So I need to confess something, I am stressed out! I have a lot of work to do and its only the second week of classes. In some of my classes, I already feel behind. How is that possible? The good news is, is that I am blessed. Blessed with friends, family, and a church that loves me. Blessed with a few dollars in my wallet. Blessed with arms and legs, unlike my inspiration Nick. Nick was born without any arms or legs. Even though Nick is without arms and legs, he goes forward today as an inspirational speaker through Life Without Limits.
So when I'm stressed out with school or with life, often I can turn to Nick to cheer me up and motivate me to keep pressing forward, to carry high the banner of Jesus.
"Do I pray for arms and legs? Do I still desire them? Yes I do. I'm not discouraged if he doesn't give it to me. Its not that I'm not content because I am content...It's such a big big ministry that God has given me. Such a beautiful thing to witness peoples hearts being changed and transformed because of the testimony that we bring of God's glory, grace, and affection."
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me."
2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness."
Yeah, you know what, this week isn't looking that bad after all.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
The Ballad of the Boys
Alright so I have some time in between my busy stressful college life (and when I mean busy, I just had supper and am waiting for our frisbee golf game to start) to give some props to my nephews Deacon and Finn. FYI...there is a 3rd, his name is Jace and I don't have any videos of him yet, but I'm confident the time will soon come.
I struggled finding a good video worthy of Deacon and Finn. I thought about posting a video of Deacon singing "Friday" by Rebecca Black. But I figured in 15 years from now, he will probably be able to beat me up. So without further adieu, for the very first time on my blog, I present Deacon and Finn.
Thankfully for these guys, they are not completely into barbies and princesses. Nah, when us guys hang out, we enjoy doing manly things...like watching Bambi! We also like watching Cars (or something to that extent). Through Deacon, I now have a decent knowledge of trucks, tractors, and other heavy operating machinery. Deacon is pretty knowledgeable in that category. Then there is Finn...he can win, and probably has won, you over with his smile.
If you haven't noticed, the Reinhard family is pretty spectacular. In fact, this weekend we are all gathering in Indy to just spend the Labor day weekend together. I cannot wait!
I struggled finding a good video worthy of Deacon and Finn. I thought about posting a video of Deacon singing "Friday" by Rebecca Black. But I figured in 15 years from now, he will probably be able to beat me up. So without further adieu, for the very first time on my blog, I present Deacon and Finn.
Thankfully for these guys, they are not completely into barbies and princesses. Nah, when us guys hang out, we enjoy doing manly things...like watching Bambi! We also like watching Cars (or something to that extent). Through Deacon, I now have a decent knowledge of trucks, tractors, and other heavy operating machinery. Deacon is pretty knowledgeable in that category. Then there is Finn...he can win, and probably has won, you over with his smile.
If you haven't noticed, the Reinhard family is pretty spectacular. In fact, this weekend we are all gathering in Indy to just spend the Labor day weekend together. I cannot wait!
Ode to the Nieces and Nephews
I think I am getting a hang of this whole blogging thing. To prove it, I am showing you more videos. Actually, that's not the reason at all. What I really want to do is show off how cute my nieces and nephews are. They are so much fun and I love them a ton! Probably the hardest thing about being away at Purdue is being away from these crazy kids. I tend to miss them...a lot.
The first video is of my nieces, Kaitlee and Bria. You may recognize the song. : )
It is amazing what you can learn from kids...for instance, with Kaitlee and Bria, I now know the entire Sound of Music songs. I know how to properly dress a barbie, and what does or doesn't match. I know about Dora the Explorer or the Princess and the Frog. Most importantly, I am reminded how fun life is and the importance of family! I am blessed.
Ok...so maybe I have yet to master blogging because I am currently unable to upload a second video of two of my nephews. I guess you will have to tune in tomorrow (or later today) to see Deacon and Finn rocking out.
The first video is of my nieces, Kaitlee and Bria. You may recognize the song. : )
It is amazing what you can learn from kids...for instance, with Kaitlee and Bria, I now know the entire Sound of Music songs. I know how to properly dress a barbie, and what does or doesn't match. I know about Dora the Explorer or the Princess and the Frog. Most importantly, I am reminded how fun life is and the importance of family! I am blessed.
