This blog post is about we as Christians are supposed to live in the world but not be caught up in it. The main point by this saying is that we can't get caught up in the world's ways of living. The Holy Spirit wants us to conform to the image of Jesus Christ through Romans 8:28-29 daily.
This theme was discussed in some seminary classes I have taken and the book I just read A Christian Mind by Harry Blamires. It is also a prevalent topic for those of us going into Christian ministry. It is a call to focus on things that produce fruit in our lives such as truth and beauty in God's nature and to not focus on the way of the world that pull us in. Traits of the world that may pulls us in include: money, power, sex, any indulgence, possessions, or just anything that the secular world desires not of God.
Sometimes we just focus on what we need and want while not focusing on others needs. This could lead us into selfishness or greed. We become consumed by needing or wanting this or that in life. This effect pulls us away from loving and serving others needs. Therefore, we are not what Christ calls us to be anymore.
Therefore, we can't be caught up in world's way and ideals. If we don't think in a Christian mindset daily, then we will be walking aimlessly in life.
A Christian mindset focuses on eternity. It is a call to focus on the God's love and power in our lives. This mindset is also looks to our in our eternal future and not our present earthly state we are in right now.
The secular mindset only looks to itself and it's own needs and desires. It only has room for it's secular or flesh desires.
There is also a difference for how truth is formed in a secular world and a Christian way of thinking . In a Christian way of thinking truth is formed through divine revelation, while in a secular worldly way of thinking truth is formed intellectually.
Both of these forms of thinking in our world were discussed in detail in Harry Blamires book, The Christian Mind. He gives an accurate description of how to live Christianly in a secular world.
Let us if you know Christ to put on a Christian mindset in this secular world that we live in. We have to put on the character traits of Christ, and not fall into the world's traps that can easily ensnare us.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Road trips
Today I'm blogging about a favorite thing of mine road trips. They can be very fun at times and they can also be uneventful. They can be crazy and they can be wild.
The first road trip I will discuss was the Rose Bowl road trip of a lifetime. This was one of the best trips of my lifetime I will never forget. Some friends and I drove 22 or 23 hours to Pasadena, California from Fort Worth, Texas to watch the Frogs play in the Rose Bowl on January 1.
Some highlights on the trip are me rapping randomly in the car at night. Another highlight on the trip was when I fell asleep in the front seat while my friend EJ as driving. The last highlight I remember well was when we a few of us in the car hid while passing through the border patrol. It was so cold in El Paso when we were driving out of Texas. I was freezing while at the gas station while helping pay for gas.
We finally arrived in Pasadena at the family's house we were staying at around 10 in the morning. After we had arrived, we slept for three hours. After the nap was over, it felt as if we had slept all day since we were so tired from the long drive.
The day after winning the biggest win that we have seen in our lives at TCU we drove home. The drive was just as long but even more satisfying after the win.
I was able to go on a road trip to Branson, Missouri for a reunion weekend at Discipleship Focus. This trip was not as long as the trip to California. It was only an seven to eight hour drive compared to the 22-23 hours to California. This trip started out being a very cold and rainy one. It rained for most of the time we were in Texas during the trip to Branson.
I went on this trip to Branson with someone I had not seen in a long time and their sister. It was great I got to go with then on the trip and get to know them. We jammed out to some music on the trip and just caught up on life through the years. We arrived in Branson at around 9 and stopped at this piazza place for a bit after the long trip.
The weekend was filled with fellowship, D-focus worship, and being reminded of truths that are essential to living life in Christ. The first night we were there we shared how God makes messy things beautiful in our life. It was awesome to reflect on this fact in my life.
On Saturday night, we went to Silver Dollar City Christmas, which is a spectacle to see. They put Christmas lights all across the theme park where we working. The design is so intricate in how the people that work at the city put lights all around the buildings. I was able to go on the Barn Swing in the pouring rain that night. That was a cool experience.
The only thing I don't like about Missouri is the hills. The hills of Missouri and my stomach don't cooperate too well. I threw up while we were going past one of the hills in Missouri on the way back. Other than the hills, the trip back was very relaxing.
I finally made it back from Missouri to Fort Worth around 10:30. The trip was so tiring I went to sleep I went to sleep soon after I had made it back from the trip.
In essence, road trips bring people together at times. They are a great time with friends and can also be very uneventful at times.
The first road trip I will discuss was the Rose Bowl road trip of a lifetime. This was one of the best trips of my lifetime I will never forget. Some friends and I drove 22 or 23 hours to Pasadena, California from Fort Worth, Texas to watch the Frogs play in the Rose Bowl on January 1.
Some highlights on the trip are me rapping randomly in the car at night. Another highlight on the trip was when I fell asleep in the front seat while my friend EJ as driving. The last highlight I remember well was when we a few of us in the car hid while passing through the border patrol. It was so cold in El Paso when we were driving out of Texas. I was freezing while at the gas station while helping pay for gas.
We finally arrived in Pasadena at the family's house we were staying at around 10 in the morning. After we had arrived, we slept for three hours. After the nap was over, it felt as if we had slept all day since we were so tired from the long drive.
The day after winning the biggest win that we have seen in our lives at TCU we drove home. The drive was just as long but even more satisfying after the win.
I was able to go on a road trip to Branson, Missouri for a reunion weekend at Discipleship Focus. This trip was not as long as the trip to California. It was only an seven to eight hour drive compared to the 22-23 hours to California. This trip started out being a very cold and rainy one. It rained for most of the time we were in Texas during the trip to Branson.
I went on this trip to Branson with someone I had not seen in a long time and their sister. It was great I got to go with then on the trip and get to know them. We jammed out to some music on the trip and just caught up on life through the years. We arrived in Branson at around 9 and stopped at this piazza place for a bit after the long trip.
The weekend was filled with fellowship, D-focus worship, and being reminded of truths that are essential to living life in Christ. The first night we were there we shared how God makes messy things beautiful in our life. It was awesome to reflect on this fact in my life.
On Saturday night, we went to Silver Dollar City Christmas, which is a spectacle to see. They put Christmas lights all across the theme park where we working. The design is so intricate in how the people that work at the city put lights all around the buildings. I was able to go on the Barn Swing in the pouring rain that night. That was a cool experience.
The only thing I don't like about Missouri is the hills. The hills of Missouri and my stomach don't cooperate too well. I threw up while we were going past one of the hills in Missouri on the way back. Other than the hills, the trip back was very relaxing.
I finally made it back from Missouri to Fort Worth around 10:30. The trip was so tiring I went to sleep I went to sleep soon after I had made it back from the trip.
In essence, road trips bring people together at times. They are a great time with friends and can also be very uneventful at times.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Snoop's life: Fall Fandango 2011
Snoop's life: Fall Fandango 2011: Today I am going to be blogging about the D-focus reunion aptly named Fall Fandango 2011. I hope this reunion weekend will become an annual...
Fall Fandango 2011
Today I am going to be blogging about the D-focus reunion aptly named Fall Fandango 2011. I hope this reunion weekend will become an annual event.
First, I will begin by discussing the truths I was reminded of during that weekend. These truths I was reminded of were the main basis for the study I went through that summer at D-focus. They are essential to our growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
The main truth that was discussed was the truth that we as Christ followers have to be desperately dependent on Jesus for everything in life. We can't do anything good in life on our life on our own. We have to depend on Jesus in everything that we do.
The other main truth that was reinforced during this weekend that goes along with being desperately dependent on Jesus was that of the ability to abide in Jesus Christ daily. We learned in the study in the summer of 2010 the we are to present our attitudes, thoughts,feelings, and emotions to Jesus throughout the day. This is how we can abide in Jesus Christ. This process must take place day by day, minute by minute, and hour by hour. This act of abiding in Jesus Christ is a very simple one.
This act of abiding in Jesus Christ was perfected by the man named Brother Lawrence. Lawrence was a monk who spent most of his monastic life working in the kitchen. He truly was able to master the ability to abide in Christ or as he put it practice the presence of God.
He was dependent on God for anything and everything in his life. Lawrence was able to give up everything not of God in his thought life, mind, emotion, or feelings in this abiding relationship with God.
We have to remind ourselves daily of our dependence on God. If we fall out of our this abiding relationship with Jesus, then we quench the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Ephesians 4:30 says this, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for in the day of redemption."
Second, it was a great time of fellowship with former D-focus friends and new friends that have gone through the program before. It was almost as if we were back at at Notch for the summer that weekend. Living at the Notch the first weekend in December and sleeping in the cabins again reminded me of that summer at Notch Pines that I will never forget.
During that weekend I also hung out with the Pettigrew family. Ray Pettigrew was my small group leader that summer at D-focus. I loved hanging out with his family especially the his kids Benjamin and Brody. I played the role of Big Chin,which is a character that their kids loved. I would put on this mask as a way of becoming the character of Big Chin.
Lastly, I hope the people reading this blog remember how much we need Jesus daily. We have to desperately depend on him for everything. Presenting and abiding in Jesus Christ is a simple task to master as Christ followers.
I challenge you readers to depend on Christ for any struggles you may have and present whatever circumstances you are going through in life. If, we do these things we will be in an abiding relationship with Jesus.
First, I will begin by discussing the truths I was reminded of during that weekend. These truths I was reminded of were the main basis for the study I went through that summer at D-focus. They are essential to our growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
The main truth that was discussed was the truth that we as Christ followers have to be desperately dependent on Jesus for everything in life. We can't do anything good in life on our life on our own. We have to depend on Jesus in everything that we do.
The other main truth that was reinforced during this weekend that goes along with being desperately dependent on Jesus was that of the ability to abide in Jesus Christ daily. We learned in the study in the summer of 2010 the we are to present our attitudes, thoughts,feelings, and emotions to Jesus throughout the day. This is how we can abide in Jesus Christ. This process must take place day by day, minute by minute, and hour by hour. This act of abiding in Jesus Christ is a very simple one.
This act of abiding in Jesus Christ was perfected by the man named Brother Lawrence. Lawrence was a monk who spent most of his monastic life working in the kitchen. He truly was able to master the ability to abide in Christ or as he put it practice the presence of God.
He was dependent on God for anything and everything in his life. Lawrence was able to give up everything not of God in his thought life, mind, emotion, or feelings in this abiding relationship with God.
We have to remind ourselves daily of our dependence on God. If we fall out of our this abiding relationship with Jesus, then we quench the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Ephesians 4:30 says this, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for in the day of redemption."
Second, it was a great time of fellowship with former D-focus friends and new friends that have gone through the program before. It was almost as if we were back at at Notch for the summer that weekend. Living at the Notch the first weekend in December and sleeping in the cabins again reminded me of that summer at Notch Pines that I will never forget.
During that weekend I also hung out with the Pettigrew family. Ray Pettigrew was my small group leader that summer at D-focus. I loved hanging out with his family especially the his kids Benjamin and Brody. I played the role of Big Chin,which is a character that their kids loved. I would put on this mask as a way of becoming the character of Big Chin.
Lastly, I hope the people reading this blog remember how much we need Jesus daily. We have to desperately depend on him for everything. Presenting and abiding in Jesus Christ is a simple task to master as Christ followers.
I challenge you readers to depend on Christ for any struggles you may have and present whatever circumstances you are going through in life. If, we do these things we will be in an abiding relationship with Jesus.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The Boone's: Good Morning! (From a month ago)
The Boone's: Good Morning! (From a month ago): So I'm terrible at this blogging thing... which means I have a ton of room for improvement. Here are some shots I took about a month ago (be...
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Snoop's life: Changing of direction in life
Snoop's life: Changing of direction in life: God changed my circumstances of life. He worked in mysterious ways in my life the past year. He used a certain circumstances to lead me ba...
Snoop's life: Changing of direction in life
Snoop's life: Changing of direction in life: God changed my circumstances of life. He worked in mysterious ways in my life the past year. He used a certain circumstances to lead me ba...
Snoop's life: Changing of direction in life
Snoop's life: Changing of direction in life: God changed my circumstances of life. He worked in mysterious ways in my life the past year. He used a certain circumstances to lead me ba...
Changing of direction in life
God changed my circumstances of life. He worked in mysterious ways in my life the past year. He used a certain circumstances to lead me back to where he wanted me to be doing.
I tried to find a job in Broadcast TV/radio in this past year. I had some interviews but not a whole lot. It was a very trying time in my life. I looked and looked for a job for so long that area that I received a degree in from TCU I thought that is what I should been doing. I tried to persist through that time in my life.
I did not decide to go back to school and do seminary until this summer. It has been a total different path than what I set out to do after college.
I had thought I would be able to get a broadcast job in a small market right away. I did not think it would take so long to hear back after my interviews. I also did not know God would be working through it all and leading me on another direction soon.
I feel as if he wanted me to go through the hard job search so I could apply the things I learned through D-focus. I applied most of everything from the summer during this past year. I read books about going through hard times in life. I read through the study, God's answers to our Deepest Questions a lot during this past year as well. The constant reading of the study in which God changed my life that summer at Notch Pines helped me apply the things that I learned in the summer of 2010.
I feel like my one big highlight of my job search year was my Rose Bowl road trip of a lifetime. It took my mind off my job frustrations. It was a legendary trip of a lifetime I will never forget it. We drove 22-23 hours all the way to Pasadena to watch the Frogs beat the Wisconsin Badgers in one of the biggest games ever. It was the best game I have ever been to. On top of getting to see the Frogs win in Pasadena, I was able to see Eleanor Bolanos a friend from D-focus.
