Growing Pains

Back in Tulsa. So good. It's really nice to be home, and i have quite a lot of people I am excited to see.
I just got season 3 of Lost, so I may not actually end up seeing those people...
On a more important matter, I get to eat real food for three weeks. This means i will put on the 5-10 pounds i lost at JBU within 3 days.
Blah blah blah.
On an actual serious note, I am posting this to contrast my last post. It was filled with depressing poo.
Lately, the Lord is growing me in many ways. I have begun to see a call to maturity that is developing as we speak. Not so much to "grow up" as i have found over the past few days, but rather to surrender my will. I read in Oswald Chamber's Utmost For His Highest "Personality is a unique thing. It defines every single person. Jesus Christ brings freedom to your personality. When you are one with the Lord, you're true personality begins to show." Although this was not word for word, this is essentially what i picked up. I realized my need for a loving, dependent, constant fellowship with God. So i prayed that He would violently interrupt my life.
He did. And then came the "Growing Pains" so to speak.
BUT
Thanks to James 1, and encouragement from parts of scripture and people (like Matt Chandler) i see the glory of wrestling before God with my problems, and being counted worthy to suffer for His names sake. 1 Peter says "Cast all you're anxieties on Him, for He cares for you". This has been a constant encouragement lately.
The purpose of this post is not to show how I am growing. I pray that whoever may read this is encouraged, in some way, shape, or form. Know that whatever you are experiencing is for the Lord's glory, and that you are not alone. :)
Praise the Lord that you are counted worthy for this trial or temptation! Through it, you will receive endurance, and patience, to ultimately glorify God even more. Such a great reminder.

Now, it's time to get back to Lost.
And that's all i got.
Merry Christmas. :)

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving Break is close to over. It's been an uneventful week. Ate food with relatives in Ft. Smith, and watched a lot of Lost.
This week at first seemed like a waste, and boring. I don't have anyone my age in my entire family, extended and immediate. I always hated going up to Ft. Smith with nothing to do. I always pouted and felt like it was torture.
One thing I always enjoyed was hearing my grandpa's advice. He is a man of the Lord and will serve Him till his last breath. He gave me this advice this time around:
"I pray for two things every day. First, that the Lord will show me someone who needs encouraging, and second, that He would make himself known to me. That i can see His face. It's a blessing to see the Lord come through every day for me."
Immediately i felt my selfishness overwhelm me. I have been treating our trips as an inconvenience for me, a day I have to give up, where I'm not happy. My grandfather helped me see that it was never about me in the first place. He showed me that even in this situation, I am constantly able to serve the Lord. Encouraging my relatives by keeping the children busy and distracting them so that my grandparents in their old age may rest is one thing I saw. Although my family isn't a perfect one, I am thankful.
One thing in particular:
I am thankful for my friends.
Being the crazed attention whore i am, i love friends. I try to find and make as many as possible. There are so many people who have made me who i am, and i am so grateful. All of the people over the years have shaped me, so many great influences and leaders. Also, every single person at John Brown has an impact in my life in some way, shape, or form. Thank you all so much.

"Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
Praise Him all creatures here below!
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!"

28 Days till Christmas! :)

The First Real Post

WELL.
This has been quite the week.
Many learned lessons, as well as many interesting experiences.
The Lord has been smashing me in the face with 2 Cor. 12:9, which is at the top of my blog if you would like to have it summarized for you.
What a wonderful statement. To know that His grace is plentiful, and His overwhelming power is made known even stronger in my failures!

A Haiku:

John Brown. Oh, John Brown.
I love you so very much.
Thanks for existing.

Auto-Tune is my new best friend.
I have hit, as Weird-Al would clarify, stage 3 in the auto-tuning process: "Parody"
Secretly it makes me feel like an actual musician with talent.
I like to indulge in things i cannot have.
Actually that sentence is probably false.
But I do enjoy this Garageband adventure.

I hope someone comments on this.
Doubtful.

A Second Haiku:

Xanga. Oh, Xanga.
Empty posts with not comments,
Bring back Deja Vu.

A Blog You Say?

After weeks of pondering, and multiple efforts of persuasion, I have successfully fallen to Peer Pressure.
Hello Blogspot.