Saturday, January 31, 2009

ⁿεŵ ŞΏйĞ

You know in church, when you sing the songs, and sometimes you just zone out. Like at the end of the song, somebody can ask you what song you just sang, and you have no idea... you just weren't paying attention. I must always do that to this song, because today when I listened to the Newsboys sing it, it just grabbed onto my heart. In Christ Alone...

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh, Fullness of God in helpless babe! This gift of love and righteousness, Scorned by the ones He came to save. Till on that cross as Jesus died, The wrath of God was satisfied; For ev'ry sin on Him was laid— Here in the death of C
hrist I live. There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain; Then bursting forth in glorious day, Up from the grave He rose again! And as He stands in victory, Sin's curse has lost its grip on me; For I am His and He is mine— Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

That's only the middle two verses. I wish I had this song so I could listen to it over and over again. I mean... "Scorned by the ones He came to save." When that phrase is sung, I get this picture in my head...

You're out at sea, your boat sank, and you're just floating there in your life jacket in stormy weather. Then this guy comes on a boat to save you. He reaches his hand out to save you and you completely reject him. But you don't just reject him, you call him names and cuss at him and are just a flat out jerk.

Seriously? He came to save you! There is no sense in not accepting his rescue! Why can we do this to Jesus? He came to rescue us, and we say "No thanks, I'm good. I'll just continue floating to shore."

Not me. I'm going to grab onto His hand and let Him save me.

(btw, just before I posted this, I figured I'd check on my Dell DJ to see if it was on there, and it was there! I'm so pumped!!!!)

Holiness or God?

"Paul did not say that he separated himself, but 'when it pleased God, who separated me . . .' (Galatians 1:15). Paul was not overly interested in his own character. And as long as our eyes are focused on our own personal holiness, we will never even get close to the full reality of redemption. Christian workers fail because they place their desire for their own holiness above their desire to know God."
-Oswald Chambers

As part of our Christian Life and Ethics course, with Dave Wager, we are to read at least 75 daily devotionals from Chamber's "My Utmost for His Highest." It works out to be 5 a week. I've read probably about a dozen or so. Reading through today's devotional, this just jumps out at me.

Growing up in the church I've kinda played the game... if you know what I mean. I wasn't seeking God, I was just making it look like I was a good Christian... I sought "holiness." I knew some characteristics to being a holy person. I was trying to become holy in the wrong way, though. The more you seek Christ, the more holy you become... that's the only way.

God set me apart. Set me to be holy. It's time I prioritize my desires...

#1: To know God.

That's the only priority I need to get in place right now...

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

The Last Christian Generation

I definitely just finished reading "The Last Christian Generation" by Josh McDowell. What an interesting book. Lots of challenging things, many things that will help me out. This guy presents some very interesting ideas, that I think are right on (some are even true of me). I'd tell you what some of the things are, but I forgot them at the moment and I can't find them in the book! Anyways, it's a good book, you should read it.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Sick

I feel like I'm getting sick. Pray for me, guys. I dont wanna get sick!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Proverbs 3:5

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding"

No, I didn't accidentally post my memory verse of the day here. This verse has been on my mind like all day everyday since last Tuesday. I don't know why. I've heard people make references to this verse like 4 times since Tuesday, so I find that very odd too. There's gotta be a reason this verse is on my mind. I'm just going to keep thinkin about it, and let you know what I come up with.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Chapel


This weekend I led chapel for the dishcrew. The dishcrew consisted of some members of TNT, the middle school youth group at ACC. Of course I ran into some problems (I can never seem to have a worship session where everything goes smoothly...) but we still had a great time. Some of the songs we sang were Trading My Sorrows, You're My Friend, Blessed be the Your Name, He Reigns (probly my new fav song behind trading my sorrows), and It is You. We had three chapel services, with Justin, Sarah, and Tessa each speaking at one.
At the end of chapel today I asked them if they learned anything, if they learned anything that will change their lives. I kinda got some responses, but not really that much. I don't really know these kids, but I know these chapels helped build them up. It's discouraging when nobody really says they learned anything, but it's encouraging to know that we've been planting little seeds in their mind that will sprout up when they get older.

One side note about this... We met in the Erickson room, which I inconveniently found out doesn't have a projector. So I had to type up the songs to make some transparencies... only to spend an hour looking for some blank transparencies unsuccessfully. I searched the office from top to bottom, except for one place. There was a hidden storage shelf on the bottom of the copier where they were. I found that out the next morning, just in time to make the overheads for the second chapel.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

A new blog...

http://meditatenightandday.blogspot.com/

Character Creep


I've been thinking lately about the character Creep. The character Creep is from a book I read this summer with Jon, a book called "Deadly Viper." The idea behind this character is that everything creeps into your life. Things don't happen overnight. If I remember correctly, the book talked about how sins and evil creep in. Lately I've been thinking how the character creep can be good.

You know when you go to camp during the summer, and you get that great spiritual high, then you go home and it's gone quicker than you got it? Yeah, everybody knows what I'm talkin about. When I think of my grandpa, Henry Nelson, I think of a man with a life in spiritual high mode. He loved God so much, you could just see His love pour out through him. He didn't get that way overnight, at a camp during the summer when he was a teenager. It was a life-process. He slowly grew in spiritual maturity and closeness with Christ.

Some people have their life-changing experiences, maybe a car crash, a house fire, or some other near-death experience that changes their life forever. But for the 99% who that doesn't happen to, I think we need to remember the character creep. Everything creeps into your life. That one sin you've been stuck in for years, you gonna let it creep in deeper? That dusty bible on your bookshelf, will you let that creep into your life?

You pick what creeps in. What do you pick next?

