Tumbling is Moving.

Say hello to my little friend. (Taken with instagram)

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 23:49:51 -0400

Say hello to my little friend. (Taken with instagram)

Greg loves smiling. Smiling is his favorite. (Taken with...

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18:28:32 -0400

Greg loves smiling. Smiling is his favorite. (Taken with instagram)

Sunset in Mission beach right before concert of prayer. God sure...

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 22:46:58 -0400

Sunset in Mission beach right before concert of prayer. God sure knows how to set the stage. (Taken with instagram)

Jamie and Brianna taking a quick lunch break. (Taken with...

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:16:21 -0400

Jamie and Brianna taking a quick lunch break. (Taken with instagram)

This Might Take A While.

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 14:56:40 -0400

So I haven’t updated my blog in a while because I have been super busy and super tired. Yet, of course, out of that business comes a bunch of happenings, lessons, stories, and prayer requests. So here goes.

We went to the desert not too far from San Diego and had a men’s retreat, where just us men slept under the stars, played basketball, went swimming, and did other manly things. We talked about what it means to be Godly leaders and men who are pursuing the Lord. During that time one of our leaders (who have since left the trip) Doug talked about 1 Peter 3:15 which says: but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. We were posed the question, “How many people have asked you lately?” I was super challenged by that. I know I want that type of community among my brothers in Christ, especially my bible study at Virginia Tech. A community that is so loving that people can’t help but see a difference and wonder about it. That seems so cliche and “christiany” to say, but I was reminded that it is possible to live like that.

I met these 2 guys, Richard and Trevor, who are started an organization called Loving Orphans Global. I will blog about that separately, but my point is, whenever I am around them I experience the Holy Spirit, the love of God, and community in a new way. They are so joyful and so free because they are completely reliant on the Lord. Richard is always praising God for the smallest things (which is how it should be!). I really want to challenge my guys and my community to throw out all the stupid and discouraging jokes (Ephesians 4:29), to get rid of the time-wasting things in their lives (Hebrews 12:1-2), and to pursue Christ and only Christ (Philippians 3:7-11). Richard and Trevor are truly living that way.

Another thing that the Lord has really been putting on my heart is my passion for music and how I am using it. My roommate Ransom and I talked with our pastor, Dave Izor, from Horizon Coast Chapel (which has been a HUGE blessing in my life) and we were talking about what we want to do with our lives. He asked what we were studying and what we wanted to do with it. I responded with “communication…nothing” like I always do when people ask me that. Then he asked what I wanted to do and I responded “music and ministry” like I always do (because I have felt that call for a while now). Then he responded in a way nobody has before, he said “So why aren’t you pursuing them with everything?” I had never really thought about that. I always just kinda sat back and assumed that God would lead me into whatever he had planned and that I would follow with everything once I knew that plan (this is funny because this whole project I have been telling people about Acts 8:26-27 where the Spirit tells Philip to go out to a road in a desert place and Philip responds with immediate obedience. Could the Spirit be any less specific? Go to a road between Jerusalem and Gaza…it’s a desert). I guess I never really applied that to music. I always just thought about it in terms of a mission field, not a ministry.

While Dave was speaking all of this to Ransom and I, I felt the Spirit moving in me. I felt the Lord moving me to pursue proclaiming the kingdom of God through music. Since feeling that the Lord has done crazy things to validate that feeling. I played music on the boardwalk and got to share the reason I was in San Diego with about 35 people. I talked with Trevor and Richard about potentially partnering with Loving Orphans Global and playing a show for them or donating a portion of our proceeds from CDs to them. I found out that Tyler already has a battle of the bands lined up for us at Virginia Tech. The Lord is really showing me how the hope of Christ, the proclamation of the kingdom of God, and music can all line up beautifully. I am going to stay in school and pursue my recording minor, but once I am out of school, I am going to pursue music in whatever that looks like. I am going to talk to Todd Cooper in a week or two and share all this with him. I am going to ask him if he thinks it could be plausible for me to follow Switchfoot around on tour if I raised my own support and paid for my own flights, food, etc. I am excited to see where the Lord leads. What doors he shuts, what doors he opens, and where he ends up placing me to serve Him and His kingdom best (Matthew 6:33).

Please be praying that my focus remains on God and His kingdom. Please be praying for energy as this project is spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausting. Please be praying for the students that we will reach out to, that their hearts will be open and they will be thirsty for the Gospel. Please be praying that the Lord would reveal sin that hinders and entangles (Hebrews 12:1-3) and that he reveals the patterns of the world that I am falling into (Romans 12:1-2).

Thanks! I know I am leaving so much out! Can’t wait to share these stories in person!

Great news! Greg rebuilt the Aztec center in a jiffy! (Taken...

