Summer Plans...

     Over the past two weeks or so, all the while finishing project and preparing for final exams and booking my flight home to Virginia, I've been thinking a lot about summer plans. One idea is to play in one my college's summer worship teams that they send out to camps after school lets out. I signed up earlier in the year and auditions are in early January (the 12th to be exact). I'm really excited for this opportunity, and thought I've auditioned in the past and not been chosen, I'm not mad or bitter. I'm trusting the Lord with all of this, asking Him to open doors He wants me to go through and close ones He doesn't.
     Another is an internship. Now I use that term loosely because technically I'm not required to do one ( I think my Worship capstone class is close enough to one). I have the idea of interning at a nearby church, depending on other circumstances, and helping with any media they use in their services. This means sound (I want hands on with this), video (which I've never done and am not experienced in), writing for audio or video pieces (done a lot of this...thanks, Media Scriptwriting!), graphic design (done some of this as well, and I have great tools to do so, not just the Adobe programs), and other media. I think this would help me get needed experience considering my major sets me up to be a media "pastor" in a church (sans the ordination).
     What are the other circumstances? Well, considering I do not currently have my driver's license nor a car, my roommate's parent's friends offered me to stay with them over the summer and during that time teach me to drive. *GASP* That is such an amazing offer! If I choose to take this, I would try to get my "internship" near where they live.
     All of these are really good options, and I'm still considering them all. But more than my consideration, I want to submit to God's will and desire for me this summer. I appreciate your continual prayers for me in this matte. I know it is a few months away now, but I see nothing wrong with praying in advance for anything. May your days be blessed and blessed because of your dependance on God.

Advent Podcast worth checking

Hello, blog universe. It's been way too long since I've posted last. School has been full effect, and with that, certain things fall down the priority list. Sadly, this was one of those things. Anyway, I wanted to mention one of my professors, Dr. Mark Perry, has started doing a podcast around the season of Advent which we are currently in. Have a listen, comment away, and give him your feedback.

You can listen here.

Have a blessed Christmas season everyone, and I hope to keep posting over our break.

TwitteRelevant

Read an article in the Sojourn, the school's newspaper today about using Twiiter and what the point of it is. All in all, I thought it was a pretty good informative piece aimed at new people to Twitter. But what the article made me think about most was the idea of relevance.

They quoted a student who said that Twitter is really a "useless networking tool." I don't know if I would call it useless, but I could see his point. I think seeing something as useless is really only seeing the bad parts of something, in this case Twitter going the same way as Facebook, as an essential time-waster. I do believe that can happen, but at the end of the day, I believe we all have a choice as to whether or not we let that happen.

As far as relevance goes, I'd say it's really a subjective term in today's day and age. I think in order to be relevant, someone or something has to first define what relevance even is. I think society in one sense defines relevance; I think celebrities do as well; but my question is this: Why doesn't God define what our view of relevancy is?

In essence, what does God say about how we use Twitter? Why don't we have Him as our standard with which we measure relevance. If we go by society's standards of relevance, then aren't we pleasing man with our efforts?

I think I can sum up what I'm trying to say in one thought: Twitter is a resource that's been given to us by God. Let's use it for His glory.

What Is A Real Man? Wow, I'm Even Considered That...

WHEW! Nearly half of my Junior year over, and it'd been great. Busy and work-filled (not a good filling for a donut, btw) but great. I'm learning so much and it's continuously cool to see how much everything bleeds together.

Anyway, the real reason I'm back writing is that I have a lot on my mind. My accountability/small group of guys is going through Wild At Heart by John Eldredge. My mind recalls back when my youth group started to go through it, but we didn't finish. But since I've picked it up again, or as it really is bum my suitemate's copy, it's been sobering and challenging. Tonight I read the 3rd chapter about the question haunting every man. That question? "Am I a Real Man?" and "Will I come through...even when it gets tough?"

I've asked that a lot. I've struggled with self-value a lot. As Eldredge talks, I've boiled it down to my personality. But he also says that everything we need as men is inside of us, that God's put it there. Much like Easter Eggs  on DVD's. They're hidden things on a DVD (an extra scene, pictures, alternate ending, etc.--just really cool stuff): they're already there but we don't realize they are until we stumble upon them or go to somewhere (websites) that tell us how to find them. Well, there's no website to tell me where the manly things in me are, but there's a book and a Savior. There's God and His Word. That's the best I can come up with.

It's been really sobering to really look at me. It's sucked and it continues to suck like a vaccuum to say I want the real me to show yet consistently keep doing the same actions, the same sins, over and over again; "I do what I don't want to do and I don't do what I want to do." Oh the tension!!

All I can do now is be humble enough to say I have no clue what to do. I know that God knows what to do in me to mld me into the person and the man he calls me to be. I've been living as the person that I'm comfortable with and the person/man society sees as acceptable.

God, fill in the places that are unfilled, make the rough places smooth, as you state in your Word. I know your promises Lord, and I know you enough to know that you fulfill your promises and don't just make them. I trust you now more than ever. I'm scared out of my head right now, but I know you go before me, I've got the lantern and You've got the map....

