Trust

This is also something a wrote a while ago not sure when but I thought I would share it.

Trust in the LORD and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday.
Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
Psalms 37:3-7 NASB

Lord help me to trust in You
God show me how to find delight in You
Lord I want to wholly commit my life to You
Lord help me to trust in You

Lord help me to trust in You
Show me how to be still for You God
I desire to wait patiently for You
Lord help me to trust in You

Lord I know you'll help me to trust You
I know you'll show me how to find delight in You
I know you'll show me how to be still before You
Lord I know you'll help me to trust in You.

Poetry from the Past

I wrote this poem one day while I was working at subway I think. I was looking through some of the things I wrote a while ago and it made me sad because I recently I don't feel like I have been as close to God as I was at the time I wrote this. Who knows maybe He impressed me to write down my feelings at that time so that it would compel me to seek him more now. Well I hope this gives you a blessing to it's simple but good.

Jesus is my everything

Without Him I wouldn't be anything

His sacrifice is the best gift anyone could ever give

And He offers it to every child of His

He loves us all even though we sin

And He's coming down here to take us back with Him

All we have to do is believe in Jesus

Because no matter what happens He'll never leave us

Lord take my life

This is a song I wrote while I was trying to figure out what to do at the end of my freshman year here at Union. I was struggling in my classes and not sure if I should still do theology but at the same time I had a couple offers to be a taskforce assistant chaplain at an academy.

Lord I don’t know what you’re telling me

But I know you’re telling me something

Oh Lord I don’t know what you want to do with me

But I know you want to do something

Lord take my life

Take me and teach me

Lord show me your will

And help me to follow it right

It doesn’t matter what you’re telling me

Or what it is you want me to do

Because you are my God and my Savior

I’d do anything for You

So Lord take my life

Take me and teach me

Lord show me your will

And help me to follow it right

I want to spread Your love to all people

And show them Your grace

So help me Lord to live each day

In a way that glorifies You

So Lord take my life

Take me and teach me

Lord show me your will

And help me to follow it right

Lord take my life

Take me and teach me

Lord show me your will

And help me to follow it right

Leviticus and Numbers

Leviticus and Numbers are two books that as a whole I sometimes wonder why they are in the Bible. There are things in both of them that I know are important. Devotionally I have always wonder what value there is in them.

Then I realized something. First it shows me that there are somethings God is very particular about and has told us how He wants them done. Secondly and more of the point that I have come to understand is that it's about spending time with Him.

Still not sure where I'm coming from? We all have friends in our lives that get really excited about things that we have absolutely no interest in, and sometimes even dislike. Despite are feelings toward hearing about these things or even sometimes doing them we do it anyway because we care about them and we care about those things because they do.

It's not a perfect parallel but for now I am satisfied in knowing that it's good for me to read those "boring" parts of the Bible, because they were important enough that God made sure they were put in there so I'm going to pay attention to them. I may not get a life lesson for the day but I'm still spending time with Him and that's what's important!

To Save a Life

This movie is awesome. One of the reasons I really like it is because it is so real. They don't try and smooth things over and they don't play them up either. They show life how it is and the message really come through! Check it out you won't regret it!

DC trip dissed by Big Rich

Typically I avoid calling attention to the times others made me look bad but I have to admit this is pretty funny!

Derek's Water

I once knew a boy who didn’t like water. Well he liked to play in water and play with water, but he didn’t like to drink it. This boy’s name was Derek. Now Derek like most boys loved to have fun so when his parents asked him if he wanted to go to summer camp he couldn’t resist. Derek’s brother had been before. Derek’s brother had told him about riding horses, shooting arrows, driving go-carts, tubing and so many more fun things he couldn’t even remember them all. There was no way Derek was going to miss out on camp.

When he arrived on Sunday after a drive that seemed to take forever he could not wait to make friends and do all those fun things his brother talked about. First though he had to follow his mom while she filled out boring adult papers. Once she was done with that though Derek took his stuff up to his cabin then he went to the pool to swim.

Derek loves to swim. If Derek could only choose one thing to do it would probably be swimming. So he had no problem with this camp so far, in fact he thought this camp was pretty sweet. Well after swimming they got to eat pizza, which was awesome, and then they played some dodge ball. Now dodge ball is another story but will save that for another time.

To conclude Derek’s first evening at camp they had Campfire. Now Derek was quite confused by the term Campfire because you see there was no fire at Campfire. Soon after it began though he had so much fun he completely forgot about the lack of fire, and if you were to ask him now he would think it absurd that you would assume there be a fire at Campfire.

The next day Derek woke up quite early and it seemed like he would never get to do activities, but after breakfast and morning worship they began. Wow, to Derek it seemed like all his dreams came true. He got to do Arch-go, Jet-ski, Nature, Tubing, and Swimming. It was like he dreamed the perfect day and it became true.

