Rainy Thursday...

Today has been a lazy day to say the least. My first class was cancelled and I almost skipped my second. But luckily for me I decided to go and on the way I got sprayed by a car driving through a small river that had formed on Howard St due to the rain. The driver was paying absolutely no attention to what he was doing and in his daze he soaked both of my legs from the knee down. Perfect. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of being sprayed by a car on a rainy day and are wondering what its like, its not very fun. Nothing like running through a sprinkler on a warm day. Its cold, frustrating, you have the clothes you were planning on wearing all day, and then you get to sit through class with cold wet pants... Thats enough, I'm done with my pitty party.

I do enjoy the rain. It offers a time to slow down and reflect. I feel like I have a lot to sit and think about. I feel like the Lord has been teaching me so much, so much so that I am afraid I'm not going to be able to keep track of it all! I have been enjoying the time I have been able to spend on my own with the Lord in the passed week or so. It has given me time to rest in the Lord and realign myself with His will for my life. Its crazy how when you lean into Him how he pours into you more than you can even handle! I am blown away by His love for me. 

Its been crazy to see the Lord working in my life, through things that I wouldn't have picked for myself but what the Lord has used to refine me. Surrender has been huge for me lately and with surrender I have also realized how my prayers for surrender maybe have been misguided. Although I've been praying for "good" things, I realized I have been praying for them for the wrong reasons. Even for things like resolution in a relationship, if it ultimately isn't so that the Lord can be seen in the relationship then I have been praying for the wrong reasons. Everything I do should bring glory to the Lord and be in line with Him. 

There has been so much going on I can't write it all down. I have been enjoying conversations I have been able to have with people where I have been able to hear what they are learning. Its great to talk through things with people to seek their views and compare them to what I have been learning. I am at a point in my life where I am really interested in the people close to me. I really want to know what is going on in their lives, I have been so blessed with great friends that care about me and what is going on in my life. I am really trying to soak this time up before I move into the season of my life. On the flip side of that if I'm talking to someone who isn't interested in having an active conversation or isn't interested in what I am saying, I don't feel the need to keep pushing something that isn't there. No hard feelings, I just am not in a place where I feel I have to pour into something that isn't mutual. 

I made a collage the other day with some help from Scott and Charles. I also inspired Charles to make one of his own. They are both on display on our fridge. I tried to upload a picture of it but it wouldn't let me... So if you want to see them you'll just have to come over and check them out!

Words From the Well Challenge

"Today recognize you are adding another page to the narrative of your life.  No matter what you write, it will be a permanent part of your story.  When you leaf through its pages years from now, what will you want to read?"

First taste of the weekend

Yesterday I was in the business school getting some water at the water fountain before class and there was a guy waiting behind me. For the couple seconds I was drinking water I wanted so badly to cover the fountain with my mouth as I was drinking to see what his reaction would be. I didn't. That's gross.

This morning I woke up and went downstairs and we had a cat in our backyard! If you don't know... I really dislike cats, but this one was different Scott and myself went outside and it came up to us and let us hold it! We named her Jinx and we fed her a can of Charles tuna.

Today didn't exactly turn out the way I envisioned it, but it was a great day. Very restful yet productive in an unproductive sort of way. I didn't do any work per-say but I did take a great nap, read, went to the high school and played basketball with some high school guys, hung out with Katie and Carie, started a letter and hung out with some more high school guys!

So the last weekend I was sitting at home by myself cutting hearts out of red and pink construction paper watching The Notebook. Sounds like a great a night right? I was content... And then 5 of my high school guys decided to stop by unannounced. They said.... "Nate. Ummmm what are you doing?" It was a difficult situation to talk my way out out. But I quickly changed the subject and the channel and any thought that I am even somewhat cool in their eyes was saved. Crisis averted.

Tonight I had a similar situation happen. Except I was doing more manly things such as watching the NBA celebrity game. We had an awesome time hanging out. We made a campfire and made s'mores then went to campus and played night games in Rankin with some other YoungLife leaders. They had a blast! I am so lucky I am able to be a part of their lives. Its been really cool to see them starting to call me to hang out instead of me always having to call them. Kind of like we're friends or something, crazy!

Keaton and I discovered a magical trampoline and jumped until we were worn out.

