AFRICA

So I have finally gotten the official email letting me know I have been approved to go to Africa for a semester. I will receive 12 credits for college and will gain a lot of hands on experience. I am so excited to go but with so much to do before I go I pray it all works out. The cost for the trip is 2900 dollars and as many people know college students do not have an overflow of extra money. With needing shots and other small things that I am even not yet aware of I think the trip will cost closer to 4,000 dollars. Several people have already told me they would help and I know Gods people will step up to help as well. I am looking for any ideas to help fund raise. I am willing to work, I am willing to do whatever God has planned to make this all happen. I know it will test my faith and I am glad to see it strengthened. Several other things that come to mind is when I return I want to live in Williamstown once again I love this place. I wont have anywhere to stay or even a job. I pray God will open a place and a job for me. If you know of a place or have a place or a room or anything I am flexible. If you could be praying for me and praying how you can be involved in advancing the Kingdom of God in Africa.

Why are we running?

Over the past month I have been trying to run regularly, and with the weather it has been difficult. It seems to me when you have several weeks of good weather it is easy to get in a routine, but as soon as the weather gets rainy for a week its easily ruined. As I was thinking about this I thought back to an old journal entry I had. I asked the question "where am I running to." I know my desire is to run to the Lord, but how am I doing this? At times I hardly feel like reading my bible and I struggle with understanding it. I want to serve my Lord and be a faithful servant. My spiritual desire does not always line up with what I do. Just like running I get into a good routine and I see God move in mighty ways and watch him use me and others in ways only He can do. Then there is the rainy times were all I can do is pray for the sun to come out. I feel like God is far away and unattainable. I know in the rainy days of life God uses them to teach us and I wanna learn.
As I sit here listening to music a song by Rush of Fools came on and its called "Can't Get Away." The song talks about we can't get away because we keep running into God. WOW God intersects in our life's whether we want to or not. As a young minister I have many difficulties and struggles. I wanna do what is right and honoring to God and at times I do not have the answers. Who will listen and help? Who will guide? How will I know what is right? I feel like I am running at full speed and the goal is so far away I cannot tell if I am running in the right direction. Serving the Lord seemed so much easier 5 years ago when He save my hell bound soul. Life was slower and the struggles seemed smaller. Lord give me strength and courage to run the race with endurance.

Who will go?

This past week I was blessed with the opportunity to go to Youth Camp. While at camp I received a phone call from the International Mission Board. I have been waiting on this call for over a month. Strange thing was I had no reception on the campus, so for my phone to get this call was God ordained. This call was about my application to work overseas for a semester. I had applied to go to the Philippine Islands, but due to no other people wanting to go there I was faced with a decision. I could keep that job in hopes for a partner, but I could also end up not going at all. The decision I had to make was should I go ahead and change my choice of job or not. After several days of prayer and hearing God speak I decided to change jobs. I am still waiting for the confirmation letter, but with it I will be heading to Uganda, Africa. The hard part now begins I must raise money to go and there are several other logistical things to figure out. I know God has great plans for all our lives we must be faithful and follow him all in.

Preaching

As I sit in my pastor's office getting ready to preach before the church I have a feeling of inadequacy. I have been a believer for just over 4 years. I have grown in my understanding of the bible and about my savior. I still feel who am I to preach to anyone, I am a sinner worse than any. I need the power of God to speak through me. With out Him I am nothing, but a sinful man with sinful actions and desires. I pray the Lord would humble me and break me of my sinful ways and sinful desires. I need Him more than ever. Christ must increase and I must decrease. Show me the way Lord help sustain me and make me a powerful tool for your Kingdom.

Yearning

What do I yearn for? is it the Lord? Marriage? Wealth? comfort? It seems all to often I catch my self seeking after the things of this world. I try to keep up with the Jones' and always fall short. Last night as I watched the T.V. with my wonderful rabbit ears that were covered in aluminum foil. The reception went in and out and I caught myself desiring cable. Why? I know myself all to well and I would waste more time sitting watching T.V. I would be distracted more than I am already. The smallest things in life that we have we take for granted. Basic medicine, clean water, and so much more. How can I ever be so self centered as to want more. I don't need more stuff I need more Jesus. I need to yearn for him, seek him, give him praises. I feel that being connected to everything has blinded me from thirsting for the Lord. I am on facebook, myspace,twitter, blogspot, and I have a cell phone and T.V. How have I convinced myself that I need these things, or even want these things. I want to serve my God, but my flesh pulls me away from the things of the Lord. I want to divorce my flesh it deceives me and leads me into temptation. I want to be led to the foot of the cross, to the road less traveled, to the way, the truth, and the life of Jesus.

I want to yearn for Gods Word. I want to have a passion for His Word. I know the right answers to how to live and what I should do, but I have not always done that. I feel like a disobedient child. Like Adam and Eve hiding from God in the Garden. I know he sees me and my sin. I am thankful for the forgiveness of sins, but I never want to abuse His grace. May we all draw near to the throne of Grace and may our lives be ones that are holy and honoring to the Lord. Let us help one another in this journey. Push forward, never give up, and rest in His power, and his spirit. Lord I long to see you and thirst for you. May you satisfy my soul.

