Im DONE WITH THIS SEMESTER!!!!

And this is how I feel!

Personal Relationships

Whelp, its been awhile, but Finals is officially kicking my butt... I really am spending my time preparing all my paperwork and odds and ends for this summer, as well as trying to finish all of my papers and get myself in some sort of state of mind to take the final exams at school.

Luckily the subject matter holds my attention!

Recently its been interesting to see how even with all my study, if I lose the personal relationship with God, it turns into an empty relationship and can lose a lot of its meaning in my life. In the same way, As I try and maintain friendships and study, I realize that our relationships with each other can easily suffer in the same way.

God created us to have relationships that mirror what our relationship is supposed to be with Him. If we are pursuing righteousness in the one area of our life, it then necessitates that we pursue the same in the other. Not only that, but as Lt Col Hal Moore says in We Were Soldiers "Id hope that being good at the one, makes me better at the other."

One of the foundational theologians in my life, Francis Schaeffer, wrote on this in a way clearer than I ever could... His words I think we can all strive for. (You might note a similar writing voice to my own as well!).

"I have said that the last screen in our thinking and in our life must be nothing other than God himself. The last screen, the last point of our thinking, must not be just things about God, it must be a relationship with God himself. The same must be true in our thinking of men. The last screen cannot be anything less than the individual and personal relationship, in love and communication. The command is to love him, not just think about him, or do things for him. We are not to stop with a proper legal relationship- for example, to think of a man as legally lost, which he is, in the sight of a holy God-without thinking of him as a person. Saying this, we can suddenly see that much evangelism is not only sub-Christian, but subhuman- legalistic and impersonal."

This is the crux of the whole issue... God did not give us salvation and justification through some abstract idea, rather He became a man, came to earth and lived among us. Our God is a personal God and has created us the same. We are made for real and personal interaction, fulfilling relationships... We should not only preach the Gospel to each other every day, and every hour as I have already written about before; we must also preach to each other with the love and patience of Christ, our God who loved us so much as to become personal Himself.

Praise God!

the gratitude campaign (full length)

Words from a childhood hero.

A Little Testimony.

Psalm 107:1-3~

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
whom he has redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.

I think that testimony is an incredible encouragement to the greater community and body of Christ. To share with each other is an amazing way to fellowship and grow close to other believers. Not only this, but it reminds us of the good works that God is continually doing in our lives every day. This and we are able to make sure that the good works aren't forgotten, that God gets all the glory, and that we cannot boast in anything except in God.

Upon my return from training in February I decided that I was done "giving God a way out." I knew I felt called to the Chaplaincy and it had been confirmed in the presence of many who knew me, at many times. So, I decided that I would pray like I actually believed I was called, even though the mission still seems overwhelming at times....

I began to pray and commit in my life in such a way that I couldn't just dip out and go pursue something else. I took God at His word and said "if you've called me here Lord, bless it and make it yours." With this commitment I spent as much time as possible at the Church under some amazing Godly men, Dedicated myself to pursuing my masters and ordination with all of my efforts, and chose to finish all of my training this summer.

All of this left me without a steady income for the time, an inability to fully throw myself into committed ministry at the church until my return from training, and a whole lot of school work.

So my prayer has often been "God, I don't want to be a slacker, but I cant get a two month job, and I'm going to need money" "God I don't feel like reading anymore tonight" or "God, what is the point of the CCPO program?"

Well I'm here to tell you that God is good, and all the time! I just got my third, THIRD, unexpected paycheck from the Navy for misc expenses during my previous training. I had more money on my tax return than I expected. AND I have been really blessed by this set of classes this semester.

God is providing. And its a funny thing... the more I committed, the more time God created for me to do what I really want, and thats praise Him and give Him that glory. How amazing is it that when we go bare before the Lord, broken and tired, he smiles and says "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

God is teaching and leading us all the time. Its the moments when we say "I CANT DO THIS! WHAT IS GOING ON!?!?" that He smiles and says "thats what I was waiting for..."

Let me be clear, I do NOT think that I did something that makes me deserving of an easy life, or that I deserve anything. I also don't want to convey that God is in the business of making much of individuals here on earth. But I do think that God has moved boldly and swiftly to confirm my call to the Navy and that He deserves all of the Glory for that. Life ain't perfect, but God is moving, thats for sure.

