Praise

I don't know how many times in my life I underestimate the power of praise. Like today, I really did not want to go to Praise team chapel, I wanted to go to Awakening (where you study a short Bible verse and pray about it). Obviously all my friends wanted to go to Praise chapel, because I didn't. I didn't cause a fuss like I normally do when I don't get my way, I just went. I'm so glad that I did. We sang a couple songs I didn't know very well, because they are new to me, but they were so good. I know we are supposed to Praise God, I just overlook how much it effects me sometimes. I think this verse from Psalms sums it up:

Psalm 9:1,2 

"I will praise you, LORD, with all of my heart; 

I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. 

I will be glad and rejoice in you; 

I will sing the praises of your name, 

O Most High. 

If I went into Praise chapel with this mindset every time, I don't think that I would have a hard time praising God. I'm just glad that today, they made me concentrate, by singing songs I wasn't familiar with. God works, even when I'm not looking. 

A.P.

New Found Hope

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5:

"...When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power."

I was reading this today, and the thought occurred to me; It was obvious. It isn't about how well you say something, you just need to say it. So many times, I am afraid to talk to people about my faith, because I might not say the right thing. These verses give me some assurance that I can squeak out some form of an answer when someone asks me a "God question." The answer may not be right, but regardless, I know that I have people to ask, places to look, and that God will show me a way to answer the question. All I have to do is speak up, which is now the hard part...

Andy 

Post-Winterfest Stress Disorder

We all know what it is, after every: retreat, youth rally, or any other spiritual high, there is a time that it takes to drop from the top to the bottom. I wish this spiritual high could last forever, that we could truly change our lives after ever youth rally and that we would be forever changed. Realistically there is a time that it takes to get back to the real world. I'm not saying that I don't leave some of these events a changed man (because I feel like this one is going to be life-changing), but there is the time after that's just...blah. I hate it, because after you get home it's like there is a target on your back, like the Devil is waiting to get you. Because there are so many temptations that seem worse when you get home. Your conscience is worse when you do fail, and you feel the need to prove yourself to all of your friends. I want to be real, but it's so much more difficult this time around. I hate this. I wish there was a way to get past this 

"Post-Winterfest-Stress-Disorder."

A.P.

Patience Pickle...

Winterfest. One of the largest gatherings of Church of Christ teens in the world, is this weekend. All packed and ready to go. As I'm sitting here with my good friend Graham, I feel myself become extremely antsy waiting for the rest of our traveling group to get here. I'm getting tense and rude with impatience, when I remembered what we talked about at Hillsboro on Wednesday: Patience. So I'll wait, for us to get there in due time. We might be late, but just as long as I get there, I'm sure God will do great things. I want to be there...

I've never actually written about this, but I have been given a great opportunity to be the intern at the Southwest Church of Christ this summer. That's the reason I'm going to Winterfest this weekend. I'm so excited and nervous to meet the kids this weekend (I call them kids, but I'm really not much older then they are). This is the first time I've ever gone to a church type event for "work." (that's a thought I might explore after Winterfest) Although we might be late, I hope that they will like and accept me as their friend, and allow me to influence them in a positive light. I know that I already love them, and I just hope that they keep their hearts open to hear what God has to say to them. This summer is going to be an adventure, I don't know a soul in the town of Jonesboro, I hope I can make deep spiritual connections all across the board, and plant the seed of God's word there. 

Mix Masta Drew

Laments

Recently, I had to read the book of Lamentations for my ministry class. If you've never read it, Lamentations is absolutely the most depressing book of the Bible. It has to do with the pain someone is going through when they are in captivity (I'm not sure if it's Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, or what, but it is someone in slavery). Reading Lamentations was getting my mood good and gloomy until I read this one verse, and later another that stopped and made me think. 

2:19 

"Arise, cry out in the night, 

as the watches of the night begin; 

pour out your heart like water 

in the presence of the Lord. 

Lift up your hands to Him..." 

and

3:55-57

"I called on your name, Lord,

from the depths of the pit.

You heard my plea: 'Do not close your

ears

to my cry for relief.'

You came near when I called You

and You said, 'Do Not Fear."

