Think you've fallen too far.... Think again.

Well... another year of school come and gone.  What have i learned and what's God been teaching me in my life? Recently i've been reading over Hebrews 12 as often as I can.  This is something i never would have done in the past; in the past i would have read the chapter and moved on to something new.  But this time i feel like God was telling me to keep reading it and see if there's anything new i can learn.  Man am i glad i did, I've learned more from this chapter this past week to two weeks, than i would have had i moved on and just read more scripture.  This chapter pretty much summed up everything that's been going on this year and what my goal and prayer has been this past year.  Granted, i feel like i've grown the most spiritually this past month than i have in most of my life.  So why has this chapter meant so much to me?  This past month my goal his been to set my focus on God and put everything else aside including- schoolwork, relationships, money, and whatever else you want to add into that list to personalize it.  That's been one of the greatest prayers i have prayed and seen God actually answer and show himself through that prayer.  It's when i was at my weakest and most fragile point that God said, it's time, you're ready to listen.  I feel like i've spent my time in the corner spiritually, and finally i gave up my pride and said i was sorry for ignoring God.  Focusing solely on God has been such an encouragement, and it's helped me in my prayer life, devotions, and church life.  

I never was one that was great at paying attention or taking notes in church, but these past few weeks i've payed attention so much easier and learned more than i would have thought.  I also havn't struggled with taking notes either.  It may sound like i'm talking for some infomercial, but seriously i've found what helps me right now and maybe it will help you.  For me, i learn best when i write my thoughts and words down, this also helps me remember more.  So what i've started to do is really focus on what i've heard in sunday school, and what the songs we sing actually mean.  Then right before the message or during the beginning of the message i just write down a prayer to God and just praising Him and thanking Him fro what he's done and who is.  I feel like this is one of the best ways to help focus on what is coming in the message.  It's sets the tone to be opened up to what God has to teach you.  This may not work for everyone, but i know it's helped me, so hopefully it will help you.  

So back to the main point of this blog... God's gonna use who he wants, whether you're a God hater or a God lover. What Hebrews 12 is talking about is that we don't have to grow weary or lose heart in our Christian walk.  God already sent his Son to go to the cross and take that sin that wears us down.  We don't have to bare the burden, because God already has carried the burden away.  It goes on to talk about how God disciplines those He loves, it's not out of hate or a despising of his children.  It may seem like God's punishing you, but it's because he loves you.  I think the greatest example we have is parents punishing their kids, where what it should be is out of love to teach a lesson and help the child learn and grow.  Last thing i want to comment on is a part of Hebrews 12 i read in -The Voice- version......

This is a little commentary from -The Voice- on Hebrews 12-

"The Bible is a brutally honest book. It contains stories of liars, murderers, and adulterers; and these are the good guys. If we read the Bible looking only for positive role models, we’ll be quickly disappointed. But if we are honest with ourselves and confess our own faults, we will find in Scripture, particularly in the First Testament, that we have much in common with many broken saints of the past. But we must not stay broken. We must follow their path to transformation through repentance and faith."

If you think about it, it's true. Look at Paul, who persecuted and murdered believers for a lot of his life. God used someone like that, to do amazing works for Him. Look at David, whom God called a man after his own heart. David was a murderer and an adulterer- didn't God use Him too. So if you think just because you've done some bad stuff in your life, that God won't use you, think again. God uses the people that have fallen the farthest to show his grace and faithfulness, and to show that no one has fallen too far away from Him. We've got such great hope, thanks to God's work on the cross.

Well that was my last post of this school year and time in florida for this year at least.

Are We Praying Correctly-- Intro

     So, I want to get some stuff off my chest about prayer.  I think as believers, we complicate prayer.  Prayer has to be done this way.  Prayer has to be a certain length.  Prayer has to be done at certain times.  You can only pray about one thing but you shouldn't pray about other stuff.  Why do we make prayer something so difficult.  I think sometimes we have so many guidelines, it pushes people away from praying (especially in groups).  We set a standard, and if you don't reach that standard with your prayer, you're looked down upon.  Maybe not everyone feels this way, i know i have definitely felt this way on many occasions.  There's a few subjects i want to touch on with prayer.  I want to discuss the Lord's prayer, which i believe is a prayer that is common to most believers and unbelievers alike.  What should be the content of our prayers? (which will be touched upon a little dealing with the Lord's prayer)  What does God want from us when we pray?  Now i may add or subtract a little from those topics depending upon what comes to my mind.  I may even have to expand into multiple blog-posts  maybe even a blog-series.  Oh and almost forgot, one last topic will be about- what influence does Satan have on our prayer life?  

