Am I A Critic Or A Worshiper?

Today we had the opportunity to hear from worship leaders Wade Joye and Chris Brown at breakfast. They have both been through some trials and serious tests of their faith, yet like always...it has made them stronger in their walks with God. Wade opened up with an illustration of a story of a bat which immediately gave me the sermon illustration I have with trying to catch a bat with my brother Brett a couple years ago at our cottage. I'll never forget the shriek I heard coming from my mother up stairs as we quickly came to her aid. In the next 30 minutes after going through countless number of weapons to use to get the bat out, we finally concluded with using our paintball masks for jokes and our minnow fishing nets. The point behind the story was to illustrate that it's important to have the right tools for what you are doing. We didn't need the sharpest weapon...all we needed was a net...or in Wade's case just a tupperware container. We all have different gifts and passions but we need to be using them appropriately for God's glory. We don't need to be wasting our time doing something we weren't made to do or not gifted to do.

Chris gave us some advice that has been a main topic throughout my blog and what I've been learning/applying to my life here. Not only having gratitude in all circumstances but he concentrated on our hearts in worship. The very first thing we need to do is praise God with thanksgiving in all circumstances regardless of what is on your mind. Your ability to worship is not based off circumstances and we often give God our crumbs. As a worship leader, being in different environments, sometimes with all the equipment needed or not, Chris has the option of being a critic or a worshiper. He can critique others about poor performances in a poor environment or he could worship God under any situation because God deserves it. We don't need the huge stage and bright lights to worship God. Our God deserves our attention and our actions should reflect in our worship. The quickest way to get back on track with the Lord is having a heart of gratitude and expressing that through worship, even in our darkest of trials. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, ask God to increase your capacity!

Bless To Be Blessed

It's kinda crazy to think that it was just 2 weeks ago that I was making my trip down to Charlotte. It was just 2 weeks ago when I met these people...when I pulled into a parking garage with my car still packed with whatever I could fit into it from College. Thirteen minutes later I participated in my first ever 5K with some of the staff from Elevation just 16 days after having knee surgery. It was a great time! Today, we had a day off and I went with some of the other interns on a road trip to the beach to enjoy some ocean experiences. I can't remember the last time I laughed that often at things said or things done. The one liners were fantastic. These people all have different experiences and stories of how Christ has impacted their lives and we are all really starting to get to know and care for each other on a more personal level. God is good and sometimes it is encouraging to hear what He has done through other people. I am under some pretty powerful leadership and have the privilege of learning from some people who have been tried and tested. I have already learned so much about myself and I am extremely fortunate and blessed.

You really don't know that Jesus is all you need until He is all you have. One thing that I keep on seeing is how easy it is to be blessed and encouraged when I take the first step. God blesses all of us in different ways but there is one thing that is common...the more you bless others with Christ-like love, the more your own life will be blessed. The more I look out for the interests of others, the more things God opens up to me in my life. The more I change my attitude and ask God to show me the things that He wants me to see, hear, and have a heart for, the more I am able to bless and encourage others. I used to get so frustrated because I'd be praying for blessings and encouragement but I would be going about it the wrong way. I'd be more focused on what I wanted instead of asking for God to reveal it to me His way. Once you start doing and asking God to open your eyes, the greater the reward will be of seeing Christ impact the lives of others. You'll be amazed at how many opportunities there are in front of you every day to bless someone else when you start becoming selfless in your thinking process...when you rely on God to open doors instead of planning your course for yourself. Faith is active and we cannot expect God to use us if we are just sitting around and waiting. What an unbelievable 2 weeks it has been and I am excited to see what lies around the corner.