These are the only sections that really stuck out to me through the "doom and gloom" of Lamentations. I realize that the book served its exact purpose, to lament or express the sorrow of the situation, but these verses are different. They both express hope. The rest of the book talks about how horrible the situation is, but these are telling you that God can hear you!  Isn't that amazing? 

There are so many times, that bad things are going on, and I just let them fester. I have NO hope that they will get better. Somehow this person (in a much worse situation that me) is able to find hope. So there must be a way for me to find hope in the storm. 

So from now on when things are going awry this is my goal: to stop and lament to God. 

I need a process to do this correctly, so the verses tell me what that process should be.

1. "Pour out your heart." Tell God Everything that is happening, give it your all and give it to him. 

2. Listen. I need to stop after my lament, and listen for the Lord to say, "Do Not Fear." Because I honestly believe that God will speak to me, if I have enough faith to listen. 

So lament, be sad, and let God handle it all, He most certainly will.

-Andy

Sunday Afternoon

Man, time just seems to travel so fast, it seems like the battle of the BLVD was last night. I need to take a breather. 

So this weekend my girlfriend Kaylee came to visit me at school. We did the normal thing for Valentine's Day, went to dinner, and a movie. The movie was Friday the 13th. Over the years my wise parents would tell us we shouldn't watch these movies, and we always said, "no we'll be fine." I love that as a kid you think you know so much. I realize everyday, that I know less than my parents do, and I will never know as much they do. As I watched the movie (shielding my eyes during all of nudity) I realized almost immediately just how unwholesome it was. I felt awful after I watched it, like I needed to ask for forgiveness (which I probably do ). The problem I know now, why I shouldn't watch those movies. When there isn't anyone around to make sure I'm doing the right thing, it's a lot more important that I don't put myself in situations where I could do something I regret. Moral of the story, no more Friday the 13th. 

Andy

P.s. I'm not trying to be a prude, if you can watch those movies and not be affected, more power to ya, but I can't. 

Late Night

Tonight was my first "running of the Bison." It was so incredible, that so many people could be so pumped up about a basketball game. Just a little tid-bit on that.

So I haven't been keeping very good track of my reading, but what I have read has been very moving. Currently I'm reading, "The Externally Focused Church." It is a book about how the Church shouldn't be closed doors, but open freely to the community. 

Last weekend I went home to Little Rock, when I went to Church on Sunday I found that we were planning a Community Outreach Program for spring break. Kids from Harding are coming and it is going to be big. This is such a great thing. I feel like my Church is getting it, trying to be apart of the Community, not in it. I just hope they keep doing that, not making that a single event, but the norm of our outreach. I know I need to walk to walk... I'm working on that too. 

Andy

My weekend

So this weekend I went home for the first time this semester; it was incredible. I went to see taken with my beautiful girlfriend Kaylee, hung out with my mom and dad, saw my dog, and my favorite teacher. It felt good to get home, and get some rest. Now on the other hand, I have a ton of homework, that just sat in my backpack all weekend. I'm not going to be getting a lot of sleep tonight...

Fast...

Wow, everything is moving so fast. It's February already. I feel like time is the only thing that I talk about now. How everything is coming at me so quickly; I don't think I could ever have enough time. I guess now all I can do is take the punches as they come. Papers, tests, and projects, let them come I'll just have to do my best. That's my biggest problem right now, is not giving my worries to God. I have never really had worry as a struggle in my life, but I guess that's what College will do to you. I think this weekend is going to be good for me; going home will be such a refresher. I can see my mom, my dog, my dad, and most importantly my girlfriend (don't worry I'm not about to get mushy). A break will be nice. I'm ready for it. 

Andy. 

Sunday Afternoon

First post of February, and I guess a lot has happened today. It was a gorgeous day, but instead of going outside I accidentally took a nap. Oh well, I needed it. Secondly the Super Bowl, pretty good game ehh? I was cheering for the underdog, and although they lost they made a pretty good game of it. 

So today I haven't really thought about anything much. I'm just glad I had a restful day. I need that more than anything right now-rest. It seems like everything is going 100 mph, and I can't seem to stop it. Then there are Sundays, the BEST day of the week in my opinion. Just stop and take a breather... it feels so good. The best thing about a restful day (besides the rest), is that it helps you refocus for the week ahead. I feel charged to get through this week, because next weekend is going to be even better than this one. 

Andy