2.

Comically, whenever i get to this place of contentment it must be borderline cocky, because i always seem to be humbled right afterwards!

Three Years ago, i started to jump higher than normal. I loved it when i was playing basketball, but this soon landed me with a torn ACL.(seen below)
Well last night, I could ollie higher than ever before. It was a good night so i decided to bust out my skateboard instead of my longboard to see if i could still pull any tricks. While i was skating and waiting for a friend, i rolled my ankle It definitely swelled up and was irritated.
And my short-term health insurance is more for major accidents so i didn't know how much i would actually do to get it checked! It will be okay though. Also, this is small, but the youth group game i was in charge of tonight was a "shoe-in" and i bombed it. I felt good about this game because i had done it in the past, so i didn't prepare well.

I feel like God consistently humbles me or Satan frustrates me in the realm of irresponsibility, insurance, money, and/or physical accidents. Especially around the time that I mentally concede, "I finally feel in control of things." How does that work? What does this mean? Questions i don't have complete answers for!

I rest in verses like Psalm 73, but always wonder at least a little bit whether it is testing, temptation, or just stupidity. This is my life. I feel like this blog is a consistent theme of my life. Like if i were to write a top 5 articles of my life, most of them would be positive but one sad one would be the consistent humbling of God.

One problem of being a single young adult:
I want to be less self-centered. Most of the problems i deal with center around me still. I know that changes as your grow into a family and/or community, but i hope i get better at this even now being where i am.

So Good

This has been the first week that i have been able to just enjoy myself. I have had this overwhelming sense of there is more to do (with support raising especially) until this week. This last Saturday, i went to a wedding and it was SO good. It was just a lot of fun. Since then, life has just been a little bit lighter. Tuesday night, i laid my head down on my pillow and i was not exhausted, but i was not worried about having a lot to do. Life was good and moving forward. Life is getting to a place where my mind is at ease. Where i know the task is great and there is plenty of work in front of me, yet i know God is in control, and i am okay working hard and just being day by day. So good.

I just wish i could learn a lesson like this once and never have to learn it again

What Does God Want From Me?

Before i get thoughtful, i just thought you should know that I cooked Dinner for the Family Tonight!
Chicken alfredo, salad, garlic bread, and oreo shakes for dessert! (with a little help from Suzie)
I forgot to take a picture before, but the chicken alfredo was allgone afterwards as you can see!
Does God have a perfect Brent in mind? ...for now or at any point in my life?
Is there a certain job, a certain personality with strengths and no weaknesses, a certain amount of hours i should sleep, certain places i should be financially etc.?
How would God see you as the perfect _____(insert your name)?

Does God see one model of how i should be? of where i need to get to?
Is he happy watching me develop or is there always a missed opportunity of what i should be?
What is my life story to be?
a Job? Righteous Prosperity
a Jesus? Loving Teacher
an Abraham? Responsible Father
a Moses? Miracle Wanderer
a Jacob? Wrestler with God
Does it matter whether:
I influence the masses or the few?
I prove myself responsible over a lot or a little?
I become almost superhuman or humble in my frail humanity?
I search the depths of God or master the obvious truths?
How do i set my life to love people?
How do i set my life to apply all of Brent to serve God and others?
How do i live this life to the fullest?
How do i live with certainty, purpose, and confidence?
How do i learn to love, know, and listen to God?

Questions i ask myself ever so often without full answers until they come around the next time.

My Tribute to Spring Lake Wesleyan Church

I have loved it hear so far.

Every Monday we have staff devotions at 9am. At the end, we break out into groups and pray over the prayer requests handed in by the congregation. It is amazing to see those requests tangibly covered in prayer by not just one person, but the whole church staff.

The youth staff is great.

Josh(left), Dan (top), & Julie (bottom)

Dan Ward is the visionary leader (speaking and vision youth pastor)
Julie O Kelly is the work horse (administrative assistant)
Julie Collins is the coordinator (discipleship youth pastor)
Josh Carroll is the production (worship intern)
I'm the random game guy (programming intern)

They all do great at what they do, and by no means are limited to this description.
Everyone just enjoys working with each other.

Julie O Kelly, Josh, & me at our first event

The senior pastor Dennis Jackson is a working fiend, but does a great job of not letting work define him. He often becomes teary eyed as he shares his heart with the staff. Him and his wife Gwen have led hear faithfully for the last 10 years

The staff is very candid and real.

The church is known for being great at investing in people and making sure that you feel included and important. It is a good thing happening here.
My time here is running short(7 weeks), but the people are cool and i am learning a lot.

