Picture Timeline!

Ready to meet any piano challenge I gave her, she taught me more than I taught her, for sure!
A talented, funny piano student! Her semi-serious expression doesn't give away her humor!
A very gifted piano student! I was scrambling to keep up with his learning ability!
Preparing for a cold, wet, very fun rafting trip!
Making cow, chicken and piggy banks at family camp! Don't let the paper towels fool you--there was a nice coating of paint that soaked through onto the table!
Shooting range at church family camp. One determined little girl knocked over at least a couple of targets!
Girls slumber party-breakfast. We all got our nails painted as good as at any salon!
My first time on a Ferris Wheel! Great fun with a good little friend!
I got to see a demolition derby for the first time! Interesting experience...
After the rodeo, one of the kids looked like he'd been thrown from a horse...but he'd just had an awfully good time in the dirt!
The kids at Hayden Bible Fellowship and The Lamb book!

"This minute, too, is part of eternity." -Duncan Stuart

Hmmm....well, it's been quite a while since I've even thought about updating this blog! For anyone who reads it, I apologize. Much has happened in the past few months:

May:

• Finished up the Stranger study with the young people. They seemed to understand and enjoy the study. I pray that they truly believe and trust in the work of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection to give them new life in Him.

• Church activities including a work day to get everything clean and fresh. Lots of fun and good fellowship!

June:

• Finished up the outreach at the local public high school with a huge cookout (or, if you're from the west, a "barbeque"). Had a large turnout, and many who wished to have some followup.
• House-sat for a couple in my church, taking care of their 4 cats. I was glad to have some animals to look after and play with for a while (although at one point I thought I'd lost one cat).
• Attended my first outdoor/lake baptism! It was such a blessing to see people in the church follow the Lord in believers baptism!

July:

• Went home to SC for two weeks to visit family and friends. Hadn't been home for the 4th of July for a long time, and it was fabulous to be a part of the "gang" again! During the time back East, I made a very quick trip to Kentucky to see my church family. It was a surprise for most since I didn't know if I was going to be able to make it, so didn't tell people I was coming.
• Continued to play on the softball team (when I wasn't gone).

August:

• Had a couple of extra event-filled weekends with church family. One Saturday a group of us went tubing. Ended up being a perfect day for it since the water was cool and the day was sunny and hot! Another weekend I was able to go to the church's family camp. It was a good time and I had the opportunity to read The Lamb to the kids who were there. We played games and took a rafting trip, and I felt like I didn't miss out too much in not being able to work at any camps this summer.
  
• Continued to give piano lessons to three kids in the church, and have begun preparations for a recital in November. We are all excited about it, for which I'm thankful since I don't remember ever being excited about being in a recital!
• Went to a fair for the first time with some church family! We had such a good time watching "Mutton Bustin'" (kids weighing under 60lbs got to ride sheep like the cowboys in the rodeo), the professional rodeo, seeing all of the animals on exhibit (God has created some very unique critters), riding rides (my first time on a Ferris Wheel), and eating cotton candy (the kids first time eating "fuzz").
• Near the conclusion of a Stranger study I've been doing with a college-age girl. She's very excited about God and wants to know Him better and serve Him. We're talking over the possibility of her going to Bible school.
  

Also during the past few months I've been trying to do some reading and studying in order to know God more and more. The quote I have in the title of this post is something very similar to what I've heard several times in the last few weeks. What I'm doing right now has an impact in eternity. I wish I'd remember that all the time, but I often have to be reminded!

If you've never read through a chronological Bible, I'd like to suggest that you do! It will open your eyes to see that God is the center of everything! I'm just in awe of Him!

One reason why I haven't been regularly updating my blog over the past months is because God has been teaching me so many things, and much of it I can't begin to put into words yet. In the next couple of months I'll be going through yet another transition, and I've been seeking God's guidance as to where He'd like me to serve Him. One thing I know, God brought me here to learn about the tools that GoodSeed offers, and they are tools that I plan to carry with me and use wherever I am in the future! In a culture that assumes or pretends to believe in God, yet really hasn't a clue, the chronological approach is excellent! I've had opportunity to hear so many stories of how people came to truly trust Jesus after seeing the big picture of God and the history of mankind! Please consider purchasing and reading one of GoodSeed's books! It's an approach that will change your perspective on evangelism!