    So, don't expect much more in this blog post about prayer.  Hopefully this will just wet your appetite and maybe even make you go study up on prayer and maybe even just make you think a little before the next time you pray.  I know I've definitely been evolving in my prayer life lately, especially in this past year at college, and even more in these past few weeks coming down to the end of the semester.  I especially know that if i didn't post this little intro blog-post, i would be bound to forget to write what i'm going to write about.  But if i have this out for others to see, i feel a sense of responsibility to deliver.  Hopefully i'll have something more up within the next day or days, but if i don't, i will for sure have it up soon.  I especially want to make sure i do my due diligence and not just post what i want to post, but what God has been teaching me through my spiritual walk recently and even way back in my life.  So i encourage you to spend some time in prayer and pray for me that God would work in my life and do his will in my life, no matter how difficult it may be.  i also want to encourage you to pray for others around you, God answers prayers in the most amazing ways sometimes, so don't limit God when you pray. (Of course God can't be limited, but you get the point)  Pray with a high understanding and respect for God and his power, gentleness, justice, grace, and peace.  

I know I was just rambling for a while through this post, but hopefully it was encouraging.  Until next time. 

        -From dust i came into this world, and to dust i will return.

Smack-in-the-face

You ever have one of those smack-in-the-face moments?  After ignoring God and putting Him off, He always finds a way to give you that smack in the face that you need (not literally, but sometimes it feels pretty close to a real smack in the face).  It’s always at just the right time too.  That was me this past Sunday in church.  Sundays tend to become so routine and don’t mean as much as they should.  In college group, we watched a Francis Chan video about communion.  What came across to me from that, was the fact that communion becomes such a routine; going from when i can first remember to now, being in church, communion has been a once a month ritual that is followed.  Why do we do it?  What does it mean?  Why is it once a month? Am i really following what communion should be?  These are just some of the questions I started asking myself during college group.  I’ve always thought that communion was a ritualistic thing done in church, silently and held in to myself.  Are we doing communion right?  Is there a right way to do it?  From what i see, communion almost seems better fit to be done in homes or in small groups, rather than in a large group setting where there isn’t a fellowship type bonding.  

Just some of the definitions of communion (defined by dictionary.com) are as follows:

1. Association; Fellowship

2. The act of sharing, or holding in common

3. The Lord’s Supper is so called, because in it, there is fellowship between

Christ and His disciples and of the disciples with one another.

In the Bible, the idea of communion is sharing, fellowship, and remembrance.  It is the breaking of bread and drinking of a cup.  This was not done in solitude, but in a relatively small group, around a table.  Not that it’s wrong to have communion in a church of a couple hundred people but maybe we should rethink what we are doing for just a minute.  Does it really serve a purpose if people are just taking part in a ritual they don’t completely understand.  Maybe we should try doing something different, changing things up, making it more about fellowship with Christ, remembrance of what Christ did on the cross for us, and fellowship with the believers around us.  Maybe it’s just me over thinking, or maybe it’s something that we should really think about.  Communion doesn’t have to be anything fancy and it doesn’t have to be something done with one person leading and us just following along.  It should be done as a body, as one.  We are the body of Christ, the church, and this is something we should take part in together.  Should it be a time of individual remembrance of Christ? I think yes.  I also believe that it should be taken as a time for the church to remember what Christ did for sinners as a whole.

When we remember what Christ did for us on the cross, it’s almost impossible to do without seeing how broken we are.  We are so messed up and we fail God time and time again.  It’s in these times of brokenness that God shows His grace and faithfulness that much more.  This grace is poured out on wretched, undeserving sinner- it truly is amazing grace.  For someone like me, and i believe this goes for everyone, it is impossible to show this kind of grace and faithfulness even to a close friend or family member.  Nevermind forgiving someone one time or just every once in awhile; we reject God constantly and constantly push Him away.  Why would he keep forgiving us?  We are told to love others as we love ourselves.  If we truly did this, think of how much better our families, friend groups, church, school, city, state, and country would be.  We can see just how much God loves us, it’s only right that we show this love on other people as well.  What better example of love to follow, than that of Jesus Christ being sent to a sinful and messed up world, and dying a painful death on the cross for undeserving sinners.  

As with most of my future blogging, most of my thoughts and topics will be based on song lyrics or verses that i’ve heard or read recently, or thought of.  This post was brought to you by a relient k song, called “Be My Escape”.  

"I’m giving up on doing this alone now

Cause I’ve failed and I’m ready to be shown how

He’s told me the way and I’m trying to get there

And this life sentence that I’m serving

I admit that I’m every bit deserving

But the beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair"

So, as i was saying before, it was a smack-in-the-face kind of Sunday.  It was one of those Sundays where i could have just gone through college group and the music and would have been alright without a sermon.  It was a much needed reminder for me and hopefully it will be a good reminder for you as well. 

Well it's finally time... to put my thoughts onto paper (or screen, or other computer format).  This seems the best way for me to share my thoughts and opinions.  I've put it off long enough and my time to blog has come.  So if you're ever wondering what is going through my mind or what my thoughts are on something, you may just find your answer here.  Granted, my writing style may not be the smoothest, or my thoughts may be slightly jumbled, but at least I've got it written down and recorded.

I know i'm not alone, but i tend to have those moments, moments after conversational moments (i know, a lot of moments in one sentence) where i think of something I had wish i had shared or brought into a conversation.  What better way to share, than with the whole internet world and friends.

So nothing big to start, just a little intro for my future writing.  Hope you enjoy reading, what i enjoy writing. (and if you don't, well that's too bad i guess)