Joey

2012-02-11T11:12:00.000-08:00

I've found nothing more helpful in my life than consistently spending an extended amount of time in prayer every morning. Many people might write me off right there saying, "I'm not a morning person," "It doesn't matter when you have your prayer time," or, "Evenings work best for me." Ok. There may be some validity to what they're saying, but I still have found that spending an extended amount of time in prayer in the morning is invaluable in the struggle against sinful habits, not to mention the many other benefits that go with it.

Why morning? It takes discipline. It proves to you and to God that you are serious about this relationship and want it more than anything else. You are setting aside the first part of your day before the demands of the day claim your thoughts, energy, and time. It makes God the primary focus of your day right from the beginning. It makes sure that your time with God gets done. God is your top priority. He is before everything else - where He should be.

It's hard. I am a morning person and I find myself struggling at times to get up early enough to set aside this time. When the demands of my job or other things keep me up until 11:00 or later the night before, getting up at 4:30 or 5:00 becomes that much more difficult. I find myself having to stand up and walk around just to stay awake for the first part of my prayer time. If I sit down, it's too easy to just get comfortable and wake up an hour later with no time left but to get ready for the day and go to work.

It needs to be focused. Dick Eastman says, "To be effective our sixty minutes with God should be carefully arranged. Systematic prayer adds health to the devotional habit. Most tasks in life are accomplished systematically. In fact, without a systematic approach to life, many goals would remain unreached."

Eastman quotes Harold Lindsell in his book "The Hour That Changes the World" (from which the above quote came) as saying, "Prayer does not come naturally to men. It must be learned. Learning to pray...includes knowledge of the laws governing prayer as well as experience gained in the practice of prayer. Prayer must be nourished and cultivated if it is to grow."

I know this might not be a very inspiring post, but sometimes what we need is not inspiration, but just a healthy dose of discipline. Get at it! Prayer is valuable. God asks us to pray. Prayer makes a difference, not only in our lives, but in the lives of others. What a privilege that we can have access directly to God through prayer! Why would ne not take advantage of this and give ourselves to the school of prayer. We could be and should be changing the world through our prayers.

I just picked up a copy of Dick Eastman's book, "The Hour That Changes the World." I borrowed it from a friend several years ago and it changed my life when I started applying the principles from it to my prayer life. Now I'm reading it again and gaining new ideas and challenges to apply to my prayer life. It is very exciting and invigorating! I highly recommend it. You can find it for a reasonable price on Amazon or other online bookstores.

Christ Lives Where Self Dies

2012-01-16T05:14:00.001-08:00

“It is only when the last entrenchment of self-will has beensurrendered that there can be a complete resurrection unto life. But when weare ready to say, “There is nothing that would dishonor Christ that I will notforsake, nothing that would bring glory to Him which I will not render orperform; I will give myself and all I have into His hands for time and foreternity; I will follow Christ whithersoever He goes,” Christ will not be longin taking full possession. With all His blessings He will enter our hearts,purging us from our evil, and so revealing himself to our inner consciousnessthat henceforth, in an unbroken line of deep, calm receptiveness, we maypossess, and know that we possess, an indwelling Saviour.”

Thomas Cook

I Can Be Holy

2012-01-13T16:42:00.001-08:00

“He who knows all my sins, who understands all my weaknessesand unworthiness, He commands me to “be…holy.” He from who all my help mustcome—He who knows that I can do nothing of myself, that in Him alone I haveredemption—He commands me to “be…holy.” Then it must be possible. He has foundout a ransom, He knows a cleansing power that is equal to the work, or he wouldnever have spoken to my poor soul, saying, “Be ye holy.” Dark as it may bebefore me, impossible as it may seem to cleanse one so impure as I, yet “withGod all things are possible.” And even in the case of a poor worm of earth,“all things are possible to him that believeth.”

Let meno longer doubt; so long as the command is on record, and I am compelled tobelieve it is spoken to me, I must—I will believe that it is possible for evenme to be holy.

