Oh, Canada

I am going through my room packing my clothes, toiletries, blankets, hoodies, sweatpants, wool socks, and many other cold-deterring objects, but I'm super pumped about heading to the great white north. And there are a few known facts about this New Years trip in "C-eh-N-eh-D-eh"... it's gonna be cold, it's gonna be fun, and it's gonna go by really fast. I don't like that last part, but I'm tired of doing nothing! No stress, no classes to worry about, no tests to study for, no track practice... it's a whole lot of nothing! Which I didn't mind at first, and I don't really mind it too much, but I need to get up and do something. So why not go to Canada?! Perfect.

As weird as this may seem to even myself, I'm ready to be back at school. Ready for reunited friends, constant "busy"-ness, and going to track practice. While there are many other reasons too, I just want to be back to whats comfortable. As you might have read, I really don't even live at my parents house anymore. My dresser was taken out, my bed wasn't setup, my clothes weren't in my closet, and half of my clothes were put in a box and sent to Goodwill by accident. So apart from feeling really loved and missed at home, I'm ready to get back to the Liberty University bubble. But for right now, I'm headed to Canada! I leave tomorrow at around 4-5am. The schedule isn't set yet, but I know it's gonna be early because we're all anxious to get there!

I'm not sure about internet connection up there, so I'm gonna bring the computer just in case. You might hear from me, you might not. So to all 6 of you, keep checking in! haha And if I don't get a chance to write anything, I might have pictures up instead or something. Not sure, but I'll deal with it when it comes to that point in the road. Have a great New Years! Be safe! And if you get a chance, read Deuteronomy again. Just because!

Peace out America, Seeya soon Canada!!!!

Deuteronomy 6:5-9

I just read Deuteronomy 6, and it was awesome!!! It's so amazing I couldn't help but smile and laugh while I'm reading it! I just love it! But here's quickly what I think about it.

Deuteronomy Chapter 6 starts off strong. And I'm sure you've all heard this verse or some form of it somewhere, but it says in verse 5: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you might." After the first five or six words in my head I thought, "Ok I already know this verse" so my mind shut off. But it was quickly woken up by the following verses thereafter. Verses 6-9 read:

"And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

God just doesn't want us to be loving on Sunday morning when we're "supposed" to be happy and filled with God's love. He wants us to love God and show people we love God 24/7. Whether you lie down, talk, walk, sit, or wake-up! It doesn't matter what you are doing, we need to be telling and showing people God's love. And after verse 9, what does it say? Well it talks about when we are faithful in obeying his commandments, God gives us what He promises. God took care of the Egyptians by bringing them out of Egypt and he promised them that if they were to obey Moses and God's directions, that God would give them the land that they want. Not that they deserved it or that we are owed something, but that God wants us to have it. God wants us to be happy.

And what have I been struggling with lately? Reading consistently, and not just reading when I feel like. And i've been spending my time playing with games, electronics, new gadgets and gismos, but what did I get out of that? A small emptiness or boredom after a while. But after reading for 5 minutes I feel joy, I feel like I'm learning something. I hear God speaking to me through His Word. Why do I choose materialistic things when I can have joy from the Lord?!

I hope you had a great Christmas and will have a fantastic New Year!!!

Thanks for reading!

Geren

Day 5

Today is day 5 of my Christmas break. And I'm officially running out of things to do. I expected to be shadowing and doing 30 hours for one of my classes this upcoming semester, but I didn't realize I have to jump through all of these hoops. Obviously there are certain things like paperwork and background checks or whatever that needs to be done, but I didn't expect it to take this long. Right now I'm waiting to have my second Tuberculosis shot/test in order to finish my shadowing application. Well that's not for another week and I'm starting to get restless.

Allentown is great, but there's not that much to do. And having 4 inches of snow over the weekend shuts things down even more. So now I'm down to playing guitar, reading books, and running. Well I complete that cycle about 3 or 4 times a day, so even those things get old. I'm not really ever on facebook, and I don't exactly know how to "stalk" people. I just figured out that there is more to facebook than just mini-feed! But even with this breakthrough, facebook is getting old. About the only thing I could do today was clean. When I get into my cleaning mode, watch out! This whole house is practically spotless, except for rooms that I wasn't allowed to go in. And it's especially weird cleaning "my" room when it's actually my brothers now. My mom told me to put my clothes away, and I responded, "Where?! I don't have a closet or a dresser anymore!" She replied, "Oh. Right." Boy, do I feel loved! haha

Today I read the ten commandments in Deuteronomy 5, which was cool to look back on how Moses went up on the mountain by himself because everyone else was too scared too. But it was just cool to read the story again. So I'm sorry that I don't have much to say about that. I'm sure there's a ton of stuff to talk about, but God didn't bless me with skills of a biblical mastermind.

