All about the love.

So much to talk about from amazing races, to intros for the staff, to our youth services called Refuge. With all this one would think I would talk about one of these awesome things, but yet again I am going to talk about how I failed and how God has taught me something amazing out of it. (Wouldn't it be boring if I just talked about how perfect I already was?)
Ok so amazing race day two… We arrive at one of the church's campuses and have to paint a wall. The person who is assigning our job to us makes a comment that rubs me the wrong way. Instead of letting it go and letting God deal with it; I wanted to make it a spitting contest. (Not literally.) Afterward I not only was I convicted by the Holy Spirit, but also convicted by those riding with me in the car (lol). Those in the car did not feel I was wrong, but that to joke back with my authority in such a way was wrong. I realized, I felt different, that my heart was not in the right place. The next day at the staff meeting I apologized and we made amends. With all this I learned: other people are not my basis for comparison, if they are I will live life frustrated and fighting with those I love, with those God loves. I am reminded of what Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." -John 13:34-35

Change your World!

Wow! So much to talk about; first I am starting elevate ...... (sorry, umm Healing Place School of Ministry) on Friday! If you do not know it is a full time internship and seminary at Healing Place Church. I am so excited about that. I just quit my job yesterday because I can't work while in the internship. This has been a struggle for the last two or four weeks (my boss has been increasingly hard on me) as the time for me to quit has been approaching. So yesterday the end of the day came and the whole crew wished me luck and AJ (my boss) gave me a hand shake and said I could come back to work during the year if I had any time. This means so much to me, because many times I do not know how they really feel because there is so much joking. So now my point, even when we may not think people take much stock in what we say, and in what we do, people are watching all the time. Now this is only important if you care what people think, if you are representing some thing or some one more important than you. As a Christian I represent the most high, and even though I fail others are watching how I handle it. While many times I do not care what people think about me doing the right thing, like maintaining sexual purity (there are many criticisms for following Christ). This I know, that if I continue to follow Christ and even when I fail I maintain my faith, this will be recognized by others who have the potential to change their lives. Who, in turn can have more of an impact than I could ever have.

So my Aunt recently died. At her funeral many people spoke, but her friends and her son were the most impactful. My cousin Brian said how she was always there for him. (I have seen this with both of her sons many times.) Her friends (mostly other teachers) spoke on how she made an impact on not only their lives but also the students' lives. Seeing how someone who may not have lived as righteous as some can make such a positive impact on so many people, and how some of the most righteous people I know could make such little impact on others, makes me wonder what is it that she did right? Where is that spark in my life? Is it there? One thing she loved people. She was never too busy for some one. And the individual was as important as the whole. I wish I could remember the stories to recount them for you, but I can not. These are the things I want to put more emphasis on friendships, people, what God puts emphasis on. I could build great cities but if nobody shares them with me; what have I done? Nothing! I could preach to the multitudes, but if the individual is not moved I have spoken to the air. We are but a vapor, and if we do not share our time now we will just blow away. What scares me is that I would leave this earth the way I found it.

Faith

Last weekend we had a family reunion. During which we went canoeing. We stopped at an area to swim, and there was a clay embankment across from us. As we swam we went across to the other side, and jumped off of it. My cousin swam over and as he attempted to climb the clay. When his hand slipped, his wedding ring came off, and it fell into the river. We searched for about ten minutes diving ten feet plus under water looking for the ring. Meanwhile my Mom sat on the side. While we were all catching our breath she stated that she was praying. My initial reaction was "thanks a lot" and I thought as if that would not really help. Now I am being candid with you; my faith was lacking. I realized immediately what my reaction was and began to pray myself. We did not find the ring, but I can not help but think what the outcome might have been if I had had more faith. Then, tonight Donna (a lady from our church) spoke, she was speaking on freedom. She said, that once you are free in Christ, you can see many awesome things happen. Things that she has seen such as people being healed and even rising from the dead. Now I know that God can do anything this I have seen, but when she said this my immediate reaction was doubt. NOW My prayer is that I will have undoubting FAITH in God. I pray that not only will I know my God is all powerful, but I will act in it too. I will live in it. The stories in the bible are not only stories of stuff that happened two thousand years ago. They are facts these are miracles that God is still doing today. God is not asleep. He is not dead. He is still all powerful. He cares for us more that ever before and wants to see us live in his freedom. When we do, we will see things happen that can only be attributed to a God who loves and cares for us. This is the God we serve.
Faith.
When I have it my world changes.

Challange

Challenge: To live a life worth writing about. Do I want to live today and end the day saying "I could have....." NO! I want to live life in God's will. I want to step out there so much that it not only scares me, but that others around me say, "Wow!" They say, "Look what God has done here!" So I am challenging my self and the three other people who read this (lol) to step out. To get in the middle of what God is doing and see if it is not the awesomest thing that you have ever experienced. I guarontee (a little Cajun in me) that you will not be disappointed

God What?
Ok I have not blogged in a long time. So I figured I would just give you guys an update on everything that has been going on. I just filled out an application for Healing Place School of Ministry. Yes that is right I am going to be a missionary. Crazy is it not? I never in my wildest dreams thought at age 25 or any age for that matter would I go to be a missionary or even be a Christian! Yeah so for some of you this is a surprise; and for some of you who know me well now, not so much. I had someone ask me the other day what made me stop the life I did lead to pick up and want to be a missionary. My cousin even said "you weren't a bad person before? What you did never really hurt anybody, did it?" Some would say no, I did not hurt anybody. If you asked my Mom, however, how much it hurt her you would get a different answer. If you asked some people who I used, they would give you a different answer. If you were to ask some of the people who looked up to me or that I influenced, you would get yet another answer. Hardly any of these would be real positive. They might not be negative, however if you could see the contrast between then and now (and some of you have) It is like night an day. I know this though: God has changed my life so dramatically that I don't want to go back, no one in their right mind would want to. I know where I have come from and I know where I am right now. And let me tell you it is all worth it. God is so amazing in all he does...:

Perseverance

Ok it's one in the morning and I'm thinking. About where I am in life, and how much of this I want to share with any one who may happen across myspace. But due to the great response on my previous blog I feel kind of safe. So I know this God has a plan for my life. I am pretty sure that I am supposed to go into missions also. What I am going to do beyond that God only knows. God has to prepare me for this though. And He is doing just that. I have a lot of wreckage from the past like many of us do when we turn our lives over to God. (Paul was a Christian murder how much do you think he had to work through.) Any way God has brought me through a lot of these issues already, and is now bringing me through more. I am reminded of James' words when he wrote,"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything." God has given us this promise he wants us to be complete, but we have to go through trials to become stronger. So through this I know that God is still in control and he is allowing my imperfections to put me through trials so that he can perfect me and his plan for my life.

Passion

Passion is what makes us do many things. Passion makes men build palaces for their queens. Passion makes people spend hours in a shop practicing their craft that no one may ever see. Passion makes people end their lives by fling airplanes into buildings. This makes me ask myself, "Where is my passion focused?" If I give my life the same passion that makes a man blow himself up in a crowded market, then how much of an impact can I have on my world? To live a life of passionate love for others, this is my aspiration. These are just a few of my thoughts. Let me know what you think.