Picky eater

Because we didn't have Church on Sunday Pastor Will sent out a online message for people to listen to. The pastor speaking was one of the many at a National counseling conference that the Hatfields along with my parents and other leaders in our Church attended last week.

In his message he makes a comment about being "ruined for anything but God." The point being, God is so fulfilling that when we do taste his goodness anything the world can give isn't good enough. Kind of like when we were little and our mom's never let us eat anything before mealtimes. She wanted us to be hungry for the better food coming up. The only problem with that is sometimes my mom's food didn't seem like it was "better" than what I wanted to stuff myself with beforehand. ;) Most of the times it was, though, and even if I didn't think so at the time it would always end up being more fufilling.

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that I think states this idea perfectly. The lyrics say say it this way: "I'm playing GameBoy standing in the middle of the Grand Canyon. I'm eating candy sitting at a gourmet feast. I'm wading in a puddle when I could be swimming in the ocean. Tell me what's the deal with me? Wake up and see the Glory."

We have an amazing God who has made His glory avalible to us. But what's more amazing than that concept is that his children decide to "play gameboy" with our eyes glued on the world. All along, though, there is something more astounding than the Grand Canyon right in front of us, God.

If you haven't listened the message I encourage you to let it play as you surf the net.
The Message It is preached by Brad Bigney from Grace Fellowship Church in KY. (yeah he has a little bit of a southren drawl ;)

New Year's Eve Party

So... I guess I never got involved with youth group during the time I had attended CBC (I first came in the fall of 1998). Looking back on it now, it seems like I almost wanted to do things to get out of it. Then after the new year, I came every week and started to get more involved, going to IRBC for the first time and coming to youth group and stuff. One of the reasons is probably because I got to meet and hang out with the people from our youth group at this party, and I'm glad I did. So here are some of the pictures I took that night.

And sorry for the flash pictures in the dark!

"...And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of God upon me."
-Nehemiah 2:8

Here is the story of Nehemiah with a commentary by David Guzik. I just found it and he says pretty much the same stuff I was going to put on here, but his is a lot longer.

Wouldn't it be amazing to experience what Nehemiah had experienced? To get the hand of God upon your life, here are some things to consider:


1. We need PASSION for the work of God

We seem to find ourselves with our passion elsewhere; maybe we're too caught up in school or trying to have fun with our friends instead of God. We need to be praying to God for help and thanking him for all He's given to us, which gets us to my next point.


2. We need to have PASSION for prayer

We don't pray because we don't believe that it will actually do anything, but we need to believe that it works; we need to pray with faith.

7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Matthew 7:7-12



3. We need a PASSION for purity

We will be tempted a lot of times throughout the day and we need to walk away from them. Peter went back to fishing before Jesus came back to them. We need to turn away from sin and want God's purity. Confess our sins and just thank Him is a quick start for this.

And finally..

4. We need a PASSION to be used by God

Nehemiah was the king's cupbearer and because the king trusted Nehemiah as his cupbearer, Nehemiah was able to go back to rebuild Jerusalem. We will be in situations where we will be frustrated and feel that whatever we're doing isn't worth it, but God does things for a reason. This can help us have a passion to be influential in our communities.

And seriously, how cool would it be to have the hand of God upon our life?

Winter Meltdown

Here are some of the pictures from Winter Meltdown 2008 at IRBC. Pictures by Ryan Riley and Daniel Park




Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

Psalm 105:1

Something random I noticed

I remember it snowed a lot before our Winter Meltdown on January 18th, and the second Winter Meltdown at IRBC is coming up this weekend. It's almost funny how when all the snow seemed to melt away, another 6-8 inches would come; right before another weekend of Winter Meltdown.

Inside out

I just really liked the words to this song that we sang in youth group last Wednesday.
Sometimes I just sing without thinking of what is coming from my lips or I forget the awesome God to whom these praises are for. So, I thought I would post these words just in case you needed to read them again because I know that I did.

A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains And should I stumble again
I'm caught in Your grace
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
Your will above all else
My purpose remains
The art of losing myself
In bringing You praise
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart and my soul
Lord I give You control
Consume me from the inside out
Lord let justice and praise
Become my embrace
To love you from the inside out
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart
Is to bring You praise
From the inside out
Lord my soul cries out

by Hillsong United
album: "From the Inside out" United We Stand (2006)