Francis Thompson wrote an amazing poem that I think is applicable... "The Hound of Heaven"

Praise God!

Round Two...

I had to do it

At least theyre not weight lifting......

This is unreal... the prisoners of Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, Cebu, Philippines not only did this dance, but also an amazing version of Thriller, Black Eyed Peas, Queen, The Hustle. Check it out, Highly entertaining!

Sad day in the Premiership...

Arsenal fell today 2-1 to Manchester United in usual fashion, knocking themselves out of any possible hope of winning the Premiership. Dominating almost the entire game, they had the Lion's share of possession time yet finding themselves unable to score they played on to the loss.

This has been par for the course the entire year. Outplaying almost every team in every game this year Arsene Wenger and his team could never find the back of the net often enough, or in time. Now they finish the Premier season 6 points behind and without hope....

What to do...

Psalm 25

Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. Psalm 25:4-5

I have been taking a class on Genesis, as well as reading through Deuteronomy. Its really interesting to think about how the nation of Israel came out of a very real time and place. They wrote very much with the exile in mind. Much of the Old Testament and Jewish focus at the time was trying to explain how if there really was only one God, why they would be going through what they were going through at the time.

At the time there was still a lot of confusion through Judaism. Other gods were being worshiped and there was a hope of a future king that would lead them home. This is still the hope of Jewish people today. It is interesting to think that for a time there wasn't a whole lot of things that necessarily set the Jewish nation distinctly apart. In a time when "My god is better than your god" was the game, Israel was playing a losing battle...

But what set all the questions straight? God came to earth. Christ is the answer to all the doubts and questions. If you wonder if it all seems a little too man made... or if God really did have His hand in all of history. Well Christ came to show that the Law is true and God really is the true God. How amazing that we can put all of our doubts and unbelief on the cross and God will answer them?

He cared enough to come to Earth and clear up the confusion, He cares enough to answer all of our personal doubts as well. so...

...for you I wait all the day long...

Praise God!

Part 3 (Finally!)

"Our cultural and theological differences and misunderstandings cannot undermine the work we are charged with as brothers and sisters in Christ, for the good of the name of Christ and the Kingdom of God"

OK blog fans, todays the day! We are going to finally wrap this whole thing up today...
My previous statement was a bottom up statement. We shouldnt be different in our pursuit of the Gospel because it is bigger than us and something we should all strive for. Well, this statement is a top down statement.

I will say the statement another way... Because the Gospel is so good, and so worthy, it unites us so that we dont have to work on our differences; they go away when our focus is on the Gospel and that work of uniting is done for us. (I like positive statements much more than negative ones anyways!)

To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us. ~Psalm 123:1-2

Just as when Peter was focused on Jesus he was able to walk on water, even amidst the waves, so it is with us. When we look to the Lord we are looking at truth and light. Ive said before that His reality is more real than our own. We are confused and live in the midst of sin here on this side of the return of Christ. When we look to the Lord he has mercy on us, and we are filled with grace. This makes the untruths and lies of our own world pale in comparison to that light.

Notice in Psalm 123 it says we look TILL the Lord has mercy.... not if. It is a promise. God will give us mercy and peace and things that are bigger than the world when we look and wait on the Lord.

This is what we must strive for and preach to each other.
DISCLAIMER- to wait on the Lord does not mean to sit and spin your wheels. No no, the greek is closer to "waiting" on the Lord, that is, serving him as if we had a towel over our arm, our best bow tie on. My mom always told me, its easier to steer a moving ship, and that is the truth. We have to be pursing truth and the word, this is the desire of our hearts. Only then will we find, only then will the door be opened.

So go out! Run after the Lord, learn more, read more, talk more, love more, drink starbucks.... (just kidding about that last one... kinda...). The gospel is free and is there for salvtion! Will it make all of your problems go away? No, but it will make them "light and momentary" thats a promise. But even better, youll get to participate in giving God glory, which is what you were made for anyways, and you will find Joy and fulfillment in that.

And with all that goodness, who has time for racism or insult? Thats all Im trying to say!

