Awesome Easter

Yesterday was awesome. Easter usually is. Got up early, went to church, then had a huge meal with my dad's side of the family. Not just a meal; a feast. The 45th Army battalion wouldn't have left hungry.

My preacher's sermon yesterday was nothing short of awesome either and I really want to share the gist of it. He was preaching from John 20 and the story of Mary Magdalene. (kinda funny that the church we stayed at in West End was named after her) Mary wept when she came upon the empty tomb. Jesus found her and asked her why she was weeping. Why was she weeping? Was she scared something had happened?

Cy's words: "It's all gonna be alright." As Cy's brother was dying from cancer, he stopped him one day in a grocery store parking lot and told him, "No matter what happens, it's all gonna be alright."

Do we really believe this? 365 times the bible tells us to "fear not". Do we?

For a lot of people I know, myself included, today is the first day back to school from spring break. If it's not for you, it's still a Monday, which usually brings some added stress. Just know that, however much you may doubt it, everything really will be alright. Don't let the simple troubles of the moment ruin your day; in the words of a very popular book, "Don't sweat the small stuff... and it's all small stuff."

No matter what you're going through, how deep or draining you think it might be, the truth of the matter is, everything really, wholly and truly, will be alright.

Back from West End

So, it's been a while since my last post... I just returned today from spending a week in the little town of West End on Grand Bahama Island. It was my first overseas mission trip and one of the most incredible weeks of my life. In many aspects, this town was like a third world country. Two hurricanes smashed through the area last September, one sitting directly over the town continuously for two days slamming buildings with 130 mph winds constantly. It's been seven months since then, and little has changed. Some of the buildings have been bull-dozed since it was dangerous to leave them trying to stand on their own; others that need to be bull-dozed still have familes living in them.

I would say more here, but I think everything I could say I've either already said or someone else has in daily updates we sent back from the island (along with some pictures). I'll post more in time, but for now, visit the website an awesome guy named Erik from Freeport set up for us... http://www.pioneercommunity.org/clemson.htm.

Thanks for all of your prayers while we were gone. I hope to get back down there sometime soon, as there is still a ton of work to be done. If you think you might be interested in going down there to help for some time this summer, let me know -- we're finding housing right now for a lot of others who are giving anywhere from 2 weeks to a month to their entire summer to be in mission to these people. I promise you won't return the same person, and that you will be blessed by the hearts of these people. They are awesome... more so than I can describe in words alone.

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Every day is an adventure

Today my favorite thought is, "Every day is an adventure so unlike the one before." I like it that way, though. I learn more that way. I couldn't imagine it being much fun if life wasn't an adventure. If I had to do the same thing everyday, I'd be miserable.

So much has been going on lately. It's like a roller coaster, but with my life in the seat and not me the person. It's fun, just rapidly changing and evolving. I feel like I'm discovering more and more what God really wants me to do with my life, which is a great thing.

This Sunday I leave for the Bahamas for a week-long mission trip. I'm extremely excited. At the same time, though, I'm rather nervous as I don't quite know what to expect. I've done mission projects in the states, but I've never gone abroad for a mission project. This will definitely be a learning experience and I hope the first of many opportunities I will have to travel for mission work.

That's all for today... have a good one!

Philippians 3:12-16

Even the worst can find grace

I was inspired by something in the news today. As most people (at least in the US) probably know, on this past Friday a man escaped police custody in the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, shot 3 people on his way out, and later killed a federal agent who tried to bring him in.

Sometime late, late Friday night, this man found a woman entering her apartment, went up to her and forced himself in, thus taking her hostage. He was apprehended mid-morning Saturday while at this same apartment. This morning when I watched the news, the woman was giving her account of what happened inside the apartment.

He put a gun to her to force himself in. At first, he tied her up. Over time, he began to trust her more, and she began to trust him more. He untied her. The guns were sitting around the house where she could have easily reached for them. The phone was never more than a few steps away.

Instead of grabbing a gun and shooting him, instead of calling 911, this woman got her bible and her copy of The Purpose Driven Life and read to him. She loved her enemy. She fed the hungry. She spoke the truth without judging. She didn't seek revenge but rather turned the other cheek. She chose the path that led to life. Her actions were so Christ-like that when I first listened to her recount the events of this "hostage situation", I was amazed. It changed this man. He didn't want to hurt anyone else. He said that she was "an angel sent to him by God". He even said that God led him to her apartment so that he could hear the words she spoke. Amazing.

I think this woman answered the question, "What would Jesus do?" The question now, rather, is what would we have done?

This story is one that has inspired me. I hope it inspires you as well.

wow

I never thought this day would come, but I finally have a "blog". Since I don't like calling it a blog, though, I'm gonna call it my journal, cause that really is what this is.

This probably won't be long because I just created this thing and decided to have a first post. I leave for Freeport, Bahamas in 6 days and I can't wait... I'm not sure exactly what we'll be doing when we get there, probably a combination of re-roofing people's houses and fixing up other stuff that the hurricanes damaged late last year, but it really is exciting to go down there for a week.

A quote keeps coming to mind that I first read when I was in junior high and re-read not too long ago... it's by John Wesley... "You don't have to advertise a fire. Get on fire for God and the world will come to watch you burn." It really makes you think... well, it made me think.

Anyway, that's it for now. Have a great day!

.gcm