glee

. . . . . glee . . . . .

In scripture, I often stumble upon the word glee as an emotion that enemies and the evil spirits feel when they see me struggling and stumbling in my walk of faith.

Fortunately, that very word which they use against me has recently be enlightening my heart and leading me to a place of joyful peace in the arms of God.

Not only has God been deepening my understanding of mercy and grace, but He has continued to show me glimpses of sheer GLEE in my heart fighting for faith.I have all these dreams, these hopes, these ambitions.... and I just need to GO. I am constantly surrounded by people who have gone, who are going, who are not stopped, who push through, who don't give in, who don't give up, and who live.

Jesus just did it. He kept going. He fought. He battled. He moved. He felt the urgency. He pushed. He took people with Him.

I'm learning to understand my strength apart from the world's definition.
I'm fighting for that gleeful faith that doesn't stop when the world tells me no.

I'm in battle with some of the strongest friends I know.
Christ is at the center of so many churches in Lansing, in Ann Arbor, and in Grand Rapids.
My brothers and sisters are spread out farther then that.
We are fighting separate and together with persevering spirits.
And we have been for the past four and a half years.

It hurts my heart to think I might not have the luxury of being down the road from so many strong and faithful servants next year. It sucks to think of starting at square one.

With the combination of Christ's grace and mercy, and the glee of my growing faith - I am not scared, I will GO confidently in the direction of continuing the mission Christ has called me to finish.

And, of course, I will go gladly with glee in my heart.
Christ will help me as I walk towards complete unknowns.
As I redefine the gravity and comfort of my home, my mitten, the beautiful state of Michigan.

Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes: and leap!

It's time to try
Defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I am defying gravity
And you wont bring me down

I'm through accepting limits
cause someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I'll never know
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love I guess I've lost
Well, if that's love
It comes at much too high a cost

Merry Christmas friends.

Blessings to you and your families as the world takes time to celebrate the birth of God's Son, Jesus Christ, our savior and bridge to heaven.

Another trip into the grand state of Illinois to visit the family I love dearly. I cry out for reminders of what this season is about as I am alone in the fight for Christ in my family. I pray for reminders of the miracle this SEASON brings to our lives, the joy, the hope, and the peace that comes from the love of Christ.

I pray for the battlefield that will surround our family as we let materialistic thoughts consume our minds. I pray that I can be a servant to the purpose of this season. I pray that the miracle of Christ will shine through me in ways I can't even imagine.

I can't wait to hear those angels and the mountains replying, I can't wait to witness the strength of their joyous song in heaven.

...and the mountains in reply,echoing their joyous strains...

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as
the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them
all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as

[Colossians 3:12-15]

“ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world
gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

[John 14:27]

“Where is his peace to be found? The answer is surprising but it is clear.
In weakness. Few people are telling us this truth, but there is peace to be
found in our own weakness, in those places of our hearts where we feel most
broken, most insecure, most in agony, most afraid. Why there? Because in manipulating our weakness our familiar ways of controlling and manipulating our world are being stripped away and we are forced to let go from doing much, thinking much, and relying on our self-sufficiency. Right there where we are most vulnerable, the peace that is not of this world is mysteriously hidden.”

[Henri Nouwen]

Praise God for the conclusion to a study on Advent, a beautiful season of the year.

2009 in pictures.

23 years

he's my twin.
i was chubby. he was nerdy.
he loved the computer, i hated that i could never get on.
he loved video games, they made me dizzy.
he was in the advanced classes and i asked him for help every night.
he went to u of m, and I became a spartan.

when we were little....
we would race upstairs and see who could get in their pajamas the fastest.
winner would get to pick what we watched on tv for the next 1/2 hour.
when we were five we would have lifting competitions to see who was the strongest.
we were always an inch apart in height until he sprouted.
i used to protect him on the bus from anything i thought might harm him.
it was a big deal when we got to stay up and watch Home Improvement.
when he was home sick, it felt weird not seeing him at school.
i always did most of the talking, but he always had the most profound thoughts.
he was always such a gentleman to my friends, i loved that about him.
his friends were scared of me, i think.

it's weird to think that i might not be an hour away from this guy anymore.

who knows where I'll be this time next year, but he's sticking around and I'm probably heading out of town.

I have so many prayers for him, so many hopes, so much love. He is such a great man, and I am so excited to see the plans God has in store for him.

Happy 23rd birthday bro.

reminders.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. [Matthew 18:21-22]

If one can't forgive they've become centered on selfishness, not Jesus.



Even if the person you are trying hardest to forgive is yourself.

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. [Matthew 6:14-16]