Praise God!

Just a great song...

Enjoy everybody.... Part three coming soon.

Part 2

"The Gospel should transcend our cultural, theological, and relational norms in our everyday lives"

This was the first statement I left y'all with a couple of days ago. I think that this is the essential element of the Great Commission that Christ left the disciples, and us, with at the end of Matthew. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." ALL NATIONS. God has granted us the gift of Grace through the cross, intended for all groups of people all over the world. This good news is not ours alone... In scripture Israel was the chosen nation of God. We are in the same position as Americans that Asians, Africans, Latin Americans and the rest of the world is in. We have been grafted into the Vine of Christ by Gods love.

This is great news for us, but it also means that we do not have a monopoly on it, nor is it ours to choose to whom it will go, and how it will look. This is far beyond church polity, or the so called "great debates" of our modern church. All of that must be informed by the Gospel itself.

This is not to say that we shouldn't pursue holiness and sanctification in communicating and debating the good and evil in our Church and in our World. Christs sanctifying work comes through our community and our pursuit of Holiness: but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. 1 Thess 5:21-22. Paul also tells us to warn each other of Evil and Luther encouraged us to preach the Gospel to each other daily. But this is much different from the prejudices that I know I have in my own life, and from the ignorance of being isolated in our own lives, cultures, and local churches.

There is truth in everything. Every religion, every culture, every king and dictator, every liberal spirituality is here under the eye of God and His providence. This is not to say that we should go and eat up everything that is out there, but it is by Grace that we all are living and breathing each day... so we cant just cast aside someone, or some idea, as useless and totally false. The Gospel always has room to work and change people and things. Again I appeal to the testing of everything. Let us not justify heresy and false Gospels, but lets address them and work with them and teach against them with a mind not for defense of pride, but rather that God is doing a good and eternal work here.

We should rejoice in the diversity that God put on this earth. From the plethora of plants and animals, to the changing of the seasons, to the differences of each of us. The people of God once before thought that they could revel in being the same and "figuring it out." Then in Genesis 11 God saw fit to disperse them all over the world with different languages and confusing them, so they would not think they are greater than God.

God loves creation, and it will be good once more, even in all its diversity. The world is the way it is for a reason, diverse, because no one of us has the lock on the love of God. The thing that unites us is the Gospel alone. We are united as brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter what that looks like around the globe. That is for next post though...

Praise God!
and happy Easter!

Virginia is for Chaplains

Well, I almost went a whole month without blogging. Sorry kids... but it wasn't a month, it was almost a month!

I just got back from an amazing trip to Virginia to visit my friend Justin who is a Naval Chaplains Candidate with me. First of all the Appalachian Mountains are absolutely breathtaking. I forget what an amazing creation the Earth is when I am stuck here in the Midwest with no seas and no mountains to marvel at.

Drive highway 501 in a stick shift before you die, thats all I have to say about that.

Also it was very interesting being in Lynchburg. Located right in the heart of the state, it was a distinctly different culture then what I am accustomed to here in Cincinnati Ohio. There seemed to be a church every 500 feet or so, and the gospel is something that is taken very seriously. There is a distinct southern influence and an obvious Baptist one, diverse socioeconomic standings from the backwoods to the socialite elite, and a very interesting diametric between the America of our past, and the future ahead.

Here in Ohio we like to contextualize, teach, work with the Gospel until it is woven into our daily lives (at least thats the idea). There, it is something that is assumed. The Gospel is what it is, and you're either on board or you're not. It was very interesting indeed to see what God has done for His names sake there in relation to what He is doing here.

I have thought a lot about that since then. The Gospel is moving all over the world, and in a lot of places it is moving much more abundantly then in America. I think we know that in the back of our minds, but it really is happening. Not only this, but the Gospel looks differently in different areas. There were some things that I respect about the Baptist theology and polity, and some things that I am uncomfortable with... but it works in the culture they are in. I know that I can say that I am pleased with the growth of the Church in Africa, or China, or its persistence in the South, but its very different when I see it, and when it doesn't look like what I think the church should be. I think that this cultural gospel (which Ive blogged about before) is something that has led to intolerance, poor missionary work, and hypocrisy within the church. It then becomes the gospel beyond the Gospel, which Jesus did not come to do: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Matthew 5:17. Jesus came for the Law, to fulfill it, because it was a good and righteous law... He did not come to add to the Law, which is the essence of the cultural gospel.

