Going back home with the new me!

This year has completely changed me. I have found an intimacy with God that I never knew was possible. I have moved deeper into His Presence and He uses me more than every before, and it's not because I seek His gifts, but it's because I seek Him.
I can't wait to go to my home church tomorrow. I can't wait to show the youth kids that they are capable of having an intimacy and being totally swept away by God and live a radical life and change the lives of people around them!
I'm ready for what God has in store tomorrow night.
I also get to spend some time with my family Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning! 

How far have I come?

Sometimes I feel like I have gotten absolutely nowhere, as if God does something spectacular, and I’m moving in this great intimate relationship with Him quickly, then all of a sudden, a trial comes along. Once the trial comes along I feel like I have gotten absolutely nowhere, even though I’m pressing in harder than ever before.
I know that is not true though. I look back and if I had gone through the situations and trials I am right now a year ago, I wouldn’t have been able to cope with them as well. Yes, I feel like I have a good bit of growing up and maturing to do, but I have come a long way. I still have plenty of lessons to be learned, but I know if I get down to relying on God alone, then I’m going to make it just fine.
I just love God. I don’t even care about what comes up against me, I just love Him.
It still blows me away what all has happened this year in Masters Commission. I started out the year with about a gazillion walls built up, and God surely enough has torn down those walls. God taught me patience and faith through a knee injury, surgery, then a healing process. God corrected me on my calling in life and revealed to me some of what I am going to be doing with my life. I had the opportunity to have a huge burden for a dear friend, which I prayed through, and saw light being shed on the situation. God has used me to speak directly to people that I minister to. I could go on and on. God has done so much for me this year. He has revealed so much to me about the purpose and plans He has for me.
This season right now is definitely not my favorite. Sometimes I just wish I could get away for a day or two and be all by myself. Maybe a nice cozy cabin on a mountain that is far away with a nice grand piano. That sounds extremely nice, but I know God doesn’t have me up on that dream cozy vacation house for a reason! He wants me here right now.
This is definitely more of a ramble, but I know that God has taken me farther than I even knew possible. It's good to evaluate yourself and look back to see how far you have come. That's what gives me faith and hope. I’m sticking to God!

Diamonds

Here's a passage out of the book Anonymous by Alicia Chole.

Who would wrap a flawless, exquisitely cut, utterly unique diamond in common newspaper? From the accounts' of Jesus' life, it appears that God would! He offers humanity his Son--the most pure ,precious, and priceless of gifts--wrapped in plain, nondescript paper. Then, along with the angels, it seems as though God watches history unfold like a parent with anticipation thinking, I can't wait for them to realize what I've given them inside that package!
So Father God clothes his son with human flesh, hosts the birth of the world's Savior in a stable, and dispatches an elite angelic company to make the announcement of all ages before a small, somewhat less than internationally influential band of shepherds.
This was unexpected even by the devout. Diamonds are supposed to be displayed dramatically, not hidden discretely. All along, the people thought their promised Messiah would appear in convincing power to lead them spiritually and politically into a new day. They thought the packaging would be removed in a spectacular fashion before their eyes. Who would have guessed that God in his wisdom would conceal his gift for thirty years and then plan for the last shreds of packaging to be removed and the greatness of his Son to by fully revealed only in death?

SIMPLICITY!

Mar 13:32 "No one knows when that day or hour will come. Even the angels in heaven and the Son don't know. Only the Father knows.
Mar 13:33 Be careful! Watch! You don't know the exact time.
Mar 13:34 It is like a man who went on a trip. As he left home, he put his servants in charge. He assigned work to each one and ordered the guard to be alert.
Mar 13:35 Therefore, be alert, because you don't know when the owner of the house will return. It could be in the evening or at midnight or at dawn or in the morning.
Mar 13:36 Make sure he doesn't come suddenly and find you asleep.
Mar 13:37 I'm telling everyone what I'm telling you: 'Be alert!'"






I absolutely love the passages I come across in the Bible that you really cant explain much at all because its so simple and clear!!

Expectancy (Not the pregnancy kind!)

Whenever youth have a big camp or a big convention God seems to be moving powerfully. We talk and testify just how much God moved in us and what God spoke to our lives during these trips. Before they even happen we are looking forward to them. Sometimes even as soon as one ends, we just cant wait for next year's to come.

We go to these camps, conventions, and retreats expecting God's move. We come expecting God's miracles and power to take place during these trips.

Then we go back to our own churches and we say the worship isn't as great, the altar call isn't as powerful, or the speaker just isn't as 'good'. We don't come expecting God to move powerfully.

I really believe that our expecting hearts plays a huge part in it too.

Imagine how it would be if we came to our youth services, our Sunday services, even our bible or discipleship classes expecting to get a word and move from God!

I don't believe a bigger and louder worship team is more anointed than just a simple acoustic guitar just because of the 'talent'. I don't believe that a well-known, experienced pastor is more anointed than a fairly new one just because of his 'success'. Its not about the resume, even though that can help, but about the occupation.

Personally, every time I have gone to God expecting a touch, I receive it. Whether it be just a feeling of peace or a word of direction, He pours into me.

As children of God we need to be expectant of God's move. We don't need to limit God just to convention or camp.

When you go to church, when you go to read your bible, and when you go to pray, expect God to move, expect God to speak to you. Expect to walk away changed.

Bigger

Heb 1:10 He also said, "You, Lord, in the beginning created the earth, and with your own hands you made the heavens.
Heb 1:11 They will disappear, but you will remain; they will all wear out like clothes.

I never go to sleep at night wondering if the earth will just magically disappear under me and I'll be floating in space. I'm pretty confident that there will be ground to walk on tomorrow.

Whenever I read these verses i envisioned God with clay, just molding and detailing the earth and us. I think its so amazing that He is just so much more than we could ever be. The plans and all the things He has done show us that. He's much bigger than us.

We can't rely on anything here on Earth. Anything could happen, and anyone we love could be gone tomorrow. But God Remains. Thats why we need to build a relationship with Him and learn to be more reliant on Him.

Starting Up Old Habits

So I used to blog a lot on myspace, and whenever I try to do it again, it just feels weird. SO I'm getting a new scenery, and maybe the creative juices will start flowing?

I'm definitely not putting up a real blog today, just something to say, "HI I'M HERE!" type thing.

I'll be posting in the future. Don't know how often yet. But they'll come!