A New Years Thought

Well it feels like forever since the last time I wrote here and its only been four days or so. I have been on a mission retreat with the youth from west monroe. It is always great to go back and see how God is still working in the old youth group. Now I see it so much differently though, I see it through a leaders eyes(I know as hard as it may be I have become somewhat of a leader) Everything I have learned in my classes and just life in general I try to apply when I'm leading.
We worked in the church and out at an old run down trailer that anyone who saw it would just call it trash. We were fixing it up for a great guy God has also called into the ministry to live in. The funny thing is that no matter who would look at this trailer everyone would ask what are you doing why not just tear it down and build something else. I see the old trailer as an example of us, when anyone would really look at our lives apart from Christ that's just what we are, a rundown no good sinner. But with a lot of hard work and not quitting God turns us into something beautiful. I am so glad that he didn't just see me for being that old worthless nothing but saw me as a treasure just needing some work.
Well while on the mission trip and being the boys leader sleep was not easy to come by, but I knew this that I would not lay my head down to go to sleep before I prayed for each of those boys by name and spent some time with my Father. I think God really blessed that, I had no problem with the boys and they were all safe and worked hard and seemed to grow a little closer to God and each other. And that's what a missions trip is about, ministering to others, growing closer to God and each other. My quiet time with during this trip was brief but man was it awesome. Honestly is was the time I spent in prayer that was awesome. God is so great and he is so big but yet he takes time to meet with me each day, he actually wants to hang out with me all the time. It blows me away to think that the God of this universe wants to hangout with me. Well the trip in my eyes was a great success and I think everyone will agree on that. The one thing I learned from this trip is that if we are always open to doing whatever God wants us to do, there is no telling where he will put us. HA, I say this because I had no clue about this trip until the day before it was to happen and Jason asked me to help. I told him I definitely would because I feel like he needs all the help he can get and I think God really wanted me to do it. I dont know it just felt like God was saying time to put what your learning to work, follow me.
Well it is now officially 2010 and a whole new year. 2009 is gone and the new one is here. This year I plan on being in the best shape I have ever been in. I also plan on being closer to God then I have ever been. I don't know where I'll be at the start of next year but I know that I plan on following God and wherever it leads, Im willing to go. Its very exciting. I commit this year to God and Trying to be a better servant of him.
Verse of the day - Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

catching up

This past weekend was extremely busy, probably could have guess that being I haven't posted anything since Friday night. Early Saturday morning we woke up and drove to Tennessee to pick up the niece and nephews. What a trip, turns out I-40 was closed and we had to take a detour through the mountains twisty twisty is all we did. Well we finally got there and had a great lunch with the family and took off and headed back home. Twisty twisty once again,then after three stops at Mcdonalds and one pizza place we were finally home. The trip that was supposed to take half my day had taken my whole day. It was all good though.
I heard my first sermon yesterday on being overweight and gluttonous appetites. I have to say it was convicting and definitely made me want to get in better shape. Its great to know that the pastor was willing to preach on something that effects everyone. I committed yesterday that I would make this year a better year of getting in shape.
In my studying over the past few days Ive been seeing how horrible we really are. As humans there is nothing we can do to save ourselves and that is why Jesus had to come and take care of the debt couldn't. In Matthew I read about Jesus sending the disciples out to preach to all of Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. In a way they were first legit missionaries. We need to make sure that we are living in a way that glorifies God. We deserve Hell but through Christ we can have Heaven.

Verse of the day- 1 Corinthians 10:31 So whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.