This made me ask a very important question of myself that I think can benefit us all... Is my foundation in my theology, or in the Gospel? I believe that there is a positive statement we can make, and a negative one regarding this idea. For the former: "The Gospel should transcend our cultural, theological, and relational norms in our everyday lives" and for the latter: "Our cultural and theological differences and misunderstandings cannot undermine the work we are charged with as brothers and sisters in Christ, for the good of the name of Christ and the Kingdom of God".

The gospel transcends all... for this reason:
I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:11-12

I will be blogging about these two statements I made in the next two days to address these ideas and tease them out a little further... Stay tuned, and Happy Easter...

He is Risen, He is Risen indeed.
Praise God!

Reality Check...

My soul thirsts for God,for the living God.When shall I come and appear before God? Psalm 42:2

God certainly woke me up the other day... I came back from Newport and was struggling, and kinda didn't even really know it. Not that the experiance was Earth shattering or super unique, but it was significant.

I loved my time there. I realized my call there. I lived more disciplined and healthy there than I probably ever have...

So I came back and didn't really connect quickly here. Not that its impossible to know what I went through (just ask me, Ill tell ya about it!) but it was a change in my mind and in my lifestyle, which was hard for the people around me to understand. So in this struggle of figuring out how to live, Ive been learning a couple of things about God that I thought I would share as my almost month long absence ends in the blogsphere!

God has been completely reaffirming to me that I am His son. That I have already been chosen by God and that I am saved by the blood of Christ. This is a bigger deal that you might think. There is a deeper reality, a deeper truth here that I think we all need to tap into. We must tap into the reality that God's reality is where we exist, not the other way around. This world and this life isn't something that has to be figured out or achieved or completed. Rather, we exist in a greater reality, a bigger story than the one we live in. Jesus Christ and His work on the cross is the center point of time. God created this whole reality so that the Cross and the Glory of God could be lifted up.

Thats freedom! We live in a truth of salvation and mercy and Grace. The Gospel is such that we can be reminding each other of these truths every day! EVERY DAY!

I'm so guilty of trying to read enough, or think enough, or write enough... so that I can explain God to someone, or have the right study, or preach the right sermon. I can tease myself into thinking that this is pious or noble. But this real reality is such that I cant explain it nearly as well as experience and the Spirit do for each of us continually.

I'm reminded of the young man in Mark 10. He comes to Jesus saying "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth" speaking of not murdering, cheating, lying, stealing... The one that he doesn't speak to is that you shall have no gods before me...

While this man has kept what he thinks is good in his world, theres still something wrong in his life, hence why he would approach Jesus. Then Jesus drops the bomb. "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor...come, follow me".

He drops his head, and without saying a word walks away.

WHAT??? my first reaction is "GO! do it! meet the requirements and come back!!! whats your problem?? how are you just going to walk away????"

This is speaking to something much deeper. Jesus wasn't actually telling him what to do to get to heaven, He was pointing out how this young man's reality didn't line up with that of God's. The man was sad not that he couldn't walk along with Jesus and see the sights... he was sad because he knew that in his heart his treasure was money and not ultimately Christ. You have to get this to get the story... its not that he couldn't just sell the stuff... maybe he could have, but deeper than that Jesus showed him where his reality was off.

God doesn't want us to meet requirements, or to accomplish anything to get into heaven. He wants us to leave the burdens of our mixed up pressures of this world and take on the reality of the substitutionary atonement of Christ. His reality is enduring and the Gospel is that we can be a part of that. Time marches on, and Christ will still come again, and evil will be defeated, whether or not I decide to work out today or not cut that person off in my car.

How free would we feel if we could let go of our jobs, our homes, our securities, even our families and friends. If we could think of them not as security or our comfort, but rather as gifts that will come and go as "the Good Lord sees fit" (to quote o brother where art thou). Thats freedom.

