Monday, June 26th, 1 day to go

^{1 Peter 3:13-17
13} Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats^[b]; do not be frightened.”^[c] 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. ¹⁷ For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.




2 Timothy 4:2-5
² Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage —with great patience and careful instruction. ³ For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. ⁵ But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Preparing to Leave

Tomorrow is the day! I leave to San Diego in less than 12 hours. I am a bit nervous but excited at the same time. Whenever I leave on a trip I draw up my own packing list (usually quite a bit larger then the given one) and prepare for what is to come.  I pack clothes that are appropriate at the time such as jackets in winter and shorts in summer.  I pack things that will keep me clean like toothbrushes and shampoos. Everything that I pack is in preparation for the upcoming event or trip.  My suitcase carries all my tangible items that are necessary to have a successful trip, but am I mentally prepared for it? Can I honestly say I've spent time getting ready to talk to people about God? Am i ready for my faith to be stretched and strengthened? 

The apostle Paul talked about running the good race. No matter who you are or what you believe, if you want to run in a race and do well, preparation is required. In 1 Peter 3:15 it says, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have...." Always be prepared...why?...to give the reason for the hope that you have. As Christians we have hope in Christ and we should be able to tell people why... hence the preparation.  One of the amazing things about God is that He knows the future, but as humans we don't.  That being said we can never be exactly sure when someone may ask us about our faith.  2 Timothy 4:2 says to be prepared in season and out of season.  For me this means that whether I am at school or about to go on a life-changing mission trip I need to be prepared and not get caught off guard if someone asks me about what I believe.  Or even more so... if someone doesn't ask and you see a door open and have the opportunity to share your faith. 

When I prepare for a physics test I go back and read through my notes. I read through what was written down and I try to memorize as much of the information as I can.  This should also apply when you prepare for God's work and tests.  Memorizing scripture is invaluable. Studying God's word is how you get to know who God is, what He's done, why He has done it, and what He will do.  Everyone wants a book that has all the answers to life... its the bible! It has everything you need to know to not only survive, but thrive in this life and the next. The more you immerse yourself in it, the closer you get to knowing God.

The bible is the ultimate way to prepare yourself. Ask questions and then find the answers in there. 1 day to go, please keep praying for us:)

Sunday, June 24th, 2 days to go

Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

¹ I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me;
    hear me when I call to you.
² May my prayer be set before you like incense; 
    may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

³ Set a guard over my mouth, Lord;
    keep watch over the door of my lips. 
⁴ Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil
    so that I take part in wicked deeds 
along with those who are evildoers;
    do not let me eat their delicacies.

⁵ Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
    let him rebuke me —that is oil on my head. 
My head will not refuse it,
    for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.

⁶ Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs, 
    and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
⁷ They will say, “As one plows and breaks up the earth, 
    so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave.”

⁸ But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord;
    in you I take refuge —do not give me over to death.
⁹ Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers, 
    from the snares they have laid for me.
¹⁰ Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
    while I pass by in safety.

The Journey Begins

"What should I write about? Where do I begin? How can I possibly give justice to something that has impacted my life in such a profound way?" These are all questions that popped into my mind as I sat down to write my first blog about an amazing journey that I will begin. Then I thought, " What better way to begin a blog about Christ then with His word" - His own personal blog to us, so to speak.

In two days I will be leaving on a mission trip to San Diego for one week called Operation Good News (OGN). This will be my fourth time going on this amazing trip, and unlike hearing the same knock-knock joke three times in a row, OGN never gets old.  Every morning during the week we take classes to learn about our faith and how to defend it. We touch the surface of the why's, such as, "Why should I believe in God? or How can I be sure the bible is true? If asked, "Why does God let bad things happen? - how should I respond?" All these things and more are touched on during various classes throughout the week.  In the afternoons we go out to different locations in San Diego and strike up conversations with people who we have never met before and see what they believe, tell them what we believe, and then hopefully bring them a few steps closer to believing in Jesus and accepting God's free gift of salvation.  

One of my favorite sections in Psalms 141 is in verse 8 where it says, "But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge..." 

Although we should always have ours eyes fixed on God it is easy to get distracted. Whether it be Facebook, friends, or even school work (none of which are necessarily wrong...but distracting) I often find myself needing constant reminders that I need to stay focused on God.  At OGN I can literally walk away from distractions such as these and easily keep in mind that God should be the center of my attention.  

Every year I am able to not only hear, but experience amazing moments that God has used to impact people's lives.  I get so excited just thinking about what He has in store for each person that goes and everyone they meet. The crazy thing about this year is that He has already started to change me and teach me before I even get on the bus to leave.  4 weeks ago I faced an amount that totaled $800. That was the amount that both my brother and I needed if we wanted to go. 3 days ago we didn't even have half and frankly I was a bit discouraged. Where were we gonna get that kind of money? But if God is gonna provide a way... He will provide a way. We were blessed by so many people and between now and then we nearly raised it all. 3 days! All I can say is thank you. I thank God for all He has done and all He plans to do, because He for sure blew my mind. 

Well that was my first post in my first blog! Hopefully I will start to get the hang of it. Please keep everyone who goes on this trip in your prayers