Perseverance Must Finish Its Work

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

This new found stress of college life drove me to God's Word today. It's not the moving into the dorm, the driving, the registration process, or the financial obligations that are stressing me out. It's my family, fiancee, and best friends being three hours away that hurts, at times. Oh yeah, and I have that "oh-god-it's-like-the-first-day-of-highschool-and-I-don't-know-anyone-that-I-can-sit-with-at-lunch" feeling. That sucks.

I must let perseverance finish its work. That's the word that the Lord gave me today. Yes, I'm homesick. Yes, I'm unsure about a lot of things. Yes, this is all new and a little unnerving. Take heart, these are things that the Lord will touch with His Grace. If I choose to persevere, they'll turn from trials to tools that He'll use for my good and His Glory.

I'm unsure as to where this blog finds you today. You may be in a similar situation. You may be worse off. I spur you on with the words of James; let perseverance finish its work. Don't bow out early. I promise you that God is using everything we face in our lives as a transformating agent. Lord, give us faith to trust you in times of trial. Forgive our unbelief, and give us grace to do you will. Today, I leave you with the words of my favorite person in the whole world.

John 16:33

New International Version (NIV)

   ³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - JESUS

-END-
Judging from the pictures below, I'm obviously not the first one that has felt a tad bit awkward at school. What do you think? Leave a comment below! Do you have any advice or testimonials from your scholastic experiences?

Awkward School Photo #1

Awkward School Photo #2



Awkward School Photo #3



Southwestern Days & Southwestern Nights #1

Son,

Oh yeah. I downsized.

     As I sit here on the threshold of the rest of your life, I can't help but to reminisce-- to remember the little boy who grew into the man you have become. Even as a little boy, you were mature. You seemed to have always seen five years into your future and made sense of it.

     At four years old, you knew to have your brother lie down on the floor so that you could place your hands on his tummy and pray for his tummy ache. A while later that year, you came into our kitchen and pointedly told me that you no longer needed the allergy shots that you had been taking for almost two years. I wanted to play along, so I asked you how come. You looked up at me, squared your shoulders, and said, "God told me I was healed." You never again had an allergy shot.

     Son, you were my sounding board, and your endurance, without complaint, healed my spirit. You never gave your opinion without permission. Your early days were composed of songs, dance, and laughter. I always thought of you  as funny. Looking back, you colored your world with laughter.

     I am anxious to see your family, but they can wait. Enjoy this new chapter in your life. I'll always be here with your father, side by side. We'll be here for you. I love you, Joseph. Get set, ready, GO!

Love,

Said "dinky" microwave.

Mom

This is the letter of blessing that my parents gave to me. It's the first two pages of a journal that I plan to fill. I could fill this first "SAGU" post with the in's and out's of university life, but why? That can wait for the next post. My parents are a source of godly strength and wise counsel. My heart aches when I think about being away from them.

However, I take comfort in the Lord. There is nothing as reassuring as being confident that I'm right where the Lord wants me to be. Sitting here, on this twin bed, I look around my dorm room. There's a dinky microwave with the diet cokes I bought sitting on top, my desk with my keyboards, and my clothes stuffed in a closet that will most likely proof to be to small. But there's something else here too-- the Spirit of the Lord. It's like His hand is over my heart.



'Ole Faithful in her new home.



I feel like crying right now, but I feel like that would break the divinity of this moment. I'm drawn to Genesis. (How poignant?) "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters" (Genesis 1:1). I don't know what my future holds. It seems obscure and confusing. I'm very tempted to panic. . . and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

This song, "Hymn", by Brooke Fraser has been pretty spot on as to how I'm feeling. Give it a listen. Be silent. Worship. Trust me, it'll be fun.

Come What May

There are seasons in our lives of great change. I'm in one such season. The great thing is that it's all accompanied by peace. There is such a sense of "this-is-the-Lord-at-work" that it's easy to just buckle up and go for the ride!

This last Sunday was my last time to lead worship at Gateway Church in Shreveport, LA. I feel like it was the best Sunday that we've ever had, as a band, and that we got to end on a very high note. (No pun intended.) Spiritually speaking, everything was incredible. It didn't just feel like I was worshiping with an assorted group of like-minded people. I wasn't leading random people. I got to worship with family. This past year and a half has been something that I'll never forget, and something that I hope I never took for granted.

I've turned in my work keys, sent my final e-mails, and have helped Gateway Church's new worship pastor get settled. It's the end of a very special chapter. Although I am leaving Gateway Church, she'll always have a place in my heart, and, with most certainty, I can say the feeling in mutual.