Oh wait! I just remembered what I did today! I can't believe I almost forgot! So when I was bored today and vocally expressed it, I thought about the snow. Then I realized that I still had my snowboard! It has been years since I last went snowboarding, but today was the day. In the retention pond across from the front of my house is a "big hill." Well it was big when I was younger. I remember standing at the bottom and looking all the way up to the top, which seemed to be about 50 feet. It looked scary and very dangerous, but at that age we thought we were indestructible. I remember wiping out many times and coming home almost paralyzed from the "huge bails" and "nasty wipeouts." The ramps were about 2 feet high, but when you are only 4 feet tall it's a big deal.

Going back to the "slope" today was fun! It was really small, but there was already a huge ramp built so it was perfect! My brother and I had to do a little maintenance on the run but after 5 minutes of fixing up, the jump was ready for me!

After a few jumps of solid 3 feet of air, we decided to call it a day. Bringing back some good memories. It was a blast!

And to make my day even better, Dusty Bottoms has arrived!!! We're gonna have a blast over the next few days going to my sister's new house, fixing, moving, cleaning... ya know, manly stuff! haha Can't wait to see my friends again and get this break over with!

Until next time!

Limb-o

I know the day is just started, but I've already had a great morning! Woke up earlier than I needed to, not on purpose, because my parents told me to get up for the 9:15am service. So I got up at 8:15ish and started to get ready for the day. But as I was shaving, I was startled to see my dad all dressed up like a blizzard was going to wipe out our house. He told me that we were going to the later service because of some reason and so I decided to head on outside to help him shovel the 4-5 inches of snow we got yesterday! Well needless to say, I had a blast shoveling the snow! For some reason I really missed it. I haven't done it in probably two years, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! And it was probably the best snow I've ever seen. The snow was light and fluffy, but with one scoop into the snow, it was a perfect snowball. The best "packing" snow I have seen in combination with the lightness of it too. It was weird, but it was awesome. And there was just something about getting up early before anyone goes anywhere, shoveling the snow, listening to the sounds of nature and other men around the block scraping the driveway and sidewalks. It brought back many memories of when my dad would make two huge piles near the end of the driveway and I would make one snow fort and my sister and brother would make a snow fort and we'd have snowball fights all day. Good times =)

But another great thing about today was church. I love my church and my pastor! He is so "down-to-earth" and just speaks the truth; not always things we want to hear, but what we need to hear. But today his title was "Out no a limb." I didn't really know where he was going with that, but it seemed rather interesting. I tried to think of how this relates to a lesson, but I figured I would just let him talk to me instead of me trying to steal his thunder.

Going along with the Christmas theme, we read from Luke 2 (with many other references too, but mainly in Luke). And after reading the verses, the first thing he said to us was, "Have you ever gone out on a limb for God?" Bam. Instantly I got the point of the analogy. Now send the reinforcements. Here were his examples:

Joseph and Mary -
- The Lord told both Joseph and Mary to go out on a limb by marrying being each other. Joseph would be ridiculed for marrying a women who was already pregnant. And Mary was ridiculed for being pregnant without being married.

Abram (later Abraham) -
- The Lord spoke directly to him in Genesis 12:1 - The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you." A direct voice from God.

Noah -
- God asked him to build an ark, when Noah hadn't even seen a drop of rain. But... Genesis 6:22 - "Noah did everything, just as God commanded him."

Joshua -
- Joshua 6:3-5 - "March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in."

As I sat there, I thought of all of the things that I have heard God ask me to do. All of them seemed small to me. All of it seemed so weird, so non-important to my life. I would always justify it in my head, "whatever man, they're scary and they probably don't need a ride anywhere." or "I need this money right now. How am I gonna pay for food?" (meanwhile I'm wasting my money at the movies or spending it on something useless) So as I analyzed my disobedience to God, I realized that what God asked of me seemed small, weird, crazy, and pointless. And then I tuned back into what Pastor Jim was saying and I heard, "God's asking them to do something bigger than them."

Oh boy. How selfish am I? Why did I think it had anything to do with me?! God was using me, but I kept asking what I would get out of it. Well Geren, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU!!! Oh... right.

Sometimes I feel like I'm "doing a good job" as a Christian, which isn't necessarily right or wrong, but then there are times like these. All you want to do is run and hide. And I feel even worse because I realize that I have been choosing where and how God wants to use me. One of my favorite quotes I heard from Jonathan Falwell says "It's not about your abilities, it's about your availability." It's like when we fill out a job application and we tell them what our schedule is like. Are we giving God a schedule? Or are we giving God our life? Are we being "living sacrifices" when we want to be? When it's convenient? I know that's something I struggle with.

