Sunday, November 27, 2011

Donna is coming home today :)

Thursday, November 24, 2011

A post for Thanksgiving.

Now that I am sitting down in a place where I can gather all of my thoughts, Thanksgiving was not a typical thing for me this year. my fiance has been feeling ill for a while now, and hopefully the surgery that she has had will change how she feels. I am just glad for the advances in medicine and technology that exist today. We truly have an amazing God, don't we? He creates knowledge that people take away and can develop into serious helpful tools that the world will take away for the gain of society.

This was by no means a great thanksgiving. But I was however, with my family. That's what matters the most to me in times where there is great distress. That I am with the people who love me. Especially my future wife.

Even in the hospital, there are things to be thankful for. I sat down with my brother Brian and had thanksgiving dinner in the hospital cafeteria. It wasn't bad actually. Plus today, Brian got here from Austin and gave me the first of my birthday presents (technically the second ones) I got coupons for all of my free food I get on my birthday, so yeah, the second presents.

For the serious bloggers out there, only you would get the significance of me getting a Julia Child cookbook (don't worry Julie Powell, I won't do what you did) But if I could, I totally would go through this cookbook and blog about it, but this isn't the same cookbook. It's called "THE WAY TO COOK", and it's great because there are pictures in it. I can gather my ideas for what I want to cook for dinners and stuff like that, and it doesn't have to be a complicated endeavor either. Anyway, I am off to work on a paper, so I will blog again soon over the weekend.

GRACE AND PEACE!
She is in recovery from an important surgery. Will be in the hospital until Sunday.
Thanksgiving was in the hospital cafeteria today
It's a former military housing apartment with hardwood floors.
Well...Donna and I have a place finally.
Hope that your thanksgiving is very very blessed today

Monday, November 7, 2011

The Power of 13

The Power of 13

This is a retrospective of my life from the time I was 13 leading up until now. Showing what God has done and what he has yet to do…

1) 1999
a. Moved to Florida
b. Settled into an official “youth group” setting
c. Back in Public School (was home-schooled for 7th grade)
d. Got used to a brand new life
e. Had trouble with people at school, was getting made fun of a lot.
f. Big into Pokémon cards

2) 2000
a. Transition into High School
b. Struggling to make the most of who I was
c. Started thinking about where I was going to college
d. Met Christian friends
e. Became an uncle

3) 2001
a. Hated my life
b. Wanted to commit suicide
c. Made fun of the most during this time
d. 9/11

4) 2002
a. Came close to being the target of an anti-Semitic hate crime
b. Really dug into the music realm
i. Creed
ii. Weezer
iii. Linkin Park
c. Got the biggest into video games
i. Got a Nintendo Game Cube
d. Got a new youth pastor
e. Big into Smallville

5) 2003
a. Went on a trip to Japan
i. Got my calling into the ministry
b. Felt like I was being pushed to the side in my church
i. Felt like the new youth pastor played favorites and I knew I wasn’t one of them
c. Got to the hardest point (academically) in High School
d. Went on my first passion conference
i. Became an uncle again

6) 2004
a. Got my first real job (Chick-Fil-A)
b. Transition into college
c. Started serving as a youth group leader in Middle School
d. Got the start of my independence
i. Driving a 2003 Ford Taurus SES
ii. Music was the deepest thing for me
1. Discovered “Running Just to Catch Myself” by Mark Schultz, and it has become my absolute favorite song of all time.

7) 2005
a. First instance of being an adult
i. Tax Return
b. First real date I have ever been on (Amber Wilson)
c. Got my first iPod
i. Showed what hard work can do if you put your mind to it.
d. Went on tour of Boyce College
e. Became a mission trip leader
i. Went to New York City on the other side of the youth fence as a LEADER
f. Went to a youth ministry conference in Nashville
g. Went to Israel

8) 2006
a. Went away to College
i. Discovered how capable I really am
ii. Made great friends
iii. Got a whole new perspective on my life
b. Had the hard lessons to learn
i. People started showing me tough love in an attempt to show me that I needed to grow.

9) 2007
a. First realized how I need to not be selfish
i. Gave so much of myself in order for people to get by
b. Realized a calling that God has given me was laying hidden in my mind, so I changed the path I was taking.

10) 2008
a. Got a glimpse into my future, and watched 2 different friends get married, thinking that it would never be me.
b. Got the deepest into video games
i. Worked a summer and bought a Wii
c. Got serious with my ministry, and started planning for the biggest things of all

11) 2009
a. Spent a summer in Japan as a missionary
b. Went to Southwestern Seminary and got a glimpse of what life would be like

12) 2010
a. My health took a turn for the worse
i. Hospitalized for a Heart Attack
b. Graduated from College
i. Showed the world that I was capable of being so much more than what I already was
c. Transitioned to Southwestern Seminary
i. Made close friends
1. Found out who the true friends were
d. Met the person I was meant to marry

13) 2011
a. Preached my first revival
b. Had a girlfriend
i. Asked her to marry me
c. Licensed for the Ministry
i. Taught 2 sermons on 2 different Sundays in the church
d. Realized that my selfishness was running my life and I had to do something to stop it.
i. Had so much happen to me at once, God was breaking down walls and showing me that I really did have to change and make things happen in my life.
Today makes 2 months until my wedding day, and in the month of November, I say the things that make me thankful for each day.

November 7th, Thank You Lord for allowing me to get this far in being engaged, and for all you are going to do in the 2 months until my wedding day. You are the master of my destiny O God, and I cannot live my life or take a single breath without you!