General

Don’t ask me how or why but things just seem to pop in my head from time to time.  Most of the time I forget them before I get to a computer or I’m just too lazy.  Tonight while sitting in Jason Miller’s Journey class I began thinking about the times when I choose to follow God the most. I guess I just automatically assume that I follow Him all day everyday…but when do I actually stop and take the time to listen to Him, worship Him, give thanks to Him, ask Him for direction?  I’m sure my answer is very similar to yours…it’s when I’m at the extremes of my emotions and life.  When I’m sad, afraid, worried, confused, angry, and happy.  But what about in the norm of everyday life?

Before I moved to Indiana I really felt like I had really began to grasp what true trust and worship and communication with God was.  I thought I would have no problems once I moved 11 hours away and left my comfort zone.  Silly me…I guess I forgot about Mr. Satan (who is always around).  I realize now and thought I realized then that I CONTINUALLY need God.

I have been failing lately to study God’s word like I should…to even take enough time out of my day to just be with Him.  It’s not like I’m busy at work yet.  It’s the world inside of me that is fighting me.  I walk by my Bible everyday and somehow manage to talk myself out of it (“oh I’ll read it later” or “my head hurts” or “I’m too tired”).  Sometimes I will read the Bible but my mind seems to wander or I don’t feel like I’m getting anything out of it.  I realize that I NEED God, He doesn’t need me so I need to pay Him that attention and if I’m going to live the Godly life He wants for me I need to listen more and learn more and spread more.  It’s hard because the world is ever present and Satan loves to knock us down but we all need to spend more time than we do studying God’s word.

I love my Jesus,  I hate this rut that I have been in and I ask that you pray for me and that you too will look at your life and the time you do or do not spend with God.  He is your Heavenly Father and one day you will come face to face with Him…we all will…don’t you want to know who He is?

So take this challenge like I am giving myself.  Don’t just go to Him in fear when something is going badly or wrong.  Don’t go to Him only in anger when something doesn’t go right.  Don’t just say a quick thank you for the happy things.  Do it all the time! Take the time.  What would we do if God was too busy for us?

Happy Birthday Meagan Jaynes!!! Hope you have a great day.  Maybe Brandon will take you out to dinner 🙂

I was skimming the manual for the Indiana BMV for driver’s licenses. I came upon one section that says that a person can be exempt from having a photo on their license for religious reasons. Wow! Ridiculous! Check it out…

“Photo-Exempt License
An individual with a religious objection to taking a photograph may make a special
application to the BMV for a photo-exempt driver’s license or non-driver identification
card. An application may be obtained at a local license branch or by writing to the
above-listed address. The applicant must complete the application and attach a letter
of certification of religious belief on letterhead from his or her minister, bishop, elder or
other leader of the religious organization of which he or she is a member explaining”

What do you think?

Happy Birthday Jennifer! I always like this time of year…when…well…you turn older than me 😉 I hope you have a fantabulous day!

Well…it’s just about midnight and we have to get up around 2:45am-ish in order to leave the house by 3:30am to get to the church around 4:00am. It’s going to be a rough one trying to get up. I might just be a little mad when the alarm goes off. I hope that means I’ll be sleepy enough to sleep some on the plane. I’m sure Justin has written a lot more than me so you might want to read his blog. I guess I will “see” you all in April. Please continue to pray for us.

Well folks, I’ve survived my final Fall semester at GWU in the masters program. I only have two more semesters to go (four classes). I’m afraid I have already started to see the symptoms of “senioritis”. I have officially found out that I made an A in Quants. I’m still waiting on the Healthcare Law grade. Grades are due by Monday so I should know soon (although I took the final last week). Next semester I’m debating taking three classes (Managerial Econ, Marketing Management, and Healthcare Organizations). I think I can do it but having to be out of the country for 11 days during the semester is going to make things pretty hard on me to get ahead or caught up. I guess I will wait until I see the syllabi to make my final decision. I’m so ready to be done and if I can do three this coming semester, all that will be left is the capstone course which will be a 1-2 hour group presentation and exit exam.

Other things going on…let’s see, we’ve been doing the usual Christmas party stuff, trying to shop, working like crazy at work shipping books to anxious students, and oh, PAYING OFF OUR CREDIT CARDS!!! I’m so excited! Dave Ramsey says, “Live like no one else so that later, you can live like no one else” so that is what we are trying to do. Next is cars and student loans. I can’t wait.

I hope you all are having a wondering Christmas season. Please Please Please don’t forget about Jesus. He hasn’t forgotten about you! Something else I learned last week while preparing for our Sunday School lesson was that there is a 400 year gap between the Old Testament and New Testament. Just thinking about how far back in the past Jesus’ coming and his birth were predicted, from when they actually happened is so cool. Who could argue against that?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Okay, does anyone else find it really “brilliant” that the new stylish approach to trash bins is a small hole at the top to place trash into? I say people have a hard enough time trying to get trash in a wide open hole. They’d rather just leave it on the tables or throw it aside. I really don’t think a SMALLER hole is going to encourage more trash pick up. I say this because in the bottom of the DCC here there is a tall, skinny trash can with a tiny hole on top. The trash can is too small for such a high traffic area and they just put new carpet down. The can is constantly overflowing with trash and liquids are already beginning to stain the carpet from trash all over the floor. Just…”brilliant” I tell you haha.