So recently while I was at my friends house, he had his TV set on the channel GAC. As I was sitting in his room listening to some country music videos they had on I just thought to myself, what have I been missing?
I used to listen to country a lot when I moved to Charlotte, but I think I kind of let it fade away the longer I stayed at college. Now, hear me out, not all country is good, but you see bad music in every type of media. However, I do like country because:
1. I can understand the lyrics. Nothing frustrates me more than not being able to understand what the artist is saying (yes rap music, I am talking to you). I hate getting attached to song and then really start to figure out the words in it and then realize I probably shouldn't be listening to that song, haha.
2. I can relate to it. I find it hard to relate to a lot of songs these days. This is usually true because all musicians sing about is their "high" life. All they talk about are the parties they go to and so on. I like country because, while not all the time, it talks about stuff we are all going through. I think, at the end of the day, I feel like country is more from the heart.
3. It involves God... sometimes. I don't think country music always accurately portrays Christianity, but I like songs that can at least involve Him, and not drugs and sex. There are a lot of songs that I think have done well with this whole concept of involving God. I think I can just relate to the songs better because of all this, because in my life I would be turning to God with my problems, and in a lot of songs that is what they sing about.
Now, don't get me wrong, there is a lot of bad country that is depressing and talks about drinking and so on.
Overall, it has just been great to hear some good country songs. A genre I feel like I had really set aside. While I don't listen to just country, I feel like it has a lot of great things to offer! So don't hate!
Peace!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Mark Samudre...
See, my roommate Mark thinks he has us all figured out. He thinks he has got all our routines and personalities pinned in the corner; let's talk about him for a second...
First off, he is sitting right across from me right now... just fyi
Mark has an interesting morning routine. He usually wakes up pretty early, probably around 4 or 5 in the morning. He starts his day off by getting on facebook, exploiting the fact that others are asleep by posting carelessly on others walls and statuses. As 7 or 8 in the morning rolls around, he searches for his first victim that has awaken. He will first run into Jon. Jon, always sporting his lovely khaki pants, will generally entertain Mark for a good ten minutes by satisfying Mark's search for conversation and general acceptance. Once Jon goes back into his room to do whatever he does, Mark, now bored, moves to his next victim (usually me). Mark will usually find me attempting to innocently go about my morning routine, this is not satisfying to Mark. He will then proceed to mock my every move in a feeble attempt to make small talk throughout the morning. He has this theory that I am always going to the dryer in the morning, however, he fails to realize that puts him in the exact same position also every morning (usually on Facebook looking for his victims). Winding down to when the bus comes, Mark will proceed to yell and scream at me until I adjust my plans for his comfort. This usually involves him trying to get me on a bus 15 minutes earlier than I had planned on when I woke up.
Mark, apparently, also thinks he can carelessly throw pepper shakers at others with continual disregard for their safety and general well being...
When it comes down to it, it is us (his roommates) that really have him figured out, not the other way around.
All of that may or may not of been completely true, you be the judge. But we love Mark...
Peace!
First off, he is sitting right across from me right now... just fyi
Mark has an interesting morning routine. He usually wakes up pretty early, probably around 4 or 5 in the morning. He starts his day off by getting on facebook, exploiting the fact that others are asleep by posting carelessly on others walls and statuses. As 7 or 8 in the morning rolls around, he searches for his first victim that has awaken. He will first run into Jon. Jon, always sporting his lovely khaki pants, will generally entertain Mark for a good ten minutes by satisfying Mark's search for conversation and general acceptance. Once Jon goes back into his room to do whatever he does, Mark, now bored, moves to his next victim (usually me). Mark will usually find me attempting to innocently go about my morning routine, this is not satisfying to Mark. He will then proceed to mock my every move in a feeble attempt to make small talk throughout the morning. He has this theory that I am always going to the dryer in the morning, however, he fails to realize that puts him in the exact same position also every morning (usually on Facebook looking for his victims). Winding down to when the bus comes, Mark will proceed to yell and scream at me until I adjust my plans for his comfort. This usually involves him trying to get me on a bus 15 minutes earlier than I had planned on when I woke up.
Mark, apparently, also thinks he can carelessly throw pepper shakers at others with continual disregard for their safety and general well being...
When it comes down to it, it is us (his roommates) that really have him figured out, not the other way around.
All of that may or may not of been completely true, you be the judge. But we love Mark...
Peace!
Monday, February 8, 2010
NT Reading Update
So I have been trying to read the entire New Testament in 30 days. Have I kept up? In short, no. However, I am not that far behind in my reading plan! Just got a week or so left!