Enter In

Over the past few weeks God has been challenging me on a new level to surrender all and enter in to His will for me. He is drawing me ever closer to Himself, and all I want to do is leave everything and run to Him. I often don't do what I want to (or maybe I really am doing what I want), but God is ever faithful, staying by me and showing me that His way is so much better!

This month has been a time of beginnings and endings. I've begun to study things on a deeper level than before. I often feel so ignorant and want to understand everything at once, but have to stop and remind myself that God is teaching me new things in His timing and I won't understand it all right now.

We finished up the Thursday night Stranger study with the young people last week. It ended well. Continue to pray that they will truly understanding what it means to believe, and that they will draw closer to their Savior.

One weekend this month I was able to see some friends from Canada who had come down for camping. I was so glad to see them again!

This past weekend was Memorial Day weekend, so I took off on a mini road trip. Drove through the mountains (and had deja vu, feeling like I was driving my favorite road- Rt 23) to a small, historic mining town. It reminded me of being in the mountains of Kentucky or Virginia, except the people talk quite different. I half expected some mountain drawl, and was a bit surprised when there wasn't any! I explored around the town for a while, and discovered that President Theodore Roosevelt had visited it back in the early 1900's. Still trying to figure out how he ended up there! Maybe he was lost! I also stopped to see the oldest building in Idaho- a mission built to reach the Native Americans.

On most Tuesday evenings I'm still going through The Stranger with a young lady. We've finished up the Old Testament and I'm so excited to see how things are coming together for her. She realizes that God has a reason for everything He does. So important when reading the Bible to see that God has a reason for the stories included!

It is so difficult to think of words that communicate the work God is doing in me, especially in a small space, but maybe this is a small taste. I wish that everyone would know the God I learn about every day! Nothing one desires could ever compare to Him!

Hidden Treasure!

I can hardly believe it's May already! This month marks 6 months since I packed my bags and headed northwest to work with GoodSeed. Much has happened, yet it hardly seems possible that it's been half of a year! God has been at work in many ways, and I'm so glad I can see His hand in all things.
During the past couple of weeks (maybe longer) as I've been reading the Bible during my devotion time, I've had an incredible sense of urgency to understand what is being said. I find that if I have a question about something, I can't stop thinking about it (often can't even sleep), and beyond just finding the "right answer" I want to know everything I can about it. God hasn't failed to answer my pleas for understanding, and I've been overwhelmed sometimes by the quickness and uniqueness of the answers. In Proverbs, Solomon says that if one will seek wisdom and understanding as he seeks silver or hidden treasure, he will understand the fear of the Lord (2:4). I've been challenged to realize just what it means to seek God (even more than) as for silver or hidden treasure, and I wish that I had a sense of urgency all the time!

In the next week or so, the Stranger study with the group of teens will be finished. I've been praying for their eyes to be opened and their hearts to be turned to God. It's been such a good experience for me to be a part of the study, and I'm excited to see how God will work in each life through discovery of His Word.

My three piano students are doing well. I enjoy spending the time with the kids, and I love to see their excitement as they learn new things. There is very little that compares to the light in a child's eyes!! I'm so blessed to have them in my life!

The past couple of weeks have been the official start of the softball season. For a while I was really worried about it, even wishing I hadn't joined a team (I admit, it was pride), but after the first game, I'm very glad I get to play. I'm praying for opportunities to witness to the other teammates. Last weekend was our first "official" practice. I was pretty intimidated, and things didn't look too much better when I accidentally tipped a ball back into the catcher's nose, causing her to have quite a major nose bleed! This past weekend was our first game, and thankfully there were no major catastrophes! Should be an interesting season!

"If you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding." Proverbs 2:4-6

"God Causes All Things to Grow"

I do believe that spring has finally sprung here in Idaho! Flowers are popping out of the ground, and the trees are bursting with new buds. And the grass is very green and needing to be mowed (and since I don't have a mower I'm considering using scissors!). I don't think I need to verbalize how excited I am for this weather! What is it about warmer temperatures and sunshine that unconsciously brightens countenances and moods?

