Sunday, May 30, 2010

Day 137/138/139/140/141/142/143

Today was the day that the real feeling of summer finally set in. Because of how slow the Internet has been in this extremely nice hotel, I am forced to post this after the vacation is over with…Believe me, I don’t want to knock it, but I can’t even connect to watch Fullmetal Alchemist. So I will display all of my pictures after the vacation is over, and by the time you read all of this, it will be Friday June 4th…

I will have a massive picture post for you to see, of places that we go to while we are here on vacation, so be on the lookout for those...

Have a great week, the posts will be available soon...

GRACE AND PEACE!

Friday, May 28, 2010

The 365 Project - Day 136



Today was a day of reliving experiences. I finally got the chance to see the Morikami Japanese Garden and museum in Delray Beach. I went out with my grandma today and we saw the gardens, walked through it and for me, this whole experience took me back to what it was like in Japan. When we left the gardens, I walked away with two lanterns that I hung up in my room. Reflecting on the time I spent in Japan did me a whole lot of good because it will be several years before I will be able to return, so I must rely on experiencing like Morikami to fill the gap

FLASHDEVO

1st Samuel 14/15/16/17

Here in these chapters you are dealing with Israel's poor decision making skills in that their king is incompetent and chooses not to obey what God has been telling him to to do. The Israelites had enemies and Saul decided to go against what God had told him to do, and it cost him. The anointing of the Lord left Saul, and Samuel decided to search for another person, the man after God's own heart, the person I share a name with, David, the son of Jesse. There are few people in the Bible that I admire as much as David. He was only 17 when he took a rock and killed Goliath, and soon after that, he is picked to be Israel's annointed King. I remember going to Israel and seeing the ruins of his palace, thinking how incredible it had to be to see it.

Listen to how graphic David gets when he goes to meet Goliath on the field:

Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.

History can be quite exciting because you learn valuable lessons, and in this case you learn that trusting God is the only sure way to have a future and a hope.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Days 134-135



This was yesterday's picture, when I went out to meet an old friend for coffee. Chip Stallings. He used to be my middle school pastor, and I worked with him for 2 years as a leader serving in his ministry. So it is so nice to be able to sit down and just talk with him after all this time. And surprise surprise, we were at starbucks...




This is another shot from my room here in West Palm. That picture of a tiger, I drew that picture when I was in either 1st or 2nd grade, I can't remember...But it's cool to look at some personal history and to just see what I have accomplished since I was at such a young age...

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

The 365 Project - Day 133



Here now, is one of my favorite pictures. I have traveled so many places, collected so many different trinkets and souviners, I had to post something about it. You can see that I have collected things from all of these places:

GREECE

JAPAN

AUSTRALIA

ITALY

UNITED STATES

MEXICO

ISRAEL

CHINA

THE CAYMAN ISLANDS

To name a few...

Most of them I picked up myself but for the other ones, those were gifts that my friends and family members have brought back for me. So I am blessed as a result.

I had a moment today when God stepped in and held onto me to remind me how much he loves me. I am driving home from work today, and it is raining. I decide I would take a major road instead of the Florida Turnpike, and I am traveling, listening to the song, "You Were There" by Avalon, and I just break down crying. I had to be reminded that despite of me, despite being through a horrific ordeal, God is still with me no matter what.

Blessings, until tomorrow (and I did flashdevo for today this morning) so look for the next day.

GRACE AND PEACE

Spurgeon and Flashdevos for Days 131-132

1st Samuel 11-12-13


Saul begins his journey as Israel's King


Despite the fact that Saul ends up being removed from the throne, at first it seems like things are going good for him, but Samuel had reminded the people of Israel that they had picked their own king, rather than be patient and wait on the Lord, and because of that, rather than having Saul as their king for a major period of time, Samuel decided that Saul would not last. He was annointed king at the age of 30, and then lasted for 42 years. Listen to what Samuel says to Saul in 13:13-14...

"You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."