He changed my direction back towards ministry and serving Jesus. God had a bigger plan than I did or thought at the time. He led me to seminary to get a solid background before I go into a career youth ministry.
He led me back to where he wanted me to be by changing my circumstances. He reminded that he is good when we are not. God is in control even when we don't acknowledge him to be sometimes. He has the ultimate authority over our lives. That is a truth I need to remind myself of daily as I go through life.
We have to cling to this truth every day. Without it, I think we would fail in life as Christ followers.
I tried to find a job in Broadcast TV/radio in this past year. I had some interviews but not a whole lot. It was a very trying time in my life. I looked and looked for a job for so long that area that I received a degree in from TCU I thought that is what I should been doing. I tried to persist through that time in my life.
I did not decide to go back to school and do seminary until this summer. It has been a total different path than what I set out to do after college.
I had thought I would be able to get a broadcast job in a small market right away. I did not think it would take so long to hear back after my interviews. I also did not know God would be working through it all and leading me on another direction soon.
I feel as if he wanted me to go through the hard job search so I could apply the things I learned through D-focus. I applied most of everything from the summer during this past year. I read books about going through hard times in life. I read through the study, God's answers to our Deepest Questions a lot during this past year as well. The constant reading of the study in which God changed my life that summer at Notch Pines helped me apply the things that I learned in the summer of 2010.
I feel like my one big highlight of my job search year was my Rose Bowl road trip of a lifetime. It took my mind off my job frustrations. It was a legendary trip of a lifetime I will never forget it. We drove 22-23 hours all the way to Pasadena to watch the Frogs beat the Wisconsin Badgers in one of the biggest games ever. It was the best game I have ever been to. On top of getting to see the Frogs win in Pasadena, I was able to see Eleanor Bolanos a friend from D-focus.
He changed my direction back towards ministry and serving Jesus. God had a bigger plan than I did or thought at the time. He led me to seminary to get a solid background before I go into a career youth ministry.
He led me back to where he wanted me to be by changing my circumstances. He reminded that he is good when we are not. God is in control even when we don't acknowledge him to be sometimes. He has the ultimate authority over our lives. That is a truth I need to remind myself of daily as I go through life.
We have to cling to this truth every day. Without it, I think we would fail in life as Christ followers.
Changing of direction in life
God is very mysterious in more ways than one. God used some circumstances to change my direction of where I was heading in my life. He made me realize what I was really passionate about in life.
I was not able to find a Broadcast TV or radio job after I had graduated from college at TCU. God used that time in my life to help me depend on him more. Though I couldn't find that job, he made me realize that he was in control of my life. He reminded me of how much I needed him at that time in my life. I only had a few interviews but I still persisted during that time in my life.
I did not decide to go back to school and do seminary until this summer. It has been a total different path than what I set out to do after college. I had thought I would be able to get a broadcast job in a small market right away. I did not think it would take so long to hear back after my interviews. I also did not know God would be working through it all and leading me on another direction soon.
I feel as if he wanted me to go through the hard job search so I could apply the things I learned through d-focus. I applied most of everything from the summer during this past year. I read books about going through hard times in life. I read through the study, God's answers to our Deepest Questions a lot during this past year as well.
I feel like my one big highlight of my job search year was my Rose Bowl road trip of a lifetime. It took my mind off my job frustrations. It was a legendary trip of a lifetime I will never forget it. We drove 22-23 hours all the way to Pasadena to watch the Frogs beat the Wisconsin Badgers in one of the biggest games ever. It was the best game I have ever been to. On top of getting to see the Frogs win in Pasadena, I was able to see Eleanor Bolanos a friend from D-focus.
He changed my direction back towards ministry and serving Jesus. God had a bigger plan than I did or thought at the time. He led me to seminary to get a solid background before I go into a career youth ministry.
He led me back to where he wanted me to be by changing my circumstances. He reminded that he is good when we are not. God is in control even when we don't acknowledge him to be sometimes. He has the ultimate authority over our lives. That is a truth I need to remind myself of daily as I go through life.
We have to cling to this truth every day. Without it, I think we would fail in life as Christ followers.
I was not able to find a Broadcast TV or radio job after I had graduated from college at TCU. God used that time in my life to help me depend on him more. Though I couldn't find that job, he made me realize that he was in control of my life. He reminded me of how much I needed him at that time in my life. I only had a few interviews but I still persisted during that time in my life.
I did not decide to go back to school and do seminary until this summer. It has been a total different path than what I set out to do after college. I had thought I would be able to get a broadcast job in a small market right away. I did not think it would take so long to hear back after my interviews. I also did not know God would be working through it all and leading me on another direction soon.
I feel as if he wanted me to go through the hard job search so I could apply the things I learned through d-focus. I applied most of everything from the summer during this past year. I read books about going through hard times in life. I read through the study, God's answers to our Deepest Questions a lot during this past year as well.
I feel like my one big highlight of my job search year was my Rose Bowl road trip of a lifetime. It took my mind off my job frustrations. It was a legendary trip of a lifetime I will never forget it. We drove 22-23 hours all the way to Pasadena to watch the Frogs beat the Wisconsin Badgers in one of the biggest games ever. It was the best game I have ever been to. On top of getting to see the Frogs win in Pasadena, I was able to see Eleanor Bolanos a friend from D-focus.
He changed my direction back towards ministry and serving Jesus. God had a bigger plan than I did or thought at the time. He led me to seminary to get a solid background before I go into a career youth ministry.
He led me back to where he wanted me to be by changing my circumstances. He reminded that he is good when we are not. God is in control even when we don't acknowledge him to be sometimes. He has the ultimate authority over our lives. That is a truth I need to remind myself of daily as I go through life.
We have to cling to this truth every day. Without it, I think we would fail in life as Christ followers.
Changing of direction in life
God is very mysterious in more ways than one. God used some circumstances to change my direction of where I was heading in my life. He made me realize what I was really passionate about in life.
I was not able to find a Broadcast TV or radio job after I had graduated from college at TCU. God used that time in my life to help me depend on him more. Though I couldn't find that job, he made me realize that he was in control of my life. He reminded me of how much I needed him at that time in my life. I only had a few interviews but I still persisted during that time in my life.
I did not decide to go back to school and do seminary until this summer. It has been a total different path than what I set out to do after college. I had thought I would be able to get a broadcast job in a small market right away. I did not think it would take so long to hear back after my interviews. I also did not know God would be working through it all and leading me on another direction soon.
I feel as if he wanted me to go through the hard job search so I could apply the things I learned through d-focus. I applied most of everything from the summer during this past year. I read books about going through hard times in life. I read through the study, God's answers to our Deepest Questions a lot during this past year as well.
I feel like my one big highlight of my job search year was my Rose Bowl road trip of a lifetime. It took my mind off my job frustrations. It was a legendary trip of a lifetime I will never forget it. We drove 22-23 hours all the way to Pasadena to watch the Frogs beat the Wisconsin Badgers in one of the biggest games ever. It was the best game I have ever been to. On top of getting to see the Frogs win in Pasadena, I was able to see Eleanor Bolanos a friend from D-focus.
He changed my direction back towards ministry and serving Jesus. God had a bigger plan than I did or thought at the time. He led me to seminary to get a solid background before I go into a career youth ministry.
He led me back to where he wanted me to be by changing my circumstances. He reminded that he is good when we are not. God is in control even when we don't acknowledge him to be sometimes. He has the ultimate authority over our lives. That is a truth I need to remind myself of daily as I go through life.
We have to cling to this truth every day. Without it, I think we would fail in life as Christ followers.
I was not able to find a Broadcast TV or radio job after I had graduated from college at TCU. God used that time in my life to help me depend on him more. Though I couldn't find that job, he made me realize that he was in control of my life. He reminded me of how much I needed him at that time in my life. I only had a few interviews but I still persisted during that time in my life.
I did not decide to go back to school and do seminary until this summer. It has been a total different path than what I set out to do after college. I had thought I would be able to get a broadcast job in a small market right away. I did not think it would take so long to hear back after my interviews. I also did not know God would be working through it all and leading me on another direction soon.
I feel as if he wanted me to go through the hard job search so I could apply the things I learned through d-focus. I applied most of everything from the summer during this past year. I read books about going through hard times in life. I read through the study, God's answers to our Deepest Questions a lot during this past year as well.
I feel like my one big highlight of my job search year was my Rose Bowl road trip of a lifetime. It took my mind off my job frustrations. It was a legendary trip of a lifetime I will never forget it. We drove 22-23 hours all the way to Pasadena to watch the Frogs beat the Wisconsin Badgers in one of the biggest games ever. It was the best game I have ever been to. On top of getting to see the Frogs win in Pasadena, I was able to see Eleanor Bolanos a friend from D-focus.
He changed my direction back towards ministry and serving Jesus. God had a bigger plan than I did or thought at the time. He led me to seminary to get a solid background before I go into a career youth ministry.
He led me back to where he wanted me to be by changing my circumstances. He reminded that he is good when we are not. God is in control even when we don't acknowledge him to be sometimes. He has the ultimate authority over our lives. That is a truth I need to remind myself of daily as I go through life.
We have to cling to this truth every day. Without it, I think we would fail in life as Christ followers.
Changing of direction in life
God is very mysterious in more ways than one. God used some circumstances to change my direction of where I was heading in my life. He made me realize what I was really passionate about in life.
I was not able to find a Broadcast TV or radio job after I had graduated from college at TCU. God used that time in my life to help me depend on him more. Though I couldn't find that job, he made me realize that he was in control of my life. He reminded me of how much I needed him at that time in my life. I only had a few interviews but I still persisted during that time in my life.
I did not decide to go back to school and do seminary until this summer. It has been a total different path than what I set out to do after college. I had thought I would be able to get a broadcast job in a small market right away. I did not think it would take so long to hear back after my interviews. I also did not know God would be working through it all and leading me on another direction soon.
I feel as if he wanted me to go through the hard job search so I could apply the things I learned through d-focus. I applied most of everything from the summer during this past year. I read books about going through hard times in life. I read through the study, God's answers to our Deepest Questions a lot during this past year as well.
I feel like my one big highlight of my job search year was my Rose Bowl road trip of a lifetime. It took my mind off my job frustrations. It was a legendary trip of a lifetime I will never forget it. We drove 22-23 hours all the way to Pasadena to watch the Frogs beat the Wisconsin Badgers in one of the biggest games ever. It was the best game I have ever been to. On top of getting to see the Frogs win in Pasadena, I was able to see Eleanor Bolanos a friend from D-focus.
He changed my direction back towards ministry and serving Jesus. God had a bigger plan than I did or thought at the time. He led me to seminary to get a solid background before I go into a career youth ministry.
He led me back to where he wanted me to be by changing my circumstances. He reminded that he is good when we are not. God is in control even when we don't acknowledge him to be sometimes. He has the ultimate authority over our lives. That is a truth I need to remind myself of daily as I go through life.
We have to cling to this truth every day. Without it, I think we would fail in life as Christ followers.
I was not able to find a Broadcast TV or radio job after I had graduated from college at TCU. God used that time in my life to help me depend on him more. Though I couldn't find that job, he made me realize that he was in control of my life. He reminded me of how much I needed him at that time in my life. I only had a few interviews but I still persisted during that time in my life.
I did not decide to go back to school and do seminary until this summer. It has been a total different path than what I set out to do after college. I had thought I would be able to get a broadcast job in a small market right away. I did not think it would take so long to hear back after my interviews. I also did not know God would be working through it all and leading me on another direction soon.
I feel as if he wanted me to go through the hard job search so I could apply the things I learned through d-focus. I applied most of everything from the summer during this past year. I read books about going through hard times in life. I read through the study, God's answers to our Deepest Questions a lot during this past year as well.
I feel like my one big highlight of my job search year was my Rose Bowl road trip of a lifetime. It took my mind off my job frustrations. It was a legendary trip of a lifetime I will never forget it. We drove 22-23 hours all the way to Pasadena to watch the Frogs beat the Wisconsin Badgers in one of the biggest games ever. It was the best game I have ever been to. On top of getting to see the Frogs win in Pasadena, I was able to see Eleanor Bolanos a friend from D-focus.
He changed my direction back towards ministry and serving Jesus. God had a bigger plan than I did or thought at the time. He led me to seminary to get a solid background before I go into a career youth ministry.
He led me back to where he wanted me to be by changing my circumstances. He reminded that he is good when we are not. God is in control even when we don't acknowledge him to be sometimes. He has the ultimate authority over our lives. That is a truth I need to remind myself of daily as I go through life.
We have to cling to this truth every day. Without it, I think we would fail in life as Christ followers.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Snoop's life: Friends to die for
Snoop's life: Friends to die for: Great friends stick up for you. They are there for you in times of need and struggle. Christian friends share the common faith. They buil...
Friends to die for
Great friends stick up for you. They are there for you in times of need and struggle.
Christian friends share the common faith. They build each other up in Christ in all that they do. They have the desire to be with their friend.
Deep down in the core every man needs a brother to lock arms with. Every man needs someone to be there for them. Men need someone to bond with and live life with daily.
Christian brothers build accountability with each other. They ask each other how they are doing in life. They ask each other they are doing in their walk with God. They are not transparent, they are honest with their friend in everything they say or do. They are truthful with their friend in all things in life.