As I look around at the new growth in nature, I think of the new growth taking place in my life, as well:
As I research and write articles for GoodSeed, I'm learning new writing techniques (editing, also), and a whole lot of new information and ideas about ministry and evangelism.
As I interact with people (in person or via telephone) I'm challenged to grow in how I relate to them. This is one of the most challenging areas of growth for me since I've never been a great conversationalist. I often review conversations I've had (at the oddest times), and wish I could have said something different, and my constant prayer is for God to use my mouth to bring Himself glory. I wouldn't change this (sometimes painful) growth process, for it is drawing me ever closer to God.
As God provides opportunities, I'm learning how to use GoodSeed's tools for evangelism and discipleship. At the moment I'm involved in two studies during the week. One with a group of teens, and the other with a young lady whom I've recently met. For the study with the teens there is much prayer going on for their understanding and personal belief in Jesus Christ. We have lost 3 of the teens' attendance in the past few weeks, so I pray that they will continue to read on their own. For the young lady (a fairly new believer) she's learning how the Bible fits together for the first time. We are both excited about the study, and seeing the Bible through her new believer eyes brings a freshness to me that could otherwise be buried.
As I continue to attend Hayden Bible Fellowship, I'm challenged to grow in discernment and understanding. One thing that has specifically challenged me is to think hard about difficult Bible verses in order to understand what God is saying. Not that I haven't tried to understand His Word before, but certain passages are discussed that I've never put much thought into before. I'm so thankful for this growth!! Also, I'm growing in my piano playing ability (it doesn't always appear right away on the surface). I love this, since I've always wanted to learn everything I possibly could about the piano (and music in general).
As I read books (either assigned reading or pleasure), I'm constantly challenged to grow in my personal relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ through prayer, commitments, convictions, disciplines, etc.
As I teach piano lessons I'm challenged to grow in my teaching abilities. Actually, the piano lessons themselves are growing as I now have 3 students! These lessons are a special blessing to me, providing interaction with some of the most precious kids ever (although I don't think I've met any kid that I didn't think was the most precious ever)!

Like taking pictures of new life in the spring and finding that they don't do justice to the real thing, I don't think that these explanations of the growth in my life adequately express what is actually taking place. I pray that there will always be springtime in my relationship with my Lord, and I pray that for every believer I know.

What's New In the News?

I can't believe how quickly time goes! It seems like just the other day I was updating this blog! Well, here's the new news

Office: I've been working on re-writing the articles I've already written. There are at least two different sites that GS wants to post articles on, and in order for me to have the "same" articles on both, the articles have to be at least 30% different. Some are fairly easy to re-write (or spin-off); others, not so much. I do enjoy this part of writing, though, because it forces development in a new area.
Church: This past Sunday began new studies in both Sunday school and church. In Sunday school we're studying through the Fundamentals of the Faith. Excellent study and so important!! In church we began studying through the Gospel of Luke. I'm really looking forward to it! I'm still playing the piano for the morning service, and am so thankful for the opportunity to serve. I pray that I'll never take the gift God has given me for granted, or use it for other than His glory.
Ministry: Thursday night we continue to have a Bible study with a group of 7 teens. Last week we had to cancel since most weren't going to be there, but they've all been coming faithfully, and of their own choices. I continually pray for their understanding as we work through the Bible, and pray for their salvation. All of them have some serious issues contending for their attention. Aside from that study, there's a possibility of beginning one-on-one discipleship with a 16 year old girl. I've spent a little time with her, and she's shown interest in a study, but as yet hasn't committed to anything. I pray that if God wouldn't have me disciple her, He would provide someone else to help her grow in her walk with Him. There are other possible opportunities for studies, and I pray that God will give wisdom in decisions. I had one unique opportunity to help a girl with a writing assignment this week, and may be able to do it again. That's certainly something new and different for me!
Other: I continue to teach piano. The girls are learning quickly and I'm beginning to think about a (dreaded) recital for them!
God has been teaching me so much through personal study, and I'm overwhelmed by His goodness! As I work through questions for my discipleship course, I've been praying for deeper discovery of God, and then that I'll be able to understand all the new things He's showing me! I'm really excited about some new material that I've been given to study--that of Biblical approach to counseling. This is something extra that I've been wanting to study for a while, but didn't have the resources. God is so good in His provision to help me understand Him and His Word more!
The weather for the first of spring was lovely, and then the temperatures dropped and snow came again. I'm really looking forward to the warm weather! Last week I went to the park after work and played some basketball, then played a few pick-up games at the park with a friend. I'm thankful for any opportunity to release some energy! The mountains are screaming at me to be hiked, so I think I'll have to go one of these warmer days!