However there was one problem. Derek loves to play in water but, he doesn’t like to drink it. At dinner that evening he didn’t feel like drinking any water and he wasn’t going to. Then his counselor told him of the cabin rule; “You must drink two glasses of water before eating or drinking anything else.” This was a problem for Derek. See Derek was used to getting things his way. He did what he wanted to and he didn’t do what he didn’t want to do.

This began a battle of wills Derek’s decision to not drink his water and his counselor’s to make sure he did. Derek sat through the whole meal without touching a thing; he just sat there with his head on the table. Then he sat there while his cabin played at recreation. This was tough for Derek but he felt that soon his counselor would break. Only he did not realize that his counselor had a tag team partner. Just as recreation ended and it was about time to go to Campfire Derek’s counselor did the unexpected. He called in the Assistant Director. Derek knew that Campfire was hard to resist and that his counselor couldn’t last much longer. What he hadn’t thought of was this, a replacement fresh off the bench. Derek wasn’t sure he could take this new player, but he would do his best.

It had now been three hours since supper started and Derek could feel himself fading fast. The Assistant Director was trying to get Derek to talk about other things, things Derek was interested in. The Assistant Director was attempting to make Derek his friend, Derek knew this wasn’t good. Before he knew it he found himself playing “Eenie, Meanie, Miney, Mow” to decide which glass of water to drink first. He knew he was giving in but what else could he do? Then as he was deciding which glass to drink the Assistant Director started narrating what he was doing in a funny voice. Derek knew he was going down fast now.

He started drinking the first glass sip by sip trying to make it take as long as possible. When he was about halfway done with the first glass and he knew he didn’t have much resisting left in him. The worst possible thing happened, the Camp Director appeared and Derek knew it was over. The Director came and began to talk to Derek along with the Assistant Director. Derek gave in. They were so fun and nice he just couldn’t take it anymore. He gulped down the rest of the first glass and the second. Then he was so defeated he even agreed to drink his water for the rest of the week.

Derek had given in. He didn’t feel too bad though, because man these guys were good. Plus even though they won he still got to do all the fun activities. He had a feeling this week was going to be even more fun than he anticipated. He resolved to continue to be good and see just how much fun he could have.

Just like Derek, sometimes we decide we are not going to drink our water. Not because we can’t or because it’s not good for us; no we decide not to drink it just because we don’t want to. We want to do what we want, when we want. Sometimes we choose not to do something we were going to do just because someone told us to do it. God has placed people in our lives to help remind us of who he has created us to be and who we should be. Refusing to do something just because someone wants us to do it isn’t a good reason. We should be who God wants us to be and do what God wants us to do, because it’s the right thing to do. If we choose to follow God’s will then we will see just how fun it can be and we will want to keep doing it!

The King of all Waffles!

I had this waffle for breakfast last week. Okay I had half of this waffle for breakfast last week. It was so big and sweet I couldn't eat it all.

Maybe you have seen a bigger, better, and sweeter waffle. If you have I challenge you to put my waffle to shame, because it was a breakfast I will never forget.

Thanks to AJ for sending me the picture!

Pear is the Flavor of all things Fruity!

I have always thought that pears tasted great. Until now I did not realize that it may be because most things fruity have pear as their main ingredient.

For instance I am currently drinking grape juice. The first ingredient is water and the second is pear juice, the third is grape juice. So shouldn't it be called pear juice? Instead it is called Grape Medley with a picture of red and green grapes on it.

Second example Fruit Roll-ups. I have read the ingredients on at least ten Fruit Roll-ups packages and the only fruit and the first ingredient is pears from concentrate.

Has anyone else noticed this. I wonder how many flavors we have identified in our lives that are actually made up other things instead of the one thing we thought we had been eating.

Psalms 51

¹ Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.

² Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.

⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.

⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

⁶ Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

⁹ Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.

¹⁴ Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

¹⁸ In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹ Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Save me

God I need You,

Please help me,

I feel as if I am slipping away,

No matter what I do I feel myself drawing farther from you.

God I so want to be close to You,

I want to be closer to You than anyone before.

Why is it that I have the desire,

Yet I am still falling away.

Please God help me,

I don’t want to fall away from You.

How is it that I am trying to serve You,

But feeling as if I am farther from You than ever before?

I know that Satan is attacking me,

I feel Him drawing me from You.

God help me to be strong,

Help me to come to You when I feel pulled away.

God I need You,

Without You there is no hope for me!

Save me Lord, save me!

I feel as if in this very moment I am losing my grip,

Any second I could drift away.

Rescue me from this stream of sin,

Save me from the current of my selfishness.

I know You can save me God,

I will trust in You.

Breeding Cichlids

For those of you who don't already know I love animals! Within this love is my love for fish. I want to tell the story of how my love for fish and the keeping of them began ... but not today.

Today I just want to tell you about my love of cichlids. This began one summer when I was looking to buy some new fish, but not just new fish I wanted to buy the prettiest freshwater fish I could find. I ended up buying four cichlids.

Over the course of a year and a trip to Ohio and back my four cichlids became one cichlid. A friend who saw my one cichlid offered to trade my adult male for ten babies. I immediately said yes and my true love for cichlids began.