Friends love being with each other. They love being together as friends.
A covenant friendship is based on unselfish love for one another. Deep loyalty to one another. A friend speaks up for you. Is founded on transperancy, honesty, and accountability. We have nothing to hide with our friends. This kind of friendship is rooted in shared spiritual values.
Our covenant friends should have the same God. This builds us together in him in growth in him.
My best friend Andrew Boone has been there for me in good times and bad. He knows me well and knows just about everything about me and how I interact.
I have that same relationship with my friend Zach Hughes. We have that unselfish love for each other in how we interact with one another. We interact and know each other so well.
Jim Douglas and I also have that unselfish love and deep loyalty for each other. We have known each other through college and crazy times in BYX.
One of my best friends from D-focus, Carlyle Aguren, knows me because we lived together in the summer of 2010. He knows things about me from hanging out together in our cabin all summer. We are unselfish in how we interact with one another. God led us to D-focus for a purpose so we could become good friends.
This kind of covenant friendship I have with these people I have discussed. These kinds of friendships help us grow in Christ in all that we do.
Christian friends share the common faith. They build each other up in Christ in all that they do. They have the desire to be with their friend.
Deep down in the core every man needs a brother to lock arms with. Every man needs someone to be there for them. Men need someone to bond with and live life with daily.
Christian brothers build accountability with each other. They ask each other how they are doing in life. They ask each other they are doing in their walk with God. They are not transparent, they are honest with their friend in everything they say or do. They are truthful with their friend in all things in life.
Friends love being with each other. They love being together as friends.
A covenant friendship is based on unselfish love for one another. Deep loyalty to one another. A friend speaks up for you. Is founded on transperancy, honesty, and accountability. We have nothing to hide with our friends. This kind of friendship is rooted in shared spiritual values.
Our covenant friends should have the same God. This builds us together in him in growth in him.
My best friend Andrew Boone has been there for me in good times and bad. He knows me well and knows just about everything about me and how I interact.
I have that same relationship with my friend Zach Hughes. We have that unselfish love for each other in how we interact with one another. We interact and know each other so well.
Jim Douglas and I also have that unselfish love and deep loyalty for each other. We have known each other through college and crazy times in BYX.
One of my best friends from D-focus, Carlyle Aguren, knows me because we lived together in the summer of 2010. He knows things about me from hanging out together in our cabin all summer. We are unselfish in how we interact with one another. God led us to D-focus for a purpose so we could become good friends.
This kind of covenant friendship I have with these people I have discussed. These kinds of friendships help us grow in Christ in all that we do.
Monday, September 26, 2011
doubts
Some people have doubts have hard times in their life. Other times, people may doubt the choices they make in certain situations.
Jesus casts away all doubt and fear in our life. He can do this only by our depending on him and trusting in him. Jesus says in Matthew, 11:28-30 "come to me all who are weary and heavy burdened." Even the great John the Baptist who foretold the future coming of Jesus doubted. One of Jesus' disciples Thomas doubted that Jesus was resurrected from the dead.
This concept is not limited to some people. All people in some way, shape, or form have doubts about things in life. Some are decisions they should have made or regrets from the past. Other ways to doubt if this is the right thing to do in a certain situation. If this move is the right move or wrong one. We have to analyze our motives and make sure we do not stress over these things.
Sometimes I doubt whether this choice was the right one or that one was. I will stress out over certain situations that I may come across in my life.
I just need to remind myself that he is in control of my life. God wants the best for us no matter what we may think or do. We have to give our fears, stresses, and doubts of this world to God.
Jesus wants all we are and all we have. We can't hold anything back from him during any hard time or good in our lives.
Jesus casts away all doubt and fear in our life. He can do this only by our depending on him and trusting in him. Jesus says in Matthew, 11:28-30 "come to me all who are weary and heavy burdened." Even the great John the Baptist who foretold the future coming of Jesus doubted. One of Jesus' disciples Thomas doubted that Jesus was resurrected from the dead.
This concept is not limited to some people. All people in some way, shape, or form have doubts about things in life. Some are decisions they should have made or regrets from the past. Other ways to doubt if this is the right thing to do in a certain situation. If this move is the right move or wrong one. We have to analyze our motives and make sure we do not stress over these things.
Sometimes I doubt whether this choice was the right one or that one was. I will stress out over certain situations that I may come across in my life.
I just need to remind myself that he is in control of my life. God wants the best for us no matter what we may think or do. We have to give our fears, stresses, and doubts of this world to God.
Jesus wants all we are and all we have. We can't hold anything back from him during any hard time or good in our lives.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
The man post
This post is about the great saying that I made up called "If you're a man you're a man."
If you're a man, then you will stand up for what you believe in life. If you're a man, then you won't get knocked down by others who will try to push you around. If you're a man, you can take anything thrown at you. If you're a man, you will stick up for your best friend in any situation.
If you're a Christ follower man, you will stick up for anyone being pushed around. If you're a Christ follower man, you will serve and love your wife. If you're a Christ follower man, you will serve those under and around you in life in whatever ministry you're in.
If you're a man, you're a man then you are legendary in life. If you're a man you're a man, then everyone knows your name. If you're a man you're a man, then you have a certain ease about you and people can see you coming from miles away. If you're a man, you're a man then even pets can feel your presence. If you're a man, you're a man, then your presence emanates from the entire room.
If you're a Christ follower man, then people will see Christ's presence from how you act. If you're a Christ follower man, then the words you say glorify Christ. If you're a Christ follower man, then the life you live emanates how Christ lived. If you're a Christ follower man, then the words that you speak and say glorify Christ and doesn't demean,affect, or injure others. If you're a Christian or Christ follower man, then people can see Jesus through you from miles away.
That was my diatribe on the If you're a man, you a man. It is also my take on how to live life depending on who you are in life.
If you're a man, then you will stand up for what you believe in life. If you're a man, then you won't get knocked down by others who will try to push you around. If you're a man, you can take anything thrown at you. If you're a man, you will stick up for your best friend in any situation.
If you're a Christ follower man, you will stick up for anyone being pushed around. If you're a Christ follower man, you will serve and love your wife. If you're a Christ follower man, you will serve those under and around you in life in whatever ministry you're in.
If you're a man, you're a man then you are legendary in life. If you're a man you're a man, then everyone knows your name. If you're a man you're a man, then you have a certain ease about you and people can see you coming from miles away. If you're a man, you're a man then even pets can feel your presence. If you're a man, you're a man, then your presence emanates from the entire room.
If you're a Christ follower man, then people will see Christ's presence from how you act. If you're a Christ follower man, then the words you say glorify Christ. If you're a Christ follower man, then the life you live emanates how Christ lived. If you're a Christ follower man, then the words that you speak and say glorify Christ and doesn't demean,affect, or injure others. If you're a Christian or Christ follower man, then people can see Jesus through you from miles away.
That was my diatribe on the If you're a man, you a man. It is also my take on how to live life depending on who you are in life.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
God's love song
Here's an old song I wrote about God's love. I haven't practiced it to perform it yet though, it is just something I jotted down. It will be great song to sing one day.
“Your Love”
Chorus: Your love,
Breaks me,
Shakes me,
It fills me up to the brim of the cup,
Verse 1:
I can’t fathom what you’ve done,
Because you gave you’re only Son,
To give us life and life to the full,
This love you have for me I can’t understand,
It doesn’t bend,
Chorus: Your love,
Breaks me,
Shakes me,
It fills me up to the brim of the cup,
Verse 2:
And I know without this love I would be nothing,
Because all I have is you,
You are my everything,
You wipe away all frustration, guilt, doubt, and fear
And bring them into the clear
You give me joy and a trusting heart
Sometimes I’m not so smart
Lord you’re bigger, longer, and wider than I can see
You make me so free
Friday, August 5, 2011
Snoop's life: God's love for us that never ends
Snoop's life: God's love for us that never ends: "I'm going to describe God's infinite love for us today. God called out the people of Israel. He still loved them and pursued them even tho..."
God's love for us that never ends
I'm going to describe God's infinite love for us today.
God called out the people of Israel. He still loved them and pursued them even though they had fallen away from him. His love never ends, it goes on forever.
How can I treat you like Admah?
How can I make you like Zoboiim?
My heart is changed within me;
all my compassion is aroused.
I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Epraim.
For I am God, and not man-
the Holy One among you.
I will not come in wrath."
In the same way, Hosea loved Gomer though she had been with other men. This gives us a picture of how much God loved the people of Israel though they had fallen far from him. He loves us that same infinite and boundless way as Christ followers in the 21st century. He pursues us through our failure and trials in our life and the times he we fall away from him. We are the bride and God is the bridegroom who calls us out in the midst of life.
He also sent his son Jesus Christ to show his ultimate love for us on the cross. He died so we could have life and life in him.
Remember these truths as you read this blog today or next week.
God called out the people of Israel. He still loved them and pursued them even though they had fallen away from him. His love never ends, it goes on forever.
In Hosea 11:3-4, God says this about his love for the people, "It was I who taught Ephraim how to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love."He never gave up on the people of Israel even when they sinned against him and disobeyed him. He still loved them. He still had compassion on the people though they had fallen far from him. He never let them fall too far, in the same way he will never let us as Christ followers go. He is bigger than our own problems of this world.
God says this describing his fierce passion and compassion for his people, in Hosea 11:8-9, "How can I give up you up, Epraim?How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah?
How can I make you like Zoboiim?
My heart is changed within me;
all my compassion is aroused.
I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Epraim.
For I am God, and not man-
the Holy One among you.
I will not come in wrath."
In the same way, Hosea loved Gomer though she had been with other men. This gives us a picture of how much God loved the people of Israel though they had fallen far from him. He loves us that same infinite and boundless way as Christ followers in the 21st century. He pursues us through our failure and trials in our life and the times he we fall away from him. We are the bride and God is the bridegroom who calls us out in the midst of life.
He also sent his son Jesus Christ to show his ultimate love for us on the cross. He died so we could have life and life in him.
John 3:16, says this "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
God's love is infinite and eternal. It never ends and lasts forever. It also gives the most abundant life that you could find.
In John 10:10 it says, The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so they may have life and life to the full."If we depend on him, his unending love will take us away from anything in life. He will never let us go. His love and passion for us is eternal.
Remember these truths as you read this blog today or next week.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Spiritual Contentment
I am writing to you today about Spiritual Contentment. I have become content in good or bad circumstances throughout the years with the ability to rejoice in these times.
God has helped be become content in any and every circumstances over the past six years. Through different circumstances my senior year of high school to after I graduated from college he has helped me become more content with things in life.
Paul talked about this way of spiritual contentment in Philippians 4:11-12.
I have been able to be more content in him lately since graduating from college. He has helped realize I just need to rest in him. I have come to realize through this time that my problems are small compared to the bigness of God. There's nothing in my life that he can't handle.
I have had the frustrations of trying to find a job over the past year. It has also been hard trying to figure out what to do with my life. It has been a crazy year of good and bad times all mixed together. It has helped me at times to be content in my situation that God had put me in and know that he put me in that situation for a purpose that he had in mind.
We have to remind ourselves that we can give to him any struggle or situation we are facing in our life. We have to rejoice in his mercy. In this, we will know that in him he will give us life and life to the full.
The ability to be content in different circumstances is a constant process. A process of continual rest and rejoicing in Jesus Christ. If we bring our situations and struggles to him, he will help us become content in anything and everything in life.
God has helped be become content in any and every circumstances over the past six years. Through different circumstances my senior year of high school to after I graduated from college he has helped me become more content with things in life.
Paul talked about this way of spiritual contentment in Philippians 4:11-12.
It says this, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty of living in want."He has helped me realize the he will bring me through any situation I'm in. He has given me the assurance that he is in control and I have to trust in his provision. I have had to rejoice in whatever situation I'm in, knowing that he used it for his purpose. His ways are not our ways. He has different methods of accomplishing his purpose in our life.
I have been able to be more content in him lately since graduating from college. He has helped realize I just need to rest in him. I have come to realize through this time that my problems are small compared to the bigness of God. There's nothing in my life that he can't handle.
I have had the frustrations of trying to find a job over the past year. It has also been hard trying to figure out what to do with my life. It has been a crazy year of good and bad times all mixed together. It has helped me at times to be content in my situation that God had put me in and know that he put me in that situation for a purpose that he had in mind.
We have to remind ourselves that we can give to him any struggle or situation we are facing in our life. We have to rejoice in his mercy. In this, we will know that in him he will give us life and life to the full.
The ability to be content in different circumstances is a constant process. A process of continual rest and rejoicing in Jesus Christ. If we bring our situations and struggles to him, he will help us become content in anything and everything in life.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Burdens that weigh us down
Today I am going to be blogging about burdens that weigh us down inside.
Sometimes we have these burdens that seep inside our us and weigh us down. They are in our minds and we can't let go of them. It almost feels as if they grab a hold of us as they weigh us down.
They can come in big form or small form in our life. They could also just pop up out of nowhere one day. It could be a problem we have had that we can't shake or a recently recurring problem. Whatever burden you have it frustrates you inside. It makes you wonder why is this or that not working out right now?
I feel as if my driving problems of the past have become a burden in my life now. I graduated college little more than a year ago and I've been trying to find someone to drive with or find a way to drive by myself again. It affects everything in my personal life and sometimes career wherever that takes me. I know God used my frustrations with my wrecks in the past for my growth somehow but there has to be a way I can overcome this right now. I just have find a way to overcome this right now.
