Wow, there was a lot of good flag football tonight. I am a referee so I get the brunt of all the players. But nonetheless, there was an upset with the Goonies advancing to the finals along with Bad Karma who knocked off the G-Dubb All-Stars. Today has been quite a nice day with mostly relaxing. I went to my 8 o’clock class then my staff meeting and afterwards came back and took a four hour nap. And now, I get to go home tomorrow to spend Halloween with Grace which I am very excited about!

The World Series is over. No more baseball. No more INCREDIBLE stories. At least until next year. But I do not think any worst to first could top the Tampa Bay Rays season. It was a GREAT run and AMAZING to watch, I just wish it would have ended with a win.

So as most of you know the World Series has been going on for the last week or so and I havent missed a game yet. There have been lots of controversies regarding Joe Blanton, the umpires, and major league baseball in general as to why they even started game five. The game was originally scheduled to restart tonight at 8 but due to more rain. the series has been pushed back another day. I was quite bummed out.

Life is an amazing, God breathed thing. And it is my belief that God indented for us to enjoy life to the fullest while abiding by His commandments. He gives us the tools and opportunities we need reach our “fulfill my potential” as Jeremy said in his response.

Life can be full of difficult and challenging situations. And for most of us life can be ver confusing, as Rachel B. said, “I am honestly confused abot what I want in life.” God works is wonderful ways and only He knows the outcome before it happens.

Despite our confused nature, there is something in us that always desires one thing. Happiness.

“I want a family and a career.”-Rachel Bradfield

“I did find true love though.” -Rachel Russell

“I would of course like to have a partner, build my ideal house, and have the experience of raising children at one point.” -Jeremy White

All of these things are physical and material things that God provides for our enjoyment. And as we go down the road of life, we strive for these things because they make us happy.

It is very clear to me that, despite all of the different life goals, happiness is the one thing my group wants out of life.

The new topic is.. what is your favorite movie and why?

I have always found it very interesting how God always gives us messages we need to hear. With all the car problems and family issues going on lately I have been in a very negative mood while doing my darndest to see the positive.

This morning I went to church where he talked about Jude 1:16-18. Dr. Rose talked about dwelling on the negatives, and the effects it has on us.  While he was talking I was reminded of Phillippians 2:1-9  which talks about our attitude.  God never lets me down. Although the times get tough He is there and He never allows anything we cant handle to come our way.

Have I ever said God provides before? I think I may have mentioned it in my last post. Read this. Its long and may not make sense but read any way!

I had my car towed to the shop to get it fixed this morning. I got it fixed and everything was peachy. Except for the fact that it cost like $250+ but that’s another story. But anyway, I drove it around town a bit to make sure everything was working properly and everything was dandy once again. I was in a happy state of mind.. kinda. I went and home and hung out at the house with the family before I came back to school. I also wanted to miss rush hour traffic in Charlotte so I stayed a while longer and ate with the family then headed back to school in the rain.

Everything was going great until I hit the Salisbury area. I stopped to get an energy boost and then put $15 that my parents gave me in my car. Well, this is where the fun begins. I pulled up to the gas station and ambulance is sitting in the middle of the road with its lights on so I figured there was an accident and said “Thank goodness I stayed home the extra twenty minutes or else that could have been me.” I got the gas and drink and started down the road. I get like thirty seconds from the gas station when my stupid battery light comes on again… same problem I just spent $250+ on. And to make things better, I was in a traffic jam on the interstate going a grand total of 15 miles an hour! I think I was going to fast.

So I began thinking, “well I know my car is going to break down any time now how long is it going to last. It wont make it home, and it wont make it to school.” So I make it down to exit 39 before my gauges flip out on me. So I pull off the road and start driving for the next off ramp… by this point my car has shut off and I am literally drifting. I hit those stupid bumps on the shoulder and my car WIGS out. ALL the lights come on. It seemed like a fire cracker went of in there it was SO bright, but I now had power and make it up the ramp where my car dies yet again. So now I am drifting to the gas station just down the road and I park it.

