Currently Listening Seven Day Jesus By Seven Day Jesus Everybody Needs Love see related

It has been such a long time since I've written.  So much has happened between my last entry and now.  I really don't know where to start.  I think I'll just talk a little bit about the things that are on my heart right now.  I think it will do me a lot of good.

First of all, I need direction in my life...or maybe just some confirmation of where I am.  I have been a nurse for about 2 to 3 months so far, and I am beginning to see the reality of what it means to be a nurse.  This has been a tough adjustment for me.  Sometimes I feel like I am stuffing people with pills and not truly ministering.  I have prayed with several patients, but I wish I could focus so much more on spiritual care.  Time is so limited with each patient and it really bothers me.  I wish I could just pull up a chair and talk for a good hour or so and hit the core of the matter.  I've seen so many people in spiritual distress and little time to focus in on this area.  Although the little time for prayer is amazing, I wish there was more I could offer for this specifically.  I am very thankful for this learning experience though.  Maybe when I start mastering time management, I'll be able to have more time to focus on this area.  I was speaking with an incredible person at work, and she told me that we need to trust in the Lord that our lives are ministering to them.  It brings me back to a statement I've heard at Crusade.  "Never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of you."  Our walk and our integrity and caring is evident.  People can easily discern if someone is truly caring or not. 

I feel like I've focused on the negative aspect.  On the positive side of working at the hospital, I have been blessed by people at exactly the right times.  There were times where I felt like I had nothing to give...like i was ineffective at what I was doing.  Then someone would say, "you were so caring to my mother" or simply "thank you."  How powerful words are.  I can remember receiving a note in my mailbox about a message a family member wanted me to have about the care this person received.  It broke my heart in such a great way.  How great it is to be broken...easier said than done obviously...but in retrospect it is so amazing.

Another thought of mine goes to Campus Crusade for Christ.  I have a huge heart for campus ministry.  I love staying after meetings and talking and praying with people.  But I kinda feel like i'm becoming irrelevant to a lot of people at crusade.  I am not on campus very much anymore and I feel like a lot of these relationships are suffering.  I hope I am being hard on myself, but I wish I had more time to devote to campus ministry.  SSU campus ministry has so much potential.  We just need the boldness to take a stand for Christ...whether that be standing up to a professor during a lecture or showing integrity in our work and conversations with people.  I am evaluating my own conversations and walk as I type this. 

I hope I don't sound crazy negative because I am soo blessed.  It is amazing to think that the Creator of everything loves me and knows me and that I have a relationship with Him.  I have been blessed with amazing family and relationships in my life.  "You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to You and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give You thanks forever" (Psalms 30:11-12).  He has turned my sadness into gladness so that I will not remain silent but praise Him and sing to Him.  He is the only source of joy (joy...not happiness) that is longsuffering and is not temporary.  His joy is our strength.  No matter what valley we are going through, His joy from His hope is what allows us to keep climbing up the valley.  

Have any of you heard the new song on K-love by Todd Agnew "Did you know?"  I think that's what it's called.  Wow...that's an amazing song.  "Did the cross cast a shadow over your cradle?"  ..."Did you wence everytime Your hammer struck a nail?"  Shew...one of those "leave you speechless songs."

Well...I think I wrote a book so I will go.  Have a blessed day and if you would like any prayer or anything let me know.  joeyuhl@hotmail.com  Or if ya would just like to chat it up I"m on MSN messenger too.  God bless your socks off!

~Joey  

"This is the love; that Jesus would give up His life and carry a cross that was mine..." (SDJ  "Everybody Needs Love")

Edit...

Wow...so I just finished my entry and I was goofing off on myspace looking for music videos and I found this Casting Crowns video.  Wow!!  Watch this video and be inspired to make an impact for His Kingdom. 

Currently Listening Closer to Complete By Send the Beggar see related

- Presence of God

"Don't let YOUR words fall to the ground before I hear YOUR voice.  Here I am"

For some reason I felt like i needed to update starting off with that song lyric.  I feel like when I hear God speak, I sometimes overanalyze His words.  Was that really God?  Even though I know it is.  Was that my own thoughts?  My thoughts and ways are not His.  Many times especially in the Old Testament, when God called upon His servants, they would answer, "Here I am."  That's it!!  They didn't think, was that indigestion?  Was that really God?  Will Satan ask you to pray or encourage someone?  I think not.  Lord, break my heart and make it more sensitive to the things of  You.  Here I am.  I'm learning to listen.  Keep teaching me.

