MarkPetitmermet's Xanga

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 23:24:15 GMT

Hey,
I'm goin to New Zealand forsure now! They just emailed me that I am officially excepted. Now I need to get a visa and plane tickets figured out. This is the website for it Pacific Challenge DTS .
Life has been so crazy. Really good and exciting too. It has taken so many turns I'd never expect. Each one I've had to make a huge decision based purely on God and His soveriegn control. To step out into the unknown and trust Him with the future with nothing else to fall back on. Just His Word; not my own logic, facts or reason just acting on who He says He is. It has been very hard to drop my pride and face my fears and step out. But then after trusting Him and moving forward my faith has been built up so much. God is so faithful.
Well keep pressin on and living for Him,
Mark

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Sat, 30 Sep 2006 01:06:18 GMT

Well I'm back from Gleanings. I've been back for about 2 weeks. It was a good summer. A lota work, very busy and it had its hard stuff. God is faithful to mold and shape us. It was good though. I've been still learning to step out more for Him. To take risks and not be so "safe" in my comfort zone. It's so nice to be back home. But not for long. I applied to go on YWAM DTS in New Zealand. It's on a ship that goes to different ports around New Zealand for the Lecture phase and for Outreach they go to Pacific Islands and do medical work along with evangelism. It's exciting, but it's still stepping out. It's not like I know from God I'm supposed to go on a DTS. I just feel there's no neg things about it and I really want to know God better. Life has always been too busy and it be cool to have 6 months of seeking God. It starts mid January.
Life is hard in certain ways these days. I'm learning to trust God even when I don't feel close. HE is right with us no matter what we feel. It's been hard though, faith and trust is a sacrifice.
I encourage you to step out in faith and risk your "comfort zone", security for God's glory. If there's somthing in front of you that you think would be good to do but are afraid or want to be "safe" then leave that behind and go for it. Trust God and His strength and step forward. Life is too short to be "safe". Lets believe who God is with our actions.

Keep pressin on guys,
Mark

He is no fool who gives what he can't keep to gain what he can't lose.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Sun, 13 Aug 2006 14:18:39 GMT

Hey all,

Time is flying by. I'm in Baltamore, Maryland at a hotel computer. I was flying home yesterday but the flight was overbooked so I stayed overnight and got a 300$ vaucher for a plain ticket. I can't pass up a deal like that. I went to the WorshipGod conference. Even though I'm not in worship or anything Dad and Grace really encouraged me to come. It was so worth it. God is workin in me. I'm not sure that I can put it all into words about the conference and what I've learned yet. It was a lot. It was on the presence of God. It was an awesome time to seek God and worship and be focused on Him and to take a break and rest from life. Gleanings has been super busy. The summer has gone past soo fast, sometimes I think too fast. One thing I've been thinkin about is I need to be steppin out more and taking risks. Not foolishness or stupidity, but step out even when things aren't perfectly laid out or to do new things for God. To not be so comfortable and nice in a "Velvet lined" rut.

If ya haven't heard about the "turkey day" then I'll post it if ya ask me. It was a unique work day on Sunday. A 9hr day in 120degrees carrying dead 30lbs turkeys and then counting them. 5,800 total. That's a quick summary or short story. The details can be posted.

I also cut my knee on some metal above a conveyor belt. 8 stitches later, It was through the skin but didn't get to anthing impotant so that was cool. It amazing how easily we can get hurt, I didn't trip or fall or anything like that, I just didn't lift my leg high enough to step over it. O well it's healing really fast and good. It's a "happy smilely face with braces" looking scar.

I went to 6 flags near LA with a group from WA that had 2 extra spots so Kim and I went. It was cool. The lines were 2 hrs long and then the rides were over so fast. It was really fun though. It was cool to make new friends but sad to say goodbye. Other than that I think that's all the main stuff that's been goin on. It be sweet to see all of you that are comin at the end of the month. Keep pressin on for King you guys. God is so much more than we know.