~Jesse T. Peck

2012-01-05T05:21:00.000-08:00

"Sin's greatest strength is the fact...that it comes incognito. In a thousand clever ways it disguises itself. It masks itself behind excuses, rationalizations, circumstances, and the influence of others. The cross strips the mask away and shows sin for the vicious monster it is, the utter, stark, rebellion against the love of God which is its real nature."
~W. J. Purkiser

Victory in Jesus

2011-12-28T07:33:00.000-08:00

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

To those struggling with an addiction (particularly pornography and self-gratification), this verse offers hope - the only hope - for ever living a victorious life. It's not in my strength, in this program, in that accountability partner, through really getting determined; but it's only through Christ!

I believe in being determined - if you're not really putting yourself into it, and you just sit back and expect God to deliver you, then you will fail.

I believe in accountability partners - "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed..." (James 5:16 NASB)

I believe in programs - Having a plan and a biblically based program that can walk you through the process and hook you up with other people and resources is of utmost importance. www.settingcaptivesfree.com is one of the most helpful for addictions that I've found. I highly recommend it!

I believe in using your strength - "...Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness." (Romans 6:19 TNIV) Put the same amount of time and energy into feasting on God's Word, praying, and righteous living as you used to put into indulging the flesh, gratifying the passions of the body and mind in your addiction.

All of these things are necessary strategies and tools to use. Anyone serious about overcoming an addiction and being set free from their sins will want to avail themselves to every possible resource. However, there is no substitute for Christ. Apart from him, all attempts at victory will miserably fail! Don't put the cart in front of the horse! Let Christ be your strength in overcoming habitual sins. "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36 NKJV)

Pray this prayer:
Father, I realize that no one forces me to engage in these habitual sins. It is a choice that I make when presented with something that attracts me. I have conditioned myself to yield to this temptation through repeatedly yielding in the past. I know that you have the power and the resources to set me free. Please strengthen my will and help me to stop this wrong behavior. You promise that through your Son, Jesus Christ, I can do all things, including overcome this habitual sin. I purpose to confess and forsake this sin and do whatever it takes with Your help to gain and maintain ongoing victory over sin for Your glory! Amen.

Movies

2011-05-24T17:49:00.000-07:00

“There's nothing in this movie that is worse than something I would see on the street or even at Walmart, so it's not bad.” “I've heard much worse language than this at my job.” “There are only a couple little places where the talk is suggestive, but there are no bad scenes.” “I can handle the language and the violence as long as there is nothing sexual.” “With the exception of that one scene, that was a good movie.”Sound familiar? Have you ever said anything like that, or thought anything like that after watching a movie? I have.

Just recently I watched a movie. I already had my guard up. I was thinking before I sat down, “If there's any immodesty on here at all, I'll get up and leave.” And the movie started well. Not too far into it one of the actresses was wearing a low cut blouse, but I'd seen way worse than that. It really wasn't very bad. I kept watching. A little later there was some suggestive dialogue regarding sexual things, but nobody came out and said anything and the movie moved on before I could react. I kept watching. Then there was some violence – nothing too graphic. I kept watching. A little more suggestive sexual talk. Again, it wasn't really being specific or explicit – just hinting around jokingly. I kept watching. The movie ended. I felt guilty. I said to myself, “But there really wasn't anything THAT bad on there. Why should I feel guilty?” There was no serious immodesty. It was NOT sexually explicit. What was wrong with it?

Look at my line of justification as the different scenes gave me discomfort in one way or another. Is there a difference between me seeing a lady in shorts and a tank top at Walmart, and me having a picture of the same hanging in my room? Is there a difference between me hearing suggestive sexual talk at work, and me reading a book with that kind of content? Obviously I have no control over what the girl at Walmart is wearing or what the guys at work are talking about. I can control what's on my wall and what I read. But I'm going to hear it and see it anyway, why not entertain myself with it? Besides, I'm not entertaining myself with the immodesty or the suggestive language, I'm entertaining myself with the story plot and the exciting things happening. The story would be even better for me if the girls would wear modest clothes and the guys would clean up their jokes.

So what was wrong with it? Or is my conscience just too sensitive? Do I just need to lighten up a little bit? After all, there was nothing on there that was any worse than many TV advertisements that I've seen in waiting rooms, restaurants, etc. (I don't have a TV.) Why did the Holy Spirit talk to me about it? If that was so bad, are there any movies I can watch with a clear conscience?