I feel as if I don't overcome this it will hinder the rest of my life. I haven't driven by myself since my senior year in high school. I am known by many though I haven't had a date with a girl other than BYX formals and high school prom.
My driving problems I think make me feel trapped sometimes and pulled down. I want to have that power like everyone else to control the roadways and live life. The ability to drive we can also control where we want to go in life.
The thing my driving problems have made me do is become more open and honest with people about my struggles. It has helped me become truthful in all that I say and all that I do. The frustrations has brought me to my knees to realize how we all have struggles inside of us.
I have thought recently that God used my wrecks in high school and driving problems today to conform me to his image.
I have to remind myself that I need to trust in God. I have to try to rely on him until I can overcome my burdens that weigh me down daily.
Sometimes we have these burdens that seep inside our us and weigh us down. They are in our minds and we can't let go of them. It almost feels as if they grab a hold of us as they weigh us down.
They can come in big form or small form in our life. They could also just pop up out of nowhere one day. It could be a problem we have had that we can't shake or a recently recurring problem. Whatever burden you have it frustrates you inside. It makes you wonder why is this or that not working out right now?
I feel as if my driving problems of the past have become a burden in my life now. I graduated college little more than a year ago and I've been trying to find someone to drive with or find a way to drive by myself again. It affects everything in my personal life and sometimes career wherever that takes me. I know God used my frustrations with my wrecks in the past for my growth somehow but there has to be a way I can overcome this right now. I just have find a way to overcome this right now.
I feel as if I don't overcome this it will hinder the rest of my life. I haven't driven by myself since my senior year in high school. I am known by many though I haven't had a date with a girl other than BYX formals and high school prom.
My driving problems I think make me feel trapped sometimes and pulled down. I want to have that power like everyone else to control the roadways and live life. The ability to drive we can also control where we want to go in life.
The thing my driving problems have made me do is become more open and honest with people about my struggles. It has helped me become truthful in all that I say and all that I do. The frustrations has brought me to my knees to realize how we all have struggles inside of us.
I have thought recently that God used my wrecks in high school and driving problems today to conform me to his image.
Romans 8:28-29, says "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be firstborn among many brothers."I have had to remind myself that God is in control of my frustrations. He is bigger than my problems here and now on this earth.
I have to remind myself that I need to trust in God. I have to try to rely on him until I can overcome my burdens that weigh me down daily.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Free blog Tuesday today
It's free blog Tuesday today I am posting a Christian song I wrote during this past year that describes the growth in Christ I have experienced lately in my life. It describes how Jesus has changed me and helped me mature in my faith and trust in him. It shows how I have been able to give up everything in my life to Jesus because of the past faith that God has shown me. The ability to do that has been awesome. So, enjoy the song and the blog today whoever reads it.
O Lord where will you lead
Verse I
Searching for a job I try not to hit myself on a door knob
Then I grab a piece of corncob
It’s rather tasty
But rather flakey
I think to myself God is in control
He is bigger than a butter roll
He would do a jig when we graduate to be with him
He would embrace us with a whim
Chorus: O Lord where will you lead,
O Lord where will you lead,
O Lord where will you lead
Verse II
I know I have to trust in you in all I have
Even in the good and the bad
Keep presenting myself to you in all that I do
Who hoo
Lord, you are maturing in me
As quick as can be
But I know growing in you is a process
I can’t get bogged down by the excess
Verse III
Of the stress of this life
Lord you have overcome
This momentary earthly life
That isn’t worth all our strife
I give up everything to you
Because you are all I know
Chorus: O Lord where will you lead,
O Lord where will you lead,
O Lord where will you lead
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Living in a community
Today I will be blogging about the experience of living in community and the impact it has on people's lives. It is truly one of the best experiences that one can have with people.
Last summer, while I was at Discipleship Focus we had a great group of guys in our cabin. We lived together for three months last summer going through the study, Discovery, and working at our different jobs. We went from not knowing much about each other early in the summer to knowing a lot about each other. Our cabin was able to get to know each other well by living life with each other daily. Through this community setting, we found out each other's likes and dislikes.
Each cabin at Notch Pines had cabin nights throughout the summer. It is there where truly bonded with one another. We became our goofy, crazy, selves for one night during cabin night. For our last cabin night we dressed as nerds. We also performed the infamous "Little Boys in White T-shirts," which will live on in D-focus lore as a banned skit.
Another experience of community being lived out, was when I did work crew in the Pitts at Frontier Ranch. During that month of the summer, we had five guys and a Pitts boss working together to wash the dishes every night. We grew to get to know each other during that month at Frontier Ranch. During the end of the night, we were able to joke and be goofy all the while getting the job done in a timely manner. Our group became a closely knit group by the end of month at Frontier Ranch.
Frontier Ranch is a Young Life in Buena Vista, Colorado where high school kids come to the message of Jesus Christ every week during the summer.
Last weekend God reminded me of the great community that I have had in my life as well. I hung out with some good friends from high school part of the weekend. I met up with some of my best friends from TCU Jim Douglas and Stefanie Grows. I also hung out with my best friend and his family in Fort Worth and saw Zach Hughes get married. It truly was a great weekend.
God provided the Moore's house for me to live in and with last weekend. I am thankful for their generosity.
The joy of seeing some of these friends has helped me realize some things. It is given me further confirmation of the future.
God has been reminding me that he will provide me with community wherever I go and whatever I do. He has also been saying to me that I thrive the most in a community setting
Last summer, while I was at Discipleship Focus we had a great group of guys in our cabin. We lived together for three months last summer going through the study, Discovery, and working at our different jobs. We went from not knowing much about each other early in the summer to knowing a lot about each other. Our cabin was able to get to know each other well by living life with each other daily. Through this community setting, we found out each other's likes and dislikes.
Each cabin at Notch Pines had cabin nights throughout the summer. It is there where truly bonded with one another. We became our goofy, crazy, selves for one night during cabin night. For our last cabin night we dressed as nerds. We also performed the infamous "Little Boys in White T-shirts," which will live on in D-focus lore as a banned skit.
Another experience of community being lived out, was when I did work crew in the Pitts at Frontier Ranch. During that month of the summer, we had five guys and a Pitts boss working together to wash the dishes every night. We grew to get to know each other during that month at Frontier Ranch. During the end of the night, we were able to joke and be goofy all the while getting the job done in a timely manner. Our group became a closely knit group by the end of month at Frontier Ranch.
Frontier Ranch is a Young Life in Buena Vista, Colorado where high school kids come to the message of Jesus Christ every week during the summer.
Last weekend God reminded me of the great community that I have had in my life as well. I hung out with some good friends from high school part of the weekend. I met up with some of my best friends from TCU Jim Douglas and Stefanie Grows. I also hung out with my best friend and his family in Fort Worth and saw Zach Hughes get married. It truly was a great weekend.
God provided the Moore's house for me to live in and with last weekend. I am thankful for their generosity.
The joy of seeing some of these friends has helped me realize some things. It is given me further confirmation of the future.
God has been reminding me that he will provide me with community wherever I go and whatever I do. He has also been saying to me that I thrive the most in a community setting
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Confirmations
I experienced a great weekend with friends this weekend and also visited the Southwestern Baptist Theological seminary. This weekend gave me some confirmations on some things in my life.
This weekend gave me a confirmation that Fort Worth is where God wants me to be. I like the small town atmosphere of the city. It was great that my friends from Friendswood were able to experience the town.
I was able to hang out with one of my best friends from TCU this weekend. He has been an encouragement to me in the past year since I graduated. He has helped me through the good times and bad. His encouraging nature on my future has helped me in my growth. I was also able to meet with one of my friends that is a girl that I knew really well at TCU that helped me confirm some things in my life.
I was able to take a tour of the Southwestern seminary in Fort Worth and have lunch with one of the professors in the area I would be studying. It further encouraged me in my desire to pursue where God wants me and what he wants me to do with my life. The professor I met with had a great desire and passion for youth ministry. I was encouraged that this opportunity at seminary could help me in my future ministry.
God has been opening and closing some doors in the past year since I graduated from college. He has used different situations to help me grow stronger in him. He has been showing me that I need to trust him with the little things and big things in my life. The Christian life is a walk not a run.
He has surrounded me with some great friends in my life that have confirmed what my joys and passions are in life.
This weekend gave me a confirmation that Fort Worth is where God wants me to be. I like the small town atmosphere of the city. It was great that my friends from Friendswood were able to experience the town.
I was able to hang out with one of my best friends from TCU this weekend. He has been an encouragement to me in the past year since I graduated. He has helped me through the good times and bad. His encouraging nature on my future has helped me in my growth. I was also able to meet with one of my friends that is a girl that I knew really well at TCU that helped me confirm some things in my life.
I was able to take a tour of the Southwestern seminary in Fort Worth and have lunch with one of the professors in the area I would be studying. It further encouraged me in my desire to pursue where God wants me and what he wants me to do with my life. The professor I met with had a great desire and passion for youth ministry. I was encouraged that this opportunity at seminary could help me in my future ministry.
God has been opening and closing some doors in the past year since I graduated from college. He has used different situations to help me grow stronger in him. He has been showing me that I need to trust him with the little things and big things in my life. The Christian life is a walk not a run.
He has surrounded me with some great friends in my life that have confirmed what my joys and passions are in life.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
God's conforming process in our lives
Over this past year and last summer God did some conforming in my life. It was a slow, but gradual process that took time but it was necessary for me to become a like Jesus Christ.
This past summer at Discipleship Focus, I came to realize and know that God is in control of our lives every day. He used this concept that the taught me last summer in my supposed search for a job. He kept reminding me that is in control of my life even when I didn't want to acknowledge it at times. He gave me a certain peace about the ability to go through hard times. Through this time, I have gained the ability to remind myself that he is in control of whatever situation I'm going through.
I also gained the ability to the desperately dependent on God this past summer at Discipleship Focus. I thought I was dependent on God before last summer but I think I've been able to acknowledge the times that I need him. I can remind myself I can depend on him with anything because he is the source of anything Godly in my life.
I have also gained the ability to present situations and abide in him during good and bad times in my life lately from the experience I had last summer. I gained the ability to present things to him that I could not before. I have been able to present certain jobs to apply for in the past year to him and God has given me leading to if I should get the job or move to that place.
Lastly, I have gained the ability to trust him with bigger and bigger things therefore my faith has increased. This has happened with the ability to present and abide that I discussed in the last paragraph. If he can present a situation or struggle, then we will be able to trust him with the next one. That is how my life has gone in the past year. It has been a struggle at times but also a time of growth in my life. We have to trust him, because he is faithful and in control.
This conforming process that I have discussed Paul presents to us in Romans 8:28-29. It says this,
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."
This process may be long and gradual but at the end Jesus is at the center of it all. He is the one doing the molding in our life. We can't make it in this life on our own. We can't produce growth in Jesus or good on our own in life.
God may use good times or struggles in our lives to produce this conforming process in us. We have to remind ourselves that this process is necessary for our growth in him.
This past summer at Discipleship Focus, I came to realize and know that God is in control of our lives every day. He used this concept that the taught me last summer in my supposed search for a job. He kept reminding me that is in control of my life even when I didn't want to acknowledge it at times. He gave me a certain peace about the ability to go through hard times. Through this time, I have gained the ability to remind myself that he is in control of whatever situation I'm going through.
I also gained the ability to the desperately dependent on God this past summer at Discipleship Focus. I thought I was dependent on God before last summer but I think I've been able to acknowledge the times that I need him. I can remind myself I can depend on him with anything because he is the source of anything Godly in my life.
I have also gained the ability to present situations and abide in him during good and bad times in my life lately from the experience I had last summer. I gained the ability to present things to him that I could not before. I have been able to present certain jobs to apply for in the past year to him and God has given me leading to if I should get the job or move to that place.
Lastly, I have gained the ability to trust him with bigger and bigger things therefore my faith has increased. This has happened with the ability to present and abide that I discussed in the last paragraph. If he can present a situation or struggle, then we will be able to trust him with the next one. That is how my life has gone in the past year. It has been a struggle at times but also a time of growth in my life. We have to trust him, because he is faithful and in control.
This conforming process that I have discussed Paul presents to us in Romans 8:28-29. It says this,
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."
This process may be long and gradual but at the end Jesus is at the center of it all. He is the one doing the molding in our life. We can't make it in this life on our own. We can't produce growth in Jesus or good on our own in life.
God may use good times or struggles in our lives to produce this conforming process in us. We have to remind ourselves that this process is necessary for our growth in him.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
God's love never fails
God's love never fails. A simple but truth that we need to realize daily and cling to with all of our lives.
When the frustrations of life get to us, God will never let us go. He is with us every minute of the hour of the day. He wants to be with us at all times and wants to know what we are going through in our lives at the moment. God's love and so wide,long, and deep. It is so fearless that he is in constant pursuit of us.
His love never ends. When us as humans fail us, God will never fails us. In Isiah 40:28, it says "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is an everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom."
God loves and pursues us daily with everything he has. In Lamentations 3: 22-24, it says about God's love, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassion's never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion;
there I will wait for him."
God loves us in the good times in also the bad times. Isiah says this about this topic of God's love in Isiah 54:8,
"In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you."
Psalm 136 is another passage that describes God's love that never lets us go. The passage describes God's greatness, glory, and power shown to the people of Israel.
