Names Ken, I am a student at IUP pursuing an English/Writing degree and plan to go into Campus Ministry once I graduate. On my blog here I like posting about my life, theology in the world, and book reviews.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
Bearing your Brother
“The Bible can also characterize the whole life of the Christian as bearing the Cross. It is the fellowship of the Cross to experience the burden of the other. If one does not experience it, the fellowship he belongs to is not Christian. If any member refuses to beat that burden, he denies the law of Christ.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Being on a college Campus, you run into a cast of characters. I’m not just speaking of people who have five pound gummy bears in their closets (you will find them, too), but people who have thousands of different things/problems going on. Normally, we could just choose to have different friends. We are told to put ourselves around people who build us up. That saying doesn’t work if your friends are in trouble and need help. Sometimes we need to be the friend to build the others up.
That’s what Christ did for us. He came into this world to save us because we couldn’t save ourselves. He chose to experience us, awful human being, to die on a Cross for us. As he took the trek to be crucified, he carried all of our burdens up the hillside. And had them die with Him.
As I said, I am on a college campus. We have a growing campus ministry and one of our best attributes is carrying burdens. Bonhoeffer says we should Listen, Serve, and Bear with one another. All of these things Christ did for us. So if you are in a campus ministry and you are not listening, serving, and bearing one another, check yourself and call on Christ. Trade in your sorrows.
Christ did a lot for us and because he did, we can.
If he doesn’t love God, then he can’t love you.
And if he loves Mary too, he’s definitely a keeper.
So, I just don’t understand why Catholics like Mary so much. Yes, Mary is the mother of Jesus. Yes, she had a little lamb. But, there is very little reference to her outside of the the Gospels which makes me think she was not made into statues in the Early Church. I do think she is awesome and a great example for us all, but there are a lot of other Biblical people out there, too.
Christian community is like the Christian’s sanctification. It is a gift of God which we cannot claim. Only God knows the real state of our fellowship, of our sanctification. What may appear weak and trifling to us may be great and glorious to God. Just as the Christian should not be constantly feeling his spiritual pulse, so, too, the Christian community has not been given to us by God for us to be constantly taking its temperature. The more thankfully we daily receive what is given to us, the more surely and steadily will fellowship increase and grow from day to day as God pleases.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
A Very Brief Look at the Year
As the semester draws to an end, it is good for us to look back over the year and see all the goodness that took place. I can honestly say this has been one of the best years of my life, if not THE best. Last summer I went to The Philadelphia Project where I was able to help people and excite youth groups. It was incredible! Then, leaving there, I came back to IUP where from the first week of classes we all knew something was different. A campus ministry of about 15 people jumped to around 75 over the course of the year. And do not think I am just impressed by the numbers. The numbers mean nothing. The seeds that were planted 7 months ago are blossoming and that is what we are to rejoice about! In addition to all of this I began dating my beautiful girlfriend on October 3rd. Our relationship has been incredible! I cannot see myself with anyone else and I love how she challenges my growth and pushes me closer to God.
With all that said I am not even scratching the surface. There are a lot of opportunities on the horizon to allow this summer to be even more incredible than the last, but for totally different reasons! I cannot hold in my excitement for all that is going on in my life. But, I am not here to brag.
This, everything shown above, had nothing to do with me. Yes, I am a leader in the campus ministry and I was half of my relationship with my beautiful girlfriend, but in all honesty, none of it was me. It was all God. Every ounce of everything was Him! There was no way, in all of heaven and earth, that I would be a part of The Philadelphia Project and do as well as I did, that the campus ministry would explode in the manner in which it did, and there is no possible way a confusing bro, such as I, could get such an amazing girlfriend if it were not all for God. God had his hand on all of this and all of us! All of the glory goes to Him!
I will admit, I tried to take control of my life a lot of the time, but it all resulted in failure. There is nothing I can do. Every time we mess up we have to realize that if we do not have God then that would be our state of being all the time. It is because of God that we do anything good at all. It is because of Him all the lives were changed for eternity this semester. It is because of Him that Love is blossoming on this campus. It is because of Him that I love.
Think!
Start thinking.
I was just thinking how over the course of my day I probably think every moment I can. As I was taking my morning stroll to campus this morning, it was a little cold, but my mind wasn’t on the world or how I felt, my mind was in my mind focusing on God. I was thinking about life and how I can use this moment to glorify God.