For his glory,

Mark

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Sat, 17 Jun 2006 00:28:13 GMT

Well I'm headed down to Gleanings tomorrow for the Summer. I'm excited and looking forward to what God has in store. Life has been really busy and the hard stuff speckled in it. It's been a good time for me to "practice" stop trying harder to overcome stuff and instead trusting in His strength. It'll be a longer day tomorrow b/c I have my EMT retest and I'll leave after that for CA. I'm hopin I'll be able to leave by lunch. But you can never tell how long they'll drag out stuff. Well keep pressin on my friends and know He is the strength and holiness we aren't.
For His glory,
Mark

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Sun, 04 Jun 2006 01:30:26 GMT

Well I just got back from the New Attitude conference in Kentucky Tuesday. I went expecting a lot, to grow deeper with God, learn more Truth. Well I got 80 million times more than I thought. It was so good. From all the conferences I've been to there is normally one or two out of the 7 sessions that really convict and hit my heart or encourage me. But this NA every single one hit my heart right where God has been softening and preparing it. I could never say in words here how cool the conference was, not enough time or space. That is not a wordy exageration, God is so real and so awesome. I'll try to outline some main things . . . . .

One thing, . . . . what Jesus did for us. What great holy perfect love. The Father CRUSHED Him for us, me, you, and I. It was the will of the Father to crush Him. Oh that we'd know that love. Even when we are so unfaithful and worshiping ourselves or other stuff. . .He loves. Even when we turn away and CHOOSE the "easy" comfortable way, He loves. When we go our own way, leaving Him. He loves . . . . I don't wana be displaying our guilt but somehow help us see His LOVE for us. You guys. . . if we saw His love and understood just a little.

Well I'm guna go to Gleanings this summer. I'm very excited and looking forward to it. It's been a long trusting God process. I haven't known since last fall what to do next but recently I was thinkin about the parable of the guys that the master gave the talents to and left. Well God has given us our time and lives and gifts. We need to invest and use them for His glory and not be like the guy that was afraid and hid his 1 talent. For me I was wanting it all spelled out perfectly before I stepped out. Well investing is a risk, I could make a mistake. Got calls us to be faithful stewards. Gleanings has always been my heart and so I'm guna go. It seems the best use of my time for His glory from where I see things. If it's a mistake then I'll learn, but at least I learn. That is not how I feel but I know it's what we should be. It's scary to really practice trustin God. But my King has never left but is always faithful. Oh that we'd be more willing to let go of everything and go all out for His glory. It's such a hard thing.

What does your life reflect? Is it for God or for you? Is your heart 100% for Him or have you given it to other things?

Keep pressin on

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Sun, 09 Apr 2006 22:18:21 GMT

This is in response to Daynes post.

Amen Dayne. You said it right on. Obviously don't just be a hermit like he said you guys. But more often than not that can creep in as a rationalzation to have or do somthing compromising to the Truth. It does not have to be complicated and it isn't. Dayne you said it very clear. It's a hard thing to really think about what we need to stop or let go of. If you have the feeling of a somthing that is in the grey area but aren't sure if it's wrong. Let it go. IS it more important to be sure of Salvation and a total passion for God's glory or somthing else? That's most likely God touching your heart, urging you in the right path. It's a choice. It's up to you. There's too much at stake. And Dayne's post applies to every single person that reads it, young, old, all of us. God hates the lukewarm. If we go to church and think we're saved to feel good but if we are not 100% for Him them we're lost. Even somone doin nothing for God, nothing "passionate", can still be 100%. Seek Him, cry out, we're lost without Him. And in the end we'll see how our choices went. You guys just cuz were' all good friends and go to a cool church and do churchy stuff and not any really bad stuff; have we really convinvced ourselves that it'll save us in the end?

I've chosen God. To let go anything in the grey, anything that brings me farther from Him. To pursue His glory and will, with my life and everything I have. Not to be proud but to urge you to really choose. You guys are we willing to die? Jim Elliot did. This isn't a fun and games church thing. This is what we say we believe. it's not about being a missionary to the world, not talkin to the homeless guy on the corner. It's about YOUR HEART letting go of the world and all it is offering and choose God. Let go. Choose God.

Somthing that I've been thinking about with our church and the US. If you don't believe God now goin to church and hearing the gospel, then it will be like when the rich guy and Lazereth and he asked if he could go back and warn them. but he said that "if they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will be convinced if someone were to rise from the dead". Is that us??? Have we already gone are way after hearing God? Check your life out. Is ther peace and joy? Suffering for His glory? Choose. Don't be a halfway, cuz being halfway is worse than the middle. Have you already heard the gospel and chosen the "funner" easier way? Is it too late?

It's never to late to choose untill you stand before the Judge. It's a high risk to let it go, and say I'll change later. Don't count yourself out. check you heart.

