Submission

So as November begins to blossom, I figure that it never hurts to procrastinate my studying by blogging a little bit.

I struggled immensely during the month of October, I wanted to leave WMU so badly. I just wanted to leave music and the people behind. I am so influenced by them, it is simply way too easy to follow their mannerisms, attitudes, and words...and just act like there's nothing you can do.

Well there is something I can do, and that is pray.

I can cry out to God, and ask him to forgive me for internalizing my stress instead of pouring it out on him, for following the ways of this world, to let myself be influenced by how others react and speak.

It's all about submission, and I'm full of pride.

Jesus came to this earth, a baby, went through EVERYTHING I've gone through and more. He humbled himself like woah. He cried out to His Father, and submitted. Here I sit, a weak human, and I believe myself to be strong.

Romans 8:26 lets me know that I can have HIS strength, even though I am weak. It comes down to me making a choice to forgo my pride and submit to the Holy Spirit interceding with groans deeper than words can express.

HOW AWESOME IS THAT?

God knows I'm a stubborn fool, he knows I like to keep it all inside, but if I did that, I would be completely ignoring what I learned this summer. I could not stop myself from opening up this summer, I was truly honest about everything. I paid attention to the words and advice of my mentors and friends, and let God do the work as much as possible. As a result, I was brought to tears so often, and grew so much. My heart was tenderized and my soul renewed.

I'm not perfect, my pride will keep fighting me, but everyday, I hope I am one step closer to Christlikeness.

Ya'll brothers and sisters out there reading this, encourage me in this fight. Some of you know how intense this semester has been for me in the struggle department, and you also know that God has still kept his promise!!!!

Yep, that's right, amidst the storm, God has kept his promise to take care of me.

Some of you wonder how I am coping, and some days the only answer I can give is "I don't know, God must really be doing wonders though".

I'm so blessed to have the friends I do, that listen to me, encourage me, and meet with me to help me with my spiritual growth.

God Bless all of you,

Jason

James 4:8-Draw near to God, and God will draw near to you.

Through many trials, and toils and snares

As I look back at the past month, a lot has happened. Many things have just shot in a completely different direction than I expected and I suppose it is because often enough my will is not God's will.

I am almost at the point of feeling like too much has happened. I am an emotional dude, I use my emotions onstage, I am able to connect within and just know what's going on. Although much has gone on, I realize that more is yet to come, and whatever it is, I must rely on God and see more of him and less of me. This life on earth is not guaranteed to be filled with happy days, days full of financial prosperity and tons of stuff. What's guaranteed is that God is love, God will provide, and God will return. He might not provide how we were hoping, but HE WILL DO SOMETHING.

Even if we think it's nothing, something much bigger is going on.


This week, I have had the privilege of being loved by God, friends, and family. Having God send people to surround me and encourage me, because life has been one big curveball lately. Thanks be to God for his mercy and grace.

I'll make it through, these things shall pass, and I will emerge a stronger man.

Thanks for the love ya'lll

Keep it reals,

Shado

Joshua 1:9
Phil 4:4-7

Blessed Be the Tie that Binds

1. Blessed be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like that to that above.

2. Before our Father's throne
We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one
Our comforts and our cares.

3. We share each other's woes,
Our mutual burdens bear;
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.

4. When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
And hope to meet again.

5. This glorious hope revives
Our courage by the way;
While each in expectation lives,
And longs to see the day.

6. From sorrow, toil and pain,
And sin, we shall be free,
And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXsYaBQGbM0

This right there describes me at the moment, and hopefully for a lifetime

Relying on the strength of an Everlasting God, can I get an AMEN!!!!!!?

So I haven't really ever done a blooowg about my summer, or what has really been going on since I returned from my amazing summer filled with God's intense teachings. So let me lay down a phat track for all you cats;