So even if I didn't get picked up for the Navy, or I never talked to those friends from my past again, or if I lost my jeep!?!?? Life would go on, God would be good, and Jesus still has died for my sins. This is reality, not the stresses and sins that we get tied up in thinking is our lives. Remind me of that, every time you see me. Ill try and do the same for you!

Praise God!

When the yelling gets directed at you....

Hey blog fans,

Lets talk about lessons learned for a minute.

Lesson #1. Dont ever be the odd one out in Military training. Fly in the middle, do your job, and dont stick out untill you know youre role and can lead effectively.

Lesson #2. Always lock your locker

Lesson #3. Pay attention to details. Maintain positive control of yourself and your situation at all times. Look out for those around you. Act like an officer.

Lesson #4. If one fails, the whole fails.

So I, and my roommate, happened to brake lessons 1 and 3 today, and brought lesson 4 out and into the open. We are doing the Damage Control training today and we had to split our company into two sticks for a morning and an afternoon group. My squad and one other are in the afternoon group so after some spring cleaning and chow, we thought it would be a decent idea to take a little cat nap on top of the racks.

No Good.

Senior Chief came on deck and as Dipinto and I came bleary eyed to attention outside our door, Senior got that look in his eye. He asked us why we thought it would be OK, JUST BECAUSE HE WAS AWAY, TO SLEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY.... WE CLEARLY DIDNT HAVE ENOUGH TO DO, DID WE!?!?!?!

Well he decided to strip every rack on deck and make us remake them all, to specs, in half an hour. We also all had to change from PT sweats to Khaki's and then be on line. Then he found out that DiPinto was our squad leader and gave us a passionate and warrented speech about selfishness and leadership.

It was selfish to think that my sleep was more important than my shipmates finishing their computer work or shining their shoes. It was poor leadership and a bad example to think that we were so squared away that we had nothing else to do.

And worst of all, what if the skipper had come on deck and we were that slow to get online, hell would have been in King Hall in Newport, RI.

Leadership is doing the right thing when no one is looking. Christianity is living a life for a God who is always looking. Not that we have to prove anything to God (because we cant) or that we have to be a certain way (because change comes from the Lord), but we have to know that we are under the Law of Grace always.

How many sins do I hide and think its OK? Ultimately, Im not squared away, I dont have it figured out. And my soul is laid bare for the Lord to see at all times. Oh! that I could live a life cognizant of my sin and thankful for Grace! What if we had lives that preached, not perfection, but Grace all the time!? Because that is the truth, whether we are hiding in our rooms sleeping, or on our knees before the Lord. The truth of the cross is constant and unchanging.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

Be thankful always... Our deeds can preach the Gospel and we should be aware of that. We have cause to only be thankful all the time, We have been forgiven!!!! It is sin that preaches a different Gospel, and the Lord has defeated sin.

We need to be praying, continually.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 1 Corinth 9:24

Praise God!

The Importance of Language

Its amazing how context and the use of words can change from place to place. Coming into this world of the Navy, there is a language that is a complete mystery. Abbreviations like you wouldn't believe, different ideas about principles and words, and even new words for the everyday (a wall is a bulkhead, a hallway is a passageway, the floor is a deck).

We have classes everyday with two other groups of people: there are the LDO's which are Limited Duty Officers, and CWO's or Chief Warrant Officers. Both of them are prior enlisted service and know just about everything that there is to know about the Navy. Some of the time they are a great resource to ask questions and get information about something, but when we get into class they just debate all of the information that is being given with words and abbreviations that we, as staff officers, don't really understand yet.

We also get new definitions about things that we thought we understood. As officers we are taught that we have responsibility, accountability, authority. The Navy says that we can pass on both responsibility and authority but accountability can never be passed on to someone else. My roommate and I were thinking a lot about how as Eagle Scouts we learn that responsibility can't be passed on. This is a change of definition.