Ok...so maybe I have yet to master blogging because I am currently unable to upload a second video of two of my nephews. I guess you will have to tune in tomorrow (or later today) to see Deacon and Finn rocking out.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Beyond Blessed
Well it is Sunday afternoon and I am just returning from a crazy weekend. What a great weekend it was though! Two great people and friends got married this weekend. Congrats to Chad and Christen, so excited for you! Although today was awesome being with friends and family, it cannot top last night.
Saturday was spent sleeping in and doing some reading for school. In the afternoon, some of the PYG (Purdue Young Group) headed up to Francesville for a nice evening. An evening which consisted of volleyball, a delicious cook out, bonfire, praise singing, bible study, smores, and some fun games of kick the can and ghosts in the graveyard.
For me, there is always something special about campfires. A fire is so peaceful, so beautiful, so captivating. I feel that whenever I am sitting by a fire, it allows me to reflect. My reflection led me to think how blessed I am. If my friends were watching closely, they may have noticed a tear trickle down my cheek as I was overcome with blessings. Picture it, here I am, surrounded by a great group of friends on a beautiful starry night, enjoying the fire, singing songs to my Savior. Could it get much better than that?
In the first blog I mentioned how there will probably be no videos or pictures, well I am going to try to change that. I recorded a video of us singing because it was such a perfect evening and I wanted to be able to share it with you all.
Wow...just listening to the song and rethinking how blessed I am gives me chills. So thank you friends and family for the wonderful memories and blessings you have given me. I love you all and I am beyond blessed! Hope you guys can have a great week, and when times do get rough, which probably will happen, I hope you can cling to how blessed we are. I'm confident that that will get you through!
Saturday was spent sleeping in and doing some reading for school. In the afternoon, some of the PYG (Purdue Young Group) headed up to Francesville for a nice evening. An evening which consisted of volleyball, a delicious cook out, bonfire, praise singing, bible study, smores, and some fun games of kick the can and ghosts in the graveyard.
For me, there is always something special about campfires. A fire is so peaceful, so beautiful, so captivating. I feel that whenever I am sitting by a fire, it allows me to reflect. My reflection led me to think how blessed I am. If my friends were watching closely, they may have noticed a tear trickle down my cheek as I was overcome with blessings. Picture it, here I am, surrounded by a great group of friends on a beautiful starry night, enjoying the fire, singing songs to my Savior. Could it get much better than that?
In the first blog I mentioned how there will probably be no videos or pictures, well I am going to try to change that. I recorded a video of us singing because it was such a perfect evening and I wanted to be able to share it with you all.
Wow...just listening to the song and rethinking how blessed I am gives me chills. So thank you friends and family for the wonderful memories and blessings you have given me. I love you all and I am beyond blessed! Hope you guys can have a great week, and when times do get rough, which probably will happen, I hope you can cling to how blessed we are. I'm confident that that will get you through!
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Beginning
This could be the beginning of a great adventure of blogging or an epic fail. I guess only time will tell. So why does a 22 year old guy decide to start blogging. Maybe because it sounded fun. Maybe because it's a way that I can vent. Who knows. Maybe because I feel that this is a pretty important time in my life, and Facebook just doesn't give it justice. Being a senior at Purdue with student teaching in the spring and Lord willing, graduation in May. It's just a good way of showing what is going on.
It probably wont be the fanciest blog. I am not sure I will ever have pictures or videos or anything creative like that. I guess I have never really been flashy, just kinda average and simple. In a way, I kind of expect my blog to be average and simple. I'm just a single, college, Christian guy sharing what God is doing in his life.
Which leads me to the title of the blog. "If not you, who?" I struggled coming up with a title that I liked. I even talked to a friend about the importance and stress of finding the perfect title. So what does the title mean. There are a lot of ways to take it. I first came across this quote from a book I was reading. (SIDENOTE: I am a history major, this blog may bring up a lot of history). The book was called Beyond Glory, a great book honoring men who have received the Medal of Honor. These are stories of men who went through the worst imaginable situations and lived to tell about it. One of the stories was of Jack Jacobs, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Vietnam.
