A Long Journey

In a senseless dark way I see you following me, I do not want you to. My darkness is far to violent and destitute could you ever love me. I begin to slow and let you catch up; I see that you are walking relaxed and somber. After you reach me you ask why I did not wait for you I say that I just did not want to let you see me for who I really am. And you smile with that small still smile and tell me. “ You fool I have know who you were all along. I have a plan for you, and your darkness is only one part of how I will shape and mold you to who you are going to be. You will forever serve me I have called you to this and I will walk with you through your darkness and lead you to the ultimate place on the hill with me I am going to put you in a place that you can not even imagine.” So I let Him walk with me and stand with me and that (in the words of a better poet than I) has made all the difference.

Thoughts to ponder

I have just begun reading the book of Acts today and I just had an amazing revelation, looking at Simon Peter giving his sermon to the Jews who had traveled to Jerusalem the thing that struck me most was the knowledge that Peter has of the Hebrew Scriptures in this sermon he uses more than 3 different Hebrew scriptures, the reason that this is so cool to me is that Peter may not have had a full understanding of the scriptures but through the coming of the Holy Spirit Peter was given the ability to change and see something very different and show Gods glory.

Now on to the part that just hit me like a ton of bricks, I have really been struggling with my personal study of scripture and after reading this I see that first we must be in tune with the Holy Spirit and then we must begin the long process to discipline ourselves to build our communion with Yahweh.

Just something to ponder today….    

Brokeness

I have been thinking today about how broken people really are the past few days and the same thing comes to me every time i think about it; where is our identity? as a Christian i know that my identity is supposed to be found in Christ, why is this so hard for Christians to see this one small detail. are we so focused on what people are saying about us or whether we have made someone else mad at us. when i here this from my peers my heart just begins to break, these people are broken and they don't even see this in their own lives. i just want to say God is bigger than all of the things that you think are going on, give up your control and let God have it. He will work out all of the things that you are struggling with.

But then i start thinking about my life and the things that i have had trouble letting go of, and i see that God wants me to let go of some things as well. then i begin to realize that God is saying "Ethan come and leave all of your burdens with me and i will help you move forward." and God is doing this every day I must move forward keep look to God for guidance; He who is the creator of the universe is so much bigger than any thing that i have on my plate, and when i get stressed about something God wants me to come to him about the problem to talk with him about it to be open and ready to be chastised for the sin and yet forgiven at the same time. God doesn't want me to go and run out in the dessert when i fail him. and i am just fooling myself if i think that i can fix my sin by going to more bible studies and going pending more time in prayer. God wants me to come and lay it down at his feet and to let him know that i am truly repentant for failing him and i want to change and i can only change by letting go and giving it to Him.    

It is all a part of the plan

Today i had breakfast with two good friends, and something that hit me after the three of us went our separate ways; what is Gods plan for me here in this place as a college student? Jeremiah 29 says that God has and know the plans for me and will not harm me or lead me astray, but the problem that i struggle with is  want to know what God has for me after my time in college. The conclusion that i have come up with is that i must be able to be in the here and now; my dad always has said that i must take things one day at a time which is very true. we as people and college students must take things slow and one day at a time, God not only has a plan for the future but for the right now and i find that i do not take advantage of that. and i must realize God has called me to be a student and witness to Gardner-Webb University.  we must find our passions and follow them where we are, and realize that we are not off track that this is all a part of the plan.   

Do you not Know? Have you not Heard?

^{Isaiah 40:28-31 28  says}

"28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.²⁹ He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. ³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; ³¹ but those who hope in the LORD will renew their 

 strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (NIV) 

I have learned so much this week from this very small passage of a great book. this week started out just like any other week, I was lost in myself just going through the motions the same old junk over and over, school work, hanging out with friends and band practice and i was just looking on that great social networking site Facebook when I saw a post from a friend on this passage. after I read Isaiah 40:28-31 the words just blew me away. " Have you not seen, Have you not heard the Lord is the everlasting God." my response is have i really seen or heard that the Lord God is everlasting? To be honest the answer is no, I have been spending to much time focusing on all of the mundane things and it was just making me tired and worn out. this passage says God will restore the weariness, bring us up from our state of tiredness.

After that another verse began to come into my mind.  it is in Acts Chapter 3 when Peter and john the Disciples of Jesus are standing in front of the Sanhedrin after the Pentecost; Peter and John are asked to stop speaking of the resurrection of Jesus, there reply was: "But we cannot stop speaking of the things that we have seen or heard." this got me to thinking, what am i doing? why can i not have the courage and gall to speak about my faith openly? if i am to understand what i am reading i am to be bold enough to say that i am a follower of Christ, and that when people ask me to stop talking, i have to be able to say i cannot stop talking about the things that i have seen or heard. 

The only question left is where do you stand?