---You know, it wouldn't have been that much more to spring for a Garmin. Okay, I'll be quiet and hold the lantern :)---

May there be peace in our lives, may there be strength in us that is not our own. May God take over. May we hold the lantern and find joy in it. A man we make is a fallen one, but the man God has in mind is glorious.

School Beckons

As the new school year approaches, and with it a new found campus job as a Building Monitor as well as classes and studying, my time devoted to this blog will be drastically cut short.  But do not fret my handful of followers. My goal is to keep this blog going, updating at least once a week during the school year.  I'll start posting again in early September, some time during the week of the 7th when the year starts. Until then, I encourage you guys to stay close to the Lord and walk in His strength and not your own. Blessings

--Randy (Isa. 41:10)

The name says it all. I say that books intended for women can just as well apply to us guys because of a book I'm currently reading.

The book is written by Beth Moore, a name synonymous with books and other resources for women. So this past weekend when I won her book "Arm Yourself Against the Enemy's Schemes: A Taste of 'When Godly People Do Ungodly Things'" from my church's men's conference, I had some objections. Initially I thought that since this book was for women (the back of the book has Moore's picture with the "Lifeway Women" logo) that I wouldn't be able to get anything out of it. But was I ever wrong!

This book has some amazing truths about Satan, his craftiness, and his ultimate goal to have us fall away from the abundant life God has for each one of us. This book has been great for me personally considering my battles with sin and wanting to walk in true repentance.  So far, I've gotten into the second chapter of the book, and I've learned some great things along the way:

• Overcoming Satan's lies and schemes is possible and it's possible because of who Christ in us. With His power we are able to overcome.

• Anyone can be attacked by the evil one, even those who are in good seasons of their life and close to the Lord.

• Things like our ignorance, passion without a Scriptural foundation, and a lack of discernment are tools that Satan can use to knock us off the path Christ has set for us.

In the end, I think I am learning quite a book from this book, be it targeted to women or not, because it is something relevant to my life and it's a struggle I have and am facing. A quote my brother has told me a few times which he heard from a fellow pastor was, "Read about things you are struggling with." I think for me, this is one of those books. I encourage you to find a book concerning something you're struggling with, be it a specific sin like pornography or feeling distant from God, there's more than likely a book out there for you. If you hate to read, download an audio version of the book and listen to it while you work out or while driving. If there's one thing I've learned from reading these types of books myself and hearing others tell me what they've learned from reading these books, it's that reading about things you're dealing with causes you to learn more about your struggle and see it from a new perspective, and in my opinion,  that can only benefit you. 

When was the last time you said these two small words?

Was it difficult? Was it humbling? How about tedious?

I would consider myself a very thankful person. I would say it's just a part of my nature. I always try to thank people who help me out during my times of need and even in the little things in life like when someone holds a door for me. 

But I don't say this to brag about myself. No, I want to share what my life is now since I've taken on a lifestyle of being thankful. Really, this all connects to my love and passion for worship, and with that comes a brief lesson in etymology.

The word "worship" as we know it has its origins in numerous languages. One in particular is the word "worthschipe" (worth-ship) which has its origins with the Anglo-Saxons. Notice the root word there? It's "worth," and if we use context clues, we can conclude that worship gives something value or importance; That's worth! Now add God to the picture (Duh!). Our worship of Christ means that we call Him worthy, we think He is valuable. He's important to us.

Alright, class dismissed. If we can understand how our worship of Christ, the Holy One who indeed is worthy, it's easy to see where the idea of praise comes in. Praise simply is the action of giving worth. It the "God, You're great," "God, You're merciful." But in my time of learning and studying about worship in college, I have learned that worship is only a lifestyle once it has action behind it. 

These two words, "Thank You," fall into a statement of praise. But as I said previously, words aren't enough in order to achieve a lifestyle of worship. The truth with all of this is that this it's really only possible with God. He is the source of our praise and worship; He's the reason we do what we do and the reason we are who we are, and it's Him, through the work of His Holy Spirit who, that this change happens. 

What does this action look like? The best way I can describe it is with myself because I remember where I used to be and I see now where I am now in my relationship with Christ, and with it, my life of worship towards Him. Before, I could care less about the sky or nature. But now, I love it when there's a beautiful sunset or the sky looks like it's painted on. Before, I thought prayer was about getting my agenda across and asking for things and I rarely prayed outside my youth group. Now, I pray for others all the time and love to pray in the shower. [:-D)

I think the bottom line is that all of this, understanding what worship is, what praise is, what a thankful lifestyle is, all starts at our relationship with the Lord. Again, I don't share all my experiences to brag about me. I do it to brag about God and what He's done and is doing in my life. My prayer is that you would see this and see the goodness of Christ and see how rewarding He wanted this life to be. Most of all, I ask you to pray about this for yourself and seek the Lord. "Ask, seek, and knock" as it talks about in Matthew 7:7. Draw near and stay close to the Lord and I can tell you He will help you understand what worship is and how it is a way of life.