Merry Christmas!

Howdy from Hattiesburg, Mississippi! I jetted down here to spend a few days with Mom, Dad, and Meemaw, as well as to see Granny, other relatives, and friends on Christmas day. It's kind of weird this year, being the only kid at home. My sister Alice and brother-in-law Sean ended up spending a special Christmas alone together in Bali, my brother Kevin and sister-in-law Natalie couldn't get away from obligations where they live in Dallas, and all that was left was me, still fairly unattached and able to get away from Denver without feeling like I'm abandoning anyone and thus feeling relatively unguilty.

So, yeah, it's strange being the only kid at home. I always love coming home to family--God has blessed our family with a very close relationship and no lack of craziness or goofiness in our fun times together as a family. Especially in that past few years, God has been reconnecting and renewing our love for one another, grounded in Christ Jesus, from whom flows love like that of no other.

Here are some impressions from this trip to Mississippi--

--It's still humid here! Despite the altitude difference from Denver, it's still harder to breathe because of all the water in the air!
--It's SO awesome to go into a restaurant and order sweet tea and NOT have the server point to the sugar sitting on the table. They KNOW how to make sweet tea here, and they serve it everywhere! Praise God!
--They don't call Coke "pop" here. And neither did I until I moved to Denver...what is wrong with me!? I got some weird stares from my family the other day...
--Everyone here says "Merry Christmas" without shame and with sincere smiles. None of this "Happy Holidays" crap. Don't even get me started on that. If it weren't for Christ, this would just be another hopeless time of year, nothing special...
--Hushpuppies are a staple food, and I missed them very much in the Mile-High city! Oh, and greasy fried food is always in here, year round.

And one more thing I noticed: you know you've been gone a long time when you no longer recognize people in the mall or in Walmart, especially a couple days before Christmas. I remember a couple of years ago, I wouldn't be able to shop anywhere this time of year without running into at least 10 people I knew...and this time around I made it all the way through Super Walmart without meeting a soul I know. Where did everybody go?! I guess all the people I graduated from high school and/or college with have moved on...Yeah, it's almost depressing...

Praise the Lord for those few connections He gives you, those "random" meetings with brothers and sisters in Christ who encourage you, challenge you, inspire you, recharge you...remind you that He is sovereign in all relationships and allows them to ebb and flow according to His eternal purposes. Thank You, Lord.

Happy Birthday, Jesus! You are the BEST!

What do I choose, Lord?

Have I ever complained about not having enough to do? Forgive me, Lord. I can't seem to remember a time like that in my life, though I know those moments have come around leaving me totally confused.

The thing is, I'm a person who totally overcomplicates things. If I have any freetime on my schedule and find out there's some sort of meeting or event I can be part of, I sign myself up without hesitation. As far back as I can recall, I have lived this way. And yet when I first came to trust Christ as Savior, I remember enjoying long and uninterrupted hours with Him, all alone and with no pressing items on my agenda. Just me and Jesus. What a rockin' time that was in my life. No distractions, nothing competing for my attention. It was like God pressed the "pause" button on my life so a foundation could be laid in my relationship with Him.

And then life started happening, slowly but surely. I got plugged into my first church and started getting involved with ministries, and everything looked so good to me that I just jumped on the bandwagon whenever anyone told me about a new ministry opportunity. A year after coming to the Lord, I found myself leading worship in one church, leading an international student ministry on campus, leading a prayer and outreach ministry in the cooperative I lived in, on the leadership team of two campus ministries, ministering to kids in an underprivileged apartment neighborhood every Friday afternoon, going to a couple of different Bible studies, each week, and diving into any other ministry I could get involved in, whether one-time events or weekly ones.

Now looking back on that time in my life, I am so thankful to the Lord for pointing out to me that I was not being a good steward of my time. All the things I was doing were great, for the Kingdom cause, but the problem was that I was not called to all of those things. God created humans with certain needs, including rest, and most importantly with the need to connect with Him in the quiet, away from all the activity of the world or even of ministry. He tells us in Psalm 46:10: "Be still and know that I am God." Or in another translation, "Cease striving...". I have come to realize that I can't be where God wants me spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and even physically, if I don't take the time-out to connect with Him one-on-one. Time to be still and know Him.

So why do I keep drowning myself in ministry? Why do I feel like I'm always darting about but never being still before Him? Why do I have such a hard time juggling work, youth ministry, missions, team-building, ministry to friends, leading worship, class in the school of ministry, the in-home ministry we've just started up, a high-school guys' discipleship group...? The answer: I'm doing too much. God is telling me that as clear as day, and has been for a while. He has told me through my Scripture reading, He has told me as I sing to Him in worship, He has told me through dear friends who care enough to confront me with it...And He has gotten through to me...He wants to teach me to simplify. To Keep-It-Simple-Stupid. Am I willing to learn?