Now, I have a brand new chapter! Next Friday, I will be moving into R416, Bridges Hall at Southwestern Assemblies of God University! There, I will be finishing my bachelor's degree in Music Ministries and an associates degree in Media Production. I can't wait to get involved in the SAGU music department. Campus life, music theory course, chapel, and unemployment are going to be unique changes, but I think I'm up for a good challenge!

I'm hugely excited about "I Serve A King"-- the worship album! It's been on my heart to do for a while, and I finally feel like I'm at a place to give it the effort it deserves. I'll be recording with Harbour Lights Creative, a studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 12-19. Please learn more about the project here. I encourage you to pray about how you can get involved! I am raising money to help make this album happen. Oh course, I'm not going to take up your time on this site. Click here to learn more!

ONE OF THE BIGGEST WAY YOU CAN HELP is simply spreading the word. Seriously, getting the word out is the hardest part! Like my Facebook music page, tell you friends about it, follow me on Twitter!

Yes, there are a lot of new, exciting things going on in my life. Come what may, I'll keep my eyes on Jesus. Always. It's about His fame, His glory, His purposes on this earth!

How has the Lord ministered to you in seasons of change?
Do you have any must-know college tips for me?
Leave me your comments below! I need all the help I can get!

How Perfectly Simple

"And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice."
1 Kings 19:12

Wow. It's amazing how Scripture written over two thousand years ago can still ring true in my heart. It's eternal relevance is a testament of its Inspiration. The above scripture from 1 Kings describes, almost to a tee, the season in which I've found myself. The Lord had to come in a break up ground that had become dry. (Yes, even in ministry there are seasons of dryness-- I know, I was shocked at first, too.) Much like an earthquake, I could feel things in my life begin to shake. It was a slight shift but quickly grew. Soon after, there was a fire. The Spirit of God began to burn away worldviews, loyalties, and ventures that would have severely hindered God's direction for my life. The beauty of it all is the still small voice that came after. That's what makes it worth it. It's like the calm after the storm. You look around and see the debris and mess being swept out to sea. You hear the voice of Your Savior and know that He prepared and protected your heart for every step on the way. That, my friend and dear reader, is the beauty of the still small voice.

Tonight, I was worshiping along with the International House of Prayer (IHOP), online, and began to immerse myself in the Presence of the Lord. Soon, my prayers turned to Leah and our future life together. Above all else, my prayer was that I could love her extravagantly. It's like the Holy Spirit was waiting for the perfect opportunity. Immediately, I heard the Holy Spirit speak. Love Me extravagantly. As your love for Me grows, your love for Leah will increase. In my heart of hearts, I knew what He was saying. I knew that if I kept Jesus as the King of my life, our marriage, and our home He would take care of everything else that burdened my heart-- that included being the priest of our home, the godly husband, and loving father that I am called to be. How perfect is that? How perfectly simple. Love Me. I'll take care of everything else.

One cool thing that the Holy Spirit put on my heart was to begin journaling-- for my sons. Starting today, I'll begin writing down struggles, answered prayers, crappy songs that never get performed, and testimonies of how God worked in their parents lives. I'll encourage them, council them, and fill them in on my mistakes. The contents will be kept away until they are old enough to handle the honesty of their dad, but I don't mind sharing the first entry as a close to this blog:

Dear son,

It's your dad. I'm 22 years old right now. Your mom and I haven't even married yet. Just wanted to let you know that I'm really excited about being your dad. One of my biggest fears is not being a good dad. I'm sure you can share in my concern. Here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to love your mom, love Jesus, and do my best. I know I'll make mistakes but I'm asking you to forgive me already. Son, love the Lord. It's always worth it. It will always be worth it. Oh!-- and remember, I will always love you. 

Love,

Dad

"Bread & Sweet Tea" (Camp #1 2010 Reflections)

I was looking through my old Facebook notes and found something that I typed up around this time last year, Saturday, June 12, 2010. I had just led worship at Louisiana Youth Ministries Camp #1. It was a strange and humbling experience leading worship where I had been led in worship for so many years. And now, back in time we go...

Last night, I sat in my room at 12:41AM completely in awe at Who our God is.

