Well hello again!!! I have missed you! But don't worry, we will catch up.
I must say it again, God is good. Even when I don't feel like giving praise, He is still good.
I digress.
It has been a great couple of weeks! Over the past couple of weeks God has really shown me what it looks like to be in ministry full time, and it can be difficult. I definetly still have a very long way to go, but it is giving me a great taste of what it will be like down the road. Let me tell you something my friends, never take your college minister or pastor for granted! I never realized how much planning and prayer it takes to even organize a small event or mission trip. I am learning more and more that God wants a Godly man to be a leader, not an immature boy. I love to joke around, I do! But there is a time and a place for that, and more often a time and a place to be strong. My prayer is that God will continue to change me from the inside out, so that I can be an example to those around me and someone they can trust.
God has started putting non-believers in my life, and allowing us to form relationships with them. PRAISE THE LORD!!!! I need prayers my friends, THEY NEED PRAYERS!!! Help me knock down the spiritual barriers of darkness to allow the true light of God and salvation to shine into their lives. God is showing me over and over that we so often forget about the outcasts in society, or the ones who don't receive the attention they need or love, and that He came to redeem them as well. God is good, and He loves you and me.
We went to the Rock and Worship Road Show this past Thursday and it was absolutely fantastic! Bart Miller from Mercy Me gave the final talk, and it was very thought provoking. He talked about what it meant to love God. So often, we love the attributes that we like about God and His gifts. His love, our house, our friends, our money, being healed, etc. All of things are great no doubt and He deserves praise and love for them. But do we love God for just being God? If you were to ask me why I loved my future wife and I responded, "Well she cooks for me, cleans for me, makes my bed, rubs my back, takes care of the kids, etc." you would think that is a pretty shallow love am I right? Those are things that I will respect and love about my wife, but my hope is that I will love her for the very person she is! We should love God for merely who He is! HE IS GOD! And he has loved us enough not to leave us rotting in our sin and darkness, but has provided a way to enter into a relationship with Him. The question we all need to face is, do we love God for just being God? Do we love Him when the cancer doesn't go away? Do we love Him when we are poor as dirt and can barely lift our face? God is unchanging my friends and He loves with unconditional love, and we should strive to love Him in that same way, for if we truly loved God, we would change the world. (And no, we will never match the love that God has shown towards us, but we can sure love Him to our fullest).
I am going to Alaska next week to go serve Jesus with my college group back home for 8 days. I am so excited not only to see my friends and show Jesus to people, but also to place myself in a learning position to take notes and bring them back to Boise for when we go to Cheney/Spokane, Washington for our missions trip. I would covet your prayers for both of these mission trips. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blogs and pray for me, I can never thank you enough!
God bless my friends,
Phillip
