2009 In Review

So I came to the conclusion, what kind of blogger would I be if I didn't write an introspective post on the previous year as a new one is peeking around the corner. Trying to think of this past year is absolutely mind blowing just thinking of how I was doing last year compared to this one, but I'm going to do my best.

First off, this is absolutely insane to think that it's been ten years since the beginning of this millennium. I won't lie, I may or may not be freaking out about how I was a freshmen in high school ten years ago and it's just amazing to think of all that's happened in these past ten years. Graduating high school, college, and moving to Africa are just few things that have taken place. To God be all the glory for all that He's taught me and the things He has brought me through over the years.

This year began with me being at a very weird place, I was still somewhat upset with God for calling me away with all of my friends and family to live in the heart of Africa. After God did some work on my heart, which honestly started as the year began, I began to get more into the flow of life and ministry. I finished the School of Ministry which I can't even begin to describe how awesome it was how God worked out for me to go to the school there and just all the things that God taught me through the school and the bonds that were formed. We have had teams come through where I was able to learn so much about the effectiveness teams could have. Learning the ropes of full on ministry after the school was over and really just finding my niche was a little interesting but God just brought things together and everything has fallen into place. God has just done some absolutely awesome things, and I'm just so stoked that He has allowed me to have some small part in it. I was listening to a teaching the other day and one of the illustrations that was used really put it perfectly: imagine someone goes in for a heart transplant and the surgery was a success and the family goes in and thanks the scalpel instead of the surgeon. I'm a scalpel, plain and simple, and I would be absolutely nothing if it weren't for Him. It truly has been another insane year of breaking and pruning, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Now I'm looking forward to a new year of seeing what else God has in store, I know it will have it's ups and downs, but I just am so glad I serve a God who is always faithful and will never leave me nor forsake me.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!!

Friendship

One of the greatest quotes I have heard on friendship is "A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out." I have never realized the truth of that statement more so than what I have learned in visiting the States. I have been blessed by having such awesome people to call my "friends" that fit this definition to a t. It's funny the things in our life that cause us to realize who our true friends are, and being here for only a short time, I get to kind of take stalk in the people who God has placed in my life and really realize and be thankful for those who have been there with me through all these past two years. For all of you who have kept up with me, e-mailed me, facebooked, skyped, or texted me, and for those of you who even make the trek down to the airport to welcome me home, I just have to tell you THANK YOU. If I forget to tell you to your face, God has used you in some amazing ways in my life and truly you are a very vital part of the work that He is doing in Africa by just encouraging me and just being a friend.

Chritmas time is here

Right now I'm sitting on the couch in my PJ's hanging out with my family. Our Christmases are filled with tradition, between that and how amazing my family is, I'm definitely torn between two worlds. I'm so blessed to have the family that I have, I love how on Christmas Eve my mom and I go on wrapping marathons staying up way later than anyone ever should, I love how my brothers and I all crowd onto one bed to watch the Grinch until our parents give us the go ahead to come out into the living room, I love that our "big" present is always hidden and our dad types out clues to go and find it. All of these things are what make up many of my Christmas memories that I will always cherish. The hard thing is that I have another family that is 8,000 miles away. I truly do feel like I live two lives, the one here in the States and the one in Uganda. I love each place and I really wish I could just have half of me in Uganda and half of me stay here in the States. Already, I'm thinking about next Christmas and how I won't be around to do the things we have been with my family, but I also look forward to the Christmas performances, parties, and the how low key Christmas is going to be. I wish I could put into words just all that I'm feeling and thinking right now. I KNOW without a doubt that I'm called to Uganda, so there's nothing wrong with that, it's just a bitter sweet day for me that's all.

Anyways, to finish this on a less introspective note, I hope you all have an amazing Christmas! I thank God that He sent His son to be born to die 2,000 years ago. It's cliche and so often we even here the phrase "the reason of the season" and we're numb to it, but in the midst of all the madness, expenses, and stress that this season tends to bring, just take a moment to thank God for all that He has done for us by giving us the Ultimate Gift.

