160 mph

I find it hilarously funny that my parents mini van is capable of going 160 mph. I mean how many mini vans do you see passing by going 160 mph? Its alot like my Bible reading and my prayer time. I have the capability of going 160 mph but i'm strolling going 80 mph. Now I'm not encouraging the thought of disobeying the law by going 160 on a 50 or something in your mom's mini van, but Spiritually speaking we (I) need to push the limits and exceed to the capabilities. It's sort of odd talking to others about how your Bible reading and prayer time has been going when you say its going good, yet you say I could do much better. I feel sometimes that I'm not applying myself the best I could when I'm reading God's Word. But summer is here and this is the time when i have the greatest amount of time where i can either waste it or take the opportunity to spend it with God. And i found that i can be very lazy over the summer so prioritizing is very important. I love that i have tons of time in the morning where i can read my Bible before i do anything else, it feels like im set for the day, like the gas take has been filled. And it feels like i'm really giving my best to God. So this summer i encourage with the amount of time that has been provided to push the limits and go to your best of abbilities.

Time

Here's a song that everyone has heard-- "Gone" by Switchfoot. "Gone" is a very cool song, it has sweet guitar riffs and catchy drum beats, but underneath all that it has meaningful lyrics that are true to life. In essence, the song is about not wasting time and using every second we have to glorify the ultimate God of the universe. The Switchfoot guys remind us to live our lives with meaning. So many times in life I get distracted by the things in this world, things that ultimately don't have meaning. They seem really awesome and cool in the moment, but in the end, the stuff in the world doesn't matter. It saddens me that so many times I waste my time doing just stupid and meaningless things while I only have one shot at life. Just like the song says, today will soon be gone. It will all fade away, unless I use the time that God gives me for His glory. Also, way too much, I think that time is mine. It's weird that I have come up with the ridiculous idea that time is mine. Too often, I live my life like it's mine, but in reality, I am not my own. God is the One who is in total control, He gives me the next breath that I take. God created us not to be made much of, but to make much of Him.

In his book Don't Waste Your Life, John Piper writes, "I will tell you what a tragedy is. I will show you how to waste your life. Consider this story from the February 1998 Reader's Digest: 'A couple took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30-foot trawler, play softball and collect shells...' Picture them before Christ at the great day of judgment: 'Look, Lord. See my shells.' That is a tragedy."


"Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I can"--Jonathan Edwards

Constantly I am wasting my life, and that is a very sad thing, but God is continually good to catch me when I stumble. Life on earth is short, but I pray that I can make it the best that I possibly can with the help of the God of the universe who is to be my total focus.

"Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."--1 Corinthians 10:31

Running the Race

First off I would like to share a song that God has used to really encourage and help me.

And I’m amazed by You.

Because You’re never far away.

And all that I’ve been through,

Your love has never changed

You make oceans from the rain

Breathing life into this place

And I will drown inside your love

Until I see your perfect face

And nothing I’ve acquired

means anything at all

Cause You’re everything I needed

You’re so much more than I deserve

[chorus]

And I thank You Lord

The blood of Jesus can wash your pain away

I love the way that the Lord works. It is amazing. So many times this year God has brought me back to the same theme, whether in the Word for myself, Church, Small Group (which rocks [i'm not saying that the other things don't rock. okay nevermind. i'm rambling]) Anyway, so many times, God has brought me back to this one theme- Love for Him, and Him alone. Going through Ecclesiastes, the No Trespassing Series, and obviously the Snow Retreat have a theme- Love for God. Well, I guess when push comes to shove, everything that happens and what I do comes down to my love for God.

Okay, so now I want to talk a little bit about how my love for God is growing/increasing, etc. After Snow Retreat, I was on such a high for God. I was so in love with Him, and i totally felt refreshed and recharched after the best retreat of my life. (thank you Pastor Sean). But now, some of that fire has died down, and I continually have to go to God to seek help, wisdom, guidance, direction, okay i think we get the point. I am so thankful for God's continual forgiveness. I am so blown away at how awesome God is He sent His Son to die for me. He sent His Son, the awesome King of the universe, to save a sinner as low as me. It like brings me to my knees. I am so amazed by Him. I fall so many times, but He's there to pick me up and rescue me, and He's there encourage me to keep running the race for Christ. I know that all Christians are continually running the race for Jesus. Obviously, that's what the Christian life is all about; Striving after the goal, and looking heavenward. So, yeah. Basically that's about it. I would love some prayer too, obviously, that God would help me to grow closer and closer to Him and that I would drown inside His perfect love. And obviously I will pray that for all of us, too.

Keep the Fire Going

There are many times in my life where my love for God will burn down to coals, but then there are times like the snow retreat, where my fire has gasoline poured onto it. So the hardest thing for me is maintaining my fire. I was looking back, and even the following day after the snow retreat where my heart was on fire, I still wanted to go back to things that doused my fire and went to things that slowly reduced it back to coals. But God is faithful, and slowly I am regaining the fire. I was also thinking on how much effort I was giving to make my fire grow. And I came with the conclusion that Yes my fire was in motion, but it wasn't as big as I could get it. I was doing the bare minimum of the potential that I have for loving God. Now I am stoking my fire with more wood, adding a little more each time. And it is a laborious progress, like what Chris Mc. said, ya gotta chop the wood, keep the fire huge, and keep the water away from the fire. And you can't let the fire die. Thank you small group for helping my fire to grow. And I would love more encouragement!!!

Controlling the Tongue

Isn't it amazing how the Lord is so consistent to provide a kick-in-the-pants or encouragement from his Word just when we need it. I mention this because just this past Tuesday I had been thinking back over my day as I drove home from school and it scared me to think of how many times I let words out of my mouth that I regretted saying. At dinner the Lord then prompted my father to read Ephesians 4 which in verse 29 states "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

Paul first warns against corrupting talk and then gives the three criteria for determining what we should speak of. These criteria are :
- when our speech is for building up or encouragement
When I step back and take captive the things I say I have found that many of them are degrading and not encouraging. A lot of the time I think that I am just joking and "being funny" but no matter who they are and how much they do or don't know you, no one wants to constantly put down whether it is just joking or serious. The question I need to ask before I speak is "Is this good for building up?".
- when our speech fits the occasion or is appropriate
I have lately been doing a great job of saying things before I think about them and then eventually letting something really stupid things that not appropriate for the occasion slip out. I find I am most prone to this when I am tired and lazy in my speech and muddy in my thinking. Prayer is always the answer.
-when our speech imparts grace to those who hear it
This seems to echo the first point in saying that our words are to be the exact opposite of negative and degrading but rather give grace. Imagine that, not constantly trying to be funny and get a laugh at another's expense but rather imparting grace through intentional words of encouragement and God's Word.

God's Word is such a precious gift that I know I do not treasure as I should but for which I am very thankful.

The Official KP/Weinberg Small Group Blog

I just got my first blog the other day and I thought I would make one for our small group as well. I hope this will be a place to continue conversations or questions that have to be stopped short at small group and a place for encouragement/kicking-in-the-pants. The title of this blog states exactly it's purpose. I'm excited. I hope you are too.