Building for the future!

This past Sunday, my home church had me do the service. I for one Sunday was the preacher. I really enjoyed my experience. I had lots of friends and family there supporting me. If you would like to listen to my sermon you can find it on the web at http://www.fpcgraham.com/Podcasts/07-27-08.mp3 

Life has been at a little slower pace. I have been going out to the ranch in most of my free time. Working feeding the cattle, and doing some chores for my grandparents. It has been good to see them, and get to spend some time with them. 

I have also been spending some time with my old friends. I have been hunting, fishing, and visiting about old times. It has been good getting recall all the old memories. 

I talked to one of my old youth group members today. It was good to talk to them. I learned that they had broken their arm, and didn't seem to let it bother them to much. This was the first time that I have really talked to anyone from my old youth group since I have moved. It is starting to sink in that I am really gone and I am no long there with them. 

As I get closer to moving I am getting evermore excited. I am ready to get to ATL so I can get settled in. A church there has talked to me a few times and is interested in hiring me to work with their youth. I am really interested in finding out more details about this church, and will keep you posted on any news regarding this issue. 

I have begun to miss lost of people! Ones I met this year at Mo and ones I have know for a really long time. It is hard to believe that I am going to be so far away from everyone. I am really afraid I will not be able to go to any of the Mo conferences next year. I cannot believe that I have been to Mo every summer since sixth grade. That is 10 years straight. 

The place I have seen God lately is in the stars! Here in Graham you can see so many! Sitting on the front porch talking with my dad I have seen so many shooting stars. Also while talking with my dad, he has finally been comfortable enough to open up and talk about his beliefs. This is truly a God moment as he has never really talked about these things before. 

Tonight I leave you with this passage from Psalm 139

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thought from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down' you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 

It finally happened!

So it finally happened. I have moved from College Station to Graham! I do not think it has really sunk in yet, but I think it will sink in when I realize I do not really have many friends to hang out with.

Today was a really good day. I got loaded up and headed home around 10:00a.m. I stopped off in Waco and got to see someone I have really enjoyed getting to spend time with. This was a great part of my day. We had lunch together and this person showed me around town where they grew up. I really enjoyed my time I got to spend with them. It is really sad that we have just met and I am moving so far away.

The rest of my journey home was great. I got to do a ton of thinking and have put together most of my sermon I am doing on the 27th. I was really excited about life most of the second part of my way home. I haven't felt this good about life for a long time.

I cannot believe all that is going on in my life right now. I have just finish college, said goodbye to all my friends I have made, and I am heading to a completely different place. It is going to be a challenge, but I feel I am up for the task.

You know, today I saw God in a lot of places. It is hard to pick just one, but I really feel that this one stands out the most. When I was in Waco today I went to the mall with my friend. On the way into the mall, we were entering about the same time as this little girl. I guess she was about 12 to 14, maybe a little younger. What surprised me was the fact this girl opened the door for my friend and I. Now I know, you are probably thinking, big deal! The fact is that we go through our day to day lives and do not really realize the little things. This girl was not obligated to hold the door open for us. She wanted to be nice and do something simple for someone else. Some times the expected done by the unexpected is what we need to realize the best of our lives.

Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.'

Luke 10: 30-35

MO!

Well today starts a new beginning of another Mo experience. After spending the past week at Mo as a sponsor for our church I will be a small group leader for this weeks Junior High Jubilee Conference. I am expecting a great week, but at the current moment I am having mixed emotions about Mo in general. Don't get me wrong. I love Mo, but I am currently feeling fixed feelings about some of the decisions leadership is making or has already made. I hope things will get better as the week goes on. Please keep this leadership in your prayers throughout this next week!

Today I saw God when we stopped off in Luckenbach. While there we got to see the coolest thing. I saw a man who had birds. He had a Bald Eagle, a Hawk, a Flacon, and a Owl. He gave a great talk about how as humans we need to live along side animals as one community. God was present and defiantly working in this man.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8