Distractions

What God is doing in my life right now, the devil hates! We forget sometimes that the devil knows our weaknesses and he knows how to distract us when God's hand is upon us. Instead of taking moments of crisis as a negative like the devil wants us too, take it as a compliment because it means you are doing something right for the Kingdom of God. Sometimes we need to take a moment and realize that God wants to use the willing for His glory and purpose. Sometimes that means we need to remove things in our lives that may be good but they would keep our attention off of Jesus Christ. God is perfect in His timing and He rewards those who patiently wait for Him to deliver the desires of our heart. God knows us better than we know ourselves. He understands our desires and the things that we go through. He wants us to rely on His strength and to trust Him that He will fulfill His promises in our lives. Ever notice that Satan attacks our weakest area when we are on a spiritual high? Ever notice that the evil one is at work when we are changing into the man or woman of God that God wants us to be? The Christian walk is not easy, in fact that is why it is so important to cling to God daily. If you come to a moment where you are confused and you don't know what to do in a certain situation, the best thing is to do nothing but pray. God doesn't need our help and we don't know what's best. Pastor Britt Merrick tells a story of a baseball signed by Babe Ruth in his sermon "No Guilt In Life, No Fear In Death." The baseball was worth a lot of money and the man decided to try and sell it. But over time the signature had been worn and could barely be seen. So the man took out a felt pen and very carefully traced over every single letter to make it look better. And by overlaying his own efforts on what Babe Ruth had done, he completely removed the value of the baseball. He related this to when the Christian attempts to satisfy conscience or play out God to overlay performance on what Christ has done on the cross and will do in our lives. We try to take control and do things our way when God has a plan. We take things into our own hands and think we can make situations better. Why do we do this? Sometimes I find myself doing things or trying to keep things in my life because I feel like I need them...or that God won't bring me something of more value or better. Pastor Steven Furtick says this, "If God shuts down the thing you desire, it may be because He desires something even better. If God doesn’t do what you’re hoping He will, He must be planning to do something bigger and better. Your destiny never depends on anyone or anything that leaves your life. Or on a desire that doesn’t end up being fulfilled. Let go of what you wanted. Take hold of what God wants for you. God will never shortchange you. If God has shut down something you desired recently, I dare you to believe that He's got something better for you on the way." Satan will do whatever he can to distract you. But God is very clear. If the thing you want is of God, there will be no anxiety or confusion. When we act on our timing we tell God that we do not trust Him. Remove distractions and focus on what God is trying to teach you in this season of your life. Everything will work according to God's plan.

Matthew 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you"

Gratitude

This seems to be the topic of conversation around here a lot. I am just now realizing the importance of being grateful in EVERY circumstance. I used to be annoyed at people sometimes when they would still see the positive in their car being totaled or during something tragic but God works everything out for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28)...so why not be grateful in every circumstance? We have the Creator of the universe who loves us so much that He sent His only Son for us as an atonement for our sins. I am extremely blessed in all areas of my life...so why miss a moment to give praise to the one who knit me together in my mothers' womb? I was first challenged with this during Tim Sanders' talk to us staff last week and how we should spend the first 10 minutes of our day giving thanks to God for things in our lives. I tried it this past week and I have found more joy throughout my day. I have been more happy to get up and go to work where I have faithful leaders pouring extreme wisdom into my life daily. I get to work for this woman named Jamie who might be the funniest/girl version of myself devoted to helping lead the next generation into a loving relationship with Christ. When the first thing you do in the morning is thank God for the countless blessings you have, it becomes hard to be grumpy, upset, and negative. You begin to remove thoughts of hatred and start enjoying life a little more every day. You begin to have more faith in a God who wants you to ask Him for impossible things so that His glory may shine through you. God has promised to supply all my needs according to His riches in Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:19)...I have everything I've ever needed so why not be more grateful?? If I seek first Christ and His Kingdom...all these things will be added to me (Matthew 6:33). Being grateful is contagious and we need to start showing God how thankful we are for the many riches He has given each of us.

At work today, I was able to listen to Pastor Steven preach to the staff of a church thanks to live web feed. He gave five points about being grateful that I want to share with you and challenge you with.

1) Gratitude is never invisible or silent - our gratitude will be shown through our actions and our words (Matthew 12:34 - the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks). If our heart is grateful towards God and the people He has put us around, it will show...food for thought! Unexpressed gratitude is a chance missed to praise God. Delayed gratitude is lost opportunity.