Do I really have FAITH

Today was the official holiday of Christmas. I have to admit it was a good day. I was woken up by my mom and the other kids saying lets open gifts, lets open gifts. I was like man I wish I could keep sleeping(I had just really went to sleep because my sisters dog was whimpering all night) So I got up. I had so many gifts, and if you know me I'm not really a gift guy, I would rather the money be spent on someone else not myself. But I am very thankful for them all. This Christmas was the first one I have ever spent without my little sister Kathy. It was actually kind of sad because I haven't seen much of her in a while and I just want to spend sometime with her.
Well after all the gifts most everyone went back to sleep for a little while. Not me though, I was psyched, after lunch I was going with my dad to deliver food to the less fortunate. We had our Christmas lunch, which was AMAZING(not kidding my mom is a unbelievable cook) and I thought to myself how blessed am I? God provides me with way more than I could ever deserve. We ate kind of fast though because we had to leave and get the food out to the people. We got to the church and our music minister was there handing it out to the people who would deliver it. I don't know but when we were there, my dad and I were the only two people besides the pastor and his family there delivering. I feel like way too many "Christians" just take on the name and don't ever do anything about it. That bothers me, I don't ever want to not be serving God. I find myself caring too much about the things I care about and not enough about what God cares about already. If you are a CHristian you really need to be living like one, thats one thing I think God has been hammering into me lately. When you take on the name of God, don't just take it on, live it out!
Tonight in my quiet time I read about how horrible things were in Israel and Judah, horrible as in how the people were living not the land because God has blessed them with this land. God was going to punish them and they rightfully deserved it, but how often do we deserve it. I think we are living in very evil times right now as well. God has blessed us so tremendously and how do we thank him by doing what we want and really not caring what he has to say about it. It breaks my heart to know how much I have broken Gods heart. I hate to sin now because I know that it just must break his heart even more. We (as Christians) really do need to examine the way we live and see if it is how God would really want us to live.
I also read in Matthew tonight, stories about Jesus doing miracles everywhere he went. I've always said hanging out with Jesus would have been the coolest thing ever. I think this because he was always healing someone or teaching some amazing lesson. While reading tonight something really stood out to me, almost every time before Jesus would heal someone they would have to admit they had FAITH that he could. This stood out big to me tonight because I think way to often we ask God for stuff but we really don't have FAITH that he will give it to us and it doesn't happen. I'm not saying we should use God like a genie or something (too many people already do that) but we should really trust that if we ask God, he can provide it for us. In my own life now, I have FAITH God is going to provide the money for me to finish school. I don't know how but I know he will. We just have to keep on believing!
Verse of the day Matthew 8:10- When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

Christmas Morning

Well If you haven't noticed by now most of my posts come really late at night after I spend some personal time with God. I really enjoy doing these posts because it kind of is away to hold myself accountable and make sure I am spending time with him. Well I don't want to be long because it is Christmas morning and if Santa came by and saw I was still awake I would be in some trouble. Ha jk but today was a good day I woke up around nine and started helping my dad around the house with all the stuff that needed to get done. We put a good sized hole in our roof just so we could patch it up. Well we didn't really want to put the whole there but we had to in order to fix the leak we had going on from the previous sun window. The whole patching the roof got me to thinking though without God what are we? We are just like that roof before it was patched, we are just there and when it comes to a hard time we begin to leak out everywhere. But when we get patched by God our lives completely change. We no longer leak, we aren't just an empty surface sitting doing nothing. God calls us to be a new person. We are to be transformed from the old leaky roof to the new steady roof that God has fixed. Sure we will still have problems that come up and issues that we must face but now we have God along side with us to go through everything hand in hand with us. How great is that? The God of all thing wants to be a part of our lives.
While reading in my quiet time tonight I decided reading the Christmas story over again would be a great thing to do since it is Christmas and all. I read in Luke tonight the first two chapters. While reading I discover a man whom had a deal with God saying that no matter what he would not die until he saw the messiah. How amazing is that really? I mean how great of faith and great of a God follower must this guy have been, that he would/could not die until he saw the messiah. Blows me away to think of how great our God is and how he always comes through on his promises. I don't know about you but I would love to have the kind of relationship with God that he tells me deals and such. I know I do have the relationship but I desire to have so much more than a quick read or a quick talk. I want to know him so much more! Well its Christmas morning and everyone will probably begin to wake up in the next five hours so its probably best that I go to bed. One thing I learned today, no matter how good we are at whatever it would not even matter if God hadn't given us that talent in the first place. Isn't he amazing? Spend sometime today thanking him for sending his son to the world to die for us so that we could have a relationship with him.
Verse of the day: Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