It seems that Saul is a weak leader, politically speaking, and that he also did not know a great deal of battle strategies, because at the end of 13, him and his son Jonathan are the only soldiers with swords, while their soldiers had sharpened tools like axes and hammers.

SPURGEON'S ADVICE
Taken from Morning May 25th

Frequently we pray that God would not forsake us in the hour of trial and temptation, but we too much forget that we have need to use this prayer at all times. There is no moment of our life, however holy, in which we can do without His constant upholding. Whether in light or in darkness, in communion or in temptation, we alike need the prayer, "Forsake me not, O Lord." "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe."

This devotional for this day talked about how we should constantly pray "DON'T FORSAKE ME O LORD", we must pray this prayer on a constant basis, and trust that despite how bleek, how hopeless things seem, even in good times, pray that God stands by us, as he always does..

GRACE AND PEACE...

Day 133 will be posted tonight, along with Spurgeons advice and Flashdevo...

Pictures for Days 131-132



Now that school has been over for a couple of weeks, I find myself finally getting back into anime watching, and i had left off watching FullMetal alchemist on hulu.com, so now I am watching that show over again.




Yesterday, Ironically was May 24th, the day that i graduated from high school (2004), and the series finale of 24...that was crazy. I still have to see certain seasons of the show, but I know how great it has been. An old friend and youth pastor got me hooked on the show while it was in its 5th season, and pretty soon, I got my parents hooked on it too.

FLASHDEVO IS NEXT, stay tuned...

The 365 Project -131/132 Prelude

I have drifted off again. As time goes by I have found myself become more and more forgetful about getting my blog posts finished, and now I just have to keep moving forward. It is very late right now, so tomorrow, while I am working I will be able to post about the pictures and the FLASHDEVOS. I really don't want to fall behind with that, it would be a bad idea if I do fall behind, but with only 4 days left until I leave for Orlando, I want to get caught up so that each day I am away from home I can celebrate the vacation, and actually enjoy things.

I write this post today saying a prayer for my friends from Japan last year, who have returned there to serve and for the other people around the globe doing missions, my form of ministry has me a little closer to home, but I am still serving the Lord none the less.

Blessings to you all and know that you are in my prayers.

GRACE AND PEACE!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

The 365 Project - Day 130



Finally I don't have to be alone anymore. My family came back, and then in one more week we will be leaving, all of us, for Orlando. This picture came from an outing to lunch today. I was with my dad and a friend of the family and went to Crazy Buffet, the best Asian place in West Palm, and got lunch. When we walked up, I saw this car, and I thought about 101 Dalmations. Cruella De Ville was probably selling her illegal fur coats to some black market guy and got herself a nice car to drive. It is European after all, so it's not like she's spending a fortune on it. Wow, I can't believe I am actually taking the time to think about this :P But it is a Mercedes after all. I can only imagine how many Nazis probably drove that car...


Flashdevo...1st Samuel 10
Saul gets annointed by Samuel...

Much like the rulers of our country, people get dissatisfied very easily. Saul had met with Samuel and he had told Saul everything that was to happen for him to become king, and it did come to pass, but with a price. He had a tormented soul, and people were saying how he wouldn't be the one who would deliver them from their enemies. Saul was power driven, and David was truly going to be the king that Israel needed, not the one that it wanted. But I haven't gotten that far yet, so we will have to see what happens here...

Spurgeon Advice
From Evening, May 22nd...

I couldn't believe what I was reading, because I was just talking about this with a friend over the phone today, read what Spurgeon had to say...

From every point our well-beloved is most fair. Our various experiences are meant by our heavenly Father to furnish fresh standpoints from which we may view the loveliness of Jesus; how amiabble are our trials when they carry us aloft where we may gain clearer views of Jesus than ordinary life could afford us...many of His saints have looked upon him from the gloom of dungeons, and from the red flames of the stake, yet have they never uttered an ill word of Him, but have died extolling His surpassing charms.

The trials I saw in this section would have to be like mine, being sick in the hospital dealing with health issues, and now that I am recovering, the littlest things in devotional books and in God's word have spoken to me, because my life has been turned around for a significant purpose and i am just going along for the ride.