2) Gratitude sustains joy and blessing in your life - stop using for evil what God meant for good.

3) Gratitude begins where my sense of entitlement ends - it's impossible to be grateful when I feel like I deserve something. Do we forget that we all deserve death and eternity apart from our Creator?

4) Gratitude is not based on how your situation is, it's based off how your situation is to you - If we start seeing the positive in everything, we will have a greater affect on reaching people for Christ. We will be more aware of our opportunities to bless someone with kind words or acts of service in the name of Christ. Other people in other countries are so much less fortunate than us. Yet both in Guatemala and Africa, those people had greater happiness than I ever did and they literally lived in a tin or clay shack. Our circumstances is an opportunity for us to thank God...even in times of heartache and tragedy.

5) Gratitude will make you magnetic for the favor of God in your life - like they taught me in seminary, ministry is caught not taught. If your life resembles Christ, people will pick up on it. Always looking at the glass completely full is tough in some situations but it will be more contagious and effective than you think.

Are you praising God enough? Are you thanking Him for the countless blessings, the trails which are actually blessings in disguise, and have you learned to praise Him in advance for answers yet to come?

Ram Down The Gate

You read books like "Good to Great" by Jim Collins and think about all the ways to make good things become great things. Then you hear stories about Dan Gable, who not only was all about perfection, but was determined to turn great things into best things. Why settle at great things when you could be the best at what you do? Would you 'ram down the gate' to get done whatever you had to do? Would you do whatever it takes no matter how great the sacrifice, to be the best at what you do? Dan Gable was an All-State wrestler who won 4 state championships undefeated in High School. He went on to college where his first three years at Iowa State he won 3 NCAA National Titles going undefeated. His senior year was much like his whole life until the National Title match...where he lost...his last college match. He went 181-1. The dude was a beast yet that last one stung. He was 1 win away from being perfect. Some would say that was a great career, unbelievable in fact...Dan Gable says it all was a failure. He went on to compete in the Olympics the next year winning Gold and not losing a single point in any of his matches. He was determined not only to be great but to be the world's best and he did whatever it took to get there. He never celebrated with his teammates after he won Gold. In fact, that very night, he went out running in preparation for his next run at Gold. Talk about intense! But there is a good lesson to be learned here...The way you approach things will determine what you get out of it. I must refuse anything but perfection. My effort must correlate with my commitment to excellence. A calling in life is not an occupation, it is an identity. We who are called in Christ, must find our identity in Him. We all have great potential, but what are we doing about it?

In Exodus 3, Moses moved toward the bush and then God spoke. I must move towards God and He will speak but I must move towards God's activity...not just when I want something. In ministry it is impossible to feel burned out because if that is the case you are relying on your own strength and power. We often times forget that our God is the source and we must constantly tap into Him and be filled with life in Christ. I am not burned out...I may just have been poured out...but that is a huge difference. Remember that God is the lifeline and wants us to rely on Him. We will not reach our full potential if we keep thinking we can do something. One of the saddest verses in the Bible is in Deuteronomy 34:7 because we see that one of the greatest men to ever walk the planet in Moses didn't reach his full potential. He didn't get to live in the promise land because of his disobedience. The worst thing that could ever be written about me is not reaching the potential that God wants in my life. Not being the man that God has called me to be. If God can make something out of nothing, imagine what He can do with your something!? A "fatal flaw" is something in your life that goes unchecked, and given the right time and right place, it will be exposed and become your demise. Moses' "fatal flaw" was his anger...for David it was women...I am the only person that can sink my ship and I must be aware and careful of my "fatal flaw". I must be tapped into the resource of life found in Jesus Christ. I must be determined to give my very best for God and not settle. I must never measure myself to other people because God has a perfect plan for my life. I must always be obedient right away because delayed obedience is still disobedience. I must remember that God always provides. God wants to bless us greatly but I must remove my preference and serve the King whole heartedly to the best of my ability.

