Blessings

I honestly believe that encouragement, genuine and pure encouragement from the heart, is one of the most potent blessings that one man bestow his fellow. In fact, the writer of Hebrew commands us to "spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together but encouraging one another." When we are encouraged, there is something beautiful and indescribable that happens inside each of us. In that sudden instant, we can go from feeling mediocre or from being broken too being suddenly lifted up. For that moment, life seems a little bit brighter. 

This post is primarily me showing joy and appreciation to those of you who have expressed your love for me through your letters, care packages, emails, Facebook messages, and phone calls of encouragement. You have made my weeks, days, and even hours here at college so much more incredible. I am so thankful for each of you and I love you all so much. God has blessed my life my tremendously through yours, so please accept my humble appreciation: Thank You.

Moreover, this post is also a declaration of how God, being who he is, has "blessed us with every spiritual blessing" (Eph.1:3). God has not just blessed me through your encouragement, but If I were to list all that He has blessed me with just within my 1st month here at MBI-Spokane, the list would be far longer than I'm sure you would ever care to sit through and read. That is why I give all the honor and all the glory to Him because He deserves it...and deserves more. I know that He could take everything away and leave me with nothing. Even if He did, it would be alright because He is sovereign and great. But this is what makes Jesus so phenomenal: He chooses to bless us. So I praise Him because He loves me beyond my imagination and is willing to bless me, a wretched man.

Thank you Jesus. I can never fully express my appreciation for what you do and who you are.

The First Few Yards

The moments before a race are hard to describe. You are extremely nervous, jittery, energized, and hopeful as you prepare yourself physically and mentally. As you take your spot in your lane on your starting block, your mind races: Am I really ready for this? You gaze ahead and imagine yourself a couple moments from now: pounding your legs, determined eyes, and your mind on the goal as you fly toward the finish line. Of course, there is no way to foresee exactly what will happen and how you will feel during the race. You can only guess...and hope for the best.

You may have already figured out the symbolism here. Before I arrived in Spokane, before I stepped into my new house, and before I walked into my first class, I could only guess what God had in store for me here. Sure I had diligently prepared myself before hand by buying accessories for my room, planning ahead schedules, and what not, but there was no way that I could really understand how my time here would be. I prayed a lot (no really, I prayed a lot) and had no choice but to leave everything into God's hands. Funny how He does that. How He puts us in situations where our only chance of survival is clinging to Him. Is it coincidental how He world works like that? I think not. 

So now you're probably wondering how my first two weeks here have been. Well, praise be to the Lord, I'm alive. Ok, I'm much better then alive, I'm having the time of my life. God has blessed me with so much here and I am so glad and give Him thanks for all of it. I have already made a lot of great friends and I have fantastic housemates as well. I has been a privilege to attend MBI and I am greatly enjoying all my classes. It has been really exciting to see how God has (from before I got here) prepared for a smooth transition to life here at college. I thank Jesus for everything He has blessed me with so far.

There is one thing that I would really appreciate prayer for: a job. It would be a real blessing if I had the opportunity to work while here in spokane. A place walking distance, hours that work well with my schedule, and a good work place would be something only God could provide. Pray that as I search and apply to places in the neighborhood, God would miraculously open up opportunities for a part-time job. I covet your prayers on this matter.

Although I didn't know what to expect as the gun sounded to start my race here at Moody, these first few yards have certainly proved positive. I am excited that God has show me that He is glad that I'm here as He has demonstrated with all His wonderful blessings. All I can do now is to keep running strong and trust that Jesus will help me finish this race well.