Needless to say, I was not a very nice person to be around at that point, at least until I got to the gas station. I called my Dad and told him the situation and we began talking through situations. But the neat thing is exit 39 is the exit my Dad has to come to when he has to get parts for work. Hmmm. Coincidence? I think not. After I got to the gas station, something hit me, and it wasn’t what I had expected.

I was grateful. I still had a place to stay warm. I still had a place to stay dry. I still had a place to get food and drinks if I wanted them. James 1:2-4 popped into my mind, and so did Job. If we look at Job’s situation, he had everything he needed and more, and so did I.

Job went through losing EVERYTHING he had, and remained faithful to the One he served. Now I have not even come close to losing everything, but I think the situation is similar. Job questioned God and so did I. I have asked why, and how more time than I can count in the last 3 weeks. The neat thing about the whole thing is that through Job’s faith, the Lord blessed him ten fold. Quite frankly, I hope the Lord doesn’t bless me ten fold. That is to many cars to have to replace alternators on ever 24 hours. But in the end, Job came out stronger, wiser, and more complete, than he was before all of the trials began.

James 1:2-4 says,

My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let that endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. (NRSV)

Job displayed this verse in an exemplary way. And I have been humbled by the fact that I am not in control of the things that go down. They happen for a reason; that reason is to build us up. To make us mature and complete, lacking in nothing. And I do not think I have been happier to have car problems.

So today has been GREAT overall. I went to class and then came home to pick up some stuff I forgot over spring break. While I was up here Some friends invited me to play some disc golf and hang out afterwards. On my way home, I noticed that my battery light had come on. I didnt really think anything of it because I was to excited to see my family again. That came back to bite me in the butt.

I left my friends house around 9 after a great day and I got about 5 minutes towards the house to say bye, when my car shut off. Nothing worked. My head lights went out. All the lights inside went out. ALl the gauges stopped working. I was able to drift into the Dominos parking lot and then I went off. I lost my cool. And that’s putting it nicely. I was extremely frustrated to miss a VERY busy day of class tomorrow. I called around and got a hold of my mom. She came and picked me up and I was not a very happy person to be around at this point.

I got home and deicded to take some time to be by myself and cool down. I went outside and smoked a cigar, and while I was out there I thought of a text message that was sent to me that reminded me of how much I have. I am truely blessed. I have a family that loves me. I have a ton of friends. I have people to talk to. I have three meals a day. I have a roof over my head. I have a car that can be be fixed.

As I was sitting out there staring at the clouds moving in front of the full moon, I was completely broken down because I have a surplus. I have a surplus of everything that is needed to live. God blesses us all with more than we need even when it seems that there is nothing positive about the situations we encounter.

God provides. That means something more to me now. He not only provides the resources to live, but also some of the wants we have. Why is it so easy to become complacent with the “stuff”, the wants we have? Why is it so hard to become complacent when we live day to day. Pay check to pay check. Meal to meal. Lack of faith. Simply put. We all encounter it. We doubt that God will come through for us, but yet, time after time after time He comes through.

Tonight I was at home. I had people that would come get me. I had a family to talk to. I still have food. I still have a place to sleep. God provides. Simply put.

So I think everyone has experienced the person in class who asks too many questions. This morning in Old Testament we were discussing Isaiah 9:6-7 and how it referred to the Christmas story and how it reminded us of Handel Messiah and the Hallelujah Chorus.

Naturally, there were people in the class who had not heard of Handel Messiah and the Hallelujah Chorus so they began asking questions. Understandable right? Aparently not. After we had already established that these three things went together, someone in our class said, “Wait, the Hallelujah Chorus and Handel Messiah are related to Christmas?” My teacher looked at this person somewhat dumbfounded that she still hadn’t grasped the concept and said plainly, “yes.”

It was then that my smart self thought to myself that I should ask that question once more… I failed to do so. However, I would like to inform EVERYONE that the Hallelujah Chorus by Handel Messiah, the Christmas story, and the oracle in Isaiah 9 ARE in fact related. Enjoy the youtube video of Handel Messiah’s Hallelujah Chorus