It has been cool so far to read a bunch of the NT. It has been cool to read the gospels in a close period of time and see what each of the to offer. The funny thing is that I thought it wouldn't be super beneficial to me to read through it this quick, I was wrong. It is great because I am a goal oriented person and this challenges me to stay in the word every day! Not to mention, there are a lot of books that I have not read all the way through so it is cool to read some things for the first time.
Reading it all at once is cool because you get this big picture, this picture that I feel is easy to miss just picking out stories and scripture here and there. It has been great to walk along the path with Jesus from the beginning to the end. It is awesome because just like in other books we read, you get wrapped up in the emotions and get attached to the character and their journey. While I have read most of it before, there is just something different about reading it all together. If you have never considered this I encourage you to do so because not only does it keep you in scripture but you will learn so much about the person Jesus was and the promises that God and the New Testament have to offer!
Get reading! Don't let me beat you! haha
Peace!
It has been cool so far to read a bunch of the NT. It has been cool to read the gospels in a close period of time and see what each of the to offer. The funny thing is that I thought it wouldn't be super beneficial to me to read through it this quick, I was wrong. It is great because I am a goal oriented person and this challenges me to stay in the word every day! Not to mention, there are a lot of books that I have not read all the way through so it is cool to read some things for the first time.
Reading it all at once is cool because you get this big picture, this picture that I feel is easy to miss just picking out stories and scripture here and there. It has been great to walk along the path with Jesus from the beginning to the end. It is awesome because just like in other books we read, you get wrapped up in the emotions and get attached to the character and their journey. While I have read most of it before, there is just something different about reading it all together. If you have never considered this I encourage you to do so because not only does it keep you in scripture but you will learn so much about the person Jesus was and the promises that God and the New Testament have to offer!
Get reading! Don't let me beat you! haha
Peace!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
My New Life Motto(s)
There are two sayings that I have come to rely on these days. The first being where I find my joy answering the question, why? The second answering the question, what now, what is the next step?
Q: Why?
A:
Q: Why?
A:
"My joy is NOT determined by what HAPPENS to me, but what CHRIST is DOING in me and through me." - Pastor Steven Furtick
How true is this? We want to know why things are happening to us but all we can do is learn and trust in God's plan. We can not let our joy be determined by what is happening to us. We can't get caught up in the "why" of the whole situation. All we can do is listen to what He wants us to learn, and know that our joy is found in the power of Jesus Christ moving in our lives. He is the sovereign king, He is the mighty creator, He is the beginning and the end, rejoice when He is moving in your life, no matter how great or how hard.
Q: What now?
How true is this? We want to know why things are happening to us but all we can do is learn and trust in God's plan. We can not let our joy be determined by what is happening to us. We can't get caught up in the "why" of the whole situation. All we can do is listen to what He wants us to learn, and know that our joy is found in the power of Jesus Christ moving in our lives. He is the sovereign king, He is the mighty creator, He is the beginning and the end, rejoice when He is moving in your life, no matter how great or how hard.
Q: What now?
A:
"The best I can do right now is be the man God has called me to be, and He will sort the rest out" - Matthew Shortt = )
I mean I don't like to toot my own horn, haha, but I feel like this is the best answer to the question of what happens next? This is something that is keeping me alive right now. I know that all I can do to move forward in life is to be a godly man, a man who seeks Christ in everything, and I know that as long as I just be that man, the man He created me to be, He will sort out the rest!
I hope you can find encouragement in those two phrases. As promised to Mark Samudre, here is your shout out! He is pretty cool, I guess...
May you always seek the Lord, in everything, and know He is moving in your life, He will not abandon you!
Peace!
I hope you can find encouragement in those two phrases. As promised to Mark Samudre, here is your shout out! He is pretty cool, I guess...
May you always seek the Lord, in everything, and know He is moving in your life, He will not abandon you!
Peace!
Friday, February 5, 2010
God wants more for us than we could ever want for ourselves
How big is your God?
Do you spend time complaining to God how big your problems are? Why don't you stand up and tell your problems how big your God is. God can not be put in a box. Right when you think things have turned for the worst do not doubt His character, He will not be mocked.
Do you feel like you may of been dealt some crappy cards lately? Maybe life isn't going how you would like it to? So we come to God asking, why me, why now? We look at Him sometimes as if He hasn't done anything good for us in a while. He let His son be beaten and killed for us, and yet we think we deserve more?
We want our lives to great, full of fun, joy, peace, and love. We want that perfect husband or wife. We want that perfect job or perfect house. We want that "good" life. How big is your God though? Is he so small that he settles with what we think is the best? No, God is so big He wants more for you and me than we could ever want for ourselves.
God is big, He is bigger than our big. We deserve nothing yet He gives us so much more.