GRACE AND PEACE!

Friday, May 21, 2010

The 365 Project - Day 128/129

As the week draws to an end, in my head I see myself counting down the days until I leave for Orlando on vacation. I have barely got any reading done, but I hope to change that a great deal tonight and tomorrow and Sunday, to finish reading GREEN by Ted Dekker. I have the Rick Riordan book, THE RED PYRAMID, So I will have to do my best to finish this book before I can start reading the next one.

Anyway, my family comes home today from Chicago, and they sent me this picture...



I have been to Chicago (if you don't include the airport) only once, and in that time I was able to see this picture as well. Navy Pier! It's a really nice outdoor mall on Lake Michigan. The things that are at this outdoor mall is so nice, there are rides, there's a ferris wheel there! I went in 2002, and there was a game expo featuring the original Xbox which had just come out, so that gives you an idea of how long ago that was...



These are my nephews in this picture. I have been spending some time with them this week, i cooked dinner for them and my sister the other night, and yesterday, I took them to the movies. We saw Shrek Forever After, in IMAX 3D no less. I thought it wasn't as good as the 2nd one, which was my favorite. I will be posting the rest of my blog stuff here in a minute, so stay tuned...

Thursday, May 20, 2010

The 365 Project - Dat 127



This is the typical scene in Florida during the summer. The dark clouds that seem to usher in the end of the world, but it passes in a matter of hours. Everyday between May and August, the rain seems to come at 3pm and lasts until about 5 or 6, depending on the condition of the weather. It's not like the poor people in the Midwest experiencing the massive tornado outbreaks. I took this picture on my way out today. This is just the entrance of my neighborhood.

I am looking forward to getting some really nice pictures this summer as I will be traveling and be able to get pictures of places other than Florida. At least I have been doing my best to get pictures with my phone as opposed to finding pictures on the internet to use.

FLASHDEVO
1st Samuel 8/9

At this point, Israel has grown tired of not having a ruler, and they are looking for someone to blame, and it seems like Samuel is that person. The people of Israel say to him that they want a ruler who will help them, and even after Samuel tells them that the people will have to give the King a chunk of their possessions, they still cry out "give us a King" and the interesting thing is that Samuel gives the people a King from the most mediocre tribe of Israel. The tribe of Benjamin is small, and this is where Saul came out of. He is picked by God, and was revealed by Samuel. The chapter ends with Samuel telling Saul to stay a while with him, for he was going to relay a message from God to him.

GRACE AND PEACE
(Day 128 will be later tonight)

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The 365 Project - Day 125/126



Here is downtown West Palm Beach...This is CityPlace, our amazing outdoor mall. It has a barnes and noble, macys, cheesecake factory, and a movie theater.



My discovering that publix carries the Frozen Yogurt versions of Ben and Jerries. This whole pint has only 15 grams of fat, you can't beat that!!!!

FLASHDEVOS over 1st Samuel 3-7

Okay, I got sidetracked. I didn't realize that I had already done chapters 3 and 4 in a personal quiet time, and then never put them up on a blog, so now I will do that so you guys can get caught up with me...

1st Samuel 3

In these chapters, you are encountering the biggest enemy of Israel, the Philistines, while at the same time, dealing with Samuel, the young boy who is called to be a prophet of God. He is with Eli, and he hears the voice of God, and responds "Here I am", this is not the first time that there was an instance in the Bible where someone responded "Here I am" to God. Moses answered that to God and God used him for a great purpose. Much is similar to that circumstance here in this chapter, because Samuel was responding to God, and he was going to be the tool to find Israel's next king.

1st Samuel 4

In this chapter, you actually get to see the Philistines, and now you can understand why they are such a big problem to the Israelites. They capture the Ark of the Covenant, and try to use it against the people that made it. HELLO? What are they smoking? How can a group of people use an instrument of worship against the very people that created that instrument? It's like taking a Ford Mustang right off the assembly line and then running over the worker that helped paint it. You just don't do stuff like that.

