flying out

So I am waiting on the plane in L.A.X. waiting for our flight to leave to Cabo San Lucas Mexico. It is Janice, me, and her parents. I am not doing good to stay updated on here, but I am so busy with Janice. . . . for me it's very good. I am having a BLAST, it is going good with her parents and all is well. :~)

I'll update when I get back. . . . I swear!

Mikey+Jesus+Janice=love

Christmas Video

Here is just a slight video update. It is all I got for now. I promise I will get some pictures uploaded before I go to Mexico on Sunday. SUNDAY??? Goodness, I can't believe I am going to go to Mexico for New Years!!!

Well, we got some snow today. Quite a good amount too. Right now I am sitting in my car in the driveway/parking lot of Brandon's apartment. I'm waiting for him to get home so I can pass out on his couch. I am in Indianapolis too. The drive was really intimidating, especially with the current condition of my front tires. I saw like 6 serious accidents, but I made it safe & sound. Gotta big day tomorrow. I can't even describe how excited I am to see Janice. Wow it is gonna be so good. I have no idea how I am going to react when I see her tomorrow, it's gonna be good, I know this much. real good!

Mikey+Jesus+Janice=love

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birthday and christmas in 1 day!

So, I had a birthday today.

I also got my infusion. Dang I have gotten a lot of those things. Anyways, the nurses got me this cake. HOW ROCKIN!! I didn't exactly eat it, but I did give it to a little girl who LOVED IT! I didn't lie either George. Because, I said I got it from the hospital, and they made it. I never said I purchased it. So it was not a lie. I also celebrated Christmas. Since I am not going to be here on the 25th, my mom wanted to make sure we got our yearly family time in. It was nice. We ate a killer dinner, sang songs, watched a movie, got gifts, ate dessert, played with a dog, and other things. Well, we did all that except for the song singing part.

Yea, so this was my December 18th. I just want to leave. Very badly I want to leave. I can not get to Janice quick enough!!!

a good dinner

Met with Tom today for dinner. It was a real good thing. I am blessed to have him in my life.

Mikey+Jesus+Janice=love

So pretty!

Ya know, I was driving to the University this morning and I saw the most beautiful sky. Check out this picture I took while driving.

The whole sky lit up as I drove in to take my Geology final, which was by the way EXTREMELY DIFFICULT! But that is neither here no there, I am done with Geology, hopefully for the rest of my life (knock on wood). But anyways, back to the sky. The Red's and Blue's were so beautifully strewn about. It was almost magical. The picture does not do justice to what my eyes saw this morning.

God really painted a beautiful sunrise for me this morning. Thanks God. :~}

God, you are awesome

Today I was busy, busy, busy. I had to study for my Geology exam I have tomorrow. Then, I had a ministry outreach opportunity to get to. First I had to get diapers. I GOT LOTS OF DIAPERS! There was a manager (don't want to say name) at a local store who really wanted to help me out. Dave (pastor) wrote me a check from church for $50 and said, "go fourth and multiply." He didn't say it exactly like that, but you get the point. So, I went to many locations. Finally I found a place where the manager would give me her 20% employee discount. It was good stuff, so I got loads of diapers. I thought the Community Care Collection went really well. People showed up, and we had lots of stations for all the different charities in town. several representatives from different charities showed up, and it was just real good. A nice atmosphere.

I brought Ingrid, and she seemed to like it pretty well.

Later in the evening, after I wrote pages and pages of notes for my Geology exam, Ingrid and I ended up talking till like 2AM. It was some deep conversation, and I feel God did something there. God is really good. He knows what we need, when we need it. He loves us, and though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we need not fear the evil. I believe that with all my heart, I just forget it easily at times. That's the good thing about Grace. He is always there to give us a second chance even though we don't deserve it in the least bit. He just has his hands out ready to hand it to us at all times. What a GOD!

INGRID HAS ARRIVED!

I could tell of much more, but I will tell this much. Ingrid, a super nice woman off of CouchSirfing.org arrived tonight. She is so cool, and if it wasn't so late, I would be up talking with her. But, it is late, so I must go to bed. This is Ingrid. And this picture was taken at Seattle. She takes full advantage of CouchSirfing.org She seems super interesting, I can't wait to sit down and talk with her. CouchSirfing.org is an awesome concept, and everyone should partake in it. GO CHECK OUT THE SITE!!

I'll tell you what I know

BOOTH OF STUDY

I studied today, I really studied hard and for long extended periods of time. And ya know what? I got a lot accomplished. I could take my Applied Leadership final tomorrow and feel confident on it.

Do I still have a crap load yet to study/write? Why yes, yes I do. I have a feeling I will get it done though, no problemo.

Today is the last day we will have Campaigners (Young Life Bible study) for 3 weeks. Pretty much we are taking a break while I am going to be away in California. Which is all good. Holiday time is upon us.