It was wrong for me because of a principle from God's Word that I try to apply to my life. I try to glorify God in everything I do. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says that even in eating and drinking I should be glorifying God. Romans 12:1-2 says that I am to be a “living sacrifice” to God. Sacrifice implies death or a giving-up of something. Perhaps that would be those areas of entertainment that do not line up with the principles in God's Word. God's Word calls me to “flee sexual immorality.” (1 Corinthians 6:18) Does placing sexually-suggestive thoughts in front of me sound like “fleeing” from it?

I am convicted about what I watch. How strict should I be? How “radical” do I need to be? The Bible tells me to seek God with my whole heart. Does that mean just on Sunday in the worship service? Or does it mean in my personal time with God in the mornings, and the rest of my day doesn't matter? When I am going after something with everything in me, I am spending every waking moment striving toward that goal. I might even be dreaming about it. It consumes me. The Bible tells me that God is a rewarder of them that “diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) Does God really have all of me – every area of entertainment, every thought, every action, every attitude?

Recently, I decided to try to “beef up” a little bit. I read up on different workouts to build muscle. I bought some supplements that are supposed to help build muscle. I spend a significant amount of time each day lifting weights. I changed my diet. I stopped drinking pop. I try to avoid eating a lot of sweets. All day long, I find myself doing things (or not doing some things) to help me reach this goal. If my real purpose for life is to bring glory to God, shouldn't I be spending all of my energy and time striving for that goal? The Apostle Paul compares it with running a race. We are to “lay aside every weight” and run! (Hebrews 12:1) Are there movies that I am watching that are a hindrance to my life's purpose of glorifying God? If so, I need to stop watching them.

2011-04-14T05:07:00.001-07:00

Check out www.powerlinesunday.blogspot.com. Listen this Sunday night at 9:30p.m. to hear a session on Pornography/Sexual Sins. If you miss it, you can always listen to the mp3 file later. I'll post a link to it so you can check it out or you can visit the above website and the info should all be there.

Recently I have discovered that the issue of pornography is very prevalent today in the Holiness movement. We can attempt to sweet it under the rug and ignore it, but that won't make it go away. Our culture is full of it - internet, books, cds, movies, billboards, catalogs, cellphones, Walmart, neighbors. You cannot avoid it being put in front of you. What do we do about it? How do we address it?

The power of these sexual sins is its ability to stay a secret. As long as it goes undercover it maintains its stranglehold on its victims. Confession/exoposure of this issue must take place in order for freedom to follow. Ephesians 5:11 commands us to "reprove" or "expose" the evil works of darkness. Accountability, radical amputation of the offending member (the computer, TV, internet, cellphone, source of pornographic input whatever it may be), feasting and drinking exclusively on God and His Word, and many other principles must be maintained in order for one to find lasting freedom.

Call in to Powerline this Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. to hear the discussion. The number is 218-895-0167 and the code is POWER# (76937#). If you are unable to attend the session live, you can find it in the archives on mp3 and listen anytime.

2011-04-04T02:53:00.000-07:00

What do 911, heavy snow, a minivan, cancelled church services, cancelled choir practice, and panic have in common? They all play a part in my first Sunday in April in northern Michigan. After Sunday morning services, I drive home, grab dinner, and take off to get back to church for choir practice. As I left church the snow was coming down heavily. There were near white out conditions driving and the wet, heavy snow made the roads incredibly slippery. I came upon the scene of a rollover. No one was badly hurt, but I called 911 and got the people in the church minivan that I was driving so they could warm up. Shortly thereafter the emergency vehicles arrived so I continued my journey home. The usual hour drive home took me nearly 2 hours! I was really needing the choir rehearsal for the Easter program. I have been waiting on the soundtrack to one of the songs. It had finally arrived and I was going to rehearse it, assign all of the solos, trios, duets, etc. Now I have only two rehearsals before the program to learn the new song, finish learning the other songs, get the solos, duets, and trios assigned and learned. Choir rehearsal and church had to be cancelled due to the inclement weather. What is God doing? Oh, well. I guess I might as well sleep. Impossible. Too many things running through my mind. This is where I learn to trust God. He knows what He's doing. This Easter program is His anyway; not mine. I'm just thankful for the opportunity to be a part of it. I give it all to God. We're doing it as an outreach to people that wouldn't come to a normal preaching service. God knew I needed the day of rest more than anything and He gave it to me. I am resting in Him to do what is best and to bring about the results that glorify Him the most.