1st Samuel 5

This is where the Ark starts to turn against the people, because the statue of their deity, Dagon, starts to fall over and get destroyed because God is getting angry. The Israelites know that God will keep them safe and guard them from all harm, but when the symbol of God's prescence is taken away, they worry, but God brings them back to where they need to be.

1st Samuel 6

The Philistines, having seen what the Ark can do when it is away from where it needs to be, decide to make an offering of guilt to appease the Israelites. They give it back. They were all afraid, as they should be...You don't take away from God's glory, and God showed his wrath on the people who would defile the Israelites...

1st Samuel 7

Here is where Samuel starts his ministry...

In the process of Samuel explaining to the people to remove the foreign Gods of the cities that Israel had taken back from the Philistines. It was amazing. God gives the people of Israel back their land. Much as he did in today's age; May 14, 1948. The nation of Israel is reborn after almost being wiped off the face of the earth. To God be the Glory!!!!!!!

I hope you guys enjoy reading this!!!!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

The 365 Project - Day 122-123-124



The movie I was watching today. I do have to say, if you ever do read a book, don't set your expectations high on the movie, because chances are, you're expectations would change drastically...Movies based off of a book will either lose or change its contents to make it seem better.




If I had a better camera I would have tried and gotten a picture of the ear of corn that I was grilling. I had always said I wanted to grill corn on the cob this summer, and I did it. I have to say however, that roasted corn is so much better when its cooked inside its husk...



Now that i'm home, this also starts the movie season for the summer. Iron Man 2 was so much better than the first one, and if you get a chance to see it, GO!!!! It is better than the first one by far, and the visual effects were incredible...

More on the posts later on...I will have the flashdevo prepared later.

GRACE AND PEACE!

Look for the Flashdevos for the past 3 days, and today (Monday)'s post later on tonight...

Thursday, May 13, 2010

The 365 Project - Day 121



No I did not get a brand new car. I had my windows tinted today, and this was the result. My car, a 2003 Ford Taurus, literally looks brand new. I could not be happier with the way that the tinting came out, I was so blessed. I got a good amount of money for my graduation presents and as a result I was able to get these windows done.

Sorry but, no FLASHDEVO today...

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The 365 Project - Day 120



Sushi, the highest recognized food from Japan, and today was the first time in over a month that I actually ate some. I was happy with myself today, because I have been to 2 different doctors over the past week, and now I am here at this point, understanding my road to recovery. The cardiologist was going over procedures for new meds, and I would need to get some new bloodwork to see if I have made any changes since the heart attack happened in April. We will just have to wait and see for now, that will happen on Tuesday.

Anyway, today was my first day of working for Chosen People Ministries, and it was a very productive one, I had plenty of things to do, leading up to the point where I went out to lunch with my mom at the sushi restaurant. I still had to be cautious of what I was eating, but that was to be expected. Tomorrow is my day off and I am getting the windows tinted on my car. Be on the lookout for some great shots of the car with its new look, I am really excited about finally being able to do this.

FLASHDEVO
1 Samuel 2

Hannah is rejoicing that God has given her what she had asked for, and as a result of her devotion to following what God had in store for her, she had more children after Samuel. The greatest lesson that someone can take away from this book is to trust that God is in control no matter what your circumstances are.

That leaves me with

SPURGEON ADVICE - Morning for May 12th

I didn't get a chance to read the evening part, and that's because this morning's devotional mentions the 3 most important traits of a Christian man...

HAPPINESS HUMILITY HOLINESS

Over the past month, I had to learn a great deal of humility because of my health. I had to take into consideration that I cannot do everything by myself, and I need people to be there to help get me through a lot of turmoil in my life. When I read this, I rejoiced because having a humble heart is what draws you closer to the Lord. Focus on those three words in your mind, drill them into your memory over and over again.

Be blessed.

