Life!!

So school's about to start up again and a routine is coming back into view. But I have really been thinking about life lately and how crazy it can be. On class Sunday we've been talking about the book "The Hole in the Gospel" thinking on the way the church depicts things and the way that the Gospels actually meant them. One of the things that really struck me was when Dr. Neil pointed out that the Greatest Command is to "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " Now if we love our neighbor as ourself does that mean that we tell them they are going to Hell because they woship with music, or allow women to participate in worship, or even if we CLAP during a song??? Not to me, I think that these people and many more, not excluding myself, are too worried about tradition and not worried enough with how this is pleasing to God. I don't believe that God thinks any less of us if we clap during a song, or a woman leads a pray, or we have a guitar or drums to accompany the music, no I believe that if our hearts are in the worship and we truly believe in Him that it doesn't matter how we worship!!
So back to the topic of life. I have been worrying lately about what the future holds, about what I should major in and what I should do with that major, and who I should be. A very smart friend once told me that one of the greatest things that God works on in college students was patient, and I have come to experience that (thanks Kyla). I just have to wait and see what He has planned for me. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." --Jeremiah 29:11. He knows what is in store and will let me know, let us know, in time what his plan is for us. So we must do what is sooooo hard we must sit and wait and glorify him for everything he does. Yes even for making us wait, cause it may be a great thing that he does through us. Thank God!!!

So this weekend I went to Winterfest. For those of you who don't know what Winterfest is, its a wonderful youth rally in Gatlinburg, TN. Some 1200 youth show up every year. This year our theme was "Love God, Love Others." The scripture this weekend was from Matthew 22:37-39 " 37 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" I know that God loves me soooo much and I love him as well, but I started to think this weekend if I show that love towards others. And do I love others as I love myself? When we started talking about loving others I couldn't help to think about my horrible road rage, Nikki Hobby and Kyla Greer can attest to that. I thought that I loved pretty well but now I'm not so sure anymore. One love, one of my new favorite verses is the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 13. Thats the "love is patient, love is kind" chapter but have you read the entire chapter? It starts by saying that you can do so much for God but if you don't have love than its nothing new. So how do you love others? What can we do to love others?
"1If I speak in human or angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body [to hardship] that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
-1 Corinthians 13

The United States Navy Band played an exceptional concert on Lipscomb University's campus tonight. It was wonderful. But I wanted to thank the U.S. Navy Band for opening up a new respect and pride in my country. You know we have a great country. Freedom, diversity, independence, and love (most of the time and in most places). I think we take that for granted these days, I know I do. I am a 19 year old Mississippi boy that has worked only jobs that I wanted to work, went to church where my parents wanted to go (although I had a choice if I wanted to change but didn't), and am going to a very nice school where I wanted to be. I live everyday not thinking about what it took to make this country what it is today. One of the final songs that the U.S. Navy Band played was the "Armed Forces on Parade" by Richard Hayman. This is when I play all the songs from every branch of the armed forces and the people who served in that branch would stand up when their song was played. It was so moving to see all those people stand up. Whether they served, are serving, or knew someone who served, or is serving. Tonight instilled in me such a great pride for the men and women who serve our country. So if you know someone who is serving, Thank them. If you know someone who has served, then Thank them too. Thank you too all who served, all who are serving, and all who will serve, may God bless you greatly. And please constinetly keep those serving our nation in your prayers.
Love you, Love God!

Psalm 139:1-18,23-24 {1 You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, a God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you…. 23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. }
Such a wonderful text. "You have searched me and know me, Oh Lord!!" God knows our every move, our every though. And he knows our heart better than we do. So why do we think that we can get away from God? For he knows where we are and what we are doing all the time and is there with us the entire time. Sometimes things just get so bad that we think that God has abandoned us, but NO he is there with us constantly. He loves us more than we can imagine. This is one of my favorite verses. If I'm having a bad day or things just aren't going my way, I think about this passage. It reminds me that God is always in control and that he is always there with me no matter what happens. Praise God for that!!!!! So what do you think? Give me some feedback!! Comment PLEASE!!!
Love you and Love God!!