well well well...

A lot has happened since I started this little faith journey. I learned Biblical Hebrew and Greek, coached a junior high girls soccer team, started playing guitar for 4 and 5 year olds, learned all sorts of things about church history, started Grant Horner's bible reading plan and have actually been keeping up with it, made the wonderful switch from PC to Mac, made a ton of new friends, got a new job as an apartment complex manager, got to preach to k-9th graders (in three separate sessions) twice, will be (God willing) the proud father of a little girl in just a little while, have separated completely from the military, is seriously reconsidering some of the "values" I have always just assumed should be important, and even debated for, as long as I can remember (mostly political), am learning to love my wife more, and lead my family, am more convinced now than I ever have been that Jesus Christ is the only hope for this world... now I just need to learn to articulate that.

now I'm off to change my son's stinky diaper. It's ok, though, in 1 week we begin 3 days of intense, gladiator potty training.

The Times They Are a-Changing...

I'm not sure how long this will last, but I want to start writing again. I've been apprehensive for a couple of reasons, not the least of which being my own immaturity. I've been very dogmatic about several things in the past, and since coming out here, I've begun to see my own immaturity. I'm learning to choose the hills I die on, because there is nothing worse than feeling it is necessary to to combat your own presupposition of what someone else's position may be. I've done that many times, blinded by my own pride, and paid dearly for it. Writing has always been difficult for me not because I don't love it, I do, but because it's hard to communicate clearly sometimes.

To give everyone a brief update, I want to start by telling everyone what I am thankful for:

First and foremost, I am thankful for Jesus Christ. Jesus is so much more than I could ever understand this side of heaven. What I do understand gives me more comfort than anything else. He is my Lord, my Savior, and my friend. Everything I cannot do to justify myself before God He has done for me, and because of that, I am so very thankful. He has given me His Spirit to comfort me, enlighten His Word to me, and guide me through life, and I depend on that to keep myself from going crazy. Each day, I learn more and more to lean on His guidance and submit to what He has said in His Word. That may be difficult for some people to understand, and as someone outside of Christianity looking in, it may even seem a little cooky. I don't blame you, especially what has been done "in the name of Jesus Christ" in the past.

I am also thankful for the Word of God. Since coming out here, I have been able to study the Bible more deeply. In that process, I have been exposed to my own hypocrisy, and received fresh insight into why Jesus Christ is so precious.

I am also very thankful for TMS and GCC. I have met so many different people from all sorts of walks of life that are learning to love God. I am being challenged to love my family, manage my time, and love God unlike I have ever been before. I'm also discovering how little I know in the grand scheme of things, and how much more I have to learn about everything.

I am thankful for life, health, provision, shelter, care, etc. Since coming out here, I have had every need met in some amazing and generous ways. People do not hesitate to give. We lived with a family for free for six months, got all of our furniture donated to us for free, had dozens of meals cooked for us, and have seen God's continuous provision the entire time we've been out here.

I am also thankful for the friends God has given me out here. I have met a lot of people that encourage me, and I'm so thankful for all of them, and look forward to many years of friendship.

For the sake of Brevity, I'll end there, and say more another day.