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 17:19:47 -0400

Great news! Greg rebuilt the Aztec center in a jiffy! (Taken with instagram)

The remains of the Aztec center at SDSU. (Taken with instagram)

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 17:17:58 -0400

The remains of the Aztec center at SDSU. (Taken with instagram)

Bus back from the switchfoot. If we crash nobody will move. ...

Sat, 18 Jun 2011 21:10:48 -0400

Bus back from the switchfoot. If we crash nobody will move. (Taken with instagram)

At the bro-am. I want to do what they do for a living. (Taken...

Sat, 18 Jun 2011 21:08:45 -0400

At the bro-am. I want to do what they do for a living. (Taken with instagram)

Inspirations.

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 23:15:02 -0400

We are having a Night of Reflection tonight and one of the things we were asked to do is come up with a list of things that inspire us and push us closer to Christ. Welcome to my brain:

Music (surprise, surprise).
Encouragement (giving and receiving encouragement).
Praying the scriptures for myself and others.
Wrestling alone with God (being alone in the presence of God’s majesty).
Having intimate, revealing, confessing conversations with brothers in Christ.
Sharing the Gospel.
Serving my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Realizing brokenness.
Watching the G.O.S.P.E.L. video by Humble Beast.
Studying scripture that I am confused about.

On the other hand, here is a list of what pulls me away from God:

TV.
Facebook.
Stupid conversations about nothing.
Trying to impress people (often through music).
Being overly competitive.

Please be praying that the Lord removes the things that draw me away from Him and convicts me of any others that I didn’t write down. Please also pray against my pride, fear of man, and selfishness as they are constant struggles that I am facing.

Goosebumps everytime. I need to watch this video every morning...

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:50:33 -0400

Goosebumps everytime. I need to watch this video every morning before I start the day. This is what I believe. Amen.

Conversations.

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:37:30 -0400

I can honestly say this has been the most exhausting 2 weeks of my life, physically, emotionally, and definitely spiritually. God has been unbelievably faithful and good throughout this time. I have been praying that God would convict me of my hidden sin and reveal my brokenness, but we will come back to that.

This week I have gone to Grossmont and SDSU to witness on campus. I met a guy named PJ on Grossmont’s campus who is interested in getting involved in a small group bible study and learning more about God and how he can pursue a relationship with Him, which is awesome.

My buddy Greg and I went sharing together at SDSU and we talked about our faith and heard her beliefs. We talked for a few hours and invited her to come hang out and learn more about what we believe. Her name is Rachel and she said she doesn’t really believe in a God, but believes she just needs to stay positive and she can do things on her own. She believes that she is a good, moral, ethical person and that she doesn’t need a savior.

This brings me back to my prayer. I don’t understand how people can believe that they are good and deserve heaven on their own. God has been convicting me of my sinfulness and brokenness so much during my time here on project. It has been so amazing to go off on my own, break down and wrestle in the presence of God, and then come back from those times with a better understanding of God’s grace and a joy from experiencing His forgiveness and love. (Luke 7:47 talks about those for are forgiven much, love much. I have definitely been experiencing that these 2 weeks).

Greg and I also followed up with one of the guys we talked to last week, Alex. We grabbed lunch and talked with him and he decided to come out to a small group bible study and he said he would come to our weekly meeting on Friday. It was really cool to see God work through the conversation we had with him.

Prayer Request: Like I said, God has been convicting me of sin. The main thing I have experienced is the depth of my selfishness. Please pray that God would take that away from me and replace it with more of Himself.

Time to harvest my fresh morning honey. Wish me luck. (yes, that...

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:11:43 -0400

Time to harvest my fresh morning honey. Wish me luck. (yes, that is a beehive) (Taken with instagram)

Potluck tonight. Crowd favorite=the broccoli tree of knowledge. ...

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 20:03:29 -0400

Potluck tonight. Crowd favorite=the broccoli tree of knowledge. (Taken with instagram)

Swingdancing Fools.

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 22:38:00 -0400

We had an amazing night yesterday. We had our weekly meeting called Friday Night Live (FNL for short) and Ethan Wiekamp, our director, spoke about the Holy Spirit and His role as an advocate in our lives. We also had an awesome night of worship. I can really feel the Lord moving when I get to lead others in praising Him. We also sang one of my favorite songs (Set A Fire by Will Reagan and The United Pursuit Band). After the meeting was over we had swingdancing lessons from some of the staff (I can now swingdance).

Despite all the amazing things that have happened in the time here in San Diego, I felt exhausted today. In every sense of the word. I think God was calling me to take a day to just be with Him. I have been feeling really convicted of making sure I am fully focused on Him for the summer. It is so easy to get caught up in trying to impress the people on the trip (especially the girls). I am having to lean completely on my brothers in Christ to hold me accountable to finding my worth in Christ alone. Please be praying that the Lord will captivate my heart during this summer and that everything else that happens here flows out of my pursuit of Him.

I want to swingdance, right now.