The Eighth Wonder of the World & Random Musings

The Magic Sock Trick: The Eight Wonder of the World! :)
It is an amazing trick and i baffle myself every time i do it. I put my dirty laundry in the washer and dryer and somehow come out with completely mismatching socks every Single time. Below were the rogue socks from my last load of laundry. I mean i don't remember only taking off one sock at the end of the day and i don't find extra single socks lying around... So...how in the world did this combination come out of the dryer? I think this 8th wonder of the world is too great a task to try and tackle or explain, but just something that each household has to accept as a fact of life.
Can 5 Pounds Really Make that Much of a Difference?!?
I don't know why, but i have this five pounds that has always haunted me. During college i usually fluctuated between 195-200lbs. Now it is 200-205, but that five pounds is the difference between looking at myself in the mirror and seeing a pooch in my belly or not. Not only that, but the main determinate is usually not how much i exercise but how much i eat. That is sad days when you like to eat! No real deep meaning to this thought, just letting you into one of my many everyday battles. it is rough life, i KNOW!!! :)

Funny quote i read yesterday:
“I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.”
lily tomlin

Surfing on Lake Michigan with the guys

It is about that time of year! It is windy, so it was time to get out in the water. This is the Grand Haven Pier.
I ended up taking Tyler(15) and Drew (12) out for their first time.
They both made it to their feet on my 8' board, but not for extremely long
i only got a little time before it went dark
But thanks to my brother-in-law's inspiration, i have learned that i can do about a 2 second head stand if the waves are too small to do much on! Thanks b.

What I Wish I’d Known When I Was Twenty

Two Guys blogged on this title so i thought i would add my two cents.
First, These were my favorites from:
stumbling and mumbling and
big tommy speaks
1.Don't care so much about what others' think about you...This, though, is easier said than done.
2. Learn to play a musical instrument.
3. People regret what they haven't done more than they regret what they have done.
4. We adapt to our circumstances.
Great wealth won't make us very happy, nor will solitude make us too miserable. Extreme and persistent happiness or unhappiness is therefore unlikely. Life's a 6 out of 10.
5. Beautiful women are often insecure.
6. No-one's as confident or accomplished as they seem.
7. Family Matters. Most of us are blessed with immediate families who care about us far more than we realise – I certainly am. Not telling them about our lives or failing to introduce them to our friends is thoughtless and hurtful. I still need to work on this!
8.. Keep Fit.
9. Black People Actually ARE Less Intelligent Than Us. I can’t believe you fell for that.
10. Bullies Must Be Tackled Head On. There is only one way to handle bullies.
11. People That Appear Wise Are Not Always So.
12. Adolescence Is A Long Period. Quite simply, I don’t think I was at all grown-up until my late twenties. It is now clear to me that growing pains go well beyond our teens.
13. Old Friends Matter. Meeting new people is exciting and worthwhile. But I don’t have any better friends than my oldest schoolmates,

What I (Brent) wish I would've LEARNED by the time i was 20. (in no order)
1. 10-10-80 Principle- Save 10% Tithe 10% Live off 80% of income. This is Money Management 101 that i wish would've been ingrained into me when i first started dealing with money.
2. Focus on Strengths and Don't Feel Bad. God has gifted you a certain way, so focus on what you are rather than what you are not.
3. You Need People. Although people are more effort and might slow you down initially, you can accomplish exponentially more with a team in the long run.
4. It's Okay to Not be Grownup Yet. Not knowing everything does not mean there is something wrong with you. Just be responsible and enjoy the stage of life you are at.
5. God made everything that is good in this world. Trust that he knows what he is talking about, and that he has an upgraded version of everything that brings us pleasure, fulfillment, fun, and happiness.
6. Christians do not have to be serious all the time. For some reason to be a hardcore believe, sometimes i feel like you have to be deep, analytical and lose all of your sense of humor, playfulness, flippancy, & immaturity
7. Know Your Personal Needs and Prioritize Them. I need to have alone time with God, exercise, and people time for a day to be amazing. It is just a part of my makeup.
8. Life is a Journey, Not a Destination. I hate... absolutely despise this phrase! I am so goal driven that this phrase just irritates me. Yet there is so much truth in it. When ever i find myself frustrated, it is usually because i am not enjoying the journey.
9. Get Over Yourself. The quicker you find self-worth in God and the quicker you can get over your own insecurities, the more you can get out of your own way to help others. I am NOT saying neglecting yourself is the answer. I am saying that being in a state of willingness to sacrifice your wants and desires when it is needed for the greater good is PRICELESS.
10. There is a Difference between Truth & Reality. And let us never... NEVER use the excuse of the "Reality to choose," to choose something other than what we know and sincerely believe to be True and Right.
11. Life is All About God, Therefore life is all about Love. Love is unconditional. Other times, Love makes life situational. Love makes life unpredictable. Love gives life purpose. Love gives each human hope. Love makes us do things we normally wouldn't. Love is something we want to trust. Love seems to be humanity's ultimate desire. Love reshapes our life. Love helps us keep our jobs, social life, and personal being in proper perspective. Love is where we find our self-worth. Love is where we help others find true self-worth. Love consumes the thoughts of this world. Sometimes Love is too much to explain. Love goes beyond words. Yet when you experience Love or even a poor attempt at Love, you can't help but desire more. Love is Good.
(If you believe these statements to be true, go back and replace the word "love" with "God" in each statement because they are interchangeable. Everything that is love is of God.)
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God 1 john 4:16 NIV

