How is everyone doing? It's been 3 months since my last post. A lot has changed since then, but the biggest transition has been being in college. Life is weird on your own. It's a good weird and a bad weird. I don't know if weird is a good word to use, but we'll go with it. I like being on my own, but I miss the little things quite a bit. I miss my home, my family, home cooked meals, giving wedgies to my little brothers, old friends, my home church, having someone else do my laundry, and last but not least driving my junky little pick-up truck.
I'm learning how to live with two other grown men. I've been blessed with two incredible roommates who I consider best friends already. Everyday with them is a party. I've also learned how to my do own laundry. My parents would be so proud. I'm thankful for tide pods and color catchers. They make doing laundry dummy proof.
On a serious note, I want to share just a few things I've been learning:
-Selfish decisions almost always have consequences.
-Time management is everything.
-We can't point out problems and not give solutions.
-Doing or saying the right thing with the wrong motives is always the wrong thing.
-To truly make an impact in almost anything you have to get messy.
-It's impossible to laugh too much.
-Words either lift people up to a mountain top or drive them down to the ocean floor.
-Taking risks is a good thing. Taking no risks is the biggest risk of all.
Alright lets get to the point. I've been going to Cedar Valley Church for the past 2 months. I've been a leader in their junior high youth group for a little over a month now. It's been a learning experience. It's difficult jumping into a new scene. Not knowing very many of the other leaders as well as not knowing any of the kids was not only different, but uncomfortable. I'm starting to like uncomfortable situations because that's usually when God shows up and does something miraculous. Now that I've been there for a little over month, I'm starting to love Paradigm. I'm excited to be able to play a part in this wonderful ministry!
Last Wednesday, I sat by a 7th grade boy and what he did blew me away. The offering plate was going around and it finally came to him, out of the corner of my eye I saw him take out all of the cash in his wallet and put it in the offering. It wasn't just a penny or a dime— it was $5, $10, and $20 bills. I was blown away. It was every dollar he had in his wallet. To be able to give so freely and cheerfully at that young of an age blew me away. The amount of faith and sacrifice he showed impacted me in a way that I will never forget.
The bible verse Malachi 3:10 instantly came to my head, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies, I will open the heavens for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!"
In this verse, I love how God invites us to out give him. It's kinda like a never ending game of Bigger and Better. The thing is about this game is God always wins. He is always giving us bigger and better.
I really feel like God was speaking to me in this moment about giving.What if we started being reckless about our giving? Not only in giving money, but in giving time, love, and our all. So often we put limits on how much we give to people. Giving is dangerous and it will cost us, but I think the only way we can give is to give more than we can afford. Once we truly start giving we'll start living.
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