Get Out Of The Way

I went to a nearby coffee shop for 3 hours Friday afternoon just to do some extra work. My prayer was that God would bring someone in so I could buy their drink and gain an opportunity to introduce the Gospel. Not one person came in during that time. Half way through I started to get frustrated so instead I changed my prayer to have God open my eyes to opportunities that I may not be seeing throughout my day. Within a minute the lady who co-owned the shop walked up to me with a newspaper ad about the world ending, asking my opinion. Haha, that lady was there the whole time yet I didn't even think to talk with her. My focus was not God's focus. For the next hour I was able to talk to her about life, love, purpose, and freedom. I invited her to Elevation Church which opened a whole bunch of family problems and how she wouldn't be able to make it because she takes care of her grandson who has serious anxiety issues. I showed her how she could watch sermons online and the importance of having a relationship and not religion. She wants me to help plug her 16 year old daughter into the church and how this seems to be what she needs in her life. She's not accepting or rejecting me...she's accepting or rejecting Christ. It is my job as a Christian to just be obedient and share my faith...the rest is on Christ. I look forward to continually seeking out Terry and building a relationship with her so that she may give her life over to Christ...

When the calling is significant, there is nothing insignificant. We all have different roles but it is important to buy into the system. It's incredible to watch ministry work when pride is not a factor...when everyone buys into their specific duty to help further the Kingdom. Sometimes you wonder how some people can always be so happy. Meet Larry, he's the Connection Pastor and might be the most loving guy I've ever met. He's always positive but very serious about the Word of God. He loves people to death but if you aren't making a sacrifice and serving in the vision then he doesn't waste his time with you. He loves lost people and wants them to meet Christ so badly, but if you're a believer and you're just taking up space and not giving back in terms of serving then he doesn't want you to be taking up a seat that needs to be available to someone who doesn't know Christ. The dude just gets it...which sadly many Christians do not. He is a walking example of exactly how Christ would love others and always finds the positive in everything. He seeks others with genuine care and a passion to see them turn their lives over to Christ. It is truly amazing to actually watch this guy in action. He walks the walk...daily. He opened something up for me that I always knew but it just finally clicked. It's called the 'one day' principle. Is today just another day for you? Are you just finding a routine and going through the motions? Today can just be another day or it could be the day that your positive outlook on life brings someone to Christ. The example comes from Acts 3:1-10. The crippled beggar wanted money, but what Peter and John gave him wasn't what he wanted, but what he needed. It was his 'one day'. Every day or worship experience could be someone's 'one day' to accept the Gospel...to see life change. Every time we serve, regardless of the setting, we have the opportunity to give someone our best or our left overs. In any situation or relationship for that matter we have the opportunity to give someone our best or our left overs. The end result has eternal significance. Our poor attitude, laziness, or neglect could be the result of someone spending eternity in hell. That's something I don't want on my shoulders.

My attitude has the ability to affect others in a serious way. If I want to change the relationships around me, then I must change my attitude first. Personal preference is the enemy of your destination. Sometimes 'your way' is not the best way. Sometimes my idea for something wouldn't be the best fit for reaching others for Christ in certain situations. My attitude in my preference for something needs to be positive regardless of the methods used for reaching people. If the end result is people coming to Christ then 'get out of the way' and let Christ be Christ. Too many times I find myself getting in the way or thinking I could do something. Christ just wants me to be obedient and open to what He wants to do through me. Often times humility is needed to let God work because His way is always best.

"Today We Are Rich"

Wow...one word that describes what just happened yesterday. It was an extremely long day as I didn't walk through the front door until just before midnight but it was totally worth it. We got to experience a little intern initiation in the morning which is always fun but the amazing part happened at night. We had a marriage and love seminar from Dr. Emerson Eggerich that was incredible. We as a staff got to experience a message first, then we served the volunteers of the church as they listened to his seminar. During that time I was wrestling 30 month olds for 2 hours. Good luck Jill and Alena for when Cole and Caleb get that age. Why don't I have energy like that anymore? Ha...Anyways, His book "Love and Respect" is a great read. You will be able to hear his message if you podcast Elevation Church after the May 28th, 29th services. His summary is basically 'you win a woman with love and a man with respect'. By nature, woman love and men respect, therefore women need to learn how to respect men and men need to learn how to love women. The constant cycle is that without respect a man responds unloving and without love a woman responds disrespectfully. We as humans need to trust that others are good willed with good intentions and that just because in an argument one is right, doesn't make the other wrong. Important principles that were extremely beneficial.

