Roller Coaster

Well sense coming back to Michigan things have been quite the roller coaster. Really every day has had extreme highs and some pretty low lows.

Reading my Bible every day became a difficult task but luckily I had some projects set up for myself that involved studying some scripture so that helped me stay on track. Some unexpected drama has entered into my life that I didn't expect but I have some good biblical and wise mentors around to help me through. Really speaking truth and giving advice that only wisdom and experience can give. I am grateful for them.

It hasn't been all bad like I said some extreme highs are in there. First of all is my relationship with this wonderful and beautiful woman Ashley. Ashly really brings a happiness to my heart and soul that really is impossible to express with simply words. I wish I could but really all of you dont really want to hear all that mushy stuff so I'll spare you (be thankful). Ashley has me pushing myself in the word more and more because I know that to lead her correctly I need to know Jesus and His Word. I see so much Love for Jesus in her that it inspires me to keep on the good fight.

Another happy note is I have been reunited with my great friend Sir Ty Dups. He makes me laugh so much and makes every day an adventure. We have serious Jesus talks and really ask each other hard questions about life and God. I really Love this guy.

Working early at the camp has been great for me also. Puts me back in a biblical environment and I get to do work with my hands, witch always makes me happy. There is nothing like reaching the end of you day and sitting down completely exhausted and know that you did good work. And the best part is it's not just a job, this place has a heavenly impact and I'm so glad to help improve, repair, and prepare this place. My hands get all swollen and my body aches but I did my work for the Lord and there is nothing more satisfying. Literally feeling and knowing that I gave it my all. I'm excited for the summer camps to start and really do what I came here for, I came to pore into every kid and inspire and lead them to the Father, to Jesus, and to the Word. It's a big responsibility but I think I have been prepared, I have been given my lion and my bear (refrence to the lion and bear that David slain before he faced Goliath) 

Lastly was this last night when I got to see most of my Off the Wall family! They called and said they were going to be in Michigan for a seize the summer show and wondered if I could make it. Well like I was going to pass up seeing my close biblical family? No! So I went and it was great to see everyone :] It lifted my heart to see them again it feels way to long sense I left. But I will be returning after the summer so I have that to look foreword to :]  Don gave a charge that night from the stage to everyone he had pored into over the years. I really needed to hear the charge to keep my head up and continue the good fight and contend for the faith. I Love Don.

Jude 1:3 "Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" 

2nd Timothy 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

The Relationhip Status

   So yeah two days before I left Ohio I decided to get into a relationship.... PFFTT YEAH AND TOTALLY WORTH IT! ASHLEY IS AWESOME!! Yeah shes like approximately 350 miles away, and about to be approximately 1,647 miles away, and yeah shes goin to Guatemala for 3 years starting in January to work at a children's home and love little Guatemalan orphans. But she Loves Jesus and she is totally worth the pain of being apart. I would rather call her mine and be separated by mere distance than to regret not asking this amazing woman, to be a special part of my life and my walk with God.

   Allot of things I read today pointed me to think about us and our journey to our relationship as well as our now started relationship. One was a quote I read on tumbler it read "When we first met, I had no idea you would be so important to me." That is a great way to describe my feeling about when we first met. To be honest I thought she was cute but I didn't go to Off the Wall to find a woman so really the thought that she would be more than a girl at Off the Wall never really set in my mind. I mean heck the first time we really met she was at the guys house knitting with Jill while we watched a movie. I had no clue that as the months passed that she would become more and more important to me.

   The next thing that pointing me to think about our relationship was the new book I'm reading that my pastor gave me, its called "Just Do Something" by Kevin DeYoung. Its about finding God's will, or more about doing something instead of using the excuse of "waiting for God's will to be revealed" to not do anything. Any way this is the quote I want to talk about "We should start looking to God- His character and His promises- and thereby have confidence to take risks for His name's sake." When I thought of going for Ashley I was so afraid of it not being "God's will" and me messing up both our lives. This consumed me in fear and made my life increasingly stressful.. I wasn't reminding myself of the truth and promise that He works all things out for His good will (Romans 8:28). God doesn't tell us every step to take,  I like what Ashly told me tonight while we talked about this book a bit "..was a step of faith for me.. not knowing how things will look or come to be but trusting that God can make it work and happen." Sometimes its a step of faith.

   And I wasn't taking God's character into consideration, God would not make our lives miserable because we decided to be together He wants us to find Love and I find nowhere in the bible where He tore two people away from each other forcefully ending their relationship for a reason as "not being His will" If its not His will it wont happen! And if He so will's it He can end it, but that fear should not be the reason for not acting. I went through quite allot in my pursuit of Ashley but in that pursuit it put me in a place where I learned so much about God's will and character. And as we continue together it is a continual lesson that I am learning more and more about. To be honest a relationship with a beautiful woman that pushes you in your relationship with Jesus and your knowledge of the word and God's character, What else can you ask for?!?! I have never felt a push to have a better relationship with the father than when our relationship started, I need to have a good relationship with Jesus before I can lead this relationship with Ashley. I'm so thankful that she is not a distraction from God but a push to be more like Jesus. I thank Jesus for leading me to such a woman :)

   So yeah this is and extremely long distance relationship and it's going to be hard and full of heart ache and troubles I'm sure, but we know that communication will be a very important part in our relationship and that God is bigger than these miles between us. We know this relationship seems crazy to believers and non-believers alike but we are often described as crazy anyway so thats no big deal. I could go on and on but I know most of you don't want to read all that sappy junk :] so Ill end with this, I'm really happy and proud to call Ashley my girlfriend and I'm looking forward to our future.  

Romans 8:28 "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

Learning

Well sorry I haven't posted in a long time... I have been busy ending the semester with Off the Wall getting time in with everyone before I leave, and unexpected family problems. Then I decided to start a relationship at the end of the semester adding a whole new dimension to my life, but this one I like. All of this demanded allot of my attention and this blog was something I just didn't have time or energy for. But for the next few weeks I'm be back!

As the semester came close to its end I have seen so much improvement in the way I handle things now. I handle them with more confidence in the Lord. I remember more of the promises of God (provision, heavenly security, ect) A big thing has been remembering God's Character. When I fear the situation Jesus has placed me I now ask the Question "Is it in Gods character to do that to me?" It helps me put things into perspective. It reminds me that Jesus is not trying to hurt me! All to often I think we think that what we want and what Jesus wants cant be the same. We might not think that directly but we fear Jesus taking things away from us. God doesn't just take things away, when he does he its for our own good. Our father wants the best for us. Much like when we are children and our parents take something away from us, we kick, scream, cry, and pout. But our parents don't just take something away to make us scream they have a reason, to remove a problem, to stop distraction, to exchange with something better.

but remember if it is good He wont take it away! We need not to guard anything from Jesus. If you fear something being taken ask yourself "Would it be in God's character to do this to me?" "Is there a place in the word to back that up?" The fear of God taking away something can also hinder us from taking it at all! But remember if its good He wont take it. If its something we shouldn't have I think you know you shouldn't have it, a temptation or something that you know leads to sin. But thats different, I'm talking about something you want but the only thing stopping you from getting it is the fear of God taking it away. I don't think thats right, He does not want to deny us blessings.

So if theres something you want, or something you want to do, and the only reason for you not getting or doing it is fear of getting it taken away, STOP LIVING IN FEAR! It could be stopping you from accepting or receiving a great blessing. Think about it, if someone wanted to give you money to help you live would you reject it because your afraid that Jesus will take it away from you? Is that in God's character? NO he wants the best for us and He's not out to make things worse. Remember God's character.

Love Jesus 

Mathew 6:26 "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

God Abba Father