So I challenge you like I was challenged today. Don't be selective like me. I don't just want to be used by running track. I want to be used by God; wherever He takes me. And remember, it's not about you and me. It's about glorifying God!!!

When you hear God, whether it seems small or weird, think about these men and women mentioned above. Noah; building an ark when they practically live in a desert. Joshua; marching around the city walls with trumpets and an army. They sound weird, but they realized something that I've been missing. It's not about them. It's bigger than them. It's bigger than us.

Lord, help me listen to you. Help me to obey when you call. I want to be available. I want you to have faith in me, that I will have faith in you to obey. God help me. I love you, now help me show it.

Old Testament

A couple weeks ago, I finished 1 Corinthians and I didn't know where to go next. One would think 2 Corinthians, but I wanted to read something that I wouldn't normally read. I think many people like New Testament better because it most easily relates to us, but I decided to go "Old-School."

It's been a couple weeks since I've cracked open the book of Deuteronomy and I've been surprised at what I've been learning. It hasn't been very pertinent as far as learning about something like patience or anger or something that can be applied directly, but it has been great to look back and see how God was active in the lives of Moses and his people. I don't read regular books for personal pleasure or entertainment, but I am finding myself hooked to some of the stories. I don't have them memorized or referenced, but they are pretty basic themes. God tells Moses to tell his people something, the people don't listen, and God punishes them. Or, God tells Moses to tell his people that they will not be harmed by an army much bigger than theirs, and the people are scared, but then God protects them as he said he would.

The other day I was thinking about what it would be like to be in those times. When God's voice is audibly heard and when you have people like Moses, David, Abraham, etc. What do these great men of God look like? What's it like to be around them? Do they have this aura to them? A shining light around them? haha But in all seriousness, I wonder what it would be like to be around them. I can't help but think of my buddies that I live with or my friends that I hang around. Are we like these great men of God? I can only speak for myself, but I know I'm not at that point. I don't I know if I will ever get to that point, but it is just something that I've been thinking about. If God were to call on me to stand up like Abraham or David, would I do it? Do I have enough faith? Do I trust God completely, to the point that I would drop anything I am doing in order to follow God's path? Which brings me back to a post from a while ago. One of my best friends from home is getting surgery to remove a tumor from his sinus region which could cause damage to his sight, his brain, his hearing, and many other things. But it is a lot more complicated than that, but the main point is what he told me one day. He said, "Ya know, I've come to the point of trusting God. It doesn't matter what God takes from me. God, if you want to take me away from school, then take it. You can have school. If you want to take away soccer, go ahead, have it. If you want my sight, my hearing, my senses, take it. I trust that what will happen will glorify You."

That was one of the most real, powerful, and impacting statements I have heard in my life. A man at the age of 21, giving up his comfortable and enjoyable life in order to follow God. Now don't get me wrong, not that a comfortable and enjoyable lifestyle is bad, but just the fact that he was trusting God in what God was doing with him, is a challenge to me. Would I react the same way? What if God took track away from me? Would I be like Job saying, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh. Blessed be the name of the Lord."? Or would I be angry and confused with God?

Obviously, these men in the Old Testament had a very different lifestyle compared to today, but just because we can't "relate" to them doesn't mean it can't impact us. As I dive into this book, I realize the stories and the lifestyles that I'm getting into. Like a Disney movie, I'm just into the pages and seeing what it was like back then. There have been some chapters that I haven't really been able to connect with, but that's always going to happen. It was written thousands of years ago. Something is going to get lost in translation.

I don't really know what this post was for, but I just wanted to let you know what's going on in my head. Stay tuned =)

