Gratitude

lately there has been much thought swirling through my head. in the past couple of weeks i have become grateful for the suffering and hard time in the past. i am able to look back and see so many lessons God has taught me through those times. granted they were not always easy or fun but i wouldn't trade them for anything.

i couldn't be where i am today without the past. do i wish it would have been easier or different? no, because the process of it all has made who i am today. as i sat and shared with a friend yesterday things came out of my mouth i didn't know where in my heart. not bad things but things i have learned through the past. if things were still the same i would have the same friends, be in the same routine of church, being doing jr. high (which was easier for me), and be no closer to the Lord. i would be stuck. i would being doing church as a means to follow Christ. we are not called to sit in a pew and absorb (although that is a part of it). as i had stated in an earlier blog, i was content to go to church, serve and have my 'family'(again that is a part of being a christian but there is so much more) it thought i got it. i had heard before that we need to go outside the walls of this building and reach the lost. i thought i was doing that, and in part i was but i didn't get it. i probably don't fully get it now.

following Christ is so much more than being a part of a church body. we think that being in the church and serving in the church is what it is about and if we are honest we would probably say we know there is more but it is risky out 'there'. i realize there is a need for us to be fed at some level church ministries are good. i am not saying all the ministry is outside the church but 25% should be within the walls and 75% should be outside the wall's to the lost, poor, and oppressed that is where Gods heart is.

i am falling more in love with a God who is risky and not safe, but still incredibly good, loving and detailed. this life i am living, the christian life as we like to call it, is not about being safe and secure, it is about listening and seeking God and being obedient.

i have stepped out on an endeavor that to many seems crazy, risky and maybe unwise. i understand that you may not understand yet but i pray that you too will fall head over heels in love with my God who does not call us to safety and security but to being Christ to people.

Entitlement

i have become fascinated lately with the idea of entitlement, especially in regards to youth. (don't get me wrong i am a fan of youth) lately i have come across more people in the 14-20 age group who feel they are entitled to something.

i waited on a group of 5 young men and a young girl on wednesday night. upon arriving at their table they began to yell drinks at me and then told me lat time they were here they received cold bread so they deserve more than normal this time. okay, i understand and will compensate you for the less than perfect service you received but there is a way to tell someone that. i was told they got more bread, it was not part of a discussion or offer i made to them. this interaction struck me right away. the words 'we deserve' resonate in my head still.

the other way i have encountered this has been at work also with fellow young employees, they feel their boss owes them something for the time put in. i was at this place at one time or another maybe not too long ago. we feel that because we come in a work we deserve something above and beyond our wages, that isn't good enough. i am not sure what they expect or even what i expected but we feel we are entitled to more because of various things in our heads. i am not saying that we shouldn't be treated fairly but what we expect is different.

when push comes to shove we deserve nothing. we were created to worship a perfect, holy, loving, forgiving, gracious and glorious GOD who loves us no matter what we do. we should be working to glorify his name and for his glory alone, not for all we think is entitled to us. this GOd who created and loves us also forgave us to allow us to come into his presence once agian. our hearts should be full of joy and gratitude. i understand that this concept goes far beyond simply working and is much harder to put into action than to write about it. i am at fault myself. i have just seen this concept put into play by young people in the work force. i think it is more prevelant in teens but i know we all think we deserve something even me.

snow pant shorts

so, this post came to me about a week ago. i went to the hockey game with my small group and there was the most fascinating discovery.

SNOW PANT SHORTS!

i know believe my calling is to be a hockey player or ref. the players where knee length snow pant shorts and the refs where snow pants to ref in.

could a job be more glorious!! where snow pants all the time.


p.s. this is not the amazing thing God is doing in my life, but more a personal obsession!

amazing

amazing things are happening in my life. i can't wait to post about them.

God is doing amazing things.

i am currently listening to the new passion 06 cd it came out on tuesday. if any one loves worship music it is an amazing cd.