Knowing My Strengths

I am reading the Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanleyand on p21 it gives this amazing example about focusing on your strengths:

Should a baseball batter whose batting average is .253 (which is mediocre at best) spend more time working on his hitting? Maybe, but if this person is an amazing pitcher named Greg Maddux, certainly not at the expense of his pitching. His skill with a bat is not what makes him an indispensable part of the lineup. "The moment a leader steps away from his core competencies, his effectiveness as a leader diminishes."
One BIg Idea of the book is that it is much better to focus and hone in on your strengths that come natural while letting people with another strength set fill in the weaknesses rather than spend countless extra hours focusing on how to overcome your weaknesses in an attempt to become well rounded.

So i took the test that comes from NOW Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham. Here were my 5 main strengths:

• Includer
• Woo
• Positivity
• Activator
• Relator

Read below to learn more about my strengths

Includer
"Stretch the circle wider." This is the philosophy around which you orient your life. You want to include people and make them feel part of the group. In direct contrast to those who are drawn only to exclusive groups, you actively avoid those groups that exclude others. You want to expand the group so that as many people as possible can benefit from its support. You hate the sight of someone on the outside looking in. You want to draw them in so that they can feel the warmth of the group. You are an instinctively accepting person. Regardless of race or sex or nationality or personality or faith, you cast few judgments. Judgments can hurt a person's feelings. Why do that if you don't have to? Your accepting nature does not necessarily
rest on a belief that each of us is different and that one should respect these differences. Rather, it rests on your conviction that fundamentally we are all the same. We are all equally important. Thus, no one should be ignored. Each of us should be included. It is the least we all deserve.

Woo
Woo stands for winning others over. You enjoy the challenge of meeting new people and getting them to like you. Strangers are rarely intimidating to you. On the contrary, strangers can be energizing. You are drawn to them. You want to learn their names, ask them questions, and find some area of common interest so that you can strike up a conversation and build rapport. Some people shy away from starting up conversations because they worry about running out of things to say. You don't. Not only are you rarely at a loss for words; you actually enjoy initiating with strangers because you derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection. Once that connection is made, you are quite happy to wrap it up and move on. There are new people to meet, new rooms to work, new crowds to mingle in. In your world there are no strangers, only friends you haven't met yet-lots of them.
Positivity
You are generous with praise, quick to smile, and always on the lookout for the positive in the situation.Some call you lighthearted. Others just wish that their glass were as full as yours seems to be. But either way, people want to be around you. Their world looks better around you because your enthusiasm is contagious. Lacking your energy and optimism, some find their world drab with repetition or, worse, heavy with pressure. You seem to find a way to lighten their spirit. You inject drama into every project. You celebrate every achievement. You find ways to make everything more exciting and more vital. Some cynics may reject your energy, but you are rarely dragged down. Your Positivity won't allow it. Somehow you can't
quite escape your conviction that it is good to be alive, that work can be fun, and that no matter what the setbacks, one must never lose one's sense of humor.

Activator
"When can we start?" This is a recurring question in your life. You are impatient for action. You mayconcede that analysis has its uses or that debate and discussion can occasionally yield some valuableinsights, but deep down you know that only action is real. Only action can make things happen. Only actionleads to performance. Once a decision is made, you cannot not act. Others may worry that "there are still some things we don't know," but this doesn't seem to slow you. If the decision has been made to go across town, you know that the fastest way to get there is to go stoplight to stoplight. You are not going to sit around waiting until all the lights have turned green. Besides, in your view, action and thinking are not opposites. In fact, guided by your Activator theme, you believe that action is the best device for learning.
You make a decision, you take action, you look at the result, and you learn. This learning informs your next action and your next. How can you grow if you have nothing to react to? Well, you believe you can't. You must put yourself out there. You must take the next step. It is the only way to keep your thinking fresh and informed. The bottom line is this: You know you will be judged not by what you say, not by what you think, but by what you get done. This does not frighten you. It pleases you.
Relator
Relator describes your attitude toward your relationships. In simple terms, the Relator theme pulls you toward people you already know. You do not necessarily shy away from meeting new people-in fact, you may have other themes that cause you to enjoy the thrill of turning strangers into friends-but you do derive a great deal of pleasure and strength from being around your close friends. You are comfortable with intimacy. Once the initial connection has been made, you deliberately encourage a deepening of the relationship. You want to understand their feelings, their goals, their fears, and their dreams; and you want
them to understand yours. You know that this kind of closeness implies a certain amount of risk-you might be taken advantage of-but you are willing to accept that risk. For you a relationship has value only if it is genuine. And the only way to know that is to entrust yourself to the other person. The more you share with each other, the more you risk together. The more you risk together, the more each of you proves your caring is genuine. These are your steps toward real friendship, and you take them willingly.

Good stuff.