Thank God for your coffee :)

A week ago, today we still did not have power. God really taught me a lot through those few days without power. Last Sunday I was on my way home from church and all I could think about was how bad I wanted to make a cup of coffee so I could finish some work for an online class and then do reading for school. As we drove home, we saw trees everywhere and power lines sparking but I did not think anything of it. I got to my dorm and noticed how dark it was, then I realized we were without power, and at first I was mad because now I was inconvenienced and I was unable to drink coffee or do work online and reading in my room was hard without light. I went outside, watched the storm, and talked to people as we all tried to figure out what was going on and if anything was open, so we could do work and study. We found out that the school was going to feed us dinner that night, and when I walked into the cafeteria at eight the Lord humbled me, standing behind the counter to serve dinner was the Mohlers, the president of this school and his wife came to campus to serve us. In that moment, God reminded me of all the things I thought and said that day and how selfish I was being. He used this week to show me how many blessings I have in my life and how much I take things for granted like being able to do something simple like make coffee, not everyone has that blessing. It was nice not having power after a while because students talked to each other more, we got out of our rooms and helped out around campus, and we had real fellowship with each other, I was able to spend real uninterrupted time with God every day. Sunday night after dinner was so beautiful, you could actually see the sky w/out all the lights the campus usually has. I sat outside in the dark talking to people and singing worship songs. We looked up into the sky and there was a beautiful full moon that we would have missed if all the light had been on and we did not have this time to stop and meditate on God and his creation. For Dr. Wares class we have been meditating on Palm 19 for the last month and as we sat there one of the guys started to recite it. That Psalm took on new meaning after watching the storm that day and then seeing a full moon without lights on anywhere. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork, Psalm 19:1. It was such a gift of God not to have classes for a week even those I love classes and was sad not to have them, it was nice to have a break, to get some reading done, to spend extra time with him and sense my Aunt died on Tuesday it was nice to not have to go to class thinking about that. I love this school they took very good care of us and made sure we had 3 meals a day even when we did not have power they made it work. God showed me how blessed I am and how its easy to take that for granted.

Life here is good but it can be real hard. In the last few days I feel as if God has been testing me like never before or the enemy is attacking me or both (thank you to those at home who know whats going on and who have been there and Happy I love you its that simple) Its hard but at the same time such a sweet time because God is showing me over and over again in all of this that he is so much better. He is better! And he is bigger, he is bigger then any test, any pain, any hurt, he is. He is also showing me that there is purpose in this season as there is purpose in all seasons and that my identity is found in him. It has been a hard reminder that I need to live for his approval and not the approval of others....my identity is found in him alone and my hope is in him alone.

Sorry it has taken so long to update this thing but with the power being out, my aunt dying, and the other stuff that's been going on I've been spending most of my time seeking the one who holds it all together and holds me together. Wherever you are today dear brothers and sisters know that God is Good, he is Good in all things! No matter what season you are in weather it be a good one or a broken one God is in it with you and he is Good. Put your hope in him not in the things of this world and remember to thank him today for your cup of coffee hehe :)

"I haven't come for only you"

This has probably been the most convicting week of my life and I am being dead serious right now. It started over the weekend with God graciously disciplining me and showing me idols that I have made in my life and things that I have sinfully put before him, things that are not bad but things that I have made bad, because I was worshiping the gifts of God above God. Then this week at Southern has been great commission week and some of the same things that God was showing me over the weekend were shown to be again through the chapel services but in an even bigger way. I am left speechless in my own depravity, but at the same time I know that God is sovereign and I cannot wrap by head around that right now why he would love me when I have been so shellfish when I have bought into to the lie of the cultural. But praise be to God for how big and loving he is!

I could sit here and type out my chapel notes or go through Exodus 33 or Romans 1-9 to show what God has been showing me and how sinful and selfish I am but not just me, but I am not writing to judge anyone so I will allow you to search your own heart in that. Instead thought there is a song that sums this whole week up and I will leave you with that....God again showed me how big and sovereign he is just through this cd...it was given to me this weekend by a friend and then this week everything in these songs came out in the chapel and classes...its Derek Webbs first cd she must and she shall go free

The Church:
I have come with one purpose to capture for myself a bride by my life she is lovely by my death she’s justified
i have always been her husband though many lovers she has known so with water i will wash her and by my word alone
so when you hear the sound of the water you will know you’re not alone
(chorus)‘cause i haven’t come for only you but for my people to pursue you cannot care for me with no regard for her if you love me you will love the church
i have long pursued her as a harlot and a whore but she will feast upon mes he will drink and thirst no more so when you taste my flesh and my blood you will know you’re not alone
(chorus)
there is none that can replace her though there are many who will try and though some may be her bridesmaids they can never be my bride
(chorus)

God did not just come to save me or to save you, he came for his church! And unlike popular belief and maybe not belief but the way we act his church is not just churches in America, he came for the nations. God came to save his church and his church is all over the world So what am I doing about that....up until now nothing, what are you doing about that? Our faith is not just about us, our salvation is not just about us it is for others....my salvation is for the billions of people around the world who are serving a god but Christ. God forgive me for making it about me, forgive me for not using the Gospel for you and your Glory. Forgive me for thinking that only certain people are called to "missions." It is not just a small group of people who were called to missions that is not the great commission.... We are supposed to build up disciples who can carry this out and then they build up disciples who carry it out to more people and so on....so lets make disciples....we weren't called to build church buildings, to have big numbers, to have great programs we were called to make disciples

God came for the church, the church is made up of people those people are all around and there are people who belong in his church who aren't in it yet, so what are we doing about it?