These past few weeks have been great and hectic.  I would like to kinda go back and remember a few events in particular.  I guess I'll start with the obvious.  Friday the 9th was the nursing pinning ceremony.  I was asked probably at the beginning of the quarter to give class remarks for the Associate Degree Nursing graduate class.  I had no clue what to say.  The day before pinning, I spent some time with an amazing person.  Some people have a gift of bringing out what's on your heart.  Thank you so much!  The pinning ceremony went pretty well.  I really wasn't very emotional at all. I think I got all of that out earlier on, so I was fine.  Then commencement was Saturday.  That turned out to be a fun time to goof off with a few friends.  During the 2nd half of the ceremony it started to rain like the dickens.  That made things a little interesting.  Then afterwards, some family came down and we had a party.  My aunt made me the coolest cake!  I think i'll put a picture of it at the bottom of this post.

Oh wow, I forgot to mention the funky formal!!  That was a blast!  So much swork was put into it.  I was blown away when I walked in and saw all of the decorations and the stage and everything that went into it.  It was cool to see everyone dress up all fancy and enjoy fellowship and receiving funky awards. haha  Beth Toman and Sarai (sp?) came down and played some amazing music.  Then at the end, Mark and Evelyn were honored and finally the one and only Elaine received her memory tree, photos, and an Andy song.  Just a great night!  Loved it!  I guess this paragraph should have came before the last one...oh well =)

Lately, I have had the bug to play music until the break of day.  I thank God for the gift of music to express our love and our hearts to Him.  I wonder if I'll have a chance to jam out with David in heaven?  haha =)  Tonight, Ryan Adkins, Jon Ison, and I jammed out from 10 to 12:30ish.  So much fun!  I enjoy coming up with guitar parts and Ryan making really cool songs out of them.  And then Jon has this crazy awesome voice.  Music is an amazing way for people to draw together.  True unity is hard to come by, but I feel like I've experienced this unity many times through music.  Behold how good and how pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity. 

I guess that's all the exciting stuff.  This week has been full of trying to tie up loose ends.  I finally (Praise you Jesus) got a provisional license from the state.  Now I can officially go to work monday.  Then I had a physical done.  The doc had me do the weirdest things.  I was walking on my heels and then on my tippytoes and then I felt like i was spinning around at one point.  I think he just wanted us to do some funny things for a laugh. =)

Welp, I believe I will rap it up for the night.  God is amazing.  His love endures forever...Sing Praise!  David is such an amazing example of a worshiper.  I may not have a harp, but I want his mindset. He meditated on God's word continually.  His commandments were written on his heart so that he would not sin against Him.  I pray that God's word be written on my heart with a permanent sharpie marker.  umm...i think I am getting a little sleepy. haha

Good night/morning/or whenever you read this =)

Joey 

"...and all the things I felt were so important are really not important when I give them to You...."

"...I fall to my face, forget how I feel and I will know that You are God.  And I will be still"

~"Presence of God" by Send the Beggar

Currently Listening Learning to Breathe By Switchfoot see related

A Jam session in progress.  

Pic 1) Let's kick things off with a praise song (Marvelous Light by Charlie Hall)

Pic 2) Ryan getting the creative juices flowing: the beginning of a new song

Pic 3) Jon getting his creative on.  Adding some spice to the creative pot

Pic 4) Ryan saying, "Hey, this sounds good!"

Pic 5) Play through what we have of a song

Pic 6) Packing up (Sad time indeed)

Pic 7) Cheesy band picture. 

And this is the recipe of a beautiful jam session.  This was this past friday the 9th.  Many things have happened these past few days.  I will update a bit more sometime soon.

I had the chance recently to record some music with Ryan Adkins and Jon Ison.  The song is called "Living for the Moment.  I hope that the song ministers to you and encourages you to be bold for if He is for you, who can possibly be against you?

You can listen to it at http://www.purevolume.com/godseye

God bless your socks off!

Joey