Today I feel sort of ohhh I dunno, disconnected a bit I suppose. Not Spiritually, but just mentally a little bit. I have been in a weird frame of mind the past couple of days. I am like in a bit of a stunned mode. Like I can't believe I will be with Janice in 6 (almost) days. I have not seen her in person for 4 months. And while it has been a time of growing for the both of us, it has still been extremely difficult. Shoot, it has straight up sucked. And to think we are going to be with each other for 3 weeks!! Not just hanging out, but in Mexico, and in other amazing circumstances. I am just kind of in shock. My silly pessimistic mind keeps thinking of all that could go wrong: lack of funds, travel plans (air travel issues, luggage, etc.), and others. Now, I have a choice. Keep dwelling on these "issues" or just release them to God and move forward. I believe I will release and move forward. Yes, that is what I will do. Easier said than done? No, I really am going to have faith with this specific circumstance and just move forward. END OF STORY!

I CAN'T TO SEE MY JANICE!!!

P.S. The dog is officially ours.

I keep learning

I cleaned out my closet today. There was much to be gotten rid of. I will be able to donate a lot of clothes & shoes this year though, and that is a really good thing.

I learned something today. Well, more like I was reminded of something today.

1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:6-2:2, a pastor is to have the following traits: He is to be trustworthy and capable of leadership having an urge for good works being blamelessness and beyond reproach because of his good reputation. If he is married, then he is faithful to his wife, and if he is not, then he does not possess a wandering eye. He is one who is called to teach and is expected to be self controlled; not given to violence, dishonesty, or quarrel. Indeed, this man is not to be given to material excess nor to strong drink or other such indulgences which would remove his focus from the Lord. He is one who is not overbearing but is one who is hospitable and temperate, ministering with a gentleness of spirit onto others. He manages the needs of his family and his ministry well and encourages all those who are around him. He is mature in all of these things because he is well disciplined. In summary, he is one who is called to the office of teacher and leads a holy lifestyle, having an ear for sound doctrine.

I saw why this is so important. God has chosen me, and I must learn to fill the position at all times. Getting frustrated with an individual is no excuse.

A friend, and a puppy

Brandin, you remember Brandin. Well, if you don't remember Brandin, just search my BLOG using "Brandin" and you will see who he is. I met him a couple of years ago at Snider.

Yes, met him at Snider High School, and now we have become good friends. He is going to College in Indianapolis and doing really well for himself. I am pretty proud of him actually. I am just glad I can be consistent in his life. I am stoked that he still calls me up and asks if we can go out for lunch. It is a good thing I tell ya. Amazing how showing up at some kids lunch table every Wednesday can do. It really is amazing.

Later on in the day I went Door to Door to pass out flyers about what my church is doing next Tuesday. It is pretty rockin! Check out my churches Web Site! www.lifelightchurch.com It is actually really well done. GOOD JOB GEORGE! So yeah, we are having a neat ministry opportunity next Tuesday.

Ministry Night

December 15 2009 at 05:00 PM

On December 15th Tuesday night at 5:00 help non-profit organizations in the area make Christmas dreams come true.

Christmas wishlist for charities!

December 15 2009 at 05:00 PM

Sleeping bags/blankets. Fast food vouchers. Non-perishable foods. Hygiene products. Diapers. Household cleaning supplies. Children’s books. Styrofoam cups, new toys. Kids winter wear. Linens/t

owels.

Yeah buddy, I went door to door and told lots of people about this. It TWAS A GOODTHING.

Then I went home and played with my moms new dog. I think we are keeping it. I don't like it, but she does, so I guess I like it.

It is pretty cute, so what the heck.

God is good, ohh yes God is good.

conversation, wrestling, and more conversation

I needed to study today, probably all day. But, I somehow managed to not study. I think I have already mentally checked out.

But, yet physically I am still here. I am so stoked to be with my baby in California/Mexico. We are going to get to experience so many firsts as a couple, and I am going to experience so many firsts just for me personally. Here are some of the 1st's.

• Going to Disney Land together.
• Experiencing our first Christmas together.
• Flying on an airplane for the first time together.
• Our first New Years together.
• Going out of the country for the first time together.
• Going to our first wedding together.

And probably some others, but I just can't think of them right now. It is going to be so amazing!!! I seriously can't wait. But, I have to wait. Because there is still 9 days, soon to be 8 days. AHHHH!! I am so blessed. 10 days in Cabo San Lucas with my baby. Wow Wow Wow Wow!

I had many amazing God driven conversations with several different people. God is alive, and he is doing great things. He is moving in and through me, and impacting the lives of his children for his glory. At 6:30pm I went to Snider High School for a wrestling meet.