GRACE AND PEACE!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

The 365 Project - Day 119



As I go along with the days here in South Florida, there are more opportunities to get a change of scenery in my pictures. When I first saw the fruits on this tree outside of Chosen People Ministries' office, I was reminded of a scene in Avatar. Jake Sully had just gotten linked to the avatar body, and was outside the base, and tasted a fruit off a tree. The fruits looked so exotic I thought I was on Pandora :P, they are called Loquats. They grow in Asia and Central America. If I had to describe the taste, it is almost like a peach/plum hybrid with really big seeds. The seeds are beautiful, they look almost like the gemstone "tiger's eye" a really dark color with gold stripes and shiny. Really weird if you ask me. If you ever see the tree, you should pick it. I need to remember to bring my camera because I found a Chameleon in the tree, and if i could have gotten closer to him, you would have seen him in this blog as opposed to the fruit...

FLASHDEVO AND SPURGEON-ADVICE

Okay, so again I changed the name of my devotional section, but I haven't kept up with that devotional in a few months, so I will do my best to keep up this time. I don't want to get into this bad habit, but I fear I am already developing them. I should have been asleep at 11pm, but now it's almost 12.

FLASHDEVO

Intro to 1st Samuel 1...

In this chapter we meet Hannah, a woman who is desperately seeking to have children, and she cries out to God that if she were to have a son, she would give that son to the Lord to serve him for all of his days. That boy, Samuel, grows up to be the man who finds Israel's most famous king, David. So how's that for God using someone because someone asked of the Lord and they received it. If you think that your prayer request isn't enough for the Lord, think again. Anything you ask of the Lord, there is always his two answers, yes or no. Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding.

SPURGEON-ADVICE

It feels great to reconnect with my MORNING AND EVENING devotional. My older brother is reading one by John Piper called TASTE AND SEE...I may look at it, but for now, I am really enjoying what I read. This was in the evening page for May 11th, and I wanted you to take away from Spurgeon's writings tonight to dwell on these words...

"It was a law of Ahasuerus that no one should come into the king's court dressed in mourning: this is not the law of the King of kings, for we may come mourning as we are; but still He would have us put off the spirit of heaviness, and put on the garment of praise, for there is much reason to rejoice. The Christian man ought to be of a courageous spirit, in order that he may glorify the Lord by enduring trials in an heroic manner"

I had to really think about the courageous spirit part, because I had to deal with the issues of having a heart attack and being brought down to my humblest moment in life because God is growing me and using me, and to have a courageous spirit means I accept what cannot be changed and rejoice knowing I can still change the course that my life is going. Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice!!!!!

GRACE AND PEACE!

FLASHDEVO Nehemiah 12/13

I finally was able to read Nehemiah this morning before I left to take care of all of my stuff. I went to the car detailers to get it waxed and cleaned, and then I had to make a detour today to bring my brother this binder :P Oh well.

But here's the finale to Nehemiah as I have promised before...

Nehemiah 12

This was a chapter for worship. The people of Israel are worshiping the Lord after the city has been dedicated. The sons of the priests, the gatekeepers, everyone who played a part were there when the city was reestablished, and they thrived there.

Nehemiah 13

In the ending of this epic story, Nehemiah is dealing with sacreligious activity. People in the city are conducting business on the sabbath, a completely heretical thing to do, as it is required to not work on days of rest. Nehemiah threatens the merchant people with violence, and then shuts the gates on them. When the people start to camp outside of the gate, Nehemiah declares to them that they must leave immediately, or be executed. People in today's day and age do not hold to the same standards, and therefore don't care when people threaten them with their "religious" ideals. People see us as fenatics who are intolerant and discriminatory, when all along we are following after what God expects of us.

I pray we remember this. I will be starting 1st Samuel tonight, so look for the new Flashdevo posts later on...

GRACE AND PEACE!

Monday, May 10, 2010

365 Project Pictures for days 116-118

DAY 118



I have heard my friends the Ferraras talk about their garden with 60 tomato plants in it, so me and my mom were out shopping tonight, and went to whole food markets where we found this absoultely beautiful heirloom tomato. It's red with a green top and green stripes on it, hopefully when we plant the seeds from them, the plants that grow will be somewhat similar.