A Long Post, So Buck Up for a Long Read!

Well, it's been a couple of weeks since I've posted an update. Here's what's happening

Work (GoodSeed): I'm staying busy writing articles for the web. So far I don't know where they are since I'm sending then to the "next up" before they go on the web. What exactly am I writing articles about? Well, to give you an idea, some of them I've written have been about Bible devotions for kids, evangelism training, online Bible study, children's Bible stories, Vacation Bible School, how to evangelize, sharing Jesus without fear, chronological Bible study, Muslim evangelism, free Bible study materials, etc. Basically, I've been given a list of "hot topics" that are searched for on the web, and have to come up with ideas for articles...and the articles. It takes me anywhere from all day to a couple of hours to write an article, depending on the topic and how much research I need to do. I've learned so much about the Bible, ministry, and writing.
I'm also continuing in a discipleship program with my boss. He's given me lists of questions to research and answer. The first list was about the Gospel, the second (I'm working on it now) is on sanctification, and the third will be deeper theological issues. Each question has to be answered in a minimum of one page. I often find it difficult to keep it to two!

Church: I really like Hayden Bible Fellowship! I know that God led me there, and I enjoy getting to know the people there. The studies are in depth, and often cover the exact questions I'm answering from my list! We've been reading through a book (outside of church) called "The Discipline of Grace" by Jerry Bridges. What and excellent book! I recomend it! I've also been playing the piano for them for the past few weeks. I really enjoy being able to serve in that way, and am glad for any opportunity to play the piano. I'm currently teaching piano to two girls from the church. It's a lot of fun and stretches me to make sure I know my stuff!

Other: I've been helping with a study through The Stranger On the Road to Emmaus book for the past few weeks. It's been at my boss's house and there have been 6 teens to come. This past week the sister of one of the teens came, too. She seems very eager to learn about God and the Bible. Several of them have had no contact with this before. Please pray that they will really understand and make the decision to believe in Jesus!
I've also been going to a local church once a month to help with a ministry for the public high school kids. The church offers the teens free pizza and corn dogs for their lunch two days in the first week of each month. When they come, there are cards on the tables with a spiritual question on them, and those who volunteer (like myself) try to talk to them about the question (or anything to do with spiritual things). This is such an incredible opportunity! This month we had over 700 kids come over. Some avoid conversation, but that is the minority. Surprisingly, most are willing to talk about things; sadly, most don't have a clue who God is or what the Bible is. Please pray for this ministry! We've been trying to get the teens interested in coming for a study of the Bible, but so far haven't had any interest. Pray for God's will, and His ideal approach!

The weather has been staying cold on average, and we've had bits of snow here and there. I'm definitely ready for spring!

"Live out in your lives the reality of the gospel. Take advantage of and put to use all the provisions of grace God has given you in Christ."-Jerry Bridges summary of Romans 6:11-13

"Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible." -Corrie Ten Boom

And my faith has sadly been so small! Let me explain:
The study with the teens was planned last Thursday or Friday, so on Sunday I asked 2 teens if they would like to come. I really didn't think they would since I didn't think they really knew me well enough to trust me, and they really didn't show much interest...or so I thought. Later, I even used words such as "not possible; not probable; I doubt it," etc, when thinking about them coming. As it turned out, when I saw them Wednesday night, they told me that they were coming, and they were excited about it! I was really amazed, but I shouldn't have been because I'd been praying about it (as were others). When Thursday night rolled around, the 2 teens I talked to came, and brought a friend! They very obviously had a good time and are planning on coming back! God is so good, and I'm so glad that my lack of faith doesn't keep Him from accomplishing His plans!

We had 6 young people (7 counting Russ' offspring), and it was really exciting to see their desire to learn about the Bible. Most of these young people don't know much, if anything, about the Bible, and are limited in their knowledge (or understanding) of God. Continue to pray for understanding! I'm so excited to see how God will work in their hearts!

Oh for the desire to seek Your face always!

This is my prayer for this week (and beyond). I get so tired of my sin nature! Just when I think I'm understanding what God is teaching me, and trying to live it, I'm presented with a test--and more times than not, I fail. I'm just so glad that God is faithful in His love and forgiveness! He knows me better than I know myself, and even though correction hurts, I'm glad that He corrects me and draws me back to Himself. I feel like a child who, when the parent does something for the good of the child, turns away in hurt and frustration because it doesn't feel like it's good. If only I would always have the desire to seek God and not turn away!