The most definitive response to God's great love for us is in the often quoted Corinthians 13. Most of that passage is used for occasions such as weddings. While most of Corinthians is used for weddings, Corinthians 13:8 is the verse that most describes God's unfailing love. It says this, "Love never fails.
But where there are prophesies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge it will pass away."
God loves us and pursues abundantly. He wants the best for us in our lives. We have to remind us when life is hard.
When the frustrations of life get to us, God will never let us go. He is with us every minute of the hour of the day. He wants to be with us at all times and wants to know what we are going through in our lives at the moment. God's love and so wide,long, and deep. It is so fearless that he is in constant pursuit of us.
His love never ends. When us as humans fail us, God will never fails us. In Isiah 40:28, it says "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is an everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom."
God loves and pursues us daily with everything he has. In Lamentations 3: 22-24, it says about God's love, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassion's never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion;
there I will wait for him."
God loves us in the good times in also the bad times. Isiah says this about this topic of God's love in Isiah 54:8,
"In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you."
Psalm 136 is another passage that describes God's love that never lets us go. The passage describes God's greatness, glory, and power shown to the people of Israel.
The most definitive response to God's great love for us is in the often quoted Corinthians 13. Most of that passage is used for occasions such as weddings. While most of Corinthians is used for weddings, Corinthians 13:8 is the verse that most describes God's unfailing love. It says this, "Love never fails.
But where there are prophesies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge it will pass away."
God loves us and pursues abundantly. He wants the best for us in our lives. We have to remind us when life is hard.
Friday, June 17, 2011
D-focus skit night
Today is the anniversary of the D-focus skit night. That day will live on infamy of all the participants from last year.
My cabin, cabin four, performed the Little Boys in White T-shirts skit which changed Notch Pines forever.
Andrew Clark punched a hole in the wall from our jumping up and down. We broke a chair as Carlyle sat on Dan Anderson. There were a lot of blood and tears shed that night as well. In the opening scene, I flew by as I chopped trees down.
I will always have that night etched it my mind. The reason is because of the crazy destruction we caused and how hyped up we were for that night. We drank so many energy drinks that night. When it was finally time to perform the skit, the craziness just erupted inside of us and through us. It was at that time the most epic D-focus skit had finally come to fruition.
Ann Pinkerton, the D-focus Coordinator, said afterwards the skit was banned from D-focus. Some people laughed about that night while others were scared of the havoc that we caused during that fateful night. It all felt like a blur after the events had transpired earlier that night.
I think that night as helped as bond together as cabin. It was early in the summer and we were just starting to get to know each other. It would have been around the fourth week into 10 weeks we would be developing friendships together. It truly was a great time living together as a community experiencing life together with that cabin. We learned about each other's tendencies and our likes and dislikes in those 10 weeks last summer.
I believe that Jesus brought us together to have that community last summer and perform that legendary skit. He also used that community to help us grow and encourage us during those 10 weeks of discipleship.
Living in community is one of the things God uses to grow us in him. He brought us together that summer for a truly great time of growth in him. These people I will know my entire life and for that I am eternally grateful.
In closing, I say always pursue community because the growth you will experience is immeasurable. Cherish those times where you are living together in community.
My cabin, cabin four, performed the Little Boys in White T-shirts skit which changed Notch Pines forever.
Andrew Clark punched a hole in the wall from our jumping up and down. We broke a chair as Carlyle sat on Dan Anderson. There were a lot of blood and tears shed that night as well. In the opening scene, I flew by as I chopped trees down.
I will always have that night etched it my mind. The reason is because of the crazy destruction we caused and how hyped up we were for that night. We drank so many energy drinks that night. When it was finally time to perform the skit, the craziness just erupted inside of us and through us. It was at that time the most epic D-focus skit had finally come to fruition.
Ann Pinkerton, the D-focus Coordinator, said afterwards the skit was banned from D-focus. Some people laughed about that night while others were scared of the havoc that we caused during that fateful night. It all felt like a blur after the events had transpired earlier that night.
I think that night as helped as bond together as cabin. It was early in the summer and we were just starting to get to know each other. It would have been around the fourth week into 10 weeks we would be developing friendships together. It truly was a great time living together as a community experiencing life together with that cabin. We learned about each other's tendencies and our likes and dislikes in those 10 weeks last summer.
I believe that Jesus brought us together to have that community last summer and perform that legendary skit. He also used that community to help us grow and encourage us during those 10 weeks of discipleship.
Living in community is one of the things God uses to grow us in him. He brought us together that summer for a truly great time of growth in him. These people I will know my entire life and for that I am eternally grateful.
In closing, I say always pursue community because the growth you will experience is immeasurable. Cherish those times where you are living together in community.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Affirmations
I am blogging about something that we all need sometimes. It is an added boost of confidence that says hey you can be good at this or that in life.
It can come in any form when said. This certain thing someone says to us can help pull us together in the right direction as well. Also, it can help fire us up and realize where we need or be or go in life. These could also help us realize what is true for us in our life. They can give us the drive to succeed as well.
Affirmations help us recognize who we are and want to be.They help us realize our passions in life and how we can't stray from them. They give us a realization of what we are good at.
They (affirmations), remind us of the past and the future. Also, any little affirmations can give us the ability to push forward from where we are in our life. They give you the ability to say,"This is where I should go, or that is where I should go for the future."
They give you the ability to cling to what matters the most in life.It is if you hold onto that, then you will be able to make it through anything in life. They give you the ability to push through life when it seems as if it is crumbling. A little affirmation can help you realize what you need the most in life. That you have to cling to that more than anything.
Affirmations can help build you up or break you down. Though, most of the time they will help build you up and get you going in the direction that you want to. They could even find the right path that will give you the most joy in what path for your future you are seeking.
It can come in any form when said. This certain thing someone says to us can help pull us together in the right direction as well. Also, it can help fire us up and realize where we need or be or go in life. These could also help us realize what is true for us in our life. They can give us the drive to succeed as well.
Affirmations help us recognize who we are and want to be.They help us realize our passions in life and how we can't stray from them. They give us a realization of what we are good at.
They (affirmations), remind us of the past and the future. Also, any little affirmations can give us the ability to push forward from where we are in our life. They give you the ability to say,"This is where I should go, or that is where I should go for the future."
They give you the ability to cling to what matters the most in life.It is if you hold onto that, then you will be able to make it through anything in life. They give you the ability to push through life when it seems as if it is crumbling. A little affirmation can help you realize what you need the most in life. That you have to cling to that more than anything.
Affirmations can help build you up or break you down. Though, most of the time they will help build you up and get you going in the direction that you want to. They could even find the right path that will give you the most joy in what path for your future you are seeking.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Snoop's life: Spiritual Maturity in Christ
Snoop's life: Spiritual Maturity in Christ: "Today I will be blogging about a very important topic in our lives as Christians. It is the important topic of spiritual maturity in Christ..."
Spiritual Maturity in Christ
Today I will be blogging about a very important topic in our lives as Christians. It is the important topic of spiritual maturity in Christ.
This topic was discussed at Dicipleship Focus last summer. Will Wyatt who wrote the study Discovery along with his wife Betty Wyatt talked about this topic in the study. The Wyatt's also started Dicipleship Focus in 1977.
Dicipleship Focus is a summer long dicipleship, servant leadership program where you go through the study Discovery and work at Silver Dollar City or Whitewater. It is a college aged dicipleship program in Branson, Missouri. The community along with my small group, cabin, and leaders changed my life forever.
Spiritual maturity in Christ is the ability to trust God more quickly each time with more situations. I have been able to do this in the past year through my growth last summer at Dicipleship Focus and experiencing these kind of situations in the past year. I have been trying to find a job for a while, God has helped me trust him with everything. He has reminded me that I need to present everything to him even though sometimes I don't want to. He has also given me the maturity to wait for his timing in life.
I have gained the ability to trust him in any and every situation lately though it is hard sometimes. I just need to remind myself that he is in control of my life in whatever I am going through.
We have to be desperately dependent on God for everything in our life. We can't produce anything worth spiritual maturity on our own in our life.
If the branch of a tree isn't producing any growth, then the tree will not grow. If the branches are watered and nurtured, then the tree will and produce fruit and endless growth. This is like us as Christians, if we don't depend on Jesus for our every need in our life.
Spiritual maturity is a long process but necessary to our growth as Christians. It also reminds us of our need for Jesus in our life daily something we sometimes take for granted at times. We have to be in tune with Jesus at all times, abiding in him with everything we have.
This topic was discussed at Dicipleship Focus last summer. Will Wyatt who wrote the study Discovery along with his wife Betty Wyatt talked about this topic in the study. The Wyatt's also started Dicipleship Focus in 1977.
Dicipleship Focus is a summer long dicipleship, servant leadership program where you go through the study Discovery and work at Silver Dollar City or Whitewater. It is a college aged dicipleship program in Branson, Missouri. The community along with my small group, cabin, and leaders changed my life forever.
Spiritual maturity in Christ is the ability to trust God more quickly each time with more situations. I have been able to do this in the past year through my growth last summer at Dicipleship Focus and experiencing these kind of situations in the past year. I have been trying to find a job for a while, God has helped me trust him with everything. He has reminded me that I need to present everything to him even though sometimes I don't want to. He has also given me the maturity to wait for his timing in life.
I have gained the ability to trust him in any and every situation lately though it is hard sometimes. I just need to remind myself that he is in control of my life in whatever I am going through.
We have to be desperately dependent on God for everything in our life. We can't produce anything worth spiritual maturity on our own in our life.
If the branch of a tree isn't producing any growth, then the tree will not grow. If the branches are watered and nurtured, then the tree will and produce fruit and endless growth. This is like us as Christians, if we don't depend on Jesus for our every need in our life.
Spiritual maturity is a long process but necessary to our growth as Christians. It also reminds us of our need for Jesus in our life daily something we sometimes take for granted at times. We have to be in tune with Jesus at all times, abiding in him with everything we have.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Restoration process
God is in the process of restoration in people's lives. He accomplishes this during hard times or tragedy in people's lives and also uses this time period to help us grow in him.
God exiled the people of Jerusalem and Judah for 70 years because of their sins and praise of idols and not of God. He used that to make them realize how much they needed to depend on him.
The theme of restoration is discussed throughout Isaiah and the book of Jeremiah. In verse 30:18, God says "I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place." In Isaiah 49:8-9, God says this about the his restoration of Israel and Judah, "In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, "Come out," and to those in darkness, "Be free!"
In Jeremiah 29:11-14, God reminds the people that he has a plan and wants the people to have a future. This hardship is just something God is to make the people realize their utter dependence and need for God during this time.
God calls us as Christians in the 21st century to serve the oppressed and those that need a restoration process in their lives. Restoration can take place anywhere in anyone's life we just have to recognize someone who is in need of it.
It is a slow process that takes place through a time a patience and waiting. It is also a time when we realize that we need to pick ourselves back up from our feet and trust God with our life. It is then we can remind ourselves that he is the only thing that bring us through any hardship in life.
God exiled the people of Jerusalem and Judah for 70 years because of their sins and praise of idols and not of God. He used that to make them realize how much they needed to depend on him.
The theme of restoration is discussed throughout Isaiah and the book of Jeremiah. In verse 30:18, God says "I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place." In Isaiah 49:8-9, God says this about the his restoration of Israel and Judah, "In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, "Come out," and to those in darkness, "Be free!"
In Jeremiah 29:11-14, God reminds the people that he has a plan and wants the people to have a future. This hardship is just something God is to make the people realize their utter dependence and need for God during this time.
God calls us as Christians in the 21st century to serve the oppressed and those that need a restoration process in their lives. Restoration can take place anywhere in anyone's life we just have to recognize someone who is in need of it.
It is a slow process that takes place through a time a patience and waiting. It is also a time when we realize that we need to pick ourselves back up from our feet and trust God with our life. It is then we can remind ourselves that he is the only thing that bring us through any hardship in life.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Tuesday night small group
Today I will be blogging about my small group from last summer. We had such an eclectic group of people in my small group last summer.
My small group leader Ray Pettigrew was and is a very funny man. He was on Young Life staff before he took over the position as D-focus director last summer. He can come up with the best and funniest program characters.
My best friend from the summer, Carlyle Aguren was in a band called "Criendleback" with Zack Krueger who was also at Notch Pines that summer. He played football in high school and was also a Young Life leader at Arkansas. He ended up becoming one of my best friends from last summer.
Dan "the man" Anderson was from the corn husking state of Nebraska. He took pride in the husker state. He was a former wrestler in high school and an avid Nebraska football fan. He also goes to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. He is a Wyldlife leader at Nebraska, which is Young Life ministry geared towards junior high kids.
Jason "Marty" Martens, was from Sioux falls, South Dakota which is close to Minnesota area. He had a Minnesota accent when he first arrived, it wasn't as bad when the summer had ended. Marty was a joyful person to be around.
Keegan Evans grow a legendary beard this past summer. He is also an avid hiker and loves building sailboats. Keegan, Carlyle, and Jeremy are all apart of our cabin in which we did the legendary "Little Boys in white T-shirts" skit at skit night last summer.
Jeremy Savage was from Harrisonville,Missouri and was playing soccer at Crowder at the time I first met him. He was a person that easy to get along with. I would also consider him to be a very easy going person. That is why a lot of people knew him.
