Hump Week

This week marks the middle of the summer. In some ways that is cool - closer to less work, closer to getting through my second to the last semester in college, closer to a new place to live... But at the same time it is not so cool - work is fun and profitable, I like less stress with no homework and studying to do, and summer is the best season ever. Not a whole lot has drastically changed since my last post - but there have been some things going on. I was on the verge of packing my things and moving down to Three Rivers to help with a church plant down there this fall, commuting back to Western everyday. But then God showed me some things and I decided to stay in Kalamazoo for the time being. Through that whole thought/decision process, I have learned some things about myself and my beliefs. First - I tend to be more traditionally minded in the sense that sometimes things just don't need to be changed. Second - I have realized how much the Gospel has affected me and has become so important and foundational in my life. Third - I see how much more there is to know about God and His church and His Word. I don't know it all like I so often think I do. We are on a lifelong journey of discovering God and His will. In the meantime - it is my goal to find a local church here to connect with. Last year when I moved out here I thought I knew my options and pretty much assumed I would go with one of the three. Now I am not so sure of that. One cool thing that I have been doing is getting up at 6am before work every morning to get a good 30min with God -- the hardest but most rewarding part of my day! Check out this post: http://preacherthoughts.blogspot.com/2006/07/george-muller-quotes-4-on-why-getting.html Amazingly enough - all of that has been proven to be true! Here is another article that I strongly recommend reading: http://www.newattitude.org/articles/mark_dever_on_personal_bible_reading

Summer

I really can't believe the first month of summer is almost over, time flies like crazy when you work full-time and some. Why do the semesters have to drag on forever? Pretty much my weeks have looked like this: Get up every morning Mon - Fri at 6:30am for work until around 5pm, then on Tuesdays and Thursdays go straight to Office Depot after work to work yet another 4-5 hours until 9:30pm. I have been also working 8 hour days on Saturday and Sunday every other weekend. Plus some overtime at landscaping. 70 hour week = good money. Right now I have the best of both worlds - hard work outdoors with fun equipment and country music, and interacting/helping people with stuff I know about.





New Attitude Conference in Lousville, Kentucky is this weekend! I think Na has become my most anticipated time of the year -- better than Christmas, more fun than 4th of July, and lands on Memorial Day weekend (bonus). I have been thinking and reading about how to get the most out of the coming sessions and worship and fellowship. I have found that I can sit through a loaded teaching, take great notes, feel convicted and stand during awesome times of worship, my heart feeling very close to God, breaking me to tears of sorrow at my sin and joy in Christ - but then go home very much unchanged. Sounds like a waste of time and money to me, not to mention my life. So this year I know some things have to change in order to get more from the conference. I need to be preparing my heart. I need to set aside time during the conference to meet with God by myself. I need to create time/make an effort to talk with others about what we are learning over the weekend. Most of all, I need to realize that God is in control of my life, not me. I try so hard to change myself when what I should be doing it bringing things to God and laying it all down before Him.

Please be praying for the whole group of us from Sawyer this week. We will be learning, sharing, and experiencing some important stuff - pray that it will be a time of growth individually and as our church.