Yeah, we supported our guys, and I enjoyed Austin. Austin is a good kid. After the wrestling meet. I met with an individual about a subject that was very important to him. We had some really healthy God driven conversation. It was a really good thing. God is a really good thing. Even when God doesn't make sense, even when it seems impossible, that is WHEN HE IS EVEN BETTER!! God loves me, my parents love me, my friends love me, and Janice loves me. I know Janice loves me, and even for all the right reasons! Janice is such a good thing.

G'Night!

Christ is my everything!

Today after I left class, I had to go to my sisters to drop something off. Don't ask what I dropped off, because it is Christmas time and sometimes you just don't get specific answers like that. ;o) As I drove down town, I saw all these beautiful lights and Christmas decorations all over the place. So. . . I took a bunch of pictures and sent them to Janice. It was really fun. I liked this picture the most. It is of the bakery downtown. They drape all these beautiful lights off the side of the building, and they blink and sparkle and just look really beautiful. Not to mention it smells of super yummy bread baking. It is awesome.

Later in the evening I went to Campus Crusades. It was so awesome! My Young Life area director gave the talk, and it was so good. Talking about how God so desires to be our father. He gave a great story about how his little girl clunged to him when she was learning how to swim last year. She felt like she was going to drown. She in fact was safe, but she being a little 3 year old girl did not know better. So, when Josh lifted her out of the water, she grabbed to him tightly and was desperate for the safety he gave to her. What a perfect picture for how we should come to God.

God is so good. I love that I have a relationship with Him. Christ is my everything!

Sunday is filled with this and that

I had a very filled Sunday. It started off with me getting a text from Austin asking if I could take him to Church. Then a text from Dave (pastor/mentor/friend) asking if I would print out some lyrics. I went to church which was awesome. I have the notes in my car, but it is super cold out, and so just take my word for it. Then I went to school to work on this paper I have been writing for my Religion & Culture class. I had gotten a lot of it done yesterday, but when I went to open the file up on my laptop, it was not there. It said the file was corrupt or something. I was just like. . . . . "are you kidding me?!?!" It was a very not so cool moment. I have so much Spanish to memorize/study for Wednesday, I am freaking out and want to get as much work done in my other classes so I can devote all to Spanish. Darn computer and it's corrupt files. After I got my paper about to where I had gotten it to yesterday before my computer was a jerk and erased it, I went to the last Young Life meeting of the year. The committee had a little X-Mas party thing for us. It was nice, they said really nice things about us, and it was really cool. The x-mas party was really great. The above picture shows Ryan's feet to the left and my feet to the right.

As soon as I left the party, I went directly to Ryan's house for campaigner time. It was really good. These guys are so real. I am extremely blessed for every one of them. And these guys go through a lot. I can't believe what some of them go through on a daily basis. A bunch of tough cookies I tell you what. Now, it is time for me to go to bed. I am super tired. I get to be with Janice in California in 13 days. That is so crazy to me. 13 days and I will be with my baby. My baby who I have not hugged or kissed for 4 months!!! Wow I am excited!

failure turned to success!

So today I was supposed to take about 13 kids to the Coliseum (expo center) in Fort Wayne, to watch an IPFW basketball game. We had it worked out so that we would be sitting in a box suite. Someone gave 16 tickets to Young Life, and so of course I got a bunch of kids around who sounded into it, and budda bing budda boom! Well, literally hours before we were to leave, I found out that the tickets had not come through. And now I have 13 kids, two leaders, and myself wondering what the heck we were gonna do. . . We (leaders) figured it out. We went to another leaders house and got tons of pizza, with xbox 360 and POKER!! I was in hog heaven ya know?
We had a lot of fun. Also, there was several people who were there who are not Young Life usuals. It was a great night. It wasn't a Box Suite, but it was a real good night. I forgot how much I love playing poker too. Seriously it is so much fun. :o) Tonight was really good. God is extremely filled with Grace. I love Janice more than words can properly express, and I love life. Janice is such an amazing gift. :o) Look, there are like 2 smiley faces in 1 sentence. That is super happy!!

G.I. Joe

The day ended with two of my friends, Nate (closest), and Ryan (fartheset) coming over to my house and watching the movie G.I. Joe. I got it for $1 from a red box machine. It was horrible. lol.

But Nate & Ryan were really good for me. I felt an anxiety that was still lingering with me. Clouding my thinking a bit, and it was just really good that I was surrounded with my people. Good thing in deed.

What's this, there is no guarantee for the now?