DAY 117




As hard as I tried to get a picture of the Florida State Line, I couldn't quite get it locked down on my sights. So without even trying I snapped a picture of the Ron Jon sign, and at the point where I took the picture, it was 253 miles away...

DAY 116



This will probably be the last time I see the skyline of Nashville, and it is good to see that things are returning to normal considering the amount of damage the city has seen in the past week from all of the flooding. This was the first day of our roadtrip on Saturday, after we took my mom, grandma, and godmother to the airport.

I will finish my FLASHDEVO momentarily, so give me a few minutes...

Prelude to today's 365 Project Post

Please remember that I was traveling with my dad and brother for the past 2 days and have just now gotten home. West Palm Beach is a great place to be, and this is a great time to be here...The summer months always bring about a lot of good memories. My older brother has the camera that has Saturday and Sunday's picture on it, so unfortunately, I won't be able to tell you about the roadtrip home. I will however say that every time I tried to get a picture of a State border, I just couldn't do it. So you will be seeing pictures of cities and of the state welcome center for Florida. I haven't made the return road trip since May of 2009, right before I went to Tokyo for the summer. My car was home with my parents while I was living overseas, but then when it was brought back to Louisville, I ended up flying home rather than driving home over Christmas break.

The road trip was enjoyable because I realized it would be a very long time before I go back to Louisville for any reason whatsoever. If my book finally gets published, I may be making Louisville the book's first stop...

We will see how things turn out with that.

FLASHDEVO will be later on tonight, I just got a journal for sermon notes, so I want to record some thoughts over Nehemiah 11 and 12 before I read it and then I will post it. Look for the new pictures tonight.

GRACE AND PEACE!!!!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Commencement (365 Project Days 114-115)

6 Years of my life have come and gone. I am not the same person anymore. 6 years ago, I didn't have the same goals, the same vision in my life as I do now. I wouldn't have been blogging on anything, that's for sure. I was more concerned with impressing people, and would not have been focusing on what God wanted for my life. That slowly but surely changed as I matured as a man, and God shaped me into his man. That's the only thing I know to be true right now. God took me, and shaped me into something to be used for his Glory, and that's the only way I would ever see my life. Someone who could be used as an instrument for God's glory.

Here is the picture for DAY 115, my graduation!




I was so overwhelmed today by the sense of love and appreciation. My party was amazing. We went to Mitchell's, my family's favorite seafood restaurant, and while we were there eating, my friend Jeremy was our server. He went and made special menus for my party that said "Congrats Joel" on them. The fact that he went out of his way to do this for me was so special, and it made me feel even more love and appeciation.

The next picture was from Thursday night, after dinner, my brother and dad went with me to meet the Ferraras at Starbucks. The one that all the seminary people end up going to...The sun had just set and the sky was changing from orange to blue, and the color behind the iluminated Starbucks logo was perfect, so here it is so you can see...



FLASHDEVO
Nehemiah 10-11

As the book draws to a close, I had to decide what I was going to read next, and with that in mind, I plow through the remaining chapters of Nehemiah.

As the people begin to rebuild the city, the people are beginning to set into motion a new set of rules. The rules of the priests and the receipt of tithes. There were certain standards that had to be upheld with the people. This all had to do with the Levites and the fact that they were the ones responsible for the wellbeing and upholding of the people of Israel, and these experiences were vital for shaping who the people would become later on in history.

GRACE AND PEACE, I'M TIRED AND NEED TO BE UP TOMORROW.
Driving tomorrow. Making the last trip from Louisville to West Palm Beach...

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

The 365 Project - Day 113



This was a day I was waiting for. The first of many great days to come. I checked out of the dorms this morning and my family got to Louisville. I was so happy to see them. My Godmother is here too. I have not seen here since I first left for school in 2006. It was an overwhelming sense of happiness I felt. There are only 2 more days left before the chains are taken off me, and the really, really real world sets in. College is coming to a close and a much bigger chapter is about to open up. Post College life sounds exciting to me, but it also feels like I need a great sense of direction in my life to know what to do.

