Friday, July 27, 2007
ok so i switched over to word press. my knew page is hear
la recap
ok so i know it's been a while since i've las posted, so here it is. it's really hard to sit down and to type all of the stuff that god showed me in la. i honestly dont know where to begin.
one thing that god has really been challenging me on is seeing people as he sees them. you know without prejudice or anything. so when we went down to skid row, god really started dealing with me. see when i looked at all the people out there, i felt bad for them, but not much else. you see i don't want to just feel bad for them, i want to love them unconditionally. i was talking to mr. danny about it and he started talking about the kids in mexico for some reason. well we kept talking and i remember telling him that it's so easy to love the kids in mexico. the people on skid row live in poverty, they have issues, they go through alot of the same stuff, and yet it's so much easier to love the kids in mexico. and i don't want to be that way. i want to see everyone as God sees them.
Also i've really been reading out of 1st thess. alot. and one thing that God's been speaking to me alot on is pouring my life into people. not just sharing the gospel but my life as well. and that the people i encounter and the people i witness to/lead to christ are my jewels. they are my joy and crowns.
i guess i'll have more post on la coming soon. sorry i don't have any pictures. i'm lacking in the digital camera area.
one thing that god has really been challenging me on is seeing people as he sees them. you know without prejudice or anything. so when we went down to skid row, god really started dealing with me. see when i looked at all the people out there, i felt bad for them, but not much else. you see i don't want to just feel bad for them, i want to love them unconditionally. i was talking to mr. danny about it and he started talking about the kids in mexico for some reason. well we kept talking and i remember telling him that it's so easy to love the kids in mexico. the people on skid row live in poverty, they have issues, they go through alot of the same stuff, and yet it's so much easier to love the kids in mexico. and i don't want to be that way. i want to see everyone as God sees them.
Also i've really been reading out of 1st thess. alot. and one thing that God's been speaking to me alot on is pouring my life into people. not just sharing the gospel but my life as well. and that the people i encounter and the people i witness to/lead to christ are my jewels. they are my joy and crowns.
i guess i'll have more post on la coming soon. sorry i don't have any pictures. i'm lacking in the digital camera area.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
in la
ok so i can't talk for long because i'm bumming someone's laptop, so i'll make it as quick as possible... yesterday some of our group went down town to skidrow to do some innercity outreach stuff. while i was there i saw more homeless people than i've ever seen in my entire life. the guide dude told us that there are some 90,000 homeless in the city of la alone. What God has really been showing me is that i have to have a love for all of these people. like when i went out there, i saw the need and i felt real bad for the people and i really wanted to help, but i want there to be something more. i feel that God is calling me to see threw his eyes with extreme love and extreme compassion. i don'twant to just feel bad. i mean there is so much i want to say, but i really can't say it all right now. God is working on my heart right now and i'm loving it. last night we had an awesome worship service in this little room. it was so cool, the power of god fell like i['ve never felt, and what was so cool is that it wasn't summer camp or amplified or anytype of event. it was simply some people getting together to worship god. Thats all it reallly ever takes. sometimes i think that we only expect god to move at big events, but he wants to always move. i believe god is just looking for oppertunites where people are so desprate for him that he can't help but show up. and that's what happened last night. we got despreate. we saw the need in the city and we saw our need for more of Him...totally holy ghost,,,
Sunday, July 15, 2007
humbling experience
Ok so today was a very humbling experience for me. Well i went back to hilltop today to hand out some of my support letters to my former bosses and co-workers. I was almost embarresed to ask them for money. i don't know its just something i haven't ever really done or am used to...
Saturday, July 14, 2007
This ones kind of long but read it anyway, it's awesome
Ok so last night was pretty cool. I had met this guy the night before last in the pool and we kind of started talking. Well before i went up to the condo for the night he introduced me to one of his best friends. You could tell these two guys were pretty "rough" around the edges. K has probably one of the worst homelifes i've ever heard: his mom is a prostitute, his dad killed himself, and his grandmother kicked him out of her house as soon as the governmental benefits ran out. I mean wacked homelife. well his boy's family took him in and gave him some stability. I mean Houstin, k' friend, is pretty out there too. He's done all types of drugs and alchohol, i don't think ispelt that right. Anyway, he smokes, he's done wicka, and been in multiple cults, has multiple piercing, and yet he still has pretty high morals.