It is a common question between new believers, I get it from my Young Life guys often. "If I give my everything over to God, and truly surrender my life to him, why doesn't my life get better?" I know all the Bible answers; it builds character, it strengthens our Spirituality, shows us that through Christ we can overcome obstacles that seemed impossible, God never gives us more than what we can handle, and so on. But, knowledge of this, and even accepting it does little to sooth the present pain life constantly dishes out to us. The more I understand who I really am, and who God really is, I come to find that I am a very sensitive individual. This has it's serious downsides. I can take the worse physical beating my M/S can possibly throw at me with strides. But when it comes to emotional distress or uncertainty, I am so weak. God is calling me out on this too. He is straight up saying to my face, "DO YOU TRUST ME OR NOT!?!?" I feel as though God is directly asking me, "Do you trust that I have given ****** to you as you have asked so many times, or do you doubt my direct and obvious work in your life?" I SCREAM AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS, "BUT IT'S NOT FAIR, IT'S NOT SIMPLE AND PERFECT LIKE I WANT IT TO BE!!!" At times, I literally scream to God. As if he can't hear my frustration in a normal voice. Unfiltered honesty escapes from my soul. It feels good to have a release. But, where is the lasting guarantee I desire? It is in Truth. I am in the computer lab right now at school (not working on my paper), and I thought to myself. "Who struggled like crazy in the Bible?" I immediately thought of Job. Job suffered big time. Job's life makes my petty (yet still my reality) issues seem as though they are nothing. I could find worldly answers that appeal to my current standing just as Job found through his three friends. But it would be without logic and void of Christ. I could take those "typical Bible answers" that I mentioned above, and try to just explain away the issue. This would be partially true, but lacking something very important. It is only when I accept that struggling causes ME to Trust God for who he is, not what he does that I am fully lifted out of my "funk." That is where I want to be. The whole time I have been writing this post, I have been praying that I be able to give this heart issue to God. To really surrender it to Him, and to build and change who I am for the better because of it. This truly is my desire. I always pray for God to increase my faith. Why am I to think he isn't right now, in these moments of "life confusion?" In this specific instance, "Faith" is trusting and acting in Christ when it doesn't make "worldly" sense to do so. That is what I will choose to do. Not because I have too much invested or any other reason. I will choose to act by faith because I am a child of God, and my life will represent this in all I do, think, feel, and say. It has to, otherwise I am just a hypocrite. And there is a guarantee for the now. The guarantee is that God is in control, if I am surrendering myself completely to Him, then I will go through life not doubting and questioning, but rather accepting of whatever He has to throw at me. The guarantee is that God is God, and I don't have to understand it in order to give it my all. Even if I am broken beyond recognicion (physically or emotionally), I am alive in Christ. There is no greater advance in a spiritual journey than coming to this single realization. Even if I am struck down, still I will love Him. Even if I have everythig I love and care for ripped away from me, STILL I WILL LOVE HIM. I find serious comfort in this.

club was poppin tonight I tell you what!

Yeah, my day was, well I guess we won't know how the start of my day was till Friday when I get my last termed exam back. I just have one accumulated final, and I am DONE! I may have done good on it, or I may have done bad. I could have studied a little bit more, but I definitely did not blow it off by any means (maybe slightly).

CLUB was boss tonight. There was probably 75 kids there tonight, and i'm telling you, it was amazing. So much energy, and so much raw FUN! I loved it. I love the atmosphere that is at a Young Life club. No matter who you are, no matter what is going on in your life, you can come and have a kicking time. It is such a safe environment to be yourself and have a blast. Ryan gave the talk and did a really great job. He was feeling so sick, and dizzy and tummy not so hot, we prayed. And right until the last second, he was still feeling that way. When he stood up to talk, he was fine. Maybe God was just testing his faith. To see if Ryan would competely rely on Him. It worked. :-) So today when I was in the garage getting a little bit of ice cream at night. I started thinking. I started thinking about how I desire to live a life completely devoted to Christ and his teachings. One verse that popped into my mind was a piece of 2 Corinthians 10:5. I only remembered the "taking thoughts captive" part, but enough to say the least. I desire that so much. Especially when it comes to my life of purity. I desire purity in all facets. Physical purity, emotional purity, mental purity, and social/interpersonal purity. I must be prepared to allow God to come into every thought, every sentence, and every action. If not, I am trying to lead my own life, instead of releasing my ALL to Him who loves me more than I will every be ale to comprehend. It's a good thing, a very very good thing.

That whole verse is "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captivev every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

And my Bible has some really cool words about that verse, they are as follows. . .

God must be in complete control, even our thoughts must be submitted to his control as we live for him. Spirit-empowered believers must capture every thought and yield it to Christ. When exposed to ideas, or opportunities that might lead to wrong desires, you have a choice. You can recognize the danger and turn away, or you can allow unhealthy thoughts to take you captive. You capture your fantasies and desires when you honestly admit them to the Lord and ask him to redirect your thinking. Ask God to give you the spirit of discernment to keep your thoughts focused on his truth.

Dang, I like that a lot.