Right there you could have closed the book on last night but after the seminar, the staff and interns got to experience another incredible conversation between Pastor Steven Furtick and Tim Sanders, author of "Today We Are Rich". It didn't start until after 9:30 at night but it was hands down one of the best things I have ever been able to experience. I am extremely thankful for the leadership that I serve under. I get to be apart of some amazing stuff and have some great leaders pouring wisdom into my soul daily. The story behind the name of Tim Sander's book gave me goosebumps. I'll leave you hanging...you'll have to read the book. He went on to talk about confidence and generosity. He started off by saying, "The grow up moment in your life is when you realize the importance of serving others." He is a very successful business man but he is sold out for the furthering of the Gospel. His first chapter starts off with a summary of Hebrews 11 and he gives this book away to many large corporations in America.

Success is something we all want in our different fields of work. Sometimes we as Christians think it may be wrong to have success in the business world but success is something God wants to give each of us. Just look at Joshua 1. Success however, needs to be stewarded properly. Is God getting the glory for the things He has brought into your life? Are you giving back to the church and ministries that spread the Word? Are you being a generous person with what you have in an effort to show the love of Christ to others? Success is not a destination, it is a direction...and with success, there needs to be a balance of confidence and humility. Confidence is an outlook and knowing you're going to thrive. We have confidence in Christ because He has already won the war. Everyday we have the opportunity to be blessed and bless others through generosity. This is something that I am just starting to learn. For those that know me, you know I don't like to spend money...at all. Last night was huge for me in the area of generosity.

Tim pointed out three areas that I would like to challenge you with. 1) Gratitude - a muscle that needs to be exercised. This allows you to focus on what you have and removes thoughts of hate. It is hard to gripe, complain, and hate when we are focusing on being thankful. He challenged us to spend the first 10 minutes of everyday with gratitude. To thank God for 2 people that encouraged you the day before. To praise God for the things He has blessed each of us with. If our day(s) start off with gratitude...it is hard to focus on the negative. Gratitude will soon be apart of your life everyday and you will notice and be appreciative of the little things way more. People that start the day off on the internet are going to be filled with junk right away...meaning how we start our days off usually effects the rest of the day. He went on to say something that was exactly what I needed to hear. It goes hand in hand with gratitude and having a better attitude in everything. He simply stated the concept of "Have To/Get To". Of changing the focus...This is how you transform the renewing of your mind found in Romans 12. Instead of thinking things like...I have to go to work...change it to...I get to go to work. It's an attitude change. I get to be apart of this amazing movement of God. I get to put in long hours because I get to see the change in people's lives. I get to experience amazing personal teachings because I am fortunate enough to be where I am. I get to serve the King. I get to help others grow in their walk with God. I get to!!!!...You will be amazed at how simple and more grateful life will be if you simply change 'have to' with 'get to'. God's blessings are extreme and we will get to experience so much more if we open our eyes to what He places in front of us on a daily bases. 2) Abundance - that what you keep is what controls you. The essence of life is love and generosity! The real question, is how will you respond if everything was taken away? 3) Content - Are we content with where we are and with the blessings God has given us? (Philippians 4:10-13)...What a great night!

