When dead week is here, finally. I have been waiting for this week for a while. It’s a chance to study and catch up on all my readings and to prepare for final exams. So far I have many hours reading and then a few minutes eating and going to class. It has been a tough week so far and now I’m up late at night, reading and writing for class in the morning. This is quite the adventure. I am about to graduate college in just a few short days and I am extremely bittersweet. I wish miss the teachers and friends that I have here, but I have loved it. It has been up and down, but I have learned so much. I will probably never forget some of the experiences I have shared here at Harding. I loved the spring break campaigns, the overseas trips, Greece, chapel, and of course the studying. It has really been great to be here for four years. God has richly blessed my time here and for that I am thankful. Now I have to study, again.
Balance
I have really enjoyed what God is teaching me lately. I have been learning how to develop a healthy balance between entertainment and education. Now I would have say I am perfect at this at any means, but I have doing more study in the daytime and then at night I am able to have fun and hang out with my friends. Also when I do my homework during the day I absorb more and I am able to recall more the following day. Not to mention, I love hanging out at night with my friends because I am not stressed. It’s such a simple lifestyle but it’s extremely healthy and I’m loving it.
Life is so joyful and I am so blessed to have been given my time at Harding. I am about to graduate and then move to Togo, Africa and it’s only because of Harding that I have been given this opportunity. Each day is a gift and I’m learning to appreciate that more and more. My girlfriend often encourages me to have fun and not think so much, she is right on. I do have the tendency to get consumed with my books and I do not always take the time to have fun. This a balancing act that I have learning to do as well. How do I justice a time to play and a time to study? Especially when my greatest joy comes from reading. This something only nerds, like me, struggle with, yet I would not be me if I did not have this struggle daily.
Another balancing act is in how I feel about myself. Should I be humble? Yes. Should I be polite? Yes. Should I be a servant? yes. Should I put others before myself? yes. However, Should I be pushed around by my friends? No. I have been pushed around a lot lately and It’s a shame because people I love have been hurt because of my inability to love myself. God loves me and others love me. So why can’t I love me? This a question that I struggle with more than others at times, but this is me and I’m a favor of me and my story over others’. I do have something to offer this world and God has chosen me to live my life. God also has chose me to “love myself and love others as I love myself” (phil 2). This message I try to say to myself every morning.
How is your balance these days?
who will?
Who will heal the sick? Who will visit the lonely? Who will be kind to the ugly, poor, and homeless? I pray that we will.
HUT
Today has not been one of my favorite days. I recently past the weekend at HUT, which is a camp about an hour away from Harding that they have adapted to make it a place to learn about developing nations. I spent the weekend working in the hot sun, learning about other culture, eating other cultures food, and sleeping in the cold. We also had a church service in many different cultures. I love every part of it, however, I’m rather sick now and that is too bad. Today I have spent being extremely tired and I have just laid around after going to chapel and my class. I took the wrong amount of medicine and so that is not helping the situation either.
My experience out at HUT was incredible. I’m so thankful for the life I have here in the states. I’m so blessed to be a rich American. So many people on Earth do not have the material possessions that I have. I have food, shelter, and education without any thoughts at all. I forget how rich I am, which is a shame. I need to remember that not all people in the world have a nice apartment and are given a chance to learn like I have. It’s such a shame that I do not thank God enough in my life. My eyes were definitely opened this weekend out at HUT.
I had the chance to go to Egypt about two years a go and I also will be traveling to Togo, Africa this summer so I will be around poor conditions more than every in my life this summer. I pray that I will be a light to all the people I meet this summer and I constantly need to be thankful for all I have been given by God. In Egypt I visited people who had pretty much nothing and yet I complain sometimes because my internet does not work. I’m embarrassed at myself sometimes and I’m sure others feel that way at times too. My prayer today is that I am grateful. I hope you are too.
Draining
I have plenty of assignments to work on, books to read, exams to study for, and papers to write. I have spent the past two days doing many of these type activities. I also have spend some time calling old friends, parents, and new high school prospects for Harding University. I feel like I have been productive, yet I ponder if I really am? As I prepare to start doing homework again in just a few minutes I have to sit here and ask, what are I doing and why am I doing it?
Sometimes school can be pretty demoralizing. I know some friends to let school run their life and I wonder if that is the way it is supposed to work. Now yes I agree that school is important and I do work extremely hard in all my classes, yet I try not let it dictate my whole being. Now school is my job at the moment and nothing is wrong with putting time and effort into a job. Yet, the question I have is is this job worth it?
