Sunday, March 30, 2008

Update

Ok, I just got back from singing at my church. We (the high school and middle school youth choirs) sang out the 8:30 and eleven o'clock services and had brunch inbetween . Talk about fun. We sang the chorus parts of blessed be your name with a middle school soloing the other part. Then we sang the song joyful , joyful from sister act two, although for the services we took at the rapping part. However when we sing it tonight our asociate pastor will be rapping. In addition the high school choir(me) will be singing and dancing to you can't stop the beat from hairspray. BTW we are doing this at our church (DUE WEST UMC) tonight from 4-8:30 to raise moeny for youth choir tour. The will be an auction dinner and of course the show with many great acts.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the sermon this morning. It was entitled Doubting Thomas? and the pastor talked about how we tend to just throw a blanket over thomas, because he did a lot of other great things and there are a lot of thomas's out there, questioning. And that jesus came back for thomas and he'll came back for you. I really enjoyed that, and the scripture readimg was very good as well.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

This is an awesome E-mail I recieved. What do you think?




You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having "wealth" from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren, "Purpose Driven Life " author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said: People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense. Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness. This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and v alleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life . No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness,"which is my problem, my issues, my pain." But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others. We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people. You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72 First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway through last year, I stopped takin g a salary from the church. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation. Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free. We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)? When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings. Happy moments, PRAISE GOD. Difficult mo ments, SEEK GOD. Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD. Painful moments, TRUST GOD. Every moment, THANK GOD. NOW . PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Happy Easter!

John 20-21 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
John 20
The Empty Tomb 1Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"
3So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. 8Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene 10Then the disciples went back to their homes, 11but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"
"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." 14At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
16Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
17Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "
18Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.
Jesus Appears to His Disciples 19On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."
Jesus Appears to Thomas 24Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."
26A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."
28Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
29Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
30Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31But these are written that you may[a] believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 21
Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish 1Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias.[b] It happened this way: 2Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3"I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered.
6He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.[c] 9When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."
11Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Jesus Reinstates Peter 15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"
20Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") 21When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"
22Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." 23Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"
24This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.
25Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.


The lord is risen! Christ died for you and me, to forgive us, and today he rose again. How awesome. This story just amazes me. Even though I don't deserve it, he died so I could be forgiven.! I wish you all a happy easter.

Prayer request: Amanda, Coleman, Mikayla are all facing cancer.
P.S Don't forget to chech out http://www.invisiblechildren.com

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Invisible children

Tonight at a beta club movie night we showed the film Invisible Children the rough cut to get the rest of the club and the parents fired up about our project of building a school in Africa, and it pretty much broke my heart. I wanted to cry so hard, but most importantly I wanted to do something to change it. You see my faith was kind of starting to reach a point of stagnancy, and I was trying to find something to blow that door open again. You see I didn't believe any less than before, I had my little candle of faith, but I wanted a bonfire instead. What I mean is I wanted to always continue to grow in my faith everyday of my life. I started becoming commited to reading my bible everyday, and I spent a lot of time praying about it. Slowly but surely I felt God at work in my life for this. I had some awesome youth group experiences that blew those doors open, and then I saw this video, and I have never felt more sure of my faith or passion to mske a difference. I thought if these children, who everyday endure pain, that I on my worst day will NEVER experience, can still get up at the crack of dawn and pray, I can most certainly live out my faith and grow stronger in it. I CAN make a difference with my God. I urge you to see it . Borrow it or buy it at www. invisiblechildren.com. Tell everyone you know about it. I know that I will, I will also throw myself into helping those children through my beta club and others, I will praise the lord everyday for what I have been given and don't deserve. I will be a follower of Christ.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Preparing for easter

Today at church was very cool. The first thing I was there for was when we "reinacted" The last supper. We did things that you might not associate with that night. We dipped celery in salty water to represent a scripture, and we drank soup from cups like that night, we washed each others hands too. We of course broke the bread and had the grape juice as well, and while I have done this many times this was a different atmosphere. We sat on the ground and around a table with candles, but we did our "reinactment" according to scripture so I enjoyed it. As easter is earlier this year I've kind of have just not been thinking about it and this was a nice reminder that hey easter is coming up, and look what Jesus did for , aren't you grateful.

Oh yesterday I found a new song I like, it's called set the world on fire by britt nicole. Here are the lyrics:
I wanna set the world on fire Until it`s burning bright for You It`s everything that I desire Can I be the one You use?
I, I am small butYou, You are big enough I, I am weak butYou, You are strong enough toTake my dreams Come and give them wings Lord with You There`s nothing I can not do Nothing I cannot do
I wanna feed the hungry children And reach across the farthest land And tell the broken there is healing And mercy in the Father`s hands
My hands my feet My everything My life, my love Lord, use me
I wanna set the world on fire I wanna set the world on fire, yeah
I`m gonna set the world on fire Set the world on fire


I thought the song represented me in a way. It's also has reminded me of several spirtual matters that have been on my mind this week.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Matthew 11:28

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.-Matthew 11:28

This is one of God's most awesome promises. He's telling you to run into his arms!This verse has come up in my life so much this week. On www.carepages.com I follow those of several children and their families and their struggles with cancer, and this week all I could think about was this wonderful promise that God offers us all. This verse is letting us know that when the storms of this life come o knockin God is there, he wants to comfort us. He wants us to know his amazing love. I think this verse has another side too though, he's telling you to believe that he is there, that he is all powerful, he has it all and he wants YOU . So however you look at it its an amazing scripture, one that if you let it can feel you with peace. So what do you think?

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Wow I've been busy! I had 3 projects due this week, and I got them all done Yahoooooooo! I feel so free!!!

Well anyway I had a sprirtual epiphany yesterday. We were presenting our healthy living projects in my spanish 2 class and one of my classmates got up to present. When he was reading off his healthy living tips (in spanish) he turned to my spanish teacher and told her "that means to help you see." To really understand this you have to know that my spanish teacher majored in spanish in college and has at least her masters. Most of my peers (including presenter) complain that they don't understand what she is saying and that it's to hard. So my spanish teacher obviously new what that meant. We all just laughed, and my teacher just smiled. Later I was thinking about it and was like is that not what we all we do with God? He obviously knows what he's doing , so why not give him control? So I thought that was cool.

Oh guess what I have no homework! When in all advanced classes that happens like once for every three blue moons, but I'm making use of that. I'm relaxing ,organizing stuff ,than when my mom gets home i'm going to church!

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Quick post.

This is going to be short but I just had an awesome experience with my youth group. I was able to break some chains that I couldn't break. The lord was def. at work , so I just wanted to urge you to get involved in your church or a church. Due west is an amazing church if your looking!