While the Navy is doing its thing, this is a great reminder of how we talk about and present the Gospel. The difference here is that there is no change of definition, the Gospel IS the definition. This is the truth, the Gospel is always consistent, no matter what we say or how we think of it the Gospel will never change. So, what does this mean for us? It means that the Gospel is something to be pursued and sought after. That truth is life changing, but this side of heaven we will never understand the truth in its entirety. "They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience" 1Tim 3:9

As far as how we present the Gospel to other people, we need to make sure that we don't do what those LDO's and CWO's did to us. We have to speak in a way that the Gospel is accessible to whoever it is that we are talking to. Like Paul said, "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." 1 Corinth 9:22. This is the attitude we should have, the Gospel is too precious to be lost on irresponsible presentation.

I pray that we can continue to present the Gospel to one another in a clear and life changing way. I hope that our lives can be living presentations of the Gospel all of the time. I hope that others would see the truth and the change in our lives to the Glory of God. Lets keep talking about words like Grace, Holiness, Righteousness, Love, Glory so that we can continue to understand them better and better, and so that they might become a part of our everyday vocabulary.

How different would our lives look?

Praise God.

Greetings from Rhode Island

Its neither a road nor and island...

I haven't been able to post recently because we are just going going going all the time. We wake up at 0400 everyday (that's 4am for you civilians). Then we go out in the cold and march to the gym to do PT for an hour and a half. Then we double time to Chow. After Chow we have 5 Min to "Brush our fangs, water, de-water, and be back on the line". After that we march or have a class. then Chow. Then all afternoon we have classes, which is the time they use to tear apart our rooms so we have to re-make everything. Then we get yelled at some more, do push ups when we are in trouble. then we go to chow. Then we have one more company meeting followed by ironing, polishing, and washing our clothes. In bed by 2200 (or 10:00) in order to do it all again tomorrow!

Our "drill instructor" is Senior Chief Berkel. He is an amazing man. Very passionate about his job and making staff officers into great Naval Officers. You can tell that he loves his job and the ability to do it. He gives us motivational speeches that are better than Hoosiers. He has seen it all and loves both the Navy and the traditions and Deference of the Navy. He knows how he can best teach all of us, but above all doesn't lower his standard, we just have to meet it. And he knows how to tell us about it. Through a mix of YELLING (WAY TO GO ROCKSTARS, I HAVE A COMPANY WITH PHD's OUT THE YING YANG AND YOU CANT GET YOUR SHIRT STRAIGHT!*%!&%) and sarcasm (your OTHER left SIR.....) he is molding us into a team and into officers. He is a really good guy.

I am learning a ton of lessons about discipline and integrity and Gods calling. But I thought Id share a little story and save those lessons for later...

This is a story that will show you how Senior Chief was before he showed us his nicer side... The one thing, above all else, that we must do is to lock our locker whenever we aren't an arms length away from it. At this point (this was Monday) someone had already left their lock off twice. This made the Senior Chief very unhappy. This was the third time and we walked in from class and knew that we were in trouble... Our gear was all over the hallway and everything had been torn apart. SC was already yelling and he screamed at us to take our raincoats off. After our third time with the jackets he put us up against the wall to do wall sits. We then did three part push ups and jumping jacks in uniform while SC berated us. SC then held us in the down position (you're not allowed to touch the ground) and proceeded to throw a lock down the passageway and slide it in front of us.

All of our hearts sank. I really think it was like when Christ told the disciples that one of them would betray Him, and they must have been shaking inside wondering who it was... All of us were wondering if we were the ones who had forgotten to lock our locker...

He then pulled up our money officer (whose lock it was) and threw all of our chow money for the week ($2024 which was her responsibility to keep for our meals, and was in her locker) on the floor. She started crying when he started yelling about how she betrayed the rest of the team by allowing our money to be out for the world to take. We all felt awful for her. She was then relieved of that duty and we had to wall sit until every last cent was counted. It was quite the experience.

Senior has an extra level of volume when we get in trouble like that, its pretty impressive.

Well, greetings from Naval Station Newport! Ill post again when I can. And I will post pictures soon!

Praise God.

Faith and Belief.

I am learning lately that Faith isn't exactly what I thought it was. Paul encourages Timothy in both of his letters to "Fight the fight of Faith". I don't think I really ever understood what it means to fight for faith until the last year.

