Hope

This past week has been something else.  Life is usually a lot like a roller coaster, or atleast mine is.  However as we all know, people are always designing new ones and trying to make them more extreme.  The past week seems to have been one of those weeks where my life was trying to take me on one of the most extreme rides yet.  Up and down, right then left, twisting and turning, getting inverted, going high and going low.  It's been a long week.  So much has happened.  Where to begin....

I think I'll begin by going to the bathroom, then coming back.  Now that I'm done with that....  I guess work is as good a place as any to start.  It's been hot and humid due to the monsoon moisture in the air.  Working in that open warehouse in 110 deg. heat and high humidity is miserable.  Especially when I'm wearing 2 shirts and leather/canvas bib to protect my arms and torso from the molten balls of metal that spark and fly up at me.  It kinda sucked not having any of my friends around.  Most were either in Ireland or at the highschool youth camp.  Even tues. night I found only one person I knew at The Living Room.  Friday I went over to "The Hizzle" (name my buddies gave the place were the 6 of them live) for food and fellowship.  Hanging out with all of them is always fun. 

 Saturday Andre and I went out to eat for lunch and ended up having a long conversation with this couple that was sharing a table with us.  Turns out they were Christians as well, and they both seemed really encouraged to meet us and talk about God and what He's doing in our lives.  Andre decided that he was going to stay with his folks for another year and a half instead of moving out and getting an apt. with me.  He's going to do the Vineyard Leadership Institute training that's going on at our church and won't be able to afford rent with the monthly cost of that as well.  I was bummed, but new that it was a wise decision and supported it wholeheartedly.  After that we went to the Kids Church Beach Party at Val Vista Lakes.  It was loads of fun.  I got to throw the kids up in the air, chase them around, get chased around, and they seemed to love it too.  I was a water jungle gym for them.  Party got crashed though by a really fast moving storm.  Everyone cleared out and by the time I left and was on the street, there were palm trees, light poles, and other trees laying in the street.  Cruising down the highway with an 1 1/2 of water on the road made for an interesting drive as well.  Ended up going to another party after that with Andre and Gabe.  Stayed there till nearly 12:30 and got a ride home from Mike.  Talked to him about if there are any free spaces at "The Hizzle" and whether or not one might be available to me at the end of Aug.  He said there should be and that he would talk with the other guys about it and pray about it.  Don't think it would be long term, just for a while.  I like have some space.

Sunday was great, but the second service kids seemed to be out of it.  It's like someone swapped personalities with the first and second service kids.  None the less we had a good time.  I bailed right afterwards so I could talk to Pastor Jack.  I told him about the 2 pics that Kim and Ron gave me then about the one that came to my head afterwards.  We talked for nearly an hour about it.  Something that I really picked up out of talking with him was that man's way typically is fast and happens when it' s convenient, but God's way happens a bit slower, and when He wants it too.  This requires patience.  I told him how being here made me feel and how I wanted to go back to the mission field and everything I said kept confiming what he had said earlier.  I've considered doing VLI, and am now set on doing it.  I've just got a new job which the Lord is blessing me at, and I'm going to be taking over one of the kid's church classes here in a month or so.  Right now it just seems that the Lord is going to use the next 2 yrs to teach me how the better use the tools that He's equipped me with.  It was nice to have my folks home for a few days as well. 

Monday went by looking for Tuesday, although I rented 50 First Dates and watched it with my family.  Pretty funny movie, a little crude, but worth watching.  I'm glad that tues. is finally here.  I really enjoy going to The Living Room and hanging out and listening to the various speakers.  The fellowship there is awesome. 

I'm going to go crash for a little bit.  Work wiped me out today.  I got dizzy a few times cause of the heat and maybe the fact that I was sweating more water than I could possibly drink.

Parable of the sower and the soils - What you do and say is a reflection of your heart.  Even if it's in jest.  What type of soil is in your heart?  Rock hard like the pathway?  Stoney like the untilled earth? Filled with the weeds of this life like the thorny ground?  Or is your heart soft and fertile ready for planting and perfect for an awesome harvest?