Since then I have added and removed a few fish from my tank. Recently I have had some success and disappointment with my fish. I had a red zebra pair that had 37 babies! 5 of wish I have since given away. I am going to keep 5 of them and sell the rest.

These guys are currently in my friend Jason's 55 gallon so they have some room to grow without having to worry about getting eaten by the adults.

The other kind of cichlids that I am breeding currently weren't as successful this time due to an error on my part. Cichlids lay eggs which after being fertilized are carried in the mothers mouth until they hatch. Once they hatch the mother

releases them and they are then on their own. To avoid the babies being eaten when I notice a

female is holding I move her into my 10 gallon hospital tank. Then after she releases the babies

I put a divider in between her and the babies . Once she has regained her strength I put her back in the main tank a remove the divider so the babies have the whole tank to themselves.

Well this time I didn't put the divider in right away so

instead of having about 20 chipokae babies I have 6. Having and especially breeding fish is fun, but it also is a learning experience. I would recommend it to everyone but start small!

Needs vs Actions

God I want to do things to my full potential

I want to be proud of what I do

However I feel like I will never do my best

I feel I will always function at mediocrity

How can I be happy when I know I can do better?

Yet no matter what I do it seems I never will.

I am constantly fighting myself

My desires against my habits

Even now I feel as if I am going to do something I do not want

Like I know what I am doing but have no control

Why can I not do what I need to?

Why can I not put my desires aside?

God please help me do what I need to do

Instead of what I want to do

I want to glorify You

But instead I seem to do things for myself

You gave me this life

You are the reason that I am here.

God I know you have a plan for my life

Lord show me what it is You want me to do

Without you I would be nothing,

I want to show others why you think I’m something

Lord help me serve You

My Heart Longs for You

My heart longs for You, oh God,

But my mind denies Your existence.

Each day I desire more to seek Your presence,

Yet I find myself running from You.

My heart is filled with a desire to serve You,

But my actions depress Your love.

God the turmoil within me is sickening beyond compare,

I feel as if I am inside out.

I long to follow Your will ,

To glorify You with my life.

The great controversy has become so real to me,

The things that I cannot see are the strongest against me;

Others seem to think I am close to You,

Yet I feel as though I am worlds away.

I know that you are always with me,

You will never leave my side,

Then how does it seem I am always leaving You,

Turning from you will.

God help me to fight this evil within,

So that I may truly live for You.

You have created me with this desire for You,

You have filled me with Your love;

My love is not committed,

Sin has turned me from You.

God I need You,

Help me seek You more!

I want to know Your face,

I desperately want to follow Your will.

Help me to find You, oh God,

Show me how to love You.

I am tired of giving in to sin,

This path is destroying me inside.

Please God help me to know you,

Help me to seek your love.

Show me how to turn from sin,

To live my life for you.

Fight Within

I feel as though this fight is not around me but within me

It’s as though my organs are fighting within me

Every day I seek to do what’s right

Yet I wish to lash out and do everything unexpected

If it were not for God

The person I am now would not exist

If it were not for God

The man I despise is who I would be

I feel as though I desire both good and evil

As if my desires themselves are fighting each other

How can this be?

Can I truly desire opposites?

I might be being tricked to desire evil

Or convincing myself to desire good

How can I know what it is I truly want?

Or is that something I can choose?

Why is it when I only wish to do good,

That I desire evil the most?

When everything seems to be great,

That deep down I wish to destroy it?

I know that God is the reason for who I am

It is when I stray from Him that I become who I do not wish to be

It is through Jesus that I am saved

And by Him only that I can become the man I wish to be

Of the World

God, you said be in the world not of it

Yet I am of the world God

So much so I cannot distinguish myself from the world

It’s as if I am more part of the world than of You

God how can I not be of the world when I am surrounded by it?

How can I not be a part of that which I am in

Can a hand exist within the body apart from it?

Can a wall support a house yet not be in it?

God I know that all things are possible with You

I know that with You I can do anything

Lord, help me to be the man You have called me to be

Help me exist apart from the world

Today I am a man of the world

Tomorrow with God I can be a man of God

Lord, I would be nothing without You

The man You are helping me become would not exist without You

God, please use me to show others who You are

I want to be a part of sharing Your love with Your people

Thank You God, for loving me

For giving value to that which had none

A Modern Psalm

I wrote a series of Psalms for a class last year and I figured this one would be a fitting way to start my blog. Comments are encouraged.

Amazing God

God You are amazing,

Your greatness is beyond imagination,

You love me without fail,

No matter what I do.

You have purpose for my life,

And guide me through each day.

Your forgiveness is endless,

And Your mercy has no bounds.

Grace is a term only You truly understand,

But I feel as if its meaning is being revealed by You.

I am here to tell others about You,

But only with You in their lives could they begin to comprehend it.

God I don’t know why you love me,

I do not know why You care.

But I will forever try to serve You,,

I will live my life for You.

For You give meaning to my life,

You created me.

Thank You God for everything,

And thank You for being all that You are.