Lord, please make me willing. I can't go on like this. I'm doing too much--again. I need Your help BIG time. Show me what to let go of and how to do it. Show me how to be still before You again. I love You.

Unto us a Child is born...

For a child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.
--Isaiah 9:6-7

So many of us know the first part of the passage above, thanks to Handel's Messiah and every Christmas radio station and department store that plays "For unto us a Child is born..." over the speakers. We hear that song, and it gives us a warm, fuzzy feeling as familiar memories of Christmases past fill our minds and hearts...and despite the beauty and eternal significance of the lyrics being sung by angelic voices, we so often become numb to what it really means.

What a wonderful promise this is! To a nation that has known only defeat and abuse due to its own choice to reject God, a promise to bring forth a ruler who will establish a righteous, eternal kingdom is overflowing with grace. And even bigger is the promise when we realize that it was not just for the nation of Israel...for God extended His Kingdom beyond His chosen people and onto the doorsteps and into the hearts of all people worldwide! Regardless of our mistakes and faults, our weaknesses and screw-ups, God has called us into His Kingdom and placed us in the arms of a beautiful Leader whose name shall be called...Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Pretty sweet if you ask me.

I'd seen this verse before and been deeply moved by it, but something new was pointed out to me the other day, and it has been rocking my world ever since. Continue on after the first part of the passage above, and you see a beautiful promise that is far too often overlooked or cast aside because it doesn't sound as festive as the idea of a child being born. "There will be no end to the increase of His government of peace." Now I've always recognized that there will be no end to God's Kingdom--hence eternity with Him--but it never dawned on me that the verse here is not talking about how long the Kingdom will last. Read it again. It's talking about the fact that God's Kingdom will never cease to increase! God's Kingdom will expand and multiply expontentially for eternity! What an awesome promise!

Look at how this has happened already. First Israel, then the whole world...and the Kingdom of God continues to expand today into places where it has never before reached the hearts of men. People are coming to Christ in droves all over the world. Missionaries are coming and going all over the place. Churches, whether in homes or in tents or in buildings, are popping up all over the place every day.

What does this mean to me? When I'm tempted to lose heart and hear people say that the church is in decline, it will no longer mean anything to me. It can't depress me and won't sink into my heart. For I know the TRUTH of what the Word of God says...

There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

All things new...

And the one sitting on the throne said, "Look, I am making all things new!"
--Revelation 21:5

Jesus promises His followers to put a new spin on things. The Jerusalem we see described by the apostle John in Revelation is brand spanking new, sparkling and pure before God, like a bride appearing before her husband. Jesus will bring renewal at the end of time as we know it, but He also brings renewal from square one in our faith when we trust Him...and He continues to renew daily those who pursue Him. He makes all things new continually.

I've seen so much of this newness in my life recently. When I got back from France at the end of the summer, God had done so many new things in my heart. Here's a quick list of things that Jesus has made new in my life recently. Props to Jesus for making the things on this list happen!

--recently, a daily renewal of passion for Him as I haven't experienced in a while, all of which started in France this summer and continues...
--new things God is up to in Colorado, as well as a new excitement for them
--new dedication to the ministries He has placed me in right now
--new studies at the School of Ministry, as I finish up my first semester and prepare to go into a new one of great learning and spiritual/mental challenges
--new endeavors in youth ministry, including a high school guys' small group, my first sermon series ever ("The Gospel According to Nemo") and a totally new ability to preach messages that I never knew existed, and new challenges with how to mentor and encourage kids to grow in their faith
--a new desire to stay here in Colorado where God has put me for however long He wants me here (as opposed to a previous haste to move to France way before God's timing)
--a new ministry with my housemates in the home we live in, which we call the House Plant...and very soon a new house with some additional housemates!
--a new appreciation and love for the pastoral team at Grace Church
--a new feeling of having a home church at Grace, a feeling I have never really had before; the feeling that I'm exactly where I belong and that I truly have brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, to reach out as extensions of God's grace, love, provision, wisdom, advice, support, and encouragement to me, the lone Mississippian of Northglenn, CO
--a new sense of direction and purpose in my life as God continues to unveil new aspects of what He has done with my past, my talents and abilities, my spiritual gifts, and my heart, all to show me the next steps in a lifelong adventure of ministry of which I can by no possible means see the big picture at this point (or possibly ever? except for in hindsight)
--a new surrender to God, to allow my own dreams to die so that He can give me dreams that come from Him alone and not me
--a new team of kids to work with, as we prepare to go together to minister in France next summer!
--a new job...even in the company that I left for 2 months this past summer to go to France, God has given me favor; within a month of my return, I was promoted, and now a few months later, I am being promoted again, with new responsibilities, new colleagues to minister to, and a new salary!

May Your all-loving, all-knowing, all-present name be glorified and praised for what You are doing in the lives of all who know and seek You, Lord Jesus! You truly do make all things new.

What things has He made new for you recently? Have you slowed down to think about it?