I'm into a fairly busy week. I have several articles to write, most of which are on topics that I've not spent much time thinking about in the past, so I'm challenged to learn many new things, then write about them. I also have a list of questions to answer for my discipleship program. I love the thinking and understanding these questions demand, but I have to admit, it's been really difficult to focus the past couple of weeks. I've been exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally (and I'm sure much of it has related to my spiritual struggles of trying to put my thoughts into God's mind!). I'd appreciate prayer for peace and physical rest so that I can serve God to the best of my ability.

I'll be helping with a study through The Stranger book starting this Thursday evening. Russ (my boss) knows a couple of teens (one is an unbeliever) who have agreed to go through the book. I'm very excited to finally learn exactly how the GoodSeed tools are used (from personal experience), and I'm excited for the teen who does not yet believe! Pray that she'll allow the Word of God to change her heart! The study will be every Thursday evening for the next several weeks.

I played the piano at church for the worship time for the first time this past Sunday. It was great to be able to be a blessing to the believers. Of course I was nervous (not hard for some to imagine), but I pray that I will focus on serving God and others and not on my fears.

"In Your behalf my heart says, 'Seek My face.' Lord, I will seek Your face." Psalms 27:8

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.”- Albert Einstein

Sometimes it feels like everything is happening at once!

This past week was rather busy. On Wednesday and Thursday morning/afternoon we went to the "pizza feed" for the public high school students. The question for the month was, "What is the purpose of the Bible?" This was a hard question, even for the Christian kids, but I was glad for it because it really made them stop and think for a few minutes. I didn't have much opportunity to talk to the teens because they're rushing in and out of lunch pretty quickly, but they were willing (for the most part) to tell what they thought about the Bible. Many tried to give generic answers, but several of us who talked to them questioned them on everything. I'm seeing the importance of Christian young people knowing what they believe and why they believe it! It's a matter of challenging them to think for themselves when it comes to spiritual things. We invited all who came to attend a special study that would help them understand what the Bible was about. That study started yesterday. We had 4 teens come, none of which were from the high school. I'm not sure where we'll be going from here, but pray for wisdom. We'll go back today and tomorrow to see if any other kids come. This is new territory for me, so I'm sorry if I sound vague. I'm anxious to be a part of one of these studies because we're using the GoodSeed materials and I'd like to see how they're used. I'm definitely sold on the approach and want to learn how to teach with them!

Thursday afternoon I had my weekly meeting with my boss for my internship program. When I first came, he gave me a list of questions to answer, and this past week gave me another. I've felt a bit on overload this week with everything, but I'm so excited to see the hand of God in it all. Not only am I answering questions, I'm reading books on writing, and a book by Jerry Bridges called "The Discipline of Grace", and also various classical literature. Several people have told me that a variety of reading really helps a writer, and it's really not a chore! I just don't always feel I have enough time to get it all in! God has been challenging me to leave all things in His able hands.

Friday I began giving piano lessons to two young girls. I'm really going to enjoy it, and I hope they will, too! It was a bit of a challenge for the first time since I had to order their books and they weren't in yet, but I guess that's part of training--learning to improvise with just a little bit.

In my last post I told of my noble snowman, Valdemar. Sadly, he died the very day he arrived. The warmer temperatures were just too much for him to bear. He will be missed.

"Before me, even as behind, God is, and all is well."-John Whittier

And this is something of which I need to daily be reminded. Why is it that when learning a new truth from God's Word I can get so excited, but when that learning is put to the test, I fail miserably, questioning God's motives and wishing the testing would go away? I'm so thankful for a God who never loses patience with me and cares enough to change me into His image. I pray that I'll pass the tests with less and less of my fleshly attitude being dominate.

Praise the Lord, I was able to get my newsletter out! My apologies to all who got it more than once! Hopefully the next time won't be quite so dramatic an event!

I woke up to more snow this morning. Not a huge pile, but more than just a dusting. It's the perfect snow for building snowmen and the like, so while I was cleaning off my Jeep before work I made a small man. He might stick around and keep me company for the next couple of months, at least. I've named him Valdemar because such a small snowman needs a big name to encourage him.