Monday, February 13, 2006

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 20:47:19 GMT

Hey all,

How busy life can be. It's good though. God is so faithful and so real. Church was good yesterday, esp the first half. We so need to trust and believe God more. He is so much so awesome and faithful, we just need to believe. I was at the emergency room in the Tualtin Hospital last night for a 7PM to 7AM shift. For EMT school we need to have at least 8hrs in an emergnecy room and 8 hrs on an ambulance. It was quite long esp after 4:30 till 6:00 we didn't have any patients. It was fun though learning and helping the nurses and taking patients to rooms. First "all-nighter" I've done before. I went boarding with my bro and Craig last Mon. It was so beautiful, perfectly blue clear skys and a lot of snow. Work is pretty slow, full days but a slow slow pace most of the time.

God has so blessed me. Life can be so hard sometimes but somehow knowing that God is incontrol and there's no way for anything to change His will. We miss it so easily. Is this life about us or God?? We base and see everything on us though, getting married, getting a future, haveing a good prductive life, doing "great" things for God and that's at our best. But are we searching for and open to God's will? Ready to follow at any cost? What if we are to die young for Him? What if we are to "fail" in life for His glory? What if it's looks like a failure to even our friends? Are we believeing?? Are we asking God to help our unbelief? How many will go their own way never really knowing and seeking God or even knowing what to believe because we don't beleive God? Things are so lukewarm. Life so easy. . . . I guess what my heart is feeling is that it's so easy these days to be blinded and brought farther from God. If it wasn't His grace we'd never even know. The US needs missionaries . . . . . But we do already. Like that verse in the New Testament "If they don't believe the law and the prophets how will they believe us?" There's the Truth here more than anywhere. Not just the US but even in our church. There seems to lack the fire in a lot of us young people. God is so much more than church and a comfort for the hard times. When we stand before God there will be no excuse. We are surrounded by truth. How much will it take till we believe 100% seriously and not keep "shilly shallying"? Life is not garanteed to a certain time of life. Once again it comes back to, Do we really believe? We say we do, but do we? God has worked so much in my heart. I feel so unworthy of His blessing.

People at school and everywhere ask a lot what I'm guna do after EMT. I've been thinking about that whole question my whole life. I have always thought; I've never known where or what I'm goin to do in life? But then I already know. I never thought of it this way before. My passion is to live and serve God at all any cost trusting in His grace. That's my what I'm guna do in life. Is God not a God who has His perfect will and future for us? We can trust in Him by His grace.

I guess this is getting long, but my heart pleads that we'd not miss it. So many have and are . . . . . I feel in our church and friends. We are too afraid to "offend" or go from our comfort zone to say what is really happening to each of us. It's easier to have a "hi how are you" aquantaince than to speak the hard stuff to eachother. I'm with ya all too, no different, I don't think I could say this talkin to someone or even live it. With God all things are possible. Just believe with total abandon. Isn't something this serious and glorious worth it?? No matter what trust God and cry for His strength to help you. I wonder if any of us will believe enough to live a life like Jim Elliot or those that take it seriously and give their all to gain what they can never lose. This is what we press on towards.

Mark

Friday, January 20, 2006

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 01:48:27 GMT

Hey,

God is so good to us. How can we forget it? It was one of the most coolest things today. For those of you that have been praying for Luke and I about the court stuff thank you so much. And for those of you that are wondering what I'm talkin about, In the Fall when we were hunting we shot an elk in the wrong area than our tag. We didn't know it was the wrong area though. We both got ticketed. The poaching laws are very serious and just had some things added recently. So the DA was charging us with two very serious charges for each of us. It has been a very heavy and overwhelming situation for me added with work and college and life. We did do it though so I'm not saying it's unjust and the DA are bad people. It's just way more serious than we ever thought. Anyways to get through the court system you pretty much have to have lawers. We kept trying to call the DA but they never returned our calls. The court date is coming up and so we decided we needed to get lawers to even get through it. I was goin to meet with a lawer today at 5:00. He said he could take the case for 1,700$. I pretty much decided I'd have to just pay it because we needed a lawer. Ok here's the awesome GOD part. At lunch today the DA finally called back after months of not. They called the offiicer that ticketed us and he helped us. The DA lessened the charges to just one charge each and a fine for each of us with community service. Which before he called we were both goin to have to pay the lawers a ton and we'd probably just get is down to that too. So God worked it out for us without us paying the lawers too.

