Normally I am a fairly happy person but lately I have been stressed out about stuff but today felt really good.
Normally I would have been stressed with how today went (for the most part) but I just am not worrying today for some reason. IT FEELS GREAT!
My day started off crazy too.
#1. I didn't set my alarm BUT I woke up somehow at 5:09 am 1 minute before the time my alarm usually goes off. (yeah, God)
#2. So I got up and read some stuff online and then at 5:45am left for work BUT then I realized my name tag/punch in card was left at church so I quickly ran over there.
#3. It had snowed a lot last night and no one plowed our alley so I got stuck BUT I kept going forward and backward (a few times) and just like that I was on the road to church.
So then I got my badge and drove to work I got there at 5:59am 1 minute before I needed to be. That was cool.
#4. The rest of the day was pretty good until the afternoon when the movie I needed for Men's ministry wasn't at Blockbuster and I bought the wrong cables to hook up the video stuff in the worship center BUT oh well, I'll make it work.
I was going to go buy the correct cords for the video for tomorrow's men's ministry BUT I just felt like I needed to go home and see how things were going
#5. Then when I got home I walked into a crazy house with noisy kids and my wife with her shoes and coat on read to fly out the door because she is going insane inside with the kids all day/all winter. So she left and then I had the kids.
So now Soe bathed and in bed and Noelen is downstairs reading.
Normally if my day starts off bad or crazy I am grumpy for the rest of the day but today was different. Just brighter it seem.
I just thank God for days like this. Just happy peaceful days in the mist of my own craziness. I just pray that I find more of these days... that they just become a part of who I am everyday (or at least almost every day). As a side note: Also I like the snow in the morning it is peaceful and just..... quiet.
(it was super pretty out this morning with all the snow covered trees).
Thanks God!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Prophetic Words?
Alright, so the other day I am at Menard's working and I see this guy looking around at different lights. So, as we are trained to do, I asked if he needed any help. He responded to me that he was just looking at more lights since he and his wife just purchased a couple of lights earlier in the week.
So with that I went about my business. Until...
A few minutes later he stops me and says,
"Happy new year."
"Thanks" I responded
Then he goes on to say
"It is your year to be blessed. In 2008 you are just going to be so blessed, Josh [This use of my name by a stranger might have been amazing but I saw him look at my name tag]. So just start thanking God ahead of time because right now he is going to bless you in more ways then you could imagine. God is standing right here in front of you so start thanking him now."
Unsure of what just happened I simply again said "Ok, Thanks" then smiled and walked away.
And that was that.
So I went back to stocking but I was now deep in thought.
My first thought was... I wonder if that was actually for me? Was it prophetic? Was that guy an angel (probably not but maybe).
But really just maybe he says that message to everyone. Like a fortune cookie message: General enough to use on anyone, and essentially something that everyone like to hear so everyone wants to claim it as their own.
So I decided I would try and find the man and ask him if that message was just for me or something he told everyone.
But I never found him.
So first I talked to my "wise old" friend/mentor :) about it. And he said he would ask similar questions about the message. Yet, it doesn't hurt you either way. "At best" said my friend, "the message is a specific word for you and then you will be blessed" and "At worst, you praise God for blessing you even though you seemingly won't have a super blessed year". I agreed with that thought but it still didn't mean I wants curious about the man and the message.
He seemed to be a nice guy. No loon. He was genuinely happy and seemed convicted about his message (so that checked out ok). But I still didn't know if he told everyone the same message.
So then I went home and told Catie about it. She was convinced that it probably was a message just for me. But either way she said it didn't matter.
Never the less I was not satisfied with those responses.
The next day I told my co-worker the story and she said that the man was the husband for a Menard's walker (like a mall walker) and he had said the same thing to her and even started the conversation with "Happy New Year".
I was kind of bummed.
So I still don't know what to do with the message for being blessed. I know I will have blessings this year. I am going to have another child so that is a blessing in itself. But really, what do I do with a general message given by a guy I don't know how gives then exact same message to many different people?
I tell you what I should have done/should do.... pray about it. I seem to do that last a lot of times (bad idea).
But anyways, I know as a general idea that God loves to be praised and I know as a general rule that I don't thank God enough so really there is nothing to lose.
Yet, I still don't know what I think about Christians spreading a fortune cookie messages. It works well but it is kind of a bummer when you find out that he says it to everyone.
Any thoughts?
So with that I went about my business. Until...
A few minutes later he stops me and says,
"Happy new year."
