Progress.

Last weekend, Laura Bulgrien's youth group had a retreat near Traverse City, MI. I was asked to go, and understanding how frightened I was to let God have His way in me, understood that I had to go. (not meaning I was forced....just meaning that I wouldn't allow myself to not go). God is doing amazing things in that group. I'm so thrilled to see where some of those kids will be in two years.

Today, I preached in homiletics class, my main theme being fear of greatness. My fear of letting God have His way was exposed before a class of people that I admire greatly--some of them to the point where I'm also afraid of letting them get close because they challenge me so much. I stepped down from the pulpit and realized when I sat down that I was shaking, but I said what I needed to say, and that is all I could have done. And I am glad for it.

This weekend will break my streak of playing a show every other weekend with Vine Street. It is sad. But I have things I NEED to get done this weekend. And, it'll be nice to have a weekend to just relax--especially after such a busy weekend as the last I had.

I'm getting a better understanding of what it means to be a new creation and a bearer of the Image of God and to be free from sin. They aren't perfect understandings, but they're stepping stones.



Yesterday in the Dining Commons, I was getting cereal, and a girl from Kenya said, "Are you a prayerful man?"
I said, "...what?"
"I hear you are a prayerful man. Someone told me that if I needed something prayed for, to go to you."

I saw her again today while walking to class. She said, "Look, it is the prayerful man."
I told her that I didn't know who said that, or why, because that hasn't been how I have been living lately, and she said, "maybe it was a reminder."

That is so true.