For me it seemed so impossibly crazy and out of my hands. It got so serious. I can't even say how thankful and just awestruck that God would bless us like this. I lost all hope in the sense that God doesn't do things the way we want just so it's easy on us. I knew it could easily turn out bad in our eyes but God would still be incotrol. It seemed too big for me. In the system of the courts and legal stuff it didn't matter that we were christians or anything. From when we got the ticketed and stuff until a month ago I couldn't trust God. I knew God was in cotrol but I couldn't make it real in my life. No matter how hard I tryed to trust I never could really get peace. Until finally I just broke and said Lord I need you to help me trust. I couldn't even trust Him for that. God is our only hope.

Thanks so much for those of you that were praying for us. God did so much and is still doing. When you hope for the impossible and God does it. . .How can you express it? He is so awesome. It was way more than tickets and stuff. He did so much in me. Pray for his will, that He'd change and mold you, even when it means life is guna be so so hard. Lets not be fearful of hard things but turn to God and cry for help and the strength to trust in it.

This post doesn't really say how I feel or what God did in this situation. It doesn't even say how much it was perfectly planned by God for His glory and our good. It so far has been the hardest thing in my life since being a christian. But God is so much more awesome now.

One thing I know without a doubt; God is so real and so awesome. If you pray that He'd change and work in you no matter how hard, He will. Don't be afraid to. Being changed and loved by Him is an awesome thing. It is so easy to miss it and just have a nice life. You guys lets face our fears and truly trust God. No matter how hard, how painful, or how impossible it looks, ask God to help you trust Him though it. We can never try hard enough on our own.

Keep pressin on in life and really look to Him and trust Him. Step out in the fearful things.

Mark

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:30:53 GMT

Hey my friends,

It was cool having a super long weekend at the beach. We left Fri night and just got home tonight(Monday night). It was so flooding and rainging when we left Fri. There was road blocks and stuff in a lot of places from high water. It was a cool adventure after work Fri. A guy that works for us had his small pickup stop right in the middle of a huge flooding spot outside of Molalla. It was almost 2 feet deep and 200 ft long in the road with flood water. Well Gabe (another guy that works for us) and I got our pickup and tow strap and went to help him. when we got there somone had already pulled him to dry road. We couldn't make it start so we pulled him to Gabe's house in town. It was raining so hard too. But it was a fun adveture.

It was fun at the beach too. really stormy and wild waves. We love it like that though makes for an exciting walk on the beach. You get to run from waves when there's not much beach to escape to anyways. Matt and Tiff came which was so cool too. We went shopping at the factory stores on New Years day. I got a sweet Quick Silver coat for a sweet price and some sunglasses and shorts for the summer. Why pass up a good deal for good stuff when I'll need them in the summer. This afternoon there was the coolest weather stuff. There was water funnels right on the horizon. It was so cool to see. They were kinda far away but still very cool and also there was an awesome sunset.

It's kinda weird now with all the time I had with the long weekend it seems life has slowed down. It's nice to have the break. But next week the winter term starts. It'll be cool to to start again after a good break. I just hope there's some time to snowboard a little. Well keep pressin on in the hard stuff of life guys. Don't let things take you down, cry out to Him.

By His grace,

Mark

Monday, December 26, 2005

Mon, 26 Dec 2005 20:42:09 GMT

Hey,

Well Christams is over. We get today off also though so it's cool to relax and do stuff with the fam. I got the book Wild at Heart for Christmas and read that yesterday. It's a good book. Makes a man outa you. Well it kinda starts the process. A lota good truth. It was nice to have a good book and time to read it. Matt and Tiff came over so that was really nice too.

It was sweet last Wenesday night at the firestation. I finally got some calls to go to. It was a crazy night, I only got 2 hours of sleep but hey that's why I go. It's fun to have a relazing evening there and stuff but having calls once in a while is cool. It's been nice to have winter break. Like life is slower now since it's not so crazy busy. It's been good for me. Snowboarding was a whole lota fun too. Flying down the mountain, what a rush. It's so nice up there too, so pretty.

Life is so good, so unknown, so hard, so full of joy and hard stuff. It's been super hard but the last month I kinda feel like I'm comin over the hill and seeing hope and light. There's been smaller hills before and am sure there's guna be bigger ones. But hey we gotta take it day by day and be faithful with today and what it brings. There's such a sweet deep joy and peace when you are at the bottom and you know your only hope is God. It's kinda funny reading all this, it's so true but so not how you see everyday life when you're living it.. Things go by so fast and it's lost in it all so quick. God is with us. Let's stand and be who God made us to be. Keep pressin on friends by His grace through the hard stuff in life each day,

Mark