It is 11:59pm on a Thursday night and I have fake tanning lotion on. I went to a Sushi place with some of the guys and tried a Saki-tini. i'm a fool. now I am listening to.....
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Epic fail?
So, I had bible study with a bunch of my guy friends at my apartment tonight. After they left my friend Scott called and told me that he thought his car was stolen but really it was towed (thank you to ON50 for not having a lot of guest spots). So, we figured out where it was and how much it costs and the whole bit.
Scott gets a ride back to his house with my friend Josh and then I was gonna go pick him up. Before I went to pick him up I got really excited. I have no idea why. Lately, I have been asking God to just use me as a servant in every opportunity and this may be one! I have a track record for ministering to people in the ghetto (which is where this towing place was). I updated my facebook, grabbed my camera and my bible and then I was out the door to give Scott a ride. It is funny that this all happened this week and at this time.
1. I have a huge test tomorrow that I need to study for
2. But I usually stay up late, so being out in the ghetto isn't hindering my sleep too much
3. I am on a "TV diet" (not watching TV shows/movies for a whole week) and I was wondering what I was gonna do after the guys left....no TV - just go pick up my friends car that just got towed.
Sooo....needless to say that I was a little too excited and was ready for something spontaneous/be used by God. However, I felt bad for Scott who wasn't too excited because it cost a ton of money to get his car and we weren't sure if it was in the same condition.
I pick Scott up and we are on our way. He calls his girlfriend Whitney and she thought he was kidding about his car being towed. Nope. Then we talk about how we are just gonna witness these people to death when we get there. We stopped by the bank. Then we get to the most sketch place in the world...Automotive towing. All chained up and no one there to let us in. We call and figure out that the guy was gonna be there in like "10" minutes. So of course while we are waiting, we decide to look sketch ourselves and scope out the hood. It was pretty legit. Then we parked....and prayed with one eye open (while the doors were locked).
The guy finally gets there and lets us in the office. Our mission tonight was twofold: stay calm/have a positive attitude and witness to the tow people. So, before Scott pays we go check out his car. Looked alright from what we saw and then Scott asked me how we were gonna witness to them and I said that I wasn't sure and I was just praying about it.
We go in for Scott to pay and they just have death written on their faces. The cold shoulder. Not a pint of happiness. It was like give me your money and get out of here, when really we should have been the death face people because we had to come all the way here to get a car that YOU TOWED! So, it isn't looking good ministry wise. Scott talked to them a little about why he got towed ( to try and start a conversation) but nothing really sparked. After Scott pays I said "Have a blessed night" to the one girl. She said thanks. I thought it might help because it worked last night with the lady at taco bell and I got free cinammon twists. haha.
We walk to get Scott's car out of the place and we were both just kind of like....well we didn't witness. We failed. How do you witness to someone like that? They just were not interested at all. Then we left and called it a night. So....now what? We didn't witness...sorry God?
The reason that I titled this blogpost "Epic fail?" is because yes I "feel" like we failed to complete our mission but we really didn't. God provided us with an opportunity - to take baby steps, to learn, to try, to be positive, to bring glory to His name, and to overcome trials. Did we stay calm and have a positive attitude? Yes we did. That right there is being a servant of God. Doing His will. Did we lead someone to Christ? No, we didn't. Did we witness at all?.....maybe.....from what it looks like to us - we did not witness at all. But how do we really know? Do we know what was in that person's heart? or what they thought of us? No. We could have made a HUGE impact on them and not even known it by not cussing them out and trying to fight the bill that Scott had to pay.
Just because you necessarily didn't lead someone to Christ doesn't mean you failed. It is all in God's plan. It was a baby step...for us and for the people. It may not have been the right time in their lives to even hear the gospel. Their hearts may not have been ready. You can't change someone's heart, only God and the work of the Holy Spirit. These people may come to know Christ 20 years from now. Who knows. Just pray that God's will shall be done.
Fail? No. Things did get accomplished especially us being servant's for God to use us however he wants and to learn that it takes one step at a time for everything.
Scott gets a ride back to his house with my friend Josh and then I was gonna go pick him up. Before I went to pick him up I got really excited. I have no idea why. Lately, I have been asking God to just use me as a servant in every opportunity and this may be one! I have a track record for ministering to people in the ghetto (which is where this towing place was). I updated my facebook, grabbed my camera and my bible and then I was out the door to give Scott a ride. It is funny that this all happened this week and at this time.
