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!