"Trials are medicines which our gracious and wise Physician prescribes because we need them; and He proportions the frequency and weight of them to what the case requires. Let us trust His skill and thank Him for His prescription."--Isaac Newton

Just One of Those Mondays!

I have been trying to send out my prayer letter update since before Christmas, but without success! Here's what I've done so far:
Laid it all out in Microsoft Publisher, then saved it as a PDF file, as well as a jpeg file.
Attached the PDF to my email, then added all the addresses of the recipients (in the BCC field)
Hit the send button.
But wait! Error! The email told me that it couldn't send due to a connection error!
I attempted again, only this time with a jpeg file. Same results.
Again, only I typed in all of the addresses. Same results
Yet again, but I split up the amount of addresses. The same results.
I tried many different ways, even using two different email addresses, but it was all the same. It wouldn't send!
Finally, I sent each email individually, taking 2 hours. Success! The prayer letter finally went through!
But wait! It's not over yet. I began getting emails back from people saying that they couldn't read the font. It was too small. So I have tried, yet again, to deliver my letter bulk instead of individually. This time I just copied the text into the email, but it STILL WON'T SEND!
What should I do? Please, if anyone has any possible idea what could be wrong, I'd like to know! Otherwise, every time I send out a letter I'll have to be prepared to send it individually to over 100 people! I know it's still faster than sending it snail-mail (and a money saver), but I'd really like to find out if it's operator's error or something wrong with my email(s).
HELP!

"That is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you've understood all your life, but in a new way. "

And that's the way it's been for me all week. Actually, the past two weeks or so have been one exciting step of learning after another. The things that I'm discovering are old and familiar, but with a new depth of understanding. It's all so exciting! From the articles that will eventually be posted on the web somewhere, to the homework assignments given to me in my intern disciple program, God is teaching me more and more of who He is and how He works in the world and in my life. More and more questions have come up about what I believe and why I believe it. I know what I believe, but to understand how deep one can really dig to learn about God and His purposes, and yet never reach the end of discovery is really incredible! I can't begin to adequately put into words the hunger that I'm feeling more and more as I study. Each day I anticipate what God will be teaching me. The thing is, I could go through each assignment and article with the information I already have, and be "ok", but I want to take what I already know to be true and know WHY I know it to be true. Not just, "Well, because the Bible says so," but, "What does the Bible say? Where is it said? How often is it said? What does it mean? What does it have to do with me?" Basically, I'm taking everything back to the beginning and trying to understand the entire process. God is so patient and faithful in showing me Himself in ways that I'd heard of all my life, but never experienced for myself through His teaching! Today I was looking at a Psalm that David wrote and wholeheartedly agreeing, "I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple." (Ps. 27:4) If only Christians everywhere would really seek God, they would see His beauty and goodness and desire to make their lives a quest for Him! I know that I'll have days when I'm discouraged and it seems like God is far from me, but He provides these times when I can get to know Him even better so that when those times come, I know that I can trust His heart, because I understand it better. What a great lifelong journey! Join me?

The Exciting Things in Life

This week I've been busy writing articles that will be posted on the web. I have a list of topics that I'm to write about, so I began by choosing 5. One of the topics I'd chosen was on sharing Jesus without fear, and as I sat there thinking about how to write this article, I was overwhelmed and wanted to walk away...forever. I shouldn't be one to write an article on how to share Jesus without fear, because I get so scared I could...well, throw up. Don't get me wrong, I'm not afraid to share Jesus Himself, and I don't care what people think of me when I tell them. For me, I just have a hard time talking to people, especially people I don't know, about anything. I know that's hard for some to believe, but now you know that you're among the privileged few that I'm comfortable with talking (a lot) to! Anyway, that was the first article I was going to write, but after my overwhelming thoughts, I set it aside for last, and as I wrote the other articles, I prayed for wisdom in how to write this article. I could have put it off for the very last, but it still would have been there in the end. As it was, God showed me something that I'd never seen before, and I'm just so excited, I have to share it with you, and if you're like me and afraid to share Jesus because it means talking to people, I hope this will encourage you, too!