2011-03-23T15:59:00.001-07:00

So much has transpired since the last time I posted. (Of course that is easy when my posts are so few and far between.) Where do I start?

I am still working at the Boy's Home. My hours have shifted a bit - instead of 80-90 hours a week, I now get about 20. This was by choice. I am teaching full-time at Daystar Christian Academy in Evart, MI (the same town as the Boy's Home), helping out with the music ministry at my church - Evart Bible Methodist Church, and working on several little projects at the same time.

The little side projects include: Working on an Easter Cantata at my church, practicing trumpet and voice, trying to learn Spanish (via Rosetta Stone), looking into a Master's program for music, writing some articles (at this point for my own amusement - perhaps a few of them will make it to my blog), and attempting to develop something to help those struggling in the area of sexual addiction to come to complete and lasting victory.

My life is completely different right now than it was even at the beginning of this year. Things have changed so dramatically that I feel like I am no longer the same person. On January 31st, I went to the church and was crying out to God in desperation asking Him to do a work in my heart. I had been struggling for quite some time with a lack closeness with God. I had been going through the motions every day, but getting nowhere. I had even begun to fall to some sins that I had not fallen to for some time. That night, in desperation, I prayed, "Lord, break me, mold me, fill me, and use me." Immediately, I had the thought, "Do you really mean that? Do you really want to pray that? Do you know what you are saying?" I stopped and considered for a while and finally said, "Yes, Lord. That is what I want."

The very next day, on February 1st, in answer to my prayer, the Lord began the breaking process that was to last for several days - crushing, pulverising - until I was thoroughly ground to powder. In fact, it was so sudden and so thorough that it took me a couple days to remember having prayed that prayer. When it dawned on me, I began to cry out to God for strength to handle the pressure and not have some kind of mental and nervous breakdown. Little by little I have been able to sleep again, pray again, and function again. God has opened doors of opportunity already that I never would have had if I had never gone through this traumatic experience.

As I said before, I am a new person. I am not the same Joe Hough that posted last time. He is dead. I only hope that the person who now posts on this blog from time to time is a better replacement. I hope that, as God continues to refine him in the fire, He will come forth as pure gold - reflecting Jesus Christ and radiating the joy of a life lived only for God's glory.

2010-06-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

My week of training went well. I ended up not needing 55 hours. A lot of my training was able to double as observation time. I managed to get 36 hours in with 2 shifts. Not a bad average. I get to work this weekend from 11pm-7am both Saturday and Sunday nights. So far I love this job! It's such a great ministry opportunity! I thank God for the opportunity as well as the job!

2010-05-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

I'm sure anyone who follows my blog is quite bored with my frequent posting. Perhaps I will attempt to remedy that in the future.

In order to bring you up to speed on all that has been happening in my life (if you care), I have decided to post. Two weeks ago exactly on May 15 I graduated from God's Bible School & College with a Bachelor of Arts in Church Music. My 6 years of hard work are finally completed and represented with an official piece of paper known as a diploma (along with boxes upon boxes of notebooks and books).

My current plan is to begin working at Pineview Homes, a juvenile boy's home in Evart, Michigan, on Tuesday of next week, June 1. I begin with some 55 hours of training all set to happen next week. When Fall rolls around I am to begin working in music ministry at Evart Bible Methodist Church as well as in their Christian dayschool, Daystar Christian Academy as a classroom moniter.

That basically sums it up. I've had a very nice, mostly relaxing two weeks between graduation from GBS and the beginning of my new duties. I am looking forward to ministry in every single one of these areas! I love the fact that I have no worries or concerns because I right where God wants me and He is working out every detail perfectly!

2009-11-27T09:44:00.001-08:00

I am home for the weekend. It's snowing. I don't give a care about Black Friday. I am going to relax and enjoy my time. Sleeping in, great food, working out, playing games, and just having a good time with family. I love being home!

