Challenging Normal

These are some questions that I keep asking myself:

How could God use me?

Seriously? I can not fathom or think of one thing that I have that God needs. How could He use me? I have no gifts and talents. I am actually pretty messed up when I begin to think about it. How could God use me? Then when I begin to reflect on who God used to make impacts in the world, they were some pretty messed up people.

The list could go on and on. How could God use me? Cause I need Him. I can not do anything on my own without messing it up. I am lost without Him.

I really do not know how God could use me but I know that I really want Him to. I really want to be a part of His plan. I want to find myself in the middle of the change that He desires to bring to Stockbridge. I want to be used by God.

I am starting with winter for a reason. I really feel that spiritually as of late that is the season that I am in. Winter is a very cold time. It is a very isolated season. It separates things. Everything around you feels dead and frigid. Even if you love cold weather no one longs for a hard icy winter. No one wishes to be alone, no one wishes not to grow, no one wishes for this season in their life.

As much as you dread it, as much as you wish it would not come, it has to. It is a natural part of life and if you choose to fight it, it could be dangerous. Like going out in the snow in shorts, a tank top, and barefoot could cause you a lot of discomfort and pain, so can not being prepared for these seasons spiritually. You know they come, you know all they warning signs, but yet we choose to ignore them. Who me? I can not become spiritually cold, I am a _________. (you fill in the blank with whatever title you want to give yourself) But what you are doing is fighting the natural cycles of life.

If you have not winter then you have no spring, you have no new growth. During the winter plants may look dead and ugly but they are not. They are diverting all their resources to their roots. They are actually becoming stronger. They are strengthening the things that will cause they to bloom more beautiful than ever before. Same is true in mine and your life. Though everything may feel cold and even look dead, there is still life. God is still working. You can not trust what you see and what you feel.

If you are finding yourself in this winter season, know that it will not last forever. It may feel like it sometime but it will end soon and when Spring comes life will become more beautiful that ever.

I love the people that God has placed in my life to be on this journey with. I choose not to take this journey alone. It is good to have people that does not have to say a word, you know that they are there for you. That if you needed them, they would move heaven and earth to help you out. I really feel sorry for the people that choose to take this journey alone.

So who are you journeying with?

Really enjoyed resting the last couple of days. Have actually taken naps for two days straight, its been a while.

Played my first round of golf in over a year and a half yesterday. Stunk it up big time but had a great time. Laughed so hard on the last nine that I lost track of what hole we were on. I definitely need to play more.

Missed being in Thrive this Wednesday. I heard the leaders did a really awesome job. Thrive really has the greatest leaders and students in the world.

Excited about the rest of the "One Thing" series in May as we hear from students and leaders about the "one thing" they would give Thrive if they could.

Weighed in on Monday and lost 42 pounds since March 2nd. I have only been to the gym once this week. Got to get back to my routine next week.

Went and saw Iron Man 2 last night. It was just as good as the first one to me. We enjoyed hanging with Mary and Steph too.

Hope you are having a good weekend.

District Council is one of my favorite weeks of the year.

More than the services, I love getting to hang out with my friends for a couple of days. I love the laughs that come in late nights.

I truly have some of the greatest friends in the world.

Both speakers Monday night were really good.

I enjoyed hanging out with my Pastor this week. God has blessed me with an awesome Pastor that I can also call my friend.

Church at Chapel Hill has one of the nicest facilities I have ever been in.

It was good to have all my family with us on Wednesday night. I love the people that God has placed in my life, those that I call family because of birth and those that I choose to call family.

More important than knowing that there is a season for everything is knowing what season it is. Just as there are signs in nature that tells us what seasons we are ending and new season are beginning. We know that when the leaves begin to change color and begin to fall to the ground that Fall is upon us. When the the blooms begin to open and the grass begins to grow you know that Spring is here. There are signs in our life, that if we pay attention we can tell when seasons are beginning and ending in our own life as well.

I have never seen a tree try to fight the seasons and keep it's leaves green through the winter. If it did, then it would not be able to survive the harsh cold. If nature does not fight the seasons, I wonder why we do? Why do we struggle when one season is over and another is beginning? Are we that much of creatures of comfort? Do we hate change that much? If you want to stay in the last season that you have been in, then you will miss what God has for you in the new season. You will miss the new growth, or you may not survive the cold of the winter you are going to walk through. The more you fight seasons the more you are fighting against God trying to create you into who He has called you to be.

For my life I believe spiritually I am entering into a new season. I believe that God is desiring to speak new and fresh things into my life. It is my responsibility to know and understand the seasons that come and it is my responsibility to respond to it.