Many in college will graduate this May and not know what they want to do with their life and I believe that is good. We need to live in the questions of life. Some of the most interesting people, I’m told, never figure out what they are going to do with their life. However in our society we are told to have a plan that is organized and well thought out. We turn Jesus and Paul’s lives into plans of actions and we seek out a plan of salvation. Yet what happened to random acts of kindness and living for the moment.
If you have questions in life that is great. If you have fears and concerns about your future that is normal and good. I do not believe we need to plan everything out. Sometimes curve balls are throw are way in life and we have to live with them and make an effort to hit them hard and well and deep and far. Now as I prepare to study I know I have questions and concerns and even doubts about whether that stuff I’m learning has a purpose. But I am going to give it a shot and see what happens.
Hopefully you are enjoying life and all the valleys and mountain tops that come with it.
Daylight
Something about the mornings I love. Perhaps it’s because I always have a good time at night and therefore I want to get up in the morning or I just love watching the sunrise, but for whatever reason I love the morning. This morning is rather busy. I forget to do the dishes last night, like I said I was going to do, so I did that this morning. Then I have to study for a test that I have in two hours, but before the test I am going to be pancakes for breakfast, pancakes always help with New Testament questions, right? Anyway I love getting the day started off right.
It sounds like Jesus was a morning-person, to me, too. In Mark 1:35 the author tells us “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayer.” Sounds to me like even the Son of God needed some time away from people to pray and reflect on life. In today’s busy and crazy world, how many people sit quietly before they start of their day? How many people do you know just sit and think? Now in first-century Palestine it probably was not as busy at the current streets of the United States or Britain, or fill in the blank, but I’m sure people worked, studied, prepared their shops for the day, and had to get jobs done in the morning. And Jesus only ministered for three years and it had plenty to get done as well. However, even Jesus took the time to just sit and reflect before the days started. Now I suppose he could have done this just once, but time and time again Mark tells us he went alone for a while. Also if Mark is writing about discipleship and he calling believes to follow Christ’s example it seems that this would be one lesson, of many, to learn. Jesus wanted his disciples to take time to reflect and pray to God for strength before they even ate their breakfast.
I’m moved by this passage. I want to be a man who reflect on my life and duties. I want to be a man who really strives to be a follower of Christ. I want to imitate all that he does. So St. Augustine used to say “I have so much to do today, I will have to spend two hours on my knees (praying) rather than one.” He was a man that was discipled and prepared for the battles he would face. I want to be a man like St. Augustine. I want to give each day to the Lord and to truly follow him.
“And when you pray do not be like the pagans for they love to be heard for their many words. However, when you pray go into your room and shut your door. God who sees what you have done in secret, will reward you”- Jesus, paraphase
Well, tell me what you think. Leave me a message.
I have been so busy with school work recently. I am not sure how long I can sit and type on my computer or sit and read a book on historical criticism of the New Testament, but I finding out I can do it for quite a long time. I enjoyed spring break a few days ago, but now I am just simply sitting in my room studying. I have about 8 weeks until I graduate and it’s exciting to think about, but right now I do not feel like I have time to even reflect on that day. Well it’s time to get back to work. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.
Across the Universe
I am a man that loves to travel. During my time here at Harding I have traveled a lot. My freshman year I took a trip to Virgina for a weekend. My sophomore year I traveled to see Coldplay in Nashville one weekend, but then the biggest trip of my life came in 2006. I spent the second semester of my sophomore year in Porto Rafi, Greece. I went with some great friends and I also got to travel to Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Britain, Germany, France, Spain, Austria, and Italy. I loved the experience because I learned how be flexible and hit the curve balls that are throw your way in life. Lately I have had a lot of big decisions. I’m applying for job, grad schools, and international mission programs. My Junior year consisted of trips to Wisconsin for spring break and many trips to Memphis and Little Rock just for fun. This year, senior year, I have taken some trips to Memphis, Tulsa, Little Rock, and soon Vermont. I will be leaving in a week with my two best friends and I’m so excited. As I think about the trip it will be a great and will be memorable for sure. As I have learned in my travels we must appreciate all the trips and random and unexpected happenings in life. I’m learning that God changes lives and when I let God run my life I have to change for him. All the random events in life are determined by the crazy world we live in and, in my opinion, the crazy God that we serve. God changes lives and I have seen how he has done this time and time again in my life. In about 4 months I will also be taking a trip in Togo, Africa. I do not know the local talk, culture, and worldview of Togo but I have a feeling it will be great if I simple allow God to change me as I seek to travel places in my life.mind games
I have had the joy of being in a social club ever since being at Harding. My freshman year some upper classmen were kind enough to invite me into their new club, called Beta Omega Chi. The club has been a significant part of my Harding experince. I have been able to meet new guys and girls through the club that I become some of my closest friends. Also I have had the opportunity to be a part of devotions, service projects, and prayer groups that have encouraged to keep being the man of integrity I want to be. A few nights ago a group of my friends in my social club met and prayed together and it was good. I mean that in the purest sense of the word. My dad always taught me that helping other people is always good, no matter what you call it it’s worthy of doing. Always my dad taught me that when you know something is wrong, whether you changed the circumstances or not, it’s still wrong. Those lessons are simple yet they have stayed in my mind since those days back in high school.
