Well, it's official. I have less than 24 hours till I am outie. Yesterday I bought the first backpack I've owned since, like, middle school and it's a lot cooler than anything I had in middle school (I think it was the year they made mesh mandatory...is that even still enforced?). So that means I'm ready, in the physical sense that I have all the junk a fat American needs to survive a couple of weeks away from home, greasy food, sweet tea, and the like. But, am I ready spiritually? I don't know.
It has been a crazy week. I have been so busy trying to get ahead on all that I'm missing that Guatemala has not been at the forefront of my mind. I've spent most of this week working on essays and applying for graduate schools. I should be done with those in about enough time to swing by the post office on my way to the airport. I still have a 5 page paper to finish and a conference to lead worship for tonight but after that, I'm worry free.
Keep us in your prayers. I know a lot of us have had a lot going on. But at the same time, God, through friends, good preaching, and scripture, has made His gospel so real to me as of late. There is something that comes with really letting Christ permeate in your conversations and monopolize your thoughts to where the picture of the love He has shown just continues to grow bigger and bigger and become clearer and clearer. I'm not where I need to be, but it is that picture that spurs me on towards a life that, through sanctification, might be appropriately call 'Christ like'.
I love you all. Keep up the prayer,
- doug
p.s. if you're updating your prayer list and have some extra space, I am trying to get into grad school. I'm applying at Union University (for a Master in Christian Studies) and at Liberty University (for a Masters of the Arts in Religion). I'm praying that God will put me wherever He would have me be.
"by this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" - John 13:35
Friday, February 29, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
Entry Uno
So it's already February 4th! In less that four weeks I'll be on a plane bound for Central America. God has really opened a lot of doors for this trip and definitely taught me What Jesus meant in Matthew 6 about anxiety. It's easy to worry about scheduling and finances, but as the end of the day, if you are in His will, in His grace He has promised His provision.
For those who may not know, one of the amazing ways in which God has opened a door is the fact that I'm actually going to be doing "two trips in one". The original plan was to go with my church through an organization called Go Guatemala. We will be taking a team of 10 people and going into somewhat rural areas of Guatemala sharing the gospel and doing church strengthening work. But as providence would have it, the group I went to Thailand with last year, the UAB BCM, were going to be in Guatemala the very next week. So is has worked out to where I will be meeting up with them on March 8th and spending the next week doing VBS, construction, worship, and whatever else the Lord has in mind. Talk about blessed.
I'm just thankful that the Lord has allowed this opportunity. Thank you for you kind thoughts, prayers, and interest in what the Lord is doing in Central America. I will do my best, circumstances allowing, you keep everyone up-to-date with blogs, pictures, and (hopefully) video.
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
- Doug
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"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:25-34
For those who may not know, one of the amazing ways in which God has opened a door is the fact that I'm actually going to be doing "two trips in one". The original plan was to go with my church through an organization called Go Guatemala. We will be taking a team of 10 people and going into somewhat rural areas of Guatemala sharing the gospel and doing church strengthening work. But as providence would have it, the group I went to Thailand with last year, the UAB BCM, were going to be in Guatemala the very next week. So is has worked out to where I will be meeting up with them on March 8th and spending the next week doing VBS, construction, worship, and whatever else the Lord has in mind. Talk about blessed.
I'm just thankful that the Lord has allowed this opportunity. Thank you for you kind thoughts, prayers, and interest in what the Lord is doing in Central America. I will do my best, circumstances allowing, you keep everyone up-to-date with blogs, pictures, and (hopefully) video.
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
- Doug
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:25-34
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