"Thanks" I responded
Then he goes on to say
"It is your year to be blessed. In 2008 you are just going to be so blessed, Josh [This use of my name by a stranger might have been amazing but I saw him look at my name tag]. So just start thanking God ahead of time because right now he is going to bless you in more ways then you could imagine. God is standing right here in front of you so start thanking him now."
Unsure of what just happened I simply again said "Ok, Thanks" then smiled and walked away.
And that was that.
So I went back to stocking but I was now deep in thought.
My first thought was... I wonder if that was actually for me? Was it prophetic? Was that guy an angel (probably not but maybe).
But really just maybe he says that message to everyone. Like a fortune cookie message: General enough to use on anyone, and essentially something that everyone like to hear so everyone wants to claim it as their own.
So I decided I would try and find the man and ask him if that message was just for me or something he told everyone.
But I never found him.
So first I talked to my "wise old" friend/mentor :) about it. And he said he would ask similar questions about the message. Yet, it doesn't hurt you either way. "At best" said my friend, "the message is a specific word for you and then you will be blessed" and "At worst, you praise God for blessing you even though you seemingly won't have a super blessed year". I agreed with that thought but it still didn't mean I wants curious about the man and the message.
He seemed to be a nice guy. No loon. He was genuinely happy and seemed convicted about his message (so that checked out ok). But I still didn't know if he told everyone the same message.
So then I went home and told Catie about it. She was convinced that it probably was a message just for me. But either way she said it didn't matter.
Never the less I was not satisfied with those responses.
The next day I told my co-worker the story and she said that the man was the husband for a Menard's walker (like a mall walker) and he had said the same thing to her and even started the conversation with "Happy New Year".
I was kind of bummed.
So I still don't know what to do with the message for being blessed. I know I will have blessings this year. I am going to have another child so that is a blessing in itself. But really, what do I do with a general message given by a guy I don't know how gives then exact same message to many different people?
I tell you what I should have done/should do.... pray about it. I seem to do that last a lot of times (bad idea).
But anyways, I know as a general idea that God loves to be praised and I know as a general rule that I don't thank God enough so really there is nothing to lose.
Yet, I still don't know what I think about Christians spreading a fortune cookie messages. It works well but it is kind of a bummer when you find out that he says it to everyone.
Any thoughts?
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Job
Yeah! I have a job offer and now a job.... after a little bit negotiating and talking to the fellows at church... I now have a part time job at Lakeshore Vineyard. Most people probably won't notice I am now "on staff" because most think I was on staff anyways... but I really wasn't... I did a few things with video but for the most part I just did freelance video work and worked out a deal with the church so I could use some of their equipment.
Anyways, I am excited and nervous. It is a big responsibility and will actually give me a better idea of what ministry is all about (so I am for the most part going to be doing what I feel call into right now). I think this will be fun. It is going to push me though. I am going to have to improve on follow through and just getting everything done on time (administration). But, truthfully I really want to grow in those areas... I need to grow in those areas.
So for the next 5 months (5 months because that is the end of the fiscal year for the church) I will be on staff taking over a lot of what the worship/media guy was doing (on the media side) as well as video and some other creative areas. So I will be heading up a small video team, the audio/sound person team and also the website and print media team... so that is a lot. I need to find people that are passionate about those areas (or good at those areas). I am excited to train people in those areas too. I am looking forward to hopefully getting more people involved in church and in areas they are passionate about. Because that makes people feel apart of the church... Honestly, I am just excited just to be able to invest in people....
I actually didn't think it was going to work out with the church. They sort of put a job offer out that I really didn't want to do. It was to few hours for me to fully invest myself in the job. It is not that I didn't want to do the work in the job description, it is just that I didn't want church just to "be my job"; a job that I did just to make money.
So because of the few amount of hours the church wanted me to work, a ministry job could have turned into just "another job" and I just didn't want that. Maybe my philosophy of ministry is wrong but it would be hard for me to not jump into ministry with my whole heart. I am passionate about the Church and am passionate about Lakeshore Vineyard so not fully investing myself just wasn't an option for me personally.
You see, I believe that ministry is all about investing in the people around you... and with less hours I just didn't think I could do that the way I wanted to. I could have worked as fast as I could to get the "tasks" done that were needed to be done but that really isn't a ministry model; that is a business model.
I think that is where the lines blur for so many churches. In America, and for that matter in most countries, business is about efficiency and that is a good model, for a business. BUT what so few people seem to forget is that churches, for the most part, should not be run like a business. That is a major problem with a lot of church philosophy; we so often think we need to run them like a business. Working with people, loving and listening to people is not all about how efficient you are. Church SHOULD NOT be a business.
