Words Are Not Enough

Wow! Where do I begin? God is doing so much in my life right now. He is so faithful. I have experienced growth in numerous areas of my life over the last two months. It is amazing how much someone's life can change in just two months. I think that is why I have had such a hard time keeping this blog updated. The last two months have gone by very quickly but at the same time it seems like it has been in slow motion because I have been soaking up each and every moment that God has been taking me through. Words are not enough to express how I am feeling right now.

In the beginning of September I started taking a class called "Cultivating Fiery Devotion" at a local church. This class has changed my thinking about how I approach my devotional life and spiritual disciplines. It was an eight week course that met for two hours each monday. This class challenged me to commit myself to wait on the Lord and to seek his face to encounter his Glory. When we encounter his Glory some rubs off on us and we begin to look more and more like him.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
(2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

______________________________________________-

Since July I have been training for a marathon. This marathon is on Nov 11th and I have put my body through some pretty tough training to prepare for this. Early mornings, hot afternoons, buckets of sweat, blisters, sore muscles, achy joints, chafing, fatigue, and so much more were what I put up with to prepare for this ultimate test. I was putting up to 7-8 hours a week training. What is the point?

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
1 Timothy 4:8

Sure I would pray and praise God while I ran but it was not the same intensity that I desired. I needed to prioritize my life. This last week, the week before my marathon I have not been running at all as advised by my marathon training schedule. Now instead of getting up early to run I am getting up to spend time with my Jesus. Just this morning I read in Proverbs 8:34-35, "Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD.” These verses just confirmed that the Lord was calling me to prioritize time with him. I am really looking forward to growing closer to him and learning to hear his voice more clearly.

___________________________________________

Two months ago God really surprised me with a job offer. I had been at White Oak Mills for 16 months and was beginning to move into more responsibility there however didn’t feel fulfilled there. I was seeking God about where he wanted me and he opened up at door at the Mennonite Disaster Service. Out of the blue one day I received a call about a position they have been looking to fill. I interviewed and two days later they offered me the position. Wow! My experiences with MDS have been so fulfilling. I was thinking that this would be the kind of work I could see myself doing long term. I accepted the position and four weeks later started as the Project Logistics Coordinator. This was a tough decision for me, but really felt God opened the door for me. From the time I received the first call until the time they wanted a final answer was about two weeks. These two weeks were over the time when my parents were in Germany so I couldn’t process it with them. It was just God and me. He led me to a passage that my sister gave to me when I volunteered with MDS for the first time for three months in 2006.

Isaiah 58:11-12

“LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls.”

This was kind of a conformation for me to take the position. My responsibilities will cover vehicles, tools, trailers, supplies, RV’s, cell phones, and all the other “stuff” that MDS projects need to rebuild homes destroyed in disasters. I find that Restoring Hope in lives that were wrecked is a way to express God’s love to them and show them that God cares for them and wants relationship with them. I am based out of Akron but will be traveling to the projects some. In fact two weeks ago I traveled to four projects in the Gulf region to see what it takes to keep them going. I am excited for what God is going to use me for here and want to be open to step out and lead where he calls me to.

As I left White Oak I experienced a great blessing by having them bless me as I went. They could sense that God was calling me to take the position and that it would be best for me and the work of the Kingdom. They told me that they felt I had a greater vision then what I was doing there. They were disappointed to see me leave and made sure that if I ever wanted to return to the agricultural industry that they could use me. In my last four weeks at White Oak they tried to get as much out of me as possible and I put fourth my best effort to honor my commitment to the organization. The Lord Leads.

________________________________________

Last spring I was asked to mentor or be a big brother to a young man who is now a freshman at E-town High School. Alex is a quiet shy guy who enjoys watching football, cartoons, and playing Madden football videogames. Alex went to Kraybill Mennonite School and attends E-town Mennonite Church. Since this is Alex’s first year at a public school I am trying to help him with this transition. Please pray that I can be a loving and caring brother to him. We have spent done some cool activities together however I really want to get more involved into his life and be someone he can rely on and depend on for sound advice. He is a young man with a lot of potential, however if he doesn’t have positive influences in his life he may not reach his potential as a person. Pray for grace for us as we relate and that we can really connect as brothers. It is my goal to allow God to flow through me to him.

This past weekend Alex and my friend Luke and wonderful girlfriend Jenny, went to the Penn State/Purdue football game. It was a great to see how Alex is beginning to open up around me and others. I believe this blessed him and we even got a few smiles out of him. Sweet! Penn State won 26-19. It has been a while since I have gone up there to watch a game. I enjoyed seeing the campus again and catching up with some old friends up there.

________________________________________________________

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

2 Corinthians 9:15

Truly I feel so blessed….beyond my ability to describe to you how I feel. These past two months have been incredibly amazing as Jenny and I have been growing closer to each other and to God. Jenny and I have been enjoying (understatement) the times we can share together. These adventures include kayaking, canoeing, hiking, horseback riding, serving, blessing others, and so much more. We have done a lot together in these past few months. God has brought us together for this time to encourage each other, build each other up, challenge each other, praise and honor him, to serve others, and to be light to those we come in contact with. I thank God for what he has put in Jenny to bless me. I see his love flowing through her very often. The way she cares for me, and respects me is beyond what I thought was possible.

“How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?”

1 Thessalonians 3:9

I am honored to know that there are people all around the world praying for Jenny and me. Knowing this blesses me so much. Having great church leaders love us enough to ask about how we are doing and to pray blessings on us because they want God’s best for us is humbling. I thank God daily for this privilege of pursuing her. It is my desire that this relationship pleases God and that those around us will see that we are committed to Him and his greater purposes for our lives. Please continue to pray that He will reveal his will to me as the leader in this relationship and that I will not fear and trust him. Pray that we can communicate our hearts to each other and honor and respect each other. We ask for strength to surrender this relationship to him every day, to not let it distract us from his higher calling.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

(I John 5:14-15)