In that room by myself, I knew that God didn't see me as the camp worship leader, "that guy" who leads worship in youth or Chi Alpha, or anything else. I had "More Than Life" by Hillsong playing. The Holy Spirit highlighted the first verse for me: "Stand by the promises we made, Let go of everything I've done, I'll run into Your open arms, And all I know, is I love You more than life." In my room with the curtains closed and the lights off, He saw me as the son He loved. We talked about camp and how awesome the people were, and how humbling it is to think that God would use me to lead His worship.

All I could say was that I loved Him more than life. For me, that meant that I loved Jesus more than leading worship, more than music, more than anything. It was then that the Holy Spirit prompted me to do something that I hadn't done by myself... I had Communion with the Lord.

We didn't have unleavened bread and grape juice, so whole wheat bread and sweet tea had to do. I figured that Jesus was more interested in the heart of it anyway.

I sat on the edge of my bed in the dark with tea and a slice of bread, and I just began to cry before the Lord. I'd never felt the presence of God like that before. So intimate. So real. Just for me. I love You more than life. He loved me more than life. He knew me so thoroughly, but he still used me. All I could think was "If not for Grace..."

If Jesus can use me, he can use you. Today, make quality time to spend with Jesus. He loves you so much. I know you make find that to be cliche, but everything about Who God is hinges on His love and holiness.

To end, LYM Camp #1 was amazing. Worshiping with everyone was phenomenal! We all had the best time. A special THANK YOU goes out to Pastor Allen Chapin and all of the staff that pulled off another great camp! Most of all, thank you Jesus for those saved, baptized with the Holy Spirit, and called for your purposes! Praise the Lord!

Wow, to think how much can change in a year and how much I've changed. Crazy. I've been leading worship at Gateway Church for the past year, am now engaged, and am moving to Southwestern Assemblies of God University to finish my Music Ministries degree. I am humbled at God's grace, love, and His commitment to the call on my life. All I can think is "If not for Grace..."

Want to read an even earlier blast from the past? Click Here!
Find Louisiana Youth Ministries on Facebook by clicking this link.
Like Clicking Links, and think you're addicted? Click Here!

Let's Be Honest

James 1. You should re-read it. No doubt.

My beautiful fiancee, Leah, and I are reading through the book of James together. I'm not even half a chapter in, and I am already feeling refreshed and checked by the Holy Spirit. I thought I'd share with you what I feel so strongly in my heart right now.

"Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do."
James 1:8, NLT

One of the hardest things for me to do is to be honest with God. Yes, I understand that He knows everything already, but there is something completely different about talking to Him about what I'm thinking and going through. It's revealing and intimidating, but if we can push ourselves to that kind of honesty with Jesus it's so rewarding.

I try to look at my relationship with Jesus like I would with Leah, my fiancee, or Jacob, my best friend. If I went months without hanging out with either one of them, talking to them, or listening to them, I could tell them I love them all I want-- my actions would testify against me. I feel like it's the same with Jesus. When we boil it down, we do what we really want to do. At the end of the day, whatever we care about gets done.

Epic. Random. Smile. They're monkeys.

One of the things that I've had to be honest with God about is that I don't always want to serve Him. I don't always think that being a Christian is the best thing in the world. I know, I know. This may offend some of you, or take you off guard. This is a step I've been practicing in my process of being honest with God. Check it: God already knows what's in my heart. It's liberating to talk to Him about it. It allows an opportunity for Him to come in and minister and remind me how fun and awesome He really is-- and that's what strengthens our relationship.

I've chosen to be honest with Jesus. I want to sin. It's tempting. And I think it's dumb that I can't do what I want. But, here's the amazing thing: "We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin" (Hebrews 4:15 NIV). Jesus understands. He's been there-- and made it. So, I have no problem praying, "Lord, help me to want to want you, to want to do Your will." He gets it. Even better, he gives me grace to do His will. That's the beautiful thing. I learn that I can trust Him. I mean, what's the point of having a "friend" (John 15:15) in Jesus if we don't act like it.

So, what's with the scripture from James 1 all about. Well, the new thing I'm being honest with the Lord about is that there are some things about the world that I really like. There are areas in my life where I have "divided loyalties"-- we all have those areas. Honestly.

Here's my prayer tonight: Jesus, I need to you to take my heart's desires and touch them. Lord, I want you to take charge of my emotions and my wants-- because I can't trust them. I can't trust them when my flesh and Your Spirit are at war. Although my heart isn't cooperating in every area, I'm going to trust You anyway. Lord, I trust that Your plan for my life is better than mine. I trust that You love me no matter what. I trust that You're for me. Help me to want to want your will in every facet of me life. I love You, I promise. I love You. I love You. I love You.