This passed week especially I've had the chance to really hang out with Charles. He is so wise and I am so lucky to have him as a roommate! I feel like I get so much more out of our friendship then he does but he assures me that's not the case. It is such a blessing to be able to talk to him, ask him his opinion on things and have him speak truth into my life. One thing we talked about was "being established in righteousness." We are set up to be  righteous, righteousness because of Christ is our identity. As much of my identity as I put into the people around me and all the other things I put my worth in, I need to remind myself that I am established in righteousness, not they things around me. Crazy thought. I've been sitting here for at least 15 minutes trying to think of exactly what it means.

I love my life, and I love seeing how the Lord is using my life for His glory!

Welp, that was a whole lot of nothing. Its time to finish my letter and head to bed.

Solitude

Being alone is not something I usually seek out. It is actually one of my biggest fears. If you know me at all you know I put a lot of time and energy into the people around me and find a lot of my worth in their image of me. But recently I have been learning the importance of solitude. And I think I'm going to start taking more time to be by myself. Its been good for me to be able to take some time to collect my thoughts and pray through things. Just me and God. If you pay attention you can see times when Jesus took time to be by himself and pray, to be with his father, and to seek his fathers example; one example is in the garden right before he was crucified. If he took time to be alone with his father and seek his council why do I think I have to be constantly surrounded by people and busyness. It was in these times he spent by himself he was able to be filled and align himself with his fathers will. This is how it is when I am able to be alone. I have a chance to collect my thoughts, pray, and seek the Lords council. In any relationship it is important to spend time with the person and know what is going on with the other. I look forward to moving forward in my relationship with Christ. He is stirring in my life I need to just soak him in and align myself with him. I'm finding as I learn more about Him I learn more about myself. Which is really cool.

Set a Fire - United Pursuit

Prayer 2/15

Lord God,

I am here broken at your feet. I lay my life down to your will. I pray that I will be content in your will, because it is in your will that you will provide for me abundantly. You will provide for me more than I can ask or imagine. You are good and your ways are perfect. I need you now, allow me to trust in you. I give you what I can now and what I am unable to give I pray that you will take it from me. I thank you that you have ordained my every step and my every breath. I pray that I will be able to use each step and each breath to bring you glory. There is a void in my life that cannot be filled by anything but your love. I thank you for your perfect love. I pray that I will continue to fall more deeply in love with you. You are the only one that won't let me down. Thank you for your grace, let me never take it for granted, continually remind me of your glory. Allow me to walk in your steps, grant me your strength. I am weak and worn down, I thank you that you can use me as I am. You love me as I am... Crazy. Reign in my life, you are all I need, I completely submit myself to your will. I want to know you, I want what you want for me, I want my view of you to be stretched. Take me out of my comfort zone, show me who you are like I've never seen before. Help me live all these things I've prayed. Without you my life has no purpose. As I lean in to you I pray that you will lean in to me. I know you will. Amen

Valentines Jokes

What did the lioness saying to the lion on valentines day?
-"you're my maine man"

What did the jeans say to the khakis on valentines day?
-"my heart pants for you"

What did the math nerd say to his valentine on valentines day?
-" U+Me=Love"

What did one mint say to the other mint on Valentines day?
-"we were mint to be"

Knock Knock... Who's there? Pooch... Pooch who?
POOCH YOUR ARMS AROUND ME BABE!

Why'd the banana go out with a prune?
-"because he couldn't get a date"


One of my roommates just made this poem...
"The colors of Valentine's day are pink and red; so why then does my heart feel grey and dead."

How big your god?

This passed weekend I went to a YoungLife Leader Committee Overnight in Greensboro. One of the speakers challenged us and asked "how big is your god?" He said that we need to try something so big that if God doesn't show up we will fall on our face. There aren't many areas in my life where I could claim this level of dependence. So it really challenged me to take a step of faith and see how the Lord will show up. I've been really excited about the idea and I can't wait to see Him work.