I feel really privelaged to have met these two misunderstood guys. Last night was awesome though because i got to talk to these two guys for about three hours. I mean we talked about everything from religion to music to sex and drugs to everything. I don't know how much i got threw to them, but i think i made a positive influence in their lives. but to tell you the truth, talking to them, i felt unprepared and unworthy. I mean i didn't understand alot of the stuff they talked about and didn't knowhow to bring the gospel into our conversations. i mean i straight up told them my beliefs when i could and shared some stuff, but i didn't know how to bring it around to personal for them. But then again i don't think that would have worked.
It's really hard to explain all that was said and stuff. I can't really put it into words. But last night i did learn one thing, something i've already known but now understand why; you CANNOT have judgemental attitude about someone else life. I've learned that you have to except them as they are, otherwise they will never listen to what you are trying to sayl to them. I mean, in the course of the three hour conversation, they both smoked four cigarrettes, and i was ok with that. LIke it didn't bother me to be around it you know. i finally understand what it truly means to meet someone where they're at and not try to change them.. That's God's job not mine. I think that's why so many people are turned off towards Christianity, 1. somewhere down the line someone has misrepresented what christianity really is. 2. they feel that if they open up to christians about there struggles and lifestyles, then they will be judged.
I feel that i've grown alot in my evangelical christian walk last night.
in finishing i'd like to share something that houstin said to me. he said, "You know, if more christians were like you, you know listening to me without judging, i think i'd be more open to christianity" I say that not to pump myself up or anything but to say that this generation is in desprate need of an authentic representation of what Christianity is. We have our jobs cut out for us. I seriously doubt that this is the only guy that feels this way. so next time you see someone that doesn't look like someone we'd hang out with, give them a chance. Be jesus for them and let them be Jesus for you. Last night i saw the need. i saw what these two guys represented: they represent a generation that is lost and confused and searching for acceptance anywhere they can find it.
God is so awesome. i feel unworthy sometimes of all the things he's been allowing me to do. Thank you Jesus.
I feel really privelaged to have met these two misunderstood guys. Last night was awesome though because i got to talk to these two guys for about three hours. I mean we talked about everything from religion to music to sex and drugs to everything. I don't know how much i got threw to them, but i think i made a positive influence in their lives. but to tell you the truth, talking to them, i felt unprepared and unworthy. I mean i didn't understand alot of the stuff they talked about and didn't knowhow to bring the gospel into our conversations. i mean i straight up told them my beliefs when i could and shared some stuff, but i didn't know how to bring it around to personal for them. But then again i don't think that would have worked.
It's really hard to explain all that was said and stuff. I can't really put it into words. But last night i did learn one thing, something i've already known but now understand why; you CANNOT have judgemental attitude about someone else life. I've learned that you have to except them as they are, otherwise they will never listen to what you are trying to sayl to them. I mean, in the course of the three hour conversation, they both smoked four cigarrettes, and i was ok with that. LIke it didn't bother me to be around it you know. i finally understand what it truly means to meet someone where they're at and not try to change them.. That's God's job not mine. I think that's why so many people are turned off towards Christianity, 1. somewhere down the line someone has misrepresented what christianity really is. 2. they feel that if they open up to christians about there struggles and lifestyles, then they will be judged.
I feel that i've grown alot in my evangelical christian walk last night.
in finishing i'd like to share something that houstin said to me. he said, "You know, if more christians were like you, you know listening to me without judging, i think i'd be more open to christianity" I say that not to pump myself up or anything but to say that this generation is in desprate need of an authentic representation of what Christianity is. We have our jobs cut out for us. I seriously doubt that this is the only guy that feels this way. so next time you see someone that doesn't look like someone we'd hang out with, give them a chance. Be jesus for them and let them be Jesus for you. Last night i saw the need. i saw what these two guys represented: they represent a generation that is lost and confused and searching for acceptance anywhere they can find it.
God is so awesome. i feel unworthy sometimes of all the things he's been allowing me to do. Thank you Jesus.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
the beach........again...
Ok so i'm back at the beach. You would think after spending 9 days in destin i'd be sick of the beach, and to tell you the truth, i am. I'm not a big fan of the sand, the salt water, the clothing or lack of, or the sun. So really, the beach isn't the place for me to be. But my family is here and that makes it all worth it. I get to spend some time with my Maw maw sue, uncle Ryan, Aunt Laura, my cousins cohan and ella, and mom and mr. glenn. So yeah back at the beach.