Last night, I played in a game of basketball against some other guys and I have to admit it was fun, intense, and exciting. My team last in overtime and I was dissappointed that I did not make too many shots, I also admit I let anger get to me. I was so upset after the game I had a negative attittude about everything the rest of the night. I am not proud of this but I received an encouraging message on facebook afterward and it just made everything better. I know that all the guys on the court probably don’t know how upset I was, but I still couldn’t have let it ruin my day. Anger can drive a person mad. Anger can cause people to do horrible acts. I pray that I do let anger determine my life anymore. I need to learn to let go, whether it’s a basketball or broken relationships, the way Jesus lived was calm and peaceful, yet he opposed the sin in the world, as well. I have sin at times and sometimes I need God to just step in and be firm with me. To my friends that read this, never let me get away with sin through anger again. If you see me stop and say something, I won’t be offended, but motivated to do what is right. The mind is full of games at times and I need to stop letting little things get in the way of big dreams. If I want to be a true Christ-follower I must be in control of my mind and actions. As Deuteronomy says, “Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.” The author of Deuteronomy knew what humans were like. He knew this was a lesson all humans must here, especially me at times.
I know that relationships make life worth living. I loved being with the guys out on the court. I love talking and laughing with my friends, that is what life is about. That is why I joined a social club to begin with. These guys will tell me what I need to hear and encourage me when I am down. As I continue to grow through these guys I know I will keep learning what God wants to teach me.
I know clubs aren’t for everyone, but if you get a chance to grow close with your friends and build relationships that are good, you understand what I mean. I encourage you to examine your freindships, are they good? I encourage you to look at your relationships, are they healthy?
In whatever circumstance you are in today, I ask you to be open to what people have to say to you and always look to give, rather than receive. I’m always interested in what you guys think of my posts, send me some thoughts.
You Can’t go to Church
Last year at this time I was preparing for a mission trip to Wisconsin for spring break. This year I am preparing myself for a six-week long internship in Togo, Africa. I have been writing letters asking for financial support, just as I did last year, and it’s sometimes rather draining.
I remember when I was little my family would listen to Acappella before church. My favorite song was one where a boy was in his before church and the dad said ‘Time to go to church”, but the son responded “Dad, you can’t go to church, we are the church.” Basically, the son it right on. In church this morning Dr. Neller preached on the church. He talked about how the God lives through the church. He said we are the church and we are the people that God lives in. We are the way God communicates on Earth. We are all different and we have have different spiritual gifts but we all can be used by God. I was moved by this.
I take for granted how I can be the church and be like God to others through love. As I’m writing this letters I’m praying and hoping they give to me so that I may learn more about God, however by me writing these people I am giving them an opportunity to serve God as well. Now these isn’t a cheap trick to motivate whoever is reading this to receive money, but simply something I’m learning. Each day I have opportunities to be the church to people. I can give people my time. I can pray for people. I can write letters of encouragement to people. I can cook for people, well not well, but I can order if a pizza. I have opportunities to serve each day for God through my actions. Each minute. Each hour. Each day. Each life.
By being pure. By being grateful. By being devoted. These are all ways I can give to God. Tomorrow morning will you live with this in mind.Oor the next time you see someone who you haven’t been the best too, I have many, will you be the church to them, no matter how hard it is.
I struggle with being grateful. I struggle with being devoted to my God. I want to struggle for others. I want to struggle and be kind when I’m tired, not when I’m in a just when I’m in a good mood. I want to fight temptation when it’s tough and go to God. I want to deny myself and live for others. I want to be God to others. It’s time for me to be a living stone. It’s time for me to be the temple of God he called me to be. I make poor decisions as times, but I know it’s not about going to church it’s about being the church.
1 peter 2:5
Please, give me your thoughts. Drop me a comment. Let me know,if you agree. Maybe I’m off target. Maybe you can relate. Talk with me.