"6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7
That's it for today! I got a good one on my mind for tomorrow! Peace!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
GRAPHIC CONTENT!
So you may be asking yourself why there is a huge picture of my leg to your left, well chill, we will get there.
As I was sitting here thinking about what to write and looking over some pictures, this situation just kind of hit me.
As some people may or may not know this summer as I was working at Lake Champion I fell victim to a belay accident, and when I say I fell victim it may or may not of been my fault, haha. None the less, to the left you are looking at a second to third degree rope burn around my left leg that has taken forever to scar!
There's your background intro. Let me tell you what God showed me through it, how it applies to my life today, and how I hope you can find encouragement through my story.
When this happened in early August it was the icing on the cake. I was tired, I had been working 6 days a week. I was attempting to lead others my age and older to serve God. I was trying to my best, to not let God down, to be His servant, to give Him everything I had every day. I had just wrecked my car, not a couple weeks prior, traveling 1000 miles round trip from Radford to New York (don't ask, it was totally worth it). So at this point, I get this huge burn on both my legs, right in a spot that greatly impaired my ability to walk.
What did I do? How did I feel? What did God do with all this? First off, needless to say it sucked. I went back to the intern house, got my jacket, and just went out into the darkness and sat on a rock by the lake. I think we have all had these moments, where we just sit and cry, and then cry some more. Maybe you stand up and yell at God some like I did.
I had been trying so hard all summer to be perfect, to be on time, to not make mistakes. But there I was, a failure, I had tried so hard to be safe and to make everything go smoothly, but that was gone. God showed me that He is in control. God showed me that I can't be perfect, that no matter how hard I try, I will fall, but He will be there to pick me right back up. I think I need to look back at this right now. We need to remember that God is in control. He is the beginning and the end. We will fall, but he will pick us back up!
I want to talk real quick about a song I have been obsessed with lately: Madly in love with you by Sean McConnell.
I believe it is supposed to be God talking to us:
"Well how do you think it feels to hear you screaming out my name
While all the while I’m trying to open up your heart
See you when you cry yourself to sleep
It’s tearing me apart
I know you wish you could see me
That’s the way it has to be
Someday you’ll understand,
don’t you lose your faith in me (insert your name here)
I know you wish you could hear me
Sometimes it’s so hard to do
But every morning sunrise it says
I’m madly in love with you
Yes I’m madly in love with you
Yes I’m madly in love with you
Yes I’m madly in love with you (insert your name here)"
While all the while I’m trying to open up your heart
See you when you cry yourself to sleep
It’s tearing me apart
I know you wish you could see me
That’s the way it has to be
Someday you’ll understand,
don’t you lose your faith in me (insert your name here)
I know you wish you could hear me
Sometimes it’s so hard to do
But every morning sunrise it says
I’m madly in love with you
Yes I’m madly in love with you
Yes I’m madly in love with you
Yes I’m madly in love with you (insert your name here)"
I love that. It's like everything that I have felt. He tells us to not lose faith in Him, He will never abandon us. I added in where I think we should all add our name. Make it personal. He is a personal God. He wants you to know those things. He want us to know that He isn't just a little in love with us, He doesn't just kind of like us, He is madly in love with you and me.
Praise be to God in your trials, a god who doesn't let you sit in your own filth, a god who is madly in love with you, He has big plans for you!
Praise be to God in your trials, a god who doesn't let you sit in your own filth, a god who is madly in love with you, He has big plans for you!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
An Introduction
So I thought I would make my first legit post about what is going on in my life and what I feel like God is teaching me, I hope you can find encouragement in it! It's an introduction... to me.
So looking back at I am going to start with some input about my winter break, as it is not far from gone. My winter break was good, not great. It was a good chance for me to just set aside everything I had on my mind the last semester, after all I was taking 19 credits! It was cool to just take time to chill, and in some cases chill a little too long on the couch!
It wasn't great because it was just tough to sit still. The past semester I always had something going on and I was constantly stressed, and I can say my relationship with Christ struggled. I think overall it was a good time for me to relax, and have some fun with some of my old friends this summer! That was good, but I don't think I really pointed myself back to Christ as much as I had hoped, I have been bad at that. There were just a lot of things on my mind over break that I did not confront, and I don't know why, maybe I was afraid, maybe I was tired of thinking...