The End of an Era (or a Job Hunt)

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:42:39 -0400

So one of the biggest parts of San Diego Summer Project is going out as a group and trying to find jobs and then working those jobs for the entire summer. This gives everyone a chance to not only dedicate their summers to the Lord, but also make some money while they are out in San Diego. On Monday and Tuesday everyone goes to 3 different campuses (SDSU, UCSD, and Grossmont) to evangelize and witness to students. I had job interviews on Monday and Tuesday so I had to leave campus early. After leaving campus I had a wave of conviction come over me and I felt the Lord calling me to be on campuses all summer. I went to my job interviews (they weren’t hiring for the summer) and afterwards prayed and reflected on the call I felt toward campuses. During that time I overheard one of the guys talking about the financial struggles he was facing during the trip and how badly he needed a job. I felt so convicted about the fact that so many guys on this trip were trusting the Lord financially to come on this trip. I knew that this summer I didn’t NEED a job. I could cover the trip financially. I talked to my discipler that night and told him I wanted to volunteer for the Fireseeds team (the group that witnesses on campus full-time) and we worked out the details and I am now a part of the Fireseeds team. I am so excited about what the Lord is going to do through this group. I can see the Lord working already and the passion that He has put in each of their hearts. This group is really going to make a big impact on those 3 campuses this summer. I can already tell this was the right decision and I am glad the Lord made it so clear where he wanted me.

By the way, San Diego is amazing, we have been playing volleyball, going on runs, climbing trees, and being general fools in the amazing weather. I will try to take more pictures of the amazing campuses, views, people, and places.

Sun breaking through the clouds at Mount Soledad. Is this what...

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 21:27:01 -0400

Sun breaking through the clouds at Mount Soledad. Is this what U2’s “window in the sky” was written about? (Taken with instagram)

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE INANIMATE OBJECT?

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:24:54 -0400

sandwiches. or musical instruments.

Meeting Angela.

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:22:00 -0400

God is good.

The 4^th day of San Diego Summer Project, 8 of us had the privilege to share Christ with a girl named Angela. The situation was unbelievable and impossible apart from God’s sovereignty.

The 8 of us went to a McDonalds within walking distance of out motel. We went because we don’t have internet at the motel and most of us had updates or emails to send. None of those things were accomplished because Angela approached us and invited us to KrishnaFest, which was Hindu worship event. We started asking Angela about her beliefs and she was incredibly open and shared her life with us, including the fact that she was on a 3 month long spiritual journey and had been in San Diego for 3 days (this was our 4^th day).

We explained the Gospel to Angela at least 4 or 5 times throughout the 2 hour conversation because her spiritual background with Christianity was shaky. It was amazing the things that God had already been doing in Angela’s life that we were able to hear and point her to the truth of scripture. She was truly an amazing person who was seeking truth. She believed God was Holy and righteous, but also believed that she could experience God by herself and through her own work.

We explained the idea of depravity and sin.

We explained the idea of never being able to reach a holy, righteous God on our own.

We explained the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We explained the reconciled relationship we have through Christ blood.

We explained the characteristics of the Father.

We explained the gift of the Holy Spirit.

At the end of the conversation after we asked Angela upwards of 30-40 questions one of our own asked if we could pray for her. So we all circled around her on the sidewalk of Garnet Avenue in San Diego and laid hands on Angela and prayed for her.

We prayed the Gospel.

We prayed for her journey.

We prayed she would find truth in Jesus Christ.

We prayed she would be dissatisfied with everything else.

We prayed and thanked God for bringing Angela to San Diego.

(People stared at us)

At the end of the prayer, Angela was grinning from ear to ear, she thanked us for the blessing that the prayer and the conversation were to her. We told her how amazing it was to have met her and to keep in touch. We told her that we hope she comes to the truth, which we know is Jesus Christ.

(We must have mentioned the name of Christ 30 times in the conversation)

It was an unbelievable night that I never would have expected in a lifetime. Please pray for Angela. She is trying to find truth and is so close. I know we impacted her. The rest is up to the Holy Spirit.

God is good!

Beautiful. Busy. Blessed.

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:05:15 -0400

In case you didn’t know, I made it to San Diego. It is absolutely gorgeous! The weather has been perfect everyday. We have been incredibly busy with meeting our staff and students, job hunting, and getting organized and settled. We don’t have internet in our motel yet, so my use of it is sparce (I am at McDonald’s right now). We have been getting organized and figuring out jobs and such. We have already had the chance to go out evangelizing. Anna and I went as a team and talked to a couple guys (Guillermo and Luis) from Tijuana who come up to San Diego 2 or 3 times a week. We shared our faith with them and told them why were here and asked them about their spiritual background. They weren’t very open about spirituality, but we did get to show them love through the conversation and strike up a bit of a friendship with them. During that sharing time one of the groups led 2 people to Christ! Praise God! I am super excited for what else God has in store and I also have an amazing story that I will post right after this which actually happened at McDonalds in the middle of writing this update.