I just won't do that.
We do all know that most of Jesus' teachings were all about how to minister to people in manner that was as quick and efficient as possible. Jesus was all about the business church model. The Sermon on the Mount was actually called "The Five Steps to an Efficient Church" and his philosophy on ministry was "the less time I spend with individual people the more masses of people I can reach" because its all about numbers and efficiency... right? Wrong.
It was and is all about investing in people. Jesus never taught about how to minister to people quickly. He so often got his message across to many by spending quality time with a few. He knew it was ALL about the PEOPLE. And frankly, people are messy and they take time. The 12 disciples were a group of people that Jesus fully invested himself into.
I just want to be able to invest fully into the people in the church and the people I am leading in my areas. And for the next 5 months, or maybe more, I will be doing just that.
Anyways, I am excited and nervous. It is a big responsibility and will actually give me a better idea of what ministry is all about (so I am for the most part going to be doing what I feel call into right now). I think this will be fun. It is going to push me though. I am going to have to improve on follow through and just getting everything done on time (administration). But, truthfully I really want to grow in those areas... I need to grow in those areas.
So for the next 5 months (5 months because that is the end of the fiscal year for the church) I will be on staff taking over a lot of what the worship/media guy was doing (on the media side) as well as video and some other creative areas. So I will be heading up a small video team, the audio/sound person team and also the website and print media team... so that is a lot. I need to find people that are passionate about those areas (or good at those areas). I am excited to train people in those areas too. I am looking forward to hopefully getting more people involved in church and in areas they are passionate about. Because that makes people feel apart of the church... Honestly, I am just excited just to be able to invest in people....
I actually didn't think it was going to work out with the church. They sort of put a job offer out that I really didn't want to do. It was to few hours for me to fully invest myself in the job. It is not that I didn't want to do the work in the job description, it is just that I didn't want church just to "be my job"; a job that I did just to make money.
So because of the few amount of hours the church wanted me to work, a ministry job could have turned into just "another job" and I just didn't want that. Maybe my philosophy of ministry is wrong but it would be hard for me to not jump into ministry with my whole heart. I am passionate about the Church and am passionate about Lakeshore Vineyard so not fully investing myself just wasn't an option for me personally.
You see, I believe that ministry is all about investing in the people around you... and with less hours I just didn't think I could do that the way I wanted to. I could have worked as fast as I could to get the "tasks" done that were needed to be done but that really isn't a ministry model; that is a business model.
I think that is where the lines blur for so many churches. In America, and for that matter in most countries, business is about efficiency and that is a good model, for a business. BUT what so few people seem to forget is that churches, for the most part, should not be run like a business. That is a major problem with a lot of church philosophy; we so often think we need to run them like a business. Working with people, loving and listening to people is not all about how efficient you are. Church SHOULD NOT be a business.
I just won't do that.
We do all know that most of Jesus' teachings were all about how to minister to people in manner that was as quick and efficient as possible. Jesus was all about the business church model. The Sermon on the Mount was actually called "The Five Steps to an Efficient Church" and his philosophy on ministry was "the less time I spend with individual people the more masses of people I can reach" because its all about numbers and efficiency... right? Wrong.
It was and is all about investing in people. Jesus never taught about how to minister to people quickly. He so often got his message across to many by spending quality time with a few. He knew it was ALL about the PEOPLE. And frankly, people are messy and they take time. The 12 disciples were a group of people that Jesus fully invested himself into.
I just want to be able to invest fully into the people in the church and the people I am leading in my areas. And for the next 5 months, or maybe more, I will be doing just that.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Open up the windows
It is January 7th and it is 65 degrees outside. I live in Michigan. This is not right.... but I like it a little bit.... well a lot a bit. So much so that Catie decided to open the windows and our house. And to top it off our thermostat when up from 66 to 67 degrees. Craziness...
But on the other hand I do live in Michigan so anything can happen as far as the weather goes.
Conviction
I month ago a new girl started in my department at work (well, she was 30, so more like a woman) and one day we just started talking about marriage and divorce (I think this came up because we were talking about family and church and other "get to know you" kind of things). Anyways, after a bit of conversation she revealed to me that she was divorced and had been dating and living with a guy for a while and they were talking about getting married. But, she was having major reservations because she had been reading the Bible and read the section about getting remarried after divorce. (Matt. 19). In fact one of the reason she had just moved to Holland was because she felt convicted about what kind of example she was to her son living with her boyfriend.