1. Decision to go to Barakel for the summer (best decision ever)
2. Became a YAP, not a counselor (wise decision on Dave's part)
3. Started studying James
A. Two major points I got from James (there are tons more, but it's 1230am)
1. Your actions begin in your mind
2. Your conduct begin in your thoughts
3. Why do I do what I do? Why do I respond the way I do? (James 4:1-10)
4. Psalm 51 (specifically v10-12)
A. It's become a major part of my prayer life, for God to clean my heart, to renew me each day and look for the joy in his salvation.
5. East to West visits Barakel (holy pete, what an awesome crew, had an amazing jam session that really gave me a new thought as to where God could take me in life!!!!)
6. Became a counselor (Wahoo! I loved my boys, one of them caught a 26in pike!)
7. His Ability Week.......wow, whatta week of inspiration and Godly people
8. Went home to.............?????????????
9. School
10. Blessings since School has started
A. Voice teacher (the dude who molds me for a professional singing career) is a Christian, all of a sudden he is more than a teach, but also a bro who is keeping me accountable and keeping me encouraged, YES!
B. Guitar prof- leads bible study for musicians, AMAZING YO'S!
C. PDizz- this Psalm 139 guru has been an amazing mentor in my life, grateful for him so hard
D. Able to pay my bizzills.
E. A roof over my head, food to eat, and a car to get to class with
F. HIS love peace joy salvation grace mercy
11. Future

Man you just got 11 tracks fo' free!!!! Praise God!!!! Hahahaha

So, having a talk with one of my sister's in Christ, just catching up, and she leaves me with a word of scripture for encouragement. Some of you may or may not know, but I commute to school. It's a decent little drive, and my car was involved in an accident two weeks ago. I borrow my dads truck, but his brakes go out last thursday. I really thought I was fine with it, just took it at face value, hey it's a car, I have my life....la dee da. Then the brakes went, and I was like a little shaken, here I was doing okay in midst of trial, and it just came again. I was discouraged, but of course that famous example of Job always humbles me to realizing....it could always be worse. I do have my car back now, I am waiting on getting some windows in it, but hey....it's drivable, Blessed be the name of the Lord.

So, as this bloowg gets wrapped up (I have an exam in less than 12 hours), let me leave all my brotha's and sista's with some word.

James 1:12
"God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will recieve the crown of Life that God has promised to those that love Him."

Endure ya'll! Be encouraged!! God has better rewards for you than this world could ever offer!!!

Make War, Love God

Paz,

Jason

Paz

As I sit in the Dalton Music Library, listening to Lincoln Brewster praise God, I am struck with how peaceful I am at the moment.  The first thought following that is "wow, prayer really DOES work".  On my drive to kazoo, I realized how tense I was about the upcoming fall, and how I had been ignoring these thoughts, and assuming I was at peace.  Before I went to Barakel this summer,  I really took a lot from the book of Philippians, specifically chapter 4:6-7.  It tells us not to worry about anything, but to pray to God about everything and thank him, and then you will experience peace.  I really dislike being stressed, it does nothing to help school, especially with how busy it is, and it does nothing to help with my focus on God and the relationship I have with him.  I've been going to bed at a decent time every night, but I've been just barely sleeping, and I wondered why.  I usually knock right out, and as I pondered this, I realized I hadn't been giving up my anxious thoughts to the Lord.  I've ignored them, just said they'll be taken care of when they get taken care of.  What kind of thought process is that? It's lazy and selfish, I'm denying God, saying I can just not think about it.  So while I haven't worried consciously, my body has been wrecked subconsciously this week.  

Learning to live a disciplined life for Christ, to run the race, and finish it well.  Living amongst the world, but not acting/reacting like the world.  

To anyone who reads this, thank you

To anyone who prays for me, keep praying

I'm not sure of my physical path in life, but my spiritual path is being lit by Christ, and through him I can be assured and at peace.

Amen

The Summer of Blessings

I find it ironic that I title this "Summer of Blessings", when I just served at camp, who's name, Barakel, is translated as "God has Blessed"

God has Blessed...truly he has

I was able to serve at this camp, be used in ways I didn't know I could, and best of all, I was able to strengthen and grow in my relationship with my Lord Jesus Christ.

Of course there are many stories, but they're meant to be heard, not read.

The best story you can read is of Jesus Christ coming down to this earth, humbling himself, spreading his message, and dying on the cross for our sins that we might be saved.

All we have to do is confess with our tongues, and believe with our hearts- Romans 10:10 (paraphrased)

If your really saved, your life, your actions, your thoughts should be evidence, Matthew 3:8 tells us to prove by the way we live that we have repented and turned to God.

I hope that anyone who reads this, see's that evidence in my life. Ask me how I'm doing, I don't care if you go to church five times a day, or drink five bottles whiskey...if you see me slipping, hit me up.

I really am not sure of how God is going to use me in this world, but perhaps I should just live for Him, glorify Him, praise Him, and spread His message. I'll let those technical details be worked out as they come.