2009-09-16T18:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a while. I'm back at GBS for my 6th (and hopefully final) year! It's going great so far! I'm taking the dreaded Biology from Dr. Nadine Brown and it's going quite well so far! I actually have been enjoying the class quite a bit. I'm also "playing" (if you can call it that) ye olde French Horn again for choir against my will. I'm taking Marriage and Family Living (in spite of the psychotic, confusing, hodge podge syllabus). Add to that Ear Training I (although I already passed Ear Training II), Introduction to Philosophy, and, of course, Choir. Not too bad of a schedule, but lots of reading and busywork (especially in Marriage and Family Living)!

In other news, my barbershop has been going quite well! I have done 14 and 1/2 haircuts so far this semester and I'm scheduled to do 4 more this week (although I'm writing this in lieu of a client that failed to show up). Thank God for the extra income! It helps at Christmas time! (I know you all expected me to say that it helps to pay for dates, but in reality, homework dates are cheap so I put it toward buying gifts at Christmas time.)

I am headed for bed. I did not get my practice time done today, however I did make nearly 50 phone calls for Phonathon tonight.

One parting thought: I can have control over my attitudes and moods, but I must choose to contol them or they will control me! Oswald Chambers says that we need not pray about moods. "We will never get rid of moodiness by praying, but we will by kicking it out of our lives...We have to pick ourselves up by the back of the neck and shake ourselves; then we will find that we can do what we believed we were unable to do." It is encouraging to me to know that I do not have to have my day "ruined" by a circumstance. I can choose to kick out the bad mood and move forward joyfully! (I confess it's not as easy as it sounds, but I'm going for it!)

The Mind of Christ

2009-07-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

Philippians 2:5-11
Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men;
and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.

Growing up in a Christian home and hearing the Gospel message all of my life sometimes makes it easy for me to take it for granted. In my personal Bible study time this morning I was kind of jolted back to reality of how amazing Christ's atonement really is!

Jesus is God and He is equal with God. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." (John 1:1-2)

I thought about how hard it is to humble myself. When I "deserve" respect and do not get it, I am not too happy. I want to see that person "put in their place!" Jesus made himself a man, but not just any man, he became a servant - "becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross."

So, not only did he humble himself greatly in becoming a man, but he humbled himself as a man to be the lowest of all men--a servant. However, He did not stop there. He took on himself the sins of the whole world and died on the cross--the lowest of humanity died in such public shame.

The part that got me was that Jesus did this willingly. He did this for me! I deserve death and humiliation because of my sin, but Jesus took it all upon himself so that I could go free!

"Let this mind be in you." Paul is saying that I need to take on this attitude and mindset. Instead of seeking my own way and demanding my "rights," I should be looking at my example, Jesus Christ, and realizing how much I've been forgiven and, in turn, forgiving others in the same way.

Oh! That the Holy Spirit would fill me and give me this kind of selfless love! I want to be completely surrendered to God, just like my Savior! I want to imitate Christ and let this mindset be in me!

Answered Prayer

2009-06-28T04:36:00.000-07:00

This morning I had to make an important phone call, but I had a problem - the number I had was not correct. I tried several things, even punching in random extensions, but to no avail. Finally I gave up and just told God, "It's in your hands now. I can't do a thing about it." Not really a prayer request, but more of a giving-up-in-despair request. :)

Immediately the thought came to me to look in the back of an old phone book where we kept special numbers. I was thinking ok, why would we have that number there? but i looked anyway and, to my surprise, there was a number in my Mom's handwriting, albeit a few years old. I tried it and got right through and had no problems doing what I needed to do.

I asked my Mom about the number and she did not even remember writing it there. She even had to get the phone book and look to verify my story after I told her. Coincidence? No! I'd go with Providence! Praise God!

The Comfort of Contentment

2009-06-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

As grieved, but always rejoicing; as poor, but enriching many; as having nothing, and possessing all things. ~2 Cor. 6:10

God's grace is always enough to meet and surpass our needs. Rather than wanting more, we should learn to be content and seek to be more generous.
In spite of circumstances that, to the world without Christ, seem to strip everything good away, we can "rejoice always," "enrich many" (generosity and the message of the Gospel), and "possess all things."