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Summer Staff

Part of the NBI program is participating in the summer camps. We just got applications for summer staff positions. I'm really stuck on what to apply for. I can see myself doing all the jobs... just not happily or effectively for the whole summer. Here's the list of possible jobs:
  • Staff Director: basically I'd be the counselor for all the guys on summer staff. I'd work with them, hang with them, set up chapels, lead daily devo's with them... babysit them pretty much (or so I'm told)
  • Program Team: leads dinning hall stuff, chapel stuff, plan and run any games or activities. hanging with campers during free time
  • Climbing Wall
  • Maintenance
  • Shift Cook
  • CA outfitter
  • Tech Team
  • Dishroom
  • Canteen
  • Coffee bar
  • Wrangler
  • Craft Room
  • Health Care Supervisor
  • Lifeguard
  • Housekeeping
  • CA Guest Services
We were told to circle ones that we were willing to do, which I italicized here. Then they ask for your two top preferences. I bolded the two that I'm leaning towards, but I'm just so unsure. I want to do something that I'd be good at, would enjoy, that would challenge me, that i'd be effective in... and yadda yadda ya. Any ideas at what you think I should do?

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Unusual Day


Motivation. One of the few qualities I lack (I'm pretty awesome all around). Something was different about today. I was just unusually motivated. A few things I don't normally do that I did today: got up earlier than 2 minutes before class started, ate 3 meals, jogged, resist-a-band training, showered (i did actually shower today, shocking? Believe it!), devotional, blogged. I don't really do any of those too often, except for showering. I don't really know where this motivation is coming from, especially after having such a crappy sleep last night. Still today there's more things I wanna do that I don't normally do: I wanna write in my prayer journal, I wanna dive into the word just on my own and read it, I wanna make my bed (doesn't seem special, but i think it speaks a lot if somebody makes there bed), I wanna start my hw earlier than the day before its due.

I think this might be from my Spiritual Formation class I took at the beginning of the month. It's a really motivating and encouraging class. We've been out of the class for like a week and I've changed nothing in my life, until today. I really want to keep doing what I'm doing today. It's like an insane energy boost going about life like this. I love it. YEAH!

Monday, January 19, 2009

Eau Claire Dells

Today I went to the Eau Claire Dells with Drew, Clair, Justin, Sarah, Steve, and Pete the Hunt. It looks way cooler in the summer, but it still looked pretty sweet with snow. I got some cool pics with Rachel's camera, I'll try to post them soon. I got some pretty amazing pics and vids. It was scary runnin around there cuz we never knew if we were on a rock or on the ice cuz there was like 2 feet of snow covering everything. Justin fell in once, up to his waiste. He said he wasn't too cold... but who knows. I didn't fall in at all, but I did have a great time climbin around and all that jazz.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Fear


I've always struggled with the idea of fearing God. I mean, how are you supposed to fear Him? I'm not scared that He's going to zap me with a bolt of lightning, and I don't think I ever will. So then do I not fear God? How does one fear God?

What popped into my mind is the idea that God is our King. Back when kings ruled, how did their subjects fear their king? True, some of them were really terrified of their king (if it was a bad king). God is a good king, though. He is fair and just. How would you fear a king like that?

I looked up the definition of fear. I came up with "reverential awe, esp. toward God." The word "reverential" didn't mean much to me, so I looked up "reverence" and found "a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe." So in this sense, fear means a deep respect tinged with awe. I can think of movies where I saw a subject bow to his king, and I can totally understand how they fear their king.

I now understand what it means to fear God. The funny part is that I've heard people explain "fearing God" to me before, and it just never clicked with me. I get it now. I'm good.

Fear is good. I fear ___ = ___ rules me. The key is to find the good things to fear.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Spiritual Formation


Today was the first day for our Spiritual Formation class ... intensive style. I had class for 7 hours today, and for 5 tomorrow. Same thing next Monday and Tuesday. I was expecting today to be a long day, but it turned out to be great. I really loved the class, and it was easy to stay awake most of the time. The content in this class really makes me think about things that need to be thought about (....yeah). I'm thinking about things that I need to do, choices I need to make, new ways to approach different things. It almost feels like a motivational class; it just gets me pumped up to actually get up fill my soul up. Can't wait to see what else I learn from this class.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Love Affair of Mind.

http://lostkidney.blogspot.com/2008/12/love-affair-of-mind.html

Nicolet


Nicolet is not turning out to be what I expected. I can't really tell you what I expected, but I didn't expect this. Maybe it's just because there's a lot of prank drama going on. Maybe it's because we're not in any classes right now. Maybe I was just depending on this place to "fix" me. I came here with plans to change. I guess it turned out I was planning on being changed, more than changing myself. I haven't changed a bit. I know more, I've learned a lot. But I'm still the same tard I was before I came here. I've got the same struggles, same habits, same problems. 

The new semester is starting. It almost seems like last semester was wasted. I don't want to waste this one. I'm not going to wait to be changed; I will change myself. I'm not really looking forward to the decisions I will have to make. But I don't want to get to the end of this year and feel like I do now. I don't look back 6 months and be the same person. I want to grow.

Ready? Set... GROW!  (kinda cheesy, but still delicious)


Thursday, January 1, 2009

Worship Apparel

So last weekend some of us NBi students were asked to do worship for one of the family retreats. I didn't find out till Friday night, and we had to play that night... kinda pissed me off. But the weekend went great, worship went very well and all that jazz. Today I learn that somebody commented on my outfit for worship: a hat. Apparently appropriate apparel does not include hats.

It was suggested that I gauge my audience and dress appropriately. Understood. But, still... if a group comes in and it's a kilt party, there's no way I'll wear a kilt. I'll worship the way I want wearing what I want. I know that sounds kinda self-centered or selfish, but it's not. I'm just not going to conform to your "worship outfit standards." Please correct me if my thinking is wrong.