The first cabin night and last cabin night were the best. The first cabin night we saw the spectacle that was, The Shepard of the Hills." It was interesting show and yet it was comical. The last cabin night we bought little shirts and watched motorcyles go around into a ball of fire. We also drank the drink of champions that night Arnold Palmer.
All in all God did something in all of our lives this past summer. He used things from the study Discovery to show us and help grow in our walk with him.
My small group leader Ray Pettigrew was and is a very funny man. He was on Young Life staff before he took over the position as D-focus director last summer. He can come up with the best and funniest program characters.
My best friend from the summer, Carlyle Aguren was in a band called "Criendleback" with Zack Krueger who was also at Notch Pines that summer. He played football in high school and was also a Young Life leader at Arkansas. He ended up becoming one of my best friends from last summer.
Dan "the man" Anderson was from the corn husking state of Nebraska. He took pride in the husker state. He was a former wrestler in high school and an avid Nebraska football fan. He also goes to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. He is a Wyldlife leader at Nebraska, which is Young Life ministry geared towards junior high kids.
Jason "Marty" Martens, was from Sioux falls, South Dakota which is close to Minnesota area. He had a Minnesota accent when he first arrived, it wasn't as bad when the summer had ended. Marty was a joyful person to be around.
Keegan Evans grow a legendary beard this past summer. He is also an avid hiker and loves building sailboats. Keegan, Carlyle, and Jeremy are all apart of our cabin in which we did the legendary "Little Boys in white T-shirts" skit at skit night last summer.
Jeremy Savage was from Harrisonville,Missouri and was playing soccer at Crowder at the time I first met him. He was a person that easy to get along with. I would also consider him to be a very easy going person. That is why a lot of people knew him.
The first cabin night and last cabin night were the best. The first cabin night we saw the spectacle that was, The Shepard of the Hills." It was interesting show and yet it was comical. The last cabin night we bought little shirts and watched motorcyles go around into a ball of fire. We also drank the drink of champions that night Arnold Palmer.
All in all God did something in all of our lives this past summer. He used things from the study Discovery to show us and help grow in our walk with him.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Changing my circumstances
Today I will be blogging about D-focus, a great time in my life. I am discussing this event because around this past week on Wednesday and Thursday is when people started arriving.
Last year, God changed my circumstances and led me to one of the greatest experiences in my life and biggest growth in Christ. I had planned on doing the year long internship at Frontier Ranch that year. I was so sure that I would get the internship because I knew some of the property staff from work week, taking kids to camp, and work crew at Frontier. It was hard getting rejected by one of my favorite Young Life camps.
Katy Park and Jace Thompson talked to me about doing Dicipleship Focus in Branson, Missouri a week or two before I found out I didn't get the internship. At first I wasn't sure about it but in about a week I prayed about it. I took a chance trusting God and applied for D-focus.
Emily Sells also reminded me and kept asking me if I had applied yet during the time that I wasn't sure about it. She told me of the great fun that I would have there, though at that time I didn't know how fun it would be. She told me of the great experience she had there and the impact the time there that it made on her. Emily Sells was a great friend to me that summer, writing letter after letter just to see how I was doing at the Notch.
God changed my circumstances because he wanted me to grow in him. He changed my circumstances so he could direct and re-direct me to where the wanted me to go. He closed one option of his will in my life to lead me a greater option last summer.
In hindsight I did not know that I would be going to this great experience of Dicipleship Focus ahead of time. Only God knew where I needed to be last summer.
He lead me to D-focus to remind me that I can't make in this life on my own. I have to be desperately dependent on Him for everything. He is in control of our lives and we can trust him with everything. I learned how easy it is to abide and Practice in the Presence of God. I became more mature through the summer at Notch Pines and now have the ability to present any situation to him. He has given me faith to make it in this life.
Last summer, I was one of the first people at Notch Pines to arrive and the last to leave. It is when I arrived my small group leader picked me up and would become one of my great friends last summer.
The first person I met from my cabin Keegan Evans would also be in my small group. My best friend from that summer, Carlyle Aguren, on the Friday when we first arrived at the Notch. We bonded throughout last summer. It was God and God alone that brought us together.
To sum up this post I want to say that God uses interesting ways so we can understand and know him better in our life. The changing of circumstances was accomplished for his purpose alone. He uses things for his glory.
Last year, God changed my circumstances and led me to one of the greatest experiences in my life and biggest growth in Christ. I had planned on doing the year long internship at Frontier Ranch that year. I was so sure that I would get the internship because I knew some of the property staff from work week, taking kids to camp, and work crew at Frontier. It was hard getting rejected by one of my favorite Young Life camps.
Katy Park and Jace Thompson talked to me about doing Dicipleship Focus in Branson, Missouri a week or two before I found out I didn't get the internship. At first I wasn't sure about it but in about a week I prayed about it. I took a chance trusting God and applied for D-focus.
Emily Sells also reminded me and kept asking me if I had applied yet during the time that I wasn't sure about it. She told me of the great fun that I would have there, though at that time I didn't know how fun it would be. She told me of the great experience she had there and the impact the time there that it made on her. Emily Sells was a great friend to me that summer, writing letter after letter just to see how I was doing at the Notch.
God changed my circumstances because he wanted me to grow in him. He changed my circumstances so he could direct and re-direct me to where the wanted me to go. He closed one option of his will in my life to lead me a greater option last summer.
In hindsight I did not know that I would be going to this great experience of Dicipleship Focus ahead of time. Only God knew where I needed to be last summer.
He lead me to D-focus to remind me that I can't make in this life on my own. I have to be desperately dependent on Him for everything. He is in control of our lives and we can trust him with everything. I learned how easy it is to abide and Practice in the Presence of God. I became more mature through the summer at Notch Pines and now have the ability to present any situation to him. He has given me faith to make it in this life.
Last summer, I was one of the first people at Notch Pines to arrive and the last to leave. It is when I arrived my small group leader picked me up and would become one of my great friends last summer.
The first person I met from my cabin Keegan Evans would also be in my small group. My best friend from that summer, Carlyle Aguren, on the Friday when we first arrived at the Notch. We bonded throughout last summer. It was God and God alone that brought us together.
To sum up this post I want to say that God uses interesting ways so we can understand and know him better in our life. The changing of circumstances was accomplished for his purpose alone. He uses things for his glory.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Apart from God, we are nothing: Part two
Today I will be blogging about Part II of the series Apart from God: We are nothing. I will be discussing our desperate dependency on God for everything in our lives. This is necessary for us to be in relationship with the creator of the universe who loved us and gave up his life for us as a ransom for all.
In Chapter 11, of the Ecclesiastes the author tells us to take advantage of our life because it passes away very quickly. He reminds us that possessions are temporary but only Godly things are eternal and last in this life. Ecclesiastes verse 8 is a good reference for this, "However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is meaningless." All temporary things pass away but God stays the same. He is eternal and his love never fades.
Everything in our life is fleeting the author sums up but our relationship with God. He is the one that sustains us and gives us life. We are nothing with God, we have to be desperately dependent on him for everything. The author says this in relation to the topic in Ecclesiastes 12:8, "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Everything is meaningless!" We have to remind ourselves that apart from Jesus we can do nothing good in this life.
Another verse that references this topic of dependency on God is 2 Corinthians 3:5. It says this, Not that we are competent in ourselves in claim anything for ourselves, but our competency comes from God." This is another reminder that if we don't have to vine in our life (Jesus Christ) then we as branches will not be able to grow in him daily.
The author concludes his letter by this saying summing up our life rather succinctly at this. Ecclesiastes 13-14 "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 "For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."
The letter concludes fittingly with a call to Fear God, in reverence of our great and mighty creator. He calls us to stand in awe of him daily. There will be a judgement day whether we fear God or depend on Him we just have to remind ourselves that the only thing we take with us when we go to heaven is the depth of our relationship with Jesus.
We are Christians cannot make it in this life if we don't depend on him for everything that we have. By standing in awe of him, we keep focused on Him and how much we need him in our life.
In Chapter 11, of the Ecclesiastes the author tells us to take advantage of our life because it passes away very quickly. He reminds us that possessions are temporary but only Godly things are eternal and last in this life. Ecclesiastes verse 8 is a good reference for this, "However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is meaningless." All temporary things pass away but God stays the same. He is eternal and his love never fades.
Everything in our life is fleeting the author sums up but our relationship with God. He is the one that sustains us and gives us life. We are nothing with God, we have to be desperately dependent on him for everything. The author says this in relation to the topic in Ecclesiastes 12:8, "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Everything is meaningless!" We have to remind ourselves that apart from Jesus we can do nothing good in this life.
Another verse that references this topic of dependency on God is 2 Corinthians 3:5. It says this, Not that we are competent in ourselves in claim anything for ourselves, but our competency comes from God." This is another reminder that if we don't have to vine in our life (Jesus Christ) then we as branches will not be able to grow in him daily.
The author concludes his letter by this saying summing up our life rather succinctly at this. Ecclesiastes 13-14 "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 "For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."
The letter concludes fittingly with a call to Fear God, in reverence of our great and mighty creator. He calls us to stand in awe of him daily. There will be a judgement day whether we fear God or depend on Him we just have to remind ourselves that the only thing we take with us when we go to heaven is the depth of our relationship with Jesus.
We are Christians cannot make it in this life if we don't depend on him for everything that we have. By standing in awe of him, we keep focused on Him and how much we need him in our life.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Snoop's life: Apart from God, we are nothing
Snoop's life: Apart from God, we are nothing: "Today I will be blogging about a topic that has been on my mind a lot lately as I have been reading through the Bible daily. I have been re..."
Apart from God, we are nothing
Today I will be blogging about a topic that has been on my mind a lot lately as I have been reading through the Bible daily. I have been reading the book of Ecclesiastes lately and a theme of the book I discovered.
Some scholars think the author of the book may have be Solomon. While others think it may have been someone else from later in that time period it was written after Solomon.
Throughout the book, the author discusses toiling all day in the fields for nothing under the sun. The theme of work after day is instituted throughout. "There is nothing new under the sun." All things pass away, if we don't have Christ in our life.
The author also points to the fact that all pleasures and possessions in our life as to things that will also pass away in our life. They are not eternal, only temporary in object and desire. Ecclesiastes 2:1 says, "I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless.
Toil being meaningless in life them is rampant throughout the book. The author mentions that if we toil long enough that we will be alone. Though toil is hard, God is our eternal source in life. We will not be alone if we depend on God in our daily work and strife.
We have to remind ourselves to stand in awe of God in all times. Though this life is hard, God is still bigger than us.
The author says Godly wisdom should be something we have to cling to and hold onto. We have to remind ourselves of our dependence on God. His wisdom is the only thing that can bring us life not any worldly things or desires. Ecclesiastes 7:12 says this, "Wisdom is like a shelter, as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor."
We have to cling to God and depend on him daily. Without him in our life, we are nothing. The thing that we take with us when we go to heaven is the depth of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Some scholars think the author of the book may have be Solomon. While others think it may have been someone else from later in that time period it was written after Solomon.
Throughout the book, the author discusses toiling all day in the fields for nothing under the sun. The theme of work after day is instituted throughout. "There is nothing new under the sun." All things pass away, if we don't have Christ in our life.
The author also points to the fact that all pleasures and possessions in our life as to things that will also pass away in our life. They are not eternal, only temporary in object and desire. Ecclesiastes 2:1 says, "I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless.
Toil being meaningless in life them is rampant throughout the book. The author mentions that if we toil long enough that we will be alone. Though toil is hard, God is our eternal source in life. We will not be alone if we depend on God in our daily work and strife.
We have to remind ourselves to stand in awe of God in all times. Though this life is hard, God is still bigger than us.
The author says Godly wisdom should be something we have to cling to and hold onto. We have to remind ourselves of our dependence on God. His wisdom is the only thing that can bring us life not any worldly things or desires. Ecclesiastes 7:12 says this, "Wisdom is like a shelter, as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor."
We have to cling to God and depend on him daily. Without him in our life, we are nothing. The thing that we take with us when we go to heaven is the depth of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Practicing the Presence of God: a lifestyle and an art
Today I will be blogging about the Practice of the Presence of God or some have called it "Abiding." It is a very simple task you see.
It is done by simply conversing or talking to God throughout the day. In the Practice in the Presence of God foreword by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Brother Lawrence says in his spiritual maxims that by 'practicing in the presence of God' we are worshiping him in spirit and truth. It is also a daily adoration of God in all things.
It is also a reminder that he is with his throughout our days. This daily practice helps center our lives on God says Brother Lawrence. It gives our souls an inward focus on only him and him alone.
Monsier L'Abbe' Joseph de Beaufort Grand Vicar of Cardinal Noailles observed that Brother Lawrence whether he was walking, working, conversing, resting, or reading he continued to pray. He called the Practice in the Presence of God the shortest road to Christian perfection,the very form and life of virtue, and the a great protection against sin.
"Abiding," in God as we discussed in the study this summer at Dicipleship Focus, is also a practice that is very similar to the Practice in the Presence of God. "Abiding," is being aware of God's presence, being available and obedient to Him, and trusting in his resources and not in our own human abilities.
It is also a reminder that he can't do anything in this life on our own. We can't produce anything worth spiritual value without Jesus in our life. This is evidenced by Paul in 1st Corinthians 3:5. In John 15:5, he says apart from Jesus we can do nothing! This means if we are abiding in him, he will help us grow in him if we surrender things in our life to him. If we are not abiding in Jesus, we will not be able to produce anything of spiritual value.