The three things we should never forget...

To share with people when we're witnessing or even discipling someone.

It's funny how sometimes the most "unimportant" verses you read can be the ones that when you read them again they hit you the hardest. I am going through Acts in my quiet time and today as I was reading, 24:25 just really hit me of what an awesome outline it is of what we should be sharing with others, but very few ever do. Paul was standing before Felix, a Roman governor, and just sharing his faith and in this verse it says how Paul talked about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment. If you go into most churches or turn on the TV, very rarely will you ever find any or all of these three things discussed, but this is what it all comes down to. I mean without these three things, our faith is so small, our walk so weak, and our maturity so hindered. This life is not about us plain and simple, it's not about our happiness or our health, it's about seeking to live righteous lives where we don't merely go to church or read our Bibles, but we live our faith. Our Christianity is not about living one way on Saturday night but then thinking going to church on Sunday is going to make everything ok, we HAVE to practice self-control and not giving into our fleshly desires, but instead seeking Him. And finally, the coming judgment, something people shy away from talking about because they don't want to seem too "preachy", but way too many people are so afraid of talking about it, that by doing so, they're really just holding open the door that is leading to Hell. We will ALL have to stand before Christ at some point, either to receive a crown or to receive judgment, and if you have denied Him your whole life, the later of the two is exactly what you will have to face.

I realize that this is a bit much, and a little heavy for most, but it's the truth. I just wish we could all follow Paul's lead in how he just laid it out there even to a man in authority. He didn't "tone it down", it didn't try to be politically correct, he simply was faithful to fully lay the TRUE Gospel out to a lost man.

Back to the "norm"

One of the cool things of coming back here is how I have been able to kind of fall back into lot of the same things I used to do: living at the church, late night ihop and chick flicks with Mat, and even getting to dive into helping out. Last night we had Renovate and I was able to go there with Mat and just be a part of the set-up/tear-down and it was just cool how they let me be a part of things like that. My Student Ministry guys are just awesome and involving me right away and allowing me to be a part of it again.

A little shout out to my boys

I have seen this certain group of guys grow up from back when they were in middle school to now they are leading ministries here and other places. These guys amaze, humble, and challenge me. They're a few years younger than I am, but they have so much to teach me. I am able to have talks with some of them that I would never be able to have with anyone else and the wisdom that they have is astounding. I know countless "adults" who do not have a fraction of the maturity and passion that these guys do. It just goes to show you that age does not mean everything. I am so thankful that God has placed these guys in my life. I love them so much and I just pray those guys never loose their momentum or passion to serve.

Is this for real?

Talking to other missionaries, they tried to tell me what to kind of expect when going on furlough, but nothing they could say really would have prepared me for what it really has been like so far. These past few days has been times of catching up with old friends and trying to wrap my mind around how nothing has changed while at the same time, everything has. I am so blessed to have people who care about me and it just cracks me up some of the reactions that people have when they see me. One thing that I am experiencing is how God is humbling me and working in my life to kind of put a spotlight on certain things that He might want to deal with. To me, pride is one nasty monster that likes to really grab a hold of me, and the crazy thing is that a lot of the time I don't even realize that it does have a hold on me until it gets hurt. Already, there have been a couple of things that really made me have to check myself where my heart is at because of some things that either people back in Uganda or here have said, or even just in the middle of a conversation realizing that all I've been doing is talking about myself for the past 15 minutes. God is definitely reminding me of the crazy fact of how I'm absolutely nothing and can do absolutely nothing without Him and that I am 100% replaceable. I haven't even been here a week and already it's been an intense time of reflection, I guess the only hard part is the fact that I'm always going and moving and so most of the processing that I do over what is in my mind is done on the go but it will be interesting to see all the lessons that God teaches me over the rest of these two months.