Encouraging Word
Friday 3/12/2010
This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.
~ 1 John 1:5, NLT
You know you're up late for no real reason when you check your email for the millionth time, and you get that message. KLove sends those emails at about 2:30 every morning. I'm on a free night out, where I can go anywhere, do anything, whatever I want, until first call the next day. Only thing is, we have a bag in tomorrow, so there is no first call :D My first class is band at 11:30. We don't have to wear a uniform to that class. I basically get to be a non-reg tomorrow. I'm so happy and excited. I've finally made it. Spring Break. This week has been incredibly long, definitely one of the longest since I've been here. Emotionally, it's been almost as tough as FOW. Maybe it's been even worse, but I'm just stronger.... maybe... (A Nike ad just won my attention. It's probably the smartest ad I've ever seen. It was on my Pandora Radio tab. It said "It's 2:44 AM... You're sitting at your computer listening to music... Why not take that music running?" It was exactly 2:44 AM, I was sitting at my computer, listening to music, and I have no desire to run right now. But hey, 2 out of 3 is pretty good, especially when one is telling me exactly where I am and what I'm doing...) Well, however tough it was mentally, it was just as tough physically. This gc stuff is tough, and I haven't even done all that much. I did gimp pt with a sophomore on Wednesday morning, instead of going on the outfit run, and I went to half an hour of training time today, before leaving for class, but that's all the pt I've done, except for the air out last Friday, when I sprained my ankle. But still, in those two pt sessions, I did a lot. Probably close to 3 class sets of push ups on Wednesday (a class set is 113), one today, a class set of sit ups, holding a bar (don't know how much it weighed, but it wasn't real light) straight out in front of me, class set of flutter kicks, mountain climbers (ugh!), and a bunch of random pt while waiting for my buddies to run down the quad and back. And some pull ups. I'm so bad at those. Oh well. It's all over now. I'm almost done with the first Dr Pepper I've had in more than a month, probably two. I used to have no more than one coke a week, as reward for whatever I thought I had accomplished that week, but I've cut back since starting school to where I rarely drink any. Saw Alice in Wonderland with some buddies. Not at all what I thought it would be like. It was surprisingly good, but also really cliche. It makes me scared to read the book, because of how bad I would think the movie is afterwards. I've heard it's a really good book, though. Maybe I'll put it on my list.
Ok, I should probably leave you with something good and deep, especially if you made it this far. But first, you should know that I really like this Pandora station. If you don't know what Pandora is, first, slap yourself, then go to pandora.com and be awesomified. I started this station with ffh, then I added Jars of Clay, and JJ Heller. There might be another artist in there, too, but I don't think there is. If you like chill (lots of acoustic, but other stuff, too) Christian music, but also like a little upbeat stuff, too, you'll probably like this station. I think I can send it to you if you want. Anyway, something deep. I had something I wanted to share... Oh yeah! It has to do with this week. This week has been so long, and I probably thought more about punching each day this week than I have this whole semester. One thing that kept me going, and that's helped me a lot this year, is this: everything that has a beginning, has an end. Everything. Well, I mean everything here on earth. This is, obviously, both a good and bad thing. It's good at times like this week. During smokings, or any training we did, sometimes I would just think about how it'll be over, and I'll be looking back on it. Nothing goes on forever. It's also bad, but not just in situations that we enjoy (like Spring Break!!). We only have so much time here. We need to make the most of it, because it'll end, and we'll be looking back on it. Things may or may not be enjoyable now, but we decide what we do with what God's given us. Keep your focus on getting closer to God, furthering His kingdom, encouraging your brothers and sisters in Christ; spend your time here glorifying God, because that's all that matters when it's over. Now, that doesn't mean drop everything and go preach to whoever you can find (unless that's what God's called you to do). See, when you get to heaven, no one is going to care how many push ups you could do, but God can use push ups for His glory. I'm not just trying to justify my being in the Corps, either. Believe me, I don't like it here. You've probably figured that out by now if you've been reading my blogs. But even though I don't like it here, I love my buddies, and every single one of them is an open opportunity, almost beckoning with outstretched arms. They are why I'm here. I'm here for the one who hasn't talked to God since the divorce. I'm here for the one who believes in God, and Jesus, and three other names I can't pronounce. I'm here for the one who can't find God. I'm here for the one who thinks that God is something they teach in Sunday school to keep kids quiet, Jesus was killed because He didn't like Jews, and that Paul is the guy who got eaten by a whale after running from a burning bush. I'm here for the evolutionist, the addict, the Mormon. I'm here for the one who prays three times a day, and sometimes on Sunday. And I'm here for the one who knows God, has Jesus in his heart, and shows His love to everyone he meets. I know I got totally off track with all this, but I hope you've gotten something out of it anyway. If you pray for me, whether occasionally, regularly, or even just once, I thank you. When you pray for me, please pray for my buddies as well, and especially for the example I set for them. They need God's love, and, for some of them, I may be the only example of it that they have. I just hope I'm a good one. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for them. There would be no point. I only have so much time.
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