1. I have a huge test tomorrow that I need to study for
2. But I usually stay up late, so being out in the ghetto isn't hindering my sleep too much
3. I am on a "TV diet" (not watching TV shows/movies for a whole week) and I was wondering what I was gonna do after the guys left....no TV - just go pick up my friends car that just got towed.
Sooo....needless to say that I was a little too excited and was ready for something spontaneous/be used by God. However, I felt bad for Scott who wasn't too excited because it cost a ton of money to get his car and we weren't sure if it was in the same condition.
I pick Scott up and we are on our way. He calls his girlfriend Whitney and she thought he was kidding about his car being towed. Nope. Then we talk about how we are just gonna witness these people to death when we get there. We stopped by the bank. Then we get to the most sketch place in the world...Automotive towing. All chained up and no one there to let us in. We call and figure out that the guy was gonna be there in like "10" minutes. So of course while we are waiting, we decide to look sketch ourselves and scope out the hood. It was pretty legit. Then we parked....and prayed with one eye open (while the doors were locked).
The guy finally gets there and lets us in the office. Our mission tonight was twofold: stay calm/have a positive attitude and witness to the tow people. So, before Scott pays we go check out his car. Looked alright from what we saw and then Scott asked me how we were gonna witness to them and I said that I wasn't sure and I was just praying about it.
We go in for Scott to pay and they just have death written on their faces. The cold shoulder. Not a pint of happiness. It was like give me your money and get out of here, when really we should have been the death face people because we had to come all the way here to get a car that YOU TOWED! So, it isn't looking good ministry wise. Scott talked to them a little about why he got towed ( to try and start a conversation) but nothing really sparked. After Scott pays I said "Have a blessed night" to the one girl. She said thanks. I thought it might help because it worked last night with the lady at taco bell and I got free cinammon twists. haha.
We walk to get Scott's car out of the place and we were both just kind of like....well we didn't witness. We failed. How do you witness to someone like that? They just were not interested at all. Then we left and called it a night. So....now what? We didn't witness...sorry God?
The reason that I titled this blogpost "Epic fail?" is because yes I "feel" like we failed to complete our mission but we really didn't. God provided us with an opportunity - to take baby steps, to learn, to try, to be positive, to bring glory to His name, and to overcome trials. Did we stay calm and have a positive attitude? Yes we did. That right there is being a servant of God. Doing His will. Did we lead someone to Christ? No, we didn't. Did we witness at all?.....maybe.....from what it looks like to us - we did not witness at all. But how do we really know? Do we know what was in that person's heart? or what they thought of us? No. We could have made a HUGE impact on them and not even known it by not cussing them out and trying to fight the bill that Scott had to pay.
Just because you necessarily didn't lead someone to Christ doesn't mean you failed. It is all in God's plan. It was a baby step...for us and for the people. It may not have been the right time in their lives to even hear the gospel. Their hearts may not have been ready. You can't change someone's heart, only God and the work of the Holy Spirit. These people may come to know Christ 20 years from now. Who knows. Just pray that God's will shall be done.
Fail? No. Things did get accomplished especially us being servant's for God to use us however he wants and to learn that it takes one step at a time for everything.
Friday, October 22, 2010
In love with my Creator
It is 12:38am as I write this blog. And I am listening to the acoustic version of "Up and Up" by one of my favorite bands, Relient K. Today, I just thought about how awesome God is and the He created this whole universe and all the abilities that I have, he gave me. The fact that I get to listen to my favorite band in my room is awesome. That fact that I am breathing is awesome. The fact that I have an amazing healthy body and nothing is wrong with me, is awesome. The fact that there is a redbox less than four minutes away from my house to rent a movie with my family, is awesome. The car I took to get there, is awesome.
Sometimes I think that I am this amazing person who has these "set of skills" that I have acquired. If you talk to me, I joke a lot about myself in an arrogent way but I realized that even though I joke about it, some of it is true. For example, I think about how I love to go on stage and perform. I am not the one who is the amazing talented person that can dance or act, God gave me those abilities and he can take them away. My passion for performing, I really need to start using for God's glory and that alone. Not for my own selfish praise and glory (which is what most performers are taught to acquire).