Getting back to college has blown my mind. This semester has looked nothing like I expected. God has been and is moving in my life. I think God was tired of my lack of pursuit and decided to personally take the reigns. This semester has come and is coming with great trials and many spiritual tests for me. The beginning of the semester has been crazy, but God has shown up in it. God has taken me through some of the deepest darkest pain I have ever known. He has shown me the darkness. But more importantly, in all my pain and struggle God has led me into the light, and what a beautiful light it is! God has shown me where I have failed, He has put things on my heart I have never dreamed of or felt. God has blown my mind every day in what He is teaching me. God has shown me his infinite love and embrace. He has shown me that when I feel like the world is falling in around me He will be my rock, and his promises will hold true! He has shown me beauty that I have never imagined, he has shown me the man of Christ that he intended me to be.
God has taken my idea of faith and shattered it into 1000 pieces. All I have everyday is Him. All I have to walk in each day is faith that His plan will prevail, whatever that mean. I have learned that I spend too much time worrying about the future instead of walking through each day knowing that I need to not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. God has and is teaching me how to just know that He is perfect, and so is His plan for my life. And I am ok with that. I am ok letting the creator of the universe take care of and shape my future.
I hope you have found this all encouraging. That through great trial, God has reason, and He will prevail. He has a great plan for our lives, let Him worry about that. Walk in faith knowing God will guide you, you need not worry about tomorrow.
"Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33
Peace!
So looking back at I am going to start with some input about my winter break, as it is not far from gone. My winter break was good, not great. It was a good chance for me to just set aside everything I had on my mind the last semester, after all I was taking 19 credits! It was cool to just take time to chill, and in some cases chill a little too long on the couch!
It wasn't great because it was just tough to sit still. The past semester I always had something going on and I was constantly stressed, and I can say my relationship with Christ struggled. I think overall it was a good time for me to relax, and have some fun with some of my old friends this summer! That was good, but I don't think I really pointed myself back to Christ as much as I had hoped, I have been bad at that. There were just a lot of things on my mind over break that I did not confront, and I don't know why, maybe I was afraid, maybe I was tired of thinking...
Getting back to college has blown my mind. This semester has looked nothing like I expected. God has been and is moving in my life. I think God was tired of my lack of pursuit and decided to personally take the reigns. This semester has come and is coming with great trials and many spiritual tests for me. The beginning of the semester has been crazy, but God has shown up in it. God has taken me through some of the deepest darkest pain I have ever known. He has shown me the darkness. But more importantly, in all my pain and struggle God has led me into the light, and what a beautiful light it is! God has shown me where I have failed, He has put things on my heart I have never dreamed of or felt. God has blown my mind every day in what He is teaching me. God has shown me his infinite love and embrace. He has shown me that when I feel like the world is falling in around me He will be my rock, and his promises will hold true! He has shown me beauty that I have never imagined, he has shown me the man of Christ that he intended me to be.
God has taken my idea of faith and shattered it into 1000 pieces. All I have everyday is Him. All I have to walk in each day is faith that His plan will prevail, whatever that mean. I have learned that I spend too much time worrying about the future instead of walking through each day knowing that I need to not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. God has and is teaching me how to just know that He is perfect, and so is His plan for my life. And I am ok with that. I am ok letting the creator of the universe take care of and shape my future.
I hope you have found this all encouraging. That through great trial, God has reason, and He will prevail. He has a great plan for our lives, let Him worry about that. Walk in faith knowing God will guide you, you need not worry about tomorrow.
"Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33
Peace!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The Beginning
So I am going to try this blog thing that seems so popular. I think I just need a place to put down some of my daily thoughts as I walk through life and my journey with Christ. Hopefully this will take away from my constant Facebook status updates...!
First off, thank goodness this has spell check! I am a terrible speller. So right off the bat, don't call me out on spelling or grammar! haha....
My first real thought will be a funny and simple one. As I was making this and posting the link on Facebook I ran into a lot of the security words (I guess they can be called that) where there is some word or combination of letters and numbers jumbled together that you have to type out so the website knows you are a real person? I don't know... none the less, they are so hard to read sometimes! I mean come on! They look like aljye45bfla7sbf and you have to type in the word ChArlay57fly or something insane. My point being, they are too hard to read sometimes and it takes me like three tries... drain (that was for you Derrick).
That's it! They will get better and deeper I promise. I should go study for Chem.
Peace!
First off, thank goodness this has spell check! I am a terrible speller. So right off the bat, don't call me out on spelling or grammar! haha....
My first real thought will be a funny and simple one. As I was making this and posting the link on Facebook I ran into a lot of the security words (I guess they can be called that) where there is some word or combination of letters and numbers jumbled together that you have to type out so the website knows you are a real person? I don't know... none the less, they are so hard to read sometimes! I mean come on! They look like aljye45bfla7sbf and you have to type in the word ChArlay57fly or something insane. My point being, they are too hard to read sometimes and it takes me like three tries... drain (that was for you Derrick).
That's it! They will get better and deeper I promise. I should go study for Chem.
Peace!
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