It has been almost two years since I last posted on this blog. My friend Terran suggested I revive it and begin writing or blogging again - this suggestion was almost 2 months ago as I think about it.
I decided to see if it still existed as I thought Blogger deleted it, but lo' and behold it's still here. I'm not sure who reads this still, if anyone really did in the first place, but I want to start posting more consistently.
As of now, I don't have much to write. I am going to change the header picture based on the seasons, at least at this point. But I may just change it whenever I feel like it. I also want to change the layout a bit...maybe even completely. We'll see.
At least this is a start and I feel as if I accomplished something!
Here's to a new beginning?
7/3/13
6/16/11
I've been learning a lot about love lately. My girlfriend Katie and I said that we love each other for the first time this past weekend. Although we felt that we have showed our love for one another to each other for a bit now, we finally came out and said it. It was great! Haha. Really though, I do love her and it was wonderful to finally say it to her and also, hear it said back to me!
Due to this, love has been on my mind a lot lately. Not just the romantic kind, but also the kind of love you show your roommate, neighbor and friends. Through dating Katie, God has already showed me a lot about love, but He continues to point things out to me, and to her. We are praying that God shows us how to properly love each other the way He wants us to and the way He calls us to in His word. I believe (and know because it's happened already) that because of this prayer, God will give us many opportunities to show our love and to choose to love. Love is a choice, a constant thing, not something you do at times or something that changes. It's crazy, but awesome to think about.
The thing that spurred this post is actually a video I just watched on someone's tumblr, about love. I'll post the link below. I liked it a lot and think he hits what love is right on the head. He gets it. Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NXWE6AC8ao&feature=player_embedded
Due to this, love has been on my mind a lot lately. Not just the romantic kind, but also the kind of love you show your roommate, neighbor and friends. Through dating Katie, God has already showed me a lot about love, but He continues to point things out to me, and to her. We are praying that God shows us how to properly love each other the way He wants us to and the way He calls us to in His word. I believe (and know because it's happened already) that because of this prayer, God will give us many opportunities to show our love and to choose to love. Love is a choice, a constant thing, not something you do at times or something that changes. It's crazy, but awesome to think about.
The thing that spurred this post is actually a video I just watched on someone's tumblr, about love. I'll post the link below. I liked it a lot and think he hits what love is right on the head. He gets it. Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NXWE6AC8ao&feature=player_embedded
5/31/11
God showed me a lot this past weekend through life and relationships. Especially through my relationship with Katie.
I really don't have time to go through all of them now because I am at work.
But over this weekend, God showed me that I am completely selfish. I've realized that if I am even going to begin loving Katie, I need to make some changes. Really, I need to let God change me.
I also realized that I don't treat my sister as I should all the time. I've realized this before, but I guess I thought I "had it under control." When in reality, I don't.
This summer I think God is already at work within my life. I'm excited. But I also know it's going to be hard and that I'm going to need to rely on Him more than I do now.
I really don't have time to go through all of them now because I am at work.
But over this weekend, God showed me that I am completely selfish. I've realized that if I am even going to begin loving Katie, I need to make some changes. Really, I need to let God change me.
I also realized that I don't treat my sister as I should all the time. I've realized this before, but I guess I thought I "had it under control." When in reality, I don't.
This summer I think God is already at work within my life. I'm excited. But I also know it's going to be hard and that I'm going to need to rely on Him more than I do now.
12/31/10
I am sitting here with my cute girlfriend in her cute house with her great family.
:)
The Johnsons are just like Hobbits...they love life and they love to eat.
:)
The Johnsons are just like Hobbits...they love life and they love to eat.
12/27/10
God has been showing me a lot through my daily devotionals and church yesterday.
Just when I think God's grace isn't enough, that I can't possibly turn to Him, He reminds me that He is always there and that is grace will always be sufficient. Two nights ago, a section from Spurgeon's Evening by Evening:
"Come, believer, how have you sinned today? Have you been forgetful of your high calling? Have you been like others in using empty words and unguarded speech? Then confess the sin, and flee to the sacrifice. The sacrifice sanctifies. The precious blood of the Lamb removes the guilt and purges the defilement of our sins of ignorance and carelessnes. This is the best ending of a Christmas day - to wash anew in the cleansing fountain. Believer, come to this sacrifice continually; if it is good tonight, it is good every night."
