The Move

For anyone who actually reads this or is interested in reading this, I have moved: http://web.me.com/cweeks25. See y'all there.

So it's been a while

Besides using the contraction it's for "it has":

Christmas this year was interesting and a bit stressful as my Grandmother had a full knee replacement. My mother ate Christmas dinner while riding the back seat of the car if that says anything.

But continuing on the "it's been a while" theme, I highly recommend time to time digging out those old things from yesteryear and letting them bless you in a new kind of way. In my case I mean Christian Rock from my childhood (aka Petra, Steven Curtis Chapman, etc.). Besides my love for the eighties rock groove, I had little idea of the impact these songs were having on me at the young tender age of 5, 6 and so on.

My favorite has to Petra's "He Came, He Saw, He Conquered." I think as a child the rockin' groove made me fall in love with it, however now 20 years later I can't help but love the theology in this eighties synth loving Rock tune...rather Christ loving Rock tune. All I can say is that this song lifts up and magnifies Christ and glorifies Him. Thank you Momma for buying me all those cassettes of Petra, it truly had more of an effect than you or I dreampt of.

It is has been a while for you, take a journey down the road of yesteryear. Especially at the beginning of this new year, look back recent and far and thank the Lord for where He has brought you from. Thank Him for the hard times, good times, 80's Christian Rock, VBS songs, and the places He has yet to take us. Let us be faithful.

Near the end

I am nearing the end of my test week...Thank the Lord!! Seriously. As much as test weeks are absolutely terrible/miserable/maddening/etc. it never fails that God is faithful. Faithful to a person that deserves it not. I wish I could say I have relied like I want to...am I the only one who stresses, worries and fears...I hope not, I'm pretty sure I'm not.

He loves me in and with the hardness of hard times. What may be meant evil for me He never failing turns to good.

He is faithful when I am doubtful, non-trusting and small faithed.

Now go read Psalm 103...how good and loving is our God.

5 down, 1 to go,
Christopher

Another out there type of thought

Ok bear with me. The following post may have "emergent church" overtones...it is not meant to...I don't want it to. It is more on the celebration of Christ' Birth, Death, and Resurrection, also our life now hidden in Him. Also the celebration of His creativeness and mind boggling awesomeness at filling this world with 1000's of cultures with their own often strange yet beautiful quirks...excluding wrong religious beliefs. (Those aren't beautiful...just sad.)

The following video is made possible by Stride Gum (not a promotional blurb, just giving credit and story, where credit and storyline are due). It is this guy named Matt who has been dancing this jig all over the world...paid by Stride Gum. He has been to over 80 countries in the past 2 years to film all of this. And you are wondering "Where are you going with this?" Rightly so:

I tend to be a Home Missions person. I really do have a heart for the people who are in my immediate surrounding. I often times feel like it is the popular thing to do to go off to some country to do missions when we really need them right here as well. However, after watching this video it blew me away the thought that God wants these people to know Him. God wants all these people to love Him, to have a reason to rejoice, to truly have a reason to dance a jig. I was also just blown away with the thought that many from these peoples will be in heaven, but many more need to know. Right here in our hometowns, far away half way around the world too. So here is to missions far and near, to our Lord for His amazing grace, to the Lord for his beauty spread out through the earth, and to our Hope and Home with the countless grains of sand...the many Saints.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8
---Hope this wasn't too emergent. I also suggest looking up "Where the Hell is Matt on YouTube and watching it in HD...much better

One to lean on

For this past semester a main stay and rock for me has been Lamentations 3:22-23:

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.
His mercies never come to an end.
They are new every morning."

In my own feelings of discouragement, guilt, and worthlessness (not saying that any of these are correct, good, or right...quite the opposite) this has been a constant buttress for my faith and knowing that God loves me. These three sentences have such weight...like the weight of eternity and glory in 20 english words. I hope that it hits you like a palate of bricks...me as well.

I ask for your prayers in a project that a friend and I are undertaking for some friends this Christmas in order that they may see and believe and those already believers to be strengthened and encouraged. Pray for my class. In the future I will explain fully, but not just yet. It could be awesome, please pray for Jacob and I as we take this on. Grant, since I see you are the only follower to this blog I ask that you would.

I am now about to go listen to an ethics lecture on treating Choctaw patients. I hope you have an excellent day.

Journeying along with you,
Christopher

One more for the day

Here is a quote from a 100 year old lady in Minnesota that I have found quite encouraging and true. I hope it helps you through the day/week/year/lifetime:

Trust Him when dark days assail thee,
Trust Him when your faith is small,
Trust Him when to only trust Him,
Is the hardest thing of all.

Does not your Heavenly Father care...

Today was one of those days where you fight discouragement from the moment you crawl out of bed. I so wanted to be cheery and rejoicing...I was trying, but it was a fight. So, I got in the car and drove to church as I am prone to do on Sunday.

I parked in my normal area of the normal parking lot I use, grabbed Bible and proceeded to exit car, when I noticed what I was walking on. It was a wonderful sea full of multitudinous colors of leaves. (The picture does about 9% of the justice of what really it looked like) My first feeling was "Wow, incredible...incredible that I get to walk on this." Shortly this I was reminded of this truth:

"See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" (Matthew 6:28b-30 NIV)

It hit me like a brick. Why do I worry, or fear, or not trust? He has clothed this tree in leaves to provide a carpet for my footsteps and yet not one of these leaves touches the ground without His knowing. How much more does he care about me and my every footstep, feeling, heartbeat, and heartache? He knows all my heart holds and all that assails me and cares for me. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" (Romans 8:35 NIV)

I hope that have an excellent day and as the advent season is soon upon us join me in praying that the mystery and joy of the incarnation of Jesus Christ in human form will rock your world as never before. Also that we would shine Jesus to others especially during this time of year.

Christopher