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. 

I'm in love

God is my lover

Why did I run for so long? What was I doing with all that wasted time?

It's crazy how he transforms you

Love God, Love others

Paz y Amor

Jason

How do you do that!?

How do you know exactly what I need, what I want, and to the exact specifications.

I had just exactly enough money to pay my insurance, right down to the last cent.

You have seriously just started giving me the ability to love more than I ever could have thought possible, it's kind of surreal at times to be honest.

My Lord God Jehovah, you are incredible

1 Peter 5:7

"Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you"

(NLT)

Everything

EVERYTHING

Any moment, anytime, any day...He is there

Word up, Devil Down

I had an AMAZING day, I never am able to just walk around for 3 hours and talk.  Too see beauty through someone else's eyes...refreshing

Learning is truly overwhelming

Striving to be humble, to love, to serve, and to live

Paz

Jason

I struggle with giving it up

A lot of my friends probably have no idea, or would call me a fool, but I've come to the realization that I am not in charge of anything

I do make conscious choices, I am responsible for my own actions, but how am I here? Who created me? Is my life just happening, is it pre-determined?  Is it one of those pick-your-own adventure story books?

I really need my blue like jazz book, that book seriously helped me a lot with my struggles.

I struggle with God, I struggle with realizing that there is a God who created me, and who knows me better than I know myself.  I often shut people out, I do not like letting people really know anything about me, what they see is what they get.  I definitely have walls, and somehow I just realized it, even though my sisters have been hitting me with that for years.

Apparently I'm very stubborn

The basic thing I have come to realize is this, something had to create this universe, I do not believe that a little atom just exploded.  I believe in the one true God, the holy spirit, the dude who lifted up his cross and told us to follow him.

I do not love enough, or give enough, but I pray that God makes me bolder every day I live through him.

I struggle with it giving up

but God is always there

Jason