The Things that Matter Most…

When it all comes down to it, the only answer I really have to give anymore is my salvation in Jesus. It truly is the only thing that matters the most to me. My life has been getting more and more involved in my plans to go overseas this coming summer. I am preparing myself for what could be the absolute biggest thing in my life, and I couldn’t be happier about it. I am prepared for the challenges and all of the preparation and planning that goes into that endeavor in a way I can’t even begin to explain. Last week I had the chance to start a serious round of Rosetta Stone Lessons for Japanese. My internship to Japan is less than 6 months away. I have $4 saved towards the trip, which is nothing when you really think about it, but I am only $4496 away from reaching my goal of going to Japan. My letters will be out in the mail after Christmas (for obvious reasons), and then the real adventure of putting my trust in the God who provides will come to fruition. Right now I am in Orlando, Florida on vacation with my family. We were able to get a really great deal on a condo and now we are in the process of cooking dinner. We have been able to spend 2 days at Disney (well for me anyway) and now my parents, grandma, and nephews are down at the pool area while I have some time to myself to enjoy before heading back to reality tomorrow in West Palm Beach.

I am happy that Christmas is around the corner. I can’t wait for it to be over. The pressures of the holiday season are getting to me. It’s really hard when you don’t have a lot of money to your name. You are at a loss of what to do for gifts and money is tight, especially seeing how you are in College on a full-time basis. That basically means that life is incredibly hard. I had a really good birthday, and I took people’s advice and spent the money on myself and things that I wanted and needed. Whenever I am watching TV, I come across some commercials for gifts and such, and I get a sickening feeling in my stomach. I want to be able to buy gifts for people in my family and I can’t do it. It hurts me really bad. I wish I could be able to buy my mom some new perfume and gift cards to the movies for a date night for my parents. I know that they tell me “It’s okay, and that I don’t have to buy them anything”, but I wish I really could do it.
Me and my mom are going over to find a Christmas tree this Saturday. Having a real tree will be a first for us; we haven’t done that since 1992. I am so happy about that. Real trees make Christmas better and I would be happy doing that every year of my life once I have a family of my own. I don’t have a family of my own right now, but someday I will.

Why I'm going to Japan...

Tonight I had the chance to sit down and watch the 2008 Singing Christmas Tree. This made my 9th Tree I have seen since becoming a member of First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach. This had to have been the absolute best tree I have ever seen since I started seeing them. I have come to accept the fact that I won't be experiencing a White Christmas anymore. Anyway, getting back to what I was talking about, why I am going to Japan. I sat down and started watching Act 2 of the Tree, and watched the story of Creation and how Jesus made a plan to save humanity. You watch him get crucified, and while I was hearing the nails get pounded into his arms over and over again, I could see the city of Tokyo, and all of the people I am going to eventually meet, and their need to accept Jesus, and then it hit me. This is why I am doing everything that I do. Why I am in ministry, why I go to Boyce, why I want to go to Japan, is because of Jesus. It's all about him.

We Three Kings...

I am in disbelief of where I currently sit as I write this blog post. I am home in Florida. I feel like the Hobbits in Lord of the Rings as they returned home from Minas Tirith in the realm of Gondor. They were in a place where they were needed, but they had the desire to return home, and they finally did. I was blown away by the kindness of the workers currently in the employ of Delta airlines. I got to the airport on Tuesday December 2nd in Louisville, Kentucky expecting to be delayed. I was supposed to be on a flight to Atlanta tha would leave at 11:27am, I look up at the board to see it isn't leaving until 11:58am. There are 2 gates where I was waiting for my flight, and to my right, there was a flight to Atlanta leaving at 10:25am, and I walked up to the desk and begin talking to the service person. I showed him my flight itinerary, and he put me on the flight that was leaving at 10:25am. I was able to get to Atlanta with about 2 hours to spare. How great God is! I am home now, on vacation until school starts back up for me on January 12th for a January term class. I am very excited to be finishing up this year, just because of what awaits me at the ending of the school year when I finally do end up going to Japan. I was very happy with the way church turned out today. I get to services and saw the 3 kings scene from the Singing Christmas Tree and was able to talk to some friends I haven't seen in such a long time. I was talking with a friend, Donavan, who was telling me he was interested in doing missions in Japan (just like me) and I gave him the information for the program I had already applied and been accepted to. God has been good to me so far, and I am happy that no matter how crazy bad I think my life is, which it rarely is, my life is so much better!