I found it was kind of hard for me to think of things that would be so big that I wouldn't be able to do them with Gods help. Its kind of sad, it just hasn't been my usual way of thinking. So as I am moving forward I am trying to take big steps of faith and I would encourage you to as well! A couple things I've claimed so far are, If its in the Lords will:

• Have at least 200 kids a Monday night club by the end of the semester
• He will open doors for me after my semester and show me where I am suppose to be even if it isn't starting my career.
• I'm going to be on Ellen and talk about Jesus! and just hang out with her jff (Jesus likes it when we have fun)

I know its a short list.... But I'm working on it! I'm reading through Luke and I'm reading Forgotten God. I was reading through and seeing how Jesus was healing people I noticed a couple things first the people that He was healing had to take a step of faith and ask (besides the paralyzed man lowered through the roof, Jesus says "their faith has saved you, take your mat up and walk". Can our faith save our friends? Crazy). Then it says Immediately they were healed! Then in Forgotten God Francis was talking about how the Lord wants to answer our prayers, but a lot of times we are asking for things that are not in His will. So as long as we are claiming things that are in line with the Lords will He is faithful to answer. Maybe not in the way we are expecting but He will answer! So lets start claiming BIG things that are in line with the Lords will and see Him work big things in our lives!

This passed weekend I was also convicted of the amount of scripture I have memorized. So I need to start taking the steps to having scripture memorized... Meaning I'm going to start memorizing scripture. And he said that the best YoungLife leader is one on their knees... Meaning the best YoungLife leaders are the ones who are praying faithfully for their kids and constantly asking for council from the Holy Spirit. The speaker pointed out Jesus going off to be by himself and praying, he said if Jesus thought it was necessary to be by Himself with the Lord then we needed to take time to ourselves with the Lord in order to be filled. The world will go on without us, YoungLife will go on with out us. But then after we have been filled we will be able to come back and pour into our high school friends. 

Those are a couple things I have been thinking about this week...

Would you look at this?

When I see a blog like mine the first thing I have to say is "would you look at that?" 

My E-mail to Ellen

Wat Up Ellen? It's Nate. I was just thinking about an idea for your show! You could have a "Ellen For A Day." You could pick one of your viewers and trade places for a day, this would get people even more excited about you show, and would allow you to get out and interact with fans in different parts of the country. After you traded places you could have them on the show and you could interview them or if they were still being you they could interview you. Kinda switch things up a bit. I've been thinking about it some and I think it would be alright if you wanted to pick me to be the first to trade places with you for a day. I've already got a full day planned out for you; including but not limited to: going to my film class, skiing, making barbeque with my roommates, and hosting a party at the Beach House. I would be a good pick for your show because I am fun, witty, I've never been to California and I just think people would enjoy seeing us interact on tv. I know how well you get along with Justin Timberlake, and although I've never met either of you I feel like we're all three pretty much the same person. Just sayin'. If you take me up on this offer I think it would be a great benefit to us both. It would be really fun, and I'm totally taking one for the team, I think you would be the true benefactor. And I know you probably aren't going to read this yourself so if whomever is reading this if you wouldn't mind passing it on to Ellen it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Here's the pic I sent her... It says I like to party, I'm not above dress up, and I eat cake.

Looking forward to Summer!

I want my Bible to be marked up

I want my Bible to be written in and marked up. I want the pages to be worn. I want to know God more, I want to "lean in" as I talked about to my high school friends last night. I want to align myself with Christ. I want to experience a perfect love. I want to find my rest in the Lord.

What kind of relationship would you have if you sat back and let the other person do all the work? It's a mutual investment, we have the God of the universe on the other side of the table eager to pursue us. He has given everything to be in a relationship with us and he longs for us to lean into him. To show an interest in knowing him. I gave my high school guys the analogy of taking a girl on a date. When you're on a date with a girl you really like are you going to be sitting back with your arms crossed, texting, watching tv, looking around? Or will you be leaning in, asking questions waiting for the answers, captivated by the person across the table from  you? I would say the second... You have a genuine interest in the person across from you, they are the reason you are there, everything else is secondary. You take all the steps to show them how much you appreciate them you open doors, leave your phone in the car, have your back to distractions. THIS is how Jesus feels about us. He is so enthralled with us, He wants nothing more than to express his perfect love for us. He wants to know us. He wants us to know Him! Am I leaning in to Him like he is leaning into me?

Imagine a relationship where you can never match the other persons love for you. No matter how much you lean in you will never fall out of his love. You can keep falling in love with Him and he will always have more love to offer, His love is the only perfect love. This relationship is what all other relationships are to be based off of. To me it is so encouraging and I am excited to be able to experience this perfect love. Be filled with his perfect love.

And what did I do to deserve this kind of love? Nothing.