In 1st Thessalonians 5:18, Paul tells us to pray continually for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. In this, he references abiding and Practicing the Presence of God. "Abiding," is described also as a constant openness to God that he will prompt us, encourages us, direct us, or stop us if we are giving into temptation.
Brother Lawrence was so tune with God throughout the day he continued to remind of God's goodness even on his deathbed.
It is this way that we have to make the Practice in the Presence of God and "Abiding" a lifestyle. In this way, we will be in step with the one who created us and redeemed us from death.
It is done by simply conversing or talking to God throughout the day. In the Practice in the Presence of God foreword by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Brother Lawrence says in his spiritual maxims that by 'practicing in the presence of God' we are worshiping him in spirit and truth. It is also a daily adoration of God in all things.
It is also a reminder that he is with his throughout our days. This daily practice helps center our lives on God says Brother Lawrence. It gives our souls an inward focus on only him and him alone.
Monsier L'Abbe' Joseph de Beaufort Grand Vicar of Cardinal Noailles observed that Brother Lawrence whether he was walking, working, conversing, resting, or reading he continued to pray. He called the Practice in the Presence of God the shortest road to Christian perfection,the very form and life of virtue, and the a great protection against sin.
"Abiding," in God as we discussed in the study this summer at Dicipleship Focus, is also a practice that is very similar to the Practice in the Presence of God. "Abiding," is being aware of God's presence, being available and obedient to Him, and trusting in his resources and not in our own human abilities.
It is also a reminder that he can't do anything in this life on our own. We can't produce anything worth spiritual value without Jesus in our life. This is evidenced by Paul in 1st Corinthians 3:5. In John 15:5, he says apart from Jesus we can do nothing! This means if we are abiding in him, he will help us grow in him if we surrender things in our life to him. If we are not abiding in Jesus, we will not be able to produce anything of spiritual value.
In 1st Thessalonians 5:18, Paul tells us to pray continually for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. In this, he references abiding and Practicing the Presence of God. "Abiding," is described also as a constant openness to God that he will prompt us, encourages us, direct us, or stop us if we are giving into temptation.
Brother Lawrence was so tune with God throughout the day he continued to remind of God's goodness even on his deathbed.
It is this way that we have to make the Practice in the Presence of God and "Abiding" a lifestyle. In this way, we will be in step with the one who created us and redeemed us from death.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Faith
As I start out this post I will this God has given me more faith in the past year through certain hard situations. When I first started out as a young Christian, my faith was just a needle or a thimble. However, since last summer my faith has increased dramatically. First, Dicipleship Focus last summer taught me in terms of faith that I need to present situations to God and he will conform them to his image. He will give me the faith to make it through hard times. He will help my faith grow, if I present a situation to him.
Second, this past year I have been able to present more situations to God because of the past things I have seen God do. It has been a hard year for me looking for jobs but I have been able to trust God more and gain perseverance that James talks about in chapter one. This faith in Christ we have to to cling to. It grows stronger as we apply the things James talks about in chapter one verses 1:2-4. We 1. present a situation 2. God gives us faith 3.
We gain more faith through these and other past experiences that we have in life. Christian maturity is the ability to present more and more situations to God than we did in the past. That, I have been able to do. That is why, in the past year, I have gained a level of maturity in Christ. We have to cling to faith and trust in Christ even though times may be hard in our life in whatever we are going through.
That is also a lesson of Job, we have to cling to Christ in times of need in our lives. He is in control and we have to trust him. Job finally realized that at the end of the book and we have to realize this at all times in our lives. God's not only in control of the good times but the bad, frustrating, and hard days in our lives. I just have to trust him and cling that level of faith in me.
Second, this past year I have been able to present more situations to God because of the past things I have seen God do. It has been a hard year for me looking for jobs but I have been able to trust God more and gain perseverance that James talks about in chapter one. This faith in Christ we have to to cling to. It grows stronger as we apply the things James talks about in chapter one verses 1:2-4. We 1. present a situation 2. God gives us faith 3.
We gain more faith through these and other past experiences that we have in life. Christian maturity is the ability to present more and more situations to God than we did in the past. That, I have been able to do. That is why, in the past year, I have gained a level of maturity in Christ. We have to cling to faith and trust in Christ even though times may be hard in our life in whatever we are going through.
That is also a lesson of Job, we have to cling to Christ in times of need in our lives. He is in control and we have to trust him. Job finally realized that at the end of the book and we have to realize this at all times in our lives. God's not only in control of the good times but the bad, frustrating, and hard days in our lives. I just have to trust him and cling that level of faith in me.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
TCU Frogs drafted in the NFL
I am blogging about the TCU Horned Frogs that were drafted in the NFL draft this past weekend. TCU Quarterback Andy Dalton was drafted in the second round of the draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He became the 35th overall selection in the draft. Dalton broke every passing record held by TCU great Sammy Baugh at TCU. He started up a worship service that meets on Monday nights at TCU. He was a great person on and off the field during his time with the Frogs.
Dalton led the Frogs to one of their biggest wins in history in the Rose Bowl on January 1st, 2011. The Frogs became 13-0 for the first time since 1938 after winning the Rose Bowl.
Marcus Cannon was selected in the with the seventh pick in the fifth round by the New England Patriots. Cannon was a three year starter for the Frogs. The 6 foot 6, 350 pound Cannon was named to three All-American teams in 2010. He did not allow a sack his junior season.
Wide Receiver Jeremy Kerley was drafted in the fifth round of the draft. He will be joining former Frogs running back LaDainian Tomlinson and cornerback Drew Coleman. Kerley was an explosive return specialist and big play receiver for the Frogs. He had two returns for touchdowns in 2009, against SMU and Colorado State. The 71 yard return against Colorado State was ESPN's top play of the day.
Safety Colin Jones was taken in the sixth round of the draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Jones recorded 10 tackles and one sack in the Frogs monumental 21-19 Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin. Jones also earned all-Mountain West Conference honors as a senior. Jones impressed a lot of teams with a very good Pro Day. He was one of the players Gary Patterson converted to defense after he played running back in high school.
Former Frogs cornerback, Malcolm Williams was selected in the seventh round by the New England Patriots. As a senior, Williams ranked fourth on the team with 11 special teams tackles. He ended up with 12 stops on the year. As a junior, he had a fumble recovery in the Frogs' 55-28 win over Utah.
The Frogs have five players drafted for the second time in the past three seasons. TCU also had five selections in 2009. They had the most players drafted in Texas for the second time in three years. The five picks tie for second most under coach Gary Patterson. The Horned Frogs had six players drafted in the 2001 draft. These facts show what a quality program the TCU football is becoming.
Dalton led the Frogs to one of their biggest wins in history in the Rose Bowl on January 1st, 2011. The Frogs became 13-0 for the first time since 1938 after winning the Rose Bowl.
Marcus Cannon was selected in the with the seventh pick in the fifth round by the New England Patriots. Cannon was a three year starter for the Frogs. The 6 foot 6, 350 pound Cannon was named to three All-American teams in 2010. He did not allow a sack his junior season.
Wide Receiver Jeremy Kerley was drafted in the fifth round of the draft. He will be joining former Frogs running back LaDainian Tomlinson and cornerback Drew Coleman. Kerley was an explosive return specialist and big play receiver for the Frogs. He had two returns for touchdowns in 2009, against SMU and Colorado State. The 71 yard return against Colorado State was ESPN's top play of the day.
Safety Colin Jones was taken in the sixth round of the draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Jones recorded 10 tackles and one sack in the Frogs monumental 21-19 Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin. Jones also earned all-Mountain West Conference honors as a senior. Jones impressed a lot of teams with a very good Pro Day. He was one of the players Gary Patterson converted to defense after he played running back in high school.
Former Frogs cornerback, Malcolm Williams was selected in the seventh round by the New England Patriots. As a senior, Williams ranked fourth on the team with 11 special teams tackles. He ended up with 12 stops on the year. As a junior, he had a fumble recovery in the Frogs' 55-28 win over Utah.
The Frogs have five players drafted for the second time in the past three seasons. TCU also had five selections in 2009. They had the most players drafted in Texas for the second time in three years. The five picks tie for second most under coach Gary Patterson. The Horned Frogs had six players drafted in the 2001 draft. These facts show what a quality program the TCU football is becoming.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Patience in Hard Times
In this blog, I will be discussing a section from James Chapter 5 verses 7:11. James calls us to be patient, stand firm, and persevere when facing things such as suffering, conflict, and hard times. He gives us a farming analogy in verse 5:7, in reference to how patient we should be during these times. James 5:7, says this "See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains." This patience will help produce perseverance in us during these hard times. James says in verse 11, "As you know, we consider blessed those who have perseverance."
The reliance on patience will help us grow in faith and dependence on God in our life. James references Job when discussing perseverance during hard times. This section can be compared to James 1:4, when he said that perseverance will help you gain maturity in Christ. I have been able to apply the first chapter and last chapter of James in my life right now. I have been trying to find a job in the past year and have been able to gain faith and maturity during this time of trial.
This is what James calls us to do in life. He maintains we should stand firm, be patient, and persevere during trials. If we do this then we will gain faith and maturity in Christ. These things are what we should cling to and not forget.
The reliance on patience will help us grow in faith and dependence on God in our life. James references Job when discussing perseverance during hard times. This section can be compared to James 1:4, when he said that perseverance will help you gain maturity in Christ. I have been able to apply the first chapter and last chapter of James in my life right now. I have been trying to find a job in the past year and have been able to gain faith and maturity during this time of trial.
This is what James calls us to do in life. He maintains we should stand firm, be patient, and persevere during trials. If we do this then we will gain faith and maturity in Christ. These things are what we should cling to and not forget.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Funny Blog Friday
Today on the blog we are mixing it up. I am going to tell a funny story my from my past. So, the when I first when to camp as a camper at the Young Life camp Frontier Ranch in Buena Vista, Colorado I had two funny things happen to me. One morning as I was getting up from my slumber I awoke to realize I was freezing cold. I said to my friend J White otherwise known as Justin White "wow I was freezing cold last night while I was sleeping." He said "Luke you slept on top of your covers the whole night." I have told that story many times over the years and it always makes everyone laugh.
Story number two. I slowly get up and start freaking out because I think that there is a bee in our room. I am going crazy and yelling very loud. I tell everyone there is a bee in our room I don't want it to string me. I might have run around like a crazy man, I don't remember. Some people get up in our cabin and we finally realize that it is not a bee but a humingbird.
Story number two. I slowly get up and start freaking out because I think that there is a bee in our room. I am going crazy and yelling very loud. I tell everyone there is a bee in our room I don't want it to string me. I might have run around like a crazy man, I don't remember. Some people get up in our cabin and we finally realize that it is not a bee but a humingbird.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Taking a step in faith
In this whirlwind of a year that I have had I'm trying to decide how I can take a step of faith for God. I feel like I'm tired of being in the same spot I have been in for the past year since August. It almost feels as if me not getting these jobs in radio and TV area he has been leading me back to something else. Sometimes my mind is filled with indecision of if I should still pursue this area or field or not.
So, I have decided to maybe transition and start looking at another area of focus after this week is over. I feel I need to make a decision and go with it. If I do that, then it will show my ultimate trust in God. Until I do that, then I feel there's some things in my life that I don't want to give up to him. Though the only thing we can do is give up control to God because he knows our path we are going to take. We have some free will but he is in control of my life whether I like it or not.
Two verses that discuss this are, Proverbs 16:9 and 1st Chronicles 29:11. It's hard when we don't know whether this is the right path or that is the right path to tread on at the moment but sometimes we just have to trust that he knows what is best.
So, I have decided to maybe transition and start looking at another area of focus after this week is over. I feel I need to make a decision and go with it. If I do that, then it will show my ultimate trust in God. Until I do that, then I feel there's some things in my life that I don't want to give up to him. Though the only thing we can do is give up control to God because he knows our path we are going to take. We have some free will but he is in control of my life whether I like it or not.
Two verses that discuss this are, Proverbs 16:9 and 1st Chronicles 29:11. It's hard when we don't know whether this is the right path or that is the right path to tread on at the moment but sometimes we just have to trust that he knows what is best.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Snoop's life: God's timing: a time of waiting and frustration
Snoop's life: God's timing: a time of waiting and frustration: "Today I will be blogging about something that is going on a lot in my life right now. It is the topic of waiting for God's timing for thing..."
God's timing: a time of waiting and frustration
Today I will be blogging about something that is going on a lot in my life right now. It is the topic of waiting for God's timing for things in life.
It has been really hard in this past year to wait for his timing but hopefully he will give me peace when he leads to a path where he wants me to go. In my first instance of waiting for God's timing I presented patience while I was waiting to see if this job I applied to and interviewed for in the fall would work out. It ended up not working out but God helped me present the situation to him and therefore increased my faith in the next situation that I was in. That is the continual presenting and abiding I have been discussing in my previous blogs.
One thing we can remind ourselves of when faced with God's timing is the situation that Jesus our Savior was faced with he was in the dessert for 40 days with Satan tempting him. God could give us peace after whatever situation or waiting period we were in works out. God's timing also tacks you aback or surprises you at times.