This whole blog post just kind of sprang up out of no where. But last night I was at Howl-O-Scream with some of my friends. We went in this one haunted house that was just like death. It was called "Taste of Blood" and it had dead bodies, blood and "evil spirits" everywhere. There was just darkness all over and in the middle of it you come to this guy who is the "ruler" of the house and he is on like this high pedestal kind of thing and he says "I have your souls for eternity...muahhahaha". All of this sounds cheesy but I am going to make a point, I promise. That haunted house reminded me of what it would be like to be in hell for eternity. It would be like 20 billion times worse. Just death and darkness all over and no way out. Just think about....no light, hope or love ever. Just satan and a eternal pit of darkness, forever. And people are going go there. The path to hell is broader than heaven. Which is sad but true. God has only called on His children. I am so grateful that I am one of His children. I really want to be a servant to God and obey His will for my life, because it is the only way. All other ways lead to death and destruction.
I think that some people think that living a life without Christ isn't so bad. And you may be right...for a temporary moment. You have to realize that one thing leads to another. Gossip turns into hate, which turns into fighting, which turns into murder, which turns into death. That is an extreme example. Don't think you can withstand death and destruction. Yes, we live in the civilized country of America but what happens when we are no longer free? When things start to get serious. When you start to realize what is important in life. When all of the superficial distractions and partying, and relying on yourself are gone. What do you have left? I would hate to rely on myself a mere human, to be in control of my life. My selfish desires and human nature will drive myself into destrution. I would rather rely on higher spiritual power, the creator of the universe, the prince of peace, our God who loves us so dear and is always there for us. Forever....he will never fade. He is the only thing that is eternal and he wants us to join Him in the Kingdom of Heaven. I need to stop keeping my faith a secret and start telling more people about Christ. I don't want anyone to experience that haunted house for eternity, that would break my heart.
Sometimes I think that I am this amazing person who has these "set of skills" that I have acquired. If you talk to me, I joke a lot about myself in an arrogent way but I realized that even though I joke about it, some of it is true. For example, I think about how I love to go on stage and perform. I am not the one who is the amazing talented person that can dance or act, God gave me those abilities and he can take them away. My passion for performing, I really need to start using for God's glory and that alone. Not for my own selfish praise and glory (which is what most performers are taught to acquire).
This whole blog post just kind of sprang up out of no where. But last night I was at Howl-O-Scream with some of my friends. We went in this one haunted house that was just like death. It was called "Taste of Blood" and it had dead bodies, blood and "evil spirits" everywhere. There was just darkness all over and in the middle of it you come to this guy who is the "ruler" of the house and he is on like this high pedestal kind of thing and he says "I have your souls for eternity...muahhahaha". All of this sounds cheesy but I am going to make a point, I promise. That haunted house reminded me of what it would be like to be in hell for eternity. It would be like 20 billion times worse. Just death and darkness all over and no way out. Just think about....no light, hope or love ever. Just satan and a eternal pit of darkness, forever. And people are going go there. The path to hell is broader than heaven. Which is sad but true. God has only called on His children. I am so grateful that I am one of His children. I really want to be a servant to God and obey His will for my life, because it is the only way. All other ways lead to death and destruction.
I think that some people think that living a life without Christ isn't so bad. And you may be right...for a temporary moment. You have to realize that one thing leads to another. Gossip turns into hate, which turns into fighting, which turns into murder, which turns into death. That is an extreme example. Don't think you can withstand death and destruction. Yes, we live in the civilized country of America but what happens when we are no longer free? When things start to get serious. When you start to realize what is important in life. When all of the superficial distractions and partying, and relying on yourself are gone. What do you have left? I would hate to rely on myself a mere human, to be in control of my life. My selfish desires and human nature will drive myself into destrution. I would rather rely on higher spiritual power, the creator of the universe, the prince of peace, our God who loves us so dear and is always there for us. Forever....he will never fade. He is the only thing that is eternal and he wants us to join Him in the Kingdom of Heaven. I need to stop keeping my faith a secret and start telling more people about Christ. I don't want anyone to experience that haunted house for eternity, that would break my heart.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Ask for opportunities
So, tonight in our Romans group bible study we talked about a lot of cool stuff. One thing that came up was asking God to have opportunities to be used as a servant for Him through out the day. I usually just say to God that I am here to be used for your Kingdom today and if you place an opportunity in front of me I will be used by the Holy Spirit. Well, I told my group of guys how I will say that to go God sometimes in the morning(which I did this morning). After bible study was over I got to be used by God in my own apartment at 1:00am. Even though it was just me encouraging my roommate, I still got to share a lot of wisdom with him that God can give us.
Kind of cool. Can't wait for tomorrow :)
Kind of cool. Can't wait for tomorrow :)
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