This is why I have been called.

It is for them that I have been called. (<--- Read this story first!)

Young men like this need to know that they are loved, no matter what their sin.  This is why I have been called.

Young men like this need to know that God has a perfect plan is for their lives.  This is why I have been called.

Young men like this need to know that someone will stand between them and that bridge.  This is why I have been called.

Young men like this need to know that there is another bridge, one that has spanned the gap between their sin and the Almighty God.  This is why I have been called.

Young men like this need to know that they are free from the bondage of sin.  This is why Jesus died.

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I read that story and literally felt pain. I know exactly how those guys felt and this is the reason that God has saved me and changed my life and called me to speak His word.  It is for each and every young man out there who felt so rejected by this world that he decided that death was better than life.

I'm so happy, to the point of tears, that God put awesome friends in my life who loved ME but did not love my sin.  I'm so happy that they showed me the truth of God's love and God's plan because without them standing up and letting God's love shine through, I could've been one of those young men.

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As Christians, we have been called to love people! To hate the sin, but love the sinner!  Lives are in the balance and only we can stand between them and the bridge.  Only we can show them the love of God and the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  No one else is going to do it and no one else can!

John 13:35

Beyond My Fear

Do you ever feel called to something greater? Something bigger? Something that seems so unattainable that you don't even know if you could achieve it? Do you feel like you could do something so great that it brings a trembling fear to your body?

This is how I feel.

Greater is He that lives in me than he that is in the world

Stephen and I made an agreement that we would both write out our testimonies before school starts this fall and I'm currently struggling with writing mine down.  It's not an easy thing to talk about and for some reason it's even harder to write down. It's almost like as I write, it is leaving me and is no longer a part of me and is now just a story.

I should want this, I should want these horrible things to be contained on paper instead of in my mind.  For some reason I'm holding on.  Without my past I wouldn't be where I am now; I would not have hit the bottom, I would not have been searching for an answer and maybe I would never have found the Answer.

A constant word I get from God is about forgetting my past and pressing forward toward Him.  I get it at least once a day in my quiet time.  Yet I still struggle with letting go.

Danny spoke tonight about this and really blessed and encouraged me.  I need to hold tight to my future and forget my past; when I am reminded of my weaknesses I need to lean on the gifts that my Father has given me; and when the enemy says it can't be done, I need to lean on the power of GOD!  He's so much bigger and infinitely more powerful than my enemy and everything is possible with Him. 

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Benji.  I was really blessed to spend this whole weekend with him.  I'm not gonna pretend that I knew him amazingly well or that we hung out a lot but he really blessed my life and I'm sad that he won't be here this year but at the same time I'm really excited that God has such an awesome plan for his life and I can't wait to hear about the ways that God uses him for the kingdom.

Make Me Ready

Luke 14:33
Am I ready to give everything for Him?

All I want right now, all I desire is for God to make me ready!  Although I'm scared, I take hold of who You are and trust You to show me what I need to do.  You and your plan are all that matter... make me forget everything else; let your plan be my plan.

BURDEN ME.

BREAK ME.

SHAKE ME.

Fix your plan on my heart and don't EVER let me forget.

Lifesong

"And I will live to carry your compassion
To love a world that's broken
To be your hands and feet
And I will give with the life that I've been given
And go beyond religion to see the world be changed
By the power of Your Name"