I am so unworthy

Today I woke up pretty late because of the lack of sleep I got last night. I took the dogs for a walk made some lunch watched some sports center, hit the weights and read a little. Then it hit me, while I know that I am trying to live a God honoring life and not sin I still do. And I caught myself in the mindset of oh I'm fine I don't really sin but the truth of the matter is that just being in that mindset is sinful. I feel like sometimes we stop looking at Jesus as the real portrait of what our live is supposed to be like and we start thinking well as long as I don't do any of the big sins I'll be fine. I just got done having my quiet time for the day and I amazed at how much God takes from us humans and why he doesn't just take us out. I started reading the book of Jeremiah today and it starts off by telling how Israel and Judah had turned the backs on God and started living their own ways. How often is that me? I am constantly having to check myself out and if I don't then I think all is well. The truth of the matter is that I am a failure, I will never be good enough to deserve God. The great thing that I know but was also reminded of tonight is that none of us (even his chosen people) deserve him, but he wants us anyways. I may never be able to fully understand why this is but I am so very thankful that no matter how many times I turn my back on God he stays right there saying Mike turn to me, I am the way. I am blown away by the mercy he continually gives me. So I say THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME EVEN THOUGH I DON'T DESERVE IT GOD!
ANother Great thing I got from his word tonight is that Ask him and he will give it to me. I am about three thousand dollars short on returning to school for my final semester and I have been really fretting this whole thing. Tonight I handed it fully over to God and I must say the Peace I have now is unbelievable. I thank God for sticking with me and caring for me even though I don't deserve it. I'm very interested to see how he will provide the money for me to go back to school.

Today's verse- Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

God is Great

Well today was a really awesome day. I woke up kinda late and just really hung out and praised God for a few minutes. Later on after running a few errands I went to the gym with Bryan and got to hang out with him and his little nephews. Bryan is a great guy and I thank God for giving me such a great best friend. One thing I have learned from Bryan is that God really does care about who our friends are and we should always think if they are pulling us up or down. Friends are like elevator buttons, they can take you up or they can take you down. Well I was planning on going to play ball tonight at the church I usually play at on Tuesdays but Bryan said he wanted to do volleyball and I agreed to do that. Well a little while later he told me he didnt know if he wanted to play and I was kinda happy cause I really didnt want to play either. Instead of doing that I went with my father and younger brother to see Avatar in 3d. It was amazing I have never seen anything like that. The movie was Great minus the filthy language. We just got home and Im on the watching the messages thing for my dads work for the night. That means if my computer makes a noise I wake up and handle it then go back to sleep til the next noise. Its actually an answer to prayer because I have been asking God for work since I got home and now I have some. Isn't awesome just how he works?
The Verse for the day Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not upon your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths.

Starting off

I have never really been much of a writer, but lately I have found myself wanting to talk about all the things God has been teaching me. Therefore I have created this Blog. I want to use this Blog as a way of praising and glorifying God for all the great things he does in my day to day life.

So last night I was able to go and see Carolina play Minnesota(basically Brett Farve and Adrian Peterson) own the panthers, but that didn't happen to my surprise. The funny thing is that when I was younger I always dreamed of going to NFL games but there would never be away because we were to poor and my parents didn't even like sports. I praise God for him just giving me the opportunity to go out and have a blast. A really funny thing happened while I was tailgating though, I texted a friend of mine from school and it turned she was there at the game as well. How crazy is that, she was sitting maybe a hundred and fifty feet away from me. I really didn't know her well but I feel like after the game we got to know each other a lot better. She was a blast. Its funny how God can put us with people together. I was out late last night and was able to see a lot of drunk people, now I see why the Bible tells us not to be drunken on wine and beer.

Well I want to try and include a verse each time I do this so todays verse is going to be one of my favorite verses. Luke 1:37 For NOTHING is impossible with God.