• Moses was afraid! Look up Exodus 3-4:16
• Jeremiah the prophet was afraid! Check out Jeremiah 1:4-9
• Paul, the Apostle, was afraid! I know this one is probably hard to believe, but go to I Corinthians 2:3. When he admitted his fear, I was curious as to when in his ministry he'd gone to Corinth, and found out that it was well into his SECOND missionary journey! And look how God used him despite his fear!
• Timothy was afraid! Go to I Corinthians 16:10, then I Timothy 4:12-15 and II Timothy 1:6-8 and see how that Paul tried to encourage him, and tried to encourage others to encourage him (I've had people do that with me!).
  

There is no more excuse for not sharing Jesus. Fear is a big issue, I understand, but look what happens when people go on and talk about Jesus despite fear! I want to be like these men, totally not letting my fear stop me!

I had a great opportunity on Thursday to talk to teens about Jesus. There's a church here that has an outreach called a "pizza feed" for the students at the public high school across the street from the church. I went, and they have tables set up in their fellowship hall, and offer food and drinks, and also put up a question on the wall that has to do with spiritual things. This month's question was, "What do you think happens to you after you die?" There were several people from the church who were there to talk to the kids, and there were also pieces of paper on the tables where they could write their answers down. I was able to talk to a table full of teens and got some amazing answers. I tried to talk to them some about the Truth, but we really only have between 5-7 minutes to talk to them. They're very interested in talking, but not about spiritual things. I did talk to one girl (a senior) who knew for sure that she was a Christian. She was a bit shy to tell people, saying that she preferred that they just see the difference in her lifestyle, and I was able to share with her what God has just shown me about the people in the Bible who were afraid, and yet how they talked about God anyway. I pray that she took it to heart and was encouraged! I'm definitely looking forward to going back and talking to them some more. There is another opportunity coming up, but that's something to be talked about at a later date.

This coming weekend will be a longer weekend because of the holiday on Monday. This will be the first time I've ever had off for a little holiday! Wonder what I'll get into...

Too Much Information To Have a Specific Title

I did get to go home for Christmas! God worked it out so that I only had a few hours delay. Some people had been in the airports for up to 4 days! Most of the flights were only an hour or so delayed. The last flight was quite a bit more than that due to plane problems, then weather conditions. Of course I was pretty anxious by that flight because I could almost smell home! What was suppose to be a 12 or so hour trip turned out being 16 hours. Not too bad!

I had a great time with family during the holidays. We talked, played, watched movies (MFL!), and much more. It was so nice to be in warmer weather, too. One day got up to 76! I made a trip to KY to see some people and retrieve my stuff from storage (to take back to SC). Lydia went with me and we had a great trip up and a good time there. I was glad she was able to go because she does a good job sorting through stuff at a quick pace. I'm not that way. Even though I got rid of a lot we still had to rent a U-Haul trailer to get it all back. We made it as far as Pound, VA, before we broke down. The engine on the truck we were driving completely gave out. We made a few calls and ended up staying the night with some friends who lived nearby. God provided in amazing ways, that's for sure! We had to rent a U-Haul truck to go the rest of the way to SC, so it took some time to get it and switch everything over. We left the next morning, and although we both like traveling, we were very glad to be home. Driving a vehicle that large was a new experience for both of us. And neither of us had driven with a trailer on the back, either! New experiences are almost always fun.

The trip back to Idaho was pretty uneventful. I didn't think it would be after the start. As I went through security at the Greenville/Spartanburg airport the security got a call and turned to ask passengers names. Since it was only me and one other guy going through just then, I got a little nervous. Not that I had anything to hide, I just didn't know what was going on. In the end, I was okay to go, but the cops took the guy off somewhere. After all the adventures over the past couple of weeks, I'll be okay for some downtime for a while. At least until tomorrow!

Since I've been back I've been given some "homework", which includes writing articles for the web (not GoodSeed's site), research and writing for my intership discipleship. I'll definitely be getting experience in writing. I just pray that I'll do it well. Don't judge by this blog. This is me being sloppy after concentrating hard on everything else. It would take too long if I thought through everything. I'm hoping that correct writing will become second nature and I won't have to think so hard!

The weather has been much warmer since I've been back. The snow has even melted off the roads and the markings can now be seen! Now people can just drive crazy without an excuse. I'm very happy for the warmer weather, and I'm really hoping it doesn't get really cold and snow again this year, but I think I probably have false hope. Oh well...

"Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit's law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death."- Romans 8:1