G

Home Sweet Home

well ladies and gentlemen, at last I have made it home for another Christmas break! it was a lonely 5 and a half hour drive home, but I made the most of it! Ya know... breakin out the stanky legg dance, screaming at the top of my lungs, screaming at the terrible New Jersey and Virginia drivers, ya know, good stuff. but it feels good to be back. I just finished a paper for one of my online classes and so I am officially done with school for the semester! which feels great!!! all that studying and test taking has wiped me out. But I feel myself slowly moving into the next stage of my life. I feel like God is really teaching me things that I will be learning for the next 3-4 years of my life. most of it will be spent in the classroom or diving into books, but it's all because I love what I do. right now that's being a student. It feels weird to say that God is making me realize that, because i've never really been a great "student." I've always done "OK" in school, but never really well. But now I'm starting to see the benefits of really putting my hard work into everything. With a help of some of my friends to really motivate me, I found myself studying for hours on end, not realizing it. My first exam totaled 7 hours of studying. That may not seem like a lot, but when you realize that I used to study for 7 minutes right before I walk into the classroom, it's a big step for me. But it's amazing how God has helped me through it. I've been praying for two things- faith and focus. I pray that God will strengthen my faith, challenge my faith, and through it all I will be faithful. I want God to be able to test me and no matter what, I want to have the faith to believe that He will pull me through it, unharmed, smarter, and more ready for the next challenge. And I also pray for focus. I pray God will give me the right mind when I'm praying or studying or just talking with someone. I constantly find my mind wandering off into other things, so I've been praying for God to help me focus and to snap out of it, recognize when I'm not focusing or losing track, and then to help me stay focused once I get back on track. Also, I've been praying for focus in a different way. I pray that when I do certain things, that I have the correct motives, that I don't lose focus of what the ultimate goal is: glorifying God in all I do.

As I sit here in my old room, which is now vacated by my brother and his two bearded dragons, I realize the stages of life I'm going through. As I was talking to my buddy today, I realized that life is changing and I'm noticing the changes. Some good changes, some bad. But life is definitely changing. I mean, I don't have a room at my house anymore, my extra clothes are in a box in the basement, and my bed is never made. I don't care because I'm never here anymore, but it makes me think about the next stage of my life. Now I have to make my home. My home is where I am at. So right now, I'm visiting my parents at there house. I'll be here for a couple weeks, and then back to my house in Lynchburg, Virginia, where my boys from "The Border" will be waiting.

What's the next stage of your life?

Just a thought...

G

One more to go!

As I sit here and try to justify that I don't need to be using this time to study for my exam at 10:30, I decided to open up my devotional "My Utmost For His Highest." It is a great devotional for me personally, and it seems to always speak the truth that I usually describe as "daggers" or a "slap in the face." Those types of truths. Well today I got stabbed again with another dagger.

Romans 8:28 - "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God..."

Many of you have heard this verse or probably have it memorized, but for some reason the last part of the verse stood out. "...to those who love God." Well I love God. Don't you?! The very next line reads, "-to those who remain true to God's perfect will..." Obviously it's hard to be perfect. If you don't believe me, try taking 5 finals. But we are humans so duhh, we're not perfect. But the very next line in the devotional said this: "God's permissive will is the testing He uses to reveal His true sons and daughters." I don't know if it hit you, but it hit me. When I see that word "testing" I think about all the times where God has challenged and tested my patience, my anger, my words, my heart, my desires, my love, my actions, my faith. I wish I could say to you that I'm successful at following God's perfect will every day in every way, but there's no need to lie. And when I read "the testing He uses to reveal His true sons and daughters" I think about what God would consider me. Am I and are you, one of his TRUE sons? His TRUE daughters? When trials and testing come my way, do I stand strong in the firm foundation of my faith in Jesus Christ, or do I rely on earthly, imperfect, uncertain, physically attainable matters?

I heard a story once, don't really remember the details, but it's about a group of Christians that were meetings in a small house in China, and all of a sudden, someone barged in and waved his AK-47 around and yelled, "Who here will say that they love Jesus? If you don't want to say it, I'm giving you a chance to live." After a few people ran out of the room and out the door, the man with the mask dropped his gun and said, "Ok, I wanna worship with real Christians."

Are you one of God's TRUE sons and daughters?

When I am having trouble, or a bad day, or am in a bad mood, who do I run to? Do I go to my friends? Do I call my parents? siblings? And then finally God? Why is God my last resort? I've done it so many times to God, yet He still loves me and cares for me. How would you feel if you were a last resort? Someone only came to you because no one else was available? Now I have to be careful with examples because I'm not saying that anything should go to me before God or that I am pretending to be God, I'm just trying to say that I need to go to my heavenly Father before anyone else. He made me. He knows me better than I know myself. Why not go to him?

"We don't have to wrestle with God, but we must wrestle before God with things. Beware of lazily giving up. Instead, put up a glorious fight and you will find yourself empowered with His strength."

Psalm 105:4 - Look to the Lord and his strength, seek his face always."

I hope some of that made sense. Let me know if it didn't. I always love comments! =)

Well... back to studying for my LAST FINAL!!!! Can't wait to go home!

Have a great day! Remember to SMILE =)

Operation Starvation

Please check this out and pass it around! This is no joke. Maybe it will touch you like it touched me.

FINALS!!!!

I haven't posted in awhile, but it's because of this massive load of finals this semester. 5 finals. very little time. and to all my fellow final-studying-students... GOOD LUCK! STUDY HARD!