I think i'll catch up on some reading. Tweez gave me a book called "velvet elvis" by Rob Bell. I'm pretty confused right now, but i guess ill eventually understand it. anyway it's alot safer than being outside with all those girls... :0
My old teacher
So yesterday me and cody went see the fifth harry potter movie. It was pretty good, but they left alot out and it felt very jumpy. Anyway thats not the point of this post. The point is that while i was at the theatre i ran into one of my old teachers. This past year she lost her husband and is now raising a son on her own. She had to take a leave of absence, so i haven't seen her in a while. Well, when i saw her, i gave her a big ol' hug and asked her how she's been doing. So check this; she tells me that she's doing really well, mainly on account of a few books that i let her borrow last year. She said that they really help her put things in perspective and understand that God's plan is so much bigger than hers. It was really encouraging to hear. I'm so glad she's doing ok. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose your spouse and have to take care of a kid on your own. She's a trooper and God's awesome.
For those of you who are wondering the books title is "when god writes your life story" by Eric and Leslie ludy.
Oh and also i haven't been able to meet with my other friend yet. He went to another church in baton rouge on wednesday with some of his other christian friends and he said he's going to hpc this sunday morning. Ya'll be praying that God touches him and that he recieves it. Thanks so much
For those of you who are wondering the books title is "when god writes your life story" by Eric and Leslie ludy.
Oh and also i haven't been able to meet with my other friend yet. He went to another church in baton rouge on wednesday with some of his other christian friends and he said he's going to hpc this sunday morning. Ya'll be praying that God touches him and that he recieves it. Thanks so much
Monday, July 09, 2007
speech
ok so i was hanging out at my mawmaw Sue's tonight for my mom's birthday. So firstly happy Birthday mom. Thanks for being who you are, for encouraging me to chase my dreams, and for supporting me into my life.
Ok so back to being at my mawmaws. Well my mawmaw sue made this really good cake that has a rather questionable name, and well, they decided to call it a nicer name. Well my aunt Laura said that there are some times when she wishes that her husband and her wish that they didn't say certain things in front of their children. Well when she said that, a thought passed through my mind. and it's nothing against her or anything, but it does describe a large majority of our thinking. And the thinking i'm talking about is that it's ok to say certain things when you become a certain age or your "mature". I think that's a load of bull...if the Bible calls us to have a childllike faith then why do we think its ok to say things that we wouldn't want children to hear. Sounds kind of backwards to me...
Well just a thought i had. Take it for what it's worth.
Ok so back to being at my mawmaws. Well my mawmaw sue made this really good cake that has a rather questionable name, and well, they decided to call it a nicer name. Well my aunt Laura said that there are some times when she wishes that her husband and her wish that they didn't say certain things in front of their children. Well when she said that, a thought passed through my mind. and it's nothing against her or anything, but it does describe a large majority of our thinking. And the thinking i'm talking about is that it's ok to say certain things when you become a certain age or your "mature". I think that's a load of bull...if the Bible calls us to have a childllike faith then why do we think its ok to say things that we wouldn't want children to hear. Sounds kind of backwards to me...
Well just a thought i had. Take it for what it's worth.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Oh yeah...God's awesome!!!
Ok i'm going to do something that i don't think i've ever done before; post twice in one day. But this has to be posted about, if for nothing ese than to encourage others.
ok so i was sitting at home yesterday and one of my former teammates sent me a text message saying "i dnt really know how to do this but...do u think we can get together one da and u can help me with this bible! im a little confused with it! im wanting to turn my life n a new direction and i know that thegood lord will lead me n the direction i need to go!" i go this and i was totally shocked. Now you have to understand a little bit about my friend to grasp the weight of this; while he never made fun of me fo my beliefs or anything, he wasn't the kind of person you'd expect to find at church or something. Lets just say he's made some bad decisions. So when he called me not a minute later to talk, i was flabbergasted. We've now moved from an inpersonal text message to a serious conversation. He told me he really wanted to change and that he has some questions about the Bible; actually, about two pages of scriptures that he has questions about. So against all odds of me ever thinking something like ths would happen, me and my friend are meeting for coffee wednesday and then he's coming with me to Refuge. Talk about awesome.
it just shows me that God is so much bigger than anything i could think of. And that he can reach those we think are "unreachable" it really encourages me to think that i actually made a difference in my school.
So next time you think your wasting your time with someone: don't. God is using you. Next time you think your not making a difference: don't. God is using you. The next time you think of giving up because you don't see any progress: don't. God is using you.
Well i just couldn't help but post about such a amazing thing. Praise God!!!