Decipleship and Evangelism

I promised to blog about my favorite class this semester so here it is.

I have taken D&E twice now (not proud of that fact). I will say how ever that I am glad I did. There is a young "old" man in the class who is 85 years old he has been married for 58 years. That would be the reciprocal of his age. He has been married longer then any other married persons in the class combined. He has been through so much. He got back from WW2 at the age of 20 wow.

I say all of that to say this, I respect this man and I don't even know him really. He has been married twice as long as I have been alive. He has seen more hartache, confusion, as well as other trials then I can imagine. This is a man who fought for some of the things I hold dear and often take for granted

It frustrates me to see young people these days and even people my age not respecting seniors. Whom are we to learn from if not from generations before us? We haven't had to fight for to much since the sixties, my generation by far is the pampered generation.

If you know me you know I am opinionated. I like to be heard. But when this man speaks of God I listen. When this man speaks of life I listen. When this man speaks of anything I will listen. Why do I listen? I listen for two reasons:
1. He knows more then me.
2. It is a form of worship of God. To respect those wise people God places in your life is to worship God's wisdom.

What What do I love most about D&E it is the diversity of people. from 18-85 years of age and all for the same purpose to learn how to make disciples. It is amazing that a man who is 85 would humble himself to learn. But then isn't that wisdom? I love this class but most of all I love the people.

2 weeks down. 13 to go.

This semester has gotten off to a good start. I enjoy my classes though Greek will be tedious (Greek is always tedious). I had what should be my last grad check last week 9 more hrs after this semester.
I find myself in a unique position, I have never been this close to graduating from college. The last time I was close I transfered to MBU. For the most part I started over, though I will say it was worth the move.
7 years as an undergrad has it advantages and disadvantages. I find myself with so many awesome friends that I would not have if I had graduated when I was supposed to(this is not to say my way has been the best way). I have learned so much about myself in these seven years. I have learned about myself, love, school, and life. These have not been the greatest lessons though. The greatest growth has come between God and I. I know and love Him more now then at any other point in my life. I just plain love God. He is making something out of this crippled fool. I think I may be becoming a man in the Biblical since of the word.

My favorite class this semester would have to be Discipleship and Evangelism. Why is this class so awesome you ask? Not only is the material awesome but there is a Man it the class that is such an inspiration to me. I will talk about him in a separate post.

My God bless all of you.
More to come in the near future.
Future topics:
My friend in D&E
Relationships
College
and More from the Bible (yay)

Break in Review

1. Break started it was like 50 degrees
2. Break ended it was like 10 degrees (I love Heartland Weather!!)
3. Mom went to the Dr. on December 13 she goes to the Dr. again on the 3 (My return date.)
4. I got cloths for Christmas (and it's actually a good thing.)
5. Mom was not healthy when I left, now she is on the mend. (What a difference three weeks can make.)

I did not get to cook over break, but I did get to do some of my favorite chores LOL such as:

1. Take out the trash
2. Wash the dishes (which is my least favorite chore. (Perhaps Hatred is a better description.)
3. Took care of Mom (that was nice and yet not nice at the same time)

It seems I have learned more then one thing from Dr. Greever 1 of them being how to make a list. I love you Dr. Greever!!

I have learned once again that there will never be a time when God is not awesome to me. He has yet again left me in awe. You see this is why I serve God. Because I cannot grasp His Awesomeness. It is not because of my choice that I serve Him it is because of His choice. I serve Him because He makes that service possible. I love Him because He changed my heart in such a way to make it possible for me to love Him.

To some it may seem that God is jealous. It is a good thing that God has a passion for His glory, because within that passion we find a willingness and an action to save us. So if that makes Him jealous then I say so be it. I have nothing to loose and everything to gain by my creator being jealous over me.

Would you like some Scripture? I'm in a Scripture sort of mood.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (ESV)

8^(M) Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But he said to me, ^(N) "My grace is sufficient for you, for^(O) my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that^(P) the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10^(Q) For the sake of Christ, then,^(R) I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For^(S) when I am weak, then I am strong.

To my Dad

I write this post to tell you about the strongest man I know. Through my childhood there was a man who loved me in spite of my disabilities he never looked at me as though I was broken. He used to push me in my wheelchair and occasionally he would act like he was going to let me roll down a hill (only to catch me at the last second, or at lest what I thought was the last second). We made frequent trips to Shiner’s Children’s Hospital in St. Louis for the numerous check-ups I had over a total of sixteen years. In those years he helped me recover from 7 surgeries. Did he always take the hands on approach? No. But what he did do was work behind the scenes. Working to make sure I had what I needed and was where I needed to be when I needed to be there.