Nothing Worth Living For Comes Easy

Got to church at 5:50 AM to do what the staff call the 'history walk'. We walked over 6 miles...from where the church started and the different buildings around the city that they occupied on their journey to what Elevation is now. It only took 5 years to become a 'mega-church' but nothing came easy. It was a great reminder that just because it may seem like this church erupted over night, there were many battles and scars that tested the faith of the leaders. Later in the day we got to watch their powerful documentary of the church. I'd be lying if I said it didn't bring tears to my eyes. I had goosebumps the entire time. These people struggled. They went through incredible adversity yet they persisted. God has a perfect plan for your life, He just wants to know if you trust Him completely. It is easy to judge people and churches when you know nothing about the true background of what makes their testimony real. It wasn't easy...in fact anything that comes easy, I'd say is not worth having. What would trust and faith be if it was never tested? How could we believe in a God if we weren't stretched to the end of our ropes? How could we prove God's faithfulness if we didn't have any scars? The reason why things don't happen the way we want them to is because God's way is always best...even if the final result was similar. The trials in our lives right now are preparing us for future trials and future opportunities to help the next generation through their walk with God. As our faith is built, we will learn to rely on a faithful God who always rescues us in His perfect timing. All we have to do is rely on a power greater than ourselves and trust His planning. God gave me a couple verses today in Isaiah. First, 30:21 - "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it.'" Then I read through the famous 40:31 but I think it is important to include the first couple verses before them...they are encouraging. 40:28-31 - "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Then to continue the encouragement in 41:10 - "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." ...Those are some pretty powerful verses...we have nothing to fear because God is walking with us every step of the way...hope they encourage you as much as they have encouraged me.

Talents

Introducing Paul. He is a 27 year old wizard who is full of wisdom and knowledge. Paul does a lot of the behind the scenes stuff but he is an incredible guy. He does a lot of Pastor Steven's research not only for his sermons but also for his books and any other information that is needed. He knows both Greek and Hebrew fluently and has a goal of speaking 8 different languages. The dude is legit and on fire for the Lord. These are the type of people I encounter every day. Just ordinary people doing the extraordinary things for the purpose of spreading the Gospel. He challenged me today that I want to pass on to you. In Exodus 36, a lot of information is given on the building of the sanctuary. But in the first verse it says, "So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the LORD has commanded.” That one verse is encouraging. All of us were given skills specifically for what God wanted us to do for His Kingdom. Everything is to be done for a greater purpose and we are not to sit back and complain or compare ourselves to other people. God has made us exactly the way He wanted and we are to use our gifts for His glory.

Another convicting verse is found in Luke 16:10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." What you are currently doing might seem like petty stuff. You may feel unimportant or that you could handle more responsibility or that you could be doing much more if you were in a different area of work. You may be in a situation where you think you can't be making an impact or you use the excuse that I have used often that I just am not around a lot of unbelievers. You may think that because you are not looking for the opportunities that God is putting you in. You may be so focused on wanting something else instead of appreciating and focusing on what God has put right in front of you. A lot of what we go through are tests of our character and integrity. God wants to see you be faithful in the little things so that He can bless you with greater things. He wants to see you have purpose in your relationships and how you can go out of your 'busy' way to say a kind word to someone or offer acts of service. Conversations about Christ occur more often when we purposely act like Christ to others.

This verse was applying directly to us interns. It may not seem like some of the stuff we are doing has much significance at the time, but it all does. The more we do, the less our supervisors have to do or worry about...the more it lets them get done...and so on...it's a chain of teamwork and in the end it allows Pastor Steven the opportunity to not have to worry about the behind the scenes operation of the church and focus on his powerful messages that has already changed the hearts of thousands of people. God is using people for mighty ways and everything you do is preparing you for something better. Acts 6 has the example of Stephen who was basically waiting on widows while the disciples were out spreading the Word. Stephen had to be faithful with the little responsibility he had even though he wanted to be out like the disciples. His obedience however, ended up giving him more responsibility which set himself up for the most significant moment of his life...that ended up being the reason for his death. An example of a life lived by faith. God just wants you to believe! ...Just believe...

About To Be Elevated...

