Challenge: tell someone the most important thing in your life and ask about theirs. Look for any opportunity to share that Christ is important to you. See what a difference you can make.

4 College Football observations

College football season starts this week, so I thought I might make a few observations.
1) College football fans will change anything to be at the game or watch their favorite team on TV.
- Christians will use any excuse to miss a service.
2) College football fans get decked out for the season daily. (I know, my truck looks like a Clemson advertisement) - Christians don't even tell others which church they attend.
3) When your team wins, you tell everyone.
- Christians often ignore the victories in their churches.
4) College football fans are loud and outspoken.
- Christians seem to avoid all opportunities to be seen or heard.

Let's try something new. Why don't we as Christians start celebrating our churches and our relationship with Christ just like we do our college football teams. Maybe then our communities will be affected by us because we won't be able to be ignored.

Back to school

So school started back without me. I know, it's true, they can have school without Ike. Who knew? Well, really, I did. When I stepped out of the building last year, I knew his day would come. I didn't realize how it would make me feel. I feel Awesome. I know that God has bigger plans for me than school teaching. Teaching is so important. Teachers, you are the most important people around. But God has a plan for me outside of school. I still have questions and confusion from time to time, but I know I am following His plan.
What about you? Are you following God's plan for your life? Have you surrendered your all to Him?
It's a freeing process. Take a step of faith and see where God leads.

I am still here.

So much changes. So much stays the same. I'm finding myself in a familiar place. I feel like i am being called to do something and I don't know how to express it best. I need to listen to the Lord and follow His direction. Funny how simple that sounds and how hard it is to do. Until I am led out of this place, I will serve Him with all I have. I just wonder does he want me to be patient or bold. Or could He desire both. We will find out.

Waiting on the Lord's will,
Ike

Last Night

Last night I had a great conversation with a young lady that I began praying for several months ago. She has begun to ask about salvation and church membership. Now, why would I write about this? I didn't have much influence on her. One of the members of our youth group did. How awesome is that? I am pumped up.

Honesty is truly a great thing, so I will be very honest here. I feel God's leading me to do something different. For the last year I have been serving as Youth Minister at my church. First I served voluntarily for about six months and I felt God leading me to go further. My church hired me as the interim youth minister and i continued to serve. Where I am at a crossrads now is should I pursue this as a full time job or not. I really don't know what I should do. Pray for me. Pray that God would open or close the door for me.

Why are we here? It's a question I've been asking myself lately. I wonder if we are in the place that we are currently inhabiting for a reason. I believe we are. God created us with a plan in mind. He desires our attention, affection, and worship. What are we giving those things to now that we need to stop? This is a quick hit, so think long and hard on it.

New Year, new stuff. We just had an awesome lock in for our youth and I am pretty pumped about 2009. 41 kids showed up and spent the night with us. They were challenged with a message from 2 Corinthians 5:16-21. We even wrote names on posters to display of people we want to come to know Jesus and are going to be praying for and inviting to church. I hope our kids take this serious. I feel like we could be the influence that our community needs for Christ and I hope to see it happen.

Excited for 2009,
Ike