I think I always thought of Faith as just belief. But I really think that belief is totally different. In John it says "I believe Lord, help my unbelief". Yet we are either a people that has faith or does not. I think as I get older (and I think for us all) in my Christian life its less and less just a set of facts or ideas or scripture which is just simply true. That used to be all I needed to believe and it let me sleep at night... "Ive seen this at work in my life, it is scripturally sound, so it is true".

Well as I grow older in my faith, and especially through seminary, I am given more ideas, more facts, more opinions and more things to read. As all of this enters me, I am changed. My faith sometimes has to renegotiate with the information before me.

But there are two good things about this. One, God is unchanging and good. I know that the promises of God are true so even if my facts are off, or what I believe is misinformed a little, It is my faith alone that is credited to me as righteousness. And, two, my faith is not based on ideas or theologies or trivia about the bible, but rather my faith comes from the Lord.

Often in the New Testament faith is accompanied by one of two things in a verse: the Holy Spirit, or fear of God. This tells me two things: One, that my faith comes from God, He chooses to give it to me (Hallelujah!) and it comes from my new, godly, heart knowing the truth that has been revealed to me by the Spirit. Two, that faith doesn't always come after miracles, belief does. We walk by faith, not by sight. I don't need anything or any proof to fight for faith, just prayer. Just like in the story of the paralytic, it is the friends faith BEFORE the healing that gets their friend healed. Now I'm pretty sure that they all believed a whole lot more after that, but their faith was what brought them before the Lord, and the same can be said for us.

Knowing this we should encourage each other that even if we are having a struggle believing the Gospel or truth or even our own salvation, that we are still children of God and that God will persevere and pursue us until we are fully reconciled with Him. And why is that? Because not only are we faithful, but God is ultimately faithful to His people. Think of that!!! If we need proof of God in order to have faith in God, what proof have we given God in order for Him to have faith in us??? none, and yet God is still faithful. So if God is giving us the ultimate example of faith, how much easier is it for us to live by faith in a good and righteous and holy God?

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Tim 6:12

We all need to remember the new heart that we received at our baptism and the confession that was made there... not that I wouldn't fail, not that I would produce so much fruit, but that I believe and confess my faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ...

I pray we can all say with Paul: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Tim 4:7

I'm with a lot of you, it gets harder and harder the older we get in our faith. There is a lot to try and reconcile with. We are bombarded with information that makes it impossible to go back to the days when we could just "believe". But press on, fight the fight, and encourage me, and Ill sure try and encourage you. Ill leave you with the words of Christ:

I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:32

Praise God.

sorry for the lapse blog fans.

Hey all you Full Sails fans out there. I know its been awhile, but I haven't gone anywhere, yet...

I'm officially done with PF Changs for the time being and I'm getting ready to go to ODS (Officer Development School) at Naval Station Newport (Rhode Island). I'm so excited to go... I cant wait to see the ocean. I'm always a happier person when I am near the sea and I cant wait to spend some weeks near it, not to mention a whole career eventually. All of the different personalities of the Ocean is an amazing reminder both of all the personality traits of God, and the infinity of tomorrows we will experience in heaven, God will never grow old or mundane, just like the sea never ceases to amaze me.

I will be updating pretty regularly on here while I'm away both to update how I'm doing and what I'm learning, as well as my day to day activities and what I'm doing in training for any of you who are interested.

I thought in commemoration of 2008 I would post the top 28 things I am thankful for in 2007. This is not an exhaustive list, just something I'm doing before I go to bed for the first time in 08, so don't over analyse, just enjoy...

1) Gods Word

2) PF Changs flexible schedule

3) John Piper

4) Dr. Whitford, my reformed professor.

5) Pilot G2 Pen (thanks for that Kev)

6) The Oaks Community Church

7) Kyle Jameson

8) The Ohio State University

9) The Navy and Marine Corps

10) Gods Call

11) Coffee

12) Reading

13) My Jeep

14) The Sea (and Psalm 107)

15) Jazz Music (and the Blue Wisp)

16) Grandpa Eddie

17) Swartzel

18) My parents patience and shelter this year

19) Tanqueray

20) Golf

21) Martin Luther

22) Chipotle

23) my new Banjo (and my Martin!)

24) Blake, for showing me truth

25) A trip to Arizona

26) United Theological Seminary

27) Hooded Sweatshirts

28) the PCA