Why do I forget my calling as a believer? As a Christ follower I am held to a higher standard, the standards that God has set forth in His word. How can I forget them? To sin is to turn my back on the God who saved me.
"To live at the altar is the privilege of the royal priesthood; to them sin, as bad as it is, is nevertheless no cause for despair, since they draw near once more to the sin-atoning victim, and their conscience is purged from dead works."
We as Christians are the royal priesthood, being called heirs of Christ Jesus. I believe there should be some sense of mourning when it comes to sin in the life of the believer but there should by no means be a deep despairing of the soul, which unfortunately I can often find myself in. We should look to Christ and see sin through His perspective. Although sin is a terrible, terrible thing, we must remember the gift God has given us. We must go back to the basics and remember what the Gospel is truly about. I must do this and I must rejoice in Christ for what He has done for me! I must remember Him.
At church yesterday, our pastor spoke on 2 Cor. 8:6-15. He honed in verse 15, talking about the inexpressible gift God has given us in His son Jesus Christ. The NIV says indescribable, compared to inexpressible used in the ESV. Not that this matters, it's just interesting to see the different words used. Both of them are great and convey the same meaning. There are literally no words in any language to fully and completely describe the gift God has given us! He made 3 points about God's gift:
-Free to us. The gift costs nothing to us. We don't have to earn it and even if we want to we can't earn it. It's completely free! All we need to do is take it.
-Costly to God. This gift was costly to God as He gave up His only Son to save all of humanity, including you and me. It hurt Him and grieved Him.
-All I need. This gift of God's Son is all I need. Jesus is the only person who can say to us, "I am all you need!" We don't need anyone or anything else in this world other than Jesus Christ.
These are a few of the things that have been on my mind as of late. I also read another great installment of Spurgeon's Evening by Evening last night and again this morning (I just re-read it) about Jesus always being with us in Spirit. How comforting! I may post again concerning it, but it will be later today if at all.
Just when I think God's grace isn't enough, that I can't possibly turn to Him, He reminds me that He is always there and that is grace will always be sufficient. Two nights ago, a section from Spurgeon's Evening by Evening:
"Come, believer, how have you sinned today? Have you been forgetful of your high calling? Have you been like others in using empty words and unguarded speech? Then confess the sin, and flee to the sacrifice. The sacrifice sanctifies. The precious blood of the Lamb removes the guilt and purges the defilement of our sins of ignorance and carelessnes. This is the best ending of a Christmas day - to wash anew in the cleansing fountain. Believer, come to this sacrifice continually; if it is good tonight, it is good every night."
Why do I forget my calling as a believer? As a Christ follower I am held to a higher standard, the standards that God has set forth in His word. How can I forget them? To sin is to turn my back on the God who saved me.
"To live at the altar is the privilege of the royal priesthood; to them sin, as bad as it is, is nevertheless no cause for despair, since they draw near once more to the sin-atoning victim, and their conscience is purged from dead works."
We as Christians are the royal priesthood, being called heirs of Christ Jesus. I believe there should be some sense of mourning when it comes to sin in the life of the believer but there should by no means be a deep despairing of the soul, which unfortunately I can often find myself in. We should look to Christ and see sin through His perspective. Although sin is a terrible, terrible thing, we must remember the gift God has given us. We must go back to the basics and remember what the Gospel is truly about. I must do this and I must rejoice in Christ for what He has done for me! I must remember Him.
At church yesterday, our pastor spoke on 2 Cor. 8:6-15. He honed in verse 15, talking about the inexpressible gift God has given us in His son Jesus Christ. The NIV says indescribable, compared to inexpressible used in the ESV. Not that this matters, it's just interesting to see the different words used. Both of them are great and convey the same meaning. There are literally no words in any language to fully and completely describe the gift God has given us! He made 3 points about God's gift:
-Free to us. The gift costs nothing to us. We don't have to earn it and even if we want to we can't earn it. It's completely free! All we need to do is take it.
-Costly to God. This gift was costly to God as He gave up His only Son to save all of humanity, including you and me. It hurt Him and grieved Him.
-All I need. This gift of God's Son is all I need. Jesus is the only person who can say to us, "I am all you need!" We don't need anyone or anything else in this world other than Jesus Christ.
These are a few of the things that have been on my mind as of late. I also read another great installment of Spurgeon's Evening by Evening last night and again this morning (I just re-read it) about Jesus always being with us in Spirit. How comforting! I may post again concerning it, but it will be later today if at all.
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