im a sucker for a pretty girl

so, many of you might know that i hate running. i really do. its not a strong dislike either. i really can't stand it. but, yesterday i was suckered into training for a half marathon, thats 13.1 miles of running folks. its a 12 week training schedule and i start training on monday. and it was all because of a girl. my girl. she batted her eyes and talked to me sweet and i was putty in her hands. it was discusting. the next thing i knew i was printing out my training schedule.

im kidding...i really am going to run a half marathon and i really do hate running but my real motivation is to get healthy and to have some dicipline in my life. i have gotten pretty lazy since school ended and i need to do something. i kinda have that tire thingy around the middle of me, if you know what i mean...not cool. plus, i think this will be fun to go through with my girl.

so...stick around. i feel like this whole training thing could spark a few good blogs along the way.

Thankfulness Day

It is that time of year again...Thanksgiving. For some, its a day of turkey and football. For some its a day with the family. And then there are some who use this time to reflect and be thankfull for what the Lord has blessed them with.

These are the generic traditions. I want to know about the specific family traditions. Like for instance, back in New York, with my family, it was always all about hunting (because the dear season is only like 3 weeks and the last week is usually the end of November). Or maybe your like the Gibson family and have firework wars everytime you get together.

I want to know what your family does.

Punkish Qualities

In case ya'll havent figured out yet, but I really am a punk...jerk...whatever. At least I feel like one. I have the hardest time remembering people's names. I really wish I could. I really wish it came natural for me just to remember every face and name and conversation I ever encountered. But I can't. I want this so bad because I really feel like I am hurting people's feelings when I see them the second, third, sixth, tenth time and I still havent got their name down. It almost like I'm telling them subcontiously that they are not worth remembering, which is not the case. I'm just an idiot...(hello, six years in college).

Love People

Loving people is not efficient. It will not balance out evenly in your equation. But thats ok. Love is bigger than the things of this world. It doesn't have to make sence. And I, for one, am glad.

God's Desire

God doesn't want your sacrafice. He wants a relationship. He would rather you not be sacraficial in any way if your heart isn't in it, if its just some religious act.

He doesn't desire your motions. He wants your emotions, your heart. It when the motions are overflow of the heart is when God is pleased.

Worship is more than a song.

God is good

Repentance is U N B E L I E V A B L E.

I mean...are you kidding me. So I don't know how many people think about this on a daily basis. God, the creator of all and knower of all, offers us complete forgivness...as a gift. WOW. It doesn't matter if you have killed someone, raped someone, or did some other aweful thing that I can't even imagine...its all the same. All you have to do is confess to God with a broken heart and God will hold you close to His boosm and love you, without looking back. Jesus made that all possible. Praise Him for what He has done for you. Thank God for trading His perfect, blameless, and holy Son for you, and considering it a good and worthy trade, if you havent done so yet today.

I'm a slave

As much as I don't want to be...but I think I'm a slave to money. I think we all are. Things need to change. Someone once told me that "money can be an amazing servent but one of the worst masters." I think they were right. Money has the potential to do so many good things in this world, but if you let it control you, it will ruin your life and potentially those around you.

Reality Check

"I am humbled to know that we are living among a harvest field that has been centuries in the making. For hundreds of years, faithful followers of Christ have invested their lives here, working to make Christ known, fighting for the countless millions of souls in this country, many of them seeing little or no fruit from their hard labor. Due in part to their hard work and fully by the grace of God, we are seeing incredible things happen right here in the ********. Father is calling people to Himself each day and each day more hearts are being turned to Him. Father is making opportunities for more and more people to know of His faithfulness and gift of salvation!"

This quote comes from a letter that was sent from a closed country (meaning that Christian missionaries are not allowed). I am so happy that these things are happening there (praise GOD!!!) but at the same time I am deeply concerned that I don't think the same way about where I live. I don't look at Columbia as a harvest field nor do I feel like I am fighting to for the souls here. Why am I so complacent? What does it look like to be missionary in the US?