Anyway, tonight's picture was in honor of the occasion. I have been following this heart healthy diet for so long, i felt like I deserved this. For the record, I split the cheesecake with my mom, so don't panic and act all scared because I was eating something I shouldn't have been :P

FLASHDEVO
Nehemiah 9

The Israelites begin to worship the Lord even deeper at this point. They begin by pointing out the marvelous things he had done for them. Even in their rebellion, the people of Israel are seeing God for who he really is. A compassionate, and forgiving God, who doesn't stop loving his people. Despite everything the people had been doing, despite their mistakes, the hardships that they had faced, through each and every thing, God forgave, and he gave them hope for a future.

"You have acted faithfully while we did wrong" (v. 33)

God is still like this. No matter what it is that we do, God doesn't stop loving us. We could be displeasing him, we could be pleasing him, God still chooses to love us. Remember that this day.

GRADUATION IS 2 DAYS FROM NOW :D

GRACE AND PEACE!!!!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The 365 Project - Day 112




I had to completely scare people considering that I have a health issue. RELAX!!!!! I got a grilled chicken sandwich for dinner. Although in my head I see myself eating a hamburger. This was a frustrating situation. Not that I couldn't eat the hamburger, but that I was eating dinner at the restaurant. I had to take my car in to get a balance and rotation on my tires. I did it with Firestone because I got a lifetime deal on the car 2 years ago when I brought the car to Kansas City. Me and my brother drove out there and had a blow out. You could see the damage it made, but the lifetime tire repairs are worth it to get this done again and again.

I have to get the car packed up and get ready to leave the dorms tomorrow, since my family gets here, so I will get this done quick.

FLASHDEVO, Nehemiah 7/8

In these chaopters, the city gets finished, and the people begin to worship. One of the most incredible parts of this chapter is the amount of people that were exiled. More than 43,000 people come back to the city of Jerusalem. Ezra opens up the word of the Law, and the people worship God in booths with palm branches (the feast of Sukkot) on the roof. It is incredible. God changed Jerusalem because one person dared to take a stand for the Lord, that is what I feel God has been teaching me through this book...

Monday, May 3, 2010

The 365 Project - Day 109-111





In the grand scheme of things I should have seriously been working at getting my posts up to date, but I have been having way too much fun these past couple of days. I have been totally absorbed in the Pokemon game, but I have been spending time with close friends, and even had the chance to cook for them. The pictures you see are from this weekend and monday. Saturday was Kentucky Derby of course, so I was at my very first derby party. This year I didn't even get to see the race, I had to simply listen to it on the radio. That was a little different for me, but I still enjoyed it none the less. Big surprise, the same guy who won last year won this year. Had I known that, I would have put even a few dollars in on the race. The party had a huge bucket that was taking bets :P oh well.

The second picture was in honor of my mom. I went to church and afterwards, went to the Ferraras house to cook for them. The dish is called Italian Eggs. Victor had suggested to me that the dish be made like an appitizer and even served it with crustinis. I fell in love with the dish, and want to make it again over the summer when I get the chance.

FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY, I have gotten over my fears of firing a gun, and went to a shooting range with the Ferraras. It was an adrenaline rush. I fired at targets and everything. I was glad to have done it.

Here goes a part much needed...FLASHDEVO
Nehemiah 4-5-6

As the chapter progresses, the people of Israel go through the defense of the city. You watch as the people struggle to take back what is theirs' from the people who had conquered the city. The city was protected by the people who were building it. The workers carried their weapons with them. It resembles a lot of Lord of the Rings. Even in the book, the city Minas Tirith (in the last book) reminds me of Jerusalem, because it is the city that must defend the people, the strong army inside its walls. In Nehemiah, the city is being built up again after it has been wiped out by its enemies...I will read on and see what comes next for Jerusalem.