Early mornin' blues

I woke up at 7:40 this morning to take a buddy to class. I think that's the earliest I've gotten out of bed for quite a while. Mornings should be refreshing and exciting. Rarely do they feel that way. I guess that's my fault.

I'm being taught many a lesson in the area of humility and self-sufficiency. Tough lessons. Slow to learn, quick to question. It's a good thing the Lord is patient, and gracious- infinitely so. It seems most of my hours outside being taught lessons are fights to see who Jesus is. Atleast I'm fighting, but it'd be great if there were a whole lot more seein' goin on. I guess I can't complain too much. I don't deserve the glimpses I get, and I need to stop acting like I do.

People keep asking how excited I am about this summer and the internship I'm serving. Is it a bad thing when I say I don't think it about it all that much? I suppose I just take the stance of when it comes, it comes and I'll think about it then. The Lord has me where I'm at now, so I'm going to think about where I'm at now opposed to where I'll be at when I'm there. That probably made no sense to any of you, but it is 8:43 in the morning after all.

I think blogspot isn't much different than xanga. It's a site for more mature bloggers. Even so, I imagine I'll look back at this in five years if it's still around and say "Boy was I immature." I hope I can say that atleast. When God stops growing me up and stretching me, I begin to worry. Here's an answer to a previous question. How excited am I for the internship? Quite. I'm hoping God will stretch me like taffy. That'll be quite odd if He does though. A taller skinnier Blake would be a much scarier Blake.

Refreshment

Acts 3:19
Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.

This and...

John 6:44
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him

are both happening in my life, all because of this-

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

and these-
Lamentations 3:22-23
The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

2 Timothy 2:13
If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

Philippians 1:6
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

So what does all this scripture mean? It simply means that I'm being drawn to Christ, and I can't help it. I have no where else to go or look. (John 6:66-69). I don't want to look anywhere else. My eyes have been opened, and I still see regardless of how dim or fogged my vision becomes. My flesh wants me to say no to Jesus. The powers of this earth want me to say no to His being a man. No to His being fully God. No to the accomplishment of His cross. No to His ressurection. I can't say no. Praise be to God, I cannot say no, and Lord let it be so from now until the end of time.

(scriptures pulled from the NASB version)

Sick

Being healthy is a blessing and gift I often take for granted. I don't deserve to be healthy, but the Lord has blessed me with a fairly healthy body. I'm thankful for this, and I don't want to take it for granted anymore. With that being said, I've been really sick this week and I think part of my reasoning stems from that. Thursday evening around 11:30 I felt like I was gonna die. I was real dizzy, and had a fever, amongst other things. It was a nice healthy realization that we live in temporary bodies. Holding shells if you will, but the soul is eternal. Strangely enough, I knew the Lord was behind what was going on and it created some "healthy" thoughts even though my body was sick. Life is short- I want to live it for Jesus, and I want to know Him as best I can while I'm still here. Only what's done for Christ will last eh?

Another fairly nifty thing happened thursday evening. I felt so poopy that I decided to go to walmart and get some medicine because I had none. This was at about 3 oclock in the morning. It's really nice driving on the streets when no one else was out. The air was damp, and it was about the perfect temperature. The birds were singing as if the sun was out, but it wasn't. I don't know what it was, but I certainly enjoyed that time.

I think that's all I have right now. Well there are just two more little things.
GO ROYALS!
(and)
Rooster Booster.

Good conversations

I've been having some enjoyable conversations lately. Some really enjoyable conversations actually. I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Cory Ozbun and my father last evening. Both conversations were equally enjoyable, and they were both meaningful as well.

For some reason, I keep thinking about year 07's fall and an event that took place in that time. I happened to be working at the Ren fest (oh gosh). I was selling kettlecorn of course, and many people of all sorts were passing by. A young retarded man with his family walked by, looked at me, and at the moment spoke some of the most sincere, meaningful words I've ever heard.

It was simply
"I'm going to live my life for Jesus Christ"

He said it with power and in such a sincere manner. To the outside world, it most likely looked like foolishness. This man had a mental dissability. Surely HE didn't know what he was talking about. The only reason he had hope and joy in his eyes was because He didn't know any better, right? Rubbish. I want to look more like this man. I want to live my life for Jesus Christ. I want to be bold like this man, even if it equates me with being a fool. In all reality, I think doing anything else is foolishness.

Fly Fishing

You guys probably have trouble reading my blogs. I'm a little too blunt at times, and some would say a little too spiritual. I can be a little blunt at times, but it has its time and place. A little too spiritual though? You know, maybe that's just how I'd like people to think of me. That really isn't the case though. I'd love to be a little too spiritual.

I think, that maybe in a way, fly fishing is spiritual. Now, don't hear what I'm not saying. Fly Fishing isn't God, and you're not gonna find God in fly fishing if that's what you do all your life. I've never been fly fishing, but I want to go. Something about the running waters, the solitude, and the breathtaking beauty gets me just a little excited. (ok I lied. It gets me a lot excited. Yes I used improper grammar here. Deal with it, I'm an english major. I can take poetic liscense with anything)

There are so many references to living water, running water, beauty, solitude, being quiet and such in the bible that I think fly fishing would be a great activity to love God as the all wise creator, and use it to spend time with Him in simple prayer, reflection, and thankfulness. I love fishing. I want not only to be a fisher of fish, but I want to Lord to make me a fisher of men.

I suppose it's time to make this happy. I'm going to cabelas soon to potentially pick up some gear. Before no time, I'll be fishing in these waters.