Ephesians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

2009-06-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

I have been playing around with a photo editing program on my computer. Here are some samples.

Esther's Openhouse

2009-06-13T16:10:00.000-07:00

A picture of Esther and me at Esther's openhouse! Yes. I am bald!

River Walk

2009-06-05T07:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I went for a walk along the Boardman river with my sisters and Maria. It was beautiful!

We saw this butterfly drying its wings right after emerging from its cocoon.

Maria and me on a little overlook of the river.

Me with Esther and Sarah on the overlook.

Ireland

2009-06-01T17:06:00.001-07:00

Just a pic of me in Northern Ireland. I had a blast! There are literally thousands of pictures on Facebook and elsewhere. Here's one of me sitting on a rock on a small island after crossing the Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge. Absolutely amazing!

2009-05-16T16:25:00.001-07:00

Today I attended my little sister's graduation. So far Dad and Mom have 6 down and 1 to go. It's unbelievable! I was thinking how it makes me feel old when I go to the graduation and the graduates look like little kids. Then I thought about the fact that I've been in college for 5 years. 5 years! How in the world? I started out taking it semester at a time and figuring I'd be doing good to last a whole year.

It's amazing how time has flown and how much I have changed. I'm not talking so much about what I look like, though I have gained a few pounds (pure muscle) and lost a few hairs on top of my head. I'm talking about perspective. Time, learning, knowledge, experience, etc. have changed my perspectives on a lot of things. The things that I used to consider to be important are no longer important and vice versa. It's all part of growing up I suppose.

Recently I have realized that the single most important thing in my life is my relationship with Jesus Christ. I have been realizing how defenseless and limited I really am on my own. Not only am I unable to be effective for God in my own strength, but I also am unable to even defend myself against Satan's attacks on my own. I am no match for the power of sin, but my identity with Jesus Christ is more than a match. When Satan has no footholds in my life he has a lot less power. When Christ owns every part of me there is certainly no "hold" of sin any more! That is the power of Christ! That is God's grace in setting me apart entirely to Himself and filling me with the Holy Spirit to live above sin! It is so liberating and exciting to live a completely guilt free life in Jesus Christ!

Surely the End Must be Near

2009-05-02T06:42:00.000-07:00

Growing up in a home where Premillenialism was not the accepted escatalogical viewpoint, whenever there was a series of earthquakes, or "wars and rumors of wars" in the Middle East (continual since the Old Testament days) someone would jokingly say, "Surely the end must be near." Now, in these "last days" of my 5th year of Bible College, I can say with the best of them, "Surely the end must be near."

I have reached that point of not really caring. (OK. I admit, this isn't the first time.) Some call it "senioritis," others call it "spring fever," and I choose to call it "End Times." There are wars and rumors of wars inside me about finishing up that one stupid assignment that I put off because it was only worth about 2% or less of my grade. There are great earthquakes as my roommate crashes from his bunk and hits the floor right beside me - getting up for class. Who does that?

Not to mention my weekends (albeit only 2 of them left this semester in which the choir goes out both times). Saturdays used to be "get-r-done" days where I would arise at some ungodly hour like 6:00 or 7:00 a.m. and hit the homework for a few hours, go to breakfast, go to the library and do homework until it closes, go to the snackbar and do homework until suppertime, eat supper, go to Starbucks or somewhere (taking date time) and do more homework until time to return to campus for curfew. All in all my Saturdays could often add up to somewhere in the realm of 10-12 hours of homework. Oh yeah. I said all of that to say that this Saturday homework really isn't all that important. I might get around to spending an hour or two doing homework, but that's only if, by some weird turn of events, I find myself with an overwhelming load of ambition. Not too likely.

Surely the End Must be Near!

Mexico, aqui vengo!

2009-03-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I turn 23 and the next day I head for Mexico! It's going to be an exciting next several days for me! I am doing exactly what the media is saying not to do - going to Mexico for Spring Break! I can hardly wait! As soon as classes are over on Thursday Maria and I are headed for Mexico! Until then I have to try to force myself to stay focused on classes.