So all of a sudden we had gone from talking about families and very basic stuff to a real fear of hers... and I was the first person she had shared it with. I thought that was kind of weird but I was honored that she shared it with me. I also don't think she had spent a ton of time with Christians close to her age, plus who else was she going to talk to about it.... we are the only 2 stockers in out department. (when you work stocking shelves talking with other people is the best part of the day).
So just by "chance" she read Matt 19..... and the word "adultery" really just stuck with her. I could see how it would too. That is a tough verse to swallow and a very.... how do you say it.... intense/descriptive word (but I think that was Jesus' M.O.).
So she said she felt awful about it but really wanted to be married and then said the words I feared the most.... "so... what do you think?"
Dang... what do I believe when it comes to remarriage and divorce? I really struggle with that verse. Even very recently, I have had to wrestle with what I thought about it. My mom and dad are recently divorced and my mom was/is dating a guy and I don't know what to think about that. Also, I have friends that are divorce and they got kind of... how to I say this... "screwed over" and left for not good reason (it would seem). So there are a lot of different situations and circumstances within a divorce..
I could tell by her face that my response to her wasn't what she was looking for. I simple just said... "I don't know. I struggle with that verse myself. I think that it is good that you are really examining that verse though. I know too many people who just blow it off or have some sort of an explanation around it it" (especially people who are younger and don't want to "live alone for the rest of their lives".. which I understand). Then I recommended that she talk to her pastor (she said she would but I don't think she ever did).
I could tell she was still upset and maybe a bit more disturbed that I didn't just say what so many people will say (even a lot of Christians) that there is "no problem" that "somethings just aren't meant to be" but I couldn't say that because I don't know.
Frankly, I really don't know what to think. So is divorce and remarriage ok at all or just sometimes. And if it is ok, when is it ok? Is it ok if you are the one who got cheated on? Is it ok if you and your spouse fight all the time? Is it ok if your spouse has been abusing you?
I don't know. I certainly don't think Jesus would say, "yes stick with your spouse and be beaten daily" but I also know he certainly didn't think highly of remarriage and divorce.
I do know that I hope I never have to deal with this myself (and if it is up to me I never will). I also know that God does want reconciliation between people (the entire Bible is about reconciliation between people and God; so a breaking up of families and people probably isn't high on God's list of things he loves). I also know that divorce, and even my mom and dad dating someone else, is hard as heck for me as a child, and I am 24 and not at home. And lastly, (after a long discussion with my wife) I know that, in reality and in most cases, it really isn't my place to drive a hard stake in the ground on an issue I have little to no experience with. I just can't I can't truly say one way or the other. I won't support it whole heartedly but I can't condemn it either.
Why couldn't it all be easier?
So today the girl at work moved back home to be closer to her friends, boyfriend and family. She was super home sick (I would have been too, she had no real friends here, no car, and was always lonely). It was a sad day for me because I had grow to really like her and enjoy her company. But, she left me disappointed and confused in the end.
I asked her if she knew where she was going to live when she got home and her answer was "yeah, at......" and then she looked embarrassed and looked down at the ground. So, I knew she was embarrassed to say she was moving back in with he boyfriend.
Bummer.
I was so encouraged to see taking time to question and think about what God was trying to tell her (or convict her of) and to see her acting out in the way she felt God directing her. But then when it came down to it she decided to move back in with her boyfriend (mostly, for financial reasons, I know) but still it was kind of crappy that it all comes down to dollars and cents.
So a was left wondering
Where do we let God direct us? How far will we go? Are we willing to be uncomfortable in the place God takes us? Will we listen to our convictions even if they are tough to swallow? And ultimately, will we listen to God or just simply hear what we want to hear and go where we want to go?
So all of a sudden we had gone from talking about families and very basic stuff to a real fear of hers... and I was the first person she had shared it with. I thought that was kind of weird but I was honored that she shared it with me. I also don't think she had spent a ton of time with Christians close to her age, plus who else was she going to talk to about it.... we are the only 2 stockers in out department. (when you work stocking shelves talking with other people is the best part of the day).
So just by "chance" she read Matt 19..... and the word "adultery" really just stuck with her. I could see how it would too. That is a tough verse to swallow and a very.... how do you say it.... intense/descriptive word (but I think that was Jesus' M.O.).
So she said she felt awful about it but really wanted to be married and then said the words I feared the most.... "so... what do you think?"
