I am getting a few quick minutes to blog before the second session of the Passion Atlanta Regional.  This morning Charlie Hall lead worship while Francis Chan spoke.  His message was about the power of the Holy Spirit.  He talked about how we have been taught bad theology about the Holy Spirit through our time in church.  This bad theology is that the Holy Spirit comes into your life upon accepting Christ as Savior and then has no further role in the life of a Christian.  Francis shared a story about how he had a conversation with some Jehovah’s Witnesses at his door about how they should look at the Bible for themselves and not live their lives and theology based off of what some person has said.  This was encouraging and challenging to me.  I think that it is very important that we go to scripture in search of truth and not just rely on others views.  Francis went on to discuss that we need to live our lives not through our own power but the power of the Holy Spirit that is at work in us.  This was very encouraging and yet challenging.  Francis went on to talk about the struggle in his own life with regards to his speaking abilities.  He said that he can speak a good message without the power of the Holy Spirit, yet the Holy Spirit cannot use that message to bring the effects that He would desire the message to have with a message being preached from Francis’s own strength.  This is a struggle that I have also and could really relate to.  He ended his sermon by talking about how God can and wants to use all of us in His global mission.  I am encouraged and challenged.  More updates to come.

I just left the first session of the Passion Atlanta Regional.  Chris Tomlin and David Crowder led the session in worship and Louie Giglio preached.  Louie’s message really stuck me.  He talked about how we have be taught that Christianity is all about us.  It is about what we can get and how God can bless us and make our lives better.  Louie then goes on to talk about our short lives being a small flame that is to spread the glory of Jesus Christ and the gospel to the watching world.  The message ended with a story of a female student in Florida through the eyes of her journal with regard to her interactions with her “fruit cake” Christian roommate.  The journals go on to tell about how in the moment of a deep hurt in this girl’s life God used her roommate to share the gospel with her.  This was a very practical and real picture of how we as Christians should seek to live out the gospel to a watching world.  This also challenged me in that I am not intentional to share Jesus Christ with the people in my world who do not know Him.  I am challenged and encouraged to see what God is going to do in and through the rest of this weekend. 

I have spent the last week trying to keep my head above water.  When the to do list comes in and takes over life, you end up spending your time entirely on the things that have deadlines while not having enough time to do some of the things that you enjoy most.  This has been my world with regard to blogging so far this month.  The good news is that life is slowing down, and I am headed to the Passion regional event in Atlanta this weekend!  Stay tuned into the blog this weekend for updates from what God is going to be teaching me in and through the conference this weekend.  I will hopefully be back to blogging consistently again next week.  Until then God bless!

I am in a place right now where I am trying to figure out the next step in my life as far as a carreer/ministry focus for the next few years.  I am torn over some issues that have recently developed and am seeing that my “plans” are not necessarily the direction that God is leading. 

I have life control problems.  I do not want to let go of my future plans and trust God who already knows my future.  It is a struggle to trust and to not know where I am supposed to be in the next 5 months nevertheless the next few years. 

I was talking to someone that I really respect over coffee late last week, and he said something that sums up my situation very well: “Whatever plans you make, chances are God will change them over time.”

I know that God is calling me into full time ministry.  The question is what does that look like now and then post-graduation.  I can rest in the verse from Jeremiah 29: 11:

“‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘Plans not to harm you, but to give you a hope and a future.’”

As I wait for direction, I can rest in the faithfulness of my Lord who holds my life and future in His hands.

So, I committed several months ago to go on a mission trip in 2008 to be able to take a small part in what God is doing in the nations.  I started out this year planning on going with the Escape Student Ministry group at Lakeside Baptist Church to Brazil.  This was going to be an awesome trip where I would get to minister globally alongside my brother.  I was all pumped and ready to attempt learn some Portuguese and jump on a plane to minister, but God had other plans. 

After checking into the scheduling aspects of work with regards to this early summer trip, I learned that I would not be able to go.  I totally understand the reasons behind this decision and can see God’s hand at work in this call.  God wanted me to wait on Him and His timing for something that would be something that would stretch me out of my comfort zone. 

So, I have been in a time of waiting over the last few months to see what doors God would open up.  It is hard to wait, but God remains faithful despite our waiting.

Today, God has opened up a really awesome door.  I am going to be able to go with a group from work to Lima, Peru for a few days the end of December into early January.  We are going to be serving and ministering at an orphanage outside of Lima.  I am really excited about the opportunity to go to a country that I have never been to and to show the love of Christ to orphans who have no one to love them.

I am really excited to see what God is going to do as He stretches me and allows me to play a very small part in His global mission.  Please be in prayer for me already as I prepare to go and show the love of Jesus Christ to the least of these.