My life has been influenced by some great men and women of God. I have my unbelievable God-fearing family to start. I have the mix of quiet, yet stern leadership from my father who is secretly my biggest hero to my outgoing, crazy in all aspects of the word, faith living, and prayer warrior of a mother. My 3 brothers have turned into my best friends over the past 4 years. All who have influenced me in one way or another in my walk with Christ. I watch everything, from their relationships with their wives to the way they handle everyday blessings and struggles. It is encouraging to watch God's hand in all of it. I love my brothers and the men they each have become. But what some people don't know is the influence I have gained from Godly leaders all over this country, from friends (or friends of the family) to well-known preachers and speakers. I listen to a lot of podcasts and have started to read a lot more lately. (I highly encourage you to read "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan and "Sun Stand Still" by Steven Furtick). People like Pastor Bob Shirock, Joseph Stowell, Jack Janigian, Josh Lindstrom, Dan Plantz, Kevin Stacker, and Dr. David Wheeler have all poured personally something into my life that has helped me along the way. Their friendship personally to me and to my family has been something I have not taken for granted. Then there are those names of Pastor's I do not personally know such as Steven Furtick, Judah Smith, Britt Merrick, Francis Chan, Matt Chandler, Mark Driscoll, Craig Groeschel, Perry Noble, Clayton King...to name a few...who have all preached something into my life that I will take with me forever. God has brought me through some tough stuff in my life but in the weight of other people's problems and the problems of the world I am extremely blessed and fortunate. I also love to hear of how truly our God is. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things as long as we have the faith to believe and obey.

You hear stories of people all the time that are sold out for the ministry but some of these stories just blow me out of the water. There are some men out there that don't get the credit they deserve because they are beyond humble. People don't understand how sold out these guys are for the Kingdom. You have Pastor Rick Warren from Saddleback Church who authored one of the country's best selling books and when the revenue came in, he could have walked away loaded with money but instead the man paid back every penny he received while preaching at Saddleback and the church he pastored before. He decided that the salary he needed just to survive each year was going to be his salary for the rest of his life and every dollar he received from his book was going back into the ministry. Lets not forget the man doesn't take a salary for what he does even to this day...and technically has never been paid to be a pastor because he returned all the money to the Kingdom. Talk about a man walking what he preaches and being an example of what it is like to steward what God has given. Then tonight I read a story about a guy named Gary Sessions who is the man behind the money of Elevation Church and is in charge of the Finance Department. He retired in 2007 from Wachovia Corporation, but wanted to serve the Lord. All he had to do was be patient and allow God to open the right doors...and open the right doors God did...God always will because He is always faithful. In 2008, after volunteering at Elevation for a year, he started to run the Finance Department. The man has never taken a salary from Elevation and continues to give faithfully and bless the ministry of Elevation. He's quoted saying, "If there's anything I've learned in my life, it's that God doesn't walk for you. He walks with you. And if you'll walk with Him, He'll show you the way. I can look back on great joy in my life, I can look back on great tragedy in my life - and I can see God's hand on everything. I'm 68 years old. And I've lived long enough to know it's God who's made me who I am. I can't worship any man or anything. I can only worship the Lord, because I am who I am only because of Him." That is some pretty powerful and wise stuff. There are plenty more stories of great men of God who are doing similar stuff but I just don't have space to write. The fact is, God is in control and He only wants 100% of your heart. All we need is to be obedient to the God who sent His only Son to die in our place.

I am truly stoked however because I am about to be shaped into exactly what God wants me to be.

Tomorrow I am about to start an internship at Elevation Church under the leadership of Pastor Steven Furtick and his staff. Already in 2 days of being here I have experienced some pretty insane stuff. These people have a vision and they are truly living out the impossible. It cannot be explained how their church has done what it has done other than the fact that God is completely in control and answering the prayers of these people that simply have the faith to ask. I think of James 4:2-3 that basically says, 'You have not because you ask not' but the motives have to be right. God must get the glory and I cannot wait to learn from these people and apply it to my life. God has been teaching me so much about my own faith and about waiting on Him for His plan to unfold. Proverbs 3:5-6...go look it up if you don't know it and memorize it...it will apply to everyday life and decisions. I hope to give updates and feedback on what God is teaching me throughout this summer...

Cheers