Dang... what do I believe when it comes to remarriage and divorce? I really struggle with that verse. Even very recently, I have had to wrestle with what I thought about it. My mom and dad are recently divorced and my mom was/is dating a guy and I don't know what to think about that. Also, I have friends that are divorce and they got kind of... how to I say this... "screwed over" and left for not good reason (it would seem). So there are a lot of different situations and circumstances within a divorce..
I could tell by her face that my response to her wasn't what she was looking for. I simple just said... "I don't know. I struggle with that verse myself. I think that it is good that you are really examining that verse though. I know too many people who just blow it off or have some sort of an explanation around it it" (especially people who are younger and don't want to "live alone for the rest of their lives".. which I understand). Then I recommended that she talk to her pastor (she said she would but I don't think she ever did).
I could tell she was still upset and maybe a bit more disturbed that I didn't just say what so many people will say (even a lot of Christians) that there is "no problem" that "somethings just aren't meant to be" but I couldn't say that because I don't know.
Frankly, I really don't know what to think. So is divorce and remarriage ok at all or just sometimes. And if it is ok, when is it ok? Is it ok if you are the one who got cheated on? Is it ok if you and your spouse fight all the time? Is it ok if your spouse has been abusing you?
I don't know. I certainly don't think Jesus would say, "yes stick with your spouse and be beaten daily" but I also know he certainly didn't think highly of remarriage and divorce.
I do know that I hope I never have to deal with this myself (and if it is up to me I never will). I also know that God does want reconciliation between people (the entire Bible is about reconciliation between people and God; so a breaking up of families and people probably isn't high on God's list of things he loves). I also know that divorce, and even my mom and dad dating someone else, is hard as heck for me as a child, and I am 24 and not at home. And lastly, (after a long discussion with my wife) I know that, in reality and in most cases, it really isn't my place to drive a hard stake in the ground on an issue I have little to no experience with. I just can't I can't truly say one way or the other. I won't support it whole heartedly but I can't condemn it either.
Why couldn't it all be easier?
So today the girl at work moved back home to be closer to her friends, boyfriend and family. She was super home sick (I would have been too, she had no real friends here, no car, and was always lonely). It was a sad day for me because I had grow to really like her and enjoy her company. But, she left me disappointed and confused in the end.
I asked her if she knew where she was going to live when she got home and her answer was "yeah, at......" and then she looked embarrassed and looked down at the ground. So, I knew she was embarrassed to say she was moving back in with he boyfriend.
Bummer.
I was so encouraged to see taking time to question and think about what God was trying to tell her (or convict her of) and to see her acting out in the way she felt God directing her. But then when it came down to it she decided to move back in with her boyfriend (mostly, for financial reasons, I know) but still it was kind of crappy that it all comes down to dollars and cents.
So a was left wondering
Where do we let God direct us? How far will we go? Are we willing to be uncomfortable in the place God takes us? Will we listen to our convictions even if they are tough to swallow? And ultimately, will we listen to God or just simply hear what we want to hear and go where we want to go?
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
2007-2008... What is next?
Dang it end of 2007!
Then end of 2007 brought a beautiful snow but a lot of hard times.
I feel defeated today. I am tired, I am sad, I am confused.
I need to find a job and a good enough job that I can pay my bills (more Menards hours won't cut it). I don't know where to look. I don't know how I am going to pay everything this month... well, at this point I know I won't pay everything this month. To add to my worries I (stupidly) watched "Pursuit of Happyness" last night (it is a good movie but it is basically about being poor and barely surviving... but on a good note they say at the end of the movie the guy becomes a millionaire). Anyways... then I found out this morning that a friend from church passed away of a heart attack yesterday. So that really really sucks.
So with a heavy heart I start the new year..... 2008....
So what will this next year hold? 2007 has had a hard ending but I learned a lot!
I have learned so much in 2007. It was a rocky crazy ride but I felt like I matured more this year that every before. So here is my "learned list" (like Dave's list) for 2007.
-This year was a year where I really evaluated my life and what I was doing with it.
-My view of life has definitely changed (even in this month).
- I definitely have learned more about my church and the Church overall.
- I found out that I have a passion for Lakeshore Vineyard and to see the Church as we know it changed (in many ways).
- Along those same lines I found out more about what a true team looks like (or should look like).
- I've also learned that there is a major generation gap.... and not just in clothing and music.
- I now have a better idea of what I think that Christianity is.
- I found out that blogging and journaling are something I NEED to do.
- Owning a home is hard... especially one that was condemned.
