First of all, Hebrew quizzes make me forget everything. Which is kindof a bummer. But thats ok, we will move on.

The great news of today is that once I make the move fully to the PCA I don't have to take a Hebrew exam for my ordination! It makes me want to do a little dance and say a prayer in Hebrew! I love learning this and even just having the beginnings of translation it has opened a lot to me about the Hebrew texts and the Old Testament.

In other news, I am a for real officer in the Navy now and have been learning about the burden of a call and what that means in my life. Everybody has been so encouraging as far as the Navy now that I'm in. It was really a fun ceremony and everyone was so excited. It was great to know that I have a ministry that I am called to and that there is a need there that God will use me to fulfill somehow.

Its made me consider the situation that I am in now. We are to be content and thankful in all things. So Ive been praying that God would show me how He is going to use these three years between now and when I will finally be able to go full time military. Ive learned that Middletown is not my burden, the Navy is. Francis Schaffer says that "not every need is a calling" and thats something that is hard learned for all of us Young Life formers...

I AM called to serve faithfully and selflessly at the Oaks with my time there. But I have the freedom of being able to serve under Kevin and assist Him in the burden that he has been given; not me... I have had two people in my life very accurately point out that the burden there is not mine. How great is that? I feel free to not worry about the things that I have no control over and just do everything I can to be the best assistant to kevin I can be, and run the soundboard to the best of my ability, and to encourage, and to follow, but not take on something that God doesnt have for me.

Im growing more and more excited for what God is going to be doing with the Oaks, with Middletown, and with me in the coming years. But lets all take joy in what the Lord has us doing. Our identity comes not from how much or little we serve in a great church like the Oaks but rather as sons, daughters, and co-heirs in Christ. That should lead us to greatness, greatness in sweeping the carpets, or handing out service bulletins, or prayerfully offering communion. Not only that, but we can be a community that promotes unity in Christ. My prayer is that the Oaks is a big group of people who are serving in everything they do to the BEST of what God has given them. Lets flee from selfish pride of wanting to be more noticed then we are, flee from gossip, and from all the false idols that have infected so many Churches across America. God will move in Middletown and Im all about joining Him in what He's doing...