Usually my mind thinks about how I can do things differently or become better at something. I am starting to realize that I don’t have to do that as much and I should begin thinking about how awesome God is. As we think of how awesome God is all of our wishes and desires seem to melt in comparison. If I really wanted a car, but found God, I should be perfectly okay with that. Finding God is better than anything on earth and it takes time to get that sometimes. The more we reflect on God the more he fills us. The more filled we are the more of a Love Life we will live.
Other times I try to think about scripture. I have been thinking about Luke 11:42 this week. I believe it says, “But give as alms the things from inside and behold all will be made clean.” I keep trying to figure out what I can do with this. How can I give up the sin inside of me to God like I give close to Goodwill. How can I give something I have already done to God? I think about this a lot. God talks back and helps my thoughts because he thinks it is a good thing. We should all think a good lot more. Try it!
“I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
We will soon be in eternity, and then we will see how all the affairs of this world are such little things and how little it matters whether they turn out or not… . When we were little children, with what eagerness did we put together little bits of tiles, wood, and mud, to make houses and small buildings! And if someone destroyed them, we were very grieved and tearful at it; but now we know well that it all mattered very little. One day it will be the same with us in heaven, when we will see that our concerns in this world were truly only child’s play.
Francis De Sales
Let’s light the world on fire!
Okay Lecrea, let’s bust out this homework!
Academic Faithfulness! BIA!
“Some men just want to watch the world learn.”
Anyone know how to make this Bonjour French press work? I found it at Goodwill and the pressing rod is itty bitty. So I was wondering if it was broke or just a goof by the manufactures. Any thoughts? Message me.
Seven Men: And the Secret of Their Greatness - Eric Metaxas
Eric Metaxas, coming off writing a New York Times Bestsellers Bonhoeffer, writes 7 short biographies about men who should inspire us to go out and be better people. These are 7 people who are role models for our world or who, at the least, should be role models. These 7 men all gave up something great for the betterment of the people around them. Metaxas urges us to be like these men in our daily lives and to respect the good in people. He focuses a lot on the good things these people do because he believes that we focus far too often on the negative aspects of individuals. No one is perfect and we need understand that and give them grace.
The 7 men listed are: George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, Pope John Paul II, Charles W. Colson.
This past summer I read Bonhoeffer and absolutely loved it. When I had an opportunity to read this book, I jumped on it. Metaxas is a beautiful writer and he is very poetic in the way in which he writes. As you start reading you will not want to stop. Each biography is designed like a novel and you will want to eat up page after page, not wanting to put the book down. As you go into it, as a reader, you should look at these people and understand that we have something to learn from them. Let their life impact yours to make you a better person.
I would say this book is best for those who are new to biographies and want to garner some knowledge about some great individuals. Biographies are some of the best books you may ever read.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
The person who is seated behind you speaking of sex, drugs, and other immoral acts that you just cannot stand is sitting there because your God created them. Not only that, but God died for them, too. Just like He did for you.
The more we realize we are sinners the more we see how amazing God is.
Psalm 63
This morning, like some others, I opened my Bible up to the Psalms. Today was Psalm 63 and it has become one of my favorite Psalms. Check this out.
Verse 1: O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Did you see that? What is happening here?
- You are MY GOD
- I earnestly seek you
- my soul thirsts for you
- my flesh faints for you as in a dry and weary land where there is no water
Do you ever think that you even miss God? David earnestly seeks, thirsts, and faints for God. This is a man of great distress, but he isn’t like us and just prays and waits until God does something.
Verse 2-4: SO I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. SO I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
David responds to his faint soul: He
- Looks upon God in the sanctuary
- beholds His power and glory
- He thinks about God’s steadfast love and its comparison to his life
- He lifts up praise
- Blesses the Lord for all time
- Lifts his hands
This is so cool. David is giving us a way to respond to the rough times. He doesn’t tell you to meet up for a one-on-one or to read this book by this guy. No, he tells us how it is done.
Verse 5-8: My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
David continues with more things to do. Take Note!
- my mouth will praise you with joyful lips
- remember you
- meditate on you
- sing for joy
Then the kicker. Verse 8: My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
My soul CLINGS to you;
I just think of a a little ant holding onto a giant rock in the midst of a storm. The little ant has just one little hand still on, and then…
your right hand upholds me.
God is like, “Here you go little guy here is some help. I’m going to give you Jesus!” And then life becomes a never ending Christmas and Easter!
God is incredible! Love it! Have a blessed day everyone!