- On a similar note.... I know that I hate mice and want any of the mice in my house to die.
- I have had my eyes opened to just seeing people; who they are and what they need/want.
- I know that right now, as it stands, I can't see to shake my passion to get into ministry.
- I now have 2 kids (Soe was born in 2007) and now have a better idea of what it means to be a parent.
- And lastly, I know life will be a different for me and my family this coming year (and seemingly every year if this trend keeps up).
So what will 2008 bring....
- I will probably end up with a full time job somewhere... doing something.... different then what I am doing now. (wow, that wasn't vague was it?)
- Our church will begin to find its why out of what has been a very tough and turbulent time. Paul will decide whether he comes back or not and that alone will determine where the church goes in the following years. (It is interesting how one man can have that much impact on so many people.... and I don't even think he realizes it.)
- I will have another kid this year.... wow that is weird one is 07 and 08...
- I will be a year older... an old man with 3 kids at 25.
- I might have to buy a van or a car that can hold 3 car seats and 2 adults.
- I will figure out better where God is leading me with my passion for ministry.
- I will fall more in love with Catie.
- I will love my kids more
- I will do more wedding videos and they will still be not fun
- The rest of the stuff only God knows....
So God if you could take care of everything and help me to give you everything to take care of (as I tend to try to power through everything myself). Help my passion for you and for others people to only grow. And help me to learn more and really love and listen to other people.
So heres to 2008... I am sure it will be filled with hard times but a lot of good times as well. If there is one thing that I have learned over the years is that God provides what you truly need... you may just need less then you think...
Then end of 2007 brought a beautiful snow but a lot of hard times.
I feel defeated today. I am tired, I am sad, I am confused.
I need to find a job and a good enough job that I can pay my bills (more Menards hours won't cut it). I don't know where to look. I don't know how I am going to pay everything this month... well, at this point I know I won't pay everything this month. To add to my worries I (stupidly) watched "Pursuit of Happyness" last night (it is a good movie but it is basically about being poor and barely surviving... but on a good note they say at the end of the movie the guy becomes a millionaire). Anyways... then I found out this morning that a friend from church passed away of a heart attack yesterday. So that really really sucks.
So with a heavy heart I start the new year..... 2008....
So what will this next year hold? 2007 has had a hard ending but I learned a lot!
I have learned so much in 2007. It was a rocky crazy ride but I felt like I matured more this year that every before. So here is my "learned list" (like Dave's list) for 2007.
-This year was a year where I really evaluated my life and what I was doing with it.
-My view of life has definitely changed (even in this month).
- I definitely have learned more about my church and the Church overall.
- I found out that I have a passion for Lakeshore Vineyard and to see the Church as we know it changed (in many ways).
- Along those same lines I found out more about what a true team looks like (or should look like).
- I've also learned that there is a major generation gap.... and not just in clothing and music.
- I now have a better idea of what I think that Christianity is.
- I found out that blogging and journaling are something I NEED to do.
- Owning a home is hard... especially one that was condemned.
- On a similar note.... I know that I hate mice and want any of the mice in my house to die.
- I have had my eyes opened to just seeing people; who they are and what they need/want.
- I know that right now, as it stands, I can't see to shake my passion to get into ministry.
- I now have 2 kids (Soe was born in 2007) and now have a better idea of what it means to be a parent.
- And lastly, I know life will be a different for me and my family this coming year (and seemingly every year if this trend keeps up).
So what will 2008 bring....
- I will probably end up with a full time job somewhere... doing something.... different then what I am doing now. (wow, that wasn't vague was it?)
- Our church will begin to find its why out of what has been a very tough and turbulent time. Paul will decide whether he comes back or not and that alone will determine where the church goes in the following years. (It is interesting how one man can have that much impact on so many people.... and I don't even think he realizes it.)
- I will have another kid this year.... wow that is weird one is 07 and 08...
- I will be a year older... an old man with 3 kids at 25.
- I might have to buy a van or a car that can hold 3 car seats and 2 adults.
- I will figure out better where God is leading me with my passion for ministry.
- I will fall more in love with Catie.
- I will love my kids more
- I will do more wedding videos and they will still be not fun
- The rest of the stuff only God knows....
So God if you could take care of everything and help me to give you everything to take care of (as I tend to try to power through everything myself). Help my passion for you and for others people to only grow. And help me to learn more and really love and listen to other people.
So heres to 2008... I am sure it will be filled with hard times but a lot of good times as well. If there is one thing that I have learned over the years is that God provides what you truly need... you may just need less then you think...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)