The Show Goes On

just pretend you're interested, ok?

Well, I finally did it. I hit the "New Post" button.
And I have something to say... the show goes on.

I'm twenty-two years old, I love Jesus, I'm a sad excuse for a student, I'm a graphic designer, I'm an [interim] worship pastor, for some strange reason I still want to be an actor, my album is on pause now... and I have no idea what the heck I'm doing.

I've been in a really confusing place. Half of me knows what I want my life to be like, the other half has no idea. Some could say it's my age. I'm twenty something. I don't even know who I am yet. This will pass.

That may be true, but it doesn't really help. However, what does kind of make it comical is that I'm pretty sure at least one of the thousand people that have taken a look at this blog might just feel the same way.

So yeah, I have no clue. But, the show is going on. The only thing to do is wake up, put one foot in front of the other, choose to be positive, and pray that I get it right eventually. I know this entry may come off as morose, but I'm laughing as I write this.

Even though my emotions aren't co-operating, I'll say this, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." And you can, too. We can.

Well, that's all. I wanted to take a shot at honesty on this blog. I figured you'd appreciate it more than the blog on my love/hate relationship with Starbucks I was planning.

If you're in the dark and wondering when you'll see the sun know this: you'll see the sun, the show goes on, and you're not alone. I promise.

When I Grow Up

Just pretend you're interested. ok?

Today is a beautiful day in Louisiana. It's a sunny 68 degrees, I've had sushi and Naked Juice today, and have a fresh outlook on life that has put me in a great mood.

Sometimes I think that we all get so consumed with the future-- what are we going to do with the rest of our lives, how are we going to make money, how to handle the expectation others. For years, I struggled with questions like these. However, sitting in the warm sun with a cool breeze and two great friends helped me remember something that I seemed to have forgotten along the way: life is in the small moments-- the little miracles that go by almost undetected.

I encourage you to take some time today, go outside, and do nothing. Spend time alone with God, don't speak, and just be. Just be with Him. There's joy to be found-- even in hard times. 

Psalm 46:10 (New International Version, ©2010)

¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
   I will be exalted among the nations,
   I will be exalted in the earth.”

 On a very different note, I found my facebook comment of the week while I was browsing on my phone one morning. I hope you find it as off the wall and funny as I did. I'm not saying I laughed out loud-- just a small internal chuckle.

**edit: this is not MY comment. this is one I found in my news feed. Wow, definitely should have said that. **

friendship and new glasses!

new glasses. impromptu photo op. why not?

It's a rainy day, but my heart is full. I've realized just how awesome my God and my friends are. A quick quote for you guys:

"Every relationship goes through periods of testing, times of boredom, times when those involved in the relationship must decide whether they are going to develop it to its fullest potential or slide off sideways and begin a new one. Developing a true friendship means digging deep. The stuff of which it is made comes from the depth of our souls. Those who dare to make the commitment discover not only the treasure of a true friend, but the truth about themselves as well." 

A quick thanks goes out to all of you who have been reading my blog! So far, we have readers in USA, Canada, Malaysia, and Singapore. If you just finding this blog, just pretend you're interested. ok? If you haven't commented or "followed" this blog, give it a shot! You can do it without an account or use the other options available!

In other news, Gateway Church has a big Bilingual Signs & Wonders Conference coming up next weekend. Know what that means? Yes! I get to lead worship in both Spanish and English! I'm so excited! I've never had the opportunity to lead bilingually, so I'm pretty stoked!

cough drops, music, and belief

epic hot sauce packet. leaves from a photo shoot i did with danielle. me & a typewriter.

I'm not sick anymore. Thank God. All that I am left with is a sore throat and a new appreciation for Hall's cough drops, chicken broth, and hot showers. I should be used to it by now, but I'm not. I get like this every time the winter hits and the seasons begin to change. I guess my body is more conservative than I once thought. #whowouldathought.

Speaking on changing seasons-- I've found myself in a pretty cool season of life. It's like I woke up one day and found myself surrounded by artists, musicians, chefs, and genuinely beautiful people. I keep learning more about grace and love. I feel so moved at times when I think about the opportunity that I have to love people-- not just for who they are, but who they can be. I love believing in people.

Psalm 2:8 (NIV, ©2010) Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 

 

Well, I don't want to babble on. To keep you all informed, my friend Landon and I have continued writing for the album. He leaves for a tour in February, so there's the crunch time. I'm getting excited. Also, just finished another song for the worship album coming later this year!