The story goes that Jacobs' and his men were ambushed one day on patrol. They were getting beat up pretty bad with machine gun and mortar fire. Guys were getting shot all around him and even Jacobs got wounded by a mortar. I could say a lot more but to sum it all up, Jacobs and his men were in trouble. Jacobs ended up getting one of his wounded guys back to safety. He could have stayed back but he ran back into the action to get another one of his wounded men and patched him and took him back to safety. Jacobs did this 14 times. Putting his life at risk so that others may live. In an interview years after the fighting, Jacobs said "If not you, who? If I was not going to do it, who was? I mean, I'm not a particularly brave guy, but who's going to do it? So, you know, you do what you have to do."
Though most of us are not running through rice fields and saving lives, we are living our lives on Earth. And there are times I believe when we are put in situations that Gods asks us to do something. I hope I'm not being too bold but I feel that God does call us to do things in our lives. This could be anything from feeling called to befriend someone at school. Or feeling called to adopt. Or feeling called to be a missionary or called to move into a trailer park. Whatever it may, God is asking us to do things. But sometimes...I'm just not fully ready to go. Sometimes I'm too proud. Sometimes I think that I will leave it for somebody else to do.
Pastor Eric Ludy brought forth some serious questions in a sermon. He asked if there is a limit to our obedience? Are there places that we will not go for God? Or here is the kicker, would you rather someone else go instead. For me this was extremely humbly because I do have limits. I wish I would have the mindset that I have been presented with an extraordinary opportunity. An opportunity of glorifying the name of God. I wish everyday I can come to the realization that God will provide, will always provide.
So the challenge for me and you if you accept, is to go forward. Run through the rice fields. Sit with that classmate in class. Go forward, bold in the fact that God will provide and thinking, "If not you, who?" Is this too bold for the first blog?
Have a great weekend.
It probably wont be the fanciest blog. I am not sure I will ever have pictures or videos or anything creative like that. I guess I have never really been flashy, just kinda average and simple. In a way, I kind of expect my blog to be average and simple. I'm just a single, college, Christian guy sharing what God is doing in his life.
Which leads me to the title of the blog. "If not you, who?" I struggled coming up with a title that I liked. I even talked to a friend about the importance and stress of finding the perfect title. So what does the title mean. There are a lot of ways to take it. I first came across this quote from a book I was reading. (SIDENOTE: I am a history major, this blog may bring up a lot of history). The book was called Beyond Glory, a great book honoring men who have received the Medal of Honor. These are stories of men who went through the worst imaginable situations and lived to tell about it. One of the stories was of Jack Jacobs, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Vietnam.
The story goes that Jacobs' and his men were ambushed one day on patrol. They were getting beat up pretty bad with machine gun and mortar fire. Guys were getting shot all around him and even Jacobs got wounded by a mortar. I could say a lot more but to sum it all up, Jacobs and his men were in trouble. Jacobs ended up getting one of his wounded guys back to safety. He could have stayed back but he ran back into the action to get another one of his wounded men and patched him and took him back to safety. Jacobs did this 14 times. Putting his life at risk so that others may live. In an interview years after the fighting, Jacobs said "If not you, who? If I was not going to do it, who was? I mean, I'm not a particularly brave guy, but who's going to do it? So, you know, you do what you have to do."
Though most of us are not running through rice fields and saving lives, we are living our lives on Earth. And there are times I believe when we are put in situations that Gods asks us to do something. I hope I'm not being too bold but I feel that God does call us to do things in our lives. This could be anything from feeling called to befriend someone at school. Or feeling called to adopt. Or feeling called to be a missionary or called to move into a trailer park. Whatever it may, God is asking us to do things. But sometimes...I'm just not fully ready to go. Sometimes I'm too proud. Sometimes I think that I will leave it for somebody else to do.
Pastor Eric Ludy brought forth some serious questions in a sermon. He asked if there is a limit to our obedience? Are there places that we will not go for God? Or here is the kicker, would you rather someone else go instead. For me this was extremely humbly because I do have limits. I wish I would have the mindset that I have been presented with an extraordinary opportunity. An opportunity of glorifying the name of God. I wish everyday I can come to the realization that God will provide, will always provide.
So the challenge for me and you if you accept, is to go forward. Run through the rice fields. Sit with that classmate in class. Go forward, bold in the fact that God will provide and thinking, "If not you, who?" Is this too bold for the first blog?
Have a great weekend.
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