Should I Pack My Suit and Tie?

This week has been crazy. I found out on Thursday morning that one of the girls that lived in the Jubilee house (where Brittney and I lived in Boston this summer), was diagnosed with Leukemia. Brittney, myself, and the church have been praying for her healthy recovery, her name is Christina if you would like to pray as well. It is hard for me to think of one of my friends that I shared fun times with this summer now struggling for her life. Later that same day I found out that Brittney's grandpa needed to have quadruple bypass open heart surgery on Wednesday. Brittney called me that night really upset and I encouraged her to stay in Virginia at her friends wedding and then when she got back to Wisconsin we would go to Indiana. The next morning Brittney called me and told me that her Grandma had been put on life support and was in pretty bad condition. So I booked her a flight from Richmond, Virginia to Indianapolis for that night. It was a crazy Thursday and Friday. So I stayed in Wisconsin Saturday and Sunday and then left Monday to drive toward Indianapolis. As I was packing on Sunday night I thought to myself, "should I bring my suit and tie?" I don't know if this question is wrong to ask or wrong to think about, but I went to bed without packing it. I woke up that morning and packed my suit and tie in the truck of my car. I don't know if this is a lack of faith or trying to be prepared for whatever may happen. I feel like this weekend is opening a huge question I have been debating in my mind. Where is the line between faith and preparation? I mean take my 401k into account. Is it ok for me to prepare for the future and hoard money for the future when people in the world are dying of hunger and lack of medicine? When Jesus tells us not to worry in Luke 12 he specifically talks about how we might want to spend time planning our life and how it is useless. Jesus then goes on to say that the ravens don't sow and reap or have storeroom or barns, but God takes care of them. Then Jesus reminds us that we are much more important then ravens, implying that God will take care of us. I know this is a weird parallel to make, but I am really struggling with having a radical faith. A faith that says I am not going to plan for the worst. I mean what if God has this awesome plan to take care of me when I retire, but I get in the way of his plans with my own. I am not saying that I have the answers or that I shouldn't prepare. I just want to have a faith that is so sure of Gods hand in my life that I don't try to take care of myself but I allow Him to take care of me. Where is the line???

What a friend we have in Jesus

This is a hymn that I recorded today. I had to put it in video form, but it really is just the song. I found the music to this song this summer in Boston. I have never heard the song (at least I don't remember it well enough to know how it goes). So I just played most of the chords I thought sounded good and gave it a melody I liked. If you are used to the traditional version I don't even know if you will recognize the song, but the lyrics are what drew me to the song. Hope you like them.

Long time no type...

Well if anyone actually reads this blog I want you to know that I am hopefully going to stick with it now. I have finally got to a point in my life where I will have some time to make entries on a regular basis. I got a new MacBook and it is sweet. If you haven't heard, I took a Youth Pastor position in Fox Lake, Wisconsin at a church called Living Hope Community Church. www.lvnghp.org
Boston was awesome. I learned a ton about urban ministry and fell in love with the city of Boston. Plus I went to like 10 Red Sox games which was amazing, GO SOX!!!

One amazing thing that I have learned through the last year is that God has a plan. I can't see it most the time and that really frustrates me, but he has my life in His hands. I had no idea what I was going to do over the summer, and he provided, plus it was in Boston of all places, which was amazing. Then, half way through being in Boston I realized that I had no where to go after Boston and really started stressing, but God had me in His hands. I took a great position at a church where I will continue to learn and Brittney and I have already felt an immense amount of love from the people here. It is awesome. We are currently trying to find a house and I caught myself getting stressed and I reminded myself that God has a plan and I just need to remember that. I hardly ever remember all the great things that God has done for me. I am sure that if Moses was around he would want to smack me upside the head with his rod and tell me to remember that God provided Boston when it looked like there was no answer and God provided Wisconsin when it looked like there was no answer. I am sure he would want me to look back and remember how God has me in His hands.