Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Off Roading

This happened a few days ago... like Friday or Saturday night. I went off roading in my truck, with Steve following in his S-10, and Drew following him in his Land Rover. We had only been gone for about 10 minutes, and I approached a small mud pit. I assessed the pit as I approached it, and figured I'd make it (after all, I'd been through waaaay bigger pits than this one). So I gun it and about half way my truck turns sideways and I get stuck.

Drew pulls up behind me, and tries to pull me out with a rope I had. The rope snapped. We sent Steve to go get chains. About 20 minutes later we see him walking back, he had gotten stuck. Steve said Luke had come out in his truck, and saw Steve's truck stuck, so Luke went to go get chains. Then Luke went to go pull out Steve, and while he was working on that, I went with Drew to go get some more chains so he could pull me out.

While we were at camp, we picked up Craig, and he grabbed a camp diesel 4x4 truck and chains, and he followed us out to where I was stuck. He hooked the chains up to my bumper and tried pulling me out. After he bent the bumper a little bit, and moved me about an inch, he reconnected the chains to my suspension. Man did he have to struggle to get me outta that pit. It took quite some time and some serious yanking on my truck to get it out.

So after he got me out, we headed out to where Steve was stuck. Apparently Luke had gotten stuck trying to pull Steve out. But they pushed him out, and then he was able to pull Steve out. So then we all took off outta there, with Luke leading the way. He got stuck again. So craig pulled him out pretty quickly. Then we finally made it outta there!

So we started off with 3 trucks, only one of them a 4x4 and 7 people. We ended up with 5 vehicles out there, only 2 4x4s, and 10 people. Trucks got stuck a total of 4 times. 1 ripped rope. 2 bent bumpers. Off roading for about 10 minutes, but we were out there for 3 hours.

I guess I shouldn't go off roading after it rains for like 3 days straight...

And all our vehicles are ok, except Steve's bumper is totally jacked up. My bumper is bent a little it, but no real damage... at least that I've seen so far... (but my truck got so full of mud... it was awesome!)

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Home Laziness



It's great being home. No homework. No set schedule. Nothing I have to do except chill. It's great. Except for the fact that I get nothing done, and I get fat from sitting and eating nonstop. I love my family, and I love being with them and being back in my hometown. But I need to get back to school and get back in my zone. You know what I'm sayin?

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Are You Really A Christian?

Now there's a great question. There's nothing like challenging your faith. There are always times where we ask ourselves that question. Times like... you walk into a room where you know people should be, and nobody is there. You think to yourself something like "Crap! I hope I didn't miss the rapture!" Yeah, its kinda funny to share those stories, but take a moment to look back at what you just thought. I hope I didn't miss the rapture. You've just questioned your Christianity. There's verses that state that once you're a believer, you're always a believer, and that we have peace through that (Romans 5:1). We are secure in Christ, and we're not going to miss out on the rapture, so why do we think that?

Sometimes I think some terribly wicked thought, and I slap myself and think "I can't believe I just thought that. How can a Christian think something so horrible? If I do think that, does that mean I'm not a Christian?" Then I go about trying to prove to myself that I'm a Christian.

I think about this passage: 22 Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem.23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He replied,24 “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail.25 When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’26 Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’27 And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.’

Luke 13:22-27 (NLT)

So you're telling me that there are those who claim to be Christians, and they fully believe they are... but in reality they aren't? Oh man, I hope I'm not one of them! Thereabouts I begin to try to prove to myself that I'm one of the real Christians.

At this point of typing my blog up, I stopped and asked my friend to read it. I asked him if these were legitimate questions, and if I was the only one who was thinking this. He said he never questioned his faith in God, and suggested that I look at some scripture to help me think through this.

So that was actually really discouraging. Maybe I am the only one who has thought this stuff. So I sat there for a little bit, just kinda discouraged... and started playing the snake game for awhile. Then I decided to go make myself some turkey, and read James (it's due for class tomorrow).

So I was in the PK eating my delicious turkey, corn bread, and some Sun Chips, and began reading away... not really expecting much. But man did I get a handful of verses. I wasn't even seeking verses to help me in my questions, but I sure got a ton of them. James is definitely my new favorite book. Maybe some of these verses don't sound like encouragement to you, but they were to me. They were motivating, and gave me a greater sense of security.

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (1:6)
but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. (1:14)
16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

These verses just jumped out at me. It was like God sitting right next to me, looking me and the face, and just unloading it all at me. I feel God yanking on my heart, getting my attention, and prompting me to grow. I love it!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Best Question Ever


I officially read "The Best Question Ever." It was a great book, but I've heard most of it from Jon Duey already! It's strange though, how things hit you in different ways during different times, coming from different sources. I've already used the best question ever a handful of times today, and I love it. It's so motivating and encouraging.

Totally unrelated to that... I've been so tired lately. I've been nonstop busy since Thursday, and it's taking a toll on me. Tonite I've just been laying in bed, doing nothing but trying to gain some energy for the rest of the week. I'm definitely going to bed and sleeping for like 3 years.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Rough Night


So tonight was definitely a long night for chapel. We tried a few new songs, and they definitely didn't work. Take It All was the worst. We practiced yesterday, and all was well. But today, during practice, things just got worse. Then for chapel everything kinda just fell apart. I guess it was just my bad for trying to do that much new stuff in one night. It was so frustrating because I had some really cool sounding stuff ready, but wasn't able to play it during chapel... big frustration. I'm sure we couldn't have sounded that good tonight.

Then while Steve Tice was speaking, he was talking about how God uses us, even when we don't think He does. He looked me straight in the eye, and told me that God used me tonight. He used me to lead worship. It's not really some profound statement... but man did that hit me hard. I've been sucking at leading worship, and it's really been bothering me. I have really been letting myself, my own desires for the band, my own stupid self get in the way of God using me.

How much of me gets in God's way? "We run ahead of Him in a thousand and one activities, becoming so burdened with people and problems that we don’t worship God" - Oswald Chambers. It's even good things that I'm running ahead with. But the point is that I'm running ahead. Or I've got my own agenda.

I want to have my eyes fixed on God, simply living with His will in my mind.