...on the banks of the stormy Jordan...

i really pick the worst times to update this.
because i have work in a few minutes, thus giving myself barely enough time to write, but it may be enough.

there's this show, i don't know if it's still on, or what channel, because i've been hulu-ing it. it's called Kings.
kind of like king's academy, but with a big twist.
it's a modern day parallel to the story of David.
i don't know how this tv channel got the green light on a biblical interpretation, but they did, and i am happy for that.
anyway, in the story, David starts to see signs, signs in his life that before he would disregard.
things are going bad for the kingdom, but as David chooses to follow the God-given signs, he does well for the kingdom.

it's difficult to separate what i think is His plan versus what is just "mine."
i know a lot of us at this age really can let this topic get the best of us.
it's vital to remember Who actually does the deciding here. because it then prepares us to be ready for anything.
our life isn't our own. we made a decision to be used by Him.
not just to be used in places we are comfortable with. and not always places we have dreamed we would go.

God can do anything.

i fully believe in signs and if they are truly from the One who created me, then i wholeheartedly want to follow them. without reluctancy.

"If we've lost our faith in You, are we all forgotten too?"

the answer is a resounding NO.

"If we are faithless, He remains faithful."

Pathetic

I'm slowly realizing each day how pathetic I am.
School is just one thing, but I'm not speaking scholastically.
As I dwell on my classes and how I can be effective in pointing others towards Christ, the Holy Spirit asked me a question,
"When you will have left this particular class, will anyone have known you were a Christian."

This question entails many questions.

Have I made Christ known simply through my own countenance? Like being interested in education, being excited about listening and learning to what my teacher is saying.
Do I act different about what others will most likely consider boring?
Do I participate in discussions and proclaim Jesus through the truth to be found about said discussion?
Again, can anyone tell I am a Christian? Can anyone tell I follow Jesus Christ?
Have I ever said anything relating to the Gospel?
Have I given any of my classmates hope in the midst of their hopeless lives?

If I realized what Christ has done for me, what eternal hell He has saved me from, then I would be excellent at answering these questions.

The fact isn't so much that I'm off the hook, because I can't comprehend what Christ has done, but more so, because my sinful flesh contains pride and fear that screams, "You are better than them, they don't deserve your time, just keep soaking in growing in godliness on your own accord."

It's pathetic.

I'm off to Sonic, but there are answers to hopelessness, and there is a Light that can always outshine the darkness.

"Don't close your eyes, don't pretend the job is done!"

Keith Green is so good!

So i just took a very very very quick lunch break (about 5 minutes). In that time, good ol' Ravi Zacharias was speaking on some radio station (Probably Victory 91.5! ahh good ol' Adventures in Odyssey!).

Within those 5 minutes i have about double the amount of quotes i had than when i had sat down to eat my grilled cheese sandwich.

This was one of my favorites:

"God is like the Sun, you can't look at Him, but you can only look at other things with Him."

My mind is melting.

Ravi is such a gift to us all, thank You Lord!

Whoever you are reading this...feel blessed that there is a God, and He wants you to be with Him.

back to my paper...

No Polynesian sauce.

You heard me correctly.

At KSU we have what they call a "Chic-fil-a Express." It's pretty much a rip-off.
They really need a dollar menu for college students, but that is besides the point. Anyways.
So I LOVE the Polynesian/Mayonnaise combo on their famous chicken sandwich. So extravagant.
Polynesian is basically THE actual sweet nectar of life. I mean, it looks like nectar, it tastes, and goes down like nectar.
I eat the stuff straight for crying out loud.
Bottom line is, that the "Express" place has been out of the stuff for the last two weeks. TOTALLY unacceptable.

For internet translations sake, I am not seriously mad, but I am seriously CRAVING the nectar!

Well there is a fun, little bite size update from life at the Student Center.

New Wertz album came out yesterday.
He's on a big label now, so he included some of his best old songs for all the newbies to hear. Good decision. I can wait even longer for new stuff. BUT BUT BUT, there are 4 new ones on the new album as well, and they are all splenda.

"Well I guess I'm just scared, I'm the only one here, who's growing old, but not quite growing up."

While things can always get worse, Jesus gives things infinitely better

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"Faith is like radar that sees through the fog."
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Filet 'o Fish

This last week has been very relaxing. I got a few opportunities to visit the old tri-house area (The Driver's, Gregory's, and the Padgett's old house). I love that place. It's right on a peaceful lake. We actually have land there to build a house, but we haven't done anything with it yet, so we'll probably end up selling it.

Too much info, anyway, the best part about all this was getting to fish. Fishing swims through my veins in many ways, and I can never get enough of it. Experiencing God's nature, experiencing the peace of God, and maybe even getting to experience food from God is a blessing. Yes, we did end up eating what we caught. I could go on and on about how fun it was for me and yadda yadda yadda, but I say all this to say that there is always something in your life that God has provided for you to experience His peace. I had forgotten what it was until recently. 

Quick funny story, the first night, I managed to get two fishing lines stuck out on the lake. Both times of which I thought I had caught "The big one," to my utter shame from excitement,  I was definitely wrong. So I just left the poles laying against the dock, and left the fishing lines somewhere out in the lake, stuck. It was actually fun to tug them every once in a while, pretending to catch a fish.

Here are three quick encouragements from my Proverbs portion this morning.

Ch.16

v.1 

"The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord."

The Lord gives us so many choices and opportunities to live our lives every day for Him. He wants to see us delighting in His blessings and Himself. 

v.3-4 

"Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble."

Perspectives of work really changes when you remember God is always watching you. Not only that He is watching you, but that you should want to commit all your effort to Him. Also, it was terrific to see a section where the Lord said He made everything for a purpose. 

v.33 "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord."

I love this because again it states how not a thing happens without the Lord aware and in control of it. He is even aware of every fish that wandered by my fishing bait, but never bit the bait!

"When you get what you want, but not what you need."

Forever Changed - "Knowledge"

Everybody’s talking, how the world’s changing.
Everybody’s wondering, “How far will we run?”
Can you see the train wreck?
People scattered on the ground searching for answer they’ve never found.
And all I have is answers
To yesterday’s questions.

You should’ve known...
You should’ve known...
You should’ve known
There’s more to life than “Live for Today.”

I can hear them whispering how they all feel lonely.
If they only knew where true love is found.
I can see them dying, falling on the floor.
Everybody’s waiting to run out the door.

You should’ve known...
You should’ve known...
You should’ve known
There’s more to life than “Live for Today.”

So slow down.
You just want to be loved.
I hear it all the time.
Everybody’s wondering how far will we run...

You should’ve known...
You should’ve known...
You should’ve known
There’s more to life than “Live for Today.”

Yesterday I was reminded that life is a lot shorter than I think.

Over a long period of time through a sickness or maybe in the blink of an eye through a car crash, we all are decaying and dying. For this reason, it's so vital and important to live life for the future, for eternity. Doing that takes on many different tasks, but my prayer is that those tasks reflect the Gospel, reflect what Jesus would do in my position. Or better yet, look to the Bible and see what He did in my position. I can't be thankful enough for the fact that I already have an example to look towards. Or else, getting lost would be an every-moment occurence. It's all because of Jesus that I'm alive. Man, I love that song.