Phillipians 4:6-7 tells us not to worry, but to pray

I'm going to need all the boldness, zeal, courage, love, and patience in the world as I return to school. I return a new creation, PRAISE THE LORD!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrvMnpgav8Y

It's finals week, and today is my last final.

It is the final that is part 1 of 2 that determines my fate at western.

Am I nervous, not really, excited? Yes.  Anxious? Most definitely

This is really one of those moments where God comes into play

He comes into play everyday

I'm excited for the summer

This week has been a whirlwind, it's been a Godly whirlwind.

I was getting scripture thrown at me left and right, and just almost to the point of needing it to stop, because I didn't really know how to handle it all.  Most people kind of just let me be me, I generally am on top of things and know how to appear smart, but I was getting my act called this week, and it was really convicting me.

So wednesday came, and I honestly have never had a day in the past few years where I just took a walk with no purpose.  I was by myself and I was just walking, sometimes not saying anything, sometimes humming, but basically wondering what I was supposed to be doing.  I was wondering why I was just walking, shouldn't I be doing something, practicing, rehearsing, studying, sleeping, eating, working out, making fun of someone, cursing someone, worrying, crying, joking, something, anything!?  It was bothering me, among other things, and then God and I just had a moment, it wasn't profound, it wasn't a voice, it was just a thought that said "be still"

Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

 "Be still, and know that I am GOD;

   I will be exalted among the nations;

   I will be exalted in the earth."

So I sat down, and watched the world go by, and it was amazing.

I did this for an hour, I did not talk once!

I then had dinner and spent some time being challenged by a very close friend, quite possibly one of the most challenging and amazing people I have met in my almost 22 years.  We decided we were spending too much time together, and said we wouldn't see each other till saturday. I praise God that he gave me a friend like her, because she really was knocking it too me, just letting me know I needed to chill out, let God work, and just be patient, and stop being so cocky.  Yeah....she was pointing out everything, hahaha

I got cocky this week, and a tad complacent.  I felt good, I was not only learning the word, but I was feeling it, I'm starting to be able to quote it, and I thought I was in a pretty good place.  Then God told me not good enough.

I've been reading Matthew this week, but I really needed a reality check, and these two verses took me back to the basics.

Philippians 1:3-4

 "I thank my God everytime I remember you.  In all of my prayers for you, I pray for joy."

Let me back up, I read a bible that really talked about meditating upon God's work and it hit me hard. I tend to rush, I've always got a lot of things going on, and I tend to just blow right through.  I cannot rush the bible or God, and I just stopped at these two verses....and I prayed.

I prayed for about 30 minutes, I concentrated on prayer for 30 minutes, I gave thanks to the lord for 30 minutes!!!!!!!

PRAISE GOD

This whole week I was asking to be made bold and to just be an encouragement, and I forgot all about myself, I just kept thanking him for every little thing, because yes I could use this and this and this, but not why thank him for this and this and this, thank him for being able to pray, and to need, and to just rejoice in his amazing splendor and glory!!!  Then I supplemented the word with

 a book titled "Downpour" by James MacDonald.

This book rocked me today, to my core.  I got very troubled, because I knew I wasn't humbling myself, I knew I was thinking of myself in a very good light, I was getting cocky, and chapter 2 was all about God's holiness and how I will NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER EVER EVER MEASURE UP.  How dare I think I can question God's judgment, and to think I know better???  This is the God that created universes beyond our own!!!  Who has seraphim seated by his throne, who cover their face and their feet in fear of his eyes of fire looking upon them.   

My God is an angry and jealous God, and he loves me, but I better bow down to him, because his son died for me and I was starting to think I deserved it.

God, I do not deserve anything you give me, you have blessed me insurmountably, and have never failed to come through in a pinch.  You have tested me and made me grow, and I will never understand why you died for me, but you did, because you created me, and you love me and you're amazing, and totally awesome, and 100% above me in every single fashion.

Thank you God, thank you for being the most amazing thing that has ever been, is, and will be.  Praise you O Ancient of Days for the world you have created and the words you have spoken.  Thank you for giving me life and a free conscious.  I pray that every day I live in reverent fear and awe of you, and that I strive to not be complacent and to grow in you by every passing second.

God, you rock my world, AND universe.

Praise God guys, he's a totally killer dude, and I hope he's some doing killer stuff in your guys's lives as well, praying for all of ya'll, pray for me!!!!

Paz,

Jason

P.S.