Currently Listening Stay By Jeremy Camp see related

My New Post

Currently Listening Look to You By Hillsong United see related

Who God Reallly Is...

HAPPY SPRING!!! And yes, while this means that good basketball is now over ('cause we all know the NBA sucks) and while its still 4 months until football, we can still watch some great baseball, GO O's!, and still enjoy some beautiful weather before the lovely humidity comes. I love this time of year; I love how everything comes back to life, I love that I can go outside and wear a t-shirt and jeans without the need of a coat, I love that the sun stays out til 8 and I love that just as God makes everything new again in spring, He teaches me something new everyday.  Lately, it's been pretty refreshing to remind myself about God's grace and the magnitude of it.  I think too many times in our lives, we've allowed our "view" of God blur us to who God really is. What I mean by that is that I really believe a lot of us try to earn God's love and we beat ourselves up when we feel like we don't measure up to what he wants us to be.  I was having lunch with one of my dearest friends today and we were talking about this issue.  As Christians, we can't earn anything because we don't deserve anything. We sin, we deserve to die, but God, in his wonderful grace says, "I love you, I don't want to be separated from you, I have provided a way."  This is a releasing and very powerful thought, but again, in our 21st century mindset, we can't accept this without feeling that we owe Him something in return. We get bogged down by "works" and we become discouraged because in all reality, we will never measure up in our own eyes, because we're human, and we fail. But God says not to worry. There's nothing we can do that will make Him love us anymore, and I believe more importantly, there's nothing we can do that will make Him love us any less.  I want to close by sharing a little story I heard from Lynne Hybels, wife of mega-church pastor Bill Hybels, as she addressed this very issue and what she felt God tell her, and what He tells His children that work too hard for something they cannot earn.

"I love you. Right here. Right now. I love you so much that I want you to rest. I want you to sit and receive the refreshment of my creation. I want you to listen to music. I want you to dance in the quietness of your bedroom. I want you to be like a child, secure and free in the presence of an adoring parent.      I want you to know that all those years when you were working so hard to try to please me, I was trying to tell you to slow down. I saw you killing yourself from the inside out and I tried to stop you. But the many false voices in your head drowned out the single true voice in your heart.    I wasn't the one cracking the whip, the one telling you to work harder, the one who made you feel guilty when you relaxed. I was the one who saw you, who knew you, who believed in you, who longed to restore your energy. I was the one trying to fluff up the pillow, tuck the blanket around your shoulders, and tell you it was time to rest. I was the one trying to love you."

Currently Listening When Silence Falls see related

God's Will....Here and Now

"Many of us have come to view our daily routine as boring—just empty space to be filled with an array of distractions. But the key to knowing and doing the will of God is seeing that empty space for what it is: exceedingly important. We need to become vigilant about that space and remain unwilling to take small detours from God’s will—speaking disrespectfully to loved ones, watching trash on TV, wasting valuable time at work. It’s the wrong choices we make in everyday life that put us instantly out of God’s will for our lives." - Jennifer Ruisch

So, I know I haven't posted in a while, please forgive me for that...not that I think anyone really cares. Things couldn't be going better right now. I've been able to rid myself of some distractions that were getting in the way of what God wants to do in my life, the church and the youth group are doing incredibly well and God continues to show me new truths about His grace, love and mercy every day.  Life is good...

Which brings me to my quote posted above. This past Friday night was a good one. I was able to go to the high school boy's game in D.C. which our boys won, and then I went over to a friend's house to relax and talk for a little bit. Soon after I got there, another friend showed up and we all just talked for 3 hours about anything and everything. I left feeling stretched and encouraged, it was definitely a good time.

During the course of the night, we started talking about God's will and what we saw happening with our lives. It was great because we were all able to be open and honest. I kept thinking about it after I left (because I've been thinking about it a lot lately, see previous posts), and I started thinking about the here and now. I think the lady that made that quote was right. We only start worrying about God's will when we are faced with big decisions in our lives; where should I go to school? where should I live? which job should I choose? who should I love and marry? why am I in this situation?  These are all big questions, and yes, we should seek God's will in all of them, but I think we need to realize that God wants us to have Him in the center of ALL that we do. If we are totally relying on Him, keeping Him in the center of our lives, not being able to go a day without building our relationship with Him, then we won't be able to help but be in His will. 

I believe God's will for all of our lives is to love Him, and love others and point others to Him.  God has given us a great gift in free will.  Yes, He has a plan for you, but He also promises that He will work ALL things for the good of those that love Him.  So I encourage you today, if you're seeking God with all your heart by getting into His Word and praying, if you are yeilding yourself to Him, if you are loving and encouraging those who God has put in your life, then I believe you are in the will of God and that you are free to take steps of faith in all areas. 

So focus on the here and now, stop worrying about tomorrow, or the next day or next year.  Find God now.  While St. Francis of Assisi was raking leaves one day a neighbor asked, "If you knew for certain that Christ Himself were coming back in a half hour, what would you do?"   St. Francis replied, "I'd finish raking the yard."

Currently Listening Passion: Hymns Ancient and Modern By Passion Worship Band see related

My Post-Valentine's Day Post

Happy Valentine's Day to all you lovebirds...really, I hope you had a good day...thats not sarcastic at all...I'm not the least bit jealous...really.  Ok maybe not, maybe I'm a little jealous.  During this time, nostalgia seems to get to me and I hear all these happy stories of people who are in love and are married and part of me wishes I was in their shoes, but then part of me realizes that I'm not ready yet.  I know that God has a plan and a purpose for everything, if I try to rush things, or make things happen that He did not intend, then I will just be selling myself short of the blessings that God has for me.  True, I want to love and to be loved just like all of us, but if I'm impatient and not content, then that will only lead to heart break.  As most of you know, my sister and brother-in-law had their first child on saturday (see pictures in previous post), and I look at their marriage and I see what a true marriage is all about, the same with my parents.  I see that they keep God first in all that they do, and each other second and support and encourage at all necessary times.  I want that, and I know if I wait, God will eventually give me that type of relationship.  I read a poem today that I believe exemplifies what true, Christian love between husband and wife looks like, from the eyes of a spouse:

Love

I love you...
not only for what you have made of yourself
but for what you are making me.

I love you...
for the part of me that you bring out;

I love you...
for putting your hand into my heaped-up heart
and passing over all the foolish, weak things
that you can't help.
For dimly seeing there,
and for drawing out into the light
all the beautiful belongings
that no one else had looked
quite far enough to find.

I love you...
because you are helping me
to make the lumber of my life
not a tavern but a temple;
out of the works of my every day
not a reproach, but a song.

So, I hope you had a Happy Valentine's day, for those of you who have found your love and those who are still waiting on the Lord.  Dad and David, I hope someday I can become the husband that you are to your wives.

Currently Reading Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive By John Eldredge see related

So on Saturday at 1:10 PM, I became Uncle Jack.  My sister gave birth to 8lb. 7 ounce Isaac Andrew. Its  so awesome to see life come into this world. Everyone is doing well and I absolutely love holding and having a little nephew. Here are a couple of pictures:

Isn't he cute?

I really need to find him a Maryland red hat though, we'll get there. Have a wonderful day.