As I grew the relationship between my dad and I became strained through the fog that adolescence brings. It was the generation gap. I had some how forgotten the example he had shown me. I wanted to do things my way. The man that made me laugh through pain was now someone I had forgotten. Why did I do this? I thought he was to tough I was to short sighted to notice that he was preparing me for a harsh world that wasn’t exactly user friendly for disabled kids. Oh how I wish I could have seen the future.

This brings us to now. My Dad still continues to teach me lessons. Only these lessons are more powerful then anything he has ever taught me before. Mom was diagnosed with cancer ten years ago and yes dad was confused and worried and angry. He continued to do what he does best. What is that you ask He is the best father and husband I have ever seen? Day by day he teaches me what it means to be a husband, and a father. My future wife and children will be thankful for this man that is my father. He is my example. This does not mean he is perfect, but it is not his job to be perfect that belongs to God.

My dad is a man of deep convictions; he loves God, his wife, and his family. Does he live the stereotypical Christian life? Nah but I wouldn’t want him to. Some how I think if he did he wouldn’t be the same man.

What type of man is he? He is the man I read about in Ephesians. He is the man that doesn’t quit when he is faced with the stress of a disabled son. He is the man that when his wife is sick he still looks at her with the same passion he did 30 years ago.

Who is that man that man is my dad, I hope to be half the man he has shown me to be.

P.S. He isn’t a computer guy so he will never read this. I talk about mom a lot. But I just wanted to introduce you to my Dad.

Psalm 63 (NASB)

1O God, ^(A)You are my God; I shall seek You ^[a]earnestly;
My soul ^(B)thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a ^(C)dry and weary land where there is no water.
2Thus I have ^(D)seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
3Because Your ^(E)loving kindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
4So I will bless You ^(F)as long as I live;
I will ^(G)lift up my hands in Your name.
5My soul is ^(H)satisfied as with ^[b]marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers ^(I)praises with joyful lips.
6When I remember You ^(J)on my bed,
I meditate on You in the ^(K)night watches,
7For ^(L)You have been my help,
And in the ^(M)shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
8My soul ^(N)clings to You;
Your ^(O)right hand upholds me.
9But those who ^(P)seek my life to destroy it,
Will go into the ^(Q)depths of the earth.
10They will be ^(R)delivered over to the power of the sword;
They will be a ^(S)prey for foxes.
11But the ^(T)king will rejoice in God;
Everyone who ^(U)swears by Him will glory,
For the ^(V)mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.

This is a passage that has been helping me along in the last few days. I have been a bit down lately with the health of my Mom. God is AWESOME!! This is an awesome Psalm it should serve as a reminder to Christians as to just how magnificent God is. Another word that comes to mind is passion. How many Christians are this passionate?

DAY IN REVIEW:
Today I got to cook for the first time in a loog long time!( I haven't forgotten how.)
The meal was baked chicken, oven potatoes, and green beens. (They all tasted awesome.)
It was a family cooked meal. Mom, Dad, and I all worked together.

GOD IS AWESOME, let us rejoice in the small things. Let us be brought to our knees by the sheer Awesomeness of God. Let us seek Him.

Semester in Review

1. Best semester to date(in relation to grades)
2. Stress level was amped up.
3. The growing of current friendships, this made the stress bearable.
4. The addition of New friendships
Things learned this semester: School is hard well maybe not school but life and school at the same time. The scary part is life hasn't even started yet.

Goals for next year:
To continue the good work in school.
To grow more as a Christian man, and work toward the all elusive relationship(not ready yet)

A funny story:

I am home now but the journey was interesting. We got lost in the parking garage at west county mall. LOL not once but twice. LOL

Update on Mom: New chemo (pills) waitng to see how this goes bit nervous!
Mom isn't eating much and needs too. Dad is stressed trying to help but really can't.


Prayer Requests:

Car trouble: transmission may need to be replaced.

more to come! Maybe even longer thoughts in better sentences.

Christmas

Isaiah 53 (ESV)

1 Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
8By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
9And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

11Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see^[i] and be satisfied;by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.

I do apologize for the large amount of scripture but this chapter has been on my mind lately. I have been thinking about things like what am I going to get people for Christmas? I have been looking at Isaiah a lot this semester. The reality is that Christ came to die for us. Not only die, but suffer.
Have we forgotten what Christmas is about? Maybe. It seems that people are worried about what they are going to get or what they are going to give. Let us remember Jesus who gave it all. Let us remember those who make it possible for us to celebrate. Let us remember that there are those who have never gotten anything for Christmas.
Find someone who has nothing and give them something. If you can't give them anything from a store or yourself. At least give them the message that is in the book of Isiah take them on a walk though the Gospels. Show them God That is the best and most beneficial gift you can give.

God bless you all

Semester in Review to come