The other day when I found out my old Young Life leader was possibly moving to Colorado that I have known for eight years of my life. He may be taking a job at a church up there in the high school ministry. It's great for him and I wish him the best. It just seemed like the announcement came out of nowhere.
I went to Fort Worth where I went to school at TCU a couple weeks ago. While I was there, I went to an event for the high school ministry at a church I used to go to and met the high school pastor. I talked to him on the phone last week for an internship at the church in the high school ministry at Christ Chapel. He said it he would get back to me in a couple of weeks. I'm excited about the internship because I enjoy working with high school kids. I have done Young Life for so long and feel as if I connect with kids in many aspects and love telling others about Jesus as well.
So, in essence I wait again for God's timing to work itself out. We will see where he leads this time. It's so dang hard for us as humans to wait but it feels as if sometimes God uses these times in our lives to remind us that he is in control and we can depend on him for everything.
It has been really hard in this past year to wait for his timing but hopefully he will give me peace when he leads to a path where he wants me to go. In my first instance of waiting for God's timing I presented patience while I was waiting to see if this job I applied to and interviewed for in the fall would work out. It ended up not working out but God helped me present the situation to him and therefore increased my faith in the next situation that I was in. That is the continual presenting and abiding I have been discussing in my previous blogs.
One thing we can remind ourselves of when faced with God's timing is the situation that Jesus our Savior was faced with he was in the dessert for 40 days with Satan tempting him. God could give us peace after whatever situation or waiting period we were in works out. God's timing also tacks you aback or surprises you at times.
The other day when I found out my old Young Life leader was possibly moving to Colorado that I have known for eight years of my life. He may be taking a job at a church up there in the high school ministry. It's great for him and I wish him the best. It just seemed like the announcement came out of nowhere.
I went to Fort Worth where I went to school at TCU a couple weeks ago. While I was there, I went to an event for the high school ministry at a church I used to go to and met the high school pastor. I talked to him on the phone last week for an internship at the church in the high school ministry at Christ Chapel. He said it he would get back to me in a couple of weeks. I'm excited about the internship because I enjoy working with high school kids. I have done Young Life for so long and feel as if I connect with kids in many aspects and love telling others about Jesus as well.
So, in essence I wait again for God's timing to work itself out. We will see where he leads this time. It's so dang hard for us as humans to wait but it feels as if sometimes God uses these times in our lives to remind us that he is in control and we can depend on him for everything.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Snoop's life: Snoop's life: Abiding daily in Jesus- part 2
Snoop's life: Snoop's life: Abiding daily in Jesus- part 2: "Snoop's life: Abiding daily in Jesus- part 2 : 'Today in my blog I will be continuing with my discussion of Abiding or known as Practice in ..."
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Snoop's life: Abiding daily in Jesus- part 2
Snoop's life: Abiding daily in Jesus- part 2: "Today in my blog I will be continuing with my discussion of Abiding or known as Practice in the Presence of God in Brother Lawrence's book. ..."
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Abiding daily in Jesus- part 2
Today in my blog I will be continuing with my discussion of Abiding or known as Practice in the Presence of God in Brother Lawrence's book. I first learned about the process of "Abiding" this summer while I was at Dicipleship Focus. It is study called Discovery: God's Answers to Our Deepest Questions, written by Will Wyatt. Dicipleship Focus is a dicipleship program that partners with Young Life. It was started up by Will and Betty Wyatt in 1977. We went through the study last summer and worked at Whitewater and Silver Dollar City. If you want to know more about d-focus go to www.dfocus.org. The book was foreword ed and compiled by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. Abiding is a practice of submitting to God throughout the day, it is also a constant openness to God that he knows what's best for us, and it's also trusting in God's resources not our own talents, experience, and education. Abiding is a continual reminder of God's presence in whatever we are going through in life at that moment. When we are abiding, we must remind ourselves that we can do nothing without Jesus. We are desperately dependent on him for everything in our life. From Brother Lawrence's perspective he says abiding/practice in the presence of God can be used to focus or re-focus ourselves on God in our day.Practice in the Presence of God is also used to daily remind us of his love and thankfulness of what he has done for us. Brother Lawrence first started this Practice in the Presence of God when he entered the monastery. He described the Practice in the Presence of God as a habit of continually conversing with God and ascribing to him in all that we do. Practice in the Presence of God as Brother Lawrence termed it also can be used to renounce sins and as a way to keep oneself holy fixed on God at all times. When we abide or Practice the Presence of God we must know that God is present with us daily throughout the day in our lives. Brother Lawrence says if we trust God he will shower us with more grace. If we trust him, we will also grow in faithfulness in him. I was able to depend on him and trust in his this year. I presented more situations to Jesus and he helped me grow in trust of Jesus and faithfulness. I have been able to abide and Practice in the Presence of God this past year but it takes a while for it to become a lifestyle.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Joy in Christ
Today I will be discussing joy in Christ for believers. It is something we must have whether we are going through good times or bad times. James says in verse 1:2, "Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds for you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance." He wants us to cling to joy through the trials of our life. It is something we must do if we are to grow in faith in him. It is also necessary if we are the mature in Christ. Psalm 30:5 also discusses clinging to in such hard times. "For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may remain in the night, but joy comes in the morning." The last verse I want to discuss about joy is Nehemiah 8:10. Here it is: Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." The Israelites had not celebrated the Feast of the Tabernacles with so much joy since the days of Joshua. Earlier in the chapter the Israelites worshiped as Ezra read the book of the Law aloud as he faced the square before the Water Gate. The people could take joy in that they were back in their native land of Jerusalem. God has blessed them and led them back. The point of all these verses is to look back on how joy is used in both good times and bad to bring about a greater result in our life. It is something we have to cling to despite whatever is going on in our life. Something we can't let go of even though I do let go of it at times and other times I cling to it. It becomes a hard battle inside of us. It is one of the fruits of the spirit- Galatians 5:22-23. That is the main reason why we can't let go of joy despite what season we are going through in our life. I can't put my finger on how necessary it is to have at all times.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Abiding in Jesus
A concept of a way to live out life through Jesus throughout the day that God showed me this summer was abiding. Abiding is: being aware of God's presence, being available and obedient to Him, Trusting in his resources instead of human abilites. It is an openess and an availiability to Him. It is like praying without ceasing that Paul discusses in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 where he can prompt us, give us direction, encourage us, or stop us if we're giving into temptation. Essentially, abiding is an attitude of daily dependence on the Lord. In John 15:1-5, Jesus says without him in our life daily we can do nothing of spirtual significance of own own. We can't produce anything Godly at all if we don't abide in Jesus daily. We won't see any fruit in our relationship with Jesus if we don't abide and present in Jesus daily. 2 Corinthians 3:5 says pretty much the same thing, our ability comes from God alone. Apart from Jesus we can do nothing in life. This fall I was presenting and abiding, God produced fruit/growth in my life. This verse relates to that in James:1 2-3 "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you enounter various trials, knowing that the testing our your faith produces endurance." God also worked in my life in this past year through this verse in Romans. It is Romans 8:28, "And we know God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those that are called according to his purpose." He used my trial in my life of trying to find a job and another situation that dealt with a relationship to conform me to his image. I have to remind myself daily that I need to depend on Jesus for everything in my life not just some things that I don't want to give up to Him. When Brother Lawerence spoke to God, he presented and abided in God and he gave him strength and beyond. He perfected the use of abiding in Jesus. In his first letter, he said we must continually converse with God throughout the day by establishing ourselves in the presence of God. He said we must do this so will not get pulled into useless banter of the day. Abiding in summary is a daily, desperate, dependence on God for everything in our life. I'm trying to make it a lifestyle but every day is not perfect. I just have to remind myself God is in control and I can trust him. Without this abiding relationship with Jesus we are nothing!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Mercy triumphs over Judgement
In James 4:11-12 he says, "when you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgement on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one is able to save and destroy. But you-who are you to judge your neighbor." James calls us out on our daily interactions with others and reminds us God is the only person who can judge because he has the ultimate power over our lives. Who are we to judge others harshly and criticize others with something they are doing wrong in their lives? If we say something in a nice and encouraging manner now that would be a different thing altogether. James calls us to use mercy in those situations where we think that we would judge. He says in 2:12-13, "Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgement!" He calls us to use a merciful tone with faced with those kind of situations where someone has fallen in hard times with something. In some instances we can say nothing while in others I have found we can use encouraging words to bring that person back to where they need to be and love that brother or sister in Christ the way they need to be.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
D-focus
It's amazing to think what God can do in people's lives in one summer of living in community together. It's crazy how God changed my circumstances last summer so I could be at Dicipleship Focus. He used that circumstance so I could grow in him. He led me there so I could also meet my awesome cabin and small group this summer. I forever am grateful to the best summer ever with the best small group that includes: Ray Pettigrew, Keegan Evans, Carlyle Aguren aka Criendleback/creator of the song "Use a shawty", Jeremy Savage, Dan "the man" Anderson,and Marty Martens. I thank God for leading me to our awesome cabin where we performed the epic "Little Boys in White T-shirts" skit which was banned in D-focus lore. Last weekend was awesome seeing some of those people from one of the best summers of my life. I want my friends from last summer to remember what God taught them last summer as well. Tuesday nights will never be the same in my life. We have to remind ourselves daily we can't produce anything worth of spiritual significance on our own. We have to be desperately dependent on God for everything in our life- John 15:5. I just need to remind myself to keep presenting to him in all that I am and all that I do. God wants us to surrender everything to him with an attitude of supplication because he wants to be with us. I have been reading Practice in the Presence of God lately, that has made me realize how much I need to abide in Jesus and how simple it is to converse with our Savior throughout the day and tell him what is on our mind. He is in control. He is trustworthy. Those things I need to remind myself of daily, sometimes I forget about constantly. The last thing I will say is I hope my D-focus check out this post. Soon, I will be starting a series on abiding in Christ in my next couple posts. The Abiding series is two posts after this one so check that one out as well.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Snoop's life: Thankfulness for people that have impacted my life...
Snoop's life: Thankfulness for people that have impacted my life...: "I thank God first for pursuing me and loving me when I was going through a hard time during my first two years in high school. For the..."
Thankfulness for people that have impacted my life
I thank God first for pursuing me and loving me when I was going through a hard time during my first two years in high school. For then, leading me to Frontier Ranch the summer of my sophomore year of high school so I could meet some of my best friends from high school. I thank him for being with me when I was going through I hard time in my life my life at the end junior year of high school after I had just accepted Christ into my life in the summer. I thank Jesus for leading me back to him at the beginning of my senior year of high school when the summer and spring of my junior year I was going through doubts, depression, frustration, fears at the time. I thank him for using work crew at Frontier Ranch the summer of my senior year to grow in me.
I thank Jesus for leading me to the great school of TCU, so I could meet great friends through BYX and Young Life. So, I could love and impact kids in Young Life and speak truth to kids that don't know Jesus. For using me to be Christ to kids. I thank for working in Jim Rayburn's life so he could start up the ministry called Young Life. For the chance to go on High school kids stomping grounds and hang out with them. To be Jesus for hurting teens. Also, for using Young Life club and campaigners to lead kids to closer to the Savior.
I thank Jesus for leading me to D-focus from last summer through Emily Sells, Katy Park, and Jace Thompson. I thank the Lord for putting Emily Sells in my life mostly because she is one of the main people that told me about D-focus and the great summer that she had there. I also had a great summer there last summer.
In which, I grew in faith and maturity in Jesus Christ. Jesus taught me things that I would need to use this fall and summer as I go on this journey with him. I didn't realize how much we needed Jesus and how desperately dependent we have to be on him. I still struggle with that as of right now and hope I can make it a lifestyle one day. Though, it takes time and dedication for that to happen.
This post is about thankfulness because today was my birthday and I am remembering the many blessings in my life up to this point. I also read something in the Bible about remembering the thankfulness God had done in restoring the people of Israel when they were laying the foundation to build the temple of God back. They were shouting in joy and morning of thankfulness praising God for what he had given them. I thought I should give thanks for God and what he has done and blessed me with in my life today!
I thank Jesus for leading me to the great school of TCU, so I could meet great friends through BYX and Young Life. So, I could love and impact kids in Young Life and speak truth to kids that don't know Jesus. For using me to be Christ to kids. I thank for working in Jim Rayburn's life so he could start up the ministry called Young Life. For the chance to go on High school kids stomping grounds and hang out with them. To be Jesus for hurting teens. Also, for using Young Life club and campaigners to lead kids to closer to the Savior.
I thank Jesus for leading me to D-focus from last summer through Emily Sells, Katy Park, and Jace Thompson. I thank the Lord for putting Emily Sells in my life mostly because she is one of the main people that told me about D-focus and the great summer that she had there. I also had a great summer there last summer.
In which, I grew in faith and maturity in Jesus Christ. Jesus taught me things that I would need to use this fall and summer as I go on this journey with him. I didn't realize how much we needed Jesus and how desperately dependent we have to be on him. I still struggle with that as of right now and hope I can make it a lifestyle one day. Though, it takes time and dedication for that to happen.
This post is about thankfulness because today was my birthday and I am remembering the many blessings in my life up to this point. I also read something in the Bible about remembering the thankfulness God had done in restoring the people of Israel when they were laying the foundation to build the temple of God back. They were shouting in joy and morning of thankfulness praising God for what he had given them. I thought I should give thanks for God and what he has done and blessed me with in my life today!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)