Another Journey

As we set out on the journey of life we encounter many obstacles and road blocks. How we over come or go around them shapes who we are and what we become. This time of the year is always a transition time from school to summer. For some it will just be another summer and for others it is the end of a large chapter and the beginning of the next. Their journey to college, work, or military has many roads. Where will I go, what will I do, how will I make it.

I can remember just three years ago I had these same thoughts and questions. I was not sure how it was going to work out or how I would ever make it without a miracle. The real miracle was I was going. Before I get to that we have to go back almost tens years to when I graduated. It was June of 2000 and I had joined the Marine Corps. I was to leave the day after graduation, but graduation never happened. It never happened due to a bomb threat on the venue of the graduation. So I would be heading away without walking with my class. To be honest I was happy I did not have to sit through a graduation with some 600 plus students. Looking back on it I wish I had been able to go.

I headed out said all my good byes and was on a plane for San Diego, CA. I arrived with some small delays along the way, but I had made it. The next thirteen weeks would be tough and it was going to make me a United States Marine. "The few the proud the Marines." That was going to be me all buff and tough with my M-16. Little did I know that my next chapter was about to have a big dead end. Just one week into basic training after I had been yelled at alot, shot in the butt with every needle available, and had received my rifle I got some bad news. On the seventh night the drill instructors inspected each recruit to make sure they were injury free. They looked at my feet and saw that they were red and blistered and sent me to the doctor first thing in the morning. I was told that I had problems with my feet and was heading home, but not before they got manual labor for a week. So I had made it two weeks and now I was going home. My dream of a military carer had gone up in smoke. What would I do now?

Once I came home I spent the next several years going from job to job. Trying night school for a few semesters and just feeling like school was not for me. I felt like there was no purpose for my life. All I did was work, eat, and sleep, and I had no friends they all went away to college. I became depressed and that led to drinking. What a great idea drink to cure depression, wow I was a bright one. I finally had a thought "If there is no purpose then why live." I decided to first go to church with my family and see if this God thing was real. If it was real then there was a purpose for me. The next year I kept going to church and was enjoying it. I had people to talk with. Nick and Chris invested alot into my life. They were the young adult/ youth leaders. They left after a year and I was back to whats going on I had no one again.

My journey kept taking turns and I felt like I was getting motion sickness. I left my church in search of another one where I could learn and grow. By this time I had two friends from high school I spent time with. I am so thankful for them and their love they showed me. My journey landed me at Westside Baptist Church where I meet some amazing people who would alter my journey. I came to true faith while at Westside and was led to my first overseas mission trip.

This chapter of my journey I would call my great commission year. In the winter of 2005 I decided to look at bible colleges and found my current school Boyce College. This decision came from a conversation I had with a dear friend. I had mentioned that I felt God telling me to go to college for ministry and his advice was "if God gave you a dream put some legs on it and get going." In the spring of 2006 I visited the college with my friends Jason Young and Darrell Morgan. Darrell had recently become an associate pastor in Williamstown, KY. This college just so happened to be in KY as well, and it was only a little over an hour away from him. After seeing the college I knew this was where I wanted to go to college. Before coming to college I went overseas again this time I spent 6 weeks and worked with a missionary. He taught me a ton about missions and what it meant to be a missionary.

My journey kept taking me places I had never thought were possible. I went to college and I am still there. I work with youth, preach and so much more. I never would have believed all this would have happened ten years ago when I graduated. My journey looks so much different than I had thought, but I would not change it for anything. The next chapter in my journey is to head overseas again this time for 4 months. I am still waiting on my acceptance letter for the program. So as I have reflected on my journey I encourage others to look back at theirs. For those young students know this that where ever your journey takes you God will be with you and His guidance will help you to be a faithful servant for His kingdom. Our journeys are a testament to the power of Gods saving work. If he can take a depressed kid with no confidence on the edge of suicide. He can use anyone of us for His great purpose.

Psalms 25:4 "Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths."

Hands on

I recently started my application process for Hand-on. Hands-on is a program where college students can go over seas for a semester and earn 12 college credits. The cost is 2,900 dollars for most jobs and that is a lot cheaper than paying full price for 12 credits.

This is an opportunity of a life time, but it doesn't come without some problems. Several things that come to mind are; how will I save the money for it. I will have to leave my job, but on the bright side my boss said she would rehire me. The biggest problem I see is where will I store my belongings and when I return where would I live until I am able to save enough money up to once again pay for a place to stay. I know that God in all His wisdom knows the answers to these questions, but that doesn't mean I have not thought about them.

The good things I see that can come from this are so many. I will gain hands on experience and challenge myself in cross-cultural ministry's. I feel called to go to Africa already full time, so this will give me an eye opening view of what life might be like for me. I am excited and scared. Praise God for his challenges to "Go make disciples." I also see this as a way to help my church in doing missions in the future.

If you could be in prayer for me, and what the Lord would have me do. I would be much appreciated. I would like to be praying for you, so if you have any requests please let me know.