Listo o no, aqui vengo, Mexico! :)

2009-03-17T18:36:00.000-07:00

I am a bit behind the times with the whole picture thing, but I know I would get tired of a blog that never had any pictures really fast, so I decided to put one on here. A picture of me and my lovely girlfriend, Maria, from our banquet at school last week.

Unfortunately, that's all for now. I have to get back to life now. Have a great week everyone!

Junior Recital

2009-03-12T05:58:00.000-07:00

My Junior Recital is now history! Hallelujah! It is such a relief to have it out of the way. Now I can spend some time catching up on everything else that took second place to my recital (AKA every other class). My goal is to take the next couple weeks to play catch up and then MEXICO, HERE I COME for spring break!!!!!!

I am very excited about flying to Mexico with Maria for Spring Break this year! (I have never been outside the country and this year I get to go to Mexico for Spring Break and then to Ireland for a musical missions trip as soon as school lets out in May!) I am very excited about going with Maria to visit her family in Mexico! It's going to be somewhat of a whirlwind trip, but it should be awesome!

Back down to earth, however... I have a 10-page philosophy paper to write this weekend and present on Monday and some other stuff to get done between now and then. If I think about it too much, I may not be able to focus on the here-and-now.

So here I go back to the evils of research papers, Finale compositions, algebra tests, document processing assignments, outcomes assessment tests, listening assignments (for Music History and Literature), and presentations.

God's Presence

2009-02-09T06:32:00.000-08:00

I'm on this kick of actually posting on my blog right now and I had a couple minutes of free time this morning and not enough time to get into any homework project, but too much time to just waste so I thought I'd share some of what God is doing in my life.

Recently, at Burlington Bible Methodist Church where I attend, Bro. Stetler has been preaching a series about how to have God's presence. I have been trying to put into practice the advice and tips that he has been giving from God's Word on how to have God's presence in every moment of my life. The difference is life-transforming! I have discovered a new joy in my personal prayer time every morning. I have found God in even the little "mundane" activities throughout my day - sitting in classes, working on a plumbing repair, etc.

It's so wonderful to have a God that cares about me every moment of every day! When I give him the "ordinary" moments he makes them special and holy moments that are full of his presence and his peace. Talk about a way to live a peaceful and joyful life! Try inviting God into every moment of your life and see how much of a difference it makes!

Homework schmomework!

2009-02-06T17:45:00.001-08:00

This weekend, when all my friends are out having fun (the time of their lives I'm sure), I am seated comfortably in front of my computer desk with a cup of Caramel Drizzle coffee doing homework.

Yes. It's Friday night. Yes. I would much rather be out partying and socializing. I would like to say that it's because I'm so mature, dedicated, and diligent. The truth is...Well, you can think that I'm mature, dedicated, and ambitious. I like that better. I'm a week behind! There! I said it! I hope you're not one of those people that reads the small print.

So anyway...back to the homework. Wish me luck! Have a great weekend everyone! Oh yeah. And think of me as I continue steadfast in the way of maturity, dedication and diligence. I can see light at the end of the tunnel! (But what is that whistle that keeps getting louder and louder?)

2008-10-02T06:09:00.000-07:00

So I really never get on here. I'm not really sure why I have this blog. Maybe it'll catch eventually, but right now don't expect much.

All I have to report right now is that Sunday morning I went to the ER and was diagnosed with Infectious Mononucleosis (The Epstein Barr Virus) and now it makes sense why I have been struggling so hard to survive classes, homework, work (which I've been ordered not to do for a couple weeks since my diagnosis), practice and everything else that goes along with being in college. Basically I sleep a lot and am still tired! The good news is I've already had it for two and a half weeks so I could only have about four more at the most to go!

In a few minutes I am headed to the doctor again for a follow up of some sort. I am still trying to figure out why I even have to have a follow up when they're just going to say, "Yes. You have Mono and you need rest. Now go get some rest and don't do anything strenuous...That'll be $200. Have a nice day!" What makes their stating of the obvious so valuable anyway? I could have told myself that! LOL! You gotta love it!

First Post

2008-07-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

I'm kicking this thing off. Here's my first post. Exciting, huh?