Currently Reading Rich Dad's Retire Young, Retire Rich By Sharon L. Lechter, Robert T. Kiyosaki see related

Dear Xangites,

     Due to excessive annoyance by Phil and mild prodding by Abel I have finally decided to update my Xanga site.  So what's new in my life?  Well this semester I've decided to lead a team to Romania.  I am so excited!  My team is really great and I love my ATL to death.  Her & I get along great and she's way fun.  At one point, we had 10 people on the team and now we're down to about 7, but that could drop to 5 if we're not careful.  But regardless of the numbers I am so excited to have the opportuniy to pour into my team what I have learned this past summer and year.

     This semester has been a tragedy as far as grades, but the good news is that I have passed all of my classes.  I remember as a frosh seeing seniors just interested in passing their classes and screwing their GPA... and I thought I would never be like that.  But now that have decided that I want to go start my own business, I am not so concerned with GPA as I am learning what's important.

     I have spent a lot of time reading books by Robert Kiyosaki.  In his books (the first of the series entitled "Rich Dad, Poor Dad") he explains the process of becoming wealthy and how anyone can do it.  I have been very inspired by these books, but not for my own personal gain, but for the Kingdom.  Someday I would like to have a system of businesses and real estate holdings that support missionaries worldwide and other causes here at home.

     That is the another thing that is changing withing me.  I am finding I really am attracted to the United States for ministry.  I used to think that I would be a foreign missionary, but as I go on more in my life I see so many opportunities here.  Did you know that 90% of boys in the United States regularly view porn?  NINETY PERCENT!  Isn't that crazy?  I can do something about that.  I can start support groups.  I can fund anti-porn programs.  But the truth is, these are just symptoms.  There is something wrong with America--we have turned Christianity into an empty religion with no relationship, and I contend that until we remedy that, we will have no success addressing the moral problems of our day.

    Probably another big change in my life has been the move to Facebook!  I love it.  The groups work better and I feel like I am creating a marketing campaign when I create one.  So far I have created a "Students for Well-Trimmed and Sexy Facial Hair" group, which sits around 155... and I have created a second group which cannot be named, but has just surpassed the "W is my Homeboy" group.  Quite glorious.  What is "xanga" anyways?  Facebook has become my new passion.  But alas, facebook does not blog, so I suppose there is a small place for Xanga in my future.

     The last big change in my life has been Abel leaving.  He's pretty much done with his tenure at ORU, and that makes me so sad.  I love that guy to death; he and I get along so well, that is why I call him my best friend.  I really only have 2 best friends in the whole world and one I never get to see.  So Abel means a lot to me, and I'm going to miss him a ton.  I know that God will use him wherever he is and I will be praying that he does.  But still, the whole thing seems kinda sudden.  I mean... 3.5 years with Abel and then he's gone... and I found this out all within like a week.  It was a real shocker, and I'm pretty sad.  It's at moments like these when I think that life is cruel and hard and it reminds me that God is the only constant, and to Him I must cling.

     Speaking of clinging,the other last thing I have to say is about Tonya.  She & I broke up a few months ago, and we hadn't spoken since.  I decided that was dumb so I asked her to go to lunch with me... but I wanted to keep it on the DL so no one would think that we were getting back together.  But *of course*... my ATL followed me to where I parked at ORU so I had to introduce them and Courtney (my ATL) gave me a weird look.  And *then* if that wasn't bad enough, one of my professors spotted us at Applebees! aaah!!  So anyways, it was great taling to her. 

     So to anyone who actually read all of that or just skimmed to this paragraph, merry Christmas and a happy new year!  Don't ya just love Christmas time?  Carols, snow, hot chocolate, bundling up, presents.  Aaaah, what a glorious holiday.  Anywyas, I've got to get back on the road to Phoenix.  Sianara, folks.

Currently Listening Don't Know Why By Norah Jones see related

So I haven't posted in awhile, but I definitely need to share with my xanga friends this major change in my life since this summer.  Alot of you knew me to be a very skeptical and sometimes spiritually dry person.  I can now tell you with full honesty that God is everything to me!  I found a church that meets on Saturday night, called (ironically) "Saturday Night".

The church isn't really what changed me; it was the presence of God.  I have never met as many people on fire for God on a continuous basis in my life.  They pray because they want to.  And they regularly embody the thesis which solved my dilemma.

You see, I used to be horribly depressed.  There was just no point to living.  Up until this point, Christianity had been about doing right or wrong--the moral dilemma.  I simply could not win this battle, I realized and I began to slack in my studies (I actually failed French just b/c I was lazy!), shirk other duties, and neglect my social life.  There was just no reason to live.  As I saw it, I could never measure up or convince myself to do good.  I was presented with choice after choice and I sinned each time.  It was the best I could ever be as I came to find out.

You see, the trouble was I was living my life for God, not with God.  In fact, we are to be one with Him.  I contend that union with God is the fundamental tenant of the Christian faith.  Union with God is loving Him with everything you have and experiencing his presence continually.  I am certainly not there, but when I finally grasped it is not I who am making the choices but God, I did not have to sulk in my lack of ability to perform, for I realized that He does the work in me and I simply submit my life fully.  Suddenly life was not about how much good or bad I did, but how much of myself was in Him.  My goal was no longer a sinless life but intimacy.  God is so amazing!

Anyways I just wanted to share that with you all and encourage everyone to check out Saturday Night Revival Fire Tulsa.  It's an awesome group of about 50 or so people that meet for worship and teaching.  It's a warm, family-like environment and most of them are about college age.  It's worth it!  Email me if you'd like to go.  Just try it out!

Dear Xangites,

How's it goin'?  Today I went to a most ill-traveled location:  the Mojave Water Treatment Plant.  Now, you would expect that a water treatment plant in the boonies would look pretty industrious and not very fancy, right?  Wrong.  This place was complete with a fountain in front, red-brick buildings, air conditioning, classy art, and just generally had a very elegant touch.  It seems to me like an agregious misappropriation of funds to provide 25 people with a classy, air-conditioned, red brick facility and deny our educators the funds they need.  Tulsa, here's to you.

Currently Listening The Phantom of the Opera (2004 Movie Soundtrack) see related

So a powerful message hit me today.  The same God who delivered Egypt out of the desert by splitting the seas, who destroyed entire nations, and who sparked earth-shattering revivals is the same God today.  The reason there is not an outpouring of God in our nation and that the churches are dry ultimately comes down to YOU AND I.  That's right... the only difference is that we are not moldable enough for that to happen.  God is literally panting after revival but NO ONE has been willing enough for Him to use.  Isn't that convicting!?

Currently Reading Trump : The Art of the Deal By Donald J. Trump, Tony Schwartz see related

Ahoy!

In a rare turn of events... I have actually posted!  Brilliant!  Well ladies & gents, my life has taken quite the turn since I last posted.  I am living off-campus with a friend from my church, Marcus, and it is quite nice to have my own space.  Hurrah.

Who wants to raise capital to buy cityplex with me?